The Atlanta Hawks fell into a deep hole in the beginning of their preseason game versus the Miami Heat, but it's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. Atlanta was down 24-8 to Miami early in the first quarter but created a ferocious rally.
Atlanta trimmed the lead to 31-16 at the end of the first quarter. Led by 2013-14 NBA All-Star, Paul Millsap's 23 points, the Hawks dominated the next two quarters by outscoring Miami 29-21 and 41-18. Kyle Korver added 17 points and shot 50 percent from the three-point line. The Hawks received the services of All-Star Al Horford, after missing the last 10 months with his second torn pectoral muscle. Horford was ineffective in this game as he only scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting. Jeff Teague and DeMarre Carroll scored in double figures with 10 points. Newly acquired costless agent Thabo Sefolosha added eight points.
The Hawks continued to add on to their double-digit lead, but the Miami Heat created a comeback of their own in the fourth quarter that fell short of a win. Power forward Chris Bosh was extremely effective as he put up 22 points in 30 minutes of action. Miami outscored Atlanta 33-21 in the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade added on 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Luol Deng, the newest member of the Heat, only scored two points. Rookie point guard Shabazz Napier had a decent showing with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
The Hawks made the most out of their motion offense which resulted in an impressive win in Miami. It will be exciting to look this team moving forward. A huge factor is the health of Al Horford. Atlanta was third in the East last season before he went down for the year. Miami is also a dark horse in the southeast division this season. Keeping Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was huge. Acquiring Luol Deng only helped the Heat even more after losing LeBron James to Cleveland. The southeast will definitely be one of the deepest divisions in the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks will head to Chicago on October 16 to face the Bulls. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat will match up against the Golden State Warriors on October 17.