The Atlanta Hawks took care of business on the road, defeating the last-place Dallas Mavericks with a strong fourth-quarter push. While this has certainly been a winnable stretch of games, the Hawks have showed up and avoided any “traps” on their way to the six-game winning streak. Even as Kyle Korver has departed and rumors have indicated others could soon follow suit, they have kept on winning and currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference at 21-16.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, scored just 82 points and had three players in double figures as this season’s struggles continue. They drop to an 11-26 record, which is a surprise considering the amount of money they invested in free agents this past offseason.
Hardaway Jr. on fire
It was another big-time performance off the bench from 24-year-old guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 22 points while shooting 5-8 from beyond the arc. With Korver on the way to Cleveland, Hardaway Jr. figures to see an uptick in minutes as long as he too remains a Hawk past the trade deadline. He has performed at a very high level this month, and he is beginning to show why the Hawks gave up a first-round pick in 2015 to acquire him.
Another guard who has been hot is Dennis Schroder, and he contributed 20 points in another solid outing. The German international is now a foundational piece for this team, and he will likely be going nowhere for at least the next few years. It is encouraging to see him string together consistent good games like he has done over the past few weeks.
Dwight Howard owned the boards, grabbing 20 and adding 15 points as well. The Mavericks tried the “hack-a-Dwight” approach in the fourth quarter, but he hit 4-6 of his free throws and shot 7-9 overall from the line. Fellow frontcourt mate Paul Millsap had a strong all-around game, scoring 17, pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out six assists.
Barnes the bright spot
It was a rough night from the field for the Mavericks, with former Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes as the lone positive. Barnes dropped 21 points, but the rest of the team scored just 61 points combined. 38-year-old Dirk Nowitzki has dealt with nagging injuries this season and can’t seem to find a rhythm as his career reaches its end.
The backcourt pairing of Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews shot a combined 6-24 on the night, which is a recipe for a disappointing result. Center Andrew Bogut was also largely a non-factor, and Howard out-muscled him in the paint on several occasions.
Next Up
The Mavericks travel to face Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. With the Wolves’ loss to the Utah Jazz tonight, they actually match the Mavs for the worst record in the Western Conference. The Hawks travel to face the last-place team in the East, the Brooklyn Nets, on Tuesday night. This sets up a nationally televised game against former Hawk Al Horford and the Boston Celtics on Friday in Atlanta.