John Collins took the floor for the first time in the Hawks’ regular season and helped his team build a 14-point first-half lead. But a minutes restriction prevented Collins from playing in the second half as a tired Hawks’ team could not keep pace, eventually falling to the Pacers 97-89.
Collins’ play in the first half was as electric as at any point during his rookie season. He tallied 12 points, two rebounds and a block in 12 minutes of action, finishing +14 in the box score. The Pacers played short-handed as well, as Victor Oladipo played just five minutes before leaving with an injury.