I suspect all advance scouts on the Atlanta Hawks had dinner bought for them by the coaches, or they should have. Atlanta had been annihilated by the Toronto Raptors earlier this month, yet the Hawks returned on Friday night and won 125-121.
The Hawks took advantage of some regrettable Raptors tendencies and were able to cash in early. The first half was nearly unwatchable, as the Hawks exploited the Raptors’ non-existent rim protection. When Dennis Schroder and friends weren’t penetrating, they were dishing to a frequently wide-open Kyle Korver. How can Korver, of all people, be left unguarded?