Despite their star player Jimmy Butler being out of the lineup, Miami gains their 5th consecutive win against the Atlanta Hawks. Moving the ball looking to set players up for open shots gave the Heat an upper hand in The Eastern Conference matchup. Keeping the Hawks defensively on their toes throughout the game was vital especially with Trae Young being heavily guarded. Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 24 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists making it difficult for his opponents on both ends of the floor. The Miami Heat guard was key in the game, defenders would commit yet Nunn would make a play by passing or simply look to score.
John Collins had yet another high scoring game leading the Atlanta Hawks with 34 points and 10 rebounds. He was a dominant scoring impact for the Hawks in the heated road match. Clint Capela seemed to be everywhere on the floor finishing with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Although Capela didn’t begin scoring until the 2nd quarter, he made his presence known early by crashing the boards the entire game. However, it wasn’t enough to beat their opponents. The Heat read their pick and rolls early which did nothing but disjoint the Hawks offensively.
STAR OF THE GAME
Although the Heats leader was down due to knee concerns, their replacement starter played the most significant role well in the game. Kendrick Nunn had to come with an aggressive mindset for the team and he did just that both offensively and defensively. He was definitely feeling it since the start of the game down through the end. Finishing with a stunning 24 points being 8-15 from the field, 4-8 from 3 pointers and 4-4 from free throw line. The Miami Heat guard did it all. From moving the ball around, creating shots, rebounding and all while locking down their opponents hardest defender.
Biggest Concern
After Trae Young the team does not have a consistent scorer who can create shots. This is a huge concern for the Hawks. Opposing teams have began to realize who they should stop in order to compete for wins. The Atlanta Hawks have lost 7 out of the last 10 games, mostly due to their poor shot attempts from the field. Another concern is a lack of effort on defense, their current ranking is 24 in the league. During last nights matchup The Miami Heats bench alone scored 42 points while Atlanta Hawks bench scored just 9. Needless to say their 2nd string contributors are partly the blame in last nights deficit.
SUPRISE CONTRIBUTER
During a matchup where their shooting offense was attacked, it was John Collins who led the Atlanta Hawks in scoring. As stated prior he had a much needed 34 points which kept their team in close scoring range shooting 13-21, 2 out of 3 three pointer and 6-7 at the free throw line. While gaining a career high of scoring 19 points in the third alone. He finished with an impressive double double of 34-10. Just 2 points shy from his career high of 35 and huge night on the boards, Collins made his contribution once more for the Atlanta Hawks. It didn’t lead to a team road win but once the Hawks adjust their shooting percentages getting others to score aside from Capela, Collins and Young the team could become better then what they are performing.
NEXT GAME
vs Miami Heat, Tuesday, March 2nd at 4:30pm PT
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