Hawks 130 Nets 107

Boxscore

Gameflow

Highlights

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
NJ	96.5	1.108	53.4	21.8	22.2	14.5
ATL	96.5	1.347	59.2	22.8	36.4	13.5

Lacking much new to say about yet another blowout victory, I jumped at the chance to sum up the Hawks' league-best offense for The Daily Dime (#8). Again, the overall defensive performance failed to convince* but the offense was so good that it never threatened to create a real problem.

*The Nets entered the game last in the league in offensive efficiency (0.966) and eFG% (43.2). They set season-highs in both categories. They'd only shot better than 50% (eFG%) once in their first 23 games. Sure, Devin Harris has missed a bunch of time and their season averages probably underrate New Jersey's offensive ability, but the Nets replaced Chris Douglas-Roberts with Trenton Hassell and Bobby Simmons yesterday and still set season-highs. Plus, if Devin Harris were as effective against the other 28 teams as he is against the Hawks, New Jersey would probably have more than two wins this season.

Nary a healthy Hawk failed to contribute to the offensive explosion. There probably couldn't have been a better night for Marvin Williams to be felled by illness, due both to Mo Evans' current form and the injury-weakened opponent. Evans led the scoring with 22 points but Joe Johnson set the tone with a flawless 21-point/12-shot/10 assist/0 turnover highlighted, for me at least, by his five free throw attempts.

Josh Smith on Evans:

"I think Mo Evans did a good job picking up the slack for Marvin going out, and it shows the maturity of this team when somebody goes down, another player comes in the spot and steps up."

Mike Woodson:

"We're playing pretty good right now. We're doing everything right defensively, and offensively we look like we're having fun, sharing the basketball, and doing all the necessary things to score the right way."

Truly untroubled by the defense or exhibiting healthy perspective?

Woodson on Evans:

"He's a veteran and has been patiently waiting. That is key to having a good team. I can't play everybody 30 minutes, so the minutes you get, you have to make the most of them."

Brook Lopez:

"We were hanging tough with a top-four team in the East, pretty much for -- what fraction should I say? -- five-eighths of the game? That's correct, right? So, we were in there. It just kind of fell out from under us offensively and defensively the beginning of the third quarter. I'm sure it's tough writing about us."

Devin Harris:

"When you give them wide open looks like we did, they shoot an extremely (high) percentage. And then the misses they did have they got back."

Joe Johnson:

"It’s a blessing, honestly. The first year I got here, we started off, like, 2-21, something like that. [It was 2-16.] I’m not going to lie, there were a lot of nights I didn’t get any sleep. To go from that to now, it’s been lovely."

Jeff Teague on getting more minutes recently:

"I just wanted to make sure I didn't turn it over and do anything wrong. Now I think I'm more comfortable. I try to play my game and I think that's what they want me to do."