The Hawks notched their first victory of Summer League with a 68-65 win over the defending Summer League champion Golden State Warriors. Dennis Schröder led the Hawks with 17 points and Trevor Releford and Mike Muscala chipped in with 14 points apiece. Justin Holiday led the Warriors with 15 points.
Game Notables:
- Releford showed off his shooting ability with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting including three three pointers. He did well to work his way into open space when off the ball and knocked down the open jumper when he got a kick-out.
- The Muscala and Schröder combo has been excellent for the Hawks all week. Muscala said they are getting more comfortable with each other in the pick-and-roll game, learning where the other wants to go.
- Coach Ham noted that being in a close game down the stretch was good experience for the guys. Muscala seconded that thought, saying it helped to have experience in understanding time situations late especially in dealing with 24-second shot clock.
- The Hawks’ team defense was much improved from the first three games, and Coach Ham credited that to the group communicating better on that end. Schröder noted that the team was more comfortable on the court together after playing together for a few games, and that made it easier to communicate and be in the right positions.
- Edy Tavares had a terrific defensive game, positioning himself well around the rim as he recorded three blocked shots in 19 minutes. He is very fluid with his movement on the defensive end, sliding over from the weakside to protect against driving guards.
With the win, the Hawks are guaranteed two more games and will start with a rematch with the Trail Blazers on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET.