AJC: Nets 89, Hawks 82

[Hawksquawk]

Devin and the Nets broke down the Hawks. (AP Photo)

Newark, N.J.–The Nets a) are 2-1 against the Hawks and 6-19 against the rest of the league and b) have with a penetrating point guard, a big post presence and a coach who coaxes a scrappy defensive style. A and B are closely related.

“This is the type of defense we’ve been playing but we just haven’t been able to score,” Avery Johnson said. “We only scored 89 points tonight but it was seven more than our opponents.”

The Hawks got 30 of those points in the first quarter. They started off the game passing the ball around with ease and making lots of shots but then the Nets turned up their pressure. They wouldn’t let the Hawks catch it clean in the post and chased them away from rhythm shots on the perimeter.

The Hawks didn’t make of those things very difficult for New Jersey. Their entry passes to the post were poor and they were content to shoot lots of jump shots and fade away from the basket instead of go hard at it. Two …

View the full article