ATLANTA (AP) – The Atlanta Hawks have been the NBA’s worst 3-point shooters this season, so rookie Cam Reddish was pleased to be a big part of a one-night reprieve. “We’ve all been putting in a ton of work in practice, extra work on our jump shots and defense,” Reddish said, “but to see our shots go down today was a great feeling.” John Collins had 33 points and 13 rebounds, Reddish scored 17 of his career-high 26 points in the third quarter, and the Hawks handed the Brooklyn Nets their third straight loss with a 141-118 victory Friday night.
Trae Young, ranking second in the NBA in scoring and assists, finished with 22 points and assisted on 14 baskets to help Atlanta, the league’s second-worst team, snap a two-game skid. The Hawks hit 19 3-pointers and finished 48.7% on treys on rare night of fun beyond the arc. The Nets gave up a season high in points. They pulled within six on Caris LeVert’s layup early in the fourth, but got no closer the rest of the way after Jeff Teague and Kevin Huerter answered with baskets that pushed the lead back to double digits.
“We are seventh in the league in defense and tonight we looked like were 800th in defense.” Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We lost our defensive identity tonight. It’s one game. I’m not going to change things and go crazy.” Atlanta Hawks’ Cam Reddish (22) shoots for three points over Brooklyn Nets’ Wilson Chandler (21) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Tami Chappell) Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points to lead Brooklyn, which began the game seventh in the Eastern Conference before dropping six games under .500.
It had won eight straight over the Hawks and five consecutively in Atlanta. The game got away from the Nets in the third. Atkinson called timeout after Atlanta hit its 10th trey for a nine-point lead and immediately got a technical foul for arguing that Dinwiddie had been fouled on the previous possession. Dinwiddie and Harris missed shots in the next possessions, and the Hawks soon led by 14 on Reddish’s 3. “Tonight was a real example of all of our guys trending in the right direction,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said.
“HOW TO START A BUSINESS put together that type of win was really encouraging to see.” TIP-INS Nets: The previous season high allowed was 138 points in a loss at Phoenix. … Brooklyn got off to a hot start, ending the first with a 36-29 lead to tie a team season high in points in the opening period. … LeVert, coming off a 34-point performance at Washington, had 18. He had an offensive rebound and putback to end the first, but was mostly quiet the rest of the way.