Pregame Notes:
- Hawks set the franchise record for wins in a single season by going 60-22
- Hawks were 5th in the NBA during the season in fewest points allowed.
- Kyle Korver became ATL’s all-time regular season leader in FT% at .897
The Hawks had a lot to celebrate tonight on top of their big Game 2 win. The franchise finally has a new owner, Coach Budenholzer was awarded the Coach of the Year award, and the whole city came out to support the home team and Ludacris’ performance. Everyone was in attendance from Kandi Burruss, 2 Chainz, The Dream, Jermaine Dupri (and also appeared for a surprise performance), and rumor floated that Jay Z and Beyoncé were also in attendance.
The Hawks announced today that an agreement has been signed for the purchase of the franchise led by Tony Ressler, co-founder of Ares Management. The group also includes Grant Hill, Clayton Dubliner & Rice partner Rick Schnall, and Spanx founder Sara Blakely and Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler.
The Hawks were cruising through the game with Al Horford looking every bit as healthy as he was before he injured his pinky. He had 14 points and 13 rebounds, a monster night while “injured.”
Paul Millsap took charge of the squad leading the team with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Jeff Teague followed him with 16 points and 6 assists.
Hawks fans were not welcoming in any form to former player Joe Johnson. Every time he touched the ball you could hear “boos” fill the arena. He held his own with 19 points for the Nets.
The Hawks were strolling comfortably the entire game, but for some reason they couldn’t find a formidable lead against the Nets. So with less than a minute to go they found themselves up by 2 (93-91) after leading the entire game by no less than 8 points. After Kyle Korver drained his free-throws the Hawks were finally able to close out the game with a victory 96-91.
-Jon J.
Photo: Hakim Wright