A statement from Hawks CEO Steve Koonin on behalf of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club:
We are tremendously saddened by the passing of Craig Sager. I was honored to work with him during my time at TNT. He was a great broadcaster and friend. Craig was an essential part of the NBA experience for fans as he brought the game and wonderful stories of our stars into the living rooms of so many through his outstanding and always entertaining reports.”
Pregame Tribute to Craig Sager
The Hawks came into the evening’s match at an even .500 (13-13) win percentage and definitely wanted to get a win on Ryan Cameron night. After scoring at least 120 points in each of their last two games, fans were prepared for a high-scoring outing by the club, and they weren’t disappointed.
The Hawks held a slight lead in the first quarter but the Hornets dominated most of the game.
Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 20 points, followed by Kent Bazemore’s 17. Dwight Howard was a monster on the boards with 22 rebounds and contributed 10 points, notching a double-double for the night.
Nicolas Batum, who’s usually the Hornets’ standout player, was held to under 10 points.
To celebrate Ryan Cameron Night, kids from his foundation were able to participate in mini games during timeouts and commercial breaks. Fans were able to see ATL legends Kilo Ali and Fabo perform at halftime, which was a nice touch to the special night.
Once the game continued, the Hornets continued to stretch their lead deep into the fourth quarter, where the Hawks were able to take the lead twice.
The Hawks play was decent, it was just one of those nights where shots were rolling out and clear fouls (against us) weren’t getting called. Those types of minor details matter when you lose a game by less than 10 points
It was unfortunate the night didn’t turn out as planned, but they’ll have time to recover and make a new game plan before facing Oklahoma City on Monday. The Hornets will travel to face the Lakers on Tuesday.
-Jon J.