Hawks beat Knicks 112-101 for 1st win

NEW YORK – Jeff Teague scored 23 points, Al Horford added 21 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 112-101 on Thursday night (Friday morning in Manila) for their first victory of the season.

 

Looking more like the team that won 60 games last season and had the best record in the Eastern Conference than the one that was beaten badly at home in its opener, the Hawks shot 51 percent from the field.

 

Kyle Korver had 15 points and Paul Millsap added 11 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta.

 

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and was 10 for 27 from the field in his second straight poor shooting game to open the season. Robin Lopez finished with 18 points.

 

Atlanta lost 106-94 to Detroit on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), a poor opening act following its most successful regular season. But the Hawks played in this one as they did for so much of last season, with quick ball movement, accurate shooting and good balance. They put six players in double figures and made 10 3-pointers.

 

The Knicks were coming off a 122-97 season-opening victory at Milwaukee on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) but couldn't keep up with the Hawks' precision execution, and their second unit didn't have nearly the impact of a night earlier.

 

Kristaps Porzingis, the No. 4 overall draft pick from Latvia, drew plenty of cheers in his first regular-season game at Madison Square Garden, highlighted by a steal and a spin into the middle on his dribble up the court leading to a dunk.

 

He finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Derrick Williams was held to nine points, a night after the former No. 2 draft pick scored 24.

 

TIP-INS

Hawks: Thabo Sefolosha sat out to rest his ankle as he continues to recover from injuries sustained when he was arrested outside a New York nightclub in April. He played in Tuesday's opener but said the team is being cautious so he will be healthy and ready in a few months. Tim Hardaway Jr., the former Knicks' first-round draft pick who was dealt to Atlanta on draft night for the rights to Jerian Grant, didn't play and hasn't gotten in for the Hawks in either game. Mike Muscala missed the game after spraining his right ankle Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

 

Knicks: The Knicks fell to 36-34 in home openers and have dropped their last two. With projected starter Arron Afflalo remaining out with a strained left hamstring, Sasha Vujacic scored six points. The sellout crowd of 19,812 included celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, David Duchovny, Kate Upton and Ed Burns.

 

UP NEXT

Hawks: Atlanta hosts Charlotte on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

 

Knicks: New York visits Washington on Saturday (Saturday in Manila).