Atlanta Hawks: Grizzlies 115, Hawks 111 (OT)

The Grizz had a tough time handling Teague. (AP Photo)

– This game was tough to evaluate as a whole. L.D. had makeshift lineups out there for much of the night. Marvin was the only starter on the floor to finish regulation and no starters were in for the end of overtime.

– There were 70 personal fouls and 88 free throws. The game lasted 3 hours, 12 minutes. I doubt there were more than 4,000 fans in attendance.

– But the Hawks had their regulars in for much of the first half and looked pretty good overall. After lacking in flow early, the motion offense started to look like what I saw in practice. The Hawks had 15 assists on 19 first-half field goals.

– The halfcourt defense was solid. Lots of help and recover, very few automatic switches. The Grizzlies managed just 33 points in the first half.

– Then the wheels came off for the Hawks in the third quarter, when Memphis had a 17-0 run and scored 42 points. But even that outburst was less about lax halfcourt defense for the Hawks, and more about eight turnover leading to 17 points and 15 Grizzlies fastbreak points after they had zero in the first half.

– “It was a terrible third quarter,” Marvin said. “It was a terrible second half, really.”

– The game was tied 99-99 when JC2 rebounded Darrell Arthur’s miss with 9.9 seconds to go. He dribbled the ball slowly up the court as the Hawks bench and fans screamed at him to hurry.

– If Crawford thought at all about passing, it didn’t show: He pulled up for a long jumper that was short. Did he know he was going to shoot as soon as he got that rebound? “Yeah,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I thought it was good, but it didn’t drop.”

– I’ll say this about JC2: He never stops coming. That’s how he played during Summer League and it didn’t change in his first game sharing the floor with vets.

– He was just 5 of 15 from the field, though, and there were some bad shots in there. “I was disappointed in how I played,” Crawford said. “I really didn’t get in a rhythm. I didn’t get comfortable. I probably was thinking too much, too.”

– Sometimes his aggressiveness paid off. There was a third-quarter sequence in which he missed badly on a shot but then came back to score on a nice floater in the lane. In overtime, he jacked up an airball but later in the possession got a rebound and was fouled.

– Crawford’s approach isn’t such a big deal for an exhibition game, and obviously he won’t be taking big shots when the games count. But L.D. said: “I think I am going to have to settle him down just a little bit. He’s an aggressive kid, an attacker, and that is intriguing. But shot selection is important on this level. I don’t want to take away his aggressiveness but he’s got to be more selective.”

– Crawford’s teammates seemed cool with it. J.J. in particular was cheering him on. “I told him to keep shooting,” J.J. said. “You want a guy with that confidence. He’s got a lot of talent. I’m going to keep pushing him and encouraging him.”

– “That’s him,” Teague said. “That’s what he did in college and it’s why they drafted him. When I was out there with him I told him I was looking for him. You see his heart when he took the last shot.”

– Teague went hard to the basket while scoring 20 points and handing out seven assists. The offensive motion creates a lot of creases and he’s good at slipping into tight spaces. The Grizzlies had problems keeping him out of the lane. “Coach Drew pushed me all summer to be aggressive, and I tried to do what he told me,” he said.

– “I liked the aggressiveness of Jeff Teague,” L.D. said. “When you see him on the floor with his tremendous speed, he can make things happen.”

– Marvin looked confident while delivering 18 points and 10 boards. He made 6 of 7 free throws and was active on D. He said the new offense suits him: “I love it. I know where my shots are going to come from every night. That’s every player on this team.”

– Jason Collins made a pair of long jump shots. No, really, he did.

– I’m thinking Zaza is going to be an overlooked beneficiary of the new offense. He has good timing on cuts and knows how to play the angles. But it wasn’t pretty when he was forced to take a 3-pointer from the corner with time running out in overtime. “I pump fake but of course nobody is going to jump,” he said with a laugh.

– Smoove left the game after suffering a cut on his hand that required five stitches. J.J. took a shot to the hand but he said X-rays were negative.

– Jamal (back), Mo (knee) and Pape Sy (back) didn’t play.

– Acie Law scored 19 points for the Grizz, including 10 free throws. “I’ve always been a big fan of A.C.,” L.D. said. “We’ve always maintained contact. When I got the job, he was one of the first people to call and congratulate me.”

– I’m out, Hawks fans.

MC