Atlanta Hawks game thread: Morrow to start vs. Magic; Pachulia warned for flop (updated)

UPDATE: Anthony Morrow will start for the Hawks. He will be joined by Jeff Teague, Devin Harris, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Coach Larry Drew pressed with Kyle Korver coming back from injury and wanting to rest DeShawn Stevenson in order to play him Thursday against the Bobcats. Drew expects Korver to play about 20 minutes.

Pachulia on flop warning: “It’s a rule so you have to respect the game, respect the rules. Honestly, my first reaction because I saw the elbow coming was just to try to get out of the way because I was so close. I wasn’t trying to flop there but if you look at the film it’s obvious it looks like I was flopping. I was just trying to get out of the way. If the elbow came, I would rather take the $5,000 fine than a broken jaw.

Vivlamore reporting.

ORLANDO — Even with the returns of Kyle Korver and Mike Scott, the Hawks will be a little short-handed tonight against the Magic. DeShawn Stevenson likely will not play in the first game of a back-to-back schedule. Coach Larry Drew said he wants to save Stevenson for Thursday’s game against the Bobcats at Philips Arena.

Korver will not be in the starting lineup as he returns from the back spasms and birth of his first child that kept him out of the past five games. He will play “limited” minutes according to Drew.

While Drew said his starting lineup will be a game-time decision, he is leaning toward starting Anthony Morrow.

Flop warning

Center Zaza Pachulia received a warning for violating the NBA’s anti-flopping rule during last week’s game against the Wizards.

The Wizards’ Kevin Seraphin grabbed a rebound and moved his extended elbow past the face of Pachulia with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ victory. Pachulia stumbled backward but never fell to the ground.

According to the new rule, players receive a warning for the first violation, determined by the league office not the on-court officials. The warning is followed by fines for each addition violation: $5,000 fine for a second, $10,000 fine for a third, $15,000 fine for a fourth and $30,000 fine for a fifth.

Korver back

Korver said his back is feeling good. He practiced Tuesday and Wednesday morning and said he is looking forward to getting back on the court.

“I used to have nightmares that I would wake up and turn the TV on and my team was playing,” Korver said. “You look out and see your team is playing and you are not there. That’s kind of what it felt like. For the first time in quite a while I really missed playing basketball because I haven’t missed games in a few years. … There was this break, obviously there were awesome things going on in life, but I want to be out there with those guys. They were playing such good basketball.”

Korver said he is more concerned with getting his timing and rhythm back as opposed to his conditioning.

Scott also back

Rookie Mike Scott practiced with the team Wednesday after arriving from his NBA Development League stint Tuesday. Scott has his best game Monday, the final of four games with the Bakersfield (Calif.) Jam, with 21 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes.

“It was a good learning experience,” Scott said. “I got out and got a chance to play. That was the main thing to get some conditioning in, to play and see the ball go through the hoop.”

Mental challenge

Beginning with tonight’s game against the Magic, the Hawks play three of four games against teams with sub.-500 records. The Bobcats, Warriors (14-7) and Wizards follow tonight’s game.

Competing in those games, especially after playing the likes of the Grizzlies and Heat, will be important according to Drew.

“We’ve played two of the best teams in the league in the first two games of this road trip now we are playing a team that is rebuilding,” Drew said. “Will we get up for the mental challenge? It’s something we have to be real professional about it. We have to be disciplined about it. I will challenge our guys to do that.”

- Chris Vivlamore

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