Vasquez triple-double leads Hornets past Hawks
ATLANTA -- The New Orleans Hornets were yelling and screaming at each other between the first and second quarters Friday night at Philips Arena, hashing out adjustments as they struggled to stay close to the Atlanta Hawks. And because of that, they ended up yelling and screaming in the locker room when it was all over, having ridden a 20-4 run in the third quarter to a 111-100 win.
Greivis Vasquez had his first career triple-double, with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
"To see him take command of a game like that says a lot about him," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "The work ethic, his ability to take coaching, which a lot of NBA guys can't do. A lot of NBA guys don't want to be coached. They want to be babied and coddled. That kid is probably the toughest guy I've been around."
"I wanted to get a triple-double like tonight, with a win," Vasquez said. "This one really feels great, and it's special because it's my first one, and with a win."
Both teams were living beyond the 3-point arc. The Hawks made 13 of 24 3s, the Hornets made 9 of 16.
Eric Gordon's 25-foot 3-point shot at 5:14 in the third quarter gave the Hornets (17-33) their first lead since the opening tip, 68-66. Gordon finished with 27 points.
Robin Lopez had 17 points and seven rebounds, and Ryan Anderson made four 3-point shots while scoring 19 points.
The Hornets committed 11 turnovers in the first half but none in the third quarter and only three in the fourth.
In a 27-point swing, the Hawks went from being 14 points ahead to trailing by 13 points with seven minutes left in the game. Then the Hawks started running again, scoring seven points in 53 seconds as the clock wound down to six minutes remaining.
The Hawks locker room was closed long after it should have been open. The players were somber and coach Larry Drew was practically sputtering was he emphasized, "The third quarter, the first five minutes, it's got to be the first five minutes that have to dictate the game as far as the tempo. But, again, it all starts with our energy."
Josh Smith had 10 of his 21 points for the Hawks (27-22) in the first quarter. He added six rebounds and eight assists.
"Whenever you give a team life, especially a team like this that's young, it gives them a lot of confidence, and you're in for a battle," Smith said.
Jeff Teague, continuing a string of strong performances, scored 18 points in his first 20 minutes. He finished with 21. Teague has scored 20 or more points in three straight games for the first time in his young career.
Kyle Korver hit a 3-point shot at 3:27 in first quarter to set a Hawks franchise record for made 3-pointers in consecutive games, 43 straight. He had 17 points on the night.
Al Horford, the Hawks second-leading scorer, had a forgettable night, with only two points and three rebounds through three quarters. But he persisted to finish with 12 points and six rebounds.
"I think ever since I've been here, we've always had a hard time in the third," Horford said. "Usually we're able to get away with it and come back in the fourth and finish it off. Tonight you have to give them credit. They were the better team."
Notes: Hawks guard Lou Williams underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The procedure was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Andrews was assisted by Hawks orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ashok Reddy. Williams will be rehabbing at the Andrews Institute for the next two-to-three weeks. At the time of his injury, Williams ranked third on the team in scoring (14.1), assists (3.6) and steals (1.1) and was shooting .422 from the field, including career-bests .367 from 3-point range and .868 from the free-throw line in 28.7 minutes a game (39 games, nine starts). ... Teague has been chosen to participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on Saturday during All-Star Weekend in Houston. ... Hornets coach Williams, asked before the game what individual matchups he would be looking at, he mentioned two: "[Davis] and Josh [Smith]. That's a matchup that we'll watch right from the start. I just think Horford, he just makes it goofy for you because he can knock down, he can pass, he can push it in transition. Robin [Lopez] is not used to guarding a guy who can dribble in transition and play like a guard." Horford and Smith scored 43 points in the Hawks' 95-86 win over the Hornets in New Orleans on New Year's Day. ... The Hornets were wearing purple, green and gold Mardi Gras uniforms.
