Atlanta Hawks: Keys To Protecting Home Court
By Adam McGee
Maintaining Teague’s Aggression
Teague’s outstanding Game 1 performance created considerable problems for the Pacers. It was a compliment to Teague that Frank Vogel decided to place Paul George on him in Game 2, and although George helped the Pacers, he didn’t shut Teague down completely. Teague had 12 points in the first half, mostly due to Paul Millsap and Pero Antic separating George from him with hard screens.
When the Hawks went cold in the third quarter, desperation set in, and all of a sudden the screens were gone. As a result, Teague struggled, and with Indiana cruising to victory, he played only 11 minutes in the second half, as coach Budenholzer saw an opportunity to give him rest.
There’s no doubt that George makes things more difficult for Teague, but he still has enough of an advantage with his speed and his handle, to occasionally blow by and score at the basket. It’s vital for Atlanta that Teague at least tries to do this, as not only does his own production improve when he’s aggressive, but it also creates more opportunities for his teammates.
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