Atlanta Hawks still sorting out crunch-time details

Part of the rebuilding process for the Atlanta Hawks is figuring out where the ball will go with the game on the line. A critical missed shot Friday night cost the Hawks a win in their home debut.

There were plenty of kinks to work through as the Atlanta Hawks made their long-awaited home debut. Atlanta opened the 2017-18 season by playing five consecutive contests away, the longest road trip of any team in the league to start the year.

The Hawks finally were able to show off the newly renovated Philips Arena, only some major issues emerged during the game. At tip off, the buzzer failed to respond, forcing the use of an air horn. For much of the third quarter, the scoreboards quit working and overhead lights went out.

Along with the numerous issues away from the game, the Hawks dropped their fifth consecutive game, falling 105-100 to Denver. The loss dropped Atlanta to 1-5, placing the team in a tie with Dallas for the worst record in the NBA.

Unlike the other losses the Hawks suffered this season, the team had an opportunity to make it a one-possession game with less than a minute remaining in the contest. Uncharacteristic mishandling of the ball and errant shots were the primary factors in Atlanta’s fifth defeat of the year.

More from Atlanta Hawks

• 5 NBA players everyone should be keeping a close eye on in 2023-24
• NBA Trades: This Hawks-Mavericks deal is a winner for both teams
• NBA Trades: Atlanta forms a big three with this win-now deal with Toronto
• Grading the John Collins trade for the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz
• NBA Rumors: Atlanta is pushing to add a third star in a major trade

Denver held a 103-98 advantage with 48 seconds remaining and seemingly sealed the game as Will Barton stole the ball away from second-year forward Taurean Prince, setting up a Nuggets fast break.

Only as Barton sprinted towards the basket, Ersan Ilyasova poked the ball away and replays showed the ball went off the Nuggets. Following a timeout, Atlanta set up an easy look on the perimeter for Prince, one of the most accurate 3-point shooters on the team.

The Nuggets contested the shot as guard Gary Harris sprinted towards the corner, trying to erase a clear look at the basket. Prince shook him off with a pump fake, leaving a wide open look. The shot was just long, hitting off the side of the rim and ending up in the hands of Barton.

For the year, Prince ranks second on the team with nine made shots from 3-point range. Prince is tied with Pacers guard Cory Joseph for fourth among all qualified 3-point shooters in the league, connecting on 60 percent of his long range attempts.

Only his miss against Denver haunted him.

https://twitter.com/taureanprince/status/924095842579111936

Prince finished the game with 19 points as he connected on 3-of-5 attempts from 3-point range to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

During his first season as a starter, Prince ranks fourth on the team in scoring, third in rebounding and second in steals.

The Hawks’ offense received a much-needed boost with the return of point guard Dennis Schroder. The leading scorer on the team missed two consecutive games after landing on an opponent’s foot, turning his left ankle.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

Even with a team-high 20 points from Schroder, the offense struggled, converting just 41.6 percent of its attempts on the night. Atlanta scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, but the missed shot from Prince thwarted any comeback attempt.

For a team in desperate need of clutch baskets, all it had to do was look at the opponent. In his first game back in Atlanta, former Hawks forward Paul Millsap was excellent in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of his 16 points.

Following four consecutive All-Star seasons with the Hawks, Millsap signed a three-year, $90 million contract with Denver without even receiving an offer from Atlanta.

With the scoreboard working in the first quarter, a tribute video to Millsap was displayed, reminding the crowd of the 43-win team that played in Philips Arena just a year ago.

Now, the Hawks are tied for the worst record in the league and are being outscored by 7.5 points per game. Only Philadelphia, Dallas and Phoenix have a worse point differential.

Crunch-time opportunities are rare for Atlanta this season, but the team has struggled mightily. The Hawks possess a defensive rating of 115, being outscored by an average of 29.9 points per 100 crunch-time possessions.

Next: 2017-18 Week 2 NBA Power Rankings

The streak of 10 straight playoff appearances appears to be in jeopardy and if the Hawks can’t figure out how to thrive in crunch time, they could finish the year as the worst team in the league.