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Hawks fall to San Antonio, 106-104 in preseason action
1018Hawks
San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives between Paul Millsap (4), left, and Kyle Korver in the first half of Thursday’s preseason game in Atlanta. - photo by John Bazemore

Hawks vs. Grizzlies

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta

 

ATLANTA — Aron Baynes sank a floater in the lane with 3 seconds remaining to lift the San Antonio Spurs to a 106-104 preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.

Baynes scored on a pass from Patty Mills and the Hawks couldn’t get off a last-second shot. Tony Parker scored 17 points, including 14 in the third quarter, to lead the Spurs.

Kyle Korver led Atlanta with 26 points.
The Hawks trailed by 14 before rallying in the fourth quarter. Korver’s fifth 3-pointer tied the game at 97-97.
Tim Duncan had 16 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes. Marco Belinelli had 13 and Manu Ginobili had 11 for the Spurs.

San Antonio returns 12 players, including all five starters, from the team that lost to Miami in the NBA Finals. Jeff Teague had 15 points for Atlanta, including a 3-pointer to tie the game at 104-all.

DeMarre Carroll had 14 points and Al Horford had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Paul Millsap had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Jared Cunningham, competing for a spot as a backup guard, had 11 points, including two crowd-pleasing jams.

The Spurs led 44-41 at halftime before outscoring the Hawks 38-26 in the third quarter.

The game provided Spurs coach Gregg Popovich time to visit his former longtime assistant, first-year Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. The Hawks have another Spurs connection in second-year general manager Danny Ferry, who came to Atlanta after two years as San Antonio’s vice president of basketball operations.

Budenholzer spent 19 years with the Spurs, including 17 as Popovich’s assistant.

“I feel like I’m lost half the time when I turn to my right and my left and he’s not there, suggesting to me who I should have in the game and that I should be changing the pick-and-roll defense,” Popovich said. “All that kind of stuff. I’m a little bit more free now, but I’m not as smart.”

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