The Hawks dropped their quarterfinal matchup with the Rockets 78-71 to finish Summer League 2-4. Mike Muscala and Dennis Schröder had 16 points each to lead the Hawks, but the Rockets were able to follow Donatas Motiejunas’ 19 points and 13 rebounds to the victory.
Game Notables:
- Muscala showed off a deft touch with his mid-range jump shot and, as he has all tournament, was effective facing up, putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket. He said after the game that he was pleased with his play at Summer League but said he needed to continue working on his game, particularly his three-point shooting. He said his shot felt comfortable but he wasn’t able to consistently hit them.
- Schröder said he was much happier with both his own performance and the team’s performance in the final three games. He said leading the team was one of his goals coming into Vegas and felt he did that well in the final three games, taking control of the offense as well as being a vocal leader on and off the court.
- Aside from the opening game, Schröder’s shooting was impressive, and he was pleased with his ability to translate the work he’s put in on the practice court to in-game situations. He noted that there was a big difference in working on his shot in workouts and 1-on-0 practice, so to be able to maintain good shooting form and have success against full speed defense was encouraging.
- Adreian Payne had a tough shooting night, going 4-15 of the field, finishing with 11 points, but he said that his comfort level with his teammates and with the system was much better after this week. He said after the first game that he was unsure about where to get his shots, but after today’s game he said he was much more comfortable with the system and the expectations of him.
- Coach Ham said Payne had a tendency to go too quickly, but that he would rather have to slow someone down than have to speed them up. Ham was happy with Payne’s effort and both he and Payne noted that Payne needed to find a good balance of playing with pace but without rushing.
- Ham praised the work the whole team did on the week, and said he was pleased that they improved over the course of the week and that they competed hard every game. Ham said although the results weren’t always there, he felt the team did everything they were asked to and made strides throughout the week.
Story by Robby Kalland