Here's an inside look at the Hawks' 100-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday -- Atlanta's sixth home triumph of the young season:
But it's certainly proper to declare that Teague (26 points, seven assists, four boards vs, New Orleans) has been electric over the last 10 days, posting five consecutive outings of 20-plus points (including Friday) and shooting 54 percent from the field during that span.
Teague has been automatic from the charity stripe, as well, missing only two of 41 free throws since Nov. 18.
On Friday, Teague connected on 10 of 16 shots and notched a game-high court ratio of plus-13. For good measure, all five Hawks starters finished in the proverbial black against New Orleans (7-7), which has dropped two straight games.
Within this perimeter success, the Hawks' big men were freed up to score at various points on the court. All told, Atlanta tallied 52 points in the paint -- a figure not lost on forward DeMarre Carroll.
"(The bigs) were great -- all of them. Paul (Millsap -- 13 points/nine rebounds), Pero (Antic -- five rebounds). They played their part. They rolled (off picks), they made easy layups," said Carroll, modestly omitting how he and Al Horford (10 points/10 rebounds/three blocks) combined for 19 points, while also keeping the Pelicans' pivotmen in relative check.
(To wit, Anthony Davis quietly had 14 points, 11 boards and three blocks.)
"That was the main point coming into (Friday's) game -- the defense," said Carroll. "... We gave up 126 points (to the East-leading Raptors on Wednesday). We went and we watched film, and we got better."
Teague's rapid rise up the ladder of East playmakers has been similarly stellar. Heading into Friday's action, the Wake Forest product had the following rankings among in-conference point guards: Third in assists (7.0), fourth in scoring (18.3 PPG) and fourth in double-doubles.
"Jeff's been very aggressive (lately), taking advantage of his opportunities," said Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer on Friday afternoon. "He's in a good place, and we're trying to build off that, trying to get everyone else (moving in the same direction)."
The one galvanizing play from Friday: While pondering a fast-break opportunity down right side of the court, Teague stealthily hesitated for a split-second -- allowing the defender to momentarily pass him -- before executing an around-the-world move with the ball and finishing the scintillating sequence with a reverse layup.
And with that renewed passion for defense ... comes a natural deflation in overall scoring numbers -- across the league.
But for one 12-minute period on Friday, the Pelicans and Hawks lit up the scoreboard with the old-school flair of George "Ice Man" Gervin, Alex English or a pre-championship Michael Jordan, combining for nearly 80 points on 60 percent shooting from the field.
Going further, New Orleans and Atlanta buried 10 triples in the raucous final quarter, thrilling an audience that endured low-scoring quarters of 34 and 35 combined points in the opening half.
How prolific was this quarter? For one torrid stretch midway through the fourth, covering six-plus minutes, the Hawks nailed six of nine shots from the field -- along with 10 free throws and two three-pointers -- and still only led by 12.
In essence, Atlanta was able to keep New Orleans at arm's length for much of the night, granting Budenholzer's wish to match the Pelicans' energy coming out of the halftime break. New Orleans has a reputation for fast starts -- so much that Budenholzer quickly called a timeout just 33 seconds into the third quarter.
"I don't think our focus was where it needed to be coming out of the halftime," said Budenholzer after the game. "On both ends, we struggled ... and they scored twice (on consecutive possessions). We know how important it was to come out (with intensity) after halftime. (The Pelicans) are a very good third-quarter team.
"We just needed to get our focus back."
But it's odd for an NBA club to entertain two different foes on back-to-back nights ... on the same floor. In this jet-setting, stick-and-move world of professional basketball, to be in the same place on consecutive days almost borders on the unnatural.
"It's such a rare occurrence in the NBA," said Budenholzer on Friday afternoon. "It's been 20-21 years for me (coaching in the NBA), and I feel like there's been less than five in that whole time.
"It's such a small sample size, trying to quantifying (the pros/cons of playing back-to-back at home). But I think, in terms of not having to travel ... going to hotels, visiting locker rooms and arenas ... hopefully it's to our advantage to have (back-to-back home games)."
For what it's worth, the Hawks (8-6, 2nd in Southeast Division) are 1-2 on the tail end of back-to-backs this season.
Having good, consistent depth enhances the chances of back-to-back success. Against the Pelicans, Hawks guard Dennis Schroder made the most of his 17 minutes, rolling for 11 points, two assists and two boards. He was also one of six Atlanta players to shoot at 50 percent or higher from the field.
"Each night is a little bit different," reasoned Budenholzer, when asked about whether Schroder and Teague would continue playing together in the coming weeks. "Dennis had a stretch when he played really good with Jeff -- he was able to get to the paint, create some shots. It's kind of a night-to-night thing ... obviously, tonight, it was something of a positive."
Schroder has enjoyed a rock-solid November as part of the Hawks' extended rotation. For an in-depth feature on the second-year guard from Germany, click here.
