John Collins' Career-High 38 Points Lead Hawks Past Warriors
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- John Collins scored a career-high 38 points to go with 12 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Golden State Warriors 124-108 on Friday night.
Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points for the Warriors in their fourth straight defeat, which also included a 141-119 loss at Sacramento on Thursday night. The losing streak matches their longest of the season.
Collins "tried to zone out" through Thursday's trade deadline and was happy to stay with Atlanta.
"Huge," he said. "Just an extreme relief to still be here and to just be able to finish out this year with my guys. We want to make the best push we can and finish out the year strong."
The Hawks, who had lost two straight, won on Golden State's home floor for the first time in eight tries since a 95-79 victory on Feb. 25, 2011.
"The first thing was to establish our defense, we needed to get our defensive intensity back in this game," interim coach Nate McMillan said.
Trae Young had 21 points and 15 assists, Clint Capela added 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Collins shot 14 of 19 with four 3-pointers in his big night for the Hawks.
"I thought he had really good patience in the post. We did a nice job of attacking and not settling when we had matchups," McMillan said. "He did a good job of finishing."
Atlanta got a big boost early from the bench, which had already contributed 17 points three minutes into the second quarter.
The Warriors struggled on the defensive end again.
"Energy and communication," rookie Nico Mannion said of the issues. "I think we're falling into a little hole of not competing."
Draymond Green, among about a dozen players and coaches who received the one dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, returned after being held out Thursday when he woke up feeling ill.
Green didn't attempt a shot all night but had nine assists and still wasn't feeling good, but "gutted it out to play and I admire him for that," coach Steve Kerr said.
Stephen Curry missed his fifth straight game with a bruised tailbone that will be re-evaluated early next week. He did some work on the court and is "making good progress," said Kerr, who spoke with his star guard earlier in the day.
"Frankly, I think we miss Steph and the confidence that he brings to the group right now," Kerr said.
OUBRE JR. STAYS
There was a high level of interest from teams pursuing Golden State guard Kelly Oubre Jr. — and he stayed put.
"I think our actions spoke to how we view him," general manager Bob Myers said.
While the Warriors would like to re-sign him beyond this season, Myers can't predict what those negotiations might look like. Both Myers and Kerr have praised the way Oubre kept his focus on the court and not the speculation on whether he might be traded.
FANS SOON?
The Warriors still hope to welcome fans into Chase Center before season's end — and will watch how the two Bay Area baseball teams operate with their outdoor venues at lower capacity when the season begins next week.
"We hope so. We've had conversations with the city. You see it happening around other arenas in other cities," Myers said. "We want to do it safely."
TIP-INS
Hawks: McMillan said he's "a few days from seeing" how complete his Hawks might be with the addition of Lou Williams, yet to join Atlanta a day after being acquired from the Clippers for departed Rajon Rondo. ... F De'Andre Hunter has some swelling in his surgically repaired right knee "and wasn't comfortable enough to suit up tonight," McMillan said. "I think it's part of the process." Hunter had played the previous two games after missing 23.
Warriors: Myers isn't ready to guess what injured Klay Thompson's minutes and workload might look like come next season or whether he will even be ready by opening night — Thompson's not sure either. He is recovering from surgery for a torn right Achilles tendon after missing all of last season rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. "But he has a focus that I have never seen before," Myers said. "He's got a purpose, and he's attacking the rehab." ... Golden State has a three-game skid at home.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host Chicago on Monday night having won seven straight in the series overall and seven consecutive at home.
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