BROOKLYN — Not so long ago, what defined a tumultuous day for the Atlanta Hawks would have had something to do with ownership. Or management. Not a perp walk.
So for the Hawks to do what they did Wednesday night — a gutsy road win over a probable playoff team — speaks to their fortitude as a team, a darned good team.
Just hours after reserves Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antic were released from police custody – the pair was arrested outside a trendy Manhattan nightclub early Wednesday morning in the aftermath of the Chris Copeland stabbing – Al Horford’s dunk with 19 seconds left off a beautiful pass from Kyle Korver gave the Hawks a 114-111 win over the Nets.
“For our guys to keep their poise and keep their composure and stay together and execute in some crucial moments on both ends of the court, that’s what you need going down the stretch,” said coach Mike Budenholzer at the end of what was arguably the team’s most bizarre day of the season.
At roughly 4 a.m. Wednesday, Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed in the elbow and abdomen outside the 1 Oak nightclub in Manhattan. As the NYPD tried to clear the area and set up a crime scene, Antic and Sefolosha – who went out clubbing after arriving in New York on a late-night postgame flight from the ATL – were arrested for preventing and obstructing the police from doing their jobs.
“To each his own. Everybody does their thing,” teammate DeMarre Carroll explained. “Some guys go out, some guys don’t. They’re grown men. They’re going to do what they want to do.”
In a police report obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police told Antic and Sefolosha on six separate occasions to clear the area before arresting and charging them with misdemeanors. It took four officers to handcuff Sefolosha after he flailed his arm, twisted his body and struggled, according to the report.
This isn’t the first time New York’s bustling nightlife landed an athlete in trouble, and it won’t be the last. Bars and clubs in NYC are open legally until 4 a.m., and that doesn’t include the dozens of after-hours spots that remain open past daybreak.
Budenholzer said the team doesn’t have a curfew for its players, all of whom are at least 21 years old. But he wasn’t crazy about what happened, perhaps because the Hawks have been one of the league’s steadiest and predictable teams this season, both on and off the court.
“We never want to see our players put themselves in a potentially negative situation,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to look into the facts of the incident, but with the information and foundation that we currently have established, we will support them through this process.”
Given what had already transpired, the Hawks had plenty of excuses to mail this one in. They have clinched the top seed in the East and cannot catch Golden State for the best overall record. They had traveled for a back-to-back. They were undermanned, without Antic, Sefolosha and the injured Paul Millsap and John Jenkins.
But they ignored all of those issues and turned to the poised, balanced and unselfish play that has led them to new and unforeseen heights this season. The Hawks used great ball movement and a fast pace to hit eight of their first 11 shots and race to a 17-6 lead.
Atlanta shot 59.1 percent from the field and led 65-56 at halftime before perhaps tiring a bit in the second half. Even so, the Hawks finished at an even 50 percent from the field and assisted on a ridiculous 35 of their 43 baskets.
Horford admitted fatigue may have led to the Hawks settling for shots in the second half. Meanwhile, the Nets – desperately trying to secure a playoff spot – found some rhythm. Trailing by a dozen after three quarters, Brooklyn climbed back in it behind Brook Lopez, Jarrett Jack and Joe Johnson. The Nets took their first lead with 3:39 left and held a 111-110 edge on Deron Williams’ running bank shot with 33 seconds to play.
But the Hawks remained balanced, calm and composed when there were plenty of reasons not to. During the deciding possession, Horford said he just reacted to how the play developed. He thought Korver was going to shoot, but the gunner instead made a great read and whipped a pass down low that beat Lopez, who had wandered out of the paint.
Why Sefolosha and Antic had wandered out for a night on the town is really none of our business and is likely to stay that way. The players issued a joint statement – even their missteps feature teamwork – with all of the requisite apologies and said they would not comment further because it’s an ongoing legal matter.
“I don’t know the whole details about it, but we’ll let the legal, PR, coaches handle it and we’ll go out and play basketball,” Carroll said.
The only lingering effect of Wednesday will be the sore ankle of Sefolosha, who may have gotten hurt while tussling with police during his arrest. A team spokesman said Sefolosha likely will have his ankle looked at Thursday after the Hawks arrived back in Atlanta. His status is still unknown for Friday’s home game against Charlotte.
After the bizarre events of Wednesday morning, all the Hawks could do was go to Barclays Center and attempt to leave those issues off the court. They went about doing that as well as you could have expected.
And the way the Hawks have been playing selfless, team-first basketball, there’s no reason why a deep playoff run shouldn’t be in their immediate future.
Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who focuses on analytics, profiles and features. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. Follow him on Twitter.