Instant Takeaways From Atlanta's Summer League Victory Against Oklahoma City

The Atlanta Hawks played for the second time this summer against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coming into this game, both teams were looking to bounce back after some first-game struggles to open Summer League, and some of the big names from the NBA Draft stepped up in solid ways.

The Hawks, similar to the last game, came out slow and, after the first quarter, started to show who they really were as a team. Overall, this game was a very entertaining back-and-forth affair, with both teams making fast starts in both halves of the game.

Let's take a look at the main takeaways from tonight's game.

1. Atlanta had things together defensively but offensively is a different story

Similar to their opener, the Hawks struggled to get going offensively in the first half and fell behind by double digits. To start, Atlanta couldn't buy a shot, going 1-for-8 from the field and 0-for-12 from three-point range.

Part of the reasoning behind Atlanta struggling to get things moving on the offensive end, was due to Aday Mara being an intimedating prescene inside the paint. This led to Atlanta settling for three-point shots early and falling behind by as much as 20 points.

OKC was able to take advantage of the Hawks

2. Much better second half as a team

In the second half, Atlanta's offense found rhythm and played much better on the defensive end after they completed the comeback. Offensively, the Hawks would go on a tear from three-point range as they finished the first half shooting 20% from three and 33% from the field.

However, Atlanta would respond in the second half, scoring at a good level as they finished shooting 33% from three after fixing some of their shot selection and were able to force Mara into action on the perimeter.

When Atlanta got Mara to guard on the perimeter, it was easier for them to get shots inside, as Mara was slow to recover and found himself getting anxious when forced to guard outside. During this, the Hawks were able to go on a big-time scoring run and create easy points inside.

3. Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor dominate

The two players of the game for Atlanta have to be both Newell and Ejiofor due to them being so effective on both ends of the court. Newell finished with a near double-double of 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in 28 minutes of play, with a plus-25 plus-minus.

As for Ejiofor, he finished with an impactful double-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, one block, and shot 37% from three-point range. Most of Ejiofor's contribution came in the second half, as he helped lead the Hawks back from their 20-point deficit and hit back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter.

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