Updated 04:12 AM EDT, Thu, Mar 28, 2024

NBA Awards Atlanta Hawks Starters Players of the Month Recognition

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The Atlanta Hawks' five starters will forever remember January 2015 as the month they made history -- being the league's very first full starting roster to get a player of the month citation, in this case with the Eastern Conference.

On Wednesday Kyle Korver (13.4 points per game) and DeMarre Carroll (12.3 ppg) were hailed together with All-Stars Paul Millsap (18.3 ppg), Jeff Teague (16.6 ppg) and Al Horford (17.1 ppg) for averaging double-digit points a piece for the January period, but without surpassing the 20-point mark, said ESPN.

As a team, they had a spotless 17-0 win-loss record for the month, added Fox Sports, which in itself was a record for the NBA.

The turnout strongly suggested the equal spread of labor that resulted in victory after victory, climaxing with a franchise record of 19 straight wins, ESPN explained. It ended after a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 2, but the Hawks picked up immediately with a 105-96 victory against the Washington Wizards two days later.

"It's definitely fun... When everybody's contributing, everybody's happy," Millsap, who led in contributed points, was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, team coach Mike Budenholzer, the Bleacher Report's front-runner for Coach of the Year, told ESPN: "We appreciate the recognition of our starters' play during this past month. It is reflective of all the work our entire team and organization has put in... We place a strong emphasis on having the right approach every day and making daily improvement."

The coach also has the spotlight on him. It is his second month in a row to get the Coach of the Month award in the conference, noted NBA.com. The citation for January was announced Monday.

According to the Bleacher Report, the Hawks have caught the eyes of many basketball fans for their meteoric rise, losing only nine games in 50 just before the All-Star meetup, slated for Feb. 15.

It is not exactly the first multiple-person citation, with NBA.com noting that the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash were honored in October/November 2002 by the Western Conference. However, as the first five-way tie, it was well-deserved, the Bleacher Report commented.

The team was also stellar in other departments, ESPN reported. With 8.0, Millsap leads in rebounds. Teague leads in assists and steals, registering 8.5 and 1.8, respectively. Horford is No. 1 in blocks with 1.4 and Korver in shooting from the three-point area, 56.7 percent.

According to the Washington Post, the Hawks were not expected to shoot up the way they did before the season commenced, ignored even by their home city in its 47-year existence.

"I've seen heaven and hell in the same year... There is nobody in the world who is not surprised," Steve Koonin, the team's chief executive, told the report.

As the team faces the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Fansided had positive predictions, among them a win for the Hawks.

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