The Hawks once again got off to a slow start missing their first four shots from the floor while the Kings built an early 7-0 advantage. Atlanta briefly tied the game at 23-23 on an Al Horford free throw before the Kings finished the quarter on a 9-4 run to take a 32-27 advantage.
In what has become a trend over the last couple of games, the Hawks came out with a less than stellar defensive effort. If the Hawks hope to avoid an embarrassing home loss they are going to have to step it up both defensively and in the rebounding category.
Al Horford paced the Hawks with 11 points in the first period. DeMarcus Cousins got off to a fast start with eight points in the opening frame. Sacramento shot 52% from the floor in the first quarter while out rebounding Atlanta 15-7. The Hawks connected on 48% of their shots.