So much for a commitment to defense. There's been very little of it in the first quarter of the Atlanta Hawks' matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jrue Holiday has nine points and Elton Brand seven to lead the Sixers to a 30-28 edge over the Hawks through 12 minutes at the Wells Fargo Center.
Kirk Hinrich has 10 and Josh Smith 6 for Atlanta, which shot 60-percent (12-for-20) in the first quarter. Of course, the Sixers were a tad bit better, connecting on 13-for-21 (62-percent) from the field.
Plain and simple, the Hawks are losing this game because they are losing the battle of the boards. Philadelphia had 10 rebounds in the first to Atlanta's five. The Hawks do have four steals to the 76ers one, but it's not enough to give them the lead.
The good news is that the Hawks are controlling the paint thus far and have not been afraid to go inside against the "athletic" Sixers. That usually is a good sign. However, they must remain committed on the other side of the ball as well if they want to get the win and clinch a playoff spot.