ATLANTA (AP) — At the start of his first news conference as the Atlanta Hawks coach, Lloyd Pierce looked down at a row filled with four of his new players.His thoughts immediately turned to his passion: Defense."If we weren't doing this press conference right now, I'd probably have these guys doing some defensive drills," Pierce said Monday. "That's who I am."Pierce, the former Philadelphia 76ers assistant whose agreement to become the Hawks coach was announced Friday , said his first priority will be assembling a staff. Pierce will be looking for assistants who share his passion for defense and his proven ability to connect with young players.A young Atlanta roster is about to add much more youth in next month's NBA draft.The Hawks leaned heavily on such young players as rookie John Collins and second-year forward Taurean Prince this season. More youth is coming in the June 21 NBA draft. The Hawks have three first-round picks and hope to land the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday's NBA draft... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Point guard Dennis Schroder will miss the Atlanta Hawks' final seven games with a medial bone bruise and a sprained left ankle.The team said Schroder, its leading scorer, underwent an MRI on Friday. Expected recovery time is at least two weeks.Atlanta has the NBA's second-worst record. Its season ends April 10.Schroder is averaging 19.4 points and 6.2 assists. The fifth-year veteran joins guard Kent Bazemore, the Hawks' third-leading scorer, on the season-ending injury list.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks have signed rookie guard Jaylen Morris to a multiyear contract.Morris earned the deal after previously signing two 10-day contracts, the latter on March 11.Morris, from Molloy College, has averaged 4.7 points in six games with Atlanta. He averaged 12.6 points while starting 39 games for the Hawks' G League Erie affiliate.The signing comes one week after Atlanta signed another guard, Antonius Cleveland, who also played on two 10-day contracts.The Hawks needed additional backcourt depth after losing starter Kent Bazemore to a season-ending knee injury.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Antonius Cleveland to a multiyear contract.Cleveland was signed to two consecutive 10-day contracts before earning the new deal for the Hawks.Atlanta will need the backcourt depth after losing guard Kent Bazemore for the remainder of the season with a bone bruise in his right knee. Bazemore suffered the injury on Sunday against Chicago.Cleveland (6-6, 195) played in 13 games with Dallas while on a two-way contract before he was waived on Dec. 19. He signed his first 10-day contract with Atlanta on Feb.22.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore will miss the remainder of the season with a bone bruise in his right knee.Bazemore, tied for second on the team with his average of 12.9 points per game, left Sunday's loss to Chicago in the second quarter after landing awkwardly. He hopped off the court, straight into the tunnel toward the locker room.The Hawks say an MRI on Monday revealed the injury.Backup Jaylen Morris, also injured in the second quarter of Sunday's game, will miss about two to four weeks with a sprained left ankle.Guard Dennis Schroder, the team's top scorer who missed Sunday's game with a left elbow injury, is listed as probable for Tuesday night's game against Oklahoma City.The Hawks, tied with Orlando for the worst record in the Eastern Conference, have lost three straight games.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

ATLANTA (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 21 points, including four free throws in the final 17 seconds to stop Atlanta's comeback, and the Chicago Bulls beat the injury-depleted Hawks 129-122 on Sunday.Bobby Portis also had 21 points for Chicago.The Hawks, already playing without injured point guard Dennis Schroder, lost Kent Bazemore to a right knee sprain and Jaylen Morris to a left ankle injury in the second quarter.Taurean Prince, who led Atlanta with a career-high 38 points, sank a 3-pointer in traffic with 1:26 remaining to cut Chicago's lead to 118-115.Prince added a four-point play with 18.3 seconds remaining, again cutting the Bulls' lead to three points at 125-122 before LaVine's free throws padded the lead.Mike Muscala also set a career high with 19 points for Atlanta.Lauri Markkanen scored 19 points and Antonio Blakeney had 14 for Chicago.Bazemore hopped off the court straight into the tunnel, headed toward the team's locker room, after landing awkwardly and hurting his knee with 5:24... [More]

G/F Kent Bazemore scored 16 points, including a pullup jumper with 50.1 seconds left and a drive with 24.1 seconds remaining as Atlanta held off Miami 110-104 Monday. Bazemore also recorded five steals, coming within one of his career high set March 19, 2014. "We had a lot of deflections and ball pressures," Bazemore said. "I had the easy job of just being in the right spot at the right time." Monday was the fifth time in seven games Bazemore scored at least 16 points.

G/F Kent Bazemore had 19 points and five assists in Friday's loss to the Grizzlies.

G/F Kent Bazemore added 13 points and five assists but committed six turnovers.

G/F Kent Bazemore led the Hawks with 22 points.

G-F Kent Bazemore totaled 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in Friday's loss at Detroit.

G-F Kent Bazemore scored 18 points for the Hawks in their loss to the Rockets on Friday night. "When a team like that comes in, it's a tough challenge. You almost have to play flawless," Bazemore said. "We had a few mistakes and they capitalized. You've got to give them credit."

G Kent Bazemore had 16 points Monday.

G Kent Bazemore will play measured minutes until back to full strength. He missed five games with a bruised right knee.

G Kent Bazemore, playing his first game after missing the previous five with a bruised right knee, added 19 points as Atlanta held off the Philadelphia 76ers 99-92.Bazemore, who said he is "super close" to being 100 percent, played nearly 20 minutes off the bench and went 6 of 10 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

G Kent Bazemore missed his fifth game with a right knee contusion. Bazemore is expected to be back for Wednesday's game at Philadelphia.

Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap will miss at least three more games due to tightness in his left knee, the team announced Tuesday night.Millsap already has sat out five consecutive games due to the issue. He was diagnosed with synovitis in the knee when he visited Dr. James Andrews on Monday in Pensacola, Fla.Millsap, who averages 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds, will be re-evaluated after sitting out the three games.The Hawks have struggled without Millsap, losing seven consecutive games entering a Tuesday game against the Phoenix Suns.Swingman Kent Bazemore (knee) will miss his fifth straight game, and forward Thabo Sefolosha (groin) will sit out for the second game in a row."At this point, it doesn't matter who's out on the floor," Atlanta center Dwight Howard said. "The guys who step on the floor have to get the job done."

G Kent Bazemore sat out his fourth straight contest with a bone bruise on his right knee.

SG Kent Bazemore was unavailable for the Hawks on Friday night. Bazemore has missed the last three games with a knee injury.

G Kent Bazemore remains sidelined with a right knee bone bruise.