NBA scores 2016: Dennis Schroder, Hawks flash their potential against previously unbeaten Cavs

Shooting just 37 percent from the field on the game, the Cleveland Cavaliers dug themselves into an 18-point third quarter hole they couldn’t climb out of and lost, 109-100, to the Atlanta Hawks.

Kyrie Irving scored 29 points, but did so on 11-of-27 shooting, while J.R. Smith went 2-of-10 from three-point range. Kevin Love and LeBron James (who only scored two first-half points) finished with good, but not great, showings with 24 and 23 points, respectively.

Atlanta’s backcourt shined though, and Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore were the stars who looked to be worth every bit of the $140 million contracts they signed this year.

Schroder finished around the rim, hit deep-range shots he’s typically inconsistent with, and outplayed his opposition in Irving. He finished with a career-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, and dished six assists. Bazemore scored 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including the dagger with 6.8 seconds to go. He also grabbed six boards and had three assists.

The Hawks are off to a hot start at 5-2 this season, and won this one even without their best shooter and floor spacer, Kyle Korver, who missed this game after the birth of his third child. Atlanta came into the Tuesday night game with the second-best defensive rating, and second-best net rating in the league. They also held the sixth-best rebound differential, and out-rebounded Cleveland, 50-39.

It’s early still, but the Hawks have been impressive.

The Memphis Grizzlies won at the buzzer in a brutally sloppy finish

The Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets both seemed to want the other to win this one down the stretch as they combined for three turnovers in the final 11 seconds of this game.

A trap forced Mike Conley to cough up the ball. A broken down inbounds play saw a startled James Ennis throw the ball directly out of bounds once it was passed to him, and Mike Miller inbounded the ball right over his teammate’s head.

The mess ended in a 108-107 win for the Grizzlies as Marc Gasol found a mismatch off a back screen that allowed him to catch and shoot the ball with 0.7 seconds left, and the buzzer sounded as the ball dropped through the net.

The Nuggets have now dropped four of seven games by one possession.

Andrew Wiggins, three-point threat?

The 2014 No. 1 pick is known to slash, but is often criticized for his lack of range out to the three-point line. On Tuesday night, Andrew Wiggins hit 6-of-7 attempts in his team’s 119-110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Last season, Wiggins hit just 30 percent of his deep-range shots and the year before he hit 31 percent. He isn’t shooting from distance often, but he’s now hit 12-of-18 through six games.

It is noteworthy, however, that as well as he shot from range was as poorly as he finished from closer in. He scored his 36 points on 7-of-22 shooting inside the arc, including 2-of-14 at the rim and hit just 4-of-8 free throws.

Play of the night

Karl-Anthony Towns saved his own blocked shot from going out of bounds.

Things you missed

Kevin Love made a pass off the ground to Kyrie Irving, who threw the ball backwards and between his legs to a cutting LeBron James.

The Grizzlies’ mascot stripped to “Pony” and it’s terribly NSFW.

Final scores

Hawks 110, Cavaliers 106 (Peachtree Hoops recap | Fear the Sword recap)

Nets 119, Timberwolves 110 (Nets Daily recap | Canis Hoopus recap)

Grizzlies 108, Nuggets 107 (Grizzly Bear Blues recap | Denver Stiffs recap)

Trail Blazers 124, Suns 121 (Blazers Edge recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap)

Mavericks 109, Lakers 97 (Mavs Moneyball recap | Silver Screen and Roll recap)

Kings 102, Pelicans 94 (Sactown Royalty recap | the Bird Writes recap)