ATLANTA -- Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder was yanked early in the third quarter of Monday night's 119-111 loss to the Golden State Warriors after arguing with Dwight Howard about an errant pass.
While the two were angrily exchanging words, the Warriors got the ball to Stephen Curry for an open 3-pointer.
Coach Mike Budenholzer wound up sending Schroder to the bench with 8:41 to go in the third, even though he led the Hawks with 23 points. The 23-year-old German never returned, merely a spectator as Atlanta took its sixth loss in eight games to slip further back in the Eastern Conference standings.
Afterward, Schroder sounded miffed about getting benched.
"I don't understand Coach's decision," he said. "Maybe I'm too competitive, I don't know. I'm just trying to be competitive, trying to win games. But I don't get that one."
Budenholzer was tight-lipped, calling it a "coaching decision."
"We need to learn to play together and stay together for 48 minutes," he said. "That's something that's very important to us."
While the two were angrily exchanging words, the Warriors got the ball to Stephen Curry for an open 3-pointer.
Coach Mike Budenholzer wound up sending Schroder to the bench with 8:41 to go in the third, even though he led the Hawks with 23 points. The 23-year-old German never returned, merely a spectator as Atlanta took its sixth loss in eight games to slip further back in the Eastern Conference standings.
Afterward, Schroder sounded miffed about getting benched.
"I don't understand Coach's decision," he said. "Maybe I'm too competitive, I don't know. I'm just trying to be competitive, trying to win games. But I don't get that one."
Budenholzer was tight-lipped, calling it a "coaching decision."
"We need to learn to play together and stay together for 48 minutes," he said. "That's something that's very important to us."