Quin Snyder Likes 'the Way He Competes' in Rookie Kingston Flemings

Kingston Flemings played 16:21 off the bench Thursday night and had 2 points and 5 assists in the Atlanta Hawks' 114-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena. The rookie guard shot 1-of-4 and was plus-1.

One night earlier, he scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a 129-117 home loss to Miami.

Thursday was Atlanta's first meeting with Cleveland this season. James Harden scored 24 points for the Cavaliers on 7-of-14 shooting, 9 of them in the first quarter. Donovan Mitchell added 22.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder singled out CJ McCollum among the teammates who have confidence in Flemings.

"One of the things, the first time you go through the league, you end up playing James Harden, Donovan Mitchell," Snyder said. "I just like the way he competes. I think that's something. He's got people around him, his teammates that support him and have confidence in him, CJ in particular. You see those two talking. I think Kingston's really, he's an intelligent player. He's an intelligent person, and he's a really smart player too. So his learning curve, we're just going to keep having these experiences.

"It's good to see him," Snyder continued. "He's so fast. Sometimes him learning to slow down a little bit because he's got the ability to make all kinds of passes. And those reads, I think as he plays more, that's the gradual kind of organic process that occurs. But he did a good job for us."

Flemings checked in with 2:14 left in the first quarter and Atlanta down 23-14. On his first trip, he found Aaron Wiggins for a 5-foot floater.

He set up Wiggins again in the second quarter, this time for a 3-pointer that cut Cleveland's lead to 33-24. On Atlanta's next trip, he scored his only basket on a driving layup with 7:09 left in the half. His other three shots were misses, including a 25-foot pull-up at the first-quarter buzzer.

Both of his third-quarter assists came in the final three minutes. Luguentz Dort scored on a driving layup off his pass at 2:44, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a transition 3-pointer from him with 20.1 seconds left for an 89-82 lead.

His fifth assist went to Alexander-Walker again, on a 24-footer 93 seconds into the fourth quarter for a 94-84 lead. Flemings also committed 3 fouls.

McCollum played 31:24 and finished with 8 assists and 2 steals.

The Hawks took Flemings eighth overall on June 23 with a pick they acquired from New Orleans in an earlier trade. He is 19.

At Houston, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists as a freshman and shot 38.7% from 3-point range. He led the Cougars in scoring and was a second-team All-American, and Houston went 30-7.

Flemings, a San Antonio native who played at Brennan High School, became the fourth Houston player drafted by the Hawks and the first since Dwight Jones went ninth in 1973. Jarace Walker, taken by Indiana in 2023, is the only other Cougar selected eighth overall.

Atlanta took St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor 23rd overall in the same first round. Ejiofor did not play Thursday.

On Monday, the Hawks lost 120-110 at Houston, their second loss to the Rockets in three days. They had opened the season 2-0 after a 132-125 win at Orlando and a 128-81 win at Charlotte.

Atlanta is 3-3. Saturday's game against the Pelicans in New Orleans tips at 7 p.m. ET.