Bring on the King!
The last time the Hawks saw King James (March 1 at Philips Arena) they came up short.
HAWKSVILLE - The last time the Hawks lost a home game it was at the hands of LeBron James.
The last time King James and his crew lost a home game was before the All-Star Break (Feb. 8 to the Lakers and the Cavs’ only home loss of the season).
The Hawks have won seven straight games.
The Cavs have won seven straight as well (and they are an outlandish 31-1 at home).
Something and somebody has to give Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena when the two teams square off in a rematch of a March 1 game at Philips Arena the King won 88-87 with a last second free throw.
It’s too bad the NCAA Tournament will keep most folks from tuning in to see the two hottest teams in the NBA and the Eastern Conference go at it.
Both teams are fighting for playoff position, the Hawks for home court in the first round and the Cavs for home court throughout the entire playoffs.
It’s a perfect storm for hoops lovers, particularly those that love to dive into the NBA’s version of March Madness. The brackets for the NBA’s tournament can’t be filled out just yet. There are too many variables still in play. But it’s clear right now that the Hawks won’t go into the final weeks on the playoff bubble.
If they did nothing else on this recent homestand, they stamped their ticket to the postseason.
In addition, they rebounded from a potentially devastating few days of internal turmoil between Mike Woodson and Josh Smith to show that winning truly does cure all.
Pounding out wins against teams like Detroit, New Orleans, Utah, Portland and Dallas (all likely playoff bound teams) sent a strong message to the rest of the league.
Not getting popped against Indiana and Sacramento, however, sent an even louder message to me. Because it proved that maybe now, I said maybe, the Hawks are free from the mental letdowns against lesser teams that has shadowed them the past two years.
“They’ve got this thing rolling right now man,” an advance scout for an Eastern Conference powerhouse said to me as the Dallas game ended and we were walking away from the court. “If you’ve got to come in here and deal with this team in the playoffs it’s going to be tough. Now I see what Boston had to deal with last year.”
Paul Pierce and the Celtics know just how tough it is to win at Philips Arena.
Since that playoff series with the Celtics, the Hawks are a jaw-dropping 30-7 on their home floor.
So it’s clear the Hawks are going to formidable on their home floor no matter the opponent.
The challenge now is to prove they can get it done away from home.
And that’s why Saturday’s game looms so large.
What team doesn’t want to join the Lakers as the only teams to go into the castle to defeat the King?
But if the Hawks are in the business of staring down their demons the way we think they are, winning a few more games on the road would certainly do the trick.
They’ve already surpassed last season’s road win total of 12 (they are 14-21). Inch closer to .500 on the road, though, and home court advantage and that magical 50-win season both come into clearer focus between now and April 15.
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318 comments Add your comment
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:04 pm
Zaza covering his fellow Euro Z pretty well, but there’s only one guy who can block that quick little jumper that Z has and his name begins with a Y…
O'brien
March 21st, 2009
2:05 pm
Isn’t this a similar Hawks team from the playoffs last year? look very good at home, and then get crushed on the road? I dont get it. We are the 4th seed in the conference, and we can’t compete on the road in big games?
Boston last year, the Lakers, the Rockets, the Spurs this year. What’s the problem?
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:06 pm
LeBron hadn’t scored a point since Mario started guarding him. So what does Woody do? Send Mario to the bench, of course.
Sautee
March 21st, 2009
2:06 pm
Reggie, I’m quite sure that SamRod would disagree. But you have an excellent point.
Eman
March 21st, 2009
2:07 pm
This article title is misleading …
“Hawks ready for huge road test in Cleveland”
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:08 pm
Just as I said that, excellent defensive sequence by JJ guarding LeBron. Of course, no one has the energy to chase King James around all day on D and bring anything of substance on O…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 21st, 2009
2:08 pm
Zaza has been playing a lot smarter in the last month than I’ve ever seen him play. That inside pass he just made to Mo Evans would have been a forced shot easily blocked by Ilgauskas a couple of months ago.
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:09 pm
Hahaha…JJ makes one of the most obvious offensive fouls I’ve ever seen. Don’t suppose he’s trying to send a message that he needs a rest…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 21st, 2009
2:10 pm
And at the same time, Bibby has been playing a lot dumber. I don’t see how a 10-year veteran point guard can take some of the shots he does. His shot selection is as bad as Flip Murray’s was back around December.
Melvin
March 21st, 2009
2:11 pm
We could use Marvin and Acie. Better yet, could use a PG that can guard the other team PG and a Head coach that can make game time adjustments..
WAF
RedTailHawk
March 21st, 2009
2:11 pm
LOL…If the Hawks come back and win this one, I’ll go right out and buy playoff AND season tickets for next year…LOL
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:11 pm
Z and Mario are the only ones bringing much today. JJ is actually looking pretty good on D, but he’s clearly getting frustrated with the instant double-teams on the other end…
jhan
March 21st, 2009
2:11 pm
Doc, I can agree with your theory in principal. Some folks respond better to positive vs. negative reinforcement. You assume that Woody has never been positive before & has just finally decided to try that route. I’m of the belief Woody has tried everything with Josh & still doesn’t know how to relate to him.
You can place blame on the coach or the player. I will place blame on both. From what I’ve seen & heard over the last 5 years here’s my take:
Woodson is hard headed & very slow to learn new techniques in coaching.
Josh is hard headed & very slow to follow directions from the coach.
If it boils down to one or the other – I’m taking Josh.
Melvin
March 21st, 2009
2:13 pm
Look at Mario def force Lebron to turn it over…
RedTailHawk
March 21st, 2009
2:14 pm
MARIO!!! MARIO!!! MARIO!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 21st, 2009
2:14 pm
Damn, for Mario to play the kind of defense he does at his size against LeBron is really outstanding. No other way to describe it.
bigdave
March 21st, 2009
2:15 pm
Lebron falls on Mario and no foul call…??
dmortone
March 21st, 2009
2:15 pm
4 things you can count on, death, taxes, rebublicans being a-holes, and mario west’s heart
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:15 pm
OMG!!!! These refs are full of it there is no reason our star players should ber in foul trouble like this. they throwin the game. MarIO should BEEN IN THE GAME AT THE START OF THE SECOND QUATER CAUSE’ MIKE bIBBY PLAYS LIKE CRAP ON THE BIG STAGE. wHEN WAS THE LAST TIME HE PLAYED BIG IN A BIG TIME GAME? SACRAMENTO?
jhan
March 21st, 2009
2:15 pm
If Bibby is not making 3’s he is completely useless on the floor. I want to throw up watching him get beat repeatedly on D. It doesn’t matter who he guards or what type of D we are playing – he is the weak link. Weak is being generous!!
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:16 pm
bigdave,
Of course not. It’s only a foul when someone falls on LeBron, not vice versa.
TheHawksFan
March 21st, 2009
2:16 pm
I think Woody will learn to insert West somehow someway EARLY into games. His defensive presence cant be denied. We get our offense from our DEFENSE. Right now we have none. Its no good to wait till 20 25 points down to put him in. I know this is Cleveland with 1 home loss to the Lakers. But still,there is no way I have him on my Bench and not let thAT energy be used. If Bibby is ON, then no problem. If he is OFF. Turn up the D with West. Come ON HAWKKS !!! LETS GOOOOO!!!
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:17 pm
WE NEED TO TRADE BIBBY’S RIGHTS FOR A LOTTERY PICK AND DRAFT STEPHEN CURRY….OR JOHNNY FLYN OR BRING BACK SALIM…..SOMETHING BECAUSE BIBBY SUCKS. THE BLAZERS DON’T LIKE BAYLESS RIGHT NOW MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY TO GET HIM FOR A PICK? WE NEED CHRIS KAMAN.
O'brien
March 21st, 2009
2:18 pm
For the half. Mike Bibby, 21 minutes, 2-9 FG, 1 assist. And his +/- is -23.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 21st, 2009
2:20 pm
I don’t want to sound like I’m overreacting, but maybe the Hawks would have been better off trading Bibby for a couple of expiring big guys at the trading deadline?
He really hasn’t been very far above average since the All Star break. You would think a guy in his contract year, who has maybe one more substantial contract left in his career, would be playing better in a stretch like this.
If there’s any silver lining to this game, the Hawks played pretty well in the last 10 minutes of the 2nd quarter. I believe they actually outscored Cleveland 16-13 to end the quarter. I don’t think they will win this game, but if they can continue this momentum into the 3rd quarter, they can at least make it respectable at the end.
Of course, that requires Woody to not give his standard cancer/AIDS/death/Ebola speech at halftime.
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:20 pm
WOODSON IS AN IDIOT FOR NOT PUTTING MARIO IN THE GAME SOONER. IT WAS OBVIOUS BIBBY WASN’T GIVING THE TEAM ANYTHING. BOOBIE GIBSON SHOT A THREE RIGHT IN HIS FACE. WHY IS IT THAT MO WILLIAMS CAN HIT WIDE OPEN THREES BUT MIKE BIBBY CAN’T?
dap01
March 21st, 2009
2:21 pm
No way is Bibby worth resigning except to a small contract next year. He is NOT a top level PG.
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:27 pm
APPEARANTLY MY EARLIER COMMENTS HAD TOO MANY PROFANE REMARKS FOR THE AJC TO LET IT PASS LOL……..OH WELL. WE NEED STEPHEN CURRY, PATRICK MILLS, JOHNNY FLYNN……SOMEBODY DAMMIT!!!!! BIBBY OFFICALLY SUCKS. HE’S A BACKUP GUARD AT BEST NOWADAYS. I BET WE COULD GET BAYLESS FOR A IST ROUND DRAFT PICK FROM PORTLAND IN THE OFF-SEASON…….SHOOT WE COULD EVEN THROW IN THE RIGHTS TO BIBBY….
Rollins Tree
March 21st, 2009
2:28 pm
We are not the same team on the road!!!!!!!!
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:30 pm
…..SINCE PORTLAND SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE TEAMS THAT LIIKES HIM……..SIGN AND TRADE BIBBY……SOMETHING……..I’D RATHER HAVE A POINT THAT CAN CREATE FOR HIMSELF AND OTHERS….THATS NOT BIBBY. AT LEAST WE HAVE BIBBY AND SPEEDY AS BARGANING CHIPS IN THE OFFSEASON.
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:31 pm
NICE PASS MIKE….NOW YOU CANT EVEN PASS…..
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:31 pm
Ariose,
We don’t have any rights to Bibby at the end of the year. He’s unrestricted.
Melvin
March 21st, 2009
2:34 pm
We are not getting any calls on off….
RedTailHawk
March 21st, 2009
2:34 pm
BIBBY AND SPEEDY? LOL
Najeh Davenpoop
March 21st, 2009
2:37 pm
niremetal, isn’t it possible to sign-and-trade him? I thought you could do that with any free agent on the roster, regardless of whether or not they are restricted. Isn’t that what happened with Grant Hill when he went to the Magic?
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:37 pm
niremetal, I don’t care……we should be compensated something for having to put up with this…….
Melvin
March 21st, 2009
2:38 pm
The team is clearly fustrated (and rightfully so). And Woody is not doing anything but looking stupid. He need to stand up for his players. He should be all over these REFS… ABOUT time Woody (Ejected)… Nirmetal, I did it again… Bring on Drew…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 21st, 2009
2:38 pm
Wonder if anything will change now with Woody tossed…
Sautee
March 21st, 2009
2:40 pm
I don’t blame Woody. I’m sick of watching this too.
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:41 pm
wow the refs can’t even call fouls
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:42 pm
Come on, Ariose. If you honestly think we’ll be better off without Bibby, you should just replay the tape of the home game against the Clippers. I admit that he’s a mediocre defender and is prone to stretches of mediocre play, but he’s easily the best PG we’ve had since Mookie.
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:47 pm
For God’s sake, Drew. Woody’s gone. At least show us that YOU know how to make an adjustment…
dmortone
March 21st, 2009
2:49 pm
hawks playing a little better…not, about to overcome a 17-pt deficit better, but better
dmortone
March 21st, 2009
2:50 pm
at least i don’t feel disgusted watching them
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:54 pm
Najeh,
Yes, that’s true, a sign-and-trade would be possible. However, such a deal would make no sense for another team unless they were both 1) well under the cap and 2) willing to pay more than the mid-level to get Bibby (since they could sign him for the mid-level even if they were over the cap). And to be honest, in this economy, I don’t think that many teams will be willing to pay above the mid-level for anyone. In any case, we don’t have any “rights” to trade.
Ariose
March 21st, 2009
2:54 pm
True, but against the NBA’s TRULY elite teams mike hasn’t shown up. I know i’m really piling on mike right now but we needed him to come through with a good performance for this game and once again he was a no show. great plays show up in big games. Joe is getting double and triple teamed today and he ’s still making plays………and these refs completely threw the game way back in the 1st quater.
Big Ray
March 21st, 2009
2:57 pm
Can’t get too mad at Woody for this effort.
I don’t like the lack of use of some of the bench players, however….
Acie is probably still having back spasms, and the rest of the guys haven’t been used all season long, so they don’t know what to do.
The lone exception is Solo. Is he experiencing “back spams” as well (no doubt the same bench injury Acie suffers from) or did he suddenly forget how to play like he did earlier in the season.
Tune in for next week’s episode of the Woody mysteries…
Nice of him to get two technicals though. He doesn’t have to watch the lack of effort, and the players get to hear something different during timeouts.
Melvin
March 21st, 2009
2:57 pm
If the Cavs keep their big lead, watch the Hawks get more calls in there favor. That way the box scores won’t look so whopsided.
Big Ray
March 21st, 2009
2:57 pm
Ariose,
WRONG. You’re not piling on Mike Bibby. You’re telling it how you see it.
niremetal
March 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
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