Paying the price for a big win
Zaza Pachulia and the Hawks soared Monday night over the Heat in Miami. Now all they have to do is produce an encore Wednesday night at home.
MIAMI - Mike Bibby got cracked in the nose and poked in the eye.
Josh Smith got the skin on the side of his face scratched off in three places.
Joe Johnson finished the game hobbling and was later spotted with his right foot in a bucket of ice before he was sent off to get examined to determine the extent of the damage.
Everyone saw Zaza Pachulia’s right eye, darkened around the edges by an unidentified flying object (or an errant elbow) that he doesn’t remember connecting.
Even Hawks equipment man extraordinaire Zac Walsh went down during the game (food poisoning) and was reportedly left behind at a local hospital to recover.
Oh, yeah, the Hawks paid the price for their monumental 81-71 Game 4 win at AmericanAirlines Arena a couple hours ago.
They paid dearly.
And they’d gladly do it again and again and again, if it means snatching back home court advantage in their first round playoff series against the Miami Heat every time.
Things got physical Monday night and the Hawks rose to the challenge, leading from start to finish in a wild game that could eventually define their season.
Obviously, there’s plenty of work still to be done.
But none of it would be possible without what on Monday night.
“Well, it’s 2-2 in the series and you say that we have the home court advantage now,” said Pachulia, the Hawks’ Game 4 hero, “but we did have home court advantage after Game 1 and everybody thought we were going to win two games at home. But we lost [Game 2] at home. We still have to win two more games. We have to use our advantage and play the same way we played [to win Game 4].”
If that means sacrificing their bodies again, so be it.
“Well, it wasn’t obvious when it happened,” Pachulia said of his black eye, “and it happened in Game 3. I just felt it burning during the game and then I touched my eye and it was already swollen. But watching the tape I think happened on the rebound when me and James Jones were fighting for it. It happens, though, I look like Rocky Balboa.”
Pachulia set the tone with his rugged play early. And the Heat felt it, particularly Heat center Jermaine O’Neal, who couldn’t push the bigger Pachulia around the way he did Al Horford in Games 2 and 3.
“He was tough down there,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Pachulia. “He was pretty much doing everything in traffic. Bodies were flying. Loose balls, he seemed like he came up with every one of them. He had a major impact on the game. Eighteen rebounds … he played very well.”
Well enough to help the Hawks’ bench crew outscore the Heat’s reserves a whopping 25-2. This after being outscored 37-20 in Game 3.
“They made all the plays,” Jones said. “Zaza was the guy who every time they needed a big play, he made it. Whether it was a rebound, a tip or a layup, he was the momentum breaker tonight and i think he kind of sealed our fate.”
NOT THAT THE HAWKS DIDN’T TRY and give this one away with their inexplicable power failure just before halftime.
Leading by 21 points (44-23) with 4:37 to play before the break, the Hawks watched the Heat go on a 19-2 run to pull to within four points, 46-42 at halftime – and that includes those crazy four-point plays in 11 seconds by Jones to energize the crowd and frighten Hawks fans around the globe.
But the Hawks never surrendered their lead. They kept their composure in a hostile environment, showcasing a mettle and maturity that had been lacking previously.
“We played defense like we did in Game 1,” Smith said. “We just got after them the whole game. We took control of the game from the tip and we had to do that to get the fans out of it early. Fighting through adversity shows the character of this team. That was a big win for us.”
BACK-TO-BACK wins for Wade’s team produced back spasms for the Heat superstar Monday night.
That might explain his 9-for-26 shooting effort, and yes, it was as dismal as it looked on the stat sheet. But how bad was Wade’s back if he could find a way to launch 26 shots?
As bad as his back was, the Hawks’ defense on Wade was that sound.
“We just switched off the pick-and-rolls,” Johnson said. “We even had our [centers] out there guarding him at times.”
Now comes the hard part, doing it again Wednesday night in Game 5.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
756 comments Add your comment
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
10:03 am
its a shame someone would wanna be me first of all why would i want hawks to get rid of josh smith or joe johnson they dont play on my team, beside the whole time i’ve been in here i never talked about race, and i thought all the internet thugs were playing SOCOM
Dan
April 29th, 2009
10:15 am
I really think some of you are being suckered into this race talk. I am betting EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN is just trying to get a reaction.
What’s the story with Wade this morning? Is the back any better? I think he should do the right thing and just sit out the rest of the series…:)
bigdave
April 29th, 2009
10:22 am
Dan… agreed on Joe…
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
10:28 am
wade is PLAYING (no marvin williaims here)
Sautee
April 29th, 2009
10:35 am
“Stop asking Joe to be something he isn’t.”
OK, how about if we expect Joe to be average?
He AVERAGED 21.4 with 5.8 assists and 2.3 turnovers.
I’d gladly take that tonight. Just not another 13 point 6 turnover night.
Maybe Woody wasn’t pushing the right button.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
10:46 am
no joe johnson(had some assist this game,he back) teh! 81 pts in half-court set, wade bad back we find out at end of game, still played game(marvin where are you),4 str8 airballs but he’s faking! teh,josh smith is playing hard but has the iq of high schooler, when game is close he’s pulling up for 35ft 3 with 12 seconds on shot clock(not to mention horrible jumpers inside the 3pt line). zaza gave you some energy gm 4 but can you count on him and josh to be the man on the team,really.you win a good game for y’all, last 3mins of 1st half dont sum up hawks, then y’all dont wanna see the truth(helter/skelter=manson probably root for hawks too) Woody not the problem as confirmed by all the good moves he made(so say hawks fans now). i found waldo,im still looking for joe(need my money back),if you believe in your team believe all the time not when they win,hawks have been EXPOSED as flawed(extremely),and has nothing to do with the coaching i.e. bibby fouls,josh jumpers and the lack of heart by johnson, all those things fall back on the player. ps tell horford to score couple of baskets before he start jumping around trying to hype himself up b/c its not helping(missing in action)
Volman
April 29th, 2009
10:52 am
Who died…was that english? I have heard of run-on sentences, but come on. That was as incoherent of a post I have ever read. Take a breather. Use a period…commas…pauses…end of sentences.
You have SOME points (as far as Joe having not much heart and inconsistencies as a whole team) but yuo are wrong on many other ideas of yours (Zaza can’t bring energy every game, and Bibby fouls too much—what??)
Don’t be looking for anymore 8 point plays brought on by the referees in game 5.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
10:56 am
im not SEKOU i dont have to be correct
Volman
April 29th, 2009
10:57 am
Not asking you to be correct…but PLEASE something we can understand if you want to talk about “your team”. Thanks.
See you all at Philips tonight!
Astro Joe
April 29th, 2009
11:02 am
Sautee, no doubt. Asking Joe to score 22 points is more than fair. But I keep reading/hearing about requests for him to do something dynamic, which seemingly is more than his regular season average. Hey, I’m not defending him. I thought he played better in Game 4 but he has clearly struggled. I just don’t want to see him shoot the Hawks out of a game like we just witnessed Wade do for the Heat. I don’t care if 12 guys score 7 points each and we win 84-83, I just want to win.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:06 am
this is for volman. Can you count on zaza to play the same way over the course of this series. Never said bibby fouls to much but the two fouls at the end of the first half,that rookie stuff not a VETERAN. I think you comprehend what you want to benefit your thoughts or to make your points valid. Just like they accused me of not showing up when we lost gm 1,but all i did was change my name b/c someone was posting under my other name. What your excuse. Start from the beginning of this series and look at all the flip-flopping by hawks fan,y’all just like the team hard to figure out
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:07 am
Who died, after rummaging through your blob of words I saw that you were calling out Marvin Williams because he wasn’t playing, yet praised Wade for “playing hurt”?
Marvin just got back from a back injury that cost him 16 games, and ended up hurting his wrist.. If he can’t play, he can’t play. He played in game 6 last year vs. Boston with an injured knee. Please don’t call him out for being hurt. If he can play through pain, he will. If he can’t help the team win, there is no sense in letting him play.
Wade is another story. At one point he can set screens on Bibby and knock him down, or he can shoot 26 shots with no pain… All of a sudden it is “tough” for him to get off the bench, or if he is on the ground he is in so much pain that he makes others help him up? PLEASE. Give me a break. I will be waiting for him to come out on the wheel chair like Pierce last year. At Philips we have something for Wade…it’s called a baby bottle. Skyhawk will have it waiting for him. Quit being a baby.
For the hawks fans, do you all want Marvin back? I would. However, I would love him off of the bench. I really like what Mo Evans is bringing to this team.. He is very tough, and aggressive…and seems to knock down some shots when given the opportunity. I really wish Woody would give him some more minutes to see what he could do.. that is, if he doesn’t get BS calls on him while guarding Wade… CAN ANYBODY GUARD HIM WITHOUT BEING CALLED FOR A FOUL? It’s unfair.
Da Real Real
April 29th, 2009
11:08 am
Don’t know if its been brought up or not…probably has, but anyway I’ll harp on the thought…
Are we finally seeing all those minutes Joe played during the regular season come back and bite us in a**???? Just a thought. Because he appears at times to look really sluggish and the double teams the Heat are running at him is also adding on. I knew, and I’m sure the Hawks knew that would happen but I don’t know if its even been taken into thought about how much gas Joe has left in the tank. Even worst is that if the Hawks do pull this series out is that he would be needed even more to take on the Cavs. I’d probably be asking the same question about DWade but since the guy doesn’t play for the Hawks I don’t care if he has enough gas or not, but I think its as legit of a question as any.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:09 am
even the great volman makes mistakes, it happens, Dont you mean “sometimes”
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:11 am
Who died.. I have been posting on this blog for over three years. What about you? Because I do not post on a daily basis does not mean I’m a fairweather fan. I’m guessing you were at all the Heat games this year in the front row next to “Whiteboy” from I Love New York. Right?
Yes, Bibby was dumb to push off Chalmers on that offensive foul.. That was really dumb. You could tell he was frustrated. BUT, that 8 point play for James Jones was unreal. All he did was fall twice and he got both calls. You will never see that again. I could point out multiple times where Hawks shooters were fouled on drives and THREE’s, but there were no calls.
You know it’s true, too.
Da Real Real
April 29th, 2009
11:12 am
Oh yea…Volman, I brought it up after the game 2 lost that I would have liked to see Marvin (in this series & if healthy) come off the bench because I thought it would give him a better opportunity to score the ball and would help our bench points out big time. The idea got shot down by a few folks, but it also hasn’t helped that Marvin’s been out, but if he was healthy I would have definitely liked to see him come off the bench in this match up with the Heat.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:12 am
everythimg involving the series with y’all revolve around the ref’s. if you get pass wade, lebron is next so what you gonna say then??? just curious
Astro Joe
April 29th, 2009
11:13 am
Dan, you’re right. Between Schultz and 790 The Zone, you get the feeling that winning isn’t good enough. It must be done with style. It must be done in a pleasing way that increases the team’s PR value. But then again, both of those entities have a vested interest in the Hawks being a “popular” team. In other words, they rather see the Hawks be the Suns than the Spurs (in both cases, it can increase advertising revenue). After a decade of futility, I ain’t that picky. Just win!
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:15 am
hawks own free throw advantage so where is the conspiracy(EXPOSED), BUT i forgot y’all would be happy making it to second round
Najeh Davenpoop
April 29th, 2009
11:18 am
“He said that Brown doesn’t believe it is a coach’s job to discuss effort with professional basketball players. He’s about plays & strategy. Players need to bring the effort.”
Could that be one of the reasons why he only has one championship while Phil Jackson, known for his unique motivational methods, has nine?
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:20 am
who counts on 4pt play in the NBA??? I forgot bad calls by ref’s!! tell the truth at half-time you were all fvcked up????
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:22 am
Real, I feel you man. I really like Mo’s toughness that he brings on the defensive end and then his ability to be the “Childress” of last year with a better shot and more athletic ability.
Who died… The NBA is superstar driven, and the Hawks do not have a superstar on their team. This team has been screwed before in games because there were superstars involved, and we are cautiously watching for when the next time will be.
The Cavs game this year on NATIONAL TELEVISION comes to mind.. Lebron gets “fouled” with 2 seconds left with a tie game and of course misses the first free throw but makes the second to win the game. Advantage superstar. He also had MULTIPLE times where there were unreal, phantom calls.. He completely missed a reverse layup under the basket and there was a foul called.. And at the end of the first half he threw up a prayer(airball) over Josh Smith’s extended hand, FADING AWAY, and fell to the ground (not because of Smith) and got the foul call.
Don’t get me started on the Boston series last year. Kevin Garnett pushed a referee and said “get the ____ off me” with David Stern in attendence, and there were no consequences. Zero.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:23 am
my wife said that the house felt like it was shaking right before half-time, im pretty sure if you have surround sound yours was too. YOU can only hope PHILLIPS is like that huh
Najeh Davenpoop
April 29th, 2009
11:23 am
“everythimg involving the series with y’all revolve around the ref’s. if you get pass wade, lebron is next so what you gonna say then??? just curious”
This is why I don’t like bringing refs into the discussion… if you are losing games by 30 points like the Hawks did in Game 3, that’s not on the refs. Blaming the refs is the calling card of the loser. The referees in this series have been abhorrent but I’ll say it again, they have been equally bad for both sides. vava74 can call me out if he wants, but I clearly remember Beasley being called for a touch foul underneath in the first half of Game 4 as well as JO, among other instances. Both teams suffer equally from the poor officiating — yeah, it’s a step up from the refs blatantly favoring one team or another, but it’s still bad.
kwooden1
April 29th, 2009
11:24 am
WHO DIED, what do you think about Wade playing all those minutes with back problems. Do you think its better for him to sit out a game and let the rest of the team get it done or play through the pain? He really looked terrible the last game, especially for certain stretches. Wade is one of the toughs players around, he has not fear of contact or hard falls. I’ve always thought he needs to take more jumpshots, just so he can extend his career. Personally, think if he’s going to play with that much pain he should show some real confidence in his team and a least play less minutes. Taking all those shots really messed up the HEAT offensive last game.
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:24 am
Who died, how is ANYONE exposed because the Hawks have shot more free throws? You’re absolutely a dolt. Seriously. The Heat (in games 2 and 3) were on fire from the three point line, so they were not driving as much. OBVIOUSLY, they would not shoot more free throws.
Come on, now.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:26 am
why is joe getting big bucks if he’s not the STAR,it still dont eliminate the fact that this team always making horrible desicions when game is close or whether you up by 21
Najeh Davenpoop
April 29th, 2009
11:29 am
“Some of you really need to lay off Joe Johnson. Are you kidding me with this stuff?! I have listened to local sports radio clowns (790 guys) get all over him for not being an “elite player”. Implying that he does not “step up”. Schultz writes a similar take today, but brings in his salary. Now, here I am with fellow hoops fans, and I am reading the same crap….”
Well, your first mistake is listening to sports talk radio. Getting past that, people criticizing Joe for the salary he makes still live in a fantasy world where only elite players get paid max contracts. Joe isn’t an elite player — he is what he is, a 2nd tier star, and he shouldn’t be blamed for not being D-Wade. I agree with AJ and doc, he needs to just let the game come to him, fit in with everyone else, and take and make good shots. But I also agree with Sautee that even if he’s not expected to be D-Wade, he should be expected to match his regular season totals. Right now he is playing below average, and that’s where he deserves criticism. He may not be an elite player but he is the best player on a playoff team, and best players on playoff teams are expected to elevate their games in crunch time — even if they are 2nd tier stars like Brandon Roy, Chauncey Billups, or Joe Johnson.
MAC-TOWN
April 29th, 2009
11:32 am
EAST ATLANTA FAN, please shut up. I’m out the eastside of Macon, GA. Fort Hill. All black, hood. I’m not an uncle tom by ANY means, but I’m certainly not racist as well.
Its people like YOU who pull the “race card” when it’s not needed/relevant…that makes it hard to use the “Race card” when it actually SHOULD be used…
Woodson garbage as h3ll as a coach and thats just the way it is.
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:32 am
Who died, please do not try to compare Philips Arena to Miami’s arena/fans. The Atlanta fans may be pretty bad at times, but when that place is rocking, it is louder/more intimidating than any other arena. Just ask Kevin Garnett last year.
“Whether YOU up by 21″…I am assuming you are saying the Hawks are a bad team when the game is close or when they are up 21? So, they are bad at all times? You will either be in a blowout or a close game.. Obviously. I would have to disagree with you. The Hawks stepped on Miami’s throat in game 1 after being up by a lot at halftime. Take away those stupid 8 point plays and the game is completely different (that also included a rare three that night by Wade). That’s 11 points right there for you. I would have to say that the Hawks just relaxed and that it was nothing that the Heat did… it was what the Hawks DIDN’T do.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:34 am
man leave the refs out of it, and those jumpers wade took were all good one’s, nothing rushed,not many contested ones either,and the reasons he played are heart,will,determinations,and trying to give he team something to stay positive for. If you dont wade to try and go, then break both of his legs. that’s the difference in wade and the rest of the players on your team, by the way i guess those 4 str8 airballs were faking too
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:34 am
Also, I’d be pretty upset if I had a top-3 player in the league on my team and was playing a “highly over-rated” and “flawed” team, yet the series was tied 2-2 going to that over-rated team’s home court.
Ouch.
not right
April 29th, 2009
11:37 am
if you want to talk about racism, how about the 98% of african americans who voted for barack obama? how is that not racist? unbelievable!
East Atlanta Fan
April 29th, 2009
11:39 am
I’m a reason why Atlanta has such a gay population. On the internet, I talk about how hood I am, yet I stay in the 2nd most prosperous african american majority county in the country (DeKalb County, GA), but in real life, I’m a self taught massage therapist for many guys at morehouse.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:41 am
since we in the game of give and take. GIVE wade 4 baskets and one more 3 and you lose by one. have you ever seen wade miss 17 shots and if so, call out the game, not to mention 4 str8 airballs,by the way, if your shots are falling why attack,plus i never cried about refs one time. VOLMAN im curious to know if you give heat credit if they win or just blame the refs for hawks lose. i almost wanna lose just to come in here and read the bs for the next series
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:46 am
no you should be upset that you have a bunch of athlete not a team b/c for as long as this team has played together still look like you need more, we won 15 gms last year and we are giving the hawks fits. i know we’ll win this series but all you have are ifs
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:48 am
it funny how this was fun for hyping teams and stuff, but now it crying and race talk
doc
April 29th, 2009
11:49 am
great points aj, sautee and najeh, no matter what race you are. geez.
i’ll be there for these guys tonight in white. it is the resurrection color and one of the team rising, like lazarus from the dead where they were buried only two days ago. i would like nothing less than woody and his team to continue their growth and win this series; if not the burden remains the hurdle still there.
i also would love to see woody back with a series win so he can join josh in being the lightening rods no matter what. when bibby, jj, horford et al under perform we hear nothing, let josh falter and the screams come back. it is similar to when the team goes lack luster the coach gets it as well. it certainly does show how everyone expects woody and josh to be the catalyst for success and their value to the team more than anyone else.
JOSH = MVP
woody = top ten coy and may be rising
spirit = moy still grounded and will remain so.
EAST PAULDING COUNTY HAWKS FAN
April 29th, 2009
11:49 am
go hawks!!!
vava74
April 29th, 2009
11:50 am
Lacsho, your commentary can only be justified if you did not watch the game and did not read the blog entries made here.
The 21pt advantaged dwindled SOLELY on account of several wrong calls against us, including, a foul on Bibby on the pick 2 seconds before the first 4 point play, that lead to Bibby losing it and getting an offensive foul on the inbounds pass, and on a bogus foul called again on Bibby on the second 4-point play.
And this was only a small series of horrible calls against the Hawks, which happened to be flagrant.
On Game 2, the same happened, but in a much more “inteligent” and discrete way, taking our wind off and carrying the Heat, just to favour the Lebron-Wade matchup which will have much higher ratings (income and attention for the NBA) than a JJ-Lebron matchup.
In relation to JJ:
1. He is tired and has a bad ankle for many weeks;
2. Doesn’t get the calls from the referees (see his regular season stats – 4,6 FT per game, whilst Wade gets 9,8);
3. Played a very inteligent game 4 which lead to a Hawks victory. Intangibles are more important than stats.
NORTHSIDE OF THE EASTSIDE OF THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT OF METROPOLITAN ATLANTA
April 29th, 2009
11:51 am
WOODSON = COY
PRAISE ALLAH!!
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
11:55 am
im gonna let you have your blog back, im gonna run the streets for a while,will be back though
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:55 am
Who died, don’t get me started on the “team aspect” of the game. The Hawks are SO much better as a team than the Heat. Yes, they do the “Iso-Joe” play a lot of the time, but they are very unselfish as well. Weren’t there around 5 guys in double figures in the game 4 victory? I think so.
All the Heat have is Wade and whoever can “catch fire” from three. I don’t call that a team.
If you are going to give D-Wade 4 shots and also a three, then you might as well take away about 2-3 of his three pointers in game 2 as well as 2 of Daequan Cook’s 3 pointers, and then Moon and Beasley’s two threes as well.
The hawks would have won that game, according to your logic.
Volman
April 29th, 2009
11:57 am
vava74, GREAT points. I am not going to try to cry as much about the referees…but COME ON. There are some obvious superstar calls that the Heat are getting, and it is definitely game-changing (see game 2 and 4) The Hawks almost lost that lead completely from that sequence of events, starting with the Bibby foul.
Not to mention, the first 6-7 minutes of game 4 were all fouls on the Hawks. The Heat maybe had 1 FG made, but about 10 free throws.
I guess they will do whatever they can to make the game closer.
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
12:05 pm
and wade has been shooting 11 freethrows per game too! teh!!! where the help from the refs everyone is talking about. VOLMAN one or two calls either way wont decise game, unless its last seconds of a game and since that has happened STOP fvcking CRYING
Rev. Moring
April 29th, 2009
12:06 pm
Good game Hawks!! Don’t let them play the “I am Hurt Card” on you. It is the oldest trick in the book, to try and steal a game. Remember to run hard and pound inside!! GO HAWKS!!
MAC-TOWN
April 29th, 2009
12:07 pm
To be honest, I think the hawks main problem is lack of effort. They fall asleep too much. If they play with intensity an entire game, instead of just
1) after drunks
2) after they are down by double digits
we can beat anybody…
at the very second it appears the hawks are falling into “sleep” mode….I’d put Mario West and Pachulia in the game if they arent already in…
WHO DIED ......?
April 29th, 2009
12:16 pm
like i said VOLMAN, all your thought benefit you not the pulse of the team, look at your 11:32 post you said take away 8 pts and that why i said what i said about 4 baskets and 1 three, you can take away nothing that happen in a game after the game STOP it VOLMAN. I might not be best typer, speller, or talk with best grammer but am alongggggggggggggggggg way from DUMB
O'brien
April 29th, 2009
12:25 pm
How will the Hawks start the game tonight? They are so inconsistent, I have no idea what to expect.
If DWade’s back spasms are really bothering him, we need to give him a hard playoff foul when he drives the lane.
Hawks need to start the game off with some energy, and Woody needs to give Mario some PT, because he is the one guy who gives you 110% every single possession.
Josh needs to stop whining (about fouls) and just play ball.
Joe needs to recognize the double teams quicker and make the pass.
Lacsho
April 29th, 2009
12:31 pm
Vava, I don’t miss a game. No matter what the refs are calling, as a coach you have to stop the madness and regroup. You have to call a timeout when things are getting out of control.
The refs have been making non-calls towards the Hawks for years!!!!! This is not new. If we make it past the Heat, it will get worst.