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.
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756 comments Add your comment
BarkingBulldawg
April 28th, 2009
2:49 am
“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.”
Did he really say this? Zaza cracks me up! He did playa hell of a game though.
LL Cool Scott
April 28th, 2009
2:52 am
Zaza Pachulia is a great golden god.
EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN
April 28th, 2009
3:02 am
ALRIGHT JOE JOHNSON YOU GOT TO STOP PLAYING LIKE A CHUMP,CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE THE ALL-STAR THATS GETTING CHUMPED-OFF BY D-WADE,SHOW SOME EMOTION AND ANGER LIKE WADE,KOBE,LEBRON AND PAUL PIERCE.
GOOD JOB MIKE WOODSON EVEN THOUGH THE BANDWAGON FANS WANT YOU GONE,IF YOU WERE WHITE AND TOOK A TEAM FROM THE 8TH SEED TO THE 4TH SEED THE NEXT YEAR THESE HILLBILLIES WOULDNT BE SCREAMING FOR THE COACH TO GET FIRED!
I KNOW THE ONLY THING IS MISSING FROM THE HAWKS IS A BIG MAN,OYEAH JOSH SMITH PLEASE STOP MEAN MUGGING THE REFS BECAUSE ONCE THEY MADE THE CALL ON YOU, THEY CANT TAKE IT BACK,SO GO ON UP THE COURT AND PLAY DEFENCE.
AND ANOTHER THING JOSH SMITH STOP TAKING STUPID THREE POINT SHOTS,THATS NOT YOUR GAME YET,PRACTICE MORE ON YOUR JUMPER THAN HANGING OUT WITH T.I.
vava74
April 28th, 2009
3:52 am
Some people have said that the refs were bad both ways (Najeh get a pair of prescription glasses quickly man), this is a total bullsh*t.
On the 10-point play – just as an example – Bibby got fouled by Wade on a moving screen. If this had been called, it would have been the end of the 10-point play play before it started. On the same plays, Bibby’s foul on the second 3-pointer by JJones is a total scam.
Later, Flip got fouled shooting a trey and the refs swallowed the whistle… O’Neal took 4 steps in traffic for a bucket, this after Zaza was called for travelling having taken only 2!
Al and Mo had 2 fouls each by the 5 minute mark… In the first quarter, Miami scored only 2 or 3 FG, all the other points came on FTs!!!
The list could go on forever! If it weren’t the refs, we would have won by 30 easily!
Also, we won on Zaza’s hustle and and overal team defensive effort and Josh did come out with the right mind set, but people, he almost killed us in the second half and in particular down the road with stupid jumpers (he finished 4/16 on FG people, including 0/3 from 3-point land to go with 3 or 4 jumpers of which total only 1 try could be excusable: wake up and look at the stats when they mean something).
JJ played an inteligent game. His legs are dead due to excessive minutes during the regular season and you can see from his body language that he does not have his mojo going. However, understanding that, this time he did not run into double teams, he got to bad shooting spots on purpose, just to attract the double team and then kicked the ball out to the free man.
We need to have more plays where the ball is in JJs hands after he gets free from multiple screens, like Rip Hamilton did with Larry Brown and stop having him going one-on-one all the time on isos.
On game 5 we need to be extra physical and hit Wade and J.O’Neal hard to test their condition and get them out of the paint from the get go.
If we do all this and the refs don’t continue to do what they did in games 2, 3 and 4, we will win the series 4-2.
The only truth on this series was game 1 and the 21 point advantage we had last night (in spite of the refs) before the refs’ fueled come back by the Heat.
Rick Sund
April 28th, 2009
4:17 am
I told you guys on Saturday when you ungrateful fans were complaining that MY HEAD COACH WOULD MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS. Now we can accomplish our goal of making it to the 2ND ROUND.
vava74
April 28th, 2009
6:09 am
Rick, you are on a roll man… We should establish an award and give it you as the first winner: “Best comic relief from an outside commentator on a blog”
RA
April 28th, 2009
6:40 am
Vava 74, here’s the thing, great players are going to get certain…concessions. It was not without purpose that for the entire first quarter and most of the second, D-wade barked at the refs, got in their faces, and stared them down after he’d flop to the floor. He was laying the ground work for what would happen in the second quarter. His belly aching garnered his team at least ten points during that run, during which time Bibby got decked twice, but it shouldn’t surprise you that these things happen. Superstars get calls for themselves and their teams that they probably shouldn’t. That’s just how it is.
WHO DIED ......?
April 28th, 2009
7:18 am
good game i got to make a move up the road but will be back by 5. ps you got your swag back huh!!! teh
darrell starks
April 28th, 2009
7:19 am
Im not happy until we win the series we must win against miami.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zack
April 28th, 2009
7:39 am
east atlanta hawks fan… you have got to be kidding me with that race sh** there is honestly no need for that in the blog but hey i hope your still proud of woodson when you finally realize no matter what happens in this series and possible future series he is a god awful coach. Thats ok because his race tho correct? he just gets a free pass?
A Thinking Fan
April 28th, 2009
7:40 am
1 GAME at a Time! (NBA = No Babies Allowed!) Good WIN Hawks!
jg
April 28th, 2009
7:42 am
great win hawks!!!!!!! what a gut-check! i’m really proud of the team–it was definitely do or die. bottle that determination up and use it tomorrow night and we can put soooo much pressure on miami. it’s 2 out of 3 now and we have the two in philips–way to bring it back home hawks!
chattanooga hawks
vava74
April 28th, 2009
7:42 am
RA, that is a preposterous argument. To accept the unacceptable is not the way to go.
If you accept this, then we should all stop watching games and complaining about out team.
Wade averaged 9,8 FT attempts per game this year.
Lebron 9,4
Roy 6,5
Carmelo 7,1
Durant(!) 7,1
Granger 6,9
Devin Harris 8,8
Joe Johnson? 4,6… 4,6!!!!!!
Only Kobe gets also a bit penalised by the refs (in comparison to his talent) with just 6,9 trips to the line.
How can you simply accept this? Superstars are superstars ALSO because they get a lot of calls going their way.
Wade gets away with travelling and palming all the time!
Take 3 FT attempts from him and call him 1 travelling or palming offense and his points average would drop 4 ppg to 26ppg.
Give JJ just 3 more FT attempts and his average would climb to 24 ppg.
J
April 28th, 2009
7:59 am
East Atlanta Hawks Fan … you really have some type of racist grudge, don’t you? It’s people like you that keep racism alive and prospering. Coach Woodson is horrible, not b/c of his color, but b/c of his coaching
oldmike
April 28th, 2009
8:04 am
Totally surprised by the effort and focus they showed last night. Who would have thunk it. Someday before I die I’d like to be able to understand what constitutes a foul in the NBA. I guess I have to read the rule book because what is a fould on one end of the court is not one on the other end and vice versa. Wade knows how to dog the refs into calls but he is a great player. No one can fault his effort out there. Way to go Hawks. Just keep it up in game 5, don’t get complacent!!!!!!
dap01
April 28th, 2009
8:14 am
Great job Hawks, players and coaches. Play ZaZa again, they don’t have an answer for him yet.
Big Al
April 28th, 2009
8:23 am
Is it me, or shouldn’t the Hawks learn how to set a pick for Joe Johnson?
I know, I know. They just won game 4. They have the home field advantage back. I’m as pumped as you are. And I don’t want to lower anyone’s spirit after a solid Game 4 win. But the Hawks do not seem to be able to execute basic plays like setting a good pick or using the screen and roll to effectively get Joe Johnson free. Almost every other NBA team could set a hard pick or run the screen and roll in their sleep. Their best players don’t get swarmed by 3 defenders after taking 2 steps every time. The pick and the screen are the life blood of great players. Without a practiced effort by teammates to get them free, they would not hit the big shots that put their names in the headlines.
So I don’t get it… Shouldn’t the Hawks be able to execute these basic plays to help get a couple defenders off of Joe with ease? I see Hawks players run over to help out sometimes, but it doesn’t look like they know what they are doing. They set a weak moving screen that doesn’t accomplish much seperation. Joe is still sorrounded by two or three guys, and he either throws up a bad shot or throws it across the court to someone who shouldn’t be taking outside shots in the first place.
I say — Start setting some hard picks at the top of the key for any Miami player shadowing Joe. Run some pick and rolls for Joe. These set plays get the other team off of our guy’s back and can be used time and time again to create good looks at the basket for the entire team. I like the intensity the Hawks are bringing on defense. But they need get tighter and more technical on offense. They look so sloppy at times. Their best half-court offense seems to be to swing the ball around until someone feels like shooting or someone wants to try to take their man on an ISO play. Perhaps they should just try to get into a transition offense. I really don’t know what Woody is teaching them on offense. I don’t see how they can survive this way much longer. I am all for these Hawks. I love watching them play well. But I think they have to become more technically trained on offense to have any chance at being truly successful in the Playoffs.
ProfFish
April 28th, 2009
8:31 am
Let’s have a big welcome ready in Atlanta for the Georgia Pach. Who would have thought he’d save the team?
BravesFan79
April 28th, 2009
8:32 am
EastAtL: All white people are hillbillies is about as true as saying all blacks have AIDS…..
And Woodson will NEVER be mistaken for a Larry Brown.
Just like Hewitt will NEVER be mistaken for coach K. Does not mean there not good men, there just mediocure at what they do. And the worst part about it is their both stubborn and refuse to make changes.
cityofdecatur
April 28th, 2009
8:32 am
as long as woodson’’s teams continue to improve he stays he may make us crazy nuts bonko but he is improving our team EVERY YEAR
Dan
April 28th, 2009
8:33 am
East Atlanta Hawks Fan, I don’t think Joe played like a chump at all. I loved how he never forced anything last night. I can’t remember one bad shot taken by Joe. Plus, he set many of his teammates up with good looks. And, like in hockey, there were a few times he made the pass that led to the assist. He played a smart game last night. Few too many turnovers, but they all came while being triple teamed.
I am f’ing on cloud nine right now. Like WHO DIED…? just said, I think the swag is back! Good thing because I was down and out on the team yesterday.
Another big one tomorrow!! Hope the boys get rested up and ready to goto war again.
One more thing…Josh Smith played solid last night (great, except for the stupid jump shots). That guy could be an All Star. There are very few guys (none of them play for the Heat) that can stay with him when he attacks the basket. If played with the attacking attitude he had most of last night, he could be an absolute force in the league.
The Truth
April 28th, 2009
8:34 am
I don’t care what anybody say, the game ball goes to Josh Smith with an honorable mention to Zaza. His interior game made the difference for the Hawks. Yes, Josh still made mental mistakes but no one can question his heart. His passion to win is manifested in how he barks at the refs. It may not be the smartest thing to do, but at least it shows he cares about winning. I wish JJ would show more emotion just to send a message to his team mates that he cares as well. We won this game because Josh disrupted the Heat inside offense with his shot blocking ability while the Heat supporting cast including Wade struggled from outside (except for J Jones).
The problem I have with Kenny and Barkley, their analysis of the game is so bias and one-sided seen only through their offensive lens. They rarely talk about the defense aspects of the game. If the Hawks star players aren’t putting on an offensive show, than they cast these players as trash (hint-hint) or shouldn’t be the star players (hint-hint) or should be traded (hint-hint). If they would discuss the excellent defense in their analysis perhaps it would shed light as to why players struggle offensively including D Wade. I saw on a number of occasions when lanes were suddenly closed on D Wade, made possible by the Hawks excellent defense. Yet the D Wade sympathizers would rather ignore that part of the game and instead through softballs at his less then glittering-performance and placed the blame on his bad back. Unless D Wade came into the game with that injury, which there was no mentioning of it in the press, than perhaps that injury was more of a TNT-TV Drama production than anything else; he was flat even in the beginning of the game. They should show more appreciation for the Hawks excellent defensive efforts as part of the equation. Also, if you really look closer at this Hawk team, they are not overly gifted with superstar-like offensive players. Our claim to the 4th seed was made possible because of our defense and yeoman-like offense. We have the ability to make any team including Cleveland play ugly. Our formula for winning is simple. We must play our brand of furious defense while our offense must be done by committee. Therefore, we should all lower our expectation of Joe Johnson. Joe should also lower his expectation of himself and stop trying to be like Mike. He should just play within himself. His offense game has been off lately because he has been trying to take over the game via ISO Joe and forcing turn-overs in the process. Let’s face it, he is not MJ, he is not Kobe or D Wade, he is who he is Joe Johnson. As Barley called him, “A Very Good Player, An All-star, but he is not a Superstar” (at least not yet). We are looking for flash and it is not there. It may never be there, he is not that kind of guy but he is an offensive threat that opponents must account for. Remember, he came to the Hawks as a raising superstar. Well, so far, he is still raising and has not reached that superstar level yet. When you really think about it, it’s unfair to Joe Johnson and to us fans to pretend that he is already a superstar. As we critique his game, we must take that into account. For the Hawk, it’s all about the team not an individual player anyway. Some nights it’s going to be Joe, some nights Josh, some nights Flip or Bibby and yes some nights even Zaza.
james
April 28th, 2009
8:40 am
Is it just me, or does it seem like the Hawks can only beat the Heat when the have 6 different players in double figures? I guess this is what happens when you don’t have a “superstar”:everyone has got to score. I mean–Bibby led with 15 points! But that’s good, though: they have to play as a team. And when they do, they rock it.
james
April 28th, 2009
8:42 am
“The Truth”–exactly what I was thinking. you summed it up well.
doc
April 28th, 2009
8:42 am
i salute them for a good win. great wins only come if they put this away and go onto the next round. they are only beginning to know the price and the rewards of fighting fr somthtng that is beyond the individual.
as far as the dings, that is all it is. i will sound my age but they sound like what happened playing for fraternity pride in flag football in my day; pulled groins, severely sprained ankles, hurt backs, torn groins, and concussions. only meant we could come back the next week and do the crazy thing again. no sympathy here not that they are looking for it but geez all of us would love the op to do what they are doing and make millions.
as far as marvin, it is time to tell him if his arm isnt falling off and he can walk then he can run and help this team win. we dont need his touch from the field as we need his bulk in there to rebound, play defense and get in the way of a few folks. this isnt finesse time. it heals over the summer or in the next week or two in the playoffs if they continue to play. this is about each and every one of them looking in the mirror and seeing there is more there that meets the eye and living up to it. sorry, i am tired of the little girl with new onset vapors. tell marvin to grow into manhood and JUST SHOW UP! he might be surprised at what he can do beyond shoot the ball. he is a number two draft pick. that means he should be able to do more with one hand and leg than most can with all their faculties. until he takes that to HEART he will not ever live up to his status in life as a number two.
no, i retract what i said, i wont even say good win. let me say it was a nice win. good win is the next win ad a great win is if they get the fourth win of this series. pay the frigging price of admission to the NBA guys and i will pay the frigging price of admission to see you do it!
D REEL DEEL
April 28th, 2009
8:44 am
TO THE PLAYA HATERS!!!!!!
THE TRUTH HURTS,DON’T IT, GET OFF OF MY MAN EAST ATLANTA’S BACK,JACK….HE’S RIGHT!!!THE RACIAL UNDERCURRENT IS A FACT OF LIFE,GET OVER IT!!!
RESPECT HIS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH…IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE “TRUTH”,GET OUTTA THE KITCHEN!!!
Welcome back boys!
April 28th, 2009
8:49 am
If the Heat had won, Wades back would have been fine. It is a “look at me, excuse.” “If only my back was OK, this never would have happened.”
Man. I hope the Hawks beat them by 40 back in Atlanta. So then we can again hear about how bad D Wades back is. Sorry, sorry, sorry!!!
sd
April 28th, 2009
8:49 am
I like Woodson. You posters have no idea what goes on in practice or even on the sidelines.
Dirk Pitt
April 28th, 2009
8:51 am
Excellent tough win last night, in spite of refs doing their best to keep it close.
The Hawks don’t miss Marvin Williams – Too soft. Lacks intensity.
Joe Johnson isn’t savvy enough to lead the Hawks very far. Too bad, because he’s exceptionally talented and a good guy.
Now, the Hawks are likely to win this series, but either way Cleveland slaughters either team in the next round. Thus, it really doesn’t matter, so… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Dirk Pitt
April 28th, 2009
8:53 am
Hey, REEL DEEL – I guess in your world the people you agree with get 1st Ammendment rights, but others don’t, eh?
DC hawks fan
April 28th, 2009
8:59 am
I still can’t get over the last 3 mins of the 1st half…How can those refs get away with that? Fine, we made a few mistakes but I did not see a foul on EITHER three pointer and calling a foul on an inbounds play on the offensive player was not necessary. Im not sure I have seen that before. The NBA was trying to clean up fouls on inbounds plays this year on the DEFENSIVE end like what happened in the Bulls Celtics game on Sunday. It was my understanding after watching the replay that Zaza clearly got fouled on the other end right before halftime but instead of calling it, the refs allowed the ball to be thrown down court for an open dunk. I am getting tired of watching the Miami players flop everytime they are within 2 feet of an Atlanta player. They should give out an automatic technical for flopping that badly.
Seriously, were they trying to shave points off the game or throw it? This is unacceptable from profesional refs…I really hope the NBA looks into it but I doubt they will. I’m sure David Stern would prefer a LeBron/D-Wade match up next round to increase the national ratings. This is worth getting fined over in a press conference if I am Mike Woodson. I know I am biased but I have never been so infuriated by refs before. A few stupid calls here and there is fine, they are human. But 3 crucial minutes of clearly erroneous calls should raise an alarm. I am impressed that the team did not lose their composure. It would have thrown off most other teams and I am impressed by the effort we displayed in the third quarter.
Westurd
April 28th, 2009
9:02 am
Does WADE cry this much during the regular season? He’s been bitching a lot this series. And why is it when the HAWKS win the highlights still focus on the Heat and Wades ailments. What gives.
Huge game last night Hawks…..see you Wednesday (anyone got some tix for me?)
Optimistic Falcon Fan
April 28th, 2009
9:07 am
I am glad they won, after watching the end of the second quarter, I had to leave the room! I mean the refs were just giving it back to the Heat, that last 4 point play, I don’t even think Bibby touched the guy or the ball. But we all know the league would rather see DWade and Prince James go at it the next round. It’s all about the money and the ratings!
yellarjacket4life
April 28th, 2009
9:09 am
Game ball to Zaza. Honorable mention to Flip Murray. Josh Smith was outstanding on D and Mike Bibby was shooting daggers from the outside. The swag is back. Hawks in 6.
dap01
April 28th, 2009
9:10 am
Between Paul Pierce, Lebron James and Wade, the NBA has no credibility. The refs are a joke.
Congrats to the Hawks for having fight in them.
dap01
April 28th, 2009
9:11 am
Keep the racial conversation out of this blog. The Hawks are fighting in the playoffs and people are pushing agendas on this blog.
kwooden1
April 28th, 2009
9:15 am
Doc, this is a great win for the franchise. Biggest Win they’ve had in the Woody era.
What I saw:
1) Wade’s shot going to his right is a lot weaker than going to his left.
2) JJ passed out of double-teams a lot better
3) JSmoove might be starting to get it
4) Zaza finally got rewarded for doing all the dirty work!
Certainly the HAWKS have to win 2 more games, thats what 7 is all about, but more importantly to me is getting better, the maturity process. I saw them take a step last night. Miami had an amazing come back late in the 2nd, but the HAWKS came out and executed in the 3rd. When Wade starting making jumpers they didn’t panic. JJ was shooting poorly early, they didn’t panic. I really liked the times when Zaza or Bibby got stuck on Wade and they didn’t panic. Wade made more jumpers in those situations than missed, but it that’s your defense than stick with it. I rather have him make a jumper than drive for AND 1s, because you panic and lose your assignment.
We’ve also forgot to give love to Flip, he really did a great job of staying under control and getting the team into their sets. He made two free-throws to end that 2nd quarter Miami outburst and that 3 in the fourth was HUGH.
I hope JJ just plays his game from now on. If he can quickly pass out of the double-teams it will really keep the offensive moving. One-one he’s doing just fine, and he should keep shooting the floaters.
Wade will play better Wed. but the key is to execute on offensive. Keep helping on O-Neal and get out on the shooters.
GO HAWKS!!!!!
G Money
April 28th, 2009
9:15 am
Haven’t posted in a long time. However, Woody is a horrible “during the game” coach. Did I say horrible?? Somehow, he, or the coaching posse gets together and gets it right. That is admirable. But he needs to go – nothing racist about it.
As for JJ…people, he has been playing like this since early January. He’s a very good player but not one of the top 10 in the league – maybe top 20. If Woody knew anything about offense, JJ could possibly be looked upon as a top tier player. But he doesn’t like contact and the only thing Woody knows is iso-Joe.
Nevertheless, I am a fan and want them all to play their very best. We’ll need them tomorrow night and hopefully as we move forward. The Hawks are winning the old fashioned way – as a team. I respect and appreciate that. It doesn’t make good commentary, but it certainly makes it exciting to watch.
Peter
April 28th, 2009
9:15 am
Where is Joe Johnson, did he remember it was a playoff game ?
When is he going to show up and play at least his “Normal Game” ?
The Hawks are playing wonderfully “Tough” Basketball on Defense…… Never going to get anywhere playing one on one when it comes to Offense. They might get away with a first round win..then they get creamed next series if the Offense is the same.
Optimistic Falcon Fan
April 28th, 2009
9:15 am
tim donaghy was probably telling the truth when he said alot of the past few playoffs where swayed and directed by the refs. I have a friend that says that isn’t possible, but as we almost saw last night, the refs can get the other team back to the lead or close, can get the crowd back in the game, and pretty much take the will out of the other team. After that last 4-point play, if I was Bibby I probably would have dribbled the ball down to DWade, gave him the ball, and walked off the court. Call me a sore loser_but I can’t stand unfairness!
Mike is back
April 28th, 2009
9:17 am
The thing I seen was some leaders stepping up on the floor…making sure that kept their composure, run their sets and stick to the game plan. I thought that was a great interview by Morris at the half. ZMen was a warrior out there. Woody body language was JAZZY ALL NITE!!!!
Astro Joe, no adjustment needed hu!!!!! WAS IT JUST ME OR DID I SEE AN ANIMATED WOODY URGING THE TROUPES TO PUSH THE BALL UP THE COURT. THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME FOR ME.!!!! GREAT JOB WOODY!!!!
TERRIFIC EFFORT BY THE TEAM…THIS TIME THEY HAVE TO STAY FOCUS…BAD BACK AND AN ALL…DWADE WILL BE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE WAY I SEE IT…ITS ANOTHER MUST WIN GAME…THIS GAME GUARANTEES YOU A GAME SEVEN.
JOSH STILL DOING HIS THING…U no what it is…Tha no what it is….U no what it is…Tha no what it is.
SouthAfrican09
April 28th, 2009
9:23 am
PHEW.
1) When I saw the title of this thread, I was already scared, and when I saw ZaZa’s pic at the top of this blog, I thought “well now we’re 1 big down.” Thank God everyone is just banged up. At least everyone is [pretty much] healthy. We could really use Duck for game 5. YOUR WRIST FEELS FINE
2) Game 5 is an ABSOLUTE must-win. If we lose game 5, the refs will do everything possible to make sure the Heat win game 6 (See Lakers/Kings game 6 from 2002). We MUST take care of business at home and sell out the place to HAWKS fans. If Cleveland fans drove up to see the Cavs destroy Miami, who says some Heat fans won’t come up from Florida too?
3) The great thing is that Horford, Joe, and Flip have hardly done anything and Bibby doesn’t shoot enough. If 3 of those 4 can step their scoring up, we’ll be fine.
4) JOSH SMITH STOP WHINING AND JUST PLAY BALL
MAC-TOWN
April 28th, 2009
9:23 am
EAST ATLANTA FAN…I’m black…and I think several other black people who use this blog realize woodson is a horrible coach….black/white/asian/amerindian ….it doesnt matter….he cant coach
hardy brown
April 28th, 2009
9:24 am
Zack as a black man, i must agree, Woodson should have been fired two years ago. This the nba, not high school or college basketball
nunna yo biznezz
April 28th, 2009
9:24 am
great win by the hawks..
most of you just want them to get to the 2nd round,and thats it..
well,this series will be 7 games..this team is not consistent,and the head coach is wearing down his starters legs by making them play playoff minutes all season long,and now joe johnson is feeling the effect..
did u hear the remarks that mo evans gave cheryl miller about the players only meeting the other night??
evans told her that the meeting was soft..mo evans is raunchy,hard,get in your face thuggish player that you need to play in the nba..he,flip,gardner,hunter,and randolph morris all fit that same mold that rick sund brought in,and if you look at the make up of the team,most of the guys who were here before sund got here are SOFT!!!
west,zsa zsa,horford, fit the bill of the mold that sund is building for our fans…
bibby,joe now more because of his tired legs,marvin,and even josh smith because of his jump shot/non 3point shooting abilities are the soft ones…
becaue of woodson’s lack of adding the deeper end of the bench into the frame,look for the hawks to barely win wed,lose in miami,and barely win game 7..
the legs will be gone in round 2,and it don’t matter whom they play,they won’t make it out…
SouthAfrican09
April 28th, 2009
9:25 am
We need to make adjustments too to make sure Miami doesn’t make adjustments and blow us out of Philips.
Also, I can’t stand seeing Wade lie on the ground for 6 minutes after he flops on a Joe KNEE (LOL) and acting like he just suffered a career-ending injury. If you look at Miami’s box score, this is a beautiful example of what we must do: Let J’ONeal and Wade get theirs and shut down the rest (Jones did have some points though)
MAC-TOWN
April 28th, 2009
9:25 am
in a way…..this series is way more interesting than it should be
if the regulars for the hawks just play “decent” and get hard work by people like zaza and west off the bench…we should be the heat comfortably.
Joe Johnson has played like a “role player” this entire series though. What’s up with that?
nunna yo biznezz
April 28th, 2009
9:31 am
mike is back,
who were you referring to as morris for the halftime interview??
Mike Woodson
April 28th, 2009
9:33 am
I’m black, and I know I should have been fired!!
nunna yo biznezz
April 28th, 2009
9:34 am
mac-town,
did you see how joe played after he got some rest before the all-star break??
he wasn’t sick,he was tired..
And he is now…
Fuffar
April 28th, 2009
9:34 am
EAST ATLANTA FAN… Race does not matter on this topic, I am not black or White, Mike Woodson is not a good X and O coach. Other then the isolation JOE play there is not much else the Hawks run. We do not score any easy points during the course of the game.
smartguy
April 28th, 2009
9:34 am
I would trade Joe Johnson so fast. He’s a decent player with an expiring contract, so that should have some good value this offseason. And oh yea,
FIRE WOODY!
SouthAfrican09
April 28th, 2009
9:37 am
How can Joe be tired? He had like a week off before the playoffs started. ARGH
Astro Joe
April 28th, 2009
9:38 am
Najeh, regarding the late night/early morning comments about scheme. At this point, coaches are not installing new schemes. There may be a wrinkle here or there but essentially, it’s about execution and energy. Game 2, the Hawks came out like they had won the series in the first game. That’s not a result of a bad scheme. And the Heat made 15 3s and the Hawks missed 11 free throws. That combination led to a 15 point Heat win. Poor energy, Heat got crazy hot and Hawks choked at the line. Game 3, Heat had two massive runs. Hawks cut it to a basket in 2nd quarter and gave up something like a 25-2 run. Same thing happened in the 4th quarter. But that whole game, the Hawks looked heartless. Again, I don’t think it was scheme.
Let’s take a less emotional view of this (for Hawks fans). The Heat last night in the 4th quarter. Was Spoelstra’s scheme wrong to run pick and roll with Wade throughout most of the 4th quarter? Well, I’m pretty sure that Spoestra didn’t tell Wade to constantly shoot 20 footers over Zaza’s outstretched hand. I’m guessing that play had several other options other than taking a very, very difficult shot. Maybe our defense blew-up those options or maybe Wade just screwed up. If I were a Heat fan, I wouldn’t blame the coach for running that play repeatedly, I’d blame the player for making bad decisions with the ball in his hand. I think Wade shot his team out of the game. That’s on the player, not the coach. I’m guessing that play is probably their version of iso-Joe, the bread and butter of their offense. It probably has worked more often than not throughout their successful season. It’s not a bad scheme, it was just REALLY poorly executed last night by Wade. Maybe Spoestra should have pulled the plug earlier on that play, maybe he sat there thinking “surely D-Wade is going to take Zaza off the dribble and either get to the rim or find an open teammate”, so he waited and waited and waited. Again, maybe he should have pulled the plug earlier. But I personally blame his MVP candidate for poor decision making.
At some point in this series, there will be a tight game at the end when scheme will matter. Which play do we run? Who’s on the floor? Which defense do we deploy to stop a crucial possession? Should we double? Do we foul immediately? But every game was been a double-digit margin of victory. IMO, this series has mostly been about energy and execution… so far.
kwooden1
April 28th, 2009
9:42 am
Two things I missed:
1) Give Woody credit for putting Mario and Solo in early. I think everyone was surprised when Mario rolled to the basket for a nice lay-up. And this shows that +/- stat is just stupid. Solo is -15 because of the 4 point plays by J Jones? One foul was his but what about the other 11 points!!
2) JJ’s a jumpshooter: Wade, Lebron and Kobe are finishers. Joe keep playing your game and passing out of the doubles.
Keep using the bench Woody!
GO HAWKS!!!
LOL-i-gagger
April 28th, 2009
9:43 am
And Joe has had a week off DURING the playoffs!
nunna yo biznezz
April 28th, 2009
9:45 am
east atlanta fan,
im black,and im more on woody because he is A brother..
HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!
BUT HE DOESN’T!!
he should know how to go to a josh smith,and to stop the long jump shots that he is missing most of the time..
he should know that his players are tired and his bench should have been playing more because of the good talent that he has with them..
thats why sund didn’t make any trades before the deadline..woody has his team,and sund is sending him that message because he did stand pat and didn’t add any more pieces to ths team..
crackbaby
April 28th, 2009
9:47 am
I hope D-Wade and the rest of the Heat keep looking to the refs to bail them out. Looked like a bunch of cry-baby soccer players. This ain’t the World Cup.
Easy for Fat Charles (Barkley) to say JJ “can’t be your best player.” TNT didn’t show one Hawks game all season, so he hasn’t seen the team play.
Give credit to Coach Woodson – he had the team ratchet up the D and take the ball to the rack. If we settle for jump shots, we lose (and that’s what happened at the end of the 1st half)… Smoove, JJ & Flip need to drive the ball and get to the rim or dish it.
Go Hawks!
doc
April 28th, 2009
9:48 am
kwooden they make it a great win by their next step. if they dont win then it was a “nice” win is all i am saying. it gets them one more shot to do what they should bea able to do. if they lose this series it is back to the drawing board with the same stigma to hurdle over next year if they want to go to the top.
it should be all hands on board at this point. you too marvin, if it didnt inspire you to play then we know more about you today than we did all season tomorrow. they are in a war. if they dont have that mentality and we as fans dont see to it that we are there to support that kind of effort then we fall down again and talk about how nice it was to win a game in miami to get that hump off our back only to realize the hill is much bigger. they have the capability to do it.
nice win, make me believe it was a great win by winning two more out of the next three. no moral victories now as a four seed playing a five if you lose. sorry, dont accept it. we can and will look back next week and say it was a nice yearif we dont advance and i will be the first to say it, very entertaining, but truth be told it wont be a great season unless they get to the next series.
only josh has been able to say it thus far. that is why i like what he has to offer over everyone else, he KNOWS what is at stake here and no one else from the basg, to the gm sund, to the coach, to the “star” can say it except josh. they can say it is incomplete but that doesnt mean anything except maybe next year. the time is now. it is the frigging nba playoffs.
tgardner
April 28th, 2009
9:49 am
I watched every minute of the game last nite and I will tell you ZAZA rules!!!!!!!! I have often said he is really the best at going after the ball on defense. Come home hawks and show’em what we can do!!! By the way, where were all the critics of Mike Woodson when the Hawks were so sucky? Mike keep up the good work, but SMILE when the guys do something good!!! That scowl is really getting old.
Big Ray
April 28th, 2009
9:50 am
I type in gray because I have an inferiority complex and I love hogging this page with stupid posts that no one reads. I wish I was Sekou, but I am not, and I know people get pissed off when they see I post.
cityofdecatur
April 28th, 2009
9:50 am
instant gratification want it now fire woodson STOP. focus on something else this man has guided (though he drives us crazy) this team to improvement EVERY year. when he has 2 down years call him out as for now (this almost a white man member of the tribe) says WOODSON IS THE COACH go woody GOHAWKS!
nunna yo biznezz
April 28th, 2009
9:50 am
south african09,
joe johnson is in the top 3 nba players rankings in minutes played this season..i think he is 1st..
he was playing playoff minutes all season long..
now it may be a mental drain than a physical one
Big Ray
April 28th, 2009
9:55 am
I type in gray because I have an inferiority complex and I love hogging this page with stupid posts that no one reads. I wish I was Sekou, but I am not, and I know people get pissed off when they see I post..
Big Ray
April 28th, 2009
9:56 am
My butt is sore.
Mike is back
April 28th, 2009
9:57 am
I meant Mo…my bad…Mo Evans.
Big Ray
April 28th, 2009
9:58 am
I am the most arrogant and narcissistic person on here.
Big Ray
April 28th, 2009
9:58 am
Randolph Morris REALLY gets me hard.
ATL Fan
April 28th, 2009
9:59 am
Huge win. Bibby has really stepped up like a veteran leader should. Joe has struggled, but it’s only a matter of time before he goes off, especially now that Miami is forced to focus its defensive attention elsewhere (Bibby, Josh, Flip… hell, even ZaZa!).
Josh had a couple of big hustle plays last night, and I was happy to see it… but he is KILLING us with these outside shots. Woody & Co. have tried to hammer it home to him that this is NOT going to help us win.
Again, I love Josh and he’s a big reason why we’re here, but we were fortunate that his haphazard, ill advised long range jumpers taken at horrible times didn’t sink us last night. In a close game those poor decisions will kill us.
I’m predicting a close game 5 with a (assuming he isn’t hurt) classic world-beating performance from JJ, somewhere in the neighborhood of 29/7/7. The dude is a maniac and this human streak won’t last.
Finally, the refs were atrocious. Anyone who thinks (among endless examples) Bibby actually committed a foul on that second magical 4-pt play, or who missed O’Neal doing the fox trot in the lane without dribbling, needs to have his head checked. Let’s hope we get the same home cooking tomorrow night.
GO HAWKS!!!
Hawks73
April 28th, 2009
10:00 am
Finally some fight in our Hawks! Guys like Pachulia are HUGE in a tight playoff series and here are the reasons.
1.) He is willing to do whatever it takes to win
2.) He will provide the “heavy lifting” that is needed down low
3.) He will enforce the paint with hard fouls even if he is a little sloppy sometimes
Again, more reasons why BENCH play is so critical to any teams playoff run. You have to have these guys in crunch time to uplift the team when the other guys are spent or having off nights. The difference win or lose will be the bench. Let’s hope we can pull out two of the next three.
Reality
April 28th, 2009
10:02 am
Damn man Wade was not himself and sucked last night. The whole Heat team did, besides James Jones.
Gotta give the Hawks a lot of credit for bouncing back and playing well. Josh Smith’s blocks were game changers. I had Zaza nightmares last night, that Effin punching bag. Flip finally had a good game, he killed it last night.
So we got a series now….but if Wade is not right, the Heat are not winning….it’s that simple.
I feel like I did after Game 1….down and uncertain, but still hopeful. We’ll see what happens, but the Heat blew a golden opportunity to basically seal the series last night. Atlanta stole back homecourt advantage, and now the Heat have their backs against the wall.
RickNole
April 28th, 2009
10:07 am
That last 4 min of the 1st half was unbelievable. To think that some teams can go several season and not have a 4 point play, but the Heat got 2 within 11 seconds?? I mean come on people what a f’ing joke.
Never the less the better team won last night. The Hawks wont choke again at home. Time to close this thing out.
Big ups to Who Cares….? for blogging today and not being like fake azz fans who only post when their team wins.
O'brien
April 28th, 2009
10:11 am
Great win for the Hawks. And my game ball goes to Zaza. 18 rebounds Plus he had some tapouts as well.
Kudos to Woody for getting Solo and Mario some PT. Coincidence or not, when Mario gets PT, the Hawks usually play better.
I liked when Bibby told Josh to stop complaining and play ball. The guys on TNT said one problem with Josh is he never feels like he committed a foul. And they’re right. Josh complains too much. However, I sure wish JJ would complain to the refs some more.
The consistent theme with the Hawks when they win is they all talk about playing together. Why can’t they/don’t they do it more consistently, I dont know.
Anyways, we must win tomorrow night.
DawginLex
April 28th, 2009
10:12 am
To quote the greatest TV show ever “you and aunt Bee are having fried chicken. I’m having crow.”
I said Heat in 5. I said the series was over. I said no coaching=no wins. I apologize for not believing they could do it.
I hope it can be done 2 more times……………………
Rod from College Park
April 28th, 2009
10:15 am
Doc,
Placing all your hopes and dreams for this team on Marvin injured or not will leave you in deep depression. I’ve been trying to tell you guys this all year. You know why he is injured? No basketball player over 6′6 inches tall can continously fall when he goes to the basket. Both injuries this year (back and wrist) came because he can’t stay on his feet when driving to the lane. I hope he does show up, so you can see how useless he really is. I would take James Jones over him now. Another player added to the list.
Big Ray
April 28th, 2009
10:16 am
I type in gray because I have an inferiority complex and I love hogging this page with stupid posts that nobody reads. I wish I was Sekou, but I am not, and I know people get pissed off when they see I post..
Westurd
April 28th, 2009
10:17 am
Reality, I’ve enjoyed your posts…..I thought you would have run for the hills after game 1, but here we are game 5 tomorrow night all tied up. I think the series is still up for grabs but the biggest advantage we have is we got a full team of players where you my friend only have one man (whos has done a lot of crying this series).
As a HAWKS fan I loved seeing some roll players (ZaZa & West) come in early to add some energy and muscle. I hope Woody realizes the impact they had on the game early on. As long as ZaZa keeps using his face as a punching bag, and J Smoove keeps throwing O’neals shots into the third row we will pull it out.
Its also easy to get down on Joe right now but as a HAWKS fan we did pull out the W and will all the attention on Joe our other guys destroyed it last night.
You have to love the intensity J Smoove brings to the post season. He is showing leadership and heart which we despertely need.
Get it done HAWKS!!! See you in the Highlight Factory Wednesday
Astro Joe
April 28th, 2009
10:18 am
Najeh, regarding the late night/early morning comments about scheme. At this point, coaches are not installing new schemes. There may be a wrinkle here or there but essentially, it’s about execution and energy. Game 2, the Hawks came out like they had won the series in the first game. That’s not a result of a bad scheme. And the Heat made 15 3s and the Hawks missed 11 free throws. That combination lead to a 15 point Heat win. Poor energy, Heat got crazy hot and Hawks choked at the line. Game 3, Heat had two massive runs. Hawks cut it to a basket in 2nd quarter and gave up something like a 25-2 run. Same thing happened in the 4th quarter. But that whole game, the Hawks looked heartless. Again, I don’t think it was scheme.
Let’s take a less emotional view of this (for Hawks fans). The Heat last night in the 4th quarter. Was Spoelstra’s scheme wrong to run pick and roll with Wade throughout most of the 4th quarter? Well, I’m pretty sure that Spoestra didn’t tell Wade to constantly shoot 20 footers over Zaza’s outstretched hand. I’m guessing that play had several other options other than taking a very, very difficult shot. Maybe our defense blew-up those options or maybe Wade just screwed up. If I were a Heat fan, I wouldn’t blame the coach for running that play repeatedly, I’d blame the player for making bad decisions with the ball in his hand. I think Wade shot his team out of the game. That’s on the player, not the coach. I’m guessing that play is probably their version of iso-Joe, the bread and butter of their offense. It probably has worked more often than not throughout their successful season. It’s not a bad scheme, it was just REALLY poorly executed last night by Wade. Maybe Spoestra should have pulled the plug earlier on that play, maybe he sat there thinking “surely D-Wade is going to take Zaza off the dribble and either get to the rim or find an open teammate”, so he waited and waited and waited. Again, maybe he should have pulled the plug earlier. But I personally blame his MVP candidate for poor decision making.
At some point in this series, there will be a tight game at the end when scheme will matter. Which play do we run? Who’s on the floor? Which defense do we deploy to stop a crucial possession? Should we double? Do we foul immediately? But every game was been a double-digit margin of victory. IMO, this series has mostly been about energy and execution… so far.
WHO DIED....?
April 28th, 2009
10:18 am
I TOLD YOU ALL HEAT WIN WOULD IN SIX GAME AND WE GOING TO IS ARE WIN THE SERIES DWYANE WADE NOT DID NOT GET STAR SUPE RT REATMENT AND THAT WHY IS LOST WE
brent a.
April 28th, 2009
10:19 am
Basically, the Hawks played pretty to very well for 44 minutes of this game.
Thankfully, the other 4 minutes didn’t do them in.
Go Hawks! Go Lakers!
EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN
April 28th, 2009
10:21 am
ITS FUNNY HOW A BLACK HEAD COACH IN THE SOUTH GO FROM 8TH SEED IN 2008,TO 2009 4TH SEED AND ALL THE WHITE FAIR WEATHER FANS WANT HIM FIRED.
IF THIS WAS A WHITE HEAD COACH YOU WHITES WOULD NOT BE SCREAMING FOR THE WHITE COACH TO GET FIRED POINT BLANK.
ITS RIGHT IN YOUR FACE THE BLATANT RACIST WHO WANT TO FIRE A MAN FOR DOING A GOOD JOB,ONLY IN THE SOUTH YOU CAN HERE CRIES FOR A BLACK HEAD COACH TO BE FIRED FOR IMPROVING HIS TEAM 4 SEEDS THE NEXT SEASON,8TH SEED TO 4TH SEED IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THESE RACIST MCCAIN-PALIN SORE LOSERS HATERS.
WHO DIED....?
April 28th, 2009
10:25 am
YOURE RIGHT EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FANS. TORONTO FIRED SAM MITCHELL AND DALLAS FIRED AVERY JOHNSON (BOTH OF WHOM TOOK THEIR TEAMS FAR IN THE PLAYOFFS, ONE TO THE FINALS) BECAUSE THEY WERE RACIST!
EVERYBODY IS RACIST!
WE ALL HATE BLACKS.
HECK, WE CLEVELAND SHOULD TRADE LEBRON FOR CHRIS QUINN BECAUSE THEY’RE RACIST. LET’S GET RID OF JOE AND JOSH SMITH
Westurd
April 28th, 2009
10:28 am
East Atlanta Hawks Fan………..your an idiot!
No matter what color skin a coach may have there will always be talk about firing them. Yes we have gotten better over the seasons but Woodys record as the HAWKS coach is still 153-257. Thats a 100 game swing. Imporvement is one thing….motivating players, running plays and schemes, getting the most out of a young team, X’s and O’s are even more important. Woody has quited a lot of naysayers this year but with such a athletic young group could we not be getting more out of them with a better “teacher” in place?
MannyT
April 28th, 2009
10:29 am
kwooden1,
No stat is perfect, but +/- does tell a reasonable story. The only time that the Heat put together a serious run was late in the 2nd quarter when they almost caught up. Mario & Solo were on the court for most of that run. It was the only time that Solo got in the game so he didn’t have the benefit of the Hawks runs to improve his +/-. Mario got a little time earlier when the Hawks played well so his number is a little better.
Look at the other side of the deal. Who showed up the most in this game–Zaza & Josh. Their +/- numbers were the best at +20. It doesn’t say what they did or how they did it. It only says they were on the floor for the good times.
BWAF
DC hawks fan
April 28th, 2009
10:31 am
East Atlanta Hawks Fan is the reason so many people get tired with the city of Atlanta…stop blaming everything on race. While I miss Atlanta, I won’t miss people like you. It is 2009…time to get over the whole race issue.
WHO DIED....?
April 28th, 2009
10:35 am
YOURE RIGHT EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FANS. TORONTO FIRED SAM MITCHELL AND DALLAS FIRED AVERY JOHNSON (BOTH OF WHOM TOOK THEIR TEAMS FAR IN THE PLAYOFFS, ONE TO THE FINALS) BECAUSE THEY WERE RACIST!
EVERYBODY IS RACIST!
WE ALL HATE BLACKS.
HECK, WE CLEVELAND SHOULD TRADE LEBRON FOR CHRIS QUINN BECAUSE THEY’RE RACIST. LET’S GET RID OF JOE AND JOSH SMITH..
STRETCH
April 28th, 2009
10:37 am
Man did the zebras work the Hawks over or what?!
David Smith
April 28th, 2009
10:40 am
Our players should have more secret meetings from now on if it leads to results as this. I was happy to see the intensity return to this team after that debacle in game 3 and,hope we can continue to build momentum and win the next two games. Zaza was huge in this win though he will probably never be an offensive force, his hustle on defense is something i want to see more out of his mates.
HawkFan from WayBack
April 28th, 2009
10:42 am
Overall I was not impressed with either team. Something was wrong with Dwade the whole game, and he did not play to his normal level. If he did, the hawks would have lost. ZaZa was awesome, Bibby, Flip, Evans and Josh, played well but that was it. I’m not sold on the coach but had a great game. In the first qtr and 2nd qtr he kept it at a great pace (exception: last 3 minutes of 2nd qtr, which Bibby made a couple of bonehead plays, but he’s usually gold) I thought Woodson did a good job with substition as well, playing the players who were hot, and keeping others out of foul trouble. He should have pulled Joe Johnson out for being lazy when the stole the ball from him in 1st and 2nd qtr. With that said a win is a win, so go Hawks!
STRETCH
April 28th, 2009
10:43 am
Man i wish the “brothers” that are so full of hatred stop for a minute and get with the rest of us “brothers” i realize that it’s not about PEOPLE’S RACE, but its about the PLAYOFF RACE!
Stop the stupidity please!
tiger woo
April 28th, 2009
10:48 am
WHO DIED….?
April 28th, 2009
10:18 am
I TOLD YOU ALL HEAT WIN WOULD IN SIX GAME AND WE GOING TO IS ARE WIN THE SERIES DWYANE WADE NOT DID NOT GET STAR SUPE RT REATMENT AND THAT WHY IS LOST WE
…………………………………………………………..
OK – Didn’t somebody say last night that Heat fans don’t make excuses?
EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN
April 28th, 2009
10:49 am
Don’t mind me – I am an idiot!
Dan
April 28th, 2009
10:57 am
I’m placing a bet right now that EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN is a white guy.
Reality & WHO DIED…?, props for showing up. I have to say, though, I noticed that Power Crowd bailing with about 3-minutes to go. Didn’t get in the Hawks head last night…
Can’t wait for tomorrow’s game. I love the NCAA tourney, but NBA playoff basketball is f’ing great!
Atl Resident
April 28th, 2009
10:57 am
Damn, how we get to all these racist comments, anyway back to this series, bottom line…if Pachulia can rebound and score like he did in this game four we can get ready for a shot at Lebron James & Co., team needs he him to defend as well as rest of team, they probably better off without Marvin Williams now and next season he’s not helping at all, and Woodson just needs to make sure all this gets done….I wouldn’t mind seeing Hawks vs. Cavs the thought might not be a bad idea….this team would do better than Detroit
doc
April 28th, 2009
10:57 am
did someone let one of the falcon fans loose on this blog. sorry dude dont hate and wont or cant take the bait. your own brothers have pointed out how ludicrous you are and are seen as the same ilk as those that wear white hoods. sorry, just what it is, you and they are the low life that hold us all back, the human race. i have never had any respect for either of your type. yes, you can spout until you go away. i can scroll. that is what freedom is on a blog. i suggest it to many here as rational thought never crossed his mind ever.
doc
April 28th, 2009
10:59 am
rod just read your comments, lol.
Reality
April 28th, 2009
11:02 am
Thanks Westurd, I’ve enjoyed my time here on the blog through the ups and downs. It’s turning out to be an odd, unpredictable series.
From a Heat fan prespective last night was baffling. Like did the entire Heat team get wasted and go out till 6 in the morning on Sunday night? I don’t get it.
And Wade…something was clearly wrong with him…he had complete dead legs….and dead brain. Just weird. And extremely frustrating. My friend was even joking that Wade was trying to throw the game. At times it really seemed like it.
It was a very strange game because Atlanta did not play very well either. It didn’t seem like the gameplan was that different, just more tenacity and focus. Their bench was HUGE, but the starters did nothing special- just what they had to do, although Josh Smith’s blocks on JO were game changing.
Hawks vs. Heat 2009 – a.k.a the Bi-polar series.
AND FOR THE ONES WHO ARE BRINGING UP RACE RIGHT NOW, YOU YOURSELFS ARE THE REAL “RACISTS” AND YOU KNOW IT. STOP MAKING EXCUSES, STOP BEING PARANOID, START BEING RATIONAL.
26belly
April 28th, 2009
11:04 am
STRETCH,
Nuff said! You stated the truth as fact!
EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN probably has a ugly, fat-obese girlfriend that compensates for the blond, blue-eyed girl that dissed him back in high school!
Reality
April 28th, 2009
11:06 am
Dan, the Heat gave the crowd nothing last night. And if you noticed, when James Jones went on his 4-point play barrage the crowd went ABSOLUTELY NUTS. It got really crazy, and if only the Heat could of rode that better.
But unfortunately, the crowd was stunned by Dwyane Wade’s uncharacteristic horrible performance, as well as the rest of team’s lackluster play.
SlimG
April 28th, 2009
11:11 am
I’m a white guy, and think Woodson is the best coach we have had since Fratello. He’s improved this team every year and taken us from nobody to a real threat. Without Marvin, our hands are really tied on the offensive end. Our defense won this game last night. That’s all Woodson. We didn’t play D before he arrived. Stop all this racial bias guys it’s stupid.