Plans for Sunday?
The Heat promise they they'll be back in Atlanta at Philips Arena Sunday for Game 7.
HAWKKSVILLE - They didn’t even make it to the bus before vowing to return.
“Don’t make any plans for Sunday,” Heat center Jermaine O’Neal told me. “I promise you, we’ll be back here Sunday.”
Little did he know that Heat swingman James Jones had already cautioned me about looking past anything other than a Game 7 Sunday between the Hawks and Heat in this first round playoff series.
“We’ll be back,” a smiling Jones said after the Hawks smashed the Heat 106-91 in Game 5 Wednesday night at Philips Arena. “We’re going to go back home to handle our business [in Game 6 Friday night] and we’ll see you back here this weekend.”
I’ve known both O’Neal and Jones since we all lived and worked in Indianapolis, I was the beat writer and they were toiling for what used to be an Eastern Conference power (the franchise formerly known as the Indiana Pacers). I know they’re competitors and they feel, just as the Hawks do, that they are the better team.
So I don’t dismiss what they say.
And in a series that has been nothing but a parade of blowouts, why should the Heat feel any other way?
While the Heat is aiming for a return to A-Town, the Hawks are locked in on doing Friday night what they did Monday to turn the series around – winning again on the floor at AmericanAirlines Arena in Game 4. ”Now comes the hard part,” Hawks forward Josh Smith told me after Game 5. “When somebody is on the doorstep of getting eliminated, that’s when it gets real. We just have to go back down there to Miami and handle business. We have to go down there with a business attitude and play our game.”
AFTER TWO STRAIGHT WINS it’s clear that the Hawks’ “game” includes whipping the Heat in all the categories that count.
They have outrebounded the Heat 77-62 since the start of Game 4. They’ve had 38 assist to the Heat’s 28, outscored them 72-48 in the paint, whipped them 32-18 on second chance points and 27-10 in fast break points. Toss in the Hawks’ defensive performance (the Heat have shot .428 from the floor and .285 from beyond the 3-point) and it’s no wonder the Hawks have a chance to eliminate the Heat Friday night.
“I think defense is the key for us,” Zaza Pachulia said. “We played pretty good defense (Wednesday), I think. We know how to win. When everybody does the little things, we’re a tough team to beat. And in the last two games, we really did those things.”
NO PLAYER WILL HAVE MORE HEAT ON HIS SHOULDERS (literally and figuratively) than Pachulia will Friday night in Game 6. If Al Horford can’t go (he walked out of the arena under his own power after Game 5 but was wearing an ice compression boot on his right leg after suffering a “mild ankle sprain” before halftime) Pachulia will have to fill the void at center.
Pachulia has all the experience necessary for the job. And it was his inside work in Game 4 (18 rebounds and 12 points) that pushed the Hawks over the top in that game. And he’s still sporting that black eye he earned in Game 3, a badge of honor he wears better than any of his fly Italian suits.
“I’ve been coming in and replacing Al the whole year,” Pachulia said. “But hopefully, he’s going to be back soon, because we really need him. In the playoffs, sometimes guys get in foul trouble or whatever, so we need everybody. But I’ve been in this situation before, so it’s nothing new.”
THERE IS NO NEWS YET ON AL, either, so relax. The Hawks practice this morning at 11 and the first real update won’t come until after they have finished. The biggest test will be to see how Horford’s ankle responds to the team flight to Miami, provided Horford makes that trip.
Horford tried to come back after halftime last night but said he simply couldn’t do it. Playing without both Horford and Marvin Williams, who is probably out for the rest of this series, is going to be a monstrous task if the Hawks have to do so in Games 6 and 7. I’m not sure how Hawks coach Mike Woodson will scramble things up to make it happen, but it’ll be interesting to see what transpires next.
In today’s edition of the SOUTH FLORIDA REPORT, our friends from Miami are showing no mercy for the home team.
My man Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald challenged the Heat to answer the Hawks’ physical nature in Game 6 or hit South Beach for vacation.
Greg Stoda of the Palm Beach Post questioned the Heat’s sincerity with all the elbows, hard fouls and tough-guy posturing that went on in Game 5.
And my man Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel likened last night’s MMA action to the Heat-Knicks battles of yesteryear. And he would know since he’s covered the Heat from their first day of existence.
Game 6 ought to be a fantastic mess.
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219 comments Add your comment
doc
April 30th, 2009
4:44 pm
yeah volman, i was expecting the sutures to be needed or a collar to immobilize the neck. seems it wasnt even hard enough of a fall on that area to affect his vision. ask the folks around me or sautee what i was saying while he was down, er, from a physician’s perspective. mama’s boy i bet. sorry to have missed you at the chapel getting communion. maybe next time against bron bron.
Reggie
April 30th, 2009
4:48 pm
Wow, I’ve been reading all these stories on Yahoo and other things and now suddenly we are the whiners who are classless and thugs. The Heat will get every advantage and we will get none. That will continue through the playoffs. Also there is this thing on 790 the fan announcer Steve Holman on Yahoo. If you go to NBA for Yahoo you can find it. He is quite a homer but I thought it was hilarious. Somehow we are still getting blamed for that. All they are saying is just wait till the sweep from the LBJ’s. I really hope we can do something in that series (if we get there).
DirtyDawg
April 30th, 2009
4:52 pm
It’s good to see that there are indeed real Hawks fans out there. It’s as it should be. But make no mistake about it, Josh Smith is an extremely talented, immature, petulant, jerk…and has been since probably before high-school. I don’t know if he’ll improve with maturity and apparently the Hawks coaches haven’t been able to get through his thick skull. It’ll be sad if he never, ever ‘gets it’ and goes down in NBA annals as just what I just said.
Volman
April 30th, 2009
4:53 pm
Doc, We will definitely throw down on some chapel time at halftime when LeBron is in town. Boy, will I be fired up…
Rollins Tree
April 30th, 2009
4:53 pm
Im a Hawks fan for life but didnt think the Josh dunk attempt was cool. Imagine Michael Jordan trying a dunk like that during the playoffs. Never wouldve happened. Win but do it with class guys.
Volman
April 30th, 2009
4:55 pm
Dirty Dawg, i am going to have to disagree with you. Well, Smith is very talented and immature, but jerk he is not. He complains about every call, but he is the heart of this team. That attempted dunk that he did was a part of that “killer instinct” that a lot of the Hawks don’t have (Joe Johnson). I say dunk, alley oop, and throw it off of the backboard for all I care. The Hawks are not in it to make friends with the Heat during this series. Win, and win big.
He is just playing with passion…we all wish he could just play smarter. The rest will come.
DC hawks fan
April 30th, 2009
5:00 pm
I agree with alot of the comments up here. I used to respect the Heat and D-wade…but now I am just getting tired of his flopping and complaining and the Heat’s game plan (a.k.a flop everytime you shoot a three). I thought LeBron was bad, but now I don’t really mind him compred to Wade. What makes it worse is how much the national media kisses his rear. On ESPN this morning, the ticker on the bottom of sportscenter said “Wade charged with flagrent foul for block on Mo Evans.” It was not a block…it was an unncessary and dangerous foul. I’m also tired of watching the series on TNT…they don’t give any respect to anyone except D-Wade. I think Jermaine O’Neal is having a great series but no one is talking about that. The sideline reporter (Reggie Miller’s sister) ONLY reported on D-Wade’s back the entire game. No mention on Al Horford’s injury until the very end of the game. That took balls to shoot those free throws so that he could come back in the game later if the team needed it.
DC hawks fan
April 30th, 2009
5:01 pm
I guess the NBA needs to change its slogan of the playoffs to “The Miami Heat…Where FLOPPING happens”
bigdave
April 30th, 2009
5:02 pm
Espn’s “Around the Horn” im going to tune in and see what if any hate they have for the Hawks..
Gutz
April 30th, 2009
5:09 pm
I have lost a lot of respect for Dwade after this series. He has got to be the biggest drama queen i’ve ever seen. Whines and cries like a friggin baby. I loved how his teammates had to help him off the bench last game and then in game 5 he barely hits his head on the floor. Then lays on the floor for 10min to only come right back in the game. He is fine he is just using the phantom back spasms as an excuse for sucking.
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
5:13 pm
ITS NOT OVER PIGEONS REMEMBER 2006 D-DAY IS COMING
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
J-SMOOVE= MISS A DUNK
phar71
April 30th, 2009
5:15 pm
Hey Big Dave, I am not going to be home in time from work to hear what they say, but would love it if you could give a quick summary. thanks man.
Heat champs 09
April 30th, 2009
5:16 pm
Wade will drop 54 in Miami and 42 in ATL MIA in 7!!!!!!
Lukewarm Heat
April 30th, 2009
5:18 pm
Hey, gusman354: D Wade didn’t miss any dunks in Game 5, did he?
Wouldn’t that be ironic??
PMC
April 30th, 2009
5:18 pm
This thing with Josh… what exactly is classless about it? He performed a basketball move in a basketball game. Was it entertaining yes. Was it noteworthy? Obviously… he missed one out of about 5 thunderous posterizing dunks on the defensless crybabies that the heat have become. As Jay Z would say…. You know the type… loud as a motorbike… but couldn’t bust a grape in a fruit fight.
Josh didn’t stand on the table and scream this is my house. He didn’t look in to the camera. It’s the NBA… showboat dunks…are required elements of all the large paychecks.
Hell he missed that one. Cry about the other 5 he threw down.
Grow up and play defense if you don’t like it Heat… or is that soft heat… canned heat… sterno.
Heat chumps 09
April 30th, 2009
5:19 pm
Heat champs…of Miami golf courses! Enjoy the early offseason!!
Reggie
April 30th, 2009
5:19 pm
gunsman: Wade missed a very easy dunk by himself with no trickery in the last game.
heat: That’s pretty high expectations but Jay Mariotti just predicted he will put down 55 next game. Interesting. We could win a championship and still get criticized.
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
5:24 pm
STOP COMPARING MV3 WITH THAT TUG YOU GUYS CALL J-SMOOVE THEY ARE NOT IN THE SAME UNIVERSE I DONT SEE YOUR (SUPERSTAR) DOING ANY COMMERCIAL OR ANY SHOE DEALS WHY IS THAT?
Reggie
April 30th, 2009
5:27 pm
Who called him a superstar? The Hawks like to go with a deep balanced team of players instead of one superstar and a bunch of mediocre players.
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
5:30 pm
WE HAVE A FUTURE WITH BEASTLY AND CHALMERS THEY ARE ROOKIES WITH A LOT OF UPSIDE BUT YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR JJS.=CRAP , BIBYS=OLD AND WHO ELSE MAURICE EVANS?HAHAHHAHHAAAAAAAAA
Westurd
April 30th, 2009
5:47 pm
Gusman, you for real?
O’neal will be in a rocking chair with Diva Wade sitting along side him in a years time. Wade and the Heat had a good run in ‘06, but seriously that was three years ago. Half our team was still in diapers back then. The past is the past my friend and Diva Wade cannot stay healthy enough to bring you heat fans anymore glory.
…….NOW YOU KNOW……HAWKS IN 6
goose man three five four
April 30th, 2009
5:47 pm
The only thing “Beastly” about Michael is his field goal percentage! At least Josh Smith makes up for his errant shots by blocking and dunking on O’neal!!
doc
April 30th, 2009
5:48 pm
gusman as a hawk fan we can talk upside til we are blue man. it is a heck of a lot more fun operating in the now. surely you remember how it felt in 2006 with a broken point guard and a center well past his peak? gimme a break while i laugh. you werent complete then nor now as you tumbled as quickly as you came up. one year wonders that needed the zebras to help you out.i was even a fan of the heat that year and saw it for what it was and i know stern can turn it if he wants too if the game is close. beasley and chalmers are good looking prospects but they have been a bit like the deer in the headlights from time to time and you are going to have to find some help defense for beasley.
Runnin' and Gunnin'
April 30th, 2009
5:50 pm
I remember 2006 just fine. Where is Shaq this time around?
……..well?
Westurd
April 30th, 2009
5:57 pm
I do love the fact that no one (this whole year) has mention Childress’s name……..Flip/Mo replaced Childress and have taken us this far already. I love our bench play as of late and will be watching to see what they can do Friday when Horfy and Marvin will be out.
….NOW YOU KNOW……HAWKS IN 6
Rev. Moring
April 30th, 2009
6:03 pm
Good Game Hawks!! You got one more fight to go. The calls will not go our way tomorrow night, so stay focus. Don’t change your game plan, but you better get tougher!! And Josh, remember your teammates. They will come to your aid. GO HAWKS!!!
Miami Sucks
April 30th, 2009
6:04 pm
I hate players like Wade and Pierce who just pump fake until someone jumps into them and then they shoot it. Half the time, they get free throws. The other half, there is no call because they initiated the contact and they start complaining to the refs!
Wade and Pierce – TWO BIGGEST WHINERS IN THE LEAGUE!
KevinA
April 30th, 2009
6:08 pm
maurice, I’m with you. I would love to see another dunk attempt towards the end of a series ending victory. Whats wrong with that.
An Old Friend
April 30th, 2009
6:08 pm
Remember me?
http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh458/LanceBriggsOLB/660123bf-372c-492f-8c12-07784935a4a.jpg
jeff
April 30th, 2009
6:11 pm
i don’t see what the big deal is about josh attempting that thru the leg dunk…if l. james had did that, hit or miss, everyone would have been ridin his knuts…
KevinA
April 30th, 2009
6:12 pm
Westurd, you must not read all the posts. Chills would be a welcome addition to the team. I would start him in front of Evans. Flip and Evans have played great for the Hawks but on defense Chills fits in good with switching defense scheme.
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
6:14 pm
WELL IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER 2006 THEM YOU KNOW WHAT IS COMING RIGHT
Just heard the Holman audio...gas@speedburnder.org
April 30th, 2009
6:18 pm
COMEDY GOLD!!! I LOVE HOLMAN!!!
I listened to last year’s audio online when I lived overseas:
KG JUST SHOVED A REF!! HE SHOULD BE EJECTED!!!!!!!!!!!!
duck duck goose
April 30th, 2009
6:20 pm
Is Shaq coming? If not, then you can meet the Heat on the golf course on Saturday!!
bigdave
April 30th, 2009
6:24 pm
JALEN ROSE IS THE MOST SENSIBLE ANALYST ON… !!! SHOULDA PEEPED HIS REMARKS CONCERNING LAST NIGHTS “DUNK”…
darrell starks
April 30th, 2009
6:32 pm
Woody this is the reason you develop your bench during the year for situation like this with the injury to HORFORD AND MARVIN. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
doc
April 30th, 2009
7:03 pm
mo has done well westurd but you have obviously missed some of the ummm, banter about the relevance of how chills would have done as a hawk this year. personally chills was a baller with hops and defensive skills that are missing. not going to win the nba championship with him or without him so ultimately no great loss there and the basg could pretend they were spending more money than they have even though his salary is in monopoly money.
David Smith
April 30th, 2009
7:04 pm
It’s funny how certain athletes you had respect for show their true colors and make you hate them. I used to have a great deal of respect for Kevin Garnett (he used to play pick up games of basketball with my cousins in south carolina). All during the playoffs last year he was the main crybaby/villian of the celtics (paul pierce was a close second) and completely changed my perception of him with his stlye of play (elbowing zaza, crying about non-calls, and trying to intimidate us with his soft style of play).Wade was a primary contributor on the olympic gold medal team last summer and is tarnishing that image with his constant pouting over calls in this series (this is not 2006). He could take a lesson in humility from joe johnson who doesn’t complain when he get’s fouled but, puts the onus on the refs when he drives to the basket.
bigdave
April 30th, 2009
7:11 pm
how did Horford fare today…?
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
7:17 pm
HORFORD IS OUT, 1 DOWN 4 MORE TO GO. LEST GO HEAT
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
7:20 pm
HORFORD IS GONA BE DANCING MERENGE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NEXT WEEK
Gutz
April 30th, 2009
7:22 pm
gusman354 are you a retard? HAHAHAHA you are a complete moron. The Heat suck dude!
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
7:24 pm
ITS NOT OVER TIL IS OVER DUDE
Hawksfan
April 30th, 2009
7:25 pm
Bigdave, what did Jalen Rose have to say about Smoove’s dunk attempt?
Dwyane Wade
April 30th, 2009
7:25 pm
That Josh Smith between-the-legs dunk hurt my feelings!
*Lies on ground for 30 minutes then realizes he’s not hurt*
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
7:26 pm
THAT HE IS A MONKEY
gusman354
April 30th, 2009
7:27 pm
WITH NO CLASS , NO T-MOBILE COMMERCIAL WITH CHARLES AND NO SHOE DEALS
Shelt99
April 30th, 2009
7:51 pm
I had no problem with Josh betweem the legger. Josh was just trying to entertain the home crowd. This is the NBA. The fans paid their money to be entertained. There is alot of showboating in the professional sports. Also, I witness the Heat’s Coach crying on TV, I guess he is trying to use what he can to get his team motivated. Go Hawks.
Zack
April 30th, 2009
7:57 pm
DWade and co. hate it when people throw down Dunks against inferior teams unless its a really inferior team trying to represent their country, like Lithuania or Canada… then you can throw down a windmill when you’re up by 20. They hate it when you don’t show sportsmanship in your house, as long as that doesn’t include jumping up on scorers tables, pounding your chest, and screaming.
By the way, Sekou, you should have published Israel Gutierrez’ article before Game 5 where he guaranteed a Wade-James matchup in Round 2 and said that “these are still the Hawks we are talking about”, Sekou wouldn’t say that about the Heat, nor should he, but lets hold Israel accountable for his insults.