Hawks Squawks: Hawks 100, Celtics 91
Celtics put out a hit on J.C. so he hit 'em first (Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com)
– Good, tough win for the Hawks. The Celtics were mad. The Hawks were ready. Philips (fourth sellout) was hyped.
– The tone was set before the game when Celtics center Kendrick Perkins called out Jamal Crawford: “We put a hit out on him today. Doc said somebody‘s got to step up and stop him.”
– “He owns us,” Rivers told his team.
– He still does. Crawford scored 28 points, including 18 in the first half, while dancing through the Celtics defense. He even had a 45-footer to end the first quarter and then uncharacteristically showed some real swag.
– Rivers said the Celtics had to “make (Crawford) score different ways,” and so he did. He went right at the Celtics despite the “hit” put out on him. He was 7 of 7 on free throws.
– Crawford heard about Perkins’ comments just before the Hawks took the floor. He got the word to his teammates. “I was kind of fired up, but I wasn’t too worried about it” Crawford said. “They can knock me down, and I’ll get back up. I know my teammates got my back.”
– You knew it was on when Perkins elbowed Smoove after he wrapped him up under the basket. The officials, who were bad both ways all night (that’s Tony Brothers for you), somehow determined Smoove deserved a flagrant foul.
– Woody got a technical for arguing that call. “Playoff game,” he said. “They (officials) let it go both ways. Bodies were flying around everywhere.”
– “They let it be known that it was going to be a physical game,” Mo Evans said. “They thought they were going to come in and bully us. We had that same mentality. We were going to be physical and protect our home court.”
– The Hawks led 53-41 at the half. Then the Celtics slowed the pace, ratcheted up the intensity and clawed back in it. They scored 32 points in the period, including 19 free throws, and limited the Hawks to two fastbreak points after they had 25 in the first half.
– “We’re better when we’re up and down,” Woody said. “Playoff basketball, a good team can force you into a halfcourt game. You’ve got to be able to execute.”
– It wasn’t always pretty–J.J. (16 in the fourth quarter) and Crawford were good separately, not so good as a unit–but the Hawks made enough plays down the stretch. More importantly, they didn’t back down.
– “We won’t stick our chest out yet,” Crawford said. “But we can stand up and look them eye-to-eye. We’ve got a lot of respect for them but we don’t fear anybody.”
– Mike Bibby’s defense was bad even by his standards. He played just nine minutes, three after halftime. His absence wasn’t really noticed. That’s two clunkers for Bibby since making those big shots to beat Houston.
– Paul Pierce was a force. Mo did just about all you can do against him.
– KG isn’t yet KG. Once he is back for real, he no doubt will make a big difference should the Hawks see the Celtics in the playoffs.
– Doc held back ‘Sheed when he approached the Hawks while they were celebrating after the game. It turned out ‘Sheed just wanted to give the Hawks some dap.
– “They played hard for four games,” Pierce said. “They took care of business, like we did to them last year.”
– That’s what you call grudging respect. It’s a start.
– Now the Hawks are off to Orlando to protect their Southeast Division lead. “We haven’t figured them out yet,” Woody said.
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
MC
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97 comments Add your comment
niremetal
January 30th, 2010
11:11 am
Lol…whatever, Sautee. You’re the ONLY one who demands public apologies. Fine, go ahead and keep on doing it. You can blog however you want. I myself won’t demand an apology from you for doing it. I will call you out for it. Because on blogs, that’s what people do.
niremetal
January 30th, 2010
11:16 am
No dice, Sautee. You frequently make good points on here. I’ve tried to make 2 points today: 1) It makes little sense to demand public apologies on a blog; and 2) you shouldn’t just criticize players when they do poorly without also giving them credit when they do well. Having made my points (however much you may disagree with them), I’m more than happy to move on.
It would be a boring as hell blog if I just ignored you and other people who make good points but also do things I don’t like. So I won’t scroll. Like you, I’m free to say whatever I want on here, and (like me) you are of course free to respond and refute.
jhan
January 30th, 2010
11:22 am
RA – agree totally with your take on JJ. If the Hawks let JJ leave this team takes several steps backwards.
What is with the double standard for JJ? When he takes over a game he is considered selfish. When he defers to his teammates he’s considered weak & not a real superstar. I guess some people will never be satisfied.
doc
January 30th, 2010
11:23 am
o’b agree, bibby looks like he is slumping bad, his effort is there just no results. still feel teague is wandering around too much, kind of like acie did. yes, he has his moments like last night’s block which followed his own mistake if i remember. mario isnt the answer either unless he takes us to the holy land tonight and leads us out of the wilderness and valley of darkness in orlando tonight. woody has got to find a clue before he finds the answer first with these guys. woody just do something different, that would be a start.
rofl@aj
boys time to get ready for the magic and provide woody a clue for tonights game as he doesnt have one yet.
nire and sautee, kiss and make up.
will our boys go out and get this one so they can get their coach a seat at the all star game? stay tuned.
doc
January 30th, 2010
11:31 am
ra i think you are going to see a different line up at the end of games hat leaves bibby out and crawford in allowing jj the one on ones you speak of.
last night the way crawford had his way with boston, i felt he could have dribbled between two blades of grass. it was too funny when he did it one time and two c’s were on the floor and he was going to the line with a foul called on them, too.
Astro Joe
January 30th, 2010
11:37 am
The Hawks aren’t the only team with a 3-game jauggernaut (Spurs-Celtics-Magic). Celtics go from Magic-to-Hawks-to-Lakers.
I know this may cause a little controversy and maybe I am clouded because he didn;t look good against us this season, but I am NOT impressed with Rondo’s offensive game. He is a great defender and is an incredible rebounder for his size. His quickness is above average but he’s not exactly Tony Parker fast. And he has very little confidence in his shot. There were several possessions where he just dribbled and dribbled and dribbled because we were able to defend the other players and he has NO jumper. So he just dribbled and waited for someone to get open… incapable of creating a quality shot for himself.
rusty
January 30th, 2010
11:37 am
i wish that joe would learn to pass to crawford,o i forgot that he really dont pass to anyone.
all who watch hawk games know he gets all of his assists when he passes to someone
on the perimeter with time running out
jay dub
January 30th, 2010
11:47 am
Bibby is going to have a breakout game tonight.
Since he only played ~9 minutes last night, he’ll be rested; because he’s been sub-par the past 2 games, he’ll be motivated; and because he’s playing against a 3 point shoting team, he’ll feel the need to perform likewise.
Big game from hime tonigh, might be what the Hawks need to get past the Magic.
bigdave
January 30th, 2010
11:50 am
gotta run them off the 3 point line tonight…
darrell starks
January 30th, 2010
11:58 am
Good win last night but woody have 2 be carefull joe lately have been up in 40min or more a game.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
richbrave
January 30th, 2010
12:00 pm
LIZARDS slither into MSG to get another azz-whuppin’ by the K-menS.
darrell starks
January 30th, 2010
12:01 pm
O’BRIEN i agree with you bibby has not been up 2 par lately its time for Teague 2 get more min.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!
doc
January 30th, 2010
12:15 pm
aj that was his mo leaving kentucky as well. no he didnt look the confident leader as he has in the past.
Ken Strickland
January 30th, 2010
1:30 pm
Again, I didn’t get to see the gm, so someone please tell me what happen with Bibby and why he played so few mins? Was he injuried, in foul trouble, or just stinking up the court again? Why is there no shortage of distractors constantly wanting Marvin benched or traded for alledgedly not producing, but no outcry for benching Bibby’s slow, NO D, none penetrating, nonproductive butt. There’s certainly been no shortage of weak excuses offered for continuing to play him extended mins, and keep Teague buried on the bench.
Tonights gm will be a good test for Woodson. Will he continue the same strategy double teaming DHoward, which hasn’t come close to working so far, and leave their 3pt shooters open. Or, will he actually make an adjustment and play him with single coverage? Will he actually show some imagination and guts and use JCollins size and strength against Howard? Or, will he continue using the same limited rotation and watch them take advantage of the matchup advantage they seem to have against us? AT ANY RATE, GOOD LUCK TONIGNT HAWKS AND BRING HOME A WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU CAN BET I WON’T MISS TONIGHTS GM.
Grandad
January 30th, 2010
1:40 pm
Sautee and nire:
I think Joe is lazy when it comes to hustle. Does that make you lazy if you don’t hustle? Joe rarely gets on the floor [Al,Mo(Rodman,Bird)].
Good on ball defender, poor help defender[Josh]. Hustle plays, such as chasing a player down to stop a layup [once again-Josh]. Also Joe is Lazy on offense when the ball is not in his hands (does that make him lazy?). He does not screen, He does not move w/o the ball very well, he very rarely pushes the ball on the break [Josh,Al]. Once again,
does that, make him lazy? Hmmm, maybe selfish, because if he slows it down then he can call his own # as the commentator said last evening.
Is he a good teammate? Lets see: body language – last night he passed ahead to Jamal and led him just a tad bit too much and JC took his eyes off a split sec. too soon; Joe’s facial expression [bod.lang.] said
“________ _________ Jamal”. Is he jealous of Jamal?
Now: [Joe]
*clutch ? [Ask the Celts!]
*tough ? [absolutely]
*durable ? [without a doubt]
*Good guy ? [sure]
*role model ? [of course]
*More diverse offensively with dif. coach? [heck yeah]
C’mon you two. Where is Sybil when we need her/him?
Now, I retract my indignity!
Benjamin
January 30th, 2010
1:52 pm
Joe and Jamal were, for the record, apparently both very deferential to the other after the game. So long as they play well on the floor together and don’t start bickering like T.O. and Donovan McNabb, I could care less whether they’re BFFs behind the scenes.
Let’s get a win tonight. And let’s stop complaining and fighting with each other after big wins like last night!
Go Hawks…
Benjamin
January 30th, 2010
1:56 pm
Ken, I think it might have been a combo of early foul trouble and a pretty crappy beginning from Mike.
Then again, maybe they realized they were clicking without him on the floor and wanted to save his legs for tonight’s game vs. the Magic.
But I’m just guesstimating with those ideas.
Michael Cunningham
January 30th, 2010
2:06 pm
dang, what did i miss around here? too much drama.
Fundamentals
January 30th, 2010
2:07 pm
What’s with all the banter at each other? Can’t you enjoy one of the best weeks we’ve had all season? If Al, didn’t have the thumb issue we might’ve pulled one out in San Antonio!
Bibby is obviously in a slump and has been for some time. I’m comfortable with that. He is a good presence on our bench and he will come out of this. Tonight he needs to play solid D, run the offense and test his jumper. As long as he’s over .500 keep shooting. If not defer. We need his leadership in the team game. He’s handled Crawford’s dominance well in the essence of TEAM! I admire that.
Al is going to need help tonight. His thumb still isn’t 100% so he’ll lose some aggressiveness in his ability to slap at the ball on D. He needs Randmo and Collins to see some minutes…that is unless ZaZa can show up two nights in a row! He needs to come out in warm-ups with a green Kryptonite cape…and then prove it by treating Howard like he does Perkins and KG. We need all 4 to dominate Dwight so everyone else can focus on the perimeter.
Joe and Crawford seem to be playing well off one another late. I’d say early on there was some issues as to who got the ball, but they’re finding their chemistry. Neither player is 1/2 as good without the other. They are an excellent tandem. They compliment each other so well. If we keep them both together we’ll be very very dangerous for years to come!
Josh should have another big game. His “snub” is what it is. Right now he should consider all the talk about him progress. If he plays his game and develops a 10-15 ft jumper that’s consistent he could focus on MVP and not just All-Star some day. Kid’s got rare skills. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg if he can put it together. Think about a mature, focussed josh with a short jumper on your team for the next 4-5 years. AWESOME!
We’ll need everyone tonight to maintain energy. Battle will be won on the boards and defense of the perimeter. I think we can pull it off if we play our game. We need to bring the intensity and aggression from last night to ORL. If we can, nobody in the league could stop us.
GO HAWKS!
Benjamin
January 30th, 2010
2:22 pm
Annonymous blogs lead to people wanting to be tough, Michael. It’s a lot easier to type a tough word than say something to someone’s face. (No chance of a fist coming back in response, I suppose. Kind of sad, really…)
Agreed with the first line of Fundamentals’s post; if we win tonight vs. Orlando and I come in here to find strangers talking about each other’s wives, demanding retractions, etc., I’m going to give one big Stephen Colbert “Wag of the Finger” to the entire comments section. Don’t push me, people…
Go Hawks!
FRESH
January 30th, 2010
2:35 pm
MC,
If there wasn’t any drama or back-in-forward mudslinging going on; I don’t think this would qualify as a Hawks blog…Bruh just grab your popcorn and enjoy….
Astro Joe
January 30th, 2010
2:44 pm
To re-cap the post-game fireworks on the blog…
Nire accused Sautee of trying to fire him behind his back. Vava told Sautee that his wife needed to get her eyebrows done like Woody. And Sautee refused to shake anyone’s hand until he received an apology and a contract extension.
In other words, diehard Hawks fans celebrating their team!
Grandad
January 30th, 2010
2:48 pm
MC:
I’m gonna ask you straight up. Is Joe jealous of Jamal?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Grandad
January 30th, 2010
2:50 pm
AJ:
Now that’s funny!
Grandad
January 30th, 2010
3:03 pm
Enter your comments here
I MUS WRITE
January 30th, 2010
3:06 pm
Grandad, JJ might be a little jealous,it shows sumtimz in his play. The last few years he has been the man and now with the emergence of Crawford who is taking sum of JJ’s shine he is probably sour but cant voice his displeasure because we are winning……. Lets face it JJ is a better player overall but scoring is jamals thing and JJ wants to be the only big time scorer on our team hence the comments”Guys need to know there roles”
When I watch Jamal he shakes aguy and goes to the rim which leaves passing lanes for other guys but JJ just pounds the rock which forces guys to stand around and not get involved -This iso garbage is killing me…It worked last nite but without jamal we would have lost last night……
I MUS WRITE
January 30th, 2010
3:21 pm
Sautee-man just leave it alone,Perry Mason is at it again. W
atch out for his lover Raymond he’s not gonna like this LOL
maler23
January 30th, 2010
3:50 pm
Fans don’t worry in the game against Orlando Magic, the Hawks have Michael Jordan. He should be able to match what ever energy the Magic can mustard. Rember, he’s tougher to guard than Kobe Bryant!
Ken Strickland
January 30th, 2010
4:00 pm
BENJAMIN-Thanks for the info. I was a little worried that he might have sustained an injury. While I’d like to see him get fewer mins and/or come off the bench, I definitely don’t want to see him injuried. Athough we all know he’s limited both offensively and defensively, which some refuse to accept or acknowledge, he’s still valuable.
Up to this point in the season, far lesser teams have managed to figure out how to take advantage of Orlando’s weaknesses and to create and take advantage of mismatches to defeat them. It’s time for us to start making playoff calibur changes, adjustments and strategies that favor us. Personally, I’m sick and tired of us not being competitive against them and hearing post gm excuses about us not being ready, or missing our DEF assignments or not playing hard enough. CONDIDER THE FOLLOWING:
(1) If a player or players, especially starters, keep missing assignments during big gms and the HC complains after the gm rather than make corrections during, THAT’S SORRY COACHING.
(2) If you continue using the same strategy against the same team and you struggle to even be competitive, THAT’S SORRY COACHING.
(3)If, after passing the halfway point of the season, a HC uses fear, stubborness or a lack of trust as excuses for continuing to ignore assets that could possibly create favorable matchups and/or make a difference, HE’S SHOWING SERIOUS SIGNS OF INCOMPETENCE.
This team and it’s players could definitely do more if it got more help from the sidelines.
cp
January 30th, 2010
4:13 pm
It would be nice if Marvin and Bibby showed up tonight. These two cats have been stinking it up something serious. They need to shake off whatever funk their in and start producing… And lol@this Mario love on here. Dude is so overrated as a defender that its funny. I remember against the Kings they had him on Evans and Evans went to work on him quick. Dude plays hard but his defense is not as good as guys act like it is.
KevinA
January 30th, 2010
4:14 pm
A gallon of gas was $2.25 at the depth of the recession. We were all so happy after paying over $4.00. The fundamentals have not changed. We still import 60% of our oil and have 3% of the worlds resources. Time to invest in another resource. Gas has and will go up.
When JJ takes over and shoots great we win and get giddy. But we know the fundamentals are still there. ISO dominance with high volume is fools gold. Time for the investment of trust and team ball.
It takes time to change policy that takes advantage of new technology. Mind sets are no different. Josh and Al are the new energy of the future while Jump shooting ISO has a wonderful history but is a finite inconsistent resource. Only combining the old with the new will build that bridge to energy independence and high level consistent play.
Astro Joe
January 30th, 2010
4:15 pm
Strickland, go get your B&W TV fixed so that you can watch the games and won’t be asking questions from the boxscore.
KevinA
January 30th, 2010
4:50 pm
Trends only I care enough about to check.
JJ leads the team with 4.7 assist a game. In the last 9 games his average is 3.7.
Jamal averages 2.8 for the season and in the last 9 games is at 4.2.
It had seemed Jamal had passed more successfully the last few games besides his good shooting. The dude is on fire.
lolo
January 30th, 2010
4:52 pm
Nice game last nice guys!!but remember u took on a tired and beaten Celtic’s team last night…Let’s see how ur ATL will do tonight against Orlando…see your Hawks get crushed again..as a Celtic fan I’ll have to admit one thing…this Boston team isn’t goin anywhere this year..once Again is out of Orlando and Cleveland in the East
Iblameurparents
January 30th, 2010
5:02 pm
RA,
I was about to go on a long blog about JJ and how he took us home in the fourth but after your assessment I need not say anything else. Well done.
Astro Joe
January 30th, 2010
5:15 pm
KevinA, except when Big Baby is handling Horford in the post and Josh is trying to shoot over Rasheed… give me some nasty crude oil to get me over the finish line each and every time. Ultimately, the sign of a quality team is one that can win using many forms of energy… including Iso sets.
JeJe
January 30th, 2010
5:25 pm
How long is it going to take Woody to realize that Jamal Crawford owns half these teams (at least) in this league? The people in Cleveland are terrified of this guy. Wtf is the point of starting Marvin Williams? The guy gave up 35 to Pierce last night (who only played 38 min) and Pierce was on 2nd of b2b.
Jamal is a beast on the court. Give him the basketball
JeJe
January 30th, 2010
5:54 pm
WOODSON,
YOU HAVE COLLINS AND RANDMO. THIS IS WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PLAY THEM…AGAINST DWIGHT AND GORTAT. STOP MAKING THE SAME DAMN MISTAKE EVERY TIME WE PLAY ORLANDO AND CLEVELAND. GIVE THE BIG BODIES/VETS SOME MINUTES AND STOP THINKING HORFORD IS THE BEST MATCHUP FOR 40 MINUTES
BONE
January 30th, 2010
5:57 pm
If woody hasn’t learned his lesson from the last 2 times we played the magic, Someone should slap the shine off his head.
KevinA
January 30th, 2010
5:59 pm
Astro Joe,
And when the guards are delivering nice crisp passes with good ball movement in a position their team mates can score more easier, there is no reason to go ISO nearly as much as we do. This is not a new idea or novel approach to Hawks basketball. In seems we are trending in that direction compared to our history.
If Joe or Jamal is hot in any given part of the game, feed em-fan em. The same should go for any player.
http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2010/01/25/graphic-offense-a-look-at-usage-and-per-mid-season/
Scroll down for the 2nd chart. The question is wether we are maximizing our full potential. The post was about the season, not any one single game.
Shamus Thacker
January 30th, 2010
6:18 pm
As The Blogosphere Scrolls
Soap of the 2010s…
Ree Roe
January 30th, 2010
6:52 pm
BOS had a good defensive gameplan for ORL on Thursday for most of that game…we don’t need to double Dwight b/c the strength of that Magic team is it’s shooters not it’s low post game. Hawks can win, but ORL has our number.
-REEcently Roe :-/
Ken Strickland
January 30th, 2010
6:58 pm
BONE-That was cold man.
ASTRO JOE-were you more agitated at the fact I asked questions, or was it the specific questions I asked? Bibby is actually holding this team back, but I don’t blame him. I blame Woodson for continuing to make lame excuses for throwing JTeague under the bus and running Bibby’s ineffectual butt out there.
Woodson, along with certain others, seem to think the only way for a guard to score is by hitting long range jumpshots. Teague might not be a prolific jumpshooter at this point, but he can certainly penetrate and score, dish to others for easy pts, and/or draw fowls and score from the FT line. We have a much greater abundance of jumpshooters that we have players that can effectively and consistently penetrate and get inside the DEF.
Bottomline, we need to upgrade our PG position and start giving teams a taste of what they’ve been consistently giving us, by taking advantage of Bibby.
drmaryb
January 30th, 2010
7:01 pm
OMG i thought this vava74 blogger was a woman! (He sounds like a Biatch!)
vava74 … Your’e first comments yesterday at 5pm-ish was ISH! You said that the Hawks were doomed to lose & were incapable of sweeping the Old-Azz C’s? You said that we were all in for a let down & that the HWKS NEVER WIN THE BIG GAMES?
Well, you can Join Perkins and eat crow! You both put a Hit on Crawford as far as I am concerned!
Who is this guy anyway? A cross-dresser?
Big-Ray!
I don’t have to blog as much anymore…all your posts mirror my thoughts! Thanks for the skillz & communication talents! I simply, don’t know how you put up with these wanna-be-bloggers on here.
Half of these people can barely read or write or comprehend.
“The Hawks are WHO we thought they were” -ala Denny Green-
1st. They got JJ to actually come here? 2nd. They were young. 3rd. They grew up. 4th. We got us a WINNER!
1. Do any of you people remember when we traded for Sam Cassell? (He refused to get on the bus!)
2. Do you remember when we traded for Rasheed Wallace? (He refused to sign the contract & played one game just to get out of town!) It was great to kick his Azz last night – for that reason alone!)
3. No Body – Period wanted to come here!!!! JJ did & was up to the challenge! That my friends is a LEADER! He has lead the way..So now that this poor man has some HELP? He is Excited & WILL RE-Sign with the HAWKS. He was the happiest man in the WORLD when BIBBY got here! We were killing him with 49 minutes per night & he was dead tired – GONE in the post-season!
So, people please …GET-OFF this man’s back & Go – WOODY! Let’s enjoy all the work!
If you don’t believe me? Go ASK the CELTICS is they would sleep with the Guy next door for $5k dollars? You Betcha! they would. ASK Perkins & ‘Nem if they FEAR the HAWKS?
Nuff – Said!
JeJe
January 30th, 2010
9:19 pm
WHY DO WE SIGN RANDMO AND COLLINS AND NOT USE THEM
JOSH SMITH U ARE !@#$ING !@#$%TY POST PLAYER. YOUR POST MOVES !@#$ING SUCK. YOU HAVE NO FLUIDITY OR KNOWLEDGE WHAT YOU ARE DOING ON OFFENSE. YOU NEVER MAKE JUMPSHOTS, YET KEEP TAKING THEM. THATS WHY YOU AREN’T AN ALL STAR
!@# DAMNIT
testing
May 18th, 2010
9:53 am
This Book entitled
“COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO BASKETBALL” by Wilt “Clyde Frazier is a must read by all BLOGGERS who claim to know the game of basketball.
testing
May 18th, 2010
9:56 am
This Book entitled “COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO BASKETBALL” by Wilt “Clyde Frazier is a must read by all BLOGGERS who claim to know the game of basketball.