Hawks guard Joe Johnson will return to the lineup Friday night after missing the past three games with a sprained right thumb.
Johnson practiced with the team Friday morning at the team’s shootaround at Philips Arena in preparation for the game against Toronto. His thumb was heavily taped.
“It’s alright,” Johnson said of his thumb, which he injured last week in the team’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. “It’s not where I really want it to be. It’s still sore, but that soreness is going to be there for quite some time. Just trying to help the team reach one of our goals, that’s trying to solidify the third spot.”
With four games remaining, the Hawks are tied with Boston for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference at 49-29. The Hawks need to finish ahead of the Celtics in order to take the third spot, as Boston owns the tiebreaker by virtue of being a division champion.
Without Johnson in the lineup, the Hawks went 1-2, beating Detroit last Saturday to run their home winning streak to 10, but then losing to Charlotte Tuesday and Detroit Wednesday, which ran their road losing streak to six games.
Coach Mike Woodson also said that backup center Jason Collins will miss the remainder of the regular season as a result of a foot injury sustained before Wednesday’s game at Detroit.
317 comments Add your comment
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:14 pm
Raptors switch to zone . . . Crawford knocks down a 3 off of a JJ pass
JCtoo
April 9th, 2010
8:14 pm
This baseball game is never gonna end
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:14 pm
Big Ray . . of course the starters sucked. But the bench did too.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:15 pm
atdhe.net has a working ustream link to this game.
Hawks had good ball movement on that last possession against the zone and Jamal hit an in-rhythm 3.
Ball movement is absolutely key to beating the zone.
Now if only these Hawks could play some damn defense…
Sybil's bane
April 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
Jcraw 4-7
JJ 2-5
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
But to Zaza and Craw’s credit . . . they’re picked things up in the 2nd quarter
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
Man I hate baseball. It takes forever to finish
vava74
April 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
Venom, great stuff!
Thanks!
JC
April 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
Nice job by the bench so far tonight. They’re playing with a lot of energy.
drmaryb
April 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
Aren’t we playing at home? Geez! 25 – 14 first quarter.
Well all the ISO-Haters & JT0 lovers are getting their wish. I’m sure it’s all Mr. Woodson’s fault that he doesn’t have enough talent to win every game.
Mr. Sund has to take some heat for not making any moves at the trade deadline!!!
Antwan Jamison, Heyward, Caron Butler, Stackhouse & the list goes on. No Bench is a real problem for this team.
Big Ray
April 9th, 2010
8:18 pm
Northcyde ,
Not arguing that one bit. Although Zaza and Crawford seem to be helping. I’m glad to see Zaza looking like he’s in playoff form. He will be needed.
Hoping Joe can deal with the soreness in his thumb. I HATE for him to go into the playoffs sore and out of sorts. HATE that idea.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:19 pm
Jarrett Jack is showing Bibby and Teague how the point guard position is supposed to be played.
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:19 pm
drmaryb SHUTUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS WOODY’S FAULT THAT THE HAWKS HAVE A PUTRID OFFENSE.
Grandad
April 9th, 2010
8:19 pm
Big Ray:
Thanks! You’re right. Young fella will be okay.
I can’t help myself sometimes, messin’ with folks,
then it comes over me to do right.
I never learned that with referees though.
One of ‘Abe Lemons’ last quotes after retiring:
“I’m not gonna miss referees”
I wish the Braves would hurry up & put this thing away.
Big Ray
April 9th, 2010
8:19 pm
drmaryb ,
Could have had Stackhouse before the season even began. We decided to keep Othello Hunter, then parted ways with him to get super sub Mario West. Heh. I’m smelling “cheapness” on that move…
Nique's Revenge
April 9th, 2010
8:19 pm
Soooooooooooooooo
what we got goin tonight fellas?
let’s see, I will laugh at the raptors beating us.
maybe we can win.
keys to the game -
1. josh smith – NO JUMPSHOTS. DON’T DRIBBLE UP THE COURT.
2. bibby – stay on the bench
3. jj – show up and make your J’s
4. horford – smash it down middle and score every time or get fouled
5. deadwood – go back to the locker room
Big Ray
April 9th, 2010
8:20 pm
Jarrett Jack. A guy I wanted us to get. Cest la vie…
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:21 pm
Runner in scoring position and nobody out for the Braves. Hopefully they score and end this damn game.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:21 pm
Reggie Evans is another guy I wouldn’t mind seeing in a Hawks uniform. Really, any wide-body big man like him who crashes the boards.
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:22 pm
by the way . . . Boston is down 19 to the Wizards ( 38 – 19 )
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:22 pm
Bibby for 3. Game is tied.
JCtoo
April 9th, 2010
8:22 pm
too bad braves are on the road. Even if they score. gotta go thru the giants half of the inning
Big Ray
April 9th, 2010
8:23 pm
Horford and Smith, 2 for 11 from the floor. Yuck. All tied up for the moment.
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:23 pm
and that’s a HOME GAME for Boston.
They’ll make a run though. No way can the Wiz keep shooting like they’re shooting
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:23 pm
Dammit Bobby, you couldn’t choose a different game to get ejected?
Big Ray
April 9th, 2010
8:25 pm
Najeh ,
Let’s start the petition letter now…”wide bodies who like to rebound and defend/foul/bang needed”
JC
April 9th, 2010
8:25 pm
If Washington keeps up the strong play, they may be able to dig the Celtics into a whole too deep for them to get out of in this game.
JC
April 9th, 2010
8:26 pm
that was supposed to be “hole”, not “whole”.
NUNNA YO BIZNEZZ
April 9th, 2010
8:27 pm
I hope the braves score this inning and put this game away..i rather listen to “The Rath” and “Nimbers Nique”..
I refuse to listen to steve holman’s crazy a$%!!
Don’t get me wrong,im for the home team 100% and was born and raised here,but dagg gone it,he thinks every foul called on the hawks is a freaking conspiracy..I can hear him now,”AND THEY CALL A FOUL ON THE HAWKS!! WHY DON’T YOU CALL ONE ON THE ASG WHILE YOUR AT IT”!!
OR
“MIKE WOODSON WOULD TEAR THE FLOOR UP WITH JASON KIDD”!!
OR
“NUNNA YO BIZNEZZ IS AN IDIOT TO CALL HIMSELF AND IDIOT FOR ME,THANKS NANA,NOONOO OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS,YOU JERK”!!
HEY,CAN WE GET RID OF HOLMAN IF WOODY IS LET GO AFTER THE SEASON TOO??!!!!
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:27 pm
Interesting . . . JJ out of the game again. Woody making a concerted effort to limit his minutes
Grandad
April 9th, 2010
8:28 pm
ND – Ditto on Reggie Evans!
Nique's Revenge
April 9th, 2010
8:28 pm
cmonnnnnnnnnnnn put the hawks game on
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:28 pm
omg this braves game is never gonna end
drmaryb
April 9th, 2010
8:31 pm
Najeh
Thks for the ATDHE.NET plug. I’m happy now!!
You’re the GREATEST HAWKS fan – I Know! -smiles-
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:31 pm
LOL @ Craw. Knocks down a 30 footer.
Then comes down and shoots a heat check quick shot that leads to a fast break foul.
(( sigh ))
He’s on though. Keep shooting if you’re open. Just don’t force the issue.
terrell
April 9th, 2010
8:32 pm
Boston must be tanking it(down 47-19 to the Wiz). They dont want to see DWade in the 1st rd either. lol!
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:33 pm
Boston down 26? ( 47 – 21 )
Haha . . I’m tempted to watch that game, but don’t want to mess up my Hawks connection
drmaryb
April 9th, 2010
8:34 pm
Spit?
Go to Hell!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:35 pm
J-Smoove to Marvin for the alley-oop fast break dunk. That was pretty.
Mel
April 9th, 2010
8:37 pm
great play marvin!!
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:37 pm
come on giants
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:37 pm
Excellent defense the last 4 minutes of this half. This is the kind of b-ball this team has to play. And Smoove making good decisions.
JC
April 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
Nice. It appears the Hawks have finally awaken from their typical coma in the early moments of home games.
northcyde
April 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
Braves lose . . braves lose
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
yes braves lost
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
Braves lose.
J.J.M.
April 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
damn bout time
Mel
April 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
lol.. organ player got some tunes!
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:39 pm
The networks need to make sure this doesn’t happen again
VenomSpitter
April 9th, 2010
8:39 pm
yes crawford