Bucks at Atlanta Hawks: Game 2
Game 2 should be a test of the Hawks’ maturity, right? Because there’s a couple things that are clear after just one game in this series: The Hawks are too good for the Bucks, and the Bucks are too prideful to quit.
The Hawks just have too much physical talent all over the floor for the Bogut-less Bucks to handle. Scott Skiles has been pretty blunt in talking about his matchup dilemmas, basically saying the Bucks simply have to be more aggressive and active with their help defense. What else can the Bucks do, really?
Skiles can put Mbah a Moute on whomever he wants and it leaves a problem somewhere else. Carlos Delfino on Josh is not feasible, but neither is Delfino on J.J. Kurt Thomas is good for bodying Al in the post but not for chasing him on mid-range jumpers, while the opposite (or maybe neither) seems to be true with Ilyasova. And when Bibby is stroking jumpers too the Bucks can forget it.
So we know the Bucks are overmatched but I have to think they won’t be shook tonight. After they were stunned by the Hawks’ opening blitz in Game 1, Skiles said they looked “more like ourselves” in the second half. Expect the Bucks to show more poise and energy to start Game 2. And judging by the way Hawks players have been carrying themselves over the last couple days, expect them to respond.
“They are probably going to come out more aggressive,” Smoove said. “But we are going to be the same team we were in Game 1, exuberant and full of life.”
If the Hawks do that tonight and also crisply execute to take advantage of their superior talent, we’ll know they’ve taken another step toward being what they want to be.
– I’ve been impressed by the overall positive vibes from my blog people. Good to see you set aside your gripes and get behind your squad. Just think, if the Hawks come out and smoke the Bucks tonight you’ll have three days of shine until Game 3.
Have fun, Hawks fans.
MC
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263 comments Add your comment
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:07 pm
Jennings has got to be wondering who in the heck that team was from game 1 that let him score 30-something…..
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:08 pm
lol @ lion
@ justin sorry idk
uninspired defense on him
O'Brien
April 20th, 2010
8:09 pm
Northcyde,
We could have had stackhouse in a hawks uniform this season
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:10 pm
Still, not a bad half. Their momentum from last game hasn’t taken them where they thought it would, and we’re imposing our will on defense more often than not.
Lion
April 20th, 2010
8:10 pm
Someone needs to start boxing out Ilyabitch. He shouldn’t have anywhere near 10 boards by only halftime. That is one of the downsides to playing Marvin at power forward.
VenomSpitter
April 20th, 2010
8:10 pm
wtf is this lol
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:11 pm
What kind of retarded half-time show is this?
WTF…
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:12 pm
Man, those dance moves weren’t even good when the song was in…
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:12 pm
I’d rather see Woody bustin’ a move out there without his eyebrows
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:13 pm
Somebody found out where the Village People have been held all this time, cloned them, and then let the clones loose. Holy crap, man…
Najeh Davenpoop
April 20th, 2010
8:14 pm
Great first half by the starters. Not so much by the bench. Bucks had the energy advantage in the 2nd quarter, and that kept them in the game.
Crowd is slightly smaller than in Game 1, but no less loud. Atmosphere in here is great.
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:14 pm
BUAHAHAHAAHAHA WTF IS THIS?!?@?!@!?@!@?!@?
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:14 pm
OMG….the same moves over and over…lol….reminds me of Woody’s offense.
Difference: Woody’s offense is FAR, FAR more effective.
Sautee
April 20th, 2010
8:15 pm
Ray,
Woody should tell the team he’d dance for the public if they get to the Finals.
Kinda like Dan Reeves. Oooh, I didn’t really NEED that memory!
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:16 pm
LOL….this is worse than watching ACDC limp on stage and need an oxygen inhaler by the second song, during the Super Bowl halftime…
Still, glad the crowd is sizeable in Philips.
Justin
April 20th, 2010
8:16 pm
I can’t get the game on tv. How did the Hawks’ effort look in that half? From the gamecast it looks like Josh and Al were dominating inside and everybody else was kind of cold shooting long jumpers.
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:16 pm
LOL@ Sautee
Najeh Davenpoop
April 20th, 2010
8:20 pm
Halftime show may have been wack, but at least it wasn’t the A-Team Dancers again. Wonder which marketing genius had the brilliant idea to bring out a bunch of shirtless fat guys dancing and showing their azz cracks. Now that is a wardrobe malfunction I did not need to see.
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:20 pm
Justin,
That’s sort of what happened, but Joe and Jamal were pretty aggressive. Even Bibby was.
It may not be the prettiest thing, but here’s the quick summary: Bucks outrebounding us, but we won’t let any of them truly “go off” on the offensive end (they’re shooting 42%). Meanwhile, they can’t keep Josh and Al from doing what they want. Especially Al.
terrell
April 20th, 2010
8:21 pm
Mo Evans deserves minutes. Why isn’t he getting any? I can understand not playing Teague that much in his 1st Playoffs. But Mo? I dont get it. Good to see Joe Smith getting a little burn. Probably wont see the floor again though.
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:22 pm
True dat, Najeh
Loved the beer commercial
“It’s not a purse, it’s a carry-all”
Dude, if you can’t stuff it reasonably into your pants pockets, just don’t carry it. Anything other than a ruck sack or duffel bag is…..A PURSE.
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:24 pm
speaking of which
why so LITTLE airtime for the hawks dancers?? they get what 15-30 seconds PER GAME if that?
like coming back from breaks kinda pan the camera across them and then to the court. SOMETHING
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:24 pm
Terrell ,
I usually defend the bench. But look at the box score. The bench gave us nothing but fouls and turnovers. Only Jamal has scored, and he’s 2 for 7. Nobody else has provided a single point, rebound, block, assist, or steal.
Is what it is, my brotha. Hope they do better in the second half. We can’t play our starters the whole game. Rather not, anyway.
Hawk n the Ham
April 20th, 2010
8:24 pm
I know you guys were worried where I was….I’m here now….whew. LOL
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:25 pm
cmon hawks heat it up
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:26 pm
Dang. Now THAT was a sweet finish by Marvin.
May not EVER see something like that again, but he made it.
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:26 pm
GODRSELW@#$@#L$@#L@#L~!@L!@L!@L@!!@!@
JOSH SMITH STOP IT
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:27 pm
SIGH WHY DOES HE KEEP DRIBBLING IT UP THE COURT AND THROWING WILD ASS PASSES??
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:28 pm
nice drive
I like us taking it to the rim
VenomSpitter
April 20th, 2010
8:29 pm
I’m proud of Duck…..so far
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:29 pm
Nice “D” by Josh…good move by Marvin
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:29 pm
Wow
so are the refs gonna mail those fouls to us for Christmas?
hawks_4_life
April 20th, 2010
8:30 pm
Josh cant miss!!!
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:30 pm
Should have been an And 1 for Josh, he got fouled twice on that shot.
hawks_4_life
April 20th, 2010
8:30 pm
J. Smith cant miss
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:31 pm
LOL @ Nique’s Revenge
Hawk n the Ham
April 20th, 2010
8:31 pm
I bet Smoove could hit a 3 pointer at this point!!
VenomSpitter
April 20th, 2010
8:33 pm
uh oh Josh dont start with the jumpers
Lion
April 20th, 2010
8:33 pm
Terrible call…
pinoy hawk
April 20th, 2010
8:33 pm
BS call!!!
Hawk n the Ham
April 20th, 2010
8:34 pm
Dang, as soon as I open my mouth, Josh takes a deep jumper, LOL
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:34 pm
Marvin fouled the man, Josh had the shot blocked if he wasn’t in the way….
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:35 pm
Hawk n the Ham,
You messed up the mojo, LOL
Nique's Revenge
April 20th, 2010
8:35 pm
yes again I have posted the Josh Rules
1. no dribbling up the court
2. no J’s
3. no wild azz passes
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:35 pm
SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!
VenomSpitter
April 20th, 2010
8:36 pm
J Smooooooooooooooooove
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:36 pm
Nique’s Revenge,
Where does that fit in your Josh rules?
Hawk n the Ham
April 20th, 2010
8:36 pm
Josh just redeemed him AND ME!
Lion
April 20th, 2010
8:38 pm
This game is almost identical to Al’s last one so far. Hot start with 15 points and halfway to a double-double, then a very slow third quarter with almost no boards. That’s pretty bizarre for him, he’d been averaging 10+ rebounds a game over the last couple months of the season.
Big Ray
April 20th, 2010
8:39 pm
Horford again.