Atlanta Hawks: Pistons 103, Hawks 80
Auburn Hills, Mich.–Well, so much for that.
– There was a point when it looked like the Pistons had finally stopped making shots and the Hawks would methodically put them away. Except it didn’t happen. “It got out of hand quickly,” Bibby said. “They hit like three or four threes in a row and it was just a rampage of threes that we couldn’t stop.”
– The Pistons scored 39 points in the fourth quarter. If that’s not incredible enough for you, how about: The Pistons scored 39 points in the fourth quarter and T-Mac and Villanueva had 28 of them.
– “You have to give Detroit credit tonight,” L.D. said. “They made shots. Defensively we didn’t same sense of urgency that we did in the third quarter when we held them to 15 points. We completely fell apart in that fourth quarter. We turned the basketball over, they were able to run out on us and we just couldn’t get the job done.”
– The Hawks were down 66-63 with 9:46 to play. Four minutes later they were down 81-66. Usually it’s the good teams that make the Hawks pay for each mistake at winning time but the Pistons managed to do it, too.
– The rundown . . . Detroit: Villanueva made a 3. . . Josh Powell missed a layup. . . . Stuckey made two free throws. . . Smoove missed a forced hook shot. . . . T-Mac made a 3. . . . Smoove made a 3. . . . Stuckey missed a 3. . . . Villanueva stole it from Smoove. . . . Villanueva dunked on the break. . . . Bibby threw it away. . . . T-Mac made a 3.
– Just like the Hawks were down 81-68. They couldn’t get any closer than 11 from there and sent up the white flag down 92-72 with three minutes left. “We turned the ball over a couple of times, took some ill-advised shots and as I’ve explained to the guys all it takes is two or three possessions of taking bad shots and the game can get out of hand,” L.D. said.
– “I looked up at the scoreboard and they were up like 74-66,” Bibby said. “The next time I looked up it was like 80 to 100.”
– In the fourth quarter Detroit made 14 of 25 shots, scored 12 fastbreak points and had 12 points off of turnovers. The Hawks had seven turnovers, leading to 12 Detroit points, so it hardly mattered that they shot 53 percent (8 of 15).
– The Pistons played with desperation while the Hawks seemed to figure they could just make a few plays and pull out a W. The difference probably had something to do with Atlanta generally rolling along without J.J. while Detroit blew that 25-point against the Raptors on Saturday.
– The Pistons may not be the Pistons anymore but people here still care, so that kind of effort gets them dogged out. They saved some face by beating a team with a winning record for the first time.
– “I think we’re a lot better than our record shows, but I desperately wanted to get a win especially after how we played in that Toronto game,” Villanueva said. “I think we did a good job and responded well. I’d say this is what Pistons basketball is all about.”
– They’ve called Villanueva a free agent bust and T-Mac washed up. The Hawks made them look like All-Stars, and not just because of those shots they made in the fourth quarter. Both guys had season-highs in rebounds as Detroit pounded Atlanta 43-31 on the boards.
– Detroit, hardly known for inside muscle, also outscored the Hawks 36-26 in the paint. That’s just the fourth time they’ve managed to do that.
– The Hawks dropped to 12-4 against teams with losing records. They hadn’t lost this kind of game since Nov. 23 at New Jersey, the day after the beatdown from Boston and the day before the famous team meeting.
– Bad night for Jamal. He took just six shots, making one, and had five turnovers to offset four assists. He said his back was bothering him and he’s not sure if he will play Thursday.
– Without the usual scoring punch from Jamal, the Hawks couldn’t find any offense outside of Smoove, Bibby and Al. They combined to make 21 of 42 shots, everyone else was 9 of 26.
– Al was the only guy doing much rebounding for the Hawks.
— Powell gives good effort. If only he were a couple inches taller he might actually collect more of those rebounds he gets his hands on, block some of those challenged shots and finish better at the rim.
– Another one of those games where you wonder if Marvin out there. He missed some shots and then seemed to disappear. It’s hard to know how much the knee is bothering him, though.
– Rip Hamilton had his way with Bibby, Mo, and Wilkins in the first half. He didn’t even need to score in the fourth quarter with T-Mac and Villanueva draining 3s.
– “It got away from us and I don’t know how,” Josh said. “It really started with those three-point shots. T-Mac had an unbelievable game, probably his best game of the year. I think it broke our backs. We did a bad job on the rotations.”
Michael Cunningham
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260 comments Add your comment
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
12:59 pm
Slim Jr
Joe didnt show up last year either and i getting paid more than Melo,Paul,Kobe,Wade and Lebron..
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
12:59 pm
@JEJE
LOL!!!!! THAT IS HILARIOUS!!!!!! MARVIN SHOULD GO PLAY WITH THE GIRLS. HE PROBABLY PLAYED BALL WITH HIS SISTER GROWING UP….
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:00 pm
JOE JOHNSON IS NOT THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE. HE IS MAKING THE 16TH HIGHEST SALARY THIS YEAR
U PEOPLE ARE MORONS
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:01 pm
JeJe
Joe has the highest contract in the league, no way around it….I guess this blog really loves JJ….
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2010
1:02 pm
It was not a bad pick,
“rod, where was Joe on the playoffs?”
Not sure what your question is. I’m not on this blog to bash Joe Johnson. I’m here to call out the waekest link on our team. If you fix the waekest link, then your team becomes stronger.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 15th, 2010
1:02 pm
” … You act like Marvin cannot miss no shots ever …”
Shooting 26% is not just missing shots, that is unacceptable behavior.
“MARVIN YOU ARE A WNBA MVP CANDIDATE!!!!!!!!!”
Please don’t disrespect the WNBA – Atlanta Dream like that.
They are professionals.
Rufus1
December 15th, 2010
1:03 pm
@Rod from College Park
Like I said you posted his average against JOE!
He doesn’t to check him the whole game, he scored ONE BASKET AGAINT MARVIN!
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
1:04 pm
MARIN BY FAR IS THE WEAKEST LINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:05 pm
Rod
lol my bad, Where was Joe in the playoffs, and did you know Joe had the biggest contract in the nBA…
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
1:06 pm
ZAZA IS “THE BIG STIFF”!
Fundamentals
December 15th, 2010
1:06 pm
It was not a bad pick, I was just pointing out Joe was not participating in this particular game. He isn’t the reason why we lost. I admit, he’s got alot to prove with his new contract, but he was not a reason for last nights performance. We do this type of thing often…
I’m with JeJe – We have an entirely different look and flow with Collins at C. I would’ve liked to see us go big on Detroit last night since they have a habit of abusing us on the boards. We lost the game by not defendind and by not rebounding. Turnovers also hurt, but overall scoring was not a real issue.
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:06 pm
PROVE TO me Joe is the highest paid player.
HE IS MAKING THE 16TH HIGHEST SALARY. His salary goes up to 24M in 5 years.
KOBE IS GOING TO MAKE OVER 30M in a few years
STFU and get your facts right
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
1:07 pm
@drmaryb (*_*)
HAHAHA…LOL
northcyde
December 15th, 2010
1:07 pm
@ drmaryb 12:37 post
I said after the Spurs loss that we’re not beating too many teams, if Josh Smith has 4 rebounds total in a game.
Not only has he done that in 4 of the last 7 games, he’s done it 5 times this season.
In those games in which he gets 4 or less rebounds, the Hawks are 1 – 4. And the only game we won, was the game in which he went completely off on New Jersey.
This team is at a distinct disadvantage when he doesn’t rebound, because no one else steps up to compensate for his lack of rebounding.
So while he’s showing more and more that he can play on the outside, that is NOT what this team needs from him. The 2 to 3 offensive boards he gets per game either gets him chances at easy putbacks, or gives the Hawks another possession to get a good shot.
And I agree with O’Brien. It’s obvious that Horford wants to play like a PF, and not bang like a center when we need him to. But he’s at least getting boards. Smith’s tendencies are a little more troubling.
Then when you couple all of that with Marvin not showing up, Crawford struggling ( or hurting ), Mo Evans being completely useless, and questionable coaching/rotations by Drew . . . you get a situation like what we saw last night.
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2010
1:09 pm
Rufus1,
So all last year when we played Indiana, Granger was Joe’s responsibility (LOL)? But you watch every game. OK
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2010
1:12 pm
It was not a bad pick,
Joe was paid according to his production over a period of time, which is what usually happens in the NBA. Marvin was paid strictly on potential, which has has not lived up to.
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:12 pm
oh my god…marvin makes 6 mill in 2010, Joe makes 16 mill…oh my god
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:16 pm
MARVIN IS NEVER CALLED OUT FOR A BAD GAME, BUT JAMAL AND OTHERS ARE
NO ACCOUNTABILITY
ROD FROM CP WHATUP FAM
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:18 pm
JeJe
Joe makes 16 mil this year and 18 next year…
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:20 pm
DOES MAKING 16M AND 18M MAKE HIM THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYER? JESUS. RASHARD MAKES MORE THAN THAT
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:21 pm
Jeje
16 mil for 16 ppg and a no show in the last 3 playoffs
jay dubu
December 15th, 2010
1:22 pm
@ terrell,
There is still a lot of season left, and things could change drastically, but the Hawks are the 6th place team in East (2 games back in division), which means they will exit in the 1st round of the playoffs. THat’s a backward move.
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:22 pm
JOE JOHNSON’S CONTRACT MAY SUCK, BUT WHEN HEALTHY HE COMPETES DAMN WELL AGAINST KOBE AND THE OTHERS. IF WE DIDNT HAVE STIFFS LIKE ZAZA MARVIN AND BIBBY AROUND HIM MAYBE WE’D BE BETTER
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:23 pm
LOL @ this idiot saying Joe is highest paid player.
Now he backtracks and talks about Joe’s playoff performance.
Wow, you lose.
idiot
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:26 pm
JeJe
Ok, whatever makes you feel better…Joe was a no show in playoffs the last 3 years and you know it
Mike is back
December 15th, 2010
1:32 pm
MC, caught the game last night, LD went with some strange rotations and match-ups in the game last night. Personally, I think RIP took exception to LD putting Bibby on him…I thought we would have went with DWilkins or Marvin on RIP the whole game…dude is the most fundamentally sound player on the team…keep him under control…and you don’t have to give up open looks to the perimeter guys.
Having to provide help defense for RIP…and the lack of a Big to step up and put a body on Ben Wallace…gave them several extra opportunities last night…IT WAS A BAD GAME…however it doesn’t diminish what these guys have accomplish playing without JJ.
MO continues to struggle with his shot…it’s been a while since I seen him play so tentative…some of that I would contribute to injuries…but that don’t excuse poor shot selection…dude is missing his explosion going to the rack…he’s definitely not helping his cause.
I couldn’t believe I saw TMack blow by Marvin… WE TALKING ABOUT TMACK…dude got to be suffering through something…in Marvin case…who knowssssssssssss!!
JC1 finally cool off…BUT DUDE HAS BEEN PLAYING LIGHTS OUT…it was just the Piston night…especially when it’s CharlieV and TMack delivery the daggers in the fourth quarter.
LD AKA THE MAD SCIENTIST…HAS BEEN LIGHTS OUT TOO…however, he may want to rethink the match-ups he went with last night…CUZ clearly they were inadequate against Detroit.
GO HAWKS…STAY TOGETHER AND PLAY TOGETHER…NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:33 pm
jeje
I didnt say Joe was the highest paid player this season, i said he has the highest paid TOTAL contract…the last 3 years he will make over 20 mill each year..this is his team and he gets 16 ppg…
Instead blame the man who sacrifices his game and plays solid every night…
drmaryb (*_*)
December 15th, 2010
1:35 pm
Doesn’t Jermaine Oneal make 20M the past 5 years?
Gilbert “No Bullets” Arenas makes 20M per for the past 3 years?
Kobe prolly makes 35M per. Not counting endorsements.
LeBron, DWade pays NO state taxes and make a TON of cheese from endorsememts, them taking less is not because they are nice people.
MJ prolly makes 40M per and hasn’t played in over 10 years.
Dang! These guys make a lot of money.
dukester
December 15th, 2010
1:36 pm
What up @Rod from CP
@It was not a bad pick not one person has said JJ contract was a good contract but its the business of the NBA. That’s why they are talking about lock out because the business need to be changed.
Like I said in a post awhile back. If we didnt have Joe last year and ASG signed him as a free agent 123 million as new player to the team we would all be happy. But we already had Joe we could let him walk.
What bother me with the Joe deal is the hawks over the last couple of years have handed out over 250 million in player contracts and 70 of that total are bad contracts (Marvin, Zaza and Bibby) They need to realize that and correct the mistake point blank. Make some trades and if dont work so what we at least would know that what we had didnt work.
I say again the core of this team is Joe, Josh, Al and Jamal all others can be dismissed.
JeJe
December 15th, 2010
1:44 pm
“eje
I didnt say Joe was the highest paid player this season, i said he has the highest paid TOTAL contract…the last 3 years he will make over 20 mill each year..this is his team and he gets 16 ppg…
Instead blame the man who sacrifices his game and plays solid every night…”
YOU SAID HE is the highest paid player
i am done with you
Fundamentals
December 15th, 2010
1:51 pm
JeJe – Who’s the idiot here? Why do you keep on with him. Obviously dude is a Joe Johnson Hater. Yes, we’ve all seen Joe,Jamal, Marvin, Al, Josh, ect choke in the playoffs. It might just be Marvin who’s logged on to get mad at you for pointing out he’s invisible. I personally hope so, cause he usually plays well for 5-6 games when you completely bash him.
We just didn’t show up last night. Sadly, it happens once every 10 games. Whether we’ve grown as a team will be reflected in the next few games. Is it a night off, or another 6-8 game skid? That’s the real question.
We got beat by blue collar players who did the dirty work. Enough said.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 15th, 2010
1:52 pm
Yo! Can I hold $20?
1. Kobe Bryant LA Lakers. $24,806,250
2. Rashard Lewis Orlando. $20,514,000
3. Kevin Garnett Boston. $18,800,000
4. Tim Duncan San Antonio. $18,700,000
5. Michael Redd Milwaukee. $18,300,000
6. Pau Gasol LA Lakers. $17,822,187
7. Andrei Kirilenko Utah. $17,822,187
8. Yao Ming Houston. $17,686,100
9. Gilbert Arenas Washington. $17,730,694
10. Dirk Nowitzki Dallas. $17,300,000
11. Vince Carter Orlando. $17,300,000
12. Zach Randolph Memphis. $17,333,333
13. Carmelo Anthony Denver. $17,149,243
14. Dwight Howard Orlando. $16,509,600
15. Amare Stoudemire New York. $16,486,611
16. Joe Johnson Atlanta. $16,324,500
17. Kenyon Martin Denver. $15,959,099
-. Elton Brand Philadelphis. $15,959,099
19. Predrag Stojakovic New Orleans. $15,336,000
20. Chris Paul New Orleans. $14,940,15
_______________________________
Why should Joe make less than half the guys on that list?
Only 4 out of 20 have a ring, and two are on the same team.
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
1:52 pm
jeje
Whatever, you are an idiot…
The man has the highest contract in the NBA…no way around it…It just makes you look real stupid because instead of bashing a guy who has not never showed up in the playoffs you bash a role player..
Now i m done with you
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
2:01 pm
JOE JOHNSON IS NOT THE PROBLEM.HE WILL BE MUCH BETTER ONCE HIS SHOOTING ELBOW HEALS.. OUR BIGS ARE ARE BIGGEST WEAKNESS.ZAZA THE “BIG STIFF’. JOSH WHO THINKS HES MAGIC JOHNSON AND UNDERSIZED AL ALONG WITH CLUELESS MAAARRRVVIIN WILLIAMS!!! THAT FRONT LINE SPELLS BLOWOUTS WHEN PLAYING THE BEST TEAMS. THE HAWKS ARE TAKING ONE OR TWO STEPS BACKWARDS..THEY PEAKED LAST YEAR WITH BILLY KNIGHTS SQUAD..RICK SUND BETTER LOOK OUT OR HE WILL BE THE NEXT BILLY KNIGHT, THE WORST GM IN HAWKS HISTIORY…
It was not a bad pick
December 15th, 2010
2:04 pm
Fundamentals
JeJe is an idiot..I said Joe has a bigger contract than Lebron and Wade and i guess he didnt know…Well a lack of production and no shows in the playoffs will help him realize it…I refuse to blame marvin who makes 6 mill this year and averages almost 10 a game…joe makes 10 mill more than him and averages 16 a game..no way around it, the hawks problem is not Marvin its Joe…
dukester
December 15th, 2010
2:10 pm
So now Joe Johnson is the problem with this team. LOL no wonder ASG can get away with this the fans dont know where to place the fire.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 15th, 2010
2:21 pm
Joe was asked to sacrifice his points per game for the sake of the team’s new offense. Also, his shooting elbow has been injured since last year and has required surgical intervention!
Do the JOE haters NOT read nor comprehend? Or, Do they hate because deep down inside – they really HATE their pathetic selves? Just wonderin’ where is the LOGIC?
Sautee
December 15th, 2010
2:22 pm
LOL at anyone who believes that Joe Johnson has the highest contract in the NBA.
The confusion comes from the report that he signed the highest contract of any FREE AGENT signing this off season. That was true, but his overall contract is nowhere near the highest in the league. Nowhere close.
Of course there are some for whom this is inconvenient, so they will ignore it. LOL!
And the really funny part is that he would like us ALL to think the way he does about JJ., or else we are all idiots.
I’ve never been one to overly defend JJ, but……….That’s hilarious.
And does anyone else think that if JJ was healthy, last night’s game would have been different?
Think about it, and NOT because it’s JJ, but because we needed another weapon on offense. With Jamal off and very little from the bench, we needed another option.
northcyde
December 15th, 2010
2:22 pm
LOL @ Rashard Lewis being the 2nd highest paid player in the league. How insane is that?
According to hoopsstats.com, he’s the 36th best player in the league . . . at power forward.
And the Magic announcers want to talk about Marvin? Don’t talk about our players, when you have a wannabe 2-guard playing PF, that doesn’t show up on a nightly basis.
Banks
December 15th, 2010
2:34 pm
Rufus give it up Marvin sucks. Is he a related to you? Give me a D-leaguer or someone from run and shoot but this guy can should not be starting on any team. Please ASG end the year of the DUCK. And you clowns like ant banks want to trade josh. C’mon Man.
J from the A
December 15th, 2010
2:34 pm
@It was not a bad pick: JOE JOHNSON DOES NOT MAKE MORE MONEY THAN KOBE BRYANT!!! How may times, in how many different ways, does it need to be said in order for everyone to get it through their skulls that JOE JOHNSON IS NOT THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYER IN THE NBA.
Anyway, I don’t blame the loss on Marvin. However, I do think this was exactly the type of game in which the Hawks really needed Marvin to step up on both ends of the court. Marvin (offensively) was no where to be found. Is that blaming Marvin for the loss? No. The loss came from a combination of factors. The failure of Marvin stepping up when needed is but one minor (though salient) factor.
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
2:37 pm
RASHARD AND MARVIN BOTH PLAY LIKE THEY BELONG IN THE WNBA WERE THEY WOULD BE STARS……………..LOL
Fundamentals
December 15th, 2010
2:40 pm
We lost b/c the whole team took the night off in terms of rebounding, turnovers and effort. Marvin was just one of say 12 last night to fail in their duties of giving us a professional effort on both ends.
I bet the Magic would die for Joe instead of Rashard for 20 million.
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2010
2:44 pm
Dukester and Jeje,
What up. Keep bashing this basketball bum Marvin Williams. I can remember a time on this blog when I was the only one going at him nightly. People on this blog want to bash Joe when he does not show up, bash Josh for everything, Blame Bibby for everything (Ken Strickland), blame Woodson for all the hawks issues (Ken Strickland), Blame Horford for not being a center, but have not comment about the highest drafted player of all of them. Then they respond with the, he can’t help where he was drafted response. Or they want me to give him props when he has a good game, which is about 2 out of every 10 gaames. Someone else made the best comment about him. He is consistently inconsistent. It is year 6, and they are still making the same excuses they were making for him after year 2. The guys game is garbage, and for the life of me, I don’t understand how we continue to start him.
Sautee
December 15th, 2010
2:46 pm
northcyde, and O’Brien,
about this: “And I agree with O’Brien. It’s obvious that Horford wants to play like a PF, and not bang like a center when we need him to.”
Now wait a minute. Are you guys reading more into this then actually exists?
Against the Pacers, LD chose to start Al instead of Twin at center. Obviously he was asking Al to bang. And he did so, well enough that Jim O’Brien (cousin, O’B?) singled out his physicality on defense against a man 5 inches taller and 25 lbs. heavier.
He started again last night at center against Big Ben and got 12 rebounds. Can you even do that against Wallace without banging? I only saw one occasion where Wallace outbanged him (and a foul should have been called and wasn’t). It’s not like Wallace dominated him. Big Ben only had 5 rebounds, though he played a lot fewer minutes than Al.
That said, I’d like to see him be WAY more aggressive attacking the basket. There was one play where the entire lane opened up for him, but he took a 15′ jumper instead of driving it straight to the rim. And perhaps this is more the mindset that you both are speaking to. But I don’t see the “playing more like a PF” attitude in him the way y’all obviously do. Time will certainly tell.
I WILL say that he’s been hitting the boards a little harder lately, whether at the 4 or the 5.
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2010
2:46 pm
Banks,
I think Rufus1 is either his cousin or his dad. Probably his cousin, because Ken Strickland is his dad.
yessir
December 15th, 2010
2:49 pm
Fire LD!!! He sucks. Remember you guys asked for this!!!!
slimjr
December 15th, 2010
2:53 pm
ONLY THE HAWKS WOULD HIRE THE ASSISTANCE COACH THAT WORK FOR THE HEAD COACH THAT WAS LET GO…45+ YRS OF GARBAGE…….
Ramon
December 15th, 2010
2:54 pm
My problems with Marvin can easily be solved. If Marvin was capable of getting to the line 6-8 times a game, he would be exactly what the Hawks need. I truly believe that his biggest problem is his size and weight. Marvin rarely beats anyone off the dribble. And its hard to think that if he lost 10-15 pounds in the off season that maybe he would be a lot quicker, and less injury prone. Marvin weighs 240 lbs (the same weight as Josh, and only 5 lbs lighter than HORFORD). Lebron is consider a beast because he weigh 250 (only 10 lbs more than Marvin). The Hawks need a SF who can pump fake on the close out and go right by you to the bucket. The quicker Marvin is, the more he can get to the lane. The more he get to the lane, the more he’ll get to the free throw line.
Also majority of Marvin injuries have always come from the back or the knees. Wouldn’t that possibly because by having too much muscle mass for his body’s structure (Doc? Maryb?)
In Joe, Bibby, and Marvin, we have no one in our starting backcourt who can consistently blow by their man. Joe’s game is already concrete just about. Bibby’s game is on the decline. So that leaves Marvin as the only one who can realistically adjust to provide that.
terrell
December 15th, 2010
2:55 pm
slimjr, it’s Deron Williams, not Darren Williams. lol!