Atlanta Hawks at Thunder: Marvin to remain in ATL
Oklahoma City–Marvin won’t join the team on this West trip and instead will remain in Atlanta to rehab his back injury. L.D. said an MRI showed no further damage so the diagnosis remains a bruise.
“Hopefully after we get off this week road trip he will be back and be ready to play,” Drew said.
Add these four games for Marvin and that brings Atlanta’s total to 50 games missed because of injury/illness after 38 games. That number was 25 for 82 games last season.
The Hawks will use the Twin lineup tonight.It’s their most efficient defensive lineup and has the best plus-minus differential but tonight the alignment means Smoove draws Durant. There may not be another guy in the league who is a tougher test for Small Forward Josh.
“But there are probably going to end up being three or four different guys guarding [Durant],” L.D. said. “We have to give him different looks because he gets a lot of touches and he’s a tough guard. We will have to change some defenses in trying to limit him as much as we can. He gets a lot of shots but he’s a prolific scorer. The thing you have to do is try to make him work for everything.”
Party time?
It’s New Year’s Eve. The Hawks fly to LA after the game. They don’t practice until 4 p.m. West Coast time tomorrow. You see where I’m going with this.
“I’m always worried about that,” L.D. said. “But I am going to pose a challenge to them tonight. This is the last game of 2010 and there is business at hand that needs to be taken care of before we think about any kind of a party. We have got to bring our business mentality tonight. We’ve got a game to play against a really good basketball team and we can not look ahead by any means.”
Michael Cunningham
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198 comments Add your comment
Joe Mac
December 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
I want to see the Hawks prove tonight that they are better than the much more popular oklahoma city thunder. The Thunder are a very good team, but they are probably the most overrated team in the league when you look at the media attention and credit they are given based upon what they have accomplished. A lot of people would probably say that the Thunder are a more impressive team than the Hawks and are likely to go further than the Hawks this season. I don’t believe that, and I think it’s time to put an end to popular belief and make a statement tonight. Let’s get this one.
hawkfan
December 31st, 2010
8:08 pm
well we will see tonight if the team is looking ahead to the parties in LA, it might be hard not to but they are paid that much to be professionals so let’s hope we don’t stink the joint tonight
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:12 pm
here we go
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:22 pm
Josh with the stupid pass
tyler
December 31st, 2010
8:22 pm
Enter your comments here
tyler
December 31st, 2010
8:24 pm
joeisthebe
st
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:29 pm
Hmmm seems like no one else is posting. I guess its cuz no one else cares about the game lol
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
8:29 pm
Al has his hands FULL with Green. Not a good matchup for the Hawks.
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
8:31 pm
Lionhearted,
Yeah only the old folks and those who don’t have a life.
I’m old. How about you?
Blast
December 31st, 2010
8:32 pm
Thunder looking super good vs Hawks again. I don’t like Hawks chances tonite, especially when they are not getting calls, and the Thunder is.
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
8:33 pm
At the risk of stereotyping conferences, the Thunder play defense like an Eastern Conference team.
Blast
December 31st, 2010
8:33 pm
Al needs to look to attack more. Too many passes.
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
8:34 pm
Early love for Teague.
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:34 pm
I just dont have nothin else 2 do right now lol
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:34 pm
Zaza worst player EVER
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:35 pm
LOL Man Zaza is terrible
terrell
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
Zaza = GARBAGE
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
AJ,
Early TIME for Teague. Not sure about the love.
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
What was that? A shot?
terrell
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
Time to see what else is on TV. Looks like one of those “we didnt have the energy” nights.
Geoff
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
hawks lose final score 130-69
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
@terrell
Im glad u agree with me. I cant stand him.
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
Sautee, I stand corrected.
ATL FAN
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
smoove needs to be much more careful with the ball…
Bailey
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
Awful first quarter on the defensive end. I don’t like some of the match-ups so far. I hope that we see Damien Wilkins get a shot at defending Durant tonight because I don’t feel comfortable seeing Mo Evans on him. Josh, obviously, has the size to defend him, but with durant’s length and quickness I’m worried about that match up as well. Also, Green got off to a hot start from the perimeter. I don’t expect him to knock down shots from 20 feet at a high clip all night long, but you never know. Dribble penetration is hurting us once again. I hope the defensive intensity picks up in the second quarter, and we need to stop with all of the touch fouls.
Blast
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
Why Hawks always play tight/nervous against the good team?
Yawn!!! What else is on tv? Wrestling?
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:42 pm
I’m amazed that LD hasn’t used Damien Wilkins. I would have started him and gone Bibby/Joe/Wilkins/Smoove/Al. OKC is not a big team, and it makes no sense to start the big lineup against them.
It’s amazing how we all consider the Hawks to be an athletic team, and yet the Thunder blow the Hawks away athletically at almost every position. The only position at which the Hawks have an athleticism advantage is PF, and as usual they haven’t really exploited it.
Samuel
December 31st, 2010
8:42 pm
Here comes the hook. See ya JTO. Go sit down. LOL!!
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
Bailey,
We don’t have anybody, even Teague who can keep Westbrook out of the paint. Just contest everything.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
If Zaza doesn’t get called for a foul, the chance of him contributing anything offensively is zero. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more uncoordinated player.
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
8:44 pm
Najeh,
I agree with your lineup. Too bad LD didn’t.
Samuel
December 31st, 2010
8:44 pm
Why are you so amazed?
Samuel
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
Thank God for ISO Joe.
Blast
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
Maynor fouled Mike three times before the refs called it.
Hawks seem to be picking it up. Defence and offence.
ATL FAN
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
lol Samuel, agree
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
Considering how bad the Hawks have played and how many stupid plays that they have collectively made (Teague’s floater airball, Smoove’s fadeaway airball, the collective insistence on ignoring Horford in the post, everything Zaza has done, Joe’s wide open bricks to start the game, etc.) it’s really surprising that they are only down 7.
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
Is it just me, or does Scott Brooks look like the actor in the Coke Zero commercials?
Blast
December 31st, 2010
8:46 pm
Hawks have no hope of winning tonight if Joe doesn’t play well.
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
8:46 pm
Just turn the game on…. We were down 11. What happen? Bigdave where you at?
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:47 pm
“Is it just me, or does Scott Brooks look like the actor in the Coke Zero commercials?”
He looks like a cross between Steve Kerr and Bill Simmons.
Geoff
December 31st, 2010
8:47 pm
marvin for kevin durant? make it happen sund!
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:48 pm
Ibaka Flocka Flame would look pretty good in a Hawks’ uniform. Better than any of the Hawks’ backup big men anyway.
ATL FAN
December 31st, 2010
8:48 pm
nice play
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:48 pm
“marvin for kevin durant? make it happen sund!”
And Zaza for LeBron too. Don’t forget that one. I heard they are restarting those talks.
ATL FAN
December 31st, 2010
8:49 pm
harden looks like a bum
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
8:50 pm
Josh’s dumb count is up to 2 now lol
Geoff
December 31st, 2010
8:51 pm
yeah i heard about the zaza lebron talks as well. i dont know if id do that trade though.
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
8:51 pm
That was nasty Josh…
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
8:51 pm
Smoove! Finally we are seeing dunks with authoritah!
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 31st, 2010
8:51 pm
Sportscentered him lol