Game thread, Hawks-Bobcats
Charlotte – Greetings, all. MC is taking the day off. Watching, literally, one of the worst performances of NBA basketball in league history can take its toll. (Just kidding. It was planned all along to give him a break.)
Some stunning numbers from the number crunchers at Elias Sports Bureau, via ESPN:
It was the first time in NBA history that a team that was at least 10 games over .500 going into the game lost at home by 40 or more points.
It was the team’s second-lowest point total in club history in the shot-clock era, going back to a 1955 loss to Boston when they were the Milwaukee Hawks. I think that was Jason Collins‘ rookie year.
It was the fewest points by a home team since Miami scored 56 in a loss to Utah Dec. 2001.
The Hawks’ 29.1 field-goal percentage was the lowest by an NBA team this season and the team’s lowest in any game since moving to Atlanta.
Yowzers.
Let’s see what basketball-reference.com can tell us about the games following those majestic collapses. After the Milwaukee Hawks lost to Boston in 1955, they lost the next game (a back-to-back) to Philadelphia 101-84.
After the Heat lost 95-56 to Utah, they lost the next game 86-81 to Cleveland in overtime. The Cavs shot 37.5 percent and the Heat shot 35.2 percent. Goodness gracious. I believe that was the year the NBA experimented playing games with yoga balls.
After the Hawks lost 118-74 to Phoenix in March 2000 – the last time the Hawks lost by that many points at home – they followed it up going on the road and losing to Houston 115-93 on their way to a nine-game losing streak. Your starting five against Phoenix –Dikembe Mutombo, Alan Henderson, Jason Terry, Roshown McLeod, Jim Jackson.
Sorry I don’t have more information to offer you right now. I’m in my hotel room right now and will be on the way to the arena in a little bit.
About the Bobcats – they’ve won their last two and six of their last nine. Guard D.J. Augustin went for 31 in their 100-97 win over Philly Thursday. Hawks tormentor Gerald Wallace – he had 11, 25, 20 and 28 last year – only had six against the Sixers, so he might be ready to pop a little bit. He missed the Hawks’ first game with Charlotte this season.
This is totally not relevant to the discussion, but Wallace killed it last year against the West. He had 45 in two games against Denver, 48 against Golden State, 49 against the Clippers, 50 against Phoenix, 66 against Sacramento and 57 against Utah. But, anyway, his 21.0 against the Hawks was tied for second highest of any team in the East.
Joe Johnson’s 16.7 ppg against Charlotte last year was tied for third-lowest of any team in the league. (Orlando, then Philadelphia and tie with Toronto)
Josh Smith did fairly well last year against Charlotte – 52.8 field-goal percentage, 15.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg. Interestingly (well, you can decide that), Smith is having his best scoring and rebounding month thus far in January at 16.9 and 9.8, but his worst shooting month, 40.6 percent.
O.K., enough nerding out. I’ll be back in a little while.
Ken Sugiura, Hawks writer
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221 comments Add your comment
O'Brien
January 22nd, 2011
8:02 pm
bigdave,
Its nice to see a PG use his dribble to break down a defense, isn’t it?
All Bibby does, is by the 3 pt line in case he gets a pass and has to shoot.
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:02 pm
Joe the 1st to stand and cheer on Mikes 3 attempt and miss. i think he’s ok..
Ken Sugiura
January 22nd, 2011
8:03 pm
not a good showing. not moving the ball, a lot of one-on-one, which is probably not a great formula for a team without two starters and their best player on the bench.
Ra'mon
January 22nd, 2011
8:03 pm
O’Brien, you mean its nice to see TWO PGs use their dribble to break down the defense.
I would trade Crawford for Augustine and Kwame in a second.
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:04 pm
Rev..
i saw that.. the ball was on the lip of the rim and just dropped slowly right in..
he gets the craziest bounces from the iron..
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:05 pm
The Dark Knight is on TNT. Terrible game, or great movie? Decisions, decisions.
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:06 pm
i wouldnt even need Kwame in such deal..
just give me DJ and plant him @ your pg spot for 9-10yrs.
JSS
January 22nd, 2011
8:06 pm
@ Hbcu…
Thanks for the answer…
drmaryb (*_*)
January 22nd, 2011
8:07 pm
Shout Out! To Ken Sigura, fantastic job of feeding the fans LIVE!
You are spoiling us! – Mmmmmwah! (Big sloppy kiss)
_______________________________
Hawks playing with energy, they just need to play under control now.
________________________
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:08 pm
O’brien..
too bad we dont have a pg that could allow Mike to move to his Eddie House role.
he’d look nice w/ the 2nd unit where Jamal could handle the ball while he spots up.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:09 pm
Until Larry Brown got fired, Augustin was in pretty much every Bobcats-related trade rumor. The Hawks could have probably had him pretty easily in the offseason, or even better, last year when Raymond Felton was still there.
I’m starting to get more and more convinced that Mookie Blaylock cursed the Hawks when he left that they would never have another good point guard ever again. In a league where even a lottery team like the Bobcats can have two quality point guards, it stretches the boundaries of believability that the Hawks can have a roster with no point guards who are even above average.
cp
January 22nd, 2011
8:15 pm
Mo is just terrible. He is good for about 3 bad plays a night it seems. And yes it would be nice to have a pg who can break down defenses with the dribble. Nobody seems to have any energy for the Hawks smh.
Sautee
January 22nd, 2011
8:15 pm
Najeh,
That’s too kind a spin.
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:19 pm
not going to switch huh.. ?
why was Bibby rotating off his man? it wasnt his rotation..
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:19 pm
that was nice from Joe. smooooooooth
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:19 pm
It’s almost like Mo decided that his performance in the Miami game in overtime was enough to allow him to play like sh-t for the rest of the season.
cp
January 22nd, 2011
8:20 pm
How in the world does Mo get so many minutes smh
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:20 pm
Hawks have executed some of the worst fastbreaks I ever seen…
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:22 pm
About time Mo makes a positive play for the Hawks…
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:24 pm
More terrible defensive rotation by the Hawks, and as usual it all starts with covering for Bibby on the perimeter.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:25 pm
Zaza has actually been really good to start this half, surprisingly enough. Two good steals and a nice post up.
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:25 pm
ZaZa is really hustling tonight..
drmaryb (*_*)
January 22nd, 2011
8:25 pm
Not So Fast!
Melvin, that’s because we don’t have a fast break PG. And, Teague turns it over every time down. ZaZa playing great tonight.
Great hands on defense from ZaZa. Offensive rebound ZaZa and make those put-backs.
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:26 pm
I still would prefer Kwame over Ethan…
Rev in Tampa
January 22nd, 2011
8:26 pm
Zaza > Kwame
Rev in Tampa
January 22nd, 2011
8:28 pm
Lol. The Charlotte announcers just said that the Hawks are two points away from last nights total.
Ken Sugiura
January 22nd, 2011
8:28 pm
i’ve sometimes found ryan cameron a little annoying in his p.a. announcements, but he’s understated compared to the guy they got here. it’s like listening to a soccer dad trying to be a professional wrestling announcer.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:29 pm
Dumb foul by Smoove.
JSS
January 22nd, 2011
8:29 pm
There’s no doghouse like a Larry Brown doghouse! Woody learned from the best, Knight and Brown
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:30 pm
Hawks going zone for the second time in this game.
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:30 pm
Nice plays by Bibby…
Rev in Tampa
January 22nd, 2011
8:30 pm
Those hand-slap Technicals are stupid. The players should be able to slap their hands in disgust without being T-ed
JSS
January 22nd, 2011
8:33 pm
Ken Sugiura
January 22nd, 2011
8:28 pm
“it’s like listening to a soccer dad trying to be a professional wrestling announcer.”
Tony Schovani’s doing the PA?
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:33 pm
Hawks are playing zone like a team that isn’t used to playing much zone. Bobcats are getting open looks on the regular against the zone look, but thankfully, they suck too bad to convert most of them.
northcyde
January 22nd, 2011
8:34 pm
Please continue to talk junk about Bibby. All he’s doing is making timely shots and is our 2nd best rebounder tonight.
He’s gonna mess around and have 18 pts – 7 rebs – 7 asst
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:34 pm
Seeing as how Teague has basically become the 11th or 12th man in the Hawks’ rotation, they might as well go ahead and do the Jason Thompson trade.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:37 pm
“Please continue to talk junk about Bibby. All he’s doing is making timely shots and is our 2nd best rebounder tonight.”
He’s also the single biggest reason the Bobcats have shot 47%, Augustin has 18 points, and the Hawks have been forced to go zone. The Bobcats’ best offensive strategy in this game has been to screen Bibby and force the Hawks to rotate. If you give up a point for every point you account for, you are not accomplishing much.
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:39 pm
OMG, Mo made the dunk and got foul.. I cant believe it…
drmaryb (*_*)
January 22nd, 2011
8:39 pm
Strong Bench Play!
What’s up with Maurice missing all them dunks lately?
Melvin
January 22nd, 2011
8:39 pm
My bad I thought he made the dunk…I should have known…
drmaryb (*_*)
January 22nd, 2011
8:41 pm
Fantastic blogging crew tonight! No crazy trolles. Great game from the bench tonight.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:43 pm
Props to Joe Johnson for this game. Regardless of how it turns out, for him to gut out his 2nd quarter knee injury and still manage to put up 26 points is impressive. Say what you want about his contract, but you can’t deny the man’s toughness.
Ken Sugiura
January 22nd, 2011
8:44 pm
interesting combinations on the floor. seemed to work in third.
drmaryb (*_*)
January 22nd, 2011
8:44 pm
Plug ‘N Play!
Looks like we are plugging players into a system tonight and it doesn’t matter who is playing. Makes last night look like an abberation.
NUNNA!!
January 22nd, 2011
8:44 pm
Hey Ken,
I don’t know how much u watch BET,lol,but if im not mistaken the P.A. guy is a comedian named “Tone” i think..But he is a regular on the “Monique Show” as a character called,”Bootleg Mike” who sales bootleg movies and cd’s way before they come out.
Like,Lethal Weapon 5,And the Green Hornet Part 2..
bigdave
January 22nd, 2011
8:44 pm
Josh reaching on Wallace post up begging for a 5th. use your head Josh.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:45 pm
And props to Smoove for playing one of his better defensive games of the season.
drmaryb (*_*)
January 22nd, 2011
8:46 pm
ZaZa playing like he The Boss!
Rev in Tampa
January 22nd, 2011
8:46 pm
Zaza single-handedly erased the Hawks 9 point lead to start the game, but he is having a solid second half.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 22nd, 2011
8:47 pm
When the Hawks are getting points from Iso-Mo, you know things are going good.