Atlanta Hawks at Bulls: Game thread
Chicago–Regular lineup for the Hawks. All Hawks except Kirk Hinrich (shoulder) and Donald Sloan (inactive) are available. Ronnie Brewer is starting in place of Rip Hamilton (groin) for the Bulls.
- Hinrich had his eight-week checkup today. “Good news,” Hinrich said. “They are going to let me start doing all of the non-contact stuff with the team. A couple weeks from now, we will see how it goes from there. It’s one of those deals where I’m excited to do some things. Hopefully I can get my conditioning right and keep strengthening. I have some weakness. I need to get stronger before I get out there.”
- Larry Drew said he hasn’t decided on Hinrich’s role when he returns: “We will see how that goes with Kirk. We are certainly going to bring him along slowly. But as far as who is going to be the starter, I haven’t made a decision.”
- Drew doesn’t think a zone defense can be as effective against the Bulls as it was against Miami: “You are talking about two totally different beasts. With having to defend Wade and LeBron I think it’s totally different from having to defend Rose. With Rose I think he may be more explosive. Both LeBron and D-Wade are very explosive but Rose’s explosion is a little bit different. His ability to get into the paint is more of a havoc than LeBron and Wade. LeBron and Wade are more open court. Rose can get into the basket open court and half court.”
- Jeff Teague is back in the building where he started the best run of his young career. He said he’s not still drawing confidence from those moments against Rose, though: “I’m a confident player, anyway. I don’t really get into the matchup last year. He’s going to come back with something totally different.”
- Vladimir Radmanovic is 0 for 10 from the field in the last two games, including 0 for 4 on 3-pointers. He passed up a couple open attempts at Miami. Drew wants him to keep shooting. “We brought him here to shoot when he’s open,” Drew said. “He hasn’t had his typical type games but I am not going to instruct him to stop shooting. He’s got to keep putting them up.”
- Al Horford had a productive game around the basket against Chris Bosh. Joakim Noah is tougher by multiple degrees. “I think you have to try to match his energy as much as you can,” Horford said. “He is going to bring that every night and I think that’s what makes him such a great player.”
- Josh Smith was 1 for 7 on long 2s against the Heat before settling down. “He got into a jump-shot mode,” Drew said. “When he came out that first time, we spoke to him at that time. Then he just kind got it together and started putting it in the floor and getting to the basket, which is a strength of his because he’s long and he can elevate. He did settle down.”
- The Hawks are playing their sixth game in eight days. “We are doing OK,” Horford said. “At this point everybody has got something that is wrong with them. That’s just a part of it. Tonight is a big game for us so we are going to come out here and focus on tonight and tomorrow hopefully we will get to rest and recover.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,299 comments Add your comment
Slimjr
January 3rd, 2012
8:38 pm
Hey Mike Woodson is probably still walking around in New York with no eyebrows…He look like a freaking Martian!!! Just crazy ish!
Luke Cage
January 3rd, 2012
8:39 pm
@Hawks4Eva
Mike Woodson is on Knicks coaching staff
Najeh Davenpoop
January 3rd, 2012
8:39 pm
“Where is Mike Woodson these days? Probably somewhere with his arms folded with that dumbazz look on his face he always had when he couldnt figure ish out”
He is with the Knicks. I trash talked my Knicks fan friends for several days after he got hired.
Melvin
January 3rd, 2012
8:39 pm
About time TMac gets a call
RethinkPossible
January 3rd, 2012
8:39 pm
Was anyone else worried TMAC just busted his knee?
hawks_4_life
January 3rd, 2012
8:39 pm
Get up T-mac
Najeh Davenpoop
January 3rd, 2012
8:39 pm
This is an excellent defensive performance so far by the Hawks.
On the other end, finally T-Mac gets a whistle.
BoneKollector
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
zaza just looks lost sumtimes
Rod from College Park
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
Radmo has to shoot when he is open. Tmac keeps setting him up, and he keeps passing.
northcyde
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
smh . .2 bricks for zaza
yodaddybrother
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
Atlanta might get some props if we go ahead and close this one out…. Bulls got nothing
Luke Cage
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
Gotta take the good with the bad with Zsa Zsa
Melvin
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
Get the ball out of ZaZa hands
RethinkPossible
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
Willie G FTW
northcyde
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
Willie said . . . “so ya’ll want to talk about me huh?:
Rusty
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
Dumbass ld in this story says he don’t know who will be the starter when KH comes back , nothing like even pretending to have any confidence in jt.
Hawks4Eva
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
ZzaZsa posses no offensive threat whatsoever. Its almost like 4 on 5 offensive for us.
BoneKollector
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
pargo u fool
doc
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
me thinks hinrich solidifies the second string at two positions and can work with the first unit at times but i ike the pressure teague puts on the other team and guards from the get go. i would ideally like to see a three guard rotation of teague, hinrich and jj.
ok willie!
pargo uh not so much.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
Shot selection has been questionable to say the least in this quarter, and the D is starting to slack a little.
Luke Cage
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
GO AT KORVER!!
Melvin
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
Bad shot by Pargo
Melvin
January 3rd, 2012
8:41 pm
That was a terrible call on ZaZa
Mac-Town #maconchevyrider
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
that boy willie green say he HOT tonight lol
Tremaine
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
Late call.
northcyde
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
This defense is impressive. Can’t say enough about it.
yodaddybrother
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
can Marvin get some burn coach??? I mean wtf
hawks_4_life
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
Our starters shouldve been in there YETERDAY,
Luke Cage
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
Green just needs to drive on Korver, its the easiest 2pts in the NBA next to free throws.
doc
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
captain kirk and t mac might be pretty good on the court together. add a sharp shooter at two that is not pargo or green and we fly. shot put ivan in there to shoot it.
northcyde
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
Marvin should definitely be coming in for Vlad right now.
RethinkPossible
January 3rd, 2012
8:42 pm
I never thought I would say it after the last couple of years but can we please get some MARVIN back in the game?
Slimjr
January 3rd, 2012
8:43 pm
If Hinrich starts over Teague…
We’ll have to boycott Larry Drew……Huh?
Hawks4Eva
January 3rd, 2012
8:43 pm
Willie Green must be feeling it…. smfh
Najeh Davenpoop
January 3rd, 2012
8:43 pm
If Marvin is going to be the first one off the floor, I wish LD would bring him back in when he normally brings in Green. I may be picking on Green too much but I really don’t see what he brings to the table, and as long as Marvin is playing well there’s no reason his minutes should be so limited. May as well increase his minutes at the expense of the weakest link on the bench.
Big Ray
January 3rd, 2012
8:44 pm
Astro,
Okay. So what nifty little Jedi mind tricks does he have for Josh…Marvin…Al…and other established starters? Haven’t seen ‘em yet.
Not that I expect you to have the answers, mind you. Something just seems a little inconsistent here. What IS consistent is LD answering a lineup question with “I haven’t decided yet.”
So while you may be seeing something ahead of time that I’m not prepared to recognize, I’ll reserve judgement on the mind tricks. Especially when they only seem directed towards one guy.
As for Teague, he keeps talking confident, and really….I haven’t seen the kind of timid play from him that was evident many times last season.
Boondox
January 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
mike woodson aka mr. potato head is sitting on the new york knicks bench
Najeh Davenpoop
January 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
More questionable shot selection for the Hawks in this quarter…
Astro Joe
January 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
Guys, give Green 10 games, its not like he is out there for 30 minutes/game.
Hawks4Eva
January 3rd, 2012
8:45 pm
what is wille in the game for still? smh
SteveW
January 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
Aj – So I guess if you had done incredible at a position when someone was out sick for a few months at your job, you wouldn’t mind not keeping the job and going back to being an ignored clerk? Oh well
And trust me, I know you don’t think Teague has done incredible, but to go from out of the rotation to this…is incredible
Slimjr
January 3rd, 2012
8:46 pm
Larry, You are the weakest link!
Hawks4Eva
January 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
green must leave!
yodaddybrother
January 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
Willie Green is terrible…
yes I already posted that exact same sentence
Luke Cage
January 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
Boozer is so overrated, dude is soft as silk
Slimjr
January 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
THE D IS Tremendous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KevinM
January 3rd, 2012
8:47 pm
Did you see Josh try to leak out instead of blocking out and Boozer almost got the rebound? Frustrating.
Joe for 3
January 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
stop, now, josh.
RethinkPossible
January 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
smooth has got to be doing this on purpose.
Slimjr
January 3rd, 2012
8:48 pm
Sit Josh back down…………….