Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 109, Bulls 94
The Hawks had more energy tonight than me.
I’m getting sick, blog people, which was inevitable. So for now I will link to the game story so you can discuss the game. I will have more for you tomorrow.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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95 comments Add your comment
GRANDMASTER SEXAY
January 7th, 2012
10:40 pm
GREAT BLOG!
Pchawksfan
January 7th, 2012
10:40 pm
First!!!
@DanWeiner
January 7th, 2012
10:42 pm
Hawks – No problem with energy on the last night of a back-to-back-to-back
MC – No energy on the last night of a back-to-back-to-back
Come on, Michael! You’re better than that!
coloradofalconsfan
January 7th, 2012
10:42 pm
Hope you feel better.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 7th, 2012
10:43 pm
Tom Thibodeau probably feels more sick than MC right now.
BoneKollector
January 7th, 2012
10:43 pm
Wish Josh could play like this all the time
Mitchell
January 7th, 2012
10:47 pm
TEAGUE is the truth! yeah he had a rough couple games, but this man is loaded with talent and is getting better as a true point guard with every time he takes the floor. future all-star!
LT
January 7th, 2012
10:50 pm
What ive noticed about this team so far, when defense is there, their offense follows! Great defensive effort by the hawks. Go Hawks!
LT
January 7th, 2012
10:52 pm
And when Teauge plays well, the team plays well
Section 303
January 7th, 2012
10:52 pm
Hope you feel better, Michael. I just got over having pnomonia. I feel your pain.
Great game tonight. The best part of it was not having listen to all the Bulls fans.
Though I am still mad about Thursday’s game, this helps. I was about to throw my Harry the Hawk doll into traffic.
NJ on Monday. Sick of that team.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
January 7th, 2012
10:59 pm
Jsmooth needs to play like that all the time.
FIRE LD
coloradofalconsfan
January 7th, 2012
11:02 pm
FIRE LD? Seriouslly? Great coaching job to get team fired up on last leg of back-to-back-to-back
Trent
January 7th, 2012
11:14 pm
“Tom Thibodeau probably feels more sick than MC right now.”
He (Thibs) probably already lost his voice after all the yelling that went on during/after the game.
Spyro
January 7th, 2012
11:18 pm
J-Smoove!!! Keep this stuff up!!!
Trent
January 7th, 2012
11:18 pm
So, with Marvin likely out Monday, who do you think will get the start at SF?
My money is on Vladi-Dadi. He compliments the starters well with his style of play, and if T-Mac’s knee is feeling better, T-Mac can still come off the bench to provide the second unit with a facilitator/scorer.
Grandmaster JeJe
January 7th, 2012
11:20 pm
Superiorblogman,
Get a life
Grandmaster JeJe
January 7th, 2012
11:22 pm
NJ on Mon is a trap game. We always struggle vs them one game a year. We really need to try roll through these next few teams and hopefully beat Indy
Grandmaster JeJe
January 7th, 2012
11:36 pm
We should be 8-1.
FIRE LD
phil
January 7th, 2012
11:45 pm
Fire FG!!
Then fire LD!
And after tomorrow’s butt whuppin, fire Mike Smith!
Oh, and fire Mark Fox! Has never won a game that mattered.
kwooden
January 7th, 2012
11:46 pm
JeJe every game brings a different challenge, NJ will be a good game because they have confidence against us from the last game. The Pacers will be a completely different game because of their size and depth. Clearly all the bad feelings from the Chicago and Miami loss will help the HAWKS avoid giving up in games or thinking that a game is over before the final horn sounds. So they can certain lose to NJ or Ind. if those teams really come to play, but since the HAWKS are really a defensive first team, I think we can at least stay in any game.
GO HAWKS!!
Bonifide Big Man
January 7th, 2012
11:55 pm
Hustle from start to finish.
Rev in Tampa
January 7th, 2012
11:57 pm
FTPB – “I’m looking forward to seeing how well we do with a much easier stretch of gms.”
Actually, this is when I am most worried about the Hawks.
Harry Hawk
January 7th, 2012
11:59 pm
Lots of trap games left for the Hawks this season. Nevertheless, the effort tonight in the face of no effort by the Bulls for most of the game says a lot about the heart of this Hawks team. They will never lose another game.
Grandmaster JeJe
January 8th, 2012
12:03 am
Grandmaster JeJe
January 7th, 2012
11:36 pm
We should be 8-1.
FIRE LD
You should be a straight heterosexual male instead of what you are
*****
thanks for the kind words. Anything else?
Rufus1
January 8th, 2012
12:06 am
The Hawks have DOMINATED the Bulls 7of 8 Qt’s…….
Thibs and the Bulls nation is getting NERVOUS.
Grandad
January 8th, 2012
12:07 am
Nothing to do with Nothing, but:
the Hawks best five man combo base on (+/-)
even before tonight’s game;
is (in no particular order):
* Teague
* Radman
* Joe
* Josh
* Al
____________________________________________
After a game like tonight;
do you ever get the sense, that,
the -Hawks are to basketball-
as, -pyrite is to gold-?
Grandad
January 8th, 2012
12:09 am
* should have been [based] / rather than [base]
Slimjr
January 8th, 2012
12:22 am
Well what do ya know? Rad VLad found his jumper tonight and blew the doors off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
falcans
January 8th, 2012
12:22 am
Shot out to all my JOSH SMITH haters!!! Best things da hawks seen since #21!!! Ps Smith the only hawk with a killer mentality
Slimjr
January 8th, 2012
12:24 am
Watch smoove go 1-7 in the 1st half Monday? Sheesh….
Jumpshot city!
Ivan did look tight tonight!
Hawks ran the Princeton offense quite a bit.. At times it looked really good!
Slimjr
January 8th, 2012
12:26 am
All NBA had a couple of nice blocks tonight!
Slim McKruger III
January 8th, 2012
12:26 am
@ Grandmaster Je Je
Anything else ?
Yes, you are what you are
FreshFromATL
January 8th, 2012
12:37 am
Superiorblogman,
LMAO, what is with this beef between you and MC? How did it start?
Teedub
January 8th, 2012
12:41 am
We’ve seen performances like this before, but it’s all about consistency with this team. IF they can ever figure it out…look out!!!
GaSouthernSmooth
January 8th, 2012
12:41 am
Starting to get the feeling of living & dying by the three but when vlad shoots like he did tonight hawks are real tough. Ivan Johnson needs more minutes in the absence of Marvin.
HawkEye
January 8th, 2012
1:14 am
Great game tonight. Hard to tell if Josh is making a statement for all star or making a statement for himself. Hope it is the latter because he’s looked great the last 2 games.
The Hawks defense has looked very good, suffocating at times. Forcing 19 turnovers against a good team like the Bulls is an great accomplishment. Holding DRose to 8 points is the icing on the cake. I believe the offense will come, but the defense has been great (better than I have ever seen).
I know it has been said before many times but the Hawks are just ONE piece away IMO from serious contention.
I think the Hawks will be 3rd in the East. With the toughest part of their schedule behind them, hope they continue the good play and build off this win.
Stat of the night- Jeff Teague 8 assists, 0 Turns.
The Truth
January 8th, 2012
1:21 am
This was a validation win that proved the “almost win” in Chicago was no fluke.
When Josh stated they were frustrated over the Miami’s loss and will take it out on the Bobcats. In hindsight, he really meant the Bulls.
Maybe it’s better for the Hawks to avoid any future offers to play games on National TV (TNT or ESPN). They play their best ball on local FOX SSN. Can’t understand why, but it’s “The Truth”.
Charles Barkley, go eat your heart out. I wish you were there instead of SNL.
Grandad
January 8th, 2012
2:02 am
* Don’t get mad ’cause Barkley ain’t a homer.
He shoots straight & beats the heck out of espn.
* Radman performs better with the starters,
Marv would / will, get more scoring ops playing with 2nd team.
Radman = very high B-ball IQ.
* To the Big Al “bringer-downers”
{ I do not like the word haters }
Al has the team’s highest “player efficiency rating”
-according to NBA.com stats-
DirtyDawg
January 8th, 2012
2:39 am
To hell with Charles Barkley and the War Eagle he rode in on. Just keep winning’ ugly until they have to watch whether they like it or not.
where are the real fans
January 8th, 2012
2:49 am
Look I don’t care whats the reason for them playing like they did last night as long as they play like that every night we are a tough team to beat. Big ups to Josh though playing real basketball.
where are the real fans
January 8th, 2012
2:50 am
And has any one else notice that when Josh doesn’t have time to think about his jump shot he usually makes them?
Hawks Fan Down Under
January 8th, 2012
5:14 am
It was a great win but until they can be consistent and show they have mental toughness they will never be contenders. Just look at games 3 and 6 from the Bulls series last year. They totally checked out. If they finally get their heads sorted out they have the tools to genuinely challenge…but we’ve seen these ups and down all before. I hope this season is different….
JSS
January 8th, 2012
6:02 am
DirtyDawg
January 8th, 2012
2:39 am
“To hell with Charles Barkley and the War Eagle he rode in on.”
Only UGA fan could suggest a level of animal abuse!
hawks_4_life
January 8th, 2012
6:56 am
GOOD JOB JOSH:
Josh Smith Joins Kareem, Hakeem & The Admiral
From Elias: Some games are won in the final minutes, and then there are games such as the one that the Hawks and the Bulls played on Saturday night. Al Horford scored within the first 10 seconds of the game and Atlanta held the lead the rest of the way, earning a 109-94 victory. Josh Smith led the way with 25 points, including nine points in the first six minutes of the game, during which the Hawks built an 18-8 lead. It was only the second time in the 543 regular-season NBA games in which Smith has played that he scored as many as nine points in a game’s first six minutes. But we’ve got even better stuff to tell you about Smith. In addition to his total of 25 points, had five rebounds, five assists, four steals and six blocked shots, becoming the first player in just over 18 years to hit each of those levels in one NBA game since Hakeem Olajuwon did it for the Rockets against the Timberwolves on Dec. 30, 1993. In fact, since the NBA started keeping track of steals and blocked shots in 1973, Olajuwon (five times), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (four times) and David Robinson (once) are the only other players who have reached, in one game, each of the levels that Smith reached on Saturday n
Just Joe
January 8th, 2012
7:30 am
Chicago has got to watch Rose’s health. He’s tired and hurt (left arm I know is one issue). Chasing PG’s and running the offense for 36+ minutes a night in this schedule will wear some folks down, especially when you’re getting fouled 6+ times per game. Hawks will need to watch Joe Johnson & Jeff Teague’s minutes as well, but those guys aren’t drawing the contact that Rose does. A healthy Kirk Hinrich will do good things for this team.
Hawks’ rebounds per game keep dropping. Now 13th in the league. Our FG% is 13th in the league as well at 44%. We’re top 10 in opponents points, opponents FG%, and forcing turnovers. Only league-avg defensive stat is 3pt% allowed is roughly 35%, or 17th in the league. So, we’re stuck between not closing out on 3pt shooters & needing to beef up our rebounding and points scored in the paint.
I’m ready to see our team in action against Indiana & Philly. Indiana on Wednesday, and Philly on the 20th. Philly has played some cupcakes so far (besides a loss to Portland), but their stats are top 10 in nearly every category (1st in points allowed, 3rd in rebounds per, and 4th in points scored per).
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 8th, 2012
7:57 am
Pin Down!
FTPB
“He doesn’t necessarily even need to be the guy taking the shot, but if we can establish him in the post early and he has success there (scoring or getting fouled), he will draw more defensive attention, which will open up the floor more for other guys who can’t create on their own as well. It’s simple, basketball 101.” -James-
__________________
This problem may be dual: the coaches game plan coupled with Al’s inability to Pin Down his defender on his back hip and show his hands BIG for the ball. Like Randy Moss jetting down the sideline hand extending his right hand over his shoulder. Al has to show the PG which hand he wants the ball on, R/L?
What is see is that Al does NOT fight for his spot and he does NOT demand the ball on either block.
Such a simple big man technique in the post, but this team does not seem to have the will to get the ball inside – out to establish that part of a game plan. We just pass it around the perimeter until someone decides to shoot it or time runs out.
INSIDE PEANUT BUTTER – OUTSIDE JELLY
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 8th, 2012
8:05 am
Many Men!
And … Of course, there are many ways men can get the ball inside. But, the most fundamental technique is for the center to pin down his defender in the post and make a quick, non dribbling move to the basket. If nothing else draw a foul our pass it out to a cutter or 3 point shooter.
Why reinvent the wheel?
RA
January 8th, 2012
8:18 am
I think, no, I know that last night’s game was the biggest of the year for Atlanta. Of course, they could be 8-1 and probably should be, but they could also be 3-6. Think about it, they could have gone to Miami and done exactly what everyone thought they’d do, get humiliated, but they did. After back to back tough loses against Chicago and Miami, Atlanta could have called it in against Charlotte when they started their fourth overtime period in 24 hours, they didn’t. On the business end of a back to back to back, their 9th game in 12 nights, they could have come out flat and lethargic and lost by 40 to the team that some consider the best in the east, they didn’t. They’ve got a modest record for the week 3-2, but they’ve beaten the two best teams that the east has to offer and they didn’t fold up when things got tough. I think after that loss to Miami, some of us were a little hard on them, but they’ve shown the type of character that champions are made of. I just hope they keep it up.
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 8th, 2012
8:21 am
Contact Drills!
“Chicago has got to watch Rose’s health. He’s tired and hurt (left arm I know is one issue). Chasing PG’s and running the offense for 36+ minutes a night in this schedule will wear some folks down, especially when you’re getting fouled 6+ times per game. Hawks will need to watch Joe Johnson & Jeff Teague’s minutes as well, but those guys aren’t drawing the contact that Rose does. ” -Just Joe-
____________
Well, too bad for the MVP. If he wants to come inside, score, draw fouls and embarrass bigs? Then, people should put his little azz on his back side.
If I had a shank, I would rip his heart out and eat it between every play. Like the “Bad Boys” Pistons of the 80’s, their paint had WMD’s and IED’s planted underneath.
Anybody coming inside just knew, laimbeer and Mahorn would pull the paint back and smush people with bricks and chain saws. Teams understood, going inside comes with a heavy price. Kill or be killed was the mantra of those days.
Now, of course Stern got rid of that type of defense play with the hand check rule soon after the 80’s era ended.
____________
Kill Rose – I say and, eat his family. Leave it all on the floor and fight to the enemy is killed dead. Nice guys always finish last.
Grandmaster JeJe
January 8th, 2012
8:36 am
Looks like Bulls fans are pissed off with Boozer