Heat at Atlanta Hawks Game Thread
Vivlamore filling in for tonight’s game against the Heat.
Here is your report from the morning shoot-around.
Josh Smith insists he is not playing with a chip on his shoulder.
However, in the past two games the forward has put up impressive numbers – despite again being snubbed from the NBA All-Star team
In wins over the Pacers and Magic, Smith is averaging 25.5 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and 2.5 steals. They are all above his season averages, especially his 15.9 points per game.
“I’ve just been playing,” Smith said Sunday morning before taking on the Heat in a nationally televised game. “I’ve been playing like this since the season started. It’s really not a chip on my shoulder. I’ve been blessed to be able to step in in Al [Horford’s] absence and just been playing some good basketball.”
Smith is averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in the 16 games since Horford was lost to a torn left pectoral muscle. The Hawks are 11-5 without Horford.
“I’ve always stated that he is a guy who can impact the game on both ends of the court, which he clearly did in our last game against Orlando,” coach Larry Drew said. Smith had 23 points and 19 rebounds in the overtime win over the Magic Friday.
* With the Heat in town, the million dollar question is how do you go about guarding LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Here is Drew’s take: “They lead the league in fast-break points so the first thing you have to do is get back on defense. How do you do that? That is going to be controlled by your shot selection and that you are not turning the basketball over. Secondly, obviously in a half-court game, you are taking about LeBron [James], you are talking about Wade, you are talking about Bosh. All three guys are very capable of having huge nights. You just set your defense where you don’t put yourself at a disadvantage. Going into a game like this, playing against a team like Miami, you have to play solid on both ends of the floor. You have to do a good job of taking away easy transition points but on the other hand you have to do a good job of moving the basketball.”
* Horford attended the team’s morning shoot-around Sunday as a spectator. The center had his left arm in a sling.
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1,002 comments Add your comment
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
That first couldn’t have gone much worse.
OH
February 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
No interior defense, no points in the paint, NO CHANCE.
Big Ray
February 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
Put Marvin back in. He’ll drive the ball. Right to the baseline and underneath the basket with his body pointed out of bounds, where he cannot possibly score.
J.J.M.
February 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
so glad I aint spend my money to go see this predictable game
Melvin
February 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
Lebron gets every call and non-call in his favor…
Runner-
February 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
LeBron is simply UNSTOPPABLE when going full speed like that and when the Refs are on his side… nothing you can do there, he’s simply too good
Big Lou
February 12th, 2012
7:40 pm
Really? Come on refs. The hawks are already down by 14.
Tootsi
February 12th, 2012
7:40 pm
This is not a game that Ivan needs to be involved in. He looks lost and like the undrafted 27 year old rookie that he is.
northcyde
February 12th, 2012
7:40 pm
Love Hubie’s commentary
Telling it exactly right.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
Good aggressive move by Kirk to draw the first Hawks foul of the night.
High-sider
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
Shane Battier is super overrated.
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
Here’s the bench comeback!!!
Hawks Fan Down Under
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
I wish Hubie Brown was our coach….
OH
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
Josh hits a couple Js — HE SHOULD BE AN ALL STAR
Then you watch him a little longer and realize why he’ll never be an all-star.
Runner-
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
wow nice post move by Zaza
Slimjr
February 12th, 2012
7:42 pm
Looks more like the Princeton offense transmuting into St. Johns or Fordam University, the Hawks offense…..
ntrigue
February 12th, 2012
7:43 pm
Cole is killimg Hinrich!
Sautee
February 12th, 2012
7:43 pm
Transmuting is transmuting into a blog catch phrase.
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:43 pm
I’d be curious to see Kirk on Wade, Joe on LeBron, and Smoove on Bosh, with Teague and Zaza taking their pg and C.
Runner-
February 12th, 2012
7:44 pm
Really the only chance we stand tonight is for Teague to have a great game…
DawgNole
February 12th, 2012
7:44 pm
ATL pro team + national television. Those of us who’ve followed the city’s pro team for almost half a century already know what’s going to happen. Losersville lives on.
Sautee
February 12th, 2012
7:44 pm
See what transmuting just did?
Slimjr
February 12th, 2012
7:45 pm
High-sider
February 12th, 2012
7:41 pm
“Shane Battier is super overrated.”
So is All NBA…….Yawn
Big Ray
February 12th, 2012
7:45 pm
Three plays/shots I don’t have a problem with:
1) Going inside to Zaza.
2) Going inside to Josh Smith
3) Going to McGrady on the midrange jumper.
DawgNole
February 12th, 2012
7:45 pm
Make that “the city’s pro teamS.”
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:46 pm
Ok, so the bench has at least stopped the bleeding. Time for the guys to really put it on MIA’s bench and make up for their starters’ hot 1st.
Loserville USA
February 12th, 2012
7:46 pm
Atlanta is the only damn city in America that has THREE teams significantly over .500 with ownership groups that REFUSE to take steps to make the team ELITE.
Now I understand why fans won’t show up. Amazing how the same story exists with the Braves, Hawks and Falcons. The only owner willing to do anything is Blank, but with little impact (see Ray Edwards).
Braves 89-73…..CHOKE and UNDERACHIEVE
Falcons….10-6….CHOKE and UNDERACHIEVE
Hawks….18-9…CHOKE and UNDERACHIEVE
Many cities would be thrilled with this. In Atlanta it’s about lousy ownership.
Big Lou
February 12th, 2012
7:46 pm
So… when is Teague coming back in?
ntrigue
February 12th, 2012
7:47 pm
Hinrich checking quick guards reminds me so much when we continued to let bibby play against quicker guards without using teague eventhough bibby ws getting used and abused cole is blowing by hinrich everytime creating mismatched on defense just about every play!
Rod from College Park
February 12th, 2012
7:47 pm
All the Josh and Marvin comments are true, but the 20 million dollar man is the one that needs to show up.
Big Ray
February 12th, 2012
7:48 pm
Shane Battier is super overrated.
Depends on how you rated him. Fact is, he’s one of the League’s best defenders. Still.
The Monger
February 12th, 2012
7:48 pm
I swear T-Mac has the worst shooting touch I have ever seen. I mean I have seen worse overall shooters, but for as smooth as McGrady’s form looks, he throws up some of the hardest bricks i have seen in my life. Its like he is throwing a two-handed missle at the rim, and not surprisingly they all clank out. I understand he is not the same T-Mac of 2002-2003, but in reality as long as he has been in this league he is still only 32 years old. His skills, especially his shooting should not have deteriorated this much….
Big Ray
February 12th, 2012
7:48 pm
Rod ,
Ain’t that the damn truth.
Hawkfan
February 12th, 2012
7:48 pm
Get back in it
Tootsi
February 12th, 2012
7:48 pm
Ha, how could anyone listen to Larry Drew. He sounded overmatched right there.
Hawkfan
February 12th, 2012
7:49 pm
Shooter touch
Runner-
February 12th, 2012
7:49 pm
Wow we got a friendly roll!!
Big Ray
February 12th, 2012
7:50 pm
About time we got a lucky bounce.
I notice nobody is screaming for Willie Green to be cut or traded. And those who were doing it in the first 5-7 games aren’t admitting it now…..
Sautee
February 12th, 2012
7:50 pm
Battier has never made an All-Star team, and makes a whopping $3M a year. How is that “super overrated”?
Melvin
February 12th, 2012
7:50 pm
Willie did not foul Wade
Slimjr
February 12th, 2012
7:50 pm
Has it been almost a half a century already? WOW!!!!!!!!!! How will the next half 50 yrs.) transmute?
Who is Earl Lloyd of the St. Hawks?…
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:50 pm
told y’all to watch out for the bench tonight. Miami’s starters have an advantage, but our bench has the same. Gotta re-balance the score with the bench and hope our starters can get hot and keep up with those big three.
Big Lou
February 12th, 2012
7:51 pm
Freaking refs.
Big Ray
February 12th, 2012
7:51 pm
Wade with the BS lean in. That’s how you know a guy ain’t a good shooter.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
The difference in this game is rebounding and free throws. Both teams are shooting poorly.
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
I detest that BS call where dude doesn’t make a genuine shot attempt (meaning, he changes his shot in order to initiate contact)
The Monger
February 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
Another sad, uninspired game from the Hawks, this makes 5 out of the last . Due to the Hawks being jumpshooting happy, while simultaneously being the worst shooting team in the league, the Hawks offense can look downright scary bad for long stretches, I mean men’s church league bad. This is another one of these games, if their defense is not clicking and they are not getting lots of fast break layups and dunks its over….Sad and pathetic, cant play with the elites if you cant put the ball in the basket in a half court offense
Hawkfan
February 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
Meet the ball Teague
IceColdATLien
February 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
Big Ray and I thinking alike tonight
Slimjr
February 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
Loserville USA
February 12th, 2012
7:46 pm
“Atlanta is the only damn city in America that has THREE teams significantly over .500 with ownership groups that REFUSE to take steps to make the team ELITE.
Now I understand why fans won’t show up. Amazing how the same story exists with the Braves, Hawks and Falcons. The only owner willing to do anything is Blank, but with little impact (see Ray Edwards).
Braves 89-73…..CHOKE and UNDERACHIEVE
Falcons….10-6….CHOKE and UNDERACHIEVE
Hawks….18-9…CHOKE and UNDERACHIEVE
Many cities would be thrilled with this. In Atlanta it’s about lousy ownership.”
So will this City ever advance and transmute into a winning sports town?