Atlanta Hawks at Blazers: Game thread
Portland–Hawks center Jason Collins (elbow) got bad news from his recent checkup: “Another two to four more weeks. They showed me the MRI on the screen and the severity of the tear and highly recommended I stay in this brace so I can get back to the court as quickly as possible.”
- Collins will wear the brace around the clock and won’t be able to do any rehab until it comes off. “We started testing how the scar tissue is, the joint is still loose and cracking so there’s no scar tissue yet,” he said. “Got to give it more time to heal.”
- Erick Dampier’s 10-day contract is up after tonight’s game. Larry Drew said the team hasn’t decided if it will sign Dampier to another 10-day, add him for the rest of the season or seek a different free agent. “Rick Sund is here and we’ll visit after the game,” Drew said.
- Joe Johnson is wearing a soft brace on his problematic left knee. Johnson, as is his nature, shrugged it off: “It’s no big deal. Tendenitis flared up on it, but we’ve got to go up with what we’ve got. I’ve got tendinitis real bad right here [around patellar tendon]. Its’ tough at times but I had a couple days of rest so I should be all right.”
- In the eight games since scoring 30 points to lift Atlanta to the W at Toronto, Johnson averaged 13.8 points and shot 38 percent from the field. He scored a season-low six points and missed eight of 10 shots at Phoenix.
- Drew: “The last game I thought he was a little tired. His shots were a little short. When that happens, usually it’s the legs. When the physical fatigue sets in, usually the mental fatigue is not far behind. Hopefully those days off will help. We didn’t do much yesterday. He was moving very well yesterday so hopefully he had a chance to get some rest.”
- Johnson is playing 36 minutes per game after averaging 35.5 last season. Both are lows for his time in Atlanta but of obviously the minutes this year are exacerbated by the busy schedule.
- Drew on Josh Smith: “It’s kind of weird because he’s one of those guys when he gets it going, I do run plays for him, but he’s come to me and said, ‘Don’t run plays for me, just get everybody else going and I will try to find my own offense.’”
- LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) is starting for the Blazers.
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
379 comments Add your comment
Slimjr
February 18th, 2012
11:48 pm
Larry= Wade Phillips and Norv Turner in over their heads as Head coaches….
round peg, square hole
ntrigue
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
I will say it again doubling Lamarcus is killing us you cant do that with Portland they have too many shooters! I said this in the 1st qtr!
Joe
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
Can’t believe I have to root for this suck azz team, Drew couldn’t coach 6th grade girls, JJ is the ultimate albatross and Gearon hopes Pete Maravich is gonna crawl out of the grave. If anybody on this blog thinks the Hawks have any chance at playoff success you need more pain killers, ain’t happening.
And I’m normally an optimistic person
TMACfan
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
Did anyone notice Smoove with 8 assists?
CDubb
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
Josh is close to a triple double and people are still complaining.
steve a smith
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
FIRE SUND, LD, AND SEVERAL PLAYERS…
Old Man Peabody
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
Drew been reading the blogs, he’s gonna let Teague stay in the game and keep Kirk on the bench to see what he can do
Section 212
February 18th, 2012
11:49 pm
We are missing open shots that NBA players should routinely make…This I do not accept. One of the traits that should separate NBA players from the rest of us is supposed to be their ability to consistently make shots, especially when they are wide open.
Astro Joe
February 18th, 2012
11:50 pm
Matthews hit that over Teague, Jeff and Kirk in together.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 18th, 2012
11:50 pm
These refs have been terrible, for both teams.
TMACfan
February 18th, 2012
11:51 pm
They are getting EVER SINGLE toilet spin I swear!!
IceColdATLien
February 18th, 2012
11:51 pm
Uh, Rocky, in my only defense of Drew (ever), he hasn’t jerked minutes around at all. Y’all forget that Kirk was the starter till he got hurt, and Teague hasn’t done squat against good teams or good PGs… not to mention the fact that neither Pargo or Green are PGs (actually SGs in a PG body).
Fact is that Teague gets rattled and intimidated too easily, and I don’t see anything on the court which would make me believe that the other players respect him.
And, on cue, Jeff misses a bunny layup… so sad
Old Man Peabody
February 18th, 2012
11:51 pm
Josh should have a lot of assist, no one guards him on the perimeter
Najeh Davenpoop
February 18th, 2012
11:52 pm
Gotta make those Teague.
Section 212
February 18th, 2012
11:52 pm
Teague misses another layup,….I don’t understand how a professional player does that.
Melvin
February 18th, 2012
11:52 pm
Teague can’t buy a shot tonight.
STRETCH
February 18th, 2012
11:52 pm
Teague is garbage, period. Dude cant finsih at the rim, his jumper is broke and he is just running around out there.
Zaza is awful with not physical ability. And as im typing, Teague misses another layup!!!
Man if i could, i would trade Teague, Marvin and Zaza for anything i could get!!
TMACfan
February 18th, 2012
11:53 pm
Tmac, spread some of that Clutch stuff on JJ please
Joe
February 18th, 2012
11:53 pm
MC spot on about JT and getting to the rim, he misses way too many good looks, not good.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 18th, 2012
11:53 pm
“Teague hasn’t done squat against good teams or good PGs”
Except for, you know, battling the league MVP to a near draw in the second round of the playoffs.
kevin willis
February 18th, 2012
11:53 pm
wow! teague can’t make a lay up
IceColdATLien
February 18th, 2012
11:53 pm
How in hell do they expect Kirk to play SF? I get going with a 3 guard lineup, but it should be with JJ at the 3 with Kirk and Green in the backcourt.
Drew is officially a moron.
tb hawk fan i think
February 18th, 2012
11:54 pm
I am l ost for words again
TMACfan
February 18th, 2012
11:54 pm
Jamal feels for ATL
kevin willis
February 18th, 2012
11:55 pm
we look really bad
Najeh Davenpoop
February 18th, 2012
11:55 pm
Jamal trying to prove northcyde right.
bigdave
February 18th, 2012
11:55 pm
hmm.. sure rebounding at times is bad; but baskets are pretty hard to come by as well.
TMACfan
February 18th, 2012
11:55 pm
Lets just hope Derick Rose doesn’t dress up.
IceColdATLien
February 18th, 2012
11:56 pm
Najeh, one series does not a career make. You gotta stop living in the past and recognize the present. And presently Teague just missed a bunny (he’s one of the worst starting PGs with regard to finishing at the rim, check his stats), can’t get the offense in rhythm, and can’t run the offense. Other than that, he’s awesome.
Astro Joe
February 18th, 2012
11:56 pm
Meanwhile, Jamal appears to have his panties in a wad about something. Y’all can have him. Chucker wit an attitude… CWA!
Section 212
February 18th, 2012
11:56 pm
It is frustrating to see Hawks miss wide open shots that NBA players are supposed to make and then see everything Portland throws at the rim go in…
IceColdATLien
February 18th, 2012
11:57 pm
I meant “can’t run the break”
Slimjr
February 18th, 2012
11:57 pm
Game over!!!!!!!!!!!!!
northcyde
February 18th, 2012
11:57 pm
There you go Jamal.
Hawks need to quickly cut this down to 10, or it’s good night.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
February 18th, 2012
11:58 pm
Where is Ivan Johnson?
Slimjr
February 18th, 2012
11:58 pm
Unfortunately Josh broke j is contagious….Sad….
Slimjr
February 18th, 2012
11:59 pm
Bye Larry……………..
Slimjr
February 18th, 2012
11:59 pm
Wheres Larry?
kevin willis
February 19th, 2012
12:00 am
no effort easy dunk
TMACfan
February 19th, 2012
12:00 am
Good night good Hawks fans!
IceColdATLien
February 19th, 2012
12:00 am
Jeff Teague, Minutes:30; FGs: 1-10; FT attempts: 3; Reb: 0 Steals: 0; Assists: 4; Plus/Minus: -15; Pts: 5
Seriously, that’s your guy? You and LD got more in common than you thought…
northcyde
February 19th, 2012
12:01 am
Marvin > every SF on this team.
Put him back in coach. It’s almost too late.
TMACfan
February 19th, 2012
12:01 am
Please FIRE LD and HIRE JERRY SLOAN!!!
I hope he is willing to come out of retirement!
tb hawk fan i think
February 19th, 2012
12:01 am
how do you spell pathetic
O'Brien
February 19th, 2012
12:02 am
Hawks being out rebounded badly.
But LD decides…2 minutes for Ivan, 0 minutes for Dampier. SMH.
Section 212
February 19th, 2012
12:02 am
Slim – Josh’s J is far from the problem tonight. Hinrich, Teague, Joe, Vlad, missing wide open shots is the problem.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 19th, 2012
12:02 am
“he’s one of the worst starting PGs with regard to finishing at the rim, check his stats”
According to the stats MC posted on the previous blog, he’s in the middle of the pack.
“can’t get the offense in rhythm, and can’t run the offense.”
I never said he doesn’t have room for improvement in these areas, but he does both of these better than anyone else on this team, and yes that includes Kirk. He is the Hawks’ best option at the point right now.
As far as him supposedly not producing vs. good teams… 15-5 with 4 steals against Miami in a win, 20-10 with 6 steals against Minnesota (a .500 team) in a win, 12-6 with 5 steals against Philly in a loss, 12-8 with 5 steals against Chicago in a blowout win, etc. He has plenty of room for improvement, but he’s been fine this year, and since Al went down he’s clearly been one of the team’s best players.
Slimjr
February 19th, 2012
12:02 am
Teague is ice cold like his coach Larry….
northcyde
February 19th, 2012
12:02 am
Oh well. Night. Night.
Astro Joe
February 19th, 2012
12:02 am
Hawks may be out-rebounded by 20 tonight. No need to finish watching my team get beat-down like a junior varsity girls team.