Atlanta Hawks at Knicks: Game Thread
NEW YORK — Much of the news of the day was reported earlier with the news that Joe Johnson is out of the All-Star Game because of his ailing left knee and Marvin Williams response to a report he wants out.
As the game thread, here is coach Larry Drew’s take on the adversity affecting the Hawks as the limp home from another 10-day, five-game road trip and the loss, at least temporarily, of their second all-star.
* “I want to see us respond to the fact that we have two all-stars who won’t be here. … I want to see our guys respond in a positive way and that means playing consistently from start to finish, four solid quarters.”
* “I just personally feel that this is a true test to see what our team is made of, where we are at this point. We said all along in bringing in help off the bench, veteran guys, can come in and help us in these types of situations. You lose key guys and it opens up opportunities for other guys to play. It’s a matter of us responding to the challenge.”
* “We can’t allow any adversity to step in to the fact where we fragment when the situations are what they are, given our schedule, that we have key players out. We have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep marching on.”
Also:
Drew said his team will not get caught up in the Jeremy Lin hype that is sweeping New York. In the Knicks’ last 10 games – nine with Lin as a starter – the guard has averaged 24.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 2.9 steals and 5.6 turnovers.
“The one thing that I won’t allow to happen as we prepare for New York, or any team, we don’t focus on just one guy,” Drew said. “Too much focus, too much attention on one guy and then you leave these other guys open. Our approach to the game tonight will not be to stop Jeremy Lin. It will not be that. We know what we have to do against him. We know what we have to do against the rest of their team but we will not just focus on one guy.”
As a final note, former Hawk Mike Bibby paid a pre-game visit to his old team’s locker room before the game.
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774 comments Add your comment
Runner-
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
After this game, something has to be done. It’s Sund’s move, MAKE A GOD DAMN MOVE
TMACfan
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
TRADE KIRK! FIRE LD!
kevkat
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
bunch of crap to this point…won’t watch..checking in with bloggers will tell me all I need to know.
richbrave
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
‘The Right’ CRAWFORD on fire tonight. JORDAN tallies 21 at half-time.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
Kirk just got crossed up by 76 year old Baron Davis.
crazy_88
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
Again…the Hawks fall down by 15 pts and LD has done nothing to stop the run…
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
baron davis still got it.
bird
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
Hinrich should not see the court anymore tonight.
ntrigue
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
Ny commentaters said the Hawks look like a YMCA team! lol
Luke Cage
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
Damn, where was Kirk going lol, Davis owned him on that last one
MattP
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
Why do I even watch this team? I am about to stop watching this season unless Drew is fired.
High-sider
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
^ should have been…”Wilson Chandler”
terrell
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
Um Larrry U DONT HAVE TO TAKE OUT YOUR PG AT THE 4 MIN MARK OF EVERY FREAKIN GAME. OMG!!!!
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
by it i mean not completely washed up.
DREABABY
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
The Hawks are their way to getting beat by 35.If i were Drew,i would give Stack some pt.
wow
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
and they wonder why we dont spend hard earned money to fill their crappy arena..
KBB
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
This team is awful. Please break up this “core”. Whats the use in holding onto a core that never has accomplished anything. Fire LD, Fire Sund, and ASG please sell this team to an owner thats not on food stamps!
noneya
February 22nd, 2012
8:12 pm
We are discussing Hawks basketball tonight at 9 pm on Blogtalkradio. Call in and tell us what you think. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cpstylin
ntrigue
February 22nd, 2012
8:13 pm
Hinrich is lost checking pg’s but he Coach Drew favorite so I guess I just have to sit here and watch the ship sink slowly this is a shame!
Luke Cage
February 22nd, 2012
8:13 pm
This season is going to get worse before it gets any better unless moves are made, its not all on Sund, ASG gotta give him the green light.
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
8:13 pm
can you curse?
terrell
February 22nd, 2012
8:13 pm
Thank goodness Kirk’s expiring. Wish Marvin was too.
STRETCH
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
These guys have quit and i mean they are dead!
High-sider
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
I’m glad the Hawks aren’t playing the Thunder in OKC because this game could be uglier.
IceColdATLien
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
I’m not a Kirk fan by any stretch, especially with the crappy showing thus far in this game, but I’m still looking for any proof that Teague is more than an athletic guy who doesn’t have the respect of the other starters on the team. Sure JJ and Smoove like him, but that’s cuz Jeff defers to them and lets them do what they want… just like Larry Drew does. Until the Hawks have a PG who can control JJ and Smoove, then our half-court game will never be what it should be, and Teague sure as hell isn’t respected by those two selfish players.
smh
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
he said he has no answers are these coaches serious
terrell
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
Another 20 point loss coming up. And this fool brings that same damn linep back out there. Im done.
Rod from College Park
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
Anybody defending Kirk in any way is crazy
crazy_88
February 22nd, 2012
8:14 pm
Does LD know that he has a 6′8 G/F who can dribble and create plays for guys ???? He needs to look at some of Tracy’s games last yr with Detroit when he was running the point. Detroit’s offense ran a lot smoother than it ever did with Stuckey..
LD is a IDIOT
DREABABY
February 22nd, 2012
8:15 pm
The Hawks are on their way to losing by 35.To many turnovers,bad shot selection,bad fouland terrible coaching.Get Stack out there dammit.
wow
February 22nd, 2012
8:15 pm
TMAC TIME!!!
ntrigue
February 22nd, 2012
8:15 pm
Why is Teague not in the game? Somebody please tell me?
bigdave
February 22nd, 2012
8:15 pm
why is Kirk bringing the ball up..
cp
February 22nd, 2012
8:16 pm
Just fire LD and get it over with. Second unit comes in and stinks it up and he sticks with them
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
8:16 pm
stupid pass!
terrell
February 22nd, 2012
8:16 pm
So now LD wants Pargo to hang out at the 3 point line. Dude has a good shooting game and dumba.. wants to turn him into a 3pt specialist.
The Monger
February 22nd, 2012
8:16 pm
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD FIRE LARRY DREW AND RICK SUND!!! I cant take it anymore this is 3 straight nights I have bought a 6-pack, gotten comfy on the couch, ready to watch the Hawks, and this is 3 straight games I have been forced to turn off the TV in the FIRST QUARTER. This is the most uninspired, heartless, effortless, poor fundamentals, no defense team in the league. Larry Drew has NO CLUE, and doesnt even try to stop the bleeding when the knicks go on a 17-2 run. Absolutely pathetic, and I will not watch the Hawks again until they get a new coach, new GM, and new ownership.
DREABABY
February 22nd, 2012
8:16 pm
Why is he playing Kirk,and Pargo together.Bad combination.
smh
February 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
Vlad cant play defense
ntrigue
February 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
That was a perfect opportunity to put Teague in with Josh
Najeh Davenpoop
February 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
” I’m not sure why you think Kirk is such an albatross for the Hawks. Sure he started slow, but you try coming back from a shoulder injury and see how crisp you are as an NBA PG.”
Well, I probably would get burnt to a crisp as an NBA PG even at full strength. Of course it would take a while for Kirk to get back to full strength. I completely agree with that. So why the F-CK was he handed 20 minutes a game from day one instead of having to play his way back, when the second unit was functioning just fine with Pargo?
“Kirk makes far better decisions and doesn’t just punk out everytime Smoove demands the ball.”
Did you watch the last five minutes? Those looked like great decisions to you?
I want to watch this game so I don’t have time to link to 82games.com again, but you can go there and see for yourself that Kirk has been one of the worst players on the Hawks this year. Kirk’s turnover rate is twice that of Teague. Never said Teague is the second coming of Magic, but Kirk this year has looked an awful lot like the second coming of Royal Ivey.
That said, he still has short term value to the Hawks if they play him at the 2. At point guard though? No thanks.
TMACfan
February 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
PLEASE NOT JR SMITH
terrell
February 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
What has Hinrich did so far besides nothing?
Luke Cage
February 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
Bricks have no D in the middle with chanlder on the bench, start driving more
bigdave
February 22nd, 2012
8:18 pm
Kirk leaves Novak
smh
February 22nd, 2012
8:18 pm
Look for us to be th emain highlight on ESPN tonight on how the KNICKS mopped the floor with us and added to the legacy of Lin
smh
February 22nd, 2012
8:19 pm
Why would you leave Novak ??
High-sider
February 22nd, 2012
8:19 pm
Let’s just go ahead and chalk this up as a loss already; Hawks’ record is now 19-14.
The Monger
February 22nd, 2012
8:19 pm
Kirk Hinrich is single handedly trying to lose this game, however his teammates are so bad that they ALL appear to be trying to lose the game, the only effort I see in them is the effort to lose possessions and lose this game. Truly sad, pathetic play….this team has obviously given up on Larry Drew, as I would. Who wants to play for a coach that cant coach a team up, and doesnt know basic fundamentals and playcalls?
Luke Cage
February 22nd, 2012
8:19 pm
the move kirk plays the harder it will be to trade him.