Atlanta Hawks at Pacers: Game thread
Indianapolis–Larry Drew ruled out Al Horford returning before the end of the regular season: “What I’ve been told he’s definitely out for the regular season and there is a possibility [of return] for the playoffs.” Al has said he should know more about his timetable when he returns to see his doctor next week.
- Joe Johnson (knee) and Willie Green (back) are out. Tracy McGrady (knee) and Jerry Stackhouse (ill) are active. Jeff Foster (back) is out for the Pacers.
- Joe plans to play at some point during the trip. Drew: “Right now we don’t know [when]. We are just going off how he feels. He has his good days, he has some bad days. It was his decision and our decision to allow that thing to heal to at least get to the point where he can play with a little bit more consistency [and] where the knee feels good. Since we shut him down it feels better. Right now the focus is to get him stronger.”
- McGrady said he has to manage his surgically-repaired left knee: “It doesn’t do very well on the back-to-backs. I didn’t have my balance and planted it wrong [vs. the Thunder]. It was already sore before the game.” Drew: “I don’t think he’s 100 percent but he feels like he can go. We will see how he looks.”
- Stackhouse ended up traveling with the team Monday. “It was some kind of food poisoning or something,” he said. ” Yesterday was not a good day.”
- I’ve covered a lot of games in this building, both with the Heat and Hawks, and I can tell you what’s likely going to happen: The Pacers are going to beat up on the Hawks and there are not going to be many whistles. That’s just how it is.
- Drew: “This team, they play very physical at home. The last time we were here at this building, they physically took us out of what we wanted to do. Our last meeting at our place we kind of turned the tides. Anytime you play against an Indiana team, because they are so big and athletic, you have to match the physicality. That certainly will be the case tonight.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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566 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
March 6th, 2012
10:17 pm
“Don’t want to take credit for these but when you get it right you do, huh?”
Haha. Very happy to be wrong. You get a full refund for that prediction.
Rufus1
March 6th, 2012
10:19 pm
LD deserves credit…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 6th, 2012
10:19 pm
“Well why is Orlando #3 in the conf and Philly #4 and Atlanta #6 and our record is better than Philly too like Orlando?”
Division winners are guaranteed a top 4 seed, and Philly leads their division. The top 4 seeds every year are the three division winners and the best wild card, in order from best to worst records. Then the 5-8 seeds are the remaining wild cards, in order from best to worst record. Orlando is the best wild card and has a better record than Philly, so they are 3rd. Philly is a division leader, so they are in the top 4 ahead of Atlanta and Indiana, who are not division leaders.
ntrigue
March 6th, 2012
10:21 pm
Preciate Najeh
Melvin
March 6th, 2012
10:23 pm
Like I said the other day, I think the Hawks are better than Orlando, Indy and Philly. Although Philly has swept them, I like the Hawks odds of beating any of those three teams in a playoff series. However, Boston (with savvy vets) and the Knicks (offensive fire power) I think would give the Hawks problems in a playoff series. Of course nothing to say about the Bulls/Heat…
If Sund can pulloff a trade that would bring another scorer or big for Hinrich than the Hawks may improve their chances of competing with the Bulls and Heat.
prison mike
March 6th, 2012
10:28 pm
Hinpoor needs to drive to the bottom of Lake Lanier and kick rocks, seriously. This idiot is killing the deal with the Lakers. We need that 1st round pick no matter if it’s circa the 25th overall.
TMACfan
March 6th, 2012
10:28 pm
http://www.nba.com/dunk-ladder/
They gave Smoove the sixth best dunk?!?!
Stupid NBA
kelvin sampson
March 6th, 2012
10:32 pm
Subtley is on crac k. He takes marvin over tmac.
ntrigue
March 6th, 2012
10:33 pm
Josh is the best power forward in the East hands down numbers dont lie!
Gwinnett Fred
March 6th, 2012
10:38 pm
BIG win, especially since tomorrow doesn’t look promising, it was important not to start a trip 0-2.
I still wonder about Drew some times. Game on the line late, basically needing to hit our free throws to wrap it up – please explain why Josh is on the floor. Yes, he’s stepped up tremendously recently, but he remains a 50% FT shooter. So for him to be on the court at that stage shows a huge lack of basketball common sense on Drew’s part.
BigShotBob
March 6th, 2012
10:51 pm
With the Hawks playing so well with the offense running through Smith, Drew should continue to run the offense through Smith and let Joe play Robin to Smith’s Batman
atlchris77
March 6th, 2012
10:57 pm
No question this is josh’s team. Joe is the number two guy. Reguardless of his salary!
Ra'mon
March 6th, 2012
11:05 pm
Josh went cold at the end of 4th quarter, and its no surprise. When your player with the hot hand goes 4-5 game time minutes (and 10 real time minutes) without a shot attempt, and the offense not running through them, that happens.
Rufus1
March 6th, 2012
11:06 pm
Wow, the Knicks lost again…
Ra'mon
March 6th, 2012
11:07 pm
Truth be told, the Heat are better without Wade, when its just Lebron. So that will be dangerous.
Michael Cunningham
March 6th, 2012
11:19 pm
new blog posted. shutting down this thread.