Atlanta Hawks at Pistons: Game thread
Auburn Hills, Mich.–Joe Johnson returns to the starting lineup after missing six of the last seven games with left knee tendinitis. Joe had been working out daily. He got the go-ahead to play after a workout during today’s shootaround. “It feels great,” he said. “I don’t have any pain it so that’s the main thing. As the game goes on, that’s the only concern. We’ve got to test it.”
- As for the strength in the knee, Joe said: “Not to where I want it to be but from the last time I tried to play, 10 times better than that.”
- Willie Green will miss his fifth consecutive game. In addition to a sore back, Green said he tweaked a hamstring while working out today.
- Ivan Johnson is to leave the team after the game because of a death in the family. He’s expected to return for the game at Sacramento Sunday.
- After an intense game against the Heat, the Hawks face a Pistons team that’s still last in the Central Division behind Cleveland in spite of showing signs of life since the start of February. It will be interesting to see if the Hawks are as spirited against a struggling opponent as they were at Miami.
- Larry Drew: “You say struggling but this team has won 9 of its last 15. They’ve got some healthy bodies back, they have been playing well. They are coming off a big win against the Lakers, which they have to be feeling good about. It’s always a physical game when we play this team. That’s one thing we have emphasized with our players. This may be the most physical games of this road trip and that’s the mindset you have to have going into this game.”
- Pistons forward Charlie Villaneuva (ankle) is expected to play for the first time since Jan. 4.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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600 comments Add your comment
phil
March 9th, 2012
9:52 pm
Bill Monroe?
Monroe Abrams?
Monroe County?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:52 pm
Marvin has been letting Prince go left the entire game.
Slimjr
March 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
phil
March 9th, 2012
9:47 pm
“Nique is a brilliant manager of money….”
So is our Leadership…How much do the Taxpayers owe? Bout 15 trillion? Word is more like over 100 trillion….
DawgNole
March 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
Don’t count them chickens, Big Lou. This one’s far from a Hawks victory.
terrell
March 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
Great D Marvin. smh
Melvin
March 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
Where is Northcyde to talk about how good a defensive player Marvin is….
bird
March 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
Terrible defense Marvin. Everyone knows Prince is left handed.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
Well, we’ll see where they go now. Post up Josh, or iso-Joe? Has LD learned from the last few games?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:54 pm
What a horrible possession.
Rev in Tampa
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
I thought the shot was good
Melvin
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
WTF kind of shot by Joe was that….
bird
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
What the heck was Joe thinking?
Just Joe
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
Teague has to take that shot.
Rev in Tampa
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
nope. I was wrong
Rod from College Park
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
ISO JOE. NO NO NO
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
Joe comes back and LD thinks he has to run the worthless 1-2 pick and pop. DUMBASS POST UP JOSH
phil
March 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
Yet another boneheaded iso joe prayer….
What a pathetic joke of a team.
Big Lou
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Iso Joe for the loss. Teague helped by being timid
High-sider
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Bad loss.
Melvin
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Leave LD and Joe in Detroit…
DawgNole
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
As I was sayin . . . .
Just Joe
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
No inner dog.
Ole Hawks Fan
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Welcome back ISO JJ……………………this team played better with you not on the floor.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Joe 18 points on 12 shots
Josh 21 points on 19 shots
matt
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Teague had a good look at the end. Afraid to take the big shot, I guess
Slimjr
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Jettison the Core..Or one rotten apple will spoil the rest of the bushel….
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Teague does have to take that shot, but that play should never have been called in the first place. Bibby and Woody don’t work here anymore. Get the stupid 1-2 pick and roll (actually a pick and pop since nobody ever rolls) out of the playbook.
Rev in Tampa
March 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Teague should not have deferred to jj.
bird
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
What a downer.
Rod from College Park
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Joe is 6′8 yet he stays perimeter. Some of his jumpshots are worse than Josh’s.
High-sider
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Turrible loss. (Charles Barkley)
Bluestreak
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Stop with the poor poor pitiful Josh mess. Its not like he hasn’t been a brooding, petulent brat for most of his time here. While he puts up good numbers, how much better could he be if he decided not to pout and getting T’ed up? And throwing up those awful 15-20 footers.
He’s just as much a part of the problem as is his management. Josh, Joe and Williams need to go and we need to hit the reset button on our ‘core’. Horford is good, not great, and needs stronger players around him. I think he and Teague are a good start, but we need a real 5, a SG that that can carry a team without having to own the ball and a 3 with both shooting range and the ability to drive the net.
We’re back to the days of Mutombo, Smith and Ty Long…2nd round is as good as we can get and its time to reset. Hopefully without such a long down time.
Luke Cage
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Whats Marv’s 2nd half stats???
Sautee
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
That was Teague’s play to make. I wish that he had driven the lane rather than pass it back out to Joe with short clock.
Hawkfan
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
LD should be fired and no doubt Josh is and should be pissed about this final play call. Are you kidding me? ISO Joe? I’m feeling like Monger now
Ole Hawks Fan
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Who is the PG on this team…………………Josh……………..JJ(iso) or is it Teague???? I wanna know ,,,,,,,,LD!
Smh
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Smh why does LD always run that stupid ISO play instead of drawing something up?
The Monger
March 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Seriously??? That was Larry Drew’s “brilliant” end of game plan?? Chance to win a game in which you played horribly, with no effort until 5 minutes left in the game, and you’re last play was to have Joe back down Stuckey for 2 steps pass back to Teague and hoist a 27 foot fade away 3 for the win?? And you wonder why Hawks attendence is extremely low, and why almost every guy there is unhappy and wants out? FIRE LARRY
phil
March 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
That’s on Teague too for being too big a wuss to take the open shot.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
Jason Maxiell had more than half as many rebounds as the Hawks’ entire team.
terrell
March 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
Back to ISO.
rollo lawson
March 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
The frustration on Josh’s face says it all. Now you see why he wants to be traded. Larry Drew is a horrible head coach!! This guy has no clue at all.
O'Brien
March 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
Teague has to take that open shot. but being timid, he deferred back to JJ, who was forced to take a contested jumper.
Although Teague has to step up, this is what happens when JJ plays. Players look to him almost to a fault.
And LD looks to JJ too, which fails more often than not. maybe Josh is tired of this and wants to be the guy to take the last shot.
Slimjr
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
LD lost another one..Great job Larry….joke
Melvin
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
Prince drove the ball in the lane for his last shot, Joe took a faded away falling out of bounds shot with no time to get a rebound for the last shot. And the Hawks are paying him $120 mil….. My goodness the Hawks are stuck with his contract.
NBA fan
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
LOL… Josh is trash nd so is Larry Drew.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
Let’s be real, though, this game was lost on the defensive end. You can’t let the other team shoot 56% and expect to win games.
kwooden
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
Jeff needs to take the shot! He really needs to work on his jumpshot, I think he’s scared his shot is going to get blocked!
Ds
March 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
And we wonder why josh wants out of here
Just Joe
March 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
No JJ and Teague takes that shot. Dump Joe to Orlando.