Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 103, Cavs 102
- The Hawks played hard after a lackluster start (especially Josh Smith) and Joe Johnson made some big shots. Jerry Stackhouse (!) balled like it’s 2001. The Hawks won, which can never be taken for granted in this league.
- But, honestly, that’s about all the praise I can muster for them after this one.
- The Hawks just made fewer blunders than the Cavs at winning time and escaped with a hard-fought-but-fortunate W. “I thought we were dead in the water down six with two minutes to go,” Larry Drew said. “I guess the basketball gods were with us. We made plays to finish.”
- I guess that’s one way to think about it, but one of the basketball gods had a strong resemblance to Byron Scott. He decided not to foul before Joe tied it with a clean look from 25 feet in regulation. “We figured we would just play solid defense instead of taking the foul,” Scott said.
- Neither did the Cavs pressure, blitz, deny, trap or do anything to disrupt Joe on that shot, the 3 he made just before that or the short J he made near the end of overtime. Compare that to the way the Celtics absolutely would not let Joe have a chance to beat them late in the game Monday.
- I just can’t believe the Cavs didn’t do something, anything to prevent Joe from getting clean looks with the game on the line and neither could Joe: “I really was surprised that I caught it and turned and I was that wide open. All I could think about was getting it up.”
- Joe needed one screen to get in position for the game winner. Antawn Jamison appeared to consider helping when Joe got closer to the basket but then decided it was best to let him take an uncontested 12-footer. “We gave them the game,” Scott said, and at least he included himself.
- Before all of that Drew had tried to one-up (one-down?) Scott by choosing not to to foul with the Cavs up 89-88 and about a three-second differential between the game and shot clocks. Kyrie Irving blew by Kirk Hinrich for a layup to score with 5.4 seconds to go and actually could have ran off even more time and left the Hawks with maybe a second or so.
- “I thought about [fouling],” Drew said. “But I made the decision to go ahead and defend. I didn’t think they take a shot at the expiration of the shot clock. I thought we would get another opportunity.”
- Zaza Pachulia blew another important layup and this time he was even more wide open than he was at Denver. Zaza had a good game otherwise and is having a career season but finishing at the rim remains the big hole in his game. Sometimes he looks like he’d rather be fouled.
- Drew: “I told him, ‘Big fella, I’m going to continue to come to you and I have all the confidence in the world in you. You’ve blundered a couple but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
- Bad: Joe needed 19 shots for 22 points. Good: He made big shots, made five of six free-throw attempts and had six rebounds, five assists against zero turnovers and two (!) blocked shots.
- Josh settled for Js late but I’m inclined to cut him slack. He had little help on the boards (13 of Atlanta’s 26 defensive rebounds, four of its 11 offensive), was alone as usual defending the rim and nobody else was really making shots until Joe did so late in the game.
- Josh and some people around him think he takes too much flak from hometown fans. I don’t think that’s always true but it would be in this case if the focus is on his missed Js after had had nearly half his team’s rebounds, more than half of its free throws and played 51 minutes. “I’m tired as a mother[bleeper],” he offered before hitting the showers.
- Once again the Hawks faced a bad team and, instead of smothering them with defense, went ahead and tried to trade baskets. At least the Nuggets are a good offensive team. There’s little excuse for the way the Cavs came out scoring so easily. “We didn’t come to play in the first quarter and it gave them confidence,” Drew said. “We offered no defensive resistance. They scored at will.”
- The Hawks picked it up in the second quarter by getting steals and running. Josh started it off with eight straight points on drives or free throws and then Stackhouse (!) kept it going with a flurry of steals, passes, and 3-pointers.
- The Hawks had a game by then, though. A (rare) good start to the third quarter wasn’t enough to shake the Cavs, and Irving had a lot to do with that.
- Irving’s talent + Jeff Teague’s typically blase pick-and-roll D + Kirk Hinrich’s declining footspeed=problems for the Hawks.
- At least Teague had 12 points (6 of 9 FG), seven assists, four steals and just one turnover. Hinrich was 4 of 13 from the field with a couple short misses.
- Willie Green returned after missing 10 games with back and hamstring injuries. He played 15 minutes. “It felt OK, not great,” he said. “It’s just about continuing to monitor it and hope it continues to get better. I want to continue to get in rhythm.”
- Drew said Ivan Johnson will return to play against the Nets Friday and Marvin Williams could return: “We hope to get some bodies back.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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392 comments Add your comment
Sautee
March 22nd, 2012
8:31 pm
“Chicago is very vunerable this year, especially with Rose’s injury problems.”
Rod, does 11-4 without him sound like they are vulnerable? Or vunerable?
In just the last week, they beat MIA and PHI without Rose. They have the highest scoring differential in the league.
So where do you see they are vulnerable?
Sautee
March 22nd, 2012
8:39 pm
It just hit me:
Separated at birth: Rick Santorum and Tim Donaghy.
Rev in Tampa
March 22nd, 2012
8:43 pm
Washington is putting a hurt on Indiana. Two points – it helps the Hawks in the standings, but also demonstrates that the Hawks had better not underestimate Washington tomorrow night.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 22nd, 2012
8:47 pm
“Not so sure about that Grandmaster. Chicago is very vunerable this year, especially with Rose’s injury problems. I personally think New York would simply outscore them, but we shall see.”
Don’t forget they have a guy John Lucas XXXVIIIIIIII who can play.. I’ll take a Thibodeau team over a Woody team any day.
Rufus1
March 22nd, 2012
9:07 pm
Being Fair,
Woody teams were always healthy…When the Hawks won 53 games, I think we lost fewest games to injury of any team….LD has held this team together and they are competing every game.
LD proved in the Magic series he was a better coach than Woody and what this team is doing(with the injuries) is further validation.
If this team was healthy, I think we are clearly the 3rd best team in the east and have a very good chance at the ECF.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
9:12 pm
truth to be told and rod here is the story from the perspective of sacramento as that is where ld wanted to go to be closer to his son and family before blocked officially by bk. another coach wanted to leave at the same time and was given the job in cleveland;
Billy Knight Won’t Let Us Have Larry Drew
by Tom Ziller on Jul 11, 2007 7:44 AM PDT in News
I guess that Larry Drew talk was premature: Atlanta general manager Billy Knight told the assistant coach he’s not getting out of his contract with the Hawks for a lateral move.
Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the story. Both Drew and fellow Hawks assistant David Fizdale received permission from Knight to interview for assistant positions with Sacramento and Cleveland, respectively. Only when they got the jobs did Knight say ‘no.’
While it’s a lateral move in job title and likely salary, Drew had good reason to pursue the Sacramento job beyond his friendship with Reggie Theus.
A move to Sacramento would have allowed Drew, whose family resides in Los Angeles, to move closer to his wife and three sons. His oldest son, Larry Drew Jr., is one of the nation’s top-rated high school point guards and has already committed to North Carolina.
The move would have allowed Drew to be close as his son played his senior year.
BILLY KNIGHT IS TEARING FAMILIES APART!
I have a feeling Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson has something to do with this. He’s pretty much a lame duck going into the season. He can’t want to have to bring in a new set of assistants for one year, knowing they might all be canned next summer. I’m thinking Knight gave the coaches permission, Woodson shierked, and Knight pulled the reins and took the heat. (And there is heat to be taken.)
The Sacramento Bee’s Sam Amick talked to Theus about it. Reggie manages to stay cool, though you imagine he’s seriously pissed.
“He’s under contract, but he wants to come,” Theus said. “I know that. We’ll just have to see. They have to allow him to go. I think a combination of the two would be good. If it doesn’t work out, then we keep on rolling.”
Final twist: Theus, Drew, Woodson and Knight were all teammates on the Kansas City Kings from 1983-85. Do we need Cotton Fitzsimmons to mediate?
yes, it is speculated here woody was the one that “shrieked” but it was bk who said no and was the way the story ran in the ajc under sekou’s watch. interesting twist isnt it that woody didnt want him to leave then and then gets doesnt get pissed because bk wants to shelve him and bring in ld who then gets over ruled and walks when not given a better contract, then woody keeps ld longer as a faithful coach and now accuses him of back dooring him. dont need as the world turns for soap drama do we?. my how twisted is that if it is true.
i think ld was late to the party t interview, the price was right and said what was needed to get the job and had nothing to do with woody’s release.
the basg had a chance to get ld 18 months earlier with bk’s rec then came back at the end of the interview process and finally bought into his capabilities, once more a sad story about the incompetence of the organization, not a back door job. again, woody took it personal that ld had so much to say about what he could do better is my guess.
truth, i dont say things flippantly nor without data to back it and keep my eye on things pretty close, sorry you are wrong by written accounts.
Rod from College Park
March 22nd, 2012
9:16 pm
“So where do you see they are vulnerable?”
Again we are talking about the playoffs, not the regular season. They are vulnerable because the best player in their team can’t stay healthy. If you think Chicago can beat the Knicks in a 7 game series with Derrick Rose missing, or not being 100% in a couple of games, then I’ve got some swap land to sell you in Florida. Relating it to home, remember when the Braves used to have the best record in baseball, and get destroyed in the playoffs? Same concept. The Knicks are constructed to be a good playoff team. I could care less about the regular season. This year, it really is just about getting to the playoffs.
Sautee
March 22nd, 2012
9:24 pm
“If you think Chicago can beat the Knicks in a 7 game series with Derrick Rose missing, or not being 100% in a couple of games, then I’ve got some swap land to sell you in Florida.”
This from the man who told us all to put “everything we could afford” on the Thunder?
I think you underestimate the Bulls D. But that’s just my opinion.
Rev in Tampa
March 22nd, 2012
9:28 pm
“I’ve got some swap land to sell you in Florida.”
Sautee, we can be neighbors!
Buddy Grizzard
March 22nd, 2012
9:34 pm
Bench Vlad forever. Give Ivan the rest of the backup PF and spot minutes at C.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
9:38 pm
or “truth test” you got it wrong bro. shame you have to hide behind a make up name as well instead fo coming with your real blog name. weak dude, weak.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
9:40 pm
sautee what can i swap for your land dude? i got an old chevy.
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
9:43 pm
I dont want to beat the Knicks, I want to blow them out. I can’t stand this love affair for them and they not even a .500 ball club…. They must go down, they must go down hard….
Sautee
March 22nd, 2012
9:43 pm
Nah, Rev, sorry, but I can’t leave God’s country up here in the hills.
But I DO have Barbara Brown Taylor, who I’m sure you are familiar with, as a somewhat neighbor (about a mile as the crow flies). So my pastor as neighbor thing is covered.
Buddy Grizzard
March 22nd, 2012
9:44 pm
Doc could you imagine if hawks and Knicks meet in first round? Be like TNT… We know drama!
Sautee
March 22nd, 2012
9:45 pm
doc, you KNOW I won’t be swapping this piece of property anytime soon.
Buddy Grizzard
March 22nd, 2012
10:01 pm
“The guy better suited to sell insurance for Geico than run point for Hawks…”
Lol… Teagecko?
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
10:09 pm
Watching the Bucks/Celtics game. I dont know how in the world the Bucks won 6 in row b/c they look terrible. I may need to go look back at their schedule.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:09 pm
buddy, i was thinking wwe maybe or the friday night fights i used to watch growing up. there is definitely bad blood between woody, ld and bk. the king junction has definitely been blowed up. heh heh
i think there is more than an outside chance of them playing each other, only the celts are hated more and that says a lot because i cant stand queenie.
Rev in Tampa
March 22nd, 2012
10:12 pm
Sautee, I don’t blame you on not wanting to leave the GA mountains. 86 degrees here today.
I had to google Barbara Brown Taylor. A couple of her titles look very interesting. Unfortunately, I don’t read many theology books unless the authors have been dead for a long time. I am a big fan of the 17th century english puritans. They are so much more rich in their understanding of the human condition and how God’s grace meets our need than modern writers. My favorite living authors (J.I. Packer, Tim Keller, John Piper, John MacArthur, and Sinclair Ferguson) all say how influential the puritans are for them.
The congregation rags on me for only reading dead folks so the reading group I started is called the Dead Theologians Society. Presently we are reading Calvin’s Institutes. The people in the group are amazed every week how far AHEAD he is than we are in the maturity of his thinking.
Sorry for the diversion.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:12 pm
milwaukee is not very athletic and were helped by getting udoh and the mississippi terror.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:13 pm
melvin, remember i said they looked like the washington generals to me and they almost kicked our butts here.
soullrenaissance
March 22nd, 2012
10:13 pm
Boris Diaw has been bought-out by bobcats – can we release someone and sign him? Is that feasible for the ASG to pull off?
http://www.nba.com/2012/news/03/21/bobcats-diaw-buyout.ap/index.html
Sautee
March 22nd, 2012
10:16 pm
Rev,
Brown’s “Leaving Church” was an eye opener for me. I had never realized the enormous pressure on small town pastors, since they rarely have associates and everything falls to them. Good read in two hundred years, I guess.
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
10:20 pm
doc,
They are trying to get away with playing Gooden (who is weak defensively) at C and they have two ushers “to the rim” on defense in the backcourt (Jennings/Ellis). We shouldn’t fear the dear at all…
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 22nd, 2012
10:27 pm
soullrenaissance
March 22nd, 2012
10:13 pm
Boris Diaw has been bought-out by bobcats – can we release someone and sign him? Is that feasible for the ASG to pull off?
http://www.nba.com/2012/news/03/21/bobcats-diaw-buyout.ap/index.html
LinkReport this comment
LOL!!!!!
This os the ASG, fam.nthey intentionally act like they’re interested in players to try appease us, but we never actually get anyone
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:30 pm
melvin, fear the deer has not been around as has philly fan been quiet. though i like gooden and would take him here in a ny minute.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:31 pm
gooden ran zaza right off the court that night with over 20 i think.
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
10:34 pm
doc,
I wouldnt mind Gooden on this team but I would take him over ZaZa….
Rev in Tampa
March 22nd, 2012
10:35 pm
Sautee, that book and “speaking of sin” were the two books by Taylor that caught my eye
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:35 pm
brown became a phenomenon almost a mini celebrity for the region bringing huge numbers from near and far, pretty uncomfortable for an episcopalian woman priest. she saw through it and walked away before it tore her apart.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:37 pm
he would round out our team better than twin for few dollars more. he reminds me of kurt thomas who just keeps chuuging along with a creatie and long career. i would have loved both of them starting from about 2008 on.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 22nd, 2012
10:43 pm
“it really doesn’t matter to me HOW he gets the ball or how he gets the shot off.”
But it does matter. It matters a ton. Just like it matters whether Josh receives the ball with his back to the basket on the block or 20 feet away from the hoop facing the basket, it absolutely matters whether Joe receives the ball in a position to catch and shoot or on the 3 point line having to create his own shot with no help. It matters because he is much more efficient when he doesn’t have to create his own shot, just like Josh is more efficient on the block than he is shooting jumpers.
I don’t think most people here would have any problem with the idea that Joe should get the ball in crunch time. The problem is in giving him the ball and just standing around and hoping he can go one on five and make a shot. He’s not that good. Many players who are better than him are not good enough to where it’s a better idea to let them go one on five than to run a play to free them up for a shot.
At the end of regulation, the Hawks actually ran a play for Joe. He inbounded the ball, ran into the paint, ran off a couple of screens, and came free on the 3 point line. Catch, shoot, swish. The dude is really good. A smart team would put him in position to maximize that talent. The game winner in overtime is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to iso situations for him, in part because Cleveland defended it so poorly.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:43 pm
clips being clipped in new orleans.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
10:45 pm
did kamen shrink?
JaeEvolution
March 22nd, 2012
10:47 pm
Give Brian Shaw a call at seasons end, would love to see him on the sidelines.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 22nd, 2012
10:47 pm
“Vick only won in the playoffs once. ”
Twice, actually. Beat Favre in GB in 2002, went to the NFC Championship in 2004.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 22nd, 2012
10:50 pm
SAT Analogy Time
Al Horford : T-S :: Teague : tyger
Najeh Davenpoop
March 22nd, 2012
10:51 pm
“Separated at birth: Rick Santorum and Tim Donaghy.”
Holy sh-t you are right. I have been wondering for three months who Rick Santorum looks like. No sarcasm.
Rev in Tampa
March 22nd, 2012
10:52 pm
doc, one of my earliest and fondest memories was watching Sanford and Son and Friday Night at the Fights with my dad. I haven’t heard anyone speak of the Fights in years.
I should probably stick to talking about basketball or zombies on the blog.
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
10:53 pm
doc,
We both know “for a few more dollars” is the issue why a guy like Gooden or any other quality bench player have not been sign by the Hawks. They need the league to pickup part of the tab. So any one who will command more than the vet min will not be in a Hawks uniform.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
11:05 pm
thats ok rev, i spent a lot of time reading the 14th century mystical christian scholars for a while. at some point i am going to read what you recommended to someone else her a few weeks ago. as a former boarded general, vascular and trauma surgeon and now much more so as an acupuncturist i am daily dealing with the human condition as the body mind spirit plays it out on the body. i need to keep in touch with the higher power as aprt of my work as well.
yes melvin, the taxes are not real as we get the league to pay the rent for our roster routinely or sell potential. sorry, yes it is maybe prudent frugal management but it is not what they want us to believe as they spin better than those thousands of folks on schwinn’s at the health clubs throughout the nation. this is not how the spurs for example manage a roster.
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
11:14 pm
doc,
Amen. As I said before, there’s no reason to pay the luxury tax when 8 of the 15 players are making the vet min. That’s bad asset/personnel management. That alone should be enough to give Sund his walking papers. This roster and payroll is a disaster.
doc
March 22nd, 2012
11:17 pm
greatness leaves us again ….. lacy banks is dead.
a sample of his work:
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/banks/8724334-452/hypocritical-michael-jordan-disowns-his-past.html
saddened as a true and brave pioneer dies with furman in the same week. who says sports is irrelevant. it is the only real reality show going, everything else is fabrication including politics. nothing else grabs the essence of the moment as sports does and human spirit as well. that is why i love it always and until i am dead and buried.
Melvin
March 22nd, 2012
11:20 pm
Jason Smith look like Bill Romanowski with the foul he committed on Blake Griffin tonight…LOL
doc
March 22nd, 2012
11:25 pm
a lovely eulogy to lacy, everyone here should take the time to read this:
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/11026322-419/longtime-sun-times-sportswriter-lacy-j-banks-dies.html
it is what we are about.
selah!
doc
March 22nd, 2012
11:26 pm
yeah melvin, i think al enjoyed it immensely. i wonder what prompted it? i wonder if he is also trying to get payton’s last bucks out of the bounty kitty. heh heh
doc
March 22nd, 2012
11:34 pm
aj a lambier sighting in atlanta on nba.tv not hawks locker room unfortunately. melvin he was laughing at hit on blake.
Being Fair
March 22nd, 2012
11:35 pm
Truth be told!!! A general manager can trump all releases so you are telling me LD wanted to leave but Woody was upset and told BK not to release him? False information… Woody had nothing to do with that non- movement. Just like you have stated I have a source as well. Woody and LD were friends at the time why would Woody say no! Lateral movement… the GM from Sac would call the GM from Atlanta the GM has the LAST word regardless of what the coach says! So your reliable source is wrong Woody did not block that move… Doc, I am aware of all the players involved in the drama. Trust me Woody did not stop that movement… They were friends he would have wanted him to be close to his FAMILY!!! And to be fair if you say you think LD is a better coach okay! That could be TRUE! But to say Woody did not/ or was upset because LD wanted to leave FALSE!!! And the backdoor drama maybe you need to ask LD and Woody about that! Better yet maybe they just don’t want to talk about it… They haven’t YET!!!
Rev in Tampa
March 22nd, 2012
11:43 pm
Lacy is a man with a lot of class. Great eulogy. Thanks doc