Updated: Atlanta Hawks at Sixers: Game thread
Vivlamore reporting from Philadelphia.
In what has become a recurring theme, the Hawks will be short-handed against the Sixers.
Tracy McGrady (illness) and Jerry Stackhouse (personal) did not make the trip to Philly. Vladimir Radmanovic (back) will also not play. Jannero Pargo (appendectomy) remains out.
To the game: The Sixers lead the NBA in both scoring defense (allowing 87.7 points per game) and field goal defense (allowing opponents just 42 percent shooting).
“We have to be solid on both ends of the floor,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “They lead the league in field goal defense because they do such a good job of rotating. When you play against a team that does that well, you have to be committed to moving the basketball and making the extra pass. You can’t get stagnant and play a lot of one-on-one because you play right into what they want to do. We are going to have to be totally, totally committed to moving the ball tonight, more so than we have the whole season. If you allow them to load up on one side of the floor you are playing right into their hands.”
I asked Drew how satisfying last night’s win over the Knicks (and former Hawks coach Mike Woodson) was. He took the high road.
“I got the most satisfaction because we had lost two games in a row,” Drew said. “I told the guys before the game, our focus has to be, as we wind the regular season down, we want to finish strong. We want to be playing well toward the end and carry momentum.
“A lot was made about Woodson coming back to Atlanta and that whole thing. But our focus has to be the Atlanta Hawks and what we need to do. We haven’t played consistent in long stretches enough to get caught up in that. Our focus has to be us.”
The Sixers feature three local products in Louis Williams (South Gwinnett High), Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) and Jodie Meeks (Norcross High). Drew is particularly concerned with Williams and Young coming off the bench. Williams leads the Sixers in total points despite not having started a game this season.
“They are both guys when they come into the game, they change the game,” Drew said. “Louis is one of the best scorers in our league and Thaddeus has another motor. You have to combat that. You can’t allow both guys to come in and get going.”
Finally after tonight’s game – the Hawks’ seventh in nine days – they have three days off before playing their next game. Drew said he will give the team at least one day off, maybe two.
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372 comments Add your comment
High-sider
March 31st, 2012
9:40 pm
Teague lacks confidence in his jumpers. He needs to forget about that airball three-point he shot against the Celtics. Why does it seem like everyone Marvin guards hits a late-game clutch shot?
Section 212
March 31st, 2012
9:40 pm
zaza must be injured,
tyler
March 31st, 2012
9:40 pm
Was it just me or was that Eastern Conf playoff pic jacked up?
THAD YOUNG & ALL US 76ERS
March 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
BAD CALL
bigdave
March 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
bad luck..
Section 212
March 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
Brand has 5, got to get him out of the game
Rev in Tampa
March 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
Big miss, Josh. We need the second one
bigdave
March 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
good d Jeff.. tough make from turner
THAD YOUNG & ALL US 76ERS
March 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
ET
Najeh Davenpoop
March 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
Now it’s ovr.
High-sider
March 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
Hawks let one get away.
Section 212
March 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
Well that hurt.
Snoop Dog
March 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
Drew blew this game.
THAD YOUNG & ALL US 76ERS
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
ITS OVER !!!!!!!!!!!! YAHOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yodaddybrother
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
bad coaching down the stretch in my opinion….
Najeh Davenpoop
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
Marvin made one wide open 3, but then he bricks a big one, and he passed up a wide open 3 that he should have taken a couple of possessions before that.
tyler
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
how is boston ahead of us in the East if they are 29-22?
tyler
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
Marvin sux…
Michael
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
horrible at the end, thanks drew.
Big Lou
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
It’s still possible to win with a quick three.
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
damn marvin!!! who are you? what are you worth? a wide open 3 and you building a midtown high rise?
Big Lou
March 31st, 2012
9:44 pm
Whoever thinks this coach is average just got proven wrong in this game.
LD is mediocre at best.
Blast
March 31st, 2012
9:45 pm
Brave effort, but yet another loss.
We need a white coach
March 31st, 2012
9:45 pm
We’ve tried Woodson, we’ve tried Drew. Just not capable. Time for a white coach.
bigdave
March 31st, 2012
9:45 pm
have no answer for this squad..
not sure why we were playing small ball though.
yodaddybrother
March 31st, 2012
9:45 pm
yeah LD you blew it…..Zaza DNP in the fourth what kinnd of BS is that???
Big Lou
March 31st, 2012
9:45 pm
“how is boston ahead of us in the East if they are 29-22?”
Division lead.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 31st, 2012
9:45 pm
Is there a difference between “average” and “mediocre”?
Melvin
March 31st, 2012
9:46 pm
Dumb coaching lost this game.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 31st, 2012
9:46 pm
We were tired!!
yodaddybrother
March 31st, 2012
9:46 pm
@ Big Lou
Mediocre and average are the same thing
Snoop Dog
March 31st, 2012
9:46 pm
mr clutch wasnt clutch
THAD YOUNG & ALL US 76ERS
March 31st, 2012
9:46 pm
MAYBE HAWKS CAN TAKE A 7 POINT SHOT GTOM MUD CT, LOL HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 31st, 2012
9:47 pm
we missing Pargo and Vlad has been a huge disappointment all season. we are decimated with injuries and TMac quit!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 31st, 2012
9:47 pm
JeJe your 6 point margin of defeat may come true.
tyler
March 31st, 2012
9:47 pm
Unless we get to play the Nets or Bobcats in the playoffs- we won’t win a series. Again- if it would get LD outta here I’m all for it. Problem is we wouldn’t spend the money to get anyone worth a !@$#@! anyway so it may not matter. Imagine what a good coach could do with this roster? We have underachieved for the last two years.
Snoop Dog
March 31st, 2012
9:47 pm
Mediocre and average are the same thing?
What is Al Hoford?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 31st, 2012
9:48 pm
Zaza, Green, and Teague underused, Kirk way overused. Hard not to point the finger at LD on this one.
I still think the Hawks will win a playoff series against this team. They are not that good. Hawks shoot themselves in the foot against them.
yodaddybrother
March 31st, 2012
9:48 pm
can’t believe LD didn’t play Zaza to put a plug on Elton Brand…..unbelievable
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 31st, 2012
9:49 pm
ida rather Josh take that shot marvin missed. i dont trust marvin in the clutch. great job by joe to pass to j-swish.
tb hawk fan
March 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
same ol same ol
Big Lou
March 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
Thanks for the correction, blog. I meant horrible.
yodaddybrother
March 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
The logic in doubling Elton freaking Brand and giving up wide open threes is beyond me. We don’t even double Dwight so why Elton????
bad 4th quarter coaching
Najeh Davenpoop
March 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
40 minutes for Kirk, 32 for Teague. Unless Teague’s knee was bothering him, there is no excuse for this.
And only 18 minutes for Green, 24 for Zaza.
High-sider
March 31st, 2012
9:51 pm
tyler
March 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
how is boston ahead of us in the East if they are 29-22?
___________________________________
Check out the link and read the tiebreaker rules/procedures.
http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html
tyler
March 31st, 2012
9:52 pm
Well, maybe LD can explain what happened out there tonight? “I told our team we can’t make excuses BUT….”
Stacey King
March 31st, 2012
9:52 pm
Do you guys know how to post videos to Facebook?
ntrigue
March 31st, 2012
9:52 pm
Joe cost us this gm along with bad coaching….Joe’s inabilty t make the correct pass when facing a double team…..he either dribbles too long and trys to make a forced pass when the play cmpletely breaks down and their is little time on the clock
BIG DOG
March 31st, 2012
9:53 pm
Like i say this team will have and early 1st round exit with out Horford, not only that 7seed is right around the corner and could face the Heat and be swept in 4.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
ntrigue
March 31st, 2012
9:54 pm
And the doubling of Brand made no sense at all!