Atlanta Hawks at Raptors: Game thead
Toronto-–Same starting lineup for the Hawks: Jason Collins at center in place of Zaza Pachulia. Linas Kleiza (knee) will not dress for the Raptors.
- Larry Drew said Hawks players were miffed about last night’s debacle: “It wasn’t a good mood at all. I am sure they were very disappointed in themselves. I certainly was not a happy camper last night. After a game like that, it’s emotional. I had a chance to watch a bit of the game flying in last night, got a good night’s rest, got up this morning and I felt like a new person. I felt like that game and that day was so far behind us right now. As I told the guys, it’s a matter of looking at that game and saying, ‘Hey, we let that one get away from us.’ Now it’s a matter of lacing them back up and going out there and playing the way we know we are capable.”
- The Hawks get an immediate chance at redemption and clinching a playoff berth all in one shot. “It’s just one loss but looking back at it we could have played a lot more competitively,” Josh Smith said. “Now we are able to get that sour taste out of our mouth and play the same team.”
- Drew: “We’ve got to play better. From an energy standpoint and going back and looking back at the game, we didn’t have the energy for some reason. You have got to Toronto give credit they came out and sustained for an entire game but I know we are much, much better and more capable of playing better. We didn’t play good basketball last night on either end.”
- Drew said Toronto’s assault on the rim had more to do with poor perimeter D than a lack of inside presence: “We didn’t defend off the dribble very well. We did a good enough job defensively at defending sets but, at the tail end of a few sets, we just got beat off the dribble. It wasn’t anything they did, they just put the ball down and went by us. You have to play better defensively. When it comes down to mano y mano you just have to sit down and you have got to guard.”
- Drew on Toronto’s zone D: “Zone is zone. When you are not making shots against a zone, the zone is pretty good. When you are making shots, the zone is not worth a heck. They seem to have confidence in their zone. But it wasn’t anything to surprise us. In all of our meetings we had with them they have zoned us. We have been able to make the adjustments. I wouldn’t say that was the determining factor.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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278 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
April 16th, 2012
9:52 pm
“If Kobe played for the Raptors, Orlando, and Houston he’d have not one ring either?”
Exactly. People who call T-Mac a loser because of his playoff record miss this point. That Orlando Magic team he carried to the playoffs back in 2002 and 2003 was HORRIBLE. Like, Charlotte Bobcats horrible. Dude carried a team to the playoffs that started players like Andrew DeClercq. That team had no business being in the playoffs. They made it because of a) T-Mac and b) Doc Rivers. That’s it.
Rev in Tampa
April 16th, 2012
9:55 pm
“Mets have good starting pitching and enough hitters to carry them if they can stay healthy. Staying healthy, though, has been a problem for them for many years now. I don’t trust them to stay healthy any more than I trust the Hawks to break their 45 year streak.”
The Mets are more dysfunctional than the Hawks.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
10:05 pm
“I know ya’ll hate Marvin but he actually had a good game tonight.”
Who?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
10:05 pm
Najeh,
Houston went to the 2nd round the one year T-Mac was hurt. We’ll see what happens this year. He can still play.
doc
April 16th, 2012
10:11 pm
hope zaza doesnt have a stress fracture.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
10:15 pm
May have to stick a fork in ZaZa?
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
April 16th, 2012
10:17 pm
“This blog is full of panic artists. One bad game and ya’ll are ready to break up the team. I knew they would blow out Toronto tonight.” – Sushi
Man you didn’t know crap. lol. Where were you yesterday?
DawgNole
April 16th, 2012
10:18 pm
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
9:38 pm
This blog is full of panic artists. One bad game and ya’ll are ready to break up the team. I knew they would blow out Toronto tonight.
________________________
You knew? BS. If you knew, why didn’t you get on here before the game and say so? Then we all could’ve relaxed in the first half as well as the second.
“One bad game . . . .” It’s NOT one bad game. It’s 45 years of many bad games–especially when they count (playoffs).
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
10:20 pm
Ivan is now our 3rd best player with Z out. Might have overtaken Joe. Jury’s still out
brigadierjerry
April 16th, 2012
10:21 pm
slimjr,
teams aside why would you take a prime mac over kobe?
also you said earlier good to see knicks in the playoffs, they made the playoffs last year
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
10:23 pm
This sushi guy is busy supporting Marvina
ROTFLMAOLOL
If anyone saw the last 2 plays of the 1st half last night, I think there’s people on this blog who could’ve executed better than that stiff did
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
10:27 pm
I was here last nights blog Clyde – look it up.
I’m not supporting Marvin, JeJe – just said he had a decent game tonight. Why are you talking about the last 2 plays last night?
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
10:28 pm
Lets hope they keep put a streak together like the Hawks have (getting into the playoffs). The Knicks…
TMAC’s bigger and as you saw just a match up nightmare for everybody.. 29 pt. scoring avg. in the playoffs against people designing plays to stop you is insane!
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
10:29 pm
delete{ keep }^^^
Rusty
April 16th, 2012
10:35 pm
Sautee as per your eariier post I wonder if JT is bipolar,no i think ir is probably LD who is bipolar. If LD would get off his back JT would always perform at this level.
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
10:35 pm
DawgNole,
You’re the one full of B.S. – I blogged yesterday saying they would blow out Toronto tonight – where were you?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
10:37 pm
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
10:27 pm
I was here last nights blog Clyde – look it up.
I’m not supporting Marvin, JeJe – just said he had a decent game tonight. Why are you talking about the last 2 plays last night?
LinkReport this comment
****
Because he sucks
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
10:41 pm
My comments from yesterday – for you non-believers.:
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
2:15 pm
Only one game – watch – the Hawks are gonna kick Toronto in the butt tonight. It’s obvious they totally underestimated Toronto’s D-League loaded lineup and expected them to roll over.
Also, Josh Smith had a decent game, but he needs to quit trying to be a point guard and give up the ball to a guard. His domination of the ball is one of the reasons why Teague is ineffective.
Yes JeJe – Marvin sucks most of the time – but once in a while he has a decent game – of course, I don’t expect you to recognize that.
KevinM
April 16th, 2012
10:53 pm
Glad to see the win tonight, yet no one knew which team LD would coach tonight.
We will more than likely see more of this in the playoffs.
We are looking like our seed will once again go backwards for the 2nd straight year under LD. Oh, he so deserves another contract…in 2 years, we can be the 8th seed.
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
11:01 pm
Actually, my comments were from earlier today – anyway, read it and weep.
Rusty
April 16th, 2012
11:04 pm
After singling out JT last night as having a bad game,LD never even mentions that JT had a great game.
Rusty
April 16th, 2012
11:06 pm
Ld sort of praises Ivan in the post interview,why the hell did the idiot suspend him
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
11:08 pm
Rusty – this is from an article on espn.com:
Drew issued a pregame challenge to Teague to step up his aggressiveness and the third-year guard followed through by leading the Hawks to 28 fast-break points, the most by a Raptors opponent this season.
“I thought he was a difference maker tonight with his speed,” Drew said. “He got in the lane quite a few times tonight. When he’s playing with that type of aggression, we’re just a different ball club.”
Big Lou
April 16th, 2012
11:09 pm
Looks like my prediction was off. I expected a ten point win, but it was more. Predictable Hawks. Now let’s see if they lose the rest of the season.
Rusty
April 16th, 2012
11:09 pm
JT had a great offensive game but let us not forget he usually has a damn good defensive game. Compare his defense against MB,what a joke.
HawkEye
April 16th, 2012
11:10 pm
Rusty, I noticed that as well. Usually someone has to mention Jeff’s “good” performance in the post-game interview before LD gives any credit to Teague. Oh well, at least Teague had a good night so we don’t have to hear LD single only him out for not being aggressive.
Big Lou
April 16th, 2012
11:10 pm
I didn’t see the game, but I bet LD started Collins; which he produced with probably zero points and two rebounds.
Michael Cunningham
April 16th, 2012
11:13 pm
new blog posted. shutting down this thread.