Atlanta Hawks vs. Mavericks: Game thread
Vivlamore reporting from Philips Arena.
The Hawks will be without Al Horford for at least the first round of the playoffs. This we know. It’s looking more like they could be without Zaza Pachulia. That’s the All-Star center and his backup not in the lineup versus the Celtics.
Horford, rehabbing from a torn left pectoral muscle, said he isn’t ready from a physical standpoint.
Pachulia, who will miss his seventh straight game with a sprained left foot, was wearing a walking boot when he left Philips Arena following shoot-around this morning. That’s something that he hasn’t been wearing the times I’ve seen him since suffering the injury against the Magic. Coach Larry Drew continues to term Pachulia as day-to-day. He is scheduled to be re-examined this weekend. The Hawks open the playoffs on Sunday.
I wanted to get a better idea of how the Hawks offense with differ without the two big men.
Drew made it clear this morning that it won’t be the first time they have played short-handed in such a way.
“We’ve been without both guys before,” Drew said. “We’ll just have to go out and play solid basketball, number one, and number two we’ll have to be prepared to make some adjustments. Not having your starting center and your backup center throws a monkey wrench into things but you have to keep moving forward. We hope and wish that we could have had a full squad this season, and at this point in the season, with injury being part of the game. You can’t sit around and mope about it. You have to keep moving forward and that’s what we plan to do.”
From a technical standpoint, the Hawks have been without one of their man scoring options without Horford. That has put more pressure on Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Jeff Teague.
“One thing I have tried to exploit, at least since I’ve been here, is putting [Horford] in more pick-and-pop situations,” Drew said. “I think he is one of the better pick-and-pop big men in our league. I’ve really tried to put him in more situations like that.”
While Pachulia wasn’t a primary scoring option, he knew when and how to get his points. It is his defense and rebounded that will be missed.
Without the two centers, the balance of scoring shifts according to Willie Green. That is why the Hawks’ deep bench has been such an asset this season.
“When you have Al, when you have Zaza, when you have those guys implementing your offense you are going to have a few guys dominate more – you are going to have Al, Joe and Josh. It’s going to take some shots away from other guys.
“Without those guys, you have to have substitution guys step up. It also creates a bigger role for Josh, creates a bigger role for Teague, creates a bigger role for Joe. Those three guys we are really leaning on to carry us in the starting lineup. The substitution guys can come in, get points, get some steals, create some ruckus on both ends of the floor. It’s a balance situation when you have guys in and guys out. You try to pick up the slack where you can.”
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375 comments Add your comment
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:02 pm
Just bring some of this intensity Sunday now, Hawks. That’s when you’re really gonna need it.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:03 pm
No Zaza – No Problem!
We will need him though.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:04 pm
16 dimes, 3 turnovers. Great half.
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 26th, 2012
9:04 pm
damn how many people in this draft have dreads lol
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:04 pm
Sautee
April 26th, 2012
9:00 pm
OK, DawgNole, a LOT MORE, lately.
______________________
NOW we’re cookin’.
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:04 pm
DT to the chiefs? They’re retarded.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:05 pm
Boston 60 – 42
Hawks 60 – 44
Uh Oh!
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:06 pm
Its good to have the Home Court Sunday..
They may surprise us and pull off the upset?
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:06 pm
Boston killing it 60 to 42 at half time. Lol
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:06 pm
Let them back in a little, gotta smash them at the start of the 3rd
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:07 pm
Hawks cooking with “Hot Fish Grease”!
Tell me Boston don’t want HCA? Yeah … they do!
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:07 pm
Tannehill was a serious reach, guess the fins still will be looking for their next Marino for the next decade.
TMACfan
April 26th, 2012
9:09 pm
Sprained Left Big Toe for Pierce
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:09 pm
Po is a serious reach, too. My money is on bust status for him.
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:10 pm
TMACfan
Did they bring out the wheelchair? Lol
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:11 pm
I will be very disappointed if the Bobcats win today. If you are going to be that bad, you better be historically bad.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:12 pm
?Sprained Left Big Toe for Pierce”
When? Just now? If so, he done for round 1.
______
Like I said, pull our starters now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:13 pm
Lol
The Eagles are going to have a sick defensive line.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:14 pm
Yeah, the Eagles’ D line will be good, but it won’t matter if they don’t upgrade at LB. They traded for DeMeco Ryans, which was good, but they need more help there unless they want to embarrass themselves in run defense again.
TMACfan
April 26th, 2012
9:14 pm
@Big Lou
You just made me laugh for a good five minutes LOL
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:14 pm
Eagles pick up Fletcher Cox! Nice!! What a defensive front they will have?
305lbs, runs a 4.7! Wow!
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:15 pm
Don’t tell me Boston will not like to have home court, with the way they are playing tonight. Rondo and Pierce are playing. They want it as bad as we do. They know Hawks play them tough, and both teams have playoff history.
Doesn’t matter if the Celts win though, Hawks just need to win tonight, and they start the playoffs at home.
In scoring, both Hawks and Boston’s game tonight seem to mirror each other.
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:16 pm
Pierce = NBA Biggest Diva
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:17 pm
No wonder the Bucks are losing. With Gooden and Ilyasova out, they have to start… JON LEUER!!!!
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:18 pm
“Eagles pick up Fletcher Cox! Nice!! What a defensive front they will have?
305lbs, runs a 4.7! Wow!”
They still have a horrible LB core, though.
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:19 pm
I like Shaq on Inside The NBA, but I just think he tries way Toooooooo much to be funny. He needs to tone it down a little.
Charles is stupid, calling his co-workers ugly! Ha-ha-ha!
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:20 pm
Shaq brings nothing to Inside The NBA.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:20 pm
Celtics F Pierce sprains left big toe in finale
Updated: Thursday, 26 Apr 2012, 9:08 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 26 Apr 2012, 9:04 PM EDT
BOSTON (AP) – Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce has returned to the team’s regular-season finale against the Milwaukee Bucks after going to the locker room with a sprained left big toe.
The Celtics said Pierce was not likely to return to Thursday night’s game, but he was back on the court late in the second quarter.
Pierce, who leads the Celtics with 19.7 points per game, started and scored the first five points before leaving with the injury early in the first quarter.
Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/sports/celtics-f-pierce-sprains-left-big-toe-in-finale-20120426#ixzz1tCPMyDwc
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Oh Oh! He is stupid to keep playing. Do they want HCA that bad? Doc must have really thought we would lose to either the Clippers or Mavs, but, WE WON!
Now Doc, desperately wants this win tonight in hopes we lose. HA!
In the morning, that big toe will be the size of a grapefruit, he should ice that right now and wait for a MRI. What they did was X-Ray it in the locker room and it wasn’t fractured. Fool’s gold there, because a sprain is worse than a fracture and, a toe ligament may be torn. To keep playing may dislocate the joint or tear the ligament. A dislocate will require a screw/pin inserted.
Just dumb of Pierce to keep playing. SMH
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:21 pm
No collapse guys, step on their necks.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:21 pm
Here comes the 3rd quarter swoon.
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 26th, 2012
9:21 pm
chokeeeeeeeeeeeee
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:21 pm
Here come the lame Hawks.
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 26th, 2012
9:22 pm
this is nothing new
Melvin
April 26th, 2012
9:22 pm
how many careless turnovers has Joe have these pass few games
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:22 pm
“They still have a horrible LB core, though.”
True. Once they address the linebackers.. Look out!
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:22 pm
Damn
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:23 pm
Eagles will not win with Vick.
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:23 pm
And just like that, the big, fat lead is gone. Hawks in a dogfight now.
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:23 pm
Oh shoot it is the 3rd quarter… Going to make it interesting Hawks?
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:23 pm
Let’s Go Hawks!
Do What Josh said at half-time. Put these guys away! stop with the jumpers, go inside and, slow the game down, get to the line!
Stop with the TO’s. Geez!
Rob
April 26th, 2012
9:23 pm
Here we go
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:23 pm
0-4
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:24 pm
Drive to the basket, losers! It worked the first half.
Melvin
April 26th, 2012
9:24 pm
Look like the Hawks are going to make this game rough. Instead of increasing the lead to 20 to open the 3rd qtr, they allow the Mavs to cut it to 11.
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:25 pm
Bobcats should cease to exist as an organization, then we bring in Stephanie Ready.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:26 pm
Josh does such a good job staying down on shot fakes against most players, but Dirk has burned him twice today.
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:26 pm
Josh too dumb to avoid pump fakes. Didn’t he read the scouting report?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:27 pm
Great ball movement to beat the zone. Something the Hawks really struggled at doing last year and the previous year.
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:28 pm
Basketball 101, shot blockers go for fakes…
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:28 pm
Funny thing DRose has been crying about hard fouls and no calls this past month.
Ha Ha! Same thing Vick was saying last year. Solution: DRose, stop penetrating so much, what do you expect – flowers and chocolates?