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
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:29 pm
They were tiny, but shuffle. Funny, Nique.
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 26th, 2012
9:30 pm
will somebody drive the ball…
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:31 pm
Keep shooting Jumpers and the lead evaporates!
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:31 pm
There you go SMOOVE, start taking this clowns
Slimjr
April 26th, 2012
9:33 pm
Dallas interior D is getting shredded!
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:33 pm
Teague got these guys on a yo-yo string
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:34 pm
Seahawks fail hard. Lol
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:35 pm
Hawks TCB!
whew! I was worried for a minute. no more updates on Paul Pierce, their blogs said it was a re-aggravation of an old injury. that makes is more susceptible to be worse with each episode. They probably taped the toe real good, but that will cut off blood flow and make it swell worse.
The best treatment is an ice bucket and shut him down. wait till the morning, it’ll be worse.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:37 pm
Bad and low pass to Joe from Kirk. TO
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:39 pm
Ivan may have goaltended there, but good block regardless. The 2nd unit has needed a help defender all season.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:40 pm
Twin has played very well too! Great because we will need him badly.
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:40 pm
Teague is going to so much better next yr, man wish he coulda gotten more burn prior to this year.
High-sider
April 26th, 2012
9:40 pm
If Jeff Teague doesn’t win MIP [Most Improved Player] this season, he will have gotten robbed. I hear some NBA analysts and announcers say they will vote for Ryan Anderson – ORL, Pekovic – MIN, Greg Monroe -DET, Goran Dragic – HOU, and/or Ja. Dudley – PHO. Teague has more than doubled his production in points and assists.
I will admit [that] I didn’t think Teague would be this good [this season].
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:41 pm
Refs sucking Dirk’s dirk.
Luke Cage
April 26th, 2012
9:41 pm
great ball movement for that 3
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:41 pm
Mavs are aggressively doubling Josh, and he has for the most part swung the ball quickly and found the open man.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:43 pm
Josh is a FANTASTIC passer!!!
TMACfan
April 26th, 2012
9:43 pm
Ivan has great hands
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:43 pm
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:20 pm
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
________________________
But don’t we want him to play? If he’s hurt for the upcoming first round, all the better for the Hawks. And no one to blame but himself.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:44 pm
Ivan hit the backboard from 3/4 court. Nice look there.
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:44 pm
We’re still ahead, but lead dwindling a bit. Need to keep the pressure on to start 4Q.
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:45 pm
Pierce doesn’t have a sprained toe. The guy is a drama queen. He probably has a corn or blister.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:46 pm
DawgyNole
Yes we do, but I’m a doc first, instinctively. LOL
KevinM
April 26th, 2012
9:47 pm
Anybody else getting more comfortable watching Josh’s long jumpers getting launched?
He is messing me more each game.
Let’s close out this 4th qtr!
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:47 pm
Big Lou!
“Pierce doesn’t have a sprained toe. The guy is a drama queen. He probably has a corn or blister”
Ha Ha! LOLROFKTCSPILLINGMYBEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:47 pm
Somehow I am not surprised that Kirk missed on a 1 on 4 fast break.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:48 pm
Damn, Mahinmi
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:49 pm
Marvin is like 1 for 7 on open jumpers in this game.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:49 pm
“Anybody else getting more comfortable watching Josh’s long jumpers getting launched?”
Yes! I am buying Josh’s Jumper – solid = reliable!
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:50 pm
Nique was right. Marvin just has not that stroke tonight. In fact, the entire bench has not, either.
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:50 pm
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.
________________________
Dirk’s burned a ton of ‘em in his day.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:50 pm
40 – 26!
Nuff Said.
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:51 pm
Shut the f!ck up, Nique.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 26th, 2012
9:51 pm
Hawks interior “D” is phenomenal!!!
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:51 pm
Nique oughta be proclaiming this one over any minute now.
TMACfan
April 26th, 2012
9:53 pm
Just a bump. Nothing serious.
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:53 pm
Ol’ Cuban looked pretty sulled up behind that bench. Last season was a long time ago.
McGrady looking pained coming off the court. Don’t need any more injuries.
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:53 pm
Tracy! Hawks don’t need anymore injuries, man!
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:53 pm
He already did, DawgNole. You missed it.
Rev in Tampa
April 26th, 2012
9:54 pm
Mavs announcers have thrown in the towel. They have already given all of their end of the year credits to their broadcast crew. They are ready to pack up their equipment and head west.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:54 pm
Shake it off, T-Mac.
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
Dirk’s newest name is “Derrick Nowinski.”
I know, ’cause Nique said so.
Rob
April 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Im bettin for a 1pm start from the Highlight Factory on Sunday
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
LMAO @ Marvin
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Dangit, Duck!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
Ray Allen questionable for Game 1 on Sunday, per MC’s Twitter.
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
Big Lou
April 26th, 2012
9:53 pm
He already did, DawgNole. You missed it.
_________________________
Shoulda known. Looks like he might be right tonight. MIGHT be.
DawgNole
April 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
Still trying to let ‘em back in it.
Blast
April 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
Dallas rested Jason and Terry for the most part, not expecting this barrage from the Hawks.
Hawks just have to finish up.
Rev in Tampa
April 26th, 2012
9:59 pm
Looks like the wave is going at Phillips. Fans are bored