Atlanta Hawks: Celtics 90, Hawks 84 (OT)
Boston–The Hawks, against all odds and in spite of Larry Drew’s weird substitution patterns, had a chance to beat the Celtics and regain control of this series. This was because they were intense on defense and the boards, got production from unlikely sources and Joe Johnson made big shots. It also helped that the Celtics sputtered on their possessions late in regulation.
- The Hawks lost in overtime and one way to look at is they nearly won without their top three bigs. Heck, for at least one night you can’t even knock them for not having enough quality bigs (who does, really?) after Erick Dampier had his best game of the season.
- “We feel like we have as good a chance to win this series as they do,” Joe Johnson said. “Unfortunately we have three key bigs that are not able to play. That is a minor setback. We still had a great chance to come out and win this game. We still had a chance in the fourth quarter.”
- Another way to look at it, though, is that three games have come down to the final minutes and the Celtics won two of them. They didn’t do it with style, but they did it.
- “I think [the difference] is down the stretch,” Willie Green said. “Offensively, they execute in the last six minutes of the game. The games they won, we were winning they had control of the game and then the last six to eight minutes of fourth quarter and those guys know how to turn it up. They push us out, make us to take tough shots, force the catches way out until we can’t get in our offense. We’ve just got to do a better job of spacing and attacking these guys.”
- I heard cries of “same old Hawks” after they lost Game 2 and I didn’t buy it, at least not if that implies these Hawks are like that group that laid down for the Magic two years ago. Competing hard hasn’t often been the problem for the Hawks this season and it’s the same in this series.
- “I give them a lot of credit,” Doc Rivers said. “They are undermanned. . . . They fought. I thought early on they were playing free, loose and also with more intensity.”
- But if by “same old Hawks” critics mean they still can’t find a way to finish off quality opponents in the postseason, then there’s no denying that even considering the injury-related holes in their roster.
- “We had them where we wanted them in the fourth quarter,” Jeff Teague said. “We had a chance to win it. That’s all we can ask on the road. In the overtime they made plays and we ran out of gas a little bit after fighting back in that fourth quarter. We get another crack at them and we have to be better.”
- It’s not as if the Hawks had only terrible execution at the end of regulation. I thought there were some good possessions during their comeback. . . .
- Jeff Teague got into the lane and kicked out to Tracy McGrady, who found Willie Green in the corner for a 3. That’s good.
- Joe Johnson made a step-back J on a quick isolation move against Mickael Pietrus. After Paul Pierce inexplicably shoved Jason Collins out on the perimeter, Joe pulled up for a 3 over Pietrus before help could arrive. Those were nice. Tie game.
- McGrady got to the rim but let Rondo bother him and missed. That’s bad. “I missed an easy-[arse] shot right there,” he said.
- And then Joe passed out of a double team, McGrady drove to get Kevin Garnett off the perimeter and kicked out to Green, who got a pretty good look after pump-faking Ray Allen. Not a bad process even if the result wasn’t good.
- “It was an isolation on the wing,” Joe said. “They came with a double team and I made the right play. I thought Willie had a great look at it. Pump fake and one dribble, that’s a shot he normally makes. That’s a shot we work on in practice but unfortunately it didn’t go down.”
- The overtime didn’t go as well offensively for the Hawks. Drew called a timeout and isolated McGrady, balky ankle and all, against Pierce. He missed. After a Celtics shot-clock violation, Joe got past Pietrus for a layup. But after a Rondo airball, Joe missed a short jumper off an isolation.
- Garnett got a tip dunk, Joe missed a 3 and that was it.
- “We’ve been a team that has had adversity throughout the season like everybody else,” Drew said. “It says a lot about your team when they can step up in the playoffs short-handed and put yourself in position to win.”
- It says a lot more if you actually win. The margin is thin in this series and some of Drew’s personnel decisions were odd.
- The game changed when Rondo attacked Jannero Pargo on three straight possessions early in the fourth quarter. Drew called a timeout but left Pargo in as Kirk Hinrich, who had done a respectable job checking Rondo, sat for the entire fourth quarter and overtime.
- Drew eventually replaced Pargo with Green. “I thought about bringing [Hinrich] back but I really was searching for someone who could make a shot,” Drew said. “I went with Willie, he came in and knocked down a big three for us. I elected to ride those guys out.”
- Drew also sat Johnson and Teague together for 4:20 and 10 possessions spanning the third and fourth quarters and the Hawks didn’t score: Ivan Johnson missed two Js, Pargo missed three shots and threw away a pass, Dampier missed, Green missed a 3, Marvin Williams traveled and McGrady missed a 3.
- At least there was some rhyme and reason for Drew to sit Joe for seven minutes: Joe ended up playing the entire second half and overtime. But if that was the plan, couldn’t Drew have staggered the rest over two stretches so Joe or Teague could always be on the court?
- Then again, I’m not even sure Drew planned to ride Joe after halftime. “I didn’t want that game to get away from us,” he said. “At the end of the third quarter asked him how he felt, he said he felt good. He wasn’t tired so I decided to ride him.”
- This is a game where Joe needed to take 28 shots and he did well to get 29 points with just two turnovers. The eight rebounds were important, too. Yes, Joe had some isos, but I thought he was decisive and aggressive in those situations so the Celtics never really were able to smother him.
- Teague (23 points on 16 shots, six assists against two turnovers) was great. The Hawks were at their best when he found the perfect balance between attacking to score and finding teammates. “I was just playing aggressive,” he said. “Trying to get some kind of offense going and get us back into it.” He didn’t get many touches in overtime.
- McGrady was good, too, save for some bad turnovers that coincided with Pargo’s struggles. He gave the Celtics a lot of problems with his size around the basket. He lost some of his effectiveness after he rolled his ankle late in the first half. “It wasn’t the same,” he said. “I really couldn’t get the lift I wanted to and I hesitated to cut.” He said he was sore after playing 41 minutes but planned to play through any bumps and bruises in Game 4.
- Marvin passed up a lot of open shots–that traveling call I mentioned previously happened when he had a clean look on the secondary break but pump-faked instead of shooting. The 11 defensive rebounds in 20 minutes were an important contribution considering he was playing on the frontline. But the the Hawks needed points and he was -10 in spite of playing more alongside the starters.
- Pargo, in addition to his defensive struggles, took and missed bad shots and didn’t run the offense.
- Dampier looked dang near spry while skying for rebounds, throwing down dunks and contesting the Celtics at the rim. Credit his professionalism for being ready after being on the shelf for so long.
- Collins had a couple silly fouls and four turnovers. But four points on four shots, three rebounds in 20 minutes. Collins ended up -2 in 20 minutes even though Garnett and Bass took him outside.
- There have been diminishing returns in the last two games with Ivan, especially on offense. He was out there without Teague or Joe there to steady things.
- Green made some timely shots and didn’t hurt the Hawks defensively in 15 minutes.
- Vladimir Radmanovic made his series debut and didn’t get off a shot until a 3 attempt in garbage time.
- Rondo had a triple-double. His final line was rough (17 points on 22 shots, six turnovers) but he took over the game after halftime. “I could hear him say, ‘Let’s get to the rim,’” Teague said. “They were trying to get offensive rebounds. I guess we have to live with him scoring. We don’t want Paul Pierce and those guys to get it going so we have to live with him taking shots. He made some tonight.”
- The Hawks will regroup for Game 4 and hope Josh Smith is back in the fold. “We are still very confident,” Joe said. “This series is far from over. We have just got to keep fighting and keep grinding. We will find some way to get a win.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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126 comments Add your comment
doc
May 5th, 2012
1:24 am
Well well well, tired of being close.
Sucks.
Tmac tried to take over. Not able to, might as well pass it.
High-sider
May 5th, 2012
1:27 am
2nd?
High-sider
May 5th, 2012
1:28 am
3rd?
Najeh Davenpoop
May 5th, 2012
1:29 am
“Teague… didn’t get many touches in overtime.”
“The overtime didn’t go as well offensively for the Hawks. ”
These two things are directly related. Teague is not a perfect PG but he is the Hawks’ best option to initiate offense when Josh is injured.
TMACfan
May 5th, 2012
1:29 am
Give our team credit, guys stepped up in the absence of Josh, but we still lost the game..
We will win the next one.
High-sider
May 5th, 2012
1:30 am
Hawks score 84 points in 53 minutes [48 in regulation and 5 in overtime].
Does anybody [else] miss Jamal Crawford now?
doc
May 5th, 2012
1:31 am
Hinrich should have seen some play time as he really has better numbers than green over all and has played pretty well both ways. Pargo should sit and green only in spots. Finally erick got some legit time and showed he should have had more of it. Stupid Larry, stupid..
doc
May 5th, 2012
1:32 am
Nice try high, sorry.
TMACfan
May 5th, 2012
1:34 am
THIS COACH IS AN IDIOT THOUGH. HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE HIS TEAM.
Rufus1
May 5th, 2012
1:35 am
NO…..Nobody misses Jamal….We Miss Josh,AL and Zaza…They are the DIFFERENCE…Not some non-defensive playing chucker….
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
1:36 am
Tonight should be a night of celebration.
I realize the Hawks will disappoint us again.
But tonight, I was proud to be a Hawks fan.
LD for all his shortcomings that we all can nit pick;
the man and his staff coached their collective asses off tonight.
The Bench;
Collins & Damp combined for 10 & 9.
Willie G hit a couple of big shots.
And of Course T-Mac the performance of the season !
Little things I notice:
How well the team performs as a unit [particularly on defense]
when Cap`n Kirk is on the floor.
V-Rad comes in and all of a sudden, driving lanes open up
for Teaguer & Joe as the c`s “have to” spread their defense.
*[V-Rad automatically spreads the floor]
I was so mad at Joe for wilting in the play-offs again;
then all of a sudden, Joe turns into Mr Clutch at the right time.
I almost forgot about young Mr Teaguer;
went head to head with the great Rondo.
At the very worst – he fought him to a draw.
Seems like Teaguer rises to the occasion during the Play-offs !
Back to LD – everytime I wish to get angry with him
the team shows up with a performance like tonight
when I was expecting a typical Hawks-roll-over-&-mail-it-in.
Kudos to LD and our Atlanta Hawks !
High-sider
May 5th, 2012
1:36 am
“Drew called a timeout but left Pargo in as Kirk Hinrich, who had done a respectable job checking Rondo, sat for the entire fourth quarter and overtime.” – Michael Cunningham
Rajon Rondo’s stat line for Game 3 vs. the Hawks – 17pts, 14rebs, 12asts and 4stls in 48:40 [of playing time]
tRON
May 5th, 2012
1:44 am
i actually have hope after watching this game. “MAYBE” now caoch drew see’s hows effective T-Mac can be against this team. so josh comes back next game and mcgrady get a lot of work done on ankle tomorrow and we win the next game and tiw the series up. lets not panic guys i still believe with josh playing and macgrady getting quality minutes we can still win the series.
Rufus1
May 5th, 2012
1:46 am
Teague…..
You are watching a STAR being born.
jamal crawford fan
May 5th, 2012
1:46 am
Tmac had those two cruel in and out 3’s in the 2nd quarter which could have put the hawks up by 4 going into the second half. story of the hawks night just got all the wrong rolls and bounces.
High-sider
May 5th, 2012
1:48 am
@Rufus1
Rufus1
May 5th, 2012
1:35 am
NO…..Nobody misses Jamal….We Miss Josh,AL and Zaza…They are the DIFFERENCE…Not some non-defensive playing chucker….
——————————————————————–
You will, Rufus1, when Hinrich, Pargo, Green, and [Marvin] Williams score a total of eight [8] points [or less] combined [again] and the Hawks fail [again] to score 85 points for an entire game vs. the Celtics this postseason.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
1:49 am
I do not wish to criticize anyone tonite.
But;
Rick Sund, for not having another Big on the roster
is the goat – in my opinion.
Collins and Damp far exceded any expectation I ever could concieve.
Still, w/o naming available Bigs that were and have been easily obtainable
including our draftee; inexcusable for Sund.
Yeah, LD has some unusual moments with substitutions;
but darn`it, some of those outside the box decisions have worked.
Listen; I`m still not sold on LD.
But dawg-gone ! ? !
Najeh Davenpoop
May 5th, 2012
1:51 am
Hawks would have won this game if they had Kenneth Faried (and Jordan Crawford) instead of Kirk.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
1:52 am
The Celts also attempted 25 FTs to our 15.
msc
May 5th, 2012
1:52 am
we could have easily won if we just had a better coach but LD does a lot of head scratching things esp with his subs. Still think we would have won game 2 if LD let T-mac play and would have won tonight if he made the right subs at the right time.
but overall im proud of how joe teague t-mac and the whole team down to damp played hard tonight. now just get the win on sunday and even it up LETS GO!
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
1:58 am
* [from last blog] *
*’`Rusty`’*'`Rusty`’*'`Rusty`’*
I haven`t read everyone`s remarks.
So I do not know what the is the popular opine
for LD`s perfomance this eve.
Therfore, I`ll make two points only for you.
1. Game two; I was extrely critical of LD.
2. Tonight LD should be lauded, along with our entire team.
What a magnificent performance under extreme duress;
both LD / and staff plus the players, all of them.
Rufus1
May 5th, 2012
1:59 am
I will never miss Jamal…..I miss AL, Josh and Zaza, because they score and PLAY DEFENSE.
Because if he was playing, we would lose by 20 points a game…. He is the Classic example of the “FISH STORY”….. he gets better with time, but he was really a MINOW!
“You will, Rufus1, when Hinrich, Pargo, Green, and [Marvin] Williams score a total of eight [8] points [or less] combined [again] and the Hawks fail [again] to score 85 points for an entire game vs. the Celtics this postseason.”-High-sider
————————————————————————————————————–
The Celtics score about 85pts, because those guys play defense….I CHOOSE defense everyday and TWICE on Sunday.
Rufus1
May 5th, 2012
2:00 am
Hawks win this game if we had a healthy Josh and AL.
LT
May 5th, 2012
2:02 am
“Hawks score 84 points in 53 minutes [48 in regulation and 5 in overtime].
Does anybody [else] miss Jamal Crawford now?”
NO….. Jamal is cool but I still like the bench this year over just Jamal.
tom
May 5th, 2012
2:06 am
proud of the guys for stepping up tonight. have to get the win on sunday.
Rusty
May 5th, 2012
2:07 am
Grandad you got to be kidding.your either LDs son or your on drugs. Horrible coaching he caused us this game ,just like the second game. Wake up before you watch the games.
doc
May 5th, 2012
2:07 am
sorry gdad, i am not going to be happy to lose. it really says something when these things keep happening. whether it is queen doing it in the finals or important games or us in as important games it still shows the collar is still on. tmac, sorry you didnt deliver when you had the chance(S). teague is still growing and jj waited for the double and triple as long as it is in his hand he either has to shoot it or get rid of it to start over.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
2:09 am
I know it`s a little thing that`s a Big thang that`s overlooked
-&-
we still lost, because the C`s scored more points than our Hawks
But;
the Hawks outscored the Celts from the floor 72 – 68.
Due;
to the Hawks makng 12 of 15 FTs -v- Boston attmptng 25 while hittng 22.
Had there been more parity with FTs / no OT / perhaps ?
Rusty
May 5th, 2012
2:13 am
Grandad let’s face it ,it was still a nasty loss,LD is a looser same as woody.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
2:17 am
doc
Not happy at all.
Pleasantly surprised.
The folks that try to lay it all on LD are just wrong.
I`m sick and tired of being sick and tired.
-SO-
I`m proud to be a Hawks fan tonight.
Mistakes, certainly.
Teamwork, effort, defense, preparation … yes;
and that`s a yes that I can live with.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
2:25 am
This game pretty much went just like I expected, minus a close Hawks win. Shame on all of you who though that this team would simply roll over and die without Josh. Josh is a good player, but we do have enough talent on this team that can do bits and pieces to replace what Josh brought to the table . . with the exception of shot blocking. The same would be true if Josh were playing, but JJ went down.
Props to JJ for GRINDING. It was a Dominique-esque type of game in which he didn’t shoot a great percentage, but seemed to hit timely shots. Stars have to play games like these during the playoffs sometimes. You simply have to grind away and keep playing, doing everything possible to help your team win the game.
Major props to Jeff Teague. I pretty much knew he was poised to have a big game tonight I thought he was excellent all game, staying in full attack mode. Without Josh in the lineup, he would have more of an opportunity to play like that, and he took advantage of it.
Collins and Dampier defended Garnett well. Despite Dampier doing his Zaza fumbling the ball imitation on a few plays, he played about as well as you can expect him to play in this situation. Collins man defense was once again solid. But the thing I hate about him is that he doesn’t have the athleticism to rebound at a decent rate. A few of those offensive rebounds Boston got with Collins in the area, were absolute killers.
I had to go “ooooooooo” on that T-Mac baseline spin and dunk that he did over Pietrus. Nobody was expecting that move. I loved watching him work in that 2nd quarter. Who knows what the outcome of this game would’ve been, had he not gotten hurt before halftime. But he definitely showed flashes of his old self last night.
Props to Marvin for doing SOMETHING. If you’re going to shoot like Jamal Crawford in the final 2 games in the Bulls series ( Marvin: 3 – 17 FG so far in this series . . . Jamal: 3 – 19 FG in the final 2 games vs the Bulls in 2011 ), you might as well lead the team in rebounding. Way to pick up those same defensive rebounds that would’ve gone to Josh Smith.
Small props to Hinrich and Willie Green. Nothing offensively from Hinrich, but played good defense most of his time on the court. Willie hit a big shot in OT.
The rest of the team . . blah.
Not at all surprised how this game went. Great effort by this team tonight. Now, I firmly believe that they’ll get Game 4 . . with or without Josh.
Section 303
May 5th, 2012
2:27 am
Pargo and Green are producing nothing now that the playoffs are here. Marvin still sucks, too.
Doc Rivers can save his praise. I f’ing hate the Celtics.
Rusty
May 5th, 2012
2:34 am
Mortcyde JJ didn’t have a good game,took 28 shots & took the ball out of JTs hands in the overtime.Joe & Carmelo have a lot in common. He really didn’t have a good game.
Rusty
May 5th, 2012
2:37 am
Nortcyde you can’t have a sg in this league playing big minutes & not scoring,it’s like having 2 marvins on the floor.
Hawks2012
May 5th, 2012
2:39 am
Kevin Garnett got away with defensive goaltending with 1 minute to go in regulation on tracy mcgradys shot. cost us the game. these refs are horrific.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
2:40 am
Rusty
” It is better to keep one’s mouth shut and be thought a fool
than to open it and resolve all doubt.”
-Abraham Lincoln-
____________________________________________
LD could not be my father;
although he could be my son, I suppose ?
As I am the elder between he and I.
____________________________________________
I am on prescription meds;
if that is what you mean by stating:
“your on drugs”
Did you actually mean:
your *[own] drugs ?
-or-
*[you`re] on drugs ?
In other words, which did you misspell ?
*[on / own] or [your / you`re]
In either case;
the drugs/meds are prescription and I purchase them at the pharmacy,
so I reckon they belong to me.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
2:42 am
Crusty . . your opinion is moot. You, like a few other people around here, are mere tape recorders. It doesn’t matter how a guy plays, you’ll say the same things each and every game . . . in a negative tone. Even trying to explain things to you would be a waste of my time.
So if you feel that JJ didn’t have a good game, that’s cool.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
2:47 am
Grandad . . I don’t know about a “celebration” . . but it does mean that the Hawks are legit in this series. And I think the Celtics know this. I’m POSITIVE that Doc knows it.
Some of the fans may be scared of the Celtics, but the Hawks aren’t. They know that they can go toe to toe with this team. The last obstacle now is to shut them down in the final 3 minutes of the game.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
2:51 am
Rusty – with all your expertise;
please cite specific basketball related [Xs and Os] that prove
LD is stupid and coached poorly.
Something other than he didn`t play your favorite player when
or as much as you wished.
Seriously; tell us something tangible.
How would you have deployed the offense differently ?
Same for the defense ?
I`m not talking match-ups.
Tell me something about how, where, when, systematically
that you would have conceived a plan more brilliant than LD.
Remember – I`m not talking about your fav plyrs.
I wish to hear some real basketball from you ………
who continue to lambast a man.
Now give me spot on reasoning.
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
May 5th, 2012
2:57 am
“Grandad let’s face it ,it was still a nasty loss,LD is a looser same as woody.”
I know what a loser is. Maybe a looser is one who goes to the loo.
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
3:03 am
nortcyde
I certainly could have used any number of words other than
-celebration-
but, it was the one that came to mind.
I did not use the word in the context of having a party.
Occasionally celebration are solemn, neither did I use it in that context.
However, I used it in the context of ‘`praise`’.
Inasmuch as we have mailed it in on some occasions in the past.
I figured some measure of praise was due this bunch.
* Especially under the circumstances [injuries].
Maybe I shoud have said ‘`rejoice`’ ?
Grandad
May 5th, 2012
3:09 am
D.0`U.I.
Is that what you are doing up at 2:57 in the am ?
Goin` to the water closet ?
Rusty
May 5th, 2012
3:18 am
Grandad get your head out your butt. Didnt you watch the game. It seems that a lot of people on the blog blame LD including MC or didn’t you read above.
You want frys with that
May 5th, 2012
3:22 am
Highlight factory after Boston wipe out at TG Garden sunday it be a Low Light May8 when we are Tebowed out at Phillips arena where Atlanta hawks will blame media and fans for the series lost.So make it great after the 109-76 blow out May 8 the 20,202 will throw items at owners causein them to run away and hide…Josh smith will shoot a Bird make foul words at fans Joe Johnson will just run and play tupac music…and then we get a New Team slogan for 2012-13 season for Hawks….Stay away from Hawks we still ripoff fans..
tjhook
May 5th, 2012
3:47 am
The number one problem in this series is Larry Drew does not draw up plays for the offense that involves players creating opportunities for each other . . . other than the spread iso. They don’t even try the two-man give and go play. It’s just Joe Johnson trying to beat someone at the top of the key with a jumper. If it looks stupid, it is stupid because Joe was feast or famine with that approach. It is unreliable.
Hawks v Celtics
May 5th, 2012
3:50 am
“I heard cries of “same old Hawks” after they lost Game 2 and I didn’t buy it”
if they lose in the first round this year, you’ll certainly have a really good case to not buy it (the old hawks would at least make it out of the first round)
vava74
May 5th, 2012
4:11 am
Damp’s production is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
T-Mac’s production is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
Not giving the rock to Teague to close games on ISO plays after yet another quality and efficient night and continuing to exclusively do it with JJ – playing into the hand of well devised and mechanized defensive strategies of our opponents – is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
lex luther
May 5th, 2012
4:14 am
To quote Evelyn from Basketball Wives…”Marvin Williams is a non-muther fu€kin factor”!!!
Hawks Fan Down Under
May 5th, 2012
5:30 am
Like Van Gundy said during the game, going iso in crunch time is a really hard way to win the game. It’s not smart or sustainable. JJ played well but they simply have to run some plays and move the ball down the stretch.
Can’t see them winning this series because their mentality and coaching down the stretch isnt smart enough.
Mike D
May 5th, 2012
5:49 am
In the words of Bill Worell “Tmac to the rack” Big game tonight from Tracy thank you Ld for finally gettin my dude on the court! T mac was great before he hurt that ankle just give him consistent minutes for the rest of the series the hawks can win this thing
Mike D
May 5th, 2012
5:55 am
An even van gundy was saying get Tracy the ball… showin love now after he dogged Tracy about his practice habits while he was in houston. Tracy is still a great player when he feels like it. That stepback jumper on Paul Pierce was sick!
E43
May 5th, 2012
6:20 am
NAJEH-”Hawks would have won this game if they had Kenneth Faried (and Jordan Crawford) instead of Kirk.”
NOPE… Jordan Crawford has no conscience whatsoever. We would be blown out if he played any more than 7 minutes. Realistically, I like a healthy hawks team.
AG
May 5th, 2012
6:25 am
I think one play the Hawks should do a little more in moving while ISO has the ball. Also, on the double team at the end of regulation, ISO should have cut to the basket after passing the ball. Somebody needs to tell Marvin his days of cashing Atlanta Hawks checks are over if he continues to play this poorly.
AG
May 5th, 2012
6:28 am
I hate the fact that Al took his self out of the series. Josh made the trip and we did not know if he was going to play until almost tip off. Al should dress with the team – participate in drills and also be a game time decision. Ray Allen certainly was the first two games.
I reallly think he is the missing link for the Celtics. He made some very big shots and give the Hawks trouble. Maybe KH should be in the game while Ray is in the game.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
7:16 am
AG . . . Al tore a pectoral muscle. You’re not even supposed to come back off of that for 6 months, let alone 3.5 months. Al is not bionic, and the Hawks should’ve ruled him out for the entire season anyway, instead of giving Al and the fans false hope that he has a slim chance at coming back.
So leave Al alone. It’s not like he has a sprained ankle. That was a serious injury he sustained.
Big Daddy
May 5th, 2012
7:21 am
Major props for how the team showed up for this game. I was afraid they would get blown out in the first quarter and it would be downhill from there. However, they demonstrated a lot of pride in their game and LD put together a game plan that made them competitive. They attacked early and often, got to the line and got out on transition.
Several of the guys who had not had many minutes demonstrated their professionalism and were ready to play. I have been down on Dampier since he left Dallas and was very surprised at his game, even if he did fumble a few. He has not gotten much playing time since he has been here. For this night Tracy was the McGrady we remembered. At least, for a while.
With us missing our All-Star center, his able back-up and our power forward who is having a career year, I thought we were very competitive. I am never happy with losing but, for this bunch to take the Celtics, who had everyone back, to OT was outstanding. Except for a few unfortunate misses, we may very well have won this game.
I am very pleased with Jeff Teague’s progress. He reminds me of Tony Parker’s progress as he was in and out of Pop’s doghouse his first few years. What an important part of his teams makeup he has become. I can see that with Jeff. I predict in the next couple of years, he will be in conversations about top point guards.
I have not been a Sund fan and in the past have given him a lot of grief for trades and contracts. However, this team is deep and this game pointed out just how deep. Is it perfect? Of course not, but because of him, we had the bench to compete in this game. I am disappointed in VR’s performance. I thought he might be someone who could really spread the floor the first few games I saw him. He has not been the performer I thought he might be.
I see a lot of arguing here about what might have been and what we would do if certain people were here. I also see a lot of talk about what trades we should have or not have made. Right now, none of that matters. We play who we got and do the best we can, LD substitution patterns notwithstanding, to win the games we have got to play. I am proud of the effort if not the results and come Sunday, I will be right there yelling at the screen for the refs to call fouls and for our guys to hit shots. GO HAWKS!!!
zgoldatl
May 5th, 2012
7:54 am
If we win game 4, Hawks get over the Hump and beat Boston in 6. If we lose tomorrow, stick a fork in us. Still, I loved the grit and fire the Hawks played with. Let’s go Hawks.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
7:55 am
LD left Pargo in because he thought he could make shots. HOW ABOUT KIRK? Kirk has made a few shots in this series.
LD’s 4th qtr subs may cost us this series.
And for the love of God, GIVE TRACY BIG MINUTES. no more Marvin
Agent009
May 5th, 2012
7:55 am
Start T-Mac! Match him against Pierce and Rondo. His length can bother their shots and disrupt passing lanes. Tell Marvin Williams to focus on defense and rebounding when spells T-Mac… Not to shoot unless it’s a drive to the basket! Starting lineup for game 4: Teague, Johnson, T-Mac, Smith (healthy), Dampier. We can win this series! Let’s go Hawks!
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
7:56 am
NAJEH-”Hawks would have won this game if they had Kenneth Faried (and Jordan Crawford) instead of Kirk.”
NOPE… Jordan Crawford has no conscience whatsoever. We would be blown out if he played any more than 7 minutes. Realistically, I like a healthy hawks team.
LinkReport this comment
****
jordan Crawford sucks
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
7:59 am
Drew eventually replaced Pargo with Green. “I thought about bringing [Hinrich] back but I really was searching for someone who could make a shot,” Drew said. “I went with Willie, he came in and knocked down a big three for us. I elected to ride those guys out.”
****
kirk has made more shots than has Pargo in this series. Pargo hasn’t defended anyone well this series
TMACfan
May 5th, 2012
8:12 am
@Agent009
The problem is Marvin can’t drive to the rim without losing the ball or falling on the ground.
TMACfan
May 5th, 2012
8:14 am
Jeez I just wish this was 2003 TMAC. The series would be over in 4.
Mike
May 5th, 2012
8:25 am
Like many NBA teams they play pathetic offense.I went to game 2 and this one was no different. Joe Johnson is a chucker. He shot 11-27 which stinks. He dribbles and dribbles and dribbles until he forces a crappy shot. That is why the score so little in crunch time.All three of their scorers(Smith, Johnson and Teague play one on one. i am an old timer who has been watching basketball since Bill Russell. Josh smith has no earthly idea how to play. He wants to dribble like a guard. pathetic.
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
8:33 am
Hawks almost won this game because of defense with size in the paint.
once you keep KG from playing down low then every thing become perimeter for him make Celtics a jumpshooting team.
Collins and Dampier played great giving the Hawks a chance to win this game.
Hinrich 0 points Marvin 3 points are just useless at this point, when you have one guy saying don’t get mad and the other laughing during OT why your team is behind, that tell you as a coach you need guys in there with and angry passion.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Lacsho
May 5th, 2012
8:34 am
The Hawks will never win a close game in the playoffs, due to our head coach. He is being out coached and his substitutions are very suspect at best. This is the playoffs and he coaching like this is the regular season.
The ball moved very good without Josh being in the game. However, iso Joe is not working; he took damn near 30 shots. Teague played as expected without Josh: The spacing was a lot better. Props to Tmac and Dampier.
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
8:37 am
Marvin had 11 rebounds with no one standing around the basket, if you watch the game Marvin just straight up sucks and should never starte a game in his NBA career again.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
8:42 am
LD must make adjustment in game 4 if the Hawks are going to win this series, first he must take Hinrich out of the starting lineup and go with big lineup or insert Tmac in starting role and move JJ back to SG where he would have a big advantage over Avery and also keep him rested more by not chasing Pierce all over the court.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
yodaddybrother
May 5th, 2012
8:43 am
Grandad….we have 6 PFs and Centers and two SFs that can play PF in spots……3 of them got hurt and 1 is Marvin.
Team construction isn’t the issue….it’s the production.
The Hawks played extremely well. As a matter of fact this marks the 2nd game they lost that they should have won.
I believe LDs rotations is what costs us games. That Jannero Pargo stretch was flat out unacceptable coaching especially when there were MANY chances (free throws, TV timeouts, out of bounds, fouls) to get that man out of the game against Rondo.
The game was tied when he entered…when he left we were down 9. Contributed nothing defensively, turned the ball over, forced bad matchups on our end, made no shots.
AVery Bradley seems to be out with a dislocated shoulder….and I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
8:47 am
Still waiting for Northcyde to post Marvin’s PER for the series.
Also would like your feedback on the fact we didn’t even break 84 points (WITH Overtime), yet you think defense is the issue.
It’s obvious this team can’t score consistently. At one point last night, I thought our only offense would come through defensive 3 seconds calls against KG
Bump
May 5th, 2012
8:48 am
I believe grandad is really hawks p.r.man arthur triche. he is constantly on a laptop during the games.I know he tweets. So,i bet he is on here from time to time as well. With that being said,the celts were for the most part taking one shot and getting back on defense as soon as the shot went up,so,you can tell that doc and staff are really worried about the old legs of the celts. Pargo is not Pargo. I think he is either A:Trying too hard or B:Nervous.
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
8:48 am
Game 4 with Tmac starting.
Teague, Joe, Tmac, Josh, Collins
Hinrich and Pargo, Green, Marvin, Ivan, Dampier
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
ntrigue
May 5th, 2012
8:48 am
Played Pargo and Damp to long! Ivan should’ve played more down the strecth
Admirable SnAckBar
May 5th, 2012
8:51 am
just gotta steal one in Beantown.
good effort and game for Hawks. should have won in regulation.
JT blew it at the end with some bad shots and losing the ball with nobody guarding him in the last 2 min.
Bump
May 5th, 2012
8:53 am
Another thang,i liked what Damps brought last night,i really do but what would have been wrong with us keeping Benson and Magnum Rolle on this team? Nothing at all.
OldTimer
May 5th, 2012
8:53 am
Game 2 was the game the Hawks HAD to WIN.
Game 3 was the game the Celtics HAD to WIN.
Yes the Hawks played well, but they didn’t get it done.
Give them some cake and ice cream and send them on there way.
This series is over.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
8:54 am
KEYS to winning tomorrow night:
1) Hope Smoove returns. We can win without him though
2) NO MORE PARGO!!!!!!!!!! Loved him during regular season, but he’s been horrendous this series. This means Teague must be ready for damn-near close to 48 minutes tomorrow night. If you need to spell Teague, USE KIRK. Kirk can make shots, unlike that idiot LD’s comments that he stuck with Pargo for that reason
3) Give T-Mac regular minutes. How the hell has this guy not gotten regular minutes during the series?? Did you all see him OWN Rondo in the post in less than 3 seconds? Can Marvin do that? no…Marvin should play MINIMALLY, i.e., if we are suffering tremendous foul trouble
4) Give Willie a few minutes. I predicted he’d take that shot at the end of regulation, but I had him making it.
Summary: TEAGUE needs to be ready for a TON of minutes tomorrow. No more Pargo. Increase Kirk’s minutes a bit (he actually is not a bad defender), Marvin MINIMAL PT
I still cannot believe ZaZa is this hurt. To imagine us playing this series with our healthy lineup (with Al) vs theirs (Wilcox & Jermaine [who I think was cut?]). SMH. Did Rondo play the whole 2nd half last night?
LD is really ruining this series IMHO and no in in the front office realizes it
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
8:56 am
Grandad, I do agree with you though. This team should be commended for its effort without Josh in the Garden.
80% of the fans here thought the Hawks would lay down and die, and get the hell beat out of them. But JJ, Teague, and company rose to the occasion and damn near pulled off a victory. Great job by those guys, despite the loss.
We will win on Sunday.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
8:57 am
I also think Marvin did a pretty terrible job on KG last night. Someone with Duck’s wingspan should be able to contest and make shots tougher for KG.
Can we get a hard foul from someone? Please?
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
9:01 am
I have give LD credit understanding that you need size in the playoffs while every thing is half court basketball.
Collins and Dampier are to solid players on defensive ends that can give your team a chance win, now we need othere guys to step up and knock down some shots and the Hawks win this series.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
9:15 am
Grandmaster JJ – Hinrich is horrible and have done nothing in playoffs except have some good games in first half, in 2nd half Hinrich become MIA and falls and trips over his own foot just like Duck, Hinrich have no balance and always plays out controll basketball with turn over expectation waiting to happen.
If Hinrich starte Game 4 instead Tmac OR Ivan the Hawks lose game 4 and maybe the series.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
9:19 am
Grandmaster JJ – How do feel about Tmac starting instead of Hinrich ?
Teague, Joe, Tmac, Josh, Collins
or
Teague, Hinrich, Joe, Josh, Collins
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
9:22 am
Big Dog,
yes Hinrich has been bad, but NOT as bad as Pargo. Also, while his defense isn’t what it used to be, it’s not awful.
I just hope T-Mac is at full health tomorrow.
I still CANNOT believe this guy did not play much or at all in games 1 or 2.
Someone PLEASE tell me why Marvin started last night???????
If Smoove returns tomorrow night, a core of Joe, T-Mac Josh at the 2 3 4 is a matchup nightmare for ANYONE, but I think there’s a better chance Pargo starts than T-Mac does under this incompetent coaching staff
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
9:25 am
Teague must play a full game tomorrow night.
Give Willie 8 minutes or so
Give T-Mac ALL of Marvin’s minutes.
While Boston may give Miami or other contenders issues, I don’t think they are that good. Their bench is worse than ours. A big reason they won is because Pierce got to the line and he is damn good at the line
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
9:25 am
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
8:47 am
Still waiting for Northcyde to post Marvin’s PER for the series.
Also would like your feedback on the fact we didn’t even break 84 points (WITH Overtime), yet you think defense is the issue.
It’s obvious this team can’t score consistently. At one point last night, I thought our only offense would come through defensive 3 seconds calls against KG
*****************
Jeje . . . you’re a lot like Rusty.
At this point, your opinions don’t even matter because you have no idea how playoff basketball is played. Just about every team on this level is a good team. So if you don’t play defense ( especially in critical times ), you’re going to lose. Period.
If you play great defense, it can generate offense going the other way . . or at the very least, keep you in a game. But if you play great offense, but can’t stop no damn body, your offense is cancelled out.
And look at you last night . . . talking about “the Celtics are not that good”.
Isn’t that the same ish I’ve been saying since this series started? That this is NOT a great Celtics team? But you’re just now seeing that?
LOL . . Like I said. You’re simply a parrot on these boards that either repeats the same thing over and over again, or you’re repeating something that someone else says. At least in your last post, you formed an opinion of your own, so that’s a start.
And Marvin’s PER in this series is an abysmal 2.1
Does that make you “ha ha” and “he he”? Does his pizz-poor series make you that gleeful?
Because if it does, you should just turn in your fan card and stop watching the team. We actually need him playing like he did in the regular season. But some of you would love to see him suck for the rest of the series, just so you can make jokes and laugh.
You even clown the guy for getting 11 rebounds in 20 minutes. I mean, who does that isht?
Bu it truly shows where some of your heads are.
Crybaby azz fans kill me.
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
9:34 am
Grandmaster JJ – I total agree with you, and me also don’t no why Marvin started game 3, it should have been Ivan, i blame LD for that one.
BIG IN THE HOUSE
Last Word n Sports
May 5th, 2012
9:40 am
Gutsy performance by the Hawks. Check out my coverage of the Celtics and the Hawks.
http://wp.me/p1E3tD-5V
mountain_jim
May 5th, 2012
9:53 am
I agree that Pargo was awful and should been pulled immediately.
Green should have driven to the basket for a foul of a close shot on the shot late in regulation.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
9:55 am
Hinrich is doing his job.
He’s playing above average defense, while knocking down shots. He missed his only 3 shots last night, but had a +/- of 0 . . because he can play defense.
I believe O’Brien alluded to this yesterday when he quoted Drew about the emphasis on defense . . yet, opting to play offensive oriented players.
Drew keeps looking for offensive solutions to the team’s issues. When he realize that is NOT the solution, this team will turn the corner and beat the Celtics.
The Celtics play a style of basketball that forces you to grind everything out. So you have to be willing to put the personnel out on the floor that is willing to grind with them. Once you get rebounds and stops, then you can go the other way for possible easy baskets.
I still say one of the solutions to this, is to either start Ivan at the PF ( if Josh can’t go ), or give him extended minutes at the position off the bench. And Drew has to simply give up on the “bench mob”. They simply don’t have it this series, so stop trying to force it out of them.
JJ is a guy who can make tough shots, and Teague has been the best offensive threat the Hawks have had this series. It’s time for Drew to shorten that rotation and NOT have either of those two guys out of the game at the same time.
With all of these games landing around the 80 point mark, I personally wouldn’t be against JJ, Teague, and Smith all taking close to 20 shots, while telling the rest of the crew to defend and rebound . . and get their points either in transition, via offensive rebounds, or by assists coming from JJ, Teague, or Josh.
Boston basically has 4 people taking all of the shots. Doc sure in the hell isn’t worried about Greg Stiemsma getting shots within the offense. Time for the Hawks to do more of that.
BIG DOG
May 5th, 2012
10:03 am
Last Word n Sports – This why i hope coach LD make right decision by adjusting the starting lineup, no body respect Atlanta sports at all, but this Hawks team are deep with veteran leadership and solid backup players, this may be the Hawks best bench team in the history of this organization, LD making the right moves and starting the right players could change the national media perception on Hawks, this is a good team that Rick Sund have assemble but it’s up to coach LD to make right decision.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
78Dawg
May 5th, 2012
10:16 am
Hawks should take their act to another city. They embarrass the city.
AG
May 5th, 2012
10:21 am
Northclyde, then if he is out for the season – say he will be out for the season. I heard he is about 70%. I did say dress with the team and give us 5 minutes a half.
78Dawg – the Hawks did not embarrass real Hawk fans. Two years ago against Orlando… that was embarrassment
Big Lou
May 5th, 2012
10:21 am
LD cost another game because of his stupid substitutions.
Yet, everyone wants to pat this loser on the back.
The players are winning in spite of this idiot. Tmac wouldn’t be getting these minutes if it weren’t for injuries. And now, since everyone is applauding this fool, the Gawks will give him a contract extension.
Wonderful…
Big Lou
May 5th, 2012
10:26 am
Hawks*
doc
May 5th, 2012
10:37 am
meloball is taking the heat literally, in the papers of new york, just not on the court:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/sports/basketball/knicks-carmelo-anthony-has-poor-playoff-track-record.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120505
sounds vaguely familiar, especially now that the knicks are on the brink of being swept and are averaging each loss by 20 points per game. that also means woodson has averaged seven straight playoff losses of 20 points per game stretching back to the magic series here. also say what you dont like about ld he certainly can coach to keep his teams in games to place them where they can if the players were of the ilk to rise to the occasion.
also, the story reminds me of a guy on our own team who had a similar journey as a great scorer to never play on a team winning one playoff series and somehow getting a pass because it is always about someone else. he failed last night to be a player, again in crunch time of the playoffs, though taking several of the missed shots, getting good looks. at some point, others and he has to make those shots.
O'brien
May 5th, 2012
10:43 am
Doc,
I didnt realize Carmelo’s (playoff) record was that bad.
In nine postseasons, Anthony is 16-36 — the worst record among active players with at least 50 playoff games. He has won a first-round series only once, in 2009. Since then, he has lost 11 of 13 playoff games. If the Knicks lose Sunday, it will be Anthony’s third time getting swept in five years. .
Double Zero Eight
May 5th, 2012
10:47 am
Pargo and Green played poorly.
Marvin was his usual self.
Dampier should have gotten some playing
time prior to the playoffs. That’s LD’s fault.
The Hawks missed a lot of open shots.
That is why they failed to win.. LD can’t be
blamed for this loss in my opinion.
Wes Unsel and Willis Reed would have played
“back in the day” , versus sitting out like Horford did.
That was a different era when players were tougher.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
10:47 am
So the game Tuesday night is @ 8 pm
(( calculating ))
- Leave TN by 1 pm ( lose an hour going into Eastern time zone )
- Arrive in ATL no later than 7 pm
- Game is over by 11 pm
- Resist the temptation of hanging out somewhere on a Tuesday night in ATL
- Arrive back in TN by 3:30 am
O'brien
May 5th, 2012
10:48 am
And although LD is a better coach than Woody (imo), for every 1 good move he makes, it is counteracted by 2 bad decisions.
From espn;
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said starting shooting guard Avery Bradley dislocated his left shoulder during Friday’s Game 3 win over the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series and his status is uncertain.
Rod,
McGee was beasting last night. Fans get too caught up in somebody’s attitude issues in other situations. Look at Ivan. Dude has been in trouble everywhere is has been (college, overseas, etc). But with the Hawks, he has done fairly well.
Sometimes, players just need a better situation, better players, better leaders etc. And they will improve.
DawgNole
May 5th, 2012
10:52 am
Been blogging here most of the season. Now that the playoffs are here, I’ve been busy preparing for and entertaining my two daughters and their significant others–all of whom live in Boston (oh, the irony)–so I haven’t had time to blog. The girls could care less, but the guys are major Celtics fans. They’ve been civil, thankfully, but that’s not so difficult when you’re winning. Would love a Hawks victory Sunday to provide a true test of their character.
DawgNole
May 5th, 2012
10:54 am
doc
May 5th, 2012
2:07 am
sorry gdad, i am not going to be happy to lose. it really says something when these things keep happening. whether it is queen doing it in the finals or important games or us in as important games it still shows the collar is still on.
_______________________
Totally agree with doc on this one. A loss is NEVER a cause for celebration–especially when your legacy is a history of losing big ones.
O'brien
May 5th, 2012
10:59 am
Najeh,
I was ok with trading Bibby for Hinrich (especially since LD was not giving Teague the minutes he deserved). However, I had a big problem giving up JC2 AND our draft pick. It should have been one or the other.
northcyde,
These Hawks are predictably unpredictable as doc likes to say. Therefore, I will not be surprised if they win by 6, or lose by 16.
O'brien
May 5th, 2012
11:00 am
doc,
Agreed. Why be happy about us having a chance to win missing Josh and Zaza, while the Celtics DID win, without Ray Allen and Rondo?
DawgNole
May 5th, 2012
11:04 am
vava74
May 5th, 2012
4:11 am
Damp’s production is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
T-Mac’s production is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
_________________________
Yes, and each and every contribution they make reminds us of what this team could’ve been had thesen two been given a few more opportunities during the season.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 5th, 2012
11:23 am
“NOPE… Jordan Crawford has no conscience whatsoever. We would be blown out if he played any more than 7 minutes. Realistically, I like a healthy hawks team.”
The point of that post wasn’t even about Jordan Crawford. Go look at Faried’s line last night. Watch that DEN-LAL game. Dude is going to be an All Star in a couple of years and the Hawks traded away a chance to draft him because they were too stupid to realize that their PG of the present and future was already on the roster.
DawgNole
May 5th, 2012
11:25 am
Bump
May 5th, 2012
8:48 am
I believe grandad is really hawks p.r.man arthur triche. he is constantly on a laptop during the games.I know he tweets. So,i bet he is on here from time to time as well.
_________________
So with his day job, when does “triche” sleep? Grandad usually checks in here during the wee hours.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 5th, 2012
11:25 am
Faried would have been at worst the 2nd best Hawk in last night’s game. You could assemble a championship team out of the obvious draft mistakes that the Hawks have made in the last 10 years.
bigdave
May 5th, 2012
11:27 am
Not sure why LD called a T.O. when we could’ve played it out for a potential 2 for 1. All he did was draw up an iso to get Joe trapped in the corner; though it led to an open look for slick willie I thought we should’ve pushed there and not have to face Bos half court d.
Bos is beatable. Like I’ve been saying they struggle to score in the half court as well against us. We have to play hard the entire game and not give them easy, early offense.
They booked heavy mins and have the day off today. We have to hope that it shows in shooting percentages Sunday. Though he may shoot better, I don’t see another 36pt outing from paul, and especially if we allow joe to continue to defend him. Can’t risk him finding a rhythm with marvin on him.
Continue to find Kg’s cover on the offensive end.. and bigs have to be ready to finish strong. There should be about 6pts in defensive 3 techs in addition to what we get from the 5 gotta cash them in. And I for 1 don’t have a problem with small ball against this scheme.. look for Josh to play a lot of 5 if he returns..
Najeh Davenpoop
May 5th, 2012
11:35 am
New blog up.
DawgNole
May 5th, 2012
11:55 am
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
8:56 am
Grandad, I do agree with you though. This team should be commended for its effort without Josh in the Garden.
80% of the fans here thought the Hawks would lay down and die, and get the hell beat out of them. But JJ, Teague, and company rose to the occasion and damn near pulled off a victory. Great job by those guys, despite the loss.
_____________________
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Wendy
May 5th, 2012
12:50 pm
For whoever it was that cited Rondo’s entire stat line in response to MC pointing out Kirk played good D on him:
When Kirk was on the floor, Rondo was 1-9, plus 2 free throws, for 4 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 TOs, and 2 steals.
When Kirk was on the bench, Rondo was 6-13, plus 1 free throw, for 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 TO, and 2 steals.
LD was correct that Kirk hadn’t made a shot last night – although at the point he made his decision to go elsewhere, neither had Jannero or Willie. But Kirk did play effective D while he was in.
jgsbirds
May 5th, 2012
1:15 pm
why did drew let marvin shoot the tech. in the 4th quarter? joe had just made one moments earlier and was starting to hit shots. i understand percentage wise marvin has a little bit better percentage..but sometimes you have to go with your stud. i said it when he took the line–why is he shooting this shot? joe should have knocked him silly off the line and took the shot. do you think any other star wouldn’t shoot that tech–only dwight howard! dumb decision by drew, marvin and joe–it’s crap decisions like that the win or lose games in the playoffs. and this time–we lost–that one point could have been the difference.
Yawn
May 5th, 2012
1:56 pm
Who really cares? The Hawks are like all the other pro teams in Atlanta, average at best.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
2:24 pm
Teams that Carmelo has lost to in the 1st round:
2003 – 04: #1 seed Minnesota ( was a Sam Cassell injury away from possibly beating the Lakers in the WC Finals )
2004 – 05: #2 seed San Antonio ( won NBA Title )
2005 – 06: #6 seed LA Clippers ( Clips had home court advantage because of better record, but an unacceptable playoff loss )
2006 – 07: #3 seed San Antonio ( won NBA Title )
2007 – 08: #1 seed LA Lakers ( went to NBA Finals )
2009 – 10: #5 seed Utah ( had identical records but Nuggets won tiebreaker . . bad series loss in 6 games )
2010 – 11: #3 seed Boston
2011 – 12: #2 seed Miami ( the favorites to win the NBA title )
Fact is . . Melo has had to play some powerhouse teams in the 1st round, while his teams were low level playoff squads. Even the 2 years he had Iverson, they had to go up against the Lakers and Spurs in Round 1.
When he finally played on a team that could defend people ( with Billups running the point ), he made a deep run in the playoffs.
northcyde
May 5th, 2012
2:28 pm
That Boston team last year was one of the best defensive teams in the league last year, so they had more than enough talent to keep the others in check while Melo went off.
In Melo’s case, he simply hasn’t played on great teams, which led to most of his teams getting a 6 – 8 seed. That’s a recipe for disaster in most cases in the playoffs.
doc
May 5th, 2012
2:36 pm
yeah o’b an interesting read. he and woody make a perfect couple. meloball is not going to go over well in nyc and it wont end pretty.
doc
May 5th, 2012
2:40 pm
excuses, excuses, excuses for the great players that dont deliver wins because they arent playing team ball to make their teams better. one win out of three isnt even close.
MattP
May 5th, 2012
3:52 pm
Drew eventually replaced Pargo with Green. “I thought about bringing [Hinrich] back but I really was searching for someone who could make a shot,”
I thought Drew was all about defense winning games? If he is all about defense he should have brought Hinrich. Let Hinrich defend Rondo and Teague control the offense, but both of those didn’t happen because Drew is a bad coach. I give him credit for most of the game but he, Drew, fell apart in the 4th, not the team.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
4:16 pm
I bash on Marvin because I’m a realist and he sucks. I hardly form emotional connections with any players. It’s all about winning games.
Northcyde, apart from Pargo, are we playing bad defense in this series? No. STFU.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 5th, 2012
4:18 pm
“In Melo’s case, he simply hasn’t played on great teams, which led to most of his teams getting a 6 – 8 seed. That’s a recipe for disaster in most cases in the playoffs.”
Pretty sure he’s been to the WCF
Crazy_88
May 5th, 2012
4:42 pm
I watched the game on ESPN and JVG had in right when he said that the Hawks weren’t going to beat the Celtics with ” Iso Joe ” dribbling for 20 seconds and hoisting up a tough shot with a defenders hand in his grill. JVG says that LD should start Tracy with Joe & Josh because that is their best offensive lineup and I agree.
Teague
Joe
Tracy
Josh
Collins
Bring Hinrich, Green, Marvin, Ivan & Dampier off the bench as needed.
Pargo is a defensive liabiltiy and he can’t guard anybody and his dribble is suspect when bringing it up the court. He should be strictly a spot up shooter..nothing more..nothing less.
The Hawks can sneak one out of Boston but only If LD puts Tracy in the starting 5 and stop coaching so desperate.
slimjr
May 5th, 2012
5:52 pm
vava74
May 5th, 2012
4:11 am
Damp’s production is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
‘T-Mac’s production is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.
Not giving the rock to Teague to close games on ISO plays after yet another quality and efficient night and continuing to exclusively do it with JJ – playing into the hand of well devised and mechanized defensive strategies of our opponents – is an indictment of LD’s idiocy.”
Hey vava74, I guess there is a reason why this guy was an assistant for 18 years?
He should go back to it like Wade Phillips..
Doug Collins is up 3-0 with this same squad…
Larry= round peg, square hole
Celts in 2….
13-23
45
2058
slimjr
May 5th, 2012
5:58 pm
SVG> Larry Leisure
tyger
May 5th, 2012
8:41 pm
Each game is different, but Hawks right there…
Minus some really easy lops to KG, Hawks win…
Alot of focus is on offense, but fix the easy lob to KG…
And thats 6-8 pts. right there…
I’ve never seen Pargo play so badly, whats his deal?…
I thought he was a good FA find and a lock for a new deal…
He looks confused, he cant defend, score or run plays???…
Is the extent of his game to just jack up 3’s?….
Get Van Excel on him quick, we need old Pargo back…
Likewise with Vladi – known to be streaky, but when…
He’s hitting a couple 3’s, with Green, JJ, Pargo, TMac…
We are dangerous and it puts distance btween us/them…
Thats why you cant abandon them now, we need that cushion…
And if Eric Dampier isnt the living embodiment of what…
I’ve been saying all along…these old guys are former Allstars…
It’s just plain stupid not to use them…
Free Stackhouse, win a trip to the 2nd round!!!
Ken Strickland
May 5th, 2012
10:14 pm
If Josh can play tomorrow, LD should bench Hinrich, who’s just too inconsistent, and replace him with TMac. Our frontline should be TMac-SF, Twin/Dampier-C, JSmith-PF, JJohnson-SG, Teague-PG. They don’t have a SG that’s big or strong enough to handle JJ posting up. Pierce definitely had a difficult time defending TMac.
Moving JJ back to SG would take Petrius and Pierce out of their DEF rotation on him.
E43
May 5th, 2012
11:40 pm
“The point of that post wasn’t even about Jordan Crawford. Go look at Faried’s line last night. Watch that DEN-LAL game. Dude is going to be an All Star in a couple of years and the Hawks traded away a chance to draft him because they were too stupid to realize that their PG of the present and future was already on the roster.”
I can do a could’ve should’ve with all 15 players on the hawks roster. Sure, Joe Smith and Josh Powell aren’t really the prototypical NBA power forwards, but the hawks main hole for a long time was at C and PG. Its kind of unfair to bash Kirk after the fact because the hawks have never even needed a power forward. Even if we did draft Faried, he would likely end up being buried on the bench like a long list of former hawks rookies drafted that low. If wasn’t for Charles Barkley’s fawning, I’m sure Ivan would’ve followed suite.
The reason I said I liked a healthy hawks team is because I feel confident that Zaza Pachulia can hold down the starting center position (something bloggers have vehemently disagreed with me on) and Al can be moved to PF. Everyone would be playing the position they wanted to and there would’ve been no more excuses. That way the hawks would’ve used that pick on getting a reserve C to go to work here and there. Faried could just as easily gone to the D-League based on what anyone knew at the time of the draft.