Atlanta Hawks: Video: Hawks collapse at Boston
I joined The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan to review the Hawks’ 101-79 defeat to the Celtics in Game 4.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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251 comments Add your comment
Paul Hewitt
May 7th, 2012
4:46 pm
The coaching last night was abysmal. I would have used all of my timeouts in the first quarter and substituted Ivan and Za Za for JJ and JS on every other play.
The Hawks need a bona fide game manager like I am.
CrαZy
May 7th, 2012
4:51 pm
Hawks Season is over….
Go Braves!!!
Vol4ever
May 7th, 2012
4:57 pm
Ive been a Hawk fan for over 30 years and this franchise is absolutely pathetic from the top down.
Coaches, GM, Players and Ownership are a discgrace to the city of Atlanta.
Even after this massive disaster to a old, undermanned Celtic team, there will be no one held accountable. The same mess will be back in place next year with the GM reading the teleprompter “We like our Core.”
Sounds familiar…………..
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 7th, 2012
4:58 pm
We just lost to Boston by 22 (more like 40 if you ask me), we outshot the Celtics from the free throw line (17-13) and Grandad is BLAMING THE REFS.
LOL!
“however the disparity in the way the game was called was apalling.
Further;”
Is this a joke? The free throws don’t even matter. We got freaking murdered last night. Wake up
When are people going to realize that ASG HATES GOING INTO THE LUXURY TAX and to think they will PAY JOE JOHNSON $80 MILLION OVER 4 YEARS TO NOT PLAY FOR US IS BEYOND PREPOSTEROUS
WE ARE NOT AMNESTYING JOE JOHNSON
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 7th, 2012
5:01 pm
LD is depressing to look at. Looks like he has been awake for 4 days and is going through some massive personal crisis
hottrod
May 7th, 2012
5:09 pm
stop trolling the comments and posting ALL negative ones
Jabroni Joe
May 7th, 2012
5:13 pm
There are 30 teams in the NBA. In the last 30 years only 7 of those franchises have had the fortune to win a championship. So basically in the NBA most teams (23) can only hope to make a good playoff run each year. Odds are even after blowing up the team, a championship is probably not in the near future.
I’d rather endure season after season of losing in the playoffs rather than season after season of just losing.
Mike D
May 7th, 2012
5:28 pm
@Hottrod Tired of T Mac tired of Atlanta hell he is arguably the best player on the team an he cant get no playing time. Hell you outta be tired of Joe Johnson hell they might as well give Marvin Williams trash ass a100 million he can give ya nine points in a crunchtime game lol. TIRED OF TMAC LETS GET FAREAL TMAC SHOULDA NEVER CAME HERE CHI TOWN WAS A WAY BETTER FIT!
Mike D
May 7th, 2012
5:35 pm
An please get of J Crossover piece he is good but if he was that good the hawks would have been willing to break the bank for him! If he was that good Portland would have made the playoffs or would’ve won some kind of games bump Jamal Crawford he trash a career 6th man wouldnt have made a difference
cdog
May 7th, 2012
5:37 pm
al of the problems going on with the hawks goes back to one man, rick sund
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
6:10 pm
northcyde
May 7th, 2012
12:45 am
Save that Falcons are better crap. Hawks may choke, but no one chokes like the Falcons.
____________________
Except for the Braves–yet another ATL pro team with a less-than-glittering record of postseason success. Last September is not that long ago.
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
6:17 pm
Good posts:
AP ticker
May 7th, 2012
6:21 am
Al turns my stomach. When Josh and JJ went to the bench early in the 1st quarter the hawks were in the mist of the game…leading. Then came Al horford, Boston attacked the rim, Al watched and took pictures and the hawks were down 14 points just like that.
Al Fcked this game up.. yeah Houdini on the scene. Then this *Bytch* finishes with his patent 12 pt 5 reb had his shot blocked and disrupted the chemistry of the team.
I know Josh, JJ, and Teague had to be thinking “WTF?”
This is not the same team with Al Houdini on it as it is with out him.
Al is not good for the hawks, but at least hes shown hes healthy and can now be traded for something worth while.
Id take Marvin over Al although Marvin Al and Teague are All project cases. Al doesn’t have enough talent to be with Josh and JJ
AP ticker
May 7th, 2012
6:31 am
Al is not good for the chemistry of the team. He is talentless so he cant be a leader, No body follows a loser. The players dont get a long with Al because of his selfishness and unwillingness to play with any heart at center.
Al is a hoe, Amare called him out for being a hoe. and then fck Al on national tv. Now WTF kind of leader is that? Whose going to follow? This is a mans sport. This is a much better team with out Al.
Al is no leader. Al is a lazy,whining hoe. And Old as KG pimps his Ass Just like Amare did. Every body knows Al is a hoe except his pom pom cheerleaders on this blog page.
You will never win a championship with a hoe like Al in your front court.
Time to go back to fighting in the locker room. This season is over
Thanks Houdini, We would have done better if you stayed on the injured list.
Trade his ass for Howard now.
AP ticker
May 7th, 2012
6:40 am
early 1st quarter Hawks up 2, game is tight… then stupid ass Drew sends JJ and Josh to the bench, in comes that Houdini hoe and bam Boston attacks the rim, Houdini Al watches and takes pictures while the Celtics run up the score to a 14 point lead.
Josh and JJ sit there watching the stupid ass move wondering WTF is happening to all their hard work for the season, why is Al being allow to ruin it?
After the Al Houdini induced 1st quarter blow out, the teams moral falter and the season long chemistry faded.
Al finish with his trade mark 12 pts 5 rb and had his shot block but did not block any.
The teams moral is now down and the season for the hawks is all but over.
IVAN> al houdini.
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
6:22 pm
@ Non Partial,
I guess its safe to say you don’t like Horford LOL!!
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
6:22 pm
Big Ray
May 7th, 2012
12:03 am
Reason why the Hawks aren’t better than the Falcons – when it comes to playoffs, the Hawks beat teams that are ranked lower than them (except last year’s rotten Orlando squad who was doomed to begin with…that was the anomaly in this theory). Never do they beat teams that are ranked higher.
Contrast that with the Falcons, who in their last 3 playoff appearances, have been matched up with the NFC team that went to the SB.
Big difference….
______________________
Not necessarily disagreeing with your contention that the Hawks aren’t better than the Falcons–although neither has done anything worth writing home about–but I don’t follow your logic:
“. . . the Hawks beat teams that are ranked lower than them . . . . Never do they beat teams that are ranked higher.
“Contrast that with the Falcons, who in their last 3 playoff appearances, have been matched up with the NFC team that went to the SB.”
OK, and how did the Falcons perform against those (presumably better) teams? They lost–same as the Hawks. Right? So what does that prove?
The bottom line is that they’re both crap when it comes to winning championships–as all but one ATL’s pro teams (’95 Braves) have always been.
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
6:23 pm
Hewitt that makes sense. Rotating JJ and Josh with Zaza and Ivan would have been in the best interest of the hawks. We would have kept the lead or competed as we have all playoffs long. That rotation works best and produces the best hawks chemistry.
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
6:26 pm
Next season bring back Jason Terry to be our 6th man, guy has King Kong Balls at the end of games which would have helped in games 2 & 3.
Game 4 was just a beatdown, even though NON PARTIAL would disagree, it wouldn’t have mattered if Al played or not, Joe only had 9 points on only like 8 shots, he was supposed to set the tone like pierce did in game 2, also the entire team Defense was horrible and as usual when they got down quick they tucked their tails between their legs and just lounged the rest of the way.
Miss Nomer
May 7th, 2012
6:27 pm
Non-Partial certainly isn’t.
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
6:31 pm
Thats not true luke. I think Horford is a nice young man who is living his life…. but what has that got to do with the lack of results and talent from him on the court?
I think what you mean is I dont like Al horford’s game… and you are almost right. I agree with most who think that he is self fish, and lazy.can not create his own shot, refuses to play defensive and has limited talent. So my opinion of him professionally is in line with many others but as a person i havent met him and im willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that hes a OK person….except where he starts drama in the locker room and through the press about playing Josh’s position. I think thats classless and destroys team unity and spirit, baiting eveyone to follow his “me ” first mentality.
By thats my opinion of his professional game…nothing to do with him as a person….
Sorry if you cant see the difference.
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
6:33 pm
Steve Belkin
May 7th, 2012
11:24 am
It is quite simply the culture and environment of this franchise that is the problem.
_______________________
Been trying to say it since I began blogginger here a few months ago. Maybe they’ll believe you. It is that very “culture and environment” you have cited here that long ago earned this city the sad but highly appropriate label of “Losersville.”
Sadder still is your point that “there is literally NOTHING that can be done to get this team over the hump. They don’t even know there IS a hump.” It is when you see games like last night’s for the XXth time that you really begin to wonder if it will EVER change–this “cuture and environment”–or if it CAN ever change.
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
May 7th, 2012
6:41 pm
“I agree with most who think that he is self fish, and lazy”
Al’s a fish, now? Either way after tomorrow he’s gone fishin’.
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
6:46 pm
Bruce the Accountant
May 7th, 2012
12:14 pm
I love the Hawks! But I really wish they used more strategy. I know that during the regular season you just go out and play and the team with the better players or the one guy having a good night always wins, but it seems like when we get to the playoffs the other team is always using strategy. I wish our coaching staff would use more strategy. They should design more plays that result in points and they should come up with schemes to keep the better players on the other team from getting the ball a lot.
I also think that ZaZa should shoot more 3-pointers.
_______________________
You were almost making sense–in a generic/vanilla sort of way–UNTIL that last sentence.
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
6:47 pm
I agree, he is a shell fish… or is that self-fish…. or selffish or self fish…
Either way he is gone fishing after tomorrow and hes taking the whole team with him….
BillyBadAss
May 7th, 2012
6:53 pm
Al come back fart wasnt about trying to help the team it was about al getting a chance to play in the playoffs.
Its about Al…
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
6:54 pm
MJ49
May 7th, 2012
12:23 pm
. . . I wonder does LD know he’ll be let go if The Hawks dont come back, does Marvin know he’s getting traded or amnestied if The Hawks dont come back, does Rick Sund know he too will probably get let go if The Hawks dont come back to take this series to a game 7?
_______________________
How would they know? The Hawks have seldom if ever done anything sensible in the past to counter their perpetual postseason failures.
glw
May 7th, 2012
6:56 pm
The Hawks definitely never seem to have much strategy. Other than the infamous iso Joe, where Joe gets on the block and Josh camps out and waits on the pass for his money jumpshot, or Duck stands in the far corner.
I am fine with iso Joe, but damn Josh cut to the basket. Marvin do something. Of course we can always hope, but its like we all know they will never get it.
Its like do we really want them to win tomorrow or is it like a lame horse, you sort of hope the celtics just shoot them and put them out of their misery.
But guess I will still be there rooting and hoping for the best. I am and always will be a homer and root for the home team. ATL till I die.
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
7:08 pm
Section 303
May 7th, 2012
12:45 pm
Can we just save the “Here is the Hawks new roster with my dipsh#t trade idea” posts until the season ends tomorrow night? God! Hard enough that my least favorite team is going to paste my favorite team. Now I have to watch the blog deteriorate, too?
_____________________
Well, you don’t HAVE to, but if you’re like me, sometimes it’s just too hard to resist.
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
7:14 pm
O’brien
May 7th, 2012
1:09 pm
I think Rick will be brought back. And the 3rd year of LD’s contract will be picked up.
I think the ASG will file this under the “lost due to injury” bug. And bring everybody back.
__________________
Those are two prime examples of the “culture and environment of this franchise” that Belkin called out.
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
7:27 pm
@Non Partial
You called him a Hoe, that means you don’t like him or his game, lol just going by how you phrased it.
Name how many Hawks in the last 10 years that have been able to create their own shot??
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
7:34 pm
You bloggers do realize that the Hawks were down 2-1 in this series before Al played right, not saying he’s the savior but damn he ain’t the only reason we got blown, usually when a team in any sport gets beat down like we did yesterday its usually a collective effort of totally sucking in every aspect of the game by everyone involved. Just Sayin.
Walt Frazier
May 7th, 2012
7:41 pm
Steve Belkin: The Atlanta Spirit LLC is a sad tale of what happens when a bunch of spoiled rich kids get together to do something “cool” that not one of them could afford to do on his own.
They inspire no sense of leadership or ownership at any organizational level.
The team should be sold immedaitely.
———————————————————————————————————————————
Good Post and that about sums it up in a nutshell. Leadership starts from the top. The Hawks have the same type of hot mess owners like the Falcon did back in the “Smiths” era. They will do nothing an go nowhere as long as ASG owns this team. I don’t know why the deal fell through with the previous buyer out of California, but maybe some rich dictator (non-terrorist) from another US friendly country will pay some bucks for this franchise and maybe stay in Atlanta. As for the game on Tuesday, the Hawks have a game they “should” win, but they won’t. Oh, don’t get me wrong-they’ll give it a go-only because they don’t want to be booed off their own homecourt and seal an embarrassing fate in the infamous history of this dismal franchise. They’ll be giving a good effort and a fight or two may break out-believe me, the refs are already looking for this and will be on the watch. The Hawks are tired, slow, undercoached, unrmotivated, and want this thing to be over-so they can return to anonymity whether they (the players, coaches, etc.) live in Atlanta or California or any state in these united states. They don’t mind not playing in the playoffs beyond the first round. The Hawks biggest goal was to get to the playoffs. They fooled around all during the regular season and won many of those games, because they still are somewhat physically talented with at least half their roster and supporting role players. Personally, I don’t see what good have all those assistant coaches, who talk and look more experienced than Larry Drew. When TNT or ESPN put the coaches ticker on Larry Drew (which they rarely do) he doesn’t strike me as a motivating coach and it shows. In the first six minutes of the last game-Larry Drew, in his interview said he observed his team losing control. He should have been doing a “Billy Knight” in the huddle, but he didn’t and he won’t-that isn’t his style. You are what you are. ASG: Dump this cart and start over. Sell this team dump coaches, players, etc. Atlanta may lose in the immediate, but may gain in the future. We (the fans) will survive. They took away our Jazz station, but we are still here!
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
7:53 pm
I did not call Al a Hoe, AP ticker did . I do however agree that Al plays soft and sweet like a hoe…
are you saying you dont think Al is a hoe?
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
7:58 pm
You called him a Hoe, that means you don’t like him or his game, lol just going by how you phrased it.
Name how many Hawks in the last 10 years that have been able to create their own shot?? – Luke Cage
I did not say Al is a hoe AP ticker did. But I wont argue that Al plays soft and sweet like a hoe. Are you saying Al is not a hoe? Really?
Shot creators?
JC
JC2
Josh
JJ
willie green
All of those guys can create their own shots and dont need you to set a screen or run a pick and roll
Al does need your help to get a shot. and stops the offensive flow in the process
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
8:00 pm
Based on 1st game back after being out about 4 months, no.
Ivan & Zsa Zsa are the only players on the team that aren’t soft.
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
8:01 pm
LOL, Wille LOL, Josh LOL!!
JC yeah, JC2 a little but we saw what happend to the Blazers & the Wizards with them creating their own shots.
Buddy C
May 7th, 2012
8:03 pm
To all you geniuses out there with all the answers…….Hear this and TRY to understand…..IT’S OVER!!!!! Cmon people, give me a break….same old story different year! The Hawks CHOKE as usual…..IT’S OVER. All of these great lineups that some of you MORONS are coming up with are a JOKE! You can’t teach HEART and INTENSITY between freakin playoff games….GIVE ME A BREAK! Oh and by the way…GEN MANAGER….LEARN HOW TO SPELL DUDE….DEFENCE< EMBARASING<DEFINATELY…….REALLY??? Try defense, embarrasing, definitely. WOW!
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
8:07 pm
Have to agree with ya Buddy C, we keep wishing & hoping but nothing changes. The TEAM as a whole CHOKES along with management. I’m just having fun laughing at people that blame 1 or 2 players for the annual debacle.
Walt Frazier
May 7th, 2012
8:07 pm
To David Stern: See what you’ve done? This injury bug in the NBA was inevitable. This year’s lock-out season carried over from last year is taking its toll. No one is immune. You’re favorite team-the “Bulls” have lost it best superstar. Now-all you have in your marketing arsenal is the NBA Heat. You want the Hawks, Magic, Knicks, and you’re “Bulls” to die quick. Don’t worry they’ll all will implode tomorrow as well as tonight. All the 3-1 teams will take their next game. You will then “tune” the refs to hasten this debacle of a season-so that you can get the Miami Heat in the finals. Everyone notices what you did. The refs let the players beat up on each other-probably a slick way the owners and David Stern used to get around the cba-to “punish” the players for opposing them so much. A player in the paint can get smacked, head butted, chopped and assaulted so much so-that they need cell phones tucked in their shorts to call 911. It’s been noted by many NBA announcers-that it’s what they call an “offense” league-code for- if you can keep your teeth in your mouth-we are not calling fouls. It’s like the video games where you can turn the rules (fouls) off. Meanwhile, on the left coast David Stern-you stunk up the place. You botched the Chris Paul trade and made Lamar Odom pissed off to the highest level of piss-tivity by sending him to the Mavs. David Stern, you and those super rich fat owners who’ve got you in their pocket-just messed up the 2011-12 season to death.
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
8:13 pm
Non Partial,
I like Josh but he cannot create his own shot, hell half the time he can barely dribble.
Non Partial
May 7th, 2012
8:17 pm
You dont carry the team the way josh did with or with out JJ with out being able to create your own shot. Josh is not only the teams MVP this year but is tie for the team lead in PPG with JJ. You dont do that unless you can create your own shot.
No hateraid here.
Facts are facts.
JSS
May 7th, 2012
8:22 pm
@ Michael Cunningham…
It was funny to read Chris Vivalome’s critique of the bench. Pargo covered, Green covered, Johnson covered, Williams covered (unnecessarily), but somehow no McGrady? Sad, kinda Coach Drew’s rotations…
Big Ray
May 7th, 2012
8:25 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/05/07/johnson-unhappy-with-number-of-touches/?cxntfid=blogs_hawks
Laughed so hard, I started coughing.
Ol’ Joe has been the quintessential finger pointer for about 3 years now.
Is this the same Joe people thought would be upset about Jamal being around (and taking a million shots in his own right)?
Is he ticked because now Josh does more with his shots than Joe does? Maybe we should let Joe take 15 shots again, so he can hit 3 of them like he did in game 1. Or how about taking 17 shots so he can hit 7 of them, like he did in game 2?
No wait…I have it….let’s give him 28 shots….yeeeeaaahhhhh….so he can hit 11 of them, like he did in game 3.
WTFE, Joe. You haven’t won us more than a game or two down the stretch, and you aren’t doing anything for us in the playoffs.
Let’s stop talking about how many shots you’re GETTING, and start talking about how many shots you are MAKING.
A$$ clown…..
Clarification
May 7th, 2012
8:26 pm
Both Josh and Al can create their own shots. They both did last night.
They are just less fluid than many big men with offensive game. And because they rarely get plays called for them in crunch time, they lack experience with the game on the line. Finally this year, Josh got some crunch time, and it’s still a work in progress, but to me it’s much better than Iso-Joe. I just wish Josh wouldn’t settle so easily for a mid-range jumper. Al, too, for the little he’s played. I like to see those young men in the paint. And they can do it given the opportunities.
BuddyC
May 7th, 2012
8:29 pm
Luke…..These people drive me NUTS man. Oh and you are SO right about Josh. Glad somebody on here has a CLUE! Non partial…..Josh hasn’t CARRIED anything but a CRAPPY attitude and an absolutely terrible jump shot (Keep firing em up SMOOVE) Give me a break dude!
W. R. Terrell
May 7th, 2012
8:30 pm
Al is going to be ok and produce better then anyone could ever imagine. There’s a lot of teams drolling to get him, Jeff teague will be better next year, he continues to improve. ISO Joe is what it is but he is the closet thing to “clutch” that we have. Josh and Marvin will be gone, Heinrich will be gone and the HAWKS will have some dollars. The HAWKS are not that bad but do need some hardcore, I want to win kind of players. The nucleus that will be left will be a solid one but Josh and Marvin gotta go both their upsides are on the down side. LD has to go also, he is just not up to the task at hand. I definitely want T-MAC to stay, even an old T-MAC will perform better then a lot of young players.
BuddyC
May 7th, 2012
8:32 pm
And you are right…..FACTS are FACTS and the fact is Josh Smith is a Me first selfish player that POUTS and WHINES when things get tough!
BuddyC
May 7th, 2012
8:35 pm
WR Terrell did you REALLY just call Joe Johnson Clutch…Are you kidding me dude???? 120 MILLION DOLLARS my man….You wanna rethink that statement????
BuddyC
May 7th, 2012
8:37 pm
CMON man!
BuddyC
May 7th, 2012
8:38 pm
120 million dollar player that wants to hide when the going gets tough….YEA…..thats clutch!
that time again
May 7th, 2012
8:51 pm
Al horford can create his own shot…. Puff Pufff…. inhale… hold …… …….. ……..Yeah, Al horford is a real scorer exhale…. He can take you off the dribble… Puff, puff,,, so the step back 3….inhale., puff. puff, exhale, crossover… Puff puff….. left hand, right hand ..Puff puff inhale…runner… Hold that schit.close my nostrils with my fingers….hold deep… pass the schit over to …Terrel….
This some good ass schit. Hit that schit Terrel where did you get this from…. let Clarification hit it again…..
hell Al gonna win the super bowl….
DawgNole
May 7th, 2012
9:01 pm
northcyde:
You may remember our exchange yesterday (Monday) on the topic of whether or not the Hawks would make it past Round 2 (see below).
You had said, “If we’re facing Philly in the 2nd round, most people will expect the Hawks to advance (despite what Philly did to us in the regular season).”
I expressed disbelief that anyone (much less “most people”) would predict victory for the Hawks in Round 2–regardless of the opponent. The rest of the dialog appears below.
My question today, in light of last night’s collapse, is does it (my response) make any more sense to you now?
DawgNole
May 6th, 2012
6:01 pm
northcyde
May 6th, 2012
5:33 pm
DawgNole
So you wouldn’t expect the Hawks to advance past the #8 seed in the East, if they were matched up against us in Round 2?
Like I said, that team wouldn’t fear us at all, seeing that they beat us 3 times in the regular season. But the Hawks CAN’T lose to the #8 seed, and not get to the EC Finals.
___________________
I don’t expect the Hawks to make it past Round 1, much less Round 2. Hope very badly that I’m wrong, but until they show us that they can win the big one, history says they’ll fail again.