Atlanta Hawks game thread: Morrow out against Warriors (updated)
Vivlamore reporting.
The Hawks will continue with their normal lineup tonight against the Warriors with Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeShawn Stevenson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
The Hawks will be a little short-handed as guard Anthony Morrow is out with back soreness. Morrow began experiencing back pain last week against the Grizzlies and the team has been managing the issue since. Morrow missed significant time with a stress fracture in his back during his junior year at Georgia Tech in 2006.
For the Hawks (14-6), they will be looking to avenge one of their losses this season after falling to the Warriors 92-88 in Oakland on Nov. 14. The Hawks were without center Al Horford and guard Devin Harris as they suffered from a stomach illness that hit the team hard during that West coast trip.
Coach Larry Drew welcomes another chance at the Warriors (15-8) with Horford.
“He is a big part of what we do,” Drew said. “I went back and looked at that game. It was kind of a weird game for us, everything that we were going through at that point. We’ll go into with a little bit more of a defined game plan, similar to what we’ve done in the past with him. He’s a big part of what we do. We run things through him. He is an anchor defensively.”
One of the issues for the Hawks is slowing Warriors rookie forward Harrison Barnes, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds in that game. David Lee also had a double-double in that game.
“He played well,” Drew said of Barnes. “A few of their guys played well. I did not think we played well defensively against him the last time we played them. I think he’s going to be a terrific rookie. He has size. He has speed. He’s athletic. He can make shots. We have to do a better job on him defensively, without a doubt. We have to take the challenge and from a team standpoint we have to be solid defensively.”
Smith said the key will be slowing the Warriors’ perimeter players.
“We have to do a better job of containing the ball on the perimeter,” Smith said. “(Warriors coach) Mark Jackson is one that likes to milk plays if they are successful. We have to be able to do the job of sitting down and taking the challenge defensively.”
- Chris Vivlamore
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176 comments Add your comment
High-sider
December 15th, 2012
7:50 pm
In the words of Dick Vitale, “You betta get a TO, baby!” (SMH)
Blast
December 15th, 2012
7:50 pm
Danger time here!
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
7:50 pm
The warriors are not missing ashot, now up to 55%. Hawks look a step slow on defense. You would think it was the Hawks who played lasy night, and not the Warriors.
Josh 0-9.
SuckerFree
December 15th, 2012
7:50 pm
down 11….JSmoove can’t make a shot. Bad free throw shooting.
Sameba
December 15th, 2012
7:51 pm
KK, who is a SG, should not paly D against SF.
cp
December 15th, 2012
7:51 pm
We need to unload one of these shooters and get an actual sf in here.
jo
December 15th, 2012
7:52 pm
Game getting out of hand quickly…
SuckerFree
December 15th, 2012
7:53 pm
We do need a SF on the roster….just because all teams should have at least one SF on the roster.
Blast
December 15th, 2012
7:53 pm
And LD has not been playing Ivan?
SuckerFree
December 15th, 2012
7:54 pm
Hawks are about to make a run
Blast
December 15th, 2012
7:56 pm
Hawks can’t buy a shot, GS making everything in sight. Ivan the only Hawk making plays right now. Defence has to step up.
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
7:56 pm
Hawks look lost on defense. And I wonder if its because they are not having success on offense.
Good to see Ivan do what he do. But we have to makeour FT. 6 misses already.
Rev in Tampa
December 15th, 2012
7:57 pm
About time that the Hawks did something to add energy. A shame Curry hit the three
High-sider
December 15th, 2012
7:57 pm
You can’t give Curry or Thompson any space – none whatsoever.
bigdave
December 15th, 2012
7:59 pm
I wouldn’t be mad if these 2 teams matched up every night..
Rev in Tampa
December 15th, 2012
8:00 pm
I like the Warriors tv announcers. They seem to genuinely enjoy the game of basketball and they are not homers. They give complements to the Hawks without being backhanded.
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2012
8:03 pm
“Where was that vaunted Korver “D” on [Harrison] Barnes? Two consecutive buckets by Barnes.”
Cats on this blog are very funny. Korver would have made the difference checking Lebron or D.Wade, but he has no chance against Harrison Barnes. LOL
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:03 pm
once again, Hawks are terrible on defense. The Warriors played last night, guys. Where is the Hawks energy.
Warriors shooting 64% from 3, some of them wide open, while Hawks are 3-13 from 3. if we are notmaking 3’s, we are in trouble.
Blast
December 15th, 2012
8:03 pm
Golden State cannot miss!
High-sider
December 15th, 2012
8:04 pm
Hawks have “given up” 60 points in the first half so far – wack defense.
wxwax
December 15th, 2012
8:06 pm
Are fewer Hawks games being televised this season? Surpised this one isn’t on TV.
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:06 pm
I wonder how close the Hawks were to being coached by Mark Jackson instead of LD.
bigdave
December 15th, 2012
8:07 pm
Yea.
I like this matchup,
Even LD turn’d up
Rev in Tampa
December 15th, 2012
8:07 pm
Wow. I haven’t seen that much emotion from LD ever. He had to be held back.
Blast
December 15th, 2012
8:07 pm
Yes, Jeff was fouled on that last play!
What is wrong with these refs? What do they have against the Hawks? Ivan was fouled too, but no call. Josh can make the same claim too.
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:08 pm
Good to see LD get a tech, standing up for his players. But GS has been the agrressors, so they will get the benefit of the doubt on calls.
Hawks are a step slow on offense and defense. And we need more from our leader Josh. he is 1-10 from the field.
cp
December 15th, 2012
8:08 pm
How is that not a foul though? Terrible defense and cant make free throws. Hawks need to step it up in the second half
Jae Evolution
December 15th, 2012
8:09 pm
Bottom line is the Warriors are getting any look they want, what happened to team D? No one is helping one another when their man beats them, we need to start by picking up our individual defense and really pick up our team D.
High-sider
December 15th, 2012
8:11 pm
This Warriors [squad] already has five (5) players in double figures at halftime.
http://www.nba.com/games/20121215/GSWATL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nbahpgt0021200337
Sameba
December 15th, 2012
8:13 pm
Since nobody can hit 3-pointers, this is a very good time to try out Jenkins…
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:14 pm
I agree with Rev. I like the GSW announcers (more than Bob and Nique).
Hawks issues are on defense (GS shooting 54% from the field, 67% from 3), while Hawks are 39% from the field, 23% from 3, and 10-17 from the FT line.
If our offense is having a bad night, then our defense needs to step up. I hope LD goes off on the players at halftime.
SuckerFree
December 15th, 2012
8:14 pm
Anthony Morrow & John Jenkins for Derrick Williams
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2012
8:14 pm
Warriors anouncers said Kyle Korver is the go thru guy. The game plan was to attack him. Yet I have to debate with dummies on this blog that Korver is a bad defensive player. SMH
Sameba
December 15th, 2012
8:17 pm
Rod from College Park:
Is Morrow a better defensive player?
SuckerFree
December 15th, 2012
8:17 pm
@Rod
He’s an average defender. We’ve seen a lot worse here in Atlanta (Jamal Crawford and Mike Bibby). Some nights are better than others…it’s obvious that the Harrison Barnes matchup is not good.
Sameba
December 15th, 2012
8:19 pm
The problem of the Hawks is the absence of SF, period.
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:21 pm
Sameba,
There is more to it than just the absence of a SF. Our guards dont rebound enough either.
Runner-
December 15th, 2012
8:22 pm
@Rev,
I was thinking the exact same thing. Very classy announcers
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:23 pm
Plus we miss too many FT. Hawks are probably one of the 5 worst FT shooting teams in the league.
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:23 pm
Josh picking up right where he left off. Missing.
Sameba
December 15th, 2012
8:24 pm
O’Brien:
I should say the BIGGEST problem…
Rod from College Park
December 15th, 2012
8:24 pm
Box out AL
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:24 pm
And no boxout from Al smh
Rev in Tampa
December 15th, 2012
8:24 pm
Not a good start to the third quarter. Hawks do not have a habit of boxing out when the shot goes up.
Just Joe
December 15th, 2012
8:25 pm
Korver was fine until we put him on the floor with two point guards. Thompson scored on him just once. When you force him to the front line, you have a problem.
O'Brien
December 15th, 2012
8:26 pm
Teague is struggling too. 3-9 from the field. And another miss from Josh. 1-12 from the field.
Sameba
December 15th, 2012
8:26 pm
I think now the task should be as follows: to play a very smothering defense, and play a very uptempo offense. Only this way one can turn things around…
SuckerFree
December 15th, 2012
8:26 pm
this one’s ugly
MattP
December 15th, 2012
8:26 pm
Where is Smith this game? 1-12….
Blast
December 15th, 2012
8:27 pm
Looks like Hawks cannot beat this team, man.