Atlanta Hawks game thread: Harris out vs. Thunder (updated)

UPDATE: Anthony Morrow was cleared to play and will dress out tonight.

Vivlamore reporting.

Here is your report from the Hawks prior to tonight’s game against the Thunder.

* Guard Devin Harris will not play against the Thunder tonight due to the sore left foot he suffered in Tuesday’s win against the Wizards. He received treatment on the injury but was ruled out. His status for Friday’s game at the 76ers in uncertain.

* Guard Anthony Morrow, who has missed the past two games with back soreness, is a game-time decision. Morrow told me he thought he could play but needed to get his back stretched before a final determination is made.

* DeShawn Stevenson, who coach Larry Drew hoped not to play Monday in the first of the back-to-back games, will play and is in the starting lineup. He will be joined by Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Stevenson played 13 minutes after Harris left injured in the second quarter.

* Drew said he would likely go to his bench more tonight, being fearful he played some players too many minutes in the overtime win over the Wizards.

One of those players could be rookie guard John Jenkins. I asked Drew if he considered using Jenkins against the Wizards with the team short-handed. This is how Drew answered:

“When I received word that Devin was not coming back I spoke about it with my coaches at halftime and (Jenkins) was certainly in the mix at halftime,” Drew said. “My first decision going into the game was to not play DeShawn. But the game being what it was I felt I could squeeze 10-15 minutes out of him and be OK, which I was. I was thinking about John Jenkins very seriously. With no Devin tonight there is a chance he may get some minutes tonight.

“It being a game that I felt was a very important game for us to win. Not saying had I put him in there the outcome would have been different but I elected to go with experience at that point. John was definitely one of the guys we were talking about putting in with the matchups but as the game went on I thought it to be more important to go with experience at that point.”

* The Hawks have won two straight against the Thunder, including a victory at Oklahoma City early this season. Drew said his team gets up to play the Thunder.

“I think with our team we have played well against really, really good team,” Drew said. “I consider this Oklahoma City team a really, really good team. … We get pretty pumped up to play against them for some reason. We take the challenge. Certainly when you play against a team like Oklahoma City, it’s a challenge. With this team having won 11 in a row, we have something to shoot for. In our games against them I think our guys have done a good job at accepting the challenge on both ends of the floor.”

- Chris Vivlamore

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397 comments Add your comment

keith

December 19th, 2012
8:20 pm

Ms. Gabon looks like one of the Basketball Wives….Someone please guard Westbrook…PLEASE….

Hawks_4_Life

December 19th, 2012
8:20 pm

We can win this

Luke Cage

December 19th, 2012
8:20 pm

Westbrook in that crazy zone, he will shoot himself out of it, just keep in front of em Jeff

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:20 pm

only played 19 mins!

Najeh Davenpoop

December 19th, 2012
8:21 pm

Westbrook has 15 points. Durant has 4. Westbrook is similar to Wade in that you can’t really stop him once he gets to his spot on the floor. The trick is to force him away from the spots he likes. Right now he is dictating terms to whoever is guarding him, rather than the other way around.

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:21 pm

Westbrook keeps this pace up he obtain 40 with ease..

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:22 pm

lol yall are actually watching ms universe?

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:23 pm

Most nights he dictates that why he’s one of the best guards in the NBA

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:23 pm

man josh has no touch on them hook shots

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:23 pm

Al Horford has been Mister Invisible so far tonight.

keith

December 19th, 2012
8:24 pm

Westbrook is schooling Jeff Teague 2-night….

Najeh Davenpoop

December 19th, 2012
8:24 pm

“Most nights he dictates that why he’s one of the best guards in the NBA”

Very true, although ask some people on this blog and they will tell you he is just a ball hogging chucker.

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:25 pm

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:25 pm

17 for Brook!

keith

December 19th, 2012
8:25 pm

Oh No…. Can we stop the Bleeding??????

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:26 pm

some people on this Blog believe Al is the more talented than Josh…hahahaha

Hawks_4_Life

December 19th, 2012
8:27 pm

I rather Westbrook keep shooting, it wont keep dropping and before you know it we are in it. I BELIEVE.

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:27 pm

I hope the world dont end on friday I need to buy them bred 11’s

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:28 pm

both al and josh have flaws

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:28 pm

WestBrook will drop 45 if he keeps shooting. Hes done it before…

keith

December 19th, 2012
8:28 pm

We will not get anything from Lou tonight… He can’t guard anyone out there!!!!

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:29 pm

refs calling everything for the thunder

Najeh Davenpoop

December 19th, 2012
8:29 pm

Hawks doing way too much reaching defensively.

Hawks_4_Life

December 19th, 2012
8:29 pm

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:29 pm

19 for WestBrook. In a zone..

keith

December 19th, 2012
8:29 pm

We need Metta World War right now, or Andrew Bynum to come knock theses guys to the floor!!!!

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:30 pm

korver shouldnt be driving the ball period

Rod from College Park

December 19th, 2012
8:31 pm

“Very true, although ask some people on this blog and they will tell you he is just a ball hogging chucker.”

Kind of like Jamal.

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:31 pm

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:31 pm

21 for Wesbrook!

Al with the stepback 22 foot airball!

Luke Cage

December 19th, 2012
8:32 pm

Almost a replay of GS game

Najeh Davenpoop

December 19th, 2012
8:32 pm

Hawks’ offense looks atrocious.

Wabe

December 19th, 2012
8:32 pm

jump shooting team…

and the jumpers aint fallin’.

SuckerFree

December 19th, 2012
8:32 pm

It’s getting ugly

J.J.M.

December 19th, 2012
8:32 pm

coach drew has no game plan other than trying to get korver the open 3 shot….time to turn

bigdave

December 19th, 2012
8:32 pm

Floor spacing not looking good

Blast

December 19th, 2012
8:33 pm

Hawks ain’t playing well at all.

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:33 pm

Al had Westbrook guarding him at the Freethrow line with a 7 inch advantage along with 8o lbs..He played Chief Passer.. Wow..

Wabe

December 19th, 2012
8:33 pm

this is gon’ be a blowout.

SuckerFree

December 19th, 2012
8:34 pm

Team is crying too much to the refs

keith

December 19th, 2012
8:34 pm

We need a post player 2-night…..This game really exposes our weaknesses. We cannot buy a Bucket…

Rod from College Park

December 19th, 2012
8:34 pm

Are we still ranked 7th in defensive efficiency? LOL

Sid

December 19th, 2012
8:34 pm

blowout…out of their league.

Hawks_4_Life

December 19th, 2012
8:34 pm

I still believe…..Lets go baby

Blast

December 19th, 2012
8:35 pm

And every move by the Hawks is a foul, but they cannot buy a foul on the other end.

Smokey

December 19th, 2012
8:35 pm

now lets collapse the d with dribble and dish to shooters pls

HawkFan

December 19th, 2012
8:35 pm

Bad half. Need to make a run in 3rd quarter

Najeh Davenpoop

December 19th, 2012
8:35 pm

At least they got a good shot to end the half.

They better come out with a 8-0 run to start the 2nd half or they are toast. I expect plenty of postgame complaints about “energy” from LD.

Slimjr

December 19th, 2012
8:35 pm

FreaKING sOFT!

Luke Cage

December 19th, 2012
8:35 pm

According to Slimjr, we are losing because of Al, no mention that as a team NOBODY has done much, especially defensively lol