Game thread: Drew, Smith talk after ‘poor shot selection’ late vs. Pistons (updated)
UPDATES: Ivan Johnson is definitely out tonight. He remained at the team hotel. … Hawks will start Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith and Al Horford. “In the last couple of games we’ve played in going with this lineup it’s been good for us,” coach Larry Drew said. “I think with both Teague and Williams in the lineup it gives us speed, it gives us the ability to play a little faster. … I think it’s important on the road to dictate the tempo of the game and when it’s time to run we have to get out and fly.” … Drew said there is a “probability” he will save DeShawn Stevenson for tomorrow night’s game against the Pacers.
Vivlamore reporting.
Hawks coach Larry Drew acknowledged Josh Smith’s late-game shooting issues against the Pistons Wednesday as “poor shot selection” and said the two have spoken and are ready to move on.
Despite finishing with 31 points, Smith combined to score only one point in the fourth quarter and both overtimes. He was 13-of-18 shooting through three quarters but 0-of-7 in the final 22 minutes.
“It was just poor shot selection,” Drew said. “He knows it. We’ve already talked about it. That was a game where I thought he probably settled a little too much on the perimeter. He acknowledged it. We look at tape and we talk about it and we just move on.”
* Tonight the Hawks’ main focus will be on stopping the Cavaliers’ dribble penetration. The Cavs scored 46 points in the paint in their victory over the Hawks on Nov. 30 at Philips Arena. Now, they have point guard Kyrie Irving back.
“After looking at our last game, that is what really killed us,” Drew said.
Drew said the Hawks have added a few wrinkles for this game against the Cavs based on the last game. However, the focus will be on better execution both offensively and defensively.
“From an execution standpoint we have enough stuff where I think we can keep them off balance offensively,” Drew said. “It’s just a matter of us getting out there and executing the play and making sure we explore the option off the play, especially on the road. This is where it’s most important because we want to try to control the tempo on the road.”
The Hawks had trouble defending dribble penetration late in Wednesday’s game against the Pistons. Will Bynum scored 26 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and two overtime periods. When Bynum and the Pistons weren’t scoring on layups, they were dishing to Andre Drummond for dunks.
“It is something we saw the last game when Bynum was penetrating, a big man was helping and then Drummond had the wide-open dunks,” Zaza Pachulia said of the Hawks defensive breakdowns. “Other guys have to help the big guy. It’s like a chain. Everybody needs to help each other and be on the same page. That is the key. If you do that we’ll make it easier on ourselves.
“I’ve seen this team doing it the right way and helping each other so I know we are capable of doing it. We just didn’t execute it the right way.”
* The Hawks will get a break in the rebounding battle as the Cavs will be without Anderson Varejao. The center has missed four games with a bruised right knee and he will miss the next two more, including tonight against the Hawks.
Varejao had 18 boards as the Cavs out-rebounded the Hawks 49-28 in their last meeting.
Varejao is the NBA’s leading rebounder at 14.4 boards per game.
Drew warned it’s not only Varejao the Hawks must be concerned about stopping.
“They have guys who really go and attack the glass,” Drew said. “We’ll have to be good in our box outs, not only our big guys but our perimeters as well. They are going to have to get in there and chase some loose balls down. Their size is certainly something we are going to have to deal with tonight but, again, we might try to combat that with our speed and quickness.”
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
* Johnson doubtful vs. Cavs with stomach illness
* Drew speaks to Teague about energy level
* Hawks 126, Pistons 119 (2OT)
* Williams remains in starting lineup
* Hawks have lost two of past three
* Williams ready for return to Philadelphia
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396 comments Add your comment
Slimjr
December 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
Al finally hit a big shot
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
Al still isn’t moving like he’s anywhere near 100% but big time clutch jumper by him.
Honesty
December 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
And then he drains a jumper to shut me up smh…
Astro Joe
December 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
Awful shot by Uncle Drew.
kwooden1
December 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
I hope Josh isn’t really hurt, we need him tomorrow.
cp
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Yes sirrrrrrrr
Mookie Blaylock
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Guards carrying the team again…
SteveW
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Jeff Teague is terrible. I wish Jeff could go for 27 every so often. Oh wait…
2 FOR JOHN DREW
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Big Ray ….. You think the fellas tune out LD ….. Think what they’d do if they had to listen to that voice ( Avery Johnson ) for 82 games … lol
Astro Joe
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Cavs fell apart in the final few minutes while the Hawks held their composure.
Melvin
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Big 3 by Korver
Rusty
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Keith what network are you watching or are you drunk saying the Cleveland announcers sound drunk,I’m watching the game on sportsouth & the announcers are Nique & Bob.
J.J.M.
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
Good sportsmanship by josh giving zaza some love
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2012
9:38 pm
If Josh is hurt, it wasn’t serious enough for him to go back to the locker room. Probably a combination of poor offensive play, whatever injury he had at the end of the 3rd, and Zaza playing well is keeping him on the bench.
Swingman912
December 28th, 2012
9:39 pm
Yall still wanna trade Teague?? (silence)
Melvin
December 28th, 2012
9:40 pm
The was a big jumpshot by AL. He’s clearly hurt…
Blast
December 28th, 2012
9:40 pm
Korver comes up big when it counts. Zaza has been huge! Don’t know if Al should be playing right now. I guess Drew needs to keep Josh on the bench to teach him a lesson.
DS
December 28th, 2012
9:40 pm
Big props to LD for sitting Josh when he’s not playing well and giving the rooks some minutes
Rusty
December 28th, 2012
9:41 pm
The only thing that will keep JT from be coming a star is LD.
Big Ray
December 28th, 2012
9:41 pm
I don’t think keeping Josh on the bench had much to do with having the balls to do it.
Josh just couldn’t get it going where it was needed. Blocked 5 damn shots….you gotta give up the love for that.
Problem has been the turnovers and the shooting. Just having a rough game, though decision-makking continues to be an issue…as this blog thread suggests….
Horford hasn’t had it, either. Bummy game, though a double double yet again.
Thing is, LD’s coaching never seems to allow either player to get out of a rut.
I’ve noticed this – if a player gets in a rut…they’re just in a rut. They’ll have to figure it out themselves, LD has issues putting them into place to break out of a slump.
Then again, I can’t blame LD for bad shot selection, lack of motivation, lack of energy….oh wait…those sound like post game quotes…
J.J.M.
December 28th, 2012
9:41 pm
How zaza not dunk that…oh nvm he’s hurt
Honesty
December 28th, 2012
9:41 pm
Ooooh! JT with the tasty dish!
Melvin
December 28th, 2012
9:41 pm
Why didnt AL dunk that? The shouldve been another assist for Teague….
J.J.M.
December 28th, 2012
9:42 pm
*horford my bad
Blast
December 28th, 2012
9:42 pm
Ball game! Great win!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2012
9:42 pm
Cavs fans are probably going to be b-tching at Byron Scott for playing Miles over Gee in this 4th quarter. Gee was +3 and shut down Korver; Miles was -21.
Melvin
December 28th, 2012
9:42 pm
Good win by the Hawks….
Astro Joe
December 28th, 2012
9:42 pm
Good defense to close the game. Without their defensive captain on the floor. Nice road win.
kwooden1
December 28th, 2012
9:43 pm
Solid WIN! Really solid! I like the way they finished, making free-throws and knocking down open shots.
GO HAWKS!!
Just Joe
December 28th, 2012
9:43 pm
LD will now take credit for Teague playing well.
W.R. Terrell
December 28th, 2012
9:43 pm
“STOOPID FINALLY LEFT THE BUILDING!”
Big Ray
December 28th, 2012
9:43 pm
2 For John Drew ,
That was a joke. I want no parts of that noisy midget. And neither do most NBA players….hence Avery Johnson having a hard time getting a job between the time he got fired by the Mavs and got hired by the Nets.
Clearly there is some other places to place blame in Brooklyn, but the HC is the HC…and often the first to go.
Melvin
December 28th, 2012
9:44 pm
I have to give LD some credit tonight. He mix and match the lineups thru out the game. Playing the rookie Scott in the 1st half. Giving Tolliver mins. Playing the rookie Jenkins in the 4th qtr. And benching Josh the entire 4th qtr…
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2012
9:44 pm
Nice to see them scrap and get a win even if they had to struggle against a bad team missing one of its two best players.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, if LD doesn’t start the big lineup, I think we can consider the big lineup officially dead. If there was any team against which the big lineup would be ideal, it is Indiana.
High-sider
December 28th, 2012
9:44 pm
This Hawks team is impressive; it (the Hawks team) keeps finding a way to win.
Melvin
December 28th, 2012
9:45 pm
Kyle Korver with 3 blocks tonight. The sneaky defender he is…LOL
bigdave
December 28th, 2012
9:46 pm
Continuation of his OT play…. keep playing off Jeff til it proves to be less than an advantage
JaeEvolution
December 28th, 2012
9:46 pm
John Jenkins projects to the Hawks exactly what Danny Green is for the Spurs.
Donald Caldwell
December 28th, 2012
9:46 pm
drew seems to favor lou a little bit too much. lou off the bench. he’s TO prone and a bad passer. Give the rook a chance. we nearly blew another one.
cp
December 28th, 2012
9:46 pm
Good win. Big game from Teague. Good contributions from guys off the bench like Zaza, Jenkins, and Tolliver. Al had a double double. Josh was terrible on the offensive end but played some nice defense. I like Lou’s scoring tonight but I hate seeing him at point. With Morrow hurt I guess Jenkins will get some pt now. And oh yea clutch 3 by Korver
Mookie Blaylock
December 28th, 2012
9:46 pm
guess we provided some inspiration. Detroit is about the beat the Heat, and Bynum is having another big game.
Astro Joe
December 28th, 2012
9:46 pm
Just Joe, IMO, Teague played well because Jeremy Pargo lit him up a few weeks ago. And Teague really took off when Pargo entered the game. Let’s hope that Teaue keeps his “big boy pants” on tomnorrow and for several games thereafter. And let’s hope that he can be that aggressive even when #5 is playing his usual minutes.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 28th, 2012
9:47 pm
“I want no parts of that noisy midget. And neither do most NBA players….hence Avery Johnson having a hard time getting a job between the time he got fired by the Mavs and got hired by the Nets.”
I think that had a lot to do with his salary demands, too.
I’m not the world’s biggest Avery Johnson fan but I don’t think Brooklyn’s talent adds up to a team that is much better than the current one. Lopez can’t rebound or defend, Humphries is really only good at rebounding, they don’t have a ton of depth, and their well-paid shooting guard’s former team is proving that maybe he isn’t so valuable after all. Even if they get Phil Jackson or something (and I’m at a loss as to why he would want to go there) I don’t see them getting past the 2nd round. They are nowhere near the Heat and Knicks’ talent level.
2 FOR JOHN DREW
December 28th, 2012
9:47 pm
So true … I felt that sarcasm oozing out of ya …. lol
JaeEvolution
December 28th, 2012
9:47 pm
By the way Devin Harris for Bynum and Daye, anyone?
Astro Joe
December 28th, 2012
9:48 pm
Teague says “coach pulled me aside and told me to be aggressive for now on”. So is teague being a politician or wshould we actually give LD some credit? Never mind, Teague was just saying the politcally correct thing. NEVER give credit to the head coach.