Archive for December, 2012

Vivlamore reporting.

A 22-point fourth-quarter lead was not big enough.

The Hawks needed nine points in double overtime from Jeff Teague for a 126-119 victory over the Pistons Wednesday night at Philips Arena. The Hawks nearly gift-wrapped and gave away a game they dominated for three and a half quarters.

The Pistons erased the huge Hawks’ lead as the final comeback points coming on Austin Daye’s 3-pointer with four seconds remaining in regulation. Al Horford hit the first of two free throws to tie the score at 101-101 with 1.8 seconds left and force overtime.

The Pistons got five points from Will Bynum in the first overtime but the Hawks answered with a 3-pointer by Lou Williams and a basket by Horford.

“It wasn’t as much as what they were doing as what we were doing,” coach Larry Drew said. “We got a little complacent. We started playing the lead. We stopped executing. Defensively, as good as we were in the first half, we were just as bad in the second half. We had defensive …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 126, Pistons 119 2OT (updated) »

Vivlamore reporting.

Lou Williams remains in the starting lineup for a second straight game as the Hawks take on the Pistons tonight. Williams got the start at shooting guard in Saturday’s win over  the Bulls and coach Larry Drew elected to go with the hot hand.

“Being smaller, it has its advantages and disadvantages,” Drew said of a backcourt that features 6-foot-2 Jeff Teague and 6-1 Williams. “The way we feel we need to play we want to go a little smaller with the quickness. He had a really good game our last game. With he and Jeff in there it makes us a lot quicker, a lot faster and it puts us in a more up-tempo style. We had success with it our last game and we are going to go with it again.”

Drew was pushed in the direction to start Williams against the Bulls, his first in 173 games, with Devin Harris (sore left foot) unavailable and DeShawn Stevenson needing rest on the second of back-to-back games.

Drew said he spoke to Williams about his role with the Hawks after he …

Continue reading Game thread: Lou Williams stays in starting lineup (updated) »

Hawks forward Josh Smith has never been named to an NBA All-Star team despite impressive career numbers. CURTIS COMPTON/ccompton@ajc.com

Vivlamore reporting.

Is Josh Smith an All-Star?

Despite all-around career statistics few in NBA history have reached, the Hawks forward has never been chosen for the All-Star Game. He has not been voted in by fans, selected by coaches nor named a replacement by the league.

Through his eight-plus year career, Smith is on the verge of becoming just the 24th player in NBA history to reach the milestones of 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. The 23 players who reached those marks, including nine Hall of Famers, combined to appear in 184 All-Star Games. Only one, Mychal Thompson, never made an all-star appearance.

In Smith’s 624 career games, he has averaged 15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the only player in league history with …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Is Josh Smith an All-Star? »

Vivlamore reporting.

Josh Smith hosted 20 children from City of Refuge, a non-profit organization, Sunday for an afternoon of fun, food and gifts at Dave and Buster’s. The event was a surprise to the children who were picked up and taken to the restaurant to spend time with the Hawks forward.

According to the organization, City of Refuge is an organization “dedicated to community development efforts that lead to the stability and sustainability of the local community. Our community zip code is 30314. It is a community in crisis but also a community with hope and resilience. Despite overwhelming social challenges, numbers and need, City of Refuge finds hope everyday in this neighborhood. That is not only because we remain committed to our neighbors, but they are committed to us, offering themselves as both models of transformation and returning here to help others in need once their lives are restored to paths of health and independence.”

In other orders of business:

* I’m …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Smith hosts children for holiday »

Video: Every Atlanta starter scored in double figures in the Hawks 92-75 win vs. the Bulls on Saturday night. Atlanta ended a two-game losing streak with the win. The AJC’s Chris Vivlamore reports.

Vivlamore reporting.

Lou Williams provided the energy the Hawks needed desperately.

Big time.

Williams was in the starting lineup and scored 14 first-half points as the Hawks dominated the Bulls 92-75 Saturday night at Philips Arena.

The Hawks led by as many as 26 points, a cushion built in early in the fourth quarter, en route to a win remarkably different than their previous four games. The Hawks had lost three of those four games, trailing by at least 17 points in each, including an 18-point Friday at the 76ers. The win came in overtime for the lowly Wizards.

It was a different story Saturday.

The Hawks (16-9) put on impressive effort, particularly in the second quarter, en route to the victory that snapped a two-game losing streak. The victory was the 100th of Larry Drew’s …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 92, Bulls 75 (updated) »

Vivlamore reporting.

A little weary from a much-delayed flight from Philadelphia this morning. However, as the sign over the Hawks’ locker room door reads: ‘No Excuses.’

* Larry Drew talked about making a lineup change following Friday’s lopsided loss to the Sixers and the coach delivered Saturday. Against the Bulls, the Hawks will start Lou Williams at shooting guard. He will be joined in the starting lineup by Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith and Al Horford.

Drew said he would have started Devin Harris at the shooting guard. However, Harris will miss his third straight game with a sore left foot.

“(Getting early energy), that is number one,” Drew said of the lineup change. “Number two, I want to play faster. So we’ll go with a smaller guy in there. If I had Devin Harris it would have been Devin. I kind of want to play a little more up-tempo tonight. Hopefully, it won’t affect us too much from a matchup standpoint. If it does, we’ll just have to make some adjustments.”

* …

Continue reading Game thread: Hawks to start Lou Williams, Harris out »

Vivlamore reporting.

PHILADELPHIA — The Hawks are limping toward Christmas. And it’s a pronounced limp.

The Hawks lost for the third time in four games by dropping a 99-80 decision to the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center Friday. In all three losses the Hawks have trailed by at least 17 points. The lone win in the stretch was an overtime victory over the three-win Wizards.

This loss has coach Larry Drew considering a change to his starting lineup.

“I’m very concerned,” Drew said. “I’m so concerned that I’ve got to think about the lineup now. That’s three out of four (losses) but I’m more concerned about our energy. That is what concerns me the most. I can take losing but if we don’t bring the energy, if we don’t bring the juice, that’s when I really have to look at things and I’m certainly going to do that. I may have to take a look at our lineup.”

It doesn’t get easier for the Hawks before some off time. The Hawks complete a stretch of four games in five days by hosting the …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Sixers 99, Hawks 80 (updated) »

Vivlamore reporting.

PHILADELPHIA — The Hawks will be without guard Devin Harris for tonight’s game against the 76ers and likely tomorrow’s home game against the Bulls with a sore left foot. Harris did not travel with the team to Philadelphia.

The injury is unrelated to the turf toe that caused Harris to miss a game earlier this season.

An MRI showed no structural damage. Harris is wearing a walking boot as a precaution. Following Saturday’s game, the Hawks are off three days before hosting the Pistons which will allow Harris extended rest for his foot.

Officially, Harris is listed as day-to-day.

Guard Anthony Morrow said the sore back that caused him to miss two games is fine and he expects to play.

In other items:

* The Sixers are dealing with injury issues of their own. Leading scorer Jrue Holiday has missed the past four games with a sprained left foot. Second-leading scorer Evan Turner is suffering from a sprained left ankle. Both players told the Philadelphia media …

Continue reading Game thread: Harris not with Hawks in Philadelphia »

If the Hawks could make a holiday wish, what would it be? CineSport’s Noah Coslov gets the answer from The AJC’s Chris Vivlamore as they discuss the new-look Hawks.

Vivlamore reporting.

PHILADELPHIA — If there is a lesson to be learned from the Hawks’ recent games, including the loss to the Thunder Wednesday, it had better sink in fast.

While the big picture shows the Hawks having won 12 of the past 16 games, a closer look shows a different trend. The Hawks have lost two of the past three games. They were handed a 22-point home loss by the Warriors last week. They needed overtime to beat the lowly Wizards Tuesday. They trailed the Thunder by 17 points before a comeback fell short in a 100-92 loss Wednesday.

“Your pride kicks in,” Hawks guard Kyle Korver said of the Hawks rally against the Thunder. “There are a lot of competitors in this locker room. I thought our energy level picked up. We are not a team that is going to lie down. But we’ve had a couple tough games at home. …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Hawks have lost two of three (with video) »

Vivlamore reporting.

Lou Williams expects to hear from Philadelphia fans Friday. The Hawks guard just doesn’t know if he will be serenaded with a chorus of boos or “Lous.”

Williams played his first seven seasons with the Sixers after being drafted by the organization directly out of South Gwinnett High. He will play in Philadelphia for the first time as a member of the visiting team.

“They have a habit of booing,” Williams said. “That is just the makeup of the city. I don’t really take that personal. I just know that if you are not in a Sixers jersey, there is not a love for you unless you are (Allen Iverson). They always ‘Lou-ed’ anyway so I don’t know if it will be a boo or a Lou.”

Williams, who signed with the Hawks as a free agent this summer, said he is looking forward to returning to the city where he became a professional. The Hawks are off today but Williams said he will probably being thinking about the game on the plane ride.

“It will be an exciting game,” …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Williams ready for return to Philadelphia »