Atlanta Hawks: Timberwolves 108, Hawks 103 (updated)
Vivlamore reporting.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Hawks picked up right where they left off – and that’s not a good thing.
After a dreadful second half of a loss to the Celtics Saturday prompted a team meeting, the Hawks started slow in a 108-103 defeat to the Timberwolves Tuesday at the Target Center. In their first game after the meeting, the Hawks never led.
Hawks coach Larry Drew labeled his team’s start “soft.”
“We waited way too late to start playing,” Drew said. “The first half we were soft. Soft. We did not guard very well. I thought physically they did just about anything that they wanted to. We played with no urgency in that first half. I told the guys at halftime, it’s not a sometimes thing. You can’t come out and play sometimes. You’ve got to come out and start the game highly energized. We can’t play normal. We can’t be a team that just sits back and allows other teams to do what they want to do. We have to be the aggressor.”
Drew added that he would hold his players accountable.
“There are some guys in there that are going to be held accountable,” Drew said. “As we move forward, if this thing doesn’t change there are going to have to be some changes. That’s plain and simple. I’m not going to watch our guys come out and start every game and not be energized to play. That’s totally unacceptable.”
When asked who specifically needs to be held accountable for the poor starts, Drew responded: “Everybody. Everybody. I played quite a few people in that first half. Everybody has to be held accountable.”
The Hawks (20-13) have lost a season-long three straight and four of five. They are losing their grip on third place in the Eastern Conference. They are now tied with the Pacers and just a half-game ahead of the Bulls.
The Hawks nearly erased a 17-point deficit. They pulled within one point in the fourth quarter, 104-103, with 36.6 remaining. However, Dante Cunningham scored with 15.9 seconds left and the Hawks then committed a turnover to halt the comeback.
The Timberwolves (16-5) snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Hawks despite playing without Kevin Love.
“It’s probably fair to say,” Hawks center Al Horford said of Drew’s “soft” comment. “I don’t think that we are a soft team but it’s fair to say. I think we came out uninterested. Us, the guys who are playing, I’ll take blame for that. We have a game tomorrow so we have to show we are better tomorrow.”
“I don’t roll with that,” was Josh Smith’s response.
Smith led the Hawks with 21 points. He also finished with 13 rebounds to move into seventh place on the Hawks’ all-time rebound list with 5,027. He surpassed Cliff Hagan (5,019). Lou Williams added 21 points and Horford had 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Hawks lost for the first time this season with both Smith and Horford had a double-double.
Nikola Pekovic led the Timberwolves with 25 points and 18 rebounds.
The Timberwolves led by as many as 17 points in the first half and took a 58-42 lead into halftime.
The Hawks made only one of their first six shots and never led. They finished with just six first-half assists. Williams paced the Hawks with 12 points in the opening 24 minutes.
“I don’t think we came out with the energy,” Williams said. “We decided to wait until the second half to start playing and it bit us in the butt. I think the first half is when we should have responded when they were playing very well. I thought that would have been a perfect opportunity for us to get ourselves going and get geared up and meet the challenge. We waited too late to do that.”
The Hawks started the third quarter with an 18-8 run to cut their deficit to six points, 66-60. However, the Timberwolves answered with a 13-3 run that was punctuated by Alexey Shved steal and an and-one dunk.
Jeff Teague was called for the foul, one of five on the night to go with just five points.
“They called it,” Teague said of his foul troubles. “That’s the way the whistle blew tonight. It was tough out there tonight.”
The Hawks play again Wednesday at the Cavaliers as the attempt to halt a season-long losing streak.
“(Drew) challenged us at halftime and we responded,” Horford said. “It starts with me. I have to do better, whatever that means, if I have to play harder, whatever it takes. We are going through a little rut right now but we have to stick together.”
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
* Morrow out vs. T’Wolves with back stiffness
* Stevenson weighs in on back-to-backs situation
* Stevenson needs medical clearance to play back-t0-back
* Hawks wary of Pistons’ bench
* Williams to remain in starting lineup
* Behind the scenes photo gallery
* Drew named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month
* Drew looking for more minutes for Jenkins
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259 comments Add your comment
doc
January 9th, 2013
3:03 pm
so, no one from the wwe era of baseball is going to get in on first ballot.
doc
January 9th, 2013
3:04 pm
weekly ob
doc
January 9th, 2013
3:10 pm
najeh, dont know his complete upside. love his total game though and it is a different era for baseball. he isnt a contact hitter, doesnt steal singles and as ob says, he hits .275 and i say has 30 or more dingers with 90 rbis and play right well, that is a very good year. there are not enough guys who work pitchers to make it far is my guess. need some glue in left and have for a while rather than huge numbers from hey ward. i wont object if he suddenly shows a penchant for serial .300 or better years in a row though.
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
3:13 pm
“Yeah, he was in a “post stance” but outside of the paint (as I recall). Given that it was a 3 point deficit, my guess was the play was for Al to catch it and look for either Lou or Korver on the weakside for a pass.”
So you can only Post someone in the paint? LOL. Dude you say some dumb things, but this might top the list. The play call was obviously to get the ball to Al, which makes it worse that he let the guy come around him and steal the ball. Makes no matter where you post someone, the guy should never be able to come around you. Add Zach Randolph, another guy who understands how to post correctly. You never see guys, bigger or smaller coming around him once he establishes post position.
Geronimo
January 9th, 2013
3:17 pm
I admit I was pissed most of the way through this loss but this is how (some of) you sound: “The sky is falling!! We’re all gonna die!!”
So the good guys have lost a couple games, but we’ve seen them be better than they’re playing at this moment. Changes should and most of us expect WILL be made, there is still hope for balancing the roster.If we lose tonight though, full panic mode for me too. (Kidding.)
jlewis
January 9th, 2013
3:18 pm
O’brien, want some irony, lol. When Ferry signed Larry Hughes to that contract in Cleveland, the best available free agent on the market “that was leaving” was Joe Johnson, who would have been the perfect compliment to Lebron. Additionally, if Ferry had those offers, I really dont trust his judgement to come to ATL in a rebuilding year, no fans, and a seriously unbalanced roster.
mchezo
January 9th, 2013
3:20 pm
Teague. what is his upside? how much better will he get?
jlewis
January 9th, 2013
3:21 pm
Also, please discount what this team did early, they were mainly playing scrub teams, and many teams have their best players out, Indiana has no Granger, Wall is out of Washington, the Thunder had just signed Kevin Martin. Now they will play teams that are getting players back and are better. All you do is lock down the shooters and play Al and Josh straight up, people figure things out.
The Truth
January 9th, 2013
3:36 pm
“It was an inbounds play, Horford was a good 15 feet from the basket. Yeah, he was in a “post stance” but outside of the paint (as I recall).” – AJ
AJ, that’s not bad recalling but from my DVR he was more like half the distance from the 3-point arc which is about 24 feet from the basket in the NBA from center. Even though AL was not in the center, I would guess he was more like 10 feet from the basket. For a center or any player to so call “post-up” from 10 feet away from the basket for the purpose of shielding his defender is difficult especially if the defender is as quick as Cunningham. If the offender is in a post position and can’t feel his defender from his back side, he really doesn’t know where he is at 10 feet from the basket (unless he got eyes in the back of his head LoL).
Samurai Squirrel
January 9th, 2013
3:36 pm
As I said yesterday,now is the time to trade Teague. He isn’t improving and we could get as much (or more) production from a retread veteran like Ramon Sessions or Mo Williams. If we could acquire a first rounder for Teague, I would do it in a heartbeat (this draft is gonna be surprisingly deep). Time to start building for the future.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
3:37 pm
Rod, I did NOT say that Al didn’t make a mistake. You seem to be the only one who exclusively points the finger at Al for the failure of that play. Meanwhile, it is pretty clear that Josh has some culpability as well. I will NEVER argue that Al’s post skilss aren;t as well defined as Duncan or Z-Bo. And I have not seen anyone else try and make that case either. If Al should have suddenly had the post skills of an elite post player, then why didn’t Josh have the passing skills of an elite passer? Oh, that’s right, because they were as flawed at the end of the game as they are during the other 47 minutes of the game.
northcyde
January 9th, 2013
3:44 pm
Basseball writers are a joke.
And what they don’t realize, is that they’re going to end up hurting deserving candidates that DIDN’T take Steroids ( like Biggio and Piazza ), because of the split in votes in the coming years.
If hey don’t want guys like Bonds, Clemens, Sosa and McGwire into the Hall of Fame, they need to completely take them off of the ballot. Otherwise, the votes will continue to be split up as new guys become eligible for the Hall.
You got guys like Gred Maddux, Frank Glavine, and Frank Thomas on the ballot next year. Do any of these guys get the required 75% vote from the writers, if you still have Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, McGwire, Biggio, Bagwell, Piazza, Schilling, McGriff, Raines, and Palmero still on the ballot?
What about 2015, when Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez become eligible?
Ken Griffey Jr and Trevor Hoffman in 2016?
Ivan Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Vladimir Guerrero in 2017?
Those idiots either need to COLLECTIVELY decide to vote guys like Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, and even McGwire into the Hall, or collectively decide not to vote for NONE of those guys at all.
cp
January 9th, 2013
3:46 pm
Didn’t the Hawks defeat Indiana last season when they had a healthy Granger. The Hawks were able to beat the Thunder while Josh was out and LMAO@John Wall. The Hawks dominated the Wizards last year when they had a healthy Wall. The only game that was close was in fact the one where Wall didn’t do much of anything. When other teams have missing guys then its luck we beat them but when we have guys that are out somehow that gets discounted or forgotten.
Trade Teague to pick up Sessions or Mo Williams SMDH. Seriously do you guys watch the teams of the guys you keep hollering for?. Sessions nor Williams makes this team better. The Jazz fans dont like Williams and want a pure pg and Sessions has been traded as much as he has for a reason. Gotta love wanting to trade for a guy who puts up similar numbers as the guy you want to get rid of.
Melvin
January 9th, 2013
3:47 pm
Although I’m not a baseball fan, how in the heck can you not vote anyone into the Hall of fame each year? Having sportswriters vote on who should be inducted into the HOF is a joke. Half of them probably never field a pop fly in their life. Can the players vote on who should be inducted into the writers/broadcasters HOF? Get outta here….
northcyde
January 9th, 2013
3:48 pm
Back to basketball . . .
Imagine if Al or Josh had the type of post skills that Peckovic has. We’d be a dangerous team forreal.
cp
January 9th, 2013
3:48 pm
Why dont we just bring back Acie Law and Jermaine Jackson to run point.
cp
January 9th, 2013
3:49 pm
Maybe Scoonie Penn can come in for a 10 day contract
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
3:50 pm
“You seem to be the only one who exclusively points the finger at Al for the failure of that play.”
“MistaGamer
January 9th, 2013
11:27 am
That last play,
Totally on Horford. No way he should have let the defender get around him after he established post position.
A bounce pass could have worked, but that is only after the fact of seeing Horford not maintain is position properly. He was just out-worked on that play. Plain and simple.”
I case you are not aware, I am not MistaGamer, and don’t know him personally, but he obviously knows what he is talking about. So your assertion that I am the only one is incorrect. Thank you and goodnight.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
3:52 pm
Rod, gone for the evening? Too bad.
Nate ArchiBALL
January 9th, 2013
3:52 pm
Kings to Seattle
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/kings/2013/01/09/sacramento-kings-maloofs-seattle/1820851/
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
3:54 pm
co, how about Cedric Bozeman? Or remember the last NBA days of Kenny Anderson in a Hawks uniform?
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
3:54 pm
“Having sportswriters vote on who should be inducted into the HOF is a joke. Half of them probably never field a pop fly in their life.”
Similar to having bloggers posting about basketball fundamentals and never actually dribbling a ball in their life, or posting up another player in their life.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
3:56 pm
Rod, you said good night, did you misquote yourself? That’s pretty DUMB. or maybe in College Park, good night means I am leaving for 5 minutes.
Rod, good night.
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
3:56 pm
“Rod, gone for the evening? Too bad.”
I was actually saying good night to you, so I could actually debate with pople that know what they are talking about.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
4:00 pm
Rod, OK. That makes good sense now. And thanks for sharing your vast basketball knowledge with us. It is such a pleasure to have a bonafide basketball expert on the blog gifting us with his wisdom. I can tell by your posts how excited you are by fundamental basketball… considering your undying love for such fundamentally sound players as Jamal and Josh. You are a true blog treasure. I am humbled by your presence.
cp
January 9th, 2013
4:01 pm
Astro with the way some are acting on here we might as well bring them in
Samurai Squirrel
January 9th, 2013
4:05 pm
I’m not saying trade Teague for Ramon Sessions straight up (although it would be nice to have that cap space after the season). If we could trade him for a pick + Sessions or trade him for a higher first rounder straight up, I would be down with that.
To win in the NBA, you have to have a star. The first step to acquiring a star is getting as much cap room as you can. We have almost enough for Paul and Howard. What is to keep us from trying to get a big 3 (other than us not being able to talk players into coming to Atlanta)? If we can put good pieces aound a star, that is more incentive for them to sign with the Hawks.
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
4:08 pm
I’ll let you stick with the fundamentally sound guys like Kyle Korver and Kurt Hinrich. Good Luck. See how far that gets you in the NBA. Based on some of your responses you should be humbled. I appreciate it.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
4:09 pm
cp, I think Teague just hit the rookie wall. Because he was victimized early in his career by his head coaches, he didn’t get to have a rookie wall like Jrue, Jennings and others from his draft class. So it was slightly delayed. He’ll be fine. Folk just need to be patient.
Grandad
January 9th, 2013
4:11 pm
After Having spent the Better Part of Three Days
Attempting to Respond to [Rod & H-S].
I have Given up for the Short Term.
The BlogConstipator Will-Not Allow me to say
What ” Was ” on my Mind at that Time.
Most of Which is Still Relevant yet Dated in it`s Content.
I Have Not Forgotten Nor Given Up on Getting My Original
Response Posted … Just so you Know !
Now I can go about my regular business.
GoHawks
ag
January 9th, 2013
4:12 pm
I have read several comments about the last play. My question again, why was ZaZa on the floor instead of JJ?
Big Ump
January 9th, 2013
4:18 pm
Doc:
That’s a good post at 3:10 pm
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
4:19 pm
Grandad,
“I Have Not Forgotten Nor Given Up on Getting My Original
Response Posted … Just so you Know !”
I’m shaking in my boots. Still waiting on your Horford write-up. What is your position on the debate above. Interested to get a coach’s perspective.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
4:20 pm
Sam Squirrel, if Paul AND Howard want to sign with the Hawks, Ferry can easily cut loose a restricted free agent and his salary. The Hawks are only obligated to pay 3 players next July… Horford, LouWill and Jenkins.
Grandad
January 9th, 2013
4:22 pm
R.f C.P.
low basketball IQ
H-S
xenophobe
MsDee
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
Rod from CP,
Honestly, I dont necessarily have a thang for Horford, just like u dont have a thang for Josh. We are both strong-will about each player. I just dont like how u can defend Josh the way that u do and not see that he causes alot of his own mistakes which most are just CARELESS MISTAKES; mistakes that were unnecessary.
doc
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
big ump
glad you agree on that. good kid and want him to succeed but it doesnt have to be big to me. in fact if too big, we lose him.
good to see you around bro. also glad to see some can find what i put here readable. i struggle with the typewriter. make my life with my hands and decisions not as a typist, that was women’s work and of secretaries in my day. there is a hot wind that blows by that says they are incoherent. heh heh. oh well, where is that hot wind from?
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
Grandad,
Thanks. Really makes me think much more highly of you. I’m sure High-sider will feel the same way.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:30 pm
Zach Lowe at Grantland coincidentally talks about the Cavs today and makes it clear in no uncertain terms that they are one of the worst teams in the league. So of course the Hawks lost to them once and struggled to beat them in their second meeting.
Grandad
January 9th, 2013
4:34 pm
WOW … my previous Post was Edited for Content !
I took out a bunch of words and the BlogConstipator
allowed the post to go through.
Imagine that.
Funny how someone may or may not look at my previous post
read it and then take it completely out of context for
meaning and edification.
-or not-
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:35 pm
” Personally I think he should go with the big lineup and bring Lou off the bench but I can see Teague being benched if he continues to struggle.”
I’d rather he does this too. I think it would be better for Teague to play through this slump than to send him to the bench. And who knows, his last good game was against the Cavs, so maybe he can get it going again tonight.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:42 pm
“Must be tough playing for Atlanta if this blog is typical of Atlanta Fans! Sure would like to see some support for the home team!”
You should try reading other teams’ blogs sometime. ATL fans are pretty soft compared to, say, Philly fans.
doc
January 9th, 2013
4:42 pm
sorry to hear the news on rg3. speedy recovery is hoped for. similar to peterson that being two ligament tears. it is a bit more to overcome.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:45 pm
“The reason I say Jenkins instead of Korver cause Korver is in a very bad slump right now where as Jenkins is hitting those shots with his eyes closed. Korver should continue to get his minutes, just not start the game. Same goes for Lou.”
Korver is 24/54 (44.4%) from 3 in his last 8 games. That is pretty solid and in line with his career averages, not a slump. I’m all for getting Jenkins more minutes but Korver has played well enough to keep his spot in the rotation.
Grandad
January 9th, 2013
4:47 pm
Rod
It`s funny how when random words appear on a page with no context
show up;
they appear to mean one thing or another.
Yet;
the effect is whatever the recipient feels.
Remember when I`ve asked you a number of times
not to change my words.
All I did was address you and H-S.
I chose a random phrase one – quoted from yourself -
and another [word] randomly lifted from context;
inserted into my post;
and voila;
you read whatever you wished into the message.
You need to think about that !
Yes, those exact words were in my original message to
you two guys.
Surrounded by many, many more meaningful expressive words.
You should wonder what my real message was and is.
I am not a hurtful person by nature.
______________________________________________
Perhaps you should consider your words when
speaking of any human being.
I truly love my fellow man.
Rod;
I am an educator, I love God and I love people, all people.
Know that.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:49 pm
“Depends on his other totals (OBP, OPS etc).”
Fair enough, but with Upton and Uggla likely to combine for nearly 400 strikeouts in the middle of the lineup and Chipper Jones gone, someone has to hit for average to keep innings going. Can’t hit .250 as a team unless you have a pitching staff like the mid-90s Braves. Heyward hit over .280 as a rookie and had a .400 OBP. I would hope he didn’t peak in his rookie year.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:51 pm
“When your (arguably) toughest guy (Horford) replies to being called soft by saying, “It’s probably fair to say,” buddy, it’s time to panic.”
Hawks Toughness Rankings
1a. Zaza
1b. Ivan
…
…
…
…
…
13402. Bob Rathbun
…
…
…
…
982374023. Everyone else
Just Joe
January 9th, 2013
4:55 pm
With the Spurs about to pick up another big man, I wonder what the asking price is on Dejuan Blair?
Big Ump
January 9th, 2013
4:57 pm
Doc
I apprecite you and I know your patient’s do too, Doctors, Teacher, Solider’s and Cops like Big Ray are the heroes of the world. Sometime we get a little bent out of shape about their players getting diss about other bloogers and turn around and do the same thing and then that lead to name calling in some instance. It’s just a game folks. Even though this is how I make my living I don’t take it this serious that make me get personal with someone that don’t agree with me.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
4:59 pm
“Basseball writers are a joke.
And what they don’t realize, is that they’re going to end up hurting deserving candidates that DIDN’T take Steroids ( like Biggio and Piazza ), because of the split in votes in the coming years.”
Babe Ruth and other pre-1947 players had more of a competitive advantage (not having to play against non-white players) than anyone in the steroid era. If it’s just about competitive advantages, penalizing steroid users alone makes no sense without accounting for the competitive advantages that players in other eras had. And if it’s about other things, like character, then there are plenty of worse human beings than Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa in the HOF.
Then again, why does HOF really matter? Great players are remembered regardless of whether some museum nobody visits in upstate NY has their face in it or not. I don’t see why people really care that much about it aside from the sanctimonious baseball writers who have votes.