Game thread: Morrow out vs. T’Wolves with back stiffness
Vivlamore reporting from Minneapolis.
The Hawks will definitely be without Anthony Morrow and likely without Devin Harris tonight against the Timberwolves although the injured guards accompanied the team on the two-game road trip.
Morrow, who has missed the past five games with a right hip strain, is now experiencing lower back stiffness. He did not practice Tuesday’s morning and coach Larry Drew ruled him out against the T’Wolves.
Harris, who has missed the past 10 games with a sore left foot, took part in Tuesday’s shootaround. However, Drew said he is inclined to hold Harris out in favor of Wednesday’s game at the Cavaliers.
“We don’t want it to flare up a little bit so we are being cautious,” said Drew, who added that the game in Cleveland was the original target date for Harris’ return.
* Drew will stay with the same starting lineup of Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Much of the reason for staying with the unit is the absence of Kevin Love for the T’Wolves. Love is out after breaking his right hand for the second time this season.
“I kind of like it against this team,” Drew said of the lineup. “It’s a situation of whether matchups are good. The matchups are OK. From their perimeter, which is I think a big strength for them, their guards can really score the basketball. With our matchups with Lou in the lineup, I think we are able to match up pretty good with them. On the other end, we are playing two point guards and it may force them to make some decisions with us.”
* Drew said the key to the game will be how the Hawks respond to the Love-less T’Wolves.
“Will we have a mental letdown coming into this game knowing that their other guys are really going to step their games up?” Drew said. “How will we respond with Love not playing? Will we be up for the challenge or will we come out and think this is one of those games where we can turn it on at any time? That’s going to be the biggest challenge.”
* From a technical standpoint, Drew is concerned with the T’Wolves guards, including Ricky Rubio who could return tonight.
“Their guards are a big part of what they do,” Drew said. “They run a lot of pick-and-rolls for (Luke) Ridnour; Rubio is back tonight; the kid (Alexey) Shved, I really like. And once that ball goes up on the glass can we keep (Nikola) Pekovic off that glass. He’s a big-time offensive rebounder. A lot of that is because you are put into certain actions based on what they do. We are going to have to do a good job on their guards.”
Drew also pointed to forwards Andrei Kirilenko and Dante Cunningham as players the Hawks will have to watch.
* In other news, it appears that former Hawks player Marvin Williams will miss Friday’s game, his first trip to Atlanta with the Jazz after being traded in the offseason.
Williams is expected to miss the next three Jazz games with right knee inflammation. According to a report, Williams will travel but not play.
- Chris Vivlamore
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476 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:16 pm
All day Josh. Post up Cunningham all day.
Buddy Grizzard
January 8th, 2013
8:16 pm
Is that the first post up of the game?
Buddy Grizzard
January 8th, 2013
8:17 pm
Opposing small forward posting up Korver… where have I seen this before?
Blast
January 8th, 2013
8:19 pm
Oh, boy.
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:19 pm
How do other teams always find the useable big goons like Pekovic and Omer Asik?
Well, we do have Zaza, I can’t complain too very much.
Duluth Joe
January 8th, 2013
8:19 pm
Hopefully Pekovic runs out of gas early. He is a big man.
Nate ArchiBALL
January 8th, 2013
8:20 pm
That left hand shot by Lou is the one Jeff can’t make when forced to go left.
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:21 pm
Josh has developed some nice moves in the post. Now if he can just make those shots. The airball is hopefully an anomaly.
But it’s also an indication that you haven’t worked nearly hard enough on your post game. Because unless you got bumped hard or something, you’d at least hit the rim/backboard.
That said, you also have to practice your moves with the knowledge that you WILL get bumped.
And having said THAT, I’d be appreciative if Horford at least TRIED one move like that.
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:22 pm
Korver at SF….it’s just asking too much most days.
Buddy Grizzard
January 8th, 2013
8:22 pm
Kirilenko inside against Korver.
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:23 pm
Our defense sucks monkey nads.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:23 pm
Hawks struggling on D with the Timberwolves’ size advantage at SF and C, as everyone except LD expected.
MattP
January 8th, 2013
8:23 pm
Get Zaza in…
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:24 pm
Dumb Shot by a “Weak Center??? Does not make any sense…………
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:24 pm
Horford’s midrange jumper is way off tonight. Hope it ain’t like that all night.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:24 pm
And now Stevenson comes in before Zaza. WTF LD
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:25 pm
LD finally gets it….Zaza and Stevenson in the game.
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:25 pm
Scrub Drew finally put Zaza in………..
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:26 pm
And now Stevenson comes in before Zaza. WTF LD
So who do you think Ferry replaces this clown with this summer?
Big Ray
January 8th, 2013
8:27 pm
Mike Jenkins is no scrub. I’m watching him on defense, and he’s giving the effort…and he’s not getting totally lost on screens or getting blown by off the dribble.
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:28 pm
Hey doc,
word on the street KG said something offensive about Melo’s Wife…
Carmelo was waiting outside Boston’s locker after the game to finish him!
Duluth Joe
January 8th, 2013
8:28 pm
Jenkins looks a little shaky on defense
Buddy Grizzard
January 8th, 2013
8:28 pm
Big Ray that’s going to be all politics. If dhoward is coming, that will have a big influence on who the coach is. I don’t think dwight wants to play for mike brown again.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:29 pm
“So who do you think Ferry replaces this clown with this summer?”
LD has been average, not terrible, over his career. Despite some annoying things, he has been pretty good this year and deserved his Coach of the Month award. I’d like to see an upgrade obviously, but it’s not like Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson are waiting around to come coach the Hawks. And I don’t know if someone like, say, Mike Brown (who coached under Ferry in Cleveland) would be an upgrade at all.
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:30 pm
Nikola Pekovic will abuse our “Soft” Bigs all night long!!!!!!!!
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:31 pm
J.J. IS DYNOMITE!!! Scrub Williams got lucky………..
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:31 pm
Derrick Williams with 3!!!
We need that guy!
Blast
January 8th, 2013
8:31 pm
Hawks getting hammered early. What about the team meeting that was so sweet and nice and productive?
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:31 pm
Two in a row aint luck Sir!
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:31 pm
Jenkins has been guarding the opposing point guard since he came into the game, either Rubio or Barea. He hasn’t done that bad of a job.
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:32 pm
John Jenkins should be starting!!!
Buddy Grizzard
January 8th, 2013
8:32 pm
Non existent d by stephenson
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:33 pm
This is pretty much what I expected the Hawks’ D to be at the beginning of the season. No answer for bigger centers, no answer for small forwards. Pekovic and Kirilenko combined have the same number of points as the entire Hawks team and have outrebounded the Hawks by themselves.
High-sider
January 8th, 2013
8:33 pm
This first quarter is a damn shame. (smh)
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:33 pm
Hawks are over matched…
Love is not playing? Wow…
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:33 pm
How can we give up 30 points to these SCRUBS without Kevin Love???
Blast
January 8th, 2013
8:34 pm
If Hawks thought this was gonna be a cakewalk, they in for a reality check. Unless they get hot, or play better defence, AND get at least 1 or 2 players going, they losing big time.
Sautee
January 8th, 2013
8:35 pm
T-Wolves: 18 points in the paint. At this rate they will score 72 points in the paint.
Nice D, Hawks.
Peter
January 8th, 2013
8:35 pm
We are finally being outed…….Hawks are too small, Josh not a smart player… he is still not able to be coached.
Josh is a coach killer….
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:35 pm
Timberwolves are 26th in shooting at 43%..Hawks are allowing 56%.. FIGUREs!!!!!!
Derrick Williams was a good pick!
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:36 pm
We need to sign this kid Scott Machado before someone else does…He’s allready a better point guard than Jeff Teague….
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:36 pm
Hawks 9 rebounds (2 offensive); Pekovic and Kirilenko alone 11 rebounds (3 offensive).
Hawks 20 points on 7/19 shooting, Pekovic and Kirilenko alone 18 points on 7/9 shooting.
Zaza needs to play 35 minutes this game if the Hawks want to win.
W.R.Terrell
January 8th, 2013
8:36 pm
Ivan should be replacing the “Smoove” now. The HAWKS need some energy. Any other substitution of Josh is incorrect.
MattP
January 8th, 2013
8:36 pm
I had a feeling Pek and Kirilenko would have a good start.
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:37 pm
The Hawks will make DERRICK WILLIMAS look like BUCK WILLIAMS…..
High-sider
January 8th, 2013
8:38 pm
“Lethargic Dingaling-head” (LD) is getting outcoached by “Mr. Wisconsin-Stevens Point” (Terry Porter)?
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:38 pm
Derrick is going to light up the Hawks tonight!
Najeh Davenpoop
January 8th, 2013
8:38 pm
So Al just led a fast break and threw a bad pass and turned it over… somewhere WR Terrell and Mookie Blaylock are sticking pins in their Josh voodoo dolls.
keith
January 8th, 2013
8:38 pm
J.J. is Dynomite!!!!
Slimjr
January 8th, 2013
8:39 pm
Clinic!!!!