Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Vivlamore reporting.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers called it “sour grapes” that Hawks general manager Danny Ferry gave officials a DVD believed to show guard Rajon Rondo bumping a referee during  a loss last week.

Rondo was subsequently suspended by the NBA for one game for bumping referee Rodney Mott while arguing a charging call in Saturday’s game and failure to cooperate with a league investigation. Rondo was not penalized at the time. The NBA also fined Ferry $15,000 for “inappropriate interaction” with officials after the game. Although the league did not elaborate on the reason for the fine, it was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that reported Ferry gave the officiating crew a DVD believed to contain footage of the play. Video of the incident was also played by NBA TV.

“Well, I do (have a problem with it),” Rivers said to Boston radio station WEEI Thursday morning on his weekly interview. “Guys do that. I rarely do that. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that — I’ve been in …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Rivers calls ’sour grapes’ on Ferry »

Vivlamore reporting.

Marvin Williams returns to Atlanta Friday as a member of the Jazz. The Hawks‘ first-round pick, No. 2 overall in 2005, was traded in the offseason after spending his first seven seasons in the organization. Although he won’t play due to inflammation in his right knee, Williams spoke to the AJC about the trade, his time in Atlanta and what kind of reception he might receive.

Q. What are your thoughts about coming back to Atlanta?

A. I’m really, really excited. A lot of those guys I haven’t seen or talked to since last season. Just to get a chance to get back to the city and see a lot of the people in the organization, see a lot of my friends, and I’m excited to get back there.

Q. It’s hard to keep in contact with people as an NBA player. You forge relationships and after such a transition you leave it all behind. Has that been hard?

A. It was difficult for me this summer to hear about the trade. You make friends with guys and you become close …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Williams ‘excited’ about return to Atlanta »

Vivlamore reporting.

The Hawks will be without guard Devin Harris (sore left foot) and Anthony Morrow ( right hip strain) for Monday’s game against the Rockets. Neither traveled with the team to Houston on Sunday.

Harris will miss his seventh straight game due to the foot injury. Morrow will miss his second straight game with the hip injury. Whether either player will be able to join the team for Tuesday’s game against the Hornets in New Orleans is undetermined.

Josh Smith, who missed Saturday’s game with a strained right hip flexor, made the trip to Houston and could return to the lineup Monday or Tuesday.

- Chris Vivlamore

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* Drew speaks to Teague about energy level

* Hawks 126, Pistons 119 (2OT)

* Williams remains in starting …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Harris, Morrow not on trip to Houston »

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 …

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

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 …

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

Vivlamore reporting.

Here is your report from Monday’s practice:

Anthony Morrow, who missed Saturday’s game with back soreness, participated in practice on Monday. Morrow said he participated on a limited basis but said there were no issues.

“It’s good,” Morrow said. “I got in loosened up. I got some work in. I was kind of limited today but I felt great.”

Morrow said the issue is related to the stress fracture he suffered during his junior season at Georgia Tech.

“Just a little flare up,” Morrow said. “I was going real hard, especially not playing much, and I think I overdid it. I’m always trying to get better so that is on me. I just have to manage it better.”

The pain started during last week’s game against Memphis, his first start of the season. He was able to play through the pain against Miami and Orlando before needing to rest.

Morrow said he was to get treatment before the team departed for Tuesday’s game at Washington. A determination on his …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Morrow returns to practice »

UPDATE: Anthony Morrow will start for the Hawks. He will be joined by Jeff Teague, Devin Harris, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Coach Larry Drew pressed with Kyle Korver coming back from injury and wanting to rest DeShawn Stevenson in order to play him Thursday against the Bobcats. Drew expects Korver to play about 20 minutes.

Pachulia on flop warning: “It’s a rule so you have to respect the game, respect the rules. Honestly, my first reaction because I saw the elbow coming was just to try to get out of the way because I was so close. I wasn’t trying to flop there but if you look at the film it’s obvious it looks like I was flopping. I was just trying to get out of the way. If the elbow came, I would rather take the $5,000 fine than a broken jaw.

Vivlamore reporting.

ORLANDO — Even with the returns of Kyle Korver and Mike Scott, the Hawks will be a little short-handed tonight against the Magic. DeShawn Stevenson likely will not play in the first game of a back-to-back schedule. …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks game thread: Morrow to start vs. Magic; Pachulia warned for flop (updated) »

Vivlamore reporting en route to Orlando.

Kyle Korver and Mike Scott will join the Hawks in Orlando Tuesday.

Korver, who has been out with back spasms, has arrived and will practice with the team in preparation for Wednesday’s game against the Magic. No determination has been made on his status for the game. He has missed the past five games due to the back injury and the birth of his first child. He has not played since Nov. 28. Korver remained in Atlanta for therapy and workouts while the Hawks began the three-game road trips that ends Wednesday.

Scott, the rookie, was on his to Orlando from California where he played four games with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Scott played four games with the Jam, including his best outing Monday when he had 21 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. He was 7 of 9 from the floor and made all seven free-throw attempts. In his four games, Scott averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds.

The Jam do not play again until Friday. …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Korver, Scott rejoin team »

Vivlamore reporting from Miami.

Josh Smith was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Dec. 3-9.

The Hawks won all three games in the week and during the stretch, Smith averaged 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.o steals. Smith had a season-high 15 rebounds in last week’s victory over the Wizards at Philips Arena.

Smith joins Al Horford, who was named the Player of the Week November 19-25.

Here is a look at Smith’s week:

Dec. 5 vs. Denver: 16 points and 13 rebounds in win over Nuggets
Dec. 7 vs. Washington: 23 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals in a win over Wizards
Dec. 8 @ Memphis: 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in win over Grizzlies

The Clippers’ Blake Griffin was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

- Chris Vivlamore

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FOLLOW ME ON …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Smith named Player of the Week »

Vivlamore reporting.

Kyle Korver, who is still dealing with back spasms after missing time for the birth of his daughter, will not play tonight against the Wizards. The shooting guard also will not travel with the team for Saturday’s game at the Grizzlies. He will remain in Atlanta for further treatment and workouts. There is a possibility Korver could join the team in Miami for Monday’s game against the Heat.

It was Korver, you will remember, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer against the Wizards last month.

In other news:

* Coach Larry Drew said he is undecided on the team’s starting lineup against the Wizards. Trevor Ariza is out with a strained left calf for the Wizards and Drew is waiting to get an idea of their lineup before making his final decision. “I don’t know if they will go smaller at the 3 or if they will go with a bigger lineup.”

* Drew is still stressing rebounding energy for his team against the Wizards.

* “We have to carry the same mental aspect that we did …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Korver out vs. Wizards and Grizzlies »