Hawks show some resolve in win over Bucks
No need to look at the scoreboard to know who won. Al Horford and Josh Smith can tell you the playoff sereies is going back to Atlanta for a Game 7. (AP photo)
(UPDATED AT 10:58)
MILWAUKEE — One game after humiliation, one loss before elimination, in a game on the road, they showed us something. Not talent, but resolve. Not finesse, but determination.
Not the things that crush a team’s salary structure, just the things that crush opponents in the postseason.
Who knew?
“Now nobody expects us to do it,” the Hawks’ Jamal Crawford was saying before Friday’s playoff game against Milwaukee. “So maybe the pressure changes a little bit.”
It came off as a wonderful pre-game rationalization by a struggling player for a desperate team. But maybe he was right. After hanging with Milwaukee for one ugly half, the Hawks started to look again like the team that won 53 games during the regular season and the first two of these playoffs.
Playing as if somebody suddenly pulled needles out of a voodoo doll, the Hawks went on runs of 19-0 and 27-2 in the third quarter. They built a 20-point lead, held on during the almost inevitable Bucks’ rally and eventually put the clamps on an 83-69 win at the Bradley Center. Crawford led them with 24 points.
Their season is not over. By virtue of only their second road playoff victory in the past 12 tries, there will be a Game 7 on Sunday at Philips Arena. Recent history should prevent anybody from making a prediction.
Surprised?
Al Horford blocks a shot by Milwaukee's Carlos Delfino, an example of the Hawks' improved defense in Game 6. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel photo)
“I don’t know, man — I could care less what people expect and what they don’t expect,” Joe Johnson said when asked about the team being written off after Wednesday’s meltdown in the final four minutes of Game 5, when the Hawks’ let a nine-point lead slip away and lost at home. “It’s about us players and the coaches and everybody in this locker room. There’s nobody else. As long as we stick together, I think we can overcome anything.
“We’re professionals. This is what we do. We lost a game at home, and now we have to go get it back.”
They were words you wanted to here, and the way you wanted to hear them.
The Hawks played a few minutes of zone defense for the first time in the series. But the difference Friday wasn’t a change in philosophy as much as it was a change in effort. Milwaukee shot only 32.9 percent (25 for 76) and missed 11 consecutive attempts at one point in the third quarter. The Bucks had some open looks, but not nearly as many as in the previous three games, thanks to players fighting through screens. Rookie guard Brandon Jennings was only 4-for-15 and didn’t make a shot until there was 1:41 left in the third.
“Guys just got over screens,” Josh Smith said. “We really didn’t have to help [with switches]. It was just the will. Desire. We wanted to win this game.”
In the previous three games, the undermanned Bucks showed more resolve, more heart, more intelligence. Before Game 6, they established that they could even sing better: Stackhouse sang the National Anthem. (What were the Hawks going to do, boo?)
The Hawks trailed 34-31 at the intermission. They weren’t fluid. We saw too much of what Mike Woodson didn’t want to see. The Bucks closing off the angles and not allowing the Hawks to drive into the lane. Johnson turning over the ball on the dribble. Marvin Williams and Al Horford both misreading teammates’ next moves and passing to air. Mike Bibby throwing the ball into Smith’s back on a fast break.
But something strange happened in the second half. But after Carlos Delfino made a jumper to open the third quarter and give Milwaukee a 36-31 lead, it was like somebody changed the channel to a different game. The Hawks scored the next 19 points to go up by 14, 50-36. The lead soon mushroomed to 20. They shared the ball on offense. They clamped down on defense. Milwaukee couldn’t hit anything.
Almost inevitably, the Bucks rallied and whittled the lead down to seven. But just as everybody started having Game 5 flashbacks, Smith blocked Stackhouse at one end and Johnson made a jumper at the other. The Hawks displayed all of those intangibles that seemingly had left their locker room.
“I wish we could play like that all the time,” Al Horford said.
Yes. But at least we didn’t have to wait until next season to see it.
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130 comments Add your comment
gdg73
May 1st, 2010
11:32 am
enough of this b@#chin’ back and forth on the blog. Message to Mike Woodson, “Run the offense through Josh Smith in the post. When he gets doubled he always seems to find the open man for an open jump shot. Also, when Jamal enters the game, let him play point and move Bibby to the two guard. Reason being is that Crawford can take his man off the dribble and penetrate. Drive,kick out to the open man (Bibby or Joe), or finish at the rim.” In both instances, the open shots will be there for Joe, Jamal, and Bibby. Josh and Horford should have there way down low.
heat check
May 1st, 2010
11:37 am
Agreed Darren and other realists…..
When a coach has a 5yr tenure with basically the same core group, “inconsistent” isn’t the adjective you’d expect analysts to constantly use to describe your team. Last night, the guys played with more energy, Al hit his perimeter shots and MIL missed everything. Happy to see the Hawks win when they’re down, but please please please don’t let that be the reason Mike friggin’ Woodson gets to keep coaching this group. I don’t want to reminisce about those ol’ 2011-2014 Hawks and what could have been.
Even on the cheap, which is BASG’s only option, I imagine there are quite a few coaches out there who’d be willing to take the reins, make a few changes (some of them GLARINGLY obvious) and look like a genius for a few years. If you’ve forgotten, the current coach was hired because he was old drinkin buddies with Billy Knight, and of course because he was a defensive genius. BASG must have some resumes sitting around that are at least that impressive (Lawrence Frank, Byron Scott, Reggie Theus would all work, I’d even be ok with a Larry Drew promotion). Change for change’s sake? No, change because the current coach isn’t cutting it. Period. The “more wins every season” crutch is nice and all, but added talent, lackluster competition and NO INJURIES has a lot to do with that. Wally Blase gets my vote for Hawks MVP, as well as NBA’s Greasiest Trainer Award. Just hoping Sund isn’t overly swayed like some of the posters here. FIRE WOODY. And please take the mic away from Nique while you’re at it.
James
May 1st, 2010
11:39 am
Chipperslove child,
I agree with you that the Hawks can beat any of those teams. I just don’t know if they can win four times before the other guys do.
I like the optimism though: if nobody believes it, it probably won’t happen. So I’m in. Hawks take the championship!
C’mon, how awesome would that be…
-James
ladyhawksfan
May 1st, 2010
11:48 am
Ugly u r an idiot.No the Hawk didnt shoot the ball well,thats because the Bucks played great defense and so did the Hawks.Did u notice that the Bucks got very few open shots.So do u think that when a team shoots 32% percent that theyre getting good looks at the basket.Not.U seem to be the one thats clueless.The Hawks manned up and played great defense for 4 qtrs.Give them a little credit.No it wasnt a pretty win.But a win is a win.And to the poster that said they almost blew a 20 point lead,most teams r going to make a run.Hence,Phoenix at Portland game 6.Denver at Utah game 6.The point is all that matters is how a team responds,the Hawks were able to hold them off and get a win.Before u call anyone clueless maybe u should get a clue urself.
gdg73
May 1st, 2010
11:49 am
The Hawks frustrate me when they play bad, but yet and still, I will remain a fan. Most of this sniping on the blog I believe is coming from disgruntled Braves fans who fail to realize that they and their team are irrelevant. Like it or not, the Hawks have been by far the most consistent pro team over the last 3 years. I would be a true homer to suggest that this team is perfect, which it is not. Joe Johnson might not be a superstar on the level of Kobe and Lebron, but he is a star and the best player on our team. I wish he was more assertive, but I guess thats not the kind of person he is. If he was more vocal, some of you, I’m sure, would have something to say about that, lol. I can’t wait until Dirk Nowitki declares for free agency. We will surely hear from a certain segment of the population that we need to sign him to a max deal. After all, he is a “superstar” we can truly identify with, ROFLMAO!!!!
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May 1st, 2010
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[...] ♦ Hawks show some resolve in win over Bucks [...]
Manny
May 1st, 2010
12:15 pm
Like I said in other posts, I don’t see Coach Woodson as a bad coach. He’s actually pretty good. Plus, he can manage a game pretty well. (He did is last night.)
But here’s my problem: This team, with all of the talent that they have, is under-achieving. The Hawks has the talent and playoff experience to run the Bucks in 4 games. Yes, the Bucks plays good defense, but the Hawks helps their good defensive play by making soft passes and horrible ball-handling. And they also help the Bucks by taking stupid outside shots.
The issue with the Hawks is that they should pound, pound, pound the ball inside. They should be able to impose their will upon the Bucks because the Hawks are bigger, more athletic and more powerful than the Bucks. We have big guys that can run. We have bigger guys that can handle the rock. (Joe Johnson is big, muscular and can play the point. Jamal Crawford is long and can play the 1, 2 or 3. And Al Horford is athletic enough with the ball-handling skills to start fast breaks… I don’t know why he doesn’t, though.)
So with all that talent, why can’t we use it well? That’s coaching. The Hawks should be a fast-break team that should be able to run teams all night long, but we come out cold. We should pound, pound, pound the ball!
I think that Mike Woodson keeps close tabs on how his offense is ran. I think he’s a micro-manager that keeps things tight. I think that his plan is more important than the players. That’s why I think that we’re not utilizing our talents well. It’s a rigidity that keeps the players from playing loose.
So I expect for the Hawks to beat the Bucks here at home. That’s good. And I expect for the Hawks to lose against the Magic. If they take the Magic to 7 games, I think that’s overachieving. But we can beat the Magic if they run and play inside-out. If they play into the chest of Howard and allow our rookie to play defense against their point, we can beat the Magic. The other matchups are in our favor.
But if we don’t have the will to play inside-out basketball, we might just get swept. And if we don’t play inside-out basketball tomorrow, then we will watch the Magic show the Hawks how to sweep a team that shouldn’t be on the same court as a real playoff contender.
LeslieNeilson
May 1st, 2010
1:06 pm
When the Hawks square off against the Bucks at Phillips tommorrow, they need to remember first and foremost that playing the game on the Hawks home court DOES NOT GIVE THE HAWKS THE WIN AUTOMATICALLY. The Hawks must earn the victory. The Hawks MUST play great defense at least as good as they did on friday night in Milwaukee. The bucks are not going to lay down and hand the game over to the hawks and a silver platter. The hawks will have to earn the victory like they did on friday. The hawks will have to play solid defense through and through to keep the bucks out of their rhythm. Get good shot selections and limit your turnovers to a few to none, while powering the ball inside to Horford, Josh, Jamal and Joe, using great ball movement to find the open guy. The Hawks should come out of the gate and try and jump the bucks attempting to build comfortable cushion by halftime. Let the bucks try to play catchup all afternoon like they did last night. If the Hawks are fortunate to get past the bucks, by then hopefully everybody will be fired up for the Orlando series. Anything is possible as long as the team stays together and plays with great chemistry and team unity. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR THIS ATLANTA HAWKS TEAM. MIKE WOODSEN FOR COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS.
Jamone X
May 1st, 2010
2:10 pm
In ATL, look for the hawks to protect their house and blow out the bucks on Sunday. Atl can beat orlando with a few breaks. Orlando has only 1 star player–and howard fouls out a lot. The hawks upset orlando in 6—book it.
gdg73
May 1st, 2010
3:20 pm
Enter your comments here
CingHawks
May 1st, 2010
5:17 pm
How far would the Bucks have gotten, if they had all their players against the Hawks. Josh needs to shut up and grow up…smirkin child…and give Teague some playin time against his counter part please.
Senator Blutarski
May 1st, 2010
5:30 pm
Glad the Hawks won but not impressed with Johnson making 8 out of 24 shots.
Andrew Smith
May 1st, 2010
5:32 pm
I’m proud of the Atlanta Hawks. Just think a few years ago they were like 13-69 but they have turned around and become winners/ My hats off to Mike Woodson and his staff. The Hawks have come along way and I believe with great pateince, determination and the talent they have they bring a championship to the ATL.
Sean Gee
May 1st, 2010
5:34 pm
To me the most important thing about the win was Jamal Crawford finally showed up when the game counted the most.The other games he was terrible.
S Hawk Fan
May 1st, 2010
5:54 pm
Woody has to go or this joke will go on!!!!
Mafia
May 1st, 2010
8:26 pm
“Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. Even if we beat the Bucks, how are we going to do against Orlando?”
This is the best contradiction I have ever seen.
Atlanta Fawks
May 1st, 2010
8:37 pm
YOU DECIDE………..
1. Win tomorrow and put up with another year of Woody as coach
2. Lose and get a new coach that can take this team to next level
Tough decision? I go with number two because Hawks are not getting past next round anyways.
jlewis
May 1st, 2010
9:14 pm
Some of you act like Kobe, D Wade or Lebron have led their teams somewhere, they have not. Lebron hasnt won anything, Kobe won with two other all stars and Shaq, D Wade hasnt won anything without Shaq, and Melo has not done squat. Oh, lets not mention that other “Superstar”
Dirk. You want ball movement from JJ, who is he going to pass it to? This team does not have that much talent, other than Jamal, no one else can get a shot, and your 6′8 two guard has to guard positions 1-4 when someone is hot. I hope JJ leaves, remember, this team was dirt before he got here, show some appreciation.
John G
May 2nd, 2010
5:29 am
Forget “Fear the Deer”, it is now “Bird is the Word!” They should play that annoying song incessantly throughout Game 7 and the remaining playoff games.
Gray Mule
May 2nd, 2010
6:49 am
Atlanta didn’t really win their last game. The Milwaukee team simply got cold feet – AKA cold shooting hand – and beat themselves. They couldn’t hit the side of a barn from inside the barn. Never saw such bad shooting. And, some of those shots were wide open.
Hawks played some great defense, that’s true but, the Bucks offense died. Completely. Their nerves finally caught up with them and they blew it.
Now, Hawks can’t depend on their opponent to lose the last one. They have to win it or stay home and let Milwaukee advance. It’s their choice.
Gray Mule
REALHAWKFAN
May 2nd, 2010
7:41 am
Most you guys have never been to a Hawks game in your life. Its true that the Hawks have lost games in the fourth quarter when they should have closed them out. I have been watching the Hawks since I learned the game of b-ball. I have never seen them look so dedicated like the did Friday. I think they surprised themselves. If they play like that tonight no chance for the Bucks. If they play like that against the Magic no chance for Orlando. Its a proven fact the we have beat the best teams in the league when playing together. For all you guys that only have the Hawks suck!!! to say then you really have nothing to say & waisting blog space for reall basketball fans. If we take care of the Bucks give Orlando a good series..Boston beats the Cavs & we play Boston ( oh yeah Boston swepted during the season) we can make some noise. All you up & down loly gag alley cat coat wearing so call fans need to check yourselves. A fan when we win but a bystander when we loose. Lets go Hawks!!!
GT
May 2nd, 2010
8:34 am
They look like a black version of One Flew Over The Coo Coos Nest. There was a scene where Jack takes the loonies outside to play basketball, chief plays the center, Jack the guard. No one on the court has a clue, they were all drugged up on some medication. Watch Jordon it is a whole mental dimension from what we do on a court. Jordon would never say he didn’t care, if anything he cared too much. Great athletes have that pride, walking off the court after a half ass performance is an event worse than death. Not caring is the first symptoms of a loser.
Hawks no more
May 2nd, 2010
8:35 am
After their play in games 4 and 5 I give up…they did. Why get behind a team that may back in to the second round against an inferior opponent, when it is obvious that Orlando will crush them 4-1 (at best) at the next level….sigh!
dawgma
May 2nd, 2010
9:33 am
Woodson will not get us to the next level.
Beat the Bucs. Orlando in 6.
mwh6767
May 2nd, 2010
9:51 am
Ive been riding on the Hawks bandwagon to get to the finals for 3 yrs now. Lifelong Ga. resident and I have always supported my hometown teams no matter what their record. Im rooting for the hawks and I think they will win today. HOWEVER, this team has regressed as the yr. has gone along. Too many collapses late( And they where a couple of jumpers falling from it happening fri.), too much watching JJ shoot. Too much C. woodson not making changes. To beat Orlando they would have to play the whole game like they played the 3rd quarter of fri. game and I just dont see it happening. I think its time to move in a diff. direction after the season. Woodson and Johnson need to go. Im thankful to them for being a big piece in making the hawks respectable again but IS JUST RESPECTABLE GOOD ENOUGH FOR HAWKS FANS???????
bigboi
May 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
Joe Johnson went through a period when he didn’t take enough shots,now he seems very reluctant to share the ball. He must have something contractual that is causing him to put up alot of shots-He seems like he has another agenda. I know that he’s trying to have leverage when it comes to contract negotiation but my goodness!!!!
Rod
May 2nd, 2010
10:51 am
Lets go! It’s almost game time! Lets b eat the deer in game seven.
Play Da Rook!
May 2nd, 2010
12:37 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB9kuT14hzE&playnext_from=TL&videos=BqmZp6C5_f4
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