We’re LIVE from Hawks-Bucks (and is this the end?)
Any thoughts on what the scoreboard will look like when it's over?
MILWAUKEE — There are people with painted faces and antlers on their heads outside the Bradley Center. Inside, all of the seats are draped with souvenir red “Fear The Dear” towels. Just a hunch: It’s a going to be loud tonight.
“That would be something to break 20,000 hearts, wouldn’t it?” Jamal Crawford said, smiling.
That would be a change of pace for the Hawks: breaking the hearts of a road crowd.
Facing elimination and with the backdrop of a 1-10 road playoff record in the last three years, the Hawks play game six against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. Oddsmakers actually have the Hawks as two-point favorites. But after following a 2-0 series lead with three straight losses — including a meltdown in the final four minutes of game five at Philips Arena Wednesday — they don’t quite project as a safe investment.
“We know what we have to do, so we just need to relax and do it,” said Crawford, who has shot a miserable 6-for-21 in the last two games. “We’ve been pressing a little bit. Just relax and have fun. They’re playing loose. Why can’t we? Now nobody expects us to do it. So maybe the pressure changes a little bit.”
If nothing else, it’s a nice rationalization to get yourself up for a game. Here’s what I see happening tonight: The Hawks will come out strong and try to pound the ball inside. At the outset, they’ll play like they know it’s win-or-go-home. But if the Bucks can get out to a comfortable lead, it’ll be over. It’s difficult for a team that’s down 3-2 in a series and coming off such a difficult loss to bounce back. Resolve is key tonight. But we’ll see how it plays out.
It would help if the Hawks change their defensive strategy because all of the switching doesn’t seem to be working. Exhibit A: Brandon Jennings shot 37.1 percent from the field and averaged 15.5 points during the season. In the playoffs, he is shooting 44.8 percent (39 of 87) and averaging 20.8. Any chance we see a zone tonight?
How do you see things going tonight?
♦
Earlier posts
♦ Hawks down 3-2 but Skiles hardly looks satisfied
♦ Poll time: Where would Hawks’ collapse rank in history?
♦ Gearon is mum on Woodson but expects Hawks ‘to go far’
♦ Frank Wren’s problem: He hasn’t earned benefit of the doubt
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
436 comments Add your comment
o naw mane,,
April 30th, 2010
9:42 pm
winnnnn
Kane337
April 30th, 2010
9:42 pm
LOL they have had too many Milwaukee’s Best.
Mystikal
April 30th, 2010
9:43 pm
Hawks fan for life- what game are you watching? He started the iso Joe 35 ft from the basket while everyone was standing around watching and ended up shooting a contested airball. That is good offense to you??
Show me state
April 30th, 2010
9:43 pm
GAME 7
Hawks vs Bucks
April 30th, 2010
9:44 pm
Jeff is 3-0 in the playoffs, Bradley is 0-3
BLOG LIVE ON SUNDAY JEFF!!!!
i_am_soulstar
April 30th, 2010
9:45 pm
one down, one more to grind out. good night.
Jeff D.
April 30th, 2010
9:45 pm
Blog karma! Schultz, rock it on Sunday!
JMC
April 30th, 2010
9:45 pm
Gutsy Win for the Birds.
Gen Neyland
April 30th, 2010
9:46 pm
Now, breathe out…
hawks & spirit get what they deserve
April 30th, 2010
9:46 pm
As long as the Spirit clowns own professional teams they are all doomed! Why offer $10 tickets when the team is supposed to be great? Sell them and send them to Canada!
GoBuckYourself
April 30th, 2010
9:46 pm
Congrats Hawks fans on forcing a game 7. Should be a good game. Would have been pretty hard for the undermanned and less talented Bucks to beat ATL 4 games in a row.
Barkin'Dog
April 30th, 2010
9:47 pm
I love me some Hawks tonight… but, then again, I always love ‘em. Even when they look poor at times. I wish a lot of you so-called fans would go back and read what you said in these blogs for 3-4 days and especially tonight’s game blog. The Hawks suck, They look good, They look great. Then they suck. Now they’re great. They won! Then when they win the series (which is all they are asked to do), you’ll love ‘em… until they lose again. I hope and expect the hawks to build on their new-found away-win confidence and go on to shock Orlando. The way most of you talk about your home-town team, you don’t deserve a championship. Maybe that’s why they are so rare around here… BAD KARMA, MAN. BAD KARMA. GO HAWKS!!
Hawks vs Bucks
April 30th, 2010
9:48 pm
Hey Jeff, if you do the blog on sunday and they win … do the first game in Orlando. That’ll really test if you have the power or not
JohhnyWalking
April 30th, 2010
9:49 pm
Switching is what we do my azzz….. Hawks were fighting through screens all night. Somebody told Woody that Vito and Bruno would visit him tonight if the Hawks kept up their switching ways. Ummmmm looks like it worked. GREATTTT Win!! Come On Hawksssss!!!
GoBuckYourself
April 30th, 2010
9:49 pm
BarkinDog, we get a lot of the same “fans” in Milwaukee too. The only difference this year was the expectations for our team were so low. Talent wise, the Hawks really are better than this, a 7 game series with the Bucks.
MrHughes
April 30th, 2010
9:51 pm
GREAT WIN! Let’s finish this sunday. GO HAWKS!
o naw mane,,
April 30th, 2010
9:51 pm
TIme for some good basketball. Go lakers
MrHughes
April 30th, 2010
9:54 pm
I Just turned on the laker game and i thought i was looking at empty seats. So much blue…
Kane337
April 30th, 2010
9:54 pm
Go Hawks and Thunder.
Mystikal
April 30th, 2010
9:58 pm
This isn’t about fare weather fans. It’s about the hawks progressing to the point where they shouldn’t be struggling like this with teams beneath them. How are we supposed to contend with Orlando and Cleveland if we’re struggling with the shorthanded bucks. Like we’re taking a step back after coming so far.
Ross
April 30th, 2010
9:59 pm
Can someone please explain NBA basketball to me? Is every game fixed? Is it like wrestling? Tonight, they’re 5 down and I go over to the piano to practice. I look up, and they’re up by 20. What’s up with that? The other night, they blow a 9 point lead with 4 minutes left. What, are they scoring touchdowns in the NBA now?
Barkin'Dog
April 30th, 2010
10:06 pm
I understand how frustrating it can be – they can be. But sometimes things aren’t as they seem to be. The scrappy Bucks had nothing to lose, and they played loose to win (at ATL). With some luck they were great and shocked the hawks (who were tight, like Woody’s sphincter
But, with their backs against the wall and razor focus the hawks were valiant and victors, while the Deer Bucks tightened up (thank goodness). Regardless of play and posts, the end result is what we wanted – a chance to advance from our home court. Go Hawks! See y’all Sunday at 1!
adrain
April 30th, 2010
10:06 pm
Lets Sale Out Phillips People I won’t to See them Play In The Second Round !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
adrain
April 30th, 2010
10:07 pm
They Hawks Play Off The Croward If We Are Crazy When They Hit The Arena They Will Blow Them Out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dylan
April 30th, 2010
10:08 pm
Ross it’s called passion and heart for the game Hawks hardly seem to have it on the road
Dylan
April 30th, 2010
10:10 pm
Normally I would say the Hawks got this at home but after those 3 losses I’m not sure even with a blowout win on the road tonight
Peter
April 30th, 2010
10:15 pm
The Buck’s shot the ball horribly, and most were open shots……..the Hawks got lucky especially in the first half, when they could have easily gotten down big.
Ok…… let’s see if they close it out, and take on a real team, with all the players going.
I still think they need another big.
Why hasn’t Teague played this year any real meaningful minutes ?
Peter
April 30th, 2010
10:20 pm
Hey Mystikal ……you and I watched the same game…….
Had the Buck’s hit open shots……well this game may have turned out differently……
How many lay ups did the Buck’s miss ?
The iso’s with as you say, with all the rest watching and not moving is not team ball….they will never win that way against the better teams.
truthspitter
April 30th, 2010
10:22 pm
Well I’m still skeptical about the Hawks, but here come the Bucks sissy’s with the undermanned claims now. That’s why I will not have any respect for Bucks and there fans even if they win, they really talked out of both sides of there mouths all season. The true definition of front runners= Buck’s fans
Mystikal
April 30th, 2010
10:23 pm
And Woody was already trying to hide Mike Bibby on defense last year. He should have been preparing Teague to get more burn when we need a change of pace. He’s gotta get off that Larry Brown “I don’t play rookies” ish. Might cost him his job down the road.
Joe's place Joe speaking
April 30th, 2010
10:27 pm
Didn’t I tell you to have confidence!!? And to never give up!!? I knew they would pull it out!! There was NO way we were going to lose this game!!
Mystikal
April 30th, 2010
10:30 pm
Peter, i agree it’s not gonna work against better teams. It barely worked against the bucks. They don’t run any offense in the half court. I think his ‘philosophy’ is just put in the ball handlers hands or give it to whoever is hot, ie. Joe or Jamal.
Mystikal
April 30th, 2010
10:36 pm
JAMAL OR JOE?? Who should have the ball in their hands at end of game?
Tweets that mention We're LIVE from Hawks-Bucks (and is this the end?) | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
April 30th, 2010
11:55 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ajc dot com, ajc dot com, ajc sports editor, Hawks Fan Zone, LaJollaJennifer and others. LaJollaJennifer said: Yes, it is the end. RT @JeffSchultzAJC: Blogging live from Hawks-Bucks now. Jump on. Is this the end? http://bit.ly/aEdgfU [...]
After a dizzy ride, Hawks have a chance to move on | Jeff Schultz
May 1st, 2010
2:55 pm
[...] ♦ We’re LIVE from Hawks-Bucks (and is this the end?) [...]
In desperate times, Hawks show their best side again | Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2010
5:55 pm
[...] ♦ We’re LIVE from Hawks-Bucks (and is this the end?) [...]