Hawks show their best side in desperate times again
Jamal Crawford and Hawks finally celebrated first-round series win Sunday. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Their slogan this season, plastered all over billboards and cheer towels, has been, “Now You Know.”
Not too sure about that. If the Hawks’ first-round playoff series against Milwaukee proved anything, it’s that we really don’t know. They just were taken seven games by a dented team missing its best player.
Do we know what they can be? Yes. Play defense and share the ball like they did in the last two games of their playoff series, and the Hawks will be a tough out in the next round. If Milwaukee did it to them, they can do it to Orlando. But is it possible to have a high degree of confidence after watching this team visit both ends of the spectrum so frequently over the past two weeks?
“I definitely have a sense of what kind of team we have,” Josh Smith said on Sunday after the Hawks finally cured themselves of the Milwaukee Bucks. “We just can’t test ourselves all of the time. We were down and that’s when guys stepped up and started doing things right. We’ve got to have that from Game 1.”
Al Horford was the Hawks' best player in Game 7 and throughout the series against the Bucks. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
The Hawks have only one shot to beat Orlando: Play desperate. We didn’t see that often enough in the first round. We certainly saw it after the Bucks won three straight to go up 3-2. There’s something wrong with that.
Desperation keyed the defense in the last two games. Through the first five of this series, Milwaukee was averaging 97.4 points and shooting 46.3 percent from the field. In the next two, they averaged 71.5 and 32.7. Shooting becomes significantly more difficult when defenders are fighting to get past screens and actually trying to get in somebody’s face, as opposed to just assuming a teammate will pick them up in ill-fated switches.
The Hawks won 95-74 on Sunday at Philips Arena. This came after they won 83-69 on Friday in Milwaukee. That followed the Bucks scoring 107, 111 and 91 points in the three previous games.
Josh Smith played a strong second half to clinch win. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Now you know the Hawks. Their ceiling and their floor.
“Sometimes it looks like we need to have a challenge,” Smith said.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence what happened the last two games – we had no choice,” Marvin Williams said.
“We were in a desperate situation,” Mike Bibby said. “I think we took them a little too lightly after the first two games. Being up [2-0] and playing our game and them not having any answers, we looked at it like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna get through this pretty easy.’ And then when they came back and beat us in Game 3, we knew we were in a series. When they had our backs against the wall, we weren’t ready to go home yet.”
You find out about players in Game 7s. We found out again about Al Horford. He easily was the Hawks’ best player Sunday (16 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, three blocks), and for that matter in this series. Smith had a strong second half after getting in foul trouble in the first. Williams was solid. Zaza Pachulia was solid. Jamal Crawford led them in scoring again (22).
Joe Johnson? Not so much. When he asks for a max contract after this season, Johnson would be well advised to not include Sunday’s game tape. He was good defensively, but max contract players don’t get paid just for that. They also don’t get paid for scoring eight points (4-for-14) and being largely invisible for four quarters.
Two of Johnson’s points actually put this game away, but it was Smith who made the play. Smith blocked a Brandon Jennings shot that could have cut the Hawks’ lead to 12 and started a fast break that Johnson finished, putting them up by 16 with nine minutes left. That was it.
After the Hawks finally rid themselves of the Bucks, Jennings looked ahead to the next round against Orlando and cracked, “I hope we didn’t tire them out.”
The Magic swept their series against Charlotte. They have been sitting for a week. If nothing else, the Hawks have given them something to think about. Game 1 would be a good time to play desperate again.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
♦
Earlier Hawks posts
♦ LIVE from Hawks game (and Bogut ‘active,’ Jennings ‘frisky’)
♦ Hawks show some resolve in win over Bucks
♦ We’re LIVE from Hawks-Bucks (and is this the end?)
♦ Hawks down 3-2 but Skiles hardly looks satisfied
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119 comments Add your comment
Reid Adair
May 2nd, 2010
9:18 pm
Your point about how to advance past Orlando is right on the money, Jeff. The Hawks have to play desperate. Play like they did in these last two games, and they can have a chance. Play like they did in Games 3, 4 and the last four minutes of Game 5, and it could get ugly.
Not Drinking the Kool Aid
May 2nd, 2010
9:21 pm
Pretty good win for the Hawks. I watched the game defensive intensity was very good. Guys really came to play. My personal observation in watching the Hawks play and watching Utah vs LAL, Hawks don’t really have a bench they have Crawford, Joe Smith is pretty good but really isn’t getting much playing time. ZaZa is a decent player but is not really all that great and Jeff Teague has talent but has not been developed. Utah, LAL, Cleveland, Orlando, SA, Phoenix, & Boston more or less all have 2nd units. What I mean by second units is a group of 3 to 5 guys that can come in and defend hard,score,change the pace and bring the team back into the game. When I watched the Hawks play Boston in Boston and blow them out, the Hawks looked liked they had this type of makeup and chemistry, but this never carried over into the season. The Hawks have regressed and I am sick of dogging the players about it. I put this on Mike Woodson, he is responsible for developing a second unit, for developing young rookies like Teague, and motivating the starters and putting in an offense to maximize the players talent. The Hawks game in Boston this season is the model if they have a snowballs chance in he## of beating the Magic. They have to play the best defense of their careers and run, run like their lives depend on it. And I don’t mean one or two of them the whole team has to run up and down the floor. I don’t want to say trade anyone when the coach doesn’t do his job because you really don’t know who to blame. I still replace Woodson at the end of the season unless the Hawks are competitive in this series. But frankly, based on the Buck’s series I just don’t see it. Well for what it’s worth, ” Good luck Hawks.”
hawkville
May 2nd, 2010
9:30 pm
Carlos, I agree with some of what u are saying. I would love to see Al at the 4, which would keep him out of foul trouble and give him a better match up in the post. Josh at 3 running the floor would be a great site to see instead of him banging all the time. Conceding the 5, maybe, but it would not be as easy as some would think. If you ever notice when Za Za checks Dwights, its not easy for him. Yes he will score points, but Za Za big body and the way he plays Dwight frustrate him a liitle. Bonus is Al not having to check Dwight, (maybe late in the game) We will see……..
Tech Sucks
May 2nd, 2010
9:32 pm
HAWKZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
D.Ellis
May 2nd, 2010
9:39 pm
I’,m not a basketball expert or even know enough to call myself an arm chair coach……….BUT I do know one thing and that is I would the foul the sheet out of Dwight Howard 90% of the time and make his non free throw shootin behind shoot 20 a game.
FIRST
May 2nd, 2010
9:39 pm
First……………..who cares………………are you over TEN …………….??
JSS
May 2nd, 2010
9:39 pm
Hubie Brown spelled it out plain and simple… Defend, keep others than Howard from going off huge and you’ll having a fighting chance… The rest is conjecture!
Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2010
9:40 pm
Heartofdarkness — No question. Big difference between winning games in regular season and playoffs
Stat Man
May 2nd, 2010
9:41 pm
Not Drinking…….
Just sit at home watching your TV and STFU – let us fans that actually GO to the games enjoy the ride.
Don’t get a cramp in your remote control thumb.
God I hate couch potato know it alls.
As for my fellow 20,000 fans at the game today – showed up a little late – but got the house rocking once you arrived.
Let’s GO GET THE MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!
D.Ellis
May 2nd, 2010
9:43 pm
Over under on minutes of Joe Smith and Jason Collins?
Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2010
9:43 pm
Carlos — don’t disagree but problem is you can’t concede the 5. I think you need to try to bang Dwight and get him in foul trouble, if that’s even possible.
Carlos
May 2nd, 2010
9:46 pm
Hawkville, I have been a season ticket holder for 8 years and been to all the games and supported the team even when they were not so good. Having watched the Hawks play Orlando the last three years, I really feel we need to make the change I mentioned in order for us to have a chance to defeat the Magic…
Jeff
May 2nd, 2010
9:46 pm
Can we please have a series without Hubie?
Carlos
May 2nd, 2010
9:48 pm
Jeff I agree totally with you, Woody should throw, Joe Smith, Randall Morris and Jason Collins at Dwight Howard and keep Horford at 4
Carlos
May 2nd, 2010
9:50 pm
PS Zaza being the starter at 5
hawkville
May 2nd, 2010
9:51 pm
Carlos I agree with you, its up to the Coach to make it happen. Should be a good series…
Gwinnett Fred
May 2nd, 2010
9:51 pm
Jason Collins – get ready my man – your 6 fouls a game will be very important in this upcoming series!
As for the “secret” to beat the Magic – it’s the same as the “secret” it took to beat the Bucks. Milwaukee shot 49% in their 3 wins and only 38% in Atlanta’s 4 wins (including the Hawks holding them to 33% in Games 6 & 7). So when the ATL comes to play on both ends of the court – I like our chances!
Jamal T
May 2nd, 2010
10:03 pm
Hawks beat orlando in 6—bank on it!
Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2010
10:19 pm
Gwinnett Fred — I’m sure Jason Collins would gladly accept the 6-foul mission in exchange for playing time.
Blewey
May 2nd, 2010
10:20 pm
Jamal … want to put some money behind that statement?
Can Johnson Take a Starting Guard Spot? | Atlanta Falcons: Bird Cage
May 2nd, 2010
10:24 pm
[...] Jeff Schultz on Hawks Big Win [...]
Gen Neyland
May 2nd, 2010
10:25 pm
Again, breathe out…Gotta give the Bucks credit for making the Hawks earn this the good ol’ fashion way…
Unknown source
May 2nd, 2010
10:54 pm
Atlanta Hawks A-Team Movie Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs8p_w5cxRs
Delbert D.
May 2nd, 2010
10:54 pm
I Zaza starts, he will be in foul trouble too soon. He is needed to come in and bash and wrestle with Howard.
T_Height
May 2nd, 2010
11:20 pm
although J.J. was horrible on offense and almost screwed the team up with his one on one play he was tough on offense the last 2 games. He shut Jennings and Samuels down in the game. You guys have to look at more than just what a person does on offense, defense is the most important part of the games. You can score with your defense but you can’t play defense with your offense.
Carlos
May 2nd, 2010
11:30 pm
T_Height, I agree about the importance of defense, but JJ is supposed to be our best player. If he wants supersatr money, he needs to play like one. He usually does well during the regular season and tends to dissapear in the playoffs, especiall in crunch time. We need him to play well at both ends in order for us to have a chance to win.
GT
May 2nd, 2010
11:32 pm
Desperate, to the Hawks is normal to a contender. It is like, “oh we got to work for this?” now that is disparate. What they need to picture is Cleveland laughing at their expense last year. How they celebrated early on and were so smug. Maybe our Hawks are too cool to care, but if a normal team can picture that and how little respect Cleveland gave them last year they can play desperate. This team may go over to the opponent’s bench and celebrate with them, don’t want to miss a party. Maybe Howard can sign some autographs passing through town.
SQUAWKER
May 2nd, 2010
11:41 pm
You’re right, Jeff, Jennings isn’t a clown….he’s a freakin’ rookie! The talent discrepancy between these two teams is huge. We should have never even been in a situation where we had our backs to the wall like we did. That’s all on Woody, and like H. Talker said, retain Woody and we will retain our mediocrity. It’s really that simple. This team should have hired Adelman two years ago when it had the chance.
Dr. Warren
May 2nd, 2010
11:44 pm
The Magic are likely the best team in the NBA. I see them winning the championship this year. That said, anything can happen in sports, injuries included. Maybe the Hawks collectively find their sustained focus finally and fulfill their potential and pull off a Game 7 stunner. Problem is, this sort of upset is rarely engineered by Atlanta teams in the playoffs. The ‘98 Falcons up in Minnesota comes to mind. The ‘02 Falcons in Green Bay. But the Hawks? Pray for a mini-miracle, my friends.
PMC
May 2nd, 2010
11:49 pm
I’m cool with Joe not having his best offensive game today. He played very good defense and has displayed far better leadership in this series than ever before in the playoffs. No he wasn’t sharp today. But they survived and I do feel like he’s stepping up. Honestly I don’t really care about the contract deal right now.
Orlando Magic News & Notes: Hawks Eager To Face Magic | Howard the Dunk | An Orlando Magic Blog
May 3rd, 2010
1:01 am
[...] You can read that story here. [...]
northcyde
May 3rd, 2010
1:18 am
SMH . . . Schultz writes a fluff article on the Hawks, but takes time out to rip JJ for 2 paragraphs?
The agendas these sportswriters have, are just unbelievable. Of course, he told the truth, but he didn’t have to type anything negative about the captain, and how he wants a MAX deal.
As as always, the REAL NBA FANS know that games are won on both sides of the ball. If JJ is struggling offensively, then I want him doing exactly what he did today, and that’s bring in defensively. LOL . . he even had a “Smoove-like” block in that game.
Due to mainly JJ on defense against him, Salmons was held to 19 points on 7 – 31 FG shooting in the 2 games we just won.
LOL . .and there are not a “blur” of sign and trade scenarios, because I bet you can’t even come up with 2 that would work and have us not lose a step, that the other team would also go for,
Who you gonna trade Schultz? Marvin + Bibby + Zaza for D-Wade?
Damn shame that even when this team does something positive, he wastes it by ripping the captain for 2 paragraphs.
Mike Woodson
May 3rd, 2010
8:21 am
So let me get this straight, Bugkiller. “Joe Johnson = no intensity, no passion, no heart”, yet Miami would want him playing there instead of D Wade?
Hell, while we are at it, let’s trade Horford for Dwight Howard, and ……… yeah, Josh Smith for Lebron James!!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
May 3rd, 2010
8:22 am
they need to learn how to win on the road again- Magic will be tough
Mike
May 3rd, 2010
8:23 am
For some reason Mike Woodson always decides to double Dwight Howard, and leaves all those great three point shooters that Orlando has wide open. Play everybody straight to cover the three point line, and Woody has to know he has to play Collins even if it’s just to foul Howard to send him to the free throw line where he shots about 60%. Follow this blueprint and the Hawks pull it out in 6 or 7, double Howard and get swept away.
WISE
May 3rd, 2010
8:48 am
Im very excited for this series!! I think the whole city should be appluaded cause even tho we were playing the sorry bucks and even tho we lost game 5 we still had the place rocking yesterday and I know the two games at home will be crazy. The orlando media and every media person will write us off…we can do it Atlanta lets gooooooooo
Jeff
May 3rd, 2010
8:50 am
I would rip the 70 million dollar player too. and there is 70 million reasons for it
Rick
May 3rd, 2010
8:51 am
Yay you beat a near .500 team. And it took 7 games. When will some of you dunderheads ever learn. I guess you will get smacked by to reality this week.
Orlando in 4/5. First game orlando wins by 25. Yay hawks! You beat a crap team in 7 games!
not so casual observer
May 3rd, 2010
9:00 am
The winning formula for the playoffs has not changed in teh 42 years the Hawks have been in Atlanta – play defense and rebound. Let the offense feed off of the defense. Simple to write but will the players buy in?
Gamer
May 3rd, 2010
9:05 am
Ride Joe Johnson all you want about his low scoring. JJ is more than a scorer. He brings CONFIDENT on both end of the floor for Hawks….DEFENSIVE REBOUNDING, STEALS, STANDUP DEFENSE. ON OFFENSE HE CREATES MISMATCHES WHICH LEADS TO ASSISTS. ASSISTS COUNTS AS POINTS. I THINK HE HAD SIX ASSISTS IN THE GAME..
Obvious Joe knew his shot wasn’t there all game. He only took fourteen shots, but had six assists. HE LED THE TEAM IN OTHER WAYS BESIDES SCORING..
HAWKS MAKE BEDLAM!!!! STRIKE FRIGHT INTO YOUR OPPONENT!!!!
WISE
May 3rd, 2010
9:06 am
Rick…this is a Hawks blog, do you really have no life they you go to a teams blog that you dont even root for?…kinda sad
All I'm Saying...
May 3rd, 2010
9:15 am
Congrats to Hawks for winning two elimination games–one on the road–and taking the series. Should they have won it in fewer than seven? Of course, but last time I checked, in the playoffs, the goal is to win the series. So mission accomplished.
As for the Magic, long layoffs cut both ways and the only time I have ever heard of them primarily helping a team is in pro football when a team gets a bye week in the playoffs and comes out fresh. College football players are often too immature to take advantage of it and typically lose their timing. So, I’m not worried about that.
If anything, I think the Hawks were reminded in the series against the Bucks of the consequences of allowing their intensity to wane. I don’t that will be an issue against the Magic since we lost three out four during the regular season and they are the defending Eastern Conference Champs (that’s right, not LeBron).
Question for Hawks is will they maintain their composure, stay close through the end of each game, and not get blown out especially on the road? Everybody knows that for the Magic sometimes they have off-shooting nights where the 3s don’t go in coupled with either Dwight getting lost in the shuffle and not touching the ball and/or fouling out so clearly these guys can be beaten and the Hawks can win the series.
I say Hawks in 7.
LET’S GO HAWKS!
For cryin out loud JEFFY
May 3rd, 2010
9:17 am
Regardless whether how many blog hits you get, which is obvious that’s your goal rather than quality articles or “blogs”.
Yes they looked like crap losing 3 straight, but you just GOTTA follow up with a crap article on where their flop will rank all time even though the series was still going on. Couldn’t come up with a something of substance pertaining to where they were at that particular time. It’s why they play 7 dude.
Well they didn’t flop, and you once again look like a doofus sports writer who’s most likely never even played in an organized basketball league.
How about going against your norm and write something worth a crap…
TreeRollins
May 3rd, 2010
9:38 am
Against Orlando, I think Atlanta has a couple of things going for them. First, the extended layoff for Orlando, in my mind, will be to their detriment. I think they’ll be more unfocused and their timing might be a bit off. Atlanta, on the other hand, has already had to reach for max focus, and will still be riding the wave. Secondly, the pressure is off Atlanta. No one will be surprised if Atlanta loses in 5. That’s good for these Hawks, as they play better as the underdog. Regular season history suggests their inconsistencies ebb when they play as the favorites. I remember a lot of milestones this season: that last win against San Antonio, the road win against Utah, the last win against LA, and finally, the victory against Orlando, where more important than winning, they showed that they can at least play with the Magic and keep it close.
Finally, as frustrated as we are with the Hawks for nearly sending this season into the long list of Atlanta failures. Let us remember the Boston series 2 years ago. Think about how indigant the Celtic fans were at Doc Rivers and his band for letting an upstart Atlanta team take the series to 7 games. And this was a team that had all the talent. What happened afterward? The Celtics rolled onto the NBA Finals. Is that possible here? Not likely, but it’s there, anythings possible.
Section 212
May 3rd, 2010
9:50 am
Relax folks. Playoff series will be different than regular season. 2 of the Hawks losses against the Magic came on the second game of a back-to-backs against Boston and Orlando did not play the previous night. The key will be containing Redick and Carter. Keep their stats low and the Hawks will win this series in 7.
Kelvin
May 3rd, 2010
10:13 am
The Hawks come back to win two games against a Bucks team that they should not have been playing in a game 7 to begin with and everyone’s vision gets skewed with optimism. Orlando is going to wipe the floor with the Hawks. I seriously doubt if any of the games in Orlando will be competitive. I am not hating on the Hawks I am just being objective.
Sid
May 3rd, 2010
10:25 am
All of you missed the best sports story from the weekend. It wasn’t the Hawks, it wasn’t the Braves, it wasn’t Nascar, the Dawgs or Tech. It was Rory McIlroy winning his first PGA event @ Quail Hollow by four strokes over Phil Mickelson and the rest of the field. He finished with a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th to set the course record at 10-under 62, beating the previous record by two strokes. At 20 years old he is the youngest winner on the tour since Tiger Woods. Many of us remember Tiger Woods birth on the PGA tour, well Rory Mcllroy just jumped out of the womb.
FamousAtticus
May 3rd, 2010
10:29 am
Great win against the mediocre Bucks. Now its time to play a “real” team, unfortunately for the Hawks I think the Magic take the series in 5 games.
calbaby
May 3rd, 2010
10:37 am
All you guys do is complain and bicker about what the hawks are not doing well, but when they win you dont have the decency to admit you were wrong and all the speculation about Mike Woodson is pathetic by you all, none of you have any say in that, Mike Woodson will be back in Atlanta next year is he chooses to, let me say that again if he chooses to, he will be approached by Philadelphia and if they are tripping in Atlanta their is his easy option. It does not matter whether it took the hawks to win in 7 or if they would have won in 4, they won the series, are moving on and that is what everyone in the first round is looking for and that is moving on. COME ON ALL YOU UNFAITHFUL WANNABEES!!!!!!!
Crack Head
May 3rd, 2010
10:38 am
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
DEM HAWKS BE WINNING IT ALL!!!! DEY WIN EVERY GAME DEY PLAYZ!!!!
DAMN, THOZE POLAR BEARS IN DEM TREES BE LOOKIN AT ME FUNNY!!!