We’re LIVE from Hawks-Magic: Can they make it a series?
Mike Woodson's Hawks have been inconsistent in the playoffs.
There’s a saying in sports that a playoff series doesn’t really begin until a team loses a home game.
It’s understandable if you’re not feeling that way after seeing the Hawks dismembered in Game 1 and fizzle in Game 2 against Orlando, losing two games of this playoff series by a combined 57 points. But back now in Philips Arena, where all is usually well, this is the Hawks’ last chance to show a pulse — and maintain it for 48 minutes.
It has been stated enough times in this corner but here we go again: The Hawks are at the point in their evolution where they shouldn’t be defined by the regular season (53-29) but by the postseason (4-3 over undermanned Milwaukee; 0-2 against Orlando).
Granted, only the most optimistic of folks projected them to beat Orlando in this series. The Magic reached the finals last year. They may win the championship this year. They’re superior at basketball’s two key positions: center and point guard.
But what you wanted to see from the Hawks this series is passion, intelligence and consistency under fire, and too often that hasn’t been the case.
Can they win tonight? Absolutely. In a 2-0 series, the trailing home team tends to play its best game, knowing at 3-0 the series probably is over. (For what it’s worth, Las Vegas has this as a close game: The Magic are favored by 2 to 2 1/2 points.)
The Hawks’ objectives shouldn’t change: pound Dwight Howard inside as much as possible with rotating hackers (Zaza Pachulia, Joe Smith, Jason Collins). Play pressure defense to try and force turnovers. Hope Orlando doesn’t get hot from trey-range. See where you’re at in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks are 37-8 at home this year (34-7 in the regular season; 3-1 in the playoffs). However, Philips Arena is not a cure all. We saw Milwaukee win Game 5 here to push the Hawks to the brink of elimination in the first round.
In fact, since winning four straight home playoff games in 2008 (3-0 vs. Boston) and 2009 (first game vs. Miami), the Hawks have gone only 5-4 at Philips. The breakdown: 2-1 in the rest of the Miami series, 0-2 vs. Cleveland, 3-1 vs. Milwaukee.
So what do you think. Can the Hawks make a series of this? We’ll be here blogging live during the game, but let’s hear your predictions now.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
♦
Earlier posts
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
484 comments Add your comment
Zach
May 8th, 2010
6:13 pm
I just don’t understand how you let a team that makes 75% of the open threes that they make to shot 15 open threes in the first half. I’m just dumbfounded.
Andray Bruce
May 8th, 2010
6:13 pm
Hawks couldnt beat the Magic’s 2nd string!
Barney
May 8th, 2010
6:13 pm
This coach doesn’t know how to manage these players. Fire Woodson!
cloudy
May 8th, 2010
6:14 pm
Watch the Magic play Atlanta- see how a great team gets it done. How a great team plays on both ends of the court.
Mr. Phil
May 8th, 2010
6:14 pm
“Sending JJ away will not help the Hawks.”
Completely UNTRUE! Every scoring funk the Hawks have gotten into this season starts with ISO-Joe missing shots. His defense has been average to poor. His high scoring average is due to the fact that so many plays are run for him. Joe Johnson is a fraudulent star that marketing and a dim witted coach have shoved down the Hawks fans throats. Don’t be fooled. The lack of development of this team from a maturity and cohesiveness stand point has to do with the presence of Joe Johnson.
I say this as a fan who was formally fooled, but has done the research and finally see what he really is. Perfumed garbage. A marketing trick
Harry The Hawk
May 8th, 2010
6:14 pm
Based on the ist half, the only question that remains is whether the Hawks can stop Orlando from embarassing them by more than 30.
Love to be a fly on the wall wherever Sund and the owners are huddling right now!1
D Hawks
May 8th, 2010
6:14 pm
If JJ can’t even put up 20 a night in the playoffs with a Max Contract in the offing, what will he do if he gets the money? I don’t think Sund would even offer JJ the same money as last offseason now, unless it’s a sign and trade.
Peej
May 8th, 2010
6:14 pm
Actually, I think Marvin Williams would thrive (or be a really, really decent cog) in a system like Orlando’s and Phoenix’s. If I were Mike D’Antoni (yes, I know he’s with NY) and wanted a piece that would evoke memories of his Phoenix days, I’d go with Williams over J Johnson, who of course played for Mike in PHX, but has alot of mileage on the odometer.
Harry The Hawk
May 8th, 2010
6:15 pm
Mr. Phil….yup.
Robin masquearding as Batman
TruthSeeker
May 8th, 2010
6:15 pm
This is very similar to that abominable performance against the Knicks in the1999 playoffs. That series led to that team being broken up, and that’s probably what will happen with this team as well. It might not be quite as drastic, but Joe Johnson and Mike Woodson will definitely be gone.
Let’s just hope we have a better answer than J.R. Rider and Bimbo Coles this time around.
FIRE MIKE WOODSON EXPRESS
May 8th, 2010
6:16 pm
Fire Woodson
ugainuvacountry
May 8th, 2010
6:17 pm
halftime….did ya’ll hear Wilbon ripping on the Hawks? How can someone with “no dawg in the hunt” see what all of us have seen for so long?
Musically Challenged
May 8th, 2010
6:17 pm
Jeff-
Know anyone who wants four tickets to Monday’s game? Selling em dirt cheap…
Barney
May 8th, 2010
6:18 pm
Fire Woodson!
Matthew
May 8th, 2010
6:19 pm
I think the playoffs have ended Woody’s employment here but has secured Joe’s here..unless the Knicks or Bulls fail to sign a big name I dont see another team giving Joe the big money he thinks he should get
D Hawks
May 8th, 2010
6:19 pm
To everyone that keeps saying the Hawks need a big man, that’s stating the obvious. To imply that it justifies the lackluster performance that this team has given in these playoffs is ridiculous. This is 10 playoff games in a row that we haven’t seen 48 minutes of work from these guys. Two people have to take responsibility for that: the one who calls the plays and the one who gets most of the plays called for him.
RC
May 8th, 2010
6:19 pm
THIS HAWK TEAM IS AN EMBARASSMENT!! NO PASSION, NO DEFENSE, NO PRIDE! GOOD-BYE MIKE WOODSON, GOOD-BYE JOE JOHNSON; MAYBE STEVE BELKIN WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL ABOUT JOE JOHNSON!
cloudy
May 8th, 2010
6:20 pm
Jeff please jump in here somewhere. Tell us again how this team can even make it close against a quality team like the Magic. They can’t even compete on the road and have no answer for how to play 4 quarters on both ends of the court. Tell us again how these prima donnas can win “if the good team ” shows up! What good team????
81Dawg
May 8th, 2010
6:20 pm
Anybody who gives Joe Johnson a max contract is CRAZY! And we gave Bibby a 3 year deal???? Looks like it is time to start over, again.
UNReal
May 8th, 2010
6:20 pm
Joe Johnson has officially become the BIGGEST LOSER in ATLANTA.
Matt
May 8th, 2010
6:21 pm
So long JJ and Woody!!! Biggest waste of basketball “talent” ever assembled. How in the world did these guys win over 50 games this year? Classic definition of a mirage.
Realv-Hawk
May 8th, 2010
6:21 pm
This hawk team is young. With d-wade, the hawks will come up big next season—bank on it!!!
cloudy
May 8th, 2010
6:22 pm
Musically Challenged I would not go if you gave me the tickets pal!
Andray Bruce
May 8th, 2010
6:22 pm
I have a better chance of winning the Powerball tonight than the Hawks have a winning another quarter against this team.
Matthew
May 8th, 2010
6:22 pm
The only way D-Wade plays in ATL is on the visiting team..people have to stop the fantasy land dream that he might play for the Hawks
Jo
May 8th, 2010
6:22 pm
at least the pathetic braves are winning today.
Jo
May 8th, 2010
6:23 pm
What about Bosh here in ATL if JJ is not here?
RC
May 8th, 2010
6:23 pm
I agree with Mel from southwest Atlanta; Atlanta is loserville!
Yuck
May 8th, 2010
6:23 pm
Quitters
Yuck
May 8th, 2010
6:24 pm
Enter your comments here
Mr. Phil
May 8th, 2010
6:25 pm
@UnReal: Correction i think you can add the words ‘possibly’ and in the ‘history of’ to that statement.
81Dawg
May 8th, 2010
6:25 pm
And I forgot about this sorry excuse for a coach. Talk about no passion. When is the last time he yanked somebody out of a game for poor choices or poor play and then chewed their butt out? Just embarrassing all around.
Matthew
May 8th, 2010
6:25 pm
We need toughness here and Bosh isnt the answer..besides even if the Hawks dont resign Joe they wont have the cap room to go after a big name free agent..the Bosh idea is the most possible only because Toronto MIGHT be willing to do a sign-and-trade to get something back instead of losing him for nothing
D Hawks
May 8th, 2010
6:26 pm
I think Bosh would be the most realistic acquisition the Hawks could make. D-Wade and LeBron aren’t going anywhere unless it’s to play together somewhere. It makes no sense for them to go to a doormat team and start all over again. With Bosh having an Atlanta connection, although brief, I’d love to see him in a Hawks uniform.
Jeffspanker
May 8th, 2010
6:27 pm
They shouldn’t even bother coming back for the second half. Just send a note with a forfeit and go play the PS3 in the lcoker room.
Josh Smith is no better than Joe Johnson. He is a big cry-baby!
Fitten
May 8th, 2010
6:27 pm
I’D LOVE D’ANTONI & D WADE!!!
Timmy
May 8th, 2010
6:27 pm
We need to start the cleansing process by ridding ourselves of Woodson and JJ. JJ will NEVER be better than the #2 or 3 scorer if he is to ever be on a championship team. He’s not a #1 guy like the Hawks have tried to use him.
D Hawks
May 8th, 2010
6:27 pm
“We’ve gotta get this thing under 10 before the 4th Quarter.” How profound.
Zach
May 8th, 2010
6:28 pm
Dear Hawks,
The fist half is over, lets go.
Love,
Zach
Inside Information
May 8th, 2010
6:28 pm
Chris Bosh will be with the Atlanta Hawks next season and Joe Johnson is not gonna be back.
Zach
May 8th, 2010
6:28 pm
Dear Joe,
Stop sucking.
Love,
Zach
Mr. Phil
May 8th, 2010
6:28 pm
Look at their attitudes sitting in the locker room.Not paying attention. Joe doesn’t even care!
Andray Bruce
May 8th, 2010
6:29 pm
You don’t have to be a body language expert to see where this is headed! Let’s get Teague some playoff experience!
bruce mac
May 8th, 2010
6:29 pm
Tickets $25, Drinks $35, Hot Dog and Nacho $20, Parking $12, not going to watch the gutless quitters Priceless
UNReal
May 8th, 2010
6:29 pm
I blame Joe Johnson for all the embarrassing losses, When will people realize he isn’t an all-star?
People keep saying He’s the most underrated player in the NBA but be Realistic he’s freaking OVERRATED!!!
I hope this is the Last season I see Joe Johnson wearing the ATL jersey.
Time to hand DOWN the team to a player that plays with heart,
Its time to give the team to JOSH SMITH!
or Al Horford.
Fitten
May 8th, 2010
6:30 pm
Starting 5 next year: Zaza, Horford, Marvin, Crawford and Teague with Josh Smith off the bench
Get rid of Joe
Matthew
May 8th, 2010
6:30 pm
To all the Bosh people,
How does he solve any problem the Hawks have? He cant play Howard and who are you sitting on the bench to play Bosh? Be realistic and not emotional..Josh Smith wont be the one on the bench..
harry the hawk
May 8th, 2010
6:31 pm
Rashard Lewis open for another 3….so much for ‘half-time adjustments’ by Woodson
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 8th, 2010
6:31 pm
The switching defense will depart with Joe and Woody. Well, we got that going for us.
D Hawks
May 8th, 2010
6:33 pm
At this point, it’s not about the coach, it’s about the players. They know what they need to do and what they haven’t done so far, and they know Woody won’t pull them from the game to punish mistakes. Let’s see if they can find enough heart in this half to show Atlanta that they actually care.