The Hawks lose on a night when losing seemed impossible
Mike Woodson and Jason Kidd after the bizarre bumping. (AP photo by Gregory Smith)
I kept asking the question, and nobody really had an answer. How do you lose this game? How do you lose on a night when you led by 13 points with 5 1/2 minutes left? How do you lose on the night you had played some of your best basketball in two months if not 20 years?
Said Al Horford: “We were at home. All the factors were lined up. I don’t think we’re the kind of team that blows a lead, even though we blew one at Golden State [on Sunday].”
They blew this 13-point lead even worse than they blew that 18-point lead. They blew this one as bad as a good team ever blows a game. They blew this because Dallas coach Rick Carlisle waited until the end to throw up a zone defense, and the Hawks’ coach waited until the final two minutes of regulation to get called for a personal foul.
OK, so technically it was a technical foul, but it involved a collision with a player. Mike Woodson bumped Jason Kidd while the Dallas guard was dribbling down the left sideline with the Hawks leading by two points. Kidd stuck out his elbow to draw contact, but there was no question Woodson was in the wrong.
Said Mike Bibby, who had answered two of Kidd’s three fourth-quarter treys with 3-pointers of his own: “[Woodson] was on the court.”
Said Woodson: “[Kidd] made a heck of a play. I’m not going to get into a [spitting] match with him … He did what he had to do, and it didn’t favor our team. I’ve got to take the hit for it.”
Instructive choice of words: Take the hit.
Horford again: “It was tough. Jason Kidd really changed things for them.”
Kidd is 36, a half-dozen years past his prime, but he willed his team to this victory in a way reminiscent of a young Earvin Johnson. Kidd’s line: 19 points, 17 assists, 16 rebounds. He shrugged off a wretched third quarter — he took eight shots, missing seven — and over the final five minutes of regulation had nine points, three assists and four rebounds.
And where were the Hawks? Missing their shots, missing their composure, missing in action. Over the game’s final 10 1/2 minutes (counting overtime) they scored 13 points. The Mavs dusted off their zone — Jamal Crawford: “They saved it for the end; that was smart on their part” — and the Hawks could do nothing against it.
Horford: “They couldn’t guard us one-on-one.”
But that’s the point. The Mavs overrode their weakness. As Woodson noted, the Hawks “controlled the game until the six- or seven-minute mark.” Then they threw it away.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. This was a bad, bad loss. Aired on ESPN, it offered the Hawks a chance to prove their bona fides against one of the best teams from the West, and they played really well up until the point where they fell flat.
“We’ve been blowing some leads,” Woodson said, and the inability for a basketball team to close out a game is as crushing as a baseball club that hands the ball to its closer and watches him blow the save.
“We’re a team that can handle adversity,” Crawford said. “We’ll bounce back.”
As bold as those words were, they rang hollow this night. A really good team doesn’t lose games like this, and that’s what the Hawks aspire to become and, for tantalizing stretches, seem to be. But how do you lose on a night when a technical foul against your coach for brushing the opposing point guard is the difference between winning in regulation and walking off with various manifestations of egg — scrambled, poached, everything except sunny-side-up — on your face.
Said Josh Smith: “You can’t lose a game like that.”
No, you can’t. But they did.
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222 comments Add your comment
Anthony
February 27th, 2010
12:19 am
I won’t be paying to watch these lowdown thugs play.
dstdeelite
February 27th, 2010
12:22 am
LMAO@ Anthony…It’s really not that serious. Name calling is so elementary school.
suicidalhawk
February 27th, 2010
12:30 am
CHEAP GHETTO MENTALITY WIN FOR THE DALLAS MAVERICKS…… YOU HAD TO FOREARM SHIVER A COACH TO GET A FREE POINT… go bounce on one Jason Kidd
Anthony
February 27th, 2010
12:32 am
It’s not that serious? You got people struggling to survive while these thugs are getting millions to play a GAME. yeah, it’s a big deal.
Dominic
February 27th, 2010
12:36 am
My thing is Jamal Crawford took way too many 3 point shots and too many dumb shots period but we know any other night those shots sink. It didn’t help that Horford and Josh were completely missing in action underneath the post. This again is why we need a true Center. He doesn’t have to be 7′5, he just needs to be able to box out, block shots, and rebound. My dilemma is that Josh has to know he has no business taking a jump shot, he just plain isn’t a jump shooter. I appreciate what Josh Smith did earlier in the game but that’s it that is his game and whenever he feels like acting like Chris Bosh or Lebron James is when he blows leads. He needs to box out, rebound, steal the ball and get easy lay ups and dunks. Eventually if Josh doesn’t grow into this roll and what the Hawks need him to be Al Horford will move back to his natural Power Forward position and the hawks could trade away Josh for a Center. This isn’t so far fetched because Josh has a nice big contract attached to him and ask yourself who would you rather have Josh Smith or Joe Johnson?
Avery
February 27th, 2010
12:40 am
Can we fire Woodson now? Maybe we will have have a chance to clear the second round and develop players if we do.
irishmafia
February 27th, 2010
12:41 am
Cmon lets be honest despite numerous #1 draft choices and past and future ALL stars the Hawks are vastly overrated. Fans have waited so long for a decent TEAM they have gone hog wild on a team that can finish over 500 .The sad truth is that Mike Woodson is a horrific coach even with the talent around him, check the facts no coach with over 100 games in the NBA has anywhere near as bad a record as this loser. The Hawks are among the 15 -20 top teams in the league but is that saying much with teams like the Nets around?
Avery
February 27th, 2010
12:41 am
Dominic, we won’t have Joe Johnson in another 5 months anyway.
dstdeelite
February 27th, 2010
12:42 am
It’s your God given right not to support any professional team. If everybody tuned them out, then the product wouldn’t sell and they wouldn’t make millions. I see you follow them very closely. That lets me know that you haven’t completely tuned them out. Good luck with changing the world. Shouldn’t you be leading by example?
Dominic
February 27th, 2010
12:48 am
haha avery you may be right but i think that Joe wants to stay honestly but it makes it even more important to get rid of Josh if we cannot sign Joe that means we would have to get extremely lucky in the draft or we have to get a good center or a nice small forward because i think i speak for all atlanta fans the hawks need to take the next step as a team and i dont think woodson can take us there i think avery johnson shouldve been hired as the coach because the lack of develop of marvin williams and josh smith isnt just their faults
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SWATlantadolfan
February 27th, 2010
12:54 am
Some of you posters really suck…it was a bad loss, but its not the end of the world. yeah, Woody sucks, and that is why he has no contract beyond this season.At our best we cant beat the Cavs or Magic. As bad as Woody is, Phil Jackson couldnt get us into the Eastern conference finals this year. If we somehow get Big Z, maybe, but we are STILL a couple of players away from being legit.Like someone said earlier, i am a Hawks fan since about 1985, so after the last 10 years of being awful, Im STILL enjoying my Hawks at least being relivent…most of you posters who are badmouthing the Hawks arent real fans anyway.
UGAKev
February 27th, 2010
1:05 am
did the hawks ever think of blocking out they let kidd run around like he was shaq
BirdDawg
February 27th, 2010
1:13 am
I think Astro Joe is really Mike Woodson.
freshd
February 27th, 2010
1:16 am
WOODROW has not been the same since he shaved his eyebrows off. And may I say that our #2 pick, Marvin Williams is stealing money. When is the last time he finished a game on the floor.Its a shame when our #1 pick, TEAGUE rides the bench and a guy out of the D-league, Sundiata Gaines is balling for the Utah Jazz. Thanks WOODROW.
BirdDawg
February 27th, 2010
1:18 am
@ Anthony…maybe these people struggling to survive should learn to play basketball, LMAO!!!
TheAntiMe
February 27th, 2010
1:23 am
Woody has to go. (Are you paying attention, at all, Rick Sund?) It’s bad enough that his refusal to adjust to his opponents tactics to the point where it is obvious that Woody just doesn’t have a clue. But his inexcusable lapse of letting himself get played for a technical foul in crunch time by an opposing player, really is just beyond belief.
In spite of his inability to adjust to the zone D that the Mavs were using to get back in the game, the Hawks still would have won in regulation. Instead, because of the tecnical foul on the Hawks coach, they had to go into OT where they were shamed, once again.
Woody doesn’t even coach. He mostly just stands around and yells at his players and hopes that they will know what to do. If all you can do as a coach is stand around and yell, then at least have the common sense to not be standing on the court in crunch time.
I’m always going to stick by my Hawks but, still, I can see what everyone else does, and that is, more than a few of these losses comes down to poor decision making by a certain coach.
If only we could re-hire Hubie Brown.
TechMan
February 27th, 2010
1:39 am
if they dont make a rule a coach is going to get seriously injured because players will be throwing bows right at their chests
HAWKS SUCK
February 27th, 2010
2:15 am
The Hawks are the worst team in the NBA. It was bad enough to blow a huge lead at Golden State, but there is no way they should have lost at home to the Mavs after leading by 15 in the fourth quarter. This team is the biggest bunch of chokers in the league.
I hope Josh Smith and Joe Johnson both tear their ACL the next game after they let the Mavs win this one.
JeJe
February 27th, 2010
2:23 am
SMOOVE IS NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING A DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. HE LEFT DIRK OPEN FOR SHOTS THE ENTIRE GAME. HE DIDN’T EVEN TRY TO MAKE HIM DRIVE. EVERY SINGLE SHOT DIRK TOOK HE HAD 3 FEET OF SPACE. WHAT A JOKE. JOSH IS OVERRATED AND HIS NUMBERS DON’T MEAN !@#$. HE CANNOT DEFEND 1 ON 1 AND IS IMMATURE. GOOD JOB GIVING DIRK 35+ POINTS U MORON
Born2Buzz
February 27th, 2010
2:27 am
Simple…coaching.
David Smith
February 27th, 2010
2:34 am
Thank God i didn’t see this game tonight or I would have had a fit. Mike Woodson proves time and time again that he is not the right coach for this team. How can you blow a 13 point lead? by simply allowing Woody to let his inability to adjust to defensive changes and to let a 36 year old coot to out fox him by simply dribbling near him. I’m more worried now than ever how we will perform in the playoffs when we can’t even seem to put teams away when we have them on the ropes.
Cowboyfan80 r
February 27th, 2010
2:47 am
Y’all wanna bang on Kidd for a legal play? Go ahead, losers. I also lost a lot of respect for JJ, When he decides to throw a retaliatory forearm, who’s it at? Berea, the smallest dude on the floor. That showed a lot of guts and toughness, lol
Ted M
February 27th, 2010
2:50 am
It was bad, but I still don’t think it compares to the Tech/NC State game even tho Tech won that game.
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Anthony
February 27th, 2010
5:02 am
Some of the people here will always be butt kissers… And for what, all the championships the Hawks gave given you?
lame.
Conyers Hawk
February 27th, 2010
5:44 am
These last two 4th quarter meltdowns (GS and last night)are nothing new. It is a consistent pattern of
playing well for 36 instead of 48 minutes caused mostly by forgetting how to score in the 4th quarter.
I blame the coach and the players but mostly the coach for not using his bench when starters are tired.
Joseph Allen McWhorter
February 27th, 2010
5:47 am
Mark, to tell you the truth, personally, as long as the Atlanta Hawks are coached by Mike Woodson, they will never be in the same league with the Cavs or the Lakers! They need another coach to take them to that level! And those teams wouldn’t lose games like this!
Maxx
February 27th, 2010
6:28 am
Mark, I’ll tell you how we lost that game. We lost that game by having a coach that refuses to call timeout in the 4th quarter while we have a 13 pont lead dwindle away before our eyes. The only way we get a timeout is if we get a technical foul called on our coach after the other team goes on 15-1 run. It was a cheap stunt by Kidd, but it worked two-fold, as Jason Kid got right into Woody’s head, and Dirk got to shoot an automatic Free Throw for Woody’s Tech. We lose by our Coach refusing to play our bench and by not preparing our team for a Zone Defense. Mike Woodson single-handedly lost this game for us in the 4th quarter. Another reason we lost is that we need a 7ft Center, as Al Horford is playing out of position, and Brendan Haywood was playing catch with himself against the rim all night. We need to hopefully sign Big Z, and bench Marvin Williams for Maurice Evans. After the season, we need to draft a 7ft Center like Jerome Jordan, Center, Tulsa, and hire a new Head Coach like Mark Jackson
benadawg
February 27th, 2010
7:04 am
Gosh i hate Jason Kidd, that being said he was smart enough to take advantage of a coach foolishly wandering on the court. The zone defense will haunt Atl throughout the rest of the year because we have very little outside shooting, and one and done shots.
Do NOT re sign Woodrow
February 27th, 2010
7:24 am
Outsmarted by a veteran player who is older and still way more effective than the one Woodrow keeps starting.
Can not solve a zone defense. Has no clue how to whatsoever.
Can not adjust during a game no matter the opposition did to change their approach, or how simple it was.
Is good at apologizing for everything afterwards.
Does not have the right answers. Can not keep the team together and focused when things get rough.
Can not initiate any sort of leadership and confidence, even with three veteran guards on the floor at the end of every game and a veteran forward on the bench.
No sense in getting a mean, big body in the paint. That will not beat a zone either.
First round of the playoffs will be against a tougher and more complete team this year. Hawks will lose if Woodrow keeps doing what he does. And he will. So they will lose. Forget winning 50 games.
This Just in
February 27th, 2010
7:26 am
JEJE IS AN IDIOT OF GLOBAL PROPORTIONS. THAT IS ALL.
al
February 27th, 2010
7:27 am
JeJe,Dirk scores on anyone who tries to guard him.Probably the best shooting big man ever.The reason the Hawks lost this game is not Josh’s defense on Dirk,it was Kidd getting hot,and playing a great over all game.
Saint Richt
February 27th, 2010
7:49 am
Fire Mike Woodson…….this team wins despite him. This team has had the same problems for 5 years and this year has added a new one, the 2nd half swoon. The inability to score points in the second half (see Orlando/Thanksgiving, the Suns last week, last 5 minutes/overtime vs. Dallas, etc, etc, etc).
That my friends is coaching, this worthless “coach” cannot properly motivate this team, they are inconsistent, they lack focus on defense and still have no half court offense. When this team plays D to the level they are capable, they are one of the better teams in the league. They’re defensive EFFORT is inconsistent at BEST……that is coaching.
Move it on
February 27th, 2010
7:55 am
Until the hawks get rid of woodson, they’ll keep choking in games against inferior talent. The hawks will beat some creampuff in round 1 but will go out in the second round of the nba playoffs—mark it down.
JeJe
February 27th, 2010
8:00 am
SMOOVE IS NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING A DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. HE LEFT DIRK OPEN FOR SHOTS THE ENTIRE GAME. HE DIDN’T EVEN TRY TO MAKE HIM DRIVE. EVERY SINGLE SHOT DIRK TOOK HE HAD 3 FEET OF SPACE. WHAT A JOKE. JOSH IS OVERRATED AND HIS NUMBERS DON’T MEAN !@#$. HE CANNOT DEFEND 1 ON 1 AND IS IMMATURE. GOOD JOB GIVING DIRK 35+ POINTS U MORON
JeJe
February 27th, 2010
8:02 am
Kidd getting hot my @$$. The guy missed a ton of 3’s.
We lost for reasons:
1) Smoove DOES NOT box out on defense. I don’t give a !@#$ what his numbers show. All I see on defense is him standing there and get owned on the glass
2) We SUCK in the 4th quarter. Jesus. Does Woodson tell the team to lay an egg? Every single 4th quarter we let teams back in the game or collapse or both. We almost freaking lost at home to MINNESOTA for crying out loud
JeJe
February 27th, 2010
8:03 am
3) Smoove did not even scout report Dirk. How the hell can you give someone 3 feet of space to pull up and shoot? Yes, I know Dirk can shoot – he’s my favorite player in the NBA. Make him work for his baskets. And Smoove has the nerve to double team Jason Kidd in overtime to leave Dirk open?
Pete
February 27th, 2010
8:06 am
Games like this and Golden State are why Woody does not deserve a contract extension
typical
February 27th, 2010
8:13 am
Recurring theme….Atlanta as a city has everything going for it yet it continues to be losersville, usa.
ltdbrave
February 27th, 2010
8:16 am
Woodson just plain needs to go. Also, the team needs a big man in the paint. For Kidd to have a triple double just shows the Hawks are complacent. The team consistently blows big leads, Golden State and now Dallas lately in games that they need to win. How a team can build up a nice lead and then think they can coast just shows you that the coach knows nothing and the players have not reached championship caliber. Woodson better go regardless of where the Hawks go in the playoffs.
dap01
February 27th, 2010
8:17 am
Jason Kidd is a turd!
Woody is not the coach to take us any further. He is out of ideas.
JJ shooting a 30 footer with 10 seconds to go on the shot clock is terrible. He was lazy, he made no effort to drive, he was never going to pass and he hurt us during Dallas run to catch up.
Woody not calling a time out is not what a PRO coach should do.
Josh Smith was amazing.
The player rotations were terrible.
The offense was stagnant.
This is as good as it is going to get with Woody in charge!
dap01
February 27th, 2010
8:21 am
Dallas was dictating everything against our defense in the 4th quarter, we were totally outcoached!
ltdbrave
February 27th, 2010
8:22 am
These guys get paid a ton of money to play a game that they call a job while we, the fans, pay a fortune to watch them become lazy and blow big leads. Why Sund resigned Bibby, Williams, and ZaZa is beyond me. What a waste of the fan’s money. None of them are contributing and ZaZa is so lazy as is Williams. Pay me and I will give a heck of alot more effort then some of the players on this team.
Angus
February 27th, 2010
8:25 am
Trying not to be a homer, but that was a low-class, bush league move by Kidd. He did everything he could to make contact and then stayed in front of the Hawks bench running his mouth. I’ll be shocked if the league doesn’t get involved.
What’s worse though is that no Hawk defended Woody. Next possession a Mav (the coach, Kidd, or whoever) should have gone down. Cowards.
McCann Fan
February 27th, 2010
8:26 am
Sick, just sick. This team is going NOWHERE in the playoffs playing like this. An NBA game still lasts 48 minutes, right? I thought maybe they were confused with the college clock.
You start to believe in a team and then they regress right in front of you. This is the first time I’ve said it, but this needs to be Woodson’s last season.
Dr.Warren
February 27th, 2010
8:56 am
Hawks won 47 last year. Probably be 48 this year. They’re close to .500 since the fast start.
As they say in Shanghai, 老鹰队是高估.
NBA'er
February 27th, 2010
8:57 am
Mark, I don’t understand your comment about “you can’t touch a player on the court, ever.” Woody didn’t touch Kidd. Every coach wanders on to the court yelling instructions. Woody jumped back off the court and Kidd threw out his forearm into Woody. Perhaps you didn’t have the benefit of replay like the TV watching public, the refs, the ESPN crew did.
PMC
February 27th, 2010
8:58 am
This could be one of the reasons Woody is not being resigned.
ksiujgth
February 27th, 2010
9:04 am
if sund can’t see he has an inept coach that can’t use a bench, time out or vet players in a real nba style game, he needs to go with woodson. woodson has screwed the pooch many times, but the mavs game has to be one of the worst coached games of his career!