The Hawks allow the unassuming Bucks to make this a series
Somebody guard that guy! Brandon Jennings exults after another trey. (AP photo)
Milwaukee — They had a chance to show us they’d matured. They had a chance to make quick work of a team that, without Andrew Bogut, is the weakest entity in the playoff grid. Instead the Hawks gave the Milwaukee Bucks reason to believe. If you’re the better team, that’s the last thing you want.
The Hawks trailed by 17 points after 12 minutes of Game 3. They didn’t look like the better team. They didn’t look like much of a team at all. They were outflanked tactically and overwhelmed emotionally.
“Unacceptable,” said Joe Johnson, who scored 16 of the Hawks’ 40 first-half points.
“I was disappointed,” said Al Horford, who had two points the first half. “I didn’t think we were there mentally.”
“We didn’t bring our own energy,” said Josh Smith, who managed only seven points in 36 minutes after stirring up a mini-tempest by suggesting Milwaukee is Nowheresville. (Smith afterward: “I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”)
Their play in the first quarter suggested the Hawks believed they’d already won the series, which technically they haven’t. (NBA rules stipulate four victories, not two.) They were a step slow from the start, and that’s a bad thing to be when the other team is smaller and quicker.
The Bucks spread the court and ran their guards off screens. The Hawks, as is their wont, switched on everything, which spawned little-on-big mismatches. As good a defenders as Smith and Al Horford are, they can’t keep up with Brandon Jennings and John Salmons 25 feet from the hoop.
Jennings made three treys in the first 7 1/2 minutes. He and Salmons made nine of 10 shots between them in the first 9 1/2 minutes, at which point the Bucks led 31-13. So much for coming on the road and taking the crowd out of the game. So much for matching an overmatched opponent’s fire with fire.
The Bucks know they cannot hope to beat the Hawks by playing conventional basketball. Milwaukee’s only hope is to dazzle its opponent with footwork, and that’s precisely what occurred in Game 3. The Bucks didn’t try to feed the post because they don’t have a post player. They made their last stand on the perimeter, and they wound up standing pretty darn tall.
Let’s be honest: This was the key game in the series. Not regarding its outcome — the Hawks should and will prevail — but its duration. The Hawks came to the frigid Midwest with a chance to put the Bucks to bed, and instead they were wrong-footed. With Orlando leading Charlotte 3-0, that’s a major consideration. You don’t want to be the team coming into Round 2 on short rest.
It’s not that good teams never lose a game in the postseason. They do. Cleveland fell way behind at Chicago but wound up nearly winning. The Lakers lost in Oklahoma City. The difference is, both those Game 3 losers gave themselves a chance. The Hawks fell behind and stayed there. They never put any game pressure, to use a Krzyzewski phrase, on the home team. They made it too easy.
And that’s the reason the Hawks still aren’t considered a first-tier NBA team. Yeah, they won 53 games this season, but they had a losing record on the road. Given a chance to make a bold statement in this essential road game, they looked up halfway through the fourth quarter and saw themselves 28 points in arrears.
They’re better than that, or they should be. They’re seasoned enough to know what’s coming in a Game 3 on the road. They’re gifted enough to take an inspired opponent’s best shot and hit back harder. But on this sobering night they seemed content to rely on Philips Arena to win the series for them.
Which it can. The Bucks aren’t apt to break through in Atlanta. But the Hawks can’t reach the Eastern Conference finals unless they win away from home against an opponent far better than Milwaukee.
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170 comments Add your comment
rusty
April 24th, 2010
11:36 pm
woody doesnt have a clue. ship his azz out of here. take jj with you
truthspitter
April 24th, 2010
11:44 pm
Adam: Go cut some puckwood or something
13
April 24th, 2010
11:49 pm
Ok fair weather Hawks fan let’s hear your comments about the great Lakers who are getting beat bad by the Thunder, and don’t forget the no one can touch the Cavs got beat also. And Jon Barry who calls the games as bad as he played, you can tell he is bitter about the Hawks for some reason. I wonder why? Did he get cut and can’t let it go, cry baby
Adam
April 24th, 2010
11:49 pm
“Adam: Go cut some puckwood or something”
Nah, it’s more entertaining reading all these comments.. man Hawks “fans” should be on suicide watch after reading these comments.
Fire Woody
April 24th, 2010
11:50 pm
Deer in headlights>Mike Woodson
truthspitter
April 24th, 2010
11:53 pm
Adam: atleast be a man and come back here for entertainment when you are once again bitching about Bogut’s semi-bust ass being hurt and what you would have done after you lose Monday
jcwfalcon
April 24th, 2010
11:54 pm
Adam- I always found it humbling when my team beats another team and that other teams fans are freaking out.
13
April 24th, 2010
11:55 pm
I don’t hear you, Lakers getting beat by 20, Cav lost, I can’t hear you
Eric C.
April 24th, 2010
11:57 pm
Fire Woody, ha…ain’t it the truth. It’s one thing to lose on the road…and the Hawks do plenty of that…but to get run out of the building should absolutely not happen with the talent the Hawks have.
kshizzle
April 24th, 2010
11:57 pm
This was by far the weakest effort I have ever seen. We had 5 days to get ready to what, stink up the joint?????? JB said we looked a step slow. There is no reason for us to be slower then Milwaukee (The Good Land). If we don’t win game 4 then I’d be willing to think there is a good chance this series goes 7 games.
Adam
April 24th, 2010
11:59 pm
truthspitter:
Bucks coming full force without the Big Man!! Yeah BABY! and also have fun losing FA’s next year.. Hawks are on decline Bucks are up!
Adam
April 25th, 2010
12:00 am
jwcfalcon,
I know you’re still leading the series and they are freakin out hahah!! Go Bucks..
Jerome
April 25th, 2010
12:02 am
That’s is why it is so insulting when anyone connected to Hawks from ownership on down complain about fans supporting the Hawks. I would understand if this was an expansion team. To hear players give the same old “This is unacceptable” is another slap.
Adam
April 25th, 2010
12:04 am
Jerome:
And that’s why Atlanta fans are considered fair weather in pro sports.
jcwfalcon
April 25th, 2010
12:04 am
I think you missed the point Adam…but thats OK.
As a Falcons fan, I think we have had the other teams coach get fired the week after we beat them at least 4 or 5 times. At first, its like “Yeah, we beat them SO bad, they fired their coach.” Then you realize it was more like “When the owner saw then get beat down by the lowly Falcons, he knew it was time for a change.”
If you win big, and no one bats an eyelash, you are good. If you win big, and people are freaking out and asking “WTF”…it kind of lacks vindication.
13
April 25th, 2010
12:07 am
Lakers down by 29
jcwfalcon
April 25th, 2010
12:08 am
Phil Jackson looks like he is ready to consume the refs with his eyes
AG
April 25th, 2010
12:11 am
This team played without pride. The coach is horrible. Once he saw lack of effort, sit those guys!!! I would rather lose with Teague, West, Randolph etc!!!! Their effort was HORRIBLE! Make them sit and watch!!! Okay, the Lakers are getting blown outt, but OKC is a really good team that won 50 games. Milwaukee is the WORST of all the playoff teams!
JASon
April 25th, 2010
12:14 am
Mark, the lakers got their a$$ kicked tonight, so by your logic they aren’t considered a “first-tier NBA team.”
Gimme a break. The winner is determined by a SEVEN GAME SERIES. If the media has a problem with that, they can petition to change it. I really don’t care what they think about the hawks.
13
April 25th, 2010
12:16 am
No Chicago is the worst and they beat the best ummm
Hawks Fan
April 25th, 2010
12:17 am
Hmm, Lakers getting handed to them, series will be 2-2. I wonder if the pundits will be as hard on them as they are on the Hawks…I think not. We sucked thoroughly in the game, but hey we still are up 2-1 and I’m thinking (hoping?) will get out act together. Hopefully the Hawks won’t prove me wrong.
Just Me
April 25th, 2010
12:18 am
I wish I could say this was unbelievable…but after watching Hawks playoff basketball the past two years with Coach Woody at the helm, this it is VERY much believable. I just wonder how much longer Hawks fans will have to suffer through this Jekyll and Hyde style of playoff basketball? When you consider how well the Hawks “CAN” and “HAVE” played in the past three regular seasons, there is absolutely NO REASON as to why they continue to suffer blow outs on the road in the playoffs…except there is a disconnect between the coach and players. Nothing personal against Woody, I imagine he is perhaps a very likable guy with certain basic coaching skills. However, this team’s performance in the playoffs the past two years, combined with the current tournament is a flat out indictment that Woody does not have what it takes to guide this team to play basketball at a championship level.Consider the numbers:
1 – Number of road playoff wins the past three seasons (includes this one)
10 – Number of road playoff games played the past three seasons (includes this one)
24 – Average margin of defeat in road playoff game losses past two seasons (not including this one)
If there was any doubt about the players tuning out Coach Woodson, it was crystal clear during one of the time outs in this game where Woody was “wired” and he was attempting to tell the guys to play harder, but they were walking and/or looking in the opposite direction! It was obvious they had tuned him out.
The good news is that old habits are hard to break and this team’s failure to play consistently at a level their talent suggests will no doubt continue. This will likely result in the Magic sending the Hawks home after a four game sweep in round 2. WHEN this happens, it would be HARD for Rick Sund to justify giving Woody a contract extension. He is out of excuses. No more being able to blame “youth” or “injuries” for his inability to deliver in the playoffs. His nine lives should be up before the end of next month. Although…you can never be quite sure what the Atlanta Spirit Group will do, just look at Don Waddell.
ATLFANSTUCKINTEXAS
April 25th, 2010
12:27 am
I guess everyone see why Joe Johnson didn’t sign that extension. He knows this team from the inside. He knows, Woodson, Josh Smith, Bibby, Marvin etc are not going to make it to the NBA Finals. He is outta the ATL this summer.
kshizzle
April 25th, 2010
12:37 am
Didn’t we sign Joe to a 7 year contract in the beginning???? About the only good picks we have had since then are Josh and Al. Joe has seen us waste picks on Marvin Williams, Josh Childress and AC Law. He knows this organization is going nowhere given the owners are still in court. He is gone after this year, with this unwanted owner drama. Thanks for the memories Joe. Funny how he was the only one who actually tried this game.
truthspitter
April 25th, 2010
12:47 am
I am starting to lean towards Joe leaving unfortunately also because he is human and I would, Al will be a restricted FA next summer and he should leave to, leave Josh to shoot bricks and cry to the refs
thebiz
April 25th, 2010
1:16 am
That was the most depressing game Ive seen from the hawks in five years. I was angry through the half, furious in the third and disgusted but accepting in the fourth. What a bunch of crap. No fast breaks. No interior play. I have enjoyed this team and lost a lot of money on it and to see them not give a crap was so disheartening. This looks exactly like the miami series. Let them make fools of you on the road. Get your ass swept by Orlando..not because they are better but because you dont have the heart (or perhaps the caoch to provide/incite the heart). Uhg. Embarassment was the word of the day.
blonju
April 25th, 2010
1:56 am
“fear the beer” is more like it … looked like our hawks were hungover from drinking milwaukee’s best all night at the hotel with the cubbies … with nothing to do in milwaukee but drink terrible beer, i don’t blame them on this one … win on monday and this game will become a distant memory … hawks need to get rest and get back focused ASAP! it’s a 4-1 series if we just put our hands up on D…
truthspitter
April 25th, 2010
2:37 am
I might be in the minority when I type that the coach is not the problem to the point that you guys make him out to be. I get the point that we had no business losing like this anywhere in the world to the Bucks but we will bounce back. On the other hand, we dont have the personnel to beat Orlando or Cleveland and that is on the front office not Mike Woodson as you guys will claim. Just look at the Cavs and Magic from 1-12 then look at us and its no contest.
PowerDawg
April 25th, 2010
3:24 am
Same story every time.
The Hawks can’t win on the road. They will go back to ATL down 3-2 and be lucky to eke out a series win at home. If they lose or split at home against whoever their next opponent is, they’re through.
An absolutely pathetic excuse for a professional sports team.
Bill
April 25th, 2010
4:07 am
I like the hawks but when you let gadzuric and thomas own the boards you deserve to lose…
joe johnson was the only guy who came to play..
And you let gadzuric hit a jump shot as well……. if the bucks win the next game it could go either way..
What?????
April 25th, 2010
6:41 am
“Marvin’s 1 for 7 shooting line looked bad but he had eight rebounds and probably was the best guy on closeouts.” -MC
Das sum old bullsyt. Did you see Kevin Durant Last night? Marvin=Worst #2 pick in history. Dude has no heart or will to be great. We should trade him Mo (overrated utility player, ugliest jumpshot in bench history), and Bibby (old, just wanated that last contract, but knew he couldn’t deliver on it) to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet and Rudy if the Grizz are that dumb.
hawks sleep
April 25th, 2010
7:41 am
Well lost go’s to there coach what ever..He why we lose he has no game plan n what about facts Buck sold out standin room only Must be very great fans there.We however Me would go but i not.But not means others can fill phillps arena up.See if we lose again tied n guess what hawks lose series 4-2. Say bye to woodson as the coach of the Hawks
hawks sleep
April 25th, 2010
7:45 am
also beside we blame coach fire the problem is GM n owners do not get a high quailty player say a Labron James n couple good guards n forwards we have n a center we be winnin 60’s games a year.Maybe hawks will go after Labron James next year.Oh wait we forget the owners same that screwd up the atlanta thrashers for years.In other words slim we get no one.So we do the worst Fire GM n coach
atmdog
April 25th, 2010
7:48 am
WOODY MIX IT UP ON DEF. PLAY SOME ZONE …..OUR GUARDS ARE NOT QUICK ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.. GOOD COACHES MAKE ADJUSTMENTS DURING THE PLAYOFFS, THE HAWKS KEEP PLAYING THE SAME EVERYTIME DOWN THE FLOOR.
DP
April 25th, 2010
7:59 am
I watched very little of the game last night because it was obvious that the Hawks had mailed it in. But I did see Josh Smith give such a lack of effort on one play that he should have been benched. It was in the second quarter. It looked like the Hawks had turned the ball over but they got it back and Johnson (I believe) passed it to Smith who was driving in for a layup. He missed the layup, then stood out of bounds under the basket watching one Hawk and two Bucks battling for the ball. He was literally two steps from the play and just stood there watching it. The Bucks ended up with the ball and Smith jogged down the court a couple of steps behind the play. Then the Bucks turned it over and Marvin Williams ended up getting fouled by Jennings on a breakaway.
I have rarely seen such a lack of effort in a playoff game and couldn’t believe Woodson didn’t plant Smith on the bench.
nahila
April 25th, 2010
8:03 am
The Hawks were not only outplayed but outcoached in the 3 rd game. The coach does not play but Woodson should have recognized what game plan the Bucks were successfully deploying and should have devised a strategy to stop their run sooner. Obviously, the Bucks had several days to plan to play to their strengths-their guards obviously have more speed and can shoot high percentage three’s against the taller Hawk players. Shooting from the perimeter worked this time, now the question is what does Woodson have planned to stop their guards?
Mz. You Got Punked Hawkdafied
April 25th, 2010
8:17 am
Adam after the performance our Hawks put on last night, I have no problem with you coming on here blasting off. I’m pissed, disappointed, embarrassed, ashamed, irritated, mad, upset…………….
The Hawks didn’t bring their A game and they looked like a bunch of scrubs. Where was the defense? What are they gonna do now? Blame it on the red ATL jersey. Energy, huh? You just had 3 days off. You gotta be kidding right. Last night was a joke. We got punked.
The Hawks just missed a big opportunity last night.
“It’s not that good teams never lose a game in the postseason. They do. Cleveland fell way behind at Chicago but wound up nearly winning. The Lakers lost in Oklahoma City. The difference is, both those Game 3 losers gave themselves a chance. The Hawks fell behind and stayed there. They never put any game pressure, to use a Krzyzewski phrase, on the home team. They made it too easy.”
Exactly Mark Bradley and that’s what brings the most pain.
Northern Songs LTD
April 25th, 2010
8:35 am
sorry if this was covered earlier somewhere, but can anyone explain why there are 17(!!!) days between game 1 and a potential game 7? and if the hawks continue to stink it up in the road, that potential will be fulfilled…
Mz. You Got Punked Hawkdafied
April 25th, 2010
8:35 am
I see my beloved ATL Hawks still don’t know what time it is. Well at least when they go on the road. I won’t knock the 53 wins that the team earned in the regular season. That was an accomplishment. But now the team is in another season. That was then. The playoffs is now. 2-1. It’s time for the team to add to the W’s on the road in the post season. And these blowout losses has to stop. Not a fair weather fan just saying.
j
April 25th, 2010
8:47 am
well, the rest last night and the fact the Lakers got whooped worse than the Hawks kind of made my anger go away …
j
April 25th, 2010
8:52 am
agreed, get this loss out of the way and move on … Lakers got their butts kicked worse than the Hawks did last night and we are also still up by a game, so really can’t be too angry.
adam, your bucks won a game … whoop-ti-do … that was to be expected but i’ll bet you the hawks take the next two games to finish up the series. if bogut and redd had both been healthy, i can almost bet you the games would have been closer but this loss last night would not have been this badly. they would have had a different game plan in place to deal with those two. looks as if the coach didn’t even have the team ready after the first two beatings.
Chuck
April 25th, 2010
9:06 am
Yep, once Joe leaves, we will be starting over
He is the ONLY one that seemed to have tried last night.
Joey
April 25th, 2010
9:10 am
The Hawks will win this series, because they are one of the best teams in the NBA when they are at home, evidenced by wins over virtually every playoff team in Atlanta (except maybe the Thunder?)
Their problem is playing on the road, and for that reason, they have NO chance beating the Magic. What’s so bad is this is probably just a mental thing.
Woodie just has to turn this road-game situation into an “us against the world” thing. Give them a reason to play explosively on someone else’s court with the intensity they have at home. Come on Woodie, take a page out of Pat Riley’s book and get your team to play with some fight!
caroline
April 25th, 2010
9:12 am
Interesting how Josh Smith seems to think Milwaukee is “Nowheresville” despite the fact that Milwaukee proper has a larger population than Atlanta proper. Last I checked he doesn’t work for the Travel channel, so maybe he should just stick to basketball…but it seems as though he and his teammates can’t even do that.
DoBoy
April 25th, 2010
9:23 am
The Hawks STILL have zero road toughness, despite the improvements in wins each year. That’s why nobody being objective seriously believes that the Hawks are a title contender. Bring in Jack Llewelyn (Smoltz’s sports psychologist) and figure out why the Jekyll-and-Hyde act is happening when the game isn’t at Philips Arena.
Solve the road woes. THEN we can debate if the Hawks can win it all…
Hawks73
April 25th, 2010
9:25 am
You are absolutely correct Mark! I am going to go a step further and say that last night’s performance was a complete joke. The Hawks DID NOT SHOW UP OR COMPETE! The elite teams in the NBA always compete and give themselves a chance at the end…alas, the Hawks ARE NOT ELITE. They are too satisfied with incremental increases from previous seasons but are not truly committed to winning a championship. They are probably patting themselves on the back thinking “we only have to win one of two and go back home” which is a losers mentality.
You stated it perfectly Mark, the Lakers, Cavs, got behind, but each of those ELITE teams fought their a!!! off and at least played with intensity. Our Hawks tucked their collectively tails between their legs and were comfortably in defeat…UNACCEPTABLE!
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2010
9:48 am
Hello again. I’m sitting in a dorm on the Marquette campus. The Hawks are due to practice in an hour. Anything you’d like to know?
Perhaps you’d like to know: Why is a big-time journalist sitting in a college dorm? Because I went to the 7:30 Mass at the Church of the Gesu, which is 100 yards from here. And I don’t feel like waiting on the street for the Hawks to arrive. It’s 40 degrees and foggy. Nice of the NBA to schedule a playoff series in England.
dawgma
April 25th, 2010
9:50 am
Stuffed Bucks will be hanging above the Hawks fireplace in 5 games. They are a joke who happened to make their shots last night but won’t again.
That doesn’t mean I a sold on Hawks getting past Orlando – you boyz better get your D-on.
What?????
April 25th, 2010
10:10 am
Yes Mark,
Why is woodys D Designed to force them to shoot jumpshots when they have NO inside presence?
Why are we doubling the post when all they have is kurt thomas and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute down there? All the Bucks want to do is shhot uncotested jumpers! Why are we aiding them in doing that?
Bibby can’t play a lick of D so why isn’t Jeff Teague in there?
When will Marvin be demoted to the bench?
What?????
April 25th, 2010
10:11 am
Bibby can’t dribble a basketball or penetrate so why isn’t Teague in the game?