Live from NASCAR … er, Game 4: Hawks look to drive safely
Milwaukee — You’d think this would be the last place to come for a traffic accident, there being little traffic downtown the Brew City. But by now you’re aware the Hawks’ bus was hit by a car leaving the Bradley Center after shootaround today at noon. We’re happy to report that nobody was hurt. Everybody, however, had a story.
The bus was struck by a driver who would later tell police her brakes failed, and the Hawks could believe it. Those seated in the front of the bus saw the car screeching around a curve. It hit side of the bus. The car’s front was crumpled. The bus was dented and suffered cracked — but not shattered — windows.
Mike Woodson was first off the bus — head coach sits up front — and reacted like an action hero. “I saw the smoke,” he said, speaking of the car, and he unbuckled a little boy from the back seat.
“He was about 3 or 4,” Woodson said. “He said, ‘I want my mommy.’ ” [The boy's mother had been driving the car.]
Then it got kind of funny. The Hawks milled around taking pictures of the dented bus. [Josh Smith showed me three on his cell phone.] Then they started looking for cabs. Five of them — Smith, Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Jason Collins and Randolph Morris — found one and piled inside, only to discover that it was already occupied.
“There was a lady in there,” Smith said. “She was going to the hospital. [This lady wasn't the one involved in the mishap.] We dropped her off there. She tried to pay for all of us, but we said, ‘No, we’ve got it.’ ”
It must be noted that the Bradley Center is maybe a 10-minute walk from the Hawks’ hotel. Did Smith consider walking? “No. It was cold. I was shivering.” [It was in the mid-50s today here, the balmiest day of the Hawks' stay.]
Besides, it just wouldn’t have looked right for a bunch of big-time ballplayers to be hoofing it in their sweatsuits. “You never know who you’re going to meet on the streets,” said Al Horford, laughing. “It’s rough up here.”
Said Hawks publicist Arthur Triche: “We were wondering if the Bucks’ mascot had anything to do with it.”
And that would have been truly weird. The Bucks’ mascot is named Bango and wears a deer costume. Deer strikes bus?
Oh, yeah. They’re also playing a game here tonight. It’s kind of important. If the Hawks win, they can clinch the series at home Wednesday. If they lose, they might not clinch this series anytime anywhere.
I’ll be happy to step away from my duties as Captain Herb to discuss Game 4 as it plays out. But first y’all have to promise to drive safely. Deal?
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437 comments Add your comment
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:13 pm
I understand that the Bucks made the playoffs, so they’re good, too… but goodness we just don’t seem to have any real gameplan or direction. I agree that Woody has just about reached his pinacle with this team.
Bob
April 26th, 2010
9:13 pm
I don’t know if anyone on here cares, but I thought I would mention, if you want to see the Braves actually winning a game, you might want to take a very quick glimpse at the peachtree tv channel at the next commercial. I don’t know how many times this will happen this year. As amatter of fact, you might want to go ahead and take a quick glimpse right now, before the lead changes. I don’t know why I bother, but I got the Hawks and the Braves on right now.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
9:13 pm
Could it be that Woodson staged that bus crash to get their attention?
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:14 pm
they couldn’t have played with any less enthusiasm
jmarable
April 26th, 2010
9:14 pm
if joe does’nt get going hawks could b in trouble. why use teague on jennings,
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:15 pm
Josh misses a tough reverse, then gets called for a foul. He’s griping a LOT.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:15 pm
don’t know what bus crash you’re talkin about, but any more of this nonsense and I’m just gonna walk in front of a bus myself
Cedric
April 26th, 2010
9:16 pm
Dont understand this teams intensity level. Not even close to the other teams level such as Jazz, Thunder and Celtics. Those clubs are playing like they don’t want to go home.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:16 pm
Smoove complaining? MB, you must be joking!!! That’s so unlike him
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:16 pm
The Hawks are playing very hard. That’s not a problem.
They are, however, having some foul issues. Marvin and Horford have two; so does Mo Evans, who just got in.
willie martinez
April 26th, 2010
9:19 pm
IceCold, running into a bus is much better than being tossed under a bus.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:19 pm
Jennings drives on Zaza. Another switch mismatch for the Hawks.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:20 pm
either is better than enduring more of this nonsense
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:21 pm
Now Jennings blows by Bibby. Gets fouled. Bucks up a half-dozen.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
I love my Hawks, but this performance against a team like this is just simply brutal
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Lucky there. Ilyasova misses an open 3. Would have made it nine.
Now Josh gets called for a charge and loses it.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
9:23 pm
I’m thinking this will be a loss too but not as bad as the last game.
You just can’t look past the Hawks playing on the road .. they’re not good
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
9:23 pm
what is the nonsense? the game or Bradley’s rapier like wit?
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:23 pm
I live in Chicago now and was thinkin bout goin to tonight’s game… until I watched Saturday’s debacle, that is
Cedric
April 26th, 2010
9:23 pm
Yeah we in foul trouble badly already in the 1st half. Not good with Woody making the calls who knows what he will do when put in a pinch. Rotations will be critical in 2nd or 3rd periods.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:24 pm
Josh needs to calm down. He’s really mad. He just looked over at us to plead his case.
Jacket13
April 26th, 2010
9:24 pm
No Control, No Discipline, Bad Coaching! They are being frustrated and they are taking bad shots and making bad decisions. The refs have already showed that most of the calls will go to the home team tonight and what does Josh do run and irritate the refs to add gas to the fire!
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:25 pm
Great, Smoove is looking to beat writers to explain to him why they’re getting toyed with by an NBDL-level squad…
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:26 pm
Down eight. Ilyasova off a Salmons pass. Pick and roll basketball.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
Maybe JC can rescue us
LC
April 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
Thank god Marvin is in foul trouble. We are better off without him. Does this team know anything about moving without the ball on offense.
SOS
April 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
I thought this team was not good, but the Hawks make them look like world beaters.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
Joe’s first basket comes four minutes before the half.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:28 pm
Jamal Crawford, not Jesus Christ, for you Bible-thumpers out there
Joey
April 26th, 2010
9:28 pm
I recommend a state-wide boycott of Miller beer and cheese.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:28 pm
Joe’s free throws cut it to three.
LC
April 26th, 2010
9:28 pm
Woodson play Teague and Joe Smith for the love of god. I guarantee Teague can stay in front of Jennings and that Joe Smith would be quicker on those switches than Zaza. At least give them a chance.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:29 pm
Crawford trey. From Joe. Down to a deuce.
Dawgs2010
April 26th, 2010
9:30 pm
It is strange, but none of this surprises me. It is almost as if this was expected. Let’s see…..an Atlanta team falling part in the playoffs?
I’ve seen this before…..many times.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:30 pm
You’re right, LC. I was thinking all of game 3: “why won’t Coach muff-mouth play the bench when the starters obviously are stinkin up the joint?”
NoShamSam
April 26th, 2010
9:31 pm
We are keeping it close…if Joe gets hot, we can take the lead at the half
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:32 pm
The matrix board just showed a funny clip of Bango the deer slamming into a “Hawks fan” wearing a Horford jersey — over and over. Wound up with the “Hawks fan” getting knocked into the Milwaukee River.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:32 pm
Jamal has it going tonight.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:33 pm
Evans trey ties it. Hawks playing well now.
LC
April 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
And the fact that he has kept Horford out for the entire second quarter is absurd.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
9:37 pm
They’re starting to click, just hope it carries past the half
a slow start in the 3rd or 4th could be killer in this game
Cedric
April 26th, 2010
9:38 pm
Bibby gotta stop with all that slow ass crossover in front of Jennings
Bob
April 26th, 2010
9:38 pm
Mark, do you think that the Hawks have waited too long now to sign Joe Johnson to a contract after the season? I get this vibe, based on what I have read, that they’re behind the eight ball with that situation.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
Down four at halftime. Could have been more. Joe lost the ball out of bounds and Salmons hit a runner to put the Bucks up four. Then Brandon J. stripped Bibby to make it six. But Charlie Bell, inserted to guard Crawford, fouled Crawford 30 feet from the basket with 2.7 seconds remaining, and Crawford made both. He has 15.
IceColdATLien
April 26th, 2010
9:39 pm
Veritable miracle we’re not down by more. Just speaks to the low-level of our competition that we can blow this hard and still be in the game… for now
rob graner
April 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
come on boys…we need abetter week in sports for Atlanta…last might have been the worst EVER for all our pro teams
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:41 pm
Folks, this what you want in a road game. Give yourselves a chance.
This is winnable.
Cedric
April 26th, 2010
9:41 pm
Woody has to go in the locker room and give these guys something to feed off of.
Smitty
April 26th, 2010
9:42 pm
The Hawks are a team which can show their flaws, although still probably better than the Bucks. There is still some frustration with Josh Smith’s immaturity which sometimes shows itself(the charging call), Bibby’s lack of defensive ability(gets posted/ passed often) and lack of an alternative post scorer to Horford(josh’s lack of consistency vs. the Bucks much less in the next round and the wasted play of Marvin.) I hate that Joe Johnson knows all of this and may really want to leave after this year despite the pleasure of playing w/ Horford and Crawford.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
9:42 pm
No, Bob. The Hawks had no choice in this one. They made Johnson an offer last fall. He spurned it.
And Jamal has 14, not 15. Only Hawk in double figures.