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
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:14 pm
Richt. pardon me. i should know how to spell my employer’s name.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:14 pm
I am going to pray for the Bucks to come to Atlanta and take Game 5. They should just put us out of our misery! I cannot blog about this for any longer. I miss the five game series of a few years ago.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:15 pm
I don’t think so. word is he’s looking at kennesaw state.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:15 pm
Four fouls. Horford.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:16 pm
Or Tennessee.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:16 pm
Braves about to blow a 3-2 lead in the 7th.
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:17 pm
Why is it that I never get to see a replay of the controversial fouls against the Hawks, but the controversial fouls called against the Bucks replay 5 times?
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:17 pm
like I said, close loss.
hawks just can’t overcome being on the road, round 2 won’t be pretty at all
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:17 pm
Huddy got yanked by Bobby
IBAR
April 26th, 2010
10:17 pm
One of the worst defensive displays I have seen in the playoffs in a while
Jacket13
April 26th, 2010
10:18 pm
What the hell is Josh Smith doing on D? Now its three or nuthging for the Hawks! This series is tied 2-2!
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:18 pm
moylan making his 15th appearance.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:18 pm
Ridnour charges. Hawks trail by nine.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:19 pm
which is more depressing, watching the Hawks or listening to the Braves.
IBAR
April 26th, 2010
10:19 pm
we took a charge?
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:19 pm
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:13 pm
I believe Coach Ritch is reassessing his dismisal of Mettenberger.
I believe you are an idiot
NCBravesFan
April 26th, 2010
10:19 pm
EEK! The Bucks are shooting 57% for the game!
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:20 pm
Atlanta teams working on that Losersville reputation again.
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:20 pm
any of you really think this bunch of STIFFS can win a playoff game on the road. Orlando will destroy them, that is if they can even win this series. What a joke.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:20 pm
Dan Gadzuric outfights Smith for the ball and scores underneath to end the period. Bucks 85, Hawks 74.
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
that was an awful possession. just plain awful. Zaza looks like he’s trying to tip somebody out in a game of 21.
G
April 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
The Hawks are showing no heart right now… play some dang defense!!
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
todd, that’s calling the kettle black.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
Bucks scored 31 in the third.
No pass
April 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
every move the hawks make is one on one with zero passing. The bucks just made 3 passes in the last 5 secs. Say it ain’t so Joe!!!!
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
LOSERSVILLE
T
April 26th, 2010
10:22 pm
If you don’t call out marvin williams in your post game article you will be doing us a disservice. Please please call his useless behind out.
jcwfalcon
April 26th, 2010
10:22 pm
I was thinking about going to the game Wednesday. No thanks. These guys lack heart. Milwaukee is a team of scrubs and they are simply outplaying the Hawks. I dont care if the Hawks do win at home, they should all be ashamed.
NoShamSam
April 26th, 2010
10:22 pm
Like I said before, the Bucks have an open path to the basket and the Hawks cannot seem to close it…they must have 3x more points in the paint than we do
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:22 pm
if the Hawks lose game 5 at home I’m going to say they’ll be in deep trouble
Overpaid and Overmatched
April 26th, 2010
10:23 pm
Dang, Marvin and Smooth just having a hard time when the other team tries.
Kingbyrd
April 26th, 2010
10:23 pm
Get your tickets for game 7 ready. We can’t play on the road.
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:23 pm
I hate to be a fairweather fan, but you can write this off as our tenth consecutive playoff road loss that was by double digits.
Jacket13
April 26th, 2010
10:24 pm
Is there a coach on the Hawks bench that can design a play on offense other than a clear out or 1 on 4.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:24 pm
um, check your runners Pete
Kingbyrd
April 26th, 2010
10:24 pm
We have no heart on the road.
T
April 26th, 2010
10:25 pm
Jesus, I mean stackhouse was there for us to have and he is better than Marvin at twice he age.
jcwfalcon
April 26th, 2010
10:25 pm
Between the Braves and Hawks I will get to keep all my money. I refuse to go watch a team that doesnt even play like it cares to win.
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:25 pm
the hawks still don’t think they can lose this series. but if they don’t turn things around by Wednesday they definitely will.
G
April 26th, 2010
10:25 pm
McCann may be one of the worst defensive catchers I have seen.
IBAR
April 26th, 2010
10:25 pm
The worst part about this is I will forget about this when we start spanking them at home again…I hate this and I am going to bed
YPT
April 26th, 2010
10:25 pm
Nice pick of the hawks Mark. Why would anyone take this team on the road. I said they would lose this series. And they will. There’s a reason Woodson hasn’t received a longer contract.
Bucks in 7.
d.carter
April 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
welcome to the land of no ball movement and a thousand jumpshots
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
Our bigs are getting dominated by the bogut-less bucks.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
Folks, neither Salmons or Jennings is playing.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
bucks haven’t scored less than 25 pts in a quarter yet … nice D hawks
NCBravesFan
April 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
Big difference in this game vs. game 3: the Hawks have made more threes … only thing keeping them remotely in the game at this point.
But if they’re not going to play D aggressively, it doesn’t much matter …
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:27 pm
Pachulia and Hawks assistant Bob Bender have words.
Fools Switching Defense
April 26th, 2010
10:27 pm
Some fool has his team switch on D, forcing the center to guard a point guard. What kind of fool would do that?
LA Hawk
April 26th, 2010
10:27 pm
Miserable: no defense + no rebounds = no wins. I hope Josh enjoyed his steak!