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
Jumbo
April 26th, 2010
10:27 pm
Hawks fans should be grateful the Bucks don’t have Bogut or they’d be down 3 games to 1 after tonite.
RA
April 26th, 2010
10:28 pm
This is unfortunate in the extreme. I worry about this team whenever they play on the road, but I never imagined they’d get it handed to them like this.
Mark Bradley II
April 26th, 2010
10:28 pm
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:26 pm
Folks, neither Salmons or Jennings is playing.
And their top player isn’t playing in the playoffs.
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:29 pm
Can you leave someone more wide open from 10 feet?
George
April 26th, 2010
10:29 pm
My night will be made when the Braves choke again and lose along with the hawks! So nice to be a sports fan in this city. Which is why I began to root for other teams years ago.
Jacket13
April 26th, 2010
10:29 pm
Crawfords defense is awful on the pick and roll he refuses to get through in time enough to help the big man.
Peter
April 26th, 2010
10:29 pm
Need a new coach, and with out JJ maybe we have ball movement !
G
April 26th, 2010
10:29 pm
Braves blow lead!
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:29 pm
Cards tied it 3-3. still batting.
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:30 pm
what a great sports city, so many winners.
Mike Hunt
April 26th, 2010
10:30 pm
Hawks are going to exit after first round. No leader on the court and generally uninspired play from the entire team.
Coach is a dummy
April 26th, 2010
10:30 pm
end of the year, and the team still doesn’t know how to play defense without switching. My God this is like watching high school. This lack of defense should get a coach fired. This is not the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Magic….
Tom
April 26th, 2010
10:31 pm
My night will be made when the braves lose. And people wonder why no one wants to watch the teams we have in this city.
R. Burle
April 26th, 2010
10:31 pm
The Bucks are just finding the open man and we look lost defensively. Its getting hard to watch our big men just being pushed around by these Bucks…
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:31 pm
Smith has free throws when we resume. Still winnable. Down 10.
LA Hawk
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
Where caring happens. Yeah, Kobe. I’m feeling you…
Harpie
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
G – you’re right about McCann…
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
too bad for the Braves. another great starting pitching performance is wasted with that impotent offense.
Sid sucks
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:30 pm
what a great sports city, so many winners.
Yeah, I moved to a city because the ’sports teams’ are great. Grow up boy! Try and get a job tomorrow. You have no game so stop wearing the jersey’s.
G
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
Braves fans don’t worry… old man, clueless and mister strikeout coming to bat.
R. Burle
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
I agree with coach Woodson should be fired just for defensive play
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
or as the great Larry Munson used to say “when time comes back in…”
Kingbyrd
April 26th, 2010
10:33 pm
I think Josh has let the crowd get to him.
Skip
April 26th, 2010
10:33 pm
My night will be made when the braves lose. The hawks are done no doubt.
Smitty
April 26th, 2010
10:33 pm
It is so frustrating to b an Atlanta fan(Hawks or braves really). the Hawks have homecourt and can and should still win this series in 6 or probably 7 but then its over. They don’t have the strengths to beat Orlando and could get swept given the matchups inside. Then what? Woodson stays? probably not. In the pros someone has to go/ usually the Coach cause the players and the fans get tired of him. Joe Johnson will stay 4 a new coach/I don’t think so. Thus “re-building again after just enough success to miss out on drafting anybody they really need( an inside presence) Solution maybe? Huge money for Johnson. I bet they won’t do it
G
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
3 on 1 and instead of passing the ball Smith takes it himself
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
the truth hurts
Skip
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
These blogs rarely accept my posts. Braves will lose. Hawks will lose. So great to be from this city.
Brett
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
time to go 80s pistons on them coming in the lane. put Randolph Morris in and put Jennings on the floor a few times.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
Mark, I think you have a blogger you need to ban.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
if the Bucks move on the the 2nd round … they’ll probably get a beat down no team should deserve. That’s what’s so bad about this series.
Stat Man
April 26th, 2010
10:35 pm
I just had to walk away from the TV.
I’ve seen better defense down at the local Bally’s pick up game court.
Either Woody has no clue on how to coach switching on defense or the players are too damn stupid to execute – but the only thing more embarrassing than watching the Bucks shoot wide open shot after wide open shot is listening to the announcers in seeming amazement as to how “hot” the Bucks are – HEY BOB & NIQUE – Joe Schmow that played high school ball can look impressive if you never defend them – it’s no secret why we are fixing to be 2-2 — we played good defense in the first 2 games and forgot how to in the next 2.
Pathetic
G
April 26th, 2010
10:35 pm
Can someone please tell Maurice Evans to stop shooting!
Kingbyrd
April 26th, 2010
10:35 pm
We have to crash the offensive boards.
IBAR
April 26th, 2010
10:35 pm
wow…mo evans two shots in a row…why is he our best option on those
Tell Evans to stop shooting
April 26th, 2010
10:35 pm
find Joe or Jamal….tell Josh/Al to crash the boards….
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:35 pm
Wow, Mo just not clutch there. Two opportunities to cut into the lead and come up empty.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:36 pm
Mark, working on deadline again.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:36 pm
Hawks are finally stopping the Bucks. But Evans just whiffed on a layup and clanked a trey. Six-point deficit, six minutes and change remaining.
Cedric
April 26th, 2010
10:37 pm
2 str8 trips down court and Joe doesnt get the ball. Wtf
Greg
April 26th, 2010
10:37 pm
The Bucks are the worst team in the playoffs and the Hawks make them look like a good team on the road. Dan Gadzuric? Kurt Thomas? Mbah Moute? Delfino? Ridnour? These guys are scrubs. Pathetic.
If there is a silver lining, it’s that we might be only two losses away from the end of the Mike Woodson era after tonight.
As I’m typing this, the Hawks have two crucial possessions to get back in the game and Mo F’n Evans takes the shot both times and, of course, misses. The not ready for prime time players….
LA Hawk
April 26th, 2010
10:37 pm
Can I just say that KFC’’s new double down sandwich is a deliberate communist plot? I mean, I like fried chicken and bacon as much as the next guy, but sheesh! They are trying to kill us!
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:37 pm
Rattled out, huh?
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:38 pm
LA, then Ronald MacDonald would be the original commie.
Todd
April 26th, 2010
10:38 pm
Joe is the most overrated piece of dung in nba history.
G
April 26th, 2010
10:38 pm
Evans stop shooting!!!!!!
Sid sucks
April 26th, 2010
10:38 pm
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:34 pm
the truth hurts
Yeah, it does. The truth is only fools think a city is defined by grown playing a sport that is entertainment. These clowns aren’t from Atl, so how do they represent Atl? A bunch of Corporations run the teams, corporations with zero connections to Atl.
Kingbyrd
April 26th, 2010
10:39 pm
The Hawks have no kill switch
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:39 pm
hawks offense= stagnant. another miss by mo.
Greg
April 26th, 2010
10:39 pm
Get Mo Evans out of the game!!!