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
Ed Rush strikes again
April 26th, 2010
10:48 pm
Both of Curt Thomas’s feet are moving and this idiot calls it a block….Incompetent
ATL embarassment
April 26th, 2010
10:48 pm
Kurt Thomas’ flopping is way exaggerated. I wish these idiot refs could see this like we can. And that wasn’t an offensive foul on Jamal. He undercut him. I hate it when refs get caught up in the crowd noise and try to help the home team.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:48 pm
Down six with 1:20.
R. Burle
April 26th, 2010
10:48 pm
I would gladly see a game 7 to watch Curt Thomas be knocked the ^&*% out!
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:48 pm
wow, sometimes we have the dumbest guards in the league. bibby on one end on a screen and jamal running through a guy on the way to the basket.
Atlive
April 26th, 2010
10:49 pm
3 turible calls by the refs regarding the Thomas flops! Gift wrapped to the Bucks.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:49 pm
Sito on the mound.
Nathan
April 26th, 2010
10:49 pm
It’s so great to be a sports fan in this city! Braves about to have a 6 game losing streak! Hawks self imploding. Like Gt! Dawgs losing players right and left. Maybe the only hope is the falcons. Something bad will happen to them.
E!
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
You know, I really do believe that me and my 11 year old son could score if the Hawks defense gave us the same wide open shots that they are giving to the Bucks! It is really sad to see the lack of effort that our Hawks are giving on defense. It is totally inexcusable for the Hawks to continuously give up wide open, uncontested shots. All I can do is shake my head. It is truly a disgrace. I have decided that if the Hawks lose this series, I will not support this franchise until they prove to me, that they are worth supporting.
Again, don’t get me wrong. I know that this is playoff basketball. Heck, even the Lakers and Nuggets have lost on the road. But the thing that has bothered me, all year long, is effort. I just want to see some heart!!!!!
Greg
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
How do you go from those first two games to these two games? I think the Bucks led for about a minute in Atlanta and the Hawks led for a few minutes tonight and that’s it over the past couple of games.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
Horford fouls Salmons. Another switcheroo.
learn the rules.
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:47 pm
that was the dumbest foul bibby, so dumb
Both feet are supposed to be set by the man setting the pick. Thomas has moved his feet on every pick. But the agenda is TV rating….so
LA Hawk
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
Sweep the leg, Johnny!!
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
No doubt, the Braves bullpen will give out before the offense can push a run across.
G
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
This is how bad the Braves options are at first… how many times did Joe Morgan slide over and play 1st base?
IBAR
April 26th, 2010
10:50 pm
Can’t win playing one pretty good quarter and 3 poor quarters.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:51 pm
Pujols with a double. here we go.
Paul Hewitt
April 26th, 2010
10:51 pm
Woodson coaches defense like me!
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:51 pm
No, those calls were all accurate. Bibby clearly pushed Thomas. Jamal drove into a guy with his feet planted, and Al jumped all over Salmons.
RA
April 26th, 2010
10:51 pm
Truth, if Atlanta had played the whole game the way they played the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, they win this going away.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:52 pm
Over.
Jacket13
April 26th, 2010
10:52 pm
It is horrible being an Atlanta sports fan. The Hawks are dumb as Crawford turns down an open jumper to drive right into the milwaukee player for an offensive foul. The Braves are awful! They cant hit a beach ball. The Georgia Bulldogs are kicking all of their players off the team or they are quiting! The Yellow Jacket basketball team has one of the worse coaches in the college game. The Bulldogs mens team sucks in basketball and so to does both womens teams as they are marginal at best. The Thrashers SUCK! The Falcons draft was horrible. The BLOWS
Todd
April 26th, 2010
10:52 pm
Wow what a shot by the stud joe! He’s so awesome!
Justin
April 26th, 2010
10:52 pm
terrible shot by JJ. I’m out.
Terrible Defensive Strategy
April 26th, 2010
10:52 pm
It is really sad to see the lack of effort that our Hawks are giving on defense. …
Don’t confuse lack of effort with a terrible strategy. You can’t expect your center to guard the other teams point guard 30 feet from the basket with no help in the middle.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:53 pm
officially?
Greg
April 26th, 2010
10:53 pm
These guys are just STUPID players. Joe Johnson dribbles 10 feet out to the 3 point line and then throws it off the top of the backboard???!!!
Todd
April 26th, 2010
10:53 pm
Come on lets give Joe 50 million for 3 years. He deserves it! He’s the best player ever! Didn’t you see that amazing shot!
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:53 pm
A bad loss.
ATL embarassment
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
Hawks will win in 7…and it shouldn’t have gone more than 5. Hawks will then get blown out in games 1 and 2 against Orlando. Lose game 3 in Atlanta in a close one. Then lose game 4 by at least 10.
Mark Bradley
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
I don’t know why I’m surprised. But I’m surprised.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
it’s no wonder most people don’t take the hawks seriously.
I mean sheesh, even Miami gets better coverage than the hawks .. and it’s not hard to see why either.
Greg
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
Woody just drew up the 8 point play in the huddle….
PMC
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
worthless on the road. They will do nothing if they make the second round.
This team needs a superstar point guard. and they are just good enough to not be able to find one.
Jacket13 sadsack
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
Jacket13 , you forget to say how ugly your girlfriend is. God who would want to hang with you?
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:54 pm
what is the deal with quarterbacks whose last names end in berger?
Cards lead btw. 4-3
Season Ticket Holder
April 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
So disappointing. Orlando just completed the sweep and will now wait and rest for the next round. It may be better for the Hawks to get put out of the first round so we can begin looking for a new coach sooner instead of later, Joe Johnson can decide what he’s going to do, and we can move on from such a let down in the playoffs.
G
April 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
This game could have a very adverse effect on Woodson’s future.
Skip
April 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
Cardinals ahead! Woo hoo! 6 games.
todd grantham
April 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
You’re surprised after the last game? Come on.
braves bullpen blows
April 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
yet another blown game….But you really can’t expect to win scoring 3 runs.
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
if Woody doesn’t/can’t admit this team has serious problems on the road, he needs to be fired just for that.
PMC
April 26th, 2010
10:56 pm
Someone tell Jamal they are down 6 driving into a charge when he’s got a wide open 3 is really not helping anything.
Todd
April 26th, 2010
10:56 pm
Orlando sweeps. They will be laughing waiting for the bucks or hawks. What an easy series that will be. Sadly, the bucks are the better team now.
TruthSeeker
April 26th, 2010
10:56 pm
Hawks and Braves both failing hard. Yup, looks like just another typical day in Atlanta sports.
Geoff
April 26th, 2010
10:57 pm
Lazy mccann didn’t even tag him. He was safe. Lazy boy couldn’t even lounge to make sure.
TruthPee'r
April 26th, 2010
10:58 pm
The only truth you speak is when you STFU.
Al
April 26th, 2010
10:59 pm
55%. Just like GT gave up this season! Hewitt and Woody are great defensive coaches!
Chipper Jones
April 26th, 2010
10:59 pm
How many days until the Falcons report?
Hawks vs. Bucks
April 26th, 2010
11:00 pm
just a little more defense and this game is the hawks