‘It was like a bad dream’: Actually, Game 5 was even worse
The clock is close to striking 0.0 on the Atlanta Hawks. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
With 2:44 left in the biggest game the Atlanta Hawks have played in the 21st Century, Brandon Jennings missed a free throw that would have cut the lead to two. And you thought, “Big break for the Hawks.”
Then you knew better. You saw Ersan Ilyasova, who has never been confused with Kevin McHale, running down the rebound because Josh Smith, who should have been an All-Star, didn’t block out. And then Marvin Williams fouled John Salmons, and the one-point possession tripled in value, and the Hawks’ lead was down to one.
And then Joe Johnson, on whom everything seems to ride, charged into Kurt Thomas and fouled out. And then Ilyasova scored underneath over Smith. And then the Bucks were ahead. And then Smith missed a three-pointer and Al Horford missed a follow and Jennings missed a runner at the other end but Ilyasova snagged another offensive rebound and fed Carlos Delfino, who fumbled the catch but still hit the clinching trey over Mike Bibby.
And you wondered: How does any of that — let alone all of it — happen? How does Ersan Ilyasova will himself to dominate the final four minutes of an NBA playoff game?
“Just a lack of concentration,” Jamal Crawford said afterward.
But how do you not concentrate with a season on the line?
Said Crawford: “I honestly don’t know.”
I don’t, either. And neither does Mike Woodson or Rick Sund or James Naismith. It’s the great imponderable of a series that beggars belief. The Milwaukee Bucks are playing without their MVP; the Hawks won seven more games in the regular season and have all hands on deck, and they’re 48 minutes from elimination and perhaps a coaching search.
I keep wanting to believe the Hawks can still win this series, but I no longer have any basis for it. Game 5 was the worst moment in Hawks history since the loss — also to an undermanned Milwaukee team, also in Game 5 — at the old Omni in 1989. I was on hand for both, and the one of 21 years ago was the beginning of the end for Mike Fratello. For Mike Woodson, this Game 5 could be the end, period.
Nobody can seriously dispute this much: Scott Skiles has taken lesser players and leads Woodson’s team 3-2. (And that’s with spotting the Hawks the first two games.) Woodson has improved the Hawks’ record each of the past five regular seasons, but in a series the Hawks were expected to win easily he hasn’t gotten his men to do what they should. And if the players have stopped responding to a coach, what do you do? Fire 12 men or ditch the one?
Down nine on the road with four minutes remaining, Skiles’ team kept playing. Up nine at home with four minutes remaining, Woodson’s team was outscored 14-0. Fourteen-zip. Those four minutes were everything you’ve feared might happen to these Hawks but kept hoping would not. Said Crawford: “It was like a bad dream.”
It was worse than that. It was stupefying. (How do you not win on a night when Horford and Williams give career-best postseason performances?) It was the kind of loss that can, more than simply scuttling a season, scar a franchise. It was the loss that could not happen. But it did.
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273 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
April 29th, 2010
8:55 am
Bradley, this is your fault for picking the Hawks to win. For the love of God please predict a 50-point Bucks victory in Game 6.
FIRE WOODY
SimpleDawg
April 29th, 2010
8:56 am
Flash and dash…..
Whatever happened to shot selection, being in position to rebound, and defense?
Lost arts to knuckleheads playing basketball
rogeriter
April 29th, 2010
8:57 am
Well, I suppose Josh Smith doesn’t have to worry about going back to Milwaukee where there is “… nothing to do!”
Gamer
April 29th, 2010
8:58 am
JENNINGS GOT TOO MUCH SWAG FOR A ROOKIE..FIRST TIME PLAYOFFS APPEARANCE..
JOE JOHNSON, YOU CAN’T LET THIS ROOKIE JENNINGS STUNT ON YOU. SHUT THAT ROOKIE DOWN!!!!
JOHN SALMONS GOT AWAY WITH ALOT OF STIFF HAND-CHECKING AND HARD BODY-BUMPING!!!
INSIDE, OUTSIDE GAME, BUCKS DON’T HAVE ANY REAL ANSWER FOR HORFORD OR JOSH SMITH…
CAN MARVIN DUPLICATE HIS GAME IN MILWAUKEE…
HAWKS MAKE BEDLAM,,,STRIKE FRIGHT INTO YOUR OPPONENT!!!
Goodbye Woodson
April 29th, 2010
8:58 am
Mike Woodson = terrible
Just Being Real
April 29th, 2010
8:58 am
Supporting the Hawks is like supporting an STD!!
w.c. hobbs
April 29th, 2010
8:58 am
The Hawks are losers. They cannot get the job done.
FromUpNorth
April 29th, 2010
8:59 am
NextYear, did you just take a few too many happy pills or something? I’m sorry, but this team can’t use the “young” excuse anymore. They’re playoff tested. They don’t start any rookies. Why pay to keep a coach who doesn’t know the fundamentals of NBA basketball? And there is no way in the Hot Place Down Below that D-Wade is coming here. ASG can’t afford him, and you can’t really expect one player to totally transform the team anyway.
i_am_soulstar
April 29th, 2010
8:59 am
Woody got outcoached in Milwaukee, but the Hawks just got outplayed last night in the 4th quarter. Easy misses by Crawford and Smoove, & an unnecessary 3 pointer by Smoove, and just like that, we’re back to the stone age.
Can we make Smoove write the definition of insanity on a blackboard 100 times?
INSANITY (n): Repeating the same action over and over and expecting different results
How many times in the past has he attempted a game-saving three only to miss badly and be scolded by teammates.
And I hate to say, but I didn’t like Woody’s sense of entitlement after Game 4. He as arrogant with no humility, like just because we’re playing at home next means an automatic win, so no worries. That attitude has doomed far greater men. And it may quite possibly be his doom as well.
Grove
April 29th, 2010
9:00 am
It is so easy to jump on the bandwagon or rather join the band in this case against the Hawks players and Staff. They are athletic and that is what got them through this season their athleticism. Coaching ahhhh..well lets just say that they have not been developed or been taught the game. Point and case look at how long it took Josh Smith to stop shooting threes, years…you have some big bodies on the bench use them…why do we have Joe Smith…. Jeff Teague is super fast give him some playing time….and the knock against Woody could go on for awhile but why waist the energy.
I truly love all Georgia Sports Teams but it seems that no one wants to be a champion just “champagne dreams and caviar wishes”! If you asked a butterfly if he wanted to be a catapillar he would say “H to the No” if you asked a catarpillar if he wanted to be a butterfly he would say ooh H yes, but if you told him what he would have to go through to become one he would say forget that! There has to some discipline, some grinding, sacrifice and obedience to becoming and being a champion. I wish that someone would really catch on fire and lead the way. Year in year and year out I am hopeful that there will be a champion here we Georgians can be proud of Dawgs; Jackets; Hawks; Braves; yet mediocracy reigns. We have the the talent tons of talent yet the coaching of that is not there, the money that needs to be spent to get that coach is here just not put in use. Kudos to Arthur Blanks get you a winner here Son. I am Hopeful for the Falcons though not pleased with the draft choices this year.
Last but not least the fans have to quit feeling like we are the victims because contrary to popular belief we have a choice in who we support if we are going to support them support them all the way in the good in the bad let them all know that they can overcome adversity, to embrace it, it is for their upbuilding not for their degradation.
I so want to chomp on the Hawks I just really want badmouth them, as well as the Braves, the Dawgs, the Jackets, But I continually choose to root for them so I try to stay positive…And instead of asking is the glass half full or half empty I say there is something in the glass fill it on up ….we shall overcome…. we shall overcome……
JeJe
April 29th, 2010
9:00 am
WE ARE NOT GETTING AVERY. HE IS HIRED THROUGH NEXT YEAR
FIRE WOODY
F-105 Thunderchief
April 29th, 2010
9:04 am
When the Hawks were stumbling down the stretch, I thought something like this could happen. If Milwaukee closes this out, Woodson needs to be gone the next day. I’m glad Sund didn’t extend him. He’s gone as far as he can.
Having written, that, they’ll probably come back and win the NBA title. That would be OK, too.
Chris
April 29th, 2010
9:05 am
FIRE MIKE WOODSON
ever consider...
April 29th, 2010
9:08 am
It all goes back to overpaying for Joe Johnson and the continued efforts to prove he was worth it! The franchiseis broken.
Justin
April 29th, 2010
9:09 am
Can we rename ourselves the Atlanta Peaches? Just put a big smiley face on the peach for our logo and everything will work out. Then we blow a fourth quarter lead Woodson will say, “hey, we’re the Peaches. We’ll figure it out. Everything is just peachy.”
Just Being Real
April 29th, 2010
9:09 am
Grove
I felt like that after games three and four, the Bucks knocked the glass over last night,
PMC
April 29th, 2010
9:10 am
There are high school basketball coaches in this town with a better grasp of the game and how to win with the players they have than Woodson.
It really doesn’t matter who they are at this point but they didn’t want to pay him to walk and that’s why he got this season… because they didn’t want to spend the money to fire him earlier.
Strokers all day
April 29th, 2010
9:11 am
The Hawks will definitely win the next two games. Josh Smith Will average 50 points in both games. J-Smoove all the way baby.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 29th, 2010
9:14 am
I agree with Herschel Talker. Let’s keep things in perspective. That 1996 choke job cost the Braves a shot at being the Yankees, let alone beating them. The Hawks, in all likelihood, would have lost in Round 2 anyway.
FIRE WOODY
GTSteve
April 29th, 2010
9:15 am
“It’s Official- The Sports Gods hate ATLANTA!!!!”
Amen Doc
Roundfield on Roundball
April 29th, 2010
9:18 am
John Drew > J Smoove
preston
April 29th, 2010
9:19 am
Just heard a very telling interview on 790 the zone with Sekou Smith. Sekou talked about how this team is just riddled with trust issues that go all the way back to Josh Childress and his reasons for leaving the hawks. Smith also revealed that this team is soo dysfunctional as a unit that only two of Jamal Crawford’s teammates showed up to support Crawford when he won the sixth man award…………and those two players were Zaza Pachulia and Randolf Morris. There was also talk about how Mike Woodson does nothing to prepare his rookies ( Jeff Teague) for games in the regular season, and more importantly the playoffs, and this team did not have a clue as what they needed to do to get off a shot last night when it counted….and the problems with this team as a whole clearly come from the top…..in particular with this coaching staff, and the flawed mentality of this team is again, a direct result of the coaching staff. Very interesting interview and perspective from Sekou.
toni
April 29th, 2010
9:19 am
last winter i said in this space that the birds maibe will win the first round in the playoff i think that i was right. now i belive the birds will loose the round and hopefully the coach will be fired.this team do not know how to play in the playoff and how to suffer.they need a coach i mean a good coach not a figure.
Peter
April 29th, 2010
9:19 am
Ball Movement ? This is a team Game ?
Come on folks how many one on one teams go far in the playoffs ?
The coaching is to blame for the current environment.
AG
April 29th, 2010
9:20 am
Out coached and more heart for the bucks. Skiles has made adjustments all series. When Hortford and Smith were killing the Bucks, they decided to front the player with the defender. Hence, what do you do Woodson? If the Hawks lose Friday, the Hawks should have 10 boxes in Woodson’s “old” office when he gets back to Atlanta! They should talk to Joe to find out what coach he likes and sign the guy immediately, I have said in other post, Bill Laimbeer comes to mind.
Halberstram
April 29th, 2010
9:22 am
Joe Johnson has proven he’s not worth a max deal, if he wants that he should leave. If not, then I’d be happy if he came back.
Woodson has to be gone, there’d be no reason to keep him. I’m sure Sund wants to get rid of him, would have given him an extension earlier. This was a 50 win team and now on the brink of getting eliminated by a lesser opponent in the first round, just sad.
steve
April 29th, 2010
9:22 am
Did woody ever hear of zone defense clogs up the middle against quick point guards and the bigs do not have to switch where the cant keep a guard in front of them dah dah get a clue woody
Kelvin
April 29th, 2010
9:22 am
I watched a little of the Braves game and saw that they were behind 6 – 0 and said this is over. I turned to the Hawks and saw that they were ahead and said they will find a way to blow it. I went to bed and found out later that I was right. I have been telling anyone who would listen for weeks that the Hawks are not a real playoff team. I know they made the playoffs in the eastern conference, but that’s not saying much. They essentially have the same record as the OKC Thunder, the eight seed in the west. Just imagine if Milwaukee was at full strength, the Hawks might have gotten swept. This team is the result of not taking a PG in 2005 when we drafted Marvin Williams, drafting Sheldon Williams in 2006 when we could have had Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, or Randy Foye. Now we are stuck in mediocrity. Not good enough to advance in the playoffs, but not bad enough to get a high lottery pick to improve this team. I believe the Hawks need to break up this team. I would inquire if the Hornets would be interested in trading Chris Paul. With the good play of Darren Collison this year they may be willing to listen to a deal that would package Marvin Williams and Josh Smith for Chris Paul.
BobWeiss
April 29th, 2010
9:23 am
The 4th quarter of game 5 reminded me quite a bit of that Kings-Lakers 4th quarter that had the Lakers spending the whole quarter on the FT line getting free points. That game was officiated by the gambling ref. The refs really seemed to swallow the whistle for any foul against the Hawks in the 4th quarter.
RC
April 29th, 2010
9:25 am
Lakers have Kobe. Cavs have LeBron. Heat have DWade. Mavs hav Dirk. Magic have Dwight. Celtics have Pierce. Thunder have Durant. Hawks have Joe Johnson. Which one of these does not belong?
ever consider...
April 29th, 2010
9:25 am
toni, how many kids do you have? You missed a lot of periods.
JC
April 29th, 2010
9:26 am
Ok, ignore everything but the end of the fourth when the Bucks took the lead. What was the first play? A Josh Smith three-point attempt. What were the next few plays? Jamal Crawford throwing himself in the lane into double-and-triple coverage and hoisting up off-balance shots. Then an Al Horford three-pointer that he banked off the backboard? The Hawks did not, successfully or unsuccessfully, actually run a play after losing the lead in the fourth. Whose fault is that?
Bradley’s if-we-fire-woodson-we-might-get-someone-worse argument is definitely fair, but I would certainly think that another coach might actually try to run some plays in the last two minutes of the most important game of the season.
Homeless sports fan
April 29th, 2010
9:27 am
yes the Sports Gods hate Atlanta,
13 straight years for the Braves……
Remember the Dirty Bird…..
How many time has UGA football been ranked number 1 till we played Florida…..
GA TECH going to the Championship Game in Basketball….
let’s not talk about the Thrashers…
Does that Atlanta Knight D-League Hockey team count as one…..
but the worst part to me is watching players we let go get rings elsewhere, awful!
Nathan B.
April 29th, 2010
9:28 am
all you atanta people keep whining, why? because you people are to stuck up to say what, that the MILWAUKEE BUCKS beat you guys? trying to find excuses? how could we, the Atlanta Hawks, lose to the Milwaukee Bucks, where you cant find a restaurant or anything to do. ha, sad to say it you guys but welcome to wisconsin! GO BUCKSSSSSSS!
SirReal
April 29th, 2010
9:29 am
Man, the Hawks do this every year. Marvin Williams’ game is trash. The “Let’s run every-single thing through Joe Johnson” mentality has caved in TOO many times. Face it, our team will never be perennial winners….
D.W.
April 29th, 2010
9:30 am
Josh Smith is the most “Gutless” of all the Hawks. He is not a smart basketball player and he got out hustled by lesser talented guys down the stretch. And what happened on that perfect alley-up pass? I’m still trying to figure that out.
Pi$$onaDAWG
April 29th, 2010
9:31 am
I just can’t figure these Hawks out. They look so good for a while then look so so so bad. What is in their heads and hearts just ain’t cutting it on the court.
leeindc
April 29th, 2010
9:31 am
all along we knew that woodson couldn’t get us over the hump, yet our win totals kept increasing every year, numbing us to this reality only to surface when we had the right players in place and were primed for a good playoff run
Homeless sports fan
April 29th, 2010
9:33 am
We need a lot of toilet paper to clean up these Hawks
Seemore Hiney
April 29th, 2010
9:34 am
Here’s an idea, dump Woodson (JV coach at best), Johnson (thinks he’s as good as Kobe), Bibby (slow, fat, useless), Williams (overpaid, overdrafted, mentally slow), and Pachulia (just on the team because he’s European). Then, go after Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosch without being cheap. Move Horford to PF where he belongs, and threaten to drop Smith if he ever has a brain fart and decides to become PG or shoots outside the paint! Then draft a good back-up guard and center in the draft. Hopefully the Hawks GM is better than Wren.
Mike
April 29th, 2010
9:34 am
The issue is that the Hawk’s play one on one basketball. As`soon as Joe Johnson fouled out their was no concise offensive plan. It’s weveryman individually is going to win the game. Pathetic basketball
James Westfall
April 29th, 2010
9:35 am
Hey, Dr. Kenneth Noisewater, sorry the Octagon and I were late.
Dr. Warren
April 29th, 2010
9:35 am
Why should the blame all go down to Woody–the “one” instead of the eleven. Several of them are paid more for one season than most of us will make in a lifetime. Shouldn’t that be motivation enough? Basketball is all they have to do.
TimFromEP
April 29th, 2010
9:36 am
Thank you O’Brien. If Avery Johnson presided over the biggest flop in Finals history because he lost to D-Wade (which I believe he average over 30 in that finals) with Shaq as his sidekick…..then what is Woodson presiding over? When a team beats you with less, you are being out coach.
Bradley as much as you are trying to stick up for Woodson, you never brought up his playoff record on the road. 0% winning percentage I believe. Sure, I can go down the Hawks roster and look at each player’s fault, but the fact remains the Hawks has one of the most talented roster in the leauge and Woodson has proven he can’t translate that talent into winning when it matters.
The Hawks clearly need to get rid of Woodson first and then decided about JJ. Honestly I don’t think he is worth max money especially when we need a big man (I don’t want to hear it Bradley, Horford has gotten outplayed by Kurt Thomas…who is almost 15 years his elder.) However not signing JJ will probably mean this team will have to change drastically to make up for this loss.
Homeless sports fan
April 29th, 2010
9:36 am
Nathan B.
This has nothing to do with the Bucks you can sent any team and they will find a way to embarass us, it always happens, It’s the reality setting in that has us in a fuss
Justin
April 29th, 2010
9:36 am
Charlie Rosen of MSN
“For Atlanta to lose such an important game at home to a decidedly inferior team like the Bucks is nothing short of shameful. Moreover, Scott Skiles would absolutely destroy Mike Woodson in a game of one-on-one.”
EW
April 29th, 2010
9:37 am
call me fair weather, im done with this team…
Justin
April 29th, 2010
9:39 am
Some of you guys are hammering Marvin and Al. Did you watch the game last night? They were the ONLY ones who did anything. If not for them, we would have been blown out.
truthspitter
April 29th, 2010
9:39 am
The Hawks are done, but you people fail to realize that the Hawks have done nothing but overachieve. The NBA is a league in which most analyst agree that you cant hide players but the Hawks have been hiding Mike Bibby on defense and its lack of size on the interior for 3 years now while bringing back hope to the city. Why can’t people just give them credit while admitting that it is over for this current roster?
Nathan B.
April 29th, 2010
9:42 am
im sick of people saying that the “Bucks are inferior” we beat you guys get over it. have fun for the rest of spring crying over the hawks and the underacheiving bravs while the bucks make a glamourous run to the NBA Finals.