The Hawks win a wild Game 3: They’re the better team, folks
That's how it's spelled: H-A-W-K-S. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It’s not easy being an Atlanta Hawk. The whole wide world expects you to fail. Because you lost a playoff series by 101 points last spring. Because you spent much of this regular season getting blown out at home. Because your ownership promoted an assistant coach who was supposed to make you better and instead saw you slide from 53 wins to 44 with the same personnel.
But then the new season began, the one that matters, and you went to Orlando and took Game 1. Heck, you almost took Game 2. And what did the Magic’s Ryan Anderson tell reporters after those two games?
Why, this: “Atlanta’s a team that if things aren’t really going their way, they’re going to struggle a little bit. We’re different in a sense where if we’re down, we kind of know how to fight our way back into it.”
You’re an Atlanta Hawk, and you essentially got called heartless by Ryan Anderson. (Ryan Anderson, for Pete’s sake.) But it’s not just one Orlando sub who has come to doubt you. It’s pretty much the whole wide world. Because the Hawks’ way for a quarter-century has been to get people excited only to do something goofy. Like watch Cliff Levingston take the biggest shot in franchise history — Game 6 against Boston, 1988 — and miss the rim. Like trade for J.R. Rider. Like draft Marvin Williams. Like draft Shelden Williams.
But here’s the thing: To be an Atlanta Hawk now is to sit in a strangely sweet seat, after an 88-84 victory Friday night. Nobody expects you to win, and yet you’re gifted enough to beat anybody. Indeed, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy was asked before Game 3 on Friday about his announcer brother Jeff’s stated opinion that the Hawks are more talented than the Magic. “That’s of no consequence,” Stan Van Gundy said.
It isn’t, but it is. This is basketball. Talent does matter. At issue in this series is whether the better team can keep its head and hold its nerve. Because if that team does, the Hawks will be playing in Round 2.
Three games have been played in this series — a total of 144 minutes. The Hawks have won at least 100 of those minutes. They lead 2-1 on merit.
Loading ...They made Game 3 much harder than it needed to be, wasting a 14-point lead and falling behind with 11 minutes to play. They wobbled, but they didn’t fall. Jamal Crawford conjured up a four-point play to put the Hawks back in front. Al Horford, who had done little, drove the baseline for a reverse and then made a jumper. Zaza Pachulia drew a charge from Dwight Howard, then took a key offensive rebound.
Said Crawford, who would make a bigger shot: “We showed we could handle adversity tonight. We showed resolve.”
Ahead by eight, the Hawks again let the Magic clamber back. Pachulia fouled Howard, and then he got himself ejected for squaring off with Jason Richardson. Howard had two free throws to tie with 2:22 remaining. He missed one. The Hawks still led, if just.
Then Joe Johnson missed. Jameer Nelson stole an offensive rebound and hit to put the Magic ahead by a point. Johnson drove and got fouled, making both. Hawks again by one, now 1:22 left.
Hedo Turkoglu drove and fed Brandon Bass. Crawford drove and fed Horford. Hawks back ahead, 42 seconds to go.
Said Horford: “I struggled with my shooting tonight, but Jamal had confidence in me.”
Turkoglu hoisted a 3-pointer from the dead corner trey over Horford and missed. Said Van Gundy: “Horrible shot.”
Crawford dribbled the clock down and, with 5.7 seconds remaining, banked home the clinching trey over the itsy-bitsy Nelson. Said Josh Smith: “Unbelievable shot.”
The team that couldn’t stay on the floor with the Magic 12 months ago had again taken a series lead. If you’re an Atlanta Hawk, you’re starting to make people wonder if they’d pegged you wrong. Said Crawford: “Thank God we won. That was probably the most important game of the series. The pressure’s on them now.”
Or is it? If you’re an Atlanta Hawk, the hard part comes now. You have to finish what you’ve started, lest your reputation as talented-but-heartless be cast in bronze for perpetuity.
And you’re capable. Orlando has been chasing you for 2 1/2 games now, and only in Game 2 did it catch you. You’ve outscored the Magic by 24 points from the floor in the series. You’ve held a double-digit lead in each game. You’re the better team. You need to take the wind from this pulsating victory and ride it into Game 4 on Easter Sunday. You need to ride it all the way into Round 2.
By Mark Bradley
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140 comments Add your comment
Bubba
April 22nd, 2011
11:39 pm
We what talent do the magic have besides Howard?
TC
April 22nd, 2011
11:39 pm
no no no no…Bubba…we have no real center..that is what is the delema…if we had one..Al and josh would be fighting for the 4 spot…which Al would clearly win because…well we all know why. Josh just needs to look at AL…stop slippin behind the arc all the time and thinkin…Ive got this
Mike
April 22nd, 2011
11:41 pm
So at the end of the day, one of them has to go, no matter what. they got the same skill set(Curse you, BK), but since Al has signed that contact beginning of the year, it looks like JS is the odd man out unless we can trade J.J.
Mark Bradley
April 22nd, 2011
11:41 pm
MitchC These hawks are just like last years. 1 and done. They wont make it out of the second round….Its actually time to rebuild the pucked up team.
Blackoutanyone?
April 22nd, 2011
11:41 pm
Anyone heard if Zaza will have to sit a game?
puff
April 22nd, 2011
11:42 pm
Bubba, Turkoglu disagrees with you about Horford’s D
carnac the magnificent
April 22nd, 2011
11:43 pm
van gundy smells like fine mahogany.
Bubba
April 22nd, 2011
11:43 pm
TC
Josh is a five tool player.
Al is a decent player but not as talented as Josh.
TC
April 22nd, 2011
11:45 pm
Mitch C….Id say you defenitly didn’t watch the game based on your comments. I don’t truly think that the Hawks could win it all, but based on the defense that they have displayed with the Magic it is worthy of discussion. You need to watch it to understand it. As I have said in my older posts…it just looks like the recent pistons days..
Bubba
April 22nd, 2011
11:45 pm
Actually they were trying to trade al during a time out today but nobody was interested.
Dude played 43 minutes and was 6 of 14 with 2 rebounds and 1 was a long rebound on a missed 3
hawkfan
April 22nd, 2011
11:46 pm
Smoove played counterproductive at times … but the Hawks still need him to be at the top of his game to make a strong playoff run. No other player can match his excitement and all-around contribution when he plays SMART and FOCUSED. Now if only that were the case more often than not …
John Berry was right though … when the ball is in the post he needs to be on the weak-side and look to cut to the rim or anticipate a rebound … not on the 3-pt wing as the first option off a double-team.
TC
April 22nd, 2011
11:46 pm
Bubba…when can we quit saying Josh is more talented….
No Woody for Me
April 22nd, 2011
11:53 pm
J-Smoove. If Josh is so valuable, why is Drew keeping him out of the 4th quarter of playoff games?
I’ll admit he plays good defense and that likely leads to a positive +/-, but he is absolutely lost in the half court offense.
Mark Bradley
April 22nd, 2011
11:54 pm
The above post has been updated with quotes, if you’re into such things.
TC
April 22nd, 2011
11:56 pm
I think Smoove is what he is which is good…lets just not expect him to ever to be GREAT
Great Job Woodson we miss you!
April 22nd, 2011
11:57 pm
Said Horford: “I struggled with my shooting tonight, and I never play defense. Im on my way to midtown you guys coming?”
Greg
April 22nd, 2011
11:57 pm
No one questions the fact that the Hawks have talent. Unfortunately, the cumulative basketball IQ and mental toughness of this team(I use that term very loosely) would be less than zero if it weren’t for Horford.
Even though his prayer was answered, that last play by Jamal is exactly what is wrong with this team. Guys dribbling the ball for 20 seconds and then throwing up a 25 footer. Happens all the time with this group of frauds.
tommystice@yahoo.com
April 22nd, 2011
11:57 pm
Bubba, Horford plays really good defense and rebounds really well. He led the league in shooting percentage outside of 10 feet. That means he was even better than great perimeter shooters. I am going to go out on a limb and say his interior shooting was pretty good too. If there is anyone on this team that needs to take a larger role in the offense its him. Drew is showing that he is a much better coach than woodson using something called gameplanning which woodson never did and he makes adjustments which woodson never heard of. He is using Zaza and Collins both of which were on the team last year so your comment about centers that woodson didint have is incorrect.
TC
April 22nd, 2011
11:58 pm
And no….Al might not ever be great either…but we will never now until he is a prototipical 4 man
yodaddy
April 22nd, 2011
11:59 pm
a few months ago it was
trade Jamal, Zaza & Marvin for Carmelo
True Story
TC
April 23rd, 2011
12:00 am
We have to draft 5’s or trade for one….as well as a point…..but seriously I think we may see something special this year
TC
April 23rd, 2011
12:06 am
Modration?? My comment is awaiting moderation baby!!! Woohoo!!!
TC
April 23rd, 2011
12:07 am
Am I in the same room as the NFL guys???
This time
April 23rd, 2011
12:08 am
If horford had Zaza’s resolve wed make it out of the second round
TC
April 23rd, 2011
12:10 am
Yo daddy…I know…I was that dude..but the more I watch JJ pee his pants and JC do his thang..I wish we could do something to keep JC and trade JJ…you know??
Sleepy
April 23rd, 2011
12:14 am
Yeah Greg they showed no mental toughness in this game at all ……rolfmao what ?
YOU MAD ??? !!!!!!!!!!
I saw someone posted that Jamal has made over 1,300 three pointers in his career so I had to look that up and they were right .
http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg3_career.html
Thats 24th all time so I dont get why people thinks its some kinda fluke . Its time for people to start respecting the mans shot .
From looking at that list hes already passed Allan Houston ,Dell Curry,Dennis Scott,Hersey Hawkins and will probably finish in the top ten all time by the time hes done .
When someone has made that many shots I dont consider them lucky when someone also holds the record for making the most while also being fouled I dont even know why its being questioned at all.
LakeDawg
April 23rd, 2011
12:20 am
Larry Drew earned my respect tonight. He benched J Smoove after he launched a trey at a critical juncture (which of course he missed) and then threw the ball away. He would have never re-entered the game if Zasa hadn’t been tossed. When the Hawks rebuilt the lead to 8 points after his benching, he got off the bench and asked to be put back in the game. Drew patted him on the head and sent him back to his seat. Good going coach. The two stupidest players on the team or J Smoove and Marvin. If I were the coach they would only see limited minutes at the end of quarters or to give my starters a blow.
LakeDawg
April 23rd, 2011
12:23 am
Here is why coach Drew is better than Woody. He has already benched Marvin, who only gets limited minutes. Tonight he benched J Smoove after another failed trey at a critical juncture and a turnover. He wouldn’t have seen the court again if Zasa hadn’t been bounced. Good going coach!
TC
April 23rd, 2011
12:24 am
Sleepy..you the man for throwing out those kind of stats…he nee to be recognized more…
TC
April 23rd, 2011
12:25 am
Thats why I say..try to trade JJ and keep JC
LakeDawg
April 23rd, 2011
12:25 am
hey
LakeDawg
April 23rd, 2011
12:28 am
Coach Drew showed why he is a better coach than Woody tonight. He has already severly limited Marvin’s minutes and tonight he benched J Smoove after another horrible trey attempt at a critical juncture and a turnover. Smoove wouldn’t have seen the court again tonight if Zasa hadn’t been bounced. Good job coach!
LakeDawg
April 23rd, 2011
12:28 am
yo
LakeDawg
April 23rd, 2011
12:28 am
J Smoove sucks!
JeJe
April 23rd, 2011
12:41 am
Great blog, MC.
Do you think Z will be suspended? I hope not – his headbutt was a joke. He did the same thing vs. KG
And can someone please tell the players to get rid of “the pressure’s on them” mentality? That’s exactly why we lost Game 2. There is no DESPERATION
JeJe
April 23rd, 2011
12:46 am
I’m still waiting on Kirk to get into an altercation, but it seems like he and Jameer are pretty cool with each other
Dr. Warren
April 23rd, 2011
12:47 am
Typical Hawks move would be to get blown out on Sunday. We’ll see. Let’s hope part of this surprise is that they’re playing with more heart for LD than they did for Woody, because with this talented team, “more heart” is what has been required all along.
chem
April 23rd, 2011
12:53 am
If the hawks signed another center, Horford would slide to power forward, and Josh Smith would be on the perimeter all day. This is what everyone has been clamoring for, and it just doesn’t make sense.
Texas Hawk
April 23rd, 2011
12:53 am
Good Job Hawks!! All I can say is enjoy Crawford because the “Spirit Group” lied to him last year and its gonna cost them dearly to try and sign him after these past few playoff games!!!!
morris day
April 23rd, 2011
12:57 am
I have to agree with you guys on all three points. this team was better under woodson, it sucks now, and its time for horford to go!
chem
April 23rd, 2011
12:57 am
ALSO: Josh Smith is uncoachable. His ego won’t let him cede his personal goals for the betterment of the team. Larry Drew and the entire arena were begging him not to settle for jumpshots. His problem is that he never cuts hard without the ball. You can see it in his body language. He loafs around the perimeter when he’s not handling the ball.
pay it up
April 23rd, 2011
12:59 am
this series is over—the hawks are in control—mark it down–the hawks will upset the bulls in round 2 in 6 games! the hawks are back!!!
JASon
April 23rd, 2011
12:59 am
After tonight, I think its clear the hawks are just a better team- 5-2 vs. Orlando. Also realized Dwight Howard is just a jerk. He throws an arm on practically every play. Apparently he thinks no team should actually defend him.
Tim from EP
April 23rd, 2011
1:13 am
I’ve been sticking up for this dude for too long. Josh Smith you got to go.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2011
1:37 am
“Drew is only using players Woodson did not have at center.”
Uh… no. Woody had Collins and Zaza at his disposal too.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2011
1:42 am
Smoove was the only Hawk in double figures in rebounding and was +5 for the game, but of course he takes a few bad shots and everyone goes ape sh-t. Dude shot a better percentage today than Joe, Jamal, Al, and Kirk. Just sayin’.
Y’all are so busy trying to find something about Smoove to criticize that you don’t even criticize him for the thing for which he deserves criticism in this game. If you want to single him out, pick on his defense today, which was sub par and well below his usual level. Granted, this big lineup puts him out of position and forces him to defend on the perimeter and close out on shooters, neither one of which is among his strengths defensively, but he should still be able to keep up with Turkoglu better than he did.
bad dawg
April 23rd, 2011
1:45 am
Now that I hear the hawks are making an effort, should I watch? I’ve watched or listened to more than the majority of their games since 1970.This year I watched 5 minutes of one quarter and it looked like the same guys in last years playoffs, glad to hear their checks were all good and they are competing with the rest of the grown-ups in the NBA,maybe in a few years when the roster turns over I won’t have to watch the team that QUIT in the play-offs. Good luck and GO BRAVES!!!
MJC
April 23rd, 2011
1:55 am
@Najeh:
Co-sign
Harry Hawk
April 23rd, 2011
1:58 am
The only thing that matters to me is whether these guys will show up and fight in the second round. I don’t think they possess the talent to make an Eastern Conference final, but if they’ll show the necessary fortitude to do it, I’ll have a newfound respect for this group of men.
Looker
April 23rd, 2011
2:36 am
Way to go Zaza…just keep fightin dude!! You might not be the most skilled player on the floor but you got the heart of a warrior! Hey Glenn “Big Baby” Davis you got to give it up, Dwight Howard is the real deal! Funny just watching him laught and wine at the sametime…dude thinks he never fouls and but some how manages to get fouled every time and I do mean everytime he touches the ball! Btw way Howard we all saw you throw that cheap shot forearm that started the whole deal! I’m sure your wallet will feel a little lighter by Sunday. Hawks by 10 on Sunday…mark it down!