Live from Game 6: The Hawks try again to close the door
An example of the Hawks' tenacious D in Game 5. (Photo courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel)
After Game 4, a really dumb guy — OK, yours truly — told the Hawks’ PR folks: “Nothing surprises me about your team, but I’d be surprised if you lost this series.”
I stand by that statement, at least for the next couple of hours.
I think the Hawks will win tonight. Others don’t. They believe that Game 5 was the truer measure of these teams than the first four games, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to this reporter. (Four games were an aberration, but one game reflects the truth?) But I have been known to be wrong.
I wasn’t shocked by what happened Tuesday. The Hawks aren’t very good when they’re not very interested, and they played in the manner of a team that knew it had three chances to win once.
“It would have been a huge step for us a ballclub,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said, speaking moments ago. “We’d never been in that situation before, at least not since I’ve been here. It was unfamiliar territory for us.”
Now the Hawks are back at Philips Arena, the series again theirs to take, and there’s somewhat more pressure on them than there was two days ago. Lose tonight and they’d be in position to become only the ninth NBA club ever to waste a 3-1 lead. Which would, even by Hawks standards, be a major reversal.
But let’s accentuate the positive. If the Hawks win tonight — and I say they will — they’ll have taken a series almost nobody believed they could win. They’ll be headed for Chicago and Round 2. They’ll need to apologize to no one.
And with that, the figurative floor is open for questions, comments and NFL draft updates. (Kidding about that last part. It’s hard enough for me to keep track of any one thing.) I’ll be here until the Hawks have celebrated. Or, failing that, until they’ve gotten all glum. Join me, won’t you?
As ever, I thank you in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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278 comments Add your comment
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:15 pm
if either of these teams were a horse they would have to shoot it.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:15 pm
Williams trey after Crawford steals the ball from Hedo
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:16 pm
Now Zaza with a flagrant F on Howard.
HawksFan
April 28th, 2011
9:17 pm
Hawks need to keep swinging the ball around. They can’t keep the ball on one side of the court otherwise the middle gets jammed.
They must swing the ball.
todd grantham
April 28th, 2011
9:17 pm
I’m worried. The Hawks should be way ahead by now.
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:17 pm
Saw that flagrant coming. It’s only fair. Got to call it both ways. The refs are trying to keep the game under control. I wish they’d let them play though.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:17 pm
This is kind of a chippy game.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:18 pm
That seemed a flagrant foul. I wasn’t sure about Turkoglu’s.
HawksFan
April 28th, 2011
9:19 pm
Chippy is a good word for it. Good ole’ fashioned Bball.
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:19 pm
maybe they can go back and review all the 3 pointers for the magic
this is home cooking at its worst
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:20 pm
Crawford with another steal, this one from Redick.
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:21 pm
williams???? good lord
HawksFan
April 28th, 2011
9:21 pm
Howard is literally the only player the Magic have. It’s ridiculous.
Chas
April 28th, 2011
9:22 pm
Marvin is alive!!!
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:23 pm
Atlanta by nine. Horford, Williams, Johnson.
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:24 pm
by 7
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:28 pm
Marvin three to start the quarter.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:28 pm
Crawford three. Close to putting them away.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:29 pm
J.J. Redick dunk.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:30 pm
Crawford three. Up 12.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:30 pm
J>C> the real deal!!!!!!!!!
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:31 pm
thank you Jamal…and Marvin….now they resemble an NBA playoff team.
worse2first
April 28th, 2011
9:32 pm
Hawks look good when the rhythm threes are falling. They seem unwilling to challenge in the paint. Unable to go to the line.
Time
April 28th, 2011
9:32 pm
Marvin needs to be featured in the offense. He’s the wildcard that could make this team a real threat to advance against Chicago and beyond.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:32 pm
Detroit LIons just picked Nick Fairly. How about Fairly & N. Suh on the same D-Line!!!!????
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:32 pm
Lakers up 8 mid 3rd quarter.
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:33 pm
Coach Dooley: While they’re at it, maybe they can review all Dwight Howard’s moving screens that are never called.
JC
April 28th, 2011
9:34 pm
OH NO, COULD IT BE?? COULD THE HAWKS BE PULLING AWAY FROM THE MAGIC RIGHT NOW?? COULD THEY BE IN THE PROCESS OF SILENCING ALL THEIR CRITICS INCLUDING YOURS TRULY?? SURELY NOT..CAN WE EXPECT A COLLAPSE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS THE REST OF THE GAME?? A BAD OMEN FOR ORLANDO..THEY ANNOUNCED THEIR BRINGING BACK THEIR DUMB A– COACH, STAN VAN GUNDY FOR ANOTHER LOSING YEAR!!! GO HAWKS!!!!
HawksFan
April 28th, 2011
9:34 pm
Hawks just can’t put them away.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:35 pm
Joe big deep three.
HawksFan
April 28th, 2011
9:35 pm
Ha Howard’s pissed. You can tell by his dunks.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:35 pm
Joe spins. Up 10.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:35 pm
JOEEEEEEEE!!!! for 3. Keep on earning it. Wouldn’t want to be in the way of Dwight’s dunks.Stating the obvious.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:36 pm
Nelson scores driving. Hawks by eight, 6:43 remaining.
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:36 pm
keep on shooting 3s
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:37 pm
Hawks shooting jump shots, Magic getting slams/lay-ups. Hope we can keep our lead.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:38 pm
Would love to see Horford vs. Noah in Chi. town soon
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:39 pm
keep shooting 3s hawks
JC
April 28th, 2011
9:40 pm
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HAWKS 71-59 LEAD?? THEY’RE NEVER COMFORTABLE WITH A BIG LEAD, HAVE YOU NOTICED??
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:40 pm
horford? how about williams again?
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:40 pm
now there’s the Marvin we all know….this team is really afraid of success.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:40 pm
Need some freaking rebounds!
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:40 pm
Zaza with PF No. 5.
HawksFan
April 28th, 2011
9:41 pm
Hawks imploding here late.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:41 pm
Dwight chokes on big free throws!
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:42 pm
there ya go
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:42 pm
Down to 76-74. Anderson finally hits.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:43 pm
If the Hawks don’t drive the refs can’t give them calls….
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:43 pm
hey MB…could be another great collapse in Atlanta sports history coming. like watching a train wreck.
JC
April 28th, 2011
9:43 pm
WAY TO GO HAWKS, WAY TO BLOW A 12 POINT FOURTH QUARTER LEAD!!! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!!! IF THE MAGIC COME BACK TO WIN THIS GAME, THIS SERIES IS OVER!!!!!