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
5manattackmachine
April 28th, 2011
9:43 pm
Josh don’t let him shoot a wide open 3…. too late…
worse2first
April 28th, 2011
9:44 pm
offensive collapse. Share the ball….
Chas
April 28th, 2011
9:44 pm
Finally on Howard!!!
chem
April 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
finally called the moving screen. he’s been doing it all night
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
flop flop
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
home call
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
Here we go…Iso’s & jumpshots. Ugh.
J.J.M.
April 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
another jumper
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
How many steps did ANderson take. From Buckhead to downtown??
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:46 pm
Hinrich…that was GUTSY!!!!!! you watching Josh Smith.
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:46 pm
iso’s & jumpshots, iso’s & jumpshots…
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:46 pm
Kirk Hinrich: Big flip. Hawks by four. Arenas to shoot fouls after the timeout. Down to 2:56.
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:47 pm
you’re thinking about smith with the steps d
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:47 pm
Duck to the rescue? Hope Heinrich is OK. no foul called…
worse2first
April 28th, 2011
9:48 pm
Capt Kirk is a ball player….and why is Joe passing out with Jameer guarding him?
CONservative Johnson
April 28th, 2011
9:48 pm
Kirk hurt . . . if only we had another PG that could have had some legit PT during the playoffs.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:49 pm
Bear down Hawks, bear DOWN!!!!
JC
April 28th, 2011
9:49 pm
HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE THE MAGIC WASTING ON GILBERT ARENAS?? THAT GUY’S BEEN INVISIBLE ON THIS TEAM..I FORGOT THEY EVEN PICKED HIM UP!! WHAT A WASTE OF SPACE ON THE COURT!! WISH I COULD MAKE 20 MILLION A YEAR FOR DOING NOTHING!!!!!!
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:49 pm
Co-sign Conservative Johnson
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:49 pm
Man, I don’t like Crawford @ PG. Would’ve been great to have worked Teague into this series. Not sure I’d trust him in this situation but, thanks to Drew, we’ll never know.
5manattackmachine
April 28th, 2011
9:50 pm
thats gotta be the fifth air ball smoove shot
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:51 pm
Get past Orlando & we’ll need Teague
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:51 pm
who me??
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:52 pm
So…we’re using Josh & Al to defend Howard at the end of the game…yet again. Oh boy.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:52 pm
Would love to see some pick & roll with jamal & Joe
NRBQ
April 28th, 2011
9:53 pm
Hinrich not coming back. Knee injury.
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:53 pm
maybe Josh can win the tip….has done nothing else.
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:54 pm
allowing a layup….are you kidding me?
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:55 pm
two layups….what a bunch of losers.
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:55 pm
layups again
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:55 pm
One-point game.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:55 pm
OH DEFENSE, Where art thou?????
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:56 pm
Nelson hits a three to win it…after the clowns clank 2 FT’s
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
9:56 pm
Wow. The inability to close out games is losing it’s excitement. Okay, here’s to something other than an ISO play!
worse2first
April 28th, 2011
9:56 pm
This is playoff basketball? Protecting the home court? Balderdash!
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:57 pm
Make good passes here!!!
Coach Dooley
April 28th, 2011
9:57 pm
iso for johnson or crawford
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:58 pm
Duck has some cahuna’s to shoot it!! Great rebound!!!!
worse2first
April 28th, 2011
9:58 pm
Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
Sid
April 28th, 2011
9:59 pm
damn lucky to win this……the defense in the last 2 minutes, no excuse for it. another 2nd round blowout possible.
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:59 pm
Huge play by Joe Johnson. Tapped the rebound to Crawford.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
9:59 pm
Yea, Yeah!!!!!!! Defense here, HERE!!!!!
welikebaseball2
April 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
The clock-killing ISO crap almost did us in…again. We were fortunate to get the offensive rebound. Our offense is sickeningly predictable at the end of games.
worse2first
April 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
Lakers cruising past N.O.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
Enter your comments here
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
10:01 pm
Don’t let jameer get a shot here!!!
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
10:01 pm
Al out of bounds.
Coach D
April 28th, 2011
10:02 pm
Joe taking some leadership here!!!
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
10:03 pm
Hawks win.
Birdbrains, huh?
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
10:03 pm
Hawks win.
Birdbrains, huh?