A stirring Hawks’ playoff run dissolves in a familiar collapse
Another year, another head-in-a-towel ending in Round 2. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
If they’d done nothing else this past month, the Hawks made us recall how it was in 2008, when they took the champs-to-be to a Game 7 in Boston. They’ve reminded us what fun having a good NBA team in this town can be. They’ve allowed us to say the words “playoff basketball” without cringing.
Three years after that improbable Celtics series, the Hawks had again smacked into the East’s No. 1 seed and refused to retreat. They stole Game 1 in Chicago on a flurry of shooting, outfought the Bulls over the final minutes of Game 4 to draw even in the series. And the Hawks’ loss in Game 5 shouldn’t have perturbed them — down 15 early, they seized a fourth-quarter lead before succumbing.
Thursday brought the series back here. Many of these Hawks had done bravura duty in a Game 6 victory against Boston in 2008. The Celtics took a 15-point lead, and that seemed that. But the Hawks converted 17 consecutive possessions spanning the third and fourth quarter and won at the end, and that was the first night of the 21st century that Philips Arena felt like a real basketball building.
This Game 6, sorry to report, started in similar fashion, but this one never got better. The Hawks trailed by 10 after one quarter, by 17 midway through the second. This was the time during the regular season when these Hawks would roll over and lose by 30 or 40, but you shouldn’t roll over in the playoffs. (Although sometimes it happens. Remember last year’s Orlando travesty.)
Over the past month it seemed the Hawks had become a team again, not just a gaggle of wide-eyed jump-shooters. They’d fought harder, defended better, even gotten a bit smarter. But now they were down double figures on a night when the Bulls were guarding better and finding more scorers than at any time in Games 1-5.
For all that had come before, this was the test of the New Hawks: Could they hold themselves together at a time when little was going right? Could they give the home folks — Philips wasn’t packed, by the way — a finish?
Nope. It got so bad the below-capacity throng began leaving with eight minutes left. Just when you thought these Hawks weren’t the old Hawks, they uncorked a stinker. (And they wonder why we don’t take them as seriously as they think we should.)
Trailing 70-53 after three quarters, it soon was 76-55, the Bulls having reduced the Hawks to … er, a gaggle of wide-eyed jump-shooters. Sure enough, the Hawks’ first four shots of the period were standstill jumpers.
And then came the moment when you knew this playoff flurry was finally done. Luol Deng jumped Joe Johnson at the head of the key, and the $120 million man ducked his head and went into one-on-one mode. Deng stole the ball and threw long for Derrick Rose, who dunked to make it a 21-point lead.
Yep. Here was Iso-Joe, the thing Larry Drew had been promoted to help curtail, going kerplunk in a win-or-else game. Once again, a wrenching season-ending loss has called into question what we just saw: Were the Hawks as good as they looked against Orlando, or were the Magic just the right opponent? Were the first five games of this series a function of the Bulls’ relative playoff newness or a indication the Hawks had began to figure things out?
Said Al Horford, who missed eight of 10 shots and took only four rebounds: “You’ve just got to give them credit. You have to really execute on offense well against them, and we didn’t do that.”
Then: “They were the better team. They were more solid, more consistent.”
When you lose Game 6 on your floor by 20 points on a night when you never led, you leave your audience to wonder. For a few bright shining moments, these Hawks made us (almost) forget their tepid regular season, but then, just as we began to hope and maybe even believe, they got blown out.
Speaking before Game 6, Drew had said of his Hawks: “I think people saw us as a team that would make the playoffs and wouldn’t do well … [What his men have done] is truly a testament to their commitment.”
And it was, until finally it wasn’t. For all this team’s talent — and it has a boatload — there’s still something missing. Maybe a full season of Jeff Teague at the point will be the ticket. But it’s clear the separation between the NBA’s elite clubs and these Atlanta Hawks still exists.
The Hawks beat Orlando, and that was nice. They took the Bulls to six games, which was heartening. In the end it was another Round 2 exit, the third in a row, but give them this: At least they weren’t swept.
By Mark Bradley
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245 comments Add your comment
Michael
May 13th, 2011
3:40 am
Use last year’s prescription: fire Drew and hire an assistant.
Atlanta Bricks Elimination Game 6
May 13th, 2011
4:11 am
this game summed up the season nicely: whatever went wrong during the season, went wrong here.
still following what I said last year though, they’d make it to the second round, battle but still lose. Means next year they should make it to the Eastern Conference finals (they’ll get swept so dont get to excited) .. two years they’ll make a series of it but still lose … 3 years they’ll make it to the NBA finals … etc etc … which in the end means within 6-7 years they should bring an NBA title to Atlanta.
Atlanta Bricks Elimination Game 6
May 13th, 2011
4:15 am
*also wondering if all the money the hawks got from having a few extra home games for the playoff run will go towards the loan ownership took out in order to pay JJ?
Bob Pettit's Ghost
May 13th, 2011
5:38 am
When I was wearing #9 with the old St. Louis Hawks, we made the finals and even won one, I think. My memory’s not so good. Sorry to see my boys go down again. Really bummed about Horford who I thought was about to step up in class. He was a non-factor, really. Joe Jumpson is what we thought he was – an overpaid third scorer. Josh actually played well but after what 8 years in the league, he’s untutored. Don’t let the penny pinching Spirit flunkies tell you the core is solid. We gots to blow it up and make sure Marvin is sitting on the powderkeg when it goes.
same ol
May 13th, 2011
6:03 am
until new ownership- this sad bunch will continue to flounder. With over rated whiners who will never grow up (Josh) and individual talents (JJ) that don’t understand team basketball, and pss poor drafts (Marvin) it’s the same ol we’ve seen for 20+ years
Reggie
May 13th, 2011
6:17 am
Ok if we already had Dwight Howard would you trade him for Al Horford or Josh Smith and any combination player or draft pick? I didnt think so, so please stop with the dumb trade suggestions…Al and Marvin…Al and picks….Josh and Joe…it ain’t happening period. Now the Chris Kaman deal is what we should go after…sign and trade Jamal plus ZaZa should do the trick. Marvin should be dealt like another former number 2 pick Michael Beasley….Marvin to Timberwolves for a 2nd round draft pick.
Samuel
May 13th, 2011
6:19 am
The transitioning from a good team to winning an NBA title, Has to start from the top. I don’t think the people at the top of the organization is committed to that. So being that said-I’ll be looking to see what off season changes they make to improve this team.
Jason
May 13th, 2011
6:23 am
If half the NBA field didn’t make the playoffs, they Hawks wouldn’t even be talking playoffs in any of the last 3 years. This series shows what the Hawks truly are. Better than half the league, but absolutely no chance to actually win anything of substance.
This is why I’ve never liked the NBA. Its full of a long season, then it stupidly allows bad teams into the playoffs, and has a super long playoff season. Why not make the regular season actually mean something by reducing the number of teams that get into the playoffs? Because they don’t do that, the NBA season is essentially pointless.
Sloan
May 13th, 2011
6:50 am
Rarely is an NBA playoff game decided in the first half, much less the first quarter. I stopped watching the telecast about half way thru the second. It was obvious to me who would win. The Hawks need to change some parts as this aggregation is never going any farther than they have over the past 4 seasons. The major plus of the playoffs is that Jeff Teague finally got the opportunity to show how stupid Woodson and Drew have been for not playing him more. Now is the time to package Josh Smith and Marvin Williams and get someone who can really play in the post so we can move Horford to power forward. Perhaps the Lakers would talk to us about Bynum?
Kevin
May 13th, 2011
6:53 am
I don’t mind losing, but it is HOW we lose that gets old. I would feel a heck of a lot better about a 1,2 or 3 point loss than I do about this. My god man, where is your pride? Atlantan has the moniker of being a bad sports town, but I believe we should have moniker of “when their teams lose, they lose REALLY BAD.” I am sick of this crap. The Falcons got smoked, the Braves got smoked and now the Hawks got….wait for it….. “SMOKED!”
GT
May 13th, 2011
6:59 am
Teague was the only reason they had won any game against the Bulls. I remember wondering into Cameron one hot summer’s day 15 years ago. In that hot place were two Duke players all by themselves on both sides of the court shooting freethrow into a rebounding machine that would retrieve the ball and throw it back to the player at the top of the key. The players were James at one end and Battier at the other and it was about 11 am. They had been there since 8 they told me and were not leaving till 12. Did you see how Boozer shot last night? When you wonder why a kid needs to go to college to help his basketball game you saw it last night. It also seems to help his muturity. Josh Smith could of used a few years of college, he might look at the world a little differently. One of the truly sad things about this one and done thing it is killing both college and pros. The less than packed house is a silent protest to a sport ruined by greed.
jim
May 13th, 2011
7:08 am
The odd thing is that I keep thinking “this time will be different”. No more and I mean no more this time
Heat Fan
May 13th, 2011
7:10 am
@Jason
Because it’s about money and clueless fans. I always said if your not one of the top two teams in each conference you don’t stand a chance to win a championship. That’s why you need good management. Pat Riley will blow a team up in a minute and do what he has to do to put a championship caliber team on the floor. Hawks are just doing enough to keep the fans coming out, cause that what you do when you aren’t trying to bring in a championship.
Monster Mash
May 13th, 2011
7:15 am
Go GET ANDREW BYNUM!
Jackets 2011
May 13th, 2011
7:17 am
How did Billy Knight get to be GM?
Was the Boston owner right about the foolishness of signing Johnson (and Knight’s stupidity)?
Yes.
Then Knight removed all doubt by passing on Chris Paul, the team’s obvious need somehow ignored.
I don’t care what the logic was last year but continuing to overpay JJ means I am not wasting my money on them.
The only way JJ would still be here was if he gave us the hometown break.
Pull for Miami so maybe we can trade him to the Bulls next year.
That’s a awful contract. I don’t care what anyone else says.
You pay it.
I won’t.
joe
May 13th, 2011
7:21 am
saying anything about the Hawks is a waste of time, so I will comment on something else.
From what I see and hear D. Rose is not only a great ( and fun to watch ) player but a humble, nice respectful young player. That puts him the extreme minority in the NBA…..
Coondog
May 13th, 2011
7:25 am
Enter your comments here
Coondog
May 13th, 2011
7:27 am
I’m so tired of the whatever attitude from JJ, what a huge mistake!! No way to unload him now.
MitchC
May 13th, 2011
7:29 am
Mark, unfortunately, like the late 80s Hawks that were good, and the early 90’s squad, this team seems to have reached a similar peak.
The Nique/Doc Rivers core won 50 plus games for four straight years in the 80s, and couldnt get past the second round. The 94 Hawks won 57 games, and also, never got past the conference semis.
Unless something dramatic is done to improve, its possible this team might have reached its peak. A good, solid, team that might win 50 games in the regular season, (When they dont underachieve), but cant stand up to the elites, of the Miamis, Chicagos, et als, in the playoffs.
I have to wonder what the Hawks will do to improve in the summer. I know that Joe Johnson’s contract hamstrings them somewhat. I suspect that we might see more of the same kinds of seasons we have in the last couple of years, for some years to come. Hopefully no worse, but probably, no better, either.
truth
May 13th, 2011
7:40 am
Hawks have better talent than the Bulls
But Bulls play with energy and as a team.
Hawks have no concept of team.
JROLL1
May 13th, 2011
7:55 am
WHY DO WE ALWAYS GET BLOWN OUT!? NO REBOUNDS, NO WINS! NO AL HORFORD. MARVIN GOT AS MANY POINTS AS I DID! 14 ASSISTS? THAT’S SHARING THE BALL LD SYTLE! AND YES MARK, I WAS ONE OF THE FANS LEAVING AT THE 8 MIN MARK. I WAS HOPING FOR A RUN BEFORE THE 6 MIN MARK…NEVER HAPPENED!
JROLL1
May 13th, 2011
7:58 am
JEFF TEAGUE….YOU BALLED OUT YOUNG FELLA! IT WAS GREAT TO SEE. JUST SHOWS THAT WOODY AND LD DON’T HAVE A CLUE!
rob
May 13th, 2011
8:00 am
Hawks are a soft team, in the playoffs you have to be able to play tough defense and consistent offense and the Hawks did neither. this team is long on talent but short on toughness and it showed again last night. Unless management enjoys being mediocre, some major changes are needed and I don’t think anyone is untouchable. The Bulls punched them in the face in the 1st quarter last night and the Hawks wilted. This team is not close..
Ted Mp
May 13th, 2011
8:01 am
No surprise at all.
Ted Mp
May 13th, 2011
8:03 am
The rebounds are so low you must question their effort. The Hawks knew they could win but decided not to try.
Drew Can't Touch Smith
May 13th, 2011
8:05 am
Smith is the problem with this team. Smith (aka J-Stupid) is a sorry excuse for a human being, and is totally un-coachable. Smith gets benched for taking the jumper, and what does this guy do? He tells Drew to %%#$# his mother. Class. Smith grabs his privates, and makes a lewd gesture to the crowd, gets fined and says, “I didint know no better”..Really? You didn’t know young kids would be watching?
Fellow players, coach, owners, fans, sports writers – all tell J-Stupid not to take the 3 – his reply? “I have a great jumper”. Utter moron.
He’s been disruptive with teammates in the locker room, and off the court, I’m not sure how many children he has with various women. Note to Josh when you said “Ima man first” try to remember that men take accountability for their actions, and think before they act.
Overall, a total loser – on and off the court. Trade this idiot before he tells management he won’t play with Drew.
Ted M
May 13th, 2011
8:06 am
You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down. what the heck is that, i’m the slowest typist in the world
passingobserver
May 13th, 2011
8:21 am
j smith is overrated & underachieving. bad combo. his basketball IQ is off the chart . . . at the bottom of the chart. get him out of town. send drew and iso-joe with him.
Fish Bisch
May 13th, 2011
8:30 am
If only we would have drafted Chris Paul things would be a lot different.
Pete
May 13th, 2011
8:31 am
josh smith had a pretty damn good series. 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 ast and 3 blocks. I will take that every game. Al Horford had a terrible series and Marvin Williams is garbage
GT
May 13th, 2011
8:38 am
I love how Smooth is still taking the brunt of the criticism when he was one of three (Zaza and Teague included) that actually showed up last night.
I love how people always say that Smooth has a low BBall-IQ… Do you watch basketball? Josh has probably been the most consistent passer and is usually the one directing traffic on the floor. But, since he has a bad shot selection, that automatically means he has some god awful BBall-IQ. He may have the best help defense on the team, but since he may have missed a shot at some point, he must be terrible. Meanwhile, Al gets away with everything he does because he is a nice, clean player. Bullsh-t!
md
May 13th, 2011
8:38 am
Get used to it…….the team screwed the pooch by signing JJ as the “man” and are stuck with his mediocrity. Marvin was also a bust……….the rest are all supporting players looking for a leader……
East Point Bob
May 13th, 2011
8:38 am
LOVE IT, GREAT TO SEE THE hawks LOSE !!!!! HERE’S HOPING THEY WILL BE SOLD AND MOVED TO WINNIPEG, GOOD RIDDENCE hawks, YOU ARE A WORTHLESS FRANCHISE AND I AM GLAD I HAVE NEVER WASTED MY TIME OR MONEY ON SUCH A NOTHING TEAM IN A WORTHLESS LEAGUE, GOOD BYE hawks YOU STINK !
GT
May 13th, 2011
8:42 am
Thanks for not posting my comment, guys!
AC
May 13th, 2011
8:45 am
Should have drafted Chris Paul.
Chris
May 13th, 2011
8:50 am
heartless hawks fooled you again, I never got on the bandwagon
Chris
May 13th, 2011
8:51 am
giving joe max money was stupid but nothing as idiotic as giving marvin williams a 40 million dollar extension when no team would even start him, much less give him that kind of money. i hope the hawks move to california
Peter
May 13th, 2011
8:53 am
How do you coach guys that are non coach able ? JJ Crawford are iso guys wanting to do it all.
JAP
May 13th, 2011
8:54 am
Unfortunately, this has been a pattern for awhile. The Hawks have NEVER made it out of the second round. When Dominique was the franchise player, he didn’t really have any complementary players around him. Now, the Hawks have a lot of complementary players, but no franchise player. We can blame the coaching staff all day long, but this is a president or a general manager issue. They are not willing to bring a franchise player to Atlanta and that is exactly what we need. Try and find a franchise player in the offseason and make him an offer he cannot refuse. We can’t be stuck with just Joe Johnson. He’s good, but we need a franchise player to make his game player. JJ is not franchise player material.
buckhead benny
May 13th, 2011
9:00 am
trade marvin- get a new center- get a 3 pt shooting specialist to come off the bench- let jamal crawford go or do sign and trade- start teague, kirk heinrick sg- joe johnson small foward- this is a much better team than people think- marvin is too lazy- and just doesnt have the energy and is too expensive- they lost 9 more games because also Miami brought on Lebron and Bosh lets remember- but they win 50 plus and will be a much better team if they do the above- passing and energy and drive will be better- give it to Drew- the guy really coaches- something we haven’t seen in a long time….
joker
May 13th, 2011
9:02 am
WELLL ATLEAST WE DIDNT GET SWEPT OUT THE PLAYOFFS LIKE THE LAKERS… SO ILL TAKE THIS GAME 6 LOSE.
Jay
May 13th, 2011
9:10 am
Mark,
What would the Hawks have to do get Dwight Howard? I bet Joe will renegotiate his contract to make that work.. Do we even have shot?
joker
May 13th, 2011
9:11 am
Side Note: Out Of All The Teams That Lost In The Eastern Playoffs I Would Say The Hawks Lost With The Most Dignity OveralL. HOW YOU SAY??? Simple Each Team Playing An Elite Team Lost In 5 Or Where Swept Except For The Hawks, EX: SIXERS & HEAT= Heat In 5…KNICKS & CELTICS=CELTICS In 4…MAGIC & HAWKS=HAWKS In 6…BULLS & PACERS=BULLS IN 5….
2ND Rd CELTICS & HEAT=HEAT IN 5…..BULLS & HAWKS= *sigh* BULLS In 6…
So Overall They Hawks Didnt Do That Bad As It May Look When You Break It Down. And Thats What Teams And Gm’s Do To Determine New Outcomes And Move Changes For Teams.
papason100
May 13th, 2011
9:11 am
To everyone that wants to get rid of Marvin, Who is gonna take this bum? No one… not even NBDL lol He is complete garbage but the only thing I don’t understand why not play Wilkins or pepe.. I mean marvin does nothing im sure they cant do any worse and they might develop a bit…… I cant believe they paid that dude more money after drafting him hahahahah
rock
May 13th, 2011
9:13 am
1. Too much of the offense is centered around Joe Johnson
2. More defense intensity is needed
3. Too many contested long jump shots
4. Josh Smith needs to be more of an inside force
Barley Corn
May 13th, 2011
9:13 am
Loser franchise in a crappy sportstown. Now, the ajc hacks can concentrate on pimping the Braves, Falcons and UGA.
Big D
May 13th, 2011
9:18 am
Time to open up negotiations with the Clips for Kaman, Eric Bledsoe and Aminu for JSmith and JCrawford. Its obvious we cant advance past Rd 2 with these guys
JJ’s contract makes us stuck with him. Cut Collins, Etan Thomas since they have no value. Keep ZaZa and trade Marvin for whatever you can get for him
Jay
May 13th, 2011
9:19 am
& another thing I wanted to say is I am proud of these Hawks & will continue to support my team!! #%!! if it was college basketball, they made it to the elite eight & that by any means is great season to a team, let’s be honest w/ ourselves for a sec, is not BUILT for a championship just yet.. Good Job fellas & now like the past 3 previous years, Sund lets get on the Howard Train!! Early!!
Pig Farmers Local 42
May 13th, 2011
9:20 am
Larry Drew, Marvin Williams, J Smooth, Invisible Man (JJ). PA-THET-IC.
The Real JC
May 13th, 2011
9:29 am
So the Bulls fan sitting next to me last night spent the whole game cheering for Josh Smith to take more jump shots, which he apparently heard and complied. I finally had to ask him to stop before I committed suicide.