Live from Game 6: The Hawks look to book a Chicago return
Nobody figured it would be this tough for the top-seeded Bulls. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It’s win or go home, except that the Hawks are already home. But you get the picture.
The series in quick review: Hawks shot great, played hard and won Game 1; Hawks did neither and lost Game 2; Hawks appeared ready to succumb in Game 3; they refuted such a notion in winning Game 4 and in clambering from 15 points down to take a brief lead in Game 5.
Larry Drew on his Hawks, speaking a few minutes ago: “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.”
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on his by-now-familiar opponent: “This is a quality team. They have quality depth. They have a lot of guys who can put it on the floor.”
This was reminiscent of what Dwyane Wade said after the Hawks beat his Heat in a Game 7 in 2009: “They’ve got five guys they can throw it to and have them make a play.”
Along the way, we’d lost sight of that. The epic Round 2 collapse against Orlando last spring skewed our view of these Hawks, and this middling regular season did nothing to make us remember. But these playoffs have made us recall why it was we got excited about these Hawks in that giddy Boston series of 2008, and the giddiest of those nights came in Game 6.
The Hawks fell behind by 15 points early and you figured, “That’s that, done and dusted.” Then Josh Childress — remember Josh Childress made a tip-in that hung on the rim forever and cut the lead to one after the third-quarter horn — and the rest was astonishing.
Spanning the third and fourth quarters, the Hawks scored on 17 consecutive possessions. They did it against the Celtics, who would become NBA champs. “They thought they had us,” Josh Smith said, speaking of that star-spangled night.
But they didn’t, at least not in Game 6. And Chicago, like those Celtics a No. 1 seed, haven’t yet gotten a real handle on this bunch. The Bulls have won three games in the series, but their biggest lead in any game has been 15 points. If we return to the regular season, the Bulls led the Hawks by at least 19 in all three games.
Yeah, these are the playoffs, and they’re different. But the Hawks are also different. They’ve gotten good again. They can take this back to Chicago. They really can.
And with that, I turn it over to you. Another tight deadline looms tonight, so I’ll be flitting forth and back, but I welcome you company as we hurtle into Game 6. And if the Hawks score on 17 consecutive trips this evening, just recall who put a little bug in y’all’s ear.
By Mark Bradley
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505 comments Add your comment
rob
May 12th, 2011
8:27 pm
@ Cousin Vicker, yeah feels like game 3 again
Coach D
May 12th, 2011
8:27 pm
Josh was just going for the block. Hope Deng is alright after we win game 7.
Heat Fan
May 12th, 2011
8:28 pm
They better get someone in there to stick Rose or this will get ugly. Come on Hawks beat these clowns.
G
May 12th, 2011
8:28 pm
Bad call. Ref out of position, not surprised.
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:28 pm
The Hawks are playin terrible. Now you see why it ain’t easy to even be considered a Hawks fan. Why? Because in the biggest game of their playoff career history, the Hawks choke. Horford is still Horrible, Joe is iso, LD is a joke. Now, you see it unravel. The heat is too hot and the Hawks are showing the world why they need to brake this mess up in the off season.
Atlanta Bricks Elimination Game 6
May 12th, 2011
8:29 pm
I’m thinking a possible game 7 would start kinda like this one but with the Hawks scoring 9-10 points fewer.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:29 pm
They are pummeling us inside. We need Zaza because Twin is ineffective against either Noah or Boozer…
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:32 pm
It’s all in how you close out the quarter. Let’s see what happens.
bamaboy1
May 12th, 2011
8:32 pm
Joe….
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:33 pm
Our D is non-existent right now.
Cousin Vicker
May 12th, 2011
8:34 pm
The Hawks made their run to cut it to 5 Mark, and now it’s back out of hand. All Bulls tonight.
Johnnie Black
May 12th, 2011
8:34 pm
Fat lady not singing yet, but Florida Evans is warming up for a “Damn, Damn, Damn” before halftime.
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:34 pm
Why does LD bring in a non-productive Jamal to bring the ball up the court. He’s giving us nothing. What and idiot.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:34 pm
Hawks down 27-17 after the first. Could have been worse.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:35 pm
The Bulls stopped Teague from getting in the lane in the first.
rob
May 12th, 2011
8:36 pm
The Hawks look a step slow…
Duck
May 12th, 2011
8:36 pm
It will be before it’s over.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:36 pm
22 out of 27 points from their front line. Our inside defense has been atrocious. We are actually shooting the ball well but F me, some one has to start manning up inside…
mr mojo
May 12th, 2011
8:36 pm
Josh is the only one playing with any energy. Not the start we wanted. Long way to go but they better win the 2nd qtr.
david
May 12th, 2011
8:37 pm
Seems to be coming another ATLANTA sports team playoff BUST.I mean sure we played well this playoffs.But to constantly go through FALCONS HAWKS BRAVES post season failures is just plain sick.I mean every year.I swear Atlanta is only good enough to make the playoffs but never win the championship.How did the Braves actually win one? I dunno.And Joe good player but we pay him max money and he plays no better than a second or third option player on other teams.Just sad.
NagoyaHawk
May 12th, 2011
8:37 pm
The team that has won the first quarter has won the games in this series. It’s another sad day to be a Hawks fan. Let down again.
Fitten
May 12th, 2011
8:37 pm
If the Hawks don’t show up in the first quarter, they don’t win.
It’s over
ben marko
May 12th, 2011
8:37 pm
Where’s the D, they are playing LAZY!!! Horford if your not pumped up for tonight I dont know if you ever will…. this is Game 6 buddy
Horford Fan
May 12th, 2011
8:37 pm
So tired of the Dr. Jekykell Mr Hyde routine. Refreshing the box score every 10 secs or so cuz I am at work and its brutal to watch. I mean your at home, its game 6 on the brink of elimination and you end the 1st quarter with a 10 point defict. We can still win, but its aggravating.
Joe
May 12th, 2011
8:38 pm
Josh is playing out of control tonight….
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:38 pm
Al and Twin were sleep walking on the court during the first quarter. They had to go to a zone once Zaza came in just to keep him inside. Al needs to wake up…
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:38 pm
What will be an early exit, will depend on what the Hawks bring into this second quarter. It’s not like they haven’t seen what the Bulls have thrown at them, so why are they playin so scared?
Fitten
May 12th, 2011
8:38 pm
After that 1st quarter, I’m calling this game “OVER”
But if these playoffs have given us a regular season with Teague at point, then we can call the post-season a success.
david
May 12th, 2011
8:39 pm
AND Teague out good lord when the sports gods hate us they really hate us.Im a loyal fan but its over now.DAYUM.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:40 pm
Jeff Teague comes up slowly after bumping C.J.W. on a runout. Going to the training room
Johnnie Black
May 12th, 2011
8:40 pm
Might as well br Friday 13th for Hawks. Teague just got hurt.
rob
May 12th, 2011
8:40 pm
Teague hurt… It hurts being an Atlanta sports fan
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:40 pm
I think Josh has been OK.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:41 pm
Noooooooooo. The one guy we can’t afford to lose…
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:41 pm
There goes buster azz M. Williams who ain’t @%it. This is getting real ugly.
NorCalHawk
May 12th, 2011
8:41 pm
Put this one in the book. Hawks are clearly overmatched by a more talented team that has learned to play together. Nice effort, though, to take it this far.
Live NBA blog: Bulls vs. Hawks in Game 6 – USA Today (blog) | getblogged.net
May 12th, 2011
8:41 pm
[...] and a date with Miami in the …Hawks' Smith moving on from Boozer forearmChicago TribuneLive from Game 6: The Hawks look to book a Chicago returnAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)NBC 5 sportscaster Daryl Hawks found dead in Atlanta at age [...]
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:41 pm
Horfy gets fouled. Hawks haven’t scored this quarter.
Sonny Clusters
May 12th, 2011
8:42 pm
Enter your comments here
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:42 pm
We don’t have anyone else that can play pg.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:42 pm
Crawford is killing us too…
Sonny Clusters
May 12th, 2011
8:43 pm
Hey, Marcel. We was wondering if you’re watching this?
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:43 pm
But they have now.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
8:43 pm
About time Al.
Andy
May 12th, 2011
8:43 pm
We are done. Teague is out.
Truth2
May 12th, 2011
8:43 pm
I predicted this @$it, but I thought that the team effort would be there. This is hard to watch.
playmeortrademe
May 12th, 2011
8:44 pm
The Braves won because they were lucky enough to draw the only city with more futility than Atlanta, else Atlanta may still sportin’ a donut for major championships with three major sports in the city since the mid-sixties.
Jay Dubu
May 12th, 2011
8:44 pm
Marvin and or Jamal have to have a super game in order for the Hawks to win this.
Coach D
May 12th, 2011
8:45 pm
The vets have got to step up. Bottom line. They might be not fazed by the enormity of the game. Crawford, go on one of your famous runs!!!
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
8:46 pm
Hawks within eight. Bulls missed a put-away opportunity. Went with subs. Scored only one basket in three-plus minutes.