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
Live NBA blog: Bulls rolling, Teague hurt for Hawks – USA Today (blog) | Free NBA Videos
May 12th, 2011
8:59 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
aswingruber
May 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
Of course no fan can claim more suffering than a Cubs fan.. But Chicago has plenty of championships in the other major sports. We got ONE with the Braves in ‘95… and that’s it. Welcome to Loserville, USA.
Dan
May 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
Hawks have no hart. Braves are sucking it up against the Nat’s again and the Falcons will only be good enough to get your hopes up before cruelly beiotch slapping them down. Atlanta sports suck!
MAD-DONNA
May 12th, 2011
9:01 pm
That’s it! LD is officially stupid! Why would you continue with guys, that are not getting it done!
bamaboy1
May 12th, 2011
9:01 pm
True – The Sox in 2005 will probably be our last MLB in my life
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:02 pm
Teague scores. Down by a dozen.
Cousin Vicker
May 12th, 2011
9:02 pm
Horford, my favorite Hawk, has been horrendous in this series. I don’t care how many times you say otherwise, he is totally overmatched at center. Although he is overmatched everywhere this series.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
9:03 pm
We would have been swept without Teague…
Fitten
May 12th, 2011
9:03 pm
ESPN’s Mike Turico just called him “Derrick Teague”
Bulls are only team that ESPN has focused on in this series.
Joe for 3
May 12th, 2011
9:03 pm
Joe Johnson with another forced shot.
El Bravo
May 12th, 2011
9:03 pm
LD is a moron. Al and Jamal keep killing us but he never holds them or JJ accountable by sitting them down. We so need a need a new coach…
Dan
May 12th, 2011
9:04 pm
Piss on ESPN and all their yankee hierlings!
AUG2424
May 12th, 2011
9:04 pm
The Hawks have had this core together for a long time. The Bulls have no experience and haven’t been together that long. No excuses! The Hawks suck! I’m tired of this crap! Bring on the Falcons!
MAD-DONNA
May 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
Down 12? Is that suppose to be encouraging?
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
Hawks shooting .382 on fgs and 0 for 4 from 3pt.
Duck
May 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
bamaboy, I doubt it cause it would take Rose’s game which is scoring. Howard probabley ends up in LA or maybe he wants to play in front of the hometown.
G
May 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
Joe Johnson is just not a prime time guy. He can’t create. He reminds me of Adrian Dantley. Just a shooter.
Bama 13
May 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
Dan, you must not have been here long enough to remember when sports sucked around here. Our current teams just haven’t had the big effort that puts us over the hump.
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:06 pm
El Bravo you are correct sir
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:07 pm
Maybe a turnaround. Josh deflects pass. Joe throws a lob. Josh dunks and gets fouled.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:09 pm
Down to 10.
G
May 12th, 2011
9:09 pm
Turning this game and can’t hit freaking free throws!!
MAD-DONNA
May 12th, 2011
9:09 pm
THE HAWKS ARE FULL OF(Bull)S!
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:09 pm
Offensive foul on Smith. Probably was not.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:10 pm
It’s 45-35 at the half. The Hawks have given themselves hope. It was close to done at minus-17.
JOKER
May 12th, 2011
9:10 pm
Win or go home…. Well if the hawks lose atleast their home so they don’t have that far to go i feel they will put a run together in the third….last year Crawford was horrible in the 1st round now this year its the 2nd round. And Joe was horrible 2nd rd last year and once again this year overall. Why don’t they give smoove more touches in the paint next half…But with this team it ain’t over to its over….LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:10 pm
It was for sure a foul-charge
bball is boring
May 12th, 2011
9:10 pm
No matter, which series did you really want to see….Hawks/Heat or Bulls/Heat.
Hawks/Heat would be an epic blowout anyway.
Winning 2 games against the #1 seed is progress. Lets look to the draft and watch them blow that again.
Cousin Vicker
May 12th, 2011
9:11 pm
It was Mark. It was a good call.
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:11 pm
Hawks will never make the next round until they get a big man who can score AND buy a bench that can contribute- the Hawks bench is pitiful
G
May 12th, 2011
9:12 pm
If you are a professional ref and there are THREE of you and you have to ask for help on a call you are out of position. Even if the right call was made, get into position. He is notorious for being out of osition to make calls.
NUNNA!!
May 12th, 2011
9:13 pm
Yo…WHat da heck have they done to harry da hawk??
He was red,now they have bleached him white..WTF!!
Jay Dubu
May 12th, 2011
9:13 pm
Al’s gotta get in the weight rom during the lockout/strike.
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:13 pm
assists chicago leads 17-9 17 assists on 20 baskets
MAD-DONNA
May 12th, 2011
9:15 pm
THE HAWKS GET NO RESPECT FROM TNT OR THE NBA, BECAUSE THEY DON’T DESERVE IT! IF I WASN’T FROM THE ATL, I WOULD LOL AT THEM TOO!
Duck
May 12th, 2011
9:16 pm
The Ref’s can’t even wait until the 4th period to stop a hawks run like they did in chicago. I guess the ref’s need to stop the hawks runs earlier since it’s a home game. Labron vs Rose, it’s business deal.
JOKER
May 12th, 2011
9:16 pm
How is it no matter how bad the hawks have played this series they always are down 8 or so so i dont know if the bulls are that good as everybody is making them or if the hawks just try to stay in a good position but can never capitalize and take a led???
DF
May 12th, 2011
9:17 pm
WTH has Horford been doing all series? Seriously, he’s sucked.
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:17 pm
Duck Give me a break- it’s not the refs
Live NBA blog: Bulls up big in 2nd Qtr., Teague hurt for Hawks – USA Today (blog) | Free NBA Videos
May 12th, 2011
9:17 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
bamaboy1
May 12th, 2011
9:18 pm
+1 Coach Dooley
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:20 pm
I’m so gullible. I’m so damn gullible. And I am so sick of me being gullible.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:20 pm
Was a charge, eh? Would have been a big score for the home club.
Duck
May 12th, 2011
9:22 pm
I agree Coach Dooley and glad to hear you are sick of it too.
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:24 pm
look at the tape- a charge without question
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:24 pm
go ahead Duck tell us some more how the refs are beating the Hawks – cry some more for us
Mike
May 12th, 2011
9:24 pm
Was it a charge? For the Hawks….yes.
Was it a charge last night for the Heats?….No, LeBron cemented his legacy as one of the most clutch players in NBA history because he made a few shots vs. an old/injured Celtics team in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Mark Bradley
May 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
The Hawks have been outscored by six baskets. Outrebounded as well.
Duck
May 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
1) it was a flop 2) Smoove slid to the DRose’s side before flop 3) DRose was in the circle
Coach Dooley
May 12th, 2011
9:27 pm
He was nowhere near the circle