Cleveland Cavaliers 105 Atlanta Hawks 85 or what is worse than a butt whooping?

by hawksdawgs on May 8, 2009 9:29 AM EDT in Game Recaps Comment 14 comments

If the best team in the league plays an eight man team that is down two vital starters at home, you expect a beat down right? Yes, you do. But when it happens the game is still embarrassing. Maybe Cleveland just outplayed an undermanned Hawks team, but it feels like they out classed them. When the game was in doubt (so like 8 minutes in), Cleveland found the loose balls. They played intense, great defense. And they looked like they wanted to be there.

Maybe you can only tell their excitement because the Cavs are overly animated/annoying for most parts of the game, but what would happen if Joe Johnson was on the bench yelling at Flip Murray to win the jump ball over Mo Williams? Would that not be little inspiring?

The Hawks are lacking that leader. And I really do not think I can say it much better than the Human Highlight Blog so take it away good sir.

Boo-hoo, Atlanta Hawks.

Playoff time is a time to make your own results, not wait for them to be offered to you and, if you are willing, accept.

Too often in these games in Cleve-land the Hawks have postured and pouted, wanting someone else to bail them out; Officials, coaches, their opposition, and too often somebody else on their own team.

It's a mark of not only a young team, but an immature one as well. There is everyone to look at for the source of this problem, but everyone is more than willing to look at the speck in somebody else's eyes than to attempt to remove the plank from their own.

Mike Woodson

I never thought the Hawks would win tonight, and I am the first to say the Hawks did not make the open shots they needed, they did not execute even the most basic plays by Mike Woodson, and I am in the top five of most bias commentators on our coach, but all that being said, I am pretty sure I could have coached this entire playoff run with the same results. I have said it once but I guess I will say it again, explain to me what Mike Woodson has done to help the Hawks in the playoffs?

LeBron and his fouls

I found the talk of about LeBron getting star treatment by not having fouls called on him was a bit ridiculous. One, there is no way he can control it. He is not flopping or making exaggerated movements or looking for contact. The fouls just are not called. It is completely on the refs. And really, I need to dislike the player first before I can really start hating on the refs.

Then Joe went and got hurt on a play where LeBron fouled Joe with his hand and body. LeBron was not dirty, the foul did not necessarily cause the injury. But in a game where you can cause injuries, it would be nice to have some penalty for doing so.

LeBron committed more than one foul and on one of those non-calls, someone was injured. As little connection as there is there, it leaves a pretty bad taste in your mouth if you are a Hawks fan.

Final Thoughts

We sucked. As Hoopinion pointed out, Wally Szczerbiak got whatever shot he wanted. The Hawks played much worse than their injuries, and that is depressing, but as Mike Woodson reminded, we always have Boston.

"We were in the same situation last year with the blowouts in Boston," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said.

No one should feel nauseous this early in the morning.

Go Hawks!

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The Cavs are really starting to look like Jordan’s Bulls to me although no doubt Detroit and Atlanta haven’t given them any kind of test. Lebron like Jordan can just do whatever he wants on the court and there’s nothing you can do to stop him and now he has the teammates to back it up and most likely win the first of several NBA titles.

The Hawks meanwhile are proving that in the NBA you need to have a good coach and a superstar to challenge for a championship. If you don’t, making the 2nd round is as good as it will get. Hard to say whether the Hawks are better off blowing the team up now and hoping they can do what they failed to do in ’05 and ’06 and draft a true superstar or bringing them all back for another couple couple years of 2nd round losses.

by redwards95 on May 8, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I recall

One of Jordan’s Team going 72-10 and having 3 players named ALL NBA Defense.

But Yeah Other than that I see the comparison.

NAS designed your BLUEPRINT, who you kidding?
Is he H TO THE IZZO, M TO THE IZZO?
For shizzle you phony, the rapping version of SISQO~Nas

by I blocked Patrick Chewing on May 8, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mike Woodson

Correct my numbers if I’m wrong, but this is what my rudimentary math has compiled…

Under Mike Woodson, the Hawks are 1-8 in playoff road games. They have lost by a combined 203 points at an average of 25.4 points per game.

There’s nothing wrong with losing… IF you’re competitive. The problem is that they’re not competitive under Mike Woodson while on the road. Either in playoff games or during the regular season. No, he’s not to blame for all of this teams troubles. The players and management, and injuries share a part of the blame. But as far as coaching, player development, and strategery Mike Woodson is simply not getting it done. He’s brought the team as far as it can go under his leadership. It’s time for a change.

by SilverRubicon on May 8, 2009 10:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bosh or Stoudemire

Which one do you guys prefer if we could orchestrate a trade?

by Hawks-Semi Fan on May 8, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Between the two, I’d probably take Bosh because injuries are less of a factor with him. Who would you trade away to get one of them? Horford? Smooth?

by redwards95 on May 8, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kinda AGREE

I prefer Bosh also because he played at GTech and familiarity usually breeds comfort. I was thinking a sign and trade built around Marvin, Acie, and a couple of 1st rd picks.

by Hawks-Semi Fan on May 8, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank christ I had an event to go to last night and didn’t get to watch much of this game

But I am totally with you on the HHB comments on looking around for someone else to save them and not looking like they belong. During the first half of game 1 even though we were hanging I was screaming at the TV because they refused to go after a rebound or try to go after a loose ball because they looked like they were waiting for someone else to do something or they were just waiting for the Cavs to torch them (which they did). This is the fucking playoffs, act like you want it, act like you want to win, actually try to be aggressive and score, you have NOTHING TO LOSE. You have already been blown out twice so if we don’t come out just looking to go balls to the wall tomorrow it will just be pathetic.

I think it goes back to Woodson also. The team seems like it has no direction, no focus and no drive. I think we beat Miami not because we wanted it more but just because we were a way more talented team. Now we don’t have that going for us and we are getting slaughtered. They don’t even look like they think they can win. Even when we were only down 4 in the first half in game 1 we still looked like we thought we were going to lose. Part of me wants Woodson canned and thinks we should take 2 more blowouts, but for the sake of the fan in me I just want us to show up for one game. Even if we get swept at least please show up just once.

My Music Blog: DBF

by BVaz on May 8, 2009 10:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

drew, how have you not seen this

http://withleather.uproxx.com/2009/05/dude-gets-100-milif-he-gets-married

by MLT on May 8, 2009 4:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

booo

they had the wrong Georgian ZaZa.

by MLT on May 8, 2009 4:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

is zaza the "john" of eastern europe?

by hawksdawgs on May 8, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Home

if we play like this at home i will puke.

by dynoryno22 on May 8, 2009 9:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not that i havent puked watching these awful road games

by dynoryno22 on May 8, 2009 9:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Smoove said...

"This series is going to be what we make of it. We didn’t show up here to be somebody’s punching bag and just go home. We’re like everybody else still playing. We want to win it all, too."
I understand that Josh tried to play and was held down by the refs, but I can only come to the conclusion that there is NO locker room communication based on the fact that I don’t think Joe knows ANYTHING about this quote. Joe is playing like crap. One bad showing isn’t enough for me to want to trade him. I want Joe to stay. I SAID IT!!! I LIKE JOE!!! I want him to play. He scored a few amazing baskets (split the double team) and I can only imagine how good if he kept playing like this. We know what Joe is capable of…if you don’t, let me take u down memory lane…remember Game 4 last year against the Celtics? He just needs to play.
If you ask me, the Hawks are playing just like we as fans are thinking. “We can’t win this but oh well. I’m proud we made it this far.” We have gotten blown out these last two games and I don’t know why but for some reason, this gives me confidence in us. The Hawks that I know and love can win. I can only feel that for this series we have given up. Do I think we’re gonna win this series? No. What does it make me think though? If Al was on the court along with Marvin (though I hate him) and Joe (God why have you taken Joe from us?), we could upset the best team in the league because I certainly had the hope that we could have done it last year. What’s my hope? That even though we are injury-ridden and playing the best team in the league and they look unstoppable at this point in time, we step on that court tomorrow night and play like we all know they can.

by donteffwitjoe on May 8, 2009 10:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs