Box Score

Recap

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!

Box Score

Recap

The Hawks and Cavs have very similar offenses. Except one has a little more ball movement, a 7'3'' center, and the best player on the planet.

With a healthy Hawks team (which of course they are not), Atlanta should be able to score on Cleveland. They have match ups to take advantage, and with the Cavs taking away one with an almost constant double team on Joe Johnson, others should open up. The problem is the Cavs are way too good at team defense to just think you can just run your set and succeed off an initial command position.

The Cavs play a lot of one on one basketball, but they do so off the extra pass. They never lock into taking the shot. The mindset keeps players cutting to the basket. It is not all back door cuts. Cleveland dribbles all over the place. They play one one as much as the Hawks, they just never forget four other guys are on their team.

Take a double team. Joe passes out of it and the Hawks recipient sees the advantage, and will thus, one way or another take the shot. Rarely do we see multiple passes or looks down low. The Cavs, on the other hand, turn double teams into half court fast break opportunities.

The whole one on one mindset is fine. I understand that is how a lot of NBA basketball is played. Mike Woodson is not a bad coach because Joe Johnson goes one on one. What is bad in the disorganization and lack of execution as to who gets the ball and where within these offensive sets. Josh Smith and Mike Bibby took a total of 6 shots in the second half. Flip Murray took seven. The Cavs on the other hand, knew where and how to destroy Mike Bibby's defensive shortcomings pretty much the whole game. They did not play one on one. They played advantageous one on one.

I am not expecting a Princeton style offense or constant inside outside game, but if you cannot get your most effective players the ball then I have a problem.

The mindset of the Hawks is "i am moderately open it must be my turn." Well, when everyone is hitting shots, bottom smacks for everyone. When they are not, the Cavs can just make sure Flip Murray is moderately open.

Joe Johnson

The Cavs must have watched the game 7 tape. Man is getting double teamed 30 feet from the basket. It makes it tough to score. But I am actually ok with a 5 for 10 night with six assists. The killer is five turnovers.

Cleveland is not going to let Joe iso Delonte West to death. And yes that takes out about 82% of the Hawks offense, but I have always wondered why Joe does not come off screens shooting. Joe is darn good shooter. The post up and methodical drive just might not happen this series. I know Mike Woodson does not like deviating from plan A, but it might be time to go to plan C.

'I'm tired,' Joe Johnson said afterward, 'but I'd never use that as an excuse. You play the whole season to get to the playoffs, and now that we're in the second round, we need to act like we want to be here."

Well, hey, at least he is a three time all-star now. Fresh legs be damned.

Defense

The Hawks do not have much of an answer on defense if Cleveland guards play the way they did last night. Against any team, Atlanta likes to dare shooters to shoot. They switch on screens and let Josh Smith play three feet off Delonte West. Now with LeBron requiring the attention of roughly four Hawks and the constant need to help Mike Bibby on defense,  jumpers are all the more open. The Cavs hit those shots, they win by 20 all four games. That is sad and that is true. But if they miss those shots, the Hawks have to limit them to one shot. Last night they hit shots and gave them second chances. But that is cool sometimes a shot to the gut is the only thing that makes a punch to the head feel better.

Final Thoughts

I assume/hope Al Horford played limited minutes due to his ankle, and without a healthy Marvin and Al, the hope for even a competitive series seems to be slipping away.

But this was just one game. I do not want to go all Mike Woodson on you, but it did not look good against Boston after two games last year. A seven game series is a marathon. And maybe it is just because I watched seven straight blowouts, the margin of victory for the Cavs does not really get my emotions swinging one way or another. In the end, to bring home a few victories, the Hawks have to execute. They have to play well. They have to believe they can win. All three are perfectly obtainable goals. They are just ambitious ones.

Game thread comment of the game from bystander with "I haven’t followed your team for a long time, but I think you guys need a new coach…so much talent on the roster…."

Go Hawks!

Box Score

Recap

Joe Johnson did not come to Atlanta for the money. He asked the Suns not to match the Hawks offer.  It was no mercenary signing. Man was going to make his cash. He came to be the number one guy, and people can say that is the wrong priority to have. They can make fun of Atlanta for giving up too much, but how fitting, in the biggest game this franchise has seen in probably since the 7th game of the 1988 series against Boston, Joe Johnson was the star. He may not be the number one option on every team, but he is on our team. And I am damn proud to have him.

Do you know what Hawks basketball was like when Joe Johnson arrived? I would sit in the upper deck confident my heckling was being heard. If you were drinking at the game, you got drunk. No lines at any concessions. It was a dangerous situation. People mocked the city, the fans, the whole deal. And look what Joe has helped build. Some may only want to talk about the super stars. They may only want to write articles about the dynamic personalities, but what Joe has been the nucleus of is truly impressive. In fact, he says it quite well himself.

"I envisioned this," Johnson said, "that we would be playing in front of a packed house, and that the fans would be going crazy."

Of course I would rather have Dwyane Wade over Joe Johnson, and Wade did some spectacular things this series, but the closest thing Dwyane did to match Joe Johnson's three from about 40 feet out he could only muster on with a bank shot. And Wade was not fouled on his play. For people who think Joe is not assertive enough, not quite skilled enough, just plain and simple not a number one guy, name three players in the league who would take the shots Joe took tonight....and make them. Joe may not be the best every night, but when it counted, he was.

A brief look ahead

I struggle to envision the Hawks winning against the Cavs. Cleveland is the better team, with the best player, and holding home court. But the Hawks just played four games in seven that won't be the Cavs by 20 (may not even beat the Cavs at all) but will make for a hell of a game. What I am saying is that odds are long, but in know way should the team or the fans be satisfied with a first round victory. The Hawks just entered into a new seven game season, and if they lose, that season is a failure. Plain and simple. The Hawks can hang with the Cavs. The question is does the team think they can beat them?

Mind Cramp

If the 2007-2008 Hawks played the 2008-2009 Hawks, we may have seen the exact series we just saw. Any team with Wade is a scary team, the blowouts some how sullied the whole series. Like no good basketball was played. But inconsistency on one side should not be an indictment on the team that played well. The Heat played well for three games, but in the end, the maturity and balance of the Hawks, won out. Hats off to the Heat. They did not just randomly surge this year. The team is headed in the right direction. Also, did I just use maturity and Hawks in the same sentence?

The true key

Turnovers have been the lynch pen the whole series. One way to change that. Don't let the other team shoot. The 17 turnovers by the Hawks helped them score easy baskets and push the pace. All around just great defense. I assume Mike Woodson is in the Atlanta rain somewhere pulling a Shawshank.

Final Thoughts

Game thread comment of the game from Bronn, "I am falling love with ball movement. I have a feeling she is going to cheat on me though."

Can the Hawks play more consistent? Are they able to play at this high a level against a better team? Is the team capable of keeping their composure and come back when the go down big? Mike Woodson?

For one night, it does not matter. Enjoy the win Hawks fans. It has been a long road. We all deserve it.

Go Hawks!

Box Score

Recap

Rebounds. In a game that had fake injuries, flagrant fouls, chippy behavior, missed contest dunks, and hot Flip, it is weird talking about something that hinges on boxing out and trying hard. This was a soap opera game that was decided by the guy that holds the boom mike.

Yet, Atlanta had more effort and better focus. The Hawks out rebounded the Heat by eight and six of those were offensive rebounds. They crowded the paint and contested shots. The Hawks played defense with no regard for their own bodies or the Heats. So it was nice that the Heat obliged and worked up injuries on their own accord. The Hawks owned the paint plain and simple.

In case you don't believe me, I give you this evidence. Mike Bibby drove the ball....repeatedly. He attacked and attacked until Mike Woodson benched him for deviating from "my point guard only shoots jumpers" offensive mentality. Bibby was an offensive force and he hit one three pointer. When is the last time you could say that? Dude had a great game.

The Josh Smith Missed Dunk

I can harp on just about anyone. I yell at refs at games. I think Dwyane Wade is a faker. I come close to booing Josh Smith three pointers before they have left his hand. I criticize Woodson for the smallest infraction....

...and I have no problem with Josh's dunk. And I find it laughable that Spoelstra  said, “It turned into a highlight show after a while. They were trying to embarrass us." Certainly, it would be bad form in the regular season. But the Hawks are/should be trying to establish an NBA city. ESPN is not going to show this game outside of a Dwyane Wade highlight/low light. Phillips is rarely as loud as it was tonight. The arena was sold out. The Heat starters, not in foul trouble, were still in, and if that dunk fell, the place would have gone crazy. Minimum three fans would have died. I am not saying Josh crossed these things off a list and decided to do it, but I thank him for trying.

Hawks third quarter offense

Never have I been more impressed with the Hawks offense than in the first 3 minutes of the third quarter. Dwyane Wade, apparently no longer concust, drilled his first few shots. Miami was rolling. It all looked like I was buying more beer than I anticipated.

And then the Hawks did something incredible. They ran offense. There was ball movement and players coming off screens and inside/outside play. And the Hawks got shots they could hit, and then they hit them. The team withstood a run by actually scoring. it was ridiculous. Ridiculous and awesome.

I want to buy a jersey and I can't because no one person deserves it. Team basketball, you clever girl...

The other things

Injuries, fake injuries, a Joe revival, hot Flip, Woodson pretending like he knows how to use timeouts, Mario getting overexcited, comment of the the game thread. There is so much to talk about. Victory bullets may top thirty. Until tomorrow...

Go Hawks!

Box Score

Recap

If Al Horford had the game Zaza Pachulia just put up, I would demand national media attention. I would buy another jersey. I would argue how he should become a cultural phenomenon. I really would. That is not a "haha" funny intro. For me, lust is a legit emotion when it comes to Al Hoford, and the performance by Zaza is making me question my own commitments. I will go ahead and say it. Zaza is a temptress.

12 points, 18 rebounds, 2 steals, and only one Zaza-esque turnover. The man was a machine. I yelled "Shrimp Boat" more times in the last four hours than I have yelled in my entire life. It was this equal parts Zaza toughness (which is its own category) and a disrespect by the Heat. Zaza was left wide open for at least two of his five baskets. Jermaine O'Neal licked his chops every time he had him one on one. Wade and Chalmers stayed back after misses to swipe at his rebounds. And yet, the man hit his open shots, he out rebounded the opposing starting center by 12, and only turned it over when he had to keep up his reputation. I mean I could roughly write four more paragraphs, but I will end by saying this, well done sir.

The fact that Wade's good shots, which of course he had tonight because he is a great player, will overshadow Zaza's workman like awesomeness on ESPN is a travesty. Not even because Zaza outplayed Wade (That is right I said it. Copy and paste it. Mock it. Try to defy it......and that is what I thought. ZAZA!), but Mr. Dwyane hurt his team. He pressed. He took bad shots. He took too many shots. And the question I will raise is simply this, is Dwyane Wade MV3 always or just when his teammates play well? Because Wade is 0-2 when the team does not shoot over 50% from three. That is not to say Wade is bad or simply good. He is awesome, but being MVP caliber in a league where superstars are playing at this kind of level is not something to take lightly. You want the mantle. Take the criticism.

On a similar but much kinder note as it relates to Wade, as long as Joe Johnson is not playing up to par, this series is going to go however Dwyane Wade goes. And that should be scary if you are a Hawks fan. Put another way, please step up Joe.

Victory Bullets

• The Hawks need to stay focused on Dwyane Wade of course but figuring out Jermaine O'Neal would be nice. Lord knows enough game tape exists on him.
  
• I am going to classify 7 of Josh Smith's 14 shots having come from outside the paint. Come one buddy. I would rather have reckless Josh 4 feet from the basket than smooth Josh 26 feet from it.
• Maurice Evans had the exact game/walk off interview the Hawks needed.
  
• I admit it I love Erik Spoelstra use of timeouts. Please take note Woody.
  
• Personally, I enjoyed that three Mike Bibby from basically half court.
  
• Anytime you come out of two four point plays no matter how legit or terrible they are with a ten point victory on the road, you just buy Zaza whatever he wants and say thank you.
  
• Someone needs to show a tape to Josh Smith of his final rebound and put it on repeat for the entire flight back to Atlanta. 
• Refs are always bad for both teams. That is just something you live with in the NBA. But tonight I thought they were like cheerleaders for the crowd. Bad calls are going to be made. In the second quarter, it is just those calls came like gasoline on a lit match. Well, that and Solo being kind of dumb.
  
• On a related note, 7 players had two fouls before 13 minutes were gone in the game.
• Loved how few no calls/good defense/lack of biting the Hawks gave to Wade's pump fakes. 
• Still no game this series within ten points. Sorry America.
• I told the Hawks if they "leave a three point shooter open due to a certain strategy,,,you better close on that shooter like your life depends on it." Well, Solo took that literally, but the Hawks had a hand in every shot except for a few mid range jumpers they were fine with centers and power forwards making. Hats off. 

Too many comments to pick a game thread comment of the game, but I will say thanks to all who stopped by. I will give Zaza the quote until tomorrow with, "I look like Rocky Balboa."

Hawks have regained home court. Game five just got a lot louder.

LETS GO HAWKS!

Box Score

Recap

When your best run offensive possession is the first play of the game and it ends with an air ball by Al Horford from inside the free throw line, it may not be your night.  And when your fast break play is an alley hoop layup to Zaza Pachulia, then, well then, you just know it is not your night.

Apparently, after strong denials from Peachtree Hoops, the Miami Heat can indeed hit 98 three pointers in a game and shoot over 50 percent from behind the arc. Not that it even mattered last night. Hawks got beat every which way. The players did not show up with hustle. They did not show up with skill. They barely looked like dribbling was in the top 100 of things they do best. The curse of Spirit the Hawks may well be upon us.

But here are two pairs of startling numbers. 22 and 12, 32 and 17. Those are the first and fourth quarter points for the Heat and Hawks respectively. And here, therefore, begins a brief Mike Woodson rant. If you have questionable subbing patterns, the most utterly simplistic offensive sets, and cannot stop and/or hinder one of your star players from taking three point shots, motivation is one of the last thing the coaching label asks of you. These numbers clearly show that is not in your tool bag either.

In a string of terrible quotes from both players and coaches I will leave you with this one from Woodson.

“They’ve been the most aggressive team so far in the series, excluding the first game,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “We’ve got to find some momentum and get back in this series. I just thought the Heat did everything they were supposed to do, and we just didn’t answer the bell.”

Does he even care what he tells reporters?

In the end, I always expected/wanted/needed the Hawks to win one in Miami. It does not matter which one, and it does not matter how much the one loss is by. The Hawks have always needed one win. It is all they need to take back home court. Now, Woodson just needs it to save his job.

Loser dots later today.

Go Hawks

Box Score

Recap

Did anyone expect Miami to not hit shots the whole series? And one follow up question. Can you lose every quarter and still win? I think I actually know the answer to both of those.

But at least for one night, the Heat did, and you can't. And the Hawks had nothing but an out of touch three here and there to respond.

If you gave me four guesses and four options as to what the offensive game plan was tonight, I would have a 25% chance of getting it right.

In the end, the Heat played the way we did Sunday with two exceptions, they hit three pointers instead of dunks and did it on the road. Hats off to them.

....they also had Dwyane Wade, which was nice.

This is an actual series

If the Hawks had actually won, you can't imagine the fun I would have had with the fact that an actual Hawk roamed the building for the first few minutes of the game. The whole bit would have killed. Instead, we lost and I watched Al Horford and Joe Johnson laugh and take serious interest in both the bird's abnormal presence and safety. They might as well have taken shots of jager right before tip off. 

This is the playoffs people. You do not see Kobe laughing about kiss cam. This is kill or be killed. And I mean that literally if you are Mike Woodson.

Speaking of whom

You were horrible good sir. Being right on a coaching move is pretty easy as a fan. You can call out something drunk, indifferent, or facetious and if it comes true you look like genius. Never have I been so sober, truthful, passionate, and correct in my whole life.

Putting Mario West in on an offensive possession to end the third quarter was basically like putting my Patrick in (ed. note Patrick does not know how to play basketball). It was four on five basketball, and the end result was that I punched things.

In the second quarter, I rather loudly mentioned to anyone that could hear, "Flip Murray can not guard Dwyane Wade." Considering I really only focus on Wade, I gave Woodson the benefit of the doubt. That is until Wade called off a potential screen  with anger, insulted that he would need a pick to score again Murray.

He scored two more straight baskets before Woodson made a change.

The Crowd

It was late arriving and quiet. We got rowdy with five minutes to go, but at that point, we working on a monumental comeback, without a monumental effort from anyone.

It was disappointing, and anyone that wants to blame the refs should blame the fans first (and then maybe the refs). We did not show up.

Flip Murray

Imagine someone is peer pressured into being horrible on a night that they are already horrible. Now imagine one great three pointer....and that is Flip Murray.

Lots more later but first tears now.

Go Hawks!

Box Score

Recap

"Josh Smith is a problem, man." - Marvin Williams

I watch a lot of sports. I love a lot of sports. And as a spectator, I am struggling to find a correlation for those back to back dunks by Josh Smith.

People simply jumped and screamed. Not that cool in sync jumping that happens at a bad rap concert. It was spastic, fist pumping, gyrations of joy. You just cannot ask for better sport. Thousands of people are leaving with bruises on their bicep because their buddy punched them in excitement.

It was as close to perfect as you can get. Of course perfect is irrelevant in playoff basketball. Next game is as much a must win as tonight, but until lets say late Monday, lets just say it was perfect. Because it was.

Every possession the Hawks had a match up advantage and they exploited. They did that or Josh Smith dunked it.

On the defensive side, outside of a few D-Wade dunks, the Hawks forced jumpers, rushed shots, and bad three pointers. It was great and it was awesome and my bicep is sore from being punched.

Let's take 12 hours of enjoyment, and then the Hawks need to realize they don't get to combine all seven game's scores. They need to know Boston won big at home last year too. Awesome win. Terrific crowd. Great win. Three pm tomorrow lets focus on win number two. Until then, I need some herbal tea. My voice is shot.

Comment of the game thread, after a Josh dunk Garrison Hayes wrote, "Two things the Highlight factory needs, more lights and a new roof."

Lets go Hawks!