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!