Quick Thought: Winning ... it's like ... better than losing!
Hawksdawgs Memorial Victory Bullets:
- Nets first basket (2-0 Nets) gave them their first lead at home all season. It didn't help prevent a 31-18 first quarter deficit for New Jersey.
- Four spot-up jump shots up for Josh Smith in that first quarter, four made spot-up jump shots. Glad the Hawks didn't waste that good fortune Monday night.
- Hawks pulled what the Bulls did last Tuesday night against the Hawks, namely playing the starters almost exclusively in the second half. Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague played all 24 second half minutes and only Zaza Pachulia got off the bench for the Hawks after halftime (Two and a half minutes).
- I defy you to find a softer running hook than Joe Johnson's. It wouldn't violate a Do Not Disturb sign on the net.
- It was going to be impossible for the Nets to be as cold as they were in the first quarter (5-17), and they evened the ledger by hitting 11-22 three pointers for the game. The Hawks shot 14-22 and was the difference as for the rest of the game, the Hawks hit 50 percent (28-56) and were edged by New Jersey (31-60, 51 percent).
- 26 assists, 10 turnovers --- Al Horford and Joe led with 6 assists.
- Vladimir Radmanovic was a hot 4-11 from three point range, if that makes sense.
- Any coincidence in Josh Smith's higher production and the Hawks winning streak? 26 points, 10-14 shooting, six rebounds, 3 steals.
- Three Hawks over 20 points: Smith's 26, Jeff Teague with 20 and Joe Johnson with 22 on 9-15 shooting.
- The Nets should play Marshon Brooks 48 minutes a game against the Hawks. His 19 point, 10 rebound night combined with his earlier efforts puts him firmly on a path to becoming a Hawk Hater.
- How many times will you see Al Horford, after getting punk'd by Kris Humphries on a blocked dunk, angrily grab a rebound, lead the break, hit Radmanovic on the wing who floats a lob pass to Josh for the slam? Well once, if you watched this game.
- Teague made it happen in the third quarter, casually scoring eight of his 20 points on three outside shots, a trip to the line, and a crazy 10 second up and under scoop-o-rama that went down. The thrilling part is it all seems so natural that he was doing that -- to think that's what Jeff Teague does. Nice.
- By the way, I'm pretty much over the teams taking and making any which way threes that go in late in the game. Surely the whole regression to the mean won't only apply to Josh's jumpers, right?
- The Hawks are #4 in the SB Nation NBA Power Rankings. Not too shabby for a team that was looked over before the season started. Even in the Pacers/Sixers game, the Pacer announcers were wringing their hands over the arrival of the Hawks (Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST). Enjoy it, Hawks fans. Don't think. Just enjoy.
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