Atlanta Hawks Schedule
Monday
2/6/2012
7:30PM
Atlanta Hawks vs Phoenix Suns
Wednesday
2/8/2012
7:30PM
Atlanta Hawks vs Indiana Pacers
Friday
2/10/2012
7:00PM
Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks
NEWS
By Bud L. Ellis
The euphoria of sweeping the Boston Celtics lasted just one day for the Atlanta Hawks, who ran into their own familiar brick wall Saturday night.
Dwight Howard continued tormenting his hometown team, scoring 31 points and pulling down 19 rebounds as the Hawks fell to the Orlando Magic, 104-86.
With the loss, the Hawks saw Orlando move ½ game ahead of Atlanta in the Southeast Division standings, and f\ell percentage points behind Boston for third in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks haven’t beaten the Magic since last season’s opening game, losing six in a row to the defending Eastern champions.
Atlanta ran out to a 10-point lead early, but the Magic reeled in the Hawks from there. Atlanta shot just 39.5 percent while the Magic hit on 54.2 percent of their attempts. Howard hit 10-of-16 from the field and shot 18 free throws – the Hawks as a team shot 20 from the line – as three Hawks’ defenders (Jason Collins, Zaza Pachulia and Al Horford) combined to commit 13 fouls.
Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford each scored 19 points to lead Atlanta. Josh Smith added 16 and Mike Bibby scored 10.
Atlanta returns to action Tuesday at Oklahoma City.
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Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 11:32 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Dwight Howard, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, National Basketball Association, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic
By Bud L. Ellis
Two years ago, the Atlanta Hawks entered the NBA playoffs for the first time in a decade, the bottom seed in the Eastern Conference that was supposed to be a quick snack for the powerful Boston Celtics.
Atlanta grabbed the nation’s attention by pushing the eventual world champs to seven games in that opening-round series. Two years later, the seeds planted in those April days two springs ago have blossomed.
The Hawks are a legit championship contender. Just ask the Celtics, who were handed a season sweep by the Hawks on Friday night. In front of a rocking Philips Arena that gave the game a playoff feel, the Hawks raced to a big lead and survived a Boston surge in the second half for a 100-91 victory.
Atlanta finishes the season 4-0 against its green menace from Beantown, moving past Boston and into second place in the Eastern Conference. The win sets up an intriguing mid-season showdown with Orlando, which is fourth in the East and ½ game behind the Hawks in the Southeast Division, on Saturday night.
Jamal Crawford set the tone with a buzzer-beater from just inside halfcourt as the first quarter ended Friday, giving the Hawks a 23-22 lead. Atlanta pushed the advantage to 53-41 at the half, then weathered a Boston comeback that brought the visitors to within one point heading into the fourth quarter.
But the Hawks looked and played like a team all grown up in the final 12 minutes, outscoring the Celts 26-18 to salt away their 30th victory of the season and lock up their first season sweep of Boston since 1998-99.
Crawford scored 28. Joe Johnson added 27, 16 coming in the fourth quarter as he hit big shot after big shot. Josh Smith added 12 points and nine rebounds, and Al Horford scored 11 points with eight rebounds.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 1:28 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena
By Bud L. Ellis
The early hole was too deep to dig out of for the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night.
Down 15 after one quarter, down 22 at the half, the Hawks tried to make a game of it in the final two quarters at San Antonio but ran out of steam and time, falling 105-90 to finish a two-stop Texas road swing at 1-1.
Two nights after displaying plenty of energy and punch in a victory at Houston, the Hawks lacked the same fire and determination. The loss, just the third in the past 11 games for Atlanta, keeps the Hawks behind Boston in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Boston comes to Philips Arena Friday night. The Hawks are 3-0 against the Celtics this season.
Wednesday, Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford shouldered the offensive load for Atlanta. Johnson went for 31 points on 15-of-26 shooting. Crawford added 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, including three 3-pointers.
Josh Smith scored 14 and Marvin Williams added 10, but the Hawks shot 39 percent as a team. Smith pulled down 16 rebounds.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 7:10 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, San Antonio Spurs
By Bud L. Ellis
When the Atlanta Hawks are running and gunning like they did in the first and third quarters Friday night, they just might soar all the way to June.
In perhaps two of their most dominant stretches of basketball of the season, Atlanta took Charlotte’s six-game winning streak and dispatched it in a 103-89 victory at Philips Arena that wasn’t anywhere near as close as indicated.
Were it not for a lull in the second quarter and another in the fourth, the Hawks might have won by 40. Seriously. They were that good, shooting 51 percent from the floor, getting five 3-pointers and a team-high 24 points from Jamal Crawford, five Hawks finished with four or more assists and Atlanta was a perfect 14-for-14 from the foul line.
Crawford hit on 8-of-12 field-goal attempts, and added five assists and two blocked shots. Al Horford added 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Joe Johnson finished with 19 points and seven assists. Josh Smith mixed several big-time dunks into his 14 points, adding eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Marvin Williams also scored 14.
The Hawks now prepare for a huge week in which they will play at Houston, at San Antonio, home with Boston and at Orlando. The Hawks lead the Magic by ½ game in the Southeast Division, and trail the Celtics by ½ game for second place in the Eastern Conference.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 11:47 am by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, San Antonio Spurs
By Bud L. Ellis
Midway through the season, the Atlanta Hawks are in a pretty good place.
Sitting at 27-14 and in first place in the Southeast Division, the Hawks reached the middle point of the 2009-10 season Wednesday night, overcoming a sluggish start to down Sacramento 108-97 at Philips Arena.
Jamal Crawford, arguably the team’s MVP in the first half, continued his strong work off the bench with 20 points. Joe Johnson added 17. Josh Smith, who left early after taking a blow to the knee, returned to finish with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Atlanta, which sits four games behind Cleveland for the best record in the Eastern Conference, trailed by 10 in the opening minutes until finding its gear. The Hawks shot 51 percent and, after the first few minutes, played crisp, precision basketball.
Atlanta plays host to Charlotte on Friday.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 6:39 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Sacramento Kings
By Bud L. Ellis
Monday, the nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The Atlanta Hawks were scheduled to work, but it didn’t look like they showed up.
Shooting just 4-for-16 from 3-point range and looking lackluster throughout their Monday afternoon matinee at Philips Arena, Jamal Crawford couldn’t bail out his mates this time. Three days after beating Phoenix with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Crawford missed a game-tying 3 at the horn as the Hawks fell 94-91 to Oklahoma City.
For a team with championship aspirations, it was a disappointing loss. The Thunder aren’t chopped liver, coming in four games over .500. But still, these are games the truly elite teams need to win at home.
The Hawks on this day looked anything but ready for elite status.
They shot just 40 percent from the floor. They fell behind early, trailing by seven after the first quarter and by 12 in the second quarter. They continuously sent Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant to the foul line, where the Thunder star sank 14-of-15 attempts.
Still, Atlanta grinded its way back into the game, but couldn’t come up with a miracle finish for the second consecutive game.
Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 23 points. Josh Smith added 18 points and 12 rebounds, missing a triple-double by three assists. Al Horford scored 13 to go with 10 rebounds. Mike Bibby and Crawford each scored 12.
The loss dropped the Hawks back into a tie for first in the Southeast Division with Orlando. Atlanta continues its homestand Wednesday against Sacramento at Philips Arena.
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Monday, January 18, 2010 at 9:30 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Kevin Durant, Mike Bibby, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, Sacramento Kings
By Bud L. Ellis
It could be argued nobody in the NBA thirsts for the playoffs more than Jamal Crawford.
The nine-year veteran has 636 games of NBA experience … all in the regular season.
Not once since breaking into the league in 2000 with Chicago has Crawford played in the postseason, a streak that is likely to change this spring. The Atlanta Hawks lead the Southeast Division, are on a 54-win pace, and look every bit like a serious challenger for the Eastern Conference title.
But Crawford, dealt to the Hawks this summer from Golden State, isn’t just along for the ride. He’s pushing the accelerator to the playoffs. Just look at the Hawks’ team stats. His 17.2 points per game are second on the team. His 30.7 minutes per game rank fourth, even though he hasn’t started a game. His 66 3-pointers stand second.
Brought in to bolter Atlanta’s bench and to provide veteran leadership, Crawford has fit the bill on both accounts. His buzzer-beating 3-pointer Friday sent the Hawks past Phoenix 102-101 at Philips Arena, and he was mobbed by his teammates.
Perhaps Crawford will get that feeling this spring, in the playoffs.
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Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 9:34 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Jamal Crawford, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Phoenix Suns
By Bud L. Ellis
When the final chapter of the Atlanta Hawks’ 2009-10 season is over, nobody knows where Jamal Crawford’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer will rank.
But it’s safe to say the 25-footer that swished through the hoop as the Philips Arena buzzer cried Friday night will occupy a high spot on the list.
For Hawks’ fans, this season’s been one full of highlights and monumental moments. Atlanta has climbed from the abyss of a 13-win season five years ago to now occupy a spot among the
NBA’s elite. Crawford’s heroics capped a furious final six seconds, during which the Hawks rallied from a 100-96 deficit to beat Phoenix 102-101.
But the good news continued to flow for the Hawks long after the delirious crowd filed out of Philips. On the West Coast, Orlando was throttled by Portland, the loss coupled with the Hawks’ victory moving Atlanta by the Magic and into first place in the Southeast Division by one-half game.
Thirty-nine games into the 82-game season, and Atlanta sits at a lofty 26-13 on the season, in third place in the Eastern Conference, just 1 ½ games behind second-place Boston and three games in arrears of conference front-runner Cleveland.
If the playoffs started today, Atlanta would face Toronto in the first round, and likely would meet the second-seeded Celtics in round two. The Hawks are 3-0 against Boston this season, having beaten the Celts twice in Boston already.
For those of you who don’t know the history of this franchise’s 42 years in Atlanta, round two has proven to be the big stumbling block for great Hawks’ teams of the past. But you get the feeling, especially after watching on a night like Friday, that this team is different. It’s balanced. It’s focused. True, it still has moments where they look like the Hawks of a more recent – and more putrid – vintage, but those moments are less likely to show themselves.
Instead, we’re becoming accustomed to moments like Friday, when the Hawks play like champions. Crawford’s shot didn’t win any titles for Atlanta, but it’s those moments that make us believe more and more Atlanta’s got a real shot to do something really special later this spring.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 3:01 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers
By Bud L. Ellis
Down four points. Six seconds to go. Just 4-for-22 from behind the 3-point line.
No problem for the Atlanta Hawks, who keep showing the stuff of champions in a season that smacks of something special.
Jamal Crawford’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer from 25 feet capped a wild final six seconds Friday night at Philips Arena, the Hawks rallying from a 100-96 deficit in the final six ticks to stun Phoenix 102-101.
The victory improved Atlanta’s record to 26-13 overall, 16-4 in Philips. And The Highlight Factory was filled with memorable moments in the final six seconds.
Down 100-96, Josh Smith hit the first of two free throws. He missed the second. Two Phoenix players went for the rebound. Neither got it, the ball deflecting right to Crawford for a layup, pulling the Hawks within one, 100-99, with 3.6 seconds left.
Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire was fouled on the inbounds play with three seconds left. He missed the first free throw but hit the second. The Hawks called timeout, getting to inbound the ball at midcout trailing 101-99.
Mike Bibby couldn’t find anybody rolling off a screen on the inbounds play, so he fired to Crawford just inside the half-court line. Crawford dribbled in, pulled up and drained the 3-pointer as the buzzer cried, sending the Philips Arena crowd into a frenzy as the Hawks poured off the bench to mob Crawford.
Al Horford led the way with a strong performance, scoring 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Crawford finished with 21, hitting two 3-pointers on a night where the Hawks finished just 5-for-23 from beyond the arc. Smith scored 20 and Joe Johnson added 19.
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Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:12 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Amare Stoudemire, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Phoenix Suns
By Bud L. Ellis
It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the Atlanta Hawks found a way to grind past the Washington Wizards Wednesday night at Philips Arena.
And a key part of the victory came from a guy who knows the Hawks – and the Atlanta area – very well, but found himself playing in Maine as recently as last weekend.
Former Georgia Tech standout and Douglasville native Mario West, signed to a 10-day contract earlier in the week, gave the Hawks a boost during a decisive 23-5 second-quarter run, scoring five points with five rebounds to help the Hawks push past Washington 94-82.
West (who played with the Hawks the past two years but was cut in training camp, playing with Maine of the Developmental League), Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford provided the oomph off the bench, as Atlanta’s reserves outscored the Wizards’ bench 35-9. Crawford scored 22 points, and Teague teamed with West to throttle the offense into high gear in the second quarter as the Hawks turned a 17-13 lead after one quarter into a 40-18 advantage.
Joe Johnson led the way with 24 points. Josh Smith pulled down 11 rebounds and added 10 points. Marvin Williams tied a career high with four blocks and scored 16, and Al Horford added 10 points.
The Hawks continue a five-game homestand Friday against Phoenix.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 6:47 am by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mario West, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Washington Wizards
