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
Wrapping up their most successful regular season in years, the Atlanta Hawks didn’t need to trot out their A-list lineup Wednesday night.
No, the guys on the bench drew the vast majority of the playing time in the regular-season finale at Philips Arena. But that’s OK. The stars of the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed already were preparing to tip off the second season.
Atlanta downed Cleveland 99-83 to conclude a regular season where the Hawks won 53 games, earned the No. 3 seed in the East and feel like they have what it takes to break through to the conference finals for the first time since the team was based in St. Louis.
This one was all about who wasn’t on the hardwood. The Hawks rested Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford. Cleveland didn’t bother playing LeBron James or Shaquille O’Neal.
One thing to note from this one: Atlanta’s top draft pick last summer, point guard Jeff Teague, showed a season getting minutes here and there might be the foundation for a really good NBA career. Playing all 48 minutes, Teague finished with 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 15 assists.
He had help on this night. Seven Hawks scored in double figures: Joe Smith, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Mario West, Jason Collins, Mo Evans and Teague.
Atlanta plays host to Milwaukee in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Philips Arena.
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Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 11:00 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Jason Collins, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Joe Smith, Josh Smith, LeBron James, Mario West, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, Milwaukee Bucks, Mo Evans, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Shaquille O’Neal, Zaza Pachulia
By Bud L. Ellis
A rotten night shooting from the field kept the Atlanta Hawks from gaining ground in the Southeast Division standings.
Shooting just 39.5 percent Friday night, the Hawks couldn’t hold a one-point halftime lead at Phoenix, slipping behind in the second half and falling to the Suns 88-80, on the second game of a four-game Western Conference road swing.
With division leader Orlando and Eastern Conference frontrunner Cleveland both losing, the Hawks were unable to capitalize and inch closer in both races. Atlanta remains 1 ½ games behind the Magic in the division and 7 ½ behind Cleveland in the conference.
Josh Smith led the Hawks with 21 points. Joe Johnson added 19 and nine rebounds. Jamal Crawford scored 11, and Al Horford added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Outside shooting doomed the Hawks on this night. Atlanta hit on just 30 of 76 attempts, including a paltry 3-for-14 from 3-point range.
The Hawks continue their road swing Sunday at Golden State and wrap up the road trip Monday at Utah. Atlanta returns home Wednesday to face Minnesota.
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Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 9:13 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz
By Bud L. Ellis
Joe Johnson and Al Horford are back from the All-Star game. Zaza Pachulia and Jamal Crawford are back from minor injuries.
For the Atlanta Hawks, it’s the second half of the season, and it’s time to make a move.
The Hawks sit in a great place in the standings, third in the Eastern Conference and just 1 ½ games behind second-seed Orlando in the Southeast Division. While catching the front-running Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference lead may be a reach for both teams – the Hawks are 8 ½ games back; the Magic seven games in arrears of Cleveland – the division title is there for the taking.
And with Boston just ½ game behind Atlanta for fourth and the red-hot Toronto Raptors in fifth and only four games behind the Celtics, the race for the second through fifth seeds in the East figures to go down to the season’s final days.
Atlanta opens a critical four-game west coast road swing Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hawks also visit Phoenix, Golden State and Utah on the trip, before returning home to Philips Arena next Wednesday to face Minnesota. The last three teams the Hawks face on the road trip all are above .500 and all would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 8:51 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Zaza Pachulia
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
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
Two years ago, the Atlanta Hawks snatched the NBA’s attention by taking three games from the eventual world champion Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs.
Now, the Hawks once again have topped the Celtics three times in a short time frame, and this time it may be a precursor to a more successful spring for Atlanta.
Down 14 points in the third quarter Monday in Boston, the Hawks rallied for a 102-96 victory, improving to 3-0 against Boston on the season.
In that playoff series two years ago, the eighth-seed Hawks won three times on their home court against the top seed Celtics. This year, Atlanta has won twice in Boston, serving notice the young team may be ready to compete with the Eastern Conference’s big three powers of Boston, Cleveland and Orlando.
Joe Johnson put on a command performance for Atlanta, hitting five 3-pointers en route to a 36-point night on 14-of-25 shooting. Marvin Williams and Josh Smith each finished with 14 points (Williams going 8-of-11 from the free-throw line). Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 17, and Al Horford pulled down 12 rebounds.
The Hawks (24-13) bounced back from an ugly showing in Orlando on Saturday, a 113-81 loss to the Southeast Division-leading Magic. Having lost four of seven coming in, the Hawks dug deep and posted a stirring victory.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 7:12 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic
By Bud L. Ellis
Dropping three games in their past four outings has moved the Atlanta Hawks out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
And the weather isn’t the only thing that’s cooled in the waning days of November and the opening hours of December.
The Hawks have scored 88 points or fewer in all three of their losses during their mini-skid that’s dropped Atlanta into a tie with Cleveland for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Prior to the recent hiccup, the Hawks ran off seven consecutive victories, scoring 97 points or more in each victory and topping 100 five times.
So, why the sudden struggles on offense? Start with a lack of patience.
The Hawks have been impatient on offense, which is surprising considering how fluid the Atlanta offense has been through most of the first 17 games.
In one of the losses, the Thanksgiving night defeat to Orlando, the Hawks faced one of the top defensive teams in the league. But in losses to New Orleans and Detroit (who combined have one more victory – 13 – than the Hawks), Atlanta simply didn’t find their rhythm on offense.
No doubt when the Hawks return to the floor to face Chicago on Wednesday, they will seek a return to the patient, balanced offensive attack that sparked their rise to the top of the East.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 8:33 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, National Basketball Association, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic
By Bud L. Ellis
In each of the past five years, the Atlanta Hawks have won more games than the year before.
The past two seasons, the Hawks have nudged their way back into contender status in the Eastern Conference. In 2008, Atlanta made the playoffs for the first time in a decade, then pushed the eventual world-champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the first round.
Last spring, the Hawks outlasted Miami in seven games to win a playoff series for the first time since 1999.
So, as the Hawks get ready to tip off the 2009-10 season Wednesday night at home against Indiana, the question is can Atlanta continue its upward surge?
It won’t be easy. The Hawks won 47 games a year ago, but play in the rugged East where the big three contenders — Boston, Cleveland and Orlando — all made major moves in the offseason.
So too did the Hawks, who added Jamal Crawford to the backcourt, Jason Collins and Joe Smith to the frontcourt, and drafted Jeff Teague to be the point guard of the future. Add in the playoff experience gained by Atlanta’s core, and the components are in place for the Hawks to crack the 50-win plateau.
The East will be a battle all season, and while the Hawks probably won’t be the ones to emerge from the fray come June, Atlanta should be good enough to make at least a decent push come playoff time.
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Monday, October 26, 2009 at 8:56 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Jason Collins, Jeff Teague, Joe Smith, Miami Heat, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic
By Bud L. Ellis
It wasn’t long ago the Atlanta Hawks just weren’t an afterthought on the Georgia sports scene. The franchise found itself one of the laughingstocks of professional sports.
Not anymore.
Not after back-t0-back playoff appearances: a surprise pushing of the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the opening round two seasons ago, followed by a seven-game victory over Miami in the first round last season.
Even a sweep at the hands of Cleveland in round two — a series where injuries ripped apart the Hawks’ player rotation — couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm for a team that won 47 games and captured a playoff series victory for the first time in a decade.
But what about now? What will the Hawks do in year three of the resurgence? Will they bust through and become a serious challenger to the big three in the East — Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. Or, will the Hawks take a step back in 2009-2010?
With training camp underway, optimism rules the day. Part of the enthusiasm comes from re-signing point guard Mike Bibby — who came from Sacramento at the trade deadline two winters ago to provide veteran leadership — and vital banger Zaza Pachulia.
Veteran Joe Smith brings 14 years of NBA experience to the table, and first-round draft pick Jeff Teague from Wake Forest could emerge into a star at the point, something the Hawks hoped to see out of Acie Law.
That didn’t happen, so Law was sent west this offseason for Jamal Crawford, a 6-foot-5 veteran who will join Joe Johnson and Bibby to give the Hawks a big-time scoring punch in the backcourt. Emerging star Al Horford may be undersized at center, but he makes up for it with his heart and hustle.
The Hawks have their work cut out for them in the ultra-tough East. But this team has come so far in the past two years, and if the new pieces fall into place the way head coach Mike Woodson hopes, then the Hawks can surpass the 50-win plateau and really be an interesting player come postseason.
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Monday, October 5, 2009 at 8:00 pm by bud
Tags: Acie Law, Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Joe Smith, Miami Heat, Mike Bibby, Mike Woodson, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Zaza Pachulia
