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
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
By Bud L. Ellis
It looks like the Atlanta Hawks have rediscovered their offensive mo-jo.
Mired in a slump on the offensive end during a 1-3 stretch, the Hawks busted out in a big way Wednesday night at Philips Arena. Nine Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks ripped the Toronto Raptors 146-115, matching the highest offensive output in the NBA so far this season.
Al Horford led the assault with 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, but he had company … lots of company. Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford scored 16 points each. Marvin Williams added 14. Rookie Jeff Teague scored 13. Joe Smith, Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson added 12 points each, and Zaza Pachulia scored 11.
The Hawks hit 59 percent of their shots from the floor, totally blowing away the overmatched Raptors. Atlanta led by 21 at halftime and by 30 after three quarters. Going into the fourth, the Hawks had 114 points, after scoring 88 points or fewer in the three losses preceding the rout.
Now 13-5 on the season, the Hawks take on New York on Friday.
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Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 9:38 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Joe Smith, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, National Basketball Association, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Zaza Pachulia
By Bud L. Ellis
Mike Bibby’s sprained ankle could turn out to be a good thing.
No, I’m not advocating the Atlanta Hawks are better off without their veteran point guard. Far from it.
But when the Hawks drafted Jeff Teague out of Wake Forest in the first round of this summer’s NBA draft, the thought was Teague would be molded to wear that label which sank Acie Law IV:
“Point guard of the future.”
Teague showed in preseason he could play – and play well – at the NBA level. But playing in October games before 5,000 people and playing on Thanksgiving in a showdown of two teams at the top of the Eastern Conference standings are two different things.
And yet, Teague very well could be in the starting lineup Thursday at Philips Arena when the Hawks play host to Orlando, in a meeting of two teams with 11 wins already this season.
The double-edge sword with any young player designed to become a key cog in a team’s rotation is the kid needs experience, but the only way to get said experience is to play. To play a young kid means dealing with the inevitable mistakes inexperience causes, mistakes that can cost you a game or two along the way.
No matter. No worry. The Hawks’ future is bright. So too is Teague’s. If Bibby can’t go, leave Jamal Crawford in his role as super-scorer off the bench. Put the kid into the starting lineup and start the experience-gaining process.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 8:11 pm by bud
Tags: Acie Law IV, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Mike Bibby, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, Wake Forest
By Bud L. Ellis
On an Atlanta radio show last week, an observer noted the impressive run of the Atlanta Hawks to the top of the NBA through the first three weeks of this young season.
But the caller brought up a great point, mentioning how everything had clicked just right for the high-flying Hawks. How would this team handle adversity?
The Hawks have hit their first roadblock of what’s been a nearly perfect start to their season, losing point guard Mike Bibby to a sprained left ankle injury early in Saturday’s loss at New Orleans.
Now it’s unfair to say the Hawks don’t lose if Bibby doesn’t get hurt. Atlanta was playing the second night of a back-to-back, the first one a gritty, hold-on-for-dear-life victory over Houston on Friday. The Hawks also were facing a New Orleans team that hadn’t lost since former coach Byron Scott was shown the door.
But now the Hawks face perhaps the task of taking the court without Bibby, the savvy veteran whose acquisition from Sacramento at the 2008 trade deadline fueled Atlanta’s return to the playoffs after a decade-long absence. In those playoffs, against behemoth Boston, Bibby took on the wrath of Celtics fans, a calculated move done to take the heat off his teammates, most of whom had never played in the postseason.
It worked. Atlanta pushed the eventual world champs to a Game 7, stunning the basketball world and giving the Hawks the confident push that resulted in a 47-win season in 2008-09 and a first-round victory over Miami last spring.
Without Bibby, the point duties fall to veteran Jamal Crawford and rookie Jeff Teague. For the former, it takes away from his role as scorer off the bench. For the later, its’ a chance to add to the impressive play we saw from him in preseason.
Either way, it would behoove the Hawks to get Bibby back and soon. After all, the next time the Hawks hit the floor is Thanksgiving night at Philips Arena, and the team Atlanta is tied with for first in the Eastern Conference, Orlando, is the opposition.
If Bibby can’t go Thursday, we’ll see just how well his teammates handle their first dose of adversity.
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Monday, November 23, 2009 at 10:54 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Byron Scott, Houston Rockets, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Miami Heat, Mike Bibby, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena
By Bud L. Ellis
This wasn’t the way the Atlanta Hawks wanted to open their four-game road trip.
Playing at the defending NBA champions, the Hawks came unglued in the third quarter Sunday night, a four-point third-quarter deficit deficit turning into a 22-point hole thanks to an 18-0 L.A. run as Atlanta eventually fell 118-110.
It marked the first loss of the season for the Hawks after two home victories last week. And while Joe Johnson led the way with 27 points, he didn’t get much support as Atlanta shot 43 percent from the floor.
Jamal Crawford came off the bench with 17 points. Mike Bibby scored 15, and first-round draft choice Jeff Teague added 12, most coming in the fourth quarter to spark a rally that made the final score somewhat respectable.
The Hawks finished with 20 turnovers, and the Lakers made Atlanta pay for its sloppiness.
Atlanta takes on Portland Tuesday night in the second game on this four-game trip.
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 9:23 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, Mike Bibby, National Basketball Association, Portland Trail Blazers
By Bud L. Ellis
Defensively, it wasn’t what the new-look Atlanta Hawks wanted to see on opening night.
Indiana hung 65 points on the Hawks in the first two quarters of Wednesday’s season opener at Philips Arena. But the bolstered Atlanta offense still had the lead at intermission, and buoyed by five starters in double figures and a strong defensive showing in the fourth quarter, the Hawks opened this season of promise with a 120-109 victory.
As tough as it was for the Hawks to slow the Pacers in the opening two quarters, Atlanta found their defensive footing in the final 12 minutes. Indiana shot just 33 percent and scored only 15 points in the final quarter.
That would be enough to give Atlanta the separation it needed, especially considering the strong offensive output from a team that returns all five starters and added four key pieces to the bench. Joe Johnson overcame a sluggish start to lead Atlanta with 25 points. Al Horford played strong in the middle, scoring 24 and pulling down 16 rebounds. Josh Smith added 18 points with eight assists.
Marvin Williams scored 14 points and Mike Bibby added 10, rounding out a stellar effort by the Atlanta starting five. Off the bench, Mo Evans chipped in 12 points. First-round draft pick Jeff Teague scored five and added four assists for Atlanta, which shot 52 percent from the field.
Atlanta tries for a 2-0 start Friday against Washington at Philips Arena, then opens a four-game road trip.
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Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 9:13 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, Mo Evans, National Basketball Association, Washington Wizards
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
4-and-1 … it’s the operative record in Atlanta these days.
The Falcons are 4-1 and among the NFL’s elite. The Thrashers are 4-1 and off to their best start in the franchise’s 10-year history.
The Hawks? They’re getting in on the act, too. Atlanta improved its preseason record to 4-1 with a 113-95 victory Monday night over Washington, as six players scored in double figures.
Yet again, first-round draft pick Jeff Teague continues to impress. Teague scored a team-high 16 points with five assists, and Marvin Williams also scored 16. Williams hit 6-of-7 from the floor and pulled down six rebounds.
Al Horford scored 14 for the Hawks. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith each scored 13, and Mo Evans added 10 for Atlanta, which ran out to a 23-point halftime lead.
Jamal Crawford made his preseason debut, scoring four points with nine assists in 28 minutes.
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Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 8:27 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Mo Evans, National Basketball Association, Washington Wizards
By Bud L. Ellis
Riding the strength of a 71-point first half, the Atlanta Hawks improved to 3-1 in preseason NBA action Wednesday night, downing Memphis 111-96 in Memphis.
Maurice Evans returned to the lineup and shined bright for Atlanta, scoring a team-high 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Evans, a key cog off the bench for the Hawks last season, hit three 3-pointers and drained 8-of-9 from the free-throw line in 26 minutes.
Al Horford added 14 points and five rebounds for the Hawks. First-round draft pick Jeff Teague continued his impressive preseason with 13 points and four assists.
The Hawks shot 52 percent from the floor and used strong defense to build a 20-point halftime lead. Memphis pulled within 89-77 after three quarters, but the Hawks had too much down the stretch.
Atlanta plays host to Washington on Monday at Philips Arena, then closes out the preseason with a two-game Florida road swing. The Hawks play the Heat next Thursday in Jacksonville, then take on Orlando next Friday in advance of the Oct. 28 season opener at home against Indiana.
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Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 5:32 am by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Jeff Teague, Maurice Evans, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, Washington Wizards
