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 recent trends continued Tuesday night at Philips Arena for the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers, and that wasn’t good news for Hawks’ fans.
The Lakers made it eight victories in a row, running out to a big lead and cruising to a 101-87 victory over Atlanta, the Hawks’ third consecutive defeat. ( Read More…)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 10:01 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Andrew Bynum, Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Damien Wilkins, Derek Fisher, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Kirk Hinrich, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, National Basketball Association, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Philips Arena, San Antonio Spurs
By Bud L. Ellis
Down 16 points in the first half on Sunday, the Atlanta Hawks instead kicked things into high gear, kicking off the 2011 portion of their schedule with a come-from-behind victory.
Joe Johnson scored 29 points – 11 in the fourth quarter – and Josh Smith added 22 as the Hawks fought back for a 107-98 victory at the Los Angeles Clippers. ( Read More…)
Monday, January 3, 2011 at 9:14 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Boston Celtics, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, National Basketball Association
By Bud L. Ellis
The Atlanta Hawks handed the keys to Larry Drew last month, naming the longtime assistant coach as Mike Woodson’s successor.
Now, Drew’s lieutenants have been determined. The Hawks have hired Lester Conner to join returners Bob Bender and Tyrone Hill on the bench. ( Read More…)
Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 9:33 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Bob Bender, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Larry Drew, Lester Conner, Miami Heat, Mike Woodson, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrone Hill, Washington Huskies
By Bud L. Ellis
He turns 39 years old in March. He’s not exactly the swiftest player in the world. He’s been known to slow teams down in the clubhouse with injuries and drama.
So if you are the Atlanta Hawks, why exactly are you interested in Shaquille O’Neal? ( Read More…)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 8:02 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Joe Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Shaquille O’Neal
By Bud L. Ellis
Knotted in a tight race for second place in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks seek a little payback when they travel to Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
The Hawks, locked in a battle with Orlando and Boston for second in the East, lost to the resurgent Thunder on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Atlanta, Kevin Durant going for 29 points in that game.
Durant leads the NBA in scoring the past month, and the Thunder are five games over .500 on the season and tied with New Orleans for the final playoff spot in the West. The Hawks, meanwhile, sit third in the East, one game behind Orlando and ½ game up on fourth-place Boston.
After Tuesday, the Hawks return home for three of their next five, with home games Wednesday against the L.A. Clippers, Friday against Chicago, and next Wednesday against Miami. Atlanta travels to Washington Saturday and Memphis next Tuesday.
After playing host to Miami, the Hawks hit the road for a four-game, six-day Western road swing.
—30—
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 6:52 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Kevin Durant, L.A. Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, National Basketball Association, New Orleans Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards
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.
—30—
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
Skip Caray made his mark calling Braves baseball, but once upon a time he also broadcast some Atlanta Hawks games.
Watching the Hawks play lately brings to mind one of Skip’s famous quips, one he would utter sarcastically after the powerhouse Braves’ teams of the 1990s would polish off another opponent:
“Ho-hum … win, win, win.”
That’s what the Hawks keep doing, winning with impressive fashion en route to running out to an NBA-best 10-2 record. The latest chapter of Atlanta’s resurgent run came Wednesday night, when Joe Johnson scored 30 points and Josh Smith continued his maturation process in a 105-90 triumph over Miami at sold-out Philips Arena.
The Hawks are off to their best start in more than a decade, and have grabbed headlines and attention for their solid play. Wednesday was more of the same, Atlanta breaking open a close game in the second quarter with a withering 25-8 run to build a 17-point lead at halftime, 60-43.
Miami made a game of it in the second half, but the Hawks — as has been the case just about every time out this season — had too much for the opposition. Smith added 16 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists, and Al Horford chipped in a double-double of his own (16 points, 12 rebounds).
Johnson hit five 3-pointers in the win, while Smith and Horford each hit six shots from the floor. As it did throughout last season’s first-round playoff victory over Miami, the Hawks made life miserable for Dwyane Wade, holding the Heat superstar to just 15 points.
Win, win, win.
The Hawks, ranked No. 1 in several major media outlet power rankings this week, wrap up a four-game homestand Friday against Houston.
–30–
Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 11:12 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Dwyane Wade, Houston Rockets, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Miami Heat, Philips Arena, Skip Caray
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.
–30–
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
Running out to an 11-point lead after one quarter, the Atlanta Hawks continued their strong preseason showing Thursday night with a 92-87 exhibition victory over Miami in Jacksonville.
Opening the first of a two-game, two-day road trip through the Sunshine State, the Hawks shot 57 percent from the floor and never really were threatened by the Heat, the team the Hawks bounced in a sizzling seven-game series in the opening round of the NBA playoffs last spring.
Joe Johnson led five Hawks in double figures with 14 points. Johnson also finished with a team-best eight assists. Jamal Crawford and Al Horford each scored 12, and Mo Evans and Marvin Williams scored 10 points apiece. Horford led the Hawks with 10 rebounds.
Atlanta takes on Orlando Friday night in the preseason finale, then begins preparation for Wednesday’s season opener against Indiana at Philips Arena.
–30–
Friday, October 23, 2009 at 10:01 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Miami Heat, Mo Evans, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena
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.
–30–
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
