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
Six years ago, the Atlanta Hawks drafted Josh Childress with the sixth overall pick, tabbing the Stanford swingman as a cornerstone of the massive rebuilding process the franchise was undergoing at the time.
Fast forward to Monday, when it appeared Childress – who hasn’t played a minute for the Hawks the past two seasons – will be heading west. ( Read More…)
Monday, July 12, 2010 at 9:10 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Boston Celtics, Joe Johnson, Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Phoenix Suns
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
After a sluggish first five minutes Wednesday night, the Atlanta Hawks woke up and opened the second half of the NBA season with a flourish.
Tied with the lowly Los Angeles Clippers early in the first quarter, the Hawks stepped on the accelerator and pulled away during the next 19 minutes. Building a 56-44 halftime advantage, the Hawks survived a mini-run by the Clippers in the third quarter, taking a 110-92 victory.
The win moved Atlanta 16 games above .500 at 34-18.
Al Horford, fresh off the first All-Star appearance of his career, scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting. Josh Smith came close to a triple-double, scoring 20 points with nine rebounds and seven assists. Joe Johnson scored 18 and Jamal Crawford added 12.
The Hawks, who shot 54.4 percent, saw the Clippers pull within 81-75 after three quarter. But Atlanta outscored Los Angeles 29-17 during the final 12 minutes to put this one away.
The win opened a four-game road swing for Atlanta, which played Friday at Phoenix.
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Friday, February 19, 2010 at 11:50 pm by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Clippers, National Basketball Association, Phoenix Suns
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
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
So, remember the last time the Atlanta Hawks ran across the Orlando Magic?
Even though the game didn’t count in the standings, that big ol’ bruise the Magic left all over the Hawks’ pride definitely hasn’t been forgotten.
Back on Oct. 23, Atlanta traveled down to Orlando for the final game of what – to that point – had been a nearly perfect preseason. But the Magic cast a spell over the Hawks that night, racing out to a lead that pushed north of 40 points at times before winning 123-86.
Now granted, there is nothing you really can take from a preseason game … or is there?
Flash forward to now. The Hawks and the Magic are tied atop the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference at 11-3 (heck, that’s tops in the NBA with the Lakers and Suns).
The two teams meet Thursday night at Philips Arena in a Thanksgiving night showcase that will be broadcast nationwide on TNT. It’s a big-time stage for a Hawks’ team that’s looking every bit like a big-time player this season.
And while the Hawks may not obsess over it, you better believe they remember that beatdown they took the fourth Friday in October in central Florida. That game, as you recall, didn’t count for anything … or maybe it did.
Maybe it’ll end up doing the Hawks some good. Maybe it gave Atlanta a good look at a team that played for the NBA title in June, and maybe that’s what has helped the Hawks race out to 11 wins in their first 14 games.
If so, the Hawks should give Orlando a thank you. They’ll get the chance to do so Thursday night.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 4:56 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, Phoenix Suns
