Hawks conclude season’s first half with win over Kings

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

Hawks put forth holiday effort in loss to Thunder

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

Hawks return home, chew up Nuggets

By Bud L. Ellis

The easiest path to the playoffs is simple math:

Play .500 on the road, and dominate at home.

So far, the Atlanta Hawks are earning straight A’s in math class. Keep this up, and Atlanta will have a shot when it comes to exam time.

One night after a four-game in six-day road trip caught up to them in a road loss at Charlotte, Atlanta returned home and ripped through Denver, 125-100 Saturday night at Philips Arena.

Through seven games, consider the Hawks are 2-2 on the road, having downed Portland and Sacramento in between losses at the defending champion Lakers and at Charlotte. At home, the Hawks are perfect, moving to 3-0 at Philips with the win over Denver.

Good teams play even ball on the road, then do what they’re supposed to do at home. The Hawks had that missing zip, that missing step, when they stepped onto their home court against a Denver team that played deep into the playoffs last season.

Jamal Crawford again did his thing off the bench, Mr. Offense leading the way with 25 points. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith each popped in 22 points, as seven Hawks scored in double figures.

The Hawks put their even-steven road record on the line Wednesday with a trip to New York.

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Monday, November 9, 2009 at 8:19 am by bud

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Philips Arena, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings

Smith reaches milestone, Hawks get defensive in win over Washington

By Bud L. Ellis

A monumental moment on the defensive end for Josh Smith sparked the Atlanta Hawks in a return to defensive night at Philips Arena.

Smith became the youngest player in NBA history to block 900 shots, and Atlanta rebounded from a shaky defensive effort in the season opener to beat Washington 100-89 on Friday, improving to 2-0 on the season.

Sure, the Hawks are unbeaten, but there was some worry after the Pacers ran through the Atlanta D for 65 first-half points in Wednesday’s season opener. Consider the message delivered, though: Atlanta held Indy to 15 points in the fourth quarter, then bounced back from an early 10-point deficit to take care of the Wizards.

J’Smooth led the Hawks with 20 points in 29 minutes, along with eight rebounds. Joe Johnson scored 17, Jamal Crawford infused the Atlanta offense with 16 points off the bench, and Al Horford and Marvin Williams chipped in 10 points each. Crawford’s effort led the Hawks’ bolstered bench, which gave Atlanta 27 points.

The Hawks needed these two wins at home, and they got them. Now, it’s time to hit the road. Atlanta plays at the defending champion Lakers on Sunday, opening a four-game road swing that includes meetings at Portland on Tuesday, at Sacramento on Wednesday, and at Charlotte on Friday.

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Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 6:54 pm by bud

Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Lakers, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards