Hawks 84 Rockets 92
Ever wonder how much kryptonite affects superman, just watch the start and the end to Hawks and Rockets game on Tuesday night. It was like the Rockets rendered the Hawks ability to play basketball useless and it turned out to be the difference maker in the game.
Going into the night, the Hawks had an unbelievable record in their recent attempts playing any three of the Texas teams away from Phillips Arena (seriously unbelievable in a bad way-- 0-13 unbelievable). So when the Hawks were down by 16 in the first quarter, naturally; I feared the worst for the outcome.
However the Hawks showed a tenacity and composure that was a sure mix to get them right back in the swing of things.
Steals and rebounds were turned into fast break opportunities and led by Mike Bibby, Atlanta roared to an eight point lead in the third quarter.
All seemed smooth and with 5:00 minute left in the fourth quarter, the Hawks led by two points. The game showed signs of one of those epic road battles, where the winning team might get a chance to steal one with a last minute shot.
In the end, the big comeback was all for not, because the Rockets turned into Lex Luther down the stretch. Atlanta hobbled their way to an 8 point loss.
Quick Notes
Thirteen the unluckiest of unlucky numbers reared its ugly head twice on Tuesday night. Anyone else believe in bad omens. Going into the game, the Hawks were 0-13 in their previous attempts in the state of Texas (San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston). When Houston scored thirteen unanswered points to start the game and go up 13-0, I should have known that dooms of defeat await.
If your thinking that’s just a bunch of “mumbo-jumbo” above; yeah, me to. Hawks showed good fight in the game and it is kind of unfortunate that the wheels came off at the end of the game.
Joe Johnson had a very quiet 22 point game and that’s a testament to the fine play of Ron Artest. I usually don’t go to in depth on players on the other team. In this case, I’ll make an exception, because Artest was really outstanding on defense and down the stretch in that last five minutes when Houston took over.
Tactically, the Hawks didn’t challenge the Rockets enough. Over the last few weeks, I’ve made a big deal about the Hawks establishing a passing game and slowing possessions down. However, tonight, they needed to break from this plan a little bit. Down low, Houston is a size nightmare. Yao, Scola, and Battier are matchup nightmares. However, Hawks could have used their athleticism down low to keep the Rockets on their toes.
In the end, it was an exciting game. Early on, it looked to be headed toward a blow out, but it was not. Perhaps the power of 13 or kryptonite did play more of a role in this game—a little joke.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Hawks Tackle The Grizzlies
Atlanta 105 Memphis 95
Wednesday night marked two big returns. After taking a few posts off due to Thanksgiving, I’m back breaking down Hawks games for the rest of the season—I know you’re bursting with excitement right now. More important than my return to blogging, Josh Smith suited up for the first time and 12 games last night. It’s okay you can breathe a much needed sign of relief—I certainly did.
Atlanta did what they were supposed to do against Memphis last night. Building as much as a 26 point lead in the 3rd quarter, the Hawks were able to cruise to victory over the lowly grizzlies.
After enjoying a rare 4 straight days without a game, the Hawks looked fresh all night. In the third quarter, I looked at the box scores and as a team Atlanta was shooting over 53 percent from the three point line and about 63 percent from the floor. That’s blistering the net.
All five starters scored in double figures led by none other than the Joe Johnson. A model of efficiency, Joe scored 26 points on 10 for 15 shooting and a perfect 2 for 2 from the free throw line.
The final stats speak volumes about the game. Though, Memphis mounted a late game comeback spurred by a 34-14 run, it was too little too late. Atlanta’s starters made 34 out of 53 shots, which calculates to a staggering 64 percent. The Hawks outpassed the Grizzlies by totaling 33 assists to the opponents 18. On the boards, Atlanta secured 33 rebounds to Memphis’ 30.
Quick Notes:
He’s back. Josh Smith has returned and turned the Hawks into a matchup nightmare on both ends of the floor. Smith puts up lines that would be envious of any rising NBA star. However, he is an individual who often transcends the notion that you can judge the importance of a player by simply looking at how many rebounds or how many points he got on a certain night. There are a handful of “glue” guys in the NBA who fall into the “transcend” stats category. At the top of my list is Chauncey Billups and his leadership qualities, but that’s a whole different story. Josh Smith is transcendent, because of his ability to make the other team be aware of where he is at all times on the floor. On defense, it is not uncommon to see players take or forced into awkward shot under the basket because of his shot blocking abilities. In transition, he is a player who can rebound on the defensive glass with the bigs and immediately take the ball up court against guards and small forwards who are simply overmatched by his athletiscm. He is a very special player.
Over the twelve games that he missed, the Hawks went 6 and 6. Not bad at all, anyone would agree. Upon his return, some voiced concern because in the games that the Hawks won without him, the team did a great job passing the ball and really trying to maximize good shots on their offensive attempts. If you still have concerns that Smith can’t play within this system, last night should alleviate some of those notions. 5 assists from an individual playing at the forward position is very good on the NBA level.
Joe Johnson was outstanding. It crazy how much you have to remind people that Johnson is one of the premier players in the NBA. He certainly wouldn’t and I really like that about him. You don’t even here that he has been hindered by a foot problem over the past few games. He’d never tell you. He simply goes out and plays as best as he can. The scary thing is he is still one of the best players on the floor even when he’s not 100 percent. After 4 days off, he was lights out last night-just how I like it.
If the Hawks 6-0 start seems like a distant memory to you, with Josh Smith in the line-up, Atlanta improved to 7-0 last night—so keep tabs on that.
Wednesday night marked two big returns. After taking a few posts off due to Thanksgiving, I’m back breaking down Hawks games for the rest of the season—I know you’re bursting with excitement right now. More important than my return to blogging, Josh Smith suited up for the first time and 12 games last night. It’s okay you can breathe a much needed sign of relief—I certainly did.
Atlanta did what they were supposed to do against Memphis last night. Building as much as a 26 point lead in the 3rd quarter, the Hawks were able to cruise to victory over the lowly grizzlies.
After enjoying a rare 4 straight days without a game, the Hawks looked fresh all night. In the third quarter, I looked at the box scores and as a team Atlanta was shooting over 53 percent from the three point line and about 63 percent from the floor. That’s blistering the net.
All five starters scored in double figures led by none other than the Joe Johnson. A model of efficiency, Joe scored 26 points on 10 for 15 shooting and a perfect 2 for 2 from the free throw line.
The final stats speak volumes about the game. Though, Memphis mounted a late game comeback spurred by a 34-14 run, it was too little too late. Atlanta’s starters made 34 out of 53 shots, which calculates to a staggering 64 percent. The Hawks outpassed the Grizzlies by totaling 33 assists to the opponents 18. On the boards, Atlanta secured 33 rebounds to Memphis’ 30.
Quick Notes:
He’s back. Josh Smith has returned and turned the Hawks into a matchup nightmare on both ends of the floor. Smith puts up lines that would be envious of any rising NBA star. However, he is an individual who often transcends the notion that you can judge the importance of a player by simply looking at how many rebounds or how many points he got on a certain night. There are a handful of “glue” guys in the NBA who fall into the “transcend” stats category. At the top of my list is Chauncey Billups and his leadership qualities, but that’s a whole different story. Josh Smith is transcendent, because of his ability to make the other team be aware of where he is at all times on the floor. On defense, it is not uncommon to see players take or forced into awkward shot under the basket because of his shot blocking abilities. In transition, he is a player who can rebound on the defensive glass with the bigs and immediately take the ball up court against guards and small forwards who are simply overmatched by his athletiscm. He is a very special player.
Over the twelve games that he missed, the Hawks went 6 and 6. Not bad at all, anyone would agree. Upon his return, some voiced concern because in the games that the Hawks won without him, the team did a great job passing the ball and really trying to maximize good shots on their offensive attempts. If you still have concerns that Smith can’t play within this system, last night should alleviate some of those notions. 5 assists from an individual playing at the forward position is very good on the NBA level.
Joe Johnson was outstanding. It crazy how much you have to remind people that Johnson is one of the premier players in the NBA. He certainly wouldn’t and I really like that about him. You don’t even here that he has been hindered by a foot problem over the past few games. He’d never tell you. He simply goes out and plays as best as he can. The scary thing is he is still one of the best players on the floor even when he’s not 100 percent. After 4 days off, he was lights out last night-just how I like it.
If the Hawks 6-0 start seems like a distant memory to you, with Josh Smith in the line-up, Atlanta improved to 7-0 last night—so keep tabs on that.
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