Atlanta Hawks Blog – Page 74 – NBA Blog

Game 1: Magic destroy Hawks by 43

The AP reports:

Dwight Howard had 21 points and 12 rebounds in one of the most crushing playoff wins in Magic history, a 114-71 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal.

Howard added five blocks and avoided the fouls and frustration that overwhelmed him in the first round, helping the Magic go ahead by as many as 46 points. Vince Carter finished with 20 points as Orlando showed no signs of rust after an eight-day layoff…

Josh Smith scored 14 points and Zaza Pachulia had 12 for a Hawks team that had little playoff poise. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Orlando, and Atlanta will have to find some way to rally from an embarrassing defeat…

The Hawks were held to 10 points in the second quarter, and just 11 points in the third. Howard and most of the Magic starters weren’t even needed in the fourth, and Atlanta players covered their heads with towels on the bench in the final minutes.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Hawks shot just 34.6 percent from the field and only hit 2-for-13 from three-point range.

Mike Bibby shot just 1-of-5. Al Horford only hit 1-of-7. And Jamal Crawford hit just 1-of-11.

The entire Hawks team dished just 12 assists.

This was a mess.

Brandon Jennings vows to get stronger

Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

Brandon Jennings left his rookie year Sunday with a vow.

“This summer I’ll work out, get stronger and come back a totally different player,” he said after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated, 95-74, by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

That has to be an encouraging thought for the Bucks and a sobering concept for the rest of the league about the electrifying point guard who finished third in rookie of the year voting.

Jennings also averaged 18.7 points in his first postseason experience after leading the Bucks with 15 points in Game 7. Throughout the series, he mostly performed with veteran poise. Though he struggled with his shot late in the series, he opened it by scoring 34 points on the Hawks.

Game 7: Hawks eliminate Bucks in blowout

The AP reports:

The Atlanta Hawks weren’t going to let another game slip away on their home court.

After keeping their season alive with a gutty win in Milwaukee, the Hawks made sure the Bucks were in no position to duplicate their improbable Game 5 upset. Jamal Crawford scored 22 points, Al Horford put up a double-double and Atlanta pulled away for a 95-74 win Sunday that gave the Hawks a 4-3 triumph in the tougher-than-expected series…

The Hawks led by as many 24 late in the game and got a chance to pull their starters so they could receive a proper ovation from the sellout crowd of 19,241…

Milwaukee was essentially undone with less than two weeks to go in the regular season when Bogut tumbled to the court and ripped apart his right arm.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Bucks scored just 13 points in the first quarter and failed to pick it up from there. The Hawks tied or exceeded the Bucks point totals in all four quarters of the game.

Atlanta shot 47.4%, the Bucks just 32.9%. Atlanta hit a decent 6-of-16 three-pointers, Milwaukee just 4-of-18. Atlanta won the rebounding battle 55-34. Milwaukee did control the ball, with just five turnovers.

For the Hawks, guard Jamal Crawford came off the bench (as usual) for 22 points (16 shots) and six assists. Center Al Horford (6-of-8) had 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Mike Bibby had 15 points (12 shots) and six rebounds — though just two assists. Josh Smith (5-of-7) had 15 points and not too much else.

For Milwaukee, no one stepped up on offense. Brandon Jennings had 15 points (but on 18 shots) and five assists. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored 13, with six rebounds. Forward Ersan Ilyasova came off the bench for 13 points (on 11 shots) and 11 rebounds. John Salmons shot a miserable 5-of-18 for 11 points.

Bucks deactivate Charlie Bell

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via blog):

Bucks guard Charlie Bell is not on the active for Game 7 due to a disciplinary issue, coach Scott Skiles said in his pre-game remarks to reporters.

The Bucks placed injured center Andrew Bogut on the active roster to take Bell’s place, but Bogut is not able to play.

“We’ve got a couple issues with Charlie Bell I’d rather not comment on, so we’re deactivating him,” Skiles said.

Game 6: Hawks stay alive, beat Bucks 83-69

The AP reports:

Jamal Crawford saw the end to his series-long shooting slump coming, making a promise after the pregame shootaround: It’ll be back tonight.

Crawford then went out and finally played like the NBA’s sixth man of the year in the playoffs, scoring 24 points to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 83-69 on Friday night to force a seventh game in the first-round series…

Carlos Delfino scored 20 for the Bucks, who came into the game hoping to finish off their heavily favored opponent but instead went completely flat coming out of halftime and couldn’t pull off a late rally attempt…

Brandon Jennings scored 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range…

John Salmons finished with eight points on 2-for-13 shooting.

Joe Johnson scored 22 points, and Al Horford had 15 points and 15 rebounds for Atlanta.

Game 5: Jennings scores 25, Bucks stun Hawks 91-87

The AP reports:

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points, Kurt Thomas drew a crucial charging foul against Joe Johnson and the Bucks stunned the home team with a 14-0 run late in the game, beating the favored Hawks 91-87 on Wednesday night for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series…

The Hawks appeared to be in control leading 82-73 after Josh Smith’s long jumper with 4:10 remaining. Milwaukee scored the next 14 points while Atlanta was missing seven straight shots. Even though Al Horford finally broke the drought with 19 seconds remaining, then banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key to finish with 25 points and 11 rebounds, it wasn’t enough to make up for a total collapse…

Jamal Crawford’s night ended in appropriate fashion—a desperation 3-pointer that missed badly and left him sprawled on the court. He finished 4 of 18 from the field for 11 points. Joe Johnson wasn’t much better, making 6 of 16 for 13 points before fouling out for the first time this season…

Marvin Williams had 22 points for the Hawks, who couldn’t overcome the dismal showings by their two leading scorers, Johnson and Crawford.

Jamal Crawford wins Sixth Man of Year

As expected, Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford won the 2009-10 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

He deserved it. Crawford’s scoring off the bench was a huge part of Atlanta’s success this year.

The team finished with a 53-29 record and the #3 seed in the Eastern conference.

For more info on the award, with voting results and the guys that finished behind Crawford, click here.

Game 4: Bucks shock Hawks 111-104 to even series

The Hawks a very good team — but they’re not great. During the regular season, the Bucks were playing close to the level the Hawks were before losing center Andrew Bogut to injury. Yet the Bucks are showing big-time pride and stepping up to put some scare into Atlanta.

The AP reports:

Bucks shock Hawks 111-104 to even series

Carlos Delfino scored 22 points with six 3-pointers and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off their second straight playoff surprise, beating the Atlanta Hawks 111-104 Monday night to draw even in the first-round series.

Brandon Jennings scored 23 points and John Salmons added 22 for the Bucks, who survived a fourth-quarter surge led by Atlanta stars Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Now the Hawks head home for Game 5, desperately needing a win to stave off a surprising challenge by a team missing its best player, injured center Andrew Bogut.

Johnson scored 29 points, reserve Jamal Crawford had 21, and Smith had 20 points and nine rebounds.

The Bucks finally started getting to the free throw line and the made the most of it, hitting 28 of 32.

Car hits Hawks team bus

Sekou Smith of the official NBA site reports:

A car smashed into the team bus while it was stopped at a light near the Bradley Center. Hawks VP of Public Relations Arthur Triche said that no one in the team’s traveling party was hurt. But they did have to exit the bus and either walk back or cab it back to the team hotel.

“We all got a jolt this morning and we didn’t need any coffee or anything else to get it,” Triche said by phone later. “But everyone is fine and we hope that the driver and whoever else was in the car are fine as well.”

Game 4: Salmons scores 22, Bucks roll over Hawks

Playing without center Andrew Bogut, the Milwaukee Bucks looked to be in trouble, and still are, but they stepped up strong to the plate Saturday and rocked Atlanta.

The AP reports:

Salmons scores 22, Bucks roll over Hawks

John Salmons scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and the Milwaukee Bucks never let up after a hot start in a 107-89 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

The Bucks shot 68 percent in the first quarter and 51 percent for the game following a three-day layoff and were never seriously threatened after building a 19-point, first-half lead.

Atlanta still leads the series 2-1 after two double-digit victories at home, when the Bucks looked overmatched without the injured Andrew Bogut.

But veteran Kurt Thomas had eight points, 13 rebounds and four stitches, rookie Brandon Jennings added 13 points and Milwaukee proved that the Hawks may have to “Fear the Deer” after all.

Joe Johnson scored 25 for Atlanta. Game 4 is Monday night in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee led by as many as 28 in the fourth as the Hawks shot 39 percent for the game, and only once did Atlanta appear poised to make a run.