Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks blog

Fans predict first round playoff results

InsideHoops.com posted a poll two days ago asking fans to predict the results of the 2009 NBA playoffs first round.

In the East:

325 fans picked the Cavaliers to beat the Pistons. Just 29 picked Detroit.
321 fans picked the Magic to beat the 76ers. Just 20 picked Philadelphia.
258 fans picked the Celtics to beat the Bulls. 87 picked Chicago.
And in the East’s only fairly close result, 183 fans picked the Heat while 155 picked the Hawks.

As expected, other than the Lakers-Jazz series, the voting was pretty close in the West:

336 fans picked the Lakers to beat the Jazz. Just 17 picked Utah.
241 fans picked the Nuggets to beat the Hornets. 113 picked New Orleans.
224 fans picked the Spurs to beat the Mavericks. 122 picked Dallas.
198 fans picked the Trail Blazers to beat the Rockets. 152 picked Houston.

Hawks beat Heat 81-79 in meaningless game

The AP reports: Flip Murray scored 17 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks reserves past the Miami Heat scrubs 81-79 Tuesday night in a game that shed little light on their upcoming playoff series. With both teams locked into their seedings—they’ll play Game 1 in Atlanta this weekend—there was little incentive for either to give significant minutes to top players. They didn’t. Miami star Dwyane Wade, coming off a career-best 55 points against the New York Knicks, wasn’t in uniform. Neither were Jermaine O’Neal or Udonis Haslem, the latter recovering from a deep cut on his right thumb. Michael Beasley led the Heat with 23 points and 13 rebounds in only 24 minutes. The Hawks rested Maurice Evans and Zaza Pachulia, and kept their starters on the bench much of the night. Speedy Claxton, a $25 million free-agent bust, actually played for the first time in more than two years.

Hawks clinch fourth in East with win over Indiana

The AP reports: Josh Smith scored 30 points and Joe Johnson had 24 to help the Hawks clinch the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 122-118 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Al Horford finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Hawks earned home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Atlanta needed either a win or a loss by Miami, which fell by seven in Boston, to wrap up the No. 4 spot… Danny Granger had 35 points to lead the Pacers in scoring for the eighth straight game. Jarrett Jack, who finished with 17, matched Indiana’s biggest lead at seven midway through the third, but the Hawks never trailed after Johnson hit two free throws to make it 76-74 with 4:04 left in the quarter.

Hawks beat Bucks 113-105, close in on No. 4 seed

The AP reports: The Atlanta Hawks’ recent string of losses to playoff contenders was understandable, if not particularly convenient. But with the Hawks scrambling to secure the No. 4 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks would have been much harder to explain. Joe Johnson stepped in took care of the potential problem. Johnson scored 30 points and hit a pair of big shots in the final minute of the game, stopping a late Milwaukee rally and nailing down a 113-105 victory Wednesday night… Bibby finished with 22 points and Josh Smith added 21 points and 7 rebounds for Atlanta. Bogans had 22 points and Jefferson added 19 for Milwaukee.

Hawks use 3-pointers to beat Raptors 118-110

The AP reports: Josh Smith had 25 points and seven rebounds, and the Hawks used 11-for-22 shooting from 3-point range to beat the Toronto Raptors 118-110 on Tuesday night. The Hawks (44-34), trying to secure the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, also got 25 points from Joe Johnson and 17 from Maurice Evans. Mike Bibby added 13 points and 10 assists, while Al Horford chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds… Chris Bosh had 21 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth consecutive double-double and 40th this season, but the Raptors lost their second in a row after winning six straight. Shawn Marion had 18 points and six rebounds, Jose Calderon added 16 points and 13 assists, and Andrea Bargnani scored 15 points for the Raptors.

Howard 20/20 game, Magic beat Hawks 88-82

The AP reports: Dwight Howard scored 21 points and tied a season high with 23 rebounds, helping the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 88-82 on Saturday night to pull within a half-game of tying for second place in the Eastern Conference. The 6-foot-11 center’s performance marked the ninth time this season, and 23rd of his five-year career, that he’s had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game… Joe Johnson scored 21 points for the Hawks, who have dropped three straight and six of eight. Atlanta dropped to 29-10 at home, where it has lost three of four… Rashard Lewis finished with 16 points, and Rafer Alston had 14 for the Magic, who improved to 13-2 overall and 7-1 on the road against the Southeast Division.

Celtics add to Hawks’ road woes, win 104-92

The AP reports: Pierce scored 21 points and Rondo had 20 for Boston, which has four days off before its next game and has just one, two-game road trip before the end of the season. The Celtics also have just one set of back-to-back games, on the last two days of the regular season. Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis had 19 points in place of Garnett, who missed his fourth straight game and his 17th of 21. Tony Allen played his first game since Feb. 8, but Brian Scalabrine and Leon Powe also remained on the bench with injuries… Flip Murray scored 21 points, Mike Bibby had 20 and Josh Smith had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta, which has lost seven straight regular-season games to the Celtics and nine in a row overall in Boston, including last year’s seven-game, first-round playoff series.

Respect Joe Johnson

Atlanta Hawks star Joe Johnson doesn’t get the attention he deserves NBA.com (John Schuhmann) reports: Teammate Mike Bibby is the conspiracy theorist. “It’s political,” he says about Johnson’s lack of exposure. “You know how it goes. That’s the way it’s been. That’s the way it’s always going to be. It’s political.” “[Johnson] is a quiet guy,” offers Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks’ vice president of basketball and color commentator. “He’s got a quiet demeanor. He never complains. He just plays the game like it’s supposed to be played. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, the way he handles himself on the floor.” Wilkins compares the lack of attention Johnson gets to the way he was treated when he was played in Atlanta. But that’s probably where the comparison ends. ‘Nique was a freak athletically, one of the two or three best dunkers in NBA history.

76ers overcome Smith, Hawks 98-85

The AP reports: The Philadelphia 76ers proved they could win without Thaddeus Young. They might have to keep proving it over their final nine regular-season games. Andre Iguodala scored 19 points, Andre Miller added 18 points and 10 assists, and the 76ers overcame a season-high 33 points from Josh Smith and the loss of Young in their 98-85 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. Marreese Speights contributed 16 and Willie Green had 15 for the Sixers (38-35), who climbed within a half-game of the Miami Heat for fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race… Flip Murray added 19 and Joe Johnson had 11 for the Hawks (43-32), who haven’t won a road game over a team currently in playoff position since a victory on Feb. 11 at Detroit. Still, Atlanta holds the No. 4 spot in the postseason.