The AP reports: The Utah Jazz got back two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer and hardly needed him. Boozer was in the lineup for the first time since injuring his left knee in November and had a quiet night with two points and five rebounds in Utah’s 108-89 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. Boozer, who missed 44 straight games because of a strained tendon and knee surgery, had plenty of help on Monday… Joe Johnson had 15 points to lead the Hawks, who lost their 15th straight game at Utah. Al Horford had 14 points and six rebounds for the Hawks, and Josh Smith scored 11 before he was ejected for the hard foul on Harpring with 8:40 left to play. Harpring was still upset from taking an elbow to the face earlier in the period from Johnson and charged Smith as soon as he got back on his feet.
Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog
Atlanta Hawks blog
Bibby and Horford shine, Hawks beat Kings 105-100
The AP reports: Former Sacramento guard Mike Bibby scored 29 points to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the short-handed Kings 105-100 on Wednesday night. Kevin Martin had 32 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento. Earlier in the day, the Kings acquired four players in a deal that sent starters Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago. The Kings received Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Michael Ruffin from Chicago. The Kings then sent Ruffin to Portland for Ike Diogu. To make room for the incoming players, the Kings waived Quincy Douby and Sam Cassell, the guard acquired from Boston on Tuesday… Kevin Martin had 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost six straight, 14 of 15 and have the worst record in the NBA. Beno Udrih scored 18 points, Francisco Garcia had 15, and Spencer Hawes fouled out in the fourth quarter with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Gasol’s triple-double leads Lakers past Hawks
The AP reports: Having owned the Western Conference’s top spot through the first half, the Lakers got started on maintaining their status with a 96-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night… Pau Gasol had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his third career triple- double, and Lamar Odom had 15 points and 20 rebounds, Derek Fisher scored 14 points, and Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar added 10 points each for the Lakers. With his teammates carrying the load, Kobe Bryant scored a season-low 10 points… All-Star Joe Johnson scored 14 points and Josh Smith added 13 for the Hawks, who had their three-game road winning streak end on the first night of their five-game West Coast trip.
NBA to borrow $175 million
The Sports Business Journal (Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo) reports: The NBA is set to borrow $175 million Feb. 26, marking one of the first league financings since the implosion of the credit markets last fall. The money, which will be available to 15 teams, supplements an existing $1.7 billion leaguewide credit facility that uses the NBA’s media contracts as collateral to secure loans for the clubs. The NBA surveyed its teams, and 15 responded they would like to tap into the new borrowing. While the league said it is pleased to borrow in an extremely illiquid credit market, the deal came at a cost, with interest rates up to 8.27 percent, hammering home the notion that the era of cheap money in sports is over. The 15 teams can use the money for any purpose, but covering operating losses may be high on the list.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Loan me three fiddy. I want some ribs.
Hawks assign Othello Hunter to D-League
The Atlanta Hawks today assigned forward Othello Hunter to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League, according to Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.
A rookie from Ohio State, Hunter has averaged 0.6 ppg and 0.7 rpg (.429 FG%) in 10 games with the Hawks.
The Arsenal is the D-League affiliate of the Hawks, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers.
Joe Johnson 27 points, Hawks beat Pistons 99-95
The AP reports: Joe Johnson scored 27 points and Flip Murray had 23 Wednesday night, leading Atlanta to a 99-95 win over Detroit… Allen Iverson scored 26 for the Pistons, who fell a game under .500 since he joined the lineup… Detroit’s Richard Hamilton scored 14, Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince each scored 12 and Antonio McDyess added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Rasheed Wallace didn’t play for the last 16-plus minutes and finished with nine points and seven rebounds.
Johnson scores 22, Hawks rock Wizards 111-90
The AP reports: Joe Johnson scored 22 points and the Hawks led from start to finish, erasing the memory off a dismal blowout by the Los Angeles Clippers with a 111-90 rout of the undermanned Wizards on Tuesday night. Atlanta raced to a 9-1 lead before most of the sparse crowd had even settled into its seats… Mike Bibby, who didn’t play against L.A. because of a sprained foot, scored 12 points and doled out six assists in 26 minutes… Caron Butler scored 22 points, but the last-place Wizards were outmanned, as they are on most nights without Gilbert Arenas, Brendan Haywood and Etan Thomas.
Thornton scores 31, Clippers beat Hawks 121-97
The AP reports: Coach Mike Woodson was digusted with the effort of his Atlanta Hawks. Even with Mike Bibby injured and unable to play, Woodson at least expected the Hawks to play hard… Al Thornton scored 31 points and Zach Randolph had 25 in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 121-97 victory over the Hawks on Saturday night… Dropping to 18-6 at home, the Hawks never got any closer than nine after Johnson’s three-point play midway through the third. Johnson and Marvin Williams each scored 17 points for Atlanta, while Josh Smith added 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Marvin Williams steps up, Hawks beat Wolves 94-86
The AP reports: With All-Star Joe Johnson at home with an illness, Marvin Williams filled in beautifully with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lift the Hawks to a 94-86 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night… Josh Smith added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Mike Bibby had 24 points and seven assists, including a 3-pointer with 44.2 seconds to play that put the game out of reach. Al Jefferson had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie Kevin Love had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, but it was the revival of two missing shooters that allowed the Wolves to trim a 17-point third-quarter deficit to two with 1:04 remaining.
Al Horford returns to practice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Sekou Smith) reports: Good luck trying to figure out who was happier to see Al Horford back on the practice floor. The Hawks’ starting center was ecstatic Monday to be at work full time after missing the last 12 games with a bone bruise in his right knee. His teammates were just as happy considering their recent struggles. The Hawks were 5-7 record without their leading rebounder and best post defender. Horford should play Wednesday at Minnesota, but that is contingent on how his knee responds.