The AP reports: Marvin Williams hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 26 seconds left and matched his career high with 14 rebounds, and the Hawks overcame Caron Butler’s 32-point effort to beat the Washington Wizards 91-87 on Wednesday night… Williams scored 21 points to help the Hawks snap a four-game losing streak. Hawks coach Mike Woodson noted Williams also defended Washington’s Antawn Jamison, who had 18 points… Mike Bibby led the Hawks with 25 points, including 15 in the third quarter… Joe Johnson, who had 19 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, answered with a 3-pointer for Atlanta with 57 seconds left to cut the lead to a point… Zaza Pachulia, who filled in for Horford at center, scored only four points but set a career high with 18 rebounds.
Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog
Atlanta Hawks blog
Nov 18: Pacers 113, Hawks 96
The AP reports: Danny Granger scored 34 points to lead the Indiana Pacers past the slumping Atlanta Hawks 113-96 on Tuesday night. Rasho Nesterovic scored 21 points, Jeff Foster had 12 and Troy Murphy added 10 points and 19 rebounds for the Pacers (5-5), who won their fifth consecutive home game against Atlanta. Joe Johnson finished with 25 points, Marvin Williams scored 14 and Mike Bibby and Maurice Evans each scored 13 for the Hawks (6-4). After a 6-0 start, Atlanta has lost four straight.
Nov 15: Nets 119, Hawks 107
The AP reports: Devin Harris’ confidence is soaring, just like his scoring. Harris scored 33 points, Vince Carter had 29 and the New Jersey Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 119-107 on Saturday night, completing a sweep of the two-day, home-and-home series… The Nets made 55 percent of their shots from the field (38 of 69) and set a season high in scoring for the second straight night… Joe Johnson scored 31 points for Atlanta, which has lost three straight after a 6-0 start. The Hawks played their fifth straight game without forward Josh Smith, who has a sprained left ankle. Center Zaza Pachulia was held out with a sore left shoulder… Marvin Williams and Flip Murray each had 14 points and Horford added 12.
Nov 14: Nets 115, Hawks 108
The AP reports: Back in the lineup after missing three games because of a sprained left ankle, Devin Harris scored 30 points to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 115-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. The Nets also got career-best nights from rookies Brook Lopez (25 points), and Ryan Anderson (15). Vince Carter had 26, many coming down the stretch to help the Nets end a three-game losing streak, that not coincidentally, started when Harris headed to the sidelines… The Hawks, who opened the season with six straight wins, have lost two in a row. Joe Johnson scored 30 of his game-high 32 in the second half. Marvin Williams and Flip Murray each had 21 points.
Nov 12: Celtics 103, Hawks 102
The AP reports: NBA finals MVP Paul Pierce hit a fallaway jumper with 0.5 seconds left to give Boston a 103-102 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday night, handing the Hawks their first loss of the season and their first since the Celtics ousted them en route to their unprecedented 17th title… Pierce scored 34 points in all, Kevin Garnett had 25 with 12 rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 10 assists for the Celtics. Joe Johnson scored 28 for Atlanta, finding an open Marvin Williams for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left before Pierce answered at the other end, faking out a pair of defenders and sinking the game-winner… Ray Allen scored 17 points, eight of them during an 18-2 run in the second quarter that turned a 44-28 deficit into a tie game at halftime.
Nov 11: Hawks 113, Bulls 108
The AP reports: On a night when leading scorer Joe Johnson had trouble with his shot, Al Horford scored a career-high 27 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked six shots to lead a 113-108 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night… Mike Bibby added 22 points, hitting three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to fend off a Bulls rally. The Hawks had six players in double figures, including Johnson, who finished with 17—eight below his average. He shot 4-for-16. Atlanta got a lift off the bench from Maurice Evans, who scored 17 points including two late 3-pointers in the final quarter… Rookie Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 26 points to match his career high and had a career-best 10 rebounds and stayed in the game, despite pulling a muscle in his back in the first quarter. Andres Nocioni chipped in 20 points.
Cool stats worth knowing
Phoenix’s Shaquille O’Neal needs 20 points to tie John Havlicek for 10th on the all-time scoring list (26,395). O’Neal is averaging 14.8 points over six games. He scored a season-high 29 points Saturday at Milwaukee. The Suns host Memphis tonight and Houston Wednesday.
O’Neal’s teammate, Amare Stoudemire, has attempted 15 or more free throws in a franchise-record tying three-straight games (Connie Hawkins: January, 1970; Stoudemire: April, 2004). The last player to attempt 15 or more free throws in three straight games was Dwight Howard in December, 2007.
Toronto’s Chris Bosh is the second player in team history to pass the 7,000-point mark in career scoring. He has 7,011 points, second behind Vince Carter, who scored 9,420 points between 1998-2004.
Miami’s Mario Chalmers — one of only two rookies starting at point guard (Chicago’s Derrick Rose) — leads rookies in assists (5.7 apg) and steals (2.8 spg). Rose is second in assists (5.1 apg) and tied for fourth in steals (1.1 spg).
Milwaukee guard and former NBA Development League player Ramon Sessions is averaging 17.2 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
Atlanta, which remained undefeated (5-0) with an 89-85 triumph over host Oklahoma City yesterday, is off to its best start since the 1997-98 season 11-0.
–NBA News
Nov 9: Hawks 89, Thunder 85
The AP reports: Joe Johnson scored 25 points and Atlanta came from behind after a late Oklahoma City run to beat the Thunder 89-85 Sunday night and move to 5-0 on the season… Flip Murray keyed the Hawks’ comeback by scoring the first nine points in a 12-2 run, and Atlanta held Oklahoma City without a field goal for a 5-minute stretch to pull ahead… Marvin Williams added 16 points, Murray finished with 14 and Bibby scored 13 for Atlanta, which is off to its best start since winning 11 straight games at the outset of the 1997-98 season. The Hawks’ next three games are also on the road… Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 20 points, rookie Russell Westbrook scored 15 and Joe Smith had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Hawks off to strong start
It’s too early in the season to focus on records or standings, but still, the Atlanta Hawks deserve praise for their 4 wins with no losses. All their wins were against decent or good teams: the Magic, 76ers, Hornets and Raptors.
They’ve been led by Joe Johnson, who has averaged 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 55.4% shooting.
Mike Bibby has played well, though he still needs to shoot better.
Flip Murray has provided a nice scoring boost, scoring 12.0 ppg.
Josh Smith, who isn’t scoring much but steals the ball, blocks shots and makes a difference on both ends of the court, has been decent, but will now miss the next several weeks due to a sprained ankle.
Al Horford and Marvin Williams have both started the season fairly quietly. But new Hawk Maurice Evans has provided nice scoring punch.
Nov 7: Hawks 110, Raptors 92
The AP reports: Mike Bibby scored all of his 19 points in the first half, making four 3-pointers during an 18-4 run that broke open the game, and the unbeaten Hawks routed the Toronto Raptors 110-92 on Friday night. Bibby added 12 assists for Atlanta (4-0). The Hawks are off to their best start since 1997, when they won their first 11 games… Chris Bosh led Toronto (3-2) with 26 points. Jose Calderon, the Raptors’ second-leading scorer, had only six points on 2-of-10 shooting, but finished with 12 assists… Flip Murray added 16 points for Atlanta. Maurice Evans scored 15 and Marvin Williams 14. The points were season highs for Bibby, Murray, Evans and Williams.