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    lethalweapon3

    heat at Hawks

    By lethalweapon3, in Game Previews,

    “Y’all still got a roster spot open? Just asking for my brother Zoran.”


     
    And down the stretch they crawl!

    The Southeast Division banner remains up for grabs, and the red-hot Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks are making moves in the chase for that top spot and, perchance, a first-round homecourt seed. But now, there’s a third team coming around the outside, looking to do more than just show. It’s the hard-charging Miami heat, who are in the house tonight at Philips Arena (8:00 PM Eastern, 1:00 AM if you’re Dennis Schröder; Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Sun in MIA).

    Are you constantly worried about Losing Something For Nothing? Imagine being hardly three seasons removed from having LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in your stead, and having a handful of exceptions and cap space to show for that. Coach Spo has made the most of a rough situation even while his team riddled with constant injuries to role players.

    Just the idea of postseason play was laughable back in mid-January, when the heat were palling around with Brooklyn in the basement of the East. Then came a fiery 14-2 stretch that has Erik Spoelstra’s club within 2.5 games of the 8-seed. Yes, those two defeats came at the hands of the 76ers and Magic. But any notion that their recent 13-game winning streak was an oddly long blip was quashed when they walked into Houston and grounded the Rockets before going into the All-Star Break.

    The Hawks know how good the heat can become, even without guard Josh Richardson (foot sprain), the starting 2-guard who rejoins the lineup tonight after a 19-game absence. Richardson’s departure allowed Dion Waiters to step in and do Dion Waiters things (21.0 PPG, 5.1 APG, 46.6 3FG% since the win streak began on Jan. 17).

    Waiters is just one of four heat players nailing threes at a minimum 40-percent clip since mid-January, including lead guard Goran Dragic (48.4 3FG%), hired-gun Wayne Ellington (40.0%), and the stretchy Luke Babbitt (44.4%). Richardson’s replacement in the lineup, Rodney McGruder (38.8 3FG%) isn’t all that far behind.

    The Hawks have to figure out how to close out opponents like Miami properly around the perimeter, and the return of (a hopefully healthy) Thabo Sefolosha to the lineup should help in that regard. Atlanta foes shoot 42.1 3FG% from the right corner, 37.8 3FG% from the left side.

    The only playoff team that allows teams higher corner shot percentages, Denver, is a half-game away from falling to 9th out West. Since Sefolosha aggravated his groin injury back on January, the left-corner defense has been great (NBA-best 21.3 opponent 3FG%), but the right-corner D has sagged (47.3 opponent 3FG%, 3rd-worst in NBA).

    Being able to mix Sefolosha’s minutes in with rookie wings Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry will make things easier on coach Mike Budenholzer to provide fuller halfcourt coverage. His Hawks are 7-19 when opponents nail more than 37 percent on triples, a gaudy 25-4 otherwise.

    The heat barely cleared the bar by shooting 37.5% on threes during their 116-93 drubbing of the Hawks down in Miami on February 1. But Atlanta was much worse, shooting 26.9% from deep to stretch their two-game malaise versus Miami to 11-for-45 3FGs on the season. Compounding matters were virtual no-show efforts (irony alert) from Schröder (12 points, 2 assists, 4 TOs, one rebound in 26 minutes), Dwight Howard (2-for-6 FGs in 25 minutes), and Paul Millsap (9 points, 4-for-9 2FGs in 24 minutes), each of whom must elevate their production when their teammates are cold.

    As was the case in Miami’s recent win over Atlanta, Hassan Whiteside (18 points, 18 rebounds) stepped up in the heat’s last game in Houston (23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks). He’s continually sore about the laurels thrown at higher-regarded and not-more-accomplished bigs like Porzingis, Antetokounmpo, and Embiid. He’s also sore from his semi-flop, courtesy of Prince’s foul late in the February 1 contest, that left him singing like Snow Patrol: “If I just lay here…”

    The ensuing reaction from Whiteside’s sell cost Number One Super Guy James Johnson a fine, one which Hassan vowed to repay. He’d love another go at “fake tough guy” Prince, but his bigger priority should be to again outshine Howard, who schooled the young big man the last time these teams faced off on this floor (23 points, 17 boards, 4 assists).

    That game resulted in a 103-95 win for the Hawks on December 7, a margin that only grew close because of a fourth-quarter spurt from sixth-man guard Tyler Johnson (27 points, 5 assists vs. ATL on Dec. 7). Tonight, Dragic and Johnson will try to exploit a Hawks team that is suddenly short on experienced ballhandlers.

    Traveling to Germany without his visa, Dennis had to deal with some overseas shenanigans trying to return, causing him to miss yesterday’s practice and compelling the Hawks to suspend him for tonight’s game. The suspension gives Malcolm Delaney his first start tonight. Starters Kent Bazemore and Tim Hardaway, Jr. will offer some support, and the returning Lama Patterson (signed for the balance of the season, along with Ryan Kelly) will be available. But the onus is on Delaney to provide significant, productive minutes at the point.

    Delaney has thus far been unable to balance the need to provide an occasional offensive spark with the ability to set up teammates. Tonight, he’ll be charged with doing both. In ten games where he has scored in double digits, Malcolm has totaled 18 assists and 16 turnovers. In the other 46 games (4.6 PPG), he has averaged 2.9 assists and 1.3 TOs.

    Backed by his team’s unwavering commitment, Schröder has coasted at times during the season, but Coach Bud has had few recourses to this point. The team is in search of a veteran to help back these two point guards up, but hopefully the reasons why won’t become painfully obvious tonight.

    Delaney will get some help with a new perimeter shot-maker on the roster. How do you rid yourself of two players and improve your depth at forward at the same time? Mike Scott and Tiago Splitter are gone, and Ersan Ilyasova adequately takes their place. Previously Philly’s leading scorer not named Embiid (career-best 14.3 PPG), Ilyasova’s jumper has cooled (23.4 February 3FG%) in recent weeks, but not so much that he wouldn’t be a welcome addition to the Hawks roster behind Millsap.

    Getting spot-up shots from Ilyasova and fellow bench-mate Mike Dunleavy, Jr. should stretch the floor and boost the Hawks’ woeful bench production, assuming each of the team’s bigs and ballhandlers make efforts to draw defenders inward and find them open.

     Drawing early foul trouble out of Whiteside will be the body blow that pulls his fellow heat defenders off the three-point line and sets up Atlanta for better-quality looks later in the game. On this High Voltage Friday, up against an amped Miami squad, the Hawks can ill afford another power outage to start this stretch run toward the postseason. Which Hawks will step up and electrify this crowd tonight?

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3
    “For better horsepower than you’ll find in any Kia…”


     
    Before heading to LA for tonight’s game with the Clippers (10:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL; PRIME TICKET in LA), I sure hope the Atlanta Hawks sent the NBA schedule makers a Valentine’s Day gift.

    Heading into the All-Star Break, our Hawks have lived a fairly charmed existence this season. Atlanta has played the fewest games against currently-winning NBA teams (17 of them; they’re 8-9) among any NBA teams. Only the Pacers (7-10) and Spurs (13-6) have played nearly as few. By comparison, the sad-sack Nets and Suns have 27 such games under their belts; the Magic and Lakers, 26.

    If you recall, it wasn’t long ago that Atlanta could boast one of the best records versus plus-.500 squads. That was back in December, when the Knicks, Bucks, and Bulls each had dalliances with winning records. They’ve all since fallen off, and the chasm between winning and losing teams has widened.

    It is cool that the Hawks (32-23) are on the winning side, defying many professional prognostications thus far. But that foundation was built on the backs of victories, many by the skin of their beaks, against some bad and dysfunctional outfits. Since their New Year’s Day thriller against the Spurs, Atlanta has one solitary game against a winning NBA team – their Groundhog Day comeback thriller in Houston – out of 14 games in their win column.

    The only other games versus winning clubs since January 1 included the close-shave loss to Boston, and double-digit defeats at home at the hands of the Wizards, the Jazz, and these Clippers, who coincidentally thumped the Jazz by an 88-72 score in Utah on Monday, going up by 27 points after three quarters.

    There will be ample opportunity for the Hawks’ strength-of-schedule to catch up with much of the league. Beginning at the close of this month, Atlanta plays eight games versus winning teams (plus the Nets and Mavericks) over the space of 18 days. For the players, tonight’s game in LA serves as an appetizer before the main course is served, a warmup before the schedule becomes more arduous shortly after the Break.

    By the way… did you notice the Clippers moved out of Los Angeles?

    Technically, yes, they’re still in Tinseltown. But last summer, when they EA Sports’d their logo, Steve Ballmer’s franchise also made a subtle yet significant move to distinguish themselves from their Staples Center timeshare mates.

    Go look at just about any NBA.com reference to the Clips’ hometown, their website, or social media sites. The Lakers are “Los Angeles”; the Clippers are now the abbreviated, “L.A.,” or just the stylized, “LA”. The media has generally not caught on yet. But the Randy Newmans of the world are actively being forced to take sides.

    The 115-105 win in Atlanta back on January 23 was the one good blip in a general downturn for the Clippers that began when Chris Paul had thumb surgery the week before. Doc Rivers’ club went 2-7 over a stretch of nine games, the Hawks and Suns being the sole wins, the win in ATL preceding an 11-point loss in Embiid-less, Okafor-less Philly the next night, and a 46-point drubbing in Golden State after three days’ rest.

    All of that was before the Clippers rattled off three straight road victories. Blake Griffin returned from a month-long absence, after an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, to play the night after LA’s win in Atlanta. The reigning Western Conference Player of the Week has been especially stellar in his past six games (26.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.6 TOs/game, 53.4 FG%), re-asserting himself as his team’s best playmaker in the absence of Paul.

    The win streak must come as a relief for coach Doc Rivers and company, but the Clippers still find themselves in a precarious spot in the standings. Already 5.0 games behind 3-seed Houston, LA sits just a half-game in front of 5th-seeded Utah and a full-game ahead of 6th-seeded Memphis for the final first-round homecourt spot in the West.

    The Clips don’t want to create a deeper hole for CP3 to have to help them escape, once he returns in March. So a win tonight holds importance for the home team, and not just for the sake of sustaining momentum or heading into the break among the West’s Top-4. Without a victory tonight, they would go over a full calendar month without securing a win at Staples.

    The Hawks’ starters have been listless of late when it comes to securing defensive boards, posting a 71.4 D-Reb% this month (28th in NBA) that would make Al Horford proud, while allowing opponents to score 17.3 second-chance points per-48 (2nd-most in NBA). Even without a sturdy center on the floor, Portland’s Mo Harkless and Ed Davis got their hands on six offensive rebounds apiece on Monday, helping the Blazers produce 19 second-chance points to keep themselves in the game until overtime.

    Would-be starter Thabo Sefolosha ranks third on the team in per-game defensive rebounds (3.5) and likely will continue to sit out to rehab a groin injury. Kent Bazemore (2.6 defensive RPG, 0.2 more than Dennis Schröder) slid into the 3-spot but had not been helping much in this area.

    But after totaling seven defensive boards in his first five February games, Bazemore has picked up the slack, corralling at least five D-Rebs in consecutive games for the first time since April of last season. He needs to continue mixing it up inside to help relieve the already overtaxed Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap. Including the one-point loss in Sacramento, Atlanta is 7-1 on the season when Baze grabs at least five defensive rebounds, 11-5 with no losses since December 21 when he manages to grab at least four.

    The Hawks’ undermanned and unsteady bench unit has been particularly poor this month, especially on the offensive end. Only the benches of the Pelicans, Nets, and Magic have posted a worse February offensive efficiency than Atlanta’s (99.2 bench O-Rating, 27th in NBA). Five reserves were a collective 4-for-16 shooting the rock with zero assists during Atlanta’s overtime win in Portland, outplayed by Blazers sub Al-Farouq Aminu alone (4-for-9 3FGs and two dimes) on Monday night.

    The shifting of Tim Hardaway, Jr. into a starting role, and increased spot-duties for Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry during Sefolosha’s absence, are contributing factors. But what has also been problematic are the struggles of Malcolm Delaney (34.4 FG%, 2.1 APG in past 15 games) in sparking ball movement when he’s in the game on Schröder’s behalf. Mike Muscala’s ability to make shots around the rim, and on the perimeter (45.8 FG% since Jan. 1, 52.8 FG% before; 3-for-11 February 3FGs) has tailed off.

    Be it through more effective pick-and-pop or screen-roll action, the Mike-and-Malcolm tandem must work with each other to open up the offense for themselves and their unit mates. The Hawks’ bench similarly tallied just 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting in Atlanta against the Clippers, and one can bet former Hawks Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (19 points on 9-for-20 FGs, 4 assists vs. ATL on Jan. 23) has no plans to be merciful this evening.

    LA’s All-Star center DeAndre Jordan hardly had to lift the ball above his shoulders when the Clippers prevailed in Atlanta last month. He attempted only one field goal in 35 minutes, but dished out four assists and grabbed three offensive rebounds. While Jordan was able to park himself under the defensive basket, the Clippers’ small-ball rotation did the heavy lifting on offense.

    Austin Rivers made it such that no one was missing CP3 in Atlanta. Playing at turns alongside Raymond Felton, J.J. Redick (41.6 3FG%), and Crawford, Rivers was able to set up the offense but also spring free for quite a bit of his own (team-highs of 27 points and 6 assists vs. ATL; 5-for-10 3FGs).

    Griffin’s return alleviates the Clipper backcourt of some decision-making, especially early in the shot clock. But their Atlanta backcourt counterparts must thwart dribble penetration that severely contracts the defense and allows LA to shoot 58.3 3FG%, as was the case last month.

    While Griffin gets Millsap’s undivided attention, and as Howard strives to keep Jordan off the glass without fouling, Felton, Rivers, and Crawford will put a lot of offensive pressure on Schröder, Hardaway, and Delaney, until the latter trio figures it out. Proper rotation and communication along the perimeter should help the Hawks better deflect kickouts and contest LA’s jump-shooters.

    The Hawks starters, including Sefolosha, had a rough time shooting the ball against the Clippers last month. But all five finished in double-figures, led by Bazemore’s 25 points, and could have done more with a little help from the bench.

    Atlanta began narrowing the double-digit deficit in the third quarter (19-for-33 second half 2FGs; 9-for-26 in the first half) by abandoning the three-point shot and attacking and dishing from the Clippers’ interior. There is little resistance, in kind, on drives by the Clipper backcourt, forcing shifts from Jordan and Luc Mbah a Moute away from their man to compensate. More assertive and decisive action by Schröder and Hardaway at the outset of the game may force LA’s bigs into early foul trouble, forcing Doc to turn to his more defensively-deficient options like Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass.

    Even without Chris Paul, the Clippers are a tough opponent to face when wrapping-up the pre-All-Star-Break schedule. But today’s game should help the Hawks get acquainted with the tougher opponents that await at the end of this month. After some turbulent games lately, here’s hoping for some smoother sailing tonight.

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3
    "Cash Me Outside, How Bout Dah?"
     
    Here is just another reminder why it's important to keep valuables out of your unattended car at all times. Early Sunday morning, one day before tonight’s game between his Portland Trail Blazers and the visiting Atlanta Hawks (10:30 PM Eastern, TNT, 92.9 FM in ATL), center Mason Plumlee got to his car, parked in the garage of his condo, only to find it had been broken into, wallet and checkbook gone.

    Plumlee’s day would only grow more complicated once he arrived at the Blazers’ practice facility. Turns out, he had just been traded, and needed to fly out to Denver by Monday, so the deal for Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (and a 2017 1st-rounder, which would be Portland’s third) could be completed. Canceling bank accounts and flying to a new city without one’s ID and credit cards; that can’t be fun.

    What has complicated things for Portland (23-31) is that they sit one full game out of the only likely available playoff seed (8th) in the Western Conference, despite having the second-highest salary base in the whole NBA this season ($119.7 million, behind only the Cavs’ $129.5 million), plus the highest load of committed salaries next season ($134.4 million, more than Cleveland’s $123 million). The Blazers got no help from the Hawks (31-23) on Friday night, as Atlanta’s insistence on Falconing Up during the second half in Sacramento helped the Kings to remain just a half-game behind Portland entering tonight’s NBA action.

    The Blazers were one of the more stable franchises in terms of player movement over the past summer, but the free agent additions to their core, led by guards Damian Lillard (career-highs of 26.1 PPG, 90.3 FT%, and 4.9 RPG) and C.J. McCollum (career-highs of 23.5 PPG, 52.5 2FG%, 89.8 FT%, and 3.7 RPG, have not panned out. Guard Evan Turner broke a bone in his shooting hand last week and will sit for at least a month, while center Festus Ezeli’s offseason knee procedure has failed to make him healthy enough to play all season long.

    The team matched Brooklyn’s four-year, $75 million offer for restricted free agent Allen Crabbe (career-best 10.6 PPG, 43.1 3FG%), but the swingman’s defensive struggles threaten to make Atlanta’s 4/70 deal for Kent Bazemore look like a stroke of genius.

    Crabbe was joined on the bench by Atlanta native Al-Farouq Aminu, who conversely had struggled to hit the outside of a barn until the past few games (47.6 3FG% in four games this month). For now, Blazers coach Terry Stotts has elected to replace them on the top line with Moe Harkless (career-high 10.5 PPG) and Noah Vonleh (3.3 PPG, 40.9 FG%, 56.1 FT%).

    Blazers owner Paul Allen is quite accustomed, over the years, to paying for big-ticket gambles that don’t seem to pay off. But it’s not likely that Allen will continue to pay full freight for a lottery team. What is likely is that a sell-off of tradeable assets, which began with Plumlee (Portland’s leading rebounder and shot-blocker, second-leading assist maker, and third-leading scorer), will continue up until the trade deadline passes.

    The bruising Nurkic is unlikely to be ready to play this evening, leaving duties in the pivot to Ed Davis and Meyers Leonard, on what was already a porous Blazers defense with Plumlee (109.0 D-Rating, 27th in NBA). If they make decisive plays in the paint, Atlanta’s Dwight Howard and mainstay Paul Millsap should be able to feast against a team that fouls (31.6 opponent FTAs per 100 possessions, 3rd-most in NBA) a lot more than they get stops (12.9 opponent TOs per 100 possessions, 5th-fewest in NBA).

    The task for the Hawks’ backcourt players is to allow Lillard, McCollum, and Crabbe, Portland’s top-scoring trio, to earn the lion’s share of their buckets by way of well-contested jumpshots without sending them to the free throw line. They must disallow the Blazers’ trio from helping their beleaguered frontcourt mates on the glass. Thabo Sefolosha (groin) remains questionable to play tonight, likely meaning more yeoman's work will be needed from rookie DeAndre' Bembry.

    On offense, Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway, Jr., and Kent Bazemore need to score on off-ball cuts to the basket, and also wear down Portland’s defenders with relentless peripheral movement along the perimeter, getting open for passes emanating from point guards and bigs in the paint.

    After a dismal conclusion to Friday night’s affairs in Sacramento, we will see if the Hawks, like Plumlee, learned a lesson about leaving themselves exposed for late-night thefts.

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3

    Hawks at Kings

    By lethalweapon3, in Game Previews,

    “When I was 25… it was a, very, good year…”

     
    Which NBA team has wins over the following opponents under their belt: the Cavaliers, the Celtics, the Raptors (twice), the Warriors, the Jazz, the Grizzlies, the Thunder? How ‘bout those Sacramento Kings? They get a visit from the Hawks tonight (10:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL), as Atlanta concludes their pre-All-Star Break schedule with a three-game West Coast trip.

    Somewhere in Norcal, All-Star Paul Millsap woke up this morning discovering he just turned 29 years of age for the fourth consecutive year (one year fewer than ex-Hawk favorite Zaza Pachulia). Millsap can take solace in knowing he will always be four days younger than Kris Humphries.

    Hump and Sap awoke to the knowledge that their Hawks are tied with Boston for the best road record (15-11) in the Eastern Conference. At least for a day, Atlanta can have the top spot all to themselves with a win tonight against a Kings team that, as the Celts can attest, can upend decent teams whenever they put their mind to it.

    Sacramento (21-32) has lost 10 of their past 15 games, and are supposed to be reeling from the loss of would-be trade chip Rudy Gay (Achilles) for the season. But following are the five wins during this latest stretch.

    There was a road win in Detroit, an overtime road win in Cleveland, a road win in Charlotte, an overtime win back home, at the new Golden 1 Center against Golden State. And, on Wednesday, a convincing win without DeMarcus Cousins against the Celtics.

    The last victory denied frog-faced MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas a triumphant return against the team that signed-and-traded the 2014 restricted free agent for Alex Oriakhi and am unused trade exception (Where have you gone, Pete D’Alessandro?)

    Aside from his routinely abused ego, Cousins was not sidelined due to injury. The surly center was suspended, as mandated by the league, for the Boston game after collecting his 16th (non-rescinded) technical foul. Boogie shattered the fastest-to-16-techs record previously held by Dwight Howard (8 tech fouls this season), who was at least mindful enough in 2011 to wait until after the All-Star Break (March 5).

    Beyond Cousins and Gay, the Kings were already going into the Celtics game without recent starter Garrett Temple (out with torn hammy), and bench swingman Omri Casspi (out with calf strain). After starting point guard Ty Lawson (doubtful for tonight) hobbled off with a thigh strain midway through the second quarter on Wednesday, Sacto soldiered on without four of their top six scorers on the season.

    Then, a funny thing happened: under the direction of former Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger, the shorthanded Kings got a bit of modified grit-and-grind going. After cruising to a 28-19 first-quarter lead, the Celtics couldn’t exceed 22 points in any of the next three stanzas.

    Former Grizzly Matt Barnes chipped in with 11 defensive rebounds, four assists, and three triples. Also coming off the bench, much-maligned guard Ben McLemore surprised with 17 points in the second and third quarters. The King of the 4th Quarter turned out not to be Thomas (26 points, but 6-for-16 FGs), but backup center Willie Cauley-Stein, who dazzled the Kings crowd with a highlight-filled 10 points to help close out the contest. Perhaps the team’s most-desired trade commodity in Gay’s absence, B-Mac is likely to return to the Kings’ starting lineup tonight.

    The Kings are 4-18 when their opponent’s bench outscores their own, so productive outings from Malcolm Delaney, Mike Dunleavy, Mike Muscala, Kris Humphries, and either rookie Taurean Prince or DeAndre’ Bembry (5-for-7 FGs in the win vs. DEN on Wednesday) will make it easier for Atlanta’s starters to close out late. Not that it should be necessary, but if anyone could help with scouting Sacramento’s bench brigade, it would be Lamar Patterson.

    Recently signed to a second 10-day contract, Patterson spent his time in training camp and preseason with the Kings, after being claimed off waivers from the Hawks over the summer, then starred with the Kings’ D-League outfit in Reno. His familiarity should only help the Hawks’ backcourt exploit a group of Sacramento guards (inclusive of the injured Lawson and Temple) that rank 28th in D-Rating on the season.

    Barnes is assisting not only as a help-rebounder, but as an emergency backup for Darren Collison (26 points, 12-for-21 FGs vs. BOS on Wednesday), who slides back into the point guard slot with Lawson’s latest injury.

    Tonight’s game will be a contest of composure for the Hawks. Cousins (career-highs of 27.9 PPG, 36.6 3FG%, and 4.7 APG) will again be at his letter-best with the ball in his hands. But he and Barnes will work throughout the game to try unnerving Howard, Dennis Schroder (10-for-15 2FGs, 10 assists, 3 TOs vs. DEN on Wednesday), and Kent Bazemore into mistakes and foul trouble. Boston players managed just 18 assists and 17 turnovers on Wednesday, so successfully stifling Atlanta’s ball movement should similarly gain the Kings an upper hand.

    When last these teams met on Halloween night, the Hawks could not be tricked out of delivering treats to one another. Atlanta players committed just 13 turnovers and dished out 24 assists (8 from the hands of birthday-boy Millsap) in a 106-95 win. A lot of those buckets came from Kyle Korver (5-for-8 3FGs), who now plies his wares in Cleveland, all of his made shots in the contest assisted by Atlanta bigs. Perimeter shots from the offensively-improving Bazemore (3-for-4 3FGs vs. DEN; 46.3 3FG% in last 10 games) and Tim Hardaway, Jr. ought to fill in the gap left by Korver tonight.

    Led in scoring by Gay’s 22 points on Halloween, the Kings used a 37-point third-quarter to go up by two, after falling behind by 13 earlier. A fourth-quarter surge by Millsap and Bazemore helped turn the tables, while defense from Howard and Thabo Sefolosha (out with groin strain) put that game out of reach.

    Cousins was effectively neutralized (6-for-16 FGs, incl. 1-for-5 3FGs; 1-for-3 FTs, 4 TOs and 5 personal fouls) on the offensive end in that game, and suppressing the Kings’ offense tonight includes keeping DMC (career-high 7.6 FTs per game) and Collison (86.3 FT%) off the free throw line. Schroder (3 steals vs. DEN) will be tasked with pressuring the ball, thwarting dribble penetration, and compelling Collison to rely on others to handle the ball in the Kings’ halfcourt offense.

    With Howard switching off of Kosta Koufos to attend to Cousins, Millsap will be burdened primarily with having to keep Koufos from gathering offensive boards, along with defending Anthony Tolliver (1-for-7 3FGs but 3 steals vs. BOS on Wednesday) around the 3-point line when the former Hawk comes in off the bench.

    While the Hawks can firm up the momentary title of Best Road Team in the East, the Kings are vying to avoid seizing petty Devin Booker’s Suns (8-17) for the claim of Worst Home Team in the West (10-15). It will take more than simply blowing out one of Millsap’s 32 candles for Atlanta to get their wishes granted tonight.

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3



    lethalweapon3
    One trip to The Varsity will change your life, Nikola!
     
    Our predictably unpredictable Atlanta Hawks are going nowhere -- at least, in the standings, they are. While several Eastern Conference clubs are beating up on one another, the Hawks will continue their lurch toward the All-Star Break by playing Western Conference teams, like the visiting Denver Nuggets tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Altitude Sports in DEN).
    Despite another horrible home loss, this time to Utah last Monday night, Atlanta remains closer to the East’s 2-seed (Boston) than they are to the 7th seed (Chicago). That means, aside from a possible slide down to the 6th seed, below Jeff Teague’s surging Pacers, the Hawks (30-22) are likely to remain smack in the middle of the playoff picture, unimpacted by the shifting sands around them. Another skin-of-their-teeth victory, another double-digit defeat, won’t make much difference in the near-term.
    The Nuggets, reinvigorated with passing wizard Nikola Jokic at center, are interested in staying in the 8th-seed in the West. The team hasn’t been to the playoffs since getting dispatched by Steph Curry and Jarrett Jack’s upset-minded Warriors in 2013.
    In their case, Denver is slightly closer to 7-seed OKC than they are to the 15-seed Lakers. Willing to commit to second-year pro Emmanuel Mudiay (out tonight with a back injury), Denver is apparently disinterested in the 2017 bumper crop of point guards to be had in the lottery. Head coach Mike Malone is hopeful his early-season experimentation (with Jokic off the bench, or starting at power forward) didn’t blow his team’s postseason chances.
    Home to the lowest average attendance in the NBA, the Pepsi Center was sold out last Friday for a Nuggets game against Milwaukee. The Greek Freak is often worth the price of admission, but he alone isn’t what’s filling up the arena for a Bucks-Nuggets game.
    Jokic has tantalized with his crafty moves and zippy dishes served from the high and low post. Starting regularly only since mid-November, his ability to move the ball as a big (5.8 assists per-36, 1st among NBA centers) is drawing comparisons to Arvydas Sabonis, Vlade Divac, and Marc Gasol. “I believe the only muscles you need in basketball,” Jokic was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying, “are the ones in your brain.”
    The Joker’s passing has been able to offset the steep learning curves for Mudiay and two rookie guards, Jamal Murray and Atlanta native Malik Beasley. His efficient scoring (65.0 TS%, 3rd in NBA) has allowed the Nuggets to bubblewrap Danilo Gallinari (out with a groin strain), Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried (starting tonight, after missing Monday’s 110-87 win over Dallas for personal reasons) as GM Tim Connelly works the phones for trades. And while Giannis’ Bucks, Porzingis’ Knicks and Joel’s 76ers have been settling southward of late, Jokic’s Nuggets (23-28) has moved to the top among the West’s sub-.500 clubs.
    Denver still has a sour taste from Atlanta’s visit back in December. They were up 108-100 with just 98 seconds to go when some fortuitous whistles (and a technical foul called on Malone) granted the Hawks nine unanswered free throws to close out the proceedings. Six of Dennis Schroder’s 12 fourth-quarter points came from the free throw line. Schroder has 27 points in the game, followed by Paul Millsap, who went 8-for-10 from the line to finish with 20 points.
    Jameer Nelson has been filling in for Mudiay, the Nuggets 5-4 in this latest span. Malcolm Delaney struggled to keep Nelson, who turns 35 years young tomorrow, in front of him during the December matchup. Both he and Schroder have to stop Denver from making hay out of dribble penetration.
    Jokic is seeking to bounce back after being generally ineffective in that December contest (fouled out in 19 minutes, 5 TOs). At turns, he’ll try to work Dwight Howard (DNP’d in December @ DEN) into foul problems and draw Atanta’s center away from the basket. Howard will do well to stay at home in the post and thwart Jokic’s attempts to connect with cutting teammates like Faried, Gary Harris and Will Barton (season-high 31 points, 5-for-7 3FGs, 8 rebounds, 5 assists vs. DAL on Monday).
    The Nuggets center and guards will also be on the lookout for Denver’s many three-point shooters (even without Gallinari), most notably stretch forward Darrell Arthur, who sinks 1.5 threes per game at a 50.7 3FG% clip. In the five games since Thabo Sefolosha was shelved to heal a groin injury, Hawks opponents have hit on just 32.1% of their three-point attempts (10th lowest in NBA since Jan. 29), which would be really encouraging if Atlanta was shooting better than 31.1% (25th in NBA) themselves.
    Millsap and the Hawk forwards have to be sufficiently familiar with Denver’s personnel to know which opposing player is going to loft shot from the perimeter and which are likely to put the ball on the floor and barrel toward the hoop. Faried’s return provides a boost to Denver’s NBA-best second-chance scoring, so boxing out the Manimal, Jokic, and Jusuf Nurkic is key to the Hawks suppressing their opponent’s offense.
    The win over Dallas notwithstanding, Denver is all about offense. Atlanta needs to exploit the Nuggets’ lackadaisical defense (110.2 D-Rating, 30th in NBA), although Denver does perform marginally better on the road (109.4 road D-Rating, 24th in NBA).
    The Nuggets allow 18.7 PPG off turnovers, making it incumbent on Schroder, Kent Bazemore, and Tim Hardaway. Jr. to pounce as every transition scoring opportunity arises. Sefolosha’s absence has been most felt in this area, as opposing players have turned the ball over just 11.6 times per game, compared to Atlanta’s 15.2.
    Millsap insists that a return to top-notch defensive intensity is the key to avoiding another huge letdown. “We have to get back to being that defensive powerhouse that we were earlier,” he told the AJC on Monday, after the Hawks got tuned up by the Jazz.
    Bazemore disagrees. “I don’t think it’s defense,” he retorted. “I think we put ourselves in a tough position with quick and hurried shots, not quality shots, and scrambled back on defense.” Baze added, “We got to move the ball. That helps everything else.” While the tie always goes to the All-Star in any disagreement, the correct answer to the Hawks’ in-game woes is usually somewhere in the middle. If they figure it out soon, they might finally be going places.
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
    “Sorry, Bryon. Us Legends are Born This Way!”


     
    What was all this #InBrotherhood stuff about, after all?

    It’s a sobering recognition that -- no matter how long you’ve been in greater Atlanta, no matter what part of the metro you live in, no matter how much you’re currently prospering -- in this Woulda Coulda Shoulda sports town, you and the local team you root for are no better, and no worse, than anybody else around these parts. We might as well embrace one another.

    On Sunday night, one half of semi-professional pigskin was all that kept the Hawks from becoming the sole major male pro sports franchise to never win a world title for Atlanta (the Blaze, and Atlanta United, are free to join us on the couch someday soon).

    Fans of the Hawks’ visitors tonight, the Utah Jazz (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, ROOT Sports Utah), can commiserate with Falcons fans like few others could. Two decades ago, their team, with destiny on the line, left themselves exposed to a Legend. And made something of a legend out of themselves in the process.

    Around town, I’ve got colleagues, so-called Atlanta sports fans, that have offered up every excuse for living in the ATL for decades and never embracing the Hawks. Never mind coming (or staying) downtown to pull for them every blue moon. I’m talking about simply turning on the television, or radio, and tuning in on the regular.

    “It’s too late at night, walking 100 feet from my SUV can be scary, the traffic and parking sucks and I don’t wanna take MARTA because, well, y’know.” Some of the same people proceed to grab their foam tomahawks and spend four hours with their families in Summerville for some Freddie Freeman bobblehead night. Others will soon leap at the chance to flaunt their PSLs on Northside Drive, in eager anticipation of some Thursday Night Color Rush versus Tampa Bay.

    Why not watch your local NBA team? “They don’t have the kind of players I like to follow”, I get that a lot. But they can recite the life histories of all 75 players on a training camp roster as they haul it up I-985 to Flowery Branch to watch “their” heroes prep for a preseason game. I ain’t mad, tho.

    “The Hawks had shady ownership for so long.” Right, and what was Rankin Smith, again? “The Hawks drag you along all season, just to collapse at the end,” said the 2011 Barves fan, without so much as a wink. “The Hawks are a treadmill team that disappoints in the playoffs,” okay. And then we slap on our facepaint and scream and dance and chop for teams that are, at least as of Sunday night, the very definitions for end-of-season disappointments in their respective sports (move aside, Buffalo). And they don’t even get to the playoffs every year, at least not anymore.

    Yes, it’s lousy timing for anyone to needle Falcons fans who, up until a month ago, had rationally measured expectations about how much their team might achieve this season. But if we’re truly “In Brotherhood” (or, accounting for the Dream, “In Siblinghood”) we don’t black-sheep our brethren just to uplift the favorites in our family.

    All across the ATL, inside the perimeter and well beyond, Hawks fans are giving long-suffering members of the Falcons faithful a sorely-needed hug today. If we’re all truly “True To Atlanta,” though, it’s high time we start demanding a little more embracing of our Hawks, flaws and all, in return.

    For far too long, Hawks fans are compelled to Feel The Pain for other pro teams’ letdowns in the winters, and autumns, but get treated like Torch Red-headed stepchildren in the springtimes, garnering far more ridicule than reciprocation. Falcon, Bravo, and Dawg/Jacket fans, must become more than just “True To The Segments of Atlanta I Choose to Associate With.” Hawk fans must no longer accept our allegiances getting pushed down to some lower, substandard tier.

    Speaking of pushing…

    “I know that some argue that He did not push off,” said Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant just a couple weeks ago, while addressing the state legislature, adding, “most of them live in Chicago.”

    “He,” naturally, is Michael Jordan, already the greatest to ever bounce a basketball in most people’s eyes, but a man who needed a foil to cement his otherworldly legacy. The foil directed his way was Utah Jazz player Bryon Russell, who moments before was about to help his team reach Game 7 of the NBA Finals and maybe break Utah’s NBA bridesmaid hex, once and for all.

    The Jazz had a chance to put Game 6 away, but Karl Malone fumbled the ball, leaving just a sliver of daylight open for a Legend to create a legend. And 20 years later, it takes a judicial act just to try and take the bitter taste out of Jazz fans’ mouths.

    “After much consideration, I am now prepared to rule,” said Durrant. “He pushed off. And if you think I don’t have the power to decide that, you haven’t read the Utah Constitution.” So it goes in Atlanta, and Salt Lake City. Because our teams’ leaders are not prepared to rule, we turn to judges to do the work for us. Can somebody around here overturn that Infield Fly thing?

    Coincidentally, the Hawks’ color analyst was drafted-and-traded by the Jazz to become Atlanta’s iconic basketball player. Yet his teams suffered tough postseason defeats at the hands of Legends like Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas, and he found himself on the outside of the NBA’s 50th anniversary team looking in.

    Nearly two decades later, his team’s owners and management nearly tore each other, and the franchise, asunder over the central question of whether Atlanta’s basketball legend, one of the 15 leading scorers in NBA history, was worthy of a statue in front of the basketball arena. Like Matt Ryan, or Michael Vick before him, Dominique Wilkins understands quite well the feeling when you’ve failed to cast your own legacy in gold.

    Nique’s best known feats of fancy weren’t achieved at Philips Arena, but one player coming off the bench for the Jazz sure had a few in this building. Joe Johnson is still getting it done as best he can at age 35, his 18 points and 4 assists helping Utah (32-19) shoo away the visiting Hornets on Saturday night. At his prime, Johnson was never going to star in “Space Jam”, or get his own corn-syrupy-drink ads. But like modern-day Paul Millsap, Joe was Atlanta’s multiple-year All-Star, and deserved to be welcomed as such, unconditionally.

    Rather, because Joe’s teams failed to outshine the Paul Pierces, LeBron Jameses and Dwight Howards in the postseason, he became reviled around town, especially after accepting a salary that would have cost teams an extra $10-15 million annually today for the same scales of production and accomplishment. His Hawks jersey will someday be retired, but his was not the Red #2 many Atlanta sports fans were willing to tout.

    Despite the ghosts of would-be-championships past, Utah sports fans held little disagreement over whether John Stockton or Karl Malone were “monumental” figures. They are also quite content with the present state of affairs, especially now that their primary pro sports team is ensconced in the state, thanks to a new Miller family legacy trust.

    Now on a more manageable $11 million annual deal, the esteemed veteran Johnson is well-accepted around SLC, even while being arguably the second-best Joe on coach Quin Snyder’s team. He shares bench duties these days with Joe Ingles, the Aussie breaking out with a 43.2 three-point percentage (4th in NBA). Either Joe can spell Gordon Hayward, the Jazz leading scorer (career-bests of 22.0 PPG, 87.1 FT%, 5.7 RPG; 33 points vs. CHA on Saturday) who is headed to his first All-Star Game.

    Coaches’ votes for the ASG were probably headed toward teammate center Rudy Gobert (99.8 D-Rating, 3rd among NBA players with 30+ MPG; NBA-high 2.5 BPG), until Chris Paul’s injury compelled voters to take Clipper center DeAndre Jordan in the frontcourt instead. Nonetheless, even with third-year swingman Rodney Hood (sprained knee) unavailable and young Alec Burks coming back slowly, Utah boasts exceptional depth of skill and experience at the wing spots.

    They’ve been deep enough to absorb injury setbacks across the board, a competitive advantage that has kept them comfortably in the midst of the Western Conference playoff chase. Boris Diaw’s espresso-fueled stints have been efficient enough to alleviate Gobert while making the emergence of either Derrick Favors (a dying-hard Falcons fan, born in Atlanta during the summer of the Bravos’ 1991 worst-to-first campaign) or Trey Lyles less urgent. Relying on ex-Hawk Shelvin Mack and Dante Exum, the Jazz weathered the storm while George Hill (5-for-8 3FGs vs. CHA on Saturday) recuperated from injury.

    Snyder’s Jazz embrace a style, if you will, of space-and-trace. They keep the tempo at a snail’s crawl (NBA-low 93.4 pace), and don’t waste time gambling for live-ball turnovers (6.6 team SPG and 12.2 opponent TOs/game, 29th in NBA). Instead, the Jazz excel at contesting shots (NBA-best 48.5 opponent eFG%), using Gobert and the bigs to secure the defensive boards (78.2 D-Reb%, 4th in NBA), and then controlling the rock and draining the clock until they find an advantageous matchup on offense, like Hayward or Hill (8-for-14 FGs apiece vs. ATL on Nov. 25).

    Mike Budenholzer’s Hawks know this firsthand. Playing right into their opponent’s hands, the Hawks scored just 68 points in Utah’s arena back in November, Atlanta’s lowest output since a forgettable 97-58 loss in Chicago back in January 2013. It had been that long since a Hawks team shot as poorly as 31.3% from the field.

    Mack chipped in for Utah with five assists, plus steals that accounted for four of Atlanta’s mere 14 player turnovers. Johnson collected 10 D-Rebs in 24 minutes for a Jazz team that was more than happy to let Kent Bazemore, Junior Hardaway, Malcolm Delaney and Mike Muscala fire away (combined 3-for-24 FGs) while their defenders blanketed Kyle Korver (1-for-3 FGs).

    Even without Derrick available for Utah, it was Howard and Millsap (combined 6-for-20 FGs, zero assists) that did their team no Favors on that November evening. Adequately contested at turns by Gobert (10 D-Rebs and 5 blocks vs. ATL on Nov. 25), Diaw, Lyles, and Jeff Withey, Atlanta’s starting frontcourt duo could produce neither buckets nor second-chances for Atlanta (11.5 O-Reb%, second-lowest of the season), as half of the team’s six offensive rebounds came from Thabo Sefolosha (out again tonight) off the bench.

    The Hawks mimicked Quinball as best they could (84.4 team D-Reb%, 39.1 opponent eFG%) in Saturday’s 113-86 mastery of the Magic, an outcome that could have only been more dominant had Atlanta found a way to keep Orlando (25-for-28 FTs) off the free throw line.

    Key to the rare relaxing victory was Dennis Schroder, shedding his recent slump by controlling the ball, directing player movement, and defending well (10 assists, 2 TOs, 2 steals), while helping all five Hawk starters shoot above 50% from the field. Delaney, off the bench, and Hardaway also provided some sorely needed perimeter shots (combined 5-for-10 3FGs) to help keep the Magic at bay.

    A similar effort from Atlanta’s guards will result in a far more competitive effort against Hill, Hayward and the Jazz. Three-pointers will be hard to come by for Schroder, with Hill (98.2 D-Rating, 1st among players w/ min. 30 MPG) in his face for much of the game. But if Dennis can find some space for mid-range shots off his drives, he can draw Gobert away from the rim and open up Howard and Millsap inside. Whenever Gobert’s teammates effectively rotate, the frontcourt players in turn must keep the ball moving and identify open shooters and cutters.

    For the next several months, there will be no blitzing, no five-step drops, no onside kicks. And there is, sadly, no parade preparation in the wings. But there is no excuse for our Rise Up chanters to Pack Up and Settle Down.

    There remains a prominent Atlanta team, a presently and consistently winning one at that, to rally around. Until the next kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the more recalcitrant among our Falcon-fan “Brotherhood” ought to take some time to acknowledge, and support, the field goals being converted right down the street at Philips Arena.

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3
    C’mon, Don’t Treat People’s Donkeys Like That, Evan!


     
    Fever dreams? Or nightmares? These days, Atlanta Hawks fans are seemingly left with no other options.

    Here come the Hawks, back in the Highlight Factory after a triumphant, double-digit, come-from-behind mad dash to the finish line on the road. Atlanta got a huge, confidence-boosting shot from Tim Hardaway, Jr. (an electrifying career-high 33 points @ HOU on Thursday, 23 in the 4th) to seal the deal and right a listing ship.

    Surely, with a hyped-up home crowd in the stands, they’ll make quick work out of the slip-sliding Orlando Magic (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Florida in ORL), right? Well, if you’ll remember, that was the grand plan back in December, too.

    Rewarded with three days off after a big win in Milwaukee was secured by a Hardaway triple, the Hawks waltzed onto their Philips Arena floor on December 9, and could only look on as four Magicians (Serge Ibaka and Evan Fournier; Elfrid Payton and Jodie Meeks off the bench) pulled 20-plus points out of their hats in a 131-120 Orlando win.

    The 131-point tally by Frank Vogel’s new club was the most run up on the Hawks by any opponent in regulation this season, or in any game since March 2008, when Stephen Jackson was literally lighting it up while playing for Nellie’s visiting Golden State Warriors.

    In December’s fateful meeting, Magic field goals were scored at a season-high 58.6 percent clip (highest by an ATL foe since January 2008; worst at home since March 2005; incl. 15-for-34 ORL 3FGs), and buttressed with a sterling 4-to-1 assist/turnover ratio (36 assists; Orlando piled up 37 of ‘em almost exactly a year ago to sweep a home-and-home).

    For their part, Atlanta hit over half of their shots, and missed just two of their 21 free throws. They got 4-for-5 three-point shooting from Kyle Korver, double-doubles from Dwight Howard and Dennis Schroder, nearly a third one from Paul Millsap, while fans had the oft-desired TNT combo (Tim ‘n Thabo) in the starting lineup. Yet the reserves’ inability to help the starters make stops resulted in the Hawks inhaling Orlando’s fumes at the ends of each half.

    The lesson seems to be, do not go into games feeling too smug on the heels of a notable victory. But the Hawks haven’t proven that they get the gist just yet. Days after that disappointing defeat to the Magic, Atlanta avenged a recent lousy loss in Toronto, then returned home the next day just to lose to division-rival Charlotte.

    An encouraging win in OKC was followed two days later by a dispiriting home loss to Minnesota. Big plays to earn the W in New York, then a big 23-point letdown two nights later in Detroit. Huge late-game comeback in Chicago; huge 26-point setback two nights later against the Wizards. 4 OT thriller at home against the Knicks; 23-point killer three days later in Miami.

    Despite a winning record, inconsistency and instability have been the pattern for these Hawks (29-21) for a while. It has to be maddening, not only for the players, the staff, and the fans, but the opponents, too. The teams that “got got” by Atlanta’s comeback kids during games (Bucks, Bulls, Rockets, etc.) are actively re-assessing their lot in life. For others, trouncing the Hawks seems to feel like you might have earned the Kiss of the Spider Woman.

    Toronto’s high-octane offense torches Atlanta by 44 points; they’ve petered out a dull 16-15 record since. Detroit dusts off the Hawks by 36, then go 9-13 before beating them again, this time by 23 before losing three of their next four. Since beating the Hawks soundly on the road, the Pelicans have gone just 14-21; the Lakers rose to 9-9 with a big win at Staples, before going 8-27 the rest of the way.

    And what good did that monumental December win in ATL do for Vogel’s crew? 11-15 wasn’t terribly far out of the playoff picture, certainly enough to hang around with a little momentum. But that momentum never materialized.

    When the Hawks left Amway Center on January 4, Atlanta’s payback 111-92 win (no Magic scorers above 15 points this time) dropped Orlando to a water-treading 5-6 since the previous matchup. The Magic’s ship has been taking in that water ever since, winners in just four of their last 15. Even after outlasting those crumbling Raptors at home last night, Orlando (20-32) sits just a half-game from 14th place in the East.

    “False sense of hope. I admit, I was fooled. Thought this team would be way better than it is.” That’s a sample of David Baumann’s tweeted opinions in the past few days. Baumann was sort of the “Jerome Jurenovich” host for the Magic for years. But these days, he gets to speak his mind, and he doesn’t hold his tongue. “…the last four seasons (the Magic) were expected to be bad. This year, (with) $ avail to blow, had a chance to finally be decent.”

    Baumann goes on with his e-lamentations, echoing much of the Magic fanbase sentiment that, even with Orlando just 4.0 games behind the 8-seed, declining to strike while the playoff iron was hot has left their team well behind the 8-ball. “By failing to make a deal by the end of December, (GM Rob Hennigan) essentially waved the white flag on this year… there's not a single player that any casual NBA fan would pay to go see play in person. (Although) the kids love (Aaron) Gordon (because) of dunks.”

    Such biting commentary would smart Hennigan, except his ears are too sore to notice, what with all the phones ringing in his office these days. The glut of bigs he acquired over the summer has not helped the crowded-out Gordon (42.6 FG%, 29.3 3FG%, 63.1 FT%, 4.6 RPG) advance his game at all. Vogel’s shifting to accommodate Hennigan’s maneuvers also have continued to frustrate Nikola Vucevic (14.1 PPG and 47.5 FG%, down from 18.2 and 51.0 FG% last year; DNP vs. ATL on Dec. 13), who has seen his playing time plummet from prior seasons.

    Now, Hennigan’s pining for a deal to come along that might help him cover up his free agent miscalculations (Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, Jeff Green). The right deal(s) could perhaps re-energize a fanbase frustrated about a team that’s bound to miss their fifth-straight postseason since Dwight departed for La-La Land in 2012, a team that’s on pace to be worse than the 35-47 outfit that Scott Skiles quit on, a squad that is just 9-16 at Amway after last night’s win. And here you thought the Hawks (14-10) struggle at home.

    Atlanta’s Dennis Schroder is due for a bounceback effort, after underwhelming outings for most of the past week (last 4 games: 32.2 FG%, 14.3 3FG%, 1.8 RPG, one steal total, 6.3 APG puffed up by 15 dimes in four overtimes vs. NYK).

    With John Wall and Kemba Walker bound for the Big Easy soon, Schroder is left to prove he can dominate matchups with the lower plankton of the division and conference. Doing so requires a commanding fullcourt performance from the jump against Payton (6.0 APG, 2.1 TOs/G, 28.4 3FG%; 3-for-3 3FGs, 14 assists and 2 TOs vs. ATL on Dec. 13). That is essential if the Hawks intend to shake off their own customary first-quarter cobwebs (NBA-worst 16.9 first-quarter TO%).

    One member of the Magic quartet that lit up the Hawks in December didn’t make a return trip. ATLien Meeks (team-high 40.4 3FG%) is repairing sprained thumb ligaments and remains out indefinitely. He joins fellow shooting guard C.J Wilcox (knee) on the shelf. Against Orlando’s depleted backcourt, things are lined up for Thursday night’s superhero, Hardaway (1-for-6 3FGs vs. ORL on Dec. 13), to escape his own phone booth at home (last 6 games at Philips: 22-for-68 FGs, 5-for-30 3FGs).

    Elevated to a starting role with Thabo Sefolosha (groin) still questionable to play, THJ extended his shooting woes at the Highlight Factory with 15 missed shots, including nine missed threes, in the 4-OT affair with New York last Sunday. He did manage to reach 19 points with the help of 9-for-12 FT shooting, and added 8 assists and just one TO to the mix. But his and Schroder’s missed freebies sure could have come in handy when Atlanta needed to keep Carmelo’s Knicks calm in the clutch.

    In his penultimate performance as a Hawk, Korver could hardly buy a bucket in Orlando. But in that January 4 game, he dished out 7 assists, matching Schroder and keying an all-around bench effort that was much improved from the team’s prior game against the Magic. Atlanta reserves Mike Muscala, Hardaway, and Malcolm Delaney combined for 13-for-19 shooting from the field (5-for-7 3FGs).

    Sefolosha’s injury has forced Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer to turn to his rookies, and DeAndre’ Bembry (5-for-6 FGs) sure put the accent on the Hawks’ table-turning 113-108 win in Houston. Bembry forced tough shots out of James Harden in the fourth quarter and snuck in for unguarded scores around the hoop. Kent Bazemore also played a role in helping deny Harden the ball at critical junctures of Thursday’s comeback.

    Bembry (43 minutes in past two games) and fellow rookie Taurean Prince may continue to see upticks in floortime if they continue to produce on the defensive end. With or without Sefolosha, Bazemore and the Hawks’ wings will need to remain active to cool down Fournier (16.7 PPG; 10-for-11 2FGs vs. ATL on Dec. 13), the Magic’s leading scorer.

    Orlando managed just 9-for-28 shooting from the perimeter against the Hawks last month, unable to keep up with the marksmanship by Bazemore (3-for-3 3FGs) and Atlanta (10-for-19 team 3FGs). Vogel will resort to using Green, Gordon, and Ibaka around the arc to pry Millsap and the Hawks’ defensive bigs out of the paint. It’s hoped that doing so will free up Payton and Fournier on drives, and Vucevic for post-up opportunities.

    However, Howard did a solid job staying at home on his defensive assignments, contesting without fouling, while also beating his man down the court to open up the Atlanta offense with superior shot opportunities in the paint. More of the same from the former Magic man would help the Hawks keep their distance tonight.

    For the Hawks, building from a big road win and taking care of business in front of the home crowd will help their fans sleep a little easier tonight. With a long night awaiting us on Sunday, we Atlanta fans sure could use the help.


     
    Rise Up! And Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3
    “Once I pop, I can’t stop!”

     
    Rise Up!

    A heaping debt of gratitude is due to our dear Atlanta Falcons. That’s not just because they worked their tailfeathers off to make it to the “Superb Owl” in Clutch City, where our Hawks coincidentally face off tonight with the Houston Rockets (8:00 PM Eastern, TNT if you dare; better yet, mute it and set your audio to 92.9 FM in ATL). By making it all the way through January and into February, the Falcons allow Atlanta’s sports media to defer the thankless job of watching the Hawks with any real discerning eye.

    Usually, by the time mid-January rolls around, there are no defensive tackles to hide behind. Down in Florida, pitchers and catchers don’t even report for another week or two. Aside from the hoopla over National Signing Day, it’s a wrap for Bulldog and Jacket football, after the obligatory mid-tier bowl games. The march to March Madness rarely matters around these parts. By MLK Day, and for at least the month that follows, it’s our Clean Birds that usually get center stage in Atlanta’s sports scene to themselves, whether they’re ready or not.

    Thus, it’s fortunate that the ATL has little time to dwell on yet another fullcourt flub by the Hawks, at the hands of another undermanned but spirited team, this time in Miami last night. You might imagine the network that Ted Turner built won’t want to focus much time on these pitiful performances tonight, and thank goodness for that.

    If anything, the appetizer for tonight’s Warriors-Clippers matchup will center on the splendid campaign underway in HTX, led by MVP leading candidate James Harden (career-highs of 28.1 PPG, 11.3 APG, 8.1 RPG) on the floor, and steered by COTY candidate Mike D’Antoni off of it.

    Quick Hawks-related commentaries will be provided as to how much better the Rockets are doing without Dwight Howard (a first-round exit, Houston went 41-41 last season), and how much better All-Star Paul Millsap would look donning a more media-favorable jersey by month’s end.

    Not much attention will be directed toward the Rockets’ recent swoon. Yes, they’re at a respectable 36-16, third in the NBA behind the Dubs and Spurs. However, they’ve slowed somewhat in recent weeks. Houston beat the Hornets back on January 10 to cap off a 20-2 surge up the standings. Since then, their 5-7 record in the past 12 games includes wins over faltering Brooklyn and Milwaukee, and a very tired Sacramento team this past Tuesday.

    Thanks to 6th Man award candidate Eric Gordon (3rd-most 3FGs through 52 games in NBA history; career-high 54.6 eFG%) and Ryan Anderson (career-best 41.2 3FG%), the Rockets are the very example of the once-despised NBA team that Lives By The Three: first in takes (39.6 3FGAs per game) and makes (14.4 3FGs per game; 11th in 3FG%). As was the case for Miami yesterday, Houston hopes another bombardment from the arc will draw a white flag from the visitors early.

    But Houston depends on more than just three-point shooting to win. Buoyed by Harden’s bulldozing style as a burly ballhandler (10.5 FTAs per game; 1st in FTAs in 4 of the past 5 seasons), Houston (2nd in O-Rating) also takes the most free throw attempts (24.7 FTAs per game; 18th in FT%). The clock-stopping whistles gives the Rockets the mid-game respites they need when hooping at such a high tempo (4th in Pace).

    You’re likely to hear how much happier everyone is with Clint Capela and Montrezl Harrell interchangeably manning the pivot, in lieu of Howard. What you’ll hear less about is that the Rockets’ defense has softened in recent weeks. Their D-Rating (107.0) since January 1 is masked by the kind of offensive firepower and efficiency Dwight could have only dreamed about during his Texas tenure.

    The ball-dominating Harden turns the ball over a ton (5.8 TOs per-36, most in NBA history), and live-ball TOs often spell buckets for the opposition (18.0 opponent points per-48, 4th-most in NBA) if Patrick Beverley and Trevor Ariza don’t get back quickly enough. On the season, only Harden’s triple-double compatriot Russell Westbrook plays on a team that allows paint points (47.5 opponent points per-48, 2nd-most in NBA) more frequently.

    How did the Hawks coast past the Rockets to a 112-97 victory, back on November 5 at Philips Arena? Most significantly, they coaxed a season-high 22.3 TO% out of their opposition. Houston’s season-high 26 player turnovers (also most numerically by any Hawks opponent) included eight TOs from Harden himself, half of those by way of two steals each from the active hands of Millsap (5 steals vs. HOU) and Kent Bazemore (3 steals vs. HOU).

    Other things that helped on that day: outscoring Houston in the paint, 62-46; Harden (24 first-half points) and the Rockets going cold from outside (3-for-16 3FGs) in the second half; Bazemore and Malcolm Delaney going 4-for-4 on corner threes; and allowing the Rockets just 13 free throw shots. But forcing turnovers set the tone for the game in the Hawks’ favor.

    Atlanta tends to be at their defensive best when they are denying interior points (and free throws off cheap fouls) while forcing teams into mistakes and second-guessing before their planned shots can go up. They’re 9-2 (with no blowout losses) when they force TOs in more than 16.0% of opponent possessions. Such was not the case Wednesday, when the Hawks forced just 12 turnovers from heat players (10.6 TO%), allowing Miami to score seven more field goals and 18 more points-in-the-paint.

    The desperation to keep Hassan Whiteside from raising that paint deficit any higher is likely to cost rookie Taurean Prince some time. Prince was not even inserted into the game until the final quarter with the game already out-of-hand. But if he and Thabo Sefolosha (groin; 3 steals vs. HOU on Nov. 5) continue missing time, expect another early call to Prince’s fellow rookie wing DeAndre’ Bembry to help fill the void. His three assists off the bench was a team-high for a Hawks team that, suddenly, forgot how to move the ball.

    On that note, starters Dennis Schroder (14 TOs, 2-for-11 3FGs in past three games), and Bazemore (-144 plus/minus and 1.7 APG in Atlanta’s 12 double-digit defeats) ought to spend at least twice as much time on enhanced communication between the sidelines as they spend on hijinks from the bench. Fun and frivolity can go a much longer way when your team is not getting their heads beaten in on a weekly basis.

    Millsap at least expresses a willingness to take charge on the court (“I’ve got to do a better job of leading these guys from the start,” he told the AJC). But ultimately, it’s on the Hawks’ supposedly serious coaching staff to ensure more effort is going into floor leadership than cheerleading. When a racecar repeatedly blows a tire during the opening laps, at some point, pressure needs to be shifted away from the driver, and toward the pit crew.

    When it comes to defense and decision-making, will there be another all-too-familiar half-hearted effort in the opening quarter by Atlanta on Groundhog Day? Alternatively, might another furry creature familiar to Hawks fans -- the Possum -- rear its head tonight at the Toyota Center?

    Fortunately for the Hawks, Atlanta and the TNT booth could not care less, either way. All anyone hopes to see these days are Arthur Blank’s latest dance moves. And if all goes well this Sunday, the Hawks will enjoy another week of critical reprieve. Rise Up and Get Down, Arthur!

     
    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3
    “We always hang in a Buffalo Stance…”


     
    No beads for you, Bud! Well, it’s not set-in-stone quite yet. But Atlanta Hawks’ Mike Budenholzer and his coaching staff probably won’t be heading to The Big Easy for any pre-Mardi Gras action, at least not without buying a ticket. At the minimum, the Hawks must win three straight games, beginning with a road win tonight versus the Miami heat (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Sun in MIA), and then hope for some divine intervention.

    Nonetheless, it’s probably for the best that someone other than the Hawks’ coaching crew is wasting time fake-game-planning for Paul Millsap and the Eastern Conference All-Stars. A couple weeks of rest, re-assessment, and re-calibration should prove beneficial for a staff and roster that endured some humbling defeats during the first half of the season, but also pulled a few plums out of the pie.

    28 victories at this point of the season (11-4 since Christmas Day, 2nd in the East; 14-10 at home and on the road) is above most outsider expectations, given the sea-changes at several positions. But the Hawks’ positioning in the NBA standings also reflects how much more they could have accomplished by now, with a little tightening-up and strategic adjustments on both ends of the floor.

    Despite the departure of Kyle Korver, the Hawks have improved their perimeter shooting significantly (39.4 January 3FG%, 6th in NBA; 32.6% and 29th in NBA before last month). The rise is good enough that, apparently, the memo has been passed on to Dwight Howard: Budball is back in season.

    We’ve had many chuckles at Al Horford’s expense over the Hawks’ rise to modest respectability in the defensive rebounding department. But in the past month, Atlanta’s 74.0 D-Reb% was not a laughing matter, in a virtual tie with Milwaukee as the worst in the league.

    The NBA’s leading cherry-picker (4.3 O-Rebs per game), Howard is indeed curbing his appetite for second-chance opportunities (3.4 O-Rebs per game in January, down from 5.4 in December). But his deep positioning for post-up and lob plays diminishes Atlanta’s defensive cohesion, whenever opponents get live-ball stops and move in transition.

    The thin bench options behind Howard and Millsap only exacerbate the defensive rebounding issues, and the rush by teammates to help compensate inside are part of the reason the Hawks slack on opponents attacking from the corners. Atlanta is one of just four teams, and the only team in the East (Dallas, Phoenix, Sacramento), allowing foes to hit on over 40 percent of threes from both the left and right corners.

    Beyond getting back in position for rebounds, Dwight also finds himself increasingly out of position to help with blocks (2+ swats just once in his last 20 games; 12 times in his first 20 games). Rectifying defensive positioning and activity can enhance the Hawks’ already solid defensive rating (6th in the NBA since January 1), allowing them to sustain competitive ball even when they’re amidst the occasional offensive swoon.

    Howard has to entrust his teammates, as they execute their first-shot plays, and abandon the offensive paint quicker. That’s particularly if he is to help the Hawks get over their first-quarter malaise (minus-5.7 1st quarter net rating, 2nd-worst in East, slightly worse than Miami’s minus-5.3).

    It’s apropos that the heat are the hottest team in the East right now, albeit a tad startling. When last we left Erik Spoelstra’s club, Miami, losers at Philips Arena by a 103-95 score on December 7, were shorthanded and in the middle of a rough slide. Through January 13, they had won just once in 11 games, just twice in 15 games, just four times in 22 games.

    They’re still shorthanded even today. Josh McRoberts (foot stress fracture) and Justise Winslow (labrum tear) are both probably out for the season. Josh Richardson (sprained foot) hasn’t played for weeks, Luke Babbitt remains questionable with an injured ankle, and James Johnson (probable) suffered a shoulder stinger in his last game. But just as things started looking bleak, the heat came out of nowhere like a Royal Rumble-winning signature move.

    “It’s the East,” Dion Waiters reasoned to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “You can win five games, and be right back in the playoff hunt.” The heat went on to prove his assertion by rattling off eight consecutive victories, a streak highlighted by Waiters serving up back-to-back game-winning threes to topple the Warriors and Nets last week. Dion himself missed a chunk of time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day due to a groin tear, and the never gun-shy gunner has enlivened Miami’s offense (27th in NBA for O-Rating, but 13th since Jan. 15) by simply picking up where he left off.

    “I’d rather go 0-for-30 than 0-for-9,” Waiters (21.8 PPG, 48.9 3FG%, 4.8 APG during the win streak), the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, postulated yesterday, “because, you go, 0-for-9, that means you stopped shooting. That means you lost confidence.” One wonders if the Philly native followed that plagiarized quip with, “I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan. I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”

    Now, despite being a half-game in front of the 15-seed, the heat (19-30) find themselves within four games of the 8-seed. Seeing badly-struggling teams in the 8-through-11 spots, Miami is starting to catch a case of playoff fever. “Same goal we had at the beginning: make the playoffs,” insisted forward James Johnson on Monday. It ain’t no (re)building year for us.”

    That we’ve gotten this far without mentioning Miami’s two leading scorers is telling. Hassan Whiteside’s double-doubles haven’t been as impactful (11.6 PPG and 10.7 RPG during streak, down from 16.6 and 13.7, respectively) as he continues to struggle staying on the floor and out of foul trouble.

    Count Blockula is adequately sealing off the rim, but he can’t quite sink his teeth into opposing ballhandlers beyond the restricted area, certainly not without some steady help. Despite his imposing presence, Miami allows an NBA-high 6.7 field goals per game in this interior zone (in-the-paint, non-restricted area).

    A sprained ankle was bothering Whiteside as he slogged through last week’s game in Brooklyn. Coach Spo sat him in favor of Willie Reed, who defensively keyed the heat’s fourth-quarter comeback from 18 points down, then put up 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting to help the heat win in Chicago two nights later. Reed (73.5 FG% during streak) has not been the only surprise coming off the bench in Miami’s depleted frontcourt.

    Okaro White is not your Superman. He’s not the kind of guy that you can leave open, and think that everything is okay (61.5 FG%, 55.6 3FG% in last 4 games). On Miami’s roster thanks to a roster exemption, the 6-foot-8 stretch-four has done quite a bit during his two 10-day-contract periods, making key plays during the winning streak to remain in Coach Spo’s late-game rotations.

    Okaro has been White-hot, enough so that the team is reportedly looking to give one of the other heatles the heave-ho before White’s contract expires on Sunday. Disappointing free agent pick-up Derrick Williams (48 seconds of play in the past two weeks) is the most likely suspect. Tonight’s game may represent a last-chance for Williams or Babbitt to prove their worth and, maybe, keep Pat Riley from cutting bait.

    Don’t expect any ring-chasing trade-deadline demands from Goran Dragic. Averaging 21.6 PPG (51.0 FG%, 42.3 3FG%) and 6.0 APG this month, the Dragon is quite satisfied with the direction of the team, especially compared to his situation in Phoenix where he was surrounded by redundancy. “I feel like I’m in the right spot,” he told the Palm Beach Post recently. “The city is awesome, the fans are great, the organization is the top organization in the league.”

    Waiters’ emergence as an extra-passer and a quick-fire shooter has relieved the point guards, helping Dragic (career-high 26.6 Usage%) and Tyler Johnson (27 points, 13 in 4th-quarter, 4-for-5 3FGs off-bench @ ATL on Dec. 7) cut down on the ballhandling turnovers. Improved shooting from Rodney McGruder (47.4 3FG% during streak; 30.7% before) and Wayne Ellington (4-for-9 3FGs @ ATL on Dec. 7) has further elevated the heat’s efficacy on offense.

    Tempering the heat tonight involves the Hawks’ defenders shooing Miami’s jump-shooters out of those pesky corners. Two days removed from a 68-minute war of attrition with the Knicks, it will really help Atlanta’s marathon men if a rehabbed Thabo Sefolosha (groin strain) can contribute on the floor.

    After helping Kent Bazemore chase Carmelo Anthony all over the court, Millsap should find more room to roam at both ends versus Miami’s limited stock of forwards. Reinforcements in the backcourt should include Lamar Patterson, who returns on a 10-day contract after a decent run in the D-League. Coach Bud likes Patterson’s passing and versatility, and may turn to him in mid-game situations if the lead is close, and to rookies DeAndre’ Bembry or Taurean Prince if the lead is huge in either direction.

    As one might imagine, Dennis Schroder has been a plus/minus negative, or a net-zero, in every game the Hawks have lost by double-digits. He caught somewhat of a defensive break without Derrick Rose on the floor Sunday, but he’ll need to make great reads to keep Dragic from feasting off screen plays and drives to the hoop.

    The Hawks remain ahead of only Cleveland (ha.) in allowing 0.90 points per possession and 50.5 eFG% on P&R ballhandler plays. Miami ranks second in the league with 34.8 drives per game, and pass out of them an NBA-high 38.1% of the time, but score only 44.3 FG% on shot attempts from those drives (27th in NBA; Atlanta’s 44.2% ranks 28th). Just a quick diversion from Millsap or Howard should be enough to produce wayward shots.

    While Atlanta’s swingmen need to anticipate Miami’s kickouts off penetration, their bigs must shield Whiteside and the heat from tip-ins and second-chance rebounds. Also, knowing the halfcourt habits of frontcourt personnel like Whiteside is key. The heat pass only 16.6% of the time (last in NBA, tied with Detroit) off of touches in the paint. When Whiteside brings the ball down below his shoulders, it could be ripe for the picking if the Hawks act quickly.

    Howard (five straight double-doubles) was sloppy during his last visit to Miami (5 TOs in 24 minutes, during a 93-90 Hawks win on Nov. 15). But he was downright masterful the last time the two teams met in December (9-for-11 from the field, 5-for-6 from the free throw line, 17 rebounds, four assists, one turnover), thoroughly flummoxing Whiteside for three quarters.

    The Hawks don’t need to engage in another 48-plus-minute dogfight, certainly not with James Harden and the Rockets lying in wait tomorrow in Dwight’s former stomping grounds. If Howard and the Hawks handle their transition and defensive tasks well, especially from the outset, they’ll find themselves in an ideal late-game situation tonight, one where Waiters’ hero-ball tactics won’t matter.

    As for Coach Bud? Heck, he can laissez les bon temps rouler just as well from home.

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

    lethalweapon3
    “I’ve had my Phil.”


     
    “Orange N Blue Flock Gotta Show Up In ATL Tonight. Turn Phillips Into Madison Square Garden South.” Remember back when Atlanta native and Morehouse Man Spike Lee used to care, really care, about his New York Knicks, like he did with this 2013 tweet?

    He Had Ta Have It: a Knicks team that strode into the Highlight Factory looking for ten wins in a row, rolling toward the playoffs with Mike Woodson coaching and minty-fresh superstar Carmelo Anthony running the show.

    Roll the calendar ahead nearly four years, and you can’t get Spike to give a tweet, much less find a seat. The closest we’ve seen to Spike recently is a dude in Houston dressed as his look-alike, when the Knicks visited the Rockets a few weeks ago. Down 29 last month against the Cavs, Spike pulled a Lethal, and bailed before the game’s end. He’s a busy man these days, I’m sure.

    It’s not likely he’ll be hyping up his Knicks as they waltz into Philips Arena this afternoon, outwardly hoping for the Atlanta Hawks (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, 92.9 FM in ATL, MSG Network in NYC) give his favorite team the same breaks Atlanta endowed upon the Wizards on Friday night, the Clippers earlier in the week, and the Bulls last weekend in the fourth quarter.

    Maybe the Hawks will lay down and allow Melo to pump up his trade value. Or, maybe the Hawks will bother to show up, and stop New York (21-27, 2.0 games behind the 8-seed) from winning two in a row for the first time since December 22. Either way, Knicks fans, go ahead and fill up Philips, and do those insipid chants you do… or not. Either way, Spike no longer seems to care.

    Truth be told, Melo isn’t all that thrilled himself these days. Anthony was booed mercilessly on Wednesday as he struggled through an 8-for-26 shooting night, by a Madison Square Garden crowd that didn’t seem to know how to react when he plopped a nine-foot shot that sealed the 110-107 victory for the hometown Knicks against Charlotte. Carmelo’s reaction toward the fans at the final horn was equally bewildering.

    The numbness is all part of the subterfuge crafted by Phil Jackson and the Knicks’ management, to poison-pill Anthony’s tenure in hopes he’ll begrudgingly accept a trade-clause waiver. For Jackson, this appears to be the last arrow in his quiver; he knows must ride-or-die with Kristaps Porzingis going forward if he is to salvage his tenure as a Knicks executive. Thus, just about every team is getting a phone call from the Zen Master. He’d trade Anthony crosstown to the Harlem Globetrotters, without taking back Meadowlark Lemon or Curly Neal, if he could get away with it.

    Porzingis continues to produce (last 10 games: 14.5 PPG, 44.8 FG%) as he has worked through Achilles issues. Yet he looks lost as far as understanding his role on either end of the floor. And Jackson realizes he cannot build a team around the Unicorn until Anthony is lofting 20-30 shots per game for somebody, anybody, else.

    Who else might not be feeling their team right now? How about the entire Hawks’ graphics department?  Some poor souls spend endless hours on pixels and 3-D rotating characters for players who shot a collective 36.1 FG% at home on a Friday night, including All-Star Paul Millsap’s 1-for-7 atrocity as Atlanta flopped 112-86. Reverting to MS Paint intros would be perfectly understandable at this point.

    After making social media headlines on Wednesday night, the Hawks (27-20) forgot to bring The D to the proceedings. Dwight Howard and Millsap allowing counterparts Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat (11 combined offensive rebounds) to feast on the glass. No one bothered to read the scouting report on Otto Porter, Jr. (5-for-7 3FGs), either.

    Uncontested shots were available all over the floor for the Wizards (41.9 team 3FG%, 18-10 on fast break points, 40-30 on paint points), who extended Atlanta’s miserable run to ten first-quarter deficits/ties in their last 11 home games, the Hawks spotting Washington 37-25 in the opening frame and losing every quarter thereafter.

    The Wizards’ tape will be encouraging for Knickstape producer Jeff Hornacek, who has given up on The Ron Baker Experiment and returned Courtney Lee (16 points and 3 steals vs. CHA on Wednesday) to his place in New York’s starting lineup. Lee’s backcourt mate, Derrick Rose, hopes to exact a measure of revenge after coming up short late in Atlanta’s 108-107 escape from the Garden two weeks ago.

    Porzingis (8-for-11 FGs vs. CHA) did not play in that January 16 game, and hopes Atlanta will be as gracious as the Hornets in helping him shake off the rust. Tricking Millsap and Howard into a halfcourt tempo would allow Melo and KP to pick their offensive spots while not having to pay for loafing on the other end.

    Unleash the rookies! Be it either DeAndre’ Bembry or Taurean Prince, Atlanta needs to find some fresh legs to relieve Thabo Sefolosha (out with a groin strain), who presently seems too worn down to defend at the level he is capable of acheiving.

    Whoever the swingmen are, Coach Mike Budenholzer has to find a starting unit (alongside Howard, Millsap, and Dennis Schröder), and an early bench rotation, that is active with deflections, winning loose balls, and committing to perimeter closeouts. This afternoon, there is no excuse for summoning the ghost of Spike Lee.

    Let’s Go Hawks!

    ~lw3

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