lethalweapon3

It’s Time for yet another trip to the Second Round for Isaiah! Right, SLAM??? Welp, No Excuses Weekend didn’t turn out so hot. Still, because Atlanta Hawks fans live such a charmed existence, our Fine Feathered Friends have plummeted from fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings all the way down to sixth place. And that leads us to Spoiler Days! Kicking off against an even more charmed NBA team, the Boston Celtics (8:00 PM Eastern, 92.9 FM in ATL, TNT), the Hawks are presented with prime opportunities to stick flies in the ointments of several teams, and not just the ones they’re playing. The Hawks’ next three games are versus two teams fighting for the top spot in the conference. The Celtics flew into town feeling quite ornery after getting blasted last night at home, 114-91, by the Cavaliers, who reclaimed the #1 seed and await Atlanta’s arrival tomorrow. Neither opponent wants to look back on the Hawks (39-38) as the team that kept them from securing homecourt advantage. Should we be so fortunate as to enjoy another win at any point this month, the Hawks’ next win would formally put the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons, both losers at home last night, in Atlanta’s rearview mirror. A single Hawks victory would also leave it to any of the next three teams below them in the standings (Chicago, Miami, Indiana, all at 38-40) to not lose three of their final four contests, the heat’s closing schedule (Toronto, Washington twice, Cleveland) looking the most suspect. “We are going to make the playoffs,” insists Hawks floor corporal Dennis Schröder, evidently unfamiliar with a past ownership regime’s checkered history when it comes to brash postseason declarations. Yet the adage doesn’t go, “If you want to get the job done, you have to hope others will do it for you.” Yes, this team has barely been able to skate by the depleted Suns and 76ers in recent weeks, and they have blessed the last-place Nets with a pair of wins in the past two weeks. But with the downturn in the season, the Hawks now have the look and feel of an eliminated 13-seed. During Spoiler Days, that’s good news. Bowing out of the postseason chase hasn’t stopped the Knicks from tripping up the playoff-hungry Pistons, heat, and Bulls in recent days. The Sixers put it to both Chicago and Boston, and even the Magic smashed the whiteboard on the Pistons’ heads just weeks ago, each lottery-bound club making playoff-clinching just a little bit easier for Atlanta. Despite at least three key Hawks (the rusty Paul Millsap, Junior Hardaway, and Kent Bazemore) playing through nagging injuries under closely-monitored minutes, Atlanta returns to the Highlight Factory rested and in position to put other teams in a sour mood, for a change. They can work toward clinching a playoff seed, and simultaneously screw with the desired seeds of others. Tonight, they can also plant a seed into the minds of the Celtics, one that suggests they won’t want the course toward the Eastern Conference Finals to have to come back through the ATL. To that end, a quick flashback. “After he led the Celtics to the second round, the so-called doubters have been very quiet regarding this 5-9 PG.” No, these aren’t tweets from the future, that was SLAM Magazine’s momentary lede for Isaiah Thomas’ entry into the #SLAMTop50 preseason player rankings, an October 2016 entry scripted by a diehard Celtics fan that should have known better. Fake News! But for a certain Squawker’s relentless nagging, that Alternative Fact would have gone unchallenged and uncorrected, if only because it “felt right” to the larger populace (Edited to… “After he led the Celtics to a 48-win season…” Wow, that sure silenced those haters!). Months later, SLAM is hoping to redeem itself by plastering Thomas, a player with a 2-8 postseason record over two of his six NBA seasons, on the new Playoff Preview cover of their rag. Seven years prior, the magazine breathlessly pinned their hopes on another high-scoring playoff newcomer. “BREAKOUT: Brandon Jennings Rocks the NBA”. Well, to an extent: the rookie’s Bucks rocked the Hawks in three unwatchable games during a first-round series, before bidding adieu in the pivotal Game 7. Now in 2017, Jennings’ next real chance of winning his first playoff game since that 2010 series needs to occur while hiding behind John Wall. Thomas can only hope his cover modeling doesn’t go the way of Jeff Francoeur or the Upton Boys. But that’s part of the reason he wooed Al Horford to Beantown in the first place. His whole idea was, “If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Poach ‘Em!” But with first place in the East on the line at TD Garden, the center endowed with the second-highest salary in the NBA could only muster six shots, seven rebounds, and three dimes over the course of 27 minutes last night. Another first-round exit, this time as a favored seed, could have I.T. pondering just how long he and Al Green should stay together. The TNT studio crew will spend ample time yapping about the Celtics’ ascension toward the top of the East, a couple minutes about last night’s loss, maybe a minute dismissing the Hawks for their lackluster efforts, and not a nanosecond about what transpired the last time these two teams faced off. Combining a balanced offensive attack with decent perimeter D (the Celts shooting 29.4 3FG%) and a smothering rebounding advantage, the Hawks shot just 6-for-25 on threes in Boston yet still cruised to a 114-98 victory back on February 27. Atlanta pounded Boston 60-34 in the paint, and was 40-for-70 on all shots inside the 3-point-arc, compared to the Men in Green’s 24-for-53. Millsap (8 first-quarter rebounds, 10 third-quarter points) and Howard (9 second-quarter points) encountered little resistance collecting double-doubles in that game (much like LeBron and Kevin Love yesterday), and Atlanta managed to coast from midway through the third period on without their starting center. Dwight got the heave-ho from the zebras after collecting two petty technical fouls, one drawn thanks to Al’s fake-tough-guy dramatics, another from trying to collect the rim as a souvenir after an easy dunk. Getting next-to-no help from Horf (3-for-9 FGs, incl 0-for-4 on threes, six rebounds, five assists), Thomas (4-for-21 FGs vs. ATL on Feb. 27) needed about half of his 17 misses to fall, just to keep his team in the running. His Hawks adversary, Schröder (9-for-11 2FGs @ BOS on Feb. 27) amassed just two turnovers in nearly 30 minutes while leading the Hawks with 21 points. Thanks to ball control and transition offense, the Hawks’ 25-11 scoring advantage off turnovers was the key difference in that game. Avery Bradley (1.3 SPG) hopes to tip the turnover game back in his team’s favor. He had just returned to face the Hawks after missing over a quarter of the season with an Achilles injury, and was minutes-restricted to less than one half of play. Serving doubly as the C’s second-leading scorer (16.4 PPG, 39.8 3FG%) and top perimeter defender (Marcus Smart’s flopping shenanigans notwithstanding), there’s little doubt that Bradley is the secret to the Celtics’ sauce. Along with Smart, he’ll be tasked with forcing Schröder and Hardaway (who joined Howard with 5 TOs apiece during Sunday’s 91-82 loss in Brooklyn) into uncomfortable shots and fruitless drives. On offense, Thomas will look to Bradley often to help bounce back from Thursday night’s loss, Bradley having shot just 1-for-8 from the field against the Cavs; Jae Crowder, Horford and Gerald Green to a lesser extent. Back in that February 27 game, Atlanta cruised in the final frame thanks to solid wing play, specifically from Bazemore (9 fourth-quarter points) and Taurean Prince (5 fourth-quarter rebounds). Despite falling behind by double digits, Boston was unable to take more than three three-point shots in the fourth, not even making one until 28 seconds remained in the game with the Hawks up by 19. Atlanta has only scored 114 points once since beating the Celtics; coincidentally, it was during a 135-130 home loss to Cleveland, back on March 3. Even if the iron remains unkind, the Hawks must again maximize their chances against an opportunistic Celtics club. In addition to Schröder and the Hawks’ ballhandlers not forcing plays that aren’t there, and Howard dominating the vacuum around the boards, that means staying tight defensively on any Celtics camping out along the perimeter, goading Thomas (31.0 FG% vs. ATL) into premature heroball jumpers, and guards helping the bigs seal off the paint only after shots go up. The inability for Celtic wings and point guards to help secure rebounds and second-chances puts pressure on Horford to play like the All-Star talent he’s paid to be. April 2016: “Horford, as much as you think he’s a great player, he’s not a great player,” says Celtics blowhard legend Tommy Heinsohn. April 2017: Al receives the Red Auerbach Award, bestowed upon the player who “best exemplifies the spirit of what it means to be a Celtic.” Tonight, and perhaps in a couple weeks, the Hawks could find themselves a perfect situation to demonstrate just how true that statement is. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

Magic Stiff-Arm Number Updates! Looks to me like it's all up to Miami now. 11. Detroit (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 1) @ HOU, @ MEM, vs WAS, @ ORL 10. Charlotte (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 1) vs BOS, @ MIL, @ ATL 9. Indiana (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 4) vs MIL, @ ORL, @ PHI, vs ATL 8. Miami (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 4) @ TOR, @ WAS, vs CLE, vs WAS 7. Chicago (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 3) @ PHI, @ BKN, vs ORL, vs BKN ~lw3

"Don't Look Now" sounds like the Hawks' new slogan! Looking at the teams currently below us, tonight's heat-Hornets battle will be pivotal. The winner is probably the biggest threat to eking past the Hawks should it come to that, while the loser would almost have to run the proverbial table. I'll be pulling for the heat to get 'er done tonight on the road, since their subsequent schedule is more arduous on paper. (remaining games; Magic Stiff-Arm Number represents # of Hawks wins and/or opponent Ls for Atlanta to finish in front; hunch assumptions on upcoming losses in BOLD) 11. Detroit (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 2) vs TOR, @ HOU, @ MEM, vs WAS, @ ORL 10. Charlotte (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 2) vs MIA, vs BOS, @ MIL, @ ATL 9. Miami (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 4) @ CHA, @ TOR, @ WAS, vs CLE, vs WAS 8. Indiana (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 4) vs MIL, @ ORL, @ PHI, vs ATL 7. Chicago (ATL Magic Stiff-Arm Number 3) @ PHI, @ BKN, vs ORL, vs BKN ~lw3

Say, does somebody feel a Draft? The WNBA Draft is right around the corner (April 13 at 7:00 PM Eastern, first-round on ESPN2, latter rounds on ESPN U). With a few early-entry candidates exploring the lay of the land and electing to stick around for their senior seasons, 2017 is not going to be a terribly deep draft, talent-wise (set your calendar, though, because 2018 will be bonkers). But there are plenty of players that can contribute off the bench in the near-term, and the Atlanta Dream have an opportunity to strategically improve their depth in at least one position on the floor, if not more. Waiting in the Angel Wings? – As we know, there will likely be no Angel McCoughtry suiting up in the baby-blue-and-red this season. Following in the footsteps of standout players like Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker, the WNBA superstar plans to take off a full year, getting some well-deserved rest and recuperating from the wear-and-tear of year-round high-level hoops (she’s finishing up her play in Russia this month). Bria Holmes, who emerged late last season as a reliable rookie during Atlanta’s playoff run, is most likely to get the lion’s share of Angel’s minutes. Additionally, Damiris Dantas should be primed to make major contributions, after being suspended for all of 2016 so she could play exclusively in Brazil. If veteran Matee Ajavon makes the opening-day roster, the small forward spot is fairly set. If not, then a second- or third-round selection might be able to fill out the final spot, at least on a short-term basis. Late-round forward options where Atlanta picks (19th overall in the second round, 31st in the third round) include Norcross’ Shayla Cooper (Ohio State), along with Drake power forward Lizzy Wendell and Jessica Jackson of Arkansas. Each can stretch the floor with midrange shots, although Shayla’s emotional flameouts when times get tough could remind many fans of McCoughtry and Tiffany Hayes at their worst. If the Dream goes this route, this should be a selection that helps fill scoring and rebounding gaps this year, and gets developed to become a key sixth-woman for 2018, when McCoughtry returns. A Lyttle heir apparent? – As far as we can tell, Sancho Lyttle will return from Europe and serve as a defensive anchor for a Dream team that sorely needs to create stops inside, especially without all-world defender Angel in the picture. However, Lyttle is in her 30s and hasn’t played a full WNBA season, due to injuries and/or international commitments, in some time. Unsatisfied with Reshanda Gray at power forward, the Dream parted ways in the offseason and brought back Aneika Morello (née Henry). But the latter struggled mightily last season with the Connecticut Sun. Dantas can play the stretch-four role, but another backup at either the 3- or 4-spot would be helpful. To acquire a future star that waits in the wings until Lyttle is either traded or her contract runs out, means using the first-round pick (7th) on a blue-chip prospect. Northwestern’s Nia Coffey is probably the top player for the 4-spot coming into the draft. Super-sized pick-and-popper Chantel Osahor, also by far the NCAA’s leading rebounder, helped all-time NCAA scorer Kelsey Plum (probable #1 overall pick, by San Antonio) carry Washington deep into the past two NCAA tourneys, and is rising up draft boards. But neither would likely be the “best player available” where the Dream sit, so a trade-down deal may be possible to acquire their services. Shoot… we need Shooters! – You’ve tired of the Dream being among the league’s worst perimeter-shooting teams, pretty much since their inception. Hayes brings a lot of fire to the floor, but not much firepower for a 2-guard along the three-point arc. The sometimes-hot, often-cold Meighan Simmons was brought back in free agency, but there remains a sense that the solution to Atlanta’s longstanding woes will have to come from, um, outside. Maryland’s Shatori Walker-Kimbrough has the range to boost Atlanta’s jumpshot game, and the build to avoid being a defensive liability on the floor, unlike many hot-shooting collegiate wings. Oregon State’s Sydney Wiese might be a reach as a middle-first-rounder, but is unlikely to fall to Atlanta at #19. If the Dream have any interest in SWK or Wiese, they’ll want to swing a trade-up deal to get them. Gawd save Queen Elizabeth! – Reigning Most Improved Player awardee Elizabeth Williams won’t be a repeat winner, not unless coach Michael Cooper can figure out a way to double her already league-high floortime. Re-signed on a training camp contract, Markeisha Gatling served well as a stopgap in the back half of last season, but her size can make it tough on Atlanta to live up to their “Run With The Dream” motto. Gatling will compete for a spot on the 12-woman roster with Morello and second-year pivot Rachel Hollivay. But if Atlanta can have a top-notch young center fall to them at #7, they may leap at the chance to upgrade behind Williams, or even supplant her over time as the team’s steady starter at the 5-spot. The qualifiers for such an upgrade would include Maryland’s Brionna Jones and South Carolina’s Alaina Coates, the latter missing the Gamecocks’ NCAA championship run due to an ankle injury sustained during the SEC tourney. What’s the Point? – There are only 12 starting point guard spots, and of those, Layshia Clarendon has the least-flashy resume among the group. Still, she established herself well enough to earn the starting nod at least for this upcoming season. But what about beyond 2017? The sole external free agent brought in with a guaranteed deal was Brianna Kiesel. But the third-year guard couldn’t stand out in Tulsa/Dallas, and was waived in mid-season last year. Any opportunities to use a late-round flier on a guard that could compete with Kiesel for the backup position would be helpful. Notre Dame’s Lindsay Allen lugged the Irish into the Elite Eight and should be available where the Dream pick in the second round. Allen finished second in the NCAA with a sterling 3.57 assist/turnover ratio. If they wish to use a first-round pick on a short-term apprentice, either of Alexis Jones (Baylor) or Alexis Peterson (Syracuse) is likely to fall to them. Despite being a bit diminutive at 5-foot-7, Peterson finished top-12 in Division I for both scoring and assists. WNBA First Round Draft Order (as of 4/4/2017, subject to change): 1. San Antonio Stars 2. Chicago Sky (from Washington) 3. Dallas Wings 4. Dallas (from Los Angeles, via Connecticut) 5. San Antonio (from Phoenix) 6. Washington Mystics (from Seattle) 7. ATLANTA DREAM 8. Connecticut Sun (from Indiana) 9. Chicago Sky 10. Dallas (from New York) 11. Los Angeles Sparks (returned back from Dallas) 12. Minnesota Lynx Top Players Available: (** edited to include Early-Entry Players) PG: Kelsey Plum (5'8", Washington), Alexis Jones (5'9", Baylor), Alexis Peterson (5'7", Syracuse), Lindsay Allen (5'8", Notre Dame), Leticia Romero (5'8", Florida State) SG: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (5'11", Maryland), **Allisha Gray (6'0", South Carolina, Washington County GA HS), ** Kaela Davis (6'2", South Carolina, Georgia Tech transfer, Buford HS, Antonio's daughter), Sydney Wiese (6'1", Oregon State), Alexis Prince (6'2", Baylor), Makayla Epps (5'10", Kentucky), Tori Jankoska (5'8", Michigan State), Adrienne Motley (5'9", Miami), Brittney Sykes (5'9", Syracuse), Saniya Chong (5'8", Connecticut) SF: Nina Davis (5'11", Baylor), Ronni Williams (6'0", Florida), Lizzy Wendell (6'0", Drake), Jennie Simms (6'0", Old Dominion) PF: Nia Coffey (6'1", Northwestern), Chantel Osahor (6'2", Washington), Jessica Jackson (6'3", Arkansas), Shayla Cooper (6'2", Ohio State, Norcross HS), Hannah Little (6'1", Oakland) C: Alaina Coates (6'4", South Carolina), Brionna Jones (6'3", Maryland), Erica McCall (6'3", Stanford), Evelyn Akhator (6'3", Kentucky), Breanna Lewis (6'5", Kansas State), Tearra Banks (6'2", Austin Peay) ~lw3

N.E.W. injury updates... ~lw3

One additional "strategery" note... You know how we love our second-round picks. While the Celts get Brooklyn's lotto pick, we get to swoop in on the Nets' top second-rounder, All Praise Due to Joe Johnson. A loss for Brooklyn today drops the Hawks' Magic Number to 2 for clinching the #31 pick this June. Incidentally, we're in a race for the top second-rounder with Orlando, who gets the Lakers' pick thanks to the 2012 Dwight Howard deal. ~lw3

Next-to-last place... but I'll hand myself the Nice Try Award! I did pick a WCC team and a ACC team for the Championship game! So, who cares that it was St. Mary's and Louisville? :-) @turnermx, our March Madness champ, picked a way better pair, though! His picks, the top-seeded Zags and Heels, play on Monday! ~lw3

“We just decided to go ahead get your Barclays Center statue started, Brook!” You all know the deal. No Excuses Weekend comes to a close! After flubbing the final quarter in Chicago, our Atlanta Hawks have little time for solace. They’ve got another tipoff this evening, in Brooklyn against Kenny Atkinson’s Nets (6:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, YES Network in NYC). It’s still not Must-Win territory yet, but this is definitely a You-Betta-Win game for the Hawks (39-37), who remain strident of the sense that a decade’s worth of sustained first-round playoff revenue would eclipse any benefits a lower-lottery prospect might bring. Having mailed in their you-betta-win versus these same Nets last Sunday, a 107-92 flop at home, is No Excuse for taking care of business today on the road. Atlanta, somehow, still has a two-game cushion on the 7th through 9th seeds, but their final five contests are less of a picnic than for any of the remaining teams clinging to postseason hopes. Separated by just a half-game as of this morning, future Hawk foes Boston (Thursday) and Cleveland (Friday and next Sunday) can’t afford to rest anybody if they have designs on the #1 seed. Charlotte and Indiana are on the outside of the playoff party, looking in, if the season ended today. Much like the Bulls, those teams will be of the mindset that sneaking back in serves no purpose if you can’t even beat the Hawks right now. Your team’s playoff issues are of no concern to the Nets (17-59), who shifted to full-time spoiler mode somewhere around the turn of the calendar year. They have split their last twelve games, and five of their last eight victories since March 1 have been by double-digits. They’re aiming at their first sweep of wins on back-to-back days since April 1, 2014, when Brook Lopez turned 27 years young. At Barclays Center yesterday, Brooklyn’s offense pummeled Orlando along the way to a 121-111 victory. Giving everyone opportunities to impress on the floor, Atkinson is drowning opponents with depth. Besides Lopez’s 30 points on his birthday, three backup Nets scored in double-figures, including forward Trevor Booker’s season high 23 points (11-for-12 FGs). Nine of 11 Net players contributed at least two rebounds, and nine of 11 dished out at least one assist. That’s a team effort that will need to be at least matched today by the Hawks, who finally got a modicum of assistance from their bench crew but still shot just 7-for-19 from the field (6-for-12 3FGs) and never got to the free throw line a single time in the 106-104 loss to the Bulls. It would have been pleasant to have the option of resting Paul Millsap (knee) a little more, ahead of the arduous close to the season. Alas, the team’s active leader in scoring, steals (assuming Thabo Sefolosha remains out), and free throws per game must be pressed into action right away if he can be cleared. Even if Sap is a no-go, it’s No Excuse. Atlanta produced just 16 assists and its players turned over the ball 20 times during last Sunday’s matinee mugging at the hands of the Nets. Yesterday, the Hawks’ 25 assists (13 turnovers) kept them in the running for a road win right up to the buzzer, and they’ll need that enhanced ball control to cool off the Nets today. There’s not much more to say, other than… No Excuses! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

Nil-nil! ATLUTD couldn't put the biscuit in the basket, but the Seattle Sounders couldn't either. Atlanta picked up a point last night in the Emerald City with the 0-0 draw. The Sounders even had Clint Dempsey (who played recently for Team USA) available off the bench, and still wound up scoreless. The road trip for United continues in Toronto (Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley) next Saturday night. ~lw3

FWIW, the Bulls (4-3) have the 3-way tiebreaker with Miami (3-3) and Indiana (3-4), so with a win today they move up to the 7-seed, while Indy drops to 9th. ~lw3

“Three famous boxers – Jake LaMotta, Rocky Balboa, and Glass Joe.” No Excuses Week wraps up with No Excuses Weekend! Not long after having split consecutive games versus the Gasol Brothers, this weekend’s Creature Double Feature has our Atlanta Hawks taking on the Lopez Twins. It begins this afternoon with Robin and his Chicago Bulls (5:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL; WGN in Chicago) and concludes with another shot at Brook and the Nets tomorrow afternoon in Brooklyn. The Hawks are aiming for a second-straight season-sweep of Fred Hoiberg’s outfit, last time storming back with 41 fourth-quarter points (five starters, plus Tim Hardaway, Jr., in double figures) to zip past Chicago in the closing minutes for a 119-112 victory at the United Center. The Bulls haven’t beaten Atlanta since a meaningless season-ending home win back in April 2015. A win today, though, could mean a whole lot more to a bunch of people on West Madison Street. The Bulls simply haven’t had the graces that the Hawks enjoyed during the middle of the regular season. So in March, when Chicago followed up an upset of the lousy-shooting Splash Brothers with a deflating 1-7 stretch, their playoff prospects seemed dead in the Lake Michigan water. Things got even bleaker once second-leading scorer Dwyane Wade was put on ice for the season, after the Chicago native fractured a bone in his elbow a couple weeks ago. The team’s third- and sixth-leading scorers (Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, respectively) had previously been traded to OKC, for three Thunder players (Cam Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, Anthony Morrow) who are hardly giving the team anything of substance. The Wade injury has pressed Hoiberg to make nice with pine-riding guards Rajon Rondo (now starting again) and Michael Carter-Williams. But just when things weren’t looking too hot for Coach Fred or the Garpax management crew, a funny thing happened. Rondo (7.1 March APG) has been setting up the Bulls offense as well as ever before. Nikola Mirotic (March: 15.3 PPG, 49.6 FG%, 41.2 3FG%) has gone on an offensive tear. German rookie Paul Zipser has stepped into the starting lineup, and generally figured out how to stay out of the way, unless a clutch bucket or rebound is needed. All of that synergy has taken pressure off star Jimmy Butler (last 7 games: 26.4 PPG, 54.3 FG%, 8.6 APG, 2.4 SPG), who hasn’t had to mope as much as Central Division contemporary Paul George in recent days. Since Dwyane waded off the court, only Toronto has posted a higher net efficiency than Chicago (+5.1 net rating since March 15, 7th in NBA) in the East. Because of these developments, the Bulls have won four of their last six games and sit on the edge of the postseason in the ninth-seed. Yes, they did lose by ten to Philadelphia at United Center just 8 days ago. But Chicago also beat Utah and three division rivals (vs. Detroit, at Milwaukee, vs. Cleveland), all of whom are jockeying for playoff positions themselves. They also fell short by just two points in overtime at Toronto after failing to cling to a 15-point fourth quarter lead. The Bulls (36-39) can move into a statistical tie with Miami and Indiana, and two games behind Atlanta, with a win today. If they do that, they’re as much in the catbird seat as any other low-level playoff contender. They have a four-game road swing that begins tomorrow in New Orleans, who no longer holds a lotto pick and isn’t tanking. But after the Pelicans, the slate includes winnable contests in New York, Philly, and Brooklyn, then home games versus Orlando and Brooklyn to close things out. The playoffs are certainly within reach. But it behooves the Bulls to keep confidence high by first solving the Hawks today. The Hawks (39-36) can just about seal up a playoff spot with back-to-back wins over the Bulls and Nets. The first order of business for Mike Budenholzer’s crew involves figuring a way to keep Butler (9.0 FTAs per game, 4th in NBA; 86.1 FT%) from piling up points at the free throw line without Thabo Sefolosha or Paul Millsap available to help defend. The recently returning Kent Bazemore played with rejuvenated confidence in Wednesday’s 99-92 win at Philadelphia (4-for-5 3FGs, 2 steals and a block), but he and Taurean Prince (benefitting from Sefolosha’s tutelage) will need to share duties to help keep Jimmy Buckets, who averages more made free throws (7.7 per game) than field goals (7.3 per game), contained. The second challenge will be making catches and looks tougher for “Threekola” at the perimeter. Philly helped the Hawks’ troublesome perimeter defensive stats by taking 21 more three-point attempts than Atlanta, but only sinking two more of those shots. Chicago is taking 6.4 more threes per game than they were before the All-Star Break (Wade’s injury having much to do with that), and making 3.6 more of them. Rookie wing Denzel Valentine (35.3 March FG%, but 37.3 March 3FG%) has a 12-game Threak going while also helping with rebounding and defense. The third challenge will be suppressing Dennis Schröder’s errors (last 5 games: 7.0 APG, 6.8 TOs/game), a product of Millsap’s missing touches and shifting rotations as much as it is the Hawks point guard pressing unnecessarily instead of resetting plays. Coach Bud remains willing to ride-or-die with Schröder’s turnovers, not the least of which because Dennis has been making defenses pay at the free throw line (53-for-58 on FTs post-Break) when he can draw contact. Schröder (13 4th quarter points @ CHI on Jan. 25) has also shown a propensity for making up for some of those turnovers at the other end lately, his 1.4 SPG since the All-Star Break a marked improvement from the 0.8 SPG in the preceding games. The final ordeal will involve Dwight Howard and Ersan Ilyasova holding the fort in the middle and keeping the league’s biggest offensive board-crashers (NBA-high 12.4 O-Rebs per game) off the glass. Lopez (3 total O-Rebs, 6.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 3 games vs. ATL) has been mostly neutralized by the Hawks this season so far, and hopes to bring as much fight to today’s game as he typically reserves for mascots and the air around opposing big men. He gets less help with Gibson gone, but RoLo hopes to get some help off the bench today from Cristiano Felicio, who missed the past four games with a bruised tailbone, Lauvergne, and Bobby Portis, the second-year big who rebounds with vigor but is still figuring other elements of his game out. Atlanta has a tougher schedule ahead after this No Excuses Weekend, but can make things easier on themselves down the road with a strong fullcourt effort today (and tomorrow). Sounder execution will keep them in this game, while a high offensive pace coupled with persistent defensive pressure will help the Hawks enjoy the Running of the Bulls without getting gored. Let’s Go Bulls! April Fool’s! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

{{Fill in the Blank, below, with a former Hawk trophy winner}} ~lw3

I'm off to get my Taurean Fade at the shop... ~lw3

So nice, they might do it twice! If the Lady Jackets do their thing, starting in about a half-hour at McCamish Pavilion against the long-traveling Washington State Lady Cougars, we could have both men's AND women's NIT finalists this weekend! ~lw3

Justin Anderson starts in place of Covington. With Bench Baze, I assume we're going with the same starting five ourselves. ~lw3

“We talkin’ bout PRACTICE???” Yes, it could get this bad! The Atlanta Hawks are simply striving to remain above .500, before the calendar turns to April. Yet, tonight, there is one man who could stand in their way… Tiago Splitter? The Brazilian Blah has been legitimately moving his limbs in recent days. And the former Hawks apparition-slash-center may very well suit up tonight for the Philadelphia 76ers (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, CSN Philly). Why, just last weekend, T-Split hung 8 points and 8 rebounds on the Bulls. The Windy City Bulls, that is. Called back from his G-League assignment, Splitter appeared for seven minutes (one field goal, three rebounds) in last night’s 106-101 win in Brooklyn, his first semblance of NBA action since January of last year. His newest team, the Sixers (28-46) have been swimming upstream without would-be Rookie of the Year candidate Joel Embiid and should-have-been RoY candidate Ben Simmons. Now, center Jahlil Okafor is also bubble-wrapped, dealing with soreness in his perpetually bothersome knee. Richaun Holmes has soldiered on admirably (last ten games: 14.0 PPG, 57.3 FG%) for Brett Brown’s lottery-bound club. But even he needs a little help, especially on defense, and recent G-League call-up Shawn Long (last 4 games: 12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG) is a bit of a reach. So, don’t be surprised to find Tiago living up to his surname, splitting duties while staring Dwight Howard eye-to-eye for awkwardly long stretches tonight. Philly returns home from a 2-3 road trip, defeating Chicago last week and then Brooklyn last night, and they’ll head back out after this game to visit Toronto and Cleveland. But Coach Brown has a chance to grant the Philly Phaithful, already looking toward next season, cause for added optimism in the present time. Having also won their past two home games, including the Isaiah-less Celtics’ last defeat, the 76ers would have to go 4-1 at the Wells Fargo Center to sew up a winning home record for the first time since 2013. With later games coming against Chicago, Milwaukee, and Indiana, the Hawks will certainly pull for Philly to get this done in the coming weeks, Atlanta being their sole loss on the ledger. Many ardent Tankadelphians are nervous about the prospects of missing out on the bonanza of top-flight rookie point guards on the docket this summer, with a few more victories dampening the Sixers’ playoff odds. Yet Brown understands that their Point Guard of the Future was already drafted #1 overall last year. Further, Mike Budenholzer’s fellow ex-Spurs acolyte recognizes that puffing up his own record, in easily his best coaching work to date, obviates any notions by Sixer management to eat his contract in the offseason. For Brown, the next 76ers’ win this season exceeds his combined total (28-136) from the prior two Hinkie-fied campaigns. Much like Earl Watson with Devin Booker, there’s little wonder why Brown is granting Dario Saric (post-All-Star-Break: 19.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.3 APG) carte blanche when it comes to leading the offense. Beyond scoring and board work (32 points and 10 rebounds @ CHI last week), the 6-foot-10 forward can also be an exceptional post passer, when he puts his mind to it. The probable leader in the RoY race, Saric (last 23 games: 19.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG) has struggled mightily this season against the Hawks (8-for-32 FGs and four assists through three games), most recently shooting 1-for-10 from the field in a 110-93 loss at Philips Arena on January 21. He’ll be eager to shed the shackles tonight, especially without Paul Millsap (knee) or Thabo Sefolosha (groin) around to pester him. Saric hasn’t been left to carry the team on his own. Since the trade-deadline dealing of Ersan Ilyasova (39.3 3FG% in ATL, but 28.0 3FG% in road games as a Hawk) to Atlanta, Robert Covington has picked up the scoring slack, going just 1-for-6 on threes but still contributing 21 points and 13 rebounds to help cut down the Nets yesterday. Unfortunately, knee soreness will have RoCo sitting out the back end of this back-to-back, and Brown hopes Gerald Henderson (hip) will help pick up the defensive slack in his return to action. To heck with overweight and little people’s reality shows; the TLC worth watching is in Philly right now. French rookie Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (4-for-10 3FGs, season-highs of 9 rebounds and 3 assists @ BKN) had arguably his best all-around game to date last night and, much like Atlanta’s Taurean Prince, is beginning to get acclimated with NBA tempos. Defensively, the wing duo’s production has helped offset the loss of Embiid, to injury, plus another trade-deadline departure, that of Nerlens Noel, shipped to Dallas for wing Justin Anderson (career-high 44.8 FG% w/ PHI) and a 2017 first-rounder. Starting together, since March 11, Covington (1.9 SPG) and TLC, plus point guard T.J. McConnell (1.6 SPG) have improved the team’s defensive efficiency (100.4 D-Rating over past 18 days) to a level just ahead of Atlanta’s (100.9) and second-best in the East, behind the reconfigured Raptors’ 98.9 opponent points per 100 possessions. Atlanta’s bench put up yet another dud (4-for-16 FGs) versus the Suns’ skeleton crew last night, extending their collective woefulness to league-lows of 29.2 FG%, 17.6 3FG%, and minus-35 plus/minus, in the 11 days since Millsap was sidelined. The Suns ultimately bailed out the Hawks on Tuesday, not simply by sitting Devin Booker (and Tyson Chandler and Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight and…), but by bricking ten of their 24 free throws in an otherwise competitive 95-91 loss. Mike Dunleavy’s inability to play tonight (ankle soreness), and the continued wayward shooting by starters Junior Hardaway (6-for-25 FGs last 2 games) and Ilyasova (14-for-46 FGs last 4 games) aren’t helping matters. But have no fear, Kent Bazemore is here! “The spirit is willing…” has rarely been as apt a descriptor as it has been for Baze’s erratic play this season. His atrocious perimeter jumper (27.2 3FG% through December) was beginning to make a significant turnaround (40.0 3FG% first ten games post-Break) before knee problems began to wear him down. Now, fans will get to see whether he can be a net-positive influence on the floor for the Hawks, with his body stronger after the time off to recuperate his ailing knee. Coming off the bench tonight, Kent can aid Atlanta if he can finish plays quickly inside, in the halfcourt and on the break, while avoiding costly turnovers. The league’s two sloppiest teams since the All-Star Break have been Dennis Schröder’s Hawks (16.7 TOs per 100 possessions) and the 76ers (16.2 TOs per-100). The lack of reliable shooting around Schröder continues to have him pressing (team-high 27 points, 2-for-8 3FGs, 9 assists, 8 TOs vs. PHX), for better or worse. Having Jose Calderon closing the game, in lieu of the off-target Hardaway, seemed to have a calming effect on the Hawks offense yesterday, with Dennis able to play more off-ball. Together with the other starters, Atlanta flipped a 78-71 fourth-quarter deficit into a 92-83 advantage in just over six minutes, two Phoenix steals leading to just a single Suns point during that critical run. Bazemore’s return allows Coach Bud to go back on occasion to the dual small-guard lineup, while it’s supported with an array of options at the 3-spot, even without Dunleavy available. Prince (15 points, two swats) was particularly solid at the start and close of the Phoenix game, and deserves more time to sort things out as the regular season draws to a close. The Hawks and Sixers are also among the top of the East in steals, an indication that another ugly-fest is in store tonight. Whichever team is superior at converting live-ball errors into points at the other end is likely to be the team in front by the end of the game. In their last meeting on January 21, the host Hawks outscored Philly (led in scoring, coincidentally, by Ilyasova’s 21 points) 20-4 off turnovers, along the way to what became an easy-breezy 110-93 victory. Howard can also help his team’s cause by not trying to dribble the ball in transition past halfcourt, and instead finding his playmakers to ignite the fastbreaks. Philadelphia’s 15.9 fastbreak PPG (post-All-Star-Break) allowed are by far the most in the East. Beyond exploiting size advantages along the way to his obligatory double-double, Dwight continued seeking ways to move the ball yesterday, raising the Hawks’ record to a modest 3-0 when he gets his season-high of four assists in any game. If he’s the most effective passing big on the floor tonight, Advantage, Atlanta. Last night, a recent trade acquisition, center Jusuf Nurkic, helped his new team put a dent into his old team’s chances for a coveted playoff spot. Let’s not see any facsimile of that storyline today. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

Programming note... ... THIS GUY plays tomorrow. ~lw3

^Focus on the team, fellas, not each other. Unlike the Hawks' jumpers, our opinions are allowed to be a little shaky from time to time. ~lw3

~lw3

~lw3

Guess Tyler Ulis' Point Total Tonight? Some poor middle-schooler could be sitting in the arena with his lip poked out tonight. ~lw3

“You kiddin’ me???” “Let’s Not Suck! Let’s Not Suck!” No Excuses Week rolls on for our Atlanta Hawks, as Devin Booker and whoever’s left playing for the Phoenix Suns (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Arizona) roll into Philips Arena to get just a little more shine at our expense. For Hawks fans, “Let’s Not Suck!” is a more inspirational three-note refrain right now. “All terrible roads lead to beautiful destinations.” Such a quote passes as an apt slogan for the Hilton Head Island Convention and Visitors Bureau. But it’s also the inspiration scribbled on the whiteboard by the team’s resident Confucius, Kent Bazemore. Tonight, the Hawks will again try to scrounge for buckets without Paul Millsap (out at least 3 more games), Bazemore or Thabo Sefolosha available. Indeed, the Hawks’ chances at even saying they’re a .500 team, much less a playoff team worth watching, has been imperiled after falling 107-92 to Kenny Atkinson’s Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon. That was not only the Hawks’ seventh-straight defeat, it was also the seventh time in a row Atlanta (37-36) failed to surpass 100 points. A lack of offensive firepower usually spells doom for most modern-day NBA outfits, and especially this one (5-28 when scoring 100 points or fewer, incl. 1-15 since MLK Day). One sliver of a silver lining? Those JuggerNets just whalloped the Suns five days ago, 126-98 in Brooklyn. While Phoenix (22-52) has a better record than the Nets, they come into the Lowlight Factory on an eight-game skid, having dropped ten of their last 11. Wrapping up a winless six-game road trip tonight, Phoenix has prevailed in two road games over the past two months. Unlike the Nets, the Suns are chasing the Lakers (21-52) for lottery odds, and have effectively pulled the ripcord on the regular season. Suns coach Earl Watson put lead guard Eric Bledsoe and leading rebounder Tyson Chandler on the shelf for the season, joining rookie Dragan Bender (knee surgery). And when Watson tried to hand the tank keys over to Brandon Knight (DNP-CD’d since the All-Star Break), the embittered, untradable guard basically said, “You know what, coach? I got back spasms now, how about that?” Backup guards Leandro Barbosa (hamstring) and Ronnie Price (lower-leg contusion) remain iffy as well. So it’s no wonder that Watson is going all-in behind Booker (24.7 PPG, 89.1 FT% in March) and Tyler Ulis (9.0 APG in last seven starts), hoping these up-and-coming guards will cut their teeth wearing out opposing defenses. Yes, Booker weed-sprayed TD Garden with 70 points on Friday, making him one of just six NBA ballers ever to accomplish the feat. Yet he did it with 66 shot attempts (field goals and free throws combined) against a defensively laissez-faire Boston backcourt (Avery Bradley was unable to join the proceedings) as both teams kept the pace deliberately high, granting Booker (51 second-half points) plenty of unimpeded possessions. Despite helping Phoenix win the second-half by 13 points, Booker’s Suns still lost by double-digits, 130-120. There’s no way Atlanta’s Dennis Schröder could have performed the same way in a loss and had NBA fans eagerly buying up “HIS70RY” T-shirts. The Suns again started slow on Sunday, falling behind host Charlotte 38-18 after the first quarter, 22-3 in the opening five minutes of action. They allowed four Hornets to reach double-figures in scoring by halftime. And with no one bothering to keep Kemba Walker (31 points, 9 assists, 1 TO) in check, not even the single-minded Booker (7-for-17 FGs, 5 assists, 4 TOs, minus-32 in 35 minutes) could do enough in the second half to make the final 120-106 outcome interesting. Atlanta remains over-reliant on remnant starters Schröder (10-for-24 FGs, 8 assists, 3 TOs vs. BKN) and Dwight Howard (19 points and 16 boards, but 5 TOs vs. BKN), who repeatedly find themselves getting fried trying to save the Hawks’ bacon. Mike Budenholzer’s pace-and-disgrace offense (dead-last 101.0 March O-Rating, 8th in March pace, NBA-high 17.2 March TO%) can’t get off the ground without some reliable bench options. Reserves shot just 3-for-19 (0-for-8 3FGs) against Brooklyn, and that won’t get anything done, to say nothing of 3 defensive rebounds among six so-called players. Atlanta didn’t start hemorrhaging points in earnest until Coach Bud inexplicably subbed in Mike Dunleavy, Mike Muscala, and Kris Humphries together late in the first quarter. Mixing in just one or two backups with the Hawks’ current first unit is likely to produce less cringe-worthy results. One stretch that worked in the second quarter on Sunday, after the Hawks languished their way to a 43-21 deficit, involved the Hawks going small with Ersan Ilyasova manning the middle for a lineup featuring Schröder and Jose Calderon, and replacement starters Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Taurean Prince at the forward spots. For whatever reason, Coach Bud didn’t field this crew until the Hawks fell behind again by double-digits midway through the third quarter, and even that was a brief spell. Ilyasova was a rebounding fiend against the Nyets (18 rebounds, 7 offensive), but a lot of those boards were from caroms created by his own point-blank misses (3-for-14 FGs). The Hawks need his first-shots to hit nylon, preferably on the inside of the net. It’s a similar deal for Hardaway (4-for-10 2FGs, 1-for-6 3FGs vs. BKN), who is capable of shedding himself free from Booker tonight and scoring at-will. He’s needed to do more than simply trying to keep his THJreak alive. Not only Schröder, but the entire Hawks backcourt must pressure Ulis and Booker (3.6 APG, 3.7 TOs per game in March) into errors from the outset, or at least forcing unaccustomed players like T.J. Warren (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals @ CHA on Sunday), Dunk Contest flop Derrick Jones, Jr. and rookie Marquese Chriss to become playmakers outside the paint. Charlotte converted seven errors into 15 first-quarter points to put the stiff-arm to the Suns early. Phoenix can phold early, but only if their guards are unable to get the ball out to shooting swingmen, like Jared Dudley (26.2 March 3FG%, but we need not mention his December 2014 performance at Philips as a Buck) and momentary preseason Hawk Jarell Eddie (41.5 D-League 3FG%). The Suns were a gun-shy 3-for-10 on threes in the first three quarters in Boston, then 3-for-12 on triples in Charlotte. Watson is also using the balance of the season to help his team decide whether next season’s backup center will be A-Len or Alan. Both Alex Len and Phoenix native Alan “Big Sauce” Williams will be restricted free agents this summer. Williams uses hard screens to spring teammates free, but often gets overwhelmed inside versus bigs like Howard. When Len is in the game, the Hawks will need Humphries’ help as a pick-and-popper to draw the starting center out from the middle of the floor. The Hawks play their first back-to-back contest in 18 days tomorrow, with Philadelphia (last 15 days: wins over Boston and Chicago, 2-point loss at Golden State) lying in wait after a trip to Brooklyn. There is no benefit to the Hawks, or their suffering fans, enduring some wild late-game back-and-forth scramble tonight, certainly not against a similarly-depleted Suns team that is far more interested in making SportsCenter for their mid-game highlights than actual victories. Atlanta’s starting five has no choice but to start, and finish, collectively strong. But the Hawks need their vets and rookies to step up in brief stints off the bench if they have any real hope of a satisfactory N.E.W. result. Let’s Not Suck! Let's Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

“AND THREE POINTERS DON’T STOP ‘TIL 8 IN THE MO’NIN!!!” No Excuses Week begins today! Our Atlanta Hawks have certainly had a rough go of things this month. But now comes a slate of N.E.W. games, beginning with an afternoon affair at home versus the Brooklyn Nets (1:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, YES Network in NYC) and concluding in Brooklyn next week, that will help the team sew up their invite to the NBA Playoffs. Whoops! Did I say “will”? I should have said, “could”. The Grizzlies, the Pistons, the Hornets, the Thunder, the Celtics, the Warriors, the Jazz. Each of these teams have caught at least one L this month from one of the four teams (Brooklyn, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Chicago) Atlanta faces over the course of this upcoming week. Many of these opponents thought they could slide by with second-rate and half-hearted execution, and found themselves sorely mistaken as the final buzzers sounded. Aside from a pretend-road win in London, the Nets have not won at the so-called Highlight Factory since March 2013, and the Nets have no plans on making Atlanta their San Antonio. Unable to benefit from a lottery pick by deliberately tanking, Kenny Atkinson’s charges are plucking at any opportunities for wins they can find… but not at the expense of enhanced development for young players. Brooklyn (15-57) hasn’t had a break-even or better calendar month since Lionel Hollins’ club went 5-4 in April 2015 to help crush Atlanta’s lottery dreams. Yet after starting out 2017 winning just one of 26 games, they’re 6-8 this month, one of those losses a 110-105 close-shave defeat at Philips back on March 8, and have the Sixers and Pistons to close out the March schedule after today. Just weeks ago, the Hawks needed all of Paul Millsap’s 24 points to fend off the Nets, who were led by Sean Kilpatrick’s 27 points in 30 minutes off the bench. Brooklyn controlled much of the proceedings until the middle of the third quarter and got the deficit down to a single point with just 13 seconds left to play. As was the case during Atlanta’s ill-fated road trip this past week, Millsap and fellow starter Kent Bazemore won’t be available this afternoon due to knee rehabs. The good news for the Hawks (37-35) is that Kilpatrick is unavailable as well, due to a sore hammy. While the Nets look to the Brook-Lin duo of Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin to start and finish close contests, Atkinson is turning to starters Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (9-for-13 FGs @ WAS on Friday) and Caris LeVert, and backups Justin Hamilton (team-high 20 points, 2-for-3 3FGs @ WAS) and K.J. McDaniels, to try and keep his team competitive in the middle of games. Turning the tables on a hot Suns offense on Thursday, McDaniels and Brooklyn’s bench brigade helped “hold” Phoenix’s Devin Booker to 28 points, while outscoring the Suns’ reserves 81-22, in a resounding 126-98 home victory. Coach Kenny hopes to overwhelm Atlanta’s thinned bench by subbing in a host of contributors. Thus, it’s essential for the Mike Budenholzer’s starters to dominate, and not simply hold serve, versus Lopez, Lin and the Nets’ defensively-challenged starters. Those Hawks starters include Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Ersan Ilyasova, who moved to the top line in place of Bazemore and Millsap. They comprised 26 of Atlanta’s 28 bench points when these two teams last met. The other two points came from Taurean Prince, who also starts today while Thabo Sefolosha deals with his pesky groin strain. Today, the rookie needs to provide major contributions in the form of defensive rebounding, perimeter closeouts, ball movement, and finishes around the rim. Dennis Schröder led the way with 31 points (incl. 10-for-10 FTs), but the playmaker must refrain from forcing plays that aren’t there to make. Still, his assertiveness remains perhaps the growing point guard’s best asset. Atlanta, surprisingly, is just 5-13 on the season when Schröder’s in-game turnover percentage is BELOW ten percent, including 0-4 this month. The Hawks are also a more representative 7-5 when Dennis exceeds 25.0 TO%. Including this week’s road losses in Milwaukee and Washington, though, the Hawks are 1-5 when his usage rate exceeds 33.3 percent. Part of the uphill challenge is expecting more ball movement from bigs like Dwight Howard and Ilyasova. But if Dennis goes through stretches of trying to do too much on his own offensively, Coach Bud should not hesitate to deploy vet backup Jose Calderon today. Being more cognizant of the shot clock and his alternative options will benefit the Hawks whenever Schröder penetrates the paint. Sounder decision-making from his backcourt mate Hardaway in the fourth quarter will help the Hawks as well. It should be noted that Timmy has not had a single game with true shooting percentage below 50.0 percent since February 24, and that Atlanta is a respectable 11-6 (although 0-3 this month) when his assist percentage exceeds 20.0% in a game. Beginning right before New Year’s, the Hawks took advantage of the opportunity to put recent failures behind them versus mostly subpar competition. The result was a seven-game winning streak, a stretch of 9-1 basketball, and an All-Star nod for Millsap. More importantly, an understandably underappreciated run from December 7 through the All-Star Break without consecutive losses created a nice cushion in the playoff standings which lasted for two months. Demonstrating that they can learn from the critical mistakes in their recent past, without dwelling too much on them, will -- okay! could -- help the Hawks cruise triumphantly through No Excuses Week. As will emphasizing the things they can do well, not getting distracted by the records or accolades of their opponents. Chins up, gentlemen… it’s a N.E.W. day! ~lw3 View full record

I've still got my eye on @thecampster's bracket. Down around my neighborhood, but he's got 3 Final 4 teams still kicking... he could still at least Place or Show! ~lw3