lethalweapon3

“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; CSN Bay Area in SAC), 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 The surly center was suspended, as mandated by the league, for the Boston game after collecting his 16th (non-rescinded) technical foul.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 View full record

The WNBA went conference-free last season and the reviews went well. WNBA Caveats were (a) there are only 8 teams in, out of 12, so the early-round seed/bye setup was a little weird, and (b) they only play best-of-5 in the conference finals and Finals, so the travel isn't absurd. Best-of-7s in the NBA may go back to H-H-A-A-A-H-H format in this conference-free format, as media crews (and maybe the players and coaches) will seek to minimize the back-and-forth. The West already does MEM-LAC now, but I doubt they'd want a lot of series where it's LA-to-TOR-to-LA-to-TOR-to-LA for a first-round that goes seven games. ~lw3

Hopefully Coop's on loan from the Dream as a team consultant. ~lw3

2nd half was basically: "You win the game!" "No, YOU win the game!" "No! I insist!" ~lw3

Great find! I saw he was really struggling a couple months ago so it's good to see him slowwwwly digging out of the hole. ~lw3

If you're looking to say hi to a future Hall of Fame player, Falcon great Morten Andersen says he plans to be at the game tonight. ~lw3

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 View full record

Two, so they can extend him once more, which would probably take him up to the All-Star break. ~lw3

Welp, that's about it, right? Is today the day, or tomorrow? I'm a big Patterson fan, but I'd rather we keep fishing than extend him another 10 days. ~lw3

C-Viv: "Hey, I need a couple days off. Anybody wanna fill in and report on the Hawks for this town's only newspaper?"... "Buehler?" Hard to blame anybody the way this team plays so often. Still, check out the "Coverage" from the rag that Covers Dixie Like the Dew: http://www.ajc.com/sports/hawks/ EDIT: Eureka! Here it is, buried on the main Sports page. Winky didn't have C-Viv's password, it seems. http://www.ajc.com/sports/basketball/hawks-smoked-again-the-jazz/mkho4iOET2QIB7Yk7iPPrK/ ~lw3

"Those floors won't towel themselves, Tiago." ~lw3

Save this one for later (like, postgame), if you can stand it, but after last night I was feeling like appending this screed from back in 2014. I could only wish the Dream collapse was the worst of the bunch. ~lw3

Probably a premature post. I'll delete it if it goes nowhere. ~lw3

Programming Note: The S.O.F.T. (Same Ole Falcons Thread) will be headed to the Hawksquawk Classics forum in a few days. ~lw3

“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 View full record

Playing time is on the Horizonja, Mario. ~lw3

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 View full record

"...this is fine..." ~tp12

More like Sporadic East, amirite? ~lw3

(EDIT: quivering tweets when they come with large graphics, gotta get that checked out.) @WojVerticalNBA: " Sources on @TheVertical: Golden State is waiving Anderson Varejao, clearing way to sign D-League guard Briante Weber to a 10-day contract " ~lw3

Speaking of leg injuries, is Tiago about to punt? ~lw3

On the blocks, as macdaddy noted, Dwight is challenged to contest in the post without fouling, more than he was accustomed to in the past. Clint Capela couldn't believe his luck on a few of those early possessions last night, because Dwight was essentially daring him to take the shot in the paint (and further ensure nobody's plopping more dangerous threes on the Hawks). Howard has been helping so much on the offensive end of the floor, chasing second-chances and lobs around the rim, that he's often unable to get in position at the other end to get those customary help blocks as opponents push the ball down in transition. The last time he averaged this many O-Rebs per game was in 2009, but he was a spry 23-year-old then, leading the NBA in BPG as well. Atlanta shooting the ball better, as has been the case in recent weeks, will relieve Dwight off the need to hang around the rim in search of wayward Hawk shots, allowing him to get back on D quicker. ~lw3

Welcome to the Squawk! I'll note that D8's Usage% and FGAs per-100/per-36 are above last season's, when he was weighted down by James Hogden's ball-dominance. Also, last night's game helped a ton, but as it stands, Dwight's efficiency is looking pretty good. He's at a career-high 118 O-Rating (bball-ref recipe, I haven't checked NBA.com's calculus yet). Offensive box plus/minus is back in the black for the first time since his days with the Magic; offensive win shares are cumulatively on pace to blow everything he's done on that end since 2011 out of the water. As others note, many of those touches on coming off of putbacks, 3.0 possessions per game (as per NBA.com stats). There are just 5 NBA players averaging 2.5 or more, and of that subset, Dwight gets a score (field goal or free throw) the most frequently, and turns over the ball the least frequently. His 5.7 second-chance points per-36 ranks behind only the chair-smashing Enes Kanter. As the Hawks get better with their first-shot execution (knocks on wood), though, those cleanup chances will shrink. I do feel like there's room to get him more halfcourt touches and plays, so long as we're not trying to Horfordize his game this season. The time yesterday when he drove with the ball from the 3-point line looked a little too scary for my tastes. And he should only be taking experimental jumpers when we're at least up by double-digits. I also feel like Bud will direct the ball his way a little more as he improves his passing. His assist tallies are right about where they've been the past few seasons, and they could use an uptick in an offense predicated on ball movement. It's not like he's not trying: his 40.9 passes per game rank 11th among centers (NBA.com data). And of the 12 centers who average 40 passes per game, only Joakim Noah receives fewer than Howard in return (26.2 per game); at least in Jo's case, everyone understands why. I'll venture a guess that a lot of Dwight's passes "out" are not part of designed plays, but more of a reset after a "Plan A" play was busted. The less obvious it is that a dump-in to Dwight is a terminal point of the Hawks' possessions, the more the team will be willing to feed him. I've fussed elsewhere that it often takes a split-second too long for Dwight to gather and make decisions when he tries to execute post-up plays (3.3 per game, down from 4.2 last season; his 0.77 PPP ranks only ahead of Nurkic, Whiteside and Drummond among 40 players getting 2.0 post-ups or more). Those shaves-of-seconds give opponents time to react, so over a third of the time he's either (a) turning the ball over or (b) hacked and sent to the line, before he can get a decent shot up at the rim. As his post-playing role becomes more instinctive to him, he'll be more effective with the non-lob touches he does get. And if he keeps working to raise that FT%, opponents are going to have to play him more honestly. Finally, the more he's willing to run post-to-post, the more comfortable Bud will be making sure Dennis and the guards reward the big man on fastbreaks. You can expect his raw offensive numbers (per-game) to go down over the next couple seasons. But what helps this team as Dwight gets older is that his offensive efficiency and versatility improves measurably. ~lw3

You just say Zaza three times, and he appears! Thanks for checking in, @Colin! ~lw3

I promise I'll get to sleep, the Chamomile is ready. But... 48 defensive rebounds. Fell one shy of the team's all-time** record of 49, set twice at home vs. Philly in October 1974 and versus Utah in March 2012 (Al was not there! Pec tear season #1. Zaza had 20 boards), as per Hawks Media Guide. On the Jazz 2012 team was Paul Millsap. **O-Reb and D-Reb records only started getting split apart by the league in the 1973-74 season. ~lw3