lethalweapon3

One more trivia piece I can't resist. November 25, 1977: John Drew's Hawks were the victims of the biggest 4th-quarter comeback in NBA history (29 points, as per Wiki and UPI press). Atlanta was up 111-82 on Milwaukee with 8:42 to go in the game, when the visiting Bucks hoofed their way back, 31-2 in the final six minutes, before winning 117-115. Future Wendy's franchisee Junior Bridgeman led the way for Milwaukee, whose notables included head coach Don Nelson, Alex English, Ernie Grunfeld, and future acting star Marques Johnson. Marques was fouled on a breakaway by Fast Eddie Johnson, and sank two free throws with a second left in the game to secure the win. ~lw3

One more bit of Media Guide trivia before I completely doze off. The Hawks beat Houston for like the 6th or 7th time in a row (that's not from the guide, I just forgot). Our franchise's all-time records for points scored in any quarter (54), half (97), or game (155) all came in one game against the Rockets... the San Diego Rockets (has there ever been a smoother transition of a franchise name in sports history? NASA's Atlas ICBMs were being built in the SD area in the 1960s). Setting kind of a trend for SD sports teams, the Rockets moved to H-Town in 1971. They began celebrating 50 calendar years as a franchise last month. February 11, 1970 was the date, San Diego the place, when three Hawks went for 30+ points (Mahdi Abdul-Rahman... TAFKA Walt Hazzard... Joe Caldwell and Lou Hudson), outpointing Elvin Hayes, Stu Lantz and a scoreless Pat Riley for the 155-131 victory. The third-quarter and second-half scoring by Atlanta set the NBA records for those periods, and the 97-point second-half record still stands today. ~lw3

If it wasn't already noted, Harden was granted 21 free throw attempts, the most FTAs in any game for him since March 2015. Ironically, he missed 5 of those shots. And was still trying to get the flop call late when he got stripped by Dwight. Also, one guy a little happy that Coach Bud didn't insert THJ in until 9:45 left to go in the fourth? Dominique Wilkins. Junior's 23 point flame-throwing ended the night 5 points shy of Nique's franchise record for points in any quarter -- 28 versus the Kings on February 16, 1988 (as per Hawks' Media Guide). TNT's Kenny Smith might recall that game. Nique's 51-point night included that 3rd-quarter blitz (capped by a 3/4-court buzzer-beater) as part of a Hawks record 36-point second half. Still, Kenny the Jet, Reggie Theus, and Sacramento head coach Bill Russell escaped the Omni with a come-from-behind 118-115 victory, Theus' buzzer-beater winning the game for the visitors. http://www.nba.com/hawks/dominique-moment-16/ ~lw3

Timmy's on SportsCenter talking to SVP, praising Bembry's D. I'm double-checking my prescriptions. ~lw3

"One in a million... chance of a lifetime..." http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0619014489462804915-4 ~lw3

Finally fixed, @Hotlanta1981! Good eye! Howard has 24 points, 23 rebounds as Hawks rally past Rockets ~lw3

"And Tim Hardaway's red glarrrrrrrrrrre..." (EDIT: shaky tweet) "@ESPNNBA: In the 4th quarter tonight: Tim Hardaway Jr. - 23 pts** (8-11 FGs, 3-5 3FGs) ** Career-high for any quarter The Rockets - 22 pts (8-23 FGs, 3-10 3FGs)" ~lw3

~lw3

It was great hearing Harlan and Brent together. But I sure wish I had the sense to tune in to this guy when the comeback started. ~lw3

#TrumanToAtlanta ~lw3

The good news is, we're the NBA's 50 Shades of Grey. tends to turn us on! ~lw3

Tip: I find that 4C breadcrumbs work really well. Don't at me, PETA. ~lw3

#RaiseThePossum ~lw3

"Fine... no, wait, Commish, I wasn't being subliminal..." ~tp12

Off the top of my head... Bud wants to push the pace, up to a level that is more than 2-or-3 over-30 starters past their athletic primes can reasonably sustain from quarter-to-quarter, much less game-to-game. The elevated pace forces a lot of possessions out of both teams, and the team with the better-quality series of shots (fewer turnovers; less-contested shots), and the mechanical know-how to hit them, gets the upper hand early. Unlike Kyle and DeMarre circa 2015, the starting swingmen are not hitting shots routinely enough to mask the team's flaws, forcing sub-optimal choices like the point guard, the power forward, and the backup center, to help the team keep afloat along the perimeter. Bud would like to push the tempo even higher than he squeezes out of this bunch currently, but his floor general is in Season 1 of his multi-year learning curve as an NBA starter, and lacks both the ability to steer momentum away from more seasoned opposing PGs (this, during the Golden Age of Mega-Star PGs) and sufficient assertiveness to push his veteran colleagues to keep the heck up. Bud The Coach would like to draw from a deeper bench, but Bud The Exec set him up with shallow options at the point and in the frontcourt, while the rookie wings are not ready to make an immediate splash (if they are, Bud The Coach doesn't really want them to know). The bench is thin, both figuratively and literally. Bud The Coach lost a GM to Shenanigans and two key assistants to Utah and Brooklyn, respectively. One assistant was effectively not replaced by Bud The Exec, and the team is relying on a lot of NBA newbies in their coaching/development roles to figure things out. It should be noted that these meltdowns were even happening during The Year of Our Horford 2015, too, only the dynamics were a little different, and the paths out of funks a little easier to navigate due to (age+conditioning, mindsets, coaching, prior experience, stability, take your pick). ~lw3

Also notable for the Rockets: Yao Ming will have his jersey retired during their game tomorrow against Chicago. ~lw3

Texans fans won't have any problems with this pick. True To Atlanta, At Least These Days! No grass-cutting required... He'll get the boo+cheer combo, like Al got in his visit here last month. The Rox plan on thanking D8 for his community service over the years. ~lw3

“Once I pop, I can’t stop!” Rise Up! A heaping debt of gratitude is due to our dear Atlanta Falcons. That’s not just because they worked their tailfeathers off to make it to the “Superb Owl” in Clutch City, where our Hawks coincidentally face off tonight with the Houston Rockets (8:00 PM Eastern, TNT if you dare; better yet, mute it and set your audio to 92.9 FM in ATL). By making it all the way through January and into February, the Falcons allow Atlanta’s sports media to defer the thankless job of watching the Hawks with any real discerning eye. Usually, by the time mid-January rolls around, there are no defensive tackles to hide behind. Down in Florida, pitchers and catchers don’t even report for another week or two. Aside from the hoopla over National Signing Day, it’s a wrap for Bulldog and Jacket football, after the obligatory mid-tier bowl games. The march to March Madness rarely matters around these parts. By MLK Day, and for at least the month that follows, it’s our Clean Birds that usually get center stage in Atlanta’s sports scene to themselves, whether they’re ready or not. Thus, it’s fortunate that the ATL has little time to dwell on yet another fullcourt flub by the Hawks, at the hands of another undermanned but spirited team, this time in Miami last night. You might imagine the network that Ted Turner built won’t want to focus much time on these pitiful performances tonight, and thank goodness for that. If anything, the appetizer for tonight’s Warriors-Clippers matchup will center on the splendid campaign underway in HTX, led by MVP leading candidate James Harden (career-highs of 28.1 PPG, 11.3 APG, 8.1 RPG) on the floor, and steered by COTY candidate Mike D’Antoni off of it. Quick Hawks-related commentaries will be provided as to how much better the Rockets are doing without Dwight Howard (a first-round exit, Houston went 41-41 last season), and how much better All-Star Paul Millsap would look donning a more media-favorable jersey by month’s end. Not much attention will be directed toward the Rockets’ recent swoon. Yes, they’re at a respectable 36-16, third in the NBA behind the Dubs and Spurs. However, they’ve slowed somewhat in recent weeks. Houston beat the Hornets back on January 10 to cap off a 20-2 surge up the standings. Since then, their 5-7 record in the past 12 games includes wins over faltering Brooklyn and Milwaukee, and a very tired Sacramento team this past Tuesday. Thanks to 6th Man award candidate Eric Gordon (3rd-most 3FGs through 52 games in NBA history; career-high 54.6 eFG%) and Ryan Anderson (career-best 41.2 3FG%), the Rockets are the very example of the once-despised NBA team that Lives By The Three: first in takes (39.6 3FGAs per game) and makes (14.4 3FGs per game; 11th in 3FG%). As was the case for Miami yesterday, Houston hopes another bombardment from the arc will draw a white flag from the visitors early. But Houston depends on more than just three-point shooting to win. Buoyed by Harden’s bulldozing style as a burly ballhandler (10.5 FTAs per game; 1st in FTAs in 4 of the past 5 seasons), Houston (2nd in O-Rating) also takes the most free throw attempts (24.7 FTAs per game; 18th in FT%). The clock-stopping whistles gives the Rockets the mid-game respites they need when hooping at such a high tempo (4th in Pace). You’re likely to hear how much happier everyone is with Clint Capela and Montrezl Harrell interchangeably manning the pivot, in lieu of Howard. What you’ll hear less about is that the Rockets’ defense has softened in recent weeks. Their D-Rating (107.0) since January 1 is masked by the kind of offensive firepower and efficiency Dwight could have only dreamed about during his Texas tenure. The ball-dominating Harden turns the ball over a ton (5.8 TOs per-36, most in NBA history), and live-ball TOs often spell buckets for the opposition (18.0 opponent points per-48, 4th-most in NBA) if Patrick Beverley and Trevor Ariza don’t get back quickly enough. On the season, only Harden’s triple-double compatriot Russell Westbrook plays on a team that allows paint points (47.5 opponent points per-48, 2nd-most in NBA) more frequently. How did the Hawks coast past the Rockets to a 112-97 victory, back on November 5 at Philips Arena? Most significantly, they coaxed a season-high 22.3 TO% out of their opposition. Houston’s season-high 26 player turnovers (also most numerically by any Hawks opponent) included eight TOs from Harden himself, half of those by way of two steals each from the active hands of Millsap (5 steals vs. HOU) and Kent Bazemore (3 steals vs. HOU). Other things that helped on that day: outscoring Houston in the paint, 62-46; Harden (24 first-half points) and the Rockets going cold from outside (3-for-16 3FGs) in the second half; Bazemore and Malcolm Delaney going 4-for-4 on corner threes; and allowing the Rockets just 13 free throw shots. But forcing turnovers set the tone for the game in the Hawks’ favor. Atlanta tends to be at their defensive best when they are denying interior points (and free throws off cheap fouls) while forcing teams into mistakes and second-guessing before their planned shots can go up. They’re 9-2 (with no blowout losses) when they force TOs in more than 16.0% of opponent possessions. Such was not the case Wednesday, when the Hawks forced just 12 turnovers from heat players (10.6 TO%), allowing Miami to score seven more field goals and 18 more points-in-the-paint. The desperation to keep Hassan Whiteside from raising that paint deficit any higher is likely to cost rookie Taurean Prince some time. Prince was not even inserted into the game until the final quarter with the game already out-of-hand. But if he and Thabo Sefolosha (groin; 3 steals vs. HOU on Nov. 5) continue missing time, expect another early call to Prince’s fellow rookie wing DeAndre’ Bembry to help fill the void. His three assists off the bench was a team-high for a Hawks team that, suddenly, forgot how to move the ball. On that note, starters Dennis Schroder (14 TOs, 2-for-11 3FGs in past three games), and Bazemore (-144 plus/minus and 1.7 APG in Atlanta’s 12 double-digit defeats) ought to spend at least twice as much time on enhanced communication between the sidelines as they spend on hijinks from the bench. Fun and frivolity can go a much longer way when your team is not getting their heads beaten in on a weekly basis. Millsap at least expresses a willingness to take charge on the court (“I’ve got to do a better job of leading these guys from the start,” he told the AJC). But ultimately, it’s on the Hawks’ supposedly serious coaching staff to ensure more effort is going into floor leadership than cheerleading. When a racecar repeatedly blows a tire during the opening laps, at some point, pressure needs to be shifted away from the driver, and toward the pit crew. When it comes to defense and decision-making, will there be another all-too-familiar half-hearted effort in the opening quarter by Atlanta on Groundhog Day? Alternatively, might another furry creature familiar to Hawks fans -- the Possum -- rear its head tonight at the Toyota Center? Fortunately for the Hawks, Atlanta and the TNT booth could not care less, either way. All anyone hopes to see these days are Arthur Blank’s latest dance moves. And if all goes well this Sunday, the Hawks will enjoy another week of critical reprieve. Rise Up and Get Down, Arthur! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

Tip: Watching Hawks games are sooooooo much more fun if you go play a round of hoops with Stephen Jackson first. Or, so I'm told. ~lw3

In entertainment news, congrats to Beyonce on the pregnancy! On a related note, the future twins currently lead the Hawks at halftime, 65-32. ~lw3

^tiebreaker head-to-head. And I trust the "Das Racist!" commentary applies to Chawls, and not directly at specific Squawkers who do a much better job of critiquing than Charles ever does. (Maybe an exception to the "millions of people" rule, at least in Sir Charlie's case) I know this bears repeating, but the Ugly OKC/San Antonio Women rule applies here. Chuck is a Jimmy The Greek-style loner who lives off of people engaging him in discussion (that, and perhaps gravy), and he prides himself on being a touchstone, no matter the topic. When Charles ventures into middle America during playoff time, he's (a) bored to tears, and (b) wants people to "prove him wrong." So he comes off with a dismissive statement, like "All the women in this here cowtown are hideous" so that "All the women" in Oklahoma city/state come running out in droves to "prove him wrong." He already knows he's wrong. That's the point of the carnival. Charles would love to be feted daily in a big NBA market (like LA), but instead, he's rolling up in Atlanta drive-thrus on most nights looking for a meal to reheat before heading back to whatever he calls his humble abode in town. When he's not up all night kissing donkey posteriors at Turner studios, he's bored to tears. So, simply to pass the time, he gets his jollies off with "Man, I hate watching these Hawks play." Or outright pretending they don't exist, hoping someone will say, "Hey! Wait a minute!" If Charles came off and said, Dolfan-style, "I don't like the Hawks because they get blown out way too often, an inordinate amount, by good teams and bad ones," that would actually come across as the analysis he's being paid for. He doesn't do that. He prefers to be intentionally reductive, because it makes people talk... not just about him, TO him. The Hawks pull off an upset or two: "Jowls wuz wrong!", we cheer. Then the Hawks go out and flop: "Chawls waz right," we screech. No, your own logistical reasoning led you toward a correct conclusion. Charles is just fishing for bait. Whether he catches a marlin or a galosh doesn't matter. What matters is that your team's season teeters on the question of whether a man who doesn't really care either way is "right." Now, when he's spotted around town, maybe a Hawks fan will come up and give him a piece of his/her mind, along with that piece of pie. His critique of LeBron, however sloppy, worked. Simply being thoughtful and constructive with his commentary makes him basically David Aldridge. Do you know what DA, or a player/analyst like Kevin McHale or Brent Barry, said about LeBron's playmaker demands? Exactly, you don't care to know. Instead, Chawlz uses his weekly platform to call the reigning Finals MVP "whiny". Charles would deserve the Stephen from Django treatment (something he is quite used to, and immune to, by now) if he indeed suggested James was being "lazy," but thankfully that was not what he said. His leading question of, "He don't want to compete?" was prefaced by "He's the best player in the world," which you tend not to be if you're indeed "lazy." Now, the media is running around like schoolyard instigators, and LeBron James is rummaging through Wiki pages and daring Chuckles to come see The King, face to face! Now he's got all night Thursday to come up with more softballs for LBJ to swing at. It's not like he's coming to work to watch Hawks-Rockets. "I May Be Wrong... But I Doubt It. Either Way, Buy My Book!" That's the Carnival. Whether you choose to play with him, under his tent, is up to you. ~lw3

A bit of trivia from the Hawks' Game Notes. Someone should quiz Jowls on this tomorrow night. http://www.nba.com/gamenotes/hawks.pdf The good news is, the Chuckster didn't need 4 OTs to get those sterling nimbers. The bad news is, his Suns lost the game by 4 points in regulation. No whining, Chuckles! ~lw3

At the other end... Feel the Force! ~lw3

Ah, well. Rest up for Hardenville! Or, not... ~lw3

(Ctrl+F) "T, i, m" 0 of 0 "H, a, r, d, a" 0 of 0 "B, a, z" 1 of 59 ~lw3