lethalweapon3

They're laying low tonight. I get the feeling they're playing possum for Game 6. Royal Ivey Alert! ~lw3

Remember, it's really "the Hilton trade." Consider it as "H.W.N.S.N.B.M.", and either Mo Evans or a 1st round pick (the other going in the Bibby trade), for Hilton Armstrong. ~lw3

I'd just start spiking the Gatorade with 5-Hour Energy, if that's really all it is. LD I believe has retained his job for now. The assistants and staffers responsible for conditioning, player development, and helping LD with strategy? No way should they be off the hook. ~lw3

So, where would you rather have the parade route? ;-) Ivan Allen Boulevard/Centennial Olympic Park Drive Andrew Young International Drive Peachtree Street/Marietta Street ~lw3

Actually, "Hawks: Single Digit Loss or Win" could mean they either win by any amount, or lose by single digits. But the Bulls' double-digit win option is troubling. Did they really just have two choices? EDIT: actually, that is what they mean. Either you pick the Bulls to win by 10+, or you pick the Hawks' option. ~lw3

http://www.nba.com/wizards/photogallery/unveiling_051011_1.htmlNot a bad look, IMO. Although I wouldn't run out to get a JC jersey if I were a Zards fan. He's going to be a hot commodity for any deals they do this summer.~lw3

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_bianchi/2011/05/dwight-howard-tweets-that-orlando-sentinel-trying-to-force-him-out-like-shaq.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sports_bianchi+%28Open+Mike%29 If Orlando wants to maximize their chances of keeping Dwight, they'd better upgrade their newspaper's sportswriters. ~lw3

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/elliottefriedman/2011/05/keefe-has-coaching-chops-plus-30-thoughts.html ~lw3

I want Teague (and/or Kirk) vs. Bibby. Soooooooo... Mavericks, Grizzlies, or Thunder? ;-) ~lw3

...for about 2 minutes, then Smoove would toss a 30-foot jumpshot or something and we'd move on. As we're doing now. ~lw3

Yeah, "captivating" is a bit strong. You still don't see much Hawks paraphernalia/regalia on proud display outside of the arena, and casual conversations don't seem to strike up unless they're on the TV in front of you at-the-moment. Unlike Memphis, where the floods are literally at downtown's doorsteps while their basketball team is navigating unchartered waters of a far less challenging sort, there has not much connection between the Atlanta-area professional sports and the hard-hit storm areas where college football reigns supreme in the collective consciousness. Largely due to the lack of confidence being engendered by this team through a consistent style of winning play, there's no build up of "Little Engine That Could" euphoria like we had for the early 90s Braves or the 2000 Dirty Birds. And a sports town weary of postseason collapses by its Falcons and Braves are always weary to invest their hearts and energies toward another team that, when they do lose, seem to enjoy losing at epic proportions. An NBA Finals appearance against a media-popular team (I guess Dallas, by default) will shake things up a little, and a championship parade would draw out a few bandwagoners (of all creeds, sizes, and colors) learning anew how to spell "ATL" for chanting purposes. My inner skeptic, though, suggests the dreaded "F" word (fluke) would pop up enough times in the media and around town to dampen any spirits the Hawks could generate locally even with an NBA title. The mindset appears to be "Show Me... okay, fine, now Show Me again, but more convincingly this time." ~lw3

Yep, May 18, 1988. It was almost here. I was just getting ready for the prom. I was diehard Sixers fan, so anybody other than the Lakers beating the Celtics was great to me, especially three straight and one at the Garden to push them to the brink. Being able to catch a different NBA squad on that Superstation thing was pretty nice, too. Chris Washburn was on the roster! As was current ref Leon Wood. And Jeff Teague was kicking around in a womb somewhere. ~lw3

How does everyone feel about "Point Smoove" and "Point Horf" when they're bringing the ball up the court off the rebound? Is this to alleviate pressure on Teague? Maybe a "you can't trap everybody" approach LD is employing? ~lw3

Now, when was the last time the Hawks won consecutive playoff games in the second round? Did Berlin still have a wall? ~lw3

http://www.wavlist.com/soundfx/014/cricket-2.wav ~lw3

Another big winner tonight: the Notorious A$G. They get a 3rd game at Philips no matter what happens the rest of the way. Just revenue, baby! ~lw3

Got to give it up for our Smooth Criminal/Quiet Storm/Silent But Deadly/whatever he wants to call himself tonight. Finding his spots on the floor and swishing shots, but not just reliant on jumpers to save the day. Steady and sure. ~lw3

horsewhat? horseradish? Vegas odds are 4:3 that it'll be Skip "Da Bulls Will Sweep" Bayless that doth protest too much by tomorrow morning. ~lw3

What I enjoyed watching most from Jeff was AFTER he made mistakes (hesitating on fastbreaks, blowing a defensive assignment, botching that drive and dunk at the end of the first half... this team has got to lead the league in botched dunks). You could tell he was recognizing his errors, verifying them with his teammates and coaches, and working to correct them on the floor. ~lw3

He's no Jim Joyce. ~lw3

Sorry to pile-on, but I just want catch-and-shoot Jamal from here on out. No more of these Curly Neal dribbling displays, please! Although Marvin wasn't a total trainwreck tonight, I'd rather swap Damien and Marvin's minutes for the rest of this series. ~lw3

I heard during the "highlights" EJ was desperately trying to get the focus on the game but the rest of the crew just segued into "What's wrong with the Bulls/should your star PG take a billion shots" while they were replaying the 4th quarter Hawks run. ~lw3

KIRKLAND JAMES HINRICH. Kia Motors' 2011-2012 Sixth Man of the Year. Just gettin' it in early. ~lw3

It feels like we're all waiting for the switch to be turned on... and by "we," I'm including Mr. Al-Star himself. When he finally bodied up on Noah and dunked the ball, we were screaming, "that's been there for you the whole series!" He got to stop playing matador D when he's matched up against Boozer. And on offense, we can all see his "Brad Miller Lite" shots aren't falling... he's got to get to the paint and demand the ball! ~lw3

Bread was a nickel... I think my entire wardrobe was Cross Colours [/TMI] ~lw3