Why we really lost

[jeddelong]

I was at the game last night in Boston, and it was truly an amazing experience. I have to say that the Hawks played scared in the fourth, and most of the reason was the crowd. They were amazing. Me and my friend, decked out in Hawks gear, were screaming at there fans, but those fans are brutal. They would come out of their seat to scream at us. It was so loud as they made their push on us, and you could read the fear in our folks eyes. I so wish that Phillips could be like that. Having seen a real basketball town, it will be hard to be in silent phillips over christmas. Anyway, that is my two sense. Pete B. was at the game last night, I guess because it was a home an home. Anyway, I am preaching to the choir of true fans here, but believe me, the crowd did a ton last night tv doesn't do it justice.

[Guest]

We are still soft in the middle....a bruiser would

help us alot.But is it really a suprise???the Hawks

only won 10 road games last year.

[Traceman]

When you are struggling and the other team is making a push on their home floor, a crowd like that makes a huge difference. The Hawks have benefitted from that on occasion when we have had big crowds. The Celtics players gained that extra little bit of energy they needed from the crowd to get that push over the top. I was very disappointed in the loss but I also thought our guys played with a lot of passion. We just didn't execute down the stretch. Boston was just the better team in crunch time last night. I look at it as a painful learning experience and hope the players do too.

How the guys respond tonight will say a lot about our team. If they come out and play with passion, I think we have a good chance to get the win. I know the Celtics will be ready off their emotional win last night but if we come to play, I think we can defend our homecourt.

As for blaming someone for the loss last night, blame Pierce, Walker and Battie. Those guys were phenomenal in crunch time last night. Sure we could have done some things better but when Pierce is making 3's with TIGHT D on him, Walker is making 3's from 3 feet behind the 3 point line and Tony Battie is playing like Olajuwon, the other team deserves a lot of credit. Lon didn't lose the game last night, we lost because the Celtics players made shots when they needed to and we didn't. They didn't execute their offense either during their big run. Pierce and Walker went freelance and we couldn't stop them. Running the offense was almost impossible late in the game because even when guys got to the rim and appeared to get fouled (on both teams), the refs weren't calling anything. The bottom line is that the Celtics stars stepped up and made plays and our guys didn't. Tough game. Great game. Move on. Boston again tonight. Go Hawks!

[Guest]

As for blaming someone for the loss last night, blame Pierce, Walker and Battie. Those guys were phenomenal in crunch time last night. Sure we could have done some things better but when Pierce is making 3's with TIGHT D on him, Walker is making 3's from 3 feet behind the 3 point line and Tony Battie is playing like Olajuwon, the other team deserves a lot of credit. Lon didn't lose the game last night, we lost because the Celtics players made shots when they needed to and we didn't."

Correct,this is why we will lose alot of close games this

year.We just don't have the guys that make those big

shots.You had the feeling their terrible shooting would

not last the whole entire game.

[Gray Mule]

That's all Hawks had to do --- Hit one more foul shot in

regulation = 1 more point. One more point means

Hawks were ahead by that one point at the end of the

game!!

In a VERY close game, which this one qualifies, if there

ever was one that did, hitting ALL of the free throws can

and will make all the difference in the world.

One lousy foul shot --- That's all -- Hit just one more

and Hawks win -- That's how close it was.

I missed seeing the game last night until overrtime.

Friday night is High School football and Jackets won the

second round of state playoffs and I was there. Checked

the box score after the game. All Hawks needed was

one more free throw made and we win -- Dang.

Tonight, Hawks get to do it again. We are at .500 now

and hope to stay near there until December any way.

Hawks will be tired after last night's game, but so will

our opponent. It may come down to who's bench is

better tonight. Hope our bench is ready.

[chillzatl]

We've seen them do it. But everyone on our team was shut down last night and a lot of it WAS NOT on the part of bostons defense. Guys were just missing wide open shots. It was pathetic. We SHOULD have won the game.

But the difference in this game and those 10 road games we lost last year was that we controlled the game. At no point last year did we look as good as we look now. ANd we are only 12 games into the season! We blew it though. This will be a test for the players. They have to learn how to NOT break down like that. You don't just go out and get winners, You create them. We have the players who have shown they will respond to this sort of thing. it's up to them to steup up now and do it.

[Traceman]