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Official Game Thread: Hawks - Nets

lethalweapon3

By lethalweapon3
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lethalweapon3

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Tally-ho!

It’s just about tea time around here, and what better to do on a Thursday afternoon (3:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, YES Network, NBATV; Friday Encore Presentation on SportSouth at 7:30 PM) than to turn on the tellie and watch the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets lace up their trainers and hit the hardwood pitch in London for Super Tank Bowl II?

The NBA’s scheduling bigwigs have taken two of the league’s worst away-game teams among playoff contenders (Hawks 6-13; Nets 5-13) and dispatched them across the pond to face each other for its latest installment of the NBA Global Games at O2 Arena.

We ought to have a decidedly pro-Hawks fanbase there, right? After all, Al Horford spent a good chunk of his summertime planting amicable Hawk-fan seeds up and down the banks of the River Thames. And let’s face it, there’s only one team rocking a Union Jack colour scheme these days, am I right? There’s a natural visual bond there to capitalize upon. These days, even Manchester United dons red home kits and navy blue when they’re away. Meanwhile, the Nets abandoned their decades-long red-white-and-blue for black-and-white, which is a nice colour arrangement if you’re down with barbaric pirates.

So, all things considered, shouldn’t Her Majesty the Queen and her subjects be solidly in Atlanta’s corner?

Okay, maybe not. There are likely plenty more Brits feeling some sort of a Brooklyn connection. Their forefathers did spend an awful lot of time seizing the borough from the Dutch 350 years ago, and had their run of the place themselves for another century after that. On top of that, there will be a few too many people pining for Celtic days of yore, what with Paul McPierce and Kevin O’Garnett suiting up on the other side. And you simply can’t conjure up any more British-sounding names than Joe Johnson, can you? Joe reportedly planted a little more than mere camaraderie at Chinawhite nightclub on Monday, popping the corks off of 10K worth of bubbly to share with the commoners.

Either way, this is a great opportunity for the Hawks (20-18) to expand their trans-Atlantic fanbase, but that’s likely to happen only by emerging victorious today over the Nets (15-22).

Despite a slow start and a disappointing shortfall in Memphis on Sunday, our Hawks awaken, somehow, back in 3rd place in the wretched Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, their opponents found themselves back in the 8th spot despite dropping to 1-1 outside the country, a loss in Toronto on Saturday halting their five-game winning streak. Atlanta fans already know how much it behooves the Hawks to shove Jason Kidd’s charges back down into the figgy pudding that represents the bottom half of the conference standings.

Congratulations to DeMarre Carroll! As JYD and his fiancée joyously bring their very first Junkyard Puppy into the world back here in The States, the Hawks will have to make-do without their defensive stalwart. Carroll’s paternity could give birth to a minutes bonanza for newcomer James Nunnally, fresh from wowing scouts at the D-League Showcase and dressed to impress against a set of ex-All-Stars at the wing spots in Pierce (17.6 PPG in his last five road games), Kirilenko and Johnson (23 points and 9-for-17 on two-pointers vs. Atlanta; no more than 12 points in his last five games outside of Barclays Center).

Even with the D-and-3-oriented Nunnally in tow, Carroll’s absence will likely result in a higher scoring affair than the 91-86 sluggish-fest in Brooklyn ten days ago, when the Hawks could only muster a season-low 27 baskets and shot just 38.6 FG%. The similarly-shorthanded Nets weren’t much better (41.3 FG%; 29.6 3FG%) but exploited an 18-12 turnover advantage.

Brooklyn was led at point guard by the lanky Shaun Livingston (6-for-11 shooting and 3 steals vs. Atlanta), pressed into the starting lineup after Deron Williams’ latest ankle injury. They also got a late boost from Mirza Teletovic (16 points, 4-for-9 on threes) to close the Hawks out, despite virtually no significant contributions from ex-Celts Pierce, Garnett, and Jason Terry (combined 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting from the field).

Paul Millsap may be starting to thaw out of a shooting slump (32.6 FG% in January) after connecting on 7 of 14 shots and getting to the free throw line eight times during that 108-101 defeat in Memphis.

Despite his offensive struggles this month, today’s game provides a unique opportunity to showcase Millsap’s All-Star mettle. While he’ll be aiming for just his second three-game string of 20+ points this season (December 23-28), he has taken up a more vital role in Head Coach Mike Budenholzer’s ball movement lately. Millsap has five or more assists in each of the last four games, a tally he reached in just three of his prior 33 appearances.

In Carroll’s absence, Millsap will likely shift to small forward duties during the game, particularly whenever Coach Kidd goes with a big lineup. He is likely to see a lot of Kirilenko, who has been a thorn in the side of opposing offenses (just ask LeBron James) since returning from injury a couple weeks ago.

At the forward spots, there should be ample opportunities for the Hawks to deploy Mike “Ro Wave” Scott, who continues his reign of terror on opposing defenses off the bench (14.7 PPG, 56.3 FG% last three games). His 28 minutes against the Grizzlies (15 points, 3-for-8 on threes) were a season-high.

Scott should help out more in the paint and cede some of that long-range shooting to Kyle Korver, who was hounded on Sunday by a feisty Grizzlies defense and could only get off two three-point shots over the course of 34 minutes. After shooting 8-for-14 behind the three-point line in the last three games, Korver will look to untangle himself from Nets after going just 1-for-3 on treys in their last meeting.

Kyle will also try to keep another streak going on the other end of the floor. He has had at least one steal in 11 straight contests, tying a career-high string from last season (January-February 2013).

Lou Williams will be relied upon for some veteran leadership, starting today at the 2-guard slot despite going Bagel-for-6 (4 points, all free throws) in Memphis. In his three starts this season, Lou is shooting 39.4 FG% (compared to 36.3% as a reserve) and has averaged 13.3 PPG, including 18 against the Magic back on December 29.

Largely stuck in neutral shift since his buzzer-beater in Cleveland, if not in reverse (37.5 FG% 13.8 3FG%, 14.7 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.2 TO/G in January), Jeff Teague managed some late buckets in Memphis for his first 20+-point game since December 29. He was rendered futile in Brooklyn, piling up a season-high seven turnovers while shooting just 5-for-15 from the floor and bewildered by Livingston.

Teague must forgo the hesitancy he displays when he’s open for jumpers. And if he continues struggling to get around Livingston for baskets, Net defenders will be able to continue keying in on the Hawks’ more reliable offensive threats. It will be beneficial for Euro-rook Dennis Schröder to see the floor and get a chance to make some positive contributions today. Terry may make for a nice matchup for the Menace, who has yet to play in 2014.

Schröder’s fellow Euro-rook Pero Antić has been resting up after a brief bout with back spasms kept him out of Sunday’s action. He and Elton Brand will be needed to help the Hawks build up a rebounding advantage against Kevin Garnett, who bluntly expresses he’d rather be anywhere but at the center spot, and Reggie Evans. The Hawks cannot allow the Pensacola Pest to impact the game with offensive rebounding and turnover creation via drawing fouls. Meanwhile, if KG starts acting like a stroppy old sod with his antics around Antić, Pero should do as the Brits do, keeping a stiff upper lip and telling that bloke to go put a sock in it.

KEEP CALM. AND GO HAWKS!

~lw3

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Edited by lethalweapon3
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