"Official" Game Thread: Hawks - Nets

[lethalweapon3]

“Relax, ATL! I got this!”

 

Another BSOD computer day for yours truly, plus I’m on the road, so no overwrought dissertations ahead of tonight’s titanic battle between our Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 PM SportSouth, YES Network).

 

• Billy King’s Last Stand? After going 2-7 to sink themselves deep into the Lottery, the Nets (35-40) have gone 10-2 since March 14, including six straight after topping Toronto at home 114-109 last night.
• Setbacks with injuries to Euros Mirza Teletovic and Sergey Karasev, the trade of vet leader Kevin Garnett for Thaddeus Young, and the stunted development of Mason Plumlee all combined with the season-long trolling of Brook Lopez and Deron Williams by head coach Lionel Hollins to have the NBA’s highest-salaried team trending out of playoff contention by St. Patty’s Day.
• Atlanta’s march to Lottery Glory started getting bogged down by rookie Bojan Bogdanovic, who often was the only Net shooting well from the field.
• In the past two weeks: Lopez (reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week) and Williams have played like uncaged tigers; Young has found his bearings as their second-leading scorer and rebounder, guard Markel Brown has risen as a source for defensive stops, and Joe Johnson has reclaimed his “Joe Jesus” role in the fourth quarters of close contests.
• B-Lo: “I feel like I have an extra bounce out there. I’m comfortable and I’m feeling in-shape, like I’m completely myself out there.” 23.4 PPG and 9.5 RPG in last 20 days.
• D-Will: 7.8 APG and just 1.9 TOs/game since in last 20 days. Brooklyn’s assist/turnover ratio (2.05) in that time has been behind only Golden State’s (2.19).
• Jarrett Jack remains a gremlin for Brooklyn’s playoff hopes. 37.6 FG% since March 14 when he forgets to pass the ball (4.3 APG, 1.8 TOs/game). The Hawks ought to find ways to get D-Will in foul trouble and seal off passes to entice Jarrett to Jack up shots. Keep Jack off the line as well (second leading FT shooter in last 20 days, 88.1 FT%).
• Brooklyn’s the seven-seed in the catbird seat in the race for the final two playoff spots.
• Good news? Miami (8^th-seed), Charlotte, Indiana, and Boston are still somehow within three games back with seven left to play.
• Better news? Utah and New Orleans are still playing well (c’mon Phoenix!). So if the Nets get submerged quickly, they could find themselves right back at the #9 or #10 lotto spot.
• The Snow Gods might be Hawks fans! The winter storm that canceled a Nets-Trail Blazers game forced a rescheduling that was right in between tonight’s game and the rematch in Brooklyn. Without that, the Nets would have had three days off before meeting the Hawks again at home.
• Will Mike Muscala continue to get minutes in place of Pero Antić (0-for-7 FGs, and one rebound in 17 minutes for Pero last Tuesday)? Just 2-for-9 shooting for Moose but a career-high 13 rebounds (6 offensive) during the Hawks’ loss in Detroit on Tuesday. His ability to be a defensive presence will encourage Coach Bud to eat more into Antić’s floor time.
• There should be opportunities for second-chance points by Millsap and Muscala against a Nets team that is as bad as the Hawks at defensive rebounding (72.9 D-Reb% for Nets since March 14, 6^th-worst in NBA; 73.0% for Hawks) and whose starters don’t run the floor nearly as well.
• No Dennis Schröder again today, so Shelvin Mack will have critical minutes backing up Jeff Teague. The bench played wonderfully for three quarters in Detroit but could not sustain it in the final quarter as the Pistons rolled off 13 straight points. Mack will need to do a better job of setting up teammates late in the game and pave the way for Teague Time, which hopefully won’t be needed to counter Joe in the fourth.
• Atlanta’s defense over the last three weeks has been abysmal (47.4 opponent FG%, 6^th-highest in NBA). The defense from Hawk starters was pretty bad in the first half in Motown (Pistons started out 10-for-11 FGs, before Budenholzer subbed them all out), and stronger rotations will be needed to quash dribble penetration from Joe and the Nets’ backcourt.
• Al Horford and Paul Millsap must body up on Young and Lopez and keep them from running a clinic on the low block. Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll must continue to help with the defensive rebounding.
• Don’t give Joe the satisfaction of coming back to Atlanta as an 8-seed with momentum!

 

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

 

~lw3

[hawkman]

Great thread as usual. Hopefully, we beat them so bad it counts as 2 losses.

Edited April 4, 2015 by hawkman

[Dnice]

It's gameday? Sooo...what's. been going on? Lol.

[TheTruth]

We better stomp these dudes into the ground. I hope we take their souls!

[LamarHampton]

At the game. Man, this place is hoppin!!!

And it seems like most everybody got here on time! Wow!

Edited April 5, 2015 by LamarHampton

[TheTruth]

We are beating these dudes like they stole something...our lottery pick chances if the Nets somehow make the playoffs that is!

[BackForThe2ndTime]

Hope Milsap is fine. Goodness gracious though. What got into Horford? He put the entire Nets frontcourt on a poster.

[Dnice]

Hope Cameron doesn't get hoarse....for threeee

[Guest]

This crew is having a tough night-Rathbun

Lol

[JETSET]

Just got a bleacher report update that is saying millsap will be out for a while. What happened? Im not watching the game.

[Dnice]

Some net collided with pauls shoulder.

[Guest]

Jj and the nets need to pick up their dicks on the way out

[Guest]

Just got a bleacher report update that is saying millsap will be out for a while. What happened? Im not watching the game.

He got bumped by journeyman Earl Clark...kind of a direct hit to the shoulder...it's tough to tell how hard the hit was

[TheTruth]

There are no words for how beautiful this destruction, this deluge, this dehumanizing decimation the Hawks are putting to the Nets tonight.

[Dakin]

What a win. Scott is back, Thabo looks great and while it's unfortunate Sap got banged up, at least that means the MOOSE is LOOSE! Love that dude's energy.

[Dnice]

A best of from sir foster to get us thru garbage time.

[ATLHawks3]

Hope Millsap is alright. 

[Carmine]

You want the job done, gotta do it yourself.

[capstone21]

Statement game ... This is more like the January Hawks ...

[Spursfanpeacemaker]

Definitely look like hawks from January!!! Sharing the ball, executing, active defense and playing for each other. Great team win! It was fun watching them moving the ball and racking up the assist.