Official Game Thread: Hawks at 76ers (Freaky Friday)

[lethalweapon3]

“Psst… Benny! Sweep The Leg. Do you have a problem with that?”

 

Friday Tidbits!

A team getting healthy just in time to make some noise in the Eastern Conference Playoffs? That’s what head coach Doc Rivers has with his Philadelphia 76ers. They’re seeking to solidify their Top-2 finish, and mathematically ensure first-round homecourt, with the aid of another home victory today versus our hobbled Atlanta Hawks (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Philly).

MVP finalist Joel Embiid has either missed or was DNP’d for 19 of 62 games, Seth Curry 13, Ben Simmons 12, Tobias Harris 9. Yet all appeared in the starting lineup as Philadelphia (41-21) waxed, on and off, the Hawks in Wednesday’s 127-83 win at Wells Fargo Center. Even former Hawk Mike Scott, having been shelved for 20 games so far, dragged his giddy-up on a bum hip through nine cleanup minutes on Rivers’ behalf. While the outcome was deflating for Atlanta, the Sixers’ collective coming together ought to be aspirational for the Hawks, as the race for final playoff seeding enters the final half-month.

Now that he has his infinity gems and a roster bearing the best in-conference record (26-9 entering today; Bulls, Pistons, Pacers, and the Magic twice in games next month) at full health, Coach Doc (91-89 career playoff record) can now center his attention on chasing Brooklyn (1.5 games ahead) for the top-seed. After that, he will be able to spend this year’s postseason chasing after Hall of Famers Jerry Sloan (98-104), Red Auerbach (99-69), and Larry Brown (100-93). A halfway-successful conference finals appearance would perch Rivers at 4^th all-time for playoff victories, comfortably behind third-ranked Gregg Popovich (170-114).

Like most Atlanta sports fans, I rarely get what I want (I’m told a few football fans around the ATL could use a hug today). But if I could get greedy, I’d love to have the Hawks (34-29, 16-18 in away games) finish at .500 on the road for the first time since the 2015-16 club went 21-20 (should’ve been 22-19, winners of the Southeast Division, and a 3-seed with a season-finale win over Ramon Sessions in Washington that year. But, again, I rarely get what I want).

At minimum, this would necessitate Trae Young (questionable, sprained ankle), Bogdan Bogdanovic (questionable, sore hammy), and Clint Capela (newly questionable, heel pain), all gametime decisions as per coach Nate McMillan, to be healthy and functional this evening, because the outmatched Brandon Goodwin and Solomon Hill, as top-line starters against the Sixers, does not a .500 road team make. The scarcity of backcourt perimeter shooting threats made Wednesday’s outcome, a season-low in scoring eclipsing Monday’s season-low in Motown, inevitable.

Silver lining, frankly, is that game wasn’t even the worst beatdown of the night in the NBA (“Good night, Luke Walton!”) or even the second-worst performance by a local sports team this week. I present, for your consideration, the Five Stripes crashing at the Benz in the second half on Tuesday. And let’s not do 7-inning double-headers around here anytime soon, shall we?

The Hawks shouldn’t look down, but what they can lock down, beginning tomorrow with the Zach LaVine-less Bulls in town coming off today’s home game against Milwaukee, is a .500 overall record. Breaking-even, or so much as a game above it, will do wonders for the Hawks (tie-breakers over BOS and MIA, each 1.0 game behind ATL) securing a Top-6 seed and ducking the Play-In scenarios. That will require rotation guys like Tony Snell (upgraded to probable, sprained ankle), Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari (combined 3-for-13 2FGs, 0-for-3 3FGs on Wednesday) to get back to steadier roles on the floor, capably supplementing the starters.

As I often suggest, this team is in no position to look ahead, but that doesn’t mean we fans can’t. Many teams, notably the Knicks, Celts and heat, have to spend a chunk of their remaining schedule on the road, but our Hawks need to fly the coop only once more after today. Even that away game, next Thursday, will be at coach McMillan’s old stomping grounds. In Indianapolis, last night’s loss to the Kyrie-less and Harden-less (but clearly not KD-less) Nets dropped Nate Bjorkgren’s club to 11-19 in their own building. The Pacers may not even strive to be a 9-seed at Play-In time.

So, for the Hawks to get to 37-35… tomorrow versus Chicago, next week at Indy, the week after, back home, versus Orlando, and a few days later, Houston in Game #72. Win three of just those four, and it’s a winning season, on lock, that sure wasn’t looking like one when the 15-20 Hawks were down 16 with four minutes to play in Orlando on March 3. Win all four, and it would take a perfect run by the Washington Triple-Double Team to catch up with Atlanta.

The challenge for the Hawks is that they’ll need four Ws in their pocket well before the Magicians and Rockettes kick into town. Six wins keeps the Hornets out of reach, makes New York have to go 5-4 to ensure homecourt, and puts pressure on the heat and Celts to be way better than they’ve been.

With that in mind, it’s imperative that by this time next week, we (especially the coaching staff) have clarity on the healthy and productive returns of De’Andre Hunter (sore knee; we do love drafting Philly kids around here, don’t we?) and this season’s former ironman, Kevin Huerter (day-to-day as per AJC’s Sarah K. Spencer, sprained shoulder). “A guy like De’Andre, you have to work him in slowly,” McMillan told Andy and Randy on 92.9 FM’s mid-day show this afternoon. The upcoming slate of tough but home-friendly games is a good time to do just that.

What we can’t afford to hear, by next week, are bromides of how well unavailable Hawk players are faring on training tables and at shootarounds. At season’s end, we also can’t bear to witness a slew of rusty players who haven’t competed together as a recent collective, playing for their Please-No-Play-In lives, against a random Booby Trapper on our floor trying to go out with a sixty-piece.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[kg01]

Me watching this game, in full?   Questionable

Me watching a little Peppa tonite? Probable

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[marco102]

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Dnice]

Somewhat of a praise report. 

[RedDawg#8]

1 minute ago, marco102 said:

 

Beat me to it.

 

 I started to get excited for a second. We will miss Bogi. It's good to get Trae and Snell back, but if they are rusty or on a minutes restriction it may not be enough to make a difference.

Hoping for more good news tomorrow maybe. 

[marco102]

1 minute ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Beat me to it.

 

 I started to get excited for a second. We will miss Bogi. It's good to get Trae and Snell back, but if they are rusty or on a minutes restriction it may not be enough to make a difference.

Hoping for more good news tomorrow maybe. 

Bogi will probably play tomorrow against Chi.  I'm way more ready for Hunter to return though.

[hawkman]

At least this game should be watchable compared to the last game. Still not that optimistic since the team is still down a few key players. 

[marco102]

 

[marco102]

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[hawkman]

This is a different team with Trae at the helm.

[marco102]

Good start so far.

[JayBirdHawk]

2 minutes ago, hawkman said:

This is a different team with Trae at the helm.

We know what Trae can do offensively, but it's what teams are forced to do defensively  against Trae that also frees up other guys.

[hawkman]

Get Bruno in there Nate. Even if it's just to soak up some fouls and offer a more physical presence on defense.

Good defense Okongwu!

[JayBirdHawk]

Snell picked up right where he left off from 3.

[JayBirdHawk]

Finally got to 25 points in a quarter after not doing so in the last 2 games.