Official Game Thread: Hawks at Grizzlies

[lethalweapon3]

Says here, I get to bail out my new Coach with at least 10 game-winning shots per season? Deal!

 

You’re down to your last five dollar bill. And you’ve decided, however unwise, to spend it as you see fit.

You manage to dip into Baskin-Robbins right before closing time, and you turn in your five bucks for the last big scoop of the night, in a cone, featuring your favorite flavor.

Unfortunately, in your glee, in your haste, you forgot to properly tie your shoe on the way there. On the way out the door, before you take your first lick, one shoe trips on a dangling lace from the other.

Splat. And that’s just the sound your body makes. Fare thee well, Rocky Road.

The cone, however, remains reasonably intact. Dusting yourself off, you realize The Five Second Rule still has a split-second remaining.

Reaching back toward the pavement, you dare to go for it. Back on the cone, just in time!

The ice cream is as sweet, soft, and cool, as you imagined, with just a few earthy notes. Not only that, the pile of ants you thought your dessert landed on? Those were just somebody else’s loose chocolate sprinkles. Bonus! It would be wise to just stand there and enjoy your treat, though, since you have yet to remember to tie your shoe.

That was last night’s Atlanta Hawks Experience, a familiar one at that. We fans have no idea whether we’re in store for another “Hawks Win… but D@mn!” result tonight, in Memphis versus the red-hot Grizzlies (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL and MEM; NBATV everywhere else). But we’ll take “more points than the other team at the final horn” over “style points” right now, at least until key players get healthier.

Not exactly loaded for bear, Atlanta (14-13… First Place in the Dirty South Division! Na-na-nah-boo-boo!) will have to pull off the road win without last night’s leading scorer. Bogi Bogdanovic was all over the court, albeit sometimes not in the best way, for 36 wild minutes, as Atlanta needed all 28 of his points just for the chance to edge Chicago by a 123-122 score.

He’ll get injury-managed by Nate McMillan after being left on the court just long enough to foul a three-point shooter with the game on the line in OT, the Hawks coach perhaps intending to keep De’Andre Hunter a few seconds fresher for today’s action.

Last night’s final heroes, rookie AJ Griffin (2-for-11 3FGs but 5-for-6 2FGs vs. CHI) and Jalen Johnson (1 point, 1 assist in 15 bench minutes, but what an assist, eh?), will be needed to contribute on offense in more customary ways while Trae Young (2-for-8 3FGs, 14 assists but 6 TOs) continues searching for an offensive groove. Contributing, at both ends, thankfully wasn’t a problem for Hunter in his first full return from a strained hip (7-for-13 FGs in 26 minutes).

Memphis is on a roll (17-9, 11-2 at FedEx Forum), winners of five straight and just a game behind their Mid-South rivals in New Orleans. Much like Brooklyn when the Hawks visited last week, the schedule gods have been kind to coach Taylor Jenkins’ club. Amid a five-game home stretch, the Griz had two off-days after outlasting Detroit 114-103 on Friday. They’ll have a pair of days off before Jenkins’ old boss, Coach Bud, and the Bucks traipse onto Beale Street on Thursday.

Memphis might already be looking down on everyone in the NBA West if they could make their free throws with even average proficiency (NBA-low 69.8 FT%, no one else is below 70). Hack-a-Kiwi may not be an option, as Steven Adams (29.2 FT%!!! Even Clint be like, “Whoa.”) is nursing a sore ankle from the Pistons game. But while Brandon Clarke (69.5 FT%) and Santi Aldama fare far better at the charity stripe, as is leading scorer Ja Morant (74.2 FT%), that’s damning with faint praise. Their best shooter from there and nearly everywhere, Desmond Bane has been out with a sprained toe.

Atlanta can keep Memphis’ scoring tally suppressed tonight if defenders are judicious with their fouling, ensuring any trips the Grizzlies get to the line are of the two-shot, not and-one and definitely nor three-shot, variety.

The Griz (NBA-high 56.4 paint points per-48; +15.2 paint PPG this month; 33.3 O-Reb%, 2^nd in NBA) do know they can be terrible at the line, and that Morant’s flying feats of fancy don’t always lead to shots that draw cotton, or iron (44.9 FG% on drives, behind just Terry Rozier’s 44.1 among the league’s top 9 drivers), so they crash the boards at every second-shot opportunity.

Hunter, Johnson and Griffin must aid Clint Capela (questionable, sore Achilles) and Onyeka Okongwu in securing the rebounds and igniting the breaks, with the caveat of ensuring they stay tethered to Jaren Jackson, Jr., John Konchar and Aldama whenever the Grizzly bigs stray out to the perimeter.

Aaron Holiday and two-way Trent Forrest will have the tasks of helping Trae Young (questionable, tight back), if he plays, and the Hawks keep Morant (questionable, sore thigh) and Dillon Brooks from dribble-drive penetrations, and ensuring Atlanta, not Memphis, dictates the hustle and flow of the game.

If all goes well, the Hawks and Grizzlies could offer up a fundamentally sound and entertaining contest that all viewers can enjoy. Failing that, well, we could be in for another Atlanta special with shooting as cold as the stone at the creamery. Win or lose, pretty please, with a cherry on top, no more last-minute meltdowns this week!

Hawks fandom involves a lot of learning how to enjoy the Rocky Road. You just take your licks however you can get ‘em. It gets better after the brain freeze.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Not at all from State Farm Arena, rookie Jake LaRavia (sore foot) is listed as Questionable on the 5:30 PM Boo-Boo Report, along with Morant and Adams.

Bogi of course is on the shelf for today, along with JC and DJM. Trae and Clint remain Questionable

 

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

12 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Rocky Road.

How’d you know my flavor       
 

13 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

with just a few earthy notes.

That’s nugmeg  

 

13 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Those were just somebody else’s loose chocolate sprinkles.

GOOD LAWT LETHAL!!!  

 

16 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Memphis might already be looking down on everyone in the NBA West if they could make their free throws with even average proficiency (NBA-low 69.8 FT%, no one else is below 70). Hack-a-

Grizz tonight!

 

17 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Ja Morant (74.2 FT%)

Those aren’t superstar guard FT%’s just sayin…

 

17 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

behind just Terry Rozier’s 44.1 among the league’s top 9 drivers)

That’s scary  

 

18 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

pretty please, with a cherry on top,

 

19 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Hawks fandom involves a lot of learning how to enjoy the Rocky Road. You just take your licks however you can get ‘em.

Thanks I’ll try and remember that. After reading folks crazy responses today, I think I’m gonna just stick with vanilla (F the rocky road). Aka OUT WITH THE NUTS !

Thanks @lethalweapon3 you’re freakin really good.

Vegas has Grizz -10

Not surprised after the back to back on the road after overtime and missing half our roster. Makes sense.

Defy the odds..

GO HAWKS!!!!!

 

ps @lethalweapon3 I got some stuck in my teeth from the rocky road. And it was mad salty if you get my drift. Spud, breathe… calm down, everytinnnnng is ok mayne! Whew  

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Not at all from State Farm Arena, rookie Jake LaRavia (sore foot) is listed as Questionable on the 5:30 PM Boo-Boo Report, along with Morant and Adams.

Bogi of course is on the shelf for today, along with JC and DJM. Trae and Clint remain Questionable

 

~lw3

Thanks. Can you tell me why we traded Contreras? Murphy is good no doubt as an A but I was thinking Contreras was our next big time catcher. I’m confused. 
 

Go Hawks!

[lethalweapon3]

1 minute ago, Spud2nique said:

Thanks. Can you tell me why we traded Contreras? Murphy is good no doubt as an A but I was thinking Contreras was our next big time catcher. I’m confused. 
 

Go Hawks!

I'd say the brothers (Willson's now in STL) were simply eager to pair up in the NL Central, but that's just me being Contrerian.

~lw3

[Diesel]

Caption this...

 

Me:  Man, Check out that office.  Some midcentury modern furniture.   Real Cedar wood and cedar wood cabinets...  But damn, what's up with this cheap table that AJ's sitting at. 

It's like Getting the best Kobe Steak, butter poached lobster fresh from Maine.. and then somebody handing you a lukewarm PBR.  In the can.  WTF is this???

 

 

[Alf]

7 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Thanks. Can you tell me why we traded Contreras? Murphy is good no doubt as an A but I was thinking Contreras was our next big time catcher. I’m confused. 
 

Go Hawks!

Had to trade him to sweeten up the deal for Murphy and I don't think Snitker was as high on Contreras as some people think. I like the deal.

And yes Go Hawks! I have a huge dislike for Memphis lol, hopefully we get it done tonight.

[lethalweapon3]

Whoever posts these updates for Emory Healthcare, thank you, and please continue to keep your private thoughts private.

~ick

[Diesel]

Sheez...  Looks like the hawks will be starting Forrest, OO, JJ, AJ, and AHoli.

Damn we are short handed. 

Travis will get some run.

 

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Travis will get some run.

Schlenk?  I hope he can shoot three pointers!

[lethalweapon3]

Introducing the newest pregame designation: Improbable.

~lw3

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Might be a scheduled rest game tonight, similar to what the Nets did the other night.

If Trae and Clint are a go, but they're obviously not 100%, shut em down early if we get down by 15+ points.

[Spud2nique]

16 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Introducing the newest pregame designation: Improbable.

~lw3

All these injuries make this 2K game almost… dare I say… unrealistic  

 

Hawks by 10. Trae>Ja

 

Having said that, @lethalweapon3 what’s 107-53? (Trae scored 53)… oh boooyyyy.

@LongTimeFan this one.. well… let’s just say might not be super accurate then again who knows? 

[Spud2nique]

6 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Might be a scheduled rest game tonight, similar to what the Nets did the other night.

If Trae and Clint are a go, but they're obviously not 100%, shut em down early if we get down by 15+ points.

This might be a game I watch later tonight like midnight  

[marco102]

 

[Spud2nique]

Just now, marco102 said:

 

Trent  

[Spud2nique]

Wrong!!! The most dominant player in the paint is 6’1” … @kg01 wtf dummy media. Doesn’t Trae score the most points in the paint?  

[kg01]

3 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Wrong!!! The most dominant player in the paint is 6’1” … @kg01 wtf dummy media. Doesn’t Trae score the most points in the paint?  

When the refs give you 7 steps without dribbling and allow you to go up-and-down with no travel calls, you'd be a force in the paint too.

Fake baller = Ja Morant 

[Dnice]

^Probably not this season ,

[terrell]