Official Game Thread: Hawks at Hornets

[lethalweapon3]

“Who I Play For?”

 

Make yourselves at home, Atlanta! The Hawks’ home-friendly turn in the schedule includes a quick dip up I-85, where the Charlotte Hornets have been waiting (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast, 92.9 FM in ATL). The Bugs have lost seven-straight, swatted by double-digits in the past three. They haven’t prevailed away from Spectrum Center since treating a sidelined LaMelo Ball to a 122-118 win in Atlanta back on January 21.

The Hornets still get a jump on teams early on. But like their Wemby Bowl rivals San Antonio, they don’t have enough to hang around for 48 minutes unless fundamentally unsound opponents allow them to do so. They have a little bit less now.

The Trade Deadline saw Charlotte ditch starting center Mason Plumlee (25-and-11 @ ATL last month) to the Clips for cash and the honor of stretching-and-waiving Reggie Jackson. GM Mitch Kupchak also got a hand in the Cam Reddish multi-team deal, sending one of the McDaniels to Philly and recouping the Knicks’ Svi Mykhailiuk, while replenishing the Hornets’ trove of future second-rounders.

Gordon Hayward had 13 first-quarter points, Ball nine first-half assists, and the Hornets staked out an impressive 29-14 lead before the home crowd on Saturday. They were looking pretty, until Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets handed them a mirror. Charlotte was up by three at the half, then down 20 in the fourth before bowing out with a more graceful 119-105 deficit.

They also ran out of gas because they were in Boston the evening before. If the Hawks needed more reason to be peeved, The Powers That Be took last week’s game at Zion’s House off of national TV, but also decided to just roll with the Hornets on the road playing the Celtics on a Friday night because… Scary Terry (34 points @ ATL last month) and Gordon Hayward’s homecomings, I suppose? The teal just pops better on the parquet floor, perhaps?

Charlotte held serve for much of the first quarter before the Celts turned on the afterburners, the hosts up by 20 in the second quarter, 28 in the third before easing off the gas. Two nights before, the scene was similar in D.C.: Hornets up nine midway through the second stanza, then down 23 to the Wiz by the midpoint of the fourth.

Friday’s matchups with Robert Williams and Mike Muscala represented a first career start for Mark Williams, who finished with a light double-double (12 rebounds, incl. 5 offensive, 11 points) before running into the Jokic triple-double buzzsaw back home. The test runs for Mark Williams, to a lesser extent Nick Richards (9-for-9 FGs vs. ATL in October; bench double-doubles in October and December; DNP @ ATL last month) and the bigs in Detroit and South Texas, are to assess how well these frontcourt players might fare alongside a future arrival from France.

Detroit’s interest in kicking the tires on James Wiseman was the impetus for Atlanta (eventually) getting Saddiq Bey in the fold. Whether he can help the Hawks tonight is anyone’s guess, particularly with John Collins and Bogi Bogdanovic sharing questionable pregame statuses due to sore hips. But it would be ideal to have Bey get some reps at a point where a favorable outcome for Atlanta isn’t hanging in the balance.

As is the case for the Hawks, this is nearly an extended homestand for coach Steve Clifford’s charges, too. Following up on visits by Denver and Atlanta, he Spurs stop by here on Wednesday. After the All-Star Break, Charlotte visits that other McDaniels in Minnesota before a four-game homestand kicks off the following day, keeping the Hornets in Uptown through the start of next month.

Atlanta blew both of their home meetings versus Charlotte, yet they did make quick work of the host Hornets without any of John Collins, Dejounte Murray or Clint Capela back on December 16. Bogdanovic picked up the rebounding slack to go along with a banner day shooting the rock (28 points, 7-for-10 3FGs, team-high 9 D-Rebs) to aid Atlanta’s 125-106 buzzkill.

Ball shot his namesake well from outside (7-for-13 3FGs, 27 points) but was still upstaged by Trae Young (31 points, 13-for-14 FTs, 9 assists @ CHA; probable for today despite a sore shoulder), who has a shot at being named an All-Star reserve if Jaylen Brown decides to stay home and heal his face.

This upcoming slate for the Hornets is a prime opportunity to build on the league’s lowest tally of home wins (7-18 at home, 8-25 away). It is incumbent upon the Hawks (28-27) to ensure the Hornets don’t get settled into their home digs too early. In what is a rare and brief road trip for the remainder of this month, Atlanta has to perform as if they know there’s no place like Charlotte.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[GameTime]

 

 

[lethalweapon3]

Trae is available. Let's see if we can get big games from Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin in their return to the Carolinas.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Cliffy said, "Who does he think he is... Saddiq Bey?"

On the Hornets side of the injury ledger, Kelly Oubre remains out due to hand surgery and Cody Martin due to a sore knee. Up front, Kai Jones remains a no-go due to a sprained ankle. Bouknight and Maledon are G-Leaguing it with Greensboro.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Well, okay! Dive right in, then!

~lw3

[terrell]

3 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Well, okay! Dive right in, then!

~lw3

Hope he balls out...

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[hawkman]

Trap game. But at this point, it shouldn't be. The Hawks should know by now that the Hornets will embarrass them if they let them hang around. There's no excuse to come out unprepared or lethargic tonight.

[hawkman]

15 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Well, okay! Dive right in, then!

~lw3

I'd prefer Jalen Johnson as the starting 4 to be honest.

[Dnice]

Oh oh, here comes the big bad Hornets.  I hope they can shake their nemesis tonight. 

[Guest]

I wonder if JJ is irritated or if Nate spoke with him about giving Bey a first-time chance and doing it with the starters.  

[terrell]

Just now, hawkman said:

I'd prefer Jalen Johnson at the starting 4 to be honest.

Why? All the 4 does is stand in the corner most of the time.. Just hit your 3's Saddiq.. lol

[Spud2nique]

41 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

The Trade Deadline saw Charlotte ditch starting center Mason Plumlee (25-and-11 @ ATL last month) to the Clips for cash and the honor of stretching-and-waiving Reggie Jackson.

Whoa I missed that! Clipps get stronger!

 

42 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Mark Williams,

Legit big as @Gray Mule has said, GM is good at picking out really good prospects indeed he’s one. 

 

43 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Saddiq Bey

Fan fav soon..

 

Thanks @lethalweapon3short but sweet!

Vegas has Hawks -5.5 2K by 11!

Enjoy the game all! 
 

GO HAWKS!!!!

ps THE TIP NOWWWWW!!!!

[JayBirdHawk]

Yeah....another slow start! 

[JayBirdHawk]

Can we play some defense?

[JayBirdHawk]

Capela has 8 of our 10 points, 

[JayBirdHawk]

10 points in almost 6 minutes, 

[terrell]

We got bad Dre tonight. Every 4th or 5th game it seems he’s pretty good....

[TheNorthCydeRises]

So Collins is out, and Bruno isn't dressed.

And we're playing a small lineup against a team that has some size.

 

No wonder why the defense looks like ass right now.  They're getting anything they want.

[h4wkfan]

The trae - dj - bogi pairing rarely works. Stop it Nate. Let AJ (move Dre to the 4) or JJ get more time if anything