Official Game Thread: Nets at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Get me Prunty’s number… Pronto!”

 

NE-YO got all spiffied up to be the halftime entertainment as the Atlanta Hawks face… Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets (3 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, YES Network in BK)? He’s gotta be So Sick.

Tidbittery!

My mathematics ain’t mathin’, but is this that transitive-property logic we sports fans crave?

Along the way to a 136-119 victory on Friday night, armed with their new-coach smell, the Hawks (30-30) lathered up a 15-to-30-ish-point cushion at home versus the usually defensively-stout 4-seed Cavaliers, who were caught lead-legged on the back side of a home-road SEGABABA.

That same evening, the Nets were in Chicago, scored 29 points in the opening half, fell behind by 50 in the fourth quarter, and succumbed by a 131-87 margin to the 11-seed Bulls. For Brooklyn (34-25), it was their third-straight double-digit defeat on the road this month (18-point loss @ NYK, 43-point loss @ BOS). This afternoon, on a short turnaround in Atlanta for the Nets, dare I defy Atlanta Sports history by stating, “Ergo…”?

Forget All-Stars, the Nets didn’t even have a Rising Star traveling to SLC last weekend, and the sole NYC representative for the three-point contest was not Seth Curry but Julius Randle, so rest can’t be the issue. But maybe it’s rust. Whatever the case, after dropping a pair of December games against the Nets, Atlanta could use wins today and at the end of next month to negate the chance some tiebreaker scenario comes into play at season’s end.

I can’t tell coach Jacque Vaughn what to do, to keep his team out of the Hawks’ Play-In/Play-Out territory. But stashing both of Joe Harris and Seth Curry on the bench feels duplicative. Understanding the need to make the player haul for the Kyrie deal look impressive, I’d be tempted to uncouple the ex-Mavs Spencer Dinwiddie (36.2 FG% in 5 games w/ BRK) and Dorian Finney-Smith (30.3 FG% in 5 games w/ BRK) currently in the starting lineup.

Harris and Curry wouldn’t do much to aid Nicolas Claxton (7.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG in last four games, 16.3 and 11.4 respectively in prior 15 games) on the glass. Neither will The Human AWOL, Ben Simmons, who sits nursing his sore knee. Brooklyn’s 19.1 O-Reb% and 44.5 Reb% on the road since January 1 are bottom-basement.

They’re not much better with boarding back in the borough. But so long as they had guys, be they All-Stars or Cam Thomas (team-high 22 points @ CHI, off the bench), hitting shots accurately, and Claxton swatting shots, their rebounding problems at both ends were masked. With or without John Collins (questionable, tight back), Atlanta’s frontcourt should be capable of corralling as many caroms as they can carry.

While blathering during the Knicks pregame thread last week about the Nets’ relative woes of late, I neglected to mention Bridges (22.0 PPG, 52.6 3FG% as a Net) while rattling off Brooklyn players with remote NBA100 Team potential. I’m sorry, Mr. Bridges. And, yes, I am familiar with your game.

So are the dynamic duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray (59 points, 12 rebounds, 17 assists combined vs. CLE), who flustered both Bridges and Cameron Johnson in a 32-point win in Phoenix on February 1, aided by another strong second quarter (40-24 @ PHX; 49-34 edge over the Cavs on Friday). Eight days later, the Suns would become one of the few teams Atlanta has swept so far, exploiting Bridges and Johnson’s post-trade absences by beating Phoenix here at State Farm Arena. C’mon, transitive property, work with me today.

Walter O’Malley and Robert Moses’ feud in the 1950s probably saved some bitter octogenarian Brooklyn Dodger fan a lot of present-day grief. That’s my assessment after yesterday’s Ump Show debacle down in Florida during the Bravos’ Grapefruit League debut. I bat cleanup on Team Pitch Clock, but the automatic-strike rule MLB drummed up clearly needs some tweaks. Get it together, baseball, you’ve got a month left to fix it.

Nobody told me Georgia State fast-tracked their new basketball arena over by I-20 and Hank Aaron. It’s been open since September! Apparently, no one told the Panthers. Simmer down, Jackets fans, your teams couldn’t hang in the Sun Belt, either.

If you’re a Georgia or Brooklyn-area sports fan who’s feenin’ for March Madness, well, you are pretty much down to pulling for the mighty Gaels of Iona College in the MAAC, or the men’s hoops team at Kennesaw State, ruling the roost as the top-seed in the Atlantic Sun conference tourney. Help me, KSU Owls, you’re my only hope!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[kg01]

21 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

If you’re a Georgia or Brooklyn-area sports fan who’s feenin’ for March Madness, well, you are pretty much down to pulling for the mighty Gaels of Iona College in the MAAC, or the men’s hoops team at Kennesaw State, ruling the roost as the top-seed in the Atlantic Sun conference tourney. Help me, KSU Owls, you’re my only hope!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

Funny you mention the Gaels and the Owls in the same sentence(s) as either sports a HC that would look might snazzy in gold 'n white.  Of course GT's proximity to the Cheetah could be one of those gentleman's undoing. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

Thanks as always @lethalweapon3 for the preview and gettin us ready to roll! Early game today! 
 

Vegas has Hawks -5.5

2k has Hawks by 12

Trae went nuts!

Capela with 21 boards

JC nice all around game

BEY (I let him facilitate a bit, team player, found cutters). 11 dime (possible career high).

 

GO HAWKS!!!!

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Well he put up nicely in 2K soooo…

Don’t make me look like an a$$ JC!  Thanks! 
 

LETS GO JC BABY LETS GOOOO!!!!

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

[Dnice]

Starters 

 

[Guest]

How many readers just flew over this phrase (transitive-property logic) and just said "Umm... whatever.  It's just Lethal being Lethal."  

[terrell]

18 minutes ago, Dnice said:

Starters 

 

I was really hoping we'd start Sadiq.. The offesne was clicking last game... Our starts are monumentally important!  No time to worry about Feelings..

Oh well

Hopefully JC isnt throwing up bricks today from 3..

Lets get it

 

 

Edited February 26, 2023 by terrell

[SalvorMallow]

10 minutes ago, terrell said:

I was really hoping we'd start Sadiq.. The offesne was clicking last game... Our starts are monumentally important!  No time to worry about Feelings..

Oh well

Hopefully JC isnt throwing up bricks today from 3..

Lets get it

 

 

JC is flat out better than Bey... He should be starting. 

[GameTime]

CMON JC

[BrazilianHawk]

Let's go Hawks!

[thecampster]

Anyone else see Trae come over to Prunty after the first foul, put his arm around Prunty and have a laugh together?

 

That should tell you bunches. 

[SalvorMallow]

8 minutes ago, SalvorMallow said:

JC is flat out better than Bey... He should be starting. 

OK maybe I spoke too soon LOL

[GameTime]

IM SO DISAPPOINTED IN JC MAN. HE DESTROYS OUR SPACING

[Dnice]

I guess Bally is superstitious,  Vince is back trying to keep it rolling. 

[Dnice]

Oh well Bey time now,  good job DeAndre 

[JayBirdHawk]

2 minutes ago, Dnice said:

I guess Bally is superstitious,  Vince is back trying to keep it rolling. 

He was scheduled to call both games.

[GameTime]

There we go JC

[bird_dirt]

If Prunty goes uptempo, it’s Pronto ball. If he goes with small lineups, it’s Prawnty ball.