Official Game Thread: Hawks at heat (1 of 2)

[lethalweapon3]

“It Follows” (2023) [R]

 

 

Tidbitology! I’ve done no homework ahead of this evening’s back-to-back down in Miami, for both the heat and our Atlanta Hawks (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Sun in MIA). Hopefully, Quin Snyder and his inherited coaching staff have done plenty of cramming, much to the chagrin of a heat squad that can’t seem to shake the Hawks free.

The opportunity to overtake the Southeast Division, and avoid further Play-Out peril, has arrived for the Hawks (32-31, 0.5 games behind MIA), in no small part thanks to Dejounte Murray and company taking care of business back home last night against Portland. Also, thanks to the guy who had me checking to see if anyone has ever won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award twice (it won’t be former winners Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo, nor Kevin Love, anytime soon).

So, how ‘bout that Julius Randle, eh? The Hawks vexed both Randle and Ben Simmons in the 2021 Playoffs, and the effects carried well into the next season. But only one has fully recovered, and then some. Now, if the Hawks can pick up some of the mojo Randle’s Knicks left behind on their way out of Felonious Traders X Arena last night, and if they carry that momentum through next week’s games in D.C., Atlanta can shift the league’s critical heat lamp fully onto Butler (questionable for today, sore knee on a back-to-back), Bam Adebayo and company.

Trae Young could use a break from the talk-show pundits, too, and last year’s MIP, Yosemite Ja, has been doing all he can of late to help out from West Tennessee. As long as that varmint stays out West, we’re good over here in the East.

Miami has been able to stay afloat to this point despite the unavailability of Kyle Lowry (out, sore other knee), and despite a foreboding 16-21 record in-conference, plus a 14-18 mark versus the league’s breakeven and winning teams.

If Jimmy isn’t able to produce Buckets for Erik Spoelstra’s club tonight, the assist generation will most likely have to come from Oladipo (no assists in last two games; 1.2 APG over past five, but 10 dimes and no TOs in MIA’s 121-113 loss @ ATL on Jan. 16), who himself just returned from an ankle injury.

Also just arriving is Kevin Love, who was brought in at the Deadline to aid Miami’s unacceptably woeful perimeter shooting (28^th in NBA), but has gone just 6-for-24 in his five starts. Love is still good for one or two fastbreak assists off of defensive rebounds, so Atlanta’s transition coverage needs to be on-point.

For a poor-shooting team like Miami (45.0 team FG%, ahead of only HOU’s 44.9%), keeping them off the free throw line (82.8 team FT%, 2^nd-best in NBA; ATL’s 81.9% ranks 4^th) and off the offensive glass (Adebayo, Cody Zeller, the Martin twin and Orlando Robinson, in particular) will be paramount for Atlanta to maintain the edge. Cajoling Tyler into Herro-ball contested jumpers earlier in the shot clock than Coach Spo would like, and Hawk guards helping the forwards dig out long caroms and 50/50 balls, can help Atlanta dominate possession and push the pace beyond Miami's comfort zone.

That’s all I’ve got. It is nice to worry only about the heat, and not to worry about what heat our franchise guard might be carrying with him inside the South Beach nightclubs this weekend. Go ahead and take the night off, Crockett and Tubbs.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[kg01]

Guys, guise .... I know I don't have ta tell yall, I got a lot ridin' on these couple games.

Some not-minor braggin' rights at stake with the BIL.  

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Yosemite Ja

I'm giving him a new nickname...
Ja Morant is now Ig Norant.

[kg01]

3 minutes ago, LongTimeFan said:

I'm giving him a new nickname...
Ja Morant is now Ig Norant.

Ooh, that's skrong. 

[hawkman]

Really excited about this one. The Hawks won the last matchup, but things got a little chippy at the end. It'll be interesting to see how the Hawks' gameplan for the physicality under Quinn. Oh, and please keep Butler off the free throw line. He shot 20 of the Heat's 32 free throws vs the Knicks' team total of 17. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Also, thanks to the guy who had me checking to see if anyone has ever won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award twice

Which guy? I need his name. 

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Ja

You mean the new school Gilbert Arenas? 

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

keeping them off the free throw line

This.

 

 

Thanks as always @lethalweapon3. I hit the spread yesterday -18 on 2K. Murray had 40 with me and 41 for real.

This time it took overtime but we prevailed.

Vegas has Heat -1

2k has Hawks -4 overcoming 33/21 from BAM BAM . Murray strikes for 39 tonight. Trae 22/8 JC 18/14. CC 19 boards.

GOOOOO HAWKS!!!!

[JayBirdHawk]

Who plays tonight? AJ or JJ?

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

@LongTimeFan if Murray hit for 39, inlike Omaha steaks or chookies (cheesecake cookies) sent straight to my house.

ps Ig Norant is just  

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, kg01 said:

Ooh, that's skrong. 

 

[lethalweapon3]

Someone is "bored" with the regular season, you say? Gasp!

~lw3

[Phunkabilly]

1 hour ago, Spud2nique said:

Which guy? I need his name. 

 

You mean the new school Gilbert Arenas? 

 

This.

 

 

Thanks as always @lethalweapon3. I hit the spread yesterday -18 on 2K. Murray had 40 with me and 41 for real.

This time it took overtime but we prevailed.

Vegas has Heat -1

2k has Hawks -4 overcoming 33/21 from BAM BAM . Murray strikes for 39 tonight. Trae 22/8 JC 18/14. CC 19 boards.

GOOOOO HAWKS!!!!

If Dre gets 9 assists, I will put a folding-arms Nate fathead on my bathroom wall so that I have to stare him in the eyes every time I sit on the pot.

[LucastheThird]

18 minutes ago, Phunkabilly said:

If Dre gets 9 assists, I will put a folding-arms Nate fathead on my bathroom wall so that I have to stare him in the eyes every time I sit on the pot.

I don't think Dre doesn't even passes the ball 9 times a game

[terrell]

JC.. smh

[ABH]

Kaboom..get to hear that crap all night

[LucastheThird]

Looks like Quinn was not happy with Trae giving up on the play to complain about the no-call. 

[terrell]

Can we justgo ahead and start JJ or OO at the 4? JC man good grief...

And Dre needs to spend the entire summer just dribbling and passing. He needs thousands of reps of every kind of normal pass you can make in a game.

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by terrell

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Who plays tonight? AJ or JJ?

JJ it is.

[Peoriabird]

Don't look now but @terrell favorite whipping boy is leading the team in assist

[LucastheThird]

Man I hope Quinn can get through to Trae on the foul baiting plays. The refs aren't going to give it to him anymore and it kills our offense at times.