Official Game Thread: Mavericks at Hawks (6 PM Tip!)

[lethalweapon3]

“See? I’m really a swell guy! I like to leave all my coaches with parting gifts.”

 

Gary Gregor did all he could.

The second-year swingman was acquired by the Hawks from Phoenix for forward Paul Silas in the offseason, and it didn’t take long before Atlanta had some regrets. On the second night of a back-to-back on the road, having arrived from a comeback that fell just short in Seattle, the Hawks only caught a glimpse of Silas as an emerging fan favorite of Arizona’s young franchise, one who didn’t move the needle all that much as a young pro during his one season in Georgia.

They didn’t have time to dwell on that, or the exploits of Phoenix’s Connie Hawkins, d*ck Van Arsdale and Jerry Chambers in a 111-102 defeat. It was on to Inglewood. For another game. Tomorrow.

Third night of a back-to-back-to-back, a fourth road game in five nights (does anybody have, like, a CBA around here or something?), and the perennial bridesmaids of the NBA, Jerry West’s and Elgin Baylor’s Lakers, were tapping their toes awaiting Atlanta’s arrival.  Before the game, player-coach Richie Guerin subbed in Gregor on behalf of usual starter Joe Caldwell, and Gregor made up his mind that he would put his road-weary team on his back, showing Atlanta just what they’ve traded for.

Facing his fellow West Virginian in West, Gregor stepped on the floor and put up a Thirty-Piece on the Lakers! Thirty shots, that is to say. He made ten of ‘em, so hold off on giving him grief, Hawks fans! Gary also grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds. Ultimately, though, his 22 points in 41 minutes weren’t enough of a boost for the Hawks to keep up.

The final score on January 30, 1970: L.A. Lakers 102, Atlanta 87. Thus concluded the longest-ever run of triple-digit scoring by the Hawks. 52 games, one that would go untouched over the course of its splotchy franchise history.

That is, until today. Probably. Don’t blame me if I just jinxed the current guys. It almost happened on Friday night.

On the back end of a (just) back-to-back that began in Miami, the individual this evening (6 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Southwest in DFWA, NBA TV elsewhere) most capable of keeping Atlanta from keeping it 100 is Jason Kidd. Sadly, double-dipping player-coaches like Guerin, frankly, aren’t en vogue anymore.

Even with the Mavs shooting the ball well (61.6 post-All-Star TS%, 3^rd in NBA) with Kyrie Irving in the fold, they are just 8-15 since his post-blockbuster-trade acquisition in early February, including just six victories over the past 21 games. As hard as the Hawks (38-38 plus 1) tried to make them look good on Friday, it is hard to imagine Kidd misses Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie that much.

Like comparison, the Hawks at times can be a thief of joy. Much, though, as we fans did with the travails of the Nyuk Nyuk Knicks last season, the prospect of the Mavs (37-41, 0.5 games ahead of 12-seed UTA, 1.0 game behind 10-seed OKC) subsiding all the way out of the playoff AND Play-In picture induces cathartic giddiness.

Relative to Trae Young’s Hawks, Luka Doncic’s Mavs were supposed to be in a much higher stratosphere by now. Dallas “won” The Traede, you’ll recall everyone saying, made official once Luka defied the expectations of everyone (read: Moi) and lugged Dallas into a conference finals appearance, by ousting a top-seed, just one year after Trae did so with his since-plateauing Hawks.

Luka and the Mavs were the belle of the ball. Now they’re lingering around the same tired punchbowl as the Hawks as the dance goes on. Oh, and haven’t you heard? Luka is not happy. Neither are the fans around the Metroplex: “With the season on the line, you’re out here getting bashed, repeatedly, by the Hornets? Who does that? How dare you! Boo! Hiss!”

“There’s a lot going on, off the court,” a dejected Luka shared after his obligatory 34-and-10 weren’t sufficient to make up for glaring defensive deficiencies in the (first) loss to Charlotte. “I think you can see it with me on the court. Sometimes I don’t feel it’s me. I’m just being out there.”

“I used to have fun, smiling on the court,” said the fifth-year guard and four-time All-Star, like Young in the first year of his rookie-max extension deal, “but it’s just been frustrating.”

Doncic has his personal life issues to sort out, which is never easy, one imagines, as you’re doing what you think you can to avoid transitioning from upstart conference finalist to an extended offseason in the space of ten months. The midgame screwjob a couple weeks ago that bolstered Golden State’s postseason prospects, at his team’s expense, didn’t help matters. But the Mavs’ dovetail toward a losing record has also put the kibosh on all chatter about his MVP candidacy.

Further, nothing brings a ray of sunshine into a locker room quite like Kyrie “Grumpy Cat” Irving. Great job, Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison! Literal sage wisdom over there.

Atlanta has plenty of their own issues to worry about, and that doesn’t include the triple-digit scoring streak. Nobody is bothering to have Elias Sports check to see if the Hawks had ever gone 66 games without holding a team below 100 points, but I’ll go out on a limb and assume we’ve shattered whatever that prior record was to smithereens.

Our last, best chance at breaking the string came when the bench mob came in, during the Hawks blowout win in Phoenix, and let the Suns score 21 points in under six minutes, Saben Lee’s closing-seconds jumper capping off Atlanta’s victory at 132-100. Sure, we could blame Pistons Jaden Ivey and Marvin Bagley for some late-game cheapies a couple weeks ago, after Quin Snyder unloaded the bench up 123-96 with minutes to spare. But Hawks starters allowing the Pistons 32 points in the opening frame was the more likely culprit.

The Mavs turned up the Heat too late to catch up with the usually benign offense of Miami last night, Junior Hardaway’s strong start shooting the ball (5-for-5 2FGs, 6-for-10 3FGs @ MIA) and Luka’s 42 points, 10 boards and 8 dimes in 45 minutes all for naught once again this time in a 129-122 defeat. Coach Kidd likely had his sights on today’s game, as the more probable shot at victory, while keeping last night’s rotation short.

Upstarts Jaden Hardy (6 minutes last night) and Josh Green are probable to put on their best Gary Gregor impressions today in relief of Doncic and Irving (23 points, 8 assists, 1 TO in 43 minutes @ MIA). Obviously, the Hawks’ starters, Trae Young and John Collins (combined 0-for-11 on threes Friday, 5-for-22 overall) in particular, must find and make better shots than they did getting washed out 124-107 in Brooklyn. But with De’Andre Hunter out again, coach Quin Snyder must also offset Dallas with production by its own young contributors, including the returning Jalen Johnson and A.J. Griffin (3-for-4 3FGs in 17 minutes @ BRK), the latter one of the few on Friday able to find a net versus the Nets.

Gregor didn’t last long in Atlanta, as the Hawks’ brass must have liked what they saw in Chambers to acquire him from Portland in an offseason deal. Gregor likely learned an invaluable lesson, though, on that winter evening in Tinseltown, one that the current-day Hawks could pay heed. If your shot isn’t falling after like 15 shots, please find some other meaningful ways to help out on the floor.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

5 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Don’t blame me if I just jinxed the current guys.

GUILTYYYY!!! 

 

6 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

The Traede,

 

7 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Luka is not happy.

 Ah boo.

 

7 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Boo! Hiss!”

 

9 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

“I used to have fun, smiling on the court,” said the fifth-year guard and four-time All-Star, like Young in the first year of his rookie-max extension deal, “but it’s just been frustrating.”

As he stated on draft night.. “I just want to play basketball”…

 

11 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

“Grumpy Cat”

So they got one too huh? Small world.

 

13 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Trae Young and John Collins (combined 0-for-11 on threes Friday, 5-for-22 overall)

Ya that stinks. Don’t do that again. Lol.

 

14 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

If your shot isn’t falling after like 15 shots, please find some other meaningful ways to help out on the floor.

SHWAAAAAANNNGGG IT! Make cuts, set picks.. 

 

 

@lethalweapon3 thanks for setting us up early that was awesome. The Gregor effect.

NBATV has this game so it’s nationally televised. 
 

Vegas got Hawks -4

2k has Hawks by 8.

Trae 62 points 8 dimes

Murray 41/9/9

Cap 19 boards

JC 10/13

Let’s climb back to .500….. again … 

GO HAWKS!!!!!

 

 

[kg01]

Oh look, another non-7:30pm game start.  I wonder how this is gonna go? 

[JayBirdHawk]

Which Mav will have their career game today vs the Hawks?

 

[Spud2nique]

21 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Which Mav will have their career game today vs the Hawks?

 

Jaden Hardy 

[JayBirdHawk]

Mavs are on a B2B, Kyrie, Luka and THjr all played 40+ minutes in their loss to the Heat. 

We have a size/rebounding advantage.

We should win, right? 

[JayBirdHawk]

I guess Bey get the start again. 

Bey vs Luka?  oh boy! 

[JayBirdHawk]

Matchups.

Trae vs Bullock

DJ vs Kyrie

Bey vs Luka

JC vs THJr

CC vs Powell

[terrell]

2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Which Mav will have their career game today vs the Hawks?

 

Jaden Hardy..

I Just saw someone else said Hardy, so I'll go with Josh Green.. lol

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I guess Bey get the start again. 

Bey vs Luka?  oh boy! 

Need to Put JJ on him.....

Edited April 2, 2023 by terrell

[terrell]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Mavs are on a B2B, Kyrie, Luka and THjr all played 40+ minutes in their loss to the Heat. 

We have a size/rebounding advantage.

We should win, right? 

It's Sunday, so I pray Trae will shoot at least 50% FG with no more than 3 turnovers, and our BIGS(JC/CC) will eat all game long vs this weak ass frontcourt..

Is that too much to ask? 

Probably so.... 

Edited April 2, 2023 by terrell

[terrell]

Hawks are the 9th seed after Raptors win today..

2 wins to get in the Playoffs will be a monumental task for this win one/lose one team.. lol

 

[lethalweapon3]

No DNP-Rest for the Mavs. Dallas is almost full squad, save for Frank "Moves in Silence" Ntilikina, who remains Questionable with a sprained knee.

(EDIT: Frankie Smokes is upgraded to Available, so Dallas has their full slate subject to J-Kidd's SEGABABA rotation)

De'Andre of course, remains Out (bruised knee bone, strained muscle)

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

29 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Frank "Moves in Silence" Ntilikina,

He’s still in the league? Oh wow, I remember folks wanted him here next to Trae and then he fell on the radar, I totally thought he was in Europe or something. Ok ok… I see you Frank!

[Spud2nique]

4 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Bey vs Luka?  oh boy! 

Bey is gonna shut him down and be physical with Luka watch. Prolly frustrate Luka into tech #17 or whatever it’s at now.

[Spud2nique]

Luck Fuka! 
 

Hand the Mavs a critical loss.
 

GO HAWKS!!!!

 

[Hawkmoor]

Kyrie showing out early...

 

[terrell]

This really is the Mid Off....lol

Both of these teams are shockingly MID..

[Iverwig]

Do ya thing Hawks do ya thing! 

[Hawkmoor]

Those are the extra passes by Trae and the rest of the offense that can turn the team around.

[terrell]

Keep shooting Trae? Geez.. Could you make a few please?

Edited April 2, 2023 by terrell