Official Game Thread: Hawks at heat -- THE Play-In Game!

[JayBirdHawk]

Just now, givemesome1ce1 said:

Tony Ressler is one of the most reactionary owners in the entire league so a lot is riding on this one game. Entire team could be traded. The fanbase wants Trae to just have one good game against Miami after being terrible there for years, and the media coverage for the Hawks the past few days have been brutal. This is the lowest the fanbase has been on the Hawks in years.  A loss can be devastating. A win can be everything for this team and fanbase’s morale. God I hope we win.

If they are going to make decisions based on this one game and not the entirety of the roller coaster season, that they had a hand in with the front office upheaval- THEY ARE NOT READY FOR THE BIG LEAGUES!!! 

[ShooterSays]

3 minutes ago, givemesome1ce1 said:

Tony Ressler is one of the most reactionary owners in the entire league so a lot is riding on this one game. Entire team could be traded. 

This feels like an overly reactionary post.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JeffS17]

I just want to see us play well, win or lose.  No sloppy turnovers, cut down on the free buckets under the rim, and make them kill us with jump shots.  Miami is not a good team, and this should be a very winnable game if we don't get in our heads about it.

[Final_quest]

I want to see a win so bad, just to destroy the Heat fanbase.  The Hawks have let us down all year, so I don't have a lot of expectations we get this one.  

[Hawkmoor]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

Nowhere near as important as that Game 7 win over Philly.

We understandably take it very seriously as fans coming off a bad loss to Miami last year but all that is at issue is whether we get the #7 seed.  If we lose, we can still make the playoffs the next game.  In either case, we are likely to lose the first round series at this point.  So I definitely don't think it is the most important game under Ressler's watch even though it would feel really good to win this one.  If we win it and then get swept in the first round, no one will care about this game two weeks after we played it.  If we lose it and then win in the first round, very few people will really care about it either.  

Ressler might let Quinn purge this roster if they lose tonight.  

[macdaddy]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

We're a lock to win now. 

[shakes]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

gun to your head and 6 months of mortgage payments in your hand, you putting your money on the Heat or the Hawks tonight?

 

17-0 sounds right to me.     Only a fool would pick the Hawks tonight based on the prior 52 weeks worth of evidence.

[Diesel]

Watch... When we win this game.. big..  
ESPN will pivot to Heat trying to avoid a first round series with the Celtics. 

But what will they say when we beat Boston?

 

[cam1218]

As much as I want to win, we know the Hawks will have to go .500 in the play-in tournament - so that means we lose this one and win the next one. The good news though, to play .500 in the regular postseason format we have to at least advance past the first round. 

Winning this game can really set the tone for us and give us confidence against Boston. I'd rather roll into the postseason kind of exercising our nemesis from last year than the alternative of getting there in the second play in game. 

[Diesel]

5 minutes ago, cam1218 said:

As much as I want to win, we know the Hawks will have to go .500 in the play-in tournament - so that means we lose this one and win the next one. The good news though, to play .500 in the regular postseason format we have to at least advance past the first round. 

Winning this game can really set the tone for us and give us confidence against Boston. I'd rather roll into the postseason kind of exercising our nemesis from last year than the alternative of getting there in the second play in game. 

I think we can put down the .500 for the post season.  This is the time for us to flip the switch. 

We need to show that there's another level. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[cam1218]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

I think we can put down the .500 for the post season.  This is the time for us to flip the switch. 

We need to show that there's another level. 

I hope so! We are 87-84 in the last two years (including the play in and post season). I’m a positive person, but it has kind of been who we are for a large amount of time. I think they have it in them to turn it on though, we shall see.

[Carmine]

I want to see heavy Okongwu minutes tonight.

[cam1218]

17 minutes ago, Carmine said:

I want to see heavy Okongwu minutes tonight.

I fear the refs will keep him in foul trouble. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Who gets the obligatory 2 quick fouls in the first quarter and is forced to sit? 

Hunter, Collins or Capela?

[AHF]

2 hours ago, Hawkmoor said:

Ressler might let Quinn purge this roster if they lose tonight.  

How dumb do you think Quin is?   You think he is signing onto a long-term deal with a new team because he hates all the players on that team and wants to purge the roster?

Come on.  This is what he has been doing.  Assessing the roster.  Tonight will just be another data point in that assessment (which began before he coached his first game here).  

I do expect changes but this isn't a "no one is safe!" situation.

[hawkman]

28 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Who gets the obligatory 2 quick fouls in the first quarter and is forced to sit? 

Hunter, Collins or Capela?

Yes.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

7 hours ago, shakes said:

well, the entire season has come down to this one game.   Last year this team was thoroughly embarrassed and emasculated by the Heat in the playoffs, especially Trae.    We spent teh whole summer talking about what this team and Trae needed to do in order to not let that happen again.    we've had a whole season to see the progress and even the biggest homer here (KG2Spud) would have a hard time saying that the progress has been good.

The Front office brought in Murray as a counter to Miami's half court trap.    Soft players like Huerter and Gallo were sent packing. Tougher players like Bey and uh, well, that's all we got, were brought in.

 

Tonight is the final exam to a year's worth a quizzes.  This entire year will be a success or failure based on this one game tonight.  Trae's entire year will be based on this one game.  In a season where his play clearly regressed can he make up for all of it by showing that he learned anything from last year?

 

 

 

LOL @ one game making or breaking this season.  No it won't.  Trae could go for 35 pts - 12 assist. But if we lose, what does that mean?

Plus, if we lose, we have a game in ATL on Friday night to get in.

You guys have been acting like every game has been life or death all season.  We were the poster child for mediocrity.  No reason that should change. 

But the one thing about this team is that the can lose to anyone, just like they can beat anyone.

Just watch the game and let everything play out.  If they try to trap and dog Trae like they did in last playoffs, let's see the response . . with different players and a different coach.