Official Game Thread: Knicks at Hawks -- The Home Opener!

[lethalweapon3]

“Welcome to Atlanta! Grown-ups, while you’re here, try not to act like us.”

 

With his passenger jet preparing for boarding, Shane suddenly realized he forgot something.

Shane was NOT going to miss this flight. An avid UGA Bulldogs fan, Shane, his six-year-old son and his brother were bound to fly to Memphis on an itinerary to Oxford, Mississippi, one day ahead of the 5-3 Dawgs’ early-morning clash with the Rebs. Hope was renewed for the once-proud pigskin program, under first-year coach Mark Richt, particularly after three straight seasons of losing to that annoying North Avenue Trade School.

The Gainesville, Georgia banker planned on snapping photos, to cherish the family memories years down the line, and being able to show he was there for his Dawgs as their U-turn toward top-tier prominence began. Alas, Shane recalled, his missing camera bag was lying at the main terminal’s ticket gate, right where he left it. Or, so he hoped.

No problem, Shane pondered. Hop on the tram back to the ticket lobby, scoop up the bag, then do the same trip in reverse. Takes all of maybe twenty minutes, tops. One thing Shane was not going to do: he was NOT about to miss this flight. Not for all the world.

Leaving his kid, and his plane ticket, in the temporary care of his brother, Shane trekked back down his terminal escalator, onto the airport people mover, then up an escalator leading to the lobby. No luck! Oh well, just by a quick-cam on the road from Memphis. For now, it’s time to return down the escalators and catch this flight. Go, O.J., go! What? Okay, fine… go, Garrison Hearst! Go!

Some impediments stood before Shane. In his haste, he failed to notice that all the escalators ascended upwards from the tram station. Had this been as recently as 67 days before, Shane, like tens of millions of people had done for decades, would have been able to freely ride down one of the escalators and swiftly return to his departure gate. But today was November 16, 2001, and two rented security guards were posted in front of the escalators to ensure nobody got any crazy ideas. Nobody, that is, like Shane.

The guards turned Shane away, insisting he needed to procure a new ticket and go through the security checkpoint, with its circuitous queue of standees awaiting bag checks and magnetometers, for a second time in order to return to his departure terminal.

Thoughts ran wild through Shane’s big brain, as he walked away and his flight’s scheduled takeoff neared. Is he about to miss this trip, of a lifetime, to Mississippi? Might his kiddo have to miss this trip, too? Will the son and his uncle feel compelled to board the flight, then perhaps attend the UGA game, without him? If they do, could he maybe rent a car and high-tail it to Oxford in time for tailgate? What will the kid’s mom say about this? All because he deserted his camera bag?

Once more: Shane was NOT about miss this flight. Not an option. In this scenario, What Would Herschel Do?

“Over the Top” was unrealistic, considering Shane’s gravitational shortcomings and the probable lack of a pleasant landing on the escalator steps. And yet, he persisted.

Spinning around, Shane lunged past the bewildered rent-a-cops, then fought the forces of escalatorial pull by descending awkwardly, past arriving airport guests, down an up escalator. National Guardsmen hanging out around the escalators were also caught off, well, guard. Move! Get out the way.

One thing Shane was going to do: he was GOING to miss his scheduled departure time. As would untold thousands of his fellow would-be passengers, flight attendants, and pilots at The World’s Busiest Airport.

There was no time to discern Bulldog Shane’s brusque ploy from those possibly concocted by Al-Qaeda, Al Bundy, or Ted Bundy. Accordingly, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, in the middle of a weekday afternoon, was placed on emergency lockdown.

Seat belts fastened and prepared for takeoff? Tsk tsk. All planes are on ground stop, ordered back to the gates for deboarding. Just landed? That’s peachy. Luggage handling has halted, and all unattended baggage in either direction likely needs a thorough re-scan. Just arrived at your gate after clearing security? Aww. Back to the main terminal you go. Enjoying your meal at one of the dozens of airport eateries? Hope you brought a doggy bag. Heading to the loo to relieve oneself? Oh, my sweet child.

Just outside the airport on the MARTA train? Enjoy a few hours in leafy College Park. If you hurry, you may be able to grab a seat within its two (2) open restaurants. Sitting in virtually any other significant airport on Earth, and wondering why your flight, connected in some way to Atlanta, has been abruptly delayed, or even cancelled? Good news! You, and the folks at CNN, have now got plenty of time to figure it out.

Your hard-earned vacation plans, your mission-critical business trip, your tenuous employment status potentially waylaid by an interminable, unspecified delay? C’est la vie. Visitors, families, employees, everybody, get out of all terminals and wait outside on the streets outside until the forces that be, the National Guard, the bomb squads, can sort through everything. All this hubbub, at the busiest airhub on Earth, and no one yet knows it’s because Jawja Shane is being such a huge… sportsball fan.

Incalculable losses in business revenue, and surges in emergency expenditures and personnel-hours, were racking up as fast as the ire of patrons unsure as to where, to whom, and for what, they should direct their dismay. How, Atlanta hubmaster AirTran Airways wondered, can we survive in such a volatile, drop-everything environment?

Later claiming to be oblivious to the reason for all the delay and disarray, UGA Shane found himself awash with all the other patrons ushered out into the autumn air. But he was arrested that evening, after the coasts cleared, when he was ID’d by security while trying to book the next flight he had no designs on missing. Once his name and his alleged actions were made public, it wouldn’t take long before a nation of angered travelers, and otherwise amused SEC football fans, were eager to see if Shane would serve some penance for his misdeed. "Free Shane, Pawl!"

AirTran was curious how he’d pay, too, suing him for tens of thousands of bucks in lost revenue and the paychecks of aggravated employees dealing with aggrieved customers. Many commercial enterprises affected by the shutdown, their lawyers at the ready, waited to see how that lawsuit proceeded through the courts. The good news for Shane was Atlanta is never short on really good lawyers. Months later, his legal reps would hammer out a quiet settlement with the airline. No, Shane, no Biscoff cookies for you!

Meanwhile, the county in charge of prosecutions at Hartsfield could only drum up a flimsy criminal trespass charge. Copping a plea, Shane would visit the pokey for five weekends and commit to 500 community service hours during his two years on probation. In the unkindest cut of all, Shane was barred from attending any UGA football games for the rest of that season. That included his Dawgs’ pivotal victory a couple weeks later at Atlanta’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, questions of this qualifying as an away game aside. And nope, Shane, no Music City Bowl for you.

At the state and federal level, a growing consensus looked at this and other situations and decided the intricate web of aviation security cannot be left primarily in the hands of fly-by-night companies and profiteers. Within days of Shane’s mad dash, the federal Transportation Security Administration was birthed into existence, and in a few months, a state statute made Shane’s evasive activity a clear felony with severe criminal sanctions.

Henceforth, that bottle of Prell you packed for Poughkeepsie that your split ends cannot do without? Three-point-four ounces of the shampoo, not three-point-five, contained within a clear, quart-sized Ziploc bag. That’s the TSA limit, sorry, no exceptions. As airport travelers, we all were probably headed this way anyway. Yet you can thank yahoos like Ugga Shane for greasing the skids, as you try to hide that hideous bunion at the security checkpoint. Off with your shoes!

South Fulton towns like College Park, and East Point, that spent years planning out “aerotropolis” town-center remodels, centered upon travelers with extended delays branching out from their terminals to explore the nearby shops and eateries? Go ahead and toss those drawings in the bin. Thanks, Shane!

Ugga Bubba, the Runaway Bride, Balloon Boy. The thread that runs so true through infamous cases like these is a cascading set of calamitous impacts were in store for many people who bore no relation to the people boring through with their self-centered, impulsive, boorish acts of absurdity.

There are lessons to be gleaned from them all. No, your forthcoming baby’s gender reveal does not need to go viral, does not require pyrotechnics, and certainly need not wipe out chunks of a state due to forest fires. No, your personal issues with a referee, while you are miffed after a loss in front of the home crowd, should not become a distraction that costs your underdog team your vital presence at an upcoming NBA playoff elimination game. And, for your kids, a college nest egg.

Dejounte “Bumpy” Murray seems like he gets it, now. Atlanta Hawks fans won’t have to wait-and-see on the pink-or-blue side of things, as Murray and his modeling significant other played it safe with balloons popping confetti at last winter’s reveal party (welcome to the world, little princess Icelynn Mercedes!). As for his one-sided beef that went overboard at precisely the wrong time last spring with referee Gediminas Petraitis, and the keeping-it-real explanations that landed flat, we ought to be able to take DJ at his word that the only turnovers that matter involves his, and Trae Young’s, new leaves.

“It starts with us,” Murray exclaimed on Media Day about the approach he ((knocks on wood)) and his co-star, will take when faced with certain adversity throughout this season. “If we’re unselfish, the whole team is going to be unselfish. If we’re selfish, it’s gonna be a selfish team.” Oui, oui.

“With me and Trae, it starts with us as far as, if we’re going to be unselfish, then you’re gonna see a great team, an unselfish team,” said Murray, disappointing fans on pescatarian diets at State Farm Arena by insisting that the home team’s headlining leaders will no longer sell fish. “And then everybody’s gonna have fun.” Whee! Whee!

If Murray stays true to his word, it sure bodes well for Quin Snyder. When disappointing stretches of the season come, as is likely given just the nature of Atlanta’s schedule (NBA-high 15 back-to-backs; 20 3-games-in-4-nights sets, and 25 4-in-6 sets, most since 2017-18), Trae and ‘Te won’t be scouring LinkedIn on the hunt for Full-Time Head Coach #4, an endeavor that might require ownership to first field interviews for PBO/GM #3.

Snyder will help his cause in the early going to this season by keeping his floor leaders’ eyes on the prize. That’s from one game to the next, and from one quarter to the next. After one pleasant stanza onb Wednesday, the Hawks (0-1) began losing their grip on the opener in Charlotte as ballhandlers took the bait of driving past their man into the paint and lofting wild shots at the rim over the Hornets’ lengthier defenders.

While Atlanta managed to keep the deficit close in the second half, along the way to a combined outing of 7-for-33 FGs (incl. 1-for-12 on triples), Trae and ‘Te devolved into the staid halfcourt style, of Iso-You-so, that defined the flat era of what was once touted as The East’s Best Backcourt in Washington. That left teammates flat-footed an unable to recover in defensive transition.

The opposing head coach for tonight’s home opener at The Farm (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, MSG Network in NYC), Tom Thibodeau hopes to start the game in a similar fashion, getting Atlanta guards to drive inside and make life predictable for Mitchell Robinson and Hacksaw Isaiah Hartenstein. Then, at closing time, he’d like to staple Josh Hart and/or Donte DiVincenzo on Atlanta’s play initiators, daring the Hawks’ stars to play heroball against double- and triple-team defenses.

In so doing, keeping Young and Murray feeling as though they must go-it-alone can render neutral whatever Jalen Johnson (21 points!), Saddiq Bey (5 steals!), Clint Capela (6 O-Rebs!), Onyeka Okongwu (5 shots!) and De’Andre Hunter (6 fouls!) bring to the fray. Atlanta’s dynamic duo did connect enough to compile 15 assists against the short-handed and short-minded Hornets. But coming off that 116-110 defeat, Coach Quin is going to want to see on- and off-ball actions tonight that lead to more than Wednesday’s five assisted three-point makes (versus 11 assisted 3FGs by CHA).

There are some people who must take into account whackos in public putting monkey wrenches into their plans as part of their daily existence. Specifically, that’s a normal week for commuters caught up in the web New York City’s vast, TikTok-able subway network. By result, longtime fans of their home team, the Knicks (0-1), have grown inured to just rolling with the punches.

Jalen Brunson slips coming off Jayson Tatum’s foot after shooting a three, and the refs whistle Brunson for flopping. The four-point play allowed Kristaps Porzingis and his newfound Celtics to gallop away with the 108-104 win on Wednesday (I am told, no referees were unduly bumped in the aftermath). Not even a video review could help Brunson avert his fate, although the “my bad” tweet from the refs’ union the next morning was a sweet touch.

But, hey, that’s life in The Big City for ya. For now, Brunson and Julius Randle will want to shoot better tonight than their 11-for-44 from Madison Square Garden’s field that left R.J. Barrett (24 points on 27 combined shots) looking like a model of efficiency.

Relative to Messrs. Murray and Young, the Knicks’ intended top-scorers get the benefit of the doubt, thanks to last year’s 47-35 bounce-back season and first-round bouncing of the Cavs. Not just from the normally loud-mouthed NYC media (what are ya gonna do, cheer the Mets? Throw it again!), but from the head-honchos at once-mighty USA Basketball (Mr. Hill, where ya at, my G?).

The player that led the league in assists the last two seasons, Young had to enter 2023-24 burdened with shedding perceptions that his basketball club is too selfish for its own good. The team that was 28^th in assists had several players squaring off in FIBA World Cup’s Final Four. Sharing is not necessarily caring.

Do a better job of blending and leading this season, and once summertime hits, Americans Young and Murray won’t be spending time tuning in to watch Hart and Brunson (and/or Randle) get braised by Barrett, or Bogdan Bogdanovic (or, sacre bleu, Evan Fournier) in international skirmishes with bronze medals on the line. They can help themselves, and their team, and even their country, if they clearly help fellow Hawks elevate their games by earning better perimeter looks, and if they don’t get too caught up in the quality of their Imma Get Mines stats at crunch time (ATL minus-1.5 clutch plus/minus & negative-15.9 clutch Net Rating in 2022-23, 29^th in NBA behind only DET).

Wednesday’s loss was already the first sign that turbulence lies ahead, but it’s navigable if the co-pilots learn to work together, and with their new coaching staffs, to steady the craft. If Atlanta’s top guns don’t place their offense in an upright position, it may take too long for their squad to get cleared for takeoff.

Besides, November is way too early in the NBA season around here to be thinking, “How ‘Bout Dem Darn Good Dawgs?” Unless you’re Ugga Shane, of course. Everybody clear the runway for him!

 

Maine Strong! Thank You, Squawkdonors. Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Hawks Game Notes reminds us that Atlanta is looking to make it six consecutive Ws in home openers.

After Dejounte's magnum opus game at MSG last November, the Knicks got their lick back when Murray went down to injury mere minutes into in the December 7 rematch, Atlanta dropping that one 113-89. Since then, the Hawks have managed to cross the triple-digit mark in an NBA-leading 58 consecutive games, trailed by The Lake Show at 48-straight.

Trae has cleared the 5-assist bar in 108 consecutive games, and doing so tonight would have him tying Guy Rodgers for the 7th-longest stretch in league history.

https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/hawks.pdf

~lw3

[NBASupes]

Our favorite foe, let's go Hawks. Stick to the scheme.

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Trae and ‘Te

How have I never heard that before!  

 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

and Hacksaw Isaiah Hartenstein.

Jim Duggan would like a word.  

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

or, sacre bleu, Evan Fournier)

What is that? Lemme google it.  

 

Thanks lw3, always prepping us you da man! 

Vegas line is -1 Knicks O/U 228.5

Go Hawks!

 

 

[shakes]

In Vegas, gonna miss the game cause I’ll be at the Vegas knights game.  But I did throw some money on the hawks.  Goes agaiNt my rule of never betting for or against my trams.  But I figure it’s ok in Vegas. 
 

figured no way Hawks lose after losing the last game.  That goes against science. Plus becuSe it’s the knicks hawks are 1.5 pts underdogs at home.  Seems like free money to me 

 

hopefully I didn’t. Jinx them. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Who is gonna match up vs Randle? Is this Hunter defensive game?

[Spud2nique]

35 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Who is gonna match up vs Randle? Is this Hunter defensive game?

If it’s Hunter he better not get bullied. Easier said than done. Hopefully Randle is just having one of those “going through the motions” type of game.

[lethalweapon3]

We Outside!

Or, at least, Coach Quin hopes so.

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, shakes said:

my rule of never betting for or against my trams.  But I figure it’s ok in Vegas. 

 

Good luck pimp papa Don’t be like some an add mo trams, more trams mo prolems.

Just now, lethalweapon3 said:

We Outside

(ers).

Sincerely,

- @kg01

[lethalweapon3]

No New Yorkers Knicked up, it appears, on the Boo-Boo list as of 5:30 pm.

Wesley "2 Ts" Matthews is the sole Hawk on it again.

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, lethalweapon3 said:

"2 Ts"

 
 

I’m sorry I need a nap before the tip. One T gets his groove back tonight (if he gets any ) he’s gotta stop trying to be Erson on every possession though  

Edited October 27, 2023 by Spud2nique

[JayBirdHawk]

36 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

If it’s Hunter he better not get bullied. Easier said than done. Hopefully Randle is just having one of those “going through the motions” type of game.

I remember Hunter putting the clamps on Randle in our playoff series vs Knicks, then switching off the Derrick Rose when he got hot

[Spud2nique]

Just now, JayBirdHawk said:

I remember Hunter putting the clamps on Randle in our playoff series vs Knicks, then switching off the Derrick Rose when he got hot

True good call. It’s weird Randle was extremely overrated a few years back but last year he seemed more solid than before as far as cleaning up his game. He’s still sloppy but he gets on streaks and hopefully tonight is a cold one at State Farm for him and his team.

[JayBirdHawk]

DJ got a hair cut. AJ with his hair braided. 

[BrazilianHawk]

There are no friggin' heroes in losses @Trae @DJM

 

Play the way you're supposed to. GO HAWKS! 

[terrell]

ANYTIME Trae thinks he crosses someone up he just has to shoot.. smdh

[MaceCase]

Good take, CC

[terrell]

Trae Young really thinks he's 6'7..  Geezz

Trying to finish on guys twice his size...

Edited October 27, 2023 by terrell

[Hawkmoor]

Trae shooting in the forest with players wide open on the wings...

.

[terrell]

Good Lord Saddiq.. lol

Just now, Hawkmoor said:

Trae shooting in the forest with players wide open on the wings...

.

Im losing my patience with him already.. lol