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Hawks BasketBlog
April 2007
Monday April 30, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:32PM AFT on April 30, 2007
Josh Childress is widely considered to be the biggest techie on the Hawks roster. Recently he sat down with Earthling, Earthlink's official blog, to discuss his interests in technology. Here is an excerpt:
My favorite right now is MySpace because it's the best way for me to stay in touch with fans and also reconnect with people that I've lost contact with over the years -- from college, high school, and even elementary school. [Note: Josh's MySpace page is over here] Do you read what fans write about you? Yes and no. I sift through every now and then to see what people are saying. But it's sort of an unwritten rule in sports not to read the newspaper or message boards because if you pay attention to everything you read, you will go crazy. Of course, you want to read all the positive comments but there are always people who are going to be negative. Sometimes the amount of negativity outweighs the comments from fans who really appreciate you and your game. I've heard you're using a Helio Drift. How do you like it? What ring do you use? I really like the Helio Drift. It's small, compact, and easy to use. Although a lot of my friends don't have Helios yet, when they see mine they always ask about it. Right now my ringtone is "money in the bank" but I'm working on downloading a new one. To read the rest of his interview,
check out
the full article. Tuesday April 24, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:19PM AFT on April 24, 2007
I would say "Smoove, don't quit your day job", but listening to his performance, clearly he is having a good time with it, so I can't kid him too much. Let's get him a win here, whaddya say? Get out there and rock the vote! Saturday April 21, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:16AM AFT on April 21, 2007
 I'm telling you, I just have a good feeling about where this is headed.Last year we lost a coin-flip to the Bobcats that relegated us to the fifth pick instead of fourth in the lottery. Well, we got a bit of good news on Friday afternoon as the Indiana Pacers won their coin flip with Philly and will go into the lottery in the 11 spot instead of 12. Yes, it improves their chances of moving up, but only slightly. And it improves our potential draft position by one spot otherwise. May 22 - just a month and two days away... Saturday April 21, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 12:48AM AFT on April 21, 2007
 Well, I suppose a valedictory of the season is warranted before we truly move on to the business at hand of figuring out just where the ping-pong balls are going to put us for the NBA Draft. I look at the past season as a four-act play.
Act Two - Die Hard: At this point, a perfect storm of circumstances caused the season to spiral downward at an almost dizzying pace. T-Lue hurt his groin. Josh Smith had to have surgery for a hernia. Speedy continued to deal with knee problems that limited his effectivess. Joe's calf. Marvin's finger. Shelden's shoulder. Childress's foot. It went on and on, and all while the team dealt with a brutal schedule that saw the team face seven playoff teams in eight games (with the eighth being Indiana, a team that was comfortably in the playoff picture at that point). Predictably, the team lost all eight games, and now, sitting at 9-21, hope appeared lost. Act
Three - The Resurrection: Unfortunately, that led to:
There were positives even in the free fall, as Josh Smith continued to show off the game that leads many to predict All-Star game appearances in his future, and both Marvin and Shelden Williams had strong finishes with increased playing time. Now, as we get ready to begin working on the script for 2007-08, it's time to say thanks to all the fans who stuck with the team through a true roller-coaster of a season. It was great at times and excruciating at times, but hopefully in the end the team takes with them the necessary lessons to build towards tomorrow. Despite the season's finish, I find myself very optimistic about the future. Yes, we finished with the 4th worst record in the league. But I refuse to believe we couldn't have competed for a playoff spot, if not earned one outright, if we had ever gotten the chance to play with a full deck. We didn't and that's on us - every team deals with injuries, so you can't play the poor me card too much. But I'm not ready to give up on this roster, and I think we are set up to make some interesting moves this summer to improve. So again - thanks to all the fans for your support this season. Good times are around the corner, I can feel it. Stick with us. Friday April 20, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:24PM AFT on April 20, 2007
 Today is an important day for the Hawks. Why, you ask? Because today the NBA will flip coins to break all the draft lottery ties between teams with the same record. Thanks to the late-season swoon by the Pacers and a surge by the Sixers, Indy and Philly ended up tied for 11th with identical 35-47 records. Depending on how you look at things, there are arguments for rooting for either option. If Philly wins the coin flip, it lessens the chance that Indiana could move into the top three, which would keep us from obtaining their pick (its top-ten protected). On the other hand, if the Pacers win, then the Hawks move up one more place in the order and draft 11th assuming form holds. Personally, I'm rooting for Indy. I will take my chances at 11. Which reminds me - with all the grief BK gets, can we declare the trade for Al Harrington a success now? If you were given the option to trade Al today for the 11th pick, would you do it? I would. Nothing against Al, who will be returning to the playoffs this season with the surprising Golden State Warriors, but his absence did not cost us a playoff berth. I stand by the deal. In other news, maybe we didn't have the best season, but we can take some comfort in ruining other teams' seasons as well. Clipper Blog breaks down the losses that cost their team a playoff berth, and he points to our road win at Staples Center as one of the primary causes. Take that, Clips. Anyway, if you are interested in seeing the tie-breaks broke, check your local listings for NBATV - it is supposed to air some time this afternoon. In the meantime, have fun with ESPN's Draft Lottery machine. It's pretty addictive. I got the above scenario on my second try. Thursday April 19, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:22AM AFT on April 19, 2007
Today was the day they cleared out the lockers for the summer and had their exit interviews with Coach Woodson. It was personally sad for me, as it may have been the last time I see Royal Ivey, who I have watched since he was a freshman at Texas, and who is an unrestricted free agent going into the off-season. I spoke to Marvin Williams and Josh Childress about the season and their summer plans. Marvin is headed back to Chapel Hill for summer school, while Childress is heading to South Africa to participate in Basketball Without Borders for the second straight summer. I also did one final episode of The Show With The Show with Tyronn Lue. T-Lue is a huge NBA fan, so he will be in the audience at several playoff games over the next few weeks. His picks for the finals? Dallas and Detroit. As I said, I will have more recap of the season in the coming weeks, but for now, here are some pics from the morning:  Solo and Video Coordinator John Beckett on the phone. They may have been talking to each other
Wednesday April 18, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:23AM AFT on April 18, 2007
Atlanta Hawks ( 30-52) vs. Indiana Pacers (35-46)
POINTS Atlanta (118) -- Josh Smith/Tyronn Lue, 25 Indiana (102) -- Ike Diogu, 20 REBOUNDS Atlanta (41) -- Josh Smith, 13 Indiana (33) -- Mike Dunleavy, 9 ASSISTS Atlanta (30) -- Anthony Johnson, 12 Indiana (22) -- Keith McLeod, 5 FG% Atlanta -- .530 Indiana -- .493 FT% Atlanta -- .833 Indiana -- .844 -- Riding four 20-plus point individual efforts for the first time this season, the Atlanta Hawks wrapped up their season with a 118-102 win over the Indiana Pacers before 16,051 at Philips Arena on Tuesday. -- Josh Smith (25 pts/13 rebs) and Tyronn Lue (25 pts) led the Hawks in scoring, while Marvin Williams totalled 23 pts (10-15 FGs) and Shelden Williams scored a career-high 21 pts to go with his 10 rebs ... Smith had his team-high 32nd double-double, Shelden Williams had his 8th dub-dub (tops among all NBA rookies), and fourth-in-a-row. -- Lue had a career night from the foul line, hitting 13-14. -- Marvin Williams scored 20 or more points in five-of-his-final-six games, averaging 19.7 ppg on .565 FG% during that span. -- Atlanta scored a season-high 41 points in the first quarter, a season-best 76 in the first half (on a season-high 66.7% FGs), and tied a season-best with 44 field goals made ... The Hawks had their second-highest scoring output of the season (118), without the benefit of a made three-pointer (0-6). -- The Hawks final record (30-52) improved for the third consecutive season, as the team improved from 13 wins (three years ago) to 26 last season, and 30 this season. -- Hawks attendance at Philips Arena was up for the fifth straight season, as the final average was 15,595 (639,375 total), a Hawks season record in the eight-year history of Philips Arena, and a 4% increase over last season. This season's eight sellouts doubled last season's total. -- Josh Smith finished the season with at least one block in his final 53 games, the longest current streak in the NBA, and a franchise single-season record. -- Anthony Johnson dished out a season-high 12 assists, and the Hawks recorded 30 as a team. -- Prior to tonight's game, Josh Childress received the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive season ... Following the contest, Joe Johnson was the recipient of the Dominique Wilkins Award (Team MVP), Josh Smith won the Lou Hudson Award (Most Improved), Shelden Williams took home the Bob Pettit Award (Hustle), and Tyronn Lue received the first Earthlink Fan Favorite Award. -- The NBA regular season wraps up tomorrow with 14 games on the slate, and the playoffs begin on Saturday. Tuesday April 17, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:05PM AFT on April 17, 2007
The most first-round picks the Hawks have ever had was in 1999, when the team had an impressive four. Of course, the four they picked didn't turn out so impressive (of Jason Terry, Cal Bowdler, Dion Glover, and Jumaine Jones, only the Jet is still a rotation player in the league), but hey, it's still a record, what do you want from me.
Congrats to Angela S., who is today's winner.
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:23PM AFT on April 17, 2007
I'm a big trivia fan - I love trying to stump my co-workers with various bits of
random information throughout the day. So, to have a little fun this year, we
are going to be asking a trivia question the morning of every home game -
usually around 10:00 am. At that point, you are free to
email in
your answer to that day's question. Around 2:00 p.m., we will
look through all the responses, and one correct answer will be chosen at random
as the winner. (Click
here for official rules).
And what will they receive for their efforts, you ask? Why, they will get two free tickets to that night's home game! Hooray! It's that simple! So remember to come to the Hawks BasketBlog every morning of every home game for a chance to win tickets for that night's game! Note: Tickets to weekend games will be given away on Fridays. Okay, take a look at today's question and give it a shot! It's possible the Hawks could end up with two first round picks this season. What is the most number of picks the Hawks have ever had in the first round, and who did they select with those picks? Monday April 16, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:50PM AFT on April 16, 2007
 Over the weekend, Hawks GM Billy Knight was named to the Indiana Pacers' 40th Anniversary Team as voted on by the fans of that franchise. Knight, who ranks as the Pacers 3rd all-time leading scorer and was an All-Star for the team in 1976-77, was one of 12 players named to the team, which included such Pacers mainstays as Reggie Miller and Jermaine O'Neal. A pretty cool thing for BK, especially considering that he played for the franchise so long ago and most of today's fans can't remember a game where people wore the size shorts Knight is sporting above. Saturday April 14, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:17AM AFT on April 14, 2007
Atlanta Hawks (29-50) vs. Washington Wizards (40-39)
POINTS Atlanta (98) -- Marvin Williams, 24 Washington (85) -- DeShawn Stevenson, 25 REBOUNDS Atlanta (33) -- Shelden Williams, 10 Washington (37) -- Michael Ruffin, 9 ASSISTS Atlanta (22) -- Tyronn Lue, 10 Washington (27) -- Antonio Daniels, 12 FG% Atlanta -- .478 Washington -- .493 FT% Atlanta -- .667 Washington -- .654 -- The Hawks outscored Washington, 50-49 in the second half, but fell to the Wizards, 98-85, before 16,658 at Philips Arena on Friday at Philips Arena. -- Marvin Williams (24 pts, career high 11 FGM) put in 20-plus points for the third straight game for the first time in his career ... Shelden Williams (14 pts/10 rebs) recorded his second double-double in the last four games, and fifth on the season. -- Tyronn Lue notched his second straight double-double with 16 pts and 10 assts. -- The Hawks were without the services of Zaza Pachulia (lower right leg injury) and Salim Stoudamire (sprained right ankle), along with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Josh Childress and Speedy Claxton. Those six combine to average 79.3 ppg (84.6% of Atlanta's offense). -- Atlanta travels to Cleveland tomorrow for the second half of a back-to-back (7:30 pm, FSN South, 790 The Zone). Saturday April 14, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:21AM AFT on April 14, 2007
Tonight's game against Washington would seem to be somewhat inconsequential.
We are fairly locked into our lottery seeding, and the Wizards are a playoff
team (in name, if not in actuality thanks to their injuries), and it shouldn't
matter who wins or loses. I say let's come out and get a win tonight on Fan Appreciation Night, get to 30 wins, and deal an even larger blow to the Wizards fragile emotional state. See you there! Friday April 13, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:07PM AFT on April 13, 2007
It's been several years since the Hawks swept a home series against Washington. In fact, it's been nearly a decade, as the last time the team accomplished the task was the 1997-98 season.
Congrats to Nicole W., who wins tonight's tickets. Back in a bit with some chatter on tonight's game!
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:31PM AFT on April 13, 2007
I'm a big trivia fan - I love trying to stump my co-workers with various bits of
random information throughout the day. So, to have a little fun this year, we
are going to be asking a trivia question the morning of every home game -
usually around 10:00 am. At that point, you are free to
email in
your answer to that day's question. Around 2:00 p.m., we will
look through all the responses, and one correct answer will be chosen at random
as the winner. (Click
here for official rules).
And what will they receive for their efforts, you ask? Why, they will get two free tickets to that night's home game! Hooray! It's that simple! So remember to come to the Hawks BasketBlog every morning of every home game for a chance to win tickets for that night's game! Note: Tickets to weekend games will be given away on Fridays. Okay, take a look at today's question and give it a shot! With a victory tonight, the Hawks would win both of their home games against the Wizards this season. When is the last time the Hawks swept the Wizards at home? Wednesday April 11, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:26AM AFT on April 11, 2007
Atlanta Hawks (29-49) vs. Boston Celtics (23-54)
POINTS Atlanta (104) -- Tyronn Lue, 26 Boston (96) -- Gerald Green, 33 REBOUNDS Atlanta (39) -- Zaza Pachulia, 12 Boston (27) -- Leon Powe, 7 ASSISTS Atlanta (21) -- Tyronn Lue, 10 Boston (18) -- Rajon Rondo, 8 FG% Atlanta -- .603 Boston -- .462 FT% Atlanta -- .792 Boston -- .800 -- The Atlanta Hawks shot a season-high 60.3 percent from the floor, and led by Tyronn Lue (26), Zaza Pachulia (22) and Marvin Williams (21), downed Boston, 104-96, in front of 13,780 at Philips Arena. -- Lue put in 8 straight points for the Hawks during a critical fourth-quarter stretch, and scored 13 total in the closing period ... He's averaging 22.0 ppg and 9.3 apg in his last three. -- The Hawks had three 20-plus point scorers for the fifth time this season, and both Pachulia (12 rebs) and Lue (10 assts) recorded double-doubles. -- Shelden Williams (14) and Royal Ivey (11) provided firepower off Atlanta's bench. -- Trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, the Hawks outscored Boston 53-37 in the second. -- Atlanta returns to action Friday, when they host the Washington Wizards at Philips Arena (7:30 pm, FSN South, 790 The Zone). Wednesday April 11, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:47AM AFT on April 11, 2007
Tonight we finish the season series against Boston, a team we have beaten two of the three times we've played them so far. I know fans are still in a "lets lose to protect our draft slot" mode, but I for one would like to get a win this evening.
Secondly, if you look at the standings, we are pretty much set in the #4 slot. The Bucks are 26-51, two games worse than us, and hold the #3 position. Charlotte and Seattle, at 31-47, are 2.5 games to the better, occupying a tie for the fifth-spot. With only five games remaining, it seems pretty unlikely that we will move from the spot we currently occupy. Given that, wouldn't you rather see the team finish the season on a high note and grab a few more Ws, maybe get to 30+ wins on the year? I know I would. It may be tough given the players we are missing, but I'd still like to go into the games desiring a positive outcome. Tonight's game against Boston is winnable, regardless of who we have out on the court. We got nice performances out of Marvin and T-Lue in the OT loss at Philly, and if Salim is healthy enough to go tonight, I expect him to continue his offensive ways as well. So come out to Philips and cheer the team on to a win against one of the league's most storied franchises. Maybe it's just me, but a win over the Celtics will always mean something. See you there! Wednesday April 11, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 12:13AM AFT on April 11, 2007
Tough question today - how many players on the Hawks and Celtics rosters completed their college eligibility? The answer is 14 - eight for the Celtics and six from the Hawks. It breaks down like this: Celtics: Hawks: Congrats to Sam R., who wins tickets to tonight's game against the C's. Back with a game preview in a bit! Tuesday April 10, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:50PM AFT on April 10, 2007
I'm a big trivia fan - I love trying to stump my co-workers with various bits of
random information throughout the day. So, to have a little fun this year, we
are going to be asking a trivia question the morning of every home game -
usually around 10:00 am. At that point, you are free to
email in
your answer to that day's question. Around 2:00 p.m., we will
look through all the responses, and one correct answer will be chosen at random
as the winner. (Click
here for official rules).
And what will they receive for their efforts, you ask? Why, they will get two free tickets to that night's home game! Hooray! It's that simple! So remember to come to the Hawks BasketBlog every morning of every home game for a chance to win tickets for that night's game! Note: Tickets to weekend games will be given away on Fridays. Okay, take a look at today's question and give it a shot!
Monday April 9, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:08PM AFT on April 9, 2007
Hawks 104 (Lue 24)
76ers 109 (Iguodala 25) Overtime Rebounds Hawks 41 (M. Williams 9) 76ers 41 (Dalembert 10) Assists Hawks 23 (Lue 9) 76ers 26 (Iguodala 8) * The shorthanded Hawks dropped a 109-104 overtime decision in Philadelphia...Atlanta had only 10 available players for the game. * Slava Medvedenko had his best game as a Hawk, posting 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block...he knocked down 4-6 FGs and tied a career-high with a 6-6 showing at the foul line. * Tyronn Lue tallied 24 points and 9 assists to lead Atlanta, and tied a career-best with 8 rebounds. * Marvin Williams posted 21 points and 9 boards, and Josh Smith scored 16. * Solomon Jones added 11 points on a career-best 5-7 FGs. * The Hawks are back in action on Tuesday, April 10 against the Boston Celtics (7pm) at Philips Arena. Saturday April 7, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:56AM AFT on April 7, 2007
Atlanta Hawks (28-48) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (26-49)
POINTS Atlanta (115) -- Josh Smith, 28 Milwaukee (102) -- Earl Boykins, 36 REBOUNDS Atlanta (52) -- Josh Smith, 18 Milwaukee (36) -- Ruben Patterson, 11 ASSISTS Atlanta (29) -- Tyronn Lue, 9 Milwaukee (20) -- Earl Boykins, 9 FG% Atlanta -- .466 Milwaukee -- .440 FT% Atlanta -- .706 Milwaukee -- .692 -- The Atlanta Hawks scored a 115-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Friday before 15,020 at Philips Arena. -- Josh Smith had a monster night, with 28 points, 18 rebounds (career high), five assists, three steals and two blocks. -- Salim Stoudamire's 21 points all came off three-pointers -- he was 7-of-11. -- Atlanta spotted Milwaukee a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter (39-29) before cutting that deficit to two at the half. The Hawks took the lead in the third, on Stoudamire's fifth triple of the game and never trailed the rest of the way. -- Tyronn Lue totalled 16, Anthony Johnson had 13, Shelden Williams finished with 12 and Marvin Williams scored 10. -- Williams also grabbed 16 rebounds to post his fourth double-double of the season, and Smith registered his team-leading 30th double-double. -- Milwaukee's Earl Boykins led all scorers with 36 points, which tied his career-high. -- The bench scoring was in Atlanta's favor, 48-8. -- The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Hawks and upped their overall record to 28-48 on the year. -- The Hawks next contest is Sunday at Philadelphia (7:30, 790 AM, Sportsouth). -------------------------- Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld Saturday April 7, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 12:54AM AFT on April 7, 2007
Before we get into tonight's game, it seems there is video all over these interwebs of various things happening with the Hawks family. Yesterday it was Harry the Hawk breakdancing, and today it's a scene from the Kiss Cam circa last season (watch till the end, the pay-off with Shaq and D-Wade is pretty funny). Check it out. In other news, Faith Dawson has an interesting feature in the AJC about Salim Stoudamire's eating habits. It's rare you see vegans in the macho world of professional sports, but I am actually surprised you don't see more of them - if only because many athletes subscribe to the "my body is a temple" line of thinking. Salim still likes the leather ball though - a good thing, considering he has had to pick up the offensive slack a lot with the recent rash of injuries to several of his teammates. I spoke to Salim at shootaround today about his increased presence. It's a tough situation for him (as well as all of the Hawks currently getting more minutes), as he is desperate to win games but is able to showcase his talents much more right now with the Joe's and Joshes out of the picture. Speaking of tonight's game, it should be interesting. Both teams are playing shorthanded (to say the least). In Breaking Down The Bucks today with Hawks assistant Larry Drew, we discussed the difficulty of preparing for an unfamiliar opponent and trying to get production from unfamiliar sources. One tip - he said the player to watch for Milwaukee tonight is fan favorite Earl Boykins. You heard it here first. Come to Philips to check it out - I am predicting big nights from Smoove and Salim in a Hawks win... Friday April 6, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 10:44PM AFT on April 6, 2007
Let's get to today's trivia winner, and then I'll be back in a bit to preview tonight's game. The question was how many times have the Milwaukee Bucks had the #1 overall pick, and who did they draft. The answer? Four times. The Bucks selected Andrew Bogut with the first overall pick in 2005 (when they beat out the Hawks for the top spot), took (former Hawk - though not at the time) Glenn Robinson in 1994, Indiana's Kent Benson in 1977, and Lew Alcindor in 1969. Today's winner is Jeff L., so congrats to you Jeff. Be back in a little with more!
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:38PM AFT on April 6, 2007
I'm a big trivia fan - I love trying to stump his co-workers with various bits
of random information throughout the day. So, to have a little fun this year, we
are going to be asking a trivia question the morning of every home game -
usually around 10:00 am. At that point, you are free to
email in
your answer to that day's question. Around 2:00 p.m., we will
look through all the responses, and one correct answer will be chosen at random
as the winner. (Click
here for official rules).
And what will they receive for their efforts, you ask? Why, they will get two free tickets to that night's home game! Hooray! It's that simple! So remember to come to the Hawks BasketBlog every morning of every home game for a chance to win tickets for that night's game! Note: Tickets to weekend games will be given away on Fridays. Okay, take a look at today's question and give it a shot!
Thursday April 5, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:21PM AFT on April 5, 2007
Well, last night's game was kind of a dud. I don't really have much to say about it. Instead, I would like to reflect on happier times. Courtesy of The Basketball Jones, here is some video taken during the NBA All-Star break of Harry the Hawk taking on Golden State's mascot Thunder in a breakdancing competition.
Get your swerve on, Harry! Thursday April 5, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 12:15AM AFT on April 5, 2007
If you are a fan of women's hoops (no judgement here), and want to see a professional team in the ATL, make sure to check this out:
people have organized a pledge drive to
help make it happen.
Basically, they need to sell a certain number of season tickets to bring the team to life, so if you are interested, check it out. Wednesday April 4, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:20PM AFT on April 4, 2007
 What was already a rough end to the season (with season-ending injuries to Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton) just got a little harsher, as it was discovered that Josh Childress has a stress fracture in his right foot that will sideline him for the next 4-to-6 weeks.I am sure the conspiracy theorists out there will claim this is a move designed to help the team tank and secure a top-three draft pick, but believe me this injury is no laughing matter. Chills was sidelined earlier this season with some foot issues, and though he was able to come back, hopefully the rest he will get now will allow him to be fully healed (no pun intended) in time for next season. In the meantime, the Hawks will play the Nets tonight without three of their top six, which just means we'll have to get some quality minutes from the reserves. Salim has shown what he can do with extended playing time; hopefully we'll see more production from the rookie bigs as well. Tuesday April 3, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 6:47PM AFT on April 3, 2007
Lost in the shuffle of yesterday's NCAA title game (congrats to the Gators for completing an incredibly difficult repeat) was this little NBA nugget:
 Kevin Willis is back in the league, having signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks.The 44-year old former Hawk (and Rocket, and Spur, and Raptor, etc etc.) joins a Dallas frontline that has been shorthanded of late with an injury to Erick Dampier. There is no question Willis is in shape, as he was always one of the most fitness-conscious players in the NBA. Does he still have enough left in the tank to make a contribution? I guess we'll see. Dallas has very little to play for over the last few weeks of the season as they've already clinched their division and nearly the #1 seed, so maybe he'll get some P.T. Either way, we will always have a soft spot in our heart for the big man, who is so old he was playing in the NBA before Josh Smith and Marvin Williams were born. Best of luck, big fella. Monday April 2, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:46PM AFT on April 2, 2007
 Sunday's loss to Chicago was disappointing. It's now six in a row for the Hawks, especially coming on the heels of a promising stretch of basketball right before. Such are the ups and downs of this season. I found myself thinking about the team yesterday as I watched the game from press row and how we lost. We played with Chicago for most of the game, leading at various points and never trailing by much when we were down. The difference in the game, in my opinion, came down to Chicago's confidence and our lack of it. Chicago played like they knew they were going to win the game eventually, it was just a question of when they would assume control. They are a playoff team, and they have the self-assurance that keeps them level no matter the situation. Obviously, yesterday might have been different if we'd had JJ available, but I think more than anything this team just needs to continue to gain confidence. The Bulls are on the rise in the East, but it wasn't that long ago they were doormats. Watching them reminds me that if we are patient and continue to add pieces to what we have in place, we aren't all that far off from going into our games with that same attitude, that we are going to win this game no matter what you do. Honestly, that was the biggest difference to me between the teams - attitude, not talent. Here are some pictures from the game, which was close till late...you know, one of these days, we are going to get those guys. Monday April 2, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:21AM AFT on April 2, 2007
Atlanta Hawks (27-47) vs Chicago Bulls (44-31)
POINTS Atlanta -- Josh Smith, 24 Chicago -- Luol Deng, 30 REBOUNDS Atlanta (41) -- Josh Smith, 12 Chicago (39) -- two with 9 ASSISTS Atlanta (16) -- Josh Childress, 5 Chicago (18) -- Ben Gordon, 7 FG% Atlanta -- .462 Chicago -- .471 FT% Atlanta -- .846 Chicago -- .808 -- For the 11th straight time, the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks, 105-97, in front of 17,687 at Philips Arena. -- The Hawks trailed by one, 32-31, at the end of one, and took a four-point lead into the lockerroom at the half (56-52) before Chicago led by two, 75-73, heading into the final period. -- Josh Smith finished with his team-leading 29th double-double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, while Chicago's Luol Deng was the game's top scorer with 30. -- Atlanta committed 20 turnovers and which translated into 22 Bulls points. -- Marvin Williams (16), Tyronn Lue (15) and Josh Childress (12) each posted double-digits for Atlanta. -- Chicago's Kirk Hinrich (22), Ben Gordon (15) and Chris Duhon (11) rounded out the double figure scorers for the visitors. -- Atlanta is now 27-47 on the year. -- With eight games remaining, the Hawks head to New Jersey for a Wednesday showdown against the Nets (7:30 pm, 790 AM). -------------------------- Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld |
What's
your favorite social networking site and why?
First
of all, I apologize for the headline. I don't watch American Idol, and I really
have no idea who Sanjaya is, I just hear people talking about him.
Act One - Hangin In:
Act Four - the Deluge:
The 2006-07 season has come to a close. It's crazy - it feels like it just
started. I can't believe it's over.
Except, I find there is actually a lot riding on tonight's game. The Wizards,
incredibly unfortunate of late, have lost their stature as an Eastern Conference
contender and turned into a nearly gift-wrapped First Round playoff series
victory for someone in the East, thanks to season-ending injuries to Caron
Butler and Gilbert Arenas.
First and
foremost, I like getting series bragging rights. We've already got them against
the Clippers, the Warriors, the Magic, the T-Wolves, and the Grizzlies (maybe we
should relocate to the Western Conference?). With a win tonight, we add the
Celtics.