But, as you may already know, the Hawks have signed swingman Maurice Evans to a contract and hopefully to try to help replace some of what was lost when Josh Childress took off for Athens.

I am a big fan of this signing. Evans has always struck me as the kind of guy who could do more if asked, and his stature in the league seems to have grown each year after originally going undrafted out of Texas in 2000.

Speaking of which - I am, of course, ecstatic to be adding a former Longhorn to the Hawks roster, though I'm curious to know how much Texas pride Evans has after plying his trade there for only one season (Evans played two years at Wichita State before transferring to Texas before his junior year, then was an early entrant for the draft).

Evans rep is as a terrific perimeter defender, something the Hawks can definitely use after Childress' departure, and is also an improving three-point shooter.

Evans doesn't replace Childress, but he is a great addition (at a reportedly low cost - the Hawks don't release contract terms, but the word from Sekou Smith is 3 years, a little over 7 million) to the squad no matter what.

In other news, SS is also reporting the Hawks have reached an agreement with Randolph Morris, recently of the New York Knicks and a former AAU teammate of Josh Smith. Morris will definitely help shore up the frontcourt, and hopefully along with Zaza Pachulia will allow Al Horford to play some more minutes at the 4 instead of the 5.

I know we are all still bummin' about Chills and the unresolved situation with Josh Smith, but these are both positive moves for the franchise nonetheless.

Update: I had a chance to sit and chat with Evans after he signed his contract, and he struck me as a cool customer with confidence in his game and a chip on his shoulder to still prove his place in this league. For your sake, I edited out all the parts of the conversations regarding Texas sports...

Update #2: Morris is official, he signed the contract today. I hope to talk with him on Friday about returning to his hometown.

Arthur Triche, the Hawks VP of Public Relations, is out with the Hawks summer league squad at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. He'll be posting his thoughts frequently for the Hawks BasketBlog while he's out there to give everyone a glimpse of which Hawks players are doing damage and which free agents are making an impression...

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah ----- Hip, hip, hooray!!!  The last day...hahaha!
 
Seriously, it's been a good week and as usual the Utah staff does a excellent job of running the Rocky Mountain Revue, and we appreciate the hospitality.  When I asked how many years had the RMR been in play, I was told since 1984...wow!

The Hawks and Warriors have run up and down the floor for almost two minutes without scoring -- it is 11 am -- and both teams are minus several players.  Atlanta's Acie Law had to return home to take care of some personal business (nothing serious, but he had to go), and Thomas Gardner was inserted into the starting lineup to replace him.

Gardner, who may likely get an invite to fall camp (along with Hunter and Jackson), nailed the first jumper of the day to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead, then Jeremy Richardson (who has really struggled the last two games) adds one of two FTs to hopefully get off the snide.  Following an Anthony Randolph (first round pick from where??  LSU!!) slams home a miss to make it 5-3 and Richardson adds to more FTs to even things once more.

The two teams will have to push through it this morning -- because literally no one's here, well maybe a half-hundred diehard friends.

Coming out of a timeout (and an 8-8 score) -- it's been the Gardner and Anthony Morrow (formerly of Georgia Tech) show.  While I haven't had a chance to watch a lot of the other teams play this week, Morrow and former McEachern product Morris Almond have both represented themselves well.  Almond has averaged 19.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in the five games (Utah wraps up action tonight against Dallas), and according to reports, he could figure more into Utah's plans if they elect to not match the free agent contract offer to C.J. Miles by Oklahoma City.  The Jazz have to decide by midnight tonight.  While Almond is the third leading scorer in the RMR, Morrow leads the bunch heading into today's game with 23.0 ppg.  He is also shooting 57 percent from the field (fifth in the RMR) and tops the group from three-point range after hitting 10-of-12.

Heyyyyyyy!!  The Hawks bench sends out some love for teammate Demetric Bennett, who hadn't scored at all this week until the two minute mark when his layup tied things up at 13.  Prior to that shot, Bennett was 0-for-11.  Lookout!!  He's on fire, nailing a three as the Hawks take their first lead, 16-13, and increase the margin when Brian Randle slams from the right baseline with 21 seconds left.  That man Bennett is at work again, hitting a jumper at the buzzer to give Atlanta a 20-13 first quarter lead.

The Warriors to on a 8-0 run before BENNETT(!!) goes right down the middle for a dunk -- where has this guy been all week?? -- to give deadlock things at 22-all.  Despite all of that, Atlanta has to button things up, they're getting outplayed and outhustled as Golden State takes a 26-22 lead, prompting coach Larry Drew to call a timeout.

Man, I have never seen Richardson miss so many wideopen shots.  He is 0-for-5 thus far (BENNETT (!!) for three, Hawks trail 32-30) and 4-for-his-last-24 jumper...wow.  Bennett has 14 points to lead all scorers thus far, he's going to make up for the entire week in one game.  Gardner's triple gives Atlanta a 37-32 lead, but the Hawks give up another layup on the ensuing play.  Golden State has a 20-10 advantage in the paint.

The Hawks are clicking on offense after shooting 39 percent in the first quarter, as Randle and Gardner each convert layups on their own and the lead builds to 41-34 with 1:37 left before the half.   BENNETT (!!) gets another and Gardner drills another three before GState commits a turnover giving the Hawks the last shot, which falls short and Atlanta leads by ten at the half, 46-36.

Gardner and BENNETT (!!) each have 16 points at intermission and the Hawks are shooting 47.1% from the floor, after hitting nine-of-16 in the second.

After the quickest intermission in RMR history -- five minutes, ya'll -- these teams are really trying hard to make their flights -- Atlanta goes right back on the attack.  Richardson finally gets untracked and Jackson hits a three before Randolph answers for the Warriors, it's 53-42 Hawks.  Randolph is serving as the GState point guard -- a 6-8 stringbean -- and he's probably best suited to be somewhere else after Jackson strips him and goes in for the breakaway layup.

During a timeout, equipment manager Zac Walsh, athletic trainer Wally Blase and I try to come up with a nickname for BENNETT (!!), who has nailed all but two of his 10 attempts today.  The best one??  "The Crockpot", by ZW.  The three of us had dinner after last night's game with Drew and assistant coach Bob Bender and either Bender or myself cracked that Bennett would probably go for 30 today -- saving his best for last.  He may yet prove us correct...

The Hawks increase the lead to 16 (62-46) after a Gardner jumper, and moments later it's da' 'Pot as BENNETT (!!) gets three more points to up his total to 21.  Nine away...haha!  Alright son, way to show me what'cha got.

BENNETT (!!) AGAIN!  A three -- six down -- and Hunter on a layup from Jackson has Atlanta ahead by 18 (74-56) with 20 seconds left in the third.  Four away...BENNETT (!!) on a scoop to help the Hawks to a 20-point lead at the end.  To borrow from legendary baseball announcer Jack Buck, "I can't believe what I'm seeing!!"

Randolph is silky smooth folks, he could see a lot of action for the Warriors this year.  He may not have a solid build at this point, but he doesn't have any fear in driving to the basket.  GState is trying to force the action, and I guess so, since they're down 19, 81-62.  They show a bit of energy and narrow it to 15, causing Drew to call a timeout with an 81-65 advantage.

The Hawks get right back into it as Hunter converts and Richardson makes his easiest jumper in some time to push Atlanta ahead, 85-68 with six minutes left.  Yawnnn, the Warriors get a few, and BENNETT (!!) is two shy of 30 as the Hawks keep the pressure on, and former Hawk guard and GState coach Sidney Moncrief signals for a timeout.  The two teams trade threes, and the clock ticks away...Delta, here we come.

Gardner's at free throw line and Drew substitutes for BENNETT (!!) -- hey coach, put him back in!! -- so he may not get it...wait a minute, BENNETT (!!) returns, yep, yep!  Richardson makes a strong move to the hole, gets fouled with 2:25 left, and hits the two FTs as Atlanta leads 94-80.  The Warriors get a three-point play to cut it to 11, but Randolph picks up a strange technical which BENNETT (!!) makes (one away!) to give the Hawks a 97-81 margin.

Out of a timeout, it appears Drew is going to diagram a play for BENNETT (!!).  Check that, another technical has been called on the Warriors -- their trainer!!!  This has got to end...and soon!  Things are really getting out of control as Randolph gets the gate after another T -- come on, Golden State, this isn't funny anymore.  But for "the Crockpot" -- BENNETT (!!), he gets the RMR single game scoring high with 30.  Nice job, son.

The Hawks are really pouring in on now, as the Warriors have given up.  Way to finish up the week Atlanta.  FINAL SCORE, Hawks 105-Warriors 91.  Joining Bennett among the Atlanta's top scorers were Gardner (27), Hunter (20) and Richardson (11).  DeMarcus Nelson and Randolph finished with 21 and 20 respectively.  Bob Kurz and Morrow had 17 and 15 for Golden State.  Atlanta finishes up the week with an impressive 4-2 record, trailing only Golden State and San Antonio in the loss column at 3-1.  It's been fun, folks, until next time...peace!

CURRENT STANDINGS
Golden State Warriors -- 3-1
San Antonio Spurs ------- 3-1
Atlanta Hawks ------------- 4-2
Dallas Mavericks --------- 3-2 (with one game left later today against Utah)
Utah Jazz ------------------- 3-2 (with one left against Dallas)
Iran Olympic National --- 0-2
D-League Ambassadors - 0-3
New Jersey Nets ----------- 0-3
 
 
SCORING BY QUARTERS
Warriors ----- 13 - 23 - 20 - 35 ----- 91
Hawks ------- 20 - 26 - 30 - 29 ----- 105
 
LEADING SCORERS
Warriors -- Nelson 21, Randolph 20, Kurz 17, Morrow 15
Hawks ---- Bennett 30, Gardner 27, Hunter 20, Richardson 11
 
LEADING REBOUNDERS
Warriors -- two with 7
Hawks ----- Richardson 9
 
ASSIST LEADERS
Warriors -- Nelson 5
Hawks ---- Jackson 7

Arthur Triche, the Hawks VP of Public Relations, is out with the Hawks summer league squad at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. He'll be posting his thoughts frequently for the Hawks BasketBlog while he's out there to give everyone a glimpse of which Hawks players are doing damage and which free agents are making an impression...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH ----- Sometimes it's best to get back to playing ball...

It was a hectic, strange and frustrating day yesterday, on many levels, and I'm not about to rehash the events surrounding Josh Childress' departure fro.m the Hawks to Olympiakos. What's done is done, and whatever I think isn't going to change things. And yes, while I do have many opinions on the matter, I have learned to move forward in this business (after 25+ years in sports, and the last 18 with the Hawks) and deal with the highs and lows as they occur and hope things work out for the best in the long run.

So, we all will have to wait and see.

I do know this...I don't really feel like writing much tonight, but I'm not going to shortchange those of you who have wanted to know what happens with summer league team, and I've certainly appreciated the kind words from those who have commented on the reports from SLC.

The Hawks and Jazz resume action after a day off, with Utah looking to avenge a 72-63 loss on Saturday. Both teams are showing their rust early on, and Jeremy Richardson is really struggling. He missed a wideopen layup within the first few minutes -- this after shooting 2-11 on Tuesday, but he rebounded with an easy bunny to get on the board. Let's hope this bodes well for him tonight.

Utah has a different starting five out here in the rematch and it's showing in their effort. The only starters from game two back in the lineup are guards Earl Calloway and Morris Almond and center Kyrylo Fesenko, and until Thomas Gardner nailed a three at the 3:20 mark (14-9 Utah), the Jazz looked like they were trying to put this one away early.

Unfortunately, Atlanta's shooting like I feel -- missing on six of their first 14 attempts for 29% shooting -- not good. The Jazz, on the other hand, has nailed 7-of-11 of their shots. Two straight miscues by the Hawks and coach Larry Drew is forced to make some lineup changes.

Gardner's been the only bright spot as the first quarter comes to a close. He has five of Atlanta's 14 points, as the Hawks trail by six. Luke Jackson has a three, while Acie Law, Mario West and Richardson (1-4 FGs) each have two. Othello Hunter returned to action after missing Tuesday's game with a hamstring strain, and he's scoreless after five minutes (0-2 FGs). Almond's come out firing for Utah, hitting eight on 4-of-5 shots.

Thank goodness for Gardner. A three right in front of the Jazz bench ties the score at 20-all, then Utah comes right back as Mike Efevberha (Cal-State Fullerton -- and add some more vowels to that name!) takes Jackson to the bucket for a three-point play, 23-20 Utah.

The Hawks fight back to even things at 23, but big Kevin Lyde muscles the Jazz back in front with 7:40 left in the second (25-23). Law returns to the court as Olumide Oyedeji goes to the line for two. He misses the first...makes the second and Atlanta applies full-court pressure. It almost works as they almost lull Brian Jackson into a turnover, but Utah retains possession -- and does nothing with it as Kosta Koufos is short with his jumper.

Law gets fouled and his two freebies puts the Hawks in front for the first time, 26-25 with six left. Atlanta has done a good job of fighting through its offensive difficulties to take the lead, despite its 33.3 shooting. Maybe Utah should have kept it's second unit on the bench...

Just when it appeared as if the Hawks had lost their way, Law hits a three and dishes on a layup attempt to West, who goes to the line for two (he's holding his wrist after getting fouled and falling hard to the floor) -- missed the first, hit the second -- and Atlanta moves ahead 32-29 with at the 3:10 mark.

In looking at the stat sheet during a timeout, the Hawks have done a good job on the boards to negate Utah's decided edge (remember on Saturday when I told you the Jazz had nine player at 6-9 or better??). They only trail by two in the rebounding column, 16-14. All of sudden Atlanta has gone turnover happy, and jumpers by Leemire Goldwire and Brian Greene have awaken the crowd.

Following a Richardson jumper, Utah increases their lead by four after Greene is fouled on a put-back (38-34) with 45 seconds left, and the teams only manage to score one more point (Atlanta) before the horn sounds at the half with the Hawks trailing 38-35.

West's three ties the game to open the second half, his seventh point of the night, Utah scores four straight before Richardson halts that with two free throws to make it 42-40 Jazz. Things get ragged again and Atlanta's offense sputters as we watch Utah jump out to a 49-43 lead (6:10 in the third). Another Hawk turnover and they're lucky the Jazz fail to score on a fastbreak attempt before a timeout is called...this is getting painful to watch.

Utah is controlling things in the paint offensively, outscoring the Hawks 26-8 in the paint -- increase that by two more as they convert off yet another Atlanta mistake to take a 51-43 advantage. After two FTs by Law, Rickey Paulding lets sail with a corner jumper for the Jazz at the 4:40 mark. Atlanta's struggling again from the floor, hitting only three FGs this quarter, yet, they're only down three as Jackson strokes a three and Oyedeji hits two FTs to make it 53-50.

Oh, forgot to mention that after I got done with my "real" responsibilities of handing the PR duties as it related to what is being termed "Atlanta's Greek Tragedy", I finally got a chance to see "The Dark Knight". And holy moses Batman, it was worth the 2 1/2 hours and then some. The man-toys used by the Caped Crusader were outstanding and the late Heath Ledger is deserving of all the accolades that have come his way. His portrayal of the Joker was phenomenal (yes, better than Jack Nicholson) and one of the funniest scenes involves him at the Gotham General Hospital (just watch the mannerisms). If you get a chance, check it out...this could be the biggest blockbuster in some time. It's already made over $200m in less than a week.

As the third quarter comes to a close, the Hawks trail by three, 60-57. Law got it going with nine points. He shooting 5-of-11 tonight, to go along with three assists and two boards. After two attempts, the Hawks tie it up at 60-all on Jackson's three, and after he is derailed on a fast-break attempt by the wide-load Lyde, Jackson hits Oyedeji inside for a three-point play to give Atlanta a 63-60 lead. Unfortunately for the Lukester, he woke up the home crowd moments later on a missed dunk and on the next play, Utah jumped ahead on a three-point play by Koufos. 65-63 Jazz with 7:30 left.

Utah makes it 70-65 before Law's layup with four and half left cuts it to three. Atlanta forces a turnover, Gardner throws it ahead to Jackson -- this time he lays it up -- and the Hawks trail by one, 70-69 and Corbin calls a timeout with 3:52 remaining. Whoa!! The Jazz turn in the plays of the night thus far, rejecting a layup by Law and a follow attempt by Oyedeji. Atlanta appears to have dodged a bullet and Hiram Fuller misses two bunnies, but he gets fouled and converts on his third attempt to make the three-point play, 73-69. Another jumper by Utah makes it a six-point lead and the Hawks need points more than ever. Oyedeji makes one of two (75-70) with 2:10 left and the Hawks get the ball back on a turnover. Can't waste a lot of time here...arrgh! Law and Jackson fail to score and Utah gets the ball back with 80 seconds left. Jackson dunks on a breakaway, but Utah responds with free throws to keep it at five (77-72) with 1:30 remaining, as the Hawks call TO. Atlanta has to be quick about it, but they're taking too much time. Law is bailed out on a jumper by the officials and he goes to the line for two. He drops both with :53.8 left and Utah spreads it out. Atlanta doesn't have to foul and they get the ball back after Calloway takes a bad long range shot. Law misses on the layup attempt and Calloway is fouled with 21 seconds left. He makes both and the Hawks appear to be on the verge of dropping their second straight.

Randle dunks out of the timeout to make it 79-76 with 14 ticks left, and the Jazz call another TO. Randle scores again, but Utah's victorious tonight, winning their third in a row -- 83-78. The Hawks will conclude action in the Rocky Mountain Revue Friday with an 11 a.m. (1 ET) contest against the Golden State Warriors.

CURRENT STANDINGS
Golden State Warriors 3-0
San Antonio Spurs 3-1
Atlanta Hawks 3-2
Dallas Mavericks 3-2
Utah Jazz 3-2
Iran Olympic National 0-2
D-League Ambassadors 0-3
New Jersey Nets 0-3

SCORING BY QUARTERS
Hawks ---- 14 - 21 - 22 - 21 ----- 78
Jazz ------- 20 - 18 - 22 - 23 ----- 83

LEADING SCORERS
Hawks -- Law 21, Jackson 16, Gardner 11
Jazz ----- Almond 29

LEADING REBOUNDERS
Hawks -- Oyedeji 7
Jazz ----- two with 6

ASSIST LEADERS
Hawks -- Law 5
Jazz ----- Calloway 7

Just got off the conference call with Rick Sund and the media, so I'll try to provide some insight into what happened. Sund didn't get into any of the details of the negotiations (he still has negotiations on-going with Josh Smith and others), but he definitely made it clear that he felt the Hawks made a competitive offer to Childress, more than any other NBA team was offering. While he didn't come right out and say Childress took the money and ran, the details of the contract (courtesy of Sekou Smith) show that the difference between what the Hawks offered and what Olympiakos gave him was substantial. Like twice as much substantial.

Look, I'm a Hawks employee, but I'm just as big a Hawks fan as anyone. I've followed the team since I was a little boy growing up in Mississippi, and I've been through the highs and lows over the past 20 years like everyone else. That Childress is gone, and we have no compensation in return (other than the cap space previously reserved for him), is a tough blow, no doubt.

And while there are many who want to blame Hawks management and ownership for what happened, I just don't know if that is really fair in this case.

The NBA is a business. The teams that are most successful (in the NBA and in all of sports) are the ones that spend their money wisely and don't let emotions get in the way of what makes the most business sense. How many times have we seen teams overpay for players and then end up with albatross salaries they regretted almost immediately thereafter?

Did Rick Sund want to keep Josh Childress? You bet. We all did. He was a huge part of the team's success last season and (in theory) a big part of its future. But does it make sense to give him 10 million a year (or something even remotely close to that)? It doesn't. I'd wager you'd be hard-pressed to find any NBA person who would claim otherwise.

Josh Childress is a wonderful player (I've been a champion of his importance to the team his entire career), but the Hawks would be making a huge mistake to pay him that kind of money, considering what they are paying (and will soon be paying) other players on the roster. He was an important part of the Hawks rotation, but he wasn't a star, and 10-mill a year is star territory, at least to teams that spend their money wisely.

As Sund said on the call, Atlanta made Childress a competitive offer, and it was more than any other team appeared willing to give. Childress' agents were charged with getting their client the best deal they could, and my hat is off to them for doing so in a creative way. They clearly weren't going to get this kind of money for Chills in the NBA, and decided this was a risk that was worth taking for him (and while we're here, this isn't even that risky a deal for Josh. He doesn't have a huge buyout that would make it difficult for him to leave and he has an option to terminate the contract after every season, making it very easy for him to return should he find Greece a bad fit).

I know most people want to blame Hawks management and ownership for letting this happen, and if that is your opinion you are entitled. But at least consider this:

Professional sports are, for the most part, very orthodox. Change is rare; teams and players follow the same paths over and over and over again. You see it all the time - baseball teams still sacrifice bunt and issue intentional walks despite increasing evidence that those plays are nowhere near as helpful as previously thought; NFL teams punt on 4th and short even though the opportunity to keep possession is well worth the risk; in the NBA, coaches continue to let teams shoot game-tying three-pointers with the clock winding down rather than fouling them and giving up a pair of free throws. Changes to those strategies are often (if not always) met with a heavy dose of skepticism from peers and colleagues.

That is why a move like this one is so hard to comprehend - an American player of Childress' caliber has simply never left the NBA at this stage in his career, not with reasonable money on the table. It's easy to throw blame at the Hawks, but what if there is more to it than that?

Not to go all Harvard, but today's global economy is much different than it used to be. The euro is much stronger than the dollar, making it very easy for European teams to make competitive (or in this case, far superior) financial offers to NBA players. The top European teams are making more and more money every year, giving them large enough budgets to handle contracts of this size without even blinking. This was going to happen eventually, it just took the right kind of player to take the bait, and frankly, I think Childress is that guy.

Chills is not like most NBA players (afro aside). Every time I've chatted with him at the start of seasons past he's raved about his trips abroad over the summer, including trips to China and Africa as part of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program. He realizes there is a much larger world out there, and he's experienced a good bit of it. Right off the bat, the idea of playing in a foreign land was going to be much more palatable to him than most.

Josh is also a guy who, though dedicated to his craft, maybe doesn't see basketball as the end-all be-all of his existence. He has continued to work towards a business degree over the past few summers and spoke often of wanting to be as successful off the court as he is on it. Therefore I can absolutely see where playing in the NBA, just because it's "the NBA", might not be enough of a reason on it's own (the way it would be for many of his peers) to keep Childress stateside.

Maybe the money, coupled with the opportunity to travel and see the world, was enough to make him happy - regardless of what it meant to his NBA stature. I think that's entirely possible, even if it's hard for us to understand.

I don't know if Chills' move is a sign of things to come (in the same way Kevin Garnett ushered in the era of prep-to-pros players) or is more the random actions of a single player (think Ricky Williams retiring from the NFL). Only time will tell.

All I know is that, like the rest of us, I was stunned by Chilldress' decision. I honestly don't think the Hawks ever really thought something like this could happen. But regardless of the reasons, it did happen and Josh Childress is gone.

We can lament the situation all we want, but the most important thing now is to figure out how to replace him.

Any ideas?

Pardon my absence so far today, as I have been at a conference in Chicago since Sunday and am just now getting back into town. Talk about bad timing. I literally just found out about the Childress situation, and like most of you, I am devastated. I think it is way too early to declare anything about what has happened with any certainty, so I will refrain from commenting too much on it other than to say that this is fairly unprecedented, and I don't think anyone saw this coming. Even if it was a possibility, I don't think anyone really thought an NBA player in his prime would bolt for a European team, especially if he wasn't, you know, European.

Rick Sund will be conducting a conference call at 4:30 ET today, and after that I hope to have some more answers to give everyone.

I'm sure you'll have a lot to say in the comments, but like I said, I don't think we should judge anyone on this until more facts are in...

Arthur Triche, the Hawks VP of Public Relations, is out with the Hawks summer league squad at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. He'll be posting his thoughts frequently for the Hawks BasketBlog while he's out there to give everyone a glimpse of which Hawks players are doing damage and which free agents are making an impression...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH ----- To those of us who watch the Hawks practice on a daily basis at Philips Arena, we got a dose of "home" today. I'll say no more on that...

We've enjoyed a nice stretch of sunny skies (and little humidity, sorry Atlanta) here since our arrival, but a rough thunderstorm hit the Salt Lake Community College area after we were thankfully in the building, which will certainly cool things off this afternoon. Unfortunately for Hawks head coach Mike Woodson, the showers drenched him -- that's what he gets for showing up when he did...hahaha.

BAM!!
KAPOW!!
Golly sakes, Batman??!! What in the dark knight was going on overseas the past few days??!! I'm a religious watcher of MSNBC and CNN in the morning (and occasionally, the Fox News Channel -- that's for you, voice of Hawks, Steve Holman -- although I do like MSNBC's Keith Olbermann's "Fox Noise" label better) and earlier today, I came across news of Batman star Christian Bale begin accused of assault by his (ZAP!!) mother and sister...unbelievable. Where was Alfred when you needed him??? Not the kind of noise, I mean news you need as you're trying to promote a movie...nope, nope, nope.

BTW, I hope you got a chance to see NBC's TODAY show today, they featured last night's Utah-Iranian Olympic game, discussing the Iranian team's trip to the Mountains as their prepare for the Beijing Games. The internationals certainly seemed to enjoy their stay in the States and here's hoping they get a chance to have some success next month in China -- except if they face Team USA. Oh yeah, I forgot, Utah beat them, 82-57.

Anyway, I guess I have a few eyeballs checking out my exploits from the RMR, because Acie Law stopped by the press table prior to this afternoon's tipoff and said, "Write something good about me today!" HAHA!! I didn't know he cared.

Big day today for the Hawks as we get set for the showdown against San Antonio. Coach Larry Drew would like to see the blue and white get this one with an off-day scheduled for all the teams on Wednesday. Unfortunately, we're going to have to get it done without current team MVP Othello Hunter, who will miss today's game with a strained left hamstring, according to athletic trainer Wally Blase. Hunter, who has averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, leading the team in both categories, is expected to return to action on Thursday.

The Spurs are looking to rebound from their first loss of the tourney (Monday vs. Dallas) and they currently enjoy a 13-10 lead at the 3:47 mark in the first quarter. Law is certainly being aggressive at the onset, forcing the action offensively, and pulling the Hawks to within one, 13-12. San Antonio is knocking down shots all over the court thus far, shooting 63 percent and following two straight threes, they've jacked that lead back up to seven, 19-12. They're on an 8-0 run, forcing Drew to signal timeout -- they've (S.A.) upped that percentage to 73%.

Atlanta's missing Hunter's presence, and San Antonio's making things difficult, forcing the Hawks into 30 percent shooting (3-of-10) before Luke Jackson -- whose offense is sorely needed today -- nails a three, 21-14 Spurs.

The Hawks have cut it to six, 24-18, at the end of one, but they will have to earn this win on the defensive end today. San Antonio's nailing shots from everywhere -- there goes ANOTHER THREE -- their fourth in less than two quarters...make that FIFTH, as they hit another, of the game (I'm getting sick of them already)!! Okay, there we go! Atlanta's Thomas Gardner connects on the Hawks' first longrange bomb to make it 30-21. Law is certainly playing with something to prove as he takes San Antonio's Roger Powell to the basket again (did I inspire this??!!).

Mario West's breakaway layup narrows the deficit to six with 7:14 left, and Olumide Oyedeji's put back has Atlanta trailing by four, their closest in quite a while. There's that man again -- LAW!! He gets fouled on another sprint to the basket and his two freebies has the Hawks on a 8-0 run to cut it to two (31-29). San Antonio has suddenly gone cold -- and the game is now tied! The Hawks execute perfectly off a steal with Jeremy Richardson passing it over his shoulder to Frank Robinson to the 31-31 score. Now it's the Spurs turn to call a TO!

Another steal by the suddenly aggressive Hawks and West goes in for the uncontested dunk to give Atlanta their first lead of the day. San Antonio answers and Law comes down the floor and from way downtown...BANG! May I never say another bad thing about him again...not that I did before (I think...haha!).

One of Atlanta's defensive principles is being exposed right now -- NO LAYUPS!! San Antonio has gone back-to-back to go back in front 39-35 coming up to the two-minute mark. In addition, Richardson has picked up his third foul (players can't foul out in the RMR), and he hasn't been able to get off on the offensive end at all thus far.

Law's layup -- there's that man again -- closes out first half scoring as the Spurs lead, 41-39.

San Antonio has cooled to finish with a 54% halftime shooting performance, while the Hawks have hit 40 percent of their attempts. Despite the Spurs' 5-of-11 clip from three-point range, Atlanta has narrowed things with 10-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe. They need to do a better job on the boards, as San Antonio has doubled them so far, 20-10, with seven coming on the offensive end. Law has 12 points on 3-of-8 FGs and a perfect six from the FT line, and Anthony Tolliver leads the Spurs with 14 -- he hasn't missed a shot yet -- hitting all five of his attempts (four from three).

WHOA!!! Law drills a three and gets fouled, he makes it and Atlanta's run is now eight straight! San Antonio summer coach Mike Budenholzer has seen enough -- Atlanta's up 45-41. The Spurs finally halt the run with a couple of free throws, and Richardson appears to be ready to get off the snide with a technical FT -- check that, he missed. Richardson misses again, but LOOK OUT!!! West climbs over a couple of guys and "send(s) it in, Jerome!!!!" (that's in honor of CBS's Bill Raftery, one of my favorite analysts)...Hawks up by four again, 47-43 with six left in the third. Too bad this game won't be replayed, that was the dunk of the tournament

Just dawned on me that Speedy Claxton isn't here today. He had to return home to take care of a personal family matter, so here's hoping everything okay there.

It's Law's day today...he just picked up a charge and he was clearly inside the circle. "Acie's Laws" is ruling the roost! San Antonio briefly enjoyed a lead, until Gardner answered again with a long-range jumper to put the Hawks back in front by one, 50-49 at the 3:50 mark. Ooooh, a missed opportunity by Atlanta as Gardner's pass to a wide-open Jackson goes awry giving the Spurs a chance to jump out in front again. They (S.A.) are attacking the boards once more, and that aggressiveness has them ahead again, 54-50. Atlanta trails by two, 54-52, heading into the final period (Law has game-high scoring honors thus far with 16).

Gardner's picking up the slack in Hunter's absence, with a scoop layup tying things up at 54, but OH - MY - GOODNESS!!, San Antonio's James Gist just topped West's dunk of the week, posterizing Atlanta's Robinson with full extension...nasty!! Robinson, whoops, he almost got his own dunk attempt pinned by the rim, slams it home and the Hawks regain the lead, 58-56 with eight left. Things getting a bit uneasy for the Hawks right now as San Antonio goes up by four, 62-58, until -- yep, the Law does it again, with a three-pointer to cut it to one. The Spurs get called for goaltending on Oyedeji's FG and Atlanta's leading now, 63-62.

Richardson is struggling big time, making the second of two FTs -- his first point of the day to tie it up at 64, but Brian Morrison launches a three and the Spurs take a 67-64 lead. The Hawks fail to respond, and Jackson is reinserted into the lineup with less than five minutes left. FINALLY!! Richardson takes it strong to the hole for his first basket, it's 67-66 San Antonio, but Morrison draws a foul on JR at the other and makes both FTs to put the Spurs back up by three. Budenholzer just gave us a laugh at the scorers table when he sent Roger Powell in the game, telling him he was to guard Jackson, saying "Jackson...the white guy". Before you get your panties in a wad PC police, Budenholzer's Caucasian too...

Morrison hits another three, and Law takes him strong to the basket on the ensuing possession to cut it to two, 72-70 with three remaining. Richardson's feeling it now, he ties it at 72. Jackson strips Powell and nails a three on the other end as the Hawks take a 75-72 lead! A little more than two minutes left, timeout San Antonio. Out of that TO, Malik Hairston gets a twisting layup to go in to make it 75-74 Atlanta. The Hawks miss on their next chance and San Antonio get a three from Tolliver (doggone it!!) to lead 77-75. Law gets called for a charge, gotta give the stripe shirts credit on that one, a good call...and the Spurs' Hairston makes two more to give them a 79-75 edge. Time is running out for the unbeaten Hawks, who miss another and is forced to foul with 47 seconds left. Gist makes two more FTs and Atlanta's going to need a miracle, down 81-75.

Law gets fouled, almost converts, but makes two to make it a four-point deficit with 43 remaining. Atlanta forces a turnover, but then gets called for an offensive foul to give it right back. Unbelievably, the Hawks lull the Spurs into another inbounds miscue and get the ball back with 37 seconds...timeout San Antonio. Law tricky dribbles his way to the basket, the miracle might just happen folks, makes it and the Spurs are left to call another TO when they can't get the ball in again. San Antonio 81-79 with 31 seconds left. CRAZY!!! They throw away in the pass, Hawks ball.

Law sizes up the defense, drives hard, kicks it out to Gardner and...THREEEEEEE! Hawks lead, 82-81 with 20 seconds on the clock...timeout Spurs. San Antonio has a little trouble getting in, they do, and first round pick George Hill (IUPUI) is going to take the last shot. He drives to the basket and is fouled...he makes two and the Spurs are back in front, 83-82, :06.9 left. Atlanta calls timeout. Law gets it, drives to the basket, gets tied up!!! Two seconds left, jump ball in front of the Hawks basket...Hill wins the tap, sends it flying the other way and the Hawks lose a heartbreaker. Rats!!

The Hawks have nothing to be ashamed of today, the effort was tremendous after falling behind early. If we could have gotten a few more jumpers to fall from Richardson (he had five points, on 2-of-11 shooting) and Jackson (finished with seven on 2-of-4 FGs), we'd be looking at a 4-0 record at this point. Three and one is nothing to sneeze at, so we'll take our one-day break and get back at it Thursday when Atlanta and Utah go at it again at 7 p.m. (9 ET). The Hawks close out RMR action Friday against Golden State at 11 a.m. (1 ET).

It's a shame we couldn't get this with Law recording a super game, scoring 27 points oin 33 minutes and four assists. Gardner had 16 and West and Oyedeji each tossed in eight. Tolliver had 21 for the winners, who are also tied with Atlanta at 3-1.

SCORING BY QUARTERS
Hawks ---- 18 - 21 - 13 - 30 ----- 82
Spurs ----- 24 - 17 - 13 - 29 ----- 83

LEADING SCORERS
Hawks -- Law 27, Gardner 16
Spurs --- Tolliver 21, Hairston 17, Morrison 13

LEADING REBOUNDERS
Hawks -- Oyedeji 6
Spurs --- Gist 11

ASSIST LEADERS
Hawks -- Law 4
Spurs --- three with 3

Arthur Triche, the Hawks VP of Public Relations, is out with the Hawks summer league squad at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. He'll be posting his thoughts frequently for the Hawks BasketBlog while he's out there to give everyone a glimpse of which Hawks players are doing damage and which free agents are making an impression...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH --- It's Day Three, and the days be-a-draggin'...but at least we're still unbeaten.

No matter how humdrum it may seem this point, personally, my attitude shifted into another gear this morning when I got news -- if I can l swap sports for a moment -- of the New Orleans Saints consummating the deal to obtain TE Jeremy Shockey from the New York Football Giants. "The "U's" in the Big Easy, peoples!!! Granted it, the Shockmeister's coming off an injury and maybe a bit of hurt feelings from his lack of contributions to the Super Bowl champs last year, but this is a huge acquisition for the Who Dats. If they (Saints) can get anything -- and I mean anything from RBs Deuce McAlister (coming off major knee surgery) and Reggie (where has the burst gone?) Bush, they could make things interesting in the NFC...really interesting.

Can't you tell by now I'm from N'Awlins?? And I won't even get into talking about the defending champion LSU Tigers...can't wait for the Dawgs to head to Death Valley in October...can't wait. That's for our PR intern Jennifer, my friendly arch-enemy when talking SEC football around the office -- at least I can "tolerate" the Georgia loudmouths, those Gators on the other hand -- I've had it up to here!!! (that's for Luke Steele from our video department and Ryann Nursey, one of our talented receptionists -- and you too, big Al Horford, HA!). I had to tell my main man Blog K (that's Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith) that watching ESPN's College Football show prior to coming to the Salt Lake Community Center got me all pumped up.

Alright, enough about the pigskin, let's get back to why we're here. But-t-t-t, I will digress to toss up one other thing. Spoke with Acie Law at shootaround this morning (yes, they even workout like that during summer league) concerning the $155 million weekend epic "the Dark Knight" to get his reviews, and the movie critic not only raved about it -- he went twice yesterday. TWICE!! He took in an afternoon showing with Mario West and went back to catch the late night show. Both times he said the theatre was jam-packed. I've heard from about four friends who have echoed the same thoughts and you can rest assured that I will check that out in the next day-or-two.

Tell you what! This D-League team is nothing short on energy -- they are determined to make sure NBA scouts in attendance take a look at their skills and evaluate them fully. One of these NBA teams will get beat by them, and it better not be today. Right now, they are giving it to our Hawks, but the game is tied at 10, as Othello Hunter (Atlanta's most consistent player after two games) puts it up-and-in. Former DePaul coach Joey Meyer is the sideline boss of the team, heavily West Coast-laden -- with players from UC Santa Barbara, Nevada, Southern California, San Diego and Pepperdine listed on their roster.

Making his first appearance of the RMR is center Olumide Oyedeji, who arrived in town last night and not a moment too soon. The Hawks, despite their unbeaten record, has lacked size and bodies inside -- not for a lack of trying by Assistant GM David Pendergraft -- and his familiarity with Oyedeji (who spent a little time in Seattle with Pendergraft and GM Rick Sund) earned him a spot on the roster. While we expected former Cal forward/center Jamal Sampson last night as well, his absence is a mystery at this point and management isn't expecting him to show up.

Let me get this out of the way right now, as the Hawks lead 16-12 (1:09 left in the first). I know there's been a lot of activity out there today at it relates to forward Josh Childress and the reported offer he may receive from the Greece team Olympiakos. Sund's position is to not engage the free agent process through the media, and I can definitely understand that -- I'm not a media person (or reporter), I'm a team executive unable to tell you the goings-on regarding his situation (Childress') or Josh Smith, because I and the franchise can face stiff fines from the people at Olympic Tower in the Big Apple. We've already received one fine from the league this year (remember the $50K big one for the Miami mess?? -- a tad bit excessive, in my humble opinion), so I'm not going down that road. I work for the Hawks, I don't play...if you get my meaning. But Sund did speak earlier today with Sekou Smith and you should be able to find out what's the latest, currently at www.ajc.com.

I told you the D-Leaguers were tenacious and they currently have a three-point lead as we're underway in the second quarter. They got two straight three-point bombs from Nick Lewis, a 6-10 forward from San Diego, and the crowd is certainly pulling for them. As fans are, they can switch on a dime as Speedy Claxton throws a alley-oop to Hunter to give the Hawks a 25-23 lead...and switch right back when Glen McGowan (from Pepperdine) slams home an Ambassador miss.

In earlier action today, the last two arriving teams -- New Jersey and Golden State -- finally decided to show up. And put a win in the Warriors column, as they posted the first 100+ game of the RMR, beating the Nets 108-84. One of my favorite players from last year's NCAA season -- Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts (CDR) tallied six points off the bench. His teammate, first round pick Brook Lopez from Stanford, had 16 points and six rebounds. GState had six players in double figures with former Georgia Tech guard Anthony Morrow tossing in a game-high 23. Warriors' first round pick (and former LSU Tiger...can't help representing the home state) forward Anthony Randolph had 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks. He didn't shoot the ball well at all though, hitting only two of his 10 FG attempts.

With a win today, the Hawks will be in sole possession of the best record, as previously undefeated San Antonio was knocked off in Monday's first game 84-77, to the Dallas Mavericks. Gerald Green was finally inserted into the starting lineup (Mario Elie must have read my stuff...haha) and continued his torrid scoring, registering 27 points in 33 minutes.

Law has it moving again, as the Hawks jump out to a five-point lead with 3:45 remaining (33-28). Hunter currently has eight points, while Law has five and Jeremy Richardson adds four to the leaders. Atlanta's hitting 52 percent from the field.

Hunter and Richardson enters today's action among the top seven scorers in the RMR, with Hunter second amongst the rebounders at 7.0 rpg. West is fifth with 6.5 rpg, while Claxton leads everyone in assists at 5.5 apg. Atlanta also has the top two FG shooters -- Kevinn Pickney and Hunter -- and Luke Jackson is tied for third.

At the half, the Hawks enjoy a 37-30 lead with plenty of balanced scoring, which has to please the coaching staff, and 11 assists on 16 made field goals. Sharing is good...

Also making an appearance today is former Hawk guard and legend Lou Hudson. He always makes a point of checking out the red-and-white, check that, now the red-white-and-blue birds when we come to Salt Lake City. Hudson's doing pretty good these days after suffering a stroke several years ago. He's still supporting his old team, even wearing the old warmup jacket from the Mookie Blaylock days (boy, looking back on it, those things were u-g-l-y).

Speaking of ugly, Atlanta's West just got blammed on by the D-League's Josh Gross for the first points of the second half. He got him good!!! It woke the Ambassadors up and they went on a 11-3 run to start the third before the Hawks regained the lead on an Law jumper, 41-40. They increase it on Law's FT (converting an illegal defense tech) and Thomas Gardner's (Missouri) triple to go up by five minutes later. The Hawks are on a 10-2 run over the last two minutes. They can seemed to put these guys away though...it's now a three-point game (49-46).

Atlanta's gone cold, hitting only 44% overall, while the D-Leaguers are currently hitting 47.2 percent of their shots. At the half, the Hawks were shooting 47.1 to 42.3 for the opposition. Fortunately, we're still winning, taking a 53-49 lead into the final quarter.

Taking control. The Hawks have streaked to a 10-point lead on a 6-0 burst to start the fourth, and the Ambassadors call timeout.

And the beat goes on...Jackson with a three, a rebound and a nice dish to Hunter who's fouled on the way to the basket. He makes the freebies and it's 62-52 as the Hawks pull away. Things get a little ragged down the stretch, and the D-Leaguers go on a 14-6 run over the final three minutes to put a scare in the Hawks, but Atlanta seals it with a strong drive by Law (who misses the three-point opportunity) and FTs by Jackson and Pinkney, as the Hawks win 74-70...whew!!!

Hunter and Jackson led Atlanta with 13 each, with 10 of Jackson's points coming from the free throw line. Gardner tossed in 11 and Law finished with 10 (3-8 FGs).

Atlanta's first up Tuesday, with a 2:15 matchup against San Antonio (4:15 ET), while Dallas plays Golden State, and New Jersey takes on Utah (the D-League and Iran Olympic teams will have the day off).

CURRENT STANDINGS
Atlanta Hawks 3-0
Golden State Warriors 1-0
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
San Antonio Spurs 2-1
Iran Olympic National Team 0-1 (pending tonight's game against Utah)
New Jersey Nets 0-1
D-League Ambassadors 0-2
Utah Jazz 0-2 (pending tonight's game against Iran)

SCORING BY QUARTERS
Ambassadors ----- 16 - 14 - 19 - 21 --- 70
Hawks --------------- 16 - 21 - 16 - 21 --- 74

LEADING SCORERS
Ambassadors ----- McGowan 17, Gross 12, Elliot 10
Hawks --------------- Hunter 13, Jackson 13, Gardner 11, Law 10

LEADING REBOUNDERS
Ambassadors ---- Brown 6
Hawks -------------- Pinkney 9

ASSIST LEADERS
Ambassadors ---- Elliot 5
Hawks -------------- Claxton 4, Jackson 4, Law 3, Hunter 3

Arthur Triche, the Hawks VP of Public Relations, is out with the Hawks summer league squad at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. He'll be posting his thoughts frequently for the Hawks BasketBlog while he's out there to give everyone a glimpse of which Hawks players are doing damage and which free agents are making an impression...

Before we get started with notes from tonight's game, a couple of things to inform you about from the opening night's action -- I spoke with Speedy Claxton as he watched action from the San Antonio vs. D-League Ambassadors contest, and after missing most, if not all of last season, Claxton was happy with his performance (four points, seven assists and two steals in close to 17 minutes of play). "It felt good to get out there and get some serious action," he said, "I was a little rusty, obviously, but otherwise I felt fine. It was great to get things going with that second unit, we played well as a group and I guess you can say it was like riding a bike, you never forget (how to play)."

A few of you asked about TV telecasts from here, and while none of the games will be shown live on NBATV, you can catch the following Hawks games next week -- Friday's game vs. Dallas will be shown Tuesday, July 22 at 3 p.m. (and replayed July 26 at 1 p.m.). Tonight's game will be televised Wednesday, July 23 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., with Monday's game against the D-League unit available for viewing on Thursday, July 24 at 9 p.m. (and replayed July 27 at 1 a.m.).

Here are the standings after two days:
ATLANTA HAWKS 2-0
San Antonio Spurs 2-0
Dallas Mavericks 1-1
Iran Olympic National Team 0-1
NBA D-League Ambassadors 0-1
Utah Jazz 0-2
Golden State Warriors 0-0
New Jersey Nets 0-0

Utah has an unbelievable number of players participating on their roster -- 17, while San Antonio's close behind with 16. The Jazz also has the tallest group out here, with nine players 6-9 or taller (yikes!!). Maybe Dallas (and my man, "Coach Barker" Mario Elle (check yesterday's blog if you need to be reminded), should look at starting free agent pickup Gerald Green. He's only come off the pine to lead the Mavericks in scoring with 20 and 15 points. I'm just saying...

The Rocky Mountain Revue goes silent for one day on Sunday, resuming action on Monday as the Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets fill out the rest of the squads here. Atlanta will take on the D-League Ambassadors (who gave the Spurs a heck of a battle Saturday before losing 68-65) at 4:30 local (6:30 ET).

Three things to glean from tonight's game, how the Hawks handle the defensive pressure from Utah (in addition to the overwhelming size difference), whether Acie Law can bounce back from his poor shooting game Friday, and will the Hawks be bother from the overbearing Jazz fans -- it doesn't matter if it's the regular season or summer league, these people are loud and proud.

Well, the inside presence is dominating early as Utah jumps out to a 9-4 lead. Atlanta can't make a shot, hitting on 29 percent after one timeout (2-of-7). Jeremy Richardson and Law have missed on their first four attempts (three by J-Rich). By the way, Scott Layden is coaching tonight for Utah, after former Hawk forward Tyrone Corbin had the duties last night. Speaking of Corbin, he was up for one of the available assistant positions on Michael Curry's staff but Jazz management made it real enticing for him to return ($$$) in addition to reportedly making him the heir apparent for Jerry Sloan when the veteran coach hangs up his whistle.

The boo