Happy Monday morning out there Hawks fans! Ok, I'm not really that chipper a person, but just trying to get this week started on the right foot. Tough loss last night to the Suns at Philips, but all in all, it wasn't a bad weekend for the Hawks. The team got a big win Friday against the Rockets, winning a close game against a very good team and gaining a crucial victory during this brutal stretch. As I said last week, I honestly feel like if we could go 1-3 against the West on the home stand and then grab another 1-3 on this upcoming three-game road trip, then we are still alive.

the Houston win. What I liked the most about this game was how the Hawks never built a big lead or let Houston take one. It's rare, especially for a young team like Atlanta, to see us play so consistently for 48 minutes. It's no surprise to see us getting ahead or behind by double digits (and then losing that lead or coming back) because of how prone we are to streaks. Yet Friday we managed to beat the Rockets, a terrific team and potential title contender if they get Yao back healthy, without ever leading by more than five or six until free throws late in the game.

Sunday against Phoenix...what can you say? The Suns are one of the two teams considered most likely to take home the title this season, and the Hawks gave them all they could handle the entire game. Twice, the Hawks rebounded to take the lead when trailing by 13+ points, which is something to be proud of. We didn't win the game, and we couldn't stop Amare Stoudemire (man, that guy is ridiculous), but I am happy about the way the guys battled back and never let it get out of hand, even though it appeared it might at several different junctures.

What can you say about the Suns? They are 13-0 on the road against the East, and if they beat Indy on Tuesday and Philly on Wednesday, they will become the first team in NBA history to win all their road games against the opposing conference. So, all things considered, it sucks that we lost, but clearly Phoenix is on a serious roll this year - at least we got a split!

Moving on, lets give out a couple of extra kudos for individual efforts. First of all, welcome to the family, Anthony Johnson. AJ had 17 points in his Hawks debut, including three-of-four from long-range. I don't expect to see that every single night, but clearly performances like that one will warm the Hawks community to him very quickly.

Also, props to Marvin Williams, who put up big numbers in both games over the weekend, popping for 20 against the Rockets and 23 more (with 10 boards) against Phoenix. Included in that 23 was a ridiculous moonbeam from behind the rim at the third-period buzzer, the kind of shot you take in HORSE but rarely ever see in game action. Marv hit a career-high 10 fgs against Phoenix - now if we can just get him to take like one big step back and turn those long twos into threes, then you'll see his scoring average jump significantly!

Here are some photos from the weekend for your viewing pleasure, courtesy as always of Hawks ace photographer Scott Cunningham.  

This weekend is huge for the Hawks. H-U-G-E. Two daunting opponents on the docket, both of whom can be considered title aspirants (if not favorites). The Hawks have shown they can play with the big boys in the league, coming close to beating San Antonio and Utah, beating Detroit and Phoenix (though sans-Nash).

Still though, the team has got to start turning some of these moral victories into actual victories. Tonight, hosting the Rockets, is a great opportunity to do so.

Houston is a great team, even without Yao, due to their terrific defense. As assistant coach Greg Ballard told us today in breaking down tonight's matchup, the Hawks must play smart offensive basketball in order to win. The Rockets lead the league in defensive rebounding, and have terrific on the ball defenders in Shane Battier and Luther Head, so the Hawks will have to protect the rock and take smart shots.

This stretch is brutal for Atlanta, no doubt. But if they can just tread water, I still say the playoffs are within reach. I know you may think I'm drinking the company kool-aid, but just hear me out. Orlando, in the 7th spot, is 13-23 since starting the season 14-5. Miami, which seemed on their way up the ladder, now faces the prospect of playing without Dwyane Wade for the rest of the season. If so, stick a fork in 'em.

The schedule opens up tremendously for the Hawks in March and April. Do yourself a favor and look at the Hawks schedule for March and April. How many games do you count that you would say for sure, "That's a loss." I don't count that many - four, five tops. Obviously, I am not contending that the Hawks are going to go on a 19-5 run to finish the season. But if they can grab a couple wins in this next five game stretch to stay near the 10 games under mark, the slate is there for the team to start making a push.

Which brings us back to this weekend. If the Hawks are going to make a playoff push, obviously they are going to have to start defending the home court. Winning at least one of the two this weekend would be a huge start.

Come on out to support the boys in red and white, and let's see if we can't start to make this thing a little interesting.

See you there!

Update: No confirmation on this, but allegedly Tracy McGrady said on the Dan Patrick show today on ESPN Radio that he was going to pop for 40 tonight against us. Challenge extended? Challege accepted. Let's crank up the D Hawks!