Archives For Game Recap

GRADES: Pacers 81, Hawks 73

Bo Churney —  May 4, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL
Pacers win series, 4-2

IND(4-2) 81 – 73 (2-4)ATL

Key Performers:
G. Hill (IND): 21 pts, 2 reb, 7 ast
A. Horford (ATL): 15 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Robby’s last grades started with “that was pitiful”, and I really wanted to keep that as the first sentence. The Hawks looked like they had given up at one point, going 1-for-15 in what was probably the ugliest quarter of basketball that I’ve ever seen. They ended up rallying back behind the cheers of the fans, but the team wasn’t able to overcome the Josh Smith jumper frenzy.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: He was the leader of the rally at the end, scoring seven points in the fourth quarter. However, he was pretty awful before that point. He couldn’t get post position, was missing open jumpers, and at times was completely out of offensive sets. That’s not really his fault, but I think he needs to assert himself more to the next head coach of this team so something like that doesn’t happen. 6/10

Josh Smith: This was the ultimate Josh Smith game. He was taking silly jumpers, throwing extremely risky passes, and making a habit out of unnecessary dribbles. He did make all of his free throws, though! The conclusion to the Smoove era in Atlanta was scripted beautifully, though. Down five with about 40 seconds left, Smith took matters into his own hands. Instead of going with the play Larry Drew had drawn up, Smith hoisted a contested 3-pointer, which was blocked by David West. Atlanta wasn’t able to recover. With Smoove’s history of shot selection, this ending was just too perfect. 2/10

Johan Petro: Hibbert was getting position on him all night, which really opened up the floor for George Hill to operate. On offense, he was awful, unless you count him hitting one of the most awkward looking floaters you’ll ever see as a “success”. 3/10

Jeff Teague: As bad as Josh has been this series, at least he plays defense. Jeff, though? Not so much. He was as passive as ever, and really played the role of Josh Smith’s enabler by constantly passing the ball to Smoove out on the perimeter. Teague looked like he had no intentions of attacking at all tonight, meaning that Atlanta was left without a fastbreak point until the second half. Would have been cool if Jeff had decided to show up for games 2-6 this series; the Hawks probably could have won under those circumstances. 2/10

Devin Harris: With Jeff essentially doing nothing out there, Devin tried to take some of that responsibility. He wasn’t exactly successful at it, but hell, at least he was trying. That’s worth something. 4/10 Continue Reading…

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GRADES: Pacers 106, Hawks 83

Robby Kalland —  May 2, 2013 — 14 Comments

FINAL
Pacers lead series, 3-2

IND(3-2) 106 – 83 (2-3)ATL   

Key Performers:
P. George (IND): 21 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast
A. Horford (ATL): 14 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

That was pitiful. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first quarter, before they remembered where they were and that they aren’t allowed to keep it close in Indiana. The Pacers followed the lead of David West (24 points) and Paul George (21 points and 11 rebounds), as they dominated the final three quarters. The Pacers out-rebounded the Hawks 51-28 (!!!!) and shot 50.7% from the field compared to Atlanta’s 33.3%. In the immortal words of Charles Barkley, the Hawks were turrible.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: Al had his worst game of the series in game five. Horford got bullied on the defensive end by David West, who dropped 24 on Al, and that seemed to carry over into offensive frustration for Horford. Al shot 5-of-14 from the field for 14 points along with nine rebounds and missed a number of mid-range shots that are normally automatic for him. Horford, who was the aggressor in Games 3 and 4, was outmuscled and physically dominated by West on both ends of the floor and struggled to respond. This was a disappointing effort from Horford, but I expect him to be much sharper and more aggressive in game six. 2/10

Josh Smith: Smoove got in foul trouble early on and was unable to shake it off throughout. Smith stopped attacking the basket and shot 5-of-16 from the field (3-of-7 from the free throw line) in just 26 minutes of play for 14 points and five rebounds. Smith has to find a way to get the refs out of his head and pull himself together by Friday because he will need to return to form, especially defending Paul George, for the Hawks to have a chance to even the series back up. 2/10

Johan Petro: Petro was the only Hawk to shoot over 50% from the field. So…that’s not a recipe for success. Johan’s 2-of-3 shooting night came in 19 minutes as he tallied five points and two boards. He got abused on the glass and in the post, as was the theme of the night for the whole team, which is about par for the course for a Johan Petro game. 4/10

Jeff Teague: Awful. That’s the word to describe Teague’s masterful disappearing act in game five. Jeff was 3-of-16 from the field for seven points, had just five assists, and continuously lost George Hill on defense. Teague looked disinterested throughout and was unable to jumpstart the Hawks offense when they needed him to pick them up. He, like Smoove, needs to get his act together after that awful tech he picked up in the third quarter for elbowing Paul George as we walked to the bench. Jeff will have to find some inspiration to play harder in game six Friday if the Hawks are to force a game seven. 1/10

Devin Harris: Devin took some head-scratching shots, but he was the only ATL starter that appeared engaged for the entire game. He tried guarding Paul George, and was effective at times, but George’s physical skill set proved too much. Harris was also one of three Hawks to receive a technical foul on the night. 4/10 Continue Reading…

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GRADES: Hawks 102, Pacers 91

Raj Prashad —  April 29, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL
Series tied, 2-2

IND(2-2) 91 – 102 (2-2)ATL

Key Performers:
P. George (IND): 21 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast
J. Smith (ATL): 29 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Indiana came out playing aggressively on both ends of the court to finish a pretty even first quarter. The Hawks took a 17-point lead into the half, only to watch it disappear behind shooting just 15 percent for the third quarter. Behind Josh Smith and Al Horford’s 17-fourth quarter points, Atlanta hung on to tie the series and send it back to Indiana with a chance to go up 3-2 and close out at home.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: Horford got in foul trouble early, which seemed to plague him for most of the night. He did, however, get under David West’s skin yet again, holding the forward to 5-of-14 from the field. After sitting out much of the third quarter, Big Al dominated the fourth with 10 points and eight free throw attempts. 7/10

Josh Smith: One of the more emotional night for Smith led to an up-and-down game. In a supremely efficient first half, Smith had 16 points, six rebounds and played stout defense on Paul George, yet again. A dreadful third quarter in which Smith shot 0-for-6 from the field was just a precursor for his fourth-quarter rebirth. Smith took the game over, scoring seven points, dishing three assists and snagged two rebounds. Smoove’s offensive rebound and dish for a Kyle trey with 2:33 left in the contest, sealed the game. 8/10

Jeff Teague: It was a pretty nonchalant game for Teague, who matched opposing guard George Hill almost point-for-point and assist-for-assist. He held onto the ball throughout the night and knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the fourth to close out the night. 6/10

Devin Harris: Harris had another game that can only be explained in offensive spurts. He hit a buzzer-beating layup to close the half and knocked down a few shots, but wasn’t anything special. Harris’ defensive tenacity was lacking as he almost allowed a Lance Stephenson triple-double. 5/10

Johan Petro: Petro flew back to Atlanta after the birth of his son today and played 22 quality minutes in which he controlled Roy Hibbert for much of the night and he grabbed eight rebounds. 7/10

Continue Reading…

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Hawks’ defensive struggles at root of Game 2 loss

Daniel Christian —  April 25, 2013 — Leave a comment

The Hawks can’t get out of their own way.

Every run seems punctuated with defensive ineptitude, every quarter seems closed with a sluggish submission, every game seems lost by the fourth quarter– the Hawks just can’t stop themselves from tripping over their own feet.

Game 2 against Indiana was more of the same.

The issue is not the ability to score points, it is getting stops. In the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game, the Hawks starters returned (with the abysmal bench lineup returning to their seats), and the offense was a buzz saw. Indiana could not contain Teague in transition or stop Smith from making plays in the halfcourt. Smith’s foul trouble quickly turned the tables on Atlanta, but the Hawks were and have been successful against the NBA’s top defense, an accomplishment worth noting. But, something you’d rather go unnoticed is the fact that Atlanta’s depth and inability to field a respectable lineup for 48 minutes has harpooned their chances of stealing home court advantage.

Continue Reading…

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GRADES: Pacers 113, Hawks 98

Bo Churney —  April 24, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL
Pacers lead series, 2-0

IND(2-0) 113 – 98 (0-2)ATL

Key Performers:
P. George (IND): 27 pts, 8 reb, 4 stl
D. Harris (ATL): 17 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Summary of tonight’s game: Pacers got ahead, Hawks tried to make a comeback, and were often within striking distance. Then, something always happened to keep the Hawks out of it, whether it be a “foul” (looking at you, Malloy), or a defensive breakdown in transition. In the end, the Hawks couldn’t overcome Indy’s three-point shooting and timely baskets.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: Larry Drew let Al play 38 minutes tonight, but it wasn’t exactly that much of a plus for the Hawks. Al missed a bunch of easy shots in the lane and really seemed to be forcing some of his shots. Of course, he never really seemed the same after he unfairly got a technical in the 2nd quarter. Horford’s ejection-worthy reaction was just a testament to how weak the tech call really was. 6/10

Josh Smith: Josh picked up two fouls in the first two minutes, and picked up his third soon after he got back into the game in the second quarter. When he was on the floor, though, he was playing well, as he made his jumpers, had some strong moves to the basket, and was playing aggressive defense. He seemed really inspired in the second half with his play, but he cannot be in that kind of foul trouble in order to be an asset to the team. 7.5/10

Kyle Korver: Kyle, Kyle, Kyle… you had so many opportunities to keep the Hawks in the game. He fared better on defense not having to guard Paul George, but he was set up too perfectly on several threes that could have been momentum builders to miss. 4/10

Jeff Teague: Zero points after halftime is not going to cut it, regardless of how good your first half was. Teague looked completely out of it in the second half, and was hardly getting into the lane like he was in the first. Part of this should be credited to an improved defensive effort by the Pacers, but a lot of it had to do with Jeff turning into the passive character that we have seen him become too often this season. 6/10

Devin Harris: Devin took some head-scratching shots, but he was the only ATL starter that appeared engaged for the entire game. He tried guarding Paul George, and was effective at times, but George’s physical skill set proved too much. Harris was also one of three Hawks to receive a technical foul on the night. 7.5/10 Continue Reading…

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GRADES: Pacers 107, Hawks Not So Much

Bo Churney —  April 21, 2013 — 4 Comments

FINAL
Pacers lead series, 1-0

IND(1-0) 107 – 90 (0-1)ATL    

Key Performers:
P. George (IND): 23 pts, 11 reb, 12 ast
J. Teague (ATL): 21 pts, 7 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

I’m not sure how to describe this game. The Pacers simply outrebounded the Hawks, forced turnovers, and took advantage of the mismatches in their favor. The Hawks, meanwhile, had Al Horford playing the same amount of minutes as DeShawn Stevenson. Maybe it’s just me, but that doesn’t feel like a recipe for success.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: In 28 minutes, Al had 14 points, six boards, and three assists. In 28 minutes. Why did Al only play 28 minutes? Well, Coach Drew sat his star big man for the final 5:29 of the 2nd quarter, a quarter where Al had scored 10 points and was getting whatever he wanted against the Indiana defense. Why did Drew sit him? Horford picked up his second foul. Yes, Drew sat his best player for the rest of the half because he had TWO fouls. Predictably, the Hawks looked like a mess without Horford on the floor. 8/10

Josh Smith: Smoove appeared to hurt his knee early in the second half, and simply was not an effective player after it. Yes, he has his penchant for jumpers, but when he’s healthy, he can still explode to the basket, rebound, and play great defense. In the final portion of the game, it wasn’t that Josh was too lazy or disinterested to do these things; he literally looked like he wasn’t able to them. Maybe he should have only played 28 minutes… 6/10

Kyle Korver: Korver was called for a couple of fouls that left me scratching my head, but the fact remains that he could not guard Paul George. Clearly my thought that the Hawks could live with Korver on George did not turn out to be a great plan. Compounded with Kyle going 2-for-7 from the field… this wasn’t one of his highlight games of his career. 2/10

Jeff Teague: Jeff had a good offensive night with 21 points and seven assists, but his defense on George Hill in the first half… well, it left a lot to be desired. His defense improved by the second half, but by that point, it was purely the Paul George show and there was nothing Teague could have done to stop it. 7.5/10

Devin Harris: Early in the game, Devin tried to get into the lane a couple of times and draw a foul, but those whistles did not come. This seemed to adversely effect him, as he really did not get aggressive again until late in the game. However, even if he did get those calls, it might not have helped; he missed all three of his free throw attempts on the night. 5/10 Continue Reading…

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RECAP: Knicks 98, Hawks 92

Bo Churney —  April 18, 2013 — 1 Comment

FINAL

NYK(54-28) 98 – 92 (44-38)ATL

Key Performers:
I. Shumpert (NYK): 18 pts, 7 reb, 8 asts
M. Scott (ATL): 23 pts, 14 reb
[FULL BOX SCORE]

This was not the superstar matchup that you were looking for. This game shall forever be known as the “Mike Scott-Chris Copeland battle”, as the two rooks were the biggest beneficiaries of the starters being rested. With the loss, the Hawks finish the season at 44-38, which is the same record they had in Larry Drew’s first season with the team. Atlanta will face third-seeded Indiana in the first round of the playoffs, which starts Sunday at 1 PM on TNT.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Mike Scott: A 20-10 game in your first career start isn’t a terrible way to end the season. The only downside: when you go back and look at all of Mike’s shots, you’ll see a lot that he probably should have made. That may not sound bad to you, but he could have had 30 points tonight! 8/10

John Jenkins: Jenkins missed all six of his three point attempts, and was only able to connect on two jumpers overall. However, he had some great cuts and drives to the basket, went to the foul line a few times, and wound up as the team’s point guard for a large portion of the game. The fact that he was largely able to overcome a terrible shooting night is one of the biggest indicators of his improvement this season. 7/10

DeShawn Stevenson: I’m not even sure where to start with DeShawn’s game… I mean, he was ONE-FOR-ELEVEN from the floor. He wasn’t exactly doing a lot defensively either, as Shumpert and White both took turns making easy plays at DeShawn’s expense. Perhaps he should have rested, too. 1/10

Shelvin Mack: It appeared that Mack was the most consistent of the Hawks that played tonight, as he was the only one who played strong across all quarters. He wasn’t really flashy, but his consistent play is a big reason why the Hawks had a shot to win this game. 6/10

Ivan Johnson: Ivan was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field tonight, which raises a lot of questions: why didn’t we get Ivan Johnson heat checks? Let’s be honest… this game would have been a lot more watchable if Ivan was pulling up from 25-feet. I guess we’ll have to live with his crafty layups that he got to fall through the hoop. 7/10 Continue Reading…

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RECAP: Raptors 113, Hawks 96

Chris Barnewall —  April 16, 2013 — 1 Comment

FINAL

TOR(33-48) 113 – 96 (44-37)ATL    

Key Performers:
S. Mack (ATL): 11 pts, 3 reb, 5 asts
D. DeRozan (TOR): 30 pts
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Tonight’s game against the Raptors was changed to a national TV game when the game between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers was cancelled. This was an opportunity for the Hawks to change the image they have among fans as a boring team. Did they succeed? Nope, not even close. The team decided to rest Al Horford, play starters minimal minutes, and had a, forgive the cliche, lack of energy on the court. The Hawks played some of the worst defense I’ve ever seen with the Raptors scoring 68 points IN THE FIRST HALF.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Josh Smith: Smith only played in the 1st half and sadly that didn’t really matter. When Smith was in the game his defensive impact was minimal and his offensive impact was pedestrian. Smith had 6 points, 1 FT, and a 3 pointer. 3/10

Kyle Korver: One of the lone bright spots for the Hawks tonight was from Kyle Korver. Korver went 5/7 from the field and drained three 3 pointers. His off ball movement was great as usual and he managed to avoid being streaky. However, on defense there was a point where Korver had to cover Rudy Gay and I’m pretty sure we were all worried for Korver’s well being. Defense, still not his strong suit. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see too much of him tonight, but when we did see him, he was playing well. 7/10

Johan Petro: You could easily argue that Petro was the second best player tonight out of the starters; this is not a reflection of how “well” he played. He was able to grab a few offensive boards and got a few easy buckets, but not much else from Johan. 5/10

Devin Harris: Harris was awful tonight. Harris didn’t help the team at all when he was on the court and in some ways he hurt it. Harris was slow on defense (are you beginning to notice a theme?) and probably just as slow on offense. Harris didn’t push the pace at all and sometimes made it even slower leading to possessions where they weren’t in there sets until way late in the shot clock. He didn’t even help with his shooting going 2/8 from the field. To cap it all off, he received a flagrant foul when he hip-checked John Lucas III. 2/10

Jeff Teague: Teague probably could have been better tonight. While he didn’t hurt the team too much he didn’t greatly help them either. He was able to pass his way to 9 assists but his shooting wasn’t too stellar going 2/5 from the field. The assists are nice but it would have been nice to see him try and change the game up a little. 5/10 Continue Reading…

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RECAP: Hawks 109, Bucks 104

Raj Prashad —  April 13, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL

MIL  (37-42) 104 – 109 (44-36) ATL

Key Performers:
J. Smith (ATL): 24 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl
M. Ellis (MIL): 27 pts, 8 reb, 17 ast, 5 stl
[FULL BOX SCORE]

With just over a week before the playoffs, Atlanta showed heart battling back from a 19-point deficit. They played collective, team basketball in the second half after a porous defensive effort over the first two quarters. In the win, Atlanta clinched at least the 6 seed in the playoffs and currently hold the 5 seed over the Chicago Bulls.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Josh Smith: Smith was tuned in offensively, leading the team with 24 points, but it was his first half defense that he really struggled with. Smith couldn’t stick with Ersan Ilyasova on pick-and-pops, giving up a career-high five treys in the first half and 25 points overall. But in the second half, Smith played fantastic on both ends and showed his ability to defend any position. 8/10

Al Horford: Horford nearly had a 20-20 game, scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 boards. It helped not having Larry Sanders in the lineup as Horford really controlled the glass and the paint. 8.5/10

Kyle Korver: He pushed his 3-pointer streak to 72 games, but had a rather disappointing performance on both ends of the court. Korver had eight points and was decent defensively. 5/10

Devin Harris: Following a dreadful 0-for-7 first half performance, Harris came storming out of the half, scoring 19 in the second half and played a decent night defensively. He played off of Ish Smith for much of the night and went under screens, giving him open looks and couldn’t find Monta Ellis in transition. 6/10

Jeff Teague: You’ve gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to aggressive Jeff Teague. While he shot 10-of-15 from the field and scored 24 points, he did have five turnovers, with four of those coming in the first half. Teague did match up well with Ellis and and dominated JJ Redick up and down the court. The point guard really controlled the pace of the second half and attacked at will for the Hawks. 8/10 Continue Reading…

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RECAP: Hawks 124, Sixers 101

Bo Churney —  April 10, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL

PHI(31-47) 101 – 124 (43-36)ATL

Key Performers:
J. Smith (ATL): 28 pts, 12 reb, 4 asts
T. Young (PHI): 28 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

I’m going to sound a lot like Larry Drew here, but this was one of the most complete efforts by the Hawks this season. Thaddeus Young was getting everything that he wanted, but that did not discourage the Hawks at all. Admittedly, the defense could be better, but the Hawks shot 53% from the field, were 18-for-19 from the line, and had a total of 34 assists on 49 made baskets. And finally, one of my favorite stats of the night: the bench scored 53 points, one of their highest totals of the season.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Josh Smith: Yes, Smoove was hitting his jumpers (he was 4-for-7 on those), but he was also extremely patient with his moves in the paint. Usually he either goes completely aggressive or totally passive, ending up in a completely erratic night from Josh. Not today; he knew when to attack, and when to hold up. The 28-12-4 line was one of his best of the season, but he could have been a little stronger in trying to contain Thaddeus Young. (hence the -0.5) 9.5/10

Al Horford: Al didn’t really do anything notable… and he still ended up with 16 points and nine rebounds. He was extremely quiet in the first half, but he got some good looks off the pick-and-roll in the third quarter. With the effort, he’s still on pace to be the first Hawk to average a double-double since Dikembe Mutombo did it at the turn of the millennium. 8.5/10

Kyle Korver: Kyle’s streak marches on to 71 games, but this is the first game that I can think of where the team schemed to get him a three-pointer for the sake of extending the streak. After missing on his only three-point attempt in the first three quarters, Coach Drew placed Kyle back in the game in the fourth (with the team up by 20 or so) and had Kyle fire off two shots in a couple of minutes. I’m glad the streak continued, but he really wasn’t a factor in this game. 4/10

Devin Harris: Via John Schuhmann, the Hawks are now 23-9 (.719) when Devin Harris starts, 11-13 (.458) when he comes off the bench, & 9-14 (.391) when he doesn’t play. Gee, I believe somone wrote something about how aweseome Devin Harris has been this year… oh yeah, that was me. 8/10

Jeff Teague: Despite zero attempts from the free throw line for Jeff, he was still showing some aggressiveness on the court. He was able to get to the rim easily and transition, and made all of the right passes on the night, finishing 11 assists and zero turnovers. This was only Jeff’s fifth game of the season with zero turnovers. 8.5/10 Continue Reading…

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