Boxscore

Gameflow

In lieu of my own confused feelings about the game, I'll begin with a quote from Mike Woodson for which I have no complaint or (would be) clever rejoinder:

"You can't wait three quarters to decide you want to play. We were just awful, I thought, in the first three quarters.''

That nails it. As does the corresponding quote from Stan Van Gundy (though his perspective is obviously buoyed by the addition of one to Orlando's victory column):

"The fourth quarter was not a thing of beauty. I think we pushed our starters too much in the second night of a back-to-back. But I'm not going to quibble. This is a very good win against a very good team."

I'd be lying if I said I had handle on this game.

• Did Josh Smith have a good game (21 points on 15 shots, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers) or a bad game (0 points, 2 rebounds, -12 over 13:44 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters)?
• Did Flip Murray get the Hawks back in the game (10 points in 12 second half minutes) or did he prevent the comeback from fully flowering (2 turnovers, 2 missed, misguided jump shots, and a missed free throw in the final 7 of those 12 minutes)?
• Were the Hawks terrible defensively (Orlando scored 1.21 points per possession through three quarters) or just terribly inconsistent (Orlando score 0.79 point per possession in the fourth quarter while Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu combined to miss all 9 of their field goal attempts)?
• What amount of credit do the Hawks deserve for coming back in a game wherein they didn't defend for three quarters, missed 44 percent of their free throws, and Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby combined to shoot 11-34?
• What degree of blame* do they deserve for not playing defense until they fell 21 points behind and for not making their free throws?

*I don't think blame is the right word with regard to Bibby and Johnson shooting the ball. They took very few bad shots. They just didn't hit anything. Bibby's blown layup down 4 with 55 seconds left was a killer but I have trouble conflating that fuke, physical error with a team-wide free throw embargo.

At Third Quarter Collapse, Ben Q. Rock has a similarly mixed take from the victors' perspective:

As tremendous as this win is for Orlando--it, coupled with the Boston Celtics' loss to the Houston Rockets, brings them to within a half-game of Boston for the second seed in the Eastern Conference--it's important to note that it could have fairly easily been an embarrassing defeat. The Magic led by as many as 21 points in the game, and if the Hawks had simply managed to convert more often from the foul line (they finished a miserable 14-of-25) they may have eked-out the win. It's also important for Orlando to not get too pleased with itself.

Professional writer John Hollinger encapsulates in a single paragraph what took me four questions, two quotes, and a Pozterisk above:

But Bibby's miss was the perfect metaphor for an ugly night for the Hawks. They shot 14-of-25 from the line, ceded a 60-point first half, and oddly sat Al Horford for a nine-minute stretch of the second half even though he had only one foul and Zaza Pachulia was out with the flu.

Regarding Zaza's absence (and that of Acie Law IV), Thomas Stinson of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Suffering from flu-like symptoms, Pachulia stayed home Wednesday night. Also unavailable was point guard Acie Law IV, who left the team to tend to an ailing family member.

The Human Highlight Blog has lots of stuff from the game last night.

Same teams, different location on Friday night. Stan Van Gundy's already made a prediction:

"Tonight they missed. I don't anticipate they they'll do that two nights in a row. When they play us Friday, it could be a tough night."

WHO: Orlando (27-8) at Atlanta (22-11)

WHEN: 7pm

WHERE: SportSouth HD, Hawks Radio Network, NBA Audio League Pass

Injury Report: As always, Speedy Claxton is out. Marvin Williams is listed as day-to-day but is expected to play. For Orlando, Mickael Pietrus is out.

Game Notes

For Entertainment Purposes Only: Atlanta -2, 190.5 o/u

Blogging With the Enemy: Third Quarter Collapse

Orlando beat Washington 89-80 last night. Ben Q. Rock has all you need to know about that tilt.

In the previously posted article regarding the importance the Magic are putting on tonight's game (and presumably Friday's re-match in Orlando), John Denton also notes the recent trouble that the Magic have had guarding opposing 2-guards:

The Magic have had loads of trouble stopping opposing shooting guards of late, and Tuesday night was no different. Caron Butler scored 21 of his 29 points in the third period to keep Washington (7-26) surprisingly within striking distance much of the second half.

Toronto's lightly regarded two-guard Anthony Parker had 26 points against the Magic on Sunday. Dwyane Wade scored 33 against Orlando on Friday and Kobe Bryant (41 points), Jamal Crawford (18 points) and Rashad McCants (21 points) have had big nights from the shooting guard position of late against the Magic.

All of this (well, obviously not Caron Butler's big game) led to Courtney Lee getting his first NBA start last night. They really should have just drafted Ronnie Brewer instead of JJ Redick.

John Denton sets the mood:

There was a time when going to Atlanta was the equivalent of a NBA vacation what with the night life the city offered the visiting players and the homecoming doormat of a team calling Philips Arena home.

But with the Hawks now stockpiled with young, dynamic talent and clearly positioned as a franchise finally on the rise, the days of treating the Atlanta Hawks like a speed bump are over.

Our dark past is someone else's glory days. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Dwight Howard states his intention:

"(The Hawks) seem to have our number lately, but this is our chance to send a message to that team from the start of the game. They really play well at home and they are a good team, but if we go down there and dominate from the first quarter we can get ourselves a good win."

Rashard Lewis provides a second:

"We need to set the tone right away and let them know that we're the better team. Obviously it's a big game and they beat us early in the season, but we'll be ready."

With 40(.2)-percent of the season completed and another off day to fill, I say it's time to re-visit everyone's expectations for the team.

• The Hawks are 22-11. If they continue to win two-thirds of their games, they'll finish with 54 or 55 wins.
• The Hawks Pythagorean record through 33 games is 20-13. If they're more of a .606 winning percentage than a .667 winning percentage team the rest of the way, they'll finish with 51 or 52 wins.
• John Hollinger's Playoff Odds project 50 wins for the Hawks. In the best of the 5000 simulated iterations of the remainder of the season the Hawks win 63 games. In the worst of the 5000 simulated iterations of the remainder of the season the Hawks win 35 games.

What say you?

As always, feel free to own or elaborate your vote in the comments.

As promised, Sekou Smith delivers more about the surprise re-appearance of Acie Law and Solomon Jones Saturday night:

Just the sight of the five of them on the floor together caused heads to turn.

Five Hawks reserves playing together usually means they’re at practice. Five Hawks reserves on the floor together in a game, as they were in the second half of Saturday’s last-second win over Houston, is noteworthy.

And something, according to Hawks coach Mike Woodson, that likely will have to be repeated on a regular basis with the rigors of the NBA season.

“I’ve got to get back to that somehow,” Woodson said. “And I know I keep saying that, but eventually we will. We’ll have guys in and out. I want to try to, at least, get to nine or 10 deep that we’re playing on a regular basis.

“But it sure would be nice to get some big leads and keep them so we could work all our guys.”

This is why I so frequently correct, fact-check, or just make fun of Mike Woodson quotes. I do not believe he tends toward understatement, subterfuge, or deliberate obfuscation. In complimentary terms, he appears to be too honest for any of those modes of speech. In more critical terms, he appears to lack the verbal communication skills to engage in such multi-purposed modes of speech.

Woodson genuinely does not believe that Acie Law is capable of playing 10 or 12 minutes a night backing up Mike Bibby. Or, he does not believe that Acie Law is capable of playing 10 or 12 minutes a night backing up Mike Bibby any better than can non-point guard of long standing, Flip Murray. I think it's time to stop wondering* why. 

Same goes for Solomon Jones but in his case, I'm completely with Woodson because

1. Smith/Horford/Pachulia plus some spot power forward time for Marvin Williams is a good frontcourt rotation.
2. Solomon Jones was never a good college basketball player.

*Though we can start wondering why Woodson seems to envision himself so passively with regard to who on his team gets playing time.

Acie Law fans can, I believe, take long-term encouragement for his NBA career in the following quotes from his teammates.

Josh Smith*:

"That has to be the toughest part for those guys. You come to work every day, and everybody wants to play minutes. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s nearly impossible to keep 12 guys happy that way, because everybody wants to play as much as possible. That’s why we have to be grateful for the times that they come in and do what they did [against the Rockets], because it’s a huge boost for our team."

Zaza Pachulia:

"I’ve been talking to Acie, especially just because I’ve been in that situation before. I think he’s done a great job. And he has to respect it, because it’s very hard to stay ready when you’re not playing. But this is professional basketball, and he’s a good young player and he’s showing good character by accepting his role the way he has.”

*How can a guy who can't but say something perceptive damn near every time he opens his mouth not be a moe self-aware basketball player?

Joe Johnson sounds like a guy who would welcome a lessening of his burden. Unless he's still thinking about Mike Bibby dragging in the fourth quarter in New Jersey:

"The bench definitely has to be effective in order for us to be a good team. There’s just no way the starters can play 40-plus minutes a game every night. So those guys have got to be ready whenever their number is called.”

Last word goes to the man in charge:

"When you’re learning to win everybody has to understand that and accept their role, knowing that whatever minutes I get I have to make them most significant minutes I can to help our team win basketball games. Because you never know when you’ll be called upon. And Acie was great for us, Solomon was great for us. You just never know what can happen, so you have to ready mentally and physically to do your job.”

Boxscore

Gameflow

Reduced to following the game online under the heavy influence of cold medicine rather than spending an early Saturday night downtown, I regret missing out on a game I assume I would have found alternately delightful (Josh Smith attacking the basket almost exclusively and the return of Acie Law IV) and maddening (the inability to guard a Houston team missing Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest, Shane Battier, and, for much of the fourth quarter, Yao Ming and Woodson's overreaction to the slight possibility of future foul trouble).

So this Sunday morning, rather than speculate as to why Zaza Pachulia would get the Horford treatment in the first half so that Solomon Jones could come in and get a sole, lonely rebound while committing four fouls in four minutes or why Horford would sit for eight minutes of the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul if he's not going to play the final 4:41 even if he doesn't foul out (deep breath) I'll just move straight along to the eyewitness accounts and the words of those directly involved in the proceedings.

Josh Smith, still not in need of instruction in how to think positively about oneself:

"I wanted to try to crash the boards. I only had two rebounds, but they were the two biggest rebounds in the game."

I shouldn't tease on a night when, otherwise, he plays so well but how can Josh Smith play almost 36 straight minutes without even accidentally grabbing a rebound?

Mike Bibby:

"...a win’s a win, no matter how it comes. The idea is to win the game."

Al Horford:

"It’s only fair that we were on the other end this time. I think it showed a lot from our team, after losing such a tough game [Friday night] and being able to bounce back here and get a home win.”

Marvin Williams, on the subject of his shoulder:

"I hurt it in practice, the last full practice we had [before the New Year]. I wore a sleeve on it in the first half in [New] Jersey [Friday night] and then when I got up this morning I could barely lift my arm up, so I don’t know what the deal is.”

• Sekou Smith teases us with the promise of "more on" the reappearance of Acie Law (And, I presume, Solomon Jones, too, though the belief that he's ever going to become a useful player baffles me. Carl Landry's more my idea of a how to make good use of a pick early in the second round.) to be revealed during the upcoming off days.
  
• Houston had a foul to give on Atlanta's final possession, a fact Rick Adelman says he failed to communicate clearly enough.
  
• At The Human Highlight Blog, Jason asks if McGrady and Artest would have put up better numbers than (the aforementioned) Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks.
  

WHO: Houston (21-13) at Atlanta (21-11)

WHEN: 7pm

WHERE: No local TV, Hawks Radio Network, NBA Audio League Pass

Injury Report: As always, Speedy Claxton is out. For Houston, Shane Battier is out while both Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest are questionable.

Game Notes

For Entertainment Purposes Only: Atlanta -4.5, 184 o/u

Blogging With the Enemy: The Dream Shake

The Hawks had a bad night in New Jersey last night. Houston had a worse night in Toronto, losing 94-73 and providing Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle with a rich vein of first-person content for his game report...

Tracy McGrady:

"(Effort) is something we’re obviously not giving right now. For whatever reason, at both ends of the court — offensively, especially defensively — we’re not executing. We’re missing assignments. It’s all of us.”

Rick Adelman:

"In this league, you have to find a way to get yourself out of that. Either come together as a group or you don’t. We have to decide on how we want to play. It’s one thing to get beat. It’s another thing to just be outworked, and I thought we got outworked.”

Yao Ming:

"Coach said in the locker room, in this league it’s easy to keep chemistry when everything is going right. Right now, we know we played games at home … just like tonight. We need to fight together."

Rafer Alston, asked if his team is on the same page:

"Not one bit. This is embarrassing. Again. We had this happen the other night in Houston. We had it tonight. It’s sad, and it’s unfortunate.”

The loser of tonight's game will officially be deemed to be in a funk.

Boxscore

Gameflow

Do you begin by saying the Hawks never should have been in a close game down the stretch given how the first half played out or do you begin by saying Vince Carter never should have had to make a 29-footer at the buzzer to win the game given how the second half and overtime played out?

If you prefer the former, the Hawks had a 19-point lead at the half despite not playing particularly well, New Jersey (reduced to being coached by Brian Hill) were in disarray, and Atlanta missed 8 of their 12 free throw attempts in the second half.

Do you tend toward the latter, it took a Mario West half-court shot at the halftime buzzer, a better return than could be expected from Josh Smith choosing to take 8 jump shots* (and they were all choices...bad ones), Devin Harris missing a fourth quarter possession due to injury (a possession which gave us all an object lesson in Keyon Dooling's limitations as a point guard), Joe Johnson committing his fifth foul with 4:46 left in the game which meant that a) Marvin Williams was pressed into duty guarding Devin Harris and did an extraordinary job (After Johnson's fifth foul, Harris went 0-5 from the floor and committed 3 turnovers) and b) Maurice Evans had to be put in the game with 20 seconds left in overtime (New Jersey ball, Hawks down one) to commit a foul, only Evans didn't foul anyone, instead he stripped the ball from Devin Harris which led to Josh Smith's go ahead layup with 11 seconds left in the game.

*3-6 on two-point jumpers and both of his fourth quarter three-point misses: at 6:13 with the Hawks down 77-74 and at 0:51 with the Hawks down 85-83 were rebounded by a teammate. Tip of the hat to Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby for correctly anticipating and grabbing those misses.

Marvin Williams:

"They just came out and punched us in the face after halftime, and we didn’t respond. Being up that big at the half on the road, especially against a team that’s already beaten us twice this year … there’s no excuse and no explanation for something like that.”

Sekou Smith is firmly in the New Jersey-never-should-have-been-allowed-to-get-back-in-the-game camp:

Carter’s last shot should never have been.

And not because the Hawks have shouldn’t have squandered that 20-point lead or because they should have made their free throws down the stretch or because they should have kept the ball moving on the offensive end until they found the best shot (as the Nets did to perfection in the second half).

But because Carter never should have been allowed to scoop up an errant inbounds pass from Jarvis Hayes without the Hawks swarming him like the ice cream man on a sweltering summer day.

A fair perspective, I think, but I do take issue with his description of the Hawks play so far this season:

...the Hawks have enjoyed a monster season so far while playing far below their potential for much of their first 32 games...

• Joe Johnson is having the best season of his career.
  
• So is Marvin Williams.
  
• Mike Bibby is having a career year shooting the ball.
  
• So is Flip Murray.
  
• Al Horford is playing a little better than he did last year.
  
• Zaza Pachulia has given every indication that last year was lost due to injuries not an erosion of skill.
  

Other than Josh Smith missing 12 games, what has gone counter to the most incredibly optimistic outlook for any Hawks player (who is allowed to play in games)?

Let's not use this surprisingly strong start as a stick with which to beat the team should they not continue to win 2 out of every 3 games the rest of the season.

WHO: Atlanta (21-10) at New Jersey (15-17)

WHEN: 7:30pm

WHERE: Fox Sports South, Hawks Radio Network, NBA Audio League Pass

Injury Report: As always, Speedy Claxton is out. For New Jersey, Keyon Dooling is questionable.

Game Notes

For Entertainment Purposes Only: Atlanta -4.5, 197 o/u

Blogging With the Enemy: Nets Blast, Nets Daily

Paragon of maturity Vince Carter has convinced his teammates that he'll try tonight in order to prove how unjustly he was ejected from Wednesday's 83-75 loss in Detroit. Vince Carter's a gifted basketball player but anything that motivates any Net other than Devin Harris to create offense can only benefit the Hawks tonight.

Lest you've forgotten about Devin Harris...

• November 14th in New Jersey: 30 points (8-17 FGA, 2-4 3PTA, 12-12 FTA), 8 assists, 1 turnover
• November 15th in Atlanta: 33 points (9-15 FGA, 2-3 3PTA, 13-14 FTA), 10 assists, 1 turnover

The former line was part of a 115-108 Nets win. The latter line sparked a 119-107 Nets victory. I'm not sure either stat line does justice to the degree to which Harris dominated the proceedings in both games. Until I looked back at the box scores this morning I had no recollection of Joe Johnson scoring 63 points his own self over the two games. (Or Flip Murray scoring 35 points. Or Acie Law IV playing 10+ minutes both nights.)

Josh Smith didn't play in either game so the Hawks can be sadi to have that going for them in this meeting. Also engendering hope: New Jersey have lost 7 of their last 8 home games in the midst of a 4-9 stretch overall.

The Hawks are talking about winning more games on the road in 2009. A worthy goal to be sure but it should not be overlooked that going 7-8 on the road in a league where home teams have won 58.1% of the games is above average to begin with.

Further keeping with the theme of keeping things in proper perspective, Jason Walker at The Human Highlight Blog has a good look back at 2008 and a wish list for 2009.