Hawks/Pacers Game Story

I had the privelege of seeing the Atlanta Hawks clinch the fourth seed and home court advantage for the first round of this years playoffs. The following is my game story. Enjoy.

Like it's 1999....

Growth is measured in many ways. Kitchen walls accross the country are tick marked by youngsters who cannot wait to increase another inch or two. Maturity in spirit and mind enable people to withstand the trails and tribulations life presents. Pronouncing and praising a person’s inward expansion, saying that they did better, is an outstanding compliment. On Friday night, the Atlanta Hawks (46-34) secured homecourt advantage for the first round of the ’09 playoffs with a thrilling 122-118 victory over the Indiana Pacers (34-45). The night’s performance showed the results of growth and development. Last year’s cinderella slippers no longer fit this team. These are no longer the city of Atlanta’s ugly stepchildren. Call them kin to T.I.



They’re Kings.



The territory these Hawks are flying through is foreign and uncertain. They remain a youthful team and while the taste of last year’s playoff run is still fresh, the second round lies beyond the realm of thier collective imaginations. As a franchise, the Hawks have not advanced to the Conference semi-finals since the strike shortened ’98-’99 season. This is ten years in the making.
Some pundits wrote last year’s success off as an accident. They said that abnormalities may occur when the five (5) through eight (8) seeds in the east tend to be average at best. Sometimes a team can emerge and play well for a two month stretch after being average for the first part of the season. Last year’s Hawks were described as a glitch in the matrix. Experts predicted a return to futility, dispair and disapointment. Yet, instead of folding and falling back into the crowd, this group separated themselves from the conference cellar dwellars and proved to be a contender in the East. The road from bottom feeder to contender was completed. The win loss record shows this much.



As the end of the regular season approaches, Atlanta is habitually showing why they are a top tier team in the Eastern Conference. They possess a dependable All Star performer in Joe Johnson and backcourt mate Mike Bibby has been brilliant all season. They have a nucleus of young talent in Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Al Horford. The bench is strong with Flip Murray, Mo Evans and Zaza Pachulia. They can certainly score the basketball, but they also rebound and defend well enough to compete with any team on any given night.



This game is microcosm of what has to happen for Atlanta to win a playoff series and make good on the promise that homecourt advantage provides. Joe Johnson (24 points) is the heart and soul of this team. He is the defacto leader, and has shown a propensity to show up big in big games. A number of his shots over the course of this game came in response to an Indiana basket, or stopped a Pacer hot streak. Whether attacking via dribble drive, shooting the 3 point shot or backing opponents down on the block, Johnson is as dangerous as any other guard in the league within the confines of Phillips Arena. I asked Joe to compare his previous playoff experiences with what he sees in this team.



JW: “You’ve been on playoff teams.” “What do you like about this team that gives your confidence for advancing into the second round.”


JJ: “We’re a young team but at the same time we’re experienced.” “The guys know what to expect because of what we did last year against Boston.” “We understand how to win playoff games and we know that we have to protect this house.”



Flip Murray (15 points) continued his season long habit of bringing offense off the bench. Murray gives the aggressiveness and proven shot making ability as a sixth man that was absent last year. He is a tremendous boost for this team. I posed the same question to Murray.



FM: “The record speaks for itself, we got the 4th seed tonight.” “We have home court.” “That’s big for us because as a team (at home) we’re very confident.”



Mike Bibby (15 points, 9 assists) and Josh Smith (30 points, 10 rebounds) showed an incredible feel for each other over the course of this game. I counted five passes from Bibby to Smith that led directly to baskets, either by means of alley oop or nifty bounce passes after screens. Understand folks: these were easy, pure point guard type passes that almost invite the player recieving the pass to score. Mike Bibby is still cold blooded people. He ended the first half with a pull up jumper that almost seemed too easy.



This connection is definately worth watching because there are not many players as physically gifted as Josh Smith. When points are being spoon fed to him the way they were in this game, combined with his offensive rebounding ability, he can be a game changer. Head Coach Mike Woodson spoke about the duo in glowing terms when I asked him about thier effectiveness.



JW: “Mike Bibby and Josh Smith were huge tonight.” “Talk about that connection.”



MW: “Smooth’s (Josh Smith) been consistent for us down the stretch. I’m happy with his progress.”


“Bibby runs this ship for me.” “He gets guys in position on the court and finds guys when they’re open.” “The impact of those two shows directly in the wins and losses.”



Al Horford (22 points, 15 rebounds) showed why he is one of the premier young power forwards in the game. His offensive skill set has progressed nicely from last year and he showcased nice touch facing up from 10 feet as well as a nifty jump hook. Even more, he runs the floor like a man possessed. Al routinely beat the Pacer’s bigs downcourt and finished when he touched the ball in the paint. Horford also connected on 6 of 7 free throws. Such accuracy bodes well for any big man in the NBA. Al also spoke about Bibby in glowing terms.



AH: “It’s great to have a point guard that can score and distribute.” “It really helps this team and makes our jobs easier.”



Homecourt advantage does not guarentee anything. Until the game ball goes up and wins are earned, this accomplishment is nothing. Right now, all of the delight and bliss are carefully reserved. This is for the longsuffering fans of a once proud franchise. I asked hometown products Randolph Morris and Josh Smith about what it means to them personally having a home series in Atlanta.



JW: “With you being from this area, what does homecourt advantage mean to you personally?”



RM: “It means alot.” “Family and friends will be a nice boost against whoever we play in the first round.” “I think we match up well against Philly and Miami (potential first round opponents), but being here at home will definately help.”



JS: “We know what we can do at home.” “The Boston series showed us how good we can be.” “Plus, it’s great for the city and the people who have supported us from day one.” “It gives the city something to brag about.”



Good times are back again.

Game Notes:
It’s uncanny how bad things happen to bad teams. Indiana’s point guard play was spotty in the playmaking department. TJ Ford and Jarrett Jack took turns looking pretty bad distributing the ball. Unforced errors, missed layups, and the inability to get good looks at the end of the shot clock pretty much cost Indiana this game.
On the bright side, Danny Granger is a monster. He scored 35 and should have had more. He’s the best player on the team and yet the Pacers went long stretched without him touching the ball. His free throw line jumper was a thing of beauty in the second half. One dribble pull ups, off screens, off the pick and roll, he was money.