Behind Enemy Lines: Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Journal Constitution

We played like a desperate team,” Smith said. “That is how we have to play night in and night out, like we need to win.”

It wasn’t exactly easy.

The third quarter almost bit the Hawks again. The Pacers cut an 18-point halftime deficit to just eight points, 80-72. They would get as close as seven points in the fourth quarter before the Hawks pulled away.

“Energy, that was the difference,” coach Larry Drew said. “We are like night and day when we play with energy. We were able to sustain it. We came out and played energized basketball.”

Peachtree Hoops

Joe Johnson cooled off in the second half, making only 1-9 shots from the field, but he was instrumental in the initial pull away from the Pacers in the first half, when he scored 16 of his 20 points for the game. Paul George is a good player, but Joe took him to the woodshed in three straight possessions in the first quarter and George struggled to stay with Joe throughout whether it was running off screens or Joe executing a tricky dribble move to get past the Pacer defender. Joe also had six rebounds and eight assists against two turnovers, also playing the entire second half to get the win.

If Lou Amundson thought the Hawks might have forgotten his regrettable extraneous dunk at the Hawks expense (and specifically Jason Collins) when the Pacers beat Atlanta earlier this year, he was very wrong. Credit Tracy McGrady for being the enforcer as, when the Pacers shot an airball and McGrady and Amundson were both under the basket, T-Mac clearly took the opportunity to give Amundson a clear hip check and shove as the ball came down. Amundson looked angry and McGrady didn’t back down. Both were assessed technical fouls for the discussion.

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