The Atlanta Hawks dominated the LA Lakers thanks in part to major contribution from the bench. As the playoffs near, solid bench play is key for a long post-season run.
Joe Johnson led the Hawks in scoring with 25 points (including 5 three pointers) as the Atlanta Hawks dropped the Lakers 109-92 in Atlanta. JoJo has been the teams leading scorer all year long and will be counted on to hit some big shots in the playoffs. But on Wednesday night, it was the play of the Atlanta bench that secured an easy victory. Leading sixth man of the year candidate, Jamal Crawford finished the game with 14 points which is 3 points below his average. The real difference was the contribution of Maurice Evans (18 points) and Zaza Pachulia (10 points, 10 rebounds). If the Hawks get production beyond Crawford off the bench, they can be dangerous.
Despite 28 points from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were never that close in the second half. The lose was only the fourth time the Lakers have dropped back-to-back games this season. With Boston losing to Oklahoma City, the Hawks moved into third place in the Eastern Conference. The victory over the Lakers continued a nine game win streak at home, though still a far cry from 20 games won at the Omni in the 1996-97 season.
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Portland Trailblazers on Monday night, halting Portland’s 6-game winning streak and sweeping the season series. With quality wins against Boston & Denver and a 9-2 record, it may be time to take these high-flying Hawks seriously.
The Hawks needed a 35 point effort from Joe Johnson & a 20 point and 16 rebound performance from Josh Smith to overcome the stubborn, division-leading Trailblazers 99-95 in overtime in Atlanta on Monday night. It’s beginning to look like the Hawks have the makings of a true winner for the first time since Dominique challenged Bird in the mid 1980s.
Save a road loss to the Lakers and an embarrassing gaffe against at Charlotte, the Hawks have taken care of business this year. They are undefeated at home (5-0) and managed and impressive road record of 4-2, including a win at Boston. But how are they doing it? Is it smoke and mirrors, lucky breaks, or are they legitimate contenders in the East?
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Despite the Heat’s signing of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, it was Joe Johnson and his $120+ contract who were the big winners in the NBA’s free agency market of 2010.
Setting Up the Joe Johnson Situation
The Atlanta Hawks were in a tough situation, or so they would have you believe. Their four-time All-Star and leading scorer, Joe Johnson, was out of contract at the end of the year and able to leave the Hawks as a free agent. The ownership group in Atlanta made resigning Joe Johnson it’s top off-season priority, feeling that the 53-win team had much more to give. Most fans in Atlanta would have welcomed Joe back with open arms, had he not run his mouth in the playoffs and put up an absolute stinker of a performance.
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