ATLANTA – Al Horford had hoped to give the Atlanta Hawks a boost in the playoffs.

Now he knows that won’t be possible, at least not in the opening round.

The All-Star center said Wednesday he’s definitely out for the best-of-seven series against Boston, which begins this weekend. The Hawks will get home-court if they win their regular-season finale against Dallas, or if the Celtics [team stats] lose their last game to Milwaukee.

“You obviously want to be there for your team and try to help them,” Horford said after taking some shots on his own at the Philips Arena practice court. “But I realized I’m not nearly where I need to be or want to be to give the team anything.”

Horford, one of Atlanta’s key players along with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, has missed most of the season recovering from surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. The team has persevered without him, going into its final game clinging to the fourth-best record in the East.

All along, though, the Hawks held out hope that Horford might be healthy enough to give the team a boost in the playoffs. He was especially eager to return after his replacement, Zaza Pachulia, went down a couple of weeks ago with a sprained left foot, casting doubt on whether he’ll be able to go in the playoffs. Third-stringer Jason Collins has been filling in as the starting center, though he’s rarely on the court at crucial points in the game.

After practicing four-on-four Monday, Horford was optimistic about returning to face the Celtics. But, when he woke up sore and weak the next day, he was forced to concede that his left arm just isn’t strong enough to endure the wear-and-tear of a grueling playoff series.

“We kind of decided it’s best for me to take some time off, keep working and just see how I progress,” Horford said. “It’s frustrating for me. I want to play. I want to get out there with the guys. I know what it’s all about. This is the time of year you play for. By my body is just not responding with me. I can’t do it.”

Even under the best of circumstances, Horford knew he wouldn’t be able to get all his strength back until the summer. But he tried to persuade himself that he had recovered enough to at least give the Hawks some decent minutes in the playoffs.

Realistically, that won’t be possible in the opening round. The 6-foot-10 Horford is already a bit undersized for his position, and there’s no way he could bang in the lane with essentially one arm.

“I have very, very little strength,” he conceded. “The playoffs are intense. The intensity goes way up. I can go in and play with the guys in practice here. I might even be able to play in a regular-season game. But the playoffs are different. The way I play, to be most effective to the team, I’m not at that point yet.”

Horford is still hoping to play in the second round if the Hawks advance.

“I’m learning from this,” he said. “Hopefully this will make me a better player. I’ll be much more motivated when I come back, I’ll tell you that much, whenever it is. I just have to keep working and see what happens.”

ATLANTA (AP) Al Horford had hoped to give the Atlanta Hawks a boost in the playoffs.

Now he knows that won’t be possible, at least not in the opening round.

The All-Star center said Wednesday he’s definitely out for the best-of-seven series against Boston, which begins this weekend. The Hawks will get home-court if they win their regular-season finale against Dallas, or if the Celtics lose their last game to Milwaukee.

”You obviously want to be there for your team and try to help them,” Horford said after taking some shots on his own at the Philips Arena practice court. ”But I realized I’m not nearly where I need to be or want to be to give the team anything.”

Horford, one of Atlanta’s key players along with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, has missed most of the season recovering from surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. The team has persevered without him, going into its final game clinging to the fourth-best record in the East.

All along, though, the Hawks held out hope that Horford might be healthy enough to give the team a boost in the playoffs. He was especially eager to return after his replacement, Zaza Pachulia, went down a couple of weeks ago with a sprained left foot, casting doubt on whether he’ll be able to go in the playoffs. Third-stringer Jason Collins has been filling in as the starting center, though he’s rarely on the court at crucial points in the game.

After practicing four-on-four Monday, Horford was optimistic about returning to face the Celtics. But, when he woke up sore and weak the next day, he was forced to concede that his left arm just isn’t strong enough to endure the wear-and-tear of a grueling playoff series.

”We kind of decided it’s best for me to take some time off, keep working and just see how I progress,” Horford said. ”It’s frustrating for me. I want to play. I want to get out there with the guys. I know what it’s all about. This is the time of year you play for. By my body is just not responding with me. I can’t do it.”

Even under the best of circumstances, Horford knew he wouldn’t be able to get all his strength back until the summer. But he tried to persuade himself that he had recovered enough to at least give the Hawks some decent minutes in the playoffs.

Realistically, that won’t be possible in the opening round. The 6-foot-10 Horford is already a bit undersized for his position, and there’s no way he could bang in the lane with essentially one arm.

”I have very, very little strength,” he conceded. ”The playoffs are intense. The intensity goes way up. I can go in and play with the guys in practice here. I might even be able to play in a regular-season game. But the playoffs are different. The way I play, to be most effective to the team, I’m not at that point yet.”

Horford is still hoping to play in the second round if the Hawks advance.

”I’m learning from this,” he said. ”Hopefully this will make me a better player. I’ll be much more motivated when I come back, I’ll tell you that much, whenever it is. I just have to keep working and see what happens.”

—

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

ATLANTA — Al Horford had hoped to give the Atlanta Hawks a boost in the playoffs.

Now he knows that won’t be possible, at least not in the opening round.

The All-Star centre said Wednesday he’s definitely out for the best-of-seven series against Boston, which begins this weekend. The Hawks will get home-court if they win their regular-season finale against Dallas, or if the Celtics lose their last game to Milwaukee.

“You obviously want to be there for your team and try to help them,” Horford said after taking some shots on his own at the Philips Arena practice court. “But I realized I’m not nearly where I need to be or want to be to give the team anything.”

Horford, one of Atlanta’s key players along with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, has missed most of the season recovering from surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. The team has persevered without him, going into its final game clinging to the fourth-best record in the East.

All along, though, the Hawks held out hope that Horford might be healthy enough to give the team a boost in the playoffs. He was especially eager to return after his replacement, Zaza Pachulia, went down a couple of weeks ago with a sprained left foot, casting doubt on whether he’ll be able to go in the playoffs. Third-stringer Jason Collins has been filling in as the starting centre, though he’s rarely on the court at crucial points in the game.

After practicing four-on-four Monday, Horford was optimistic about returning to face the Celtics. But, when he woke up sore and weak the next day, he was forced to concede that his left arm just isn’t strong enough to endure the wear-and-tear of a grueling playoff series.

“We kind of decided it’s best for me to take some time off, keep working and just see how I progress,” Horford said. “It’s frustrating for me. I want to play. I want to get out there with the guys. I know what it’s all about. This is the time of year you play for. By my body is just not responding with me. I can’t do it.”

Even under the best of circumstances, Horford knew he wouldn’t be able to get all his strength back until the summer. But he tried to persuade himself that he had recovered enough to at least give the Hawks some decent minutes in the playoffs.

Realistically, that won’t be possible in the opening round. The 6-foot-10 Horford is already a bit undersized for his position, and there’s no way he could bang in the lane with essentially one arm.

“I have very, very little strength,” he conceded. “The playoffs are intense. The intensity goes way up. I can go in and play with the guys in practice here. I might even be able to play in a regular-season game. But the playoffs are different. The way I play, to be most effective to the team, I’m not at that point yet.”

Horford is still hoping to play in the second round if the Hawks advance.

“I’m learning from this,” he said. “Hopefully this will make me a better player. I’ll be much more motivated when I come back, I’ll tell you that much, whenever it is. I just have to keep working and see what happens.”

CBSSports.com wire reports
April 24, 2012

ATLANTA — Joe Johnson was just trying to hit the rim.

He wound up doing a lot better than that.

Johnson scored 28 points, including a desperate 3-pointer in the final minute, and the Atlanta Hawks held on for a 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, moving a step closer to wrapping up home-court in the first round of the playoffs.

Johnson hit a pair of treys coming down the stretch, but the one that really stood out came with 38 seconds remaining and the shot clock running down. From 30 feet away along the sideline, he flung the ball toward the basket with two hands. It somehow banked in to give the Hawks a 103-96 lead.

“The craziest I ever hit in a game” was how Johnson described it. “I had no clue how much time was left or what even happened,” he said. “I just heaved it up there. I wanted to at least hit the rim. I accidentally made it.”

Blake Griffin scored a season-high 36 points, while Chris Paul added 34 in a back-and-forth game in which neither team led by double figures until Atlanta went on a 15-2 run at the end of the third quarter, sparked by Jeff Teague and Josh Smith.

The Hawks can wrap up home-court advantage for their opening-round series against Boston by winning the regular-season finale against Dallas on Thursday. They’ll also clinch it if the Celtics lose that same night against Milwaukee.

Los Angeles is trying to hold on to the fourth seed — and home-court — in the West. The Clippers go into Wednesday’s finale at New York tied with the Memphis Grizzlies.

“I guess we just made it real interesting,” Paul said. “We’ve got to use this game [Wednesday] as a huge barometer as far as what it’s going to be like in the playoffs. In the playoffs you’re not going to be able to get down 10, 15 and try to come back in the fourth quarter, because the game’s going to be way too intense for that.”

This game was tied at 70 when the Hawks took control in the final 3:42 of the third. Teague scored seven straight points and got the best of his fellow Wake Forest guard at the defensive end, stuffing Paul on a drive to the hoop.

Teague stood over the Clippers’ star, smiling, but there was no bad blood. Paul hopped up to give the Hawks’ player a pat on the backside.

“It’s always fun to play against someone you know,” Teague said.

Paul hit a pair of free throws, before Smith responded with six straight points. The last of those came after Paul turned it over with an errant pass, sending Marvin Williams flying down the court on a fast break. He missed the drive, but Smith was there to clean up with a dunk.

Ivan Johnson closed the quarter with a pair of free throws, pushing the Hawks to an 85-72 lead.

Teague finished with 21 points, while Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Los Angeles was essentially a two-man team. Griffin scored 16 of the first 21 points for the Clippers, while Paul scored 20 in the second half. It wasn’t enough, not against a much more balanced effort by the Hawks. Williams scored 11 to lead the Atlanta bench, which outscored the Los Angeles reserves 32-19.

“That’s what coach [Larry Drew] told us at halftime,” Teague said. “Blake and Chris are going to score the basketball. We just had to take care of everyone else.”

Teague was at the center of things coming down the stretch as the Clippers tried to close the gap. First, he leaped outside to block a 3-pointer by Caron Butler, sending the ball flying into the seats. Then, winding up in a mismatch with Griffin, Teague managed to hold his ground, knock the ball away and draw a foul on Griffin as they battled for the loose ball.

Teague jawed a bit with Griffin, Mo Williams stepped in and players from both teams got in the middle of things before the confrontation escalated.

“He had me in a headlock,” Teague said. “I was trying to get out of there, but he had me locked up pretty good.”

Griffin hit eight of his first nine shots while his teammates were missing seven of nine. His most spectacular basket wasn’t one of his thunderous dunks — instead, he drove under the hoop, then flipped the ball back over his head without looking, turning just in time to watch it drop in.

Los Angeles led 28-23 at the end of the opening quarter, but the Hawks’ reserves led the home team back. Ivan Johnson sparked a 14-2 run with a defensive play, stuffing Nick Young as he drove into the lane looking for a dunk. At the other end, Willie Green put up a 3-pointer that bounced off the rim, the backboard, the rim again and dropped through.

The Atlanta starters leaped off the bench to celebrate, while Green did a little hop and pumped his fist along the sideline.

“If you’re going to get over the hump in the playoffs, you’ve got keep advancing with the bench,” Joe Johnson said. “They’ve got to play a big role.”

Notes

• Before the game, the Hawks presented injured C Zaza Pachulia with the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his dedication to community service. The annual award is named after the late Hawks C who died in 2005 from a heart ailment at the age of 28. Collier’s widow, daughter and parents attended the ceremony.
• Early in the fourth, Green had a 3-pointer reduced to a 2 after the officials looked at the video replay during a timeout.

Joe Johnson scored 30 points, and the Atlanta Hawks edged the short-handed Boston Celtics, 97-92, on Friday night to take a step toward landing homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Hawks (38-25) are in line to be the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, and Celtics (37-27) are on track to be No. 5. This, however, looked nothing like a playoff game early.

Both teams shot over 50 percent and Atlanta took a 58-49 halftime lead while Boston guard Avery Bradley scored 17 of his career-high 28 points.

Boston left Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus at home with injuries, and perennial All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce made the trip to Atlanta, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers rested both stars after playing 11 games in 15 days.

Even without five players who either start or play big minutes, the Celtics pulled within one point five times in the fourth quarter.

Johnson’s three-point play with 1:56 left gave Atlanta a 90-86 lead, and the Hawks held on for their first win in three games against Boston. Josh Smith had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta, and Keyon Dooling scored 17 points for the Celtics.

The Hawks lost a home game earlier this season when Miami Heat stars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James did not play, and there was danger of a repeat Friday, especially when Dooling scored on a layup with 2:33 left to close the deficit to 87-86. Johnson’s three-point play came moments later.

If the teams finish with the same record, Boston would be considered the fourth seed by virtue of being a division champion. Plus, the Celtics beat the Hawks in two of three regular-season meetings.

Should Atlanta finish with a better record that would supersede Boston’s division title in determining home court in a head-to-head playoff matchup.

Notes: The Celtics signed 6-foot-10 C-F Sean Williams, who averaged 15.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots for the Texas Legends of the D-League. Williams, who played at Boston College, also averaged 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds for the Dallas Mavericks. He was drafted by the Nets 17th overall in 2007, and has career NBA averages of 4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. To make room, Boston requested waivers on injured C-F Jermaine O’Neal. . . . The Celtics may be back to full roster strength for their next game, Tuesday against the Heat in Boston.

The Associated Press

The Atlanta Hawks bounced back from a disappointing home defeat their last time out, clinching their fifth consecutive postseason berth in the process.

They haven’t lost to the Detroit Pistons on their own court in more than four years.

The playoff-bound Hawks open a season-ending five-game homestand Wednesday night seeking an eighth straight home win over the Pistons, who are coming off arguably their most dominating display of the season.

One night after losing 102-86 to lowly Toronto, Atlanta (36-25) cruised to a 109-87 road win Monday in the back end of a home-and-home set. Rookie Ivan Johnson posted a season-high 21 points while Joe Johnson scored 18 for the Hawks, who recorded 28 fast break points.

“We was better than what we played (Sunday) night, we just stepped it up more. It happens, it’s the NBA where amazing happens,” Ivan Johnson told the league’s official website.

After concluding its road schedule 17-16 – the first time it has finished over .500 on the road since the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, Atlanta closes the regular-season with five in a row at home. The Hawks host Boston, New York, the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas following this contest.

“Hopefully we can get all five of those,” said Jeff Teague, who had 19 points and 10 assists Monday for his third double-double. “That would be big.”

The Hawks are tied with Orlando for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference but own the tiebreaker over the Magic.

“We’re right there in the thick of things,” coach Larry Drew said. “As long as there’s an opportunity for us to move up, we want to try to take advantage of that.”

A home matchup with Detroit (23-38) could help Atlanta do just that. Since falling 94-90 on Feb. 12, 2008, the Hawks have limited the Pistons to an average of 88.9 points during their seven-game home winning streak in the series.

Atlanta has taken two of three from Detroit this season, with its only loss coming 86-85 on the road March 9. The Hawks won the most recent matchup 101-96 on April 6 behind Teague’s career best-tying 24 points and season-high 11 assists.

Atlanta is 7-0 when Teague dishes out at least nine assists.

The Pistons looked like anything but one of the weaker teams in the league during a 116-77 dismantling of Cleveland on Tuesday night. Detroit shot 60.0 percent from the floor – its highest mark in more than two years – and took a whopping 100-50 lead into the fourth quarter en route to only their second win in seven games.

“Sometimes, there are just crazy nights like that,” coach Lawrence Frank said. “Everything you shoot goes in. For them, everything they shoot doesn’t. We’ve all been there.”

Selected No. 8 overall in the draft, Brandon Knight scored a season-high 28 points on 11-of-12 shooting while Greg Monroe added 12 points and 13 boards for his 29th double-double.

“Even though the season is winding down, we wanted to set the tone for next year and the offseason and continue to build on that,” Knight said.

Detroit had dropped eight of 10 in opposing arenas before prevailing 109-85 at NBA-worst Charlotte on Thursday.

The Atlanta Hawks are doing all they can to bring an NBA championship home this season. With April marking the final month of the NBA season, a strong showing is necessary for ideal NBA Playoff positioning. Look for Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Jeff Teague to come up big in their final push.

Check with your service provider for channel listings in your area. With NBA League Pass, Hawks’ fans across the nation can catch every game and witness every play.

Note: All start times Eastern

April 2012

Wed 4, Charlotte Bobcats at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Fri 6, Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL, NBATV)

Sat 7, Atlanta Hawks at Charlotte Bobcats, 8 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Wed 11, Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, 8 p.m. (SSO-ATL, ESPN)

Fri 13, Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Sun 15, Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks, 6 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Mon 16, Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Wed 18, Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Fri 20, Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. (SSO-ATL, ESPN)

Sun 22, New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, 1 p.m. (SSO-ATL, ESPN)

Tue 24, Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Thu 26, Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks, 8 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

A disappointing road trip didn’t lessen the resolve of the Atlanta Hawks not to make any moves at the trade deadline.

The Hawks will try to avoid a third straight loss Friday night when they host the Washington Wizards.

Atlanta’s hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference became a little more tenuous after it completed a 2-4 road trip with a 96-82 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

As expected, Atlanta (24-19) stayed quiet at the deadline, choosing not to appease Josh Smith‘s request for a trade.

General manager Rick Sund had said what the team needs is for everyone to get healthy. Al Horford is out for the season with a torn left pectoral muscle while leading scorer Joe Johnson returned last week after missing six of the previous seven games with tendinitis in his left knee.

The Hawks haven’t shown much offensive power without Horford and that was particularly evident on the trip. They were held to 86 or fewer points in three of the four losses on the trek.

Johnson had 19 points and Smith 18 against the Clippers. Atlanta shot 34.6 percent and allowed the Clippers to connect on 54.3 percent overall while hitting 10 of 20 from 3-point range.

Smith, who went 1 of 8 from the field for seven points in the second half, scored his fewest points in eight games after averaging 26.6 points during the previous seven.

Points weren’t nearly as difficult to come by in the Hawks’ lone meeting this season with Washington (10-32) – a 101-83 victory on Dec. 28. Johnson led six players in double figures with 18 points.

Atlanta has won seven in a row at home against Washington and 13 of 14 overall.

The Wizards continue a six-game trip after ending a three-game losing streak with a 99-89 victory over Western Conference-worst New Orleans on Thursday.

They had dropped the first two games of the trip versus San Antonio and Dallas, but shot 52.0 percent against the Hornets and outscored them 27-6 on the fast break.

John Wall scored 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting and handed out 12 assists. Washington led by as many as 16 points, but needed a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to seal its first road win in seven games.

”Everybody stepped up and we got a good team win,” Wall said. ”Lately, we’ve been playing as a team and playing hard. When (we) do that, we give ourselves a chance.”

Washington traded guard Nick Young and centers JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf to Denver as part of a three-team deal on Thursday. The Wizards acquired talented, but oft-injured big man Nene from Denver as well as Brian Cook from the Clippers.

Nene was averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in an injury-plagued season.

“Nene is a versatile player who will bring experience and a physical presence to our frontcourt,” Washington general manager Ernie Grunfeld said. “His veteran leadership and postseason experience will be a positive influence in our locker room.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After publicly asking management to trade him a few days ago, Josh Smith gave the Atlanta Hawks too many reasons not to on Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings.

A disgruntled veteran who has played all eight seasons with Atlanta, Smith scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half for the Hawks, who defeated the Sacramento Kings for the eighth straight time with a 106-99 victory.

Angered after failing to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team and blaming it on no backing from the team, Smith told the Hawks he would like to be on another team when the trade deadline arrives on Thursday.

Smith had plenty to say about leaving the Hawks previously, but didn’t want to discuss it after another excellent overall game. He made 13 of 23 shots and added six rebounds, three steals, three assists and three blocks in 39 minutes.

“I’m here. I have one more year on my contract. We’ll see what happens,” Smith said, refusing to elaborate. “I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”

And that may be fine with the Hawks, who have been benefiting from Smith’s strong play in March as they try to pick up wins despite continuing to be beset with injuries. Smith is averaging just under 26 points in six games in March. For the season, he’s averaging 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game.

“Josh has really been Superman for us,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “He’s been playing a lot of minutes and doing it at both ends of the floor. He’s playing absolutely super.”

The shooting of Smith was instrumental in helping Atlanta assume the lead for good with a strong third quarter. And the Hawks never trailed again in avoiding a third straight loss.

In the fourth quarter, it was Smith again hitting open shots. He followed a 3-pointer from Hinrich with a pair of jumpers and a free throw, putting the Hawks in front 88-76 with just over nine minutes left.

Deciding to play a smaller lineup, the Hawks inserted Kirk Hinrich as a starter, slid Smith to power forward, yet still managed to outrebound the Kings and also get out on the break for some easy baskets, evidenced by their 21 fastbreak points.

“I’m big on matchups, and one of my fears is they start three guards,” Drew said. “We elected to go with a three-guard lineup and it had some value for us.”

DeMarcus Cousins fouled out late in the game, but not before tying a season high with 28 and adding 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had their modest two-game winning streak snapped. John Salmons had 14 points, while both Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette had 12.

Although Cousins was a major factor against a smaller Atlanta lineup, Kings coach Keith Smart credited Smith with being a major factor at both ends of the court.

“Offensively, he’s a small forward who is too quick sometimes for a power forward,” Smart said. “And he changes things on defense because he’s a shot blocker. Anytime he sees someone going to the basket, he tries to control the paint. What you saw him doing in the game puts other teams in a bind.”

Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Jeff Teague had 16 points and seven assists for the Hawks, who play the Kings just once this season. Kirk Hinrich and Marvin Williams both had 12 points and Zaza Pachulia added 10 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

“In the third quarter, we had great ball moment and were picking up the intensity at both ends of the court,” Johnson said. “We got out for some easy baskets and finally were making some stops on defense.”

Trailing by 12 with just over five minutes to play, the Kings ran off seven straight points, pulling to within 94-89 on a 3 by Thornton. But several costly turnovers and several missed 3s in the final two minutes prevented the Kings from getting any closer than five points.

The loss to Atlanta came two nights after the Kings had dismantled the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a convincing 110-97 victory. However, that same energy that was so evident against Dallas seemed lacking against the Hawks.

“That’s kind of what immature teams do,” Kings rookie guard Isaiah Thomas said. “The energy wasn’t there like it was because we were playing the world champions. We have to get better and get up for every day.”

The Hawks are on a season-high six-game road trip that began with a win over Indiana. However, Atlanta suffered a three-point loss in Miami and fell to Detroit 86-85 on Friday night. The road trip concludes with consecutive games, Tuesday against Denver and Wednesday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.

Smith’s shooting ignited the Hawks in the third quarter when they outscored the Kings 29-22 in taking an 80-74 lead into the fourth.

The Hawks had no answer for Cousins in the opening half when the Kings led 52-51. He scored from inside and out in getting 18 points. Pachulia had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks.
 

CBSSports.com wire reports
March 11, 2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After publicly asking management to trade him a few days ago, Josh Smith gave the Atlanta Hawks too many reasons not to on Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings.

A disgruntled veteran who has played all eight seasons with Atlanta, Smith scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half for the Hawks, who defeated the Sacramento Kings for the eighth straight time with a 106-99 victory.

Angered after failing to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team and blaming it on no backing from the team, Smith told the Hawks he would like to be on another team when the trade deadline arrives on Thursday.

Smith had plenty to say about leaving the Hawks previously, but didn’t want to discuss it after another excellent overall game. He made 13 of 23 shots and added six rebounds, three rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 39 minutes.

“I’m here. I have one more year on my contract. We’ll see what happens,” Smith said, refusing to elaborate. “I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”

And that may be fine with the Hawks, who have been benefiting from Smith’s strong play in March as they try to pick up wins despite continuing to be beset with injuries. Smith is averaging just under 26 points in six games in March. For the season, he’s averaging 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game.

“Josh has really been Superman for us,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “He’s been playing a lot of minutes and doing it at both ends of the floor. He’s playing absolutely super.”

The shooting of Smith was instrumental in helping Atlanta assume the lead for good with a strong third quarter. And the Hawks never trailed again in avoiding a third straight loss.

In the fourth quarter, it was Smith again hitting open shots. He followed a 3-pointer from Kirk Hinrich with a pair of jumpers and a free throw, putting the Hawks in front 88-76 with just over nine minutes left.

Deciding to play a smaller lineup, the Hawks inserted Hinrich as a starter, slid Smith to power forward, yet still managed to outrebound the Kings and also get out on the break for some easy baskets, evidenced by their 21 fastbreak points.

“I’m big on matchups, and one of my fears is they start three guards,” Drew said. “We elected to go with a three-guard lineup and it had some value for us.”

DeMarcus Cousins fouled out late in the game, but not before tying a season high with 28 and adding 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had their modest two-game winning streak snapped. John Salmons had 14 points, while both Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette had 12.

Although Cousins was a major factor against a smaller Atlanta lineup, Kings coach Keith Smart credited Smith with being a major factor at both ends of the court.

“Offensively, he’s a small forward who is too quick sometimes for a power forward,” Smart said. “And he changes things on defense because he’s a shot blocker. Anytime he sees someone going to the basket, he tries to control the paint. What you saw him doing in the game puts other teams in a bind.”

Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Jeff Teague had 16 points and seven assists for the Hawks, who play the Kings just once this season. Hinrich and Marvin Williams both had 12 points and Zaza Pachulia added 10 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

“In the third quarter, we had great ball moment and were picking up the intensity at both ends of the court,” Johnson said. “We got out for some easy baskets and finally were making some stops on defense.”

Trailing by 12 with just over five minutes to play, the Kings ran off seven straight points, pulling to within 94-89 on a 3 by Thornton. But several costly turnovers and several missed 3s in the final two minutes prevented the Kings from getting any closer than five points.

The loss to Atlanta came two nights after the Kings had dismantled the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a convincing 110-97 victory. However, that same energy that was so evident against Dallas seemed lacking against the Hawks.

“That’s kind of what immature teams do,” Kings rookie guard Isaiah Thomas said. “The energy wasn’t there like it was because we were playing the world champions. We have to get better and get up for every day.”

The Hawks are on a season-high six-game road trip that began with a win over Indiana. However, Atlanta suffered a three-point loss in Miami and fell to Detroit 86-85 on Friday night. The road trip concludes with consecutive games, Tuesday against Denver and Wednesday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.

Smith’s shooting ignited the Hawks in the third quarter when they outscored the Kings 29-22 in taking an 80-74 lead into the fourth.

The Hawks had no answer for Cousins in the opening half when the Kings led 52-51. He scored from inside and out in getting 18 points. Pachulia had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks.

Notes

• Fredette hit a long 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first quarter to give Sacramento a 24-23 lead.
• Johnson, who returned to the lineup Friday after missing four straight games with tendinitis in his left knee, missed all three first-quarter shots and didn’t score.
• Drew was a member of the Kings in 1985-86, the franchise’s first year in Sacramento.
• Kings reserve forward J.J. Hickson missed his fifth straight game with a hip pointer.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—After publicly asking management to trade him a
few days ago, Josh Smith gave the Atlanta Hawks too many reasons not to on
Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings.

A disgruntled veteran who has played all eight seasons with Atlanta, Smith
scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half for the Hawks, who defeated the
Sacramento Kings for the eighth straight time with a 106-99 victory.

Angered after failing to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team and
blaming it on no backing from the team, Smith told the Hawks he would like to be
on another team when the trade deadline arrives on Thursday.

Smith had plenty to say about leaving the Hawks previously, but didn’t want
to discuss it after another excellent overall game. He made 13 of 23 shots and
added six rebounds, three rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 39
minutes.

“I’m here. I have one more year on my contract. We’ll see what happens,”
Smith said, refusing to elaborate. “I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”

And that may be fine with the Hawks, who have been benefiting from Smith’s
strong play in March as they try to pick up wins despite continuing to be beset
with injuries. Smith is averaging just under 26 points in six games in March.
For the season, he’s averaging 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game.

“Josh has really been Superman for us,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said.
“He’s been playing a lot of minutes and doing it at both ends of the floor.
He’s playing absolutely super.”

The shooting of Smith was instrumental in helping Atlanta assume the lead
for good with a strong third quarter. And the Hawks never trailed again in
avoiding a third straight loss.

In the fourth quarter, it was Smith again hitting open shots. He followed a
3-pointer from Hinrich with a pair of jumpers and a free throw, putting the
Hawks in front 88-76 with just over nine minutes left.

Deciding to play a smaller lineup, the Hawks inserted Kirk Hinrich as a
starter, slid Smith to power forward, yet still managed to outrebound the Kings
and also get out on the break for some easy baskets, evidenced by their 21
fastbreak points.

“I’m big on matchups, and one of my fears is they start three guards,”
Drew said. “We elected to go with a three-guard lineup and it had some value
for us.”

DeMarcus Cousins fouled out late in the game, but not before tying a season
high with 28 and adding 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had their modest two-game
winning streak snapped. John Salmons had 14 points, while both Marcus Thornton
and Jimmer Fredette had 12.

Although Cousins was a major factor against a smaller Atlanta lineup, Kings
coach Keith Smart credited Smith with being a major factor at both ends of the
court.

“Offensively, he’s a small forward who is too quick sometimes for a power
forward,” Smart said. “And he changes things on defense because he’s a shot
blocker. Anytime he sees someone going to the basket, he tries to control the
paint. What you saw him doing in the game puts other teams in a bind.”

Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Jeff Teague had 16 points and seven assists
for the Hawks, who play the Kings just once this season. Kirk Hinrich and Marvin
Williams both had 12 points and Zaza Pachulia added 10 points and 13 rebounds
before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

“In the third quarter, we had great ball moment and were picking up the
intensity at both ends of the court,” Johnson said. “We got out for some easy
baskets and finally were making some stops on defense.”

Trailing by 12 with just over five minutes to play, the Kings ran off seven
straight points, pulling to within 94-89 on a 3 by Thornton. But several costly
turnovers and several missed 3s in the final two minutes prevented the Kings
from getting any closer than five points.

The loss to Atlanta came two nights after the Kings had dismantled the
defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a convincing 110-97 victory. However,
that same energy that was so evident against Dallas seemed lacking against the
Hawks.

“That’s kind of what immature teams do,” Kings rookie guard Isaiah Thomas
said. “The energy wasn’t there like it was because we were playing the world
champions. We have to get better and get up for every day.”

The Hawks are on a season-high six-game road trip that began with a win over
Indiana. However, Atlanta suffered a three-point loss in Miami and fell to
Detroit 86-85 on Friday night. The road trip concludes with consecutive games,
Tuesday against Denver and Wednesday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.

Smith’s shooting ignited the Hawks in the third quarter when they outscored
the Kings 29-22 in taking an 80-74 lead into the fourth.

The Hawks had no answer for Cousins in the opening half when the Kings led
52-51. He scored from inside and out in getting 18 points. Pachulia had 10
points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks.

Notes: Fredette hit a long 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first
quarter to give Sacramento a 24-23 lead. … Johnson, who returned to the lineup
Friday after missing four straight games with tendinitis in his left knee,
missed all three first-quarter shots and didn’t score. … Drew was a member of
the Kings in 1985-86, the franchise’s first year in Sacramento. … Kings
reserve forward J.J. Hickson missed his fifth straight game with a hip pointer.

SACRAMENTO (AP) – After publicly asking management to trade him a few days ago, Josh Smith gave the Atlanta Hawks too many reasons not to on Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings.

A disgruntled veteran who has played all eight seasons with Atlanta, Smith scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half for the Hawks, who defeated the Sacramento Kings for the eighth straight time with a 106-99 victory.

Angered after failing to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team and blaming it on no backing from the team, Smith told the Hawks he would like to be on another team when the trade deadline arrives on Thursday.

Smith had plenty to say about leaving the Hawks previously but didn’t want to discuss it after another excellent overall game. He made 13 of 23 shots and added six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 39 minutes.

“I’m here. I have one more year on my contract. We’ll see what happens,” Smith said, refusing to elaborate. “I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”

And that may be fine with the Hawks, who have been benefiting from Smith’s strong play in March as they try to pick up wins despite continuing to be beset with injuries. Smith is averaging just under 26 points in six games in March. For the season, he’s averaging 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game.

“Josh has really been Superman for us,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “He’s been playing a lot of minutes and doing it at both ends of the floor. He’s playing absolutely super.”

The shooting of Smith was instrumental in helping Atlanta assume the lead for good with a strong third quarter. And the Hawks never trailed again in avoiding a third straight loss.

In the fourth quarter, it was Smith again hitting open shots. He followed a 3-pointer from Hinrich with a pair of jumpers and a free throw, putting the Hawks in front 88-76 with just over nine minutes left.

Deciding to play a smaller lineup, the Hawks inserted Kirk Hinrich as a starter, slid Smith to power forward, yet still managed to outrebound the Kings and also get out on the break for some easy baskets, evidenced by their 21 fastbreak points.

“I’m big on matchups, and one of my fears is they start three guards,” Drew said. “We elected to go with a three-guard lineup and it had some value for us.”

DeMarcus Cousins fouled out late in the game, but not before tying a season high with 28 and adding 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had their modest two-game winning streak snapped. John Salmons had 14 points, while both Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette had 12.

Although Cousins was a major factor against a smaller Atlanta lineup, Kings coach Keith Smart credited Smith with being a major factor at both ends of the court.

“Offensively, he’s a small forward who is too quick sometimes for a power forward,” Smart said. “And he changes things on defense because he’s a shot blocker. Anytime he sees someone going to the basket, he tries to control the paint. What you saw him doing in the game puts other teams in a bind.”

Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Jeff Teague had 16 points and seven assists for the Hawks, who play the Kings just once this season. Hinrich and Marvin Williams both had 12 points and Zaza Pachulia added 10 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

“In the third quarter, we had great ball moment and were picking up the intensity at both ends of the court,” Johnson said. “We got out for some easy baskets and finally were making some stops on defense.”

Trailing by 12 with just over five minutes to play, the Kings ran off seven straight points, pulling to within 94-89 on a 3 by Thornton. But several costly turnovers and several missed 3s in the final two minutes prevented the Kings from getting any closer than five points.

The loss to Atlanta came two nights after the Kings had dismantled the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a convincing 110-97 victory. However, that same energy that was so evident against Dallas seemed lacking against the Hawks.

“That’s kind of what immature teams do,” Kings rookie guard Isaiah Thomas said. “The energy wasn’t there like it was because we were playing the world champions. We have to get better and get up for every day.”

The Hawks are on a season-high six-game road trip that began with a win over Indiana. However, Atlanta suffered a three-point loss in Miami and fell to Detroit 86-85 on Friday night. The road trip concludes with consecutive games, Tuesday against Denver and Wednesday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.

Smith’s shooting ignited the Hawks in the third quarter when they outscored the Kings 29-22 in taking an 80-74 lead into the fourth.

The Hawks had no answer for Cousins in the opening half when the Kings led 52-51. He scored from inside and out in getting 18 points. Pachulia had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks.