It was one of the first questions for the Atlanta Hawks — what to do about GM Rick Sund and coach Larry Drew? Sund’s deal is up and Drew has a team option for next season.

Looks like Drew will be back, tweets Sekou Smith of NBA.com.

Hawks head coach Larry Drew has had third-year option on his contract picked up. Will be back for another year, per a source. Well deserved!

If Drew is back then you think Sund will return.

Drew is 84-64 (.568) in two seasons as the head man in Atlanta, leading them to the second round of the playoffs last year but they did not get out of the first round this season.

That answers just the first of many questions for the Hawks this summer. Next up is what to do about Josh Smith? The All-Star forward has requested a trade and is entering the last year of his contract. After that comes up the fact that pretty much the entire Hawks bench is a free agent this summer. The roster will see major changes.

But one step at a time, at least the coach is taken care of.

ATLANTA (AP) — Larry Drew is returning for his third season as the Atlanta Hawks’ coach despite the team’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

The Hawks announced Friday the team is exercising its option on Drew’s contract for next season.

“Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries,” said general manager Rick Sund.

“The Hawks have reached the postseason in each of his years on the bench, and we feel Larry’s experience, expertise and dedication to the game were a key ingredient to our success.”

Drew led the Hawks to a 40-26 regular-season record before the team lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the first round of the playoffs. It was a step back for the franchise after three straight second-round appearances.

Atlanta had the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference despite losing All-Star center Al Horford for all but 11 games of the regular season. Horford returned in Game 4 of the Celtics series.

The Hawks also lost Joe Johnson, Zaza Pachulia, Kirk Hinrich and other players for stretches of six or more games.

“This group, we never really got to show what we’re capable of,” Horford said last week.

Pachulia, who was Horford’s top backup, missed the Celtics series with a chipped bone in his left foot. Third-string center Jason Collins started the first four games of the series.

Drew said he and his staff “endured a lot of unexpected things.”

“Obviously when you lose an All-Star at the beginning of the season, you have to make some adjustments and you’ve got to kind of change your way of thinking of how you deal with the team now,” Drew said last week. “Certainly when you have factored a guy in for the entire season and then he won’t be there, you’ve got to change some things around, particularly the mindset of the rest of the team.”

Drew said he did a good job of keeping the team playing hard.

“It’s something I take a lot of pride in and spend a lot of time on,” he said. “Player relationships are very important and how you deal with it, how you deal with your best player all the way down to the guy who may not dress out during games.

“I thought I did a good job with that. I thought my staff did a good job with that. We can only control so much, but the one thing we tried to control is that those guys when they come to that gym they come out and play hard for you every single night, and I thought we got that.”

Drew is 84-64 in two regular seasons and 8-10 in the playoffs. The Hawks were 17-16 on the road this season, the team’s first winning record away from Atlanta in 13 years.

The team’s five starters and Pachulia are under contract for next season. Nine players are free agents, and Sund’s contract expires on June 30.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ATLANTA, May 18 (UPI) — Larry Drew will be back next season as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, the NBA team said Friday.

General Manager Rick Sund said the team was exercising its contract option to retain Drew for at least the 2012-13 season. Financial terms weren’t released.

“Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries,” Sund said.

“The Hawks have reached the post-season in each of his years on the bench and we feel Larry’s experience, expertise and dedication to the game were a key ingredient to our success.”

Drew just completed his second season as the Hawks’ coach. Atlanta was 40-26 and advanced to the playoffs but was eliminated by the Boston Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Hawks were 44-38 last season under Drew and were ousted in the second round of the playoffs.

ATLANTA (AP)

Larry Drew is returning for his third season as the Atlanta Hawks’ coach despite the team’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

The Hawks announced Friday the team is exercising its option on Drew’s contract for next season.

”Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries,” said general manager Rick Sund.

”The Hawks have reached the postseason in each of his years on the bench, and we feel Larry’s experience, expertise and dedication to the game were a key ingredient to our success.”

Drew led the Hawks to a 40-26 regular-season record before the team lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the first round of the playoffs. It was a step back for the franchise after three straight second-round appearances.

Atlanta had the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference despite losing All-Star center Al Horford for all but 11 games of the regular season. Horford returned in Game 4 of the Celtics series.

The Hawks also lost Joe Johnson, Zaza Pachulia, Kirk Hinrich and other players for stretches of six or more games.

”This group, we never really got to show what we’re capable of,” Horford said last week.

Pachulia, who was Horford’s top backup, missed the Celtics series with a chipped bone in his left foot. Third-string center Jason Collins started the first four games of the series.

Drew said he and his staff ”endured a lot of unexpected things.”

”Obviously when you lose an All-Star at the beginning of the season, you have to make some adjustments and you’ve got to kind of change your way of thinking of how you deal with the team now,” Drew said last week. ”Certainly when you have factored a guy in for the entire season and then he won’t be there, you’ve got to change some things around, particularly the mindset of the rest of the team.”

Drew said he did a good job of keeping the team playing hard.

”It’s something I take a lot of pride in and spend a lot of time on,” he said. ”Player relationships are very important and how you deal with it, how you deal with your best player all the way down to the guy who may not dress out during games.

”I thought I did a good job with that. I thought my staff did a good job with that. We can only control so much, but the one thing we tried to control is that those guys when they come to that gym they come out and play hard for you every single night, and I thought we got that.”

Drew is 84-64 in two regular seasons and 8-10 in the playoffs. The Hawks were 17-16 on the road this season, the team’s first winning record away from Atlanta in 13 years.

The team’s five starters and Pachulia are under contract for next season. Nine players are free agents, and Sund’s contract expires on June 30.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA — Larry Drew is returning for his third season as the Atlanta Hawks’ coach despite the team’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

The Hawks announced Friday the team is exercising its option on Drew’s contract for next season.

“Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries,” said general manager Rick Sund.

“The Hawks have reached the post-season in each of his years on the bench, and we feel Larry’s experience, expertise and dedication to the game were a key ingredient to our success.”

Drew led the Hawks to a 40-26 regular-season record before the team lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the first round of the playoffs. It was a step back for the franchise after three straight second-round appearances.

Atlanta had the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference despite losing All-Star centre Al Horford for all but 11 games of the regular season. Horford returned in Game 4 of the Celtics series.

The Hawks also lost Joe Johnson, Zaza Pachulia, Kirk Hinrich and other players for stretches of six or more games.

“This group, we never really got to show what we’re capable of,” Horford said last week.

Pachulia, who was Horford’s top backup, missed the Celtics series with a chipped bone in his left foot. Third-string centre Jason Collins started the first four games of the series.

Drew said he and his staff “endured a lot of unexpected things.”

“Obviously when you lose an All-Star at the beginning of the season, you have to make some adjustments and you’ve got to kind of change your way of thinking of how you deal with the team now,” Drew said last week. “Certainly when you have factored a guy in for the entire season and then he won’t be there, you’ve got to change some things around, particularly the mindset of the rest of the team.”

Drew said he did a good job of keeping the team playing hard.

“It’s something I take a lot of pride in and spend a lot of time on,” he said. “Player relationships are very important and how you deal with it, how you deal with your best player all the way down to the guy who may not dress out during games.

“I thought I did a good job with that. I thought my staff did a good job with that. We can only control so much, but the one thing we tried to control is that those guys when they come to that gym they come out and play hard for you every single night, and I thought we got that.”

Drew is 84-64 in two regular seasons and 8-10 in the playoffs. The Hawks were 17-16 on the road this season, the team’s first winning record away from Atlanta in 13 years.

The team’s five starters and Pachulia are under contract for next season. Nine players are free agents, and Sund’s contract expires on June 30.

by

By Jimmy Golen, Associated Press

Atlanta Hawks

BOSTON — The banged-up Celtics and Hawks took Wednesday off to rest up for Game 6 of their first-round playoff series in Boston tonight.

The Celtics lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series after missing a chance to close out the Hawks in the fifth game on Tuesday.

Al Horford scored 19 points, including Atlanta’s final two baskets as the Hawks beat Boston 87-86.

Rajon Rondo made a steal in the final seconds, then Horford trapped him and prevented Boston from making a potential game-winner.

Rondo had five steals to go with 13 points and 12 assists.

“I hate that the game ended the way that it ended,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after Atlanta held on for the victory in Game 5.

“I thought that Rondo willed us back into the game. He really did.”

Rondo already had 13 points and 12 assists when he grabbed his fifth steal of the game, intercepting an inbounds pass from Al Horford to Josh Smith with 10.9 seconds left and Atlanta leading by one.

Boston had no timeouts left, so Rondo moved up the court along the left side, where Horford trapped him.

Kevin Garnett stepped back to receive the pass, but Rondo lost control of the ball and Smith tipped it away as the buzzer sounded.

“My heart was racing a hundred miles an hour on the last sequence,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said.

“We didn’t make a smart play inbounding the ball, but I’m glad (Smith) had the presence of mind on the last play to step up on Rondo when he came flying up the court.”

The Celtics have a record 17 NBA titles and a lot of history over the years, and steals are prominent among their most memorable plays.

Johnny Most’s call of “Havlicek stole the ball!” in the 1965 Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia is one of the most famous in sports history, and Larry Bird’s steal against Isiah Thomas to beat Detroit during the 1987 playoffs was just as impressive.

Rondo’s steal had the potential to be remembered just as fondly, especially after he took control of the game during a 10-0 run that cut as 12-point deficit to a single basket at the end of the third quarter.

Instead, it all went for naught.

“I cornered myself,” Rondo said. “Give Al credit. I just didn’t come up with the shot.”

Although Rondo’s outside shooting has always been the weakest part of his game — he was 6-for-17 from the floor on Tuesday — he made 8 of 11 shots in Game 4 and Horford considered him dangerous.

“I didn’t want to lose the series in that way, with him hitting a jumper over me or something like that,” Horford said.

“So you’re fighting for your life out there. My thing was to force him to pass the ball, to bottle him up the best I could and then Josh made a great deflection.”

Rivers, a former point guard himself, said he thought Rondo should have gone up the middle of the court instead of the sideline. And he wanted Rondo to drive toward the hoop, instead of setting up on the perimeter.

“I was hoping he would attack the basket, but he lost control of the ball and that blew up any chance that we had,” Rivers said. “We didn’t capitalize on the situation.”

The Celtics will have another chance on Thursday night, and this time they can close the Hawks out in Boston. Game 7 would be in Atlanta on Saturday, if necessary, but the Celtics would surely like to finish it up early to rest their aging stars.

Rivers and Drew both gave their teams the day off on Wednesday to rest.

After missing almost three weeks with bone spurs in his ankle, Ray Allen returned for Game 3 and has avoided any setbacks. Paul Pierce tweaked his left knee in Game 4, but he said it wasn’t bothering him much on Tuesday.

The Hawks, meanwhile, are getting healthier.

Horford played in Game 4 — his first action since January — and was back in the starting lineup for the fifth game, scoring 19 points with 11 rebounds. Smith, whose sore knee knocked him out of Game 3, had 13 points and 16 rebounds.

“I know Josh is still having a little discomfort in his knee but he is playing through the pain,” Drew said. “I think everybody else is fine.”

Al Horford scored 19 points in his first start since January, and the Atlanta Hawks held on for an 87-86 victory over the Boston Celtics in a thrilling Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Tuesday night.

The Celtics lead the series 3-2 heading back to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday. If the Hawks can steal one on the road, the deciding game would be Saturday in Atlanta.

Boston had a chance to clinch the series when Rajon Rondo stole Josh Smith’s inbounds pass with 10 seconds remaining and raced down the court, looking for the winner. But he got hemmed in along the sideline and Smith knocked away a desperation pass, the ball rolling away as time ran out.

A relieved Smith collapsed on the scorer’s table.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 16 points apiece. Rondo had 13 points and 12 assists, and the last of his five assists gave Boston a chance to end the series early and get some much-needed rest.

But there’s still work to do.

The Hawks kept their season going, getting a huge contribution from a player who wasn’t there for much of it. Horford went down in January with a torn pectoral muscle, missing the rest of the regular season and the first three games of the playoffs. But he made a surprise return in Game 4, one of the few bright spots in an embarrassing 101-79 loss that gave the Celtics command of the series.

Boston headed to Atlanta intent on wrapping things up, but Horford clearly wanted to play a little longer after missing so much time. He led fast breaks and dived on the court for loose balls, not the least bit worried about reinjuring himself. In addition to leading the Hawks in scoring, he grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out three assists, came up with three steals and blocked three shots.

Smith clearly looked hobbled by a sore knee, but still managed 13 points and 16 rebounds. Jeff Teague had 16 points, while Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams had 15 apiece, giving Atlanta double-figure scoring from all five of its starters in a revamped lineup.

In a back-and-forth game, the Celtics tied it at 83 on Ray Allen’s 3-pointer from the corner, capping a quick 7-0 run.

The Hawks called time out and set up a play that reclaimed the lead for good. Teague drove into the lane and dumped it off to Horford for an uncontested dunk.

After Garnett missed a jumper in the lane, Johnson ran down the shot clock looking as though he had every intention of shooting. But, at the last possible second, he rifled a pass to Horford coming off the wing. The big center threw up a sort of pseudo-hook with Garnett and Brandon Bass all over him. The ball bounced around the rim before falling through with 1:34 left, giving the Hawks an 87-83 lead.

With less than a minute to go, after misses by Pierce and Horford canceled each other out, Pierce was inexplicably left open for a 3-pointer. He swished it, pulling the Celtics within a point. They wouldn’t get another, even with a couple of chances.

Teague missed an open 3 for the Hawks, giving Pierce a look at the go-ahead shot. But his 18-foot jumper with Johnson in his face barely touched the bottom of the net, falling harmlessly out of bounds while Pierce looked around in disbelief, believing he must have been fouled.

Rondo’s steal gave the Celtics one more chance, but they never actually got a shot off.

Boston appeared to have the momentum, closing the third quarter on a Rondo-led 10-0 spurt that cut Atlanta’s 12-point lead down to a mere basket. The Celtics kept it going early in the fourth, pushing out to a 73-69 edge on Allen’s 3-pointer with 8 1-2 minutes remaining.

But no lead was safe in this topsy-turvy game. The Hawks ripped off a 14-3 run. The Celtics called time out and scored seven straight of their own, capped by another 3 by Allen.

Looking to spark his team and generate more offense, Atlanta coach Larry Drew juggled his lineup for Game 5. Horford’s first start since his injury wasn’t totally surprising, given the center had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench in the 22-point blowout.

Perhaps more significantly, the Hawks started Williams at small forward and shifted Johnson to shooting guard, hoping that would create mismatches and give Atlanta’s top scorer more offensive chances. He took only eight shots in Game 4, a totally unacceptable number that had some wondering if Horford’s return disrupted the offense more than it helped.

No one is questioning him now.

Notes: The Hawks have used three different lineups in the five-game series. … Allen kept up his solid play off the bench with 15 points. Bass had 14.

The Atlanta Hawks have fought back from the brink to stay keep their NBA playoff hopes alive against the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics were looking to wrap up the series but the Hawks managed to hang on to a cliff-hanger game five, 87-86 at home.

The Hawks slim the lead 3 games to 2.

Elsewhere in the NBA playoffs, a huge final quarter has inspired the Indiana Pacers to finish off the Orlando Magic, winning game five 105-87, and the series 4-1, to make the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Darren Collison top scored with 19 points, in Indiana’s first playoff series win since beating the Celtics in 2005.

3 News

Atlanta, GA – Al Horford and Josh Smith shook off injuries and posted double-doubles to keep the Atlanta Hawks’ season alive with a hard- fought 87-86 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Horford, battling through a still-bothersome pectoral injury that caused him to miss most of the regular season, totaled 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Smith chipped in 13 and 16 despite dealing with a sore knee.

Smith nearly threw away a chance to seal the win when his inbounds pass with 10.9 seconds remaining was stolen by Rajon Rondo.

Down by one, Rondo pushed the ball up the court and dribbled into the left corner. Smith and Horford switched defensive responsibilities, and Horford disrupted Rondo’s dribble as time wound down.

By the time Rondo recovered and threw to Kevin Garnett at the top of the key, Smith tipped the ball away as the buzzer sounded, pulling the Hawks within 3-2 of a series that continues Thursday back in Boston.

“The whole thing was to force [Rondo] to pass the ball. I crowded him as much as I could, and Josh made a great tip,” recalled Horford of the final play.

The Celtics received 16 points apiece from Garnett and a hobbled Paul Pierce. Ray Allen added 15 points, and Rondo finished with 13 points and 12 assists in defeat.

Every time the Hawks made a run, the Celtics seemingly answered.

Down 66-54 following a 10-0 Hawks run late in the third, Boston scored the final 10 points of stanza to pull within two.

Atlanta tried to pull away again in the fourth as Smith powered a 14-3 spurt that gave the hosts an 83-76 edge with just over four minutes remaining.

The lead lasted less than two minutes, as consecutive field goals by Garnett and Pierce preceded Allen’s tying three-pointer with 2:41 on the clock.

Horford, who surprisingly returned from a four-month absence in Game 4, put in back-to-back buckets around a Garnett miss before missing a jumper with a minute to play.

Pierce, also limited due to a knee injury, followed by hitting a three- pointer, but airballed a potential go-ahead jumper with Joe Johnson in his face the next time down.

The Celtics used their foul-to-give with 10.9 seconds remaining, leading to the breathless final sequence.

Pierce scored nine points in the first quarter, pacing the Celtics to a 21-15 lead, but the Hawks battled back in the second and things were even at 40-all by halftime.

Game Notes

The Hawks shot 47 percent from the field compared to the Celtics’ 44% effort…Jeff Teague donated 16 points for the Hawks, who got 15 points apiece from Johnson and Marvin Williams….Atlanta won the rebounding battle, 41-33.

ATLANTA (AP) — Al Horford scored 19 points in his first start since January, and the Atlanta Hawks held on for an 87-86 victory over the Boston Celtics in a thrilling Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Tuesday night.

The Celtics lead the series 3-2 heading back to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday. If the Hawks can steal one on the road, the deciding game would be Saturday in Atlanta.

Boston had a chance to clinch the series when Rajon Rondo stole Josh Smith’s inbounds pass with 10 seconds remaining and raced down the court, looking for the winner. But he got hemmed in along the sideline and Smith knocked away a desperation pass, the ball rolling away as time ran out.

A relieved Smith collapsed on the scorer’s table.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 16 points apiece. Rondo had 13 points and 12 assists, and the last of his five assists gave Boston a chance to end the series early and get some much-needed rest.

But there’s still work to do.

The Hawks kept their season going, getting a huge contribution from a player who wasn’t there for much of it. Horford went down in January with a torn pectoral muscle, missing the rest of the regular season and the first three games of the playoffs. But he made a surprise return in Game 4, one of the few bright spots in an embarrassing 101-79 loss that gave the Celtics command of the series.

Boston headed to Atlanta intent on wrapping things up, but Horford clearly wanted to play a little longer after missing so much time. He led fast breaks and dived on the court for loose balls, not the least bit worried about reinjuring himself. In addition to leading the Hawks in scoring, he grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out three assists, came up with three steals and blocked three shots.

Smith clearly looked hobbled by a sore knee, but still managed 13 points and 16 rebounds. Jeff Teague had 16 points, while Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams had 15 apiece, giving Atlanta double-figure scoring from all five of its starters in a revamped lineup.

In a back-and-forth game, the Celtics tied it at 83 on Ray Allen’s 3-pointer from the corner, capping a quick 7-0 run.

The Hawks called time out and set up a play that reclaimed the lead for good. Teague drove into the lane and dumped it off to Horford for an uncontested dunk.

After Garnett missed a jumper in the lane, Johnson ran down the shot clock looking as though he had every intention of shooting. But, at the last possible second, he rifled a pass to Horford coming off the wing. The big center threw up a sort of pseudo-hook with Garnett and Brandon Bass all over him. The ball bounced around the rim before falling through with 1:34 left, giving the Hawks an 87-83 lead.

With less than a minute to go, after misses by Pierce and Horford canceled each other out, Pierce was inexplicably left open for a 3-pointer. He swished it, pulling the Celtics within a point. They wouldn’t get another, even with a couple of chances.

Teague missed an open 3 for the Hawks, giving Pierce a look at the go-ahead shot. But his 18-foot jumper with Johnson in his face barely touched the bottom of the net, falling harmlessly out of bounds while Pierce looked around in disbelief, believing he must have been fouled.

Rondo’s steal gave the Celtics one more chance, but they never actually got a shot off.

Boston appeared to have the momentum, closing the third quarter on a Rondo-led 10-0 spurt that cut Atlanta’s 12-point lead down to a mere basket. The Celtics kept it going early in the fourth, pushing out to a 73-69 edge on Allen’s 3-pointer with 8 1-2 minutes remaining.

But no lead was safe in this topsy-turvy game. The Hawks ripped off a 14-3 run. The Celtics called time out and scored seven straight of their own, capped by another 3 by Allen.

Looking to spark his team and generate more offense, Atlanta coach Larry Drew juggled his lineup for Game 5. Horford’s first start since his injury wasn’t totally surprising, given the center had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench in the 22-point blowout.

Perhaps more significantly, the Hawks started Williams at small forward and shifted Johnson to shooting guard, hoping that would create mismatches and give Atlanta’s top scorer more offensive chances. He took only eight shots in Game 4, a totally unacceptable number that had some wondering if Horford’s return disrupted the offense more than it helped.

No one is questioning him now.

Notes: The Hawks have used three different lineups in the five-game series. … Allen kept up his solid play off the bench with 15 points. Bass had 14.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia won’t play in Game 1 of the NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Coach Larry Drew announced before Sunday’s contest that third-stringer Jason Collins will start at center, sticking with the lineup that went 5-1 after Pachulia sprained his left foot on April 13.

Drew says Pachulia’s foot is getting better and it will be a game-to-game decision on whether he plays in the series. The Hawks already have played most of the season without top center Al Horford, who is recovering from pectoral surgery.

Marvin Williams will continue to come off the bench for the Hawks. The 7-foot Collins isn’t much of an offensive threat, averaging 1.3 points, but Drew is counting on the 10-year veteran to provide a defensive presence.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The last time the Celtics and Hawks met in the playoffs, Atlanta took Boston to seven games in their first-round series before the Celtics prevailed and went on a championship run in 2007-08. The Celtics were the top seed in the East, and the plucky Hawks were their young challengers. Neither team can currently claim youth on the first few lines of their resume, but the series, which starts Sunday, is no less interesting. It’s the last run for Boston’s Big Three as constituted, and the Hawks have been looking to break free of their second-tier status since that series five years ago. Here’s what to watch for …

ATLANTA (AP) Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia won’t play in Game 1 of the NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Coach Larry Drew announced before Sunday’s contest that third-stringer Jason Collins will start at center, sticking with the lineup that went 5-1 after Pachulia sprained his left foot on April 13.

Drew says Pachulia’s foot is getting better and it will be a game-to-game decision on whether he plays in the series. The Hawks already have played most of the season without top center Al Horford, who is recovering from pectoral surgery.

Marvin Williams will continue to come off the bench for the Hawks. The 7-foot Collins isn’t much of an offensive threat, averaging 1.3 points, but Drew is counting on the 10-year veteran to provide a defensive presence.