Hawks to face Knicks in 1st Round of Playoffs

[atlantabbq99]

Randle had a bad game. Lets see what defense Collins brings in game 2.

I love how Trae is playing with the biggest chip on his shoulder. I love how the New York fans chanted FU to Trae. That totally fueled him and I think he is going to remember those chants in Game 2.

I hope their will be more New York fans in Philips Arena and I hope they talk smack to Trae all game long.

[HMFFL]

He deserves to say it like it is.

Read on Twitter

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[GTR11]

This will be over in 5. I wish in 4 but I don't believe you guys have enough leadership. Sweet Lue wanted to retire before being traded.

5 will be safe bet. JC, pay that man. Some of you question it? Boot them bums.

Trea, Bogie, JC and Capella is a core. Build from there.

[GTR11]

That GM who traded Luka? Should be fired.

[GTR11]

we wanted Kobe. He didn't want to play for NJ.

No disrespect, just facts.

[shakes0]

That GM who traded Luka? Should be fired.

probably not the best timing to make that statement

[shakes0]

Read on Twitter

RENT FREE

[graymule]

Read on Twitter

RENT FREE

Trae doesn't have to look for them. NY has them right there, free for the taking!

[Jamaaliver]

Watch on YouTube

[atlantabbq99]

Read on Twitter

RENT FREE

This is great. They need to post this up all over the locker room to fire up Trae even more!

I hope New York fans keep talking and booing and chanting through the whole series as Trae is just going to take it personally and pay it back on the court!

[Jamaaliver]

Watch on YouTube

[jayu70]

Read on Twitter

RENT FREE

This is great. They need to post this up all over the locker room to fire up Trae even more!

I hope New York fans keep talking and booing and chanting through the whole series as Trae is just going to take it personally and pay it back on the court!

Love it!

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

Watch on YouTube

[Jamaaliver]

The NY media isn't just going after Trae. Now they're going after our team owner as well.

Damn.

I can't tell if this is out of bounds or not. It's worth noting that the NY Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch (of Fox News repute) and is considered more of a tabloid than traditional newspaper.

Atlanta Hawks owner accused of ‘hunting fouls’ in finance



The Atlanta Hawks’ growing reputation for cheap fouls comes as no surprise to people who’ve done business with the NBA team’s billionaire owner, The Post has learned.

Private equity chief Antony Ressler, who bought the Hawks in 2015 with a group of investors for $850 million, has been developing a reputation in financial circles for unsportsmanlike tactics on par with those that had NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio accusing Hawks point guard Trae Young of “hunting fouls” following the team’s victory over the NY Knicks on Sunday, sources said.

Some lenders say just the mention of Ares Management — the $207 billion private equity firm Ressler founded in 1997 while working with his financier brother-in-law Leon Black — is enough to send chills down their spines.

“They are as aggressive as you can be,” one distressed lender said. “They take their straw and stick it in someone else’s milkshake. It’s blood sport.”

NY Post

[atlantabbq99]

CONGRATULATIONS JR!!!

Not only is the clear Most Improved Players and has established himself as an elite NBA player.

He was in some bad situations early in his career and not getting the respect and development he deserved but I'm happy to see he finally found a great situation, great environment and home in NYC!

[D21]

ATL need to secure these two home games, hope McMillan can fix the rotation problems, and it would be geat if State Farm arena can look like the 2008 series Vs BOS.

[Jamaaliver]

Hawks raise alarm about ‘illegal’ screens from Knicks

The Hawks already thought the NBA favored the big-market Knicks in the playoffs, and now they seem to be wondering if there’s visual proof with the Hawks drawing attention to the physicality with which the Knicks are setting screens.

“I thought they were setting some screens that need to be looked at,” McMillan said on the eve of Friday’s Game 3 in a tied series. “That’s a part of this game. Certainly in the playoffs you have to set screens with [defensive] pressure that teams and guards will be applying, and we have to do a better job of setting screens. But I thought [in Game 2] they set some screens that the league has to look at.”

One particular example occurred in the third quarter, when Taj Gibson hip-checked RJ Barrett’s defender and allowed him to drive for a layup.

Read on Twitter

“The screens that have been made and the elbows that have been flying the first two games are illegal,” forward John Collins said matter-of-factly. “They are not basketball plays. That’s how I feel. Obviously, the officials have the ability to make their calls and we have to live with that. I wasn’t vulgar or disrespectful in any way when those calls were made, but they are illegal.”

Collins said, “I have to do better. I’ve proven myself to be a high-level rebounder in this league … but there’s a little more to it going on down there in the paint that I feel like is making it a little tougher.”

NY Post

[Jamaaliver]

This one is on Nate. The ALL BENCH LINE UP for the playoffs is not a thing.
He left Trae out too long - It's the playoffs - ride your star unless he's sucking wind and begging you to take him out - you have a chance to WIN ON THE ROAD in the playoffs, play your star player, not your role players.

Yep, this has been the reason I've been reluctant to fully embrace the guy. It's hard to see us reaching true contender status with an old school coach this stubborn and inflexible.

Read on Twitter

McMillan's Conservative Rotation Costs Atlanta a Potential Stranglehold on Knicks

Atlanta had a third-quarter lead that was blown in a matter of minutes after Nate McMillan stuck with his bench unit for too long.

The Hawks will likely take solace in that as well, as they head home to Atlanta with a 1-1 split in their first-round series with the Knicks. Still, after winning Game 1, and having clear control of Game 2 midway through the third quarter, there should be a sour taste left in the young club’s mouth.

Simply put, Hawks coach Nate McMillan stayed with his all-bench lineup far too long in the third quarter, a stretch in which the Knicks stole the momentum by outscoring Atlanta, 32-18.

Spoiler:

McMillan went to his bench, taking out his top scorers for a breather. But the reserves began clanking away in succession: Danilo Gallinari, Tony Snell, Lou Williams all failed to put shots down.

Seven minutes and 38 seconds later, the Hawks had missed 12 of their last 13 shots; the vast majority of them with Young and Bogdanovic on the sideline. The Knicks raced ahead by 10 points, 88-78, during the first three and a half minutes of the final quarter.
At that point, McMillan called timeout to bring Young, Collins and Bogdanovic back into the game. The results were immediate. Out of the timeout, Huerter hit a ridiculous 34-footer to break the drought, beginning a stretch that saw Atlanta score on six of its next seven possessions to tie the score at 91.

The comeback ultimately wasn’t enough, as the Hawks stagnated again.

“I was fine with my rotation,” he said after the game when asked about the dry spell and whether he considered bringing Young and others back sooner. McMillan's a solid coach who’s been critiqued for tactical choices in prior playoff runs. In his career, he’s 17–37 in postseason. He went 3–16 in Indiana.

McMillan has developed a reputation of lifting teams in the regular season, and deservedly so. The Hawks, who turned their season around after McMillan became the coach around the All-Star break, finished the campaign as arguably the hottest team in basketball. They can only hope McMillan doesn’t resort to overly conservative maneuvers when his team has a chance to be the aggressor.

SI.com

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter