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We need to be ready to play in this game. This is a MUST win game for Orlando so they will be coming out pissed off. I hope we can hit shots like we did in game 1 or we will get smoked. Go Hawks!

I finally watched the post game comment from Dwight Howard. When I read it in Michael Cunningham's blog it didn't seem that incendiary, but seeing how he said it made it obvious that he has no respect for the Hawks. I hope that it helps keep the Hawks fired up for the entire series. Make it a goal to play that hard in every game.

Mike Callahan - Orlando is 8-2 during his last ten games
David Guthrie - Orlando is 7-3 during his last ten games
Bill Spooner

HMFFL wrote:Mike Callahan - Orlando is 8-2 during his last ten games
David Guthrie - Orlando is 7-3 during his last ten games
Bill Spooner

I've always wondered if the assignment are made before the series starts or game by game. For instance Dallas vs Portland, Danny Crawford is assigned to game 2 and the Mavs are 2-16 in games with Danny Crawford.

I think they strategically assign these refs, so certain teams have an advantage that they like. Dallas on the other hand just have bad luck with Crawford. He isn't a biased ref, so they it's not like they get unnecessary calls against them.

I just read his comments and I think they are nothing to criticize, unless he means a whole lot more by what he did not say.

Well, it is their turn to change things around. If we win, they are almost out of the POs. I believe teams usually relax a lot after stealing a game and I hope this is not the case today. If our players play with a different approach, we will lose by a big difference.
Instead we can win doing similar things to the ones we did on Friday and still we need to do some adjustements.
Also JSmoove and Horford can play better.

Hawks have responded well to the 2 mini-runs the Magic have had in the 1st half.

It hasn't hurt so far...but why does it feel like the Hawks are the only team who fears foul trouble enough to put players like Etan Thomas and Hilton Armstrong into the 1st half of a crucial playoff game? Are they aware that fouls don't carry over from game to game and that the world won't end if someone gets a 3rd foul in the 1st half? Are they saving Zaza,Collins,and Horford in case of a triple overtime or something? It just annoys me.

Orlando is killing us on the board and the free throw attempts. We must make the adjustments that are needed during the second half.

3-pointers:
Atlanta 5-11
Orlando 0-6

Larry Drew's substitutions left us vulnerable the last 4-5 minutes of the half.

Drew is just a terrible coach.

HoopsGuru25 wrote:Drew is just a terrible coach.

No denying that.

Orlando hasn't been difficult to defend at all...the ONLY time they've been able to score on the Hawks is when Drew decided to guard Dwight 1 on 1 with a sacrificial lamb in the latter portion of the 2nd quarter of both games. This game would have been COMPLETELY different if Hilton Armstrong and Josh Powell never guarded Dwight.

With that said-The Hawks need to avoid these big scoring droughts.

Why didn't Etan Thomas play? what is this Hilton Armstrong power forward BullS--T?!

Thomas and Armstrong are both terrible. Collins should have been in the game for that time period.

We're better than they are. They were allowed to foul us on every offensive possession (Joe got mugged), we got called for touch fouls, Howard fouled out twice (the homer announcers even laughed and said so)....

... yet they're only gonna win by 6. Sometimes I hate the NBA and wonder why I ever watch.

Is it meant for Rick Adelman to be here next year?!?!?!?

HoopsGuru25 wrote:Thomas and Armstrong are both terrible. Collins should have been in the game for that time period.

I agree.

I hope this is Thomas' last season and I've never cared for Armstrong at all.

As bad as the officials screwed us I think Larry Drew screwed us more by setting Al 22 minutes in the first half. The Magic's first real run of the series was in the 2nd quarter as he played a lineup with Hilton Armstrong and Marvin Williams as the C/PF combo. Al finished with 2 fouls and wasn't even guarding Dwight.

evildallas wrote:As bad as the officials screwed us I think Larry Drew screwed us more by setting Al 22 minutes in the first half.

That practice has become a JOKE.