Pacers at 
Hawks4/10/2006, 7:30 PM, Phillips Arena
http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/matchups_090410.html
TV: FSN Indiana
Radio: 1070 The Fan-AM
"O, how this spring of love resembleth the uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun, and by and by a cloud takes all away."
-- The Two Gentlemen of Verona (I, iii, 84-87)) Wm. Shakespeare
The Coaches - "Close pent-up guilts, rive your concealing continents, and cry these dreadful summoners grace. I am a man more sinn'd against than sinning.."
Mike Woodson vs. 
Jim O’BrienWith 45 wins under his belt this season, Mike Woodson has earned his first winning season in his five year career. Spent entirely with the Hawks, Mike has compiled a 151-256 (.371) record in his NBA tenure. In 17 chances against the Pacers, he’s won 8, while losing 9.
Jim O’Brien coaches his 501st NBA game tonight, spread among the Celtics, Sixers, and Pacers. He has won 252 and lost 248 for a .504 winning percentage. His two seasons with the Pacers represent his only two losing seasons, and he has compiled a combined 70-90 (.438) record. While with the Pacers, he has split the six games they’ve played. The Pacers are 0-2 in Atlanta under O’Brien.
Matchups: “Why, man, they did make love to this employment, they are not near my conscience. Their defeat does by their own insinuation grow. 'Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes between the pass and fell incensèd points of mighty opposites.
Center 
Roy Hibbert (6.8 pts, 3.3 rebs) dwarfs the Hawks’ Al Horford (11.4 pts, 9.3 rebs, 1.5 blks) physically, but will have to be very careful not to allow Horford’s superior athleticism to beat him on the glass and get him in his all too customary foul trouble.
Roy has only played in two of the three games against the Hawks, averaging 7.5 points per night in 20.5 minutes. Al Horford missed a good chunk of the first game after rolling his ankle, but he’s still averaged almost a double doubld in points and rebounds.
Power Forward 
Josh Smith (15.6 pts, 7.3 rebs, 1.7 blks) and Troy Murphy (14.3 pts, 11.8 rebs, .450 3P%) present perhaps polar opposites in terms of ability and style, neither the prototypical power forward. Smith trades on his hyperathleticism, while Murphy has become a deadly three-point threat.
Small Forward 
The Pacers’ current All-Star and MIP candidate Danny Granger (25.3 pts, 5.1 rebs) will need to step up big for the Pacers to have a shot on the road. Maurice Evans (7.0 pts, 3.0 rebs) has stepped into the role left temporarily vacant by the injured Marvin Williams.
Shooting Guard 
Rookie Brandon Rush (7.4 pts, 3.0 rebs) will try to reprise his role as dragonslayer against Joe Johnson (21.5 pts, 5.8 asts, 4.4 rebs) tonight. Joe won’t be bothered by Brandon’s size the way DWade and Ben Gordon were, but Rush will have to figure out some other way to bother him.
Point Guard 
Since acquiring Mike Bibby (15.0 pts, 4.9 asts), the Hawks have (1) earned their first playoff spot in years, (2) are about to earn homecourt advantage in the first round, and have compiled a 61-49 record. Since installing Jarrett Jack (13.1 pts, 4.0 asts) as starter, the Pacers have gone 6-2.
Key Reserves: “Glendower: ‘I can call spirits from the vasty deep.’ Hotspur: ‘Why, so can I, or so can any man; but will they come when you do call for them?’”
Atlanta – Marvin Williams (F – 14.0 pts, 6.4 rebs), Flip Murray (G – 11.9 pts, 1.1 stls), Acie Law (G – 2.9 pts), Solomon Jones (F – 2.9 pts, 2.2 rebs), Zaza Pachulia (6.3 pts, 5.7 rebs)
Indiana – TJ Ford (G – 15.1 pts, 5.4 asts), Jeff Foster (CF – 6.3 pts, 6.9 rebs), Rasho Nesterovic (C – 7.0 pts, 3.4 rebs), Stephen Graham (FG – 6.3 pts), Travis Diener (G – 3.8 pts, 2.2 asts), Josh McRoberts (2.3 pts, 2.3 rebs)
Medical Report: “Therein the patient must minister to himself.
Atlanta - Speedy Claxton (left knee) is out. Marvin Williams (lower back pain) is doubtful.
Indiana – Mike Dunleavy (right knee) and Marquis Daniels (right wrist) is out.
Head-to-Head History: “Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come, in yours and my discharge.”
Overall - Atlanta Leads 81-73
Last Year - Indiana won series, 2-1
This Year - Hawks lead 2-1
What happened last time? – The Hawks outscored the Pacers 30-16 in the third quarter to take control of the game, handing the Pacers the second of what would become five straight losses, 101-87.
Joe Johnson led five Atlanta starters in double figures with 30 points. Al Horford was dominant, posting 17 points and 13 rebounds, to go along with 3 blocks.
The Pacers, playing without Danny Granger, were led by T. J. Ford’s 29 points, while Roy Hibbert scored 15 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. The game moved the Hawks to ten games over .500 at 38-28, while the Pacers fell to 28-39.
” Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc'd it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines.” (Storylines)
brought to you by our lovely correspondent, Melissa Theuriau
Atlanta Hawks
" Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York; and all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house in the deep bosom of the ocean buried." – After years in the wilderness, the Hawks are about to enter their second straight postseason, and this time, they will probably play host to their first round foe. A young core will fall short of 50 wins, but still post their best record since 1998.
" All that glisters is not gold." – After testing the Free Agent market, Josh Smith was locked up by the Atlanta Hawks. Though clearly the team has improved, Josh’s production has dropped by about a point and a rebound. He has posted a career high .489 shooting percentage, though, and he’s averaged almost 20 points and 9 boards in four games in April.
" I have seen a medicine that's able to breathe life into a stone,." – Though listed on the NBA injury report lists Marvin Williams as out, reports indicate that he may play against the Pacers tonight. If he does, it would be the first time he’s played since March 7th.
" Et tu, Brute?" – Will a former Pacer create problems for us? Flip Murray has had a solid season, and the always dangerous scorer could create some problems for our somewhat porous perimeter defense.
Indiana Pacers
" We that are true lovers run into strange capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly.." – The Pacer faithful are a scant one loss away from the reality of a third straight spring without playoff games. Once again, there have been disappointments, missed opportunities, and outright heartbreaks this year. Yet, still we bleed blue and gold.
"Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look, He thinks too much; such men are dangerous." – As the season winds down, Josh McRoberts has been given an opportunity to show what he has. Though his game is flawed, he has demonstrated good energy and athleticism. Once relegated to cap filler, he seems to have the ability to perhaps become a solid rotational player in the league.
" "Done to death by slanderous tongue was the Hero that here lies." – Once much maligned, Mike Dunleavy answered his critics with stellar play last season. Sadly, he has only played 18 games this season, and likely won’t play until late next year due to a knee injury.
" Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." – Troy Murphy has been a monster on the glass (11.8 rpg) and deadly from beyond the arc (.450). He needs just one more double double to eclipse Clark Kellogg’s franchise record, and he could finish the season as the first player in history to be Top 5 in both Rebounds and Three Pointers.
" Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and
some have greatness thrust upon 'em." – The last time I did a Shakespeare-themed game thread was in March of 2007. I said the following:
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." - For this franchise to turnaround, greatness must be either achieved by or thrust upon one or more of the following players: Danny Granger, Shawne Williams, Ike Diogu. They must take up the mantle of this franchise if there's to be any hope of salvation.
Danny has responded while Shawne and Ike have fallen by the wayside. Now, it is for Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert to hear the clarion call. For T. J. Ford and Jarrett Jack and Troy Murphy to help keep the pledge made by this team.
"Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps."
"Thou art a votary to fond desire."
"To sleep, perchance to dream"
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on"
”Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?”
”To flaming youth let virtue be as wax, and melt in her own fire.”
"We should be woo'd and were not made to woo."
"Is whispering nothing? Is leaning cheek to cheek? Is meeting noses?"
Behind Enemy Lines
A quick look at what's happening on the Hawks board:
Here’s the Game Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=896594
They're tracking their magic number for homecourt in the first round (BTW…It’s 1.)
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=891304
And they're talking about their division:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=816582
As always, guys, no trolling.
COUNT ON THIS - " I' th' last night's storm I such a fellow saw, which made me think a man a worm. My son came then into my mind, and yet my mind was then scarce friends with him. I have heard more since. As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods…They kill us for their sport.."
Acknowledgments - All Quotes from William Shakespeare, specifically: Game Thread Title ("Oh, how...") "Two Gentlemen of Verona"; Coaches - "King Lear"; Matchups – “Hamlet”; Key Reserves – “Henry IV”; Storylines – “Hamlet”; Atlanta Storylines - "Richard III", “Merchant of Venice”, “All’s Well that Ends Well”, “Julius Caesar”; Indiana Storylines – “As You Like It”, "Julius Caesar", “Much Ado About Nothing”, “Macbeth", “Twelfth Night” ; Tradition Quotes - "Much Ado About Nothing", "Two Gentlemen of Verona", "Hamlet", "The Tempest"; “As You Like It”, “Hamlet”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Winter’s Tale”; Count on This - "King Lear"
And to assuage this bizarre “Conan” fixation:
