Thursday: Orlando (5-2 V) @ Atlanta 11-3 (7-0 H)

[Hilltop]

Good game

[Retrovision]

Way to play like **** and ruin my Thanksgiving.

[ATL DirtyBird]

Confusing how a magic team can lose to Miami at home, and come back the next day to spank us at home. Very baffling. This game should of been put away early second half.

[Ballah]

Confusing how a magic team can lose to Miami at home, and come back the next day to spank us at home. Very baffling. This game should of been put away early second half.

Wade.

[evildallas]

Tale of two halves. I give credit to the Magic for playing right (through Dwight Howard offensively) in the 2nd half unlike they did against Miami. I'm kind of worried that too often when our designated shooters are ice cold that we don't figure out another way to get the ball in the basket. It happens too often and I think the strategy is just keep shooting and it will eventually fall.

[JoshB914]

Man, we couldn't hit a shot to save our life in the second half. And it was tough to get out in transition and get easy buckets when we couldn't get a clean rebound. Of course it's hard to run a half court offense when Joe spends 15-20 seconds trying to dribble a hole through the floor.

AJ looked motivated as hell tonight and he took Bibby to the cleaners on multiple occasions.

[OMagic1989]

I still think Atlanta is the 4th or possibly the third best team in the East. I still think you could beat Cleveland if you play the way you are capable.

Do not get down on your team you have played great to start the season.

[NEM]

hawks fans, you guys are panicking over nothing. we lost last night and we weren't going to lose tonight. yeah we were down early, but we fought back, it's what championship teams do. no big deal it's one game. IMO you are still a top 2 or 3 team in the east. i think you're better than cleveland and j smoove has really improved. i like that he doesnt shoot threes anymore. you will be fine.

[playa_lev]

This game was the only Hawks game on the Hungarian sports channel this year. Tomorrow is my birthday and I woke up at 2 a.m. … to watch this team breaking down. Yeah, they pretty much ruined my night too.

The way they played in the second half it was horrible and shameful. I think I never saw a team fall apart so rapidly.

It’s easy to blame on JJ, and I agree that despite his 22 point effort (which he scored in the first half) he had a big role in this defeat, but he was putting basket after basket in the first half. So, it is logical that he tried. Unfortunately he was too selfish and forced too many bad shots.

I don’t get it, why they didn’t involved Al more. He barely touched the ball a few times, only on the defensive boards. I feel like this team has to use Joe Smith and Evans more.

I hope this game will be a wakeup call …

[Hawkamanic81]

The Hawks are still a lousy basketball team. 4 seed? Yeah, that's really something to be proud of. A whole 4th place.

[MagicHolland]

Just like many Magic fans have already pointed out you guys will be fine. The way you guys react to this game is the way we did after the Miami game. I actually agree with the one guy in this thread who said you guys need to play Joe Smith and Evans more. Atlanta is a very dangerous team and if clicking at the right time could make some noise during the playoffs 2010. You guys are still very young and should give it another 2 years to see what this team is capable of.

Good luck for the rest of the season, I like the Hawks and will follow them closely this season!

[NEM]

The Hawks are still a lousy basketball team. 4 seed? Yeah, that's really something to be proud of. A whole 4th place.

i bet the nets wouldnt mind 4th place. and i still dont think you're 4th. i feel you are better than cleveland and on the cusp of being better than boston. we have been 3 the last 2 years and made it to the finals last year by dominating "number 1"

[NEM]

Just like many Magic fans have already pointed out you guys will be fine. The way you guys react to this game is the way we did after the Miami game. I actually agree with the one guy in this thread who said you guys need to play Joe Smith and Evans more. Atlanta is a very dangerous team and if clicking at the right time could make some noise during the playoffs 2010. You guys are still very young and should give it another 2 years to see what this team is capable of.

Good luck for the rest of the season, I like the Hawks and will follow them closely this season!

i already do because i see them as a potential problem for the number 1 seed lol

[JoshB914]

Yeah, some people really overreacting to this loss. We're 11-4 and just lost to perhaps the best team in the EC.

[johnny878]

jamal crawford needs to be banned from 3 pointers. he has been horrible shooting the 3 this year. might as well give it to josh and let him fire some up.

woodson is such an idiot. atlanta has to be the easiest team to defend at the end of the game. all they run is iso's for joe or occasionnaly crawford.

[parson]

Well, I'm not so mad at Joe anymore, but I'm still disappointed. He CAN score on isolations, but he can't keep it up for an entire half. It's too physically demanding. If anyone's noticed, not even Wade tries to do it for that long: he does it at the end.

Maybe Joe got selfish, trying to earn a big payday on national TV.
Maybe he was trying to save the day, doing it all for his team.
Maybe he just got stupid.

Whatever it was, it killed us.

[parson]

jamal crawford needs to be banned from 3 pointers. he has been horrible shooting the 3 this year. might as well give it to josh and let him fire some up.

Agreed. PLUS, if'n he'd take those 3pters to the basket (which he is great at), he'd earn some major assist numbers and easy baskets.

Smoove learned he can be a star if he gives up the 3 and drives, maybe Crawford can learn the same lesson. Nobody can keep him from penetrating.