Atlanta Hawks are for real!

[TiMSport]

Once again they've taken away home court advantage for the THIRD straight playoff series and they've been huge underdogs in each of those series. HOW ABOUT SOME DAMN RESPECT?!?

Trae Young is ballin' and no one can stop him.
48 points and 11 dishes tonight at Milwaukee's house!!

Where's Luka Doncic? Oh yeah, sitting on his couch watching the playoffs.

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Once again they've taken away home court advantage for the THIRD straight playoff series and they've been huge underdogs in each of those series. HOW ABOUT SOME DAMN RESPECT?!?

Trae Young is ballin' and no one can stop him.
48 points and 11 dishes tonight at Milwaukee's house!!

Where's Luka Doncic? Oh yeah, sitting on his couch watching the playoffs.

Hawks better win a championship this season. Starting next season, Trae Young's falling into defenders on purpose for cheap foul calls won’t be tolerated.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

Hawks better win a championship this season. Starting next season, Trae Young's falling into defenders on purpose for cheap foul calls won’t be tolerated.

Lol. He doesn't fall into defenders, the defenders fall into him!

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Lol. He doesn't fall into defenders, the defenders fall into him!

I’ll be shocked if they can beat the Bucks but if they do, it’ll be a great series against the Suns. PG13 can’t get it done without Kawhi

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

I’ll be shocked if they can beat the Bucks but if they do, it’ll be a great series against the Suns. PG13 can’t get it done without Kawhi

Yeah you won't be the only one. Remember, no one and I mean NO ONE gave them a chance against the Sixers or even the Knicks for that matter. Look where they're at now. Playing with house money! It'll be a great series if they meet the Suns in the Finals.

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Yeah you won't be the only one. Remember, no one and I mean NO ONE gave them a chance against the Sixers or even the Knicks for that matter. Look where they're at now. Playing with house money! It'll be a great series if they meet the Suns in the Finals.

The Hawks should send Ben Simmons flowers and a bricklayers job application for the off-season. 76’ers are the better overall team but Ben Simmons can’t/won’t shoot and he should be run out of that city.

Hawks best chance to win a championship is NOW.

[mjr24]

Hawks aren't winning anything this year. Like mentioned, I do see some issues for Trey when they change the rule next year.

He is a great player and I haven't seen him play a ton this year until this Bucks series (I'm a Bucks fan) but he isn't better than Luka. That's not a slight....Luka is amazing. Trey is REALLY good, too. Like you said, though, Trey is the one still playing now....ATL has a nice team. Bucks have definitely lucked out with injuries to the opposing teams this year.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by mjr24

Hawks aren't winning anything this year. Like mentioned, I do see some issues for Trey when they change the rule next year.

He is a great player and I haven't seen him play a ton this year until this Bucks series (I'm a Bucks fan) but he isn't better than Luka. That's not a slight....Luka is amazing. Trey is REALLY good, too. Like you said, though, Trey is the one still playing now....ATL has a nice team. Bucks have definitely lucked out with injuries to the opposing teams this year.

They may not win it all, but for most ATL fans, they've over achieved as they weren't supposed to be here this early. I'm not one of those types though because I'm greedy and want to win NOW. Lol.

Most people haven't seen the Hawks play this season and that's something to think about. TNT only aired one single game on their network this entire season. Sad. Now that everyone is getting to see who Trae Young is and John Collins, etc., people are surprised.

How's this for a stat? Trae Young is only the 4th player in NBA history to record eight(8) 30+ point games in his first playoffs.

Also, and importantly, since Nate McMillan took over as head coach for the Hawks, they had the best record in the Eastern conference. Assuming they keep their core players and stay healthy, they're not going anywhere and should only get better.

By the way, if DeAndre Hunter was playing, this could be a much different series. He's a scorer and a great defender. Oh well, lots of injuries to all the teams this season. Bucks are lucky though.

As for the comparison with Luka Doncic, that will never fade away obviously. Atlanta did a much better job assembling a contender than Dallas did. The right mix of high draft picks and solid veterans.

[Der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

They may not win it all, but for most ATL fans, they've over achieved as they weren't supposed to be here this early. I'm not one of those types though because I'm greedy and want to win NOW. Lol.

Most people haven't seen the Hawks play this season and that's something to think about. TNT only aired one single game on their network this entire season. Sad. Now that everyone is getting to see who Trae Young is and John Collins, etc., people are surprised.

How's this for a stat? Trae Young is only the 4th player in NBA history to record eight(8) 30+ point games in his first playoffs.

Also, and importantly, since Nate McMillan took over as head coach for the Hawks, they had the best record in the Eastern conference. Assuming they keep their core players and stay healthy, they're not going anywhere and should only get better.

By the way, if DeAndre Hunter was playing, this could be a much different series. He's a scorer and a great defender. Oh well, lots of injuries to all the teams this season. Bucks are lucky though.

As for the comparison with Luka Doncic, that will never fade away obviously. Atlanta did a much better job assembling a contender than Dallas did. The right mix of high draft picks and solid veterans.

DiVincenzo is out for Milwaukee though since the first round and he's a starter.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Der_Wolf

DiVincenzo is out for Milwaukee though since the first round and he's a starter.

Hunter > DiVencenzo
At least the Bucks have a healthy Greek the Freak!
If Trae is hobbled, they're toast.

Cam Reddish has also been out for a long time though he made a brief appearance in game #3.

[Der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Hunter > DiVencenzo
At least the Bucks have a healthy Greek the Freak!
If Trae is hobbled, they're toast.

Cam Reddish has also been out for a long time though he made a brief appearance in game #3.

I agree. Tonight will be a big game. I think Trae will play and be as good as ever from outside the arc but the foot injury will slow him down getting to the basket. I think the bucks will win by 10

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Der_Wolf

I agree. Tonight will be a big game. I think Trae will play and be as good as ever from outside the arc but the foot injury will slow him down getting to the basket. I think the bucks will win by 10

Man I hope you are wrong but we'll see. If they can win tonight that will make this a 3 game series. It's too bad Bogdanovic has been hobbled lately because he can be a scoring machine as well. If "Sweet Lou" can get a fire going, that could be enough too. As an ATL fan and resident, my fingers are crossed!

[mjr24]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Hunter > DiVencenzo
At least the Bucks have a healthy Greek the Freak!
If Trae is hobbled, they're toast.

Cam Reddish has also been out for a long time though he made a brief appearance in game #3.

DiVincenzo is actually a really good defender and rebounder as a guard. That makes a big difference when Lopez isn't playing and they have to play small and they basically have had to sit Lopez a little more in this series because he isn't quick enough on defense and play Tucker (who doesn't give them any offense).

I still don't think this Bucks team is as good as they were the last 2 years. Crazy enough this might still be the year they get to the Finals.

The Suns match up extremely well with them, though. Even in 2019 when the Suns won like 15 games, two of those wins were over the Bucks (when the Bucks won 65 or so games) and the Suns beat them last year and twice this year, too.

[TiMSport]

Terrible news, Trae is out tonight.

[lakefront]

Originally Posted by mjr24

DiVincenzo is actually a really good defender and rebounder as a guard. That makes a big difference when Lopez isn't playing and they have to play small and they basically have had to sit Lopez a little more in this series because he isn't quick enough on defense and play Tucker (who doesn't give them any offense).

I still don't think this Bucks team is as good as they were the last 2 years. Crazy enough this might still be the year they get to the Finals.

The Suns match up extremely well with them, though. Even in 2019 when the Suns won like 15 games, two of those wins were over the Bucks (when the Bucks won 65 or so games) and the Suns beat them last year and twice this year, too.

Agree with all this. Unfortunately, Bucks have a bad habit of playing down to their competition. 38 points in the half by the top scoring team in the league? Atlanta is showing their only real advantage. Coaching. Milwaukee just not showing up tonight.

[TiMSport]

The Hawks showed a will to win and were confident in their play tonight, even without their superstar in the lineup. Man what a win. I was psyched to see Cam Reddish play as well as he did. He provided a big spark off the bench and he's going to get more playing time from now. His defense was stellar and he was hitting shots. Good stuff. They finally played team defense tonight.

[Der_Wolf]

Bucks got shit all over last night. Poor Giannis . I'll be at the game tomorrow TiMSport so hopefully you will see me on TV celebrating a win. Maybe coach Bud will let me get some minutes in to fill Giannis' absence... You were spot on yesterday. I was sure the Bucks would come out and crush them, but the Hawks played better from the tipoff. I'd go as far to say that the Hawks looked better yesterday without Trae than they have in any other game this series. Obviously they arent a better team without Trae. Not sure what is wrong with the Bucks at the moment, except that they cannot make a 3 pointer to save their lives and are adamant on being a 3 point shooting team.

lakefront Do you think we have a chance tomorrow?

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Der_Wolf

Bucks got shit all over last night. Poor Giannis . I'll be at the game tomorrow TiMSport so hopefully you will see me on TV celebrating a win. Maybe coach Bud will let me get some minutes in to fill Giannis' absence... You were spot on yesterday. I was sure the Bucks would come out and crush them, but the Hawks played better from the tipoff. I'd go as far to say that the Hawks looked better yesterday without Trae than they have in any other game this series. Obviously they arent a better team without Trae. Not sure what is wrong with the Bucks at the moment, except that they cannot make a 3 pointer to save their lives and are adamant on being a 3 point shooting team.

lakefront Do you think we have a chance tomorrow?

I think the Hawks were on their way to winning big even if Giannis didn't get hurt. They came out strong and stayed that way throughout. Honestly, I have to admit the same in that they seemed to play better(?) or spread the ball more effectively with Lou Williams starting for Trae last night. I also think that the Hawks continue to get no respect and were actually 9 point underdogs at home for that game! They probably were a bit motivated.

I said this before but since Nate McMillan took over as HC, ATL had the best record in the Eastern Conference. I have no doubt he has a huge part in this surge the Hawks have displayed. I remember him has a hard nosed player in Seattle and enjoyed watching their games live back then. (side note: still can't believe Seattle doesn't have a team).

I think the Hawks are playing with house money but they also have a chip on their shoulder due to not getting any respect. They have nothing to lose and they have the right blend of players. Last night was a prime example of that. People stepping up big. I watched ESPN's First Take and someone commented it seems that the Hawks are legit and there's something "organic" about the way they're coming together. That remark was spot on because they've done it the right way by drafting and getting veteran free agents. They're not like the damn Nets for example, or even the Lakers and Miami Heat of old. This is a team building something special IMO but they've shocked everyone because they've reached this point faster than anyone expected. Oh and I am psyched about Cam Reddish. He looked pretty damn good last night and he will certainly get more minutes as this continues to play out.

Hey man, enjoy the game tomorrow night no matter what. Hope Giannis is going to be okay.

[Der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

I think the Hawks were on their way to winning big even if Giannis didn't get hurt. They came out strong and stayed that way throughout. Honestly, I have to admit the same in that they seemed to play better(?) or spread the ball more effectively with Lou Williams starting for Trae last night. I also think that the Hawks continue to get no respect and were actually 9 point underdogs at home for that game! They probably were a bit motivated.

I said this before but since Nate McMillan took over as HC, ATL had the best record in the Eastern Conference. I have no doubt he has a huge part in this surge the Hawks have displayed. I remember him has a hard nosed player in Seattle and enjoyed watching their games live back then. (side note: still can't believe Seattle doesn't have a team).

I think the Hawks are playing with house money but they also have a chip on their shoulder due to not getting any respect. They have nothing to lose and they have the right blend of players. Last night was a prime example of that. People stepping up big. I watched ESPN's First Take and someone commented it seems that the Hawks are legit and there's something "organic" about the way they're coming together. That remark was spot on because they've done it the right way by drafting and getting veteran free agents. They're not like the damn Nets for example, or even the Lakers and Miami Heat of old. This is a team building something special IMO but they've shocked everyone because they've reached this point faster than anyone expected. Oh and I am psyched about Cam Reddish. He looked pretty damn good last night and he will certainly get more minutes as this continues to play out.

Hey man, enjoy the game tomorrow night no matter what. Hope Giannis is going to be okay.

Spot on with everything you said. I agree 100% If you didn't watch the game you would think Giannis got hurt in warm-ups. The Hawks absolutely outplayed the Bucks in the first half. I will say the way the fans reacted to him getting injured made me a bigger fan of the Hawks. I love to see class like that. Of course, I want the Bucks to win this series, but I will be pulling for the winner of this series to win the whole thing. You guys have a hell of a team, and as you said, you did it the right way. I feel like the Bucks are similar in that regard. I can't stand when these big market teams (usually warm cities with nice nightlife [sans nets]) can just build a super team with all of their buddies.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Der_Wolf

Spot on with everything you said. I agree 100% If you didn't watch the game you would think Giannis got hurt in warm-ups. The Hawks absolutely outplayed the Bucks in the first half. I will say the way the fans reacted to him getting injured made me a bigger fan of the Hawks. I love to see class like that. Of course, I want the Bucks to win this series, but I will be pulling for the winner of this series to win the whole thing. You guys have a hell of a team, and as you said, you did it the right way. I feel like the Bucks are similar in that regard. I can't stand when these big market teams (usually warm cities with nice nightlife [sans nets]) can just build a super team with all of their buddies.

I think a huge key was the way the Hawks played defense for a change. Instead of letting Giannis or others live in the paint and have almost no resistance, they swarmed. That is exactly what Nate has been trying to teach them. Remember, Budenholzer coached the Hawks in the recent past and they turned out to be a decent team, BUT, they just didn't have that killer instinct and couldn't get over the hurdle. That reminds me of the Bucks and I think it's no coincidence it's the same coach. A lot of people underestimate the importance of good coaching and almost exclusively focus on star players. A coach needs to get the respect and attention of the entire roster and Nate has done that beautifully I think. They are now believing in themselves and seem to enjoy being faced with pressure and being the underdog. Huge motivator.

Yeah I was glad to see the ATL fans show respect when Giannis went down. I feel the same. You just know that NY or Philly fans would likely be different. Can't stand the fans in either of those shit holes. It made the Hawks wins in those series that much more enjoyable.

I also saw that Trae Young sent well wishes to Giannis immediately after the game on Twitter I think. That's showing some class, especially from a young player like him.

Well, let's hope for no more injuries to any players. It kind of puts a damper on things.

[Der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

I think a huge key was the way the Hawks played defense for a change. Instead of letting Giannis or others live in the paint and have almost no resistance, they swarmed. That is exactly what Nate has been trying to teach them. Remember, Budenholzer coached the Hawks in the recent past and they turned out to be a decent team, BUT, they just didn't have that killer instinct and couldn't get over the hurdle. That reminds me of the Bucks and I think it's no coincidence it's the same coach. A lot of people underestimate the importance of good coaching and almost exclusively focus on star players. A coach needs to get the respect and attention of the entire roster and Nate has done that beautifully I think. They are now believing in themselves and seem to enjoy being faced with pressure and being the underdog. Huge motivator.

Yeah I was glad to see the ATL fans show respect when Giannis went down. I feel the same. You just know that NY or Philly fans would likely be different. Can't stand the fans in either of those shit holes. It made the Hawks wins in those series that much more enjoyable.

I also saw that Trae Young sent well wishes to Giannis immediately after the game on Twitter I think. That's showing some class, especially from a young player like him.

Well, let's hope for no more injuries to any players. It kind of puts a damper on things.

Amen to that. Philly fans would have thrown beer on him while he was down haha. Bud isn't a very good coach imo. They could use someone like Nate at the helm.

[F30lolz]

Giannis doubtful for G5 but Trae is questionable which means he’ll play. Pivotable game for sure as it could decide the series. If Giannis doesn’t return for the playoffs, Hawks should be in the drivers seat for the finals.

Hard to believe.