Friday, May 01, 2009

Game Thread #6: Atlanta (3-2) @ Miami (2-3)

TIP-OFF: 8pm

TELEVISION
: ESPN, ESPN360, Fox Sports South HD

RADIO
: Hawks Radio Network, Audio League Pass

GAME NOTES:
Hawks/Heat

ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Marvin Williams and Al Horford are out will both dress.

MIAMI INJURY REPORT
: Luther Head and Jamario Moon are out.

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Miami -5, 182 o/u

OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Peninsula Is Mightier

GO GET 'EM GUYS...GUYS?:
Wade said he had "no idea" if rookies Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley and playoff first-timer Daequan Cook would rise to the challenge.

MORE WADE: "First of all, Mario, I have nothing simmering with him. He has not been a factor in this series. It’s irrelevant to me. I have nothing brewing with him at all."

"So (there are) some unprofessional things they have to take care of from their standpoint. On the court you show emotion, and that’s great, but celebrating after one stop? That’s funny."

A rather unprofessional dismissal of both of Mario's points and both of his rebounds (all in just a little over 24 minutes), if you ask me.

"Zaza Pachulia is knocking people out. It’s as simple as that. I’m not telling my teammates to knock him out, but when he comes down the paint at least make sure he feels us on offensive rebounds and this and that. We’re not a team that plays dirty. We’re a team that wants to be smarter and also protect ourselves."

MIKE BERARDINO, THE SUN-SENTINEL'S ETIQUETTE COLUMNIST: Turns out there indeed is a sizable gap between the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat, but it has nothing to do with talent, strength or energy.

Instead, it has to do with class.

MICHAEL WALLACE, MIAMI HERALD BASKETBALL WRITER: Count me among those who thought it was lame for some Heat players and coaches to complain that Josh Dunks Josh Smith was trying to embarrass Miami with his botched, between-the-legs dunk attempt in the final minutes of the Hawks Game 5 victory.

If anyone should be embarrassed, it should be Smith for being a knucklehead and missing the dunk.

If anyone else should be embarrassed, it should be the Heat for giving up on the play and allowing Smith to measure his steps starting at halfcourt to set up the attempt.

The Heat should be embarrassed for not getting back on defense to prevent the attempted highlight.

JEFF SCHULZ:
The real story isn’t that Spoelstra or Wade feel disrespected. The story is that reality has hit them over the head.

The Hawks lost games two and three but they didn’t fizzle. They won in Miami to even the series. They won a physical game back home to push Miami to the ledge.

Suddenly, they’re the team that looks in control, while an opponent scrambles for a motivational tool.

STEVE HOLMAN: Legend.

JOHN HOLLINGER'S CONCISE RECAP OF THE FIRST FIVE GAMES: Amid all the talk about insults and physicality and whatnot, let's try to distill the single most important variable heading into Game 6 between the Hawks and Heat:

When Dwyane Wade makes jump shots, the Heat win.

When Dwyane Wade misses jump shots, the Hawks win.

Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.

4 comments:

M said...

i have never seen a professional team act like such babies before, in any sport...

Bret LaGree said...

Before the series started Bronn told me the Hawks couldn't win in six because Game 6 was scheduled for Miami.

Did I listen? I did not.

Bronnt said...

Bret-I dared believe when the Hawks cut it to 9 by halftime that this game might remain close.

Now I'm wondering where the last 3 hours of my life went.

Do me a favor and find some numbers indicating that game 7 should have, like, 4 overtimes.

Bronnt said...

On second thought, I don't even care if game 7 is worth watching-I just need a Hawks win.