Atlanta
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Atlanta's front line picked apart the Dick Harter fronting defense of Philadelphia for their third win of the season. Former disciples of the system Antoine Walker (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Tony Delk (10 points, 2 assists) knew exactly what to do to exploit the Sixers en route to a 96-92win. Atlanta's front line of Walker, Al Harrington, and Predrag Drobnjak combined for 63 points as the Hawks had 40 points in the paint to just 28 for the Sixers.
Atlanta was able to withstand a heroic 36 point outburst from Allen Iverson. Philly's rookie Andre Iguodala, whom many observers thought Atlanta should select over Josh Childress, did not make a statement in this game, though on the other hand neither did Childress. Iggy got 3 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 30 minutes while Childress had just four rebounds and nothing else in 12 minutes.
Meanwhile Atlanta's other rookie Josh Smith burst out with 11 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action off the bench and his first career double-double. Happy birthday, kid! Smith just turned 19 two days ago. He also had the game-winning offensive putback and the win-ensuring block of a last-second Philadelphia three-point attempt.
The stars seemed aligned for the Hawks on this one as they even shot 30-of-40 from the free throw line despite entering the game as the league's worst free-throw shooting team, averaging just 65.4 percent.
NEXT GAME
The Hawks (3-14, fifth in the Southeast) host the Memphis Grizzlies (6-12, fourth in the Southwest) tomorrow, Wednesday, December 8th. The game starts at 7:30pm and will be broadcast on FSO and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
The All-Star nominations are out, and Hawks players Antoine Walker, Al Harrington and Peja Drobnjak are on the ballots. Want to see them in the 2004-05 All-Star contest? Don't forget tocast your votefor your favorite players now.
The best way to keep up with the Atlanta Hawks is to subscribe to their free e-mail newsletter, Nothin' But Net Mail.
This Week's Schedule
Date What Location Time
Dec. 6 Shootaround Philips Arena 10:00 am
vs. Philadelphia 76ers Philips Arena 7:30 pm
Dec. 7 School Assembly Program Steele Elem. (Decatur) 9:00 am
Practice Practice Court 11:00 am
School Assembly Program College Park Elem. (Coll. Park) 1:00 pm
Dec. 8 Shootaround Philips Arena 10:00 am
Speaker's Bureau Event (Rathbun) Capital City Club 12:15 pm
vs. Memphis Grizzlies Philips Arena 7:30 pm
Dec. 9 School Assembly Program Gresham Park Elem. (Atlanta) 9:00 am
Practice Practice Court 11:00 am
School Assembly Program Hiram Elem. (Hiram) 1:00 pm
Dec. 10 School Assembly Program Clay Elem. (Mableton) 9:00 am
Shootaround Palace of Auburn Hills 11:00 am
School Assembly Program Glen Haven Elem. (Decatur) 1:00 pm
School Assembly Program Compton Elem. (Powder Springs) 1:00 pm
at Detroit Pistons Palace of Auburn Hills 8:00 pm
Dec. 11 vs. New Jersey Nets Philips Arena 7:00 pm
Dec. 12 TBD
INJURY UPDATE
Chris Crawford(torn ACL) is out for the season and on the injured list.Kevin Willis(shoulder strain) andRoyal Ivey(strained right knee) are also on the injured list.Donta Smith(back) is also out.
Caryl Kaufmann ofThe Timeswrites: The despair in the locker room is almost palpable and the silence beyond bearing. Eyes don’t meet other eyes, and the mea culpas abound. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks 96-92 Monday night at Philips Arena, the question begs to be asked: How low can these Sixers go? The Hawks came into the game with a nine-game losing streak and discovered the cure that Houston had found before them.And they did it in much the same way, rallying in the fourth quarter to win for just the third time this season. In the process, they shot just 33 percent, but outrebounded the Sixers 20-6 in the period.
Paul Newberry ofThe Associated Presswrites inZWire.com: Smith broke a 92-all tie, scoring off an offensive rebound with 17.6 seconds remaining. Then, he blocked an attempted 3-pointer to ensure Atlanta's third win in 17 games."We've got to be patient with him," teammate Antoine Walker said. "Sometimes, it seems like the game is moving pretty fast for him. But he makes up for a lot of mistakes with his athleticism. He's going to get better and better as the year goes along."
Phil Jasner ofThe Philadelphia Daily Newswrites: Give the Hawks, who came in lugging a 2-14 record and a nine-game losing streak, some measure of credit.But it was almost as if they won by default. Wasn't it legendary Flyers coach Fred Shero who once wrote on the blackboard to win and walk together forever?