Hawks hanging tough in Portland!
By Sekou K Smith | Friday, February 20, 2009, 11:46 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Even at their best, the Hawks would have a hard time defeating Portland at the Rose Garden.
But they deserve a little credit, the Hawks are relentless tonight, fighting back from every lick the Blazers deliver.
Their defensive rotations are crisp. They’re blocking shots (Josh Smith in particular, making a point to shut me up after my rants about it on the last blog). Mike Bibby is hot again and the rest of the Hawks are scrapping. They’re not shooting particularly well right now but they’re in the game.
There’s only on problem, one they didn’t have against the Kings the other night. These Blazers are for real and up 10 (78-68) right now late in the third quarter - careful Hawks, go to sleep for a few seconds and you’ll be in a nasty hole.
Again, these Blazers are for real. They’ve got the talent, depth, chemistry and star power (yeah, Brandon Roy proves that you can be a star without being completely full of yourself and they play with force, the way Nate McMillan preaches.
Rarely have I seen them and not been impressed.
Role players like Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez to go along with Roy and the fabulous LaMarcus Aldridge make it hard to see these Blazers going away any time soon.
And Greg Oden’s not even healthy enough to play (bone chips in his knee have Blazers fans cringing at the thought of yet another promising big man’s career being derailed by injuries).
If the Hawks want this one, they’ll have to slug it out in the fourth quarter and take it. Because the Blazers aren’t going to fold up, up 80-72 at the start of the fourth.
