Clippers continue to struggle on the road with loss to Atlanta posted by Clippers Fan

The Clippers lost their fifth straight road game Tuesday, falling 107-104 to the Atlanta Hawks.

“I was hoping I was going to get to tell you something different tonight…We should’ve won this game.” Chris Paul told reporters.

The should-haves are piling up for the Clippers with only 29 games into the season, each night, a different culprit seemingly getting in the way of a breakthrough.

In Denver on Friday, the Clippers should’ve won, it was a total lack of defensive consistency. Tuesday, it was a combination of too much fouling and the inevitable fatigue from a treacherous stretch of games.

“It’s always something,” Blake Griffin said. “It’s something small, something that we have to change, something that we have to do better that ends up kind of messing us up.”

When Atlanta shot its first free throws in the 3rd quarter, the Clippers led, 71-62. Over the next 4:50, the Hawks went to the line a whopping 16 times, during a 16-8 run that zapped the Clippers of all their energy.

With the needle hovering around E, the Clipper bench put together another bad stretch – a 9-0 run by the Hawks to start the fourth – and the starters never fully recovered.

Down the stretch there were chances, the Matt Barnes jump ball he couldn’t win, the J.J. Redick free throw that rimmed out, the game-tying Blake Griffin 3-point try that hit the backboard and rim.

Despite all their close calls Coach Doc Rivers said he’s actually encouraged. He believes his team is close to breaking through.

Turnovers catch up to Mavs in loss at Phoenix posted by Mavericks Fan

Carelessness with the ball and poor defense Tuesday night cost the Dallas Mavericks any chance they had at dethroning the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix turned 20 Dallas turnovers into 28 points en route to subduing the Mavs 124-115 before a sellout crowd of 18,055 at US Airways Center.

This is just the second time all season the Mavs have lost more than one game in a row as their record fell to 20-10. Back on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24, the Mavs were upended in consecutive games by Houston (95-92) and Indiana (111-100).

Prior to hopping on a plane for Tuesday’s game, the Mavs lost at home Monday night to the Atlanta Hawks (105-102). And they didn’t fare much better against the streaky Suns, who converted 13 of 33 shots from behind the 3-point arc and always seemed to pull a 3-pointer out of the bag whenever the Mavs thought about inching closer.

 “Just too many [turnovers] early in the game,” coach Rick Carlisle said. ‘We got off to a pretty good start in a quarter-and-a-half, and the turnovers caught up with us.

“And we’re just struggling to defend. We’ve just got to do a better job of it.”

The Mavs battled to within nine with approximately two minutes left. But by then the Suns had put so much separation between themselves and Dallas that this one wasn’t going to end well.

In falling to 5-2 on the second night of a back-to-back, the Mavs are now 0-2 in the Rajon Rondo Era.

All things considered, Dallas actually was negotiating this second leg of a back-to-back pretty smoothly at the beginning. Behind Tyson Chandler and Rondo, the Mavs raced out to a 39-30 lead with 6:05 remaining in the first half.

Jared Dudley goes 10-for-10 from field as Bucks rout Hawks posted by Hawks News

The Atlanta Hawks had won 14 of 15 but were routed in front of a rare sellout crowd at home to the Milwaukee Bucs, where they entered with a 13-2 record that was the best in the Eastern Conference.

Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Atlanta was coming off successive victories over Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The teams face off again Saturday night in Milwaukee.

Atlanta's 77 points were a season low, and the Hawks committed a season-high 23 turnovers that led to 30 Milwaukee points.

The Bucks led 58-42 at halftime, and the Hawks never came closer than 14 points in the second half. The game was never close as they trailed by as many as 32 in the fourth quarter.

"I think you've got to give Milwaukee a lot of credit tonight. They shot the ball really well, and did some different things," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said after the Hawks shot just 40.8 percent and allowed the Bucks to shoot 50.6.

Milwaukee's bench continued its recent strong play in the second period, as Dudley, Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo and John Henson outscored Atlanta's subs 32-7 in the first half.

Other than Millsap, who made all eight of his shots in the first half to score 18, the rest of the Hawks shot 9-for-30 (30 percent).

Hawks: Atlanta's 77 points were a season low by 10. ... After scoring a career-high 25 points in the Hawks' win over the Clippers on Tuesday, forward DeMarre Carroll missed all six of his shots and went scoreless. ...

Atlanta Hawks Preseason Report 2014 posted by Hawks News

Atlanta Hawks were lucky to have made eight seed with their 38 victories. Major setback was in December, when Al Horford was injured. However, capitalizing on their floor spread, the Hawks managed to win their matchup in the first round against Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were made to face seven games, and the Hawks did particularly well with emerging players like Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap. As the offseason began, Horford was back in play and everything seemed bright for the Hawks. However, the team was still concerned of Danny Ferrym their GM, who was rumored to be considering a rebuild.

There seemed to be a wing requirement during the offseason and the team needed to make cap room for pursuing important free agent. They were hoping for a LeBron James, or a Chris Bosh, considering they had the required money and talent to make this possible.  What they managed, was Andreian Payne, which was a steal, for their first round. Payne was ideally suitable for the team's system for rebound, shooting from the border, and scoring at the post.

Considering trades and free agency, Payne also provided good coverage, if the team lost Paul Millshap, which would work out quite expensive. However, cap-saving strategy of the team did not work so well. The team traded Noguiera and Lou Williams for John Salmons, who was given up. However, after it was all set for the massive free agent offer, the team did not land any big catch.

Nevertheless, the team was wise by not making any overpayments for a big player. This retains the team's flexibility for the next year, which could play a major role in the next season. The Atlanta Hawks displayed good potential this season, and they now have the ability of quickly rebuilding their team if needed.

Betting on the Atlanta Hawks this Season posted by Hawks News

Cheering for a sports team is more fun and exciting if there is money involved. For most adults, cheering for their favorite teams or athletes is not complete if they don’t place a bet on their favorites. Take for instance, the NBA. Considered as the premier men’s basketball league in the world, the NBA is home to exciting athletes. NBA games are more fun to watch if there is betting involved. Adults will be thrilled to cheer on the Miami Heat if they place a wager on the team.

The NBA runs for almost eight months, including the NBA playoffs wherein 16 teams battle it out to determine the NBA champion. In that span of time, there are hundreds of games played. Bettors thus have a lot of games where they can bet for a certain team and win a lot of money if the team wins the game.

The strong teams like the NBA champion Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are good picks for any person wanting to bet because of the good records of these squads. However, some sports fans also love putting their money on the weaker teams. In most betting games, teams that are not the odds-on pick to win generate more money for their bettors in case they win.

The beauty of betting for NBA teams is that one can place a wager anytime and anywhere. With the advent of the Internet, sports betting has become even more convenient. Mobile devices like smartphones can be used to place bets on NBA teams. Users simply have to log on to sports betting websites and from there, they can start placing their bets. Sports betting has also received a boost from mobile gambling. Today, many people are visiting sports betting websites or playing iPad casino games on their mobile phones and tablets.  

Bulls Roll On Behind Rose's 34 points posted by Richard Kagan

The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 94-76 tonight as the Bulls outrebounded the Hawks by an almost two to one margin, 50-28.  Kurt Thomas started for injured Carlos Boozer and hauled in 13 boards.  Joakin Noah added 11 of his own.  And, Derrick Rose, caught fire in the third quarter and scored 18 of his 34 points.  Rose is making a strong case for Most Valuable Player of the Year award.  He is the main reason why Chicago is heading toward 50+ wins this year.

This season it is not a question of if the Bulls make the playoffs, but how high they will finish in the Conference.  Who would ever think that the Bulls would be giving the Miami Heat with Lebron James, DWade, and Chris Bosch a battle?

This season, it has come together for Chicago.  Their coach, Tom Thibedeau, has done a masterful job, handling the injuries and finding the right player to fit in.  Give props to the Bulls bench, one of the strongest in the league.  Thomas got the nod tonight but it could have been Taj Gibson.  Kyle Korver, the guard has been the three point specialist, coming off the bench.  He finds a way to come through.

I like the Bulls to finish strong when Boozer returns to the lineup.  Give Luol Deng a game off.  He really deserves it.  He most averaging most minutes on the team, and one of the highest averages per game in the NBA.  The man has to be tired. 

NBA Playoffs Eastern conference posted by john howard

It's the All-Star break and time to asses where the season is at.  There are roughly 30 games left and the trading deadline is looming.  Here is a look at the playoffs if they were today.

1 Cleveland vs.  8 Chicago

2 Orlando vs   7 Miami

3 Atlanta vs 6 Charlotte

4 Boston vs 5 Toronto

Chicago looks like they have regressed overall from last year. But lately, they have started getting into the groove. Derrick Rose is unreal and they might win a game but they won't beat Cleveland.

Miami has one of the top 3 players in the game in Dwayne Wade.  This team could look different by playoff time. No matter how the team looks, it would take an incredible performance for even Wade to beat out Orlando.

Charlotte is a great story of over achieving.  They might be able to push Atlanta to a game 6, but that would be the best they could do.

The quietest success has been Toronto.  They are the 5th seed and no one is talking about them.  They have a shot to beat the Celtics if Boston is plagued with injuries.  But this has been a good year so far for the Raptors.

Boston has fallen from favorite to the 4th seed.  They still have the experience and firepower to go all the way. But, to do that everyone is going to have to get healthy and be at peak level which hasn't happened this year. Time is running out on the Celtics.

3 Atlanta has the best team in years.  They could be the underdog favorite after the first round.  A matchup with Orlando in round 2 is going to be fun.  Should they get past the Magic, they will be convinced they can beat anybody. 

Hawks soaring high on new NBA season posted by nbahawks

The Atlanta Hawks is creating a lot of buzz in the new season of the National Basketball Association.Despite their less stellar lineup, the Hawks is on top of the leader-board in the young season of the premier professional basketball league in the planet. The Hawks is currently sporting an impressive 11-2 record after they defeated the Houston Rockets 105-103 Friday night.High flying Hawks power forward Josh Smith played hero for the top team in the NBA by scoring on a put back from a miss by Hawks top point guard Mike Bibby with 0.7 seconds remaining. Marvin Williams, the starting small forward of the Hawks top scored for the team with 29 points to help defeat the Rockets, one of the top teams in the NBA Western Conference.The recent victory of the Hawks is remarkable since the Rockets are on the verge of defeating the team and hand them their third loss but the impressive play of Smith saved the youth laden ball club to escaped with a victory. Prior to his game winning shot, Smith stayed mostly from the bench due to foul trouble but he was able to returned in the waning moments of the game and lead his team to victory.The strong and impressive plays of the Hawks is getting huge praise from basketball fans and experts. During the off-season, the Hawks is not among the top contenders for the NBA crown this season due to their less star studded roster. However, despite the lack of big named players in its lineup, the Hawks still showed class and impressive talent to defeat 11 teams so far.Aside from the strong plays of its veteran players Smith, Bibby and Joe Johnson, the Hawks also get huge contribution from newly acquired NBA veteran Jamal Crawford who contribute in both offence and defence for the team. Aside from the Hawks, the run and gun Phoenix Suns is also playing good this NBA season. NBA superstars point-guard Steve Nash and power forward Amare Stoudamire are playing well to lead the Suns to an impressive record in the NBA.Fans of Hawks team can buy the tickets to watch the NBA game live.

New Era of NBA Bigs? posted by Scott Shepherd

Have you looked at the league leaders yet this season?

There are some familiar faces atop some of the big categories. Kobe leads the league in scoring. Nash leads the league in assists. Rondo leads the league in steals.

You almost expect to see those guys near the top of those categories.

But have you taken a look at the league leaders in rebounds? It’s not exactly a who’s who of NBA big men over the past few years.

Here’s the top ten:

1. Gerald Wallace 13.8

2. Marc Gasol 11.9

T3. Chris Bosh 11.6

T3. Carlos Boozer 11.6

5. Dwight Howard 11.1

6. Joakim Noah 11.0

T7. Brendan Haywood 10.7

T7. Al Horford 10.7

T7. Zach Randolph 10.7

10. Emeka Okafor 10.5

I know it’s still very early in the season, and inevitably some of these names will fall out of the top ten. But as of right now, only three of the top ten rebounders have ever played in an all-star game (Bosh, Boozer, Howard).

Last year, six of the top ten rebounders have been all-stars. The year before that the number was five. Before that, it was eight.

What does it all mean? Probably nothing. Like I said, it’s still early.

But, it could mean that there has been a shift in the way teams are putting together their rosters.

Earlier in the decade, there seemed to be a real focus on finding big guys who could not only rebound, but contribute offensively as well. The logic behind that makes sense; you want a player that can do everything in your lineup.

Jamal Crawford to Hawks posted by john howard

The Hawks appear to be sending both backup point guards to Golden State for Jamal Crawford.  This brings makes signing Mike Bibby more imperative.  To do so, they may not match offers that Marvin Williams receives.  Acie Law and Speedy Claxton both are being shipped.  Neither really played much last year.  Joe Johnson lead the team in assist even though he isn't a point guard.  I doubt they will use him as one.  Andre Miller and Jason Kidd are both available on the market.  My bet is on Bibby returning. Crawford could play the point, but he would be better off as the 2 guard.  He did average 4.4 assist along wth 19.7 points.  

For Golden State, this move is to cut salary.  They aren't getting anything in return.  Maybe a potential back up in Law but, not likely. Monte Eillis can play the point with CJ Watson backing him up.  Crawford played 55 games last year, so they are use to playing without him.  They free up cap room is all they did.

 Atlanta just got better.

Dwight Howard gets emotional at introduction for hometown Hawks (Ball Don't Lie)

Dwight Howard, center, smiles during a news conference introducing him as the newest member of the Atlanta Hawks NBA basketball team Wednesday July 13, 2016, in Atlanta. Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer is at right. (Brandt Sanderlin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) [read full article]

From Yahoo Sports

Dwight Howard searching for past form amid homecoming hoopla

New Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard is heading back to his former stomping grounds in search of a mid-career renaissance. [read full article]

From FOX Sports Digital

Hawks officially announce signing of Dwight Howard

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has signed free agent center Dwight Howard, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. [read full article]

From FOX Sports Digital

Hawks, Jack agree to 1-year contract (Yahoo Sports)

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks and point guard Jarrett Jack have agreed on a one-year contract for next season. [read full article]

From Yahoo Sports

Hawks, Jack agree to 1-year contract

ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Hawks and point guard Jarrett Jack have agreed on a one-year contract for next season. [read full article]

From FOX Sports Digital