Bobcats-Hawks Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 12 2012 1:47AM

The struggling Charlotte Bobcats haven't played many close games in the new year, though one of those tight contests came against the Atlanta Hawks less than a week ago.

They still couldn't earn a victory, which have been few and far between for the Bobcats this season.

Atlanta looks to beat Charlotte for the eighth time in the last nine matchups at Philips Arena when the teams meet Thursday night.

The Bobcats (2-8) have been beaten by at least 12 points four times in their seven games since Jan. 1, including an 82-70 loss to Houston on Tuesday. It marked their fewest points in a home game since a 93-62 loss to Boston on Dec. 11, 2010.

"I thought we were tired and couldn't really do anything, couldn't execute, couldn't run, couldn't defend," coach Paul Silas said after his team's fourth game in five nights..

D.J. Augustin went 4 for 13 and had 11 points, while Boris Diaw scored four points and finished 2 for 13.

"It's just one of those nights. Even layups. We had shots right at the hoop but we couldn't convert," Silas said. "We just didn't have it. We played a tough game Monday night (in New York), and then to come back and have to play, that's rough. It's rough."

It wasn't the first time Silas mentioned fatigue as a reason for the Bobcats' struggles, and it's what kept Tyrus Thomas from playing Tuesday. It's unclear if Thomas will return for this matchup after being held out due to fatigued legs while playing big minutes over the previous three contests.

Charlotte has lost eight of nine since beating Milwaukee in its season opener Dec. 26, with the only win coming at New York on Jan. 4. Two nights later, the Bobcats overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit against Atlanta, but eventually fell 102-96 in overtime.

Josh Smith had 23 points and 12 rebounds in that contest for the Hawks (7-4), who had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 96-84 loss at Indiana on Wednesday.

Smith scored a team-high 16 points, but Atlanta couldn't overcome 18 turnovers and a nine-point third quarter after heading into the half down three.

"We did everything wrong," coach Larry Drew said. "We turned the ball over, we missed layups, we missed blockout assignments. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong in the third quarter. It seemed like we just hit a wall after that."

Atlanta shot only 37.5 percent after hitting 51.2 percent of its shots during its winning streak.

The Hawks, though, were playing without two key players, and they may be without another Thursday.

Marvin Williams did not travel with the team due to an ankle injury, and Tracy McGrady was held out Wednesday because of back spasms. Al Horford then suffered a sprained shoulder midway through the first quarter and did not return.

Though initial X-rays came back negative, Horford will be evaluated again before the morning shootaround to determine if he will play against Charlotte.

Atlanta had won seven straight home meetings against the Bobcats before an 88-86 loss Feb. 12. Augustin and Diaw went 2 for 11 with six combined in Charlotte's win, while Smith scored a team-high 28 in the defeat.

With Horford out, Hawks rout Bobcats 111-81

By PAUL NEWBERRY
Posted Jan 12 2012 11:30PM

ATLANTA (AP) Before the Atlanta Hawks took the court, Joe Johnson whispered a message to teammates Josh Smith and Jeff Teague.

"We have to take ownership," Johnson said, "at both ends of the court."

Clearly, they were listening.

Smith scored 30 points, Johnson added 23 and Teague chipped in with 16, leading the Hawks to a 111-81 rout of the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday night in Atlanta's first game without All-Star center Al Horford.

The Hawks learned earlier in the day that Horford, a leader on and off the court, will miss at least three months after tearing the pectoral muscle in his left shoulder going for a rebound the previous night at Indiana. That ensures he will miss nearly all the remaining regular-season games and perhaps be out into the playoffs - if Atlanta makes it that far.

"That was very disappointing news," Smith said. "I actually heard it on the radio on the way to the game. It's real devastating."

But the Hawks must carry on, and they'll be relying heavily on Smith and Johnson. Both came through big time against the hapless Bobcats, who lost their fifth in a row and dropped to 2-9. So did Teague, a young point guard getting big minutes while Kirk Hinrich recovers from his own shoulder surgery.

"We all understand that we have to step our games up in some respect," Johnson said. "It was a great team effort, collectively, around the room. Everybody stepped up and did something to make an impact on the game. We're going to need that from here on out."

Smith made 14 of 22 shots and pulled down 13 rebounds, leading the Hawks to a dominating 55-30 edge on the boards. A player of immense talent but sometimes baffling decisions, he's paced the team's scoring in five straight games and maybe - finally - is on the verge of reaching his enormous potential.

"He's playing big every night, it seems like," Johnson said. "He's got an edge, a chip on his shoulder."

Byron Mullens led the Bobcats with 21 points in his first career start. That was about the only bright spot for Charlotte.

"We're just kind of giving up now," coach Paul Silas moaned.

Charlotte never led in the game, and the Hawks steadily pulled away from a 19-all tie late in the first quarter. Teague hit a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in the opening half, sending Atlanta to the locker room with a 57-47 edge.

The Bobcats never seriously threatened the rest of the way. After Gerald Henderson swished a jumper to make it 59-51, the Hawks led by double figures the rest of the way.

Even without Horford, described by Smith as "my bash brother," the Hawks dominated the boards to improve to 8-4. Most telling was the commanding 20-4 edge at the offensive end, setting up Atlanta for 22 second-chance points. The Bobcats had just six.

"They just beat us down," Silas said. "They almost got as many offensive rebounds as we got total rebounds. That's difficult to accept."

Zaza Pachulia joined Smith with a double-double, scoring 10 points to go along with 10 rebounds starting in place of Horford. Everyone, in fact, got in on the act. Vladimir Radmanovic had eight boards, Joe Johnson and reserve Ivan Johnson chipped in with seven apiece.

Nothing went right for the Bobcats, who didn't have anyone with more than six rebounds and shot just 1 of 8 from 3-point range. The Hawks had their biggest lead at the end, after both teams cleared their benches. Thirty-seven-year-old Jerry Stackhouse even had a rim-hanging dunk in the final minute, leading to chants of "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!" from what remained of the sparse crowd generously listed at 10,597.

Everyone got a chance, especially with the Hawks missing four members of their expected playing rotation. Starting forward Marvin Williams and top reserve Tracy McGrady were also out.

"If we can just maintain until some of the other guys get back in there," Smith said, "I think we'll be OK."

The Hawks had a total of six players in double figures: Ivan Johnson scored 12 and Willie Green 11. By comparison, Henderson, with 16, was the only other player with at least 10 points for Charlotte.

"Once we decide it means something to us, we'll get better," Henderson said. "That's a hard-working team that we played against, and they beat us by 30."

Notes: McGrady (back spasms) missed his second straight game, Williams (sprained left ankle) his third in a row. ... Corey Maggette (left hamstring strain) didn't travel with the Hornets. ... Ivan Johnson got his money's worth during less than 21 minutes on the court. He took nine shots, got to the foul line for five attempts, worked hard on the boards and fouled out late in the game. He's beginning to make an impression on the rest of the team. "He's just a tough guy who plays hard and has a nose for the basketball," Smith said. "That's exactly what we need." ... Joe Johnson led the Hawks with eight assists.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Notebook: Hawks 111, Bobcats 81

By Matt Winkeljohn, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday January 12, 2012 10:58PM

THE FACTS: Count Josh Smith and Joe Johnson among those willing and eager to pick up Al Horford. They stepped into the void left by Atlanta's injured center Thursday and scored season highs of 30 and 23 points, respectively, in a 111-81 win Thursday over the visiting Bobcats.

The Hawks learned earlier in the day that Horford will be out at least three months with a torn left pectoral (chest) muscle, and whether Atlanta adds a big man to the roster or not, the Hawks are going to need more production from Smith and Johnson.

Coach Larry Drew's team got that in a few ways, as Smith added a game-high 13 rebounds and Johnson had eight assists and seven rebounds. Atlanta also had a season-low nine turnovers.

Charlotte never led, and the Bobcats fell steadily further behind after trailing 57-47 at halftime. Byron Mullens scored a career-high 21 points in his first start, but the Charlotte center had little help other than guard Gerald Henderson. He scored 16 points, yet the Bobcats lost their fifth straight as no Charlotte player other than Mullens or Henderson scored in double digits.

QUOTABLE: "That was a gutsy performance by the entire team. Today has been somewhat of a slumber day . . . with our walk-through prior to the game, you could kind of see it in the guys' body language. I told them this is going to be a time for us to come together. Our season is not over. We have to step up to the challenge thrown before us, and I thought our guys tonight played with an enormous amount of energy."
-- Drew.

THE STAT: 55-30: There was no single magic bullet that explained the Bobcats' demise, but that rebounding disadvantage sure didn't help. Atlanta grabbed a whopping 20 offensive rebounds. Charlotte had four. Every Hawks starter had at least six rebounds.

TURNING POINT: The Bobcats drew within 38-37 on Corey Higgins' layup with 5:25 left in the first half, but the Hawks closed the second quarter with a 19-10 run and out-rebounded Charlotte 6-1 in that span -- symptomatic of the game.

QUOTABLE II: "They just beat us down tonight. They got almost as many offensive rebounds (20) as we had total rebounds (30). That's difficult to accept. I was pleased with some of our bench play (out-scoring Atlanta 27-25) . . . but the first unit just didn't come with us (out-scored 86-54 and out-rebounded 44-15)."
-- Charlotte coach Paul Silas.

HOT: Smith scored 16 points in the first half while grabbing eight rebounds and sending out three assists. He was especially active, perhaps sensing that for the Hawks to get by without Horford he's going to have to offer more offense in and near the post. He made half of his 14 shots over the first two quarters, and added a couple free throws. He missed his first four shots of the third quarter, but then found his stride again to score eight points over the remainder of the period. . . . Atlanta reserve guard Willie Green has scored 11 and 10 points off the bench in the last two games.

NOT: Charlotte starting forward Boris Diaw had six rebounds and four assists, but he missed all three of his shots. He's made just 2-of-17 in the past two games. . . . Tyrus Thomas was back in the starting lineup after missing Charlotte's game Tuesday against Houston when the left ankle that has bothered him since the preseason was a problem. He made 3-of-6 shots and blocked three shots Thursday, but did not grab a single rebound in 25:55. . . . After making 2-of-9 shots, Bobcats rookie Kemba Walker has made just 11-of-41 (26.8 percent) over the past four games.

GOOD MOVE: Even without Horford, Drew did not play 7-foot backup center Jason Collins until there was 2:58 left in the game and Atlanta led 104-80. Instead, Zaza Pachulia (10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists) started, and rookie power forward Ivan Johnson played 20:50 minutes, many of them at the center spot (although he was usually matched up against a Charlotte forward asked by Silas to play the five spot). Johnson had 12 points and seven rebounds, was active on defense before fouling out. In fhe fourth quarter, Drew had Pachulia, Smith and Johnson on the floor for several consecutive minutes. . . . Silas' decision to start Mullens at center, where DeSagana Diop has struggled tremendously and forwards Diaw and D.J. White do not appear comfortable, worked -- at least offensively. Mullens does not have much of a post-up game, and Silas probably would like to seem him rebound more aggressively (he had just four), but his shooting range and activity level were welcomed by a coach who before the game lamented the fact his wings and big men have not been hustling down the court with any regularity. His previous career high came last week, when he scored 17 in an overtime loss to Atlanta in Charlotte.

QUOTABLE III: "I heard [the news about Horford] on the way to the game, and I was real devastated. That doesn't change anything. Guys came in and played terrific. Ivan's been giving us a hell of a performance this far. [Losing Al]...That's a big void; two-time All-Star, third team All-NBA last year . . . Everybody's going to have to play 150 percent."

-- Josh Smith.

BAD MOVE: Mullens' defense was an issue as he's too active there at times, and gives up position in the post. To wit, witness his plus-minus ratio of -26. He had no blocked shots or steals.

ROOKIE WATCH: Charlotte rookie guards Higgins and Walker each showed glimpses, but just. The cat-quick Higgins scored six points on 3-for-6 shooting, and weaved his way through traffic and to the basket a few times. Walker made just . . . Atlanta's Ivan Johnson, who played in Korea, China, South Korea and the D-League before making it to the NBA, is occasionally the victim of his own energy as he commits some rugged fouls, and sometimes over-plays defense to where he's out of position, but his energy is an overall plus. . . . Hawks point guard Donald Sloan, who did not play in Atlanta's first 10 games, played for the second night in a row. He had a couple assists and a steal in 3:25.

NOTABLE: Before Tracy McGrady missed his second straight game with back spasms, Drew said he hoped to have his leading bench scorer back for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves. Drew said McGrady was likely to visit a specialist Friday. . . . Drew said he had not yet spoken with Hawks general manager Rick Sund about options to add another center to the roster. Joel Pryzbilla is one of the top free agent big men. . . . Hawks starting small forward Marvin Williams missed his third straight game with a seriously sprained ankle, and Drew did not seem optimistic that he would be available Saturday. . . . The Hawks had twice before this season scored 109 points. They hit a new season-high when Jerry Stackhouse dunked on a fastbreak with 37 seconds left in the game for their final score.

UP NEXT: For the Bobcats, Friday vs. Pistons, Saturday vs. Warriors, Monday vs. Cavs. For the Hawks, Saturday vs. Timberwolves, Monday vs. Raptors, Wednesday vs. Blazers.

• Bobcats: Najera, Williams
• Hawks: Hinrich, Horford

• Bobcats: --
• Hawks: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #7 Kevin Fehr, #18 Matt Boland
• Attendance: 10597
• Duration: 2:03