Jazz-Hawks Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Jan 10 2013 3:32PM

One night after calling his team "soft", Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew saw the struggles continue. He has to hope a return home Friday night can help the Hawks move past a rough stretch as they face the Utah Jazz, winners of four of five.

After Drew criticized Atlanta's effort following a 108-103 defeat at Minnesota on Tuesday, the Hawks (20-14) didn't respond the way he'd hoped in Wednesday's 99-83 loss to a Cleveland team that had the second-worst record in the NBA.

The Hawks managed one victory in a six-game span in which they played five times on the road. Atlanta has lost four in a row overall for the first time since closing the 2010-11 season on a six-game slide.

"I am a little concerned right now," Drew said. "I've got to do something to get this team on stride again - and I will."

Utah, on the other hand, has been playing some of its best basketball. The Jazz (19-18) defeated Charlotte 112-102 on the road Wednesday and have won three of five away from home.

Utah big men Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors combined for 55 points and shot 24 of 32 (75.0 percent) against the Bobcats.

"I thought we got the ball inside and we attacked the basket," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "I thought Al and Paul went to the basket hard but the passes they made to their teammates when they got double teamed gave guys good looks."

That trio had 67 points and 37 rebounds in a 139-133 four-overtime loss in Atlanta on March 25, the teams' last meeting.

Gordon Hayward has gone 8 of 10 from 3-point range in the last two games for the Jazz, who averaged 106.0 points and went 20 for 41 from beyond the arc in winning both. They'll try to stay hot against an Atlanta team that has allowed opponents to shoot 52.6 percent on 3s in its previous two defeats.

"The energy and the effort isn't all there right now," Hawks center Al Horford said. "It's about energy, man, and we need to defend better."

The Hawks will try to get back on track at home, where they've won three of four. Atlanta, though, has struggled offensively during its losing streak, scoring 84 or fewer points three times.

It would help if the Hawks could get to the free-throw line more, as they've earned eight or fewer foul shots in three of their last six games. Atlanta set a team record with two made free throws and tied another with five attempts against the Cavaliers.

"Things aren't going too good for us right now," forward Josh Smith said. "You're going to have struggles like this throughout the season. We've got to get back to playing beautiful basketball."

The Hawks have taken five of the last six meetings with the Jazz.

Harris has 24 as Hawks rally past Jazz, 103-95

By CHARLES ODUM
Posted Jan 11 2013 11:10PM

ATLANTA (AP) While the Utah Jazz bemoaned another lost opportunity on the road, Devin Harris and the Atlanta Hawks celebrated a character-building comeback win.

Harris scored a season-high 24 points and the Hawks rallied from a 15-point deficit in the second half to beat the Utah Jazz 103-95 on Friday night, snapping a four-game losing streak.

"It's huge for us," Harris said. "It builds character. It brings a team together."

Randy Foye had 25 points to lead Utah, which had won four of five but was denied its first back-to-back road wins of the season. Al Jefferson had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Milsap had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz.

Jefferson sat glumly at his locker, his hands over his face, as he reviewed the loss that left Utah 8-15 on the road.

"This is a game we were needed to take care of," Jefferson said. "We had them down, we should have just buried them then. I think we got away from what we had been doing. We turned the ball over too much. We got away from our defense."

Utah led 75-60 in the third quarter.

"We got a 15- point lead, we thought the game was over," said Utah coach Tyrone Corbin. "You have to play 48 minutes."

The Hawks took their first lead of the second half on consecutive baskets by Al Horford. The second basket by Horford, set up by Josh Smith's pass, gave Atlanta a 94-92 lead with 2:44 remaining.

Jefferson answered with a tying basket before Ivan Johnson scored on a fast break to give the lead back to Atlanta.

Utah's Jamaal Tinsley made one of two free throws to leave the Hawks' lead at 96-95. Smith's short jumper and Lou Williams' 3-pointer padded the lead.

The Hawks outscored the Jazz 35-19 in the final period. The 15-point comeback was the largest deficit Atlanta has overcome this season.

"This game was clearly about our defense," said Hawks coach Larry Drew. "It's what we've been preaching from the very beginning, being active, having active hands and just trying to cause havoc. We were a little tentative at times, but when it counted we got aggressive. We got feisty."

Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks. Williams had 14, Ivan Johnson scored 13 and Horford and Zaza Pachulia each added 12.

Johnson and Pachulia were part of a productive second unit that provided the energy Drew sought when the team faced the big deficit.

Harris made his first start since missing 10 games with a sore left foot. He played 14 scoreless minutes in a loss at Cleveland on Wednesday night and then said before Friday night's game, "As far as I'm concerned, I'm ready to roll."

Harris backed up his claim by making 7 of 8 shots from the field. He added five assists.

"Devin knocked down some shots, but I thought the way he pushed the basketball, that was the difference," Drew said. "That's the Devin Harris of old."

Atlanta had not lost more than two straight games before hitting the four-game skid.

Drew said he reminded his players other successful teams had similar or worse losing streaks this season.

"You don't hang your heads and feel sorry for yourself because you lost four in a row," Drew said.

Utah took its biggest lead late in the third period when a 3-pointer by Hawks rookie John Jenkins sparked an 8-1 run as Atlanta cut the lead to 76-68 entering the final period.

Pachulia opened the fourth period with back-to-back baskets as the Hawks cut the deficit to four points.

Harris hit a 3-pointer to cut Utah's lead to 82-79 and made only 1 of 3 free throws 40 seconds later to trim the deficit to two points.

The Hawks finally pulled even at 85-all with 5:48 remaining when Harris had a steal to set up his 3-pointer.

Jazz forward Marvin Williams, traded to Utah in the offseason following seven seasons with the Hawks, was with the team but not in uniform in his first return to Atlanta. Williams, who was held out with inflammation in his right knee, visited his former Hawks teammates before the game.

Harris was acquired by Atlanta in the Williams trade, but he insisted it didn't matter that his big game came against his former team.

Drew started Harris with Jeff Teague in the backcourt and Kyle Korver at small forward as he tweaked the lineup.

NOTES: Former Hawks star Dominique Wilkins, on press row as a TV color analyst, was presented a birthday cake during a break. Wilkins celebrates his 53rd birthday on Saturday. ... Korver hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter to give him 3s in a personal-best 29 consecutive games. It is tied with Mookie Blaylock for the second-longest streak in Hawks history. ... Foye had 15 points in the first quarter as he made each of his three 3-pointers.

Notebook: Hawks 103, Jazz 95

Matt Winkeljohn, For NBA.com
Posted Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:24 AM - Updated Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:24 AM

THE FACTS: The return of Devin Harris to the Atlanta starting lineup could not have come at a better time, although without a huge lift from the bench the Hawks would not have beaten the Jazz 103-95 Friday to snap a four-game losing streak. Harris scored a season-high 24 points against his former team and pushed the pace furiously as Atlanta rallied from a 15-point third quarter deficit. That was the largest deficit the Hawks (21-14) have overcome to win this season.

Jazz (19-19) guard Randy Foye scored 15 of his 25 in the first quarter, and Utah had three starters score at least 20 points as Al Jefferson had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Paul Millsap added 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Trailing 82-76 with 8:47 left in the game, Atlanta coach Larry Drew put starters Josh Smith (15 points, 10 rebounds, team-high six assists) and Al Horford back in and juggled them. Atlanta rode that lineup the rest of the way with Smith playing Kyle Korver's small forward spot, Johnson at power forward, Lou Williams in Harris' shooting guard position and Harris playing the point rather than Jeff Teague.

The Hawks tied the game twice in the final half quarter, and took a 94-92 lead on Horford's alley-oop from Smith with 2:44 remaining. After Utah tied the score on Jefferson's layup with 2:18 remaining, Atlanta closed the game with a 9-1 spurt while the Hawks blocked three of the Jazz' final five shots (two by Horford, one by Ivan Johnson).

Harris had 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals without a turnover in the fourth quarter.

QUOTABLE: "It didn't have a good rhythm . . . we just couldn't get into a groove, particularly the starters. Our bench guys came in and gave us tremendous energy . . . this game was clearly about our defense. It's what we've been preaching, having active hands and just trying to cause havoc. We got feisty."

-- Larry Drew

THE STAT: Utah shot 30-for-57 (52.6 percent) over the first three quarters, but just 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) in the fourth. The Jazz also out-rebounded Atlanta 26-19 over the first three periods before the Hawks had a 14-9 edge in the fourth. The Hawks only turned the ball over once in the fourth after coughing it up 12 times in the first three.

QUOTABLE II: "This was a game we were supposed to win . . . maybe we felt like we had the game in the bag, and just laid down."

-- Al Jefferson

TURNING POINT: The final three minutes of the third quarter set the tempo that determined the game. Atlanta was horrendous in the first nine minutes of the period, as Utah scored 28 points. Atlanta starters turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions, and Utah expanded a 47-43 halftime lead to 75-60 by late in the third.

From that point, Drew played subs liberally for a while. With Harris as the only starter on the floor over the final three minutes of the third period and the first 2:30 of the fourth (after he missed 11 straight games with a sore foot and then played 12 scoreless minutes off the bench in Wednesday's loss in Cleveland), the Hawks went on a 16-7 run.

QUOTABLE III: "It was just a matter of playing with some energy. We called a timeout and we had to make mention of our body language, on how guys were carrying themselves. We came out of the timeout with a little bit of new hope."

-- Lou Williams on the burst of energy provided by the bench

HOT: Foye, whose six 3-pointers made were a season high (on seven attempts), shot 5-for-6 in the first quarter -- including all three of his trey tries -- and added two free throws while scoring 15 in the period. . . . After shooting 5-for-7, Zaza Pachulia is 12-for-18 over the past three games. . . . Smith, typically a power forward, has 30 assists over the past six games. Friday was the first game in seven in which he failed to make at least one 3-pointer. . . . Jefferson (10-for-19) has shot 21-for-34 in the past two games. . . . Jazz point guard Jamaal Tinsley has 17 assists in the past two contests in about 47 minutes.

NOT: Horford had just one rebound through three quarters and three in the game. . . . Millsap missed all four of his shots in the fourth quarter after shooting 8-for-12 before that.

QUOTABLE IV: "The combination of Lou [Williams] and Devin [Harris] playing together was very effective throughout the game. That's why I elected to stay with them down the stretch."

-- Larry Drew

ROOKIE REPORT: Jenkins made his only shot, that 3-pointer, and leads all rookies with a 52.4 percent shooting mark from distance this season. He has taken benefited from injuries to Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson recently to gain playing time.

NOTABLE: When he made a 3-pointer in the first quarter, Korver tied former Hawk Mookie Blaylock for the second-longest streak in franchise history with at least one trey made in 29 consecutive games. Blaylock also holds the franchise record of 42 straight games with at least one 3-pointer in a separate streak. . . . Hawks guard/forward Morrow missed his seventh straight game with a strained hip. . . . DeShawn Stevenson (knees) missed his second straight game although he was active Friday. He was inactive Wednesday at Cleveland. ... Marvin Williams -- who was traded to Utah in the deal last offseason that sent Harris to Atlanta -- missed his second straight game with inflammation in his left knee.

UP NEXT: For the Jazz, Saturday @ Detroit, Monday vs. Miami, Saturday vs. Cleveland. For the Hawks, Saturday @ Washington, Monday @ Chicago, Wednesday vs. Brooklyn.

• Jazz: Bell, Williams
• Hawks: Morrow

• Jazz: --
• Hawks: Smith

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #63 Derek Richardson, #28 Zach Zarba, #35 Kane Fitzgerald
• Attendance: 12064
• Duration: 2:05