<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Atlanta Hawks</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:57:37 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:57:37 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rookies lead Hornets past Hawks, 96-88]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS(AP) -- The Hornets' two rookies left the New Orleans
Arena with bright-colored, glittery suitcases specially selected
for them by veterans, Darren Collison's with a "Little Mermaid"
theme and Marcus Thornton's emblazoned with Tinkerbell's smiling
visage.

"It keeps us grounded, I'll tell you that much," Collison said.

The way Collison and Thornton are playing lately, the Hornets
might want to think of other ways to keep their egos in check.

Collison had season highs of 22 points and 11 assists for his
first double-double, Thornton scored a season-best 21, and New
Orleans won its third straight while snapping the Atlanta Hawks'
seven-game winning streak, 96-88 on Saturday night.

"When you're a rookie you've got to come in and make a name for
yourself," said Thornton, who in fact joined the Hornets with
plenty of name recognition already, having starred at LSU last
season. "Me and Darren from Day 1 when we came in, we knew we
could play this game, and we just stuck together throughout ...
and we prevailed today."

The resurgent Hornets made 12 of 17 3-pointers, with Peja
Stojakovic hitting five during a 17-point outing. David West had
12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Jamal Crawford scored 20 for the Hawks, who became the second
straight division leader to lose in New Orleans after Phoenix
fell to the Hornets on Thursday night.

"We really wanted this win, but they came in with confidence,"
said Joe Johnson, who scored 14 points for the Hawks. "Marcus
Thornton was definitely the story of the game. We really didn't
have an answer for him. Their guard play really helped then get
over the hump. ... They shot lights out form the 3-point line."

Marvin Williams scored 17 points for Atlanta, and Josh Smith
added 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the Hawks went 4 of 22 from
3-point range.

The Hawks also lost Mike Bibby to a sprained left ankle in the
first quarter.

"He's a big part of what we do and we don't know how long he'll
be out," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "We have enough guys
and they will have to step up and pick up the slack."

New Orleans led throughout the second half, withstanding every
Atlanta surge. Collison and Thornton, drafted in the first and
second rounds, respectively, showed poise when it mattered, as
they have in three straight games.

After Maurice Evans' driving layup as he was fouled pulled
Atlanta to 59-56, Collison came back with a 3 and fast-break
dunk. When Crawford's jumper made it 64-60 late in the third
quarter, Collison hit his second 3, then West followed with a
driving layup off the glass and Thornton a breakaway dunk to
make it 71-60 heading into the fourth quarter.

Thornton created shots with slashing moves to the hoop and took
open jumpers with confidence and without hesitation. He scored
10 points in the final period, notching one three-point play on
a tough driving layup into a crowd and later hitting his second
3-pointer of the game to make it 81-71.

"His confidence for a young guy is as high as I've seen in this
league," Hornets assistant coach Tim Floyd said. "He comes in
really believing that he belongs."

Al Horford had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The Hornets outshot the Hawks 43.5 percent to 37.2 percent.
Emeka Okafor had 10 rebounds and blocked three shots.

Atlanta jumped out to a 10-2 lead largely because of poor early
shooting by New Orleans, which started 1 of 11 from the field.
Bibby left the game during that stretch.

Soon after, Stojakovic got in rhythm from long range, hitting
four straight 3-pointers during a 16-3 run that gave New Orleans
an 18-13 lead.

New Orleans continued to pull away for much of the second
quarter, going ahead 45-31 after Okafor's block sent Collison
the other way for a fast-break layup.

Atlanta responded with a 9-0 run, highlighted by Williams' 3 and
dunk to close the gap. Collison's jumper as the shot clock wound
down gave the Hornets a 49-42 lead at halftime.

NOTES: Hornets reserve center Hilton Armstrong played for the
first time since spraining his shoulder in practice last Monday.
... The Hawks won the only other meeting this season 121-98 in
Atlanta one week ago. ... Okafor has had at least one block in
all but one game this season. ... Collison has scored in double
figures in six straight games. ... Smith, who came in leading
the NBA with 34 blocks, added three more.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/136222-Rookies-lead-Hornets-past-Hawks-96-88</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/136222-Rookies-lead-Hornets-past-Hawks-96-88</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:44:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks' Bibby sprains left ankle]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NEW ORLEANS(AP) -- Atlanta starting guard Mike Bibby sprained his
left ankle in the first quarter of the Hawks' game in New
Orleans on Saturday night.

Bibby appeared to roll the ankle while coming down from a jump
shot about five minutes into the game. Team officials said he
would not return.

Bibby came in averaging 10.7 points and 4.2 assists in a little
more than 31 minutes a game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/136189-Hawks-Bibby-sprains-left-ankle</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/136189-Hawks-Bibby-sprains-left-ankle</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:30:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks-Hornets Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BROWN
STATS Editor

Atlanta (10-2) at New Orleans (5-8), 8:00 p.m. EDT

One week ago, the surging Atlanta Hawks easily beat a New
Orleans Hornets club struggling to find its footing under new
head coach Jeff Bower.

Neither team has lost since.

Seeking their longest winning streak in 12 years, the Hawks
visit New Orleans on Saturday night for a rematch with Bower's
revitalized Hornets.

Atlanta (11-2) hasn't won its division since 1993-94, but
currently owns the NBA's best record thanks to its winning
streak, which reached seven Friday night with a 105-103 home
victory over Houston. Josh Smith had nine points - failing to
reach double figures for only the second time this season - but
scored the winning basket on a putback of a Mike Bibby miss with
0.7 seconds remaining.

Now, Atlanta has an opportunity to win eight in a row for the
first time since opening the 1997-98 season with 11 straight
victories.

Marvin Williams led the Hawks with a season-high 29 points and
nine rebounds while shooting 13 of 19 from the field.

"He was phenomenal," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "He was
solid from beginning to end. We went to him. He continued to
make them."

Williams was quiet against the Hornets last Saturday, finishing
with seven points, but it didn't matter against a New Orleans
club searching for an identity without fired coach Byron Scott
and injured point guard Chris Paul - sidelined indefinitely
after spraining his left ankle Nov. 13 in a loss to Portland.
The Hawks beat the Hornets 121-98, putting them in position to
sweep this two-game series for the second consecutive season.

That loss dropped New Orleans to 0-2 under Bower, the general
manager who assumed the head coaching role after last week's
firing of Scott. The Hornets (5-8) have played much better
since, following Tuesday's 110-102 victory over the Los Angeles
Clippers with a 110-103 win over Phoenix on Thursday.

Peja Stojakovic led the way against the Suns with 25 points - 21
of them on seven 3-pointers - and 13 rebounds.

"It's still the regular season, (but) for us it was a very
important win," he said. "We are too good to quit. We have good
talent on this team and you can't give up. ... We did struggle
in the beginning of the season. Hopefully we can just raise our
level of playing and get some consistency."

Rookie Marcus Thornton added 19 points Thursday. Thornton, a
second-round draft pick out of LSU, is averaging 15.8 points in
the four games since Bower took over. He failed to reach double
figures in any contest while Scott was coaching.

Darren Collison, also a rookie, had 15 points and five assists
while replacing Paul as the starting point guard.

"Darren and Marcus - I don't know what to say about those kids,"
Stojakovic said. "They're showing maturity out there on the
court and I'm really happy for them. Darren has really stepped
up in CP's place and Marcus coming off the bench - he's instant
offense."

Stojakovic had 25 points in the loss in Atlanta last Saturday,
while Hawks guard Joe Johnson had 26 to lead all scorers.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135873-Hawks-Hornets-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135873-Hawks-Hornets-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:23:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Smith's last-second shot gives Hawks another win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- Josh Smith spent most of the fourth quarter
cheering on his teammates from the bench.

He was on the court, though, for the biggest play of the game.

After sitting for all but 44 seconds of the final period because
of foul trouble, Smith soared through the lane to drop in a
missed shot with 0.7 seconds remaining and the Atlanta Hawks won
their seventh in a row, beating the Houston Rockets 105-103
Friday night to maintain the NBA's best record.

Marvin Williams scored a season-high 29 points, but it was Smith
who came through at the end for the Hawks (11-2).

Carl Landry hit a pair of free throws with 5 seconds left to cap
Houston's 11-1 run that tied the game at 103. The Hawks got the
ball to Mike Bibby, whose 17-foot jumper bounced off the front
of the rim. But Smith flew right down the middle of the lane,
grabbed the rebound with both hands and softly it back in while
the Rockets screamed for basket interference.

Replays showed the ball had cleared the cylinder before Smith
touched it.

"All I wanted to do was crash the boards," Smith said. "In case
he missed, I wanted to be there. I wanted him to make the shot,
but I was there for the miss."

Smith went to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with
4:03 left in the third quarter. He returned early in the fourth
and lasted only 30 seconds before getting his fifth foul. Back
to the bench, where he stayed until the final minute - long
enough to win the game.

Obviously, he was fresher than everyone else on the court. It
showed.

"He hustled," Houston's Luis Scola said. "Everyone knows how
high he jumps. It was a great play."

Williams had been one of the few disappointments in Atlanta's
brilliant start to the season. He had not scored more than 14
points in a game, but he had 13 in the opening quarter and
passed his previous high before halftime. He finished 13 of 19
from the field.

"He was phenomenal," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "He was
solid from beginning to end. We went to him. He continued to
make them."

The Hawks needed Williams to come up big with Smith in foul
trouble - he had only nine points in less than 24 minutes - and
Joe Johnson held to 19 points on 6-of-18 shooting after two
straight 30-point efforts.

Jamal Crawford added 21 points for the Hawks, while Landry led
five Houston players in double figures with 18.

The Hawks improved to 7-0 at Philips Arena, their best start at
home since 1997, and snapped the Rockets' two-game winning
streak on the road.

Houston outworked the Hawks on the boards much of the night -
getting 20 offensive rebounds - and had a commanding 29-14 edge
in second-chance points. The Rockets led 88-82 with 7 minutes
remaining after Aaron Brooks blew right by Johnson for a layup.

"They have a lot of guys who are not very athletic," Smith said.
"But they get offensive rebounds. They killed us all night
getting offensive rebounds."

Atlanta took over from there, turning up the defensive pressure
and ripping off a 13-0 spurt. Brooks finally broke up the run,
but Williams had a thunderous jam off a missed shot, a steal set
up another dunk by Al Horford and Crawford's falling-down
3-pointer pushed the home team to a 102-92 lead with 2:07
remaining.

"The guys battled back, but we had a bad stretch in the fourth
quarter and it cost us," Houston coach Rick Adelman said.

It seemed over, but the pesky Rockets battled back. Kyle Lowry
exploded to the hoop, banked it in and was fouled by Williams.
The free throw completed the three-point play and pulled Houston
to 103-101.

Bibby missed a 3-pointer, Houston called time and got the ball
in Brooks' hands. He passed off to Scola, who fumbled it away
but watched it go straight to Landry, who drew Horford's sixth
foul and calmly made both free throws sandwiched around a Hawks'
20-second timeout.

But Smith made sure Atlanta stayed perfect at home.

"They have the best record in the league," Houston's Trevor
Ariza. "If we could have come back and gotten this one, it would
have been really big."

NOTES: In the second quarter, Ariza and Johnson scrambled for a
loose ball that wound up bouncing out of bounds along the
sideline, not far from the Hawks bench. While the officials
briefly conferred to make a call, Ariza pleaded, "I swear to God
I didn't touch it." The Rockets got the ball. ... Houston shot
just 42 percent but took 14 more shots than the Hawks, who made
half their attempts. ... Williams also led the Hawks in
rebounding with nine. ... Scola had 17 points and 10 rebounds
for the Rockets.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135845-Smiths-last-second-shot-gives-Hawks-another-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135845-Smiths-last-second-shot-gives-Hawks-another-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:10:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rockets-Hawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Houston (7-5) at Atlanta (10-2), 7:30 p.m. EDT

An afterthought in the Eastern Conference's three-team race
during 2008-09, the Atlanta Hawks seemed like they'd be in a
similar position this season.

Right now, though, everyone's chasing them.

The Hawks have barely been tested during a six-game winning
streak that's propelled them to the conference's best record,
and they'll look to make it seven in a row Friday night against
the visiting Houston Rockets.

Atlanta (10-2) finished 19 games behind top-seeded Cleveland in
the East last season, 15 behind No. 2 Boston and 12 in back of
third-seeded Orlando in the Southeast Division. The Hawks
survived a first-round playoff series in seven games against
Miami but were swept by the Cavaliers in the next round, losing
each game by double digits.

Not much drop-off was expected from Cleveland, Boston or
Orlando, but the Hawks certainly have looked capable of
inserting themselves in the conversation of East contenders.
Atlanta has won by an average of 15.2 points during the streak,
beating Miami 105-90 on Wednesday behind 30 points from Joe
Johnson.

"If we stay healthy and do what we're capable of doing, no one
is going to sweep us," forward Josh Smith said after finishing
with 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
"We'll make a series out of it with any team."

Johnson leads the way with 23.6 points per game, but it seems
the Hawks are at their best when Smith is producing. He averaged
14.0 points and 6.2 rebounds through the first six games but has
averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 boards and 2.7 blocks during the win
streak - Atlanta's longest since a seven-game run from March
7-19.

"We're a tough team to beat when he's playing like that,"
Johnson said. "When he's rebounding, playing defense and diving
down in the paint for dunks and layups, it makes the defense
collapse. That's leaving guys like me and Mike (Bibby) open for
shots."

The seven-game winning streak in March came at Philips Arena,
and Atlanta is 6-0 there this season. It hasn't won its first
seven at home since 1997-98, the last time it had a 50-win
season.

Atlanta will now face Houston (7-5), which already has
double-digit road wins against Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Rockets needed an impressive fourth quarter to blow open a
close game at Minnesota on Wednesday. Luis Scola had eight of
his team-high 20 points in the final 4:35, and Houston turned a
one-point lead after three into a 97-84 win.

"When Luis gets it going, he works so hard that if you don't
match his energy and effort you feel bad," forward Shane Battier
said. "That is the good thing about this team, we have a lot of
effort guys that you can draw from."

Houston is 5-1 when Scola records a double-double.

The Rockets' start has been somewhat of a surprise considering
the absence of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, who participated in
pregame workouts Wednesday but isn't considered ready to return.

Trevor Ariza is taking plenty of shots with no other proven
perimeter scorer in the lineup, and though he averages a
team-best 18.4 points, he's struggling from the field. Ariza is
shooting 30.8 percent (16 of 52) in the last three games.

Each team won on its home floor last season, with Smith scoring
29 in a 103-100 victory Jan. 3.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135389-Rockets-Hawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135389-Rockets-Hawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:57:29 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Johnson, Smith lead Hawks to another win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- When Joe Johnson is scoring and Josh Smith is doing
a little bit of everything, the Atlanta Hawks are awfully hard
to beat.

The Miami Heat got a sampling of that 1-2 punch Wednesday night.

Johnson made it two straight 30-point games, Smith dominated
during a decisive first-half run and the Hawks won their sixth
in the row, beating Miami 105-90 to reclaim a share of the NBA's
best record with Phoenix.

"It's just beautiful basketball right now," Smith said.

Johnson scored 30 points on the heels of a 35-point effort
against Portland on Monday. Smith was all over the stat sheet:
16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two
steals.

"We're a tough team to beat when he's playing like that,"
Johnson said of his teammate. "When he's rebounding, playing
defense and diving down in the paint for dunks and layups, it
makes the defense collapse. That's leaving guys like me and Mike
(Bibby) open for shots."

The Hawks (10-2) remained perfect at home and finally seemed to
awaken the city of Atlanta to just how good this team might be.
The first sellout of the season, 18,729, turned out at Philips
Arena.

Michael Beasley led the Heat with 21 points. Dwyane Wade was
held to 15 on 6-of-18 shooting, ending a streak of 23 straight
regular-season games with at least 20 points.

"Shooters go through shooting slumps, and that's kind of what
I'm in," Wade said. "I got some good shots, shots that I hit in
my sleep."

But the Hawks also did a good job of shutting down Miami's star,
led by Johnson with plenty of teammates chipping in.

"Wade can get pretty much where he wants to on the floor,"
Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "You've got to build a wall
where all he sees are bodies."

The Hawks took control by outscoring Miami 28-8 over the final 8
minutes of the first half. Johnson got things rolling with a
3-pointer, but Atlanta did most of its damage out in the open
court with Smith leading the way.

He had a thunderous dunk off a steal by Jamal Crawford and lob
pass from Mike Bibby, and another dunk after Johnson swiped an
errant pass by Wade. Finally, with the quarter winding down and
the Hawks stretching their lead, Smith bulled his way inside and
powered right through Jermaine O'Neal to bank in a shot and draw
the foul.

Smith pumped his fist defiantly while O'Neal stared in
disbelief, as if wondering what he could do to slow the Hawks'
forward. He had 11 points, five rebounds, an assist and a block
during the run, pushing Atlanta to a 60-43 halftime lead.

"As long as he keeps playing like that," Johnson said, "we're
going to be all right."

Miami cut its deficit to five points late in third quarter, but
Atlanta's reserves helped ice the victory early in the fourth.
Marvin Williams was the only starter on the floor as Atlanta
quickly restored its lead to 91-75, holding the Heat without a
field goal until Michael Beasley finally scored with 7:22
remaining. Zaza Pachulia, Joe Smith, Jamal Crawford and Maurice
Evans combined with Williams to put the visiting team away.

"We've got the depth we need," Josh Smith said. "We treat each
possession as precious because we know we've got something good
going here."

This was a rematch of last season's opening-round playoff
series, won by the Hawks in seven games. They were swept in the
following round by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Hawks don't intend to go out so meekly this season.

"If we stay healthy and do what we're capable of doing, no one
is going to sweep us," Smith said. "We'll make a series out of
it with any team."

The Heat played without Udonis Haslem, who sat out after falling
on his left shoulder in a loss to Oklahoma City the previous
night. Quentin Richardson sustained a lower back strain early in
the third quarter and didn't return, further cutting into
Miami's depth.

NOTES: Haslem wanted to play, but the coaching staff decided to
play it safe. The Heat hopes he can return for Friday's game at
Toronto. "He's a tough guy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
"He'd like to play through it but he jammed it pretty good." ...
Johnson had the 61st 30-point game of his career. ... The Hawks
improved to 6-0 home. On Friday against Houston, they'll try to
improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1997. ... Miami has lost
two in a row for the first time this season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135186-Johnson-Smith-lead-Hawks-to-another-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/135186-Johnson-Smith-lead-Hawks-to-another-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:30:25 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Heat-Hawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

Miami (7-2) at Atlanta (9-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Hawks credit their fast start this season to the
confidence they gained in the playoffs the last two years.

The Hawks take on one of the teams that provided them some
confidence when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Atlanta (9-2) advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals last
season after winning its opening-round series against Miami
(7-3) in seven games. Though coach Mike Woodson's club would be
swept in the second round by Cleveland, Woodson said it still
was a big step for a franchise that hadn't advanced beyond the
first round in a decade.

"The last two years being in the playoffs has put this team in a
totally different light," Woodson said following his team's
99-95 overtime victory over Portland on Monday. "Now when they
go on the court, they know they have a chance to win. ... It's
kind of nice sitting on the top of the division."

Atlanta has won five straight to move one game ahead of Orlando,
with third-place Miami one-half game further behind. Joe Johnson
scored a season-high 35 points Monday against the Trail Blazers,
including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime to help the
Hawks rally from a nine-point deficit at the start of the
fourth.

It was the third consecutive game Atlanta held an opponent below
100 points.

"(Monday) was a perfect game as far as what Woody preaches,"
center Al Horford, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, told the
league's official Web site. "You have to be able to come out and
defend every night because there are some nights you're not
going to make anything, and tonight was one of those nights."

The win improved Atlanta to 5-0 at home this season. The Hawks
won five of six against Miami at Phillips Arena last season,
including three of four during the playoff series.

Miami will try to get its offense going on the road after being
held below 90 points in consecutive home games. While the Heat
were able to overcome shooting a season-low 39.3 percent in an
81-80 victory over New Jersey on Saturday, their problems on
offense proved too much to overcome Tuesday in a 100-87 loss to
Oklahoma City in which the Thunder went on 20-1 and 14-2 runs.

"They outplayed us with their athleticism, with their length,
with their effort, with their energy, all those areas," coach
Erik Spoelstra said. "They just brought more of it."

Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, but endured his worst game of the
season while shooting 6 for 19 and committing six turnovers. He
had bailed the Heat out in their previous contest, hitting a
3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left to beat the Nets.

Wade and the Heat have played only two road games this season -
fewest in the league. They won both, beating Indiana and
Washington while holding each below 90 points. Wade scored a
combined 72 points in those games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134951-Heat-Hawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134951-Heat-Hawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:25:42 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Johnson, Hawks beat Blazers 99-95 in OT]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks feel they can
beat anyone right now, even the NBA's top teams.

Johnson scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and the Hawks
solved Portland's defense in time to beat the Trail Blazers
99-95 on Monday night.

The Hawks, who won at Portland on Nov. 3, swept the season
series for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

Josh Smith had 20 points and 16 rebounds for Atlanta, which
extended its winning streak to five with the victory in the
matchup of division leaders. The Hawks' streak also includes a
win at Boston.

"The last two years being in the playoffs has put this team in a
totally different light," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "Now
when they go on the court, they know they have a chance to win.
... It's kind of nice sitting on the top of the division."

The Hawks snapped Portland's six-game winning streak by rallying
from deficits of 12 points in the third quarter and nine points,
67-58, at the start of the fourth.

"We were able to fight them off," Smith said. "Maybe three or
four years ago we wouldn't have gotten the win."

Rudy Fernandez led Portland with 19 points, including a
buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation.

"The play was for me for the last shot and I made it," said
Fernandez, who added two more 3s in overtime.

Portland had won four straight road games, holding each opponent
under 85 points, before falling to the Hawks in the last game of
its trip.

"We played good here but probably the road trip is very long and
we were tired," Fernandez said. "But it's a positive for us."

LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points and Brandon Roy added 17 for the
Trail Blazers.

"It's disappointing because we had a big lead and we didn't do a
good job of taking care of the ball and defending," Roy said.
"But they beat us up on the inside and dominated the paint."

Atlanta enjoyed a 47-37 rebounding advantage. Al Horford
overcame early foul trouble to total 15 points and 10 boards.
Horford and Smith each blocked two shots.

"They won the game how they've been winning the game, in the
paint," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought the
defense did a better job of keeping them out of the paint, but
we didn't finish. We didn't finish the play with rebounding the
ball."

Johnson started overtime with two quick field goals. Following a
basket by Horford, Johnson scored again for a 93-87 lead with
1:42 remaining. Greg Oden, who had 11 points and seven rebounds,
had Portland's only basket in the first 3 minutes of OT.

The Hawks pushed the lead to 97-89 on two free throws by Johnson
before Fernandez had two 3s in the final 12 seconds.

Johnson had a combined 18 points in the fourth quarter and
overtime.

"When my team needs it the most, that's when I want to come up
big," Johnson said.

Johnson hit two 3-pointers in the fourth, each tying the score.

Johnson's drive with 14.8 seconds remaining in regulation gave
Atlanta an 83-82 lead. He pushed the lead to three with two free
throws, but Fernandez hit a fallaway 3 to send it to overtime,
connecting over Horford.

The Trail Blazers pushed the ball inside to Oden in the opening
minutes and quickly sent Horford to the bench. Horford drew his
second with 3:08 remaining in the first quarter and did not
return in the first half.

Horford's Florida Gators beat Oden and Ohio State to win the
2007 NCAA championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, adjacent
to Philips Arena.

NOTES: F Travis Outlaw is out indefinitely and was not with the
team after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot in
Portland's win in Charlotte on Saturday. ... Johnson had his
60th career game with 30 or more points. ... The Hawks are 5-0
at home.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134620-Johnson-Hawks-beat-Blazers-99-95-in-OT</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134620-Johnson-Hawks-beat-Blazers-99-95-in-OT</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:25:25 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Trail Blazers-Hawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Portland (8-3) at Atlanta (8-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Hawks have yet to be challenged at home, winning
their first four games inside Philips Arena by an average of
17.5 points while cruising to an early lead in the Southeast
Division.

The Portland Trail Blazers, though, have been nearly as flawless
on the road.

The Trail Blazers haven't lost since they were beaten by Atlanta
nearly two weeks ago, and they'll look to complete a perfect
five-game road trip and win a seventh consecutive game overall
Monday night while trying to deny the surging Hawks a fifth
straight victory.

Coach Nate McMillan wasn't pleased with Portland's ball rotation
or defense in a 97-91 home loss to Atlanta (8-2) on Nov. 3, so
he decided to stick free agent acquisition Andre Miller into the
starting lineup three days later against San Antonio.

Miller's numbers as a starter haven't been spectacular - 12.3
points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game - but his impact
has been felt.

The Blazers (8-3) have won their last six games by an average of
14.3 points, with the biggest improvement coming on the
defensive end. Portland was giving up a respectable 93.2 points
per game through its first five contests, but has cut that
average to 82.0 points since Nov. 6, limiting opponents to 39.5
percent shooting.

Charlotte shot 36.6 percent Saturday and Brandon Roy's 25 points
paced Portland in an 80-74 win. The Blazers have won the first
four games of their road trip by an average of 12.7 points.

"We made plays," McMillan said. "We got stops when we needed to.
We're scoring when we need to. We're finding ways to win."

As the Blazers seek their first seven-game winning streak since
a 13-game run from Dec. 3-28, 2007, though, they'll be without
Travis Outlaw. Fourth on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per
game, Outlaw suffered a stress fracture in his left foot
Saturday and could be out six to eight weeks.

Outlaw had 19 points off the bench in the loss to Atlanta, but
he wasn't the most impressive reserve to see key minutes. Jamal
Crawford had a game-high 27 points for the Hawks, and has
averaged 17.7 points while shooting 47.6 percent - seven percent
better than his career average.

Crawford had 21 points Saturday and Joe Johnson scored a
team-high 26 in a 121-98 win over New Orleans.

"Honestly, now I'd rather come off the bench," said Crawford,
who's averaged 20.7 points in his last three home games. "I like
to see how the flow of the game is going."

Crawford was the biggest offseason addition for Atlanta, which
is in the league's top five in points per game (108.0) and
field-goal percentage (48.6). The Hawks have won all four home
games by double digits - including a 25-point rout of Denver -
and have two of the league's most impressive road victories, at
Portland and Boston.

The last time Atlanta won its first five home games was in
1997-98, when it opened 7-0 en route to the franchise's last
50-win season.

Along with the addition of Crawford, the biggest difference so
far has been the Hawks' interior play. They lead the league with
an average of 54.0 points in the paint - 20.5 more than
29th-place Portland.

"They're growing up," coach Mike Woodson said of his team. "We
have size this year. With Zaza (Pachulia) and Joe (Smith) coming
off the bench, we have a lot of size. We're not scarce this year
for big guys."

Atlanta outscored Portland 50-34 in the paint earlier this
month.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134202-Trail-Blazers-Hawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134202-Trail-Blazers-Hawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:26:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Johnson, Crawford lead Hawks to 121-98 win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- Nine NBA seasons have taught Jamal Crawford the
value of not humiliating an opponent.

"We didn't want to embarrass anybody with a new coach and
without their best player," Crawford said. "They're going
through a lot right now."

Joe Johnson scored 26 points, Crawford added 21, and the Atlanta
Hawks beat the New Orleans Hornets 121-98 on Saturday night for
their fourth straight victory.

The Hornets were without Chris Paul, who stayed home after
spraining his ankle from the night before. They have lost three
straight and five of six.

Josh Smith had 17 points and 17 rebounds for Atlanta, which was
coming off an 11-point win Friday in Boston.

Peja Stojakovic scored 25 points, but New Orleans fell to 0-2
under Jeff Bower, the general manager who became the coach this
week after Byron Scott's firing.

Bower indicated that the Hornets will have a prognosis on Paul's
condition by Monday, but the coach had no immediate update after
the game on a timetable for New Orleans' best player.

Even with Paul healthy, however, Bower believes the Hornets are
playing too poorly in their transition defense to start a long
winning streak.

"Like I told the team at halftime, this is something that has to
be fixed," Bower said. "We were effective with that in this game
in stretches, but not long enough. We're getting it in bursts
but not enough to beat a team of this caliber."

Stojakovic hit a straightaway 3-pointer to cut the lead to six
with 8:44 remaining, but the Hawks went on a 15-0 run, ending
with Mike Bibby's 3 with 4:24 remaining, to make it 110-89.

"We were getting stops," Johnson said. "Our defense was getting
the rebounds, and we were getting wide-open shots."

Crawford, acquired in an offseason trade with Golden State,
likes his role as a sixth man in Atlanta. He started all 65
games last season, splitting time with the Warriors and New York
Knicks. In 607 career games, Crawford has made 393 starts.

"Honestly, now I'd rather come off the bench," Crawford said. "I
like to see how the flow of the game is going."

Atlanta improved to 8-2 overall, 4-0 at home.

Johnson's putback with 7:41 remaining put the Hawks ahead 98-89.
Their lead stayed in double figures after Bibby's jumper on the
next possession.

Bibby finished with 17 points and five assists.

Bobby Brown scored 13 for the Hornets, but was just 1 for 6 on
3-point attempts. David West and Emeka Okafor each had 12
rebounds and eight points.

Darren Collison started in Paul's spot, finishing with 10 points
and four assists.

Stojakovic doesn't know how the Hornets will fare without Paul.

"It's different because our game was based on him creating for
everybody, and now we just have to all step it up, move the
ball, just kind of play off each other," Stojakovic said. "I
think maybe in the long run it will help us to get our team
going, but right now we have to deal with things like that. We
have to stay in there and fight."

For the Hawks, times are different. After averaging 59 losses in
its first three seasons under Mike Woodson, Atlanta is aiming
for its third straight playoff appearance with a starting lineup
of Johnson, Bibby, Al Horford, Smith and Marvin Williams.

"They're growing up," Woodson said of his players. "We have size
this year. With Zaza (Pachulia) and Joe (Smith) coming off the
bench, we have a lot of size. We're not scarce this year for big
guys."

NOTES: The Hornets fell to 0-6 on the road, 0-7 overall, when
entering the third quarter with a deficit. ... Atlanta improved
to 7-0 when leading as they begin the fourth.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134037-Johnson-Crawford-lead-Hawks-to-121-98-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/134037-Johnson-Crawford-lead-Hawks-to-121-98-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:04:19 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hornets-Hawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DAN PIERINGER
STATS Editor

New Orleans (3-6) at Atlanta (6-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

New Orleans fired coach Byron Scott on Thursday, hoping a new
voice could help motivate the team to live up to its potential.
The Hornets will have a much harder time doing so if Chris Paul
is out for an extended amount of time.

With their All-Star point guard sitting because of an ankle
injury, the Hornets look to avoid their sixth loss in seven road
games Saturday night when they face the Atlanta Hawks, who hope
to remain undefeated at Philips Arena.

New Orleans (3-7) lost six of its first nine under Scott before
firing the sixth-year coach and handing the job to general
manager Jeff Bower.

Bower, though, will have a hard time turning around the slumping
Hornets without Paul. Paul hurt his ankle when he landed on an
opponent's foot in the third quarter of an 86-78 loss to
Portland in Bower's coaching debut Friday night.

Paul left the arena on crutches, saying he would not play in
Atlanta and beyond that could not be sure about how serious the
injury was.

"I hate to watch and I hate to know that I'm going to miss a
game," said Paul, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., who said he
expected about 75 friends and relatives to attend the Atlanta
game. "They just took X-rays. I don't know anything."

Even before Paul was hurt Friday, the Hornets struggled
offensively. They shot 36.7 percent from the field overall while
recording their lowest point total of the season. Despite what
seemed like a very inauspicious debut for Bower, he claims not
to be discouraged.

"We struggled scoring the ball obviously, but we didn't let our
offense affect our defense and I think that's another sign of a
step forward," Bower said.

The Hornets will need to make a lot more progress to start
winning on the road. They've given up 106.5 points per game
while losing five of their first six outside New Orleans.

The Hornets will likely have their hands full again in Atlanta.
The Hawks (7-2) beat Boston 97-86 on the road on Friday night to
continue their strong start. They pulled away late, holding the
Celtics to 16 points in the fourth quarter.

"We needed to beat a good team on the road for our confidence
level," coach Mike Woodson said. "I think that's the best team
in the East. Tonight we matched them from beginning to end. From
a defensive standpoint, we finally stepped up and played 48
minutes defensively."

Joe Johnson led Atlanta with 24 points and Jamal Crawford added
18 off the bench as the Hawks won in Boston for the first time
in 10 games, including the playoffs.

"Since Day One, we've believed," said Johnson, averaging 24.4
points and 5.4 assists while shooting 47.0 percent from the
field in his last five games against the Hornets. "Nobody's
believed in us. We've been playing pretty good on the road this
year."

Atlanta has also been tough to beat at home, where it's averaged
115.0 points during a 3-0 start. The Hawks haven't opened 4-0 at
home since 2002-03.

The Hawks won both meetings with the Hornets last season,
holding New Orleans to 79 points each time. Paul averaged 23.0
points, 10.5 assists and 3.0 steals in those games. It's unclear
who will start in his place Saturday, though the job could fall
to rookie Darren Collison, selected 21st overall from UCLA in
the most recent draft.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133781-Hornets-Hawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133781-Hornets-Hawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:45:38 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks soar past Celtics]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[BOSTON(AP) -- The youthful Atlanta Hawks are starting to grow up.

Joe Johnson scored 24 points, Jamal Crawford had 18 and the
Hawks pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 97-86 win over the
Boston Celtics on Friday night.

"We needed to beat a good team on the road for our confidence
level," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "I think that's the
best team in the East. Tonight we matched them from beginning to
end. From a defensive standpoint, we finally stepped up and
played 48 minutes defensively."

Looking similar to the upstart Hawks that pushed Boston to seven
games in the opening playoff series in 2008, Atlanta looked
poised in its half-court offense, converting against the
league's best defensive team.

The difference was in that series, the Hawks couldn't win in
Boston. The Celtics took all four games in Boston and went on to
win the NBA title.

"Since Day One, we've believed," Johnson said. "Nobody's
believed in us. We've been playing pretty good on the road this
year."

Building on its nucleus of Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and
Mike Bibby, Atlanta added experienced reserves Crawford and Joe
Smith. For one early season game, it proved too much for the
Celtics.

"We tried to turn it up and put a little pressure on them, but I
give all the credit to them," Boston's Kevin Garnett said.

Josh Smith scored 14 and Horford had 12 points and 13 rebounds
as the Hawks (7-2) continued their strong start this season,
sending Boston to its second straight Friday night home loss.

Last week, Phoenix gave Boston (8-2) its first loss of the
season after a 7-0 start.

"It feels great," Josh Smith said. "It always feels good home or
away to beat a quality team like the Boston Celtics."

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 24 points despite bruising his
left knee early in the third quarter. Garnett and Kendrick
Perkins scored 14 points apiece.

Pierce bruised his knee on a drive to the basket. He sat out the
final few minutes of the third, and was wearing a brace and had
it taped when he came back early in the fourth quarter.

"It's a little tender," Pierce said. "I'm just going to wait and
see how it feels when it cools down. I'm just gonna ice it right
now and see how it feels."

Atlanta opened the final quarter with a 10-2 run, pulling to an
82-72 lead on Zaza Pachulia's two free throws with 8:34 to play.
The Hawks pushed their lead to 88-76 on Bibby's free throw with
4:44 to go.

Pierce's basket in the lane cut it to 88-80, but Boston never
made a threat the rest of the way.

The Hawks, who entered the game fourth in the league in scoring
and coming off a win over the Knicks on Wednesday, came out
looking to run and controlled the tempo early, jumping to a 14-6
edge in the opening 5 1/2 minutes, before the Celtics tightened
up defensively and forced it into a half-court game.

"When you've got a chance to beat a team on the road and you're
playing well, everybody looks mature," Boston coach Doc Rivers
said.

NOTES: Boston F Brian Scalabrine was back in uniform after
missing Wednesday's win over Utah with back spasms. ... Red Sox
DH David Ortiz was seated courtside and got a big cheer when he
was shown on the Jumbotron. ... Perkins was whistled for a
technical for throwing an elbow after scoring a basket in the
fourth quarter.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133647-Hawks-soar-past-Celtics</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133647-Hawks-soar-past-Celtics</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:45:33 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks-Celtics Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Atlanta (6-2) at Boston (8-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Another strong start bodes well for the Atlanta Hawks' continued
rise, but there's one feat they've yet to achieve that would
help them further assert themselves as an Eastern Conference
power.

The Hawks will get another chance at their first win in Boston
since the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as the
teams meet for the first time this season Friday night.

The Celtics (8-1) have won all seven regular-season meetings
with Atlanta since the start of the 2007-08 season, and even
though the Hawks pushed top-seeded Boston to seven games in the
teams' first-round playoff series in 2008, their four lopsided
road losses in that series are among their nine straight defeats
at the TD Garden.

Atlanta (6-2) nearly won in Boston last season, with the Celtics
needing Paul Pierce's last-second jumper to win 103-102 on Nov.
12, 2008, but Boston earned a more comfortable 104-92 victory in
the most recent meeting April 3.

"We don't play the same way we do at home," Hawks forward Josh
Smith said after that game. "We get away from the things we do
at home and don't do it on the road."

After they went 1-4 on the road in last season's playoffs and
got swept in the second round by Cleveland, the Hawks are hoping
things have changed. They're 3-2 away from Atlanta during their
strong start, including a quality win at Portland.

They won 114-101 at New York on Wednesday night, shooting 54.3
percent from the field to open this brief two-game trip.

"We've grown," coach Mike Woodson said. "The last two years
we've been in some tough games. We've won some tough ones and
we've lost. You know this team hasn't quit these last two years
and it's a sign of the guys in that locker room. We're all
fighting for something. We're trying to be better than a year
ago."

Atlanta used a balanced effort to surge past the Knicks, with
six players scoring at least 11 points and four scoring at least
19, led by Al Horford's 25.

Boston employed a similar formula in its 105-86 home win over
Utah on Wednesday, with seven players scoring in double figures.
Garnett led the way with 18 points, while Rajon Rondo added 14
and 11 assists.

Looking rejuvenated after three days of rest, the Celtics
regained the dominant form from their 6-0 start. Their previous
three games, at the end of a busy stretch of eight games in 12
days to start the season, had been narrow victories at Minnesota
and New Jersey sandwiched around a home loss to Phoenix.

"You could see the difference between (Wednesday) and the two
games previous. Actually, three games," Boston coach Doc Rivers
said. "So it's really nice to see. Obviously there's not going
to be nights when your top seven players all have double
figures, but when you get those nights, that's pretty good."

A stifling defense continues to spark Boston, which is allowing
a league-best 84.6 points per game.

Atlanta's offense, meanwhile, has been among the NBA's most
efficient, averaging 107.8 points and shooting 48.2 percent from
the field. Both figures rank among the top four in the league.

The Hawks haven't experienced that sort of success against
Boston in recent meetings.

In the seven regular-season losses to the Celtics since the
start of 2007-08, Atlanta has averaged 90.3 points. Hawks
leading scorer and former Celtics first-round draft pick Joe
Johnson has shot 37.3 percent from the field in those games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133254-Hawks-Celtics-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133254-Hawks-Celtics-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:57:18 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks control 2nd half, hand NY 5th straight loss]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- The New York Knicks tried playing from ahead for a
change.

No matter. The deeper, more athletic Atlanta Hawks simply
overwhelmed them in the second half.

Al Horford scored a season-high 25 points and grabbed nine
rebounds, Josh Smith added 22 points and 12 boards, and the
Hawks sent the Knicks to their fifth straight loss with a
114-101 victory Wednesday night.

Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby each had 19 points for the Hawks, who
trailed by 14 in the first half but scored 67 points after
halftime, seizing control late in the third quarter and pulling
away midway through the fourth.

"We can wear a team down with our depth and our athleticism, and
the way we're able to switch we can kind of stop a lot of plays
being ran," Smith said. "We didn't play our best basketball, so
we had to turn it around in the second half and we did."

Former Knicks guard Jamal Crawford added nine of his 11 in the
second half. Fellow reserve Maurice Evans, part of Atlanta's
bolstered bench, scored 12.

The Knicks like to play fast but the Hawks ran right by them,
outscoring New York 21-8 in fast-break points.

"We've grown," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "The last two
years we've been in some tough games. We've won some tough ones
and we've lost. You know this team hasn't quit these last two
years and it's a sign of the guys in that locker room. We're all
fighting for something. We're trying to be better than a year
ago."

Rookie Toney Douglas scored a season-high 23 points in his first
start for the Knicks (1-8), off to their worst start since also
dropping eight of nine to open the 2002-03 season. Al Harrington
also had 23 and grabbed 12 rebounds, but drew loud groans from
the crowd after botching a wide-open layup with a little more
than 4 minutes left.

New York had trailed by 20 or more in six of its first eight
games, but this time built a solid cushion despite another
dismal outing from point guard Chris Duhon, who was 0 for 6 with
two assists and three turnovers.

"Obviously he's going to have to play better and hopefully he'll
do it," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Trailing by five, Atlanta scored 12 straight points late in the
third quarter, opening a 78-71 lead on Crawford's 3-pointer with
2:50 left. Horford had a three-point play and another bucket in
the run and finished with 14 points in the period, when Atlanta
made 14 of 20 shots to open an 84-77 advantage.

"In the first half we missed a lot of easy shots. I did myself,"
Horford said. "Coach told us to stay confident and keep
fighting. I think in the second half that's what we did and how
we were able to pull away. We came out and were more aggressive.
I think that was the difference."

Crawford and Horford had back-to-back baskets early in the
fourth to extend the lead to 11 and the Knicks wouldn't get
closer than eight again. The Hawks shot 54 percent for the game.

Plagued all season by slow starts, the Knicks went with another
lineup change, inserting Douglas for Larry Hughes, and quickly
opened a 14-7 lead. The Hawks cut it to 25-23 after one quarter,
but New York used a 10-2 spurt to open a 37-27 on Harrington's
follow dunk with 8:24 remaining in the half.

Hughes, who went from not playing at all to a starter to a
reserve, finished with 14 points and eight assists.

"You always want to know when you're going in and what's your
rotation and things like that," Hughes said. "Once you hit the
court, you kind of have to get in where you fit in really and go
out and make positive plays, give positive energy."

The Knicks extended the lead to 14 - their largest of the season
- with 2 1/2 minutes to go after the second of Harrington's
consecutive baskets, before Atlanta scored the final six to cut
it to 54-47 at the break.

NOTES: The Knicks host Golden State on Friday to finish a
stretch of three straight and seven of eight games at home. ...
New York was still without reserve guard Nate Robinson (sprained
right ankle), who could return Friday. ... The Knicks had three
six-game losing streaks last season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133099-Hawks-control-2nd-half-hand-NY-5th-straight-loss</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/133099-Hawks-control-2nd-half-hand-NY-5th-straight-loss</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:57:57 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks-Knicks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Atlanta (5-2) at New York (1-7), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Jamal Crawford was primarily a starter in his four-plus years
with the New York Knicks, but like every other season of his NBA
career, those didn't end with a trip to the playoffs.

He'd like to think his first season with the Atlanta Hawks - and
his role as a high-scoring reserve - will end that drought.

Crawford has given the Hawks a major boost off the bench, and
he'll look to lead them to a fourth win in five games Wednesday
night at Madison Square Garden against his struggling former
team.

No current NBA player has gone longer without appearing in the
postseason than Crawford, who's averaged 15.2 points in 604
games over his 10-year career.

The Knicks (1-7) didn't come close to making the playoffs with
Crawford there, and the high-volume shooter was a popular
scapegoat for the franchise's struggles. He averaged 17.6 points
but shot 40.7 percent, starting 221 of his 299 games in New
York, and was shipped to Golden State on Nov. 18 for Al
Harrington.

The Warriors missed out on the playoffs last season as well, but
a draft-day trade to the Hawks (5-2) has done wonders for
Crawford. He's averaged 18.1 points in 29.9 minutes a game,
making him the second-most productive reserve in the Eastern
Conference behind the player for whom he was traded.

But while Harrington, scoring 19.7 per game as a sixth man, has
done little to help New York win, Crawford's made a big impact
on Atlanta. He's the team's second-leading scorer behind Joe
Johnson and has averaged 22.8 points on 51.7 percent shooting
over his last four games, scoring a team-high 25 in Saturday's
125-100 win over Denver.

"It's kind of cool sitting there now. I get a chance to figure
out how I can help the team, whether that's coming off setting
people up or coming off being aggressive and scoring," said
Crawford, who had 21 points Nov. 29 in his return to MSG with
the Warriors. "You kind of get a chance to watch the game, see
the tempo, see the rhythm and try to come in after that."

Saturday's performance helped the Hawks bounce back from a rough
road effort one night earlier, as they were outrebounded 56-35
in a 103-82 loss to Charlotte.

"It's a big statement," said forward Josh Smith, among the
league leaders with 2.9 blocks per game. "It just shows that we
don't dwell on losses, and we look forward to the next game."

The Knicks don't appear in any better shape to end their
five-season playoff drought, and one of the league's worst
defenses has again been the culprit. New York let up a
conference-high 107.8 points per game in 2008-09 and has allowed
108.4 this season.

The Knicks' most recent defensive effort was among their best,
but it still wasn't enough to win. Down 16 late in the third
quarter to Utah on Monday, Toney Douglas nearly rallied New York
with 15 second-half points, but the Jazz held on for a 95-93
victory.

"I thought we tried," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We had energy
and we were active."

Douglas missed a potential tying shot just before the buzzer,
and the rookie guard finished with 21 points off the bench after
scoring 16 in a 102-87 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday.

The Knicks took two of three from Atlanta last season, winning
both at MSG.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132749-Hawks-Knicks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132749-Hawks-Knicks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:11:17 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Crawford, Smith help Hawks rout Nuggets]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Josh Smith had a night to remember, especially
after one he and the rest of the Atlanta Hawks would like to
forget.

Jamal Crawford scored 25 points, and Smith had 22 points, nine
rebounds, six blocked shots and seven assists in the Hawks'
125-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

The Hawks were coming off a 103-83 loss to Charlotte on Friday
night.

"It's a big statement. Having a letdown loss last night, and
being able to come in and beat the number two or three team last
year in the Western Conference. That's a big boost of
confidence," said Smith, 8 of 10 from the field and 6 of 8 from
the line.

"I had opportunities to succeed and I seized the moment. I have
wonderful guys to pass the ball to and I was really looking to
crash the boards."

The Hawks had a season-high 125 points and 30 assists.

"It's big, more mentally than anything else," Crawford said. "We
had tough loss against Charlotte last night,and we beat a tough
Denver team. We didn't lay down, and we fought. From start to
finish, I thought we were really good as a team."

The Hawks had seven players in double figures. Joe Johnson added
21 points, Marvin Williams had 14, Mo Evans 12 and Al Horford
and Mike Bibby 11 each.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points for Denver, and Chauncey Billups
added 25. The Nuggets lost their second straight after winning
their first five. Anthony was 7 of 21 from the field and 15 of
18 from the line.

"We didn't have enough energy. We never did get a grip," Denver
coach George Karl said. "Crawford played great. Joe Johnson did
a good job. Josh Smith had an incredible game. We didn't respect
his shot blocking. We needed an A game from a lot of guys, and
we didn't get it," he said.

The Hawks scored the first 10 points of the second half to make
it 70-50. Denver never got closer than 12 points - at 90-78 less
than a minute into the final quarter.

The Hawks shot 52 percent, hitting 45 of 87 shots, including 8
of 19 3s. Bibby was 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

Both teams were coming off Friday night losses. The Hawks lost
103-83 at Charlotte, and the Nuggets fell 96-88 at Miami.

NOTES: The Nuggets were without forward Kenyon Martin. He
injured his leg Friday night. ... Karl is still seeking win No.
939 to pass Red Auerbach for eighth place on the career victory
list.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132227-Crawford-Smith-help-Hawks-rout-Nuggets</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/132227-Crawford-Smith-help-Hawks-rout-Nuggets</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:27:43 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Nuggets-Hawks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Denver (5-0) at Atlanta (4-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Denver Nuggets are coming off their longest postseason run
in 24 years.

The Atlanta Hawks advanced to the second round of the playoffs
last season for the first time in a decade.

Neither team looked playoff-ready Friday.

Denver looks to rebound from its first loss of the season
Saturday night, when it faces a Hawks team returning home from a
disappointing trip.

After pushing the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers to six
games in their first Western Conference finals appearance since
1985, the Nuggets opened 2009-10 with their first 5-0 mark since
1985-86.

With the franchise-record 8-0 start within sight, Denver (5-1)
fell to Miami 96-88 on Friday. The Nuggets were averaging a
league-best 115.4 points.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points on 12 of 22 shooting, but the
Nuggets' other starters hit a combined 6 of 20.

"I'm not going to give anyone an 'A' on this one," Nuggets coach
George Karl said. "We all have to be disappointed on how we
showed up."

If Karl is going to pick up his 939th career victory Saturday
and move past Red Auerbach for eighth place on the all-time
coaching wins list, he likely won't have forward Kenyon Martin,
who left Friday's game in the second quarter with a leg injury.

Karl said Martin could be sidelined for "a week or two."

The Nuggets will also continue to be without guard J.R. Smith,
who serves the final game of his suspension Saturday, stemming
from his guilty plea for reckless driving in an accident that
killed his friend in 2007.

While Denver tries to get its six-game eastern trip back on
track, the Hawks (4-2) are hoping to erase bad memories of
Friday's 103-83 loss at Charlotte.

Atlanta shot a season-low 39.8 percent from the field and was
handed its worst defeat since a 121-97 loss to Los Angeles
Clippers on Feb. 7.

"Ain't no way (Charlotte) is 20-some points better than us,"
guard Joe Johnson said after scoring a season-low 13. "It can't
continue to go like this."

Johnson, though, continued by calling out his teammates
following the Hawks' 2-of-16 effort from 3-point range.

"Everybody who touches (the ball) wants to score," he said. "I
really think guys on this team don't know their roles, so it's
killing us. And it's going to continue to kill us."

Atlanta, though, looks for its third straight home win. The
Hawks were 31-10 at Philips Arena last season when they defeated
Miami in seven games for their first playoff series win since
1999.

In Denver's last visit to Atlanta, the Hawks won 109-91 on Dec.
29 behind Johnson's 25 points and 16 points and 10 rebounds from
Al Horford.

Anthony picked up a technical foul in that game while scoring 16
points on 4 of 17 shooting. He is averaging 25.0 points and 7.8
boards in six career games in Atlanta.

The Nuggets have lost two in a row and seven of 35 all-time
visiting the Hawks. Denver's last victory in Atlanta was 100-87
on Dec. 12, 2006.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131972-Nuggets-Hawks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131972-Nuggets-Hawks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:12:40 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bell scores 24, Bobcats beat tired Hawks 103-83]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE CRANSTON
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.(AP) -- For a night, the roles were reversed. The
low-scoring Bobcats were suddenly efficient on offense, while
the high-scoring Hawks turned in a stinker that led star Joe
Johnson to question his teammates.

Raja Bell shook off his painful left wrist to score 24 points,
Ronald "Flip" Murray pestered his former team with 15 points in
his Charlotte debut, and Gerald Wallace grabbed 18 rebounds in
the Bobcats' 103-83 victory over road-weary Atlanta on Friday
night.

While the Hawks were completing a trip that took them to Los
Angeles, Sacramento and Portland this week, the Bobcats were
holding three productive practices and getting healthy.

Bell, in his second game after deciding to put off surgery to
repair a torn ligament in his wrist, hit 9 of 12 shots,
including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. Murray's return from a left
shin injury allowed the Bobcats to move to 3-0 at home for the
first time in franchise history.

"We had so many guys contribute tonight," Charlotte coach Larry
Brown said.

It had all the makings of a trap game for the Hawks, and they
played the part. Johnson, Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford each
scored 13 points, but they combined to shoot 15 for 39 from the
field.

The Hawks (4-2) fell behind by 21 in the third quarter and
scored only 14 in the fourth.

"I don't know when we all of a sudden just really became a
selfish team," Johnson said. "Now everybody wants to go
one-on-one. It's me, me, me. It's crazy, man."

Coach Mike Woodson called the performance "unacceptable" and was
unwilling to blame it on the travel. Johnson added he's been
seeing signs of trouble despite recent victories.

"Everybody who touches it wants to score," Johnson said. "I
really think guys on this team don't know their roles, so it's
killing us. And it's going to continue to kill us."

It was a much more joyous scene down the hallway in the
Charlotte locker room. The Bobcats, who came in averaging an
NBA-low 79.8 points, had reached 80 only once in their first
four games - a double-overtime contest. But this game was marked
by crisp ball movement, heady passing and strong drives to the
hoop.

Bell hit his first five shots, including two 3-pointers. He
stayed hot in the second quarter, hitting a 3 to put Charlotte
ahead 59-44.

"It was one of those nights where Raja was like, 'No way. The
hell with it. I'll worry about the pain after,"' Wallace said.
"He did a great job today."

Charlotte built a 77-56 lead on Bell's 3-pointer midway through
the third quarter.

"Right now it aches a little bit, but when you get a good
adrenaline flow going it really only hurts when it's a
situational thing," Bell said.

Murray seemed to have an extra incentive against the Hawks. He
scored seven points in the final 90 seconds of the third quarter
and gave Charlotte an outside scoring threat it was desperately
missing.

Before the game, Woodson said he would have liked to re-sign
Murray, who averaged 12.2 points last season, even after
acquiring Crawford.

"He said he wanted me to come there but management never said
it. Management never reached out to me during the summer,"
Murray said. "I had fun there for the year I was there. It was
unfortunate that today's game was against them when I came
back."

He helped jump-start the offense, which also got improved play
from Tyson Chandler. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds, including
a thunderous alley-oop dunk on a feed from D.J. Augustin to open
the fourth quarter and the Hawks never recovered.

Wallace had 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, but had another big
game on the glass four nights after grabbing a career-high 20
rebounds. Charlotte held a 55-35 rebounding edge.

"I can't make a shot so I might as well rebound," Wallace said.

Bobcats coach Larry Brown called the Hawks "probably the most
athletic team in the league" before the game, but there were
slow chasing the ball and Charlotte hit 11 of 18 3-pointers.

Atlanta was 2 of 16 from 3-point range.

"Ain't no way this team is 20-some points better than us,"
Johnson said. "It can't continue to go like this."

NOTES: Referee Michael Smith hit Woodson with a technical foul
in the third quarter. ... Hawks trainer Wally Blase, who tracks
fouls, alertly hustled to the scoring table in the second
quarter when they incorrectly had four fouls on the Bobcats, not
five. It put Josh Smith to the line. ... Brown praised Woodson's
job in turning around a team that won 13 games in his first
season. "They gave their coach a chance to grow with those
kids," Brown said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131902-Bell-scores-24-Bobcats-beat-tired-Hawks-103-83</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131902-Bell-scores-24-Bobcats-beat-tired-Hawks-103-83</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:56:50 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hawks-Bobcats Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (4-1) at Charlotte (2-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Hawks are delighted with the scoring they're getting
from sixth man Jamal Crawford. The Charlotte Bobcats, meanwhile,
would be happy just to get their starting five on track.

With Crawford coming off two straight strong performances, the
Hawks conclude a four-game road trip Friday night against a
Bobcats team that has been abysmal offensively.

After opening the season with two home wins, Atlanta (4-1) has
kept its momentum going with a strong trip. Crawford had 26
points off the bench to lead the Hawks to a 113-105 win over
Sacramento on Wednesday night, a day after scoring 27 in a 97-91
victory over Portland.

Crawford, acquired in a trade with Golden State in June, is
averaging 17.8 points and shooting a team-best 92.0 percent from
the free-throw line. He's made 50.8 percent from the field after
finishing each of the past seven seasons under 42 percent.

"These guys already had a good five that took them to the second
round of the playoffs last season and the (first round) before
that," Crawford said. "I understood what it was going on coming
in and was just happy with that. I just had to be a part of what
was going on. I wasn't going to disturb (the starters)."

Atlanta is averaging 108.0 points with Crawford taking some of
the scoring burden from Joe Johnson, averaging 22.8 points.

Crawford is no stranger to being a reserve. He played that role
in parts of four seasons with New York and earlier in his career
with Chicago.

"Jamal is a proven scorer in this league," Johnson said. "He's
not a starter, but he can still get 20 points. It's really no
difference, he's just coming off the bench doing it now."

Charlotte (2-2) desperately needs a scoring boost from somebody.
The Bobcats are averaging an NBA-worst 79.8 points and they're
the only team in the league shooting below 40 percent, making
36.0 percent.

Charlotte played two overtimes in the only game it was able to
top 80 points this season, beating New York 102-100 last Friday
night.

Boris Diaw is the only Bobcats stater shooting over 40.0
percent. Tyson Chandler, a career 55.4-percent shooter, has been
limited to 30.8 percent.

The Bobcats shot 32.4 percent against New Jersey on Monday
night, but held the Nets to seven points in the third quarter of
a 79-68 win. Charlotte was helped by a strong effort from Gerald
Wallace, who had 24 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.

That was the top scoring performance by a Bobcats player this
season. Wallace is shooting 33.3 percent, but he's averaging
14.0 boards and has keyed a defense that has given up 87.5
points a contest.

"(Coach) Larry Brown, he says I should get every rebound that
comes off the rim," Wallace said.

Brown and the Bobcats thought they would get some help
offensively with the return of Raja Bell, who made his first
start of the season after deciding to put off surgery to repair
a torn ligament in his left wrist. Bell, though, looked rusty,
going 1 for 8 from the field and finishing with three points.

Bell averaged 13.0 points in 45 games for Charlotte last season
after being acquired in a trade with Phoenix in December.

The Bobcats could get more help if shooting guard Flip Murray
can make his debut after missing the first four games with a
left shin injury. Murray, who averaged 12.2 points for the Hawks
last season, was signed as a free agent in September.

Atlanta went 3-1 against Charlotte in 2008-09.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131557-Hawks-Bobcats-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131557-Hawks-Bobcats-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:11:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Johnson and Crawford help Hawks beat Kings]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SACRAMENTO, Calif.(AP) -- Jamal Crawford welcomes his role as the
sixth man for the Atlanta Hawks.

Crawford came off the bench to score 26 points and help Atlanta
beat the Sacramento Kings 113-105 on Wednesday night.

"These guys already had a good five that took them to the second
round of the playoffs last season and the season before that,"
Crawford said. "I understood what it was going on coming in and
was just happy with that. I just had to be a part of what was
going on. I wasn't going to disturb (the starters)."

Joe Johnson scored 26 points while Marvin Williams and Mike
Bibby each added 13 for the Hawks (4-1), who grabbed a
season-high tying 47 rebounds.

"Jamal is a proven scorer in this league," Johnson said. "He's
not a starter, but he can still get 20 points. It's really no
difference, he just coming off the bench doing it now."

Crawford said he was not stranger to being a reserve in the
league.

"Early in my career I've been a sixth man," he said. "But here
it's an adjustment that my coaches and teammates have made it
very, very easy for me."

Kevin Martin, who was playing with bruised right wrist, had 29
points and 11 rebounds and Jason Thompson added 22 points and 12
rebounds for the Kings (1-3).

"We couldn't stop them," said Sacramento coach Paul Westphal.
"We couldn't stop them pretty much the whole game. The really
executed well and went to their big time players. All of them."

The Kings jumped out to a 7-0 start before the Hawks came back
to take a 19-18 lead on a basket by Maurice Evans at the 2:39
mark of the first quarter. From there, Crawford scored Atlanta's
last seven points to give the Hawks a 26-24 advantage to end the
period.

Crawford made six of seven shots from the field, including two
3-point shots to finish with 14 points in 15 minutes in the
first half.

After seven lead changes to begin the third quarter, the Hawks
led 76-72 after Josh Smith completed a three-point play with
4:22 left in the period. The Kings countered with a 10-3 run
capped off with a 3-pointer by Beno Udrih to make the score
84-79.

Martin had 25 points going into the fourth quarter, but the
Kings, who were ahead by four, allowed the Hawks to surge back
to a 93-92 lead after Bibby made a 3-pointer with less than 10
minutes to play.

Johnson's jumper with 3:20 left extended the lead to seven.

Martin finally scored his first basket of the fourth on
Sacramento's next possession, but it was too late. Crawford
answered with a 3-pointer that put the game away.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nba]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131431-Johnson-and-Crawford-help-Hawks-beat-Kings</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nba/news/131431-Johnson-and-Crawford-help-Hawks-beat-Kings</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:43:02 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
	
			
	</channel>
</rss>









