[外電] Harrington, Hawks rout Knicks
Harrington, Hawks rout Knicks
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/31/06
All Mike Woodson could do was smile, something the Hawks coach
has had little chance to do during this trying season - before,
during or after games.
But when your team is up 30 in the third quarter and pushing
forward, it's worth a smile, even it is just a little one.
"That's fun," Woodson said after the Hawks pounded the New York
Knicks 120-101 Monday night at Philips Arena to end a three-game
losing streak. "We haven't had many games like that. It feels
good to be on this side of one of these games. And it's good to
see these guys enjoying it, too."
Every time you get ready to write the these Hawks (12-31) off,
they go and do something like they did against the Knicks (14-29),
losers of eight of their last nine games.
Facing the prospects of a four-game losing streak with just five
more home games before the end of February, the Hawks took the
Knicks' best shot early and counter punched their heavy-handed
visitors into submission with a combination of hot shooting -
they were 10-for-17 from beyond the 3-point line - and well-timed
execution - they converted 23 Knicks turnovers into 30 points.
The Hawks played with energy and cohesion missing around these
parts for anything more than a spurt the past few weeks.
Six different Hawks scored in double figures for just the second
time this season, led by co-captains Al Harrington (26) and Joe
Johnson (24).
Harrington and Johnson are both averaging better than 30 points
per game against the Knicks, 30.5 and an even 30 respectively,
in three games this season. But as well as they played Monday
ight, it was their supporting cast that really stepped out of
the shadows.
Tyronn Lue (11 points) did the damage early and Josh Childress
(15), Marvin Williams (13) and Salim Stoudamire (13) followed
it up with stellar play of their own.
"We're just happy we're able to get one of these," Childress
said. "That's the first time all season we got up on somebody
and stepped on their throat. We needed to keep pushing and that's
what we did. Al and Joe were big, drawing double team and finding
the open man and we knocked down shots. That was the key."
The Knicks made no attempt to disguise a game plan that included
going after the Hawks' soft spot in the paint. They outscored the
Hawks 50-36 in the paint, including 30 at halftime when the Hawks
led 61-53.
But they couldn't keep up the pace or take care of the ball.
The Hawks countered the Knicks' pressure inside by taking care
of the ball, they committed just three first-half turnovers,
and stroking six of their 10 shots from beyond the 3-point line,
including a 23-footer from Childress with 1.9 seconds to play
before the break.
"We started off the night like we wanted to get home," Knicks
coach Larry Brown said. "The first half we didn't get them to
turn it over. I think they missed like 28 shots and got 12
offensive rebounds. Every time we went inside, something good
happened. And then we were breaking off plays, trying to make
great plays, and gave them life. And the half ended terribly."
It was just the beginning for the Hawks.
"I was telling Al and T. Lue to make sure coach didn't call a
timeout in the third when we really got rolling," a smiling
Childress afterward. "We didn't want anything to interrupt that
roll we were on."
資料來源
http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0131hawks.html
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