Wednesday, April 2, 2008

127-120 OT HAWKS WIN! Bibby, Johnson, Smith Heroes

Ha HA!



Whew! What a game!



The Atlanta Hawks win a wildly contestful game at Phillips Arena on Wednesday night in overtime.



It was a hard fought game, from the first quarter where the Hawks outscored the Raptors 31-27, which would have been 31-24 if it wasn't for a RASHO NETEROVIC 3-POINT BASKET to beat the buzzer. WHAT?! In Nesterovic's 10 SEASONS in the NBA he has only attempted 11 3 pointers, and he made the first 3 point basket of his career in this game, so congratulations to Rasho. Because if we had not won this game i would have CURSED that Yugoslovian man, but we won, so congratulations.



Let me re-iterate that this game could have very easily gone the other way, because after that first quarter the entire Raptors team started shooting the lights out. ANDREA BARGNANI entered the game, the #1 pick of the draft class of 2007, and the first and only italian in the league, and immediately scored on a 3-pointer on an assist from JOSE CALDERON, who is the league leader in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Hawks were then outscored in the second quarter, 32-24 for a Raptors lead at halftime, 55-59.



The second half started with the Raptors crew still on fire, they hit 5 of 5 of their first field goal attempts, and though the Hawks played stingy defense, the Raptors lead grew to 17. Toronto shot 15-20 from the field in the 3rd quarter, lead by guard ANTHONY PARKER who shot 4-4 in the period, 2-2 from 3 point line. SO at the end of the 3rd the score was 91-80.



Many say the 4th quarter is the time which seperates the good from the great, and the Hawks showed that tonight. JOE JOHNSON, MIKE BIBBY, and JOSH SMITH played brilliantly from start to finish. The fourth quarter started on a layup by Carlos Delfino, making it 93-80, then ZAZA PACHULIA made a made pass and caused a turnover, then fouled Carlos Delfino who then made 2 free throw to make the score 95-80 with 11:01 left to play. That is when ZAZA was subbed for MARVIN WILLIAMS (thankfully, ZAZA is GARBAGE) and the Hawks went on a run. JOSH SMITH started the run with a running layup, Bosh missed a shot, MIKE BIBBY made a jumper, BAGNANI missed one, and JOE JOHNSON races down the court and makes a jump shot to make the score 86-95. After a timeout, the ball goes to BOSH and JOSH SMITH steals it! They race up the court, the pass to JOHNSON and he is fouled. Somehow JOE misses the first free-throw (WTF!?), and makes the second. BOSH is fouled and makes both free throws, then BIBBY hits a three point shot to make the score 97-92. But after that the Hawks foul BOSH again who was a beast on the free-throw line, and he makes 2, twice, which makes the score 101-92.

With 7:30 left we had plenty of time, but it didn't look good, the Toronto Raptors are an excellent ball club, but we needed this win more than them, and we showed it.



The Hawks won in overtime 127-120.

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