Mike Bibby season-high 27 pts, Iverson benched 4th Q, Hawks win

Hawks 85 Pistons 78

25 16 22 15

22 30 17 16

BOX SCORE

In the preview for this game, it had been said that a key matchup was the Iverson VS Bibby battle of team leadership, offensive effeciency. It's pretty safe to say Bibby won that battle. This game had also been donned as a PLAYOFFSHAWKS PREVIEW, for these Detroit Pistons would be our first round matchup if the playoffs started today, we hope things stay that way, because even the Hawks would rather see, especially after this game, these Pistons rather than, say, the Dwayne Wade Heat in the 1st round. Agreed. Regardless, we could be them too, as we did in south beach last week in the clash of the southeast, it was the game after we endured a 3-game losing streak in that Texas triangle trip, we all know what happened there.

So, HERE, Mike Bibby goes off, scores 27 pts (10/13 FGS 6/6 3pt FGs 1/2 FTs) 3 rbs 5 asts 3 stls in 38 minutes. Joe Johnson has a solid game, 19 pts (8/22 FGs 1/4 3pt FGs 2/2 FTs) 5 rbs 7 asts, Josh Smith had a very interesting game. One of the main matchups we saw in that game was Josh posting up against Tayshaun Prince. Now, Prince is a true Small Forward, always has been and with this new coach, he likes to start Rodney Stuckey, so that moves AI to the SG, Rip to the SF and Prince to PF...Josh Smith should have OWNED that matchup, but it was good for him to feel himself big in the paint, he hasn't owned the paint in any game yet, but he was posting up, we need to see more of that from him, anyway, he scored 11 pts (3/13 FGs 5/8 FTs) 8 rbs 2 asts, but he also held Tayshaun Prince to 2 pts 1-8 shooting.

Al Horford owned the paint, 11 pts (5/9 FGs 1/2 FTs) 11 rbs 4 asts, but only his 4th double-double of the season.

I predict wins for the rest of the year, and close the year 22-10, 4th in the eastern conference, closing in on the southeast division title.