In the days leading up to Game 1 it was hard to tell if Teague was “focused” or “nervous” as he attracted bigger and bigger crowds when the team was available to the media. On Monday night I think that question was clearly answered.

“I thought he played a heck of a game,” said Coach Drew after the game.  “He was phenomenal and played like a seasoned vet.  His attack mode and ability to get into the paint, he played like someone who had played a lot of minutes for me.  He stepped up big with the assignment he had tonight.  When he came in the locker room I gave him the game ball.”

Teague also got a lot of glowing reviews from his teammates:

Jamal Crawford: “I thought Jeff was awesome. From Start to finish he came out with a lot of confidence. That’s hard for a guy to play nine minutes in the playoffs and then come out and have to go against Derrick Rose, but Jeff did a great job. He was somebody that led us and we will continue to lean on.”

Al Horford: “Jeff was great. He kept his composure the whole game and played smart basketball.”

Going into the game a lot of the focus was on Teague slowing down Derrick Rose (which he did with help from his teammates), but Jeff also turned in a solid performance on the offensive end. He was the Hawks third leading scorer with 10 points and only committed one turnover.

“Before we went out there he told me to be aggressive, play my game,” said Teague of his instructions from LD. “You can’t get focused on being defensive, defensive, and not being able to attack on the offensive end. He told me to make sure I was aggressive in trying to get to the rim and things like that.”

All in all, it was a great debut as a starter in the postseason. If Atlanta can get similar production from Teague throughout the series it will be a huge lift in an area that was viewed as a big question mark prior to last night.

• This is the first time the Hawks have held a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series since the opening round of the 1970 NBA Playoffs. Back then there were no conferences and only eight teams made the playoffs, so the opening round was the Western DIVISION semi-finals. The major difference in that series was that the Hawks were the heavy favorites as the top-seed from the Western Division, and they held a 3-0 lead before winning the series in five games.
• On Sunday, Jamal Crawford became just the third player in the past 20 seasons to score 20 or more points off the bench in four consecutive playoff games. Kevin McHale did it in 1991 and the other player that did it is none other than Hawks’ Player Development Instructor, Nick Van Exel. “Nick the Quick” averaged 30.5 ppg over his hot stretch in the 2003 NBA Playoffs while helping the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals. Neither McHale or Van Exel was able to score 20 in the fifth game.
• Jamal’s 24.0 ppg in the playoffs is on pace to be the highest average for a reserve in the past 15 years.

Quotes:

• Al Horford:
  This is the first time we’ve been in this position, being up 3-1. You know, we are a different team. They’re coming out and they’re going to give us all they have, so we have to make sure we come out ready.
• Coach Drew:
  (On putting the series away earlier rather than later) It’s very important. I think with this team particularly, I’m always talking about this team growing. To me, them positioning themselves as they are right now, to go into Orlando and to finish this thing off… that’s a huge step in our growth process.
  (On  deciding minutes for the guards) It’s really hard. I actually have a dilemma. There did come a point in the game in the second quarter where I wanted to get Joe back in the game, but yet both Kirk and Jamal were playing really well. Actually, just showing you the kind of person that Kirk is, and the pro that he is, he came over to me and he said ‘we gotta get Joe back in there.’ We left Kirk in there another minute and then we got Joe back in. It’s a nice problem to have. I like having that problem.
• Josh Smith:
  It’ important to get the win. No matter if it’s 7 games… 5 or 6 games. We want to get it done tomorrow, but if not we will have another shot at it at home… we really want to get it done tomorrow.

“When those two are playing like that is when we are at our best as a basketball team,” concluded Al Horford following the Game 4 win.

So far this series it has happened three out of four times. Jamal is averaging a team-high 24 points per game, while Joe is averaging an even 20.

So far in the postseason, it has not only been their overall play, but also the duo’s ability to close out games that has been important. In Game 3 it was Crawford’s 20-point second half, and his dramatic 3-pointer that led to the victory. In Game 4 Joe stepped up and delivered the final 10 points of the game for Atlanta.

“We are just trying to take advantage of whoever has the hot hand,” said Jamal. “For so many years I was probably the only guy on my team that really wanted the ball in that situation. To have another guy like that, I think it makes it tough for the other team.”

For now, that other team is the Orlando Magic, and their coach Stan Van Gundy is at a loss for how to slow down the Hawks’ guards. “We’ve tried a lot of guys on (Jamal) so far, and no one has been able to guard him yet. Our perimeter guys are being chewed up by him and their guards so far.”

True, the Hawks did steal home court advantage in Game 1, but in a lot of ways they are victims of their own ambition. Coach Drew stated numerous times before the series started that the goal was to win both games in Orlando. His team split the pair, but even the loss should serve as encouragement that they are using a winning strategy.

For all of the negatives that surfaced in Game 2, the fact remained that the Hawks were a basket away from tying the score in the final minutes.

“We gave up 20 offensive rebounds,” said Drew after the game. ” I don’t see us giving ourselves much of a chance to win a game giving up that many offensive rebounds.”

Except that they did have a chance to win.

One reason for all of the offensive boards (16 of the 20 were in the first half) was the absence of Al Horford in the first half when he was limited to 2:10 of action after picking up two quick fouls.

LD acknowledged that the team missed Horford. “When we lost him in that 1st quarter it changed things dramatically. we just had to try to buy some time until we got him back.”

“By the time I came in in the second half, it took me awhile to get going,” Horford admitted after the game. “It was tough because I was out of rhythm.

One Hawk that never seemed out of rhythm on Tuesday night was sixth-man Jamal Crawford. Crawford hit three more shots from behind the arc on his way to a team-high 25 points. After the game he expressed he summed up the Hawks’ feelings moving forward in the series.

“It is a game of chess,” Jamal said. “They made their moves tonight and we will make ours on Friday. We did what we needed to do and now we have home court advantage.”

Al Horford decided that the trip was “bitter sweet” before adding that the team was “in position to win this game tonight and couldn’t do it.”

In summary, I am in complete agreement with Jamal’s final thought.

“I think there is a positive in every negative,” he said.

I’m pretty sure he would agree with my other thought this morning too. This hotel is definitely strange.

As for Orlando, word is that J.J. Redick will be active and available. Redick averaged over 10 points per game this season for the Magic, but was forced to miss the last 17 games of the regular season with injuries. He has not appeared in live action since March 11.

New Arena
“It’s totally different, everything’s newer,” said sixth-man Jamal Crawford. “It’s a fresh start for us, you know, totally different arena. It feels different.”

“ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE!”
As this post is being written the Pacers finished up the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls with an eight point lead. The 8-seed Pacers had never trailed the top-seed Bulls. I am not saying I am confident that Indiana will maintain the lead, but it is just another example of how anything can happen in the NBA postseason.

In some regards, you can’t blame them. Last year Atlanta was emphatically swept by Orlando in the second round, and many of the key pieces are the same for each team. Still, there are plenty of reasons for Hawks FANS to be optimistic. Here are five of them:

1 – Motivation.
Last year is last year. The Hawks have moved on, but they haven’t forgotten.

Revenge… Redemption… Payback… These are all words that have floated around the locker room each time the Hawks faced the Magic in the regular season, and have surfaced again leading into this postseason series.

“”Now we have a chance to kind of redeem ourselves,” said Joe Johnson on Wednesday. “We just have to go out there focused, confident.”

2 – Physically Ready.
Last season the Hawks were forced to go the distance in their first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Magic were able to rest and prepare.

This season the Hawks are rested. Coach Drew made a concerted effort this season to manage the minutes of Atlanta’s key players. A lot of coaches make that claim during training camp and then can’t resist keeping the starters on the court. LD made the claim and stayed true to his word.

• Joe Johnson averaged 35.5 mpg this season, his lowest since he became a full-time starter for Phoenix (2002-03 season).
• Josh Smith averaged 34.4 mpg, which is his lowest since the 2005-06 season.

Add in the fact that the Hawks haven’t given the starters their normal rotation of minutes since they locked up the fifth seed on April 5 (vs. Spurs) and Atlanta should be plenty fresh as the 2010-11 Playoffs begin.

3 – Defensive Strategy
Last year the Hawks focused on stopping Dwight Howard. Plain and simple.

This year the Hawks want to LIMIT Dwight and keep everyone else off the 3-point line.

A lot of focus is on the “Bigger Line-Up” that LD uses against the Magic, but people forget that the Hawks went big last postseason too. The difference is that Atlanta still dropped down to double-team when they went big last year, and now they put their faith in Jason Collins’ ability to guard Howard one-on-one.

The strategy’s success in the regular season is well documented as Howard’s shooting percentage against the Hawks was well below his season average, and the Magic shot below 25% from behind the arc in three of the meetings.

4 – Offensive Benefits of Going Big.
When the Hawks go big everyone focuses on the defensive benefits, but there are distinct advantages on offense as well.

Horford probably benefits the most as he is able to get off the block and roam out to his sweet spot (15-18 footers) and not worry about banging with Dwight.

Smoove also gets to face a smaller defender and should have more success on the offensive glass.

Even Joe should benefit since it takes away the option of moving Turkoglu over on him and letting Jason Richardson match-up with Marvin.

Speaking of Marvin, with him moving to a reserve role, it gives the Hawks a potent one-two punch when he and Jamal come off the bench. Throw in the recent play of Zaza and the bench could be one of the Hawks biggest advantages in this series.

“Jamal’s been huge for us the last two years, and obviously I’ve tried to contribute when I have been moved to the bench this season at times,” said Marvin after practice on Thursday. “I know what’s expected of me whether I’m starting or coming off the bench. I’m just gonna go out there and do it.”

5 – Ready to Attack.
In past season’s Dwight’s presence in the lane really got inside the Hawks’ heads. Even when he wasn’t blocking shots he was making people miss or make bad decisions simply by being in the area. This season the Hawks seemed to figure out a way around the big man.

“We just trying to be aggressive and make plays,” said Johnson. “If you get into the paint you gotta know that he’s coming to try and block your shot, so you gotta have dump off passes or try and get contact and get him in foul trouble.”

“You can’t just settle for jump shots,” Coach Drew agreed. “You have to attack the rim even though they have probably the most potent defensive player in the league. You still have to attack the rim. You can’t have a fear about it. ”

There you have it, “Five Reasons to Be Optimistic”.

The simple fact is that the Hawks have shown this season that, if nothing else, they can compete with this Orlando team. As the series approaches everyone in the locker room is saying the right thing. (At least six different players used the “one game at a time” cliche.) When the ball goes up in the Playoffs, words don’t mean a thing.

Personally, I can’t wait until 7pm tomorrow. It should be fun to watch.

Now, with Marvin Williams out with an injury, Crawford has stepped up again to fill the void. Jamal averaged almost 27 points on the road trip, and Hawks fans know that his points are never quiet. With his long range shots, his shifty moves with the ball, and his ability to score in bunches, Crawford is a dream come true for a highlight editor for SportsCenter.

CHECK OUT JAMAL’S INTERVIEW ON NBA TV FOLLOWING THE HAWKS WIN IN UTAH

JOE & MO

Joe Johnson’s brilliant play the last three games might fly under the radar, but JJ is used to that by now. He averaged over 28 points per game and shot 63% from the field the last two nights combined. Joe seems to have found his rhythm for the first time this season, and when he gets in the zone there is little a defender can do.

Mo Evans also played his best game of the year last night, at least in terms of statistics. He scored a season-high 13 points, including three shots from behind the arc. He got to the line, grabbed a few boards and clogged up the passing lanes during his 22 minutes of action.

AL HORFORD
While Horford has been seen plenty around the ATL this summer, he has probably logged more miles than any of his teammates. Starting with his trip to Singapore with the NBA’s  Basketball Without Borders program, Horford seems to be working at a different camp, clinic or showcase every week. (Click Here to watch Al’s Flip Cam footage from his trip to Singapore)

The Bleacher Report recently put Al in their list of Top-10 Foreign NBA Players, and earlier this month he returned to the Dominican Republic to give back to his homeland. Joined by plenty of current and former NBA players including Francisco Garcia, J.R. Smith, and BJ Armstrong, Horford conducted multiple free camps for local youths.

MARVIN WILLIAMS
Earlier this summer Marvin conducted a camp in his hometown of Seattle, and this past week he jumped at the chance to join a host of NBA players as they traveled to Senegal for Basketball Without Borders – Africa.

JAMAL CRAWFORD
Crawford spends most of his summer back in Seattle where he seems to split his time evenly between giving back to the community and playing basketball in various leagues and charity events. Check out some of his highlights in this previous post and visit his foundation’s website to see all of the ways he gives back.

ZAZA PACHULIA
Big Z has been playing for the Republic of Georgia’s national team, trying to qualify for EuroBasket 2011. His schedule takes him through many countries in Europe, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Poland and others. Through the first three games his team is 2-1 and Pachulia is tied for the second highest scoring average, trailing only the Bulls Luol Deng, who plays for Great Britain. (Previous Blog Post)

JOSH POWELL
Powell scored 31 points in the championship game of the SJG Greater NC Pro-Am held in Durham. The three day tournament featured NBA players such as Raymond Felton and plenty of college and amateur talent. Check out these two stories written for SLAM Magazine about the tournament that has been dubbed the “Rucker of the South”. Tourney Recap | Day 1 Stories

“Home Court Advantage” in the playoffs is a very specific term. It means that if the home team wins every game, you will win the series. It is that simple.

Atlanta’s home court advantage goes deeper than a look at the series schedule. Entering tonight’s game the Hawks have won 13 straight games at Philips Arena, dating back to February 26 (an overtime loss to the Mavs is their only home loss since the All-Star break).

“I think that the crowd really makes the biggest difference for our team,” commented Al Horford. “We really feed off of them, and makes us sometimes give that extra effort.”

Two Hawks that are instrumental in maximizing the advantage of the home crowd are Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford. J-Smoove often sends the fans into a frenzy with his monster dunks or violent blocked shots while “The Difference” gets everyone on their feet when he breaks down a defender with his handles. Once the “Highlight Factory” kicks into gear the other team begins to press and that is when the Hawks defense is at its best at creating turnovers that lead to even more dunks and highlights.

Game 2 Previews and Stories from Around the Web:
USA Today: Hawks Team Report
NBA Fanhouse: While Others Stumble, Hawks Soar
Sekou Smith’s Hangtime Blog: Bouncing to a Different Vibe
NBA.com: Hawks Ready for Jennings in Game 2