Atlanta Hawks Reportedly Pursue Stan Van Gundy to Attract Dwight Howard
The Atlanta Hawks are expected to vociferously pursue bringing Dwight Howard back to his hometown, and they reportedly think they have just the man for the job—former Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy.
As reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, Hawks general manager Danny Ferry has been in contact with Van Gundy and has him as the team’s top target to take the head coaching duties.
Van Gundy, 53, was Howard’s coach in Orlando for five seasons from 2007-12. The duo led Orlando to an NBA Finals appearance in 2008-09 and won at least 63 percent of their games in all but one campaign.
Howard, who was traded from Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the 2012-13 season, is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Current Atlanta coach Larry Drew and his staff are under contract until July 1, and no announcement has yet been made on his fate. However, Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears noted on Monday that Drew and his staff were already exploring new opportunities, with the assumption being he would not be retained.
The Hawks went 44-38 this season under Drew and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 6 Live Score, Results and Highlights
The 2013 NBA Playoffs are back in Georgia, as the Atlanta Hawks host the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of their first-round series. With the Pacers up 3-2, it’s win or go home for the Hawks.
Can Josh Smith lead Atlanta to a win and force Game 7? Or will Paul George and the Pacers close out the series and move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals?
Let’s find out.
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Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game 6 Preview, Schedule and Predictions
The Atlanta Hawks turned their series with the Indiana Pacers into a slugfest by protecting home court and playing some stifling defense of their own.
After the Pacers reigned supreme at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it turned out their dominance only exists in Indiana. Through five contests in the series, the home team has won each game by at least 11 points.
The Hawks must hold serve in Game 6 to avoid elimination, and they have to hope that their beefed-up starting five can once again outplay the formidable Pacers down in Georgia.
Game 6 Time: Friday, May 3, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Ga.
Series Record: 3-2 Pacers
TV: ESPN2
Game 6 Key Storyline: Can the Hawks Regain Their Imposing Presence?
Hawks coach Larry Drew said his team was “physically manhandled” by the Pacers in Game 1 (per AP, via Fox Sports). They were manhandled less in Game 2 but still came up short in rebounding and paint scoring.
The insertion of seven-footer Johan Petro into the starting lineup for Game 3 spurred the Hawks to a 20-point advantage in paint scoring; they won the game by 21, as Indy relied on jump shots that would not fall.
The complexion of Atlanta’s Game 4 victory was different but still highlighted by their physicality. Though the Hawks were outscored in the paint 42-28, they limited Indiana to 38 percent shooting and got to the free-throw line 13 more times.
All those advantages faded away in Game 5. The Pacers won the rebounding battle 51 to 28 and shot 17 percent better than Atlanta from the field.
And it’s worth noting here that Petro‘s lack of scoring was not the problem. Though he totaled just five points, he hit two of his three shots and finished with the best floor rating of any Atlanta starter.
Instead, the Hawks’ dynamic duo of Smith and Horford shot just 10-of-30 and scored 28 points. They need to go for at least 40 and do so efficiently to give Atlanta a chance at victory. Smith also made nine fewer trips to the foul line in Game 5 compared to the previous contest.
The Hawks need to reestablish their paint presence and attack the hoop to draw contact. That will help open up better opportunities for the starting backcourt, which shot 6-of-25 in Game 5.
Series Star So Far: Paul George
George has been great even when he’s been awful.
His Game 1 triple-double on 3-of-13 shooting serves as a testament to his versatility and perseverance.
George is averaging 21.6 points on 45 percent shooting to go with 10 boards and 4.6 dimes per game. That double-double average clearly elevates him above Smith and Horford. He’s also piled up nine steals and four blocks in the five games so far.
Projected Starting Lineups
Pacers: George Hill, PG; Lance Stephenson, SG; Paul George, SF; David West, PF; Roy Hibbert, C
Hawks: Jeff Teague, PG; Devin Harris, SG; Josh Smith, SF; Johan Petro, PF; Al Horford, C
Pacers Injury Report (per CBSSports.com)
Danny Granger (knee), out for season
Hawks Injury Report
Zaza Pachulia (Achilles), out for season; Lou Williams (knee), out for season
Pacers Will Win If…
They continue their solid ball movement and shot selection.
When Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert are the team’s top three scorers, that means the Pacers are playing their type of ball. They not only combined to score 63 points in Game 5, they also shot 19-of-23 from the charity stripe.
When Indy’s frontcourt puts in such yeoman work down low, the points and free throws will pile up. It also draws defenders from the perimeter, and good passing will find the wide-open shot.
Even in their Game 4 loss, the Pacers racked up 22 team assists. That sharing spirit persisted on Wednesday, as they tallied 24 more, including 10 dimes from George Hill.
Indy’s offensive attack is most potent when they refuse to settle for jump shots. They failed to do this in Game 3 and scored 69 points.
Since they lack a cache of talented shooters, the Pacers need to work down low and create chances in the paint. When the Hawks pack their defense down low, they need to look for that wide-open outside shot that every NBAer can knock down.
Hawks Will Win If…
They play solid defense and don’t get “manhandled” on the boards.
In the Hawks’ first two losses, they outshot the Pacers in both games but lost by double digits in large part because of the rebounding deficit. They attended to these failings at home and evened the series, but nothing went right in Game 5.
The Hawks could not get shots to fall, and Indy slaughtered them on the glass 51 to 28. Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 50 percent from the field. That’s a far cry from their futile effort in Game 3 when Atlanta held them to a putrid 27.2 percent from the field.
The Pacers ranked 22nd in the league in effective field-goal percentage, which adjusts for three-pointers. They cannot win a playoff series by shooting jump shots.
The Hawks have to feed off the energy from their home crowd and ramp up the defensive intensity to fend off elimination.
They will have to practice ball denial and strong help defense down low, while still closing out quickly on the perimeter. But ultimately, they will take their chances on Indy hitting jump shots, which will also give Atlanta numbers on the glass.
Prediction
I’m extremely tempted to say that Indiana will seize the opportunity to close out the series, but the Hawks have taught observers not to nap on them, especially at home.
Partly because of the market that they’re in and partly because they lack a superstar (Josh Smith is very good but has never earned an All-Star nod), the Hawks are extraordinarily underrated.
Jeff Teague and Devin Harris give Atlanta one of the most athletic (and erratic) backcourts in the league. Smith and Horford’s quality has been established. And they have the threat of thunder and lightning off the bench with Ivan Johnson and Kyle Korver.
Though the Pacers are the more complete team, they are just barely so. The Hawks will keep up the home-court preeminence in the series and send it back to Indy for a rollicking Game 7.
Prediction: Hawks 98, Pacers 89
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Indiana Pacers restore order vs. Atlanta Hawks in Game 5
Paul George and David West led a balanced effort for Indiana, which now is up 3-2.
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 5 Score, Highlights and Analysis
Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks followed the exact script that everyone expected, Indiana taking home the win 106-83 to take the 3-2 series lead.
Indiana used a well-balanced attack from their triumvirate of doom: Roy Hibbert scoring 18 points, David West added 24, and Paul George popping off across the board with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
It really was a total team effort for Indiana, five players scoring in double-figures, and five players picking up at least four fouls in a game chocked full of ‘em.
Right from the get-go we had elbowing, shoving, bodies knocking into each other, and just a ton of physical play from either side. In other words, we picked up just where we left off.
For the first eight minutes of the first quarter, there was a lot of back-and-forth between Josh Smith and Roy Hibbert, each establishing the goal for their team early on.
The Hawks made a statement with a huge Josh Smith slam, doing their best to start to get penetration early on, so they could set up a presence in the paint, while getting spot-up shooters open looks on ball-reversals.
Those spot-up shooters never got working, but the Hawks uglied their way to a 22-21 lead after the first quarter.
Indiana used a combination of muscle and athleticism in the second quarter to take the lead, Paul George and David West doing the majority of the work for the team on the offensive end.
With those two awake and the defense still clicking, Indiana was off to the races.
George took the game into his own hands with eight minutes to go in the third quarter on a single play. Smith had just picked up his fourth foul on a stupid steal attempt, so George took the ball straight into him on the very next possession.
Smith was called for the foul, picked up a technical, and was sent to the bench for the remainder of the period.
While Smith wasn’t necessarily taking it to the Pacers offensively, he was doing a terrific job defending on the perimeter, and he was the only Hawks player capable of getting much off the dribble after Teague tweaked his ankle.
Indiana took off after Smith left the game, getting up by as many as 20 at one point, but whistles completely slowed down the pace of the game, Frank Vogel earning a technical at one point.
The last three minutes of the quarter dragged out in a flurry of free throws, Atlanta cutting the lead down to 14 points.
Josh Smith came back into the game with eight minutes left in the fourth, Indiana up just 13 points. A foul on George shooting a three-pointer and some West work later and the lead was back to 18.
From there the Hawks never had a shot. After 54 fouls between the two teams, and amazingly not a single player fouling out, this one ended with the Hawks dropping Game 5 to the Pacers 106-83.
Twitter Reaction
Josh Smith had a very Josh Smithy start to the game, forcing turnovers, getting huge dunks, and making horrible decisions along the way.
Why did Josh Smith just throw the ball to his assistant coach?
— SBNation NBA (@SBNationNBA) May 2, 2013
The one thing that remained a constant was the physicality. Both teams were mugging each other at every turn.
Watching Pacers-Hawks. Given his thoughts last night, Mark Jackson would consider this game to be the movie “Assassins.” #jsmoovebanderas
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 2, 2013
With 12 points in just 14 minutes, Roy Hibbert was finally asserting himself in the post.
Roy Hibbert is playing like he *gasp* deserves a max contract.
— Adam Fromal (@fromal09) May 2, 2013
Smith continued to produce for the Hawks, picking up 11 points, four steals and a block in the first two quarters. However, he wasn’t happy after being called for a foul that sent him to the bench.
SMOOFFACE twitter.com/HPbasketball/s…
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 2, 2013
Our resident Hawks fan bemoaned Smith picking up two fouls and a technical in a span of about 30 seconds in the third quarter.
I can’t wait for Josh Smith to wear a different uniform. Hell of a talent, but I’m so unbelievably done with him.
— Adam Fromal (@fromal09) May 2, 2013
With the Pacers up by 20 late in the third quarter, the rest of the series started to look like a bit of torture.
@talkhoops Starting to look more like that Spurs/Hornets series a few years ago: Seven games, seven blow outs.
— Jared Wade (@8pts9secs) May 2, 2013
The game was getting to the point where every other possession included a foul called, just increasing how the edginess of everybody on the floor.
Hansborough might get in there. If he does, I’m certain there will be a new stat: Confirmed Kills. @8pts9secs
— Matt Hollen (@MattTWSC) May 2, 2013
As the game slowed, Atlanta got some help being big from an unexpected source, just as they have all series long.
Kyle Korver rebounding and playing defense in this series is screwing with my brain.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 2, 2013
Four fouls called in the first minute of the fourth quarter set the pace for the rest of the game.
They’re playing Fun. at this Pacers/Hawks game because irony that’s why.
— Kelly Dwyer (@KDonhoops) May 2, 2013
Paul George just six fouls away from a triple double. Oh, wait… #AskPacers
— Mark Montieth (@MarkMontieth) May 2, 2013
At the rate they were calling fouls near the beginning of the third quarter, George could have easily committed a foul worth six personal fouls in the eyes of the referees.
It really is amazing how much differently each of these teams play when they’re at home compared to on the road. We’ve yet to see a single game decided by single-digits in this series, yet either team has showed that they can definitely take the series.
The Indiana Pacers kept their home court advantage from swinging, taking down the Atlanta Hawks at home and setting up an elimination game in Atlanta on Friday.
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers: Live Score, Results and Game Highlights
After falling down 2-0 in the series, the Atlanta Hawks have stormed back and evened their playoff series with the Indiana Pacers.
Not only have the Hawks stolen all of the momentum from the Pacers, they’ve also figured out the Pacers’ weakness, which is beating them out on the perimeter.
In Game 4, Josh Smith came alive and destroyed the Pacers with an impressive performance of 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
He used his athleticism to overpower the Pacers’ defenders and excelled once again in the Hawks’ transition offense.
Paul George has been doing his part for the Pacers, averaging 21.8 points, 10 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game in the series.
The only problem is that George isn’t at the level yet where he can lead the Pacers alone. If Indiana doesn’t want to move another step toward elimination, they’ll need someone like George Hill, Roy Hibbert or David West to step up his game.
You don’t want to miss this pivotal Game 5 in Indiana that tips of at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.
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Hawks fight back, get Game 3 in Atlanta
The Hawks fought back and got a win in the series
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Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Some good home Georgia cooking was all the Atlanta Hawks needed to get back into their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers. A 90-69 win pushed the series to 2-1 in favor of Indiana.
The Hawks sent a message with their big victory, letting the Pacers and the Eastern Conference know that they are far from done.
Al Horford had a career night in the paint, going for 26 points and 16 rebounds. Josh Smith added 14 points, six assists and six rebounds. It was an all-around effort for the Hawks, in their decimation of the Pacers.
David West was the lone bright spot for Indiana, though he had extreme difficulty in getting his 18 points and six rebounds.
The Hawks get another home game on Monday night, to see if this was just a fluke. If it isn’t, then we could be in for one long series between these two teams.
Let’s hit the Bleacher Report classroom and see how everyone graded out in the Atlanta Hawks’ big home win.
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Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 3: Video Highlights and Recap
As the 2013 NFL draft continues, the 2013 NBA playoffs have provided the real highlights. That continued as the Indiana Pacers traveled to play the Atlanta Hawks Saturday night in Game 3 of their first-round series.
The Pacers currently lead by a margin of 2-0 after winning the first two games by an average margin of 16.0 points. Paul George, the 2013 Most Improved Player, has been the most dominant force, averaging 25.0 points and posting a Game 1 triple-double.
As for the Hawks, they’re led by point guard Jeff Teague. Teague is averaging 18.5 points per game thus far and stepping up as a facilitator and defender as well.
But could he lead Atlanta to a win and cut the series lead to 2-1? Or did George lead the Pacers to a 3-0 advantage?
Check the video provided above to find out.
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Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game 3 Score, Highlights and Analysis
This may seem like a joke, but I promise it’s not: The Indiana Pacers scored 49 points in the first three quarters of Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks.
Al Horford had one of the best games of his career with 26 points, 16 rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks, as he led the Hawks to a 90-69 rout of the Pacers.
David West and Paul George had the best nights of anyone wearing a Pacers jersey with 18 and 16 points respectively. But they shot a combined 11-of-25 from the field, which is an indicator of the kind of night the Pacers had as a team.
The first quarter was full of atrocious defense by the Pacers and efficient offense for the Hawks.
The Hawks outscored the Pacers 27-14 in the first quarter, ending on a 12-0 run to put the Pacers behind early on. This was the first quarter of the entire series in which the Hawks outscored the Pacers.
Jeff Teague made a nice transition into being the on-court leader for the Hawks, as he efficiently controlled the Hawks offense, getting everyone involved. Eight players scored a basket in the first quarter alone.
In addition to an efficient offensive start for the Hawks, they also put the Pacers on lockdown, allowing just 27.3 percent shooting from the floor for the Pacers in the first quarter.
The Pacers went five minutes without a basket, spanning the end of the first quarter into the second quarter, while the Hawks went on an impressive 18-0 run.
In the second quarter, with the Hawks pulling away, Horford showed why he’s one of the best centers in the game with aggressive play at the rim.
Horford followed that play up a few minutes later with a forceful pin block on Lance Stephenson on one end and a powerful two-handed jam on the other end.
Al Horford went up for a block an just grabbed the ball and then jam’d with 2 hands on a post up next trip down.#ballin
— Karlos (@KarlWal7) April 27, 2013
As the Hawks flew on a 23-3 run in the second quarter, West pushed Horford to the ground on the other end in frustration.
Without a second thought, Teague stepped up and pushed West right back, resulting in a stare-down and a grouping the refs had to break up before things got out of control.
The highlight of the game came when Devin Harris dished it behind his back to Josh Smith for a one-handed slam, putting the Hawks up by 26 points with under two left in the first half.
The first half ended with the Pacers putting up 30 points on 24.4 percent shooting from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc. While the Hawks defense was solid, the main reason why the Pacers had 30 points at the half is they simply couldn’t hit open shots.
No matter how you look at Game 3, the Hawks simply owned the Pacers in nearly every facet of the game.
They forced more turnovers—with the Pacers committing 22 turnovers to the Hawks’ 14—and they absolutely owned the paint.
The Hawks scored 50 points in the paint, as compared to the Pacers’ 30 measly points. Considering that Indiana has Roy Hibbert and David West, that’s a rather impressive stat.
In addition to the Pacers’ pure inability to shoot the ball—ending the night with a playoff-worst 27.2 shooting percentage from the field and 16.0 percent from beyond the arc—their defense was a joke.
In the end, the Hawks won because they brought more energy and more hustle to the floor, as evidenced by their dominance in the paint and their ability to overwhelm the Pacers on defense.
Twitter Reaction
Al Horford joined some impressive company with his 26-point, 16-rebound performance in Game 3.
Al Horford: 5th Hawk to have 20 pts/15 rebounds in playoff gm in last 25 seasons(Moses Malone, Kevin Willis, Dikembe Mutombo, Josh Smith)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 28, 2013
If you’re wondering just how bad the Pacers’ shooting was in the first half, take a second and check out this shot chart. Spoiler alert—you’ll like this a lot if red is your favorite color.
The Pacers’ first half shooting chart is so, so red. twitter.com/BleacherReport…
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2013
During the Hawks’ dominant first-half run, the Pacers showed us why they aren’t the favorites to contend with the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference crown.
The Pacers were 3-27 from the field during the Hawks 42-10 run
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 28, 2013
Not only did the Pacers play an awful overall game, they also helped the Hawks set a franchise record on defense.
From Hawks PR – 30 points allowed to the Pacers is the lowest total given up in a first half in franchise playoff history. #PACERSvHAWKS
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 28, 2013
David West lost his cool for a minute during the first half by pushing Al Horford to the ground. Unlike what most NBA players would do, Jeff Teague pushed him back, showing us all once again his trademark toughness.
Things getting heated between the two teams. A Flagrant-1 is called on David West and a technical foul called Jeff Teague.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 27, 2013
The Hawks will look to even things up in Atlanta on Monday night as they take the floor against the Pacers at 7:30 p.m. ET for Game 4.
Atlanta bounces back to blow out Indiana, 90-69. Al Horford finishes with 26 Points and 16 rebounds. Pacers lead series 2-1.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 28, 2013
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