Official Game Thread: Magic at Hawks: The Big Payback!?!

[lethalweapon3]

Get you a head coach that can do This.

 

Here comes the Payne! Former Atlanta Hawks first-rounder Adreian Payne will be back in the building, the latest G-League call-up by the visiting Orlando Magic (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Florida) graces us with his presence at Philips Arena.

Payne’s promotion from Lakeland became a necessity because of a concussion sustained by Aaron Gordon in the third quarter of last night’s 103-89 home loss by the Magic (11-6, 5-10 on road) to the shorthanded Nuggets. As was the case in Wednesday night’s 110-106 OT victory over visiting Atlanta (5-19), Orlando was gashed again by a second-unit. Denver’s Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay dissected a Magic bench crew that shot a collective 4-for-20 from the field, including Wednesday’s late-game hero D.J. Augustin (1-for-6 FGs, 0-for-4 3FGs vs. DEN).

Augustin (quad contusion) himself is questionable to play tonight, perhaps joining Evan Fournier, who injured his ankle in Wednesday’s extra frame, Jonathan Issac and Terrence Ross on the shelf. Nikola Vucevic (21 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1-for-5 3FGs vs. DEN) and Jonathan Simmons (21 points, 9-for-17 FGs vs. DEN) need better support from the rest of the starting cast, especially Elfrid Payton (33.3 FG% last 3 games; 3-for-11 FGs and 4 TOs vs. ATL), and the reserves to pull off a road win.

On the second night of a back-to-back, look for meaningful minutes out of former Hawk Shelvin Mack (team-high 9.1 assists, 1.9 TOs per-36), who has been used sparingly over the past seven games. Head coach Frank Vogel’s crew is familiar with these next-night road games, winning their first two (at Cleveland and New Orleans) in October before dropping their last three (at Denver, Philly, and Charlotte, all by double digits).

After leading the NBA in the first few weeks of the season, the Hawks have slipped out of the top-ten in free throw percentage (78.8 team FT%, 11^th in NBA), the misses becoming more precious for a team that doesn’t draw a lot of trips (28^th in FT rate). Dennis Schröder has to find ways to feed his superior free throw shooting wings, notably Kent Bazemore (team-high 3.5 FTAs per game, 80.7 FT%) and Marco Belinelli (94.2 FT%), in the paint, weakening Orlando’s similarly-depleted front line with foul trouble while improving the likelihood of padding the scoreboard in Atlanta’s favor.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[GameTime]

 

[benhillboy]

I saw the line and wondered how the hell are we favored by 4.5.  With Gordon and Fournier out now I know. Adrien Payne, still alive I see.

Edited December 10, 2017 by benhillboy

[lethalweapon3]

Arron Afflalo starts at SG for the Magicians. Plus, after being doghoused almost all season, how super can this Mario get?

~lw3

[NBASupes]

Nice shot Dennis

[benhillboy]

Didn’t know Cavanaugh from a can of paint until the season started.  He has some promising numbers among .602 eFg, 1.7 OBPM, and a 13.9 AST%.   He has a better feel than the average rookie, I assume he played 4 years at George Washington.  He keeps producing around average NBA efficiency Moose’s agent better stat by the phone.  As I’m typing he makes multiple good plays on a pump fake layup and screen and pop.

WTF Vucevic?!  Feel free to miss a shot.

Edited December 10, 2017 by benhillboy

[benhillboy]

Beautiful reset and driving finish by Taylor when he could’ve lazily taken an open but lower percentage three. Delaney gonna be in that package with Moose.

Does Bellinelli have a conscious?

Edited December 10, 2017 by benhillboy

[lethalweapon3]

Drive Home Safely!

~baz3

[NBASupes]

Kent and Ersan played extremely well. Really enjoying how hard the guys play and their passion to win. Good coaching job Bud. 

[benhillboy]

11 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Kent and Ersan played extremely well. Really enjoying how hard the guys play and their passion to win. Good coaching job Bud. 

That was fun to watch, beating a game squad with Vucevic and Simmons going crazy.  Much better playmaking by committee streamline’s Baze’s responsibility making him much better in his role.  Just as important it keeps Delaney with warm-ups on.

Really impressed with Cavanaugh and 8 boards (when was the last time Moose had that many?) and Taylor’s overall energy in 12 minutes with a few nice defensive plays.  

Edited December 10, 2017 by benhillboy

[lethalweapon3]

 "I don't know karate... but I know ka-Razor!"

~th3baz3payback

[benhillboy]

Quality coaches like Vogel know this isn’t your average tanking team because of Bud.  This would be a homecourt playoff team right now if the games were 3 quarters if I’m not mistaken.  Listening to Bud talk you can tell he’s dumped his former boyfriend Moose for Tyler.  His old side piece Delaney still stalking him.  He’s with Isaiah now!

Edited December 10, 2017 by benhillboy

[TheNorthCydeRises]

3 hours ago, GameTime said:

 

And ya'll in Chicago thought you invented "Drill Rap".  No.  The Godfather of Soul is also the Godfather of Rap.

Great defensive close out win by the Hawks tonight.  Baze showing what he truly is.  If he could play like this on more nights than not, he'll win back the hearts of Hawks fans.

Edited December 10, 2017 by TheNorthCydeRises

[lethalweapon3]

Your Postgame Stupid Human Tricks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

1 hour ago, benhillboy said:

Didn’t know Cavanaugh from a can of paint until the season started.  He has some promising numbers among .602 eFg, 1.7 OBPM, and a 13.9 AST%.   He has a better feel than the average rookie, I assume he played 4 years at George Washington.  He keeps producing around average NBA efficiency Moose’s agent better stat by the phone.  As I’m typing he makes multiple good plays on a pump fake layup and screen and pop.

Tyler was a 4-year guy, but he started out his first two seasons with the Demon Deacs of Fake Worest, before transferring over to G-Dub.

As a Magic tie-in, when T-Cav won the NIT MVP with the Colonials, his teammate? Patricio Garino... of Orlando Magic Whiteboard fame!

~lw3

[nathan2331]

And ya'll in Chicago thought you invented "Drill Rap".  No.  The Godfather of Soul is also the Godfather of Rap.

Great defensive close out win by the Hawks tonight.  Baze showing what he truly is.  If he could play like this on more nights than not, he'll win back the hearts of Hawks fans.

Are you calling James Brown a drill rapper?

 

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

 

 

[TheFuzz]

3 hours ago, benhillboy said:

Didn’t know Cavanaugh from a can of paint until the season started.  He has some promising numbers among .602 eFg, 1.7 OBPM, and a 13.9 AST%.   He has a better feel than the average rookie, I assume he played 4 years at George Washington.  He keeps producing around average NBA efficiency Moose’s agent better stat by the phone.  As I’m typing he makes multiple good plays on a pump fake layup and screen and pop.

WTF Vucevic?!  Feel free to miss a shot.

Watched him play at Wake a few years back before GW. Met him once, he was such a dweeb lol. He was a year behind me I think? Gotta say, he was ok for us but no way in hell I thought he was NBA bound

Edited December 10, 2017 by TheFuzz

[Thomas]

The Hawk's magic formula for a win right now...shoot over 50% from three. Not really sustainable but it certainly works. A couple of more games similar to last night and Ersan can end up with a good percentage from long range this season. Wouldn't have expected that possible a couple of weeks ago after his lengthy slow start this year. This version of him is the one thats really fun to watch.

[Peoriabird]

11 hours ago, benhillboy said:

Quality coaches like Vogel know this isn’t your average tanking team because of Bud.  This would be a homecourt playoff team right now if the games were 3 quarters if I’m not mistaken.  Listening to Bud talk you can tell he’s dumped his former boyfriend Moose for Tyler.  His old side piece Delaney still stalking him.  He’s with Isaiah now!

I just find it strange that posters give Bud credit for benching Moose and Delaney when they should not have been playing in the 1st place.  Heck Moose should not have been resigned.  Also It took injuries to the front court to even start Collins and now that Bud is starting to play the players posters encouraged him to play months ago somehow Bud is a genius for finally doing something us Mere mortals knew already.  In fact, Bud's line ups and substitutions were so bad, posters were questioning whether of not he was part of some grand conspiracy with Schlenk to get the number 1 pick in next year's draft.  Which is it?

[Thomas]

So maybe Bud figures a damaged Moose is worse than a healthy one (am figuring its about the same thing really) and possibly Bud has been following our plus/minus thread here about Delaney (that stat  doesn't even seem possible so early in a season). Could be just the blatant obviousness of both players consistently hurting us when on the court just finally wore Bud down.