'Lethargic' play can't top star-less team By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 04/10/06 Minneapolis — Unwilling to show the patience needed to run their offense and unable to match the grit and energy of a Minnesota team minus its two biggest stars, the recently soaring Hawks came crashing back to earth Sunday. Their 84-83 loss to the Timberwolves, who played without Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis, should serve as a reminder that these Hawks are still far, far away from being able to turn it on and off when they feel like it. Trenton Hassell's layup with 1.9 seconds left at Target Center was the difference and vindication, if you will, for the buzzer-beating layup he allowed in the Timberwolves' loss Wednesday at Philips Arena. Hassell scooped up a loose ball after Josh Smith blocked Marcus Banks' layup attempt, a block that ricocheted off Al Harrington's hands and Tyronn Lue's fingertips. Banks blocked Lue's off-balance jumper at the buzzer, ending the threat for the Hawks (24-52) and snapping a three-game losing streak for the Timberwolves (32-45). "We were so lethargic and just dragging in everything we did on both ends of the floor," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "It was fool's gold, them playing without Garnett and Davis. We played at their tempo the entire night, and when you face that team without its two best players you have to attack them. You can't just turn it on when you feel like turning it on and beat anybody in this league." That said, the Hawks were within seconds of winning despite playing so poorly. Joe Johnson gave the Hawks an 83-82 lead with a driving layup with 17.5 seconds to play. But the basketball gods weren't having it, not after the Timberwolves had outplayed the Hawks from end to end for most of the afternoon. "We played a little too cool, not as aggressive as we should have, and it bit us," said Harrington, who finished with 14 points. "I think we played great defense in the end. Those 84 points is right about where we want to have teams. But we didn't score like we usually do. We were off our mark all night." The sixth-best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, the Hawks were 1-for-13 from that distance Sunday. Smith was 0-for-5, Harrington 0-for-1, Lue 0-for-2 and Johnson 1-for-5. "We settled too much," Smith said. "We did it all night and it was all of us, especially me. I should have drove a lot more and made plays going to the basket." The Hawks had 10 assists to the Timberwolves' 20 and shot 39 percent (30-for-77) from the floor to the Timberwolves' 46 percent (35-77). And they allowed rookie guard Rashad McCants (game-high 28 points) to get going early and couldn't stop him when they needed to. "A lot of the shots he was making were tough shots, step-back jumpers with people in his face and everything," Johnson said of McCants. "The truth is we were real relaxed and took these guys lightly. And we don't have room to take anybody lightly." 資料來源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0410hawks.html --

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