<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Marvin Williams remembers his first Hawks-Lakers game fondly. The Hawks forward was two weeks into his rookie season. He was still wide-eyed enough to get goose bumps with the energy from a Philips Arena capacity crowd. "That's the most ridiculous I've ever seen this place," Williams said Tuesday. "It was sick. That crowd was on fire. And it seems to be that way every time they come to town. I guess it's something about Kobe [Bryant] and the Lakers." That will certainly be the case Wednesday night, with Bryant and the Lakers in town, winners of two straight. Josh Childress said everyone he's bumped into the past few days has hit him up for tickets. The new-look Lakers acquired Pau Gasol in a blockbuster deal with Memphis last week. They pushed their way back into contention for the Western Conference crown by adding a 7-footer with All-Star experience. The deal never hit the rumor mill. But the move shouldn't have surprised anyone, because the Lakers have a long history of making splashy moves when they need them. "It's just a part of their tradition," said Childress, who grew up in the Los Angeles area. "They had a couple lean years in there when I was coming up, but historically, if there is any type of slippage, they make sure they get on top of it. "Getting Gasol, it makes them a contender, no doubt. But we can't be mesmerized by what they've done. We have to come out and get that [win]." The Hawks have dropped two straight in the series and the last two here. That includes last season's thrilling 90-83 defeat in which Hawks All-Star Joe Johnson battled Bryant basket for basket. He couldn't match Bryant's 11-point finishing kick in the fourth quarter that sealed the game. "We're expecting that same kind of atmosphere," Josh Smith said. "You know the stars always come out for this one, so guys are wanting to perform on that biggest stage. And you can't ask for a bigger challenge right now with the way the Lakers have been playing, even before the trade. Then they come up with what has to be an absolute mastermind of a deal.</div> Source: AJC
We were able to keep Gasol in check last time, but playing under a different system, it might be thougher to stop him, Kobe won't be 100%, but with Joe struggling it should about even up there,
