GAME THREAD: NBA: ATLANTA (4-7) at MINNESOTA (1-9)

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA ATLANTA 91
MINNESOTA 83 2:15 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA ATLANTA 91
MINNESOTA 85 1:03 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA ATLANTA 94
MINNESOTA 87 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ATLANTA 17 28 19 30 94
MINNESOTA 28 35 12 12 87 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: ATL - JOE JOHNSON 25, JOSH SMITH 16, JOSH
CHILDRESS 14
MIN - AL JEFFERSON 23, MARKO JARIC 20, ANTOINE
WALKER 12</div>

 

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- After not tasting any kind of successon the road, the Atlanta Hawks can't lose away from home lately.

Joe Johnson had 25 points as the Hawks used a pair ofsecond-half runs to deny the Minnesota Timberwolves their secondvictory of the season in a 94-87 victory on Saturday.

Atlanta ended the NBA's longest active road losing streak at 17games with its 82-79 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Itscomeback on Saturday erased Minnesota's 21-point first-halfadvantage - the Timberwolves' third-largest lead blown infranchise history.


After Al Jefferson hit two free throws near the end of the firsthalf to increase Minnesota's biggest lead of the contest to63-42, Johnson hit a last-second 3-pointer in second quarter tocut the Hawks' halftime deficit to 63-45.


Atlanta chipped away at the lead throughout the third period,due in large part to a defense that caused six turnovers in thefirst six minutes of the quarter compared to four in the entirefirst half.


Marvin Williams and Josh Childress scored 12 of the team's 19points to close the gap to 75-64 at the end of the third.

However, it was the fourth quarter in which Atlanta made itsbiggest move, turning around an 11-point deficit at thebeginning of the period into an 87-78 advantage with just overfour minutes remaining.


Johnson, Josh Smith and Tyronn Lue combined for the final 14points of the 23-3 run which allowed Atlanta to take control.

Al Jefferson finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds and MarkoJaric added 20 and six assists for the Timberwolves, who fell to1-10 despite a 63-point first half.

 

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NBA
ATLANTA 94
MINNESOTA 87 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">ATLANTA (94) AT MINNESOTA (87)

ATLANTA

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

M WILLIAMS F 29:24 3-9 4-7 1 4 5 2 1 1 1 10
J SMITH F 42:35 5-9 5-5 3 5 8 5 0 3 3 16
A HOFORD C 29:41 3-4 0-0 4 3 7 2 4 0 0 6
J JOHNSON G 43:29 9-21 5-6 0 2 2 5 1 1 6 25
A JOHNSON G 23:15 3-8 0-0 2 1 3 2 2 1 0 6
J CHILDRESS 31:29 6-13 2-2 5 2 7 1 1 0 0 14
T LUE 22:14 5-13 0-0 0 2 2 2 4 2 0 13
S WILLIAMS 15:46 2-3 0-0 1 2 3 1 3 0 1 4
S JONES 2:07 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
S STOUDAMIRE DNP - SPRAINED ANKLE
Z PACHULIA DNP - SPRAINED ANKLE
M WEST DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 36-80 16-20 16 21 37 20 17 8 11 94
(.450) (.800) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 12 (14 PTS)

MINNESOTA

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

R GOMES F 32:06 2-10 4-4 3 3 6 1 2 2 1 8
A JEFFERSON F 38:24 8-13 7-8 5 11 16 1 1 1 3 23
M MADSEN C 15:07 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0
R MCCANTS G 28:27 5-9 0-0 1 1 2 2 4 0 4 11
M JARIC G 35:24 9-14 2-2 0 3 3 6 4 1 2 20
A WALKER 29:00 5-8 0-2 0 2 2 1 1 2 1 12
G BUCKNER 24:36 0-3 0-0 1 3 4 1 2 2 2 0
S TELFAIR 12:36 2-5 2-2 0 0 0 4 2 1 0 6
C SMITH 13:29 3-6 1-3 2 1 3 0 3 0 0 7
C BREWER 10:51 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C RICHARD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
G GREEN DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 34-72 16-21 12 25 37 16 20 9 15 87
(.472) (.762) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 17 (17 PTS)

ATLANTA 17 28 19 30 - 94
MINNESOTA 28 35 12 12 - 87

BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - J SMITH 5. MINNESOTA - M JARIC 3, A JEFFERSON 2,
R MCCANTS, S TELFAIR.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ATLANTA 6-13 (.462), J SMITH 1-1, J JOHNSON 2-5,
A JOHNSON 0-1, J CHILDRESS 0-1, T LUE 3-5. MINNESOTA 3-13 (.231),
R GOMES 0-2, R MCCANTS 1-2, M JARIC 0-1, A WALKER 2-4, G BUCKNER 0-
1, S TELFAIR 0-2, C BREWER 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BRIAN FORTE, DEREK RICHARDSON, STEVE JAVIE.
A - 14,101. T - 2:09.</div>

 

NBA: ATLANTA at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">ATLANTA (94)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
M Williams 29:24 3-9 4-7 1-5 2 1 10
J Smith 42:35 5-9 5-5 3-8 5 0 16
A Hoford 29:41 3-4 0-0 4-7 2 4 6
J Johnson 43:29 9-21 5-6 0-2 5 1 25
A Johnson 23:15 3-8 0-0 2-3 2 2 6
J Childress 31:29 6-13 2-2 5-7 1 1 14
T Lue 22:14 5-13 0-0 0-2 2 4 13
S Williams 15:46 2-3 0-0 1-3 1 3 4
S Jones 2:07 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
S Stoudamire DNP - SPRAINED ANKLE
Z Pachulia DNP - SPRAINED ANKLE
M West DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 36-80 16-20 16-37 20 17 94
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.450, FT-.800. 3-Point Goals:
6-13, .462 (J Smith 1-1, J Johnson 2-5, A
Johnson 0-1, J Childress 0-1, T Lue 3-5).
Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked Shots:5 (J Smith
5). Turnovers:11 (J Johnson 6, J Smith 3, S
Williams, M Williams). Steals: 8 (J Smith 3,
T Lue 2, A Johnson, M Williams, J Johnson).


MINNESOTA (87)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
R Gomes 32:06 2-10 4-4 3-6 1 2 8
A Jefferson 38:24 8-13 7-8 5-16 1 1 23
M Madsen 15:07 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 1 0
R McCants 28:27 5-9 0-0 1-2 2 4 11
M Jaric 35:24 9-14 2-2 0-3 6 4 20
A Walker 29:00 5-8 0-2 0-2 1 1 12
G Buckner 24:36 0-3 0-0 1-4 1 2 0
S Telfair 12:36 2-5 2-2 0-0 4 2 6
C Smith 13:29 3-6 1-3 2-3 0 3 7
C Brewer 10:51 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
C Richard DNP - COACH'S DECISION
G Green DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 34-72 16-21 12-37 16 20 87
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.472, FT-.762. 3-Point Goals:
3-13, .231 (R Gomes 0-2, R McCants 1-2, M
Jaric 0-1, A Walker 2-4, G Buckner 0-1, S
Telfair 0-2, C Brewer 0-1). Team Rebounds: 9.
Blocked Shots:7 (M Jaric 3, A Jefferson 2, R
McCants, S Telfair). Turnovers:15 (R McCants
4, A Jefferson 3, G Buckner 2, M Madsen 2, M
Jaric 2, A Walker, R Gomes). Steals: 9 (A
Walker 2, G Buckner 2, R Gomes 2, M Jaric, S
Telfair, A Jefferson).

-------------------------------------------
ATLANTA 17 28 19 30 - 94
MINNESOTA 28 35 12 12 - 87
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 14,101. T: 2:09.
Officials: Brian Forte, Derek Richardson,
Steve Javie.</div>

 

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- After not tasting any kind of successon the road, the Atlanta Hawks can't lose away from home lately.

Joe Johnson had 25 points as the Hawks used a pair ofsecond-half runs to deny the Minnesota Timberwolves their secondvictory of the season in a 94-87 victory on Saturday.

Atlanta ended the NBA's longest active road losing streak at 17games with its 82-79 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Itscomeback on Saturday erased Minnesota's 21-point first-halfadvantage - the Timberwolves' third-largest lead blown infranchise history.


"In the first half, we couldn't make a shot and we couldn't stopthem, and that's a bad combination," Atlanta coach Mike Woodsonsaid. "I thought that in the second half we flipped thescript, we defended and we made shots off of our defense, andthat's what got us back in the game."


After Al Jefferson hit two free throws near the end of the firsthalf to increase Minnesota's biggest lead of the contest to63-42, Johnson hit a last-second 3-pointer in second quarter tocut the Hawks' halftime deficit to 63-45.


"We came out really flat," Atlanta center Al Horford said."Give them credit for coming out ready to play. We knew wecouldn't tie the game with one play, but that shot at the end ofthe first half was big."


"63 points in the first half is the most points we've given upall season," Woodson said. "You're not going to beat any teamin this league, I don't care who you're playing, when you dothat. At halftime, I told them, 'If we're going to win thisgame, we have to defend and take care of the ball.'"

Atlanta chipped away at the lead throughout the third period,due in large part to a defense that caused six turnovers in thefirst six minutes of the quarter compared to four in the entirefirst half.


Marvin Williams and Josh Childress scored 12 of the team's 19points to close the gap to 75-64 at the end of the third.

However, it was the fourth quarter in which Atlanta made itsbiggest move, turning around an 11-point deficit at thebeginning of the period into an 87-78 advantage with just overfour minutes remaining.


"I thought the third and fourth quarters were as good as we'veplayed all year in terms of defense and rebounding," Woodsonsaid. "We really got after them, made some things happen, andthat generated some offense for us. That's something that wedidn't do in the first half."


Johnson, Josh Smith and Tyronn Lue combined for the final 14points of the 23-3 run which allowed Atlanta to take control.

Al Jefferson finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds and MarkoJaric added 20 and six assists for the Timberwolves, who fell to1-10 despite a 63-point first half.


In Denver on Friday, Minnesota set a season best in first halfscoring (56) and a season worst in second-half scoring (37). OnSaturday, the Timberwolves beat both marks, scoring 63 in thefirst half and 24 in the second.


"The same thing happened in the second half that has happened in10 of our 11 games," Minnesota coach Randy Wittman said. "Weput ourselves in a position to win and then played scared. I'mat a loss to explain why. It's not youth, it's notinexperience; we've done it 10 times."