AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 15
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Like chips I’m in Vegas!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LAX … LAS VEGAS - While most of the Hawks rest for All-Star Weekend, Joe Johnson will take his place alongside the NBA’s biggest and brightest stars this weekend in Las Vegas (I started this at LAX and finished in Vegas, and it’s short because I have a bible study convention to attend while also trying fit in the All-Star events and stuff).☺
We made the case for Johnson’s inclusion weeks ago, so we’ll let that be. But what do you make of these suddenly resurgent Hawks? I know, we’ve all seen them rip off positive spurts like this in the past few months, only to fall back to earth when they have an opportunity to make what seems like a quantum leap towards respectability.
But I have a feeling this latest stretch, 3-1 on a Western Conference swing with a chance to make it 4-1 on the road the past five with a win in Chicago Tuesday night, is more than just a fluke.
The confidence in that locker room after Wednesday night’s win over the Clippers was percolating. Marvin Williams said it best when talking to Johnson’s comeback from that 15-point fourth quarter deficit:
“Last year, we’ve have been done. Those 15 points would have turned in to 30 and we’d have been out of there. We didn’t have the heart last year that we have now. That’s the difference.”
Well said young fella. But it also helps to have a 6-9, 235-pound Energizer Bunny named Josh Smith. He’s been the main difference between the pre-Christmas Hawks and the crew we’ve seen since then. His evolution has been amazing to see.
Now let’s see if he and the Hawks can keep it up.
