A sellout crowd, not to mention his former teammates, will await Miami Heat guard Mike Bibby and his celebrated teammates Friday night.
Since he was traded Feb. 23 after a four-season run with the Hawks, Bibby will make his first appearance at Philips Arena in a Heat uniform. After he was traded to Washington in the Kirk Hinrich deal, Bibby bought out his contract to become a free agent, and he signed with the Heat.
"I think it's going to be fun," Bibby told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Thursday. "Good to see my old friends. I was good friends with people on the team, people in the organization. It should be a good homecoming."
Indeed, Bibby was a popular teammate and undoubtedly will be welcomed back by Hawks players. How fans receive Bibby, who came to the Hawks in a late-season trade in 2008 and helped the team nearly upset Boston in a first-round series that season, but later became an object of frustration, will be interesting.
Bibby has played eight games for the Heat, averaging 20.5 minutes and 5.8 points per game. He's shooting 48.0 percent from 3-point range, including a 5-for-5 game in the Heat's win over Memphis on Saturday.
Streak ends
A symbol of the Hawks' growth bit the dust Wednesday. Starting in the 2005-06 season, the Hawks had won more games than they had the previous season for five consecutive seasons, all under former coach Mike Woodson. They became the seventh team in NBA history to accomplish that feat, a fact that the team proudly trumpeted. However, the Hawks' 102-87 loss to Denver on Wednesday was their 29th, matching their loss total for the 2009-10 season and ensuring the streak will stop at five.
It was their 16th loss by 10 or more points, which is more than they had in either of the past two seasons.
Out of sync
Center Al Horford tied his season-low with five shots Wednesday, making three. Seven Hawks took more shots than the two-time All-Star as the team mostly played around the perimeter.
"We weren't playing through me," Horford said. "That's that."
The Hawks are 21-9 when Horford takes 13 or more shots and 15-18 when he takes 12 or fewer.
Traffic alert
The Hawks strongly encourage fans planning to attend the 2 p.m. Sunday game against the Detroit Pistons to take MARTA or allow additional driving time. Because of the Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon that starts Sunday morning, streets will be closed or rerouted and heavy congestion is expected. Fans are also recommended to arrive early for the Heat game because of expected traffic.
Etc.
Center Zaza Pachulia has a plus-minus rating (points scored for and against the team while on the floor) of plus-25 in the past five games, despite the Hawks going 2-3 in them. Pachulia is averaging 23.0 minutes in that span with 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. ... Guard Joe Johnson, a former Arkansas star, put his weight behind Missouri coach Mike Anderson for the Razorbacks' coaching opening. "He was an assistant coach when I was at Arkansas," Johnson said. "I would love to see him get that head job and get the program back where it needs to be."
About the Author
