ORLANDO — Before Hawks center Zaza Pachulia took the floor in Orlando on Tuesday night he knew the good vibes he once shared with Magic fans were over.
“My rookie year I was fans’ favorite here,” Pachulia said before Game 5 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. “Now I am the most hated.”
The relationship soured after Pachulia head-butted Magic guard Jason Richardson during Game 3 in Atlanta on Friday. Richardson retaliated by smacking Pachulia in the face, and the NBA suspended both players for Game 4 on Sunday in Atlanta.
Magic fans greeted Pachulia with boos when he checked into the game and also when he touched the ball early. The Magic selected Pachulia in the second round of the 2003 draft, and he was on the cover of the team’s in-house magazine in April 2004.
“My journey in the NBA started on a great note,” Pachulia said. “Especially first year being a fan favorite. Officially, too — there was a vote. Being fans’ favorite first year made me fall in love with NBA basketball more.”
Pachulia now is beloved in Atlanta, where fans cheered him as he left the floor following his ejection in Game 4. Hawks fans appreciate Pachulia’s hustle and physical play, and he said he feeds off their support.
But Pachulia’s style has rankled opponents, and now Magic fans don’t appreciate it, either. Pachulia said he wasn’t sure how the ire of Orlando fans might affect him.
“I am definitely trying to not think about it,” he said. “We came here to take care of business. We shouldn’t let anything affect us.”
Hawks coach Larry Drew said he planned to talk to Pachulia before the game about not letting the jeers get to him.
“I’ve seen some crumble, and I’ve seen some players play off it and have phenomenal games,” Drew said. “That’s what I’m expecting from Zaza. It’s not anything he’s not used to. ... Zaza is a pro. I am sure he will handle it the right way.”
Etc.
According to the NBA, Hawks guard Jamal Crawford entered Tuesday as the active leader in career postseason bench scoring at 18.3 points per game (minimum eight games). ... Hawks center Al Horford, a former star at the University of Florida, said the usual support he gets from fans in the region hasn’t subsided during the playoffs. “Gator love and Gator pride is bigger than anything else in the state of Florida,” Horford said.
