LOS ANGELES -- Once the hoopla of All-Star weekend is over and the NBA goes back to work, the Hawks will have 27 games left in the regular season.
They also will have no good reason not to become a true contender in the Eastern Conference, both of the team's All-Star representatives said this weekend.
"I think all of the excuses are out the door," Hawks guard Joe Johnson said. "We can't hang our hat that we are a young team anymore. We can't say it's a new coach. It's just put up or shut up."
The Hawks (34-21) stand one game behind Orlando for fourth place in the East. The top four teams in each conference earn home-court advantage in the first round.
The Hawks staggered into the break, losing three of four games. Center Al Horford said he agreed with Johnson that the team has no excuse not to do better.
"No question," Horford said. "It's now or never for us, if you look at it. This is our season. We have to make the most out of it. We are not sneaking up on anyone anymore. We have to be able to bring it and sustain it."
Stern optimistic on CBA
Though the players' union has expressed frustration over what it says is the owners' unwillingness to negotiate on a new collective bargaining agreement, NBA commissioner David Stern said was optimistic after Friday's meeting with players.
"I liked yesterday's meeting because the union agreed to talk about some things that they said were non-negotiable," Stern said in a news conference Saturday.
The current CBA expires in July, and owners would lock out players if there is no new agreement in place.
Many players this weekend have expressed skepticism that the NBA is struggling financially, citing record TV ratings, increased revenues and decreasing labor costs. They've said that if teams are losing money then there needs to be more revenue sharing among large- and small-market teams, and the $3 billion TV deal recently signed by the Lakers seemed to bolster their case.
Stern said he doesn't see it that way, adding that there needs to be an acceptable labor deal in place before revenue sharing.
"You increase revenue sharing [it] doesn't solve a problem if there are losses, because you can't revenue-share your way to a profit as a league," he said.
No beef
Horford said there has been no awkwardness with East teammate and Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who twice had criticized Horford in media interviews this season.
“We cool, man,” Horford said, laughing at the question. “I told you he was just trying to make a big deal out of nothing. I didn’t have to say anything [to him]. He knew he was in the wrong, so he was cool.”
Stoudemire said Horford "doesn't want to see me" after the Hawks' victory against the Knicks in January at Philips Arena and again before the teams played Wednesday in New York.
All-Star Saturday roundup
Team Atlanta won the Shooting Stars competition against squads from Chicago, Los Angeles and Texas. Horford teamed up with Dream guard Coco Miller and former Hawks All-Star Steve Smith. ... Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin defeated Washington 7-footer JaVale McGee in the final round of the slam-dunk contest. On his final dunk, Griffin jumped over an automobile and caught an alley-oop pass from teammate Baron Davis with two hands. Griffin won by virtue of getting 68 percent of fan votes by text messaging. ... Heat forward James Jones upset defending champion Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics in the final round of the 3-point contest. ... Warriors guard Stephen Curry won the Skills Challenge, topping Thunder guard Russell Westbrook in the final round of the timed obstacle course.
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