Hawks forward Josh Smith cites his team’s three victories in four games against the Magic as a reason why he thinks they will fare better against them in the playoffs than they did last year.
There’s also the matter of what he considers a slight by Magic guard Jameer Nelson.
“A lot of their players are already claiming they are already going to make the second round, so that gives us a little added motivation, too,” Smith said. “If that doesn’t get you geared up, I don’t know what does.”
After the Bulls defeated Orlando 102-99 on Sunday, Chicago guard Derrick Rose was being interviewed live on ABC when Nelson sought him out. He leaned close to Rose and appeared to say: “Catch you in the second round.”
The winner of the Hawks-Magic series will face the Chicago-Indiana winner.
The Magic swept the Hawks by an NBA-record margin of 101 points last season, so it’s not as if they don’t have reason for confidence. The Hawks counter that they won three of four regular-season meetings, including the past three.
Smith said he thinks that should temper Nelson’s confidence.
“It was surprising, knowing that we are a better team,” Smith said. “They understand that they can’t just run us off [the court]. It’s going to be a tough series, and they know it.”
Hawks center Al Horford said Nelson’s comments have been a subject of conversation in the locker room, but guard Joe Johnson shrugged them off.
“That’s how he feels,” Johnson said. “They are confident. You are supposed to be confident. It doesn’t bother me.”
Drew: ‘Get two’ in Orlando
It’s common for the lower-seeded team in a best-of-seven series to talk about winning one of the first two road games to nullify their opponents’ home-court advantage.
Coach Larry Drew said the Hawks would be more ambitious.
“The mindset is to get two,” he said. “We are going down there to be a team on a mission. We are taking one at a time. It’s going to be tough. It’s not going to be easy, but we feel confident in what we need to do to go down there and win.”
Collins ‘ready to go’
Hawks center Jason Collins missed the final four games of the regular season with a sprained left ankle. After more than a week of rest and rehabilitation, Collins is expected to start Game 1 on Saturday night.
“It’s good enough,” he said.
Asked to place a percentage on the health of the ankle, Collins said: “I will say it’s ready to go.”
The Hawks cite Collins’ defense against Dwight Howard this season as a source of confidence. Collins played sparingly against Orlando in last year’s playoffs.
“It’s a new year,” Horford said. “We are playing a new lineup against them this season, and that’s why we feel so confident going into the series.”
About the Author
