Bothered by the persistently physical play of Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, Miami’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas finally had enough.
So after Pachulia scored a basket, Ilgauskas flung the ball forcefully at his back. Officials called a technical foul on Ilgauskas and ejected him from the game.
And this was from a guy Pachulia considers to be a good friend.
“He is the greatest guy,” Pachulia said after Miami’s 98-90 victory on Monday at Philips Arena. “I am definitely going to call him. Or maybe text him because he might not answer.”
If Pachulia has that effect on his friend, imagine what other players think about his style. With the Hawks set to begin their playoff series against Orlando this weekend, Pachulia’s rough-and-tumble play could be valuable.
The Hawks game against the Heat might have been a preview of what’s to come.
“There was a lot of contact between that particular player and our guys all night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
That’s the way it goes a lot of times with this particular player. Ilgauskas is just the latest adversary to be left angered by an encounter with Pachulia.
“He gets under guys’ skin because he works so hard, and it never fails,” Hawks forward Josh Smith said.
A collision with Pachulia last week left Rockets guard Kyle Lowry with a cut upper lip that required six stitches. As Houston’s trainer tried to take Lowry to the locker room for treatment, Lowry stood across from the Hawks’ bench and yelled and gestured at Pachulia.
Pachulia, as is his custom following such incidents, shrugged his shoulders as Lowry ranted.
“It was a dirty play by him,” Lowry told reporters after the game.
That was two nights after Pachulia irritated his traditional adversaries, the Boston Celtics. During one sequence Pachulia bumped Boston’s Jermaine O’Neal on his way back down the court, sparking a brief confrontation.
Pachulia had run-ins with Boston’s Kevin Garnett during the 2008 playoffs. During their most recent game he rebounded and defended with abandon to spark the Hawks to an 88-83 victory.
“I thought Zaza Pachulia was the toughest dude on the floor and changed the whole game,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.
On a team that lacks much of a physical presence, Pachulia is an energetic force. He’s an effective rebounder, sets hard screens and is a general nuisance.
“Guys don’t like how he’s physical and things like that, but we need Zaza to play like that,” Hawks center Al Horford said.
A little more than a month ago, Hawks management decided the team may not need Pachulia at all.
Pachulia’s minutes had become sporadic under coach Larry Drew, and the Hawks dangled him in trade discussions before the Feb. 24 deadline. After staying with the Hawks, Pachulia said he wondered if he might be better off on a team where he can get more playing time.
Pachulia’s playing time has stabilized lately, and his production and efficiency have increased. But he and Drew exchanged words when the coach removed him from a March 22 game against Chicago because he didn’t like a shot Pachulia took.
Now Drew said Pachulia fills a valuable role for the Hawks.
“I really love his energy,” Drew said. “As long as he keeps giving me that, I am going to keep him out on the floor. I see that our team has responded with him being out there and playing that way.”
Even now, after finally earning a permanent place in the rotation, Pachulia said “my mind is not clear” concerning his role and future with the team.
“I don’t want to say I am happy,” he said. “I think I am better when I am not happy and satisfied. It is good not to be happy.”
Pachulia is, however, pleased that it’s almost time for the postseason, which fits his game.
“Especially playing against Dwight Howard,” he said, smiling, “I know it is going to be tough and physical game.”
