With the Hawks mired in a three-game losing streak and the playoffs less than two weeks away, it was time for a meeting. Coach Larry Drew sat down with Al Horford, Josh Smith and Jeff Teague before Tuesday’s practice to discuss what he expects from his leaders in the final four games of the regular season and beyond.
Drew used the team’s performance in a loss at the Spurs on Saturday as his main talking point. With only eight healthy players, which did not include Horford and Smith, among others, a team of reserves battled to a 99-97 loss against the Western Conference power.
“Those three guys are the head of the snake for me,” Drew said. “I need them playing at a very high level. I need them competing at a very high level. Hopefully they can look at the San Antonio game and see how the reserves came in and competed hard, played hard. I told them I need that type effort from them as we move forward. They are all in agreement.”
In the game before the loss to the Spurs, the Hawks had a dreadful start in a 101-90 home loss to the 76ers. The Hawks allowed 40 first-quarter points and could not rally. Drew called the team’s effort on defense “soft” and lamented that during the woeful stretch, no player showed any anger during timeouts for what was happening on their home court.
The Hawks have a quick turnaround to avenge the loss as they play at the Sixers on Wednesday.
“The message is very clear,” Drew said of moving forward. “The last time we played this team we did not show up. That was the disappointing thing.”
The Hawks’ losing streak began with a 95-82 home loss to the Knicks as Carmelo Anthony poured in 40 points. The Hawks end the regular season at the Knicks on April 17.
The Hawks have a good chance to get moving in the right direction before the playoffs. The next three opponents are sub-.500 teams: the Sixers (31-45), Raptors (29-48) and Bucks (37-39).
“Right now we are going through some kind of slump, and we need to get it together before the playoffs start,” Horford said. “We have time. We are looking to have a good week.”
Another thing in the Hawks’ favor is they appear to be returning to a semblance of health. Smith (knee) returned to practice Tuesday after missing the Spurs game and Monday’s workout. Drew said he expects Smith to play against the Sixers. Kyle Korver (undisclosed), Devin Harris (toe), who also did not play against the Spurs, along with Horford were all full participants in practice.
Johan Petro has been away from the team since Sunday when he went to Florida to be with his expectant wife. His status is unclear.
Drew got a good glimpse of how his bench is capable of playing against the Spurs. Rookies John Jenkins (23 points) and Mike Scott (22 points) each had career-highs in the game. They became the first pair of Hawks rookies to score 20-plus points off the bench.
Entering Tuesday’s NBA schedule, the Hawks ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference, a game behind the Bulls. They appear headed for a first-round matchup with the Pacers, but the standings are not set. Should the Hawks finish sixth, they would avoid a second-round matchup with the Heat, if they advance. They would play the winner of No. 2-No. 7 matchup, which currently is the Knicks versus the Celtics.
“It’s still up in the air,” Drew said. “I was looking at the schedules, with my staff, and we wish we had a definitive answer to who we will be seeing in the postseason, but we don’t. It can change daily.”
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