Will the real Hawks stand up? Or was that first game a hot-shooting aberration?
I asked Atlanta coach Larry Drew to explain how a team that had lost 10 of its last 15 regular-season games, including a huge blowout to the Bulls, could knock off Orlando in six games and be a second-round threat?
“After we got the fifth spot, I limited a lot of minutes,” Drew said. “I was more focused on trying to get guys well for the playoffs than trying to win games that have no meaning.”
That group including Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jason Collins and Joe Johnson.
“Come playoff time, the guys flipped the switch,” Drew said, “and we came out with a very strong showing vs. Orlando. I’m m not a big fan of that. I believe it’s important to finish the regular season on a positive note and go into the playoffs with momentum. We didn’t do that. But we were very fortunate to come back and have a good series vs. Orlando.”
