Credit: Chris Vivlamore
Credit: Chris Vivlamore
The Hawks go for their eighth straight win tonight against the 76ers. For those wondering, the last time the Hawks won that many was when they started the 1997-98 season with 11 straight wins.
I asked coach Mike Budenholzer the key against the 76ers, who have won two of their past three games after starting the season 0-17.
“Defensively the really get after you with a lot of pressure and activity, create a lot of turnovers,” Budenholzer said. “We have to be strong with the ball, take care of it. Then, they really attack the paint. They get to the rim. You have to find a way to protect the paint and keep them off the free-throw line. Those are the two biggest things.”
In other items:
* The Hawks did not shootaround this morning as Budenholzer tries to keep his team fresh. The Hawks are coming off seven games in 10 days. Tonight is the start of three games in four days.
“Our schedule, a little bit looking back and looking forward, we’ve got a lot of games in a short period of time,” Budenholzer said. “We are just trying to be (aware) of that and keep our guys where they have the energy and activity that we need to be good defensively.”
* As previously reported, Mike Scott will not play tonight due to flu-like symptoms. He was not at the arena. Budenholzer said he doesn’t think it’s more than the flu that is going around Atlanta and the NBA. Thabo Sefolosha missed two games earlier this season with an illness.
* 76ers coach Brett Brown was so good in his pre-game interview about a number of subjects. I suspect I will use much of it in this week’s Sunday notes column. However, he did say this about Kyle Korver when talking about how some players go unnoticed in the draft. You may see it again soon but I wanted to share it now.
“I just walked by him in the hallway and that is a hell of a player,” Brown said. “I worked him out 1,000 years ago in San Antonio when everybody thought he wasn’t athletic enough. I tell you what, he blew it out of the water shooting. He and (Steve) Novak came in and just torched one of our standard drills when we assess people in San Antonio. Now I see him years later, he is a big man and he plays hard.”
* Interesting note, the 76ers have seven undrafted players on their roster.
* 76ers leading scorer Tony Wroten will not play with a right knee sprain.
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