The Atlanta Falcons didn't play like a playoff team on Sunday losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22-17. Also, the Falcons lost two of their best defensive players to injury in the loss.
The Buccaneers ended their five game losing streak and finished the season with a 7-9 record. Running back Doug Martin, who struggled during the losing streak, broke out for 142 yards rushing and a touchdown to lead the Buccaneers' offense. Quarterback Josh Freeman passed for 222 yards and a touchdown to Mike Williams in the back of the end zone during the second quarter. Connor Barth also made three field goals to complete the Tampa Bay scoring. Mason Foster led the Buccaneers' defense with eleven tackles and Lavonte David and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim both recorded sacks. The win avenged the loss Tampa Bay suffered to Atlanta earlier in the season.
The Falcons looked horrible all day and only showed glimpses of the team that went 13-2 in it's first fifteen games. Asante Samuel picked off Freeman and that set up a Michael Turner seventeen yard run for the Falcons' first touchdown. Turner carried the ball five more times and gained only one more yard combined on those carries. Later, Matt Ryan threw a seven yard touchdown pass to Harry Douglas on fourth down. It was Ryan's record-setting 32nd touchdown pass of the year, a new team record. It was also Harry Douglas' first touchdown catch this season.
Ryan finished the day with 238 passing yards and a touchdown. The offense looked sloppy all day and the running game was once again non-existent. On defense Sean Weatherspoon led the team with eight tackles, but just like the offense, the defense was sloppy too. Poor tackling allowed the Buccaneers to drive down field to score their points, including Martin's 40 yard touchdown run when both Chris Hope and Thomas DeCoud bounced off of him because they didn't wrap him up.
Another big story of the day was coach Mike Smith not taking his starters out of the game. With the Falcons' playoff positioning set, everyone thought Smith would take his starters out after a quarter or at the latest by halftime. That wasn't the case and he lost two of his biggest players on defense. The biggest blow was John Abraham, who is the team's best pass rusher and has ten sacks on the year. His ankle was bent awkwardly under some other players and he will be evaluated over the next day or two. Dunta Robinson was also hurt, he suffered a head injury in the first quarter, he also will be evaluated over the next day or two. They would be sorely missed if they can't play in two weeks.
The Falcons finish the regular season 13-3 and will have an off week next weekend before playing at home the following weekend. Their opponent will be determined next weekend after the first-round of the playoffs are completed.
Harry Douglas scores a touchdown late in the loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was Douglas' first touchdown catch this season.
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The Atlanta Falcons want to finish their season off on a good note. To do that they will have to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today. They have already clinched the best record in the NFC, but with a win, they will tie a team record for the most wins in a season with 14.
The Buccaneers have currently lost five games in a row, the first of those losses came against the Falcons. They were 6-4 before the losing streak and appeared to be a playoff contender but now they will miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. Quarterback Josh Freeman has had a good year, setting a Buccaneers single season record with 3,843 passing yards so far. Wide Receiver Vincent Jackson has also had a good season, his first with Tampa Bay. He has set career-highs with 69 receptions and 1,334 reception yards. If he can get at least 89 more yards today, he will break the franchise record for receiving yards that was set by Mark Carrier 23 years ago.
The Falcons last played on December 23rd when they beat the Detroit Lions 31-18. Matt Ryan had a career-high tying 4 touchdown passes in the victory. With one more touchdown pass today, Ryan would set the franchise record for most touchdown passes in a season by a Falcons quarterback. The Falcons will most likely view this game as a tune-up for the playoffs, but they can do two things today that will be important for the future, both near and far.
First, the Falcons need to rest their starters. After a quarter or two, look for coach Mike Smith to start putting in reserves to give the main contributors some time off. Also, this will prevent any injuries from occurring. It would be devastating for the Falcons to head to the playoffs without a starter like Ryan, Roddy White or John Abraham because they got hurt in what really is a meaningless game for Atlanta.
Second, this game will help the Falcons know what to do with some of their reserves and rookies. These players that normally don't get a chance to play will have a chance to prove themselves and to show they deserve a spot on either the postseason roster or with the team next year.
With a win, the Falcons would finish the year 8-0 at home for the first time in fourteen years. That shows that home-field advantage will be a big plus for Atlanta in the playoffs and for today's regular season finale, as the Falcons will edge Tampa Bay in a close game.
Tight end Michael Palmer, running for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions, and the Falcons hope to win today to end their regular season on a good note.
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The Atlanta Hawks welcomed the Indiana Pacers to Philips Arena on Saturday and beat them 109-100. The Pacers started to come back in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks finished them off in the final minutes.
The Pacers had won four in a row and seven of their last eight games, but they will have to start a new streak after falling to the Hawks. Atlanta's Kyle Korver hit a three pointer in the first quarter to make it 18-16 and Indiana never led again the rest of the way. They got close in the fourth quarter, cutting the Hawks lead to 91-88, but they couldn't complete the full comeback. David West led the Pacers in scoring with 29 points, Paul George was next with eighteen, followed by George Hill with fifteen and Lance Stephenson and Ian Mahinmi with thirteen apiece. Tyler Hansbrough led the Pacers with ten rebounds. The Pacers fall to 17-13 on the season.
After being up by as much as eighteen, the Hawks let yet another lead squander, before finally putting their opponent away. The Hawks got production from all around tonight, as six players scored in double figures. Lou Williams had 21 points and twelve assists to lead the Hawks in both categories. Since Williams has been moved to the starting rotation, the Hawks are 4-0. Zaza Pachulia also had a double-double, scoring seventeen points and leading the Hawks with fourteen rebounds.
The other four players to score in double figures for the Hawks were Al Horford with 20 points, Korver with sixteen, Jeff Teague with fifteen and rookie John Jenkins with a career-high ten off the bench. The Hawks were missing several key players all to injuries. Devin Harris missed his sixth straight game, while Josh Smith and Anthony Morrow joined him on the bench with ailments they suffered in the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
The Hawks now have a four game winning streak of their own and are 19-9 on the year. They will travel to play the Houston Rockets on Monday at 7 p.m. The Rockets have lost two games in a row and currently sit at 16-14 on the season. They beat Atlanta back on November 2nd in the Hawks' first game. James Harden scored a career-high 45 points in the 109-102 victory.
Rookie John Jenkins reacts after hitting a three pointer in the Hawks victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. Jenkins scored a career-high ten points off the bench.
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The Atlanta Hawks came back in the fourth quarter on Friday night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 102-94. It was the Hawks third win in a row.
Cleveland led most of the game, including a five point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but shot miserably as a team in the final quarter and blew the game. Kyrie Irving led Cleveland in scoring with 28 points. Dion Waiters added eighteen points, rookie Tyler Zeller had twelve and Alonzo Gee and C.J. Miles each had ten points for the Cavaliers. With the loss, Cleveland's three game winning streak comes to a halt and they are now 7-24 on the season.
The Hawks had a big night, especially in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Cavaliers 27-14 to pull off the eight point victory. To get the win, they needed a big night from one of their top players, and tonight that happened to be Jeff Teague. Teague scored a career-high 27 points, making eleven of his nineteen shots. Coach Larry Drew had a talk with him during the last game and told him he needed to step up his play and he responded in a big way tonight.
Lou Williams also scored sixteen points for the Hawks, Al Horford had fourteen points and eleven rebounds to lead the Hawks in that category. Also, Anthony Tolliver came off the bench and scored thirteen points, including eleven of those points during a second quarter run. Kyle Korver also scored in double-figures, he had eleven points. Devin Harris missed another game with his foot injury and Ivan Johnson was out with an illness.
The Hawks are now 18-9 on the season. They return home to face the Indiana Pacers tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Indiana is 17-12 on the year and have currently won four games in a row. They are in first place in the Central Division in the Eastern Conference.
Jeff Teague drives the lane against the Cavaliers, Teague scored a career-high 27 points in the 102-94 victory over Cleveland.
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The Atlanta Hawks barely pulled out a 126-119 victory in double overtime against the Detroit Pistons. The Hawks almost gave the Pistons a late Christmas gift the day after Christmas, blowing a 22 point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons appeared to be out of the game by the end of the first quarter when they were down 28-13. They had a good second quarter, then a bad third quarter, before exploding for 39 points in the fourth to tie the game and send it to overtime. All five players that came off the bench for the Pistons played more minutes than every starter. Will Bynum led the team with 31 points. Andre Drummond finished with sixteen points and led the Pistons with twelve rebounds. Rodney Stuckey also scored sixteen points and dished out eleven assists. Charlie Villanueva added fourteen points, Tayshaun Prince also had fourteen and Greg Monroe finished with ten. Austin Daye also pulled down eleven rebounds off the bench. The Pistons are now 9-22 on the season.
The Hawks just couldn't seal the deal in regulation. Josh Smith started the game making thirteen of his eighteen shots, and then went cold, missing his last seven to stall out the offense. Al Horford also had a chance to hit a free-throw with a second left to seal the deal, but missed the shot. Three players did have double-doubles for the Hawks though, Smith led the way with 31 points and ten rebounds. Horford had 22 points and ten rebounds too. Jeff Teague added seventeen points and handed out eleven assists.
Lou Williams scored eighteen points, a career reserve, he has now started the last two games in a new role. Anthony Morrow scored sixteen points off the bench, he came up big as Kyle Korver had an off night shooting. Devin Harris missed another game, the Hawks are not sure when he will return.
The Hawks are now 17-9 on the season. They will travel to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The Cavaliers, who are 7-23 on the year but have won their last two games, beat the Hawks a few weeks ago in Atlanta on a last second lay-up.
Josh Smith throws down a dunk in the Hawks double overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons, Smith scored 31 points in the victory.
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The Atlanta Falcons beat the Detroit Lions 31-18 on Saturday night to lock up home-field advantage for the playoffs. The Lions' Calvin Johnson did break a few receiving records in the loss.
The Lions offense couldn't put anything together in the first half, scoring only six points on two Jason Hanson field goals. They fought back in the second half with a touchdown and another field goal, but the Falcons pulled away again. Johnson broke a major mark, setting the record for most receiving yards in a season, a mark that had been held by legendary San Francisco 49ers' receiver Jerry Rice since 1995. Johnson will have another week to add to his final total of receiving yards. He also set records for eight straight games with at least 100 receiving yards and four straight games with at least ten receptions. Johnson finished the night with eleven receptions and 225 yards receiving. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 37 of his 56 passing attempts for 443 yards and an interception. He is closing in on the record for most passing attempts by a quarterback in a season. The Lions are now 4-11 on the year after losing their last seven games in a row.
The Atlanta Falcons locked up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. That will be a big advantage for them as they look for their first playoff victory under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons led from the very beginning and never looked back. Quarterback Matt Ryan matched a career-high with four touchdown passes in the game. Two of them went to Roddy White, one to Julio Jones, who made a fantastic catch, and the other to tight end Michael Palmer. Ryan finished the evening completing 25 of his 32 passes for 279 yards and his touchdowns to lead the Falcons pass-first offense.
White not only had two touchdown receptions, he finished the night with eight total catches for 153 yards to lead all Falcons' receivers. Tony Gonzalez caught only one pass, but it continued his streak of 194 straight games with at least one reception. Matt Bryant also kicked a 20-yard field goal to complete the Falcons' scoring. Dunta Robinson led the Falcons' defense with nine tackles. Fellow corner back Asante Samuel picked off Stafford for one of the Falcons' three takeaways. Defensive lineman John Abraham and Corey Peters each forced a fumble that the Falcons' recovered for the other two.
The Falcons are now 13-2 on the year. They will finish off the regular season at home next Sunday when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to town. The Buccaneers are currently 6-8 on the year, but they will battle the St. Louis Rams tomorrow before taking on Atlanta next week at 1 p.m.
The Falcons' Julio Jones makes a fantastic touchdown catch, he just barely kept both feet in bounds for the reception. The Falcons beat the Detroit Lions 31-18 on Saturday night.
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The Atlanta Hawks welcomed the Chicago Bulls to Atlanta on Saturday night and beat them 92-75. It was a nice, early Christmas gift for the Hawks, getting an easy and much needed win.
The Bulls were keeping it close in the first quarter and had a lead early in the second quarter. Joakim Noah threw down a dunk for a 31-28 lead with seven minutes left in the second, but the Bulls missed eight of eleven shots during the rest of the quarter and committed four turnovers. During the last quarter, Chicago used reserves for the rest of the game. Luol Deng scored eleven points to lead the Bulls and Noah added ten, they were the only two to score in double figures. The Bulls are now 15-11 on the season.
Atlanta poured on the scoring all night as they shot 49 percent from the field as a team. They especially shot well in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulls 36-16 while shooting 65 percent from the field. This was a great sign after the Hawks had shot below 40 percent from the field in their last two games. The win also gave coach Larry Drew his 100th career win as Hawks' coach. He was the second fastest coach in Hawks' history to reach the milestone.
Al Horford had a double-double, leading the Hawks with 20 points and ten rebounds. Lou Williams added sixteen points, Kyle Korver had thirteen, Josh Smith had twelve and Jeff Teague had eleven as all the Hawks' starters scored in double figures. Devin Harris missed his third straight game with his foot injury, the Hawks hope to have him back after Christmas.
The Hawks are now 16-9 on the year. They have a nice break before playing again on Wednesday. They will host the Detroit Pistons at Philips Arena at 7:30 p.m. The Pistons are currently 9-21 on the year after beating the Washington Wizards in their last game.
Al Horford takes a shot against the Chicago Bulls, he led the Hawks with 20 points and ten rebounds in the big win on Saturday night.
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The Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions will meet tonight for a special edition of ESPN's Monday Night Football. The game is being played today with Monday being Christmas Eve.
After going to the playoffs last season, Detroit is 4-10 this year and are playing the role of potential spoilers. They can postpone the Falcons' chances of clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win today. The Lions have lost their last six games of the season, including a brutal beating by the Arizona Cardinals last week. Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions, two were returned for touchdowns in the 38-10 loss. Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson is the teams' only bright spot. He needs only 182 more receiving yards to break the all-time record that the legendary Jerry Rice set back in 1995. He has twelve career receptions against the Falcons for 222 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons had a terrific game last week against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Matt Ryan threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-0 victory. The Falcons can clinch home-field advantage for the playoffs, but they hope their playoff success can be better than recent years. In 2010, the Falcons went 13-3 but lost their first playoff game. Last year, the Falcons went 10-6 but once again lost the first game in the playoffs. They need to keep up their great play and show they are a Super Bowl contender. Here are two things they need to accomplish today.
First, they need to win and get the home-field advantage. They need to just get it done with now and not delay until next weekend. Also, if they can clinch it today, they can rest their starters for most of next weekend and play the reserves to ensure their best players will be well rested for the playoffs. It would also prevent critics from tearing the team down again, which is what a loss to the Lions would do.
Second, the team needs to play with that intensity they had against the Giants last Sunday. They seem to relax when playing a team that is supposed to be an easy opponent. The two losses this year have come against teams with losing records. Plus, they have had plenty of other games in which an easier opponent has given them a rough time. If the Falcons dominate tonight, it will help state their case as the best team in the NFC.
The Lions are falling apart and the Falcons are rising up. With those facts in mind, it should be a good night for Atlanta as they win their thirteenth game and clinch home-field advantage.
Lou Williams' return to his old stomping grounds with his new team didn't go so well on Friday night. As a matter of fact, his old team stomped the Hawks into the ground, beating them 99-80.
The Philadelphia 76ers ended a five game losing streak with the win. The Sixers poured on the scoring all night, dominated in rebounding, and played like a completely different team compared to the team that went through the losing streak. They usually dominate and beat the Hawks though. Evan Turner led the Sixers with 21 points, Thaddeus Young scored eighteen and had eleven rebounds to lead the team in that category. Jason Richardson had seventeen, Spencer Hawes scored twelve off the bench and Jrue Holiday had eleven points. The Sixers are now 13-14 on the season.
The Hawks have lost their last two games, and poor shooting is one reason why. They have shot under 40 percent in both games. They were tied with the Heat for the division lead a few games ago, but now are two and a half games back.
Josh Smith led the Hawks with seventeen points. Williams scored thirteen points off the bench and Kyle Korver was the only other Hawk to score in double figures, he had eleven. Devin Harris missed another game with his sore foot, it is not known when he will return to the lineup.
The Hawks are now 15-9 on the year. They will return home to play their fourth game in five days tomorrow night. The Chicago Bulls come to town with their 14-10 record. They beat one of the NBA's best, the New York Knicks, in their last game. Game time is at 7 p.m.
Lou Williams' return to Philadelphia didn't go well, as the Hawks lost 99-80.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder took control of the game early and held on late to beat the Hawks on Wednesday night, 100-92. The Hawks rally fell short, as the team started to miss just about every shot they took in the final quarter.
With the win, the Thunder's winning streak moved to twelve games, and their NBA-best record improved to 21-4. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were the main components, as usual, for the Thunder. Durant was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, making six of nine shots, including three 3-pointers. He finished the night with a game-high 41 points and added thirteen rebounds. Westbrook also had a double-double, scoring 27 points and dishing out eleven assists. Serge Ibaka led the Thunder with fourteen rebounds on the night.
The Hawks kept it close in the first quarter, but then had a miserable second quarter. The Thunder outscored the Hawks 32-21 in the quarter before the half and eventually they were losing by seventeen points. The Hawks were able to cut the deficit to four in the fourth quarter but didn't have enough in the tank to complete the entire comeback. Josh Smith had a double-double for the Hawks, scoring seventeen points and pulling down twelve rebounds, but he missed eleven of his shots and all three of his free throw attempts.
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with nineteen points, while Al Horford and Lou Williams chipped in with thirteen points. Zaza Pachulia had ten rebounds off the bench. Devin Harris missed the game for the Hawks, he was out with the foot injury he suffered in the win against the Washington Wizards yesterday.
The Hawks are now 15-8 on the year and will travel to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. The 76ers are 12-14 on the year and have lost five in a row. The game will be at 7 p.m.
Jeff Teague, dunking against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, led the Hawks with nineteen points in the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
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The Hawks and Washington Wizards have played each other three times this year, and the Hawks have won every game. This one was close though, as it was the second time the two teams have gone to overtime, with the Hawks barely winning 100-95.
The Wizards kept it close all game, and outscored the Hawks in the third and fourth quarters to force the game into overtime. Former Hawk Jordan Crawford had a terrific game and recorded a triple-double. He scored a game-high 27 points, pulled down eleven rebounds and dished out eleven assists. Earl Barron led the Wizards with fourteen rebounds. Nene scored eighteen points off the bench to help the cause, Bradley Beal added seventeen and Martell Webster had eleven. The Wizards have now lost four games in a row and their record fell to an NBA-worst 3-19.
The Hawks were coming off their worst loss of the season, a 115-93 drubbing by the Golden State Warriors, and were looking for a great game to bounce back. They might not consider this a great game, but they will be happy to leave the capital with a victory. One thing that could have prevented the game from going to overtime is free-throw shooting. As a team the Hawks missed eleven free throws, that obviously made a big difference in the score at the end of regulation.
Josh Smith had a double-double in the win, scoring seventeen points and leading the Hawks with thirteen rebounds. Lou Williams led the Hawks in scoring with 24 points, Kyle Korver had sixteen and Jeff Teague had thirteen. Al Horford also pulled down eleven rebounds. Ivan Johnson and Devin Harris both left the game in the second quarter. Johnson hurt his finger and had to get stitches, he did return after halftime. Harris hurt his ankle and he did not return to the game, his status is uncertain. Also, Atlanta was still without Anthony Morrow who has a sore back.
The Hawks are now 15-7 on the season. They will return home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. The Thunder are the NBA's hottest team having won eleven games in a row and are 20-4 overall this season. The Hawks beat them back on November 4th in Oklahoma, 104-95.
Lou Williams takes a shot over the Wizards' Emeka Okafor, Williams led the Hawks with 24 points in the overtime victory.
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Defense was the name of the game for the Falcons on Sunday. The defense made several stands and the offense powered the Falcons to a 34-0 victory over the New York Giants.
New York falls to 8-6 on the year and they are now tied with the Washington Redskins for first place in their division, after the Redskins defeated the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Giants turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions by Eli Manning. Manning finished the day with only 161 yards passing and had a horrible quarterback rating of 38.9. Lawrence Tynes also missed a field goal attempt, as the Giants were shutout for the first time since 1996. The Giants will most likely have to win their last two games to even make the playoffs.
The Falcons had a terrific game, it was a great way to bounce back from their humbling loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. The defense stepped up big with the three turnovers and producing three stops on fourth down attempts by the Giants. The Giants could have easily kicked field goals on the three fourth down tries, but they wanted more and the Falcons denied them. Matt Ryan had a fantastic day and broke his own records for completions and passing yards in a season by a Falcons quarterback, and he has two games left to add to the totals. He finished the day completing 23 of his 28 pass attempts for 270 yards and three touchdowns.
Michael Turner added a one-yard touchdown run and Matt Bryant kicked two field goals. Julio Jones caught two of Ryan's touchdown passes, including a 40-yard bomb. Tony Gonzalez caught the other touchdown, an acrobatic grab on a pass that Ryan placed perfectly. Sean Weatherspoon led the Falcons' defense with six tackles. Asante Samuel picked off Manning's first pass of the day to help set up Turner's touchdown run. Thomas DeCoud picked off a Manning pass in the second quarter, it was his sixth interception of the year, which leads the team.
The Falcons are now 12-2 on the season, one more win should help them clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They hope it will come next week, when they travel to play the Detroit Lions. The game will be played on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and will be highlighted on ESPN. Next Monday is Christmas Eve, which is the reason the game will be played on Saturday and covered by ESPN as if it was a Monday Night Football game.
The Falcons' Tony Gonzalez hauls in a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to help the Falcons beat the New York Giants, 34-0.
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The last time the Falcons and New York Giants played each other was in the playoffs last year and the Giants killed the Falcons, 24-2. The Falcons are looking to avenge themselves from that loss and from their lackluster performance against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.
The Giants are currently 8-5 on the year, but even with that mediocre record, everyone knows they are the defending Super Bowl champions. Most importantly, they still play as a championship caliber team. They showed that as they beat the New Orleans Saints last week, 52-27. Rookie running back David Wilson had a fantastic day against the Saints, rushing the ball thirteen times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for 97 yards and another touchdown. He will most likely get the start at running back today with leading rusher Ahmad Bradshaw ruled out for the game. Eli Manning will also be a threat as usual. In the playoff game last year, he threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns and in the last three weeks he has eight touchdowns and two interceptions. The Giants are the only NFC team that Matt Ryan hasn't beaten in his career.
The Falcons had a terrible game last week against the Panthers, losing 30-20. They never got going until the second half, but they were already down 23-0 and it was too late. Running backs Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers were even worse, combining for only 35 yards rushing. The two will have to perform better today, but the Giants great defense will cause problems. Last year in the playoff game the Falcons only had 64 rushing yards, so it could be a long day again for Turner and Rodgers. The Falcons will have to step up their game in two other areas in order to win today.
First, Ryan needs to have a superb day and beat the Giants for the first time. In the playoff game, he threw for a meager 199 yards and was sacked twice. If the Falcons want to win, Ryan needs to throw for 300-plus yards and a few touchdowns to get the offense going, because it most likely won't happen with the running game. Also, Ryan needs only 68 passing yards to become the first Falcon ever to have back-to-back seasons of 4,000 passing yards in a year.
Second, the offensive line needs to be a brick wall against the Giants' feared rushing attack. The Giants have 31 sacks on the year as a team. They have four terrific pass rushers in Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Chris Canty. Those four have combined for seventeen of the teams' sacks. The offensive linemen need to stop the Giants in order to give Ryan enough time to pass. And if the Falcons decide to run the ball, the line needs to push the Giants back and create openings for the running backs to go through.
It will be a tough battle today. The Falcons have already wrapped up a playoff spot and are tied with the Houston Texans with the best record in the NFL. They seem content with that as of late, but if they want to beat the Giants, they have to play with more intensity. Otherwise, look for the Giants to beat the Falcons, and move closer to clinching their own playoff berth.
The Atlanta Hawks didn't come to play tonight and lost to the Golden State Warriors, 115-93. This game was over after the first quarter, as the Hawks lacked energy all night.
With the win, the Warriors finish off a seven game road trip in which they went 6-1. Tired and worn out from the long trip, the Warriors found a way to beat the Hawks and they did it quite easily. The Warriors outscored the Hawks 36-23 in the second quarter to pull ahead for good in the 22 point win. They shot almost 50 percent from the field as a team. David Lee had a double-double, leading the Warriors with 20 points and eleven rebounds. Stephen Curry also had a double-double, scoring eighteen points and dishing out eleven assists. Carl Landry and Harrison Barnes both scored nineteen points and Jarrett Jack added thirteen points. The surprising Warriors are now 16-8 on the year and are one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
The Hawks kept up with the Warriors in the first quarter, as the game was tied 26-26. After that, the Hawks kept shooting short shots and just didn't seem to hustle. The bench ended up playing most of the fourth quarter. Al Horford scored seventeen points to lead the Hawks, who had four players score in double figures.
Lou Williams had sixteen points and Ivan Johnson had fifteen, both players came off the bench, Jeff Teague added ten points. Rookies Mike Scott and John Jenkins had career-highs in points, Scott scored nine points and Jenkins had eight. Josh Smith had a terrible night, as he shot one for twelve from the field and only had three points, not what the Hawks expect from their leader. Anthony Morrow did not play in the game, he was out with a sore back.
The Hawks are now 14-7 on the season. Their next game will be on Tuesday at 7 p.m. They will travel to the nation's capital to take on the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are currently 3-18 on the season. This will be the third meeting of the year between the two teams, the Hawks have won the first two meetings, both at Philips Arena.
Ivan Johnson throws down a dunk on Saturday night, he had another big game off the bench for the Hawks in the loss to Golden State.
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In an unusual move, the Atlanta Braves announced the signing of shortstop Ramiro Pena to a one-year deal. The contract is Major League guaranteed.
This move will seem pointless to most Braves' fans, and it is since the Braves already have three shortstops ready to play at the Major League level. They plan on having Pena as the main backup to starting shortstop Andrelton Simmons. The futures for Tyler Pastornicky and Paul Janish appear cloudy. They either will be traded or play in the Minor Leagues, which would probably be very disappointing for them.
Pena has spent parts of the past four seasons with the New York Yankees, but since the Yankees have Derek Jeter, he never played much. Last year, he appeared in only three games and had one hit in four at-bats. For his career he has a .233 batting average with only two home runs and 32 RBI's in 180 career games. He is mostly known for his defensive skills as a shortstop. He can also play third base and second base.
In the first two meetings of the year between the Hawks and the Charlotte Bobcats, the games were close and hard fought. Thursday night was different, as the Bobcats didn't have any intensity and the Hawks easily won, 113-90.
The Bobcats never were in the game until the third quarter when both teams scored 31 points. That didn't matter though, as they were already down by sixteen points. Gerald Henderson led the Bobcats with seventeen points off the bench. Ramon Sessions also scored sixteen points off the bench. Kemba Walker also had thirteen points and Jeffery Taylor scored twelve. The Bobcats have fallen apart as of late. After starting the season 7-5, they have lost their last ten games to drop to 7-15 on the year.
Ten different players scored for the Hawks in the win. They started fast and kept that up all night, winning by 23 points. The 113 points is a high so far this season for the Hawks and as a team they hit fourteen 3-pointers, another team high for the year. Devin Harris had a huge game and led all scorers with 20 points. That is the most points he has scored as a Hawk. Lou Williams tied his career-high in assists with nine.
The Hawks had five other players score in double figures. Josh Smith was next, he had eighteen points. Ivan Johnson had sixteen off the bench, Kyle Korver and Williams had thirteen points and Al Horford had eleven. His double-double streak ended though, as he had only three rebounds. Rookies' John Jenkins and Mike Scott both scored for the first time since being recalled from a stint in the NBA D-League. Jenkins finished with five points and Scott had two.
The Hawks are now 14-6 on the season and tied with the Miami Heat for the Southeast Division lead. They will have a tough match up on Saturday as they host the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are the surprise team in the NBA so far this year, as they have a 15-7 record. They will play tomorrow night in Orlando against the Magic before playing the Hawks. The game will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Ivan Johnson goes for a layup, he had sixteen points off the bench in the Hawks' 113-90 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday night.
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The Atlanta Hawks took a huge lead early and held off a late rush by the Orlando Magic to win 86-80 on Wednesday night. The win helps Atlanta bounce back from their defeat to the Miami Heat on Monday.
The Magic lost their fourth straight home game after hitting only 31 of their 81 shots. They were down by 18 at one point, made it close but turnovers doomed them at the end of the game. Arron Afflalo led the Magic with sixteen points, followed by J.J. Redick with thirteen, Jameer Nelson had twelve, E'Twaun Moore had eleven and Glen Davis had ten. The Magic's record fell to 8-13 on the year.
The Hawks started the game on a 16 to 2 run and it appeared they were going to run away with it. At halftime, it was 46-34, but the Hawks let the Magic back into the game in the fourth quarter, and luckily they held on. Al Horford had his seventh double-double in a row. He scored thirteen points and had thirteen rebounds. Josh Smith also had a double-double, scoring sixteen points and grabbing eleven rebounds.
Jeff Teague tied Smith for the team lead in points with sixteen. Lou Williams added eleven points off the bench and Devin Harris scored ten. Kyle Korver didn't appear rusty at all, as he hit three of his five shots from behind the three-point arc. DeShawn Stevenson didn't play, its the first game of a back-to-back, so he will play tomorrow.
The Hawks are now 13-6 on the year and will play again tomorrow night. They will travel home and host the Charlotte Bobcats. It will be the third meeting of the year already between the two teams. The Hawks have won the first two meetings so far. The Bobcats are currently 7-13 on the year, they have lost eight games in a row.
Al Horford pulls down a rebound, he recorded his seventh double-double in a row in the Hawks' 86-80 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
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On a night when the lead for the Southeast Division was on the line, the Miami Heat were ready to play. After a close game, the Heat took off and left the Hawks in the dust in the last quarter and a half and won, 101-92.
With the win, the Heat increased their lead in the division to a game and a half over the Hawks. After the Hawks took a 65-63 lead in the third quarter, the Heat went on a 17-4 run to put the game out of reach. Dwyane Wade had a terrific night from the field, shooting eleven for thirteen, the best single-game shooting percentage of his spectacular career. He finished with 26 points. LeBron James led the Heat with 27 points, Chris Bosh scored fourteen and Norris Cole added ten off the bench. Bosh had a double-double as he led the Heat with ten rebounds. The win puts the Heat's record at 14-5 on the season.
Atlanta suffered their second straight loss to Miami this season and is just 1-7 against them since March 2011. Only being down by two points at the half, and taking a brief lead in the third quarter, the Hawks were in perfect position to win this game. They unfortunately didn't have enough fight in them to beat the Heat though. Josh Smith matched his career-high by hitting four of his five three point attempts. He was eight for 21 shooting three pointers this year before the game. He finished with a team-high 22 points.
Al Horford once again had a double-double scoring 20 points and pulling down a team high eleven rebounds. DeShawn Stevenson scored twelve points, all on three pointers, and Jeff Teague and Lou Williams each had eleven. The Hawks were once again without Kyle Korver who was still out with back spasms, he could possibly be back for the next game.
The Hawks fall to 12-6 on the season. Their next opponent will be the Orlando Magic, they are currently 8-12 on the year. The game will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Orlando.
LeBron James drives by the Hawks' Josh Smith on Monday night, both James and Smith led their respective teams in scoring in the Miami Heat's 101-92 win.
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Panthers' defensive end Greg Hardy wasn't fooling around when he said the Panthers were the better team. Hardy's words were backed by his teammates on Sunday, as the Panthers whipped the Falcons, 30-20.
Carolina dominated the Falcons from start to finish. They also got a little help from the referees, who gave the Panthers some courteous calls. Cam Newton led the Panthers' offense, passing for 287 yards and throwing two touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 116 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown run that put the Panthers out front, 23-0. Steve Smith had a big day receiving with seven catches for 109 yards. Linebacker Luke Kuechly led the Panthers' defense with thirteen tackles and fellow linebacker Thomas Davis had a crucial interception that stopped a late Falcons' drive. The win helps redeem the Panthers' 30-28 last-minute loss to the Falcons earlier in the season and improves their record to 4-9.
The Falcons must have left their game in Atlanta, as they seemed to be out of rhythm all afternoon. Not only did the Panthers have a 23-0 lead to start the game, they had almost three hundred more yards of offense through two and a half quarters. They held a 356 to 86 yard advantage over the Falcons. One of the bad calls by the referees came when the Falcons went for a two-point conversion. Roddy White appeared to have caught the ball but the referees said he bobbled it and it was no good. Replays didn't show the same thing. Then a few minutes later, the same thing happened to Panthers' receiver Louis Murphy, except he did bobble the ball and dropped it, but somehow it was ruled a complete pass. The Falcons, who are one of the best teams in the league at not committing fouls, received plenty of yellow flags on a day when everything went the Panthers way.
Matt Ryan had a good day, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns, but his interception late in the game was very costly. Michael Turner scored a late touchdown in the game, but he had a horrible day, carrying the ball seven times for a mere fourteen yards. Roddy White had another big game, catching nine passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. Dunta Robinson led the team with eight tackles, but overall the defense was horrible, missing many tackles and allowing the Panthers' offense to run all over the field.
The Falcons will have a tough opponent next Sunday. They will welcome the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants to the Georgia Dome. The Giants currently lead the NFC East division and will be looking to send the Falcons to another loss. The game will be at 1 p.m.
The Falcons' Corey Peters can't tackle Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton, Newton dominated the Falcons' defense running and throwing the ball.
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The Atlanta Falcons are in Carolina today to take on Cam Newton and the Panthers, the game will be at 1 p.m. The Falcons are hoping they can contain Newton and the Panthers and go 12-1 on the year.
The Panthers lost last week to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and fell to 3-9 on the year. Newton has been on top of his game lately though, as he has six passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and no interceptions in the past three games. The defense has let the Panthers down as of late, giving up an average of 30 points a game in their last three losses. Those three losses have come in their last four games, but they are on a mission today playing their division rivals. The Panthers almost won their previous meeting this season, but the Falcons drove 77 yards in the final minute to win 30-28. The loss still bothers defensive lineman Greg Hardy as he said on Wednesday that the Panthers owe the Falcons something and it is coming. He also was quoted as saying the Panthers are the better team.
The Falcons are coming off of a huge win against the New Orleans Saints last Thursday. The 23-13 win also helped them to clinch the NFC South division title. The defense dominated the game for the Falcons, intercepting Saints' quarterback Drew Brees a record five times. The Falcons can possibly clinch a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win today, but that is more likely to come next week. Here are two things the Falcons need to do today to guarantee another victory.
First, the defense needs to keep up the intensity. Newton hasn't thrown an interception in awhile, it would be nice if the Falcons could end that trend today. Also, John Abraham, who has a team-high ten sacks, needs to lead the defensive line and try to sack Newton a few times. The defense could potentially be without leading tackler William Moore and corner back Asante Samuel, if that's the case, Chris Hope and Christopher Owens will be counted on heavily to come in and fill their shoes, which will be a tough responsibility.
Second, the Falcons need to continue their success against the Panthers. In their last five meetings, the Falcons have scored at least 30 points and have won all five match ups. Matt Ryan has thrown eleven touchdown passes and only two interceptions in those five games and running back Michael Turner has rushed for and average of 99 yards with seven total touchdowns.
If Ryan, Turner and the rest of the offense can produce similar numbers and the defense can be just as stalwart as they were against the Saints, the Falcons will move to 12-1 on the year. With the way the Panthers have played as of late, the Falcons can already cross this game off their list.
The Atlanta Hawks picked up their second win in as many days, beating the team with the best record in the NBA. After beating the Washington Wizards last night at home, the Hawks traveled to Memphis and won on Saturday night, 93-83.
The Grizzlies were winning at the half 47-41 but fell apart offensively in the second half and only scored 36 points. It was only the Grizzlies second loss at home this year. Zach Randolph had a double-double to lead the Grizzlies, scoring eighteen points and pulling down thirteen rebounds. Marc Gasol also scored eighteen points, Rudy Gay had seventeen and Mike Conley added twelve. The loss drops the Grizzlies to 14-4 on the year, which would drop them behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference and in the NBA.
The Hawks had a decent first half against Memphis, but it was the third quarter that won them the game. The Hawks outscored the Grizzlies 32-13 in the third, including a 20-0 run to give themselves a big lead, one that they kept the rest of the game. Lou Williams was a big contributor to that 20-0 run, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring eleven points. Al Horford had another double-double on the night scoring nineteen points and leading the Hawks with fourteen rebounds.
Josh Smith led the Hawks in scoring with 24 points. Williams scored eighteen of his 21 total points in the second half and Jeff Teague also scored in double figures, he had thirteen. Kyle Korver missed the game with his back still hurting, the Hawks hope to have him back on Monday. DeShawn Stevenson also didn't play, he never plays on the second night of back-to-backs.
The Hawks are now 12-5 on the year after the big win. They have another tough opponent on Monday, as they will travel to Miami to play the defending champion Heat. The Heat won on Saturday night too, and are a half game up on the Hawks in the Southeast Division. The game will be at 7:30 p.m.
Al Horford takes a shot against the Memphis Grizzlies, Horford had nineteen points and fourteen rebounds in the Hawks' 93-83 win.
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The Atlanta Hawks beat the Washington Wizards at home again for the second time in less than a month Friday night. This time the game wasn't as close, and didn't require a last second shot, as the final score was 104-95.
The Wizards could not build off of their last win, which came against the defending champion Miami Heat. They got close a few times late in the game, cutting the Hawks lead to two twice, but couldn't quite get out front. Kevin Seraphin led the Wizards with nineteen points, Bradley Beal had eighteen, Jordan Crawford scored fourteen and Nene added twelve points. The Wizards fall to 2-14 on the year.
The Hawks built a big lead and were winning 31-19 after the first quarter. They never trailed after overtaking the Wizards 10-9 early in the game. Al Horford and Josh Smith once again led the Hawks, they both posted double-doubles. Smith led the Hawks with 23 points and fifteen rebounds, while Horford scored fourteen points and pulled down fourteen rebounds.
The Hawks had five players score in double-figures. Jeff Teague scored nineteen points, Devin Harris and DeShawn Stevenson scored fifteen apiece, all of Stevenson's points came on three pointers. Kyle Korver missed his third straight game with an ailing back.
The Hawks move to 11-5 on the year. They have the third best record in the Eastern Conference behind the Heat and the New York Knicks. They will travel to take on the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow night at 8 p.m. The Grizzlies own the NBA's best record at 14-3.
DeShawn Stevenson shoots a three-pointer, he hit five shots from beyond the arc on Friday night to help the Hawks beat the Washington Wizards, 104-95.
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The Atlanta Braves announced they re-signed outfielder Reed Johnson on Thursday. The deal was a one-year contract with a club option for 2014.
Johnson, who will turn 36 in two days, was the top pinch hitter in the National League last year. He went 18 for 43 as a pinch hitter for a .419 average. Overall he batted .290 with three home runs and 20 RBI's last season, split between the Braves and the Chicago Cubs. 2013 will be Johnson's eleventh year in the big leagues. He will be one of the teams' top pinch hitters along with being the main backup to all three outfielders.
The Atlanta Braves announced they exercised the contract option on manager Fredi Gonzalez for the 2014 season. Gonzalez is now guaranteed another two years as Braves' manager.
Gonzalez took over in 2011 after longtime legend Bobby Cox retired as the Braves' skipper. In his two years as the Braves' manager, Gonzalez has compiled a 183-141 record. In 2011, it appeared Gonzalez was going to lead the Braves to the playoffs in his first season, but a horrible September cost the Braves a postseason berth. 2012 was different, as Gonzalez led the Braves to the postseason with a 94-68 record. The Braves didn't get far though, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the one-game Wild Card playoff. He will hope to get them further into the postseason in 2013.
The Atlanta Hawks bounced back from their tough loss to beat the Denver Nuggets 108-104 on Wednesday night. Josh Smith had the clinching dunk and free-throw to seal the Hawks' win and gave himself a nice birthday present with the victory.
The Nuggets fought long and hard all night, even taking a 98-97 lead with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter. After a Hawks' basket, Ty Lawson hit a three-pointer to give the Nuggets a 101-99 lead, but that would be the last time they led. Lawson led the Nuggets with 32 points. Corey Brewer added nineteen off the bench, Danilo Gallinari had sixteen and JaVale McGee added eleven also off the bench. Timofey Mozgov had thirteen rebounds in his first start of the season. Kosta Koufos, the normal starting center for the Nuggets, missed the game with the flu.
This was a big win for the Hawks after suffering a last second defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last game. They bounced back and led most of the game, fell behind late, but made sure to comeback and put the Nuggets away. Smith's steal and jam electrified Philips Arena as the game was all but over. Lou Williams added four free throws in the final minute to help seal the deal.
Al Horford led the team with 25 points and added twelve rebounds for a double-double. Smith had a great performance on his birthday, scoring sixteen points and leading the Hawks with thirteen rebounds. Lou Williams added sixteen points off the bench, Devin Harris had twelve points and Zaza Pachulia scored all eleven of his points in the second quarter to give the Hawks five players in double figures. Kyle Korver missed the game due to being with his wife for the birth of their first child. Rookie John Jenkins was back with the Hawks, after a two-game stint in the D-League. He scored 22 points in his first D-League game and 29 in his second to earn his spot back on the team.
The Hawks are now 10-5 on the season. They will take on the Washington Wizards on Friday at Philips Arena. It will be a rematch of the 101-100 overtime thriller that the Hawks won back on November 21st. The Wizards have won two games since then, including one against the Miami Heat, to improve to 2-13 on the season. The game on Friday will be at 7:30 p.m.
Josh Smith (5) raises his arms to the roar of the crowd after helping the Hawks to a 108-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
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The Atlanta Braves re-signed shortstop Paul Janish to a one-year contract worth a little less than a million dollars.
The move was apparently made awhile ago but the Braves just announced it. The deal helps the Braves and Janish to avoid arbitration. He will be the primary backup to starting shortstop Andrelton Simmons. He could also be used as a late-game substitution for Dan Uggla at second base and at third base for defensive reasons.
Last year, he appeared in 55 games for the Braves, replacing Simmons while he was on the disabled list. He hit .186 with no home runs and nine RBI's before dislocating his shoulder on September 18th and missing the rest of the year. He will be ready when spring training starts.
The Atlanta Hawks sent their two draft picks from the past draft to the D-League, or the minor league of basketball.
John Jenkins and Mike Scott were both sent the the Hawks affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam located in California. Both players haven't seen much time for the Hawks off the bench this year. Jenkins, who was drafted from Vanderbilt, has scored six points in thirteen total minutes this season. Scott, who was drafted from Virginia, has scored two points in sixteen total minutes. They are expected to be ready to play for Bakersfield on Monday night.
The Atlanta Braves traded right-handed starting pitcher Tommy Hanson to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. They received right-handed reliever Jordan Walden in return.
Hanson had a rough season last year. After starting the first half as one of the Braves best pitchers, he declined rapidly due to arm and shoulder fatigue. It is the second year in a row that Hanson has suffered with that issue. Many thought he deserved to be an All-Star at the halfway point last year and was 12-5 at the end of July. He finished the season though with a 13-10 record and a 4.48 ERA.
The once promising Braves' prospect who was projected to be the ace of the staff, will now try to rediscover his abilities in the American League with the Angels. The trade opens up a spot for either Randall Delgado or Julio Teheran to begin the year in the starting rotation, at least until Brandon Beachy returns.
Walden is an exciting add for the Braves. He has stuff comparable to current closer Craig Kimbrel. He has been clocked at 100 mph before and consistently throws in the mid to high 90's with his fastball. He joins a Braves' bullpen that already features Kimbrel, Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty. Walden had a little arm trouble this past season, but still appeared in 45 games and went 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA and 48 strikeouts. He has closer experience too, in his rookie season he saved 32 games and had a 2.98 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 62 games. He will be counted on in the sixth or seventh innings and may get a chance to be the set-up man for Kimbrel on certain nights.
In other Braves' news on Friday, they announced they would not tender contract offers to starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens and reliever Peter Moylan. Jurrjens is most certainly gone, while the fan-favorite Moylan might get a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, and another chance to be a member of the Braves' bullpen next season. The Braves also claimed reliever David Carpenter off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. He went 0-2 with an 8.07 ERA and 31 strikeouts last year in 33 games with the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Former Los Angeles Angel Jordan Walden gives the Braves another strong and powerful arm in their already superb bullpen.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the Atlanta Hawks in the last second of Friday night's game, scoring on a layup to win 113-111. The loss snaps the Hawks' six game winning streak.
Dion Waiters had taken a deep shot that was going to be off, but luckily Alonzo Gee was under the basket to grab the ball and lay it in for the win. The Hawks could not get a shot off with only a second remaining. The Cavaliers had five players score in double figures, led by Jeremy Pargo who had 22 and then Waiters with 21 points. Gee added thirteen points and rookie Tyler Zeller scored ten off the bench. Anderson Varejao had a huge night for Cleveland, scoring 20 points and pulling down eighteen rebounds for a double-double, he leads all players in the NBA in rebounds per game. Tristan Thompson also grabbed fifteen rebounds.
Josh Smith stood and watched the final play happen, he took the blame after the game saying he could have tried to prevent the play from happening. The Hawks were leading the game 67-56 at halftime after Ivan Johnson hit a three pointer before the buzzer. The Hawks let this one slip away though to a team they should have easily beat.
Smith led the Hawks with 25 points as six players scored in double figures. Al Horford had another double-double scoring fifteen points and grabbing eleven rebounds. Lou Williams had eighteen points, Jeff Teague had fifteen, Devin Harris had thirteen and DeShawn Stevenson had twelve, all his points came on four 3-pointers. Kyle Korver missed the game with a sore back.
The Hawks fall to 9-5 on the year. They will have a long break, not playing again until Wednesday when they host the Denver Nuggets at Philips Arena. The Nuggets play on Monday at home before flying to Atlanta for Wednesday's 8 p.m. game that will be aired on ESPN.
Josh Smith drives through the lane against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he led the Hawks with 25 points in the loss.
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The Atlanta Falcons took and early lead over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, and hung on to win 23-13. With the win, the Falcons will clinch the division on Sunday if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the Denver Broncos.
The Saints' playoff hopes took a big hit as their record fell to 5-7 with the loss. They would basically need to win their last four games to have any hope of making the postseason. Drew Brees' NFL record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass came to an end in the loss, but he did set another personal record. He threw five interceptions in a game for the first time in his 12-year career. After the Falcons took a 17-0 lead, the Saints completely dominated the last half of the second quarter and most of the third quarter, but they could never pull even. Brees finished the night passing for 341 yards and receiver Lance Moore hauled in seven catches for 123 yards to lead the Saints.
Michael Turner and Matt Ryan staked the Falcons to their early lead. Turner ran the ball into the end zone from three yards out for his 58th career touchdown as a Falcon. It broke Terrance Mathis' old team record for touchdowns. Ryan then threw a seventeen yard pass to Tony Gonzalez in the end zone for another score. The rest of the Falcons' points came on three Matt Bryant field goals, including a 55-yarder to put the Falcons up by two possessions late in the game.
Ryan finished the night with only 165 yards passing and his touchdown, it was an off-night compared to his usual standards. Turner ended up having a decent game with 83 yards rushing and his record setting touchdown. Safety William Moore had a career game, leading the Falcons with ten tackles and picking off two of the five interceptions Brees threw. Thomas DeCoud, Sean Weatherspoon and Jonathan Babineaux had the other three interceptions. John Abraham also had a big sack late in the game on a third down play.
With this victory, the Falcons hope to have gained some respect and also hope that critics will begin to realize they are true playoff contenders. They will take their 11-1 record on the road next Sunday, December 9th, and take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers will play this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game between the Falcons and Panthers will be at 1 p.m. next week.
Falcons' safety William Moore picks off one of his two interceptions on Thursday night. Moore led the defense in the Falcons' 23-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
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The Atlanta Falcons short week of rest comes to an end tonight as they face the New Orleans Saints at 8:20 p.m. The rivalry for the game was displayed early, as airport workers threw eggs at the Saints' team buses after they landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Wednesday night.
The Saints are 5-6 on the year and are looking to keep their already slim playoff hopes alive. They lost to the San Francisco 49ers last week 31-21. Saints' quarterback Drew Brees threw three touchdowns last week and for 298 yards, but he also threw two interceptions and both were returned for touchdowns. The Saints usually have the Falcons' number though, as they have won eleven of the past thirteen meetings between the two teams, including the last two meetings at the Georgia Dome. If the Saints can manage to beat the Falcons again for the second time in three weeks, their hopes for the playoffs will still be alive.
The Falcons will try and hush the critics, who still give them a hard time week to week, despite the fact the Falcons are 10-1. It's games like the last two that give the critics reasons to doubt the Falcons. The Falcons barely beat the lowly Arizona Cardinals two weeks ago, and won by a single point against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday. In order to beat the Saints and silence the critics, the Falcons need to do two things to improve their game.
First, they need to get out to an early lead and maintain that lead. The Falcons have had to play "catch-up" the past few weeks, and throughout most of the season. If Matt Ryan can lead the offense and score a few early touchdowns, the Falcons will have a better shot at winning.
Second, they need to have a defense that will come up big and protect that lead. If players like John Abraham, Sean Weatherspoon and Dunta Robinson can make big plays and the rest of the defense does their part, the Falcons will again have a better shot at defeating the Saints. They need to pressure Drew Brees and force an interception or two to slow down the Saints' fast-paced passing attack. They also hope to have Asante Samuel playing, his hurt shoulder has slowed him down for a few weeks now, but he will be key in protecting some of the Saints' top wide receivers.
With a win tonight, and a Buccaneers' loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the Falcons would win the division. Maybe then the critics would realize the Falcons are for real, and could possibly contend for the Super Bowl title in February. Before thoughts of the Super Bowl come up though, the Falcons need to "Rise Up" tonight and beat the Saints.
The Falcons' Asante Samuel (22) deflects the ball on the final play of the Falcons' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Falcons hope Samuels' shoulder will feel better for tonight's big game against the New Orleans Saints.
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The Atlanta Braves made a move today to greatly enhance their roster. They signed free agent center fielder B.J. Upton to a five-year, $75 million contract.
Upton had initially drawn interest from the Philadelphia Phillies, the Washington Nationals, the Braves and a few other clubs. The Phillies were always considered the front runner, until the Braves hosted Upton at Turner Field two weeks ago. Apparently he liked what he saw.
Upton hit .246 last year, with a career-high 28 home runs and 78 RBI's. He also struck out a career-high 169 times. Upton hits for power, as he has had 20 or more home runs three times in his career. He is also quick, as he has 20 or more steals in the past six seasons, including three seasons in a row when he stole 44, 42 and 42 bases. Only two downfalls for Upton, he has hit .300 only once in his eight-year career, all with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has also struck out 150 times or more in five of the past six seasons. The Braves are hoping he can improve in those two areas.
Upton gives the Braves a much needed right-handed power bat to put in the middle of their lineup. Along with second baseman Dan Uggla, they will be counted on to be the heavy right-handed hitters. Also, he will form one dynamic outfield duo with Jason Heyward, they both have the potential to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases each season. If the Braves trade to get B.J.'s younger brother, Justin, from the Arizona Diamondbacks, their outfield could become one of the best in the major leagues after years of little production.
B.J. Upton signed a five-year contract with the Braves on Thursday to become the teams' new center fielder.
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The Atlanta Hawks were down at halftime, but fought their way back to beat the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night, 94-91. This was the Hawks' sixth win in a row, currently the longest winning streak in the NBA.
The Bobcats were hoping to move on from their last game, they were defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The loss to the Thunder was the worst loss in franchise history for the Bobcats, a 114-69 massacre. Tonight, they led at the half and Ben Gordon made it close, but when Ramon Sessions threw the ball away with 5.2 seconds left in the game, it was basically over. Gordon led the Bobcats with 26 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter alone. Sessions added eighteen points, Kemba Walker had fifteen and Byron Mullens chipped in with ten. Brendan Haywood had eleven rebounds in the losing effort as the Bobcats' record falls to 7-7.
Al Horford hit two clutch free throws with one second left to seal the win. He went one for ten from the free throw line a week ago against the Washington Wizards. He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for last week though, and he put up big numbers again tonight, scoring seventeen points and pulling down eleven rebounds for another double-double. Josh Smith also had a double-double, he also scored seventeen points and led the Hawks with thirteen rebounds.
Lou Williams also had seventeen points off the bench and Jeff Teague chipped in with eleven points. Devin Harris returned after missing the last game with a toe injury to score seven points off the bench. Kyle Korver left the game with back spasms in the third quarter and didn't return, he finished the night with eight points.
The Hawks are now 9-4 on the year and will take their six-game winning streak and put it on the line Friday night when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have lost their last four games and their record stands at 3-12 on the season. The game will be at 7:30 p.m.
Al Horford drives to the basket on Wednesday night against the Bobcats. Horford, who won Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors last week, hit two clutch free throws to seal the victory.
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Michael Turner scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to help the Falcons come from behind to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-23. It was a close game as each team scored points in all four quarters.
Tampa Bay falls to 6-5 on the year, this puts them four games behind the Falcons in the southeast division with only five games left for each team. Connor Barth kicked three field goals and running back Doug Martin had two one-yard touchdown runs to complete Tampa Bay's scoring. Martin was held to only 50 yards rushing on 21 carries after dominating in the last four games for the Buccaneers. Barth missed a 56-yard field goal late in the game, if he had made that, it could have proven to be the winning kick.
The Falcons scored two rushing touchdowns in the win. One was a five-yard run by Jacquizz Rodgers to give the Falcons a 10-7 lead at the time. Turner's game-winning touchdown came with almost eight minutes left, but his three-yard jog ended up being the difference. Julio Jones also caught an 80-yard bomb from Matt Ryan and Matt Bryant kicked a field goal to complete the Falcons' scoring. Bryant had an off day though, as he missed two other field goals, including a 22-yard chip shot, that he shanked so bad it went past both goal posts and very wide left.
Ryan had a good day throwing for 353 yards along with his touchdown to Jones. He becomes the first Falcons' quarterback to throw for 300 plus yards in four straight games. He did throw an interception to Ronde Barber in the first half, luckily the defense held the Buccaneers to a field goal. Jones had six receptions for 147 yards and his touchdown. The rushing attack had the two touchdowns but was otherwise comatose. Rodgers had 49 yards rushing and Turner ran for a mere seventeen yards on thirteen carries.
The defense did well, as Stephen Nicholas and Sean Weatherspoon led the team with six tackles each. Dunta Robinson and Kroy Biermann each recorded a sack. Robinson left the game for a period of time but did return later, it appeared he could have suffered a concussion but was fine. Corner back Asante Samuel kept re-injuring his already hurt shoulder, he seemed to have hurt it again on the final play. They will be re-evaluated during the next day or two.
The Falcons win helped them to keep pace with the Houston Texans for the NFL's best record at 10-1. They will only have a few days off before having a rematch against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night in Atlanta. The Saints are the only team to have beaten the Falcons this season, a 31-27 win two weeks ago. The game will be played at 8:20 p.m.
Jacquizz Rodgers scores the first touchdown of the game for the Falcons, he had 152 all-purpose yards in the Falcons' win over the Buccaneers.
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The Atlanta Falcons will take on the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers today and try to shut them down. It will be a tough task, especially since the game is in Tampa.
The Buccaneers have won five of their past six games after starting the season 1-3. They can really make a statement today if they beat the Falcons, who have the NFC's best record. With a win, the Buccaneers would only be two games back of Atlanta in the division. Quarterback Josh Freeman has been sensational lately, including throwing two or more touchdowns in the past six games for Tampa Bay. The biggest contributor on offense though, would be running back Doug Martin. The rookie out of Boise State has already rushed for over a thousand yards on the year. In the past four games, Martin has run for 592 yards and five touchdowns. He should find more running room against the Falcons, as they have one of the worst running defenses in the league.
The Falcons had a rough game last week, but barely beat the Arizona Cardinals 23-19. Matt Ryan had the worst game of his career as he threw five interceptions and no touchdowns. He tied legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr as the only quarterbacks ever to throw five interceptions in a game and still win. Ryan and the Falcons will have to have a better game today though if they want to beat their division rivals. Here are three things they need to fix in order to beat Tampa Bay.
First, Ryan needs to become an elite quarterback again. In four career trips to Tampa, Ryan has thrown five touchdowns, but has also thrown seven interceptions. He needs to cut down on the interceptions and throw more touchdowns to help his team win. Plus the Buccaneers have the best defense in the league against the run, so look for Ryan to be throwing more today.
Second, the defense needs to stop the run. Martin is only the second rookie running back since 2000 to gain a thousand rushing yards in the first ten games of the season. He will get the ball plenty, but that doesn't mean the Falcons can let down on the pass defense, as Freeman can throw the ball well.
Finally, the Falcons need to show they are still the top team in the NFL. After two mediocre weeks, critics have started wondering if the Falcons are for real. They need to score aplenty. They need to silence the Buccaneers and prove they are the team to beat, not just in the NFC but in the entire league.
If Ryan can come back and have a good game and Sean Weatherspoon returns to anchor the defense, the Falcons can win. They just have to play at a higher level than what they have been playing at in recent weeks to overcome this hot Tampa Bay team. Look for the Falcons to have just enough strength to win a close game and improve their record to 10-1.
The Atlanta Hawks cruised past the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, 104-93. Atlanta took the lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, leading by 20 points at one time during the game.
After winning six in a row, the Clippers have taken a step back and have now lost three straight. They shot only 42 percent from the field on a night after setting a season low in field goal percentage in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The bench was outscored 20-0 by the Hawks' bench in the first half. Blake Griffin scored 22 points, Chris Paul added nineteen and Jamal Crawford and Eric Bledsoe each chipped in with twelve. Griffin also had eleven rebounds to lead Los Angeles. The Clippers fall to 8-5 on the year.
The Clippers kept it close in the first quarter but the Hawks went on a 16-0 run in the second quarter to go ahead for good. Jeff Teague and Zaza Pachulia each had double-doubles and five players scored in double figures. The Hawks were without Devin Harris though, he sat out the game with a sore toe. DeShawn Stevenson didn't play either, coach Larry Drew said he wouldn't play on the second night of back-to-backs during the season.
Teague and Pachulia both scored nineteen points and Teague had eleven assists while Pachulia pulled down twelve rebounds. Lou Williams scored eighteen points, Josh Smith added seventeen and Al Horford chipped in with ten points. Rookies Mike Scott and John Jenkins got some playing time, neither player scored.
The Hawks are now 8-4 and have won five straight games. They have a few days off before playing again on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Bobcats. It will be the second time in three games the Hawks have played the Bobcats. The game will be at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Bobcats are 7-5 on the year and will play again on Monday before coming to Philips Arena on Wednesday.
Zaza Pachulia shoots over Blake Griffin of the Clippers, Pachulia scored nineteen points in the Hawks' victory.
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The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night, 101-91. Al Horford had another double-double and dominated down low to lead the Hawks to the victory.
The Bobcats have had a strong start to the season. With one more win they will match their win total from all of last year. They were hot coming into the game, winning five of their last six games, but they couldn't seal the deal tonight. They got within six points near the end of the fourth quarter but they didn't get any closer.
Ramon Sessions scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Bobcats and Kemba Walker had sixteen, both of them have scored in double-digits in every game for the Bobcats this season. Jeffery Taylor added sixteen, Byron Mullens had twelve and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had eleven. The Bobcats fall to 6-5 on the year.
The Hawks basically led the game the whole way. They led 57-51 at the half and Horford hit eight of his ten shots to begin the game. Atlanta was still a little sloppy though, turning the ball over 22 times. They had fifteen blocks as a team, the most by the Hawks in a game since 2000.
Horford finished the night with 26 points and thirteen rebounds. Jeff Teague also had a double-double, scoring thirteen points and having twelve assists. Kyle Korver had sixteen points, including four 3-pointers and Josh Smith had ten points on a poor shooting night as he hit only four of his twelve shots.
The Hawks move to 7-4 on the season. They fly home to face the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night at Philips Arena at 7 p.m. The Clippers have lost their last two games to fall to 8-4 on the season, but they already beat the Hawks earlier this year, winning 89-76 back on November 11th.
Al Horford throws down a dunk, he scored 26 points in the win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.
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The winless Washington Wizards gave the Hawks a run for their money, but it was Atlanta that came out on top, 101-100. Kyle Korver hit a three pointer with 1.9 seconds left in overtime to give the Hawks the win.
The Wizards were looking for their first win of the year. They thought they had it too, as Martell Webster scored on a put back as time expired and they celebrated wildly. When referee's looked at the replay though, they saw the ball was released after the shot clock lights went on. With the loss, the Wizards become the 13th team in NBA history to start a season 0-10 and the first since the 2009 New Jersey Nets. Kevin Seraphin had 21 points to lead the Wizards, A.J. Price added fourteen, Nene and Trevor Ariza had twelve and Webster had ten. Ariza had fifteen rebounds and Seraphin pulled down ten to give each a double-double.
The Hawks had trouble with the Wizards all game and only led 50-47 at the half. They let the Wizards take a lead, and the Hawks had to fight for overtime and then had to fight just to stay close enough for Korver to hit the winning three. Josh Smith led the team with 25 points and twelve rebounds for a double-double. Al Horford was a rebound shy of a triple-double, he had fifteen points, ten assists and nine rebounds. Korver finished the night with sixteen points, including five 3-pointers, Jeff Teague had fourteen and Devin Harris had thirteen, he hit three 3-pointers.
The Hawks move to 6-4 on the year. They will travel to play the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday at 7 p.m. The Bobcats have won their last two games and they are 6-4 on the season.
Kyle Korver hits a three point shot to propel the Hawks to an overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Photo Courtesy of images.yahoo.com
