The Braves couldn't win to go over .500 in spring training today and the Philadelphia Phillies beat them easily 10-5. Paul Maholm struggled in his second start for the Braves.
The Braves offense did total nine hits for their five runs today, the pitching just didn't do their job. Tyler Pastornicky had a fantastic day at the plate as he had an RBI single and then a three-run homer in the seventh inning, it was his first of the spring. New third baseman Chris Johnson also hit his first home run of the spring in the sixth inning, a solo shot. Ramiro Pena had two hits and scored two runs for the Braves. Justin Upton had a long double off the wall in the first inning and Jason Heyward, Evan Gattis and Todd Cunningham all recorded a hit for Atlanta in the loss.
The pitching struggled most of the day for Atlanta. Maholm had a horrible outing compared to his first start against the New York Yankees. He pitch two and two-thirds innings today and gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He suffered the loss, he is now 0-1 on the spring. Cristhian Martinez also struggled today, giving three runs on three hits, including a home run to John Mayberry Jr.
Craig Kimbrel pitched for the third time this spring and so far he has struggled in each appearance. Today he gave up two runs, only one earned though, on two hits, including an opposite field homer by the Phillies' Ryan Howard. Luis Avilan had a good day, going a scoreless inning and a third while giving up one hit. Prospect Alex Wood gave up two walks and a hit, but still pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Braves are now 3-4 on the spring. They will take the field again tomorrow and play the Washington Nationals at 6:05 p.m. The Braves beat the Nationals back on Tuesday, 9-5. Julio Teheran should get the start tomorrow, while Sean Gilmartin will pitch right after him, as they continue their battle for the fifth spot in the rotation.
Tyler Pastornicky, seen earlier in the week against Miami, hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning on Thursday, but it wasn't enough as the Philadelphia Phillies won, 10-5.
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Today's Falcons' player recap will be over defensive lineman Peria Jerry.
Jerry is in his third season out of Mississippi. He missed most of his first season due to an injury, but has played almost every game since. He has been a big disappointment though after being a first-round draft pick. He only has two sacks over his entire career, and he just set a career-high in tackles in 2012 with fourteen. He had no sacks this past season though, not the kind of numbers you expect from a former first-round pick.
Jerry should be in Atlanta again in 2013. He could be on the brink of losing his job though, with the poor numbers he puts up and the abundance of lineman the Falcons have. Look for Jerry to either put up big numbers and keep his spot, or continue to falter as he has and lose his place on the team.
Al Horford continued his streak of great games on Wednesday night. He set a new career-high in scoring as the Hawks beat the Utah Jazz 102-91.
It appeared that the Hawks were going to run away with the game in the third quarter, but the Jazz kept fighting back at the end of the quarter and into the fourth. It wasn't enough though as the Jazz lost their third straight game. Al Jefferson led the team with 26 points and he added eleven rebounds. Georgia Tech alum Derrick Favors had seventeen points and led the Jazz with fifteen rebounds, he started for the injured Paul Millsap. Randy Foye and Gordon Hayward, who came off the bench, each added eleven points for the Jazz. With the loss, Utah is now 31-27 on the season.
The Hawks outscored the Jazz in every quarter except for the fourth, but by the end of that quarter it was too late. Four players did the bulk of the scoring for Atlanta, but Horford topped them all. He led the Hawks with his career-high 34 points, he was fourteen of 22 from the field. He also pulled down fifteen rebounds to led the team.
Josh Smith also had a great night, scoring 24 points and pulling down fourteen rebounds. Jeff Teague added nineteen points and Devin Harris chipped in with twelve points against the team he played with last season. Anthony Tolliver and Dahntay Jones both didn't play in the game due to Coach Larry Drew's decision.
The Hawks are now 33-23 on the year and have won four straight. Their next game will be on Friday night at 9 p.m. in Phoenix against the Suns. The Suns have won two games in a row and are 20-39 on the year.
Al Horford throws down a dunk in front of Al Jefferson of the Utah Jazz. Horford scored a career-high 34 points in the Hawks' 102-91 victory over the Jazz.
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The Atlanta Braves lost last Friday to the Detroit Tigers. Wednesday was a different story though, as Juan Francisco's home run led the Braves in their 5-3 victory.
The Braves tallied their five runs on eleven hits today. Francisco, Jordan Schafer, Chris Johnson and Joey Terdoslavich all had two hits for Atlanta. Francisco hit his three-run homer in the top of the first off Detroit starter Rick Porcello. Later on, Johnson and Terdoslavich both drove in runs to complete Atlanta's scoring. Also, Freddie Freeman, Ramiro Pena and catcher Jose Yepez all recorded a hit for the Braves.
For the pitching, Tim Hudson had a good day other than one pitch he threw to Tigers' first baseman Prince Fielder, who sent the ball over the fence for a two-run shot. Hudson finished the day having pitched three innings, giving up two runs on two hits and striking out one while picking up the win, he is 1-0 in spring play. Prospect J.R. Graham got the save, his first of the spring. He pitched two scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out a batter. Jonny Venters, Cory Gearrin and Anthony Varvaro all pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Yohan Flande gave up a run in his third straight outing, a solo shot to Detroit's Don Kelly in the sixth.
The Braves have now evened up their record at 3-3 in spring play. They will take the field again tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. and play the Philadelphia Phillies. Paul Maholm is expected to make his second start of the spring.
Juan Francisco belts a three-run home run in the first inning on Wednesday. His homer propelled the Braves to a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
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Today's Falcons' player recap will be over defensive lineman Kroy Biermann.
Biermann is a five-year pro out of Montana. He has spent his whole career with the Falcons, and he has been a pleasant surprise after being drafted in the fifth round and hasn't missed one game in his five years. He is very quick off the end and usually puts pressure on the quarterback the whole game. This past season, he set a career-high with 52 tackles and added four sacks.
Biermann will definitely be back for the Falcons next season. If John Abraham gets released, Biermann could become the top defensive end on the Falcons. No matter what happens though, look for Biermann to have another great season in 2013 and set more career-highs.
The Braves had a starter struggle for the first time this spring, but still found a way to win. They used a five-run fifth inning and went on to beat the Nationals 9-5.
The offense scored their nine runs on fifteen hits today. Outfielder Jordan Parraz hit his first home run of the spring, a solo shot in the fifth. As for the starters, Justin Upton, B.J. Upton and Freddie Freeman all had RBI singles in the game. Juan Francisco, Evan Gattis and Ramiro Pena led the Braves with two hits apiece. Francisco and Pena each also drove in a run. Utility man Blake DeWitt also drove in a run with a double and Joey Terdoslavich had a sacrifice fly to complete the Braves' scoring. Reed Johnson, Ernesto Mejia, Dan Uggla and Joe Leonard also had hits for the Braves.
Mike Minor got the start and had a rough first inning, giving up two runs. He then settled down and threw only ten pitches in the second inning to make quick work of the Nationals. He finished the day giving up the two runs on three hits and struck out four. Reliever Dusty Hughes picked up the win for the Braves, he is 1-0 in spring play. David Carpenter had a much better outing after his last appearance and pitched a scoreless inning. Prospect Cory Rasmus also pitched a scoreless inning, while striking out two batters.
The Braves are now 2-3 in spring play. They will play again tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. against the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers beat the Braves in the first game of spring training last Friday, 2-1.
Jordan Parraz hits a solo home run in the Braves 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
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Today's Falcons' player recap will be over defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux.
Babineaux is an eight-year pro out of Iowa. He was drafted by the Falcons and has been with them his whole career. He has been a mainstay on the defensive line and is good at stuffing the run and getting a sack every so often. In 2012, Babineaux had 31 tackles, 3.5 sacks and he even had an interception and a touchdown on a fumble recovery.
Babineaux should be in Atlanta again in 2013. He is the highest paid defensive lineman, so the Falcons could release him to free up salary, but it isn't expected to happen. He will most likely be the top defensive tackle again next year and, if John Abraham did leave, he would take over the leadership role on the line.
Al Horford has really started to come alive lately. On Monday, he had yet another big night and led the Hawks to a 114-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons lost guard Brandon Knight three games ago to an injury and ever since he has been out they have lost. Will Bynum also missed the game due to a suspension by the NBA. The Pistons were behind basically all night and were down by as many as 26 points in the third quarter. Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 22 points, followed by Jonas Jerebko with 21, Greg Monroe with fifteen, Kyle Singler with thirteen and Kim English with ten. The Pistons are now 22-37 on the season.
The Hawks used two big quarters, the second and the third, to give themselves a lead that the Pistons couldn't overcome in the fourth quarter. The Hawks shot 50 percent from the floor as a team, lately they seem to be making the majority of the shots they take. They are also realizing how great it is to have Horford healthy down the stretch. Last season, Horford was injured in the opening weeks and didn't return until the playoffs. Recently, he has been on fire and he tore it up again on Monday, scoring 23 points and pulling down a team-high 22 rebounds.
Josh Smith tied Horford for the game-high with 23 points. Jeff Teague also had a double-double with 20 points and dishing out twelve assists. Kyle Korver added fifteen points all on three-pointers and Devin Harris came off the bench and chipped in with eleven points. Zaza Pachulia wasn't able to play tonight, but he wasn't really needed.
The Hawks have now won three in a row and are 32-23 on the year. They will travel to Utah to take on the Jazz on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. The Jazz are currently 31-26 on the season and have lost their past two games.
Al Horford had another big game on Monday for the Hawks, scoring 23 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in Atlanta's 114-103 victory.
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It took four games but the Braves are finally back in the win column. The Miami Marlins rallied in the late innings but Atlanta held on for the 7-6 victory.
The Braves' offense finally broke out for their seven runs on twelve hits. Jason Heyward hit his second home run of the spring, while Justin Upton got his first hit as a Brave with a home run. Justin's home run was an estimated 450 feet, one of the longest anyone has seen hit at the Braves' spring training complex. He also had a single and drove in two runs, as he, his brother B.J. and Chris Johnson all recorded two hits in the game. B.J. had a double and single and stole a base, Johnson had two singles.
Third baseman Joe Leonard had a double and catcher Matt Pagnozzi also had a double and drove in three runs. Tyler Pastornicky, Evan Gattis and Jordan Schafer were the other three Braves to get hits, all were singles.
Kris Medlen started the game and continued the trend for the starting pitchers by pitching two scoreless innings. He did give up two hits but he also struck out two batters. Craig Kimbrel had a shaky outing giving up a run and two hits in one inning of work. Luis Avilan ended up getting the win, he is 1-0. Anthony Varvaro pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the spring.
Cristhian Martinez pitched two scoreless innings, Cory Gearrin also came in and pitched a scoreless frame. Yohan Flande, who gave up a home run in his last outing, pitched the eighth inning and gave up five runs on six hits which hurts his chances even more of making the team.
The Braves are now 1-3 in spring play. They will take the field again tomorrow and play the Washington Nationals. Mike Minor is expected to make his spring debut and start the game.
Justin Upton follows through on a mammoth home run, one of the longest ever at the Braves' spring training complex. The Braves beat the Miami Marlins 7-6.
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Today will start the beginning of the Falcons' recaps over the defense, starting with the defensive lineman. John Abraham will be the first lineman covered today.
Abraham is a thirteen-year veteran out of South Carolina. He began his career with the New York Jets and was brought to the Falcons in a trade back in 2006. Since coming to Atlanta, he has been the Falcons best pass rusher each year, including a career-high 16.5 sacks back in 2008. Once again in 2012, Abraham had another solid year, recording 36 tackles and ten sacks, which made him the team leader in that category.
Abraham should be with the Falcons again next season. The only way he would leave is if the Falcons release him to free up cap space. If he is around, he will once again be the leader on the defensive line. The Falcons also need to be careful though, as he is getting older and becoming more prone to injuries.
It's a good thing spring training doesn't count. The Atlanta Braves dropped their third game in a row to start the spring on Sunday, suffering a 9-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The offense was almost comatose again as the Braves only managed two runs on seven hits. Jason Heyward did hit a solo home run and new comer B.J. Upton had two hits along with Jordan Schafer. Both had a double and a single, while Schafer scored the Braves' second run on a Tyler Pastornicky single. Back up shortstop Ramiro Pena also had a double in the game. Other starters Justin Upton, Juan Francisco and Gerald Laird all went hit less for their second games of the spring.
For the third consecutive game, a Braves' starter had a strong appearance. Today it was Julio Teheran that pitched two scoreless innings while striking out two and walking one. He is in competition for the fifth spot in the starting rotation with lefty Sean Gilmartin. Gilmartin also had a terrific outing, he pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two while giving up one hit. Jonny Venters had a first rough outing of the spring and suffered the loss, he is 0-1. He gave up two runs and three hits, including a home run to Pirates shortstop Clint Barmes. David Carpenter, who is trying to win a spot in the Braves' bullpen, didn't help his slim chances today, as he pitched two-thirds of an inning and gave up five runs on four hits.
The Braves are now 0-3 on the spring. They will play again tomorrow against the Miami Marlins at 1 p.m. Kris Medlen will start and make his first appearance of the spring.
Jason Heyward steps on home plate after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning on Sunday. The Braves lost to the Pirates 9-2.
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The Atlanta Hawks can thank Al Horford for helping them leave Milwaukee with another W. Horford scored on a put back with only five seconds left to lift the Hawks to a 103-102 victory.
The Bucks really gave the Hawks a run for their money, and almost had them beat too. They led by ten during the fourth quarter, but they just couldn't hold that lead as the Hawks rallied back for the win. Ersan Ilyasova led the Bucks with nineteen points. New Buck J.J. Redick had sixteen points off the bench for Milwaukee. Monta Ellis added fourteen, Larry Sanders had twelve and Brandon Jennings and John Henson each chipped in with eleven. Sanders came up big in the rebound department, he led the Bucks with nineteen boards. Ellis also dished out ten assists to lead the team. The Bucks are now 26-28 and have lost their last three games.
In a game which featured eighteen lead changes and thirteen ties, the Hawks fell behind early but used a big second quarter to get back into the game. They then had to rally in the fourth before Horford hit the winner at the end. The Hawks shot 42 percent from the field as a team and hit fourteen 3-pointers as a team.
Jeff Teague and Horford each had 23 points to lead the Hawks. Horford also pulled down eleven rebounds for the double-double. Devin Harris had a big game for the Hawks, he scored 21 points. Josh Smith also had a double-double, he scored fifteen points and led the Hawks with thirteen rebounds. Zaza Pachulia added eleven rebounds off the bench. DeShawn Stevenson and Ivan Johnson didn't play in the game.
The Hawks are now 31-23 and have won two in a row. They will travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons on Monday at 7:30 p.m. The Pistons are having a rough year, they are 22-36 and have lost two in a row.
Al Horford hits the winning shot over the Bucks' Larry Sanders to give the Hawks a 103-102 victory on Saturday night.
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Spring Training wasn't any nicer to the Braves in game number two. The New York Yankees used a few big innings to beat the Braves 8-3.
For the offense the Braves did get eight hits as a team. Freddie Freeman and Evan Gattis had two hits apiece. Freeman had two singles and scored a run when Gattis launched a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Gattis also had an RBI double that scored Dan Uggla in the fourth inning. Reed Johnson, Jose Yepez and Todd Cunningham each added singles, while top catching prospect Christian Bethancourt hit a double. All three of Atlanta's big outfielders, Jasony Heyward, B.J. Upton and Justin Upton didn't play in the game.
Atlanta didn't fare as well in the pitching department today. Paul Maholm started the game and he did have a great day, pitching two scoreless innings. New Brave Jordan Walden pitched in the third inning and had a rough outing giving up four runs, but only one earned, on three hits including a home run. Errors hurt Walden in the inning. A dropped pop-up by another new Brave, third baseman Chris Johnson, and a poor throw by Uggla on another play allowed a few of those runs to eventually score. Walden is 0-1 on the spring.
Yohan Flande, who is vying for a bullpen spot, pitched an inning but gave up a home run to Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. Top pitching prospect J.R. Graham made his spring debut and showed some jitters, walking two and giving up a hit, but he got out of the jam while pitching a scoreless sixth inning. Anthony Varvaro and two other top prospects, Alex Wood and Cory Rasmus, all pitched perfect innings for the Braves.
The Braves are now 0-2 on the spring. They will play the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow at 1 p.m. Julio Teheran will make his spring debut and start for Atlanta.
Paul Maholm pitched two solid innings in his spring debut for the Braves in their 8-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday.
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Today's Falcons' player recap will be over offensive lineman Todd McClure. It will be the final day for offensive lineman and the offense overall. Tomorrow will begin the recaps for the defense, starting with defensive lineman.
McClure is a fourteen year veteran out of LSU. He has spent his whole career with Atlanta since being drafted by them back in 1999. He has been a stalwart at center throughout his career with the Falcons and has always anchored the offensive line. His stay with Atlanta could be coming to an end soon though. He might retire soon or he could even lose his spot as a starter on the line, as the Falcons have a lot of younger lineman coming up. It will be seen during the off season what happens with McClure.
The Atlanta Hawks needed a pick up after their horrible loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. They got it in a big way with a 122-108 victory against the Sacramento Kings at Philips Arena on Friday night.
The Kings had a fantastic first half and shot the ball very well. They outscored the Hawks 33-25 in the first quarter and even held a two point lead at halftime. Isaiah Thomas had a big night hitting nine of eighteen shots, including four 3-pointers, for 30 points. DeMarcus Cousins, who always seems to give the Hawks issues, had 26 points and thirteen rebounds to lead the Kings in that category. Tyreke Evans was the only other King to score in double figures, he chipped in with fifteen. Jason Thompson pulled down ten rebounds in the losing effort. The Kings, who now have lost four in a row, are 19-37 on the season.
After being down by two at the half, the Hawks outscored the Kings by sixteen points over the final two quarters to secure the victory. Josh Smith came up big with his defense of Cousins late in the game, who had been dominating all night. Atlanta also had six players score in double figures and they also hit 53 percent of their shots as a team on the night, two factors that greatly contributed in the victory.
Al Horford led the Hawks with 24 points on the night. Jeff Teague recorded a double-double, scoring 20 points and dishing out twelve assists. Smith added eighteen points, DeShawn Stevenson scored seventeen points, including five 3-pointers. Kyle Korver and Devin Harris both came into the game off the bench and scored ten points. Dahntay Jones played in his first game as a Hawk, he didn't score as he only played in the final two minutes.
The Hawks are now 30-23 on the year. They travel to Milwaukee tonight to play the Bucks tomorrow at 8 p.m. The Bucks are currently 26-27 on the year and they just acquired J.J. Redick from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline. He should make his Bucks' debut against Atlanta.
DeShawn Stevenson reacts with his trademark symbol after hitting a three-pointer. Stevenson hit five 3's in the 122-108 victory Friday night.
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The Atlanta Braves were back on the field in a game for the first time since the National League Wild Card game. Unfortunately, things didn't go much better as the Detroit Tigers beat them 2-1.
For the offense, manager Fredi Gonzalez used a lineup similar to what he will use on Opening Day, minus Brian McCann being out. They didn't do much though, as Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla were the only two to get a hit, both singles. Those hits didn't come until the fifth inning. Jordan Parraz, Todd Cunningham, Ernesto Mejia and Joey Terdoslavich were the other Braves to record hits, all were singles, except Terdoslavich, he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Braves' only run. That should be a big boost for him after the rough season he had last year in the minor leagues.
As for the pitching, Tim Hudson had a great spring debut, pitching two innings while only giving up a walk. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless third inning, he gave up two walks but no hits and struck out one. Luis Avilan, Cory Gearrin, Cristhian Martinez, Dusty Hughes and Gus Schlosser all pitched a scoreless inning, but Ryan Buchter had a rough outing giving up three hits and two runs to suffer the loss, he is 0-1 on the spring now.
The Braves are now 0-1 on the spring. They will take on the New York Yankees tomorrow and Paul Maholm will make his spring debut and start for Atlanta.
Tim Hudson made a strong debut for the Braves in their 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Friday in the first game of spring training.
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Today's second Falcons' player recap will be over offensive lineman Phillipkeith Manley.
Manley is a rookie out of Toledo. He was signed to the Falcons' practice squad during the season and he never saw any action with the team. He will have to try to make the team in training camp this summer. He is a big and young guy, so he will develop over time and he could become a force on an offensive line, whether it's with the Falcons or not.
Today there will be two Falcons' player recaps. The first will be over offensive lineman Peter Konz.
Konz is a rookie out of Wisconsin. He did well in his first season with the Falcons and started most of the time. He is a good blocker and fits right in with the rest of the offensive line. Like for Konz to become a mainstay of the Falcons' line and be a force for them long into the future.
Today's Falcons' player recap will cover offensive lineman Mike Johnson.
Johnson was in his second year out of Alabama. He was a big surprise this year for the Falcons and played well. He is able to relieve for the starters in a few positions. He was also used as a blocking tight end in running situations but he even caught a touchdown pass in a game against the New Orleans Saints this season. He will probably be around next season, perhaps in a starting role, but most likely as one of the top reserves for the line.
Good news for Hawks' fans today, as forward Josh Smith wasn't traded and remained with Atlanta for at least the rest of the season. The team did make two other minor moves though.
First they sent Anthony Morrow to the Dallas Mavericks for Dahntay Jones. Morrow, who has been injured most of the year, averaged 5.2 points a game and had hit 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in 24 games. He became expendable though after falling out of the playing rotation while he was hurt. Jones has averaged 3.5 points in 50 games this year for Dallas. He is really known for his defense though and should help out the Hawks in guarding some of the opponents best players.
In the other move, the Hawks sent cash considerations and future draft considerations to the Golden State Warriors for backup center Jeremy Tyler. Tyler averaged 4.9 points as a rookie last season for the Warriors, but only 1.1 points so far this year in 20 games. The Hawks probably won't use him very often, but he does provide a bigger body off the bench. The move was mainly made to help Golden State escape the luxury tax issue.
The second half of the NBA season could have started off big for the Hawks with a win over the Miami Heat. Instead, they need to figure out what went wrong as they blew a fourth quarter lead and lost 103-90.
The Heat had a big first quarter to start off fast, but by the end of the third quarter they were down 73-63. Their 40 point fourth quarter easily propelled them to a victory though. The Heat and Hawks have faced each other three times this season, and the Heat have won all three. LeBron James led the Heat with 24 points and also added eleven assists for a double-double. Dwyane Wade had 20 points for Miami, while Shane Battier had seventeen off the bench, Ray Allen added fifteen off the bench and Mario Chalmers had fourteen. The Heat are now 37-14 on the year and have won eight straight games.
In what could have been a big victory, the Hawks now have to question whether they can contend with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. When a team is leading by ten points heading into the fourth quarter and then gives up 40 points, it has to make them question their defense or something. Also, it might cause the Hawks to trade away Josh Smith before the trade deadline tomorrow. One of the most noted names being tossed around for the deadline, Smith could bring in a body or two to rejuvenate the Hawks and help them make a run for the playoffs.
In what could have been his final game with the Hawks, Smith scored ten points, but had nine rebounds and nine assists. Al Horford had a huge game for Atlanta, scoring 27 points on twelve of fifteen shooting to lead the Hawks. Kyle Korver added twelve points, all on three-pointers and Ivan Johnson added ten points off the bench.
The Hawks are now 29-23 on the year. Their next game will be on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Sacramento Kings at Philips Arena. The Kings have lost their last three games and are struggling this season with a 19-36 record.
Josh Smith and the Hawks blew a fourth quarter lead to the Miami Heat and lost 103-90 on Wednesday night. This might have been Smith's last game as a Hawk with the trade deadline tomorrow.
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Today's Falcons' player recap will be over offensive lineman Lamar Holmes.
Holmes is a rookie out of Southern Mississippi. He made little impact as a rookie in 2012. He played some but he will definitely be a part of the Falcons' future. Look for Holmes to produce more and to get more playing time next season. His real future though won't take place for another year or two.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over offensive lineman Joe Hawley.
Hawley is a three-year pro out of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Hawley has been with the Falcons his whole career and has been an effective blocker. He did make some big news this past season, but for a negative reason. He was suspended in the middle of the year for four games for failing a drug test. Hawley should return next year, but after failing the drug test, and if other lineman perform better in training camp, he could be moving on somewhere else.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over offensive lineman Harland Gunn.
Gunn is a rookie out of Miami. He is a big guy who has upside, but unfortunately he never appeared in a game with the Falcons this season. If he returns to Atlanta, most likely he will have to make the team out of training camp. Otherwise, he will have to get a job somewhere else, which shouldn't be a problem since the demand for lineman is usually high.
The final Falcons' player recap for today will cover offensive lineman Tyson Clabo.
Clabo is an eight-year veteran out of Wake Forest. He has spent the majority of his career with the Falcons and has gone from an undrafted free agent to a Pro Bowl lineman. Clabo was yet again a stout lineman for the Falcons in 2012, helping to protect Matt Ryan and the running backs. He will again be around for the Falcons in 2013, helping to protect Ryan and those running backs and keep the Falcons' longtime group of lineman intact.
Today's second Falcons' recap will be over offensive lineman Justin Blalock.
Blalock is a six-year pro out of Texas. He has spent his whole career with the Falcons and has been a solid lineman providing protection for Matt Ryan and opening holes for the running backs. Blalock had another good season in 2012 helping to anchor the strong offensive line. Blalock will again be with the Falcons next season, once again providing protection for what should be a strong group of lineman.
Today there will be three Falcons' player recaps, due to the fact that a few days have been missed. This will be the beginning of the next ten recaps covering the offensive lineman. The first lineman covered today will be Sam Baker.
Baker is a five-year pro out of USC. He has spent his whole career with the Falcons, but 2012 was probably his best season with Atlanta. He had struggled with injuries and inconsistency in previous years, but this year he seemed to put it all together and became the lineman the Falcons envisioned him being when they drafted him in 2008. He will definitely be around next season, anchoring what should be another strong Falcons' offensive line.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Roddy White. It is also the final day covering wide receivers/tight ends.
White is an eight-year veteran out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. White's first two seasons with the Falcons were rough, but ever since then, he has been their number one receiver. In 2012, he was once again the team leader in most receiving categories. He finished the year with 92 receptions for 1,351 yards and seven touchdowns. It was the sixth straight year for White with over 1,000 yards receiving.
White is a vital piece to the Falcons' offense, not only by his play on the field, but as a mentor to younger receivers like Julio Jones. He will definitely be back next season as the leader of a fearsome receiving group in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Hawks had a great game and sent themselves into the All-Star break with a victory. Josh Smith and Al Horford led the way in the 32-point, 108-76 beating of the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
The loss just added onto an already bad day for the Magic. It was announced earlier in the day that Hedo Turkoglu was suspended for 20 games due to testing positive for steroids. This is yet another blow to a season that is falling apart for the Magic, who have lost 24 of their last 27 games. Jameer Nelson and Andrew Nicholson led the Magic with ten points. No other player scored in double figures for the team. The Magic fell to 15-37 on the year.
The Hawks led by only six after the first quarter, but then had a 21-point lead by the half. They kept beating the Magic up in the third quarter and never looked back. Smith and Horford both recorded double-doubles. Smith led the Hawks with 30 points and had ten rebounds, while Horford had 26 points and led the team with twelve rebounds.
No other Hawk scored in double figures but nine other players contributed and scored for the Hawks in the victory. Jeff Teague did have eleven assists, but it snapped his streak of consecutive games with at least 20 points. He had at least 20 points in the last four games. Ivan Johnson didn't play for the Hawks as Coach Drew held him out and it appears Jannero Pargo hasn't been re-signed by the team, his second 10-day contract had expired before the game.
The Hawks are now 29-22 and have won three straight. The next time they play will be after the All-Star break against the defending champion Miami Heat. The Heat will come to Philips Arena and play the Hawks at 8 p.m. next Wednesday. The Heat have won six games in a row and are 35-14.
Josh Smith takes a shot against the Orlando Magic, Smith led the Hawks with 30 points in the 108-76 blowout.
Photo Courtesy sports.yahoo.com
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Tim Toone.
Toone is a one-year pro out of Weber State. He spent the majority of this year on the Falcons' practice squad and sidelines and never appeared in a game. He has speed and skill and could one day help the Falcons out, but it doesn't appear to be soon with their depth at wide receiver already.
Today's Falcons' player recap is over tight end Andrew Szczerba.
Szczerba is a rookie out of Penn State. He spent the whole year on the practice squad and never got the chance to play for the Falcons. Unfortunately for Szczerba, the Falcons seem to have more tight ends that might get a chance before him next season. Look for him to find a new home or at the least, return to Atlanta as a practice squad member again.
The Atlanta Hawks led big and hung on late to beat the Mavericks on Monday night, 105-101. Josh Smith had a big game to lead the Hawks.
The Mavericks had a bad first quarter but came back in the second to only be down 49-48 at the half. They even tied the game in the fourth quarter, but Smith was too much for them to handle. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 24 points, one of his best games since returning from injury. O.J. Mayo added nineteen points, Darren Collison had a double-double with fourteen points and ten assists, Vince Carter added thirteen off the bench, Brandan Wright had eleven and Shawn Marion scored ten. The Mavericks are now 22-29 on the year after suffering the loss.
The Hawks won for only the second time in their past ten road games Monday. They started off strong, then had their horrible quarter in the second, but luckily they came back strong and finished off the Mavs in the end. Smith had a big game even though he is in the middle of trade rumors once again. A usual subject of trade discussions, Smith has recently been discussed in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, which would reunite him with former Hawk Joe Johnson. His monster game on Monday night only increased his trade value, he led the Hawks with 26 points and thirteen rebounds.
Al Horford also had a double-double with 21 points and ten rebounds. Jeff Teague had 20 points in the win, Devin Harris added fifteen and Kyle Korver scored ten off the bench. Zaza Pachulia also came off the bench and pulled down ten rebounds. Anthony Morrow, Jannero Pargo and Mike Scott dressed but didn't play.
The Hawks are now 28-22 on the season. They will travel to Orlando to face the Magic for their next game on Wednesday. The Magic, who are 15-36 on the year, will face off with the Hawks at 7 p.m.
Josh Smith throws down a dunk against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Smith, who is the subject of trade rumors once again, led the Hawks with 26 points and thirteen rebounds in the victory.
Photo Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
Today's Falcons' player recap will cover wide receiver James Rodgers.
Rodgers is a rookie out of Oregon State. He is also the brother of fellow Falcon Jacquizz Rodgers, who also played with him at Oregon State. Rodgers spent this whole season on the Falcons' practice squad. He should be back next season, and he will make a strong case during training camp to join his brother on the 53-man roster for 2013.
The second Falcons' player recap today will be over tight end Michael Palmer.
Palmer is in his third year out of Clemson and he is another hometown boy from Stone Mountain. He has spent all three seasons with the Falcons. Last year, he appeared in all sixteen games for the Falcons and caught ten passes for 72 yards. This year he missed three games with an injury, but caught six passes in thirteen games for 22 yards. He has caught one touchdown pass in each of his three seasons.
Palmer's role could increase next year. If Tony Gonzalez decides to officially retire, Palmer would become the number one tight end as of now. The only way that would change is if Atlanta signed someone over the off season, or traded for one. Either way, look for Palmer's role to increase next season, unless Gonzalez returns, then he will remain primarily as a blocking tight end.
Today there will be two Falcons' player recaps due to there not being one yesterday. The first one will be over tight end Adam Nissley.
Nissley is a rookie out of the University of Central Florida, and is a hometown boy from Cumming. He didn't appear in any games for the Falcons this season and remained on the practice squad. Nissley will most likely be in camp again with the Falcons this summer. He will either make the team as a special teams' player or be on the practice squad again, for Atlanta or somewhere else.
The New Orleans Hornets came from behind Friday night to beat the Atlanta Hawks, 111-100. Greivis Vasquez led the Hornets and recorded his first triple-double in the victory.
With the win, the Hornets now have only their fourth winning streak of the season in what is a rebuilding year for the franchise. It was also announced recently that the team will have a new name next season, the Pelicans. Vasquez had 21 points, dished out twelve assists and grabbed eleven rebounds for the triple-double. Eric Gordon led the team with 27 points in the win, while Ryan Anderson added nineteen and Robin Lopez scored seventeen. The Hornets, who have now won their last three games, are now 17-33 on the season.
The Hawks started off the game strong, and appeared to be running away with it. The Hornets had a late run in the second quarter to make it a 55-50 Hawks advantage at the half. Then the Hawks had their usually miserable quarter, as the Hornets outscored them 29-16 in the third and they never recovered. After starting the season as one of the NBA's most surprising teams, the Hawks have lost twelve of their last nineteen games since the start of the new year.
Josh Smith led the team with 23 points in the loss. Jeff Teague scored 21 points, the third straight game he has scored 20+ points. Kyle Korver scored seventeen points and broke the Hawks' franchise record for most consecutive games making a three-pointer. It was the 43rd straight game he has hit a three, breaking Mookie Blaylock's old record of 42 straight games. Al Horford also scored in double figures, he had twelve. Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson missed the game with injuries.
The Hawks have now lost their last two games and are 27-22 on the season. They will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Monday at 8:30 p.m. The Mavericks are 21-28 on the year and will play the Golden State Warriors on Saturday before welcoming the Hawks to Dallas.
Jeff Teague splits two Hornets' defenders on his way to the basket. Teague scored 21 points in the loss, his third straight game with 20+ points.
Photo Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Kerry Meier.
Meier is a two-year pro out of Kansas. Last season he appeared in twelve games for the Falcons, mainly on special teams and on offense for blocking situations. This past season, he hurt his knee in the preseason and unfortunately for him, he missed the entire year.
Meier's knee should be healthy again for him to play next season. Whether it is for the Falcons or not remains the question. If he does return, it will most likely be on an invite to training camp. If he doesn't make the team, or if the Falcons don't re-sign him, he will be looking for a new home.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Julio Jones.
Jones is a two-year pro out of Alabama. After the Falcons traded up in the 2011 draft to get Jones, he produced a terrific rookie year. 2012 was even better for Jones, as he earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He was Matt Ryan's favorite deep threat as he scored many touchdowns on long passes. He had a total of 79 receptions this season for 1198 yards and ten touchdowns.
Jones will once again team up with Roddy White next season to form one of the NFL's most dangerous receiving tandems. Expect even bigger things from the two, especially Jones, as he is becoming one of the game's most feared receivers.
Julio Jones scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Jones has become one of the biggest deep threat receivers in the NFL.
Photo Courtesy of news.yahoo.com
The Atlanta Hawks put on a shooting clinic in the first half of their 103-92 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Jeff Teague and Josh Smith led the way for the Hawks in the victory.
The Grizzlies hung close with the Hawks in the first half, but in the second half, things changed. Memphis missed their first thirteen shots in the third quarter and eventually fell behind by 23 points and never recovered. They can thank their reserves for a strong fourth quarter and making the game look closer than what it was. Zach Randolph led the team with 20 points. He was followed by Mike Conley with seventeen, Jerryd Bayless with fifteen and Marc Gasol with fourteen. Gasol also had ten rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, who have now lost two games in a row and are 30-18 on the year.
The Hawks had a great start in the first half, shooting a season-high 62 percent from the field as a team. They finished the night shooting 51 percent from the field. Teague led the way with 22 points and thirteen assists. He was one of three Hawks who recorded double-doubles.
Smith finished the night with nineteen points and eleven rebounds. Al Horford had seventeen points and also had eleven rebounds to tie Smith for the team lead in that category. Kyle Korver added twelve points in the victory. The Hawks were without Zaza Pachulia for the fourth straight game. Also, DeShawn Stevenson, Anthony Morrow and Jannero Pargo did not play.
The Hawks are now 27-21 on the season. They will welcome the New Orleans Hornets to town on Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. game. The Hornets are 16-33 so far on the year.
Jeff Teague dribbles around Mike Conley of the Grizzlies in Wednesday night's 103-92 victory. Teague led the Hawks in scoring for the second game in a row with 22 points.
Photo Courtesy of news.yahoo.com
Today's second Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Marcus Jackson.
Jackson is a rookie out of Lamar. He spent the entire season on the Falcons' practice squad and the bench. He is a young receiver stuck behind proven veterans on a Falcons' team. If he stays with Atlanta next season, he would most likely be on the practice squad again. He also could find a new home during the off season.
Today there will be two Falcons' player recaps due to there not being one yesterday. The first one will be over legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is a sixteen-year pro out of California. He began his amazing career with the Kansas City Chiefs before coming to the Falcons in a trade. Even after playing for so many years, Gonzalez is still one of the best tight ends in the game, if not the best. Since joining the Falcons four years ago, Gonzalez has had 70 or more receptions each year. In 2012 he had his best season yet as a Falcon, he caught 93 passes for 930 yards and eight touchdowns. He also made the Pro Bowl once again.
Gonzalez had said he was 95 percent sure he was going to retire after the season and even moved it up to 97 percent sure after the Falcons lost in the playoffs. But general manager Thomas Dimitroff hopes to talk Gonzalez out of retiring, especially since he is still on top of his game. Gonzalez did say if he returns to play football in 2013, it will only be for the Falcons. If he does decide to hang up the cleats though, he will most certainly enter the Hall of Fame in a few years.
Tony Gonzalez celebrates his touchdown catch against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Gonzalez, who is most likely retiring, was still one of the best tight ends in the NFL in 2012 despite it being his sixteenth season.
Photo Courtesy of news.yahoo.com
The Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks on Hardwood Classics night, 114-103. The two teams wore throwback jerseys as the Pacers won their fifteenth straight at home.
The Pacers were down after one quarter, but took over in the second quarter and went on to lead it the rest of the way. Paul George had a huge game for Indiana, hitting five 3-pointers and leading the team with 29 points. David West and George Hill each added fifteen points, Lance Stephenson scored fourteen, Roy Hibbert and Ian Mahinmi each had twelve and D.J. Augustin had ten to give the Pacers seven players with double-figures in points. The Pacers, who have won their last four games, are now 30-19 on the season.
The Hawks kept it close for three of the quarters in the game, but the third quarter doomed them this night. They were outscored by the Pacers 31-21 and never came back. Jeff Teague, who grew up in Indiana, led the Hawks with 24 points. He was one of five Hawks to score in double-figures in the loss.
Al Horford was next, he scored fifteen points, rookie John Jenkins had fourteen points as he got to the free throw line ten times and hit nine of his shots. Kyle Korver added ten points, as well as little used reserve Johan Petro, who hit four of his six shots. Josh Smith led the team with ten rebounds, but had a miserable night shooting as he hit only four of his twelve shots for nine points. Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow and Zaza Pachulia all missed the game with various injuries.
The Hawks have now lost their past two games and are 26-21 on the season. They will return home tomorrow night to take on the Memphis Grizzlies at Philips Arena. The game will be at 7:30 p.m. The Grizzlies lost their last game, but are 30-17 on the year.
Jeff Teague takes a shot against the Pacers, Teague scored 24 points in the on Tuesday night, which was also Hardwood Classics night with throwback jerseys.
Photo Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over tight end Tommy Gallarda.
Gallarda is a one-year pro out of Boise State. He spent the previous season on the Falcons' practice squad and bench, but this year he appeared in nine games for Atlanta. He played mainly on special teams and was used primarily on offense as a blocking tight end for running plays. He did catch one pass this year for seven yards in the win over the Washington Redskins.
Gallarda will probably be with the Falcons' again next season. He could also see more playing time if Tony Gonzalez definitely retires. As it looks now though, he would be behind Michael Palmer and Chase Coffman on the depth chart. He could possibly leave if he gets the opportunity for more playing time somewhere else.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Harry Douglas.
Douglas is a four-year vet out of Louisville. Douglas is often considered as an underrated receiver and he doesn't get much recognition on a team with Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. NFL analysts usually comment that if Douglas was on any other team, he would most likely be a number two or even number one receiver. In 2012, Douglas caught 38 passes, one off his career-high, for 396 yards and a touchdown. He also returned five punts for 42 yards and returned a kickoff for eight yards.
Douglas will most likely be around again next season, still as the Falcons' third receiver behind White and Jones. If Gonzalez ends up retiring, Douglas could see more balls thrown his way next season. If he does leave, the only way would be via trade so the Falcons could improve at another position.
Harry Douglas makes a catch against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. He is an underrated player on a Falcons' team with a strong group of receivers.
Photo Courtesy of news.yahoo.com
For the second time this month the Chicago Bulls crushed the Hawks. This time, the Bulls did it without four of their main players in a 93-76 rout.
Luol Deng led the Bulls in a game where they didn't have Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah, who were all out with injuries. After letting the Hawks take a one-point lead into the half, the Bulls came back and put them away good in the second half outscoring them 50-32 over the final two quarters. Deng had a terrific game scoring 25 points and pulling down fourteen rebounds as he was one of three Bulls with a double-double. Taj Gibson scored nineteen points and pulled down a career-high nineteen rebounds to lead the Bulls. Jimmy Butler had the other double-double with sixteen points and ten rebounds, Nate Robinson chipped in with 20 points. The Bulls are now 29-18 on the season.
The Hawks, who are known for having a bad quarter in each of their games, had three bad ones tonight. They scored over 20 points only once and that was in the second quarter when they had 27 points. The rest of the game, they combined to score only 49 points. They shot 39 percent from the floor as a team in the loss.
Josh Smith led the team with nineteen points and thirteen rebounds. Jeff Teague added sixteen points, Al Horford had fourteen points and twelve rebounds and Kyle Korver added ten points. Anthony Morrow played for the first time since December 28th, he didn't score. The Hawks didn't have Devin Harris and Zaza Pachulia for the game, they both sat out with minor injuries. In roster news, Jannero Pargo was signed to another ten-day contract before the game.
The Hawks are now 26-20. Their next game will be on Tuesday, when they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers at 7 p.m. The Pacers have won their last two games and are 28-19 on the year. They play the Bulls on Monday before facing Atlanta on Tuesday.
Josh Smith soars for a dunk, he scored nineteen points in the Hawks loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Photo Courtesy of images.yahoo.com
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Drew Davis.
Davis is a one-year pro out of Oregon. He spent the 2011 season with the Falcons' practice squad. This year, he made the team out of camp and appeared in all sixteen games with Atlanta. Most of his playing time came on special teams. He did catch four passes though for 40 yards and his first career touchdown, which came in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Davis should be around for the Falcons again next season. He appears to have a good upside and he could become a hidden weapon in the Falcons' receiving corps if they decide to use him more. The only way he would leave is if he got a better offer with another team or if he fails to make the team out of training camp.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over wide receiver Kevin Cone.
Cone is a one-year pro, and local boy, out of Georgia Tech. He spent all of the previous season on the practice squad for the Falcons. This year he played in twelve games for Atlanta, mainly on special teams where he produced well. He had one pass thrown to him but he couldn't quite haul it in.
Cone will have a chance to be with the Falcons again next season. Look for him to come to training camp during the summer with a chance to win a job as a receiver and a special teams player again. If he doesn't make it, he could end up on the practice squad with Atlanta or somewhere else in the league.
Today's Falcons' player recap will be over tight end Chase Coffman. Today also begins the tight end/wide receivers portion of the recaps that will cover the next fifteen days.
Coffman is a third year pro out of Missouri. He was originally drafted by the Bengals in the third round, but he never lived up to expectations. The Falcons had him on their practice squad most of this season, but he did appear in five games, mainly with special teams. He did catch one pass for eleven yards during the regular season. He also had a reception in the playoffs against Seattle for a crucial first down.
Coffman could get a second chance with his career next season. If future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez does end up retiring, Coffman could move up in the Falcons' depth chart and really have a chance to play regularly. He will most likely return in the off season, unless the Falcons go out and get a good tight end, then he could be looking for a new home.
Chase Coffman hauls in a first-down catch against the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Playoff round. Coffman could play a bigger role in the Falcons' offense next season.
Photo Courtesy of images.yahoo.com
