(18-17) @ (15-16)
Game Info: 7:00 pm EST Wed Jan 9, 2008
TV: FSOH
ATLANTA PROBABLE STARTERS
#24 MARVIN WILLIAMS
F 6-9 230 AVG: 16.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg
(.498 FG%, .200 3FG%, .797 FT%)
LAST GAME: Had 18 pts on 5-7 FGs (0-1 3FGs) and 8-12 FTs in 28 mins v/NJ … Added 8 rebs and 1 stl.
NOTES: Is 27-32 from the foul line over the last 3 games … In last 11 gms, averaging 18.7 ppg (206), hitting .535 FGs (61-114) and .840 FTs (84-100) … Ranks 29th in the NBA in FG% and 36th in spg … Hit double-figures in 29-of-his-30 gms, including the last 17, the longest stretch of his career … 2nd on the team in FG%, spg and mpg, and 3rd in ppg and rpg … 5 double-doubles.
#5 JOSH SMITH
F 6-9 235 AVG: 17.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 3.2 bpg, 1.9 spg(.429 FG%, .261 3FG%, .737 FT%)
LAST GAME: Poured in game-high 34 pts on 14-22 FGs (career-best) and 6-10 FTs … Also had 9 rebs, 3 assts, 3 stls and 3 blks.
NOTES: Is 2nd in the NBA in bpg, t10th in spg (the only player in the top 10 of both) and t35th in rpg … Saw his streak of 76 straight games with a blocked shot end on 12/19 v/Mia (eighth-longest streak in NBA history) … Team-leader in bpg and spg … Second on the club in ppg and rpg, and is 3rd in apg … Has 5 or more blocks in 10 games this season … Leads the team with 7 double-doubles … Named NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 10.
#15 AL HORFORD
F/C 6-10 245 AVG: 8.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.1 bpg(.495 FG%, .636 FT%)
LAST GAME: Totalled 7 pts, 8 rebs, 2 assts and 2 blks in 23 mins v/NJ … Made 3-5 FGs and 1-1 FTs.
NOTES: Ranks t20th in the NBA in rpg … Leads the team in rpg, is 2nd in bpg, 3rd in FG%, t3rd in spg and 5th in ppg … Among rookies, is 1st in rpg and spg, 2nd in mpg, 3rd in FG%, 4th in bpg, t5th in apg and 6th in ppg … Named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in November.
#2 JOE JOHNSON
G 6-7 235 AVG: 21.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 spg(.408 FG%, .316 3FG%, .846 FT%)
LAST GAME: Recorded 9 pts, 8 rebs, 8 assts, 4 stls and 1 blk in 36 mins v/NJ … Knocked down 4-16 FGs (0-5 3FGs) and 1-1
FTs.
NOTES: Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 24, after averaging 28.0 ppg, 7.3 apg, 3.7 rpg and 1.7 spg inleading the Hawks to a 3-0 mark … Ranks 19th in the NBA in ppg, 21st in apg, t26th in 3FGM (55), 30th in FT% and 2nd in mpg … Leads the team in ppg, apg and 3FGM, is 2nd in FT% and 5th in spg … Posted 3 pt/asst double-doubles … Has scored 20-or-more 20 times, including 4 30-point efforts.
#8 ANTHONY JOHNSON
G 6-3 195 AVG: 7.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.6 rpg, 1.0 spg (.436 FG%, .436 3FG%, .789 FT%)
LAST GAME: Contributed 14 pts, 10 assts, 2 rebs and 2 stls in 36 mins v/NJ … Put in 6-14 FGs (2-6 3FGs).
NOTES: Over his last 9 games, averaging 10.4 ppg (94) and 6.2 apg (56) making .475 FGs (38-80), .478 3FG% (11-23) and
.875 FT% (7-8) … Played in 24 games on the year, including 23 starts (Hawks are 13-10) … Ranks 9th in the NBA in A/TO ratio
(3.31) … Leads the club in 3FG% while ranking 2nd in apg and 3FGM, and t3rd in spg.
INACTIVE LIST (last game): Speedy Claxton, Solomon Jones, Salim Stoudamire.
INJURIES: Speedy Claxton (left knee) and Salim Stoudamire (right ankle sprain) - out.
STORY LINES: Atlanta and Cleveland face off for the second time in a week, and the second-of-three times this season … The teams wrap up the season series on Feb. 8 at Philips Arena … On Jan. 2 at Cleveland, the Hawks dropped a 98-94 decision, as LeBron James scored 32 of his 36 points in the second half … Atlanta has lost four-in-a-row after a 113-107 home loss to New Jersey on Saturday, despite Josh Smith’s 34 points … Atlanta finished up December with a 9-4 mark, their best December since the 1993-94 campaign … The Hawks rank 9th in points allowed, giving up 96.2 ppg, while also placing 3rd in bpg (5.5), 6th in spg (8.3) and 10th in turnovers forced (15.5) … Atlanta is tied for third in the Eastern Conference (with Cleveland, Charlotte and Washington) with 10 home victories, trailing only Boston (16) and Detroit (13).
Cleveland Cavaliers Probable Starting 5
James / Gooden / Ilgauskas / Pavlovic / Hughes
James / Gooden / Ilgauskas / Pavlovic / Hughes
Game Overview
While 2008 has brought winning and success for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the new year has been a letdown for the Atlanta Hawks.
James and the Cavaliers look to win their season-high fifth straight game and extend the Hawks' season-high losing streak to five as they meet Wednesday at Philips Arena.
Cleveland (18-17) ended 2007 with an 86-76 loss to New Orleans, and lost 11 of its final 16 games of the last calendar year. The Cavaliers opened 2008 with a 98-94 victory over Atlanta last Wednesday, and are one of only two Eastern Conference teams with perfect records in the new year - Boston is 3-0.
With Tuesday's 95-79 victory over Seattle, defending East champion Cleveland moved over .500 for the first time since it was 9-8 on Nov. 30.
"There's a point and time, if you truly believe you're an elite team, you don't have to say, 'Hey guys, remember, this team is 9-and-whatever they are. We have to come out and play,''' Cavs coach Mike Brown said.
James had 22 points and eight rebounds on Tuesday, and was able to sit out the final 8:36 of the blowout win after scoring a franchise-record 24 points in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 93-89 comeback victory over Toronto. The three-time All-Star is averaging 30.3 points and 8.0 rebounds during the winning streak after averaging 23.8 points and 6.0 boards in his final four games of 2007.
James opened 2008 with 36 points, 32 in the second half, in Cleveland's win over Atlanta.
The Cavs have won 13 of their last 15 over the Hawks, including six straight in Atlanta.
James is averaging 32.6 points on 51.0 percent shooting in his last seven games against the Hawks, and averaging 32.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists during Cleveland's winning streak at Philips Arena.
Atlanta (15-16) won eight of its final 11 games of 2007, but has already lost all three of its games in the new year.
The Hawks fell to New Jersey 113-107 on Saturday, and have lost a season-worst four straight games after winning a season-high five in a row.
They led after each of the first three quarters on Saturday, but fell apart in the fourth as the Nets opened the final period on a 15-0 run.
"We have to get off this slide,'' Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said, adding he would consider lineup changes.
"When you start losing, you start looking over your shoulder and I've got to make sure our guys stay away from that. We're still in the hunt.''
The Hawks are averaging 94.0 points on just 22.0 percent shooting from 3-point range during their losing skid after averaging 106.0 points on 40.7 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc during their previous winning streak.
Joe Johnson, who is averaging a team-high 21.3 points, was held to nine on just 4-of-16 shooting on Saturday. Johnson, who scored fewer than 10 points just once in his first 29 games, was held to eight point on 3-of-11 shooting in Friday's 113-91 loss at Indiana. This is the first time he's been held to single digits in consecutive games since scoring in single figures in three straight games for Phoenix in December, 2004.
Johnson had 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting in last Wednesday's loss to the Cavs.
Josh Smith had 34 points and nine rebounds against the Nets, and had 20 points and eight boards against Cleveland last week.
The Hawks have not lost five straight games since losing seven in a row March 21-April 4, 2007.
