Game 55: Warriors 110 - Hawks 117
February 23rd 2008 10:55 pm
Taken by Ben Margot of AP Photo
Stephen Jackson’s expression above sums up the game against the Atlanta Hawks pretty well. He’s probably thinking to himself, “This wouldn’t be happening if you guys just play some defense.”
Sitting out his second game due to the sprained ankle, Jackson was joined on the injury list by the Warriors’ starting center, Andris Biedrins. With Biedrins and Jackson out of the lineup, the Warriors lost their best interior and perimeter defenders.
The Warriors started the game as if the perimeter defenders expected someone to be inside to clean up their mistakes. Davis and Ellis routinely used the matador defense, allowing their man to drive past them with ease. Webber was too slow-footed to cover for them and Harrington did not have the hops to do much but watch the layup drill.
Throw in the inconsistent offensive performances by Harrington, Barnes, and Pietrus, and the recipe for a loss became a sure thing.
The only positive to take away from this game was Brandan Wright’s play. Wright was an integral part of the third quarter’s comeback try. His length and rebounding sparked the Warriors to run roughshod over the Hawks. His most memorable play was a thunderous slam over Josh Smith, the shot-blocking machine of the Hawks.
Stephen Jackson’s Replacement’s (Mickael Pietrus) Line:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
| 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| FG | FG% | 3PT | 3PT% | FT | FT% |
| 0-3 | .000 | 0-2 | .000 | 0-0 | .000 |