Blue Jays and Braves Game 2

After a thrilling one to nothing victory on Friday, the Atlanta Braves hope to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Derek Lowe is on the mound for Atlanta. Chipper Jones (toe) and Yunel Escobar (hip flexor) are not in the Braves lineup. So far, the game is scoreless in the second inning. A one out single by Lind brings Scott Rolen to the plate. But, a double play ball retires the side.

Prado, Francouer, and recent call up Diory Hernandez will bat for Atlanta in the second. I'll be following the action. Look for some updates in the comments section. (As I type this, Prado grounds out. Francouer singles to center. 1 on with 1 out for Hernandez, who hit .355 for the Gwinett Braves. A 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Hernandez ends the inning).

Magic Vs Cavs

Last night, LeBron James saved his Cavaliers from an 0-2 deficit in the eastern conference finals. With 1 little second left and the Cavs down 2, James hit a legendary 3 point shot to give his team the victory. So, the series is tied at one win apiece. Orlando needs to shake off this loss. There's no reason to let this setback deflate their spirit. By winning game 1, the Magic put all of the pressure on Cleveland.

On Sunday, this best of 7 series shifts to central Florida, where the Magic can recapture control of this battle. But, in order for that to happen, Dwight Howard needs to get his hands on the ball. The 6-10 center from Atlanta is unstoppable in the post. Cleveland may have LeBron James, but they don't have an answer for Howard. Give him the ball! In game 2, Dwight scored a scrawny 10 points, but accounted for 18 rebounds. He touched the rock once in the 4th quarter. That is unacceptable. The Magic must put their fate in the hands of their best player. Ilgauskas can't defend him. Neither can Varejao or Ben Wallace. Orlando can win this series, if their offense flows through Dwight Howard.

Braves Vs Blue Jays

Kenshin Kawakami faces Roy Halladay. Toronto was sent down in order in the 1st. Garrett Anderson just struck out, as Atlanta has a man on 1B, with Brian McCann at the plate. 0-2 to McCann. Just missed a double down the left field line. The Braves aren't just struggling on the field (20-20), their attendance has been dismal this season. Can't help but notice a LOT of blue seats in the outfield. 1-2 on McCann, as he fouls off a pitch from Halladay. Single by McCann puts runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. Rios almost made a great diving catch. Kelly Johnson strikes out to end the inning. If this game gets interesting, I'll post some updates in the comments section.

Chipper Jones is day to day with a toe injury. I'll also be keeping an eye on game 2 of Orlando vs Cleveland in the NBA playoffs. Speaking of that, I've gotta change channels while Toronto bats. Vernon Wells just grounded out. Hope Kawakami keeps up the good work. Go Braves!

Lillian Grace

Sometimes, sports need to take a backseat to reality. It's easy to get consumed by wins and losses, but what really matters in life? My brother James and his wife just welcomed their second daughter into this world. A father couldn't ask for a more perfect blessing, than the 5 pound angel James proudly holds in his arms. Welcome to Sandersville, Lillian Grace. Your dad is a great man, but his choice in college football is suspect. Whenever he says, "Go Jackets," counter with a Goooo Dawgs, sic 'em!! Life is much better as a Bulldogs fan. Trust me on this one. Uncle Bud raised me right.

Magic Vs Cavs

Can Orlando stop LeBron James? Only if they injure him. But that doesn't mean the Magic can't compete with Cleveland. LeBron James is the best player in the league, but Dwight Howard can be one of the most dominant forces in basketball, on any given night. What Orlando must do, is shut down LeBron's sidekicks. Point guard Mo Williams (17.8 PPG) and shooting guard Delonte West (11.7 PPG) are two of the most underrated players in the NBA. Either of these guys can and will score at ease, when defenses collapse around James. That puts a tremendous burden on Orlando's backcourt. If the Magic hope to defeat the Cavs, it must be done with defense, especially from their guards.
In the frontcourt, Dwight Howard is going to be a factor. A 6'10 X factor. Although big Z is 7 feet 3inches tall, he lacks enough athleticism to contain the 23 year old All Star from Atlanta. Ilgauskas will constantly be in foul trouble throughout this best of 7 series. So will Varejao and any other Cav attempting to defend Dwight Howard.
As far as forwards go, that brings us back to LeBron. His uncomparable talent gives Cleveland a huge advantage in this series. James is very Jordan-esque, because of his willingness and ability to make his teammates better. The 6'8 forward averaged 7.2 assists per game during the regular season.
How can Orlando stop the Cavs? They must contain Delonte West, Mo Williams, and Wally Szczerbiak. Every shot these players take must be contested. LeBron is gonna do what LeBron is gonna do. You can't stop that. What you can do, is counter punch with Dwight Howard.

Individual Matchups:

Centers:
Orlando- Dwight Howard 6-11 265 lbs, 20.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.9 BPG *(Has recorded 33 blocks in 12 playoff games and is averaging 16.6 rebounds per game during 09 post season).
Cleveland- Zydrunas Ilgauskas 7-3 260 lbs, 12.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.3 BPG

Power Forwards:
Orlando- Rashard Lewis (SF-PF) 6-10 230 lbs, 17.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.6 BPG
Cleveland- Anderson Varejao 6-11 260 lbs, 8.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.8 BPG

Small Forwards:
Orlando- Hedo Turkoglu 6-10 220 lbs, 16.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.9 APG
Cleveland-LeBron James 6-8 250 lbs, 28.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.2 APG

Shooting Guards:
Orlando- Mickael Pietrus 6-6 215 lbs, 9.4 PPG, 1.2 APG
Cleveland- Delonte West 6-3 180 lbs, 11.7 PPG, 3.5 APG

Point Guards:
Orlando- Rafer "Skip to my Lou" Alston 6-2 175 lbs, 11.7 PPG, 5.3 APG, 1.4 SPG
Cleveland- Mo Williams 6-1 190 lbs, 17.8 PPG, 4.1 APG, 0.9 SPG

Game 1 will be shown on TNT at 8:30 ET on Wednesday.

Only in Atlanta

Only in Atlanta, will you ever hear the home crowd start chanting MVP for an opposing player. With under a minute remaining in game 4 of the Hawks/Cavs series, the "fans" inside of Philips Arena sunk to a new low. As LeBron James and the Cavaliers sent Joe Johnson and his "kind of quit" Hawks home for the summer, an unmistakable chant of MVP erupted from the crowd. Why is Atlanta such a pathetic sports town? I'd say it starts with the fans. The "fans" in this city are the absolute WORST in all of America. These are the same people who, prior to the Mike Vick era, used to fill up the Georgia Dome and tenaciously cheer for visiting teams.
These are the same people who give standing ovations to Albert Pujols, any time he single handedly defeats the home town Braves. It goes beyond respect for opposing players. The "fans" in this town have no integrity or loyalty. There is no home court in Atlanta, because these "fans" suck!

Where's the Swagger?

To succeed as an athlete, one must have a certain attitude or swagger. Sounds like Hawks captain Joe Johnson has lost his. Following a game 3 loss to the Cavs, Johnson had this to say to the media:

"I don't know what we've got left. Hopefully, we'll play with a little fire, and not let them close it out on our home court. But I don't know."

Sounds like a man who is defeated and willing to concede the series to Cleveland. This is the leader of this current Hawks squad. After stating that the team "kind of quit," in the second half of game one, I thought Johnson learned something about letting such a pathetic statement loose. Clearly, he has not. This is not the mindset of a competitor. It's kind of the attitude of a "quitter."

Humor me for a moment. This team is in the playoff fight of their lives, and the team leader doesn't know what they have left? Are you kidding me, Joe Johnson?! He hopes his team will play with a little fire...and not let them close it out on our floor... What? How bout this, Joe Johnson? MAN UP, win game 4, and prepare to do battle in game 5?!!

There's no need to even mention the possibility of Cleveland closing out the series, unless you've given in and accepted that as your fate! Absoulutely unacceptable, number 2. Where's your mind at? You don't throw in the towel during the NBA playoffs!! Yes, Atlanta has it's back against the wall and their main nemesis is the MVP of the league. I get that. But, anything can happen, if you fight, believe in yourself, and continue to...FIGHT! This "woe is me" attitude is sickening, detrimental, and deflating to a team of young guys looking to Johnson for leadership.

Hopefully, they shut their ears to his words and listen to those of Mike Woodson. "Do we throw in the towel for Game 4? Hell no, we shouldn't do that. I'm going to push our guys to make sure they don't throw in the towel. Because if we force another game, anything can happen."

Good luck, Woodson. I just hope you can get Johnson to un-quit!

Who is Aaron Brooks?

Watching the Rockets cruise to victory over the Lakers today, I could only wonder...Who is Aaron Brooks? He ain't the former Saints QB. This Aaron Brooks plays for Houston and scored 34 points, as the Yao-less Rockets tied their series vs the Lakers at 2 games apiece. The final score was 99-87, as Houston crushed LA on Mother's Day. Kobe Bryant finished with just 15 points in a subpar performance. Although he's phenomenal, when slashing to the basket, Bryant made zero trips to the free throw line. That is astounding.

BTW, NBA says officals failed to blow the whistle on an intention foul, right before Carmello Anthony hit a devastating 3 point shot to sink the Mavs. What's the point? The game is history and Dallas is on the brink of elimination. I'd love to hear a Mark Cuban soundbyte. Of course, he's probably laying low after shoving that cameraman.

To learn more about Aaron Brooks, click the title of this post, or just watch ESPNNEWS.

Happy Mother's Day, ya'll!

Hawks Vs Cavs Game 2

It's early, but Atlanta does not look good tonight. Hopefully, Joe Johnson's squad doesn't "quit" in this one. Looks like Cleveland is about to run the Hawks out of the gym. A 20-5 onslaught has put the Cavs up 32-17 in the second quarter. How much fight is left in the Hawks? If this one gets interesting, I post some updates in the comments section. If not, have a good night ya'll.

Head of the Snake

It has been said, that the best way to kill a snake, is to cut off it's head. Well, Hawks team captain, Joe Johnson, said that the team quit in game one of their best of 7 series against the Cavs. Is this loser mentality the mindset of the team? Mo Evans went on 680 the fan and refuted the sentiment. (He also stated that they were out watching the new Wolverine movie. Good for them, I guess). But, I'm left to wonder. Why would the leader of this squad make such a ('scuse my language) damning statement? Johnson was quoted, "We have to play with a sense of pride. The second half, we kind of gave up." You kind of gave up? This is the NBA Playoffs!! Do you want it or not? Where's the fire, fight, and refuse to back down attitude this team promised to deliver? "We kind of gave up," sounds very weak to me. You will NEVER hear a member, much less, leader of any great team EVER make such a sad statement. The military has a phrase, referred to as F.I.D.O. It pretty much means MAN UP! That's what the Hawks need to do. Johnson went on to say, "I'm tired," then refused to accept that answer as an excuse for his poor play in game 1. Again, a sad statement from the leader of a playoff team. Joe Johnson and his Hawks need to MAN UP, forget it, and drive on!

Atlanta was blown out of game 1, (99-72) as Johnson finished with just 11 skinny points. Small forward/PF Josh Smith contributed 22 points and PG Mike Bibby added 19. Maybe, the team didn't quit, but it's obvious that Johnson did. Joe said as much. When your leader succumbs to defeat, is it possible to persevere? If the best way to defeat the Hawks is to break the will of Joe Johnson, then Cleveland has already won this series.

Livin' on the DL

Mike Hampton may be gone, but his legacy remains in Atlanta. The 2009 Braves are suffering from a Hampton-esque disease. It's called life on the DL.
Without starting pitcher, Tim Hudson until August or 2010, the Braves have also suffered other debilitating injuries. Future Hall of Fame players, Tom Glavine and Garrett Anderson (maybe that's a stretch for Anderson. But it sounds good, doesn't it?) have been unable to assist their teammates in 09. Yes, the former Angels outfielder did appear in a handful of games, but Anderson has driven in zero runs for Atlanta. Angst also continues to grow over the absence of All-Star catcher, Brian McCann from the Braves' lineup. The native Georgian is struggling to overcome a sudden vision problem. This situation caught Brian and the Braves by surprise. McCann is trying out some new shades and is expected to participate in a minor leauge rehab performance in the up coming days. However, this issue could require another lasik eye surgery. If so, God only knows how long he'll be sidelined for.
Also on the Braves' DL is starting pitcher Jorge' Campillo. Although the 30 year old from Tijuana has posted an ERA of 5.40, Atlanta needs him back in the rotation. The right hander from Mexico has shown flashes of becoming a solid starter for the Braves. Jorge needs to get healthy and get his career on track. At 30 years of age, his athletic clock is ticking down. (Hit the wrong button. Wasn't ready to publish this article. But since it's out there, I'll keep going).
Chipper Jones has also bounced on and off the DL. When Chipper is in the lineup, the Braves' offense actually has a little punch to it. But, how long can he remain active? Jones has missed substantial parts of the last few seasons. When healthy, Jones is as good as any third baseman in the game. Some would say better. I ain't going there. Hopefully, the Braves can overcome the legacy Mike Hampton left behind. He ain't here and he's pitchin'. Maybe Atlanta can rid itself of the residue from his existence in this town, say a few prayers, and get healthy. I'll light a candle for them.

Go Braves.

Bad News Braves

Don't look now, but the Atlanta Braves are on the cusp of losing...again. Down 6-3 when I started writing this article, Chipper Jones didn't like the verbage. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Larry just drilled a solo shot to right field. Braves are now behind 6-4 in the bottom of the 8th. Casey Kotchman has just grounded out and Jeff Francoeur steps into the box. The former Parkview Panther stuck out swinging to record the second out of the inning. JJ Putz now faces Brandon Jones and his dismal .250 batting average. The recent call up ain't exactly sizzlin' at the plate. However, the youngster just reached base with a single down the left field line. Backup catcher, David Ross is up to bat. In the background, there's a very faint tomahawk chop going on. Reminds me of an FSU's getting stomped, but let's cheer them anyway situation. Not that I care about the 'Noles. I don't. Not at all. Unless, of course they're playing another squad from Florida in college football. Ross strikes out and the Braves are rally-less in the 8th.
Former Brave, Gary Sheffield is now batting with one out in the top of the 9th for NY. It's always refreshing to hear this dude draw boos. The fidgety batter is proving to be a tough out. With 3 balls and 2 strikes, Sheffield takes ball 4. Braves pitcher, Bennett (I don't know who he is either) throws to 1st and Gary is picked off en route to second base. Jose' Reyes immediately followed that play with a single. Very bad throw by Braves catcher David Ross, as Reyes steals second. Jose' represents a big run, if he scores. That could be a dagger in the heart of any 9th inning rally Atlanta hopes to impose. But, you can (in a northern accent)forgetaboutit. Next batter grounds out. Here come the Braves, down two. If the final inning gets interesting, I'll post updates in the comments section. Rookie CF Jordan Schafer leads off for Atlanta.

Knowshon Moreno

Brief article regarding Knowshon Moreno posted on www.ajc.com. Click title of this post to read more. There's nothing I can add that would do the story justice. Hope you enjoy the link.

Hawks vs Heat Game 7

Live from Philips Arena (I wish)-

Looks like the Atlanta Hawks have just about knocked Miami out of the playoffs. What's their reward? A trip to Cleveland, where they'll play some guy named James. That will be a tremendously difficult challenge for the Hawks. This Jekyll and Hyde team MUST play fearless basketball. If Atlanta wants to compete with the Cavs, they must also defend on the road, improve their rebounding, and play well on a consistent basis. (As I'm typing this, Haslem has been ejected with a flagrant 2 for a hard foul on ZaZa Pachulia. Cool state of Florida tatoo exposed, as he threw his jersey into the crowd). Back to Atlanta...

Loved what I saw in game 7. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith ignited the crowd and inspired their temmates early in this contest. During the 2nd quarter, Johnson launched a 3 from the South Fulton County Civic Center. He made the shot, and the crowd erupted. That was the beginning of the end for Miami.

To be honest, this was the strangest 7 game series in NBA history. Every game was a blowout, and there were zero lead changes after the first quarter in any of the 7 games. I'm thrilled to see the Hawks advance, but now, they've got an even tougher fight on their hands.

P.S. Thanks to Steve Holman, Atlanta's radio guy. His commentary was very entertaining, even if Holman was borderline offensive in his regard for the Heat. After taking some criticism for calling Miami's coach "little Eric Spolestra," Holman exclusively referred to him as "the Miami coach" during the entire game 7 broadcast. I'll never forget his calls during game 5. Especially, his voice proclaiming "The Heat are resorting to thuggery!!" That was classic. Next up for Atlanta...LeBron James and the Cavs. Go Hawks!

Did Hawks Announcer Go Too Far?

In case you missed it, Sekou Smith of www.ajc.com wrote a nice piece on his Hawks blog, titled "Where Ridiculous Happens." It's a must read for fans excited about tonight's Game 6 of the playoff series between Miami and Atlanta. It's pretty lenghthy, however. So, if you're just in the mood for a good laugh, skim down and check out the the link to deadspin.com, by clicking on the words have taken a liking to him. Here, you can listen to some humorous audio replays of Hawks announcer Steve Holman mocking Dwayne Wade and referencing the Heat as thugs. It's definitely worth a listen.

Click on Did Hawks Announcer Go Too Far? (At top of screen), to go to Sekou Smith's Hawks Blog.

I'll post a few game notes/updates in the comments section. As I'm typing this, D Wade just made an awesome dunk, to put Miami up 28-15. Miami has the ball again and Wade gets fouled by Josh Smith.