Quotes, Notes, and Links: Atlanta Hawks 95 Milwaukee Bucks 80

Recap

Gameflow

Highlights

Joe Johnson:

"The last time we played this team they pretty much embarrassed us. To come out and play the way we did tonight means a lot. We’ve got to try to build on this. We’ve got to try to string five or six wins together."

Al Horford on the success of the pick-and-roll setting up most of his 14 second half points:

"We set a pick-and-roll, everyone sunk in and almost gave me those wide open jump shots. I had to take them."

As expected, this did not please the ever-quotable Scott Skiles:

"They threw the ball wherever they wanted to throw it, did whatever they wanted to do all night really. Just methodically went through their stuff and their options and handled us pretty easily. It was worse than the score even appeared."

Andrew Bogut:

"That's it right there. I'll even give you a quote on that: 'When we let teams shoot a high percentage, we lose.'"

Me-ow.

Horford:

"It's nice to watch when we're sharing the ball, different guys are getting involved. When we play like that, it seems like we're at our best."

Horford on Jason Collins:

"Jason has been doing a great job all year guarding bigger players. He’s been huge for us. It takes away from us having to help so much."

Josh Smith on Collins starting:

"I told him after the game, I want to see what our record is when he starts. It has to be well over .500."

Games Jason Collins Has Started

@Minnesota WIN
Phoenix loss
@Orlando loss
Milwaukee loss
@Orlando WIN
New Jersey WIN
@San Antonio loss
@Boston loss
Orlando WIN
@Milwaukee WIN

5-5, .500. But the Collins-inclusive starting lineup has been stellar on the court.

Larry Drew on another solid Jeff Teague performance:

"We knew with the matchup he was going to be able to match speed for speed. I thought Jeff did a great job."

Teague:

"Lester [Conner] tells me every day, just come in and try to make an impact on the game. Do what I do and try to push the ball and try to be active on defense. That’s all they ask from me."

Jason Walker on Jeff Teague, the inch-for-inch chasedown king:

Jeff Teague had the play of the game when, with 9:22 left in the game and the Hawks up eight, Earl Boykins stole Jeff's pass and went the other way. The ball went up ahead to Jon Brockman, who thought he had an easy layup to cut the Hawks' lead to six.

It was not such a good game for Brockman who earlier in the game had shot a prodigiously bad airball during a free throw attempt. It would be a sign of things to come.

As Brockman gently lay the ball up for his bucket, Teague swooped in and did his best Josh Smith impression, swatting the shot off the glass. As the loose ball was saved, Teague was the one who scooped up the ball and raced down the court with a full head of steam. As he entered the lane, he flipped the ball to Horford, who laid it in and stretched the lead back up to 10. The Bucks would never be closer than (9) points again. Game Over.

It's ten blocks in 391 minutes for Teague this season.

Keyon Dooling is on board with Rick Sund's "core" philosophy:

"We got off to a slow start and against a good team like that - a battle-tested team that has great continuity - it's hard to fight an uphill battle."

At Brew Hoop, Alex Boeder laments Atlanta's success on the offensive glass:

Allowing offensive rebounds and second-chance points continues to plague the Bucks of late. And not getting offensive rebounds or second-chance points themselves isn't helping the matter. The Hawks doubled up the Bucks in second-chance points (12-6), and while the Hawks only tallied a couple more offensive rebounds (11-9), you must consider that both teams shot exactly 75 field goals, but the Bucks missed 10 more shots, so they had plenty more chances.