Game 3 in Milwaukee was much different from the first 2 playoff games between the Hawks and Bucks. The first two games in this series was handled easily by the Atlanta Hawks. They were beginning to look like an NBA team ready to compete for the Eastern Conference championship. That was until they got on the plane and travel to Wisconsin to play a little B-Ball on the court up there.

It was a slaughter right from the start. The basketball team from the ATL had no chance in this bloodbath they were swimming in. The Bucks hit them hard and hit them often as they ran up the score. The swagger was all around, but no player on the court demonstrated that swagger better than Milwaukee’s rookie point guard Brandon Jennings. He knew right from the start how this game was going to end in Milwaukee Saturday night. Jennings started knocking down a few long jump shots from 3 land. After each shot made, he would get that swagger on. My first thoughts on the Brandon Jennings swagger was that he would regret showing up the Hawks team like that. I was expecting any minute for the Hawks to get it going, but that never was the case. The team from Atlanta coached by Mike Woodson never got his team fired up to play. Woodson simply said his guys didn’t come out with the energy needed to win and they wasn’t physical enough to match up with the intensity the Bucks came out of the locker room with. I find his comments after the game very amusing. If this was the case Mr. Woodson, why did you play your starters the majority of the game? If the guys on the floor are not bringing it (like they should), simply sit them on the bench and call in the next guy. Your lack of trust in your bench guys, is what keeps your team from moving up in the NBA ranks. The starting 5 for Atlanta knows they will be on the floor and they have no pressures to perform. Not letting the bench push the starters is what creates these huge blowouts in the playoffs; which the Hawks are now becoming known for. If they can win by double digits in the playoffs, they will give up and let their opponents win.

Joe Johnson and Mike Woodson both said comments after the game they will have to look at the tape to see what happened. This is the type of comments you would expect from losers and Joe Johnson and Mike Woodson might just be the biggest two losers in Atlanta basketball these days. I don’t have to look at the tape to see that the execution and game plan didn’t work. All Woodson has to do is get guys up off the bench to come in and let these starters ride the bench some. Coach Mike Woodson fails to see the logic in letting other team members play in the game; while the starters learn lessons and learn that each minute they are on the floor is a privlege and not a right. Play your best 5 and the wins will come! You don’t know who your best 5 are each night, until you get them in the game and let them run up and down the court a few times. The Hawks think they will just bounce back from this pounding. They fully expect to win all of their home games against the Bucks. This attitude is why the Hawks can’t perform up to their basketball abilities. It is time to panic and don’t tell me otherwise. Fear the deer is in full effect and the Hawks may not win another game against Milwaukee with the lack of direction and leadership these guys bring into a NBA playoff atmosphere.