A GREAT WIN FOR THE HAWKS IN CHICAGO

When the 1969 New York Mets were making their improbable run to baseball’s World Championship, reliever Tug McGraw coined the phrase, “Ya Gotta Believe!”.
Who would have thought that the miserable Mets, losers of 120 games in their inaugural season just seven years previous, would supplant the Chicago Cubs, win the National League East, and go on to win the World Series.
OK, be honest. How many of you believed the Atlanta Hawks had any chance of winning game one in Chicago last night?
That’s what I thought.
OK, now, this morning…how many of you believe, just a little bit?
The Hawks last night maintained their post-season momentum with a well-played, 103-95 win over the Bulls, and captured home-court advantage in this Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford combined for 56 points. The man of the hour was Jeff Teague, who took over the point guard duties for the injured Kirk Hinrich, and played the best game of his career, considering the circumstances. Teague committed only one turnover in nearly 45 minutes of action, scored 10 points and had five assists. He did his best in limiting the Bulls Derrick Rose.
It’s interesting to listen to the “experts” who last week questioned “what is wrong with the Magic?” as they fell to the Hawks, and now their question is “what is wrong with the Bulls?”.
It’s high time the elitist NBA experts give the Hawks a little bit of credit.
Folks, it’s a basketball game. Hustle, play smart, and see what happens. The Hawks have shown a much better determination and grittiness in the playoffs than they ever showed during the regular season.
And that’s a sign of a team growing and maturing. It’s hard to grow without pain in the pro game. The Hawks suffered a very painful exit last year against the Magic. It has fueled them this post-season. Remember, it took a ton of frustration and losing for Michael Jordan and the Bulls to finally get past Detroit back in the day.
Will the Hawks win the series? Why not? All they have to do now is hold serve at the Highlight Factory. Easier said than done, but…
Ya Gotta Believe!