Atlanta Hawks 105 at Dallas Mavericks 101 - February 11, 2013

I'm back in Texas! After a 20-hour journey from Tokyo to Dallas, I took public transit downtown to avoid the outrageous rental car fees at the airport. This added another 90 minutes to the trip but the savings were well worth it. I rented the car (a nice Nissan Sentra) and after a brief stop at my hotel to freshen up, quickly made my way to the American Airlines Center to see the Dallas Mavericks host the Atlanta Hawks.

American Airlines Center

I visited the AAC to see the Leafs win in a shootout back in November 2011. This time, I was here to review the Mavericks fan experience for Stadium Journey so rather than repeat myself, I'm going to instead link to my review when it is published.

The one thing I will note here is that American Airlines recently updated their logo and livery, but this has yet to be reflected at the stadium. They will be doing so during the offseason, so it will be interesting to see what changes that will entail. Guess I'll come back next year as well!



The Game

It seemed like the Mavericks were the jet lagged ones as they were terrible to start, spotting Atlanta a quick 10-0 lead before O.J. Mayo scored at the 8:27 mark to break the goose egg. That got Dallas going a bit and they matched the Hawks the rest of the quarter, closing the first down 31-23.

The second period saw Dallas knock down 4 of 9 from 3-point land, including two from Vince Carter, as they came within a point as the buzzer sounded, down just 49-48. After such a dismal start, it was nice to see that we had a game and the fans responded, making a lot of noise as the deficit was slowly reduced.



The third quarter was a barnburner, with each team scoring 33 points. Dallas tied the game at 64 but could not take the lead as their defense failed them whenever they needed a stop and Atlanta added 5 treys of their own, including a couple from Josh Smith who had 10 points in the period.

So we began the fourth quarter with Dallas still down just one but after a Carter free-throw and a Jae Crowder jumper, they had their first lead of the game 86-84. They expanded this to 91-86, but Smith (number 5 in the shot below) sandwiched a slam dunk and another three around a Carter turnover and we were tied with under 6 minutes left. As some sorry fans started leaving to beat traffic, the game became a gritty defensive battle. Tied at 92, Smith was fouled with 2:55 to go and promptly missed both free throws. But the rebound came to Kyle Korver which was the key play of the game. Al Horford scored on that possession and after Dirk Nowitzki missed an open 3, Horford added a slam dunk to make it 96-92 Hawks. After Mayo responded with a running slam to get the fans into it, Smith sank yet another three and it was 99-94 with 1:29 left.



Nowitzki (41 above) managed to singlehandedly get the Mavs back within one with a couple of free throws and a jumper and those fans who left early were looking pretty silly. When Smith turned it over on the subsequent possession, the Mavs moved down the court for a chance to take the lead.



Sadly, it was not to be as Mayo threw the ball away (above), and Smith sank two free throws after being fouled to make it 101-98. The Mavs took their final timeout, but the following possession again saw Mayo turn the ball over with a bad pass and Atlanta held on for a 105-101 win. Smith was the dominant player with 26 points, 13 boards, and 6 assists. He is on the trading block apparently, so this game should help his stock.

Not a bad game after the terrible start but it is clear the Mavericks (22-29) lack the clutch players they needed today, perhaps demonstrated by their 1-8 overtime record.

Notes

Why do fans take the trouble to go to a game and then leave before the outcome is decided? As noted, with over 5 minutes left and the score knotted at 91, dozens of fans started heading for the exits. That is giving up 10% of the game, in fact, the most important 10%. Yet again, sports fans are shown to be poor consumers.

During the break between the first and second quarters, there was a shooting contest whereby the contestant has to make a free throw, a 3-pointer, and a halfcourt shot. He got the first two, but missed the last one only to be given a second chance. Amazingly he nailed it and that got the loudest reaction of the night as well as making ESPN's top 10 plays.

Traveling in the winter is always a risk, but today was perfect. Both flights were early (I transferred at Minneapolis) and I was able to catch the bus and train I needed to beat the closing time of the rental agency. Avoiding an airport rental saved nearly $200 over the 2-week period I'll have the car. I've said it before, but if you are renting a car at an airport for an extended period and are budget conscious, look for in-city options, they are usually much cheaper.



As mentioned, I was here reviewing the venue for Stadium Journey and the Mavericks were kind enough to extend a media credential. I spend the first while up in the press box and it is interesting to see the game from so far away as you can see the plays each team is running. But it separates you from the atmosphere, so midway through the second quarter, I moved down to the lower bowl to watch the rest of the game.

After the game, I went to the bowels of the stadium to watch Atlanta coach Larry Drew give a press conference in front of a small scrum as a way to wait out the traffic. Always fascinating to be behind the scenes, although judging from the looks on many of the assembled media, it probably becomes quite boring after a while.

Next Up

I'm already in Memphis to see the Grizzlies and soon-to-move Sacramento Kings. I saw the Vancouver Grizzlies' first ever game back in 1995 but this will be my first trip to see them in their new home. It is a bittersweet trip, check back tomorrow to see if any tears were shed.

Best,

Sean
 

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Atlanta Activities

Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and the 8th largest metro area in the US. It's home to Coca-Cola, CNN, and Delta Airlines. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world's busiest, although the majority of the passengers are in transit.

For tourists, Atlanta offers myriad options that touch art, pop culture, industry, entertainment, history, and sports. I visited here in 2001 and saw all of the major attractions at that time. I revisited some of them, but was put off by the 2010 prices, so am afraid that there's not much to talk about here.

Skyline

The main attractions are downtown, all within walking distance of each other. The CNN Tour is $13 and can be interesting to see how difficult is to put together so many news broadcasts around the globe.

The World of Coca-Cola is $15 and gives a detailed history of the world's most popular soft drink. I'd been in 2001 so skipped it this time, but Sharpy's tells me that it gives you a sense of why it is such a commercial juggernaut. Below is a statue of John Pemberton, inventor of Coca-Cola, located just outside the main entrance.

The Georgia Aquarium is nearby, but at $27 is far more than I would pay to see fish. Here's a picture out front.

The High Museum of Art is located near the Marta Arts Center station and is $18. It takes 3-4 hours to see the whole thing, which I didn't have time for, so I took a picture of a big horse sculpture out front.

As an aside, living in Japan has completely destroyed my ability to judge the proper price for things in the States. After 13 years in a country with nearly no inflation, it's hard for me to understand how something that was $6 in 2001 is now $15. At some point, travel and tourism has become rather expensive in my mind, especially for families.

Fortunately, there are some free activities in the city that are worth visiting. First is the Martin Luther King National Historical Site, which provides a detailed explanation of the life of the leader of the civil rights movement. Run by the National Parks Service, the site contains his birthplace, the church where he was a pastor, his tomb, and an exhibition that illustrates just how much King and his followers had to endure in their fight for equality. In my mind, the best thing to see in the city.

The wagon that held King's coffin

Ebenezer Baptist Church next to the visitor's center

Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympics, which was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the modern games. The Centennial Olympic Park commemorates the event. Located in the center of downtown, it is a good area to rest in between the other attractions. There's nothing extraordinary about the place, but it's worth walking through - few cities have a park this large in their downtown core.

Picture of Westin Peachtree from Centennial Olympic Park

Statue of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics

The State Capitol is not that far from downtown and is worth visiting for political or history junkies. The gold dome is visible from various points in the city and gives you a strong sense of southern history from the Civil War onward.

Finally, if you are visiting Atlanta, you should pick up a multi-day pass for MARTA, the rail system. The system requires that you have a Breeze ticket or card, which you tap on the gates to get in and out. The ticket costs 50 cents and come with the 1-day to 4-day passes. The card costs $5 and comes with the 7-day pass. Given that a normal ride is $2, the two-day pass at $9 is well worth it, and the 7-day pass at $15 is a bargain. Train service is good enough in the downtown core, although in the evenings you may be waiting for 15 minutes if you are coming from the suburbs.

Atlanta is definitely a great destination for tourists of all types. Of course, sports road trippers have 4 major league teams to choose from, as well as nearby minor league teams and several college programs as well. All-in-all, a city not to be missed.

Sunset over the Georgia Dome

Best,

Sean

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Phoenix Suns 101 at Atlanta Hawks 102 - January 15, 2010

Wow! Definitely the best NBA finish I've seen since the Grizzlies won the second game in their history back in 1995. On ESPN tonight, the Atlanta Hawks made a statement: they are not to be taken lightly. A last-second 3 by Jamal Crawford gave the Hawks a 102-101 win over the Phoenix Suns. I'm not going to do a full post on the game now as I'm tired and jet lagged a bit, but will show a few pictures from this evening. I'll post my thoughts about the event tomorrow.

This basket by Amare Stoudamire gave the Suns a 98-94 lead with 40 seconds left

The Hawks had closed within two and had the final shot...

...which I did not take a picture of because I was too busy watching it...

...but Jamal Crawford sunk a miracle 3 and ....

...the place went bonkers.

The Final Score

Other Thoughts

OK, it's the next day and I've had some time to reflect on the game. It was the lead story on ESPN and Crawford's basket was the Top Play. I think the game could mark a turning point in Hawks history, and give this team the confidence they need to compete with Boston and Cleveland come playoff time.

The first half was really not good. The Hawks were ice cold to start and Phoenix had a 33-21lead, but that was the biggest lead either team held throughout the game. Phoenix went cold in the second quarter and that allowed the Hawks to make it close. Phoenix had a 4 point lead with 10 seconds left. But after Josh Smith sunk the first of two threes, the key play was an offensive rebound by Crawford off the following missed foul shot. The easy basket brought Atlanta to within 1, and after Stoudemire missed one of his free throws, the stage was set for the miracle finish.

Interestingly, a few fans had already left when Phoenix had a 4-point lead with 40 seconds to left. Bizarre that you would spend 2:40 minutes at the game but miss the last 5 minutes to beat traffic. Especially when your team still had a shot. I'll never understand why people leave these games when the result has yet to be decided. I suppose that having the game on ESPN didn't help. Television timeouts were plentiful and the game ran 2:44, which is far too long for 48 minutes of action.

One fan though, didn't have much choice in the matter. The father next to me was with his young son and daughter. While the son watched the game, the father tried to explain the game to his daughter, but she wasn't that interested and wanted to leave. He tried to keep her attention on the game, but she wasn't having any of it. He told her "There's only 30 minutes left" in an effort to quiet her, but she knew better, replying "I'll tell you when we are going home!". Sadly for Daddy, she announced that they were leaving midway through the 4th quarter. Hope he got to hear the rest on the radio.

I mentioned that the Thrashers had a great promotion that involved items of food racing around the ice and beating on each other. Well, the Hawks use the same promotion, although with a different name, Food Fight to the Finish. It's not as interesting as the contestants don't fall as easily as they do on ice, but the pictures below might explain better than I can. Baby back ribs won, so now I have a free rack of ribs to go along with the sirloin steak I won the day before. Too bad it's still at Applebee's.

Chicken Fajita has the lead...

...as Skyhawk tries to stop Baby Back ribs

Dominique Wilkins recently celebrated his 50th birthday. He's now a broadcaster for Atlanta and was feted during a timeout. The team gave him a birthday cake and some gifts suitable for his "advanced" age: a walker, reading glasses, and a shawl. It was a light-hearted moment, given that 'Nique looks about 35 and capable of suiting up for the home team. His thank-you speech was really cool - he thanked the fans for their support of not only himself, but the team and told them that they have something special and exciting. His words were prescient as the Hawks showed their fans just what exciting means.

That's Dominique standing and giving his speech

All-in-all, a great evening at Philips Arena and a super start to the trip. I've put some more pictures below.

Steve Nash shoots

Robin Lopez fights Joe Smith for a rebound

Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford watch Grant Hill's shot

Josh Smith throws a pass across the key

Best,

Sean

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