A nice bit of traveling from the Hawks’ Joe Johnson just prior to Josh Smith’s electrifying put-back earned Atlanta a playoff berth, while in the losing locker room, in the words of the Orlando Sentinel’s Brian Schmitz, “combine glow-in-the-dark personalities with a coach who can go nuclear, taking every loss like it™s the end of the world¦.and there can be explosions.” KA-BOOM.
Stan Van Gundy just didn™t throw Rashard Lewis under the bus after the Magic™s 86-84 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday night. He left him there and let the wheels make an imprint on his backside.
œUnfortunately, we forgot to box out on the weak side, and Josh was able to make a great play. We became spectators and didn™t block out, he said.
Lewis privately muttered something about Van Gundy™s offense on a night he was 2-of-9 for six points. Matt Barnes was seething at the coach, too. Van Gundy took out defensive specialist Barnes for a long stretch in the fourth period, trying to get the Magic back in the game with shooters, and Barnes took it as a personal affront.
œHe obviously doesn™t trust me down the stretch, Barnes huffed.