ATLANTA – It was just a simple matter of colors. At the Hawks’ practice yesterday, Chris Crawford wore a white practice jersey, the same color worn by unquestioned starters Dikembe Mutombo, Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith and Grant Long. Everyone else, including Tyrone Corbin, a Game 1 starter, wore black.
Gee, think Crawford might start tonight in Game 2?
“I’ll make a decision tomorrow [Thursday],” offered coach Lenny Wilkens.
Putting Crawford into the front five while dropping Corbin to the bench makes a lot more sense for the Hawks, who need a victory to ensure a return here and to avoid the unenviable task of going to New York in an 0-2 ditch in the best-of-seven series. Crawford, who vaulted into the starting role when LaPhonso Ellis was lost to injury in mid-March, separated a shoulder in the first round and returned with a team-high 26-point eruption for Game 1. That was merely 24 more points than Atlanta received from both starting forwards, Corbin (2 points) and Grant Long (zero), who combined to shoot 1-of-12.
While the 6-9 Crawford, who is a perimeter threat, also gives the Hawks more size in the first unit, Corbin off the bench gives Atlanta more flexibility as he can plug in at the three or the two spots. When Steve Smith got in early foul trouble, the Hawks had virtually nothing to bring in off the bench as Corbin already was on the floor. Corbin shrugged when asked if the jersey colors meant anything yesterday.
“No, it’s just different lineups walking through plays. It varies,” Corbin said.
Crawford, a former minor league pitcher in the Astros’ chain, was the positive Game 1 story for the Hawks, pouring in 26 points despite the sore shoulder. Asked how he felt yesterday, he offered, “Well, I couldn’t pitch today.’
The second year forward from Marquette echoes the sentiments of his teammates yesterday: the Hawks have to be far more aggressive and assertive in Game 2 or else it will get ugly in a hurry.
“We have to play with the same intensity we had all year. It was there, but they just got the momentum in the second half,” said Crawford, who led the Hawks to a halftime lead by scoring 17 of his 20-first half points in the second quarter. “We weren’t able to get it back. We need to come out, be prepared and make them do things they don’t want to do.”
