Hawks Meet Bulls in Season Opener

Atlanta Hawks (0-0)
@ Chicago Bulls (1-1)
[Starting Lineups] [Atlanta Boxscore] [Chicago Boxscore]
Left: Josh Smith delivering the facial, Right: Ben Gordon slithering in for the layup
[07/03/05, Chicago] - Right from the beginning of this game, the fans, the coaches, everyone in the arena, knew it was going to be tough for both contesting teams. Led by new acquisition, Joe Johnson, the Hawks hope to gain some momentum and win their first game of this 2005-2006 season.
Hawks Silence Stadium
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that every player on both the Hawks and Bulls roster put everything out on the court tonight. This high tempo game was electric, which might actually be an understatement. The final score was 116-106, and up until the last minute mark in the fourth, every point was worth a thousand pounds of gold.
"We had the lead early, but they just kept coming," said Coach Woodson, "everytime we sank a basket, they came right back on offense with a mild shrug. The least I can say is they were determined." Mike Woodson wasn't very far off, as the Hawks highest lead of the game was the 10 point lead they had to finish it. Also to note was the 14 lead changes, 6 of them in the third quarter. Although the Bulls took the lead multiple times they never got beyond 4 points ahead of the Hawks.
The Hawks were lead by All Star,
Joe Johnson who had an astounding night, scoring 30 points, and picking up 2 steals, and 2 assists.
Al Harrington also stole the show grabbing 25 points, and picking off 14 rebounds for the night. Also to note are
Zaza Pachulia and
Tyronn Lue, who grabbed 15 points, and 8 boards (7/7 FG), and 16 points (50% FG), and 8 assists respectfully.
For the Bulls, the story of the night was
Ben Gordon, who whipped up a solid 26 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists. Not far behind him was
Chris Duhon who got himself a double-double with 21 points, 10 assists, and 2 steals. Other notables were
Tyson Chandler (13 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and
Kirk Hinrich (10 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists).
"There were a few times the Bulls could have run away with the game, but we were fortunate they didn't, and we just held things together until the final buzzer," said Joe Johnson after the game.
While shooting an acurate 60% from the field, the Hawks were closely trailed by the Bulls, who shot 55% FG. "It just so happened it was one of those nights where everything falls," said Gordon after the game, as he shot 10/15 (67%) from the field.
This was your recap of the first Hawks game of the season. Have a good night folks, and catch the next one on November 4th when they butt heads with Paul Pierce and the Celts.
Game Highlights
Tyronn Lue hits the three
Joe Johnson with the lay-in
Salim Stoudemire tries for the tré
Kirk Hinrich with the flashy behind-the-head pass