This long and forgettable Hawks season continues to get worse. After losing 93-85 against the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday, the Hawks matched the franchise's worst record after 47 games (14-33) since the team moved to Atlanta in 1968.
They were this miserable in 1970-71, too.
The Hawks have followed their impressive win at Detroit on Sunday with two lackluster performances at home. Two days after committing 23 turnovers in a loss against the Phoenix Suns, the Hawks coughed up the ball 20 times (which led to 21 points for the Blazers). They have now lost three in a row at home.
"It wasn't about no energy, just simple fundamental basketball," center Theo Ratliff said. "Passing the ball to the open man, making the correct pass. It's redundant. You learn in junior high, high school, when you dribble the ball, don't jump in the air to pass the ball. But how many times did we do that?"
"It's just bad basketball," he said. "It puts a bad taste in your mouth. Guys can play better than that. I know we can play better. It's a sad situation."
So sad, that after Jason Terry committed turnover No. 17 in the third quarter, the few fans scattered through Philips Arena began to boo the home team.
Stephen Jackson led the Hawks with 15 points, but he needed 17 shots. He chose not to speak afterward.
Rookie Boris Diaw was responsible for five turnovers, throwing the ball away on consecutive possessions near the end of the first half and allowing the Blazers to cut a 10-point Hawks lead down to five before the break.
Diaw opened the fourth quarter by firing a pass that Blazers reserve Ruben Patterson intercepted, then capped with a dunk on the other end.
"Turnovers did us in big time," Stotts said. "If you give teams in this league a chance to run, they will."
Despite their sloppy play, the Hawks were still within two points with six minutes left. But the Blazers went on an 11-3 run. Zach Randolph (22 points, 12 rebounds) hit a fallaway jumper as the shot clock expired to put the Blazers up 85-75 with 1:26 left.
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