Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 111, Bobcats 81

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Hawks All-Star center Al Horford will miss at least three months with a shoulder injury, a major blow to a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.


The team announced Thursday that Horford tore his left pectoral muscle in the first quarter of Wednesday night's game at Indiana. The injury will likely require surgery, stunning a team that has made the playoffs four years in a row and is off to a solid start with wins over Miami and Chicago in the early going.


"I did hear something kind of pop a little bit, so I thought it was something different," said Horford, who wrenched his shoulder while battling for a rebound with Roy Hibbert. "I'm still surprised. I thought I was going to be able to rehab it for a couple of weeks and come back."


Horford, a two-time All-Star, could be out as long as four months, which would take his rehab deep into the playoffs -- should the Hawks make it that far. He will get a second opinion before making the final decision to undergo surgery, but even the most optimistic projection would keep him out until mid-April.


Scoring was a group effort, too. The Hawks recorded 29 assists on 42 field goals as all five starters had at least three assists. “We took care of the basketball, we executed very well and we moved the ball,” Drew said. “I thought we played overall a really solid game.”
The Bobcats tried to push Josh around but he was beasting. He had four of Atlanta’s 20 offensive boards. Josh also made four of his nine shots from outside of the paint while going 14 for 22.
The Bobcats sent Tyrus Thomas at Joe with predictable results. Only a 2 for 8 night from the 3-point line prevented Joe from really going off. As it was, he got to the line for eight attempts (and made seven).
Ivan (12 points on 9 shots, six fouls) isn’t polished but he’s athletic, energetic and physical. That is going to come in handy as the Hawks try to win ugly.
Drew hadn’t decided on the starting center an hour before the game. He settled on Zaza but didn’t commit to it long term. I’m thinking that probably means Drew will use the “big” lineup when appropriate.
“We will just kind of look at our opponent and look at the matchup and see what works best for us,” Drew said. “I was a little concerned because [Byron] Mullens plays like more of a four. He’s a pick-and-pop guy and forced Zaza on the perimeter a lot more but I thought Zaza adapted really well.”
Ivan Johnson played center in spots but Drew said he’s “not necessarily” the backup center. Jason Collins didn’t see the court until garbage time.
If the Hawks really are still trying to make the playoffs, I don’t see how they can make do without another veteran center. They have two guards who don’t see regular minutes and are using an undersized rookie at center. There don’t appear to be any good trade possibilities for Atlanta, at least not until Kirk Hinrich is healthy and his expiring contract might somehow fetch an effective big.