Hawks center Clint Capela ripped the Knicks for getting chippier ever since Atlanta asserted control in their first-round series, Andrew Lopez of ESPN relays. “I don’t know if they’re physical, but they are trying to play physical,” Capela said. “I feel like if they were really physical, I think we’d have more problems than what we have.”
Capela, who said the Hawks are coming to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to “win this game again and send you on vacation,” also took a shot at the Knicks for being considered a team that plays hard every night. “We play hard because we’re playing the right way and we win games that way,” the Hawks’ big man said. “When you’re playing hard because that’s your last solution, I don’t take that as a ‘playing hard’ team.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Knicks have discovered how much more potent the Hawks are with Bogdan Bogdanovic in the lineup, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes. Bogdanovic, who signed a four-year contract with Atlanta as a restricted free agent in the offseason, is averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 3.5 APG in the first four games of the series. “What Bogey has done for us this season, we want to give him more (responsibility),” coach Nate McMillan said. “So I’ve been able to change the rotation, allow Bogey to really play with the basketball a little bit more.”
- After the latest incident involving an unruly fan, Wizards coach Scott Brooks urged potential troublemakers to stay home, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. A fan ran onto the court in Game 4 between the Sixers and Wizards and was tackled by security. “There’s great fans in Boston and New York and Philly and D.C., Utah. But there’s some that just need to, you know what, stay home,” he said. “Your thinking is barbaric. Stay home. We don’t need you. We don’t need your dollars. Just stay home. Get away from us.” The fan will be banned from the arena and criminal charges are being pursued against him.
- Wendell Carter Jr. brought a physical presence and energy to the Magic frontcourt after being acquired in the Nikola Vucevic trade with the Bulls, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes. He averaged 11.7 PPG and 8.8 RPG in 22 games with Orlando.
Capela must be living on an island all this Knicks team is known for is battling for wins. Before I get someone angry replying to this, I never said the Knicks are gonna come back and win in 7.
I think Capela is saying, that reputation is undeserved.
I would say, the knicks have been garbage since Ewing and Starks left.
Maybe I’m wrong though
99 knicks and 00 when they made the Conference Finals. 2013 was cool. Everything else sucked.
Capela isn’t “living on an island”. His team is winning so he is talking smack.
This will prove if these Knicks have a spine tonight. I’m predicting Randle goes for 22, 9,5 and RJ gets 19 and Bullock hits 4 three pointers for a win tonight.
You know what. F$44 the Hawks. Please talk more at the Garden. We are not losing in Garden. Just one is all we need to go for. A good Are whipping deserves another. Gotten win at home. Simple as that. Yogi Time lol. ……
Capella goes to the top of my list of commentators!— If I had such a list. Knicks have gone too far in the past. If their obsession with defense prevents them from putting scorers on the court (Burks), they’ve gone too far. I have seen that this series.
Mobley would sure look good next to Carter. Magic with a top 5 pick will get a starter and major contributor.
Hawks have been overdoing the talk. I guess when the Garden chants at Young. We deserve some of that. So we can’t really complain. But as a player I’d be tired of it too. Bullock was hit by Gallinari. So I’m good with Randle letting them know what’s up. For all you non-historians. I’d suggest you look up Willis Reed. Taking on the WHOLE Cavs team for doing same thing. Don’t Freak with NYers. Hawks have been playing a lot of illegal D. Waiting on Randle and RJ. They know a big part of their gm is iso. Also playing lot of zone. I give them credit for being better D team. Thibs has gotten out coached. Knicks shooting is what has hurt them the most. You have too shoot against a zone. McMillan is smart to do it, dare them to shoot. Still as bad as we’ve played. We should of had gm 1. We were up 2 with less than 3 mins. And Thibs didn’t gm manage well. He let Young run free, the only guy hurting us. You play him like Bullock did gm 2, we win. No way we are losing at Garden, now. But Hawks have the advantage now. Just can’t see us shooting this bad all series. Hopefully Hm gm changes all that. Then we have a big gm in Atlanta. It’s all about next gm with Knicks. And this gm you have show them who’s boss in the Garden. Time to shut them up.
Knicks problem all year is they can’t score and in the playoffs where you only have 2-3 guys that can make their own shot you can’t win.
I’m no shut up and dribble guy but what is Capela talking about? He sounds like an idiot.
“When you’re playing hard because that’s your last solution, I don’t take that as a ‘playing hard’ team.” What do you see at as then, Clint? A team playing hard… but not playing hard? Schrodinger’s Capela.
“I don’t know if they’re physical, but they are trying to play physical”. So…physical then? Lol. It sounds like you know.
Clint, you’re great and came into this series underrated, but just take a sec and organize your thoughts before going to the media. That’s my opinion, anyway. You’ll take it or leave it.