DeMarre Carroll: There is Still Fight Left in this Dog
By John Buhler
I really can’t emphasize how quiet it got in Philips Arena last night when DeMarre Carroll went down with a severe knee sprain. No matter what seat you had in the Highlight Factory, it looked so much worse than just a knee sprain. An MRI conducted this morning showed that there was no structural damage done to Carroll’s knee. I’ve seen enough ACL tears over the years to know what it looks like. I’m shocked DeMarre will likely play again in this series.
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As of this afternoon, the Junkyard Dog will be questionable for Game 2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the game being played again at Philips, it might be in the team’s best interest to keep DeMarre out of Game 2 and have him ready to go all out for Games 3 and 4 in the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Now that Carroll is off crutches, it’s going to take the entire training staff to keep DeMarre out of Game 2. There is still so much fight left in this dog.
If he is miraculously able to play in Game 2, even in shortened minutes, expect Atlanta to explode in excitement when DMC takes the court. Could it be like this generation’s Willis Reed Game? If DeMarre can play just a few minutes and score a couple of baskets in the first quarter of Game 2, I don’t see how Atlanta doesn’t come away with a victory in that scenario. The playoff atmosphere at Philips Arena would be more electric than Nikola Tesla’s place in Colorado Springs.
We are at that part of the season, guys, where history gets written. People remember the outcomes of Conference Finals games for a very long time. When I was at Philips last night, I kept feeling like something special was always on the verge of happening. If any of you are so lucky to get an opportunity to see the Hawks play in any remaining playoff game, let it sink in and realize how awesome playoff basketball really is.
It has been a very long time since an Atlanta franchise has won two consecutive playoff series. The Braves in 1999 and the Falcons in 1998. Just enjoy it. But when DeMarre Carroll gets back on the court for your Atlanta Hawks, let him know how much we appreciate the Junkyard Dog. I’m so thrilled that he gets to fight another day for the Hawks this season. Let’s Go Hawks!