Getting your player ready...
“Spirit,” the hawk that delayed the Hawks’ playoff loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night by flying around Philips Arena instead of returning to his hand-ler, won’t take flight when the playoff series returns to Atlanta next week. The Hawks said the mascot will “be involved in our game-night activities” but will no longer be allowed to fly around the arena. Players watched as the fierce-looking bird was perched atop the scoreboard at tipoff, refusing to go to his handler. “You see Al Horford duck and run, I was like, ‘Let me run for cover as well,’ ” Heat star Dwyane Wade said. The Associated Press
