Boris

Diaw

''I’ll take it,’' coach Mike Woodson said. ''The last two games, for whatever reason, he’s had a different attitude. I don’t know what it is.’' Diaw was in need of stepping up to prove he has a future with the Hawks. Woodson thinks GM Billy Knight may have said as much to Diaw.

Diaw had scored in double digits his previous two games, but last night went for just six points, two rebounds, and three assists in 32 minutes.

“It’s worse than we initially thought,” coach Terry Stotts said. “I stopped putting a timetable on it.” Diaw has been running on a treadmill and may start non-contact drills by Monday.

Dion Glover would start in place of Diaw, who has started the last five games.

Diaw is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle. No word on whether he will rejoin the starting lineup upon returning.

While the two sides aren’t close to an agreement, it sounds like Diaw will get a deal done by the deadline. “He’s not going anywhere,” Mike D’Antoni said. “We think we’re close to winning a championship and we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize that.”

He’s played as well as anyone on the Suns, and if they come back to win the series to advance to the Finals, he could actually win the Finals MVP award.

He hit 9-of-21 shots and scored at least 20 points for the fourth straight game, the first time in his career he’s pulled off that feat.

Diaw had a huge first half, scoring 20 points, but cooled off in the second half, along with the rest of his team. If nothing else, Diaw proved during these playoffs that he should play a significant role on this team again next season, with or without Amare Stoudemire around.

Diaw has been phenomenal, much to the chagrin of Hawks fans (all eight of them) everywhere.