It was a simple 22-word handwritten statement, but the ramifications raised some complex questions:

"Atlanta Hawks center Theo Ratliff will not play in tonight's game because of a sore hip. It was a game-time decision."

Reeling from their stunning mental breakdown in Toronto on Friday, the Hawks then went out and suffered a thorough drubbing , 115-91, at the hands of the Celtics. It was the Hawks' eighth loss by margins of 21 to 35 points this season and there was absolutely no sign of resistance from the first minutes.