We Have a Real Series Now

By Trey Cosby

After the Hawks went to Boston and got blown out in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, you would have expected Boston to sweep and go on to the second round.  That’s why they play the game.  The Hawks went on to win Games 3 and 4 of the series, and here is the review.

If you were tuned in to my postings a few days ago then you know about how the Atlanta Hawks had not made the playoffs in the NBA since 1999.  I touched on how the city was up in arms with excitement, and ready to see a winner coming of age before their very eyes.  Well, if you think the city was on fire then; you should see the level of ecstasy that exists right now in the city of Atlanta.  Now that the Hawks have won Games 3 and 4, Atlanta fans from here to Shang Hai can now start to believe in this team as they move on to the parquet floor in Boston.   The lowly, youthful and inexperienced Hawks are a game behind one of the best teams the NBA has ever seen in the best of seven series of the first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs.

After winning Game 3 by the score of 102-93, the Hawks were expected by most to just lie down and die so they could go back to Boston and finish the series with one win.  Then a funny thing happened on the way to Boston.  The Hawks used stifling athleticism and timely shooting to stun the Celtics in Game 4 and guarantee that this series will go at least six games.

The Hawks were led in Game 4 by the services of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.  Johnson showed up and showed off in the fourth quarter of Game 4, scoring 20 of his game-high 35 points with a barrage of improbable off-balance shots and timely three-pointers as the Hawks overcame a 10-point deficit at the end of the third quarter.

Smith's free throws with 2.6 seconds to play sealed the win for the Hawks, who have turned the league upside down in just three short days. He also tied the franchise record Monday with seven blocks.

After the game, Josh Smith echoed the feelings that so many fans from Atlanta have been longing to say for so long.  He spoke directly of the fact that people thought the Hawks were some kind of charity case going into the playoffs.  Then he expressed how the team feels by saying that they treat the situation like they belong and they are going to make it as difficult as they can on the Celtics to win this series, even if the Hawks lose.  The team has been listening to all the remarks about how they are going to be swept, or they will be lucky to win one game, or they don’t have the horses to stand up to the High Rising Celtics, and they seem to be getting tired of it.  They are young but they are talented.  As of right now they are pretty well seasoned as well.

The Celtics didn't get much from anyone other than their Big Three of Kevin Garnett (20 points), Paul Pierce (18) and Ray Allen (21) and second-year point guard Rajon Rondo (14 points and 12 assists).  Kendrick Perkins showed his youth, Sam Cassell showed his age and the rest of the Celtics supporting cast acted as if they were running in quick-sand.

The Celtics did all that they could to try and salvage a win, but it was the Hawks aggressive style and unselfish play that led the team most of the way, and then Smith and Johnson took over the game in the fourth quarter.  Boston had the answer for the Hawks up until then, but they couldn't keep up with Johnson and Smith, who took all 15 of the Hawks’ shots in the fourth quarter.

It was only fitting that they started the Hawks' final push after tying the game up with just over five minutes to play.  The Celtics used a balanced attack full of three-pointers and baskets by team captain Kevin Garnett to build a lead of 75-65 after three quarters of basketball.  The Hawks looked as if they had run out of gas up until the quarter ended, and for a while it seemed as if the dream was going to die in front of the cities most loyal fans.  As soon as the third quarter ended, it looked like the Hawks were injected with an adrenaline shot, and they immediately began to show new life.

The Hawks took an 84-79 lead with 4:33 to play on back-to-back jumpers from Smith and Johnson.  Smith’s was a spot up 20-footer and Johnson’s a nasty step-back three-pointer over Leon Powe, who fell to the ground after the two of them got tangled.

Johnson took control after that.  His play spoke for itself as he continually drove around the Celtics, over the Celtics and under the Celtics.  Once he hit his first shot of the fourth quarter, a three-pointer from the left hand side of the court, Johnson gained confidence and asked Head Coach Mike Woodson to open up the offense and let him go head-to-head with the entire Celtics defense.  The strategy worked.

The Atlanta Hawks are now in the driver’s seat until they lose again.  All the pressure is on Boston now.  It remains to be seen whether or not the Celtics can handle the pressure.  Stay tuned for a Game 5 update, because this series is about to get very interesting.