Surprise - Atlanta Hawks even series with Celtics
April 28, 2008 by James Edwards
Filed under Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett, NBA Basketball, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen
NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.
Joe Johnson had 20 in the 4th quarter
Image details: Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks - Game Three served by picapp.com
Image details: Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks - Game Three served by picapp.com
You must admit it.
You did not see this coming.
Atlanta has taken both of their home games and now the series with the Boston Celtics is tied at 2 to 2.
Game 5 is back in Boston.
So how did Atlanta do it?
Well, it may have started with the trade for Mike Bibby.
Oh, you want to know what happened in the game?
After starting the game on a 16-3 run, the Celtics cooled down as Atlanta secured a 97-92 home win in Game 4 on Monday.
On an off night for rookie Al Horford, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith combined for Atlanta’s final 34 points. Johnson led the way with 35 points and six assists, while Smith chipped in 28 points, six rebounds and seven blocks.
This is a Hawks team that now believes that they can win. Sure, the Hawks know that Kevin Garnett is a great player, and so is Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but they can be beaten!
The game was still close going into the fourth quarter when Joe Johnson took over and left the Celtics wondering what happened.
The credit for this Atlanta stunner goes largely to Johnson, who took control in the final quarter. After Smith’s jumper put the Hawks ahead to stay 81-79, Johnson scored nine straight points to keep the Celtics on the ropes.
The knockout came when Paul Pierce drove to the hoop and left it short, then tumbled over a cameraman alongside the basket. When the Boston star finally climbed back to his feet, he had a look of disbelief—which pretty much sums up the way the Celtics are feeling about this series.
You have to wonder if any Boston fans bought game 5 tickets. They had to be sure this series would be over in 4 games.
NBA Basketball special comment Will Atlanta win this series? No, but they have acquired a huge dose of confidence and experience that has to pay dividends.
As always, any NBA Basketball related comments are welcome.
More blogs about basketball.
