Back to BeantownThis season, the Boston Celtics have been championship contenders all season, even back to early summer when the Big Three 2.0 left New Englanders itching for their first championship in 22 years. They were matched up with the Atlanta Hawks, a lowly 8th seed with the worst record of any playoff team, and first time playoff-participants in nearly a decade. Sound familiar? After easily winning the first two games in the Garden, and making the Hawks look like merely a JV squad unable to hang with the big boys, the series shifted to Hotlanta. And then things got interesting. Believe it or not, the young Hawks emerged to tie the series tonight and delivered a solid blow to Goliath’s green mug with a 97-92 victory. This may be history in the making… again.
Joe Johnson poured in 35 points, an amazing 20 coming in the final frame, while Josh Smith nearly matched his teammate with 28 as well. Johnson and the Hawks showed the veteran poise usually expected from the Celtics and seemed to want it more, outscoring
Boston 32-17 in the fourth. Things got heated in the second when Zaza Pachulia got in the face of Kevin Garnett after his errant loose elbow connected with with Pachulia. It was a testament that this series is far from over, and that Boston has it coming if they think the Hawks are going to keel over so easily.The overconfident Celtics, who all season long have looked as poised and mature as any team not named the San Antonio Spurs, have all of a sudden looked frustrated and capable of being knocked down. The Celtics thought they were capable of beating the Hawks at their own style, a mistake that just tied this series. While the Celtics will more than likely come back and take this series, starting back in Boston on Wednesday, they look vulnerable, capable of being had. But there’s a chink in their armor, the Big Three don’t look as big, and a four game sweep as all of a sudden turned into a best of 3.
