Game 6 Groundswell In the ATL: The Hawks Force A Game 7 In Boston
(AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
Can the young boys do it?
The cliché’s come heavy and fast. Win or go home, do or die, a must have game. More than the cliché’s, this is an opportunity of the ‘07 - ‘08 Atlanta Hawks to put their mark on this season.
A win would have been a solid showing; two a moral victory. Three wins against the vaunted Boston Celtics and you could consider the world shocked.
103 -100, Hawks win. It didn’t just seem like they were ready, they were ready and they did what they had to.
Marvin William was huge in the first half, converting mid-range jumpers with ease when Joe Johnson was doubled, which he frequently was in the first two quarters. Atlanta’s players are simply buzzing from the energy their home crowd is supplying. They are completely in rhythm.
Sadly for the Hawks, Paul Pierce was also scoring at will and Boston seemed to get whatever shot they wanted by running their offense. A few passes coupled with player movement yielded plenty of close shots and open jumpers.
Boston is up 32 - 20 at the end of the 1st quarter and Coach Rivers decides to rest KG and Pierce. Wow, by 5:38 to go in the quarter Boston is only up 6. This is a turning point in the game. Marvin Williams continues his torrid first half by hitting back to back jumpers at the right elbow.
Even when the Big Three get back on the court, it doesn’t matter. Consider the tide turned. 50 - 49 Boston at half.
The difference thus far in the game has been execution. Boston is getting shots and converting. Atlanta is making shots. Easy shots, tough shots it really doesn’t matter.
The third quarter is a back and forth affair. One side has to get some stops in order to attain any kind of momentum.
Josh Childress converts a huge tip-in of a missed Mike Bibby jump shot to pull the Hawks within three points and spark what will prove to be an electric home crowd for the remainder of the contest.
Most assumed a close game would go to Atlanta. It’s close and the anticipation of a thrilling finish is literally devouring the atmosphere. The players would not disappoint.
Al Horford converts a questionable three point play (the foul appears to be on the floor but continuation is granted) and Atlanta takes an 86 - 84 lead.
The feeling now has turned from amazement to one of the inevitable. Boston is struggling with the pressure this crowd and team are giving. Whenever Boston is able to make a play Atlanta makes a bigger, better one. Joe Johnson has become the focal point of the offense and handles the ball on every possession. Strangely the constant double teams have stopped and Johnson either scores or gets fouled whenever he makes a play with the ball.
After three Ray Allen misses Kendrick Perkins is fouled after collecting an offensive rebound. He converts both free throws to make the score 97 - 95. Enter Joe Johnson.
Almost on cue Johnson makes a HUGE 3 over James Posey’s outstretched arm. 100 - 95.
Posey answers with a three of his own.
Johnson ices the game with 2 clutch free throws.
Unbelievable.
Post Game Interview Comments:
Boston Locker Room
Jerold Wells Jr.: “You have a great deal of experience in this league. How will you draw from that experience and what will you say to your teammates, a lot of which are young guys, to help prepare you for game 7?”
P. J. Brown: “These are the playoffs and, as we saw, anything can happen. I don’t know if we’ve taken them lightly but we aren’t executing consistently on offense or defense. We’ve created this situation for ourselves, their confidence is high and we’ll have to deal with that in game 7. It’s also important that we don’t put any added pressure on ourselves. We’re going home and we just need to take care of business.”
JWJ: “What will you take from this game to improve on in a huge game 7?”
Rajon Rondo: “They shot 50 something free throws man. We’ve got to keep them off the line. Them shooting that many free throws slows the game and kills our rhythm on offense. They controlled the game offensively with their aggressiveness. We’ll have to fix that.”
JWJ: “As a team you guys were heavily favored in this series. Over the course of the season when you guys lost a game that you shouldn’t have how did you recover?”
James Posey: “First of all these are the playoffs. It’s a different game and a different purpose. As far as recovering I’m not really sure. We scouted this team and have handled them at home. We’re supposed to be in tune and in sync but we weren’t tonight. I don’t know why. I do know that it doesn’t get any easier. Any team can will any game on any night. We have to be ready”
Atlanta Locker Room
JWJ: “Players reputations are formed by their playoff performances. What has this string of games meant to you personally?”
Joe Johnson: “It’s meant a lot man. Like you said, this is what the playoffs are about, coming up big in big games. Not even me, my teammates really showed up tonight too.”
JWJ: “Talk about Marvin Williams and Josh Childress, they were huge tonight.”
Joe Johnson: “I think that really did it for us tonight. Those two guys caught them off guard, I’m pretty sure they didn’t plan on having to defend those two guys. It just shows that we put out a true team effort.”
JWJ: “Talk about Game 7. What’s it going to take for your guys to pull out a win?”
Joe Johnson: “We have to grow up on the road. We’re gonna need all the contributions we got tonight, plus some. We have to make the game ugly man. We have to play tough, nasty basketball. We want the challenge though. Again, this is what it’s all about.”