There was a point at the end of the third quarter that it seemed like the Atlanta Hawks were going to crumble once again in the second half, but somehow they were able to overcome the turnovers and terrible offensive possessions that saw their 12 point lead with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter shrink to just two points heading into the final stanza. It wasn’t a pretty ending, of course, but it got the job done as the Hawks stayed alive at home with the 87-86 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
It’s probably not fair to consider everything Atlanta does on offense as “typical Hawks basketball,” but the ending probably shouldn’t have surprised anyone ... despite it being insanely crazy. Josh Smith attempted to inbound the ball with 10.9 seconds left, but instead turned it over, giving Rajon Rondo the ball and the chance to win the game while ending the Hawks’ season in ridiculous fashion. Rondo was unable to convert on the other end due to a dribbling snafu, however, and the Hawks just barely eked out the victory.
Game 5 was one of the more entertaining games in the series -- and altogether different from the first four, much to no one’s surprise -- but the Hawks wouldn’t have been able to do it without Al Horford. Horford was back in the starting lineup for the first time since an injury in early January and his efforts were brilliant, scoring 19 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and adding three steals, blocks and assists while giving Atlanta a much-needed presence in the low post.
The Celtics were hot from the field on Sunday when they took the 3-1 lead in the series, but that certainly wasn’t the case on Tuesday. Boston ended up with a respectable shooting percentage of 44 percent from the field, but Rajon Rondo’s jumper returned to regularity, Paul Pierce missed a potential game-winner late in the game and Brandon Bass continued to struggle from the field. It wasn’t a particularly terrible effort from Boston, either, but if Pierce is unable to play at 100 percent -- and he clearly wasn’t on Tuesday, spending stretches on the sidelines -- this series is going to get harder for Boston as long as it continues.
As far as the keys to the Hawks offense were concerned, it seems that being able to put their original starting lineup out on the floor was all that was needed to get the offense back on track. Aside from the lapse at the end of the third quarter, Atlanta’s offense moved the ball very well, evidenced by the fact that all five starters scored in double-figures for the first time in the postseason. Josh Smith scored 13 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished six assists on a bum leg, Marvin Williams scored 15 points while looking rejuvenated and Jeff Teague had a solid 16. Joe Johnson probably would have hurt his standing with Atlanta fans even more had they not won the game, though, as his 15 points on 17 shots certainly wasn’t indicative of a player that recently received a max contract.
Going forward, it’s going to be interesting to see if the Hawks are able to build on the momentum as they head back to Boston. Atlanta didn’t look great in Boston, but that might change with Horford back in the mix -- and Boston’s been unable to find much consistency this series, anyway, so it’s tough to tell what might happen in Game 6. Rondo has shown the ability to control stretches and, if the Celtics are going to close out the Hawks in six games, he may need to take over on Thursday night ... especially if Pierce is still favoring his knee.