| Atlanta Hawks 11-12 First Round Playoffs Game 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
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| 40-27 | 39-27 | |
| TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | ||
| May 6, 2012, 7:30 PM | ||
| SportSouth, TNT, 99X and 98.9 FM, NBA Audio League Pass | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Jeff Teague | PG | Rajon Rondo |
| Kirk Hinrich | SG | Avery Bradley |
| Joe Johnson | SF | Paul Pierce |
| Josh Smith | PF | Brandon Bass |
| Jason Collins | C | Kevin Garnett |
Boston Celtics Lead Series 2-1 | ||
Hawks Injury/Inactive Report: Al Horford (pectoral) and Zaza Pachulia (foot) are out. Josh Smith (left knee) is probable to return and play.
Celtics Injury/Inactive Report: Avery Bradley (shoulder) will probably play.
More SB Nation Coverage: SB Nation Atlanta, CelticsBlog
Game/Series Preview:
The Hawks' goal going into Boston was to steal at least one win in either Game 3 or Game 4. They had a chance to get that win in Game 3, but they squandered the opportunity late in the 4th quarter and overtime due to lack of execution. With that Hawks loss, they gave the Celtics a 2-1 lead in the series.
If the Hawks can win this game and come back to Atlanta (for Game 5) with the series tied, they will really put themselves in good position in the series. If they come back to Atlanta down 3-1, it's safe to say that the entire organization and its fan base will be in full-out panic mode.
So this game is a crucial one. It's a series changing game and both teams would certainly be looking for a win. Expect the intensity to be at a high and expect emotional players on the court. I would not be surprised to see bodies on the floor and technical fouls getting handed out.
All 3 games in this series have been competitive. Don't expect anything less tonight.
Playoff Series Results:
Game 1 (April 29th): Celtics 74, Hawks 83
Game 2 (May 1st): Celtics 87, Hawks 80
Game 3 (May 4): Hawks 84, Celtics 90 OT
Quick Hits:
- Larry Drew's playoff record is now 7-8. He's 2-5 on the road.
- The Hawks all-time record vs. the Celtics in the playoffs is now 23-38.
- The Hawks were 17-16 on the road in the regular season, while the Celtics were 24-9 at home.
- Joe Johnson will move up to 3rd in franchise history in most playoff games played in an Atlanta Hawks uniform as he'll be playing his 45th playoff game. Tree Rollins is #1 with 56 playoff games.
- Joe Johnson is one made field goal away from being 3rd in franchise history for most field goals made in the playoffs in a Hawks uniform. Joe Johnson currently has 302 FGM. Dominique Wilkins has the franchise record with 488.