Today marked the end of the Hawks season, which started tragically and nearly ended triumphantly. I told myself if we won a single game against Boston, I’d be happy. Here I sit, after losing by more than 30 points and managing just over 60, and I’m upset. We went to Game 7. We almost did it. We came just short (only after watching today’s game, it feels almost as if we were never in this series).

There’s a lot of people that feel Boston’s going to be in trouble against the Cavs, but I feel it’s a similar matchup as the Hawks, who they absolutely destroyed at home. You’re going to see a lot of double teams on LeBron, and it’s going to be up to the rest of the Cleveland players to step up and try and win one. The Hawks did just that at home, and just the opposite on the road.

Congrats, Atlanta. I can truly say for the first time in nine years that I’m proud to be a Hawk. Our main focus now is re-signing Josh Smith, and then hopefully getting Childress as well, though I think it’s unlikely; he’ll probably want way too much, and you can only justify giving so many dollars to a guy that’s gonna be your sixth man.

Highlights from the game. Enjoy. Go Hawks. Go to hell, Boston.

Going into this Hawks/Celtics series, I didn’t have much hopes. I told myself from the beginning, “Win one game and I’ll be happy. That’s all I need.” Here I sit, three wins later, and I wonder if we can actually win the series. Can the Hawks — the same team that hadn’t been in the playoffs in nine years and was seven games under .500 — actually take this thing against the best team in the NBA (record-wise, anyway).

I’ve been to all three games at home, and I’ve seen each build a little more momentum. Game 1 featured a less than packed crowd that was very giddy to see the home team win; Game 2 featured a packed crowd that was amped from Zaza and KG’s face-to-face confrontation; and Game 3, well, Game 3 featured a record setting packed crowd at Phillips Arena, and a buzz the likes the city has never seen in the NBA.

The final game, Game 7, is tomorrow afternoon at 12:30. I’m not getting my hopes up — the Hawks, as we’ve noticed, have a tendency to play great at home and sorry in Boston. But I didn’t expect to win three of these, so I wouldn’t be super surprised if we won a fourth.

Mike Woodson, who may be the worst coach in the NBA but has been able to save his job because of the performance the Hawks have put on, is irate about Kevin Durant winning the award of Hawks rookie Al Horford.

“It’s a travesty and it’s not right,” Woodson said Wednesday night before Atlanta’s Game 5 loss to Boston, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He should have shared it, if not gotten it outright. And I don’t want to hear about us not being on TV or anything like that. It doesn’t matter. It’s what this kid has done for this team.

“We haven’t had a power forward/center come in our league and do what he’s done [average a double-double] in I don’t know how many years,” Woodson said. “I mean, come on, man.”

Granted, this is coming from Mike Woodson, but the guy does pose a point: When was the last time a power forward/center came into the league and averaged a double-double? Beyond that, the Hawks are in the playoffs, and much of their success can be attributed to Horford’s good play, leadership, and fighting-back-at-Paul-Pierce-ness. The Hawks play game 6 tonight (yes, I’m going), and the way I see it, forget the ROY award — just win the damn first round.

It’s not what I think should happen, but it is what I knew would happen: Kevin Durant, the former Texas phenom, has won the Rookie of the Year award. Durant beat out Al Horford to take the trophy.

Durant averaged 20.3 points per game in 2007-08 — the highest scoring average for a rookie since Carmelo Anthony averaged 21 points per game and LeBron James averaged 20.9 ppg in 2003-04. Only three of the past 10 rookies of the year — Durant, James and Elton Brand — have averaged at least 20 points in their first season.

I liked Horford over Durant for a few reasons: 1.) He helped get his team to the playoffs 2.) He’s now taking Boston to its limits int eh playoffs 3.) He was a better team player and 4.) I’m a Hawks fan, and I’m biased as hell.

You’ll have to excuse me for posting another Hawks/Celtics gig, but I can’t help it. Being from here, and being a rather miserable Hawks fan for the last nine years, it’s hard for me to grasp that this is really happening. Not just happening, but really happening. It’s not just the losses I’m talking about; the draft picks, the double ownership, the coach that should’ve been fired a while ago — all of it.

Now, four games into the opening round of the playoffs, things are panning out. Josh Smith and Joe Johnson are scoring whenever they want. Al Horford isn’t looking like a rookie, and I don’t care what Kevin Durant’s done: Horford helped his team to the playoffs, is playing well in the playoffs, and he deserves the ROY award.

The people in Boston seem to have mixed feelings about it all; some are worried, and others aren’t overly concerned. Here’s what they’re saying:

“Why are all these Atlanta fans on the band-wagon all of a sudden? Where were all you guys on Saturday morning when game 3 wasn’t even sold out yet? You’ve had your fun, now the Celtics are going to bring it back to Boston and with the loudest building in the league showing the Hawks some real fans, they’ll get their groove back. ATL just can’t beat Boston at home.”
-Matt

“We thought the Pats loss to the Giants was crushing. This would be the biggest upset in NBA–and possibly, professional sports–history. I hate to say it, but the Hawks carry themselves with the spirit of an underrated March Madness team, while we look like smug veterans who feel entitled to win. Josh Smith’s block on KG near the end was shocking and kind of scary. Buckner’s legs will look pale in comparison if this thing goes the wrong way….”
-Dr. Celtic

“The Celtics are a much better team and have a lot more experience. They should certainly win the series. That being said, the Hawks have obviously shown they are not intimidated by the Celtics’ players or history. If I had to put money on it, I would still have to go with the Celtics, but I would love to see the Hawks take it.

And for all the ATL fans posting things like “Free Mike Vick” and “Vick was framed”, please just get over it. He’s guilty, he is scum, and he let not only his fans, but his teammates and employers down because of his own self-centered actions and disregard for laws. He is done in ATL and will never be back.

Please quit posting things like this, you just make us all look stupid.”
-Thomaston Dog

Oddly, even in rooting for the Hawks, the people of Atlanta still bring Mike Vick into it. That, I’m sad to say, is something that probably won’t end.

Go Hawks, baby. Go Hawks.

Josh Smith said Atlanta was going to shock the world. The world, in response, laughed at Josh Smith.

Last night’s game featured the second straight that Boston was incapable of stopping Josh Smith and Joe Johnson (especially the latter, who went for 35 points, 20 of which came in the fourth quarter), and the Big Three, who looked flawless together all season, are suddenly looking the part of an old bunch unable to make adjustments.

It’s 2-2, and while I’m not going to say the Hawks have won this series, I will say this: They’ve got Boston on the ropes second guessing most everything they’re doing. And somehow, some way, this excitement the Hawks have stirred is buzzing its way through the country, much like Golden State did last year. That Dallas team, you’ll remember, had 60+ wins and was expected to coast to the Western Conference Finals.

Above is the slight altercation that transpired and, even as a Hawks fan, how can you get mad at KG for his actions? The guy is bounced every year in the first round, and here, playing the part of Goliath, he can’t help his team beat a team that only made it to the playoffs because you have to have eight teams in the playoffs. The next game is Wednesday night, and then there’ll be one more on Friday night in Atlanta. It’s the first time in my 25 years of life that I’ve seen this kind of buzz and Hawks tickets are actually selling for more than 20 bucks.

With the NFL Draft, I kind of lost track of the playoffs, even though I did attend the Hawks/Celtics game last night, a game that truly demonstrated the Hawks are the best team in the NBA (I’m not getting too ahead of myself, am I?).

Today the Spurs and Suns meet and, surprsingly, this could be the end of the series. Game 1 had you believing this thing would go seven, six at the least, and we’d be in for one of hte best first round series ever. Three games later, the Spurs are up 3-0 and looking to close this thing out.

My guess is the Suns win this one and the Spurs finish them off at home in five.

It’s the first time in nine years that the Hawks are in the playoffs and, avid fan that I am, I didn’t make it past halftime. I work early in the morning, you see (I have to be at work at 7:30 a.m., and that’s fighting Atlanta rush hour), and didn’t have a very good “feel” for what was going on last night.

I watched us get down big in the first half, come back to within two, then get down again. As close as we were keeping it, it felt to me as if the game was only close because Boston was making silly mistakes. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith weren’t flying around doing crazy things that had everyone saying, “My God, the Hawks can win this series;” rather, Boston was clumsily throwing the ball out of bounds, missing open layups, jumpshots and threes, and generally not looking in rhythm most of the first half.

When you play your worst and you’re still up nine points at halftime, then there’s a problem.

I didn’t see the second half, but I’m glad. Based on the stats, I didn’t miss much, and a nine point lead turned into 23 before the final buzzer sounded. The one bright spot of this soon-to-be-very-ugly-series: Al Horford, the dominant rookie that had 20 points, 10 rebounds and one block in 40 minutes of play.

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 18 points, Paul Pierce and KG both had 16, and three other players scored in double figures for Boston. The series is now at 1-0, will soon be 2-0, and if my prediction is right, will end in five when they get back to Boston.

They probably won’t shock the world, but in this weekend’s playoff viewing, the game that means the most to me is the one at 8:30 EST tonight. The Pistons are down 20-16 against the 76′ers right now; here’s the finals from earlier today.

Toronto Raptors 100, Orlando Magic 114: The Magic were blowing out the Raptors early, and then Toronto snuck its way back in, only to fall apart in the final seven or eight minutes. Anthony Parker led all Raptors in scoring with 26 points, and Chris Bosh struggled, scoring 21 but going only 4-11 from the field. Dwight Howard had a monster game, getting 25 points and grabbing 22 boards. The Magic were 13 of 29 from beyond the arch.

Denver Nuggets 114, Los Angeles Lakers 128: Denver had a ten point lead early on, but that defense that’s struggled all year long struggled again today. The Lakers shot 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from three-point land. Pau Gasol had 36 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, and Kobe Bryant did his Kobe Bryant thing, scoring 32 points and having a remarkably high one assist. ‘Melo and AI both scored 30 points and Linas Kleiza had 23 off the bench.