By Michael Cunningham, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution –
ATLANTA — The math suggests the Hawks have a slim chance of coming back to win their playoff series against the Celtics.
Behind those bleak numbers there also was a qualitative problem the Hawks had to answer. Was their blowout loss to the Celtics in Game 4 an aberration, or the start of yet another weak retreat into the offseason?
Not even Hawks guard Joe Johnson knew the answer.
“Honestly I’m not sure,” Johnson said before Game 5 on Tuesday at Philips Arena. “I just have to wait until we get between the lines. It’s easy to talk it, but it’s different when you get on the court. Hopefully we will take a sense of pride and a sense of desperation and try to make it back to Boston.”
The Hawks showed more fight and held off the Celtics for an 87-86 victory. Game 6 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night at Boston, which leads 3-2.
The Hawks still face a tough task. Fewer than four percent of NBA teams (eight of 202) have come back to win playoff series after trailing 3-1.
The Hawks at least still have a chance to join that group after they followed their lackluster Game 4 effort with a strong effort.
“We’ve had multiple situations throughout season where are guys have responded, and this should be no different,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said before the game. “This should be one of those bumps in the road. We are down 3-1, our backs are against the wall, but you really get to see what guys are made of.
“We have nothing to lose, so why not go out there and lay it on the line? If it doesn’t work out, at least you can say I gave it my all.”
The Hawks built an 11-point lead in the third quarter, just as they did in Game 2 before losing. The Hawks blew the lead again, but finished stronger this time.
Ray Allen’s 3-pointer capped a 7-0 Boston run and tied the score 83-83. Hawks center Al Horford, playing in his second game since Jan. 17 pectoral surgery, scored on a dunk and a baseline drive for an 87-83 lead with 1:34 left.
Celtics forward Paul Pierce made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 87-86 with 50.7 seconds left. But after Hawks guard Jeff Teague missed a 3-point try, Pierce’s shot over Johnson fell short.
The Hawks survived a turnover in the final 11 seconds that gave the Celtics another chance to win. Rondo fumbled the ball away, and Hawks forward Josh Smith tipped away Rondo’s pass intended for Kevin Garnett as time expired.
The Hawks finally found enough offense to make their defense hold up. The Hawks closed the first half with a run of four consecutive 3-pointers in just over two minutes, and that seemed to awaken them from an offensive malaise that had lingered since after the opening quarter of Game 1.
The Hawks opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run. Horford made two jump shots during the run, an element the Hawks’s offense had missed in his absence.
Atlanta scored 16 points in the opening six-plus minutes of the half after they scored 15 in the first quarter. They then erupted for 10-0 run for the 65-54 lead, only to give those points back over the final three minutes of the quarter.
Boston answered with a 10-0 run. Included among those scored was Rondo’s tip-in of a miss, followed by Rondo stealing the ensuing inbound pass making a jumper.
It looked as if the Celtics might stagger the Hawks early by feasting off turnovers and bad shots, same as they did in Game 4.
During an 11-3 run to open the game, the Celtics turned Smith’s jumper into Pierce’s 3-pointer, Paul Pierce dunked on the break after Marvin Williams fumbled away a pass and Brandon Bass got a layup after Horford’s bad pass. Boston scored 10 points off Atlanta’s first five turnovers.
The Celtics ran to a 28-18 lead early in the second quarter behind five quick points by Allen. But the Hawks kept the margin from ballooning through defense and rebounding.
They finally found some offense with a strong spurt from Johnson, then closed the half with the burst of 3-pointers.
