The Hawks' rousing Game 1 win over the Boston Celtics in their first-round playoff series will be marred by a chest bump, and not the kind that comes after a big shot.
Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo lost his cool late and chest-bumped referee Mark Davis, triggering an ejection and tons of drama that marred the end of the Hawks' 83-74 win before a raucous sellout crowd at Philips Arena.
"I was upset about the call, and I said something to (Mark Davis)," Rondo said, pleading his case after the game. "As I was walking I thought he stopped and my momentum carried me into him. I even think I tripped on his foot. I didn't intentionally chest-bump him. It's out of my control (if I get suspended). Obviously I want to be there for my teammates, but other than that, I have no control right now."
The Hawks would love to play the Celtics without Ray Allen (who missed Game 1) and Rondo. They pasted the Celtics early on, taking full advantage of the home-court advantage they worked so hard for down the stretch of the season.
Josh Smith was the driving force for the Hawks, finishing with 22 points and 18 rebounds, the first such game for a Hawks player in the playoffs since Moses Malone did it when Smith was in diapers.
"He was an animal. Josh is a guy that, when he's playing with that energy, when he's playing at that type rhythm, he just makes us so much better," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "He does so much out there, things that may not show up on a stat sheet. When we talk about a guy that we've been laying on all year, it has been Josh.
"He's done a great job of mixing up his offense, whether he's inside, whether he's out. Every now and then, he'll take a crazy shot, which I'm willing to live with for all the things he does do well. Defensively, he takes the challenge in the post, he's a shot blocker. He just played a monster game. We really fed off his energy at the beginning of the game."
Smith was one of the few players on either side willing to talk about this series when it was just a possibility a few weeks ago.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone that he was the one guy emotionally amped up for the start of this rematch series (the teams met in the opening round in 2008). And he didn't let the Hawks crumble late when their 19-point lead was whittled down to just four during crunch time.
"We knew they were going to be able to calm their nerves down and be able to get back to the way they play basketball," Smith said. "We didn't feel the pressure of needing to get a bucket. That's just us being able to be in the playoffs multiple years and understand situations. We dug ourselves out of holes when the right time presented itself."
NOTES, QUOTES
-Joe Johnson's playoff struggles continued in Game 1. The Hawks' All-Star shooting guard did not make a single field goal after halftime. In fact, over the final three quarters, Johnson made 1-of-10 shots with one rebound, one assist and all four of his turnovers. He missed all six of his shots (five from beyond the arc) in the second half.
But he played outstanding defense on Paul Pierce and stayed in the flow despite his struggles. Perhaps most impressive is that Johnson has finally accepted that he has to defer to his teammates on those nights when he simply doesn't have it.
He has to let Josh Smith and Jeff Teague take over on those nights when he can't get it going. He did so against the Celtics and it worked out in the Hawks' favor.
-A reasonable argument could be made that the Hawks won this game in the first 12 minutes.
They scored just 34 points in the second half and 52 over the final three quarters, but smoked the Celtics for 31 points in that first quarter and held them off the rest of the way.
"We got off to a very fast start. I thought we did a good job in pushing the tempo of the game. We said early we really wanted to dictate the rhythm of the game of getting out and running and exploring what we had in transition," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "If it wasn't there, then we ran our secondary offense. I thought we did a really good job. We got some stops and ran. That first quarter was at a pace, I don't know if we're accustomed to playing that way all the time. But it was a point of emphasis to really get stops and get out and run."
ROSTER REPORT
--F Ivan Johnson did a good job of keeping his cool against the Celtics, despite being baited into potential confrontations on several occasions. Coach Larry Drew warned Johnson to refrain from any extra chatter or shoving with the Celtics, who have a history of bringing out the feisty in the Hawks when they see one another.
-G Jeff Teague didn't have a huge game but he was huge down the stretch. He knocked down a 3-pointer and a floater in the lane and managed the end of the game masterfully while the Celtics lost their cool. The Hawks needed that sort of work from their young point guard and got it.
-G Kirk Hinrich saved the Hawks in the third quarter, knocking down two huge triples to keep the Hawks ahead in a game they could not dare lose. Hinrich hasn't had a huge season but he's been a significant contributor.
MEDICAL WATCH
-C Al Horford is back practicing after missing three months with a torn left pectoral muscle but will not be available in this playoff series against the Celtics.
-C Zaza Pachulia is listed as day-to-day with a foot injury and is expected to return at some point during this series.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I thought Mark Davis stopped
and turned towards (Rajon) Rondo. They bumped into each other. Once you
get thrown out you might as well keep talking. That's all it was in my
opinion, but we'll see." -- Doc Rivers on the chest bump.
