The plane bringing them home from south Florida arrived in Massachusetts shortly before 3 o’clock on Wednesday morning.

A weary group of Celtics should have been savoring an impressive road victory over the Miami Heat, but there were other pressing matters at hand.

They had sleep to catch up on, and they had yet another game – the fourth in five nights – against the well-rested and younger Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday evening.

The Celtics have been rolling along since the All-Star break with very few stumbles, but here they were smack in the middle of a seemingly no-win scenario.

A fatigued, veteran team playing on fumes against a team that had been idle since Saturday night certainly didn’t appear to add up in the Celtics’ favor?

So how to explain what happened at the TD Garden where the Celtics continued their amazing late-season charge by willing themselves to an 88-86 overtime victory over the Hawks?

How to explain the Celtics not having a letdown after their emotional win in Miami or keeping the victories coming despite having Ray Allen (sore right ankle) unavailable?

“It just says we have great character, a tough-minded group,’’ said coach Doc Rivers after his team won for the 11th time in the last 14 games. “They really are.

“You could see they wanted to win the game so bad and you could see the way we played. Going into it, what I told the coaches is we’ve got to just keep it close, hang around for the fourth quarter.’’

Said Brandon Bass after contributing 21 points and 10 rebounds: “I think Doc came in and laid it out and let us know that there were no excuses tonight. Everybody’s tired, but he told us to just go out there and fight and do what we do every night – and that’s grind.’’

This should have been the night the Celtics, winners of four in a row and 19-7 since the break, took the foot off the gas. They should have been sitting ducks for the Hawks, who were in need of a win over the Celtics to avoid losing a potential tiebreaker.

Instead, the Celtics fought through layer after layer of adversity with Rajon Rondo (another triple-double with 20 assists, 10 rebounds and 10 points on a night when he missed 13 of 16 shots), Kevin Garnett (22 points, 12 rebounds), Bass, Paul Pierce (14 points) and Mickael Pietrus (a key performer in his return from a concussion) leading the way.

They were obviously a step slower, were battling fatigue and had to overcome two offensive foul calls in the final minute of overtime.

“This team has resolve,’’ said Rivers. “They figure it out. They like each other and I think that allows us to win games on certain nights we shouldn’t win.

“I think this team has a resolve about them that allows them to stay in games that I think other teams would let go of the rope.’’

The rejuvenated Garnett was again superb and Rondo extended his streak of double-digit assists games to 19, second only to John Stockon’s 29.

“Rondo was sensational,’’ said Rivers. “He didn’t want to come out. He said, ‘Because we’ve got tomorrow off, let me just go.’

“I know he’s on a run. I know he’s playing very well. I don’t need the numbers to tell me that. He’s just playing extremely well. He’s been spectacular. It’s not just him. It’s everybody.’’

Even on weary legs and fresh off an emotional win more than 1,500 miles away the previous night, the Celtics still managed to open eyes. They went 5-2 in an 11-day stretch against teams with winning records and are now tied with the Hawks and Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference while owning tiebreakers over both.

“You think about your summer workouts and these are the things that help you in moments like this,’’ said Garnett of pushing through the way the Celtics did. “You see doubt, it’s right in front of you and you go right through it. We were able to stay strong and fight through fatigue and make plays when we had to.’’

Read More: Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks

The Boston Celtics visited the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night hoping to stem a losing streak at two games and solidify their spot above the Eastern Conference cutoff line for the playoffs. It was far from pretty, but they ultimately did just that, holding off the Hawks, 79-76, for a much-needed win.

The Hawks were up one point heading into the fourth quarter, 51-50, in what had been a defensive slugfest up to that point. Then the Celtics heated up while the Hawks remained stagnant. Boston scored 29 points in the first quarter, at one point burying 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions.

Then things got a little crazy. Atlanta took over nine minutes to finally surpass 10 points for the quarter. Then they went on a 16-2 run over the next 2:50 to pull within one point, 77-76, with 10 seconds on the clock. Zaza Pachulia scored seven points and Joe Johnson buried three 3-point jumpers to turn an easy Celtics win into an impromptu nailbiter.

Mickael Pietrus and Paul Pierce both went 1-for-2 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to let the Hawks back in the game. Luckily, Ray Allen hit both of his attempts from the line to give the Celts a late 79-76 lead. The Hawks were able to get Jeff Teague a wide open look for the tie, but he airballed the 3-point equalizer badly:

Allen led the Celtics with 19 points on the night. He hit two 3-pointers and the two late free throws for eight points in the fourth quarter. Rajon Rondo recorded yet another double-double with 13 assists and 10 points, though he shot just 4-for-14 from the field. Pierce also struggled mightily, going 4-for-14 for the night. He was the only Celtics’ starter to finish with a negative plus/minus rating.

Johnson had 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish with a Hawks-leading 25 on 9-for-17 shooting (4-for-5 from beyond the arc). Pachulia had 16 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Unfortunately, there was little offense to be found elsewhere. Josh Smith was the only other Atlanta player to hit double-digits, scoring 10 points. He went 5-for-20 from the field to get there, however. Atlanta shot 38.7 percent for the game, which was only marginally worse than the Celtics’ 39.2 percent.

For more Celtics and Hawks coverage, visit the SB Nation blogs CelticsBlog and Peachtree Hoops.

It’s like every Atlanta Hawks fan always says: “Just get me to the closing seconds of the game with a chance to win and the ball in Zaza Pachulia’s hands, and I believe we’ll get the job done.”

That was the situation the Hawks faced late in overtime against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. The Associated Press sets the scene:

Trailing by one with 3.5 seconds left, Atlanta got the ball to Zaza Pachulia at the foul line. He drove the open lane before [Danilo Gallinari] rotated over to disrupt the play, and Pachulia missed a layup off the glass with 2.2 seconds left and Denver grabbed the rebound.

“There wasn’t anything wrong with our execution. We ran it just like it was designed,” Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. “It was the best executed play we ran all night.” [...]

“I just missed it,” Pachulia said.

The miss sealed the Hawks’ fate, handing the Nuggets a hard-fought 118-117 win in an entertaining affair that Nuggets coach George Karl said was “way too offensive minded for me.” The loss drops the Hawks a full game behind the Indiana Pacers for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, while the win pulls Denver within a half-game of the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 5 slot out West.

Following the game, Pachulia took to Twitter to apologize to Hawks fans for the miss (thanks to Dime’s Ananth Pandian for the head’s up):

Happens to the best of us, big guy. No worries.

Check out a video of the up-close miss — complete with diagramming of the play that Drew, um, drew up — after the jump, thanks to our friends at the delightfully named blog Basketball Things.

The AP recap rightly credits Gallinari for hustling to contest Pachulia’s layup; his effort certainly made the attempt more difficult. And make no mistake, it was a last-ditch effort; as Gallinari told Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, “I don’t know why he was wide open, so at the last moment I just jumped at him, because it was the only option I had.”

Ultimately, though, Pachulia had the ball in his right hand at the rim with a chance to win the game, and he missed it. As James Goeders writes at the Hawks-focused blog Hoopinion, “Zaza did work on the glass, grabbing 13 rebounds,” including five on the offensive boards, “but the missed lay-in at the buzzer was all anyone will remember.” Sometimes that’s the way life works.

Gallinari, who turned in his best performance since coming back after a monthlong layoff due an ankle injury, looked to have the game won for Denver in regulation. His double-tough fadeaway corner 3-pointer gave the Nuggets the lead with 3.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the other end, though, Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich was able to quickly gain the paint, get fouled and make the first of his two free throws to knot the game at 105. With 1.1 seconds left on the clock and a chance to win it, though, Hinrich — an 81 percent career free-throw shooter who has struggled from the stripe this season, hitting just 68.2 percent of his attempts — missed the back-end of the freebies, sending the game into overtime.

As Basketball Things blogger Jordan notes, the combination of screens set out of the Hawks’ stack alignment put Denver defender Al Harrington in the difficult position of having to “choose between helping on a wide open Joe Johnson or being the last defender between Zaza Pachulia and the basket.”

Like most reasonable humans, Harrington likely figured that Johnson — who had already 34 points for the Hawks, including seven straight in overtime before Karl switched his defensive matchups to put Arron Afflalo on Johnson and move Gallinari over to Hinrich — was a better bet to make a game-winner than Pachulia. As it turns out, he was right; there’s a reason Zaza ranks in the bottom 10 of at-the-rim finishers among NBA centers. (It’s because he’s not excellent at finishing at the rim.)

There is one way that this tough road loss can wind up benefiting Atlanta in the long run, though. The next time the Hawks find themselves needing a basket to tie or take the lead late in a game, Zaza should step into the huddle and say, “Make me a decoy.” That’ll get everyone laughing, loosen up the team and make it easier for the players on the floor to execute their assignments. Total win-win.

Nene led five Nuggets in double figures with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Denver center also made the two biggest free throws of the night, putting the Nuggets up 118-117 with 26 seconds to go in overtime and putting the Hawks in the position of needing a Zaza Pachulia game-winner, which is a tough spot to be in. Ty Lawson had another strong outing at the point, pouring in 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go with seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes. Gallinari and Harrington each added 19.

The end-of-regulation miss was Hinrich’s only off-target shot from the line, as the guard turned in a sharp performance with 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, including three long-range makes in four tries. Atlanta forward Josh Smith continued his run of form with 33 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots and a steal before fouling out in the extra period.

While Smith has been a frequent subject of trade rumors since reportedly declaring his desire to be moved, Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson told the AP that “the likelihood of us trading Josh at the trade deadline is as close to zero as you can get.” Obviously, we expect him to be moved by the time you reach the end of this sentence.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Atlanta Hawks are back on track, and Josh Smith is a big reason.

Smith had 27 points and nine rebounds, leading the Hawks to their third straight victory, 101-96 over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

“Josh has been on a roll as of late,” coach Larry Drew said. “We’ve been going through him offensively and defensively. He’s been an anchor for us. Tonight, I felt he played another phenomenal ball game. He was just solid.”

Smith scored 13 points in the first quarter, 11 in the third, and fell three points shy of his season high. He passed the credit onto his teammates.

“It’s great when your teammates lift you up,” Smith said. “That really helped in the third and fourth quarter. We’re coming together and figuring out a way to win ball games.”

Jannero Pargo had 16 points, while Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia each scored 12 for the Hawks.

David West scored a season-high 24 points for the Pacers, who have lost two straight. Danny Granger had 19 points and eight rebounds, and George Hill scored 15 points off the bench for Indiana.

The Hawks led by as much as 16 points in the first half, but Granger’s three-pointer tied it at 62.

West’s basket gave Indiana its last lead at 71-69 before Williams answered with a three-pointer.

The Pacers returned home after losing Monday to the Chicago Bulls on the road, 92-72, snapping a season-best, six-game winning streak.

“We didn’t defend the three well and didn’t do a good enough job on the defensive glass,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “It cost us the game. I don’t think we were ourselves the last two games.”

HEAT 108, NETS 78: In Miami, LeBron James scored 21 points and capped his night by banking in a halfcourt shot, Chris Bosh added 20 points and Miami snapped a two-game slide.

The win came with a cost: Dwyane Wade turned his right ankle late in the first half and did not return, finishing with 13 points.

CELTICS 97, ROCKETS: In Boston, Kevin Garnett grabbed 13 rebounds to pass Shaquille O’Neal and move into 12th on the NBA’s career list, and Paul Pierce scored seven of his 30 points in overtime to lead Boston.

Boston has won five straight since the All-Star break, including two in a row in overtime. Houston has lost four in a row.

PISTONS 88, LAKERS 85, OT: in Auburn Hills, Mich., Rodney Stuckey scored 34 points, and Detroit overcame a tying shot by Kobe Bryant at the end of regulation.

Bryant, who had tied the game at the buzzer to force the extra session, missed from three-point range in the final seconds of overtime.

MAVERICKS 95, KNICKS 85: In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and bailed out Dallas after it lost the lead following a 7 1/2 -minute scoreless stretch in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki made a 14-foot fadeaway jumper with 4:34 left, starting a game-clinching, 14-0 run by the Mavericks.

BOBCATS 100, MAGIC 84: In Charlotte, N.C., Corey Maggette scored a season-high 29 points and Charlotte overcame a 20-point, first-half deficit to win for just the fifth time in 36 games.

The Bobcats came in having lost 21 of their last 22 games.

ATLANTA — Josh Smith came up big when the Atlanta Hawks needed him.

Playing to the crowd and energizing his teammates as leading scorer Joe Johnson watched the game with an injured knee, Smith knew his performance was the reason Atlanta held off hard-charging Oklahoma City.

“I’m an emotional guy,” he said. “I’m the emotional leader of this basketball team and whenever we can make some defensive stops and put them together, that definitely has to get you fired up.”

Smith scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, Jeff Teague added 16 points and the Atlanta Hawks snapped the Thunder’s seven-game winning streak with a 97-90 victory on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant finished with 35 points, going 14 of 17 on free throw attempts, and Russell Westbrook had 25 points for league-best Oklahoma City.

Smith, who matched a season-high in scoring and pulled down seven of his 12 rebounds in the fourth, had dunks on consecutive possessions to give the Hawks an 87-79 lead with 4:43 remaining.

Then, after forcing Durant to commit a turnover and pounding his first against his own chest with 3:04 left, Smith matched Durant’s 3-pointer to put Atlanta up 92-88 at the 2-minute mark.

One minute later, Smith drove past Ibaka on the right side and rolled in a left-handed hook to make it 95-90. His efforts helped the Hawks win their second straight.

“I was just real focused,” Smith said. “I wanted to be the guy to try to will us to win this game. I was able to find some cracks in their defense and put the ball in the hole.”

The Thunder, looking to reach eight straight wins for the first time since February 2010, briefly rallied from their biggest deficit, 11 points on two free throws by Williams at the 2:15 mark of the second quarter, when Cole Aldrich’s two free throws put Oklahoma City up 71-70 near the end of the third.

“When they grabbed that lead, we knew we still were in the ballgame,” Smith said. “We didn’t want to hang our heads and have bad body language. We were able to come out and play a good basketball game tonight.”

Durant missed four of his first five shots from the field before faking out Marvin Williams at the top of the key and hitting a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 51-45 in the final seconds of the first half.

The Thunder dropped to 8-2 against the Eastern Conference. Not surprisingly, Oklahoma City, which leads the NBA with an average of 16.9 turnovers, couldn’t overcome 21 miscues that led to 22 Atlanta points.

“We’ve got to fix it,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “We keep talking about it. We’re working on it. But we’ve got to figure out that because it’s going to be hard to win night in, night out the way we turn it over. We’re an attack team. We’re an aggressive team. I understand that, but we still have to be solid with our decisions. It’s unacceptable having 20 turnovers in an NBA game.”

Durant, the MVP of last Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, was just 3 of 10 from the field in the final period, launching missed 3s at the end to try and keep the score close.

“We’ve won so many games down the stretch, and to lose this one, it’s tough, but it’s the luck of the draw, man,” Durant said. “We’ve got to move on.”

As Johnson missed his second straight game and fifth of the last six with left knee tendinitis, Kirk Hinrich and Zaza Pachulia help fill the offensive void by each scoring 10 points. Pachulia also had 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

“The Hawks played hungry tonight even though they were down some guys,” Brooks said. “They fought us for four quarters.”

Nobody competed harder than Smith, who was coming off a 24-point, 19-rebound effort the night before against Milwaukee.

“We need him to be that impact player, particularly with his energy,” Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. ” We can feed off his energy. When’s playing like that, you can see the rest of the guys step their level of play up.”

NOTES: Westbrook played with a protective sleeve on his left ankle, which he slightly sprained in Thursday’s three-point win over Orlando. … Oklahoma City C Kendrick Perkins had two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes before fouling out with 4:09 remaining. … A second Thunder starter, G Daequan Cook, did not take a shot and pulled down three rebounds in 14 minutes. … The Thunder outscored Atlanta 20-4 in fastbreak points. … The Hawks led points in the paint 42-26. … Atlanta reserve G Tracy McGrady did not return after playing 1 minute of the first quarter and straining his left knee.

CBSSports.com wire reports
March 3, 2012

ATLANTA – Josh Smith came up big when the Atlanta Hawks needed him.

Playing to the crowd and energizing his teammates as leading scorer Joe Johnson watched the game with an injured knee, Smith knew his performance was the reason Atlanta held off hard-charging Oklahoma City.

“I’m an emotional guy,” he said. “I’m the emotional leader of this basketball team and whenever we can make some defensive stops and put them together, that definitely has to get you fired up.”

Smith scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, Jeff Teague added 16 points and the Atlanta Hawks snapped the Thunder’s seven-game winning streak with a 97-90 victory on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant finished with 35 points, going 14 of 17 on free throw attempts, and Russell Westbrook had 25 points for league-best Oklahoma City.

Smith, who matched a season-high in scoring and pulled down seven of his 12 rebounds in the fourth, had dunks on consecutive possessions to give the Hawks an 87-79 lead with 4:43 remaining.

Then, after forcing Durant to commit a turnover and pounding his first against his own chest with 3:04 left, Smith matched Durant’s 3-pointer to put Atlanta up 92-88 at the 2-minute mark.

One minute later, Smith drove past Serge Ibaka on the right side and rolled in a left-handed hook to make it 95-90. His efforts helped the Hawks win their second straight.

“I was just real focused,” Smith said. “I wanted to be the guy to try to will us to win this game. I was able to find some cracks in their defense and put the ball in the hole.”

The Thunder, looking to reach eight straight wins for the first time since February 2010, briefly rallied from their biggest deficit, 11 points on two free throws by Williams at the 2:15 mark of the second quarter, when Cole Aldrich’s two free throws put Oklahoma City up 71-70 near the end of the third.

“When they grabbed that lead, we knew we still were in the ballgame,” Smith said. “We didn’t want to hang our heads and have bad body language. We were able to come out and play a good basketball game tonight.”

Durant missed four of his first five shots from the field before faking out Marvin Williams at the top of the key and hitting a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 51-45 in the final seconds of the first half.

The Thunder dropped to 8-2 against the Eastern Conference. Not surprisingly, Oklahoma City, which leads the NBA with an average of 16.9 turnovers, couldn’t overcome 21 miscues that led to 22 Atlanta points.

“We’ve got to fix it,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “We keep talking about it. We’re working on it. But we’ve got to figure out that because it’s going to be hard to win night in, night out the way we turn it over. We’re an attack team. We’re an aggressive team. I understand that, but we still have to be solid with our decisions. It’s unacceptable having 20 turnovers in an NBA game.”

Durant, the MVP of last Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, was just 3 of 10 from the field in the final period, launching missed 3s at the end to try and keep the score close.

“We’ve won so many games down the stretch, and to lose this one, it’s tough, but it’s the luck of the draw, man,” Durant said. “We’ve got to move on.”

As Johnson missed his second straight game and fifth of the last six with left knee tendinitis, Kirk Hinrich and Zaza Pachulia help fill the offensive void by each scoring 10 points. Pachulia also had 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

“The Hawks played hungry tonight even though they were down some guys,” Brooks said. “They fought us for four quarters.”

Nobody competed harder than Smith, who was coming off a 24-point, 19-rebound effort the night before against Milwaukee.

“We need him to be that impact player, particularly with his energy,” Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. ” We can feed off his energy. When’s playing like that, you can see the rest of the guys step their level of play up.”

Notes

• Westbrook played with a protective sleeve on his left ankle, which he slightly sprained in Thursday’s three-point win over Orlando.
• Oklahoma City C Kendrick Perkins had two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes before fouling out with 4:09 remaining.
• A second Thunder starter, G Daequan Cook, did not take a shot and pulled down three rebounds in 14 minutes.
• The Thunder outscored Atlanta 20-4 in fastbreak points.
• The Hawks led points in the paint 42-26.
• Atlanta reserve G Tracy McGrady did not return after playing 1 minute of the first quarter and straining his left knee.

ATLANTA — Josh Smith came up big when the Atlanta Hawks needed him.

Playing to the crowd and energizing his teammates as leading scorer Joe Johnson watched the game with an injured knee, Smith knew his performance was the reason Atlanta held off hard-charging Oklahoma City.

“I’m an emotional guy,” he said. “I’m the emotional leader of this basketball team and whenever we can make some defensive stops and put them together, that definitely has to get you fired up.”

Smith scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, Jeff Teague added 16 points and the Atlanta Hawks snapped the Thunder’s seven-game winning streak with a 97-90 victory on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant finished with 35 points, going 14 of 17 on free throw attempts, and Russell Westbrook had 25 points for league-best Oklahoma City.

Smith, who matched a season-high in scoring and pulled down seven of his 12 rebounds in the fourth, had dunks on consecutive possessions to give the Hawks an 87-79 lead with 4:43 remaining.

Then, after forcing Durant to commit a turnover and pounding his first against his own chest with 3:04 left, Smith matched Durant’s 3-pointer  to put Atlanta up 92-88 at the 2-minute mark.

One minute later, Smith drove past Ibaka on the right side and rolled in a left-handed hook to make it 95-90. His efforts helped the Hawks win their second straight.

“I was just real focused,” Smith said. “I wanted to be the guy to try to will us to win this game. I was able to find some cracks in their defense and put the ball in the hole.”

The Thunder, looking to reach eight straight wins for the first time since February 2010, briefly rallied from their biggest deficit, 11 points on two free throws by Williams at the 2:15 mark of the second quarter, when Cole Aldrich’s two free throws put Oklahoma City up 71-70 near the end of the third.

“When they grabbed that lead, we knew we still were in the ballgame,” Smith said. “We didn’t want to hang our heads and have bad body language. We were able to come out and play a good basketball game tonight.”

Durant missed four of his first five shots from the field before faking out Marvin Williams at the top of the key and hitting a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 51-45 in the final seconds of the first half.

The Thunder dropped to 8-2 against the Eastern Conference. Not surprisingly, Oklahoma City, which leads the NBA with an average of 16.9 turnovers, couldn’t overcome 21 miscues that led to 22 Atlanta points.

“We’ve got to fix it,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “We keep talking about it. We’re working on it. But we’ve got to figure out that because it’s going to be hard to win night in, night out the way we turn it over. We’re an attack team. We’re an aggressive team. I understand that, but we still have to be solid with our decisions. It’s unacceptable having 20 turnovers in an NBA game.”

Durant, the MVP of last Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, was just 3 of 10 from the field in the final period, launching missed 3s at the end to try and keep the score close.

“We’ve won so many games down the stretch, and to lose this one, it’s tough, but it’s the luck of the draw, man,” Durant said. “We’ve got to move on.”

As Johnson missed his second straight game and fifth of the last six with left knee tendinitis, Kirk Hinrich and Zaza Pachulia help fill the offensive void by each scoring 10 points. Pachulia also had 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

“The Hawks played hungry tonight even though they were down some guys,” Brooks said. “They fought us for four quarters.”

Nobody competed harder than Smith, who was coming off a 24-point, 19-rebound effort the night before against Milwaukee.

“We need him to be that impact player, particularly with his energy,” Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. “ We can feed off his energy. When’s playing like that, you can see the rest of the guys step their level of play up.”

NOTES: Westbrook played with a protective sleeve on his left ankle, which he slightly sprained in Thursday’s three-point win over Orlando. … Oklahoma City C Kendrick Perkins had two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes before fouling out with 4:09 remaining. … A second Thunder starter, G Daequan Cook, did not take a shot and pulled down three rebounds in 14 minutes. … The Thunder outscored Atlanta 20-4 in fastbreak points. … The Hawks led points in the paint 42-26. … Atlanta reserve G Tracy McGrady did not return after playing 1 minute of the first quarter and straining his left knee.

The New York Knicks are back on the winning track after demolishing the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night (Feb. 22). It was a great night for the Knicks on both offense and defense and the final score 99-82 looks much closer than the game actually was.

After jumping to a nice 30-16 lead in the first quarter, the Knicks turned on the gas even more, pushing it to a 60-35 lead by halftime. From there it was just a matter of finishing off the Hawks and the bench of the Knicks did just that. Five players would finish in double-figures for New York, led by 17 points each from Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak. Novak made 5 three-pointers off the bench, playing in just over 22 minutes against the Hawks.

This was an all-around victory for the Knicks, with plenty of players that shined on the way to this win. Lin would dish out 9 assists, Amare Stoudemire grabbed 10 rebounds and J.R. Smith registered 5 steals off the bench. As a team, the Knicks shot 47.5 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Hawks 47-40. The steals were pretty high at 15 on the night, but the turnovers were also far too high at 21. Baron Davis accounted for 5 turnovers off the bench in just 14 minutes of action while Lin and Tyson Chandler each had 4 of them for the starters.

There were times during this game that the Knicks looked like one of the elite teams of the NBA. The offense was so fluid in the first half that everyone looked good and it gave fans glimpses of what might keep coming along when this team has been on the floor together for a couple of weeks. With everyone on the roster finally healthy, it was interesting to see some of the lineups that coach Mike D’Antoni used. Having Davis and Smith running the transition game for the second unit made for a number of exciting dunks that could certainly provide a nice spark for the Knicks moving forward.

This win helped the Knicks improve to 17-17 on the season and move a full game ahead of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics lost on Wednesday night (Feb. 22) giving the Knicks some breathing room as the All-Star break approaches. If the team can keep playing as well as it did against the Hawks, this roster may now have the firepower to pull off a huge upset in the 2012 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

More From YCN:

Tyson Chandler Holds Franchise Record

Lin a Hero for Knicks

Knicks Stomp Lakers

Lin Saves Knicks

Amare Stoudemire Trade Rumors

Sources:

NBA Standings

Full Knicks Schedule

New York Knicks Website

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a fan of the New York Knicks that has followed the team since the days John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason instilled their defensive will on the rest of the league.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

New Orleans Hornets

After countless close losses in January, the New Orleans Hornets finally broke out in a big way with a 26-point win over the Orlando Magic Friday night. After a day off, the Hornets looked to make it two in a row against the Atlanta Hawks Sunday evening in New Orleans. It was not meant to be as the Hawks flew past the Hornets 94-72.

New Orleans Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks

As a native of New Orleans, the rivalry between my hometown and the fine folks of Atlanta has led to tears of both joy and sadness. Needless to say, there have been numerous memorable games between the Saints and Falcons over the years. However, the 100-59 pasting that the Hornets put on the Hawks last year holds a special place in my heart.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who remembers that game. The Hawks started out on Sunday night like they wanted to beat the Hornets 100-59 themselves. To be successful, New Orleans has to play great defense. The Hornets are not talented enough to get into a shootout with athletic teams like the Hawks and come out on top.

The Hawks did not miss a shot until well into the first quarter. In fact, the Hornets trailed at one point 27-6. Jeff Teague was particularly deadly for the Hawks. And former Hornet Willie Green was hot as well. In the second period, the Hornets got back to playing defense. But points were still hard to come by as New Orleans trailed 46-35 at halftime.

A 20-2 Hawks scoring run in the third period put the Hornets away. The biggest problem all season for New Orleans continued against the Hawks. The Hornets were anemic once again from three-point land while the Hawks shot over 50% from behind the arc all night. It wasn’t quite 100-59 but the Hawks blew out New Orleans 94-72.

Looking ahead

Things don’t figure to get any easier for the Hornets on Monday. After falling to the Hawks, New Orleans will travel to Miami to face the Heat. Last year, the Hornets got off to a hot start and one of their early season wins came against the Heat. If this New Orleans team can also beat the Heat, it will be the biggest story in the NBA Monday night.

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Source

CST broadcast of the New Orleans Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks

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It appears for the Cleveland Cavaliers that the best way to recover from a blowout loss is to experience another blowout loss the following night. There goes the concept of picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after a major embarrassment.

Antawn Jamison of the Cleveland Cavaliers
Wikimedia Commons

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Atlanta Hawks by the Score of 121-94 on Saturday, January 21. With the loss, Cleveland falls to 6-9 on the year having lost their last three, while Atlanta improves to 12-5.

Coming into the game, the Cavaliers were still trying to recover from the embarrassing 114-75 loss to the Chicago Bulls the night before. To make matters worse, Chicago was playing in Cleveland and without reigning MVP Derrick Rose. Chicago was physical, and Cleveland folded.

Surely they would learn their lesson and put up a fight against Atlanta.

There appeared to be no veteran presence in the game as the two rookies were the leading performers for the Cavs. Kyrie Irving led the scoring with 18 points shooting a remarkable 8-10 from the field. Off the bench, Tristan Thompson contributed 16 points and five rebounds in a 6-7 performance from the field.

Anderson Varejao had nine rebounds on the night but only scored three points and Antawn Jamison was held to just 10 points.

The Cavaliers shot .486 from the field but it simply was not enough.

For the Hawks, Joe Johnson shined on the night putting up 25 points with three rebounds and four assists. Josh Smith grabbed 11 boards for Atlanta. As a team the Hawks shot .554 from the field. It is no wonder Cleveland simply could not keep up.

As a Cavs fan it is often hard to keep expectations realistic. Last season was so awful that I often try to forget about it even existing. This season I fully realize they are a lottery team but I still want so badly for them to perform as if they are playoff contenders. I know there will be no championship this season so I have to enjoy each game for the athletic competition that it is. It’s hard, but it is realistic.

The Cavs will have a couple of nights off before they travel to face the Miami Heat on Tuesday, January 24.

More Cleveland Cavaliers Commentary from this Contributor:

Cleveland Cavaliers dominated by Bulls, fall 114-75: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers win reinforces belief in team: A fan’s take

Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving charge past Suns 101-90: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers fall short in Utah 113-105: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers bested by Portland Trail Blazers 98-78: A fan’s reaction

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Cavaliers fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 20, 2012

PHILADELPHIA — Jrue Holiday-to-Andre Iguodala was exactly the sort of high-flying connection the Philadelphia 76ers needed Friday night.

Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Iguodala scored 11 points to lead the 76ers to a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“We can play against tough teams,” Iguodala said.

Play and win.

Thaddeus Young scored 20 points and Elton Brand grabbed 16 rebounds to help the 76ers win for the 10th time in 12 games and improve to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers and Iguodala rocked nearly 18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

In a game between teams that started the night as division leaders, the Hawks were in control until the Sixers found their way.

Coach Doug Collins wrote a halftime note for his team on the board: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,”

“I thought our guys went fast in the first half, and alone,” Collins said. “I thought we went far in the second half, and together.”

Holiday had five of his 11 assists in the third and the Sixers pulled ahead by 18 in the fourth.

Former Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points and Jeff Teague had 12 for the Hawks, who snapped a four-game winning streak. Atlanta had been perfect since All-Star center Al Horford tore his left pectoral muscle, an injury that required surgery and could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Hawks coach Larry Drew could be heard yelling at his team in the locker room after the game.

“It got tough for us and we quit,” Drew said. “That’s what happened. I was more disappointed than frustrated.”

Even Horford couldn’t have done much to stop the Sixers’ mix of fastbreak dunks and 3-pointers in the third. Coming off their first home loss of the season, and a game Saturday at Miami, the Sixers knew they had to have this one to keep the early-season good vibes going.

“You win this game. You don’t lose two in a row at home,” Collins said.

Iguodala ignited the run when he scooped up a loose ball of an Atlanta turnover and turned it into a driving slam that cut it to 51-50. Meeks, who had 12 points, buried consecutive 3s to the delight of a loud and large crowd. Years of .500 or worse basketball had sucked the life out of the Wells Fargo Center. Sure enough, thanks to a fast start and slashed ticket prices, the arena is suddenly the place to be on a Friday night — or any night.

Holiday ended the run on a highlight reel-worthy feed to Iguodala for an alley-oop that nearly brought down the rim.

Yes, this was the same team that looked disconnected and missed 12 of their first 17 shots.

“We settled down a little bit, got some stops and went on a little run,” Iguodala said.

They turned up the defensive pressure in the third and would have held Atlanta to seven points had Green not sank a 27-footer at the buzzer. The Hawks scored only 29 points in the second half.

“They took the level of intensity up and we didn’t respond,” Green said.

The Sixers even played without center Spencer Hawes (left Achilles’ strain). Hawes will also miss Saturday’s game at Miami.

Philadelphia triggered its offense off the fastbreak and turnovers and buried the Hawks with easy buckets. Iguodala, who fans wanted traded after years of symbolizing a stagnant franchise, has been embraced this season for giving them the flashy dunks in combination with the flashy victories.

The Sixers had built their Atlantic Division lead by burying some of the NBA’s worst teams. Even without Horford, the Sixers passed a nice test of beating a division leader.

“We felt we had to have this win against a really good Eastern Conference team,” Brand said. “We want to say we’re an elite team, so we had to win this game.”

Notes

• Iguodala became the fifth Sixer with 1,000 career steals. He’s behind Maurice Cheeks, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley.
• The Sixers are off to their best start since they went 12-2 in 2000-01.
• The Hawks turned the ball over 15 times.

Jrue Holiday-to-Andre Iguodala was exactly the sort of high-flying connection the Philadelphia 76ers needed Friday night.

Holiday had 16 points and 11 assists, and Iguodala scored 11 points to lead the 76ers to a 90-76 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“We can play against tough teams,” Iguodala said.

Play and win.

Thaddeus Young scored 20 points and Elton Brand grabbed 16 rebounds to help the 76ers win for the 10th time in 12 games and improve to 7-1 at home.

The Sixers left a dismal first half in the dust with a sensational third quarter. Jodie Meeks hit a pair of 3-pointers and Iguodala rocked nearly 18,000 fans with a pair of thunderous dunks during a 14-0 run.

In a game between teams that started the night as division leaders, the Hawks were in control until the Sixers found their way.

Coach Doug Collins wrote a halftime note for his team on the board: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,”

“I thought our guys went fast in the first half, and alone,” Collins said. “I thought we went far in the second half, and together.”

Holiday had five of his 11 assists in the third and the Sixers pulled ahead by 18 in the fourth.

Former Sixer Willie Green scored 14 points and Jeff Teague had 12 for the Hawks, who snapped a four-game winning streak. Atlanta had been perfect since All-Star center Al Horford tore his left pectoral muscle, an injury that required surgery and could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Hawks coach Larry Drew could be heard yelling at his team in the locker room after the game.

“It got tough for us and we quit,” Drew said. “That’s what happened. I was more disappointed than frustrated.”

Even Horford couldn’t have done much to stop the Sixers’ mix of fastbreak dunks and 3-pointers in the third. Coming off their first home loss of the season, and a game Saturday at Miami, the Sixers knew they had to have this one to keep the early-season good vibes going.

“You win this game. You don’t lose two in a row at home,” Collins said.

Iguodala ignited the run when he scooped up a loose ball of an Atlanta turnover and turned it into a driving slam that cut it to 51-50. Meeks, who had 12 points, buried consecutive 3s to the delight of a loud and large crowd. Years of .500 or worse basketball had sucked the life out of the Wells Fargo Center. Sure enough, thanks to a fast start and slashed ticket prices, the arena is suddenly the place to be on a Friday night — or any night.

Holiday ended the run on a highlight reel-worthy feed to Iguodala for an alley-oop that nearly brought down the rim.

Yes, this was the same team that looked disconnected and missed 12 of their first 17 shots.

“We settled down a little bit, got some stops and went on a little run,” Iguodala said.

They turned up the defensive pressure in the third and would have held Atlanta to seven points had Green not sank a 27-footer at the buzzer. The Hawks scored only 29 points in the second half.

“They took the level of intensity up and we didn’t respond,” Green said.

The Sixers even played without center Spencer Hawes (left Achilles’ strain). Hawes will also miss Saturday’s game at Miami.

Philadelphia triggered its offense off the fastbreak and turnovers and buried the Hawks with easy buckets. Iguodala, who fans wanted traded after years of symbolizing a stagnant franchise, has been embraced this season for giving them the flashy dunks in combination with the flashy victories.

The Sixers had built their Atlantic Division lead by burying some of the NBA’s worst teams. Even without Horford, the Sixers passed a nice test of beating a division leader.

“We felt we had to have this win against a really good Eastern Conference team,” Brand said. “We want to say we’re an elite team, so we had to win this game.”

Notes: Iguodala became the fifth Sixer with 1,000 career steals. He’s behind Maurice Cheeks, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley. … The Sixers are off to their best start since they went 12-2 in 2000-01. … The Hawks turned the ball over 15 times.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MIAMI — Atlanta played zone defence. Tracy McGrady found his zone.

And with that, Miami’s unbeaten start came to an end.

Joe Johnson scored 21 points, McGrady hit a pair of big three-pointers in the fourth quarter and the Hawks recovered from early 10-point deficits to beat the Heat 100-92 on Monday night.

McGrady and Al Horford each scored 16 for the Hawks (4-1), who opened the final period on a 15-3 run to take control. And McGrady made perhaps the two biggest plays of the night in the final minutes, first throwing a lob to Josh Smith for a dunk, then hitting a three-pointer that gave the Hawks a 93-84 lead with 2:26 left.

“Been a long time since I had that feeling,” McGrady said. “It feels good. It feels right.”

LeBron James scored 28 points, Chris Bosh scored 19 and Dwyane Wade finished with 12 points and 10 assists for Miami (5-1). The Heat were outscored 33-21 in the fourth quarter and struggled against Atlanta’s zone defence, which not only slowed Miami down but disrupted its rhythm for long stretches. Montreal’s Joel Anthony had two points and six rebounds at centre for the Heat.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said not only was the zone effective on the court, it got into the Heat’s heads as well.

“We need to work through it,” Spoelstra said. “Look, we’re going to see enough of it that we will have our breakthrough. We hope to have it sooner than later. … But you can see, our minds were heavy from that point on and our minds were occupied rather than playing free.”

Jeff Teague finished with 15 points for Atlanta.

McGrady and Jannero Pargo made three-pointers midway through the fourth, giving Atlanta what was then its biggest lead at 82-74. Miami twice cut the lead to four, the second of those coming when Udonis Haslem made a free throw with 3:24 remaining.

The Heat got no closer. Off a set play called during a time-out, McGrady’s lob to Smith gave Atlanta some breathing room, and then the Florida native connected from beyond the arc on the left wing to essentially seal the win for the Hawks.

McGrady scored 13 in the fourth, his biggest final quarter since November 2008.

“He played exceptionally well,” James said of McGrady. “When you’re born a scorer, you’re always a scorer. No matter what may happen to athleticism or anything like that, he’s a natural born scorer and we saw that tonight.”

As has been the case regularly this season, Miami came out flying.

A right-handed dunk from the left-handed Bosh — he went by three Hawks on the play, sprawling to the court on the landing — less than a minute into the contest got the Heat started. Wade threw a long alley-oop pass to James for another slam and a 20-10 lead.

And when the six-foot-10 Atlanta forward Vladimir Radmanovic tried to dunk on the 6-4 Wade in the second quarter, not only did he get rejected at the rim he got a stare-down as well.

More often than not so far in this young season, once the Heat get the highlight machine going — as they did against Dallas in the season opener and Charlotte on Sunday night — they’ve simply run away from opponents.

Not in this game. Atlanta had plenty of answers.

“The zone changed the rhythm of the game,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said.

Down by 10 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta made a run to turn everything around. A 17-5 run not only erased the deficit, but gave the Hawks their first lead at 44-42 when Horford scored off a lob from Smith.

Miami scored the next eight points, then got unlucky on the final play of the half. Wade swatted a ball away from the baseline, but it sailed directly to a wide-open Johnson, who swished a 3-pointer as the half expired to cut Miami’s edge to 50-47 at the break.

Johnson was 4 for 4 in the second quarter, and the Hawks’ starters shot a combined 11 for 14 in the second 12 minutes.

Neither team led by more than four points in the third, and that was the cushion — 71-67 — that Miami carried into the fourth. Atlanta led by three after another jumper by Johnson with 4:39 left, but the Hawks missed seven of their final eight shots of the quarter, six of those from the perimeter. And when Shane Battier made a 3-pointer, just his third field goal of the season, with 26 seconds left in the period, the Heat were back on top.

Then Atlanta simply took off in the fourth, denying Miami any shot at the first 6-0 start in franchise history. And when McGrady threw that lob to Smith, he pointed to the Hawks’ bench in celebration, sensing the win was coming.

“Great execution,” McGrady said. “That’s what you have to do when you’re playing great teams.”

NOTES: Actor Adrien Brody and rapper Lil Wayne sat next to each other courtside. … The teams play again Thursday in Atlanta, a game that will mark Miami’s fourth in five nights. … Wade had eight assists by halftime, already tying a season high. … Monday’s game marked just the third time McGrady played at Miami since November 2008. … The Heat were without reserve rookie C Mickell Gladness (left foot infection). He is day-to-day. … Hawks vice-president Dominique Wilkins said G Kirk Hinrich (shoulder surgery) is still expected to miss another month.

SportsLine.com wire reports
Jan. 3, 2012

MIAMI — Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Tracy McGrady hit a pair of big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the Atlanta Hawks ended Miami’s perfect start by beating the Heat 100-92 on Monday night.

McGrady and Al Horford each scored 16 for the Hawks (4-1), who opened the final period on a 15-3 run to take control. And McGrady made perhaps the two biggest plays of the night in the final minutes, first throwing a lob to Josh Smith for a dunk, then hitting a 3-pointer that gave the Hawks a 93-84 lead with 2:26 left.

LeBron James scored 28 points, Chris Bosh scored 19 and Dwyane Wade finished with 12 for Miami (5-1). The Heat led by as many as 10 in the early going and took a four-point lead into the final quarter before getting outscored 33-21.

Jeff Teague finished with 15 points for Atlanta.

McGrady and Jannero Pargo made 3-pointers midway through the fourth, giving Atlanta what was then its biggest lead at 82-74. Miami twice cut the lead to four, the second of those coming when Udonis Haslem made a free throw with 3:24 remaining.

The Heat got no closer. Off a set play called during a time-out, McGrady’s lob to Smith gave Atlanta some breathing room, and then the Florida native connected from beyond the arc on the left wing to essentially seal the win for the Hawks.

As has been the case regularly this season, Miami came out flying.

A right-handed dunk from the left-handed Bosh — he went by three Hawks on the play, sprawling to the court on the landing — less than a minute into the contest got the Heat started. Wade threw a long alley-oop pass to James for another slam and a 20-10 lead.

And when the 6-foot-10 Atlanta forward Vladimir Radmanovic tried to dunk on the 6-foot-4 Wade in the second quarter, not only did he get rejected at the rim he got a stare-down as well.

More often than not so far in this young season, once the Heat get the highlight machine going — as they did against Dallas in the season opener and Charlotte on Sunday night — they’ve simply run away from opponents.

Not in this game. Atlanta had plenty of answers.

Down by 10 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta got back into the game by using a zone defense to slow down Miami. A 17-5 run not only erased the deficit, but gave the Hawks their first lead at 44-42 when Horford scored off a lob from Smith.

Miami scored the next eight points, then got unlucky on the final play of the half. Wade swatted a ball away from the baseline, but it sailed directly to a wide-open Johnson, who swished a 3-pointer as the half expired to cut Miami’s edge to 50-47 at the break.

Johnson was 4 for 4 in the second quarter, and the Hawks’ starters shot a combined 11 for 14 in the second 12 minutes.

Neither team led by more than four points in the third, and that was the cushion — 71-67 — that Miami carried into the fourth. Atlanta led by three after another jumper by Johnson with 4:39 left, but the Hawks missed seven of their final eight shots of the quarter, six of those from the perimeter. And when Shane Battier made a 3-pointer, just his third field goal of the season, with 26 seconds left in the period, the Heat were back on top.

Then Atlanta simply took off in the fourth, denying Miami any shot at the first 6-0 start in franchise history.

Notes

• Actor Adrien Brody and rapper Lil Wayne sat next to each other courtside.
• The teams play again Thursday in Atlanta, a game that will mark Miami’s fourth in five nights.
• Wade had eight assists by halftime, already tying a season high.
• Monday’s game marked just the third time McGrady played at Miami since November 2008.
• The Heat were without reserve rookie C Mickell Gladness (left foot infection). He is day-to-day.
• Hawks vice president Dominique Wilkins said G Kirk Hinrich (shoulder surgery) is still expected to miss another month.