The Boston Celtics will have a chance to close out the series against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, May 8 but it certainly will not come easy. Boston is playing their playoff foes on the road and against a team that is in a do-or-die situation.

It is nearly certain the Celtics will win this series, if not on Tuesday then on Thursday at the TD Garden when the team returns home. The team is aware that Boston sports’ fans are counting on them especially with the Boston Bruins eliminated from the NHL Playoffs and the Boston Red Sox off to a slower start than expected.

They are also aware this will likely be the last playoff run the current core of players will be together on the same team. Despite their success this season the team still needs to build for the future. It was a concern early in the regular season but the squad managed to pull it together for one final run. It was a risky move not to make a deal at the trade deadline but it was one that has paid off so far. It is now up to them to show what they are made of.

The matchup:

The Boston Celtics will take on the Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena located in Atlanta, Ga. on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. EDT.

The standings:

Boston comes into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarters finishing the regular season with a 39-27 record. They were 15-18 on the road this year.

Atlanta enters the matchup having finished the season with a 40-26 record. They were 23-10 on their home court this year.

The playoff series:

The playoff series is currently stands at 3-1 in favor of the Celtics.

Where to watch:

The game can be watched live nationwide on TNT.

The playoff statistic leaders:

Boston: Paul Pierce- 23.3 points per game, Rajon Rondo- 13.0 assists per game, Kevin Garnett- 10.5 rebounds per game.

Atlanta: Joe Johnson- 17.8 points per game, Josh Smith- 4.7 assists per game, Josh Smith- 14.3 rebounds per game.

Injuries to note:

Boston: Chris Wilcox (aortic abnormality), Jeff Green (aortic aneurysm).

Atlanta: Zaza Pachulia (foot).

More Boston Celtics Commentary from Paul Rados:

Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, Eastern Quarters Game 4: Fan Playoff Preview

Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, Eastern Quarters Game 3: Fan Playoff Preview

Boston Celtics should dominate with Miami trio likely to rest: Fan Preview

Boston Celtics prepare to take on Atlanta Hawks: Fan Preview

Takeaways from the Boston Celtics 102-98 win over the Orlando Magic: A fan’s perspective

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Boston Celtics fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook.

The Boston Celtics won a very close Game 3 at home by the score of 90-84 in overtime to take a 2-1 series lead. It appeared too close for comfort at times as Boston had all the advantages coming into the game. Josh Smith was out of action for the Atlanta Hawks and the Celtics were playing on their home court. Still, Atlanta took them into overtime, where they narrowly escaped with a victory.

The matchup on Sunday will be crucial for Boston. If they win, they take a 3-1 series lead before heading to Atlanta for Game 5. If they lose it becomes a best of three series with home court in Atlanta’s favor.

Now is the time for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo to show what they are made of. The playoffs will not get any easier moving forward and they know it. They have the talent and experience; they just need to prove it.

The matchup:

The Boston Celtics will take on the Atlanta Hawks at the TD Garden located in Boston, Mass. on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. EDT.

The standings:

Boston comes into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarters finishing the regular season with a 39-27 record. They were 24-9 on their home court this year.

Atlanta enters the matchup having finished the season with a 40-26 record. They were 17-16 on the road this year.

The playoff series:

The playoff series is currently stands at 2-1 in favor of the Celtics.

Where to watch:

The game can be watched live nationwide on TNT.

The playoff statistic leaders:

Boston: Paul Pierce- 23.0 points per game, Rajon Rondo- 11.5 assists per game, Kevin Garnett- 12.3 rebounds per game.

Atlanta: Joe Johnson- 20.7 points per game, Josh Smith- 4.5 assists per game, Josh Smith- 15.0 rebounds per game.

Injuries to note:

Boston: Avery Bradley (left shoulder), Chris Wilcox (aortic abnormality), Jeff Green (aortic aneurysm).

Atlanta: Al Horford (torn left pectoral muscle), Zaza Pachulia (foot), Josh Smith (Patellar tendinitis in left knee)

More Boston Celtics Commentary from Paul Rados:

Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, Eastern Quarters Game 3: Fan Playoff Preview

Boston Celtics should dominate with Miami trio likely to rest: Fan Preview

Boston Celtics prepare to take on Atlanta Hawks: Fan Preview

Takeaways from the Boston Celtics 102-98 win over the Orlando Magic: A fan’s perspective

Fan Preview: After a tough loss in New York, are the Boston Celtics ready to face the Magic?

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Boston Celtics fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook.

The Atlanta Hawks are doing all they can to bring an NBA championship home this season. With April marking the final month of the NBA season, a strong showing is necessary for ideal NBA Playoff positioning. Look for Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Jeff Teague to come up big in their final push.

Check with your service provider for channel listings in your area. With NBA League Pass, Hawks’ fans across the nation can catch every game and witness every play.

Note: All start times Eastern

April 2012

Wed 4, Charlotte Bobcats at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Fri 6, Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL, NBATV)

Sat 7, Atlanta Hawks at Charlotte Bobcats, 8 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Wed 11, Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, 8 p.m. (SSO-ATL, ESPN)

Fri 13, Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Sun 15, Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks, 6 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Mon 16, Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Wed 18, Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Fri 20, Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. (SSO-ATL, ESPN)

Sun 22, New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, 1 p.m. (SSO-ATL, ESPN)

Tue 24, Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Thu 26, Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks, 8 p.m. (SSO-ATL)

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and 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.

NBA players of Blake Griffin’s caliber generally should learn from their mistakes.

Namely: If at first you air-ball, do not air-ball again.

But Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, the dunk king stepped to the line and walked away with nothing to show for his efforts. Not only did Griffin go 0-for-2, he didn’t even touch the rim.

As Yahoo’s Dan Devine put it, his reaction after the first shot, a resounding “OhhhAAAAAHHHH,” just about summed up the experience.

The Clipper’s high-flying forward isn’t exactly known for his shooting abilities, and currently he’s averaging just over 55 percent from the line. The season isn’t over, but there were years when even Shaq had a better free throw average.

Though, at this point in his short career, he’s averaging 62 percent from the line according to USA Today, so it may be a little too soon to put him in the Shaq category.

Either way, when they’re in a tight spot, the Clippers better hope it’s Chris Paul doing the shooting.

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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

More from this contributor

David Stern’s New Orleans Hornets are still surrounded by intrigue

The top 5 NBA centers for 2012

CP3 or C-3PO?

The top 5 basketball movies ever made

The top 5 NBA free agent signings in history

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The Philadelphia 76ers will be without Spencer Hawes once again when they face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, January 20. This will be the third game that Hawes misses in the second in a row. Hawes is nursing an injured Achilles and is also likely to miss the game against the Miami Heat on Saturday, January 21. Without Hawes, the 76ers will be a major disadvantage in both games. Hawes has had a great season so far and is one reason why the 76ers are off to such a hot start. The team can still win without him but it won’t be anywhere near as easy.

Hawes has been the biggest surprise on the team. From the beginning of the season he has seemed like one of the most improved players in the league. He’s making his shots and he’s grabbing rebounds at a great rate. Right now, Hawes looks like an All-Star player. Unfortunately his health has been an issue. He had to leave a couple of games and missed a full one with a strain in his lower back. Now the Achilles injury is keeping him out for another game. According to Doug Collins, Hawes is not expected to make the trip to Miami. If he does get healthy, it won’t be a big deal. But with lingering injuries that don’t seem to go away, there is going to be a lot of concern over the status of Hawes in the coming days and weeks.

The 76ers will need Elton Brand and Nikola Vucevic to fill the void left by Hawes. Vucevic can step in and start at center for the 76ers against the Hawks. He has been solid at getting rebounds and that will be critical. Meanwhile, Brand is coming off of one of his better games against the Denver Nuggets. He has to be strong inside. Otherwise, the 76ers could wind up in a lot of trouble against both Atlanta and Miami.

You never like to see injuries, especially to top players. But if the 76ers really are on track to being among the elite in the league they need to learn to win despite that. These two games are the toughest so far this season and losing Hawes doesn’t make things any easier. But for this team, the expectations are still going to be the same.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and 76ers fan. Follow him on Twitter here.

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After looking like they were in recovery mode from New Year’s celebrations, the Chicago Bulls pulled a fourth quarter miracle and beat the Atlanta Hawks, 76-74 on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The Bulls climbed back from a 19-point deficit and extended their win streak to four.

Derrick Rose was the miracle worker, scoring 21 of the fourth quarter’s points. He continues to be a man on a mission and if he plays this way through the season, he could see his second MVP award.

It wasn’t a pretty win for the Bulls as they played very sluggishly and struggled with shots in the first three quarters.

The Hawks jumped on the board first and quickly took a 10-point lead. The United Center was quiet and it felt like Bulls were on the floor for practice. Some of the Bench Mob jumped in but it didn’t matter.

Atlanta finished the quarter leading 23-15.

The second quarter wasn’t much better. Atlanta grabbed its largest lead in the game to 12 points and entered halftime with a 38-26 advantage.

Expecting halftime adjustments, nothing happened in the third quarter. I was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen at all in this game. The Bulls were cold in their shooting and watched Atlanta extend their lead.

The Hawks entered the fourth quarter 56-42. Rose woke up, hitting shots and slowly the Bulls cut down Atlanta’s lead. The Hawks were now the cold ones. Just like a runner slowly coming up behind the leader, the Bulls finally tied the game at 62, at the 6:20 mark.

With less than a minute remaining, the Bulls took their first lead of the game, 72-71 and their second one came with nine seconds remaining, 74-73.

From the Hawks’ poor free throw shooting, the Bulls got the win from a Luol Deng three-pointer.

Scoring…Rose was the leading scorer with 30 points and seven assists. Deng added 21 points with eight coming in the last four minutes.

Rip Hamilton and C.J. Watson both missed the game from injuries.

Next up? The Bulls play the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago resident, it’s been a good era under Derrick Rose.

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The Miami Heat suffered their first loss of the 2011/12 NBA season, losing 100-92 against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 2.

The Heat came out strong against the Hawks, taking a three point lead into halftime. Both teams remained competitive for the rest of the contest, but the Heat had no answers for the Hawks in the final moments of the game. Tracy McGrady had a solid fourth quarter for the Hawks, knocking down several big threes, and sealing Miami’s fate.

“He played exceptionally well,” LeBron James said after the game. “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.”

Atlanta’s zone defense certainly bothered Miami, and that seems to be the Heat’s biggest weakness so far.

“We need to work through it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. “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.”

Once again, LeBron led Miami’s offense, putting up 28 points (game high), 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Chris Bosh also had a decent outing for the Heat, walking away with 19 points and 6 rebounds of his own.

Dwyane Wade on the other hand struggled with his shot, but he still had an efficient game against Atlanta, finishing with 12 points, 10 assists and 3 steals.

Shane Battier had a good showing off the bench, converting on three of his four shots from long range. Battier finished with 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Udonis Haslem continued being a force to be reckoned with on the boards, grabbing 10 rebounds (game high).

Miami will get a chance for some payback when they face the Hawks again on Jan. 5. Before that though, they’ll face the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 4, for the first time in the 2011/12 NBA season.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Hawks open fourth with 15-3 run to race past Heat”

Player and game information from ESPN.com

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Wade expects other NBA teams to copy Miami Heat

Miami Heat Rookie Norris Cole Prepares for 2011/12 Season

Miami Heat Ruins Mavericks’ Championship Party

Miami Heat Improve to 4-0

Miami Heat Smashes Charlotte Bobcats 129-90

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

The Chicago Bulls will try to extend a three-game winning steak when they square off against the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the United Center in Chicago. Without further ado, here’s your quick glance advance.

Game time: 8 p.m. EST.

TV: Local coverage in the Atlanta and Chicago areas (check your listings), NBA-TV.

The Hawks: The Hawks were 44-38 last season, good enough for the East’s fifth seed. They upset the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Bulls in the semifinals. The Hawks swapped Jamal Crawford for Tracy McGrady, but otherwise have about the same rotation as last season.

Last Season vs. Bulls: The Hawks and Bulls met three times during the regular season, and in an Eastern Conference semifinals matchup. The Bulls blew out two of the regular season games, then dispatched the Hawks in six during the playoffs.

Statistics

PPG: Atlanta 99.2 (8); Chicago 101.0 (6).

FG%: Atlanta 45.3 (T12); Chicago 46.3 (7).

PPG Allowed: Atlanta 87.6 (1); Chicago 89.8 (6).

Assists: Atlanta 20.2 (19); Chicago 23.0 (4).

Rebounds/offensive – Atlanta 42.8 (14)/11.8 (T10); Chicago 45.8 (6)/14.0 (3).

Probable starters

PG – Jeff Teague (13.4 ppg, 4.8 apg, 58% FG) vs. Derrick Rose (19.8 ppg, 8.6 apg): Rising star Teague played well against Rose in last season’s playoff series, but Rose was better with five double-doubles and a spiffy 29.8 ppg/9.8 apg average in the six-game set.

SG – Joe Johnson (17.2 ppg) vs. Rip Hamilton/Ronnie Brewer (12 ppg): Hamilton sat out the Memphis game with a sore groin, Brewer filled in nicely with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring.

SF – Marvin Williams (11.8 ppg, 6 rpg) vs. Luol Deng (17 ppg, 7.6 rpg): Williams, a part-time starter last season, averaged just 3.5 ppg against Deng in the playoffs.

PF – Josh Smith (10 ppg, 7 rpg) vs. Carlos Boozer (12.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg): Boozer is coming off his best game of the season; Smith had a great playoff series, but his scoring is down from nearly 17 ppg last season.

C – Al Horford (12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) vs. Joakim Noah (9.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg): The Hawks give the Bulls trouble when Horford plays well; he averaged 20 ppg and 11.3 rpg in three wins over the Bulls last season.

The Write-Up

Both teams are 4-1 and coming off their best games of the year: The Bulls won a 114-64 laugher over Memphis Sunday, the Hawks upset the Heat, 100-92, in Miami last night. I watched the Hawks-Heat game and must admit, Atlanta looked better than I expected or predicted. I love Teague; he’s shooting nearly 60% since becoming a starter and has developed into the Hawks second leading scorer. McGrady, the new sixth man, is chipping in with 11.6 ppg – he hit two huge fourth-quarter three-pointers against the Heat – so Crawford hasn’t been missed much. Chicago is averaging 108.7 points during its three-game winning streak; the Hawks currently have the league’s best scoring defense. Fatigue might be a factor; the Bulls enter the game after a day off while the Hawks are closing out a three-game road trip and a stretch of four games in five nights.

Notes: The Bulls play four games in the next five nights….. C.J. Watson was sans sling yesterday, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, but was still wearing a wrap on the elbow he sprained Sunday night. He’s listed as day to day. Meanwhile, Rip Hamilton practiced…… What do you think of the new format for game advances? Is there anything you’d like to see added? Let me know!

Coming tomorrow: Make sure to look for my Central Division preview!

Sources: Chicago Bulls team page, Yahoo! Sports; Chicago Bulls Clubhouse, ESPN; Atlanta Hawks team page, Yahoo! Sports; Atlanta Hawks Clubhouse, ESPN; NBA team statistics page, NBA.com; 2011-2012 Atlanta Hawks Season Preview, HoopsWorld.com; NBA Season Preview: Atlanta Hawks, ProBasketballTalk/NBC Sports.

YCN featured sports contributor Steve Merritt is – for better or worse – a lifelong Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs fan. He’s followed the Bulls since 1969, when he tuned in after bedtime on a cheap dime store radio tucked under his pillow.

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

As an Atlanta Hawks fan, my hometown team hasn’t been involved in any major trades involving players such as a Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.

However, general manager Rick Sund has attempted to boost the bench with the recent signing of Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse and now Vladimir Radmanovic .

Radmanovic is considered as someone who is a very capable three-point threat and should fit in with an Atlanta team that has gained the reputation as a jump-shooting team over the past few years.

With the recent signing of a trio of veteran 30-somethings, it appears Jamal Crawford is likely to sign with a new team in the near future.

Crawford provided the Hawks a lot of instant offense coming off the bench and averaged around thirty minutes a game during his two-year stint with the Hawks. Additionally, Crawford had a knack for getting fouled outside the three-point arc for the four-point play.

Radmanovic has bounced around a little bit over the past five years after spending the first five seasons with the Seattle Supersonics. Incidentally, Sund was the general manager who drafted Radmanovic as a 21 year-old in 2001.

It is not likely Radmanovic will be starting, but could alternate potentially at three positions: shooting guard, small forward and power forward.

Radmanovic is 6’10 and 235 pounds, so he is a little bigger than Josh Smith and even roughly the same size as Al Horford, yet his ability to stretch the floor with his perimeter skills can be asset in double-team situations involving Joe Johnson or Al Horford.

Radmanovic had a great year behind the three-point line in 2010 for the Golden State Warriors after making approximately 41 percent of his 3-point attempts (70 of 173) and the Hawks are looking for Vladimir to match or exceed those numbers with the Hawks.

Vladimir is mostly known as a perimeter player, but he has had some moments while dunking over the NBA’s best players such as the Spurs’ Tim Duncan, Antawn Jamison, the Denver Nuggets’ Nene and Amare Stoudamire.

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As an Atlanta Hawks fan, I believe my hometown team is close to making that breakthrough of getting past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Additionally, it appears head coach Larry Drew is looking to fill spots on the roster and building depth at the small forward position.

Marvin Williams started the 2010-11 season as the starting small forward, but injuries and inconsistent play has opened the door for someone else to take his place.

Tracy McGrady’s signing is one response and another response is Jerry Stackhouse who can provide experience and depth coming off the bench.

I don’t know Marvin Williams’ future, but he could be a candidate for amnesty and if that is the case, the void at small forward has to be filled.

Josh Smith has been interchangeable between the small and power forward positions and had recently lost 30 pounds, but his future is up in the air as well with trade rumors still persisting.

Jerry Stackhouse, a two-time All-Star, is the latest player to be signed and Hawks fans are generally optimistic and hope Stackhouse has something left to give the Hawks in this lockout shortened season.

Stackhouse did turn 37 this year and even though he isn’t the same player from ten years ago that had a 29.3 per game scoring average with the Detroit Pistons, he is a capable defender and is a decent mid-range shooter, especially if left open.

Stackhouse has played in over 900 regular season games and participated in 78 playoff games.

Stackhouse was on that 2006 Dallas Mavericks’ team that came very close to a NBA title against the Miami Heat which featured Dirk Nowitiski and Jason Terry.

During the 2006-2007 season, Stackhouse had shot a career-high from behind three-point line during the regular season and averaged 14 points per game during the playoffs.

Stackhouse played four years in Dallas, but this was the last time he had received a lot of minutes However, even past the age of 30, he has proved he has something left.

The following are some of Stackhouse’s highlights:

June 10, 2006: Jerry Stackhouse scored 19 points and had a four-point play during the decisive run in Dallas’ 99-85 victory in Game 2 of the 2006 NBA Finals over the Miami Heat.

May 15, 2006: Jerry Stackhouse scored 26 and was 10-for-19 from the field along with being a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the three-point line as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in overtime, 123-118.

April 3, 2001: Stackhouse scored a career-high 57 points as a member of the Detroit Pistons against the Chicago Bulls.

1997-2002 : Here’s a look at Jerry Stackhouse highlights from the Detroit Pistons

2004-2008 : Here’s a look at Jerry Stackhouse highlights from the Dallas Mavericks

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As an Atlanta Hawks fan, it will be interesting to see if the Washington Wizards and John Wall in particular are able to take that next step as a young team and secure a playoff spot this season.

I do mention John Wall, but Hawk fans remember Jordan Crawford as well. Crawford has a lot of talent and it will be interesting to see how he will grow as a player.

The Hawks traded Crawford for the veteran point guard Kirk Hinrich last season, but in the long-run will the Wizards get the best of this deal?

Hinrich will start the 2011-12 season on the injury list and Crawford may have a breakout year and could be a super sidekick to John Wall along with posing problems for teams such as Atlanta.

The Washington Wizards haven’t been relevant as a playoff contender in nearly four years when Gilbert Arenas was in his prime.

One of the last playoff moments from a few years ago that Wizard fans may remember is Gilbert Arenas missing two critical free throws after LeBron James’ efforts to distract him were successful in Game 6 of a first round playoff series back in May of 2006. Cleveland won that playoff series four games to two.

The Wizards did finally part ways with the somewhat injury prone Arenas and have invested in the younger, athletic and energetic John Wall.

Can the Wizards make the playoffs and have this team narrowed the gap in regard to progress and talent in regard to the Atlanta Hawks?

The Hawks had won three of four games in the 2010-11 season. However, in the last meeting. the Wizards had blitzed the Hawks, 115-83.

The Hawks had beaten the Wizards 12 consecutive times, but was that loss a blip or a trend?

The Wizards have a collection of talent that includes Wall, third-year player Jordan Crawford, Javele McGhee, Andrae Blatche and 2011 NBA first round pick, Chris Singleton.

Can the Wizards play better overall defense and can Wall make his teammates better along with Wall himself being more clutch in contested games?

The Wizards frontline is very athletic and can cause problems for opposing teams, so it will be interesting moving forward if Atlanta will be able to continue their dominance over the younger, collectively more athletic Wizards within the Southeastern Division.

John Wall has the same potential of a Derrick Rose and was able to elevate his game along with coming up clutch late in games. Rose’s efforts have been able to make the Bulls a perennial playoff contender.

Rose has also been durable and this will be a key to the Washington Wizard’s progression.

Wall did deal with an injured knee and left foot for most of the season but still averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds and came in second place to the Los Angles Clippers’ Blake Griffin for NBA Rookie of the Year.

The Wizards are poised to make progress in 2011-12 and improve on their 23-win season, and the Hawks should be wary of a young, athletic Wizards squad who is trying to get where the Hawks had been the past few years.

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As a Atlanta Hawks fan, I believe Joe Johnson(notes) has been one of the best acquisitions via a trade in franchise history along with Dominique Wilkins coming to the Hawks via a trade in the early 1980′s.

However, Joe Johnson has to take his game to another level and it doesn’t necessarily means he has to lead the NBA in scoring.

Johnson signed one of the richest contracts in league history and as the 6’8 small forward enters his early 30′s, it is time for him to take his game to another level, especially in clutch moments in contested games and/or playoff series.

The Hawks have made the playoffs four years in a row, and made the conference semifinals in three consecutive years before bowing out on their homecourt in blowout defeats.

Can Joe Johnson exhibit on-court leadership in the same way that Kobe Bryant(notes) or even a Dirk Notwiski had provided during their championship runs?

Johnson’s six-year contract worth approximately 20 million per year is extraordinary, but some say it is not deserving or one of the reasons why NBA owners had a lockout.

Johnson will be 35 years old at the end of his contract, so he should be entering his peak years right now.

How can Johnson elevate his game? Playing smarter team basketball and sharing the ball with his teammates on a consistent basis would be a great start.

Johnson’s tendency to hold onto the basketball and allow himself to get trapped in the corner with nowhere to go except for putting up a bad shot or turning the ball over is not good.

The Bulls were very good in neutralizing Johnson after Game 1 of last season’s playoff series.

Johnson doesn’t have the elite athleticism of a Derrick Rose(notes) and hasn’t shown the clutchness of a Kobe Bryant either.

Johnson appears to be somewhat caught in between being very good and great, but on most nights he plays as if he is only the second or third best player on the court.

In head-to-head matchups against LeBron James(notes) over the years, Joe Johnson has come up small on a lot occasions especially a lackluster four game sweep of Atlanta in the spring of 2009.

Those are the moments where we judge Johnson, fairly or unfairly, and last year’s meltdown in Atlanta in Game 3 when the Hawks had an opportunity to take control of the playoff series and push forward to the NBA conference finals for the first time.

In Game 3, Derrick Rose scored 44 points in a 99-82 loss in Atlanta.

This was the game in which Johnson need to take his game to another level, but Josh Smith(notes) ended up leading all scorers with 17 points in a Bulls’ blowout.

Derrick Rose and Joe Johnson are quiet superstars, but Rose has more shown he is more ‘clutch’ in moments or games when his team needs him the most.

Is Joe Johnson capable of seizing the moment on the biggest stage when everybody is watching? Dirk Nowitski was able to overcome the questions with the Mavericks winning a championship, and Joe Johnson has to do the same.

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