The Hawks are right where they want to be after the first 24 minutes of this game. Led by an active defense that has forced 10 turnovers so far, the offense has had a much easier time getting good looks at the basket, and that has translated to an excellent shooting performance from downtown. Atlanta is 6-12 from three point range, while the Heat are 0-7. If that kind of form holds, it will only be poetic justice for Miami's shooting performance in Games 2&3.

A few other quick thoughts:

- Al Horford isn't 100%, but boy is it nice to have him out there. He makes such a big difference inside, and had an impact on the action so far that far surpasses what his stats say (3 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist).

- Joe Johnson had a rough start, but heated up in a hurry in the second, scoring all 12 of his points in the quarter. I don't normally advocate JJ shooting from 28 feet with time left on the clock, but in a Game 7 I'll take any basket that drops - and his did.

- JJ didn't have it going offensively early, but he's played incredible defense so far. He's got 4 steals so far, and has helped harass Dwyane Wade into 4-14 shooting from the field.

- One thing to watch out for in the second half is the rebounding battle. The team that won the battle of the boards has won every game of the series so far, and the Hawks trail 25-18 in that category at the break.

Overall, a great first half for the Hawks, who upped their scoring from 26 points in Game 7 at Boston last year to 49 in this one.

Keep it up ATL, we're almost there!