8:58 - The fourth begins with a dunk by the Heat's Michael Doleac. Jonathan Carl adds that Doleac was voted as the "Slowest Player In The League" by an ESPN poll of NBA players. Bully for him.

9:00 - Antoine Walker misses a pair of FTs, and the Heat are now faring just as poorly from the line as we are - 6/13 for the game. The Hawks have a couple chances to cut into the lead, but we just aren't hitting our shots tonight. Another basket by Doleac, who now has ten, makes it a 14-point game with 8:24 left at 75-61. We are playing better basketball right now, but we just can't seem to hit enough shots to climb back into it. This is where not having Joe available really hurts us.

9:03 - A bunch of celebs in the house for tonight's game - Jerome Bettis, Charles Woodson, Alge Crumpler, and former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. I think he knows he is here.

9:04 - Josh Smith intercepts a pass and goes in uncontested for a seriously-ill windmill jam. It gets the crowd pretty pumped, but we still trail by 12, 77-65. If we are going to make a run, it's gotta get started now.

9:06 - Zaza gives Shaq a nice pump-fake and drives, drawing the foul, but comes up clutching his right elbow. He is wincing, but staying in the game. It'll take more than that to take him out of the game Dorrell Wright!

9:09 - Marvin has now tied his career-high with 11 rebounds (set on Monday), and gets a nice assist from T-Lue for a basket to make it 79-68 with five minutes left. The Heat are getting contributions from their entire team tonight, as six players are in double figures for them. No one on the team has more than 13 points.

9:12 - Marvin hits a deuce from the corner and we are down nine. We need a defensive stand...and we get it! Steal by Childress, intercepting an entry pass, and he gets fouled going to the hole the other way. The foul was on the floor though, so no free throws. Josh Smith misses the jumper, and another opportunity goes by - but he more than makes up for it with a block at the other end and then a vicious dunk! A steal by Marvin and a basket by AJ! Hawks down five with three minutes left! Timeout Heat! Additional comment by me ending in an exclamation point!

9:16 - Drat. J-Will banks a runner, and then Josh Childress gets called for an offensive foul. 81-74 Heat with 2:37 left. Gotta get a stop here.

9:18 - Lorenzen Wright makes the right call, fouling Shaq in the lane and sending him to the line. He hits the first...and the second. I take back all the nice things I said about him earlier tonight. Josh Smith gets to the rack for two, and it's back to seven points. Smith blocks a jumper and scores on the other end for the second time this quarter, it's down to five...a steal by Chill! He misses the lay-up but gets fouled, and he will shoot free throws for a chance to cut it to three with 1:17 left. First one good. Second one good. 83-80 Heat.

9:21 - Jason Williams, Hawks Killer. Williams drains a jumper with Childress in his face, and it's back to five. He isn't afraid to take big shots, that is for sure. The Hawks can't convert on the other end, and have to foul, and now the Heat lead by seven, 87-80, with 25 seconds left.

9:28 - And that's all she wrote. Jason Williams hits a few more free throws and the Hawks fall 91-83 to Miami. The comeback was valiant, but it was too little too late, and the home win streak is snapped at five. A frustrating loss because we had several chances to et back in this one, but just couldn't get over the hump. I tip my cap to the Heat, who found the way to get inside baskets aplenty when they needed them thanks to well-executed plays. If Dwyane Wade gets healthy for the playoffs, they really could make another run.

Josh Smith finishes the night with a game-high 27 points, but it came on 26 shots. Marvin had 16 and 12 (a career-best), and we did have 25 assists, but in the end, 40% shooting and 17 turnovers were just too much to overcome.

Either way, it was fun doing this tonight, and I hope you enjoyed reading along with me. See you Friday for Hawks-Blazers...