One of the old adages you hear said over and over again come playoff time is,
"The series doesn't start until someone wins on the road." The Heat won Game 2
in Atlanta, so I guess that means this series is on, and if the Hawks are going
to advance into the second round, they are going to have to get one back here in
Miami.
I for one think they can do it, and I'll tell you why.
Back in December, loyal readers of this blog may remember I traveled with the
team on the murderous Texas trip, which culminated with a game against the Heat
here in Miami. The games in Texas were dreadful, with each loss more frustrating
than the one before it.
By the time we got to Miami, the Hawks were 12-9, and with back-to-back games
against the Heat and at home against Cleveland, we were staring 12-11 in the
face, with all the good vibes built up from the 6-0 start vanishing into thin
air.
The game in Miami started exactly as I'd feared it would - the Heat came out
on fire, the crowd was behind them, and Atlanta looked lost. The Heat had 11
before the Hawks got on the board, and it felt like a total doomsday scenario.
And then a strange thing happened, and that moment has stuck with me
throughout the rest of the season. The Hawks started battling, started forcing
the Heat into some turnovers that led to easy baskets on the other end, and by
halftime held a 43-40 lead. And after a few baskets back and forth in the third,
the Hawks turned it up another notch and turned a 58-54 lead into a 75-55
advantage going into the fourth quarter.
It was a thing of beauty. Atlanta was running at every opportunity, off
turnovers, missed shots, you name it, and finished the game with a comfortable
87-73 win. Spurred on by the victory, the team proceeded to beat Cleveland the
next night and win 7 of their next 8, a run that really cemented their standing
as the team to beat for the 4th seed in the East.
But back to that game. When it became increasingly clear as the season went
on that Miami would be our first-round opponent, I couldn't stop thinking about
how the Hawks took over that night. It wasn't like they all of a sudden started
raining threes from everywhere (like the Heat did in Game 2), or Dwyane Wade
turned the ball over a bunch of times (like he did in Game 1). Atlanta was just
the better team with better players, and when they started using their advantage
in skill and athleticism to their advantage, it seemed like there was nothing
Miami could do about it.
That's what the Hawks need to do tonight and Monday if they want to reclaim
homecourt going back to Atlanta. If they can find that will, that focus that we
saw from them in Game 1, I have no doubt they can win (at least) one here,
regardless of what their history on the road might suggest.
Game time tonight is 6:30 ET, with SportSouth HD your destination for the
home broadcast and TNT for national coverage.
Don't forget too, if you want to take in the action with your fellow Hawks
fans, Budweiser is sponsoring three viewing parties at Cheyenne Grill in
Buckhead, Jay's Place in Stone Mountain, and at Ultimate Bar and Grill
on Camp Creek Parkway.
