Harbinger of Doom, or: The Hawks Can Tie the Series Tonight

Not to get all Nostradamus on you or anything, but it might be a good idea to stay indoors tonight. Head for the basement if you've got one. Watch for falling meteors, and make sure your affairs are in order.

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks can tie their first-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics at two wins apiece.

I didn't get a chance to post anything after the Hawks won Game 3 Saturday 102-93. It was the end of a long day in the sun, but I managed to tune in around halftime, and watched the entire second half of the game. As I've mentioned before, I don't really consider myself a Hawks fan, exactly. I can't lay claim to them because like most people in Georgia, I more or less ignored them through the lean years, unless I was covering them. Still, they're the closest thing I've got to an NBA team, and I would really love to see them do well. And, man... did the Hawks ever do well on Saturday night.

FLYING HIGHAP Photo/Stanley Learey

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 27 points and 9 boards. Joe Johnson had 23. Kevin Garnett had 32 points for the Celtics, but the rest of the Boston offense was more or less held in check. For much of the game, Atlanta actually looked like the better team on Saturday night. And, for the first time in memory, Atlanta had an actual home-court advantage. Atlanta fans filled Phillips Arena, and they were LOUD.

I still think that Boston will prevail in the series. But, I've actually got some hope that Atlanta can win again tonight and take the series back to Boston Garden tied 2-2. They're expecting another capacity crowd at Phillips tonight, and one would hope that Atlanta fans will once again make it tough for Boston. It's a quick turnaround for both teams, and Atlanta's starters played a lot of minutes on Saturday. Still, with the exception of Mike Bibby, Atlanta's a young team. Hopefully the young Hawks will have enough power left to shock the world again tonight.

If they do, let's hope that having a good Hawks team doesn't mean the world will end. After all, they said the same thing about the Braves back in 1991, and so far things are still rolling along nicely. But, if the CUBS keep winning, I'm going to get nervous...