I could give you a bunch of excuses about why the Celtics lost this game. We could go over the officiating, the shot clock issues, or Sam Cassell's poor shot selection in the 4th. But that would simply not give the Hawks enough credit. I have to hand it to them, they came out and played a fantastic game. Perhaps the best they are capable of. They shot 56% from 3 point land. They played excellent defense for stretches at a time. They ran the floor exceptionally well. After sleepwalking through the first two games, Josh Smith and Mike Bibby both showed up for this one. Bottom line, the Hawks played the better game.
It happens. Any given day anything can happen. I wanted a sweep, and that's over. I called this series boring. That's over too. The Celtics have now seen the best of the Hawks and it is their turn to answer.