May 2, 2008 10:07 pm US/Central
Celtics Fall Short Again; Face Game 7 With Hawks
BOSTON (AP) ―
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Acie Law #4 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket against Sam Cassell #28 of the Boston Celtics in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 2, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Scott Cunningham /Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks just won't let go of their first trip to the playoffs in nine years. The playoff team with the worst record did it again to the team with the best mark, forcing an improbable Game 7 with the Boston Celtics as Joe Johnson hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1:07 remaining and the Hawks held on for a 103-100 victory Friday night.
The Hawks, just 37-45 during the regular season, have now beaten the Celtics three times in the space of a week to set up a deciding game in a series that was supposed to be a sweep. After all, Boston went an NBA-leading 66-16 and defeated Atlanta in all three meetings before the playoffs.
But, against all odds, the Hawks are heading to Boston for Game 7 on Sunday.
"Seven! Seven! Seven!" chanted the record crowd of 20,425 at Philips Arena.
The Celtics are still the favorite, having won all three games on their home court in the series by an average of 22 points. But the Hawks have lasted longer than anyone would have expected.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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