At 8 p.m. Friday night, the Atlanta Hawks squared off against the Orlando Magic for game three of the Eastern Division playoffs. The series, tied between Atlanta and Orlando with one win apiece, has been fairly evenly matched between Magic’s Dwight Howard’s heroic play and the combined efforts of Hawks’ Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Jamal Crawford. Howard has averaged 17.6 rebounds and 33 points per game since the beginning of the series, while the Hawks have edged out two victories on the strengths of Crawford as sixth man, dependable scoring and Zaza Pachulia’s physical defense. Students gathered in the TV room of SCAD Atlanta’s ACA House, while security guards peeked around the desk to catch a glimpse of the action. The Hawks led the game for nearly the entire night, with a final score of 88-84 in their favor.
Howard played high school basketball at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. In his senior year, he registered for the NBA draft. In 2004, he was picked first overall by the Orlando Magic and has led the Orlando Magic team to the playoffs five consecutive times since 2007. In 2009, the Magic eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference finals, but then lost to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship.
The Hawks have made three playoff appearances since 2008, losing to the Magic last year in the first round. After Orlando ended Atlanta’s playoff hopes in 2010, the Hawks franchise fired head coach Mike Goodson. New head coach Larry Drew has led the Hawks to another playoff appearance this year.
The Hawks have put on a stellar performance since the beginning of the 2011 playoff series. As a team, they’ve averaged 91 points per game, while holding their opponents to 88 points per game. Although there is only a three point split, the Hawks have been resilient under pressure and inspired when the game is on the line. Friday night, Jamal Crawford sealed a Hawks victory with 5.4 seconds on the clock by sinking a three-point shot. This put the Hawks up by four, with only one possession left for Orlando.
Crawford currently holds the NBA record for 33 four-point plays. On Friday, he added to his season record with a pivotal, third-quarter, four-point play that gave the Hawks the momentum to stretch their lead from one point to nine. However, Jason Richardson kept the Magic in the game with several three pointers.
With two minutes and 22 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Howard committed a technical foul against Zaza Pachulia. Pachulia got into a verbal dispute with the Magic’s Jason Richardson who was defending Howard. It turned into an altercation, and both players were expelled from the game.
As of Sunday, Pachulia and Richardson had both been suspended by the NBA for game four of the Eastern Conference playoff series. Both players are awaiting the NBA’s ruling on what fines they will have to pay for Friday night’s game.
The Hawks look to extend their one-game lead in the series to two on Sunday night as they face off against the Magic at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. Tickets are available from $15-$25 for game six at Phillips Arena on Thursday, April 28. If the Hawks can clinch the series in five games, they will move on to play either the number one seed, Chicago Bulls, or the number eight seed, Indiana Pacers.
With midterms approaching, taking some time to root for the Hawks as they make a run for the Eastern Conference Division can relieve stress and be a great opportunity to meet with other students. The Hawks will likely move on to play the Bulls in the next series, if they secure a victory over the Magic on Sunday and on Tuesday.
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