The Atlanta Hawks started fast and lead their potential playoff preview with the Boston Celtics 48-40 at halftime. The Hawks jumped out to an early lead only to see the Celtics close the first quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 26-25 advantage.
Atlanta bounced back in the second quarter outscoring the Celtics 23-14. Josh Smith came out in a rhythm and leads Atlanta with 12 points and six rebounds. Jeff Teague added 11 points and Joe Johnson eight for the Hawks. Atlanta shot 47 percent in the first half and did a good job of taking care of the basketball but was just 1-10 from three-point range in the first half.
Brandon Bass turned in a solid half for the Celtics finishing with 13 points and five boards. Kevin Garnett added 12 points but no other Celtics player has more than four.
For more on this game Hawks fans should check out Peachtree Hoops and Celtics fans should visit CelticsBlog. For more news and notes from around the NBA head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball Page.