The Atlanta Hawks ran into a buzz saw in the first half of Game 4 as the Boston Celtics exploded for a 63-41 lead at halftime. The Hawks were hoping to get a boost from the returns of Josh Smith and Al Horford to the Hawks lineup but instead they have been met by a Celtics team that is focused on not allowing Atlanta back in this series.
Boston jumped out to a 32-19 lead after one and poured it on in the second quarter outscoring Atlanta 31-22. Boston hit 64 percent of their shots in the first half while holding Atlanta to 46 percent. Atlanta hasn't helped themselves by turning the ball over 11 times which led to 14 points for the Celtics.
Paul Pierce hit 8 of 11 shots in the first half for a game-high 18 points. Kevin Garnett has nine points and Ray Allen eight off the bench. Rajon Rondo has six points and 13 assists at the half.
Josh Smith leads Atlanta with nine points and eight rebounds despite 2 for 7 shooting. Joe Johnson has seven points and Al Horford six for Atlanta. Horford played 10 first half minutes and is expected to log between 15 and 20 in the game.
For more on the Hawks-Celtics playoff series check out Peachtree Hoops and CelticsBlog. For more news and notes regarding the NBA Playoffs head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.