The Atlanta Hawks dropped their third consecutive game in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics after getting blown out in Game 4 101-79.
It was a disappointing turn of events for the Hawks who came in hoping that the return of a couple of key players would give them a chance to even up the series. Instead the Hawks found a Boston team that was focused and locked in as much as they had been during the entire series. The Celtics came out on fire behind the hot shooting of Paul Pierce and took a 32-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. It would only get worse for the Hawks from there as they are are left searching for answers heading into Game 5.
Josh Smith returned to action after missing Game 3 with a knee injury and led the way with 15 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Smith played 32 minutes and was 5 of 13 from the floor but turned the ball over six times. Al Horford made his first appearance since January playing 20 minutes and finishing with 12 points and five boards. He looked shaky early but appeared to settle down late.
Jannero Pargo scored 11 off the bench for the Hawks and Joe Johnson finished with nine on 4 of 8 shooting and was hardly a factor as Boston clamped down on him defensively. Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Teague were non factors combining for nine points and four assists.
Paul Pierce led the dismantling of the Hawks with 24 points in just over 16 minutes of playing time. Rajon Rondo finished with 20 points and 16 assists while Kevin Garnett added 13 points and five rebounds.
The series resumes on Tuesday with Game 5 from Philips Arena in Atlanta.
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.