May 05, 2008 03:26 am
Stat of the game: Hawks guard Mike Bibby had two points and two assists. Enough said. Stat of the game II: Hawks forwards Al Horford and Josh Smith shot a combined 6 of 23. Smith also had only four rebounds. Stat of the series: Rajon Rondo, who had six assists in Game 7, finished the series with 45 assists and only seven turnovers. He didn't have a turnover in three of the games at the Garden. It didn't matter: Celts guard Ray Allen hit his first 3-pointer with 8:49 remaining in the third quarter to put the Celtics ahead 56-28. He missed his previous four, all wide-open shots, in the first half. Play of the game: Late In the third quarter, and the Celtics ahead by 34 points, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo dove for a loose ball on the same possession, eventually losing it out of bounds. While the play didn't matter, it was an example of the Celtics' grit. The effort got a standing ovation. Johnson disses Celtics: "I would be surprised if they won it all. They're good. But I don't think they're anything special," said Hawks guard Joe Johnson.
By the numbers 1 — Lead changes. The Hawks led 3-0 before the Celts answered with six straight points, never to trail again. 2 — Game 7s won by the Atlanta Hawks in their history. 8 — Game 7s lost by the Hawks in their history. 12 — Points scored by Paul Pierce in the third quarter. 18 — Game 7s won by the Celtics over their history. 29.3 — Percent of shots the Hawks made (24 for 82).
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