Atlant Haws Even Series Against Bulls

The Atlanta Hawks had a must win game Sunday night. They weren't facing elimination, but after stealing a game against the Bulls in Chicago they surrendered the homecourt advantage by giving up a win in game three. Going back to Chicago down 3-1 in the series would likely mean another second round exit for the Hawks, who haven't made it farther than that in decades. The Hawks stepped up and took the game from the Bulls 100-88 thanks to a strong fourth quarter.

The star of the night was undoubtedly Josh Smith. The enigmatic Hawks player is known as much for his persistence taking long jumpers as he is for his athletic blocks and post game but showed why he is one of the most physically gifted players in the league. As the game wound down Smith was approaching a triple double with 23 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists.

The victory for the Hawks snapped a second round home-game losing streak that extended back to 1996. They were helped along the way by Jeff Teague, who saw limited minutes during the regular season, as he filled in for an injured Kirk Hinrich. Teague scored 12 points and had four assists while also drawing the task of defending league MVP Derrick Rose. Rose still scored, finishing with 34 points, but he had to take 32 shots to get there. Teague also made plays when he had to, flipping balls into the basket on drives at crucial times.

The Hawks changed their game plan for this game, double and triple teaming Rose and starting a bigger lineup with Jason Collins at center. In the fourth quarter the Hawks really tightened the screws on defense against Rose, forcing two turnovers and a key missed shot.

The Hawks pulled away late with a 10-0 run that buried the Bulls. The series returns to Chicago for game five of the series.