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Hawks beat Celtics 100-91 to sweep season series
By CHARLES ODUM
January 29, 2010
ATLANTA, GA — Joe Johnson(notes) scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Atlanta Hawks beat Boston 100-91 on Friday night to complete their first season sweep of the Celtics in 11 years.
Jamal Crawford had 28 points as the Hawks recovered after Boston cut a 14-point deficit to one in the third quarter.
The Hawks (30-15) completed the four-game sweep of the regular-season series to move one-half game ahead of Boston (29-15) for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Paul Pierce led Boston with a season-high 35 points. Kevin Garnett(notes) had 15 as Boston’s only other scorer in double figures.
The Celtics have lost five of seven, including losses to Orlando and Atlanta in back-to-back days.
The Hawks were celebrating with their sellout crowd and most Boston players were already off the court as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Johnson, named to his fourth straight All-Star team on Thursday, made only 3 of 13 shots from the field in the first three quarters before finding his touch to help the Hawks fend off the Celtics’ comeback. Atlanta led 74-73 at the start of the fourth before pushing the advantage to 11 points.
The Hawks’ last season sweep of the Celtics came with three wins in 1998-99. Their last 4-0 sweep was in the 1995-96 season.
The Hawks completed the sweep one day after having two players — Johnson and Al Horford — named to the All-Star team for the first time since 1998.
Emotions rose in the third period soon after Hawks coach Mike Woodson began complaining that his team had been called for five fouls while Boston had none.
With 7:42 remaining in the period, Atlanta’s Josh Smith was called for a flagrant foul and Boston’s Kendrick Perkins drew a technical after Smith grabbed Perkins from behind to stop a shot. Players from both teams swarmed around the two.
Woodson drew a technical foul from official Tony Brothers after complaining about the flagrant foul on Smith. Zaza Pachulia drew another technical for protesting after he was called for a foul with 2:50 remaining in the period.
The Celtics made 19 of 20 free throws in the third to cut into Atlanta’s lead.
The Hawks led 53-41 at halftime despite a slow start from Johnson, who made only one of eight shots in the half.
Crawford’s halfcourt shot to end the first period gave Atlanta a 23-22 lead — its only lead of the period.
NOTES: The reported attendance of 18,732 was the Hawks’ fourth home sellout of the season. … Rasheed Wallace was called for his NBA-leading 13th technical foul in the second period. … G J.R. Giddens(notes), now with Maine of the NBA
Development League, saw a doctor on Friday and is facing surgery on his left knee. The Celtics assigned Giddens to Maine on Jan. 21. … The Celtics swept the 2008-09 season series 4-0.
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Kobe-LeBron Nike ad features gun language
By BRIAN MAHONEY
January 29, 2010
NEW YORK, NY — An advertisement featuring the NBA’s two biggest superstars includes a gun reference in the same week that two players were suspended for carrying firearms to the locker room.
The Nike ad, which appears in several publications including Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine, has LeBron James(notes) on one page and Kobe Bryant(notes) on the other. Along with the slogan, “Prepare For Combat,” is a quote from each player showing how tough he is.
Bryant’s blurb says: “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games. I don’t leave anything in the chamber.”
The chamber in a gun is the compartment that holds the bullet before it is fired.
“The Nike print ad featuring Kobe Bryant was intended to illustrate his all out play and commitment on the basketball court,” Nike said in a statement. “It is a commonly used reference for shooting the basketball and no offense was intended.”
NBA commissioner David Stern was sensitive to the issue of gun violence, and the NBA criticized the ad.
“We had no prior notice of this ad,” spokesman Tim Frank said. “We think it is inappropriate.”
Gilbert Arenas(notes) and Javaris Crittenton(notes) were suspended for the remainder of the season on Wednesday by Stern for having guns in the Washington Wizards’ locker room.
Bryant agreed with the league’s stance on the advertisement.
“That ad was done months ago, prior to anything that came out,” Bryant said. “Obviously, we’re very sensitive toward that considering the current time and everything that happened since then. It’s definitely inappropriate. I advised my business partners of that.”
James defended Bryant, saying the words were taken out of context.
“That has nothing, zero, to do with guns,” James said, raising his voice at reporters. “At all. At all. Zero. That’s very simple. For somebody to even say that—that’s a basketball term. To try to highlight Kobe and say that he was referencing guns is totally ridiculous.”
James said such slang was common among his peers.
“We say a lot of things as basketball players that make a reference to guns and violence, but it’s really not guns and violence,” he said.
Stern said during a conference call Wednesday that he and players’ association executive director Billy Hunter would discuss a stronger gun policy than the one currently in the collective bargaining agreement, which prohibits players from having firearms on team property or business.
The wording under the photo of a shirtless James reads: “Opposing teams don’t realize I was a football player first. I can take those hits and give a few back too.”
Cleveland city officials rejected a proposal by Nike to erect a 10-story tall mural of a bare-chested James. Over his left shoulder would have been the words “Prepare for Combat,” topped by the Nike trademark swoosh. The city wanted the display to project a more positive tone and have a Cleveland reference.
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