Boston Celtics 99, Atlanta Hawks 65: Boston Turns Garden Into Seventh Heaven

The Atlanta Hawks were confident after game six. They believed that they were on the verge of the biggest upset in NBA History. They felt it was their time to prove that this playoff berth was just the beginning.

Too bad they had to play the Celtics...in Boston.

Led by Paul Pierce's 22 points, the Celtics avoided catastrophe by sending the Hawks back to Atlanta with a 99-65 loss and elimination from this year's playoffs.

Along with his fellow Boston Three Party members, Pierce more than made up for the controversial finish to game six as the Hawks ran hard out of the gate and never looked back.

KG added more hype to his MVP status with 18 points and 11 rebounds.  Kendrick Perkins added a dix (French for 10) double (10 points, 10 rebounds) to lead Boston into the next round against King James and his band of merry men.

The Hawks obviously left that confidence back at Phillips because it was nowhere to be found after the first quarter.

The Hawks were down by 18 at the half, and the deficit doubled after three quarters. Joe Johnson's 16 points weren't enough to keep Atlanta in contention.

Add in the insanity known as the Bostonians, and the Celtics pretty much could have won game seven.  They could have won it without even breaking a sweat and having their entire starting lineup sitting down after the third quarter.

Up next for the Celtics are LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made Brendan Haywood cry like a little girl after game six.

This series looks to be a pretty good one considering the Cavs have at least a one day's rest over the Celtics.

Either way, this series should be just as entertaining at the Atlanta-Boston series. Tip off is this Thursday at 7 p.m. EST in Boston.