A Series of Blowouts: Johnson leads Hawks past Wade's Heat in Game Seven

Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson celebrates after nailing one of his six three-pointers in a Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)" title="Johnson awakens to lead Hawks past Heat and into second round" width="317" height="512" />

Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson celebrates after nailing one of his six three-pointers in a Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

 

Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson was itching to get back on track. In the first six games of the series against the Miami Heat, the Hawks leading-scorer during the regular season was mediocre, struggling through double and even triple-teams for his measly offensive input. His fortunes changed in the second quarter of the deciding game in a series full of blowouts.

With Atlanta ahead by five, Johnson snapped out of his slump and began to heat up. On a fast-break, Johnson didn’t hesitate, stopping two feet behind the three-point line against a back-pedalling defense, and casually drained the jumper for his first points of the game. On the next possession, he took it a step further, literally.

This time, Miami’s star Dwayne Wade guarded him well beyond the line. Johnson, a good 29-feet away from the basket, picked up his dribble. Wade, clearly stunned by this, tried to recover and get a hand in his face. Evidently, Johnson’s range is endless, and Wade’s closing defense didn’t matter.

The unheralded All-Star canned the shot, sending the announcers, crowd, and myself into utter bewilderment. The shot-clock wasn’t an issue. Johnson was just in a zone. He took Wade’s contact, fell to the floor, then non-chalantly walked down the floor.

With continued help from Johnson, who hit six three-pointers in his 44 minutes, after making just four in the series previous six games, the Hawks controlled the tempo, frustrated Wade, and took advantage of his terrible supporting cast.

Wade scored 31 points to combat Johnson’s 27, but received just 47-combined points from his teammates. The Heat shot only 41 percent from the floor, made four of 19 three-point attempts, and committed 17 turnovers. Because they boasted these paltry statistics, they had no chance of staving off Atlanta and moving into the second round.

Wade’s a one-man show, which is why Miami struggled for offense, and now starts their summer vacation earlier than they expected.

The Hawks, on the other hand, had no trouble finding production. Josh Smith, like Johnson, returned to form. When Johnson wasn’t scoring, Smith was. He energized his team with a couple of thunderous dunks, and was aggressive, much to the delight of head coach Mike Woodson.

Woodson was displeased with Smith, a 23-year old 6'9", 240 lb. power forward, who settled for jump shots, which is not his strength. His strength is driving to the basket, using his talent and bulk to overpower the opposition. He did this by finally understanding where he belonged in the offensive set: in the post.

He spun around defenders repeatedly, scoring basket after basket to keep Atlanta’s double-digit lead intact. After scoring only seven points in Game Six, Smith accounted for 21 thanks to aggression he had previously lacked, as he made 7-of-8 free-throws and 7-of-12 shots from the field.

Despite the performances by Johnson and Smith, the Hawks shot worse than the Heat, making a dismal 40 percent of their field goals. Yet, by facing "The Wades," not much offensive firepower was needed aside from Johnson and Smith. Though Atlanta’s overall field goal percentage was abysmal, their three-point shooting allowed them to coast. Johnson’s barrage led the way, as the Hawks outscored the Heat by 21 in this category.

Every game in this series was a blowout. A resurrected Johnson made sure Atlanta would have the last laugh, and move onto the second round for the franchise’s first time in 11 years.