NBA Playoffs 2011: Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 4 Live Blog
Welcome to the live blog for Game 4 of the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks' first round playoff series.
Atlanta leads the series two games to one and has a chance to push the Magic, who were once considered favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season, to the brink of elimination.
The Hawks won Game 3 88-84 thanks to a huge three-pointer from Jamal Crawford with six second remaining. Crawford had 23 for the game.
Emotions ran high in the second half as Jason Richardson and Zaza Pachulia got into a scuffle that earned each a suspension for tonight's game.
Richardson was Orlando's second-leading scorer this season, averaging 14 points per game, while Pachulia averages four points and four rebounds in a reserve role for Atlanta. Clearly, this is a trade off that favors the Hawks.
The Magic will start Quentin Richardson, and it will be interesting to see if Stan Van Gundy turns to Gilbert Arenas to fill the void. Interestingly, Arenas seems to have fallen out of favor after not logging a single minute in Game 3, but he may get another opportunity tonight with J-Rich out.
I like Atlanta to win tonight. It has serious momentum after holding on late to take a 2-1 series edge and there seems to be a real disconnect in Orlando. Something hasn't been right all year long. If the Magic lose tonight, they are dead and buried.
Call it Hawks 94, Magic 89. Get out your shovels.
