A different style of greatness

Around 10:45 p.m. on Monday night, I witnessed something great.

By great, I don't mean the kind of greatness that King James graces us with every time he steps on the court. Nor was it the kind that Reggie Miller brought back in the day at MSG, or the type that Orr displayed on the ice in the Garden. Hell, it doesn't even compare to the magic of Tiger taking a swing at Augusta National and then berating some helpless photographer.

But, it sure was sweet.

The Atlanta Hawks won consecutive playoff games.

Stop and think about that for a second. The Atlanta Hawks, the same franchise that had not been in the playoffs since the heydays of Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, and Dikembe Mutombo, won two postseason games in row - against your mighty Boston Celtics.

I know. I'm being a blatant homer in this column. I'm from the south. I like the Braves, the Hawks, and Michael Vick. I came to Boston and haven't become a Red Sox or Celtics fan. I still question the pervasive "Matt Ryan is god" theory that runs through Chestnut Hill. My closest athletic tie to this town is that Kevin Garnett played for one of my rival high schools.

But this day probably will never come again. If I were a betting man, I'd be an idiot to take the Hawks at +10 in any game against the Celtics. I'd encourage someone to file for insanity if they had the audacity to pick the Hawks to win this series. But who cares at this point? This may be as good as it gets for an Atlanta fan.

The Braves are spiraling downward. John Smoltz is so hurt that he may be forced to return to the bullpen. Mike Hampton just re-injured himself in his AAA rehabilitation start. Meanwhile, Vick ponders life in federal prison.

But kids like Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams have re-energized my faith in professional sports. Much like Golden State last season, the Hawks are a bunch of athletes trying to win a team game. Maybe it will work for a series. Probably not, but it's sure fun to watch. Players like Smith and Horford make the NBA entertaining. The Hawks are the ultimate run-and-gun team in the NBA. They're a bunch of college stars who dominated the ACC, but can't quite figure it out in the league.

Which brings me another thought: what more can be said about the emergence of Joe Johnson. He's become the poor man's LBJ. He commands double-teams, can drive, and passes well. On Monday night, he put up a Kobe-like 35 points and six assists. He's good. To beat, I won a bet with a friend of mine last weekend when he said that Johnson had never been an All-Star. Courtesy of three points as a reserve this year (and as a replacement in 2007), I won a paltry $10.

Finally, the thing that makes this series so great is that no matter what happens, it's going to be memorable. Maybe it won't be quite like Bird vs. Dominique in 1988, but pro basketball in Boston and Atlanta is back. The Celtics are the league's best team, and have a great shot at winning the championship. The Hawks actually have more than 200 fans showing up at games nowadays. The talent and emotion is back. Look no further than the whole Zaza Pachulia-KG incident on Monday. Pachulia may have looked like a fool in the process, but his teammates and fans appreciated his willingness to get in Garnett's grill. And in the end, isn't that what matters? It's all about appreciation, whether it comes through a championship, a knockout, or even a simple playoff win.