Hawks turn it up in third to knock off Bucks, force Game 7

By Rick Braun, for NBA.com
Posted Friday April 30, 2010 11:22PM

MILWAUKEE (NBA.com exclusive) -- The Atlanta Hawks had had enough of "Fear the Deer" in their first-round playoff series.

In the third quarter of Game 6 Friday night they turned it into Smear the Deer.

The Hawks went on a game-busting 27-2 run that silenced Milwaukee's fans and broke the Bucks' spirit on their way to an 83-69 victory that evened their series at 3-3.

Game 7 is Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

Jamal Crawford led all scorers with 24 points, Joe Johnson added 22 and Al Horford had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks.

Carlos Delfino led the Bucks with 20 , but the Hawks clamped down hard on guards Brandon Jennings and John Salmons. Jennings missed his first six shots and settled for 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting, and Salmons had just eight on 2-for-13 shooting.

After the Bucks stunned the Hawks in Game 5 in Atlanta, Hawks coach Mike Woodson said his team would find what it was made of in Game 6.

The Hawks found a very positive answer.

"I'm very pleased," Woodson said. "I thought we competed again tonight. I'm not taking anything away from Milwaukee. They played hard and it was a hard-fought game for 48 minutes. But we got the spurt that we needed in that third quarter to give us a cushion and secure the win.

"But I thought from a defensive standpoint we were solid all the way through. Offensively we sputtered some, and you've got to give them credit for that because they defend as well. It was a hard-fought victory for us."

The Bucks led 34-31 at the half, and Carlos Delfino opened the third period with a layup to make it a five-point lead.

From there, the Bucks missed their next 11 shots and had four turnovers. Mike Bibby hit a 3-pointer and a 20-footer to start the Hawks on a 19-0 run.

After a Luke Ridnour ended Milwaukee's drought with a driving layup, Horford scored six in an eight-point spurt that made it a 27-2 run and 58-38 Atlanta lead.

It marked the return of a dominating inside defense and an offense that got out on the fast break that has been missing for the previous three games as the Hawks went from a 2-0 series lead to the brink.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles was asked before the game whether or not Game 6 might be the first time the pressure was on his team rather than the favored Hawks.

"It's possible our guys feel that way," Skiles said. "I hope not."

But the Bucks were tight from the start, even through the sellout crowd was intent on lifting them to a series victory on the 39th anniversary of the franchise's lone NBA championship.

Stackhouse's jumper with 42.6 seconds gave Milwaukee a 19-16 lead after the quarter. In the previous five games of the series, the team that won the first quarter won the game.

But that would not be the case this night, even though the Bucks still led at the half.

Milwaukee led by just a 34-31 score at the half, going just 13 for 36 (36.1percent). Atlanta was even worse at 13 for 40 (32.5 percent).

After Delfino opened the third period with a hoop, the Hawks went on their season-saving run.

"Even though we had a three-point lead at halftime, we were out of sorts from the opening tip," Skiles said. "We weren't as aggressive as we have been; we were just standing around and watching each other a little too much."

And if he thought it was bad in the first half, the second half was much worse.

"We came out and scored the first basket," Skiles said. "We were up five. But we were concerned as a staff, at halftime, just because when you're around each other you see looks on faces and see what's going on in the game, and guys weren't comfortable out there."

For the Hawks, it was a long-awaited return to their style of play.

"We proved everybody wrong," said forward Josh Smith, who had 10 points, nine rebounds and four of the Hawks' six blocked shots. "Everybody counted us out except for us in this locker room. We came together and talked to each other and everybody played defense collectively and we shared the ball. That's when we're at our best."

Now the Hawks need to carry that kind of play over to Sunday. They get that chance because they stood up on Friday.

"It feels good," said Crawford, who came back from a 4-for-18 showing in the Game 5 loss. "We've had adversity in different situations at different points in the season and we've always bounced back.

"But, honestly speaking, if we don't go home and handle business in Game 7, this win means nothing."

For the Bucks, a repeat of Wednesday night's huge road showing is the goal.

"We have to stick together," Stackhouse said. "There's going to be a lot of intensity. They feel like the ball is back in their court, but they thought the ball was back in their court in Game 5. You have to embrace it. You have to love it."