Crawford the closer gives Hawks win over Suns at the buzzer

By Matt Winkeljohn, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 16, 2010 12:36AM

ATLANTA (NBA.com exclusive) -- It can now be said that there is a bit of Babe Ruth in Jamal Crawford.

The Hawks' reserve guard called his game-winning shot Friday, and made good on his word with a 28-foot buzzer-beating dagger through the hearts of the Suns for a 102-101 win the Hawks and their raucous fans will not soon forget.

Crawford scored 5 points in the final 3.5 seconds to steal a game that was literally in the hands of the Suns soon after they took a 100-96 lead on two Steve Nash free throws with 10 seconds left .

"Usually, you want to go for two at home, and the win on the road [when trailing by two at the end of a game], but we were going for the win," said Crawford, who scored 21 points to extend a torrid streak of late-game fireworks. "I told coach if you get it to me, I'll make it."

Crawford scored 14 points in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's win Wednesday over the Wizards, 17 over the final quarter-plus of Monday's win at Boston, and 14 in the fourth quarter of a win over the Celtics Jan. 8.

He scored nine points in the final period Friday, but it wasn't as simple as him saying he wanted the ball.

Not long ago, everybody in the gym knew that in a situation like the one the Hawks were in the ball would end up in Joe Johnson's hands.

The Hawks, though, have two sets of hands they trust in do-or-die moments.

"It was either Jamal or Joe, and [in-bounder Mike] Bibby asked me before he walked out, and I said, 'If Jamal's open first coming off, give it to him,' because I knew they were going to play Joe," Woodson said.

The Suns, who lost for the third time in their past four games as Atlanta won its third straight and for the fifth time in six games, appeared to be in control.

Amar'e Stoudemire had 28 points and 14 rebounds and Grant Hill 21 in a game the Suns led 55-50 at halftime.

Even after the Hawks dominated most of the third quarter when Al Horford scored nine of his 24 and Josh Smith grabbed six of his 15 rebounds (to go with 20 points), Phoenix wrestled control back from Atlanta after trailing 73-66 with 4:30 left in the third.

Phoenix led by as many as seven on a Hill free throw with 3:53 left in the game, and 100-96 when Nash made his 30th and 31st consecutive free throws dating back over several games.

The clock read 0:10, and Woodson called timeout.

Bibby missed a 3-point shot moments later, and Smith was fouled by the Suns' Jared Dudley with 6.0 seconds remaining.

Smith made the first to pull Atlanta within 100-97. He then missed the second, and Woodson said he didn't do that on purpose.

Here's where the game fell into -- and out of -- the Suns' hands.

The ball kicked back toward Smith and into the lane.

Stoudemire, Hill and Nash all went for it, and may have all touched it.

Problem was they bumped it back toward the goal, where Crawford had snaked around everyone.

He laid it up with 3.5 seconds left, eschewing the opportunity to try to work back out for what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer. "Everything has to go right in those situations," Woodson said. "Smoove was trying to make the free throw . . . and the ball just dropped right to Jamal. It gave us a chance to set our defense to foul."

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry called timeout, and after that the Suns inbounded to Stoudemire, Crawford immediately fouled him. The clock read 3.0.

If the 75.3 percent free throw shooter was going to miss one of two free throws, it would've benefited the Suns if he missed the second to chew more time off the clock.

But Stoudemire -- who made 10 of 14 free throws in Philips Arena -- missed the first, and made the second.

Woodson called timeout and called two plays, or one inbounds with two options -- Johnson, who scored 19, or Crawford.

"We kind of milked that 40 seconds as best we could have milked it in terms of fouling when we needed to foul, so I was able to have my last [timeout]," the Atlanta coach said.

Standing in front of the Atlanta bench, Bibby surveyed as Crawford curled open high. He caught the pass perhaps 36 feet from the basket, and with Dudley about eight feet back he power-dribbled hard toward the goal to create and ensure space. Then, he pulled up and let fly.

"I wanted to . . . get them backing up," Crawford said. "It felt good. It felt really good, I can't lie."

As the ball settled through the net with no time left, the Suns hung their heads.

"That's what Crawford does," Gentry said. "This is just really tough to swallow."

Hill said, "It's a tough loss for us because we know we played well."

Woodson was almost speechless for a few moments when he stood before reporters.

"We haven't had a big game like that, a buzzer beater . . . I think since I've been here," said the sixth-year Atlanta coach. "It was a miracle shot. "

Horford summarized: "It's not over until it's over. I'm now a believer in that. In the time-out, Jamal said, 'I want the ball,' and he took it to them."

NOTE: With Orlando's loss late Friday night in Portland, the Hawks took over first place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. At 26-13, Atlanta leads Orlando (26-14) by half a game in the standings.

• Suns: Griffin
• Hawks: Pachulia

• Suns: --
• Hawks: Woodson

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #68 Marat Kogut, #71 Rodney Mott
• Attendance: 17605
• Duration: 2:44