• The Hawks used a suffocating defense to knock off Miami, 91-78, in Game 7 of their First Round Playoff Series.
• Atlanta held the Heat to 52 points through 3 quarters, building a 16-point lead (68-52)...The Hawks also forced 19 turnovers (leading to 28 points) for the game.
• The Hawks turned the ball over 9 times (leading to 11 Heat points).
• Three-point shooting played a huge role in the win as Atlanta hit 11-23 (.478) from long range, while the Heat managed 4-19 (.211).
• Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 27 points on 10-19 FGs, 6-8 3FGs and 1-2 FTs ... He also had 5 steals, 5 boards and 4 assists.
• Josh Smith tallied 21 points and team-high 9 rebounds ... Mike Bibby had 11 points and game-high 6 assists... Flip Murray added 15 points off the bench.
• Dwyane Wade paced the Heat with 31 points ... Udonis Haslem had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and rookie Michael Beasley added 17 points.
• Atlanta moves on to face Cleveland ... Game One is set for Tuesday (8 p.m., TNT, 790 The Zone).

1. Coming into tonight, the Hawks were 0-6 in their last six Game 7s. This might surprise you to hear, but I was unbelievably nervous last night, so much so that I found myself lying in bed last night at 3:00 a.m. wide awake and wondering how the Hawks were going to defend Wade on pick-and-rolls. Turns out I didn't need to need to worry so much. In a series where the Hawks have either come out in full force or not come out at all, today the Hawks came out in full force. They moved the ball well on offense, and they played terrific defense all day, holding Miami to just 52 points through 3 quarters.

2. While pretty much everyone on the Hawks played well, I can't say enough about the play of two guys: Joe Johnson and Zaza Pachulia. In the second quarter, when the game was close, Zaza's hustle and spirit, and Joe's outside shooting, pushed the Hawks to a 29-18 advantage in the quarter and gave the Hawks a lead that proved to be insurmountable. (Also, Flip Murray had a +35 plus-minus rating with 7 min to go in the fourth.)

3. Finally, as a Hawks fan, I'd just like to take a second to say thank you to the Hawks. Considering we haven't won a 7-game series in 38 years and haven't been to the second round of the playoffs in a decade, it hasn't always been easy cheering for the Hawks. I've been there, you've been there, we all know what's it like. Making it to the second round isn't the be-all or end-all for our franchise, but it's a huge, huge step. We've still got a long way to go, but it feels great knowing we're moving the right direction..