The Boston Celtics managed to pull within one point at two occasions in the fourth quarter, but both times the Atlanta Hawks were able to recover both times and the Celtics never managed to claim the lead. They trailed by four entering the final minute, and would end the night down by five.
The Knicks shot under 50% on the evening, with the Hawks not much better at just over 51%. That was enough, though, as Joe Johnson worked to keep his team in control the whole way, scoring 30 points in 30:41. Bradley Avery had a strong night in spite of the loss, totaling 28 points in just under 37 minutes played. Atlanta improves to 38-25 and has a three game win streak, while the Celtics drop to 37-27. If these two teams meet in the playoffs it's likely to be a different game, as Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo all sat the game out.
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