CHICAGO � The Atlanta Hawks, who came limping into the playoffs, have a little swagger now.
By Nam Y. Huh, AP
The Hawks' Joe Johnson, right, drives around the Bulls' Ronnie Brewer during the second quarter of Game 1 in Chicago. Led by Johnson's 34 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 on three-pointers, Atlanta won 103-95.
By Nam Y. Huh, AP
The Hawks' Joe Johnson, right, drives around the Bulls' Ronnie Brewer during the second quarter of Game 1 in Chicago. Led by Johnson's 34 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 on three-pointers, Atlanta won 103-95.
The No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference followed their upset of the Orlando Magic in the first round with a stunner Monday, defeating the top-seeded Chicago Bulls 103-95 in Game 1 of their series.
Game 2 is Wednesday in Chicago.
Joe Johnson, a target of the Bulls in free agency last summer, and Jamal Crawford, who spent his first four NBA seasons in Chicago, combined for 56 points as the Hawks withstood a third-quarter Bulls rally to pull away in the final 10 minutes.
"I thought we came here on a mission," said Crawford, who finished with 22 points, including a clutch three-point shot with 1� minutes left. "We didn't end the season well, but we've been playing well in the playoffs. I think we're playing our best ball at the right time."
For a moment at the final buzzer it appeared the loss was the least of Chicago's problems.
Derrick Rose, who is expected to be named NBA Most Valuable Player this week, injured his left ankle and was assisted off court by teammates and a trainer.
"It's fine," Rose said, limping slightly as he walked from his locker. "I twisted my ankle a little bit. I should be fine if I get treatment the way I'm supposed to."
For the Hawks, it was quite a turnaround from the last time the teams played, when the Bulls got ahead by 47 points and ended with a 114-81 win March 22 at Atlanta.
Johnson, who exploded for 34 points, including 5-for-5 from three-point range, said he thinks the Hawks were underestimated entering the playoffs.
"But we're a confident group. As long we got each other's back in that locker room, that's all that matters," Johnson said. "We could care less what they say about us."
Unsung hero for the Hawks was point guard Jeff Teague, who received the game ball from coach Larry Drew for his defense on Rose and direction of the offense in place of injured starter Kirk Hinrich.
"Jeff was absolutely phenomenal. He played like a seasoned vet. ? He played like a kid that has been playing a lot of minutes for me," Drew said of the second-year guard, who had only seven starts during the season and averaged only 14 minutes and 5.2 points.
Monday, Teague played 45 minutes and scored 10 points.
Rose was held to five points in the first half on 2-for-10 shooting but got untracked in the second half, as has been his custom in the playoffs. He finished with 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting but did not get to the foul line. He averaged 12 free throws in the first-round series against the Pacers.
"It was huge. We had only 16 free throws, and Derrick had none," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We have to attack more."
The Bulls started slowly, as they had in four of their five games against the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
This time, the Hawks jumped to a 9-0 lead and led by as many as 11 early in the second quarter. Chicago closed to within a point at halftime and jumped to a six-point lead in the third quarter. But Johnson and Crawford didn't let the Hawks wilt.
"I just know that we played against a team that was very hungry and a team that has a lot talent, a lot of offensive firepower," Bulls forward Joakim Noah said. "Disappointing, but there's a lot of basketball to be played. It's not the end of the world."
The atmosphere was supercharged at tipoff. Popular tenor Jim Cornelison, who brings the crowd to fever-pitch at NHL Blackhawks games, sang the National Anthem in an emotional ceremony the day after U.S. special forces killed Osama bin Laden.
Fans here at United Center and at Staples Center for the Dallas Mavericks-Los Angeles Lakers game late Monday were the first to see enhanced security changes as they arrived. Wanding and checks of purses and bags usually occurs in the later rounds of the playoffs. The death of bin Laden just moved that up.
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