Boston — The Hawks found out the hard way about the defensive prowess of Boston, in their Game 1 loss Sunday. The Celtics smothered the Hawks all over the floor in the half court in the opener of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

"It wasn't anything they did specifically," said Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson, who struggled through a 7-for-22 shooting performance. "We were settling for a lot of jump shots when we should have been driving. I mean, [Kevin Garnett] had three fouls and we never put pressure on them. We settled for a lot of jump shots and it hurt us."

The Celtics trapped Johnson the entire game, forcing him into quick decisions that often resulted in rushed shots and tough passes.

"I remember him getting triple-teamed one play," Josh Smith said. "They are trying to force everyone else to make shots and we've really got to be able to take that pressure off of Joe, so when he passes the ball we knock down those shots and make them play us straight up."

Rookie monster

His performance didn't make it in time for the Rookie of the Year campaign, but Hawks center Al Horford impressed Sunday.

Horford became just the 24th rookie in NBA history to put up at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in his playoff debut,. He was the first since Chicago's Andres Nocioni did it on April 24, 2005.

Horford is the first Hawks' rookie to accomplish that feat. "We've been watching him do this all year," Marvin Williams said. "He didn't do anything [Sunday] night that he hasn't already done. He's not a normal rookie by any stretch."

Sixth man

Hawks reserve swingman Josh Childress finished seventh in the voting for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award, won by San Antonio swingman Manu Ginobili.

Childress received 23 votes, an accomplishment for a player who rarely receives national TV exposure.

"I think there's a pretty healthy respect around this league for what Chils brings to our team," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "He's been the best player off our bench the past few years and will only continue to get better."

Expert opinion

At least one expert has already weighed in on the Hawks' present state and perhaps their future.

TNT analyst Charles Barkley was pointed in his criticism of the Hawks after Sunday's loss, zeroing in on a perceived lack of leadership as well as their flawed style.

"Obviously the Celtics are the better team, but the Atlanta Hawks are one of the more athletic teams in this league," Barkley said. "They really struggle in the half-court set and they really don't have a go-to guy. Not just this year, but also for the future, they have to play at a much faster pace."

Tickets still available

Tickets for the Hawks' home playoff games are still available, according to Atlanta Spirit Chief Marketing Officer Lou DePaoli.

The Hawks have yet to sell out Games 3 and 4 at Philips Arena on Saturday and Monday. It's the team's first trip to the NBA playoffs in nine years.