An hour before the tip, Ryan Waid was transcending the generations as he sipped a pre-game brew on a stair railing by Philips Arena.

He wore the electric 1960s blue and green jersey, the No. 44 Pete Maravich model, from an age when the Hawks were new in town and time was young. Passers-by looked hard at the shirt. Some gave a slow nod.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)

Tonya Abrams from Lithonia cheers on the Hawks. Game 6 against the Celtics brought out 20,425 fans, the largest in Philips Arena history.

MORE ON THE GAME Hawks force Game 7 Bench picks up steam Celtics tip their caps Bradley: History in making Fan Forum: Will Hawks score series upset? Game 7: Game time set • Hawks' Game 7 history • No. 8 vs. No. 1 upsets Notebook: Young Hawks had a feel for playoffs Photos: Game 6 Vent! About the Hawks BY THE NUMBERS Game 6 box score • Playoffs leaders: Teams • Player scoring RELATED STORIES Williams won't miss extended time with injury  Mike Bibby, Speedy Claxton to miss game  Acie Law takes advantage of playing time         More Hawks coverage

"Nobody's cared about the Hawks since the '80s. This is the most anyone's cared since then," said Waid, 29, who played his hoops at Campbell High in Smyrna. His father had passed The Pistol's history down through some old game tapes.

"Everybody just got interested. I did," he said. "It was on Monday night. I was watching them on my TV at home and I said, 'I'm going to the [next] game. Got my tickets online that night."

Much of Atlanta joined Waid with the same confession Friday night. They were aware that the Hawks, with Game 6 against Boston, had reached a moment of truth and yet an uncertainty remained over what it all meant. It felt like a big game. Wasn't it? The Hawks are good. Aren't they?

"Hey, these people are voting for their team," said Andre Thompkins, a 27-year-old from Riverdale. He said this was his fifth visit to the arena this season.

"They wouldn't be here if they didn't care," he said. "Good for them. I can guarantee you they wouldn't have been around a year or two ago."

So with the opening jump ball, the signs popped up all around the hall.

"Believe."

"Welcome to Atlanta. No Irish Luck Here."

"ATL. We know drama."

Do tell. But do they all know the players? Over in Team Gear II, the souvenir shop across from Portal 6, Minia Ware has watched all kinds of folks wander into her store with glazed eyes. The biggest sellers, she said, are the Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson jerseys. And, of course, the long-sleeve T-shirts on special. But some, they just need more help.

"Sometimes, people just come in and say, 'What should I buy?' " Ware said. "So I will give them my opinion and usually some other customers give their opinions."

That doesn't exactly happen in Boston, which to think of it was well represented as usual in the sold-out crowd. Green shirts dotted the souvenir Hawks white T-shirts that had been given to fans before the game. One guy had decorated his with green marker, reading "Kevin Garnett For President" on the front with an entire cabinet listed down the back.

Stationed in the CNN Center atrium, Duane Kelley stood out as green as he might. Celtics hat. Celtics shirt. Celtics pin. An Irish cross, it appears, round his neck. Green-and-white shoes. Not bad for a guy from Lithonia.

"Everybody talks a little trash, makes a little noise now and then," he said. "But they've been nice."

So far. Before moving to Atlanta at age 9, Kelley and his family lived in the Roxbury section in south Boston. His father took him to watch the great teams of the 1980s at Boston Garden. Kelley said he feels for the Hawks. But this is different. This is in the blood.

"I follow the Hawks when I'm not following the Celtics," he said. "I even said the Hawks were going to win two games. I like the team. But not tonight. They're going down tonight."

And isn't that what made Friday night worth the trouble? The locals trying to run with the team with the NBA's best record, when a loss would end the season?

"Look at all the people," Hawks fan Raleigh Webb said out on the concourse. "They're here because this is important. It's been so long since it was important around here. But here they are."

Coach Mike Woodson's remarks about the aspirations of his young team — "You guys think this team should be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and I don't see it that way. We've got some good pieces, but we're young." — was hardly a topic of conversation. When asked, some fans weren't aware of Woodson's comments.

Doug Cummings of Dunwoody was.

"Well, [Woodson] can say whatever he wants. He sees them every day," Cummings said. "But I've only seen them two or three times in past month. I like what I see. This isn't two or three years ago anymore."

For the last eight minutes, the crowd — 20,425, the largest in Philips history — stood throughout. When the Hawks lead went to four points with 10.6 seconds left, another sign went up: "Friendly Gesture" opposed by two hands holding up seven figures. Game 7.

Then it was over, the Hawks by three, streamers flowing from the ceiling, someone handed Zaza Pachulia a microphone for him to announce, "We love you. Woooooooo!"

In the second row behind the baseline, Deb and Tim Young sat, just taking it in as the hall slowly emptied. In the late 1980s, they had held season tickets but let them go when the team ebbed. Friday night, they said they'd be back.

"They're into the Celtics heads," Tim Young said. "Young legs against old legs. They're just one player away."

And, amazingly, just one game away too.