Humbled Hawks need more ‘urgency’

Miami —- Heads have been dipped. Voices have been lowered.

The excitement and bravado that accompanied the Hawks’ 26-point win in their series opener against the Miami Heat has been replaced by whispers and uncertainty with today’s vital Game 4 hours away.

Back-to-back humbling defeats will do that to a team, particularly an emotionally fragile one like the Hawks, who are now playing for their playoff lives every remaining second of this series.

“We’ve got to play with a sense of urgency,” Hawks captain Joe Johnson said after practice Sunday, echoing what he and his teammates talked about before and after Saturday’s 107-78 loss. “Knowing what’s at stake, we’ve got to do whatever it takes not to go back home down 3-1.”

The Hawks are in need of more than just a confidence boost against the Heat, who own a 2-1 lead and the home-court advantage they snatched away with a Game 2 win in Atlanta. The Hawks have to find themselves after falling apart in two consecutive games against a Heat team they demolished in Game 1.

“It’s a little different when you’re expected to win and then you come out and have two letdown games like we’ve had,” Johnson said. “We just haven’t been competing and haven’t been playing at the level we’re capable of playing.”

Johnson’s struggles in this series have coincided with the Hawks’ struggles. Through three games, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 4.0 turnovers and 1.7 assists while shooting .370 from the floor, .250 on 3-pointers and an uncharacteristic .455 from the free throw line.

“We have to get our mental approach together,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “I saw a bunch of head-hanging [Saturday night], both during the game and after the game. We’re down 2-1, but if we win [tonight], the series shifts back our way.

“It’s a long series still. I don’t want our guys feeling like they don’t have a shot at getting to the next round. It takes four [wins] to get to the next round. And if you’ve experienced any kind of playoff basketball, you know anything can happen in a playoff series.”

Johnson and point guard Mike Bibby came back to the court Sunday long after the Hawks had wrapped up their practice and film session. They spent another 30 minutes shooting. They’re searching for any edge that will help turn things around.

But for a team that has lost its past five road playoff games, including four last year in Boston, there are no easy answers.

“We’ve just got to pick up our intensity,” Hawks center Al Horford said before reconsidering. “We’ve got to do a lot of things.

“But it all stems from our effort. We have to play hard as a unit. That’s the key for us.”

HAWKS PLAYOFFS

Heat lead series 2-1

Game 1: Hawks 90, Heat 64

Game 2: Heat 108, Hawks 93

Game 3: Heat 107, Hawks 78

Game 4 at Miami: 8 p.m. today; TNT, FSSO

Game 5 at Atlanta: 8 p.m. Wednesday; TNT, FSSO

Game 6 at Miami*: TBA Friday; FSSO

Game 7 at Atlanta*: TBA Sunday; FSSO *If necessary