Hawks coach Mike Woodson carted both Josh Smith and Josh Childress to Detroit for the NBA Finals after their rookie seasons hoping the sight of intense, playoff basketball would stir in them similar ambitions to reach the NBA's grandest stage.

Hours before the Hawks' Game 6 showdown with Boston at Philips Arena on Friday night, Woodson recalled that 2005 trip and the three years of playoff pursuit that followed, with Smith and Childress the only roster holdovers from that 13-69 season.

"It was the Spurs and the Pistons," Woodson said of that trip, "and just the atmosphere that was presented to them, they couldn't believe the level of play and excitement that goes on in those games. And here they are now playing their first playoff round against the best team in basketball."

Smith said it was hard to see the path to the playoffs during those first two tumultuous seasons, when the Hawks won 39 games total and were no closer to the postseason than those prime, courtside seats Woodson was able to secure.

The Hawks won 37 games this season and barely made the playoff field. And they were blown out in the first two games of this series in Boston. Home victories in Games 3 and 4, however, rekindled some of the memories that Smith and Childress had from that trip.

"We were so young then, but we had an idea even then that this is what things could be like if we could get it all turned around here," Smith said. "I know it hasn't always been pretty, but we've been working to get to this point from the first day we got here. And it's special for all of us, not just for me and Josh because we've been here longer than some of these other guys."

So special, in fact, that many of the teammates Smith and Childress have played with during their four NBA seasons showed up at one or both of the previous home games in this series to show their support.

"Al [Harrington], Royal [Ivey], Anthony Johnson and [Kevin] Willis were all in here," Smith said. "A lot of other guys called or [text messaged] to tell us they were proud of us, happy for us and would be watching. That means a lot because they know how tough the road was for us to get here.

"I won't lie to you, when we made the playoffs, it felt like we were doing it for all those guys, too. Every person who came through that locker room that past four years has a something to do with what we did this season."

Do you believe?

There were two yellow T-shirts with "We Believe" emblazoned across the chest hanging in empty locker stalls in the Hawks locker room before the game.

Childress said he was told they were Inspirational gifts from someone in Oakland, Calif., home of the last No. 8 seed (Golden State) to upset a No. 1 seed (Dallas) in the first round of the playoffs (last season).

"I don't know who got 'em here," Childress said. "But that's a good look."

The Warriors, who missed the Western Conference playoff field this season, will continue to serve as the patron saints of playoff underdogs until another team pulls off the feat.

Shock the world

The Hawks had T-shirts of their own working Friday night, too, 20,000 of them to be exact.

A white-out was planned for Game 6, with Philips sponsoring 20,000 T-shirts with "Shock the World" splashed across them and waiting for fans on their seats when they entered the building.

Double techs

Continuing a shoving match that began in the second quarter of Game 4, Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson and Celtics reserve point guard Sam Cassell were both hit with technical fouls at the end of the first quarter by referee Joey Crawford.

Johnson missed a layup attempt at the buzzer and got tangled up with both Cassell and Leon Powe. Elbows were exchanged, and Crawford took care of the rest.