There was a time when Philips Arena crackled with the type of energy the team is trying to generate for Game 3 of its playoff series against the Magic on Friday night.
Ray Allen still remembers.
Boston reporters asked the Celtics guard about the challenge of playing at New York on Friday night in his team’s first playoff game there since 2004. Instead, Allen recalled how the Celtics stumbled into an ambush at Philips Arena during the first round of the 2008 playoffs.
“In the last four years, the toughest environment we’ve played in, the most hostile, probably was Atlanta,” Allen said. “Not knowing what to expect going in there. The building hadn’t been packed throughout the course of the year we played there. They hadn’t been in the playoffs in a long time and when we stepped in there; they really rose to the occasion, and it was the loudest I’ve ever heard it from their fan base.”
The Hawks had sputtered into that postseason with a 37-45 record and were heavy underdogs against top-seeded Boston. But they won all three home games before losing Game 7 on the road.
The Hawks credit the home atmosphere for nearly spurring them to an upset of the eventual NBA champions.
“Electric,” Hawks center Al Horford said.
“Nuts,” said Hawks forward Marvin Williams, flashing a wide grin at the memory.
“You are talking about the champs, and [fans] made it very tough for those guys to play. I think we are excited to get back home and play in front of them.”
The Hawks hope the feeling will be mutual for their home opener in the best-of-seven series, which is tied 1-1. Philips Arena has more often been the scene of deflating playoffs defeats than stirring victories since that crescendo in 2008.
The Cavaliers dominated both games there while sweeping the Hawks in the second round in 2009. The Magic did the same last year, causing Hawks fans to boo the team and All-Star Joe Johnson, who further inflamed them by telling media the Hawks didn’t care if the fans showed up.
Home attendance declined for the second consecutive season in 2010-11. There were more big crowds for marquee opponents, but a high percentage of spectators cheered for the visitors.
It didn’t help that the Hawks suffered more blowout home losses than any winning team in NBA history, with three defeats by at least 30 points and three others by 20 or more. The Hawks’ home record slipped from 34-7 to 24-17 this season. Only the Knicks won fewer home games among playoff teams.
Horford said some players were disappointed by the small and split crowds because they felt fan support didn’t match the team’s success.
“You can blame it on a lot of different stuff,” Horford said, “but the bottom line is we didn’t come out and compete like we were supposed to.”
The Hawks’ spirited efforts in the opening two games of the series in Orlando might convince otherwise skeptical fans they will see the same Friday and in Game 4 on Sunday. Atlanta won Game 1 103-93 on Saturday and staged a comeback late in Game 2 before losing 88-82 on Tuesday.
Coach Larry Drew said the Hawks tend to play “just a bit better when there is more at stake,” which he acknowledges is “not a professional approach at all.”
“I hope that Orlando Magic team feels the brunt of our fans and the way the environment can be a little hostile and noisy and crazy and loud,” Drew said Thursday. “Our guys are going to show up tomorrow. They are going to play hard. I just hope the fans come out and support them.”
The Hawks said standing-room-only tickets are available for Game 3.
Orlando doesn’t usually have a strong following at Hawks games, nor is there usually a noticeably large contingent in support of Magic center and Atlanta native Dwight Howard. The Hawks are encouraging fans to wear white as part of its “Dwight Out” promotion.
“Fans definitely play a big part in victories at home and definitely determine the momentum of a game and how the team plays sometimes,” Hawks forward Josh Smith said. “We have got to be able to try to ride the tidal wave.”
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