Before Saturday night, Boston had beaten Atlanta in all five head-to-head meetings this year. Even worse, the Celtics had won all five games – three during the regular season, in addition to Games 1 and 2 in Beantown – by double-digit margins.

With the exception of rookie Al Horford, the Hawks put up zero resistance in the first two meetings of this best-of-seven series. Josh Smith made only 6-of-23 shots from the field, while All-Star guard Joe Johnson was 11-of-32 from the floor.

Atlanta rookie center Al Horford had 17 points and 14 rebounds in Game 3. (GETTY Images)

Doc Rivers’s team won 104-81 and 96-77, comfortably taking the cash in both double-digit ‘chalk’ situations. This series looked over. The Celtics were coming to Atlanta with their brooms in hand.

But then Saturday happened. The Hawks were hosting their first home playoff game since May of 1999, when they lost to the Knicks at the Georgia Dome while Philips Arena was still under construction.

There was speculation that Game 3 wouldn’t even sell out, yet a raucous, sold-out contingent did show up. And it mattered.

“Coming out of the tunnel, I haven’t seen a crowd that electric since I’ve been here,” Johnson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Smith had plenty to do with that. He dunked three times in the first five minutes of the game, including a jaw-dropping flush on an alley-oop pass from halfcourt by Mike Bibby that gave Atlanta its first lead of the game at 14-13.

Speaking of Bibby, who was absolutely dominated by Rajon Rondo in Games 1 and 2, he responded with an outstanding effort. The veteran point guard, who was acquired at the All-Star break in a trade with Sacramento, had just two total assists in Boston, but he dished out eight compared to just two turnovers in Game 3.

Smith played out of his mind, producing 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Johnson drained 5-of-8 shots from 3-point land, finishing with 23 points, six assists and zero turnovers.

What about Horford? Well, he scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out six assists. But that outstanding stat line doesn’t do justice to what the two-time national champion brought to the table.

As previously mentioned, Horford was the only Hawk that showed up in Boston with playoff intensity. Rookie jitters for his playoff debut? Please, he scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Game 1.

After the Game 2 loss, you would think head coach Mike Woodson would come up with some sort of motivational ploy for his squad. Or maybe Bibby or Johnson – both of whom enjoyed post-season success during their years with the Kings and Suns, respectively – would call a team meeting and express some veteran views.

Advertisement

No need, Horford had all that taken care of. He reached back into his Gatorness, calling the UF basketball office and requesting the Gators’ video man send a DVD overnight.

The video was from the documentary “When We Were Kings,” the story of the 1974 fight in Zaire between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Billy Donovan had his team watch it Horford’s freshman season before thumping Kentucky in the SEC Tournament finals.

Horford asked the team to watch it after Saturday morning’s shoot-around. And it worked – again. Atlanta won a 102-93 decision as an 8 ½-point underdog, hooking up money-line backers with a plus 350 payout (risk $100 to win $350).

Back in ’74, the people of Zaire chanted “Ali-Boom-a-yay” (the native slang for kick his [rear]) when The Greatest upset Foreman using the rope-a-dope. In Atlanta in ’08, the Hawks fans should’ve been chanting “Big-Al-Boom-a-yay.”

This space has spent plenty of time taking Woodson to task on a regular basis and we stand by each and every one of those remarks. But with that said, we won’t hesitate to offer props on a brilliant adjustment he made early in the second half of Game 3.

All year long, Atlanta’s offense has gone through Johnson. The Hawks want to push the ball and get buckets in transition, but when they go into half-court sets, rarely is a played called for anyone but Johnson, with the occasional exception of Smith and Marvin Williams.

In other words, Horford never has plays called for him. He gets his touches off of pick-and-roll plays and by crashing the offensive glass.

I bring this up because the Celtics made a nice run late in the second quarter to even the score at 56-56 at intermission. In short, the Hawks’ season was on the line in the early stages of the third quarter.

Woodson still wanted the Hawks to push the ball and create a frenetic pace, but when fast-break opportunities weren’t there, he started calling plays for Horford.

Again. Again. And again.

For the most part, every half-court play started with Bibby or Johnson feeding Horford in the low post.

A telling sequence came midway through the third quarter when Boston took its last lead of the game on a pair of free throws by Kevin Garnett. While at the charity stripe, Garnett and Horford were blatantly jawing back and forth.

On the next trip down for Atlanta, Horford scored on a baby hook over KG. Then he (Big Al) told him (KG) about it. And the Hawks never trailed again.

Moments later, KG grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Kendrick Perkins for what appeared to be an easy dunk. However, Josh Childress came from out of nowhere and rejected Perkins’ attempt.

Smith recovered the loose ball and passed to Johnson. Then Smith ran out to fill the lane and Johnson dished a cross-court pass back to Smith, who caught the ball beyond the free-throw line extended and then took two steps before elevating.

For fans in rows 10-15, Smith might have been at eye level. For the rim, Smith was still at eye level when he got there to throw down one of the nastiest dunks you’ll ever see.

This was 1988 all over again. Smith was Dominique, sending the crowd into a frenzy with his high-flying antics. The Hawks were the Hawks, bouncing back from two losses in Boston to hold serve at home.

Let’s get back to the Horford factor in the third quarter. After Smith gave Atlanta a 71-68 advantage with his thunderous jam, Horford scored on a power move for a five-point lead. The next trip, Horford started to make a back-to-the-basket move, only to spot a cutting Johnson, whose catch and shoot from the corner drew nothing by nylon.

Two possessions later, Horford drained a jumper. Then Smith buried a 3-ball and for all intents and purposes, this game was over. The lead ballooned to as much as 15 before the final horn sounded.

Now gamblers face an interesting situation for Game 3 on Monday night. Are the Hawks a no-brainer play catching another huge number (nine at most books as of Sunday evening) at home? On the flip side, does Atlanta have Boston’s full attention now? Does that mean the Celtics give a determined effort and eventually win by double digits?

Most spots have the total at 190. The Hawks are plus 350 to win outright.

TNT will provide television coverage at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Things got testy late in Game 3. After Horford buried another jumper in the final minute, he taunted Paul Pierce, who had fallen to the floor after colliding with Horford on a loose-ball scramble. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called the move “stupid” by Horford, as did the announcers on ESPN’s live call of the game.

--When asked if the incident would have Pierce especially fired up for Game 4, Horford told the AJC, “He don’t need me to fire him up. It’s emotional out there. I made a big shot, and I let him know how I feel.”

--Garnett did have 32 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3. He cashed tickets for head-to-head prop bets with Horford in which KG was a 5 ½-point favorite in terms of points and rebounds for the two players. KG’s 42 (pts.+boards) beat out Big Al’s 31.

--Boston back-up point guard Sam Cassell is the only player on either team that has won an NBA championship, garnering a pair of rings in his first two seasons in the league with Houston. Cassell, who was a huge offensive spark off the bench in Games 1 and 2, scored just two points on 1-of-4 shooting in 16 minutes of action during Game 3.

--Bibby and Smith logged a game-high 44 minutes apiece, while KG and Ray Allen played 42 and 41 minutes, respectively.

Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.