AJC: Hawks Squawks: Hawks 100, Celtics 91

[Hawksquawk]

Celtics put out a hit on J.C. so he hit 'em first (Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com)

– Good, tough win for the Hawks. The Celtics were mad. The Hawks were ready. Philips (fourth sellout) was hyped.

– The tone was set before the game when Celtics center Kendrick Perkins called out Jamal Crawford: “We put a hit out on him today. Doc said somebody‘s got to step up and stop him.”

– “He owns us,” Rivers told his team.

– He still does. Crawford scored 28 points, including 18 in the first half, while dancing through the Celtics defense. He even had a 45-footer to end the first quarter and then uncharacteristically showed some real swag.

– Rivers said the Celtics had to “make (Crawford) score different ways,” and so he did. He went right at the Celtics despite the “hit” put out on him. He was 7 of 7 on free throws.

– Crawford heard about Perkins’ comments just before the Hawks took the floor. He got the word to his teammates. “I was kind of fired up, but I wasn't too worried …

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