Hawks: Season highlights

Atlanta Hawks

Hawks: Season highlights

Take a photographic look at the Atlanta Hawks season highlights from the team's draft of Al Horford and Acie Law through their march to the NBA playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Despite calls for his termination, Hawks coach Mike Woodson held fast and steady. His Hawks are playoff-bound for the first time in nine-years.

The season got off to an impressive start, with Al Horford helping down the Dallas Mavericks in the Nov. 2 opener.

Joe Johnson developed into the team leader the Hawks had hoped for when they traded for him three years ago.

Al Horford showed Lamar Odom and the rest of the NBA that he was more man than rookie.

Whether taking the ball to the hole or bombing away from the outside, Josh Childress was steady during the season, averaging 11.8 points per game 4.9 rebounds.

Josh Smith matured into a versatile, stat box-stuffer. In a win over Philadelphia in February, Smith scored 19 points grabbed six rebounds, dished out nine assists, collected four steals and blocked an incredible nine shots.

Mario West became a source of energy off the bench for the Hawks. The Georgia Tech walk-on and Douglas County High School graduate has become a fan favorite.

Hawks star Josh Smith gave the shirt off his back to fans after a big mid-season win over the Lakers

(From left to right) Tyronn Lue , Salim Stoudamire, Speedy Claxton, Anthony Johnson and Acie Law IV were supposed to solidify the point guard position at the beginning of the season.

The February win over the Lakers was possibly the biggest win of the season for the Hawks, as Mario West acknowledged.

It wasn't until a mid-season trade that brought Mike Bibby to Atlanta from Sacramento that the point guard play improved significantly.

Rookie Mario West got popped with a rookie prank, when some unnamed veterans filled his and the other rookies cars with popcorn in February.

Al Horford, right, hugs Solomon Jones after the Hawks beat Miami in overtime on December 19. But this game wouldn't end at the final horn.

After Miami won an official protest, the two teams would meet again on March 8, to play the final 51.9 seconds of their Dec. 19, game. The game was protested by Miami coach Pat Riley on the basis that Shaquille O'Neal (a Heat player at the time) had not fouled out as originally thought. The Heat won the protest; the Hawks won the game. Again.

Marvin Williams played big down the stretch, including this drive against Knicks Jared Jeffries (20) and Wilson Chandler (21) in this late-March win.

General manager Billy Knight's tenure has had more ups than downs. But drafting Al Horford (left) and Acie Law in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft appears to have paid off.

Now, it's on to Boston, where the Hawks will have to deal with Glen "Big Baby" Davis and the top-seeded Celtics.

1/18

New uniforms, new logo and new results. The Hawks gave fans something to cheer about ... finally.

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