When Zaza Pachulia got in Kevin Garnett's face, it just didn't seem right. Was a bench warmer really stepping to one of the best players in the league like that? But Pachulia did more than get in Garnett's face, and he wasn't alone either. On Monday night the Atlanta Hawks got in the heads of the Boston Celtics and changed the entire series.

The first round of the playoffs was supposed to be a wash for the Celtics. 66 wins, three All-Stars, one of the hottest young point guards in the league, and a Coach of the Year contender at the helm -- what more did they need? The Hawks only seemed to make it easier by coming in with 45 losses, an 0-3 record against the Celtics this season, and a coach who could be sent packing any minute. This series appeared destined for a sweep.

The Hawks were no fools. They knew what they were up against when they arrived in Boston last week. Sure Mike Bibby lashed out at the Celtics fans but deep down that was a cry for confidence, a shrouded attempt at relieving pressure from his teammates. It didn't work. Nothing worked. The Hawks headed back to Atlanta down 0-2 after losing each game by nearly 20 points.

The pressure was on the Hawks to squeeze out a win in front of their home crowd. Regardless of the outcome, it was just exciting to have postseason basketball back in Atlanta for the first time in nearly 10 years. The Hawks were enjoying the ride while the Celtics looked at each game as a stepping stone to a championship.

"We don't have anything to lose," Josh Smith told HOOPSWORLD prior to Game 1. "Everybody's counting us out. If you look on ESPN and different websites, they have us losing in four or five games. We have nothing to lose. We made it here, which is a big accomplishment for the team."

Just making the playoffs is one thing. Disrupting them is another. With two startling wins on their own court, the Hawks have quickly transformed this series from a romp into a battle. The team that was counted out is now counting their wins -- 2, to go right along with the Celtics.

When the Celtics lost Games 3 and 4 they also lost control. They stopped running their game and played Hawks basketball (which won the Hawks only 37 games this season). First they didn't play defense in Game 3. Then, after hours of watching film to prepare for Game 4, they rushed their shots, forgot to drive the lane, and spent the majority of the night playing chaotic basketball while they tried to catch up with the up-tempo Hawks squad. Now the pressure is mounting on the Celtics like the piles of streamers that fell from the ceiling of the Philips Arena.

The plane ride back to Boston will be a long one for the Cs. It will give them time to remember how they got to the playoffs in the first place. It wasn't by playing soft in the paint. It wasn't by losing their focus and getting T'ed up and fined. It wasn't by winning the game as individuals. And it wasn't by playing any other style of basketball than Celtics basketball.

The Hawks, on the other hand, will be riding adrenaline back to the Garden. As the Celtics face the very real possibility of their turnaround season coming to a screeching halt, the Hawks are basking in the limelight as potential spoilers.

"We're just going to go out there and have fun. That's the bottom line," Smith said. "If we go out there and have fun, I think everything will take care of itself."

The Celtics have to take care of things themselves in Game 5 on Wednesday night. After all, 66 wins mean nothing if they can't get more than two when it counts.

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