ATLANTA — Joe Johnson was tired of all the double- and triple-teaming. So he put up a shot before Miami could get an extra defender on him.
From about 30 feet away. Swish.
After a mostly disappointing series, Johnson showed up when the Hawks needed him most, making six 3-pointers and scoring 27 points Sunday to lead Atlanta into the second round of the playoffs with a 91-78 victory over the Heat in Game 7.
Atlanta got past the first round for the first time since 1999.
Its reward? A matchup with Le-Bron James and the top-seeded Cavaliers, beginning Tuesday in Cleveland.
Johnson, the Hawks’ leading scorer during the regular season, was held to fewer than 20 points in five of the first six games by the Heat. It looked like more of the same when he missed his first five shots of the decisive game.
Then, suddenly, he found his range. First, a 3-pointer from just outside the line. Then, on Atlanta’s next possession, he pulled up near the tip of the winged logo at center court — a good 7 to 8 feet short of the arc — and launched another one. Nothing but net, even after he got a bit of a hip check from a startled Dwyane Wade, who looked off toward the stands in disbelief after the ball went through.
“I was just trying to be more aggressive,” Johnson said. “I haven’t put up a 3 that long in a while. I said, ‘Forget it’ and just launched it.”
He finished 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, leading the Hawks to the final blowout in a series that was totally devoid of any drama. Every game was decided by at least 10 points.
“When Joe is hitting 40-foot 3s,” Wade said, “it’s one of those nights.”
After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with Atlanta ahead 20-18, the Hawks pulled out to a 49-36 lead by halftime. They might as well have started the celebration right then. There were only 15 lead changes in seven games — not one after the opening period.
Cleveland vs. Atlanta
Game 1: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Cleveland, TNT
No. 1 Cavaliers: 66-16, first in the Central Division
No. 4 Hawks: 47-35, second in the Southeast Division
Hungriest player.
His smiling face could be slapped on every advertisement on the planet, but if Cavaliers star LeBron James doesn’t win an NBA title, he knows his legacy won’t be complete. In the weak East, this could be his best shot.
Factoid.
The Cavaliers have lost only one game at home all season, and James didn’t play that night.
Bottom line.
Cavaliers: Guard Mo Williams must make smart decisions with the ball, feeding James but also keeping other teammates involved. Hawks: Defensively they must try to rattle the Cavaliers, who have an assists margin of plus-4.5 in the playoffs.
* The Post’s pick: Cavaliers in four
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
