Pachulia grabs 18 rebounds as Hawks even series with Heat

Zaza Pachulia had 12 points and 18 rebounds as Atlanta Hawks defeated Miami 81-71, tying the opening-round National Basketball Association playoff series at two games each.

Pachulia grabs 18 rebounds as Hawks even series with Heat

Zaza Pachulia had 12 points and 18 rebounds as Atlanta Hawks defeated Miami 81-71, tying the opening-round National Basketball Association playoff series at two games each.

Mike Bibby scored 15 points, Joe Johnson added 14 and Josh Smith 13 for the Hawks.

"Zaza was huge throughout the whole game," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "I mean, 18 rebounds, 12 points for us, and we needed all that tonight to survive."

Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, Jermaine O'Neal scored 20 points and James Jones added 19 for the Heat who shot 38 percent and never led.

Wade, who played through the pain of a back injury, shot nine-for-26 from the field.

It was Atlanta's first road playoff win in nearly 12 years, a stretch spanning 13 games.

The series shifts to Atlanta on Wednesday for game five, and all the Hawks need is to defend their home court twice to get a second-round shot against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"It's not over," Woodson said. "We've got to go home now. We survived this trip and we've got to go home and handle our business at home in game five."

Bibby ice the victory with a three-pointer with 4:57 left, giving the Hawks a 10-point lead.

Miami shot five-for-23 in the first 21 minutes, digging a 21-point hole. At one point, Miami nearly had as many fouls (15) as points (19), Wade had four airballs and the Heat were unraveling.

"I hope that everyone understands that this is the playoffs," Wade said. "This is how it's going to be. We've got to go up to Atlanta, in a hostile environment, and play the same way we've been playing."

Atlanta's lead was never smaller than three after halftime, and the Hawks led by as many as 13 points in the final quarter.

"This is the playoffs," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We just have to focus the next 48 hours on getting healthy, getting our minds right, getting prepared and going up there and getting a game."

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