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Final Score: Boston 100 - Atlanta 103

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - In the playoffs for the first time since 1999, the Atlanta Hawks need one more win to take down the top-seeded Boston Celtics.

Joe Johnson scored eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, as the Hawks forced a deciding seventh game in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a dramatic 103-100 victory at Philips Arena.

"From day one I've told them that anything is possible in a seven-game series once you get into the playoffs," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "They believe that."

Game 7 will be Sunday afternoon in Boston, and the home team has won every contest thus far.

"We feel good at home all the time, that's why we fought all year to have it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Like I said after Game 5, we can't hang our hat on just being home."

To take the series, the Hawks will have to finally win a road playoff game. They've lost 10 straight such contests. The Hawks' last road victory in the postseason was on May 8, 1997 in Chicago during the East semifinals, which was won by the Bulls in five games.

"On the road it's been a little tough," Johnson said. "We tend to get our fate early. Game 7 everybody knows it's a very significant game, and we'll come out and we'll be ready."

The Hawks are trying to become the second eighth seed to knock off a No. 1 seed in a best-of-seven series. It happened last year when Golden State upset Dallas in the first round, clinching that set in six games.

"We're going back to Boston and we're going to be playing in a very hostile environment," Woodson said. "If we stick with our game plan and not dig a hole early we'll give ourselves a chance to win."

Marvin Williams had 18 points, but saw limited time in the second half because of a sprained left knee for the Hawks, while Mike Bibby added 17 in the win. Al Horford had 16 points, Josh Childress 15 and Josh Smith 11 for Atlanta.

Kevin Garnett scored 22 for the Celtics, who played without standout Paul Pierce in the latter part of the fourth quarter. Pierce fouled out with 4:44 left and totaled 17 points, three less than teammate Ray Allen.

The Hawks scored 10 straight points for a 96-89 lead, capped by a Childress driving layup. Pierce was whistled for a foul away from the play for grabbing Zaza Pachulia and was out of the game with 4:44 remaining.

Two free throws from Kendrick Perkins had Boston within 97-95 with 1:32 left, but Johnson then beat the shot clock buzzer on a dramatic three-pointer with 1:07 left, getting James Posey in the air before nailing the attempt. It was Atlanta's lone three-pointer made of the night.

Allen then missed a three-pointer, but Garnett got the offensive rebound and Posey drained a three from the right side with 48 seconds remaining.

Johnson failed on a shot in the lane and the Celtics got the ball and called timeout with 20.3 ticks left. However, Allen missed a three-point try from the right side and Johnson hit two free throws with 10.6 seconds to go.

Off a timeout, the Celtics got the ball to Garnett for a layup with 8.7 seconds left for a 102-100 difference.

Bibby missed the first free throw and then made the second with 7.4 seconds remaining.

The Celtics didn't have a timeout left, and Rajon Rondo took the last shot, a long three-point try that came up short at the buzzer.

The winner of this series will take on the Cavaliers in the second round. Cleveland finished off the Wizards in Game 6 on Friday, winning 105-88, at Washington.

The Celtics were rolling early on and scored the final seven of the first period for a 32-20 lead. Johnson and Sam Cassell were each given a technical foul for slightly pushing each other at the end of the quarter.

The tough physical play continued into the second with Pierce bowling over Smith, who was called for a foul with 5:26 left. A subsequent free throw moved Boston's lead to 39-32, but the Hawks rallied before halftime, closing the gap to 50-49 at the break thanks to a pair of free throws from Childress.

The Celtics moved ahead by as many as nine in the third, but Atlanta made a push at the end of the stanza. Bibby missed a jumper, but Childress came up with the tip-in at the buzzer to make it an 82-79 contest going into the fourth.

"Every loose ball they got and made shots after the loose ball," Rivers said. "I thought half of their scores came off a broken play, balls rolling on the floor. They pick it up and score."

A putback from Williams in the opening minute of the fourth finally put the Hawks in front at 83-82, but the Celtics pushed ahead 89-86 following a Posey three-pointer with 8:47 left.