Ivan Johnson's first NBA season ended with the Boston Celtics beating the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, but he'll be remembered for more./AP Photo

Ivan Johnson is out.

So is Mike James. Include Blake Ahearn as well.

The three former Erie BayHawks are on NBA teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs. Last night, the Boston Celtics escaped the Atlanta Hawks, 83-80, to win Game 6 and the series, 4-2.

Johnson has been with the Hawks all season. Not playing in Game 6, Johnson gave a fan the middle finger as he left the TD Garden court in Boston.

There were better ways for him to end the season.  After having a great year with Erie in 2010-11, Johnson, for the most part, took advantage of his first NBA season, but didn’t end it graciously.

Before the Celtics eliminated the Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled out a miraculous 79-78 win in which Andre Iguodala hit a game winning free throws with 2.2 seconds left.

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Rookie power forward Ivan Johnson (44) is averaging five points for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Playoffs./AP Photo

Three former Erie BayHawks – PF Ivan Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), PG Blake Ahearn (Utah Jazz) and PG Mike James (Chicago Bulls) – are still flying in the NBA Playoffs.

How long will their teams stay in postseason flight is the question.

The Hawks are tied 1-1 in their best-of-7 series against the Boston Celtics. Had they won Game 2 at home with Boston not having Rajon Rondo, the Hawks would be in good shape to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Boston already the edge in experience and resolve. Now they have home court advantage and Rondo is back from his one-game suspension for bumping a referee. This isn’t looking too good for the Hawks.

As for Johnson he’s averaging five points, five rebounds and a steal in this series, but is shooting just 36.4 percent from the field. Johnson shot 51.3 percent during the regular season.

Game 3 is today at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

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Ahearn was key in Erie reaching the 2011 D-League playoffs/ETN file photo.

Blake Ahearn didn’t bite on the invitation.

The Reno Bighorns combo guard was watching his former team play a game against the defending D-League champs, the Iowa Energy, that was postponed due the floor being deemed as unplayable.

Ahearn had to leave Tullio Arena with his fellow Bighorns to rest up for their game against the BayHawks tonight when Erie lead local investor Owen McCormick offered to take him out to dinner.

“I got to get some rest so I can put up 30 on you,” Ahearn said smiling.

McCormick laughed.

“Got to show you how much I love,” Ahearn said while hugging him.

In his two seasons with Erie, Ahearn became a fan favorite for nailing threes, being automatic from the line and playing carefree. The day after the 2011 D-League Draft, the BayHawks traded him to Reno in a four-player deal that resulted in Erie getting Donald Sloan.

“I was shocked,” he said. “It was literally the last phone call I thought I would get, but it is what it is. Everybody knows that professional sports, stuff is a business. I mean, Peyton Manning. Look at that. That’s a perfect example. One of the best quarterbacks of all time. That’s just the nature of our business. It came as a shock and to me, the hardest part was leaving the relationships that you have. That’s the toughest part, but you make new ones in new places you go.”

Tonight at 7, Sloan and Ahearn, whom were teammates for Team USA in the  2011 Pan American Games, will square off at Tullio Arena.

“I’m ready for that game,” said Sloan on Thursday night.

Ahearn, who leads the D-League in scoring at 24.4 points a game, can’t wait either.

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When Blake Ahearn was with the Erie BayHawks last season, I took free throw lessons from him and became an ace at the line.

OK. OK. I’m exaggerating, but he did help me learn how to shoot free throws better.

It’s in the feet, people. The feet.

Now with the Reno Bighorns, Ahearn surpassed the NBA record for most consecutive free throws made Saturday. Michael Williams has the NBA record of 97 from when he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams started the streak in March 24 of the 1991-92 season. The streak ended in November 9, 1993.

As you’ll see below, Ahearn even shook off a little whistle interruption from the refs to pass Williams’ mark.

Now Ahearn is chasing the generally-recognized professional record of 138 straight free throws made by legendary coach John Wooden when he played for the independent Indianapolis Kautskys (1934-36), which Bill Pollock of missourinet.com reported Monday.

Keep swishing ‘em, Blake.

Donald Sloan tries to strip Charlotte rook Kemba Walker in Monday's preseason game./AP Photo.

Check out these articles about how current and former Erie BayHawks are doing:

Hawks blog (Atlanta Journal Constitution) – BayHawks point guard Donald Sloan was described as struggling to stop Charlotte’s D.J. Augustin in Monday night’s preseason game, but settled down later in the game.

Peachtree hoops – Former BayHawks PF Ivan Johnson had the best game of the Atlanta newcomers in Monday’s preseason game at Charlotte according to Kris Willis.

Cleveland Plain-Dealer – BayHawks  SF Mychel Thompson hopes to play for the Cavaliers in tonight’s preseason game against the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena.

In other news, BayHawks 7-footer Chris Daniels didn’t play for the Los Angeles Lakers in Monday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers. … Former BayHawk Blake Ahearn is back with the Reno Bighorns after being waived by the Clippers. … The Denver Nuggets have a preseason game tonight against Phoenix. BayHawks SG Cory Higgins is with the Nuggets.

Blake Ahearn (#13) /Photo by Rob Engelhardt/Erie Times-News

Here’s a list of players that were once with the Erie BayHawks but are now with other D-League teams heading into tonight’s season-opening games for the D-League.

Maine Red Claws – Tyc Snow (PG). Snow averaged 1.4 points in seven games for Erie during the 2009-10 season. The 5-7 point guard had 10 points, seven assists and five turnovers in those seven games before being waived.

Reno Bighorns – Blake Ahearn (PG), Taj McCullough (SF). Ahearn averaged 25.7 points in 13 games in the 2009-10 season. Last season, the 6-3 combo guard averaged 16.9 points in 31 games. The 6-7 McCullough averaged 6.5 points in eight games for the BayHawks in 2008-09.

The day after the 2011 D-League Draft,  the BayHawks traded Ahearn and McCullough, a second-round pick of the BayHawks in the 2011 draft,  to Reno for point guard Donald Sloan and forward Joseph Kennerly III, a seventh-round pick of the Bighorns. Erie also drafted McCullough in the second round of the 2008 D-League Draft.

Texas Legends – Booker Woodfox (PG). A 6-1 guard, Woodfox never played a game for Erie. He was with the team for two games before being waived in 2009-10.

Mychel Thompson/Photo by Rob Englehardt/ETN

After starting training camp Nov. 9, the Erie BayHawks had their media day Thursday and an evening practice at the LECOM Health and Wellness Center.

Here are a few notables:

1. General manager of basketball operations, Allan Houston, hasn’t been in Erie for camp, but is expected to arrive this weekend on Sunday. Erie coach Jay Larranaga said he doesn’t plan to cut a player until Houston has seen the group.

Houston is the assistant general manager with the New York Knicks, who are in a hybrid partnership with the BayHawks.

2. Two players – D.J. Kennedy (knee) of St. John’s and Al Nolen (foot) out of Minnesota – haven’t practiced due to injury. Both had surgeries in their final college seasons.

3. Larranaga hoped to use practice players in camp and had one in 7-footer Jeff Foote, but received a notice from the D-League that teams can’t use practice players in training camp. Larranaga knew Foote from when he was an assistant at Cornell.

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The Erie BayHawks traded veteran point guard and fan favorite, Blake Ahearn, to Reno for Donald Sloan, a 23-year old point guard who is also an NBA prospect.

Here’s a look at Sloan. The BayHawks will open training camp tomorrow in Erie. They open the 2011-12 season Nov. 25 at Rio Grande Valley.

Allan Houston is running Erie's b-ball show./NYK.

The 2011-12 D-League season hasn’t started yet and the Erie BayHawks have already made three roster moves.

Fortunately for the BayHawks, the D-League increased roster moves from 10 to 12 this season.

Let’s take a look at the latest one, which may give a good indication of how things are going to be for the BayHawks being in a hybrid partnership with the New York Knicks, who led by Allan Houston is running their basketball operations.

A former star guard with the Knicks, Houston is their assistant general manager.

A day after the draft, Erie traded veteran point guard Blake Ahearn and second-round pick Taj McCullough, a small forward, to Reno for point guard Donald Sloan and its seventh-round pick, veteran forward/center Joe Kennerly III.

Let’s start with the appetizer part of the trade.

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Kyle Spain averaged 8.1 points for Erie in 44 games last season./Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News

Shooters. Rebounders.

That’s how Erie BayHawks general manager of basketball operations, Allan Houston, summarized what Erie will look for in the 2011 D-League Draft, which starts Thursday at 7 p.m.

The BayHawks have the seventh and ninth pick in the first round and have two more picks in the second round. Before figuring out what they need, you got know what they got coming back.

Returning players:

PG – Blake Ahearn (27 years old, 6-2, 190, Missouri State) – Shooter. Scorer (Avg. 16.9 points in 31 games for  Erie last season, 96.2 FT%). Not a great defender, but is scrappy.

PF – Kyle Goldcamp (25 years old, 6-10, 230, Gannon) – Tough. Plays hard. Has a lefty hook, but gets garbage points. Aggressive.

SF – Kyle Spain (6-5, 210, San Diego State) – Plays on the perimeter. Has unlimited range on the jump shot. Struggles defending on perimeter.

SF Chaz McCrommon (6-6, 200, Robert Morris) – Joined Erie late last season. Only played one game for the BayHawks. Considered a solid defender and capable scorer.

Here are the free-agent invites:

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