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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Mike Gerrity averaged 7.3 points in 18 games for Erie./Photo by Janet B. Kummerer/Erie Times-News

Mike Gerrity says it’s part of business.

That’s a nice way of saying it sucks.

In a month’s time, the Erie BayHawks waived him twice with the latter coming Feb. 9.

Ten days later, the Maine Red Claws claimed him out of the D-League player pool.

Today, Gerrity, 25, returned to Erie to face his former team and somehow didn’t vent about how the BayHawks parted ways with him twice.

“It’s hard, but you understand what you’re getting yourself into at the beginning of the year,” Gerrity said. “I knew it was going to be an uphill battle all the way, but it’s about the sacrifices you’re willing to make if you love the game.”

Gerrity had four points and four assists off the bench in his return, but it wasn’t too long ago he joined Erie, was waived, rejoined Erie and got waived again.

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Point guard Mike James played three games for the Erie BayHawks before the Chicago Bulls signed him last month. The Bulls needed a point guard because Derrick Rose was out with a toe injury.

James returned to the BayHawks and has played two games with the latter being Monday night when the Los Angeles Clippers lost Chauncey Billups to a season-ending injury as he tore his Achilles tendon against the Orlando Magic.

So now the Clippers need a backup point guard.

Wouldn’t be surprised if James, a 10-year NBA veteran, got the call as NBA teams could begin to sign players to 10-day contracts Monday. James averaging 24 points and 6.5 assists in his last two games with Erie, which both ended in blowout losses to the Los Angeles D-Fenders in El Segundo, Calif.

The Erie BayHawks will try to bounce back after two resounding losses to Los Angeles D-Fenders last weekend in El Segundo, Calif.

After losing by 19 points to the D-Fenders on Saturday, the BayHawks were beaten by 31 points, 138-107, on Monday. The most interesting thing about this is Erie lost these two games with the addition of former NBA veteran point guard Mike James.

The BayHawks will look to regroup before Friday night’s game against Maine at home.

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The Chicago Bulls called up NBA veteran point guard Mike James on Wednesday after he had played just three games with the Erie BayHawks.

It’s the quickest call up for any player the BayHawks have had. Guard Quincy Douby was with Erie for five games in the 2008-09 season. It was Erie’s expansion season.

Here’s James, who played 40 seconds in Chicago’s 14-point win against Washington on Wednesday.

Erie BayHawks general manager of basketball operations, Allan Houston, did an interview at halftime of Erie’s 111-88 loss to Austin in the second day of the D-League Showcase in Reno earlier today.

NBATV interviewed Houston, who is also an assistant general manager of the New York Knicks. The Knicks and BayHawks are hybrid partners.

Houston talked about trying to balance his two jobs, the addition of Mike James to the BayHawks and the Knicks.

How do you balance the two and how much time do you dedicate to each one of them? “It’s fun, but it’s a balance. I try to be around the Knicks as much as possible. Be around our team and try to keep understanding the dynamics of the coaching staff and what’s going on, but this is fun because you get to see a lot of players and be familiar with a lot of the players, especially the great talent pool that’s come in so far (to the D-League Showcase). I think the Showcase is great because you see everybody at one time. In a shortened season, it is tough, but you get it done.”

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The Erie BayHawks (6-10) will try to avenge Thursday’s 113-111 overtime loss at Springfield in Saturday’s 7 p.m. game at Springfield (8-7).

Former NBA point guard Mike James will make his debut Saturday with Erie.