NBA PLAYOFFS 2016 POST GAME ATLANTA - AWAY - GAME #5

STUDS AND DUDS: CELTICS, ISAIAH THOMAS (INJURED) COME UP EMPTY, BLOWN OUT IN GAME 5, TRAIL 3-2

WEEI

By Mike Petraglia

A promising night turned into a disaster for the Celtics.

Kent Bazemore keyed a 26-6 run in the first half to turn a 10-point Celtic lead into a 10-point Atlanta advantage. Then the Hawks caught fire in the third quarter, using an 18-1 run to blow Game 5 wide open en route to a 110-83 rout of the Celtics at Philips Arena Tuesday and a 3-2 series lead.

Isaiah Thomas, the leading scorer in the NBA playoffs so far, had one of the worst nights in a Celtics uniform, going scoreless in the first half and finishing with just seven points on 3-of-12 shooting before leaving with what the team called a “mild” left ankle sprain with 10 minutes left in the game.

With Paul Millsap in check at 10 points, Mike Scott came off the bench to lead Atlanta with 17. Bazemore and Jeff Teague had 16 for the Hawks, who went 14-of-36 from 3-point range.

The Celtics started off nearly as cold in Game 5 as they did their last game in Atlanta. But unlike Game 2, they didn’t fall behind 21 in the first six minutes. They did open the game 2-for-10 but Marcus Smart continued his 3-point rhythm from Game 4, knocking down a pair of threes in the opening quarter. The two teams combined to miss 18 of their first 22 shots.

The Celtics used a three from Jae Crowder with 31.1 seconds left in the first quarter to reclaim the lead. Terry Rozier hit a circus bank shot on a drive to the basket to give Boston a 20-15 lead after one quarter.

Al Horford (0-for- and Paul Millsap (0-for-4) combined to miss their first 12 shots of the game before a layup by Millsap with six minutes left in the second quarter. The Celtics built a 29-19 lead on the ice cold shooting of the Hawks, who began the game 6-for-34.

Then the game turned suddenly and dramatically on a 26-6 Hawks run, sparked by Bazemore, who drilled three 3-pointers in the surge. Mike Scott gave Atlanta a 32-30 lead on a turnaround with 3:40 left in the second quarter. The Celtics quickly regained the lead but the Hawks answered with 16 of the next 18 points for a 45-35 lead. The Hawks were not threatened the rest of the way and led 47-39 at the half.

Bazemore was 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep in the first half and single-handedly turned the momentum of the game for the Hawks. Atlanta was kept in the game by Boston relying too heavily on the three. They missed 14 of their 18 tries from beyond the arc.

Isaiah Thomas, as he was at Golden State on April 1, was scoreless in the first half, missing all four shots in 18 minutes. He missed a floater to start the second half. But his second floater of the half fell just over a minute later for his first basket. It started a 7-0 Boston run to cut the Atlanta lead to five, 53-48. The Celtics kept it within range at 66-57. Then the bottom fell out.

The Hawks exploded on an 18-1 run to open an 84-58 lead as the Celtics looked tired and discouraged on defense. The Hawks made five of their first 10 3-point attempts in the third to blow game open. The Celtics went on a field goal drought of over five minutes before a Crowder three with 48 seconds to go in the third. The Celtics were outscored 42-23 in the third quarter Atlanta onslaught.

Adding to Boston’s epically bad night was the sight of Thomas limping and heading directly to the locker room with just over 10 minutes left in the game and the Celtics trailing, 93-62. He landed awkwardly on his left foot on a drive to the lane, landing on his left foot and then turning the ankle.

The Celtics will try to regroup and extend the series to a seventh game when they play Game 6 Thursday back in Boston. The game is set for an 8 p.m. start at TD Garden.

STUD OF THE NIGHT: Jared Sullinger

If there’s something they can carry into Game 6 Thursday, it’s the way Sullinger ran the floor and played hard on both ends, making it tough on Al Horford and Paul Millsap. He had 10 points and three rebounds on the night.

DUD OF THE NIGHT: Isaiah Thomas

Hasn’t happened much this season but their leading scorer couldn’t carry the load in Game 5. Even before his ankle injury, Thomas struggled badly to get his shot and when he did, it was with no success.

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ISAIAH THOMAS ON ANKLE INJURY: ‘I’LL PLAY NO MATTER WHAT’

WEEI

By Ben Rohrbach

With 10:14 remaining in a playoff game the Celtics trailed by 29 points, Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas landed awkwardly on his left ankle, suffering a mild ankle sprain.

“With this team, I’ve seen just enough crazy stuff to think that we might be able to get back in it and give them a chance from 12 [minutes] to nine or eight, just to see if it could happen,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens after the Game 5 loss. “He had a sub at the table when it happened, so I know that’s quite a task and quite a mountain to overcome, but we’ve all seen this team do some pretty crazy things when they’re down.”

Except, it was clear the Celtics were gassed from the second quarter on — Thomas in particular. The All-Star point guard was scoreless at the half and finished with a season-low seven points on 12 shots, not returning after the injury. We can debate whether Thomas should’ve been in the game, but what’s done is done entering Game 6.

Asked if Thomas would be ready for Game 6, Stevens added, “I’m not qualified to answer that question,” but with the season on the line in Boston on Thursday night, it’s hard to imagine Thomas won’t give it a go, even on a bum ankle. He told reporters he merely tweaked his ankle and would be playing Thursday, come hell or high water.

“I’m doing great, ready for Game 6,” he told the media. “Yeah, I’ll play no matter what. I’m not going to sit out. I just tweaked it. I had tweaked it in Game 4 as well, in the fourth quarter, so I just tweaked it again. It hurt right when it happened, but I came back here and iced it. I’ll be all right. For the most part, the swelling is all right. I don’t swell that much, but hopefully it doesn’t get any worse by tomorrow, which it probably will, but I’ll just get treatment all day tomorrow and before the game on Thursday.”

The question is how effective he’ll be. The C’s got a taste of what their offense may look like sans Thomas at full strength in Game 5, and the reviews came back with zero stars.
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Hawks surge to rout of Celtics, take 3-2 lead in series

ESPNBOSTON

ATLANTA -- Kent Bazemore sparked a stunning turnaround with three straight 3-pointers in the second quarter, and the Atlanta Hawks reclaimed the upper hand in their playoff series against the Boston Celtics with a 110-83 rout Tuesday night.

The Hawks are up 3-2 in the series and positioned to close it out Thursday in Boston. If Game 7 is needed, it would be in Atlanta on Saturday.

This one started out horribly for Atlanta, which couldn't make a shot and trailed 29-19 midway through the second quarter. Then, suddenly, the Hawks looked like an entirely different team.

Led by Bazemore, Atlanta ripped off a 28-8 run to take control before halftime. The Hawks totally blew it open with a 42-point third quarter, heading to the final period up 89-62.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Celtics' Thomas exits with mild ankle sprain
Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas landed awkwardly following a layup early in the fourth quarter Tuesday night and left the game with a mild left ankle sprain.
Mike Scott led the Hawks with 17 points, while Bazemore and Jeff Teague added 16 apiece. Evan Turner topped Boston with 15 points.

The Hawks made only six of their first 34 shots; the sellout crowd's groans and moans grew louder with each miss. But Boston wasn't exactly lighting it up, either, missing a chance to build a bigger cushion.

Then, coming out of a timeout in which mascot Harry the Hawk did a tribute to Prince and the arena was aglow in purple, the Hawks found their shooting touch.

Boy, did they ever go crazy.

Atlanta ripped off 11 straight baskets, five of them from beyond the arc. Bazemore made three in a row, while Teague and Scott also connected from long range. Just like that, the double-digit deficit turned into a 10-point lead.

Even though the run finally ended with Teague missing a shot at the halftime buzzer, the Hawks went to the locker room up 47-39. They didn't slow down a bit after the break, knocking down 16 of 26 shots (62 percent) in the third to make it a rout.

Celtics star Isaiah Thomas, who averaged 35 points in two victories at Boston that evened the series, managed only seven points on 3-of-12 shooting. He hobbled off to the locker room in the closing minutes with what was described as a mild left ankle sprain.

It wasn't thought to be anything serious, but there was no need to come back in this one.

The Hawks got a chance to rest their starters, too. Seldom-used players such as Kris Humphries, Kirk Hinrich and Lamar Patterson closed out the game for the home team.

Humphries, playing in the series for the first time, even knocked down a couple of 3s.

BOOS FOR ISAIAH

Thomas was booed by the Atlanta crowd every time he touched the ball, the fans still mindful of an incident in Game 3 in which the guard took a swing at Atlanta's Dennis Schroder.

The Boston star was assessed a flagrant 1 foul but avoided a suspension when the league office reviewed the incident.

COURTSIDE

Former Hawks owner Ted Turner was among those sitting in the front row for Game 5.

Atlanta Falcons stars Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman were also in the house, along with several of their NFL teammates.

TIP-INS

Celtics: G Avery Bradley (hamstring) missed his fourth straight game and remains unlikely to return in the series. ... Jonas Jerebko, coming off two strong games in Boston, was held to six points and eight rebounds. ... Boston shot 37.7 percent (29-of-77) from the field, including 7-of-29 from beyond the arc.

Hawks: All 13 players attempted at least one 3-pointer. ... Paul Millsap was held to 10 points after scoring 45 in Game 4. ... Al Horford missed his first eight shots and finished with just six points on 2-of-11 shooting.

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HEY AT LEAST WE PLAYED GAME #5 AND WILL PLAY GAME #6 AT THE GARDEN!

GO CELTICS!!!!!!

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Over a 23 minute span - from 6 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter to 7 1/2 minutes left in the fourth - we got hammered 82-39. Didn't see that truck comin'.

Even though we were shooting fairly poorly, things were pretty calm when we took that 29-19 lead. Then in an eyeblink it turned from Lassie to Cujo. I think I need a rabies shot.

I hated way we lost, they put out alot more effort than us, the biggest clown on the floor was Olynck, who put up a boxscore to remember, when the games get more physical and intense, playoff basketball, he can't do anything he plays even softer.

cowens/oldschool wrote: I hated way we lost, they put out alot more effort than us, the biggest clown on the floor was Olynck, who put up a boxscore to remember, when the games get more physical and intense, playoff basketball, he can't do anything he plays even softer.

he was far from alone last night

beat

While the final score is sickening, it was the "deer in the headlights" look our major players had when it was happening that bothered me.  We were looking at each other, "why didn't you step in and stop him", "why didn't you tell me there was a pick".  We started to argue with the refs, again.  We were whipped-and-whiners and not grit-and-grinders and that, to me, is the biggest deal of last night's loss.


The first 18 minutes we were this:




The last 30 minutes we were this:




20 turnovers, good for 17 points for them.

19 fast break points for them vs 8 for us.  A lot of that is just hustle.  They did, we complained.

32 points in the paint for us vs 44 for them.  That's despite Al Horford being an execrable 2-11.

We went from down 5 to down 19 before Brad called a time out.  I think that was a mistake, he should have tried and stop the bleeding more quickly.  Not that it mattered much.  We came out of that timeout and instead of staunching the flow it turned into massive aortic hemorrhaging.  I was considering adding a youtube video of someone arterial bleeding out but the videos were so gruesome I decided you all could just replay the game last night and get the idea.

38% shooting.  Kelly, Smart, Rozier and Sullinger.  All solid rotation players now (although Kelly and Sully are being used much less than during the season).  A combined 8-29, 27.6%.  Danny needs to find us a dead-eye shooter for the bench.  James Young was supposed to be him but...RJ Hunter was supposed to take Young's place in that role but...The problem is that all really good shooters want more minutes to shoot in.  It's hard to find players like Jamal Crawford and Jason Terry, veterans who are comfortable coming off the bench and lighting it up, but that's what we need.  I know Brad loves defensive-oriented players, I do too, but we need at least one player who just lives to score.  If his defense is iffy we can live with that for short periods when they come off the bench.  Imagine how much better we'd be if we still had even Jerryd Bayless? He was no great shakes but when he was on he was very hard to stop. Coaches had to make adjustments to slow him down and we have nobody like that except for IT and when IT is off, like he was last night, we are doomed offensively. RJ is trying to be too much of a floor general, too much of a cerebral player.  He just needs to go out there and chuck them up.  Even James Young.  It's the only thing he really should feel good about, his ability to score, so he should do it.  Man, am I grasping at straws or what?  What a morning, sheesh...



Absolute Keepers (Game 5 ONLY)

Nobody.  


Good, but not locks

Evan Turner - 15 points on 5-10, hit his fritos.  His 4 TOs diluted his performance but considering he is now our primary ballhandler you have to expect a higher number of TOs.  He had that look in his eyes a bit too, but at least he tried to fight through it.

Jordan Mickey - 9 minutes of garbage time, but he made the most of them.  He missed a 15' jumper but did well inside, with teammates feeding him for a dunk.  2 rebounds, 1 offensive and 2 assists and a block.  That's a pretty decent boxscore in 9 minutes, albeit against end-of-benchers.  His problem, as far as getting minutes in this series goes, is that we need floor stretchers and that's not his game.  Against Cleveland, should we advance, then maybe (although I think Tristan Thompson would abuse him badly down low) but against the Hawks we need someone who draws their less than stellar individually defending bigs away from the paint and forces their wings and guards to cover us one-on-one down low.  Even the empty threat of Kelly Olynyk out at the 3pt arc helps to open the middle up.  Mickey doesn't provide that, if for no other reason that he hasn't been scouted and has developed a season-long rep for being a 3pt shooter you have to keep close to.  Kelly might not be hitting his shots but Budenholzer knows he can and must coach accordingly when he is on the floor.  If we are shooting well, then Mickey will have room in the paint.  If we are not shooting well then his 6'8" body will get swallowed up by their swarmers who don't have to come from very far because we're not shooting well.  SOMEBODY has to put some fear into them from range.  Thomas didn't do it last night, Jonas has series-to-date but not last night and Jae hasn't done it all season.  That is where we miss Bradley, as well as his defense.  When we set a pick for him, they must honor him coming off that pick and that means the pick defender cannot fall back off the pick, he MUST stay out there.    


NOT BIG game players


Jared Sullinger - I don't understand why Mike Petraglia thinks he was such a stud.  He only played 13 minutes, his 2nd lowest minutes in the series, and he was a pedestrian 4-9 and only grabbed 3 boards.  That's a stud?  With studs like that the harem is going to be one boring place on Saturday night, with the girls complimenting each other on their choice of nail polish and taking group selfies.  If there was an improvement in his game over previous ones it's that he actually worked hard.  Still didn't have much to show for it, but at least he showed some effort.  Whoopadeedoo!  Sully has a pulse!  Apparently someone alerted the media since Petraglia got the memo.  

Jae Crowder - He has no lift.  He is ok moving straight ahead but any side-to-side motion and he is too slow to stay with his man.  He lost 35 year old Kyle Korver on a simple give-and-go.  His shots are off, both inside and out, because he isn't getting off the ground.  I know he has that high ankle sprain, I've had them myself and they are a bitch, but he his inability to play anywhere near his regular season level is killing us.  I'm cutting him slack because of his injury, but I cannot give him credit for doing something he isn't doing.

Isaiah Thomas - By far the worst game for him.  3-12.  He was missing layups.  I wouldn't be surprised if he faked that ankle injury just so he wouldn't have to stay on the court and embarrass himself further.  He got booed every time he touched the ball, like we booed Shroder (don't the Atlanta fans have any originality?) but I don't think that's the reason why he stunk.  If it is, he should be gone.


Absolute Keepers (Series-to-date)

Marcus Smart - I'm going to leave him in this category for another game.  He fell apart like everybody else.  He hit a 3 and then fell in love with them.  He was 2-5 from 3, which is quite good, but his long misses gave them fast break opportunities.  7 fgas, 5 3pt fgas.  That's too many.  Nevertheless, he has had 1 ok, 1 good and 1 Holy Cow(ens)! games so far and that's pretty good for a 2nd year guy coming off the bench.  It's hard to judge players when everybody is falling apart around them.

Jonas Jerebko - I'm going to leave him in this category because, while he didn't have a great game last night, neither did anybody else and it's not fair to dump on him for this game.  So far, this series, he has been a very valuable player and is a steal at $5M.  When Sully stank the joint up Jerebko was the next man up and he was ready.  That's what we want.


Good, but not locks

Evan Turner - He has shown himself to be a generally solid contributor.  He has a job and he does it.  

Amir Johnson - Not a great game last night, but has been solid as Gibraltar series-to-date.

Terry Rozier - A little out of control last night, but he has shown enough to keep him here.  

Jae Crowder - Here only because of credit for his injury.


NOT BIG game players

Isaiah Thomas - Yeah, I'm dropping him from Absolute Keeper all the way down to NOT BIG game player because I'm seeing a pattern I don't like.  He  had 2 good games  (1 great one) and 3 bad games.  The 3 bad ones were all in Atlanta.  That's not playing BIG.  It's a lot easier to play well on home court with the crowd cheering him on, but a true assassin will take great delight in killing you in your house, in front of your friends and families.  Not only has he not shown that, he is looking like he is shriveling under the pressure.  Pierce, Kobe, MJ, all the great assassins loved shutting the road fans up.  IT needs to prove himself.  Again.  He likes to talk about how he plays with a chip on his shoulder.  It's time he shows it's a chip that can be cashed in.  He not only needs a good game in Boston on Thursday, he needs a good game in Atlanta on Saturday, if there is one.

Kelly Olynyk - I don't know how much his shoulder is bothering him, I don't know how much of it is just rust, but he has not done well.  Like Jae, I'm willing to cut him some slack because of his injury but I can't give him credit for things he isn't doing.

Jared Sullinger - Coming back from the dead for one game does not a series make.  What does it say when he shoots 40% and grabs 3 boards in a 13 minute stint and people think that's good?    


So much for momentum.  We now have to win 2 in a row.  We've already done that against this team but now one of those has to be in Atlanta.  Oh well, heading into last night's game that was true too.  It was a 2-out-of-3 series with 2 in Atlanta, and we had to win one of them in Atlanta.  Nothing has changed.  Just like with heading home down 0-2 didn't matter if we won the next 2 and tied it up, it doesn't matter if we won game 5 in Atlanta or game 7 in Atlanta, we still need to win 1 in Atlanta.  The only thing that has changed is that now we MUST win the one in Boston too.  Prior to yesterday we could have lost in Boston and won both in Atlanta and moved onward, but if winning in Atlanta was so easy then what are we stressing about?  In reality, little is different today from yesterday.  We, realistically, needed to win in Boston and we needed to win one of the 2 games in Atlanta.  We still do, just now it will be game 7 and not game 5.


bob


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