POST GAME ATLANTA - GAME 4

I love a team that smells raw meat on the court. The Celtics came out like a pack of wolves ready to rip Atlanta apart. They RAN LIKE A PACK OF WOLVES......attacked them defensively ( Held Atlanta to 40% shooting) and all importantly, they attacked the paint. First quarter alone they scored 20 of their 32 points in the paint......now that's Celtic Basketball.

Well balanced offensive attack by the Celtics...where Rondo got everyone involved in the offense including himself!
Great bench management by Doc!

Even Mitt Romney got into the winning spirit of the game today!!!!!!!!!!!

KEY GAMES TODAY - NEW YORK OVER MIAMI/ PHILLY OVER CHICAGO/ LA @ DENVER 9:30PM START TNT

NEXT GAME TUESDAY @ ATLANTA - 8PM - TNT/CSNE

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POST GAME RECAP

WEEI 850

FAST BREAK: CELTICS ROUT HAWKS, TAKE 3-1 SERIES LEAD

By Ben Rohrbach

The only question for the Celtics after a 101-79 blowout of the Hawks that gave them a 3-1 Eastern Conference quarterfinals lead was whose virtuoso performance was more impressive: The captain’s or the general’s?

Paul Pierce threw the haymakers, scoring 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting (4-6 3P) in only 16-plus minutes, and Rajon Rondo jabbed away, amassing 20 points and 16 assists against just one turnover. Kevin Garnett (13 points), Ray Allen (12 points), Brandon Bass (10 points) and Keyon Dooling (10 points) also reached double figures, as the Celtics shot XX.X percent from the field.

The C’s led by as many as 37 points and put themselves one game away from a fifth consecutive berth in the conference semifinals. The 76ers also took a 3-1 lead on the depleted Bulls team, setting up the possibility the Celtics could host the next round.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Early to rise: After slow starts (and finishes) in Games 1-3, the Celtics came prepared to Sunday’s Game 4 in the Garden. They made six of their eight shots in the opening 4:04, and Rondo orchestrated the offense beautifully. He assisted on five of the six field goals — including a Garnett dunk that forced Hawks coach Larry Drew to call a timeout four minutes into the game. By then, Garnett, Pierce and Avery Bradley each had two field goals, and the C’s were rolling.

Painting a masterpiece: Celtics coach Doc Rivers wants more paint production out of Garnett, even after his starting center’s 20-point, 13-board effort in Game 3. Rivers felt if Rondo could get Garnett the ball deeper toward the basket, the Celtics could be a more effective offensive unit. Done and done. KG’s first three buckets came within six feet, and he scored nine first-half points. As a team, the C’s shot 28-of-44 (63.6 FG%) and scored 64 points (22 in the paint) in the opening 24 minutes, and establishing Garnett early set the tone.

Headband of brothers: When Rondo and Pierce both play well at the same time, the Celtics can play with anybody, and, as Garnett might say, the Hawks were a bunch of nobodies on Sunday night. Rondo had 13 assists by halftime, or four more than the Hawks as a team. Heck, even jump shots and 3-pointers were falling for the C’s floor general. Meanwhile, Pierce made 8-of-11 first-half attempts for 18 points by the break. Whether it was the headbands or not, it’s no wonder the Celtics enjoyed their most complete performance of the series (and the season, for that matter).

Bench production: The Celtics built a 13-point lead in the first quarter, and the second-quarter starting lineup of Garnett, Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling, Marquis Daniels and Greg Stiemsma didn’t squander it. When Pierce, Rondo and Bass returned almost four minutes into the second quarter, the C’s still owned that 13-point advantage, and the rested starters closed out the half on a 25-15 run. In all, the Celtics bench scored 28 points, led by Allen’s 12 in 19 minutes. The reserves also closed out the fourth quarter, allowing Rivers to rest the stars he’s relied so heavily upon in the first three games of the series.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Knee-jerk reaction: Midway through the second quarter, Pierce dropped to the parquet, clutching his left knee in pain. He and Josh Smith got tangled, and Pierce collapsed. It didn’t look good. Never fear. As is his calling card, Pierce returned in dramatic fashion. After participating in the halftime shootaround with his teammates, Pierce made a pair of 3-pointers early in the third quarter during a run that put the Celtics up by as many as 37 points (80-43). Rivers soon removed the Celtics captain, and the only action he saw for the rest of the night came on a courtside stationary bike.

Al be sure: After sitting out Atlanta’s final 55 regular-season games with a torn pectoral muscle, Hawks center Al Horford returned to the lineup, coming off the bench to score 12 points in his first appearance since Jan. 11. He shook off some early rust and threw down a pair of first-half dunks, which would seem difficult if the muscle tear still bothered him. Horford even started the second half, a positive sign for a team that’s been riddled with frontcourt injuries this series. Although, it’s hard to imagine the Hawks celebrating his return too much on the plane ride back to Atlanta for Game 5 on Tuesday.

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ESPNBOSTON.COM


Rapid Reaction: C's 101, Hawks 79 (Game 4)

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

Brandon Bass and Jeff Teague are left flailing around the basket during Game 4 action.
BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 101-79 in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at TD Garden. Boston now leads the series 3 games to 1.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Paul Pierce connected on 10 of 13 shots (4 of 6 beyond the arc) while scoring a game-high 24 points over a mere 17 minutes, while Rajon Rondo added a double-double (20 points and 16 assists) as the Celtics put together their best offensive performance of the postseason, shooting 51.2 percent (41 of 80 overall) and throttling the Hawks. Ray Allen (12 points) and Keyon Dooling (10 points) added a little punch off the pine for Boston, which put six players in double figures. Josh Smith scored a team-high 15 points for the Hawks, while Al Horford -- making a surprising return -- chipped in 12 points over 20 minutes.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics were up 12 with under eight minutes to play in the second quarter when they really busted this game open. Boston doubled their lead with a 12-0 run fueled entirely by Pierce and Brandon Bass. Pierce hit a pair of triples and a mid-range jumper, while Bass utilized a little elbow-swinging clearout to produce a dunk in traffic before canning a 20-foot jumper. Boston owned its biggest lead of the first half 51-27 with 6:14 to play before the intermission.

BOLD PLAY OF THE GAME
Boston's run didn't boast much for flash. The Celtics simply made shots (shooting 63.6 percent overall in the first half). Let's give the bold play to Rondo, who with the Celtics up nine (25-16) late in the first quarter, gave up his body by absorbing a hard charge from Jannero Pargo on a fastbreak. Rondo followed with a 19-foot jumper on the next possession to push the lead to double digits.

FAST START SET TONE FOR C'S
The Celtics came out on fire, shooting 66.7 percent (14 of 21) in the first quarter and opening a 32-19 cushion with their best 12 minutes of hoops of the series. Pierce (5 of 7, 10 points in 10 minutes) and Rondo (all seven of the team's assists) spearheaded the offensive exploits, while Garnett chipped in 7 points and Avery Bradley -- bum left shoulder and all -- made 2 of 4 shots over the first 3:41 of the frame to help light the fuse.

PIERCE TO LOCKER ROOM AFTER BANGING KNEE
Pierce made 8 of his first 11 shots for 18 points, but the Hawks found one way to slow him down: Caught in traffic on defense, Pierce banged his left knee midway through the second quarter and retreated to the locker room with team physician Dr. Brian McKeon. Pierce departed with 5:45 to play in the quarter and the Celtics on top 51-29. The team classified the injury as a sore left knee, but he returned at the start of the second half, then spent much of the half riding the exercise bike. Considering the heavy minutes he played in recent games, it was a rare breezy evening for Pierce and he maximized his court time.

HORFORD RETURNS FOR HAWKS
Horford, sidelined since tearing his left pectoral muscle against the Pacers on Jan. 11, returned to the floor for the first time since in Game 4. Checking in with 5:20 to play in the first quarter, it took a mere seven seconds before he got tagged with an offensive foul trying to clear out some space (and his elbow finding the face of Celtics rookie center Greg Stiemsma).

C'S GO COLD ... BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER
The Celtics pushed a 23-point halftime lead as high as 37 in the third frame, then went cold. Boston endured a seven-minute streak without a bucket and even a 15-0 run for the Hawks could only whittle the lead to 22 (82-60 with 1:45 to play in the third). Of all the ways to end the drought, Ray Allen off the dribble fed Rajon Rondo on the right wing for a late-clock 3-pointer. Allen followed with his own 3-pointer and Rondo added his signature behind-the-back-fake finger roll and the lead was back at 30 in the final seconds of the quarter.

WILCOX DROPS IN FOR GAME 4
Center Chris Wilcox, who underwent surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm earlier this season, sat courtside opposite the Celtics bench and supported his former teammates. In need of roster space, the Celtics waived Wilcox in late March in order to sign center Ryan Hollins.

WHAT IT MEANS
Turn out the lights, the party's (pretty much) over. OK, so nothing's a guarantee with these Celtics, particularly with two of the three final games in Atlanta (if it gets past Game 5). But since the NBA expanded to a 16-team playoff format during the 1983-84 season, teams that own a 3-1 advantage are a 194-8 in those series, a ridiculous 96 winning percentage. The Hawks, sensing the must-win nature of Game 4, brought out the big guns with Horford and Smith returning to action and it didn't matter. Boston put together its best effort of the postseason and ensured that the only drawn-out drama on this day was over at Fenway Park. E'Twaun Moore got his first playoff experience checking in with eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter (and missing a corner 3 soon after). Game 5 is back in Atlanta on Tuesday night (8 p.m., TNT).

Wish I could have posted with you guys but went ahead and DVR ed the game as usually to save time with commericals. Fanstactic game. Even though the series isn't over I think maybe we put some serious doubt in their mind. Of course each game the Hawks might win from now on will just add pressure to us to finish them off. We really need to finish them off the next game. Rest being the number one priority, next it would probably put a little more fear into either Chicago or Philly. Could have home court advantage. Imagine that.

Lets just hope Pierce is ok....otherwise, perfect game.

Celtics will finish them off on Tuesday.

Hi,
As I mentioned in the Game 3 thread there're 3 types of winning games. The last night Celtics showed us "What a game!" type.
What a difference between it and game 3. Everybody was delivering a message: we are here to win.
Actually, I found it quite interesting to observe and compare these 2 games. The same (almost) players, the same tempo, the same walking RR, the same raging (when he wasn't) KG, the same (W) result. But what a difference in the attitude! I wonder why. Since I'm not privy to what's going on in the locker room my theory is it's a number of the game: odd - Celtics are so-so, even - Celtics are raging bulls.
The only black spot was PP - my heart skipped a bit or two when I saw him on the floor holding his knee. I hope his biking wasn't just for the show - he 'll be back for game 5 and beyond at or close to 100%.

Kind of unrelated observation. Refereeing in the last 3 games was sort of subdued. A fantom foul here, a swallowed whistle there, but mostly a solid job without aggravating players on either side. I wonder if RR's bump and subsequent suspension is a reason for that.

AK

Paul Pierce hurt his knee prior to the game either in practice Saturday or Sunday and was questionable for the game. So he aggravated the injury during the game. He'll be fine!


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And once again the world is spinning in its nicely greased grooves...

Came out strong and kept going strong until garbage time. That's what we like to see.

A 64 point half. When have we ever had a 64 point half without going back to the days of Cousy? We won every quarter except for the meaningless 4th. We won by 22 and the game wasn't anywhere near that close.

26 year old Rajon Rondo played 35 minutes and 26 year old Brandon Bass played 31. No other Celtic played more than 27. After that OT game and the heavier-than-desired minutes that have been rung up by KG and Pierce this series, that's very good.

1. Pierce with 24 points in just 17 minutes. He couldn't miss. 2 blocks. Wow. Let's hope his knee is nothing.

2. Rondo hitting from everywhere. How can he hit buzzer beating 3 ptrs and 18' jumpshots but not hit free throws? Purely mental. It was strange, at one point, Daniels was playing point and Rondo was playing the SG and was taking the jumpshots. When they're going in, they're going in. 16 assists and only 1 turnover. We got Rondo the Treat yesterday.

3. Bass, Bradley and KG didn't have particularly good games, but who cares? Bradley got into early foul trouble and that didn't help.

4. Good game by Dooling. Lousy season, good couple of past weeks. He's coming out of his slump and playing well at the right time. He's getting a feistiness about him that I like. Getting popped in the face will do that, I guess. Also strange how he was deferring to Daniels and letting Daniels bring the ball up and running the halfcourt sets instead of doing it himself.

5. Speaking of Q, he played well too. Nothing flashy from him, just solid in all aspects of the game, which is what we've come to expect and appreciate from him. A lot of confidence in him by Doc and his teammates having him bring the ball up and run the offense instead of the more obvious players. 22 minutes is a lot of time for Q and he used them well.

6. Ryan Hollins is like a 6 month old Irish Setter. All unfocused energy but means really, really well. Sean Williams didn't suit up.

7. Only 1 block for Steamer in 18 minutes. What's wrong with him? :-) He's getting a lot of steals too. He finds himself in the right place at the right time. Did you see KG and Steamer on the bench? Not just KG talking and teaching, KG's mouth is on autopilot 24/7, but the knee slap and squeeze. That's not just "I'm the sensei and you're the student, so listen to me", that's "You're my boy!". That relationship, and his with Doc, will play a major role in whether KG is in green next year. It's looking good.

8. Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson and Tracy McGrady changed from Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill to the Three Stooges.

9. Great 1st game back by Horford. 12 points on 6-10 in just 20 minutes. This shows that the Hawks don't feel compelled to tell the truth about injuries any more than the Celtics do. Something to keep in mind as we start hearing murmurings about the return (or not) of Zaza. His return will change the dynamics of this series. My prediction is that it'll change it for the better for us. We've had problems with them playing small ball and Horford's return will slow them down and make them play more conventional sets, and that's good for us.

Time to finish this, finish it in Atlanta. With the way the Bulls/Sixers series is going I have no idea who our next opponent is likely to be. Anybody know?

bob


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bobheckler wrote:And once again the world is spinning in its nicely greased grooves...

Came out strong and kept going strong until garbage time. That's what we like to see.

A 64 point half. When have we ever had a 64 point half without going back to the days of Cousy? We won every quarter except for the meaningless 4th. We won by 22 and the game wasn't anywhere near that close.

26 year old Rajon Rondo played 35 minutes and 26 year old Brandon Bass played 31. No other Celtic played more than 27. After that OT game and the heavier-than-desired minutes that have been rung up by KG and Pierce this series, that's very good.

1. Pierce with 24 points in just 17 minutes. He couldn't miss. 2 blocks. Wow. Let's hope his knee is nothing.

2. Rondo hitting from everywhere. How can he hit buzzer beating 3 ptrs and 18' jumpshots but not hit free throws? Purely mental. It was strange, at one point, Daniels was playing point and Rondo was playing the SG and was taking the jumpshots. When they're going in, they're going in. 16 assists and only 1 turnover. We got Rondo the Treat yesterday.

3. Bass, Bradley and KG didn't have particularly good games, but who cares? Bradley got into early foul trouble and that didn't help.

4. Good game by Dooling. Lousy season, good couple of past weeks. He's coming out of his slump and playing well at the right time. He's getting a feistiness about him that I like. Getting popped in the face will do that, I guess. Also strange how he was deferring to Daniels and letting Daniels bring the ball up and running the halfcourt sets instead of doing it himself.

5. Speaking of Q, he played well too. Nothing flashy from him, just solid in all aspects of the game, which is what we've come to expect and appreciate from him. A lot of confidence in him by Doc and his teammates having him bring the ball up and run the offense instead of the more obvious players. 22 minutes is a lot of time for Q and he used them well.

6. Ryan Hollins is like a 6 month old Irish Setter. All unfocused energy but means really, really well. Sean Williams didn't suit up.

7. Only 1 block for Steamer in 18 minutes. What's wrong with him? :-) He's getting a lot of steals too. He finds himself in the right place at the right time. Did you see KG and Steamer on the bench? Not just KG talking and teaching, KG's mouth is on autopilot 24/7, but the knee slap and squeeze. That's not just "I'm the sensei and you're the student, so listen to me", that's "You're my boy!". That relationship, and his with Doc, will play a major role in whether KG is in green next year. It's looking good.

8. Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson and Tracy McGrady changed from Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill to the Three Stooges.

9. Great 1st game back by Horford. 12 points on 6-10 in just 20 minutes. This shows that the Hawks don't feel compelled to tell the truth about injuries any more than the Celtics do. Something to keep in mind as we start hearing murmurings about the return (or not) of Zaza. His return will change the dynamics of this series. My prediction is that it'll change it for the better for us. We've had problems with them playing small ball and Horford's return will slow them down and make them play more conventional sets, and that's good for us.

Time to finish this, finish it in Atlanta. With the way the Bulls/Sixers series is going I have no idea who our next opponent is likely to be. Anybody know?

bob


.

Philadelphia

Strap yourself in. Return your tray tables to their fully, upright position. Here we go...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lhpyX0qNO0A












bob

.

Adrian W, of Yahoo Sports, wrote this article about Rondo after last night's game.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--rajon-rondo-looming-as-threat-to-heat-s-title-run.html;_ylt=Ao7v4yFfdwiI6XsoEIKCwSi8vLYF






bob

.

Steve,

That's good, that's very good. I'd much rather face Philly than Indiana.

bob


.

bobheckler wrote:Steve,

That's good, that's very good. I'd much rather face Philly than Indiana.

bob


.

Bob,

It's Philly or Chicago (but it will be Philly). Not Indiana. Miami will face Indiana.

Kevin Garnett, Cakemaster General:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5jk8_W7qFDE



bob


.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmrgeF7iNX8&feature=player_embedded



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl-sOX-OH5Q&feature=player_embedded



bob


.

Bob,

What I thought was as impressive as KG's block was Stiemsma's lightning quick and emphatic snatch of the ball. His hands have really improved during the season.

Sam

Atlanta fans and the media are really tearing into the Hawks. This has truly been the most unpredictable playoffs in recent memory. Key injuries has changed the landscape and open the door for this last run for the big three. No easy pickings here. The sixers are a cocky bunch and putting them in their place will not be easy.

But first things first...a win tonight is just one mark on a tedious journey. Good health and a good spirit can carry the day.

Dboss

Bradley, getting some floor burns

[/img]



Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug. Welcome to the windshield, Mr. Smith







The Captain, leading the crowd as well as the team





Rondo with the steal, and the shot to the chops





Pierce with the twirl. Imagine being Moore and seeing that in practice everyday.







A VERY difficult bounce pass by Rondo to KG. It not only had to get in there fast, but he had to hit a moving 7-footer and it had to bounce up into his hands. A sharp angle, velocity and not much margin for error.







Ray, for 3, behind the Steamer pick.






Rondo to KG, with a buzzerbeater from 20'





KG, with the great court vision tap rebound/pass to Bass.














Same play, but you can easily see the two hand push by Horford on KG's waist.












IT'S GINO TIME!!! And nobody loves it more than KG.














[img]

Why is everyone saying this is the last run for the big three? Paul will be back for sure. Kevin should be back. He's playing that well. And Ray wants to be back. It's just a function fo dollars. How does the salary cap look for the C's? Do we have room to resign Bass, Wilcox, and Jeff Green and keep Ray at say $10M per year for two years. Ditto for KG?

sam wrote:Bob,

What I thought was as impressive as KG's block was Stiemsma's lightning quick and emphatic snatch of the ball. His hands have really improved during the season.

Sam

sam,

When the season started Steamer had a "deer in the headlights" look about him. Who can blame him? He never averaged even 12mpg in any year in 4 years at Wisconsin. He played all over the world with 2nd rate talent, had an abbreviated training camp/exhibition season and now he's on the court with players that are bigger, faster and stronger than any he's ever played with before.

With a half a season of legitimate minutes under his belt, and with KG yelling F-bombs in his ear about playing aggressively, he's developed a bit of a swag. He also has had a half a season to have the plays burn into his brain. He's thinking less and reacting instinctively more now, and that's what I think we're seeing with the hands. Before, by the time his brain got out of his way, the ball had already hit his hands and bounced off them. That extra split second of NOT thinking is working in his hands' favor. I don't believe, however, that your hands get "softer". If you have stonehands, you have stonehands. You can look like you have stonehands, though, if your brain is isn't letting your hands be ready for the pass, but if you have basketball IQ your brain can/will speed up to where it doesn't impede your play, it makes it look more fluid.

In his only score of this game, Rondo threw a lob into Steamer under the basket. Steamer caught it and, without bring the ball down, without gathering himself for a jump he went straight up and laid it in without hesitation. As we saw with McHale (who never brought the ball down once he had it above his head) and Perk (who almost always brought it down to waist level where even I could take a swipe at it), this is a habit that is handy to have and is hard to develop if you don't.

With this shortened season, the playbook has been cut way down and simplified. This year, everything Steamer gets offensively comes off the flow and whatever he can create for himself. Hell, when this season started he was #4 on the depth chart at 5 (JON, Wilcox, KG and THEN Steamer!). If he wasn't the 12th man, he was #11. Even Moore was getting more floor time than him and, perhaps, only JJJ was getting less. Next year Doc will have plays drawn up for him and then we'll see what kind of ceiling this kid really has.

So far, he's a major reason why we're doing well and in rhythm. Not because of his individual play, but because he's coming in and filling his role excellently and that's letting KG rest. A worn out KG would mean an early exit for this team.


bob


.

Nice post Bob. I sure hope we keep Steamer. He will never be a all star but I could see him starting on a team with the right players. His reactions are good as evidenced by his blocks. Still makes some mistakes but that is to be expected. A full training camp and he can be a good role player. I like the fact that he can shoot a little and I actually expect him to hit his free throws.

tardust

Steamer has a qualifying offer for next season


here are our current and future salaries for the next couple years

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/boston.htm

beat

worcester wrote:Why is everyone saying this is the last run for the big three? Paul will be back for sure. Kevin should be back. He's playing that well. And Ray wants to be back. It's just a function fo dollars. How does the salary cap look for the C's? Do we have room to resign Bass, Wilcox, and Jeff Green and keep Ray at say $10M per year for two years. Ditto for KG?

Good question. I have been thinking the same thing. Get some young upgrades thru the draft, pickup a couple players, I don't know why this train can't keep rolling for 2 more years. KG looks good, PP still plays at the same pace, Ray seems to be having the most problems this year. Get them all back for a good price and we can still compete. Just have to get more like SA. Get contributions and playing time from more people.

worchester and Tardust... fixing to start a new thread to examine an hypothetical idea in relation to your comments about the end of the Big 3..

tardust and hooter

KG has really surprised me with how well the move to 5 has been for him, even without Perk we have a very lethal defense that can choke the life out of teams as we have done to Hawks this series and even to Heat in wins.....our defense is still real good just not as punishing without Perk.

Having said that I really like this team and I'm sure we've all wondered how good they would be with Jeff Green, Wlicox, JON. Jeff Green would be a perfect fit for us, hope he comes back next year, he can play the 3 or 4, sub for Pierce or play with Pierce and KG as a 4 to stretch the floor and further run more uptempo against alot of lead footed 4's. If we can get a banger/shot blocking big in the draft, Fab Melo or whoever and another best player available.....with the Big 3 coming back with more solid depth and improvement in our young core, would love to see how great this team could look.

Its a copycat league, we really only need a few more pieces to be San Antonio East, AB is a stud, will only get better, right now he can handle Wade all by himself, maybe JJJ and Moore are ready to contribute by next year, the last time I saw JJJ his defense was like night and day, he has potential can run and leap.....anything is possible.

cow