Preview and Game Thread #74: Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks
by hawksdawgs on Mar 27, 2009 3:40 PM EDT
in Game Threads
46 comments
| Atlanta Hawks 08-09 Game #74 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
@ |  |
| 54-19 | 42-30 |
|
| Phillips Arena |
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| March 27, 2009, 7:30 PM | ||
| FS South, Hawks Radio Network, NBA Audio League Pass | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Rajon Rondo | PG | Mike Bibby |
| Ray Allen |
SG | Joe Johnson |
| Paul Pierce | SF | Mo Evans |
| Kevin Garnett | PF | Josh Smith |
| Kendrick Perkins | C | Al Horford |
|
|
||
Hawks Injury Report: Marvin Williams is out, and Acie Law has a hurt back but probably will not play regardless.
Celtics Injury Report: Kevin Garnett will play limited minutes, Rajon Rondo twisted his ankle Wednesday but is expected to play (unless the Celtic fans have their way), and a whole heap of reserves are out.
Blogging With the Enemy: CelticsBlog
Predicted bane of the Hawks existence: Until the Hawks stop a penetrating point guard, I think I am just going to keep picking them (even injured)...Rajon Rondo. But I am sure Paul Pierce will make it to the line at least 13 times.
Game Preview:
How bad is Mike Bibby at defense? Today, Sekou Smith advocated dressing Craig Claxton for possible work as a defensive specialist. I am not sure if seeing Speedy in uniform would feel like finding money in my pocket I didn't know was there, or that feeling of forgetting gum was in your pants as you take them out of the dryer.
For those of you who just want to win this one to stick it to the Celtics, go read this post (ht Hoopinion) Home heavy schedule or not, the Hawks have a gauntlet to end the season. The 4th seed is not assured and an undermanned Celtics team is ripe not just for some hateful pickings, but some prudent picking as well. Because the Hawks still desperately need wins. 50 victories is nothing; the 4th seed is everything.
Keys to the game
- The crowd. Hawks fans are four out of the last four when it comes to showing up loud against Boston. That needs to continue.
- Al Horford on Kendrick Perkins. Al has had moments of serious sucess. And with the Celtics thin line, sucess could be as simple as foul trouble for pouty man Perkins.
- Better team defense than what was demonstrated against the Spurs. Put another way, any team defense.
- It has been noted before, Boston has trouble guarding Joe Johnson.
I am heading to the Highlight factory tonight. I hope you can to. A small request, when Ryan Cameron asks the crowd to yell "defense" do it. The first time feels a little weird, a little immature, the third time you realize why you are a fan of the NBA.
Hit the comment thread up if you can't make it. Defense chants are welcome there too.
I leave you with this.
And yes, Boston fans I know you won the series, and no, I don't care.
Go Hawks!
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"The Big Ticket" reportedly failed to get through the full shootaround this morning.
from celticsblog.com preview.
I have to go to a dinner at 7:00.
I am not very happy about this. I did, however, make up an excuse to get out early. I better make it home in time to get my third straight “post of the game”!
i will not
my phone sadly does not have said capabilities.
peachtree hoops is working on mobile commenting though.
doesn’t really matter though. I can’t triple task and watching the game and drinking horribly expensive beer already have top billing.
comment of the game
i’ll be twittering the game. Drew is required to post only my funny comments.
therefore, you shouldn’t be very busy Drew
KG not playing this game. x]
I really hope the Celtics will be fully healthy in the playoffs sighs
HEY!
Where’s that guy who links the live feed of our games? I would much rather not have to post in the game thread based off a slowly updating box score…
This is reason # 1,234,726 to move back home to the A, so that I can attend every single home game of all my favorite teams.
In reponse to Bob
showing the graphic noting that Philadelphia has moved to #5 in the East…
Who would you rather play?
Despite being scared of Wade’s ability to get to the free throw line, the 76ers cause more match-up problems, I think. Andre Miller is aging, but is also one of the many guys who can be expected to dominate offensively against Mike Bibby (scares me much more than Chalmers). Thaddeus Young is a developing offensive player, and Iguodala might have a chance to truly dominate if Marvin Williams doesn’t make it back to guard him.
And Royal Ivey might snicker at us from the bench.
Thoughts?
I'm not worried about either of them.
I really believe the Hawks can only beat themselves against those two, but if I had to choose I’d play the Sixers. The NBA miraculously finds a way to matchup it’s superstars in the playoffs, and that Wade/Lebron matchup just seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? I’d rather not worry about referees for an entire series, so I’d go with the Sixers, but beating Wade would probably earn the Hawks more respect/publicity.
End of the 1st
We’ve only made 9 shots out of 23, but the good news is they have only made 10 and we are hitting the FT respectfully thus far. Zero TO’s is also nice, but we are getting out rebounded.
Hey Bibby seems to be shooting well tonight, so that’s good.
And oh my why does Woody have Randolph in?
Randolph was on a hustle strike in protest of Gillespie coaching at Kentucky.
The strike has ended thankfully, due to the coach’s firing. I think we’re gonna see a whole new Randolph Morris from here on out.,
Seriously
Our two best scorers tonight are on the bench to start the 2nd. Way to adjust to your players Woody.
maybe it's a good thing
i cant watch this on tv. I’m running off of GameCast so at least you know where my comments are being derived.
So far Glen Davis is looking like the bane of the Hawks’ existence. So much for any thoughts of Drew going on a streak.
Hahaha Jesse.
You actually have to be worried when Perkins is in the game.
Sure, he isn’t a scorer, but he’s a strong defensive center.
Oh by the way Hawk fans, no blaming on the refs this game.
Third quarter crap calls: I believe it was Smith who tripped on his foot and they call a foul on Perkins. And they call another foul on Perkins when he clearly didn’t even touch the other Hawk player and he even got slapped…
I love the referees.. /sarcasm
if Starbury
becomes our bane, I will seriously lose some faith. Don’t get me wrong, dude can shoot, but he’s a head case, so get in his head and throw him off his game.
Was that you, Drew?
The one fan who booed excessively loud when Josh Smith missed another free throw, late in the second quarter…
End of Half
Bibby and Smith lead the scoring, Horford seems to playing good defensively, and the rest are ok according to the boxscore. I’d like see more of Joe ‘freakin’ Johnson and see us shoot a little better overall since we are sitting at a 37% clip currently.
Later
Got a live draft for Fantasy Baseball in 15 so heading there. Gonna keep an eye on the GameCast, so go Hawks!
Headache
Could we possibly lose two straight games to playoff teams that are both down their best player, AND have another key player in at less than 100% ?
It sure doesn’t bode well.
And to sugar coat that...
The refs are giving the Hawks a chance.
So many uncalled fouls, it’s not even funny.
Lesson learned
When you make a 9-0 run, you don’t turn around and immediately allow the other team to go on a 12-0 run.
And you don’t have success in the playoffs if guys like Glen Davis are going for 20/10 against you.
Stat of the night
has to be % of baskets assisted.
Boston -22 assists on 37 made baskets = 59.4%
Atlanta-14 assists on 35 made baskets = 40%
Boston incorporates strange, mysterious elements into their offense like “passing,” and “movement.”
I think the Hawks have a real wake-up call here
as teams are taking them seriously, and as a result the Hawks are getting their butts kicked, home or away.
effort
To me this game was all about effort — the Celtics gave it and the Hawks didn’t, at least not consistently enough. Poor rebounding and attention to detail killed the Hawks.
Sure, there were a bunch of shots which rimmed out, and sure, Jim Clark once again shilled for the Celtics (as he usually does), but this was a case where the Celtics simply played harder for more consistent stretches. If you don’t believe me, just think back to the first half play where Paul Pierce flew to a loose ball while Mike Bibby just waited for a rebound which never got there.
There was way too much one-on-one stuff as well. That just doesn’t work against good teams. At least the Hawks came back at the end, which I think bodes well for Sunday’s game.
At this point, we might need all the good omens we can get against the Lakers.
Got home late
And was welcomed by the sad highlights of Glen Davis killing the Hawks. What happened to the fire? I figured the egg they laid against the Spurs was at least because they were preparing for the C’s. I’m not saying the sky is falling, but what happened to the intense Hawks we had during the win streak?
I certainly hope we play the Lakers better than we played the Celts.
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