Two Needless Games Later, The Celtics Knocked Out The Hawks 128-120 To Win The Series 4-2

 

    They made it way too hard on themselves-even in the Game 6 clincher-but let the record show that the Celtics finally got the job done with a 128-120 victory tonight against the Hawks at State Farm Arena. Boston won the series 4-2 and advances to the second round to face Philadelphia which will start on Monday (7:30, TNT) at TD Garden. Just like in Game 4's win there, the Celts dynamic duo of shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 32 points, 5 rebounds) and small forward Jayson Tatum (30 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks) both reached 30+ points. This one was too close for comfort most of the way as Atlanta led by two points (100-98) going into the fourth quarter but thankfully, the C's played their best frame in the fourth (30-20) to get this over with and avoid a Game 7 on Saturday back at the Garden.

    We all believe in Boston's depth and if they make another real run this postseason, that should be a key to their success. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla played nine guys this evening and they all scored. Besides the Jays, point guard Marcus Smart (22 points) and center Al Horford (10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) were both very solid while backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon tied his series-high with 17 points off the bench. Shooting guard Derrick White (7 points) and center Robert Williams (4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) both had their worst games of the series but that was overshadowed by the rest of the supporting cast aka "The Others" (thanks Shaq!) stepping up for them. 

    It was another high scoring game from the start as Boston led 35-34 after the first quarter and by one point at halftime (68-67). The Hawks star point guard Trae Young (30 points, 10 assists) was on fire to begin the contest with 25 points in the first half alone but the Celts locked him down in the second half as he finished 9-for-28 from the field. Small forward De'Andre Hunter (20 points, 6 rebounds), point forward John Collins (16 points, 2 blocks), shooting guard Dejounte Murray (14 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) and center Clint Capela (10 points, 10 rebounds) all scored in double figures but it was not enough to extend the series any further. Shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (12 points) and power forward Onyeka Ogkongwu (11 rebounds, 2 blocks) were both good off Atlanta's bench in limited minutes. 

    Boston shot four percent better from the floor (50%-46%), they hit three more 3-pointers (18-15), they made two more steals (7-5), had three more blocks (10-7) and three less turnovers (10-7) than Atlanta. The Celtics scored four more points in the paint (54-50) and a whopping 14 more fast break points (18-4) than the Hawks. Rest ahead of the next series is what Boston cost themselves by losing not once but twice to Atlanta. As such, Games 1-4 (along with a possible Game 5 and Game 6) are all two days apart for the Celts and Sixers. This is the third time since 2018 that Boston has met Philadelphia in the postseason and we should feel confident since the C's won the other two times. They also went 3-1 against Philly during the regular season with the Sixers' lone win coming when the Celtics sat many key players. It should be fun with former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers now in charge of the Sixers and Philadelphia is certainly much more a sports city and fan base than Atlanta. Get some rest and be ready to roll on Monday for what should be a much more intriguing playoff series. 

Did That Really Just Happen? The Celts Shockingly Choked Away Game 5, 119-117 To The Hawks

 

    From a Celtics perspective, things could not have lined up much better for them to eliminate the Hawks this evening in Game 5 of their first round playoff matchup at TD Garden and move on to a more interesting second round series against the Sixers starting on Saturday. Boston was a 13.5 point favorite and Atlanta's second best player guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for a game after bumping a referee following his team's loss in Game 4. Instead, the C's blew a 13-point lead with 6:10 left to play in the fourth quarter en route to a gross 119-117 loss to the Hawks. Atlanta's star point guard Trae Young (game-high 38 points, 13 assists, 2 steals) had his second great game in a row and he hit an absolute dagger 3-pointer (from 30 feet away!) with 2.1 seconds left in regulation. Now the C's have to go back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday knowing that they should have closed this series out already. 

    If you have paid attention to the Celtics at all this season, losing in this dramatic fashion was completely in character for who they have been in 2022-23. They love blowing huge leads and losing to inferior opponents, there were countless instances of them doing that during the regular season. You hoped that would change in the playoffs but they have lost twice to the Hawks which is a joke. They will win this series eventually but losses like this can take their toll and cast doubt that they will be able to buckle down in a similar situation against better teams down the line. After they both scored 31 points in Sunday's Game 4 win, C's shooting guard Jaylen Brown (team-high 35 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) showed up in a big way while small forward Jayson Tatum (19 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) did not as he went 1-for-10 on 3-pointers. 

    We worry about Boston's rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla inexperience and that was on full display as Atlanta's head coach Quin Snyder coached circles around him. With Murray out, the Hawks were basically a one man team and yet the Celtics could not contain him in crunch time as he scored Atlanta's final 14 points. The Celtics also allowed power forward John Collins (22 points) to finally do something in this series while shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) played well and small forward De'Andre Hunter added 13 points while his backup Saddiq Bey notched 12 points off the bench. 

    For Boston, shooting guard Derrick White (18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) continued his fine play while point guard Marcus Smart (10 points) struggled and yet Muzzalla had him in the whole time while things fell apart late in the fourth quarter and backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon (14 points) sat for the final seven minutes which is a troubling trend that has sadly carried over from the regular season. Center Robert Williams (10 points, 7 rebounds) wasn't nearly the same impact player that he was in Game 4 while center Al Horford (6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks) is not scoring at all lately (3 points) but he at least is doing other positive things to contribute.

    It should never have come to this since the Celts led by 10 points (92-82) entering the fourth quarter but somehow they could not complete the job on their home court. Atlanta hit seven more 3-pointers (19-12) than Boston, while they added five more second chance points (17-12) along with six more points off turnovers (14-8). The C's started slowly-trailing 30-27 after the first quarter-and the second quarter was the only time that they really asserted their authority (39-28) on the Hawks. The Celtics could not really put Atlanta away in the third quarter (26-24) though setting the stage for an epic playoff choke job. The good news for the Celts is that they still have a great opportunity to get back to the NBA Finals if they can just get their act together. Then again, if they fall short of that, everyone will immediately point back to this terrible loss as a sign that were not not a true title contender this season after all.  

Celts Bounce Back From Hideous Game 3 Loss To Beat The Hawks 129-121 & Take A 3-1 Series Lead

 

    I still have my doubts whether the Celtics can consistently focus and play enough defense to win an NBA title this postseason but at least they got back untracked tonight with a 129-121 victory over the Hawks at State Farm Arena. This should have been the close out game of an easy first round sweep but Boston messed that up by somehow losing to Atlanta 130-122 in Game 3 on Friday. Oh well, the gentleman's sweep should be completed on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) back at TD Garden. The Celtics' two stars showed up in a major way as small forward Jayson Tatum (7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown both scored a team-high 31 points. The Hawks' lone star point guard Trae Young had by far his best outing of the series with a game-high 35 points, 15 assists and two steals but shucks, it was not enough to tie up this pointless series. 

    Boston came out with a purpose in the first quarter as they took a 35-25 lead. They still were up by double digits heading into halftime (65-53) after point guard Marcus Smart's (19 points) late three-pointer. Atlanta made its push in the third quarter (34-27) but the C's did just enough to hold on in the fourth quarter (37-34). That essentially ended this series since pretty much nobody rallies from a 3-1 hole in the NBA playoffs which is rather pathetic but mostly true. 

    The Green are far deeper than the Hawks as shown by the fact that three other guys scored in double figures: shooting guard Derrick White (18 points) along with point guard/Sixth Man of The Year Malcolm Brogdon (14 points) and center Robert Williams (13 points, game-high 15 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) who were both great off of the bench. Center Al Horford played 34 minutes, took two shots that he missed but still had a real impact with 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Small forward De'Andre Hunter added 27 points and seven rebounds for Atlanta while shooting guard Dejounte Murray notched 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Center Clint Capela (10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was the only other Hawk to reach double digits. 

    With injuries to Giannis and Joel Embiid already, the Eastern Conference playoff picture is really beginning to open up in Boston's favor which makes it so important for them to eliminate an inferior opponent like Atlanta ASAP. Philadelphia-who they completely own-awaits them in a second round series that could start as soon as Saturday. The Celtics shot eight percent better from the field (51%-43%), they grabbed seven more rebounds (49-42), they scored 12 more points in the paint (56-44) and 10 more fast break points (18-8). If I know anything about a hapless franchise like the Hawks, they will barely show up for Game 5 and Boston will blow their doors off while we all get loose on Canal Street. Ideally, the Celts can build up a big lead on Tuesday allowing their starters and key bench guys to not have to play big minutes to get this done.

Everything Is Coming Up Celtics These Days As Al Horford Signs A Two-Year Extension With Them

 

    While the Patriots (6-6) stumble and try to stay somewhat relevant this winter, the Celtics (an NBA best 18-4) and Bruins (19-3-0, one point behind NJ-who has played two more games-for the top mark in the NHL) are both off to incredible starts to their respective seasons. That is actually one of the main reasons why I haven't written about either so far in these ridiculous campaigns: they have been mostly blowing everyone out so that gets pretty redundant and boring to discuss. Today at least brought some interesting off the court news for the C's as they signed veteran center Al Horford to a two-year contract extension worth $20 million. His numbers so far in 2022-23 are probably better than you realized: in 31 minutes per game, he's averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 blocks. He is also shooting almost 50% on three-pointers (48.8%) which is way above his career average from downtown (36.6%). 

    With news of the Ime Udoka scandal breaking right before training camp started, you wondered how it would affect the team but so far first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla's transition has been seamless thanks to his absolutely loaded roster. By NBA standards, Al is already very old (he turned 36 during the NBA Finals last summer) and this deal will tie him to the C's through his 39th birthday in 2025. While that might seem a little crazy, if you have watched the Celts lately, you noticed that Horford is still a starting caliber player on an NBA title favorite. With fellow big man Robert Williams perpetually hurt and/or coming back from an injury, you need to have a legitimate backup plan for him since I doubt that he will ever play anything close to a full season. Enter Horford who was a Hawk for nine seasons (after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 Draft) then he initially came here in free agency in 2016. After three good years, he briefly went to the Sixers followed by a short but miserable stay with the constantly rebuilding Thunder.

    When Brad Stevens reacquired him for next to nothing two summers ago, we all laughed thinking that Horford was completely washed up but he has proven everybody wrong by putting together a really nice return season with the Celtics culminating in his first ever NBA Finals apperance. He is too old to play in back-to-back games (like earlier this week) but who cares? Al provides stability and leadership to a team that still needs it despite the fact that Jayson Tatum has become one of the best players in the league and Jaylen Brown is an All-Star caliber player as well. With so many big personalities (and egos), every locker room needs a Horford-a calming presence on the floor and no doubt behind the scenes as well. Other than winning that elusive NBA title, he has done and seen almost everything when it comes to the game of basketball.

    Of course, this being the Celtics and Boston in general, this what looks to be absurd regular season for the C's won't really mean anything if they don't go back to the Finals and complete the job that they weren't quite ready to do last summer against Golden State. Few players ever get that storybook ending in pro sports but it seems well within Horford's grasp meaning that the Celtics could finally earn another banner and therefore he would retire on top. Until then, we should appreciate the maturity, classiness and sheer dependability of Horford who seems to be unique in many positive ways when it comes to the normally drama filled NBA. Al appears to genuinely like being a Celtic too and from what we can tell, he enjoys playing here which you also cannot put a price tag on.

Last Season Dennis Schroder Bet Big On Himself & That Didn't Turn Out So Well, Now He's A Celtic

    We have reached that sad dead zone in NBA free agency where almost all of the top players have long been scooped up and teams are left to fight over the crumbs or in this case, flawed guys that have shown flashes here or there but not enough to be more coveted. Enter guard Dennis Schroder: you might remember him as the bozo that for some unknown reason (was it a terrible agent or his irrational self-worth?) turned down a four-year, $84 million extension last spring with the Lakers. He didn't have a bad 2020-21 by any measure: in 61 starts for LA, he averaged 15.4 points per game, 5.8 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game. Apparently, that didn't impress anyone though (or maybe he's just a complete prick?) since he was still available until this evening when the Celtics reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with him for the mid-level exception ($5.9 million). 

    Boston will be the mercurial German's fourth NBA team (Atlanta and Oklahoma City being the others) in only nine seasons and with any luck, this will be the NBA equivalent of a one-night stand: quite enjoyable for both parties but ultimately nothing more lasting than that. Schroder will want to have a monster season individually with the C's so that when he goes back to free agency next summer, he will get paid much closer to that boatload of money that he laughably left on the table for the Lakers. Likewise, the Celtics desperately needed a starting point guard and this way, they aren't forced to shoehorn Marcus Smart into that spot every game or better yet, they can finally trade him. Haha yeah right, I'll believe that when I see it even with Danny Ainge out of the picture

    It has been an interesting ride in the NBA for Dennis The Menace (I can only assume that fantastic nickname hasn't caught on more because it's too dated?). He was a first-round pick-17th overall-for the Hawks in 2013 and after basically a redshirt year in his rookie season, he averaged 10 points per game his second season and that continued to go up his next three years in A-Town before they flipped him to the Thunder in a massive three-team trade that also involved the Sixers. After two pretty solid seasons in rebuilding OKC, he got to play with LeBron James for one fleeting campaign in LA. There are a couple notable Celtics connections to Schroder: as a Hawk, he had some epic playoff battles with the Celts early in his NBA career. Furthermore, he and former Boston point guard Rajon Rondo are mortal enemies that seem to legitimately hate each other and they always get into a hilarious shoving and shouting match every time that their numerous teams meet.

    The bottom line is that this should be an enjoyable hookup for both Schroder and Boston since nobody can deny his talent: his career-highs are 19.4 points per game (2017-18 w/ATL), 6.3 assists per game (the previous season with the Hawks) and those 1.1 steals per game (twice). You wish that he was a better shooter (just 33.7% career on 3-pointers) which no doubt makes Smart smile but at least he's a good free throw shooter (83.1% for his career). Dennis is listed at 6-foot-3 but only 172 pounds so new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka will surely need to be creative at times to protect him defensively and let the much bigger and stronger Smart take on the league's larger guards. I never thought in my life that I'd cheer for this joker but as long as he doesn't act like too much of a jackass, this is a solid move by Brad Stevens so late in free agency. Realistically, you couldn't have expected a much better player than him and we all like Payton Pritchard but he should never be more than a backup guard at this level.  

The Celtics Pulled Off A Sneaky Good Deal By Flipping Moses Brown For Josh Richardson

 

    While we wait for the three team trade between Boston, Atlanta and Sacramento to hopefully go through sometime soon, the Celtics did make another notable move over the weekend by trading center Moses Brown (we hardly knew ya!) to the Mavericks for guard Josh Richardson. It beats me if Brown is any good since he was here for a little over a month (dealt from Oklahoma City in the Al Horford/Kemba Walker trade) and finished his glorious Celtics career with a grand total of zero games played. Richardson on the other hand is a much more known commodity since he's played in the NBA for six seasons: four with Miami, one with Philadelphia and one with Dallas. In five of those six years including the last five in a row, he's averaged at least 10.2 points per game which doesn't sound like much but it's nothing to sniff at. 

    In many ways, Richardson has already exceeded any outside expectations for what he would do in the NBA since he was a second-round pick (40th overall) by the Heat in 2015 out of the University of Tennessee. His career averages are pretty solid across the board: 12.3 points per game, 1.1 steals per game, 42.7% field goal percentage, 35.8% 3-pointer percentage and 83.2% free throw percentage. He's definitely used to being a starter in the league since he has started in 299 of 373 possible games and averaged 30.6 minutes per game so it'll be interesting to see what role he carves out for the C's. His best season in a pro was in 2018-19-his last in Miami-when he averaged a career-high 16.6 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 1.1 steals per game and shot 86.1% on free throws as he started all 73 games that he appeared in.

    Brad Stevens and the Celts still have plenty of work to do with free agency officially opening in the NBA on Monday night at 6 pm. Free agent swingman Evan Fournier-who is currently tearing it up at the Olympics with France-is the main internal question facing Boston: do they bring him back after they traded for him last season or do they let him walk? The aforementioned three-way trade would reportedly culminate with them acquiring former legendary Providence College point guard Kris Dunn and center Bruno Fernando from the Hawks while center Tristan Thompson will get sent to basketball Siberia aka the Kings. I'll save my thoughts on that move until it actually occurs (or sadly doesn't). Until then, let's hope that by whatever means necessary, Stevens & Co. can pick up some more quality players because the Celtics still need plenty of them to improve on their lackluster seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season.

There Is No Other Way To Say It: Right Now, The Celtics Are A Disgrace In Every Possible Fashion

 

    We are still in a global pandemic so I cannot say with a straight face that the trials and tribulations of the Celtics (15-17 overall, 7-12 away) really seems all that important at this juncture. However, this is a Boston sports blog so I'd much rather complain here about our local teams instead of identifying the scary realities of our messed up world. With that said, what the hell has happened to the C's? Tonight, they lost their third straight game, 127-112 to the Hawks (14-18 overall, 8-9 home) at State Farm Arena. To say that Boston was a no-show for the contest would be far too kind. They gave up 72 points in the first half and trailed by as many as 27 points while Atlanta's veteran power forward Danilo Gallinari came off the bench to drill a career-high ten (!!!) 3-pointers as he scored a game-high 38 points. 

    The Hawks finished the season series 2-1 vs. the Celtics and if the playoffs started today, Boston would have to be in the play-in round (two playoff berths for the teams #7-#10 in each conference) since they've dropped to ninth-place in the Eastern Conference. This is the first time that they have been two games under .500 since the start of the 2017-18 season when they lost their first two contests. Since the Celts opened 8-3 in this campaign, they have gone 7-14 in their last 21 games. Is that bad? The team is completely lifeless and nobody besides the fans seems to really care that things have taken such a terrible turn for the worst. 

    I honestly don't know how this will be fixed anytime soon. Their defense is wretched, point guard Kemba Walker can't play back-to-back games (and he is a shell of himself when he does suit up), nobody besides their pair of All-Star swingmen Jaylen Brown (17 points, 5 assists) and Jayson Tatum (13 points on 4-of-20 shooting, 2 steals) can be counted on to do much of anything, the bench is a joke, head coach Brad Stevens' appears to have been tuned out by much of the team, GM Danny Ainge is petrified to shake this up and most of his draft picks lately except for Brown and Tatum have been useless. What else? There is no real accountability on the team and it is sorely lacking in leadership in terms of the players. I really couldn't tell you how a team that has gone to three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals could be in shambles like this. It is stunning to say the least although maybe not when you read the myriad reasons for their struggles that I just listed. 

    Atlanta also entered after playing last night but they weren't fazed by that. Point guard Trae Young (game-high 33 points, 7 assists) boosted his resume in case the All-Star Game needs a replacement player for the East, power forward John Collins had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) while shooting guard Tony Snell added 12 points. Seven Celtics scored in double-digits which is only an indicator that everyone played since there was extended garbage time like you read about. Power forward Tristan Thompson had a double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) and point guard Jeff Teague (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) made perhaps his final start in the NBA in his old home. Rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith scored 13 points off the bench while point guards Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters each notched 11 points. 

    Boston has a four-game homestand leading into the All-Star break to try to turn this sinking ship around. They are 8-5 at the Garden as they host the Pacers (15-15 overall, 8-5 road) on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), the Wizards (11-18 overall, 6-9 road) on Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston), the Clippers (23-10 overall, 11-4 road) on Tuesday (7:30, TNT) and closing with the Raptors (16-17 overall, 9-10 road) next Thursday (7, NBC Sports Boston). With the way that the C's have gone down in flames lately, I expect them to go 0-4 in that stretch or maybe 1-3 if they are lucky. Ugh, this terrible team is so depressing these days. How has it come to this? 

C's Take Rd. 2 vs. Hawks Thanks To Kemba Walker (Season-High 28 Pts) Turning Back The Clock

 

    At this point in his NBA career, it's hard to know what exactly Celtics (15-14 overall, 8-5 home) point guard Kemba Walker (team-high 28 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) is going to have in a given game. That's why nights like tonight are such a tease as Boston beat Atlanta 121-109 at TD Garden, a bit of payback after the Hawks won here on Wednesday and dropped the home team to the .500 mark. This was the fourth time this season that the C's have played a two-game set against the same opponent and they are 1-1 in three of them (losing Game 1 all four times) and 0-2 in one (falling twice in Philly to the best team in the East). All five Celtics starters scored at least 14 points in the victory while they led by as much as 25 points before hanging on as the Hawks cut it to a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter. 

    Last night, Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum (25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (17 points, 6 assists) were not named starters (no surprise there) for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game but they are both expected to be named reserves on the team. This is a big deal since Tatum made his first All-Star team last season and it would be Brown's first of his career-ironically in his hometown of Atlanta. For once, all of Boston's big guys played well in the same contest: power forward Tristian Thompson had 17 points and five rebounds, center Daniel Theis added 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while Robert Williams was great off the bench with 12 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals in only 16 minutes of action. For Atlanta, point guard Trae Young (game-high 31 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) and center Clint Capela (24 points, 15 rebounds) were both very good yet again but the difference this time is that the Celtics managed hold down Atlanta's others. Nobody else on the Hawks scored in double-figures and power forward John Collins (8 points on 3-of-13 shooting) was a non-factor after he had 20 points two nights earlier. 

    The C's were ready to go right from the opening tip (what a concept!) and that showed in a strong first quarter (33-22) and an even better second quarter which gave them an insurmountable 66-41 halftime lead. Each team scored 32 points apiece in the third quarter and then Atlanta finally woke up a bit in the fourth quarter but it was thankfully too late to make a real difference. Boston shot 13.4% better from the field (55.6%-42.2%) than the Hawks, they hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), pulled down seven more defensive rebounds (35-28), blocked twice as many shots (12-6), they scored 14 more points in the paint (66-52) and twice as many fast break points (12-6). 

    The Celtics now depart on a three-game road trip that on paper at least doesn't look that difficult: they are in New Orleans (12-17 overall, 7-7 home) on Sunday afternoon (3:30, ABC) to take on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans in a nationally televised matchup, weather-permitting they go to Dallas (13-15 overall, 6-8 home) on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) for their first look at Luka Doncic and the Mavericks this season and they wrap things up in Atlanta the next night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). Who's drunken idea in the NBA league office was it to have the Celtics and Hawks face each other three times in a week in the regular season (these aren't make-up dates for postponed games)? None of those three clubs are over .500 and zero are currently playoff teams so the Celts need to go at least 2-1 on this trip. A mark of a good team in any sport is that they take care of business against the bad teams. They will see some of the league's brightest young talents but make no mistake, Boston should beat all of their mediocre at best teams.

    

    

    

Another Guy Drops A 40-Piece On The Celts At TD Garden & This Time They Lose To Fall Back To .500

 

    Well so much for last night's win against the Nuggets (15-13) meaning anything as the Celtics (14-14 overall, 7-5 home) followed that up with a frustrating 122-114 loss at TD Garden this evening vs. the Hawks (12-16 overall, 6-7 away). Guards Kemba Walker (left knee injury management) and Marcus Smart (left calf tear) along with center Daniel Theis (right index finger sprain) all missed the game for Boston but even if they had played, Atlanta's big three of point guard Trae Young (game-high 40 points, 8 assists, 2 steals), center Clint Capela (24 points, 13 rebounds) and power forward John Collins (20 points, 6 rebounds) are better than anyone that the C's could pair with swingman Jayson Tatum (team-high 34 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (22 points, 7 assists). This contest served as yet another reminder that the 2020-21 Celtics are full of potential but also wildly inconsistent and unable to sustain anything positive for too long. 

    Atlanta torched Boston's invisible defense, shooting 57.1% from the field and outscoring them by 14 points in the paint (60-46). Like the 7-9 Patriots of last season (sorry to bring them up!), it's hard to pinpoint only a few of the many major issues facing the C's because they have a ton of them already less than halfway through this campaign. For instance, their lack of depth is quite scary since head coach Brad Stevens felt the need to start both Semi Ojeleye (9 points, 2 steals) and Javonte Green (9 points, 2 steals). Curiously, rookie guard Aaron Nesmith (2 points in 21 minutes) was the first Celtic to come off the bench in this mess. Is GM Danny Ainge showcasing his higher first-round pick that thus far has been completely overmatched in his brief stay here? 

    Fittingly, Boston's best quarter was the first as they outscored Atlanta 35-33 but then it was all downhill from there. The Hawks took a six-point lead (62-56) into halftime and they were up by nine points (90-81) heading into the fourth quarter. Power forward Tristan Thompson (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) was alright (trade bait?) and rookie guard Payton Pritchard (11 points) continues to bring a spark off the bench for the Celts. Swingman Cam Reddish added 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in the win for Atlanta. These same two teams are set to meet again on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the Garden. Kemba will be back for the Celtics and possibly Theis as well. Needless to say, Boston really cannot afford to get swept on their home floor by a club that came in three games behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.

Celtics Edition: How Can You Not Love This Team?

The amount of wildly entertaining games that the Celtics have produced in the past few months is out of control. They turned in another instant classic on Friday as Boston (34-27, 22-9) outlasted Atlanta (34-27, 15-19 away) 107-102 in overtime at TD Garden. The win was particularly meaningful too since it pulled the Celtics into a tie with the Hawks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Boston has won its last five games overall and nine in a row at home. It was their franchise record 11th overtime game of the season and they improved to 7-4 in the extra session(s). Oh and they are 14-4 since Rajon Rondo went down. Go figure. Sure the C's blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter but the overriding positives were that they rallied once again and Jason Terry (19 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) had the biggest basket of all-a 3-pointer in overtime that put them ahead for good.

Paul Pierce had another great game with a team-high 27 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Kevin Garnett added 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals while Jeff Green put up 12 points off the bench. Jordan Crawford (9 points) also provided a spark in limited minutes.

Josh Smith had one of his his best performances that I've ever seen with a game-high 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Jeff Teague (26 points, 9 assists, 2 steals) and Al Horford (22 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) continued to torch the Celtics.

Boston led from start to almost finish as Atlanta tied it late then KG missed a jumper and Smith missed a rushed shot at the end of regulation. The Celtics were up 28-26 after the first quarter and 52-47 at halftime. The Hawks outscored the C's 21-20 in an ugly third quarter and then 26-22 in the fourth.

As it has been the case since Rondo got hurt, the Celtics' timely defense was the difference. They shot 5.8% better from the field (51.3-45.5) than the Hawks, made four more free throws (17-13) and had two more steals (9-7). The sneaky stat of the game was points off turnovers where Boston outscored Atlanta 21-9.

Boston improved to 2-1 against Atlanta this season with one more matchup remaining: March 29 back at the Garden. This victory was significant as well since the Celtics have to go to Oklahoma City (46-16, 1st in Northwest Division) on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m., ABC) to face the top team in the Western Conference. It's hard to see Boston winning that one no matter how well they play, the Thunder seem to be at another level than anyone these days (save for the Heat).

UPDATE 3/10: The Celtics signed D.J. White to another 10-day contract today. Shavlik Randolph's 10-day contract ends at midnight today and they're expected to re-sign him as well.

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Q: Who Blows A 27-Point Lead (In 1 Quarter) Then Loses in Double Overtime? A: The Celtics

Thank God the NHL has returned and the Bruins are really good because we need something to shield us from the flaming wreckage that is the 2012-13 Celtics. Boston's (20-23, 7-14 away) 123-111 double overtime loss tonight at Atlanta's (25-18, 15-7 home) Philips Arena was borderline impossible to execute. It is their sixth straight defeat, the longest losing streak in the Kevin Garnett (24 points, 10 rebounds) in Green era.

The Celts got up 48-21 in the second quarter but apparently that wasn't enough as the Hawks tied it at 59 midway through the third quarter. If that didn't make you want to jump off the Tobin Bridge, how about watching Kyle Korver (27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) drain eight 3-pointers in the second half alone? Pass that bottle of bleach please.

Rajon Rondo (16 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) had his second triple-double in as many nights and third straight against Atlanta so he's probably content. Avery Bradley had 14 points while Paul Pierce struggled to get 12 points and six rebounds in 40 minutes. For once, Boston's bench wasn't the issue as they outscored Atlanta's 45-21. Jeff Green (17 points, 6 rebounds), Courtney Lee (16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) and even Jason Terry (12 points) were all excellent.

Al Horford put up 24 points, 13 rebounds and two steals, Jeff Teague had 23 points, seven assists and three steals, Josh Smith notched 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks and Ivan Johnson added 11 points (which has to be a career-high, only a slight exaggeration). Devin Harris (remember him?) had 14 points off the bench.

A soul crushing loss like this will overshadow something great that the Celtics actually did: they went 20-for-20 from the free throw line. Smith missed a layup at the end of regulation that would have won it but he made up for it by stuffing Pierce's predictable move and shot at the end of the first overtime. After that, Boston completely ran out of gas in the second overtime.

I suppose there is only one way for the Celtics to go from here: up. They can't possibly suffer two more brutal losses in the regular season on back-to-back nights. The Heat (28-12, 1st in Southeast Division) make their first trip to Boston on Sunday (1 p.m., ABC) which means that Ray Allen will be back. Luckily, since the C's are so bad at the moment, we won't have to be bombarded with that storyline non-stop.

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Who Woke Up The Celtics?

I don't know where it came from but what transpired in the third quarter tonight might be later viewed as a turning point in the Celtics' season, that is if they go anywhere in the playoffs (all that really matters to this team).

Boston (16-17, 6-11 away) was down 53-38 to Atlanta (20-12, 11-6 home) at halftime but they somehow turned it around with a 33-9 third quarter. The Celtics held on for a 89-81 victory at Philips Arena, for what easily has to be called their best road win of the season.

It's hard to ever take the Hawks seriously, even when they have a good record since all they do in the postseason is choke. They had lost last night so like Boston, they were experiencing a dreaded back-to-back game. Winning both contests, in very different fashion, should do wonders for the Celtics' shattered confidence.

Paul Pierce (26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Rajon Rondo (14 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals) were brilliant while Kevin Garnett (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Brandon Bass (10 points, 3 steals) also did their jobs.

Former Sixer Lou Williams (28 points) always kills the Celtics and he looked well on his way to a career night when he dropped 16 points in the first quarter alone. Jeff Teague had 17 points and three steals while Josh Smith had 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals.

Boston won because of three things which never go out of style: they hit the glass (44-36 rebounding advantage), passed well (27-18 assists) and took care of the ball (eight less turnovers than the Hawks).

After getting tomorrow off, the C's wrap up this very tricky three games in four days stretch with their first meeting of the season against the new and improved Knicks (23-10, 1st place in Atlantic Division) on Monday (7:30 p.m., CSN) at Madison Square Garden. Boston has a chance to go 3-0 against three likely playoff teams. The Knicks hit a million 3-pointers a game and Carmelo Anthony (28.9 ppg, 2nd in the NBA; 6.3 rebounds) is probably playing the best basketball of his NBA career. The good news is that the Celts usually match up well with the Knicks for whatever reason.

UPDATE 1/6: Today, the Celtics waived rookie Kris Joseph and forward Jarvis Varnado. They were both playing on non-guaranteed deals and the deadline to be guaranteed was tomorrow at 5 p.m. This opens up two roster spots as teams around the NBA make similar moves. Perhaps, it's also a precursor to a bigger trade/move down the line. We shall see.

UPDATE 1/7: Rajon Rondo was suspended for tonight's game against the Knicks. I watched the game on Saturday at Atlanta on DVR so I missed it (and nobody talked about it afterwards) but apparently he made contact with a referee after a call. It seems pretty bogus but then you remember that Rondo had been suspended three times in the last year. So yeah, he gets no leeway around the NBA and all the referees are rightfully keeping an extra eye on him.

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Different City But Same Team & Same Result

The Boston Celtics are staking their claim as the best team in the 2012 NBA Summer League. After going 4-1 in Orlando last week, they begin their stay in Las Vegas with a one-sided 87-69 blowout of the Atlanta Hawks this afternoon at Cox Pavilion.

The C's (1-0) led from start to finish and had five players score in double figures. Rookies Kris Joseph and Jared Sullinger (7 rebounds) helped Boston cruise to victory with 14 points while Dionte Christmas and Jonathan Gibson scored 11 and Jamar Smith had 10.

Rookie Fab Melo had his best game of the summer (which isn't saying much) with seven points and five rebounds and E'Twaun Moore added nine points.

Atlanta (1-2) fielded a team with basically no NBA experience so its no wonder they got walloped. Rookies Mike Scott (6 rebounds) and John Jenkins paced the Hawks with 12 points while Keith Benson put up 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Boston rolled since they shot 5.7% better from the field (41.8-36.1), hit seven more 3-pointers (9-2) and made seven more free throws (22-15).

The Celtics led 23-16 after one quarter and 49-31 at halftime. Boston were up by as many as 23 points as their chemistry forged last week in Orlando started to take over. The Hawks cut it to 10 in the third quarter but still trailed 67-52 heading into the fourth.

Boston plays Chicago (0-0) tomorrow night (10 p.m., NBA TV).

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Celtics Do Just Enough To Eliminate The Hawks In 6 Games

Paul Pierce served up a vintage performance in Game 2 of this first round series so it was only right that Kevin Garnett helped close out the Atlanta Hawks with his own version of an instant classic complete with a postgame tirade about the Hawks's no-name owner.

Turning back the clock to say 2004, KG had 28 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and three steals as the Celtics edged the Hawks 83-80 in Game 6 at TD Garden. Boston clinched the series 4-2 and advances to face the Philadelphia 76ers (who wrapped up their series with the Bulls tonight as well), beginning on Saturday night.

Give credit to Atlanta: for a franchise with a dubious history of no-shows, choking and irrelevance, they made this series and particularly this game way harder than it should have been. However, it must be noted that with Boston clinging to an 80-79 lead with under a minute left, the Hawks couldn't have shot themselves in the foot more. Josh Smith (18 points, 9 rebounds) took a brainless jumper that missed, Joe Johnson (17 points) got blocked by Paul Pierce (18 points, 7 assists) on a layup when he had a clear path to the hoop and Al Horford (15 points, 9 rebounds) missed a free throw that would have tied it up.

It came down to the fact that the Celtics made the plays when they absolutely had to. KG hit the last bucket, a turnaround in the lane. Ray Allen (7 points) made one of two free throws (he missed two in the game!) but Paul Pierce covered for him by swishing both of his with one second left in regulation.

Other than the Game 4 blowout victory, all these games were close and low-scoring. That's why Boston had to seal this one on the defensive end since their offense was mostly MIA in key stretches tonight and all series long for that matter. For all six games, they never allowed Atlanta to score over 87 points; they held the Hawks to 84 or less in every game but one.

Rajon Rondo had a quiet 14 points and eight assists while Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley were both kept in check, to the tune of only six points apiece.

Marvin Williams (16 points, 8 rebounds) had another good performance but Jeff Teague's (5 points) forgettable night was a huge factor in Atlanta's latest season-ending loss.

The Hawks were up 23-20 after the first quarter but a 16-0 run in the second quarter put the Celtics ahead, they led 47-41 at halftime. Boston could never pull away though as Atlanta edged them 22-20 in the third and 17-16 in the fourth.

Atlanta made five more 3-pointers (7-2) but Boston worked for 10 more made free throws (19-9). The C's had four more rebounds (40-36) and the most amazing stat of all was blocks: Boston had seven more than Atlanta (11-4). Finally, thanks to KG the Celtics owned the paint (42-30).

Doc Rivers's team wanted nothing to do with a Game 7 back in Atlanta and while this series and game took them too long to finish, at least they completed the task (something the Lakers have yet to do when similarly leading the Nuggets 3-1).

We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves but this is the best path any Green and White fan could have ever dreamed of: after not having home-court in the first round, they'll have it in the Eastern Conference semifinals (5th season in a row they've made it this far). Philly will be a tougher matchup than many people think but I like Boston's chances of getting through them. Game 1 is Saturday night (8 p.m., TNT). I'll have a full preview up tomorrow night after I can gather my thoughts on the 76ers and do some more research.

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Celtics Let One Slip Away, Can't Close Out The Hawks In Merely 5 Games

Well the Boston Celtics made life a little more difficult on themselves tonight as they let Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first round series slip away to the Atlanta Hawks.

Rajon Rondo (13 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals) stole Marvin Williams's (15 points) awful inbounds pass with nine seconds left in regulation. The Celtics were down only one point but they didn't have a timeout remaining. Rondo had to freestyle and that wasn't a good thing as he dribbled into a corner and threw it away as time expired, Atlanta survived 87-86 at Philips Arena in a game that neither team seemed that that intent on capturing.

Boston still leads the series 3-2 so they have potentially two more cracks at knocking out the Hawks but this was frustrating since they had it right there for the taking. The Celtics were up 28-18 in the second quarter but it was tied 40-40 at halftime thanks to Rondo's buzzer-beater 3-pointer. I'll give props to the Hawks, a team that is usually so mentally fragile responded in the second half and led 66-56 late in the third quarter before an 8-0 Celtics run cut it to 66-64 after three.

Paul Pierce (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) was awful all night but he hit a clutch 3-pointer to bring Boston within one (87-86) with 50 seconds left. However he missed a driving layup and after forcing a miss on Jeff Teague's (16 points, 5 assists) 3, Pierce had another chance to be a hero but he missed a mid-range jumper that was an airball.

Al Horford (19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals) was the unexpected star of the victory. It felt like he made every big shot in the second half, his baseline jumper was on fire. Not bad for a guy that wasn't expected to play in the series. Joe Johnson (15 points) started out slow as usual but he hit some timely baskets. Josh Smith's (13 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists) also played very well.

Kevin Garnett had 16 points and seven rebounds for the C's while Brandon Bass (14 points, 7 rebounds) had his best game of the series thus far. Avery Bradley was limited to 18 minutes, this was a Ray Allen type of game and he responded with 15 points including a dagger 3 late in the fourth quarter.

The biggest surprise for Boston was that Ryan Hollins (5 points, 4 rebounds) played 19 minutes while Greg Stiemsma (4 minutes) mostly watched from the bench. That may sound crazy but Hollins actually injected the Celtics with some energy and he had two monster alley-oops from Rondo.

There is absolutely no reason to panic, yet. The C's won their previous two home games at TD Garden in this series and I expect that they'll get it done in Game 6 (8:00 p.m., CSNE) on Thursday night. Even though the Bulls managed to stay alive tonight with a win against the Sixers, it would have been nice for the Celts to earn some extra rest for the next series. First things first, it's time to get rid of the Hawks.

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The Celtics Finally Play Like They Are Capable Of, The Hawks Are Toast (As Always)

After screwing around for the first three games against a clearly inferior opponent, the Boston Celtics finally woke up tonight and dominated the Atlanta Hawks like they should have been doing all series long.

The C's won 101-79 in Game 4 at TD Garden to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first round series. Believe me when I tell you that it wasn't nearly that close since Boston led by 37 (80-43) early in the third quarter so it was extremely extended garbage time for a playoff game with every active player on both rosters seeing action.

The funniest part of the blowout was that Josh Smith (15 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists) and Al Horford (12 points) both surprisingly played but it still couldn't create a pulse in one of the most pathetic teams in professional sports. Jannero Pargo (11 points) was the only other Hawk to score in double figures.

If you created a perfect scenario for the Celts, it wouldn't have strayed too far from how this one unfolded. The starters played great and they earned plenty of rest ahead of a possible closeout game. Paul Pierce led Boston with 24 points in get this, 17 minutes. Rajon Rondo played even better than he did on Friday when he had a triple-double in Game 3. He put up 20 points (8 of 11 from the floor including 2 for 3 on 3-pointers), 16 rebounds and three steals with only one turnover. Kevin Garnett had 13 points and Brandon Bass (10 points) reached double figures for the first time after scoring eight points each time in the first three games.

Ray Allen had 12 points off the bench and Keyon Dooling added 10. A blowout like this has to shatter any remaining confidence Atlanta could have possibly possessed. Boston has held the Hawks to 84 points or less in every game and in Game 4, they coupled that stingy defensive effort with an offensive explosion (after scoring 90 or less in the first three games).

The Celtics hit seven more 3-pointers (11-4) and swatted six more shots (6-0), those are two signs of a team that has already checked out and is thinking about the offseason.

Boston will look for its fourth consecutive win on Tuesday (8:00 p.m., CSNE) as they get their first crack at sending the Hawks home (although they'll be at Philips Arena) for good. If you want another reason to get this series over, Philadelphia is up 3-1 on Chicago (winner of this series faces that winner) so the Celtics would not only get the Sixers instead of the depleted Bulls but they would have home-court in the next round. Moreover, it looks like the Sixers are going to eliminate the Bulls in Game 5 (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.) themselves because they've won the last three games since Derrick Rose went down.

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Rajon Rondo & Ray Allen Return, Josh Smith Sits & Celtics Survive OT In Ugly Game 3 Vs. Hawks

Games like tonight are perfect examples of why I will never gamble on sporting events (outside of March Madness and the Super Bowl of course). With Josh Smith out for Atlanta not to mention Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen returning for Boston, who didn't think the Celtics would roll in Game 3 at TD Garden?

It was an extremely ugly contest but the final result is all that matters as the Celts held off the Atlanta Hawks 90-84 in overtime to take a 2-1 series lead.

Boston could never put Atlanta away, until the very end of overtime. The C's led 76-65 midway through the fourth but the Hawks responded with a 15-4 run to tie it at 80. Each team had a chance to go ahead but Willie Green missed a jump shot (i'll always take my chances with him in that spot) and Paul Pierce did his usual isolation play before the buzzer and it didn't go in, like usual. I think it's time to retire that one Doc, I feel like it's successful about 5% of the time, if that.

As predicted by all, Rondo (17 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals) put up the seventh triple-double of his playoff career, 20th overall. Paul Pierce scored 21 points by living at the free throw line (14 for 14) since he was 3 of 12 from the floor. Kevin Garnett had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Brandon Bass added eight points and five rebounds.

Allen (13 points, 6 rebounds) didn't skip a beat in his first appearance since April 10. With Avery Bradley going down with a separated shoulder, Ray was forced to log 37 minutes but he was able to do it. Mickael Pietrus decided to show up as well, he hit two 3-pointers which in a way turned out to be the difference in the outcome.

It has hard to explain how Atlanta hung tough when you look at numbers like starters Marvin Williams (11 rebounds), Jason Collins and Kirk Hinrich who combined for seven points. Did I mention that Tracy McGrady's (12 points, 9 rebounds) old bones played 41 minutes while some guy that ate Erick Dampier (6 points, 6 rebounds) lumbered up and down the court for 22 minutes?

Joe Johnson had a classic Joe Johnson game, the numbers look good on the surface but not when you delve deeper. I think he's a very good player but not great; this was exactly the time when the Hawks needed him to carry them (see: Pierce in Game 2) but he couldn't do it. He had 29 points and eight rebounds (good) but he shot 11 for 28 from the floor (Melo-esque). Jeff Teague (23 points, 6 assists) continues to play excellent basketball, I haven't seen him like this since he was at Wake Forest.

The tape from this game won't be going to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA anytime soon, that much is for sure. It lacked flow the entire way. Boston trailed 19-17 after the first quarter but led 40-38 at halftime. They each scored 20 in the third quarter then Atlanta edged Boston 22-20 in the fourth to send it to the extra session. The Hawks finally ran out of gas as the C's outscored them 10-4 in overtime.

Boston owned almost every major category. They shot better from the floor (40.5%-37.8%), hit 10 more free throws (22-12), grabbed three more rebounds (51-48), dished out three more assists (18-15) plus they had two more steals (10-8) and four more blocks (8-4). As far as I can tell, the only reason that Atlanta hung around was that they were dominant in the paint (52-36) for some unexplained reason.

Game 4 is Sunday night (7 p.m., CSNE) at the Garden and Smith says he'll play but I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'd like to think that the Celtics would roll but as tonight proved, the Hawks will stubbornly make this a competitive series when it really shouldn't be anywhere near this close. I will say that if Boston wins, I think that they will close it out in five. That's my hope at least.

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Paul Pierce Delivers A Vintage Performance As The Celts Win In Atlanta

The Boston Celtics have thrived this season when facing adversity so why should it be any different in what was so far their biggest game of the year?

Without Rajon Rondo (suspended) and Ray Allen (ankle), the C's were able to rally from down 11 (65-54) in the third quarter to win 87-80 tonight in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first round series with the Hawks. Boston got the all-important road win as the series shifts back to TD Garden this weekend tied 1-1.

Paul Pierce (36 points, 14 rebounds; 22nd career playoff double-double) had one of the greatest playoff performances of his storied career which is saying something. He scored the first nine points for the Celtics and continued to make all the big shots down the stretch. He was also 11 of 13 from the free throw line. He capped it off with his hood version of Tebowing (seen above) in a true WTF moment.

Kevin Garnett had 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists while Avery Bradley (14 points, 3 steals, 3 blocks) looked much more like himself than in Game 1. Brandon Bass has yet to breakout but he had eight points and six rebounds. They didn't put up numbers but Ryan Hollins, Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic all gave Doc Rivers minutes which is as much as you can ask from them.

Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 22 points although he missed a questionable 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter when Atlanta was completely falling apart. Josh Smith had 16 points, 15 rebounds and five assists but he left with a sprained knee. Jeff Teague has been a real surprise for the Hawks, he scored 18.

For a while it seemed like the Green might not make a 3-pointer this series after going 0 for 11 in Game 1 but Keyon Dooling broke the ice cold stretch with two long-range shots. Pierce also hit a three although the team still shot a brutal 3 for 14 on 3-pointers.

Boston's defense got the job done tonight as they continually got stops when it mattered. It was tied 24-24 after one quarter and Atlanta was up 44-41 at halftime. The Hawks led 66-61 heading into the fourth but the Celtics understood it was winning time and they proved that they can triumph on the road (not an easy task in the crooked and shady NBA).

The funniest sight was seeing the awful Hawks fans streaming out when there was a minute left to play. Atlanta is probably the worst sports city in America.

For the game, Boston shot 42.6% to 34.9% for Atlanta. The Hawks made three more 3-pointers (6-3) but the Celtics balanced that out by hitting 10 more free throws (26-16). The C's survived getting worked in the paint (42-26).

Game 3 on Friday (7:30 p.m., ESPN) could be pivotal in the series. With Rondo back and the energy of the home crowd, it wouldn't surprise me to see Boston win that and end up wrapping up the series in five games. On the other hand, I think all these games will be close so it's most likely going six or (gulp) seven games regardless.

I honestly don't expect Ray back in this series and we'll have to see what Smith's status is by Friday (with an extra day off), it was serious at the time since he never returned. I'm not going to rule him out yet but if Smith misses Game 3, advantage Celtics because he's Atlanta's top player. Getting this victory flips all the momentum in the series. Boston's defense is a constant but if they can also put together a decent offensive night, then they will be onto something.

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Celtics Lose 83-74 In Game 1; Same Old Rajon Rondo Gets Ejected & Likely Suspended

There is no other way to describe Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series between the Celtics and Hawks: frustrating. Atlanta won 83-74 at Philips Arena but this being the NBA, an ejection overshadowed the actual play on the court.

Boston played terrible for most of the night; they were down 17 in the first quarter (29-12) and seemingly double-digits the entire game yet they cut it to four (78-74) with one minute left. That's when all hell broke loose. The C's were absolutely jobbed on what should have been a jump ball but instead was a foul call on Brandon Bass (8 points). Rajon Rondo (20 points, 11 assists, 4 steals) became so mad that he "accidentally" bumped into referee Marc Davis.

Rondo was ejected, the Hawks made some free throws and that was it. Except the fallout from another selfish and completely stupid act by Rondo putting himself ahead of the team will likely cost him Game 2 as well. The Celtics can't play any worse than tonight (offensively at least) but getting a win will be extra difficult if Rondo gets suspended for a game like everybody expects. I guess he didn't realize that he's Boston's best and most indispensable player.

Josh Smith (22 points, 18 rebounds) was a force for the Hawks while Jeff Teague (15 points) and Kirk Hinrich (12 points) played their roles to perfection. The scary part for Boston fans is that Joe Johnson (11 points) shot 3 for 15 from the floor including 0 for 9 on 3-pointers. There is no way he'll have another clunker like that.

Ray Allen was really missed by Boston, look no further than their 3-pointer numbers (0 for 11) to see how much of a difference he might have made. Paul Pierce (12 points, 6 assists) played but he might as well have not suited up since he was a detriment, going 5 for 19 from the floor. Luckily, the Celts never seemed to realize that he was ice cold. Old habits I guess. Kevin Garnett shook off a slow start of his own to get 20 points and 12 rebounds. Avery Bradley (10 points, 4 of 12 shooting) looked like a guy starting for the first time in an NBA playoff game. He wasn't a factor on defense either.

Greg Stiemsma had nine rebounds in 19 minutes but Atlanta's bench outscored Boston's 17-4. That number, coupled with the disparity in 3-pointers made (7-0) and rebounds (50-41) in the Hawks' favor were why they triumphed in front of their clueless "fans."

To say this was an ugly game would be doing a disservice to the world ugly. It was putrid, on both sides. Atlanta was up 31-18 after one quarter and 49-35 at halftime before they decided to make it close by turning it over non-stop. Boston rallied a bit in the third (18-16) and fourth (21-18) but their terrible start proved to be their main undoing.

With or without Rondo, in Game 2 (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., CSNE), the Celtics need two things: more offense and they can't fall behind so early by so much. Their defense was not an issue at all. I'm not calling it a must-win but coming back to Boston tied 1-1 would look a hell of a lot better than down 0-2.

UPDATE 4/30: Rondo was suspended for Game 2. Nice going Rajon.

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Celtics-Hawks Begins Tomorrow Night In Atlanta

It seems like it's been weeks since the Boston Celtics fielded a full roster (relatively speaking) and/or played a meaningful game. That will all change tomorrow night (7:00 p.m., CSNE) as they begin their Eastern Conference first round series against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena.

The 2012 NBA playoffs started this afternoon and already, we have what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest storylines of the postseason: Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose tore his ACL so he's done for the spring. That has a direct effect on this series too since the winner of Celtics-Hawks will most likely get the Bulls (who are up 1-0 on the Sixers) in the next round. Suddenly, a team that looked like the class of the Eastern Conference takes a huge step back without the 2010-11 NBA MVP.

Lest Celtics fans start to overlook the Hawks (who have home-court advantage), we only have to look back to four years ago when Atlanta went seven games with Boston in the first round. The C's won that bout and eventually became NBA champions that June but the Hawks are still a tough matchup.

I normally wouldn't reference that long ago but Atlanta's squad is mostly the same; ex-Celtic Joe Johnson is one of the NBA's best shooters and Josh Smith is the ultimate up and down player in the league. The good news for Boston is that Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia are both out for the series which gives the Celtics a big advantage inside (somewhere they don't normally dominate by any means).

The only injury concern for the Celts is Ray Allen's mysterious ankle injury. It scares me because it has seemingly become Kevin Garnett from 2009 or Shaq last season. The team downplays it and makes it seem like Ray could return at any time but until I see him on the court in a game, I won't believe it.

Look for a huge series from Rajon Rondo, there's no chance that Jeff Teague can shut him down for more than a game or two. Likewise, KG should play well against Smith and I expect Paul Pierce to win his matchup with Johnson since he's a better all-around player. The NBA playoffs usually come down to star power and nobody could debate that Boston can trump Atlanta in that category. Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass also give the C's some young energy that will want to prove themselves on the big stage.

Neither team's bench is good by any means but Boston's has started to make much more of an impact late in the regular season (probably because they got big minutes then). Tell me who you would rather have as your top reserves: Greg Stiemsma, Mickael Pietrus and Allen/Marquis Daniels/Sasha Pavlovic or Marvin Williams, Tracy McGrady and Ivan Johnson?

Game 2 is Tuesday (7:30 p.m., CSNE) in Atlanta before the series heads to Boston for Game 3 on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSNE) and Game 4 on Sunday (7:00 p.m., CSNE) at TD Garden.

With the Bruins getting bounced out of the playoffs last week sooner than any of us expected, the Celtics will get much more attention from Boston sports fans and media. This is a team that really played very well in the second half of the regular season and morphed into a darkhorse title contender. Plus, I know I said it last spring but this has to be the last run with the Big 4. Therefore, I don't expect them to go out quietly because they are full of pride and they are winners.

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