Celtics Open 2014-15 Season With Low Expectations By Blowing Out the Nets

It is only one game so there is no need to call the Duck Boats quite yet but even the most cynical Celtics fan (points at self) has to admit that tonight's 121-105 demolition of the Nets at TD Garden was one hell of a way to start off the 2014-2015 regular season. For a team pegged to be a lottery team (again) with no hope of getting to .500, this result makes you wonder if we're simply underestimating the C's in year two under head coach Brad Stevens.

For the first time since 2002, Boston had eight guys score in double figures including all five starters (who each hit a 3-pointer as well). Rajon Rondo (13 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds) surprisingly started despite his recent broken hand. Naturally he flirted with a triple-double in 30 minutes of action. Kelly Olynyk led Boston with 19 points and six rebounds. Jeff Green had 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Avery Bradley scored 15 points and Jared Sullinger rounded out (no pun intended, he's fat!) the starting five with 13 points and two blocks.

Paul Pierce is now with the Wizards and Kevin Garnett (10 points, 6 rebounds) entered his 20th (!) NBA campaign, this has to be his final go-around. The Nets got rid of bozo head coach Jason Kidd for the not wanted Lionel Hollins but it probably doesn't matter who is in charge because they have no clear direction. Some Yugoslavian rookie named Mirza Teletovic, a power forward, led the Nets with a game-high 20 points, six rebounds and two blocks off the bench in 23 minutes. He'll be starting in no time if he keeps up that type of production.

Brooklyn's old guy backcourt of Deron Williams (19 points, 8 assists) and Joe Johnson (19 points, 6 rebounds) would be quite a combination say five years ago but in 2014, you know that Williams will either get hurt, disinterested or both before Christmas. Former Worcester Academy (look it up) star Jarrett Jack added 11 points off the bench for the Nets, he always seems to play well vs. Boston.

Three of the newest Celtics, rookie Marcus Smart (4 steals), Marcus Thornton and Evan Turner (7 rebounds, 5 assists) all scored 10 points off the bench. The C's might not have the best starting five in the Atlantic Divison, let alone the Eastern Conference but it appears that they'll have way more depth than last season so that's worth something, right?

This was simply never remotely competitive as Boston led 32-23 after the first quarter and 67-41 at halftime. To put it into context, they only had one 20+ point lead previously in 2014 (last season). The Celtics outscored the Nets 34-31 in the third quarter before Brooklyn's scrubs made it a little more respectable in the fourth (33-20) but not really.

All these young guys on the Celts will have a few days to hear how great they look before things get real with a trip to Houston (2-0) on Saturday (8, CSN) followed by a meeting in Dallas (0-1) on Monday (8:30, CSN). Those are two definite playoff teams in the always loaded Western Conference and Boston typically plays poorly in Texas so it figures to be a different story from this evening's fun.

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A Christmas Miracle: The Celtics Remember How To Play Defense, In Brooklyn

I doubt that many people saw it since it tipped off shortly after 12 p.m. on Christmas (God bless DVR) but this afternoon at the Barclays Center, the Celtics turned in their best defensive performance of the season with a complete 93-76 win against the Nets.

I'll rule that the victory was the most important of the season for the Celts since this was the beginning of a very difficult four-game road trip. From here, they are off to California for three games. This was the third time they've held their opponent under 80 points, not surprisingly they are 3-0 in those contests with this being the lowest point total.

Boston (14-13, 5-8 away) improved to 2-3 in the last five years on Christmas, their last win came in 2009 against Orlando. Brooklyn (14-13, 9-7 home) could never get on track, they scored 24 points in the first quarter but then were held to 18 or less in the final three quarters. The C's also handed the Nets their first head-to-head loss after Brooklyn won the first two meetings of the 2012-13 regular season.

Rookie Jared Sullinger had a career-high 16 points and seven rebounds as the Celtics had four guys in double figures yet none of them were named Kevin Garnett (8 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks)) or Paul Pierce (8 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds). Rajon Rondo led Boston with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jason Terry added 11 points while Jeff Green scored 15 off the bench.

After a great start to the season, the Nets have quickly come back to Earth. They have a bunch of good players but no real go-to scorer or team identity. Robot Brook Lopez had 15 points and eight rebounds while Gerald Wallace put up 15 points, six rebounds and three steals. Deron Williams (10 points, 6 assists) was a non-factor which is hard to explain, haha he must have been up all night building toys for his kids. Yeah, something like that. Joe Johnson scored 12 points but as always, he was invisible.

The Nets were up 24-22 after the first quarter but the Celtics turned it around to 56-42 at halftime. Boston outscored Brooklyn 17-16 in a grimy third quarter before putting it away in the fourth quarter (20-18).

Boston shot 8.8% better from the field (49.4%-40.6%), they grabbed five more rebounds (41-36) and handed out 11 more assists (25-14) with four more steals (10-6) and nine less turnovers (20-11). The Celtics imposed their will on the Nets with 12 more points in the paint (46-34). I'm sure that was all thanks to Jason Collins (4 points, 4 rebounds).

The next two games have the potential to be some of the best of the season for the Celtics. They are both at 10:30 p.m. EST but there is no excuse since you probably don't have to work the rest of the week and they fall on a Thursday and Saturday. On Thursday (10:30 p.m., TNT), the C's are at the Clippers (21-6, 1st in Pacific Division) then on Saturday (10:30 p.m., CSN) they are at the Warriors (18-10, 2nd in Pacific Division). Do yourself a favor and watch these games, I can almost guarantee that they will be entertaining one way or another. Believe me, I very rarely say that about the NBA.

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Rondo, Humphries & Wallace Ejected As Celtics & Nets "Fight" NBA Style

Tonight was one of those games where nobody will remember the final outcome but for reasons other than wins and losses, it was particularly memorable for an NBA regular season contest.

With 29 seconds left in a terrible first half (Boston trailed Brooklyn 51-35), Kevin Garnett (16 points, 10 rebounds) was fouled hard by Kris Humphries as he went to shoot. Rajon Rondo reacted by pushing Humphries into the crowd behind the basket as all hell broke loose, well as much as that can happen in an NBA game. Rondo, Humphries and Gerald Wallace were all ejected but it probably didn't matter since Brooklyn (10-4, 3-3 away) still rolled over Boston 8-7, 4-4 home) 95-83 at TD Garden.

There is little doubt that all three players, particularly Rondo since he started the whole mess, will likely face suspensions from the NBA. Brooklyn beat Boston for the second time in less than two weeks thanks to a great night from its bench: Andray Blatche (13 rebounds) and 38-year-old Jerry Stackhouse (five 3-pointers) both scored 17 points while C.J. Watson added 13 points.

Old friend Joe Johnson was the only Nets starter in double-figures with 18 points and six assists. Brook Lopez (9 points, 10 rebounds) and Deron Williams (8 points, 7 assists) were both held in check but it didn't matter since Brooklyn led from start to finish and Boston never really pushed them. It helped that the Nets hit nine more 3-pointers (10-1), grabbed 10 more rebounds (50-40), handed out seven more assists (21-14) and recorded five more steals (12-7).

Brandon Bass scored 16 points, Paul Pierce (14 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) wasn't that far off from a triple-double and Jason Terry scored 13. The Celtics needed more than usual from their bench with Rondo out but instead they were blitzed 52-18 by their Nets counterparts.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers rightfully blasted his team after the game, calling them soft. Maybe that will inspire them to become more consistent and figure things out defensively. I assume that Rondo will appeal his suspension or it won't go into effect right away but you can bet that he is going to miss a chunk of games in the near future.

Boston hosts Portland (6-9) on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSN) at TD Garden. The Blazers should be in a great mood themselves since they lost to 0-12 Washington tonight (84-82).

UPDATE 11/29: Rondo was suspended two games so he will miss Portland tomorrow night and Milwaukee on Saturday night. Garnett was fined $25,000 for his actions but those are the only two punishments for Boston.

UPDATE 11/30: Forward Kris Joseph was called up from the Red Claws for tonight, meaning either Jeff Green (knee) or Chris Wilcox (illness) is out vs. Portland. We shall see.

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Without Rondo, The Celtics Put Up A Good FIght But Ultimately Lose 102-97 To The Nets

When word came over on Twitter tonight that Rajon Rondo would miss Boston's game in Brooklyn (due to his sprained ankle), that coupled with the fact that it was the second night of a back-to-back (a mortal enemy of the Celtics) made me think they would mail it in.

I have to give them credit, they fought way more than I expected but they still fell short as the Nets (5-2, 4-1 home) won their fourth straight game, 102-97 over the Celtics at Barclays Center. Boston saw their three-game win streak snapped.

Everybody has been high on Brooklyn coming into this season and for good reason, it looks like they might finally give the C's some competition in the usually terrible Atlantic Division. Deron Williams had 24 points and eight assists while Brook Lopez also put up 24 points along with six rebounds and four blocks. Former Celtic Joe Johnson had 19 points and eight rebounds while Kris Humphries notched 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Paul Pierce had 22 points and seven assists, Leandro Barbosa started at point guard and continued his strong play from last night with 17 points. This game was also notable since it was Courtney Lee's best one in a Celtics uniform (not that there were many to choose from): 13 points, nine rebounds and three steals off the bench. Jason Terry scored 10 points but Brandon Bass (8 points) and Jeff Green (5 points) were nowhere to be seen. I guess they stayed back in Boston.

The only reason the Celts had a chance to win is because of their excellent third quarter (29-15). Other than that, they were outscored 87-68 including 28-18 in the fourth quarter when predictably, their legs gave out. I can't explain how but Boston had 14 more fast break points (19-5) and 10 more points in the paint (46-36).

Boston is off tomorrow then has two more games this weekend as the Raptors (2-6) come to TD Garden on Saturday afternoon (12:30 p.m., CSN) then the C's head to Detroit (1-8) on Sunday (7:30 p.m, CSN). Playing four games in five days is certainly not preferable but everybody has a stretch like this at some point in the NBA season. Even without Rondo, the Celtics should be able to beat what are probably the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. I'm sure I'll watch both games but could you think of a less appealing weekend?

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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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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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No Reason To Fear The Atlanta Hawks

It's that time of year again, when the Celtics willfully tank games to get rest for the Big 4 heading into the playoffs.

Atlanta was the first stop on the 2011-12 tour and the Hawks (38-25, 21-9 home) almost suffered an embarrassing loss but they held on 97-92 over the Celtics (37-27, 15-18 away) earlier tonight at Philips Arena.

Since this was likely a first round playoff preview, the Celtics' bench proved its worth against mostly starters for the Hawks. That should do something for both squads' confidence especially because Boston will have the home court advantage. Still, it's one game so let's not go overboard. Atlanta will be a challenge if they meet but I think that Boston should get by them.

Former Celtic Joe Johnson (30 points, 6 assists) and Josh Smith (19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks) were the only Hawks in double figures.

Avery Bradley led the Green with 28 points, Keyon Dooling (3 of 4 on 3-pointers) had 17 points, Marquis Daniels had 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Brandon Bass scored 10. Ryan Hollins played his most minutes (30) in a Celtics uniform and he responded with eight points and five rebounds as a substitute.

This was the final road game of the regular season, Boston will face Miami (Tuesday) and Milwaukee (Thursday) next week at the Garden. Feel free to sleep until next Saturday when the playoffs begin and don't be fooled into taking tickets to either of those games since you know everyone will be giving them away. I doubt anything remotely interesting with the Celtics will occur between now and then.

Expect to see plenty of JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams, Sasha Pavlovic, Dooling, Daniels and Hollins against the Heat and Bucks. I wouldn't hesitate to rest the Big 4 as much as possible since they are really going to be counted on starting next weekend.

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Everyone Should Be Back On Board The Celtics Bandwagon By Now

No matter what happens the rest of this season, I think we can all safely say that tonight's Celtics-Hawks game was the craziest one that we'll see all year.

Boston (34-24, 21-9 home) won the second night of a back-to-back, 88-86 in overtime over Atlanta (34-24, 15-16 away) at TD Garden.

With the victory, the Celtics improved to 19-7 since the All-Star break while they also leapfrogged the Hawks and Magic for the inside track of the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Rajon Rondo (10 points, 10 rebounds, 20 assists) notched his sixth triple-double of the season (nobody else in the NBA has more than one) and 13th of his career in the regular season which tied recently retired Antoine Walker for second in franchise history behind some guy named Larry Bird (59). He also put up double-digit assists for the 19th straight game, the longest streak since John Stockton's 29 in 1992.

After picking up its biggest win of the season-so far-last night in Miami, the C's didn't have much left in the tank tonight but they still fought through that and came out on top. Despite the fact that Kevin Garnett (22 points, 12 points, 3 steals) and Greg Stiemsma (6 points, 8 rebounds) both fouled out in the extra session on bogus calls, the Green and White found a way to capture its ninth win in its last 11 contests.

I haven't even mentioned that Ray Allen didn't play (resting his ankle) and Mickael Pietrus (8 points, 6 rebounds) made his unexpected return. Brandon Bass had a monster game with 21 points and 10 rebounds. It was a scary few minutes in overtime when it looked like he went down with a serious knee injury but thankfully he bounced up and stayed on the court. Paul Pierce had 14 points but he looked the most tired with 6 for 19 shooting, including 1 of 8 on 3-pointers.

After getting punked last time in Atlanta, young point guard Jeff Teague (21 points, 6 assists) played well for the Hawks. Josh Smith (20 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) was his typical self: making great plays on one end then head-scratching decisions on the next possession (6 turnovers, technical foul). Joe Johnson 14 points (5 for 17 shooting) was held in check by Avery Bradley (7 points) and goofball Zaza Pachulia notched 13 points and seven rebounds.

Boston was +17 in rebounds (56-39) and +9 on offensive boards (15-6) which both have to be season-highs. Rondo single-handily equaled Atlanta's assist output and his teammates accumulated eight assists as well.

I never mentioned the foul disparity, I'm not related to Tommy Heinsohn, but trust me when I tell you that the three clowns working tonight will not be needed in the playoffs. That's for sure. Boston survived getting called for eight more fouls (24-16).

However they choose to do it, the Celts need some rest in the next 24 hours in the worst possible way. Their one and only back-to-back-to-back is this weekend with visits to Toronto on Friday, New Jersey on Saturday and Charlotte on Sunday. If you drew up a three games in three nights scenario where a team could go 3-0, some combination of those three Lottery-bound squads would be it. I'm not saying Boston will go 3-0 but it wouldn't surprise me at all.

This team is on fire and it's been so much fun to watch. The C's have some extra incentive North of the border since the Raptors beat them 86-74 on February 10, easily one of the low points of the season.

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The Atlanta Hawks Will Never Change As Long As They Employ Josh Smith

It's good to know that some things in the NBA never change: namely that Josh Smith is still the dumbest player in the league. By association, his Atlanta Hawks (I can't believe they never traded him) will fail to get anywhere with that knucklehead.

The Boston Celtics (24-21, 8-13 road) took advantage of Atlanta's (26-20, 13-7) lack of smarts to win a sneaky big game tonight, 79-76 at Philips Arena.

Sure the C's almost blew a 15-point lead in crunch time, one of their specialties, but thankfully Jeff Teague airballed a 3-pointer then failed to foul, allowing Boston to run out the clock. Teague is the same guy that got called for a taunting technical in the third quarter after he dunked on Ray Allen. Atlanta led by eight (47-39) at the time.

Allen led the Celtics with 19 points. Kevin Garnett had 16 points and eight rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 13 and Rajon Rondo had 10 points, 13 assists and six steals. Every point counted in such a low-scoring contest so it's notable that Brandon Bass added eight points and 10 rebounds, Mickael Pietrus scored nine off the bench and Greg Stiemsma blocked four shots.

Joe Johnson (25 points) might as well be Ray Allen 2.0, what an incredible shooter. He got Atlanta back into it as he was 4 of 5 on 3-pointers. Zaza Pachulia had 16 points and 13 rebounds while Smith put up 10 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Good numbers if you have him in fantasy but not when you consider he was 5 of 20 from the floor.

This was the first of three meetings between the Celtics and Hawks (Apr. 11 in Boston, April 20 in Atlanta) so it was big for the Green to prove right off the bat that they could win at Philips Arena.

Only two more games left on this endless eight-game road trip for the Celts (3-3 so far). Even better, they get two days off before their next game: Thursday in Milwaukee. The Celtics beat the Bucks 102-96 on Leap Day but since then, Milwaukee has been playing better plus they traded for Monta Ellis. Him and Brandon Jennings with Ersan Ilyasova-maybe the NBA's most improved player-is a tough matchup for the C's.

Zombie Jermaine O'Neal officially is out for the season as he's opting for wrist surgery. Let's all pour out a goblet of blood for him.

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You know it's bad when Zaza Pachulia is unstoppable

Last night in Atlanta, it was a battle of who cared less (apologies to Ben Folds): the Boston Celtics or the Atlanta Hawks.

Neither team was into it (as evidenced by the numerous easy baskets and layups) but the Hawks (44-32) eventually made enough plays to come away with a depressing 88-83 win over the Celtics (52-23) at the Philips Arena.

I say depressing because the main reason that Atlanta was victorious had to do with the energy provided by goofball big man Zaza Pachulia. He had 15 points and 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes off the bench. Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 20 points off the bench but that's at least forgivable since he's a good NBA player. There is absolutely no reason that Zaza should be dropping double-doubles in your eyeball.

Paul Pierce led Boston with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds but he couldn't do it alone in the second night of the back-to-back road games. Rajon Rondo had 13 points, 10 assists and five rebounds while Ray Allen (11 points), Kevin Garnett (10 points) and Delonte West (10 points, 5 assists off the bench) all barely reached double figures.

The terrible pro sports fans in Atlanta were treated to a real snoozefest in the first half as the Hawks led 23-21 after the first quarter but the Celtics woke up for a 52-44 advantage.

The third quarter was another dud (18-16 Atlanta) and then the Hawks started looking like a playoff team in the fourth quarter (26-15 Hawks) while the Celtics were content to take hopeless 3-pointers and long jumpers.

Boston shot 44.6% to 36.7% for Atlanta. The Celtics made two more 3-pointers (6-4) but Atlanta lived at the free throw line (26-11 free throws made). Atlanta had 14 more rebounds (52-38) but Boston had eight more assists (22-14), four more blocks (5-1) and three more steals (5-2).

With the loss, the Cs fell half a game behind the Miami Heat (with a game in hand for Boston) into the third spot in the Eastern Conference. Only seven more games left, Boston hosts the Detroit Pistons tomorrow night at TD Garden.

Atlanta: More than just world-famous strip clubs

How many more times do the Atlanta Hawks (24-13) have to beat the Boston Celtics before everyone can just admit that the Hawks own the C's?

While the Celtics take turns hanging out at the local senior centers with their peers, the Hawks have gone 3-0 against them this season, including last night's come-from-behind 102-96 win at the TD Garden.

Former Celtic Joe Johnson silenced the home crowd with a game-high 36 points while Jamal Crawford (17 points off the bench) continues to be one of the best pickups that nobody talks about.

After his best game of the season (a game-high 29 points Sunday in a win vs. the Raptors), Rasheed Wallace joined Boston's (26-10) neverending injury list with a sore foot. Kevin Garnett continues to be out for 10 to 14 days with his mysterious knee injury which is very worrisome if you were paying attention at all last season.

Without Sheed and KG, Brian Scalabrine had to start last night. And yes, I just puked all over my computer monitor when I wrote that. A guy that shouldn't be paid to play basketball started against a damn good team. Yikes.

Rajon Rondo (vote for Rondo!) continued to tear it up as he had 26 points and seven assists while playing 45 minutes. He deserves to make the All-Star game. Paul Pierce added 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Ray Allen scored 16 and Kendrick Perkins notched 11 points and nine rebounds.

Besides the masterful fourth quarter by the Hawks (25-16), the most notable part of the game was the reemergence of Glen Davis. After struggling for the last few weeks to get back his game, Davis looked good last night with 13 points in 28 minutes. He'll be a big factor this season since who knows how healthy KG and Sheed will be from here on out.

Josh Smith and Marvin Williams had 14 points apiece for Atlanta while Al Horford grabbed 12 rebounds.

This was a game Boston had in hand as they led 31-21 after one quarter and 55-46 at the half. The Hawks responded with a 31-25 third quarter which preceded the efficient fourth.

Johnson is one of the countless big names that will be a free agent this summer and it'll be interesting to see if the Celtics can make a run at their former draft pick. He's basically a younger Ray Allen. The problem is some team will probably throw a ridiculous offer at him that he can't pass up.

The C's shot a blistering 55.4% to Atlanta's 45.5%. The Hawks made nine more free throws (23-14), six more offensive rebounds (9-3), five more steals (7-2) and nine less turnovers (16-7). Cue every YMCA league basketball coach you ever had telling you about the importance of hustle and the little things that win games. You get the picture.

Boston travels to the Jersey Shore, not really but I wish, as they take on the Nets tomorrow night. If the Celts lose to the Nets (owners of three wins), then we'll have issues.

Even Ludacris can't save you Atlanta

For a game in December, the Atlanta Hawks and their fraud fans showed up in full force last night at the Philips Arena. Native son Ludacris even performed at halftime of this circus like atmosphere.

However, it will take more than that to stop the machine that is the Boston Celtics these days though as the C's (24-2) won 88-85. Boston has now won 16 consecutive games, including 10 straight on the road.

As we learned in the playoffs last spring and in the teams' first meeting in November, the Hawks (15-10) match up with the Celtics better than any other team in the league. That's not a misprint Lakers, Cavs, Pistons, Hornets or Spurs. Atlanta's combination of athletic youngsters (Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford) with some great shooters (Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby) means that games between these two teams are almost always tight.

The Celts starting five once again was superb. Paul Pierce (7 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (8 rebounds) each had 18 points while Ray Allen added 16. Rajon Rondo went for 15 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. Kendrick Perkins had eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

For the Hawks, Johnson led the way with a game-high 20 points. Williams had 16 points and eight rebounds while Smith and Bibby both notched 14 points.

The outcome wasn't decided until the final possessions as each team had clutch hoops and free throws. Boston went up one late with a KG hook shot. Johnson was fouled and had a chance to tie it (and likely send the game to OT) but he missed the second free throw.

Ray Allen hit two free throws to put Boston up three and Bibby missed a prayer 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Celts shot 44.2% to the Hawks' 36.7%. That was the only number that was much different.

Boston comes home to play the Bulls tomorrow night with the chance to tie the second best win-streak in franchise history.

Paul Pierce, proud owner of enormous onions

It's comforting to know that between his busy schedule of winning NBA titles, Finals MVP awards and hitting game-winners (not to mention throwing gang signs and getting stabbed in clubs) that Paul Pierce reads my blog. That much is clear after Pierce once again took over in the fourth quarter last night as the Celtics beat the Hawks, 103-102 at the Garden.

Things didn't look good for Boston as Marvin Williams (14 points) hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left, putting Atlanta (6-1) up 102-101.

No worries though since we have the Truth. Pierce (game high 34 points, 6 rebounds) hit a turnaround, fadeaway jumper over Al Horford with .5 seconds left.

It's quite early in the season but Pierce could not be playing better basketball as the Celtics (8-1) won their sixth game in a row.

For whatever reason, the C's continue to play poorly in the first half (something that will have to change over the long run since you cannot count on performances like the last couple games).

The Hawks were up 31-24 after the first quarter and took a 16-point lead in the second quarter before Boston tied it up with an 18-2 run. The game was tied at 51 going into halftime.

For the rest of the game, the Celts continued to make plays while the Hawks stubbornly hung around and refused to go away. Atlanta took the third quarter, 26-25 before Boston eked out the fourth 27-25.

Kevin Garnett had a juicy double-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Ray Allen added 17 points and seven rebounds (five offense boards has to be a career-high) and Rajon Rondo dished out 10 assists. Kendrick Perkins continued to be solid with nine points and eight rebounds.

For the Hawks, Joe Johnson (28 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds) was the star while Mike Bibby scored 16 points. Veterans Flip Murray (14 points) and Maurice Evans (13 points) had strong games off the bench.

Atlanta shot a blistering 59% as a team on threes (13 of 22) while Boston (5 of 24) fired up plenty of bricks. Outside of Pierce, the main reason that the Celts won was because they got to the line and converted (34 of 42 to Atlanta's 27 of 33) and grabbed 11 more rebounds (43-32).

This budding rivalry is starting to get good after last night's epic early-season game. Even without star Josh Smith, the Hawks pushed the Celtics to the limit and it would not be surprising at all to see these teams meet again next spring.

In the meantime, Denver comes to the Garden tomorrow night with old foe Chauncey Billups leading the Nuggets while Allen Iverson took his place in Detroit.

Don't Try to Explain It, Just Be Happy They're Moving On

In what will go down as one of the most lopsided game seven's of all-time, the Boston Celtics took out three losses worth of frustration on the Atlanta Hawks yesterday at the Garden, winning 99-65 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cavs.

Doc Rivers (who had never made it out of the first round as a coach), Paul Pierce (who had another meltdown in game 6) and KG (who has only made it out of the first round once) were all spared what would have been a brutal off-season of questions if a 66-win team choked in the first round to a bad team.

The game was never really in doubt as Boston led 44-26 at halftime and by as much as 38 points in the third quarter. Atlanta never showed up (yesterday or in any of the games in Boston). And that ends one of the strangest playoff series' you'll ever see. No road wins for either team and the C's dominated every home game, winning by 19+ each time.

Five Celts scored in double figures, led by Paul Pierce (22 points). Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 11 boards. Kendrick Perkins was a force defensively with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Rajon Rondo had 10 points and six assists while Leon Powe had 12 points off the bench.

Ray Allen struggled all game, shooting 3 of 12 for seven points but nobody noticed.

Joe Johnson was the only Hawk over ten points with 16. Salim Stoudamire had 10 in extended garbage time and Al Horford ended his fine rookie season with eight points and ten rebounds. Mike Bibby (who couldn't play worse in Boston if he tried) had two points, four rebounds and two assists.

Marvin Williams almost killed Rondo with a hard foul in the third quarter. Rondo went in for a layup and Williams grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed. The two are supposedly friends and luckily Rondo was fine but it could have been a disaster. Williams got a Type-2 flagrant foul and with that, his first playoff season was over.

KG also exacted some revenge on Hawks goofy big man Zaza Pachulia. Garnett absolutely laid him out (on a clean screen) in the back court. Rivers pulled KG and the rest of the starters by the beginning of the fourth since the game was long decided and Boston will play again on Tuesday.

For now, I'm not going to look back on this series with the Hawks much. It exposed plenty of problems with Boston but the most important thing is that they got by. They are still the top seed and I feel like they should get by Cleveland as well. There's no other team that depends so heavily on one player like LeBron and the Cavs. If the Celts can slow him down for four games and make the assorted spare parts beat them, they'll be fine. It's a favorable matchup for Boston but Cleveland has been resting since Friday night so they could steal either game 1 or 2.

One loss away from the biggest upset in NBA playoff history

If someone had told you two weeks ago that the Atlanta Hawks would push the Boston Celtics to the limit, forcing seven games, you would have laughed at that ridiculous notion. Yet here we are.

The Hawks once again won at Philips Arena last night, 103-100, to force game 7 on Sunday in Boston.

This one had the look and feel of games 3 and 4, where the Celtics held double-digit leads at some point but consistently shit the bed down the stretch when it mattered. All thoughts of taking it to the hoop or getting the ball down low to KG went out to the window as everyone wanted to be the hero.

Six Hawks scored double digits, led by Marvin Williams (!) who had 18 points. Mike Bibby had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Joe Johnson and Josh Childress each scored 15 and Josh Smith notched 11.

Kevin Garnett had a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals but those numbers seem hollow since KG disappeared in the fourth quarter. I love the guy but he has to get more selfish in crunch time, when his team is falling apart. And for God's sake, you're 7 feet tall: take it to the hoop, don't settle for long contested jumpers.

Ray Allen had 20 points and six rebounds but he was 1 for 8 on three-pointers. For some odd reason, down two points with 10 seconds left, the C's drew up a play for Allen to take a tough three instead of going inside. It missed and with that the Celts chances went out the window. Sure, they had one final look to tie it up but Rajon Rondo air-balled a three when nobody else could get open. Yikes.

Paul Pierce had 17 points and six assists but he was probably the main goat. He fouled out in the fourth on a bad call but he got a T for throwing his headband. As a veteran, he can't make stupid mistakes like that. Kendrick Perkins had 14 points, Leon Powe had nine off the bench and James Posey added six points and seven rebounds.

Boston jumped out early, leading 32-20 after the first quarter. It shrunk to a one-point lead at the half, as Boston was up 50-49. The C's outscored Atlanta, 32-30 in the third but the Hawks took the fourth, 24-18.

A day later, I still can't believe there's a game seven. This is a joke. Every other series is over, with some new ones starting today while the Celtics still haven't gotten rid of the Hawks.

Doc Rivers and KG have been criticized plenty for not getting out of the first round, save for the one time KG went to the Western Conference Finals with Minnesota. It's hard to imagine the fall-out if they choke this one away. I don't even want to think about it.

Boston was a bricktastic 4 of 19 on threes while Atlanta was 1 for 7. The C's fell in love with the three and it cost them. They just refuse to drive to the basket in Atlanta, pretty strange.

It is now a three-game series

When you have a superior team in the playoffs (partiucarly in the first round), you have to take care of business as soon as possible. You can't let teams hang around and gain confidence. Unfortunately, the Celtics-the "better team" have forgotten this coach speak.

Didn't see this coming, did you? The Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics, 97-92, in game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals to even the series at 2-2.

The Celtics looked in control at different points, jumping out to a 16-3 lead to start the game then carrying a 10-point advantage into the fourth quarter but they couldn't close out this increasingly pesky Hawks team.

Plain and simple, Atlanta won because of Joe Johnson. The all-star had a game-high 34 points, including a jaw-dropping 20 in the fourth quarter. The Hawks offense was pretty simple in the fourth, give it to Johnson and get out of the way. Boston complied, never really changing things up until it was too late.

Johnson and Josh Smith (28 points, 7 blocks, 6 rebounds) scored all of Atlanta's points in the fourth quarter. Mike Bibby added 18 points and Al Horford (who gets more annoying each game) hauled in 13 rebounds.

Kevin Garnett had 20 points, nine boards and six steals but appeared to lose some of his mojo after getting into a scuffle with Atlanta goof Zaza Pachulia. They were fighting for a rebound in the second then continued to jaw after the whistle had blown. This led to technicals for both players and matching T's for Johnson and Sam Cassell.

A fired up Philips Center, full of as my friend texted me "16,000 Pacmans," went crazy for the rest of the game.

Ray Allen led the C's with 21 points while Paul Pierce had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Pierce's biggest flaw came back to bite him as he went 4 of 8 from the free throw line.

Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 12 assists while James Posey had 10 points off the bench while the rest of the subs were 1 for 9 from the floor.

For the second straight game, the officials were terrible but that's not why they Celtics lost; they simply failed to execute in the fourth, getting outscored 32-17.

The style that brought the C's so much success this season has included crisp ball movement and plenty of drives to the hoop. Boston got away from that last night as they settled for the first shot or tried to go one-on-one too often.

For the game, Atlanta shot 47.8% from the floor to Boston's 41.2%. Threes kept the Celtics in the game (12-4 advantage) since the Hawks dominated free throws made (29-10). The C's had 10 more assists (26-16) which is puzzling and seven more steals (11-4).

The only number that matters is 2-2. This series has become a three-game series and while Boston has the home-court advantage, the pressure is completely on them to avoid what would be a historical upset.

Game 5 is tomorrow night at the TD Banknorth Garden. It's a must-win for the Celts as far as I'm concerned, they can't go to Atlanta down 3-2.

Atlanta defies the odds and wins a game

As we've seen in the first round of the NBA playoffs, it's hard for the team that's up 2-0 to go up 3-0. Utah, New Orleans, Cleveland and Orlando all lost the third game.

Surprisingly, the Boston Celtics were added to that random list last night as they fell 102-93 to the Atlanta Hawks in game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

There were many signs that last night would not be the C's night. The shot-clock malfunctioned so they turned them both off and used the PA announcer and air horns. Really. Then a random buzzer went off later. These led to lengthy waits as the teams had to sit as the clueless Hawks staff tried to fix things.

Kevin Garnett had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Paul Pierce had 17 points and eight assists but they didn't get enough help from the supporting cast. Ray Allen had 13 points while Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo both scored 10 points. The C's bench had a pathetic 11 points, seven from James Posey.

Josh Smith had a breakout game with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Joe Johnson also woke up with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Al Horford had a double-double with 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Marvin Williams posted 13 points while Mike Bibby had 12 points and eight assists.

Atlanta led 32-26 after the first quarter but Boston tied it at 56 going into the half. The third quarter is when the Hawks put it away as they outscored Boston by 10 (28-18) and led for the rest of the game.

The Hawks were hot on three-pointers (10-18) and had eight more rebounds (43-35).

While the result was somewhat shocking, it'll probably help the Celtics. Common sense says that they won't lose another game in the series. Maybe they needed a little reality check after winning so easily in the first two games.

Game 4 is tomorrow night back at Philips Arena.