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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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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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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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.

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.

Celtics firing on all cylinders

The Celtics beat the Hawks, 98-88, last night at the Garden. With Boston (46-12) likely to finish No. 1 or 2 in the Eastern Conference and Atlanta (24-33) looking like a safe bet to slide in at No. 7 or No. 8, these two teams could meet in the first round and no joke, the Hawks aren't a pushover anymore.

With recently acquired point guard Mike Bibby (14 points, 9 assists), emerging star Josh Smith (22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks), all-star Joe Johnson (9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and rookie of the year candidate Al Horford (14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks), the Hawks are a young and dangerous team.

The Celtics fifth win in a row wasn't easy but Paul Pierce (game-high 30 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks), Kevin Garnett (20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Ray Allen (17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) all played well. Kendrick Perkins continued his stellar play of late with 11 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Last night and the Bobcats win on Friday might have been the best back-to-back performances by Perk in the NBA.

Boston jumped out to a 26-22 lead after the first quarter but Atlanta went into halftime up 44-41 thanks to a sad 15-point second frame by the home team.

Pierce, who only had seven points in the first half went to work in the third quarter, scoring 17 points as he was on fire from everywhere. It was also KG's most complete performance since coming back from the abdominal injury. He was a force on both ends and had a sick behind the back pass down low to Glen Davis (6 points) for a reverse layup.

The Hawks never really went away but the C's took the third (29-23) and the fourth (28-21). Josh Childress (12 points, 4 rebounds), who still has the exact same goofy 'fro for the Hawks was decent. Rajon Rondo had six points, eight assists and two steals but he was just 2-of-11 from the floor, a vintage performance from last season's nightmare.

Boston shot 44.6% for the game to Atlanta's 39.5%. Neither team did much from downtown as the Hawks were a woeful 3-for-16 and the Celts were 7-for-21. Atlanta (21-28) curiously got to the line more (17-21) but the C's had eight more assists (26-18) and five more steals (9-4).

The Celtics practice the next few days before what has been called their regular season game of the year with the Detroit Pistons at the Garden on Wednesday. It's the third and final matchup of the season between the two top teams in the East. The first two contests were great with each team winning on the road.

Boston likely will have some reinforcements too as Sam Cassell was released by the Clippers on Friday and is expected to join the C's today as long as he clears waivers. P.J. Brown could also make his Celtics debut against the Pistons. It should be another classic and with the Celts up 3.5 games on Detroit, a win on Wednesday would go a long way towards wrapping up the top seed in the playoffs.