Celtics at Atlanta Hawks Game 1: Game thread
- Zaza Pachulia (foot) is out. Doc Rivers said Ray Allen (ankle) is out for the Celtics.
- Zaza says his recovery has been “slow motion” and he’s uncertain if or when he will be able to play during the series: “I don’t have an answer about that. I really don’t. It would make it easier for you guys, me, the coaching staff and the team but I don’t have an answer.”
- More Zaza: “It doesn’t matter if me and Al [Horford] are going to be out for the series, we are still a good team. We are going to confident. We are going to fight.”
- Larry Drew is sticking with Jason Collins at center: “The lineup has been good for us, first of all. It hasn’t been a situation where it hasn’t worked out for us. Even with those first two losses against Boston, lineup-wise, it has been good for us. At this stage [I] don’t really want to rock the boat with that. It’s been good for us. I want to stay with it through the course of the series. If things call for change, we certainly will evaluate that and make a decision on that. But for right now that’s what we will go with.”
- The Hawks were +9 in 34-plus minutes with this lineup during the regular season, according to BasketballValue. They were pretty much worse across the board statistically with Collins on the floor vs. Boston.
- Drew: “Playing against a guy that’s more mobile whether we match him up against [Brandon] Bass or [Kevin] Garnett, that will be a challenge for him. But Jason is a very smart basketball player, particularly defensively. He knows how to play people, from a big guy who is more stationary in the post to a guy who moves around a little bit. He has shown he has the ability to adapt either way. We are counting on his his smarts and his know-how to defend people.”
- Joe Johnson on the Hawks frontline without Horford and Pachulia: “We are down a few bigs so that means us guards and forwards, our play has to get a little nastier.”
- Ivan Johnson on the Celtics: “I am pretty sure they are going to try me but we played them already so I know what to expect.”
- Ivan on the previous meetings with the Celtics: “KG tried me. [Keyon] Dooling, he tried me.” What did KG have to say? “Just regular KG. Talking [bleep].”
- Ivan: “I know what to expect from them so I’m just going to keep a level head and play my game.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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799 comments Add your comment
Loserville USA
April 29th, 2012
10:03 pm
Memphis is a very dangerous team. All the tools.
Grandad
April 29th, 2012
10:04 pm
In the 1st half we had many more assts than the Celts.
In the end they ended up with 20+ assts and our Hwks had 16.
I do not think we had an asst in the 2nd half ?
No ball movement a`tall.
Very little player movement.
Not so much a criticism of Hawks as praise for the Celts
stopping the ball with Great, Great Defense.
There is a reason old men are dangerous !
phil
April 29th, 2012
10:04 pm
Fire Doc Rivers!!
KWAPT
April 29th, 2012
10:04 pm
You guys really drop confetti and ticker-tape after Game 1 wins? lmao..hilarious..
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:04 pm
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
9:57 pm
It was clear the media wanted the celtics to win this series after the paul pierce commercials with him hanging on the ceiling. The obsession with the NBA in regards to putting the product the people think they want on the floor is the reason the NBA will never surpass the NFL as the leading professional sports leauge.
****************
Truth right here. And it;s also the reason why star players want to play in certain markets and on certain teams. In the NFL, stars basically don’t care where they play, because they know that if they help the team win, they’ll get the exposure. Not the case in the NBA.
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:05 pm
Peitrus bothers and contest the mid range game. ISO does not have the quicks to get the extra spacing to get a good look..Peitrus is quicker than Joe…
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
10:06 pm
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 29th, 2012
10:02 pm
Rondo needs Anger Management Classes.
F-U TNT Crew! (Rev’s FU) they will all eat crow as they fuel the hawks to four straight victories. The C’s looked out classed tonight.
Hawks “hang on” to win? They never looked back, led 19 in both halves and, never trailed the C’s.
____________________
Strictly in the interest of accuracy, I don’t believe the Hawks ever led by 19 in the second half. But you’re correct that they never trailed, and hey, they won a BIG game on NATIONAL TV. A highly significant accomplishment for this city.
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:06 pm
Love Memphis! They are for real….
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:07 pm
@slimjr – if only I had NBAtv.
Geno
April 29th, 2012
10:07 pm
Hawks in 4..
Hawkfan
April 29th, 2012
10:07 pm
Sign Sly Ty. Just win baby. I hope TNT is saying in June we are the worst team to ever win an NBA Championship and there is no way we will repeat.
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:08 pm
Jeff Teague and JOsh live on NBA TV!
phil
April 29th, 2012
10:08 pm
Ultimately, we all know, at least deep down for some, that the Hawks are going nowhere in these playoffs.
We will be knocked out. Only question, as always, is when.
Isn’t it sad to KNOW it’s coming, yet we keep on trying to keep the faith, knowing it’s hopeless? It’s exhausting, hoping against hope, year after year that we might get there.
But we won’t and we all know it.
Man, am I depressing…
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:08 pm
Grandad . . the Celtics turned up the defense in the 2nd half. All of those open looks the Hawks got in the 1st half were non-existant.
The Hawks only made 6 jumpers in the 2nd half.
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:09 pm
@DawgNole – wtf are you talking about, this hawks team have won alot more meaningful games than tonights.
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
10:09 pm
LOL at Josh’s bowtie and glasses at the postgame interview on NBATV.
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:09 pm
If your an NBA FAN YOU GOT TO HAVE NBA TV! The former players are awesome on there!
phil
April 29th, 2012
10:09 pm
I knew josh was pretty stupid, but those earrings and those rims just confirmed it.
Wow. Sad.
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:10 pm
Phil . . what if Lebron gets hurt?
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 29th, 2012
10:10 pm
Joe’s 5 asst is 10-15 points for his team mates. 14 points and we don’t win this game without Joe, shutting down Paul. We don’t need grades for indiviual players, this is a TEAM game.
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:11 pm
whats with NBA players and glasses.
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:11 pm
Those rocks in his ears are Blinding??
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:12 pm
Too easy for Memphis right now. Clippers dont have a defensive identity, so if their shots aren’t falling, they’re in trouble. They miss Billups now more than ever right now.
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
10:13 pm
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:09 pm
@DawgNole – wtf are you talking about, this hawks team have won alot more meaningful games than tonights.
_________________________
I didn’t say “games,” dufus. I said it was as big a “game 1″ as the team’s had in years–and it was. Lose this one and we lose home court.
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
10:13 pm
Phil,
Next time I preach on “hell” I will invite you to Tampa to deliver the sermon. Nobody does negative better than you.
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:13 pm
JT0 is the reason for our teams continued success
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:13 pm
Many do not have 20-20 or 20-15 vision due to poor diets…So they take their contacts out after games and put on Prescriptions to give their eyes a break….
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:14 pm
Jeff Teague won this game! Made a couple of huge ones down the stretch!
A+
phil
April 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
I hate to think lebron getting hurt is what it would take.
Everyone can’t get hurt to pave the way. Or maybe they can.
I still think we’ll bow out if for no other reqson because JJ vanishes when we need him most.
Every single year so far. Why not this yr too…
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
Stu Jackson: “After looking at the video, I have determined that Rondo’s bump into the ref was accidental. Even though he intentionally made a move toward the ref, and didn’t put his hands out to keep from hitting the ref, he only had his chest to use to keep from falling fully into the ref. Therefore, the bump was accidental”
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
DawgNole – I disagree breaux, but go hawks!
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
Man, Josh looked like a good in those black rims.
cp
April 29th, 2012
10:16 pm
Monster game by Josh. Teague knocked down some clutch shots. Hinrich and Twin were both solid out there. I love Joe’s defense but his offense was terrible. I dont mind him taking open 3’s but as northcyde said, at some point he has to just stop taking that shot and get to the rim. The bench was terrible. They have to play better than that. And I thought LD left them out there a little too long at certain points. When its clear they dont have it he has to get them out the game. He cant afford to leave them in like that in the playoffs as if this is the regular season.,
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
10:16 pm
Like a goon.
Buddy Grizzard
April 29th, 2012
10:16 pm
“show some respect to the home team, we dominated this game.”
WTF GAME WERE YOU WATCHING???? Celtics were within 4. Rondo cost them a golden opportunity to seize home court advantage. Dominated them???????????????
DOMINATED them???????????????????????
Hawks BARELY squeaked out a victory and you say we DOMINATED them????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:16 pm
Stu must have received a phone call from the Chief Gangster! LOL!
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
uggh … check the stats, they led by 19 in the first and 3rd. Bob pointed that out, what’s the problem giving the Hawks their due? You working for TNT now, My Buddy.
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
Phil, this time last year, JJ was dropping 25 points on Orlando in Game 1. He had a bad shooting game tonight, but the Hawks still won. JJ can and will play better, but I’ll take the win in the meantime.
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
One of the dudes in my church told me today that he didn’t need the glasses he was wearing. He said it was just for fashion. First time I ever heard of a guy wearing glasses as a fashion statement. I laughed at him. Now I’m laughing at Josh.
phil
April 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
Well, Rev, i’ve been watching em fail for 35 years now…
I can say what I please, especially when it’s the simple likely truth.
As for your “sermons”, bet they’re riveting….
RA
April 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
@ KWAPT: Why not drop it now. Might not have a chance later… But here’s the thing, Boston didn’t play their best game, but neither did Atlanta. If Atlanta executes in the fourth quarter, they have a double digit win. If they knock down their free throws, they have a double digit win. There was always a chance that Atlanta could take this series, but after tonight, I think people will be more inclined to say that out loud, and if Boston has to play without Rondo Tuesday night, I could see Atlanta going into Boston up 2 to love.
atlchris77
April 29th, 2012
10:18 pm
Where can you get NBATV? IS IT A CHANNEL? Or only online?
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:18 pm
We are going to miss Josh! Somebody is going show him 100 million…..
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
10:18 pm
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:13 pm
Many do not have 20-20 or 20-15 vision due to poor diets…So they take their contacts out after games and put on Prescriptions to give their eyes a break….
_______________________
It’s not the prescriptions. It’s those fat black rims.
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
10:20 pm
Buddy . . saying that the Hawks “squeaked” out this victory” is innacurate. Boston NEVER had the league in this game. We were up double digits 75% of the game.
We “held on”, not “squeaked out”.
The Hawks didn’t; roll over and die, like they normally do in that situation, so they get credit for this type of win.
HawkEye
April 29th, 2012
10:20 pm
Rondo or no Rondo, a win will be a win in game 2. Whether it was intentional or not, it should not have happened period; 1 game suspension.
Oddly enough, the Basketball world will say Rondo’s absence in game 2 (if suspended) and Ray Allen’s absence (if he can’t suit up for the next few games) is the reason the Hawks will possibly win this series without noting that the Hawks were without Horford and Zaza. It is what it is at this point. The Hawks never receive credit for anything by these so-called non-biased analysts.
RA
April 29th, 2012
10:21 pm
Boston did what great teams do, they made runs. Atlanta did what winners do, they beat them back, again and again. Contrary to what will be said in the media, Boston didn’t lose the game, Atlanta won it.
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
10:21 pm
RethinkPossible
April 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
DawgNole – I disagree breaux, but go hawks!
_______________________
No problem, but what playoff game 1 was more significant for the Hawks in terms of playoff/homecourt ramifications?
Slimjr
April 29th, 2012
10:22 pm
The bench was horrible?
Hawks bench scored 17. Boston bench scored 4! A LOUSY 4 POINTS…Brutal they were..
Rondo on NBA TV now…
Big Lou
April 29th, 2012
10:23 pm
Fan attendance was embarrassing tonight. I can’t imagine how bad Tuesday will be. Good game by the hawks! Lol @ Rondo