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
steven
April 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
close call
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
Close call on Josh’s block. Those are the kind that can kill you.
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Marvin enters game with an angry look.
steven
April 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
QUACK ATTACK!
yodaddybrother
April 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Marvin with the oop!!!
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
MARVY!
(You lovin’ it, JeJe?!)
High-sider
April 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
Hawks ballin’; the crowd is hyped!!!
kingd92
April 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
That’s the highest marvin has jumped all year!!
steven
April 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
Two!
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
Pierce limping out. YEA
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
This team is playing great defense. Ivan with the solid man defense leads to the turnover, then the lob to Marvin by JJ on the fast break.
Just great basketball, and an illustration of how defense can fuel the offense.
Keep an eye on JJ and his shot tonight. He’s missed all of his threes tonight, and goes 1 – 2 from the line. If your shot is off, either go into playmaker mode or get into the paint.
Celtics have no answer for us right now. Keep the foot on the gas pedal.
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
KG’s pooped and Pierce is limping.
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
Cmon, Josh, don’t do that crap again.
steven
April 29th, 2012
7:28 pm
Bad nooz that Smith made one of his first jumpers cause he’ll be taking those all night
yodaddybrother
April 29th, 2012
7:28 pm
there’s those 3s again
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
7:28 pm
Ivan with big confidence
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
7:29 pm
LOL @ JJ . . . instead of going hard to the hole and either shooting the floater and drawing contact to get to the FT line, he passes out to a wide open Josh Smith in the corner for a 3
Air ball
Still playing great though.
Ivan making an immediate impact, while KG looks like garbage tonight.
That’s better JJ . . draw the foul and get to the dang FT line.
yodaddybrother
April 29th, 2012
7:29 pm
Hawks aint no hoes
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:29 pm
Ivan! Yessir!
Blast
April 29th, 2012
7:29 pm
Let’s Go, Hawks! Shut em up!
kingd92
April 29th, 2012
7:30 pm
Where’s shamrock?
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:31 pm
kingd92
April 29th, 2012
7:30 pm
Where’s shamrock?
____________________
Good question.
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
7:31 pm
Doc is resting Garnett right now, so that he can go against our 2nd unit in the 2nd quarter. That should put him one on one vs Ivan. Depending on who Drew puts in the game, it may be against Marvin.
rob
April 29th, 2012
7:31 pm
shamrock scared? He will be back if Boston makes a run
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:32 pm
Gotta keep running. Wearing ‘em out.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 29th, 2012
7:33 pm
NortyCyde
Looks like Drew knows what he is doing. Agreed?
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 29th, 2012
7:34 pm
its the playoffs josh we dont need those passes
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
7:34 pm
T-Mac to have a big series . . . but Drew subs in Green for JJ? No T-Mac on the floor yet.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 29th, 2012
7:34 pm
Kami-Kazi passes Josh?
CaptCaveman
April 29th, 2012
7:34 pm
Enjoying listening to TNT being FORCED to talk about the Hawks……… so far they have come up with Josh Smith’s poor shot selection and Ivan’s history of leagues and teams including his Ban from South Korean League………
They are running out of crap to say and will have to start talking about the Hawks putting a Butt Whoopin’ on their precious Celtic’s LOLOL
Rev in Tampa
April 29th, 2012
7:34 pm
10 of C’s 14 points have been easy layups because of defensive breakdowns
bigdave
April 29th, 2012
7:35 pm
Sad Marvin.. work this off season dude.
DawgNole
April 29th, 2012
7:35 pm
Don’t shoot, don’t shoot! Oh, OK.
Blast
April 29th, 2012
7:35 pm
Hawks gotta keep executing. Game far from over.
steven
April 29th, 2012
7:36 pm
Without Rondo, I don’t think the Celtics would have any points
kingd92
April 29th, 2012
7:36 pm
Can we get T-mac out there? Willie, Marvin, Kirk and Ivan need someone to help create shots.
yodaddybrother
April 29th, 2012
7:36 pm
keep it up….foot on the gas
Now give Josh a quick 3 or 4 minute rest. bring in Teague, Joe and TMac
Mac-Town (478)™
April 29th, 2012
7:37 pm
What was Marvin doing?
rob
April 29th, 2012
7:37 pm
TMAC needs to get some burn, he better be in there to start 2nd quarter. No VLad Rad please
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 29th, 2012
7:37 pm
marvin cant create his own shot…sad
CamiloAtlanta
April 29th, 2012
7:38 pm
Celtics too old. Surprised it’s this close.
northcyde
April 29th, 2012
7:38 pm
drmaryb . . no complaints about Drew. My major beef with him all year was him playing the wrong people, while limiting others. If Marvin is playing well, Marvin should play extended minutes. So should Ivan.
******
Dang . . . I wish Black people weren’t so sensitive sometimes. I want to see that Mary J Blige Burger King commercial with her singing about the Chicken Wraps. Not Steven Tyler ( Aerosmith ) playing the harmonica
kingd92
April 29th, 2012
7:38 pm
rob- yea i agree. nobody is trying to see marvin work the high post again.
TMACfan
April 29th, 2012
7:38 pm
Please never play Vlad Rad a single minute this postseason unless we are blowing out the celtics by 30
TMACfan
April 29th, 2012
7:39 pm
WHERE IS SHAMROCK?????
Shamrock
April 29th, 2012
7:39 pm
Where’s Shamrock?
I can’t watch and type at the same time, I’m slow at typing and my computer isn’t facing the TV.
Again…quiet as a morgue by halftime.
JaeEvolution
April 29th, 2012
7:39 pm
Hawks are probably the last hope of stopping Miami or at least giving them a challenge. We can take the green men down in this series, we just have to get past the Bulls/Sixers in the second round and by the ECF Al and Zaza should be back and we should be at full strength.
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
April 29th, 2012
7:40 pm
wow rondo still on the floor
Paradise Lost
April 29th, 2012
7:40 pm
Northcyde: I didnt have to stand long! ;o)
kingd92
April 29th, 2012
7:41 pm
Shoot the 3 willie!