Atlanta Hawks: Video: Josh Smith lifts Hawks past Celtics
I joined The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn to review the Hawks’ 83-74 victory over the Celtics in Game 1.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
141 comments Add your comment
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
4:51 pm
LOL @ people hating on me for being “negative” after last night’s game.
I actually like this roster very much in this series. I just think there’s some CHANGES and BETTER PERFORMANCES we need from certain players.
1) T-Mac + Joe in the game at the same time. Attack whoever their SG is guarding
2) Joe and Josh: BETTER PASSES.
3) Teague: Do not be timid for 1 second on the court. Take open shots. Attack the basket.
Just like my comments last night, THESE AREN’T NEGATIVE COMMENTS. These are damn good observations that, if better utilized last night, would have won us the game by 20 points. We do need to use starters with the 2nd unit.
Pargo + Willie just can’t get it done. These guys only take jumpshots. We need to attack the basket. That means Pargo should try get in the lane or these guys should be decoys for T-Mac, who the BALL SHOULD RUN THROUGH EVERY SINGLE TIME HE IS IN THE GAME (which is usually when Joe is out). T-Mac needs to look for his damn shot. He had a few good looks last night, but was feeding it to Collins (who actually is a lot better than most people here think. An okay backup center).
Damn, I haven’t even mentioned Marvin yet. I co-sign Rod from College Park 2000000%. Give T-Mac all of Marvin’s minutes. If this guy is going to score 2 points, miss all his *OPEN* jumpshots, and play sucky defense, he should not be on ANY Playoff Roster. I think he was our worst bench player last night, and that’s just sad.
I find it amazing how several people here said Marvin had been playing well as of the end of this regular season. Look at his game log. Every 3 games he manages to score 4 or 6 points. That is pathetic. He had a huge game vs. a Knicks team that didn’t guard him (if you actually watch the games, you realize that no one actually guards this guy and his jumpshots are seldom contested).
Northcyde, nice 8 Mile rap. I know all those freestyle battle verses by heart LOL.
I don’t think LD has been that bad so far in this series. He just needs to use some starters with the bench.
Damn those Rondo Technicals changed the whole game. I believe right before then Pierce missed a 3 that would’ve cut it to 3. Joe played solid D on Pierce. Hopefully Pierce plays like that the whole series. Nothing much you can do about KG – that dude was amazing in last night’s game.
Amazing how quickly Rondo got ejected after that 2nd T. Was almost like the ref was expecting it. From where I was sitting, I couldn’t really see the bump. I thought Rondo was just screaming some awful ish at the ref. Looks like Rondo did trip too and had no idea the ref was going to stop (as Rondo said).
Later people
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
4:53 pm
Ppl act like Marvin has been playing well.
ROFL! Go look at his game log. He had a worse game than anyone else on the team last night.
However, he is still a top 20 SF.
ROTFLMAOLOKDGDMFCSMDMFH
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 30th, 2012
4:54 pm
Hoopshype Rumors
4/30/2012
Are the Celtics ready to play without Rondo? “We’re preparing to have him at this point until we hear otherwise,” said captain Paul Pierce, who later added, “We don’t know if he’s going to get suspended now. I looked at it again and it looked real minor to me. We just gotta wait and see what the NBA says.” ESPN.com
BOSTON CELTICS, RAJON RONDO, DAVID STERN, REFEREES | SHARE
Add another name to the ever-expanding list of Kevin Garnett critics. Hawks rookie forward Ivan Johnson became the latest to join the chorus this afternoon after Hawks practice. “Garnett, he’s a dirty player,” Johnson said. “He gives me a lot of elbows, and I can handle that.” Johnson said he expected that Garnett and the Celtics would attempt to do things to incite a reaction. “I was prepared for that,” Johnson said. “I already knew how KG was going to come at me. They’re a whole bunch of mess-talkers.” Boston Herald
ATLANTA HAWKS, BOSTON CELTICS, KEVIN GARNETT, IVAN JOHNSON | SHARE
High-sider
April 30th, 2012
4:57 pm
High-sider
April 30th, 2012
4:48 pm
“High-sider, that is very ‘anal’ of you to take away from what Marvin brings our team. He gives us his best 13 minutes last night.” – KevinM
KevinM, I’m sure you meant ‘anal’ in a good way – as a compliment. [LOL]
——————————-
no homo!!!
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 30th, 2012
5:00 pm
790 The Zone
Talking to the Po-Po of the NFL, who works with Merton Hanks (Ex 49er) and, determines the penalty fines for players hits on other players that are in question. One thing stood out, he said they look comprehensively at past history to determine a players intent, because they can not read minds to determine intent.
Uh oh! What is taking so long to determines Rondo’s intent?
DawgNole
April 30th, 2012
5:04 pm
Grandad
April 30th, 2012
12:29 am
Rondo will not be suspended . . . .
Mr Stern will not allow a Celtic to be disadvantaged.
_______________________
KevinM
April 30th, 2012
4:31 pm
It’s official…Rondo is suspended…
http://www.celticsblog.com/2012/4/30/2989336/rondo-suspended-for-game-2
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 30th, 2012
5:05 pm
Rondo OUT for game 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
O'brien
April 30th, 2012
5:05 pm
Rod,
One reason for Paul Pierce’s struggles against the Hawks (not counting last night) was because of Marvin’s top notch defense. Agree or disagree?
The issue with marvin (imo) is even when he puts up 12 and 6 in 24 minutes, it does not come against good teams, or it comes early in the game. When the game gets tight, and a big shot is needed late, very rarely does Marvin deliver, regardless of what kind of game he is having.
One compliment for Marvin. On 790 the zone, they said Rick Sund referred to Marvin as the most professional player he has coached, for what it’s worth.
Ra’mon,
This team is more talented, and hopefully the Hawks wont have a let down in game 2 just because Rondo probably isnt playing.
If the Hawks can beat Boston, there is a possibility of having Zaza and Al back in the lineup against Chicago. And we would need all the front court help we can get.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 30th, 2012
5:08 pm
John Barry on 790 The Zone now.
He said, Rondo is out for game 2 and, that is no surprise. John is giving Drew a lot of props for his team’s success and said he is a serious contender for COTY.
DawgNole
April 30th, 2012
5:21 pm
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
4:51 pm
Amazing how quickly Rondo got ejected after that 2nd T. Was almost like the ref was expecting it. From where I was sitting, I couldn’t really see the bump. I thought Rondo was just screaming some awful ish at the ref. Looks like Rondo did trip too and had no idea the ref was going to stop (as Rondo said).
____________________
Rondo made no effort to stop his momentum after “tripping” (i.e., stepping on the ref’s foot because he was in the ref’s face), and in fact poked his chest out to complete the bump and “make his point.”
Clearly intentional. He’s fortunate he got off w/only a 1-game suspension.
He and Rivers then followed up by blatantly lying about the incident. Should be more penalties tacked on for their shameless comments.
KevinM
April 30th, 2012
5:22 pm
highside: “KevinM, I’m sure you meant ‘anal’ in a good way – as a compliment. [LOL]
——————————-
no homo!!!”
Nono, anal as in a thorough breakdown of what Marvin really meant to the win last night. Not a negative by any means!
So now the key matchup Tuesday will be Dooling or Bradley vs. Teague. We’ve just been exposed to this lineup. Look for Marquis Daniels to try and fill the void as well.
How pumped would you be to see our guys go up 2-0 heading to Boston?
Big Lou
April 30th, 2012
5:28 pm
Looks like people aren’t as stupid as they seem…
Rondo is officially suspended for game two.
Rod from College Park
April 30th, 2012
5:30 pm
OB,
“The issue with marvin (imo) is even when he puts up 12 and 6 in 24 minutes, it does not come against good teams, or it comes early in the game. When the game gets tight, and a big shot is needed late, very rarely does Marvin deliver, regardless of what kind of game he is having.”
Pressure will always bust a pipe. Marvin can’t produce in pressure situations because he gets scared. He has no confidence. Boston has recognized that as well. Anytime Marvin was in the game guarding Pierce, they iso Pierce on Marvin and went right at him. The only tiime Pierce got going was when Marvin was guarding him.
Buddy Grizzard
April 30th, 2012
5:31 pm
“Looks like Rondo did trip too and had no idea the ref was going to stop.”
LOL even Stern said it was an “obvious” bump. Stop drinking the Kenny Smith Kool-Aid bro.
yoursporthousedotcom
April 30th, 2012
5:32 pm
O’Brien,
DISAGREE!!! Pierce was getting most of his points when Zero was on him. Joe played better D on him. Zero is a liability. He gives us nothing on the floor and gets more wide open opportunities.
KevinM
April 30th, 2012
5:32 pm
“”Obviously from a competitive standpoint we are disappointed with the league’s decision to suspend Rondo,” C’s coach Doc Rivers said in a statement. “He plays a valuable part in our team’s success. We accept the punishment and will use it as a learning tool for our players.”
Doc upset because of it being a competitive limitation. He’s not interested in the right call; he’s interested in the call going his way.
Good thing that call wasn’t made at the TD Garden. It would’ve been a no call. I can hear Steve Holman now.
Rod from College Park
April 30th, 2012
5:35 pm
Game 2 with no Rondo should be a win. What we all need to understand is that even though we played well and won the game, we still only scored 82 points. We had 31 points at the end of the first quarter. That means we averaged 17points a quarter for the other 3 quarters. Boston obviously adjusted, and Teague and Josh bailed us out. I am the biggest Josh fan here, but those jumpers are not going to fall in Boston. We have to be able to score the basketball better than that.
Rod from College Park
April 30th, 2012
5:37 pm
yoursporthousedotcom,
That was an inside joke. O”Brien knows how terrible Marvin is.
Rod from College Park
April 30th, 2012
5:39 pm
When I say should be a win, I am speaking from a logical standpoint. As we all know, these are the Hawks. The are predictibly, unpredictible. LOL
yoursporthousedotcom
April 30th, 2012
5:44 pm
Game 2 shouldn’t even be close because Rondo kept them in the game last night. I don’t think the Celtics can overcome that blow to their offense. With that said, the Hawks have to come out and punch them in the mouth early so there is no doubt. Garnett will not go another half without scoring. Have to watch for Pietrius and Bass next game. They didn’t have good games so they will be ready to play.
doc
April 30th, 2012
5:47 pm
dooling and bradley chewed us up with the c teamers just a few weels ago. we better stay focused. it isnt a gimme three footer or even two footer folks. doc will perversely put it into “rivers world” and use it to his advantage. keep your ears closed hawks.
Buddy Grizzard
April 30th, 2012
5:49 pm
Well, Teague showed up in Game 1. There’s always the possibility of a letdown, and that the Hawks will coast in Game 2 because they think they have it in the bag with Rondo out. Hopefully these guys will have a killer instinct and get that win.
Honestly, I predicted Celtics in 6 on Hoopinion, but if I’m the Hawks, my mentality is to sweep the Celtics. Get this Game 2 win, then go up to Boston and win Game 3. The Hawks could have swept ORL last year but instead they let it go 6 games and lost Kirk. You can say “well that was great for us because Teague emerged,” but maybe he would have emerged anyway… you never know.
What we do know is that if the Hawks want to go to the ECF this year, they need to sweep the Celtics and then rest up and get ready for the CHI-PHI winner.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
5:51 pm
How many times this season has LD said we cannot come out flat vs a team down players, and that’s been exactly what we’ve done?
I have no reason to believe we will not come out flat tomorrow night and be down 18-6 after 4 minutes
High-sider
April 30th, 2012
5:52 pm
“One compliment for Marvin. On 790 the zone, they said Rick Sund referred to Marvin as the most professional player he has coached, for what it’s worth.” – O’brien
That just shows you [that] Marvin [Williams] is polite, courteous and respectful to [the] Atlanta Hawks’ coaching staff and [executive] management because he, Marvin Williams, knows he is grossly overpaid for what he does/contributes/produces as a member of the Hawks’ team.
Let me give you an “everyday” example of Marvin Williams. Take an individual who only has a H.S. diploma that gets a job as an Accounts Payable clerk with a Fortune 500 company. The Fortune 500 company inexplicably pays the newly-hired Accounts Payable [AP] clerk a salary of $120,000/year. Do you think that newly-hired AP clerk is going to be the “company trouble-maker”
or one of the those “nice, team-player” type of employees? Marvin Williams is an example of the latter [employee].
P.S. Marvin Williams is a good cheerleader, however, the Atlanta Hawks already have a cheerleader/dance team.
http://www.nba.com/hawks/cheerleaders/index.html
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
5:52 pm
Rod, it’s amazing. I watch Marvin in warmups. His jumpshot looks effortless. Then in games this dude is no where to be found.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
5:54 pm
Marvin is the most professional player, blah blah blah
Does that win us games?
No. When Barkley said we are a bunch of nice guys, the first name that should come to mind is Marvin WIlliams
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 30th, 2012
5:59 pm
Less games also equals less chance of new injuries. Even though you can’t worry about that stuff.
The Truth
April 30th, 2012
5:59 pm
Rondo is suspended for 1 game not 2
http://www.nba.com/2012/news/04/30/rondo-suspension/index.html
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
5:59 pm
Can someone at AJC please close one of these blogs for comments, so we can kinda know which blog to post on? Don’t want to inconvenience anyone but it would be nice
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
6:00 pm
If we want this to be a quick series, we will win tomorrow night. Let Celtics win tomorrow night and the series will go at least 6 games, either way.
Need Joe and others to step up tomorrow and put this damn team way. Also, I believe Ray is doubtful for tomorrow.
Tear these guy’s heads off tomorrow. Don’t let those dirty !@#%^bags breathe for one second
It’s doubtful we can beat the Bulls, even without Rose. They owned us by 21 in our own arena without him.
Until Teague consistently attacks, we will be a good/decent team. He should be laying it up every single time, not getting timid when he gets to the hoop (as Hugo just said)
High-sider
April 30th, 2012
6:05 pm
new blog up
Rod from College Park
April 30th, 2012
6:06 pm
Grandmaster JeJe (GM),
The guy does not miss in warmups. It’s amazing. I have known some guys who would make everything in practice, and hit nothing in the game, but not on a professional level. Those guys usually don’t get many minutes.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 30th, 2012
6:07 pm
DrMaryB,
The one positive about a longer series is it would give Z more time to get healthy. I think I’ll take a shorter series though. I pray to God no one gets injured this series.
Blast
April 30th, 2012
6:51 pm
Rondo suspended for game 2!
Grandad
April 30th, 2012
6:59 pm
Mr dawgNole my post @ 12:29 am
” Rondo will not be suspended . . . .”
Was not so much a prediction as a satirical yea sarcastic
statement directed at the commish;
whom I believe thinks himself to be
both above and below the law simultaneously;
as he adjudicates.
As always basing decisions on $ $ $, rather than right vs wrong.
In other words;
Big mkt is virtually infallible as small mkts are the anathema.
DawgNole
April 30th, 2012
7:13 pm
Rod from College Park
April 30th, 2012
5:39 pm
When I say should be a win, I am speaking from a logical standpoint.As we all know, these are the Hawks. The are predictibly, unpredictible. LOL
__________________
Glad you qualified that.
DawgNole
April 30th, 2012
7:17 pm
Buddy Grizzard
April 30th, 2012
5:49 pm
Honestly, I predicted Celtics in 6 on Hoopinion, but if I’m the Hawks, my mentality is to sweep the Celtics. Get this Game 2 win, then go up to Boston and win Game 3.
_____________________
Just “go up to Boston and win Game 3″?
Yeah, and as long as we’re at it, why not just go up there and sweep ‘em? Great idea!
If only it were that easy.
DawgNole
April 30th, 2012
7:19 pm
Grandad
April 30th, 2012
6:59 pm
Mr dawgNole my post @ 12:29 am
” Rondo will not be suspended . . . .”
Was not so much a prediction as a satirical yea sarcastic
statement directed at the commish;
whom I believe thinks himself to be
both above and below the law simultaneously;
as he adjudicates.
As always basing decisions on $ $ $, rather than right vs wrong.
In other words;
Big mkt is virtually infallible as small mkts are the anathema.
____________________
Something (somehow) compelled him to do the right thing this time. Except I still think he and Rivers should have to sit out a while for lying.
DawgNole
April 30th, 2012
7:21 pm
Except I still think he and Rivers should have to sit out a while for lying.
Make that “Rondo and Rivers.”
JSS
May 1st, 2012
5:25 pm
The Belle Stars said it best thirty years ago: “Nothing is new!” Urkel Smoove!
JSS
May 1st, 2012
5:34 pm
or D. Orlando Smoove…