Atlanta Hawks at Celtics Game 3: Game thread
Boston–Josh Smith (knee) is out and Marvin Williams starts at power forward. Ray Allen (ankle) will play for the first time since April 10. Rajon Rondo is back from suspension.
- Josh said he’s aiming to play in Game 4 Sunday: “I just have to rest and see how it feels. I want to get good enough to play but you never know. I don’t want to risk a domino effect and it being something more than what it is.”
- Josh tested the knee at shootaround this morning: “It felt pretty good until I started doing a lot of exploding up the basket. That’s where the pain really starts to generate when I become explosive with it. But as far as running and cutting and everything else it feels OK.”
- Yesterday Josh said he suffered the injury when Kevin Garnett banged into it while jostling for rebounding position. But he said the patellar tendonitis in his knee is a contributing factor. “I guess it caught up to me,” he said.
- The Hawks are now down their top three bigs. “Certainly it’s an uphill battle and a challenge for our team but I have all the confidence in the world these guys will step up to the challenge,” Larry Drew said.
- Josh: “We have to jell together, move the ball from side to side, and not get stagnant because this is a great defensive team. And we have to be able to match their physicality.”
- Joe Johnson: “We have just got to try to outwill them. We’ve got to find a way. We can’t dwell on or worry about what we don’t have. We have got to go for what we know. Is it going to be tough? Yeah, but it’s possible.”
- Drew said Joe still will check Paul Pierce. “Obviously with the matchup and Marvin starting at the four spot will have to do things a little differently as opposed to when Josh is in the lineup,” Drew said.
- Doc Rivers on Brandon Bass defending Marvin: “That’s hard. We worked on that all day. We thought Josh would play but we worked on the small lineup because when you look at them most of the year their best lineup has been their best lineup when they go small.”
- Joe saw heavy defensive pressure with Josh on the court. It only figures to get worse with Josh on the bench and a lack of offensive punch from among the remaining Hawks. “I’ve got to go quick or give the ball up quick and trust my teammates to make plays,” Joe said. “That’s pretty much the two things I’ve come up with. We’ll see when we get to the fourth quarter.”
- Rivers on Allen, who last played April 10: “There are no restrictions. He hasn’t played and gone up and down since he’s been injured. We’ve done some halfcourt but this is the first time he will do fullcourt since he’s been injured.”
- Suddenly Rivers is the coach warning his players not take a wounded opponent lightly: “The guys have to go out and play and at the end of the day hope they understand these are playoff games and you can’t give any away.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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1,096 comments Add your comment
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 4th, 2012
10:36 pm
Good effort from the Hawks
Rod from College Park
May 4th, 2012
10:36 pm
“Rod from College Park was right. Marvin grabbed 11 rebounds but all his [Marvin Williams'] rebounds tonight were defensive boards [rebounds] which shows Boston did not crash [or go after] the offensive boards/rebounds.”
Bob Ratmun pointed it out in the radio interview. I watched today, and they don’t go after offensive boards to prevent fast breaks for the other team. Smart coaching.
AG
May 4th, 2012
10:36 pm
Great game by Damp. TMAC stepped up.. but after halftime not that much. MIA Marvin again… we really needed you tonight. After this series, you put the nail in the coffin on Marvin. HE IS OUTTA HERE!!!
High-sider
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
Hinrich scored 0pts, Pargo scored 0pts and [Marvin] Williams scored 3pts…3pts from 3 [different] players…1 point per player….that’s a damn shame. smh
RA
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
I think this game could very well be a turning point, but not in favor of the Celts.
tb hawk fan
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
phil you are right.
John Drew
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
Hawks will still win this series in six games, mock my works and you all can thank me later.
Rod from College Park
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
“Give Jamal some of those Marvin, Kirk and Willie shots, game over. Hawks win….”
No doubt.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
Marvin is remarkably consistent.
Game 1: 1/5 shooting
Game 2: 1/6 shooting
Game 3: 1/6 shooting
At least his rebounding has improved game by game. 1 board in Game 1, 6 in Game 2, 11 tonight. Maybe in Game 4 he’ll shoot 1/7 with 16 rebounds.
AG
May 4th, 2012
10:39 pm
A couple of more MIA Awards… KH 0 pts Jannero Pargo 0 pts Ivan Johnson 2 pts.
vava74
May 4th, 2012
10:39 pm
Valiant effort.
Poor execution in the OT.
Woody mk. 2 with the plays drawn up for JJ.
Just about as creative as potato chips.
A pity that T-Mac’s legs seemed to wear off.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 4th, 2012
10:40 pm
Teague, Joe, T-Mac, and Damp were the best players in this game. T-Mac and Damp deserve more minutes going forward.
phil
May 4th, 2012
10:40 pm
Year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year…..
And yet some STILL think we’ll win.
Why?
EmirS.
May 4th, 2012
10:40 pm
Well I called the fourth quarter. Joe delivered.
I think Pierce might have made the game saving stop when he helped doubled Joe in the corner that forced him to pass the ball. Joe was on fire…and I’m willing to bet he would have made that shot if Pierce didn’t double him. Just goes to show you how valuable defense is.
You guys can say whatever you want but this was a good game. I don’t like T-Mac taking fade’s. He was an awesome asset today, but he needs to take it in more. He draws more double teams and is an underrated passer who can make plays. To many times have I seen his shot fall very short.
What REALLY upsets me….is Paul Pierce. He is good. He knows what to do. 3 – 12 from the field and ends up with 21 points. That sais a lot.
Game 4 is a need to win game. We are not out of it yet Atlanta. But without securing game 4, then we can call it a series.
High-sider
May 4th, 2012
10:40 pm
Melvin
May 4th, 2012
10:36 pm
Give Jamal some of those Marvin, Kirk and Willie shots, game over. Hawks win….
—————————————————————
I see we have one [blogger] who misses Jamal [Crawford]. Does anyone else miss Jamal Crawford tonight?
AG
May 4th, 2012
10:40 pm
I still have trust in the Hawks.. played with a lot of effort, Our strenght has been our bench.. but now.. NOTHING. On the last play of regulation, JJ – when you kick out of the double team- go hard to the basket!
Dwayne C
May 4th, 2012
10:40 pm
Boston without Rondo and Allen in game 2 = the Celtics win on the road in Atlanta
Atlanta without Josh Smith in game 3 = the Hawks lose on the road in Boston
Teams that are capable of contending for championships find a way to win when shorthanded. The Atlanta Hawks are clearly not this kind of team.
Marvin Williams = 3 point in game three in Boston. Way to earn your paycheck Mr. Williams,
Boston in six games.
Bigkem
May 4th, 2012
10:41 pm
Goodnite ya’ll Hawks just need to go rest in The bird’s Nest cause they just sluggish and tired today, they looked more exhausted playing in the game tah a 50-year-old Globetrotter League
AG
May 4th, 2012
10:42 pm
Game 4 is a must win.. AH put on a jersey, take off that suit. Give us 5 minutes a half… that is all I want.
atlchris77
May 4th, 2012
10:42 pm
Najeh
What did Magic say?
Najeh Davenpoop
May 4th, 2012
10:42 pm
The Sixers are on the verge of taking a 2-1 series lead. If the Hawks and Sixers were to advance, the Hawks would have home court in the 2nd round.
They can still win this series if they win Game 4. If Josh comes back, that is very possible. They have outscored the Celtics this series with Josh on the floor.
Still the best chance they have had in a long time, possibly ever, of getting to the ECF.
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
May 4th, 2012
10:43 pm
“Hawks will still win this series in six games, mock my works and you all can thank me later.”
Mark my words, I’ve never mocked anyone’s works.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 4th, 2012
10:44 pm
“What did Magic say?”
Just said Larry Drew deserves a lot of credit for getting this team motivated and ready to play with all the injuries. Mostly just stated the obvious, as Magic does pretty much all the time.
phil
May 4th, 2012
10:44 pm
Chipper crushes one….
Number 459.
Play on, Mr. Jones!
AG
May 4th, 2012
10:44 pm
I am sure Jamal would have made a lot of difference, but overall we needed someone to really step up in the starting lineup. We had three starters who are 3-13 15 rbs 7 points 66 minutes.
O'Brien
May 4th, 2012
10:44 pm
Najeh,
The dream is ATL’s best sports team. 2 trips to the WNBA finals.
As for the Jamal discussion…
When the Hawks went on a 15-4 run to tie it at 80, they did it by playing defense, whihch led to offense. That does not happen with Jamal in the game.
However, we only scored 4 points in the OT period, so we definitely could have used Jamal there.
Hawks need another scorer, another defender, and a HC who knows how to use them.
phil
May 4th, 2012
10:45 pm
No, Najeh….
They can’t.
Get real.
tb hawk fan
May 4th, 2012
10:45 pm
it goes back to that first qtr when we missed about 20 strait shots.
falCans
May 4th, 2012
10:45 pm
I love the fight and resiliency way to go guys down three huge players Josh ZaZa n Horford. Shouldn’t have been this close. Nods to Joe for carrying the load. Teague I see ya man!!!!
AG
May 4th, 2012
10:45 pm
good nite Hawks fans… WE WILL WIN SUNDAY BIG!!!
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 4th, 2012
10:45 pm
Only way we win swries is if tMac gets Marvin’s minutes and Uncle Larry substitutes intelligently in the 4th.
NO MORE PARGO
BIG DOG
May 4th, 2012
10:46 pm
MARVIN + HINRICH 47MIN PLAYED 3POINTS TOTAL, WOW.
To of the worst players on your team and both players started in tonights game.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
cedrickc
May 4th, 2012
10:46 pm
Simple! They let this one slip away! We scored only “4″ points in OT. Too much iso Joe and not enough ball movement. I think he waited too late to get Radmonivic into the game. Just disappointing again! Will we ever get a “WINNER”????????????????????????????
High-sider
May 4th, 2012
10:47 pm
Mr. [Rick] Sund, you are a poor excuse of a[n NBA] GM. smh
Does the Hawks’ franchise need a compensation analyst because they overpaid the hell out of Marvin Williams? Where can I put in my app[lication for the Compensation Analyst position, if available]?
O'Brien
May 4th, 2012
10:47 pm
So Boston wins on the road w/o Ray Allen and Rondo in game 2. The Hawks LOSE on the road w/o Zaza and Josh.
I’m sorry, but I dont really care about moral victories right now. We lost a game we had a chance to win.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 4th, 2012
10:47 pm
Would be up 3-0 if it wasn’t for LD
Rod from College Park
May 4th, 2012
10:47 pm
There are no moral victories in the playoffs, there are wins and losses.
BIG DOG
May 4th, 2012
10:48 pm
Grandmaster JJ – I would rather see Pargo any time before sorry Kaptain Kirk.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 4th, 2012
10:48 pm
Celtics are NOT that good!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
May 4th, 2012
10:48 pm
From here on out, minutes in this series should look something like this
Teague 40
Joe 40
Josh 40
Ivan 30
T-Mac 25
Kirk 25
Damp 20
Twin 15
Marvin 15
Pargo, Green, etc. fill in the blanks.
O'Brien
May 4th, 2012
10:49 pm
Jason Collins: 4 fouls and 4 turnovers in 20 minutes
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 4th, 2012
10:49 pm
BIG DOG
May 4th, 2012
10:48 pm
Grandmaster JJ – I would rather see Pargo any time before sorry Kaptain Kirk.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
LinkReport this comment
***
you obviously haven’t watched the series
Najeh Davenpoop
May 4th, 2012
10:49 pm
“I would rather see Pargo any time before sorry Kaptain Kirk.”
In the regular season, I agree. In this particular series, Kirk is the Hawk best suited to guard Ray Allen. He has to play. The Hawks have no choice.
BILLY KNIGHT
May 4th, 2012
10:49 pm
Stop crying and winning so much Hawks fans.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 4th, 2012
10:50 pm
JOSH,
PLEASE play Sunday!!!
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
May 4th, 2012
10:50 pm
“it goes back to that first qtr when we missed about 20 strait shots.”
Couldn’t throw it in the Mediterranean?
High-sider
May 4th, 2012
10:51 pm
76ers beat Bulls, 79-74. PHI leads series 2-0 over CHI. Hawks could’ve had a chance to play the Sixers in the EC Semifinals.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 4th, 2012
10:51 pm
Teague and Joe need more than 40 mpg. Pierce played 45 3 nights ago and he like 35
Rod from College Park
May 4th, 2012
10:51 pm
“When the Hawks went on a 15-4 run to tie it at 80, they did it by playing defense, whihch led to offense. That does not happen with Jamal in the game.”
Defense has nothing to do with this loss. Hawks are playing great defense. The point guard or the 2 guards are not beating us. Allen has done nothing. Bradley is hurt. It’s strictly KG and Pierce. No defense will stop those 2 guys from having good games in the playoffs.
Buddy Grizzard
May 4th, 2012
10:51 pm
All I saw of Pargo was missed shots and then he did one of his classic dribble into a double team under the basket and turn the ball over and LD got Teague back in. From the box score i can see he wasn’t any better in the second half.
PS I missed the second half because my wife got bored at Wild Wing on Hilton Head. Never go there unless you like non-alchoholic margaritas.