Celtics at Atlanta Hawks Game 5: Game thread

  • Hawks starters: Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Zaza Pachulia (foot) is out. All Celtics players are available.
  • Larry Drew on why he’s using this lineup: “One, just to give it a different look and see if it will kind of jump start us a little bit. It gives us an opportunity to move Joe back to some two. It makes us bigger so we can do a few more things defensively in making some adjustments in Game 5. And I just think its’ time. After you play four games in the playoffs, obviously it’s a game of adjustment, and you try to do things to benefit your team. It’s time to give us a different look and see if it will jump start us with Al back in the starting lineup, Marvin in the staring lineup, bringing Kirk [Hinrich] off the bench.”
  • Drew on Horford’s condition: “Physically he feels fine. I wouldn’t say he’s in tip-top shape but he’s in playing shape. He didn’t experience any discomfort with the pec the other day [Game 4]. There was a play early he went for the ball and it was pulled back. I thought that would be kind of the test with him. He said after the play he was fine and he wasn’t sore after that. That was kind of the test. I know coming back he was waiting for that moment to see if he could withstand a collision or pull-back with the injury.”
  • Drew on how he’ll use Horford: “He’ll only play a certain amount of minutes. I could have brought him off the bench but instead of letting his shoulder and chest stiffen up while he’s on the bench elected to throw him out there while he’s warm. We want to get off to a fast start and he certainly brings an energy.”
  • Drew on the benefits of the lineup for Joe: “He’s had to defend Paul [Pierce] all four games. I kind of want to give it a different look and see if that can generate more offense out of him. He’s been chasing Paul around for four games and that can put a little wear and tear on you. We’ve decided to give it a look.”
  • Drew on pushing the pace with this lineup: “When we are at our best is when [Al] and Josh rebound the ball and bring it out on the dribble. We’ve been missing that with him out of the lineup. It makes us a much better running team when we have all five guys involved in the break.”
  • Drew on switching defensively: “Whether we start the game with our switching remains to be seen but it does give us a flexibility. The sets we defend we are in more switchable situations. A lot of the things they do run we can play it a little differently now going a little bit bigger at the two spot.”
  • Drew on matchups: “They will have to make a decision who they match up with against Joe and Marvin. If they stay with Pierce on Joe, there’s a size advantage with Marvin on [Avery] Bradley.”
  • Drew said Josh (knee) won’t be on limited minutes: “This is a do-or-die situation. Al we will definitely keep an eye on, but those other guys probably will play extended minutes given the situation.”
  • Josh on his knee: “It’s pretty good. I’m in it to win it. I’m here to play so I can’t worry about my knee.”
  • Joe on if the new lineup will help: “I don’t know. Hopefully it works out for the best for us. At this point we really don’t know. I guess it’s just a gut feeling.”
  • Joe on if moving to shooting guard will result in more touches: “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
  • Josh on Boston’s D: “With the defense they play they tend to over-help at times and we haven’t made them pay yet. We’ve got to be able to take our time and knock down the open shot.”
  • Joe on Game 4: “We haven’t had a game like Game 4 in quite some time. It was mind-boggling, honestly. I couldn’t get why we came out and played so poorly after we were so close in Game 3. I’m still puzzled from that. Hopefully Game 5 will be different.”
  • Joe on if he thinks Game 5 will be different: “Honestly I’m not sure. I just have to wait until we get between the lines. It’s easy to talk it but it’s different when you get on the court. Hopefully we will take a sense of pride and a sense of desperation and try to make it back to Boston.”
  • Josh on Game 4: “To me, to be honest, we played pretty good defense. We was with them on every shot, every catch, and they shot the ball extremely well, especially Paul Pierce in that third quarter when we were trying to make a push. We have got to to try to meet them right before they past halfcourt i guess to give ourselves a chance.”
  • Drew on Game 4: “When you lose a game like that, it’s deflating. But like I told our players I think we’ve had a great season in spite of that one game. That game is no reflection on the rest of our season. It happened. We’ve watched film, we’ve learned form it and now it’s time to move on. Yesterday I was still sensing guys were a little down. After our meeting we had yesterday it seemed to kind of rejuvenate them again. And then coming into shootaround today they were back to themselves.”

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

1,176 comments Add your comment

Melvin

May 8th, 2012
9:41 pm

Bass clearly walk….

Elf

May 8th, 2012
9:42 pm

EVERYONE HATES THE BEST PLAYERS.

YOU DON’T HEAR OPPOSING FANS SAYING “DAMN I HATE MARVIN WILLIAMS”

NO THEY LOVE WHEN HE’S OUT THERE LOL

What's gone rondo?

May 8th, 2012
9:42 pm

Finally, the Hawks are not flat at the beginning of the 3rd quarter. If they can sustain the energy and efficiency; they can win this game.

Mark

May 8th, 2012
9:42 pm

Josh the idiot!

DirtyBoy

May 8th, 2012
9:42 pm

Teague is looking better so far this half. His effort is consistent. I look forward to him developing into what he is capable of. Chris Paul went back to scrimmage at Wake Forest when Teague was there and he said Teague was the toughest cover he had at any level at that time.

Buddy Grizzard

May 8th, 2012
9:43 pm

Josh Smith complaining to the refs for the non foul call at the end of the first quarter allowed Kevin Garnett to get off the buzzer-beating three. Josh runs the break and turns it over, leading to a layup, then bricks a three leading to a foul. This could be 7 points Josh has given up on bone-headed plays by my count.

Geno

May 8th, 2012
9:43 pm

Its official… Josh has a mental issue…

Walt Frazier

May 8th, 2012
9:43 pm

Josh, please stop dribbling the ball like you’re some point guard. Don’t you realize that holding on to the ball-just increases you turnovers? Why don’t you see this? Horford is dribbling the ball coast to coast as well. What is Larry Drews leadership?

Hawkfan

May 8th, 2012
9:43 pm

C’mon Joe. Time to show up

Jo Bling

May 8th, 2012
9:43 pm

Josh has been screwing up fast breaks for four years. Never learns. DawgNole is right. I bet that turns out to be a big momentum changer.

bigdave

May 8th, 2012
9:44 pm

ha.. doesn’t compare to dribbling the clock out all to pass it. josh had nothing there in transition though, set up offense. The equivalent of needing to move the ball.

Hawkfan

May 8th, 2012
9:45 pm

JSS

May 8th, 2012
9:45 pm

There’s Big Ray’s boy Bass…

This is Gonna Get Ugly

May 8th, 2012
9:45 pm

I wouldn’t do one sub the rest of the game. Lol

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:45 pm

MARVIN FOR 3 WAY TO SHOW UP DUCK

Luke Cage

May 8th, 2012
9:45 pm

Marvin is giving us something tonight

Melvin

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Lets go Hawks

DawgNole

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Marvin–string music on that one.

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

That was a great pass by Teague, too. Not an easy pass to make cross court for the shortest guy on the floor.

Kingd92

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Marvin the savior!

Rev in Tampa

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Horford grabs the board and gives it to Teague immediately. What a CRAZY idea.

Jo Bling

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Marvin got us the momentum back.

Hawkfan

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Get aggressive Teague. Take it too these old guys

Rod from College Park

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

Biggest game of Marvin’s career.

Elf

May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm

THAT HORFORD-TEAGUE PICK AND ROLL. YOUR DUO OF THE FUTURE RIGHT THERE

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:47 pm

Al has been fantastic on D all game long.

Luke Cage

May 8th, 2012
9:47 pm

Horford has started positive momentum for the Hawks

JSS

May 8th, 2012
9:47 pm

Kiss that momentum swing!!!

HawkEye

May 8th, 2012
9:47 pm

Props to Al. He’s playing good defense tonight.

DirtyBoy

May 8th, 2012
9:47 pm

I wish somebody would snatch the microphone from Ryan Cameron at the Factory and yell “JOSH YOU ARE NOT A POINT GUARD…HELL, YOU’RE NOT A SHOOTING GUARD EITHER…PLAY YOUR POSITION” C-Webb was one of the few power forwards who could take the ball from end-to-end and make the right play!

Hawkfan

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Till you see it and get the reminder you forget how much better Al is than the other guys we have to play when he is out

DawgNole

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Sweet stuff by Al. He’s working into game shape. Sure hope he gets another chance after tonight.

Big Lou

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

I’m glad Horford is back. Screw y’all haters!

Mr.E

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Looks like the Hawks watched the TNT halftime report

yodaddybrother

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Hawks will find a way to lose this game.

Don’t delay the inevitable

Rufus1

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

That was for those who say AL doesn’t protect the RIM….I think that was his 3rd block

Rod from College Park

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Horford and Duck with the spark.

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Was that Al’s first career block at the rim?????????

Slimjr

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Can they keep this up on the road for game 6? That block was nice…

What's gone rondo?

May 8th, 2012
9:48 pm

Marvin needs to play selfish. No more nice guy!

Jo Bling

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

Celts are going to turn it up in the fourth. Hawks better be ready.

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

More incredible D by Al, this time on the perimeter on Pierce. He has been fantastic.

Elf

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

“Name another center that blocks the shot, grabs the rebound and pushes it himself on the break. There isn’t one.” – Hollinger

BUT IF YOU ASK SOME COMMENTERS, THEY ACT LIKE HE’S TERRIBLE. SOME OF US KNOW BASKETBALL, SOME SHOULD STICK TO BASKET WEAVING.

Big Lou

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

Horford has that energy and heart!

yodaddybrother

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

Al Horford is our leader!

DawgNole

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

Remember Game 2–11-pt lead late in the 3Q?

Don’t let it happen tonight, Hawks.

bigdave

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

So we’ve never seen al try to lead the break and ignore the pg? Must have just Tuned in?

HawkEye

May 8th, 2012
9:49 pm

Great to have another big back. Come on Hawks. Win this one. Hopefully Zaza will be back soon.

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:50 pm

Yeah, Al isn’t a good defender.