Celtics at Atlanta Hawks Game 5: Game thread
7:24 pm May 8, 2012, by Michael Cunningham
- 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.”
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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
Atl teams = CHOKE
May 8th, 2012
8:43 pm
Thats Horford’s sweet spot. His rust is showing
Luke Cage
May 8th, 2012
8:43 pm
Damn still no DEBO!!
steven a smith
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
drmaryb .(*_*).
May 8th, 2012
8:40 pm
Probably “LOOKS” like PRECIOUS….
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
Joe comes in and promptly turns it over. GET HIM MORE TOUCHES LOLZ
bigdave
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
More touches
J.J.M.
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
BENCH JOE
Luke Cage
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
Man Pierce is such a damn Diva, ain’t nothing wrong with his Punk-A$$!!
Rob
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
Joe already bought his ticket to Vegas for the weekend with his boys from Arkansas…. Joe wake up
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
7-24
osh 0-8!
J.J.M.
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
ya this game is over…
smh
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
josh 0-8
honest_abe
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
“Josh is playing terrible, but it’s clear he is injured.”
indeed his brains seems to malfunctioning. did i really seem him do a cross over fade away with 18+ left on the shot clock? please. kill me now.
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
take josh out and calm him down.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
We could get eliminated tonight from the Playoffs in this weakazz conference
steven a smith
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
Joe comes in and promptly turns it over. GET HIM MORE TOUCHES LOLZ
If you are paying this guy the way they are, he should take most of the shots Poop.
Geno
May 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
O for 8 …. Josh
Kingd92
May 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
Mac is shutting down pierce but tnt blames it on the injury
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
KIRK AT PG = FAIL
Melvin
May 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
When are they going to call Boston for an illegal screen? They are holding on the screens
DSGB
May 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
Teague gets pulled. LD is a f**king fool
smh
May 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
game 4 8 tunrovers in 1st quarter tomight 7 23%
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
LETS GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come On Fellas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bigdave
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
Al gotta go up strong in the lane. Kicked out to josh for 0/8
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
the SWANS WOULD LOSE BY 40 PER NIGHT IF THEY PLAYED THE SPURS
DSGB
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
Kirk getting abused and still no Ivan.
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
7-25
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
We’re averaging about 1 point per minute.
Will be lucky to break 55
Blast
May 8th, 2012
8:47 pm
Celts bullying Hawks, and Hawks responding by making frustration fouls the refs call every time. But Boston never gets a foul
Only way Hawks can win this game is by defending the same way Boston is doing. And Teagues needs to make his floaters.
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
8-26
Rev in Tampa
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
nobody wants to shoot the ball except Hinrich
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
The Hawks have picked this game to start doubling for some reason, and they are soooooo slow rotating out of the double.
DawgNole
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 8th, 2012
8:45 pm
We could get eliminated tonight from the Playoffs in this weakazz conference
________________
COULD?!
Luke Cage
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
Not going to give celts much props on defense like most are, Hawks are just playing dumb ball right now
Rod from College Park
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
Hinrich is the only guy who came to play.
JSS
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
Need stops
J.J.M.
May 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
let see hawks need a center…point guard…shooting guard
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
8:49 pm
LARRY THE CLUELESS
HIGHSCHOOL COACH!
Geno
May 8th, 2012
8:49 pm
They give ray allen EVERY call!!!!
Melvin
May 8th, 2012
8:49 pm
This game is painful to watch
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 8th, 2012
8:49 pm
kirk 9 pts
teague 5 pts
team 2 pts each
_________
No offense!
No defense!
CALM DOWN HAWKS AND D-UP! SLOW THIS GAME DOWN & GO INSIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
steven a smith
May 8th, 2012
8:49 pm
You do not take out your best rebounder and shot blocker in an elimination game..Bad Idea
MistaGamer
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
Why they are doubling is beyond me. for what?
Melvin
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
Celtics are getting too many touch fouls..
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
Celtics 41% shooting, Hawks 28% shooting. That number for the Celtics is a little deceptive, really, because it’s not a result of good D. They have just been missing open shots, and they are going to start making those shots sooner or later if the Hawks don’t start clamping down.
Of course, in a game where the Hawks lack energy, Ivan is a DNP-CD so far.
This is Gonna Get Ugly
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
The Celtics beating the Hawks with just 4 players. Josh 0fer with 2 fouls. Joe came out of the game?? I mean really? He should go to the bench only for timeouts. 26% shooting as a team.
Mr.E
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
This is painful
Buddy Grizzard
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
Hawks are playing terrible but refs are definitely trying to close this out for BOS.
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
the arena is very quiet in here. imma log off know, til post game …the troll can have my ID for tonight.
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
Bring in ALL Whatever and the deficit will grow..
Hows that 1950’s set shot looking? Brutal!
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
“You do not take out your best rebounder and shot blocker in an elimination game..Bad Idea”
Normally I agree, but he is playing like sh-t on D today in addition to on O. Put in Ivan and see what he can do.