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

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

HAWKS ARE HITTING SHOTS! THEY TIED THE GAME! MOMENTUM ON THE HAWKS’ SIDE!

LD’s conscience: “How can I screw this up?”

Willie Green walks to the scorer’s table.

JSS

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

Joe Johnson sighting!

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

Marvin lit the pilot light tonight.

Rev in Tampa

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

uh-oh. Celtics let Hawks hang around too long. About to fun.

Luke Cage

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

Its ugly but hey we are leading

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

I really can’t believe Teague just made that shot.

Rev in Tampa

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Blast

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Jeff Teague!!!!

Mr.E

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Jeff Teeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagueee

DawgNole

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

What’s a few 3s among friends and teamates?!

Kingd92

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

No emotion. But ill take the 3

High-sider

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

four consecutive 3’s by the Hawks.

Michael

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

jeff teague!!!

smh

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

4 3s in a row

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

There is a guy sitting behind that goal with a Lakers Kobe Bryant #24 jersey who just waved that towel in the air and celebrated after that Teague 3.

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Marvin matches his career high!!!!! Lolz. Well done, Marvin

Melvin

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Let’s Go Hawks…

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Joe has scored about 25% of the Hawks points in the half. That would be like scoring 25 in a 100 point game. Who knows, maybe he does need for shots?

Mac-Town (478)™

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

2 3s by Marvin…..2 prayer 2s by Joe and Teague….maybe this is our night

Luke Cage

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

HAWKS ARE HITTING SHOTS! THEY TIED THE GAME! MOMENTUM ON THE HAWKS’ SIDE!

LD’s conscience: “How can I screw this up?”

Willie Green walks to the scorer’s table.

Dude that had me laughing so hard here in this office!!!

What's gone rondo?

May 8th, 2012
9:10 pm

Have the Hawk’s shot even one free throw so far in this game? Is that possible?

Hawkfan

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Can’t throw it in the ocean whole half. 4 3’s last 2 minutes. Wtf

Mr.E

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Anyone notice how quiet the TNT commentators? SMDH

Rev in Tampa

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Marvin! Marvin! Marvin!

Elf

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

THIS TEAM MAKES ME WANNA CUSS AND THROW UP #AtTheSameDamnTime

Mac-Town (478)™

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Rod from College Park

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Props to Marv for hitting 2 open 3’s. If he can knock that shot down, changes everything. Team needs to get some emotion.

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Play Teague entire 2nd half

Blast

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

steven a smith

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Have you been on Snoop Dog’s BUS?

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:07 pm

Hope Pierce or Ray don’t make us their b!7ches in the 2nd half

Kingd92

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

You gotta be kiddin me

Buddy Grizzard

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Glad LD got Willie Green in there for the spectacular defense.

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Rod from College Park
May 8th, 2012
9:11 pm

Props to Marv for hitting 2 open 3’s. If he can knock that shot down, changes everything. Team needs to get some emotion.

LinkReport this comment
***

cosign. DO THIS CONSISTENTLY

Luke Cage

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Willie shoulda been in Rondo’s chest

Mr.E

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Now Rondo makes the 3 and the TNT commentators like that…

Fire TNT NBA staff

Melvin

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

My gosh, what good is Willie Green

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Yeah, Rondo as a HOFer doesn’t seem so far fetched in this series.

Najeh Davenpoop

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Well so much for that.

Can’t really blame Willie Green much for that, he did contest the 3.

Hawks should feel really, really lucky that they are tied right now. If the Celtics had hit open shots in the late 1st/early 2nd, this would be a 20 point lead for them right now.

Rod from College Park

May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm

Willie Green, SMH

DawgNole

May 8th, 2012
9:13 pm

Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
9:09 pm

I really can’t believe Teague just made that shot.
______________________

I really can’t believe Rondo just hit their second straight buzzer beater. It’ll be damn hard to overcome that kind of BS luck.

Luke Cage

May 8th, 2012
9:13 pm

Here comes the “Dreaded 3rd qtr”

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:13 pm

Green and Pargo suck.

Hell, play MARVIN over both of he, the 2nd half

steven a smith

May 8th, 2012
9:13 pm

Peta is looking HOT 2-night…

yodaddybrother

May 8th, 2012
9:13 pm

Just when the Hawks were starting to feel good about themselves….RONDO of all players hits a 3 at the buzzer.

KG also hit a three at the buzzer in the 1st.

Not a good sign for the Celtics in my opinion but whatever. Don’t delay the inevitable. Go ahead and lose this game and save everyone another 3 days of misery.

What's gone rondo?

May 8th, 2012
9:13 pm

A 3 point threat would realllllllllly help.

Grandmaster JeJe (GM)

May 8th, 2012
9:14 pm

Are Smoove and Al gonna do anything in the 2nd half???

Michael

May 8th, 2012
9:14 pm

honestly guys who would have thought that rondo would have made that shot…

Buddy Grizzard

May 8th, 2012
9:14 pm

“Willie Green walks to the scorer’s table.”

LD could F up a wet dream.

Astro Joe

May 8th, 2012
9:14 pm

Would love to see LD use Ivan in the second half, it won’t happen, but I would like to see him get in there and mix thins up.

Big props to Dampier for his physical play in the first half. Even stole a jump ball from KG.