Live Blog: Celtics at Hawks

by

Jan 29, 2010

Live Blog: Celtics at Hawks Final, Hawks 100-91: Too much Jamal Crawford early and Joe Johnson late gives the Hawks a four-game season sweep of the Celtics, who have now dropped 10 of 16.


With the win, Atlanta passes Boston in the Eastern Conference standings and gets its first four-game sweep of Boston since 1993-94.


The C’s trimmed a 14-point lead to one but could never get over the hump, despite a team season-high 35 points for Paul Pierce.


Crawford scored 18 of his 28 points in the first half and Johnson had 16 down the stretch.


It’ll be a long flight back to Boston, where the C’s will have one day to recuperate before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The tip is set for 3:30 p.m. for that one and we will bring you all the in-game analysis as Boston looks to salvage something from this treacherous three-game stretch.


Fourth quarter, 1:05, Hawks 97-88: That will just about do it as a Rajon Rondo pass is picked off by Jamal Crawford, who goes in alone for two.


That was a five-point swing as Rasheed Wallace missed a 3-pointer seconds before the turnover.


Fourth quarter, 1:34, Hawks 93-88: Rasheed Wallace gets the Celtics within five after a free throw. Boston is 26-of-30 from the line. It needs a stop in the biggest way right now.


It may be painfully obvious, but the ball will start in the hands of Joe Johnson, and Jamal Crawford is likely to touch it as well.


Fourth quarter, 2:55, Hawks 93-85: Paul Pierce reaches 30 points for the second time this season with a pair of free throws that make it an eight-point game. 


Fourth quarter, 4:34, Hawks 89-79: This is an 11-2 run for the Hawks but there’s enough time for the C’s to make one last push.


Fourth quarter, 6:10, Hawks 85-79: Ray Allen is up against it here down the stretch as he will draw most of the Joe Johnson duties. When Johnson destroyed the C’s in the fourth quarter earlier this month it was Allen who was the primary victim, although Doc Rivers did put Paul Pierce on Johnson for a few minutes in that one.


We’ll see if the matchups remain the same if Johnson keeps it up.


Fourth quarter, 7:30, Hawks 85-77 : Suddenly the C’s are jacking up a ton of 3-pointers and none are going. Meanwhile, Joe Johnson is doing just what he did in a Hawks win over Boston earlier this month, looking for his shot and making it.


It would be nice to see the Celtics go inside again to Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett once they return.


Fourth quarter, 8:45, Hawks 80-77: The second unit has been up to the task here in the second half after really playing some poor basketball in the first and second quarters.


With the way the Celtics starters played in the third quarter you get the sense that Boston can win this if the bench can just keep it close here for a few more minutes.


Fourth quarter, 9:15, Hawks 78-77: Glen Davis is giving the Celts some great minutes in the second half. He has grabbed some big boards and is limiting Al Horford in the early portions of the fourth quarter.


Fourth quarter, 11:35, Hawks 74-73: A boatload of pride on the line for the Celtics as they enter the fourth quarter. You know it would sting to lose all four to the Hawks, or any team for that matter.


End of third quarter, Hawks 74-73: Neither team scores for over two minutes near the end of the third quarter until Glen Davis hits a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left.


The foul shots get the Celtics within a point for the first time since the start of the second quarter.


Atlanta went the last 6:36 without a basket, a pretty remarkable scenario after what we witnessed in the first half.


Third quarter, 2:49, Hawks 72-66: This game resembles rugby as much as basketball right now, and I imagine that’s just the way the Celtics want it after the Hawks simply coasted up and down the court with ease in the first half.


Zaza Pachulia becomes the third player and fourth individual overall to get whistled for a technical foul after he complains of a foul call.


Boston has the ball after the break and can get closer than six points for the first time since it was 30-26, Atlanta.


Third quarter, 3:43, Hawks 70-63: Paul Pierce has made 36 of his last 37 free throws and his last two pull Boston within seven points.


Third quarter, 5:02, Hawks 69-59: The concern as we start to see the benches empty a bit is what the Celtics’ second unit will do here in the third and fourth quarters. They were woefully outplayed in the first half.



Third quarter, 5:50, Hawks 68-59: Back-to-back battles for loose balls and the Celtics get the raw end of the deal on both as first Rajon Rondo and then Kendrick Perkins pick up fouls.


It has become much more physical and intense here in the last few minutes and although it did not seem likely in the first half, you get the feeling Boston will stick around.


Third quarter, 6:28, Hawks 68-59: We have an old-fashioned shootout between Paul Pierce and Jamal Crawford.


The pair have combined for 44 points. No other player on either team had reached double figures before Al Horford just did for Atlanta.


Third quarter, 7:42, Hawks 63-52: Now Kendrick Perkins gets a technical for swatting Josh Smith after Smith gives him a bear-hug to prevent Perkins from scoring.


Smith was given a questionable flagrant foul in the mix. Mike Woodson also gets a technical arguing the Smith call.


Perk has been a target of some borderline hard fouls this season by Atlanta but he should be keeping the elbows to a minimum.


Let’s see who gets fired up more from this whole charade. It was the Celtics who picked up three techs in the third quarter the last time these two teams met, and the Hawks exploded thereafter.


Third quarter, 8:09, Hawks 59-50: Joe Johnson breaks a 7-0 Celtics run with another fast break basket.


Third quarter, 9:58, Hawks 57-47: Thank God for Paul Pierce, who now has 18 of the Celtics’ 45 points and is 8-of-9 from the floor.


Barring injury, Pierce will lead the Celtics in points this season for the 10th straight time, making him the first in franchise history to do so. He and Hall of Famers Larry Bird and John Havlicek have each had streaks of nine straight seasons leading the team in scoring

Third quarter, 11:55, Hawks 53-41: Some of you may have heard or seen that the Hawks had 25 fast break points in the first half.

Just to give you some context on how remarkable that is, the high for a Celtics opponent this year FOR AN ENTIRE GAME is 26.


Halftime, Hawks 53-41: At least there won’t be any second half collapses tonight. No, the Celtics took care of that early on in this one.


Atlanta outscores Boston 46-25 over the last 15 minutes of the first half. Jamal Crawford has 18 points and four assists off the bench for the Hawks, who were shooting 18 percent at one point but are now 20-of-40.


Paul Pierce leads the Celts with 14 points and Kendrick Perkins has seven rebounds. Rajon Rondo, however, has looked miserable, getting torched by Crawford on the defensive end and appearing very hesitant with the ball. He has two points on 1-of-6 shooting.


Back in a bit to see what Boston can salvage from this one. It actually feels a lot worse than a 12-point game.


Second quarter, 1:18, Hawks 49-37: If Mike Woodson gives him the chance, Jamal Crawford could go for 40 tonight. He has 16 in 17 minutes.


Second quarter, 1:46, Hawks 45-37: Jamal Crawford’s latest basket is about as easy as they come. Rajon Rondo has been defending him, and was taken out of the play by a pick. One dribble to the right and Crawford looked effortless in drilling a long jumper.


Second quarter, 3:24, Hawks 43-32: This is what the Hawks can do. Their center, Al Horford, dribbles ahead of the field against three Celtics before throwing an easy pass to a trailing Josh Smith.


It was the type of play that you normally never see against the defensive-minded C’s, but against the Hawks it happens all too often. They are simply a step ahead of Boston at all times.


Second quarter, 5:22, Hawks 41-30: Doc Rivers explodes off the bench pleading for a foul call that eventually comes on Mike Bibby.


Bibby has three fouls in six minutes. Although he is a starter he sometimes serves as little more than a breather for Jamal Crawford.


The Celts would do well to look inside for Kendrick Perkins a bit more. He seems to have good position and can score against these smaller Hawks if he gets it, but he simply hasn’t much early on.


Second quarter, 5:50, Hawks 39-30: Hard to remember that the Celtics led this one 16-7 at one point.


The thing is, there are no surprises to what the Hawks are doing. Jamal Crawford remains impossible to stop, and the C’s are again wilting under the Hawks pressure. Boston has nine turnovers already.


Second quarter, 8:13, Hawks 35-26: Rasheed Wallace gets his NBA-leading 13th technical foul and second in as many nights but jeez he didn’t do much to deserve it this time.


Not a lot going right with this second unit in the game. I know Doc Rivers is hoping to rest some of his starters but they are really needed right now or this one could get away in a hurry.


Second quarter, 9:52, Hawks 29-24: Zaza Pachulia hits a jumper and then converts a turnover into a layup, extending the Hawks run to 22-8.


Pachulia is abhorred by many Celtics fans for his antagonistic play during the 2008 playoffs, but it’s the way the Philips Arena public address announcer says his name each time Pachulia scores that can truly boil your blood.


Take a listen next time and try not to cringe.


End of first quarter, Hawks 23-22: Jamal Crawford simply loves seeing the C’s.


He gives the Hawks their first lead of the game on a halfcourt shot at the buzzer and already has eight points off the bench.


Crawford’s latest dagger came seconds after Paul Pierce hit a long jumper to seemingly give Boston the momentum entering the second quarter. That is no longer the case.


On a side note, you might recall that in the last meeting between these teams Doc Rivers was ejected and assistant coach Tom Thibodeau kept the same lineup in for the game’s final 19 minutes, a curious decision as fresher Hawks legs went off in the fourth.


One of the players I was wondering about that whole time was Tony Allen, who is one of the few C’s who can defend both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford if needed. Allen, who was kept on the pine that whole time, showed his defensive ability a moment ago by shutting down Crawford on a pair of possessions.


Perhaps Crawford only needed to step out a bit further. His buzzer-beater will be on all the highlight shows in case you missed it.


First quarter, 1:42, Celtics 18-15: Atlanta’s run reaches 8-0 before Paul Pierce hits a jumper in the lane to quiet the crowd.


First quarter, 2:39, Celtics 16-12: Josh Smith can extend a 5-0 Hawks burst when he goes to the line after the commercial break. The C’s have had a hard time containing Smith early.


First quarter, 2:42, Celtics 16-10: Rajon Rondo still shows that reluctance to shoot at times and it burned him there. He hesitated multiple times from about 12 feet and then threw the ball away.


First quarter, 4:32, Celtics 12-7: Twice now Josh Smith has taken the ball the length of the court with little resistance. He scored the first time and drew a foul on Kevin Garnett the second time.


First quarter, 5:37, Celtics 10-6: This has all the makings of a 72-67 final as both teams are ice cold to start.


They have combined to make 6 of 20 shots from the floor. To add to the chill, Ray Allen just missed from the line.


Allen has made 5 of 9 free throws over his last four games, not exactly a normal stretch for the sharpshooter.


First quarter, 6:48, Celtics 10-2: Jamal Crawford in early in place of Mike Bibby, who has seen his playing time dwindle with Crawford on the squad. The fourth quarter belongs to Crawford every time. Bibby usually watches down the stretch.


First quarter, 7:40, Celtics 8-2: The Hawks are 1-of-6 from the floor and have two turnovers, but we’ve seen this kind of sputtering start from them before so don’t read too much into it yet.


First quarter, 9:15, Celtics 6-2: The fans at Philips can finally sit down (they stand until the first Hawks hoop, a la Syracuse fans) as Josh Smith scores in the lane, but Paul Pierce answers with a short jumper.


First quarter, 11:55, 0-0: We are underway at Philips Arena but before we get too involved, here’s a statistic which may shed light on what the Celtics need to focus.


It’s happened all season, but of late the C’s have been giving up second-chance points in droves. Over their last six games opponents have managed 94 such points, compared to just 34 for Boston.


In the three meetings with the Hawks, the Celts have been outscored in that category, 42-25. You gotta clean up the glass against this team.


7:20 p.m.: A quick update with the starting lineups.


For the fourth straight game the Celtics go with the usual collection of stars, tossing out Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins.


Due to foul trouble, Perkins was limited to just 15-plus minutes Thursday in Orlando. So he’s rested, plus has often had good games against Atlanta, which is a bit undersized up front. Something to watch for.


The Hawks start Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford. And we know Jamal Crawford is lurking on the bench.


7:05 p.m.: As we wait for starting lineups to be confirmed at Philips Arena we take one last look at the debacle in Orlando, particularly the minutes played.



With that one going to the wire Doc Rivers was forced to play Paul Pierce and Ray Allen more than 40 minutes, and gave 34 to Kevin Garnett, the most for KG since he returned.


More so than the first two games after his comeback, Garnett dragged that right leg around the court against the Magic. He had a long stretch earlier in the season where he also did this, but he fought through it and appeared to have everything back by early December, when he spearheaded a remarkable 4-0 road trip. The limp was nearly gone and he began to show some explosion around the basket.


That was all before the leg whip in Golden State which led to the hyperextension of the right knee.


Many said it was more of a mental barrier that Garnett needed to get past earlier in the season before he could go 100 percent on that leg. It remains to be seen whether he is battling a similar mental obstacle right now or if he is physically worse off than he was before. Something to watch for in the second half of a tough back-to-back.


11:14 a.m.: It was roughly 10:56 p.m. Thursday when the Celtics walked off the court in Orlando after blowing a 16-point lead and falling in painful fashion, 96-94.


Just over 20 hours later they will be forced to walk onto the floor at Philips Arena in Atlanta to take on the Hawks, who have owned Boston this season.

Atlanta, which is on the verge of passing the Green and moving into second place in the Eastern Conference, is 3-0 in the season series. The last time the Hawks swept a season slate with Boston was in 1998-99. The last time they went 4-0 against the C’s was 1993-94, when guys like Stacey Augmon and Mookie Blaylock got the better of Boston.

This season it’s been Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford, who have consistently erupted for gigantic second halves against the Celtics. In a 102-96 win at Boston a few weeks ago the pair had 37 of their 53 points after the break. In a 93-85 victory three days earlier they went for 22 of 30 following intermission.

It’s a problem that has plagued the Celtics all season, as evidenced by Thursday’s disaster in Disney. Boston was up 16 in the third quarter and still held a 14-point lead with less than 11 minutes to play before falling for the ninth time in 16 games.

The Hawks had a three-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in San Antonio. Johnson and Crawford combined for 56 points but the rest of the team shot a miserable 23.2 percent (10-of-43) from the floor.

The tip for this one is set for just after 7:30 p.m. Follow all the action right here as Boston looks to rebound from a difficult loss.

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