Celtics-Hawks Preview

By MIKE LIPKA
Posted Apr 19 2012 4:51PM

If the Boston Celtics don't win in Atlanta on Friday night, they'll probably have to open the playoffs there next weekend.

For that reason, this potential first-round preview appears crucial as the Celtics - without Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen again - try to sweep the regular-season series with the Hawks.

Boston (37-26) clinched a fifth straight Atlantic Division title Wednesday with a 102-98 win over Orlando, guaranteeing the team one of the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference.

It's not, however, assured of home-court advantage in the opening round. It's possible the Hawks (37-25) could finish in the No. 5 spot but with a better record, which would put Game 1 at Philips Arena.

That scenario would become likely if Atlanta wins Friday. Although the Celtics own the tiebreaker, a defeat would drop Boston two games back of the Hawks in the loss column.

After this game, Boston has two more contests and Atlanta three.

"Our focus is us," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "We can't control anything else outside of what we do. We'll come into Friday night's game with a defined game plan. Chances are, there's going to be some adjustments along the way, but we know what we have to do, how we have to play."

Home-court advantage was vital the last time these teams met in the postseason. The road team did not win a game in the first-round series in 2008 as the top-seeded Celtics won in seven en route to the franchise's 17th NBA title.

The Hawks are 10-3 at home since the beginning of March, but they posted their lowest point total of the season in Atlanta on March 19 in a 79-76 loss to Boston.

The teams' other meeting was also a defensive struggle. Rondo had 20 assists, 10 points and 10 rebounds despite shooting 3 of 16, and the Celtics outscored the Hawks 4-2 in overtime to win 88-86 on April 11.

Rondo missed Wednesday's game with a back injury, while Allen was out for a sixth straight contest due to a sore ankle. Neither player made the trip to Atlanta, with Mickael Pietrus (knee) also staying home.

Paul Pierce helped compensate in terms of scoring and ballhandling Wednesday, getting 29 points along with 14 assists - the most in his 14-year career.

Pierce scored a season-high 43 points Tuesday in a loss at New York.

"Paul is not flashy," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't even know how Paul scores sometimes. He doesn't look like he's that quick but he is. He's got a gift. He's a professional scorer."

The Hawks have done a good job of limiting Pierce this season, holding him to an average of 13.5 points and 30.3 percent shooting.

Atlanta, in the midst of a five-game homestand to close the regular season, should be well rested after building a huge lead and sitting its starters for much of a 116-84 win over Detroit on Wednesday.

Tracy McGrady scored a season-high 17 points off the bench.

"We really wanted to come out with a lot of energy," center Jason Collins said. "We want to finish the season strong with the last five games on our home court. We've still got a lot to play for."

Collins has started the last three games with Zaza Pachulia out, but the Hawks' lineup may be more formidable come playoff time with All-Star center Al Horford working toward a return from a torn pectoral muscle.

Hawks beat short-handed Celtics 97-92

Posted Apr 20 2012 11:08PM

ATLANTA (AP) When the Boston Celtics played the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, it might have been a precursor to an NBA playoff series, but it certainly didn't qualify as a "preview."

Joe Johnson scored 30 points as Atlanta edged the short-handed Celtics 97-92 to take a step toward securing a home-court edge against Boston in the first round of the playoffs.

But the Celtics hardly looked like themselves.

Starters Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and key reserves Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus did not play. On top of that, there wasn't much defense from either team in the first half as Atlanta took a 58-49 lead.

Johnson scored 23 points, Boston guard Avery Bradley scored 17 of his career-high 28 and both teams combined to make 23 of 38 shots over the first two quarters (60.5 percent).

Rondo, Allen and Pietrus stayed in Boston with injuries, and Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave Garnett and Pierce rest after playing 11 games in 15 days.

Still, Boston had more energy even with several rarely used players getting big minutes, and the Celtics pulled within one point five times in the fourth quarter before Johnson's three-point play with 1:56 left gave Atlanta a 90-86 lead.

The Hawks held on, but they were not so happy about it afterward.

"For us, it definitely sits a little uneasy," Johnson said. "I don't feel like we brought our `A' game."

Bradley, who moved into Allen's starting spot at the shooting guard position several weeks ago when Allen began battling problems with a surgically repaired ankle, moved into Rondo's point guard position and gave the Hawks fits.

He scored 12 points in the first quarter and surprised the Hawks in a variety of ways while besting his previous career high of 23 points.

"When . . . you come out and pretty much right before the game find out that (Garnett and Pierce) are not going to play . . . I don't know if it does something to you mentally, but it makes them that much (more) unpredictable," said Hawks forward Josh Smith, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

"Bradley played outstanding for them. I didn't know he had that much in his game."

The Hawks lost a home game earlier this season when Miami Heat stars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James did not play, and there was danger of a repeat Friday, especially when Keyon Dooling scored on a layup with 2:33 left to close the deficit to 87-86. Johnson's three-point play came moments later.

Hawks coach Larry Drew said he considered leaving Johnson and Smith on the bench late in the interest of getting them some rest, but the prospect of moving toward home-court advantage came into play. They each played 5:22 in the final quarter as the unsung Celtics made life difficult.

"That was certainly wavering," Drew said. "It was a situation of making a decision of just trying to solidify the home court position."

Dooling finished with 17 points, and Marquis Daniels added 12.

The Hawks (38-25) have the fourth-best record in the East, which as long as they finish with a better record than Boston (37-27) would give them home court in a 4-5 match-up against the Celtics even though the Celtics are going to be considered a top four seed by virtue of having clinched the Atlantic Division title.

If the teams finish with the same record, Boston would be considered the fourth seed (behind the Pacers) and gain home court against Atlanta by virtue of being a division champion. Plus, the Celtics beat the Hawks in two of three regular-season meetings.

The Celtics may be back to full roster strength in time for their game in Boston on Tuesday against the Heat.

"It has to help our team in the long run," Rivers said of resting key players. "I just think when your team plays like that it gives (reserves) a lot of confidence, and it gives the guys that didn't play a lot of confidence in them, which is huge."

Notes: Hawks starting C Zaza Pachulia missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left foot. In his place, Jason Collins had a season-high eight points and seven rebounds. . . . The Celtics signed 6-foot-10 C-F Sean Williams, who averaged 15.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots for the Texas Legends of the D-League. Williams, who played at Boston College, averaged 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds for Dallas. He was drafted by the Nets 17th overall in 2007, and has career NBA averages of 4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He had a rebound in 3-plus minutes Friday. To make room, Boston requested waivers on injured C-F Jermaine O'Neal.

Notebook: Hawks 97, Celtics 92

Posted Saturday April 21, 2012 12:58AM

By Matt Winkeljohn, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Hawks got what they were looking for Friday night when Joe Johnson scored 30 points to lead Atlanta past the visiting Celtics 97-92 for a leg up on the possibility of earning home-court advantage over Boston in a first-round playoff matchup.

But Atlanta head coach Larry Drew and his players were not very happy about the way they won, nor letting Boston guard Avery Bradley score a career-high 28 points in the process.

The Celtics left Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus in Boston with injuries, and perennial All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce made the trip to Atlanta only to have head coach Doc Rivers decide to rest them after playing 11 games in 15 days.

Still, Boston was within a single point of the Hawks five times in the fourth quarter. Keyon Dooling pulled the Celtics to 87-86 on a lay-up with 2:33 left in the game, but that would be the last time Boston drew so close.

Johnson had a three-point play at the other end with 1:56 remaining, and the Hawks closed out the C's from there.

Josh Smith had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks. Dooling had 17 points for Boston, which played without three starters plus its top two leading scorers off the bench (Allen and Pietrus).

The Hawks (38-25) have the fourth-best record in the East and will play host to the No. 5 Celtics (37-27) when the playoffs open if their positions hold in the standings and Atlanta ends up with a better record.

If Boston pulls even with Atlanta or passes the Hawks' record, they will have home court by virtue of winning the Atlantic Division (Atlanta cannot catch Miami for a division title) and by beating the Hawks in two of three games this season.

QUOTABLE: "It was very sloppy on our part. Whether Boston lost . . . they accomplished what they wanted -- to have reserves come out and compete at a high level and take us down to the wire."
-- Drew, who admitted that he thought about leaving Johnson and Smith on the bench in the fourth quarter for rest (like Rivers) only to bring them back because the possibility of moving closer to a first-round home-court edge.

QUOTABLE II: "They [the Celtics] had nothing to lose, and played loose. For us, it definitely sits a little uneasy."
-- Joe Johnson, who remembers none too fondly the Hawks losing a home game earlier this season when the Heat did not play superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

THE STAT: 49-14. That was the scoring differential between Atlanta starting forwards Josh Smith and Joe Johnson and Boston's Brandon Bass (10 points) and Sasha Pavlovic (4).

TURNING POINT: Unless you count Rivers' decision to rest all those players, there wasn't one, really. Boston's only lead came at 5-4 on a Dooling 3-pointer early in the game.

QUOTABLE III: "Even though we didn't win, I felt like we took steps forward as a team tonight. We still need to keep improving, and most importantly stay healthy. This break coming up will give us a chance to get some rest and also get some practice time."
-- Bradley, whose previous career high was 23 points (twice).

HOT: Both teams made 23-of-38 shots (60.5 percent) in the first half, when Johnson scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting with 3-of-4 3-pointers. Avery scored 17 in the first half on 8-for-13 shooting. Each man scored 12 in the first quarter, and Bradley added 11 in the third.

NOT: Bass made just 4-of-15 shots. . . . Josh Smith had a nice game (19 points, 12 rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals) other than a whopping seven turnovers. Boston outscored Atlanta 25-14 in points off turnovers (Atlanta coughed it up 19 times, Boston 12).

ROOKIE UPDATE: Greg Stiemsma started at center for Boston, and scored on his only two shot attempts. But he played just 9:35, and as he's been bothered most of the season by foot problems, Rivers said that the rookie from Wisconsin needs to be more honest with team officials about how much his feet are bothering him. . . . Boston's E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson -- former teammates at Purdue -- both played much more than usual. Moore made just 1-of-5 shots, but his 3-pointer late in the third quarter pulled the Celtics to within a point. Johnson, a forward had four points and a rebound in 14:59.

NOTABLE: Bradley is a point guard by training, but has played shooting guard for several weeks since Allen began battling ankle problems. He moved into Rondo's point spot Friday, and the Hawks couldn't slow him down as he made 12-of-22 shots. . . . Boston requested waivers on center-forward Jermaine O'Neal to make room on the roster to sign center-forward Sean Williams from Texas of the D-League. He was drafted 17th overall by the Nets in 2007. . . . Hawks center Zaza Pachulia missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left foot. In his absence, Jason Collins scored a season-high eight points and grabbed seven rebounds with four assists.

UP NEXT: For the Celtics, Tuesday vs. the Heat, Thursday vs. the Bucks. For the Hawks, Sunday vs. the Knicks, Tuesday vs. the Clippers, Thursday vs. the Mavericks.

• Celtics: Allen, Pietrus
• Hawks: Horford, Pachulia

• Celtics: --
• Hawks: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #36 David Jones, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 16214
• Duration: 2:18