Celtics-Hawks Preview

By PAUL NEWBERRY
Posted Apr 28 2012 6:37PM

ATLANTA (AP) Four years ago, Boston and Atlanta were in much different places when they met in the NBA playoffs.

The Celtics, a champion in the making. The Hawks, a team on the rise.

This time, they're in a similar situation: playing to stay together.

The Celtics are possibly making a last stand with their aging Big Three - Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The Hawks have a younger core but desperately need a long run in the playoffs to justify keeping all the important pieces intact, especially dynamic forward Josh Smith, who has one more year on his contract and a checkered relationship with his hometown team.

Game 1 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night in Atlanta, which has home-court advantage despite being the lower-seeded team.

"Both teams are playing for their survival as a group," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Saturday. "If we win the series, and keep winning, you're going to want to build on this group. If we win, you may not see that (Hawks) team anymore."

Atlanta has made three straight trips to the second round, including a tough six-game loss last year to the top-seeded Chicago Bulls. But the Hawks have never won more than one playoff series in any given year since moving from St. Louis in 1968, which has turned the city into something of a basketball wasteland.

When it comes to attendance, Atlanta generally ranks near the bottom of the league no matter its record (this year, the Hawks were 23rd overall and second-worst among playoff teams). Many of the fans who do turn out in this city of transplants tend to root for the other team, which was certainly the case for Boston's two visits to Philips Arena this season.

Atlanta star Joe Johnson is hoping the fans will be more like there were in the 2008 playoffs, when the Hawks won all three at home before raucous, supportive crowds to surprisingly force a Game 7 against the top-seeded Celtics.

"There was so much excitement here in Atlanta," Johnson remembered. "Just the way the crowd was into it and made this a very hostile environment. Man, it was pleasing to play in this building. It was a lot of fun."

What does he expect this time?

"I know it's going to be loud," Johnson said, breaking into a sly grin. "I just hope it's going to be in our favor."

Neither team is at full strength. Allen has not played in two weeks because of a sore right ankle, and he's not sure if he'll be ready to go in the series opener. In fact, if this wasn't the playoffs, the 36-year-old shooting guard would already be having surgery. Instead, he took a cortisone shot a few days ago and said Saturday the ankle "feels a lot better."

"As I stand here, just moving around on it, walking around, it feels great," Allen said at his team's suburban Boston practice facility, before the team flew to Atlanta. "Now, transferring it out on the floor and moving around on it is the next step."

The Celtics won't get any sympathy from their opponent. Atlanta already played most of the season without center Al Horford, who had hoped to be recovered from pectoral surgery in time for the playoffs but has already been ruled out for the Celtics series. The guy who took his starting spot, rugged Zaza Pachulia, missed the last seven games of the regular season with a sprained left foot.

While coach Larry Drew has tried to be coy about Pachulia's status for the playoffs, saying again Saturday that it will be a game-time decision, the players have already accepted having to start the postseason without their top two centers.

"With us not having Al and Zaza, it's going to be tough," Johnson said.

If Pachulia is indeed out, Drew will have to decide on which way to go with his lineup. He could stick with third-stringer Jason Collins as the starting center and leave everyone else in the roles they've played so well, including Smith at power forward and Marvin Williams coming off the bench with a highly effective second unit. Or, the Hawks could go smaller and quicker with their first five, moving Smith to center and promoting Williams to the starting lineup.

No matter who's on the court, Smith figures to spend plenty of time tussling with Garnett at both ends of the court. That figures to be one of the key matchups in the series, along with the one at point guard, where Atlanta's Jeff Teague gets the difficult task of trying to contain Rajon Rondo. Boston's superb floor leader averaged more than 14 assists a game and dished out 20 in an overtime win over the Hawks on April 11.

The teams are much more closely matched than they were before Boston's playoff victory in 2008 - the Hawks finishing one game ahead in the East standings, the Celtics winning two out of three meetings, none of which was decided by more than five points.

Another seven-game marathon is not out of the question.

"They've got three Hall of Famers on that team," Johnson said. "They're a great veteran group that knows how to get it done."

He feels good about his own team, too.

"We're a lot better, a lot deeper, than we've ever been. I think now's the time," Johnson said. "The main thing I want to do is try to bring a championship here to Atlanta. The city is well overdue. Why not give it a try?"

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Rondo tirade could mean double loss for Celtics

By PAUL NEWBERRY
Posted Apr 30 2012 11:42AM

ATLANTA (AP) Talk about a tough playoff opener for the Boston Celtics.

One game, possibly two big losses.

There was the score, of course, which went in favor of Atlanta. With Josh Smith scoring 22 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, the Hawks built a big lead early and held on for an 83-74 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday night.

But what happened in the hectic final minute could have a huge impact on Game 2, and possibly the entire series.

Boston star Rajon Rondo objected to a foul call on one of his teammates, chest-bumped the official who made it, and was quickly sent to the locker room. Now, all the Celtics can do is nervously await the likely wrath of NBA Commissioner David Stern, who's never been too lenient on anyone striking his refs.

"I didn't intentionally chest-bump him, but that's what it appears to be," Rondo conceded.

The Hawks, who led by as many as 19 in the first half, were clinging to a four-point lead when Rondo lost his cool with 41 seconds remaining. Boston's Brandon Bass was called for a foul on Smith tussling for a loose ball, with both players sprawled on the court out beyond the foul line. Rondo screamed at official Marc Davis, who called a technical. Rondo then bumped Davis with his chest and was ejected without hesitation.

"It's out of my control," said Rondo, who up to that point had been a huge bright spot for the Celtics with 20 points and 11 assists. "Obviously, I want to be there for my teammates, but other than that, it's out of my control."

Lobbying for leniency, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he doesn't think Rondo deserves a suspension.

"I'm always worried, but I would be surprised if that happens," Rivers said. "I thought Rondo was walking toward Marc, and Marc turned back toward him, and that's when Rondo bumped him. ... That's all it was, in my opinion. But we'll see."

Rondo had a similar take.

"Obviously I was upset about the call and I said some words to Marc. I deserved the first tech," Rondo said. "As I was walking, I thought he stopped. My momentum carried me into him. I even think I tripped on his foot."

At the beginning, the Hawks looked much quicker and faster than the aging Celtics. With every starter outside of Jason Collins contributing at least four points, Atlanta raced to a 20-6 lead with the game just over 5 minutes old. The Hawks twice pushed the margin as high as 19 points and settled for a 49-35 edge at halftime.

Smith totally outplayed Boston's Kevin Garnett over the first two quarters, going into the break with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. Garnett had only two points on 1-of-9 shooting.

"He was an animal," Atlanta coach Larry Drew said of Smith. "When he's playing with that energy, he just makes us so much better."

Smith had to carry the load. The Hawks' other big gun, Joe Johnson, had a miserable night with 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting, committing more turnovers (four) than he made field goals. He was 0 of 9 from 3-point range.

The Hawks got sloppy with the ball and made only 19-of-54 shots after their blistering performance in the opening quarter. That allowed the Celtics to edge back into the game, and it looked as though they might just pull off the comeback until Rondo's big blunder.

Smith said he was definitely fouled as he scrambled for the loose ball with Bass.

"That was the right call they made," Smith said. "I'm not sure what happened with Rondo. That will be up to the league to see what he did wrong. You never know what's going to happen, but we'll definitely factor him in going to tomorrow."

Garnett bounced back to put up 20 points and 11 rebounds. Paul Pierce had only 12 points, going 5 of 19 from the field and missing all six of his 3-point attempts.

"For us to win, I have to be a better player," Pierce said. "I was a really big culprit."

Both teams were short-handed.

Celtics guard Ray Allen missed a playoff game for the first time in his career, watching from the bench in a suit and tie because of an ailing right ankle. He would've already had surgery if it was earlier in the year, but the 36-year-old member of Boston's Big Three is hoping to heal in time for possibly his last hurrah in Beantown.

The Hawks, meanwhile, started third-stringer Collins at center. Al Horford missed most of the year with a pectoral injury and has been ruled out for the entire series, and the guy who took his place, rugged Zaza Pachulia, went down late in the regular season with a sprained left foot.

Now the big question is: Will Rondo be available for Game 2?

"I don't think it was on purpose," Pierce said, "but it's up to the league."

NOTES: Allen and Pachulia are both listed as day-to-day. ... The Hawks have never beaten Boston in the playoffs since moving to Atlanta in 1968, losing six straight postseason meetings. ... The teams met four times in the finals when the Hawks were based in St. Louis. Boston won three of those series. The Hawks' only playoff win over the Celtics was a 4-2 triumph to capture the title in 1958.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Notebook: Hawks 83, Celtics 74

Posted Sunday April 29, 2012 11:22PM

By Matt Winkeljohn, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: For all the fuss about players unavailable for Game 1 between the Celtics and Hawks, there was little noticeable affect Sunday when Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia and Boston's Ray Allen did not play, yet the Hawks' 83-74 win left a similar and much bigger question about Game 2.

Will Rajon Rondo be allowed to play Tuesday, when these teams next meet?

The Celtics' All-Star point guard, who had 20 points, 11 assists and four steals, was ejected with 41 seconds left when he drew back-to-back technical fouls and appeared to bump official Marc Davis.

That bump -- and it appeared debatable whether or not Rondo initiated the contact -- could be grounds for a one-game suspension.

Boston head coach Doc Rivers said he thought Davis turned into Rondo, but that wasn't obvious on replay.

What was clear was the Hawks showed up in Philips Arena with more energy as Josh Smith had nine of his 22 points and five of his career playoff-high 18 rebounds while the home team ran to a 31-18 first-quarter lead.

From there, the Celtics chipped away behind a defense that held Atlanta to 35.1 percent shooting over the final three quarters, and Boston was within 78-74 when the play of game unfolded.

Atlanta had the ball in the final minute when All-Star guard Joe Johnson, mired in a terrible game, fumbled the ball from near the free-throw line toward mid-court. Smith and Boston's Kevin Garnett went to the floor for it, and Brandon Bass entered the fray a second or so later.

Davis called Bass for a foul, his sixth, and Rondo reacted. Davis wasted little time hitting Rondo with his first technical, and as the official faced the scorer's table, Rondo appeared to lean toward him while continuing to voice his opinion.

As soon as there was contact between Rondo's chest and Davis' back, the official T'ed Rondo again and ejected him.

Johnson made one of two free throws for the technicals, and then Smith made two for being fouled to close the scoring on what was a sluggish game.

Other than the Hawks in the first quarter, when they made 12-of-22 shots, neither team was crisp offensively and the low score was attributable only partly to defense. Both teams missed quite a few open shots.

Johnson made just 3-of-15 shots, and missed all nine of his 3-pointers while adding four turnovers.

Garnett ended up with 20 points (10 in the fourth quarter) by making 7-of-10 shots in the second half, but he was 1-for-9 in the first half and Paul Pierce was 5-for-19 overall with 12 points. He missed all six of his trey tries, and Boston missed all 11.

Conversely, the Hawks were 7-for-20 from distance, and Kirk Hinrich hit 4-of-6 for all 12 of his points. Backcourt mate Jeff Teague scored 15, and made both his trey tries.

Despite being out-rebounded 50-41, the Celtics stayed in the game by taking care of the ball. They turned the ball over just six times, and Atlanta converted those into a modest four points.

QUOTABLE: "I was upset about the call, and I said something [to Davis]. As I was walking I thought he stopped, and my momentum carried me into him. It's out of my control [whether he's suspended]. My teammates all thought that I was obviously in the wrong. They may see that I bumped him, but I didn't intentionally chest-bump him. I know the rules."
-- Rondo.

THE STAT: 4 -- that was the Boston bench production, in terms of points. Rivers has been resting his starters quite a bit recently, but Sunday he played Rondo (43:11), Pierce (41:16), Garnett (40:18) and Bass (35:12) a ton. Conversely, the reserves played just 51:21 and combined for those four points on 2-for-7 shooting with one assist and three turnovers.

Greg Stiemsma did contribute nine rebounds, but by comparison the Atlanta bench was good for 17 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

TURNING POINT I: You could make the case that the Hawks won this game in the first quarter. Despite scoring just 34 points in the second half and 52 over the final three quarters, they finished on top largely because Boston allowed 31 points in that first quarter and could not catch up.

QUOTABLE II: "We got off to a very fast start. I thought we did a good job pushing the tempo. Certainly that was a point of emphasis going into this game although as the game wore on, we didn't get out and run as much."
-- Hawks head coach Larry Drew.

TURNING POINT II: The Hawks' offense had turned incredibly stagnant, and Boston went on a 9-2 run in the middle of the fourth quarter to pull within 73-68 on Bass' 19-foot jumper with 3:29. On Atlanta's next possession, Smith whipped the ball out to Teague beyond the arc. As Teague up-faked, Mickael Pietrus broke toward him from the right corner.

Then, when Teague took the ball back down, Pietrus returned toward Hinrich in the corner. So, Teague launched. His 3-pointer with one second left on the shot clock gave Atlanta a 76-68 lead with 3:06 left in the game, and he added a runner a minute later to again expand the lead (78-70) with 1:58 to go.

QUOTABLE III: "I knew they were going to stunt off me because Kirk had been making shots from the corner."
-- Teague.

HOT: Smith had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the first half, on 7-for-12 shooting. He also had two assists. . . . Rondo made 5-of-7 shots in the first quarter, and added three assists. All of his teammates combined for eight points in that period. . . . Garnett scored 10 points in the final period, when he made 4-of-6 shots and both of his free throws.

NOT: Garnett missed 8-of-9 shots in the first half, when he added six rebounds and two assists. . . . Avery Bradley, who scored a career-high 28 points in Atlanta on April 20, missed 6-of-7 shots in the first half and finished with 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting. At times in the second half, he was the only starter not on the floor for Boston as Rivers inserted Pietrus instead. . . . Over the final three quarters, Johnson made 1-of-10 shots with one rebound, one assist and all four of his turnovers. He missed all six of his shots (five from beyond the arc) in the second half. . . . The Hawks were dreadful in the third quarter, making just 5-of-18 shots and 4-of-8 free throws, but Hinrich had two 3-pointers in the period and Boston was a modest 8-for-22. . . . Pierce made just 1-of-9 shots in the second half, and missed a layup in the final minute of the game. Smith made just 1-of-8 shots in the second half, but had seven rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and -- of course -- drew the Bass foul that sparked the wild sequence in the last minute.

QUOTABLE IV: "We pride ourselves on defense, but we gave up 31 points to start the game on the road. You give the home team confidence. We had very little ball movement. We didn't run our stuff. We didn't play like us. I've got to find new stuff, or get us to run our stuff."
-- Rivers.

NOTABLE: Rivers said Allen's absence does not mean that he'll miss the entire playoff series, but he's been out for two-plus weeks. . . . Pachulia has missed eight straight games, and does not seem likely to play in Game 2 Sunday in Atlanta. . . .

UP NEXT: For both teams, Tuesday @ Atlanta, Friday @ Boston, Sunday @ Boston.

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

• Celtics: Rondo, Rondo
• Hawks: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #8 Marc Davis, #30 John Goble
• Attendance: 19292
• Duration: 2:22