Showing posts with label Zaza Pachulia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zaza Pachulia. Show all posts
Friday, April 27, 2012
Boston 87, Milwaukee 74
At this point in the season, the game is "whatever." Rajon R-ndo returned and notched double-digit assists again -- 15 of 'em, in just 25 minutes of court action. (Rondo took just one shot, an end-of-the-clock job, and was the only one of the 13 Celtics who played who didn't score.)
The one thing I want to talk about is the fact that Paul Pierce suffered a mild toe injury in the first quarter. It's probably nothing serious, but I don't understand why Doc decided to play Pierce and KG tonight after sitting them last week against Atlanta. If the goal was home court advantage against the Hawks (which we would've earned tonight only by winning and having Atlanta lose at home to a Dallas team who is resting guys for the postseason), we should have played all out for it from the get-go. It doesn't make sense to do it now; no circumstances have changed. If, on the other hand, the goal was to get some guys in synch with R-ndo, then I guess I can buy that.
Anyway, the first playoff game is Sunday night, 7 pm Eastern, in Atlanta, on TNT, the third game in the second consecutive quadruple-header in what is the NBA playoffs' version of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Atlanta's going to be without Al Horford for the entire series, and likely will be without Zaza Pachulia for the first couple of games. That's good news for Boston, as it eliminates a big part of their offensive rebounding, which is an advantage every team has on us.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Boston 79, Atlanta 76
[recap] [box score]
The Celtics were bad tonight. The Hawks were worse. The officials were atrocious. No one who had anything to do with this game should be satisfied with their performance. And yet the Celtics walked out of Philips Arena with a win, and an end, albeit an ugly one, to an even uglier two-game losing streak.
Almost from the beginning, you could tell it was going to be a low-level game. The Celtics' legs seemed understandably road-weary. Rajon R-ndo made quick work of Jeff Teague on a few early drives and cuts to the basket, but missed the layups. Paul Pierce left his early jumpers well short off the front rim. Kevin Garnett couldn't seem to get his feet underneath him operating in the post.
Fortunately, the Hawks didn't look any better, perhaps tired from the previous night's win over Cleveland. In addition to looking flat-footed on defense, Teague -- who has enjoyed something of a breakout year as Atlanta's starting point guard -- showed no interest in penetrating the Boston D. Former Celtic Joe Johnson, the team's best offensive player, was so quiet that I was surprised to look up at the start of the fourth quarter and see that he had scored even 11 points. The only Hawk interested in doing anything seemed to be Josh Smith, who hit three long jumpers in the game's opening minutes. That turned out to be a bad thing for Atlanta, as Smith fell in love with the jumper, which has been a valid criticism of his game for years now. Smith started the game 3-for-4 from the field; he finished it 5-for-20.
Atlanta is one of those teams that reacts to Boston's bullying in kind, and Zaza Pachulia is a known agitator who really seems to get under Garnett's skin, in particular. So I was expecting a chippy game. The pace was so slow in the first half, though, the intensity level so low, that it looked like it might not materialize. But a hard foul -- nothing dirty, but a clear flagrant 1 -- by Brandon Bass on Pachulia early in the third quarter seemed to get the blood boiling a bit, and the rest of the game was dotted with cheap fouls and quick whistles.
Midway through the third, Teague dunked on the break to give Atlanta a 47-39 lead, and had words for Ray Allen. That earned him a technical foul, but even after Allen nailed the free throw, the Hawks had a chance to blow the game open. In the last few weeks, Boston opponents had taken control of close games in the third quarter, and the Celtics seemed ripe for it to happen once again: Boston was really struggling offensively and Paul Pierce was on the bench with foul trouble. But given three opportunities to extend the lead, the Hawks came up empty, with two turnovers and an empty trip to the free throw line.
Fully two minutes after the Teague tech, Allen drilled a three-pointer to keep Boston in striking distance. He hit another at the end of the quarter, on a nifty inbounds pass from Rondo; there was but a second left on the clock, and Rondo faked as though he was going to throw a lob to Garnett. Allen's defender reacted to the fake, and Ray's lightning quick release got the shot off in plenty of time. Boston trailed 51-50 after three quarters (if not for Orlando's 59-point performance tonight against Derrick Rose-less Chicago, Boston and Atlanta's offensive futility would be a big talking point among NBA types today).
The Celtics scored six straight points to start the fourth, but Atlanta got five on consecutive possession to tie the score at 76. And then, for whatever reason, Boston got hot. A 17-2 run, including 13 in a row at the end, the last nine coming on two three-pointers by Allen (one from like 26 feet at the top of the key, moving noticeably left, with Kirk Hinrich's hand right in his face) and one from Mickael Pietrus.
If you're paying attention, you know that Boston scored only six points over the final 4:30. The culprit was the usual; the Celtics stopped running their stuff, took the air out of the ball, and settled for contested jumpers at the end of the shot clock. Atlanta finally woke up, and Johnson's second three-pointer of the final minutes cut the Boston lead to 75-71 with a minute left. The Celtics got nothing on the ensuing possession and it really looked they might let this one slip away.
Enter Josh Smith, who found himself with the ball on the wing, with no Celtics defender nearby. Apparently not realizing that there was a reason he was left open, Smith launched his third and final three-pointer of the game. Like the other two, it missed, and a golden opportunity was wasted. A missed free throw by Pierce and another Johnson three gave the Hawks a chance to tie it up. Doc Rivers made a mistake, I thought, by ordering a little full-court pressure with 10 seconds left. The pressure left Teague wide open in transition for the potential game-tying three-pointer, but the young fella pulled it left and didn't even catch the rim.
The Hawks, at least without Al Horford (who's been out for months with a torn pectoral muscle), are actually a decent matchup for Boston, as long as Smith decides to stay outside (something he's generally been a lot better about during the last two seasons). Pachulia is a nuisance and with 16 points and 13 rebounds he was probably the only Hawk who played a good full game, but he had no real help on the offensive glass, where Boston opponents have been exploiting the Cs lately. And the bench -- another vulnerable area for Boston now that Brandon Bass has moved into the starting lineup for Jermaine O'Neal (whose season is over, it was confirmed today) -- features Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse -- a formidable duo a decade ago, maybe, but not now.
Anyway, good matchup or not, Boston got a huge win. They kept pace with the Sixers, who win Charlotte; they gained a full game on the Hawks for the six-seed; and they put the pressure on the Knicks and Bucks. As importantly, they rid themselves of some of the disappointment of the losses in Sacramento and Denver. The road trip can still be a success.
The Celtics were bad tonight. The Hawks were worse. The officials were atrocious. No one who had anything to do with this game should be satisfied with their performance. And yet the Celtics walked out of Philips Arena with a win, and an end, albeit an ugly one, to an even uglier two-game losing streak.
Almost from the beginning, you could tell it was going to be a low-level game. The Celtics' legs seemed understandably road-weary. Rajon R-ndo made quick work of Jeff Teague on a few early drives and cuts to the basket, but missed the layups. Paul Pierce left his early jumpers well short off the front rim. Kevin Garnett couldn't seem to get his feet underneath him operating in the post.
Fortunately, the Hawks didn't look any better, perhaps tired from the previous night's win over Cleveland. In addition to looking flat-footed on defense, Teague -- who has enjoyed something of a breakout year as Atlanta's starting point guard -- showed no interest in penetrating the Boston D. Former Celtic Joe Johnson, the team's best offensive player, was so quiet that I was surprised to look up at the start of the fourth quarter and see that he had scored even 11 points. The only Hawk interested in doing anything seemed to be Josh Smith, who hit three long jumpers in the game's opening minutes. That turned out to be a bad thing for Atlanta, as Smith fell in love with the jumper, which has been a valid criticism of his game for years now. Smith started the game 3-for-4 from the field; he finished it 5-for-20.
Atlanta is one of those teams that reacts to Boston's bullying in kind, and Zaza Pachulia is a known agitator who really seems to get under Garnett's skin, in particular. So I was expecting a chippy game. The pace was so slow in the first half, though, the intensity level so low, that it looked like it might not materialize. But a hard foul -- nothing dirty, but a clear flagrant 1 -- by Brandon Bass on Pachulia early in the third quarter seemed to get the blood boiling a bit, and the rest of the game was dotted with cheap fouls and quick whistles.
Midway through the third, Teague dunked on the break to give Atlanta a 47-39 lead, and had words for Ray Allen. That earned him a technical foul, but even after Allen nailed the free throw, the Hawks had a chance to blow the game open. In the last few weeks, Boston opponents had taken control of close games in the third quarter, and the Celtics seemed ripe for it to happen once again: Boston was really struggling offensively and Paul Pierce was on the bench with foul trouble. But given three opportunities to extend the lead, the Hawks came up empty, with two turnovers and an empty trip to the free throw line.
Fully two minutes after the Teague tech, Allen drilled a three-pointer to keep Boston in striking distance. He hit another at the end of the quarter, on a nifty inbounds pass from Rondo; there was but a second left on the clock, and Rondo faked as though he was going to throw a lob to Garnett. Allen's defender reacted to the fake, and Ray's lightning quick release got the shot off in plenty of time. Boston trailed 51-50 after three quarters (if not for Orlando's 59-point performance tonight against Derrick Rose-less Chicago, Boston and Atlanta's offensive futility would be a big talking point among NBA types today).
The Celtics scored six straight points to start the fourth, but Atlanta got five on consecutive possession to tie the score at 76. And then, for whatever reason, Boston got hot. A 17-2 run, including 13 in a row at the end, the last nine coming on two three-pointers by Allen (one from like 26 feet at the top of the key, moving noticeably left, with Kirk Hinrich's hand right in his face) and one from Mickael Pietrus.
If you're paying attention, you know that Boston scored only six points over the final 4:30. The culprit was the usual; the Celtics stopped running their stuff, took the air out of the ball, and settled for contested jumpers at the end of the shot clock. Atlanta finally woke up, and Johnson's second three-pointer of the final minutes cut the Boston lead to 75-71 with a minute left. The Celtics got nothing on the ensuing possession and it really looked they might let this one slip away.
Enter Josh Smith, who found himself with the ball on the wing, with no Celtics defender nearby. Apparently not realizing that there was a reason he was left open, Smith launched his third and final three-pointer of the game. Like the other two, it missed, and a golden opportunity was wasted. A missed free throw by Pierce and another Johnson three gave the Hawks a chance to tie it up. Doc Rivers made a mistake, I thought, by ordering a little full-court pressure with 10 seconds left. The pressure left Teague wide open in transition for the potential game-tying three-pointer, but the young fella pulled it left and didn't even catch the rim.
The Hawks, at least without Al Horford (who's been out for months with a torn pectoral muscle), are actually a decent matchup for Boston, as long as Smith decides to stay outside (something he's generally been a lot better about during the last two seasons). Pachulia is a nuisance and with 16 points and 13 rebounds he was probably the only Hawk who played a good full game, but he had no real help on the offensive glass, where Boston opponents have been exploiting the Cs lately. And the bench -- another vulnerable area for Boston now that Brandon Bass has moved into the starting lineup for Jermaine O'Neal (whose season is over, it was confirmed today) -- features Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse -- a formidable duo a decade ago, maybe, but not now.
Anyway, good matchup or not, Boston got a huge win. They kept pace with the Sixers, who win Charlotte; they gained a full game on the Hawks for the six-seed; and they put the pressure on the Knicks and Bucks. As importantly, they rid themselves of some of the disappointment of the losses in Sacramento and Denver. The road trip can still be a success.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Boston 99, Atlanta 76
Did I say that the last team I wanted to see Monday night was the Atlanta Hawks? Was that me?
I have no real explanation for why the Celtics came out as focused and energetic as they did Monday night, but the result was the flex of some serious muscle over a team that's been a thorn in Boston's side over the last couple of years. Boston led wire-to-wire, roaring to a 39-13 lead after the first period, making 18 of 25 shots in the quarter and out-rebounding the Hawks 16-3. They didn't slow down much in the second quarter: at halftime, Boston led 64-42, was shooting better than 62 percent from the floor, and held a 26-10 rebounding edge. (Though to be fair, a big rebounding disparity is bound to happen when you're making nearly everything you put up and the other team isn't).
The final numbers aren't as impressive, but that's because the second- and third-string got extended run in the fourth quarter and cooled off a bit. Speaking of the third string, rookie Avery Bradley got his first six minutes and eleven seconds of NBA playing time, immediately making his presence felt upon entering the game by grabbing a rebound, drawing a foul, and hitting two free throws. (Ok, so the shot he rebounded was taken by Jamal Crawford, the guy Bradley was supposed to be guarding.) Bradley had an up and down game, with a nice assist to Luke Harangody on the pick and pop and a great steal. He followed that steal up by traveling while airballing a pullup jumper on the ensuing fast break, however, so it wasn't all good. Still, Bradley looked composed and not overwhelmed by the NBA game in his first action, which is not something you can say for all rookie point guards.
Really, everyone did something well tonight. Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal each had points-rebounds double-doubles in limited minutes. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combined to make 14 of 21 shots from the field. Nate Robinson hit four three-pointers and handed out ten assists, which proves only that you or I could get ten assists in the NBA if our teammates were hitting shots. Harangody made a shot. Von Wafer actually looked like someone capable of putting the ball in the basket, and finished with six points. Glen Davis did some Glen Davis things, which unfortunately is starting to include missing a bunch of jumpers, but also includes getting rebounds and playing good defense. Rajon Rondo, out for a second straight game with a mild hamstring injury, wore a very dapper suit, and wore it well. Semih Erden caught the ball with two hands on at least one occasion. And Delonte West and Marquis Daniels each had a vicious block on Zaza Pachulia, which is great, because everyone hates Zaza. (West and Daniels actually combined for five blocked shots between them, one of the stranger statistical anomalies I've seen in this young season.)
Looking over that last paragraph, I think bullets would have been a better formatting choice.
So, yeah, great overall effort all around. Atlanta was certainly complicit, failing to challenge shots on defense and run patient offense from the get-go. After they got into a big hole, they showed little interest in digging out of it. But make no mistake -- it was Boston's effort, intensity, and execution that put this one away early.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Atlanta 93, Boston 85
[recap] [box score]
For whatever reason, the Celtics completely disappeared in the third quarter of this game, and it cost them. After a solid first half, after which Boston held a 45-39 lead, the team just didn't show up for the next 11 minutes. A late 7-0 run to end the third cut what had by that time become a 15 point-lead to eight at the end of the quarter, and Boston (perhaps sparked by a very hard foul on Paul Pierce by Zaza Pachulia) eventually cut the lead to two, but the terrible third quarter proved a little too much to overcome.
Although the Cs gave up 29 points in the third, it was on the offensive end where they really struggled. Rajon Rondo, while he orchestrated the offense fairly well all evening (ten assists), completely stopped attacking. With Pierce unable to get going until the fourth, Boston kept feeding Rasheed Wallace, who finished 5-for-15 from the floor and 1-for-8 from three-point range. I was disappointed that Rondo didn't play an aggressive second half.
I'm not too upset at the loss, as the Hawks -- Jamal Crawford in particular -- made a number of big shots and plays in the second half. And it was good to see a little of the championship swagger come back when Pachulia hit Pierce. But if we don't come out and whip them on Monday, I'm going to be disappointed.
For whatever reason, the Celtics completely disappeared in the third quarter of this game, and it cost them. After a solid first half, after which Boston held a 45-39 lead, the team just didn't show up for the next 11 minutes. A late 7-0 run to end the third cut what had by that time become a 15 point-lead to eight at the end of the quarter, and Boston (perhaps sparked by a very hard foul on Paul Pierce by Zaza Pachulia) eventually cut the lead to two, but the terrible third quarter proved a little too much to overcome.
Although the Cs gave up 29 points in the third, it was on the offensive end where they really struggled. Rajon Rondo, while he orchestrated the offense fairly well all evening (ten assists), completely stopped attacking. With Pierce unable to get going until the fourth, Boston kept feeding Rasheed Wallace, who finished 5-for-15 from the floor and 1-for-8 from three-point range. I was disappointed that Rondo didn't play an aggressive second half.
I'm not too upset at the loss, as the Hawks -- Jamal Crawford in particular -- made a number of big shots and plays in the second half. And it was good to see a little of the championship swagger come back when Pachulia hit Pierce. But if we don't come out and whip them on Monday, I'm going to be disappointed.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Boston 103, Atlanta 102
You gotta hand it to the Hawks. Those guys are legit.
[recap] [box score]
Atlanta had every reason to give up in the second half Wednesday night. Already without starting power forward Josh Smith, they lost backup Zaza Pachulia to a shoulder injury in the second quarter. A 44-28 second quarter lead had turned into a 51-51 halftime deadlock. Undersized and in the second night of a West-to-East road back-to-back, nobody would have blamed them for packing it in. Instead, they matched the defending champs shot for shot, and after Marvin Williams coolly banged in his fourth three-pointer of the game with seven seconds left, they looked poised to finally do what they couldn't manage last playoff season: win a game in Boston.
Of course, in the end, The Truth had the last word. (How does Pierce's buzzer-beater not make this list of the Top Ten plays from the night's NBA action? Here are the highlights. Pierce's shot is near the end, obviously.)
I said during the playoffs that if it weren't our run at a championship at stake, I'd love what the Hawks were doing. A #8 seed with a 37-45 regular season record, they pushed us to seven games, and did so with swagger and attitude, a disposition that they weren't going to be intimidated. (Remember Zaza getting after KG in Game 6? And just for the sake of nostalgia, remember KG's revenge in Game 7?)
Same story this year. Atlanta came in undefeated, but I don't think too many thought they were capable of playing as well as they did, at least under the circumstances. Joe Johnson, the former Celtics first-rounder who terrorized us in the playoffs, was at it again. He had 28 points, including two impossibly difficult shots late (as well as the drive and pass that found Williams for the go-ahead three-pointer). Williams, Maurice Evans, and Flip Murray poured in long jumper after long jumper.
The Hawks are no joke.
-Boston's gotta start making open jumpers. That was the difference between the Atlanta game being a blowout or being a nailbiter; Atlanta made their threes and Boston didn't. Eddie House and Ray Allen combined to go 2-for-16 from deep, and trust me when I say that they weren't particularly difficult looks. Atlanta hit far tougher ones in going 13-for-22 from the arc.
-The officiating was universally awful in this one. The late foul call on Pierce blocking a Johnson drive was an absolute joke, but it made up for a Boston possession a few minutes earlier when Pierce didn't get a shot up before the shot clock buzzer, but the refs let it go, and the play resulted in an offensive rebound and a bucket. Boston shot a few more freebies than Atlanta did, but given their size advantage, that's no surprise. The officiating was bad, but it didn't favor one team over the other.
-I'm debating whether to start a regular feature in this blog called "What I Hate Tony Allen." Tonight's exhibits:
A)End of the first quarter, we're holding for one. Tony starts his move too early, putting up his shot with six seconds left. It misses, and Atlanta has enough time to get the rebound and toss it upcourt to Murray, who drained a 26-footer at the horn.
B)Early in the fourth, Boston's up 81-80, as the lead has been going back and forth. Eddie gets a steal and Tony's bringing it up on the break. About ten feet from the basket, with no defender pressuring him at all, Tony, without leaving the ground, flips the ball, underhanded, at the rim, squandering an easy two. It was honestly the weirdest shot I've ever seen in the flow of a basketball game. Tony wasn't being pressured; he didn't go up in the air with the intention to pass and then, realizing his target was covered, throw up a shot. He simply decided that a finger roll without jumping from 10 feet was the right shot for the situation. Okay, Tony. Seriously, where do these 23-point games like the one he had against Detroit come from?
-I know I already criticized Ray for his shooting, but I'll criticize him for his poor defensive rotation on the possession that gave Atlanta the late lead. As Johnson drove under the basket, Ray was in position to step in front of Williams in the corner. Instead, he stood between Williams and Maurive Evans, who was out on the wing. It's possible he could have been trying to guard both of them, but Johnson was already up in the air and it was going to be very difficult for him to see Evans. Ray failing to step in the passing lane could have cost us the game.
-Pierce is an absolute joy to watch right now. He's on the short list of guys in the league you want to have the ball in their hands with the game on the line.
-Next game is on Friday, against Denver (8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN). I'd like a win, but I honestly don't care all that much what happens. Denver's a Western team we likely won't have to worry about in the playoffs. We did what we needed to do this week: Beat Eastern contenders Detroit, Toronto, and Atlanta in the span of four days.
I probably won't watch this one live, as I've got an exam review past tipoff and then I'm hanging out with a few folks to celebrate the occasion of an out of town friend being in town for work. I should be able to get to the Denver game (and the Milwaukee game on Saturday -- 8:30 p.m. Eastern, no national TV) at some point, and I'll post some thoughts late Saturday or Sunday.
[recap] [box score]
Atlanta had every reason to give up in the second half Wednesday night. Already without starting power forward Josh Smith, they lost backup Zaza Pachulia to a shoulder injury in the second quarter. A 44-28 second quarter lead had turned into a 51-51 halftime deadlock. Undersized and in the second night of a West-to-East road back-to-back, nobody would have blamed them for packing it in. Instead, they matched the defending champs shot for shot, and after Marvin Williams coolly banged in his fourth three-pointer of the game with seven seconds left, they looked poised to finally do what they couldn't manage last playoff season: win a game in Boston.
Of course, in the end, The Truth had the last word. (How does Pierce's buzzer-beater not make this list of the Top Ten plays from the night's NBA action? Here are the highlights. Pierce's shot is near the end, obviously.)
I said during the playoffs that if it weren't our run at a championship at stake, I'd love what the Hawks were doing. A #8 seed with a 37-45 regular season record, they pushed us to seven games, and did so with swagger and attitude, a disposition that they weren't going to be intimidated. (Remember Zaza getting after KG in Game 6? And just for the sake of nostalgia, remember KG's revenge in Game 7?)
Same story this year. Atlanta came in undefeated, but I don't think too many thought they were capable of playing as well as they did, at least under the circumstances. Joe Johnson, the former Celtics first-rounder who terrorized us in the playoffs, was at it again. He had 28 points, including two impossibly difficult shots late (as well as the drive and pass that found Williams for the go-ahead three-pointer). Williams, Maurice Evans, and Flip Murray poured in long jumper after long jumper.
The Hawks are no joke.
-Boston's gotta start making open jumpers. That was the difference between the Atlanta game being a blowout or being a nailbiter; Atlanta made their threes and Boston didn't. Eddie House and Ray Allen combined to go 2-for-16 from deep, and trust me when I say that they weren't particularly difficult looks. Atlanta hit far tougher ones in going 13-for-22 from the arc.
-The officiating was universally awful in this one. The late foul call on Pierce blocking a Johnson drive was an absolute joke, but it made up for a Boston possession a few minutes earlier when Pierce didn't get a shot up before the shot clock buzzer, but the refs let it go, and the play resulted in an offensive rebound and a bucket. Boston shot a few more freebies than Atlanta did, but given their size advantage, that's no surprise. The officiating was bad, but it didn't favor one team over the other.
-I'm debating whether to start a regular feature in this blog called "What I Hate Tony Allen." Tonight's exhibits:
A)End of the first quarter, we're holding for one. Tony starts his move too early, putting up his shot with six seconds left. It misses, and Atlanta has enough time to get the rebound and toss it upcourt to Murray, who drained a 26-footer at the horn.
B)Early in the fourth, Boston's up 81-80, as the lead has been going back and forth. Eddie gets a steal and Tony's bringing it up on the break. About ten feet from the basket, with no defender pressuring him at all, Tony, without leaving the ground, flips the ball, underhanded, at the rim, squandering an easy two. It was honestly the weirdest shot I've ever seen in the flow of a basketball game. Tony wasn't being pressured; he didn't go up in the air with the intention to pass and then, realizing his target was covered, throw up a shot. He simply decided that a finger roll without jumping from 10 feet was the right shot for the situation. Okay, Tony. Seriously, where do these 23-point games like the one he had against Detroit come from?
-I know I already criticized Ray for his shooting, but I'll criticize him for his poor defensive rotation on the possession that gave Atlanta the late lead. As Johnson drove under the basket, Ray was in position to step in front of Williams in the corner. Instead, he stood between Williams and Maurive Evans, who was out on the wing. It's possible he could have been trying to guard both of them, but Johnson was already up in the air and it was going to be very difficult for him to see Evans. Ray failing to step in the passing lane could have cost us the game.
-Pierce is an absolute joy to watch right now. He's on the short list of guys in the league you want to have the ball in their hands with the game on the line.
-Next game is on Friday, against Denver (8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN). I'd like a win, but I honestly don't care all that much what happens. Denver's a Western team we likely won't have to worry about in the playoffs. We did what we needed to do this week: Beat Eastern contenders Detroit, Toronto, and Atlanta in the span of four days.
I probably won't watch this one live, as I've got an exam review past tipoff and then I'm hanging out with a few folks to celebrate the occasion of an out of town friend being in town for work. I should be able to get to the Denver game (and the Milwaukee game on Saturday -- 8:30 p.m. Eastern, no national TV) at some point, and I'll post some thoughts late Saturday or Sunday.
Hawks Shipping Up To Boston
I'm not much of a fan of modern punk music or the Dropkick Murphys specifically, but I can't help but get a shot of adrenaline when they play "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" in the fourth quarter of games at the TD Banknorth Boston Garden (you might also recognize the song from the movie "The Departed").
The Hawks are the surprise team of the young NBA season, being the only undefeated team left in the East and the only unblemished NBA team other than the Los Angeles Lakers. After a long night of law school reading, I decided to unwind with a TaB while watching some of Tuesday night's 113-108 victory in Chicago, the first I've seen of the Hawks this season.
Atlanta made headlines in May by pushing Boston to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Wednesday night, as they were Tuesday, they'll be without power forward Josh Smith. However, they will have Joe Johnson, who absolutely torched Ray Allen and the Celtics in the spring, including a 35-point effort at home in a 97-92 Hawks win in Atlanta. Doc (rightfully) took a lot of criticism for leaving Ray on JJ for most of the fourth despite the fact that Ray had no chance of stopping him (the same way Raptors coach Sam Mitchell took flak for leaving an overmatched Jason Kapono on Paul Pierce in Monday night's Celtics victory). The Celtics will need to do a better job of containing Johnson Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. Eastern; no national TV).
In Smith's absence, Zaza Pachulia has been starting, with Al Horford sliding over to the four spot, which may be his more natural position. Horford is the more dangerous offensively of the two, and it will be interesting to see which of those two Kendrick Perkins starts out on and which Kevin Garnett takes. (Bulls coach Vinnie Del Negro opted to start power forward Tyrus Thomas on Pachulia, with center Joakim Noah checking Horford, his old friend and college teammate). The Celtics are better defensively when Garnett is assigned to someone who isn't much of an offensive threat, so he can roam around and wreak havoc. If it were me, I'd put KG on Pachulia and be ready to switch if Horford proves too quick for Perk.
For what it's worth, the Hawks did not hesitate to go to either Horford or Pachulia in the post against the Bulls, though it was Horford, with 27 points to go along with 17 rebounds, who had the much better game. In some ways, Smith's absence helps them offensively; for all his athleticism and talent, Smith fancies himself a much better shooter than he actually is, and you can put him down for a few wasted possessions a night as he tries to find the shooting "touch" he displayed in 2005-2006 (a modest 30.9 percent mark from behind the arc, but he's a career 26.6 percent guy from that distance).
It's a different story on the defensive end, where Smith is one of the league's elite. He's good for a couple of blocks and a couple of steals per game. The Hawks came into the game against Chicago giving up something like 86 points per game; the Bulls -- who haven't been a particularly potent offensive team this year -- got 108 on Tuesday. That number is inflated a bit by the pace of the game, as both the Hawks and Bulls like to push the ball up the court, but Atlanta didn't look to be anything special defensively. Rookie point guard Derrick Rose was the biggest beneficiary, putting up 26 points -- are you paying attention, Rajon Rondo? -- but the Hawks gave up a lot of open looks and didn't get back particularly well.
Boston's bench is better than Atlanta's, although Maurice Evans' 17 points may have been the key to Atlanta's win on Tuesday. Evans is about all the Hawks have on the second team, however, and that may prove important in the second night of a back-to-back, particularly since Horford played 41 and a half minutes Tuesday and Johnson played a tick under 42.
Unlike the Lakers, who haven't really been tested, the Hawks have already shown their mettle against stiff competions, with wins in Orlando and New Orleans and home triumphs over Philly and Toronto. Atlanta was far from winning a game in Boston in last season's playoff series -- Boston's average margin of victory in the four games was more than 25 points -- but even without Smith, this seems like a different, more confident team. The Celtics will have to bring everything they've got if they want to win.
The Hawks are the surprise team of the young NBA season, being the only undefeated team left in the East and the only unblemished NBA team other than the Los Angeles Lakers. After a long night of law school reading, I decided to unwind with a TaB while watching some of Tuesday night's 113-108 victory in Chicago, the first I've seen of the Hawks this season.
Atlanta made headlines in May by pushing Boston to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Wednesday night, as they were Tuesday, they'll be without power forward Josh Smith. However, they will have Joe Johnson, who absolutely torched Ray Allen and the Celtics in the spring, including a 35-point effort at home in a 97-92 Hawks win in Atlanta. Doc (rightfully) took a lot of criticism for leaving Ray on JJ for most of the fourth despite the fact that Ray had no chance of stopping him (the same way Raptors coach Sam Mitchell took flak for leaving an overmatched Jason Kapono on Paul Pierce in Monday night's Celtics victory). The Celtics will need to do a better job of containing Johnson Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. Eastern; no national TV).
In Smith's absence, Zaza Pachulia has been starting, with Al Horford sliding over to the four spot, which may be his more natural position. Horford is the more dangerous offensively of the two, and it will be interesting to see which of those two Kendrick Perkins starts out on and which Kevin Garnett takes. (Bulls coach Vinnie Del Negro opted to start power forward Tyrus Thomas on Pachulia, with center Joakim Noah checking Horford, his old friend and college teammate). The Celtics are better defensively when Garnett is assigned to someone who isn't much of an offensive threat, so he can roam around and wreak havoc. If it were me, I'd put KG on Pachulia and be ready to switch if Horford proves too quick for Perk.
For what it's worth, the Hawks did not hesitate to go to either Horford or Pachulia in the post against the Bulls, though it was Horford, with 27 points to go along with 17 rebounds, who had the much better game. In some ways, Smith's absence helps them offensively; for all his athleticism and talent, Smith fancies himself a much better shooter than he actually is, and you can put him down for a few wasted possessions a night as he tries to find the shooting "touch" he displayed in 2005-2006 (a modest 30.9 percent mark from behind the arc, but he's a career 26.6 percent guy from that distance).
It's a different story on the defensive end, where Smith is one of the league's elite. He's good for a couple of blocks and a couple of steals per game. The Hawks came into the game against Chicago giving up something like 86 points per game; the Bulls -- who haven't been a particularly potent offensive team this year -- got 108 on Tuesday. That number is inflated a bit by the pace of the game, as both the Hawks and Bulls like to push the ball up the court, but Atlanta didn't look to be anything special defensively. Rookie point guard Derrick Rose was the biggest beneficiary, putting up 26 points -- are you paying attention, Rajon Rondo? -- but the Hawks gave up a lot of open looks and didn't get back particularly well.
Boston's bench is better than Atlanta's, although Maurice Evans' 17 points may have been the key to Atlanta's win on Tuesday. Evans is about all the Hawks have on the second team, however, and that may prove important in the second night of a back-to-back, particularly since Horford played 41 and a half minutes Tuesday and Johnson played a tick under 42.
Unlike the Lakers, who haven't really been tested, the Hawks have already shown their mettle against stiff competions, with wins in Orlando and New Orleans and home triumphs over Philly and Toronto. Atlanta was far from winning a game in Boston in last season's playoff series -- Boston's average margin of victory in the four games was more than 25 points -- but even without Smith, this seems like a different, more confident team. The Celtics will have to bring everything they've got if they want to win.
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