A Game We Would Like To Forget

By Trey Cosby

It was a Game 5 that Atlanta Hawks fans would like to forget.  Traveling to Boston proved to be the formula that the Celtics needed to wake up their team and fans, as they completely annihilated the Hawks in Game 5 by the score of 110-85.  The Hawks could not get anything going in this game, and they just kept on sinking.  Joe Johnson couldn’t score because of early foul trouble, Josh Smith couldn’t score because of KG’s stifling defense, and Mike Bibby couldn’t score because he just wasn’t able to get his shot off.  It just wasn’t going to be the Hawks’ night, and they took it hard on the chin.

Paul Pierce led the way for the Celtics with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists and the Celtics erased any suspense early on as they cruised to a 110-85 win over the Hawks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday at the Garden.  He was joined by outstanding play from Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, Leon Poe and Rajon Rondo.  Just about every player for the Celtics contributed something and they controlled the game from the outset.  Ray Allen chipped in by making a very respectable five out of eight from behind the arc, and it was his crushing three-point shooting that struck the Hawks in the gut, whenever they seemed to be putting a run together.  Garnett played with an insurmountable amount of heart and determination as he went on to score 20 points, and grabbed just about every rebound that came off the glass.

Joe Johnson, who erupted for 35 points in Game 4—20 of them in the fourth quarter—scored 21, and Horford had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta. Mike Bibby continued to struggle in Boston, scoring six and recording a woeful one assist for the third straight road game.  The first five games have all gone to the home team, with Game 6 in Atlanta on Friday night. A seventh game, if necessary, would be played in Boston on Sunday, an advantage the Celtics earned with their NBA-best 66-16 record in the regular season.

The Celtics would love to see it end in six and get a break from a physical series that saw another double-technical—when Garnett and Johnson were jawing in the third—and another flagrant foul, when Horford took down Garnett late in the first half.

The top overall seed Celtics weren't expected to have this much trouble in the first round with an Atlanta team that went 37-45 to grab the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, but the Hawks answered two losses in Boston with a pair of victories at home, tying the series 2-2 on Monday night.

The Celtics took a 58-43 halftime lead, holding Atlanta without a field goal for half of the second quarter before Horford's follow-up dunk with 1:05 left.  The Hawks seemed out of synch for most of the first half, and they just couldn’t get anything going.  The shots were not falling, and they never were really able to get out and run on the break as they had so frequently in the games in Atlanta.  If the Hawks are not able to run when they get back to Atlanta for Game 6, then it is bound to be a long night once again.

The third quarter of Game 5 was more of the same as the Celtics used an onslaught of three-pointers and Garnett hookshots and jumpshots to go ahead by more than 15 points.  They continued to be able to control the paint, and got very valuable minutes from an unlikely source named Leon Poe.  Poe came in to spell the Celtics big men, and chipped in with a very effective scoring and rebounding contribution.  While he was in the game, it seemed like he grabbed every rebound.  He went onto finish the game with 10 points and seven rebounds in only 23 minutes.  It was a much needed lift for the Celtics because Poe had not played more than 15 minutes in either of the first two games at home.

They also got effective contributions from some other unlikely sources, most notably point guard Sam Cassell.  Cassell had not been playing up to his expectations in the first four games and he made it known to head coach Doc Rivers that he wanted to redeem himself in Game 5.  Rivers rewarded Cassell by playing him most of the backup point guard minutes in the first half.  Cassell was all over the court, scoring at will and getting his teammates involved.  He went on to score a well rounded 13 points in only 15 minutes of playing time, but it was his guard play in the first half that created the separation so the Celtics could go on to win the game in a blowout in the second half.  Cassell’s play was a real shot in the arm for the team from Boston.  If they can depend on him for the same quality play in Game 6, then it could once again spell doom for the Hawks. 

Overall, Game 5 was a game of runs.  The Celtics were hitting shots and making it very difficult for the Hawks to get anything within 10 feet of the basket.  The Big Three for the Celtics played disciplined, intense basketball and they seemed to have a sense of urgency about them that we did not see in Atlanta.  Most people have picked the Celtics to go on and play the L. A. Lakers in the NBA Finals.  It remains to be seen whether or not the Celtics will live up to the hype, but if they can get by the Hawks in Atlanta on Friday night, they will have proven that they can beat a young, much more athletic team.  By facing Cleveland in the second round, they will have their hands full once again as they must defend one of the greatest players this game has ever seen.  Lebron James will have something for the Celtics, I can assure you, so it won’t be easy for them.  Until then, it will be a weekend of great basketball, so sit back and enjoy the games.