Basketball Blog - Celtics vs. Hawks Game 7 - Anything Can Happen

I haven’t been able to pay close attention to this series, but I have paid enough attention to see that the underdog Atlanta Hawks, this year’s version of last year’s Golden State Warriors, are playing out of their minds, and the Boston Celtics are letting them. You’d think that the Celtics, the team with the best record in the league, a team that I picked to win it all, wouldn’t allow the upstart Hawks to set the tone and pace of the game and outwork them.

Kevin Garnett has a reputation of not being a big game player. He’s not the guy who takes the last shot to win the game. And after game six, he did nothing to shake that reputation. The defining moment of the game was on the last shot. Rajan Rondo was desperately trying to find someone to hit the open three to tie the game. It could’ve been KG’s Tim Duncan moment. But Rondo ended up taking a flailing three pointer that didn’t even graze the rim.

He is a great team player, but late in the game, team players can become invisible. At 7 feet tall, he’s not exactly the guy who can do what Lebron and Kobe can do at the end of the game. He’s not going to play isolation with the ball at the top of the key. But late in a game, Hakeem Olajuwon wasn’t going to continually pass the ball out. He was going to the bucket. Someone was going to get dream shook. This has to be KG’s moment. If he’s going to be able to stake his claim as one of the best players in the league, the Celtics have to win this game and he has to have a big one.

(I will update this post after every quarter.)

First Quarter

So far so good for the Celtics. They are contesting shots and the Hawks are shooting a terrible percentage in the first quarter. Paul Pierce is taking control offensively. KG only has 4 points, but he pulled 5 boards.

Second Quarter

Total domination for the Celtics in the second quarter. I believe Atlanta only scored 10 points in the quarter and have only 26 for the half. Joe Johnson has 12 of them. KG and Paul Pierce have 10 each and KG on 5-7 shooting. Celtics up 44-26 at the half.

Third Quarter

Scary moment early in the quarter. Rondo was going up for an uncontested lay-up and Marvin Williams basically clotheslined him. Flagrant foul. He’s out of the game.

I really had no clue that PJ Brown was still in the league. And give it up for Leon Powe. I’m glad to see that he’s been able to fit in with Boston. He had a superb career at Cal.

Maybe the most interesting part of the third quarter was a back and forth between the announcers. Mike Breen playfully called Marc Jackson, “Action Jackson”. Marc deadpans back, “Hey man, I’m a grown man, call me Marc.” Then Jeff Van Gundy says something about him asking Marc what his middle name was last week, and Marc said it was “Action”.

Celtics are killing them 79-43. Will Atlanta even get to 60?

Fourth Quarter

The Hawks did get over 60 points and Boston didn’t get to 100. But it was still much of the same. Boston wins 99-65 and now have to face Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. If Phoenix vs. San Antonio was a must see first round match-up, this is the must see second round match-up.

PS

I was probably watching the Giants game when this happened. Kind of a cheap shot there KG.