Links: Playoffs Diary Day 14
Wa Wa Wee Wa! Hawks force Game 7, and Cleveland defends the honor of The Roc…
Alright, there’s still a half to play in the Utah/Houston game (and Utah’s up 15 and Rafer Alston just hobbled off to the locker room injured), but I need to post these notes before I pass out from a combination of joy, shock and incredulity.
Real quick, before we get to Hawks/Celts, the Cavs finally eliminated Washington tonight, winning 105-88 in D.C. More importantly, it puts an end to Soulja Boy’s surprising Playoff run. LeBron’s been unstoppable for the last two weeks, and he turned in his best performance tonight with a triple-dip (27, 13 and 13). DeShawn Stevenson can’t see his own face. Ryan will have more notes on that game soon enough.
Of course, my attention tonight was focused on Atlanta, where the Hawks shocked the world and beat the Celtics, 103-100. Boston led most of the way, but the Hawks kept it manageable, and after being down 3 going into the fourth, the Hawks made a run at the beginning of the quarter and didn’t look back. Even though Joe Johnson had a sub-par game (finished with 15 on 4-13 shooting), even though Marvin Williams injured his knee and had to limp off the floor, even though Josh Smith had 11 points and 6 turnovers, somehow the Hawks pulled this thing off.
I think the thing that really made a difference was that the Hawks kept attacking the rim, over and over, drawing contact and going to the line. The Hawks shot almost twice as many free throws as Boston because they weren’t afraid to take the ball to the basket. Conversely, Boston jacked up nearly three times as many three pointers as Atlanta (19 to 7) and seemed content to keep firing up shots from the perimeter.
Even though I’m a Hawks fan, even I must admit that Paul Pierce picking up his sixth foul was a terrible call from official Bob Delaney. He fouled Pierce out of the game on a play away from the ball that goes uncalled 99.9 percent of the time. Delaney also screwed the Celts earlier on a play where Zaza Pachulia (who had the game of his life, incidentally) got fouled on a lay-up by Kendrick Perkins. Delaney didn’t call the foul when it happened, but he waited until Zaza shot the ball, the ball rolled around the rim and out before blowing the whistle. Terrible night by Delaney all the way around.
Meanwhile, someone needs to get the Celts on a workout program. They looked exhausted in the second and fourth quarters, and they only scored 18 points in each of those quarters. KG was grabbing his shorts and panting, and they didn’t seem to have the legs to shoot jumpers in those fateful periods. Also, I can’t remember seeing a team that it supposed to be a championship contender with such a one-dimensional post game. Right now, all they do is toss it to KG and clear out. Why they don’t run more plays through Paul Pierce in the post, I have no idea. But I’m glad they don’t. And down the stretch the Celts ran a collection of curious plays, including having Rajon Rondo take the final three with a chance to tie it.
As for the Hawks…I probably saw them play about 70 games this season, and I didn’t even have the slightest inkling that something like this could happen. This isn’t just shocking, this is shocking wrapped inside amazing and dipped in incredible. All year they seemed to be overwhelmed in almost every circumstance, and playing a Playoff series against the team with the best record in the NBA didn’t seem to be the prescription for forcing them to come together.
But you know what? They’ve come together. And now they’re one win away from ruining the year for a lot of people. Someone send Josh Smith an Eli Manning jersey to wear to the arena on Sunday.
(By the way, Houston’s cut this thing to 4 at the half and T-Mac has 28 points. One of you commenters fill us in on how that plays out. I’ve got to go pinch myself and make sure reality still exists.)
134 Responses to “Links: Playoffs Diary Day 14”
May.3 at 12:06 am
Raynmann says:
Eerste!!
May.3 at 12:08 am
Hawks says:
Unreal.
May.3 at 12:11 am
Jason says:
The Hawks have the best “feel good” story in the NBA right now. I watched that game and was taken back by their heart and their refusal to stand down. Now the Celtics might win in game 7 back in Boston…but the Hawks should be proud of themselves for pushing it this far, its a good look for them.
May.3 at 12:26 am
Mehmet says:
I just cannot understand how the Hawks win these games. In the 4th quarter they played like a veteran team, and Boston was flat, they played like, you know, how Atlanta is expected to play. I cannot be shocked anymore. I was shocked after Games 3 and 4, but this time I just felt the Hawks were going to win as soon as the first hald ended.
May.3 at 12:28 am
Mehmet says:
By the way, 4:27 left in the 3rd in Utah, and T-Mac has 28, 9 and 4.
May.3 at 12:29 am
Hursty says:
well done hawks, youve done more than what was was expected already. good job.
May.3 at 12:30 am
Hursty says:
but there down 20.
May.3 at 12:32 am
Hursty says:
holly will be happy.
its still unoffical still but word just leaked that Kobe is gonna get MVP. well done dude.
May.3 at 12:40 am
Hursty says:
To clarify, Kobe will be the NBA MVP in 07-08
May.3 at 12:43 am
Edo River says:
Please explain the role of Bibby in these 3 wins. and then what do you expect of him in Game 7. I’ll take my answer offline here in Saitama Japan.
May.3 at 12:47 am
Russ Bengtson says:
The Rockets are finished.
May.3 at 12:50 am
Hursty says:
good observation Russ.
May.3 at 12:51 am
RV says:
Lang, here’s the cliff notes: Tmac said a few games ago he’d go for 40 + in utah. Sloan says “Great! Let him try and he’ll get tired eventually and the other rockets will be so cold they’ll all fold”. First half: Tmac Hot, Utah hot, no D for either team, close at the half. Second half: Tmac gets tired, Utah hot, no d either side. Rockets get cooked.
May.3 at 12:52 am
Hursty says:
unfortunately your right RV. tmac does have 34 though.
May.3 at 12:53 am
Captain America says:
Celtics are finding it difficult on the way to their coronation. Pierce had both arms wrapped around the Hawk who had inside position on a rebound when he was tossed. You do that and you invite a call.
May.3 at 12:53 am
RV says:
Wait, i forgot the mandatory a-little-too-late push by Tmac to show he “tried”, he really, really tried..just not in the 3rd
May.3 at 12:53 am
Hursty says:
wtf is with Williams and his 3’s today? 5/8 three pointers.
May.3 at 12:54 am
Captain America says:
What’s with the stupid icons? sheesh
May.3 at 12:55 am
RV says:
Rafer is gone, Sloan told him to be aggressive and he’ll get the same results he got in games 1 and 2…well i’m asuming thats what happened
May.3 at 12:56 am
Hursty says:
but williams (apparently) didnt even ATTEMPT 5 3 balls this year in a game for Utah.
May.3 at 12:57 am
RV says:
Like i said in the other post, it really does seem like tmac actually held back, realizing he was on pace to score 60, but he had only promised 40, he’s got 38 now with 5 mins left
May.3 at 12:57 am
The Last Kings Fan says:
What the hell was Woodson thinking putting an injured Marvin Williams in on the biggest defensive sequence of the season for Atlanta?
May.3 at 12:58 am
RV says:
i’m pretty sure he has attemped at least 5, maybe hasn’t made 5 or more, but definitely attempted
May.3 at 12:58 am
Russ Bengtson says:
I liked Tracy saying “We hate their fans.” Then scoring one point in the third quarter. And hey, here’s a “T-Mac losing in the first round” graphic. How nice.
May.3 at 12:58 am
Russ Bengtson says:
And yes, Woodson putting Marv in there confused the hell out of me.
May.3 at 1:01 am
RV says:
is the rockets game also on tnt or ESPN, what are those guys saying? i’m watching the local telecast and Bullard and Drexler are yapping about Tmac doing all he can and his teammates just didn’t bring it….tmac wasn’t looking to pass at all in the first half, the reason everyone else was cold is because they had no rythm, no part in the offense for a whole half.
May.3 at 1:03 am
RV says:
WOW, tmac possibly done for the game after this timeout, as well as the other starters, guess how many points he has? 40
May.3 at 1:04 am
Hursty says:
yeh its on ESPN. never MADE 5 3’s in a game.
May.3 at 1:06 am
Hursty says:
hey this will be the last game the rockets announcers call on the radio after 40 years.
May.3 at 1:07 am
Hursty says:
35 years anyways.
May.3 at 1:07 am
DP says:
T-mac busted his ass off to try and pull his team to victory but it just wasn’t meant to be. I have a lot of respect for the man and I hope eventually he can make it to the next round. But Utah-Lakers series is going to be different. I still have the Lakers winning in like 6 games though. MVP! hell yea we in here baby.
May.3 at 1:09 am
DP says:
I don’t see Utah stopping Kobe at all. AK47 is there only hope and I don’t even think he can stop this motherf*cker. but tony parker vs. chris paul is going to be on some speed racer sh*t for real guys.
May.3 at 1:10 am
Reggie Evans says:
The Celtics are totally overrated, and KG is totally fugazy.
May.3 at 1:10 am
Hursty says:
113-91.
May.3 at 1:11 am
RV says:
Yao’s on the bench ready to kill someone, can’t wait for him to go off next yr, if this offense revolved around him, i think he’d be good for 30 and 12. Novak’s shot is sexy.
May.3 at 1:12 am
DP says:
I hope fisher doesn’t guard Dwill like he did iverson. damn we are in some trouble if that happens…Pau can contain Boozer though and Okur will be punished by LO dey know. damn, is anyone on here late nights?
May.3 at 1:13 am
DP says:
I don’t think KG can fight.
May.3 at 1:14 am
Hursty says:
what up DP.
May.3 at 1:14 am
RV says:
DP, Tmac went Kevin Durant on Utah today, he wasn’t doing whatever it took to win, he was just trying to score, he filled up the stat sheet nicely, but the timing on his plays wasn’t right.
May.3 at 1:15 am
Russ Bengtson says:
I’m looking forward to 115-112 games in the Utah/LA series.
May.3 at 1:15 am
Hursty says:
like the 3rd Q RV?
May.3 at 1:17 am
DP says:
If the Celts get out of this round alive and well, I see the Cavs bothering the hell out of Boston. I know that series will go 7 games and if they someone find a way to claw out of that they will get beat down by the Pistons. Sheed will rule.
May.3 at 1:20 am
DP says:
wats good hursty. yeah, I see what you’re saying RV. Mac was taking threes like crazy and I wish he would have passed the ball more. But his team really didn’t help his case either. Scola calmed his ass down and played with some controlled fire but it wasn’t enough. Bobby Jackson should stepped up when Rafer went out. Brooks will take his spot by next year.
May.3 at 1:23 am
DP says:
I just noticed that LeBron James is freakin unguardable. Boobie can shoot a little too. Sexyback won’t score 26 points again. every dog has his night.
May.3 at 1:24 am
Hursty says:
Bobby should just retire hes 35/6 and needs to give his minutes to Brooks. hes old and should become a coach or something. harsh but 2-11 shooting for 3 games doesnt WIN games.
May.3 at 1:27 am
DP says:
preach.draft? Jamont Gordon to the Rockets? mississippi state raises the kids good man.
May.3 at 1:30 am
Hursty says:
sexyback played good though.12 of 13 threes by those two.
May.3 at 1:41 am
Hursty says:
who you talking about DP? never heard of em. lol
May.3 at 1:54 am
RV says:
nah, we don’t need anymore young guys, if we have a pick, we need to trade it for a vet
May.3 at 1:57 am
RV says:
boobby’s cool in the back up role, but the 3 games Rafer has been out bobby isn’t the same. He can’t sustain his energy level anymore, but he does some good things when he comes off the bench for limited minutes. Also,the lack of ball movement kills his game because he’s not a spot up shooter and he can’t take guys off the dribble if the defense is set.
May.3 at 2:06 am
RV says:
Utah’s gonna be dead on sunday, Lakers have been resting since when? A week? i could see them coming out rusty though and Utah would be coming off a great offensive game
May.3 at 2:43 am
neaorin says:
Quick Cavs - Wizards Game 6 play-by-play: [Q1 12:00] Tip-off
…
[Qx xx:xx] [Cavs Player] jump shot: made
…
[Qx xx:xx] [Cavs Player] 3-point shot: made
…
[Q4 00:00] Final CLE 105-88 WAS
May.3 at 3:16 am
what says:
YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAWKS!!!!!!! Philips Arena was off the HOOK!!!!!
May.3 at 3:18 am
what says:
The refs were terrible though for both sides. I know the Hawks got more free throw attempts but you gotta take into account who is getting into foul trouble. Josh Smith was in foul trouble the whole game. Without him our defense pretty much goes in the tank. I gotta agree with Lang that the game was horrendously officiated. Joey Crawford in particular made some completely ridiculous calls.
May.3 at 3:24 am
Simone Lawy says:
we’re going to have game 7, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAWKS ROCKKKKKKK….. congratulation to all the HAWKS FAN and LANG……YEAH HOOOOO
May.3 at 3:45 am
Rosqoe says:
As a Detroit Piston fan, a game 7 brings a smile to my face. I can only hope that the Hawks pull of a miracle in beantown.
May.3 at 4:55 am
Weapon X says:
The Dirty Dirty
May.3 at 5:01 am
peteb80 says:
Zaza>KG
May.3 at 5:14 am
Hursty says:
Kobe is the leaked/unofficial MVP.
May.3 at 5:47 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
You know, I almost always root for the underdog - I’m just wired that way, I guess - which obviously leads to plenty of heartbreak. It is somehow very fitting that the one time I root for someone who could actually win it all, they end up goind down in flames. (Okay, the series isn’t over yet, but this is already an unqualified failure for the Celts.) But congrats to all the Hawks fans, a brewing upset is always exhilarating to witness — unless, of course, you happen to root for the other team, in which case it is just beyond gut-wrenching.
May.3 at 6:32 am
Hursty says:
co-sign Slobodan!
May.3 at 6:35 am
Tariq says:
Why can’t the Spurs ever be on the receiving end of an upset? Damn. Probably because they’re really good, the bastards.
May.3 at 6:43 am
Myung says:
1 PM Sunday. Life is good.
May.3 at 6:55 am
Tariq says:
I have conflicted feelings about this: on one hand, I’m glad the Hawks are playing like this. They’re THE feel-good story of the year. On the other hand, I wanted KG to win a title. That being said, I can’t feel too bad for anyone on the Celtics at this point.
May.3 at 6:55 am
Darksaber says:
Me LIIIIIKE!
May.3 at 6:56 am
Hursty says:
your right tariq.
May.3 at 6:57 am
Darksaber says:
Lang,Laaaang, Lang? Someone get on the Lang on the phone or something, i think he’s still passed out from that upset. Hope you made it to the actual game Whitaker, must have been something to behold, those newly fanatic fans in there.
May.3 at 6:57 am
Hursty says:
the C’s will win (i uh, think) mainly due to the hawks sucking away and the C’s being a better team (average win margin at home =22 verse hawks this series)
May.3 at 6:58 am
Darksaber says:
Jesus, Bill Simmons must be “setting himself on fire” right about now. So he was right when he said Doc could still screw this um. Foresight, wonderful thing that.
May.3 at 6:59 am
Hursty says:
whatd mike Bibby call em again? fair weather? sounds like ATL fans prior to atl looking like it was making the playoffs.
May.3 at 7:00 am
Darksaber says:
Bloody hell, Mambiatch is gonna win MVP? Based on him being retroactively the best player in the NBA the last few years? (definetely not this season though). That’s not fair
May.3 at 7:01 am
Hursty says:
i like the hawks (my rockets are out now) but its like g-state winning last year. Its better overall for Celtics to win the series, Utah owned Gstate in 5 last year (or 6)
May.3 at 7:01 am
Myung says:
All these basketball fans on here with their respective loyaties… but I’ve noticed there are very few Celtics fans around. Not that I’m complaining… but when a basketball site like SLAMonline has more vocal Hawks fans than Celtics fans, something is amiss. Aren’t the C’s one of the most beloved teams out there (along with the Lakers, Knicks, and Bulls)? I’ve just noticed there are very few… I think in the past few weeks, there were like 2 or 3 diehard Celtics fans on here… just saying.
May.3 at 7:02 am
Hursty says:
how about trusting the team? if CP gets it what about West, Chandler and Peja? where do all his assists go?
May.3 at 7:03 am
Hursty says:
we have C fans on slam? who?
May.3 at 7:04 am
Myung says:
And it’s true, Hursty. Amid all the crazy noise at Philips, the majority of those people couldn’t have told you the difference between Al Horford and Al Harrington 3 weeks ago. There a LOT of new Hawks fans in this city… the Braves have become an afterthought. But you know, it doesn’t bother me too much. Some people just come around a little slower than others. I’ve always Atlanta to be a basketball town, and I guess the proof is finally in the pudding.
May.3 at 7:10 am
Dacre says:
I get the feeling that ATL might take this….what amazing possibilities….The intensity, the focus, the hot dogs….
May.3 at 7:17 am
Hursty says:
the hot cheerleaders distracting Cassell and his ‘dance’. why you think that he hit that shot against the suns!? they UGLY! (60% at least) (Jukai can confirm this)
May.3 at 7:19 am
Hursty says:
*the hawks girls being much better (behind only the heat, rocket and horn(y)et girls
May.3 at 7:25 am
purba says:
IF ATL wins game 7, the classic Mutombo-hugs-the-ball-crying-in-happiness will be forever replaced by the footage of Lang running away with the game ball chased by Boston security. I hope Lang will still have his clothes on, at that time. Seriously, someone should watch him, too much happiness is dangerous. Well, after Rockets are out, I can enjoy the other facets of life… like the spring weather.
May.3 at 8:13 am
FLUXLAND says:
KG is working hard for that money,boy! And its so sad to see a man put on an act for 3 qs, only to fold like a paper cup in the rain during the 4th. He should have been a pro wrestler.
May.3 at 8:58 am
Myung says:
I’ve got to tip my cap to Posey. He’s hit some BIG 3’s for them in this series. They might as well just run the team through him in the 4th qtr. As a Hawks fan, I fear Posey and Cassell in crunch time more than KG, Ray, and Pierce.
May.3 at 9:41 am
Kobe24Bryant says:
even if Boston wins the next game Lakers are gonna Kick there a#$
in the Championship
May.3 at 9:57 am
Ben Osborne says:
Congrats, Lang. Anyone still saying KG should be MVP? (I know it’s a regular season award, but his relatively cowardly play at the end of games was visible in the regular season as well.) I don’t see how he could get support over LeBron, let alone everyone else’s picks of Kobe and CP.
May.3 at 10:07 am
Co Co says:
Atlanta fans in general only support a winner in person. There are people who have been Hawks fans, but they are not going to spend their hard earned money to come to that many games. And, Atlanta is not like Utah, even when there were games that were close to sellouts the fans were never going to be as loud as they have been. Its hard to get that amped for a game in January if you know what I mean.
May.3 at 10:52 am
WhaHuh says:
KG was playing hot potato in the 4th quater
May.3 at 11:01 am
Mike Lee says:
There are no if any Celtics fans on this site for the simple fact that the majority of the people who visits this site use to hate the Celtics with a passion…I being a Knick fan…stil hate the Celtics but not with the same passion i used to hate them with since the team is composed of players that I like
May.3 at 11:46 am
Myung says:
All 3 C’s wins were similar: blowouts. All 3 Hawks wins were similar: all were cemented by a Hawks player (JJ twice, Al Horford once) who made a Celtics defender gamble for a steal/swipe (Pierce, Powe, Posey), the Hawks player hit a big jumper, and made the defender look silly in the process. Just saying.
May.3 at 11:47 am
DP says:
I really don’t believe that KG can fight.
May.3 at 11:56 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
KOBE! KOBE! KOBE! And, I’m beyond pumped for you, Lang!
May.3 at 12:51 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
By the way, anyone realized this will be the 20th anniversary of the Hawks/Celts game 7 in Boston from 1988?
May.3 at 1:16 pm
Michael says:
KG is one of the most physicaly gifted players ever, but damn he’s a choker.
May.3 at 1:27 pm
albie1kenobi says:
celtics looked completely out of sync in the 4th quarter. with all the veterans on the team, it’s amazing how they didn’t run any plays for easy buckets other than repeatedly setting screens for ray allen to brick 3s. doc river’s play drawing ability is rival only by mr flip saunders. so i guess if pistons meet boston in the ECF, both team will lose the series.
May.3 at 2:03 pm
Tariq says:
KG was extremely disappointing in the Boston losses, as were Pierce and Ray, but: “KG is a choker” = KNEE-JERK!
May.3 at 2:05 pm
Tariq says:
That being said, yes, it may be a good idea for Garnett to demand the f*cking rock come crunch time.
May.3 at 2:33 pm
what says:
A lot of these Hawks fans at yesterday’s game were bandwagon I agree (in fact at least half the people I came to the game with couldn’t have told you the difference between Horford and Al Harrington) but the good thing is they were loud and into it. Too many times bandwagon fans show up and don’t really support the team like they should.
May.3 at 2:34 pm
adams says:
Re: KG. Pretending to be all tough doesn’t make you tough. Acting like a clown makes you a clown.
May.3 at 2:37 pm
what says:
Responding to hursty’s earlier statement though, I think the Hawks will have better luck in the 2nd round if they make it than G-state though. The Mavs were pretty much the only higher seed the Warriors would have beat in a series last year because of matchups. But the East after the top 3 is pretty much beatable. If the Hawks win Game 7 they won’t face a tougher challenge in the East playoffs.
May.3 at 2:40 pm
DP says:
Paul pierce is the Celtics only hope during crunch time.play wit it.
May.3 at 2:43 pm
tealish says:
Why. Why does Ray Allen not shoot ALL the big shots? It’s one thing to say it during TNT interviews, it’s another to actually do it. GIVE THE MAN THE ROCK.
May.3 at 2:46 pm
Reggie Evans says:
KG IS FUGAZY
May.3 at 2:50 pm
Nick says:
He did shoot the big shots. He bricked 2 threes, and couldn’t get open on the final play.
May.3 at 2:51 pm
FLUXLAND says:
@Tariq: K “paper cup” G should work on making key free throws, before demanding the rock. And playing hot potato, as someone said, is not indicative of someone who should demand the ball. Why it took ppl this series to realize dude is soft, is beyond me.
@adams: pro wrestling is where he belongs. How does he come out and bark after 4th qs like those.. and he has had countless in his career, is embarrassing. What’s the difference between that and DeShawn doing the face thing or throat slashing while down by 10 or 20? STFU and play the game!!! Let the game speak for you…dummy!
May.3 at 2:56 pm
Nick says:
Also, shame on Doc Rivers for that game ending play call. You need a 3. The hawks know you need a 3. So of course the hawks overplay all the posey/allen curls to the three point line and say “go ahead and go back door on us for an open two, we know you need a 3,” and rondo just sits there, dribbling, waiting for the open man that will never, ever come. You can’t get a three when the other team knows you need it by setting backscreens because they’ll just switch and overplay the pass. Stupid stupid stupid.
May.3 at 3:00 pm
Nick says:
Part 2: which means that the only real option in that play was rondo shooting a 3. and rondo can’t shoot threes. Why not give the ball to Sam Cassell, and have posey set him a high pick and pop while sending ray around a curl? Sam might hit a three, he might find an open man, he might do a tricky old man pump fake and get some foul shots. But AT LEAST he makes the defense do something other then stand outside the three point line filling space, which is all they had to do to stop the vaunted celtics O on that last play. Anyone who voted for Doc Rivers as coach of the year should be kicked in the shins.
May.3 at 3:13 pm
Nick says:
And yes, I’m just hating on other people to dull the pain of the rockets not getting out of the first round for the 10th straight year. It hurts bad. Next year, motherfu
May.3 at 3:25 pm
Cedric Roberts says:
Only real Hawks fans like us Lang remember what ‘88 was like for this city. And now I feel like we can get some revenge from that series. I look forward to the write up after Sunday’s game.
May.3 at 3:53 pm
The Promise says:
Somewhere, Lang Whitaker is smiling.
May.3 at 4:07 pm
John D says:
Piss-poor officiating again. I’m not even gonna further complain about that because the Celtics didn’t deserve to win for the third straight time in Atlanta. Doc, I hope you go the way of Avery Johnson. That is all.
May.3 at 4:16 pm
Myung says:
John D, I agree that the officiating went Atlanta’s way last night, but the same can be said for the three games in Boston so it’s been even (3 to 3, obviously), and well, you’ve got the advantage tomorrow. I’m worried about our inexperience, Marvin’s knee, the Celtics loud crowd, and the talent of Boston’s roster…but most of all, the officials worry me. I know we’ll be playing 5 on 8 at all times tomorrow afternoon.
May.3 at 4:53 pm
John D says:
^The Hawks have had a free throw advantage in every game of the series and 4 of them were by huge margins. In Game 2 which you say the Celtics had the advantage the Hawks shot 40 free throws to the Celtics 26. In Game 5, also in Boston, it was 29-15 Hawks. I realize that some of the difference is because the Hawks are athletic and attack the rim and the Celtics settle for too many jumpers at times but that’s ridiculous.
May.3 at 4:53 pm
riggs says:
damn….i gotta go out and find a ring for Co Co….
May.3 at 4:55 pm
tealish says:
No. It’s Ray Allen. If he bricks the previous 5, you STILL find a way to get the ball in his hands for the last shot.
May.3 at 5:27 pm
Myung says:
It’s not ridiculous. It’s exactly as you said: it’s the style of play. For example, the player who leads the entire series in FT attempts is Marvin Williams. It’s not bc he is a superstar, nor did he unfairly get calls in his favor; it’s bc when he wasn’t settling for spot up J’s, he was attacking the rim. The C’s are fouling in order to stop the drives of Marv, Al, Josh, and Joe. John D, if you can’t admit that the Celtics got some iffy calls at home, then we must not have been watching the same games. Like I said, I know we’ve had some calls in our favor at Philips, but isn’t that what happens at home? I fully expect the C’s to get the majority of calls tomorrow, and that’s what happens when you’re the higher ranked team. The C’s earned home court advantage, and I know we’ll be playing vs. the refs.
May.3 at 5:34 pm
Myung says:
I’m a basketball geek at heart. Here are some stats for you, courtesy of Basketball Reference. Your Celtics, they of the league best 66 wins, attempted 2,176 FT’s this year. The Hawks, they of the playoff worst 37 wins, attempted 2,227. Again, you mentioned it yourself: it’s about settling for jumpers. You ever see Steve Kerr or Bruce Bowen shoot FT’s? Believe me when I say, we rarely get calls in our favor. I’ve watched nearly every Hawks game for the past 20 years (sad, I know… but that’s what passion drives you to do), and we’ve rarely ever gotten the calls that Lakers or Bulls or Celtics teams get bc we don’t have those bona fide superstars. To be honest, I’ve been shocked that we’ve gotten some of the calls we have this series… bc I fully expected the refs to keep crapping on us. Much to my surprise, they’ve given us “homecourt” calls on numerous occasions, which you’ve fairly pointed out. But please tell me you’re not going to base your entire argument solely on FT attempts.
May.3 at 5:37 pm
Myung says:
I’ll just end with this: the C’s have really good outside shooters. If we had guys who could hit the 3 (like you guys have with Ray, Sam, Posey, Pierce) or consistently hit the midrange J (like KG), we’d probably settle for outside J’s too. Unfortunately, we don’t have many of those kind of players so we’re forced into using our athleticism (with the exception of Bibby and the seldom used Salim), which again, translates into FT attempts. Sorry I’m so longwinded… but I really couldn’t let that “the Hawks shot more FT attempts; therefore they’re getting more calls” argument go without a counterargument. I dig the passion though, John D. I don’t see too many C’s fans on here, which is strange, considering how good your team is.
May.3 at 6:21 pm
Jimmy G says:
Should we be suprised that Celtics are playing down to their competition. The C’s are trying to win a title with 3 second tier guys like Detroit did a few years back. The Pistons had the same struggles as well.
May.3 at 7:26 pm
sab says:
i dunno if that evidence backs up your case Myung. so the Hawks have shot 0.7 free throws more per game this season? it doesn’t explain the differentials John’s throwing at you. i’m not disagreeing with you, cos i don’t doubt the refs are calling it boston’s way at home, but those stats weren’t overwhelmingly supportive!
May.3 at 7:29 pm
sab says:
i like Nick’s assessment of that final play. man it was terrible. i would be disappointed if the team i play for ran some BS like that, let alone the #1 team in the Eastern Conference. Let’s not kid ourselves though (sorry Lang, i know you may be living the dream but….) - Boston are gonna demolish the Hawks in Game 7. but this series has definitely proved they haven’t got enough to win it all.
May.3 at 8:32 pm
Myung says:
This might be a little better, sab: The Hawks went to the line 2,227 times while their opponents went 1,943 times. The Celtics went 2,176 times, their opponents, almost the identical number of times (2,160). Again, I’m just bringing up those stats bc it sort of gives evidence as to why the C’s aren’t getting to the line as often during this series (or to put it another way, why the Hawks are getting to the line more often). It is truly in line with their personnel, their strengths (driving rather than shooting outside J’s), and style of play.
May.3 at 9:44 pm
John D says:
All fair points. And I will readily admit that the Celtics have gotten their share of calls in the series too (the non-call on Posey’s tackle of Acie Law comes to mind.) But from my perspective (and being from Boston I’m obviously biased) the officiating has actually favored Atlanta for the most part. Anyway, bad calls or not the Hawks flat out played better in the 3 games in Atlanta and deserved to win.
May.3 at 9:48 pm
John D says:
I was at Game 2 and towards the end of the game some guy a few rows down from me was jokingly saying to the guy next to him “See you at Game 7.” Well guess what pal??? Now there really is a Game 7. I BLAME YOU FOR THIS!!!!
May.3 at 9:56 pm
mike says:
I like how Garnett whines about the Atlanta “bandwagon fans” when the Celtics lead the league in bandwagon fans from coast to coast.
May.3 at 9:58 pm
John D says:
Umm dude. KG didn’t start the whole “bandwagon fans” thing.
May.4 at 12:32 am
Dre says:
somebody tell Bobby Jackson he ain’t AI and stop shooting! pass the rock!
May.4 at 1:02 am
what says:
I’ve been to all the Hawks home games this series. I can’t say with certainty that calls favored one team over another, but I can definitely say that in Game 6 the officiating was horrible, and that’s for both sides.
May.4 at 1:51 am
Lang Whitaker says:
Also, remember toward the end of Game 5, the cameras caught Dominique giving someone the sign that it was going 7.
May.4 at 11:58 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
i saw Ironman friday night. It was awesome, exciting… and completely unrealistic in every way. Just like the Hawks winning that game. Go Hawks!
Paul Pierce reminds me of that guy Stanley on The Office. Maybe it’s the upper lip moustache. Maybe it’s the ‘tude.
May.4 at 11:59 am
The Promise says:
If Hawks win today, this might just be the biggest upset in sports history. I mean, who can honestly say they saw this coming? Not many. I thought they would win one game. Really. But if they do somehow pull this off, this is by far the biggest upset in NBA history, far ahead of the Warriors-Mavs series last year. This is big. What if they do it? What if?
May.4 at 12:05 pm
The Cool says:
where are the new links lang?
May.4 at 12:53 pm
Tariq says:
Sam: Stanley from the Office loves pretzels. Just thought I’d share that.
May.4 at 2:43 pm
The Promise says:
Somehwere, Lang Whitaker is frowning.
May.4 at 2:45 pm
Myung says:
Josh Smith is playing like he’s high. Why are all the Hawks so out of it? Seriously. This game is depressing. Wow… I know it’s not over yet, and no matter the result of this game, I’m super proud of them… but this game is really hard to watch.
May.4 at 3:34 pm
Myung says:
We held them to under 100. Yay.