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Boston Celtics (3-1) at Atlanta Hawks (1-3)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
8:00 PM ET
Round 1, Game #5, Road Game #3
TV: TNT, CSNNE, FSSO, TSN2
Radio: WEEI
Philips ArenaProbable Starting Matchups Point Guard vs
Rajon Rondo vs Jeff Teague
Shooting Guard vs
Avery Bradley vs Joe Johnson
Small Forward vs
Paul Pierce vs Marvin Williams
Power Forward vs
Brandon Bass vs Josh Smith
Center vs
Kevin Garnett vs Al Horford
Celtics ReservesMickael Pietrus
Greg Stiemsma
Sasha Pavlovic
Marquis Daniels
E'Twaun Moore
Ryan Hollins
Sean Williams
JaJuan Johnson
Keyon Dooling
Ray Allen
Injuries Ray Allen (ankle) will play
Greg Stiemsma (feet) will play
Avery Bradley (shoulder) will play
Paul Pierce (knee) will play
Mickael Pietrus (hamstring) will play
Hawks ReservesErick Dampier
Willie Green
Ivan Johnson
Tracy McGrady
Jannero Pargo
Vladimir Radmanovic
Jerry Stackhouse
Kirk Hinrich
Jason Collins
Injuries Zaza Pachulia (foot) day to day
Al Horford (pectoral) will play
Josh Smith (knee) will play
Tracy McGrady (ankle) will play
Game NotesThe Celtics could close this series out with a win in this game. The prospect of getting some rest before facing either the Sixers or the Bulls should be enough motivation for the them to get this done. After the beat down that the Celtics gave the Hawks in game 4, the Celtics need to keep their momentum and come out focused and ready to play and then sit back and wait for their second round opponent.
After 3 so-so games, the Celtics finally showed what they are capable of with a dominant blow out win in game 4. Hopefully the Celtics come out with the same mindset and put the Hawks away early because letting them hang around and gain confidence would be a big mistake. We've seen that the Hawks can be a dangerous team if the Celtics don't play their best.
The talk of this series is still about injuries and who will and won't play. On the Celtics side, we can add Paul Pierce to the walking wounded after game 4. Paul Pierce (knee), Avery Bradley (shoulder), Ray Allen (ankle), and Greg Stiemsma (feet) are all probable to play, but the injuries can take their toll and slow them down a bit, especially as the game wears on. That's why the Celtics must come out strong like they did in game 4 and take control right from the start.
For the Hawks, they got an unexpected return from Al Horford in game 4 but it didn't give them the boost they had hoped for. He played well for being out for so long, but was obviously not 100%. When asked after the game whether he would be good to go in game 5, he was unsure. Josh Smith also returned after missing game 3 and expects to play in game 5 as well. There have also been rumors that Zaza Pachulia might make a return as well. It seems that the longer the series goes on, the healthier the Hawks get and the more banged up the Celtics get.
It may sound strange to think of a game 5 as must win when you are up 3 games to 1, but this one pretty much is just that. In the playoffs, every game becomes must win as you never know what is going to happen if the series goes the distance, especially with an older team. The Hawks know they need this game and will play hard. The Celtics also need this one and so hopefully they will match that effort.
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Jeff Teague
Rondo simply took over game 4 and willed the Celtics to that win. The Celtics will need aggressive Rondo once again in this game to pull off this win on the road. Rondo has to control the pace of the game and keep the Celtics' offense moving.
vs
Paul Pierce vs Marvin Williams
Paul Pierce set the pace for the Celtics right from the beginning as he aggressively took the ball into the paint and got the Celtics off to a strong start. The Hawks are shaking things up by moving Johnson to the 2 and starting Williams at the 3. Williams is a better defender than Johnson and could make things more difficult for Pierce on the offensive end.
Honorable Mention vs
Doc Rivers vs Larry Drew
In a 7 game series, the coaching becomes more important the longer the series goes on. Both coaches must make adjustments going into the game and they must also make in game adjustments to counter the other coach. Drew has already made his move by changing up his starting lineup to move Johnson to the 2 and start Williams at the 3 along with starting Horford at center. Doc needs to counter and work these matchups to the Celtics benefit. Doc is one of the best coaches in the league and as long as the players come out and follow his instructions, it gives the Celtics an advantage.
vs
Avery Bradley vs Joe Johnson
With Johnson moving to shooting guard, things just got more difficult for Avery Bradley. Johnson has a 5 inch height advantage so even if Avery can stay with him, he may be able to get his shot off over him. Johnson has said that he wants more touches in this game and will probably get them. Avery must keep Johnson from having a big game.
Keys to the GameDefense - The Celtics have made defense their calling card all season. The Hawks are shooting 38.5% in the playoffs and some of that is just missing jumpers. But some of it is the Celtics playing some very impressive defense. The Celtics offense often begins with defense and the better their defense, the better they play overall. They absolutely need to keep their defensive mindset in this game and play tough D right from the beginning up to the final buzzer.
Rebound - No rebounds, no win. It's as simple as that. The Celtics must crash the boards and keep the Hawks from getting tip ins and second chance baskets. Smith and Horford are both very good at getting to the hoop and tipping the ball in on misses. They must crash the boards as a team and get every rebound they can. Much of rebounding is desire, effort, and timing. When the Celtics put out the effort on the boards, that effort often spreads to other areas of their game.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the team that wants to win more. They wanted it more in game 4 and the results showed it. They have to be aggressive on defense, in going after loose balls, in crashing the boards, and most importantly, in going to the basket and not settling for jumpers, especially if those jumpers stop falling again. The more aggressive team will get the benefit of the calls from the refs and that has to be the Celtics.
Run the Offense - In game 4, the Celtics moved without the ball, made the extra pass and found the open man. The Hawks defense couldn't keep up with their ball movement. KG was very excited about their communication in game 4 and they have to continue that in game 5. Communicate, move without the ball, make the extra pass, take care of the ball, all are important as they try to replicate their offensive success in this game.
X-FactorsFocus, Health and Officiating
Focus - The Celtics often control their own fate in games. The difference in their focus is seen in the difference between game 1 and game 4. When they come out focused and keep their minds in the game for the entire 48 minutes, they are very tough to beat.
Health - Both teams are dealing with injuries and with players who are playing at less than 100%. How each team deals with their own injuries and how they attack the weaknesses of the other team, will go a long way to determining the winner of this game.
Officiating - Unfortunately, the way a game is called is sadly often a factor in the outcome. Hopefully the Celtics will get a fair shake from the refs in spite of playing on the road. They have proved they can win playing 5 on 8 (See 4/11 game vs the Hawks) but it makes it very hard.