For those of you wondering why we lost this...

[GreenFaith1819]

You know what?  Next game starts 0-0 and atlanta has just as good a chance to win that game like they did this game. 

Yeah but so do the Celts. Pierce is not going 5-of-19 again.

Exactly.

Nor will KG start off 1 for 9.

Game Two KG and Paul will be spitting fire.

[thestackshow]

Pierce played like a scrub tonight. And our team never got to the free throw line, we need to attack the basket and stop settling for stupid 3 pointers, seriously, and get the rebound, good god.

That play where 3 celtics went up for the rebound, and 89 year old Tracy McGrady waltzed in grabbed it and dunked it shows that this years Celtics is the worst rebounding team in the history of the NBA. None of them have any sort of rebounding instinct. How do 3 C's go up for the rebound but not one person get it? Do you not know how to just simply box out and let your teammates get the rebound?

[LarBrd33]

KG's our most valuable player.  Pierce is our second most valuable player.  Rondo is our third most valuable player.  If we lose either of the big 2 we are toast.  We have a history of "managing" without Rondo.

I'm not sure that's clear in the playoffs. When have we had great success in the post season when Rondo was not playing? If you accept medicore success, it could be said that we can 'manage' without KG. Without rondo in the post season I think we're equally screwed, if not more so now that the big three are somewhat smaller. And, that's without ray being injured.

We won a title with him as a role player.  I know he's a great setup guy and an excellent player, but when our scorers aren't hitting shots... we suffer.  This team still goes as KG and Pierce goes.  When KG was out in 09 we were completely mediocre.  When Rondo was out this season, we had a winning record.  That's not to say Rondo is a bad player. Rondo is a great player.  As is Ray Allen.  But our #1 MVP is KG and our #2 MVP is Pierce.  Either or those guys go out (or stink like they did tonight) and you can kiss any playoff hopes goodbye.  If Rondo goes out, we'll re-work the offense and find new ways to get our scorers the ball without him.

[mctyson]

The premise of this thread means nothing.  It happens every year.  Fans team loses game one and blames it on luck.

You know what?  Next game starts 0-0 and atlanta has just as good a chance to win that game like they did this game. 

The only thing that matter is that it is 1-0.  How t got here doesn't matter.

Did you miss that stat about going 0-for-11 from 3-pt range, the first time in 20 years that the Celtics haven't hit a 3 in a playoff game??

[mctyson]

Joe Johnson was 3-15 and 0-9 from 3, this isn't the hawks at their best, they were horrible in the second half. We were just somehow worse tonight.

"The Hawks does not" = Joe Johnson.  Kirk Heinrich killed us last night.  I would bet my life he does not do that again in Game 2

[SHAQATTACK]

didn't see the game, but from what I gather ...your superstars are shooting like Keyon Dooling , then no ...we can't beat any playoff calibre team.

The loss goes back to last season , Pierce and Garrnet and Allen aren't scoring ( they are the offense) then we aren't going no where.

It was a MAJOR CHOKE for our best players not to show up .

[Roy H.]

This was the Hawks at their best.

Best game of the century for the Hawks.

We can play a lot better, ATL can't this was their best they can play!

I'm surprised to read this.  Atlanta played mediocre at best.  They shot 40.8% from the field and had 13 turnovers.  They shot 66.7% on free throws.  Joe Johnson shot 3-for-15 and missed nine three pointers, and Josh Smith shot 40%.

You guys consider that to be some sort of amazing game that is unlikely to be replicated?  The Hawks played a sloppy game where they shot poorly; it's probably about a C- performance from them, at least offensively.  

If the Celtics assume that the Hawks won't play better than they did in Game 1, they're going to get beat again.

[hardlyyardley]

KG got nothing but uncontested rebounds....got beaten three times for boards by Ivan the Terrible......Stiemsma was the only one boarding...(Pietrus occasionally)

[pearljammer10]

Worst game of the year for the C's

Best game of the century for the Hawks.

In other words, a fluke, the Hawks arent this good, and we arent this bad especially defensively.

There is no way in hell the Hawks are going to play like they did tonight all series long.

Aside from the first quarter where the Hawks literally couldnt miss, the Hawks really didnt play that well at all. The Celtics just flat out sucked. no movement on offense, every thing was isolation, no cutting or flashing, being a jump shooting team that lives and dies by the jumper we couldnt shoot, and a lot of shot selections were rushed and just dumb shots. and I dont know where the idea to post up Rondo came from, but that isnt going to be our saving grace. and this was just the offense, i dont even want to focus on how bad our defense was.

As for the Hawks they were dirty in the first quarter, but game of the century? far from it. We played one of the worst games I've ever seen and the Hawks were only able to put up 83 points on us. Our defense wasn't too stellar and the Hawks STILL couldnt put up more than 18 points in any of the last three frames. the Hawks defense was atrocious, they had three steals and only one block on the night! while only causing 6 turnovers!

It seemed like while watching they were shooting 75 to 80 percent because it really did seem like everything they through up towards the basket went in.  however they only shot 40.8 % they made some bs shots (Pargo's pull up three, Hinrich's, desperation three at the buzzer, Smiths big shot over Garnett in the 4th, Teague's couple threes) The Hawks killlled us in transition... But if this is the best game the Hawks can play, then thats fine with me.

[BballTim]

KG's our most valuable player.  Pierce is our second most valuable player.  Rondo is our third most valuable player.  If we lose either of the big 2 we are toast.  We have a history of "managing" without Rondo.

I'm not sure that's clear in the playoffs. When have we had great success in the post season when Rondo was not playing? If you accept medicore success, it could be said that we can 'manage' without KG. Without rondo in the post season I think we're equally screwed, if not more so now that the big three are somewhat smaller. And, that's without ray being injured.

We won a title with him as a role player.  I know he's a great setup guy and an excellent player, but when our scorers aren't hitting shots... we suffer.  This team still goes as KG and Pierce goes.  When KG was out in 09 we were completely mediocre.  When Rondo was out this season, we had a winning record. 

  We won about 2/3 of our games during the season after KG hurt his knee. We almost made the ECF in spite of KG's backup going down early in the Bulls series. Hardly mediocre.

[mctyson]

This was the Hawks at their best.

Best game of the century for the Hawks.

We can play a lot better, ATL can't this was their best they can play!

I'm surprised to read this.  Atlanta played mediocre at best.  They shot 40.8% from the field and had 13 turnovers.  They shot 66.7% on free throws.  Joe Johnson shot 3-for-15 and missed nine three pointers, and Josh Smith shot 40%.

You guys consider that to be some sort of amazing game that is unlikely to be replicated?  The Hawks played a sloppy game where they shot poorly; it's probably about a C- performance from them, at least offensively.  

If the Celtics assume that the Hawks won't play better than they did in Game 1, they're going to get beat again.

That was the game...I think the reaction is more about the 1st  quarter. 

Pre-Rondo ejection, the C's were down 4 points.  They were down by 19 at one point.  17 in the 1st quarter.  This was due to Atlanta shooting the lights out and the Celtics playing horrifically.

We got back into a position to win the game without one person outside of Rondo stepping up on offense.

[MBunge]

What to learn from game 1.

1.  Don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever start the game with Bradley initiating the offense and Rondo in the post.  Maybe that can become a staple of the Celtic offense next season, but they've never done it with any consistency or real success this season.

2.  I don't know if it's Doc or Rondo or what, but Boston has got to adjust when a player is simply not making shots.

3. Doc has to make a move faster if the team is playing like they were to start the 1st quarter.  Call a time out, make an early substitution, something.

4.  Even if Ray can't play, Doc MUST use someone other than Pietrus and Stiemsma off the bench for legitimate minutes.  Trying to KC Jones it and ride certain players into the dirt may not even get us past Atlanta, forget about the rest of the playoffs.

Mike