Celtics (23-2) at Hawks (15-9) 12/17

[Fafnir]

Entertaining game. Nice to see us dig down and grind it out. Love seeing KG step up in the 4th. That finally ally oop was sweet.

I can't believe Joe Johnson missed that ft.

Thought of the night: Perkins doesn't get enough recognition for all he does.

Yes. Totally agree. We could've easily lost this game if Perk didn't step it up like he did on defense.

We'd have lost to the Jazz as well in my opinion. He's really grown into a complete center. Not an all-star but a tough player who wins you games over a season. I'm getting my dad a KP jersey for Christmas.

[greg683x]

and then you'd have to worry about the alley-op, and when your playing the Hawks its a very real possibility.

with .3?? as soon as the ball skins ur body the horn goes off.

Derek Fisher made a shot with .4

[Roy Hobbs]

Derek Fisher buried a shot against the Spurs with what, 0.5 seconds left?  I've seen plenty of game winners with under a second left, to the point where I wouldn't risk it.  I'd rather have the 3 point lead, with no realistic shot of losing in regulation.

(With no timeouts, I agree that missing the FT is the way to go.)

[RebusRankin]

I still say that Fisher shot was a blown call. Totally bogus but he got it because he's a Laker. 

I agree with those who said its best to make both fts however.

[ManUp]

Well, I'm done with this thread for to night, I think. Great win, great late defense and clutch play. Rondo looked like a real vet out there late, Perkins brought some really great defense, and KG took over on offense late. This team is getting even better in close games.

TP for FL, better late then never right?

[greg683x]

Well, I'm done with this thread for to night, I think. Great win, great late defense and clutch play. Rondo looked like a real vet out there late, Perkins brought some really great defense, and KG took over on offense late. This team is getting even better in close games.

TP for FL, better late then never right?

ditto.  I said I was done like 5 posts ago.  Goodnight All.

[Tr1boy]

hobbs i guess. just with .7 bibby could be fouled too. (usually they dont call it)

great win. Rondo should have it made the ft

[nickagneta]

I am so psyched over this win!!!

This was just another peak at what the Celtics and the rest of the league will be seeing out of this Atlanta team come playoff time and suddenly last year's 7 game series isn't going to look like such a Celtic screw up anymore and more like the coming out party for Atlanta that it was. I think people across the country are starting to readjust their opinions as to why that series went seven.

Also, I can't say enough about the how this starting unit is playing right now. I understand there are great players playing in the Eastern Conference but considering each specific position in the East, a case could be made that the Celtics have one of the three best players at each position in the Eastern Conference.

KG - best PF
Pierce - 2nd best SF #1 LeBron
Perk - 3rd best C #1 D Howard #2 Rasheed
Rondo - 2nd best PG #1 Devin Harris
Allen - 3rd best SG #1 DWade #2 Joe Johnson

I'm not sure any other team has been able to make that claim since maybe the 1986 Celtics.

But then that brings me to the glass half full side of things. The bench, in plain English, has sucked recently, especially against better teams. Are they just in a collective slump, just not that good, or being mismanaged by Doc? Or all of the above?

Wow, they were just terrible tonight. Every single guy off the bench was not good. And it's starting to effect the way Ray and Paul play with them as it appears they might be losing some confidence in playing with them as, especially in the last couple of games, Paul and Ray try to do more and more iso and ball handling and shooting when with the second group.

If that is true, that is not a good sign and Danny had best be looking to tweak things a bit. But as Wide Load has preached, this bench is good for the regular season but it probably won't be the bench that plays for this team come playoff time.

[Aussie Celtic]

Very impressive win.

This team is something else.  I almost expect them to win these days and I must admit this was one game where I thought our win streak may come to an end.

The Big Three are hungry and that hunger is being matched by everyone else.  The bench may not be as good as last year, but what they lack in talent they make up for in intensity.

The "will to win" is the factor that has improved the most from last season.

I love winning, all day every day !!!!

Go the Green !!!!

Cheers

Aussie

[Redz]

Did anyone else love that neither coach called a timeout in the last few minutes until there was 9 seconds left.  I loved that.  Both teams were playing well, and the coaches let them play.

Excellent game.

The Celts starting 5 are head and shoulders above anyone else in the league.  They are so [dang] confident (and good).

[Celtic]

Derek Fisher buried a shot against the Spurs with what, 0.5 seconds left?  I've seen plenty of game winners with under a second left, to the point where I wouldn't risk it.  I'd rather have the 3 point lead, with no realistic shot of losing in regulation.

(With no timeouts, I agree that missing the FT is the way to go.)

When he was with the Hornets, Baron Davis actually made a 3 in the playoffs with .2 seconds left and they waived it off, this was before replay, I guarantee you he made it in less than .2 seconds, I don't know how, but he did.

[Tr1boy]

Derek Fisher buried a shot against the Spurs with what, 0.5 seconds left?  I've seen plenty of game winners with under a second left, to the point where I wouldn't risk it.  I'd rather have the 3 point lead, with no realistic shot of losing in regulation.

(With no timeouts, I agree that missing the FT is the way to go.)

When he was with the Hornets, Baron Davis actually made a 3 in the playoffs with .2 seconds left and they waived it off, this was before replay, I guarantee you he made it in less than .2 seconds, I don't know how, but he did.

i doubt it unless he punched it towars the basket bruce lee style

[Celtic]

Derek Fisher buried a shot against the Spurs with what, 0.5 seconds left?  I've seen plenty of game winners with under a second left, to the point where I wouldn't risk it.  I'd rather have the 3 point lead, with no realistic shot of losing in regulation.

(With no timeouts, I agree that missing the FT is the way to go.)

When he was with the Hornets, Baron Davis actually made a 3 in the playoffs with .2 seconds left and they waived it off, this was before replay, I guarantee you he made it in less than .2 seconds, I don't know how, but he did.

i doubt it unless he punched it towars the basket bruce lee style

The inbounds pass was high, he jumped and the ball was about 6 inches above his head, right in shooting position and he pretty much slapped it. It wasn't a traditional shot, he basically did just hit it away from himself, and it banked in from the top of the key. Looking for a video but I can't find one.

[BballTim]

Derek Fisher buried a shot against the Spurs with what, 0.5 seconds left?  I've seen plenty of game winners with under a second left, to the point where I wouldn't risk it.  I'd rather have the 3 point lead, with no realistic shot of losing in regulation.

(With no timeouts, I agree that missing the FT is the way to go.)

When he was with the Hornets, Baron Davis actually made a 3 in the playoffs with .2 seconds left and they waived it off, this was before replay, I guarantee you he made it in less than .2 seconds, I don't know how, but he did.

  I think I remember that play. It happened not long after they started going with tenths of seconds displayed on the clocks. The announcers said (seriously) that they practiced with a "real fast shooter" and a stopwatch and determined that you couldn't get a shot off in less than .3 seconds. So they automatically waived off any shots if the play started with .1 or .2 on the clock. He clearly got the shot off before the clock hit 0.0.

[ma11l]

Did anyone else love that neither coach called a timeout in the last few minutes until there was 9 seconds left.  I loved that.  Both teams were playing well, and the coaches let them play.

Excellent game.

The Celts starting 5 are head and shoulders above anyone else in the league.  They are so [dang] confident (and good).

That did make it very fun to watch.  Both teams were in a good rhythm and trading shots back and forth and the coaches didn't saturate the game with timeout after timeout.  It let both teams get going in a game that had been very choppy before that.