Rondo out for game 2, but I'm not concerned. Celtics will win.

[Senninsage]

I'm not worried. In fact, it's the Hawks that should be worried. A lot of strange things happened in that game. Rondo was our primary and most consistent offensive weapon, we were missing just about everything early, and the Hawks just could not miss and made a lot of prayer shots.

We played as bad as we could, and still had a chance to steal it. I never expected a sweep, but I hoped the Celtics would strike first blood in this series. Be that as it may, I'm not concerned, and think the Celtics have the Hawk's number for the rest of this series. In fact, I believe the Celtics win 3 out of the next 4 games, and then finish it in a game 6.

Pierce can handle ball handling responsibilities, and has done it fantastically this season. Other players have also done a very good job of helping him out in this role. The Celtics will not miss practically everything they shoot this time around, and the Hawks likely won't hit every single shot like they did in the first game. This Celtics team has veterans that know how to react and compose themselves in situations like this. Anybody who didn't expect the Celtics to drop a game aren't being realistic.

You know they say the playoffs don't start until a team wins on another team's homecourt. Well, I say the Hawks won in our house yesterday (yes, our house), and the Celtics will right the ship tomorrow, even without our ballsy All-star point guard, who while he may be smaller than most on a basketball court on any given night, has probably the biggest heart out there.

Some may call it immature. I call it leadership. Rondo needed to send a message not just to the NBA and to that ref, but to his team, and that message was sent loud and clear. If we can't win this series with Rondo being suspended for one game with the talent that we have, then we weren't good enough to go all the way in the first place. It's time for this team to win one for Chris Tucker!!! I mean, Rajon Rondo!

[thestackshow]

Pierce needs to play point which means he wont be taking any of those god awful shots he was yesterday.

[Senninsage]

I think we got this. I honestly do.

[chambers]

Problem is missing Ray. Without him we need pietrus to hit at least three 3 pointers, Bradley hitting 2 and pierce hitting 2 or 3 will take a lot of pressure off us.
I think we are still favorites to win but bass, steam and Bradley need to bring it. We must hope that both Johnson and smith don't catch fire too. Gulp.

[azzenfrost]

Just make Pierce stop with those hero-iso plays. Especially on his off nights. We'll be okay.

[Kane3387]

I believe we win. This team doesn't have horford so no excuses about rondo.

[alley oop]

A little off topic, but ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb said today that Rondo should be suspended for three games. He’s also said the 7 game suspension for Ron Artest was too much. I only recently started recognizing him on TV and radio, and already didn’t think much of his commentary; but after hearing this, I’ve concluded he’s often just full of it.

[clover]

Here's a timely ubuntu quote from Rondo:

"Keyon is one of the best leaders I've ever been around," Rondo declared. "He tells me the truth. If I mess up, he lets me know. He's also very positive, very uplifting.

"Sometimes you play with guys who don't always want to see you do well. When they tell you something, you wonder where they're coming from, what their reasons are.

"But with Keyon, I never worry about that. He's going to give it to me straight, because he cares."

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/7874196/2012-nba-playoffs-rajon-rondo-makes-bad-situation-worse

[Celtics4ever]

Doug Gottlieb

Should be a in psych ward...

[mctyson]

Some may call it immature. I call it leadership.

I have been baffled by some of the calls on this board after Game 1 for the Rondo trade to be revisited in the offseason.  I have gone over in my head what happened with Mark Davis and Rondo and I am glad Rondo acted the way he did.

Rondo was emotionally invested in the Celtics comeback.  The whole team was playing like crap, save for Stiemer.  Rondo prevented the team from being blownout, and lead us back into contention.

Then Davis, with the ball right in front of his face, makes that horrendous out of bounds call on Rondo, when the ball was clearly off Josh Smith.  I mean, it was right in front of his face.  I am not sure how he missed that call.

That was a huge play.  In Rondo's mind, he's thinking that could be the game clincher.  We were down by 4.  If ATL comes back and gets 2 (more likely 3 with the way that game went), we need 2 3-pointers, on a day we hit 0% of them.

But we get the stop.  KG, all 7-feet and 36 years of him, dives on the floor for a loose ball.  The ball squirts free.  Josh Smith is on the floor and picks up the ball and rolls with it (a travel in every league not commissioned by David Stern.) Bass has his hands on the ball at the same time, by Smith's rolling makes it hard for him to force the jump.  So Bass gets overly aggressive and there is contact.  Definitely a foul, but no more a foul than Smith's travel was a travel, and at THAT MOMENT, in the PLAYOFFS, you call the jump ball.

Davis sides with Smith.  Again.  Rondo goes crazy because of what he perceives to be two atrocious calls, back to back, with the game on the line, in favor of the home team and Josh Smith. 

I know we need to be more composed, but I am glad the future of this team is a guy who gives that much of a [dang] about this team and winning. 

[jdz101]

Just a quick question...

If rondo gets suspended for one game for misconduct against a referee, do the referees get handed suspensions for all-round incompetence and the inability to make the right call??

[Redz]

Just a quick question...

If rondo gets suspended for one game for misconduct against a referee, do the referees get handed suspensions for all-round incompetence and the inability to make the right call??

No.

[myteamisbetterthanyours]

Some may call it immature. I call it leadership.

I have been baffled by some of the calls on this board after Game 1 for the Rondo trade to be revisited in the offseason.  I have gone over in my head what happened with Mark Davis and Rondo and I am glad Rondo acted the way he did.

Rondo was emotionally invested in the Celtics comeback.  The whole team was playing like crap, save for Stiemer.  Rondo prevented the team from being blownout, and lead us back into contention.

Then Davis, with the ball right in front of his face, makes that horrendous out of bounds call on Rondo, when the ball was clearly off Josh Smith.  I mean, it was right in front of his face.  I am not sure how he missed that call.

That was a huge play.  In Rondo's mind, he's thinking that could be the game clincher.  We were down by 4.  If ATL comes back and gets 2 (more likely 3 with the way that game went), we need 2 3-pointers, on a day we hit 0% of them.

But we get the stop.  KG, all 7-feet and 36 years of him, dives on the floor for a loose ball.  The ball squirts free.  Josh Smith is on the floor and picks up the ball and rolls with it (a travel in every league not commissioned by David Stern.) Bass has his hands on the ball at the same time, by Smith's rolling makes it hard for him to force the jump.  So Bass gets overly aggressive and there is contact.  Definitely a foul, but no more a foul than Smith's travel was a travel, and at THAT MOMENT, in the PLAYOFFS, you call the jump ball.

Davis sides with Smith.  Again.  Rondo goes crazy because of what he perceives to be two atrocious calls, back to back, with the game on the line, in favor of the home team and Josh Smith. 

I know we need to be more composed, but I am glad the future of this team is a guy who gives that much of a [dang] about this team and winning. 

Post of the year. TP.. Rondo gives a [dang] and sent that message loud and clear.  This will light a fire under this team no doubt.. We will play inspired from here on out.  Us-Against-The-World Ubuntu T-Shirts coming soon.

And when Rondo comes back, you guys better have your Triple Double counters ready.

[CelticG1]

Just a quick question...

If rondo gets suspended for one game for misconduct against a referee, do the referees get handed suspensions for all-round incompetence and the inability to make the right call??

No.

To my knowledge in regards to officiating entirely there is no reward or punishment for making good or bad calls.

Which is pretty obvious since you see the same refs year in and year out making the same boneheaded calls

[CelticG1]

No way Rondo bumps davis or probably even gets that tech if Davis makes the correct out of bounds call a minute earlier.  Completely stemmed from that (among some other atrocious calls)

He probably would have been ticked but if it was another ref who called the foul then it just would have been the usual pleading/complaining