Everyone is making good points here, but I think we are missing the crucial one. Why on earth did Doc have starters in the game with 6 min to go and a 20 point lead?! PP didn't come out until about the 3 min mark and KG shortly after. The game was clearly in hand, the Hawks were getting nasty and only trying to play tough guys. If they wanted to get tough they should have done so with PJ, BBD, TA, House, and Sam on the floor. Not KG PP and Ray.
Horford is becoming a little whiny ''witch'' isn't he?!
i tend to agree with you here, but we all know that Doc likes to squash things like this.
Tommy and Cousy were talking about this in the telecast and i think felt the same way, but also felt like Doc was letting them know that we are not going to let up like DET did against Philly in game one.
Philly is a much better team right now and are actually playing basketball, so it is not a perfect comparison. but we are also still a pretty new team all things considered and i think Doc wants them to get in a pattern of letting up for future series.
i think he wants them to be thinking about executing throughout entire games because that is going to be paramount in the games ahead of us.
and still when i saw Pierce holding his back, shock waves went through me because you know that Paul does not show pain unless it is really bad....
anyway, i just think Atlanta needs to come to play basketball and i hope Woodson lets them know that that is not what they did last night.
IMO hard-nosed play needs to be backed up by high quality play and when you are not doing that, then all you are really doing is endangering the other team.