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Atlanta Hawks (1-2) at Boston Celtics (2-1)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
7:00 PM ET
Game #3, Home Game #1
TV: TNT, CSNNE, TSN, SPSO
Radio: WEEI
TD Garden 
Probable Starters 
PG: #9 Rajon Rondo .................................................... SG: #0 Avery Bradley
C: #5 Kevin Garnett
SF: #34 Paul Pierce .............................................. PF #30 Brandon Bass
Celtics Reserves Marquis Daniels
Mickael Pietrus
Keyon Dooling
E'twaun Moore
Greg Stiemsma
JaJuan Johnson
Ryan Hollins
Sasha Pavlovic
Injuries Ray Allen (ankle) probable
Avery Bradley (shoulder) probable
Greg Stiemsma (feet) probable
Probable Starters
PG: #0 Jeff Teague ............................................ SG:6 Kirk Hinrich
C: #34 Jason Collins
SF: #2 Joe Johnson ............................................. PF: #5 Josh Smith
Reserves
Tracy McGrady
Ivan Johnson
Jerry Stackhouse
Erick Dampier
Jannero Pargo
Willie Green
Vladimir Radmanovic
Injuries
Al Horford (Pectoral) out
Zaza Pachulia (foot) day to day
Josh Smith (knee) probable
Tracy McGrady (ankle) probable
Game Notes Coming into game 4, the major talk from both teams concerns injuries. Ray Allen came back to play a big part in game 3 but after playing 37 minutes in that game, he said that his ankle was "mad at him." He will likely be a game time decision the rest of the way. Even more concerning for the Celtics is the fact that Avery Bradley left game 3 with a shoulder injury and is a question for this game. And, of course, there are Greg Stiemsma's feet and the wear and tear of big minutes on the starters in the last game.
On the Hawks side, Josh Smith has said he expects to play in this one, but with a knee problem, it remains to see how effective he can be since his game relies on his athleticism. Pachulia has been day to day and there have been rumors that we could see him and even Horford to try to give the Hawks a boost. Tracy McGrady was one of their best players in game 3 but left the game after turning his ankle. Although he returned to the game, he wasn't quite the same the rest of the way.
The Celtics were able to get a split in Atlanta to win back home court and so they need to take care of business at home and not give the advantage back to the Hawks. The last game was way closer than it should have been with Smith out, but the Celtics seemed to be casual about it, allowing the Hawks to hang around and force an overtime. Thankfully they finally played with a bit more passion in OT to pull out the win.
The Celtics as a team have struggled with their offense in the series so far. They shot 46% from the field during the season but have been averaging 41% in this series. The Hawks allowed 44% in the regular season but I'm not sure the Celtics shooting woes are the result of Hawks defense, but rather it's just the Celtics missing shots they usually make. The Hawks, on the other hand, are shooting 41% as well, which is right around what the Celtics allowed in the regular season.
The Celtics need to come out focused in this game and play smart basketball. The longer they let the Hawks hang around the more dangerous they become. The Celtics need to take care of this game at home and do it in convincing fashion.
Key Matchups
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Jeff Teague
Teague has played very well in the series and has hit some big shots for the Hawks. Rondo hasn't been any slouch either, coming up with that big triple double in the last game. Both point guards will try to set the pace for their team. Rondo will once again need to come up big and get the Celtics offense back on track.
vs
Paul Pierce vs Joe Johnson
To say that Paul Pierce was huge in game 2 is an understatement. He put the team on his back and carried them to victory. But in game 3, he once again struggled with his shot. He was just 3-12 from the field but to his credit, he didn't just settle for jumpers all game and drove to the hoop, drawing fouls and was 14-14 from the line. Johnson scored 29 points, but it took him 28 shots to do so. He came up big for his team down the stretch in regulation to force the overtime. The Celtics need their Captain to find his shot and if it isn't falling again, to once again drive into the paint and get to the line.
Honorable MentionBrandon Bass vs Josh Smith
Smith has said that he plans to play in this game but it remains to be seen how effective he can be if the knee is still sore. He depends on his athleticism and if the knee isn't 100% it may slow him down. Bass has struggled in the playoffs so far and the Celtics could really use a good game from him. He has scored just 8 points in each game so far after averaging almost 13 points per game in the regular season. Bass also needs to put out more effort on the boards. He is averaging 5 rebounds per game while his counterpart on the Hawks (Smith/Williams) are averaging 13 rebounds per game.
Bench Watch
vs
Mickael Pietrus vs Tracy McGrady
The Celtics need some production off their bench and they need Pietrus to hit his shots. He was 0-5 in the first two games and was 2-3 in game 3. On the other side, McGrady came up big for the Hawks in game 3 with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Hopefully Pietrus has found his range and will continue to hit his shots in game 4.
Keys to the GameDefense - This is the key to every game and to winning a championship this year. The Hawks are a good 3 point shooting team as well as having the ability to get to the basket and so the Celtics must defend both the perimeter and the paint. They have been allowing the Hawks too many easy looks, especially from beyond the arc. They have won both games 2 and 3 by clamping down on defense at the end, but they need to play tough defense throughout the game and they might get an easy win instead of having every game come down to a nail biter.
Rebound - Rebounding is key to controlling the tempo and flow of the game. The Celtics must limit tip ins and second chance points by crashing the boards and limiting the Hawks rebounds. It's not a coincidence that the Celtics were out-rebounded in their loss 50-41 but they won the rebounding battle 45-40 and 51-48 in their 2 wins. Rebounding is effort and desire and when the Celtics show both effort and desire on the boards that translates to all the other areas of the game.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to be aggressive in going to the basket, especially if their jumpers aren't falling. As fatigue becomes more of a factor, being aggressive in getting into the paint will become more important. They also must be aggressive in going after loose balls and rebounds. They can't let the Hawks out hustle them. They must play like they are the team that wants it more.
Focus- The Celtics have to come out focused and keep that focus until the final buzzer. They have gone through periods in each game so far where they lose their focus and make careless passes and allow the Hawks to make a run. They must keep their composure and their focus whether they are up or down and whether they are getting the calls or not.
X-FactorsInjuries and Officiating
Injuries have been the story for both teams. So far, it has been the more short handed team that has played the hardest. With Rondo out in game 2, the Celtics beat the Hawks in Atlanta. With Smith out in game 3, the Hawks gave the Celtics all they could handle and came close to stealing one in Boston. There are several question marks for both teams coming into this game and regardless of who is out, the players on the court must give max effort. Officiating is always an x-factor. Like Forest Gump says, you never know what you're going to get.
Topic: Hawks (1-2) at Celtics (2-1) Game 4 5/6 (Read 84120 times)