C's Crush Hawks Again

4/24/2008

There wasn't much for Hawks guard Mike Bibby to say after this one.

The top-seeded Celtics routed the Atlanta Hawks, 96-77, in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series last night at a sold-out TD Banknorth Garden.



The Celtics are up, 2-0, in the best-of-seven series. The next two games are in Atlanta, with Game 3 Saturday.

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, who was presented his NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy before the game, finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Ray Allen had 15 points, and Rajon Rondo added 12 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds.

Bibby, who had 12 points on 2-of-7 shooting and just one assist, drew the ire of Celtics fans by calling them "bandwagon jumpers" and "fair-weather" before Tuesday's practice. During introductions, Bibby was predictably greeted with a chorus of boos.

And every time he got the ball, the boos rained down. Bibby smiled in the first quarter while being heckled during a free throw by the Celtics.

One key ingredient in the Celtics' quest to win the NBA title is health. And with 10:38 remaining in the first quarter, Paul Pierce took a hard spill after being hit by Josh Smith while also being fouled by Joe Johnson. Pierce suffered a lower-back strain, but Smith didn't receive a flagrant foul. The Celtics on the floor then rushed toward Smith, and coach Doc Rivers ran onto the floor and grabbed center Kendrick Perkins. There were no ejections.

Afterward, Pierce was sluggish and in obvious pain. Pierce made 1 of 2 free throws and wasn't replaced until 9:45 remained in the quarter. Pierce laid on the floor after being taken out, then went to the locker room with team physician Brian McKeon.

Pierce returned to cheers during a timeout with 4:03 left in the first and Boston up, 15-9. Pierce went back to laying on the floor and Rivers and trainer Ed Lacerte soon checked on him.

The Celtics went up, 22-11, on a Garnett jumper with 2:28 remaining in the first. But the Hawks finished the quarter with a 9-2 run, capped by a 3-point play from Zaza Pachulia, to trim their deficit to 24-20.

The Celtics shot 45.5 percent in the first quarter and scored 6 fast-break points. The Hawks shot 41.2 percent.

Just before the second quarter began, Rivers asked Pierce how he felt. Pierce said he was OK, and soon was in the game.

Veteran Sam Cassell schooled Hawks rookie guard Acie Law at the beginning of the second, scoring 8 of Boston's first 10 points to give his team a 34-24 lead.

Pierce nailed his first shot after his return, a 3-pointer with 6:55 left in the half to give Boston a 40-29 lead. Pierce exited the game and went back to the locker room with the Celtics up, 50-35, with 3:18 left to get a massage. The Hawks finished the half with 7-2 run to trim their deficit to 52-42.

The Celtics shot 48.8 percent in the first half and had 10 fast-break points. The Hawks shot 38.7 percent and did not hit a 3-pointer. Six Celtics scored more than 5 points by halftime, but none had reached double figures. Smith had 10 points on 2-of-7 shooting and six free throws by halftime.

Pierce was on the floor at the start of the third quarter and he nailed a 3-pointer to give Boston a 55-42 lead. Pierce's 3-point play with 8:32 left in the third gave the Celtics a 63-46 advantage. Rondo's fast-break lay-in with 3:20 left in the third gave Boston a 72-52 lead. An Allen 3-pointer gave Boston a 76-56 advantage with 1:21 left. The Celtics finished the third quarter with a 76-58 lead after outscoring Atlanta, 24-16.

Early in the fourth quarter the Celtics started chanting, "Where is Bibby?" and "Rondo's better."

Celtics forward James Posey earned a reputation for giving hard fouls while playing for Miami. And with 8:39 remaining, Posey returned the favor with a hard foul on Smith. Posey was slapped with a Flagrant-1 penalty to the dismay of Rivers, who gave referee Joe DeRosa an earful.