The Celtics were clicking on cylinders tonight, beating the Hawks 101-79 to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

Rajon Rondo led the way for Boston with 20 points and 16 assists, and Paul Pierce was the Celtics’ leading scorer with 24 points in just 18 minutes.

Pierce gave his teammates and the fans a scare in the second quarter when he went down holding his knee.  He returned for the second half, but was luckily able to sit for most the of the third and fourth quarter thanks to his team’s big lead.

Atlanta got Al Horford and Josh Smith back from injury, but Boston came out blazing offensively and was dominant defensively.

This offensive outpouring from the Celtics was a long-time coming.  The team waited for weeks to get Allen back in the lineup, and his ankle felt well enough to play his second game in a row.

» Continue reading “Celtics Blow Out Hawks To Take 3-1 Series Lead”

Forty-eight minutes was not enough to decide Game 3 of the series between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks.

Paul Pierce had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but he could not hit the fade-away jumper.  The Hawks went on a 15-4 run to close out regulation, but the Celtics managed to pull out a 90-84 win.

It was a night of returns for Boston.  Ray Allen scored 13 points after missing the last three weeks with bone spurs in his right ankle.  Rajon Rondo also returned from a one-game suspension for making contact with an official in Game 1.

Rondo notched a triple-double in his return from a one-game suspension, recording 17 points, 12 assists and 14 rebounds.  Pierce scored 21 points, while Kevin Garnett added 20 points and 13 rebounds.

» Continue reading “Celtics Win In Overtime, Take 2-1 Series Lead”

Rondo, who?  The Boston Celtics showed no signs of missing their All-Star point guard as they evened the series against the Atlanta Hawks 87 -80.

Paul Pierce led the way for the Celtics with 36 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists, an impressive offensive performance that started right from the opening tip.  Kevin Garnett added  15 points and 12 rebounds, while Avery Bradley had 14 points while filling in for Rondo at the point.

Boston needed strong performances from their veterans and that is what they got.  They were without Ray Allen for the second game in a row, and with Rondo suspended one game, Pierce and Garnett sued their experience to propel the Celtics to even the series heading home.

» Continue reading “Rondo-less Celtics Even Series Against Hawks”