The victory that snapped a six-game winning streak is not headline; even if it came against the reigning world champs.

What was on everyone’s mind in each locker room was the right ACL injury that has subtracted Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo from the mix for the remainder of the season.

“It was a big blow to everybody in here, me included,” Kevin Garnett told ESPN. “Man, that hurt. It’s tough. We had a tough game, came in, and he told the whole team in the locker room. It’s tough, tough on everybody.

[Rondo is] becoming the heart and soul of this team. He’s coming into his own. Had some bumps in the road, but we’re just trying to be supportive for him.”

The Celtics coach Doc Rivers knew before tipoff that Rondo’s injury was worse than what had been reported as a hyperextended knee.

“Obviously the Rondo news is tough,” Rivers said. “I knew before the game, but I didn’t tell anyone. Obviously it was pretty emotional.”

“We’ll find someone that’s already in our locker room who will step up,” Rivers said. “You can write the obituary, but I’m not. We’re going nowhere.”

In the visitors lockerroom the tone was just as somber when it came time to talk Rondo.

“I think it sucks. It’s terrible,” LeBron James said. “As much as a competitor and as much as I’ve been a rival with Boston over the years, I never want to see anyone go down. And knowing the competitor that he is and knowing how talented he is, I think it’s terrible, not only for their team but for the league.”

“We continue to say, one thing about this league is it’s a brotherhood,” Dwyane Wade said. “You never want to see anyone go down with any kind of injury, especially a season-ending injury. So it’s very unfortunate and it sucks.

“He’s a great player and he really is the leader of this team and, obviously, guys are going to have to step up for them. But this year they lost the leader of their team, so it’s tough for the game to lose a player like Rondo, but especially for Boston.”

Boston pulled themselves out of a six-game tailspin. Could this be the situation that will galvanize the Celtics or is all hope lost?

Tell us what you think.

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The Boston Celtics have held on to the report since Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks that Rondo’s injury was simply a hyperextended knee.

When he was a late scratch for Sunday’s game against their heated rival the Miami Heat, it became more than obvious that this situation was a lot darker than it initially seemed.

According to the Boston Herald, team insiders fear that he may have indeed torn the ACL in his right knee.

At post time he is undergoing tests at New England Baptist Hospital.

If this does indeed prove to be the case, the Celtics can pack it in for 2012-13.

The Celtics are now forced to turn to Courtney Lee to run the floor in Rondo’s place.

At post time, Lee has only accumulated four points and two assists against the Miami Heat through three quarters of play.

Updated: It has been confirmed that Rajon Rondo will miss the rest of the season.

Celtics source says Rondo may have torn ACL – getting MRI for it now at New England Baptist.

— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) January 27, 2013

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A recent series of missteps by temperamental point guard Rajon Rondo has done nothing to elevate their cause.

In their 95-94 overtime loss to Philadelphia on Friday, Rondo flubbed what should have been a game-winning scenario.

As the final seconds ran off the clock, Kevin Garnett opted out of taking aim at the bucket to pass to Rondo who had an easy layup in sight.

Instead of doing the stable thing Rondo visibly struggled in mid-stride as he adjusted his momentum for whatever reason to toss the ball up.

The end result was an ugly air ball that cost the Celtics another victory as they struggle to stay relevant.

After the game both Rondo and Garnett commented on the situation as coach Doc Rivers discussed who should have made the play.

“I should have taken the lay-up,” Rondo said. “But I tried to make a plant and just slipped.”

“I thought he had the lay-up,” Garnett said.  It was just unfortunate. I was indecisive. I should have been more aggressive in that situation.”

“[Garnett] saw Rondo cutting,” Rivers said. “I didn’t see it yet, so I don’t really know what happened because it looked like Kevin had the shot. We had him deep, right where we wanted him.”

Rondo has just returned from a suspension after he ignited a fight with the Brooklyn Nets’ Kris Humphries.

The Celtics have a lot invested in Rondo.

Friday’s key error was one of two as a similar snag helped send the game into overtime to begin with.

His ability to make sound decisions is what will define him as a point-guard that is capable of carrying the team long after Garnett and Paul Pierce have ridden into the sunset.

If he cannot get his mental game back to where it should be, the Celtics may not post a record that showcases them as more than a mediocre team stacked with aging stars.

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In a piece that ran earlier this week, Allen was quoted as saying that a trade scenario was what kick started the bad blood.

“So, I called him and I told him, ‘hey they’re supposedly trading us to Phoenix because you and Danny and Doc don’t get along,’ ” Allen said. “ ‘So, whatever you can do.’

“So, for some reason, I guess he thought that I was … that I had something against him, or there were some issues. And I had no issues with him. I won with him.”

On Wednesday the Boston Celtics have come forth to refute the claims and state that from this point forward they will let Ray do all of the talking.

“We’re going to just let Ray keep talking, “Celtics coach Doc Rivers told ESPN. “It’s easier.”

When asked to at least comment on Allen’s comments, Rivers relented and called Allen a liar in so many words.

“I didn’t even know it, so I’m surprised right now,” Rivers said.  “I never knew that. I don’t think that’s true.”

Rondo refuses to speak Allen’s name and will only refer to him by his jersey number.

“I don’t know what happened or hear anything,” Rondo said. “I just stay focused and hit the gym. I didn’t read any papers or see anything on the news about No. 20.”

Doc Rivers has always been known as a straight-up guy that has worn his heart on his sleeve. Either he was taken by surprise by Allen’s candor, he’s covering up something or in fact Allen is fabricating something that is not true.

I doubt that Rivers would blank out and forget something like this especially when it yielded a situation that created a lot of internal headaches for his team.

It may be easier to let Ray speak, but Doc Rivers did not have to suggest that the man made up such a tall tale.

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The teams will square off on October 30 in their regular season debut in what could prove to be one of the ugliest games in NBA history.

Allen got a lot of his chest and has finally revealed the root of why he and Rajon Rondo have zero love for each other.

Their issues have been speculated as the driving force for why Allen ducked out and headed to Miami.

According to Allen it stems from past issues that Rondo had with general manager Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers.

The issues ran deep enough to where Ainge pitched a trade to the Phoenix Suns that would have sent Allen and Rondo to the desert for Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa and the 14th overall pick in the 2010 draft.

According to Allen the powers-that-be “didn’t get along” with Rondo.

So as this process was moving along Allen told the Miami Herald that he warned Rondo and from that point it was on.

“So, I called him and I told him, ‘hey they’re supposedly trading us to Phoenix because you and Danny and Doc don’t get along,’ ” Allen said. “ ‘So, whatever you can do.’

“So, for some reason, I guess he thought that I was … that I had something against him, or there were some issues. And I had no issues with him. I won with him.”

Now, Allen says if Rondo “had issue with me, that’s on him.”

“I have a way of going about doing my job that, I want everyone to come and play their hardest and come in and do their job and I can’t, I don’t worry myself with things I can’t control,” Allen said.

Allen dug up old history perhaps because he is sick of skirting the issue. Sometimes you can only deflect a question for so long.

As he stated, it’s not like he doesn’t love the city itself.

“I was very loyal to the city and I love the city, but when it came time to keep me in a uniform [the Celtics] did everything they could to seem like … to not want me to come back,” Allen said.

“In Boston, they were telling me they were going to bring me off the bench — ‘We’re going to play you less minutes’ — and all I asked was, ‘How are you going to use me because the last two years you’ve been using me as decoys,’ ” Allen said. “ ‘You’re running all these plays for me just to pass it to somewhere else and you’re not putting me into any scoring opportunities and I’m just standing over in the corner the majority of games.’ ”

Allen may have dug deep and spilled his guts on the ins and outs of his exit from Boston but is he just feeding the enemy?

That is a question that will be answered soon enough.

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To recap Garnett was quoted as follows.

“I don’t have Ray’s number anymore,” Garnett said Friday. “I’m not trying to communicate. I’m just being honest with everybody in here. … It’s just what it is.”

Allen has responded to the comments with what verbally feels like a wink and a shrug.

“That’s a shame,” Allen said. “I’m a good person to talk to on the phone. … I’ve been in weird trade situations the last few years. You always felt you had one foot in and one foot out so I can’t worry about it.”

“I don’t know how many miles apart we are, sometimes the translation gets messed up,” Allen said. “We’re friends regardless of what happens. He’s got to do what he’s got to do up in Boston.”

Allen’s teammate Dwyane Wade stuck his chest out a bit when he commented on the matter.

“(Garnett) doesn’t need to be talking to our team anyway, so it’s all good,” Dwyane Wade told ESPN. “(Allen) doesn’t look too bad in a Heat uniform, at first it was weird but now I’m getting used to it.”

Yes folks to kick off the NBA season it will be the Heat vs. the Celtics in a game that will certainly be drama-filled.

In the meantime Allen told the Miami Herald that he’s prepared for the long road ahead.

“I feel pretty good,” Allen said. “I have no complaints. I think at my age, being able to continue at the level, going through offseason having had surgery, it’s a new landscape for me. Having to move down here, be in a new situation, learn a new staff, all that’s been a great challenge. I’ve been looking forward to it. I’m enjoying it.”

In the Herald story a quote ran from Celtics star Paul Pierce in regards to his feelings on Allen.

I wish he could have gone to the Clippers,” Pierce said. “Instead, he went to our Eastern Conference rivals.”

Did we say it will be personal when they meet? Indeed.

It only serves to get better closer to the game itself when Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo goes into details about his take on the whole situation.

It was Rondo who allegedly drove Allen out of Boston and it will be interesting to see what he says to say.

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These amongst other questions and combinations hang over the most anticipated Game 7 in some time like a stormy cloud.

Let’s face truths here. Life will not be the same for the Celtics after this year. Life will really not be the same for the Heat if they don’t win this one.

The pressure is so thick that only the strongest can survive it. And in this situation, the currency of strength is mental not physical.

Predictions at this point are pure guesses of the flip-a-coin variety. We all have our ideal winners in this one but the reality is both of these groups have a lot on the line and they are both capable of roaring back and walking away the victor.

What we should hope to witness is a game for the ages. This contest will have more eyes on it than perhaps any other this season.

For the game of basketball, it will do wonderful things if we get a performance out of both teams that is worth the headlines.

Yes, you the reader would love to be able to go into the third quarter without having to eat a roll of antacids during halftime.

The thing is that it would certainly be anti-climatic for this to end with a beating either way.

Game 6 really doesn’t matter as this series is not akin to what went down between the Spurs and the Thunder.

The blood in the water is very personal between these two teams and regardless of the outcome this will be the last time we see these two line-ups do battle in this fashion.

You have your team and yes I do have mine that I don’t reveal when I write these things. All that should be said now is that may the best men win, because this one is it.




 

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In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James was as clutch as clutch can be. After sinking a key bucket in Game 5 that could have put the Heat over the edge late in that game, James came through and bulldozed the Celtics as the Heat teetered on the edge of oblivion.

When it had to be done, James got it done. Ladies and Gentlemen, that is clutch.

Credit to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra for taking a step back and implementing schemes and plays that work for his group.

This space has been critical of Spoelstra during this series but credit him for coaching a great game that kept the Celtics on their heels from the tip.

James rarely took shots from the same place twice last night as the Heat kept the ball moving. The more that Miami moves, the more dominant that they are. It is not about the win as much as it is deploying your players into situations that set them up to win.

James had his huge night that could possibly go down in history as his “it” moment if the Heat takes Game 7 and go on to see the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals.

Great for James but as a whole, the Heat beat the Celtics thoroughly.

This is what the Celtics do.  Their play swung like a see-saw against the Hawks and the 76ers so there is no reason to think that will change now.

They will show up for Game 7 and it just may be one of the hardest fought games that we will see in this generation of basketball. I suggest you be somewhere with a TV screen.

James lit it up with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Dwyane Wade had 17 points.

Rajon Rondo paced with the Celtics with 21 points.

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After controlling the bulk of the game, somewhere in the fourth period the Heat decided to stop playing transition basketball.

On multiple occasions after throwing up a bucket, Miami failed to get set at the other end of the court often looking confused about who was assigned to whom.

The Celtics look advantage of it and with a Paul Pierce 25-foot shock to the system with 52 seconds left, the Heat were not able to regain control of the game despite their best efforts.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James don’t need to step up. Chris Bosh was valiant in his limited return.  The rest of Miami’s line-up has to pull their weight in Boston for Game 6 or this one is done.

It’s not healthy for teams to internally point fingers at each other but the Heat’s leadership council needs to have a pow-wow.

Kevin Garnett paced the victors with a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds.  Paul Pierce contributed 19 points. Both Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus scored 13.

Miami was led by LeBron James with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 27 points.

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Let us be clear, the Celtics crushed the Heat in the first two periods of the contest.



As soon as the third period started, the fatigue that is prone to older legs set in and there was not much that the Celtics could do to stop the Heat’s fight back into the game.

Blame does not and should matter to Miami as they head home for Game 5. For the fans, analysts and general observers, they should not point to Dwyane Wade for missing a game winner in OT. They should not point to LeBron James after he fouled out.

They should look to how the Heat were mismanaged by Erik Spoelstra down the stretch of the fourth and into OT.

Spoelstra seemed to forget how to get the right guys on the floor in the right situations.  At the end of both regulation and during OT, the Heat had plenty of chances of put a 3-1 nail in Boston’s coffin and they didn’t get it done.

Wade had a chance to pull it off and he did miss the shot, but he created that shot on his own without any apparent scheme whatsoever.

So now both teams had back to South Beach for a crucial Game 5. Suddenly the veteran team has a chance to break out their hammer and take the momentum away from the boys that are in their prime.

James ended with 29 points and Wade ended with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Rajon Rondo once again was butter for the Celtics with 15 points and 15 assists.  Kevin Garnett put together 17 points and 14 rebounds.

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After looking torn and ragged for the first two games of the series, the Celtics delivered a dominant performance that provided them with the luxury of a 22-point lead going into the fourth period.

Dwyane Wade threw in a respectable 18 for the Heat but that number is a bit deceiving as he took large chunks of the game off.

Wade has been unstoppable when he flips the switch and plays up to his potential with his team.  It’s up to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to keep both the mood and momentum of his team consistent.

The defeat does not mean that the Heat is throwing up the bat signal for the absent Chris Bosh. It has already been announced that he will not play in Game 4.

If the Celtics even the series on Sunday, Game 5 may just be another matter.

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The Heat jumped all over them in the first period, watched them come back to tie the contest going into the half and then tore them up like tissue paper the rest of the way out.

Will it be this easy for the Heat the rest of the way out? Absolutely not, the Celtics have too much talent and too much pride to let that happen.

The problem is as predicted and as they displayed, the Celtics are worn down from two brutal series against the Hawks and 76ers respectively.

LeBron James was dominant than his double-double of 32 points and 13 rebounds suggests. Once again he took on the role of the leader and the aggressor and last night the role of the comedian.

Towards the end of the game, the Celtics Kevin Garnett hard fouled James and as James handed the ball off to the official, Garnett gave James that Mr. T intimidation stare thing that he does when he’s trying to scare somebody. The only thing that James chose to do was laugh in his face.

Garnett has bullied people for his entire career and now it seems that he’s being pushed him off the playground.

Still, he paced his team with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The Celtics most likely won’t win this series but make no mistake about it, they will not go quietly. The controversy may start as early as Game 2.

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Match-Up: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

Breakdown:  The Miami Heat has played 11 games in the post-season. The Boston Celtics have played 13.  Those two games can and probably will make all of the difference in the world in this finals series.

Boston has been the veteran gladiators knocking off each of their foes with the kind of unrelenting desire that can drain a team both mentally and physically.

They have all of the pieces in place to take this series from the Heat but they are beat-up. They toyed with the Heat during the regular season but now in the post, their recent battles have taken too much from them.

Rajon Rondo had to put the entire team on his back for the last three minutes of Game 7 of the semis to squeak them into the conference finals.

This is not a diatribe against the Celtics. The trio of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett is a group of living legends.

It’s just not very likely that after all that they have been through that they have another legendary performance left in them.

All of the LeBron James jokes on the internet will not change the fact that we saw him emerge as a true leader during the Heat’s series against the Pacers.


In lifting Dwyane Wade out of his funk, he was unselfish, unrelenting and to the Pacers unkind.

His numbers were remarkable but his character was even more so.

That makes him much more dangerous than he has ever been. Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and maybe even a potentially returning Chris Bosh know how to strike up the band.

This post-season has been very telling for both of these teams and this series will be competitive but it will not be dramatic.

For the third year in a row the East will be decided by these two franchises. That in itself, for each group is to be celebrated. But…

Prediction: Heat in a triumphant five.

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BOSTON –The Philadelphia 76ers danced dangerously close to eliminating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

The banged-up Celtics group saw their season flash before their eyes when Paul Pierce fouled out with 4:16 left in the game and a young Sixers group sniffing blood.

// ]]>

Philadelphia has made their money this series by outlasting the veterans in the last five minutes of the fourth and Game 7 felt like it was slipping away from Boston.

The normally riotous Boston Garden was unusually quiet during Pierce’s exit.

In his absence, Rajon Rondo stepped up and walked the Celtics into the lion’s den down in South Beach by putting up 11 key points to seal the game.

Rondo’s triple double was one for the ages and has undoubtedly been the highlight performance of Boston’s playoff run thus far.

Kevin Garnett double-doubled 18 points and 13 rebounds, Brandon Bass provided 16 points and Pierce finished with 15 and nine rebounds.

For the Sixers, Andre Iguodala scored 18 points and has asserted himself as one of NBA’s marquee players.

Players View will preview both the Eastern and Western conference finals tomorrow.

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The 76ers completely stunned the Boston Celtics during Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

So much that Celtics big man Kevin Garnett looked as if he had just witnessed the impossible become possible during the final moments of the game.

The Celtics controlled the first 80% of the contest. Paul Pierce came out playing with a young champion’s heart. Garnett was controlling the boards and every other Celtic played their position to perfection.

Slowly and steadily the Sixers began to chip away at Boston’s double-digit lead until the fourth where the teams slugged it out during multiple lead changes.

The Sixers took over at the 2:00 mark and the simply became a matter of a younger, hungrier team having more stamina than the exhausted veterans.

The young champion heart that Pierce displayed early on disappeared completely in favor of ticker that was barely pumping any blood at all.

The Celtics had the opportunities to pick their spots and take it down to the wire but the just didn’t have it in them.

Andre Iguodala paced the Sixers with 15 points, four rebounds and eight assists.

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Only the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat advanced with ease out of the first round.

Had a few calls and a little bit of luck gone in other directions, we could easily be looking at some combination of the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic or the Atlanta Hawks still in the midst of the tourney.

Series: Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

Notes: With Chris Bosh down for the series and maybe longer, the Heat are taking a major hit. Bosh is the glue to a lot of the packages that the Heat puts together. If this was the finals or a series against the Celtics, I might be tempted to consider counting them out. The Pacers are a talented group that plays with precise patience.  What they are currently missing is a killer instinct that can take advantage of both the Bosh injury and a late game lead. Prediction: Heat in a competitive five

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On Monday , fate chose to side with a different logo as Jrue Holiday’s four 3-pointers made all of the difference in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Holiday’s total of 18 points were inspiring but it was Evan Turner’s forceful layup with less than a minute to go that set that stage for his game winning free throws.

The following has been said here at least one thousand times so one more will not hurt. The key to winning basketball games is winning the rebound battle.

The Sixers won that war 47-36 even if you let the score tell it, that the stat almost defied its own logic.

Both teams take a day off before heading to Philly for Game 3.

To make a prediction for prediction’s sake, I’d have to nudge towards the Sixers. In the now, they are playing a balanced game that relies on multiple players to get it done.

On Monday, Andre Iguodala added with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Lavoy Allen contributed 10 points and eight boards.

Their offensive and defensive balance is providing them with depth and the opportunity to play well without relying on certain guys to start with the hot hand.

I’ll be the first to admit that I expected the Celtics to shred them. The Sixers game plan is keeping them both in these games and giving them a chance to close them.

The key to stopping Boston at the moment is stopping Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce with Garnett being the centerpiece of that equation.

Rondo can catch fire in a hurry but his game usually flows with the tide of how he can connect with Garnett.

Factor in that the Celtics looked exhausted Monday after a combative Hawks series and the Sixers have the edge for Game 3.

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The temperamental point guard pulled off a triple-double with 17 assists, 13 points and 12 rebounds. He sparked the Celtics to a narrow win over the 76ers.

Rondo may have lit up the sky, but Kevin Garnett also put it down with 29 points and 11 rebounds.

Here’s a fun fact, Rondo has assisted on 25 of 57 field goals in the playoffs.  This key stat should help the Sixers develop a strategy in regards to who to envelop when Rondo is a handling the ball.

With a score this tight there was great play from both sides.

The Sixers got 19 points from Andre Iguodala. Evan Turner posted up for 10 rebounds.

Philadelphia’s knock down drag out effort showcased that they are not just happy to advance into the semifinals.

Will this series be more competitive than previously thought?

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BOSTON –It was a high drama series that featured  ejections, suspensions, injuries, surprise returns, accusations of dirty play and so much more.

It was the annual Hawks vs. Celtics post-season throw down and unfortunately for the Hawks, it ended just as it usually does.

The close but no cigar axiom is wearing thin on the Hawks fan base but more on that some other time.

To win Game 6 and avoid a trip to the Highlight Factory, it required that Celtics pull off a 7-1 run down the stretch of the fourth period.

In the last three minutes of the game the Celtics had the poise of razor sharp veterans.  During that same time span, the Hawks had a nervous energy that eventually did them in on the trio of chances that they had in the last 90 seconds to win and force a Game 7 at home.

Kevin Garnett put Boston in front with 31 seconds left with a precise bucket that took the wind out of Atlanta.

Al Holford of all people had the chance to tie the game with two seconds on the clock but he missed the first of two free throws.

Garnett double-doubled with 28 points and had 14 rebounds.

Josh Smith paced Atlanta with 18 points while Joe Johnson had 17.

The Celtics now look ahead to the Philadelphia 76ers. They would be wise not to look past them as a trip to the conference finals has not been promised.

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In Game 5 Holford became a thorn in their side as his double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds were the cornerstone of the Hawks win.

Josh Smith added a double-double of his own to almost match Holford’s production with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett had 16 points and seven boards while Paul Pierce produced 16 point.

Garnett had a chance to play buzzer-beat hero as the final seconds ticked off the clock but failed to do so.

The series races back up the East Coast to Boston where the Celtics can wrap it up in Game 6.

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The team that outgunned the Celtics during Game 1 of this series did not show up for Game 4 even with the return of Al Holford and Josh Smith.

The Celtics are an elite basketball team. So much so that any moment of weakness will get you spanked.

In no uncertain terms, if we must call it like it was the Celtics took their collective belts off and distributed the most definitive old-school whooping since Game 1 of the Heat/Knicks series.

Paul Pierce put in 24 points. Rajon Rondo double-doubled with 20 points and 16 assists.

Smith paced the Hawks with 15 points.

Game 5 returns to Atlanta on Tuesday

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Rondo scored five of his 17 points in overtime on Friday and recorded a triple-double in pushing the Boston Celtics over the Atlanta Hawks 90-84.

After losing Game 1 in the Highlight Factory the Celtics have now taken a 2-1 series lead.

With Game 4 looming over the horizon on Sunday in Boston, the question is now ‘are the Hawks suffering another post-season breakdown?’

Hawks forward Josh Smith missed the game after going down in late Game 2 with a knee injury but that’s not an excusable circumstance.

Championship worthy teams don’t continuously breakdown and the Hawks while playing the Celtics close over the past two games are failing to play clutch basketball.

Joe Johnson hit a 3-pointer for Atlanta to tie the score with 1:24 to go in the fourth period and neither team could score again in regulation.

Rondo scored the Celtics first four points of overtime and the Celtics never game up the lead throughout.

IN OT, the Hawks appeared to be lifeless and had they dialed up the pressure a victory was within their reach.

Paul Pierce scored 21 points for Boston while Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Johnson paced Atlanta with 29 points and Jeff Teague scored 23.

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After the Celtics tied the series at one game apiece on Tuesday night in Atlanta, the Hawks are now struggling for answers as they now will be without Smith,  Zaza Pachulia (foot) and Al Horford (pectoral). Smith’s official prognosis is that he has patellar tendinitis.

“I know Josh is a guy if it’s just hurting him, he’s going to play,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said before Smith’s MRI results were known. “He has that kind of toughness. But if it’s a situation where he positively, absolutely can’t play, then he won’t be out there.

“I’m always worried in these situations. He’s just been so good for us and certainly he’s a key component in order for us to have success. With both of your centers out and looking at your power forward being injured, I’m hoping for the best. ”

According to the Hawks, Smith should return for a crucial Game 4 meeting in Boston.

If Atlanta can find a way to battle it out with Marvin Williams and Tracy McGrady leading the charge, Smith can return to potentially help the Hawks take a definitive 3-1 series lead.

If the Hawks stutter and lose Smith will return to try and even the series 2-2.

Either way Game 4 will be the “hinge” game that will swing this one deep into someone’s favor.

Josh Smith’s status could not be in jeopardy at a worse time.

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The Hawks did what they have done year round. They started by flashing moments of brilliance and impeccable execution, they failed to put their opponent away and they subsequently blew a lead.

For Atlanta when it goes wrong it happens just like that in imperfect order.

The impact of Rajon Rondo’s suspicion was forecast to give the Hawks the Game 2 edge.

In the first half it seemed to. Atlanta played at their preferred up-tempo pace and took a confident lead into the locker room at the half.

Somewhere in late third, Paul Pierce came through and was once again a finisher for the Celtics. Each one of his 36 points came at the right time. Every one of his 14 rebounds counted for something. Nothing was wasted; he and his team mates made it all count in the second half.

The price of defeat for the Hawks may have been heavy. Josh Smith left the game late in the fourth with what is being called a left knee sprain.  There is no available infomormation on his availability for Friday’s Game 3.

The Hawks stat leaders were Joe Johnson (22 pts) and Jeff Teague (18 pts).

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The Hawks beat the Celtics from the first tick of this game to its very last.  The world is talking Rajon Rondo and whether or not he will get suspended for acting like one of the Rugrats with a NBA official. It’s the kind of drama that sells American sports.

That’s cool. But it’s also an excuse for the Celtics to fall back on as to why the lost in the Highlight Factory.

Josh Smith scored 24 points and snatched 18 rebounds. Jeff Teague added another 15 points and six rebounds for the Hawks, who jumped off to a 20-6 lead and were never seriously threatened by the Celtics.

Yes, Rajon Rondo put in 20 points and 11 assists. Yes, Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 12 boards for the Celtics. The rest of the starting five including Paul Pierce looked like ghosts with a shooting percentage that didn’t even touch 40%.

It is what it is. The Hawks can blow a lead like nobody’s business and at one point in the fourth; it looked like it could go down.

Let’s say Rondo’s ejection did single handedly keep that from happening. Why? First of all as a grown man and a professional, he knows better. It’s the playoffs and it’s his fault as a member of the Boston Celtics to keep his composure.

Secondly, as we saw in the Clippers game with Nick Young’s performance that somebody has to step up when the stars are falling down.

Does that make the Clippers or the Thunder better teams because their bench guys can take over? Food for thought.

In the meantime, Game 2 of this series returns to the Highlight Factory with our without Rondo.

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They said they were too old to get it done.  Now the Celtics are fighting for home court advantage against their first round playoff partners, The Atlanta Hawks.

Both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have rested here and there and key players such as Rajon Rondo, Mickael Pietrus Ray Allen and Greg Stiemsma are all banged up.

The Celtics and the Hawks always play each other hard in the post-season and with their veterans holding back the years, do the Celtics have enough gas left in the tank to get them all the way to the finals?

The prediction is no.

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This places O’Neal on the shelf for the duration of the season as the Celtics fight with the Philadelphia 76ers for the Atlantic Division crown.  The team is currently 7^th overall in the Eastern Conference.

The 6’11” O’ Neal was averaging 5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game.

O’Neal is best known for his years as a Indiana Pacer and for his participation with the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills which saw him serve out a 25 game suspension.

After leaving the Pacers, O’Neal has also spent time with the Heat and the Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics have not indicated whether or not they will bring him back for the 2012-2013 run.

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Players View NBA Power Rankings for March 1 2012 – March  8 2012

#1 Miami Heat

Miami is the easy choice for the number one slot right now. Going into the break, they were blowing teams out by double digit margins. Coming out of the break, they are 50% of the hottest story in the game as Sunday’s match-up against the Lakers has everybody talking vendetta on the court.

Click Here To See  #2

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#5  New York Knicks

Now that the weekend is here, the team finally can focus on playing team basketball rather than hearing about Linsanity 24/7.

Yes, Lin is one of the best stories going in sports right now, however, with the spotlight shining on other players and by having only one player (Carmelo Anthony, who could use the reps right now) in the game, the Knicks can use the time out of the spotlight to gear up for a big second half.

#4 Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets got off to a hot start this season, but as of late, injuries have derailed their chances of competing in the rugged Northwest Division. Though they aren’t going to catch Oklahoma City, they have a chance to overtake Portland, which sits just a half game in front of the banged up Nuggets. A few extra days will give the players time to heal from their injuries, which will be crucial if the team wants to make a playoff run.

#3 Atlanta Hawks

Yes, they’ve beaten up on the bad teams of the league so their record is a bit inflated, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Hawks are probably elated that the All-Star came when it did.

The recent injury to Joe Johnson may have been a blessing in disguise since he will have ample time to heal and can relax on his couch instead of heading down to Orlando to participate in the All-Star festivities. With the return of Al Horford still a ways away, the Hawks players who have been overworked to date are probably excited to have a few days off to relax and recharge.

#2 Los Angeles Lakers

With all of the bickering by the team, you would think they were 14-20 instead of 20-14. But that’s what happens when you’re the NBA’s glamour franchise. We did warn you that Mike Brown wasn’t going to be a good fit and that Jim Buss would hurt the time, but that doesn’t change that it actually is happening and that Laker great Magic Johnson felt compelled to intervene. What Kobe and company need to do is suck it up Major League-style and win to spite their owner. The break is a much-needed end to a chaotic week in Lakerland.

#1 Boston Celtics

The oldest team in basketball needs to regroup and get it together. The C’s are one of the most disappointing teams in the league right now, but that can be attributed less to the Big 3 and more to the front office. However, that doesn’t change that at the midway point of the season, Boston sits in third place and under .500 in the Atlantic division. Doc Rivers has to hope that reinforcements are on the way or else this could be the last hurrah for Garnett, Allen and Pierce as a unit and instead of fighting for a title, they’ll be fighting off teams for the eighth seed in the East.

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It wasn’t that long ago that he was struggling with an injury, was the focus of Celtics trade rumors and even NESN.com was proclaiming that Boston was better off without him.

Rajon Rondo

In many situations, athletes fold up and become obstinate with their clubs. They feel as if they can coast and “save it all for the next team.”

But Rajon is obviously not buying into that.  Can we attribute some of this to New York Knicks breakout star Jeremy Lin?

If you walk down the street today and ask fans who the best point guard in the NBA today is, I would venture to say as many as 35 % would almost shriek Lin’s name.

The PG out of Harvard has literally become an overnight sensation and it’s got everyone from the front office to the baseline shaking their heads in befuddlement.

So much so, that it’s got me thinking that maybe Lin’s play is so good, so pure and so statistically off-the charts that other PGs  in the league have already had enough of this kind of talk.

To become someone that gets a check to play any sport, you have to have some sort of ego. You just do and despite his recent black cloud in Boston, there is a part of me that wonders’ is Rajon Rondo going on this tear to stake his claim as “the man” on the east coast?

The look in his eyes during yesterday’s contest against the Bulls was one of aggression.  It reminded me somewhat of that look that Michael Jordan used to get when he felt that he had been slighted in any way, shape or form.

Athletes at are fueled by a variety of different things. Some run better when the money is right. Some do it for the championships. Some want to be a shining light for kids living in a world of darkness. And some run on a fuel called ‘Oh Hell No.’

Oh Hell No is a brand that has gotten players to the annual All-Star Game. It is the unspoken sponsor of the dunk contest.

It can only be consumed by those that are ready to put themselves out there to prove that they alone are the best at their position.  Its motto is solid and stern.  “You think you are better than me? Oh hell no!”

These feelings can be incredibly off-target. But the timing with Rondo’s resurgence and Lin’s ascension is incredible.

Let’s hope that this may be the case. It’s better for Lin. It’s better for Rondo. It’s better for the Celtics and it’s better for the NBA.

In what has for the most part been an apathetic season on many levels. It’s nice to start seeing incredible performances again.  Go Jeremy go.

The post Did The Jeremy Lin Experience Help Rajon Rondo Get His Swagger Back? appeared first on Players View.

Daily Recap

Kobe Gets Busy 

Rajon Rondo Gets Back Into Form

The LeBron Show Comes To Atlanta

Stephen Curry Goes To The Hoop

John Wall Dishes It Out

The post NBA Score Card: the scores and video highlights from 2-12-12 appeared first on Players View.

Like many records of magnitude, the hype leading up to the moment became something of an albatross as the Celtics tried to focus on wins more than setting records.

But as you can see below, when all was said and done, it was a moment in time that was worthy of the word history. Pierce now only trails John Havlicek on the Celtics list who is up by more than five thousand comfortable points.

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