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8 days ago

Rajon Rondo Reads Mean Tweets About Himself on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Despite all the rehab, Rajon Rondo is finding ways to keep busy this offseason. Just a couple weeks after appearing on E!’s Fashion Police show, the point guard was back on TV last night, in a fun segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live called Mean Tweets. In it, celebrities, or in this case NBA players, read [...]

5
21 days ago

Why Are People So Eager To Trade Paul Pierce?

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51
23 days ago

Terrence Williams Tells His Side of the Story on Arrest

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10
24 days ago

Video: Rajon Rondo on E! Fashion Police

What has Rajon Rondo been up to this offseason beyond rehabbing his ACL injury? Rubbing elbows with Joan Rivers, that’s what. Just one summer after spending some time showing off his fashion sense in an internship with GQ, Rondo went one-on-one with Rivers on E’s Fashion Police, since well he has some time on his [...]

4
25 days ago

Jason Terry’s 2012-13 Final Grade

  Acquiring any player, whether it’s via trade, free agency, or the draft, comes with an air of uncertainty. The NBA has no guaranteed covenant and all sales are final, no matter how talented, proven, or productive the player may have been in year’s past. But these memories—especially recent ones—often clouds the judgment of a [...]

12
25 days ago

Why Is Doc Rivers Waiting to Confirm His Return to the Celtics Next Season? A Theory on The Wait

The waiting is the hardest part. At least that’s what the Celtics’ brass must feel like about their coveted head coach. A week after Danny Ainge confirmed to The Boston Globe that Doc Rivers would be returning to the Celtics’ bench next season, we’re still waiting for a direct word from the head coach himself. [...]

12
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Game Three: Hawks (1-1) @ Celtics (1-1) Open Thread


Game 3
Hawks @ Celtics
7:30 PM EST
TD Garden
CSNNE/ESPN

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston:
101.0 points per 100 possessions (24th)
Atlanta: 104.9 points per 100 possessions (16th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston:
98.2 points allowed per 100 possessions (2nd)
Atlanta: 101.2 poitns allowed per 100 possessions (6th)

Probable Hawks starters: Jeff Teague (PG), Kirk Hinrich (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Marvin Williams (PF), Jason Collins (C)

UPDATED Injury Report: Ray Allen is a continued question mark with his ankle injury. Josh Smith is OUT.

Thumbnail: At this time on Tuesday, Celtics fans were a stressful bunch, awaiting a loss that would’ve been a major nail in the Big 3 era’s coffin. Their starting backcourt was Avery Bradley and Mickael Pietrus, and by the third quarter Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic were a regular part of the rotation.

Here we are, 72 hours later, back in Boston with the an even series, a (relatively) full roster, and uncontrollable momentum on the Celtics’ side. My, how the tables have turned! Josh Smith, undoubtedly the best player Atlanta’s had in this series, will either miss a game (or two), or be severely limited with a knee injury for the rest of the series. (Side note: Every player in the league who spends significant time with Kevin Garnett as their primary defender needs to be 100% healthy in order to have an impact, especially in the playoffs.)

Hawks fans will point to Boston’s Game 2 performance as a hopeful sign that unlikely events can happen in any playoff series. But, fortunately for the Celtics, the Hawks do not have an All-World offensive atom bomb like Paul Pierce in tow. Atlanta has nobody on their roster who’s shown an ability to step up and deliver in career-defining moments like this one would be. Joe Johnson is a scorer with limitless ability, but on the road, facing the league’s best defense on a single-minded mission, the chance of him leading his team to victory are all but zero. The other option here is Jeff Teague, and with Bradley proving he’s more than up for the assignment, Atlanta will find themselves facing an uphill climb with no horses to ride.

UPDATED Prediction: Celtics 92, Hawks 78

Twitter: @ShakyAnkles

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