FINAL
(23-55) 97 – 105 (35-43)
Key Performers:
R. Rondo (BOS): 19 pts, 12 ast, 3 stl
J. Teague (ATL): 19 pts, 8 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]
Say it with me guys. Playoffs, baby! Play-offs! Well, not yet, not for sure, but this win definitely got the Hawks one step closer. And what a win it was. Atlanta opened up an early double-digit lead thanks to a ridiculous shooting stretch – making 19 of their first 25 shot attempts. A late second-quarter comeback by Boston cut the Hawks lead to single-digits, only to take control of the game in the quarter following. Around the midway point of the fourth, Boston led by nine points, and things seemed bleak for the Hawks. That is, until they went on a 19-3 run. Nineteen to three. A couple of Korver treys and big plays by every other starter helped the Hawks pulled off an impressive victory when the game looked all but over. Oh, and the Hawks were without Pero Antic who was inactive with a sore ankle.
Reaction grades [assessed 0-10]:
Jeff Teague: Teague’s jumper was cooking tonight, the tip of the iceberg that was his terrific outing. Teague connected on three of his six tries from deep, including one huge long bomb to spark the Hawks’ insane comeback. Every other facet of Teague’s game was on point tonight, and he finished with 19 points, 8 assists and 2 steals on 6-12 shooting from the field. 9/10
DeMarre Carroll: DeMarre fell victim to some outrageous Jeff Green shots in this one, yet still held him to just 5-15 shooting from the field! Strong all-around game from Carroll, which has become old news at this point. 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists on 6-13 shooting. 9/10
Kyle Korver: SAUZ! Korver was all over the place tonight, connecting on colossally important threes, making superb passes and hit the boards well to top it off. Somehow the Celtics left Korver WIDE OPEN on two possessions, coming off of made buckets. One of them were during Atlanta’s 19-3 run, so thanks for that Boston. Korver was 4-6 from deep, scoring 17, grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 4 dimes with a team-high +17. 10/10
Elton Brand:
33 minutes, 13 points and 13 rebounds, 300% shooting from the field. Okay, I made up the last stat. But he was terrific on all fronts. 10/10
Paul Millsap: Millsap had far from the greatest of games, but came up big on the glass and in the final minutes with a score inside and game-sealing block on Avery Bradley. 5.5/10
Mike Scott: Mike Scott played some very solid basketball in his 20 minutes on the floor, helping keep the Hawks ahead early on with his 13 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor. He also had a marvelous play where he hop-stepped through a couple of defenders and finished with a ferocious one-handed dunk. He’s still in his second year in the league, by the way. 9/10
Lou Williams: Lou too proved effective when the Hawks needed a positive performance out of their narrow bench, scoring 9 points on 3/4 shooting from the field. He picked his shots well tonight, and was active defensively as well. Added bonus was his 0 turnovers. 8/10
Shelvin Mack: Mack had a rather quiet 20 minutes, but dished out 5 assists in that span. He also shared a stretch of time with Jeff Teague, having been a part of such a tiny bench rotation. 5/10
Mike Muscala: Four minutes, nothing worth noting. INC/10
Mike Budenhozler: Whatever coach Bud said or did to get that late-game comeback rolling, it earns him a ten. An interesting note was his shortening the rotation purposefully, not just because Antic was out. Martin got less than a minute. Muscala under five. Could be Budenholzer is relying on his more experienced guys for these big games, or could he be preparing said players for heavy minutes in the postseason? 10/10
The opposition: They had a full lineup tonight and Rondo played a pretty solid game, but giving up a 19-3 run in the final minutes of a game screams tanking or just plain awfulness. 5/10
Next: Atlanta at Brooklyn, Friday, April 11th
Now, let’s see how Knicks fans are doing:
Oh.