Celtics Playoff Schedule 2012: Keys to Celtics Game 1 Victory over Hawks
The Boston Celtics meet the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 7 p.m at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA.
Game 1 is of the utmost importance for both teams, and both teams are sure to bring their A-game in their quest for a one-game advantage in the opening series.
The aging Celtics will have to do a few things right to escape tonight's game with a win.
Here are three keys to a Celtics' victory.
Start Strong
If the Celtics want any chance at winning this game, they'll need to start strong in order to keep a hostile Hawks crowd at bay.
The Celtics won 2-of-3 against Josh Smith and company this season, and in the only game they lost, the Hawks jumped out to a 34-27 lead after the opening period. The Celtics were never able to climb out of that hole.
They need to get Rondo firing on all cylinders early, keeping their spacing on the offensive side of the ball to allow the prolific passer to dish out assists.
Avery Bradley needs to catch fire early, specifically when shooting corner threes. Bradley has been a huge part of the Celtics success since the All Star break, and when he's burying the three from the corner he becomes so much more valuable.
Protect the Boards
Boston finished the season dead last in the NBA in offensive rebounding, pulling down just 7.7 per game. The Hawks finished just two spots above the Celtics but average 2.2 more rebounds, a testament to how poor Boston is on the offensive glass.
Atlanta allows just 10.8 offensive rebounds per game, good for sixth in the league. The Celtics are tied at No. 21 with the Charlotta Bobcats and New Jersey Nets (11.8 per game).
If they let Zaza Pachulia and Smith bully them down low on the Hawks' offensive possessions, it is going to be a rough night for Doc Rivers' boys.
Kevin Garnett is the reason the Celtics are in the position they are now. If KG hadn't found the Fountain of Youth in the second half, Boston probably wouldn't have been able to overtake the Philadelphia 76ers in the Atlantic.
Since the All-Star break, Garnett has averaged 17 points and 8.5 rebounds. The Celtics will need every bit of that and more to win Game 1.
Garnett is going to be banging around down low with Smith all night, and the game could very well be determined by which player outperforms the other.
This could be Boston's last run with the Big Three intact. There would be no better way to start off what may be their final playoff run than a victory in tonight's opening game.
Here is a schedule for the rest of the series.
Game 2 is Tuesday, May 1, in Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3 is Friday, May 4, in Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4 is Sunday, May 6, in Boston, 7:00 p.m.
Game 5 is Tuesday, May 8, in Atlanta, TBD
Game 6 is Thursday, May 10, in Boston, TBD
Game 7 is Saturday, May 12, in Atlanta, TBD
