Celtics vs. Hawks: Game 2 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis
With Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo out, Paul Pierce knew he had to step up his game for the Boston Celtics to come away victorious in Atlanta on Tuesday night.
And step up he did, racking up 36 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, leading the Celtics to an 87-80 victory in Game 2 and knotting the series at one game apiece.
The Celtics are now in the driver's seat heading home to Boston for two games.
Tweets of the Night
Paul Flannery of WEEI.com tweeted at halftime:
"Rebounds are even and the Celtics have only turned it over five times. Those are good signs, but 0-for-7 from 3-point range looms large.
— Paul Flannery (@Pflanns) May 2, 2012"
"Feels like the Celtics should be down by more than 3 points. If they hit any three-pointers at all in this series, they might pull ahead.
— K L Chouinard (@AnaheimAmigos) May 2, 2012"
Basketball fan Nick Roger pointed out an ominous Comcast SportsNet commercial that was projecting the Celtics to win Game 2 at halftime:
"This commercial for game 3 on CSN just said that the celtics beat the hawks in Game 2. Its halftime. Relax. #ihatethischannel
— Nick Roger (@RogerThat19) May 2, 2012"
CBS Sports and NBA TV basketball analyst Greg Anthony shared in the excitement of what turned out to be a close game:
"Great game on #NBATV @celtics VS @atlanta_hawks!!! they are getting their BALL ON!!!
— Greg Anthony (@GregAnthony50) May 2, 2012"
Must-See Highlights
Late in the first quarter, the Hawks got out on the break, courtesy of a Marvin Williams block. It didn't take long before Jeff Teague had burst down the floor, swinging a no-look pass to Josh Smith for the thunderous one-handed dunk.
Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who had a solid first half, split the Celtics' defense and thundered home an electric dunk toward the end of the second quarter.
Grades for Key Celtics Players
Paul Pierce: A
While Paul Pierce couldn't end the Celtics' drought from downtown in the first half, he exploded in the second half and was a big reason for the Celtics' victory. Although his turnovers were a bit high, he basically did everything else.
Kevin Garnett continued his sizzling run as of late, scoring and rebounding at a high rate while getting his teammates involved. Garnett finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
Avery Bradley: B
Avery Bradley, filling in at guard, had a respectable game and didn't do anything to hurt his team. In fact, he shot rather well and played disruptive defense. Bradley ended with 14 points, three blocks and three steals.
Grades for Key Hawks Players
Joe Johnson: A-
Joe Johnson played well, connecting at a high clip, dishing the ball off to his teammates and playing pesky defense. He finished with 22 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Josh Smith: B+
Josh Smith was his usual do-it-all self, scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. He didn't shoot very well from the floor, but the beauty of Smith is that he can impact the game in so many ways. He ended with 16 points, 12 rebounds and five assists while blocking two shots.
Jeff Teague: B
Jeff Teague gave the Hawks a spark offensively early on and rebounded the ball well at point guard. He also proved to play pesky defense. But he fell off at the end, finishing 6-of-18 from the floor for 18 points.
Deciding Factor: Shooting
The Celtics simply shot better, while the Hawks struggled from the floor. Despite giving up nine offensive rebounds, the Celtics still shot at a higher clip, and that figured to be the difference in the game. The Hawks shot under 35 percent for the game.
Game MVP: Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce stepped up in the playoffs like he had so many times before for the Celtics. With both Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo out, he put the team on his back and lifted it to a victory in Atlanta. I'm pretty sure Celtics fans are happy with him right now.
What's Next
The Celtics will host the Hawks at TD Garden on Friday.
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