NBA Playoffs 2012: 5 Takeaways from Celtics' Game 2 Win

The Boston Celtics evened up the series with an 87-80 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2.

It was a great all-around game for the Celtics. They truly dominated the Hawks in every aspect of the game. The Celtics' chances looked bleak in the third quarter when they were down by as many as 11 points.

However, the C's rallied back. It all started on the defensive end for the Celtics. Defense turned into offense, and the Celtics put together a nice run that would give them the lead and later win them the game. 

Most Valuable Player: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce

Pierce was absolutely incredible in this game. With Rondo out of the game, Pierce didn't try to do his best Rajon Rondo impression, he tried to do his best Paul Pierce of 2006 impression, and in that role, he thrived.

Throughout the game, he was always the Celtics' primary offensive option and had some clutch baskets down the stretch. There was one stretch where Pierce had a dunk and then a three to extend the fourth-quarter lead.

In all, Pierce scored 36 points, including 11 made free throws to go along with 14 rebounds. It was without a doubt one of the best performances of these playoffs, and Pierce truly proved why he is still an elite scorer and, more importantly, an elite crunch time scorer. 

Advantage in the Series

After the Celtics lost in Game 1 and Rondo was suspended, the chances seemed bleak for the Celtics to take the advantage in this series.

However, the C's absolutely seized all of the momentum in this series. With this win, not only do the Celtics get home-court advantage in the series, but they also get incredible confidence.

If they could beat this Hawks team without Ray Allen or Rajon Rondo, then the Celtics should be incredibly optimistic about the rest of the series.

Meanwhile, at the legion of doom, in Atlanta's locker room, the Hawks are reeling from the haymaker that the Celtics just delivered. This is now the Celtics' series to win, and after this game, it seems that there is no reason that they shouldn't.  

Leading the Way with Defense

The Celtics rallied back from an 11-point deficit all behind their shutdown defense in the fourth quarter.

They cut off lanes and rotated to close out on shooters. Every Hawk possession was a struggle for them. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics' defense held the Hawks to just 14 points.

For the game, the Hawks were held to just 35 percent shooting from the field and 27.3 percent shooting from deep.

Paul Pierce should definitely get the headlines from this game, but remember, this game would have never been won if not for the stellar defense. 

The Celtics in Three Words: Toughness, Perseverance and Togetherness

This game truly was a joy to watch from the Celtics' perspective.

Throughout the game, and in the fourth quarter especially, the Celtics demonstrated three of the most admirable and important characteristics in a team: toughness, perseverance and togetherness.

As a team, the Celtics were tough on the inside and on the boards, both on the offensive and defensive ends. More importantly, the Celtics showed their perseverance in this game. On several occasions this season, the Celtics have rallied back from large deficits ("Bar Fight" game, anyone?).

The one thing you need to know about this team is that they will never give up. It doesn't matter if they are down by 11 or 30 in Game 2 or Game 7, they will always give you all they have for 48 minutes until the final buzzer sounds. To me, that is probably the most important intangible a team that wants to win a championship can have.

Probably second on that list of important team intangibles is togetherness. Back in 2008, the Celtics adopted the word "ubuntu" for team togetherness, and they practiced what they preached.

Four years later, "ubuntu" is still completely in play and the Celtics showed that. It was a team swagger that comes around once in a while. Tonight, we witnessed how closely knit this team is. At times, there were four players that were not on the roster last year on the court, but it didn't matter. The chemistry was there, the swagger was there, the perseverance was there and the togetherness was there.

In terms of intangibles, that is a recipe for success. 

Josh Smith's Injury

Late in the game, Josh Smith had to exit with a sprained knee.

There is little information at this point about what his status will be for Friday's Game 3. The only thing that is certain is that the Hawks will need Josh Smith at 100 percent if they want a chance to win Game 3.

So far, this series has been full of injuries and one suspension.

In Games 1 and 2, the Celtics were without Ray Allen while the Hawks were without Zaza Pachulia and Al Horford. In Game 2, the Celtics were also without the suspended Rajon Rondo.

However, the loss of Josh Smith would be much more detrimental to the Hawks than any other injury. With the exception of Joe Johnson, Smith is really the Hawks' only legitimate offensive option, and they will need him if they want any chance to even the series.