Celtics vs. Hawks: Game 5 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

The Atlanta Hawks have defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of their first-round matchup, 87-86, and with this win, the Hawks avoid elimination until Thursday when Game 6 will take place.

While it was an ugly game at some points, that was to be expected from two teams who are used to competing against each other in such contests.

Boston and Atlanta both got ice-cold during the second quarter, and in the first half as a whole, as both teams shot below 40 percent with the Hawks bottoming out at 35 percent.

However, Atlanta would turn it on late in the second quarter and go on a 22-12 run, including shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. That helped the Hawks go into halftime tied and optimistic against the Celtics. Boston finished both the first and second quarters with buzzer-beaters, one of which was a three from Rajon Rondo, while the first was closed out by a Kevin Garnett jump shot.

In the second half, Atlanta picked up where they left off in the first and kept their ball movement going, which greatly helped their offense.

Atlanta started out shooting at an impressive clip, but fell back into stagnation toward the end of the third quarter, squandering a 12-point lead thanks to an offensive explosion from Rondo and several blunders by their offense.

Just when you thought Atlanta was finished after blowing a 12-point lead in a matter of minutes, Al Horford's energy on both sides of the floor gave a sputtering Hawks team the life they needed. He was the single difference in this game, along with the apparent injury to Paul Pierce, who didn't look like himself this Game 5.

In the end, the Hawks were the more consistent team and came up with bigger plays to give them the edge and life in the 2012 NBA playoffs.

Tweets of the Night

Clearly, Gary Payton is a basketball purist and would love to see each team on the brink of elimination extend the series, especially the Hawks.

"

hoping the hawks, bulls, and nuggets can make these series interesting...

— Gary Payton (@GaryPayton_20) May 8, 2012"

ESPN's Stats & Info Twitter page gave an interesting stat prior to this game that stacked the deck more in favor of the Celtics:

"

As Game 5 tips, Celtics have won 9 of 10 playoff series vs Hawks; .900 series win pct highest for NBA team vs another (min 6 series). #Elias

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 9, 2012"

ESPN's John Hollinger spelled out perfectly how the second half came to a close, including Rondo's buzzer-beater that evened the score.

"

Rondo's buzzer 3 (!) ties it at half, 40-40. Veritable offensive explosion at end after 18 minutes of raw ugliness.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 9, 2012"

This basketball fan spells out perfectly the type of frustration Hawks fans should have at their team's futility year after year in the playoffs. I guess that thought process can be put on hold another day, however.

"

Is it just me, or are the Atlanta Hawks the SAME team (season/playoffs) every year?They are so consistently disappointing!#NBAPlayoffs

— Andrew Eiser (@andrew_eiser) May 9, 2012"

This tweet from Matt Moore, Senior NBA Blogger for CBSSports.com and author of Hardwood Paroxysm, reacts to Rondo's game-changing offensive explosion that helped kill any hopes of the Hawks building on their double-digit lead.

"

Rajon Rondo turned on cheat mode.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 9, 2012"

ESPN's Hollinger was certainly busy during this game, and summed up the bad last-second play of the Celtics.

"

Horford bottles up league's quickest point guard at 3-point line, buzzer sounds, Hawks win 87-86.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 9, 2012"

Must-See Highlight

Rondo's three-pointer to end the first half tied the game for the Celtics, giving Boston some momentum going into the second half after the Hawks ended it on a 22-12 run.

It silenced the Philips Arena crowd quite quickly, I may add.

Grades for Key Celtics Players

Rajon Rondo: A

The Celtics point guard was huge for his team in this game and singlehandedly brought Boston back from a double-digit deficit late in the third quarter.

Rondo finished with 13 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and five steals. While he still left some to be desired on the offensive side, his incredible contribution in all areas of the game make him one of the most valuable players to a single team in the NBA.

The only, and biggest, downside to his night was Rondo's poor execution on the last play of the game. It wasn't pretty and Rondo allowed himself to get locked down by Horford, thus ending the game in disappointing fashion.

Paul Pierce: B

You would've liked some more scoring from Pierce, but he was sidelined for much of the second half and, again, didn't look quite himself in this matchup.

Still, Pierce contributed in other areas, and along with 16 points, he had six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Had he been more healthy, his offensive presence would've been more apparent and the Celtics would've gotten the edge they needed to easily take this game.

The future Hall of Fame forward knocked down a huge three-pointer in the final minute of the game to bring the Celts to a one-point deficit, but poor execution on the last play of the game by Rondo wasted the effort.

Grades for Key Hawks Players

Josh Smith: B+

Smith was absolutely dreadful early on in this one, but he pulled it together in the second half to keep the Hawks in this game and, ultimately, ahead.

The Hawks power forward shot 6-of-16 from the floor for 13 points, but grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out six assists. He was most effective in the second half and displayed some impressive passing in order to set up his teammates.

Al Horford: A

It's been a while since Horford has made a difference, and it's clear the Hawks are a better team with him in the lineup.

In the third quarter, Horford's energy changed the game and gave the Hawks a stingy defense that they've missed in his absence. Horford's 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals were enough to put Atlanta over the top and allowed them to fight another day.

What's Next

It's Game 6, of course!

The Hawks are still alive and will look to even the series up with the Celtics, but will have to do it in Boston, which is much easier said than done.

Celtics vs. Hawks: Thursday, May 10th, 8 PM ET on NBA TV