Hawks vs. Celtics: Game 6 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

The Boston Celtics are once again bound for the second round of the playoffs after escaping with an 83-80 win over the Atlanta Hawks at the TD Garden in Game 6 of the 2012 NBA playoffs.

The Hawks were up by as many as eight points early in the second quarter before the Celtics ripped off a 16-0 run to take control of the game.

A six-point lead for Boston after two wasn't enough to discourage Atlanta from keeping things interesting in the second half, however. The Hawks stayed hot from behind the three-point line throughout, finishing the game with seven makes on 15 attempts.

The Hawks used a 14-2 run to take a lead in the fourth, with eight points from Al Horford.

Even so, the C's were still able to pull out a positive result and a 4-2 series win by virtually shutting down the entire Hawks offense in the final minutes of the game. Horford had a chance to tie the game with 2.3 seconds left, but he missed the first of two free throws after being fouled on a beautifully run inbound play.

As a result, the Celtics will move on to the Eastern Conference semifinals to face the Philadelphia 76ers, who fended off the Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls earlier on the night. 

Tweets of the Night

Bill Simmons (a.k.a. "The Sports Guy") was none too pleased with the crew of officials charged with overseeing his Celtics...more than eight-and-a-half hours before tipoff:

"

Uh-oh... Bill Kennedy is reffing tonight's Celtics-Hawks game. I'm just going to start drinking now. Where's the whiskey?

— Bill Simmons (@sportsguy33) May 10, 2012"

Former North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall had some words of encouragement for Rajon Rondo, a fellow floor general:

"

Celtics bench tellin Rondo to Turn up!!!

— Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) May 11, 2012"

If NBAPlaybook.com founder and basketball whiz Sebastian Pruiti can't figure out a team's offense, then it doesn't exist:

"

I don't even understand the Hawks' offense...

— SebastianPruiti (@SebastianPruiti) May 11, 2012"

Must-See Highlight

At least the Hawks get the highlight of the night, right?

Grades for Key Hawks Players

Joe Johnson: C+

Just about every grade granted to Joe Johnson is and will be done so amidst the milieu of his cap-choking contract, and rightly so (at least to some extent). Johnson's numbers (17 points, one rebound, two assists) hardly justify the more than $18 million, much less the remaining four years and $89 million or so he still has coming.

He did a surprisingly decent job of scoring points within the flow of Atlanta's offense at times, but he still spent far too time much deflating the ball with unnecessary dribbling up top.

Josh Smith: B

Atlanta's shoulda-been All-Star had a solid all-around Game 6 performance, contributing 18 points on 7-for-18 shooting along with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.

But, as has long been his custom, J-Smoove often settled for contested outside jumpers rather than using his size, speed and athleticism to take the ball to the rim. 

Grades for Key Celtics Players

Rajon Rondo: A-

One of these days, Rajon Rondo will get his due as one of the elite point guards in the NBA.

For now, he seems to be perfectly happy to play terrific basketball and lead the C's to W's as a result. Rondo put together yet another solid stat line at the Garden (14 points, two rebounds, eight assists) to propel Boston past Atlanta and into the second round.

Kevin Garnett: A+

Who says Kevin Garnett is "too old" to be an effective postseason performer?

Probably no one, actually, at least after what he did to the Hawks in the series-clincher. KG finished with a game-high 28 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals and five blocks.

It certainly helps KG's case that he had only to contend with the size-deprived Hawks. Still, he deserves plenty of credit for dominating the way he did, even at the tender age of 35 and with a body plagued by injury in recent years.

Deciding Factor: Defense in Crunch Time

Neither team shot the ball well at all— 41 percent for the Hawks, 41.9 percent for the Celtics—but Boston clamped down on Atlanta's offense with particular fervor down the stretch. The C's limited the Hawks to one point over the last 2:22 of the game to close out the visitors. 

Game MVP: KG

KG played like he was back in Minnesota, and the C's were all the better for it.

What's Next?

The Celtics will welcome the Sixers to Boston for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semis on Saturday, while the Hawks will fly back to Atlanta to begin a long offseason of fishin'.

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