Celtics defeat Hawks, 90-84, in Game 3
Rajon Rondo had a triple-double in his return from a suspension, and Ray Allen chipped in 13 points after missing the last 11 games with an ankle injury as the Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, 90-84, in Game 3 of the teams’ first-round playoff series.
The game wasn’t pretty; even Rondo’s triple-double of 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists felt like it was slapped together at the last minute. But Rondo and the Celtics made some big plays down the stretch to gain enough separation for the win.
The Celtics stumbled into the lead in the first half despite shooting 39 percent from the field and committing nine turnovers. Atlanta outscored the Celtics, 28-6, in the paint before halftime, but the Celtics were able to enter the locker room with the lead.
Tracy McGrady had a big first half for the Hawks with 10 points and 6 rebounds, but he appeared to turn an ankle with about a minute to go and had to be helped off the court.
McGrady eventually returned, and so did some semblance of a Celtics offense. But up 80-72 late in the game, the Celtics once again went cold. The Celtics scored at the 4:02 mark of the fourth quarter but didn’t score again in regulation as the Hawks used an 8-0 run to tie the score at 80. Paul Pierce missed a contested jumper on the last possession of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.
The Celtics redeemed themselves in the extra fame, ratcheting up the defense and converting in the final minutes, unlike in regulation. Kevin Garnett used one of his 13 rebounds to slam home a miss by Rondo with 28 seconds left, putting the Celtics up by four. Boston sealed the game with free throws.
The Celtics now lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday night at TD Garden.
Final: Celtics 90, Hawks 84 (OT)
21.4 seconds OT, Celtics 89-84: Ray Allen makes 1 of 2 from the line. One more chance for the Hawks.
33.7 seconds OT, Celtics 86-84: Not much scoring since the last update. Celtics with the ball and the lead. Need to close it this time.
2:44 OT, Celtics 86-82: Pierce with the pull-up to give the Celtics a four-point lead. Odd sequence before that as Pierce got called for steps on one layup, and Rondo had a steal and an open floor for another but appeared to slip on the floor and miss.
End regulation, Tied at 80: Inbounds play was to Pierce. Good defense by Joe Johnson, and Pierce back-rims the 20-footer. We’re going to overtime.
37 seconds 4th quarter, Tied at 80: The Hawks are on an 8-0 run. Joe Johnson tied the game with a 3-pointer. He has 27.
2:30 4th quarter, Celtics 80-75: Rondo has his triple-double. Willie Green hits a three and this game isn’t over yet. Celtics need to execute here.
5:30 4th quarter, Celtics 76-69: Avery Bradley is out with a left shoulder injury, per the team. He will not return.
8:49 4th quarter, Celtics 70-64: Paul Pierce makes his second field goal of the game count in a big way. It’s a 3-pointer from the corner that puts the Celtics up six. In this game that feels like 60.
End 3d quarter, Celtics 60-58: Avery Bradley went to the locker room with Celtics team doctor Brian McKeon. He has not yet returned, and there’s no word on what could be wrong with him. The Celtics cling to the lead in an ugly basketball game.
3:05 3d quarter, Celtics 52-51: Paul Pierce continues to get to the line; he’s got 14 points and just one field goal.
7:03 3d quarter, Celtics 48-42: Great sequence there by the Celtics leads to a run-out, but Avery Bradley can’t finish the dunk because he gets fouled. Still, love the energy of Bradley and Rondo running the floor together. KG also ran the floor on the previous possession and got an oop. The Celtics’ first unit is playing well despite a poor shooting night from Pierce.
9:15 3d quarter, Celtics 42-38: Paul Pierce is 1 of 7 for the game.
12:00 3d quarter, Celtics 40-38: Tracy McGrady has a sprained ankle. He will return to the game.
Halftime, Celtics 40-38: The Celtics aren’t making this easy, but they’ve got the lead. That’s despite Atlanta owning a 28-6 edge in points in the paint.
Joe Johnson leads all scorers with 12 points. Paul Pierce is just 1 of 5 from the floor but has redeemed himself by hitting all eight of his free throws.
Tracy McGrady limped off the court after landing on Rajon Rondo’s foot with under a minute to go in the quarter.
1:31 2d quarter, Hawks 38-36: There’s just no flow to this game. The Celtics have turned it over nine times. Tracy McGrady has 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Hawks. That’s just astonishing.
5:39 2d quarter, Celtics 28-27: The Celtics take the lead on an over-the-top pass from Rondo to Garnett. That’s the kind of offense Doc Rivers loves. Another positive sign: Ray Allen came out of the game but checked back in for Brandon Bass when the Hawks went small.
7:40 2d quarter, Hawks 23-22: Ray Allen checks out with six points. Good first shift for him.
8:48 2d quarter, Hawks 23-17: This is certainly not how the Celtics wanted to come out at home. In addition to shooting poorly, they’ve committed seven turnovers.
End 1st quarter, Hawks 19-17: Neither coach is going to be happy with the offense in the first quarter. The Celtics shot 29 percent from the field, the Hawks 32 percent. That’s usually enough to lose a game. Right now the margin is only two. I imagine we’ll see some better scoring going forward.
The Celtics seem content to watch Rondo, or to wait for Rondo to make something happen. They aren’t running their stuff as well as they should.
4:02 1st quarter, Hawks 18-15: Ray Allen checks into the game, promptly makes his first shot. Good sign.
5:50 1st quarter, Celtics 13-10: The teams have combined to make just 9 of 25 shots from the floor.
7:49 1st quarter, Celtics 10-9:Jason Collins with four quick points for the Hawks, but he goes to the bench with his second foul. Erick Dampier into the game. The Celtics need to find a way to exploit Atlanta’s big man situation.
10:45 1st quarter, Celtics 2-0: Celtics stood around on their first two offensive possessions, but Paul Pierce breaks the tie by going to the rim and drawing the foul.
Pre-game: Ray Allen is active. Josh Smith is not. Marvin Williams starts for the Hawks. Avery Bradley starts and will probably get the big minutes for the Celtics. The playoffs return to the Garden.
Let’s get it.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com