mrsister

I'm surprised at the breakdown of the Celtics down the stretch in Atlanta. They just can't get it done. But I have to give the Hawks credit. They've clawed their way to wins. I can't say they play good basketball, though. Their offense isn't pretty, but it makes it tough for the Celtics to defend. They get a lot of points from driving to the basket and either throwing up a shot that bounces around and goes in or drawing a foul and going to the line (47 free throw attempts to Boston's 25). I don't want to say they get lucky all the time, but it's hard to call it sound basketball. It's enough to frustrate the Celtics and get the win, though. But it's not something that will get them to win consistently, especially on the road. They get trounced on the road because when they don't have the same adrenaline, their shots don't fall, and they don't get as many calls. They don't trounce the Celtics in their wins.

Having said that, the Celtics should have still been able to beat them on the road. They had lapses that shouldn't have happened. Doc's rotations not only break continuity on offense but on defense as well. I really don't like it when I only see one starter on the floor in a close game. That's just asking for trouble. I'm not sure what he's saving his guys for. This is not the time to rest them. I think it's more exhausting to play more games than to play a few more minutes in a game. Pierce had foul trouble, but nobody else had more than 4.