Hawks Dominate Celts: Atlanta 93-Boston 77

[wfcooper@tiac.com (Bill Cooper)]

	The Celts looked defeated before the game started this
afternoon.  Especially in the first half, they played some of their
most listless ball of the season.  They did  mount a bit of a comeback
in the second half and certainly displayed a more spirited style of
play.  But it was far too little and too late to affect the outcome of
the game.

	Both teams were very slow out of the gate offensively.  the
score was tied at 10 each with 4:00 to go in the 1st.   The Hawks
displayed the first offensive life of the game, with a 6-0 run to take
a 16-10 lead.   The quarter ended with the score at a scintillating
18-14.

	The  Celts, if anything, got worse in the second.  They could
only score 3 points in the first 6:00 of the quarter, as they fell
behind the Hawks 33-17.  The tempo was very slow, and the C's couldn't
get anything going to the basket.  With the Hawks up 44-32, Walker got
caught in a switch on Mutumbo, and was called for a foul for pushing
on him to aggressively with his forearm (I guess).  Toine let out a
scream of agony, and did a little dance (it was unbelievable that the
refs didn't T him up for that).  The half ended with the score at
51-34.

	The Celts, and Andrew DeClercq in particular, showed a little
life at the start of the 3rd, with a 6-0 run.  But that was all the
scoring that the Celts could muster, over the first 7:30 of the
quarter.  The Hawks ran off 12 unanswered points to take a commanding
63-40 lead.  Atlanta became quite lackadaisical (excepting Mutumbo) on
defense and the Celts began to find ways to score.  They put together
a little 8-0 run to get to within 15 (66-51) but fell back again, and
the score was 70-51 at the end of the quarter.

	Ron Mercer broke free for a 2 handed stuff early in the 4th
(making the score 72-53) and marking his first points of the game.
Mercer got hot after that (he would score 14 in the quarter0, and the
Celts came back to pull within 10 at 81-71, 4:30 to go in the game
(Pitino had long since given up: you could tell because he let Dante
get into the game).  Wilkens rushed Mookie and Dikembe back into the
game, and the Hawks ran off 8 straight to put the game totally our of
reach.  The final was 93-77.

	Just like old times (before Kenny) the Celts shot .368, while
the Hawks shot .486. Tthe Celt did have a small advantage in shot
taken (about 11).  The Celts caused 21 turnovers, but had 16
themselves.  

Lineups:
Celts: Edney, Mercer, Minor, Walker, DeClercq
Hawks: Blaylock, Smith, Corbin, Henderson, Mutumbo

Players:
DeClercq: the only Celtic who played like he wasn't feeling sorry for
himself.  He played, what I have to think was a career high 38 minutes
(and picked up just 3 fouls!).  He had 12 points, 10 boards, (5
offensive), 2 steals, 3 blocks and 5 turnovers.  He did his usual good
job of denying the post and got blown away, when the Hawks did  get
the ball into Mutumbo )who was 9-12 in the game).

Walker: Shot a little better at 7-19, for 16 points, 9 boards and 3
turnovers.  How long has it been since Walker had a really big steal
game?  It seems as though he expends more time complaining to the refs
than he does playing (certainly more mental energy).

Mercer: For most of the game, it seems as though Smith and Mercer had
signed a mutual non-agression pact.  Smith had just 5 points through
the first 3 quarters and Mercer had none.  Ron got it going in the 4th
quarter, hitting the jumper coming off screens as well as he has all
season.  He scored 14 on 6-17 shooting and had 4 assists and 3 steals
in 35 minutes.

Edney: Well, he hit a couple of jumper in this game.  If he'd done
that against Detroit (or at least hadn't stoped trying) the Celts
might have won that game.  He shot 4-10, had 6 assists and 2 steals in
24 minutes.  He did have some trouble guarding Mookie.

Minor: Somehow he piled up 5 assists to go with his 8 points in 27
minutes.  Having the same problems finding shots as everyone else.

Barros: Continues his offensive miseries.  Had 5 points (2-6) and 4
assists in 25 minutes.

McCarty: Remember you read it here first.  McCarty showed up Sans
shooting touch tonight. He was 3-11 and had 7 points in 18 minutes.
Just a matter of time.

Bowen: Only got to play 12 minutes, tonight as Pitino was desperate
for offense.  One of the overlooked negative effects of losing Kenny
is that it will make it harder to play Bruce as much.

Knight: Picked up 4 fouls in 10 minutes and was a non-factor.

Tabak: Picked up 4 fouls in 7 minutes and was a non-factor.

Jones: got to play 4 minutes, before Pitino realized that the Celts
might have an outside shot, and yanked him back out again.  He only
took 1 shot (I though his teammates were avoiding passing him the
ball, myself).

Coaching:  The team seems really demoralized over the loss of
Anderson, though, in the long term scheme of things, it makes little
difference.  It's like they'd been toiling all season long, because
Pitino told them if they kept playing hard, they would eventually see
some light at the end of the tunnel.  Kenny shows up, and for a few
games they've got more light than they know what to do with.  And they
really don't want to go back to the old way of doing things.

The Celts are now 29-34.  They play again Tuesday night.

Bill Cooper
wfcooper@tiac.com