Shaking off a dismal performance in the playoff opener, Korver swished four 3-pointers in the opening minutes to propel Atlanta to a stunning 21-point lead before many fans had settled into their seats Tuesday night.
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Not only has Boston encountered new injuries in the postseason, but starting swingman Jae Crowder said he’s operating at roughly 75 percent with a high ankle sprain suffered late in the regular season, and Thomas has been hindered late in the season by a nagging left wrist injury. It didn’t end well. It’s no coincidence that the team missed the playoffs each of the eight seasons before the University of Florida product’s arrival.
2010: Hawks blew a 2-0 lead over Milwaukee in the first round, losing the next three before coming back to win two games and the series 4-3. We can’t play the way that we played and be successful.
Boston needs to break free of the disturbing trend that took place early on in the first two games. We know the Boston faithful is always there, cheering us on no matter what type of game it is.
“Pleased with the defense, the activity in the paint, around the basket, everywhere”, coach Mike Budenholzer said. Such roster continuity is rare in today’s National Basketball Association, where most teams are a revolving door of contracts. They also surrendered seven in the fourth period of a 90-64 win over the Miami Heat in 2009. And Horford and Millsap need to be the guys to spearhead those efforts. “They’re looking in my eyes, they’re face-guarding me”, Thomas said. Yet it’s hard to shake the feeling that they are in control of the series.
The Hawks are going into Boston with a 2-0 lead after narrowly beating a healthy Celtics squad in their first matchup and easily handling the shorthanded version in their second.
For the first time in his 243 career playoff games, Tim Duncan – three points in 26 minutes – didn’t make a field goal. That’s what’s done it for us thus far. “You have to figure out, especially after a game like (Tuesday) night what didn’t go well, what we felt like didn’t go well but maybe once you watch the film it really went a little bit better than you thought, and kinda get ready for the next game”.
Awaiting the Hawks, if they advance, is likely a rematch with Cleveland.
A sense of urgency will be needed on Friday for the Celtics to win and avoid the dreaded 0-3 hole. “We have to start off with more energy”. “We got a lot of driving lanes”. We were in a different position. With such a sluggish start, the Celtics were never able to pull together a true second half push as they found themselves chipping away at a 20 point deficit the majority of the game.
“They were playing at a speed that we weren’t at”, Stevens said.
But you just had to know it wouldn’t be that easy, right? “But we gotta play 48 minutes better than we have to have a chance”.
Sullinger, however, noted the team’s issues at the start of games might go beyond personnel.
“So far, we just did our job by winning our two games at home”, Spurs guard Tony Parker said.
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“We have a lot of good players in this room that have done a lot of good things throughout the year and we’re going to need everybody that’s available to be playing at their best”.
