8:40 - We are going to have to get better offensive possessions - the Celtics get open looks for two straight Paul  Pierce 3's, while we got off-balance jumpers from Joe and Josh that were nowhere close to going in. This is the part we talked about before the game, weathering the first run. We can do it too, but we've got to take better shots than we've gotten so far. Timeout Hawks, and its 8-2 Celtics.

7:52 - The ref just called an offensive foul on Kevin Garnett. That takes cojones in this building tonight, I'll tell you that much.

6:54 - Kendrick Perkins gets called for the foul, his second. That will help a little, as Leon Powe is much smaller (though he plays pretty big). Paul Pierce is on fire right now, as he's put three 3's right in my face. It's 14-6 Celts.

5:10 - Did I say Paul Pierce was on fire? How about all the Celtics. They cannot miss. It's 23-10 C's, as they are shooting 9/14 from the field (64%) to our 3-9 (33%). I actually feel like we've settled down a bit offensively, but there's not much any team can do in the NBA when their opposition is as hot as Boston is right now.

4:38 - Josh Smith - my god! He just stuffed Leon Powe at the rack, then took it coast-to-coast for a righty lay-in. It silenced the crowd for about 6 seconds, which is saying something on a night like this.

2:53 - It's a timeout, and the Hawks trail by 13. So far the Celtics have done a pretty good job keeping our scorers from getting going, as JJ and Bibby have combined to take only 5 shots. Boston seems pretty content to let the other guys take shots, so hopefully Marvin and Al can help make them pay to get us back in this game.

1:57 - Garnett goes over the back for his second foul, so he'll take a seat. Josh Smith is really being a difference maker defensively on the interior, as he is pretty much owning Leon Powe. The defense is really picking it up, as the Hawks are on an 8-0 run to close the gap to 26-21.

0:50 - Josh Smith picks up his second foul on a charge, a really unnecessary play. As well as he is playing defensively, we need him to let the guards handle the ball and try to get his points in the flow of the offense. As a result, he'll go to the bench.

0:00 - That's the end of the first quarter, and the score is 29-21 Celtics. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the way we've played. Boston came out smoking, but the Hawks hung tough and are very much alive despite trailing by 8. The scoring for Atlanta has been pretty well distributed, as three players have 4 points. Hopefully we'll see a little more Joe in the next quarter...