11:36 - JJ for 3 to start it off!
10:25 - Nerves? Ray Allen misses an easy lay-up. The Hawks need to take advantage here early, the Celtics look a little rattled.
9:02 - Celtics get a tip-in and it's 6-3. Come on Hawks, keep it together...
8:27 - Josh Smith hits a feathery jumper, 6-5.
7:45 - Marvin is trying hard, but I think he is struggling to keep up with Paul Pierce defensively. This bodes watching.
7:07 - Hawks take a timeout, and it's 10-5 Celtics. I think there are some nerves on both sides right now, but it's the Atlanta basket that seems to have the lid on it right now. No reason to panic - just continue to execute and keep it close - the shots will come.
6:53 - Marvin takes it to the rack, which is a good sign in terms of his fitness to play. Josh Smith gets the offensive board and draws a foul on Kendrick Perkins - we gotta get to the line tonight, it's been the one thing that has been in our favor all series.
4:44 - The Hawks cut it to 10-8, but the Celtics have reeled off 6 unanswered to build their largest lead of the game now at 16-8, causing Mike Woodson to call a second timeout. Atlanta is 3-13 from the field right now, and many of the shots are falling short, which leads me to believe they are trying to over-shoot them instead of just letting them fly.
3:54 - Two straight shots have gone halfway in and then come out. Cut that out!
3:04 - Nice move inside for 2 by Mike Bibby, and on the other end Zaza Pachulia commits a tough, smart foul on Kendrick Perkins to avoid giving up an easy basket. Nothing easy, says Zaza.
2:15 - Ray Allen scores in transition, and it's 20-10. This game is much closer than it seems - the Hawks can't hit the ocean if they fell off a boat right now - 4-18 from the field. Atlanta is actually getting some decent looks, more so that I've seen for much of the series here in Boston, but they just won't drop.
1:40 - JJ hits a huge three out of the corner off a designed play, a big lift for the Hawks. Let's see if that gets the offense going.
1:14 - Another three from JJ!
0:00 - The Celtics come right back with two baskets from Paul Pierce, and it's a 27-16 game at the end of one. I hate the fact the Hawks are shooting so poorly right now, because every little run they make silences the crowd. Joe's two 3's had them a bit stunned, but the Celtics offense responded. The other big problem so far? Rebounding. Boston had a 17-8 edge in the first period, including 5 on the offensive end. Atlanta has to tighten up on the boards going forward if they want to get back into this thing. 36 minutes to go - it ain't over yet.
