We’re still less than half-way through the 2012-13 regular season. We don’t know how this year will turn out. Things got ugly early this season. 14-17 is an ugly record. Getting blown-out by the Sacramento Kings is ugly. The first half against Atlanta was more of that ugly. Down 53-38, the Celtics looked lifeless and lacking any momentum they may have gathered from Friday’s win over Indiana. They also happened to be on the road, where defensive teams win and average teams lose. Then came the third.
An ideal third, if any regular-season quarter can be called ideal. In the third quarter, the offense came to life and the defense was suffocating. Paul Pierce had that look in his eyes, that slow-motion confidence that Chris Paul showed Kobe and the Lakers last night. Rondo (triple-double) had that extra hop in his step, the one that lets you know he’s about to do something special. What did Doc say at halftime? Did he sacrifice a live animal? Was there a team-wide pinkie-swear? Maybe someone will find out. (Update: we did find out. Some teammates were getting upset with Doc calling them out on their lack of effort, and Pierce told them to take their frustrations out on the other team, not on Doc. And then they did just that.)
Let’s go ahead and say that this third quarter, in which Boston outscored Atlanta 33-9, will turn the season. The Hawks shot 15% (yes, 15) in the second-half. It deserves a complete run-down. Take a look at the distance from the hoop on Atlanta’s shot-attempts. Guess the defense is back. Here is the play-by-play:
3rd Quarter Summary |
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| TIME | BOSTON | SCORE | ATLANTA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:44 | Kevin Garnett makes 11-foot two point shot (Paul Pierce assists) | 40-53 | |
| 11:18 | 40-53 | Josh Smith bad pass (Paul Pierce steals) | |
| 11:07 | Paul Pierce makes 9-foot two point shot (Rajon Rondo assists) | 42-53 | |
| 11:00 | Hawks 20 Sec. timeout | ||
| 10:52 | 42-53 | Kyle Korver misses 26-foot three point jumper | |
| 10:49 | Kevin Garnett defensive rebound | 42-53 | |
| 10:36 | Paul Pierce misses 17-foot | 42-53 | |
| 10:33 | 42-53 | Josh Smith defensive rebound | |
| 10:30 | 42-53 | Josh Smith misses 17-foot jumper | |
| 10:29 | Paul Pierce defensive rebound | 42-53 | |
| 10:22 | Avery Bradley misses 19-foot jumper | 42-53 | |
| 10:21 | 42-53 | Al Horford defensive rebound | |
| 10:02 | 42-53 | Josh Smith misses 5-foot | |
| 10:00 | Paul Pierce defensive rebound | 42-53 | |
| 9:44 | Paul Pierce makes 25-foot three point jumper (Kevin Garnett assists) | 45-53 | |
| 9:18 | Paul Pierce shooting foul (Josh Smith draws the foul) | 45-53 | |
| 9:18 | 45-53 | Josh Smith misses free throw 1 of 2 | |
| 9:18 | 45-53 | Hawks offensive team rebound | |
| 9:18 | 45-53 | Josh Smith misses free throw 2 of 2 | |
| 9:17 | Paul Pierce defensive rebound | 45-53 | |
| 8:56 | Kevin Garnett misses 15-foot jumper | 45-53 | |
| 8:53 | Avery Bradley misses tip shot | 45-53 | |
| 8:53 | Avery Bradley offensive rebound | 45-53 | |
| 8:52 | 45-53 | Josh Smith defensive rebound | |
| 8:49 | 45-53 | Josh Smith lost ball turnover (Rajon Rondo steals) | |
| 8:45 | Brandon Bass lost ball turnover (Josh Smith steals) | 45-53 | |
| 8:41 | Paul Pierce shooting foul (Josh Smith draws the foul) | 45-53 | |
| 8:41 | 45-53 | Josh Smith misses free throw 1 of 2 | |
| 8:41 | 45-53 | Hawks offensive team rebound | |
| 8:41 | 45-54 | Josh Smith makes free throw 2 of 2 | |
| 8:22 | Paul Pierce makes two point shot | 47-54 | |
| 8:22 | 47-54 | Kyle Korver shooting foul (Paul Pierce draws the foul) | |
| 8:22 | Paul Pierce makes free throw 1 of 1 | 48-54 | |
| 7:58 | 48-54 | Josh Smith misses 25-foot three point jumper | |
| 7:58 | Avery Bradley defensive rebound | 48-54 | |
| 7:52 | Rajon Rondo makes 22-foot jumper | 50-54 | |
| 7:39 | 50-54 | Al Horford misses 19-foot jumper | |
| 7:37 | Rajon Rondo defensive rebound | 50-54 | |
| 7:30 | Rajon Rondo makes two point shot | 52-54 | |
| 7:28 | Hawks Full timeout | ||
| 7:15 | 52-54 | Jeff Teague out of bounds lost ball turnover | |
| 7:03 | Paul Pierce misses 26-foot three point jumper | 52-54 | |
| 7:03 | 52-54 | Jeff Teague defensive rebound | |
| 7:03 | Paul Pierce personal foul (Jeff Teague draws the foul) | 52-54 | |
| 6:56 | 52-57 | Kyle Korver makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jeff Teague assists) | |
| 6:28 | Rajon Rondo misses 26-foot three point jumper | 52-57 | |
| 6:26 | Brandon Bass offensive rebound | 52-57 | |
| 6:22 | Paul Pierce makes 26-foot three point jumper (Avery Bradley assists) | 55-57 | |
| 6:05 | 55-57 | Kevin Garnett blocks Josh Smith’s layup | |
| 6:05 | 55-57 | Louis Williams offensive rebound | |
| 6:00 | 55-60 | Louis Williams makes 24-foot three point jumper | |
| 5:52 | 55-60 | Kyle Korver personal foul (Paul Pierce draws the foul) | |
| 5:52 | Jared Sullinger enters the game for Kevin Garnett | 55-60 | |
| 5:39 | Avery Bradley makes 17-foot jumper (Jared Sullinger assists) | 57-60 | |
| 5:31 | 57-60 | Kyle Korver misses 25-foot three point jumper | |
| 5:30 | Rajon Rondo defensive rebound | 57-60 | |
| 5:20 | Rajon Rondo misses 19-foot jumper | 57-60 | |
| 5:18 | Jared Sullinger offensive rebound | 57-60 | |
| 5:16 | Jared Sullinger misses | 57-60 | |
| 5:16 | 57-60 | Kyle Korver defensive rebound | |
| 5:05 | 57-60 | Kyle Korver misses 25-foot three point jumper | |
| 5:03 | Jared Sullinger defensive rebound | 57-60 | |
| 4:48 | 57-60 | Kyle Korver personal foul (Paul Pierce draws the foul) | |
| 4:48 | 57-60 | DeShawn Stevenson enters the game for Kyle Korver | |
| 4:37 | Paul Pierce misses 17-foot two point shot | 57-60 | |
| 4:35 | Rajon Rondo offensive rebound | 57-60 | |
| 4:31 | Avery Bradley misses 17-foot jumper | 57-60 | |
| 4:30 | 57-60 | Josh Smith defensive rebound | |
| 4:24 | 57-60 | Al Horford possession lost ball turnoverBrandon Bass | |
| 4:16 | Avery Bradley makes 16-foot jumper (Rajon Rondo assists) | 59-60 | |
| 3:57 | 59-60 | Jeff Teague misses 25-foot three point jumper | |
| 3:54 | Rajon Rondo defensive rebound | 59-60 | |
| 3:47 | Jared Sullinger makes two point shot (Rajon Rondo assists) | 61-60 | |
| 3:23 | 61-60 | Louis Williams misses 23-foot three point jumper | |
| 3:21 | Jared Sullinger defensive rebound | 61-60 | |
| 3:18 | Rajon Rondo offensive Charge (Josh Smith draws the foul) | 61-60 | |
| 3:18 | Rajon Rondo turnover | 61-60 | |
| 3:18 | 61-60 | Zaza Pachulia enters the game for Al Horford | |
| 3:18 | Jason Terry enters the game for Avery Bradley | 61-60 | |
| 2:58 | 61-60 | Louis Williams lost ball turnover (Rajon Rondo steals) | |
| 2:46 | Brandon Bass makes jumper (Rajon Rondo assists) | 63-60 | |
| 2:30 | Jared Sullinger shooting foul (Louis Williams draws the foul) | 63-60 | |
| 2:30 | Celtics Full timeout | ||
| 2:30 | Courtney Lee enters the game for Rajon Rondo | 63-60 | |
| 2:30 | 63-61 | Louis Williams makes free throw 1 of 2 | |
| 2:30 | 63-62 | Louis Williams makes free throw 2 of 2 | |
| 2:13 | Brandon Bass makes 17-foot jumper (Paul Pierce assists) | 65-62 | |
| 1:54 | 65-62 | Louis Williams disc dribble turnover | |
| 1:54 | 65-62 | Anthony Tolliver enters the game for Jeff Teague | |
| 1:31 | Paul Pierce makes 17-foot two point shot | 67-62 | |
| 1:08 | 67-62 | Josh Smith misses driving layup | |
| 1:07 | Jared Sullinger defensive rebound | 67-62 | |
| 1:01 | 67-62 | Zaza Pachulia shooting foul (Paul Pierce draws the foul) | |
| 1:01 | Paul Pierce makes free throw 1 of 2 | 68-62 | |
| 1:01 | 68-62 | Al Horford enters the game for Josh Smith | |
| 1:01 | Paul Pierce makes free throw 2 of 2 | 69-62 | |
| 0:56 | 69-62 | Anthony Tolliver bad pass (Brandon Bass steals) | |
| 0:45 | Paul Pierce makes driving layup | 71-62 | |
| 0:33 | 71-62 | DeShawn Stevenson misses 25-foot three point jumper | |
| 0:31 | Courtney Lee defensive rebound | 71-62 | |
| 0:16 | Jason Terry misses 25-foot three point jumper | 71-62 | |
| 0:14 | Jared Sullinger offensive rebound | 71-62 | |
| 0:00 | End of the 3rd Quarter | ||
Love the play by play!
(NOT SO) HOT-LANTA
Doc’s the all-time assist leader for the Hawks,
So Rondo should listen when he talks!
Hawks Coach, Larry Drew, coach of the month, December,
Wasn’t good for Avery Johnson–he was November.
AB’s starting again, for his energy and D,
Cs need to defend against the Hawks’ three.
KG an airball, an unusual sight,
Williams jacking up threes from all over tonight.
Offensive rebound, rebound, rebound Captain P,
Sully down low–reliable shooting, love his D.
This throwaway line might seem rather “peculiah,”
Never backing down from KG is?…Zaza Pachulia.
Hawks went on a 20-8 run,
And lead by 13 at the end of Q1.
Josh Smith has matured, playing well–this is cool:
He was Rondo’s roommate when they were in high school.
Q2 Hawks pass the ball, shoot, score, do it again,
Cs must make a run, just not sure when.
Cs got no rim, clock was wrong, Rondo dribbled the ball.
Ball to the Hawks, clock expired? That was the call.
Cs down 15 to start Q3,
Cs 16-1 run, got stops, played some D!
A crazy Q3–Cs using the extra pass.
Aggressive Rondo, Pierce, Sully, AB and Bass!
Gotta love Avery Bradley, especially his heart,
On defense–even offense–he is doing his part.
Some foul trouble for the Captain, feeling it is Pierce,
At last the chance to say he is fierce!
Q3 Cs 33, for the Hawks just 9,
Cs start Q4 just like that–up 9.
Rondo to KG–alley-oop,
The rebounders tonight? The Celtics group!
Sully asked for a sub! What was that about?
A hard playing rookie asking to get out?
One thing in all arenas we have seen,
A huge contingent of fans in Green.
Hawks have Ivan Johnson–he’s not Joe,
He’s a scrappy player in mo- that seems slo-
Korver fouled out, for Smith a tough night,
Bass with steals–for Cs things went right.
Hawks had a 19 point lead at one time in this game,
But after the first half they were never the same.
Triple double for Rondo, all Cs played a part,
Cs win–don’t underestimate a champion’s heart!
i hope no trade for cousins that will happen