Hated Hawks point guard Mike Bibby’s struggles at the Garden continued. After shooting a combined 4-of-17 from the field and dishing a total of two assists in the first two games in Boston, Bibby was 2-of-8 from the floor with one assist last night.
NBA. There was a Celtics sighting at the Garden last night.
The team that wasn’t so much seen on the side of a milk carton over the past week came out of hiding, re-establishing its dominance and whipping the Hawks, 110-85, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. After dropping a pair in Atlanta, the Celtics retook control of the best-of-seven series, leading 3-2, and go for the kill tomorrow night at Philips Arena.
The Celtics were on fire in front of their rowdy home crowd, playing tremendous defense while holding the Hawks to 41 percent from the field and forcing 14 turnovers. And the C’s were aggressive on offense, pounding the ball in the paint and passing it (28 assists on 45 field goals) like they have all season.
Paul Pierce looked like he has fully recovered from the lower back injury he suffered in Game 2, with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Kevin Garnett had 20 points, five boards and seven assists. Ray Allen added 19 points.
The Celtics had it going early, shooting 52 percent in the first quarter while building a double-digit lead. They turned a 17-14 edge into a 27-17 lead after Pierce converted by way of a sweeping turnaround leaner in the lane with 6.9 seconds remaining in the first.
They were even better in the second quarter, but they seemed to seize control after Al Horford was assessed a flagrant foul for dropping Garnett on a lay-up attempt with 57 seconds to play in the half. Garnett made both free throws, and Allen knocked down a 3-pointer from the left arc 16 seconds later to extend the margin to 56-41.
Atlanta made some noise with an 11-0 run in the third to trim the Celtics’ lead to 60-54, but the C’s proceeded to get dangerous from distance. Allen hit three 3-pointers, and James Posey knocked one down with 1.6 seconds remaining in the third to give the Celtics an 81-64 lead.
The Hawks never made a run from there.