A Live Feed of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals between Boston and Atlanta:
7:42: It’s Friday night and we begin Game 1 of the Rondo redemption tour, I guess. Just a maddening argument that went nowhere over the past few days. And I’m not even sure who’s to blame. The lesson: Rondo is prickly. That is all. But we already knew that.
7:44: Ray Allen is dressed for tonight’s game. For the record, Jackie MacMullen said Wednesday on WEEI that she wouldn’t be surprised if Ray Allen has played his final game as a Celtic.
7:49: Marvin Williams. Not exactly a Kwame Brown-level bust in NBA history, but certainly a big modern day bust. Still, you have to be concerned with him. But not really. But, kind of.
7:58: Erick Dampier, apparently, has been destroying the Centennial Park Waffle House on a daily basis. Nonetheless, a wide open Damp dunk ties the game at 13 with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter.
8:00: Ray Allen checks into the game for the first time since early April. Gets a huge hand, and deservedly so, especially considering that he’s already played his last game as a Celtic.
8:07: Celtics getting decent shots but can’t find the bottom of the bucket.
8:08: Ray Allen changes that. First shot in a while is good. 19-17 Hawks with 1:27 left in first.
8:10: No lie. Every Tommy Heinsohn sentence begins with a long, “Well!!!!! … ” Look for it.
8:11: 19-17, Hawks after one quarter.
8:18: Mickael Pietrus. The Julio Lugo of the Celtics. Killed them in the playoffs when he was in Orlando. Has yet to do much this postseason FOR the C’s. Expect this to turn around at some point, but if he continues to play like this, LeBron will go for 40 and 20 every night against them in the ECF.
8:19: Mickael Pietrus drills a corner three to kill a Hawks run. The lesson: you can’t be to reactionary when it comes to basketball.
8:25:
8:29: C’s play small ball with Pierce, Allen, Bradley, Rondo and Garnett on the floor. First offensive trip, an easy bucket for Garnett. 28-27 C’s in the second quarter.
Side note: Danny Ainge must love this. In the 1996-97 NBA season, as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he routinely tossed out a lineup that featured THREE point guards in Kevin Johnson, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd.
8:40:
8:44: T-Mac goes down with a thud, a minute after Greg Dickerson tells us about how Jerry Stackhouse (who “plays” for the Hawks) moonlights for NBA TV. There’s old and then there’s Stackhouse-old.
8:46: Speaking of old, Tommy Heinsohn on a questionable call against the C’s: “An acting studio Special!!!!”
8:47: Avery Bradley closes the half with a great defensive play. 40-38 C’s at the half in another ’90’s style, defensive battle.
9:09: Tommy says it best to open an ugly third quarter: “Lotta clankin’ going on out here!!!!” off a Pierce miss from three.
9:12: Tommy: “Get those fans on Twittah!!!”
9:14: Avery Bradley blows a dunk and hangs on the rim too long. The Garden PA starts playing “Fight for your right (to party).” Classy.
I preface the following with this: As someone who orders from the McDonald’s menu of music (I take anything the radio feeds me and am not opposed to listening to the likes of Katy Perry … take me now, God), and frankly, doesn’t have much taste, I ask this:
Do the Beastie Boys currently have more street cred than House of Pain? And where does Cypress Hill figure into this?
My list:
1. Cypress Hill
2. HOP
3. Beastie Boys
One man’s opinion. I’m guessing I was a few months short, age-wise, on catching the Beastie Boys phenomenon at its peak. Or they just weren’t that good in the first place, which is entirely possible.
9:19: Jeff Teague killing the C’s right now and frankly outplaying Rondo. 50-49 C’s with 4:45 left in the third.
9:30: Erick Dampier, waddling up the court. It sort of seems as if he’s wearing a diaper, but has somehow managed to play 110 minutes so far tonight.
Teague, meanwhile, has 16 and 6 assists. Rondo had 6 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds. Not the best response to his suspension so far … but again, that shouldn’t be THE storyline in this game.
9:36: Pietrus drills a big three to start the fourth. 63-60, Boston.
9:37: Great pass from Rondo to Allen underneath for two. It looks as though the C’s have flipped the fourth quarter switch.
9:39: Rondo with a nice spin in the lane. Dishes to Pierce in the corner for a big three.
9:45: Nice fast break pass to Garnett on the break to get to the line. A pair of good free throws makes it 74-65 with 7:40 left in the fourth and it looks as though the C’s are ready to pull away.
9:47: Garnett’s wide open jumper is good and the C’s go up by 11.
9:49: Old friend Vladimir Radmanovic checks into the game for some reason.
9:55: Joe Johnson with a quiet 22 points. Aren’t they all.
9:56: Rondo waltzes to the rim for two and is just taking over the fourth quarter. Lesson learned: Don’t be too reactionary in basketball. Rondo with 12 and 12.
9:57: Teague with an ill-advised shot. Seems like he’s cracking under the fourth quarter pressure finally.
10:00: What a play by J.J. Hardy to get Ortiz on the double-up. Whoops. Forgot. The Red Sox aren’t in style right now in Boston. Give it 10 days. Or at least until it gets to 80 degrees around here again.
10:02: Joe Johnson with a fine step-back to keep the Hawks within striking distance. 80-77.
10:03: Pierce with the offensive foul. Wow. Now the Celtics are the ones cracking.
10:04: Joe Johnson for the tie! BANG! Tied at 80.
10:05: Tracy McGrady with a miss. Kevin Garnett with a miss … both misses coming in a 2012 NBA playoff game nonetheless.
10:06: Celtics have gone the last five minutes without scoring. Weak stuff for a team most expect to contend for the ECF crown in a couple weeks.
10:07: Green with a brick for ATL to set up a final shot for the Celtics with 14 ticks left.
10:08: Hawks foul after nine second evaporate off the clock. Andy Reid, I mean Doc Rivers, calls a quick timeout.
10:12: Pierce with a slight upfake. At the buzzer!!!! … off the side of the rim. And we’ve got overtime in Game 3.
10:16: Rondo with a Mark Jackson post up for a nice two on the baby hook. 84-82 C’s early in OT.
10:16: Rondo with a steal at half court but SLIPS on the breakaway! Blows the layup!
10:23: Terrible offensive series by the C’s as Rondo throws up a prayer from the wing that doesn’t connect.
10:26: Garnett with a nice followup dunk off a Olajuwon-like move by Rondo. Big bucket for Boston to make it 88-84.
10:27: A Hawks miss and a Ray Allen free throw puts Boston up five with 21 seconds left to go.
10:32:
