News 4/21

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1088555&format=text
Wait lifted from Celtics
Open well against Hawks in return to NBA playoffs

By Mark Murphy | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The night started with a smoky pyrotechnics display that didn’t have a prayer of matching the heat from what followed.

Rajon Rondo [stats] hit everything from 20-footers to off-balance runners - one just before slamming onto his back. Ray Allen went on a one-man 10-4 rampage. David Ortiz [stats] got the assist on Lucky the Leprechaun’s dunk.

The combination didn’t matter. Everything worked like German engineering. The Celtics [team stats] opened the NBA playoffs with a 104-81 win over Atlanta last night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series at the Garden, and they haven’t been better against the Hawks.

And there might be cause for worry because of that.

Any more excitement, and Kevin Garnett might start tickling the crowd or giving noogies to teammates.

Witness KG’s reaction once Leon Powe punctuated the win by lunging through the outstretched arms of Josh Smith and Mike Bibby for a dunk with 5:57 left.

Powe, who drew the foul and went on to hit the free throw for a game-wrapping 23-point margin (91-68), ended up on his back.

And the jubilant Garnett, with the help of Sam Cassell, ended up on top of him, mercilessly jabbing the second-year forward in the chest.

“Leon is like a (grown) man,” Garnett said of whether he was worried about losing control. “Those were like high fives to him, except that he got it in the chest.”

Allen nodded.

“Leon is probably the strongest guy on the team, so he probably didn’t even feel it,” he said.

Powe then replied: “Yeah, I didn’t feel it - I was just talking to him. I was juiced, happy. Kevin was like a little kid. He was just saying, ‘That’s what I’m talkin’ bout.’ ”

Indeed, everything seemed infectious last night. Six Celtics hit double figures, including Powe and Cassell with 10 each off the bench. Four starters scored at least 15 points, with Allen’s 18 leading the way.

Rajon Rondo, in perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the night, thoroughly outplayed the man who has tied the Hawks together into a cohesive unit - Mike Bibby.

Rondo finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, nine assists and six rebounds. He also applied enough pressure to frustrate Bibby, who had just one assist, marking the first time in 52 career playoff games that he dished out less than two.

But beware, said captain Paul Pierce [stats], thinking back to the last time the C’s were in the playoffs during the 2004-05 season against Indiana.

“I remember the last time in the playoffs that we won Game 1 and lost the series,” Pierce said. “So you don’t know. You can’t look at Game 1 as the indicator. We’re not overconfident.”

They are, however, in a secure place.

Per usual, they defended well, particularly in the second half, and limited the Hawks to 38 percent shooting. As evidenced by the shooting performances of Bibby (five points, 2-for-10), Joe Johnson (19, 7-for-22), Smith (six, 3-for-10) and Marvin Williams (nine, 2-for-7), nothing came easy.

The Celtics took their first 20-point lead (78-58) with 9:32 left in the game on Powe’s back-cutting reverse layup.

From there, the margin kept rising like the price of oil. The price of oil, of course, could some day plummet.

“We’ll take the win, but we did some things I know we can do better at both ends of the floor,” coach Doc Rivers said. “We can play better, and that’s the good news.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1088592&format=text
No slippage with Rajon Rondo
Point guard unflappable vs. Bibby

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
If it was only about the numbers, that would have been enough.

But what Rajon Rondo [stats] did in his first playoff game defied even the digits. He didn’t just outscore Mike Bibby, 15-5. He didn’t just outrebound him, 6-3. He didn’t just out-assist him, 9-1.

Rajon Rondo out-veteran-ed Mike Bibby. The Atlanta point guard still leads Rondo, 10-2, in years of NBA experience. He’s up, 52-1, on Rondo in career playoff games. But the Celtics [team stats] lead the first-round series, 1-0, largely because Rondo was more under control - and simply better - while playing six fewer minutes last night.

And the result of this coupling has to concern the Hawks perhaps more than anything else that befell them on the parquet in the Celts’ 104-81 Game 1 victory.

You see, Atlanta needed this matchup. Big time. It needed Bibby to come out and guide his youngsters - to hit shots and throw the Celtics’ defensive rotations off-kilter with the postseason instinct he displayed with Sacramento.

The Hawks also needed Rondo to be wide-eyed and wobbly in his first playoff experience. They needed him to be unnerved by the increased intensity of the postseason, and they put some bigger people on him to force the issue.

Instead they got a Rajon Rondo playing wiser than his 22 years, a concept that is more than supported by fact he didn’t commit a single turnover. They got a Rajon Rondo who seemed to know what he was doing even when his team seemed to question him.

When Rondo passed up an open shot in the third quarter, vet Sam Cassell shouted to him, “Shoot it, young fella. Shoot it.”

Then Rondo, after eating up more time on the clock, shot and hit.

And a few moments later when Rondo passed up something open on the left wing, coach Doc Rivers stomped his feet and threw up his hands. But Rondo didn’t fret. He simply bided his time, drove to the middle of the lane and scored over the beastly Al Horford.

“I wanted to be comfortable with the shots I took,” Rondo said. “I didn’t want to take any forced shots or any shots I felt weren’t my rhythm shot. So I took a couple of dribbles and then took it when the seconds went off the clock.”

It is a measure of his poise that, after airballing a jumper with a little more than two minutes to go in the third period, Rondo scored on the next three trips up the floor to give his club an 18-point lead entering the fourth.

“The airball actually felt good,” he said. “The next three possessions, I came down and they gave me the shot again, and I took them.”

Rondo took what the Hawks gave him, and he took what he wanted. While Bibby complained himself into a technical after one no-call, Rondo never appeared ruffled.

“He just kept it ticking like he had been playing the playoffs many years,” Ray Allen said. “The situation wasn’t too big for him. He came out and he did what he needed to do to direct this team, and he played well on both sides of the floor.”

That means that in addition to hitting 6-of-9 shots from the floor, he helped limit Bibby to 2-for-10 shooting. Bibby’s single assist was a personal playoff low.

“I had fun,” Rondo said. “We got the win. That’s what it’s about. I was pretty comfortable. I didn’t really get nervous.

“I just wanted to approach (this) as just another game that was very important.”

His more experienced teammates are not surprised in the least by Rondo’s performance.

“Before the series, the three of us pulled him off to the side and gave him some advice,” said Kevin Garnett, referring also to Paul Pierce [stats] and Allen. “I don’t know what it is that clicked, but he has been playing tremendous. You can see the maturity over the process of the season.

“We are as good as our point guard and our leader. And right now that’s the role he’s taken.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1088611&format=text
Celtics return playoff aura to Garden

By Tony Massarotti | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The window was supposed to be two or three years, not a minute more and not a moment too soon. Now the Celtics [team stats] are back in the playoffs with a singular objective, their preferred destination all but scrawled on their windshield as if written with a bar of soap.

Championship or bust.

So continues the greatest turnaround in NBA history, the startling metamorphosis and journey of the restored Boston Celtics. The postseason returned to the Gahden last night via overnight delivery, one year after the Celtics won a mere 24 games. But in so many ways, this team already has been so good for so long that any lingering talk of a multiyear plan seems utterly absurd.

“I didn’t buy into that,” Coach Doc Rivers said before the Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 104-81, in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. “I think that’s what everyone else was saying, but that’s not what I believed and I thought it was important for our team to not buy into that.”

Added the coach: “Our guys have been waiting a long time for it, probably longer than most guys, because we had it sewn up so early.”

This is what Boston was like in the old days, when a historic, dingy building played to sold-out shows from April through June. Bruins [team stats] one night, Celtics the next. One team always made the playoffs and the other hoisted title banners as if it were merely pinning another load of laundry on the clothes line, a household obligation like making the bed and taking out the trash.

That is what expectation does.

It turns superlative achievement into an ordinary, everyday event.

From the outset last night, the new Garden might have come with warning signs: “Danger, High Voltage.” It was as if the building never emptied after Saturday night. Paul Pierce [stats] dropped in a pair of 3-pointers in the first three minutes that sent a current through the capacity crowd, all after Kevin Garnett, via video, delivered a pregame message on the scoreboard.

“Give us every ounce that you have,” Garnett told a supercharged crowd, “and we’re gonna give it right back to you.”

Said Garnett after the game: “I ran through the tunnel (before the game) and, man, I had so much emotion. I had to slow down. You hear the crowd, you hear the rocking, the building was shaking. I’m going to enjoy this. I’m not going to hold back. I’m going to enjoy this ride for as long as it goes. Coming through the tunnel, it was a rush.”

A year ago at this time, this all seemed so preposterous. As recently as a few months ago, it seemed entirely inevitable. The new-and-improved Celtics came out of the gate by winning 29 of their first 32 games, playing with both passion and efficiency. Suddenly, this wasn’t just about being relevant again, about making it to the conference finals, about a two- or three-year journey. On the way to a league-best 66 wins, this was about winning a title and winning one now.

“Who knew?” Rivers mused before the game. “Clearly, we didn’t.”

The Garden? The new place has been thirsting for this, on the ice and on the parquet. It turns out the building wasn’t really the problem after all. Only Utah (37-4) finished the NBA regular season with a better home record than the Celtics (35-6). During the entire regular season, the Celtics had just 16 losses, two fewer than the team suffered last season during the worst losing streak in franchise history.cw0

In the moments just before tipoff last night, the Garden quaked. Fans were whipped into a frenzy as music blared from the Garden speakers, and maybe it was only fitting that the song of choice was “Crazy Train.” Red Sox [team stats] players Mike Lowell, David Ortiz [stats] and Dustin Pedroia [stats] were among those sitting at courtside; from baseball to football and now to basketball, the road to a championship goes through Boston, even if it has been roughly 20 years since the Celtics entered a postseason with such hopes and anticipation.

The NBA playoffs are back in Boston.

Championship hopes have been renewed.

For as long as it goes, be sure to enjoy the ride.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1088583&format=text
Celtics crowd pumps up volume
Team draws energy from Garden fans

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The Celtics [team stats] could hear last night’s crowd before they ever left the locker room, according to Doc Rivers.

“I was in the bathroom, combing my hair,” the Celtics coach said after his team, sparked by the Garden’s human electricity, beat Atlanta in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, 104-81.

Kevin Garnett was so moved, he had to pause in the runway.

“It felt good,” Garnett said of making his first playoff appearance since 2004. “I ran through that tunnel, man, and I had so much emotion that I had to slow down.

“The crowd was rocking, the bleachers were shaking, and I had to take time to collect myself and slow down for a moment,” he said. “Man, it was something running into that rush. I’m going to enjoy this one and not hold back. Wooo, this is a rush.”

’Nique has loud praise

Dominique Wilkins, the preeminent face of the Atlanta Hawks, undoubtedly was the first player in the NBA to identify Rivers’ post-basketball job.

No one could shout at the former Hawks star that easily and not be a future coach.

“He’s one of the toughest guys I ever played with,” the Hall of Famer, now Atlanta’s vice president of basketball, said of his former teammate. “It’s not surprising that he’s become a great coach.

“He thought he was a coach then. He was the only guy who was not afraid to tell me that I made a mistake, and I respected him for that. He’s a special guy, and a special friend.”

Make that a special friend who now deserves special consideration. Maybe his second NBA Coach of the Year honor?

“He should be,” Wilkins said. “I don’t think anyone else has done the job he’s done, putting everything together on that team, and getting the turnaround that they have had. He and (New Orleans’) Byron Scott should absolutely be the two frontrunners for that award.”

Wilkins’ memory of the old days drew a laugh from Rivers.

“I did yell at him a lot,” he said. “And usually it was when he was saying, ‘Pass.’ ”

Neighborly advice

The Bruins [team stats]’ ability to tie their series against Montreal at 3 is not lost on Rivers, who admits to not being much of a hockey fan.

But in Boston, certain shortcomings have to be overcome.

What he understands is that like the Bruins, the Hawks are an eighth-seeded team matched against a No. 1.

“They’d better know what (the Bruins) did,” Rivers said of his players. “They’d better understand that (Atlanta) is ready to play tonight.

“What I like - and I don’t know anything about hockey - is that they believe in what they’re doing,” he said. “I did watch (Game 6) and I was cheering for them to win. I watched the third period, and whether you’re a hockey fan or not, that was a great period.”

Video focus

Stories abound of players being stopped in the street by excited, well-wishing fans.

But Rajon Rondo [stats] doesn’t know about those.

The Celtics point guard has lived a monastic existence since the regular season ended.

“I haven’t been out at all,” he said. “I’ve just been home, watching tape.”

Rondo, who had 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds last night, also knows enough not to compare what he knows with what he is about to begin.

“(Garnett) told me that the only difference is the intensity,” said Rondo, whose only frame of reference may be trips with Kentucky to the Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. “It’s about execution.

“A lot of people make a big deal about the NCAA tournament. But that’s not even close. There is nothing like this.” . . .

Wilkins’ only year as a Celtic - during the 1994-95 season - actually culminated in a playoff series against Orlando and its young stars, Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. That also marked the C’s last season in Boston Garden.

“Yeah, I never played in this place,” Wilkins said of TD Banknorth Garden. “It’s not the same, though. The old building was such an incredible place.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1088612&format=text
Hawks swear they’re not done after one

By Dan Ventura | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
The Atlanta Hawks may have been on the receiving end of a haymaker last night, but they promised things would be different on Wednesday night.

Playing in their first playoff game since 1999, the Hawks proved to be no match for the Celtics [team stats], falling 104-81 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference first-round series at the Garden.

The visitors couldn’t get going on the offensive end, making just 29-of-76 shots from the field (38.2 percent) and never threatening the C’s over the final 18 minutes.

“I’m excited about the chance to come back and play another game,” said reserve forward Josh Childress. “We just didn’t show the type of team that we are (last night) and I can’t wait for Wednesday. We just couldn’t knock anything down. You’re going to have nights like that and, unfortunately, that night was (last night) for us.

“We’ll have a couple of days to prepare and come out ready to win the next one.”

One of the Hawks’ concerns coming into the series was their postseason inexperience. Forward Josh Smith admitted the adrenaline got the better of him early on, resulting in two quick fouls and a seat on the bench.

“I was too amped up and I knew it was going to happen,” said the explosive Smith, who finished with just six points and seven rebounds. “But that’s why we have four whole games, a whole series to play it out. I’ll be back on Wednesday with a game under my belt, so I’ll be in control.

“Me and (Mike) Bibby talked about how we only had 11 points combined and we’re not going to be able to win too many games without both of us being able to perform at a high level.”

That level was never less close than in the third quarter, when the Celtics opened up a double-digit margin and kept it there for the duration.

More than one Hawk mentioned the importance of responding when the Celtics go on a run, something Atlanta failed to do in the second half.

“We have to understand that runs are things that are going to happen,” said rookie forward Al Horford, one of the few bright spots with 20 points and 10 rebounds. “When a team makes a run, we have to stay together, stay strong and make those runs right back.”

As lopsided as the final score was, Joe Johnson still felt there were some positives the Hawks could take into Game 2.

“There were moments when we looked great,” Johnson said. “We had good help defense, moving the ball on offense to get some easy baskets. Then again, there were times when we took it upon ourselves to make plays.

“Really, the only way we are going to win this series is to win it as a team. Me and Mike Bibby have got to be the ones to drum that in these guys’ heads and make them believe it.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1088581&format=text
Trade no big deal to Joe Johnson

By Dan Ventura | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
Joe Johnson wasn’t even old enough to vote at the time, but he learned a painful lesson about life in the NBA.

The Celtics [team stats]’ 10th pick in the 2001 draft, Johnson showed enough promise to start for most of the first half of the season. But when his production declined after the break, the 6-foot-7 swingman became expendable and was a key figure in a five-player deal with the Suns on Feb. 20, 2002, that netted the C’s Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers.

As it turned out, the trade was the final piece to a disastrous draft, one in which the Celtics had three picks and fanned on two of them. Johnson went on to become an All-Star, while fellow first-round picks Kedrick Brown (who was originally rumored to be part of the Johnson deal) and Joe Forte are no longer in the league.

“I didn’t expect it all, it was totally unexpected to me,” said Johnson, who watched as the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals that year. “But it’s a part of the profession I chose. The NBA is a business and I learned a great deal from being traded at an early age.”

Johnson blossomed in Phoenix the following three years, earning a reputation as one of the league’s bright young stars. His scoring improved each season (from 9.8 points to 17.1) and he finished the 2004-05 season in the top 10 in minutes played.

Although Johnson wasn’t one to openly criticize the Celtics for the trade, he admits the sting of being discarded so soon was definitely a motivational tool.

“You always want to prove someone wrong when you get traded,” Johnson said. “It made me work harder, and who knows what would have happened if I didn’t get traded? I’m glad it was Phoenix and it worked out well for me.”

Following the 2004-05 season, Johnson was involved in another blockbuster deal, going to the Hawks for Boris Diaw and two first-round picks. Atlanta wasted little time making Johnson the face of the franchise, inking him to a five-year, $ 70 million contract.

Johnson continued his steady ascent, making the All-Star team the past two seasons and averaging more than 20 points in each of his three years in Atlanta.

But this is the first time Johnson’s effort helped the team make the playoffs. Johnson vows that this playoff series, which opened last night with a 104-81 rout by the Celtics in which he scored 19 points, isn’t a chance for redemption, preferring to focus on the task at hand.

“I don’t remember much about my time in Boston, it was seven years ago and it was very short,” Johnson said with a smile. “I’m just very thankful and appreciative to the Celtics for drafting me and giving me a chance to play in the league.”

[FLCeltsFan]

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Pistons misfire
Sixers catch Detroit napping in Game 1

By Associated Press | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by AP
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Detroit Pistons were hanging out at the scorer’s table as if it was a preseason game, joking around with a former teammate as he enjoyed a drink and nachos in the front row.

The Philadelphia 76ers [team stats] made them pay for it.

Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping the 76ers stun Detroit, 90-86, yesterday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Sixers forward Reggie Evans smiled when told the Pistons were shooting the breeze with Flip Murray during breaks in the game.

“That’s good,” Evans said.

Rasheed Wallace took the blame for the loss - despite having 24 points, nine rebounds and matching a franchise playoff record with seven blocks - but didn’t think blowing a big lead had anything to do with talking to Murray.

“That’s my man,” Wallace explained.

The Eastern Conference’s second-seeded team was expected to beat the seventh-seeded Sixers by double digits and did lead by 15 midway through the third quarter.

But Philadelphia refused to follow the script.

After the Sixers trailed 62-47, Green made two baskets during a 10-0 run that sparked a comeback.

“That kind of swung the momentum,” Miller said.

Miller gave Philadelphia a lead midway through the fourth quarter for the first time since late in the first.

After Chauncey Billups missed 3-of-4 free throws and a layup in two-plus minutes late in the game, he made two from the line to pull the Pistons within one with :45 left.

Detroit’s Jason Maxiell drew a charge on the ensuing possession, giving the home team a chance to avoid an upset.

The Pistons set up a play that created an open shot for Tayshaun Prince, but his jumper was short. After Andre Iguodala made 1-of-2 free throws with 11 seconds left, Wallace missed a shot near the basket that would have tied it at 88.

“I’m going to put this one me,” Wallace said. “There’s no excuses.

“The last bunny, that was a bucket I should’ve made. I’m going to take this one on the chin.”

Iguodala made two free throws with 7 seconds left to seal the win.

“I’m pretty sure we shocked a lot of people,” Evans said.

The teams will get two days off before Detroit hosts Game 2 on Wednesday night.

“We’ve got to fire back on Wednesday,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “It’s a must-win game now.”

The Pistons, who have advanced to five straight conference finals, hadn’t lost a Game 1 in the first round since 2003 against Orlando.

Iguodala finished with a career playoff-high 16 points after a slow start, Evans had a career playoff-high 11 points and 14 rebounds and Thaddeus Young scored 10 for the Sixers in his postseason debut.

[FLCeltsFan]

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Lakers, Gasol put on show of Pau-er

By Herald wire services | Monday, April 21, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by AP
Pau Gasol’s postgame smile made it clear how he felt about finally winning a postseason game.

His numbers revealed just how much he had to do with the victory.

Gasol established career playoff highs with 36 points and eight assists, and he also had 16 rebounds and three blocked shots yesterday as the Lakers took command in the third quarter and beat the Denver Nuggets, 128-114, in Los Angeles.

“It feels amazing, it feels great. I had a blast out there,” the 7-foot Spaniard said after shooting 14-of-20 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the foul line. “We did a pretty good job, we can do better. We’re happy with the win, I’m happy with the win. Hopefully there will be many more.

“Every guy on our team is doing an amazing job out there, and I’m just one of them.”

Gasol, a 27-year-old forward/center acquired from Memphis on Feb. 1 after spending 6 seasons with the Grizzlies, was 0-12 in three previous postseasons.

“I knew he could perform at a high level,” Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. “This just ain’t Memphis. I think this offense has freed him up a little bit and showcased more what he can do instead of just being in the post all the time.

“It’s tough to match up against us for a variety of reasons. We have guys that can finish, we have a a great 1-2 punch, and all of our guys can pass all ball.”

Bryant, who said he made himself a decoy through most of the game, scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. Lamar Odom had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Luke Walton added 16 points for the Lakers, who entered having won eight of their last nine regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

But it was Gasol who did the most damage.

“They do an excellent job of finding him around the basket,” Denver’s Kenyon Martin said.

Said Odom: “Pau is so versatile, he just opens the game up. He was past good, he was amazing.”

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Nuggets. Allen Iverson [stats] also had 30 points before picking up two technical fouls with 2:10 remaining, calling for immediate ejection.

Magic 114, Raptors 100 - Dwight Howard had 25 points and 22 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson scored 24 points to help host Orlando beat Toronto in the opener of the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Howard scored six straight points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sealed Orlando’s first playoff win since 2003. He also blocked five shots.

Toronto’s Anthony Parker had 24 points and eight rebounds, Chris Bosh scored 21 and Rasho Nesterovic had 16 points and eight rebounds.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/21/on_time_takeoff?mode=PF
On-time takeoff
Celtics' playoff bid in flight with a rout
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 21, 2008

It wasn't as if Kevin Garnett hadn't played in a playoff game before. But after a four-year postseason hiatus, the first-year Celtic made a point to collect himself and appreciate the atmosphere he longed for as he ran onto the TD Banknorth Garden floor.

An emotional Garnett and the Celtics made a statement in their first playoff game last night by going up by as many as 27 points in pounding the Atlanta Hawks, 104-81, in front of a sold-out crowd.

"I ran through the tunnel and I had so much emotion I had to like slow down," said Garnett, who last played in the postseason in 2004 with Minnesota. "You hear the crowd. You hear the building rocking. The bleachers were shaking and I was the last to run out. Man, I had to take a minute for myself and thank the Lord that I was back in this position.

"I'm going to enjoy this. I'm not going to hold back. I'm going to enjoy this ride for as long as it goes. But coming through this tunnel, I was like, 'Woo, this is a rush.' For some of you guys that have fast cars, it was like sticking your head through the window doing 140 [miles per hour]."

Ray Allen scored a team-high 18 points in the Celtics' first playoff game since May 5, 2005. Garnett had a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) as four starters scored at least 15 points.

Boston, now 4-0 against the Hawks this season, will host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Wednesday.

During the regular season, the Hawks averaged 98.2 points per game. They had a .454 shooting percentage from the field - .356 on 3-pointers. Guard Mike Bibby averaged 13.9 points and 6.0 assists in 48 games with Atlanta. All-Star guard Joe Johnson averaged 21.7 points.

Last night, however, the Hawks shot only 38.2 percent from the field (29 of 76) and missed 11 of 14 3-point attempts. Bibby (5 points, 1 assist) missed 8 of 10 shots from the field and 4 of 5 3-point attempts. Johnson missed 15 of 22 shots in finishing with 19 points.

"I thought it was great," said Allen about Boston's defense. "We just have to make sure we help each other. There were some minor breakdowns that we need to clean up. For the most part, I would give us a 'B' on defense, but we can get better."

Said Hawks coach Mike Woodson: "Four of our starters [combined] went 14 for 49. Give the Celtics credit on that. But they haven't shot that bad all season."

Every seat was more or less filled as the national anthem was sung. As the Hawks were introduced, the hometown crowd drowned it out by chanting, "Let's Go Celtics!"

The crowd roared when the Celtics were introduced and the venue had a smoky haze for a while from pregame fireworks. Red Sox players David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Justin Pedroia and Mike Lowell in attendance, too.

"It was phenomenal," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers of the atmosphere. "It's funny. It's rare when you can hear the fans in the locker room when the teams run out. Today you actually could."

The Celtics were up, 49-40, as Paul Pierce scored 13 of his 16 points. Al Horford (20 points, 10 rebounds) had 11 points and three rebounds in the first two quarters.

"The main problem for us in the first half was controlling the drives to the middle," Pierce said.

The Celtics shot 50 percent from the field in the third quarter, outscoring Atlanta, 24-15, to take a 73-55 lead. Allen scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and nailed both 3-point attempts.

The Hawks were limited to 30.4 shooting from the field in the third and never got back into the game.

"We settled in a lot better in the second half as far as what we were doing defensively," Garnett said. "We even had a rhythm defensively, if that's even possible."

Leon Powe's reverse lay-in gave Boston a 20-point lead (78-58) with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Powe (10 points in 24 minutes) also brought the crowd to his feet and drew a foul with a two-handed slam over Josh Smith and Bibby with 5:53 left in the contest to give Boston a comfortable 90-68 lead.

With the crowd roaring, Garnett punched a fallen Powe lightly in the chest while Sam Cassell cheered wildly over him.

"Leon is like a grown [old] man," Garnett said. "So the little hits I was hitting him with were like high-fives to him."

While the Celtics dominated Atlanta, they kept it in perspective.

"We take Game 1 for what it's worth," Pierce said. "You got to understand, a team like Atlanta, they're going to make adjustments. They have three days until the next game. They're going to make adjustments, which means we're going to have to make adjustments to some things we have to do. You can't look at Game 1 as an indicator.

"A series can get turned around if you get overconfident. The necessary thing that you need to do is win four games."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/21/rondo_is_capable_at_controls?mode=PF
Rondo is capable at controls
By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist | April 21, 2008

His first playoff game? Really? Sure could have fooled me.

"I was pretty comfortable," said Rajon Rondo. "I just tried to approach it like a regular-season game, but I knew the intensity would be a lot more higher and the crowd would be a lot better."

It was a playoff game, all right, and a lot of people were wondering how he'd fare. There weren't too many folks worrying about Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, and there weren't too many talking about Kendrick Perkins. The Celtics starter being subjected to the most scrutiny was the 22-year-old point guard, who may have surprised some skeptics with his 15-point, 9-assist, 2-steal playoff debut in the Celtics' 104-81 conquest of the Atlanta Hawks.

"He probably doesn't realize the pressure being put on him by the outside world," surmised Allen.

No Celtic has come farther this year than Rondo, who inherited the starting job when Sebastian Telfair was shipped to the Land of 10,000 Lakes in the Garnett deal. No one knew when the season began exactly what to expect. And after he completed his steady regular season, the questions began anew, the playoffs being the playoffs and all.

But if last night's performance is any indication, it may be time to find some new questions for someone else. Rondo looks as if he can take care of himself.

The lad picked his spots on offense, scoring 12 of those 15 points in two key bursts. The first came in the opening period, when he had three baskets in a minute and a half as the Celtics moved to a 23-10 lead by the time the game was a little over eight minutes old. He started his little run by sneaking past Mike Bibby for an airborne putback. After Allen (18) sank a jumper, Rondo first nailed an 18-footer and then scored on a patented floater in the lane.

The second burst came in the third period when the Celtics appeared to be squandering what had been a comfortable 19-point lead. They were badly in need of a pick-me-up when Rondo simply took control of the game. He started with a 21-footer, followed with an 18-footer, and then, after coming up with a steal, hit a crowd-pleasing fadeaway to send the Celtics into the last period in possession of a relaxing 18-point (73-55) lead.

When the season began, who would have imagined a playoff situation in which Rondo would not only recognize a need like this, but would possess the individual scoring ability to make it happen? But it's come to this: No one is surprised when Rondo asserts himself.

Opponents now have to factor Rondo into their game preparation. Everyone always respected his innate athleticism, his exceptional quickness, his long arms, his tremendous hands, and his tenacity on defense. Now they also have to respect his individual offensive package, which includes aggressive, acrobatic drives, sneaky offensive rebounding, and, finally, a demonstrated ability to make those dare-you-to-make-'em jump shots that were the staple of Mo Cheeks's game for many years.

"He puts pressure on you with his speed," said Atlanta coach Mike Woodson. "We were trying to match a bigger guy on Rondo, but he made some shots and we have to live with that. As long as Ray and Paul aren't putting the dagger in you, you have to deal with Rondo making the shots."

"He played well," said Garnett. "He played with a lot of confidence. Before the series, three of us pulled him aside and just gave him some advice. He played with great poise."

As always, Rondo was a major pest at the defensive end. Bibby has been the key to whatever success the Hawks have had in the past month, but last night he shot 2 for 10 in 34 minutes and was never a factor. Rondo wasn't responsible for all of it, but he certainly gets credit for some of it.

The point guard duo of Rondo and Sam Cassell was a big Celtic plus, as the cagey veteran abetted the younger member of the firm with 10 points and an assist. Seven of Cassell's points came in a hilarious second-quarter stretch in which Doc Rivers was trying to remove him from the game.

At that juncture Sam wasn't playing very well, and the mentor decided it was time for a substitution. But Cassell immediately nailed a three, and before there was a stoppage, it was brought to Rivers's attention that a mandatory timeout was looming. When the timeout came, guess who was fouled? Yup, Sam. He made his free throws and then added an 18-footer before Rondo was able to replace him. Call it the best substitution Doc never made.

With 25 points, 10 assists, and those two Rondo steals, Doc had no complaints about his point guards. But Rivers knew he didn't have to worry about Cassell. The great revelation last night was that Rondo played the same outstanding brand of two-way basketball in his first playoff game that he's been playing all year.

"He was at my house yesterday watching Chris Paul," said Allen, "and I know he had to be thinking that he needed to play well for us. He was thinking, 'I want to be better than the guy I'm playing and I want to help us win.' "

He was, and he did.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/21/familiar_tools_used_in_this_pounding?mode=PF
Familiar tools used in this pounding
By Peter May | April 21, 2008

There still was 5:53 left in last night's game when Leon Powe took a pass from Paul Pierce and slammed home a dunk that (a) brought the fans to their feet and (b) sent Powe crashing to the floor, setting up a 3-point play.

As he lay on the floor, Powe looked up to find the chattering presence of Kevin Garnett in his face. And I mean in his face. Not only that, Garnett was pummeling his teammate with a series of quick hits to the chest. Bam. Bam. Bam. "There were two, three, four, maybe five or six, Roy Jones-type punches," Powe said. "He was excited."

What about it, KG?

"Leon's a grown-!!!GREENIAC!!! man," Garnett said. "Those were like high-fives to him. They just happened to be on the chest. I don't think he felt them at all."

Said Powe, "I felt them."

Sam Cassell and Garnett then helped raise Powe to his feet and the Hawks, soon to be down by 23, called time. And as Pierce walked back to the Boston bench, he had that look on his face. He moved his head up and down as if to say, "Yup, this is how it should be." It was over.

And, two minutes later, the man most identifiable with Boston's many big home victories this season appeared on the Jumbotron. Gino. Soon, the final horn sounded, the Celtics had won, 104-81, and, well, aside from the four members of the Red Sox sitting courtside, the Sox owner sitting a few seats away, the presence of the TNT broadcast crew, and the ubiquitous NBA Entertainment, it all seemed like one of the many routine Boston wins this season.

Maybe the Sixers' surprising win over Detroit served as a last-second cautionary tale for the Celtics. You know how it goes - it's the playoffs, it's 0-0, nothing that happened before matters, and everyone has a chance. Then the Celtics went out and did what got them to 66 wins and made Atlanta look every bit like a 37-win team that moonwalked into the postseason.

They allowed the Hawks to think big thoughts in the first half - and then absolutely buried them in a second-half avalanche of opportunistic scoring and stifling defense. When it was over, the Hawks had shot 38.2 percent - 35 percent in the second half - and had scored only 81 points. Atlanta got 5 points and 1 assist from supposed savior Mike Bibby, who was thoroughly outplayed by Rajon Rondo.

In short, this one didn't look a whole lot different from any of the three previous meetings between these teams, or different from any number of the Celtics' easy wins this season. They had some terrific moments on offense (Ray Allen, Pierce, Rondo, and Cassell all had scoring bursts) but they put this one away with some tenacious defense, mainly in the second half.

This is how they did it all year. This is how they did it last night. Yes, there were things they'd like to clean up (offensive rebounding one of them) but, aside from the amped-up ambience, it was pretty much how the Celtics rolled through the league this season. You limit teams to 81 points on 38 percent shooting and, most of the time, not only are you going to win, you're going to win going away.

Garnett said he was ultra pumped for this one. Who knew there was such a speed on the guy who breaks a sweat in the warm-up line? But he said he had to take it easy when he ran out of the tunnel and onto the floor, such was his excited state. "You guys with expensive cars, it'd be like putting your head out the window when you're doing 140," he said.

Yeah, we can all relate to that.

For KG, it had been a long, four-year wait for the postseason. Energy is never a problem for this guy; controlling the energy sometimes can be problematic. Two early fouls sent him to the bench, but when Atlanta cut a 14-point deficit to 29-27 in the second quarter, Garnett got the call to return. He quickly hit a baseline turnaround to start a 6-0 run.

"I wanted the effort to be there," he said. "I wanted them to feed off me. And when I came back in, I was still able to play aggressive, but also a little bit smarter." He only had one more foul the rest of the way.

He finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34 minutes and he left the game with 3:26 to play amid a chorus of "MVP, MVP" chants. We'd seen this before in March and April and we'll probably see it again, maybe even Wednesday night when these teams play Game 2 of their playoff series.

A 23-point win at home over a sub-.500 team, a win that was grounded in defense, well, we've seen that before, too. Now, Garnett battering a fallen teammate, well, that was new and different. But, as they say, the more things change . . .

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/21/assistants_will_be_sought_after?mode=PF
Assistants will be sought after
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 21, 2008

If the opportunity arises, Celtics coach Doc Rivers likely would make it possible for two of his assistants to interview for head coaching jobs during the playoffs.

Rivers said yesterday that NBA teams have inquired about his associate head coach, Tom Thibodeau, and assistant coach Armond Hill for head coaching openings. Rivers wouldn't reveal the teams, but the New York, Milwaukee, and Chicago jobs are open, and other openings could be on the horizon.

"Obviously, if they really want them they'll wait," Rivers said. "It just depends on the situation. The only thing I won't allow is someone to be named as a head coach until we're done.

"[Interviews] would depend on the situation, like if we had a five-day break in between [playoff series]. The thing I don't want to do is hurt their chances, which has happened when teams don't wait. To me, if they don't want to wait, they really didn't want you anyways."

Thibodeau is a first-year assistant with Boston and has 18 years of NBA experience. The former Salem State star has built a reputation as one of the league's finest defensive coaches and has received a lot of credit for his part in the Celtics having the NBA's top regular-season defense. The New Britain, Conn., native has helped coached 15 NBA teams that have been in the top 10 in defense.

When asked about Thibodeau's strengths, Rivers said, "His defensive knowledge and his passion. The one thing I love about Tibs is he's as passionate about the game as anybody I've been around. He loves it. He breathes it.

"At times he overworks. But as an assistant, that's what he has to do and he understands that role. If he was a head [coach], he would still work that hard. But he would need someone else to take care of some of that burden."

Hill is in his fourth season as a Celtics assistant. The eight-year former NBA player also was a Hawks assistant and was Columbia University's head coach for eight seasons. During the 2001-02 season, the Brooklyn native coached Columbia to the nation's top scoring defense.

When asked about Hill's strengths, Rivers said, "His offensive principles and his calm. Just his relationship with players and how he can get players to [work]. I always tell him, 'Anybody can be an X-and-O guy. The key is getting [the players] to run the Xs and Os.'

"I think Armond's known around the league for that. He's gotten guys to make cuts [offensively] and do things they normally don't want to do."

On Rivers's contract, which runs through next season, the coach said, "My situation's good. I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't need to be [talked about]. It's fine. I like it where it's at."

Pollard: More surgery
Injured center Scot Pollard said he will have right ankle surgery in Indianapolis Friday. The 11-year veteran is out for the season after surgery March 11 to repair a torn tendon in his left ankle. Pollard is scheduled to fly to Indianapolis Thursday and said his doctor won't be certain if his right ankle tendon needs extensive work like the left until the surgery takes place.

"The recovery on my left one is so long, it's going to be middle of June before I'm allowed to run," Pollard said. "We did an MRI on the

ankle. It has some of the same issues, not as bad. The doctor said I'd need surgery eventually. This doesn't slow down my other ankle since I can't come back this [season] anyway. Next season I'll have two good ankles.

"I can't play now, so I can get them both done and have two better ankles."

Pollard was expected to able to run on a treadmill in the middle of June after the left ankle surgery, but now he must wait until mid-July after the operation on the right one. The 6-foot-11-inch, 278-pounder was told by a doctor that he likely will be able to play basketball again in August.

"If I can go in September, it's good for me," Pollard said.

The 33-year-old played in 22 games this season. The free agent to be said he isn't thinking retirement and said there is a short list of teams he'd consider signing with next season, with the Celtics atop the list.

"I'm confident that teams will want me," Pollard said. "I'm a vet. People know what I can do. I still have that passion. I don't want to go to a rebuilding situation willingly, but money talks.

"But at the top of my list is Boston. I'd love to play a couple more years in Boston."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/21/twenty_years_later_and_still_circling?mode=PF
Twenty years later, and still circling
By Bob Ryan, Globe Staff | April 21, 2008

The famed Larry-Dominique shootout May 22, 1988, lives on in song and story in these here parts, and why not? The Celtics won.

Be assured that pro basketball doesn't get any better than it was on that glorious Sunday afternoon. Here was a 118-116 Game 7 in which the Celtics and Hawks combined for 59 percent shooting while turning the ball over a scant 15 times. The Celtics were able to overcome 47 points by Dominique Wilkins because Larry Bird scored 20 of his 34 points on 9-for-10 fourth-quarter shooting. Their little Gunfight at OK Corral duel in the fourth quarter, when Larry had 20 and 'Nique had 15 and in which they had one stretch of three consecutive possessions when each scored, never has been surpassed.

What people in Boston don't realize is just how utterly devastating that loss was to the Hawks. A victory that day would have put them in the Eastern Conference finals for the only time since the team relocated from St. Louis in 1968. It would have validated professional basketball in Atlanta in a way that, curiously, still never has happened.

It remains, frankly, the great what-if? in Atlanta sports history, or so it would seem.

"I don't know," says Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten, who was running the Hawks (and the Braves) back then. "Certainly, it was the closest we came, and I think we were good enough to go farther. Interestingly, I thought we were better the next year. We brought in Moses [Malone] and Reggie [Theus] and we won [52] games. But we lost in the playoffs to a Milwaukee team we had beaten six times in the regular season."

With all due respect, the current coach of the Celtics - and point guard for that Hawks team - is not buying it. To Doc Rivers, that game and that series was indeed Atlanta's chance to establish itself. The team might have won more games the following year, but that didn't make it a better ballclub, in his humble estimation.

"There is no doubt," he says. "That was our shot."

Not surprisingly, Rivers does not have fond memories of that particular Game 7.

"I have never watched the game in its entirety," he says "and until last year, when Danny [Ainge] showed me a stat sheet, I thought I had played poorly." Au contraire, mon ami.

The truth is that the 26-year-old Glenn "Doc" Rivers had a great series. He had 16 points and 18 assists in that Game 7, and the latter figure wasn't even his series high, that being a 22-assist game in Atlanta's Game 4 victory. But Rivers remembers one thing, and one thing only, about his performance in that wondrous Game 7.

"DJ stole the ball from me at the end of the third quarter," he points out.

He's right about that. Dennis Johnson executed one of those patented DJ poke checks to relieve Doc of the ball as the Hawks were holding for the last shot in what was then an 82-82 game. DJ's coast-to-coast excursion sent the Celtics into the final period ahead by 2, rather than the other way around.

That Atlanta team was a deep, athletic aggregation. The front line of Wilkins, Tree Rollins, and Kevin Willis was a tough matchup. The Hawks came off the bench with Cliff Levingston and Antoine Carr, a pair of skilled, dangerous veterans. Rivers and Randy Wittman were a formidable backcourt, and they were nicely complemented by Spud Webb and John Battle. It was a very nice team, well coached by Mike Fratello.

What will always pain the Hawks is that they had led the series, 3-2, when they took the fifth game by a 112-104 score. The Celtics had won 14 consecutive Game 5s at the Garden when tied at 2-2, which was a source of enormous organizational pride. That Atlanta victory made it three straight Hawk wins, signifying a clear momentum shift. "It's probably a feeling of embarrassment more than anything else," Bird explained.

"I remember a banner in the Omni for Game 6," Rivers says. "It said, 'Welcome To KC's Retirement Party,' " an allusion to K.C. Jones's announcement during the first-round Knicks series that he would be stepping down as coach. But the situation brought out the best in the Celtics. Ainge came up big with 22 points and 14 assists as Boston squeaked out a 102-100 triumph, setting the stage for Game 7.

According to Rivers, the Hawks, though disappointed, were not discouraged.

"We definitely thought we were going to win," he maintains.

Even without the Bird-Wilkins subplot in the fourth quarter, Game 7 was a classic. The combined 59 percent shooting and the 15 turnovers all happened under playoff defensive pressure. Kevin McHale had 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Wittman, now coach of Minnesota Timberwolves, shot 10 for 12. There was greatness all over the place, with the last word going to, well, you know who.

"In that fourth quarter," Rivers says, "he was Larry Bird."

Kasten and Co. decided the Hawks needed an overhaul. They unloaded Willis and Wittman and brought in Malone and Theus. "I don't think it was a good idea," says Rivers. "I don't think we needed to make many changes. All we needed was a tweak. The next year we won more games, but we lost in the first round. That was a chemistry lesson for me."

The Hawks never have been that close again. In the four times they advanced to the second round since then, they never came close to another Game 7. This is their first trip to the playoffs since 1999.

But it's more than that. For most of the past two decades, the Hawks have been a blah franchise, with limited local juice. They have just drifted along as a basically irrelevant outpost on the NBA trail, simply because they never have been able to grab the city by the throat and demand attention. A victory over the Celtics on that Sunday afternoon might have changed everything.

"I do think if we had won that series it would have made a difference," says Rivers.

It's 20 years down the road. A city awaits.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/21/hawks_ready_to_regroup?mode=PF
Hawks ready to regroup
Young team says it will be able to rebound in Game 2
By Monique Walker, Globe Staff | April 21, 2008

If Atlanta could have one wish for Game 2 of this series, it would be to never experience a defeat again like the one it was handed last night.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson expected his young team might show some jitters. It was the first playoff appearance for a Hawks team since 1999, the longest postseason drought in the NBA. The average age of the team is 24.8 years old, the youngest among teams in the playoffs.

All Atlanta had to fall back on was the postseason experience of point guard Mike Bibby and guard Joe Johnson. Neither was able to accomplish much against the Celtics in a 104-81 defeat at TD Banknorth Garden.

Johnson finished with 19 points but hit only 7 of 22 shots. Bibby (2 of 10) and Josh Smith (3 of 10) weren't any better. Rookie center Al Horford led the Hawks with a game-high 20 points.

And when their shots didn't fall, the Hawks' defense was unable to keep the game in reach.

"Me and Mike are the catalysts for the team," Johnson said. "I thought early on defense is what killed us. On the defensive end, we weren't getting over picks. Paul [Pierce] got open a few times and knocked down some threes.

"I think the excitement and the adrenaline rush was so up for these guys that we were tending to move a little fast and settle for a little too many jumpers. But it's Game 1. I'm glad we got it [done with]. Now that we've got the experience, we'll be a little better."

Despite falling behind by double digits in the first period, the Hawks put together a run, sparked by Josh Childress, that moved them to within 2 at 29-27 early in the second period.

But the Celtics answered with a run of their own that extended their lead back to 11.

"The guys were anxious to start the game but that is expected. We just can't have our starters playing the way they did tonight," Woodson said. "We will watch tape and try to clean up our offense. They started to go to the mismatches and exploit us there."

Said Bibby: "I think we'll have a better game next time. I shot 2 for 10, Josh Smith shot 3 for 10, so hopefully, I don't think there's going to be another game like that. I have to help the team be more aggressive offensively and attack and make things happen for myself and my teammates."

When Bibby arrived from Sacramento after a five-player trade in February, he boosted the Hawks' offense from 94.8 points a game to 103.5 over the last 33 games of the regular season.

Playoffs came routinely for Bibby when he was with the Kings, including a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2001-2002, ending in a loss to the Lakers in seven games.

He knows the Hawks will have to do better if they want this series to go past the minimum.

"Basketball is a game of runs," Bibby said. "I think what really hurt us was when Ray Allen made like 7 points in a row, they kept pushing the score up. We didn't hit shots we usually hit. We got a lot more series left."

Johnson, the former Celtic who gained playoff experience with the Phoenix Suns, said double-teams kept him off balance. He averages a team-high 21.7 points a game, but admitted that he did not play the way his team needed him to last night.

"I was trying to get guys the ball who were open and trying to make plays," he said. "I think Game 2 will be a lot better. I can see where the double-teams are coming from. I think tonight I rushed a lot of shots, but, I mean, that was just off of excitement and adrenaline."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x2103872962

Megliola: Celts more than ready
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos
Photos

Charles Krupa/Associated Press
The Celtics take the floor prior to their Game 1 win over the Hawks.

By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Apr 21, 2008 @ 12:08 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOSTON — It was about what you expected. Fair enough?

Nothing against the Atlanta Hawks, understand, but the Celtics didn't win 66 games to go 0-1 in the playoffs. Uh-uh.

Before the start of the game, the words on the Jumbotron screamed "The Wait Is Over." Playoffs wait? Championship wait? Whatever.

The Celtic who waited the longest, Paul Pierce, set the tone by coming out and nailing three straight 3-pointers. That brought smiles to Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia (wearing a Rajon Rondo jersey) and David Ortiz, sitting at courtside. Manny Ramirez was supposed to be here, but he was still arguing strike three at Fenway.

The Celtics took the first one from their outgunned first-round company, downing the Hawks 104-81 before a wild crowd that pretty much got bored in the fourth quarter. It was 73-55 when it started. Get the idea?

Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen didn't have to put up huge numbers or log a ton of minutes. Besides, they have two days off before Game 2. Allen scored 18, Garnett and Pierce 16 each.

All eyes were on Rondo, dipping his toes in the playoffs for the first time. His response: 15 points and nine assists. This kid will play a big role in plenty of playoff games before he's done.

It's a Boston week blissfully overloaded with action and hoopla. Today, it's the first place Red Sox playing in the morning; the greatest Marathon extant kicks in; and, most important, the Bruins play a Game 7. And it's a holiday today. Beautiful life. What do they do in Des Moines and Amarillo this time of year?

It extends to the weekend which will keep the Patriots busy during the NFL Draft. So, yeah, the Garden fans were in a grand frame of mind. No work today. They'd come to the Garden totally expecting the Celtics to win.

Coaches never think that way. The Celtics are a top-seed against the eighth-seeded Hawks. Same as the Canadiens-Bruins series. Doc Rivers was sure if his players were, you know, aware about what the hockey team in town was trying to pull off. "They'd better know. That's why we're playing tonight," said Rivers. The stubborn Bruins needed the Garden after all on Saturday. Apparently CBS wanted the first game of the Boston-Atlanta series a weekend afternoon game.

Rivers said he's given up trying to figure out if his players were ready or not for the playoffs. The prep work had been done. Everything had been addressed. "They seem ready," said Rivers.

Players live for crowd noise. The more thunderous the better. Let the building shiver. Pierce likes to call it "The Jungle." Screaming fans were the Sixth Man. Sorry captain. That's just some employee pushing a pump-up-the-volume button. Still, the fans were in their seats early into the teams' warm-ups, jumping around and waving green towels.

OK, the place might have rocked a little more if the other team wasn't Atlanta. The Hawks have no cachet, and no history with the Celtics since the Bird-Dominique days. The idea was to get rid of the Hawks, who finished the season eighth games under .500, in five games or less.

Speaking of Dominique Wilkins, he and Rivers were teammates when 'Nique and Larry Bird went off in that memorable Game 7 at the Garden in 1988. It's left a bad taste in Rivers' mouth. "I used to yell at (Wilkins) a lot. Usually it was for the same pass," Rivers kidded. Or maybe he wasn't. Anyway, they were in the same building again. Wilkins is a Hawks exec now.

Every team insider has a take on the feel of a playoff series about to begin. Peter Chrisafideis has worked as a Celtics equipment guy since 1985. The Marlborough native noticed the players last night were a little different, adjusting to the moment long before the tapoff. "They were a little more tense," he said. "Not as loud as usual. They like to have fun. But they're focused on the end result. Winning a championship."

Pierce will go down as one of the all-time great Celtics. But he never had a chance to experience a playoff game in the musty old Garden. He did get a whiff of what it must have been like in the spring of 2002 when Boston swept past the 76ers and the Pistons, sending hearts fluttering. When Boston took a 2-1 lead against the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals, why not believe they'd make it to the Finals against the Lakers?

But New Jersey won the next three games, and that was that.

The next season, the Nets made it less painful for the Celtics, knocking them out in the second round. The next two years the Pacers dumped Boston in the first round. The last two years, no playoffs in the Hub.

Eddie Palladino has been handling the p.a. at the Garden for four years. His booming Pavarotti voice has presided over just one playoff game win. He's expecting a much longer run this time. "I just hope to be working here in June," said Palladino. He pumped up the volume last night, which is saying something. He explained before the game that "I've got to get my signal up, but I want to have a voice left for the Finals."

The Finals have resulted in 16 championships for the Celtics. Last night, another quest began, under all those banners for which only Danny Ainge, the architect of this team, has a true connection. The Celtics were a playoff team again. And the dreams came only in extra large.