The Boston Celtics are f**ked

Yes, the Boston Celtics are fucked.  Pure and simple.  I think that I am not in the minority when I say that I did not expect what happened to the Celtics in games 3 and 4 in Atlanta.  Now, I figured that the Hawks would manage to win one game after being humiliated in Boston in games 1 and 2, but the events that unfolded in Atlanta for games 3 and 4 have changed the series completely.

After watching game 4, I am pretty sure the Celtics are in trouble and I think that they just lost the series.  There's losing two games on the road to the opponent (we've seen the Bulls of the 1990s, the Pistons and Spurs of the 2000s deal with those type of runs by the opposing team), but how the Celtics lost should be causing Boston fans to get worried.  Really worried.  It was not that the Hawks got hot from the field and just had "one of those nights" where they can't miss the bucket at all; they bullied the Celtics.  From Zaza Pachulia getting into Kevin Garnett's face (who the hell is Zaza Pachulia?  Huh?) after an elbow to the chest after he [Garnett] pulled down a rebound to Paul Pierce getting hit pretty hard on a drive and then his bad miss after losing control of the ball on a drive late in the fourth, the Celtics looked like they were the number 8 seed with only 37 wins. 

What should be concerning Boston fans as well is that Doc Rivers did not make an adjustment at all when Joe Johnson ate up Ray Allen late in the fourth on what was four or five series where he held onto the ball, the Hawks running an isolation for him on the wing and then trying to peel off Allen on a pick and roll play...and on each of those possessions, he abused Allen and scored a big bucket after big bucket.  The Celtics would respond but the Hawks realized that Allen couldn't handle Joe Johnson and they continued the run that isolation play until Rivers realized that Allen couldn't handle Johnson and by that time, it was 1:45 or so left in the game and they didn't start trying to trap him on the baseline away from the basket until it was too late too. 

And don't forget that Al Horford is dominating in the low post.

I'm sure people will say that the Celtics will get things done at home, but I don't see anyone on the Celtics pulling the team on their back and winning a game; the closest would be Sam Cassell, but he's 158 years old (38 years old in reality) and I don't think that's the one person you want to trust your season on consistently.  The other would be Rajon Rondo; he's the one who can drive and create his own shot, but it is his first playoffs although he has outplayed Mike Bibby. 

If the Celtics get past the Hawks, right now, I do not see them getting past LeBron James and the Cavs--he has already proven against the Wizards who are playing much more physical than I can see the Celtics playing that he win the game one way or the other.  He can trust his teammates with big shots as was the case in his dime to Delonte West that won Game 4 for the Cavs and have the Wizards on the brink of elimination.  He is a force to be reckoned with and its looking like the team is starting to gel now nonwithstanding the blowout in Game 3. 

As for the Pistons, even though it appears that they took control of the series with their huge second half against the 76ers, the thing that killed the 76ers was that they couldn't hit any shots and the Pistons got some timely baskets from guys who were struggling (Billups and Wallace); I still think Delambert and Andre Miller will continue to give the Pistons problems and eventually Iguodala will break out.  The second half of game 4 was the only coherent basketball the Pistons had played since their win in Game 2, and again, it was on the shoulders of 6 good shots by Wallace and Billups and the always dependable play of Tayshaun Prince.  The Pistons will have problems putting away the 76ers and they need to win Game 5.  I don't see the Pistons being able to win Game 6 on the road to stay alive.  But, the Pistons stand a better chance of advancing as compared to the Celtics who are screwed.  Seriously screwed.

The Celtics are screwed because they gave a very athletically talented team the confidence that they can not only beat the Celtics but push the mighty Celtics around on the court.  I dont see a player on the Celtics who will pull out a statement game to slap reality back into the Hawks to remind them that they were a 37 win team that has no chance of winning this series; Larry Bird, Magic, Moses Malone, MJ, Shaq, Hakeem, Tim Duncan would have a major statement game where they would not allow their team to lose.  The Celtics don't have that player who can plunge that dagger into the Hawks' chest and crush their confidence. 

I could be wrong and KG could have a 30-20 game in Game 5 as the Celtics cruise to a 20 point lead, but right now, I think the Hawks young players, especially Joe Johnson, Al Horford and the rest will not be swayed by the Garden or the crowd right now.  It looks like that the Celtics are in trouble.  Just like the Mavs against the Warriors last year.

Looking forward to seeing if LBJ and the Cavs can close out against the Wiz. 

Can the Suns push the series to a Game 6?  They have a better chance than the Mavs to continue to extend their series.  The Mavs are finished.