Playoff Series - 80 To Advance In East - Sports

BOSTON (AP) Call your ex old.

Call him dirty.

It just fires up Kevin Garnett perhaps additional - knowning that failed to come up with perfectly to the Atlanta Hawks of their first-round playoff line against the Boston Celtics.

Upset by remarks from your Hawks seller phoning the pup ''the dirtiest guy inside league,'' Garnett told the pollsters having 28 things and also 14 rebounds to provide that Celtics an 83-80 victory around Game some upon Thursday night time of which eliminated Atlanta.

''Thank everyone with their owner intended for giving me some extra gas tonight,'' Garnett said. ''My merely suggestions to be able to him is usually upcoming occasion he starts advertising his mouth area to learn just what he's preaching about having X's as well as O's vs. checkbooks and bottom lines.''

The Celtics will open that Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday in Boston from the Philadelphia 76ers, who eliminated East No. 1 seed starting Chicago inside five video games having a 79-78 victory prior Thursday.

''At the very least many of us any longer ! travel,'' said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, whom have wished to become enjoying each day or perhaps a couple of later. ''I'd somewhat become gonna Game just one the following as compared with Game seven within Atlanta.''

Garnett topped his / her regular-season high of 25 points and also had all 5 prevents in addition to three steals pertaining to Boston. Paul Pierce had eighteen factors despite playing using a sprained medial collateral ligament throughout his still left knee, and Rajon Rondo had fourteen points in addition to actions assists.

But Garnett, which becomes 36 this kind of month, ended up being the particular star, defying age and a history this brought Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. to say inside of earshot on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: ''They will be old. I understand what happens when you play basketball, good old guys foul. Garnett may be the dirtiest gentleman around the actual league.''

Garnett responded for the court, hammering some sort of jumper together with 31 seconds kept to offer Boston your cause regarding good.

Then your dog reacted down it.

''I just determined which opinion to become little irritating along with a small beyond control and also I were going to tackle it,'' they said. ''Just because you've got a fortune doesn't indicate you'll be able to wide open your mouth.''

Josh Smith have 19 tips in addition to seven rebounds with regard to Atlanta, which in turn didn't move forward while in the playoffs with the very first time that throughout four years. Joe Johnson had 17 points, Marvin Williams included sixteen and eight rebounds in addition to Al Horford had 15 points plus nine rebounds.

But Horford missed this first connected with not one but two foul game with 2.3 seconds quit after he or she was reviewed by Marquis Daniels to prevent a fairly easy dunk that will have tapped the actual game. After he made your second, the particular Celtics acquired the particular shot to Pierce, exactly who had been fouled and also manufactured together free of charge throws.

Boston has won a minimum of one playoff string every single calendar year because fresh Big three or more was assembled within that summer involving 2007.

''The one thing within the Celtics is definitely these guys discover how to win,'' Williams said. ''After winning (Game 5) affordable with Atlanta together with your backs towards the wall, most people suspected it was about to possibly be tough springing up here. I thought we all does by far the most very good work adding our-self in place in order to gain lower this stretch.''

The Boston audience burst right into a cheer - sometimes the Celtics participants ended up checking them available - nearby the finish of the 3rd quarter once the final play on the Sixers-Bulls video game had been found about the scoreboard. Instead of needing to manage Chicago driving - even with out injured celebrity Derrick Rose - this Celtics may have home-court gain alongside eighth-seeded Philadelphia.

The Hawks journeyed some units not having scoring early within the fourth quarter since the Celtics switched a two-point online game into a 74-65 lead. But Atlanta have scored 10 from the up coming twelve points, together with Horford scoring the past a few baskets, rendering it a new one-point activity on an alley-oop pass out of Smith with 3:52 left.

Smith faked along at the best with the major as well as attended make a list of the lane regarding your dunk that will afforded Atlanta its first cause with the second half, 77-76. Horford driven for the basket to supply this Hawks your three-point lead.

Atlanta nonetheless led 79-78 when Garnett designed your turnaround jumper inside lane over Smith helping put Boston onward by one. Smith not so great a new extended rainbow jumper in addition to Ray Allen acquired the rebound along with eight a few moments left, nonetheless your dog manufactured singular involving two cost-free throws.

Johnson drove to help the particular container but Pierce hindered his chance plus Garnett tipped the idea outside of bounds by using 3.1 seconds left. The Hawks received the particular baseball to Horford in the lane but while he / she journeyed way up for that dunk as well as layup, Daniels, who performed only one particular minute within the game, draped your pet way up along with kept him from scoring.

The earliest foul shot travelled off the rim, priced at Atlanta an opportunity to tie.

Notes: Pierce harmed the knee for the duration of Sunday morning's shootaround as well as harmed it yet again when this individual tried out that will bypass a display screen set by way of Smith in the course of Game some of which night. . Rivers became merely your third coach throughout Celtics' story to file 50 postseason victories, becoming a member of Red Auerbach (90) plus K.C. Jones (65) . New England Patriots protective lineman Vince Wilfork has been at the game. . The Hawks displaced into the Celtics while in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, a series which went seven games. Boston went on to earn its NBA-record 17th championship. . Allen, the actual NBA's all-time 3-point leader, seemed to be 1 for 7 out of past the actual arc. . The Hawks tend to be 1-11 inside playoff string against Boston. They previous overcom the particular Celtics because St. Louis Hawks to earn this 1958 NBA title. . Rondo had three assists and not one but two the basketball within a 16-0 work throughout the minute quarter. Pierce, who arrived keep your distance the counter at the center of the run, experienced all 5 tips and a gain access to in the period regarding some minutes.