In this edition of the NBA At 2: The Boston Celtics are ready for Game 7…Jrue Holiday talks to HOOPSWORLD…Tyreke Evans staying in 2009 NBA Draft…Al Horford out tonight for the Atlanta Hawks…2009 NBA Playoff Lines of the Day for Wednesday.
Game 7 Favors Celtics: The Boston Celtics have been here before. Last season in the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs – on the road to championship rings – they were in this exact same place, leaving Atlanta after a 103-100 loss in front of an amazing Hawks home crowd. The Celtics knew their entire season – as good as they had been all along – was coming down to one game.
In that one game they would be facing one of the ultimate underdogs in those 2008 Hawks, just as they are with the 2009 Bulls. It was a team chock full of youthful exuberance, but the Celtics remained stoic.
Then they came out in Game 7 and wiped the floor with the Hawks on the way to a 99-65 domination.
Will this Game 7 be different? Absolutely. While that 2008 series was regarded as an instant classic at the time, it hasn't met the fingernail-chewing tension of this year's version. If the Bulls lay an egg in Game 7 like the Hawks of last year, everyone will be shocked. (Check out Joel Brigham's Chicago perspective.)
One major difference is last year the Hawks couldn't play in Boston; this year the Bulls already stole Game 1 there. Last year's Hawks were a bunch of young guys with one veteran in Mike Bibby; these Bulls have Brad Miller, John Salmons, Kirk Hinrich, and Ben Gordon who have all been around the block a couple times.
People may be thinking many things going into Game 7, but as cool as it would be to see KG coming out of the locker room in uniform, that's not how it's going to go down.
"I'm not planning on him the rest of the season," Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge told Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe via text message.
Memo to Chicago: the Boston Celtics - the DEFENDING CHAMPION Boston Celtics – are ready for you.
"It's Game 7 and we'll be ready," Paul Pierce told Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe. "It comes down to who has the most toughness, who has the most heart. We know what they are trying to do and they know what we are trying to do. Whoever has the most heart and toughness will win."
"It's Game 7," said Coach Doc Rivers. "We've earned the right to play at our place. We'd rather not have it. That's why all those little games in the regular season that you win, that's what they're for, so you can play at home.
"No positives - we lost. We had our chances. It was great. I guess the only positive is, and this is a positive throughout the series, we're a tough team. No matter who goes out, no matter who gets injured, no matter who fouls out, we're a tough team."
Yes sir, Paul and Coach, Game 7 it is. The Celtics have been there before and are ready to put that championship experience on the line. Their only message to the Bulls is this: Chicago, do you think you are ready?
Top Point Guards: In case you missed it, the 2009 NBA Playoffs have been all about the point guard play. With the NBA Draft in just 55 days, HOOPSWORLD's Yannis Koutroupis took a look at this year's class of promising playmakers.
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There is little doubt that Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio will lead the way, but the interesting dark horse in the top point guards might be UCLA's Jrue Holiday. HOOPSWORLD caught up with Jrue yesterday at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where Jrue has been working out with NBA trainer David Thorpe and HOOPSWORLD's Mike Moreau. The comparison most are making of Jrue is that he is a Chris Paul type player, who is just 18-years-old and has nothing but upside to his game.
Check out the video for an interview with Holiday.
Evans is Staying in Draft: Memphis guard Tyreke Evans has not hired an agent, but it's going to happen according to Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
Evans is considered one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2009 NBA Draft because of his size at 6-6 and his ever-improving ability to run a team as a point guard. In a draft thick with point guards (Spain's Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, Davidson's Stephen Curry, North Carolina's Ty Lawson, Wake Forest's Jeff Teague, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, and St. Mary's Patrick Mills all seem to be targeted as first round picks), Evans may be the most explosive future because of his size.
That is, if he can play the point at the next level. If he can't, and he's just a shooting guard, his value isn't nearly as high; still a first-round pick, but his apparent versatility is what many scouts really like and will try to simulate in pre-draft workouts.
Horford Out: Atlanta Hawks starting center Al Horford has been ruled out for tonight's Game 6 against the Miami HEAT in Miami with a sprained right ankle. Solomon Jones will start in his place.
Forward Marvin Williams will miss his fourth straight playoff game with a sprained right wrist, and Maurice Evans will once again start in his place.
Is this setting up a Game 7 on Sunday in Atlanta? With the Hawks bench being stretched thin already, will this be too much? It wasn't in Game 5 at home. Jones played 13 minutes off the bench after Horford's injury, made his only shot, and grabbed five rebounds. Evans added in 10 points. The rest of the Hawks bench now is really big man Zaza Pachulia and swingman scorer Flip Murray, both of whom who have played well in this series.
Acie Law, Mario West, and Randolph Morris could all be asked to suddenly play some meaningful minutes, or Coach Mike Woodson may just ride his starters. It's a tough position for the Hawks because Game 6 of the NBA Playoffs is not where you want to be down two starters (unless of course you are the Orlando Magic, who it doesn't seem to bother).
Is this setting the stage for Game 7 Sunday in Atlanta?
Starter Line of the Night: Rafer Alston, Orlando Magic – 21 points, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds
Starter Line of the Night II: Ray Allen, Boston Celtics – 51 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 18-32 shooting
Rookie Line of the Night: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls – 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block
Reserve Line of the Night: Brad Miller, Chicago Bulls – 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 8-9 shooting, 2-2 three-pointers, 5-5 free throws
