FOULEDOUT!

Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett scored 19 points and grabbed 10 boards to lead the Boston Celtics to a 96-77 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Ray Allen finished with 15 points and Paul Pierce contributed 14 points after getting knocked down in the first period.

Rajon Rondo outplayed Hawks‘ Mike Bibby and had another stellar game. Rondo’s stats were across the boards as he finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals in 34 minutes of action. Bibby, who called the loyal Celtics supporters bandwagon fans, only had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

Bibby was hounded the entire game by the Celtics fans. He was heavily booed every time he touched the ball and non-stop chants of “Rondo’s Better” can be heard throughout the arena. Even when Bibby sat on the bench in the fourth period, the Celtics fans continued to jeer him with “Where is Bibby?” chants.

Josh Smith and Marvin Williams led the Hawks with 13 points apiece. Joe Johnson only had 11 points and had 5 turnovers. Rookie guard Acie Law, who was perfect from the field (4-4) and charity stripe (4-4), chipped in 12 points but committed 4 errors.

The Boston squad turned up their defense for the game. The Celtics forced 21 turnovers, had 15 steals and 3 blocks.

The Celtics will head to Atlanta on the 26^th where the Hawks will play a crucial two-game homestand.

-fouledout

The Atlanta Hawks returns to the playoffs stage for the first time in nine long years.

The Hawks clinched the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference after the Washington WizardsIndiana Pacers 117-110 defeated the and effectively ending the their bid for a playoff spot. The Hawks clinched the final spot while enjoying a day-off.

“It’s a great feeling, but we still have to worry about ourselves right now. We have to handle our business for these last two games to get ready for the playoffs. Just because we’re in doesn’t mean we can relax.” said Joe Johnson, Atlanta’s leading scorer.

They better enjoy it while they still can. The Hawks (37-43) will probably be the biggest underdog in the league as they are set to face the league-leading Boston Celtics (65-16) in the opening round. The Celtics won all regular-season meetings against the Hawks including the 99-89 victory in Atlanta last weekend.

-fouledout

With more or less thirty games played into the season, there have been a lot of surprises around the league. Underachieving teams like the Chicago Bulls (9-17), Cleveland Cavaliers (13-16), Houston Rockets (13-15) and Dallas Mavericks (19-10) have been very disappointing. There have been a lot of expectation from these teams in the pre-season and up to now; they have not lived up to the expectations. But aside from these underachieving teams, there are also some positive surprises in the NBA. There are some surprising teams that have played above average and maintained records above the .500 mark.

In the Eastern Conference, it’s surprising to see the Atlanta Hawks above the .500 mark at this time of the season. They are currently second in the Southeast division with a 15-12 record. It’s pretty amazing for this team to be playing at this kind of level. I must admit that I never thought that the Hawks can play this big this season. Joe Johnson is still playing great basketball although his statistics have dropped a little compared last season. The athletic ability of Josh Smith is helping the Hawks as he increased his statistical averages compared last year. Rookie Al Horford is also contributing quality points and rebounds as he is averaging close to a double-double with 9.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest in his rookie season. It’s too early to tell if the Hawks will qualify for the playoff rounds, but if they continue to play like this, they will surely grab a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The keys to their success are teamwork, consistency and staying healthy.

The Washington Wizards have been pretty impressive too. Even without Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards have managed to post a 14-13 record and stay just right above the .500 mark. Different guys have been stepping up for the Wizards, most recently Roger Mason posting career high 24 points against the Charlotte Bobcats. The injury plagued Wizards have relied heavily on Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison who have been playing extremely well this season. Butler leads his club in scoring with 22.2 points per contest while Jamison developed into a double-double threat this year as he averages 21.9 point and 10.8 rebounds in 27 games. The Wizards may be short-handed now, but they are still playing fantastic basketball and if they can continue to play at this level until February until Arenas comes back, I like their chances in the playoffs. Staying healthy as a team is a big factor in winning because they are now missing four players in their roster, they can no longer afford to miss more players. Hard work and consistency from the bench are also vital factors to consider if they are to pick up more wins.

-fouledout