Bill Burt
BOSTON — This is the playoffs and apparently there are no secrets in the playoffs.
Before last night's game, which the Celtics won convincingly, 110-85, over the Atlanta Hawks, the C's coach, Doc Rivers, all but handed out the game plan to the assembled media.
"We need Paul to be more aggressive on offense," said Rivers, referring to his captain, Paul Pierce.
Isn't that like telling a shark he ought to eat more chum?
Telling Pierce to shoot and drive more? Wasn't that his problem for three or four years, forcing up ill-advised shots?
Since he bought into being one-third of "The Big Three," he has attempted nearly 41/2 fewer shots this season than he did a year ago. Basically, he got it.
Well, here we are entering the month of May and Pierce has been getting "it" too much. He averaged just 16.3 points over the first four playoff tilts.
As Joe Johnson showed on Saturday and Monday, one guy can take control of a playoff game, particularly in the fourth quarter, and never give it back.
The only problem, as Rivers alluded to, Pierce and the Celtics couldn't wait. They were still healing the reeling from their trip to Atlanta. They needed a fourth-quarter performance in the first quarter.
They got it.
The Celtics, of course, came out flying. Last night it was Pierce whose wings were in full extension.
Pierce took eight shots, making five of them. He also had four rebounds and three assists as the Celts took a 27-18 lead and really never looked back.
Johnson was called for two quick fouls and was gone with 4:36 remaining in the first quarter. Pierce never left the floor, which has been an uncommon occurrence in the Big Three era.
Pierce finished with 22 points, one more than Johnson, who had 21. But each took different routes. Most of Johnson's damage came when the Celtics had a double-digit lead while Pierce was already resting for Game 6 tomorrow in Atlanta.
"We needed Paul to be Paul. We need Paul to be Paul every game in the playoffs," said backup guard Sam Cassell, who chipped in with 13 points in just under 15 minutes of action.
"We need him slicing and dicing," said Cassell. "We need him posting up. And we need him taking threes. As long as I've known him, Paul is a prolific scorer. We need him to be a scorer."
Pierce was a no-show after the game. He is still hurting, emotionally, from the $25,000 fine by the league for what they deemed was a "menacing gesture" at the end of the Game 3 loss.
Pierce deserves a pass because in his 10 years in Boston, win or lose, he has never avoided the microphones and cameras.
Pierce, by no means did it alone last night. The defense the Celtics played last night was the defense that prompted Houston scoring machine Tracy McGrady to call it the best defense he has ever seen.
The Hawks, who had upset the C's twice in Atlanta to even the series at 2-2, made only 13 of 34 shots in the first half.
Ray Allen, who Johnson torched for 20 points in the fourth quarter alone in Game 4, hit five 3-point daggers on the night and Kevin Garnett spaced out his 20 points (10 in each half).
Rajon Rondo won the point-guard battle, besting Mike Bibby in points (12-6) and assists (7-3), and Leon Powe chipped in with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
But Pierce was the difference.
"He had gotten off to slow starts in the other games," said Atlanta's Josh Smith, who had 18 points. "He got them going early (last night). He was tough. Man, he was tough."
The Celtics don't have anything to brag about here. And quite frankly, they didn't last night. They have been humbled and even in they win this series, they have some improving to do.
Last night, though, was a reason for hope. Pierce was great. He was in control and the Celtics looked like the Celtics again.
E-mail Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.
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Celtics-Hawks summary
Nail in the coffin: A Ray Allen 3-pointer with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter and the Hawks within eight points, 62-54. The 3-pointer came from the left corner in front of the Hawks bench after an Atlanta 11-2 run
Free points: Atlanta stayed in the game for one reason — free throws. In Game 4, the Hawks made an amazing 29 of 33. Last night it was almost as good, 25 of 29, including two fourth quarter misses when the game was over.
Stat of the game: 13 for 34, which is what Atlanta shot in the first half.
Stat of the game II: The Celtics made 9 of 20 three-pointers last night, including six of 10 in the second half.
You don't say: "I don't care what Charles Barkley says. He's not in this locker room," said Hawks Joe Johnson, when informed the TBS analyst predicted the Celtics would win in Atlanta on Friday night.
Bench minor: The Celtics won the battle of the benches last night, outscoring the Hawks backups, 35-14, and outrebounding them, 16-6.
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