Celtics Overtime is a postgame feature providing analysis from each game. Boston defeated Atlanta, 83-80, on Thursday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Kevin Garnett thanks you kindly for saying he can't play anymore. He won't read the column where you called him old, but word gets back to him about it, and it fuels him.
"You know what, I don't want to come off kind of wrong, but I really go with my craft and I take it very seriously," Garnett said. "I guess being 35, soon to be 36, not 37, I put a lot of work into my craft. I take it very seriously. I always have since '95, since I've been able to come into this league and its almost like you guys are shocked, like this ain't what I do every day, like this ain't what I was made for. It does come off disrespectful at times."
Kevin, we're sorry for disrespecting you, but if the end result is the performance you put forth in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, we might have to do it more often.
Garnett composed a masterpiece, totaling 28 points and 14 rebounds while leading the Celtics to an 83-80 win over the Hawks. See you later, Atlanta. Thanks for playing.
How'd the Celtics get there? Balance (but a lot of KG, too). Aside from the Big Ticket's big night, Boston got some help from the usual suspects -- Paul Pierce (18 points, seven assists), Rajon Rondo (14 points, eight assists), Ray Allen (seven points, five rebounds).
"It was a great team effort tonight," said Rondo, who didn't reach double-digit assists for the first time since March 9. " We rolled on Kevin's back, but overall it was a good team effort."
There was the experience factor, too, which made things hard on the young Hawks.
"It's kind of tough to prepare for a team like Boston," said Hawks forward Marvin Williams, who scored 16. "Coming into it, with obviously a younger team, we knew they were more experienced. We learned a lot of things from the series we played against them a few years ago and the one thing about the Celtics, man; those guys know how to win. They're very well coached and they play really well together; you definitely have to tip your hat to them."
Boston enjoyed the win on Thursday, but it will have to get right back to work come Friday.
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