Deadspin
You know, "panic" probably isn't the right word to use in the headline right there. Panic implies a comprehension of what's happening to you, anticipation of what horrors might be coming. That's not what's happening in the Celtics-Hawks series right now. Everyone — on both teams — seems so shocked that they're staring wide-eyed at what's happening right in front of them. It's too much to absorb.
Not even Hawks fans understand what's happening.
From where we were coming home after Game 2 to where we are now, it's just night and day. I'm trying to think of an adjective to describe the win and the energy in the building, but the Thesaurus is failing me, so I am forced to make up my own words. It was spectnomenal. It was fantasterful. It was ricoculous.
If you think Hawks fans are stunned, though, man, Celtics fans sound downright lobotomized.
Did that really just happen? Was it all a bad dream? I knew going to bed last night that those would be my first thoughts waking up. I have to admit that I'm still dumbfounded. I don't know if I'm supposed to sooth people's fears and assure them that everything's going to be alright or if I should be slamming on the panic button and declaring a threat level green in Celtic Nation.
Inevitably, the spotlight is falling on Kevin Garnett, who, jeez, can he really come up short again? (Garnett wasn't much help late last night.)
Listen, it still seems pretty likely that the Celtics are gonna win this series. But, man, the Hawks suddenly got awfully scary. A first-round exit? For the team the reinvigorated basketball in Boston? No way that could happen, right? Right?
Comments
Everything will be alright!
WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP OUR COMPOSURE!
/oldschool
Please tell me that fan all the way to the left is doing the Dirty Bird.
And they did it without the Bucktoothed Pacman logo.
If the Pats could lose to the Giants in th Super Bowl and the Sox just got swept by Tampa, then of course this could happen. Go Hawks (and Sixers of course!)
You know you're in trouble when your team's down by 6 with 34.9 on the clock... and your secret weapon is Eddie Fucking House. Seriously now?!
I'm legitimately surprised one of my neighbors didn't call the cops on me the way I was screaming at my TV last night. The gist of it was something along the lines of "REBOUND REBOUND WHAT THE FUCK YOU HAVE TO FUCKING REBOUND YOU FUCKING SACKS OF FUCK!"
Wow, I STILL haven't gotten it all out of my system.
I am waiting for the Bob Ryan crying when KG gets suspended for Game 5
Hey Powe, yo're not going to find your dignity under your shoe.
@Doyle McPoyle: Yup. Definitely the Dirty Bird.
Why is the guy in the sports jacket taking a leak on the court?
That guy rocking the sportscoat/jeans combo looks like he just got kicked in the balls.
I will now light myself on fire
@Len Bias Cocaine Surplus: Looks more like Tourette's to me.
To the guy wearing a basketball jersey over his buttoned-down Oxford shirt: Really? I mean, come on -- really?
@Its The Beer Talking:
The guy next to him wearing his brand new Joe Johnson jersey over his oxford and tie needs to be kicked in the junk.
That was the play where Johnson made Powe fall over, stepped back and nailed a three.
Best to look at your shoe in such instances.
Yay Simmons having an aneurysm!
@Slothrop: "Great minds...", my brotha.
@RachelRayIsTheDevil: I didn't know that Bill Walker grew into an old white go so fast.
@HIV 2 Elway: +1 for masterful use of the word "dignity". I spit out my Count Chocula.
Would a Hawks series win be bigger than the Warriors over the Mavs last year?
Die Bitteren Tränen der Bill Simmons!
@Chamomiles Davis:
at least he didn't tuck it in.
@Doyle McPoyle: I saw the guy to his right last night on TV. Nothing says dedicated fan like a jersey over a button-down oxford. It's not even a shirsey, for Pete's sake!
@Chamomiles Davis: @Slothrop: You can both go to hell.
@Chamomiles Davis: @Slothrop: Business and partying haven't been combined that well since the invention of the mullet.
TNT got clips of Perk and Williams almost kinda sorta touching the court during the fracas. Any word on suspensions?
Half of the people who showed up just discovered that Atlanta had an NBA team.
You know, this is an interesting shoe. I never really looked at it before. But it's not really "black" black. It's more like a blueish black. Anyway, I like it. The pattern in the treads is odd too. I wonder whose job it is to design the tread. Do you go to school for that? I remember when shoes didn't have shock absorbers. I wonder if these really do anything.
Doesn't Kevin Mchale have any players left to give them?
@Its The Beer Talking: You can tell he just bought it that day to wear at the game. It probably had that tag with the authenticity label still hanging out the back. Ah, white people.
@Civil Negligence: I did! You are the devil! I'm in hell! I'm burning. Help me.
@UkraineNotWeak: The other half still think they were at a Jermaine Dupri concert last night.
@Sh!tShow: It was Zapruderesque...
"Were they, were they?, OMFG THEY WERE!!! SUNS & SPURS, OMFG!"
@Civil Negligence: I think that was Corky Nemic, star of Fox's "Parker Lewis Can't Lose".
Yep - we bring out the big stars down here in Hotlanta!
I think it's pretty disrespectful for the guy in the blue blazer to practising his putt courtside at an NBA playoff game.
Powe:
INVIZIBUHL DOG POO?
INVIZIBUL WHEELBARROW
@The Gentleman Masher: Nice timing
@MyronCopacetic: Your avatar both amuses and frightens me. Cope looks like an old WWII Navy vet who wants me to arm wrestle him.
Powe seems to think he stepped in dog poop at the top of the arc.
@MyronCopacetic: See. I just figured he thought he stepped in a pile of shit.
The Celtics have pushed people around all year. They're not used to getting pushed back.
Are you sure this photo was taken at Phillips? I don't see one person talking on their cellphone in the photo.
I don't know about you guys, but I usually count on Celtics fans to sooth my fears
@The Gentleman Masher:
INVIZIBUHL COUNTRI LYNE DAHNCING!
@Brazil Thrill - Hawks Aficionado: /shortstack6969
@Civil Negligence:
INVISUBILL CRYING BILL SIMMONS!
Powe: "did we step in it? Yeah, we stepped in it."
Relax, Celtics fans. The team with the best record always wins in the first round. -- '07 Mavs
What great timing... Bill Simmons is having a chat at noon today.
The Hawks always play this well in front of sold out crowds at home.
according to that site "The C's still have home court advantage and now is not the time to panic or jump off the bandwagon."
so there!
@Len Bias Cocaine Surplus: Remain calm. All is well.
/Animal House
You just got owned by Joe Johnson.
@supermike5alive: aren't you supposed to have a Hawks logo as your avatar now?
@Doyle McPoyle:
Actually, he's from out of town. That is the Ickey Shuffle.
@Chamomiles Davis:
I assume you meant "arm wrassle."
Cope was a very attractive man, wasn't he?
What's that? Good God! It's Mike Vick's music!
Guy in blazer -> Coca-cola executive
Oxford/Jersey Guy -> Church's Chicken board member
Short Sleeve Oxford/Jeans/Boots Guy -> Chick-Fil-A exec
Guy in #15 Hawks jersey -> Their best customer
@millensdraftskills: you're not going to believe this, but the gawker media empire's comment system won't update it!
if you click my name it's on my page, but not showing up in comments yet.
i'm sure it'll show up before the start of the nba next season...
@THEGINOCIMOLICONSPIRACY: he's white and attending an atlanta game, obviously he is in the midst of uttering
"Hot dang! These (insert racial epithet here) can play some ball!"
@hockalees: guy on court in #2 Jersey -> The Celtics Daddy
@supermike5alive: see that now weird.
Does every Boston sports team think they have a fucking "nation"?
Celtic "nation"? Really?
that image is clearly photoshopped. I lived in Atl for 8 years, and never saw anything remotely close to that.
Either that, or the ushers packed the entire arena into the first 8 rows for the photo.
Either way, well done. It almost looks real!
@Carmen McFanzone: Most of them do.
And yes it is really obnoxious and annoying and makes my head hurt.
@middlejester: I've been to Phillips twice this season and have to say the house was packed. Same last season when the Suns were in town.
Leon Powe looks like he stepped in some dookie.
Bigger surprise:
1.Atlanta has enough fans to fill Phillips Arena
2. The Celtics/Hawks series is tied?