Not only did the Celtics lose game 1 of their series against the Atlanta Hawks, they may have also lost their floor general in Rajon Rondo. With 41 seconds to go Rondo got ejected for bumping into an official after an iffy “jump ball” call.
Snap Fast Reaction
Everybody and their respective mothers are talking about Rondo getting kicked out of the game. The story in game 1 is not that Boston lost but they may have lost Rondo for game 2 as well. After the game Rajon claimed his momentum as well as slipping led to the most famous chest bump of the season. Whether or not David Stern sees it that way is yet to be determined. The actual play itself was a lousy call, an official taking the game out of the player’s hands with 3 seconds on the shot clock left and Atlanta having no chance of getting a shot up in time. Unless you live or root for Atlanta(or hate Rondo) chances are you stopped watching this game feeling unsatisfied.
Hawks Star of The Game
Josh Smith had a monster performance of 22 points and ripping down 18 boards. All night Smith was doing something to contribute to the team. When he is on offensively the rest of his game follows and tonight was no different. What might be even more impressive is that Smith refrained from shooting the deep ball, only attempting one 3 pointer all night.
Celtics Star of The Game
This would have been Rondo had it not been for the huge technical and ejection that followed, essentially costing his team any chance at a comeback. By default the award goes to Kevin Garnett who scored 20 as well as grabbed 12 rebounds. Garnett played well all the way until the end and Boston will need more of this type of performances going forward.
Oh Rajon
No matter the outcome of this game, Rondo is the biggest story. With an already(whether it is true or not) tempered past, Rondo got himself ejected during a crucial part of the game. As of this writing he has claimed it was an accident. True or not the NBA league offices have a big decision ahead of them. The rule book states Rondo should be suspended for the following game. If the league decides to go that route the Hawks all but clinch a 2-0 lead on the aging Celtics.
What The Game Means
It would be great if I could tell you it means Atlanta is a threat. But they are not. It means Rajon Rondo’s legacy takes another hit. Nobody expects the Hawks to go far. So in turn all the media (me) will be talking about is Rondo and his negative attitude. It is a shame this is what is going to happen but truth be told this is a big deal. Rajon was finally starting to assert himself as the best player on the Celtics and garnering acclaim and respect throughout the league. Instead he will get hammered until he gets back on the court or worse if Boston ends up losing the series, a deserved scapegoat for an entire city.
Moving Forward
It is really hard to tell. It is all up in the air until the league decides what punishment they are going to dish out. If Rondo is out of game 2 the already thin depth of Boston will be more than exposed. However if Stern and his buddies decide to let him play, game 1 can be contributed to just some bad basketball and I would fully expect Boston to come back strong in game 2. Monday will be an interesting day. For Rondo’s and Celtics fans’ sake, lets hope David Stern gets the best cup of coffee ever Monday morning.
Game 2
Game 2 will be played Tuesday at 7:30 pm est on NBATV. Check it out.
Joe Nardone is a Writer/Blogger for Sir Charles In Charge. You can follow him on the twitter machine @DrealJoeMan