Hmm...This is interesting...Our good friends at Comcast SportsNet were kind enough to distribute a small preview of tomorrow's edition of "Celtics Now" (tune in every Wednesday, 6:00pm on Comcast SportsNet), and GM Danny Ainge, who happens to be a guest, says the following:
"I do strongly believe that KG will be ready to play in the playoffs. That's what we're gearing for. If the playoffs were today, I believe he'd be playing and I think he'd be playing very well for us."
I was preparing for the worst, but now, I'm cautiously optimistic...I think...
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Are we not being told the truth about Kevin Garnett because of ticket sales?
Well, I just finished watching Danny Ainge's interview on Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight, and, like most of the other interviews we've heard and seen already, there wasn't a whole lot of new information to break.
"There's some concern," said Ainge. "We want KG to be 100 percent healthy and we're trying to give him the best chance to be 100 percent by playoff time."
As far as we all know, Garnett hasn't gone to any more specialists and hasn't gone for any more tests (MRI, CT Scan, etc.), which means the injury and the original diagnosis of that injury hasn't changed. People have been throwing the words "torn" and "ACL" around pretty loosely over the past couple of days, but with the amount of ACL's that have been torn in the last ten years, it'd be nearly impossible for a profession sports team's medical staff not to recognize what has become a very common injury in sports on all levels.
That gives me hope.
Why would the Celtics keep a serious injury from us? At this point, what is the basis behind that? Let's go worst case scenario and say KG has to miss the entire postseason. Why wouldn't they tell us yet? Are they trying to hold out in hopes of scaring the likes of the Cavaliers and Magic? I can tell you right now the Cavs and Magic are not afraid of us (even though they really, really should be). So that option is out.
The following does not give me hope.
At this point, the only plausible solution I can think of, revolves around money, sadly enough. Would the Boston Celtics hold back the status of Kevin Garnett to the general public until playoff tickets are available? I hate saying it, but it makes sense for the organization if there is any truth behind this. If they were to announce KG missing the postseason tomorrow, they would lose out on SO many ticket sales basically because every single media outlet would brush Boston to the side and say, 'They are not going to win the NBA Championship'. As we all know, the general public is so heavily influenced by the media that if every station told us to go jump off a bridge we'd go searching for the nearest one.
If they hold out on KG's true status until after the first round tickets have been sold (or the majority, at least), they will make a lot more money. Essentially everyone that jumped on the bandwagon last year would hop off and turn on the Red Sox (I only do that once the C's are completely finished). I hate saying it's a possibility, but it really is. I don't know how much the economy has hurt this team, but some added playoff revenue can't hurt.
Why bring back KG for four games? To give us all hope. They put him on the floor, we see him score in double figures, and we say, 'Well there you have it. He's fine'. Ainge had the following to say on the subject:
"I think that ideally you want to have some sort of rhythm going into the playoffs. You want to develop a chemistry with your team and just KG is kind of a rhythm guy.
"We hoped that he could play short minutes leading into the playoffs, but at the same time when we made that decision it was because ultimately we wanted the best chance and we finally decided, 'Okay, listen. It's not better after playing four or five games, let's just forget about the rhythm, let's just make sure you're 100 percent healthy'. We need a 100 percent Kevin Garnett in order to win as champions this year, I think."
While I politely disagree with Danny, I understand where he and every other media outlet is coming from. I really, really hope I am dead wrong about that ticket scenario, but if you think about it, it does kind of make sense, don't you think?
Danny was then asked if Garnett could be somewhat intimidated by this situation, simply because he has never had an injury like this before. He responded with this:
"I think there's some of that. I think KG needs to be educated on what's going on in his knee and to feel comfortable about it. And KG has this inner turmoil also because he doesn't like missing games. He doesn't like the fact that Paul and Ray and Rajon and (Kendrick Perkins), you know, they're out there carrying this team, playing night in and night out and that doesn't sit well with KG.
"He's a warrior and I think also logically he knows he needs to be right to get to the playoffs, so we've had a lot of time to discuss this and the pros and cons of each thing, of each situation and I think that we have it handled and we're trying to take it out of Kevin's hands, too, because he's such an emotional player and an emotional person and he wants to contribute, that sometimes we've gotta say, 'Okay, listen, we know you want to play, but you're not playing. You weren't 100 percent tonight, let's just sit you down'."
Kevin Garnett has stated publicly so many times that if he can walk, he can "hoop". If he can get out of bed in the morning, he can play. I believe him on that. As much as a severe knee injury must hurt, I expect Kevin Garnett to play in the postseason. He's 32. It's getting closer to the end and this window is only open for so long. While he might be somewhat hesitant to go all-out with a lingering injury, I can't see him shutting himself down. With the postseason and another championship on the line, I would expect KG to put the situation back into his own hands and suit up for the playoffs. The Celtics would make more money that way...
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
"There's some concern," said Ainge. "We want KG to be 100 percent healthy and we're trying to give him the best chance to be 100 percent by playoff time."
As far as we all know, Garnett hasn't gone to any more specialists and hasn't gone for any more tests (MRI, CT Scan, etc.), which means the injury and the original diagnosis of that injury hasn't changed. People have been throwing the words "torn" and "ACL" around pretty loosely over the past couple of days, but with the amount of ACL's that have been torn in the last ten years, it'd be nearly impossible for a profession sports team's medical staff not to recognize what has become a very common injury in sports on all levels.
That gives me hope.
Why would the Celtics keep a serious injury from us? At this point, what is the basis behind that? Let's go worst case scenario and say KG has to miss the entire postseason. Why wouldn't they tell us yet? Are they trying to hold out in hopes of scaring the likes of the Cavaliers and Magic? I can tell you right now the Cavs and Magic are not afraid of us (even though they really, really should be). So that option is out.
The following does not give me hope.
At this point, the only plausible solution I can think of, revolves around money, sadly enough. Would the Boston Celtics hold back the status of Kevin Garnett to the general public until playoff tickets are available? I hate saying it, but it makes sense for the organization if there is any truth behind this. If they were to announce KG missing the postseason tomorrow, they would lose out on SO many ticket sales basically because every single media outlet would brush Boston to the side and say, 'They are not going to win the NBA Championship'. As we all know, the general public is so heavily influenced by the media that if every station told us to go jump off a bridge we'd go searching for the nearest one.
If they hold out on KG's true status until after the first round tickets have been sold (or the majority, at least), they will make a lot more money. Essentially everyone that jumped on the bandwagon last year would hop off and turn on the Red Sox (I only do that once the C's are completely finished). I hate saying it's a possibility, but it really is. I don't know how much the economy has hurt this team, but some added playoff revenue can't hurt.
Why bring back KG for four games? To give us all hope. They put him on the floor, we see him score in double figures, and we say, 'Well there you have it. He's fine'. Ainge had the following to say on the subject:
"I think that ideally you want to have some sort of rhythm going into the playoffs. You want to develop a chemistry with your team and just KG is kind of a rhythm guy.
"We hoped that he could play short minutes leading into the playoffs, but at the same time when we made that decision it was because ultimately we wanted the best chance and we finally decided, 'Okay, listen. It's not better after playing four or five games, let's just forget about the rhythm, let's just make sure you're 100 percent healthy'. We need a 100 percent Kevin Garnett in order to win as champions this year, I think."
While I politely disagree with Danny, I understand where he and every other media outlet is coming from. I really, really hope I am dead wrong about that ticket scenario, but if you think about it, it does kind of make sense, don't you think?
Danny was then asked if Garnett could be somewhat intimidated by this situation, simply because he has never had an injury like this before. He responded with this:
"I think there's some of that. I think KG needs to be educated on what's going on in his knee and to feel comfortable about it. And KG has this inner turmoil also because he doesn't like missing games. He doesn't like the fact that Paul and Ray and Rajon and (Kendrick Perkins), you know, they're out there carrying this team, playing night in and night out and that doesn't sit well with KG.
"He's a warrior and I think also logically he knows he needs to be right to get to the playoffs, so we've had a lot of time to discuss this and the pros and cons of each thing, of each situation and I think that we have it handled and we're trying to take it out of Kevin's hands, too, because he's such an emotional player and an emotional person and he wants to contribute, that sometimes we've gotta say, 'Okay, listen, we know you want to play, but you're not playing. You weren't 100 percent tonight, let's just sit you down'."
Kevin Garnett has stated publicly so many times that if he can walk, he can "hoop". If he can get out of bed in the morning, he can play. I believe him on that. As much as a severe knee injury must hurt, I expect Kevin Garnett to play in the postseason. He's 32. It's getting closer to the end and this window is only open for so long. While he might be somewhat hesitant to go all-out with a lingering injury, I can't see him shutting himself down. With the postseason and another championship on the line, I would expect KG to put the situation back into his own hands and suit up for the playoffs. The Celtics would make more money that way...
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Keeping the Faith...with or without Garnett
I'm still not entirely worried about Kevin Garnett. Sure, the fact that he will now miss the next four games is disheartening at best and disillusioning at worst, but, besides getting healthy, the rest of the regular season really doesn't matter that much. The only reason we'd consider playing Garnett the last three games (starting in Cleveland, apparently) would be to help get his timing back. We don't want his first game back to be the first game of the playoffs and run the risk of him playing poorly and jeopardizing and early first round game to a sub par opponent.
Along those lines, we also wouldn't want Garnett to be thrown into the fire right away and have to play forty minutes on a knee that hasn't been fully tested in a game just yet. With all of this sudden speculation and the team's course of action, we absolutely have to raise the question of whether or not Garnett's knee is in worse shape than we had originally thought. But, that question will remain just a question until we either see Garnett shut down for the rest of the regular season and the post season or we see him back playing 30+ minutes on a nightly basis. Right now, any and all speculation is nothing more than rumors.
However, if Garnett were to come back less than 100 percent but able to play, would we expect him to? Personally, I don't see why he wouldn't try. He's 32 years old. He's had one of the best careers in the history of the sport. He doesn't have that much time left. Right now is make or break for him, so if this ends up being something worse than we thought but still allows him to play, he might as well play. He's not going to get these opportunities for much longer.
This also brings up an interesting point. Many people, including writers and "experts" didn't actually expect the Celtics to win the title last year. They expected the team to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. To a lot of people, last year's Championship run was a surprise. So, with that in mind, what would be the bigger surprise...winning last year, or winning it again this year?
Personally, I would be surprised for us NOT to win it again this year. I will even go so far as to say, and I'll probably be the first person to say this, that we can still win the NBA Championship without Kevin Garnett. Now, I'm not dumb. I know every little thing Garnett does for our team. I probably understand them better than most. I know about the intensity and the passion and the defense and everything else, but do not be so quick to count out the rest of the guys on our roster.
If the worst case scenario occurred and we lost Garnett for the season, we do have two quality reserves waiting to fill his spot. I know that Glen Davis and Leon Powe are not Kevin Garnett, but they both have done masterful jobs of filling in for him. This is a fact that cannot be argued. Whether it be Powe's 30-point, 11-rebound, 5-block effort against the Memphis Grizzlies three weeks ago, or Davis's recent string of back-to-back double-doubles, these two have developed so well over the course of the season that they can now come in and be difference makers.
Don't be so quick to count out Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, either. As great as KG is, all three of these guys can make their own personal cases to be this team's MVP.
Allen, who is in the midst of one of his best shooting seasons of his career, has argulably been the Celtics' most efficient offensive player all season. He's shooting .486 from the field and .954 from the free throw line, both constituting career-highs. Oh yeah, and his .407 mark from three-point nation is nothing to snuff at. And when this team needs him to score, he's more than willing to do his part. He's scored 25 or more points 15 times this season.
As for Pierce, he's Paul Pierce. He's versatile enough to do whatever he needs to do to best help the Celtics win. With Garnett out, scoring will most likely take precedent, but has Pierce ever had trouble putting the ball in the basket? He's scored 30 or more points nine times this season and 25 or more 24 times. He's not slowing down despite everyone thinking being 31 makes you a relic who belongs in some museum exhibit. Oh, and if we have to meet Cleveland at some point with Garnett? Pierce has averaged 28.0 ppg against the Cavs at home this season in two Celtic wins. Granted he scored only 11 in Cleveland, but that night was awful for everyone, not just Pierce. That was simply "one of those nights" and it just happened to come against Cleveland, which made everyone read too much into it.
And then there's Rondo. The man that makes our offense go. The one who everyone thinks can't hit a jump shot. The one who's averaging over 12 points and eight assists in the month of March. The one who can put in 20+ points, WHEN HE NEEDS TO. He's done it 10 times this season. He held Mo Williams to just 12.5 points per game in the Celtics and Cavs' first two meetings (Williams got out of the box for 26 after Rondo sprained his ankle early on in the most recent meeting). It should be noted that the Celtics will have a much easier time beating Cleveland with Williams held in check. If Rondo needs to put his head down and score, he'll score. Like Pierce, he's versatile enough to do what his team needs the most.
Add in the best bench in the NBA (and I'll argue that 'til the day I die), and we can still be optimistic about a post season run. And everyone acts like without Garnett this team will unlace their shoes and literally not play in the playoffs. That's the mindset everyone is taking: they're taking away this team's chances without Garnett before the post season gets under way. Shameful. This might be the blind faith in me coming out, but why would I waste my time thinking we're just not going to win? Where's that going to get me? Hope is hope, no matter how unrealistic it might be.
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Along those lines, we also wouldn't want Garnett to be thrown into the fire right away and have to play forty minutes on a knee that hasn't been fully tested in a game just yet. With all of this sudden speculation and the team's course of action, we absolutely have to raise the question of whether or not Garnett's knee is in worse shape than we had originally thought. But, that question will remain just a question until we either see Garnett shut down for the rest of the regular season and the post season or we see him back playing 30+ minutes on a nightly basis. Right now, any and all speculation is nothing more than rumors.
However, if Garnett were to come back less than 100 percent but able to play, would we expect him to? Personally, I don't see why he wouldn't try. He's 32 years old. He's had one of the best careers in the history of the sport. He doesn't have that much time left. Right now is make or break for him, so if this ends up being something worse than we thought but still allows him to play, he might as well play. He's not going to get these opportunities for much longer.
This also brings up an interesting point. Many people, including writers and "experts" didn't actually expect the Celtics to win the title last year. They expected the team to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. To a lot of people, last year's Championship run was a surprise. So, with that in mind, what would be the bigger surprise...winning last year, or winning it again this year?
Personally, I would be surprised for us NOT to win it again this year. I will even go so far as to say, and I'll probably be the first person to say this, that we can still win the NBA Championship without Kevin Garnett. Now, I'm not dumb. I know every little thing Garnett does for our team. I probably understand them better than most. I know about the intensity and the passion and the defense and everything else, but do not be so quick to count out the rest of the guys on our roster.
If the worst case scenario occurred and we lost Garnett for the season, we do have two quality reserves waiting to fill his spot. I know that Glen Davis and Leon Powe are not Kevin Garnett, but they both have done masterful jobs of filling in for him. This is a fact that cannot be argued. Whether it be Powe's 30-point, 11-rebound, 5-block effort against the Memphis Grizzlies three weeks ago, or Davis's recent string of back-to-back double-doubles, these two have developed so well over the course of the season that they can now come in and be difference makers.
Don't be so quick to count out Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, either. As great as KG is, all three of these guys can make their own personal cases to be this team's MVP.
Allen, who is in the midst of one of his best shooting seasons of his career, has argulably been the Celtics' most efficient offensive player all season. He's shooting .486 from the field and .954 from the free throw line, both constituting career-highs. Oh yeah, and his .407 mark from three-point nation is nothing to snuff at. And when this team needs him to score, he's more than willing to do his part. He's scored 25 or more points 15 times this season.
As for Pierce, he's Paul Pierce. He's versatile enough to do whatever he needs to do to best help the Celtics win. With Garnett out, scoring will most likely take precedent, but has Pierce ever had trouble putting the ball in the basket? He's scored 30 or more points nine times this season and 25 or more 24 times. He's not slowing down despite everyone thinking being 31 makes you a relic who belongs in some museum exhibit. Oh, and if we have to meet Cleveland at some point with Garnett? Pierce has averaged 28.0 ppg against the Cavs at home this season in two Celtic wins. Granted he scored only 11 in Cleveland, but that night was awful for everyone, not just Pierce. That was simply "one of those nights" and it just happened to come against Cleveland, which made everyone read too much into it.
And then there's Rondo. The man that makes our offense go. The one who everyone thinks can't hit a jump shot. The one who's averaging over 12 points and eight assists in the month of March. The one who can put in 20+ points, WHEN HE NEEDS TO. He's done it 10 times this season. He held Mo Williams to just 12.5 points per game in the Celtics and Cavs' first two meetings (Williams got out of the box for 26 after Rondo sprained his ankle early on in the most recent meeting). It should be noted that the Celtics will have a much easier time beating Cleveland with Williams held in check. If Rondo needs to put his head down and score, he'll score. Like Pierce, he's versatile enough to do what his team needs the most.
Add in the best bench in the NBA (and I'll argue that 'til the day I die), and we can still be optimistic about a post season run. And everyone acts like without Garnett this team will unlace their shoes and literally not play in the playoffs. That's the mindset everyone is taking: they're taking away this team's chances without Garnett before the post season gets under way. Shameful. This might be the blind faith in me coming out, but why would I waste my time thinking we're just not going to win? Where's that going to get me? Hope is hope, no matter how unrealistic it might be.
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Garnett will sit
Uh...I hope we don't have to be more concerned, but Kevin Garnett might not see any time on the floor until the final three games of the season after today's practice didn't go as smoothly as planned...
"After watching him today, we're just gonna shut him down until the soreness goes away. Our goal is the last three games," said Head Coach Doc Rivers (Courtesy of Celtics.com Twitter).
Let's not panic...yet.
I do have some good news. According to Celtics.com Twitter, Leon Powe will wear a knee brace and should return just before the playoffs.
Stay tuned.
"After watching him today, we're just gonna shut him down until the soreness goes away. Our goal is the last three games," said Head Coach Doc Rivers (Courtesy of Celtics.com Twitter).
Let's not panic...yet.
I do have some good news. According to Celtics.com Twitter, Leon Powe will wear a knee brace and should return just before the playoffs.
Stay tuned.
C's bench can carry them to Championship
Like everyone else around here, I cursed the day when James Posey signed with the New Orleans Hornets, as well as the day P.J. Brown officially stayed retired. While they had their own reasons for leaving Boston, it made almost everyone suddenly question the Boston Celtics' bench, which all of a sudden seemed transparent, down right invisible, even.
With only Eddie House returning as a main staple, the so called "experts" were quick to ride off Boston on their quest to repeat and hopped on the Los Angeles Lakers' bandwagon faster than Dr. Seuss could write "Hop on Pop".
Where would we get Posey's steal on Tayshaun Prince in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals? Where would we get Brown's now immortal jump shot in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semis?
What we know now and what we knew coming into this season are two entirely different beasts. Coming in we clearly expected Tony Allen to try and take over Posey's role on the defensive end, but we didn't complain when he put up a respectable 7.8 points per game until we went down with torn ligaments in his right thumb (which he will be returning from shortly).
As for Glen Davis and Leon Powe, those two names did not carry as much weight as they do now. To be fair, Powe's name meant more than Davis's, only because of his performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals (21 points). Still, with the loss of Brown, would Davis and Powe be enough to back up Kendrick Perkins, especially considering the foul trouble Perk still finds himself in on a nightly basis?
Coming in that was a question mark. Now, we have our answer. YES. YES with an exclamation point! Both Powe and Davis have set their respective career-highs in points this season (30 for Powe, 24 for Davis), and, with Kevin Garnett missing time with a right knee strain, both have had to step in and fill out Doc Rivers' starting lineup. Both produced double-doubles before each suffering separate injuries of their own: a sprained ankle for Davis and a sprained knee for Powe (which he should be returning from shortly as well).
Suddenly we were all anxiously awaiting the return of Garnett, not just for his presence, but to see what now has the potential to be one of the best reserve big men duos in the entire NBA. With Davis a sudden master of the 12-foot jump shot and Powe being the banger inside that he is, they compliment each other better than Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz did for all those years. The only question remaining is whether there will be enough rebounds to go around, otherwise we might just see them fighting each other out there.
Davis has put together back-to-back double-doubles in his last two games, and two games before he went down with his knee injury, Powe had posted his career-high of 30 to go along with 11 rebounds.
Then there's House, who, for what seemed like the first time in his NBA career, stayed with the same team for more than one season. Known for his clutch baskets from three-point nation, House helped lead that torrid comeback in Game 4 of last year's Finals, even after missing time in earlier rounds once Sam Cassell was brought in.
Well, House has come back with a vengeance, and has shot a very efficient 43.5 percent from the Nation so far, including 47 percent alone in the month of March.
"Twos hurt you, threes kill you, and when you're making threes like that, it really breaks your back," says Rivers. House has broken a lot of backs lately, most recently the Oklahoma City Thunders', after he posted 16 points and hit three three-point baskets.
To top it off, both Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore have been brought in to sure up any gaps the C's bench might be dealing with. They are the mortar to the bricks which make up our bench, and it appears now that they are finally solidifying and holding the second unit up.
Marbury came in deemed a "cancer" by practically every sports network, website and blog (except this one!), but has been nothing but a good Samaritan, even going as far as recording his own pre-game introduction of Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn for Comcast SportsNet. While he did suffer a rough start which made his critics foam at the mouth like a rabid hyena, Marbury has produced 13 points and 9 assists in his past two games.
He came in somewhat tentative, choosing to pass up his own shots and pass to his teammates, whether they were open or not. Realistically he was trying to prove that the title of "cancer" was just a title those tyrannical fascists in New York threw at him. With a virtual free pass until the playoffs, this past weekend might have been Marbury's best stretch of back-to-back games.
Down in Atlanta on Friday night he posted a season-high 11 points on 4-5 shooting (3 of 4 from the Nation), to go along with two assists. Sunday night vs. Oklahoma City the true point guard in him was unleashed as he dished our seven dimes, nearly matching his career average. In these last seven games, Marbury should be able to put these two together to remind opposing benches just how talented he really is. According to Rivers, Marbury "has great instincts".
Mikki Moore's tendency to foul has been well documented, particularly by me, as he now has slightly over a 17-1 foul-to-block ratio. However, like Marbury, he has put together two solid games back to back, the first consisting of two points and 10 rebounds against Atlanta on Friday and 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Thunder on Sunday. If Moore can keep those fouls down and increase his blocks, he will be a great staple inside against guys like Dwight Howard, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Pau Gasol.
Throw in the steady maturation of one Bill Walker and Rivers suddenly has one of the best, if not the singular best, benches in the NBA. While we all know what to expect from a lineup featuring Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, it could very well be this stellar group of pine guys that carries the Boston Celtics to a second straight NBA Championship.
With only Eddie House returning as a main staple, the so called "experts" were quick to ride off Boston on their quest to repeat and hopped on the Los Angeles Lakers' bandwagon faster than Dr. Seuss could write "Hop on Pop".
Where would we get Posey's steal on Tayshaun Prince in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals? Where would we get Brown's now immortal jump shot in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semis?
What we know now and what we knew coming into this season are two entirely different beasts. Coming in we clearly expected Tony Allen to try and take over Posey's role on the defensive end, but we didn't complain when he put up a respectable 7.8 points per game until we went down with torn ligaments in his right thumb (which he will be returning from shortly).
As for Glen Davis and Leon Powe, those two names did not carry as much weight as they do now. To be fair, Powe's name meant more than Davis's, only because of his performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals (21 points). Still, with the loss of Brown, would Davis and Powe be enough to back up Kendrick Perkins, especially considering the foul trouble Perk still finds himself in on a nightly basis?
Coming in that was a question mark. Now, we have our answer. YES. YES with an exclamation point! Both Powe and Davis have set their respective career-highs in points this season (30 for Powe, 24 for Davis), and, with Kevin Garnett missing time with a right knee strain, both have had to step in and fill out Doc Rivers' starting lineup. Both produced double-doubles before each suffering separate injuries of their own: a sprained ankle for Davis and a sprained knee for Powe (which he should be returning from shortly as well).
Suddenly we were all anxiously awaiting the return of Garnett, not just for his presence, but to see what now has the potential to be one of the best reserve big men duos in the entire NBA. With Davis a sudden master of the 12-foot jump shot and Powe being the banger inside that he is, they compliment each other better than Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz did for all those years. The only question remaining is whether there will be enough rebounds to go around, otherwise we might just see them fighting each other out there.
Davis has put together back-to-back double-doubles in his last two games, and two games before he went down with his knee injury, Powe had posted his career-high of 30 to go along with 11 rebounds.
Then there's House, who, for what seemed like the first time in his NBA career, stayed with the same team for more than one season. Known for his clutch baskets from three-point nation, House helped lead that torrid comeback in Game 4 of last year's Finals, even after missing time in earlier rounds once Sam Cassell was brought in.
Well, House has come back with a vengeance, and has shot a very efficient 43.5 percent from the Nation so far, including 47 percent alone in the month of March.
"Twos hurt you, threes kill you, and when you're making threes like that, it really breaks your back," says Rivers. House has broken a lot of backs lately, most recently the Oklahoma City Thunders', after he posted 16 points and hit three three-point baskets.
To top it off, both Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore have been brought in to sure up any gaps the C's bench might be dealing with. They are the mortar to the bricks which make up our bench, and it appears now that they are finally solidifying and holding the second unit up.
Marbury came in deemed a "cancer" by practically every sports network, website and blog (except this one!), but has been nothing but a good Samaritan, even going as far as recording his own pre-game introduction of Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn for Comcast SportsNet. While he did suffer a rough start which made his critics foam at the mouth like a rabid hyena, Marbury has produced 13 points and 9 assists in his past two games.
He came in somewhat tentative, choosing to pass up his own shots and pass to his teammates, whether they were open or not. Realistically he was trying to prove that the title of "cancer" was just a title those tyrannical fascists in New York threw at him. With a virtual free pass until the playoffs, this past weekend might have been Marbury's best stretch of back-to-back games.
Down in Atlanta on Friday night he posted a season-high 11 points on 4-5 shooting (3 of 4 from the Nation), to go along with two assists. Sunday night vs. Oklahoma City the true point guard in him was unleashed as he dished our seven dimes, nearly matching his career average. In these last seven games, Marbury should be able to put these two together to remind opposing benches just how talented he really is. According to Rivers, Marbury "has great instincts".
Mikki Moore's tendency to foul has been well documented, particularly by me, as he now has slightly over a 17-1 foul-to-block ratio. However, like Marbury, he has put together two solid games back to back, the first consisting of two points and 10 rebounds against Atlanta on Friday and 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Thunder on Sunday. If Moore can keep those fouls down and increase his blocks, he will be a great staple inside against guys like Dwight Howard, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Pau Gasol.
Throw in the steady maturation of one Bill Walker and Rivers suddenly has one of the best, if not the singular best, benches in the NBA. While we all know what to expect from a lineup featuring Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, it could very well be this stellar group of pine guys that carries the Boston Celtics to a second straight NBA Championship.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Just some thoughts on the injuries and the best bench in the NBA
Well, the latest on Brian Scalabrine is that he has now been setback in his attempt to return from two concussions and a neck strain. According to the Boston Herald, Scal has now dealt with headaches after his weight lifting sessions, which essentially was the only activity he was permitted to participate in, aside from riding the stationary bike.
This really has become a matter unrelated to basketball. Scal played great for us this season when we needed him too, but we do have to remember that he was in street clothes for the Playoffs last season. I love Scal like everyone else, but he needs to sit back and take his time and recover for the sake of his own life and not the game of basketball. Get well soon, Scal.
As for Leon Powe, he is able to run and will supposedly be back just before the playoffs or early on in the extra season. We will have to wait and see on that one. As with any injury, the sooner it heals, the better off we'll be. It's interesting at how Glen Davis and Powe can never seem to find time on the court together any more. Once Garnett went down, Baby stepped in for a while and put up some eye opening numbers before he suffered his own ankle injury, then Leon stepped in and dominated.
It's also interesting at how both Powe and Davis have each set career-highs in points while the other was out with injury. It's ALSO interesting that they both set their respective career-highs (30 for Leon, 24 for Glen) against the Memphis Grizzlies. Leon did it in Boston and Baby did it in Tennessee.
So what's going to happen when they both come back? Suddenly our second unit is insane. Forget the points and rebounds these too have been collecting as of late...their hustle alone can win basketball games. We've seen Davis get on the floor in the past three games and Leon must average like 4 charges taken per game (I should start monitoring that stat...). Leon can bang inside for clean up baskets and Davis can hang about ten feet outside the paint for his now patented jump shot. Throw in a steadily improving Stephon Marbury, a lights out, on fire Eddie House and player X, and suddenly the Celtics are close to 12-14 men deep. I like the sound of that...
And then there's Tony Allen. I honestly just feel bad for him at this point. If it's not his knees, it's something else. Just when he looks like he's back from his knee injuries, and he's attacking the hoop relentlessly, he tears half the ligaments in his thumb. Much like Scalabrine, TA really was not used in the playoffs whatsoever last season, not even when it came time to guard players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant (miss you every day Posey...I'm not nostalgic, I swear). At this point his return is nothing more than gravy. Will he be battling Bill Walker for playing time? I hate to say it, but Billy's taken away that excitement factor from Allen. We used to wait for Allen to throw a mean one down on some poor, unsuspecting big man, but now we only want to see Walker leap a step in from the free throw line to throw it down (on LeBron James, no less).
One thing that Walker would benefit from is Tony's slashing game. All we hear is how Billy's a slasher, but have we ever actually seen him slash through an entire defense to get to the rim? If there ever was a player who does that well, it is Tony Allen. That's exactly where he will have the advantage over Bill Walker. He can get to the rim whenever he want and he's not afraid to try. Walker clearly has that killer instinct, but maybe once in a while he can be a little more selfish and try and get to the rim? He has my blessing.
Still waitin' for that block, Mikki Moore...But I do give you a free pass last night because you gave us a double-double (12 points, 10 boards). I hope you kissed Rajon Rondo's feet after the game for giving you all of those easy dunks. Just give me the block. That 17-1 ratio actually got worse last night...
Let's take a look at the bench (assuming all are healthy...I'll exclude Scal because, once again, that is no longer just a basketball injury):
Stephon Marbury
Eddie House
Glen Davis
Leon Powe
Bill Walker
Tony Allen
Mikki Moore
Gabe Pruitt (remember him?)
J.R. Giddens (probably won't make the postseason roster)
Those first seven, in my mind, comprise the best bench in the NBA. In fact...why not dedicate a whole post as to how we have the best bench in the NBA (and the best starting five)? I like the sound of that...
Stay tuned.
This really has become a matter unrelated to basketball. Scal played great for us this season when we needed him too, but we do have to remember that he was in street clothes for the Playoffs last season. I love Scal like everyone else, but he needs to sit back and take his time and recover for the sake of his own life and not the game of basketball. Get well soon, Scal.
As for Leon Powe, he is able to run and will supposedly be back just before the playoffs or early on in the extra season. We will have to wait and see on that one. As with any injury, the sooner it heals, the better off we'll be. It's interesting at how Glen Davis and Powe can never seem to find time on the court together any more. Once Garnett went down, Baby stepped in for a while and put up some eye opening numbers before he suffered his own ankle injury, then Leon stepped in and dominated.
It's also interesting at how both Powe and Davis have each set career-highs in points while the other was out with injury. It's ALSO interesting that they both set their respective career-highs (30 for Leon, 24 for Glen) against the Memphis Grizzlies. Leon did it in Boston and Baby did it in Tennessee.
So what's going to happen when they both come back? Suddenly our second unit is insane. Forget the points and rebounds these too have been collecting as of late...their hustle alone can win basketball games. We've seen Davis get on the floor in the past three games and Leon must average like 4 charges taken per game (I should start monitoring that stat...). Leon can bang inside for clean up baskets and Davis can hang about ten feet outside the paint for his now patented jump shot. Throw in a steadily improving Stephon Marbury, a lights out, on fire Eddie House and player X, and suddenly the Celtics are close to 12-14 men deep. I like the sound of that...
And then there's Tony Allen. I honestly just feel bad for him at this point. If it's not his knees, it's something else. Just when he looks like he's back from his knee injuries, and he's attacking the hoop relentlessly, he tears half the ligaments in his thumb. Much like Scalabrine, TA really was not used in the playoffs whatsoever last season, not even when it came time to guard players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant (miss you every day Posey...I'm not nostalgic, I swear). At this point his return is nothing more than gravy. Will he be battling Bill Walker for playing time? I hate to say it, but Billy's taken away that excitement factor from Allen. We used to wait for Allen to throw a mean one down on some poor, unsuspecting big man, but now we only want to see Walker leap a step in from the free throw line to throw it down (on LeBron James, no less).
One thing that Walker would benefit from is Tony's slashing game. All we hear is how Billy's a slasher, but have we ever actually seen him slash through an entire defense to get to the rim? If there ever was a player who does that well, it is Tony Allen. That's exactly where he will have the advantage over Bill Walker. He can get to the rim whenever he want and he's not afraid to try. Walker clearly has that killer instinct, but maybe once in a while he can be a little more selfish and try and get to the rim? He has my blessing.
Still waitin' for that block, Mikki Moore...But I do give you a free pass last night because you gave us a double-double (12 points, 10 boards). I hope you kissed Rajon Rondo's feet after the game for giving you all of those easy dunks. Just give me the block. That 17-1 ratio actually got worse last night...
Let's take a look at the bench (assuming all are healthy...I'll exclude Scal because, once again, that is no longer just a basketball injury):
Stephon Marbury
Eddie House
Glen Davis
Leon Powe
Bill Walker
Tony Allen
Mikki Moore
Gabe Pruitt (remember him?)
J.R. Giddens (probably won't make the postseason roster)
Those first seven, in my mind, comprise the best bench in the NBA. In fact...why not dedicate a whole post as to how we have the best bench in the NBA (and the best starting five)? I like the sound of that...
Stay tuned.
Marbury and Moore making the necessary strides
It's safe to say that both Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore have struggled at times while wearing a Boston Celtics jersey. There have been games when Marbury hasn't scored and games when he hasn't had a single assist. There have been times when Moore has fouled out with nearly an entire quarter to go when his team is in desperate need of a big body in the paint.
However, last Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, both Marbury and Moore appeared to turn the corner. Marbury put in a season-high 11 points on 4-5 shooting (3-4 from three-point nation), and Moore added two points and 10 rebounds.
Not coincidentally, the Celtics led by as many as 20 points (89-69) during that game and would inevitably hold on to win by six, 99-93. According to Head Coach Doc Rivers, comfort could be the key for Marbury.
"(Marbury) was comfortable shooting. He didn't hesitate," Rivers said on Friday. "That's the first step. My favorite move was late in the game, in the second half when he drove and finished because you can see slowly his legs are starting to get up under him and it's going to keep getting better for him. We just gotta keep throwing him out there."
While the flashes of steady production have been there for both of them, Marbury and Moore need to show consistency from here on out, especially if Rivers is to show trust in them once the postseason hits. So it was a good sign last night when Marbury handed out seven assists and Moore added a superb, 12-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Celtics knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-84.
Marbury only scored two points, but Rivers credits that to having a pass-first mindset, which can hurt him at times.
"The only thing I told Steph at halftime is that I thought he had open shots and he was thinking pass," Rivers recalled. "Even the one, you remember, when he bobbled it out of bounds, that was a layup, but you could see him - he was catching the ball to pass and I just said, 'Steph, be a scorer and your instincts will take over'. He has great instincts and I thought he did that in the second half."
As for Moore, Rivers would also like to see him play with a scorer's mindset.
"Mikki's starting to understand when he's open, shoot the ball, 'cause he can really shoot the ball," said Rivers. "Honestly I thought he didn't feel he was worthy. When you're on the floor it's an adjustment. When you're on the floor next to Paul and Ray, Kevin and you're open and you're thinking, 'There's no way I should shoot the ball', and what we're trying to get him to do (is) shoot the ball."
When one comes to this Boston Celtic team, he needs to understand that he will be held accountable for his lapses on the defensive end. That could be where Moore has struggled the most, as he came into last night's game with a horrid 17-1 foul-to-block ratio. That ratio wasn't helped last night when he recorded five personals and zero rejections.
But, according to Rivers, it is getting better.
"Yeah, (Mikki's) getting better. He's starting to get his body in place, he took a couple charges. He's still late and that's what accounts for all the fouls. But he's getting it better. You can see it step by step. He's not there yet, but he's getting there. His length is a factor and he plays with great energy."
Both Marbury and Moore will be surely be called upon to do battle against other team's benches in the postseason, possibly against the likes of Philadelphia, Cleveland, Orlando, and, hopefully, a team from the Western Conference come June.
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However, last Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, both Marbury and Moore appeared to turn the corner. Marbury put in a season-high 11 points on 4-5 shooting (3-4 from three-point nation), and Moore added two points and 10 rebounds.
Not coincidentally, the Celtics led by as many as 20 points (89-69) during that game and would inevitably hold on to win by six, 99-93. According to Head Coach Doc Rivers, comfort could be the key for Marbury.
"(Marbury) was comfortable shooting. He didn't hesitate," Rivers said on Friday. "That's the first step. My favorite move was late in the game, in the second half when he drove and finished because you can see slowly his legs are starting to get up under him and it's going to keep getting better for him. We just gotta keep throwing him out there."
While the flashes of steady production have been there for both of them, Marbury and Moore need to show consistency from here on out, especially if Rivers is to show trust in them once the postseason hits. So it was a good sign last night when Marbury handed out seven assists and Moore added a superb, 12-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Celtics knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-84.
Marbury only scored two points, but Rivers credits that to having a pass-first mindset, which can hurt him at times.
"The only thing I told Steph at halftime is that I thought he had open shots and he was thinking pass," Rivers recalled. "Even the one, you remember, when he bobbled it out of bounds, that was a layup, but you could see him - he was catching the ball to pass and I just said, 'Steph, be a scorer and your instincts will take over'. He has great instincts and I thought he did that in the second half."
As for Moore, Rivers would also like to see him play with a scorer's mindset.
"Mikki's starting to understand when he's open, shoot the ball, 'cause he can really shoot the ball," said Rivers. "Honestly I thought he didn't feel he was worthy. When you're on the floor it's an adjustment. When you're on the floor next to Paul and Ray, Kevin and you're open and you're thinking, 'There's no way I should shoot the ball', and what we're trying to get him to do (is) shoot the ball."
When one comes to this Boston Celtic team, he needs to understand that he will be held accountable for his lapses on the defensive end. That could be where Moore has struggled the most, as he came into last night's game with a horrid 17-1 foul-to-block ratio. That ratio wasn't helped last night when he recorded five personals and zero rejections.
But, according to Rivers, it is getting better.
"Yeah, (Mikki's) getting better. He's starting to get his body in place, he took a couple charges. He's still late and that's what accounts for all the fouls. But he's getting it better. You can see it step by step. He's not there yet, but he's getting there. His length is a factor and he plays with great energy."
Both Marbury and Moore will be surely be called upon to do battle against other team's benches in the postseason, possibly against the likes of Philadelphia, Cleveland, Orlando, and, hopefully, a team from the Western Conference come June.
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Celtics rain, and bleed, on Thunder's parade
When it was all said and done at the TD Banknorth Garden earlier tonight, the Boston Celtics had to scratch, claw and even bleed to take down a very pesky Oklahoma City Thunder team, 103-84, to kick off their five-game homestand.
With 5:47 left in the third quarter, Glen Davis took a Kevin Durant left elbow to the forehead and was soon spewing blood into his palm before leaving the game to receive ten stitches to close up the gash. He would return to hit his final five shots and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double for the second straight game.
"(The hit) just woke me up," Davis said afterward. "It just woke me up. That's just one thing I gotta learn as a second year player is to always turn it on. Don't try and turn it on when you get mad or something happens. You gotta start from the get go."
Some might wonder why the Thunder came in only 20-52, as they were set on trying to knock off the defending Champs and held a 25-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Celtics, suddenly needing to come alive, turned to Mikki Moore, who tied a season-high with 12 points and Rajon Rondo, who, in between an eye popping one handed dunk from the middle of the paint, dished out seven of his 12 assists in the first half, to bring the Celtics to a 45-45 tie after two.
The Thunder, suddenly full of confidence, would go on a 9-0 run halfway through the third quarter, giving them a 60-52 lead, despite Kevin Durant (21 points) being hindered by foul trouble. It was apparent though, that the Celtics would come alive at some point, and their heroes were none other than Eddie House who scored eight points during a key 10-1 Boston run which helped them reclaim the lead at 66-65 with 2:33 left in the third, and Paul Pierce who put in 13 of his game-high 27 in the third frame, giving the hosts a 71-68 lead.
"You know, shooters know their game," Rivers said of House. "In the first half he rushed every shot, you know, quick shots. He was open, but he rushed them. At halftime I walk in and he's looking at all his shots on video and the first thing he says is, 'Too quick', we said, 'Yeah'. Second half I thought he took his time."
Boston would only pour it on from there. A jumper from House with 10:33 left pushed Boston's lead to seven, 75-68, their largest of the night. Then Pierce buried a three-pointer of his own with 9:29 left, giving Boston an eight point lead (80-72). With 7:17 left, House struck again, this time with another three, giving Boston their first double-digit lead at 11 (85-74).
"We say it with our defense, 'Twos hurt you, threes kill you' and when you're making threes in a row like that, it really breaks your back," said Rivers.
Stephon Marbury, who continues to make drastic improvements, put in his only bucket with 5:15 to go, pushing Boston's lead to 13 (89-76). Marbury added seven assists, and he and Rondo combined for 19 of Boston's 29 assists on the night.
"I thought Steph gave us a lift, Mikki Moore gave us a lift, I thought Billy (Walker) gave us a lift. I thought our bench tonight gave us energy," added Rivers. Boston's bench would finish with 34 points on the night.
Davis would add the final touches with a free throw and back to back jump shots, giving Boston a 98-80 lead with 2:47 left.
"I'm gonna have someone knock some sense into him, like they did," Rivers joked. "Clearly, once they hit him he was a different person. So either someone else on the team, on the other team or I'm going to carry a hammer around."
When asked if the stitches hurt, Davis replied, "Yeah. But it's okay. I'm a beast. I'm an animal."
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With 5:47 left in the third quarter, Glen Davis took a Kevin Durant left elbow to the forehead and was soon spewing blood into his palm before leaving the game to receive ten stitches to close up the gash. He would return to hit his final five shots and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double for the second straight game.
"(The hit) just woke me up," Davis said afterward. "It just woke me up. That's just one thing I gotta learn as a second year player is to always turn it on. Don't try and turn it on when you get mad or something happens. You gotta start from the get go."
Some might wonder why the Thunder came in only 20-52, as they were set on trying to knock off the defending Champs and held a 25-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Celtics, suddenly needing to come alive, turned to Mikki Moore, who tied a season-high with 12 points and Rajon Rondo, who, in between an eye popping one handed dunk from the middle of the paint, dished out seven of his 12 assists in the first half, to bring the Celtics to a 45-45 tie after two.
The Thunder, suddenly full of confidence, would go on a 9-0 run halfway through the third quarter, giving them a 60-52 lead, despite Kevin Durant (21 points) being hindered by foul trouble. It was apparent though, that the Celtics would come alive at some point, and their heroes were none other than Eddie House who scored eight points during a key 10-1 Boston run which helped them reclaim the lead at 66-65 with 2:33 left in the third, and Paul Pierce who put in 13 of his game-high 27 in the third frame, giving the hosts a 71-68 lead.
"You know, shooters know their game," Rivers said of House. "In the first half he rushed every shot, you know, quick shots. He was open, but he rushed them. At halftime I walk in and he's looking at all his shots on video and the first thing he says is, 'Too quick', we said, 'Yeah'. Second half I thought he took his time."
Boston would only pour it on from there. A jumper from House with 10:33 left pushed Boston's lead to seven, 75-68, their largest of the night. Then Pierce buried a three-pointer of his own with 9:29 left, giving Boston an eight point lead (80-72). With 7:17 left, House struck again, this time with another three, giving Boston their first double-digit lead at 11 (85-74).
"We say it with our defense, 'Twos hurt you, threes kill you' and when you're making threes in a row like that, it really breaks your back," said Rivers.
Stephon Marbury, who continues to make drastic improvements, put in his only bucket with 5:15 to go, pushing Boston's lead to 13 (89-76). Marbury added seven assists, and he and Rondo combined for 19 of Boston's 29 assists on the night.
"I thought Steph gave us a lift, Mikki Moore gave us a lift, I thought Billy (Walker) gave us a lift. I thought our bench tonight gave us energy," added Rivers. Boston's bench would finish with 34 points on the night.
Davis would add the final touches with a free throw and back to back jump shots, giving Boston a 98-80 lead with 2:47 left.
"I'm gonna have someone knock some sense into him, like they did," Rivers joked. "Clearly, once they hit him he was a different person. So either someone else on the team, on the other team or I'm going to carry a hammer around."
When asked if the stitches hurt, Davis replied, "Yeah. But it's okay. I'm a beast. I'm an animal."
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Kevin Garnett out tonight vs. Thunder
Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe is repoorting that Kevin Garnett will miss tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Garnett did not participate in this morning's shootaround and is still recovering from a posterior right knee strain he suffered February 19th vs. the Utah Jazz.
10 things I'd like to see against the Oklahoma City Thunder
I'm beginning to wonder if this could be a popular staple here on the Circuit...let's consider it a test run for a while.
1) Two of the best scorers in the league in Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant will take the floor tonight. Who wouldn't want to see an all-out back and forth scoring explosion between these two, resembling Bird vs. Wilkins and Pierce vs. James?
2) I want to see just how good this kid Russell Westbrook is. I was surprised like a lot of other people that he was taken so high in the draft last year, but so far his season averages of 15.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds have made him worth it. It will be numbed down a bit because Rajon Rondo might not play, but I still want to see what the kid's got.
3) Don't look now, but Jeff Green's averaging 17 and 7 this year. While I would never have not made that Draft Day deal for Ray Allen, it'd still be nice to see him struggle just so we can all smile a bit more, reminding us that it was all worth it.
4) It'll be fun to take a trip back in time tonight, as this Oklahoma City team resembles the 2006-2007 Boston Celtics that won 24 games. They have some tremendous young pieces (Westbrook, Green) and a proven scorer (Durant), but they can't defend well enough to win many games. The Thunder might even be somewhat within fighting distance entering the fourth quarter and that's when all us Boston people will say, "Well, they gave it a valiant effort..."
5) I'm still waiting for that block, Mikki Moore! His last block came against the Grizzlies two Saturdays ago, and since then, he's had zero block and 14 fouls, which means, according to his 17-1 foul to block ratio, he'll have to foul three more people tonight before he gets that oh so coveted blocked shot.
6) Speaking of blocks, I'd love to see Glen Davis pull another "block and cuff the ball in midair" like he did on Joe Johnson Friday night. That was one of the best blocks I have ever seen. And hey, Dominique liked it:
“That’s the best block I’ve seen in the last year,” Wilkins said. “A block like that, now that gets my respect. That kid is good.”
7) I want Stephon Marbury in double figures once again. Friday was a huge step for him, but we all want to see a little bit of consistency, including Marbury himself. These next five games at home could be huge for his personal progress and it starts tonight.
8) I just want to stare at the TD Banknorth Garden floor and listen to the best home crowd in all of basketball. It feels like months since we've spent any considerable time in our own building. And to cap it all off? Gino.
9) Chucky Atkins will be in town tonight! Remember when he played for us? Sure you do. He averaged 12 points a game for us and we used him as trade bait to bring in Gary Payton! Welcome back to Boston, Chuckster!
10) It'd be nice to see us start a winning streak on Sunday. We're only 1-4 in our past five games on "New Episode of Family Guy and Nitro Circus" day, and we'll be playing a lot of games throughout the playoffs on Sunday afternoons. We have to break this weird curse at some point, so what better night than tonight?
1) Two of the best scorers in the league in Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant will take the floor tonight. Who wouldn't want to see an all-out back and forth scoring explosion between these two, resembling Bird vs. Wilkins and Pierce vs. James?
2) I want to see just how good this kid Russell Westbrook is. I was surprised like a lot of other people that he was taken so high in the draft last year, but so far his season averages of 15.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds have made him worth it. It will be numbed down a bit because Rajon Rondo might not play, but I still want to see what the kid's got.
3) Don't look now, but Jeff Green's averaging 17 and 7 this year. While I would never have not made that Draft Day deal for Ray Allen, it'd still be nice to see him struggle just so we can all smile a bit more, reminding us that it was all worth it.
4) It'll be fun to take a trip back in time tonight, as this Oklahoma City team resembles the 2006-2007 Boston Celtics that won 24 games. They have some tremendous young pieces (Westbrook, Green) and a proven scorer (Durant), but they can't defend well enough to win many games. The Thunder might even be somewhat within fighting distance entering the fourth quarter and that's when all us Boston people will say, "Well, they gave it a valiant effort..."
5) I'm still waiting for that block, Mikki Moore! His last block came against the Grizzlies two Saturdays ago, and since then, he's had zero block and 14 fouls, which means, according to his 17-1 foul to block ratio, he'll have to foul three more people tonight before he gets that oh so coveted blocked shot.
6) Speaking of blocks, I'd love to see Glen Davis pull another "block and cuff the ball in midair" like he did on Joe Johnson Friday night. That was one of the best blocks I have ever seen. And hey, Dominique liked it:
“That’s the best block I’ve seen in the last year,” Wilkins said. “A block like that, now that gets my respect. That kid is good.”
7) I want Stephon Marbury in double figures once again. Friday was a huge step for him, but we all want to see a little bit of consistency, including Marbury himself. These next five games at home could be huge for his personal progress and it starts tonight.
8) I just want to stare at the TD Banknorth Garden floor and listen to the best home crowd in all of basketball. It feels like months since we've spent any considerable time in our own building. And to cap it all off? Gino.
9) Chucky Atkins will be in town tonight! Remember when he played for us? Sure you do. He averaged 12 points a game for us and we used him as trade bait to bring in Gary Payton! Welcome back to Boston, Chuckster!
10) It'd be nice to see us start a winning streak on Sunday. We're only 1-4 in our past five games on "New Episode of Family Guy and Nitro Circus" day, and we'll be playing a lot of games throughout the playoffs on Sunday afternoons. We have to break this weird curse at some point, so what better night than tonight?
Rondo could miss tonight's game vs. Thunder
From Steven Bulpett of the Boston Herald:
While the Celts were granted a day off yesterday, Rajon Rondo [stats], the point guard ahead of Marbury on the depth chart, went to the practice facility to get treatment on his sore ankles. It’s quite possible that Rondo will be given a game or two off soon to help him heal even further.
While the Celts were granted a day off yesterday, Rajon Rondo [stats], the point guard ahead of Marbury on the depth chart, went to the practice facility to get treatment on his sore ankles. It’s quite possible that Rondo will be given a game or two off soon to help him heal even further.
Five game homestand exactly what Boston needs
For the first time in what seems like months, the Boston Celtics will finally get to spend some considerable time on their home floor. Cue the home cliches:
There's no place like home! Home sweet home! A man's home is his castle!
Okay, that's enough...
The point is, we will have the next two and a half weeks in Boston, and there's never been a much more needed time for it. With Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine all nursing injuries, the friendly combines of the TD Banknorth Garden have never looked so welcoming (once the floor gets changed from the NCAA Tournament of course. Go Nova!).
We can actually afford to rest anyone we need to as well (Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, for example), seeing as we'll be up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Charlotte Bobcats, the Atlanta Hawks, the Miami Heat and the New Jersey Nets, who we have a combined 10-2 record against this season. With the win over Atlanta on Friday, there is virtually no way that Atlanta can pass us for the # 3 seed in the Conference, so we're essentially home free for the rest of the regular season. If some games aren't won because rest is being given to the injured and also Pierce and Allen, so be it. It's what's necessary at this point.
These last three weeks are all about gearing up for the playoffs, and during this five game stretch at home, the Celtics will finally be able to partake in an activity that has become sacred over the past two seasons: practice. That's right, the almighty team time where we can perfect our offensive and defensive sets before the post season hits us. With two days in between tonight's game and Wednesday's game against Charlotte, everyone will have the chance to get a little R and R before heading back to Waltham for a practice session or two.
Then, after Friday's game against Atlanta, we'll have a whopping four days off before playing the Nets the following Wednesday. We're talking extra sleep, home cooked meals, time with families and no travel-related stress whatsoever. We won't even have to think about an airplane for the next three weeks. This is absolutely perfect timing, and the extra practices can only help the likes of Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore, who are beginning to round into form and are showing signs that they can contribute come playoff time.
Also, if KG gets back within the next week, Marbury and Moore can finally practice with him a part of the first unit, which will be necessary once the playoffs hit. Hopefully by the time we head out to Cleveland in three weeks we could see Garnett and Rondo get fully healthy and possibly even have Tony Allen back from this thumb injury. Then we'd only be waiting on Powe and Scal, and it looks like Powe could be making his return from a sprained right knee first.
When it does come time to think about traveling once again, it will only be to Cleveland and Philadelphia, as those are our only two road games left this season. It's nice not knowing we'll be trekking all the way across the country for a pointless game against a team like Sacramento or the Clippers.
So what about Cleveland and Orlando?
Well, Cleveland has six home games and four road games remaining on their schedule. They have nothing longer than a two-game home stand, and their largest gap between games is only two days, which comes between Sunday, April 5th and Wednesday the 8th.
As for the Magic, they have five left at home and five on the road and like Cleveland, they have nothing more than a two-game home stand and their largest gap in between games is only two days, between Saturday April 4th and Tuesday the 7th. The difference, though? They'll be on the road for this stretch and not in the safe combines of Orlando.
This is now all about the playoffs and we easily have the best schedule from here on out in terms of preparing ourselves to defend our title. After battling through arguably the toughest schedule in the league for the entire season, we're finally rewarded with essentially no spots to lose and only some to gain, if we so choose to.
The message for the next five games is simple: Get healthy. Get rested. And gear up. Banner 18 depends on it.
Stay tuned.
There's no place like home! Home sweet home! A man's home is his castle!
Okay, that's enough...
The point is, we will have the next two and a half weeks in Boston, and there's never been a much more needed time for it. With Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine all nursing injuries, the friendly combines of the TD Banknorth Garden have never looked so welcoming (once the floor gets changed from the NCAA Tournament of course. Go Nova!).
We can actually afford to rest anyone we need to as well (Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, for example), seeing as we'll be up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Charlotte Bobcats, the Atlanta Hawks, the Miami Heat and the New Jersey Nets, who we have a combined 10-2 record against this season. With the win over Atlanta on Friday, there is virtually no way that Atlanta can pass us for the # 3 seed in the Conference, so we're essentially home free for the rest of the regular season. If some games aren't won because rest is being given to the injured and also Pierce and Allen, so be it. It's what's necessary at this point.
These last three weeks are all about gearing up for the playoffs, and during this five game stretch at home, the Celtics will finally be able to partake in an activity that has become sacred over the past two seasons: practice. That's right, the almighty team time where we can perfect our offensive and defensive sets before the post season hits us. With two days in between tonight's game and Wednesday's game against Charlotte, everyone will have the chance to get a little R and R before heading back to Waltham for a practice session or two.
Then, after Friday's game against Atlanta, we'll have a whopping four days off before playing the Nets the following Wednesday. We're talking extra sleep, home cooked meals, time with families and no travel-related stress whatsoever. We won't even have to think about an airplane for the next three weeks. This is absolutely perfect timing, and the extra practices can only help the likes of Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore, who are beginning to round into form and are showing signs that they can contribute come playoff time.
Also, if KG gets back within the next week, Marbury and Moore can finally practice with him a part of the first unit, which will be necessary once the playoffs hit. Hopefully by the time we head out to Cleveland in three weeks we could see Garnett and Rondo get fully healthy and possibly even have Tony Allen back from this thumb injury. Then we'd only be waiting on Powe and Scal, and it looks like Powe could be making his return from a sprained right knee first.
When it does come time to think about traveling once again, it will only be to Cleveland and Philadelphia, as those are our only two road games left this season. It's nice not knowing we'll be trekking all the way across the country for a pointless game against a team like Sacramento or the Clippers.
So what about Cleveland and Orlando?
Well, Cleveland has six home games and four road games remaining on their schedule. They have nothing longer than a two-game home stand, and their largest gap between games is only two days, which comes between Sunday, April 5th and Wednesday the 8th.
As for the Magic, they have five left at home and five on the road and like Cleveland, they have nothing more than a two-game home stand and their largest gap in between games is only two days, between Saturday April 4th and Tuesday the 7th. The difference, though? They'll be on the road for this stretch and not in the safe combines of Orlando.
This is now all about the playoffs and we easily have the best schedule from here on out in terms of preparing ourselves to defend our title. After battling through arguably the toughest schedule in the league for the entire season, we're finally rewarded with essentially no spots to lose and only some to gain, if we so choose to.
The message for the next five games is simple: Get healthy. Get rested. And gear up. Banner 18 depends on it.
Stay tuned.
TONIGHT: CELTICS VS. THUNDER
The Celtics kick off a five-game home stand against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at 7:00pm. Tune into Comcast SportsNet or 850 AM WEEI for full coverage.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The Thunder have lost four of their last five games.
WHO'S HOT: Glen Davis scored 19 points and tied a career-high with 12 rebounds against the Hawks on Friday.
WHO'S NOT: For the Thunder, Kevin Durant shot only 4-13 from the field in the Thunder's loss to the Raptors on Friday.
KEY MATCH UP: Russell Westbrook vs. Rajon Rondo
SKINNY: Kevin Durant pours in points like a Tommy gun shoots out bullets. If Kevin Garnett doesn't play, the Celtics will have a very difficult time with this match up, but shouldn't have any real problems with the Thunder overall.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The Thunder have lost four of their last five games.
WHO'S HOT: Glen Davis scored 19 points and tied a career-high with 12 rebounds against the Hawks on Friday.
WHO'S NOT: For the Thunder, Kevin Durant shot only 4-13 from the field in the Thunder's loss to the Raptors on Friday.
KEY MATCH UP: Russell Westbrook vs. Rajon Rondo
SKINNY: Kevin Durant pours in points like a Tommy gun shoots out bullets. If Kevin Garnett doesn't play, the Celtics will have a very difficult time with this match up, but shouldn't have any real problems with the Thunder overall.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The Cavs are content with their Division Title
I like to think that I pay attention to detail. Which is why I couldn't help but notice when I went on the Cavaliers' website earlier to check out their remaining schedule, they have the following message strewn across the banner at the top of the page: 2009 NBA Central Division Champions.
Is that something you're actually proud of, Cleveland? You came out on top in a Division that features the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls and an underachieving Detroit Pistons team. Their combined records are 131-160. You have 59 wins on the season, almost half of their entire total. I can see why you would totally want to brag about knocking off all of these poor teams who will be lucky to scrap out the 7th or 8th spot in the entire Conference.
You see, in Boston, we don't really care at all about Division Titles. They're less important than Ferbies, 5-in-1 egg slicers, banana tree fruit bowls, or any other crappy invention trying to be sold through the television. They serve no practical purpose.
Take a stroll over to the Celtics' website and you'll notice a nice banner that reads: OFFICIAL SITE OF THE 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONS. That's all that matters, Cleveland. Banners. And we don't put up banners for Division Titles. We spit on them (okay, that could be a stretch). It's okay, some year, you'll know what it feels like to win a title. But it won't be this year. No, this year, you'll be stuck snuggling up to your Division Title, while we go party with Larry O'Brien again.
Stay tuned.
Is that something you're actually proud of, Cleveland? You came out on top in a Division that features the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls and an underachieving Detroit Pistons team. Their combined records are 131-160. You have 59 wins on the season, almost half of their entire total. I can see why you would totally want to brag about knocking off all of these poor teams who will be lucky to scrap out the 7th or 8th spot in the entire Conference.
You see, in Boston, we don't really care at all about Division Titles. They're less important than Ferbies, 5-in-1 egg slicers, banana tree fruit bowls, or any other crappy invention trying to be sold through the television. They serve no practical purpose.
Take a stroll over to the Celtics' website and you'll notice a nice banner that reads: OFFICIAL SITE OF THE 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONS. That's all that matters, Cleveland. Banners. And we don't put up banners for Division Titles. We spit on them (okay, that could be a stretch). It's okay, some year, you'll know what it feels like to win a title. But it won't be this year. No, this year, you'll be stuck snuggling up to your Division Title, while we go party with Larry O'Brien again.
Stay tuned.
Garnett could sit again tomorrow
According to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Kevin Garnett could miss tomorrow night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Garnett sat out of last night's game against the Atlanta Hawks with soreness in his right knee.
“We’re just going to go day by day,” Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “I would say that because of this, sitting him down, I would probably say if we’re going to do it we’re going to do it more than one game, but I’m not sure yet. If he feels great (today), then (tomorrow) comes back into play. But I don’t know. There’s no reason to take a chance."
Garnett has now missed a total of 14 games this season due to a posterior right knee straight he suffered back on February 19th vs. the Utah Jazz.
“We’re just going to go day by day,” Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “I would say that because of this, sitting him down, I would probably say if we’re going to do it we’re going to do it more than one game, but I’m not sure yet. If he feels great (today), then (tomorrow) comes back into play. But I don’t know. There’s no reason to take a chance."
Garnett has now missed a total of 14 games this season due to a posterior right knee straight he suffered back on February 19th vs. the Utah Jazz.
Who doesn't love a total team effort?
While the score might read 99-93 in favor of the Celtics in last night's game down in Atlanta, this really was not a six-point game. Sure, credit Atlanta for coming from 20 points down to get within four, but the C's had this one the whole way.
Even without Kevin Garnett in the lineup and Rondo hobbled by two shaky ankles, which he referred to as, "42-year old ankles", the Celtics were still able to put together one of the best overall team efforts this season. Let's look at some numbers:
Ray Allen: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Paul Pierce: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Glen Davis: 19 points, 12 rebounds (ties a career-high), 2 assists, 1 jaw dropping block on Joe Johnson.
Stephon Marbury: 11 points (4-5 shooting), 2 assists, 0 turnovers
Eddie House: 12 points (2-4 from the Nation)
Game. Set. Match.
I was hoping to see Joe Johnson held under 20 points last night, and I was getting really excited until he threw in three three-pointers in the fourth quarter to get himself to 22. Boston did a great job defensively all night. Josh Smith, the league's greatest Wild Card, managed 21, but made a lot of bone-headed plays along the way...silly fouls on Pierce late during their comeback, for example.
I still give a ton of credit to Rajon Rondo for playing in this one, hobbled ankles and all. Sure, part of me would like to see him sit down because he clearly is not 100 percent right now, but he did manage to contribute 9 points and 5 assists to the cause last night, and really came alive nicely in the third quarter where the Celtics extended their lead all the way to 17.
I did say I wanted to see an easy win, and honestly, I'm going to consider this one. The Hawks really had no shot in this game all night. Down 10 at halftime and 17 after three quarters and by as many as 20 in the fourth? No shot. Davis set a remarkable tone early on with his defense and his rebounding (10 rebounds in the first half). The Baby's growing up and it's nice to see because he is really going to be a quality player in this league for a long time.
I believe a message was sent last night. It's the old, "We can spank you even when Garnett, Powe, Scalabrine and Tony Allen are out and Rondo's only a shade of himself". I cannot stress how impressive the "team" effort was last night. I'll tell you right now, when the Celtics are moving the ball like they did last night (22 assists on 37 baskets), with or without Garnett, they can beat anybody in this league. I don't care how good the Lakers or Cavaliers are, if that many people contribute to Boston's cause, forget about it.
And let's not forget about the defense last night. Atlanta shot just 42.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the Nation (thanks in part to Josh Smith. Why does he shoot threes? I swear there are nights when his basketball I.Q. is like -46).
Seeing Stephon Marbury bury three three-pointers in the second quarter felt great. We don't even need him to shoot that well from distance, we just need him to shoot well in general. He and Eddie House could be that pesky second unit back court duo that just comes in and reeks havoc on the opposing team. The more I think about our bench, the more I like it. We had 25 bench points with arguably our best bench player (Davis) in the starting lineup. Add Baby to the bench and the pine guys would have put in 44 points last night.
The best part? We now have five straight games at the TD Banknorth Garden to tune up for the playoffs. Maybe there is a God? I think I might just go write about that...
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Even without Kevin Garnett in the lineup and Rondo hobbled by two shaky ankles, which he referred to as, "42-year old ankles", the Celtics were still able to put together one of the best overall team efforts this season. Let's look at some numbers:
Ray Allen: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Paul Pierce: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Glen Davis: 19 points, 12 rebounds (ties a career-high), 2 assists, 1 jaw dropping block on Joe Johnson.
Stephon Marbury: 11 points (4-5 shooting), 2 assists, 0 turnovers
Eddie House: 12 points (2-4 from the Nation)
Game. Set. Match.
I was hoping to see Joe Johnson held under 20 points last night, and I was getting really excited until he threw in three three-pointers in the fourth quarter to get himself to 22. Boston did a great job defensively all night. Josh Smith, the league's greatest Wild Card, managed 21, but made a lot of bone-headed plays along the way...silly fouls on Pierce late during their comeback, for example.
I still give a ton of credit to Rajon Rondo for playing in this one, hobbled ankles and all. Sure, part of me would like to see him sit down because he clearly is not 100 percent right now, but he did manage to contribute 9 points and 5 assists to the cause last night, and really came alive nicely in the third quarter where the Celtics extended their lead all the way to 17.
I did say I wanted to see an easy win, and honestly, I'm going to consider this one. The Hawks really had no shot in this game all night. Down 10 at halftime and 17 after three quarters and by as many as 20 in the fourth? No shot. Davis set a remarkable tone early on with his defense and his rebounding (10 rebounds in the first half). The Baby's growing up and it's nice to see because he is really going to be a quality player in this league for a long time.
I believe a message was sent last night. It's the old, "We can spank you even when Garnett, Powe, Scalabrine and Tony Allen are out and Rondo's only a shade of himself". I cannot stress how impressive the "team" effort was last night. I'll tell you right now, when the Celtics are moving the ball like they did last night (22 assists on 37 baskets), with or without Garnett, they can beat anybody in this league. I don't care how good the Lakers or Cavaliers are, if that many people contribute to Boston's cause, forget about it.
And let's not forget about the defense last night. Atlanta shot just 42.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the Nation (thanks in part to Josh Smith. Why does he shoot threes? I swear there are nights when his basketball I.Q. is like -46).
Seeing Stephon Marbury bury three three-pointers in the second quarter felt great. We don't even need him to shoot that well from distance, we just need him to shoot well in general. He and Eddie House could be that pesky second unit back court duo that just comes in and reeks havoc on the opposing team. The more I think about our bench, the more I like it. We had 25 bench points with arguably our best bench player (Davis) in the starting lineup. Add Baby to the bench and the pine guys would have put in 44 points last night.
The best part? We now have five straight games at the TD Banknorth Garden to tune up for the playoffs. Maybe there is a God? I think I might just go write about that...
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Friday, March 27, 2009
Road Resiliency: Undermanned Celtics hold off late Atlanta surge
After Kevin Garnett did not participate in the Boston Celtics' shoot around this morning in Atlanta, it was more or less a foregone conclusion that he would not play in tonight's game against the Hawks. Well, when the Big Ticket can't ball, who ya gonna call? Glen Davis!
The Celtics' backup big man posted 19 points and tied a career-high with 12 rebounds as Boston held on against Atlanta, 99-93.
"I thought (Davis) was terrific," said C's coach Doc Rivers. "We keep trying to get him to just keep it simple and I thought for the most part he did."
Even with Rajon Rondo not playing at 100 percent after recently spraining both ankles and getting in early foul trouble, Boston held Atlanta to just 39 percent shooting in the first quarter and took a 28-25 lead into the second frame.
Stephon Marbury (11 points), who shot 4-5 from the field in this game, drained all three of his three-point attempts in the second quarter and along with Eddie House scoring all 12 of his points, Davis putting in 10 points and 10 rebounds, Paul Pierce scoring 10 of his 21 and Ray Allen contributing eight of his 22, Boston strolled into halftime with a 52-42 edge.
"I thought our bench, Eddie and Steph, in the first half, were huge," Rivers added.
After Boston extended its lead all the way to 17 on a Rondo basket with 7:24 left in the third quarter, Atlanta went on a 9-0 run courtesy of Mike Bibby, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson to make it 64-56. Well, whatever the Hawks can do, the Celtics can do better. Four points from Davis a three from Allen and a flip shot from Rondo made up Boston's own 9-0 spurt, and gave the visitors a 77-60 lead heading into the final period.
"I thought (Rondo) was tentative in the first half," Rivers concluded. "But I thought he moved well in the second half. I thought he was more aggressive. That one stretch opened the game up for us."
After continuing to step on the gas pedal and pushing their lead all the way to 20 (89-69) on an Allen three with 6:07 left, the Celtics flipped on cruise control and thought they'd ride into the sunset. Atlanta had other plans.
A Johnson three-pointer and two free throws by Smith helped spark another 9-0 sprint from the Hawks and they closed the gap to 10 (89-79) with 4:19 to go. A Flip Murray drive and score cut the lead to just five with 1:38 to play and after an Allen jump shot in the lane, Johnson buried his fourth three of the night to cut it to four (95-91) with only 1:11 left.
But Paul Pierce would sink all four of his free throws in the final minute to help the Celtics hold on in a complete and total team effort.
"I think we lost a little bit of focus a little bit of fatigue, a little bit of everything ," admitted Davis. "We came out here and played hard today. But a win's a win. No matter how you win, you win, so I'm just proud of our guys, proud of our coaches and I look forward to the next game."
"We made timely shots, too," said Rivers. "It's amazing how many big shots Ray made or Paul made out of a timeout or (on a) broken play.
"We've got a group that believes they're going to win games, no matter who's on the floor. We really got into each other about execution. I thought we executed poorly in Orlando. It's amazing, a day and a half later and you execute flawlessly at times."
This game caps off an 8-games in 12-nights stretch for Boston, which will now spend the next two and a half weeks in Boston for a five-game home stand.
"It's nice that it's over," said Rivers of the past week and a half. "We only have two road games the rest of the year, we have days off, we have practice time. We have one more that I think is tough, Sunday, because we'll get in late at two or three in the morning and I'm just going to let the guys sleep. We won't have shoot around, just show up for the game and try and get through that one."
Boston certainly did more than enough to get through this one.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
The Celtics' backup big man posted 19 points and tied a career-high with 12 rebounds as Boston held on against Atlanta, 99-93.
"I thought (Davis) was terrific," said C's coach Doc Rivers. "We keep trying to get him to just keep it simple and I thought for the most part he did."
Even with Rajon Rondo not playing at 100 percent after recently spraining both ankles and getting in early foul trouble, Boston held Atlanta to just 39 percent shooting in the first quarter and took a 28-25 lead into the second frame.
Stephon Marbury (11 points), who shot 4-5 from the field in this game, drained all three of his three-point attempts in the second quarter and along with Eddie House scoring all 12 of his points, Davis putting in 10 points and 10 rebounds, Paul Pierce scoring 10 of his 21 and Ray Allen contributing eight of his 22, Boston strolled into halftime with a 52-42 edge.
"I thought our bench, Eddie and Steph, in the first half, were huge," Rivers added.
After Boston extended its lead all the way to 17 on a Rondo basket with 7:24 left in the third quarter, Atlanta went on a 9-0 run courtesy of Mike Bibby, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson to make it 64-56. Well, whatever the Hawks can do, the Celtics can do better. Four points from Davis a three from Allen and a flip shot from Rondo made up Boston's own 9-0 spurt, and gave the visitors a 77-60 lead heading into the final period.
"I thought (Rondo) was tentative in the first half," Rivers concluded. "But I thought he moved well in the second half. I thought he was more aggressive. That one stretch opened the game up for us."
After continuing to step on the gas pedal and pushing their lead all the way to 20 (89-69) on an Allen three with 6:07 left, the Celtics flipped on cruise control and thought they'd ride into the sunset. Atlanta had other plans.
A Johnson three-pointer and two free throws by Smith helped spark another 9-0 sprint from the Hawks and they closed the gap to 10 (89-79) with 4:19 to go. A Flip Murray drive and score cut the lead to just five with 1:38 to play and after an Allen jump shot in the lane, Johnson buried his fourth three of the night to cut it to four (95-91) with only 1:11 left.
But Paul Pierce would sink all four of his free throws in the final minute to help the Celtics hold on in a complete and total team effort.
"I think we lost a little bit of focus a little bit of fatigue, a little bit of everything ," admitted Davis. "We came out here and played hard today. But a win's a win. No matter how you win, you win, so I'm just proud of our guys, proud of our coaches and I look forward to the next game."
"We made timely shots, too," said Rivers. "It's amazing how many big shots Ray made or Paul made out of a timeout or (on a) broken play.
"We've got a group that believes they're going to win games, no matter who's on the floor. We really got into each other about execution. I thought we executed poorly in Orlando. It's amazing, a day and a half later and you execute flawlessly at times."
This game caps off an 8-games in 12-nights stretch for Boston, which will now spend the next two and a half weeks in Boston for a five-game home stand.
"It's nice that it's over," said Rivers of the past week and a half. "We only have two road games the rest of the year, we have days off, we have practice time. We have one more that I think is tough, Sunday, because we'll get in late at two or three in the morning and I'm just going to let the guys sleep. We won't have shoot around, just show up for the game and try and get through that one."
Boston certainly did more than enough to get through this one.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Garnett out; Rondo will play
Kevin Garnett will miss tonight's game with sorness in his right knee. According to Head Coach Doc Rivers, this is not a setback for Garnett. Rajon Rondo will play in this game after recently spraining both of his ankles.
For the Hawks, Marvin Williams will be out.
For the Hawks, Marvin Williams will be out.
Garnett and Rondo gametime decisions
Both Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo will be gametime decision against the Atlanta Hawks tonight, according to the Boston Globe. Rondo recently sprained both ankles and Garnett continues his recovery from a posterior right knee strain.
Tipoff is set for 7:30pm
Tipoff is set for 7:30pm
10 things I'd like to see against the Atlanta Hawks tonight
Let's not waste any time:
1) I would love to see Kevin Garnett play more than just 16-18 minutes. Is that realistic? Not exactly. So, if I can't have that, I'll settle for another one of these:
2) I would love to see Rajon Rondo dish out more than 10 assists tonight. In his previous two games he only has 12 total. His previous four games before that? 42. We need that Rondo back tonight.
3) I would love to see an easy victory tonight. Not just a win, but an easy win. The Celtics need one just for the sake of it (who doesn't love easy wins?), Stephon Marbury can always use more time and the C's should send a message to Atlanta in case they meet them in the playoffs again this year. So far the Celtics have won by an average of two points in the two games they've played against the Hawks this season, including Paul Pierce's half second jump shot on November 12th.
4) It'd be nice if Joe Johnson were held under 20 points tonight. The Hawks go-to-man posted 28 on us in Boston and 20 on us down in Atlanta. Holding him down will certainly help out # 3.
5) I would love nothing more than to see Al Horford pick up 3 fouls in the first quarter. Horford is a guy we all love to hate, so why fight it? How's that song by the Plain White Tee's go? "Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don't like you?" After Pierce's "gang symbol" last year that cost Paul 25K, I've had a bitter taste in my mouth about Horford. He also loves to throw people around unnecessarily. Pierce sinking that jumper over him in Boston in the final seconds was priceless.
6) I'll give Mikki Moore a standing ovation if he can block a shot tonight.
7) A really cool Bill Walker dunk. Like the type where, when you see a guy you know who's also a fan, you simply say, "Did you see that dunk?". It gets Bill going for the rest of the night and it gets the entire bench going. If it happens, look right at the bench. The whole mood swings after Walker throws one down. We love it. The players love it. Let's see it, Bill.
8) I'd love to see Quantum of Solace again. Oh wait, I just got the DVD yesterday. I can watch it whenever I want to!
9) I'd love to see what a sellout crowd in Atlanta looks like. They're expecting one and I'm sure there will be a decent amount of green shirts in the stadium. It's pretty bad when your home arena gets sold out because the OTHER team is playing.
10) Good officiating will be a must tonight. Once again, Atlanta expects this to be a "rivalry" game, so their tempers will be running high. Horford and Pachulia have always been guys who try to shake things up and antagonize KG. We don't need any fights right now.
Stay tuned.
1) I would love to see Kevin Garnett play more than just 16-18 minutes. Is that realistic? Not exactly. So, if I can't have that, I'll settle for another one of these:
2) I would love to see Rajon Rondo dish out more than 10 assists tonight. In his previous two games he only has 12 total. His previous four games before that? 42. We need that Rondo back tonight.
3) I would love to see an easy victory tonight. Not just a win, but an easy win. The Celtics need one just for the sake of it (who doesn't love easy wins?), Stephon Marbury can always use more time and the C's should send a message to Atlanta in case they meet them in the playoffs again this year. So far the Celtics have won by an average of two points in the two games they've played against the Hawks this season, including Paul Pierce's half second jump shot on November 12th.
4) It'd be nice if Joe Johnson were held under 20 points tonight. The Hawks go-to-man posted 28 on us in Boston and 20 on us down in Atlanta. Holding him down will certainly help out # 3.
5) I would love nothing more than to see Al Horford pick up 3 fouls in the first quarter. Horford is a guy we all love to hate, so why fight it? How's that song by the Plain White Tee's go? "Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don't like you?" After Pierce's "gang symbol" last year that cost Paul 25K, I've had a bitter taste in my mouth about Horford. He also loves to throw people around unnecessarily. Pierce sinking that jumper over him in Boston in the final seconds was priceless.
6) I'll give Mikki Moore a standing ovation if he can block a shot tonight.
7) A really cool Bill Walker dunk. Like the type where, when you see a guy you know who's also a fan, you simply say, "Did you see that dunk?". It gets Bill going for the rest of the night and it gets the entire bench going. If it happens, look right at the bench. The whole mood swings after Walker throws one down. We love it. The players love it. Let's see it, Bill.
8) I'd love to see Quantum of Solace again. Oh wait, I just got the DVD yesterday. I can watch it whenever I want to!
9) I'd love to see what a sellout crowd in Atlanta looks like. They're expecting one and I'm sure there will be a decent amount of green shirts in the stadium. It's pretty bad when your home arena gets sold out because the OTHER team is playing.
10) Good officiating will be a must tonight. Once again, Atlanta expects this to be a "rivalry" game, so their tempers will be running high. Horford and Pachulia have always been guys who try to shake things up and antagonize KG. We don't need any fights right now.
Stay tuned.
TONIGHT: CELTICS AT HAWKS
The Boston Celtics look to rebound off of a close loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday when they visit the Atlanta Hawks. Tune into Comcast SportsNet or 850 AM WEEI at 7:30pm for full coverage.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 2-0. The Celtics' record vs. the Hawks this season.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Paul Pierce scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half against the Magic on Wednesday.
WHO'S NOT: Glen Davis, Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore combined for only eight points on Wednesday.
KEY MATCHUP: Ray Allen vs. Joe Johnson
SKINNY: Despite Atlanta's claims that they now have a "rivalry" with the Celtics, this is just another game to help shape the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. With Boston and Orlando both in action tonight, the Celtics could see themselves back in second place by the end of the night. The Celtics should look to avoid getting caught up in a fast paced game with Atlanta and need to look to contain Johnson early.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 2-0. The Celtics' record vs. the Hawks this season.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Paul Pierce scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half against the Magic on Wednesday.
WHO'S NOT: Glen Davis, Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore combined for only eight points on Wednesday.
KEY MATCHUP: Ray Allen vs. Joe Johnson
SKINNY: Despite Atlanta's claims that they now have a "rivalry" with the Celtics, this is just another game to help shape the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. With Boston and Orlando both in action tonight, the Celtics could see themselves back in second place by the end of the night. The Celtics should look to avoid getting caught up in a fast paced game with Atlanta and need to look to contain Johnson early.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Third Place in the East could be a really good thing
Right now the playoff situation is shaping up as thus:
1) Cleveland
2) Orlando
3) Boston
4) Atlanta
5) Miami
6) Philadelphia
7) Detroit
8) Chicago
The more and more I think about this, I honestly think I'd rather play the Sixers than the Pistons. I know the Pistons have obviously fallen off this season compared to their more formative years in the past, but Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace scare me a little bit more than Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller and Thaddeus Young. No disrespect to the guys from the Sixers, but I'd rather see them. I should point out that I use that word "scare" very lightly. The Pistons don't actually scare me, they just bug me because I know they can play and will play very, very well come playoff time.
As for Philly, they're still a young team who really isn't that proven and the Celtics really shouldn't have any trouble with them in a seven-game series. Sure Iguodala could potentially slow down Paul Pierce or Ray Allen, but who's going to stop Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo? Reggie Evans and Miller? Please.
Elton Brand is gone for the season which essentially kills Philly's inside game (let's be honest, Samuel Dalembert never exactly panned out the way the Sixers needed him to), so the fact that the Sixers will have to rely so heavily on an outside game just gives the Celtics another advantage.
Don't get me wrong, Philly has some nice pieces, but these guys are not capable of putting a Championship run together right now. Their lack of production inside more or less seals the deal. The only option Philly would have would be to run up and down as fast as they can and try and get the Celtics caught up in their pace. While the Celtics are capable of getting up and down in the open court, it puts the game strictly on an offensive level, and the fact that the Celtics only allow 92.7 points per game will virtually mean nothing.
If Boston plays their style of play, cleans up the rebounds and plays solid defense, they'll walk right into the second round. They don't even need to play Championship worthy defense (although they probably will anyway). They just have too many options for the Sixers to deal with. Philly gives up 96.8 points per game, while only scoring 97.5 per contest.
Opponents have shot over 45 percent from the field and over 36 percent from three-point nation against the Sixers all season.
Compare that to Boston only allowing opponents to shoot 42 percent from the field and 34 percent from the Nation. Everything essentially falls the Celtics' way in this matchup.
Orlando can go party in Mo-Town and deal with a Pistons team that really does feel like they can contend for a Championship. I'll tell you right now, the Pistons are not going to take one single thing lying down in the post season. They're going to come out firing on all cylinders and will seriously be a horror show for any first round opponent.
As for Cleveland? Well, if everything stays the same and they get Chicago, we're not talking about the Chicago Bulls that started the season. The Bulls now consist of: Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Kirk Heinrich, Brad Miller, Joakim Noah (he won't score but he'll give Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas migraines all night. And he' won two National Championships at Florida), Tyrus Thomas, Tim Thomas (if he's hitting his shots, forget about it Cleveland) and Lindsey Hunter (such a clutch veteran pickup. Any NBA GM will agree). Yeah, have fun with that Cleveland. You can have the first spot. I want no part of those Bulls.
I'll tell you right now, if any team is capable of a first round upset, it's going to be the Chicago Bulls. I'm not going to be so bold as to say they'll knock off Cleveland in the first round, but they are going to give them hell along the way and will most likely exploit some of Cleveland's weaknesses that we might not have seen yet. Luol Deng is a terrific on-the-ball defender, and at 6'9 he certainly has the reach to bother James' outside shot, which is shaky to begin with.
The more I think about this, the more I like the thought of it. I'd be tempted to say let's just hang out and grab the # 3 spot. The only thing that could potentially wipe all of this out is Philly's three-game winning streak. They're now only a half game behind the Heat for the fifth spot. If the Heat do drop to sixth, give me the Pistons. I want no part of Dwyane Wade in the postseason. But if Philly ends up in sixth, I'll take the third spot all day long.
Stay tuned.
1) Cleveland
2) Orlando
3) Boston
4) Atlanta
5) Miami
6) Philadelphia
7) Detroit
8) Chicago
The more and more I think about this, I honestly think I'd rather play the Sixers than the Pistons. I know the Pistons have obviously fallen off this season compared to their more formative years in the past, but Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace scare me a little bit more than Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller and Thaddeus Young. No disrespect to the guys from the Sixers, but I'd rather see them. I should point out that I use that word "scare" very lightly. The Pistons don't actually scare me, they just bug me because I know they can play and will play very, very well come playoff time.
As for Philly, they're still a young team who really isn't that proven and the Celtics really shouldn't have any trouble with them in a seven-game series. Sure Iguodala could potentially slow down Paul Pierce or Ray Allen, but who's going to stop Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo? Reggie Evans and Miller? Please.
Elton Brand is gone for the season which essentially kills Philly's inside game (let's be honest, Samuel Dalembert never exactly panned out the way the Sixers needed him to), so the fact that the Sixers will have to rely so heavily on an outside game just gives the Celtics another advantage.
Don't get me wrong, Philly has some nice pieces, but these guys are not capable of putting a Championship run together right now. Their lack of production inside more or less seals the deal. The only option Philly would have would be to run up and down as fast as they can and try and get the Celtics caught up in their pace. While the Celtics are capable of getting up and down in the open court, it puts the game strictly on an offensive level, and the fact that the Celtics only allow 92.7 points per game will virtually mean nothing.
If Boston plays their style of play, cleans up the rebounds and plays solid defense, they'll walk right into the second round. They don't even need to play Championship worthy defense (although they probably will anyway). They just have too many options for the Sixers to deal with. Philly gives up 96.8 points per game, while only scoring 97.5 per contest.
Opponents have shot over 45 percent from the field and over 36 percent from three-point nation against the Sixers all season.
Compare that to Boston only allowing opponents to shoot 42 percent from the field and 34 percent from the Nation. Everything essentially falls the Celtics' way in this matchup.
Orlando can go party in Mo-Town and deal with a Pistons team that really does feel like they can contend for a Championship. I'll tell you right now, the Pistons are not going to take one single thing lying down in the post season. They're going to come out firing on all cylinders and will seriously be a horror show for any first round opponent.
As for Cleveland? Well, if everything stays the same and they get Chicago, we're not talking about the Chicago Bulls that started the season. The Bulls now consist of: Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Kirk Heinrich, Brad Miller, Joakim Noah (he won't score but he'll give Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas migraines all night. And he' won two National Championships at Florida), Tyrus Thomas, Tim Thomas (if he's hitting his shots, forget about it Cleveland) and Lindsey Hunter (such a clutch veteran pickup. Any NBA GM will agree). Yeah, have fun with that Cleveland. You can have the first spot. I want no part of those Bulls.
I'll tell you right now, if any team is capable of a first round upset, it's going to be the Chicago Bulls. I'm not going to be so bold as to say they'll knock off Cleveland in the first round, but they are going to give them hell along the way and will most likely exploit some of Cleveland's weaknesses that we might not have seen yet. Luol Deng is a terrific on-the-ball defender, and at 6'9 he certainly has the reach to bother James' outside shot, which is shaky to begin with.
The more I think about this, the more I like the thought of it. I'd be tempted to say let's just hang out and grab the # 3 spot. The only thing that could potentially wipe all of this out is Philly's three-game winning streak. They're now only a half game behind the Heat for the fifth spot. If the Heat do drop to sixth, give me the Pistons. I want no part of Dwyane Wade in the postseason. But if Philly ends up in sixth, I'll take the third spot all day long.
Stay tuned.
CELTICS PHOTOS NEEDED!
If anyone heads to any games throughout the rest of the regular season or throughout the playoffs and wishes to see them on a Celtics-related website, please send me them via e-mail, and I will gladly post them along with the game write-ups. Photos add a nice dimension to the posts and as you can see, I have none. Gotta love the benefits of being a poor freshman in college. So, I'm now asking for your help to deliver some crisp images of the team for the rest of the year.
E-Mail me any photos at GPayn699@mail.endicott.edu
(Please don't steal them off of Google!)
Stay tuned.
E-Mail me any photos at GPayn699@mail.endicott.edu
(Please don't steal them off of Google!)
Stay tuned.
Does anyone honestly care that we lost to the Magic last night?
Well last night didn't really go as planned. I actually felt pretty good about it in the fourth quarter, especially when Paul Pierce went off (scoring 19 of his 26 in the second half), but much like Ray Allen missing that three with 41 seconds left two weeks ago in Boston, Pierce missed the crucial jumper with 47 seconds left this time around.
Darn. Well, who needs home court advantage anyway? Not us! What we need is for Kevin Garnett to be able to play in the fourth quarter again. I mean, it's not like we lack confidence. Why should we lack confidence? The Magic just beat us by two with no Leon Powe and Kevin Garnett on the bench for the entire second and fourth quarters...We're okay, right Doc (Rivers, the Celtics' head coach)?
"For us to come back with Kevin on the bench the whole fourth quarter and have several opportunities to win the game, we'll take that."
Thanks, Doc!
Okay...remember the whole rant yesterday about how we absolutely had to not let Dwight Howard get out of the box? Well, he posted 24 points and 21 rebounds. He got out of the box. He got out of the box in the first quarter with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
What happened, Doc?
"The way we look at (Howard) is, if you're going to let him be an athlete, he's going to be the best player on the floor. We allowed him to use his athleticism by getting running starts to the rim and you can't allow that."
Thanks, Doc! So, should we be nervous that Orlando now holds the second spot in the Eastern Conference? No! We are the Boston Celtics. We are the defending World Champions, and I don't care how many times ESPN "experts" say this team cannot win on the road. Um...if I recall, we actually clinched the Eastern Conference Finals on the road...and we completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals History on the road...am I wrong? Am I thinking of some other playoff run we've recently made?
While we might have struggled last season in the opening rounds on the road against Atlanta and Cleveland, like a fine wine, we got better with age. The end result of last season clearly has to give us an edge in the sense that we now know how to win important games on the road, not even in a Game 7 situation. If the Magic want this spot so bad, they can have it, right Doc?
"The whole jockeying for position...it's amazing, we haven't even brought that up one time in our locker room. Our guys don't care. We want to get healthy. And when we get healthy, we're willing to lace 'em up against anybody."
BOOM! You heard him: Anybody. And we are getting healthy, so the likes of Cleveland, Orlando and Los Angeles...well...I don't want to call anyone out...but you should watch your backs.
Speaking of getting healthy, will Kevin Garnett play more minutes soon, Doc?
"I go back and forth, even during games, whether we should sit him down for another week or play him. This is uncharted territory for all of us and honestly, we don't have an answer. We just don't have an answer. We can't play him anymore, you can see that, right now. It's just a tough one. Obviously this is the time when you want all your guys healthy: Tony (Allen) and (Brian Scalabrine) and Leon Powe and Kevin Garnett. That's why this game was great. With all of those guys missing, for us to have two shots to win the game, that shows what we can be."
Since LeBron James loves his photographs so much, we shouldn't hesitate to send him a team photo of us holding up the Larry O'Brien trophy for a second straight season. Hey, we just want to help him with his portfolio...
Now it's rare for me to really chew out one of our guys, but honestly, Mikki Moore has to play better. A lot better. To put something in perspective, take a look at this...in his 14 games since he's been here he's averaged 3.78 fouls per game, while only averaging .214 blocks per game. That's essentially a 17 - 1 foul to block ratio! He'll basically have to foul out three times before he'll block one shot! So if we meet the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals and I'll say for argument's sake that it'll go to seven games again...we'll have to throw Mikki in there for games four, five and six and have him foul out because only then will he be able to block a LeBron James shot in game seven! Woah! Now that's strategy!
And it would have been nice if he hadn't crashed into Rashard Lewis when he was shooting from three-point nation with 5:39 left, simply because Lewis went on to hit all three free throws and we lost by two.
Just throwing it out there.
I'm not worried about the Celtics. Are you worried? I'm not worried. Hey, aren't you proud of me for not even mentioning the fact that Pierce got fouled but no call was made on that last drive? Well, I almost held it in...
Stay tuned.
Darn. Well, who needs home court advantage anyway? Not us! What we need is for Kevin Garnett to be able to play in the fourth quarter again. I mean, it's not like we lack confidence. Why should we lack confidence? The Magic just beat us by two with no Leon Powe and Kevin Garnett on the bench for the entire second and fourth quarters...We're okay, right Doc (Rivers, the Celtics' head coach)?
"For us to come back with Kevin on the bench the whole fourth quarter and have several opportunities to win the game, we'll take that."
Thanks, Doc!
Okay...remember the whole rant yesterday about how we absolutely had to not let Dwight Howard get out of the box? Well, he posted 24 points and 21 rebounds. He got out of the box. He got out of the box in the first quarter with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
What happened, Doc?
"The way we look at (Howard) is, if you're going to let him be an athlete, he's going to be the best player on the floor. We allowed him to use his athleticism by getting running starts to the rim and you can't allow that."
Thanks, Doc! So, should we be nervous that Orlando now holds the second spot in the Eastern Conference? No! We are the Boston Celtics. We are the defending World Champions, and I don't care how many times ESPN "experts" say this team cannot win on the road. Um...if I recall, we actually clinched the Eastern Conference Finals on the road...and we completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals History on the road...am I wrong? Am I thinking of some other playoff run we've recently made?
While we might have struggled last season in the opening rounds on the road against Atlanta and Cleveland, like a fine wine, we got better with age. The end result of last season clearly has to give us an edge in the sense that we now know how to win important games on the road, not even in a Game 7 situation. If the Magic want this spot so bad, they can have it, right Doc?
"The whole jockeying for position...it's amazing, we haven't even brought that up one time in our locker room. Our guys don't care. We want to get healthy. And when we get healthy, we're willing to lace 'em up against anybody."
BOOM! You heard him: Anybody. And we are getting healthy, so the likes of Cleveland, Orlando and Los Angeles...well...I don't want to call anyone out...but you should watch your backs.
Speaking of getting healthy, will Kevin Garnett play more minutes soon, Doc?
"I go back and forth, even during games, whether we should sit him down for another week or play him. This is uncharted territory for all of us and honestly, we don't have an answer. We just don't have an answer. We can't play him anymore, you can see that, right now. It's just a tough one. Obviously this is the time when you want all your guys healthy: Tony (Allen) and (Brian Scalabrine) and Leon Powe and Kevin Garnett. That's why this game was great. With all of those guys missing, for us to have two shots to win the game, that shows what we can be."
Since LeBron James loves his photographs so much, we shouldn't hesitate to send him a team photo of us holding up the Larry O'Brien trophy for a second straight season. Hey, we just want to help him with his portfolio...
Now it's rare for me to really chew out one of our guys, but honestly, Mikki Moore has to play better. A lot better. To put something in perspective, take a look at this...in his 14 games since he's been here he's averaged 3.78 fouls per game, while only averaging .214 blocks per game. That's essentially a 17 - 1 foul to block ratio! He'll basically have to foul out three times before he'll block one shot! So if we meet the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals and I'll say for argument's sake that it'll go to seven games again...we'll have to throw Mikki in there for games four, five and six and have him foul out because only then will he be able to block a LeBron James shot in game seven! Woah! Now that's strategy!
And it would have been nice if he hadn't crashed into Rashard Lewis when he was shooting from three-point nation with 5:39 left, simply because Lewis went on to hit all three free throws and we lost by two.
Just throwing it out there.
I'm not worried about the Celtics. Are you worried? I'm not worried. Hey, aren't you proud of me for not even mentioning the fact that Pierce got fouled but no call was made on that last drive? Well, I almost held it in...
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
MAGIC 84 - CELTICS 82
For the second time in less than two weeks, the Boston Celtics found themselves up against a double-digit deficit to the Orlando Magic. And once again, they failed to fully make their comeback, inevitably falling 84-82, thus losing control of the second spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic were steadily driven all night by none other than Dwight Howard, who posted a colossal double-double of 24 points and 21 rebounds. He wasted no time capturing his double-double as he posted 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter alone, propelling the Magic to a 25-21 lead.
"The way we look at (Howard) is, if you're going to let him be an athlete, he's going to be the best player on the floor," said C's coach Doc Rivers afterward. "We allowed him to use his athleticism by getting running starts to the rim and you can't allow that."
With Kevin Garnett (four points, eight rebounds) still in limited action for the C's, they turned to the likes of Eddie House (eight points) to keep their heads above water heading into halftime. Two big three-point baskets from Rashard Lewis (21 points) and Courtney Lee (11 points) extended Orlando's lead to as many as 11 (39-28) before taking a 47-39 lead into the halftime break.
That's when Paul Pierce woke up. In the midst of a three-game stretch where he failed to reach double figures in scoring, Pierce posted 19 of his 26 points in the second half, as the Celtics made yet another memorable comeback.
After falling behind by as many as 16 points on a Howard three-point play, Pierce scored six points in the midst of a 10-2 run by Boston which allowed them to cut the lead to just eight (70-62) heading to the fourth quarter.
Two Pierce baskets early in the final frame got Boston within two possessions before another Lewis three pushed it back to seven (78-71) with 6:06 left. Lewis then was fouled by Mikki Moore shooting a three and his three free throws pushed Orlando's lead back to eight (81-73) with 5:39 remaining.
But Boston's defense, even with Kevin Garnett on the sideline, held Orlando scoreless for the next two and a half minutes, allowing them to get within three (81-78) on a Ray Allen (16 points) three-point shot.
"I know we can play defense," said Rivers. "That's who we are. There's nights when our offense is unbelievable and our defense doesn't have to bail us out, and then there's nights where our offense struggles and our defense has to bail us out. Our defense did. Our defense gave us a chance to win the game."
Two free throws from Hedo Turkoglu (13 points) snapped the Magic's scoring drought and gave them a five-point lead with 3:05 remaining. Then, Rajon Rondo floated a shot over the outstretched Howard, who had four blocks in this game, to get Boston back within three. After a Pierce miss intersected two misses from Howard, the C's captain was able to convert a jump shot with 1:28 left to get Boston within a point, 83-82, capping off a 9-2 run.
Pierce would miss a crucial jumper with 47 ticks left, and then, after another defensive stop, Pierce received contact on a drive from Howard, but didn't receive a whistle.
"I was actually surprised (Pierce) did drive (on Howard)," Rivers said of the contact. "There was contact, but you know, they didn't call it and hell, honestly, I'd rather for them not.
As a result, the Celtics fouled with 3.8 seconds left, and Turkoglu converted only one of two free throws. Pierce then put up a desperation three-pointer from the right corner that caught nothing but air as the Magic held on.
"For us to come back with Kevin on the bench the whole fourth quarter and have several opportunities to win the game, we'll take that," Rivers added. "We liked the one shot Paul got, obviously, right before the last one."
"We're not a team that's going to give in, regardless of being on the road, being down. I mean, we've been in those situations plenty of times and this team has a lot of grit, a lot of fight, a lot of heart," said Pierce afterward. "I knew one way or another we'd try to fight and get back in this game and we was able to do it. We had our chances."
The Magic were steadily driven all night by none other than Dwight Howard, who posted a colossal double-double of 24 points and 21 rebounds. He wasted no time capturing his double-double as he posted 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter alone, propelling the Magic to a 25-21 lead.
"The way we look at (Howard) is, if you're going to let him be an athlete, he's going to be the best player on the floor," said C's coach Doc Rivers afterward. "We allowed him to use his athleticism by getting running starts to the rim and you can't allow that."
With Kevin Garnett (four points, eight rebounds) still in limited action for the C's, they turned to the likes of Eddie House (eight points) to keep their heads above water heading into halftime. Two big three-point baskets from Rashard Lewis (21 points) and Courtney Lee (11 points) extended Orlando's lead to as many as 11 (39-28) before taking a 47-39 lead into the halftime break.
That's when Paul Pierce woke up. In the midst of a three-game stretch where he failed to reach double figures in scoring, Pierce posted 19 of his 26 points in the second half, as the Celtics made yet another memorable comeback.
After falling behind by as many as 16 points on a Howard three-point play, Pierce scored six points in the midst of a 10-2 run by Boston which allowed them to cut the lead to just eight (70-62) heading to the fourth quarter.
Two Pierce baskets early in the final frame got Boston within two possessions before another Lewis three pushed it back to seven (78-71) with 6:06 left. Lewis then was fouled by Mikki Moore shooting a three and his three free throws pushed Orlando's lead back to eight (81-73) with 5:39 remaining.
But Boston's defense, even with Kevin Garnett on the sideline, held Orlando scoreless for the next two and a half minutes, allowing them to get within three (81-78) on a Ray Allen (16 points) three-point shot.
"I know we can play defense," said Rivers. "That's who we are. There's nights when our offense is unbelievable and our defense doesn't have to bail us out, and then there's nights where our offense struggles and our defense has to bail us out. Our defense did. Our defense gave us a chance to win the game."
Two free throws from Hedo Turkoglu (13 points) snapped the Magic's scoring drought and gave them a five-point lead with 3:05 remaining. Then, Rajon Rondo floated a shot over the outstretched Howard, who had four blocks in this game, to get Boston back within three. After a Pierce miss intersected two misses from Howard, the C's captain was able to convert a jump shot with 1:28 left to get Boston within a point, 83-82, capping off a 9-2 run.
Pierce would miss a crucial jumper with 47 ticks left, and then, after another defensive stop, Pierce received contact on a drive from Howard, but didn't receive a whistle.
"I was actually surprised (Pierce) did drive (on Howard)," Rivers said of the contact. "There was contact, but you know, they didn't call it and hell, honestly, I'd rather for them not.
As a result, the Celtics fouled with 3.8 seconds left, and Turkoglu converted only one of two free throws. Pierce then put up a desperation three-pointer from the right corner that caught nothing but air as the Magic held on.
"For us to come back with Kevin on the bench the whole fourth quarter and have several opportunities to win the game, we'll take that," Rivers added. "We liked the one shot Paul got, obviously, right before the last one."
"We're not a team that's going to give in, regardless of being on the road, being down. I mean, we've been in those situations plenty of times and this team has a lot of grit, a lot of fight, a lot of heart," said Pierce afterward. "I knew one way or another we'd try to fight and get back in this game and we was able to do it. We had our chances."
No increase in minutes for Garnett
So, word on the street (or from Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe...whatever you want to call it) is that Kevin Garnett will still be under the same minute restrictions he's been under since his return last Friday against the San Antonio Spurs. Garnett will play seven-eight minutes in the first and third quarters, but could see a four minute increase in the second and fourth quarters starting next week.
We'll take what we can get.
Stay tuned.
We'll take what we can get.
Stay tuned.
The Good, the Bad and the Necessary of playing the Orlando Magic
Every once in a while a game comes along that deserves a more detailed and extended preview. Tonight's game against the Orlando Magic is definitely one of those games.
Tonight's game certainly has many playoff implications on the line. When the Magic lost Jameer Nelson earlier this year, it looked like they would fall out of the race for the top two spots in the Eastern Conference, but the Celtics' injuries have certainly played a part in the Magic hanging around.
Coming into tonight's game, the Magic are only a game behind the Celtics for the second spot in the East. With only 10 games remaining in the regular season for Boston, a win tonight would of course be crucial as it would both push Orlando another game behind them and would also clinch the season series 3-1, meaning, if the Magic and Celtics were to end up with the same record when the regular season ended, Boston would receive home court advantage.
The last time Boston played in Orlando? January 22nd. The Celtics won that game 90-80. There were both positives and negatives to take out of that game. Let's look at them (I'm choosing not to look at the game against Orlando two weeks ago since Kevin Garnett was inactive).
The Positives:
Paul Pierce scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, out dueling his defender, Hedo Turkoglu, who put in a respectable 22 points.
Glen Davis put in 16 points in this game, while playing a key role in limiting Dwight Howard to just 11 points and 11 rebounds. Keeping Howard from scoring repeatedly in the paint was arguably the Celtics' biggest feat in this game and it will be something they'll absolutely have to do tonight if they want to win. Howard comes into this game fresh off a 29-point effort against the New York Knicks on Monday.
The Celtics only committed 11 turnovers in that game, below their season average of 15.7 per contest.
The Celtics' defense held the Magic to just 38 percent shooting from the floor and, more importantly, 31.8 percent from three-point nation. The Magic more or less live and die from the three-point line, as they've shot 38 percent from distance over the course of the season.
When it was all said and done the Celtics had held the Magic to a season-low in points, essentially saying that this game was won on the defensive end.
That leads me to the negatives:
I say it was won on the defensive end because the Celtics only recorded nine assists in that ballgame. NINE. Rajon Rondo, who's averaging 8.5 assists per game this season, had a mere two assists in 39 minutes of action. While Pierce's 27 points was nice, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen only combined for 28 points. In a sense, the Celtics were lucky to outscore the Magic on this night.
Davis was practically the only bench player to contribute whatsoever. Three points from Brian Scalabrine (all from the free throw line) were the only other points for the pine guys. Eddie House, Leon Powe and Gabe Pruitt were all held scoreless. That has to change.
So where does this leave us?
Well, if the Celtics want to win this game, Dwight Howard cannot go off for 30 points and 15+ rebounds, because Hedo Turkoglu has a history of having big games against the Celtics (remember that buzzer beater in Orlando last year?).
It'll be interesting to see how Doc Rivers and the coaching staff handle the Kevin Garnett - Rashard Lewis matchup with Garnett still playing under a minute restriction. Even though Lewis is 6'9, he prefers his versatile perimeter game (he shoots 39 percent from three-point nation), which could cause trouble for Garnett. It's safe to say no one wants to see Garnett running all around the floor fighting through multiple screens to get to Lewis.
Speaking of Garnett, no one is exactly sure what his minutes will look like tonight, but could this be a game where Rivers tacks on a few extra minutes either in the second or fourth quarter, especially if the game is close? The Celtics are finally getting healthy again (Leon Powe's knee aside), which was Doc's primary concern. Now, we do need to lock up that second spot (worst case scenario), so could that propel Doc to leave Garnett in there to help on the likes of Howard?
Ray Allen scored 32 points the last time these two met, but most of those points came off drives to the basket and mid-range jump shots in the paint. In fact, Allen hit just one three-point basket the last time these two teams met. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Allen should use that formula once again to get his points tonight.
Dwight Howard had five aggressive blocks two weeks ago against Boston, and all of them came from him helping off the weak side of the ball. The Celtics have to be aware of that tonight. Just because they get by their man doesn't mean they're home free. Howard is arguably the best in the league at helping defensively on the weak side.
Containing Howard has to be the priority tonight. Kendrick Perkins and Davis have their work cut out for them, but Perk's terrific defensive effort against Tim Duncan last Friday has to give him a confidence boost.
Homecourt advantage could depend on it.
Tonight's game certainly has many playoff implications on the line. When the Magic lost Jameer Nelson earlier this year, it looked like they would fall out of the race for the top two spots in the Eastern Conference, but the Celtics' injuries have certainly played a part in the Magic hanging around.
Coming into tonight's game, the Magic are only a game behind the Celtics for the second spot in the East. With only 10 games remaining in the regular season for Boston, a win tonight would of course be crucial as it would both push Orlando another game behind them and would also clinch the season series 3-1, meaning, if the Magic and Celtics were to end up with the same record when the regular season ended, Boston would receive home court advantage.
The last time Boston played in Orlando? January 22nd. The Celtics won that game 90-80. There were both positives and negatives to take out of that game. Let's look at them (I'm choosing not to look at the game against Orlando two weeks ago since Kevin Garnett was inactive).
The Positives:
Paul Pierce scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, out dueling his defender, Hedo Turkoglu, who put in a respectable 22 points.
Glen Davis put in 16 points in this game, while playing a key role in limiting Dwight Howard to just 11 points and 11 rebounds. Keeping Howard from scoring repeatedly in the paint was arguably the Celtics' biggest feat in this game and it will be something they'll absolutely have to do tonight if they want to win. Howard comes into this game fresh off a 29-point effort against the New York Knicks on Monday.
The Celtics only committed 11 turnovers in that game, below their season average of 15.7 per contest.
The Celtics' defense held the Magic to just 38 percent shooting from the floor and, more importantly, 31.8 percent from three-point nation. The Magic more or less live and die from the three-point line, as they've shot 38 percent from distance over the course of the season.
When it was all said and done the Celtics had held the Magic to a season-low in points, essentially saying that this game was won on the defensive end.
That leads me to the negatives:
I say it was won on the defensive end because the Celtics only recorded nine assists in that ballgame. NINE. Rajon Rondo, who's averaging 8.5 assists per game this season, had a mere two assists in 39 minutes of action. While Pierce's 27 points was nice, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen only combined for 28 points. In a sense, the Celtics were lucky to outscore the Magic on this night.
Davis was practically the only bench player to contribute whatsoever. Three points from Brian Scalabrine (all from the free throw line) were the only other points for the pine guys. Eddie House, Leon Powe and Gabe Pruitt were all held scoreless. That has to change.
So where does this leave us?
Well, if the Celtics want to win this game, Dwight Howard cannot go off for 30 points and 15+ rebounds, because Hedo Turkoglu has a history of having big games against the Celtics (remember that buzzer beater in Orlando last year?).
It'll be interesting to see how Doc Rivers and the coaching staff handle the Kevin Garnett - Rashard Lewis matchup with Garnett still playing under a minute restriction. Even though Lewis is 6'9, he prefers his versatile perimeter game (he shoots 39 percent from three-point nation), which could cause trouble for Garnett. It's safe to say no one wants to see Garnett running all around the floor fighting through multiple screens to get to Lewis.
Speaking of Garnett, no one is exactly sure what his minutes will look like tonight, but could this be a game where Rivers tacks on a few extra minutes either in the second or fourth quarter, especially if the game is close? The Celtics are finally getting healthy again (Leon Powe's knee aside), which was Doc's primary concern. Now, we do need to lock up that second spot (worst case scenario), so could that propel Doc to leave Garnett in there to help on the likes of Howard?
Ray Allen scored 32 points the last time these two met, but most of those points came off drives to the basket and mid-range jump shots in the paint. In fact, Allen hit just one three-point basket the last time these two teams met. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Allen should use that formula once again to get his points tonight.
Dwight Howard had five aggressive blocks two weeks ago against Boston, and all of them came from him helping off the weak side of the ball. The Celtics have to be aware of that tonight. Just because they get by their man doesn't mean they're home free. Howard is arguably the best in the league at helping defensively on the weak side.
Containing Howard has to be the priority tonight. Kendrick Perkins and Davis have their work cut out for them, but Perk's terrific defensive effort against Tim Duncan last Friday has to give him a confidence boost.
Homecourt advantage could depend on it.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
BUNKER HILL BRIDGE BRAWL: THE BATTLE FOR THE EASTERN CONFERENCE
So I just remembered that I completely forgot about this last week. Well, in some ways it's better that way because of the Boston-Orlando showdown tomorrow night. Anyway...here's the updated standings:
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Record: 57-13. Games Back: 0
Record the last 10 games: 9-1
Record the last 5 games: 5-0
Current Streak: Won 9
Leading Scorer: LeBron James: 28.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: LeBron James: 7.6 rpg
Leading Passer: LeBron James: 7.3 apg
NEXT 3 GAMES:
Wednesday vs. New Jersey; 7:00pm
Friday vs. Minnesota; 7:30pm
Sunday vs. Dallas; 1:00pm
ORLANDO MAGIC
Record: 52-18. Games Back: 5
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 4-1
Current Streak: Won 3
Leading Scorer: Dwight Howard 21.0 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Dwight Howard: 13.9 rpg
Leading Passer: Rafer Alston: 5.3 apg
NEXT 3 GAMES:
Wednesday vs. Boston; 8:00pm
Friday vs. Milwaukee; 7:00pm
Monday at Miami; 7:30pm
BOSTON CELTICS
Record: 54-18. Games Back: 4.0
Record the last 10 games: 6-4
Record the last 5 games: 4-1
Current Streak: Won 4
Leading Scorer: Paul Pierce 20.1 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Kevin Garnett 8.5 rpg
Leading Passer: Rajon Rondo 8.5 apg
NEXT 3 GAMES:
Wednesday at Orlando; 8:00pm
Friday at Atlanta; 7:30pm
Sunday vs. Oklahoma City; 7:00pm
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Record: 57-13. Games Back: 0
Record the last 10 games: 9-1
Record the last 5 games: 5-0
Current Streak: Won 9
Leading Scorer: LeBron James: 28.6 ppg
Leading Rebounder: LeBron James: 7.6 rpg
Leading Passer: LeBron James: 7.3 apg
NEXT 3 GAMES:
Wednesday vs. New Jersey; 7:00pm
Friday vs. Minnesota; 7:30pm
Sunday vs. Dallas; 1:00pm
ORLANDO MAGIC
Record: 52-18. Games Back: 5
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 4-1
Current Streak: Won 3
Leading Scorer: Dwight Howard 21.0 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Dwight Howard: 13.9 rpg
Leading Passer: Rafer Alston: 5.3 apg
NEXT 3 GAMES:
Wednesday vs. Boston; 8:00pm
Friday vs. Milwaukee; 7:00pm
Monday at Miami; 7:30pm
BOSTON CELTICS
Record: 54-18. Games Back: 4.0
Record the last 10 games: 6-4
Record the last 5 games: 4-1
Current Streak: Won 4
Leading Scorer: Paul Pierce 20.1 ppg
Leading Rebounder: Kevin Garnett 8.5 rpg
Leading Passer: Rajon Rondo 8.5 apg
NEXT 3 GAMES:
Wednesday at Orlando; 8:00pm
Friday at Atlanta; 7:30pm
Sunday vs. Oklahoma City; 7:00pm
Kevin Garnett works his way back
Kevin Garnett isn't one to sit on the sidelines.
Playing under limited minutes for the third straight game last night, Garnett posted an impressive 5-5 shooting night, good for 12 points, as the Celtics rolled past the Los Angeles Clippers, 90-77.
Some thought Garnett might have been due for a slight increase in minutes, considering he had no legitimate setbacks after back-to-back games in San Antonio and Memphis last weekend, but several parties aren't taking any chances.
"Doc and I, along with Ed Lacerte (the C's trainer) have all had dialogue open to what the minutes are going to be and I guess as the season goes on they'll go up, but everybody's been precautionary, which is understandable, and I'm trying to be as patient as I can," Garnett said after last night's game.
Patience is a virtue, after all, but have you ever wondered why Garnett never sat at the end of the Celtics' bench for any of the 13 games he missed?
"The reasons when I'm out I don't sit on the bench is because I might jump out there in street clothes and start hoopin'," he said. "One of the hardest things for me is to sit down and my teammates will tell you this. It's not easy being hurt, especially for me. I play with a lot of pride. I've played hurt before and when you're injured, it's even more difficult."
While his presence on the bench has been nice, that's not where Paul Pierce wants to see him.
"We don't like him on the bench. We like him in the games more," Pierce said, receiving an appreciable nod from Garnett.
Garnett's natural killer instinct has revived this Celtics' team and they've now held an opponent under 90 points for three straight games and under 80 points in two of those three games.
"For the most part I feel like defensively, we're back where we wanna be a little bit. Obviously we've got a little ways to go, I feel, but tonight we held the team to 70-something points and I think that's the focus - to continue to be dominant on the defensive end," Garnett said.
Garnett's always been one not to look over certain things, say, defensive lapses by teammates.
"Energy," Doc Rivers said of the biggest difference Garnett brings. "And he holds everybody accountable. You could see it, he was on guys today defensively about getting to the right spots."
"He's in Glen's ear, he's in Perkins's ear, he's in all the bigs' ears," Ray Allen added. "He gets in all of our ears, but it's reciprocal. We've all got to take care of each other, but he's a voice we haven't heard in about a month. It's good to have him back out there."
And so far, all of this is only in limited minutes.
Playing under limited minutes for the third straight game last night, Garnett posted an impressive 5-5 shooting night, good for 12 points, as the Celtics rolled past the Los Angeles Clippers, 90-77.
Some thought Garnett might have been due for a slight increase in minutes, considering he had no legitimate setbacks after back-to-back games in San Antonio and Memphis last weekend, but several parties aren't taking any chances.
"Doc and I, along with Ed Lacerte (the C's trainer) have all had dialogue open to what the minutes are going to be and I guess as the season goes on they'll go up, but everybody's been precautionary, which is understandable, and I'm trying to be as patient as I can," Garnett said after last night's game.
Patience is a virtue, after all, but have you ever wondered why Garnett never sat at the end of the Celtics' bench for any of the 13 games he missed?
"The reasons when I'm out I don't sit on the bench is because I might jump out there in street clothes and start hoopin'," he said. "One of the hardest things for me is to sit down and my teammates will tell you this. It's not easy being hurt, especially for me. I play with a lot of pride. I've played hurt before and when you're injured, it's even more difficult."
While his presence on the bench has been nice, that's not where Paul Pierce wants to see him.
"We don't like him on the bench. We like him in the games more," Pierce said, receiving an appreciable nod from Garnett.
Garnett's natural killer instinct has revived this Celtics' team and they've now held an opponent under 90 points for three straight games and under 80 points in two of those three games.
"For the most part I feel like defensively, we're back where we wanna be a little bit. Obviously we've got a little ways to go, I feel, but tonight we held the team to 70-something points and I think that's the focus - to continue to be dominant on the defensive end," Garnett said.
Garnett's always been one not to look over certain things, say, defensive lapses by teammates.
"Energy," Doc Rivers said of the biggest difference Garnett brings. "And he holds everybody accountable. You could see it, he was on guys today defensively about getting to the right spots."
"He's in Glen's ear, he's in Perkins's ear, he's in all the bigs' ears," Ray Allen added. "He gets in all of our ears, but it's reciprocal. We've all got to take care of each other, but he's a voice we haven't heard in about a month. It's good to have him back out there."
And so far, all of this is only in limited minutes.
Monday, March 23, 2009
CELTICS 90 - CLIPPERS 77
The Boston Celtics received a friendly reminder earlier tonight that no matter how ugly the execution might have been, a win is still a win.
Behind a consistent flurry of inconsistent play, offensive runs and defensive lapses, the Celtics managed to pull away from the Los Angeles Clippers late for a 90-77 decision.
Kevin Garnett, once again in limited minutes, posted 12 points, and helped set a positive tone early for Boston, who held a 31-18 lead after the first quarter.
That's when it all went bad.
When a lineup of Stephon Marbury, Eddie House, Bill Walker, Glen Davis and Mikki Moore took the floor with 9:34 left in the second quarter, Boston held a comfortable 34-25 advantage. When Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins checked back in with 6:05 to play, the Clippers had closed the gap to just four, 36-32.
Los Angeles opened the second frame on a 17-5 run and a coast-to-coast layup from rookie point guard Mike Taylor with 5:08 remaining in the quarter completed LA's comeback, giving them a 37-36 lead. Ultimately, Boston would lead 44-42 at halftime, after managing a mere 13 points in the second quarter.
"I thought in the first half (the bench) came out thinking all about offense," C's Coach Doc Rivers said. "It was a one pass, shot, unit.
"Sometimes the worst thing that can happen, you want it to happen, is the second unit sees a big lead and they see the first unit scoring at ease, so they're walking on the floor and all they're thinking about is how many ways they can score, instead of not thinking that the reason the first unit scored (was) because they were getting stops, and they were running and they were spreading down the floor. And that's how we were scoring. That's what we talked about at halftime."
When the C's opened the third quarter on 1-5 shooting with three turnovers it looked like Rivers' words were in one ear and out the other, until Kendrick Perkins (12 points, 13 rebounds; six early third quarter points) and Garnett got the team back on track.
The Big Ticket hit a basket with 5:09 left, giving Boston a 56-55 lead, and then finished off an alley-oop pass from Rondo (14 points, seven assists) to ignite an eerily quite TD Banknorth Garden crowd.
"Timing is everything on alley-oops," said Garnett. "You have to get contact with who's throwing it and Rondo and I have pretty good communication when it comes to that play. It's all read, it's never pre-meditated. Defense always determines whether we throw it or not."
Garnett's two baskets sparked a much needed, much anticipated, absolutely necessary 18-5 Boston run, giving them a 10-point cushion (70-60) heading into the final frame.
"I think (the Clippers) are a good matchup for us," Ray Allen said afterward. "They've got talented players, they've got veterans on their team, so they don't come into a game intimidated by what we do or who we are."
Relief finally came for good after Marbury buried his only three points of the game to beat the shot clock with 8:12 remaining, followed by a Ray Allen three-point play with 7:31 remaining, giving Boston an 80-65 advantage. Allen led the Celtics with 20 points. Then, a Davis strip followed by a point guard-esque behind the back dribble, ("He was one dribble away from next to me," Rivers joked) led to a House three-pointer, capping off a 13-0 run, giving Boston an 83-65 edge.
"In the second half (the second unit) thought about defense and they got stops," said Rivers. "And then we moved the ball and got open shots and it's amazing when you play the right way and together, how things work out."
The Celtics were fortunate things worked out in their favor in this one.
Behind a consistent flurry of inconsistent play, offensive runs and defensive lapses, the Celtics managed to pull away from the Los Angeles Clippers late for a 90-77 decision.
Kevin Garnett, once again in limited minutes, posted 12 points, and helped set a positive tone early for Boston, who held a 31-18 lead after the first quarter.
That's when it all went bad.
When a lineup of Stephon Marbury, Eddie House, Bill Walker, Glen Davis and Mikki Moore took the floor with 9:34 left in the second quarter, Boston held a comfortable 34-25 advantage. When Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins checked back in with 6:05 to play, the Clippers had closed the gap to just four, 36-32.
Los Angeles opened the second frame on a 17-5 run and a coast-to-coast layup from rookie point guard Mike Taylor with 5:08 remaining in the quarter completed LA's comeback, giving them a 37-36 lead. Ultimately, Boston would lead 44-42 at halftime, after managing a mere 13 points in the second quarter.
"I thought in the first half (the bench) came out thinking all about offense," C's Coach Doc Rivers said. "It was a one pass, shot, unit.
"Sometimes the worst thing that can happen, you want it to happen, is the second unit sees a big lead and they see the first unit scoring at ease, so they're walking on the floor and all they're thinking about is how many ways they can score, instead of not thinking that the reason the first unit scored (was) because they were getting stops, and they were running and they were spreading down the floor. And that's how we were scoring. That's what we talked about at halftime."
When the C's opened the third quarter on 1-5 shooting with three turnovers it looked like Rivers' words were in one ear and out the other, until Kendrick Perkins (12 points, 13 rebounds; six early third quarter points) and Garnett got the team back on track.
The Big Ticket hit a basket with 5:09 left, giving Boston a 56-55 lead, and then finished off an alley-oop pass from Rondo (14 points, seven assists) to ignite an eerily quite TD Banknorth Garden crowd.
"Timing is everything on alley-oops," said Garnett. "You have to get contact with who's throwing it and Rondo and I have pretty good communication when it comes to that play. It's all read, it's never pre-meditated. Defense always determines whether we throw it or not."
Garnett's two baskets sparked a much needed, much anticipated, absolutely necessary 18-5 Boston run, giving them a 10-point cushion (70-60) heading into the final frame.
"I think (the Clippers) are a good matchup for us," Ray Allen said afterward. "They've got talented players, they've got veterans on their team, so they don't come into a game intimidated by what we do or who we are."
Relief finally came for good after Marbury buried his only three points of the game to beat the shot clock with 8:12 remaining, followed by a Ray Allen three-point play with 7:31 remaining, giving Boston an 80-65 advantage. Allen led the Celtics with 20 points. Then, a Davis strip followed by a point guard-esque behind the back dribble, ("He was one dribble away from next to me," Rivers joked) led to a House three-pointer, capping off a 13-0 run, giving Boston an 83-65 edge.
"In the second half (the second unit) thought about defense and they got stops," said Rivers. "And then we moved the ball and got open shots and it's amazing when you play the right way and together, how things work out."
The Celtics were fortunate things worked out in their favor in this one.
A Clippers game should never be a revenge game
I honestly never thought a Clippers game would be cause for revenge.
Well, there's a first time for everything, right? So, when LA comes to town today the Celtics should be mindful that this is the same Clippers team which embarrassed them on February 25th, 93-91. Two-point game or not, the Celtics should have never lost that game. Even without Kevin Garnett and an injured Paul Pierce (he had that nasty dislocated thumb in that one), the Celtics should never have lost to the Clippers.
For starters, how about we don't turn the ball over 21 times, this time? How about we actually take this game and this team seriously tonight. I know that's harder than it sounds, but with players like Zach Randolph, Baron Davis and Marcus Camby roaming around the floor, it won't be a walk in the park.
Speaking of turnovers, how about we force a few more. The Clippers turned the ball over only 13 times back in February, which is a credit to them, but a slap in the face to our defense.
Also, can we please make our free throws tonight? Back in February we only made 22 of our 32 attempts (68.8 percent). CoughcoughRondo!coughcough.
We shot 31-66 from the field out in LA...let's look at that. We can take it a few ways. First of all, we should definitely be taking more than 66 field goal attempts per game. Kendrick Perkins should take more than three shots this time around, and Ray Allen and Rondo should both take more than 10.
Second, shouldn't we be shooting over 50 percent against the Clippers? 31-66 is good for 47 percent, which isn't bad, considering the Clippers allow opponents to shoot .471 from the field (compare that to the Celtics' .429 opponent field goal percentage mark), but they give up 103.94 points per game. To put it simply: The Clippers do not play defense.
On the plus side, Garnett will be back for this game, and will apparently play some sporadic minutes in the second and fourth quarters on top of his seven-eight minute stints in the first and third. However...The Celtics need to be weary of the Clippers in this game in regards to Garnett's injury. With players like Randolph and Mardy Collins around, the Clippers aren't afraid to get a little extra physical when it isn't exactly necessary. Remember when Pierce dislocated his thumb the first time and Collins and co. kept swiping at and actually succeeded at re-dislocating it?
With Garnett's emotion and Randolph's temper (he punches out random Phoenix Suns players in his spare time), things could get a little heated tonight. AND the Celtics and Clippers will not meet again this season, so if the Clippers were to go after anyone, there wouldn't be hell to pay until next season.
We all love having KG back, but imagine losing him for the season because someone on the CLIPPERS took him out? The Celtics' best option in this one is to put the Clippers away as soon as possible in order to rest the likes of Pierce, Allen and Garnett (even if he doesn't necessarily want it). And let's be honest, if things do get heated, do we really expect the officials to intervene? They sure didn't in LA, and last time I checked, Doc Rivers wasn't on any officials' Christmas list.
So, it comes down to this: Rondo needs to go at Davis who isn't known for his defense and either finish at the rim himself, find Perk or KG in the paint or kick to Ray, Paul, Eddie, or whoever is outside for an open shot. More than three assists would be appreciated this time around, Rajon.
Pierce needs to either wait for that aforementioned pass or get to the hoop himself. While Pierce has been enjoying a little less responsibility in the past two games, having him help take care of business early tonight would be appreciated. And a nice smack to the head of Collins wouldn't hurt either. Hey, pay back's a b***h.
Ray and Perk should just do their normal work...Ray can easily lose rookie Eric Gordon around screens to get free and Perk should go at Camby (pretty much owning Tim Duncan on Friday was really good for Perk).
Now, when it comes to Garnett and Randolph, Garnett should not be settling for his jump shots. While they have been falling since he's returned he really needs to get down in the paint on Randolph and drop a nice fadeaway from five feet or his patented hook shot. Just this once Kevin, please.
If we don't win tonight I will finally concede home court advantage to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Deal?
Stay tuned.
Well, there's a first time for everything, right? So, when LA comes to town today the Celtics should be mindful that this is the same Clippers team which embarrassed them on February 25th, 93-91. Two-point game or not, the Celtics should have never lost that game. Even without Kevin Garnett and an injured Paul Pierce (he had that nasty dislocated thumb in that one), the Celtics should never have lost to the Clippers.
For starters, how about we don't turn the ball over 21 times, this time? How about we actually take this game and this team seriously tonight. I know that's harder than it sounds, but with players like Zach Randolph, Baron Davis and Marcus Camby roaming around the floor, it won't be a walk in the park.
Speaking of turnovers, how about we force a few more. The Clippers turned the ball over only 13 times back in February, which is a credit to them, but a slap in the face to our defense.
Also, can we please make our free throws tonight? Back in February we only made 22 of our 32 attempts (68.8 percent). CoughcoughRondo!coughcough.
We shot 31-66 from the field out in LA...let's look at that. We can take it a few ways. First of all, we should definitely be taking more than 66 field goal attempts per game. Kendrick Perkins should take more than three shots this time around, and Ray Allen and Rondo should both take more than 10.
Second, shouldn't we be shooting over 50 percent against the Clippers? 31-66 is good for 47 percent, which isn't bad, considering the Clippers allow opponents to shoot .471 from the field (compare that to the Celtics' .429 opponent field goal percentage mark), but they give up 103.94 points per game. To put it simply: The Clippers do not play defense.
On the plus side, Garnett will be back for this game, and will apparently play some sporadic minutes in the second and fourth quarters on top of his seven-eight minute stints in the first and third. However...The Celtics need to be weary of the Clippers in this game in regards to Garnett's injury. With players like Randolph and Mardy Collins around, the Clippers aren't afraid to get a little extra physical when it isn't exactly necessary. Remember when Pierce dislocated his thumb the first time and Collins and co. kept swiping at and actually succeeded at re-dislocating it?
With Garnett's emotion and Randolph's temper (he punches out random Phoenix Suns players in his spare time), things could get a little heated tonight. AND the Celtics and Clippers will not meet again this season, so if the Clippers were to go after anyone, there wouldn't be hell to pay until next season.
We all love having KG back, but imagine losing him for the season because someone on the CLIPPERS took him out? The Celtics' best option in this one is to put the Clippers away as soon as possible in order to rest the likes of Pierce, Allen and Garnett (even if he doesn't necessarily want it). And let's be honest, if things do get heated, do we really expect the officials to intervene? They sure didn't in LA, and last time I checked, Doc Rivers wasn't on any officials' Christmas list.
So, it comes down to this: Rondo needs to go at Davis who isn't known for his defense and either finish at the rim himself, find Perk or KG in the paint or kick to Ray, Paul, Eddie, or whoever is outside for an open shot. More than three assists would be appreciated this time around, Rajon.
Pierce needs to either wait for that aforementioned pass or get to the hoop himself. While Pierce has been enjoying a little less responsibility in the past two games, having him help take care of business early tonight would be appreciated. And a nice smack to the head of Collins wouldn't hurt either. Hey, pay back's a b***h.
Ray and Perk should just do their normal work...Ray can easily lose rookie Eric Gordon around screens to get free and Perk should go at Camby (pretty much owning Tim Duncan on Friday was really good for Perk).
Now, when it comes to Garnett and Randolph, Garnett should not be settling for his jump shots. While they have been falling since he's returned he really needs to get down in the paint on Randolph and drop a nice fadeaway from five feet or his patented hook shot. Just this once Kevin, please.
If we don't win tonight I will finally concede home court advantage to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Deal?
Stay tuned.
TONIGHT: CELTICS VS. CLIPPERS
The Boston Celtics look for their fourth straight win tonight when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers in Boston. Tune into Comcast SportsNet or 850 AM WEEI at 7:30pm for full coverage.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The Clippers defeated the Celtics, 93-91, back on February 25th in Los Angeles.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Glen Davis scored a career-high 24 points against Memphis on Saturday.
WHO'S NOT: Paul Pierce scored just six points on 2-6 shooting.
KEY MATCHUP: Rajon Rondo vs. Baron Davis
SKINNY: The Celtics must have a bad taste in their mouths after the loss in February. The Clippers aren't known for their execution, so if Boston can put pressure on them early, force them to call timeouts and then break up their plays off of those timeouts, they can really put the Clippers away early, which is what they need to start doing to teams this late in the season.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The Clippers defeated the Celtics, 93-91, back on February 25th in Los Angeles.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Glen Davis scored a career-high 24 points against Memphis on Saturday.
WHO'S NOT: Paul Pierce scored just six points on 2-6 shooting.
KEY MATCHUP: Rajon Rondo vs. Baron Davis
SKINNY: The Celtics must have a bad taste in their mouths after the loss in February. The Clippers aren't known for their execution, so if Boston can put pressure on them early, force them to call timeouts and then break up their plays off of those timeouts, they can really put the Clippers away early, which is what they need to start doing to teams this late in the season.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Home court advantage still possible for C's
While Doc Rivers might have publicly conceded home court advantage to the Cleveland Cavaliers back on March 18th, I have not conceded just yet. I'm sure Doc looked at the team's overall health as the main concern before the playoffs begin on April 18th, but, with Kevin Garnett back in place and only Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine and Leon Powe on the injured list right now, we're more or less as healthy as we were heading into last year's playoffs.
Of those three injured C's, only Powe (or Pow, as Phil Jackson likes to say) made any significant contribution to last year's Finals run. Scal was in street clothes while Allen's most significant moment came in Game 6 when he threw down a reverse alley-oop in the waning seconds, making us all look at each other strangely and remark, "Where has this been for the past six weeks?"
So, with the team essentially back where it needs to be (with the exception of Powe) why not make a push for home court advantage? Trying to hold off Orlando for the second spot is all well and good, but the last time I checked, we could essentially kill two birds with one stone here. Holding off the Magic takes winning and catching Cleveland takes winning, so, why don't we just keep on winning and see what happens?
The good thing about only being four games behind Cleveland, as of today, is that they cannot afford to sit and rest LeBron James until, roughly, four or five games remain in the regular season. The more minutes James plays, the better off we are. It should be noted that the Cavaliers keep on scraping away with these close games, as evidenced by their most recent great escape last night in Atlanta, 102-96. These are not games that are over after the third quarter, forcing James to play significant minutes night in and night out.
In fact, throughout Cleveland's current eight-game winning streak, with all eight wins by ten points or less, James has averaged a grueling 43.4 minutes per contest. If the Celtics are not to catch Cleveland in the end, why not at least scare them a little bit? Let's get in their heads. Let's make 'em panic a little bit; let's make 'em buckle in their booties; let's make 'em shiver in their sleep; let's make 'em repeatedly turn their heads and stare behind them in an aggressive manner!
I swear there's an unwritten rule in sports where every single legitimate team has to struggle at least once during a season. Even the Celtics last year suffered that three-game losing streak post All-Star Break. Being from New England I witnessed the Patriots' Super Bowl collapse in my best friend Mike's living room! 16-0, only to lose in the game when it mattered most, which makes me ponder! IF Cleveland finishes this regular season out on a high note, does that mean they are bound to hit their slump in the early stages of the playoffs, prompting an early exit?
The Celtics have stumbled through their tough stretch already, going 7-6 without Mr. Garnett in the lineup for a tad bit over a month. We're good. We've fallen and gotten back up. It's behind us. Only good things can lie ahead. But Cleveland? A two-game losing streak in February does not count. So it must be on its way. Bob Cousy said recently in an edition of the Boston Globe that the Cavs essentially rely too much on James and that their role players will not be able to live up to the pressure that the playoffs breed. His exact words to Marc J. Spears and Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe were:
"LeBron is a great one, but the other guys have got to beat you," Cousy said. "They can put two, three, four guys on him and force the other guys to beat you; and when you aren't used to doing it, you can't imagine the pressure. A great player thrives under pressure, a mediocre one collapses."
There's something to think about...
Remember when Paul Pierce made that pass to Glen Davis to sink the Spurs on Friday? Well, what if LeBron makes that pass to Anderson Varejao in Game 7 of the first round and Varejao (who is less timely than Forrest Gump looking for Jenny) and he can't take the pressure? It'll be brick city and Boston will roll smoothly into the second round and the Eastern Conference Finals comfortably knowing they won't have to take on James and Co. (even though it would have been a hell of a series to watch).
So I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up despite Cleveland's next three games coming against two of the worst teams in the league (New Jersey double-header and Minnesota). I'm not giving up despite Leon not being in the lineup. I am not giving up until that little tiny "e" sits next to Cleveland on the NBA's standings page, signifying they've locked up the East for good.
It's just the way I am.
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Of those three injured C's, only Powe (or Pow, as Phil Jackson likes to say) made any significant contribution to last year's Finals run. Scal was in street clothes while Allen's most significant moment came in Game 6 when he threw down a reverse alley-oop in the waning seconds, making us all look at each other strangely and remark, "Where has this been for the past six weeks?"
So, with the team essentially back where it needs to be (with the exception of Powe) why not make a push for home court advantage? Trying to hold off Orlando for the second spot is all well and good, but the last time I checked, we could essentially kill two birds with one stone here. Holding off the Magic takes winning and catching Cleveland takes winning, so, why don't we just keep on winning and see what happens?
The good thing about only being four games behind Cleveland, as of today, is that they cannot afford to sit and rest LeBron James until, roughly, four or five games remain in the regular season. The more minutes James plays, the better off we are. It should be noted that the Cavaliers keep on scraping away with these close games, as evidenced by their most recent great escape last night in Atlanta, 102-96. These are not games that are over after the third quarter, forcing James to play significant minutes night in and night out.
In fact, throughout Cleveland's current eight-game winning streak, with all eight wins by ten points or less, James has averaged a grueling 43.4 minutes per contest. If the Celtics are not to catch Cleveland in the end, why not at least scare them a little bit? Let's get in their heads. Let's make 'em panic a little bit; let's make 'em buckle in their booties; let's make 'em shiver in their sleep; let's make 'em repeatedly turn their heads and stare behind them in an aggressive manner!
I swear there's an unwritten rule in sports where every single legitimate team has to struggle at least once during a season. Even the Celtics last year suffered that three-game losing streak post All-Star Break. Being from New England I witnessed the Patriots' Super Bowl collapse in my best friend Mike's living room! 16-0, only to lose in the game when it mattered most, which makes me ponder! IF Cleveland finishes this regular season out on a high note, does that mean they are bound to hit their slump in the early stages of the playoffs, prompting an early exit?
The Celtics have stumbled through their tough stretch already, going 7-6 without Mr. Garnett in the lineup for a tad bit over a month. We're good. We've fallen and gotten back up. It's behind us. Only good things can lie ahead. But Cleveland? A two-game losing streak in February does not count. So it must be on its way. Bob Cousy said recently in an edition of the Boston Globe that the Cavs essentially rely too much on James and that their role players will not be able to live up to the pressure that the playoffs breed. His exact words to Marc J. Spears and Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe were:
"LeBron is a great one, but the other guys have got to beat you," Cousy said. "They can put two, three, four guys on him and force the other guys to beat you; and when you aren't used to doing it, you can't imagine the pressure. A great player thrives under pressure, a mediocre one collapses."
There's something to think about...
Remember when Paul Pierce made that pass to Glen Davis to sink the Spurs on Friday? Well, what if LeBron makes that pass to Anderson Varejao in Game 7 of the first round and Varejao (who is less timely than Forrest Gump looking for Jenny) and he can't take the pressure? It'll be brick city and Boston will roll smoothly into the second round and the Eastern Conference Finals comfortably knowing they won't have to take on James and Co. (even though it would have been a hell of a series to watch).
So I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up despite Cleveland's next three games coming against two of the worst teams in the league (New Jersey double-header and Minnesota). I'm not giving up despite Leon not being in the lineup. I am not giving up until that little tiny "e" sits next to Cleveland on the NBA's standings page, signifying they've locked up the East for good.
It's just the way I am.
Stay tuned.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Paul Pierce enjoying Garnett's return more than anyone else
Kevin Garnett played in his second straight game last night, a 105-87 thumping of the Memphis Grizzlies, and, pending no major setbacks, should be set to go from here on out and into the post season. While his presence was missed by many, no one appreciates having the Big Ticket back more than Paul Pierce.
The Celtics' captain stepped up quite nicely in Garnett's absence, posting 23.6 points per game in the 13-game stretch, but, had to play 40.5 minutes per game in order to get there. With only 11 games left this season, Pierce wasn't anyone's first choice to throw these major minutes at, but he was the one guy who could handle it.
After suffering a dislocated thumb against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 25, Pierce did not take any time off, and instead plugged ahead to help drive the C's to wins over New Jersey (31 points, 37 minutes) and more importantly, Cleveland (29 points, eight assists, 45 minutes).
Then, a little over a week later, Pierce put in 37 points (29 in the second half) in a losing effort to the Chicago Bulls (a.k.a. the Bill Kennedy game). Then, the very next night, he went out and dropped 36 on the Miami Heat (21 in the fourth quarter and overtime) to help the C's escape with a win.
While the official record will say that the Celtics went 7-6 in Garnett's absence, Pierce could not have foreseen losing the likes of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Glen Davis and Leon Powe for certain games during that same stretch. If not for the stellar play of Pierce, the Celtics could have found themselves far behind Cleveland and possibly Orlando, which now sits only a game behind the Celtics in third place in the Eastern Conference.
With Orlando breathing down their necks and a pivotal matchup set for Wednesday, Pierce cannot afford to take any time off. He is now the only Celtic to play in every game this season, and although Doc Rivers limited his practice time during the period Garnett was out, playing over forty minutes on a nightly basis has to take its toll.
So, it should not be surprising that Pierce has averaged just 34.5 minutes per game and 7.5 points per game in the two games Garnett has been back. He took a mere six shots last night against Memphis, so take this minor stretch as Pierce's grace period; an opportunity for him to get his legs back and relax while someone else helps drive the offense for the Green.
Boston will most likely have today off after their fierce five-games-in-seven-nights-stretch (in which Pierce played 38.8 minutes per game), and will then seek revenge against the Clippers on Monday. With any luck, Boston will manage to put LA away early, allowing some nice pine time for Pierce in the fourth quarter, much like what happened against Memphis last night.
Pierce will have some opportunities to rest before the playoffs, with only one back-to-back left for the C's and a four day stretch in between games on April 3rd and April 8th.
Sure, Pierce needs the rest, but more importantly, he deserves it.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
The Celtics' captain stepped up quite nicely in Garnett's absence, posting 23.6 points per game in the 13-game stretch, but, had to play 40.5 minutes per game in order to get there. With only 11 games left this season, Pierce wasn't anyone's first choice to throw these major minutes at, but he was the one guy who could handle it.
After suffering a dislocated thumb against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 25, Pierce did not take any time off, and instead plugged ahead to help drive the C's to wins over New Jersey (31 points, 37 minutes) and more importantly, Cleveland (29 points, eight assists, 45 minutes).
Then, a little over a week later, Pierce put in 37 points (29 in the second half) in a losing effort to the Chicago Bulls (a.k.a. the Bill Kennedy game). Then, the very next night, he went out and dropped 36 on the Miami Heat (21 in the fourth quarter and overtime) to help the C's escape with a win.
While the official record will say that the Celtics went 7-6 in Garnett's absence, Pierce could not have foreseen losing the likes of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Glen Davis and Leon Powe for certain games during that same stretch. If not for the stellar play of Pierce, the Celtics could have found themselves far behind Cleveland and possibly Orlando, which now sits only a game behind the Celtics in third place in the Eastern Conference.
With Orlando breathing down their necks and a pivotal matchup set for Wednesday, Pierce cannot afford to take any time off. He is now the only Celtic to play in every game this season, and although Doc Rivers limited his practice time during the period Garnett was out, playing over forty minutes on a nightly basis has to take its toll.
So, it should not be surprising that Pierce has averaged just 34.5 minutes per game and 7.5 points per game in the two games Garnett has been back. He took a mere six shots last night against Memphis, so take this minor stretch as Pierce's grace period; an opportunity for him to get his legs back and relax while someone else helps drive the offense for the Green.
Boston will most likely have today off after their fierce five-games-in-seven-nights-stretch (in which Pierce played 38.8 minutes per game), and will then seek revenge against the Clippers on Monday. With any luck, Boston will manage to put LA away early, allowing some nice pine time for Pierce in the fourth quarter, much like what happened against Memphis last night.
Pierce will have some opportunities to rest before the playoffs, with only one back-to-back left for the C's and a four day stretch in between games on April 3rd and April 8th.
Sure, Pierce needs the rest, but more importantly, he deserves it.
Celtics Circuit Home Page
Saturday, March 21, 2009
CELTICS 105 - GRIZZLIES 87
Despite a three-game losing streak, the Memphis Grizzlies could have come in a confident bunch earlier tonight, knowing they lost to the Boston Celtics by only ten points eight days ago.
Well, the team Memphis saw last Friday was not the same team that took the court earlier tonight. With no Kevin Garnett or Glen Davis available last Friday, the duo made up for their lost opportunity, with Garnett putting in another 10-point, four-rebound effort in limited minutes and Davis adding a career-high 24 points, as the Celtics trounced the Grizzlies, 105-87.
It was Davis's 15 first half points which helped the Celtics carry a 52-48 lead into halftime, and the reserve forward was doing it from all spots on the floor. With his jump shot falling consistently, Memphis didn't expect Davis to get inside and power a deafening slam over Darko Milicic with 6:53 to play in the second.
With Rajon Rondo (nine points, seven rebounds, 10 assists) dishing passes to Garnett, Ray Allen (20 points) and Eddie House (15 points), Memphis's defense had to give up something, and it was Davis's offense which benefited.
"(Davis) was terrific. He's just doing his job, spotting up to his area. You know at times he floats a couple feet outside of his area and those are those front of the rim shots," said Doc Rivers. "But when he catches it in his shooting zone he makes the shot. Rondo's sucking the entire defense in and Baby's going to be the guy open.
"(Memphis's defense is) trying to get back out to it, but they gotta take something away and give you something. Rondo's bearing down on you on pick and rolls, Ray's coming off pick and rolls and Paul, if you don't help on them, they're gonna score, and that's at the basket, so I think that's what they were leaving him with."
"Just staying focused and playing within myself," Davis said of the cause for his career-night. "That's the most important thing, playing my role to the max."
Two points and two assists from Rondo got Boston rolling in a third quarter in which the Grizzlies managed just 17 points, and with 4:50 left, Garnett capped off his night by hitting his second straight jumpshot off a feed from Rondo, to make it 70-59 C's. His solid play once again made it difficult for Rivers to enforce the minute restriction while the power forward still works his way back from his posterior right knee strain.
"Clearly he could have played more," said Rivers. "Today he was a little frustrated when we took him out. I had to call a time-out just to get the clock to stop. That's a good sign because he's not sore at all. So, the next step will be the next game."
House's fourth three of the night with 8:46 remaining gave Boston an 85-66 lead and everyone could see the Celtics shrug the weight of a grueling five-games-in-seven-days-stretch from their shoulders. With Garnett back in tow, the bitter looks of frustration and fatigue turned to exuberance and laughter, perpetuated by a ferocious baseline slam from Bill Walker (six points) with 5:48 left, giving Boston a 94-71 lead, and snuffing out any hope of a Memphis comeback.
Suddenly, these winnable games seem much easier to win.
Well, the team Memphis saw last Friday was not the same team that took the court earlier tonight. With no Kevin Garnett or Glen Davis available last Friday, the duo made up for their lost opportunity, with Garnett putting in another 10-point, four-rebound effort in limited minutes and Davis adding a career-high 24 points, as the Celtics trounced the Grizzlies, 105-87.
It was Davis's 15 first half points which helped the Celtics carry a 52-48 lead into halftime, and the reserve forward was doing it from all spots on the floor. With his jump shot falling consistently, Memphis didn't expect Davis to get inside and power a deafening slam over Darko Milicic with 6:53 to play in the second.
With Rajon Rondo (nine points, seven rebounds, 10 assists) dishing passes to Garnett, Ray Allen (20 points) and Eddie House (15 points), Memphis's defense had to give up something, and it was Davis's offense which benefited.
"(Davis) was terrific. He's just doing his job, spotting up to his area. You know at times he floats a couple feet outside of his area and those are those front of the rim shots," said Doc Rivers. "But when he catches it in his shooting zone he makes the shot. Rondo's sucking the entire defense in and Baby's going to be the guy open.
"(Memphis's defense is) trying to get back out to it, but they gotta take something away and give you something. Rondo's bearing down on you on pick and rolls, Ray's coming off pick and rolls and Paul, if you don't help on them, they're gonna score, and that's at the basket, so I think that's what they were leaving him with."
"Just staying focused and playing within myself," Davis said of the cause for his career-night. "That's the most important thing, playing my role to the max."
Two points and two assists from Rondo got Boston rolling in a third quarter in which the Grizzlies managed just 17 points, and with 4:50 left, Garnett capped off his night by hitting his second straight jumpshot off a feed from Rondo, to make it 70-59 C's. His solid play once again made it difficult for Rivers to enforce the minute restriction while the power forward still works his way back from his posterior right knee strain.
"Clearly he could have played more," said Rivers. "Today he was a little frustrated when we took him out. I had to call a time-out just to get the clock to stop. That's a good sign because he's not sore at all. So, the next step will be the next game."
House's fourth three of the night with 8:46 remaining gave Boston an 85-66 lead and everyone could see the Celtics shrug the weight of a grueling five-games-in-seven-days-stretch from their shoulders. With Garnett back in tow, the bitter looks of frustration and fatigue turned to exuberance and laughter, perpetuated by a ferocious baseline slam from Bill Walker (six points) with 5:48 left, giving Boston a 94-71 lead, and snuffing out any hope of a Memphis comeback.
Suddenly, these winnable games seem much easier to win.
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