Boston 94, Los Angeles Clippers 85

[recap] [box score]

I haven't attended all that many NBA games in person. One when I was in high school -- I remember that Grant Hill had a 15/10/10 triple double, but I don't remember who won -- a couple when I was in college, and then a couple or a handful per year since I graduated, in D.C., and Boston, and L.A.

I've had some great times at those games. I saw Ryan Gomes, one of my favorite players since he was a freshman at Providence, score 21 of his then-career-high 27 points in the first half of the same game that Paul Pierce nailed the overtime game-winner over three Wizards at the horn. I've sat behind Delonte West's mother and had her show me and a buddy pictures of Delonte when he was in high school -- prom, graduation, etc. I've gone to several games in Boston over the last several years, connecting with friends in the city on an annual trip that fell victim to the lockout this season.

But as far as regular season games go (Game 1 of the 2008 Finals is on a whole other level), I haven't been to one where a win was more satisfying than it was tonight. And, probably as a result, I haven't had more fun at one either.

It didn't start out that way. Before tip-off, I wasn't feeling great about the game, a combination of the tough loss to the Lakers the night before, the absence of our top two centers against an already overwhelming front line, and the fact that the Clips would be pissed after losing at home to the Warriors the night before.

Things started out okay, but it started to get chippy really fast. Greg Stiemsma flopped on a Blake Griffin drive in the first quarter, and Griffin, after scoring and drawing a foul on Brandon Bass, showed his displeasure with the acting job by handing the ball to Stiemsma. The Boston rookie casually flipped it at Griffin's back as the latter walked to the free throw line, resulting in double technicals. Double techs were also the result of a bizarre sequence in which, several beats after a whistle, Kevin Garnett "drove" the lane for a meaningless dead-ball layin and was met aggressively at the rim for DeAndre Jordan. Doc Rivers got hit with a technical in the second quarter, as well, and as physical as the game was, I figured it was even money that either he or Garnett wouldn't last the evening.

Honestly, in the first half, it felt to me like a dangerous atmosphere. I had noted to my girlfriend early in the first quarter that the defensive intensity was unusually high for the first few minutes of a regular season game. By the middle of the second quarter, the atmosphere seemed dangerous, like something big was going to erupt.

It sounds awfully dramatic, but reading some commentary on the Internet and catching a little bit of the replay on ESPN2 as I write this, it sure seems like I wasn't the only person in attendance who felt that way.

It made sense, really. The Clippers are up-and-coming, trying to climb to a place among the league's elite teams. On their way up, they are passing, or have passed, the Celtics, on Boston's way down that same mountain. The Clips play physically, and all this "Lob City" stuff has them playing with an obnoxious amount of swagger (more on this later), which adds to the testosterone on the floor. Add to the mix the fact that L.A. fans, no matter what flavor, hate Boston fans, and it just seemed like a powderkeg.

Thankfully, nothing happened. The players more or less calmed down, for whatever reason, and the officials opened the third quarter by calling the game a bit tighter. I'm normally a pretty calm guy at live sporting events, preferring to save the manifestation of emotions for games I watch in the privacy of my apartment. But the intensity and physicality of the first half got my adrenaline going, and I found myself on my feet for several big moments in the second half.

Enough color. Time for some Xs and Os.

* Boston's pick-and-roll defense was excellent all night. The Clips run a ton of high pick-and-roll with Chris Paul and Griffin, and the strategy for Boston was to clog the lane for Paul, let Griffin pop for 17-footers, but take the lane away for Griffin rolling, too. It by and large worked: Paul was held to 14 points and five assists, with the bulk of his scoring coming in the fourth quarter, and while Griffin had a big first half including hitting a couple of jump shots, he didn't do much in the second half. The focus on Paul and Griffin did lead to some open jumpers for the Clippers wing players, but forcing your opponent to their third offensive option is usually a pretty good thing.

* Pierce got off to a good start, but picked up three fouls in the first half. He stayed out of foul trouble in the second half and closed the game out well from the free throw line. He also hit a huge three-pointer with under three minutes left that got me out of my seat.

* Ray Allen had a very quiet first half, but came alive in the second. Despite having a big size advantage, the Clips played a small lineup for a large portion of the second half. That small lineup gave Allen a size mismatch over Mo Williams in the post, and Boston went to an interesting triangle set that sometimes saw Rajon R-ndo posting up at the foul line, with Allen and Pierce screeing for each other along the baseline. As is their wont, they went to the well a few too many times with that set, but it was effective for a pretty good stretch.

* Watching on TV never does justice to just how physical the NBA game is. The seats we had gave us a great angle on a lot of post ups, and the amount of strength it takes to simply catch the ball in the post in this league, much less be able to keep your balance, make a move, and take a shot, is remarkable. Garnett had Caron Butler all over him when he hit the game-sealing 20-footer.

* Rebounding was once again a huge problem (the Clips outrebounded the Celts 45-31 for the game and had a 20-6 advantage on the offensive glass), but let me just throw out there that I don't think I've seen a team get away with more pushing on the rebounding action than the Clippers do. Griffin, Jordan, even Reggie Evans to a lesser extent, all use their hands and arms a ton when trying to get rebounding position.

* OK, here comes my dressing-down of the Clippers: You guys are blowing it. You have an all-world point guard and incredible athletes at the four and five positions. You have Lob City. You have the long-time underdog angle going. You have the chance to win over the younger generations of basketball fans in Los Angeles.

But you're blowing it, by becoming one of the most unlikable teams in the league. You haven't even made the playoffs yet. And yet the sense of entitlement that is so obnoxious to behold in even those who are entitled is already creeping in.

Griffin is the worst. He plays extremely physically but flops like crazy, throwing his arms in the air at the slightest touch. He loves to show up officials by grabbing the sides of his head in disbelief, or by sitting on the ground and staring at them after a no-call. At one point, he seemed offended that R-ndo dare challenge him for a rebound, jawing at the Boston point guard after R-ndo was called for a harmless foul on the play.

It's frustrating, because I really want to like the Clippers. Everyone likes an underdog, and selfishly, I'd love to see the Lakers playing second fiddle in their own city. But in less than two years, Griffin has already developed the habits that cause me to loathe superstars like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. It's a shame, but at this point, it seems that I am doomed, from a basketball standpoint at least, to hate LA forever.

Sorry Perk

Out of respect for the big fella, I'm not going to post the video here, but RwH readers need to know: In last night's Clippers-Thunder game, Kendrick Perkins secured his place on NBA highlight reels until the end of time -- the wrong way. In the third quarter, Perk got absolutely obliterated by Blake Griffin, victim of the the most spectacular dunk dunk-like maneuver I have ever seen on a basketball court.

(Check it out here.)

Links of the Day (November 1, 2010)

• I was at Staples Center for this. Actually, that was just one of three highlight-reel dunks by the Clippers against the Spurs; two by Eric Gordon and one by Blake Griffin. Speaking of Griffin, he really has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. I've never seen a man of his size seemingly hang in the air the way he does. Aside from that, he showed great balance and footwork. I'd like to see the Clips allow him to face the basket a little more, especially against a team like San Antonio, who really doesn't have anyone to cover him.
• I -- along with the rest of the world -- also got to see the long-awaited NBA debut of Spurs rookie Tiago Splitter. He was significantly less unimpressive. I wasn't as concerned with how he played during the game as I was with what I saw in warmups. His shooting stroke is hideous; it comes with a hitch at the top, and from section 109, Row 14, seat 1, at least, it looked like he shot the ball out of his palm. I got to Staples about an hour early and Splitter was doing drills with an assistant coach; he probably made no more than one-fourth of the shots he put up from 12-15 feet, with little or no defense. It's been so long since Splitter first came on NBA radars that I don't remember what kind of player he's supposed to be, but to the extent that his value is tied to his shooting ability, he's going to be a big disappointment.
• Some informal point - counterpoint from Bill Simmons and Tom Ziller on the Miami Heat that gives you a pretty good idea of the two writers' philosophies when it comes to basketball.
• This post talks about Indiana center Roy Hibbert's improved passing ability. It is my hope that Detroit coach John Kuester is paying attention to what's going on in Indy and eventually starts using rookie Greg Monroe -- like Hibbert, a Georgetown product -- in a similar way.
• Boston has the most athletic point guard in the league, and it's not Rajon Rondo.
• Rondo was actually sixth on that list, but he's first on another: Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
• The NBA D-League Draft was Monday, and the Maine Red Claws -- the D-League affiliate the Celtics share with the Charlotte Bobcats -- had the third overall pick. D-League teams aren't affiliated with NBA teams the same way minor league baseball teams are affiliated with major league clubs. Rather, NBA franchises can assign any of their eligible players under contract to the D-League. All other players are free game to be signed by any NBA club, though teams have the option to have their last three pre-season cuts allocated to their D-League affiliate in order to better keep tabs on them (you'll recall that this is why the Celtics signed Tiny Gallon right before training camp ended).
• Looking over the results, we see that the Red Claws drafted Magnum Rolle with the third pick. Rolle was picked in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, showed well in the Orlando Summer League, but didn't make the final roster. Looking at the rest of the team's selections, it's going to be interesting to see how guys like Avery Bradley and Semih Erden and Luke Harangody -- guys with guaranteed contracts but who will spend time in the D-League this year are going to get shots. Tajuan Porter and Armon Bassett are bona fide chuckers. And no, Lawrence Westbrook is not related to Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (but is cousins with the NFL's Brian and Byron Westbrook).
• A couple days ago, I wrote a bit about the University of Vermont's Marqus Blakely narrowly missing out on becoming the school's first NBA player. He was taken twelfth overall by the Bakersfield Jam. Bakersfield is coached by Will Voigt, a native Vermonter and, as it happens, a family friend.
• Finally, what the hell is Antonio Daniels doing in the D-League draft? The 12-year veteran was taken near the bottom of the second round by the Texas Legends. Daniels was out of the league last year after being bought out by the Timberwolves, but he's not that far removed from a season in which he started 63 games for the Wizards. He was never more than an NBA role player, but isn't that Europe is for?

Links of the Day (October 28, 2010)

• I'm slowing down on my Timberwolves blogging until TMJF returns from hip surgery, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to blast Kurt Rambis. Last night in Minnesota's opener against Sacramento, Rambis sat Kevin Love for the final eight and a half minutes of a one-point loss to the Tyreke Evans-less Kings. Rambis pulled similar stunts last year, claiming that Love and Al Jefferson couldn't play together. Jefferson was shipped out of town at a relative bargain, and now, in the opener, Love gets 24 minutes, the same number as Darko Milicic and four fewer than Anthony Tolliver. Rambis claims that the reason Love sat was because Tolliver was playing well defensively, but as Tom Ziller points out in that link, a bunch of Sacto's late points came from guys Tolliver was supposed to be guarding. I really have no respect for Rambis as a coach, and it bothers me when he does stuff like this and then reacts like it isn't a big deal, like because he assisted Phil Jackson with the Lakers he's some sort of Zen master by association. No, he's just a bad coach. Not playing the best player on a bad team because Anthony Tolliver -- Anthony Tolliver! -- is allegedly playing great defense (Sacramento did score 117 points without its best player, so I'm not sure how good the defense actually was) is just embarrassing.
• If any Wolves fans read this blog, perhaps this will make you feel better. I know McHale's involved and he's public enemy number one up there in T-Wolf land, but maybe just focus on Rambis falling on his ass. I love McHale, of course, so it definitely makes me feel better.
• Zach Lowe breaks down Boston's turnover problems. Lowe puts a lot of the blame on Rondo's shoulders, particularly in transition. I've noticed that Rondo's "feel" for the game, which is usually outstanding, disappears in transition. I'm not sure what it is; sometimes, it feels like he's too busy processing his options to make a decision.
• Everyone's talking about Blake Griffin's debut last night, with video of two spectacular one-handed jams in a loss to Portland. I link to Hardwood Paroxysm above all others because I like them best, and because Rob Mahoney's caption is clever. Oh, and because they want page views.
• Tracy McGrady was allegedly on a 15-minute cap in Detroit's opener last night, and will be for the immediate future. First of all, what investment are we trying to protect by limiting his minutes? And secondly, why would Tracy McGrady play more than 15 minutes in a professional basketball game?
• The Heat-Celtics opener was the most-watched NBA regular season game of all-time.
• I didn't notice this until this morning, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas was a game-high +17 in 10:39 of playing time against Boston on Tuesday night. Big Z's stat line: No shots from the field, 1-2 from the line, three boards (two offensive), three steals, a block, two turnovers, and four personal fouls. Not a bad contribution, but +17? That's what being on the court when LeBron James decides to take over earns you. I know +/- hardly counts as an advanced metric these days, but it's things like this that have made me slow to embrace the statistical revolution.
• DNP-CD for RwH fave Greg Monroe in Detroit's opener last night. Let's hope this doesn't become a pattern.
• Someone better bring me the head of the person responsible for this.