[recap] [box score]
There's no disputing that in his five years in green -- has it been that long already? -- Kevin Garnett has been a franchise-changing player. From the little things, like racing over to pick up a fallen teammate or knocking the opponent's deadball jumpers away from the rim, to the big things, like a single-minded devotion to defense and team play or an obnoxious-to-some swagger, the Celtics of this era have been heavily influenced by No. 5. Paul Pierce may be the captain and Rajon Rondo the flashy future, but these Boston teams have Garnett's mark all over them.
And yet, through nearly five seasons of big games and big moments, there have been only a handful of times where the big fella has really put the team on shoulders and carried it to victory. Part of it is because he has one of the game's best closers and one of the great deadeye shooters of all-time as teammates; Pierce and Ray Allen rightly command the ball a great deal, particularly in crunch time. But part of it is KG's personality and playing style: his endearing unselfishness, sometimes to a fault; his frustrating refusal to play a power game. Garnett is consistent as they come from 17 feet out and every night he brings an intensity that is unmatched by anyone in the league, but in terms of being a go-to offensive option, night-in and night-out, well, that's just not him.
So nights like Thursday are always fun, because they are so rare. Garnett was assertive from the game's opening minutes, gave us the breathing room that should have been enough to win the game in the second half, then hit the game-winning bucket in the final minute.
The last bucket was my favorite, and not only because it was the game-deciding points. The Hawks trapped Pierce and he got the ball to Allen in right corner with KG flashing to the middle and Brandon Bass on the strong-side baseline. Allen found KG with a great pass, and the Hawks had one defender between Garnett and Bass and another recovering off of Allen on the baseline. Watching the play develop, I was terrified that Garnett would pass up the short jumper in favor of a tricky drop-down to Bass that, at best, would have been knocked out of bounds. It's exactly the kind of pass we've seen for all these years from KG, the kind of pass we wish he wouldn't throw, but can live with because we know where it comes from. I should have known better, though, because Thursday night was different. It was KG's night, and he went up confidently and feathered it in, the last of his game-high 28 points.
Garnett was great on defense, too -- he had five blocked shots and three steals to go along with 14 rebounds -- but it was Pierce who came up with the most timely defensive play. After Garnett's go-ahead basket, the Hawks had an uninspired possession that ended in a long Josh Smith jumper that was well short -- the exact reason the Celtics have always been willing to let Smith take (and make) those shots early in games. Allen made just one of two from the line -- he's 8 for 14 in the series and I think his ankles are bothering him at the line -- and after a timeout, Atlanta got the ball to Joe Johnson, who went to work on Pierce. Pierce's knee is really affecting his play, and Johnson got by him fairly easily. Pierce didn't give up, however, and he gritted his teeth and recovered just in time to block the shot. It was fitting that on a night when Garnett made the big offensive plays, Pierce came up with the biggest one on the defensive end.
This wasn't a particularly good game for the Celtics. They came out sluggish, and I honestly think that if Atlanta hadn't been so concerned with merely surviving the first quarter, we might have been in some real trouble. The second quarter was strong, the third was alright, and about midway through the fourth it looked like we were going to put Atlanta away. But we missed some good opportunities to extend the lead when Garnett went to the bench for some rest, and had to come from behind to win.
Philly beat Chicago by the skin of their teeth Thursday night, too, so we'll be playing the Sixers in the second round. There's a quick turnaround for Game 1; it's Saturday at 8 Eastern in Boston. I'll try to get a post about the Philly series up on Friday.
Showing posts with label Josh Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Josh Smith. Show all posts
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Atlanta 87, Boston 86
[recap] [box score]
On April 15, 1965, John Havlicek stole the ball ... and tipped it to Sam Jones, who dribbled out the clock on a Celtics championship.
On May 26, 1987, Larry Bird stole the ball ... then found Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup that gave Boston a 3-2 lead in its Eastern Conference finals series against the Pistons.
Tuesday night in Atlanta, Rajon Rondo stole the ball ... then lost the handle on the ensuing possession as the clock ran out, sending the Celtics' first-round series with Atlanta back to Boston for Game Six.
Yes, the steal is a storied part of Celtic history (and yes, I realize I'm leaving Gerald Henderson out of this), but the steal isn't enough. "Havlicek stole the ball!" doesn't become the most famous radio call in league history if the Celtics weren't ahead at the time. There's no "Now there's a steal by Bird!" without "Underneath to DJ" and, most importantly, "He lays it in!" And so, because Rondo couldn't turn the turnover into a basket, his late steal -- a potential series-winning play -- will likely soon be forgotten by most.
In case you missed it, let me set the stage. A few moments earlier, Paul Pierce had cut a four-point deficit to one, and Boston had gotten a stop on Atlanta's next possession. Pierce then missed a jumper, and Atlanta ran about nine seconds off the clock before the Celtics used their foul to give. Atlanta called timeout, then a second one when they couldn't find anyone open. After that, well, let's let the video take over:
A few things about this play:
1. Let's start with the obvious. Great read by Rondo, horrible pass by Josh Smith.
2. As bad as Smith's pass was, he made a very good play in the immediate aftermath. Rather than compound his error by charging recklessly after the ball, giving Boston the odd-man rush and possibly committing a foul, Smith did an excellent job of squaring up to Rondo and making him change direction. With no timeouts left, Boston's best opportunity for a bucket was something in transition. Smith stopped Rondo in his tracks and took away the transition opportunity.
3. Smith made a second smart defensive play once Rondo crossed halfcourt and ran a pick-and-pop with Kevin Garnett. Al Horford, guarding Garnett, jumped out on Rondo, and Smith resisted the urge to chase the ball, instead shading towards Rondo while staying in the passing lane.
4. After setting the screen, Garnett stayed in place for half a count before taking a step back out toward the three-point line, which was about the least helpful thing he could have done in that spot. That whole side of the floor was open -- a rim-run would have put pressure on the defense, and popping laterally to the foul line would have given him a better look and, at the very least, drawn Smith away from Rondo. As it was, Smith was able to stay within reach of Garnett while also being close enough to Rondo to discourage a drive into the paint. And even if Rondo had been able to find KG with a pass, it would have been a very long jumper, probably a step outside KG's comfort zone.
5. A few comments on Celtics Blog mentioned that they thought Rondo was trying to play "hero ball" at the end, and that that "selfishness" cost the Cs a chance to get up a game-winning shot. I think the opposite is true. Rondo's initial instinct is to pass in that spot, and by looking back to KG for a second, he let Horford catch up and trap him along the sideline. If he was in attack mode from the beginning, there's no way Horford could have stayed in front of him. Atlanta would have had to help from the weakside. Whether Rondo would have made a contested shot or had time to find an open teammate is anyone's guess, but it would have put the pressure on the Hawks.
6. Here's the real criticism: Rondo has to attack there. Even with the delay caused by his first look towards KG, he could have slithered past Horford to the baseline. From there it likely would have been a difficult finish, but no more difficult than the look he would have gotten had he been able to successfully bring it back to the right, which would have been a long, contested fallaway. (I seem to remember him doing something very similar at the end of a playoff game against Chicago and having the shot blocked by Derrick Rose.) And there's the very real chance that Horford would have fouled him.
A lot of people are saying we gave this one away, and I sort of agree: Rarely do you see a team facing elimination play as uninspired as Atlanta did in the first half, and we let them stay in it in the first quarter, before they got hot from three in the second. At the same time, how many elimination games are really won that easily? The doomed team almost inevitably makes a run. I do not believe that Boston could have effectively won this game in the first quarter.
The Hawks still don't worry me. Even getting a surprise contribution from Horford and sporadically strong play from Smith, Joe Johnson, and Jeff Teague, their offense is still pretty pathetic. It's not that they don't execute; they don't run anything to execute. It's the kind of one-dimensional offense that has never worked long-term against a Boston team in the last several years. Aside from some crucial missed assignments by Brandon Bass on pick-and-roll, Boston's defense was excellent (though our work on the defensive glass was not).
What does worry me, however, is Pierce's knee. The Celtics can still lose this series, and if they do, it likely will be traceable to the Captain not being at full strength. After Pierce came back for the first few minutes of the second half of Game 4, I figured the knee was nothing to worry about. But then I read today that the knee, which Pierce originally hurt in the shootaround on the morning of Game 4, was painful enough that Pierce almost didn't go at all on Sunday. And then today, after a fast start, Pierce appeared to tweak it again and wasn't the same, sitting for a long stretch in the second half. He missed a contested layup in the final minutes, and the potential go-ahead jumper he missed on Boston's penultimate possession was an airball. Pierce isn't the most explosive player, but he was definitely lacking his usual physical assertiveness for much of this game, which is enough to erode his effectiveness -- particularly in this advanced stage of his career. If he doesn't get better, the task gets harder -- and even if we succeed in beating Atlanta, we may regret not being able to rest him for a few days before the second round begins.
Game Six, in Boston, is Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern, on TNT.
On April 15, 1965, John Havlicek stole the ball ... and tipped it to Sam Jones, who dribbled out the clock on a Celtics championship.
On May 26, 1987, Larry Bird stole the ball ... then found Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup that gave Boston a 3-2 lead in its Eastern Conference finals series against the Pistons.
Tuesday night in Atlanta, Rajon Rondo stole the ball ... then lost the handle on the ensuing possession as the clock ran out, sending the Celtics' first-round series with Atlanta back to Boston for Game Six.
Yes, the steal is a storied part of Celtic history (and yes, I realize I'm leaving Gerald Henderson out of this), but the steal isn't enough. "Havlicek stole the ball!" doesn't become the most famous radio call in league history if the Celtics weren't ahead at the time. There's no "Now there's a steal by Bird!" without "Underneath to DJ" and, most importantly, "He lays it in!" And so, because Rondo couldn't turn the turnover into a basket, his late steal -- a potential series-winning play -- will likely soon be forgotten by most.
In case you missed it, let me set the stage. A few moments earlier, Paul Pierce had cut a four-point deficit to one, and Boston had gotten a stop on Atlanta's next possession. Pierce then missed a jumper, and Atlanta ran about nine seconds off the clock before the Celtics used their foul to give. Atlanta called timeout, then a second one when they couldn't find anyone open. After that, well, let's let the video take over:
A few things about this play:
1. Let's start with the obvious. Great read by Rondo, horrible pass by Josh Smith.
2. As bad as Smith's pass was, he made a very good play in the immediate aftermath. Rather than compound his error by charging recklessly after the ball, giving Boston the odd-man rush and possibly committing a foul, Smith did an excellent job of squaring up to Rondo and making him change direction. With no timeouts left, Boston's best opportunity for a bucket was something in transition. Smith stopped Rondo in his tracks and took away the transition opportunity.
3. Smith made a second smart defensive play once Rondo crossed halfcourt and ran a pick-and-pop with Kevin Garnett. Al Horford, guarding Garnett, jumped out on Rondo, and Smith resisted the urge to chase the ball, instead shading towards Rondo while staying in the passing lane.
4. After setting the screen, Garnett stayed in place for half a count before taking a step back out toward the three-point line, which was about the least helpful thing he could have done in that spot. That whole side of the floor was open -- a rim-run would have put pressure on the defense, and popping laterally to the foul line would have given him a better look and, at the very least, drawn Smith away from Rondo. As it was, Smith was able to stay within reach of Garnett while also being close enough to Rondo to discourage a drive into the paint. And even if Rondo had been able to find KG with a pass, it would have been a very long jumper, probably a step outside KG's comfort zone.
5. A few comments on Celtics Blog mentioned that they thought Rondo was trying to play "hero ball" at the end, and that that "selfishness" cost the Cs a chance to get up a game-winning shot. I think the opposite is true. Rondo's initial instinct is to pass in that spot, and by looking back to KG for a second, he let Horford catch up and trap him along the sideline. If he was in attack mode from the beginning, there's no way Horford could have stayed in front of him. Atlanta would have had to help from the weakside. Whether Rondo would have made a contested shot or had time to find an open teammate is anyone's guess, but it would have put the pressure on the Hawks.
6. Here's the real criticism: Rondo has to attack there. Even with the delay caused by his first look towards KG, he could have slithered past Horford to the baseline. From there it likely would have been a difficult finish, but no more difficult than the look he would have gotten had he been able to successfully bring it back to the right, which would have been a long, contested fallaway. (I seem to remember him doing something very similar at the end of a playoff game against Chicago and having the shot blocked by Derrick Rose.) And there's the very real chance that Horford would have fouled him.
A lot of people are saying we gave this one away, and I sort of agree: Rarely do you see a team facing elimination play as uninspired as Atlanta did in the first half, and we let them stay in it in the first quarter, before they got hot from three in the second. At the same time, how many elimination games are really won that easily? The doomed team almost inevitably makes a run. I do not believe that Boston could have effectively won this game in the first quarter.
The Hawks still don't worry me. Even getting a surprise contribution from Horford and sporadically strong play from Smith, Joe Johnson, and Jeff Teague, their offense is still pretty pathetic. It's not that they don't execute; they don't run anything to execute. It's the kind of one-dimensional offense that has never worked long-term against a Boston team in the last several years. Aside from some crucial missed assignments by Brandon Bass on pick-and-roll, Boston's defense was excellent (though our work on the defensive glass was not).
What does worry me, however, is Pierce's knee. The Celtics can still lose this series, and if they do, it likely will be traceable to the Captain not being at full strength. After Pierce came back for the first few minutes of the second half of Game 4, I figured the knee was nothing to worry about. But then I read today that the knee, which Pierce originally hurt in the shootaround on the morning of Game 4, was painful enough that Pierce almost didn't go at all on Sunday. And then today, after a fast start, Pierce appeared to tweak it again and wasn't the same, sitting for a long stretch in the second half. He missed a contested layup in the final minutes, and the potential go-ahead jumper he missed on Boston's penultimate possession was an airball. Pierce isn't the most explosive player, but he was definitely lacking his usual physical assertiveness for much of this game, which is enough to erode his effectiveness -- particularly in this advanced stage of his career. If he doesn't get better, the task gets harder -- and even if we succeed in beating Atlanta, we may regret not being able to rest him for a few days before the second round begins.
Game Six, in Boston, is Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern, on TNT.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Boston 101, Atlanta 79
[recap] [box score]
This was it. This was the performance I was hoping for in Game 3.
The Celtics just blitzed the Hawks on Sunday night. Came out strong, hit 'em in the mouth, knocked 'em down, and never let 'em back up. Boston came out with a purpose offensively, with Paul Pierce creating his own shot and Rajon R-ndo getting shots for others with sometimes spectacular assists. Pierce was on fire; he had 24 points in just 16:37 of court time, including several heat-check three-pointers. R-ndo had at least a dozen assists in the first half alone, and finished with 20 points to go along with 16 helpers and just 1 credited turnover -- though I remember two more turnovers in the second half that they didn't give to him.
The one piece of bad news is that Pierce tweaked his knee a bit in the second quarter. I heard him say after the game that he had actually initially hurt it during shootaround before the game, and then he got tangled up with Josh Smith on a screen and tweaked it a bit more. He came out of the game, but did return to start the third quarter. He drilled a couple of threes before Doc took him out, content with the big lead and seeing no reason to push the captain. I don't expect that the knee will cause any real problems -- Pierce plays through injuries like this in the playoffs all the time without ill effects.
Atlanta barely showed any fight. Perhaps their most courageous moment of the game actually came before tip, when Josh Smith decided to play through a sprained knee and Al Horford suddenly reversed course and suited up for the first time since tearing a pectoral muscle in January. The Horford decision seemed particularly odd, given that a week ago he had ruled himself out of the series. It doesn't seem like he could have healed that much in a week, and having been out of action for so long, it was going to be hard for him to have any sort of positive impact. Indeed, Horford was completely overmatched on an early Kevin Garnett post-up, and didn't improve much from there. He's unlikely to be a factor in this series, even if he does continue to play.
The only other time Atlanta showed signs of life was late in the third quarter, when they cut a 37-point lead to 22, with Pierce and Garnett out of the game and presumably done for the night, circumstances permitting. But R-ndo and Ray Allen hit back-to-back three-pointers to stop the rally, and Larry Drew didn't even bother playing his starters in the fourth quarter.
As well as the players played, give Doc some credit for this win, too. Recognizing how tired the team was after Game 3, he gave them Saturday off, and they responded with a performance that was infinitely more energetic and purposeful than the previous one. As much as I think some of Doc's in-game decisions are still questionable, he's one of the best in the biz at managing his players.
We shot extremely well in this game and played extraordinarily well overall, whereas Atlanta played pretty horifically. I wouldn't expect either team to repeat its performance in Game 5, which is back in Atlanta on Tuesday night. (I'm surprised at the lack of a travel day.) Philips Arena is a tough place to play and the Hawks will come out fighting. It's a winnable game, though, and it'd be nice to finish the series early so we can get some rest.
This was it. This was the performance I was hoping for in Game 3.
The Celtics just blitzed the Hawks on Sunday night. Came out strong, hit 'em in the mouth, knocked 'em down, and never let 'em back up. Boston came out with a purpose offensively, with Paul Pierce creating his own shot and Rajon R-ndo getting shots for others with sometimes spectacular assists. Pierce was on fire; he had 24 points in just 16:37 of court time, including several heat-check three-pointers. R-ndo had at least a dozen assists in the first half alone, and finished with 20 points to go along with 16 helpers and just 1 credited turnover -- though I remember two more turnovers in the second half that they didn't give to him.
The one piece of bad news is that Pierce tweaked his knee a bit in the second quarter. I heard him say after the game that he had actually initially hurt it during shootaround before the game, and then he got tangled up with Josh Smith on a screen and tweaked it a bit more. He came out of the game, but did return to start the third quarter. He drilled a couple of threes before Doc took him out, content with the big lead and seeing no reason to push the captain. I don't expect that the knee will cause any real problems -- Pierce plays through injuries like this in the playoffs all the time without ill effects.
Atlanta barely showed any fight. Perhaps their most courageous moment of the game actually came before tip, when Josh Smith decided to play through a sprained knee and Al Horford suddenly reversed course and suited up for the first time since tearing a pectoral muscle in January. The Horford decision seemed particularly odd, given that a week ago he had ruled himself out of the series. It doesn't seem like he could have healed that much in a week, and having been out of action for so long, it was going to be hard for him to have any sort of positive impact. Indeed, Horford was completely overmatched on an early Kevin Garnett post-up, and didn't improve much from there. He's unlikely to be a factor in this series, even if he does continue to play.
The only other time Atlanta showed signs of life was late in the third quarter, when they cut a 37-point lead to 22, with Pierce and Garnett out of the game and presumably done for the night, circumstances permitting. But R-ndo and Ray Allen hit back-to-back three-pointers to stop the rally, and Larry Drew didn't even bother playing his starters in the fourth quarter.
As well as the players played, give Doc some credit for this win, too. Recognizing how tired the team was after Game 3, he gave them Saturday off, and they responded with a performance that was infinitely more energetic and purposeful than the previous one. As much as I think some of Doc's in-game decisions are still questionable, he's one of the best in the biz at managing his players.
We shot extremely well in this game and played extraordinarily well overall, whereas Atlanta played pretty horifically. I wouldn't expect either team to repeat its performance in Game 5, which is back in Atlanta on Tuesday night. (I'm surprised at the lack of a travel day.) Philips Arena is a tough place to play and the Hawks will come out fighting. It's a winnable game, though, and it'd be nice to finish the series early so we can get some rest.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Boston 90, Atlanta 84 (Overtime)
[recap] [box score]
Game 3 was ugly. That's all you can really say about it. Boston's defense was good throughout, but we only played well offensively for like a five-minute stretch at the beginning of the fourth quarter and then a few possessions in overtime. It was enough, though.
Rajon R-ndo is getting all the attention with a 17/14/12 triple-double in his return from a one-game suspension, but don't be fooled by the stat line or the headlines -- he didn't play that well. I was actually a little disappointed in him at the beginning of the game; I had hoped he'd come out with a lot of energy, determined to get his team off to a good start -- something like a "I've got this one, fellas" after his teammates picked him up in Game 2. Instead, he -- like the rest of them -- came out lackadaisical and uninspired on offense. There really wasn't any urgency from anyone, which bothered me, and given the circumstances, the lack of urgency from R-ndo bothered me the most.
With that said, R-ndo was the best player wearing white on Friday night and he's the reason Boston won. He was the catalyst for the aforementioned rare stretches where the Celtics played well offensively. And while Kevin Garnett sealed the game with a follow-up jam late in overtime that put the Celtics up, it was R-ndo who drew KG's defender, freeing the big fella up for the rebound.
Ray Allen came back, alleviating fears held by me, anyway, that he wouldn't suit up again this year. He made his first shot and finished with 13 points (despite uncharacteristically missing two free throws), but he definitely didn't look in rhythm with the offense. That'll come, though. What was encouraging was that he moved well out on the court and apparently held up well over 37 minutes of playing time (the extended burn necessitated, I guess, by Atlanta's "medium/small" lineup, discussed below). It's good to have Ray back; hopefully the ankle responds well and he'll be in the lineup moving forward.
Atlanta was without Josh Smith, making them even more shorthanded inside than they had been already due to injuries to Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia. When Jason Collins got into early foul trouble, they had really no choice but to go small, bringing in Tracy McGrady, who was surprisingly effective in the first half before spraining his ankle. With McGrady, though, Atlanta's "small" is really more of a "medium," which explains why Mickael Pietrus played as many minutes as Avery Bradley. As good of a defender as young Bradley is, he still struggles against guys who can shoot over him, fouling too often instead of making them make a tough shot. Joe Johnson got hot and hit a couple of big shots late in regulation, but Pietrus played well him well -- they were just really tough makes.
And while it's probably encouraging to the Hawks that they hung close despite missing so many key players inside, I'm still not that scared of them. Their offense has pretty much the same theme even when Smith is on the floor; it's just a lot of guys trying to do their own thing. Even when you have multiple guys who are having success getting their own on the same night, it's very hard to beat a very good defensive team like Boston. If you're not moving the ball and creating for others, the defense knows where to focus. On some nights, you'll make enough shots to win; in most games, you won't.
Smith promised he'll be back on Sunday for Game 4, so we'll see if he makes any difference. The game's at 7 p.m. Eastern on TNT.
I don't have any other place to write this, so I'm gonna write it here: Adam Yauch, the founding member of the Beastie Boys better known as MCA, died on Friday at the age of 47 after fighting cancer for three years. I love the Beastie Boys; while my musical tastes are mostly heavy metal these days, there was a time where I listened to almost nothing other than their first three albums. In fact, as I'm writing this, I'm playing Paul's Boutique and, despite the fact that I haven't listened to this album in years, I still know nearly every word.
Artists tend to be able to identify their influences. They know what they listened to growing up and know what inspired them to become musicians themselves. They know how their musical style. And outsiders, if they're paying attention, can figure it out, too; you can listen to Led Zeppelin and hear the way the blues are incorporated into their music, the way you can listen to countless rock bands these days and hear Zep's influence
As a non-artist, though, I've found that it's hard to pinpoint the influence that music in general and certain musicians have had on me, other than affecting the music I choose to listen to now. And so it wasn't until after the Celtics game last night, when I sat down for an hour or so to read some of the tributes that had been written in the aftermath of his death, that I thought, for the first time, about what effect the Beastie Boys had on me.
A lot, as it turns out. My love of wordplay and allusion, something I (mostly unsuccessfully) try to incorporate into my own writing from time to time, definitely comes from the Beastie Boys' whimsical, reference-laden lyrics. My love of alter egos -- I'm H.S. Slam, Ph.D on here for a reason -- no doubt is inspired by Nathaniel Hornblower, Yauch's alter ego who has several Beastie Boy video credits and who once stormed the stage at the MTV Awards to protest REM winning best video. Hell, even my hatred of Bill Laimbeer has remained bolstered all these years by "Tough Guy" (off of Ill Communication).
Mostly, though, I thought about MCA's transformation from arrogant kid to thoughtful activist. My life in no way parallels MCA's, but his (and the band's) maturation in some ways mirrors my own. It's too personal a story for someone of my limited writing ability to really articulate, and so I think I'll leave it at that.
I've spent my whole life quoting the Beastie Boys, and yet I can't think of one appropriate to pay tribute. And I think that's fitting. One thing that's great about the Beastie Boys is that they never took their music too seriously, and that they were always about the bigger picture, particularly later in their careers. To try to pay tribute to the man's life with some silly rhyme he wrote years ago is as inapt as it is futile.
That being said, I know that tomorrow, as I watch New York probably get swept by Miami, I'll hear his words from "Unite" in my head: "Will someone on the Knicks please drive the lane?"
Thanks, Adam. RIP.
Game 3 was ugly. That's all you can really say about it. Boston's defense was good throughout, but we only played well offensively for like a five-minute stretch at the beginning of the fourth quarter and then a few possessions in overtime. It was enough, though.
Rajon R-ndo is getting all the attention with a 17/14/12 triple-double in his return from a one-game suspension, but don't be fooled by the stat line or the headlines -- he didn't play that well. I was actually a little disappointed in him at the beginning of the game; I had hoped he'd come out with a lot of energy, determined to get his team off to a good start -- something like a "I've got this one, fellas" after his teammates picked him up in Game 2. Instead, he -- like the rest of them -- came out lackadaisical and uninspired on offense. There really wasn't any urgency from anyone, which bothered me, and given the circumstances, the lack of urgency from R-ndo bothered me the most.
With that said, R-ndo was the best player wearing white on Friday night and he's the reason Boston won. He was the catalyst for the aforementioned rare stretches where the Celtics played well offensively. And while Kevin Garnett sealed the game with a follow-up jam late in overtime that put the Celtics up, it was R-ndo who drew KG's defender, freeing the big fella up for the rebound.
Ray Allen came back, alleviating fears held by me, anyway, that he wouldn't suit up again this year. He made his first shot and finished with 13 points (despite uncharacteristically missing two free throws), but he definitely didn't look in rhythm with the offense. That'll come, though. What was encouraging was that he moved well out on the court and apparently held up well over 37 minutes of playing time (the extended burn necessitated, I guess, by Atlanta's "medium/small" lineup, discussed below). It's good to have Ray back; hopefully the ankle responds well and he'll be in the lineup moving forward.
Atlanta was without Josh Smith, making them even more shorthanded inside than they had been already due to injuries to Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia. When Jason Collins got into early foul trouble, they had really no choice but to go small, bringing in Tracy McGrady, who was surprisingly effective in the first half before spraining his ankle. With McGrady, though, Atlanta's "small" is really more of a "medium," which explains why Mickael Pietrus played as many minutes as Avery Bradley. As good of a defender as young Bradley is, he still struggles against guys who can shoot over him, fouling too often instead of making them make a tough shot. Joe Johnson got hot and hit a couple of big shots late in regulation, but Pietrus played well him well -- they were just really tough makes.
And while it's probably encouraging to the Hawks that they hung close despite missing so many key players inside, I'm still not that scared of them. Their offense has pretty much the same theme even when Smith is on the floor; it's just a lot of guys trying to do their own thing. Even when you have multiple guys who are having success getting their own on the same night, it's very hard to beat a very good defensive team like Boston. If you're not moving the ball and creating for others, the defense knows where to focus. On some nights, you'll make enough shots to win; in most games, you won't.
Smith promised he'll be back on Sunday for Game 4, so we'll see if he makes any difference. The game's at 7 p.m. Eastern on TNT.
I don't have any other place to write this, so I'm gonna write it here: Adam Yauch, the founding member of the Beastie Boys better known as MCA, died on Friday at the age of 47 after fighting cancer for three years. I love the Beastie Boys; while my musical tastes are mostly heavy metal these days, there was a time where I listened to almost nothing other than their first three albums. In fact, as I'm writing this, I'm playing Paul's Boutique and, despite the fact that I haven't listened to this album in years, I still know nearly every word.
Artists tend to be able to identify their influences. They know what they listened to growing up and know what inspired them to become musicians themselves. They know how their musical style. And outsiders, if they're paying attention, can figure it out, too; you can listen to Led Zeppelin and hear the way the blues are incorporated into their music, the way you can listen to countless rock bands these days and hear Zep's influence
As a non-artist, though, I've found that it's hard to pinpoint the influence that music in general and certain musicians have had on me, other than affecting the music I choose to listen to now. And so it wasn't until after the Celtics game last night, when I sat down for an hour or so to read some of the tributes that had been written in the aftermath of his death, that I thought, for the first time, about what effect the Beastie Boys had on me.
A lot, as it turns out. My love of wordplay and allusion, something I (mostly unsuccessfully) try to incorporate into my own writing from time to time, definitely comes from the Beastie Boys' whimsical, reference-laden lyrics. My love of alter egos -- I'm H.S. Slam, Ph.D on here for a reason -- no doubt is inspired by Nathaniel Hornblower, Yauch's alter ego who has several Beastie Boy video credits and who once stormed the stage at the MTV Awards to protest REM winning best video. Hell, even my hatred of Bill Laimbeer has remained bolstered all these years by "Tough Guy" (off of Ill Communication).
Mostly, though, I thought about MCA's transformation from arrogant kid to thoughtful activist. My life in no way parallels MCA's, but his (and the band's) maturation in some ways mirrors my own. It's too personal a story for someone of my limited writing ability to really articulate, and so I think I'll leave it at that.
I've spent my whole life quoting the Beastie Boys, and yet I can't think of one appropriate to pay tribute. And I think that's fitting. One thing that's great about the Beastie Boys is that they never took their music too seriously, and that they were always about the bigger picture, particularly later in their careers. To try to pay tribute to the man's life with some silly rhyme he wrote years ago is as inapt as it is futile.
That being said, I know that tomorrow, as I watch New York probably get swept by Miami, I'll hear his words from "Unite" in my head: "Will someone on the Knicks please drive the lane?"
Thanks, Adam. RIP.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Atlanta 83, Boston 74
[recap] [box score]
Rajon R-ndo did a very bad thing tonight.
Here's the video, in case you weren't watching the game. Basically, with the Celtics down four and about 40 seconds to go, Brandon Bass was called for a loose-ball foul by official Mark Davis after a wild scramble. R-ndo didn't like the call and got in Davis' face; Davis turned to the scorer's table to ring him up; R-ndo took a step forward, tripped slightly, and then quite deliberately bumped Davis in the back with his chest. Davis rightly tossed him; Atlanta made three of the four ensuing free throws, and that was that.
I want to address a few of the talking points surrounding the incident before getting on with analyzing the basketball game (though the Celtics played so badly that there's little to talk about in that regard).
1. It was a foul on Bass. People like to get upset at officials for calling fouls on these types of plays, but I thought Davis handled this one perfectly. He let Bass and Josh Smith scramble for the ball, and once Smith had it, Bass ended up with his arm across Smith's face and neck. The ball was no longer loose at that point. Not that it being a bad call would excuse what happened after that, but anyone using the classic "if the refs called the game right, the players wouldn't get upset" argument is even more wrong than usual. It was a clear foul.
2. R-ndo definitely tripped when he took that step towards Davis. He did not, contrary to his claim after the game, trip into Davis. He inadvertently stepped on Davis' foot and that caused him to stumble towards the official, but R-ndo quite deliberately closed the gap between the two.
3. My prediction is that R-ndo will get a one-game suspension. From what I understand, one game is the minimum required by NBA rules. There are arguments, I think, for giving him more, including his two-game ban earlier this year for tossing the ball at an official. But I think public opinion is a big factor in deciding the length of these suspensions that the NBA hands down, and the majority of the talking heads seem to be saying that they don't think R-ndo should be suspended. That's obviously not happening; there's no chance he gets off scot-free. But since the general sentiment seems to be that his punishment should be minimal, a suspension that lasts for multiple games won't play well. (And I think that's particularly true in light of some overly paternalistic officiating in the Heat-Knicks game and the absences of Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose from these playoffs due to injuries.)
4. There probably are few, if any, bigger R-ndo fans-slant-apologists than I, but there's no excusing what he did. He lost his cool, and it cost his team a chance at the game -- and put them in a hole for at least the next game, as well. I don't love him any less for it, but he messed up and he deserves the criticism that's coming his way.
Back to the Xs and Os. It's really a shame that R-ndo's night ended the way it did, because he was really the only Celtic who was consistent throughout the game. After subordinating his own scoring for most of the second half of the season, R-ndo recognized that the usual suspects weren't off to a great start and kept the Cs remotely close during a torrid first quarter from the Hawks. He finished with 20 points and 11 assists on 10-for-18 from the floor, the most shots he's taken since March 4.
Other than that, it was a very uneven performance for the Celtics. They were terribly defensively at the start, though it was exacerbated by some really good Hawks shooting, but turned up the pressure considerably in the second half. Kevin Garnett was awful to start, opening 1-for-9, but made seven of his last ten and finished with 20 points and 12 boards. Paul Pierce never really got going, though, to his credit, he did about as good a job on Joe Johnson defensively as Johnson did on him. I thought Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass were non-existent all night. Greg Stiemsma had nine rebounds, but other than that, the bench didn't contribute anything.
Assuming R-ndo only misses a game, and even assuming that Atlanta wins that game, I don't think Sunday's game changes much regarding the outcome of the series. Boston came out incredibly flat, something I don't think you'll see again now that the Hawks have their full attention. Garnett and Bradley got plenty of the open jump shots they've been making recently; they just missed them. I do think Bass is going to have a tough time scoring against Smith, but I expect to see some of these shots go down and I think we'll see a different Paul Pierce in from here on out.
Defensively, we showed what we were capable of in the second half. The effort wasn't there in the first, but it's worth noting that the Hawks came out on fire. Smith was excellent all night, but he hit a number of tough jumpers that I'm sure we're comfortable with him taking the rest of the series. Kirk Hinrich was key, as well; he hit a couple of threes early and then made some tough shots in the third quarter when Boston seemed on the verge of making a run.
Game 2 is Tuesday night on NBA TV. I'll have an update with the length of Rondo's suspension once it's announced.
Rajon R-ndo did a very bad thing tonight.
Here's the video, in case you weren't watching the game. Basically, with the Celtics down four and about 40 seconds to go, Brandon Bass was called for a loose-ball foul by official Mark Davis after a wild scramble. R-ndo didn't like the call and got in Davis' face; Davis turned to the scorer's table to ring him up; R-ndo took a step forward, tripped slightly, and then quite deliberately bumped Davis in the back with his chest. Davis rightly tossed him; Atlanta made three of the four ensuing free throws, and that was that.
I want to address a few of the talking points surrounding the incident before getting on with analyzing the basketball game (though the Celtics played so badly that there's little to talk about in that regard).
1. It was a foul on Bass. People like to get upset at officials for calling fouls on these types of plays, but I thought Davis handled this one perfectly. He let Bass and Josh Smith scramble for the ball, and once Smith had it, Bass ended up with his arm across Smith's face and neck. The ball was no longer loose at that point. Not that it being a bad call would excuse what happened after that, but anyone using the classic "if the refs called the game right, the players wouldn't get upset" argument is even more wrong than usual. It was a clear foul.
2. R-ndo definitely tripped when he took that step towards Davis. He did not, contrary to his claim after the game, trip into Davis. He inadvertently stepped on Davis' foot and that caused him to stumble towards the official, but R-ndo quite deliberately closed the gap between the two.
3. My prediction is that R-ndo will get a one-game suspension. From what I understand, one game is the minimum required by NBA rules. There are arguments, I think, for giving him more, including his two-game ban earlier this year for tossing the ball at an official. But I think public opinion is a big factor in deciding the length of these suspensions that the NBA hands down, and the majority of the talking heads seem to be saying that they don't think R-ndo should be suspended. That's obviously not happening; there's no chance he gets off scot-free. But since the general sentiment seems to be that his punishment should be minimal, a suspension that lasts for multiple games won't play well. (And I think that's particularly true in light of some overly paternalistic officiating in the Heat-Knicks game and the absences of Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose from these playoffs due to injuries.)
4. There probably are few, if any, bigger R-ndo fans-slant-apologists than I, but there's no excusing what he did. He lost his cool, and it cost his team a chance at the game -- and put them in a hole for at least the next game, as well. I don't love him any less for it, but he messed up and he deserves the criticism that's coming his way.
Back to the Xs and Os. It's really a shame that R-ndo's night ended the way it did, because he was really the only Celtic who was consistent throughout the game. After subordinating his own scoring for most of the second half of the season, R-ndo recognized that the usual suspects weren't off to a great start and kept the Cs remotely close during a torrid first quarter from the Hawks. He finished with 20 points and 11 assists on 10-for-18 from the floor, the most shots he's taken since March 4.
Other than that, it was a very uneven performance for the Celtics. They were terribly defensively at the start, though it was exacerbated by some really good Hawks shooting, but turned up the pressure considerably in the second half. Kevin Garnett was awful to start, opening 1-for-9, but made seven of his last ten and finished with 20 points and 12 boards. Paul Pierce never really got going, though, to his credit, he did about as good a job on Joe Johnson defensively as Johnson did on him. I thought Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass were non-existent all night. Greg Stiemsma had nine rebounds, but other than that, the bench didn't contribute anything.
Assuming R-ndo only misses a game, and even assuming that Atlanta wins that game, I don't think Sunday's game changes much regarding the outcome of the series. Boston came out incredibly flat, something I don't think you'll see again now that the Hawks have their full attention. Garnett and Bradley got plenty of the open jump shots they've been making recently; they just missed them. I do think Bass is going to have a tough time scoring against Smith, but I expect to see some of these shots go down and I think we'll see a different Paul Pierce in from here on out.
Defensively, we showed what we were capable of in the second half. The effort wasn't there in the first, but it's worth noting that the Hawks came out on fire. Smith was excellent all night, but he hit a number of tough jumpers that I'm sure we're comfortable with him taking the rest of the series. Kirk Hinrich was key, as well; he hit a couple of threes early and then made some tough shots in the third quarter when Boston seemed on the verge of making a run.
Game 2 is Tuesday night on NBA TV. I'll have an update with the length of Rondo's suspension once it's announced.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Atlanta 97, Boston 92
[recap] [box score]
Remember when I said that with Rajon R-ndo, Ray Allen, and Mickael Pietrus out, Doc Rivers had no choice but to play Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett Friday night against the Hawks? Yeah, I was wrong about that. Doc elected to sit the veterans and take on Atlanta with the following active roster:
Starters: Avery Bradley, Keyon Dooling, Sasha Pavlovic, Brandon Bass, Greg Stiemsma
Bench: Marquis Daniels, Ryan Hollis, E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson
Hey, it's not really any worse than the roster Toronto beat us with a few weeks ago.
Anyway, the fun thing is that we nearly pulled it off. The Celtics JV team hung around most of the game, never staying down by double-digits for very long, then surged to within one point in the fourth quarter. Boston had three, maybe four possessions to take the lead, too, but couldn't convert. Atlanta got some timely jumpers from Willie Green to hold us off, and then Joe Johnson applied the kill strike, an and-one off of a drive past Daniels with under two minutes to go that put the Hawks up four. He added two free throws on the next possession after Boston couldn't answer, and after that, the Cs just couldn't quite catch up.
As surprising as the outcome was given the players involved, I actually had a hunch it might be a close game when I heard the ESPN broadcast team quote Josh Smith as saying that the Hawks wanted to blow the Celtics out. Smith should get a lot of credit for getting his act together somewhat and really trying to become a leader, but he's still a headcase, and I knew that putting that kind of pressure on himself was going to have negative consequences. Indeed, though Smith added three blocks and three steals to 19 points and 12 rebounds, he committed seven turnovers, many of which were on bizarre passes that stunk of trying to do too much. And while he's largely moved inside the three-point line this year, he still can't seem to quit the long jumpers that have prevented him from becoming a truly elite weapon.
The funny thing is that it's not like Boston played out of its mind, either. Bradley was sensational; I'd figured that his recent effectiveness was due in part to getting good looks by virtue of the defense concentrating mostly on his teammates, but he was option 1 Friday night and the Hawks knew it, and he still managed a career-high 28 points on 12-for-22 from the field. Daniels, Dooling, and Hollins were better than they have been in quite a long time, but Bass really struggled with Smith's length on his way to 4-for-15, Stiemsma only played 9:35 before sitting due to the plantar fascitis that has prevented him from practicing for much of the second half of the season, and JJJ badly missed a couple of wide-open jumpers on those possessions where we could have taken the lead. (To be fair, he hasn't gotten significant playing time in quite a while.) We really were close to winning this game.
Close, of course, only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The announcers were trying to say that the win would be psychologically damaging to Atlanta because they had to gut it out against Boston's bomb squad, but, with the possible exception of Smith, I don't think NBA players think that way. The Hawks must have relaxed when they learned that all those guys for Boston would be out; they got the win, so who cares? Next game.
One last thing: I didn't think to mention this in Thursday's post because I was convinced that Pierce and Garnett would play due to sheer necessity, but Boston has three days off between now and and its next game. That's a lot of time to rest. I don't know how much Pierce and KG are hurting, and we had played 11 of the 15 previous nights, short-handed for many of them. So I'm going to give Doc the benefit of the doubt, particularly because we'd be playing for home-court in the first round only. The only way we'll feel the pain of this loss is if we end up losing Game 7 in Atlanta in the first round. But it's worth mentioning. As is this.
Have a good weekend, all. Tuesday night against the Heat on TNT at 8 Eastern, though who knows who will suit up.
Remember when I said that with Rajon R-ndo, Ray Allen, and Mickael Pietrus out, Doc Rivers had no choice but to play Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett Friday night against the Hawks? Yeah, I was wrong about that. Doc elected to sit the veterans and take on Atlanta with the following active roster:
Starters: Avery Bradley, Keyon Dooling, Sasha Pavlovic, Brandon Bass, Greg Stiemsma
Bench: Marquis Daniels, Ryan Hollis, E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson
Hey, it's not really any worse than the roster Toronto beat us with a few weeks ago.
Anyway, the fun thing is that we nearly pulled it off. The Celtics JV team hung around most of the game, never staying down by double-digits for very long, then surged to within one point in the fourth quarter. Boston had three, maybe four possessions to take the lead, too, but couldn't convert. Atlanta got some timely jumpers from Willie Green to hold us off, and then Joe Johnson applied the kill strike, an and-one off of a drive past Daniels with under two minutes to go that put the Hawks up four. He added two free throws on the next possession after Boston couldn't answer, and after that, the Cs just couldn't quite catch up.
As surprising as the outcome was given the players involved, I actually had a hunch it might be a close game when I heard the ESPN broadcast team quote Josh Smith as saying that the Hawks wanted to blow the Celtics out. Smith should get a lot of credit for getting his act together somewhat and really trying to become a leader, but he's still a headcase, and I knew that putting that kind of pressure on himself was going to have negative consequences. Indeed, though Smith added three blocks and three steals to 19 points and 12 rebounds, he committed seven turnovers, many of which were on bizarre passes that stunk of trying to do too much. And while he's largely moved inside the three-point line this year, he still can't seem to quit the long jumpers that have prevented him from becoming a truly elite weapon.
The funny thing is that it's not like Boston played out of its mind, either. Bradley was sensational; I'd figured that his recent effectiveness was due in part to getting good looks by virtue of the defense concentrating mostly on his teammates, but he was option 1 Friday night and the Hawks knew it, and he still managed a career-high 28 points on 12-for-22 from the field. Daniels, Dooling, and Hollins were better than they have been in quite a long time, but Bass really struggled with Smith's length on his way to 4-for-15, Stiemsma only played 9:35 before sitting due to the plantar fascitis that has prevented him from practicing for much of the second half of the season, and JJJ badly missed a couple of wide-open jumpers on those possessions where we could have taken the lead. (To be fair, he hasn't gotten significant playing time in quite a while.) We really were close to winning this game.
Close, of course, only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The announcers were trying to say that the win would be psychologically damaging to Atlanta because they had to gut it out against Boston's bomb squad, but, with the possible exception of Smith, I don't think NBA players think that way. The Hawks must have relaxed when they learned that all those guys for Boston would be out; they got the win, so who cares? Next game.
One last thing: I didn't think to mention this in Thursday's post because I was convinced that Pierce and Garnett would play due to sheer necessity, but Boston has three days off between now and and its next game. That's a lot of time to rest. I don't know how much Pierce and KG are hurting, and we had played 11 of the 15 previous nights, short-handed for many of them. So I'm going to give Doc the benefit of the doubt, particularly because we'd be playing for home-court in the first round only. The only way we'll feel the pain of this loss is if we end up losing Game 7 in Atlanta in the first round. But it's worth mentioning. As is this.
Have a good weekend, all. Tuesday night against the Heat on TNT at 8 Eastern, though who knows who will suit up.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Boston 79, Atlanta 76
[recap] [box score]
The Celtics were bad tonight. The Hawks were worse. The officials were atrocious. No one who had anything to do with this game should be satisfied with their performance. And yet the Celtics walked out of Philips Arena with a win, and an end, albeit an ugly one, to an even uglier two-game losing streak.
Almost from the beginning, you could tell it was going to be a low-level game. The Celtics' legs seemed understandably road-weary. Rajon R-ndo made quick work of Jeff Teague on a few early drives and cuts to the basket, but missed the layups. Paul Pierce left his early jumpers well short off the front rim. Kevin Garnett couldn't seem to get his feet underneath him operating in the post.
Fortunately, the Hawks didn't look any better, perhaps tired from the previous night's win over Cleveland. In addition to looking flat-footed on defense, Teague -- who has enjoyed something of a breakout year as Atlanta's starting point guard -- showed no interest in penetrating the Boston D. Former Celtic Joe Johnson, the team's best offensive player, was so quiet that I was surprised to look up at the start of the fourth quarter and see that he had scored even 11 points. The only Hawk interested in doing anything seemed to be Josh Smith, who hit three long jumpers in the game's opening minutes. That turned out to be a bad thing for Atlanta, as Smith fell in love with the jumper, which has been a valid criticism of his game for years now. Smith started the game 3-for-4 from the field; he finished it 5-for-20.
Atlanta is one of those teams that reacts to Boston's bullying in kind, and Zaza Pachulia is a known agitator who really seems to get under Garnett's skin, in particular. So I was expecting a chippy game. The pace was so slow in the first half, though, the intensity level so low, that it looked like it might not materialize. But a hard foul -- nothing dirty, but a clear flagrant 1 -- by Brandon Bass on Pachulia early in the third quarter seemed to get the blood boiling a bit, and the rest of the game was dotted with cheap fouls and quick whistles.
Midway through the third, Teague dunked on the break to give Atlanta a 47-39 lead, and had words for Ray Allen. That earned him a technical foul, but even after Allen nailed the free throw, the Hawks had a chance to blow the game open. In the last few weeks, Boston opponents had taken control of close games in the third quarter, and the Celtics seemed ripe for it to happen once again: Boston was really struggling offensively and Paul Pierce was on the bench with foul trouble. But given three opportunities to extend the lead, the Hawks came up empty, with two turnovers and an empty trip to the free throw line.
Fully two minutes after the Teague tech, Allen drilled a three-pointer to keep Boston in striking distance. He hit another at the end of the quarter, on a nifty inbounds pass from Rondo; there was but a second left on the clock, and Rondo faked as though he was going to throw a lob to Garnett. Allen's defender reacted to the fake, and Ray's lightning quick release got the shot off in plenty of time. Boston trailed 51-50 after three quarters (if not for Orlando's 59-point performance tonight against Derrick Rose-less Chicago, Boston and Atlanta's offensive futility would be a big talking point among NBA types today).
The Celtics scored six straight points to start the fourth, but Atlanta got five on consecutive possession to tie the score at 76. And then, for whatever reason, Boston got hot. A 17-2 run, including 13 in a row at the end, the last nine coming on two three-pointers by Allen (one from like 26 feet at the top of the key, moving noticeably left, with Kirk Hinrich's hand right in his face) and one from Mickael Pietrus.
If you're paying attention, you know that Boston scored only six points over the final 4:30. The culprit was the usual; the Celtics stopped running their stuff, took the air out of the ball, and settled for contested jumpers at the end of the shot clock. Atlanta finally woke up, and Johnson's second three-pointer of the final minutes cut the Boston lead to 75-71 with a minute left. The Celtics got nothing on the ensuing possession and it really looked they might let this one slip away.
Enter Josh Smith, who found himself with the ball on the wing, with no Celtics defender nearby. Apparently not realizing that there was a reason he was left open, Smith launched his third and final three-pointer of the game. Like the other two, it missed, and a golden opportunity was wasted. A missed free throw by Pierce and another Johnson three gave the Hawks a chance to tie it up. Doc Rivers made a mistake, I thought, by ordering a little full-court pressure with 10 seconds left. The pressure left Teague wide open in transition for the potential game-tying three-pointer, but the young fella pulled it left and didn't even catch the rim.
The Hawks, at least without Al Horford (who's been out for months with a torn pectoral muscle), are actually a decent matchup for Boston, as long as Smith decides to stay outside (something he's generally been a lot better about during the last two seasons). Pachulia is a nuisance and with 16 points and 13 rebounds he was probably the only Hawk who played a good full game, but he had no real help on the offensive glass, where Boston opponents have been exploiting the Cs lately. And the bench -- another vulnerable area for Boston now that Brandon Bass has moved into the starting lineup for Jermaine O'Neal (whose season is over, it was confirmed today) -- features Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse -- a formidable duo a decade ago, maybe, but not now.
Anyway, good matchup or not, Boston got a huge win. They kept pace with the Sixers, who win Charlotte; they gained a full game on the Hawks for the six-seed; and they put the pressure on the Knicks and Bucks. As importantly, they rid themselves of some of the disappointment of the losses in Sacramento and Denver. The road trip can still be a success.
The Celtics were bad tonight. The Hawks were worse. The officials were atrocious. No one who had anything to do with this game should be satisfied with their performance. And yet the Celtics walked out of Philips Arena with a win, and an end, albeit an ugly one, to an even uglier two-game losing streak.
Almost from the beginning, you could tell it was going to be a low-level game. The Celtics' legs seemed understandably road-weary. Rajon R-ndo made quick work of Jeff Teague on a few early drives and cuts to the basket, but missed the layups. Paul Pierce left his early jumpers well short off the front rim. Kevin Garnett couldn't seem to get his feet underneath him operating in the post.
Fortunately, the Hawks didn't look any better, perhaps tired from the previous night's win over Cleveland. In addition to looking flat-footed on defense, Teague -- who has enjoyed something of a breakout year as Atlanta's starting point guard -- showed no interest in penetrating the Boston D. Former Celtic Joe Johnson, the team's best offensive player, was so quiet that I was surprised to look up at the start of the fourth quarter and see that he had scored even 11 points. The only Hawk interested in doing anything seemed to be Josh Smith, who hit three long jumpers in the game's opening minutes. That turned out to be a bad thing for Atlanta, as Smith fell in love with the jumper, which has been a valid criticism of his game for years now. Smith started the game 3-for-4 from the field; he finished it 5-for-20.
Atlanta is one of those teams that reacts to Boston's bullying in kind, and Zaza Pachulia is a known agitator who really seems to get under Garnett's skin, in particular. So I was expecting a chippy game. The pace was so slow in the first half, though, the intensity level so low, that it looked like it might not materialize. But a hard foul -- nothing dirty, but a clear flagrant 1 -- by Brandon Bass on Pachulia early in the third quarter seemed to get the blood boiling a bit, and the rest of the game was dotted with cheap fouls and quick whistles.
Midway through the third, Teague dunked on the break to give Atlanta a 47-39 lead, and had words for Ray Allen. That earned him a technical foul, but even after Allen nailed the free throw, the Hawks had a chance to blow the game open. In the last few weeks, Boston opponents had taken control of close games in the third quarter, and the Celtics seemed ripe for it to happen once again: Boston was really struggling offensively and Paul Pierce was on the bench with foul trouble. But given three opportunities to extend the lead, the Hawks came up empty, with two turnovers and an empty trip to the free throw line.
Fully two minutes after the Teague tech, Allen drilled a three-pointer to keep Boston in striking distance. He hit another at the end of the quarter, on a nifty inbounds pass from Rondo; there was but a second left on the clock, and Rondo faked as though he was going to throw a lob to Garnett. Allen's defender reacted to the fake, and Ray's lightning quick release got the shot off in plenty of time. Boston trailed 51-50 after three quarters (if not for Orlando's 59-point performance tonight against Derrick Rose-less Chicago, Boston and Atlanta's offensive futility would be a big talking point among NBA types today).
The Celtics scored six straight points to start the fourth, but Atlanta got five on consecutive possession to tie the score at 76. And then, for whatever reason, Boston got hot. A 17-2 run, including 13 in a row at the end, the last nine coming on two three-pointers by Allen (one from like 26 feet at the top of the key, moving noticeably left, with Kirk Hinrich's hand right in his face) and one from Mickael Pietrus.
If you're paying attention, you know that Boston scored only six points over the final 4:30. The culprit was the usual; the Celtics stopped running their stuff, took the air out of the ball, and settled for contested jumpers at the end of the shot clock. Atlanta finally woke up, and Johnson's second three-pointer of the final minutes cut the Boston lead to 75-71 with a minute left. The Celtics got nothing on the ensuing possession and it really looked they might let this one slip away.
Enter Josh Smith, who found himself with the ball on the wing, with no Celtics defender nearby. Apparently not realizing that there was a reason he was left open, Smith launched his third and final three-pointer of the game. Like the other two, it missed, and a golden opportunity was wasted. A missed free throw by Pierce and another Johnson three gave the Hawks a chance to tie it up. Doc Rivers made a mistake, I thought, by ordering a little full-court pressure with 10 seconds left. The pressure left Teague wide open in transition for the potential game-tying three-pointer, but the young fella pulled it left and didn't even catch the rim.
The Hawks, at least without Al Horford (who's been out for months with a torn pectoral muscle), are actually a decent matchup for Boston, as long as Smith decides to stay outside (something he's generally been a lot better about during the last two seasons). Pachulia is a nuisance and with 16 points and 13 rebounds he was probably the only Hawk who played a good full game, but he had no real help on the offensive glass, where Boston opponents have been exploiting the Cs lately. And the bench -- another vulnerable area for Boston now that Brandon Bass has moved into the starting lineup for Jermaine O'Neal (whose season is over, it was confirmed today) -- features Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse -- a formidable duo a decade ago, maybe, but not now.
Anyway, good matchup or not, Boston got a huge win. They kept pace with the Sixers, who win Charlotte; they gained a full game on the Hawks for the six-seed; and they put the pressure on the Knicks and Bucks. As importantly, they rid themselves of some of the disappointment of the losses in Sacramento and Denver. The road trip can still be a success.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Boston 102, Atlanta 90
One night after an emotional, up-and-down win in New York over the Knicks, the depleted Celtics returned home and beat the Hawks.
Rajon Rondo missed the game with the ankle injury he suffered in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. That makes five missed games and counting for Rondo this year, who missed four games earlier with hamstring and foot injuries. In each of those games, Nate Robinson has gotten the start in Rondo's stead, and until tonight, he had performed well in each -- much better, in fact, than he's been most of the time coming off the bench this season. He reached double figures in scoring in three of those contests, and it seemed that he was more comfortable with the first team -- when he could focus on scoring -- than with the second unit, where he has had to create for others in the absence of Delonte West.
Robinson struggled a bit on Thursday, and I lead with a sour note on an otherwise satisfactory evening because it appears that Rondo will miss a few games and Boston will need to figure out what to do with Nate in the starting lineup.
Nate's problem tonight was, quite simply, that he tried to be too much like Rondo. Steve Kerr and Kevin McHale, announcing the game for TNT, noticed this in second half, when Robinson threw a flashy, left-handed, lookaway pass to Semih Erden on the break, but Robinson had forced a pass early and had really tried to do too much the entire game. Robinson has never been a traditional point guard, and never will be; he's a scorer trapped in a point guard's body. (Height-wise, anyway, he's actually trapped in a ballboy's body.) When Boston got a comfortable lead in this game in the third quarter, it was with Paul Pierce assuming ballhandling duties and Nate Robinson and Ray Allen playing off the ball.
I really like Nate (not that I always have) and think he's been a great addition to the team. And he's played well this season. And it definitely feels weird to say that Nate was looking to set other people up too much when he took 15 shots. But he's a better player when he's being Nate than he is when he's trying to be Rondo. If he can't just be Nate, then we can expect to see more of Pierce initiating the offense (which was a smart move by Doc, by the way).
A few bullets:
- Pierce, by the way, responded to his playmaking duties with ten assists. And he did a great job -- with help, of course -- on Josh Smith, which in theory should be a really tough matchup for him.
- It was nice to see Erden bounce back with a good game. The rookie has been forced into action far too early, and he's had his ups and downs. Wednesday night in New York was definitely one of the down notes. Given the impossible task of stopping Amar'e Stoudemire, Erden got lit up early, and you could tell from his body language that he wasn't going to be a factor the rest of the night. Thursday, he picked his head up and scored ten points.
- Points-rebounds double-doubles for Kevin Garnett (17/14) and Glen Davis (18/10). We need those guys to keep rebounding well, particularly with so many of our centers on the sidelines. (Erden didn't grab a rebound in nearly 24 minutes against the Hawks).
- Luke Harangody got seven-plus minutes of playing time and didn't play half badly. At this point in his young career, he's solely a pick-and-pop guy, Matt Bonner or Brian Scalabrine, perhaps without quite as much range. Whether he develops into something more remains to be seen, but I do think he has potential in at least that limited role. His shot is still really weird-looking, but he's got a smooth, quick release on his jumper -- much quicker than I've seen out of anyone else who played power forward in college. I'd prefer that he not turn and run downcourt immediately after releasing the ball -- maybe he's just confident, and thinks everything he puts up is going in. I hope that we don't need him to contribute this year, but I think he'll become a serviceable rotation player in time, which isn't bad for the 52nd pick in the draft.
- I would be remiss to not mention the fact that Atlanta was shorthanded, too, with Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford missing the game. Johnson and Crawford are the Hawks two best scorers, and, indeed, the two Hawks who most tortured the Celtics last season, when Atlanta swept the season series 4-0. Without those two, the Hawks -- particularly the starting five -- were impotent on offense, with the exception of Marvin Williams (which makes sense, considering that he's a three and therefore a tough cover for Allen). Josh Smith, in particular, should be ashamed of his performance, as he played with a peculiar blend of apathy and being out-of-control on his way to 0-for-8 on the floor. He didn't make his presence felt on the glass or on defense, either. Johnson and Crawford are key guys, but Smith and Al Horford are too talented to combine for nine points against a short-handed opponent.
The next lamb is the Indiana Pacers, who will be led to the slaughterhouse on Sunday in a 1 p.m. game. I will be at said slaughterhouse, making my fourth annual mid-December trip to Boston to see the Cs. Looking forward to the weekend, and I'll post again on Monday.
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Next Lamb: The Atlanta Hawks
Game 14: Boston (9-4) at Atlanta (8-5)
Monday, November 22
7 p.m. Eastern
TV: NBA League Pass
I cannot think of a team I'd like to see less Monday night than the Atlanta Hawks.
Sure, the Hawks are erratic. I can't remember where I saw it, but I read somewhere that Atlanta is the only franchise in NBA history to start a season winning its first six games before losing its next four -- and they've done it two out of the last three years. But ever since they unexpectedly took us to seven games in the first round of the playoffs during the championship year, they more or less always bring it against Boston. It doesn't matter how they're playing at the time; we're always going to take their best shot. Last year, their best shot was good enough to sweep the season series.
In addition, Boston will likely again be without Rajon Rondo, who missed the Toronto game with the hamstring injury he suffered against Oklahoma City. Rondo against the much older and much slower Mike Bibby is a matchup that would certainly favor the Celtics. Nate Robinson's move to the starting lineup also robs the second unit of some of the firepower it needs to match buckets with Atlanta's explosive sixth man, Jamal Crawford.
Up front, the mobile Al Horford is likely to really give Shaq problems, and Josh Smith is a difference-maker on both ends of the floor. And former Celtic Joe Johnson always seems to light Ray Allen up.
I don't mean to seem too pessimistic -- we can still win the game. But the stars seem aligned against us. Little injuries, second night of a back-to-back, reeling after a couple of frustrating losses -- all of these things seem to be conspiring against us, and we're playing a team that always gives us trouble.
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