I know Game 1 is just a few hours away (8 p.m. Eastern), but I fell asleep at like 9 o'clock last night. This is a hurried attempt to get a few words up about Philly before the series starts.
1. The regular season games weren't competitive. The teams played three times, each registering a blowout, with Philly taking the other game rather comfortably. How much does this matter? Not a whit. This is the playoffs, and as hard as it is to glean anything useful about a playoff series from regular season games, it's even harder when the regular season matchups were as anomalous as these were.
2. Additionally, it's even harder to predict postseason success based on regular season performance with Philadelphia because of how deep they are. They've got eight guys who averaged around 25 minutes or more this year (Boston has five). But rotations tend to tighten up in the postseason, and that obviously negates some of the advantage of having a deep bench. Against the Bulls in the first round, for example, Thaddeus Young played three or four minutes per game fewer than he did in the regular season, and Jodie Meeks' playing time all but disappeared.
3. With a deep bench usually comes balanced scoring, and Philly is no exception. All eight of those guys who play at least 25 minutes per game average at least 8.4 points, but no one averages more than Louis Williams' 14.9. In fact, two of their top three scorers, Williams and Young, come off the bench.
With that said, their best player is Andre Iguodala, who has subordinated his own scoring in recent seasons to adjust to the brand of ball Philly has been playing. (He was rewarded with his first All-Star appearance this year.) Iguodala creates for his teammates from the three position as well as anyone in the league right now not named LeBron James, but he's a capable scorer who will have the ball in his hands in crunch time. It was just last year, in fact, that Iguodala scored a couple of tough baskets late in games against the Celtics; if memory serves, one was a game-winner and the other would have been if not for some last-second heroics from the Celtics. Iguodala is also a good defender, and while it's not like Paul Pierce has struggled against the Sixers in his career, he'll have to work hard for everything he gets.
4. I really believe Pierce's knee is the x-factor here. He's really hurting. Atlanta doubled him a couple of times in the second half of Game 6 and Pierce turned it over, both times because he was unwilling or unable to put all his weight on that injured leg and make a strong, assertive pass out of the double. He left a couple crucial jumpers in the Hawks series woefully short, likely due to not getting his usual lift. Even on the late layup he did score in Game 6, he barely got off the ground. Philadelphia is pretty good defensively, and if Pierce isn't close to 100 percent, then it's hard to see where the points are going to come from.
5. I wouldn't be totally surprised if Doc puts Ray Allen back in the starting lineup at some point during this series. Avery Bradley really struggled offensively in the Hawks series, shooting just 37 percent from the field and making two of ten three-pointers. With Pierce hobbled, Boston may want to spread the floor for him, and Allen does that in a way that Bradley doesn't. Doc also might want to make sure the first unit has enough offense, in case Pierce struggles, to avoid getting into a hole early. Most importantly, though, is that moving Bradley back to the second team means that he's in a better position to guard Williams, Philly's most dangerous scorer.
6. Finally, I'm a firm believer that in the playoffs, experience really matters. Both teams were equally unimpressive in closing out their first-round victories, but Chicago -- without Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, remember, gave away Game 6 by missing some free throws and not getting back on defense on Iguodala's game-winning coast-to-coast drive. Boston, on the other hand, won it by making some big stops and big baskets (and, okay, getting a little lucky that Al Horford missed a free throw). When it was over, Philly celebrated like crazy, while Boston looked relieved and a little annoyed that they hadn't taken care of business more convincingly. This stuff matters.
I haven't been able to articulate this very well, but I also think Doug Collins respects Boston and Doc too much for his team's good. Collins has done a good job in Philly, but I always feel like he talks about the Celtics not as an opponent, but more as an analyst, which was his role before he went back to the bench. In recent days, we've seen a number of coaches making public statements about the other team; Frank Vogel of Indiana, for instance, came out and said that Miami, the Pacers second-round opponent, were the floppingest team in the league. I don't think actually saying that makes a difference to the referees, but it shows the players that you're on their side. Collins, on the other hand, came out in March and said that he wouldn't sleep on Boston in the East -- this while the two teams were battling for the top spot in the Atlantic division. It may be nothing, but I'd choose my words more carefully if I were him.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Boston 83, Atlanta 80
[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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Boston 87, Atlanta 80
[recap] [box score]
I gotta admit it, I wasn't terribly confident heading into Game 2. Already without Ray Allen and now down Rajon R-ndo, our best player in Game 1, I figured Tuesday night was probably a lost cause. I was still pretty sure we'd win the series, but I was thinking we'd more than likely be heading back to Boston down 0-2.
But from the very moment that Paul Pierce stole the opening tip and powered past one defender, spun around another, and laid the ball in, I started to get a feeling that all was not lost, and that we were about to see a vintage Pierce performance. That feeling grew over the next few minutes, as Pierce scored Boston's next seven points, as well: a pull-up jumper; a skip between two Atlanta defenders for a running banker and the foul; another jumper. Largely due to his efforts, the first quarter ended with the score tied at 24.
Truthfully(!), I expected nothing less from the Captain. He was outstanding in the point forward role when R-ndo was out earlier in the year, and after a 12-point performance in Game 1, you just knew he would come up with a big-time performance in this one. The question, though, was whether it would be enough. At his age, in this season, there was no way he could carry us for the whole game. And he didn't. Instead, he paced himself after a 13-point first, coasting through quarters two and three with ten points, before exploding for another 13 in the fourth. All told, he racked up 36 points in 44 minutes, added four assists, and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for good measure.
Pierce was far from perfect in this game. He shot 12-for-26, which is good, not great. He made a couple of really strange, lazy passes early in the third quarter, and made a few crucial errors in the fourth quarter. Yet he made up the mistakes with more than enough huge plays. To wit: After Boston climbed back from down 11 to finally take the lead, Pierce tried an ill-advised spin move around Kirk Hinrich that Hinrich snuffed out; Pierce was called for a loose-ball foul trying to recover the ball. A few possessions later, however, Pierce got a dunk on the break, then hit an assassin-like three in transition to push the lead to seven. On Atlanta's next possession, Avery Bradley stripped Ivan Johnson, but Pierce double-dribbled in transition. To make matters worse, he bought Johnson's pump-fake on the ensuing play, and fouled the Atlanta rookie as he was draining a long jumper, resulting in an improbable three-point play that left the game in jeopardy. But on the very next trip, Pierce hit a tough pull-up, restoring order with 2:30 to go.
He wasn't perfect, but he didn't have to be. He was Paul Pierce. And Paul Pierce, when he's playing like Paul Pierce, is spectacular, flaws and all.
Pierce wasn't alone. Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Avery Bradley looked much more comfortable than he did in Game 1 and provided some much needed offense and his usual strong D. Brandon Bass was quiet again, but better. No one off the bench really had a huge impact, but they all managed to play minutes without giving up too much.
A few words about the Hawks: Boston's defense was great tonight, along the lines of what it was in the final three quarters of Game 1, but the Hawks were positively puzzling on offense over the final 15 minutes or so, once they had stretched their lead to double digits. To say even that they have terrible shot selection is probably too generous, since it at least implies that they are being somewhat selective in the shots they take. Jeff Teague dazzled for much of the game, then failed to adjust when Boston clogged the lane against him and forced some tough shots. Joe Johnson was uncharacteristically unassertive for most of the night, then rocketed a crazy 26-footer off the backboard down five with 12 on the shot clock and 1:15 on the game, which effectively sealed Atlanta's fate. Ivan Johnson tried several times to create his own offense down the stretch, which is the last thing the Hawks want. It's hard to blame him, though; he's probably learned from Josh Smith, the classic "remembers-his-makes, forgets-his-misses" guy whose refusal to stay off the perimeter has put a ceiling on both his personal development and the development of his team.
Even worse for the Hawks, Smith hurt his knee while battling for rebounding position with Garnett, and missed the final 4:30 or so. (Incidentally, a lot of people will want to say that Smith's departure cost the Hawks the game, but Boston had taken the lead by then and Atlanta had been lost offensively for several minutes by that point.) There's no word, as of this writing, the extent of Smith's injury or whether he'll miss any time. As confounding as Smith can be at times, he's one of their catalysts on offense and is a huge presence on the boards and on the defensive end. He'd be sorely missed, particularly given that Atlanta is already down a couple of bigs.
Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, at 7;30 on ESPN. The Celtics need to win the next two to keep this momentum going. Boston started the year with one of the worst benches in the league; due to injuries and the suspension, 60% of our starting lineup was filled with guys who were slotted for reserve roles when the season began just four months ago. There's an understanding among NBA types that the bench only matters in the regular season, that starters win playoff games, but that presupposes that the second unit consists of guys who, at a minimum, are competent replacement-level NBA players. Not many guys on Boston's revamped second unit fit that category.
I gotta admit it, I wasn't terribly confident heading into Game 2. Already without Ray Allen and now down Rajon R-ndo, our best player in Game 1, I figured Tuesday night was probably a lost cause. I was still pretty sure we'd win the series, but I was thinking we'd more than likely be heading back to Boston down 0-2.
But from the very moment that Paul Pierce stole the opening tip and powered past one defender, spun around another, and laid the ball in, I started to get a feeling that all was not lost, and that we were about to see a vintage Pierce performance. That feeling grew over the next few minutes, as Pierce scored Boston's next seven points, as well: a pull-up jumper; a skip between two Atlanta defenders for a running banker and the foul; another jumper. Largely due to his efforts, the first quarter ended with the score tied at 24.
Truthfully(!), I expected nothing less from the Captain. He was outstanding in the point forward role when R-ndo was out earlier in the year, and after a 12-point performance in Game 1, you just knew he would come up with a big-time performance in this one. The question, though, was whether it would be enough. At his age, in this season, there was no way he could carry us for the whole game. And he didn't. Instead, he paced himself after a 13-point first, coasting through quarters two and three with ten points, before exploding for another 13 in the fourth. All told, he racked up 36 points in 44 minutes, added four assists, and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for good measure.
Pierce was far from perfect in this game. He shot 12-for-26, which is good, not great. He made a couple of really strange, lazy passes early in the third quarter, and made a few crucial errors in the fourth quarter. Yet he made up the mistakes with more than enough huge plays. To wit: After Boston climbed back from down 11 to finally take the lead, Pierce tried an ill-advised spin move around Kirk Hinrich that Hinrich snuffed out; Pierce was called for a loose-ball foul trying to recover the ball. A few possessions later, however, Pierce got a dunk on the break, then hit an assassin-like three in transition to push the lead to seven. On Atlanta's next possession, Avery Bradley stripped Ivan Johnson, but Pierce double-dribbled in transition. To make matters worse, he bought Johnson's pump-fake on the ensuing play, and fouled the Atlanta rookie as he was draining a long jumper, resulting in an improbable three-point play that left the game in jeopardy. But on the very next trip, Pierce hit a tough pull-up, restoring order with 2:30 to go.
He wasn't perfect, but he didn't have to be. He was Paul Pierce. And Paul Pierce, when he's playing like Paul Pierce, is spectacular, flaws and all.
Pierce wasn't alone. Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Avery Bradley looked much more comfortable than he did in Game 1 and provided some much needed offense and his usual strong D. Brandon Bass was quiet again, but better. No one off the bench really had a huge impact, but they all managed to play minutes without giving up too much.
A few words about the Hawks: Boston's defense was great tonight, along the lines of what it was in the final three quarters of Game 1, but the Hawks were positively puzzling on offense over the final 15 minutes or so, once they had stretched their lead to double digits. To say even that they have terrible shot selection is probably too generous, since it at least implies that they are being somewhat selective in the shots they take. Jeff Teague dazzled for much of the game, then failed to adjust when Boston clogged the lane against him and forced some tough shots. Joe Johnson was uncharacteristically unassertive for most of the night, then rocketed a crazy 26-footer off the backboard down five with 12 on the shot clock and 1:15 on the game, which effectively sealed Atlanta's fate. Ivan Johnson tried several times to create his own offense down the stretch, which is the last thing the Hawks want. It's hard to blame him, though; he's probably learned from Josh Smith, the classic "remembers-his-makes, forgets-his-misses" guy whose refusal to stay off the perimeter has put a ceiling on both his personal development and the development of his team.
Even worse for the Hawks, Smith hurt his knee while battling for rebounding position with Garnett, and missed the final 4:30 or so. (Incidentally, a lot of people will want to say that Smith's departure cost the Hawks the game, but Boston had taken the lead by then and Atlanta had been lost offensively for several minutes by that point.) There's no word, as of this writing, the extent of Smith's injury or whether he'll miss any time. As confounding as Smith can be at times, he's one of their catalysts on offense and is a huge presence on the boards and on the defensive end. He'd be sorely missed, particularly given that Atlanta is already down a couple of bigs.
Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, at 7;30 on ESPN. The Celtics need to win the next two to keep this momentum going. Boston started the year with one of the worst benches in the league; due to injuries and the suspension, 60% of our starting lineup was filled with guys who were slotted for reserve roles when the season began just four months ago. There's an understanding among NBA types that the bench only matters in the regular season, that starters win playoff games, but that presupposes that the second unit consists of guys who, at a minimum, are competent replacement-level NBA players. Not many guys on Boston's revamped second unit fit that category.
One Game Suspension for Rondo
Nothing unexpected here. One game suspension, so we'll have him back for Game 3.
To beat Atlanta in Game 2, we're gonna need more from Paul Pierce, a more consistent effort from Kevin Garnett, and something from Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass. But we'll probably need something else, too; a contribution from an unexpected source, the way Reggie Evans sparked the Clippers to their incredible come-from-behind victory over Memphis in Game 1 of their series. If I had to pick a candidate, it'd be Marquis Daniels. He's played well recently when he's gotten minutes, and he's an experienced player who can score a little bit. Daniels gets this honor almost by default, too, as Sasha Pavlovic and Keyon Dooling have been far too bad/erratic to expect much from. It'd be nice if Mickael Pietrus got hot from three, too.
To beat Atlanta in Game 2, we're gonna need more from Paul Pierce, a more consistent effort from Kevin Garnett, and something from Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass. But we'll probably need something else, too; a contribution from an unexpected source, the way Reggie Evans sparked the Clippers to their incredible come-from-behind victory over Memphis in Game 1 of their series. If I had to pick a candidate, it'd be Marquis Daniels. He's played well recently when he's gotten minutes, and he's an experienced player who can score a little bit. Daniels gets this honor almost by default, too, as Sasha Pavlovic and Keyon Dooling have been far too bad/erratic to expect much from. It'd be nice if Mickael Pietrus got hot from three, too.
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