Celtics Central

They lost them in the paint (60 points). They lost them on fastbreaks (24 points).

It wasn’t that they couldn’t hold onto a Buck. Rather, the Bucks couldn’t hold onto them as the Celtics overcame another slow start to win 101-89. Once again, the bench played a huge role for the Celtics as they scored 42 points and led charges to both gain and extend the lead.

It was a blockbuster Buck blocker night (say that 3 times fast) for Kendrick Perkins, as he had 7 swats in his 25 minutes work. You have to go to Kevin McHale in 1987 to find more by a Celtic in a game. On top of that he inspires his team mate Leon Powe:

You see him hustling, you see him working down there and playing defense, moving around showing on the pick and roll, doing everything…all the little things that sometimes don’t show up in the stat sheet…

if you see that from one of your starters, especially everybody on the bench is going to try to go out there and work and play extra hard

Does the bench have an identity at this point?

We talk about this all the time. Our bench tries to come in and change the tempo. You know, somebody (starts) scoring, gets the hot hand, or playing defense. Doing anything to help the team win.

The Scott Skiles Milwaukee Bucks are learning to play Skiles-intense basketball and came out strong and won the first quarter, even without their leading scorer, Michael Redd. The lead got as large as 25-12, before the Celtics decided to wake up. They brought it to within 7 at 30-23 by quarter’s end, led by Ray Allen with 7 and Kevin Garnett with 6.

Paul Pierce was not only missing his shots (1-5), he was getting burned by Richard Jefferson at the other end and team help was late. Jefferson scored 14 of the Bucks first 17 points. He scored just 6 more the rest of the way.

Pierce recovered nicely and finished with a team high 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Garnett was a solid second with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Tony Allen was 3rd with 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting, all shots at the rim, to go with 4 assists.

Paul Pierce closing in on Celtic records
Paul is closing in on Bob Cousy for all time free throws made. Cousy is 2nd all time in franchise history with 4,621. Paul now has 4,617. Paul just passed K.C. Jones (2,904) for 7th all time in franchise history with 2,908 before tonight’s game.

As so often happens the Celtics, they got it going in the 2nd quarter to take a half-time lead 55-47.

It was the Celtics 2nd unit that got it going. Tony Allen, Eddie House, Ray Allen, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis started the quarter. They cut 4 points off the lead, 37-34, by the time Kevin Garnett came back in.

The starting five slowly returned to get the lead up to 8 by half time. Glen Davis had 6 points, 2 offensive rebounds and played a solid game, while Eddie House made 3 steals in the quarter.

Led by Andrew Bogut with 6 points and 3 rebounds, the Bucks played a strong 3rd quarter to get within 2 points twice, as the Celtics shot just 6 for 17.

To start the 4th, Tony Allen, Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Rajon Rondo stretched the lead to 13, before KG came in for Powe. The Celtics solved the Bucks interior defense in the 2nd and 4th quarters. mostly with 2nd passes on moves to the hoop. It seemed that there was never help quickly enough, against the interior pass.

The Celtic bench rotation finished with an impressive 42 points on 16 of 23 shooting, as Eddie House finally was able to find the basket for 11 points, Tony Allen for 13, Powe had 10, and Davis finished with 8.

Though the Bucks played with energy, the Celtics disrupted everything they tried to do offensively and slowly broke them down defensively. It was worse for the Bucks than the final score suggested.

Davis and Powe Show – Brotherly Love
Glen Davis and Leon Powe are becoming an effective tandem playing together on the floor. Many (including myself) felt they would be competing for the same minutes. Perhaps they even felt the same way at one time. But now they are working together, and making it happen.

I know Big Baby. He can play defense. We do all type of little tactics to get over on opponents. (playing against players as) tall as 7 footers, you got to do your work early, …

Don’t let them get (any) easy touches or catches in the post. Make them do a few extra dribbles. Then you got the digs (stripping the ball). You only get about a couple of dribbles in this league.

There was a time about a year ago, when the two of you almost squared off in the heat of battle during practice. Are you surprised that you work together so well well on the floor now?

We had to get our little differences out. Sometimes big people, we’re all tough guys. In the end we came to realize we’re all here for one goal, and that – the championship last year made everybody a big family.

So we try to do something to uplift each other and help each other out on the court, and that’s why we’ve been working together and paying well together.

Uplift each other they have, along with the Celtics’ second unit, which in turn, gives the starters well needed rest. They are entering a stretch of 5 games in 7 days, starting Sunday away at Detroit, followed by Toronto, Atlanta, Denver at home and Milwaukee away again.

The game Sunday will be the first meeting of Detroit and Boston since the Conference Finals and the Pistons will have Allen Iverson in their line up.

Scott Skiles has brought his feistiness to the soft Milwaukee Bucks.

They are 3-2 and are already playing better defense than last season. He has done it with many of same the players. I’ve become a fan of his toughmindedness in recent years.

The Bucks won just 54 games total over the last two seasons. They played little defense along the way.

They have beaten New York, Oklahoma City and Washington (in OT without Micheal Redd), while losing to Toronto and Chicago this season.

The Bucks are 2nd in the NBA in shot attempt differential. They take 8.6 more shots than their opponents. Partially due to good defense, but they don’t get to the line as much either. They are 3rd worst in the NBA in free throw attempts versus their opponents (-9.8) They are fourth highest in fouling, but I’m sure that is largely indicative of their new found aggressiveness.

So their record is a bit deceiving, as even the Washington win was tainted due to the Wizards being without 2 starters – leading scorer Gilbert Arenas and center Brendan Haywood. The Wizards are winless and look out of sync. Their offense often looks stagnant. The other two wins were just against bad teams. Hard to get too excited considering the competition.

Nonetheless, positive signs are there.

Starting PG Luke Ridnour came from the OKC Thunder in the 3 team trade that sent Mo Williams to the Cavaliers, and Desmond Mason to the Thunder. He scored 20 points with 11 assists and 7 rebounds against Washington.

So far, the Bucks are doing better with 2nd round picks than with the hard earned lottery picks the losing records got them these past 2 seasons.

Yi Jianlian along with Bobby Simmons were traded to the Nets for Richard Jefferson in the off season. The Buck’s 56th pick from the same draft, PG Ramon Sessions has been a pleasant surprise and is becoming a rotation player, with a chance to be a starter. He had 8 assists and 22 points off the bench in the Washington win.

Joe Alexander has been overshadowed in the early going by 37th pick Luc Richard Mbah a
Moute. Mbah a Moute scored 17 points on 8-10 shooting in the Wizards game. But more important to Coach Skiles, Mbah a Moute plays energetic defense.

Celtics
The Celtics are the team to watch if you want to play great defense. They are leading the league in defensive shooting pct. at a smothering 37.6%

Boston is having trouble making foul shots (69%) and Eddie House’s lack of hitting his three’s (11.8%) is bringing down the Celtics’ three point average to just 26.8%. Ray and Paul are okay, but not great at around 35% each.

The Celtics are 4-1 and just getting into their own rhythms. They look to continue their perfect home record (2-0) as they work their second unit into a regular rhythm. Leon Powe is getting more touches and being featured in the offense more and he making the most of it.

Glen Davis has been playing well, and Eddie House is contributing at both ends of the floor though his shot is off so far. Tony Allen has also shown positive signs as these are the main rotation guys off the bench.

The starting five seems to just be getting better, as Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are becoming more important parts this season. We know what we will get from the Big Three on most nights.

Celtics look to continue to engage everyone more in the offense, as they try to fill the voids left by James Posey and PJ Brown. They have lost some things, but they might be gaining some things as well. Glen Davis and Leon Powe have a great chance to assert themselves into important roles, as do Eddie House and Tony Allen.

If they can fill those defensive voids, their offensive options look to be more versatile than last season.

Game is 7:30 at TDBanknorth Garden. I’ll be there to report the action.

Oklahoma has been known for experiencing some serious droughts over the years.

They did again last night, but not before some Thunder woke up the Celtics.

When a young team like Oklahoma City meet the best defensive team in basketball, scoring droughts should be expected. And the Celtics didn’t even really play that hard.

After a surprisingly strong start by the Thunder, the Beantown Ballers got serious enough to outscore Oklahoma City 49 to 26 in the two middle quarters to take control. They cruised home from there.

With the notable exception of Ray Allen, and perhaps Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics looked a bit lethargic as they won back-to-back road games in their only visit to Oklahoma City. They did it by waking up in the 2nd quarter with a 15 to 2 run. They did it again in the 3rd period with a 17 to 5 run before ending the 3rd up 70-55

Though it didn’t all show up in the statistics, the bench played a big role in this win, as Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Tony Allen and Eddie House all played well.

Statistics of note
Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 20 points on 7 of 20 shooting, 3 of 6 from downtown and 3 of 3 from the foul line. He added 9 rebounds and 5 assists, missing a double/double for the third time this year, each time by a single rebound.

Ray Allen was active all night, scoring 18 points on 7-17 shooting , and 3 of 6 from the 3 point arc. He added 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals

Kevin Garnett had 17 points on a solid 8 of 14 shooting. KG added 8 rebounds, 2 steals, but had zero assists.

Kendrick Perkins added 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting and had 4 blocks for the second night in a row. He added 9 rebounds, 3 offensive.

Rajon Rondo had 11 assists and 2 steals, and 3 turnovers, while scoring just 4 points.

Leon Powe was the 5th Celtic in double figures with 11 points off the bench on 3 of 6 shooting and a perfect 5 of 5 free throws.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 17 points, followed by Jeff Green with 14, and rookie point guard Russell Westbrook adding 13 points.

Oklahoma City shot .37% while the Celtics shot .43%

Summary
In their best quarter of the season, the Thunder ran out to a surprising 29-21 1st quarter lead with a balanced scoring attack, then hit a scoring drought. They shot a combined 10 for 38 as the Celtics held them to 26 points total in the two middle quarters.

They ended up true to form finishing at 83 points, one below their season average and 3rd worse in the NBA.

The Celtics weren’t much better with 17 of 44 shooting in the middle quarters. But they were moving the ball enough to assist on 17 of 25 made baskets, and got to the line a bit more making 15 of 20 attempts.

The Thunder had been averaging a league low, by far, of a mere 4 three point attempts a game. Tonight they made their first two and took 13 threes, making six.

Unusual Statistics of Note:
The Celtics had 3 players with 9 rebounds, and one with 8, each just missing a double/double.

The Celtics played better in the first half with Eddie House (+9) than Rajon Rondo (-4)

Next up for the Celtics: Milwaukee Bucks, Friday night

Are we about to witness a hi-jacking? How about an player interception?

The Boston Celtics have watched the recent trade news with the eye of a high flying eagle tracking it’s prey.

Compared to PJ Brown, Antonio McDyess is just a youngster at the sprightly at age of 34.

Jeez, he may still be using Clearasil.

No doubt the Celtics would Clear-a-space, as in roster space, for the long, skilled veteran.

Danny Ainge has coveted McDyess for a while, trying to land him before he signed with the Pistons.

The 6′ 9″ 220 lbs. power forward would be the perfect fit for the height challenged Celtics. Danny has gone so far as looking in the NBA refrigerator for leftovers like injury-retired, out of shape Darius Miles and Don Nelson throwaway, D-Leaguer Patrick O’Bryant.

The problem is not just the dearth of solid big men, there are few good options out there, it is the salary parameters the Celtics have to work with. That makes it about as hard as putting a camel through the eye of a needle to fill the position. That is what drives Danny’s creative intrigues.

If the rumors are correct about Denver working on a buy out for Antonio, it is a great opportunity to pursue him.

He is said to want to retire, unless he plays for Detroit. But what team just won an NBA Championship? And why did Antonio choose Detroit in the first place?

If Danny and Doc put on a full court press, as they have in the past for Posey, they may be able to convince McDyess that his best chance to fulfill his title dream is in Celtic Green.

I’m not sure what would stop Antonio from accepting. Detroit is over the cap, same as Boston. They have the added uncertainty of melding Allen Iverson to a team that wasn’t able to beat the Celtics last year.

While not as tall as 6′ 11″ PJ Brown, he brings a similar skill set and more youth (?) than PJ did.

Play-off Performance
MyDyess played twice as many minutes (27 to 14) per play-off game, scored over 3 times more (8.9 pts. to 2.9 pts.) and shot .538% to .434% against a better defense. He also outrebounded him 7.4 to 2.4 in only twice as many minutes.

He is as good as it will get for finding a replacement for Brown and he may be a better replacement in the end. Now is the time to call out the Boston SWAT team and converge on and surround Antonio and his agent’s homes.

What he lacks in length, he more than makes for in total game. While a few big centers will present problems, McDyess is 6 more fouls and plenty of trouble for the opponent himself.

Let’s see how this plays out.

If any early season game can be considered a test, the Celtics played well enough to pass -103-99.

Their defense was good enough in the 2nd half to frustrate the Rockets into shooting 15 for 45 (.33%). Ray Allen lost Tracy McGrady around picks to the tune of 15nd half points, 12 in the decisive 4th quarter, causing Rick Adelman to put Ron Artest on Ray to try to stop him at one point. Ray fouled out with 33 seconds left.

Eddie House played a solid game with 8 points (6 in the 4th) and 3 steals, while Garnett made the winning jump shot with :59 seconds left. House iced the game with 2 free throws with 9 seconds left.

Yao Ming was “mini-Ming” with just 8 points on 4-14 shooting, while blocking his own unguarded dunk with the rim once (how can a 7′ 6″ person do that?) while getting blocked by the Celtics 3 times.

‘Laker Loving Nation’ notwithstanding, the Rockets are a bonifide finals contender. After coming off a 55 win season as one of the league’s top defensive teams and losing in the 1st round to Utah 4-2 without Yao Ming, Houston added enigmatic Ron Artest while losing little in return.

This was their first loss of the season (3-1) and it was hardly their best effort, a bit surprising considering who they were playing. If a statement was made, it was by the visiting NBA Champion Celtics.

The game was played at a reasonably high level, both neither team played flawless ball. The Celtics had 16 turnovers, yet the Rockets defense was wanting for much of the night.

The Rockets played the Celtics physically in the pre-season, perhaps to send a message to the Celtics that they are ready to play toe to toe with them. They were unable to do so as successfully this evening.

Exchanging first half runs, the Celtics took over the game in the 2nd half, before the Rockets battled back to take the lead at 86-85 with 7:45 left. Ray Allen scored the next 11 Celtic points, giving the Men in Green a 98-91 lead with 1:56 left. The Celtics held on to win as the Rockets shot just 6 for 21 in the crucial 4th quarter.

The Numbers

Where’s the defense?
The Celtics shot a solid .519 while grabbing 46 rebounds, 14 offensive, and 20-27 foul shots. The Celtics has 42 points in the paint to the Rockets 26.

In addition to game high honors of 29 points on 11 of 15 shooting, Ray was 5 of 5 from the line, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a fine all around game.

Kendrick Perkins was 2nd with 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting to go with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks ( 3 against Yao). He drained 5 face up jump shots in an effort to make Yao Ming come out to cover him.

Kevin Garnet had a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds though he did not have a good shooting night (6-15). His defense was solid in the second half.

Paul Pierce just missed another double double with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Paul is just 2 rebounds shy of 3 straight games of double doubles. He shot 5 of 15, but had 4 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers.

Rajon Rondo had 10 points (5-8), all in the first quarter, and finished with 7 rebounds, and 7 assists to go with a fine all around game.

Glen Davis has a strong game with 9 points on 3 of 6 shooting and 3-3 from the line. He played solid defense against Yao, including stealing a lob pass while fronting him in the 4th quarter.

Game Notes

The Rockets jumped out to a 13-8 lead before the Celtics came back with a 20-9 run to end the quarter up 28-22. An aggressive Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins had 11 of the Celtics first 15 points as Rajon constantly attacked the hoop in the quarter.

Boston extended the lead to 43-27 on a 15-2 run before the Rockets answered with a 25-4 run of their own to take the lead 52-47.

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 12 first half points. Garnett had 9 first half points but shot only 2 of 10. Leon Powe got into foul trouble early and often, finishing with 4 fouls in only 12 minutes. He and Brent Barry had words after getting tangled up on a play.

Tracy McGrady led the Rockets with 26 points, 19 in the second half, and had three steals but his man-to-man defense was usually a step behind. Luis Scola played well, finishing with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Ron Artest settled for too many 3 point shots, and was just 3 of 16 for 15 points, but played solid defense.

Unusual Stat of the Night:
The Celtics were -7 with Rondo on the floor and +11 with Eddie House.

Next up: Tonight – Oklahoma City Thunder

When in the locker room, you get a fair amount of audio quotes. Many of them are pretty much run of the mill stuff.

When time permits, I’ll go back through for “quotes and notes” I feel you might be interested in hearing. It might not be ground breaking stuff, but still worth a listen (or a read).

I’ve been optimistic about Glen Davis’ possibilities since I first started to read about him, his over-sized personality, over-sized body, and his game.

When I actually got to see him play, from early on I liked what I saw. He has what you would call “a nose for the ball.” But his NBA ride has been an interesting one. It has certainly not gone in a straight line, nor does it for most rookies. Learning curves are part of making it in the league.

Glen seems like the kind of guy who lives life with an exclamation point. Comedian, dancer, and pro basketball player. Right now, it is more about question marks then exclamation points in Glen’s career.

The question mark surrounding him since day one has been his height…or is it his weight?

Actually it is both and…. neither.

Glen is listed at 6 ft. 9 in. tall and 289 lbs. Some say both numbers are generous. But there is more to it than either. It is also about Glen’s role on the team. Doc Rivers says he is just as talented as he’s always been. But Coach Rivers expectations for Glen are modest, but important.

Doc commented at one point in preseason that Glen was trying to do too much. Since that time Glen has tried hard to fit the expectations of Doc Rivers. What are those expectations?

It’s about maximizing (my) role. Doc says “to do whatever you do to the highest level.”

Does your role change from game to game or is it pretty much the same?

My role is simple. Set picks. Play defense. Make the extra pass. Be a team mate. Get rebounds.

So Doc’s not looking for much offense from you at this stage of the game. It’s more to set up the offense for your team mates?

‘Yes sir.”

From early on last season we saw flashes of a very nimble and energetic big man with what appears to be a versatile set of skills. Like all ball players, I’m sure Glen would like to demonstrate those skills at this level.

Something called ‘team needs’ require simpler things from the man known as Big Baby. Just as Leon Powe was expected to fill a very strict role offensively until very recently, Glen Davis understands he must do the same.

As he says, his role is simple. But it is an important one for an effective team oriented offense. The team has scorers. It needs people to set great picks at the right spots on the floor to set team mates free to make the shot or to make the pass that makes the shot, and then roll to the hoop for the rebound.

Like the work of linemen in football, it is the unheralded part of basketball offense- but every bit as critical. Like many star players coming to the NBA, it was not the biggest part of Glen’s role in college.

When I see other, lesser teams in the league, I can see the drastic difference between those teams and the league’s upper echelon teams like the NBA champion Celtics. Offensive execution and successfully running plays with a purpose are things expected on a team like the Celtics. It is a pleasant surprise on lower level teams.

But top coaches like Doc Rivers have to be part psychologist to coach and bring the best out of a team of very different individuals. Players like Glen Davis and Sam Cassell bring a certain larger-than-life spirit to their play. Helping them fit a team’s system while still bringing out the best in them can be a challenge.

A number of Celtics have started slow offensively, Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis among them. Though it is not really the biggest part of his role, it will still be nice to see Glen hit an open jump shot, make a few lay-ups on the run, or as put backs.

Like most NBA players and his running mate Leon Powe, Glen had been a solid scorer in college, averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in his 3rd and final year at LSU. He finished as LSU’s 10th leading scorer and 6th leading rebounder in just three seasons.

But questions remain about his ability to translate that success to the NBA.

It is my feeling that another time or on another team he would be able to show a bit more of his skills. But that is the price you pay to play in the NBA and on a championship team. Right now, Glen’s job is set picks and play defense.

How has year two been so far?

As a player, I think I’ve grown to learn the game more. Just get knowledge from watching the players around me.

One thing you will get every game from Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis is his all out energetic play. He is either crashing into the stands or diving onto the floor for a loose ball or jumping over someone with a quickness and effort you are surprised to see from someone so large.

All Doc will look for is some solid picks on offense and solid defense. No doubt you will see Glen doing that to the “maximum” of his ability.

The Pacers must have thought you turned back the clocks a night earlier. They were about an hour ahead of the Celtics all night.

The old jazz standard says…What a Difference a Day Makes.

It weren’t the Jazz the Celtics were playing but it might as well have been. The Men in Green looked as bad tonight as they looked good just 24 hours earlier against the Bulls.

All the happy endings tonight were Pacer ones.

In the Indiana Pacers’ first home game, playing in front of a sold out Conseco Fieldhouse, a rarity, the new look/new attitude Indiana Pacers beat the NBA Champion Boston Celtics 95-79. The Pacer’s took the lead 15-13 at 6:30 of the 1st quarter on a Danny Granger jump shot and never looked back.

Before the start of the game, in an unusual move and breaking with player tradition, Pacer’s co-owner Herb Simon personally welcomed the audience. Last season the Pacers had the lowest attendance in the league at 12,221, a mere 66% capacity. After acknowledging and thanking the full arena he said:

The Pacer organization has worked real hard this off season, to do the right thing, to change things around….We love our new players along with our existing players…and rededicate ourselves to the community. We feel we are on an upswing

.

Through the efforts of Larry Bird, Pacer management has been trying to rebuild the clubs’ bad boy image over the last year or two. They traded Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Shawne Williams, and honored Jermaine O’Neal’s trade request while quarantining toxic Jamal Tinsley from the team completely until they can trade him. They have added 7 new players.

Granger Breaks Teeth
You could say Danny sunk his teeth into the Celtics. He scored 11 points in the first quarter and 20 for the game to lead both teams. He also broke his front teeth on the floor when he and Pierce scrambled for a loose ball. Granger went to the lockerroom, but returned to finish the game.

The Pacers played without Mike Dunleavy, their ‘best all around player’ according to Larry Bird. They are incorporating many new players to the team. There isn’t a single all-star on the team though Granger is getting close.

Every Ugly Thing
This game exposed almost every conceivable Celtic weakness.

1) It was a road game and they played like it was the 2008 road play-offs all over again.

2) Newly acquired Pacer guard, TJ Ford, is one of the quickest guards in the league. He got Rajon Rondo into foul trouble early. Doc gambled by keeping him in the game with three fouls and Ford promptly got the 4th on him – in the first half no less – essentially cancelling out the Celtics only hope of guarding Ford for the rest of the game. Doc took that chance because he knew he had no one else who could stay with Ford.

3) The Celtics have trouble with teams with height because they don’t have much height themselves. The Pacers traded O’Neal, a reluctant low block performer for 7 ft. Rasho Nesterovich and drafted 7 ‘ 2 ” Roy Hibbert, two tall solid paint patrollers. They anchored the interior defense and neutralized Kendrick Perkins.

4) They didn’t have a Posey on the team to defend the long, rangy Granger. Tony Allen among others did his best, but a tall defensive forward is missing from the Celtics this season.

5) The Celtics started off a little cocky. That ends up biting them every time. They obviously did not take the Pacers seriously enough.

6) They faced a power forward with an effective outside shot, Troy Murphy, creating a situation for Kevin or another big to step out side to guard him.

7) The Pacer’s defense was surpringly organized and tenacious. With Rondo out or passive when he was in because of his fouls, the Celtics offense looked remarkably ineffective

Patrick O’Bryant’s numbers notwithstanding – he lacked real effectiveness in his short appearance.

In short …
The Halloween Costume Party was a night late. Who were those guys wearing Celtic uniforms?

Giving credit where it is due, Coach Jim O’Brien’s teams will always fight you for 48 minutes. This team “out energied” the Celtics at both ends of the floor.

Turnovers – A little Traveling Music
Traveling calls were the order of the night as Garnett had at least 3 turnovers that way and 6 TOs for the game. The league is enforcing that call more this season. The Celtics were out of sync while the Pacers were the aggressors, causing 24 Celtic TOs to only 12 of their own.

Scoring:
Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 18 points, shooting 9 for 18, and pulled down 14 rebounds. Paul Pierce had a double-double with 15 points on but 3-15 shooting and 7 of 12 from the foul line to go with 10 rebounds and 4 TOs. Ray Allen had 10 points on ten shots, 6 rebounds, and 4 TOs.

Tony Allen had 14 largely ineffective points, as the Cs just couldn’t get anything going in the ‘team offense’ concept. He played pretty solid defense. Eddie House’s shot is still MIA as he went 1 for 10 overall and 1 for 7 from the arc, finishing with just 5 points in 20 minutes.

The Celtics got to within three at 38-41 in the 2nd quarter and never got that close again. Though they has 15 assists, there were lots of no pass, or one pass, one-on-one play once the Celtics got frustrated. On the other hand, the Pacers had 20 assists on 33 made baskets they and moved the ball around quite well.

As the Pacers’ lead reached 20 points in the last quarter, the fans stood and gave them an ovation in appreciation of what they were witnessing, a hard playing underdog team that completely outplayed the NBA champions.

I am not attributing tremendous meaning to tonight’s game. Lots of things just went wrong. We know where the Celtics are strong and where they are not deep. If similar patterns emerge in similar situations as the season goes on, then it might be time to consider some remedies.