The Celtics beat the Heat for the third straight time in what could only be called a reach deep down, gutty win. Pre-game, no court side observers that I talked to thought the Cs would win.
No doubt Miami probably had more motivation (or reason) to win because they need to prove it to themselves and everyone else that they can beat the Boston combine. Both teams needed the ‘W’ in the race for home court advantage, expected to be a huge factor this season. The Beantown Ballers retook that advantage with this tough, no excuse win.
This team was short a few key players (Shaq, Delonte West, Marquis Daniels and a limited Nate Robinson), but it wasn’t short on something else.
Kevin Garnett…
“This team is shorthanded but we’re not short of heart and grit.”
Thank you KG. And they showed it in this one.
After losing 2 straight to Dallas and L.A. and their health issues simply not disappearing overnight, a 3rd loss to the surging Heat (8 straight wins) wouldn’t be unexpected. But Boston sent the mighty Miami Heat into the cold snow covered Boston streets with their 15th loss of the season and some questions they need to answer like…what will it take to beat the Celtics?
The Heat came out and took a 5 point first quarter lead on the strength of LeBron James 8 points, 3 assists and some solid team defense. The Celtics shot just 30% in the opening quarter to the Heat’s 52.9%
In the second quarter, the Celtics’ second unit, spurred by Glen Davis (6 pts, 2 steals) and Von Wafer (4 pts. 2 steals) pushed the Celtics into a 3 point lead before the Heat recovered and finished the half on an 11-4 run to lead by four, 43-39.
The Celtics, led by a harassing Rajon Rondo, came out blazing in the 3rd and took over the game. They went on a defense fueled 20-3 burst resulting in a 13 point lead that looked like it would all but insure a win. Ultimately it did, but not without a comeback from the Heat to close within a point with 12.5 seconds left. The Heat held the Cs to 11 4th quarter points to get back into this game.
Who will guard Lebron James when Paul Pierce is out?
Apparently, Rajon Rondo wanted that job. After half time, Rajon, Ray Allen and Von Wafer all tried their hand at defending James. Rondo was the biggest surprise and he ball hawked James a few times all the way up court.
Doc Rivers….
…it was Rondo’s idea. I told him to pressure the ball and he took that to mean whoever brought it up…I didn’t mean that. He took it that way and then I stayed with it.
Actually Doc didn’t stay with that match up too long, but it seemed to hinder James and delay his ability to get up court and work freely. More important, it got the Celtics going.
Kendrick Perkins….
We know what Rondo is capable of doing. He turned it up another notch. I’ve never seen nobody make LeBron turn his back to the basket. He really didn’t want to put it on the ground around him. I thought that was huge. When he picked him up the energy just picked up and the guys kind of backed him up after that.
We should mention that Paul Pierce did the lion’s share of defense on James and did a commendable job considering he was playing hurt. Pierce shot 0-10 and was clearly laboring out there. It looked like all the defensive energy required to guard someone like Lebron was taking its toll on Pierce.
Afterwards, Paul revealed that he was nursing a sprained hand and sore foot. He sprained the hand the day before in practice and it was hit again during the game. Paul said that his foot has been bothering him for a few weeks and he is getting an MRI on it on Monday.
Speaking of playing defense affecting your offense, Dwyane Wade had to guard a non-stop Ray Allen around screens and back-picks all night. The result? Ray was held to 13 points on 5 of 14 shooting, but Wade went just 5 for 17 himself for 16 points in the process. I’ll take that every time.
Garnett came up with some clutch shooting in the second half with 12 points and 2 big buckets in the 4th quarter. KG finished with 19 points. Glen Davis hit two big free throws to ice the game after the Heat closed to within one. Davis finished with 16 points.
Kendrick Perkins played an outstanding game with 15 points and 6 rebounds in 30 minutes. Rondo had a triple double (11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) that was actually overshadowed by his game changing defensive effort.
So the Celtics pull out a game they could have folded the tent for. The Heat? They are still trying to solve the Celtics.
It’s like this…Miami is on an 8 game winning streak and has gone 9-1 while Boston has lost 2 straight, 3 of their last 4 and is 5-5 over their last ten games. The Heat are now .5 games ahead of the Celtics for home court advantage in the Eastern Conference.
With the basketball gods’ sense of good (or bad) timing, Miami comes to Boston on Sunday for a nationally televised 1:00 pm contest against the somewhat abbreviated version of the Celtics. Miami’s got its groove on. Boston will be watching its foul calls. Celtic depth ain’t nothing but a state of mind and a few strategic calls away now from being paper thin at some positions like center and small forward.
The main question is who is going to guard LeBron James when Paul Pierce rests? Who’s got the ‘over’ on Pierce’s minutes played today?
On the other hand… Danny Ainge remarked that it will be fun seeing who steps up and that lesser players will get that chance. That suggests that Doc will limit Pierce’s minutes and someone who hasn’t played much will get a chance to do the near impossible and guard one of the hardest players in the league to guard, at least until his 5-6 fouls are used up. Von Wafer? Luke Harangody?
Where have you gone James Posey….kookookachoo. Is there is a Tony Allen in the house?
And there are other questions like….
How much does this game mean? Quite a bit, one would think under the current circumstances and closeness and importance of their two records. But there is still a lot of season left and losing this game won’t be the end of the world…for either team. The goal remains getting everyone healthy for the playoffs for the Celtics.
Still, running a fairly healthy Paul Pierce out there 40 plus minutes for a single game as the season heads closer to the All Star break wouldn’t be a terrible thing either.
Shaq, Semih Erden and Delonte West will not play. Marquis Daniels and Jermaine O’Neal are already on the shelf for a good long (but unknown) length of time.
To be honest, even when Marquis is healthy, it would be hard for the Celtics to stop LeBron James. What the Cs needs is a long, tall, agile, defensive minded small forward for a player like James. I know. I know. They beat the LeBron Cavs last season and the Heat twice this year without that tall small forward. Case made.
Playing Defense Saps Offense
But it would still make a whole lot of sense if they could procure such a player by the trade deadline (February 24th). It would reduce the stress on the rest of the team and its help defense to contain James…and Kobe. Imagine if Ray Allen didn’t have that assignment for the bulk of his minutes in a series against the Lakers. His own offensive efficiency would undoubtedly be favorably impacted.
Case in point, regarding Pierce’s own offense with help defending James; Paul’s scoring in the Cavaliers series was 13.5 points per game. In the next series against the Magic Pierce did not such a difficult assignment, only having to worry about players like Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus. Pierce had a field day and averaged 24.3 points per game.
Sherrod Blakely of the Boston Globe mentioned some players who might be of interest and might be available as the trade deadline arrives. The Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince was not among those listed and he is the player I would most like to fill that role. Carl Landry followed by Anthony Parker are probably the two best options listed by Blakely. Both make around $3 mil and are in their last contract year. Both have the ability to contribute at both ends of the floor with Parker the more experienced and better overall defender.
I’m guessing that Parker would be the most gettable, based on the Cavs record and Landry’s admittance that he would like to play for the Rockets again, the team that traded him to the Kings.
Center of Attention
Kendrick Perkins is back to play center for the Celtics and not a game too soon with the O’Neals and Semih Erden out. On top of that, Kendrick looks to be in very good shape and his game isn’t very rusty. The Heat have multiple (but flawed) options at that position. Keeping Kendrick on the floor will be important. He is already averaging over 30 minutes a game and that number could go up as the season progresses
While the Celtics main stars have been relatively healthy, their surrounding cast can’t say the same. Dealing with the erratic center situation, and up and down performances of Nate Robinson with Delonte West out, and now no back up at the 3 with Daniels out, the injuries have just ground some of the effectiveness out of what has been a very resilient team.
The season is a long grind anyway. The 4 Celtics stars will be All Stars, but the All Star break will be welcomed to gain some time and rest for the injured Cs.
This year is a juggling game for Doc Rivers and the Celtics. They knew it would be. But I doubt it they thought it would be this challenging. Losing Daniels for the season may end up in having his contract bought out and another player added.
I said that depth is just a state of mind right now and paper thin. Make that Wafer thin as in Von Wafer. At 6’5” he’s not the long term answer, but he will get his chance under the circumstances. So might rookie power forward Luke Harangody.
But that is how things are right now. What happens against the Heat today won’t be too earthshaking…unless the Celtics lose home court at the end of the year. Do you see how I did that?
Either way, Miami is balling right now and Boston is falling, with 3 losses in their last 4 games. It should be an interesting game.
It is going to happen. Ray Allen has joined Paul Pierce in formally accepting an invitation to compete against each other on All Star Week-end in the Three Point Shoot Out.
Pierce is the defending champion. Ray Allen, about to become the most prolific three point shooter in the history of the game, has appeared five other times and won the contest in 2001.
This should be great fun…for the two Celtics for locker room bragging rights for the rest of the year…for Celtic Nation….for all the fans…and for all the anti Celtic fans who hope neither win.
League scoring champ Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dorell Wright of the Golden State Warriors, Daniel (Boobie) Gibson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and James Jones of the Miami Heat will all try knock off the Boston contingent. This announcement just amped up my interest 1000%.
Pierce has been vocal about his long distance shooting prowess for the past few years and says when he gets older, he will still be able to play by becoming a floor spacer and knocking down that shot from the arc. He has the stats to back that up. Paul is shooting 40% from the arc this season and shot 41.4% last season after a 39% year in the first year of the Big Three. He is actually averaging over 40% for the last 4 years.
Ray Allen, as good as he has been, is having a career year from his backyard, shooting almost a Steve Kerr-like at 46.2%. That is by far the most accurate that Ray has been in a very accurate career. His two closest seasons were 2000-1 and 2001-2 when he averaged 43.3% and 43.4%.
Ray Allen has the form and rhythm and looks like silk. While Ray looks like he launches guided missiles, Paul Pierce appears to be firing mortar rounds. Accurate mortar rounds, but mortar rounds nonetheless. But whatever style works is fine with me. Look for a three point explosion for the Celtic contingent.
They will be up against good competition.
Daniel Gibson of the moribund Cavaliers gives Cleveland something to root for with his deadly 43.9%. Gibson has the highest lifetime average of the group at 42.6%
James Jones is a career 40% three point shooter and is knocking them down at 42.5% for the Heat this season. He has his dream job of playing on the Heat with Wade, James, and Bosh.
New comer Dorell Wright is the contest’s volume shooter at 6.2 attempts per game for a very solid 40.9%. Golden State’s free style offense gives Wright the green light for raining threes.
Kevin Durant is the marquee draw as the game’s reigning scoring champ and now annual MVP candidate. He is hitting them at 34.7%. but can step up in big moments. We will see how he handles this kind of pressure.
Anyway, good fun coming, and this will only make sure that I watch that event this year. I’m not a big All Star Week-End guy normally. Ray and Paul? Imagine the trash talking before during and after.
And if one of them doesn’t win it, imagine the stuff they will get from their teammates.
Kevin Garnett and the Celtics turned out to be among those people. Led by ‘oldie’ 29 year old Samuel Dalembert, the active young Kings rejected 10 first half Celtic shots.
The Kings seemed like they would block just about everything the Celtics tried to throw up there in the first half. Sacramento had more energy and appeared to control the game until Kevin Garnett had a long talk…with himself.
In the second half an uninspired Celtic team gained inspiration after Kevin Garnett had a few intense talks with himself or whoever he talks to when he’s walking around out on the court talking intensely to that mysterious invisible man. It first started with the Celtics down but mounting an early second half comeback.
It was after a DeMarcus Cousins foul on KG on a KG dunk attempt with 8:47 left in the third and the Cs still down 59-51. KG made both free throws bringing the Cs to within 59-53.
It must have been a motivating conversation, because that conversation, and some fired up Celtic defense led by Garnett, changed the complexion of the game. After a Shaq made one of two free throws, KG went from guarding Cousins on the perimeter to blocking 7′ Dalembert on a dunk attempt – giving the game’s leading shot blocker a taste of his own medicine.
KG then walked away and got even madder at himself ( I should have blocked it twice?) and performed some one handed chest pounding CPR on himself at the same time. It was a cardiac procedure that worked not only on himself but vicariously on the whole Celtic team. Medical research centers everywhere are asking for copies of the game tape to analyze just how that could work.
Then Garnett guarded Cousins at the three point line, forcing him into a bad attempt as the shot clock expired. More intense, animated self flagellating conversation as KG headed down court. After Rondo got blocked and sent to the floor on another Dalembert rejection, he made up for it with a driving lay-up and Ray Allen received a nice pass cutting into the middle from Garnett and put up one his little ‘scissor feet’ jump shots to get the Cs within one at 61-60.
Garnett got fouled on a shot attempt and continued his verbalocity, telling his team mates to get him the ball. He then hits the two free throws to give Boston the lead at 62-61 after that. Apparently a Ray Allen half time dressing down of the team laid the groundwork for KG’s driven second half. Together, they spurred an 11-2 run by the Green Machine. Maybe Ray Allen motivated the motivator.
Floor Diving KG – Play of the Game
If there was any question the Celtics would join KG’s fight for this game, that was answered after Landry made two foul shots on a KG foul (who else?). Ray Allen came down and missed a three pointer that Rondo tapped away from Carl Landry to KG who then went to the floor battling Landry for the ball. KG got it and rolled and tossed it to Rondo nearby who then passed it to an attacking Ray Allen at the side three point line. Ray buried it this time. Celtics up 65-64 and their energy was off the hook from here on.
Watching an intense, maniacal Garnett like that is a thing to behold. While it may not have the same effect on the top contending teams in the NBA, it certainly has an intimidating and deflating effect on young teams, even talented ones like the Kings. The Celtics rolled to around a 8-10 point advantage the rest of the way until the final minute of the game when some big but desperate King shots brought them to within 5 points.
No More Upsets
After going into half time down ten points (55-45), the Boston Celtics move to 37-11 after upsetting the upstart upsetters, the Sacramento Kings, with a strong second half to pull out the ‘W’. The now 12-34 Kings had won 2 in a row with major upsets of the Lakers and Hornets, and 3 of 4 with another W over the Blazers. They had the Celtics lined up as next in their sights and played with unusual poise. Schnikees, is this King team finally starting to get it?
It was starting to look like one of those trap games for the Celtics. They were playing the lowly Kings, on the road, after an emotional win over the Lakers on Sunday, the team that stole the NBA title from Boston’s very grasp last June. They could easily have been played out, and looked a bit like that in the first half.
The Kings could be an ‘Oklahoma City-Lite’ kind of team if they ever get things clicking. Young, athletic, talented and energetic. The kind of team that can give an aging veteran team trouble if they don’t come to play.
The Kings blocked and altered multiple shots with an active interior and weak side defense, especially in the first half. Perkins got blocked. Shaq got blocked. Rondo and Davis got blocked. Seven different Celtics were rejected in all. Samuel Dalembert led the way with 4 first half blocks and finished with 5 of the Kings 12 rejections in the game.
On top of that, unsung Donte Greene looked like the second coming of…. Hondo Havlicek? Okay, Bill Walton was announcing for the Kings and was going for that over reaching comparison, but Greene was lighting it up from everywhere on the court and had 15 first half points to lead Sacramento. Donte finished with…15.
The Celtics came out in the second and largely behind Garnett’s determination, sparked Nate Robinson and the rest of the Celtics, as they refused to let this one get away. Though the Cs defense amped up and closed the Kings offense down, holding the Kings to just 36 second half points, the Kings would put up a fight until the end. With the game seemingly won, the Kings would close to within 2 possessions three times in the final minute.
Robinson Helps Steal the Game Away
Both teams displayed active hands with the Celtics committing a larcenous 14 steal game, surprisingly led by Nate Robinson’s 5, with 4 of his in the second half. Rondo was the other major part of the Cs theft ring with 4 steals. The Kings stole the ball 10 times led by the active hands of Beno Udrih with three knock aways.
Robinson couldn’t throw it in the ocean most of the night and that too often means he doesn’t contribute much to the team’s success on those nights. This night would be different.
Nate’ poor shooting was offset by the active hands, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists that should have been 3 if Davis was able to get off a left side jumper after Nate collapsed the defense inside with a beautiful drive and superb dish to a now open Davis. Jeter came out of nowhere and knocked the ball loose as Glen was going up. Davis played a solid game and got his offense going late, adding ten 4th quarter points to finish with 14 in 24 minutes.
Boston’s win was also aided by another category that they are chronically deficient in – offensive rebounds. The Celtics grabbed 11 offensive boards and converted a number of them for second chance points. The Celtics also won the overall battle of the boards with 43-36, led by Kendrick Perkins off the bench with 10 boards in 24 minutes
Ray Allen led the Beantown Ballers in scoring with 22 points on 9 of 15 shooting with 4 more three pointers, against an improving Sacramento defense. Ray added 6 rebounds to the Celtics’ efforts. Rajon Rondo added 17 points and 10 assists. Paul Pierce added 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, while KG finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal to go with his game changing defensive effort.
Tyreke Evans and a noticeably improving DeMarcus Cousins led the Block-Kings with 20 points each.
In the end, the Celtics’ poise, infusion of second half energy, and formidable defense won the day. The Celtics offense was a team affair once again, but Ray was the leader among equals.
The last game Robinson surprised the Lakers with much needed scoring. This time Nate surprised the Kings with alert and active hands as the Celtics head home to play the Mavericks on Friday.
In the end the Celtics got over the rejection(s) and signs of fatigue to steal a game from a Kings team that is showing signs of life.
KG’s solo conversations just this side of mental health and self CPR?
Not sure whether cardiac specialists or psychiatrists are studying game tapes on that one. Dude is crazy with heart.
The game lived up to everything fans hoped it would. It was the veritable clash of titans everyone hoped for. It was the long awaited rematch, a heavyweight bout between the champion and last years’ title fight runner up. The challenger was up to the challenge this time.
The healing and somewhat rebuilt Boston Celtics took on the champion Los Angeles Lakers and after see-sawing the lead early for control of this game, the Celtics prevailed behind a dominant performance by Paul Pierce.
Flush with lots of big time plays, this match displayed multiple difficult and clutch shots getting drained by both teams.
Pierce-Kobe Shoot Out
At one point it was the Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant show. Pierce was on top of his game, manufacturing 32 loud and precise points on 11 of 18 shooting, 3 of 5 three pointers, and a perfect 7 from the foul line as he led the way for Boston.
With the Lakers’ big men largely neutralized and Ron Artest misfiring, Kobe Bryant became the sole offensive spark and one man show already seen in last season’s title series, by firing away for 41 points on 29 shots with no assists in a losing effort.
Both players made highly difficult shots all game, with Bryant unfazed as he attacked double and triple teams more and more as the game wore on. Not seeing his teammates respond offensively as he hoped, did not deter him from his mission of single handedly trying to keep L.A. from losing. In fact that was what spurred on his solo performance. He was in the end, deterred. The Celtics won going away by a convincing 109-96.
The Celtics jumped out to the early lead and it took a Kobe Bryant three pointer with 2:41 left in the first half to wrest the lead (44-42) from the motivated Celtics. In what was reminiscent of the that title series, the unflappable Lakers went up by 6 at 54-48 on 2 Bryant free throws. Then Lamar Odom fouled Glen Davis on a last second 60 foot desperation shot attempt by Glen Davis before the half ended. Davis made 2 of 3 foul shots to make it 54-50 at the half.
Pierce Shoots Celts Back Into Lead Multiple Times
The game became a duel of big shots and Paul Pierce simply hit more of them. Three shots in a row at one point, to be exact.
L.A. had their biggest lead of the night at the opening of the third quarter when Bryant made a three pointer to put L.A. up 57-50. Boston scored the next 8 points to regain the lead on a jump hook by Garnett and 6 straight points by Pierce. After 2 Pau Gasol foul shots to retake the lead, Pierce made another big three pointer to take back the lead.
Gasol tipped in another shot to tie it at 61 and Pierce responded with yet another three pointer for his 26-28th points of the night to give the Celtics the lead for good with 6:39 left in the third. The Lakers continued to challenge largely through Kobe’s shoot and take no-prisoners effort.
Paul Pierce and the Celtics, on the other hand, played tag team and Pierce handed off the offense to Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Nate Robinson and Glen Davis the rest of the way. Allen scored 12 points and Garnett finally went to work around the post for an assorted 10 points against difficult and long defense by Bynum, Gasol and Odom. Nate drained 2 big three pointers and finished with 11 deeply appreciated points on 4 of 7 shooting in 13 plus minutes.
The Celtics shot .603 on the day and simply had too many weapons clicking in this particular contest. Robinson, Pierce and Allen each had 3 three pointers as the Celtic took what the Lakers were giving until late in the game. The Lakers length was packing it in inside, making it difficult for the Cs to work the middle. They made the Lakers change with continually strong outside shooting.
Finally, a largely unguarded Rajon Rondo got it going with drives to rim and carved up and confused a normally smart and tight Laker defense. Rondo finished with 16 assists after having only one in the first half. Rondo and the Cs took what the Lakers were giving and then Rondo exploited Laker misses, strong Celtic rebounding and outlet passes with a faster, better transition game in the second half. Rondo on the move and slightly ahead of the defense is a hard force to stop.
Battle of the Big Men
The Lakers’ big men are a huge problem over an extended series when they are healthy. That is why the Celtics went out and signed three very long players in the off season, Shaq, Jermaine O’neal and Semih Erden. Only Shaq played and was limited to 12 plus mostly uneventful minutes due to foul trouble.
But the Celtic remaining big men made their presence felt.
Garnett’s defense was most responsible for impacting and impeding Odom, Bynum and Gasol. Kendrick Perkins returned to the scene of the crime and put his imprint on the game defensively as did Glen Davis who was often seen pushing Bynum and Gasol away from the paint and the boards.
The game was closer than the final score might suggest, that is, until the last 3 plus minutes when the Celtics did what they do to more pedestrian opponents. Rajon alley ooped a fast breaking Garnett for a 98-87 lead. Davis boxed out Bynum, grabbed the rebound, and started another fast break where Rondo hit Ray across court for a three pointer for a 101-89 lead.
Davis then drew a charge on an offensively panicking Kobe. On the other end, Ray curls around screens underneath and pops out on the left, leaving Fisher in his dust for another jumper to the left of foul line to all but end it at 103-89. Celtic ball would prevail on this day.
What this game revealed was that the Celtics have strong secondary support in the form of Ray Allen and a healthier Kevin Garnett. Though the Celtics did not initially solve the interior defense of the Lakers, eventually they opened things up and Glen Davis and Nate Robinson provided much needed help scoring as well.
You can look at this game a number of ways. The Celtics broke the interior defense by shooting exceptionally well and rebounding and running after misses. Ron Artest was unmotivated to play Pierce as he normally does. Bynum and Shaq both got into foul trouble. Though lethargic initially, the Lakers were again poised and took the lead back multiple times behind Kobe and Pau. The Celtics rebounded much better than they usually do.
All in all, these two teams look rather evenly matched, the results of this game notwithstanding. As the Celtics were not really ready until the playoffs last season, these Lakers look to be running a similar road this season.
The win was nice and it was good to see so many Celtics step up. But it would premature and maybe naive to make too much of this victory at this time of year. Yet, it is good to know that Delonte West, possibly Jermaine O’Neal and Semih Erden can all add to the Celtics’ depth when it will really count.
In a way, the Celtics had more riding on this game than the Lakers so it was good to see them respond and take the game away from the Lakers on their home court. Call this game a solid move in the right direction. But I think we will see better from Gasol and Bynum the next time around. If not, Kobe’s arms might get tired and fall off.
It was an entertaining game from an entertaining team named the Celtics and an entertaining player named Kobe Bryant. On the other hand, is it possible we witnessed what might be the undoing of the Lakers, should they fail in their bid to repeat? Ultimately, it is still a team game.
As Phil Jackson himself said…the Celtics are a very good team.
One team was probably looking ahead. One team was looking dead….after playing a tight back-to-back (starting in Portland) across the country after a long home stand.
It is not what you would expect from two teams heading into a big showdown. Or maybe it is.
The Boston Celtics, last year’s NBA runner up and the team with the second best record in the league this season at 35-11 lost to the mediocre (21-24) Phoenix Suns. In fact, they got pummeled by them, scoring but 71 points. That was by far their lowest output of the season.
Along the way they lost coach Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to double technicals, and Glen Davis to injury. The only other time they were held to less than 80 points this season was against the Bulls (79 points) and the Bulls actually play good defense.
The Lakers, going for 3 straight championships this year and this next attempt will be as huge as any the league has seen…ever, lost to the fearsome and now 11-33 Sacramento Kings. The Lakers were losing by 20 at one point and made it a game but faltered in the end. The unfocused, unmotivated Kings focused and motivated themselves enough to pull out a win in Staples Center.
The Lakers are experiencing a bit of what the Celtics endured last year when they just did not get up for games they counted as largely meaningless. While the Lakers have wobbled a bit and are a human 33-14, they haven’t gone into a long term funk like the wavy Green Cs did last season when they went 27-27 after Christmas. But they have had a 3 game and a 4 game losing streak and 8 of their 14 losses this season were against teams that were under.500 at the time. Oh these long 82 game seasons.
The Celtics are running up a stellar record this season and have a 3 game lead over both the Bulls and the Heat for Eastern Conference home court advantage. Only the Spurs have a better record in the NBA. They are an atmospheric 39-7 right now. The Celtics beat the Spurs (105-103) in their only meeting this season and they did it without Kevin Garnett. Oh yeah, the Lakers haven’t played the Spurs yet either.
The tendency of Kobe to not trust his teammates and take over games, much as he did the finals last season, rears its ugly head from to time as it did in the Kings game Friday night. Bryant scored 38 points. But he took 27 shots combined with 12 foul shot attempts to do it. The second highest shot attempts were from Shannon Brown and Pau Gasol with 11 attempts each. Hardly what you would call team ball. Kobe almost lost the championship in game 7 that same way.
The Celtics have played musical chairs at center all season with the healthiest big man getting the nod each night. That looks to stabilize with the return of Kendrick Perkins. Kendrick has been back for 3 games now and will only get better as the season progresses. Delonte West is still out and isn’t expected to return until late February. He will stabilize the back court off the bench.
So, what does this game mean?
Players will down play it. The media will play it up. It will definitely mean something as each team measures itself against the other. They both have excellent chances of getting back to the finals this season.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo will want to cement their own legacies as some of the very best to ever play the game by winning multiple championships together. Shaq will want to keep ahead of Kobe in total career championships. Doc Rivers would love to beat his nemesis, Phil Jackson. Phil Jackson will want to go out winning 3 straight titles and ahead of Red Auerbach.
As far as franchises go, the Lakers are one title away from tying Boston for the most titles in league history at 17. That means as much as anything to the fans of each city and each team. The Celtics, for a host of reasons, have slowly let the Lakers climb up to be at this critical point.
I don’t know how much that means to today’s players, but it means a whole lot to each team’s fans.
What adds to that is the Celtics feel they let last year’s title slip away. They were up 3 games to 2 and lost it all to these same Lakers. Kendrick Perkins went down early in game 6 and the Celtics still has a 10 point lead in the third quarter of game 7. Their dreams went up in smoke shortly after on a Ron Artest 3 pointer, no less.
The meaning of home court in a 7th game was driven home by Doc Rivers long after it was all over.
That Doc Rivers came back and this Celtic team stayed together is based solely on the goal of returning to the Finals and getting that second title. That Phil Jackson came back is about his own legacy and now he has added motivation for a team that needs it. Jackson has announced that he will retire after this year, win or lose. Win one last time before the changing of the guard.
No Guarantees
Teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, or Orlando Magic can very well spoil any rematches for the Celtics. The San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks or possible Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder can do the same to the Lakers. The road back won’t be an easy one.
The ratings will be up on this long standing and recently re-kindled rivalry. Neither team is assured of getting back to the finals. In some respects, that makes this game more… and less important. Either way, these are two of the best teams the league has to offer. They won’t have trouble getting up for this one.
Garnett, Pierce, Artest, Bryant, Odom and others will all talk junk during the game. Neither team will be able to psyche the other out. They are both too good for that. It will come down to how well they each play the game…and that really is the way it should be.
They may have both stumbled into this game and that hardly sets it up as it should be. But don’t be fooled.
Tune in to watch two of the most talented, best coached, and most competitive teams with the deepest rivalry in the league do battle. You just can’t get a better game than that.
It is a tough time of the season in normal conditions. The half way point. Pre All Star game. Lapping your division by a lot. Playing the league’s worst team. Your team needs a spark. Just call Kendrick Perkins ‘Sparky’.
For the Celtics’ beleaguered center position, the cavalry has finally arrived. With their 18th straight loss, the Cavaliers could use some cavalry of its own.
The now 34-10 Boston Celtics not only beat the collapsing Cleveland Cavaliers by a convincing 112-95. They got back Kendrick Perkins. That was, by far, the best news of the night.
Kendrick’s numbers weren’t eye popping. They were rather average. He didn’t turn the game around. He didn’t make a key rebound, block a big shot or score a game turning basket. It was simply the fact that he is finally back that helped change an otherwise nondescript mid season game and quietly add a little spark to a team that has to fight the tendency to nod off against lesser opponents from to time.
Paul Pierce led the way with 17 first quarter points and 24 for the game, Ray Allen chipped in with 18 more and 4 assists, while Rajon Rondo had a double double with 11 points, 10 assists and 4 steals.
The return of Kendrick Perkins, a few weeks early, was the big news of this game. Kendrick came on in the first quarter and played 17 minutes total, scoring 7 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, while dishing off 3 assists. Even with the two all star centers the Celtics have, Perkins was a sight for sore eyes. As talented as the two O’Neals are, Perkins gives the team something neither can – youthful exuberance.
A Necessary Abundance
What was supposed to be a position of abundance and strength after the Celtics reloaded with nearly 21 additional feet of height in rookie 7 footer Semih Erden from Turkey, then signing 6’ 11’ Jermaine O’Neal, and 7’ Shaquille O’Neal turned out to be a creaky revolving door at center.
Between the constant injuries to the three of them, the Celtics still needed 6’ 8” Glen Davis to play some minutes at the five. That dynamic now changes for the better with the arrival of the final member of the starting five of the previous three years.
In a single season, the Cavaliers went from the league’s best record to its worst (8-37) with the departure of LeBron James. They have now tied the Celtics own franchise record of 18 straight losses that occured shortly before the ‘KG years’. I remember those days and they were not much fun.
Boston went up 34-26 after one quarter and never looked back. By half time the score was 67-45. J.J. Hickson grabbed 17 rebounds, distributed 5 assists and blocked 4 shots for a team that is searching for signs of life.
While some may consider laying some fault at the feet of coach Byron Scott, let me say he was the only coach who said he would accept coaching this team whether LeBron stayed or not. For that I give him credit for accepting an extremely difficult situation with little hope of success this season. But jeez, no one expected this.
For the Celtics, the return of Perkins immediately relieves pressure on the Celtics defense and the old bodies of Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal. Kendrick isn’t in NBA game shape yet, but he is thinner than before and looks as if he is in great overall shape. It is only a matter of time before he regains his wind and the starting position.
At that point, the Celtics defense, as good as it has been, will get better. It will give much needed time to Shaq to heal more completely. Shaq will be able to play with more energy for shorter periods of time and will save wear and tear on a well traveled 38 year old body.
Jermaine O’Neal is out indefinitely but is expected back in time for the end of season and the playoffs. Semih Erden has a shoulder injury and is recovering from a groin pull. Shaq has a myriad of health issues but the prevalent ones are some hip issues, ongoing arthritis, and back issues.
The arrival of Kendrick is not a minute too soon. That the Celtics are treating all their player injuries a little more conservatively, with an eye towards the playoffs, is a good thing. It has been Kendrick’s hard work in recovery that makes this moment of return come so early.
Kendrick will be able to finish at the hoop almost as well as Shaq on the offensive end and will be far more mobile at the defensive end. Perkins’ defense is second only to Garnett’s and he is well versed in the rotations. His pick and roll defense will allow the team to use different schemes and his mobility will allow the guards to gamble a bit more.
On January 24, 2011 after practice in Waltham, he finally got that ‘OK’. It wasn’t soon after that that an overjoyed Perkins was shouting out the news to his teammates. Tomorrow would be the day, but now a 30-hour wait would seem longer than the last seven-plus months.
“I didn’t sleep last night,” Perkins said after the game. “I actually left the gym this morning at about one o’clock (am). “Went to the gym last night at about 10 (pm) so that’s probably why I’m tired right now. I couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t wait; I was up all day, so it’s all good.”
After seeing Perkins go down with 5:30 left in the first quarter of game 6 of the Finals last season, the Celtic played a stinker and the Championship title slipped away shortly after. The unsung and least praised Celtic in a starting five of multiple future hall of famers, Perkins knows his value to the team and so do his team mates.
That the Celtics have avoided the mid season doldrums that encompassed the team last year is a good thing. Even with all the injuries, (don’t forget Delonte West) they have the second best record in the league and are determined to capture home court advantage for as long as possible this time.
Even with all the new height, the Celtics have struggled rebounding again. At a time of the season where the length of an 82 game schedule starts to take its toll, most teams need something extra to help them get through it. Even the evil reigning champion Lakers are experiencing motivational let downs.
The Celtics just got a shot of Vitamin ‘K’ to help them along.
Don’t be concerned about those seismographic readings coming from the greater Boston area. There was no earthquake or before or aftershocks. No natural earthquake anyway.
Those blips were Shaquille O’Neal running on a bit of youthful elixir against the Detroit Pistons. Shaq did it all in this one, as the inspired 38 year old, future Hall of Famer, went to the floor twice to scramble for a loose ball and beat his younger peers to it both times. The aftershocks resulted in a Boston hard fought win in a closely contested game against what looks like an improving Piston team.
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo – (With His Jump Shot ) He Wants to Tear Your World Apart – Goat’s Head Soup
Ray ‘Heartbreaker’ Allen once again lurked in the shadows to rip out the heart of his opponents with another game winning shot. He hit a 2 pointer with his foot on the three point line with 24.5 seconds left and the game tied at 82 all. Until then, Ray was just 1 for 7 on the night. I don’t know how many times we have seen him do that – hit the game winner after shooting poorly all night. Move over Michael Lewis, the Celtics have their own author of Moneyball.
His streak of games shooting over .500 ended. But Ray was up against it all night. Two of those shot attempts were balls that ended up in his hands as the shot clock was running out and he had to throw something up there quickly.
Shaq grabbed 12 rebounds (season high – 5 offensive boards), had 12 points, 3 big time steals and 2 blocks on a very productive night. The Green Machine was sluggish in this game and needed all that Shaq could bring to the party to heat Boston up on a cold January night.
It was a methodical, irrhythmic game for most of the time for the Celtics. The ‘canary in the coal mine’, was a low assist night for Rondo…until the 4th quarter. Rondo had only 4 assists after three periods. Unusual for the league’s assist leader.
It wasn’t that Rajon was not playing well. He was. He was concentrating on other things like defending Rodney Stuckey and Tracy McGrady and rebounding (8 rebounds – 4 offensive). The Pistons were making other Celtics make plays as they dropped off Rondo all night, still a regular scheme by opposing teams. Rajon shot just 3 of 9, but as usual, made up for it in other ways.
Rondo came alive in the 4th and worked his passing magic, adding 4 more. He and Shaq had it going with three drives and dishes to Shaq. One ended up an alley oop dunk, one an easy lay-up and a second alley oop Shaq just missed putting it in.
The Feel is Real for Shaquille O’Neal
I have to say, Shaq had a great night. Really great. But I must add that the Celtics have masterfully figured out how to use him to the best of his now limited abilities this season. They smartly cover for his defensive limitations and completely optimize his now greatly reduced offensive ability. In short, they make him look better than he would on any other team that I can think of.
In return, Shaq responds with a game like this every once in a while. Shaq knocked the ball loose from a driving Charlie Villanueva, reacted quickly to retrieve it from another Detroit player, and passed it up court to create a fast break that he ended up being on the receiving end of. 38 years, 300 something pounds, and Brett Farve-like energy and determination. It is something to behold.
More than that, Shaq has brought a new vibe to the team. He is the lighthearted, anti-Kevin Garnett in practice and the locker room and that pays off over an 82 game season. And let us not forget that Shaq is still very good at a couple of things the Celtics really need, interior defense and shot blocking, not to mention championship and playoff experience.
Though he is best when used for about 20 minutes a game, Shaq has paid dividends few ever thought he would… and at the veteran’s minimum no less. At this point, declining skills and all, he is one of the stories of the year in basketball.
While Ray Allen’s shot will steal headlines from Paul Pierce and Shaq will get a lot of the ink for his effort in this contest, Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 22 points on 8 of 15 shooting with 3 three pointers, 5 boards and 3 assists. His ‘cold as ice’ jumper tied it at 82, setting up Ray’s big shot.
After what appeared to be a lethargic 3 quarters, the Celtics got busy with the start of the 4th by attacking the Detroit middle with Rondo and Robinson assisted Semih Erden dunks.
Erden played well, finishing with 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting, 4 rebounds and an assist in 17 minutes. Most important, the Celtics were +3 when he was in the game.
When you see Charlie Villanueva go by Kevin Garnett like he was standing still for a lay-up, you know KG’s not having the best of nights mobility-wise. Garnett simply looked slower tonight and had only 6 rebounds and 12 points on 5 of 14 shooting, though he hit a few big shots in the 4th when they needed him most. Still, his less-than-KG level play was a big reason why the Celtics didn’t put this away sooner.
All that being said, the Celtics’ and Pistons defenses were both pretty good as evidenced by the low scoring. After Detroit shot 51.4% in the first half, the Beantown Ballers clamped down and allowed just 13-39 (33%) shooting and 38 total points in the second half to gut out the win.
Glen Davis played 25 solid minutes off the bench, grabbing 6 rebounds and scoring 11 points including a great hustle put-back in the second half. Davis demonstrated some skillful passing, adding 3 assists, in a well rounded night.
Von Wafer played well in 12 minutes, scoring 6 points on 2 of 2 shooting, and playing pretty good defense.
The Celtics broke pattern and rebounded well in this game, winning that battle decisively, 47-34. Even more unusual, they were hitting the offensive boards and grabbed what I think is a season high of 14 at that end.
Streaks
Detroit’s 3 game winning streak ended and the Celtics have extended theirs to 4 straight. But the Pistons are playing better since Coach Kuester changed his line-up.
He sat Rip Hamilton, inserted Tracy McGrady as playmaker (7 assists in this one), moved Rodney Stuckey to off guard (at times) and added rookie Greg Monroe as the starting center. Greg is improving as the year goes on. A strong offensive rebounder, Monroe is starting now and doing a number of things right. He scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. He appears to be a solid draft choice.
The Celtics are 32-9. They play the Utah Jazz in Boston on Friday night.
