This one was never close. The Celtics got off to a 9-2 start and never looked back. A 31-15 second quarter gave them a 56-33 lead at the half and virtually put this one in the books.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Jared Sullinger had a nice bounce back game tonight. He finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals in 31 minutes off the bench. He had his nose in every play and did not have to deal with anyone like Reggie Evans.
* The starters minutes were held to a minimum, which was crucial coming into this game knowing that this was the first night of a back-to-back. Kevin Garnett played 22 minutes, Paul Pierce played 27 minutes, and Brandon Bass only played 16 minutes.
* The defense was phenomenal tonight. Pick-and-roll defense and transition defense, two of the main areas of concern for the Celtics on defense, were solid tonight.
* In a game in which the guards needed to step up without their main man Rajon Rondo, they did just that. Jason Terry did a phenomenal job, scoring 17 points and playing tremendous defense, something Terry has done well this season. He did a great job of denying passes and helping his fellow defenders. The other two guards I pointed out that had to step up (Courtney Lee and Leandro Barbosa) had 10 and 9 points respectively. But Lee in particular did a nice job tonight.
* Courtney Lee did a little bit of everything tonight. He is still struggling with his three-point shooting -- he was 0-of-2 from beyond the arc tonight -- but he still managed to score 10 points. One thing I've noticed about Lee is that he is a very good rebounder for a shooting guard. He had 7 tonight. He also had 5 assists and 3 steals. He said after the game that he took coach Doc Rivers' soft comment to heart and wanted to prove Doc wrong. He did just that tonight.
* Jeff Green showed up tonight. He had a team-high 19 points and also had 4 steals. He drove to the hoop at will and took the open shot when he had it. He was 6-of-13 from the floor.
The bad:
* How about the Trail Blazers? They were flat out awful. They only had six field goals right before the half. From silly turnovers to poor communication on both ends of the floor, nothing was going right for Portland. One thing that struck me was the selfish play of LaMarcus Aldridge. His stat line looks nice with 23 points and 8 rebounds. However, he took a team-high 16 points, and whenever he touched the ball, he shot it. He never thought twice to pass it. The only two times he passed the ball, he turned the ball over. That really stood out to me.
There's no rest for the weary. The Celtics will once again play in Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back against the Bucks. Tip off is at 8:30 p.m.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Halftime thoughts: Celtics 56, Trail Blazers 33
Either Portland's really bad, or the Celtics are really good. To me, I think it's somewhere in the middle. Nonetheless, Boston is dominating in all facets of the game and lead the Trail Blazers, 56-33.
Some thoughts...
* Jason Terry is having a great game. Sure he's got 12 points on 5-of-7 from the floor, but he is having a tremendous game defensively. He's denying entry passes and sticking like glue on Damian Lillard. He has held Lillard to only 2 points this far.
* If I were an NBA player, I would NEVER want to play with LaMarcus Aldridge. He has passed the ball only once. Once. And it led to a turnover. I understand he is an All-Star and can flat out score, but he so darn selfish. He thinks he can single-handedly get the Blazers back into this game, but truth is, he's only hurting their chances.
* This game has the feel of a pickup game. With no Rajon Rondo, the Celtics aren't really running any plays on offense. Players are standing around on offense, but players are making shots.
* It looks like Jeff Green only likes to play on Friday's. Last Friday night, he scored 17 points. Tonight, he's leading the team with 14 points. He's being assertive, looking for his shot and driving hard to the rim.
Some thoughts...
* Jason Terry is having a great game. Sure he's got 12 points on 5-of-7 from the floor, but he is having a tremendous game defensively. He's denying entry passes and sticking like glue on Damian Lillard. He has held Lillard to only 2 points this far.
* If I were an NBA player, I would NEVER want to play with LaMarcus Aldridge. He has passed the ball only once. Once. And it led to a turnover. I understand he is an All-Star and can flat out score, but he so darn selfish. He thinks he can single-handedly get the Blazers back into this game, but truth is, he's only hurting their chances.
* This game has the feel of a pickup game. With no Rajon Rondo, the Celtics aren't really running any plays on offense. Players are standing around on offense, but players are making shots.
* It looks like Jeff Green only likes to play on Friday's. Last Friday night, he scored 17 points. Tonight, he's leading the team with 14 points. He's being assertive, looking for his shot and driving hard to the rim.
Game 16 Preview: Trail Blazers at Celtics
 |
| Without Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce is going to have to take on more responsibility, something The Truth should have no problem with. |
When these two teams last faced each other on March 9, the Celtics completely embarrassed the Trail Blazers. The Celtics had a 65-30 lead at the half and went on to defeat Portland 104-86. But as Rafiki said in The Lion King, "It doesn't matter, it's in the past!"
That was then and this is now. Boston (8-7) will take on a Trail Blazers team (6-9) that gave the Washington Wizards their first win of the season on Wednesday night.
Both teams aren't exactly riding on their high horses coming into this one, and the fact that the Celtics will be without their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo doesn't make things any easier for the green.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Trail Blazers:
Damian Lillard
Wesley Matthews
Nicolas Batum
LaMarcus Aldridge
J.J. Hickson
Celtics:
Leandro Barbosa
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. How will they respond to the doctor's prognosis?: It's clear that coach Doc Rivers is frustrated with his team thus far, so he called out his team after Wednesday night's disaster by calling them soft. A few of the Celtics took acception to this, including none other than Kevin Garnett. Hearing Doc Rivers call his team soft is something rarely heard around this neck of the woods, and that's about as low as you can go. Doc has challenged his guys, now it's up to them whether or not they respond.
2. Changing of the guard: Calling all guards on the Boston Celtics: you need to step it up the next two nights. Rondo is out, so that means ball-handling and play-calling duties will have to be shared by more than one person, and as Doc Rivers pointed out after yesterday's practice, those duties will most likely be split by Leandro Barbosa, Courtney Lee, and Jason Terry, and most likely in that order. Doc said he is less inclined to have Terry run the offense because it takes away from his play-making abilities. Look for Paul Pierce to bring the ball up on occasion and run the offense, as he did pretty aggressively on Wednesday night. Not only will they have to step it up offensively, but the guards have a pretty tough assignment tonight in guarding rookie sensation Damian Lillard. Lillard comes into tonight leading all rookies in scoring at 19.1 points per game, so stopping him is a priority. The Celtics shouldn't sleep on the other guard in Portland's backcourt, Wesley Matthews. He is averaging 16.2 points per game. The guards have their hands full tonight, and they have to hold down the fort for two nights and it starts tonight.
3. Being the best of the worst: Coming into tonight's action, the Celtics are last in the league in rebounds per game with 37.1 a game. Whose 29th? None other than the Portland Trail Blazers, who are averaging 39.4 boards a game. It's amazing to think that Portland has three guys in their starting lineup who are at least 6'8'', and between the three of them, they're only averaging 6.6 rebounds a game. That's almost as pathetic as the Celtics and their rebounding woes. Nonetheless, the Celtics need to be more aggressive, particularly on the boards, if they want to be in this game tonight. And if they can't do it against the Trail Blazers, then I don't know if they will ever do it against anyone.
Joseph recalled
Celtics second-round pick Kris Joseph has been recalled from the Maine Red Claws.
He was assigned to Maine on November 15 along with rookie Fab Melo. In his first game with Maine, Joseph scored 28 points.
Joseph, the team's second-round pick, is probably just here for the weekend to take Rajon Rondo's roster spot during his suspension.
He was assigned to Maine on November 15 along with rookie Fab Melo. In his first game with Maine, Joseph scored 28 points.
Joseph, the team's second-round pick, is probably just here for the weekend to take Rajon Rondo's roster spot during his suspension.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The aftermath of the brushup
What was supposed to be a big divisional game turned into an absolute fiasco. On Wednesday night, the WWE took over the TD Garden, and that took all the attention away from the game.
The Celtics had won two in a row and were looking to make headway in the Atlantic Division race against the first-place Brooklyn Nets. Things weren't going the Celtics way during the first half, and they were continuously getting pushed around. Finally, Rajon Rondo decided that enough was enough. We all know what happened next.
Rondo shoved Kris Humphries, Humphries got a big scratch that he complained about after the game, and a bunch of pushing and shoving ensued. Coach Doc Rivers didn't like it, as he said after the game, "We’re a soft team right now; we have no toughness. And that stuff’s not toughness. All that stuff, that’s not toughness.”
While Rondo was suspended for two games, Humphries did not receive a suspension. Also, Kevin Garnett was fined $25,000 and Gerald Wallace was fined $35,000 for their involvement in the shoving match.
The effect of this "brawl" is twofold. It does not help the immediate success of the team, but in the long run, this could be looked at as a potential turning point.
The first thing I thought of when the mayhem broke out was the Alex Rodriguez-Jason Varitek fight from the Red Sox-Yankees game on July 24, 2004. While the outcome of that game was drastically different, the circumstances are eerily similar. The Red Sox were seemingly a .500 team for the first half of the season, and the brawl lit a fire under them and got them going on their way to a World Series. The Celtics were 8-6 going into last night's game, and maybe this was the wake up call they needed.
Whether you like it or not, Rajon Rondo was just doing what he felt was right. He may have crossed the line in some people's minds, but Rondo was sticking up for his teammate and brother, Kevin Garnett, and sometimes you have to cross the line in order to protect your loved ones.
Rondo and Garnett have formed a close relationship in Garnett's tenure in Boston, and he has essentially taken Kendrick Perkins' place as his best friend on the team. "Rajon doesn't like anybody messing with teammates or messing with brothers or family," said Garnett. "It's been how it is since I've been here. We have each other's backs out there."
"I know I have to be out there for my teammates," said Rondo today after practice. "That's the only thing about it. But I was sticking up for my teammates. I didn't try to start a fight. I'm not trying to be a bully. I just didn't think the play was fair that he made on Kevin, that's all."
The good news is the two games Rondo are missing are back-to-back, and the Celtics are playing beatable teams in Portland and Milwaukee. The bad news is they have to go up against two dynamic point guards in Damian Lillard and Brandon Jennings. We'll see how the Celtics utilize the point guard spot this weekend, but Doc Rivers hinted today that the point guard duties will be split between Leandro Barbosa, Courtney Lee, and Jason Terry.
In other news...
* Chris Wilcox (sick) and Jeff Green (left knee) both sat out of today's practice. Rivers doesn't know if they will be able to play tomorrow night. "There's a chance there's no Wilcox tomorrow, there's a chance there's no Jeff Green tomorrow," said Rivers. "So, they're checking a lot of things. But, I don't care who doesn't play. The guys that play, we have to be ready to play and ready to win."
* According to ESPNBOSTON.com, Avery Bradley may be only days away from full participation in practice. Said Bradley, "Right now, I'm just taking it one day at a time," Bradley said. "Once [team trainer] Ed [Lacerte] says I'm able to practice, I'll be able to participate in practice. I'm still working out and I'm doing noncontact drills in practice. As of right now, I'm not doing any contact."
Rondo suspended
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended by the NBA for two games due to his participation in last night's altercation with the Brooklyn Nets. He will miss tomorrow night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers and Saturday's game in Milwaukee against the Bucks.
More to come in just a little bit.
More to come in just a little bit.
A Brooklyn beating: Nets 95, Celtics 83
 |
| Rajon Rondo's ejection ended his double-digit assist streak and any hope that the Celtics had of mounting a comeback. |
Tonight goes to show that this team still isn't where it needs to be. They have been consistently inconsistent so far. After two wins in a row, they come out and lay an egg tonight. And now with the very real possibility of a suspension for Rajon Rondo, who knows what to expect when Portland comes to town on Friday.
Regardless of all that, here's a recap of tonight's action:
The good:
* As he seems to always do, Kevin Garnett showed up ready to work. The big fella finished with a double-double of team-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 10 rebounds. Garnett only played 29 minutes, too.
* Jason Terry showed some life in the fourth quarter. He had 5 points in the first three minutes of the final frame, including a big three-point play to cut the lead to single digits, 72-63. He scored 9 of his 13 points in the final frame in a last ditch effort to salvage a victory, but it was too little too late.
* The Celtics did shoot 64% in the first six-and-a-half minutes of this game. Gotta count for something, right?
* Even though he only played 18 minutes, Rajon Rondo still almost outplayed Deron Williams. Williams was not that impressive, going 3-of-12 from the floor for 8 points, had 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Rondo had 6 points on 3-of-9 from the floor, had 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Considering Williams played 40 minutes and still had those numbers is a bit discouraging for Brooklyn. However, he has been dealing with a sprained right wrist as well as bone spurs in his ankle.
The bad:
* Where do we begin? Let's start with the intangibles. From the get go, the Celtics looked out of sync. Brooklyn dictated the pace, tone, and the level of physicality. They hit the Celtics first, and it took until the final minute of the first half for the Celtics to punch back. Coach Doc Rivers had some candid comments after the game. "We all have to keep our emotions," said Rivers. "I mean, hell, we didn’t come to play -- as a team, that was awful, basketball-wise. I thought, if I’m Brooklyn and the league, you’ve got to think we’re pretty soft the way we’re playing. We’re a soft team right now; we have no toughness. And that [fighting] stuff’s not toughness.”
* For the most part, Jared Sullinger has played fairly well so far and hasn't looked like a rookie. Tonight, he met Reggie Evans. Evans, notorious for his tenacity and ability to irritate opposing players, got to him tonight, and the Celtics needed to call on the grizzly veteran, Jason Collins, to counter Evans' toughness. Sullinger only played 14 minutes and grabbed 3 rebounds, very uncharacteristic of him, and it goes to show the impact Evans as well as the other beasts had on him.
* In 29 minutes off the bench, Andray Blatche had 8 offensive rebounds. The entire Celtics team had 8 offensive rebounds.
* When 38-year-old Jerry Stackhouse scores more points than any player on the Celtics -- he had 17 while Garnett and Bass each had 16 to lead the Celtics -- you know you're not in a good position to win the game.
* The Celtics only shot 5 free throws in the first half, and three of them were the result of technical fouls. The other two were KG's free throws off the hard and now famous foul by Kris Humphries. They finished with 24 for the game. This disparity can be blamed on the officials -- these guys did not have a good game today -- or a lack of aggressiveness by Boston. I think a little bit of blame goes to both reasons.
* At one point, Paul Pierce was 1-of-6 from the free throw line. Coming into tonight, he was shooting 87% from the line for the season.
* To add insult to injury -- yes, the pun was intended -- a few Celtics went down with injuries. First, Jeff Green left in the third quarter after an apparent left knee injury. However, he returned to the game and appeared to be O.K. Chris Wilcox left at half time after he got sick and didn't return. Finally, Courtney Lee was helped off the court with 6:27 to play in the game after injuring his left wrist. His status is unknown.
The Celtics will regroup and return to action on Friday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Halftime thoughts: Nets 51 Celtics 38
Well......if you're not pumped for the second half, then you don't have a pulse.
After getting pushed around all first half, the Celtics finally punched back. Literally. And it is exactly the kind of wakeup call this team needed not just for tonight's game, but this may propel them for the rest of the season.
With 29.5 seconds left in the first half, Kevin Garnett was fouled hard by Kris Humphries and fell to the ground. Feeling that the foul was too hard, Rajon Rondo stepped in and had some words with Humphries and eventually shoved him under the basket. This led to complete mayhem, including ejections of Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Kris Humphries.
Here are some thoughts:
* Jason Collins is alive and well. He made a rare appearance at the start of the second quarter after Jared Sullinger was struggling big time with Reggie Evans. So far, Collins hasn't done that much better.
* The dynamic duo of Andray Blatche and Reggie Evans are at it again. These two are absolutely killing the Celtics. Blatche has 10 rebounds in 13 minutes -- he had 8 of them in the first quarter -- and has 5 offensive and 5 defensive rebounds. Meanwhile, Evans is doing what he does best: being a nuisance.
* After shooting 64% in the first 5 minutes of the game, the Celtics dropped to 43%. Yet, they are still shooting better than Brooklyn, whose shooting 37%.
* The biggest issue so far? Turnovers. The Celtics have 13 turnovers and the Nets are scoring off them.
* In the first quarter, Brooklyn got a ton of open shots, and I mean a ton. The pick-and-roll defense that was stressed mightily during yesterday's practice was non-existent, and Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries got open layups down low and Gerald Wallace had plenty of open three-point shots. The Celtics tightened that up nicely, but they're going to have to continue that to climb out of this hole.
* The Celtics couldn't even break a full-court press in the first half. Around the 8 minute mark in the second, the Celtics turned the ball over twice with Leandro Barbosa at the point, and they couldn't even get the ball over half court. They're going to need to do little things such as this in order to go where they want to go.
* I've been very impressed with Brooklyn thus far. Not just in this game, but throughout the young season. They are balanced, talented, and work well together. The fact that 38-year-old Jerry Stackhouse is the team's leading scorer with 9 points, and the fact that every player that has gotten into the game for the Nets has scored at least 3 points goes to prove the balance on this team.
* With his ejection, Rajon Rondo's double-digit assist streak officially ends at 37 games. Quite a remarkable run, but a discouraging way for the streak to come to an end.
* Look for the Celtics to come out fired up and ready to give this their best effort. This should be a great second half!
After getting pushed around all first half, the Celtics finally punched back. Literally. And it is exactly the kind of wakeup call this team needed not just for tonight's game, but this may propel them for the rest of the season.
With 29.5 seconds left in the first half, Kevin Garnett was fouled hard by Kris Humphries and fell to the ground. Feeling that the foul was too hard, Rajon Rondo stepped in and had some words with Humphries and eventually shoved him under the basket. This led to complete mayhem, including ejections of Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Kris Humphries.
Here are some thoughts:
* Jason Collins is alive and well. He made a rare appearance at the start of the second quarter after Jared Sullinger was struggling big time with Reggie Evans. So far, Collins hasn't done that much better.
* The dynamic duo of Andray Blatche and Reggie Evans are at it again. These two are absolutely killing the Celtics. Blatche has 10 rebounds in 13 minutes -- he had 8 of them in the first quarter -- and has 5 offensive and 5 defensive rebounds. Meanwhile, Evans is doing what he does best: being a nuisance.
* After shooting 64% in the first 5 minutes of the game, the Celtics dropped to 43%. Yet, they are still shooting better than Brooklyn, whose shooting 37%.
* The biggest issue so far? Turnovers. The Celtics have 13 turnovers and the Nets are scoring off them.
* In the first quarter, Brooklyn got a ton of open shots, and I mean a ton. The pick-and-roll defense that was stressed mightily during yesterday's practice was non-existent, and Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries got open layups down low and Gerald Wallace had plenty of open three-point shots. The Celtics tightened that up nicely, but they're going to have to continue that to climb out of this hole.
* The Celtics couldn't even break a full-court press in the first half. Around the 8 minute mark in the second, the Celtics turned the ball over twice with Leandro Barbosa at the point, and they couldn't even get the ball over half court. They're going to need to do little things such as this in order to go where they want to go.
* I've been very impressed with Brooklyn thus far. Not just in this game, but throughout the young season. They are balanced, talented, and work well together. The fact that 38-year-old Jerry Stackhouse is the team's leading scorer with 9 points, and the fact that every player that has gotten into the game for the Nets has scored at least 3 points goes to prove the balance on this team.
* With his ejection, Rajon Rondo's double-digit assist streak officially ends at 37 games. Quite a remarkable run, but a discouraging way for the streak to come to an end.
* Look for the Celtics to come out fired up and ready to give this their best effort. This should be a great second half!
Game 15 Preview: Nets at Celtics
 |
| Two of the game's best point guards will go head to head tonight in Rajon Rondo and Deron Williams |
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Nets:
Deron Williams
Joe Johnson
Gerald Wallace
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Battle on the boards: Last time these two met, the Celtics were annihilated on the boards, especially on the offensive glass. The Nets pulled down 15 offensive boards in the first half. In that game, Courtney Lee was Boston's leading rebounder with 9. That's right, I said Courtney Lee. That goes to show what a mess the Celtics were on the boards that night. However, the Celtics made an adjustment and evened things out nicely as the rebounding edge for Brooklyn was very slim (47-44). Boston also limited Brooklyn to only 3 offensive rebounds in the second half. The Celtics are going to have to come out with that tenacity and aggressiveness from the start so that they don't dig themselves a big hole.
2. Brook Lopez vs. Kevin Garnett: Although Brook Lopez is considered one of the best centers in the league, he is notorious for not being exactly what Kevin Garnett is: a tough, aggressive presence down low. Yesterday after practice, coach Doc Rivers stressed the importance of getting Garnett more involved in the offense and getting his players to look for KG. “I don’t think our eyes are trained yet to look down there," said Rivers. "I think you have to train the players’ eyes to look in the post off of pick-and-rolls and off other actions. I think we’re starting to do that. I still think we don’t do it enough. We’re a ways away." Lopez outplayed Garnett the last time these two squared off, but Lopez got more shots and played 5 more minutes than Garnett. That 5 minutes is an extra 5 to the 5-5-5 plan that Rivers has in place for Garnett. For the time that Garnett is on the floor, he has to get more touches because he has shown that he can take Lopez.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Practice report
The Celtics were back at it today in preparation for a rematch with the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn is coming off its spirited overtime win last night over their crosstown rivals, the New York Knicks.
Here's what went on today...
* The pick-and-roll was a major point of emphasis at practice today at both ends of the floor. Coach Doc Rivers had the team working on pick-and-roll defense for nearly two hours. There has been an increased use in pick-and-rolls so far this season due to the smaller, quicker guards the Celtics have gone up against. Added Rivers, "Teams take steps. To win titles you take a lot of steps. The first step for us was buying in, and I think we've done that. But now we've got to get it right. Second thing is pick and roll. It never stops. I would love to find that team where there's perfection, and you show up and say, 'Guys, we have nothing to practice on.'" As far as on the offensive side, Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger spent ample time after practice working on pick-and-rolls.
* Avery Bradley partook in pre-practice offensive skeleton drills today. However, he still isn't expected to return until the middle of December at the earliest. Doc Rivers did not have any news on Bradley's status. "I have no idea, honestly," Rivers said. "There probably is an update, I just haven't checked, honestly. I have no update." Happy belated birthday to Avery as well. He turned 22-years-old yesterday.
* Kris Joseph and Fab Melo have been recalled from Maine today. Joseph fully participated in practice while Melo did not. Dont' expect them here for long, though. Maine's next game is not until Friday, and Rivers just wanted them to stay fresh. "They don't have a game and we don't have a lot of players," said Rivers. "The greatest part about (the single-team affiliation with the Red Claws) is it's an hour and a half drive, and they can drive up and practice and go back home -- I don't know what (Joseph) calls home, Boston or Maine, but it's been a pretty good thing so far for us." Part of the Celtics' new affiliation with the Red Claws is that players are able to go back and forth as often as the Celtics please. So, for example, Joseph and Melo could attend the Celtics' shootaround on Friday, and then play in Maine on Friday.
* Rajon Rondo was nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for the week of November 19 to November 25, but was edged out by Atlanta's Al Horford. On Sunday, Rondo tied John Stockton's 37-game double-digit assist streak. During the week, Rondo averaged 14.3 points, 15.7 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game for the week. On the other hand, Horford averaged 16.5 points, 9.8 boards, and 4.5 dimes a contest.
Here's what went on today...
* The pick-and-roll was a major point of emphasis at practice today at both ends of the floor. Coach Doc Rivers had the team working on pick-and-roll defense for nearly two hours. There has been an increased use in pick-and-rolls so far this season due to the smaller, quicker guards the Celtics have gone up against. Added Rivers, "Teams take steps. To win titles you take a lot of steps. The first step for us was buying in, and I think we've done that. But now we've got to get it right. Second thing is pick and roll. It never stops. I would love to find that team where there's perfection, and you show up and say, 'Guys, we have nothing to practice on.'" As far as on the offensive side, Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger spent ample time after practice working on pick-and-rolls.
* Avery Bradley partook in pre-practice offensive skeleton drills today. However, he still isn't expected to return until the middle of December at the earliest. Doc Rivers did not have any news on Bradley's status. "I have no idea, honestly," Rivers said. "There probably is an update, I just haven't checked, honestly. I have no update." Happy belated birthday to Avery as well. He turned 22-years-old yesterday.
* Kris Joseph and Fab Melo have been recalled from Maine today. Joseph fully participated in practice while Melo did not. Dont' expect them here for long, though. Maine's next game is not until Friday, and Rivers just wanted them to stay fresh. "They don't have a game and we don't have a lot of players," said Rivers. "The greatest part about (the single-team affiliation with the Red Claws) is it's an hour and a half drive, and they can drive up and practice and go back home -- I don't know what (Joseph) calls home, Boston or Maine, but it's been a pretty good thing so far for us." Part of the Celtics' new affiliation with the Red Claws is that players are able to go back and forth as often as the Celtics please. So, for example, Joseph and Melo could attend the Celtics' shootaround on Friday, and then play in Maine on Friday.
* Rajon Rondo was nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for the week of November 19 to November 25, but was edged out by Atlanta's Al Horford. On Sunday, Rondo tied John Stockton's 37-game double-digit assist streak. During the week, Rondo averaged 14.3 points, 15.7 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game for the week. On the other hand, Horford averaged 16.5 points, 9.8 boards, and 4.5 dimes a contest.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Abracadabra: Celtics 116, Magic 110
 |
| Kevin Garnett helped carry the Celtics to their second consecutive win. |
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Even playing a season-high 35 minutes didn't slow down the Big Ticket. Kevin Garnett had his third double-double of the season as he finished with a game-high 24 points on 10-of-17 from the field and 10 rebounds. He hit tons of big shots and free throws down the stretch to help force overtime and to seal the deal in the overtime. A throwback KG performance.
* Rajon Rondo flirted with a triple-double, as he scored 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and tallied 16 assists. He is now tied for second with John Stockton for most consecutive games with double-digit assists with 37. He arrived at 10 at the 9:49 mark of the third quarter on a Paul Pierce three-pointer. Rondo was in complete control all night. He only had one turnover in 42 minutes. A tremendous all-around effort from Rondo.
* I swear that Jared Sullinger has some sort of magnet on his uniform that attracts him to the basket. Every time a shot goes up, Sullinger is always under the basket. He always gets into the middle of things down low, something the Celtics desperately need. He ended up with 11 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes.
* As he always seems to do, Paul Pierce ended up scoring his points, grabbing some rebounds, and taking big shots. He finished with 23 points and 5 rebounds. He took the possible game-winning shot at the end of regulation but missed it. A few minutes earlier, he hit a big three-pointer. Even after a disappointing first half, Pierce continued to grind it out.
* Stop me if you've heard this before: the Celtics won the rebounding battle. That's what I thought. And what makes that feat even more impressive is the fact that Orlando came into tonight's game 9th in the league in rebounding. Every Celtic that played tonight collected at least one rebound with five grabbing at least 5 rebounds. That's the kind of effort the Celtics need every night on the boards. They don't have to get 51 rebounds every night, but they have to have everyone make an effort on the boards.
The bad:
* Just like the other night, the Celtics got too comfortable with a double-digit lead and before they knew it, it was gone. That all goes back to focus, and the Celtics need to be completely dialed in for 48 (in tonight's case, 53) minutes.
* The third quarter was what put the Celtics in overtime. They were outscored 34-22 and went from being up 12 to down 2. There's nothing they could've done about J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson getting hot and hitting just about everything --they combined for 20 points in the quarter. They made adjustments and defended them pretty well in the fourth and overtime.
The Celtics will have Monday off before getting back to practice on Tuesday in preparation for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets will come to the TD Garden on Wednesday night.
Halftime thoughts: Celtics 58, Magic 48
The Celtics had a decent first half at the Amway Center and lead the Magic 58-48.
Some thoughts...
* Paul Pierce's age is really showing tonight. A lot of his missed shots -- he's 3-of-10 from the floor -- have hit the front of the rim, he has no lift, and he's been late on a lot of defensive rotations. The Celtics have been using him a lot in pin-down situations to make up for his lack of athleticism, but that hasn't happened tonight. He has had to create his own shot, and it has made him look as every bit of the 35-year-old that he is. Hopefully the Celtics adjust and get him in more pin-downs in order to put him in the best position to succeed in the second half.
* The Celtics are doing a great job on the defensive glass. They are getting all the rebounds they should and have allowed Orlando to grab only 3 offensive boards. As Doc said after the game on Wednesday when they had only one offensive rebound, "That is a number I rarely look at [offensive rebounds]." Well Doc, your team has 5 and currently leads in that category. Golf clap to that
* The pace is definitely being dictated by the Celtics. They are running in transition and getting the shots they want. They're leading in fast break points, 13-8.
* Rajon Rondo is on the brink of moving into a second place tie with John Stockton for the assist streak. Rondo needs one assist to make it 37 straight games with double-digit assists. He nearly compiled a double-double in 20 minutes with 10 points and 9 assists. He also has 5 rebounds. The triple-double watch is in full effect.
* A night after going scoreless but still being lauded by Doc for his defensive performance, Leandro Barbosa is back to his old scoring ways. He filled up the stat line quickly, scoring 11 points on 4-of-4 from the field in 4 minutes. However, he also has 3 fouls. He has to be careful with that.
* Jeff Green has played 10 minutes and done absolutely nothing. He's 0-of-4 from the floor and has done nothing but commit a foul and turn the ball over once. This is exactly what Doc and his staff were hoping would not happen after Friday night. Looks like Green is just doing what he does best: being consistently inconsistent.
Some thoughts...
* Paul Pierce's age is really showing tonight. A lot of his missed shots -- he's 3-of-10 from the floor -- have hit the front of the rim, he has no lift, and he's been late on a lot of defensive rotations. The Celtics have been using him a lot in pin-down situations to make up for his lack of athleticism, but that hasn't happened tonight. He has had to create his own shot, and it has made him look as every bit of the 35-year-old that he is. Hopefully the Celtics adjust and get him in more pin-downs in order to put him in the best position to succeed in the second half.
* The Celtics are doing a great job on the defensive glass. They are getting all the rebounds they should and have allowed Orlando to grab only 3 offensive boards. As Doc said after the game on Wednesday when they had only one offensive rebound, "That is a number I rarely look at [offensive rebounds]." Well Doc, your team has 5 and currently leads in that category. Golf clap to that
* The pace is definitely being dictated by the Celtics. They are running in transition and getting the shots they want. They're leading in fast break points, 13-8.
* Rajon Rondo is on the brink of moving into a second place tie with John Stockton for the assist streak. Rondo needs one assist to make it 37 straight games with double-digit assists. He nearly compiled a double-double in 20 minutes with 10 points and 9 assists. He also has 5 rebounds. The triple-double watch is in full effect.
* A night after going scoreless but still being lauded by Doc for his defensive performance, Leandro Barbosa is back to his old scoring ways. He filled up the stat line quickly, scoring 11 points on 4-of-4 from the field in 4 minutes. However, he also has 3 fouls. He has to be careful with that.
* Jeff Green has played 10 minutes and done absolutely nothing. He's 0-of-4 from the floor and has done nothing but commit a foul and turn the ball over once. This is exactly what Doc and his staff were hoping would not happen after Friday night. Looks like Green is just doing what he does best: being consistently inconsistent.
Game 14 Preview: Celtics at Magic
The Celtics (7-6) will take their talents to Central Florida to take on the Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic (5-7).
Boston is coming off it's best win of the season Friday night against the Thunder, while Orlando is coming off a victory over the Cavaliers. After starting the season 2-5, the Magic have won two straight and look to carry that momentum and continue their home cooking against a Celtic team that is still looking for its identity.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Magic:
Jameer Nelson
Arron Afflalo
Moe Harkless
Glen Davis
Nikola Vucevic
Keys to the game:
1. Green needs to keep it going: Jeff Green had a really good game on Friday night. Now comes the challenging part: can he do it again? That was Doc Rivers's question to his whole team after the win, but it most definitely applies to Green. After scoring 16 points on November 14, he followed that up with a dud the very next night: 5 nights and a season-high 4 turnovers in Brooklyn. Consistency has always been Green's biggest issue. Hopefully, Green can keep it going tonight.
2. The replacements: It's a matchup of the two guys who were traded for each other: Brandon Bass and Glen Davis. Both players have faired well since their changes of scenery. The ever-popular "Big Baby" Davis is averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds a game in his time with Orlando while Bass is averaging 11 points and 5.7 boards a contest as a member of the Celtics. This is definitely a matchup to watch.
3. Watch the defense: Although they gave up 100 points on Friday, the Celtics defense did show improvements. They made life difficult for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and that's all you could ask for against the Thunder. Orlando is now slouch on the defensive end: they're 8th in the league in points allowed at 93.5 a game. It may be a bit difficult for the Celtics to score tonight, so they'll need to bring the same effort defensively they brought on Friday if they want to win this game.
Boston is coming off it's best win of the season Friday night against the Thunder, while Orlando is coming off a victory over the Cavaliers. After starting the season 2-5, the Magic have won two straight and look to carry that momentum and continue their home cooking against a Celtic team that is still looking for its identity.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Magic:
Jameer Nelson
Arron Afflalo
Moe Harkless
Glen Davis
Nikola Vucevic
Keys to the game:
1. Green needs to keep it going: Jeff Green had a really good game on Friday night. Now comes the challenging part: can he do it again? That was Doc Rivers's question to his whole team after the win, but it most definitely applies to Green. After scoring 16 points on November 14, he followed that up with a dud the very next night: 5 nights and a season-high 4 turnovers in Brooklyn. Consistency has always been Green's biggest issue. Hopefully, Green can keep it going tonight.
2. The replacements: It's a matchup of the two guys who were traded for each other: Brandon Bass and Glen Davis. Both players have faired well since their changes of scenery. The ever-popular "Big Baby" Davis is averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds a game in his time with Orlando while Bass is averaging 11 points and 5.7 boards a contest as a member of the Celtics. This is definitely a matchup to watch.
3. Watch the defense: Although they gave up 100 points on Friday, the Celtics defense did show improvements. They made life difficult for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and that's all you could ask for against the Thunder. Orlando is now slouch on the defensive end: they're 8th in the league in points allowed at 93.5 a game. It may be a bit difficult for the Celtics to score tonight, so they'll need to bring the same effort defensively they brought on Friday if they want to win this game.
Former Celtics great's daughter passes away
Some sad news to pass along today.
Alexandra McHale, the 22-year-old daughter of former Celtic player and now Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale, has passed away. The news was announced by the Rockets on Sunday.
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement, "I extend my deepest condolences to Kevin and Lynn for the loss of their beautiful daughter, Sasha, on Saturday afternoon. Kevin and Lynn are loving and dedicated parents who will need our continued support throughout this very difficult time. Our entire organization is mourning the McHale family's loss, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers."
McHale, a Hall-of-Famer and in his second season at the helm in Houston, has been on leave since November 10 due to what the team called a "personal matter."
According to the Houston Chronicle, Sasha suffered from lupus and had been hospitalized with another related condition.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Back on track: Celtics 108, Thunder 100
 |
| Kevin Garnett puts in 2 of his 18 points as part of a Celtics' 108-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. |
The Celtics climbed back over the .500 mark and are now 7-6 on the young season as they defeated the defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. In what was clearly the team's most impressive win of the year, KG looked like KG, The Truth matched Kevin Durant step for step, and Rajon Rondo continues his ride to history.
The good:
* Wasn't it obvious that Jeff Green was going to have a great game tonight? In arguably his best game of the year, Green scored 17 points on 6-of-11 from the field. He looked like was emotionally into this one, and why wouldn't why? It was his first time playing against his former team, and he looked like a man on a mission. "I thought he [Green] was spectacular tonight," said Doc Rivers after the game. "He scored on all the plays we didn't call for him. That's what he has to do. Go get it." The problem with Green has been consistency. At times he appears lackadaisical, then he has games like tonight where he looks like he's worth the $9 million he's getting paid.
* Paul Pierce might have actually outplayed his counterpart in Kevin Durant. Although he did not outscore him -- Durant finished with a game-high 29 points to Pierce's 27 -- Pierce was more efficient, shooting 50% (8-of-16) from the field including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He also gathered 4 rebounds (after not having any rebounds on Wednesday) and 3 steals. The Truth was ready to play tonight.
* The streak continues for Rajon Rondo. He is now tied with John Stockton for the second-longest streak of double-digit assists in what is now 36 consecutive games. Rondo is 10 games away from tying Magic Johnson's record. He had 9 assists at the half and got his 10th at the 10:42 mark of the third quarter when he found Pierce for a wide open three-pointer. He finished with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 16 assists in 36 minutes.
The bad:
* Coming into tonight, the Thunder were the best 1st quarter team in the NBA averaging 26 points in the first. Tonight they had 28. They also had 35 points in the fourth quarter, the most the Celtics have allowed in a single quarter this season. The Celtics need to do a better job of limiting big quarters.
* With 9:01 to play in the game, the Celtics had a 14-point lead of 86-72. 2:25 later, that lead was cut in half. I know I'm knit picking here, but if there is one area that the C's could improve at, it would be not letting big leads slip away.
The Celtics will travel to Orlando for a Sunday night game at 6:00 p.m. against the Magic.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Game 13 Preview: Thunder at Celtics
 |
| Former Celtic Kendrick Perkins will make his second appearance back in Boston as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. |
Things don't get any easier for the Celtics as the Oklahoma City Thunder (9-3) pay the Celtics (6-6) a quick visit.
After a bad loss on Wednesday night, the Celtics will look to clamp down defensively. However, that may be quite a task as the Thunder are the second in the league in scoring at 103 points per game and boast the three-time reigning scoring champion Kevin Durant.
Boston allowed San Antonio to shoot 58% from the floor, grab 16 more rebounds, and let Tiago Splitter (yes, Tiago Splitter) score 23 points off the bench while only missing two shots. The only reason the game was close was that the fact that the Celtics had a nice offensive game as well shooting 53%. However, in almost every other statistical category, the Celtics were basically crushed.
The Celtics had yesterday off to clear their minds and stuff their stomachs. Now it's back to work. This is the first time Jeff Green will face his former team. This is the second time Kendrick Perkins will return to the TD Garden. Will emotions play a role in tonight's outcome? We'll just have to wait and see.
Projected lineups:
Thunder:
Russell Westbrook
Thabo Sefolosha
Kevin Durant
Serge Ibaka
Kendrick Perkins
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. DEFENSE!: When the Celtics hold their opponents under 100 points, they're 6-1. So if you want to really simplify things, the key to the Celtics' success is keeping their opponent under 100. It's as simple as that, right? But with a team that averages 103, that may be difficult. But, nonetheless, the Celtics need big improvements defensively. The Celtics rotations need to be better, and they need to be able to get stops when they need them. Letting the Spurs have their way on the offensive end was pretty embarrassing, but it goes to show that this team still has a long way to go if they want to be elite. In order to be the best, you gotta beat the best. The Celtics can help their cause by beating the second-best team in the West tonight.
2. Containing Westbrook: This game features a matchup of arguably the two best point guards in the NBA in Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook. While Westbrook has scored more points in each of the seven games they've played against each other, Rondo has more assists. Something has to give, right? Well here's something to look for. When Rondo has a higher field-goal percentage than his opponent that night, the Celtics are 6-2. For the season, Rondo is shooting 53% from the field to Westbrook's 41%. If that trend continues tonight, the Celtics will be in good shape.
3. Stopping everybody else: Kevin Durant did not have a good game on Wednesday night. He missed 12 of his 19 shots and turned the ball over 6 times. Yet he still scored a season-high 35 points. What am I getting at? Kevin Durant is going to get his points, and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. So where does that leave the Celtics? They need to focus their attention on making sure guys like Kevin Martin and Serge Ibaka don't have a big impact. Ibaka is a tough matchup. He can shoot from the outside, but he's also an absolute beast on the glass and in the paint, so someone needs to step up (Brandon Bass?) Look for Courtney Lee to have a big impact tonight. He will most likely be matched up with Martin, and if he can bring out that defensive prowess he's shown in spurts for a full game tonight and use his quickness to beat Martin off the dribble, Lee could be a difference-maker.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Less is more
 |
| Although their playing time will be shortened, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are still the most important players on this team. |
The 35 and 36-year-olds are two of the oldest players on the Celtics roster (Jason Terry is older than Pierce by almost a month). But don't let their age fool you: they're just as important now as they have ever been.
There's a reason they were two-thirds of the Big Three. Without them, the Celtics would be nothing and everyone knows that, which is the main reason why Doc Rivers is making a concerted effort to preserve the legs of Pierce and Garnett during the regular season.
So far this season more than any other, Rivers has put a serious emphasis on limiting minutes, and it has to do with Pierce and Garnett's advancing age and the wear and tear on their bodies -- this is the 33rd season in the NBA combined for Pierce and Garnett. The Celtics relied on their Big Four heavily last season due to a depleted bench and a rash of injuries. Garnett and Pierce in particular logged heavy minutes down the stretch and all throughout the playoffs, and many wondered when and if their improbable run would come to a close. The breaking point was the fourth quarter of the most important game of the season: game seven of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami. As Doc blatantly put it after that game, "We just ran out of gas. We had nothing left."
In order to make sure that they do have enough left in the tank when it really counts, Rivers has to be aware of their playing time. Doc implemented the 5-5-5 plan with Garnett at the start of last season and has continued it this season, and it's worked so far. However Rivers wants to get his minutes down even more. “My goal this year is like 27 (minutes)...it’s hard to do, but it’s the right thing for the long haul. When he plays more than four or five in a row, he gets tired and then he can’t finish a game, so we’re not going to do it.”
In a interview with WEEI last week, Ainge echoed this sentiment: "I think he [Rivers] realizes he has to be careful. Our motto over the last handful of years -- and Doc has done a good job of it -- is to win playoff games. Yeah, we want to win every game that we go out and play, but you can't make sacrifices because there's a game the next night and a game the next night, and they do add up."
On the other hand, Pierce is at an all-time low in minutes per game with 33.3. ESPN's Fantasy Basketball projection for Pierce is pretty funny. It mentions how if you add up all the minutes Pierce has played during his career, he's only played 26 days. That doesn't sound all that bad. Here's the way you can spin that negatively: he's played over 1,000 games and 37,000 minutes. That doesn't sound too good.
But why? Why the need to preserve them? Well, not to sound like captain obvious, but Pierce and Garnett are future Hall-of-Famers and two of the greatest to ever play the game. Pierce is the go-to man for scoring, and KG is the heart of this team on defense, and they look like lost children without KG. Wearing them out now makes little to no sense when championships aren't won in November and December.
In order for KG and The Truth to get the necessary rest, the bench needs to do their part. Last year, the team's bench in the playoffs featured Mickael Pietrus, Ryan Hollins, and Greg Steimsma just to name a few. No disrespect to any of those players -- they were a tremendous bench and, in my opinion, were the true definition of a team -- but that bench isn't going to win you a championship, although they came pretty darn close.
Danny Ainge and Doc realized that in order to keep KG and Pierce fresh, the team needed more viable weapons off the bench. With the return of Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, and Chris Wilcox and the additions of Courtney Lee, Jason Terry, and Jared Sullinger, the Celtics are better equipped to rest the veterans and still boast a good lineup.
As we've seen to start the season, putting a bunch of talented players together does not automatically guarantee success. Although they've gotten better collectively over the past few games, the bench still has some kinks and other issues to be ironed out. Rivers knows that he's going to have to rely on his bench this season more than any other to ensure long-term success, and if they can't hold up their end of the bargain, then things will get ugly. “If we can’t win without them on the floor, we just won’t do it," Rivers recently told the media. "I told our bench that. We’re going to play them the minutes that I’m giving them, and eventually I’m going to play them the minutes they should get. They’ve got to do something or we won’t win. It’s that simple.”
Rivers has never been one to rest players just for the hell of it -- Gregg Poppovich has done so, and the joke began that when he rested veterans Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker that the big score would read "DNP - Old." He may have to do so a few times this year for the good of team. We saw in this recent stretch of five games in seven nights Doc really limit Pierce and KG. During that stretch, KG averaged 25.2 minutes a game and Pierce averaged 30.2.
If Doc can keep their minutes hovering around -- preferably a little bit above -- where they have been recently, the Celtics will be grateful come the spring and summer time. In the end, the less they play now, the better off they'll be. Kind of weird, no?
Monday, November 19, 2012
No more Darko? Replacement coming soon?
According to Yahoo! Sports, Darko Milicic is "strongly" leaning towards returning to Europe and leaving the Celtics for the year to be with his ill mother.
Milicic, the former number 2 overall pick of the Detroit Pistons in the 2003, missed last night's game in Detroit due to a personal matter. It turns out this is a very serious matter.
After a promising preseason in which he appeared in four games and averaged 5 rebounds in only 14.5 minutes a contest, Milicic has had no impact on the team during the first 11 regular season games. He has made only appearance on November 2 against the Bucks, the Celtics' home opener. He played 5 unimpressive minutes missing his only shot, committing a foul, and turning the ball over twice. He's also been dealing with a wrist injury that he said was not improving "any time soon."
This is not the first time Milicic has tossed around the idea of returning back to Europe and in particular Serbia, his home country.
According to the report, Doc Rivers recently met with Darko and told him to take his time and make the best decision for him and his family.
If Milicic were to leave, that would leave the need for another big, which leads to the other news surfacing around the Celtics today. Various outlets have reported that the Celtics' players are making a strong push to management to go after free-agent Kenyon Martin. The Celtics considered Martin during the offseason, but they ultimately chose to go with Jason Collins and Milicic.
The Celtics could do a few different things in the event that Milicic leaves. They will most likely leave the spot open and possibly add another player later in the season. Also, considering Avery Bradley is due back in a few weeks, the spot may be waiting for him. They also have Fab Melo and Kris Joseph in the D-League.
Milicic, the former number 2 overall pick of the Detroit Pistons in the 2003, missed last night's game in Detroit due to a personal matter. It turns out this is a very serious matter.
After a promising preseason in which he appeared in four games and averaged 5 rebounds in only 14.5 minutes a contest, Milicic has had no impact on the team during the first 11 regular season games. He has made only appearance on November 2 against the Bucks, the Celtics' home opener. He played 5 unimpressive minutes missing his only shot, committing a foul, and turning the ball over twice. He's also been dealing with a wrist injury that he said was not improving "any time soon."
This is not the first time Milicic has tossed around the idea of returning back to Europe and in particular Serbia, his home country.
According to the report, Doc Rivers recently met with Darko and told him to take his time and make the best decision for him and his family.
If Milicic were to leave, that would leave the need for another big, which leads to the other news surfacing around the Celtics today. Various outlets have reported that the Celtics' players are making a strong push to management to go after free-agent Kenyon Martin. The Celtics considered Martin during the offseason, but they ultimately chose to go with Jason Collins and Milicic.
The Celtics could do a few different things in the event that Milicic leaves. They will most likely leave the spot open and possibly add another player later in the season. Also, considering Avery Bradley is due back in a few weeks, the spot may be waiting for him. They also have Fab Melo and Kris Joseph in the D-League.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Motored: Pistons 103, Celtics 83
Doc Rivers is a smart man. He always seems to sum things up perfectly. When asked what his thoughts on the game were, he responded, "Dead men walking." A perfect way to describe the performance of your Boston Celtics tonight, as they fell to the lowly Detroit Pistons 103-83 in a very poor performance. The Celtics had no gas in the tank, and that was clearly evident as they game progressed. From missed shots to bad defense, nothing was going right.
As Tommy Heinsohn put it best, "It's the ebb and flow of the NBA." That's the way the cookie crumbles, peaks and valleys, ups and downs, whatever you want to call it, that's what tonight was. It was a valley, a down, it just wasn't the Celtics night. But hey, it happens.
Nonetheless, here's a recap:
The good:
* Probably the only positive from a single player tonight was Rajon Rondo extending his streak of 10 assists in a game to 34 games. He is now only 3 games behind John Stockton (37) for second on the list. Number one is Magic Johnson with 46.
* It's only game number ten of the regular season. No one should get worked up over one loss (although tonight's game was very frustrating to watch).
* The Celtics shot 62% in the first quarter. Whatever happened after that is beyond me.
* There are two guys you can always count on night in and night in for a good effort: Jared Sullinger and Kevin Garnett. Sullinger made the 20-foot jumper to give Rondo his 10th assist of the game. He finished with a team-high 16 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes As he has always done, he battled Detroit's bigs on the post and fought for rebounds. Meanwhile, Garnett had an efficient night, scoring 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field in only 20 minutes. The limited minutes is another positive and will pay off down the road.
The bad:
* The two areas that the Celtics got annihilated in? That would be points in the paint (44-30) and fast break points (20-4). This is a reflection of the tired legs. They were too tired to battle down low and made lazy passes and couldn't get back on defense.
* Tons of missed shots tonight. Tons. This is also a direct result of tired legs.
* The fact that Doc Rivers kept Rondo in for the rest of the fourth quarter just to give him a chance to get to 10 assists could've cost the Celtics big time. What if Rondo had gotten injured? The game was already decided, and there was no reason for Rondo to be out there besides the assist record. I get records are nice, I understand all of that, but team success and working towards a championship is nicer. Just saying.
* The Celtics had five field goals in the third quarter. Five. Wow.
* Coming into tonight's game, the Celtics were number one in the league in assists with 25.3 a game. Tonight, they had 12 on 32 made baskets, and Rondo had 10 of them. You're not going to win games in the NBA without ball movement and getting others involved.
* In the fourth quarter, Rivers put the Celtics in a zone defense. It didn't work. Jared Sullinger looked lost and continually left the paint wide open. It was one of the few times the Celtics have played zone all year, so it was obviously not going to be perfect. The zone is something that takes time to get used to and takes some practice, which the Celtics should get this week. The zone was a great weapon for this team last year, and it would be good for Rivers to have in his back pocket if necessary.
* Paul Pierce appeared to injure his right ankle on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter. He went to the locker room for good with 2:30 left in the game. Something to keep an eye on.
The Celtics finally have a bit of a break. They have two days off, then they're back in action at the TD Garden on Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs.
As Tommy Heinsohn put it best, "It's the ebb and flow of the NBA." That's the way the cookie crumbles, peaks and valleys, ups and downs, whatever you want to call it, that's what tonight was. It was a valley, a down, it just wasn't the Celtics night. But hey, it happens.
Nonetheless, here's a recap:
The good:
* Probably the only positive from a single player tonight was Rajon Rondo extending his streak of 10 assists in a game to 34 games. He is now only 3 games behind John Stockton (37) for second on the list. Number one is Magic Johnson with 46.
* It's only game number ten of the regular season. No one should get worked up over one loss (although tonight's game was very frustrating to watch).
* The Celtics shot 62% in the first quarter. Whatever happened after that is beyond me.
* There are two guys you can always count on night in and night in for a good effort: Jared Sullinger and Kevin Garnett. Sullinger made the 20-foot jumper to give Rondo his 10th assist of the game. He finished with a team-high 16 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes As he has always done, he battled Detroit's bigs on the post and fought for rebounds. Meanwhile, Garnett had an efficient night, scoring 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field in only 20 minutes. The limited minutes is another positive and will pay off down the road.
The bad:
* The two areas that the Celtics got annihilated in? That would be points in the paint (44-30) and fast break points (20-4). This is a reflection of the tired legs. They were too tired to battle down low and made lazy passes and couldn't get back on defense.
* Tons of missed shots tonight. Tons. This is also a direct result of tired legs.
* The fact that Doc Rivers kept Rondo in for the rest of the fourth quarter just to give him a chance to get to 10 assists could've cost the Celtics big time. What if Rondo had gotten injured? The game was already decided, and there was no reason for Rondo to be out there besides the assist record. I get records are nice, I understand all of that, but team success and working towards a championship is nicer. Just saying.
* The Celtics had five field goals in the third quarter. Five. Wow.
* Coming into tonight's game, the Celtics were number one in the league in assists with 25.3 a game. Tonight, they had 12 on 32 made baskets, and Rondo had 10 of them. You're not going to win games in the NBA without ball movement and getting others involved.
* In the fourth quarter, Rivers put the Celtics in a zone defense. It didn't work. Jared Sullinger looked lost and continually left the paint wide open. It was one of the few times the Celtics have played zone all year, so it was obviously not going to be perfect. The zone is something that takes time to get used to and takes some practice, which the Celtics should get this week. The zone was a great weapon for this team last year, and it would be good for Rivers to have in his back pocket if necessary.
* Paul Pierce appeared to injure his right ankle on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter. He went to the locker room for good with 2:30 left in the game. Something to keep an eye on.
The Celtics finally have a bit of a break. They have two days off, then they're back in action at the TD Garden on Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs.
Halftime thoughts: Pistons 48, Celtics 43
We're halfway through this one from the Palace, and the Celtics trail the Pistons 48-43.
Here are some thoughts:
* The Celtics just look tired tonight. After shooting lights out to start, they've come back to Earth big time. They've never been able to go on a run and take a big lead. Jason Maxiell and Greg Monroe have been persistent on the boards; the two have combined for 10 rebounds, and the Celtics as a team have 15. They've gotten slower and slower rotating on defense as the game as gone on, and they continue to switch on pick-and-rolls and create major mismatches. The switching also has led to wide open three-point shots for Detroit. The Celtics need to wake up or else they'll easily drop this game.
* Rajon Rondo is being his usual self. He hasn't missed a shot -- he went 4-of-4 in the first half including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. He also is halfway to extending his streak, as he has handed out 5 helpers so far.
* Jeff Green makes it look easy sometimes. He has 6 points so far on 2-of-3 from the field in 10 minutes. He has shown his entire arsenal: he has driven to the basket, shown off his floater, and taken jumpers. Keep it up, Jeff...my fantasy team needs all the help it can get.
* Both teams are very similar in almost every category: field goal percentage, rebounds, and turnovers. So what's the difference? Free throws. At one point in the second quarter, the C's were 3-of-7 from the charity stripe while Detroit were 9-of-11.
* Leandro Barbosa is not making his presence felt. The Pistons have done a nice job of closing up the lane to the hoop, especially on the left, Barbosa's favorite side. The Celtics have to find a way to get him going.
* John Mason, the public address announcer for the Pistons, is really entertaining. Considering how quiet it is in the arena and the lack of fans in the seats, Mason's voice booms throughout the arena and you can clearly hear him on television. He's pretty entertaining to say the least.
Here are some thoughts:
* The Celtics just look tired tonight. After shooting lights out to start, they've come back to Earth big time. They've never been able to go on a run and take a big lead. Jason Maxiell and Greg Monroe have been persistent on the boards; the two have combined for 10 rebounds, and the Celtics as a team have 15. They've gotten slower and slower rotating on defense as the game as gone on, and they continue to switch on pick-and-rolls and create major mismatches. The switching also has led to wide open three-point shots for Detroit. The Celtics need to wake up or else they'll easily drop this game.
* Rajon Rondo is being his usual self. He hasn't missed a shot -- he went 4-of-4 in the first half including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. He also is halfway to extending his streak, as he has handed out 5 helpers so far.
* Jeff Green makes it look easy sometimes. He has 6 points so far on 2-of-3 from the field in 10 minutes. He has shown his entire arsenal: he has driven to the basket, shown off his floater, and taken jumpers. Keep it up, Jeff...my fantasy team needs all the help it can get.
* Both teams are very similar in almost every category: field goal percentage, rebounds, and turnovers. So what's the difference? Free throws. At one point in the second quarter, the C's were 3-of-7 from the charity stripe while Detroit were 9-of-11.
* Leandro Barbosa is not making his presence felt. The Pistons have done a nice job of closing up the lane to the hoop, especially on the left, Barbosa's favorite side. The Celtics have to find a way to get him going.
* John Mason, the public address announcer for the Pistons, is really entertaining. Considering how quiet it is in the arena and the lack of fans in the seats, Mason's voice booms throughout the arena and you can clearly hear him on television. He's pretty entertaining to say the least.
Pregame notes
Or note in this case.
* After missing yesterday's game due to a personal matter, Jason Collins is back with the team and active for tonight's game. However, backup big man and former Detroit Piston Darko Milicic will be away from the team tonight to deal with a personal matter of his own. Let the Darko homecoming jokes begin.
Tipoff is in less than 15 minutes. Check back at the half for some halftime thoughts.
* After missing yesterday's game due to a personal matter, Jason Collins is back with the team and active for tonight's game. However, backup big man and former Detroit Piston Darko Milicic will be away from the team tonight to deal with a personal matter of his own. Let the Darko homecoming jokes begin.
Tipoff is in less than 15 minutes. Check back at the half for some halftime thoughts.
Game 11 Preview: Celtics at Pistons
If this was 2008, this game would be on ABC or ESPN. Instead, this is just another road game for the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons were the ones standing in the Celtics way of a championship in the first season of the Kevin Garnett era. Now, they're just another team on the schedule at the beginning of the season.
The Pistons took the risk that the Celtics have taken the last few seasons of keeping their aging core together. It did not turn out well for the Pistons, as after the 2007-2008 campaign, they fell off the mark and have never regained that prominent status they attained for so many years earlier in the decade. They held on to Richard Hamilton and the Wallace's (Rasheed and Ben) in an effort to make another run. However, the exact opposite happened -- something that the Celtics have been lucky in a sense that that hasn't happened to them as well.
Nonetheless, the Pistons (1-9) will host the Celtics (6-4) at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Pistons:
Brandon Knight
Kyle Singler
Tayshaun Prince
Jason Maxiell
Greg Monroe
Key to the game:
1. Don't look past this game: After cruising to an 18-point win yesterday afternoon, the Celtics should be feeling pretty good about themselves. However, this is the NBA, and anything can happen on any given night. Look at last year: in the one of the final games before the All-Star break, the Celtics got embarrassed at the Palace of Auburn Hills 96-81. The Celtics were only a game over .500 going into that game while the Pistons were 12 games under .500. That was a completely different situation, but it goes to prove that anyone can beat anyone on any given night. This is the fifth game in seven nights for the Celtics, and they get two days off before Wednesday night's matchup with the Spurs. My point? Don't look ahead and stay focused at the task at hand.
This is the only key to the game. The Celtics are the superior team in all facets of the game, and honestly, this game should not be close. Doc has done a terrific job of limiting minutes, so tired legs should not come into play. This is all mental tonight for the Celtics. If they can stay mentally locked in for 48 minutes -- or however long it takes to build a strong lead for good -- then they should have no problem getting to 7-4.
The Pistons were the ones standing in the Celtics way of a championship in the first season of the Kevin Garnett era. Now, they're just another team on the schedule at the beginning of the season.
The Pistons took the risk that the Celtics have taken the last few seasons of keeping their aging core together. It did not turn out well for the Pistons, as after the 2007-2008 campaign, they fell off the mark and have never regained that prominent status they attained for so many years earlier in the decade. They held on to Richard Hamilton and the Wallace's (Rasheed and Ben) in an effort to make another run. However, the exact opposite happened -- something that the Celtics have been lucky in a sense that that hasn't happened to them as well.
Nonetheless, the Pistons (1-9) will host the Celtics (6-4) at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Pistons:
Brandon Knight
Kyle Singler
Tayshaun Prince
Jason Maxiell
Greg Monroe
Key to the game:
1. Don't look past this game: After cruising to an 18-point win yesterday afternoon, the Celtics should be feeling pretty good about themselves. However, this is the NBA, and anything can happen on any given night. Look at last year: in the one of the final games before the All-Star break, the Celtics got embarrassed at the Palace of Auburn Hills 96-81. The Celtics were only a game over .500 going into that game while the Pistons were 12 games under .500. That was a completely different situation, but it goes to prove that anyone can beat anyone on any given night. This is the fifth game in seven nights for the Celtics, and they get two days off before Wednesday night's matchup with the Spurs. My point? Don't look ahead and stay focused at the task at hand.
This is the only key to the game. The Celtics are the superior team in all facets of the game, and honestly, this game should not be close. Doc has done a terrific job of limiting minutes, so tired legs should not come into play. This is all mental tonight for the Celtics. If they can stay mentally locked in for 48 minutes -- or however long it takes to build a strong lead for good -- then they should have no problem getting to 7-4.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Back on track: Celtics 107, Raptors 89
 |
| It didn't take long for Rajon Rondo to get back into the swing of things. |
The Big Three did what they usually do: they carried the Celtics for the most part, but they got some help from the bench down the stretch.
It was a good start to the first of a back-to-back for the Celtics. Here's a recap:
The good:
* How can you not start with Rajon Rondo? As I previously mentioned, it only took him 17 minutes to get to 10 assists: it came with 2:54 to play in the first half. I'll repeat, first half. Incredible. Rondo finished the game with 20 assists, the first time he did that He was definitely looking to get his teammates involved more than himself, as he only took 4 shots but made 3 of them for 6 points.
* Kevin Garnett looked fantastic today. Not only did his stat line look impressive -- he finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds in only 17 minutes -- but his energy was great. You could hear his voice when he was on the court from all the way up in the balcony -- I sit in the first row of the balcony, so it's pretty close. He just looked fresh today, whether it was leaping high for rebounds or making moves to the basket, everything KG did today looked good. He hardly looked like the oldest player on the team.
* It appears the JET is flying high. Jason Terry is playing the way Jason Terry has always played. Today he had a team-high 20 points on 7-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
* Paul Pierce had a typical Paul Pierce game: he scored 19 points, grabbed 6 boards, and handed out 2 assists. He also provided the highlight of the day when he drove to the basket and had a Blake Griffin-esque dunk -- he threw the ball off the backboard and into the hoop -- and was fouled. The three-point play put the C's up 45-39 in the second quarter.
The bad:
* The bench was outscored 49-41 today, and although 41 points is a lot, most of that came in mop-up time in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. The bench had 28 points in the fourth quarter and only 13 in the other three quarters. In a game like this where it's the first game of a back-to-back, the bench has to know that they're going to have to carry a bigger load.
* The Celtics seemed to get lazy with their big lead and almost let it slip away. They had a 30-17 lead after one, but were outscored 25-17 in the second. It wasn't until the fourth quarter when they actually put the Raptors away. I know I'm knit-picking here, but it's just something Doc and his staff should be aware of.
Miscellaneous:
* Don't read anything into this, but Avery Bradley was active for today's game. Bradley, who isn't expected to return until mid-December, participated in pregame warmups with the team and was on the bench during the game. The Celtics were without Jason Collins, who has left the team to deal with a personal matter, so the Celtics needed to activate someone, and with Kris Joseph and Fab Melo in the D-League, Bradley was the only other choice.
* It's pretty clear that there are times he is going to struggle, but Jared Sullinger is going to be an excellent player for this team. Watching him play today only reinforced the fact of how big of a steal he was during the draft, and people seem to forget that he was a two-time first team All-American. He recorded his first career double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds) today, and he brought tremendous energy on the glass as well. He fought for loose balls, snatched every rebound in his sight, and actually boxed out. He continues to do the little things extremely well.
* The Celtics have been using Jason Terry the way they used Ray Allen. Terry hasn't spent a lot of time handling the ball, and he's been getting a lot of his shots off screens. He hasn't really had to create shots for himself or score off the dribble, which he has done at a high level in the past. Knowing that he can score both ways is a positive for the green.
The Celtics are back at it tomorrow night as they pay the Detroit Pistons a visit at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Game 10 Preview: Raptors at Celtics
An early tip off for your Boston Celtics (5-4) today as they play host to the Toronto Raptors (2-6).
The big news of the day? Doc Rivers said earlier this morning that Rajon Rondo will indeed play.
Here's a preview of the
Projected lineups:
Raptors:
Jose Calderon
DeMar DeRozan
Dominic McGuire
Andrea Bargnani
Jonas Valanciunas
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Stopping Bargnani: Since being the number one overall pick back in 2006, Bargnani has slowly emerged as a great scorer in this league. This season, he's averaging 16.3 points per game. He should be matched up with Pierce, and it should be fun to see these two go at it.
2. Rondo at the helm: With Rondo back running things for the Celtics, they should be clicking on all cylinders. One thing to watch though is if the early start has any effect on them. These players are creatures of habit and so routine-oriented that the early start could throw them off.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Brooklyn prevails: Nets 102, C's 97
 |
| Starting in place of Rajon Rondo, Leandro Barbosa did a nice job of running the show. |
This game came down to late-game execution, an area that the Celtics had the advantage last night. From missed free throws by Paul Pierce and Jason Terry in the final minute, to missing open shots, the Celtics just could not put it all together.
The good:
* For the most part, Leandro Barbosa showed he could handle the starting point guard spot for tonight. He finished with 17 points, 2 steals, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
* After allowing 15 offensive rebounds in the first half, the Celtics decided to do something about that. They actually boxed out and only allowed three offensive rebounds in the second half. The Nets' 18th and final offensive rebound turned out to be a dagger, as Brook Lopez gathered it and put it back up and in to give the Nets a 93-87 lead with just over a minute to go. Nonetheless, it was nice to see the Celtics correct something that needed to be fixed.
* The Celtics even closed the overall rebounding gap. They had 17 rebounds in the first compared to Brooklyn's 26, and in the end the Celtics managed to corral 44 to Brooklyn's 47. At one point in the third, the Celtics even held the advantage in this category.
* Just like last night, Paul Pierce turned it on in the third quarter. Pierce scored half (11) of his 22 points in the third.
* Courtney Lee did a nice job in the "everything" department. Lee finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds (6 offensive), 3 assists, and 3 steals. However, he also did a great job in the "little things" department. If Comcast SportsNet New England had tonight's call, Lee would've received a boatload of Tommy points. Lee continuously fought for loose balls, kept balls alive, and got his nose down low on the offensive glass.
The bad:
* Free throws....free throws! In the fourth quarter, the Celtics went 2-of-6 from the line while the Nets managed to go 11-of-15. There's your ball game right there. You wouldn't expect that from a veteran team.
* The Celtics have to do a better job of defending down the stretch. Letting a team score 28 points in the final frame is not an ingredient to a win.
The Celtics will have Friday off before tipping off at 12:30 p.m. at the TD Garden on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors.
Halftime thoughts: Nets 59, Celtics 50
And I thought the Celtics looked bad when Kevin Garnett wasn't on the floor. They look like a bunch of lost puppies right now without Rajon Rondo. Not only on the offensive end with him running the show, but Rondo is missed on the defensive end as well. Right now, the Celtics are playing a KISS style of basketball -- keeping it simple stupid.
However, they're only down nine points, which is incredible considering how poorly they've been playing.
* So far, so good for Leandro Barbosa. In his first start since 2010, he has 10 points and 2 assists while running the dumbed-down version of the offense. Barbosa is attacking the left side of the rim at will, and he looks very quick tonight.
* As expected, the Celtics put one of their long-lost big men in during the first quarter. Doc's choice? Jason Collins. Collins is doing what he was brought here to do: play tough-nosed defense, use up his fouls, and make life difficult for the opposing bigs. He'll never light up a stat sheet, but he'll do all the dirty work necessary to win, and he's doing that so far.
* The biggest problem with the Celtics right now is rebounding, and in particular offensive rebounding. As was the case last night, the Celtics got killed on the boards in the first half. The Nets have 15 offensive rebounds to the Celtics 6, and they're outrebounding Boston overall 26 to 17. The beatdown did not really begin until Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche entered the game. They have 5 offensive rebounds combined, one less than the entire Celtics team. The Celtics have done a very poor job of boxing out -- something so simple yet so vital if they want to at least be respectable on the glass.
* If that foul by Keith Bogans on Leandro Barbosa is not a flagrant foul, then I don't know what is. It'll be interesting to see if the Celtics retaliate.
* Following up on that last point, the referees are doing a bad job tonight. An easy example to show their poor performance is on the first Celtics possession of the game, Paul Pierce pump-faked from the right elbow, got Joe Johnson in the air and made contact with Pierce, but no foul was called. Near the end of the first half, Deron Williams made the same move on Jason Collins and Collins was called for a foul. After the play, Doc Rivers yelled to one of the officials, "Call it both ways!" And he's right. Come on, guys. Consistency is key.
However, they're only down nine points, which is incredible considering how poorly they've been playing.
* So far, so good for Leandro Barbosa. In his first start since 2010, he has 10 points and 2 assists while running the dumbed-down version of the offense. Barbosa is attacking the left side of the rim at will, and he looks very quick tonight.
* As expected, the Celtics put one of their long-lost big men in during the first quarter. Doc's choice? Jason Collins. Collins is doing what he was brought here to do: play tough-nosed defense, use up his fouls, and make life difficult for the opposing bigs. He'll never light up a stat sheet, but he'll do all the dirty work necessary to win, and he's doing that so far.
* The biggest problem with the Celtics right now is rebounding, and in particular offensive rebounding. As was the case last night, the Celtics got killed on the boards in the first half. The Nets have 15 offensive rebounds to the Celtics 6, and they're outrebounding Boston overall 26 to 17. The beatdown did not really begin until Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche entered the game. They have 5 offensive rebounds combined, one less than the entire Celtics team. The Celtics have done a very poor job of boxing out -- something so simple yet so vital if they want to at least be respectable on the glass.
* If that foul by Keith Bogans on Leandro Barbosa is not a flagrant foul, then I don't know what is. It'll be interesting to see if the Celtics retaliate.
* Following up on that last point, the referees are doing a bad job tonight. An easy example to show their poor performance is on the first Celtics possession of the game, Paul Pierce pump-faked from the right elbow, got Joe Johnson in the air and made contact with Pierce, but no foul was called. Near the end of the first half, Deron Williams made the same move on Jason Collins and Collins was called for a foul. After the play, Doc Rivers yelled to one of the officials, "Call it both ways!" And he's right. Come on, guys. Consistency is key.
Game 9 Preview: Celtics at Nets
 |
| Celtics fans won't be able to see this matchup tonight. |
The Celtics have taken their talents to Brooklyn and will tip off in just under an hour for a duel with the Brooklyn Nets in the first game of TNT's doubleheader.
The big headline coming into this one has been the status of Rajon Rondo. Rondo did test out the ankle earlier today, and mum was the word on his availability for the game all day. However, Rondo is not playing tonight and Leandro Barbosa will start in his place.
At Doc Rivers's pregame meeting with the media, he said of Barbosa starting, "Now 80% of the playbook is gone...at the least."
Some positive reassurance from Doc.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Leandro Barbosa
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Nets:
Deron Williams
Joe Johnson
Keith Bogans
Kris Humphries
Brook Lopez
1. Getting on the glass: After getting completely obliterated on the boards last night, the Celtics face another tall task of trying to compete for rebounds against a big Nets team. With rebounding forces such as Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, and Reggie Evans, the Celtics will need to find a way to challenge these big boys in the paint. May we see the long lost Darko Milicic or Jason Collins tonight? I think it's safe to assume that at least one of them will see some minutes tonight.
2. Life without Rajon: When Rondo went down for the game with 4:55 in the third quarter, many wondered how the team would react. Rivers threw Leandro Barbosa right into the fire, and he came out just fine. Barbosa had 16 points in nearly 22 minutes. He led the run down the stretch that gave the Celtics momentum. At his team's shootaround this morning, Nets' coach Avery Johnson told reporters that his team prepared for this game as if Rondo was going to play. Now that the change has been made this late, it'll be interesting to see if the Nets are thrown off guard by Barbosa.
Recap: Celtics 98, Jazz 93
 |
| No words are needed. |
The Boston Celtics won their third consecutive game on Wednesday night in a 98-93 victory of the Utah Jazz. After a ho-hum first half for both teams, the lead swayed back and forth throughout the second half, and the Celtics eventually took care of business. As Jason Terry put it, "We're a veteran ball club," said C's guard Jason Terry. "We thrive in situations where it's a tight ball game. We've all been in that situation plenty of times. We know what we have to do to close games out."
Here's a recap:
The good:
* In what I thought was the most encouraging sign of the night, Jeff Green finally made his way back to earth and onto the basketball court. All kidding aside, Green had his best performance of the season, scoring 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in just over 27 minutes. He also provided the highlight of the night: a posterizing dunk on old friend Al Jefferson. I believe this was the turning point in the game. This woke up the crowd, the bench, and got everyone fired up. Hopefully, this play was the breakout moment we've all been waiting. Here's to hoping Green can be the guy we all think he can be.
* If Leandro Barbosa was not on this team, then they would not have won tonight. When he checked in at the start of the second quarter, he instantly made an impact, scoring 7 points in under 3 minutes. He finished with 16 points. Doc Rivers liked what he saw as well, "He was terrific, he bailed us out."
* And the streak continues. After not tallying a single assist in the first 10 minutes of his outing, Rondo miraculously compiled 10 assists in the next 3 minutes. He finished with 25:11 of action. In a word: incredible. It was his 32nd-straight game of at least 10 assists. John Stockton is right in front of him.
* After only scoring 5 points in the first half, Paul Pierce erupted in the second half, and particularly in the third quarter. He scored 16 points in the third quarter and finished with a team-high 23. The Celtics made a concerted effort to get Pierce involved to start the second half, and man did that work out.
The bad:
* The worst news of this game is the health of Rajon Rondo. Around the 5:00 minute mark in the third quarter, Rondo rolled his right ankle on a drive to the hoop. He left the game, went back to the locker room with trainer Ed Lacerte, and returned to the bench near the end of the quarter. Rondo did not return to the game, which would seem to be a concern. When asked if Rondo would play tomorrow against the Nets, Doc Rivers responded, "I have no idea. With sprained ankles, tomorrow you'll know more." Not very reassuring words from Doc. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
* The rebounding was a good thing... for the Utah Jazz. They totally dominated the Celtics on the boards, 48-33 overall. They also killed Boston on the offensive glass 18-4. To put this whole rebounding problem into perspective, Al Jeffeson, Paul Millsap, and Derrick Favors combined for more rebounds than the entire Celtics team. That's right, three guys had more rebounds than the ENTIRE TEAM. Coming into tonight's action, the Celtics were dead last in rebounds per game while the Jazz were fourth in the league, and tonight did nothing to disprove that. Weak-side rebounding was a major problem throughout the game, and the three aforementioned Jazz players had a lot to do with that. And considering the size of the frontline of the Nets, the Celtics need to address that issue in a hurry.
* Bench scoring, anyone? 47-25 in favor of your Boston Celtics. That's what we thought we'd see out of this bench. Bravo, bravo.
Miscellaneous:
* When Jeff Green was issued a technical foul for taunting Al Jefferson after his emphatic dunk, Kevin Garnett was seen talking to Green and repeatedly saying, "That's O.K, that's O.K." Great stuff as always from KG.
* The Utah Jazz are a good basketball team. This was a good test for this Celtics team. They were 4-4 coming into tonight, but with the way they are currently constructed, they can definitely be a playoff team. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are great cornerstone players, and the additions of Mo and Marvin Williams -- no relation there -- along with Randy Foye. Having Derrick Favors coming off the bench is a pretty good option to have; the kid is going to be a phenomenal player. They're a solid team with a tremendous future.
* It was clear that Doc Rivers was trying his best to limit the minutes of Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo as best as he possibly could. The team has to travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets on Thursday, come back home and play the Raptors at 12:30 on Saturday, and then go to Detroit for a matchup on Sunday night. Pierce and Garnett each tallied 29 minutes, so it looks like it was mission accomplished.
The green team is back at it later on tonight as they travel to the Barclays Center for their first matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Halftime thoughts: Jazz 46, Celtics 44
After an exhausting triple-overtime victory on Monday, it appears the Utah Jazz are the energetic ones in this one. They lead the Celtics after a so-so first half 46-44.
* Right out of the gate, the Celtics looked crisp defensively, rotating nicely and making life difficult for the Jazz. However, the Jazz quickly managed to get the shots they wanted off the pick-and-roll.
* Things started to go right in the second quarter the moment Leandro Barbosa stepped on the floor. In the first 2:35 he was on the court, Barbosa compiled 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He led the Celtics on a 24-14 that gave them the lead while the starters were on the bench.
* Although the stats are not glaring, the Celtics are getting killed on the boards and in the paint. They're only getting outrebounded by 7 (24 to 17), but the Jazz are making the extra effort. They have 8 offensive boards to Boston's 3. The C's need to do a better job of weak-side rebounding, especially on Jazz big men Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. The Jazz already have 26 points in the paint. Interior defense and weak-side rebounding must be corrected in the second half if the Celtics want to win this game.
* O.K., not to sound like a pessimist, but who is this guy wearing the white number 8 jersey and what did he do with Jeff Green? Green is actually making his presence felt in this one. He's been looking for the ball on the post and not settling for outside jumpers, something we haven't seen from him since the preseason. He has 7 points and 2 rebounds in just over 10 minutes.
* The Jazz are doing a poor job of defending the alley-oop. The Celtics have run it three times -- twice with Wilcox and once with Kevin Garnett -- and have been successful all three times. Shouldn't they have realized what's going on by now?
Check back after the game for a full recap.
* Right out of the gate, the Celtics looked crisp defensively, rotating nicely and making life difficult for the Jazz. However, the Jazz quickly managed to get the shots they wanted off the pick-and-roll.
* Things started to go right in the second quarter the moment Leandro Barbosa stepped on the floor. In the first 2:35 he was on the court, Barbosa compiled 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He led the Celtics on a 24-14 that gave them the lead while the starters were on the bench.
* Although the stats are not glaring, the Celtics are getting killed on the boards and in the paint. They're only getting outrebounded by 7 (24 to 17), but the Jazz are making the extra effort. They have 8 offensive boards to Boston's 3. The C's need to do a better job of weak-side rebounding, especially on Jazz big men Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. The Jazz already have 26 points in the paint. Interior defense and weak-side rebounding must be corrected in the second half if the Celtics want to win this game.
* O.K., not to sound like a pessimist, but who is this guy wearing the white number 8 jersey and what did he do with Jeff Green? Green is actually making his presence felt in this one. He's been looking for the ball on the post and not settling for outside jumpers, something we haven't seen from him since the preseason. He has 7 points and 2 rebounds in just over 10 minutes.
* The Jazz are doing a poor job of defending the alley-oop. The Celtics have run it three times -- twice with Wilcox and once with Kevin Garnett -- and have been successful all three times. Shouldn't they have realized what's going on by now?
Check back after the game for a full recap.
Game 8 Preview: Jazz at Celtics
The Celtics will tip off in just about 5 minutes against the Utah Jazz. The Celtics are coming off their best win of the season, and the Jazz are coming off a triple-overtime win in Toronto on Monday night.
Here's tonight's preview:
Projected lineups:
Jazz:
Mo Williams
Gordon Hayward
Marvin Williams
Paul Millsap
Al Jefferson
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. The KG vs. Al Jefferson matchup: There always seems to be a little something extra when these two face off. This goes back to the mega trade that sent Garnett to Boston and shipped Jefferson out to Minnesota. When the Jazz came to Boston last year, things got testy between the two. That shouldn't happen tonight. Garnett and Jefferson have very similar stats: KG averages 15.9 points to Jefferson's 15.2, Garnett is averaging 0.9 blocks a game to Big Al's 1.0, and Garnett is averaging 1.7 assists a game to Jefferson's 1.8. One stat to keep track of? Field goal attempts. When Jefferson has more shots than his opponent, the Jazz are 4-1. Look for a steady dose of KG tonight, especially since he only played 29 minutes on Monday compared to Jefferson's 49.
2. Can Rondo keep on keeping on?: The buzz around Rajon Rondo continues to gain momentum. Can Rondo repeat his performance from Monday? He should.
3. Energy: The Jazz are coming off a triple-overtime win on Monday night. It'll be interesting to see what kind of energy the Jazz have tonight. We should be able to tell early on how they'll play. If they come out sluggish, things could get ugly in a hurry.
Here's tonight's preview:
Projected lineups:
Jazz:
Mo Williams
Gordon Hayward
Marvin Williams
Paul Millsap
Al Jefferson
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Jason Terry
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. The KG vs. Al Jefferson matchup: There always seems to be a little something extra when these two face off. This goes back to the mega trade that sent Garnett to Boston and shipped Jefferson out to Minnesota. When the Jazz came to Boston last year, things got testy between the two. That shouldn't happen tonight. Garnett and Jefferson have very similar stats: KG averages 15.9 points to Jefferson's 15.2, Garnett is averaging 0.9 blocks a game to Big Al's 1.0, and Garnett is averaging 1.7 assists a game to Jefferson's 1.8. One stat to keep track of? Field goal attempts. When Jefferson has more shots than his opponent, the Jazz are 4-1. Look for a steady dose of KG tonight, especially since he only played 29 minutes on Monday compared to Jefferson's 49.
2. Can Rondo keep on keeping on?: The buzz around Rajon Rondo continues to gain momentum. Can Rondo repeat his performance from Monday? He should.
3. Energy: The Jazz are coming off a triple-overtime win on Monday night. It'll be interesting to see what kind of energy the Jazz have tonight. We should be able to tell early on how they'll play. If they come out sluggish, things could get ugly in a hurry.
Melo and Joseph assigned to NBDL
 |
| Kris Joseph (left) and Fab Melo (right) will be taking their talents up to Maine. |
The Celtics announced today that they have assigned rookies Fab Melo and Kris Joseph to their D-League affiliate the Maine Red Claws.
Melo, the 22nd overall pick and second first-round pick of the Celtics, has been inactive for all seven games so far.
Joseph, the team's third-round selection and Melo's teammate at Syracuse, has dressed for each game this season, but only saw action in the team's home opener on November 2.
This move should not come as a surprise; it was inevitable. Both players need playing time to develop, something that was unlikely to happen in Boston this season. They should get plenty of minutes in Maine.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Head above water: Celtics 101, Bulls 95
 |
| Paul Pierce chipped in 10 points as part of a Celtics' 101-95 victory at the United Center. |
In what was probably their best game of the season, the Celtics pulled above .500 for the first time all season as they defeat the Chicago Bulls, 101-95. Rajon Rondo led the charge for the Celtics and did almost everything to guide his team to their second consecutive victory.
The Celtics led the entire game, and although the Bulls cut the lead to three in the final frame, the Celtics showed the kind of late game toughness we've been expecting to see all year-- something that was missing last Wednesday against the Wizards. But, overall, as Doc Rivers put it, "It was a good team win."
The good:
* How can you not start with Rajon Rondo? For the 37 minutes he was on the court, Rondo did just about everything. He had another double-double of 20 points and 10 assists and also had 9 rebounds and 5 steals; he led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. Rondo continued his streak of games with at least 10 assists as he found Brandon Bass on the baseline for an easy dunk in the final seconds. He now has 31 games with at least 10 assists, trailing Magic Johnson (46) and John Stockton (37).
* Jason Terry showed his inner Ray Allen, as he continually came off screens and knocked down some big jumpers in the fourth quarter. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-10 from the field.
* The fact that the Celtics executed the same exact play -- an alley-oop from Rondo to Kevin Garnett that put them up 97-93 -- twice in the same quarter coming out of timeouts is mind-boggling. How could Tom Thibodeau not be ready for that? Nonetheless, great job of execution by the players and great call by Doc Rivers.
* Here's all you need to know about Brandon Bass's night: a dislocated finger at 6:47 in the first quarter, 16 points while missing only one shot, 2 blocks, a couple of deflections, and a big steal. Pretty good, no?
* When things got close, the Celtics clamped down on defense. The 24-second violation on the Bulls with nearly 4 minutes to play was a perfect example of how this team can still get a stop when they desperately need it.
* The defensive rotations were excellent. There is definitely improvement in this area. Phenomenal sign.
* The Celtics are 2-0 with Bass and Terry in the starting lineup. Coincidence? Probably not. As many have echoed after the game, it looks like the Celtics have found something.
* The entire starting lineup was in double figures.
* The team was very active on defense throughout the night, forcing turnovers and getting hands in passing lanes at will.
The bad:
* As far as the Bulls are concerned, their execution was very poor, which was very uncharacteristic of a Tom Thibodeau-coached team. Their offense was stagnant, a lot of bad shots as the shot clock expired, and 4 missed free throws in the final minute of the game. I know the Bulls aren't the same without Derrick Rose, but it was surprising to see poor execution out of them.
* In my opinion, Paul Pierce was on the bench too long in the fourth quarter. I know Rivers has said that his veterans are going to rest whether anyone likes it or not, but after seeing how things were going south and after Pierce's hot start, wouldn't it make sense to put him back in?
The Celtics come home for one game in a matchup with old friend Al Jefferson and the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)