Believe it or not, the Celtics (38-35) had some enthusiasm in this game. That lasted for about 6 minutes or so. The Celtics had a 21-17 lead with 4:14 to go in the first quarter, but then it was all down hill from there.
New York closed the first quarter on an 11-2 run and never looked back. They beat the Celtics for the second time in a week, 108-89.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* There wasn't a whole lot of good in this one, so I'll do my best. I'll start with the best individual performer of the night: Paul Pierce. Once again, The Truth had a great game. In 32 minutes, he scored 24 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and handed out 5 assists. Pierce went to the bench for good with 1:05 remaining in the third, and he spent the fourth quarter icing his right ankle -- for precautionary reasons only.
* For the second straight game, Jeff Green put up 27 points. Green was very efficient, going 10-of-14 from the field in 35 minutes. He started off strong, scoring 10 points in the first frame and never looking back. His play continues to be an encouraging sign for the Celtics' immediate and long-term future.
The bad:
* There was a lot of bad. But the one area that was really bad was three-point shooting. At least defensively. Coming into tonight's game, the Celtics had the second-best three-point defense in the league by holding their opponents to 33.5%. Tonight, they let the Knicks shoot 52% from distance -- 14-of-27 to be exact.
* You know your team's in trouble when they allow Chris Copeland to score 22 points. He was one of six Knicks in double figures.
* Avery Bradley has hit a wall not only offensively, but also -- gulp -- defensively. Bradley fouled out in the fourth quarter after playing 24 minutes and having only 2 points, 2 rebounds and 0 assists. He was not himself on the defensive end, as he let people get by him and score almost at will. I'm not sure if he needs a blow or something, but the Celtics have to get Bradley right. Fast.
* The Celtics played a lot of one-on-one basketball tonight, as evident by their 12 assists on 32 baskets, a really low amount for a team ranks ninth in the league in assists. Jordan Crawford, Courtney Lee and even Bradley tried to force the issue and take the game into their own hands. What made this team successful when Rajon Rondo went down was their ball movement. They need to get back to that if they are to make a run in the playoffs.
The Celtics are back at it tomorrow night as they will fly to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Game 73 Preview: Celtics at Knicks
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New York has won seven straight and has padded their lead in the Atlantic Division to 7 games over the Celtics.
Boston has a bit of momentum, as they have won two straight and look to get a much-needed road win against a playoff team.
Both Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee made the trip to New York, but Garnett is not expected to play. Lee, however, is probable for tonight's game.
Here's a preview of this Easter showdown:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Knicks:
Raymond Felton
Pablo Prigioni
Iman Shumpert
Carmelo Anthony
Kenyon Martin
Keys to the game:
1. Hello, Mr. Smith: J.R. Smith has had a lot to do with the Knicks' recent success. Smith has averaged 26.4 points during the seven-game winning streak. He erupted for 32 points in 34 minutes off the bench last Tuesday against the Celtics. What's amazing about Smith's season has been the fact that he has played in all of New York's 71 games thus far but has not started a single one. What's also remarkable that he has failed to score in double digits in only 9 of those 71 games. The Celtics have to make shutting down Smith their primary objective. That doesn't mean they shouldn't pay attention to Carmelo Anthony, but Anthony is a super star, and super stars"always get theirs" as Doc Rivers always says.
2. Setting the pace: Rivers was unhappy with the Celtics lack of pace during their last matchup with the Knicks. Part of that was due to defense, but that mostly came from Boston's high volume of turnovers. The Celtics turned the ball over 20 times last Tuesday. That cannot happen again, especially at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will capitalize on each of Boston's mistakes, so Boston needs to take tremendous care of the ball in order to dictate the pace of the game.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Final: Celtics 118, Hawks 107
The Celtics (38-34) have now won two straight after defeating the Hawks (40-33) tonight, 118-107.
Boston's offensive explosion was led by Jeff Green, who scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-20 from the field.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Paul Pierce. Yeah, he was pretty good. The captain turned in his third triple-double of the season. He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
* In the five games prior to tonight's game, Jason Terry was in a big-time slump, averaging 6.6 points on 30% shooting. Tonight, he broke out of his slump. Terry scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
* I'm not trying to overreact, but it appears the Celtics may have found a backup center. Shavlik Randolph, you could be the next Greg Steimsma. Randolph had a breakout night by scoring 9 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking 2 shots in only 21 minutes. Chris Wilcox's minutes are starting to go to Randolph, and that decision is making Doc Rivers look like a smart man.
The bad:
* Chris Wilcox continues to be a disappointment. Wilcox's minutes have been steadily dwindling, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Wilcox started and played 12 minutes and was whistles for 4 fouls. His ineffectiveness on the defensive end is starting to become a major problem.
* 107 points and three quarters of more than 25 points is not what the Celtics wanted to accomplish on the defensive end. But hey, sometimes you get into good old fashion shootouts.
Boston will have a rematch with the New York Knicks on Easter Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Big Apple.
Boston's offensive explosion was led by Jeff Green, who scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-20 from the field.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Paul Pierce. Yeah, he was pretty good. The captain turned in his third triple-double of the season. He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
* In the five games prior to tonight's game, Jason Terry was in a big-time slump, averaging 6.6 points on 30% shooting. Tonight, he broke out of his slump. Terry scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
* I'm not trying to overreact, but it appears the Celtics may have found a backup center. Shavlik Randolph, you could be the next Greg Steimsma. Randolph had a breakout night by scoring 9 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking 2 shots in only 21 minutes. Chris Wilcox's minutes are starting to go to Randolph, and that decision is making Doc Rivers look like a smart man.
The bad:
* Chris Wilcox continues to be a disappointment. Wilcox's minutes have been steadily dwindling, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Wilcox started and played 12 minutes and was whistles for 4 fouls. His ineffectiveness on the defensive end is starting to become a major problem.
* 107 points and three quarters of more than 25 points is not what the Celtics wanted to accomplish on the defensive end. But hey, sometimes you get into good old fashion shootouts.
Boston will have a rematch with the New York Knicks on Easter Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Big Apple.
War of words
It's nice to know that at least two teams don't like each other.
Let me set the stage for you.
On Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 101-97, ending Miami's 27-game winning streak.
During that game, Miami's LeBron James was fouled hard twice, once by Kirk Hinrich and another time by Taj Gibson. James took expection to the physicality, and he retaliated by committing a flagrant foul on Chicago's Carlos Boozer.
After the game, James spoke with the media and expressed his frustrations with the officiating and the amount of hard fouls that he has been taking lately.
Yesterday, when asked about James's comments in an interview with WEEI sports radio, Celtics GM Danny Ainge said, "I think it's almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating."
James responded to those comments by saying, "I'm not surprised to hear anything from Boston. It's not my concern. I'm just voicing my opinion on what I've seen."
Today, it was Heat president Pat Riley's turn to fire back at Ainge.
"Danny Ainge needs to shut the f--- up and manage his own team," Riley said. "He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing and I know that because I coached against him."
Ainge responded to those comments just moments ago by saying, "We're both right. LeBron should stop complaining and I should manage my own team."
My goodness is this fun. Let's pray that they meet in the playoffs.
Let me set the stage for you.
On Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 101-97, ending Miami's 27-game winning streak.
During that game, Miami's LeBron James was fouled hard twice, once by Kirk Hinrich and another time by Taj Gibson. James took expection to the physicality, and he retaliated by committing a flagrant foul on Chicago's Carlos Boozer.
After the game, James spoke with the media and expressed his frustrations with the officiating and the amount of hard fouls that he has been taking lately.
Yesterday, when asked about James's comments in an interview with WEEI sports radio, Celtics GM Danny Ainge said, "I think it's almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating."
James responded to those comments by saying, "I'm not surprised to hear anything from Boston. It's not my concern. I'm just voicing my opinion on what I've seen."
Today, it was Heat president Pat Riley's turn to fire back at Ainge.
"Danny Ainge needs to shut the f--- up and manage his own team," Riley said. "He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing and I know that because I coached against him."
Ainge responded to those comments just moments ago by saying, "We're both right. LeBron should stop complaining and I should manage my own team."
My goodness is this fun. Let's pray that they meet in the playoffs.
Game 72 Preview: Hawks at Celtics
Although it is to be expected, it can become official tonight.
If the Philadelphia 76ers lose tonight and the Celtics (37-34) are able to hold off the Atlanta Hawks (40-32), the C's will officially clinch a playoff spot. The only thing left to be decided is seeding.
Tonight, Boston has a great chance to climb the ladder if they want to, as they only trail the Hawks by two-and-a-half games for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. But as we all are well aware by now, the Celtics basically don't give a hoot about seeding at this point and are focused on getting as healthy as they possibly can before the playoffs.
With regards to the Celtics' health woes, Courtney Lee participated in this morning's shootaround and is listed as a game-time decision. Kevin Garnett is still out as well.
The Hawks come into TD Garden exactly three weeks since their last visit when they fell to the Celtics 107-102 in overtime. Since then, the Hawks have hovered around the .500 mark, going 6-5 in 11 games since March 8. They've alternated wins and losses -- 3-3 record in 6 games -- since March 17. They are coming off a 107-88 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
So if you want to predict how the Hawks will do tonight, history says they should lose tonight.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineup:
Hawks:
Jeff Teague
Anthony Tolliver
Kyle Korver
Josh Smith
Al Horford
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Keys to the game:
1. Avery Bradley: Over his last 12 games, Bradley is shooting a ghastly 32% from the floor. However, his offensive slump hasn't affected his defense, which continues to be other-worldly. And it's going to have to stay that way tonight when he matches up with Jeff Teague. Teague has come into his own of late, averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 53.1% over his last six games. Bradley will have his hands full with Teague tonight. He needs to bring his A-game offensively as well. The Celtics are 12-4 when Bradley scores at least 10 points, so Bradley's success on the offensive end is crucial to the Celtics' success.
2. Interior design: Well, whatever interior designs the Celtics are drawing up sure wouldn't do so well on the open market. No one would want the blue print to what they've been coming up with because their interior defense -- in particular their rebounding -- has been pitiful. Especially against the Hawks. The Celtics have allowed the Hawks to grab 42 boards in three games this season. They've allowed at least one player from the Hawks to grab at least 10 rebounds in each game. That's a major no no. Just please, for once, be successful on the boards. They might even be happy with the result.
If the Philadelphia 76ers lose tonight and the Celtics (37-34) are able to hold off the Atlanta Hawks (40-32), the C's will officially clinch a playoff spot. The only thing left to be decided is seeding.
Tonight, Boston has a great chance to climb the ladder if they want to, as they only trail the Hawks by two-and-a-half games for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. But as we all are well aware by now, the Celtics basically don't give a hoot about seeding at this point and are focused on getting as healthy as they possibly can before the playoffs.
With regards to the Celtics' health woes, Courtney Lee participated in this morning's shootaround and is listed as a game-time decision. Kevin Garnett is still out as well.
The Hawks come into TD Garden exactly three weeks since their last visit when they fell to the Celtics 107-102 in overtime. Since then, the Hawks have hovered around the .500 mark, going 6-5 in 11 games since March 8. They've alternated wins and losses -- 3-3 record in 6 games -- since March 17. They are coming off a 107-88 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
So if you want to predict how the Hawks will do tonight, history says they should lose tonight.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineup:
Hawks:
Jeff Teague
Anthony Tolliver
Kyle Korver
Josh Smith
Al Horford
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Keys to the game:
1. Avery Bradley: Over his last 12 games, Bradley is shooting a ghastly 32% from the floor. However, his offensive slump hasn't affected his defense, which continues to be other-worldly. And it's going to have to stay that way tonight when he matches up with Jeff Teague. Teague has come into his own of late, averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 53.1% over his last six games. Bradley will have his hands full with Teague tonight. He needs to bring his A-game offensively as well. The Celtics are 12-4 when Bradley scores at least 10 points, so Bradley's success on the offensive end is crucial to the Celtics' success.
2. Interior design: Well, whatever interior designs the Celtics are drawing up sure wouldn't do so well on the open market. No one would want the blue print to what they've been coming up with because their interior defense -- in particular their rebounding -- has been pitiful. Especially against the Hawks. The Celtics have allowed the Hawks to grab 42 boards in three games this season. They've allowed at least one player from the Hawks to grab at least 10 rebounds in each game. That's a major no no. Just please, for once, be successful on the boards. They might even be happy with the result.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Showing some heart: Celtics 93, Cavaliers 92
"One year ago here in Cleveland, Jeff Green got a new heart. In the final two minutes tonight, he showed it to us."
That was what Celtics' radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande tweeted just moments after Jeff Green lifted the Celtics over the Cavaliers 93-92 on a buzzer-beating layup.
Boston closed the game a 21-6 run and erased 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to snap their five-game losing streak.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Although he only scored 3 points in the second and third quarters combined, Jeff Green made up for it at the beginning and end. Green scored 9 points in the first and fourth quarters, and he finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Green even drove to the basket with his left hand -- a rarity for him -- on multiple occasions.
* Brandon Bass finally stepped up. The big fella finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
* The captain just keeps on keeping on. Paul Pierce finished with a near triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
The bad:
* Boston was extremely flat in the third quarter. Cleveland outscored them 28-21, which included a 13-0 run.
* Once again, turnovers were an issue for the Celtics, especially in the second quarter. The C's had 6 turnovers in the frame, their highest of any quarter, but they took care of the ball when they needed to.
* Blowing double-digit leads is officially this team's calling card. The Celtics had a 12-point lead in the second and allowed Cleveland to get back into the game.
Boston gets back to work tomorrow night in a critical matchup with the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden.
That was what Celtics' radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande tweeted just moments after Jeff Green lifted the Celtics over the Cavaliers 93-92 on a buzzer-beating layup.
Boston closed the game a 21-6 run and erased 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to snap their five-game losing streak.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Although he only scored 3 points in the second and third quarters combined, Jeff Green made up for it at the beginning and end. Green scored 9 points in the first and fourth quarters, and he finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Green even drove to the basket with his left hand -- a rarity for him -- on multiple occasions.
* Brandon Bass finally stepped up. The big fella finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
* The captain just keeps on keeping on. Paul Pierce finished with a near triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
The bad:
* Boston was extremely flat in the third quarter. Cleveland outscored them 28-21, which included a 13-0 run.
* Once again, turnovers were an issue for the Celtics, especially in the second quarter. The C's had 6 turnovers in the frame, their highest of any quarter, but they took care of the ball when they needed to.
* Blowing double-digit leads is officially this team's calling card. The Celtics had a 12-point lead in the second and allowed Cleveland to get back into the game.
Boston gets back to work tomorrow night in a critical matchup with the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Game 71 Preview: Celtics at Cavaliers
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| Can Paul Pierce lead the Celtics back to their winning ways? |
On the bright side, Boston is not the only bunch currently on a five-game losing streak. Cleveland is in the midst of one as well, losing each game by an average of 15.6 points. The Cavaliers lost their last game by a whopping 38 points.
For the third consecutive game, the Celtics will be without Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee, both of whom did not make the trip to Cleveland.
The Celtics hold the seventh seed in the East and are two-and-a-half games behind the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth and sixth seeds.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Cavaliers:
Shaun Livingston
Wayne Ellington
Alonzo Gee
Tristan Thompson
Tyler Zeller
Keys to the game:
1. On track on the road: Never mind that the Celtics have lost five straight. They've also lost five straight on the road. This is now a serious concern for this team. Coach Doc Rivers mentioned before last week's tilt with Miami that homecourt advantage in the playoffs was more of a priority this year than in years past. When the head coach is concerned about a team's ability to win on the road, you know it's a legitimate concern. Boston has the worst road record out of each of the top eight teams in each conference. 6 of their 12 road wins have come against teams over .500. Although tonight's opponent isn't exactly a quality foe -- especially without Kyrie Irving -- getting some sort of momentum and getting of the schneid without Lee and Garnett would do wonders for this team.
2. Handle with care: Boston was as careless with the ball last night as a...well, I don't even know. But they had no rhythm whatsoever due to their carelessness with the basketball. Over their last three games, Boston is 24th in the league with 16.3 turnovers per game. The Celtics have to limit their turnovers as well as the points Cleveland scores off turnovers.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Reason for concern?
For the third time this season, the Celtics are in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
To say their in familiar territory is a safe assumption. Although that's not a good assumption.
However, there is reason to be optimistic.
With 7:16 remaining in Saturday night's duel with the Grizzlies, the Celtics found themselves in a 21-point hole, their largest deficit of the night. Doc Rivers had already waved the white flag by pulling Paul Pierce -- who had just tallied his team-high 26th point -- a mere 30 seconds earlier and putting in the "scrubs."
That's when the fun started.
The Celtics cut Memphis' lead to two, 104-102, in the final minute and went on an improbable 29-15 run to end the game with the likes of Jordan Crawford, D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph carrying the load.
Take it for what's worth, but Boston's bench scored 27 points in the final frame. Tony Allen, one of the NBA's best defenders, was on the bench, and Marc Gasol did not play due to an abdominal injury. But this was still the Grizzlies, the fifth best team in the Western Conference, and the Celtics did work.
On the night, Boston's bench scored 45 points, shot 48% and grabbed 16 of the team's 37 rebounds. They played with a vengeance and disregarded the score. They just played basketball. And that's what Rivers implored Avery Bradley and Jeff Green to do on Saturday: don't make excuses, just keep playing.
Sure, they could have given up and moved their focus to Tuesday's big meeting with the New York Knicks. They could have used Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett's absence as an excuse for Memphis tearing their defense apart. But they refused to give in, and when has this Celtics team given in?
We may see more frustrating nights that filled
Love them or hate them, this is who the Celtics are. They personify Jekyll and Hyde. They will flip the switch when it matters most, and they will make things a lot more fun come the end of April and hopefully for the majority of May.
But for the immediate future, things may seem a bit bleak.
Word out of Celtics practice today is that Kevin Garnett could miss, according to Rivers, "four to five games" with a left ankle injury. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said today that Garnett will likely be out for two weeks.
"I think it happened in New Orleans game, it was just sore -- just inflammation," said Ainge. "A lot of things can cause inflammation; I think everyone has a little bit of inflammation this time of year. KG, we need to get him fresh anyway."
Garnett had an MRI on his left foot this morning, and the initial results did not give team doctors or the Celtics reasons to be concerned.
As far as the other injured ankle is concerned, Courtney Lee sat out of today's practice, but he is listed as probable for tomorrow's game. So good news there.
In the long run, this may be a blessing in disguise for Garnett and the Celtics. Garnett has been relatively healthy all season long, and while the Celtics would rather have had this injury to Garnett come earlier in the season, a break right before the playoffs should do wonders for Garnett.
To say their in familiar territory is a safe assumption. Although that's not a good assumption.
However, there is reason to be optimistic.
With 7:16 remaining in Saturday night's duel with the Grizzlies, the Celtics found themselves in a 21-point hole, their largest deficit of the night. Doc Rivers had already waved the white flag by pulling Paul Pierce -- who had just tallied his team-high 26th point -- a mere 30 seconds earlier and putting in the "scrubs."
That's when the fun started.
The Celtics cut Memphis' lead to two, 104-102, in the final minute and went on an improbable 29-15 run to end the game with the likes of Jordan Crawford, D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph carrying the load.
Take it for what's worth, but Boston's bench scored 27 points in the final frame. Tony Allen, one of the NBA's best defenders, was on the bench, and Marc Gasol did not play due to an abdominal injury. But this was still the Grizzlies, the fifth best team in the Western Conference, and the Celtics did work.
On the night, Boston's bench scored 45 points, shot 48% and grabbed 16 of the team's 37 rebounds. They played with a vengeance and disregarded the score. They just played basketball. And that's what Rivers implored Avery Bradley and Jeff Green to do on Saturday: don't make excuses, just keep playing.
Sure, they could have given up and moved their focus to Tuesday's big meeting with the New York Knicks. They could have used Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett's absence as an excuse for Memphis tearing their defense apart. But they refused to give in, and when has this Celtics team given in?
We may see more frustrating nights that filled
Love them or hate them, this is who the Celtics are. They personify Jekyll and Hyde. They will flip the switch when it matters most, and they will make things a lot more fun come the end of April and hopefully for the majority of May.
But for the immediate future, things may seem a bit bleak.
Word out of Celtics practice today is that Kevin Garnett could miss, according to Rivers, "four to five games" with a left ankle injury. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said today that Garnett will likely be out for two weeks.
"I think it happened in New Orleans game, it was just sore -- just inflammation," said Ainge. "A lot of things can cause inflammation; I think everyone has a little bit of inflammation this time of year. KG, we need to get him fresh anyway."
Garnett had an MRI on his left foot this morning, and the initial results did not give team doctors or the Celtics reasons to be concerned.
As far as the other injured ankle is concerned, Courtney Lee sat out of today's practice, but he is listed as probable for tomorrow's game. So good news there.
In the long run, this may be a blessing in disguise for Garnett and the Celtics. Garnett has been relatively healthy all season long, and while the Celtics would rather have had this injury to Garnett come earlier in the season, a break right before the playoffs should do wonders for Garnett.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Game 68 Preview: Celtics at Mavericks
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| Tonight marks Jason Terry's return to Dallas. |
The Celtics (36-31) shot themselves in the foot Wednesday night, letting a nice, easy win to start their three-game road trip slip through their grasps. They played great in the first half, and laid an egg in the second half.
Boston lost ground in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings. They sit in the seventh seed in the East, a game-and-a-half behind the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth seed and four-and-a-half games behind the Atlantic Division leading New York Knicks. Now, they face a tougher challenge tonight as they take on the Dallas Mavericks (32-36).
Dallas hasn't exactly had a great season. Dirk Nowitzki missed the team's first 29 games while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Through Dallas' first 21 games, O.J. Mayo shot a league-leading 53% from beyond the arc, but has cooled off over his last 47 games by shooting only 34% from downtown. Lastly, the Mavs have not been above .500 since November 21. They've been a disappointing, mediocre basketball team all year long.
However, they have won 7 of their last 11 games. So there's a silver lining, right?
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Mavericks:
Mike James
O.J. Mayo
Jae Crowder
Dirk Nowitzki
Chris Kaman
Keys to the game:
1. The other guys: In Wednesday night's debacle in New Orleans, the Celtics bench scored a grand total of 2 points in the second half. I'll give you all a moment to process that. Two points in 24 minutes. Yeah, that's bad. Regardless, the bench needs to respond tonight, especially Jason Terry. Terry had been playing well over the past few weeks -- he was averaging 10.6 points on 47% from the floor in his past 9 games -- until his 0-for-5 in 20 minute performance on Wednesday night. Throw in the fact that tonight marks his return to Dallas, and all of that leads me to expect Terry to bounce back in a big way tonight. The problem is, he's going to need the rest of the Motley crue to do their part.
2. Coming back strong: The month of March has been a problem for the Celtics. Why? Well, during the month, the Celtics have struggled mightily in the second half in each game of March, particularly in the third quarter. Excluding their second game with the Bobcats and the Toronto game, the Celtics are averaging 18.9 points in the third quarter, easily the lowest of any quarter throughout the month. They've also blown double-digits leads in the second half in each of their past two games. The Celtics need to realize that they need to play all 48 minutes and not let up in the second half of games, because, as we saw Wednesday night, no matter who it is, that team will make you pay for coasting through a game with a big lead.
3. Banging on the boards: Rebounding has been a problem for a few years now for the Celtics team -- as evident the other night when Kevin Garnett failed to box out Anthony Davis which allowed him to tip in the game-winning basket. With two seven-footers in their starting lineup (Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman), Dallas is one of the biggest teams in the league, so the Celtics face a tall task -- literally -- of trying to bang with Dallas' bigs. Dallas is sixth in the league in defensive rebounding, and competing with them on the glass is going to be a challenge that Doc Rivers and company need to figure out how to solve.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Garnett a go for tonight
Coach Doc Rivers announced minutes ago that Kevin Garnett will play tonight against the Hornets.
Garnett missed the last two games with a left adductor strain and the flu.
Rivers said before Monday's game that it was the flu that was the main reason for Garnett sitting out the game against the Heat.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a radio interview yesterday that Garnett's status for tonight's game -- and even the rest of the week -- was still uncertain.
In other news...
* D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph have been signed to contracts for the rest of the season. Rivers said he wanted to keep the team continuity for the remainder of the year.
Garnett missed the last two games with a left adductor strain and the flu.
Rivers said before Monday's game that it was the flu that was the main reason for Garnett sitting out the game against the Heat.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a radio interview yesterday that Garnett's status for tonight's game -- and even the rest of the week -- was still uncertain.
In other news...
* D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph have been signed to contracts for the rest of the season. Rivers said he wanted to keep the team continuity for the remainder of the year.
Game 67 Preview: Celtics at Hornets
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| Paul Pierce and company travel to New Orleans to extract revenge from the Hornets. |
The Hornets head into tonight's contest losers of four straight by an average of 10.5 points in each game.
New Orleans is without rookie Austin Rivers, who will miss the remainder of the season after breaking his hand on March 6.
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Hornets:
Greivis Vaszquez
Roger Mason Jr.
Al-Farouq Aminu
Anthony Davis
Robin Lopez
Keys to the game:
1. A potent attack: New Orleans isn't necessarily going to light up the scoreboard. They rank 25th in the league in points, and they only scored 90 points in their victory in Boston on January 16. Check this out: New Orleans has had the game's leading scorer in only 12 of their 68 games this season, and only once in their last 15 games. Don't let tonight be the night their offense explodes. Boston has to set the tone early on the offensive end. They need to exploit this poor offensive and defensive team. They must not allow an emotional hangover from the other night.
2. Get it inside: In their last meeting, New Orleans got to the paint easily. 41 of their 71 shots came in the paint in comparison to 26 of Boston's 74 shots coming inside. The Celtics need easy buckets. They have to generate that ball movement from the other night to help them get easy looks around the rim.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
A lean, Green machine
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| Last night, Jeff Green stood up -- and even put a hand up -- to LeBron James. |
You want to know what the best part was about Jeff Green's performance last night?
I'll let Doc Rivers tell you.
"You know what I loved about Jeff, I thought the first two minutes of the game, three minutes of the game, he was struggling,” said Rivers. “He missed a free throw, missed a couple of shots. And you know the old Jeff may have gone away. He actually just kept going and kept going.”
And he just didn't stop.
I have to give Green his due, and then some. Green's stat line -- 43 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals in 40 minutes -- was historic. He rose to a level that we all thought he could get to. It's safe to say that last night was Green's coming out party.
Green did everything many Celtics enthusiasts -- most notably myself -- have expected him to do since the moment he was acquired in 2011. He drove to the basket at will, with no regard for who was in front of him. He picked and chose his shots well on the perimeter, and he hit them with tremendous success. He played aggressive defense on the a player who may very well go down as the best player to ever walk on an NBA court.
He was, in a word, a force. A very assertive force.
Last night is also another reason why now is the time to insert Green in the starting lineup. Granted, the sample is small, but Green has proven that, with extended minutes, he can play with anyone in the league. In three starts this season, Green has tallied his two-highest scoring totals -- 31 and 43 -- and has looked comfortable playing alongside the other four starters.
Being in the starting five, Green would not be the focal point of the opponent's defense. Other teams have to worry about Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and even Avery Bradley. Shutting down Green would not be a team's primary focus when playing the Celtics.
Some, like Celtics' radio color analyst Cedric Maxwell, believe Green should stay on the bench due to the lack of offense that the Celtics when then have off the bench.
I disagree.
It's evident that Green needs time to get into the flow of the game. By starting him, the Celtics will be able to get him involved and get him comfortable early on, that way he's not unexpectedly thrown into the line of fire. Green already plays starter's minutes as it is, and he is usually one of the five players on the floor at the end of close games.
So what is Rivers waiting for?
Green would thrive playing consistent minutes next to two of the best of all time. Not only would he thrive, he would gain confidence. Comcast SportsNet's Gary Tanguay said after last night's game that Green got a lot of support and some inspiring words of wisdom from the locker room before the game and during halftime. The source of such words? Kevin Garnett. Pierce and Garnett would give Green that kick in the rear that Green sometimes needs.
So what is Rivers waiting for?
Green would thrive playing consistent minutes next to two of the best of all time. Not only would he thrive, he would gain confidence. Comcast SportsNet's Gary Tanguay said after last night's game that Green got a lot of support and some inspiring words of wisdom from the locker room before the game and during halftime. The source of such words? Kevin Garnett. Pierce and Garnett would give Green that kick in the rear that Green sometimes needs.
When I say thrive in the starting quintet, that doesn't mean scoring 43 points against the best team in the league on a nightly basis. But that does mean doing what he did last night -- effort wise -- on a nightly basis.
Jeff, congratulations, you've arrived. Now comes the hard part.
* Kevin Garnett was on the team's plane to New Orleans earlier today. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said on 98.5 the SportsHub this afternoon that Garnett is not a lock to play tomorrow. Garnett missed last night's game as he was dealing with the flu and a left adductor strain.
* D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph were also on this afternoon's flight. The two are both on their second 10-day contracts, but them being on the flight gives a glimpse into what the Celtics are thinking regarding their futures. White's contract expires tonight at midnight, while Randolph's deal expires a midnight on Wednesday. Doc Rivers has expressed his desire to keep the two on board for the remainder of the season. Players can only sign two 10-day contracts in one season, and at the end of the second one, the team has to either sign the player for the remainder of the season or let him go.
Discouraged, but encouraged: Heat 105, Celtics 103
Throw out all the stats.
The 5-year anniversary of Boston snapping Houston's 22-game winning streak, the Heat losing 10 straight regular season games in Boston, and the Celtics 11-game home winning streak.
The Heat (52-14) are just on another planet right now. Their streak rolls to 23 games after their toughest test yet. The Celtics (36-30) gave the Heat all they had, but it wasn't enough as they fell to the Heat, 105-103.
There was a lot of good to take away from this one, but let's remember two things: Kevin Garnett did not play, and the Celtics led by as many as 17.
Here's a recap of a wildly entertaining night from TD Garden:
The good:
* The first quarter was without a doubt the best quarter the Celtics have played all season. They played with a fire for all 12 minutes on both ends of the floor. Led by Avery Bradley's on-ball pressure, the Celtics defense stymied the Heat attack. Boston closed the quarter on a 17-0 run.
* Jeff Green played O.K....kidding. In what was arguably Green's best game as a pro, he led the Celtics in nearly every offensive category. His final line of 43 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals and 2 assists was last reached by...you guessed it, LeBron James, back in 2010. What made Green's performance all the more impressive was the fact that he spent 40 minutes covering the best player on the planet. He rose to the challenge and then some. Can't say enough about Green's epic night.
* Avery Bradley once again shut down Dwyane Wade. If the two are to meet again in the playoffs, the Heat should be wary of the fact that Bradley has taken Wade out of his element. Wade was held to 7-of-15 from the floor in 36 minutes.
* With the exception of the fourth quarter, the Celtics did a decent job of making life difficult for LeBron James. Throughout the course of the game, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox, Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass shared time covering James. For 36 minutes, it worked.
* Avery Bradley's block on a Norris Cole layup was, in my opinion, the highlight of the year thus far. My jaw fell to the ground, and it took several minutes to come back up.
The bad:
* Now I see why Doc Rivers has a quick hook with Chris Wilcox. Wilcox made several huge mistakes on defense, and that caused Rivers to play Bass, who was in foul trouble for most of the night, more minutes. He screwed up on several occasions, especially on switches. He continued to leave Chris Bosh open around the basket and had many miscommunications on pick and rolls that led to open looks on the perimeter.
* Turnovers ended up killing the Celtics. I remember looking up at the Jumbotron and seeing the Celtics having 17 turnovers through three quarters yet still had an 82-78 lead. In the end, the turnovers came back to kill them. Miami scored 24 points off Boston's 21 turnovers.
* Boston let Miami score way too many easy baskets as the game went along. Too many times, James and Wade got to the paint and scored at the rim. Miami outscored Boston in the paint, 50-34.
The Celtics hit the road for a meeting with the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Garnett out again
Things just got a whole lot tougher.
Coach Doc Rivers told the media moments ago that Kevin Garnett will miss his second straight game with a left adductor strain.
Garnett missed the team's shootaround this morning and was listed as a gametime decision.
Garnett arrived at TD Garden at around 5:30, leaving hope that he could play. But Rivers told the media that Garnett is also sick today, which affected the decision.
"He's pretty sick today as well," said Rivers. "That's what's really holding him out today more than his injury."
Garnett's status for Wednesday is TBS.
Coach Doc Rivers told the media moments ago that Kevin Garnett will miss his second straight game with a left adductor strain.
Garnett missed the team's shootaround this morning and was listed as a gametime decision.
Garnett arrived at TD Garden at around 5:30, leaving hope that he could play. But Rivers told the media that Garnett is also sick today, which affected the decision.
"He's pretty sick today as well," said Rivers. "That's what's really holding him out today more than his injury."
Garnett's status for Wednesday is TBS.
Game 66 Preview: Heat at Celtics
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| Paul Pierce will have his hands full with LeBron James and the rest of the Miami Heat. |
This one's for all the marbles.
This is the most important game in Celtics history.
The funny thing is though is that none of the above statements -- with the exception of the first one -- are true.
It would be wonderful if the Celtics were the ones to halt the Heat's 22-game winning streak.
(Interesting aside: Today is the five-year anniversary of the Celtics snapping the Houston Rockets 22-game winning streak -- March 18, 2008.)
But let's be realistic: if Kevin Garnett does not play tonight, the Celtics chances are very slim -- not that they aren't slim enough. If the Celtics don't win, it's no big deal. It's one of 82. This one doesn't count any more than the others.
Boston (36-29) is coming off a nice win Saturday night over the Bobcats without Garnett, but the Heat (51-14) are a totally different animal.
Miami is coming off a win north of the border yesterday afternoon, 108-91.
With or without KG, this one's going to be a lot of fun, folks.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Heat:
Mario Chalmers
Dwyane Wade
LeBron James
Udonis Haslem
Chris Bosh
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Keys to the game:
1. Mix it up: At the end of the day, LeBron James is most likely going to light up the box score, as he's done all season long. However, the Celtics can do all they can to make life difficult for "The Chosen One." In their last meeting, James had 34 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists, but he was only 14-of-31, including 7-of-19 from outside the paint. Coach Doc Rivers said today at practice that throwing different guys at James and making him uncomfortable is the only way to really stop him. Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee each took turns covering James back on January 27. Boston must do the same tonight.
2. Pressure: For the majority of the game, I expect to see Avery Bradley covering Dwyane Wade. We all remember Bradley's highlight reel block on a Wade layup last April. In two games last season, Bradley held Wade to 15-of-38 from the floor, a mere 39%. Bradley is going to have to bring his usual defensive intensity, but tonight he will be faced with his toughest challenge yet. The Heat are only 13-9 when Wade shoots better than 50%, so Bradley needs to limit Wade's effectiveness.
3. Defend home court: The Celtics have won 11 straight at home. The New Big Three Heat are winless (0-5) in Boston during the regular season. The five-year anniversary of the Celtics snapping Houston's 22-game winning streak. It's destiny, right? Bottom line is the Celtics have always played well against the Heat on their homecourt. The Heat have had their struggles on the road this season. The Heat know their streak has a legitimate chance of ending tonight. So what do the Celtics have to do? Nothing. Just do it.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Garnett out
On Tuesday night, the Celtics played the Bobcats without Paul Pierce.
Tonight, they'll be forced to play the Bobcats without Kevin Garnett.
Garnett will sit out tonight's game due to a lower left adductor strain.
Coach Doc Rivers told the media before tipoff that Garnett is out tonight and possibly Monday's matchup with the Heat.
Jeff Green will start in his place.
Tonight, they'll be forced to play the Bobcats without Kevin Garnett.
Garnett will sit out tonight's game due to a lower left adductor strain.
Coach Doc Rivers told the media before tipoff that Garnett is out tonight and possibly Monday's matchup with the Heat.
Jeff Green will start in his place.
Game 65 Preview: Bobcats at Celtics
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| Courtney Lee and the Celtics need to stay in front of their men tonight. |
For those who may have already forgotten, the Celtics (35-29) still have a game to play before the much anticipated arrival of the Miami Heat on Monday night.
That game comes tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats (14-51).
With their loss last night in Toronto, the Bobcats became the first team in the NBA to be officially eliminated from playoff contention. To put their struggles in perspective, the Bobcats come to town with a scoring differential of negative -10.02. Only ten teams in NBA history have been worse.
They've dropped 11 of their last 12 games. Their only win? That came in their 100-74 demolition of the Celtics on Tuesday night. The Celtics may have been without Paul Pierce, but a 26-point defeat at the hands of the worst team in the Eastern Conference is still discouraging.
Boston has won seven of their last ten games and ten straight at home.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Bobcats:
Kemba Walker
Gerald Henderson
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Josh McRoberts
Bismack Biyombo
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Go hard in da paint: Yep, exactly what Wacka Flocka said. The Celtics were atrocious on the interior in Charlotte on Tuesday. They let the Bobcats score 40 points in the paint and grab 16 offensive rebounds. Dribble penetration has been a problem too. They allowed Kemba Walker, the Bobcats' smallest player, to take 14 shots in the paint in their past two meetings. That's bad. No fancy adjectives needed here, just bad. The Celtics need to close up the middle and force the Bobcats to shoot from the outside. And they're not very good at that.
2. Energy: A lack of energy, a lack of focus, whatever you want to call it, the Celtics were just not -- to steal a phrase from the beloved Bobby Valentine -- physically and emotionally into the game. That can't happen tonight. It's easy to look past the lowly Bobcats and look ahead to the Heat's visit in a couple days. But, as we saw this past Tuesday night, the Celtics cannot take these pesky 'Cats lightly. They need to be physically and emotionally invested from start to finish. And they can't come out and lay an egg in the second half like they did on Tuesday.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Back on track: Celtics 112, Raptors 88
A quick recap of a nice, easy win over the Raptors, 112-88.
The good:
* After a disappointing second half last night in Charlotte, the Celtics came out strongly in the second half of tonight's game. The Celtics more than doubled -- 15 third-quarter points on Tuesday to 32 tonight -- their third quarter point total. The C's shot 51.3% in the second half and scored 63 points. Boston closed the third on a 21-6 run that essentially put the Raptors away for good.
* With bad news from last night comes more good news tonight. As a result of a bad shooting night and a DNP, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had the chance to make history on the same night in front of their home crowd. Both are now in the top 20 on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Garnett is now alone in 15th place with 25,201 points while Pierce is now 20th with 23,763 points. On the night, Pierce scored 15 points while Garnett bounced back nicely with 12 points on 5-of-8 from the floor in 20 minutes of action.
* What a difference a day makes. Last night, every Celtic had a negative plus/minus. Tonight, every player had a positive plus/minus.
* Boston's bench scored 58 of their 112 points. Well done.
The bad:
* A slow start had a chance to haunt the Celtics again, but the bench saved the day and fought off the Raptors strong start. Boston needs to improve their play out of the gate.
Boston has a nice break before returning to the parquet on Saturday night for a rematch with the Charlotte Bobcats.
The good:
* After a disappointing second half last night in Charlotte, the Celtics came out strongly in the second half of tonight's game. The Celtics more than doubled -- 15 third-quarter points on Tuesday to 32 tonight -- their third quarter point total. The C's shot 51.3% in the second half and scored 63 points. Boston closed the third on a 21-6 run that essentially put the Raptors away for good.
* With bad news from last night comes more good news tonight. As a result of a bad shooting night and a DNP, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had the chance to make history on the same night in front of their home crowd. Both are now in the top 20 on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Garnett is now alone in 15th place with 25,201 points while Pierce is now 20th with 23,763 points. On the night, Pierce scored 15 points while Garnett bounced back nicely with 12 points on 5-of-8 from the floor in 20 minutes of action.
* What a difference a day makes. Last night, every Celtic had a negative plus/minus. Tonight, every player had a positive plus/minus.
* Boston's bench scored 58 of their 112 points. Well done.
The bad:
* A slow start had a chance to haunt the Celtics again, but the bench saved the day and fought off the Raptors strong start. Boston needs to improve their play out of the gate.
Boston has a nice break before returning to the parquet on Saturday night for a rematch with the Charlotte Bobcats.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Game 64 Preview: Raptors at Celtics
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| Brandon Bass and the Celtics will look to grab control of this one. |
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce now have a chance to move into the top 20 on the NBA's all-time scoring list in the same game.
The Celtics (34-29) missed out on a tremendous opportunity to gain ground in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings as both the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks were losers last night.
Boston has another crack at it tonight when they take on the Toronto Raptors (25-39).
The Raptors sit in fourth place in the Atlantic and have won two of their last three games. They have been dealing with the injury bug of late. Today they announced that Andrea Bargnani is expected to miss the rest of the season with an avulsion sprain in his right elbow. Rudy Gay is listed as a gametime decision tonight due to back stiffness that forced him to sit out Toronto's last game.
The Celtics will get a much-needed boost with the return of Paul Pierce, who sat out last night's debacle in Charlotte for rest.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Raptors:
Kyle Lowry
Terrence Ross
DeMar DeRozan
Amir Johnson
Jonas Valanciunas
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Keep points down: When you look at the Raptors offensive performance thus far, the numbers are pretty average. They're 15th -- smack dab in the middle -- in the league in points per game on the year. However, over their last five games, the Raptors are averaging 109.2 points. I'm gonna go ahead and toss yesterday's game out the window. It's one of 82. The Celtics had won five straight going in, and they played without Pierce. Tonight, they need to be better -- that may be the most obvious statement in the history of the world. In order to do that, they need to limit Toronto's offensive efficiency -- especially from their bench -- and bring them back down to earth.
2. Home cookin': Since starting the season 9-6 on their home floor, the Celtics have gone 13-3 in their last 16 games on the parquet and have won nine straight at TD Garden. The green need to keep that gong.
3. Punch your ticket: It seems like every 5 or 6 games, Kevin Garnett is due for a dud. The problem is those duds have not come few and far between of late. Garnett has not been the same since Boston's thrilling triple-overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets, a game in which he played a season-high 47 minutes. For a coach who stresses over Garnett's minutes, Doc Rivers must've been paranoid after that game. In the twelve games he's played since the Denver game, Garnett is only shooting 42% from the field, and Garnett has never shot below 50% in a season during his tenure with the Celtics. Frankly, he looks tired and -- gasp -- old. KG needs to get back on track. The good news is Garnett loves playing Toronto this season. He's averaging 21 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 68% against them this season. Hopefully he'll be happy to see them.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Blasted: Bobcats 100, Celtics 74
Before the game, Doc Rivers decided to give Paul Pierce the night off.
Unfortunately, the rest of the team followed suit.
At least we can throw away the theory that the Celtics are a better team without Pierce.
The Celtics (34-29) were outscored 51-28 in the second half and suffered their second consecutive loss at the hands of the Bobcats, 100-74, their second-worst loss of the season.
The Bobcats got a season-high 35 points from Gerald Henderson, namesake and son of former Celtic great Mr. Gerald Henderson.
Boston started out flat, went into the half flat and ended flat. They may have been trailing by only three (49-46) at the half, but the Celtics were just not into this game.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* The Celtics kept their turnovers down. They only turned the ball over 13 times.
* In my game preview, I stressed the need for Jordan Crawford to have a big game. Then he went out there and did it. Crawford easily had his best game as a Celtic, albeit in, for the most part, meaningless minutes. He tied for a team-high 14 points on 4-of-6 in 28 minutes.
* The Celtics shot 51.4% in the first half...
The bad:
* Coming in, the C's needed to keep Charlotte out of the paint. Especially without one of their better rebounders in Pierce, the Celtics had an ultra slim margin for error in the paint. Unfortunately, they were exposed. Big time. Charlotte had the advantage in nearly every category down low, from points in the paint (40-24) to rebounds (48-29) and even offensive rebounds (16-6).
* To say Kevin Garnett has been in a funk of late would be an understatement. In his past two games, Garnett is 7-of-29 from the floor while scoring 15 points. Garnett admitted after the game that he has been pressing at times, but head coach Doc Rivers also feels the Celtics haven't been getting Garnett good shots. He may even be tired. In my opinion, it's a combination of the three. Garnett only played 20 minutes tonight, so I expect him to bounce back soon, whether it be tomorrow or Saturday.
* ...but the Celtics shot 27.6% in the second half.
The last piece of good news? The Celtics can right the ship tomorrow when they get their Captain back and get a shot to redeem themselves at home against the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff is at 7:30.
Unfortunately, the rest of the team followed suit.
At least we can throw away the theory that the Celtics are a better team without Pierce.
The Celtics (34-29) were outscored 51-28 in the second half and suffered their second consecutive loss at the hands of the Bobcats, 100-74, their second-worst loss of the season.
The Bobcats got a season-high 35 points from Gerald Henderson, namesake and son of former Celtic great Mr. Gerald Henderson.
Boston started out flat, went into the half flat and ended flat. They may have been trailing by only three (49-46) at the half, but the Celtics were just not into this game.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* The Celtics kept their turnovers down. They only turned the ball over 13 times.
* In my game preview, I stressed the need for Jordan Crawford to have a big game. Then he went out there and did it. Crawford easily had his best game as a Celtic, albeit in, for the most part, meaningless minutes. He tied for a team-high 14 points on 4-of-6 in 28 minutes.
* The Celtics shot 51.4% in the first half...
The bad:
* Coming in, the C's needed to keep Charlotte out of the paint. Especially without one of their better rebounders in Pierce, the Celtics had an ultra slim margin for error in the paint. Unfortunately, they were exposed. Big time. Charlotte had the advantage in nearly every category down low, from points in the paint (40-24) to rebounds (48-29) and even offensive rebounds (16-6).
* To say Kevin Garnett has been in a funk of late would be an understatement. In his past two games, Garnett is 7-of-29 from the floor while scoring 15 points. Garnett admitted after the game that he has been pressing at times, but head coach Doc Rivers also feels the Celtics haven't been getting Garnett good shots. He may even be tired. In my opinion, it's a combination of the three. Garnett only played 20 minutes tonight, so I expect him to bounce back soon, whether it be tomorrow or Saturday.
* ...but the Celtics shot 27.6% in the second half.
The last piece of good news? The Celtics can right the ship tomorrow when they get their Captain back and get a shot to redeem themselves at home against the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff is at 7:30.
Game 63 Preview: Celtics at Bobcats
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| Kevin Garnett will look to lift the Celtics over the Bobcats. |
Lest you forget, it was the Bobcats who ended the Celtics seven-game winning streak -- a streak that started when Rajon Rondo went down for the year -- back on February 11 at the Time Warner Cable Arena. February 11 was also the day the Celtics lost Leandro Barbosa for the year with a torn ACL. Things always seem to revolve around injuries with this team.
Nonetheless, the Celtics will look to capitalize on this soft spot in their schedule. In doing so, they might also look to capitalize on giving some of their players some much-needed rest. According to Comcast SportsNet New England's Greg Dickerson, Paul Pierce could sit out tonight's game for rest. The Celtics rested Kevin Garnett on February 22 against the Phoenix Suns -- who had the worst record in the Western Conference at the time -- and still came out victorious. By resting Pierce, the Celtics should still having a very good chance of getting a win.
The Bobcats come into tonight's contest losers of ten straight. They've lost their lost by at least 17 points in each of their last seven games. To say they're struggling would be an understatement.
The Celtics saw their five-game winning streak Thunder on Sunday afternoon, a game in which they hung with the defending Western Conference champs for three-and-a-half quarters.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce*
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
* Status is TBD
Bobcats:
Kemba Walker
Gerald Henderson
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Josh McRoberts
Bismack Biyombo
Keys to the game:
1. Finders keepers: Let's not fool ourselves: the Bobcats don't do a lot of things well. However, one area they've been adequate in all season has been turnovers. They only turn the ball over 13.9 times a game, which is the fifth-lowest rate in the league. On the other hand, the Celtics have struggled with turnovers as of late. Over their last three games, the Celtics rank in the lower fifth in the league in turnovers per game at 16, which includes Sunday's 19 turnovers -- the third-highest total all season. If the Bobcats are to sneak a win away from the Celtics, it's going to be from capitalizing on Boston's mistakes. In turn, the Celtics shouldn't make the mistake of being careless with the ball.
2. Do something: In 8 games with the Celtics, Jordan Crawford has been anything but impressive. He's averaging 5.4 points on 38.6% shooting. For a guy who claims to be a combination of Jamal Crawford and Michael Jordan, he isn't exactly living up to the his own standard. Danny Ainge acquired Crawford to provide instant offense off the bench, and he hasn't been doing that. To cut Crawford some slack, he hasn't exactly seen that much action. He's averaging only 13.9 minutes, with his highest minute total only being 17. If Pierce does indeed sit out, Crawford should see more minutes and get more opportunities to score. With the schedule lightening up, Doc Rivers should let Crawford to roam free and see if he can actually help this team come playoff time. He needs to more opportunities, and he needs to take advantage of those opportunities.
Monday, March 11, 2013
This and that
A few notes on this off day for the Celtics:
* The Celtics have signed both Shavlik Randolph and D.J. White to another 10-day contract. Coach Doc Rivers has liked their work ethic and attitudes and lobbied Danny Ainge to keep them around.
* Paul Pierce was nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, but once again the Miami Heat took the honor home, only this time LeBron James let Dwyane Wade borrow the award. In four games this past week, Pierce led the Celtics to a 3-1 record while scoring 19.5 points on 49.1% from shooting along with grabbing 7.5 rebounds and handing out 6.0 assists. This was the sixth time -- the second for Pierce -- a Celtic has been nominated for the award, but none have taken home the honor.
* Looking ahead at the remainder of the regular season, the Celtics have 20 games to play in 37 days. They have 5 back-to-backs, and 12 of the 20 games come against teams under .500. Last stat: In the next 20 days, the Celtics only play 4 times against teams over .500. It's going to be interesting to see how Rivers and company handle things going forward. The Celtics have been known to favor health and rest over seeding. With Kevin Garnett reportedly dealing with minor maladies and Paul Pierce's neck continuing to give to him fits, it might be in Rivers's best interest to sacrifice a few games to ensure the health of his two most important -- not to mention best -- players.
* Some historical notes: Kevin Garnett (25,184) is 9 points away from passing Jerry West (25,192) for 15th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. His teammate Paul Pierce (23,748) is 10 points away from passing Charles Barkley (23,757) for 20th on that list. Also, Garnett has a chance to enter the top five in minutes played in NBA history by season's end. Garnett has played 47,633 minutes, which is good for seventh in league history. He's currently playing 30.4 minutes a game. Also, Rivers has said he will rest Garnett for one or two more games. Let's say Garnett plays 18 of the final 20 games at the same amount he's playing now. That would put him at 48,180 minutes, which would put him past Wilt Chamberlain (47,859) for fifth on the all-time list.
* The Celtics have signed both Shavlik Randolph and D.J. White to another 10-day contract. Coach Doc Rivers has liked their work ethic and attitudes and lobbied Danny Ainge to keep them around.
* Paul Pierce was nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, but once again the Miami Heat took the honor home, only this time LeBron James let Dwyane Wade borrow the award. In four games this past week, Pierce led the Celtics to a 3-1 record while scoring 19.5 points on 49.1% from shooting along with grabbing 7.5 rebounds and handing out 6.0 assists. This was the sixth time -- the second for Pierce -- a Celtic has been nominated for the award, but none have taken home the honor.
* Looking ahead at the remainder of the regular season, the Celtics have 20 games to play in 37 days. They have 5 back-to-backs, and 12 of the 20 games come against teams under .500. Last stat: In the next 20 days, the Celtics only play 4 times against teams over .500. It's going to be interesting to see how Rivers and company handle things going forward. The Celtics have been known to favor health and rest over seeding. With Kevin Garnett reportedly dealing with minor maladies and Paul Pierce's neck continuing to give to him fits, it might be in Rivers's best interest to sacrifice a few games to ensure the health of his two most important -- not to mention best -- players.
* Some historical notes: Kevin Garnett (25,184) is 9 points away from passing Jerry West (25,192) for 15th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. His teammate Paul Pierce (23,748) is 10 points away from passing Charles Barkley (23,757) for 20th on that list. Also, Garnett has a chance to enter the top five in minutes played in NBA history by season's end. Garnett has played 47,633 minutes, which is good for seventh in league history. He's currently playing 30.4 minutes a game. Also, Rivers has said he will rest Garnett for one or two more games. Let's say Garnett plays 18 of the final 20 games at the same amount he's playing now. That would put him at 48,180 minutes, which would put him past Wilt Chamberlain (47,859) for fifth on the all-time list.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Coming up empty: Thunder 91, Celtics 79
The Celtics held the Thunder to their lowest scoring total in 25 games, but it was offense that burned the Celtics down the stretch.
A lack of scoring when they desperately needed it ended the Celtics (34-28) five-game winning streak as they fell to the Thunder, 91-79.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Avery Bradley is on some sort of run. Bradley scored 12 points on 5-of-10 from the floor, but his defense was once again sensational.
The bad:
* The Celtics were 4-of-22 in the fourth quarter and scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Part of the reason for the Celtics' struggles was the Thunder extending its defense. Mismatches caused Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins to cover the likes of Jason Terry and Avery Bradley on the perimeter, which made shots and ball movement difficult for the Celtics. The other reason was just the plain fact that the Celtics simply could not hit open looks. When they got good ones, they couldn't convert.
* 19 turnovers (9 of which came in the first quarter) against the second-best team in the West -- on the road, mind you -- is not going to help your cause.
* Jeff Green's return to Oklahoma City was also his return to Earth. Green cooled off big time, going 2-of-11 from the floor in 28 minutes. I'll give him a pass, but he did struggle mightily.
The Celtics are back in action Tuesday night when they take on the Charlotte Bobcats.
A lack of scoring when they desperately needed it ended the Celtics (34-28) five-game winning streak as they fell to the Thunder, 91-79.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Avery Bradley is on some sort of run. Bradley scored 12 points on 5-of-10 from the floor, but his defense was once again sensational.
The bad:
* The Celtics were 4-of-22 in the fourth quarter and scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Part of the reason for the Celtics' struggles was the Thunder extending its defense. Mismatches caused Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins to cover the likes of Jason Terry and Avery Bradley on the perimeter, which made shots and ball movement difficult for the Celtics. The other reason was just the plain fact that the Celtics simply could not hit open looks. When they got good ones, they couldn't convert.
* 19 turnovers (9 of which came in the first quarter) against the second-best team in the West -- on the road, mind you -- is not going to help your cause.
* Jeff Green's return to Oklahoma City was also his return to Earth. Green cooled off big time, going 2-of-11 from the floor in 28 minutes. I'll give him a pass, but he did struggle mightily.
The Celtics are back in action Tuesday night when they take on the Charlotte Bobcats.
Game 62 Preview: Celtics at Thunder
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| Will Avery Bradley and the Celtics keep the good times rolling in O.K.C.? |
The Celtics (34-27) have their hands full and then some this afternoon as they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the reigning Western Conference champion Thunder (46-16).
Boston beat O.K.C. in Boston back on November 23, 108-100.
Today, Jeff Green returns to O.K.C. for the first time since being traded at the trade deadline in 2011.
Both teams come into today's matchup on winning streaks -- Boston has won 5 consecutive games to Oklahoma City's 4.
Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Russell Westbrook, Shavlik Randolph? All in the same game?! Boy we are in for a treat.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Thunder:
Russell Westbrook
Thabo Sefolosha
Kevin Durant
Serge Ibaka
Kendrick Perkins
Keys to the game:
1. Closing it out: Doc Rivers said after Friday night's game that he isn't particularly thrilled with how the Celtics have been closing out games of late. Sure, they've won five in a row, but they've blown double-digit leads on a consistent basis -- they had their largest lead of the night on Friday (12) and still went to overtime -- and made things difficult for themselves. Oklahoma City is one of the toughest places to play in the NBA. The capacity crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena is always electric, and throw in the fact that O.K.C. has the third best home record in the league, and you have yourselves some big obstacles to overcome. The Celtics are more than capable of coming away with a victory this afternoon, but they need to be on their A-game.
2. 100: In my game preview on November 23, I stressed the need for the Celtics to limit the Thunder to under 100 points. When they score 100+ points, the Thunder are 41-7, with one of those losses coming at the hands of the Celtics. Furthermore, they're 26-1 at home when scoring at least 100 points. If the Celtics want to walk out of O.K.C. with a "W," they can't get into a shootout or else they will lose. Badly.
3. The supporting cast: One consistent theme of Boston's five-game winning streak has been its bench production. During the winning streak, the bench has averaged 35.4 points per game and has had one player score at least 12 points in each game. The Thunder do not necessarily have the best bench in the league, so this needs to be an area that the Celtics must take advantage.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Final: Celtics 107, Hawks 102
I am convinced that making things difficult is in this team's DNA.
After their franchise record 11th overtime game of the season, the Celtics (34-27) edged the Hawks, 107-102.
The Celtics blew a 12-point fourth quarter lead, but silly turnovers and bad shots by the Hawks left the door open for the Celtics to come away victorious.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Paul Pierce showed why he shouldn't have been traded for Josh Smith. The Captain led the way for the Celtics with 27 points on 10-of-16 from the floor to go along with 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Pierce made some huge shots down the stretch. He scored 9 of Boston's final 14 points of the game.
* The Celtics withstood a combined 54 points from Al Horford and Josh Smith, arguably Atlanta's two best players. If Atlanta can't win with those two putting up huge numbers like they did tonight, then I don't know how Atlanta can beat Boston.
* After getting called for an illegal screen near the end of overtime, Jason Terry redeemed himself on the very next possession. He put the Celtics ahead for good with a three-pointer to make it 105-102. He scored the final 5 points of the game, and scored a bench-high 19 points.
* Boston did a good job of limiting Atlanta on the perimeter. Atlanta only shot 33% from beyond the arc. They held Kyle Korver, the best three-point shooter in the league, to 1-of-4 from long range.
The bad:
* Atlanta attempted 88 shots to Boston's 78. The reason for that? 10 offensive rebounds for the Hawks. The Celtics had 2.
* The Celtics let Jeff Teague do whatever he wanted. 14 of his 20 shots came inside the paint. He penetrated the Celtics defense with ease and shot from the perimeter whenever he wanted.
Boston will travel to Oklahoma City for a date with the Thunder on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
After their franchise record 11th overtime game of the season, the Celtics (34-27) edged the Hawks, 107-102.
The Celtics blew a 12-point fourth quarter lead, but silly turnovers and bad shots by the Hawks left the door open for the Celtics to come away victorious.
Here's a recap:
The good:
* Paul Pierce showed why he shouldn't have been traded for Josh Smith. The Captain led the way for the Celtics with 27 points on 10-of-16 from the floor to go along with 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Pierce made some huge shots down the stretch. He scored 9 of Boston's final 14 points of the game.
* The Celtics withstood a combined 54 points from Al Horford and Josh Smith, arguably Atlanta's two best players. If Atlanta can't win with those two putting up huge numbers like they did tonight, then I don't know how Atlanta can beat Boston.
* After getting called for an illegal screen near the end of overtime, Jason Terry redeemed himself on the very next possession. He put the Celtics ahead for good with a three-pointer to make it 105-102. He scored the final 5 points of the game, and scored a bench-high 19 points.
* Boston did a good job of limiting Atlanta on the perimeter. Atlanta only shot 33% from beyond the arc. They held Kyle Korver, the best three-point shooter in the league, to 1-of-4 from long range.
The bad:
* Atlanta attempted 88 shots to Boston's 78. The reason for that? 10 offensive rebounds for the Hawks. The Celtics had 2.
* The Celtics let Jeff Teague do whatever he wanted. 14 of his 20 shots came inside the paint. He penetrated the Celtics defense with ease and shot from the perimeter whenever he wanted.
Boston will travel to Oklahoma City for a date with the Thunder on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Game 61 Preview: Hawks at Celtics
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| Paul Pierce and Josh Smith almost swapped uniforms nearly a month ago. Tonight, the two will do battle once again. |
Let's hope that doesn't happen again.
The Celtics (33-27) have a chance to move into fifth place in the East with a victory tonight over the Atlanta Hawks (34-36), who currently sit in that very spot.
Atlanta comes into tonight's contest losers of three of its last four games. They will be without Zaza Pachulia and Ivan Johnson due to injury.
The Celtics on the other hand are winners of four straight and are 13-4 since losing their All-Star point guard and a season-high 27-point lead in Atlanta on January 25.
Tonight is the first of two meetings between the Celtics and Hawks in the month of March, which gives the Celtics a tremendous opportunity to gain ground in the conference standings.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineups:
Hawks:
Devin Harris
Jeff Teague
DeShawn Stevenson
Josh Smith
Al Horford
Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Courtney Lee
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Taking advantage: The Celtics have a great opportunity to climb the ladder in the Eastern Conference, and it starts tonight. For the remainder of the regular season, they essentially control their own destiny, with 11 of their final 22 games coming against teams playing below .400 basketball. They still have Atlanta twice (including tonight), the Knicks twice, the Nets and the Pacers. Doc Rivers has already said he plans to rest Kevin Garnett once or twice more before the regular season ends, and Danny Ainge said yesterday that health and freshness precedes playoff positioning, so the Celtics may ease their foot off the gas in these final 22 games. If they want to move up, it's there for the taking.
2. Taking away advantages: One of Atlanta's strengths is three-point shooting. 27.8% of Atlanta's points come from threes, good for third in the entire league. Over their last three games, the Celtics are limiting their opponents to 22.5% from long range, which is good for second-best in the league. DeShawn Stevenson, Devin Harris and Kyle Korver lead Atlanta's three-point charge. In their last meeting, Korver burned the Celtics for 27 points with all 8 of his field goals coming beyond the arc. Korver leads the NBA in three-point percentage at 46.1%, and the Celtics need to do all they can to not give Korver any room to breathe. Or shoot.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Enjoying the ride
If this is a dream, don't wake me up.
Don't look now, but the Boston Celtics are a season-high six games over .500. And considering everything this team has gone through, that's quite an accomplishment.
Let's take a moment to recap some of the highlights of this inexplicable journey.
They endured a brutal five-game-in-seven-night stretch on the road, and came away 2-3. They withstood Steph Curry -- after putting in the NBA's sole 50 point performance so far this season two nights before on the game's biggest stage -- and the rest of Mark Jackson's Warriors, pulled out two back-to-back wins on the road, and have won four straight.
They're a game back of Brooklyn in the loss column for the fourth seed and, if they continue to play at this level, have a chance to catch Indiana (23 losses) for the third seed in the East.
But let's not get too greedy.
Things are going to get tough -- haven't they been tough all year? -- in the immediate future when Boston takes on three (Oklahoma City, Miami, Atlanta) of the best eight teams in the league in their next six games. The Heat are winners of 16 straight and look scary as hell. The Thunder are still the Thunder, and the Hawks look like a force to be reckoned with.
It's safe to say that the Celtics will level off at some point, but when will that be? It's safe to assume that most expected the Celtics to rally together after Rondo's injury and go on a bit of a run. But did we really think it would last this long?
They're 13-4 without their point guard.
But it's not just him. They lost Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa, two of their top contributors off the bench.
No matter.
They filled out their bench with three NBA vagabonds who found their way to China.
Jeff Green is finally proving he was in fact worthy of being Boston's highest-paid bench player, Jason Terry still has the clutch gene, Avery Bradley is leading the Celtics defense (according to Kevin Garnett) and is averaging 15.3 points during the team's four-game winning streak, and Doc Rivers and company are getting every last ounce of basketball that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have.
The reason the Celtics have continued to thrive is a combination of two factors: mental toughness and cohesion. Besides the 2007-2008 season, the Celtics have had a major injury derail their chances at making a legitimate playoff run.
Let's take a look at their injuries:
* In 2008-2009, Kevin Garnett went down with bone spurs in his right knee and was forced to miss 25 games and all of the playoffs.
* In 2009-2010, Kendrick Perkins tore his right ACL in Game Six of the NBA Finals and missed Game Seven.
* In 2010-2011, Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow in Game Three of the East semis, and Shaquille O'Neal missed 27 games due to an Achilles injury and only saw a total of 12 minutes in the playoffs. Perkins was traded to the Thunder at the trade deadline, and Danny Ainge banked on O'Neal's return to help the Celtics in the paint.
* In 2011-2012, Avery Bradley went down in the East semis after his shoulders continued to pop out.
Just imagine what the Celtics could have done with a healthy roster over the past four seasons.
On the bright side, they've always advanced past the first round in each of the past five seasons.
So why should we expect anything different this season?
Regardless of this season's outcome, there's one thing I can guarantee: it's going to be a fun ride.
Don't look now, but the Boston Celtics are a season-high six games over .500. And considering everything this team has gone through, that's quite an accomplishment.
Let's take a moment to recap some of the highlights of this inexplicable journey.
They endured a brutal five-game-in-seven-night stretch on the road, and came away 2-3. They withstood Steph Curry -- after putting in the NBA's sole 50 point performance so far this season two nights before on the game's biggest stage -- and the rest of Mark Jackson's Warriors, pulled out two back-to-back wins on the road, and have won four straight.
They're a game back of Brooklyn in the loss column for the fourth seed and, if they continue to play at this level, have a chance to catch Indiana (23 losses) for the third seed in the East.
But let's not get too greedy.
Things are going to get tough -- haven't they been tough all year? -- in the immediate future when Boston takes on three (Oklahoma City, Miami, Atlanta) of the best eight teams in the league in their next six games. The Heat are winners of 16 straight and look scary as hell. The Thunder are still the Thunder, and the Hawks look like a force to be reckoned with.
It's safe to say that the Celtics will level off at some point, but when will that be? It's safe to assume that most expected the Celtics to rally together after Rondo's injury and go on a bit of a run. But did we really think it would last this long?
They're 13-4 without their point guard.
But it's not just him. They lost Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa, two of their top contributors off the bench.
No matter.
They filled out their bench with three NBA vagabonds who found their way to China.
Jeff Green is finally proving he was in fact worthy of being Boston's highest-paid bench player, Jason Terry still has the clutch gene, Avery Bradley is leading the Celtics defense (according to Kevin Garnett) and is averaging 15.3 points during the team's four-game winning streak, and Doc Rivers and company are getting every last ounce of basketball that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have.
The reason the Celtics have continued to thrive is a combination of two factors: mental toughness and cohesion. Besides the 2007-2008 season, the Celtics have had a major injury derail their chances at making a legitimate playoff run.
Let's take a look at their injuries:
* In 2008-2009, Kevin Garnett went down with bone spurs in his right knee and was forced to miss 25 games and all of the playoffs.
* In 2009-2010, Kendrick Perkins tore his right ACL in Game Six of the NBA Finals and missed Game Seven.
* In 2010-2011, Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow in Game Three of the East semis, and Shaquille O'Neal missed 27 games due to an Achilles injury and only saw a total of 12 minutes in the playoffs. Perkins was traded to the Thunder at the trade deadline, and Danny Ainge banked on O'Neal's return to help the Celtics in the paint.
* In 2011-2012, Avery Bradley went down in the East semis after his shoulders continued to pop out.
Just imagine what the Celtics could have done with a healthy roster over the past four seasons.
On the bright side, they've always advanced past the first round in each of the past five seasons.
So why should we expect anything different this season?
Regardless of this season's outcome, there's one thing I can guarantee: it's going to be a fun ride.
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