16 posts tagged “boston celtics” (page 2)

11/27/07
At Cleveland
11-1

I don't think Boobie Gibson's etched star hair style was a good decision.

Ray looks off early, dribbling the ball off his foot and missing a short turnaround.

I don't think Drew Gooden's decision to grow out a beard to compliment his bald head was a good idea. 

My favorite Gooden story: As a rookie with the Grizzlies, after his first visit to Memphis and Graceland, Gooden remarked to the local Grizz beat writers, "Memphis?  I thought Elvis was from Tennessee."  Jerry West traded him halfway through the season.

In other news, Gooden has two travels in the first six minutes.  One on a fast break, one in the post.

Ray just keeps playing.  Steady,  Never flustered.  I'm trying to decide if I should get his jersey or KG's.  Ray hits three threes in the first.  I'm also deciding between a Brady jersey and a Troy Brown jersey (Brown's my all-time favorite Pat; played wide receiver and corner a few years ago when the defense was short-handed.  Led the Pats in INTs).  Tough being a Boston fan...

Lebron is amazing.  Like KG, he simply makes the right basketball play every single time.  At the end of the first quarter he guards Rajon.  As the clock runs down, he tells the rest of his teammates, "Stay home.  Stay home."  Then, as Rajon drives, Bron chest bumps him, hold his ground, doesn't leave his feet for RR's two shot fakes, and forces Rondo into a terrible shot.  Walks off the court like, "What were you thinking?"

I need to watch more Cavs games.  Bron is amazing.  Carrying a Cavs team that doesn't have their second best player (Varejo) and a bunch of guys who should be coming off the bench.  When LeBron sits down the Cavs play like the pizza man is at the door, and everyone is scrambling to find their cash.

At the end of the first half, Cavs were up something like 19-6, but we keep chipping away, KG with two nice interior passes to Perk, Ray hitting shot after shot, and, at the half, we're up three.

Telling stat in the third.  The Cavs hit 11 straight shots, and still only lead by 4.  Gooden is on-fire, hitting 15 footers, layups, and turnarounds, like a basketball version of Can't Get Right.

Gooden ends the quarter 8 for 8.  And the Cavs up 2.

Two years ago (or was it three) Danny Ferry signed Donyell Marshall, Larry Hughes, Z, and Damon Jones to about 200 million in long-term contracts.  I don't think that was a good decision.

Little nervous.  6 minutes left, down by one, and the Cavs have the best finisher in the game.

The Cavs win in OT.  LeBron plays like what he is: the best player in the game.  Has a shot to be the best ever.

With about three minutes left in the game, Perk yells at Doc from across the court.  Expressive, blatent, and public.  Ugly.  C's go downhill from there, with the young guys (Rondo and Perk) playing especially poorly.  Bad juju.

Key question is how we respond.  Got a back-to-back coming up, starting with the Knicks on Thursday.

11/14/07
Vs. NJ
6-0

Thoughts after the first half:

Second game of a back-to-back.

Doc finally does the right thing and gives KG an extended rest during the end of the first.

Rondo looks fantastic, as he has all season.  Offensive rebound and no look to KG for the dunk.

Perkins looks very good as well, passing the ball much better, high post to low for KG and a couple of kick-outs.

The C's play terrible in the first half, and also get a lot of calls against them.  We miss House, who is out with an ankle.  With Tony Allen taking most of House's minutes, the Nets are daring him to shoot.  Which is a good dare.

Ray has missed a bunch of shots.  Last night and tonight he has started slowly.

Ray and Pierce are looking for each other, which is good.

As bad as we look, we go into the half with a two point lead, courtesy of a turnaround by Pierce at the buzzer.  That is a great sign.  Rebounding has been the Achilles Heel in the first half.  We need to come out and murder them in the third.  That was the Chicago Bulls' signature back in the day.

Second Half Thoughts:

We came out strong until KG got his fourth and had to sit.  Beginning of the fourth the defense tightened up and the C's cruse to a 22 point win.

KG finally got some rest, playing only 30 minutes (partly because of foul trouble).

Once again, Allen, Pierce, and KG all get a nice curtain call.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis can't play in the NBA.  Too short and not athletic enough.  Powe, who played well in garbage time, should get his minutes.

Rondo shot something like 7/10.  He's consistently hitting the 18 footer.  That's huge because he and Perk are the one's who will be open.

Good win, blowout win, on the second night.  Can't beat that.  Next up is the Heat.

11/13/07
At Indiana
5-0

Indiana looks good in the first quarter, Tinsely rubbing off high-post picks causes havoc: 15 foot jumpers; kick outs for three's; alley-oops for dunks.

In the first half, Pierce and Allen seemed to ignore each other when one has the ball and the other is open.  Bears further watching.

Posey is contagious with Pierce, Scal, and others taking charges.

I still can't get over how good KG is, in every facet of the game.  Love his passing.

Scal hits two three's in the 2nd.  That concussion must have improved his game.

The refs have given us a couple of generous calls.

Rondo still looks good.  Takes a hard foul from Tinsely (who is a punk) in the fourth.

Perkins, on the other, hand needs a lot of work.  Rebounding is weak, slow up and down the court, passes are a second late.  Which leads me to my next point...

Rebounding is our achilles heel.  Rebounding is the key to winning long-term.  Like Riles said, "Rebounds equal rings."  Outside of KG we have no consistent rebounders.  I'm hopeful we can pick up some help after the trade deadline with someone like Kurt Thomas or Theo Ratliff.  Both are in the last year of their big-money contract and playing for losers.  Most teams will release the player after the deadline so they can sign with a contender and the team can improve its lottery position.  For the game the Pacers out-rebound us by 5 (I believe the first team to do so this season).  That's why it was close until the end.

Indiana has a nice little squad with some good depth.  I've always liked Dunleavy's game, and Foster is a beast on the boards coming off the bench.

Minutes, minutes, minutes.  This will be a continual refrain throughout the season, I'm afraid.  Garnett, Pierce, and Allen were all at 40.  I'd rather sacrifice some wins early in the season for wins at the end of the season.

We looked good, came out strong in the third, and it was really only because Granger was on fire that it was close.  Final is a w by 14.  Nets tomorrow at home.

Vs. NJ
11/10/07
4-0

Big game against the Nets.  Feature game on NBATV.  For some reason my YESHD is not working.  No HD tonight.

Vince Carter is on fire.

Ray Allen is on fire.

Tony Allen just air-balled a wide open three.

Rondo looks good, flicking the ball away from JKidd, racing up and down the floor, making some nice passes.

Tony Allen is about 70%.  Can't get any lift off that knee.

Jamaal Magloire is still in the league?

Glen Davis is 6'7", at the most.

Kendrick Perkins should not attempt to pass from the high post to the low post.  Last night, he threw it too low and hit the defender; tonight, he threw it too high and hit the rim.  Why don't you sit a few out champ.

I was skeptical at first, but Eddie House was a great pick-up.  Can't dribble a lick, but can shoot from anywhere.

We're ending the second quarter with a nice little run.  Big Baby is doing a good job rebounding and scoring on put-backs (he should not, however, attempt to go coast-to-coast with a cross-over dribble for effect).

I don't think Ray  Allen has been out of the game (he ends up playing 48).  Pierce got a blow and is now handling the scoring.  Just hit a three to put the C's up by 7.  NJ takes a time-out.  Can we keep it up through the 4th?

KG hits a long turn-around; we're going into the half with a 7 point lead.

The C's come out on fire in the third.  Defense is tough all around.  Offense is pass, pass, pass, extra pass, make.  Only sign of worry is that KG, Allen, and Pierce played the entire third.  We're up 20 most if the quarter.  Rest 'em.

End of the third and we're up 21.

Nets cut it to 7 in the fourth.  We win by 11.  None of the Big 3 gets a blow in the 2nd half.  We held tough though.

Final thoughts:

Rondo had a fantastic game.  Pressed a little bit at the end of the 4th but otherwise played superb defense, set the table, and hit his shots.  Best game I've seen him play.  His stat line doesn't jump out at you but he was outstanding.

Good win on the road against a tought team in their building.

Rebounding was the key.  NJ doesn't have any rebounders.  We out rebounded NJ by 15.

Allen comes off the court smiling, knowing how lucky he is to be in this situation.

At Indiana on Wednesday and then NJ again at home Thursdsay.

Vs. Atl
11/9/07
3-0

In honor of Bill Simmons, the Boston Sports Guy, here are my running thoughts on the game:

Brian Scalabrine can't play.

The stack and double screen set plays trying to free Ray Allen while Rondo or Pierce dribble aimlessly at the top of the key is not working.

KG snaps the defensive rebound to the point guard as soon as he has it.  Starts the fast break immediately.  Little things.

The white ref is on the take, calling back to back offensive fouls on KG.  Reminded me of the Pats/Colts game.

The Hawks have some talent, just need some experience.

KG is a legit 7'1", maybe even 7"2".

We keep running out on Tyronne Lue like he is Mark Price.  Did he learn to shoot in the last few years?

We're not moving the ball as much as the first three games.  We should still win as the Hawks are young but it will be something to watch in the next few games.

KG is the best player we have had since Larry Bird was in his prime.  Great passing, defense, rebounding, all the little things.

Celtics win going away.  KG, Pierce, and Allen all get an individual curtain call at the end of the game.  Great to see all of their teammates genuinely happy for them.

At NJ tomorrow.  Big game (as big as the fifth game of the season can be) on the road.  First back-to-back game.  Curious to see how we play.

That's how many minutes of rest the C's Big Three are averaging.

From Ian Thomsen at SI.com:

3. Should the Eastern Conference declare surrender and grant the Celtics a three-round bye in the playoffs?

Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are averaging just 8.8 minutes of rest per game. They've been impressive defensively, but they've approached the early season as if it were the postseason, while most of the other teams are performing as if it were still the preseason. Rivals will be interested to see how fresh and energetic Boston's trio of 30-or-more-year-olds is looking in March and April.

As I said in the previous post, playing the Big Three this much (even in blowouts), this early, is nuts.  We've got the ATL tonight at home and then on the road tomorrow at Jersey.