The loss to Phoenix left me with a few questions. The biggest question was why Leon Powe only played 4 minutes. You may say because Doc thought Baby was a better matchup for Shaq, but Baby was obviously struggling and the team was getting outrebounded big time. Doc finally put Powe in and he responded with 2 rebounds and 2 points on a layup and in 4 minutes he was back on the bench. I really don't understand that. Powe produced and should have played more. We needed rebounding and he did that. He brought energy into the game and yet Doc put him right back on the bench. It is things like this that makes me really wonder about Doc's decision making and coaching.
What's up with Ray Allen? We have heard all the possibilities. He is injured, he is tired, he is having trouble fitting in. He has had to sacrifice his game. Whatever it is, I hope he figures it out soon because we need him to shoot better than 3-12 if they are going to make noise in the playoffs. He has been very inconsistent. He catches fire in the All Star game but yet struggles in most of the regular Celtics games. His shot used to be automatic and now he misses more than he hits. I really hope he can figure out the problem and get back on track.
Both the Herald and Globe have articles about how the Celtics are still loose and not worried about the losing streak. That is very good. I have confidence that they will right the ship. All teams, including champions, go through losing streaks at some time of the season. Last year's Spurs had two 3 game losing streaks and several back to back losses. It isn't the end of the world. They will get back on track and hopefully soon because the Pistons are breathing down their necks just 2 games back in the Eastern conference.
The rumors are flying hot and heavy. The Celtics are interested in Brent Barry and he would be a great addition. He is 6'7" and can handle the ball and would solve the problem we have with Rondo not matching up with the bigger PGs and Barry can also spread the floor with his shooting. The problem is that Barry has 5 teams he is considering: Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Boston and San Antonio. All are possible playoff contenders and the teams in the West may have an advantage. I would love to have him come to Boston, but it is a long shot. I would prefer him to Cassell though.
Sam Cassell is close to being bought out. In one report the team said that it is obvious that Sam's heart isn't in LA any more and it doesn't make sense to make him stay since they probably won't make the playoffs. After the article in the Globe quoted him as being anxious to come to Boston and then he back peddled and said he didn't say it, there are rumors about the Cavs wanting him and offering him the starting spot. Starting for Cleveland may just trump coming off the bench in Boston. It is possible that in spite of irons in all these fires, the Celtics may come up empty in their search for a veteran to back up Rondo.
Other rumors involve Chris Anderson, Flip Murray and Jamaal Magloire. We could use another big as insurance. We recently saw how much we need back up insurance when KG and Perk were out along with the oft injured Pollard. We were vastly undersized. I am not sure what kind of shape the Birdman would be in after 2 years and it is rumored that the Hornets will re-sign him when he is reinstated anyway. In order to be included on the playoff roster, any player has to be waived by March 1 so we don't have long to wait to find out if Sam I Am will really be bought out or not. I do expect Danny to do something, just not sure what. Also, we may see more players bought out by March 1 that would open up other possibilities. There is a whole lot of smoke so there has to be fire somewhere.
BostonSportZ has a great video of Rondo's cradle move. I love it. Great move that fakes them out every time. This time, it makes Anytony Carter look pretty silly.
How far the mighty has fallen. After Miami won the title, Antoine Walker was giving Pierce advice to leave the Celtics because he would never win in Boston. Now, Antoine is buried on the bench in Minnesota. He has said that he won't accept a buyout and there weren't any teams wanting to take on the 17 million left on his contract so I guess he will be warming Minny's bench for at least the rest of this season. I wonder if he is calling Pierce very much to gloat these days. Very sad that Employee #8 has fallen so far. I leave you with a look at better days for the former Celtics' Captain when he and Pierce made a pretty good tandem for the Celtics. You even get a look at the Walker Wiggle.
Here are comments found around the Suns' boards during their game with the Celtics.
Big big game Amare vs KG should be awesome!
C's' on a 2 game slide, they will be keen to fix that
The Celtics haven't lost 3 in a row this year. They're a tight unit while we're still incorporating a new guy. Still, I think we have a decent shot. I don't expect better stats from Shaq but I think he'll start to be more comfortable and be more of a presence. Win or lose, I don't think I'll be surprised by the outcome.
Celtics finally lose games 1 and 2 to the West...Noice This is going to be a toughy...Shaq should manhandle Perkins/Big Baby
If we can get Garnett to guard Amare that will be a good advantage to work, Garnett doesn't have the power to hold his own on the low 1-1 with him
Man, KG's going to eat Amare alive....hopefully Shaq can pwn to a similar extent.
The trick is to contain Pierce, do that and the C's are toast.
Hopefully their bigs no longer go off against us. Like other teams bigs have.
I have no doubt amare goes for 30 against KG.
KG and Amare will both pwn each-other, like they usually do. Garnett is still fresh off an injury and STAT has been in red hot form lately so Amare shud be able 2 pwn KG harder then KG will pwn him tho. We don't have Marion anymore, so don't count on us slowin down Pierce either.
Celt's bench is their main weakness, so Barbs/Diaw gotta bring their A game this time as well if we wanna win.
Anyway, Celtics didn't look too well as of lately, hopefully we can take advantage of that - a win against a top team should really help Shaq feel comfortable as fast as possible.
We have NO shot.
I wouldn't be so sure, as KG definitely hasn't looked like he's back to himself just yet. His mid-range shot has been way off in the 2 games
Apparently its been 366 days since the suns and Celtics last played
Will C fans be able to stay awake during the game?
FanBoy got a peek inside the Celtics' locker room, and here are a few points of emphasis written on the markerboard ("bulletin-board material" is so passe). "1. Run vs. This team." "2. Make them defend -- execute our shot." "3. Don't settle."
Lakers fan here. Shaq looking good tonight, great pick up. Eventhough a hate the Suns, I hate the Celts even more
Someone tell the C's this isn't the east, baby.
Celtics' D has woken up
Amare and kg really have something going on tonight.
Amare is really pumped to go at kg tonight, wow.
Is it just me or does Big Baby look just like Shaq?
Man oh man someone needs to create the Scott Pollard My New Haircut version to put on youtube.
I just cant believe the passes and overpenetrating that is going on. I guess we have to credit the C's somewhat but it is so odd to see all these turnovers
............Kevin Garnett is just a skinny punk ........ I'm losing a lot of respect for the guy tonight.
that's twice they've called KG on that elbow KG can't keep swinging it like that
Agreed, KG is just annoying right now.
Amare is in kg's head
Celts denfense is just good, they do a lot of hand check. But the Shaq trade is really paying off.
Boston resorting to cheap shots. Who do they think they are, the spurs?
Man, the C's are really dirty
The entire Celtics team is like a whole bunch of Bruce Bowen's on defense, they just karate chop at the ball every time it's near them.
Wow, the Celts are a violent *** team!
I had heard things before, but I never realized what a punk Kevin Garnett is. I'm finally seeing it tonight in this Celtics game.
Garnett should have been fouled out already. But like the NBA, he gets the preferential treatment.
K.G. Is a warrior no doubt, but whenever he's ahead I've noticed he'll pull something cheap on the other team whether it's a foul, a shove, or what not.
This game is hard to watch. Refs call every tick tack foul to start the quarter, then when it gets physical they simply swallow their whistles? Bizarre.
Wow Celtics just can't hit a 3 tonight ice cold
Seriously.....look at the board differential tonight. We've practically doubled the Celts.
The Celtics defense finally showed up for this game and that would be a good thing except the offense disappeared. The Celtics held the high scoring Suns to only 85 points, but they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and scored only 77 points themselves. Pierce was 2-13, Ray Allen was 3-12, Rondo was 5-12, KG was 8-17. Overall, the Celtics shot only 38.5% from the field and were only 4-17 from beyond the arc.
Along with the shooting woes, the Celtics were out rebounded 50-32. That is inexcusable. Doc played Baby 8 minutes and he struggled with only 2 points, 0 rebounds and 5 fouls. Leon Powe on the other hand played only 4 minutes and had 2 points and 2 rebounds. I have no idea why Doc didn't give Leon more minutes. He played well in his brief appearance. He certainly played better than Baby tonight and yet Baby got twice as many minutes. I think Doc made a mistake in not playing Powe more. No one else had their offense going. He came in and got 2 points in 4 minutes and Doc should have gone to him more.
The officiating was pretty bad again. The Suns shot 12 more free throws than the Celtics and it seemed as though the refs let hard fouls go and then called ticky tack fouls. It wasn't consistent at all. Overall the game was very physical and there were a lot of cheap shots on both sides. Perk played the enforcer with a flagrant foul on Stoudamire after he got away with a few shoves on KG.
The defense appears to be fixed and now they need to get the offense going again. It would be nice to see both on track again at the same time. There were some positives in spite of the ugliness of this game. KG is getting closer to 100% with 19 points although he only had 5 rebounds. Perk is working his way back also with 6 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks tonight. The defense is getting back on track. Scott Pollard saw his first minutes since January 21. He looked very rusty but at least it is a start. The bad news is that the Pistons won and so the Celtics' lead in the East is down to 3.
Next up are the Trailblazers and this won't be an easy game either. Hopefully the Celtics can put together a complete game with both offense and defense and salvage this trip with a win in their last 2 games.
Rajon Rondo is 22 today. His game has improved way beyond his years this season and sometimes we forget just how young he still is. Today is also Doctor J, Juilius Erving's, birthday. Doctor J has always been a class act and one of my favorite all time players. I wish both of them a very happy birthday. A win against the Suns would be a great birthday present.
It seems like suddenly the Celtics are the team that everyone loves to hate. On 1st and 10 on ESPN, which was before the trade, one guy made the comment that the Cavs were the best team in the East and the other mentioned that Detroit might have something to say about it. Not one mention about the Celtics being there as well. It also seems that lately the refs have it in for the Celtics in every game. They get terrible calls every game. Stephen A Smith has declared the Celtics the big losers at the trade deadline because everyone else got better and the Celtics didn't. And on top of all that, teams that we play all have it in for the Celtics and every one of them play their very best when facing the Celtics. It's rough at the top.
Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak are on their way to Cleveland along with Ben Wallace. They took a big chance in order to try to match up with Boston and Detroit. If healthy and motivated, Ben Wallace will give them a defensive presence inside but he hasn't seemed very motivated lately. Wally and Delonte will give King James some offensive help if they can stay healthy but both have had a history of injuries. If I were the Cavs, I would worry about the curse of the ex-Celtics as the teams with more than one former Celtics on them have been at the bottom of the league this season. I like both Delonte and Wally but don't want them to do too well for a team that will be a big rival for the Eastern Conference.
Gerald Green is on his way to his home town. I hope that he can get a chance to play in Houston. Maybe since he will be closer to John Lucas he can get more instruction and finally turn the corner to become a more complete player. He was compared to Tracy McGrady when he came into the league and hopefully Tracy can take him under his wing and bring him along.
The Celtics have to get back their defensive intensity. They built this record on defense and then suddenly after the All Star break, they seem to have completely forgotten how to play defense. Tom Thibodeau must be having some sleepless nights. Hopefully they can find their defense tonight or this could be very ugly.
There is something about Manu Ginobili that I just don't like. Maybe it's his humongous flops. Or maybe it is his dirty style of play. I don't know, but I just don't like this guy. I think that Johnny Most wouldn't have liked him either.
Sam Cassell wasn't traded. There are still rumors that he will be bought out. The Cavs and Celtics both are reported to want him. Both are championship contenders. The Cavs want him to start, the Celtics would want him to come off the bench. Coming off the bench could lengthen his career but some players just like the glamor of starting. Would his friendship with KG be enough to sway Sam I Am to come to Boston?
Detroit has been doing the Celtics a favor by losing their last two games. The Bucks play in Detroit tonight, so chances are they aren't going to continue that trend. The Celtics need to win tonight if they hope to keep pace with the Pistons.
Tonight's game should be a good one. The Celtics must get their defensive intensity back again if they want to beat the Suns. Perk has to step up and play Shaq inside and we will need KG to be his old self to cover Amare. Rondo will need to continue to play aggressively on both ends of the court. The matchup with Nash will be a tough one for him, but I think he is very capable of doing well against Nash.
The Knicks are now turning on each other. When that happens the end is truly near. One thing that was impressive about the Celtics in their terrible season last year and even during the 18 game losing streak, the players never turned on each other and no fingers were ever pointed and that says alot about the character of the players that Danny had brought in for that team. On the other hand, the Knicks are ready to eat each other alive.
Here are comments found around the Warriors' boards during their game with the Celtics.
KG didn't look too good against Denver. If he has a similar game tonight and if jack can be superman and bounce back like he did after he first hurt his ankle, then there is hope.
Keep Monta away from Posey please.
Perkins with a a 30/20 tonight. Tony Allen with 25 and Rondo with 19 assists. It's 2nd tier night and Boston's gonna light us up.
Their front line is gonna tear us up Only a heroic effort from our big 3 can save us.
Beating Boston today is about as likely as a lunar eclipse.
W's don't like to be embarassed 2 nights in a row, so who knows?
Beating the C's is about as likely as a sattelite getting shot down by a missle this week
13 "you knows" for Powe...4 short of the record.
Ellis forgot Ray Allen can shoot.
Did someone in the crowd just yell something about stabbing at Pierce?
Seems like Allen is trying to show up Monta every time he touches it.
Well Pierce missed one FT, that's a bonus for the warriors, he'll probably be at the line a lot in this one
What's really cool is that to start with the Celts were crowding everyone, playing high energy D and denying us room to dribble or pass. Insead of getting frustrated and making bad plays, our guys just upped our ante on defense and matched the Celts effort.
Hey now! Pierce just punched the hoop support...where's the T?
Leon Powe would be good with us. Good energy big.
Look at that thing on Allen's leg. It's like he has an extra knee in there.
Wow . . . Barnett just compared Dennis Johnson to Robert Horry.
DJ > Mullin-Nelson-Horry
Webber has blocked KG's shot twice tonight...
LMAO, I love watching Rondo shoot the ball.
We're playing great. If it were easy, everyone would beat the Celtics.
Allen is just veteraning the hell out of Tay..
You know, if that were anybody but Allen, I'd have Tay headbut him in the chin when he crowds him next time . . . But Allen's just the kind of guy to play better when he's pissed off.
Perkins looks like a dog my friend has... A pug...
I think the reffing is good tonight.
How does anyone ever beat Boston when Ray is on? If Ray has a hot playoffs, game over Spurs.
Pierce gets the maggette calls. Just dive into people inside and go to the line
If Warriors win it will be because of Celtic missed FTs
I think we might win. Horswaggle getting spanked the other night was an Omen
Wow... Tony Allen with the muscles
The Posey tackle
I hate Posey
Surprised they didn't play Big Baby sooner...he's already>Perkins.
KG is what we call "versatile".
Big Baby swolled up during the break. He was in much better shape before he sat down with the knee tweak. He must be eating all of Wright's food.
Celtics are extremely well prepared for us... They are daring Tay to be a PG, taking away his 17 fter... They are letting us have 3s, they are running at their best mismatch on offense... Doc's stock goes up a bit in my book.
The Celts play up on everyone with or without the ball. They make it hard for you to face where you want to and that makes it hard to do anything.
Ray Allen is just deadly
Big Baby Davis , a 2nd round rookie getting crunch time minutes in the 4th on the best team in the league. Learn something Nellie. And he didn't play the 1st 3 quarters.
Having KG to go to... What a luxury
I like the no-call on KG on Monta's drive. This reffing in this game is very good.
Celtics getting thuggy tonight...... We gotta hire Laimbeer as a Big Man coach...
The Celtics look like the 07 Warriors at the free throw line.
48>36 hahahaha We're killing em on the boards...odd
The Celts usually outrebound teams, by 3... Im not sure where that ranks in league differential but that's pretty damn good... And we're crushing them.
KG couldn't play for Nellie. No 3 ball.
That was as intense as a playoff game....awesome performance by both teams coming off traveling back to backs.
Traditional basketball wins it tonight...Stop smallball now!
Best game Nellie's coached all damn season.
I can't believe that scrub Ray Allen went off on Tay... Tay just kept giving him a little daylight... What average NBA defender could be guilty of such a thing?
The Good: The Pistons and Magic also lost last night so the Celtics didn't lose any ground in their lead in the East. After a 10 game winning streak, what are the odds that the Pistons would keep pace with the Celtics and lose two in a row?
Ray Allen seems to be shooting himself out of his slump. He scored 32 points on 11-17 shooting.
KG is working his way back into game shape and looked much better last night than he did in Denver. He played 32 minutes and finished with a double double of 17 points and 15 rebounds although he shot only 7-16.
Tony Allen continues to round back into pre-injury shape and had a nice game with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. He wasn't able to stop that last shot by Baron, but he played Baron about as well as he could without fouling. Davis just hit a tough shot.
The Bad James Posey had a very bad night. He finished with 1 point, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 fouls and 1 turnover in 20 minutes of play. This is another questionable move from Doc. Doc should have tried Baby earlier instead of sticking with Posey who was obviously struggling.
The Celtics were out-rebounded 49-37. The Celtics' bigs need to be more aggressive on the boards. There is no excuse for the to be out-rebounded. Rebounding is mostly desire and effort and the Celtics need to show more of that as a team.
The Celtics were outscored 56-42 in the paint. They have been settling for outside shots and not taking the ball to the basket enough. They are much more successful when they work the ball inside then when they settle for quick outside shots.
The Ugly Celtics defense, or rather the lack of it. The Celtics have built their reputation and record on their defense this season and in the past two games it has been non-existent. They gave up 119 points last night and that should never be. Tom Thibodeau must have lost some sleep after the past two games and he needs to remind the team what got them here and get them back to that defensive commitment. We will not win if we try to play the West's run and gun game. We must play defense and take them out of their game rather than letting them draw us into their style.
The Celtics shot 69.6% from the free throw line. They missed 14 free throws. There is no excuse for this. These guys are professionals and they should be able to hit free throws. Pierce (12-13) and Ray Allen (4-4) hit theirs but the rest of the team were pretty dismal from the line. Today's practice should involve defense and free throws.
This trip has started off with 2 losses, not what they had hoped for, but not disastrous because the Pistons have also lost 2 in a row. It also doesn't get any easier with the Suns on Friday, The Blazers on Sunday and the Clippers on Monday. They need to stop trying to outscore teams and get back to playing defense or they could see their first 3 game losing streak of the season. The can't outscore Phoenix, but if they get back to playing the defense that has made them successful so far, they should be able to salvage this road trip. If not, expect all the nay sayers to come back out in full force.
Here are some comments found around the Nuggets' boards during their game with the Celtics. One theme ran through both the Nuggets' and Celtics boards. The refs really were terrible.
I hope KG misses tonights game but I believe he will play tonight. Another blowout by the Celtics tonight?
We can't even guard Derek Fisher when we play the Lakers, how can we guard RAY ALLEN, PAUL PIERCE & KG ALL AT ONCE? Impossible for the Nuggets..
Hopefully kg strains that AB again during warm ups.......
Well this should be interesting. Though I thought KG wasn't supposed to be back until later in the week?
It's nice that Garnett is taking our team seriously.
Can we be the first western team to beat Boston??
Guaranteed win for nuggets.
There are no excuses tonight just get it done, Denver has something to prove tonight and I hope it's that we can contend with anybody.
I don't like trading baskets with them. Or the fact that Ray Allen is heating up. That'll be bad news later on in the game.
...I can't believe they call that ticky tack crap for a player like rondo.
These refs are horrible. Denver will lose this game because the refs don't seem to want to get it correct this game. (My thoughts: This said as the Nuggets had shot 14 more FT's than the Celtics at this point)
The Nuggets should actually try to play some defense instead of flopping.
They're just matching bostons style. Get hit on defense... Fall down. Hope the refs fall for your crap. Seems to work.
As im sure we all expected no D in Enver. 62-62 at the half.
Luckily for us, I guess Boston wasn't playing as good of defense as they usually do, so we matched their 62.
There are a lot of no calls. But Denver will not lose this game. I love how Melo's playing right now and for the whole game really sooo aggressive.
When you play hard defense every single game for 48 minutes and earn the reputation of the best defensive team in the league, you get the benefit of the doubt more times than not.
Anyone else think the Celtics are thugs and even though they called a lot of fouls against them easily they could have called twice as many. Is this because the Celtics are a team the "NBA" wants to win??? Another reason I think the league has it in for the Nuggets.
Melo and the Nuggs get like thrown to the ground or pushed and no foul then the nugs barly touch the Celtics and there is a foul. WTF
Garnett dunked that while it was still on the rim. Bad missed call
Nice acting AI WOOT!!! To foul out Rondo
I didn't realize how much of a flopper pierce is. guy's falling down as much as ginobili.
This game was won offensively. Boston's the best team in the nba (statistically) defensively... We're at 115 points with time remaining.
Off topic but the lakers are up 73-37 at the half. That is just unreal
Are you kidding me? This officiating crew is HORRIBLE! Goaltending?!?!
I appreciate how the Celtics battled in the last minute, but that call was just hokey pokey malarkey jerky bologne.
If I was an NBA referee, I would generally at least pretend that I was not betting on games. These fine gentlemen have apparently elected a different approach.
Horrible officiating for both sides..It really seemed like they were either guessing or flipping a coin on each call...
What a great game that was! Those refs made some of the worst calls I have ever seen in my life but we still pulled through. Everybody played well for us tonight and I knew they would have to in order to beat the Celtics. Im glad we are the first western team to beat them it fells really good to see the effort all the nugget players put into this game!
A very good game against the Celtics. We're the only west team that could get a win against em. Nice effort.
The officials wanted to rob this game. Unbelieveable that the 3 pointer counted. The shot was waaaaaaaaaay off how can you make such a call in a game deciding moment?
We were the better team out there. I don't care this rondo fan saying they lost because KG wasn't 100 %. We have so many injuries too, that this argument doesn't count. The other thing is that the Celtics played best with their bench players in the game (if anyone else noticed)
THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST REF'D GAMES I HAVE EVER SEEN, BOTH WAYS, WE COULD HAVE HAD OUR ENTIRE FRONT LINE FOUL OUT, REFS WERE CALLING ANTICIPATED CONTACT AND NOT CONTACT ITSELF. AND THE GOALTENDING CALL. THIS IS A TOTAL EMBARASSMENT FOR THE NBA. HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS KIND OF CRAP, TRULY MIND BLOWING SOME OF THESE CALLS. IS ANYONE REVIEWING THESE CALLS, THESE REFS SHOULD MAYBE REF THE DOG SHOW OR SOMETHING INSTEAD,THEY DON'T BELONG IN A LEAGUE WHERE COACHES AND PLAYERS ARE BUSTING THEIR ASS AND THE FREAKIN' REFS ARE JUST TRYING TO CONTROL THE GAME. SAD
I still think we need to make a move, cuz they don't hardly ever play like they did tonight.
Great game, I really like how The Celtics didn't quit.. I wasn't for sure about them at first but they are the team to beat in the East!!
I must say that was a horrible called game, the refs flat out sucked out there, for both sides. Melo was getting hacked all night, pierce was getting hacked all night, Pierce looked like a genius in drawing the charge (not 1 charge he supposively drew was a charge), the nugs were doing quite some hacking in the paint, but then again there were quite a few phantom calls.
Frustrating Game to Watch This game frustrated me to no end watching it. The Celtics played no defense. The announcers were awful. And worst of all, this had to be the worst officiated game in NBA history. There were just so many bad calls that it would be impossible to name them all. It was like one bad or no call after another. In all fairness, not all of them were against the Celtics. The Nuggets got some pretty bad calls against them as well. The one that stands out is the air ball that Ray Allen shot that was short and to the left and they called it a goal tend as Melo reeled it in. But, the 49-28 free throw disparity, in spite of the fact that the Celtics drove to the hoop throughout the game, shows that the officiating was pretty much one sided. The Celtics drove to the hoop early but were mugged on almost every attempt with no calls. On one drive, Melo had Pierce's jersey with both fists which pulled Pierce up short on the drive. The officials at least gave the Celtics the ball back as it had gone out of bounds when Pierce got stopped so abruptly, but they didn't call the obvious foul that caused him to lose the ball in the first case. That was a very blatant non call.
Defense Still on Break The Celtics defense hasn't made it back from the break yet. The Nuggets got uncontested jumpers and layups the entire game. The Nuggets scored a season high 124 points. The Celtics need to play defense to win and their defense in this game was simply not there.
KG was Rusty, Powe was Great KG returned from his 9 game absence to play 21 minutes, but he wasn't himself. He had 4 turnovers and was stripped several times as he went to the basket. He was only 2-7 and didn't score until the second half. He did pull down 8 rebounds but seemed a step slow the entire game. Doc played Perk only 10 minutes and I am not sure why. Hopefully the shoulder isn't still bothering him. Leon Powe once again with 13 points, 2 blocks, and 11 rebounds (6 on the offensive end)in just 21 minutes. Doc needs to continue to play Leon, plain and simple.
Rondo's Aggressive Rondo continued his aggressive play and fouled out with 22 points (9-15)and 4 rebounds. He had one spectacular play where he flew in from nowhere to slam home a Posey miss. Rondo just seems to get better and better. It was good to see him continue to be aggressive with KG back in the lineup. The play of the night may have been when Rondo was diving out of bounds to try to save the ball and landed on a kid in the first row eating dipping dots ice cream. Dipping Dots went everywhere.
Annoying Announcers I love Mike and Tommy and miss them when I have to listen to the other team's announcers. Usually it isn't too bad but last night was intolerable. Those guys were so bad. They called Pierce slow almost every time down the court. On one drive where Pierce dunked over Camby, They said that Pierce resembled a water buffalo plodding through a muddy rice paddy. These guys were probably the worst I have heard all season.
The Positives The big positive from the night was the fact that Detroit lost to Orlando and so the Celtics remain 4 games ahead of the Pistons. In spite of the horrible officiating, the Celtics' lack of defense, a rusty KG and Perk, and the thin air, the Celtics still had a chance to win this and kept it close much of the game. The Nuggets were very motivated as they felt the Celtics disrespected them in Boston by continuing to press even though they were up 40 at the time and were looking for payback. But in spite of all that, the Celtics didn't fold and that is a good thing.
We are entering the final stretch run of the season and there are a few things that stand out for the Celtics as they finish out the season.
First, Doc has been successful so far this season although he still makes some decisions that make you scratch your head. The playoffs are a whole different animal from the regular season. Doc has never won a playoff series. There is a bigger emphasis on strategy and coaches have to be able to make adjustments as the series goes on. This is a concern since Doc hasn't proved that he can do this. Doc has improved in his decision making as the season has gone one and hopefully is growing as a coach and will be able to handle the rigors of coaching in the playoffs.
Doc needs to rest his starters as much as possible down the stretch. The Spurs have done this in years past and that has given them a leg up in the playoffs as they go into the playoffs with their starters at full strength. The Celtics have proved they can win with their stars out or at less than full strength, so this shouldn't be a problem. Doc needs to realize this and as the season winds down, play his starters fewer minutes.
Going along with giving the starters more rest, Doc needs to give Leon Powe and Big Baby more playing time. When Powe and Baby got the playing time with KG and Perk out, they produced. They need playing time to improve and so Doc is going to have to find time for these young players to get in there and produce as they will be needed in the playoffs.
One of the things that allowed the Celtics to do so well when KG was out was the more aggressive play of Rondo. He picked up his rebounding and was more aggressive on both ends of the floor. Rondo needs to continue to be that aggressive even with KG back in the mix. With KG on the floor and Rondo aggressively taking the ball to the hoop and crashing the boards as Perk boxes out, this team could be close to unbeatable.
As well as Rondo has been playing, the Celtics really do need point guard help. Tony Allen and Eddie House have been doing a decent job at back up, but it would be great to have some insurance just in case Rondo gets in foul trouble or the unthinkable happens and he is injured for any period of time. Neither House nor Tony can play extended minutes at the point. They are ok for a few minutes of back up, but not as a starter. Tyronn Lue would be a great choice for back up. He would not demand big minutes, would be happy to back up Rondo, is a very good point guard, is great defensively, and is a good friend of Kevin Garnett.
Ray Allen is going to be crucial for this team down the stretch and in the playoffs. He hasn't played well yet this season except in spurts. He realizes this and plans to get better for the second half of the season. He is off to a good start with his play in the All Star game. If his shooting touch returns, this will be huge for the Celtics as it gives the Celtics a deadly weapon from outside and spreads the floor more for the other players.
The Celtics start the second half with a brutal trip out West and how they do on this trip will show where the Celtics need to go. There have been questions about this team all along. Now we are hearing that the Celtics have a disadvantage because they haven't been there before. The Pistons and Spurs have both been together for years. They know each other and have been to the playoffs and the finals as a unit. The Celtics have come together much quicker than anyone has imagined and now it is time for them to prove that their start was no fluke and they are capable of winning down the stretch and in the playoffs when the stakes are higher.
The Herald is reporting that everything looks good for KG to play against Denver.
Kevin Garnett looks good to go for the Celtics tomorrow night. He just finished a full workout with the club here at the Denver Athletic Club and reported no setbacks from the abdominal strain that’s kept him out the last nine games.
In addition, Glen Davis (quad strain), Kendrick Perkins (left shoulder strain) and Scot Pollard (sore left ankle) are also looking ready to play against the Nuggets.
Brian Scalabrine (groin strain) worked out here and hopes to be back playing by Friday’s game in Phoenix.
The lone casualty today was Doc Rivers, who left practice and returned to the hotel because of the flu.
That is very good news. The team will be at full strength other than Scal and Doc. With a well rested KG who is chomping at the bit to play and Ray Allen who is rejuvenated by the All Star game and a healthy Perk, Big Baby and Pollard, things are looking good for the West Coast trip.
This was one of the best All Star games I have watched in a while. There were so many incredible plays in the game, it was really exciting to watch. Add to that the fact that there was a heavy Celtics flavor to it with KG cheering on the side, Doc coaching and Ray and Paul playing and it was really great.
Paul Pierce had a solid game with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in 12 minutes. Doc did a good job of managing the minutes and coaching the team. The starters averaged anywhere from 21 minutes to 30 minutes with Dwight Howard getting the most minutes at 30:33. That is understandable as he was the most dominant big man out there and his presence under the boards was needed. The subs played anywhere from 18 minutes down to 12. Pierce played the second fewest minutes with 12:37.
But it was Ray Allen who stole the show with a hot shooting 4th quarter that turned the tide when the West made a run. He finished with 28 points (a game high) on 10-14 shooting to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. He made the defensive play of the 4th quarter when he took a hard charge from Chris Paul and went flying to the floor, but that doesn't show up in the stats. I believe that if the voting was done as it has been in the past, Ray Allen would have been the MVP. The TNT announcers all agreed that he was the MVP as without his play in the 4th, the East doesn't win that game. Even LeBron, when he was accepting his MVP award said that it was Ray Allen who won the game for them. With the fan voting, LeBron being the most popular would get the most votes. Ok, LeBron didn't exactly have a terrible game with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks but Ray was 10-14 while Lebron was 12-22 and LeBron played 12 more minutes than Ray did. I may be a bit biased, but I still think that without the fan voting Ray wins the MVP.
It was a fun weekend but the best thing to come out of it is KG having a good workout and feeling good and seeing how much fun the Celtics had in New Orleans. They all pitched in on the day of service (except Rondo who had to be at practice that day). Pierce was the first one to grab a hammer in spite of the rain and it was funny to see Doc hovering over him as he was driving a nail telling him to be careful with his fingers. Also, could this be the end of Ray's shooting slump? He certainly had no problems hitting his shots in the All Star game. The Celtics have been dominating without his hot hand and if he were to catch fire and shoot like Ray Allen can shoot, there is no telling how good this team can really be.
It was fun seeing Rondo play in the Rookie game and his incredible over the shoulder pass was the play of the day. It was great seeing KG there cheering him on and encouraging him but I wonder where Pierce was. Seeing Pierce and Ray play so well in the All Star game was great and hearing the reports on KG playing well have been great. The East lost big last season but Ray Allen and KG were on the West then. Ray could just be the good luck charm. I loved Gerald's Birthday Cake dunk. It was great. His shoeless dunk was much harder than anyone realized and that hurt him. But, in the end, I think Dwight Howard deserved that one. He had the better dunks overall. Next year, Rondo may be in the Skills challenge. Ray would have done better than Nash in the 3 Point Shootout but it is better he saves his legs at this point of the season and his career. One thing is for sure, Ray Allen proved that he belonged in that All Star game. [Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
The Herald is reporting that KG is still on track to return to the court for Tuesday night's game in Denver.
Kevin Garnett passed his workout test today and will get another exam tomorrow night in Denver before he is cleared to resume playing.
Garnett is still hoping to come back from his abdominal strain when the Celtics meet the Nuggets Tuesday, but Doc Rivers still wants to get a definitive word from trainer Ed Lacerte. Even then, Rivers said he will likely limit Garnett’s playing time as he comes back from what’s now a nine-game absence.
If Doc limits KG's minutes like he did Pierce's on his return from injury last season, or Wally when he was supposed to be on limited minutes, we can expect him to be limited to 35 or 40 minutes.
