Three winning reasons – Celtics-Knicks series: Game 5 thoughts

2 May 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics takes flight.

Was anyone else expect a win? Honestly, I had a feeling we might win this game, and it was so good to see a road win with our backs to the wall. Win or go home? Well, we’re winning and going home – beat that.

The big three reasons

However, the stars were in alignment this game. We had three huge factors to the win:

  1. New York slump: In a game where Carmelo Anthony sputtered on 8 for 24 (22 points) under Bass’s stifling defense, JR Smith’s shot went fishing (or golfing, take your pick) and left him on a 3 for 14 night (14 points), we came out with a 6-point victory.
  2. The hot hands: The C’s shot 50% from downtown, a scorching 11 of 22. Actually, it should have been 11 of 19 if we discounted the three shots T-Will took. I love the guy in transition, especially when he’s driving for the finish. He was forced to toss two up with the shot clock expiring, and gambled on another open shot, none of which were close. So, we shot really, really well from the three-point line this game.
  3. Heavy dose of the Truth/Ticket: KG and Pierce played massive minutes. Rebounding, making plays, you name it, they were on it. Truth had 44, Ticket had 39.The two of them were visibly gassed in the fourth quarter. Kudos to our stars for pulling through and finishing the game.

Reality check

As much as I’d like to see the team shoot 50% in the 3P% column again, something tells me it doesn’t happen every night. We have to make more attempts in the paint. We only had 28 points in the paint, compared to the Knicks scoring 42. Same old tired mantra: jumpshots aren’t going to carry us to consecutive wins, there has to be an established in-out rhythm.

The same goes to Melo and JR’s respective slumps. As much as I love the Bassman defending Melo, things might go in a different direction in Game 6. Expect to see Melo getting his usual 30 points, which would significantly reduce the safety margin. Don’t even get me started on Smith, we’re treading on very thin ice as it is.

KG needs to get his rest somehow, and playing super small with a 7-man rotation might not be the way to go. Is Shavlik still not worthy of trust, even for 1-2 minutes? I’m hoping for the game plan to be adjusted in Game 6, and for home court to provide a strong enough boost for us to force Game 7.

Nothing too deep, just one game at a time. Onwards to Game 6, LET’S GO CELTICS! #AussieCeltics

Filed Under: Games, Opinions, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: , ,

Celtics-Knicks series: Game 4 recap

29 April 2013 By Leave a Comment

Image

The Boston Celtics managed to outlast the New York Knicks in an OT thriller at the TD Garden.

The Celtics led 54-35 at the half and by as much as 20 with less than 8 minutes to go in the 3rd period. However, as the Celtics have done all series, they struggled again in the 2nd half, scoring 14 points in the 3rd and 16 in the 4th.

Pierce had a chance to win the game in regulation but couldn’t get it to drop. When OT came around, JET was finally ready to play. He dropped 9 of his 18 points in the OT period, in which Boston scored 13 (1 less than 3rd period in 7 less minutes).

Paul Pierce finished with 29-8-6, Green 26-6 and KG with 13-17-6. Kevin played like a mad man and helped win this game with a big shot near end of regulation. Celtics held Carmelo Anthony to 10-35 from the field, who still 16-20 from FT.

The Celtics held on and won 97-90 to force a game 5 back in New York.

Schedule as follows.

Round 1 Game 1: 5am 21/4 in New York (85-78 L)
Round 1 Game 2: 10 am 24/4 in New York (71-87 L)
Round 1 Game 3: 10 am 25/4 in Boston (L 76-90)
Round 1 Game 4: 3 am 29/4 in Boston (W (90-97)
Round 1 Game 5: TBD 2/5 in New York
Round 1 Game 6: TBD 4/5 in Boston *
Round 1 Game 7: TBD 6/4 in New York *

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: , , , , ,

Could Another Big Man Be The Answer?

23 April 2013 By 1 Comment

With Game 1 done and dusted, the Celtics must regroup for Game 2 against New York and look to level the series at Madison Square Garden. If the C’s can match the Knicks in Game 2 tomorrow, an enticing three game homestand in Boston at the TD Garden awaits.

One thing we learnt from Game 1 of the series was Doc’s plan to roll with a very short rotation, bringing only Jason Terry, Jordan Crawford and Courtney Lee off the bench. It seems like the use of three guards to back up a starting line-up of Bradley, Pierce, Green, Bass and Garnett could be lacking in size. With bigs such as Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin to compete with on the boards, perhaps Doc Rivers should look towards two players who watched from the sidelines for 48 minutes from game 1, to add size on the court for rebounding if nothing else.

Credit: ESPN

Credit: ESPN

Chris Wilcox has never experienced a playoff game in his 628-game career, which would have many people believing the man would do just about anything the coach asked of him, if given the opportunity to step onto the floor. With season averages of 4.2 PPG, 3 RPG and a very healthy field goal percentage of 72% in 13.6 minutes per contest, Wilcox provides another big body in the contest with the ability to finish around the basket. CW also did a very good job of filling in for Kevin Garnett late in the season, starting 7 games for the season and showing his defensive knowledge in KG’s absence.

The other big man Doc could look to is new fan-favourite Shavlik Randolph, or as Justin of CDU likes to refer to: #ShavKill. Although he was a late-season addition to the Celtics roster, Randolph proved to be a great energy man off the bench in his 16 appearances this season. With averages of 4.2 points, 4.4 rebounds per contest and a field goal percentage of 58% in just 12.4 minutes of action, Shavlik became a favourite for his energy and hustle on the floor, earning Doc’s praise when he told the Washington Post “he leads with his head”, sighting Randolph’s toughness after taking charges, and copping a few blood noses along the way.

Credit: ESPN

Credit: ESPN

Perhaps Wilcox and Randolph could bring some energy and relief to the Celtics front court for the rest of the series, enabling KG, Bass and Jeff Green some much-needed rest in the process. Bring on Game 2!

Filed Under: Games, Opinions, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: , , , , ,

New Crew, Same Trip: Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks Playoffs Preview

19 April 2013 By Leave a Comment

New York Knicks logo

The best time of the year is upon us again. The NBA playoffs is just over two weeks away; ’tis the time when the grind of the season separates the contenders from the wannabes, the champions from the aspirants, and most of all, when history is made. In short, this is what the Boston Celtics are all about. As fate would have it, the Celtics are set to face the Knicks to start this momentuous journey off.

(Ed: So, who else hates the Knicks? Design courtesy CelticsLife.)

New York Sucks design – CelticsLife

Stat check:

The New York Knicks (53-27) are officially champs in the the Atlantic division, and have locked up the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The last time we faced the Knicks without KG this season, it resulted in a 108-89 loss at the Madison Square Garden. Postseason record

Battle begins

  • Game 1: Sun, 21 Apr 2013, 0500hrs AEST at Madison Square Garden, New York
  • Game 2: Wed, 24 Apr 2013, 1000hrs AEST at Madison Square Garden, New York
  • Game 3: Sat, 27 Apr 2013, 1000hrs AEST at TD Garden, Boston
  • Game 4: Mon, 29 Apr 2013, 0300hrs AEST at TD Garden, Boston
  • Game 5: Thu, 2 May 2013, TBD at Madison Square Garden, New York *
  • Game 6: Sat, 4 May 2013, TBD at TD Garden, Boston *
  • Game 7: Mon, 6 May 2013, TBD at Madison Square Garde, New York *

* Scheduled if necessary.

Watch it

NBA League Pass. Game 2 and Game 3 will be on ESPN live.

Roster changes

Boston Celtics:

  • Rajon Rondo (ACL) and Jared Sullinger (back) are both out for the season.

New York Knicks:

  • Rasheed Wallace has chosen to retire before the postseason.
  • Quentin Richardson has been signed to the roster as of 17 April 2013.
  • Amar’e Stoudemire (knees) is out indefinitely.
  • Marcus Camby (foot) is currently day-to-day.
  • Tyson Chandler (neck) is currently day-to-day.
  • Kenyon Martin (ankle) looks to be back for the playoffs, already working out at practice.
  • Pablo Prigioni rolled his ankle on Hawks game, X-rays negative and is day-to-day. Questionable for Game 1.
  • Chris Copeland suffered a shoulder injury on Hawks game, day-to-day and questionable for Game 1.

Top enemy performers (regular season)

  • Carmelo Anthony – 28.7 PPG & 6.9 RPG
  • J.R. Smith – 18.1 PPG & 5.3 RPG
  • Raymond Felton – 13.9 PPG & 5.5 APG
  • Tyson Chandler – 10.4 PPG & 10.7 RPG

Keys to the game

Health Health has always been an issue for the Celtics when the postseason comes around, and this year is no different. With Rondo and Sully out for the season, the Celtics will be forced to embark on their flight to Banner 18 without two valuable assets. Left with no alternative, we are forced to rely heavily on two of the oldest (and undoubtedly deadliest) weapons in our arsenal: Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Pierce and Garnett against the Bobcats in Feb 2013

As it is with Spiderman’s power and responsibility, with great age comes great weariness. If our two veterans are to compete at the highest level in the days ahead, the team need to do whatever it takes to keep these two healthy and rested. Although there is a far greater emphasis on keeping KG and Pierce in shape, the Celtics must not forget about the other guys on the team. With the throng of debiliating injuries suffered throughout this season, they simply cannot afford to lose another body. One injury could very well lead to a first-round exit this postseason.

Stifling Agent Smith We all know Carmelo Anthony can and will explode during this series. All the Celtics can do to remedy this situation, is to play great defense. The same thing Doc Rivers said about Kobe Bryant in the 2008 NBA Finals, could be said about Melo at this point: the Celtics cannot ‘overreact’ to anything he does. Shutting Melo down is a nigh impossible task when he is on a hot streak, and having Pierce cover Melo is likely to wear The Truth out later on. With that in mind, let us talk about potential Sixth Man candidate J.R. Smith instead. Smith is the other Knick who is offensively talented enough to create his own shot, and he is exactly where the Celtics should focus their defensive energy on. Fact: Melo will not be kicking the C’s in the nuts by utting up 70 points every game. He needs someone else to explode with him and recently, that someone has been J.R. Smith. Holding Smith’s output below his season average (18.1 PPG) is a crucial factor to winning this series. Depending on the lineup change, Bradley, Lee and even Williams could show their worth defensively on Smith. (Ed: I’m not hoping for JET or JCraw to stop JR. No sir, not at all.) So, let Melo be Melo. The Celtics will do their darndest to contain him, but they must shut down Smith. The Iron Man

Iron Man – Jeff Green (via CelticsLife)

Suit up, Iron Man. We are gonna need ya. It is important for Jeff Green to get it going early in the playoffs, both as a confidence boost and to get an offensive rhythm flowing. At this point, Green has proven himself to be a viable first option on the offensive end when Pierce and KG were absent. The Celtics need to unleash Green, period. Pierce and KG are going to be efficient 99% of the time. It does not however, change the fact that we need a third man to step up and carry some of the offensive load. Green has proven himself worthy of this honour with the recent boost in his offensive production. Of course, let us not forget the buzzer beaters he had against Indiana & Cleveland. The Celtics forward possesses the length to finish in the paint with ease. Coupled with consistent outside shooting, Green possesses the overall ability to be a defensive mismatch. Will he stand up alongside the Truth and the Big Ticket, and prove to be the scoring threat the C’s need him to be in this series? The Gangster Squad Even with Sully and Rondo out for the season, it does not change the fact that the Celtics are still one of the deeper teams in the NBA. (Ed: To quote a friend, it feels like the team is being held together with spit and duct tape at times.) The most obvious implication is that the Celtics must utilise this advantage against the Knicks, who are currently struggling with injuries to multiple players. Jason “The JET” Terry. Will the JET finally take off in the playoffs? The C’s need him to find his perimeter shots and produce his 10-15 points per game. After a season average of 10.2 PPG, we can only hope that the JET lives up to his reputation as “Mister Fourth Quarter” when it matters the most. Atlanta Hawks v Boston Celtics Could we expect Shavlik Randolph to continue in his relentless intensity on both ends of court? A high level of production in limited minutes could save Kevin Garnett’s body from unnecessary fatigue. (Ed: Defense, rebounding. That’s all I ask for.) Boston Celtics v New Orleans Hornets Jordan Crawford. Like Jeff Green, he needs to be unleashed. We have seen his passing instincts in recent games, but Crawford’s specialty undeniably lies in his scoring abilities. Should Crawford be capable of producing efficiently on offense, his versatility and competitiveness could play a prominent role in this series and give the Celtics another legitimate offensive threat. Chris Wilcox, possibly the most efficient offensive player in the team. All of us are looking forward to #BigWilcoxStyle and his 5-7 points per game. It might not sound like much, but we all know that could be the difference-maker in winning or losing a close game. Should Wilcox put up a big rebounding night against the Knicks (we have seen him do this in spurts throughout the season) , it would definitely be a sight for sore eyes. Boston Herald Media Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams are a pair of former Houston Rockets who could create nightmares for opponents. With his size, T-Will has the ability to match up well with Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton or even Smith. Pitbull Lee, as we all know, wreaks havoc defensively against most guards, and could be a key to shutting down J.R. Smith. Both guys have the ability to knock down treys, (Lee 35.9%, Williams 38.5%) and could possibly give the Celtics that extra 6-8 points per game when the game is on the line. Wild cards – Avery Bradley & Brandon Bass The Celtics’ playoffs success could be ignited by two wild cards in the roster, namely Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass. Both players have been on a roller coaster ride this season, Bradley with a recent shooting slump, and Bass edging back into 2011/12 season form after a tough drought early on. Both players however, have also shown the ability to shine on both ends of the court. Sacramento Kings v Boston Celtics The fact is, the Celtics do not need them to be the best players on the team. KG, Pierce and Green can take care of that. All the Celtics need from Bradley and Bass is consistency, and simply doing what they do best. For Bass, this means keeping up the recent upswing in his production and continue to shoot efficiently. As we have seen in the past, Bass can produce 15-17 points on just 5-7 shots while grabbing 7 rebounds. That, is exactly what we need. The silent, merciless No-Pass Bass who sinks jumper after jumper, and dunks on hapless defenders without mercy. As for Bradley, it’s all about defense; always has been, and always will be. We need him to destroy who ever he marks and to have them begging for mercy. To thankfully toss the ball away, to do anything to be rid of a defensive pest who is looking to pick their pocket any moment.

Beating the Knicks will not be an easy task. Not this year, at least. But it gives me a great sigh of relief to know that we still have two dependable stars on our side: KG, and the Knick-killer Paul Pierce. This is a test of will. This is a battle of warriors. In the end, age and skill will be a minimal factor in this game. Everything comes down to heart, and who wants it more when push comes to shove. And that, is exactly what we have. The Celtics are fighters who will give it their all and more, when everything is on the line. Most importantly, we are talking about a team that runs on heart and passion. Think about how the team has been torn apart by the player injuries thus far. For a team that has Kevin Garnett? We might be running low on a lot of things, but we will never run out of heart.

Kevin Garnett poster on TD Garden lift

Kevin Garnett poster on TD Garden lift

Heart, and heart alone, will get us through this series. #AussieCeltics

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: , ,

April Fool’s: Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks preview

31 March 2013 By Leave a Comment
New York Knicks logo

New York Knicks logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stat check: The Knicks have won 7 of their last 10 games, and are currently on a 7-game win streak. Home record is currently 26-10. Knicks (1) are currently 7.5 games ahead of the Celtics (3) in the Atlantic Division.

Game time: April 1st 2013, 1030hrs AEDT

Watch it on: NBA League Pass

Roster changes:

  1. Rajon Rondo (ACL) and Jared Sullinger (back) are out for the season
  2. Kevin Garnett (inflammed ankle) may return next week
  3. Tyson Chandler (neck) is day-to-day
  4. A’mare Stoudemire (right knee surgery) is out indefinitely
  5. Kurt Thomas  (right foot injury) is out indefinitely
  6. Rasheed Wallace (left foot injury) is out indefinitely

Top enemy performers:

  1. Scoring: Carmelo Anthony (27.6)
  2. Rebounds:  Tyson Chandler (11.0)
  3. Assists:  Raymond Felton (5.5)

Keys to the game:

  1. No dribble penetration. In the last meetup, KG’s absence was sorely missed. J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony combined for 61 points because they could penetrate and do whatever they wanted easily. If the C’s want this, then they will have to pull off some lock-down defense to clinch a win.
  2. Limiting turnovers. Turnovers are always costly, but against a fast paced Knicks team with a streaking J.R. Smith? Double that.
  3. More from the guys! Ball movement and execution — 2 things I have seen for the past few games. It’s always encouraging to see everyone hustling for boards and sharing the ball well. Randolph had his breakout game, so who’s next on the list?
Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: ,

Another Feisty Game: New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics preview

26 March 2013 By Leave a Comment
New York Knicks logo

New York Knicks logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We’re back at the Garden to start the next win streak!

Stat check: The Knicks have won 5 of their last 10 games, and are currently on a 4-game win streak. Road record is currently 18-16.

Game time: 27 March 2013, 1000hrs AEDT

Watch it on: NBA League Pass

Roster changes:

  1. Rajon Rondo (ACL) and Jared Sullinger (back) are out for the season.
  2. Courtney Lee is still uncertain for tomorrow’s game
  3. Kevin Garnett will be out for possibly 2 weeks to rest his inflammed left ankle. No firm timetable.
  4. Tyson Chandler is questionable for tomorrow’s game
  5. Amare Stoudemire is out for 6 weeks after a knee surgery
  6. Kurt Thomas is out for 2-4 weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot
  7. Rasheed Wallace (fractured left foot) is out for the season

Top enemy performers:

  1. Scoring: Carmelo Anthony (27.6)
  2. Rebounds:  Tyson Chandler (11.0)
  3. Assists:  Raymond Felton (5.6)

Keys to the game:

  1. Defending the glass — K-Mart & Melo . K-Mart has been doing a great job starting for the injured Tyson Chandler, providing the Knicks with an offensive spark in their 4-game win streak. In the last 6 games that he has started, K-Mart averaged 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Melo averages 6.3 rebounds this season, which is coincidentally the same as our captain. Melo’s ability to rebound and do a quick put back is what makes him dangerous around the rim. As we will probably be playing a lot of small ball, we will definitely NEED to work harder for the boards. Especially now that KG’s out.
  2. Muzzling the gunners.  Smith averages 16.9 points/game, which could be a difference maker if he suddenly decides to get hot .Bradley has shown what he can do against J.R Smith, and Smith isn’t happy about it. Let’s keep it that way. Steve Novak has been in a terrible shooting slump and doesn’t seem to be getting out of it yet. Let’s keep it that way. 
  3. Trust in the team. With the C’s being incredibly short handed now, Doc will definitely be leaning on every single guy on the bench for contributions. I’m not sure who Doc will pick for the Playoffs rotation, but getting everyone on the same page right now is definitely beneficial. I honestly hope to see less of ISO-Pierce as our primary option and more of the excellent ball movement we’ve seen in short bursts throughout the season.

Fun fact: Lakers lost!

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: ,

Will the win happen? Knicks @ Celtics preview

25 January 2013 By Leave a Comment
New York Knicks logo

New York Knicks logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Celtics are now on a 4 game losing streak, with no obvious quick fix in sight. The last time we met the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, it was a 102-96 victory with the Captain in full form. Morale right now is low, frustration is deep; can the team put it together at home in the Garden and pull out a win?

Fact: The New York Knickerbockers are at 25-14 this season, top in the Atlantic division.

Game time: 25 Jan 2013, 1200hrs AEDT

Watch on: NBA League Pass

Roster changes:

1. Wilcox is cleared to play, but there is no confirmation on whether he will actually see court time.

2. Fab Melo is still not cleared for full contact practice after his recent concussion (walked into a doorway).

3. Raymond Felton (broken pinkie) is still out for this game, likely to return in their next game.

4. Defensive stalwart Iman Shumpert has returned from his rehab and will be playing.

Defense

What else would be key? The Knicks are 8th in the league on scoring, and more often than not rely on a few offensive options (largely simplified descriptions):

  1. Getting the open three ball to their shooters (Kidd, Novak, Melo, Smith, Brewer) through quick perimeter passing.
  2. Pick and roll plays off Chandler, Stoudamire and Copeland, reduced impact thanks to Felton’s absence – Prigioni is decent, but not explosive the way Felton is.
  3. One-on-one plays from Smith and Melo.

Playing zone defense (a la the last game matchup) would likely be the safest option on covering the perimeter shooters while minimising mistakes on defensive rotations. The question here is, are the Knicks ready for the Celtics zone defense this time? Expect the Knicks to have a game plan on hand.

The keyword here is energy. Will the Celtics bring their defensive energy throughout four quarters of the game to stifle the Knicks’ offense? A win is sorely needed

Offense

Bench. Scoring. Enough said. We need scoring, and I’m looking at the trio of Lee, Green and JET. Lee’s been on the upward trend, but Green and Terry and unfortunately still struggling to find some form of rhythm right now. Nothing is fixed in one game, but I’m hoping they show some positive signs in the game today.

Also, a big question to the Captain and KG: will they be finding their offensive mojo after the recent shooting slump? Pierce seems to have lost the lift in his legs, KG is shooting an unusually poor percentage on his bread and butter mid-range shot. Rondo can and will score, but as we have seen, a 30 point Rondo is not enough to bring us to a win. Everyone needs to chip in, and our star players more so. Rondo is back now, but I’m hoping to see more of the two-man game KG and PP played in the last Knicks showing; forcing the switch on Pierce and allowing KG to post a smaller player could work magic.

A win is sorely needed to bring a change of pace and heart; to show everyone that the Celtics are not totally gone to seed the Lakers are, and that we are still capable of pulling the defensive stops to get a win in good old Celtics fashion, through hardnosed defensive and gritty play.

Will it happen tomorrow though? I’m resigned, but still looking for the silver lining that could shine through anytime. Chin up, and let’s GO CELTICS!

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: ,

Hello Melo: Celtics @ Knicks preview

8 January 2013 By Leave a Comment
New York Knicks logo

New York Knicks logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This will be the real test of the Celtics revival: a Rondo-less road game, being well-rested and facing a true contender in the form of Melo and the Knicks.

Bring it on!

Game time: 8 Jan 2013, 1130hrs AEST

Watch on: Good old NBA League Pass

Roster changes:

1. Wilcox is still out with his thumb injury (sprained ulnar collateral).

2. Raymond Felton is out with a fractured right finger.

3. Rajon Rondo has been suspended one game for bumping referee Rodney Mott in the Atlanta game. (I was surprised when he didn’t get tech-ed right then. Ah well.)

Defense

Melo-stopper: There is no one in the team capable of defending Melo one-on-one in his current state. Not Pierce, not Green (who am I kidding), not Bass. No, not even Rondo (who is absent for this game), even though we’ve seen him try to defend LeBron before.

Melo is strong and quick enough to go against anyone outside and in the post, and should you be smaller or slower, he will be getting his points one way or another – either by bulldozing his way to the basket, or by his extremely quick pullup shot.

Look for double-teams to be used to force Melo off the ball, expect KG’s swarming help defense to be utilised.

Long range: Melo, Novak, Smith, Brewer, even Copeland. And not forgetting our favourite: SHEEEEEEEED. The 3 ball is an extremely important weapon in this Knicks team, and getting out there to deny the open shot is crucial.

Pick-and-roll defense: STAT is finally back, and while he is not in 100% game shape, he can still roll and finish with ease. Coming off the bench with Prigioni manning the ball, be prepared to see more of this being shoved our way today.

A good win in New York will cement the streak and give everyone confidence that the C’s are well and truly back. Rondo’s absence from this game will be tough, but count in the fact that Pierce always plays well in the Garden, so expect him to have a good showing too.

What are your points for the game?

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: , , , , ,

Celtics put Knicks away in 4th, win 109-98

21 October 2012 By Leave a Comment

ANOTHER WIN!

But yes, this is preseason after all, with KG and Pierce sitting out. The game was slow and lumpy, but the C’s managed to keep the game within reach until the fourth quarter, when they blew it apart with a 27-6 run at one point. The rest as they say, is history.

Scrub play
Celtics scrubs Kurz, Downs, Joseph and Melo got significant playing time today. Joseph is playing better with every game, scoring 13 points tonight. One exceptional play involved him catching a pass from Terry and finishing at the rim with contact easily (plus making the FT). It’s good to see him gaining confidence.

Of the bunch, Melo appears to be the one who is most definitely not ready. He doesn’t set good picks, has problems with pick and roll defense, and doesn’t rebound as well as Sully. I foresee D-League time very soon. It beats being nailed to the bench or playing in garbage time honestly, he would stand to improve quicker over there.

Locked down for the win
Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Jeff Green were instrumental in this win, playing and scoring at will especially in the fourth quarter. Green had 25 and Terry 22, those numbers say something about their will to get the win tonight, even in a meaningless preseason game.

Lee on the other hand played his usual game. He stayed committed on defense (especially transition D), played some point and hit some shots. Nothing spectacular, but nonetheless essential.

Coasting Rondo
Rondo was obviously playing at a very low gear, and it didn’t help that his shooting wasn’t going down well in this game, going 4/11. Sloppy passing with 6 turnovers, he nonetheless had his way around the basket with a ho-hum 13 points and 11 assists in 31 minutes of gametime, an easy double-double for Rondo. It’s hard to get locked in all the time, no blame here.

Check out this clip (via Red’s Army’s MrTripleDouble10) for a sloppy Rondo pass and a “grown man move” by Jeff Green, as Mark Jackson would’ve called it.

Knicks scrubs
The Knicks definitely have us outclassed in this category. They have got Copeland the rolling big man who can shoot from deep, Prigioni the 35 year old “rookie” who’s played in Euroleague for years, and possible addition James White, who played 45 minutes tonight with 16 points on 7/16. Shaky with 5 TOs but not too bad. Nice additions to the Knicks bench I would say, especially Copeland.

Onwards to the next game, counting down to the season opener.

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With: ,

Five minutes of facepalm: Knicks win in OT, 98-95.

15 October 2012 By 1 Comment


(via Celtics.com on Facebook)

An overtime loss in preseason? That says it all.

First up, photo galleries:

Despite the usual “preseason is what it is” rule, the game proved to be interesting in a lot of ways.

Unexpected starter lineup

Despite massive speculation and Doc’s talk about experimentation, it ended up being JET and Bass who started alongside Pierce, KG and Rondo. Not Lee, not Sully, not Darko.

Bass seemed to be feeling out his options this time, preferring to drive and finish rather than settling for his usual jumpers.

Crazy bench scoring
I can’t remember the last time we had 56 points in bench points, even during preseason games. Lee, Green and Sully are going to be carrying the bench to new heights, seriously. Add Wilcox to the mix, nothing but explosive. Add Bradley’s return, bam. If anyone hasn’t realised it yet, our bench is insanely loaded with firepower.

This season is gonna be LEGEN-wait-for-it-because-opener-is-a-month-away-but-who-cares-DARY.

LEGENDARY!

Melo’s dominance


(via Red’s Army)

Melo had 23 points in 23 minutes, was the top scorer in the game and will continue to be a huge factor in the coming season games.

He powered his way past Pierce in the post, expect to see more of this and active help defense in future games. Of course, this is only IF he is willing to continue his post play. He’s strong, fast and a good finisher, the only thing that’s stopping him from being an overwhelming force in the paint (similar to LeBron) is his pride at being a wing player.

All good, keep it up I say. So long as he continues his selfish domination of the Knicks offense in being a wing player, the chances of winning look pretty good.

The one about poor pick and roll defense

Chandler dunked about a million times on easy pick and rolls, awful defense.


(via meloshipofthering.com)

New signing Chris Copeland (the dude who looks like a lion) abused the Celtics similarly on his rolls to the rim. I guess Woodson basically told him “Look, keep rolling hard after you screen, and keep at it all night until they stop you.” Third string dudes had no answer and Copeland scored 21 – that’s how the game was won.

All Chandler/Copeland did was to keep rolling hard to the basket, period. I noticed how the Celtic big would be maintaining his distance from the opposing guard, which gave the guard ample space and angle for those lobs. Also, not forgetting the help defense. No one was close enough to take a charge, or even foul the guy.

Would showing hard stop the lobs? Or perhaps, reading the situation better to cover the roll man would be a better option. Sullinger did fine on a couple of possessions, recovering his position enough to stop Copeland in his tracks before he could get to the basket.

Regardless, this is something that needs to be ironed out. I’ll vote for KG screaming death threats and smacking everyone repeatedly until they get the hang of pick and roll defense.

Insanely pointless and irrelevant overtime

You could hear the collective groan when overtime was inevitable. Seriously, more of this? At that point, the Celtics lineup consisted of the rookies (Sully, Joseph) and training camp bodies (Smith, Downs, Christmas). The Knicks however, were fielding Kidd and Novak among other scrubs (including star of the night Copeland) – you could tell they really wanted to win.

The Celtics bench guys couldn’t buy their way into a decent shot on most possessions if it wasn’t thrown down to Sully, they couldn’t defend the roll and that’s overtime in summary.

Sidenote: Smith seemed more comfortable handling the ball on offense. While Christmas skipped out on PG duties, he was simply maniacal with his energy and hustle on defense. The guy still has got my vote.

I wonder how Kidd felt like, going from a starter role with the Mavs to fighting garbage time with the third string guys.

Sully continues his excellent play


(via Celtics.com on Facebook)

What else can I say? He played smart, always looking to make the right pass or otherwise take it into the low post. He cleaned up the glass to the tune of 7 rebounds (on par with Rondo this game), and scored 14 before he fouled out.

What a great addition to the team this rookie is fast becoming. The best part is, he’s shown that he is comfortable playing with starters and/or second unit, he knows when he should be giving the ball and when he should be making his moves. Just a smart, smart guy.

Green and Lee continue to attack the rim

12 points and an emphatic one-handed jam in the face of two Knicks.

Lee with an underhand scoop, check out 0:24. I love his baseline 3/drive routine, such an easy and effective combination.

Man, him and Lee are going to give the rim some TLC in the months ahead, especially when Wilcox returns to reform the three-headed transition monster.

The captain bombs away Sheed-style

1 of 6 from downtown. Is it me or is Pierce lofting too many bombs these days? It began last season, and it’s beginning to remind me uncomfortably of the mad bomber Sheed. I like that he has unshakeable confidence in his next shot, but I would like to see more of his usual array of drives, spin moves, pump fakes and stepbacks.

That’s all I’ve got on the game. What do you reckon, a clean kill next time on the Knicks?

Filed Under: Games, Season 2012/2013 Tagged With:
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