The My List special continues today with the all-time team for the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. Before I unveil the list, a thought about yesterday's Lakers list; I know many comments wondered about the positioning for the centers that I had at PF. I know that the positions weren't perfect, but the list simply reflected who I felt should be featured; Kareem and Wilt can be switched (and if I could do it again, probably they would be), but at that moment, I had them there.
Anyhow, let's get to the team for the franchise with 17 NBA titles. Here is the Celtics' lineup:
Starters:
PG: Bob Cousy: The Magic Johnson (except he was much smaller) of his day, Cousy wasn't originally drafted by Boston; he was chosen by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now the Atlanta Hawks) in 1950, was traded to Chicago, then was chosen by the Celtics in a dispersal draft after the Stags folded. He went on to become the trigger for the famed Celtics fastbreak that wowed th league in the 1950s and early 60s. He led the league in assists eight straight years from 1953-60 (a record until John Stockton did it nine straight from 1988-96) and was league MVP in 1957. He also played on six championship teams.
SG: Sam Jones: The master of the bank shot long before Tim Duncan used it, Jones was the consistent scorer during the Celtics' dynasty of the 1960s. Drafted by the team in 1957 out of tiny North Carolina Central, Jones moved into the starting lineup in 1960-61, and by the mid-60s had become a 20 PPG scorer on a team not known for high individual scorers. He averaged 20 PPG four times (and came within 2 PPG of that three others), but his most impressive stat was that he won 10 championships with the club.
C: Bill Russell: The great debate with Russell is about the legitimacy of his 11 titles. Those who argue the glass half empty view say he played in an era with only 8 teams and fewer playoffs, while the half full side argues that he still won 11 titles against HOF talent. In any case, Russell won everything before him; 2 NCAA titles, and Olympic gold medal, and those 11 titles in a 13 year career. He won league MVP five times, revolutionized the game with his defensive prowess, and became the first black head coach of a modern pro team when he succeded Red Auerbach in 1966. An impressive resume, even for a half empty guy.
SF: Larry Bird: Bird wasn't the most naturally gifted player in the NBA, but what set him apart from many of his contemporaries was his burning desire to win and a court vision few players ever possessed. He came to a team in shambles in 1979 (after being drafted #6 the prior year) and by the end of his rookie year, the team improved from 29 to 61 wins. He went on to win three staright MVPs from 1984-86 (only Russell and Wilt Chamberlain had won three straight, and none have done it since), and led Boston to three titles in the 80s. He was also named All-NBA first team nine times.
PF: Kevin McHale: Sure, McHale can't run an NBA team (just ask Minnesota), but as the PF for the 80s Celtics, McHale was their virtually unstoppable low-post scorer. After being primarily a defensive player after being drafted third in 1980, McHale eventually won back-to-back Sixth Man awards in 1984-85. During that 1985 season, he replaced an injured Cedric Maxwell as a starter, and over a four year period, he averaged about 20 PPG and over 8 RPG (his personal highs came in 1986-87 with 26.1 PPG and 9.9 RPG). He was also a key figure on the three Boston titlists of the decade.
Reserves:
PG: (tie) Jo Jo White/Dennis Johnson: I couldn't decide between the two, so I picked both! White was the catalyst for the Celtics offenses of the 70s, never averaging below 18.1 PPG in any season from 1970-71 to 1976-77. He was also named Finals MVP in 1976 and played in the legendary game 5 of that series that went three overtimes. Johnson came to Boston from Phoenix in 1983 (he also was a Finals MVP with Seattle in 1979). He became a key defensive player as the C's won titles in 1984 and 1986. He was also an All-Star for the team once in 1985.
SG: Bill Sharman: Sharman was the immediate predecessor for Sam Jones in Boston. After playing for the Washington Capitols before they disbanded in 1951, and then going to minor league baseball for the White Sox, Sharman was sold to Boston and joined the team in 1951. He went on to become a solid scorer for the team, averaging over 18 PPG every year from 1955-60. He then went on to coach the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title after a record 33 game win streak led them to 69 wins.
C: Robert Parish: The 'Chief' may not have been the most interesting conversation, but he was a steady producer at center for the 1980s Celtics. Originally drafted by the Warriors in 1976, Parish was traded (along with McHale, in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history) to the Celts in 1980. His game truly took off from there. He averaged a double-double a staggering eight times in a season with the team (his last in 1990-91 at age 38), and was a nine time All-Star. His steadiness helped the team win three titles in the 80s.
SF: John Havlicek: 'Hondo' was always in constant motion throughout his legendary career with the Celtics, and he also bridges the gap in between the 1960s and 70s Celts. Drafted in 1962 (after spurning an offer from the NFL's Cleveland Browns), Havlicek was a solid sixth man and good defender (anyone remember "Havlicek stole the ball!" from 1965? Thought so.). In the late 60s and early 70s, Havlicek became the unquestioned best player and leader of the Celtics as they transitioned into the Cowens years from the Russell years. He averaged 20+ PPG every year from 1967-74, was a 13-time All-Star, and was the first Celtic to win Finals MVP (in 1974). All of this while being a sixth man much of his career.
PF: Dave Cowens: Another C-to-PF switch. Except that Cowens actually could easily have been a PF. Cowens was small by C standards, but he was tenacious and never backed down from a challenge. Drafted in 1970 (no small feat, considering that his college, Florida State, was banned from postseasons and from TV), Cowens shared ROY honors (with Portland's Geoff Petrie) with 17 PPG and 15 RPG, exactly. Cowens averaged a double-double in each of his first eight season, winning the 1973 league MVP along the way. Cowens also starred in two championship teams in the 70s.
Coaches:
Head Coach: Red Auerbach: The standard by which all coaches who came after him would be judged, Auerbach was a very successful coach in Washington and Tri-Cities before taking the Celtics job in 1950. Over the next 16 years as coach, he molded the team into a fastbreaking machine and, with Russell as the anchor, a tough defensive team. He coached the team to nine titles overall (including the record 8 straight) and then as GM/President, built up seven more champions.
Assistants: K.C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn: Jones wasn't considered a brilliant X's-and-O's coach, but as the Celts' pilot from 1983-88, he didn't have to be. Jones never won fewer than 57 games in any season as Celtics coach, and he owns the highest winning % in team history. Heinsohn succeded Russell as coach in 1969, and after a rough start, he guided the team to five division titles, two conference and NBA titles, and 427 wins overall.
There's the list. Tomorrow, I'll unveil #3, the 76ers. Take care for now!
After taking the weekend off from blogging to finish up some other tasks, I couldn't resist returning to comment about the end of the NBA Finals. What was promised to be the renewal of a classic rivalry instead became a one-sided affair as Boston wrapped up the title in six with a resounding 131-92 win. First off, 131 points!?! The Lakers' defense never really showed up, and tonight, they just looked like they didn't care. Then again, one could say many of the Lakers never showed up in this series, as Boston thoroughly dominated here. Kudos to Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Finals MVP Paul Pierce for getting the elusive brass ring.
But getting back to the Lakers, it is truly amazing how opinion can change in the blink of an eye. A little more than a week ago, many people (including myself) said the Lakers would win the championship. Now, many of those same people are angry and demanding stuff be done (including the outrageous 'proposal' that would send Tim Duncan to L.A.! Please!). There are many reasons people use to explain the loss. Here are my reasons:
1. Kobe wasn't an MVP because of great Celtics' D: Kobe was (in my opinion) never defended better than he was in this series. Aside from game 3 (36 points) he never broke out. They didn't allow him to set up in his usual spots, and he looked completely out of sync. This, however, should end the "Jordan" comparisions for awhile. Kobe's good, but he's no MJ.
2. No inside toughness: I have said in many comments that Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol "play softer than pillow feathers". So I won't bore you with that again. Gasol, however, isn't and probably never will be counted on for the tough points. He really isn't a center, and if Andrew Bynum returns healthy and continues his prior solid play, Gasol should be O.K. Odom really looked bad in this series, as he never could sustain stretches of good play. I do think he could be in line to be moved if the Lakers want to make a big trade.
3. Where's some bench help?: The Celtic bench thoroughly outplayed the Lakers' bench. James Posey was solid throughout, P.J. Brown made big contributions without the stats to show for it, Leon Powe had that huge game 2, and Eddie House and Sam Cassell had their moments. Meanwhile, aside from a big game from Sasha Vujacic in game 3, the Lakers got little from their assumed better reserves. Vujacic was out of control for most of the rest of the series, Jordan Farmar was here and there, Ronny Turiaf was barely used, and Luke Walton... well, forget I mentioned him. By game 5, Phil Jackson was using Chris Mihm (I didn't even realize he was still a Laker!) for a stretch. There was no consistency, which leads to...
4. There was Zen, but no master: Phil was not at the top of his game against Finals neophyte Doc Rivers, who I'll give credit to; he was prepared and took advantage of every Laker weakness. Phil never got a set rotation going (why else would Mihm be in the game?) and probably was hoping for that Bobby Hansen moment to appear. It didn't, and it's appropriate that it occured on the court with Red Auerbach's name on it. I guess Phil isn't quite #1 on the greatest coaches of all time list, huh?
5. Where was Robin, Batman?: Was there a consistent #2 scorer for the Lakers? I think not! We've already mentioned Gasol and Odom, and Vladimir Radmanovic seemed to get more fouls than points, and Derek Fisher was a non-factor at both ends.
6. No defense, no rings: The biggest culprit was that L.A. treated defense like it was optional. Take game 6; nobody in the current NBA should EVER give up 131 points in any game (unless your in Denver), let alone a Finals game. The 39 point loss was the most embarassing one ever in a closeout game (and only three points off of worst Finals loss ever, eclipsed by Chicago's 96-54 laugher against Utah in 1998). Allen also tied a Finals record (held by Kenny Smith and Scottie Pippen) with 7 threes in this game. In short, defense like that makes you a loser.
So, after all of that, what do the Lakers need to rebound next year? A healthy Bynum would be a good start, but only a start. I say add some front line toughness (and not the Ron Artest kind) by putting Odom on the trading block. They need to acquire some decent, consistent bench help, and maybe Phil should take a cue from Doc Rivers and hire a defensive specialty coach to teach these guys the way to play D. All told, there need be only a few changes in L.A., not drastic measures. As for Boston, they earned that trophy, and hopefully this team (like the Spurs and, to a lesser extent, the Pistons) are the example of how to build a championship team in the NBA.
Tonight was a weird night for me. I had to attend my aunt's graduation ceremony, then the fam and I had to go to dinner at Friday's. While I'm eating, the Lakers/Celtics game begins, and I struggle to watch from afar. Also struggling, out of the corner of my eye, were the Celts, who trailed by 21 after one period. I told my grandmother (who celebrated her 70th birthday today) that "L.A. was opening a can of whup### on the Celtics (her pick to win the series)".
After stuffing my face, I return home, and low and behold, the Celtics start to come back. I watch the rest of the third quarter, and they cut the Laker lead to 2. I thought "This isn't good for the Lakers!". It proved not to be, as Boston won the game 97-91 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. After such an impressive victory, the inevitable question is "Did Boston win it, or did L.A. lose it?". Let's examine that.
The Celtics really won this game. L.A. shot over 50% in the 1st half (don't have the exact figure) but ended up shooting just under 42% for the game. They scored a grand total of 33 points (15 in the 3rd and 18 in the 4th) the entire second half; they scored 35 in THE FIRST QUARTER! Kobe Bryanty didn't play like the MVP with a pitiful 6-19 'performance' for the game, and the bench did nothing, as Sasha Vujacic shot 1-9 and had only 3 points, and the bench as a whole had just 15 points. Many signs to point to for 'choke'.
On the other hand, the Lakers built an 18 point halftime lead (after leading by as many as 24) without Kobe hitting a FG, and with Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol finally making an impact. The Lakers scored 58 1st half points, and as late as the middle of the 3rd, led by 20. I give the Celtics tons of credit for not quitting; it would have been easy to say "Forget tonight, let's focus on game 5". Instead, they fought hard, and their bench was solid, led by James Posey (18 points) and Eddie House (11). The Big 3 made shots when they had to, and unlike game 3, Doc Rivers adjusted and put shooters on the floor, and voila, they won. They also made Odom and Gasol revert to form in the second half, continuing to exploit what has become an obvious Laker weakness; no tough interior D (where have you gone, Andrew Bynum?).
So, was it a choke or a comeback? I'll say it's both; to have a great comeback, the other team must accomodate you. The Celtics deserve all the credit in the world; they won, and now stand just one win away from their 17th NBA title. But the Lakers also deserve blame for Kobe not showing up (he really has no-showed in all three Laker losses) and for the rest of the team being softer than pillow feathers. I now regret my pick of Lakers in 6 because I just didn't realize how soft physically and mentally these guys are. And now you expect them to beat Boston three straight (twice at the new Garden)? Hell no, that's not happening! So, Celtic fans, I'm sorry. And, even though it might not be Sunday, I'll say it now; congratulations on another NBA title! And may the Laker trade rumors begin in earnest after this series!
Game 3 of the NBA Finals has come and gone. Now it's time, once again, for my post-game analysis. I really like doing these blogs where I take a peek into my thoughts about the game. So, without further ado, here are my completely random thoughts, followed by my analysis:
1st Quarter:
12:00- I sincerely hope ABC quickly cancels both of their new game shows; Wipeout and that Japanese show. They already are blitzing both, and they both look bad! Enough, already!
10:18- The Lakers got the first FTs of the game. That should quiet Phil Jackson for awhile.
9:45- (Lamar) Odom looks passive again. Bad sign.
9:29: (Mark) Jackson just said the Laker fans wouldn't catch (Paul) Pierce as he fell into the crowd. Duh!?!
7:51- Just got a pen that writes. At long last!
7:41- Phil certainly won't be complaining about the foul calls tonight. Ah, nothing better than home cooking!
commercial break- There's that damn Wipeout (it's so bad, I'm not italicizing it) again! I hate Wipeout, and I won't watch!
5:16- Every time a call goes against L.A., the fans treat it as a crime. Calm down, already!
4:59- Thank goodness the referees want to have the spotlight shine brightly on them; I guess if you're the home team, you're made (not that that's bad; I picked L.A. to win, so go ahead, refs!).
3:07- Kobe's very aggressive. A great sign.
2:45- (Rajon) Rondo's aggressive, too. Probably not a good sign.
commercial break- Please no Wipeout or Japanese commercials! (shows Japanese commercial) Dammit!!!
1:40- How can Celtics compete when (Kevin) Garnett and Pierce are really stinking right now?
:24- How much you willing to bet that (Leon) Powe doens't have nearly the same impact as game 2?
End of 1st- Are they trying to promote more ABC shows (with a 20/20 score)?
2nd Quarter:
11:37- Odom simply (fill in expletive). Period.
11:23- It's "Sudden Sam" (Cassell). Look out below!
10:21- How many times is (Mike) Breen going to say "Great defense by (insert Laker name)."? We know that already, Mike!
8:50- Fight! Fight! Dammit, no fight! Where's McHale and Rambis when you need them?
8:26- Why is (Luke) Walton even thinking about shooting?
7:11- Then again, why is Garnett shooting so many jumpers?
5:13- Garnett + Shooting tons of jumpers = You will lose!
3:54- The Lakers and Celtics have switched roles from game 2.
3:25- Thank goodness this game will quash those calls for the refs' heads after a game. Where's Donaghy?
1:49- (Sasha) Vujacic is hot! Great for the Lakers' bench.
:54- Can Garnett play any worse?
End of 2nd- 43-37 Lakers. Good.. for Celtics fans.
3rd Quarter:
11:16- Rondo's hurt. Who would have thought earlier in the playoffs that this would be a bad thing?
8:54- Any wonder why Pierce is the Celtics' offensive X-factor? Since he stinks, the Celtics have struggled.
8:21- (Ray) Allen looks really good.
7:54- Do Odom and (Pau) Gasol have a pulse?
7:29- Who is the FT coach for these teams? Ben Wallace?
6:51- Do Garnett and Pierce have a pulse?
4:58- Maybe Garnett does. If he keeps going down low.
commercial break- Oh no! More (expletive) game show commercials! Forget later; cancel them now!
2:14- Odom's looking slightly warm.
Last commercial break before end of 3rd- Another Wipeout commercial! Fudge! And why is (Jeff) Van Gundy talking about Alyssa Milano?
End of 3rd- Celtics lead 62-60. This should be a great finish!
4th Quarter:
11:21- Allen's really got game! (yes, a cheap joke, but I like it)
9:25- Odom ####s, period.
9:11- Kobe's going to take over eventually.
8:56- Pierce ####s, too. It's a ####off!
commercial break- More Wipeout! Dammit, stop the bull####, already!
7:59- Who cares how much you pay for your haircut, Van Gundy!
7:15- Will Garnett please stop the jumpers and go to the basket.
6:21- Rondo shouldn't be in the game right now. Kobe has no respect for his shot, and they need shooters.
4:25- There are so many candidates for goat of the game for Boston; Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, (Doc) RIvers. I'll say "all of the above".
3:37- Book it; the Lakers will win this one. I don't like how Rivers is playing these last few minutes.
3:22- Speaking of which, can someone explain why Rivers is shying away from a hot Allen for an ice-cold Pierce?
2:00- O.K. Kobe. Finish this one off!
1:43- Good thing Vujacic stepped up for the lackluster Odom and Gasol.
1:33- I guess Doc wanted to lose tonight.
:38- That (Celtic) possession proved it.
End of 4th- And now it's official; Lakers win 87-81.
What can we take away from this game? Aside from the seemingly endless Wipeout and Japanese commercials, that Kobe (aside from some trouble at the line) had easily his best game of the series (36 points) and that his team was more aggressive and got more FTs (a sure point of contention for the road teams so far in this round, but I'm not a referee, and the Lakers were due). Vujacic gave the team life, as well, scoring 20 points.
Meanwhile, many of the Celtics came up small. Garnett and Pierce were the biggest culprits, as Garnett looked soft and frankly stupid, repeatedly shooting (and usually missing) jumpers, and Pierce looked awful all night. I don't want to hear about "maybe his knee swelled up"; he just didn't show up. The Lakers were also decent on the boards (only outrebounded by one, a huge key) and held the Celtics, a team that struggles to score easy baskets, to 34% shooting. Those factors won the game for L.A.
Now, what about game 4? Expect the Celtics to demand KG show more muscle down low and try to eschew those jumpers, and they need Pierce to show up. Also, Doc needs to have the light bulb go on when he knows he has a hot hand. But I think Gasol will show up Thursday, and now the Lakers have confidence. That should translate to a game 4 win and a tied series. Lakers by 6.
I often find it amazing hwo opinions can change on the drop of a hat. How, in a matter of days, someone's treasure turns into trash. It's not uncommon in sports; Mike Bibby remarked earlier in the playoffs that Boston's fans were, in essence, bandwagon jumpers. But tonight, after the Lakers lost 108-102 to trail the NBA Finals 2-0, the negative blogs that have appeared on this site, blaming everything from the referees to Kobe having a terrible support cast, amaze me. Isn't this the same team that everyone outside Boston said would win this series in a walk? Why the sudden change of heart?
Observing most of this game (I came in late in the first with the score knotted at 19), I can give some credence to the referee problem. When you're outshot at the line by a 3-1 margin, that's hard to overcome. And yes, your supporting players had problems. But until the fourth, everybody on the team had problems. Kobe was shooting at his game 1 clip (until a late hot streak). Odom spent much of the game in foul trouble (and he hasn't been a factor when he's been on the court). But Gasol (aside from not being a physical presence at times) had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Here are some reasons the Lakers lost tonight:
They dug too deep a defecit to overcome: The comeback was impressive, but logic dictates that you must spend so much energy to come back, you have nothing left for the finish. Although I will give you if the decision to go for three (down by 4) was curious.
Leon Powe going Kevin McHale on them: Like McHale in his prime, Powe couldn't be stopped underneath. He scored 21 points (after coming in averaging 4 per game) in only 15 minutes! When Powe, and not Garnett or Allen, is the Celtics' second leading scorer for the night, you're going to lose.
No defense, no rings: The Lakers actually shot respectable tonight (49%), but Boston shot 53%. The Celtics are not a high scoring team to begin with, and allowing them to shoot that percentage is begging for disaster.
Luke Walton is playing!: O.K., maybe I'm being too harsh on Luke; his benchmates weren't much better except for Jordan Farmar, who shot better than Derek Fisher and matched him in points in 12 fewer minutes. Why did Fisher get 30 minutes when he was struggling?
Overall, it was a bad night for L.A. Now they head home down 2-0, and the last time that occured (1989 against Detroit), they were swept. Even more disheartening for Laker fans, the Celtics have held a 2-0 lead on the Lakers three times (1959, 1963, 1965), and the series were won in four, six and five games, respectively. So, is L.A. done? Though I will never say never (and the finish tonight could be a morale booster), the Lakers need to do a better job crashing the boards, and need some life from their bench. Also, Kobe needs more consistency, and Odom needs to show up back home. Otherwise, Red Auerbach will toast title #17 with a heavenly victory cigar!
After witnessing a very solid first game of the NBA Finals, I decided to do a blog similar to what I did after game 3 of the Eastern Finals; I put some thoughts down on paper during the game, and now I'll share some of them with you and also analyze the game. Here goes:
Pre-Game Show: Magic Johnson said the Lakers will win tonight. What a surpise! I wonder how (Larry) Bird is picking?
National Anthem: Could James Taylor please speak up! Could he sing the anthem at a lower possible pitch? I can't hear him!
1st Quarter
10:57: Rondo may have missed that jumper, but he must keep shooting to keep L.A. honest.
9:14: (Lamar) Odom hit a jumper. He needs to play well.
7:52: (Mike) Breen said it's loud in Boston. Duh!?!
7:09: (Kevin) Garnett is very aggressive early. I like it! He needs to continue this play.
6:14: Kobe (Bryant) is not into this game right now. Maybe he's having SA flashbacks.
3:56: That was a backcourt violation? I know they (the referees) made a bad call, but why is Pau (Gasol) making that pass?
2:02: Sasha (Vujacic) just made a jumper. You can't say he lacks confidence.
1:02: Posey has two fouls like that? Oh, never mind, he's not that important!
2nd Quarter
10:09: (Sam) Cassell has started very hot. If he keeps it up, look out!
9:09: I guess Odom will continue to struggle.
8:46: Kobe's just returned to the game. Hopefully he can get going.
8:00: Where was this Cassell earlier in the playoffs?
7:25: Garnett's still aggressive. I still like it.
5:30: A lot of players have two fouls. What is this, the 1950s?
5:20: They're selling jerseys worn in this game. Wait until they're finsihed, O.K!
5:14: (Paul) Pierce has 3 fouls. Holy BLEEP!
4:17: Who would have thought the Lakers would be ahead with Kobe playing like you-know-what?
2:48: They just showed Magic and Kareem. Easily the most popular people for Celtic fans to see (lol).
1:36: Kobe's doing a good job not forcing shots and setting up Gasol.
:58: What happened to Garnett?
End of half: Good sign for Lakers to be up 51-46.
Halftime: Is anybody else tired of these damn promos for ABC's game shows? I know I am! And did it look creepy to see Magic and Bird in game jerseys doing those split-screen commercials?
3rd Quarter
12:00: The Celtics need to rediscover Garnett.
11:15: Pierce just hit a three and got the foul. Wait, wasn't that the same play he got called for an offensive foul on in game 6 in Detroit? What was different today, refs?
10:45: Pierce is hot to start the third!
9:03: Garnett's getting going, too.
7:13: Kobe looks like he's getting warm.
6:49: Pierce is really hurt. Oh BLEEP if you love the Celtics!
6:19: Now (Kendrick) Perkins is hurt. Is it 1987 for Boston again?
5:04: Pierce is back. Summon Bird and Willis Reed, someone!
4:59: Thank goodness (Jeff) Van Gundy is here to tell us Phil Jackson calls great timeouts!
1:54: Garnett's cooling off.
1:00: Back-to-back three's for Pierce. Summon Bird, again!
End of 3rd: This should be a helluva finish!
4th Quarter
10:51: The Celtics are more aggressive towards loose balls.
10:07: Cassell's last shot looked like vintage 'Sudden Sam'; bad-looking and missed.
8:52: The Lakers are very sloppy right now.
8:09: Kobe's on the bench? Is Phil crazy? Does he think he still has Bobby Hansen?
6:48: The reserves are making up some ground. Maybe he wasn't crazy.
5:44: Kobe needs to take over now.
4:15: Garnett's ice cold. He needs to go into the post.
3:43: Forget Garnett! The enitre Lakers team is ice-cold!
2:27: Kobe, are you going to take over?
1:32: What a slam by Garnett!
1:12: I guess Kobe doesn't want to take over.
:16: Decided not to foul, Lakers? You must want to lose.
End of game: I guess you did; Celtics win 98-88.
So, how did Boston win? They made Kobe work for his points. Bryant was only 9-26 from the field, as Pierce and James Posey played him very well. His 24 points were about as quiet a 24 as you can get. Pierce also inspired his team with his return from a knee injury to score 15 3rd quarter points (22 for the game), and I liked how Garnett was aggressive early and was good late. Cassell also gave them good minutes, as did P.J. Brown, while L.A. got virtually nothing aside from a couple shots from Vujacic. And I must ask; why is Luke Walotn still playing? Just a thought.
What do the Lakers need to do to recover in game 2? They need a more efficient game from Kobe, and they need to shoot better as a team. They also need to contain Garnett and Pierce and get some production from the bench. Hopefully, that will happen, and they can steal the game. Until then, may the next time they do a Magic/Bird commercial, do it with suits on!
I know I said a few days ago that I wouldn't succumb to the seemingly endless Lakers vs Celtics previews that would spring up. I guess I just couldn't resist! So, I decided to jump in on the fun and give my preview of the most anticipated Finals matchups in years; the renewal of the NBA's greatest rivalry, Lakers and Celtics. I'll give my positional breakdown, then give a prediction.
Point Guard: I love this matchup; something old (Derek Fisher) & something new (Jordan Farmar) vs something borrowed (Sam Cassell) and something blue (Rajon Rondo). Or is it green? After dealing with Tony Parker in the conference finals, Fisher will need to be on his guard with Rondo and his penetration. Expect Doc RIvers to go with whoever is hot as Rondo's backup, as Eddie House could return to the rotation after he was benched because he couldn't handle the Pistons' pressure D. Advantage: Even
Shooting Guard: Before I begin, I'll give Ray Allen credit for finishing solidly against Detroit, and that, in good matchups, he can thrive. Just not against Kobe Bryant. You know Kobe remembers 2004, and with his first post-Shaq title on the horizon, he'll play possessed. Good luck defending, Paul Pierce! Advantage: Lakers in a runaway
Small Forward: Likewise, Pierce has a huge advantage on Vladimir Radmanovic, who isn't a good defender (to say the least) and who is way too streaky to be relied on. Pierce has huge advantages over Vlad and Luke Walton, so expect Kobe to get the defensive work. Advantage: Celtics
Power Forward: Welcome, Kevin Garnett, to your first NBA Finals! How will Garnett match up with Pau Gasol (since the L.A. Times said Lamar Odom would guard Kendrick Perkins)? A leopard never changes its spots, so expect Garnett to work his game on Gasol, which could be a good thing for Gasol if he avoids foul trouble. Gasol will likely work on Perkins, which means both centers must avoid fouls to keep their team from being at a major disadvantage. Advantage: A razor thin edge to the Celtics
Center: Odom was a dud against the Spurs for most of the series, but now he gets Perkins to work on. The Celtic front line is much quicker than the Spurs' front line, though, so Odom must get his jumper working early and have the C's respect his shot before he slashes to the rack. Perkins needs only to be steady (he doesn't need to have a game 5 like performance, but he does need to assert himself on the boards) and the Celtics will live with that. Advantage: Lakers
Benches: The Laker bench was solid against the Spurs. Expect Sasha Vujacic (there, I finally spelled it!) to keep shooting, and I think Trevor Ariza could be a factor on defense if they employ him; he can't be much worse than Walton, can he? The Celtics will counter with James Posey (their defensive stopper and good 3-point shooter) and P.J. Brown (ditto except for threes), but they need some contributions from either Cassell or House to give them some balance. Advantage: Lakers
Coaching: Let's see: Phil Jackson, 11 Finals appearences, 9 titles as a coach, 2 as a player, one of the greatest (if not the best) coaches ever. Doc Rivers: first appearence in Finals as player or coach, no titles, road teams' coattails to Finals. Eh, Advantage: Lakers by a lot
Prediction: The Celtics had a much tougher road to the Finals than the Lakers; the C's have played just one game under the max to get here. They do have home court, though, but both teams will have been rested. I give game 1 to the Lakers, and as far as the series goes, I predict the Lakers win the title in six games. Yes, you heard it; for only the second time ever, an opposing team will celebrate a title victory in Boston. And who gets Finals MVP? Luke Walton! Just kidding! Kobe wins MVP if the Lakers win the title.
I've spent the last few days staying out of the fray of the inevitable Lakers/Celtics NBA Finals matchup. Maybe because I knew many people would have an opinion of this series, be it good or bad. Or because I felt that doing a preview would be tough not because I couldn't do it, but rather that everyone would do it. So, instead of another boring preview, I decided that I would instead revel in the past. To that end, I am going to look back on the 10 previous Finals matchups these two great teams have had. After that, I'll rank the matchups. For the record, I'm not including 1959 because that series ended in a sweep, and those series stink! Let's instead begin with...
1961-62: The Celtics were in the midst of their remarkable run of eight straight titles. Having won three straight at this point, the C's steamrolled to a then-league record 60-20 record. Bill Russell won his second straight MVP (and third for career). The Lakers, in their second year in L.A., won their first division title since 1954 with a 54-26 record, despite Elgin Baylor missing 32 games with injuries. Jerry West and Baylor were among the league leaders in scoring.
The Celtics beat the Warriors in a seven game series (the season where WIlt averaged more than 50 PPG!) with a dramatic Sam Jones jumper with two seconds to go in game 7. The Lakers beat the Pistons in six, and the Finals matchup was a struggle. Each team alternated wins going into game seven. With only a few seconds left, Laker G Frank Selvy had a chance to win the title at the Garden, but his shot rimmed out, and the Celts won in OT 110-107.
1962-63: One year later, little had changed. Boston still dominated the league, going 58-22 and winning the East by 10 games. Russell became the first player to win three straight regular season MVPs. This also marked Bob Cousy's final season and John Havlicek's first (basketball's answer to Mantle and DiMaggio). The Lakers finished 53-27 and won the West by 5 games, as Baylor finished second to Wilt in scoring with a 34.0 PPG.
Both teams faced challenges in their respective division finals; the Celts went seven with the Cincinnati Royals, and the Lakers went seven with the St. Louis Hawks. But both survived to have a Finals rematch. Although most of the games were close (only one was decided by more than 7 points), the C's took a 3-1 lead and won it in six games.
1964-65: After a year's break, the rivalry resumed. Boston set a new league record with a 62-18 record, finishing 14 games ahead of the Royals for first in the East as Russell won his fifth (and final) regular season MVP. He also led the league in rebounds for the last time (24.1 RPG). The Lakers went 49-31 to win the West by four games. West (31.0 PPG) and Baylor (27.1 PPG) were in the top five in scoring.
While the Lakers had a much easier time in the Western Division finals (beating Baltimore 4-2), the Celtics went seven with the Philadelphia 76ers, who had acquired Wilt Chamberlain during the All-Star break. The seventh game was legendary; the Sixers had a chance to win after Russell turned the ball over under the Sixer basket, but John Havlicek stole the inbounding pass (Havlicek stole the ball!!!) to preserve victory. The finals were anticlimatic; with Baylor out the entire series with injury, the Celtics won 4-1.
1965-66: The Celtics' run of nine straight division titles ended during this season; the Sixers beat out the C's by one game to win the division (the Sixers were 55-25, the Celts 54-26) which took away home court and made the Celtics play an opneing round series. So what; Boston beat Cincinnati 3-2, then beat the Sixers 4-1 to advance to their ninth straight Final. The Lakers went 45-35 to win the West by 7 games, as West was second in scoring (31.3 per) and fourth in assists (6.1 per) . They beat the Hawks in seven to advance to the Finals.
L.A. managed to take the opener in Boston in OT. That's when Red Auerbach (who had announced his coaching retirement) named Bill Russell his successor, making Russell the first black coach of the modern era. That inspired the C's to three straight wins and an eventual seven game series win. The win was the Celtics' eighth straight title and ninth in ten years.
1967-68: The Celtics were showing their age a little during the 1968 season. Having lost their title the year before, the Celts finished eight games behind the new champion Sixers with a 54-28 record. Still, they showed there was still something in the tank, as they beat Detroit 4-2 in the division semifinals, then came back from 3-1 down to beat Philly 4-3 and return to the finals. The Lakers finished second to the Hawks in the West with a 52-30 record, as Baylor had one of his last great years (second in scoring with a 26.0 average), beat the Bulls 4-1, then beat the Warriors in a 4-0 sweep to reach the Finals.
The Finals flipped back and forth, with each team alternating wins until the Celts took games 5 & 6 and won the title. The series was noteworthy because Russell played himself a total of 292 minutes in the six game series (a record for a six game Finals series).
1968-69: Many pundits assumed the Lakers were a sure bet to win the title in 1969. They added Wilt Chamberlain in a trade with Philadelphia, and with the dominant trio of him, West and Baylor, the Lakers won 55 games and the Western Division title. Chamberlain led the league in rebounds (21.1 per) and the Lakers beat the Warriors 4-2 and the Hawks 4-1 to advance to the Finals. The Celtics struggled to a 48-34 record, the worst of the Russell era, but managed to beat the Sixers 4-1 in the semis, then beat the Knicks 4-2 to make one more Finals run.
The Lakers took the first two at home by a total of eight points, before the Celtics lashed back with two home wins (one on a dramatic jump shot by Sam Jones, in his last Finals). The teams exchanged home wins to set up game 7, and before the game, the Celts found out that the Lakers, through owner Jack Kent Cooke, had set up dozens of balloons and a marching band to celebrate an apparent Lakers win. That inspired the Cetlics, as they took a big lead early, then through a lucky Don Nelson jumper, beat the Lakers 108-106 to claim their 11th title in 13 years. Despite this, Jerry West won the first Finals MVP (and remains the only losing player to win the award). Three months later, Russell retired, taking the dynasty with him.
1983-84: After a 15 year hiatus, the Celtics and Lakers renewed their hostilities in 1984. The Celtics, after a disappointing 1983 season, replaced Bill Fitch with K.C. Jones and added Dennis Johnson in a trade with Phoenix. With the more relaxed atmosphere, the Celtics went 62-20 and secured the NBA's best record. In the newly expanded playoff format, they beat the Bullets 3-1, survived a grueling seven game series with the Knicks, and beat Milwaukee 4-1 to make the Finals. Larry Bird won his first regular season MVP. The Lakers went 54-28 for the West's best record, swept the Kings 3-0, romped past Dallas 4-1, and beat pesky Phoenix 4-2 to secure the dream finals.
L.A. won the first game 115-109, and they seemed poised to win game 2 until Gerald Henderson stole a pass from James Worthy and scored a tying layup. The Celts won in OT 124-121. The Lakers rolled to an easy 137-104 win in game 3, as Magic Johnson set a Finals record with 21 assists, and Bird angirly said "We played like a bunch of sissies". The Celtics then rebounded with a physical 129-125 OT win, highlighted by Kevin McHale's clothesline of Kurt Rambis and Bird's verbal jousting with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Game 5 was played in sweltering heat (the courtside temp was 97 degrees), but Bird didn't mind; he scored 34 points as Boston won 121-103. The Lakers won game 6, only to see Cedric Maxwell have his last great game as a Celtic with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as the Celtics won 111-102 and beat the Lakers for the eighth straight time in the Finals. Bird was Finals MVP.
1984-85: The Lakers entered the 1985 season determined to avenge their 1984 Finals faliure. They surged to a 62-20 record, second only to the Celtics, whipped Phoenix 3-0 in the first round, and eliminated Portland and Denver 4-1 each to return to the Finals. The Celtics went 63-19 for the league's best record, with Bird winning his second straight MVP, but faced trouble in the playoffs, beating Cleveland 3-1 in a series where the Cavs matched their total point ouput, eliminated Detroit 4-1, and beat the Sixers 4-1 in the last matchup of the heated foes in the 80s.
Even with that, the Celtics smoked the Lakers in game one 148-114 in the Memorial Day Massacre, as Kareem looked old and the Lakers looked nervous. Both dispelled those notions in game 2, as Kareem scored 30 points and added 17 rebounds in a 109-102 win. After a 136-111 Laker rout in game 3, the Celtics stole game 4 as Dennis Johnson hit a buzzer-beating shot to securd the win. The Lakers won game 5, but as they returned to Boston for game 6, they knew no team had won a title against the Celtics at the Garden. So what?; the Lakers cruised to a 111-100 win and ended their jinx against the C's. Kareem won Finals MVP, and Magic Johnson removed the ghosts of his struggles of 1984.
1986-87: The last matchup (prior to this one, of course) was the series that would determine who would be remembered as the better team of the 1980s, sorta like the third Ali-Frazier fight. The Lakers went 65-17 for the league's best record, as Magic won his first regular season MVP by finishing 10th in scoring (a career-high 23.9 per) and leading the league in assists (12.2 per). The Lakers went 11-1 in the Western Conference playoffs, beating Denver (3-0), Golden State (4-1) and Seattle (4-0) to advance. The Celtics looked old and worn out, but still won 59 games, beating Chicago 3-0 for the second year in a row, then survived seven game series with the Bucks and Pistons (including Bird's legendary stolen inbound pass of Isiah Thomas') to reach their fourth straight Final.
The Lakers rolled to two wins at the Forum, then lost game 3 at Boston. Game 4 was the best of the series. Bird drilled a three late to give the Celtics a two point lead, then Kareem hits and missed a FT, then the C's knock the ball oput of bounds, leading to Magic's famous 'junior skyhook' that proves to be the game winner. After a game 5 loss, the Lakers wrap up the title with a 106-93 win at the Forum. Magic wins his third Finals MVP.
So, after that, here's how these Finals ranked (from 1-10):
1. 1984-85: Can't beat history, can you?
2. 1983-84: So dramatic, and a seven game series usually is very good.
3. 1968-69: I bet you Cooke never counted his chickens like that again, did he?!?
4. 1986-87: The 80s were great, weren't they?
5. 1965-66: History made on the court, and off it, too.
6. 1961-62: Does Frank Selvy still have nightmares about that shot?
7. 1967-68: Talk about running you top guys into the ground; Havlicek played only one fewer minute than Russell! They both averaged over 48 minutes a game!!!!
8. 1962-63: Because it went six games.
9. 1964-65: Because it went five games.
10. 1958-59: Because it was a sweep. None of these series mattered that much!
What do you think was the best Lakers/Celtics matchups? I just want Lakers and Celtics fans to be civil here (lol)! And Fox, this is under NBA, so don't banish me, please (I hope they have a sense of humor. Gulp!).
Last night, we saw the crowning of a new Western Conference champion. Tonight, the other half of that equation could occur as the Celtics gun for their 20th Eastern Conference title in Detroit. Seeing the dissention in the ranks of the Pistons (Richard Hamilton and Lindsey Hunter weren't happy with Rasheed Wallace embracing Kevin Garnett; I think they're making too much of it) plus their injury woes (now both their starting guards are hurt) makes me worry about their chances to win tonight. Here are some keys:
Celtics keys:
1. Make use of your bench a little more: The Celts bench scored just three points in game 5 (on a James Posey 3). Observe how the Lakers were able to come back against the Spurs even though Kobe, Gasol and Odom were on the bench in the 2nd, Doc. You won't win if the starters are too damn tired to run the offense.
2. Continue to pound the glass: I don't expect Kendrick Perkins to repeat his awesome game 5 performance (18 points and 16 boards), but if he, Garnett, and the rest can maintain the rebounding edge, they'll be in good shape.
3. May this Ray Allen stay, and may the real Paul Pierce step up: Allen needs to continue the reemergence he had the prior game, and Pierce needs to score and pass, not just set up the offense. Garnett will probably get his points, but Pierce and Allen need to, too.
Pistons keys:
1. Play possessed: Tonight is not the night for the complacent Pistons to show up. They need fire (controlled fire, Rasheed!), and to play as though their lives depend on it (their legacy certainly does).
2. Keep McDyess out of foul trouble, and get Prince involved more: McDyess fouled out of the last game, and without his steady presence and reliable shot, they struggled. Prince has been a nonfactor this series, and if he doesn't show life, they're in trouble.
3. Stop bickering, guys!: This issue with Rasheed and Garnett shows some real holes in this team. Hamilton and Hunter should have kept this in-house! Anyhow, if they're still angry at each other, they'll lose for sure.
I predict that they won't be angry, and that this series goes 7. Pistons win by 9.
Meanwhile, Doug Collins appears to be returning to the Bulls bench after being replaced 20 years ago by Phil Jackson. Many might question such a move. I decided to take a look at teams who have rehired a coach after a firing/resignation. Here's the rundown of the coaches, their W-L record in the first run, and then the W-L of their second run:
Dallas: Richard Motta (267-297 from 1980-87, 4 winning seasons, 4 playoff berths; 62-102 from 1994-96, 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths)
Denver: Dan Issel (96-102 in parts of three years from 1992-94, 1 winning season, 1 playoff berth; 84-106 in parts of three years from 1999-2001, 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths)
Golden State: Don Nelson (275-260 in parts of 7 seasons from 1988-95, four winning season, 4 playoffr berths; 90-76 in two seasons from 2006-present, two winning seasons, one playoff berth)-*
L.A. Clippers: Gene Shue (78-86 in two seasons from 1978-80, one winning season, zero playoff berths; 27-93 in parts of two seasons from 1987-89, zero and zero)
L.A. Lakers: Phil Jackson (286-123 in five seasons from 1999-2004, five winning seasons, five playoff berths, three titles; 144-102 in three seasons from 2005-present, three winning seasons, three playoff berths, titles TBD)-*
Miami: Pat Riley (334-264 in 8 seasons from 1995-2003, six winning seasons, six playoff berths; 111-135 in parts of three season from 2005-08, two winning seasons, two playoff berths, one title)-x
New York: Red Holzman (388-231 in parts of 10 seasons from 1967-77, six winning seasons, nine playoff berths, two titles; 147-167 in parts of four seasons from 1978-82, one winning season, one playoff berth, zero titles)
Orlando: Brian Hill (191-104 in parts of four seasons from 1993-97, three winning seasons, three playoff berths; 112-134 in three seasons from 2004-07, zero winning seasons, one playoff berth)
Philadelphia: Alex Hannum (127-112 in three seasons from 1960-63, three winning seasons, three playoff berths; 130-33 in two seasons from 1966-68, two winning seasons, two playoff berths, one title)
Phoenix: Cotton Fitzsimmons (97-67 in two seasons from 1970-72, two winning seasons, zero playoff berths; 244-161 in parts of six seasons from 1988-97, four winning seasons, five playoff berths)-y
Sacramento: Phil Johnson (155-185 in parts of five seasons from 1974-78, one winning season, one playoff berth; 81-120 in parts of three seasons from 1985-87, zero winning seasons, one playoff berth)
Seattle: Lenny Wilkens (121-125 from 1969-72, one winning season, zero playoff berths; 357-277 in parts of 8 seasons from 1977-85, five winning seasons, six playoff berths, one title)
Washington: Gene Shue (291-267 in parts of seven seasons from 1967-73, four winning seasons, five playoff berths; 231-248 in parts of six seasons from 1980-86, two winning seasons, three playoff berths)
Notations: *= still active, x- the records given for Riley's second tenure were the complete team records during the span; his partial season records were hard to obtain, y= Fitzsimmons' second tenure was from 1988-92 and 1996-97; his stints were lumped together for the complete total seen.
So, what can we derive from that? (1) Only Jackson, Nelson, Riley, Wilkens, Hannum and Fizsimmons had much success during their second go-round, and (2) Gene Shue was really popular with teams.
What will Collins do in Chicago (assuming he takes the job)? He's known as a good short-term winner, but not the coach of a title contender. I see him much like Rick Carlisle in Detroit; he'll make the Bulls a good team, then turn it over to a legit championship-caliber coach, and return to TNT. That's all I can say. What do you think?
The Boston Celtics have taken a 3-2 series lead after beating the Detroit Pistons 106-102 in what was by far the most compelling game of an otherwise dull-edged matchup. The Celts finally got a great performance by Ray Allen (29 points, 9-15 including 5 threes) and got the best performance of his career out of young Kendrick Perkins (18 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks), plus a good game from Kevin Garnett (33 points and 7 boards), but they almost let their guard down and blew this game. Still, it wasn't enough for Detroit to pull out the win.
The refereeing in this game wasn't good (trying to be politically correct here). The flagrent foul on P.J. Brown against Jason Maxiell was a bad call, and the tehcnical on Perkins must have harkened back to the "zero tolerence' policy; if Perkins did something wrong, it wasn't readily apparent to me. The officiating has been poor throughout the playoffs, mostly in favor of the home team, but it seemed like Ed F. Rush, Ken Mauer (or as I call him, a "Grease" reject) and Mike Callahan were a little slanted towards Detroit. We'll have to see how it goes in game 6.
The Pistons have to be disappointed in the loss, but there were a few positives. Rasheed Wallace had an out-of-body experience; he hit SIX of his nine 3-point attempts! But he was 0-3 from two, and he didn't stop Perkins from asserting himself on the boards, where the C's had a 42-25 edge (11-5 on offense rebounds). Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups combined for 51 points, and the Pistons did make the C's defense look bad numerous times. Plus, the Celtics seemed unable to pass the ball, especially Rajon Rondo; a lot of his passes looked like that teardrop he puts up often!
So, who wins game 6? I give Detroit the edge here; (hopefully) you won't see the complacent Pistons, for their sakes. This team needs to win, or major changes (Flip Saunders will be gone for sure, and players like Wallace and Antonio McDyess could be as well) will occur. Plus, Garnett, Pierce and Allen have a combined one closeout game experience (for their team) in the conference finals (Allen in 2001, and he lost), so they could be nervous. I give it to Detroit.
Final thoughts:
It was great that, except for the argument over flagrents, Jeff Van Gundy was subdued by his standards. I didn't have to mute the TV.
The Celtic bench had just 3 points (on a three by James Posey). That must be rectified if they want to close out in Detroit.
McDyess was plagued by fouls and had just 4 points and 5 boards. Coincidece they lost? I think not.
You know hell has frozen over when Rasheed looks like Reggie Miller from three!
How about Rodney Stuckey missing an important FT, then hitting the intentional miss? #### happens, doesn't it?
Another reason the Pistons are having problems? Tayshaun Prince isn't a factor (8 points, 4 boards). Granted, he has to guard Pierce, but Prince needs to make his presence known on offense in game 6.
Tonight, I just wasted about three hours of my life. Hours that I will never get back. How? By watching the Pistons/Celtics game. This game was as ugly as any game can get, especially for Boston. They shot an abysmal 32% from the field, and not just because the Pistons played great D, but they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn tonight. Nobody shot well on either side except Anotnio McDyess, who had a stellar 21 point, 16 board night. But one scene in this eventual 94-75 sleeper that disturbed me.
It occured late in the game, after the outcome had been decided. Richard Hamilton, who I admire as a player, hit a jumper, then proceeded to celebrate as though the Pistons had won the NBA title! Isn't slapping a bunch of hi-fives with the fans and acting like Jimmy Connors a bit much? This team still needs two wins before they can exude that kind of celebretory attitude. But I find it difficult to understand this team; they always seem to need a kick in the ### before they play like the team they are capable of being. Why can't these guys play like that more frequently?
The real scary thing for the Celtics was that even layups weren't going in for them. That could be a sign that fatigue is catching up to them; they've played 18 games so far, startling when you consider that 26 (by the 2005 Pistons) is the record; the Pistons have only 15 games under their belts, so that could play a role. Still, if, and I think only if, they hold home court, they'll survive yet again. But I just feel that the C's engine is finished, and that the Pistons will take one in Beantown in game 7 to advance to the Finals. If that happens, Rip, for the sake of the fans, don't celebrate like you did tonight; it's just bad karma.
Final thoughts:
Chauncey Billups is hurt, obviously, but Rodney Stuckey is turning into the draft's best find.
McDyess is the Pistons MVP so far this postseason.
Ray Allen's not in a slump; he's officially in a coma.
Did this game take place in the 1950s? There were a lot of fouls on both teams.
Why does Jeff Van Gundy need to make a fool of himself every game (like tonight, he imitated Al Pacino)?
I didn't feel like the C's were ever in this game, even when they were within two. Bad sign of possible things to come.
I was going to title this "Random Thoughts about tonight's game", until I saw NiqueDodson took my title. Damn! Anyway, I decided to jot down some of my thoughts as the Celtics and Pistons played their game tonight. Here are some of my insights:
Pregame: Loved the intro for Detroit, where Rasheed Wallace went "We're baaaaaaack!". Good stuff.
1st Quarter:
10:00 mark: Kevin Garnett's fai####ating early scores. Good sign there.
7:54 mark: (Kendrick) Perkins just got a cheap foul. He can't afford those fouls.
7:00 mark: Garnett has two fouls. Bad break.
5:55 mark: Billups has two fouls. It might be (Rodney) Stuckey time.
4:10 mark: It's foulfest on the C's: Allen now has two.
3:49 mark: Paul Pierce needs to stop passing and take command here.
3:14 mark: Why the hell is Jeff Van Gundy talking about baseball?!?
2:54 mark: Sam Cassell looks terrible.
2:19 mark: (Doc) Rivers and (Mark) Jackson just echoed me about Pierce. I'm a genius (lol)!
1:09 mark: Now Van Gundy is talking about MMA! Wtf?!?!
:31 mark: Not another Rasheed no-chance three!!!
2nd Quarter:
9:53 mark: Thank good heavens! Garnett and Allen are back. Pierce stunk!
8:17 mark: Garnett has missed twice. On second thought...
7:35 mark: Now Van Gundy is talking about his teeth! What's next, soccer!
5:42 mark: Is it any wonder that Lindsey Hunter only plays occasionally? He can't score!
5:30 mark: The big 3 have only 10 of the C's 35 points. Outrageous!
:54 mark: Just returned from a bathroom break, and it's now an 18 point lead. What happened?
:40 mark: Billups has three fouls. Oh no!
3rd Quarter:
12:00 mark: Pistons need to step up now!
8:18 mark: I think the Pistons want Ray Allen to shoot more.
6:43 mark: The (Indiana Jones) commercial said game 7; the graphic said game 5. Get your facts straight, ABC!
4:17 mark: Perkins looks great tonight!
2:29 mark: Jackson says the fans should boo (the Pistons). Bravo!
:55 mark: How bad is this game getting?
4th Quarter:
11:33 mark: Is (Richard) Hamilton playing like Billups? He's drawn 100 fouls in the last two minutes!
7:45 mark: The trap is really hurting Boston.
6:53 mark: Another terrible three by Rasheed!
5:31 mark: The Celtics should try to run more and break the trap.
4:28 mark: Stuckey is playing great!
3:38 mark: (Tayshaun) Prince committed a foul. Haven't heard his name all night.
2:17 mark: Now the Celtics are missing FTs.
2:16 mark: Now how, exactly, did Doc Rivers finish 2nd in Coach of the Year voting?
2:00 mark: The Pistons are trying so hard to mount a comeback.
End of game: Too late: Celtics win 94-80.
So, what can we take away from this game? That the dreaded complacent Pistons have once again reared their ugly heads. They dug such a deep hole, they couldn't recover. However, if the trap works like it did at times tonight, they will be in better shape Monday. But Billups is obviously still hurt, and it showed as Stuckey got more time in the 4th. If Billups can't play better, the Pistons are in serious trouble.
As for the C's, while a long awaited road win is good, they still had problems; they showed some complacency in the 4th, couldn't handle the trap, and Allen reverted to his struggles again (although that might be a good omen; the C's have lost every playoff game where Allen has over 20 points). And they have no backup for Rondo; Cassell just looks old, and Eddie House can't handle the trap. So, game 4 will be critical for the Pistons; though they are arrogant about their abilities, they probably won't recover if they fall behind 3-1. We'll just have to wait and see.
The Boston Celtics just wrapped up their second seven game series victory today with a 97-92 win over the Cleveland LeBrons, er, Cavaliers. The game was really defined by the duel between King James and Paul Pierce, in a scene reminiscent of the famed seventh game duel between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins in 1988 (one of the people there for that game; Celts coach Doc Rivers as a Hawk. Go figure). While LeBron scored 45 and kept his team close (many would say unfairly, but still), Pierce came up with a career-defining game at the right time. With Garnett having a quiet double-double (13 points and 13 boards) and Ray allen invisible again, Pierce scored 41 and showed the heart of a champion today.
Now, the Celts advance to the Eastern Finals against the Detroit Pistons, a team that has had nearly a week to rest (especially good for Chauncey Billups) and prepare. Despite the disparity between the teams, both arer playing for their legacies. Boston (and specifically Garnett) are playing for a much-needed title to restore some of the Celtic pride, while the Pistons need a title to stamp themselves as a team to be remembered as more than an interesting footnote. But only one will earn a chance at the ring. With that in mind, let's see where each team stands in matchups:
Point Guard: Doc Rivers finally wised up and played Eddie House over Sam Cassell the last two games of the series, and House played well. He and Rajon Rondo need to step up more against Billups (assuming he's healthy). In the one game the Pistons won over the Celtics, Billups won the game with free throws he drew using his infamous "win it for me, referee!" style. Rondo must take it at Billups (especially early in the series, while Billups is rusty), and as for Detroit, use Rodney Stuckey to spell Billups and perhaps match up on Rondo when Chauncey is out.
Shooting Guard: Hopefully, the Pistons watched how Cleveland neutralized Allen and will use the same style. I think Richard Hamilton has the advantage because Allen will be run ragged at both ends by Hamilton, who was the major key to the Pistons' wrapping up of Orlando in 5 the last round. Maybe the C's will counter by moving Pierce onto Hamilton, but the Pistons win here.
Small Forward: After more than holding his own with LeBron, Pierce faces a different challenge with Tayshaun Prince, who is a much better jump-shooter than King James was. Prince is also a better defender, and won't allow Pierce the space to shoot those jumpers he hit today. Pierce should (and probably will) counter with more drives to the hole, and that will balance things out.
Power Forward: Did you notice that P.J. Brown scored ten points today? Unlike Cassell, Brown has helped a lot in terms of adding toughness and leadership to the front line. Still, all things here begin with Garnett, and the task of defending him will fall to Jason Maxiell and Antonio McDyess. I say let Maxiell be the starter and body him early, then bring in McDyess to take advantage of backups Leon Powe and Glen Davis; he can be a more effective scorer that way.
Center: The biggest key of this series. Why? Rasheed Wallace has the potential to dominate young Kendrick Perkins, who is suseptible to early foul trouble. But it depends on Rasheed's willingness to play a little more on the block; if he's content to hoist awful threes, consider this a wash.
Coaches: This may be the first playoff series where the coaches will have little impact on the series. Niether Rivers nor Flip Saunders is an elite X's-and-O's coach, so it depends on if Rivers sticks with House over Cassell, and if Saunders can stay out of the way of his team.
Prediction: The Celts will win game one because the Pistons are rusty. Then, Detroit wins game 2 (yeah, they'll end the C's home court winning streak). Then, they'll take game 3, but Boston will fight back to win games 4 & 5. The Pistons win game 6, forcing yet another game seven in Boston. Only this time, Billups and Hamilton have big games, and The Pistons win the series in seven games.
Note: I am not homering here; the C's need to win on the road,, and the Pistons aren't a one-man gang (Cleveland) or a weak team (Atlanta). They should win in seven.
At the beginning of every NBA season, you hear commentators say "This team needs home court advantage to win in the playoffs. That refrain is heard all through the season. And usually, those guys are right. However, what's going on in round 2 of the playoffs makes me wonder if homecourt is the only way teams can win in this round.
Including last night's games, the home team is an incredible 19-1 in round 2. Only the Pistons in game 4 of their series with Orlando, and the final score was 90-89! The Celtics, the team with the best regular season record, are winless in five road playoff games (by the way, the last team to make the Finals without a road victory in the playoffs was the 1963 Lakers, and they only played one playoff series to get there). How has homecourt suddenly become unstoppable?
With that in mind, here are some possible solutions to allow the road team a chance to win at least once in the games coming up:
Have Robert Horry hipcheck someone (Chris Paul) into the boards, forcing a benched David West and Tyson Chandler to get off the bench, leading to their one-game suspension for game 7 in New Orleans: Hey, it worked against Phoenix, didn't it?
Have Joe Crawford re####ame with Tim Duncan, then allow them to really fight: Crawford would give the stoic Duncan a war, but the smart money is on Duncan.
Have DeDoNothing Stevenson badmouth one of the road teams' best players and call them overrated before the game: It made LeBron want to knock out the Wizards, and I found a way to keep my nickname in the news.
Warn the Hornets, Lakers and Celtics the 'consequences' of another Spurs-Pistons Finals matchup: That thought, in Stern's mind, is scarier than the 'Saw' series! He'll threaten the Lakers with a Kobe trade if they fail to make it!
Tell the remaining teams if they fail to win on the road, some of the players will be traded to the Knicks!: A fate worse than death, perhaps? They'll play their butts off to win then!
Have Tony Romo sing for the home team before their game: They'll be so frazzled, they won't be able to concentrate and stop the opponent!
Take the home team to watch 'Speed Racer' before the game: See above.
If they fail to win, the road team's players must watch all of Shaq's movies... without a break!: See the Knicks above.
Yeah, this may be sarcastic, but what's preventing these teams from winning A ROAD GAME? I'm not saying that every win should be on the road, but a figure closer to round 1's figure (7 of 10 wins by the home team) would do. What makes these games so hard to watch is that, for the most part, they are blowouts, and blowouts don't interest the casual fans and make diehards fall asleep, too.
So, what's your take? Does this homecourt dominance take away from the excitement of the playoffs? And what would you suggest to fix it? Let me know! Until then, may everyone run should Romo sing in front of a theater showing 'Speed Racer'!
Game one of the second Eastern Conference Finals was a brutal a game as one will ever witness, as the Celtics outslopped the Cavaliers 76-72 to win, er, survive, the game. LeBron James, who I lavished praise on after his triple-double in the closeout of Washington, almost had a quadruple-double, but not one to be praised for; 12 points on a horrific 2-18 shooting (0-5 threes), 9 boards, 9 assists, and 10 turnovers! You know things are going bad when John Starks watches at home going "When will this guy stop shooting!". And yet the Cavs only lost by four! Did either team want to win this game?
My thoughts on this game are simple; (1) Kevin Garnett showed he wanted the ball in the clutch, a good thing when you consider that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen matched LeBron with a combined 2-18 'performance' (and Allen getting a donut in a game for the first time since Feburary 1997), (2) Sam Cassell showed his importance with two big threes in the 4th, and (3) the C's defense has given up an average of 72 PPG at home in the playoffs, which would be the best of the shot-clock era. Other than that, throw this trash away!
The other big story was Kobe winning the MVP (even though we knew this well in advance). Kobe edged Chris Paul by about 300 points (the order was Kobe, Paul, Garnett, LeBron and Dwight Howard). But the thin
