So after remarkably predicting the exact score of Game 5 (tongue in cheek patting on the back here), I decided to write a few quick words about tonight's game six.
In a way, I almost feel like this is a type of must win for this Celtics team. Yes, they have a solid core of veterans, but of veterans who are of the "close but no cigar" mold. With every road loss, the "Celtics can't win away from Boston" rumblings have grown louder and louder, to the point where one must wonder if it is beginning to get inside the players' heads a bit. I suspect that it may just be fan/media chatter, but one can't help but wonder if the Celtics are starting to feel the pressure. If the C's can't win on the road tonight, yet still manage to win a seventh game, imagine the pressure that's going to be on them to win in Detroit. Yikes.
I think the loss of Daniel Gibson may prove big for the Cavs. Yes, he's a bench player, but is a dependable shooter, especially from long-distance. Also, is Delonte West's eye/allergy problems continue, losing Gibson could be even more devastating.
Overall, game five was a pretty good game for the Celtics, despite some near hairy moments at the end. They came back strong, played pretty good defense, and held off the late charge. One thing I did notice, however, at the repeated prompting of TNT's broadcasters, is that the Celtics seem to be playing lock-down defense for 20 seconds each possession. Any time the Cavs started really passing the ball around almost in shot-clock expiring desperation, it seemed like the Celtics began to scramble a lot. It'll be interesting to see if Mike Brown tests this theory with some plays designed to slow the game down, and draw the Celtics defense out of sync.
And on a final note, Jay-Z has been banned from the TD Banknorth Garden for life and fined $25,000 for flashing gang signs at an unknown member of the crowd.
Finally, in an attempt to gain a reputation as a FoxBlog Fortune Teller, a score prediction:
A back and forth game, but the Celtics manage to get the "Can't Win on the Road" #### off their backs and end King James' 2008 Reign:
Celtics 99, Cavaliers 93
Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to leave comments.
I haven't
posted in a while, as I've been writing in some other blogs, but
figured now would be a good time for a basketball post. Enjoy.
Well,
the Celtics managed to dig themselves into another hole, now facing
what is essentially a must-win home game tonight after dropping two
straight to the Cavs on the road. Game 3 was a total loss from the
opening tip, while the C's couldn't seem to combine a basket with a
defensive stop to save their lives in the fourth quarter of Game 4. So
now it's back to the Garden, where the Celtics better right the ship
fast, or risk being kicked out of the playoff party a little early by
King James and Co.
Speaking
of James, the incident with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, James, and his
mother, Gloria James (upon reading that sentence a second time, it
sounds like the beginning of a bad dirty joke) was probably one of the
funnier moments I've seen in sports recently. I had no idea the woman
was James' mother, and actually wonder if KG knew who it was.
Nevertheless, she didn't hesitate to get right in Pierce's face, only
to be deterred by Garnett and James, who supposedly said something to
the effect of "Ma, sit your #### down!", which only makes the situation
more funny. Check out the death look she's giving as the play develops:
What
I don't understand is the people who are defending her, saying "Good
for her, that was a cheap play", or "I would have done that too, he
could have hurt LeBron!" Spare me. Pierce did the right thing in that
situation. He didn't want to give up an easy two points, so he fouled
James, and wrapped him up, clearly trying to prevent him from falling
into the net or crowd. The two's momentum carried them into the stands,
where Mommy Dearest came roaring to the rescue. The foul wasn't a big
deal, but fans in the Q screamed bloody murder, as they do (and this
isn't to pick on Cavs fans, all fans do this with their superstars)
whenever James is touched, whether it be a clean block or a hard foul.
After the "fracas" subsided, James and Pierce exchanged a sort of
fist-pound, something to the effects of "Hey man, no hard feelings,
keep playing, etc." Both Pierce and James seemed OK with the play, and
it only ended up counting for two points, but Gloria James jumping into
the action made it a much bigger deal than it was.
Another
note on this series: Having not seen many Cavs games this year, I've
been shocked at the play of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Any Cavs fans who
stumble across this post may be able to enlighten me further, but has
he always shot like this? The guy seems to have a smooth stroke from
beyond the elbows and free throw line, and has been the Cavs best
player at times. This series features two big men who can shoot (the
other being KG), and it's been great to watch so far.
If this series ends in favor of the Cavs, there will almost certainly be calls for Doc Rivers' head to be mounted atop the Zakim Bridge.
While this would be extreme, and I'd be shocked if he were fired with a
series loss, I have begun to question some of his moves this series.
Bill Simmons wrote on ESPN.com something to the extent of "the only way
the Celtics aren't going to the NBA Finals is if Rivers overcoaches
them". I'm not sure that he's overcoaching as much as he just isn't
making the right moves. Why was Glen Davis out there deep into the
fourth quarter, with the game still in the balance? Why does Rajon
Rondo continue to be stapled to the bench in big situations? Yes, he's
not as experienced as Sam Cassell, but Cassell hasn't done much either,
besides fill George Costanza's
role as a "chucker", shooting whenever he gets the chance. Rondo has
been great this series, creating plays and scoring on some nice looking
drives. Let the kid play, Doc. He's gotta learn somehow.
On
another King James note, it's good to see the media kowtowing to him
continues. Sure, I'll probably be ripped for this by Cavs fans, so let
me preface this by saying the following: Yes, he is the best player in
the NBA. Yes, he is going to be one of the greatest players ever. Yes,
he does deserve praise and credit. Yes, I'd love to have him on the
Celtics. Anything else? Now that the disclaimer is out of the way
(though I still expect comments like "Don't be jealous!"), TNT's
gushing of all things LBJ is getting old. I'm not entirely sure which
of the trio it is, though I believe it's Jeff Van Gundy. For example,
Van Gundy spent plenty of time gushing about a pass that James made
when he left his feet. From hearing Van Gundy talk, one would think
James just dunked it from the three point line. Other things that have
been said:
"Wow,
Kevin Garnett actually knocked James DOWN on that foul! Wow! Usually,
it's James who knocks the person down while he gets fouled and he
scores too! Wow!"
"Eddie
House just fouled Lebron! Now he'll be able to tell all of his
grandchildren that he knocked down the King once! Awesome!"
Again,
don't get me wrong. Lebron is an amazing player, and deserves some
praise, but come on Jeff. Take off the LBJ23 Nikes and chill a little.
Now for
some actual predicting. Game 5 is going to be huge, and I don't really
see a blowout coming on either side. I think the Cavs are going to put
up a lot more of a fight than they did the first two times in Boston,
and that the Celtics may be feeling a little pressure, with all of the
"they can't win on the road!" talk building. The scary thing about this
series, from a Celtics fan's perspective, is that James really hasn't
gone off yet. Yes, he's been a catalyst, and huge for the Cavs, but he
hasn't played to his full capacity yet, which is terrifying. Celtics
fans who watch the rest of the NBA may have had nightmares last night
about James' performance against the Pistons in last year's playoffs,
in which he took control and essentially beat Detroit by himself.
So what happens tonight? Only time will tell, but here's my guess:
So is it finally time for the real season to begin? After the first 22 games were little more than a stroll through Boston Common, the Celtics are set to embark on what is said to be the first true test section of their schedule: vs. Orlando on December 23rd, at Utah and L.A. Lakers on back to back nights (December 29th and 30th), at Detroit (January 5th), then back to back games again, this time at New Jersey and at Washington (January 11th and 12th). The Utah/LA games will serve as the end of a four game West Coast swing, which is never an easy task for any NBA team.
On ESPN earlier last week, Bill Walton said that this was the time when the Celtics would show if they were truly one of the league's elite teams (which, according to Chauncey Billups after last night's game, is true). Their early schedule was pretty much a cakewalk, with only occasional challenges from Orlando and Toronto thrown in the mix.
20-3 is quite impressive, but the Celtics still need to prove that they can run with the big boys, and last night's game against Detroit was one of those tests. Even though they lost, the Celtics proved that they are a tough team, and had many chances to win that game. Paul Pierce's ill-advised jumper sealed the deal, as he had plenty of time to up-fake, drive to the net, or even kick the ball out to someone else. There were way too many offensive rebounds for the Pistons, something that a team cannot allow when it is trying to make a comeback. Also, too many stupid fouls (no, not Tony Allen's...everyone in the building was sold on Billups' up-fake) that occurred away from the play or on loose balls. These are all things that the Celtics can build upon, and they should come away from this game angry that they let it get away, not proud that they were able to "hang in there" against Detroit.
That said, last night's game had a great atmosphere, and was a lot of fun to watch. It felt like a playoff game, something that hasn't been seen in the Garden since the Pacers blew the Celtics out of the water a few years back. Ray Allen's clutch three-pointers were incredible, as was the sharpshooting of Billups, who abused Rajon Rondo down the stretch. Basketball was fun again in Boston last night, despite the loss.
Who knows, maybe we'll see some more Celtics-Pistons games down the road, say, in June?
I'm a 20 year old kid from Dorchester, MA, who one day hopes to be a sportswriter for a big time newspaper, and figure this is a good place to start. I'm in college at Suffolk in downtown Boston now, and it's awesome. I love all sports, with the Bruins and Red Sox being my favorite teams, thought I'm also a big Patriots and Celtics fan. I think it's ridiculous how no one in this town cares about the Bruins anymore. I like college sports too, no particular teams, especially any big bowl games and March Madness. I hate fairweather fans, especially everyone who jumped on the Sox bandwagon in 2004. The "pink hats" and "OMG Varitek's so hot!!" drive me crazy, just like anyone else who's a real baseball fan. Pick a team, know the players, stay loyal and be a real fan- in good times and in bad.
