By Jon Duke
Pacers 82 - Celtics 79

The Boston Celtics were 3 minutes away from being ahead in their Best-of-seven series from the Indiana Pacers when they suddenly forgot how to run an offense. Up 76-70 with just under 3 minutes to go, the Celtics ran a lobotomized offense that produced an unimaginable number of bad shots and gave the Pacers ample opportunity to move ahead. From that point, Indiana finished the game on a 12-3 run, and sent their first round series back to Conseco Fieldhouse tied at one game apiece.

Early on the Pacers simply could not miss. The performances Stephen Jackson and Reggie Miller put on in the first quarter gave this Celtics fan flashbacks of the Chuck Person - Reggie Miller years in the early 90’s. Jackson had only 3 points fewer than his points per game average (18 ppg) in the opening stanza, and Miller did something that he was unable to do at anytime on Saturday, make a 3 pointer. Despite the Pacers blitz, the Celtics hung tough and stayed close with an astounding 9 first quarter offensive rebounds. At quarter’s end, the Celtics only trailed 30-22.

As both teams entered last night’s game, most eyes were fixed on the Celtics bench, attempting to see if Jefferson, Davis, Banks, and company could duplicate their dominant effort from Saturday. While the Celtics second unit was not as explosive on the offensive end as in Game 1, their defense keyed a Celtics comeback and pushed the C’s into the lead when the starters began to re-enter the game. Unfortunately, the Celtics starters were not able to carryover the second unit’s defensive intensity and finished the 2nd quarter down 47-42.

The “punch-counterpunch” theme continued into the second half, as the game came to resemble a middleweight title match, with each team trading blows throughout. In the third quarter, Paul Pierce took over and played a stretch of basketball that was as good as I have seen from the Celtics captain. Pierce not only hit a number of tough shots over a 15-minute period, but his defense, passing, and rebounding was top notch. Pierce had his game going in such a manner that I felt there was no way the Celtics could lose this game because Pierce was unstoppable. That is until the latter stages of the 4th quarter.

Throughout last night’s game the Celtics’ contributing players struggled, most notably Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz, and Gary Payton. The three combined for 13 points last night, which Davis had on his own in Game 1. The “Bad 3″ also totaled 9 turnovers, 5 of which were credited to Davis, and while the Celtics were able to overcome the poor performances by these contributors early on, it caught up with them at crunch time. Without a significant contribution from Davis, LaFrentz, or Payton; the Celtics reverted to what Antoine calls “The Grind” or the most unattractive, Iso-laden offensive game the world has ever created. Thankfully, Antoine did not revert to his free shooting old ways, but the ball became far too stationary in Pierce’s hands. It has almost come to the point that Celtics fans are frightened to see Pierce get hot for fear that last evening’s crunch time collapse would appear. Unfortunately, even after 83 meaningful games in Doc Rivers’s offense, the Boston Celtics have not learned that the easiest offense to stop is a stationary offense. No doubt, the Pacers defense was great for the first three quarters, but their lack of depth caught up with them in the 4th quarter. The only thing that saved the Pacers was the Celtics inability to execute their offense, and a pair of defensive lapses once Indiana replaced 7-foot Scot Pollard with 6-6 James Jones in an effort to spread the floor with shooters. For whatever reason, Doc did not immediately respond by replacing LaFrentz with Tony Allen, and it ultimately cost the C’s with a pair of big baskets to even the game at 76.

Following the Pacers’ performance in Game 1, there was some question if the Pacers squad that finished strong down the stretch would show up in Game 2, and they did. Entering Game 3, the focus shifts to the Celtics. In my mind, there is no doubt that Ricky Davis will respond with a much stronger performance, and LaFrentz and Payton should rebound with production somewhere between the highs of Game 1 and lows of Game 2. The unknown revolves around the second unit, and what production Doc can rely on from Al Jefferson and Marcus Banks. Jefferson struggled on the offensive end in Game 2 due to some key defensive tweaks from Rick Carlisle that didn’t allow Jefferson to know precisely where his double team would come from. Ricky Davis’s struggles from the field contributed to Wheezie’s lack of production, but Doc will need to find new ways of getting the ball to Jefferson where he can be successful. Banks is much more of an enigma, and Carlisle found some ways to protect Anthony Johnson from Banks’s suffocating defense. If Doc cannot find a new way to pressure Johnson with Banks, then he must determine whether Banks or West can best push the tempo and run the half court set. Whoever does, deserves the bulk of playing time in Game 3. Delonte West played well in limited minutes in Game 2, after a solid playoff debut in Game 1. Despite finishing without any points, West was active all over the court and pounded the glass with his 6-3 frame.

One will learn a lot about this Celtics team Thursday night when they face off against the Pacers in Indianapolis. As Tommy Heinsohn related last night, the Celtics didn’t play anywhere near as well as they can play while the Pacers were close to their apex. Despite the crunch time struggles, a Celtics fan should walk away from Game 2 believing that this series should ultimately end with the Celtics moving on to the second round.

By Jon Duke
Celtics 105 - Sixers 98

This evening, in the “Baby New York”, the Boston Celtics finally got a win against the Philadelphia 76ers, when they needed it most. With only six games remaining in this season, the Celtics needed a victory to avoid being only a game up in the Atlantic Division standings. After a 27 point, 13 rebound performance from Paul Pierce, including 11-14 from the free throw line; the Celtics put themselves well into the driver’s seat towards the team’s first Atlantic Division crown since Stojko Vrankovic roamed the Boston pine.

The Sixers began the game with a repeat of the blitzkrieg-like 1st quarter Philly had in Boston ten days ago. After beginning the game in an 11-2 hole, the Celtics crawled back and showed great heart by holding the line against the Sixers and finishing the quarter down only seven points. After this point, the Celtics turned the tables on the 76ers, and put Philadelphia on the defensive.

It was during the second quarter when Al Jefferson changed the game and brought some life to the guys in green. Jefferson scored 10 points in the first half, and his scoring provided the catalyst for a 13-0 Celtics run at the start of the quarter that pushed the C’s ahead 38-33. While Philly countered this run with one of their own to finish the half, and this surge pushed them ahead. However, it was the Jefferson spurred run that psychologically changed the game and made the team believe they could beat the Sixers. A 76ers team that the Celtics had seemingly trailed since the teams’ first meeting in November (a run that lasted two full games and the first quarter tonight).

After Wheezie showed them the way, the Celtics went ahead and won this game at the free throw line. The C’s made 17 more free throws than Philadelphia did, and took 49 free throws to only 30 for the 76ers. This is a sign that the Celtics were finally cutting to the hoop and forcing the defense to stop them with a foul rather than taking ill advised jump shots, which can lead to fast breaks for the opponents.

Allen Iverson certainly did his part (28 points, 11 assists, 4 steals, and 10-13 from the free throw line), and, in particular, his ability to pick apart the Celtics defense in the first quarter was crucial for their success in the opening stanza. Where the wheels fell off the Iverson bandwagon was after the Wheezie run, when the Iverson re-entered the game, AI spent more time looking for his own shot than getting others involved. Certainly Iverson’s game has grown by leaps and bounds in the 8 years since he entered the league, but the “talent” around him is as questionable as ever. Perhaps this makes his production this year all the more impressive, but any hope (myself included) that Webber could be a worthy partner to Iverson is long gone. Chris Webber is much closer to the end of his career than I would have though, as the man simply can’t move. The late Carol Wojtya has more mobility than the Sixers’ nine-figure power forward.

Entering this game Celtics fans were clamoring for their team to not only “get it together”, but also to show signs of returning to the form that caused them to go 11-1 following the Antoine Walker trade. Unfortunately, those who bleed green didn’t get what they were looking for. Mark Blount looked at times like an escaped Alzheimer’s patient, and at other times Blount showed the passion and fire of an ottoman. As a money grubbing, curse monger once said of a certain Red Sox infielder, “He’s a bowser. Call him a cab, get him gone.” That couldn’t better reflect my own feelings of Mr. Blount. How he was getting 1 second more than Al Jefferson, who at times was dominant tonight no matter who guarded him, or even Kendrick Perkins. Perkins and Jefferson were crucial in the Celtics’ comeback against Philly in their last meeting, yet Perk couldn’t get a whiff of playing time tonight. Frankly I have no idea why or how this is happening, but all the while Mark Blount continues to play in a manner that causes right thinking Celtics fans everywhere to go into convulsions.

Another of the kids who seems to be MIA is Tony Allen. Despite some improved energy and defensive intensity, Doc only chose to give Allen 13 minutes. I recognize that Allen is not yet the offensive juggernaut that Pierce or Davis are, but the manner with which Allen is treated in the Celtics offense reminds me of the patron Celtic saint of unfulfilled potential, Kedrick Brown. Not only is Allen rarely given the ball in a place where he can do something with it, but also he seems to be playing with an incredibly short leash from Doc. I can respect Rivers’s desire to keep Tony in line, but his presence in the first unit is holding back both Allen’s game and the offensive flow of the first unit. Either Rivers needs to loosen his grip on Allen’s game with the first unit, or replace him with Ricky D. Allen’s development is suffering right now, and unless Rivers recognizes this, the C’s won’t have a fair judgment on his game before the trading season begins.

One other issue with the Celtics game plan going into this evening’s game. First, I abhor “Iso Offense” and seeing the team clear out for a bad shot by Pierce is a frustrating as any other single event during a Celtics game. However, I have noticed an alarming number of situations where a player doesn’t take advantage of an inferior defender. Ricky Davis on Kyle Korver and Antoine Walker on Chris Webber were two examples of matchups that the Celtics could have, and should have, taken advantage of all night long. Yet, most of Antoine’s 20 shots were not when he was matched up with CWebb, and Tyree Ricardo only amassed 8 shots in 37 minutes. If the a team like Philly is going to focus on stopping Paul Pierce it is imperative that the Celtics use that against the Sixers to attack weaker defenders.

by Tom

“This is why people hate the NBA”

This statement was made by me to my friend during the 2nd quarter of yesterday’s Celtics-Sixers game. I was sitting up in balcony across from the Celtics bench. I had a birds eye view of Paul Pierce sitting on the bench, arms and legs folded, while his team huddled 5 feet away from him. He reminded me of a little kid who didn’t get ice cream after his steak dinner. This is the captain of the Boston Celtics, pouting during a key April contest against a division opponent that is nipping on their heals.

Here is a quote Pierce made in the Boston Herald after the game:

“It ain’t like we don’t have something to fight for. We’re acting like we don’t have anything to fight for, because we think we’re already in the playoffs. These games are important, and we need to understand how important they are.”

Rumor has it that Alanis Morrissette was baking brownies right outside Pierce’s locker when these quotes were made…

Pierce had a good game, statistically. He ended with 26 points and 13 rebounds. These are hollow statistics when you consider his antics in the first half. It’s just amazing how someone can make the quotes above without looking in the mirror. Did someone else lead the team with 5 turnovers? Was someone else on the court in the first quarter when an offensively challenged Philadelphia team raced out to a 38-13 lead? Was it someone else who allowed rookie Andre Iguodala and Josh Davis (who?) out hustle and outplay him?

Someone call Kevin Paul Dupont. A captain needs to be relieved of his duties.

I’ve defended Pierce before in the past. He has at times taken some unfair criticism for the teams poor play. However, this is a time where it falls squarely on him. You can’t have 5 guys on your team (with less than 2 years experience) looking up to a guy that acts like this. There is more than one way to lead a team as a captain. Jason Varitek has proved that you don’t have to be a rah rah guy or a grab by-the-shirt guy to be a leader. At this point, it appears that Paul Pierce just wants the ball and nothing else. If this is the case then the Celtics should oblige for this year and ask themselves some tough questions in the off-season. Because it’s clear that Pierce does not want to be captain. There is a direct correlation between his captaincy and his happiness in Boston. It’s clear that like a new tenant inheriting a rattling radiator, Pierce begrudgingly took the captaincy when Antoine left. If you read 50 articles about the young players on Celtics, 49 will probably not mention the words Paul Pierce and “influence” or “mentor”.

What’s the future for Paul Pierce? Does he want to play here? Do the Celtics still want him to play here? This next month will help answer a lot of these questions. If he does return next year, it should not be in a leadership role. The Celtics would be better off without a captain then with Paul Pierce as their captain. Paul Pierce would be better off as well.

By Tom
Celtics 116 - Hawks 100

“Someone is gonna pay”. This is a popular quote made in baseball in reference to a good hitting team that has been shut down for a few games. Usually it’s the manager or the hitting coach that is making this statement. This quote crossed through my mind last night while watching the Celtics, who entered the game on a 4 game losing streak, dismantle the Hawks in the first half. This was quite possibly the best 1st half the Celtics have played in 15 years. Twenty-three, repeat, twenty-three first half assists to go along with 69% shooting. There was a stretch between the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second where the Celtics made a Pleasantville esque-12 out of 13 shots.

The star of the game tonight was Ricky Davis who finished with 36 points on 14-17 shooting. It was a tremendous performance for Davis, who capped off his 23 point first half by scoring the last 12 points of the 2nd quarter. The most amazing statistic of Davis’s performance, a statistic that would make Bob Ryan spit out his prune juice, was the fact that he did not attempt a three point shot the whole night.

The game started out quickly for Boston with them taking an early 17-7 lead. It appeared that Paul Pierce was heading for a big night when he scored 8 of those 17 points. Unfortunately Pierce would spend much of the game plagued by foul trouble. The Celtics closed the quarter out with Davis hitting an acrobatic leaner to put them up 14. The second quarter was really when the game turned. Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins entered the game and were terrific. Give credit to Doc Rivers for switching Perkins and Al Jefferson in the rotation. Jefferson is a tremendous offensive talent who needs some work on the defensive end. Moving him down the bench reminded me of when Pat Burns bumped Joe Thornton to the checking line early in Thornton’s career.

This game was heading for epic blowout proportions when the Celtics went up by 30. However, this is the NBA where it’s very rare that a home team gets blown out without making any kind of run. This even applies to this terrible Hawks team, a team that was missing their starting point guard, Tyronne Lue. Atlanta would open the third quarter on a 12-4 run, led by Josh Childress, who incidentally would probably join Keith Van Horn in making first team All-NBA if he faced the Celtics every night. Atlanta would knock the lead down to 9 points at 84-75 on a Tom Gugliotta jumper. Ironically, the Celtics who passed the ball so well in the first half had only one assist in the 3rd quarter to this point. Nine would be the closest Atlanta would be to Boston for the rest of the night. Justin Reed capped off the 4th quarter with a Dominique Wilkins-like follow up dunk to put the Celtics up 13.

The reserves continued to be effective in the 4th quarter. Perkins started things with a great pass to Jefferson for a dunk. Pierce (17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 23 minutes) would then feed Jefferson again for another dunk. Atlanta would get as close to 10 but that would be it. The Celtics did not fall into their 3rd quarter trap and finished the game with 6 key assists.