Full Court Press: 5/3/05 Celtics vs. Pacers Game 5
By Jon Duke
Pacers 90 - Celtics 85
Coming off the largest playoff defeat in Indiana Pacers history, the Boston Celtics returned home with momentum on their side and home court in what had become a Best of 3 playoff series. After 48 minutes of predominantly ugly basketball, the Pacers handed the Celtics a huge setback with their 90-85 defeat at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Pacers win was keyed by the return of Jamaal Tinsley, who after missing the last 42 games due to injury, looked like he hadn’t missed a minute and truly controlled this game when it mattered.
After a helter skelter first four minutes of action, where neither team could gain an advantage, the Pacers defense stepped up and took control. Tinsley and Reggie Miller led an Indiana effort that forced an astounding 10 1st quarter turnovers, which kept the Celtics from gaining any consistency on offense early. An offensive consistency that the Celtics never really ever got at anytime in the remaining 36 minutes of the game. To compound the C’s offensive difficulties, the Pacer big men pounded the glass and kept the Celtics offense to “one and done” or extra possessions off offensive rebounds. The Celtics were able to rebound in the 2nd quarter and had a better hold on the basketball, but then again, it would be difficult to be any more careless with the basketball than the C’s were in the opening stanza. Of course many of the Celtics turnovers directly led to points on the other end as Indiana turned the 21 Celtics turnovers into 27 points. Tough to win playoff games giving away 27 points.
Going into tonight, the main story focused on the Celtics small lineup and the re-integration of Antoine Walker into the lineup. Walker added a couple of key baskets in the 4th quarter to keep the game close, but Toine had a fairly disappointed 31 minutes of action. At one point during the 3rd quarter, Doc removed Walker from the floor, looking for a spark from the smaller lineup, and the team was able to pull the lead down from 15 to 5 by the end of the quarter. During this extended stretch, the Fox Sports New England cameras caught an obviously contemplative Antoine Walker wondering where it had all gone wrong for him. When Antoine returned following the trade deadline, the Celtics were clicking on all cylinders and the fans were lauding the former captain. Fast forward to tonight, when the Celtics needed a boost from Employee #8, he was unable to help. You’ve got to wonder if as Antoine sat on the bench in the 3rd and 4th quarters if he could his future in Boston slipping away, and with it, an even smaller contract than many had prognosticated.
Going back to the Hoosier state, in hopes of prolonging the series to a Game 7 in Boston, the Celtics coaching staff will need to find some way to either tighten the screws of the defense to match the Pacerç—´ intensity or attempt to cull through the video tape to find ways of opening things up for the offense. A critical portion of the game plan for Game 6 should be extended use of Marcus Banks early in the game. Jamaal Tinsley is a very good point guard and he was quite effective in his limited time on the court. However, when Tinsley was matched up against Banks, the Indiana offense was thrown out of sync. Regardless of what type of lineup Doc Rivers’s staff uses to start Game 6, an imperative must be placed on pressuring Tinsley and Marcus Banks did that better than anyone else. I’ve always preferred the “cut off the head and body will fall” school of thought and after seeing the way Tinsley dominated Game 5, it wouldn’t be a bad place to start. Not to mention that aside from Game 1, every other game this series has been won and lost in the 1st quarter. Defensive pressure to start the game is absolutely crucial.
The Celtics will have to hope that the consistently inconsistent nature of this series holds, and they are able to extend their season at least one more game. Otherwise the next Full Court Press will be discussing the NBA Draft… let’s hope not.
