Full Court Press: Celtics vs. Heat 11/28/04

By Tom
November 28, 2004

For the second consecutive game, Paul Pierce and the Celtics had a chance to tie the game and put it into overtime. For the second consecutive game, Pierce came up short.

Unfortunately, many people will take away the above sentences as the sole memory of these past two games. They will quickly point to Pierce and his inability to make the key shot. They will also talk about how Pierce dominates the ball and that is the reason why the Celtics fall apart down the stretch.

For the record, Paul Pierce attempted only 10 shots this game. He also went to the line 10 times, making 9 of those 10 attempts. He led the team in rebounds and assists. This was the type of game that you wanted your star to play (well, other than the whole miss free throw thing). His first attempt from the field did not come until there was 59 seconds left in the first quarter. He let the game come to him as they say. This team needs this version of Paul Pierce in order to have any success.

This was probably one of the most entertaining games of the season. The score at the half was 60-59, Boston, and it featured plenty of fast break basketball. The first half also featured the electrifying Dwayne Wade who looked like a cross between an early nineties version of Penny (court vision) and Tim Hardaway (killer crossover). The Celtics tried 3 different people on Wade with the same results. At one point, it appeared that a helpless Jiri Welsch had donned a blond wig and changed his name to Ehlo. It was no coincidence that the Celtics climbed back in this game in the 4th quarter while Wade was on the bench.

The other story of this game was the play of Tony Allen. The statistics show that Allen finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in 23 minutes. He also had 3 costly turnovers down the stretch. However, there would not have been any stretch run if it was not for his performance. The highlight of the night was when he stole an entry lob to Shaquille O’Neal, tight-roped the baseline, and took the ball the length of the court for a slashing lay up and a 3-point play. It was no coincidence that Wade was held in check in the 4th quarter when Doc Rivers finally decided to put Allen on him. It is this type of performance that will accelerate Ricky Davis or Jiri Welsch’s departure from Boston.

As for the game itself, Miami came out of the locker room in the second half and went on a 13-0 run to go up 73-59. The lead was 10 with 2:30 to play in the 3rd when Doc Rivers went to his bench. Out of the game went Gary Payton, Raef LaFrentz and Mark Blount and into the game came Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen. The Celtics then proceeded to start the 4th quarter on a 7-0 run, keyed by the play of Allen and also Ricky Davis. With 7 minutes remaining, the Celtics sparked by their young 2nd unit, trailed the Miami Heat by one point.

This was the type of play that Celtics coaches and fans were begging to receive from this unit. Defensive intensity? Check. Attacking the basket? Check. Poise? Check. This group managed to evaporate a 10-point lead in a half of a quarter.

This is the point where Doc Rivers made a critical coaching mistake. He decided not to put Gary Payton and Raef LaFrentz back into the game. Both had been sitting since the 2:30 mark of the 3rd quarter. LaFrentz was leading the team with 21 points on 7-14 shooting. This was probably his best game as a Celtic. Payton had 15 points and was the main reason the Celtics didn’t get blown out in the first quarter. I’m still searching for a reason for them not being in the game at this time. Payton ended up going into the game at the 5-minute mark, after Damon Toney, err Jones hit another crucial 3 pointer to put the Heat up 5. LaFrentz did not enter for another 2 minutes, which means that he sat for a full quarter before re-entering. Once in the game, LaFrentz drew a key charge that allowed the Celtics to stay in the game with 1:36 to go. Both players combined to take 2 shots (both missed by Payton) the rest of the game. The irony of this is that there have been plenty of instances where many of us have asked for the young guys to play. Plenty of instances where the veterans were not getting it done and it was time to give the kids a shot. This was not one of those instances. LaFrentz and Payton were both playing well and should have been inserted back into the game earlier.

There were many positives to take from this game. Delonte West decision-making was excellent. The Celtics managed to hold Miami to 1 field goal in the last 2:17. Al Jefferson made his 2-3 plays that make you daydream about his future. LaFrentz shot the ball like he was back at Kansas. Walter McCarty let 35 year old Christian Laettner blow by him for an easy lay-up. Okay, that last one is not a positive but I had to throw it in there (because it should be documented that Laettner blew past someone).

After 12 games, the Boston Celtics are 4-8. It could be argued that this team could be 7-5. But as a man (who sometimes gets bad information) once said, You are what your record is.