CLEVELAND -- The Cavaliers will be shipping back to Boston after stretching the Celtics to a deciding Game 7 in this Eastern Conference semifinal after staving off elimination in Game 6 with a 74-69 victory at Quicken Loans Arena. Although...
CLEVELAND -- At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had expended a great deal of energy to whittle a 16-point deficit (51-35) to 3 (51-48), but wound up allowing the Cavs&os; to control a 9-point lead, 59-50, at...
CLEVELAND --- After trailing by 16, 51-35, the Celtics reeled off 13 unanswered points, hitting 5 of 6 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers by Paul Pierce that ignited and capped the run and three consecutive jumpers by Kevin Garnett...
CLEVELAND --- Just how the Celtics didn&os;t want to open the second half; LeBron on fire. King James opened the second half by knocking down a key-top trey and following with a fadeaway jumper in the lane and a pair...
Behind a dizzying 17-2 run over the final 6:13 of the second quarter, the Cavaliers rallied from a 31-25 deficit to take a commanding 42-33 halftime lead when Delonte West converted a Paul Pierce midcourt turnover into a buzzer-beating 3-point...
CLEVELAND --- The Celtics appeared well on their way to expanding their 6-point lead (31-25) with 6:13 to go when -- not so fast, my friend -- the Cavs responded by scoring the next 5 in a row, getting a...
CLEVELAND --- Through the first three minutes of the second quarter, Eddie House helped lead a surge by Boston&os;s second-unit. After converting his first field goal to tie it at the end of the first, 18-18, House was credited with...
Eddie House knocked down his first basket of the playoffs with 32.4 seconds left in the first quarter of Game 6 to tie the game, 18-18. This followed a foul-inducing offensive put back by LeBron James that enabled the Cavs...
CLEVELAND - There are those who see each Celtics game as a referendum on Doc Rivers. If the Celtics win, Doc knows what he's doing. If they lose, the guy is clearly in...
CLEVELAND - There was really no room for Lance Allred on the Celtics when he played for their summer league entry last year. But the 6-foot-11 center has finally completed...
CLEVELAND - You are the Cleveland Cavaliers and you are looking for inspiration for tomorrow.
Maybe it's not so difficult. Maybe it's as simple as former Celtic...
CLEVELAND - Sam Cassell hasn't been making shots, so Celtics coach Doc Rivers made a House call - as in reserve guard Eddie House.
For the first time this postseason,...
CLEVELAND - The Celtics have been beaten before on the road in this series, but this one was different. This one they lost.
And, yes, there is a difference. This one...
CLEVELAND - Coach Doc Rivers keeps saying that nights like this are fine as long as the Celtics still have a chance to clinch at home.
And that's exactly where his...
CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Cavaliers packed for a weekend stay in Beantown - not a few weeks on Cape Cod.
They've got at least one more game left, and in the NBA,...
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - With his left arm gingerly tucked close to his side, Daniel Gibson spent some time after practice Thursday watching some of his teammates and coaches...
When LeBron James finally did what everyone feared and broke out of his series-long shooting slump in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday night, it appeared...
The Celtics played better on the road in Game 6, but a very poor stretch before and after halftime coupled with even poorer officiating told the story as the Cavs forced a Game 7 on Sunday.
Rightfully, a lot of the criticism of this game focused on the officiating and the ridiculous charge called on Paul Pierce in the game's waning moments (Thank you Mr. Joe Forte). However it was the Dick Bavetta led crew that called the game in Cleveland's direction from the opening tap and further widening the gap in free throws attempted by the Celtics and their opponents in the playoffs to an embarassing level despite the Celtics going to the basket fairly often. It was painfully obvious that the stereotypes about NBA officiating calling the game for the home team held true, and some might even buy into far more grandiose conspiracy theories after viewing this one.
Tonight's callers were similarly disappointed with the way this game was officiated, and the show ultimately devolved into a discussion of how today's NBA is becoming more and more like the WWF of the 1980's and 90's. This then led us down the road of recalling wrestlers and managers...
First Half Notes:
Ugly, ugly, ugly right from the start.
Turnovers, lots of chippy fouls, and missed open looks.
Worst of all the Cavs kept picking up offensive rebounds.
Eddie House contributed immediately with two quick hoops and a nice assist.
Even with all the turnovers and ugly shots, I still feel like the Celtics were just a few buckets away from hitting their stride.
Unfortunately it turned out that was the case for the Cavs instead. A 17-2 run put them up 9 at the half.
All we need is to keep up the defense, crash the boards, and hit a few more shots and we'll go on our own run.
Second Half Notes:
A roller coaster game. Up, down, up, down...
LeBron showed up to play today.
Rondo didn't.
Garnett did though.
We have Pierce, KG, and Ray, and we're going to Big Baby in the 4th? I don't get it.
Refs missed two big calls down the stretch: the charging call on Pierce and the uncalled goaltend.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHHHH.
Why can't we win a road game???
Some fun links to pass the time till tipoff.
Hollinger: Put Me In Coach Award: Leon Powe, Celtics (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john page=Awards_080516 campaign=rss source=NBAHeadlines)
GTAS comics: Understanding home court advantage (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/GTAS-comics-Understanding-home-court-advantage?urn=nba,82873)
YouTube Classic: '86 Boston Celtics' 'music video' (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/YouTube-Classic-86-Boston-Celtics-music-vide?urn=nba,82888)
Mike Brown Has Maxed Out (http://www.filteringcraig.com/2008/05/16/mike-brown-has-maxed-out/)
WGS: Cavs/Celts Game 6 Preview (http://wickedgoodsports.com/celtics/celticscavs-game-6-preview/)
Gilroy: Celtics look to address road troubles tonight (http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2008/05/16/sports/sports04.txt)
AT
Boston Celtics (3-2) at Cleveland Cavaliers (2-3)
Round 2, Game #6
Friday, May 16
8:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN, CSN HD
Quicken Loans Arena
Chat (index.php?option=com_wrapper Itemid=240) l Game Thread (index.php?option=com_smf Itemid=64 topic=17848.0)
Cavaliers Blog: Cavalier Attitude (http://mvn.com/nba-cavaliers/)
Once again for the second series in a row, the Celtics will try to close
out an opponent in a game 6 on the road. The Celtics have yet to win on the
road in 5 tries and hopefully the 6th time is a charm. The momentum is in the
Celtics favor as they are coming off of one of their best efforts in the playoff
in game 5.
The Celtics can win on the road. They were the best road team in the
regular season. They won big pressure games in Detroit, LA, and the Texas
Triangle and so we know they are capable of winning under pressure on the road.
Why they haven't been able to get it done in the playoffs is anyone's guess.
Hopefully they will build on the rebounding and defensive effort from...
Herald For Celtics, giant ‘Q’ remains (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094435 format=text)
Ray Allen’s play is offensive (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094437 format=text)
Doc Rivers puts focus on ending series (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094439 format=text)
Cavaliers feel right at home (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094440 format=text)
Cavaliers hanging loose in face of elimination (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094443 format=text)
Injured shoulder sidelines Cavaliers’ Daniel Gibson (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094481 format=text)
Chris Paul makes you want to watch NBA playoffs (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1094485 format=text)
Billups works out for Pistons (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1094469 format=text)
Points well taken (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094464 format=text)
LeBron James confident, but Cavaliers’ fans desperate (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094483 format=text)
Globe Eager Celtics ready to take flight (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/16/eager_celtics_ready_to_take_flight?mode=PF)
Sounding extension chord (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/16/sounding_extension_chord?mode=PF)
Gibson (shoulder) to miss 1-2 weeks (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/16/gibson_shoulder_to_miss_1_2_weeks?mode=PF)
Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3118 Itemid=189)
Brian Winhorst writes: (http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/2008/05/14/cavs-celtics-game-5/)
After the game, LeBron made a little proclamation: “A LeBron James team
is never desperate.” I sort of differ on that one, but his point is
fair. There’s no doubt that he has personal confidence going and if the
Cavs play they way they did at home in Games 3 and 4 on Friday then
there is a lot more interesting basketball left. But the Cavs now have
no room for error and this team makes a lot of mistakes even in the
best of times.
There you have it people. LeBron is officially starting to talk in the third person. A Jeff Clark blog is always going to enjoy that.
A Daily Babble Production
Hours after the Pistons had put the finishing touches on their conference semis match-up with the Orlando Magic this past Tuesday night, Columbia Missourian reporter Bill Powell had a question: Do you think the Pistons end up raising Rip's number to the rafters in light of what happened tonight?
'What happened' in Auburn Hills earlier this week was that Richard Hamilton broke Isiah Thomas' career Pistons playoff scoring record (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/SPORTS03/805140391/1051/SPORTS03). With a 31-point effort in his 110th playoff game, Hamilton reached 2,282 playoff points as a Piston, surpassing Zeke's mark of 2,261. On an intriguing parallel, Thomas took 111 games to reach his total. The pair also have remarkably similar shooting numbers. Thomas averaged 20.4 points per postseason game on 44.1 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent on threes. Hamilton has averaged 20.7 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent shooting from deep.
All that said, whether Rip Hamilton will see his number 32 jersey raised to the rafters remains a mystery to me. I've never been entirely sure what constitutes grounds for jersey-raising, and there doesn't seem to be a universal set of qualifications either...
Guess who ended the Cassell/House debate?
From Steve Bulpett in Thursday's Herald: (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094188 format=text)
He’s not a member of the Big Three, the New Three or the Three Amigos. He’s not even 23.
But last night Rajon Rondo saved the Celtics season.
And he did it with a couple of 3’s.
The Celts were listing toward doom, down a dozen at the Garden as halftime neared. LeBron James had flown out of his funk with 23 points in the opening 20 minutes. Everything was going Cleveland’s way, even when Rondo wound up with the ball on the right wing with the shot clock waning. The guy the Cavaliers are essentially daring to shoot had no choice but to do so.
The shot that found only net with 2:42 left wasn’t just Rondo’s third trey of the playoffs, it was his third trey since March 8.
Then, as if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, the kid came down less than a minute later and pulled up for another 3-pointer. More net.
In the blink of a statistical anomaly, the C’s pulled their one sneaker out of the playoff grave and were on their way to cutting their deficit to three points by the break.
Rondo's
threes were momentum...
Guess who ended the Cassell/House debate?
From Steve Bulpett in Thursday's Herald: (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1094188 format=text)
He’s not a member of the Big Three, the New Three or the Three Amigos. He’s not even 23.
But last night Rajon Rondo saved the Celtics season.
And he did it with a couple of 3’s.
The Celts were listing toward doom, down a dozen at the Garden as halftime neared. LeBron James had flown out of his funk with 23 points in the opening 20 minutes. Everything was going Cleveland’s way, even when Rondo wound up with the ball on the right wing with the shot clock waning. The guy the Cavaliers are essentially daring to shoot had no choice but to do so.
The shot that found only net with 2:42 left wasn’t just Rondo’s third trey of the playoffs, it was his third trey since March 8.
Then, as if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, the kid came down less than a minute later and pulled up for another 3-pointer. More net.
In the blink of a statistical anomaly, the C’s pulled their one sneaker out of the playoff grave and were on their way to cutting their deficit to three points by the break....
ESPN reports: (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3397791)
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Cavaliers point guard Daniel Gibson has a separated left shoulder and will miss Cleveland's Game 6 against the Boston Celtics.
Gibson, one of the Cavs' best perimeter shooters, left
in pain early in the fourth quarter Wednesday night following a
collision and did not return.
The team said an MRI revealed a first-degree separation and estimated he would miss one or two weeks.
"I've been coming over to help and (was willing) to give up a three by Rondo. He hadn't made too many in this series." The Cavaliers lost a point guard in Game 5. The Celtics relocated one. Cleveland, down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, will be without Daniel "Boobie" Gibson in Game 6 tonight at 8 at Quicken Loans Arena. via The Chronicle Telegram
Daniel Gibson leaves the game Thursday night after injuring his shoulder. The Cavaliers will be without Daniel Gibson when they face the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series ... via Cleveland.com
"When you play with Jason Kidd, you have to open it up" Rick Carlisle is ready to let Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks run. And run. And run some more. via Houston Chronicle
"It's good to get this over with" The Detroit Pistons made just enough shots and stops to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for a sixth straight year. via Battle Creek Enquirer
"If LeBron James needs to knock someone down to get to the basket, he will be allowed to do so." The visiting side has been getting creamed in the second round of the NBA playoffs. via Canada.com
The elusive NBA championship isn't bestowed upon everyone. Each year only a selective few are able to be crown champions and win the award. via Associated Content
"There are two-step players and there are three-step players." Winning on the road is not easy in basketball. Not in college, not in high school, not on someone else's playground. via ScrippsNews
Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and NBA MVP Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers highlight the 2007-08 NBA All-Defensive Teams. via Kutv.com
Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 16 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added 20 points and 13 assists, and the Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-89, on Wednesday night to move within a win of the Eastern Conference finals.
LeBron James scored 21 points, jamming in a powerhouse dunk over a defenseless Kevin Garnett in the final two minutes, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the homesick Celtics 88-77 in Game 4 on Monday night to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
Ray Allen broke out of a seven-quarter scoring drought with 16 points to help the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 89-73 on Thursday to take a 2-0 eries lead.
LeBron James says he won't miss baskets like he did in the series opener between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Neither, James believes, will Paul Pierce or Ray Allen.
Kevin Garnett scored 28 points and LeBron James couldn't make a basket down the stretch as the Boston Celtics eked out a 76-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Hawks forward Marvin Williams isn't sure he'll be able to play Sunday in Game 7 of Atlanta's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics after spraining his left knee.
Hawks forward Marvin Williams isn't sure he'll be able to play Sunday in Game 7 of Atlanta's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics after spraining his left knee.
The Boston Celtics played hard all season for home-court advantage in the playoffs. They just didn't expect to need it this soon. The Celtics are back in Boston and hoping to finish off the pesky Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in Game 7.
Hawks forward Marvin Williams isn't sure he'll be able to play Sunday in Game 7 of Atlanta's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics after spraining his left knee.
The Hawks forced an improbable Game 7 with the Boston Celtics as Joe Johnson hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1:07 remaining and Atlanta held on for a 103-100 victory Friday night.
This was an ugly game from the start as even the jump ball was no good and had to be thrown up a second time. It was a defensive struggle right from the beginning with neither team shooting the ball well. Paul Pierce missed his first five shots before hitting a jumper with 1:10 left in the first quarter. He finished the quarter with 4 points on 2-7 shooting. Doc finally gave Eddie House a chance and he immediately made a difference, hitting a jumper soon after entering the game to tie the game at 18 to end the first quarter. Doc started the second quarter with PJ Brown, Ray Allen, Big Baby Davis, James, Posey and Eddie House on the court and this lineup went on a 7-1 run including a 3 by Eddie House and a nice feed inside to Big Baby for a dunk. The Celtics took their biggest lead at 31-25 with 6:12 left in the half. But, the Cavs came back and from that point, the Cavs went on a 17-2 run to end the half including a steal and last second 3 by Delonte West at the buzzer to end the half with the Cavs up 42-33. In the third quarter, the Cavs picked up where they left off with 6 quick points by LeBron James to push the lead to 48-33. The Celtics had missed 15 shots in a row before Ray Allen finally scored on a put back of his own miss. It was a game of runs as the Celtics then went on a 13-0 run to cut the lead to 3 points with 2:20 left in the period. But the Cavs pushed the lead back up to 59-50 going into the final period. The Celtics continued to play hard and pulled to within 5 at 72-67 with 1:17 left in the game. It was at this point that the officiating took over and the Celtics didn't have a chance. On the next play, Ilgauskas missed a jumper and Pierce rebounded and was driving to the basket when LeBron stepped in front of him. Ignoring the fact that LeBron was still moving and was going for a steal, the refs called a charge on Pierce. As Tommy said after the game, the ref should be prosecuted for making such a bad call. On the next possession, Pierce got a rebound and passed it ahead to Ray who went in for a layup which was clearly goal tended but the refs didn't call it. They did call a foul and Ray hit the free throws to cut the lead to 72-69. Joe Smith caught the ball on the inbounds pass and landed with both feet, he then immediately pivoted his right foot and shifted his left foot forward, finally dribbling after planting his left foot, which was 3 or 4 steps and clearly a travel, but they instead called a foul and he hit both free throws for the final score of 74-69. The Cavs shot 25 free throws to just 13 for the Celtics. In many of the games, the Celtics weren't aggressively taking the ball to the basket and so didn't get the calls but in this game, the Celtics were getting inside and were getting fouled, but just weren't getting the calls. Usually the officiating won't make a difference, but in this game it absolutely did. Even the ESPN announcers were commenting on those three bad calls in the last minute. The Celtics shot 40% for the game while holding the Cavs to 33% but the difference in the game, besides the officiating, was on the boards. The Cavs had 45 rebounds to 37 for the Celtics and they out rebounded the Celtics by 9 on the offensive end. Kevin Garnett had a good game as he scored 25 points on 11-21 shooting to go with 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, but the rest of the Celtics didn't come through. Paul Pierce shot just 5-15 for 16 points along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 turnovers. After Rondo's huge game 5, he struggled in this one. He scored just 2 points but did pull down 5 rebounds and dish out 5 assists. Filling in at the point behind Rondo, Eddie House did a good job with 8 points on 3-5 shooting along with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 18 minutes. Ray Allen once again struggled with his shot going 3-8 from the field and finishing with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Perk spent much of the game in foul trouble and finished with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 26 minutes. Doc once again used Big Baby as back up behind Perk and that is very puzzling since Leon Powe was playing so well earlier in the series. This may be one of Doc's more baffling moves. Big Baby was just 2-8 with most of those misses being layups. In fairness to him, though, he was mugged on most of those layups with no calls from the refs. PJ Brown played 8 minutes and finished with just 1 rebound on this stat sheet. James Posey didn't score but played his usual steady game on defense and finished with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. The series now shifts back to Boston for the Celtics second game 7 in as many series. The game will be at 3:30 on Sunday. The Celtics have never lost a series when being up 3-2 and we can only hope that streak doesn't end now. Hopefully the Celtics will get some of the calls they didn't get tonight or it is going to be very tough for them to win, even at home. [Box Score][Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
69 74
Once again, there isn't much more you can say, other than "it happened again." You can blame Boston's lack of offensive execution, you can blame Doc Rivers, you can blame the officials, and you can blame anything else that comes to mind. Regardless of who/what you feel shoulders the burden, the Celtics did not get it done for the sixth straight time on the road.
Game 7 of this series, scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday (5/18/08) afternoon, is a do-or-die situation for both clubs.
Box Score
Player of the Game
LeBron James
32 PTS, 12 REBS, 6 ASTS, 2 STLS, 8 TO, 9-23 FG, 13-15 FT
Series Standings: Series tied 3-3
Game 7: Sunday (5/18/08) at 3:30 pm ET.
69 74
Once again, there isn't much more you can say, other than “it happened again.” You can blame Boston's lack of offensive execution, you can blame Doc Rivers, you can blame the officials, and you can blame anything else that comes to mind. Regardless of who/what you feel shoulders the burden, the Celtics did not get it done for the sixth straight time on the road.
Game 7 of this series, scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday (5/18/08) afternoon, is a do-or-die situation for both clubs.
Box Score
Player of the Game
LeBron James
32 PTS, 12 REBS, 6 ASTS, 2 STLS, 8 TO, 9-23 FG, 13-15 FT
Series Standings: Series tied 3-3
Game 7: Sunday (5/18/08) at 3:30 pm ET.
Go to this old Bill Simmons article, scroll down to "Question: What was the most disturbing subplot of the season" and check out what he said about Dick Bavetta. It's intriguing. I'll leave it at that.
Doc Rivers looked great when he played Glen Davis Wednesday night. Not so much tonight. It's hard to give Rivers credit one game and blame him the next. Regardless Davis did stay out there too long in the 4th.
Boston's final offensive possession was beyond awful.
I understand trying to go for the steal with 23 seconds left. But how realistic is that? Why not force the Cavs to win it on the line and conserve some clock as well?
LeBron James is an excellent basketball player. He does a lot of great things on the court. However, the over the top praise for everything he does is grating after a while. Is it necessary to go on about his presence of mind to call a timeout instead of getting a 5 second violation? That's something guys pick up by high school.
Hey Rajon Rondo, what's going on right now?
Delonte West's burst of good play and Wally Szczerbiak's deep three down the stretch were tough to take.
APDer-ek-Zoo-lan-der. Insert favorite White Men Can&os;t Jump joke here. In all seriousness, this photo only makes me more upset. Ok, I&os;ve seen enough. We&os;ve all seen enough. It&os;s almost as if the Celtics concede road games. It&os;s not that they...
This may shock some of you, but Doc Rivers did a couple things tonight that I not only LOVED, but that I've been asking him to do. Unfortunately, the Celtics were on the road so it didn't matter.The first thing he did was give LeBron a little more room to maneuver. Instead of throwing our 5 guys at LeBron, leaving the rest of the Cavs open for easy buckets, we backed off. We didn't smother James until he got in the paint, and although he got a few easy buckets, the plan worked. The Cavs were held to 74 points on their home court, shot 32% as a team, and everybody in white not named LeBron shot 15-50. If I was any good at math I'd tell you what percentage that was... but I know it's low. Delonte was the only other Cav to score in double-digits with 10, and overall it was a great shift in philosophy. However, two huge flaws derailed our hopes of winning. First, we stood idle and let Cleveland swallow 16 offensive rebounds, destroying our morale and negating quite a few quality defensive stops. Second, and more importantly, our offense was just as impotent.We didn't crack 20 points in a single quarter, couldn't get to the free-throw line (more on that later), shot 4-16 from downtown and only converted 40% of our shots. In a story that is becoming disgustingly stale, Kevin Garnett was the only Celtic who seemed able to score and had 25 of our 69 points. Paul Pierce tried, converting 5 of his 15 shots, but that's it. Rondo was disappointing after his huge game 5, basically doing nothing on the court - 2 points (that didn't come until the 4th), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers. Ray Allen, shooting 3-8 with no 3's is making me wonder if we wouldn't have been better off with Wally, Delonte and the #5 pick. Perkins was a disaster, not boxing anybody out and racking up foul after foul (more on that in a moment). Back to my original sentence, the second thing that Doc did that we at BostonSportZ have been begging for was playing Eddie House (and keeping Cassell's ass on the bench). After seeing only seconds of court time through the previous 5 games, Eddie was on the court for 18 minutes tonight, and played very well. He closed out the 1st quarter with a long two, opened up the 2nd with a 3, and finished with 8 points (3-5 shooting) with 2 three's, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and no turnovers. His defense was up to par (and far better than Cassell), and hopefully showed Doc that he deserves those backup minutes. While Sam and Eddie are both out there looking for their shot, Sam is going to take it no matter what (usually immediately after bringing the ball up the court) while Eddie has the sense to know when he's better off passing. It's a simple, subtle difference, but can mean the 2nd unit letting the game get out of hand, or playing good, quality basketball. LeBron had a good game... not a great game, a good game. Despite what you're going to see on SportsCenter, LeBron wasn't AMAZING. The difference between LeBron in Game 6 and LeBron in the other games is what I said at the top -- we let him get some shots tonight. So, that alone inflated his numbers (which still weren't all that great). Stuart Scott will tell you how "King James scored 32 with 12 rebound and 6 assists"... But what they won't say is that he had 8 turnovers and shot a paltry 9-23 from the field. This wasn't even his best game of the series... His 21 point, 13 assist game was far superior. Just trying to keep things in perspective here.BOXSCORE I just want to take a moment now and rant about the officiating. I'm not blaming the loss on the Ref's... I'm saving that for Ray Allen who once again brought nothing to the game. However, I can't seem to understand how LeBron James single handedly shot more free-throws than our entire team 15-13, even though we started pounding the ball down-low instead of settling for jumpers. It was clear (to me, at least) that our guys were getting knocked around with no repercussions, while we couldn't do anything without getting called for it. In the last minute alone, Pierce got called on an absolute BS charging foul and he was dribbling past... you guessed it! LeBron who was moving and not even in front of Pierce. Ray Allen had a fast break layup in which he was fouled, put the ball up, it bounced off the backboard when Delonte came soaring in and swatted it away. Should've been a goaltend (once the ball hits the backboard, it can't be touched). The shot should've counted and Ray should've gone to the line for 1. Never called. Then, with 14 seconds left (and Boston down by 3), Cleveland inbounded the ball to Joe Smith who immediately traveled, which was never called. I seriously think Doc needs to pull a Mark Cuban and make a "Cleveland's Most Egregious Non-Calls" highlight film and send it to the league office. With LeBron traveling all over the court, never getting called for it, all the flopping Cleveland is doing and how much we're getting hacked with no whistles... there's something we have to be able to do. It's absurd.MVC: Kevin Garnett. I said it before, and I'll say it again.... KG is the only Celtic out there who looks like he truly wants to win that ring. 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks -- it wasn't his strongest game, but he was the only Celtic who appeared to be competent on offense. Lastly, I just want to commend Doc on switching things up for Game 6 -- if Ray Allen and Rondo could've done ANYTHING the score would've been different and we could be talking about Detroit right now. I just hope Doc sticks to the same gameplan ion Sunday -- let LeBron do what he needs to do and make the scrubs he plays with beat us on the road in Game 7. I'm fairly confident in the outcome of that storyline. And, oh yeah, keep House on the court. Please.
Classic bag job. Dick Bavetta and Co. gift-wrapped this one for the Cavs. Joe Forte gets credit for the worst call of the night: a charge on Paul Pierce with :49 left (Watch it here) which should have been called a block or reach on LeBron James. See you Sunday.
Box Score | Recap
I don't know what to say. Following this team has left me drained and completely spent. And yes I know how pathetic that sounds. Trust me. I know. I'm just looking for the Celtics to go 8 deep, share the ball on offense and bring their top defensive game. Hey I get it. Cleveland is at home and "A LeBron James team is never desperate." Boston needs this one. And Kevin Garnett does too. Closing with a picture...NOW!
via www.nba.com
As a side note I'm putting the over/under of Perkins scowls at 9.5.
In the post-2002 Boston Sports Era, we&os;ve been trained to think positively. The 2003 Red Sox did their best to put us into our old way of thinking. The 2004 Sox did but then proved otherwise. Since then, we&os;ve...
I&os;ve tried to completely avoid situations like this in the past. I&os;ve had plenty of luck in avoiding the ridiculous amount of time, energy and coverage spent on the Roger Clemens downfall, Barry Bonds&os; never-ending melodrama and the many events...
Home teams are 20-1 in the 2nd round of the playoffs… so the Celtics aren't alone in having issues away from home. The Garbage Time All-Stars have tackled that in their usual Friday NBA Comic on Ball Don't Lie . I'm a Tim Duncan fan… but the shot they take at him is hysterical. Also included in the comic: LeBron and his Momma.
Speaking of LeBron… did anyone catch his post game comments from Game 5? BostonSportz did. I'd say Bron Bron is a little impressed with himself.
I'd be impressed if the Celtics could add a line to this shirt (via the AndOne blog)
Filed under: Celtics, Cavaliers, Eastern, NBA Playoffs, Boston, ClevelandIn another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Celtics-Cavs Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 6 this evening.Nowhere To Go But Up. Or ... Home: Demolished in Game 4. Daniel Gibson out. Unable to get LeBron hot. Rajon Rondo shaking off doldrums. Kevin Garnett. There's a mountain of stuff lined up against Cleveland tonight. They are at home, but as much as it's been a saving grace for teams so far in the playoffs, that's got to end at some point. I hate using cliches, but they're unavoidable in this situation. The Cavaliers are in a position to bond together, give 110%, rise to meet the challenge, and let the hometown crowd buoy them to a Game 7 in Boston. It's not quite that simple though. Delonte's Inferno: Okay, Delonte West. You're up. Gibson is down, you've been great at home, and this team needs a shooter like nothing else. If the Cavaliers are going to push this thing back to Boston against all odds, they need West to do three things. Create, contain, and close. He's got to spark the offense. He's done a better job of that than even Gibson has done, and has done well both in transition and in the half court set of finding the open man and making the right decision. He's got to contain Rajon Rondo and send him back to his dreadful pre-Game 5 ways, and he's got close out by knocking down and defending three point shots.3. Death By Efficiency: Interesting twist. LeBron James doesn't have to be huge. He just has to be efficient. Even though James had 35 in Game 5, it was useless. He also was only 12 of 25 from the field, had only 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and had 4 turnovers. So maybe the key for the Cavs isn't for LeBron to go off and score a bazillion points. He needs to break 25, no doubt about that, especially with Gibson out. But he needs to be more active in all stages in the game, getting rebounds, creating open shots for Z on the baseline and West on the perimeter, and playing hard enough to exhaust Paul Pierce. Cleveland doesn't need a bigger King, it needs a smarter, more efficient L-Train (worst nickname, ever). 4. Back To What Doc Knows: The best thing Doc Rivers can do tonight? Stay out of the way. In Game 5, 4 out of 5 starters (Perkins being the predictable exception) played 40 minutes or more. Essentially, the same problem with Doc Rivers is the same problem it's always been. He's a bad coach. Okay, but more specifically, the man couldn't manage a lineup to save his soul. So the best option for him is just to ride his starters. Would it be nice to rest the big guns for later on? Yes. But they need to close this out so there's not a Game 7. They need to kill Cleveland while it's weak and doubting itself. Otherwise Game 7 is going to be just more intensity and physical strain. 5. MIA: Ray Allen and Zydrunas Ilgauskus. So much for veteran leadership and scoring. Both players were absent for Game 5, and Allen's been a dud for the entire playoffs. This is an elimination game. Both teams need everything their players have. The Cavs cannot win with Zydrunas Ilgauskus in single digits. It's a simple formula. For the Celtics, they don't need Allen to shoot a lot, just hit the few he takes. But that's not really his style, any more than Z's style is no longer attacking in the post. Both players need a renaissance tonight. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Herald For Celtics, giant 'Q' remainsRay Allen's play is offensive Doc Rivers puts focus on ending seriesFL's Take: The Celtics definitely need to end the series tonight. They can win a championship without winning on the road, but their character will always be questioned. Cavaliers feel right at home Cavaliers hanging loose in face of eliminationInjured shoulder sidelines Cavaliers' Daniel GibsonChris Paul makes you want to watch NBA playoffsBillups works out for PistonsFL's Take: This is another reason the Celtics need to win tonight. The longer the series goes, the more rested and healthy the Pistons will be. Points well takenLeBron James confident, but Cavaliers' fans desperateGlobe Eager Celtics ready to take flightSounding extension chordGibson (shoulder) to miss 1-2 weeks MetroWest Daily Can the C's close it out tonight? FL's Take: They can if they play their game. If they play the kind of defense they play at home and move the ball like they do at home they will win. CelticsBlog New record offers chance to praise deserving PistonCeltics Stuff Live post game show tonight LOY's Place Celtics look to close out series on the road Here we go againItem Live Celtics look to address road troubles tonight Sports Nut Dispatch from the new GardenIndy Cornrows Kevin Garnett working for Championship swagger Five Tool Tool Celtics- Cavs: Like watching digestion Section F Sports Rondo to the rescueNBA Roundtable Back up guards strugglingThe Sports Beat Big second half saves seasonThe Score Hey Doc... Rondo's the right oneSports of Boston Celtics four point play SI.com Cavaliers lose sharp shooting Gibson for game 6Billups on track for East finals BostonSportZ How can anyone be a LeBron fan after this?HoopsAddict How to stop LeBron James on the breakAnd One Something's in the air SouthCoast Today Rondo proves himself on big stageFL's Take: Rondo has proved he can play. Doc needs to stop with the Sam Cassell nonsense and let Rondo play. He is young and healthy and there is no reason he shouldn't play at least 40 minutes per game. He needs to be out there for the entire 4th quarter. Red's Army Finish them Connecticut Post Jonny Rondo W-I-PHardwood Paroxysm Danny Ainge wins award for being the luckiest GM in the league Word Acre Where have you gone David Thirdkill?Fox Sports Danny Ainge Exec of the Year... Are you kidding? BSO Memo to Doc RiversPlain Dealer Where there's smoke, there's not always ire Determined Cavs stressing the positive for Game 6 Thoughts on Game 5: This one's on Mike BrownOffense has big blind spot: What happened to Z? ESPN Barkley faces felony if he doesn't play back $400KBoston Blood Sox 5 Reasons the Celtics must win tonightBleacher Report Celtics' Garnett bursts into flames following Game 5 winNBA Roundtable Should Eddie House play?In The Pines A neophyte's theory on why the Celtics are inconsistent in the playoffsCourtside View On the road again in search of game 6 closeoutParquet Pride Rondo puts the swagger back in the CelticsMetro C's head back to Cleveland looking to break road hexReturn to basics Worcester Telegram Celts look to finish CavsHoopsworld James, Cavs look to survive elimination in game 6Boston Daily In praise of Paul PierceBloomberg Boston Celtics giant falls short of greatThe Gazette Celtics crave elusive road victory[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
Globe and Boston.com
You tell me