Celtics 94, Pacers 87: Paul Pierce, defense lead win
Boston’s first win against Orlando was a statement.
We can beat a winning team.
The second win against Orlando was an exclamation.
Count us out at your own peril.
Their third sraight win against winning teams — and fourth consecutive victory overall — was more business-like. There would be no insanely ecstatic Kevin Garnett interview with Craig Sager tonight. Doc Rivers would not jump around the sidelines and Brandon Bass would not shove Paul Pierce with joy. Not after Boston’s 94-87 victory against the Indiana Pacers. In the absence of three starters, Boston’s fourth straight win came tonight on the second night of a back-to-back, and it’s a story that’s starting to seem habitual:
The Celtics are rounding into shape. They are forging an identity as a defense-first squad. Paul Pierce can still reach Greg Jennings status (put a team on his back). And contributions are beginning to come from all angles, including Chris Wilcox, E’Twaun Moore and Avery Bradley.
Tonight, the Celtics experienced offensive droughts. Garnett couldn’t find his sea legs for the first half. Pierce shot 3-11 before intermission. Bass missed a few jumpers. The offense, led by Bradley and Moore rather than Rajon Rondo, sometimes looked awkward. Not when Pierce took over in the third quarter, but still.
Yet Boston’s energy level remained high. The Celtics forced Indiana into 30 percent shooting for the first half and 35 percent for the game. Mickael Pietrus brings a level of spunk, Wilcox played like someone lit a match in his jock strap, the young guards play as if they guzzle twelve Red Bulls apiece before each game, and Pierce and Garnett are back to providing their usual hustle plays.
The Celtics are playing like the Celtics, and it’s starting to seem like the Celtics might take off their coats, grab themselves a snack and make themselves comfortable.
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Celtics Blog | Jay King | January 27, 2012
Some folks may be looking for me to say that I was wrong when I said that Rondo should be leading the offense. Well, I don’t think I was wrong. I think that my main point was that Rondo and Pierce have been having an unspoken tug-of-war since last season over who is running the offense and that this was hurting the team. What has happened is that Rondo’s injury has settled that tug-of-war. Paul is now firmly established as the team’s best player, the guy who runs the offense, the go-to guy, and the leader. Which leads to an obvious question? What happens to Rondo now? If the team keeps playing like this, and keeps winning (a big ‘if’ for sure), you can’t possibly start Rondo again when he comes back.
Folks don’t want to give Bradley credit, but even though he can be a problem on offense, and even though he has the worst stats in history, he has been the prime mover behind the Celtics Rise. His defensive play has changed the attitude and energy of the team, while providing the backbone of its newly ferocious defense.
How does Rondo fit back into this picture? He doesn’t. He is facing a real career moment. Unless Bradley fades, and the team starts losing, he’s just lost not only his increasingly central role on the team, but his starting job along with it. He’s gone from looking like possible MVP on opening day, to being the guy whose best move for the team was getting injured.
The team looks like it is a legitimate contender now. But whither Rondo?
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THE CELTICS ARE BACK IN TOWN BABY!!!
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Paul! first of i dont think anyone really follows your thoughts!!!! and PP was the go to guy for years now, your paraghraphs just get to me in the worst possible way, can you please stop!!!!!!!!!!! just enjoy Celtics man and STFU!
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if Bradly won us 2 games (LOL) rando took us to the fuckin finals SON!!!!!!!!!!! think before you write something
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I guess you didn’t notice the big IF I put in there
I am enjoying what is going on. I’ve said as much over and over – how fantastic it is. I also have issues about certain aspects of it, and I think they are well thought out and well observed.
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Also, about PP being the guy for years, that’s kind of my point, isn’t it? Should he never be willing to transition to another upcoming guy? If you look at the Celtics Tradition, part of it is making room for the younger guys. Pierce likes a guy like Bradley because that doesn’t challenge his position any.
Listen, if the setup the way it is now can win us a championship, then fine! Of course that’s the goal. But I don’t think it can. I think we need Rondo in the lead and synergy between him and Pierce.
And Greg, why is that so hard to understand, or so annoying to you? I’m not saying anything bad about Pierce. I’m saying that for this team to go as far as we want it to go, and for them to play the best basketball, which in a way is more important, the two Big Dogs need to find synergy. The same way that PP and KG have found that they can get in sync with each other, Rondo and Pierce must find a way to do.
Or haven’t you noticed that both guys like to handle the ball a lot, and pretty much run the team, and ‘make things happen’ and that they seem to have difficulty getting on the same page?
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why is only rondos role being questioned in this win strike? why not ray? or J.O? the Celts are winning should we get rid of them or make them come off the bench or change their roles? NO of course not.. i think what people need to realize is in this shorten compressed season is that teams are going to have ups and downs. players are going to have ups and downs. injuries are going to occur and the team that deals with these the best or has the best timing with injuries will be crowned champs. the Celts started the season without pierce and now going through a stretch without rondo ray Oneal which could be a blessing in disguise. because like alot of u ask for all the time the younger guys and bench players are getting a chance, and more importantly responding. this is huge for the Celts, does this mean when everyone gets healthy they don’t play because we won a couple games in a row in January? course not.. we as Celtic fans need to hope come playoffs everyone is healthy and we will have a deep bench with options to throw at other teams.
Also we beat a good Orlando team , not great and a good pacers team , not great… anyone who thinks we could be the heat or bulls without rondo is crazy and needs to stop over thinking his role, just because 8-10 other professionals have step up in his absent and gotten couple W’s.
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okie paul, i am mad beacuse after every single game you have the same things, its like i already know when i come on this site to read the articles i know what your going to write. Now lets talk basketball my friend, RR and PP have been playing with eachother the most from the big four, iam sure they know how to play together, and if you tell them what your telling us on here, they will probably LAUGH. second… do you really think rondo can be the scorer that pierce is?????! I LOVE rondo and he is the future, but not the scorer of this team! his the PG he has to do the dirty work such as posting triple doubles, pushing the ball, help the vets in every way possible. And Rondo gets the ball everytime to bring it up the floor i just dont see your point! and for Bradly, he shouldnt even be in this subject man, what i see in bradley, at most he can be a Tony Allen nothing more! which is still great if he can! sorry if i was rude man but seriously it pissed me off when you say PP and RR are not on the same page, because i dont see a single indication of that! Celts problem is not in that, its in KG, just look how good they play when KG is back to his form, not like the beginning of the season where he got blocked 10000000 times! just enjoy PP while his playing man Win or loose this team is legendary!
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and yea i forgot just look at the record and the stats of RR and the results of the games when PP was out! and look at the stats and the results when RR is out and PP is the scorer, and tell us who you want to carry the team in crunch time PP or RR
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Well I guess it’s time for me to chime in. Good win, not great. Still terrible on the offensive boards (greg…yep, my recurring and daily theme) but here’s where I think everyone is missing what will truly make this a memorable season and it’s not about who controls the ball. It’s about showing up every night. The team and current players that are getting time while our injured heal are starting to trust one another and are playing much better defense and that is a big reason AB is getting major minutes. Soon as RR is ready he will start again, but now Doc doesn’t have to play him 45 mins a night and can give him rest and use AB in spots when the team needs a defensive pick up. Ergo too why doc should have been playing the younger players the last several years. because now this team is a legitimate 12 deep and that will pay benefits in the playoffs. PP is finally starting to play like his old self. Too bad the ‘selfish’ PP did not come into the season in shape. Despite his early injury not being shape cost a couple of games. But those games were also lost because of terrible rebounding. Now the rebounding is better but needs to be much more consistent and they have to start focusing on their defensive end. I still don’t believe they understand blocking out their man but that’s tough to do when they are all standing still or running downcourt after a teammate’s shot. That said, this team is gelling and hopefully is now ‘awake’ and willing to show up every night. I do believe the mix of young and old and those new guys that want a ring like the Big 4 will continue to get better and play to stomp on all opponent’s throats so that they send a message to the top-tier teams that by no means will they be ‘soft’ come the playoffs. Still only at .500 so now let’s rattle off a good 8-10 game win streak and prove you mean business. Go Cs…
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i agree with you James, it drives me crazy when the other team gets too shoot 3 times and we still dont get the fuckin rebound!!!!!!! thats a fact and i see it too, that we dont rebound, but i think there much better this couple of games and will get better hopefully! this team is really gelling now and i Like it, am sure we will loose games again loll but atleast iam confident now that we have a legit chance on takeing Miami, because as you said we are 12 deep team this year and can expect production from everyone if there name is called! but we just have to lay back and enjoy it as much as we can, NOW if somehow Danny can land KAMAN,that would be the final piece to make a legit championship run!
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