Celtics 94, Clippers 85: Late push
The Celtics are great, they stink, and then they’re great again, often all in the same half.
That being said: On the road, during the second night of a back-to-back, against the Western Conference’s No. 5 team, after giving up an eight-point lead and trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, that’s a hell of a win.
Related posts:
- Listen to me on the Celtics Late Night Show tonight immediately following the game
- Celtics fall late to Mavericks, 101-97
- Ray Allen reportedly drawing interest from Clippers; Paul Pierce from Clippers, Lakers, Rockets
- Ray Allen’s late three-pointer lets Celtics avoid collapse, outlast Blazers
- Celtics blow past Clippers, 95-89
Celtics Blog | Jay King | March 13, 2012
Very good win. RR is better and more valuable than CP3 (and I’ve always known that), but what is Doc saving EM & JJ for? Practice??? Go Cs…
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I think if Steimsma had gone down with an injury than JJ would have gotten burn. Doc trusts experience over youth (for better or worse) so unless there is an injury to KD (which at this point wouldn’t help or hurt us) then idk if Moore is gonna get much burn. But it would have been exciting to see a Johnson-Griffin highlight show.
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Nice one. We need to get that 6th seed in the East to avoid Chicago and Miami in the first round too. That’s probably in the back of every player’s mind right now,
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I heard Steimsma got physical with Griffin? Doc got techs? I really wish Rondo and Paul would have gotten into it because from a stats standpoint, Rondo ran circles around the ESPN-claimed “best PG in the league” but then again, Rondo plays his best ball against good competition.
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Such a gutsy team sometimes.
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we need erden
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CLIPPINGS
Back to back games, same building, doesn’t happen much,
Last time was 1972 it happened as such.
Just like Kobe last night was wearing his mask,
Chris Paul, too–broke his nose, don’t ask.
Teams neck and neck throughout Q1,
Chippiness was evident from the opening run.
Don’t worry about the bench being in a funk,
Bradley great D then a stunning dunk!
After a whistle, the ball wasn’t in play,
KG decided to dunk the ball anyway.
Not in my house, Jordan made it clear,
Double techs–it is testy in here.
The calls on the Cs are terrible indeed,
Tech on Doc, gave the momentum Clips need.
Soon the Cs’ turnovers came in gobs,
Clippers were aggressive and started those lobs.
Clippers got it going, mostly Mo and Blake,
At the end of the half a 9 point lead they did take.
Cs started Q3 the way they started Q1,
Maintaining their composure, getting the job done.
Cs so energetic, rebounds and steals,
Alley-oop Rondo-Bass, loving how it feels.
Lots of jawing, Jordan and KG,
(My favorite line) RAY ALLEN FOR THREE.
RAY ALLEN FOR THREE as Q3′s almost done,
The Cs start Q4 up by one.
Once Ray Allen scored his first three point,
Tho’ he fell on his elbow, he lit up this joint.
After Cs 9-0 run, Clips went 17-3,
Cs pull even, consecutive shots by KG.
13-2 run by the Cs, teams scoring in spurts,
An aside: Chris Paul kicked Griffin right where it hurts.
59 seconds left, turned ankle for Ray??
Back from the locker room, ready to play!
Cs needed this game, played like it til it was done,
So far on this road trip they are one and one.
If during this trade season you are becoming jaded,
Rest assured, said Ainge, Rondo will not be traded.
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Ainge and Doc are showing some genuine frustration with the Rondo rumors. Call me gullible but I do believe they mean it this time. They said they’re looking to get a big, and they might have to cut some deadweight to get one, because I don’t want any trades going down with our team finally hitting a stride. If we can’t get a 5 from free agency then maybe we should look at the DL for one. Ainge also said he really doesn’t see the need for a move. That may be his way of offering confidence in our current roster too.
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If they trade Rondo, it’s time to get rid of Ainge. Would love to see Johnson and Moore getting more time, but great win! They could’ve quit several times in that game but never did.
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You know what the most inspiring thing is about this win? The Clippers, like the Heat and Bulls, are a young, athletic team that loves to play “track meet” basketball, as Doc so eloquently put it. If we can force the Heat (who we’ll likely face if we stay a 6th seed) to play a half court game, I like our chances. They are not a team that thrives on half-court offense, ESPECIALLY in late game situations. I like our matchips against the Heat more so than the Bulls, because the Bulls have a dominant inside presence in Noah, Boozer, Asik. But the Heat only have Joell Anthony and Eddie Curry. That’s a huge difference. With Bass, KG, Steimer and Johnson, we have a capable front court that can challenge Miami’s. They have no answer for Rondo. Allen and Pietrus (who plays stellar defense) guard Wade and Miller. Pierce and Pavlovic (not joking…this guy can really defend) guard James and Battier. Bosh is too soft to put up big numbers against a tough defense consistently and Bass and KG can really defend. Joel Anthony will NEVER get an offensive play drawn for him, so no worries there. If they reach deep into their bench and play Eddie Curry, we have Steimsma. They will basically negate each other. JJ could be our dark horse, because he could have a huge game against the likes of James Jones and Mike Miller. Norris Cole is a rookie PG and won’t have the opportunity to make an impact because AB is the best defensive reserve PG in the game. AB could have a breakout playoff performance because of his attacking ability, as shown in the Clippers game. Doc has the defensive mindset that limits the production of the lesser parts of a team, and forces the main players to score all of their points. Which is entirely possible given James and Wade’s Batman and Robin-like approach to games. But all in all, our defense is going to be the deciding factor in this series. Hopefully KG isn’t too banged up by the end of the year to play against Bosh and Anthony, the latter capable of very good defense. If Wilcox can come back or if we get a new 5 altogether, then that can be a tremendous bonus.
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I know not everything that looks good on paper comes to fruition on the court (just ask Mike D’antoni) and I know that the one game we played against them was skewed because it was the 2nd game of the season and we didn’t have Pierce, but from what I saw that game, I really do like our chances.
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You forgot to mention Haslem, LeBron and Wade who are all capable of getting 10 rebs per night. Unless we rebound, with everyone hitting the boards, we cannot compete with the elite teams. Go Cs…
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True, but I don’t think we’re just gonna give them rebounds. And while those three are capable, it’s never been a strong suit of theirs.
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Actually, they are all very good and I forgot Bosh. Here are the reg season and post season rebound averages.
LeBron James 6.6 8.4
Dwayne Wade 4.4 5.8
Udonis Haslem 7.9 6.7
Chris Bosh 8.1 8.6
Obviously, players up their averages in playoff games as they play more minutes but also because they focus on grabbing every loose ball as each possession is so critical. We need our team to all be aggressive and fight for each rebound and I hope they understand the importance of such (as Doc even mentioned the offensive reb issue last night which was killing the Cs (LAC had 20 overall and got 10 alone in the 2nd QTR when we got killed). Go Cs…
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Well I think you and I both know that if this team has nothing else, it has a sense of of urgency. They understand this is their last (probably) shot at this thing, and that alone will churn out 110% effort on every single possession. I know that doesn’t have any concrete evidence to back that up, but experience definitely shows in the playoffs. KG Bass and even Pierce will give more effort. Especially if Doc stresses its importance. They will listen to him if no one else.
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I agree, but that trait of coasting during the season and losing games they shouldn’t is what frustrates me the most. Of course they will try to flip the switch come the playoffs and likely will play more intensely and have good, possibly great, results, but I fear they will end up 6th instead of 4th or 3rd and that coasting during the season can likely make their playoff run that much harder by having to face tougher teams more frequently. Can’t wait to watch those games. Go Cs…
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Anyone else surprised at how dumb the Monta Ellis trade is?
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Actually, it was a good trade for GS as ME had a huge contract and wasn’t meshing with Stephen Curry as expected. They needed a center, even if just an average one. They’ll obviously make more moves but out here it was well received. They needed to go in a new more defensive direction and love Klay Thompson, a rookie who has been on fire. And David Lee called Bogat his toughest defender in the league. Go Cs…keep the energy going tonight!
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I thought ME was well received in Cali??? Their new coach loved him. I would have moved Stephen Curry before Ellis. All Ellis needs is a push to play defense and he can be a phenomenal player. Curry is struggling with injuries and has done so for a long time now. But It should be interesting how they play against us tonight.
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ME was received fairly well except he cannot play, and has never shown any inclination to play, defense in the 7 yrs he’s been with GS. Curry is the better all around player although he has been hit by injuries. It’s Thompson they want at the SG as he’s 6’7″ and deadly from outside. He’ll be very tough to defend against. GS did not need two PGs playing at the same time either. There’s no doubt ME can score but the Warriors needed a center and that was more important to them stopping teams. The can score but can’t stop anyone so it’s a new mindset from a new mgmt. group headed by an ex-Celtic… so it figures. Go Cs…
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Who’s the ex-Celtic??
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Joe Lacob. Go Cs…
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