Spurs 87, Celtics 86: A valiant comeback falls short
Forget for a second the loss, which could have been a win if Paul Pierce’s buzzer beater had been just a few inches different.
Tonight’s Celtics performance demonstrated everything that makes the Celtics tough to beat and everything that will hold them back. They had offensive droughts. Occasionally made turnovers that left me shaking my head. Couldn’t rebound for shit, including the huge Spurs offensive rebound which led to Matt Bonner’s back-breaking bucket in the final minute.
But using a small-ball lineup which often featured Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley AND Ray Allen, the Celtics held the Spurs to just 28 second-half points, wouldn’t die even when they got down 15 early and the Spurs wouldn’t miss a frigging shot, and ultimately battled back despite missing numerous open shots, just because they fought like hell.
Yeah, they lost for the first time in the past six games. But nights like these are why I have fallen in love with this Celtics crew. They refuse to die, play their asses off, don’t care who gets the shine and hardly ever take nights off. I’m in love. Swooning everywhere. Even after the loss.
P.S. — I would and probably should) complain about isolating Paul Pierce on the final possession, but it’s worked too many times.
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Celtics Blog | Jay King | April 4, 2012
Shake it off C’s we have a game tmrw night that’s going to be more important. The spurs are playing the best ball in the NBA right now and have the best and deepest bench. For us to lose by just a point after several comebacks is okay with me. There cannot be a complaint about effort. They played their butts off and they just lost it. We need to set the tone early and win the 1st and 3rd periods. Stats show that if we do that, we usually win the game.
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Can’t be angry about this game, but I think it’s more clear that Avery should be starting.
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Loss is on Doc. He decided to start RA who’s missed at least 2 weeks and wasn’t in game shape instead of starting AB. And of course we got KILLED on the boards. Fourth qtr alone we gave up 15 rebs and 6 of those were offensive to our 8 and 1 off. reb in the qtr. RA should have come off the bench and given up at least 10 of his mins to AB. work him back slowly Doc and not in such an important game. This is a game we should have won and comfortably. PP was great on the boards (10 and we’re now 13-3 in games he has 7+) but he had zero FTs and I think should have driven on the last shot instead of his typical fade-away jumper. Attack the basket and get the foul or dish to AB or KG, etc. SP and AB need to rebound better as their 43 mins only got 2 rebs. Almost lastly, I would have liked to see GS play more than the 8 mins he got. He could neutralize Duncan who had 15 rebs and GS left 6 fouls available. We all know TD has trouble shooting FTs; so why not let GS bang with him, especially as he was dominating the boards? A good comeback and effort but this isn’t going anywhere until they rebound better. Lately they have, tonight not nearly well enough. -14 rebs is a recipe for being on the losing end. Lastly, it is very apparent that AB should be starting. Come-on Doc have some cojones and make the change! Go Cs…get to watch tomorrow so can’t wait.
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I think the right play would have been Rondo inbounds to Pierce, Pierce goes off screen, Rondo cuts hard to basket and Pierce feeds him.
I’m just so sick and tired of the Big Three worship that continues to plague Celtics blogs and media. 2008 WAS FIVE YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have any of you blog and media types realized yet that we are well into a new decade? Why MUST Allen start? Why MUST Pierce take every last shot? Why MUST Doc continue to sit on the young ones, unless injury forces his hand?
And what makes the media and blog Big Three worship more bizarre is that the same people constantly claim that Danny should constantly look to trade the Big Three! That it is somehow his sworn duty to be eternally disloyal to the guys who resuscitated Celtics Pride.
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To be honest I don’t mind this loss to the Spurs, they played really well. I also agree with the last second play, giving Paul Pierce the ball is always a 50-50 option. They had enough time to draw something else. But for me, this shows how the Celtics are ready to compete against any team on the NBA. Could use a better rebounder center though.
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How about we use the two 7′ footers we have? Guess Doc doesn’t believe in using them when we’re getting killed on the boards. That strategy doesn’t bode well for the upcoming playoffs. Go Cs…
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I’m not okay with tonight’s loss. A loss is a loss. Nobody mentioned the horrific FT shooting tonight, which cost us the game. Pav misses 2 in the third quarter, Bass misses 3 in the game, Rondo misses a pair. James: Ditto. Doc sucks. Ray should not have started, and if you look at his number of shot attempts, he could’ve gotten just as many coming off the bench. This game should’ve been won.
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And all season long, I’ve been bitching that the C’s ALWAYS go to Pierce in isolation if there are 24 seconds or less in any given quarter (or game). Sure he’s hit many clutch shots, but most often, he ends up taking an off balance shot (or worse, the clock has already run out). I put that on Doc. Couldn’t they have gotten a better shot? And every team knows what they are going to do.
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I love Allen. I want him to retire a Celtic. But I think it was pretty obvious last night that we needed the energy and chemistry that Rondo and Avery seem to have to start off the game and the second half with power. It’s time to stop telling ourselves that it’s some kind of illusion. Yes, we’ll have matchup problems sometimes that may necessitate changes, but dammit, this team has found a wave that it needs to try to ride all the way in. Why couldn’t Allen be a man about it, instead of (it seems) indirectly whining his way back into the starting role through Marshal? What if Bradley had given us his 20 points and defensive energy as a starter, and Allen had given us seven freaking rebounds off the bench (kudos to Allen for that)? Is it not obvious that that would have given us a better chance to win last night, if not to win going away?
But all Doc has to do is wave his hands before the eyes of the media and bloggers last night, saying ‘pay no attention to these droids. They are not the droids you want. Bradley is perfectly happy as the sixth man, and it makes no difference who starts the game and who Rondo plays with, just as last year it made no difference if we had Perkins at center or Kristic. ” Immediately the media and blog types, the journos and journo wannabes, start repeating Doc’s talking points…
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Chris H
I have been tired of that Iso at the end of games forever.
Doc is good at everything but game management which he is terrible at but he has a library of 100 plays.
When he runs those at end of games , if they execute, they always get a good shot.
Everybody knows what Pierce is going to do and PP doesn’t get that. Evrybody stand around , no cuts no movement
I would love to see the numbers on PP at end of games on those Iso’s
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They should use PP as a decoy and have him initiate that play for the thousandth time and then have him hit RR, KG, or AB who should be in the game with all cutting to the hoop. Or PP should drive. Anything but another step-back jumper. but, as I said earlier, we should have won the game well before the last play. AB needs to start to disrupt the other team’s offense and RA can do everything he always has but by giving the bench that offense we need so badly from that group. Go Cs…will Doc start AB tonight? God, I hope so!
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i thought they should have started ray to keep his pride and then take him out in 2 minutes and blame his injury.if ab can do everything but snipe 3s and thats all ray can do its now a no brainer.i can’t believe the ab transformation just from confidence.i agree that everybody expects the pierce iso,he should be a decoy.
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