• Previous game coverage:
  • Remembering the Celtics: A season preview
  • The Morning Walkthrough: In the Air Tonight
  • Semih Erden, Avery Bradley, Kendrick Perkins inactive
  • In strange way, Celtics aid Heat

Game Preview:

There was one quote I read (or heard, I forget which) that said exactly what I felt about tonight’s Celtics-Heat game. I forget where I read (or heard) it, but the quote went something like this:

“Tonight’s game is a lot like the opening kickoff in a football game. Neither team will win a championship tonight. Neither team will win the Eastern Conference. Neither team will even make the playoffs. But one team will set a tone.”

With that word from the wise, I now proceed to my three game keys.

1. Turnovers – It’s simple. If the Celtics take care of the ball, they keep Lebron, Wade and Bosh away from the open court. Those three are potent enough when defenses are set up. When they’re in the open court, fuhgeddaboudit. Unfortunately, the Celtics tend to cough the ball up early and often.

2. Points in the point – Whenever you play against a team that starts Joel Anthony, your main point of emphasis should always be this: GO DOWN LOW! The Celtics signed a boat load of quality big men this summer, with eyes toward matchups just like tonight’s. And if you thought Shaq, Big Baby and Kevin Garnett should be the only ones scoring in the paint, think again: Rondo should be able to drive by Carlos Arroyo like he’s wearing cement shoes.

3. Three-point shooting – If the Heat hit a lot of threes, they’re going to be tough to beat. Why? Because that would probably mean that Eddie House, James Jones and Carlos Arroyo are making an impact, and they shouldn’t. Limiting Lebron, Wade and Bosh is tough enough (read: next to impossible). Limiting the role players is a must.

Enjoy the game tonight, folks. I know I will. Basketball is back. Finally.

Superman got knocked down. Can he beat the 10-count tonight?

After losing Game 3 by 23 points, and putting themselves in an 0-3 hole that no NBA team has overcome, Orlando appears to be a drowning team.  Boston has come at Orlando in unrelenting waves of vocal defense, fluid offense, and total concentration.

Rajon Rondo’s now famous diving steal/ layup has become a microcosm of the series: Boston is outhustling and outworking a surprisigly blase Orlando Magic team.

This series has reminded me a lot of a boxing match. In Game 1, Boston punched the Magic in the collective mouth, sending them sprawling to the canvas. Orlando was not ready for Boston’s physicality, especially Dwight Howard who struggled with Kendrick Perkins’ physical defense and Rasheed Wallace’s judo-chops.

In Game 2, Orlando came back, cuts healed, energy restored, ready to avenge their round 1 knockdown. Boston and Orlando exchanged punches all game long, but, at the end of the game,  Vince Carter missed two crucial free throws with Orlando down three and Kevin Garnett and Rondo proved to be too much .

After losing the second round–the second game– on points, Orlando came out for Game 3 and promptly took a 27-12 beating in the first quarter. All of the sudden, the cuts reopened, the Magic’s legs collectively wobbled and Rajon Rondo knocked Orlando down once again with what has become the highlight of the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic still haven’t gotten up off the mat. So what do I expect to happen in Game 4? I think Orlando will throw in the towel. Nothing the Magic have said or done since getting knocked down by Rondo suggests a miraculous comeback. The Magic appear to be a dead team– ready for golf, fishing, and the off season.

Notebook:

Rajon Rondo has turned his cell phone off for the entire playoffs so that he can focus 100% on basketball…Brian Scalabrine praises Tom Thibodeau and says he’d be a great fit in Chicago…Paul Pierce thinks the Orlando Magic miss Hedo Turkoglu…Dwight Howard told a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel that “there is no need for us to be down”

“You can go through each team [in the NBA], every team has a guy beat up on the roster,” Kevin Garnett told reporters. “I’m not different.”

But don’t tell the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin that Garnett is no different from the beat-up guy on every roster. Griffin, out for the season with a broken left kneecap, would likely be ecstatic to have played in 30 games this season, as Garnett has. The electric number one draft pick, charged with turning around perhaps the least successful NBA team in recent memory, has yet to lace up his sneakers to play a single game for the Clippers.  Call it the Clippers curse, call it a fluke, or call Griffin himself fragile… whatever it is, Griffin should envy even Garnett’s tenuous health. Read more »

Without KG, the Boston Celtics have been  like a young Simba after the death of Mufasa at the paws of Scar. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen “The Lion King,” let me refresh your memory.

Scar, Simba’s uncle, throws Mufasa off the side of a cliff into an oncoming stampede, then blames the naive Simba for the death of his father. A heartbroken Simba flees into the jungle where he befriends Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog, who live by the motto “hakuna matata,” or “no worries for the rest of your days.” Eerily similar to the lacksadaisical attitude of of the struggling Celtics who don’t seem to be too worried about ANYTHING lately.

Simba only returns to Pride Rock when his girlfriend convinces him to come take a look at the pride without him, and he sees his mother get knocked around by Scar.

Hyenas beware! The King of The Jungle Returns tonight

Well, Garnett has returned to Pride Rock, and has seen his pride (team) destroyed and his mother  (Doc Rivers) bitch-slapped by Scar (injuries, bad luck, etc.).

And tonight,  The King of Jungle returns to fight ‘Scar’ and regain his throne.

Enough of the extended metaphor which probably only makes sense to me; KG is back, and with him the Celtics have their leader who will challenge for an NBA title. On to the keys of the game…

Keys to the Game:

• Rajon Rondo vs. Andre Miller- Miller is a good offensive PG, but he has never been a good defender and has zero chance of staying in front of Rondo. Rondo needs to be aggressive early and often, taking what the defense gives him: either easy baskets for him, or others.
• Injuries- In an upset, the Celtics might actually have the advantage tonight as far as injuries go; KG should be returning to the lineup, while Blazers will be without Brandon Roy (sore hamstring) as well as injured centers Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla.
• Get Ray some easy looks early- Poor Ray Allen has been struggling mightly with his shot lately. But with a shooter like Ray, a few early makes could be enough to break him out of his slump.
• Defending LaMarcus Aldridge- Aldridge is an extremely versatile PF, and without Roy in the lineup, will be leaned on heavily by the Blazers. Offensively, Aldrige reminds me a lot of KG: good shooter, finesse post  game, occasionally too unselfish. Boston has had trouble guarding these types of skilled big men recently, so we’ll see if KG’s return helps that problem
• Kevin Garnett Returns?!- Enough said.

Boston Celtics (27-12) @ Detroit Pistons (14-26)

Palace at Auburn Hills Detroit, MI

7:30 pm ET, CSN New England

It's back to The Palace for Rasheed Wallace.

I used to be able chalk up a ‘W’ for the Boston Celtics when I saw they were facing such a poor opponent. But lately, things have gone sour for the Boston Celtics. The victory is no longer a foregone conclusion. Amidst mass injuries and uninspired play, Boston is just 4-7 over their last 11 games.

Kevin Garnett and Marquis Daniels will be out again for tonight’s game, but Garnett is hoping to return to action Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers. (Edit: I originally wrote the Celtics would be playing the  Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, instead of Portland. My apologies)

Detroit has had injury struggles of their own in a disapointing season so far, and will likely be without Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon (game-time decisions), and Will Bynum (out). Richard Hamilton also missed Detroit’s last game with the flu, but is expected to play tonight.

Keys to the Game

• Bring the effort- The Celtics learned the hard way Monday that they need to play hard for 48 minutes. Doc was NOT happy with Boston’s effort at all, but let’s hope it doesn’t become a recurring problem.
• Leadership of Paul Pierce- Pierce called out his teammates in the wake of Monday’s loss questioning their mental focus and toughness and saying KG’s absence was not an excuse to lose games.  Pierce is the kind of player who  back up his words with great play, so look for a big game from Pierce tonight.
• Will Ben Gordon play?- Gordon is questionable for tonight’s game, and I know every C’s fan is rooting for him to miss the game. Gordon was a killer in last season’s epic first round playoff series against Chicago and has typically played well against Boston.
• Frontcourt Battle- Kendrick Perkins has played admirably well in KG’s absence, but he’s getting little help from the rest of the big guys. With Wallace returning to Detroit where he won a championship, and playing against Ben Wallace, an old teammate, hopefully he will be hyped to play and bring a big effort.