Post by The Eye of the Q is upon you! on Dec 7, 2005 8:41:09 GMT -5
The Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Hornets will each try to get their struggling offenses back on track when the teams meet at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.
Boston suffered its fifth loss in eight games, 91-73 to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. The Celtics posted season lows in scoring and field goal percentage, shooting only 34 percent (23-of-67) from the field.
Leading scorer Paul Pierce, averaging 34.3 points in his previous three games, scored 20, but shot 3-of-10 from the field. While Pierce was 13-for-13 from the free throw line, he got into early foul trouble and struggled to defend Houston's Tracy McGrady, who scored a season-high 35 points.
"Paul is human," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "The foul trouble got him out of the flow. He still had great effort, but the foul troubles hurt him."
Delonte West added 12 points and Al Jefferson had 12 and 10 rebounds for Boston, which was coming off its first road win of the season, 102-99 at New York Sunday. Instead, it fell to 1-5 away from home and concludes its five-game road trip at defending champion San Antonio and Dallas.
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New Orleans also looks to pick up its offense after an 89-73 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Hornets posted their fewest points of the season and shot just 39 percent -- a problem Hornets coach Byron Scott had warned his team about before the game.
"I told them if you've got a good shot, take it because if you drive inside or take one dribble that shot is gone," Scott said.
P.J. Brown, top scorer Chris Paul and reserve guard Speedy Claxton were a combined 4-for-26 from the field.
"I think they did a good job of keeping me and Speedy out of the lane, which is where we can be effective," said Paul, who finished with two points on 1-of-8 shooting. "They did a good job of shutting that down."
Desmond Mason and David West scored 15 points apiece for New Orleans, which has won three straight at Oklahoma City -- the Hornets' temporary residence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
STANDINGS (through Dec. 6): Celtics - 3rd place, 1/2 GB, Atlantic Division. Hornets - 4th place, 6 GB, Southwest Division.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Celtics - F Raef LaFrentz, F Pierce, C Kendrick Perkins, G Ricky Davis, G West. Hornets - F Mason, F West, C Brown, G Paul, G J.R. Smith.
TEAM LEADERS: Celtics - Pierce, 26.6 ppg and 8.7 rpg; Davis, 5.4 apg. Hornets - Paul, 16 ppg and 6.6 apg; Brown, 8.5 rpg.
2004-05 SEASON SERIES: Celtics, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: March 19; Celtics, 113-100. At New Orleans, Davis scored 27 points off the bench and Pierce added 23 for the Celtics, who shot 52.1 percent from the floor.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Celtics - 1-5 on the road; Hornets - 4-3 at home.
Q's assessment - Despite both teams traveling in here from the night before, Oklahoma has a big advantage in that they play well on their homecourt, well Boston only seems to play well once a month these days. Davis and LaFrentz are in shooting slumps and Blount is lackadasical. Plus coach Doc Rivers almost refuses to play Jefferson and Perkins together and establish an inside presense. So long as Doc fails to develop the Perkins and Jefferson combo, the Celtics offense will be prone to outside pressure defenses and the struggles shall continue.
Other notes - The Eyes of Quiniela stay up north of the border as Great Plains Winter Storm gathers overhead. Better to stay alive, then go hunting for Tommy Points.
Q's pick - Hornets 83 - Celtics 67
Boston suffered its fifth loss in eight games, 91-73 to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. The Celtics posted season lows in scoring and field goal percentage, shooting only 34 percent (23-of-67) from the field.
Leading scorer Paul Pierce, averaging 34.3 points in his previous three games, scored 20, but shot 3-of-10 from the field. While Pierce was 13-for-13 from the free throw line, he got into early foul trouble and struggled to defend Houston's Tracy McGrady, who scored a season-high 35 points.
"Paul is human," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "The foul trouble got him out of the flow. He still had great effort, but the foul troubles hurt him."
Delonte West added 12 points and Al Jefferson had 12 and 10 rebounds for Boston, which was coming off its first road win of the season, 102-99 at New York Sunday. Instead, it fell to 1-5 away from home and concludes its five-game road trip at defending champion San Antonio and Dallas.
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New Orleans also looks to pick up its offense after an 89-73 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Hornets posted their fewest points of the season and shot just 39 percent -- a problem Hornets coach Byron Scott had warned his team about before the game.
"I told them if you've got a good shot, take it because if you drive inside or take one dribble that shot is gone," Scott said.
P.J. Brown, top scorer Chris Paul and reserve guard Speedy Claxton were a combined 4-for-26 from the field.
"I think they did a good job of keeping me and Speedy out of the lane, which is where we can be effective," said Paul, who finished with two points on 1-of-8 shooting. "They did a good job of shutting that down."
Desmond Mason and David West scored 15 points apiece for New Orleans, which has won three straight at Oklahoma City -- the Hornets' temporary residence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
STANDINGS (through Dec. 6): Celtics - 3rd place, 1/2 GB, Atlantic Division. Hornets - 4th place, 6 GB, Southwest Division.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Celtics - F Raef LaFrentz, F Pierce, C Kendrick Perkins, G Ricky Davis, G West. Hornets - F Mason, F West, C Brown, G Paul, G J.R. Smith.
TEAM LEADERS: Celtics - Pierce, 26.6 ppg and 8.7 rpg; Davis, 5.4 apg. Hornets - Paul, 16 ppg and 6.6 apg; Brown, 8.5 rpg.
2004-05 SEASON SERIES: Celtics, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: March 19; Celtics, 113-100. At New Orleans, Davis scored 27 points off the bench and Pierce added 23 for the Celtics, who shot 52.1 percent from the floor.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Celtics - 1-5 on the road; Hornets - 4-3 at home.
Q's assessment - Despite both teams traveling in here from the night before, Oklahoma has a big advantage in that they play well on their homecourt, well Boston only seems to play well once a month these days. Davis and LaFrentz are in shooting slumps and Blount is lackadasical. Plus coach Doc Rivers almost refuses to play Jefferson and Perkins together and establish an inside presense. So long as Doc fails to develop the Perkins and Jefferson combo, the Celtics offense will be prone to outside pressure defenses and the struggles shall continue.
Other notes - The Eyes of Quiniela stay up north of the border as Great Plains Winter Storm gathers overhead. Better to stay alive, then go hunting for Tommy Points.
Q's pick - Hornets 83 - Celtics 67