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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:17:04 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132528&format=textGolden Nuggets Fast finish cools off Celtics By Steve Bulpett | Saturday, November 15, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill Drafting works just fine in NASCAR, and it did the Celtics [team stats] well earlier in the week against Toronto and Atlanta. But after coming back from 16 down in those previous affairs, they were still a few lengths behind when last night’s game with Denver hit the checkered flag. Though they came back repeatedly to tie and even lead, the Shamrocks were breathing Nugget fumes at the end, 94-85. They got behind by 15 in this one and ultimately did not survive. At least no one can call them frontrunners. It’s going to catch you at some point,” said Doc Rivers. It just has to. I don’t care how good you think you are, if you’re going to play with fire eventually you’re going to get burned -- and that happened tonight for us.” Ray Allen had a personal comeback with 26 points and Eddie House did likewise off the bench with 13, but Denver, despite playing the night before in Cleveland, was fresh enough to score 10 straight points down the stretch and end the Celtic winning streak at six. The record is still pretty, but the Celts are aware that everything is not as sweet as it may appear. Not after getting outscored, 42-20, in the paint. The good thing is we’re the most miserable 8-2 team you’ve ever seen,” said Rivers. We’re not happy with the way we’re playing. That’s a good thing. I’m probably leading that pack with our guys because all I talk about is what we’re not doing at times. You know, we’re winning games, but we’re not playing well enough to be the winner. We get that.” The Celtics were playing their fourth game in six nights, but still they were even at 84 after Kevin Garnett dunked with 3:11 left. From there, the locals produced just one measly point (a Patrick O’Bryant mop-up free throw), going 0-5 from the floor with a turnover while the Nuggets scored on four straight possessions to put it away. The Celts went up by three early in the final quarter, but, as had been the case all night, as soon as they reeled the Nuggets in they let them go. It was a version of catch-and-release that had to be driving their coaches crazy. J.R. Smith hit a pair of treys as Denver produced 11 straight points. But Eddie House and Ray Allen hit back to back 3-pointers as the Celtics made it back to even with a 12-4 reply. Again the Celts let the Nuggets get away, and this time they could not re-hook them. That’s not something we plan,” said Paul Pierce [stats] of falling behind. We’ve just got to be prepared with teams coming at us. We played in spurts. We went up and they caught and took the lead, and we’d come back. Then they take the lead again. We can’t play in spurts. Teams are coming at us for 48 minutes, and we’ve got to find a way to put 48 minutes together.” According to Rivers, the key stretch last night may have occurred shortly after the Garden patrons took their seats. The Celts scored the game’s first eight points and appeared to have shaken off their bad starts of late. Then I thought we got cute with the ball,” said the coach. There were turnovers on six of the next eight possessions as Denver went on a 13-5 run. We could have really stretched that game early,” Rivers said, and with a team that’s just come off a back-to-back, youve really got a chance to make them go away early -- and we didn’t take advantage of it. To me that was the turning point of the game.” The Nuggets went on to shoot a Celtic opponent high of 48.8 percent, topping the 45.6 Atlanta hit Wednesday. We’re not going to use fatigue as an excuse,” said Garnett. I just felt like we were a step slow to our rotations. I thought we started the game the first few minutes really well, but never got into a flow. That’s not us. We’re usually on top of our assignments. Just for some reason tonight we never could get that momentum defensively.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:25:52 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132533&format=textDoc Rivers likes new look Nuggets By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Saturday, November 15, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill Doc Rivers is a coach, not a chemist. But he believes the Nuggets are a better mixture even after trading away a certain Hall of Famer in Allen Iverson [stats]. ”I think they’re a better team,” Rivers said before his Celtics [team stats] fell to Denver, 94-85, last night. They’re sharing the ball. They’re moving the ball. You know, I don’t know in the long run how this will work for them because they’ve only played a few games so far, but it looks good. Chauncey (Billups, who came over from Detroit in the deal) makes players around him better. He’s such a smart, cerebral player that I think his calm will be very good for that basketball team.” Rivers is solidly in the camp that insists the game is more than simply putting the best players on the floor. No, it never is,” he said. People don’t get that. Look at what they just did. Iverson is one of the best players to ever play the game -- maybe pound for pound the best, if you think about it -- but Chauncey is a different player. He’s a solid team superstar. You rarely see a guy like that.” The Celtics would seem to be a strong example of the coach’s point. While Paul Pierce [stats], Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are all stars, having people like Kendrick Perkins [stats] willing to do dirty work and not demanding the ball is key, as well. ”It’s all about fit, and I think our fit is perfect,” Rivers said. Honestly I didn’t know if our fit was going to be perfect last year. I did like that the three guys were all different positions -- you know, natural different positions. The other example is that when we got Paul and Wally (Szczerbiak), it was a bit tough. Wally’s a scorer, but Paul and Wally are (small forwards). We were forced to put them in and play them together. That can work out, but it takes time and its tough.” **** This was the Celtics’ fourth game in six nights and seventh in the last 11. Asked if the schedule caught up with his team, Rivers said, We play tomorrow, so if it caught up with us today, tomorrow’s going to be a long night. I just think we have to get better. I think it’s easier to take jump shots because you are tired. It’s tough to drive and post(-up) and be physical. When you see a fatigued team, you usually see jump shots go up and you usually see front of the rim misses. You usually see the other team get all the loose balls.” Said Pierce, Denver’s coming off a back to back. They were traveling and we had a day off. The ball gets rolled out there. Regardless of how many games you’ve played, you’ve got a job to do. That’s the way it is.” **** Pierce will host The Truth Strikes Again,” a charity bowling event at Kings Monday night. Proceeds benefit Pierce’s non-profit organization, and he has a particular aim in mind. It’s just encouraging younger people and even adults to live right, eat right,” he said. I’ve been able to do it this summer with the way I eat. I changed my diet. Hopefully I can live a lot longer. So we’re trying to encourage kids and also families to eat better.” The event begins at 6 p.m. For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com/truth. See if Pierce can live up to his claim of being the best bowler on the Celts. ... After being on the inactive list most of the season, Patrick O’Bryant was in uniform last night. He’s been working hard in practice, so you reward him,” said Rivers of the backup center who had seen just 11 minutes this year before playing the last 45 seconds last night.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:28:23 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132534&format=textRay Allen shoots his way out of slump By Rich Thompson | Saturday, November 15, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill Ray Allen doesn’t wait for a shooting slump to work itself out. Allen’s proactive approach to 3-point shooting produced some of the few productive moments in the Boston Celtics [team stats] 94-85 loss to the Denver Nuggets before 18,624 last night at the TD Banknorth Garden. Allen shot 9-of-16 from the floor and 5-10 from behind the arc and was particularly effective in the first half when the Celts were building leads and busting Denver runs. None of what Allen accomplished from the perimeter was an accident. Allen showed up at the Celtics training facility in Waltham on Thursday morning at 9:15 a.m., two hours and 45 minutes ahead of coach Doc Rivers scheduled practice. Allen was there to shoot treys because he dismayed with his paltry .271 shooting percentage from behind the line. I did do a lot of extra shooting just to get my rhythm back, said Allen, who finished with a team high 26 points. For me it was about the same as is was last game except there were a couple of threes I made tonight I didn’t make last game. I noticed when I was shooting in the gym yesterday (Thursday) I was in a bad rhythm and my timing was a little bit off. When I jumped, my release wasn’t where it was supposed to be so I just shot it silly until I really got that rhythm. You keep shooting until you figure it out. You don’t have to think about it, it becomes second nature. Allen wasn’t along in the gym hours before practice. Eddie House arrived at 10 a.m. because his .219 shooting percentage from behind the arc was weighing him down. The Celtics benefited from Houses extra work when the needed offense off the bench in the third. The Celtics trailed 59-44 when Denver point guard Chauncey Billups canned a fade away jumper with 8:37 to play in the third. Allen, Paul Pierce [stats] and Kendrick Perkins [stats] began the Celtics only significant run of the second half. House extended the run and gave Boston a 65-64 lead with 36 seconds to play. House opened the fourth with a jumper off the key and a trey to put Boston in front 70-67 with 10:14 to play. House went 5-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-7 from behind the arc for 13 points. Rivers appreciated the extra work put in by his perimeter long range shooters and held them up their work ethic as an example to the team. It was a great lesson for our group, said Rivers. It might have been 8:30 (a.m.) or later - but not much - but Ray was in the gym. Practice was at 12, but he was already there shooting. That’s what shooters do; they shoot it out. The next guy in was 10 o’clock and it was Eddie. I told our young guys who showed up at 11:15 thats why they’re who they are. They take their craft serious. That’s why they’re great shooters.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:30:10 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132535&format=textTrade a very big deal for Carmelo Anthony By Rich Thompson | Saturday, November 15, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill Denver coach George Karl has come to terms with the Nuggets’ house cleaning. But All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony is struggling to adjust. Denver and Detroit created buzz throughout the NBA with a deal that sent Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Samb from the Pistons to the Nuggets for All-Star shooting guard Allen Iverson [stats] on Nov. 3. That move was the last in a series that have transformed the Nuggets. In the offseason they dealt former UMass star Marcus Camby to the Clippers for a second-round pick, and also acquired Renaldo Balkman from the Knicks and Sonny Weems from the Bulls. “It’s a trade that has lifted the city. I think it’s kind of rejuvenated the energy in the locker room,” Karl said of the Billups deal. “(There’s) a commitment to take the things we are trying to change and magnify them to change.” Anthony, who teamed well with Iverson, welcomed Billups with open arms, but he has trouble visualizing Iverson in anything but a Denver uniform. “It’s hard watching him knowing what we had and seeing him in a different jersey, with a different number at that,” said Anthony. “I had seen him in no other jersey and with the No. 3. Seeing him with No. 1 is hard for me to see.” Anthony may be just 25 years old, but he is wise to the business side and political nature of the NBA. The Nuggets had reached their apex with Iverson and changes were needed to formulate a new mix that fits Karl’s style. “I think it will make us a better team,” said Anthony. “Anytime your team makes a trade people be expecting it to happen overnight. But I don’t really think it works like that. “With a guy like Chauncey who is coming in with the ball in his hands running our team, that’s going to take time. As a point guard you’ve got to learn (about) the players you have on your team. . . . That’s something we all have to adjust to.” Karl believes Billups has the temperament, ball skills and know-how to manage his team. “He’s just a wonderful person,” said Karl. “He’s a great player on the court, a great teammate, a good leader and he says the right stuff. “There’s a spirit to him, a positive spirit and hopefully we can ride the spirit to a good year.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:31:54 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/15/golden_rule?mode=PFGolden rule Fourth-quarter surge enables Nuggets to halt Celtics' winning streak at six By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | November 15, 2008 Exhaustion and scheduling finally caught up with the Celtics. And the Denver Nuggets not only caught the Celtics, they sprinted past them to the finish line in a 94-85 victory last night at TD Banknorth Garden. The Celtics (8-2) had rallied from 16-point deficits for two victories this week, extending their winning streak to six games over nine days. This time, they overcame a 15-point third-quarter disadvantage, then squandered the lead. The Celtics' starters not only faded in this game, they disappeared to the bench in the final seconds, Kevin Garnett's dunk to tie it at 84 with 3:10 to play their last gasp. "We just didn't execute when we had to," said Garnett (16 points, nine rebounds). "I wish I could give you all a specific reason. We didn't make shots when we needed to. We didn't get stops when we needed to." The Nuggets went on a 21-6 run in the second quarter. The Celtics countered with a 21-5 run in the third. Then the Nuggets' reserves set the tone for the final quarter with an early 11-0 spurt. And the Nuggets' starters finished things with a 10-1 crunch-time rally that included misses by the hottest Celtics (Ray Allen and Eddie House), plus Garnett and Rajon Rondo, and zero attempts by Paul Pierce (19 points), whose late-game shooting had salvaged the last two victories. "I don't focus on me having to get it going in the fourth quarter," Pierce said. "This is a team game and I play within the offense and, when we move the ball, make the extra passes. That's what it's all about. You find the rhythm of the game. It was about our defense not really stepping up. When you don't get stops, it's hard to make a run." Allen scored 18 of his 26 points in the first quarter, converting his first four shots. He hit his final two shots of the quarter, 3-pointers with 1:37 and 2.1 seconds remaining. The Celtics' starters played the opening 11:18, Garnett and Pierce then departing and Allen concluding a 40.8-second possession with a 3-pointer for a 29-23 advantage after one. But the Celtics' reserves failed to click and the Nuggets gained momentum. Allen went to the bench for most of the second, and the Celtics converted only one field goal in the first 6:31 of the quarter. Pierce went 26:59 without a field goal, scoring on a drive 1:20 into the game and then on a jumper 4:19 into the second half. Allen's drought continued for 19:50, until his jumper cut the deficit to 61-55 with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter. The Nuggets stretched their lead to 59-44 on Chauncey Billups's jumper 3:23 into the second half, but the Celtics responded with a 21-5 run. House's second-chance jumper for a 67-64 advantage 23 seconds into the final quarter seemed to signal the Celtics were taking command. But the Nuggets' reserves responded, J.R. Smith with two 3-pointers and a 3-point play and Linas Kleiza with a layup and 3-point play over a 3:37 span. "I thought their bench won the game, really," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "We started the game terrific, the first four or five minutes, and then I thought we got cute with the ball. We had lay-ins and, all of a sudden, went to showtime. I think we were up 7 or 8 and could have really stretched the game early. And, with a team that had just come off a back-to-back, you've got a chance to make them go away early, and we didn't take advantage of it." After Garnett's dunk tied it with 3:10 to play, Kenyon Martin's drive signaled what would be the deciding points, giving the Nuggets an 86-84 lead with 2:51 to go. Billups had a 3-point play off a turnover, Carmelo Anthony a 3-pointer, and Billups two foul shots in a 59-second span. Meanwhile, Garnett missed in close, and Allen, House, and Rondo failed on 3-pointers, all Celtics' starters going to the bench with 45.2 seconds to play. "I think it's easier to shoot jump shots because you are tired and it's tough to drive and post and defend," Rivers said of the Celtics' schedule. "When you see a fatigued team, you usually see jump shots go up and you see front-of-the-rim misses, the other team get all the loose balls, all the offensive rebounds. And that did happen, but give Denver credit - they played [Thursday] night and they played with unbelievable energy."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:33:27 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/15/allen_finds_range_again?mode=PFAllen finds range again Extra practice leads to hot start By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | November 15, 2008 Ray Allen found a cure for his off-target shooting with an 18-point first quarter against the Denver Nuggets last night. But Allen did not maintain that pace, and the Celtics faded in a 94-85 loss that snapped their six-game winning streak. After Allen (1 for 9) and Eddie House (1 for 7) shot a combined 2 for 16 on 3-pointers in a 103-102 win over Atlanta Wednesday, both arrived early for practice the following morning. The extra shooting paid off - Allen (26 points) went 9 for 16 and House (13 points) was 5 for 11 against the Nuggets, though neither was a factor down the stretch. "It was just the flow of the game," Allen said of his lack of shots following a 6-for-7 first quarter. The Celtics' bench failed to match the Nuggets' - House was the only Boston reserve to score more than a point, while Denver's Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith both finished with 10. "They've been playing great until the last two games," coach Doc Rivers said of the Celtics' reserves. "The bench is going to be big for us because, really, after [tonight's visit to Milwaukee] is when I start using the bench more. They're going to have to play well because I'm going to use them, regardless. We can't go with Paul [ Pierce] and Ray playing 40 minutes every night. Those numbers have to come down to the 34-minute mark." Billups looks back Chauncey Billups has experienced a second homecoming since joining the Nuggets last week. And Billups visited a second home in leading the Nuggets to victory at TD Banknorth Garden. "When I'm all over the country, I see people from Boston who always tell me, 'Man, I still wish they didn't trade you,' " said Billups, who scored 18 points. "I think people still remember. But I don't know if they remember how I played when I was there. "I've had some peaks and valleys. When I got to Boston as the third pick [in the 1997 draft], you're thinking, 'I'm going to be here 8-9 years, man, hopefully have some success, be an All-Star, and we win a championship.' Those are the goals you set for yourself, and I know how hard they are to reach. You try to set them in stone. But I was out of there in three or four months, and from then on, the next four or five years were worse and worse all the time. It was tough for me. I don't know that anyone has had it like I've had and then made it back to the top." Billups, 32, was born in Denver and played for the Nuggets during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons after being acquired from Toronto. He rejoined the Nuggets, along with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb, in a deal with Detroit for Allen Iverson. McDyess's contract was bought out this week. "It has a spirit to it, a positive spirit, and hopefully, we can ride that spirit," Denver coach George Karl said of the trade. "[Billups] is an efficient player and an effective player. He can figure out what went wrong and what went right, and that helps the flow of the game, helps the guys who are playing, and, in a lot of ways, we have not had that the last two years." They're busy The Celtics' visit to Milwaukee concludes their fourth back-to-back situation, in which they play two games in a 24-hour period in two cities. Last season, the Celtics were 8-0 in the second of successive games. "There is nothing we can do about it, just play through it," Rivers said. "This is our fourth back-to-back in half a month, and a lot of teams have 10 of them for the year. It's been exhausting, no doubt about it. We know teams are going to attack us and we have to weather the storm." Giddens sent down Top draft pick J.R. Giddens will be sent to the Utah Flash in the Development League and second-round choice Bill Walker will remain with the Celtics, team president Danny Ainge said. Giddens and Walker were inactive for last night's game. Last season, Gabe Pruitt played point guard for Utah, then solidified a place on the Celtics' roster with his preseason performances. "I didn't know how it would work, but I like it," Rivers said of the D League.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:35:37 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/15/no_taking_back_what_they_gave?mode=PFNo taking back what they gave By Barbara Matson, Globe Staff | November 15, 2008 Coach Doc Rivers knew the Celtics were running too hard just trying to catch up. For two straight games, they had allowed their opponents to stretch a lead, but when the Raptors and Hawks went ahead by 16 points, the Celtics scrambled back to win. Last night, the Denver Nuggets moved in front by 15 points in the middle of the third quarter, and this time the Celtics couldn't reel them in. Boston closed the gap in the fourth, tying the game at 82-82 and 84-84, but playing in spurts wasn't enough and the Nuggets held on to claim a 94-85 victory. The Celtics, who have played seven games in 11 days, had a six-game win streak snapped but dismissed the busy schedule as an excuse. The erratic pattern of their play was the problem. "It's going to catch you at some point," said Rivers. "It just has to. I don't care how good you think you are. If you're going to play with fire, eventually you're going to get burned, and that happened tonight for us. "But we have things that we have to fix. There's things as a group that we have to get better and then individuals have to get better as well." The Celtics had a bright 8-0 start, Paul Pierce connecting for a 3-pointer and a jumper and Ray Allen adding a jumper and free throw. But that was the end of the smooth ride. Allen finished the first quarter with 18 points, including three treys, and the team shot 55 percent in taking a 29-23 lead, but then the offense started to wobble. The Celtics managed only 13 points in the second quarter while the Nuggets, under the command of former Celtic Chauncey Billups, took off on a 19-4 run and led at the half, 48-42. "Tonight I just felt like we were a step slow to our rotations," said Kevin Garnett, who had 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting. "I thought we started the game the first three minutes pretty well, but just never got into a real solid flow." The Nuggets knew the Celtics had been allowing big leads, against Atlanta and Toronto and at Milwaukee four games ago, when they came back from a 13-point deficit to win. "At halftime we talked," said Denver coach George Karl. "They've been in this position in three of their last four games and they come out with extra aggressiveness, sometimes to the point where it looks like they are fouling a lot and beating you up. I feel like offensively we catered to them a little bit in the third quarter with our shot selection. I think the fourth quarter may be as well as we can play on the road, where we have to turn the volume back up." The Celtics forced their way back into the game in the third quarter led by Pierce's 12 points, taking a 65-64 lead on an Eddie House 3-pointer. But in a back-and-forth fourth, the Celtics fell back while the Nuggets went forth. "We took them lightly," said Kendrick Perkins. "I don't think we respected our opponent. We started out good but we all made mistakes." Billups sparked the winning surge, feeding Kenyon Martin for a running jump shot, then sinking a layup and a free throw before passing off to Carmelo Anthony for a 3-pointer. Billups, fouled by Allen, sank a pair of free throws to put the game out of reach at 94-84 with 1:22 to play. "We have to be prepared a little bit better, with teams coming at us from the jump," said Pierce. "We came out from the start of the game for the first three minutes and from then on, we played in spurts." The NBA champions boast an 8-2 record, but Rivers pointed out how much work they face. "We're the most miserable 8-2 team I've ever seen," said Rivers. "Because we're not happy with the way we're playing. We're winning games but we're not playing well enough to be the winner. We get that."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 8:38:10 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1178311284/Nuggets-94-Celtics-85-No-miracle-this-timeNuggets 94, Celtics 85: No miracle this time -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Nov 15, 2008 @ 12:52 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — There was temptation to approach Paul Pierce before the Celtics-Nuggets game last night to ask him what he had up his sleeve in the fourth quarter this time. In two previous games at the Garden this week, both wins, Pierce had lit up the Raptors for 22 fourth-quarter points (some would say they'd never seen Pierce better) and busted up the Hawks' 6-0 start with an audacious game-winning jumper with five-tenths of a second left. After both games, Kevin Garnett referred to Pierce as Superman. No such heroics this time. Not by Pierce, or any Celtic, although Ray Allen (26 points) gave it a shot. The Nuggets did what other teams haven't been able to do. They refuse to cave in to the Celtics' dominance on the parquet, and rewarded themselves with a well-earned 94-85 win at the Garden. "I don't focus on me getting it going in the fourth quarter," said Pierce, who finished with 19 points. "It's a team game." To that point, "we were just a step slow," said Kevin Garnett. "We never got any flow. Never could get that momentum." And don't mention the non-step schedule the Celtics have gone through. "We're not going to use fatigue as an excuse," said Garnett. Breaking down the Celtics before the game, Denver coach George Karl said it seemed that "(Rajon) Rondo has more freedom" to run the show, but Rondo's show got bad reviews this time. True, he had seven assists and seven steals, but he was a bit out of control overall, and made just one of seven shots. A dunk by Garnett tied it at 84 ("we had a chance to win," he said), but it was all Denver after that, starting with a bucket by Kenyon Martin (16 points) to give the visitors the lead back. Then when Kendrick Perkins was stripped of the ball, it resulted with Chauncey Billups finishing a three-point play at the other end to make it 89-84. Billups had 18 points and seven assists. Carmelo Anthony (18 points, 13 rebounds) added more security with a long-range 3-pointer, and the Nuggets had salted it away with an eight-point lead and only 1:44 remaining. The Celtics are still having a hard time getting off to solid starts. "We can't play in spurts," said Pierce. "Teams are playing 48 minutes against us." Karl said, "any time you play the champions, you gotta play with kind of a tire-like intensity They know how to volume up the game." Pierce noticed Denver's shooting percentage. "That's the first time we've allowed a team to shoot 48 percent." Speaking of 48, the captain added, "we haven't played a full 48 (minutes) this year." Denver came out of the lockerroom at halftime with a six-point lead and quickly started the second half to get it up to 13 with a 9-2 start. The end of the quarter had a much different look. An Eddie House 3-pointer gave Boston a 65-64 lead when it was over. The Celtics were giving themselves another chance to win. The Celtics have been unhappy the way they've started games. That trend continued against the Nuggets. Yeah, Boston led by six after the first quarter, but Denver, after Anthony dunked off a fastbreak and followed with a corner jumper, grabbed a 48-36 lead. The Celtics recovered in the last three minutes of the half and cut Denver's lead to 48-42 at intermission. Still, Boston was outscored 26-13 in the quarter. Ray Allen's 18 led all scorers, otherwise Boston's offense sagged. The Nuggets got off 45 shots to Boston's 38 and had a higher percentage. Anthony had eight points and eight rebounds while Billups scored nine points in the half. Denver's high scorer, with 10, was Nene. Hey, you think BenJarvus Green-Ellis could give Nene one of his names? Just asking. Ray Allen was responsible for a 29-23 lead at the end of the first quarter. He went bonkers, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 9:02:40 GMT -5
forum.connpost.com/celticscentral/2008/11/celtics_finally_get_burned_you_knew_it_was_coming.html#trackbacksCeltics Finally Get Burned. You Knew It Was Coming. The Denver Nuggets, renewed by the re-acquisition of Chauncey Billups, played toe-to-toe with the NBA Champs. The Celtics have been playing with fire for a while now. It was the 3rd team in a row to really challenge the Green Team. This time the challenger won 94-85. The Celtics can't seem to put a strong 48 or even 36 minutes of basketball together this season. They used to dominate for 24 to 36 minutes and that was the game. This is 2008. They are getting off to slow starts or giving leads away, always playing catch up, and looking unimpressive as they do so, only to claw back into the game with solid, determined play. It looked like they could turn it on anytime they wanted to...until the Hawks game. Now Denver hopefully sends a wake-up call to the Green Team. Denver went up by 15 points at the 8:37 mark of the third period. Just when the Celtics looked like they were out of the game, they clawed back to take the lead on an Eddie House three pointer in the final period at 70-67. Denver would build another 8 point lead, before Boston would come back to tie again at 84 for the last time with 3:10 left on a Garnett dunk. Those would be Boston's last points until Patrick O'Bryant hit a meaningless free throw with 35 seconds left. J. R. Smith had 9 of his ten points in the period. Boston loses its first home game and Denver goes 4-1 since the trade for Billups, as Boston's offensive woes continue. They scored just 36 points in the middle two quarters. A "bought -in" Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups led a balanced Nugget attack with 18 points a piece with 6 players in double figures total. They responded to numerous Boston challenges and re-took the lead a number of times. The Bad News Denver controlled the paint, unusual in a Celtic game as they outscored the Cs there by an astounding 42-20. That never used to happen to these Celtics. They out ran the Cs with 18 to 8 on fastbreak points. They outrebounded the Celtics by 50-40 including team rebounds. All three numbers are highly uncharacteristic of this Celtic team. And the Celtics had a day's rest while the Nuggets played last night. The Celtics were led by Ray Allen's 26 points, 18 of them in the first quarter. Paul Pierce had 19 points, and Kevin Garnett added 16. Bench Needs to Improve They are not getting the support they were earlier from the bench. But it goes beyond that. The simple answer is that the Nugget bench outplayed and outscored the Celtic bench 26-16. But that was only part of it. The Celtics were actually outplayed by 16 points with Eddie House, Glen Davis and Leon Powe on the floor. But it was worse than the points scored differential. With between 6 to 8 minutes each, on the floor in the first half, Tony Allen, Glen Davis, and Eddie House had registered goose eggs in rebounds, assists and steals - combined. Not a single one. Leon Powe added 2 rebounds. The four of them scored 3 points total in the first half. Davis, Allen and Powe finished 0-8 shooting combined on the night. House heated up shooting with 11 second half points, but wasn't able to make the defensive effort to contain Denver. Leon Powe, particularly, did not have a good game. This was a night the plus/minus numbers would not tell you all of what really was happening. Rondo in Slump Rajon Rondo is in a scoring slump. 1 for 7 tonight but he is just 3 for 23 over the last three games, combined with low output from Kendrick Perkins. And most of that is at the hoop. His outside shooting is almost non-existent. He put a few jumpers up tonight without success and one wasn't even close. Kendrick is not getting the easy dunks he got last season and his FG% shows it (48% vs 61% last year). Props to JB of CelticsStuffLive for pointing that out a few games ago. Perk also had a critical turnover when Nene took the ball away at the top of the key with Nuggets leading only 87-84. It led to a fast break two points and the Celtics were done. Kevin Garnett is usually setting up at the high post to hit the jumper, to open things up underneath, and to facilitate his passing. Perhaps he needs to make more shots from there early in the game for it to work right. He also doesn't seem to play down low as much as last year. As a result, KG is not getting to the foul line as much either. He is at less than half of last season with 2.2 vs 4.7 free throw attempts. With the bench unable to get points on the board and Rondo and Perkins not scoring, it is putting tremendous pressure on the Big Three to score. They can't keep this up for long, if they want to be fresh at the end of the season. If things don't get better in a few games, I suspect we will see Patrick O'Bryant, Bill Walker, and possibly Gabe Pruitt or Sam Cassell getting a chance to help and get some valuable playing time. Maybe it happens sooner than that. One game is an exception. Two games means pay attention. Three games is a mini-problem. The season is long. It is only game nine. Will Doc take the Greg Popovich approach and just look for better execution from his anointed 9 player rotation? Or will he experiment with his other roster options? One thing that almost never happened last season was getting outhustled by their opponents. Tonight the Nuggets were the aggressor and were far more energetic for most of the night. The lack of scoring support will take a toll on the three stars as I see it. With two nonscorers and two poor foul shooters in Rondo and Perkins, something had to change soon. At 8-2 it probably looks like I'm doing unnecessary hand wringing. But I'm looking at the improved competition this season, both in conference and out. The Celtics have time to figure things out, but so far this not quite the juggernaut we saw last season. Unusual Stat of the Night Tony Allen - 13;50 minutes - one point, zero rebounds, zero assists, zero steals, zero turnovers
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 9:07:55 GMT -5
www.telegram.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811150381/1009/SPORTSNuggets bounce Celtics Weary Boston loses at home By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF wdoyle@telegram.com Add a comment BOSTON— The Celtics’ hectic schedule finally caught up to them. Playing against Chauncey Billups didn’t help either. Playing their seventh game in 11 days, the tired Celtics fell to the Nuggets, 94-85, last night at the Garden to snap their six-game winning streak. They lost at home for the first time this season after five wins here. The Celtics will play their eighth game in 12 nights tonight at Milwaukee before they finally get a couple of days off. Then they host the Knicks Tuesday night to begin only a slightly less busy stretch in which they’ll play seven games in 12 days to conclude the month. “I’ve never seen a stretch with the amount of games we’ve had to start a season,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said before the game. “But there’s nothing we can do about it and the guys have been great handling it so far.” The Celtics did have Thursday night off while the Nuggets lost at Cleveland. Denver didn’t look fatigued, though. Ray Allen led Boston with 26 points. Paul Pierce had 19 points and 7 rebounds. Kevin Garnett contributed 16 points and 9 boards. Eddie House scored 13 points off the bench. The rest of the Celtics combined for only 11 points. Billups led six Denver players in double-figure scoring with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Since the Nuggets traded Allen Iverson for him, they’ve gone 4-1. They’re 5-4 overall. Carmelo Anthony also scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Kenyon Martin scored 16. Nene had 14 points and 7 boards. The Celtics came in having won six in a row and were 5-0 at home despite falling behind by 13, 16 and 16 in their last three games on the parquet. They overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit last night, but were outscored, 10-1, over the game’s final 3 minutes. Billups hit a 12-foot turnaround jumper with 8:37 left in the third to push Denver’s lead to 59-44. Eddie House drained a 3 to close out the quarter and put Boston on top, 65-64. Pierce scored 12 points in the quarter. House hit another 3 to put Boston up, 70-67, early in the fourth, but Denver scored the next 11 points to take a 78-70 lead. The final 6 points of the run came when Linas Kleiza scored a layup and free throw after a Pierce turnover and J.R. Smith drained a 3 after a Leon Powe turnover Allen’s 3 tied it, 82-82, and Garnett took a bounce pass from House and dunked to make it 84-84. The Celtics had another chance to tie the score after Martin’s drive put the Nuggets up, 86-84, but Nene stole the ball from Kendrick Perkins and passed it to Billups who drove for a layup, got fouled and made the free throw to push Denver’s lead to 89-84 with 2:21 to go. Anthony’s 3 pushed the lead to 92-84 with 1:44 remaining. Rajon Rondo had 7 assists and 7 steals, but he made only 1 of 8 shots and his poor shooting has obviously gotten into his head. With five minutes left and the Celtics trailing, 61-53, he got the ball alone under the basket, but instead of laying it in, he passed it back out. Rivers kept Rondo on the bench for much of the fourth quarter so he wouldn’t have to guard Billups. House played the point. Rivers re-inserted Rondo with 1:44 to go and he promptly heaved up an airball from threeland. Anthony scored a season-low 11 points in a 119-93 loss here last November in Denver’s only visit last year. “We did mention how bad we were and how embarrassing it was,” Nuggets coach George Karl said before the game. “But it’s more of a get-up spirit of playing the champion, playing the team that’s considered the best and is the champion. I think there’s always a little more energy for that.” Denver came in having lost its last three here and 16 of its last 18 in Boston. The Celtics were 29-6 all-time at home against the Nuggets with their six losses coming by a total of 17 points. The Celtics shot only 39.7 percent, turned the ball over 18 times and were outscored, 42-20, in the paint. “They haven’t had that explosive game (this year) like they had against us,” Karl said, “and a lot of teams early last year, but they’re still very tough.” Anthony and Nene each scored 6 points during a 19-2 run that gave the Nuggets a 48-36 lead late in the first half. The Big Three scored 31 of Boston’s first 36 points, but after a timeout Rondo scored on a 10-foot floater. The Celtics cut their deficit to 48-42 at the half. The Celtics scored the game’s first 8 points and actually led after the first quarter for a change, 29-23. The Celtics had trailed after the first quarter in seven of their first nine games. Allen hit 6 of 7 shots, including 3 of 4 3-pointers, and had 18 points in the quarter.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 9:08:14 GMT -5
www.telegram.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811150445/1009/SPORTS3-pointers simply aren’t falling Boston’s 27.1 percentage is dead last in NBA CELTICS NOTES By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF wdoyle@telegram.com Add a comment Boston’s Kevin Garnett smiles as he heads onto the floor during the first half. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) Enlarge photo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON— The Celtics’ 3-point shots haven’t found the bottom of the net very often, but they have found the bottom the league. It hadn’t cost them any victories prior to last night, but the Celtics’ 3-point shooting percentage of 27.1 percent ranked dead last in the NBA. A year ago, the Celtics had the fifth-highest percentage at 38.1 percent. Entering last night, Paul Pierce enjoyed his highest 3-point shooting percentage (40.5) since his rookie season a decade ago, but the rest of the Celtics were a combined 21 of 98 (21.4 percent). Ray Allen was shooting just 27.1 percent, well below his career percentage of 39.7. Eddie House was shooting 21.9 percent, a big falloff from his career percentage of 38.3. Wednesday against Atlanta, Allen and House combined to make only 2 of 16 treys. “They’re human,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “They’re going to have nights like that. I’ve seen Larry Bird miss two free throws before in a row. It just happens.” The Celtics’ brief practice Thursday didn’t start until noon, but Allen was at HealthPoint shooting at 9:15 a.m. and House was there shooting at 10 a.m. “That’s what shooters do, they shoot it out,” Rivers said. “I told our young guys who showed up at 11:15, that’s why they are who they are. They take their craft serious.” The extra shooting paid off. Last night against Denver, Allen made 5 of 10 treys and House made 3 of 7. Other than Pierce, Allen and House, the rest of the Celtics have made only 1 of 20 3-point attempts including last night. Sam Cassell, who shot 40.9 percent from threeland in 17 games for the Celtics last season, is their only other possible 3-point threat, but he has yet to suit up this season. Allen and House are too good to continue shooting such low percentages, but the Celtics obviously miss James Posey, who signed with New Orleans last summer. Posey has 21 3s after burying 4 last night and is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc for the Hornets. Rivers probably finds the Celtics’ 3-point defense more alarming. They’ve allowed the eighth-highest 3-point percentage (36.8) after surrendering the lowest (31.6) a year ago. Atlanta and Toronto, two of the NBA’s best 3-point teams, combined to make 53.6 percent of their 3s in the past two games against Boston. Denver entered last night as the fourth-worst 3-point shooting team in the league. The Celtics have overcome their poor 3-point shooting by playing strong defense. They lead in the NBA in field-goal defense (38.9 percent) and rank second in points allowed (88.44). Karl lauds Billups It’s safe to say that Nuggets coach George Karl agreed with the trade of Allen Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups. “I’m excited,” Karl said. “It’s a trade that has a spirit to it. It’s a trade that I think has lifted the city. It’s kind of rejuvenated the energy in the locker room, the commitment to take the things we’re trying to change and actually magnify them to change. He’s just a wonderful player. He’s a great player on the court, he’s a great teammate. He’s a good leader, he says the right stuff.” The 6-foot-3 Billups presents a challenging matchup for Boston’s 6-1 Rajon Rondo. “He’s such a team point guard,” Rivers said. “He’s going to get everybody involved. He makes huge shots. For us, dealing with him is very difficult for the whole game, but in 1-point games and in close games he becomes unbearable for us because he’s one of the only guards in the league who because of his size advantage and his smarts we felt could get his shot off at any point.” Denver’s Carmelo Anthony has watched Iverson play on TV only once for Detroit, against New Jersey. “It’s hard watching it,” Anthony admitted, “knowing what we had on this team.” Anthony said it was also hard to see Iverson wearing No. 1 in Detroit instead of the No. 3 he wore in Denver. It’s even harder for Billups because Billups wore No. 1 in Detroit before Iverson did. O’Bryant replaces Walker Patrick O’Bryant dressed for the first time in six games in place of rookie Billy Walker. Rivers has stuck with a nine-man rotation this season. O’Bryant, Walker, Gabe Pruitt and Brian Scalabrine have played only in blowouts. Cassell and rookie J.R. Giddens have yet to suit up for a game. Celtic fever building Interest is high in the defending NBA champion Celtics. Their 103-102 victory over previously unbeaten Atlanta drew the highest regular-season rating in the 28 years that Comcast Sports Net and its cable predecessors have broadcast the team’s games. The game attracted a 6.8 rating, equaling 103,000 TV households. The previous high was a 5.7 for a home game against Detroit on March 5. Between 10 and 10:30 p.m., the Atlanta game averaged a 10.1 rating, outdrawing the Bruins and every other TV program shown in Boston.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 15, 2008 9:22:49 GMT -5
Herald www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132528&format=textGolden Nuggets www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132533&format=textDoc Rivers likes new look Nuggets www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132534&format=textRay Allen shoots his way out of slump www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1132535&format=textTrade a very big deal for Carmelo Anthony www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1132550&format=textPistons stop Lakers run Globe www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/15/golden_rule?mode=PFGolden rule www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/15/allen_finds_range_again?mode=PFAllen finds range again Extra practice leads to hot start www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/15/no_taking_back_what_they_gave?mode=PFNo taking back what they gave MetroWest Daily www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x1178311284/Nuggets-94-Celtics-85-No-miracle-this-timeNuggets 94, Celtics 85: No miracle this time Celtics.com www.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/postups-notebook-2008-09.htmlPost Ups Notebook: Live from courtside CelticsBlog www.celticsblog.com/2008/11/15/662012/lake-show-undefeated-bubblLake show undefeated bubble burst www.celticsblog.com/2008/11/14/661859/overreact-here-celts-fallOverreact here, Celtics fall to Nuggets LOY's Place celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2008/11/comments-from-other-side-nuggets.htmlComments from the other side - Nuggets celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2008/11/player-of-game-ray-allen.htmlPlayer of the Game - Ray Allen celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2008/11/nuggets-at-celtics-in-pictures.htmlCeltics at Nuggets in pictures Connecticut Post forum.connpost.com/celticscentral/2008/11/celtics_finally_get_burned_you_knew_it_was_coming.html#trackbacksCeltics Finally Get Burned. You Knew It Was Coming. Worcester Telegram www.telegram.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811150381/1009/SPORTSNuggets bounce Celtics www.telegram.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811150445/1009/SPORTS3-pointers simply aren’t falling Hoopsworld www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=13428Anthony, Nuggets hand Celtics first home loss www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=13446Celtics aim to start new win streak at Bucks 20 Second Timeout 20secondtimeout.blogspot.com/2008/11/nuggets-stun-celtics-by-playing-good.htmlNuggets stun Celtics by playing good defense WEEI blogs.weei.com/jessicacamerato/2008/11/14/powe-sprains-hand-in-celtics-loss/Powe sprains hand in Celtics loss ProJo sportsblog.projo.com/2008/11/projo-celtstalk-21.htmlCelts talk with Rob Lee www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp_bkn_celtics_journal_15_11-15-08_54C9P60_v5.3b9b197.htmlPierce's status has been elevated from Truth to Superman sportsblog.projo.com/2008/11/celticsnuggets.htmlCeltics-Nuggets pregame Boston Channel www.thebostonchannel.com/health/17982075/detail.htmlRay Allen, wife recall son's diabetes diagnosis Caveman Network www.hotnonporn.com/2008/11/mad-ballin-is-boston-atlanta-next-great.htmlIs Boston-Atlanta the next great NBA rivalry? BostonSportZ www.bostonsportz.com/blog/2008/11/14/book-review-top-of-the-world-the-inside-story-of-the-boston.htmlBook review: Top of the World TSN www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/news/news.aspx?id=4190918It's Celtics-Lakers in a two horse race Sports Hub LA www.sportshubla.com/2008/11/14/they-say-pau-gasol-is-a-softie-so-that-makes-it-true/They say Pau Gasol is a softie, so that makes it true? Fox Sports www.sportshubla.com/2008/11/14/they-say-pau-gasol-is-a-softie-so-that-makes-it-true/ Overconfidence could be costly for Celtics SI.com sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/ian_thomsen/11/13/weekly.countdown/?eref=sircrcLife's a pain around the NBA, even for mascots Enterprise www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x1178311238/Celtics-can-t-play-catch-upCeltics can't play catchup www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x1178311138/Celtics-mired-in-3-point-slumpCeltics mired in 3 point slump NY Times www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/sports/basketball/15hawks.html?_r=1&oref=sloginTheir confidence is up, so is the Hawks' profile Lex Nihil Novi lexnihilnovi.blogspot.com/2008/11/13-points-all-off-turnovers.html13 points, all off turnovers lexnihilnovi.blogspot.com/2008/11/kenyon-oh-kenyon-where-for-art-thou.htmlKenyon, oh Kenyon, where for art thou? lexnihilnovi.blogspot.com/2008/11/1986-team-has-gone-to-seed.htmlThe 1986 team has gone to seed lexnihilnovi.blogspot.com/2008/11/hick-from-french-lick-adjusts-to.htmlThe Hick from French Lick adjusts to superstardom (81-82) |
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