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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:38:15 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1144335&format=textKing James and Co. hold court against champs Cavaliers able to C’s moment By Steve Bulpett | Saturday, January 10, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP CLEVELAND - They will tell you this was one of 82 regular-season games - no more and no less. And the Celtics [team stats] are correct. A frigid Friday night in January isn’t where seasons are decided. But they wanted this one. Against the Cavaliers, the team that nudged them out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference earlier this week, the Celts sought redemption for their recent woes. But as has been the case in now seven of their last nine games, they were forced to dine on defeat. LeBron James dropped in 38 points and the Cleveland fans chanted “overrated” at the Celtics as they fell for the fourth straight time, 98-83. They came out determined to make a defensive stand, but all the pregame talk looked empty when the Cavs shot 72.2 percent from the field in a 33-point first quarter. The tone clearly was set. “I just thought at the beginning of the game we should have come out a lot more aggressively on defense,” Kevin Garnett said. “We didn’t really do anything to change LeBron’s looks or anything.” Added Paul Pierce [stats], who was left to battle James: “The thing about LeBron, you’ve got to be able to take away some things. I thought tonight we pretty much gave him whatever he wanted. He got to the hole; he shot the jumper. And when you’re playing against a great player like LeBron, you’ve got to be able to take some things away.” Including last season’s playoffs, it was the Celtics’ 10th consecutive loss here - which sort of fits the trend in this place. The Cavaliers are now 19-0 at home. (Hmmm . . . remember when 19 was a cool number for the Celts?) “I saw some good things tonight, but I thought we pushed the panic button a little when we took the quick shots,” coach Doc Rivers said. “I told the guys, listen, we put money in the bank with the 19-game winning streak and we’re making a withdrawal that we don’t want to have to make right now, but we are. And at the end of the day, we’re 29-9. That’s not all bad, except for the stretch that we’re on right now. We’ve just got to get it right. We’re going to right the ship. When, I don’t know, but the last two games I see better stuff.” The C’s were down by 14 with a minute to go in the second quarter and by nine at the half. Kevin Garnett then opened the third with a jumper, and Rajon Rondo [stats] went to the line on the next three possessions. He hit three of the six shots to make it 49-45. James drove for a three-point play at 9:23, ending a scoreless Cleveland run of 3:50. But Kendrick Perkins [stats] scored inside (off a Rondo feed) and then hit Garnett for a layup to slice the margin to 52-49. It was a five-point game a few moments later when the Celtics failed on five straight opportunities to make it tighter. By the end of the period, the Cavs were back ahead by a dozen. “The biggest stretch was when it was a five-point game and we had three fast breaks in a row and we came up zero on 3-on-1’s and 4-on-2’s,” Rivers said. “And you know in our league, if you miss on a fast break, it’s two points the other way. That was the difference in the game. I thought it was over after that.” Garnett led the Celts with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Kendrick Perkins added 13 points. But Pierce faced some tough defense from James (with help from his friends) and ended up with just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Afterward, the Celtics had more heart-to-heart talks. They obviously are disturbed by the recent happenings but aren’t pointing fingers. “You’re not going to get any of that on this team,” Garnett said. “It’s a team of gentlemen, a team of class and a team of individuals that respect each other. You’re not going to get any of that. . . . We win as a (expletive) team; we lose as a (expletive) team.” Lately it’s been mostly the latter.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:40:23 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1144357&format=textLebron James, Cavaliers savor matchups with champs A rival is born By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Saturday, January 10, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP CLEVELAND - Rivalries are mainly for the fans. Players generally act as if they are above such stuff. But LeBron James is very much a fan - right down to the Yankees and Cowboys gear he favors - so he likes what the Celtics [team stats] and Cavaliers are building. “Any time you can develop something where you can be competitive every time you play, for me as an individual, I thrive on that,” James said before last night’s 98-83 win over the Celts. “That’s fun to me when every time you play that team it’s going to have that intensity of a playoff game.” And while the Cavs would love nothing more than to destroy the C’s, there can be no mistaking the respect they have for the Green. “Not just us, but I think everyone in the league still looks at Boston as the team, the standard we’re all going after,” said Cavs general manager Danny Ferry. No matter how well the Celtics were doing last season, they always talked of the Cavaliers as the team to beat because they were defending Eastern Conference champions. Now James’ gang is thinking along the same lines. “We’ve done this in the past,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown. “When Detroit was the Eastern Conference champion or the NBA champion, that’s who you kind of have to look up to and target and want to be like. That’s who you’ve got to take it from. Last year (the Celts) won the East and they won the NBA championship. We want what they have. We want to be where they are. We can’t hide it or sidestep it. We have to go earn it because they’re definitely not going to just give it up.” No guarantees Doc Rivers isn’t taking it for granted that the Celtics will simply sail their way out of their recent rough stretch. “I don’t ever assume that,” he said. “I think that’s what got us here. It’s like, ‘I know I didn’t go over on the pick this time, but I’ll do it the next time.’ I think that’s exactly the type of thinking that’s gotten us in this position.” No harm from foul Kendrick Perkins [stats] said he was fine after aggravating the muscle behind his left shoulder on a Ben Wallace hard foul in the first quarter. Perkins missed a game on the West Coast trip after reinjuring the shoulder against the Lakers. He hit 6-of-7 from the floor last night. . . . Rajon Rondo [stats] was icing his left shoulder before the game. He got hit by Brent Barry in the Houston game Wednesday. . . . With six minutes left, the Celts tried a different strategy - fouling Wallace, or Belt-a-Ben, if you will. Wallace, a 44.1 percent shooter from the line coming in, made 5-of-10 freebies. Take it easy The Celtics certainly missed Tony Allen’s defense last night, but the team left him home to rehab his right ankle and to avoid temptation. “I’d rather do the treatment and get him ready,” Rivers said. “He wasn’t going to play (last night). There was a chance he could play (tomorrow), but to me at this point in the season, I want to try to get our guys 100 percent. . . . Your job is to get our guys 100 percent by the end of the year.” Allen will have company in the trainer’s room back in Waltham. Bill Walker (knees) and J.R. Giddens (wrist) were called up from the D-League for medical reasons.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:44:46 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/10/air_of_superiority?mode=PFAir of superiority High-flying James, Cavaliers bury Celtics By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | January 10, 2009 CLEVELAND - The Celtics have a four-game losing streak and appear to have lost some confidence, along with their ability to dominate the opposition. But captain Paul Pierce insists the swagger has not turned into a stagger. "We're good, man, I'm telling you the truth, the God's honest truth," Pierce said after a 98-83 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. "We talk after every game. We stay in the locker room after a loss and we talk about what we need to do better. The mood is real positive. That's our strength and that will continue to be our strength and that's what makes us strong. We know we are going to get through this tough stretch." The Celtics (29-9) have lost seven of nine games since Dec. 25 and dropped their fourth in a row for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Cleveland (29-6) extended its home record to 19-0 and boosted its lead atop the Eastern Conference to 1 1/2 games over the Celtics. "We just talked about what we could have done defensively better," Pierce said. "As long as we continue to talk and stay positive, we'll be all right. Nobody's happy. You start thinking about those little things, but the strength of the team is we're going to stay together. Everybody is able to accept criticism and we leave it here in the locker room and move on to the next game. That was our strength last year and that will be our strength. It's still a long season. We won 19 games in a row and we know what we're capable of. So we stay positive and talk it out." The Celtics, who play the Raptors tomorrow in Toronto and Monday in Boston, also have a four-game road losing streak and have not won in Cleveland since 2004. Pierce matched up with LeBron James from the beginning last night and got off to a strong defensive start. But the rest of the Cavaliers set the tone, with Cleveland taking a 10-point lead on 72.2 percent shooting in the first quarter. The Celtics cut the deficit to 52-49 early in the second half, but James scored 23 of his 38 points in taking control after halftime. The Celtics absorbed some of Cleveland's best figurative punches, as well as various other body blows, in the opening quarter. The Cavaliers took a 33-23 lead, the most first-quarter points by a Celtic opponent this season, on 13-of-18 shooting, including four dunks in half-court sets. But the Cavalier reserves started the next quarter with five misses, including a blown dunk by J.J. Hickson, allowing the Celtics to cut the deficit to 34-29 with 8:22 remaining in the half. Kendrick Perkins converted his first four attempts, then was fouled while shooting, the Celtics calling a timeout and Perkins receiving treatment on his left shoulder from trainer Ed Lacerte and massage therapist Vlad Shulman with 3:17 remaining in the first quarter. Perkins then made 1 of 2 free throws. Rajon Rondo went down from a Hickson challenge, holding his jaw, just before the first-quarter buzzer. James did not convert from the field for the first 7:16 but concluded the quarter with 9 points. Pierce scored only once in the opening quarter, on a fast-break dunk following Rondo's steal from James with 35 seconds remaining, and finished with 11 points. The Celtics' commitment to defending began paying off early in the second half, but the Cavaliers continued to extend their lead. "The biggest stretch was when it was a 5-point game and we had three fast breaks in a row and came up zero on three-on-ones and four-on-twos," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "You know, in our league if you miss on a fast break, it's 2 points the other way. That was the difference in the game. It was over after that." Kevin Garnett (18 points, 15 rebounds) extended a 14-3 Celtic run over two quarters, cutting the deficit to 52-49 with 8:06 remaining in the third. But the Celtics failed to score on three successive possessions. James's 3-point play, following a Ray Allen fast-break miss and a Rondo failed follow, made it 64-56 with 2:35 to go. James converted two 3-point plays, two other drives, and hit a 25-footer in the third and added 10 points in the final quarter, departing after his two free throws gave the Cavaliers a 90-71 lead with 4:14 remaining. "You have to be able to take away some things, and we pretty much gave him whatever he wanted," Pierce said of James. "You have to give him this and take away this, and we didn't do either. "We're going to see them again. They are playing great at home. We put this behind us and move on. You never want to lose, we never had a three- or four-game losing streak, so it's definitely frustrating, because we know what we are capable of. We're not a team that's going to make excuses, so we just have to go out and get the job done. We're going to get everybody's best punch and we just have to be ready for it. We were ready for it early in the season and we have to continue to be ready for it night in and night out. "This was one of those games where momentum was a factor. We turned the ball over at crucial stages when we cut the lead. We didn't give ourselves a chance when we were getting back in the game."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:46:06 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/10/time_is_now_to_turn_it_around?mode=PFTime is now to turn it around By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 10, 2009 CLEVELAND - There was no yelling at each other on the bench, rather Kevin Garnett on one knee in the final minutes of another loss talking to teammates Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, and Paul Pierce about what needs to be fixed. There was finger-pointing going on, but it was by individuals at themselves. And while the Celtics' locker room was far from happy, it wasn't gloom and doom, either. Don't get the Celtics wrong. They are upset about losing four straight and seven of their last nine games following a 98-83 loss to the Cavaliers last night at Quicken Loans Arena. But the Celtics refuse to feel as if the sky has fallen when they are 29-9, in third place in the Eastern Conference, and still own a commanding lead in the Atlantic Division. "You're not going to get any of that [negativity]," said Garnett, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds. "We're a team of gentlemen, we're a team of class, and a team of individuals that respect each other. You're not going to get any of that. "I'm not going to even elaborate on it because you won't get that. No one is going to point no finger at one person. We win as a team. We lose as a team. You're not going to get none of that." The Celtics seem to be mad at themselves, and they should be, since none of them is playing well consistently. Beating a Cleveland team that's undefeated at home with possibly the world's best player in LeBron James would have been tough, even if the Celtics were playing as they were when they won 19 straight. They seem most upset about missed opportunities in games they were supposed to win against teams that would love to switch positions with Boston. There was a loss to Golden State, which was playing without two starters; one to Portland, which was minus All-Star guard Brandon Roy; and another to an injury-plagued Knicks squad. Charlotte? C'mon. And Houston without Tracy McGrady. But lesser foes are bringing all they have every night since they are playing the champs. "The way it's going, you would have thought we lost 20 games," said Celtics center Kendrick Perkins. "But that's the good thing because we aren't used to losing. With the team we have, we aren't supposed to lose. With the coaching staff we have, we aren't supposed to lose. "Tonight, Cleveland was supposed to beat us. But if you can take away the New York game, the Portland game, the Charlotte game, games we are supposed to win. You watch a team like Charlotte give us their best shot and then they come in and get blown out by Cleveland by [30] the next night and lose tonight against [Philadelphia]. Even the Knicks, they give us their best shot at their house and beat us and then lose to Oklahoma City. That's the way things are going right now. But it's not anything we're going to hang our head over." But it's difficult to give the Celtics too much grief over losing last night to the hottest team in the league. Cleveland made its first six baskets without James scoring, and held a 33-23 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Celtics were competitive, but couldn't overcome a 3-point third-quarter deficit. And with James too hot to stop later on a 38-point night, champions who are used to blowing people out were the ones who were routed. Celtics coach Doc Rivers saw a silver lining, but also expressed caution that it's time to turn things around. "I told the guys we put money in the bank with a 19-game winning streak and we're making a withdrawal that we don't want to make right now, but we are," said Rivers. "At the end of the day, we are 29-9, and that is not all that bad, except for the stretch we are on right now. We are going to right the ship - when I don't know - but the last three games, I have seen better stuff." With back-to-back games against struggling Toronto followed by back-to-back games against struggling New Jersey, the time is now for the Celtics to find that championship mojo again. Yes, they have not hit the panic button. But if things are still rough a week from now, even a positive team like the Celtics might have trouble remaining so. "We're good, man," said Paul Pierce. "I'm telling you the truth. We talk after every game. We stay in the locker room after a loss and we talk about what we need to do better. The mood is real positive. That's our strength and that will continue to be our strength and that's what makes us strong." Said Allen, "This is definitely a stretch, but it's nothing I'm worried about."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:50:35 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/10/pierce_not_the_big_gun_this_time?mode=PFPierce not the big gun this time Winning streak led into some losing ways By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | January 10, 2009 CLEVELAND - The last two times the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers here, Paul Pierce outscored LeBron James. But James (38 points) got the better of Pierce (11) in the Cavaliers' 98-83 victory last night. "I think teams know that," James said when asked if the Cavaliers were regarded as an elite team. "I don't think we needed to win tonight to let teams know that. "I think it was the energy and effort we showed defensively as a unit. That's the thing I'm most proud of. We continue to show poise, we continue to help each other defensively, and we continue to use energy and effort. That's one thing you can control, is having energy and effort, and we had it throughout the game." The Celtics have a seven-game losing streak in Cleveland since taking a 114-107 overtime victory Dec. 18, 2004, Pierce outscoring James, 34-31. The last Celtic regulation win in Cleveland was 105-97 Dec. 13, 2003, Pierce outscoring James, 41-37. The Cavaliers have a 19-0 home record (16.5-point differential). Winning begets losing The Celtics have been suffering from post-winning streak syndrome, according to coach Doc Rivers. "Going through the 19-game streak, that had to have emotional baggage," Rivers said before the game. "When you look historically at teams with long streaks, coming out of the streaks they haven't performed that well for a while, and unfortunately, we're in that group now. "The opponent is emotional every night and you almost have to match that emotion to win games. We started off the season, I thought we did a terrific job of that. Of late, we haven't. I don't think we've done very well with that. We've had the we'll-win-it-at-the-end mentality, and we haven't. "The urgency is just starting to come back to where it should be. Sometimes you have to wait on your group, and that's what we're doing." Short stay? The return of rookies J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker to the Celtics could be temporary. Giddens (wrist) and Walker (knees) were injured while playing for Utah in the Development League. Said Rivers, "We have a set rotation and the veterans kind of know how to play the game. The young guys are learning the game. That doesn't mean they won't, but it takes time." Guard Tony Allen (ankle) could return for tomorrow's game in Toronto. To the point Point guard Rajon Rondo had his left shoulder wrapped following a morning workout, but said he had recovered enough to lift weights before the game. "This is a big game for us," he said. "We're struggling right now, and if we can get a win, it can get us back jump-started as well. "Early on in the shootaround, [Rivers] told us they're 18-0 at home. So it will be a good jump-start for us if we can knock them off." Cavaliers coach Mike Brown noted Rondo's dropoff has affected the Celtics. "It's not necessarily what teams are doing to the Celtics," he said. "I think the Celtics, right now, are just in a little bit of a funk, which everybody goes through in the course of the season. "Obviously, Rondo is not playing the type of basketball he was playing when they were winning, and that has a big impact on them." Not a big deal Brown's reply to the significance of last night's game: "If you say it's a statement game, that means there's a finality to it, and there's no finality to this game. We'll see how we stack up against the best team in the NBA and they'll see how they stack up against a pretty good NBA team." Said Rivers, "Obviously, if they win they will feel good about it, but it doesn't help you in April. These games are important because it could come down to tiebreakers for the playoffs. You're going to play these teams in the playoffs, and any time you win on the road, it gives you a little bit of confidence. And there haven't been a lot of wins in this building, from what I've heard, and it does give you an edge if you can win."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:53:34 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/01/10/blazers_threaten_lawsuit?mode=PFBlazers threaten lawsuit Union grieves e-mail about signing Miles By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | January 10, 2009 Despite the Portland Trail Blazers' litigation threats against NBA teams interested in signing free agent forward Darius Miles, the league and players' union sent out memos in his defense yesterday. The Players' Association also has filed a grievance against the Blazers. Miles only has to play in two more games to put the Blazers on the hook for $18 million in salary cap money they previously didn't have to pay after buying him out of his contract following a knee injury that sidelined him for two seasons. They'd also enter luxury tax territory. Portland sent out an e-mail to the 29 other NBA teams threatening to sue if a team attempted to sign Miles in order to damage the Blazers financially. It remains to be seen what action will be taken after the Grizzlies re-signed Miles to a 10-day contract last night, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. In an e-mail sent league-wide, the NBA stated: "This is to inform you that Darius Miles has cleared waivers as of 10 a.m., EST, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. He is now a free agent. The NBA has received the e-mail sent last night by Portland to all teams. Under league rules, teams are free to sign Darius Miles to a Uniform Player Contract if they wish to secure his services as a player, and any such contract would be approved by the NBA." Through a statement, NBAPA executive director Billy Hunter expressed his disappointment in Portland's threat and added that the union is filing a grievance. "We are shocked at the brazen attempt by the Portland Trail Blazers to try to prevent Darius Miles from continuing his NBA career," said Hunter. "Their attempt to intimidate the other 29 NBA teams by threatening frivolous litigation merely for signing this capable NBA veteran is a clear violation of the anti-collusion and other provisions of our Collective Bargaining Agreement." The Globe reported that the Trail Blazers were bad-mouthing Miles in hopes of keeping other teams from signing him after he was cut during training camp after playing six games for the Celtics. Portland would have to pay up if he plays 10 games. Yahoo! Sports recently reported that the six exhibition games Miles played with Boston counted. Miles played two games with Memphis before being waived. "The Portland Trail Blazers are aware that certain teams may be contemplating signing Darius Miles to a contract for the purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers' salary cap and tax positions," Blazers president Larry Miller wrote in the e-mail. "Such conduct by a team would violate its fiduciary duty as an NBA joint venture. In addition, persons or entities involved in such conduct may be individually liable to the Portland Trail Blazers for tortiously interfering with the Portland Trail Blazers' contract rights and prospective economic opportunities. "Please be aware that if a team engages in such conduct, the Portland Trail Blazers will take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights, including, without limitation, litigation." Celtics forward Paul Pierce, one of the team's union representatives, was unhappy with the Blazers' actions. "It's unfair," Pierce said. "Didn't they say he could never play again?" Said coach Doc Rivers, "I just hope it works out [for Miles]." In a conference call, Miller defended his aggressive action. "Our purpose here was not in any way to keep Darius from being able to play," Miller said. "If he can come back and help a team to win and play at a level on the court that helps the team, we have no problem with that at all." Barkley takes leave Charles Barkley is taking a leave of absence from the broadcast booth. The announcement by Turner Sports came hours after police said the 45-year-old former NBA star was legally drunk when they arrested him Dec. 31 on suspicion of drunken driving in Scottsdale, Ariz. Test results show Barkley had a blood-alcohol level of .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona. Barkley will be off the air for a minimum of several weeks and no return date has been set.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:55:29 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2009/01/docs_orders_stay_the_course.htmlDoc's orders: stay the course Email|Link|Comments (22) Posted by Tony Massarotti, Globe Staff January 9, 2009 11:04 AM In the world of coaching, patience is not merely a virtue. Sometimes, it is a requirement. Particularly when things might get a little worse before they get better. "I think sometimes you’ve got to wait on your team and sometimes you’ve got to push your team,’’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said in a secluded corner of the locker room Wednesday night, shortly after an 89-85 loss to the Houston Rockets, his team's sixth defeat in the last eight games. "I think right now, this is one of those stretches you’ve got to push 'em in practice and you got to wait on ‘em in the game. You’ve got to wait on 'em to do all the right stuff that they know they can do." And so, as the wait extends, the weight builds. Once the possessors of a sterling 27-2 record -- the best 29-game start in NBA history -- the Celtics are now 29-8 entering tonight’s reunion with the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Cavs have the best record in the NBA. The Cavs have not lost at home this season. While going a perfect 18-0 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland has defeated its opponents by the average score of 105-89, staking its claim as Boston’s primary threat in an Eastern Conference that generally has looked like a two-horse race. At the moment, this meeting has the makings of a potential Cleveland landslide. But then, there’s a reason the games are played. A picture of patience throughout his time in Boston, Rivers is now as he was then: unshaken. Two years ago at this time, the Celtics had just begun a club record 18-game losing streak that ultimately produced 22 losses in 23 games, a stretch that forever altered team history. As a result of the nosedive, the Celtics thrust themselves into contention for the No. 1 overall selection and ended up with the second-worst record in the league. In one manner or another, the fallout led to the ground-shaking events that brought Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and, as it turned out, championship No. 17 to Boston. Maybe that is why Rivers looks at the Celtics’ recent dive and shows not a hint of concern. After all, he has been through much, much worse and come out quite well off. "I wasn’t that [patient] as a player and I probably wasn’t that way as a coach early on in Orlando,’’ Rivers admitted. "At the end of the day, you just kind of evolve into that, and I think that’s the best way to be." Truth be told, the problems with the Celtics of late might be easier than one might guess. For the good of his team, Rivers just isn’t the kind to say it. Entering the Christmas Day defeat to the Lakers in Los Angeles -- the one that started this slump -- point guard Rajon Rondo had been playing like an All-Star. But during the six recent losses, Rondo has shot 21 of 54 (38.9 percent) with a disturbing ratio of 42 assists to 25 turnovers. Against Houston Wednesday, Rondo took just four shots and had four of his five assists during an aberrational Celtics burst late in the fourth quarter. The rest of the night, Rondo had one assist; in the final three quarters, the Celtics scored 54 points. For all of the emphasis the Celtics internally have placed on defense -- they believe that defense triggers their offense -- they have averaged 89.5 points in their most recent six losses and only once scored as many as 90 points. That instance came in Tuesday’s 114-106 loss at Charlotte, a game that went into overtime. And then there is this: In those same six losses, the Celtics have been outscored by 54 points in the second half. Their inability to execute in the fourth quarter, in particular, has evoked memories of the pre-K(G) Celtics, a young and spirited group that lacked the discipline, experience and, yes, talent to close out games. Much of that reflects poorly on the point guard, only fueling speculation about Stephon Marbury. Through it all, of course, Rivers has remained typically levelheaded, though that should hardly come as a surprise. Where many coaches might have started to tighten their grip, Rivers instead has elected to loosen it some. The Celtics might have practiced yesterday in anticipation of tonight’s affair with the Cavs, but Rivers instead opted to give his team the day off in the wake of a travel and game schedule that has had the club running ragged for the last few weeks. Maybe this why Celtics players last season spoke of Rivers’s ability to recognize them as human beings first and basketball players second. "Since Dec. 23, I think we’ve been home a total of three days,’’ Rivers said. "Let them go home and see their wives, their families.’’ In Boston, especially, the job of manager or coach is a tenuous position at best, a fact for which Rivers serves as Exhibit A. Two years ago, amid a talent shortage and mounting frustration, some called for his dismissal. Last summer, we were all marveling at how Rivers, before the season even began, took some of his players on a tour of the city’s championship parade route. Now the Celtics are certifiable contenders and Rivers rests somewhere in between, a man who has an entire city’s trust and the utmost confidence in his team, the kind of balance that every club strives for, particularly at the most challenging times. "I get irritated with 'em in some ways but it’s in practice. I would tell you that they would say if I go off, it’s in practice and that’s where we do most of our teaching,’’ Rivers said when asked if the play of his team ever angers him. "If I don’t think we’re doing something right or if they don’t think something is important in the execution phase of our defense, that’s when they hear me. :The only time I get upset [in games] is if I think we don’t play with the right team spirit. And that happens,’’ continued the coach. "I didn’t think we played hard in a couple of [recent] losses because of fatigue or whatever -- I thought we got out-hustled -- but as far as positive spirit and guys playing for purpose of winning, I think we’ve pretty much maintained that. We just got to maintain that.’’ In the interim, Rivers does what a most reasonable and confident man would do. He waits.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 8:57:06 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/Celtics fading? Link|Comments (0) Posted by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff January 9, 2009 09:46 PM The Celtics' commitment to defending began paying off early in the second half. But the Cavaliers continued to extend their lead. Kevin Garnett extended a 14-3 Celtic run over two quarters, cutting the deficit to 52-49 with 8:06 remaining in the third quarter. Cleveland started the second half with 1 for 6 field goal shooting, a LeBron James three-point play extending the edge to 52-45 with 9:23 left. Ray Allen's transition drive rolled out and Rajon Rondo missed the follow, James then converting a three-point play against Rondo's defending for a 64-56 Cleveland lead with 2:35 left in the quarter. That started an 11-4 Cavalier rally. James and Delonte West hit 3-pointers in the final 78 seconds of the quarter, the Cavaliers taking a 72-60 lead on West's shot with :02 on the shot clock. Long night in Cleveland? Link|Comments (0) Posted by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff January 9, 2009 09:06 PM Signs were pointing to a long night for the Celtics in the first half against the Cavaliers. Even when the Celtics seemed to be getting together defensively, they failed to make up ground. Cleveland missed eight of its first 11 shots of the second quarter. But the Celtics failed to cut their deficit -- even after forcing a shot-clock violation (on a 30-second possession which included a Pierce blocking foul against James), the Celtics' offense faltered on two successive possessions. LeBron James then landed a 3-pointer for a 44-33 Cleveland lead with 3:36 left. In fact, only a last-minute rally kept the Celtics within nine at halftime. James' 3-pointer extended the edge to 49-35 with 73 seconds remaining, then Paul Pierce drilled an open 3-pointer off an in-bounds pass with 58 seconds to go, and Kendrick Perkins made it 49-40 with 36 seconds left. Cavs get physical Link|Comments (0) Posted by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff January 9, 2009 08:46 PM The Celtics absorbed some of Cleveland's best figurative punches, as well as various other body blows, in the opening quarter of Friday night's game. The Cavaliers took a 33-23 lead, the most first-quarter points by a Celtic opponent this season, on 13 for 18 shooting, including four dunks in half-court sets. But the Cavalier reserves started the next quarter with five misses, including a blown dunk by J.J. Hickson, allowing the Celtics to cut the deficit to 34-29 with 8:23 remaining in the half. Kendrick Perkins converted his first four attempts, then was fouled while shooting, the Celtics calling a timeout and Perkins receiving treatment on his left shoulder from trainer Ed Lacerte and massage therapist Vlad Shulman with 3:17 remaining in the first quarter. Rajon Rondo went down, holding his jaw, just before the first quarter buzzer after being challenged on a drive by LeBron James. Celtic captain Paul Pierce was assigned to defend James, who did not convert from the field for the first 8:16 but concluded the quarter with nine points. Pierce scored only two points, on a fastbreak dunk following Rondo's pokeaway from James with 35 seconds remaining.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 10, 2009 10:43:36 GMT -5
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