The Magnificent Seven and Kevinn
by hankfinkel on Apr 6, 2007 9:49 PM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintFinally, we get some star power in the Garden. Tonight the World Champions came to Boston, bringing with them a sizeable draw in the middle. We're guessing that there weren't a whole lot of fans in the seats tonight dying to see the Celtics' starting lineup of Rondo, Ray, Perkins, Gomes and Green. We suppose that it's possible that fans came out of some perverse nostalgia for Antoine Walker. Or maybe they came to see our new NBDL all-star Kevinn Pinkney. In the event that it was Shaq, he did not disappoint. But, neither did Rondo, Gomes, Green, Perkins, or Leon Powe. {styleboxjp width=200px,float=right,color=grey,textcolor=black,echo=yes}A funny thing happened along the way to an obvious blow out: one of the most competitive and entertaining games of the year. In defeat, these young men did themselves proud.{/styleboxjp}
The Heat came out strong, making their first 6 shots, and had the Cs down 14-4 right out of the gate. But then that magical anti-shooting karmic event happened: Shaq went to the foul line. After the Diesel bricked three (the extra attempt care of a lane violation), the Heat started missing everything, the young guns got their game going (including the Celtics' first four point play in two years, courtesy of Allan Ray), and the Cs captured the lead 20-19. With 2:55 left in the first, Antoine entered the game to cheers from the Boston crowd (hey, maybe they did come to see Walker). Like Shaq, 'Toine did not disappoint, hitting a quick 3 to make the score 26-22 in favor of the Heat. Ryan Gomes promptly answered with a three of his own, narrowing the gap to a single point. At the end of the first quarter, the Celtics were holding their own: Miami 28-26.
After a couple of scoreless minutes at the start of the second quarter, the pace picked up and the Celtics again took the lead on a Powe dunk with 8:36 on the clock. The game stayed close until Perk picked up his third foul, forcing Kevinn Pinkney into the game to cover Shaq. Let's just say that didn't go well. Shaq turned Pinkney into a human crash test dummy, picking up baskets and fouls at an alarming rate. On one foul, Pinkney actually tried to plead his case to the referee. Son, this isn't Bakersfield, and that man holds 4 NBA championship rings. {styleboxjp width=250px,float=left,color=skyblue,textcolor=black,echo=yes}The remaining Celtics highlight of the quarter was Tommy's bestowal of a new nickname upon Rajon: Ready Rondo.{/styleboxjp} We don't think that one's going to be a keeper. Shaq had twenty points at the half and, despite 14 points from Ryan Gomes and 12 from Gerald Green, the Celtics' grip on this game was starting to slip: Miami 52-45 at the half.
{styleboxjp width=100px,float=right,color=black,textcolor=white,echo=yes} Miami seized control in the third quarter, looking suddenly serious about trying to secure that third seed in the East.{/styleboxjp} They methodically extended their lead to 64-50. Game over? Not so fast, tank fans. Suddenly everyone seemed to be hitting shots for the Celtics: consecutive threes by Ray, Green, and Gomes (bringing Gomes to 4-4 beyond the arc, he finished the night 4-5) narrow the Miami lead to five points. The Cs seemed to have gotten their mojo back, and end the quarter with a 16-6 run and a tie at 70-70. Who would have guessed?
Still, the fourth quarter opened offering the question of not whether the Celtics would lose, but how. Miami will get serious again, and win it by 10, right? And as expected, the Heat did gain the edge early in the quarter. Fast forward a bit, and with just over 4:00 left in the game, Rondo ties it up with an intense dunk. Miami proceeds to go on a four minute dry spell in which they can't seem to buy two points. With 2:30 left in the game, Allan Ray is fouled and hits a free throw to bring the Celtics ahead 81-80. This is followed by a steal and dunk by the inspirational Powe. Perk then gets his fifth foul - on Shaq, of course.
{styleboxjp width=150px,float=left,color=maroon,textcolor=white,echo=yes}Fortunately, Shaq misses career free throws 4,751 and 4,752 (and 4,753 after a lane violation).{/styleboxjp} Less fortunately, Eddie Jones nails a three point shot, tying the game. Posey then finishes a conventional three point play, putting the Heat up by 3. Rondo tosses a floater in the lane with 42 seconds left to cut Miami's lead to one. After a Miami timeout, Haslem hits a jumper to puts the Heat back up by three. The Cs end the game in a flurry, launching three failed three point attempts (Telfair, Green, and Rondo), and that's the ballgame: Miami 86-83.
While a win tonight would have been a phenomenal achievement, there may not be a game this year that inspires more excitement about the young talent on this team. We all know what Jefferson can do by now, but many of these other guys still evoke the question "What exactly do we have here"? This game offered some clues: Gomes finished with 25 points, Green 21, Powe put up the second double-double of his NBA career (10 points, 11 rebounds), Rondo stuffed the stat sheet again (11 points 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and only 1 turnover), and while Perk's stat line is less than spectacular, it cannot show how he battled Shaq like his life depended on it. {styleboxjp width=300px,float=right,color=green,textcolor=white,echo=yes}For tonight, all tank talk was silenced{/styleboxjp}, and the reasons that this team can be so likeable at times were remembered.
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Brick took the words right out of my mouth. No tanking my butt!! It was sickening to sit there watching the game and getting excited about possibly beating the Heat and then half way through the fourth quarter realize Doc was tanking. And if he wasn’t tanking then it just goes to show how bad of a coach he is and that he needs to be fired.
tanking isnt good 00dc2, its unsportsman like.
by jackson_34 on Apr 7, 2007 2:23 AM EDT reply actions
More props for the re-cap. Much more through—and entertaining-
than Globe/Herlad! Proper sentiments as well (great efffort! whew, a loss).
by TenaciousD on Apr 7, 2007 7:26 AM EDT reply actions
Can we please end this horrid season. This is awful!!!!! No tanking? Peirce is out, Al is out, D west is out WE ARE TANKING! But who cares lets end this horrible season and see where we are picking in the draft.
by dwayneschintzius 55 on Apr 7, 2007 7:56 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah, pulling Gomes at the end was certainly a tank job by Doc (not to mention West’s suspicious non-start). However, unlike the other night, the kids who were on the floor played their hearts out. The difference between the effort put out last night vs. Wednesday was unbelievable.
And yes, it’s better to lose right now, in the service of the hunt for Oden. But can you seriously say that you didn’t enjoy the David vs. Goliath aspect of a bunch of teenagers (our teenagers) playing against Shaq and friends and making them work for it?
The absence of Gomes in the fourth quarter (as well as the formal DNP’s) is supposed to show the Celtics were tanking last night. Maybe so.
But leave aside for the moment, the whole matter of trying to obtain Oden or Durant. To best develop as a team, the Celtics need to get a strong assessment of what they have. And that means playing Green, Powe, Telfair, and Ray when the game’s on the line. They already know what they have in Gomes.
Brickowski et al. – You make a great point about Gomes. I guess the tank talk is not silenced! I guess after the Bucks game, this felt so much more like a real NBA game. The Heat may not have brought their A game, but it looked like they were trying at least, and the Cs hung right in there. Gomes got pulled originally because he picked up his 4th foul at the beginning of the fourth (and hadn’t yet gotten a rest in the half), and then perhaps stayed out because Powe was playing so well and Perk was needed to cover Shaq. But it was not like the Celtics started to lose big and Gomes was still held out, that unit stayed with the Heat all the way to the end. I’m not sure this was conscious move on the part of Doc to lose the game, but more getting caught up with a unit that was playing well and sticking with them. Despite Gomes’ great night, it’s not like leaving Pierce on the bench. The Telfair (instead of Gomes) substitution for Ray with 2 minutes to go, yeah, kind of mysterious. Sadly I do chalk it up to poor coaching acumen than tanking, but who knows. I’m sure Doc felt he wanted an extra ball handler because of the more intense pressure or the match-ups dictated having a smaller line-up than having Gomes at the 3 and Green at the 2 at that point. We may agree with Doc, but having Rondo out there as the only guy who could dribble may not have been wise either. Gomes for Powe would have had to been the move.
But did anyone actually enjoy the game? I did.
Well said hankfinkel! Nice point on Gomes picking up the 4th foul as the reason to sit him for a bit. What happened to all the “Kevinn Pinckney is going to be a star” people hating on him getting more time. How can we not see the benefit of more PT for some of these guys so we can see what we have and want to keep for next season a little more? If we happen to lose at the same time then even better! (Telfair, by the way, has had his confidence completely removed by Doc this season. That is one area I am not real thrilled with Doc. He should know better as a point guard) It was an enjoyable game. Perfect way to have every game the rest of the season. Competetive, chance to watch the young guys get more PT, close loss. Milwaukee is set on losing the rest of the way, so 2 more wins likely means we are in 3rd.
the kids were spunky especially powe and rondo and perk was perky. however doc’s explanation that he had to keep the defensive players out there. sure- telfair and gerald were defensive beacons. it’s either tanking and/or bad coaching. keeping gomes out at the end when he was hitting threes was a stroke of apoplexy.
very nice recpap of the game – thanks. I enjoyed the recap and the game – excpet i still hate losing even when it’s good. Tanking or not tanking? At this point i could really care less – it’s over.
My top 5 concerns as the season ends for next season (this is just a start)
1.) Scalibrine at the 4 spot still takes a bench spot next season that could go to Leon PO(we) but won’t and we are forced to get rid of PO(we) – if you don’t find that sad you must be watching a different team. Thanks Danny. Please Wyc just eat the salary of El Busty and let’s move on.
2.) Wally returns just healthy enough to slow us down into molasses like half court ISO sets that don’t work, we can’t trade him, and he (like Scali) takes time away from someone much more promising.
3.)Gerald Green still plays defense next season like a taller version of the late great Dan Dickau and still has the stupid look on his face after he gets beat off the dribble each time, or gives up the baseline. Come on GG – do the work to get better at defense and get a new facial expression besides the " I can’t think straight right now" look.
4.) Mr Telfair returns as a back-up PG and is about as consistent in his play as I am in my own ability to not go PO-stal on a daily basis. He has moments where he looks good but not enough to stay dressed in green.
5.) I think you know this one. The coach we have next year (whomever that may be) realizes that the word “running” in basketball means something more than what we are doing now. Lip Service to running and pushing the basketball – sick of it. If Doc is the coach next season then I need more medication and it has nothing to do with a sore back. I will need an IV pump hooked up to my brain. Lordy, please no more Doc.
My concerns for next year are in order:
a. How we can improve our team defense so we are not letting the other team shoot 55-60% against us every game.
c. That Pierce will buy into above said offensive concept and that we have enough qualified shooters to put onto the floor.
d. That we improve, through maturation or through adding experience, in game time execution of basic sets on both offense and defense.
Well said Po. Glad you’re back. We needed some more wisdom on this board. Great thoughts from you and Celty86 on the D and the pushing up the ball. If they say one more time they are going to push the ball I am going to strangle someone. Show me or shut up. Heard it once to many times.
Gerald should get better on D next year and if he fixes two things he will replace Pierce (yes I just said that) If he can learn to go to the basket like Paul (which shouldn’t be hard because he can elevate) and learn to play D with his feet. Paul isn’t that great a defensive player and other than the driving to the hole GG is becoming as good as an offensive player. He has one thing on Paul also. He can shoot a very hig free throw percentage.
I’d put the ball in Rondo’s hands and say run! When you stop your’re getting pulled. We will be 15 games better next year minimum…
Roy is going to be a very good player in this league, but he is not someone who will be a difference maker when deciding a championship team.
“but inserting Telfailure (2-23 in his last five games) when it looked scarily like the Celts might pull out a win was pure genius.”
imo, I LOVE the nickname telfailure
by ucn33 on Apr 7, 2007 2:14 PM EDT reply actions
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