Rondo Leads The Way

Yup. I’ve been as critical of Rondo as anyone, but that’s a big-time second half from the point.

When this team executes – moves the ball, attacks the rim, plays aggressive D – they win. Period. Nice adjustment by Doc to run a big at James in the halfcourt, also. Took him totally out of his rhythm.

Great win. Time to finish this job. Don’t want to play in Boston again until we get Detroit.

Great win, but if we play this exact same game in Cleveland we will lose guaranteed. The remedy today was to play harder but on the road we have to play this hard but smarter as well. I’m not sure that is there yet, our offense is more confident at home but there are still a lot of things that I see as issues.

Very nicely done by Rajon and a few nice minutes by Big Baby. Obviously KG and Paul really stepped up too.

I’m assuming we lose Friday so lets hope we can win Sunday and advance.

Survive and Advance. Survive and Advance.

every win is a great win now. I’m minding less and less that we can only win at home. If that’s the way it has to be, fine. 9 more wins, baby.

posey and ray allen almost gave me a coronary down the stretch

Good God Almighty we left Rondo in the game. Man I hope this is a trend. We finally didn’t ice him. He had a great third quarter and we actually left him in the game. We let a 21 year old play over 40 minutes… It’s a miracle and amazingly he is still standing.

Part 2.. We decided to let him actually run the offense. Create off of pick and rolls. Get in the paint and make things happen. We stopped doing that insane cut him to the opposite corner and stand there offense. We let him set some picks at the foul line. No Pierce went into brain cramp a few times on this I must admit, but it showed a little bit of creative thinking on offense, something that has been missing.

This is the most optimistic I have been in awhile. Not because we played a great game, but because I finally saw a little bit of thinking outside the box on offense.

Rondo was huge tonight. He put in a great performance. Player of the game.

WOW…now I remember how we won 66 games!! ;D

One more thing, just a minor peeve. This isn’t ‘the drive for 17’ or ‘Banner 17’ or whatever. For these guys this is ‘Number One.’ Let’s just focus and win One.

Doc did not want to be the scape goat just in case the Celtics lose, so he rides Rondo throughout the game,very CP3 like numbers for rondo.

I just wish Doc has finally learned his lesson…..Now lets go back to Cleveland and end this thing

No Cassell, no problem.

Rondo played all 24 minutes of the second half. I guess Rivers was finally willing to bench Cassell when Rivers’ job was on the line.

God, I wish the Celtics still had Delone West.

we won. we take it it’s in the bank. there were several moments of apprehension, but mr. rondo played with the poise of a 10 year vet and pp and kg played great both sides of the floor. ok doc, you learned something keep rondo in the game; as a matter of fact, next game, when you take him out the first time put in eddie. i still would like to see tony in there for ray on wally for some mins. especially when ray is showing jelly legs. wow did our boy, delonte show his true grit-impressive. to quote lobell—why can’t we get players like that!

Antoine watched the game tonight as he makes sure he is there when Danny recieves his E.of the Yr award.

now we understand why Doc Rivers has added Glen Big Davis into the rotation in game 4.

Davis throws his body into hussle and add energy to the team.

Danny gets a raise as well i guess

The wisdom of putting Eddie in the game instead of House has as much to do with Rondo not looking over his shoulder if he makes a bad play as it does with the 21 shots in a row that Sam has missed. Rondo shouldn’t have to think that Sam is going to take 15 minutes up to 25 if he is playing poorly from him. He needs the confidence to do what he did tonight on a consistent basis. Just like he had done all year long until Sam showed up…

Instead of Sam…

I just wrote a running diary of a great Game 5 win. I was really worried there for a bit but it turned out amazing. Let’s keep Rondo in there!

http://www.jonyang.org/2008_05_01_archive.html#3510818645697370987

The turning point was easy: when the C’s became aggresive (instigators instead of retaliators). In the first half everyone driving to the basket (at least when the bothered to) would shy away from contact. The minute a Cleveland defender got within 6 inches they back off and tried to cutesie their way in, and as a result put up weak shots. In the second half they started going hard to the basket, going up strong with intent to slam the ball down instead of rolling it in, and Cleveland cannot physically match the Celtics. When the C’s got aggresive they reverted to their old habits (and good habits) of moving the ball – almost effortlessly- and taking it to the rim to either score or create plays for other people.

Coincidently, they lose on the road because they drop that same aggresiveness.

imo . . .

Still no love for Doc from this corner, but I give him huge credit for playing Rondo the entire second half. He also got Garnett into the game more quickly than usual in the 4th quarter, although he had him up once and then had him sit down again. I also do not understand why they took the ball out of Rondo’s hans the last four minutes of the game, as he was shredding the Cavs’ defense. All in all though Doc made the moves tonight that helped the team to win.

Thank you Danny (and Mchale) for Kevin Garnett. He was the man tonight. What a fantastic game at both end. He controlled the boards.

Message to Master Po my good friend, take note, that was a “good” list by Jeff. To lis, one of the few who gave Doc cedit. To Vinnie, for showing the wisdom to give due when due is deserved. Your critizium will hold much more cred when delivered as you show balance, and wisdom.

To Ejplay, about the reason being about Rondo not looking over his shoulder, I personally don’t buy. Players have hot nights and cold nights, I’m old enough to have seen it through many of the old Celtic eras. Doc understands this, and it was a no brainer to leave a hot hand it. When that hand goes cold sometimes you have to take the gamble and make the switch to see if a hot hand emerges.

Again all Keep the Faith, and it the end we’ll all relish in the Pride!

whoops as you know a hot hand “in”

Great win! Huge contributions from everyone. I REALLY want them to close out the series in Cleveland. Let’s hope so.

The problem I see is they will not close this game at the Q….The Cavs built a 14 pt 1st qt lead, something that the Cavs have been acustomed to doing is getting the jump at the Celtics from the opening tip, the C’s are always in a hole in the first half since game 3, and If this game was held in Cleveland, This would have been a LOSS.

I sincerely hope we can get this Road monkey off our backs. Of all the the records this team has established this season, advancing to the ECF without a single road victory, something thats never been done before, I know Id take that any day of the week, But PLEASE, lets just get this Road win for crying out loud.

come on celts, forget about making some more money for wyc by dropping game six for a game 7 home game. win on the road and get some rest for the detroit series. as havlicek woul put it, “kill,kill,kill”. get that killer instinct out or there will be no more tomorrow for u. peace.

excellent game by Rondo. he is the X factor as James states. I still didn’t care for the ball in PP’s hands with and not in Rondo’s down the stretch.

Rondo played very well. The threes he made in the 2nd quarter
were huge. Davis played quite well considering he had been
sitting on the pine for so long. But know this. If Cleveland
hadn’t bricked 13 free throws we would all be crying in our coffee this morning. That give and go that KG and Pierce worked
to get Pierce that slam should be utilized at least once a quarter. Now lets see if they have it in them to win ONE on the
road.

The Cs offense works so much better when they they attempt to
push the ball. You can’t play half court against a good defensive team like the Cavs. They have to continue that approch in game 6 if they hope to win it.

I’ve yet to heart this mentioned but did anyone notice that the Celtics did make some adjustments in game 5. It was quite clear to
me that the Celtics did not double team Lebron nearly as much in that game. The seemed to allow one on one coverage and only when he’d drive to the basket would there be a second defender.