Celtics Held Off - Series Tied

by Jeff Clark on May 26, 2008 10:26 PM EDT in Games Comment 21 comments

The Pistons got off to a great start and had us down by double digits for most of the game. Every time the Celtics came back to within 5 or 6 the Pistons had an answer and pushed the lead back up. They had us out of rhythm with their defense and the only thing keeping us in the game at times was our free throw shooting.

Pierce was off from the field (but on from the line). Ray Allen was off (again). Kevin Garnett was relatively quiet until late. We just don't have a lot of hope when none of the big three are stepping up. It doesn't help when Rondo has an off game and Sam Cassell is giving us nothing in reserve. Just an all around disappointing game.

On the other side, McDyess was huge. Somebody guard this guy. Rip was Rip and Billups hit a huge 3 in the 4th that basically was the beginning of the end of the game. They also got a huge effort out of Maxiel who got a huge block on a breakaway KG slam attempt and chipped in 14 points of his own.

At least you can't blame the refs for this loss. The Celtics got 39 free throws to the Pistons' 26.

The Celtics had one of their best games in game 3 and the Pistons were still in it in the 4th. The Pistons played one of their best games tonight and the Celtics were never far off the pace until the very end of the game. These are just two very evenly match teams. This almost seems destined to go 7 games. The Celtics just can't make it easy on themselves this post season.

We're going back to Boston. Series tied. Best of 3.

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that game was brutal. Not only did the Celts stink it up but it had to be the most boring game I have seen all season. Soo many whistles.

by flexilexi on May 26, 2008 10:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Top 6 things I hate tonight

6.) The refs – terrible again on both sides
5.) Ray Allen – I love you, respect you but I hate you tonight
4.) MASON
3.) Mark Jackson
2.) Breen
1.) Breen’s in his next life

by Master Po on May 26, 2008 10:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That was just a flat out horrible game. Antonio McDyess burned us severely. Doc couldn’t tell someone on our team to take it straight at Rip or Sheed, both with 5 fouls late in the game??? UGH. We should have lost by 20. Terrible game…and I’m drunk on a work night because of it! Dang it!

by Bleedgreen on May 26, 2008 10:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm. Call me crazy but I’m starting to get the feeling McDyess is a good shooter. Do you think we should bother to defend him?

by RMO on May 26, 2008 10:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

so how does it work, does cassell get more playing time for whining about not getting playing time?

by fizzyice on May 26, 2008 10:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ah well, disappointing to lose. Just one of those nights where you can’t buy a jump shot.

Overall the C’s regained their homecourt advantage of winning game three. Good work.

by Who on May 26, 2008 10:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Can anybody on this team cover a spot up jump shooter with two blown out knees,that can no longer drive to hoop , named McDyess?
This time both Ray Allen and KG looked liked they were asleep on the court.
How long does Doc give Ray Allen so many minutes,when he is not producing on the court. This is NOT Just a slump anymore.

by BigAlbert on May 26, 2008 10:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ray Allen should not start the next game. He seems to at times be sucking the life out of this team. Don’t get me wrong, no one stepped it up tonight, but his struggles have now gotten to epidemic proportions. He really is not doing anything on either end of the court. But, Doc loves him, so nothing will change.

by vinnie on May 26, 2008 10:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Doc has his favorites, and he will stick with them no matter the score. Ray is missing wide open looks, that seem to have no way of going in when they leave his hand. He looks tired and disoriented on both offense and defense. But as often happened over the last two years, Doc will only “discover” another players abilities when he is forced to play them because of injuries to other player.

by BigAlbert on May 26, 2008 10:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ray is still making plays on his forays to the hoop with as much success rate as Pierce. How long is McDyess going to be left wide open? What we have here is a team trying to get to the finals with erratic (to be kind) point guard play, no shooting from our shooting guard, and basically a two man offense. Do you think it’s supposed to be easy?

by celty86 on May 27, 2008 5:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not much will change in game 5 same starting 5 etc. If we win nothing will change if we lose nothing will change until next season. When we need energy TA, Powe, Posey and Baby will change that.

by CelticsWin on May 27, 2008 7:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, I was travelling last night and missed the game, except for a few minutes of the third quarter in a bar at the airport in Philly.

Glad I missed it, especially what looks like a stellar 16-minute, zero point, zero assist outing from Sam Cassell. I guess Ray Allen and Pierce weren’t too hot either.

by Brickowski on May 27, 2008 7:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

12 total team assists is unacceptable. The ball never moved past the initial pass unless it was a forced pass. Just an ugly game. I didn’t matter who Doc but in (altough where is Leon Powe?), the Pistons just wanted it more – end of story.

by evrock on May 27, 2008 8:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Pistons did what the Celtics did in Game 3. Two evenly matched teams. Detroit clearly wanted this a bit more than the Celtics. Just like the Celtics made some adjustments in Game 3 after a Game 2 loss, the Pistons made some adjustments in Game 4. I expect its the Celtics turn to make adjustments for Game 5 – defensive energy and rotations, ball movement, working the top picks closer to the basket, splitting those double teams similar to how Paul did this against Cleveland in Game 7, etc. I think turnovers will be cut down with better ball movement.

by joeb on May 27, 2008 8:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It looked like Garnett stopped playing with his normal intensity after Maxiell’s block. He was shooting almost from the 3-point line. Even if he makes every single shot from out there, there is no way this is a championship team with him playing out there. Simply put, he played like a wimp last night.

They looked like they were happy with the split in Detroit and were just going through the motions.

by Finkelskyhook on May 27, 2008 10:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

HAha, it’s funny now for me to look back at my comment, because we did lose by 19 at the end of it. Just seemed closer (and was) most of the end of the game until our scrubs went in.
Again, I have an idea…Ray, Rip Hamilton is guarding you, he has 5 fouls, take it straight at him!!! KG, Sheed has 5 fouls, he’s guarding you, take it STRAIGHT AT HIM!!!! GRrrrrrrrrrrr! >:(

by Bleedgreen on May 27, 2008 10:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good comment fizzyice. I think Sam intimidated Doc into playing him. I think the decision needs to be made that Sam is too slow and Eddie brings Celtic spirit…Go with Eddie warts and all. We needed a banger in there against Maxiel. What did Leon do to get sent to Siberia?

by Wildblu1 on May 27, 2008 12:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was seeing too much hesitation on the offensive end. Guys like Rondo and KG getting the ball, having an open look, hesitating for a second allowing the defense to rotate. They need to either shoot the open shot or move the ball quicker, like they did during the regular season…..very frustrating.

by scooter on May 27, 2008 1:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m probably biased, but I think Detroit’s strategy was foul the Celtics on every play. They have a deep bench. They are playing at home. The refs will get tired of calling the fouls and the Celts will get tired of getting forearmed to the head. The strategy worked. This is what they call a ‘grind ’em out game’ and its what the Pistons do best. They are a bunch of wrestlers playing in basketball uniforms. At the ends of games the refs always ‘let them play’ which means that instead of getting every third call we get no calls and the game slips further away. My favorite ‘Pistons’ play was in an earlier game when Chauncey took a jumpshot and kicked Eddie House in the balls and got to the freethrow line.
I also have a gripe about something I commonly hear… Something to the effect that: The Cs lost that game with all those calls… They should be lucky to get them on the road. And then something to the effect that stars get calls and regulars don’t. We need the basketball equivalent of the computerized strike zone.

Why should playing on the road have anything to do with it? Teams know that fouling makes the game slow and boring. So the Pistons do that and in order to keep the game watchable the refs stop calling them and hand them the win — I wonder why they’ve adopted this style of play?

This is the way the NBA works and this is how playoffs goes especially in the East. Lets get some more Perk and Posey and Baby and get our elbows out there and take this thing back.

by GreenBalls on May 27, 2008 2:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

PJ Brown is so pointless this series. His rotations are far too slow, he isn’t rebounding worth a lick, and he forces us to play 4 on 5 against an elite defensive team. So frustrating to watch. Doc rants and raves about all the film he has to go over, how does he not see all teh blown rotations? His failure to crash the glass when the shot goes up? HOW?

by cmoney on May 27, 2008 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great point greenlove. This game was so predicatable, especially after watching the energy difference for the first 2 minutes. This Celtics team seems to only want to give maximum effort when they have to and they think they’ll be rewarded for it. I’d be shocked if this series doesn’t go back to Boston for Game 7. Too much revenue for Stern, Wyc and Co. to be had for it not to.

by CelticscitleC on May 27, 2008 5:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs