Winning Ugly Is Still Winning

Rondo was giving me agatha…. what in the world kind of passes was he trying to do…

I would of had Sam in there at that moment…..

and also Rondo and Ray had an attitude about them once the game started before Rondo finally smart’n up a bit

Jeff,

I hope I’m wrong but I fully expect a game seven. At least we can get a little experience for game seven by seeing what a desperate team will be throwing at them come game six.

Jeff,

Sorry but Rondo didn’t carry the team. I just got back and he was bruttle……I swear I was yelling at Doc to YANK him from the game, but as I mentioned at the start, Rondo did not want to pass the ball to Ray who was open. Rondo was forcing to many passes in my opinion. He is beginning to scare me more and more….

The people who claim Garnett isn’t clutch don’t understand the kind of player he is. He isn’t Jordan, Magic, or Bird. He is more like Bill Russell. Russell wasn’t known for making clutch shots, it was for his overall impact on a game. In a must have game 5, KG comes up with 33 points and hits the game sealing free throws. If that’s fueling those who claim he isn’t clutch, they don’t have much of an argument.

I don’t know how the first sentence of the paragraph about the 4th quarter can be that KG wasn’t clutch. I understand that he made the one ill-advised pass that he should have shot.

But other than that he scored 10 of the team’s 24 points, was perfect from the line, and hit both of the clutch free throws that iced the game. I’m not saying the man was a star down the stretch, but it seems unfair to me to call him out about being unclutch in that performance.

Like drza44 said:

he scored 10 of the team’s 24 points, was perfect from the line, and hit both of the clutch free throws that iced the game

Nuff said.

I hear ya, Jeff, I think its a mindset and he just plays the same way all the time, and a part of that is being unselfish.

Rasheed was a non-factor in the 4th. You can be clutch on ‘D’, too.

This game could have turned out a lot differently if it weren’t for Mcdyess’ foul trouble. We really need to do a better job contesting his jumpers in game 6 to pull that one out.

One more thought…Pierce needs to make his offensive move a lot quicker when Rip is crowding him like that. His first step burst will pick up a foul 80% of the time if he is going to play him like that in the post.

The entire offense was way too slow in progressing. Doc should have went to something different in terms of Pierce isolations or extended pick and rolls. They needed to go to Allen. He had the hot hand. That said, Doc made the right moves at the end!

Jeff-
Was this really “winning ugly”? I think harping on the fourth is a little overly-negative. I thought the C’s put together a very nice game especially on offense. Sure they were shaky in the fourth, but you got to give credit to the Pistons for turning up the pressure. The C’s hit the big shots and free throws at the end to hold them off.

I’m really interested in hearing what you guys think about this one, but I REALLY hate the ‘foul to save the 3" strategy. I think it puts too much pressure back on YOU to hit your free throws. For instance, we foul with 8 seconds left, Detroit (best FT team in the playoffs) hits 2, and cut it to one. What happens if we miss one? We are up only two and the three BEATS us. You can’t foul again and give up the tie. Playing solid defense on the perimeter GUARANTEES you OT, and at home, that isn’t always bad (though, one could argue – myself included – that the Pistons were simply outplaying the C’s by this time). If you play solid D and they miss, which odds say they will, then the game is over. You split FTs and are already up 4. Ray and KG go 4-4 to make this point moot, but still…..that was way harder than it needed to be.

I didn’t like the first foul with about 8 seconds left on the clock. The second foul was a no-brainer IMO and I give Doc credit for implementing that strategy. Many coaches have been burned by going to OT and losing the game there by NOT fouling to prevent the three.

Guys the only issue I have with KG is that if you watch tape, this guy doesn’t miss from the post and rarely misses jumpers so with that said it would be nice to have the ball in his hand more often in the closing moments of any given game. Maybe then these wins wouldn’t be so scary. Agree??

Agreed …but will KG take that shot? Or will he pass it up?

Didn’t KG score 10 or the teams 24 points in the 4th?

Things I liked:
1) Perk no doubt played the game of his life. He has actually stepped it up a great deal in the last 3 games. He was a rebounding force on the court and huge on offense and defense.
2) Ray Allen. The shooting arm sleeve! Give him the game ball.
3) Garnett. I know, he didn’t take that open shot late in the 4th and turned it over. But he had 33 points and iced 2 clutch free throws at the end.

Things I didn’t like:
1) Ok, we’ve all reiterated this many times. WHY slow the offense down to a crawl in the 4th when you have a lead?! How predictable is our offense in the 4th? Rondo, dribble the ball until there is about 13 on the shot clock, Garnett, throw a screen for Rondo, Rondo dish it to Pierce or Allen in a double team and then watch the ball get turned over or a poor shot. Why do we forget everything that got us that lead in the 4th? Who’s to blame, Doc or the squad?!
2) Why aren’t we slashing to the basket with Detroit in foul trouble? McDyess fouled out. Sheed has his 5th early in the 4th quarter and is BEGGING for his 6th technical and a suspension. Billups looks sluggish nursing a bad hammy. DRIVE, SLASH, take no prisoners C’s.

I’m mixed on Rondo. He did have some shaky passes down the stretch and couldn’t hit a shot to save his life but he also had good assist numbers and one turnover.

I’m actually hoping some good came from that shakey win. Maybe it shook the C’s up and will make them realize they need to try and close this out in 6 rather than be content taking it back to Boston in 7. We have two shots at this thing…..not sure my nerves can take much more. Go C’s!

No matter what KG does it seems he will always be labeled non clutch. He will never lose that image and any mistake he makes is always magnified so that it can be pointed out. Never mind the fact that at the end he hit 2 clutch free throws.

I thought Kevin had a bad fourth quarter but hey he hit his FTs and the team won. It’s not like anyone else was having a barn buster performance down the stretch.

Pierce started off the fourth in fine form but then had a brain malfunction and stopped doing what was working.

I think anyone had a good fourth quarter, at least on the offensive end, they just grinded it out. Up 15 at one point in the fourth.

Anyone who is screaming for Sam to be in the game over Rondo at any time needs to have their head checked.

Last train is right. Sam needs to be nailed to hte bench. but Eddie needs to give Rondo some downtime. I agree w Ancient Red I did not like Rondo’s game despite Assist/TO ratio. Perk was great but managed to pull a Perk bonehead with the technical in the 4Q. Ken Mauer is a lousy ref

rondo is a sophomore in the pro college and is learning on the job- cut the guy some slack. the rest of the guys have to play against a hustling,savvy, physical team that knows how to imprint their will on a game and have been doing it for a whole lotta time-much more than our guys. if we win. detroit helps prepare us for the other guys. if we lose, i will root for detroit. i don’t like them, but i do respect them.

And when the Pistons throw the kitchen sink at us, will the refs call it a foul?