Call It A Comeback
by Jeff Clark on Feb 13, 2009 6:33 AM EST
in Boston Celtics Games
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Down 15 at one point, the Celtics rallied around Doc Rivers getting tossed from the game and came back to win it.
- Nothing was falling early, especially for KG.
- More sloppy turnovers - 19 in all.
- Nobody could stop Dirk (Perkins and KG tried) until Powe nearly shut him down in the 4th.
- Rondo's 2nd career triple double.
- Pierce was huge in the comeback.
Green17 and I published simultaneous game recaps. It is funny how we came away with many of the same conclusions. Here's his take:
- Paul Pierce. The "clutch-est" player in the NBA. Pierce killed the Mavs down the stretch from the high screen with Rajon.
- Rajon Rondo OWNS Jason Kidd. RR threw up a 19/15/14 triple double. JKidd threw up 3 points more than I did.
- Late 3rd, Doc got thrown out. KG got a tech and a chippy foul. After that, it was all Celtics.
- Leon Powe did a tremendous job in the 4th on Dirk. It won't show up in the stat sheet, but he played wonderful defense.
- What a win after being down 15 in the second half. The Celts can enjoy the break knowing they're in pole position for home court advantage this spring.
| BOSTON CELTICS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Kevin Garnett, PF | 31 | 7-13 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | +2 | 16 |
| Paul Pierce, SF | 44 | 9-20 | 0-2 | 13-14 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | +6 | 31 |
| Kendrick Perkins, C | 27 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
| Ray Allen, SG | 35 | 5-12 | 2-6 | 8-8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +3 | 20 |
| Rajon Rondo, PG | 44 | 9-14 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +10 | 19 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Eddie House, SG | 14 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +7 | 7 |
| Leon Powe, PF | 22 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +4 | 4 |
| Glen Davis, PF | 16 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +7 | 2 |
| Gabe Pruitt, PG | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 35-72 | 3-10 | 26-28 | 13 | 37 | 50 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 25 | 99 | |||
| 48.6% | 30.0% | 92.9% | Team TO (pts off): 21 (15) | |||||||||||
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PPP
Pass to Pierce and pray! A tried and true classic! =P~ So predictable and yet unstoppable tonight.
"Spahn and Sain And Pray For Rain"
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
What a WIN!!!!
Man, that felt GOOOOOD. Rondo was amazing. Pierce was unstoppable down the stretch. I was hoping Doc’s technical would be a spark, and it was. That was just… fiery. There was fire in the Cs’ bellies in that second half. Great to watch. And Thibs! Animated as all get out! Sole possession of 1st, baby.
I’ll take Paul Pierce over anyone when the going gets tough. That article from earlier this week about clutch players is further evidence that our Captain is the best go-to guy in the league.
Thanks team for such an amazing finish—special thanks to Rondo for making sure we were within striking distance!
by Thruthelookingglass on Feb 13, 2009 12:51 AM EST reply actions
Well, they did run a screen for him...
Great Gutsy second half!
Amazing game by rondo, great 4th quarter from pierce, gutsy win
by TheAncientRivalry on Feb 13, 2009 12:54 AM EST reply actions
Great Win!
They kept chipping away, made the big plays down the stretch and the Good Guys go into the All-Star break with the win. Nice to see Dirk get called for the elbow in the face. After giving Scal a concussion, the league needs to keep an eye on Mr. Swinger.
Shop Smart! Shop S-Mart!
GUTS
This win has me more excited than any this season thus far I think. Even though it wasn’t against one of the NBA’s elite, they still showed terrific poise and resilience down the stretch when they could’ve packed it in. Pierce and Rondo were awesome and everyone else did their parts (great job by Powe on Dirk). GREAT WIN.
That was probably pretty hard to watch if youre a mavs fan...lol..punked
by TheAncientRivalry on Feb 13, 2009 1:14 AM EST reply actions
I know right...
They were really thinking they got the W tonight… But the C’s stuck out in the 4th and played their best, scoring 30 in the 4th and letting them only 17.
Anyone else
get a kick out of Mark Cuban patting Doc on the back when Doc walked off court from the ejection…and I think Doc also said a warm goodbye to Gerald Green. They are real people. I have to admit, even with us facing a deficit, I laughed.
between the Cuban rump pat,
Doc leaning in to clap at the official who tossed him and the show our boys put on after the fact, I’d say the whole experience turned into a tour de force spectator event. High times.
You know it’s been a busy schedule when those of us who do nothing but watch the games and scream at our TV sets are drained. I’ve got seven days to either take care of or preemptively excuse myself from every social obligation I might have between now and mid-summer (mostly the latter option)…
…and then it’s time for the stretch run.
-sw
Manuel Aristides Ramirez is the greatest hitter I've ever seen.
by Steve Weinman on Feb 13, 2009 2:15 AM EST up reply actions
lol...
My sons agree with you, Steve! They BOTH said “that sounds like you Dad” as I read your comment to them. I guess yelling at the TV to the point of exhaustion is one of my hallmarks as well. lol…
by BleedinGreen417 on Feb 13, 2009 7:01 AM EST up reply actions
Glad to hear I'm not alone, BiG417,
It’s a fun release of energy, isn’t it?
-sw
Manuel Aristides Ramirez is the greatest hitter I've ever seen.
by Steve Weinman on Feb 13, 2009 10:31 AM EST up reply actions
Heh, Steve. It gets so bad that you find yourself coaching the games, eh? This is one where the officials would have tossed me about three minutes earlier.
The dominant things I walk away from this game away with are: Rondo’s game and Powe’s fourth quarter defense. Rondo will be special when he can approximate last night’s performance consistently, and the consistency’s coming. Looks like the extra offensive work is paying off.
And I’m pleased to see that Powe’s work on Dirt – I mean, Dirk – didn’t go unnoticed. We haven’t seen that kind of lockdown defense since last year, and James Posey.
Another note: I applaud Doc for making a couple of significant statements – the Laker post-game comments and last night – about what’s been some increasingly lopsided officiating. Why that is can be debated, but it looks from the TV that all the public whining about how we play has begun to take hold with an already below-average NBA officiating group.
Good for Doc last night. It was time to get run, and the mocking hand-clapping afterwards was a nice touch. You always can count on a long night when Skeletor – Dick Bavetta – is working.
Funny you mention Powe's fourth quarter, Coach
there’s more coming on that in today’s Babble. He really was excellent.
And yep, absolutely about “armchair coaching” – except that by the time i’m good and mad about what’s happening on the floor, I’m generally done with the armchair for the night. I wound up standing for most of the fourth quarter last night…always fun times…
-sw
Manuel Aristides Ramirez is the greatest hitter I've ever seen.
by Steve Weinman on Feb 13, 2009 10:31 AM EST up reply actions
Great Win
The officiating was horrible; the play for nearly three full quarters was anemic; and the ball movement on offense was largely non existent; yet they ‘willed’ themselves to a win. It reminded me of games from 20+ years ago.
Rondo’s play kept the Cs from getting blown out of the building until the rest of the team remembered they had a game to play. Powe was tenacious. What a great way to finish the first 55 games of the season. When you can win on the road against a team that is hot when you’re not playing your ‘A’ or ‘B’ game says something about the team. Great win.
lots of stuff to be glad about. doc gets a tommy point for the techs. tibs gets one for the way he coached. eddie played very good defense. for all the pruitt detractors. he plays good d, he keeps the ball moving. maybe he is not as aggressive as doc wants him, but he is no detriment. kg did put the afterburners on and really does not deserve a whole lot of credit as he was in a lower gear most of the night. i can see why he is hated-as he is more than blatantly chippy, however, red up in hoop heaven, must be very satisfied, and the whole team is chippy. of course, rr,pp, lp, and ra were the main men. they got soul.
Was anyone else unimpressed by KG picking up a cheap foul and tech and pretty much taunting dirk? I dont know, It was somewhat childish, dirk scored on KG twice in a row and then KG pretty much through a temper tantrum and was a non factor the rest of the way…I couldnt help but roll my eyes when reggie started giving KG all this credit for the comeback…if anyone else in the league had 19/15/14 its all youd be hearing about..not KG getting up into a guy whos known to back down
by TheAncientRivalry on Feb 13, 2009 8:53 AM EST reply actions
What Goes On In The Mind Of KG--The Shadow Knows
Could be KG was just pissed by Dirk fouling him and KG not getting calls. Also, Dirk seems to like to produce concussions with his elbow when he’s trying to clear himself for a shot. And the team seemed to wake up after this incident coupled with Doc doing his thing. And a “cheap” foul call it was.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
No Big Deal
Dallas is a team headed South, particularly without Jason Terry, so it’s no big deal beating them.
Having said that, I thought the bench played well, particularly in the second half. Both Powe and BBD were very good defensively.
It was a big deal to get that win…It doesnt matter what you think of dallas, because I dont think much of them either, but they have been playing good ball lately, were looking for revenger, and were up 15 at one point … Our guys didnt roll over and pack it in…that was nice
by TheAncientRivalry on Feb 13, 2009 9:36 AM EST up reply actions
well done
to be honest i wouldnt complain a second if they lost the game b4 the all star break… but then they showed true character so well done… if they win like that when doc gets ejected every time he may as well do it every time lol
great game by rondon… unbelievable numbers
i have to say from a basketball game stand point running the same play time and time again at the end of the game was abit boring… but i wont complain as long as we win
Doc Has A Name For It
i have to say from a basketball game stand point running the same play time and time again at the end of the game was abit boring… but i wont complain as long as we win
Doc calls it “feeding the pig”. (I’m sure you know this). I don’t find it boring at all. I love it when the other team, at least, should know what you’re doing and still can’t stop it. It’s just great execution.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
Physical Play
The past two games these refs have allowed the other team to manhandle us. I am not sure why they have decided that the grabbing and shoving right in front of their faces isn’t call for a foul. Even though he got called a couple times for it Kidd was just slapping at PP and shoving and pushing him at the top of the key right in plain sight and they kept letting it go. KG was being shoved in the block as was Perk. The result was that they started doing it back and things got testy. Drives to the basket resulting in huge amounts of body contact and often a Celtic player hitting the floor with no call were maddening. If they are calling it both ways the same then it is one thing and you kind of have to live with it. When they are obviously letting the other team get away with more it is very frustrating. Especially when we are a much worse team when other teams are allowed to play that way.
Pierce seems to be the only celtic that can get calls consistently, alot of that has to do with hes a pro at selling touch fouls..other than that none of our guys can get a call, get called for ticky tack fouls and get slapped around
by TheAncientRivalry on Feb 13, 2009 9:38 AM EST up reply actions
agreed
But I think that is because Pierce is the only one who really takes the rock hard to the hoop…nobody else finishes strong which can be infuriating. Perk, I don’t understand how he can be such a monster defensively and so timid on the offensive end. I understand that he moves like he’s wading in molasses but go up strong young man. Powe, when his head is right can-but that wasn’t the case early on in the season…and KG, I mean I love that he’s here, but his game is far softer (offensively) than I had ever realized. Then again I wasn’t watching Twolves games the last decade either. And no I am not a hater, this is just the one thing (other than turnovers) that has been burning me all year long.
Thanks, I feel better now.
"Just do what you do best."
~Red Auerbach
Getting the calls
It’s a skill.
It’s a skill that Pierce has worked extremely hard at perfecting. He doesn’t just get the calls, he makes the official make the call.
I don’t think many people understand that. It’s the head fakes, the ball fakes, shooting exactly when a defender starts to reach in, lulling the defender to sleep an then using his long, quick, first step. Sacrificing his body to take it right to the defender and then still getting the shot up no matter what.
There are players who are excellent at some of these things, but I can’t think of anyone who is as good at all of them as Paul.
That LA game....
That last game against LA wasn’t on the road, but the calls all went for LA.
I Live in Shame
I feel asleep when we were 15 down. I am sorry and shall suffer greatly inside the temple walls of Laziness.BTW – can you send couple of those turnovers to the temple (knock twice using the big knockers.) Thank you – one gets hungry even in shame
Is it Soup Yet?
hey, if your sleep helped us win
then we’ll send men with tranq. guns to put you out the next time we are down
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." Michael Scott
There's A New Big Three In Town
Superman, Robin and The Giant Slayer (Leon). What a fantastic game for us. In the Comcast postgame show Tanquay asked the question as to whether we stole the game or did the Mavs blow it. I think we just refused to lose. A great coaching job by Thibs after Doc took the early flight to Orlando. Also loved Kidd complaining about every foul he was called for when ?guarding Pierce. Kidd was mugging Pierce before, during the catch, and after he had the ball every time he guarded him. He should thank the refs for not calling probably three times the amount of fouls they did call on him. Also, in the postgame show, Coach Tim Welsh (ex of Providence) was watching the game with Tommy and commented on how Tommy called ahead of time what was going to happen, especially in the 4th quarter and expecially with what Dirk would or could do when guarded by Powe (Who seems to have made his reappearance).
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
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