Celtics can't hold on against Lakers
by Jimmy Toscano on Jan 31, 2010 8:47 PM EST
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintIt was a classic Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers rivalry at The TD Garden Sunday afternoon, but unfortunately for the Celtics, it ended with a Lakers victory, 90-89.
Up one point with under a minute to go in the game, Paul Pierce drove right on Ron Artest. As he stepped back, he put his arm out to create space between him and Artest. He was called for an offensive foul as Ron Artest flailed his body to the baseline.
"I thought I made a good move," Paul Pierce said. "I got to my sweet spot. I guess the ref saw it differently and he made the call."
"I haven't seen it yet honestly," Coach Doc Rivers said. "I just think at that point it's got to be unbelievable, but I didn't see it so I really can't give an opinion on it. You know, I do know Kobe [Bryant] pushes off a lot."
Bryant may push off a lot, but he also does some other things on the court worth noting, including hitting what appears to be impossible shot after impossible shot.
Bryant hit the game winning shot over Ray Allen with 7.3 seconds remaining in the game, and Allen couldn't win it on the next possession, missing his open three-point attempt.
Asked what he said to Phil Jackson in the timeout before the shot, Bryant joked, "I didn't say give me one more chance, I said give me the damn ball. I didn't really give him much of a choice."
The Celtics once again squandered a second half lead, and once again could not put their opponent away in the fourth quarter. The defense that this team has been known for through the past couple seasons is nowhere to be found in the closing minutes of games.
"We haven't been able to get timely stops to end games," said Rivers. "And that's- if anything bothers me over the turnovers and the offensive part- we've been able in the past to lean on our defense when we go cold offensively. The Atlanta game down the stretch they scored every time- and tonight. The biggest quarters over the last three games offensively, for the most part, have been the fourth quarters by the other teams."
The Celtics held the Lakers to just 17 points in the second quarter and 19 points in the third quarter. They allowed 24 points in the fourth, but could only muster up 16 of their own. In the fourth quarter against Atlanta they allowed 26 points while only scoring 18, and against Orlando they allowed a whopping 35 points while only scoring 22.
"We have been beating ourselves," Rasheed Wallace said. "We've been having double digit leads, coming in there and losing those leads. I don't know, I guess we just have to go a little bit harder, step on the peddle a little bit harder."
It is one thing to understand that after the game, but it is another to recognize it during the game and adjust the play of the team.
"Only thing I thought," said Rivers, "with five minutes left we went into the stall mode offensively, walked the ball up the floor, and took forever to run stuff. That's just not who we are. And I got on them about that. And then the two offensive rebounds- the one with Shannon Brown, you know that's what we've talked about. We had a big discussion about it today, about timely rebounds; offensive rebounds are killing us and that hurt us."
Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen provide spark
It was during the second quarter that the Celtics took the momentum away from the Lakers, as they came roaring back from an eleven point first quarter deficit and took a ten point lead at one point in the second quarter.
Central to this turnaround was the play of Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen on both ends of the court. It was the hustle and energy of Rondo and Allen off the bench in the second quarter that propelled the Celtics to the lead that they would hold on for the majority of the rest of the game. Rondo had nine points, eight assists, three rebounds, and two steals in the second quarter alone- no one benefitting more than Paul Pierce, who Rondo found on all three of Pierce's converted three pointers. Rondo finished the game with 21 points, 12 assists and five rebounds.
Tony Allen played tenacious defense on Kobe Bryant throughout the game, especially in the second quarter. Bryant went one of seven from the field for only two points in the second quarter, largely in part to Allen's in-you-face defense. Allen finished the game with 14 points off the bench.
"The first half [Allen] and Rondo singlehandedly got us back in the game, with their energy. Forget the bait and made baskets and the defense. I just thought they came in the game and played with energy. We told Rondo before the game we were going to sub him early because I wanted him against their second unit. I thought it'd be a good change for our second unit to have Rondo with the second unit."
Where is the swagger?
Despite the recent three game skid against the Magic, Hawks, and Lakers, members of the Celtics insist that they still believe in themselves.
"We don't lack any confidence," said Kevin Garnett. "Our spirits are high. We have a little saying to work hard- ‘You put into it what you want to get out of it' and just as of late we haven't been producing wins but we're a hard working group... but Doc tells us that nothing worth acquiring is easy. We're just going to continue to grind."
And they certainly have been grinding. One has to wonder how many more games the Celtics can lose to good teams before their confidence does get shaken. With the loss to the Lakers, the Celtics end January with a 6-8 record, and those wins certainly aren't convincing either: Toronto twice, Miami, New Jersey, a banged up Portland, and the other team from L.A. On the contrary, they lost to Atlanta twice, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Orlando, and the Lakers. Every team aside from Detroit has a winning record as of today.
"We just have to keep forging forward, because it doesn't get any easier," said Ray Allen. "It's not going to come from other teams, it's not going to come from the referees, we just have to do it for ourselves. Regardless of what happened yesterday or the day before, moving forward we all have to buckle down and do our jobs."
"No. I don't [see slippage in confidence]," said Rivers. "The only thing I didn't like is we didn't finish the game with our normal speed. I thought we got a lead and then we tried to sit on it, and in the NBA, you know 24-second clock, you're not sitting on the lead."
Ok, no more sitting. So, will the real Boston Celtics please stand up?
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Let's play the BLAME GAME.
After all, we’re the Champs at it.
So what about the time Odom got called for an offensive goaltending, when the replay clearly showed the ball had come off the cylinder? That’s two points the Lakers lost.
What about the NO-CALL on Perkins goaltending Artest’s layup? Again, the review clearly showed the ball had touched the glass, before Perkins illegally interfered in the fourth. Refs turned a blind eye.
Doc never says Pierce didn’t commit the offensive foul. He just says Kobe does it all the time. Okay, well that’s why refs called it on Kobe against Tony Allen. The officials were consistent with their calls.
We may not be the best at basketball, but we are the best at the blame game. I blame Doc Rivers for it, as well. As the coach, he needs to lay the responsibility on the players and quit blaming officials for every tough loss. He’s creating a dangerous culture of pointing fingers, as opposed to owning up to our shortcomings and changing for the better.
Consequently, that’s what separates us from the Lakers and Magic fans. When one of these teams lose, the fans criticize the gameplay, whereas we (and Cavs fans) always blame the refs. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS. It’s never our faults, and that’s why we’ll never change. We’ll continue to lose big games and scapegoat it on the refs and the economy and global warming for that matter. Hell, as long as it’s not us.
by War Forrest on Feb 1, 2010 3:29 AM EST up reply actions 6 recs
Relax
Only a few are blaming the refs. Most are saying quite the opposite. The refs sucked, as they always do. But the fault was with the team. Doc mostly. Ray’s shooting. Sheed’s laziness. Paul’s stubbornness. Doc mostly.
And the team played a great game, for the most part. Until the last quarter, when they inexplicably stopped doing what worked to that point
(But note: the travel call on Rondo was truly bogus. Coming as it did at the very end… they had no business making that call then. Not unless they’re prepared to call it every other time it happens… which is dozens of times a game.)
flop came after the clear foul
Smart play by Artest.
I love DRJ1 calling out the refs for the travel call – this season they officially changed the rules to give the players an extra step on drives – but don’t ball fake before you move even if your feet remain motionless because it’s a guaranteed travel call.
Quite a few of those in the Hawks game also…
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 7:55 AM EST up reply actions
I think its very POSSIBLE that a KG at 90%,
Daniels back and everyone else reasonably rested and healthy, that we can still win it.
BUT I am also now on the side that if there is ANY chance AT ALL of considerably improving this years chances, AND extending the window by one more year, we MUST get Hinrich or someone exactly like him and that its also worth coughing up a first round pick along with the usual Scal, Tony, House or what have you package.
Can Danny see thisWe need a third possibly excellent bench piece after Sheed and Daniels. Its the only shot we have. Are we REALLY going to blow the last shot we have and NOT buck up this team a notch Really??
strange to say but..
I really do have a good feeling about this loss. There’s a lot of positives to be had, and a lot of lessons that seem like they can’t continue to ignore. I expect strides forward from here—what else can you expect?
Oh, and, the Allens really are making a good case for a flip flop. Ray says he’s willing to take cuts to pay and responsibility, a little experiment now couldn’t hurt and he certainly looks like he could use the rest. Plus, watching Tony lately and especially tonight on Kobe, the kids playing with some real spunk and dexterity—somethig ray seems too worn down to find right now.
All’s I’m saying is there’s no where to go but up!
by RedsBean on Jan 31, 2010 9:05 PM EST via mobile reply actions
agreed
Ive already proposed start Ray in the first, But start Tony in the 3rd qtr, this idea sort of limits Rays minutes down to possibly 28-30 a game…its time to reward TA for his great play…TA has been bettter lately than Ray….
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
they are different players
Tony has been better at what he does than Ray has been (lately) at what he does. But Tony is not necessarily ‘better’ than Ray Allen, even lately.
Ray provides a lot of things besides shooting. He is the starter who acts as transition floor leader when the bench comes in. The numbers are compelling that he gets the most value out of those rotations over any of the other starters. He is a perimeter jump shooting threat that defenses have to honor which creates space for the other guys to work to the hoop.
Tony is playing out-of-his-mind man defense right now and is dynamic in going under the baseline to the hoop. But Tony can’t create space for Pierce or Rondo to work inside. If Tony’s in the game for Ray, then Pierce becomes a jump shooter in order to space the defense. Of course, lately (i.e. the last 3 weeks or so) Pierce is a better jump shooter than Ray.
Defensively, the best rotation seems actually to be with Tony in for Pierce.
I can make a case for giving Tony a lot more minutes, but I would mix him in for both Paul and Ray.
Marquis Daniels will change the dynamics a lot. He’s able to play that 2nd team floor leader role and can reduce Ray’s minutes. I wouldn’t mind giving Ray a few days off with a phantom injury. He’s the only starter who hasn’t really had a break this whole season.
It would also help a lot if we could get Eddie’s shot going as well. Having both Ray AND Eddie shooting so cold lately is a double-whammy.
this loss isn't so bad
honestly… i think most of thought with the play we have been playing this game could have been a blow out.
and you know it was starting to look that way but we fought back and this was a good game.
in the end ray played good D on kobe.
in the final play rondo wasn’t on the court and we drew up a 3 point play, both moves not smart im sure Doc is kicking himself but overall that was a good game.
In Conetext, it is
Club isnt finishing. It consistently lets the air out of the ball and goes flat in the 4th, blowing substantial leads. 16 points in the 4th? If Doc doesnt like the energy, why’t he out in TA—he’ll at least attack.
When you lead for three straight quarters it is!
Why on earth would you not take it to the basket in that situation? There was plenty of time. They are lucky that the cross court pass to Ray wasn’t stolen! I am a diehard but I am worried. This is more than just a couple players out and not at 100%. Careless plays and lack of intensity is something to be concerned about. If we can’t win these next couple games I bet we will see a change before the trade deadline.
ship is sinking .
give us fans a good reason why we should believe that this team is good enough to win it all they cant even win at home anymore or beat the good teams like the cavs magic and the lakers ..
Actually...
We’ve beaten two of the three teams listed. And we had a damn good shot at taking down the third one.
"I hate to lose" - KG
The Celtics were in control most of the game
considering we were also playing with a ailing Garnett and it took Kobes jumper with 7 seconds left for the Lakers to beat us, it was not a bad game for the C’s.
Win or lose this one though Danny has got to make moves at the trade deadline or we will have no shot at a title this year.
Why doesn't anyone mention the following:
Lakers playing 7th game of an 8-game road trip and still outplayed the Celts in the fourth quarter.
Kobe continuing to play with a broken finger, plus a sprained ankle he sustained the other night (you could clearly see him limping) and he still hits the winning shot. I dislike this guy immensely, but he is one hell of a warrior.
Their best player was hurting as much as one of our best players. Truth be told.
not the truth
it is what you want people to read.
What (precisely) isn't true?
Ray even fouled him on the game-winner.
Itr’s clear that at this point the Celtics wear down in the 4th quarter and losing 3 straight games to contenders is unheard of in the past couple of years.
Without a trade, this team won’t get to the finals.
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 8:04 AM EST up reply actions
Why take a 3
Down by 1, why take a 3. Should have drove to net
Sigh
Another lead blown in the 4th. We need a back up point guard bad… Hell at this point they should trade anyone except Perk or Rondo to put some young legs into the team.
Amazing how good we played when Rondo is allow to run and push the ball. Unstoppable, even the commentating touched on it.
nice recap
But the Celtics were never in control of the game no more than the Lakers were when we were in the lead. Ive seen alot of Celtic basketball this year and this was by far yalls best game played. The loss doesnt mean anything more than what it is, inability to close out the final frame. I noticed in the post game rap-up that references to artest flopping was made. Uhhmm…ok…he may have flopped a bit but P2 clearly created space and was a easy call to make. We had no fouls to give and Doc went with an P2 Iso 19ft from the basket??? That game was yalls to have and Doc coached himself right out of it.
by Kobe Won Kenobi on Jan 31, 2010 9:54 PM EST via mobile reply actions
step on foot, flop
artest stepped on paul’s foot, then flopped. you can’t flop in an nba game. the call was wrong.
Tell it to Rondo
Still laughing about the Christmas slo-mo replay where he wasn’t even touched…
Pierce pushed him hard enough to see the effect – BEFORE the flop
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 8:06 AM EST up reply actions
I could just hear Tommy's disgust in my head
as Pierce walked it up on the second-to-last posession…
flop
why would you say artest “may have flopped a bit”
and PP “clearly created space”
and that was an “easy call to make”
How about
artest “clearly flopped and clearly stepped on Paul’s foot”
and PP “may have created space a bit”
and that was “not an easy call to make”.
hahaha
let’s see, what about perkins ball that went out and hit camera which should have been reviewable. or the foul called on Kobe when he didn’t even touch Tony Allen. Criminy.
kobe hit his shot. ray allen missed his shot. basketball. the game. basketball.
wow, all the whining, good luck. it is like everyone is drinking the same punch Doc and Perkins drink…“ref whine”
by lakersbluedevil on Jan 31, 2010 10:16 PM EST up reply actions
wallace
wallace hit rim, rondo got the rebound. they stopped play. then only gave the Celtics 5 seconds on the shot clock. Forgot that play on purpose?
Check the time on replay- it was correct
Apparently you don’t feel the officiating is “fair” without the celts “enjoying” a 28 ft margin like in game 2 of the ’08 finals – AN NBA MODERN ERA FINALS RECORD…
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 8:11 AM EST up reply actions
You keep bringing that game up as if it makes a point. It doesnt.
What are you, a Laker’s fan?
That game’s FT totals were so lopsided because the Lakers completely surrendered the paint. The Celtics went aggressive to the paint
As I’ve pointed out to you before, a HUGE chunk of those FT in that game were taken by Leon Powe – who only plays in the post and is a PF-generating machine when his game is working.
Meanwhile, the Lakers took a huge percentage of their shots from outside because they couldn’t figure out how to attack the paint in that game.
So please stop posting that game’s FT margin as if it supports some sort of point about the officiating.
The officiating sucks, and it may have sucked in that game, but the FT disparity alone doesn’t reflect anything in that game other than the disparity in the way each team attacked the post.
We disagree
What was a foul on the lakers in that game wasn’t a foul in the exact same situation on the Celtics.
Yes, the Celtics deserved more fts than the Lakers did – but not 3.8 times as many!
My point is here is a team that was GIFTED A FINALS GAME BY THE OFFICIALS.
And some fans here are whining after a regular season game with average, balanced officiating…
It’s humorous !
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
You are the one who is becoming humorous.
You are like a knee-jerk puppet, reposting this same ‘example’ each time somebody makes any comment about the refs. Even if your ‘example’ was a valid example of the Celtics being once given a gift win by the refs, it still would mean NOTHING about whether the refs did or did not do something wrong today. You just can’t help repeating yourself.
And the simple fact is the Lakers did nothing in that game to create any fouls. They played horribly, standing around on offense and waving their arms around like zombies on defense. The refs would have been criminally negligent to NOT call the fouls so heavily in the C’s favor in that game.
Saying it was a record for a finals game means nothing. SOME game has to have that record and that one was it.
Making ANY comment means nothing for that matter
But we still do.
The results are the results. Commenting on unfairness can have an effect on the future if the system is improved accordingly.
It’s hypocritical and amusing for the fans here to point a a correct call as being decisive against the Celtics when the granddaddy of all ref jobs in the finals in the modern era was in their teams’ favor.
Sure, the fact that it’s a finals record “means nothing”.
After that statement, you have zero credibility.
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
Flop
Artest clearly flopped. He weights over 200 lbs and acted like he got shot out of a cannon.
I also like how Kobe cried “and 1” to the ref, but no technical? Those are only reserved for Sheed. Kobe and LBJ are royalty and immune to the whistle against them.
Everybody cries "and 1"
The tech on Wallace was bs but it’s not like Kobe and LBJ get away with it because they’re Kobe and LBJ. They get away with it because 99% of players get away with it. Players like Rasheed (and Artest) don’t because they have a history with the refs and are given a much shorter leash than other players.
Is that wrong? Yeah, it bugs the hell out of me. But it is what it is and the players have to learn to adapt.
The problem is Doc
It can’t be Rondo’s idea to abandon everything that works in his game in the 4th quarter and let PP take over. It can’t. It must be Doc. Just like it was Doc who drew up that last play with a 3pt Ray option in a 1 point game. Just like it’s Doc who is letting Sheed do whatever the hell he wants to do out there.
Doc is the central problem.
The problem is the league
they make 100s and 1000s of phony calls all year pracitcally every game. no reason to blame doc. You think the Celtics record is 29-16, but its not. they took a few wins away from them during the season.
Refs are certainly a problem
…and that’s another issue.
Doc
Doc is trying to coach basketball, he’s not trying to coach acting and playing the refs. The refs mess up the game, then Doc looks like the problem. Doc is not a problem. He already won a title.
Without the blatant ref job in gm 2 of the '08 finals
There is an excellent chance that he would have been denied that title…
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 8:15 AM EST up reply actions
Hit a nerve there?
The truth hurts…
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think it’s so much that you’re “hitting a nerve,” as you’re sort of trolling and using a random stat as some kind of “proof” that refs give the Celtics calls. It seems like you’re looking for any comment that you can throw this lovely nugget of trivia at to see if it sticks.
I’m sure that every team has a game with a statistical anomaly, but one game- whether in the finals, first round, or even the preseason- does not a conspiracy make. Maybe if the Celtics had a 28 FT margin in every game more people might be inclined to agree with you, but that’s not the case. This is just silly.
yes, it is
sorry Doc – he seems like a truly nice guy, a gentleman. But his decisions, from time-outs to substitutions, from removing the working tempo of rondo and calling for the walk up the court and the dwindling shot clock, from time and again going to the isolation with pierce at the end of games (which is not working, sorry to say), from letting wallace off the leash, and showing no regard for the hot-hand… you’re costing this team.
Media and refs
Its the media and refs, journalists, writers, etc. It goes hand in hand. Watch how the ref always makes a ridiculous call, then 2 seconds later the media already has a wrap on it, and nothing in the wrap will question any official.
i am sure
y’all heard that the when ESPN polled all the nba players, Garnett was voted the biggest shit talker in the league. ugh.
so this video really sums up the new world order
by lakersbluedevil on Jan 31, 2010 10:37 PM EST reply actions
The last play of the game
I don’t really have a problem with it. The play was designed for Paul or Ray to get a good look, and it happened to be Ray. He had a great look at the rim and missed it. Yeah we didn’t need a three, but if thats where he needed to be to be open then so be it. If that shot falls then we aren’t questioning the play call. Ray should have hit that shot. He admitted after the game that he may have rushed it.
Follow me @jimmy_toscano
My question is
why didn’t they drive the ball to the rim when LA had 0 fouls to give?
Any shot inside the 3 pt line is a higher percentage
If the make the 2 pointer they win
If they get fouled, they could win or at least tie the game.
Drawing up a 3pt shot just seems like the worst thing to do at that point!
by chuckslammin on Jan 31, 2010 11:37 PM EST up reply actions
Wrong on that one, Jimmy
They’ve been running that play at the end of games almost every time lately. So the first thing wrong with it is that it’s totally predictable. Not a small flaw.
The 2nd thing wrong with it was that the 2nd or 3rd option is a THREE by Ray. (a) Ray was 0-5 from the 3 at that point. But more importantly, (b) YOU DON’T TAKE A THREE WHEN ALL YOU NEED IS ONE POINT TO TIE. The 3, shot by anybody, is the lowest % shot available. When you need just 1 to tie or 2 to win, you just don’t do that. You just DON’T. You drive… through hell or high water, you DRIVE. To get the basket or the foul. And if you absolutely cannot – which is really not reasonable, because somebody’s almost always open for a drive – you take a short jumper. The 3 should not even be an option… because at best, it’s a 40% shot. In Ray’s hands tonight, it was arguably a 0% shot (his 3Pt% in the game to that point). Or 34% (Ray’s 3Pt% this season).
This was a lazy, bad call by Doc. Which is why he and Sheed should be sent to a nice comfy island where they can stay until August. And let KG/Paul/Ray coach the team. Or anybody else. Not Doc. His mind has become too pixilated.
If the play is so predictable, why was Ray so wide open off the screen?
The play didn’t work ONLY because Ray missed the shot (because if anything he hurried it – he had more time and space than I think he realized). Not because it was ‘well defended’.
The only slightly better option on the play would have been to pass down low to ’Sheed who was in the edge of the paint on the baseline and maybe would have had an easy layup because Gasol was playing soft on him (both Gasol and Odom seemed to think that the play was going to KG and were boxing him out of the paint). But Paul (properly) saw how wide open Ray was off the screen and made the proper pass to the most wide open shooter.
The fact that Ray was behind the arc is incidental. You want him going to a spot that (a) he would be wide open at and (b) that he’s practiced the catch-&-shoot from a zillion times.
The play worked perfectly up to the point where he simply missed. Stop beating up Doc on this. You are simply 100% wrong on your assessment of the play.
Black January
This has to be the worst month since the new Big 5 arrived in town. Can’t wait for a new month to begin.
Great teams always win close games, wheither it is coming back fron behind or holding onto a slim lead. The Celtics now just can do neither.
If it was so predictable, how was Ray so open?
Pierce had two men on him and Gasol under the basket waiting for him. How is that a higher percentage shot? If anything, the pass to Ray could have been better from Pierce. The ball floated in the air a little too long and by the time Ray got it Odom had already gotten close. Ray could have probably pump faked and had plenty of time to put up the shot after Odom bites on the fake. If Ray is a 34% shooter from 3, and he went 0-5 at that point, wouldnt that mean he was due to hit a shot from there? We saw it happen against Portland.
So what you’re saying you would do is run an iso for Pierce. We have seen that hundreds of times, and rarely does that work either. There is no sense in speculating what could or should have been, because we won’t ever know.
Pierce picked up the double team and got it to the open man. The ball didn’t go in the hoop. Three pointer or not, it was an open shot and the best possible option at that point.
Follow me @jimmy_toscano
in response to DRJ1 post above
Follow me @jimmy_toscano
by Jimmy Toscano on Feb 1, 2010 2:05 AM EST up reply actions
The Lakers are a smart team
So they were very happy to let Ray shoot the 3 in a 1-point game. I know I would be. First of all, they probably didn’t believe that Paul would choose that shot. I know I wouldn’t. It’s the worst of all possible choices at the end of a 1-point game. They massed to prevent a drive, as they should have. By sending Ray to the arc, the Cs helpfully gave them one more man to double up on the inside. How nice of Doc.
The Lakers also figured that IF Doc and Paul were stupid enough to actually give Ray the 3 as the last shot of the game, they’d take their chances on a closeout. Good figuring.
You know… I don’t really believe that you believe that that last shot was a good call by Doc. You must be playing devil’s advocate. That’s fine, no problem… but let’s not start believing our own strawmen. The right play would have been sending everyone in position for a drive. There was plenty of time for 1, 2, 3, even 4 picks. You run till somebody’s in position for a drive. Or KG for a short jumper at worst. ANY option was preferable to what actually happened… the lowest % shot available.
And btw… stats don’t work the way you describe. Nobody is “due” to make a shot because they missed 5 earlier. The opposite is true. Your probability of making it is not going to be better than your season record… and if you’ve just missed 5, it’s even lower, because clearly you’re not shooting well today.
Finally… there’s a lot of sense in speculating over what might have been and especially over what should have been. That’s how we discover where the flaws are, which is the only way to fix them. Can’t fix something if you think it ain’t broke.
In this case, the broken thing is Doc’s brain.
That's just silly. There is no way the Lakers would ever be just 'happy' to let Ray Allen take a wide open shot from anywhere.
Allen was wide open because he and Pierce worked the screen perfectly to free him. It was a design play that worked perfecty up until Ray very simply missed the shot.
And 1
I responded directly above, not seeing this here. Totally agree.
The fact that Ray was behind the arc is incidental. The play worked up until the point where Ray simply missed the shot (probably because he hurried it, not realizing just HOW much time & space he had).
It's funny how ALL fans have selective memory
when it comes to their own teams. Look, the Lakers shot 22 free throws and the Celtics shot 19 free throws. This is a fairly refed game, pure and simple. The horribly reffed games are like Magic/Celtics when they got like 40 to your 15. But if both teams are about the same number, then it is a fair game, especially if both teams score a lot in the paint (and thus should have roughly the same number of fouls).
The funny part is the selective memory on the part of your Celtic fans. Would Laker fans come up with missed call after missed call if you gave them the chance? Of course, but they wouldn’t remember the beneficial calls the Lakers got. Celtic fans are the opposite, they remember the bad calls for the celtics but don’t remember the good ones.
Regarding Artest/Pierce, i’m not sure how i can tell you, but it is a FOUL to create room for your shot by taking your arm and shoving the player off. Did Artest “flop” in the sense that he exaggerated the foul? Yes, he did. But even if he wouldn’t have exaggerated the call, it still SHOULD have been a foul. Why? Because if someone is playing good D, it is UNFAIR for the offensive guy to create room for himself by pushing the defensive guy back in order to get his shot off.
If you want to allow these type of calls, then everyone would take the ball, use one hand to push the defender away from them in order to get some space, and shoot an open shot. Jordan against the Jazz when he pushed Russell, that was a FOUL.
It is irrelevant if the guy exaggerated the push. It was the push itself, which would have created room for Pierce to shoot the ball freely, that is the foul. Whether he went back 20 feet, or only 1 foot, the end result is the SAME. Paul Pierce getting the defender away from him and shooting. It is a foul, get over it.
My only problem with the above is the description of the Pierce/Artest foul
I agree that it is a foul to push off to create space – but that isn’t actually what happened if you play it back frame-by-frame.
Pierce’s arm was up to preserve the EXISTING space. At no time does Artest’s body move in the direction of a ‘push’. Pierce changes his own direction, pushing off with his left foot and away towards the sideline with his right (without ONCE going into Artest with any part of his body). Artest simply stepped on that lead left foot with his own left foot and lost control of his momentum towards the baseline.
That said, while it was technically a ‘wrong’ call, in the speed of the game, it wasn’t necessarily a ‘bad’ call (other than being ticky-tack during crunch time). The traveling call on Rondo was more irritating.
Take off the green goggles
There is a clear movement to the left of Artest’s body (his right) before the stepping on foot and acting job
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 12:04 PM EST up reply actions
Nope. Just stepped through the frames again. Still not there.
Pierce’s arm is bent before it comes up between them – to protect space before Artest even gets near – and never straightens. That’s on frames at 1:54-1:55. Artest’s right side of his body (where Pierce’s arm would be touching if it is even touching) NEVER moves away from Pierce. Not even the slightest.
At 1:56 Pierce continues his stride towards the baseline with his left foot and pushes off that to send his own body off toward the sideline. His left arm comes with his body and Artest’s does NOT go sideways at all. Artest’s movement is completely toward the baseline the whole time.
It is physically impossible for Artest to not show SOME movement towards the sideline if Pierce pushes at all. Basic physics.
My Tivo can beat up your Tivo
It’s hard to believe you don’t see it – perhaps frame by frame is deceiving you?
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 3:22 PM EST up reply actions
Go on, keep asserting things without backing them up.
You’ve established a pattern. ’Might as well stick with it.
three cheers to that....I don't like the Hawks in the 2nd round
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
And after a blatant one-sided officiated game in Toronto
Where the Lakers had more points in the paint, rebounds, etc but were -17 from the stripe against jumpshooting Raptors and lost by 1 with Bennett S. being the lead official.
Or the Lakers would be in 1st. But that’s NBA officiating…
Get over it, you got your help in ’08
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 8:24 AM EST up reply actions
Please Danny Trade RAY ALLEN
Im sick of his dribble penetration Turnovers, 0-6 frm 3pt range with at least 3 of em good looks, his slow off the ball help defense allowing dagger three’s by opposing teams SG in the waning seconds of a close game, his inabilty to create a decent offense for himself as he is not a natural slasher penetrator anymore unlike in his heydays in Milwaukee/Sonics…this guy is being Paid 18 milion when he plays like a MLE type money player at this point in his career.
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
The tale of two Allens
Before the season started, Tony Allen got the most votes in a poll here asking which Celtics should be traded. . Look how things could change in just a few months. I will not give up on Ray … yet.
Great game by C's.
“I thought I made a good move,” Paul Pierce said. “I got to my sweet spot. I guess the ref saw it differently and he made the call.”
Guys the NBA has serious credibility issues.
it’s really an unfortunate situation, but it exists.
?
Replay is clear – obvious pushoff, followed by acting job.
Are you saying there was no foul?
by nba is the worst on Feb 1, 2010 8:27 AM EST reply actions
Where did Kendrick Perkins learn to shoot foul shots, if he learned at all? He klanged so many against ORL and LA, he’s starting to make Shaq look like Ray Allen.
At least it was good to see them come back from down big early, and it was nice to see them actually extend the lead in the 3rd qtr instead of giving it up. Actually led the whole 2nd half until the end.
We can still win in the playoffs, even if it is on the road!
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