That was a tough defeat as the Celtics lost home court advantage and were definitely in a position to pull a victory out. However, I was most disappointed in the lackluster defense and the way the Pistons beat the Celtics to loose balls at key points in the game. Furthermore, it was one of those games where Boston was bombs away from outside (5-19) but not able to connect at a respectable rate (26%).
Rodney Stuckey outscored Boston's bench 13-8. Granted the other Pistons bench players only scored 4 points. Still Stuckey's contributions were noticeable.
Tony Allen looked lost.
Just as it was important to not get too excited following game 1, I refuse to get too down after this one. However, the Celtics need to come away with a win in Detroit. It would be great to see them do it tomorrow and put all of the "can't win on the road" talk to bed.
Rajon Rondo grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 9 assists. But he was off from the field (2-9). With respect to Pierce's turnovers (4) and Posey's performance from the field/3-point line (1-5) Rondo's shooting was arguably the most glaring aspect of Boston's boxscore. And even though he only had 2 turnovers Rondo threw some ill-advised passes and in general made some bad decisions.
At a certain point the C's were getting killed on the boards and beaten to loose balls. And I couldn't help think about Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins. Of course P.J. Brown was knocking down shots. Still I'm content with Ray Allen, Pierce and Garnett carrying the offense while Perkins or Powe fill their roles on the other end of the court.
It was nice to see Ray Allen hit some shots. The cynical part of me wants to see him do it with consistency and in victories.
That's it for now.