The “D” Will Set Them Free

Posted by Mike Giardi May 12, 2008 at 2:46 pm

In the aftermath’s of Game 3’s loss to Cleveland - the Celtics 4th straight road loss this postseason - Kevin Garnett said bluntly, “There are no excuses for it. If we had that answer we wouldn’t get beat on the road, huh?” Then the quick stare from KG, as if to say, stupid question. Or, maybe, how the heck am I suppose to respond to that? Either way, you can tell these questions - and more importantly - these struggles away from the Garden are starting to get under this team’s skin. The C’s believe they’re better than this. I believe it too.

We know the facts. We know that the C’s were the best road team during the regular season. 31-10. Damn impressive. As always with this club, the success was built largely on the strength of defense. But that has undergone a drastic change in this postseason. The Celts allowing 102.5 points per game in Atlanta and now Cleveland, 27 more than they’re giving up at home.

To me, both the C’s opponents were/are offensively challenged. The Hawks don’t quite understand playing together. The Cavs may, but are so constructed around LeBron and getting LeBron touches every time down the floor, sometimes they just stop moving. That changed Saturday, when Coach Mike Brown made sure Delonte West didn’t just hand the ball off to “The King,” and then float to the other side and watch. Instead, he kept West involved, and you saw the difference. A 21-point night, his best since coming to Cleveland, and a heavy dose of attitude as well. The Cavs need that to win the series. The C’s need to nip that in the bud to finish what they started in Games 1 and 2. But how?

I think the answer is simple. Keep running two players at LeBron. Keep hitting him and/or taking him down every time he’s goes to the hoop. But don’t over-commit. Don’t rotate to the point where Ben Wallace or Joe Smith of the Big Z are all alone under the basket. That happened too many times Saturday. Easier said than done, you wonder? I don’t think so. It wasn’t so hard to do in Boston. Why should playing on the road be any different? Get back to that attitude, that intensity, and the series will be over in 5. Don’t, and we’re looking at a second straight round that will go the full 7.

 

 

, and prove what we saw from November through mid-April was real, and not some anomaly that will leave us scratching our heads until training camp rolls around next September.