Pierce Has His Moment

Posted by Mike Giardi May 18, 2008 at 9:52 pm

LeBron James got the points. He had 45 in today’s Game 7 showdown at the Garden, the most any player has ever gotten in NBA history of Game 7’s. But Paul Pierce was better, and consequently, it his team that moves on to the Eastern Conference finals.

Pierce did everything short of sweeping the floors during timeouts. He willed the C’s through a difficult first-half offensively by scoring 26 of the team’s 50. Then, in the 4th Quarter, with LeBron on his way to Dictatorship, the C’s captain hit some crucial buckets with LeBron draped all over him. Oh, that’s step-back J’s were money. Pierce finished with 41 points, hitting 13-of-23 from the floor. That’s the best I’ve ever seen him play at the offensive end. He must feel like a King tonight.

I won’t call this is a defining moment for PP. We love to do that in media - find the turning point or call something a “Statement Game,” but this is, after all, only Round 2. Of course, if the C’s end up as the last team standing come mid-June, I reserve the right to change my mind.

Classic

Posted by Randolph Charlotin May 18, 2008 at 9:37 pm

While game seven wasn’t easy on the hearts of Celtics fans, you have to admit that you were glad to witness a duel between Paul Pierce and LeBron James that will go down in history. Give ESPN a week and the game will be re-run on their Classic network.

That was what a game seven is supposed to be: Competitive from beginning to end with superstar performances. King James vs. The Truth. Already it is being compared to the Larry Bird-Dominique Wilkins showdown and Pierce-James belongs in that class of unforgettable duels.

Everyone knew LeBron was due for a dominant offensive performance and boy did he bring it. After having trouble getting to the rim all series, he bullied his way to the rim, either finishing or getting the foul. And his unreliable jumper became money in the bank from all locations. It couldn’t be more evident than the two 3-pointers he nailed in the fourth quarter as he carried his Cavs team, preventing Cleveland from falling too far behind.

Not to be out-done was Pierce, nearly matching James point for point. From the very beginning Pierce set the pace, taking James one-on-one with spins, drives, fadeaways, and off repeated screens. As the teams played into crunch time, the ball was in Pierce’s hands to either take his defender or create for a teammate.

Despite a 45-point performance, King James’ efforts came up short for two reasons.

1. It wasn’t the King’s court. The home team never lost a game during this series. Thanks to home court advantage, the Celtics had the deciding game played on the parquet with Red Auerbach’s name on it.

2. The King’s loyal subjects were nowhere to be found. Only Delonte West, the other Cavalier in double figures with 15 points, showed up to play alongside James. 7-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskaus’ performance shrunk the deeper the series went. And old friend Wally Szczerbiak turned in a 0-3 for zero points performance.

While Pierce was used to carrying a team, other stepped up for Boston, unlike the past few years for The Truth. P.J. Brown came off the bench with 10 points and two key baskets down the stretch: a put-back of a Rajon Rondo air ball with 2:45 left and calmly hitting a jumper with 1:21 remaining. Eddie House and Ray Allen sunk their free throws during foul time. And, of course, Kevin Garnett was present during the whole game with 13 points and 13 rebounds. But a late turnaround jumper helped the Celts maintain a lead they never relinquished.

Isn’t it kind of funny looking back at how the focus had been on Garnett throughout the playoffs? In everyone’s mind the fate of Boston was placed in his hands. Ultimately Garnett played Antoine Walker for Pierce, stepping aside for the team’s best offensive machine to carry the team to victory. Remember, it is Pierce, and not Garnett, that is the captain of the Celtics. And in game seven, Pierce showed why he still is.

4th Quarter Flameout

Posted by Mike Giardi May 13, 2008 at 10:41 am

Boy, this is aggravating. The Celtics continue to have opportunities to win on the road, and continue to let them slip away. Down 3 going into the final quarter last night, the C’s score just 12 points. That’s not a misprint. 12! You should get 12 by accident, with weapons like Allen, Garnett and Pierce littering the roster. But not these guys, not in these playoffs. Perhaps that why C’s Coach Doc Rivers said that his team needed to play better “under stress.”

When I heard that, I said “uh oh.” You knew that quote would be presented to the Celts stars. It was, and the results were predictable. According to the Boston Globe, they didn’t like.  Garnett refused to acknowledge that the team was lacking poise, and then turned around and put some of the struggles on his coach.

“In a situation like ours, we are trying to do everything that Doc wants us to do. He makes all the calls. He gives us direction. For the most part, we pretty much try to do what he wants.”

Call me crazy, KG, but I don’t think Doc is designing play for you to take 20-foot jumpers with the game on the line. How about you park you butt on the block, and the offense runs through you from there? That’s what your Coach has wanted all season, and it worked to the tune of 66 regular season wins. During the second half last night, the “Big Ticket” peeled out of the post because of pressure from Anderson Varejao. Yeah, Sideshow Bob did a nice job working over the C’s MVP. That’s scary. The two men aren’t even close in talent, and Varejao was actually questionable coming in with a knee injury.

Paul Pierce also had issues with Doc’s quote, saying, “I don’t know what he means. I’m stressed every game. Stressed to get a win.” Hmmm, then shouldn’t it be incumbent on Pierce to get to the rack, and get to the line? Yes, PP took 17 shots (hitting a paltry 6), but he earned just two free throws. This went on during the Atlanta series as well, and you have to wonder if the light will go on the next time the C’s are in Cleveland.

Mercifully, the Celts are back at home tomorrow night, and I fully expect them to play better and to win. Of course, LeBron might have something to say about that. He went 7-for-20, his 4th straight subpar shooting night. I keep saying “The King” is due to bust out. The C’s better hope that doesn’t happen in Game 5, because I wouldn’t bet a cent on them winning away from the Garden a couple of nights later.

 

 

 

Any Day Now…

Posted by Mike Giardi May 11, 2008 at 4:58 pm

I was going take the attitude of the less said about the Celtics performance last night, the better we’d all feel. But maybe I’m a glutton for punishment. Or maybe that loss continues to annoy me, like the Great Gretzky dog does when he’s desperate to go outside and I’m in the middle of something. Gretzky will just stand there, practically attached to my hip, and stare. Drives me nuts, but at least he doesn’t bark, and he eventually gets his way. Kind of like the Cavs last night. They stared down the C’s in the opening quarter, and the NBA’s best team during the regular season blinked, a lot.

You knew that Cleveland would come out fired up, in front of a hungry home crowd. A great team weathers that onslaught. The C’s didn’t, at least not last night. The defensive rotations were slow, there were too many open jumpers…or better yet, unchallenged jumpers. Pros make those shots. The Cavs did for the first-time in the series.

The scary thought is, LeBron still can’t shoot straight. He was 5-for-16, bringing his series totals to 13-of-58. That is Todd Day-esque. I coninue to find it hard to believe Bron Bron will not go off at some point during the next week, and singlehandedly carry his team to a win. Or two. There’s too much at stake for “The KIng,” to keep playing like he’s basketball’s version of Alex Rodriguez. Similarly, there’s too much at stake for the C’s to stop living up the billing of best team in the league. Which ones of those patterns will continue? That will decide this series.

Super 7

Posted by Mike Giardi May 10, 2008 at 8:03 pm

Time for another edition as I wait on this 8:18 Celts/Cavs start.

1) Is there any way LeBron doesn’t go crazy tonight? I kept waiting for it in Game 1. Then again in Game 2. And I’ll be sitting here in sports row tonight wondering when…I repeat…”when” it will happen. I have that much confidence in that guy, even if he’s done less than nothing in this series.

2) How do Red Sox fans feel about Julio Lugo? Check out Sonsofsamhorn.com. When word filtered out that he would miss tonight’s game with a mild concussion, the jokes started flying. I laughed out loud…repeatedly. Check it out, on game threads.

3) Orlando just gakked away a shot at evening their series with Detroit. Up 15 points in the third quarter, the Magic fell apart. No way should Dwight Howard be that quiet. He should be unguardable. That’s not always the case. Maybe its just being a kid. Or maybe he’s got David Robinson disease ( I know. I know. He’s a Hall of Famer, but he wouldn’t have won jack squat without Tim Duncan). But it shouldn’t be happening.  Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is ready to strangle him. Please, no P.J. Carlesimo/Latrell Sprewell jokes.

4) Kevin Youkilis is absolutely on fire. He is now tied for the A.L. lead in home runs (as of early this evening). Who’s running alongside Youk? Hint: a prison, a Husky and an Italian town (answer below).

5) Who’s more frustrating to watch? Dice-K or Lester? I can’t decide, although I’d probably lean to Matsuzaka. He has the stuff - at times - to be great. But most hitters will tell you its not there from AB to AB, let alone game to game.

6) Paps may have blown two straight saves, but the Sox are so settled at that spot. Look at the disasters across baseball this season. Eric Gagne (we knew that was coming), Jason Isringhausen, Huston Street, Trevor Hoffman, Manny Corpas. On and on the list goes. Having that money performer in the pen is the difference between playoffs and no playoffs. Simple as that.

7) Did anyone catch the Sports Illustrated article on Matt Ryan a couple of weeks ago? Peter King penned the piece, and there are some suspect quotes from Ryan’s new teammates in Atlanta. Makes me wonder if its gonna work there. If I’m part of that new brass for the Falcons, I’m purging my team of every Mike Vick supporter. Heck, the guy ruined your season, and screwed up your franchise. Standing by him now only makes you look stupid, not disloyal.

Answer to the A.L. HR Leaders: Carlos Quentin, Carlos Pena and Mike Napoli. What a trio that is!

No Road Woes In Sight

Posted by Craig Kolodny May 9, 2008 at 4:49 pm

So you’re sitting there thinking: we’ve seen this before. Just last round the Celtics had what appeared to be a commanding 2-0 lead heading on the road. Doc Rivers’ crew failed in all three opportunities to win down in Atlanta and we all knew we’d hear more about their “road troubles” once the Celtics eliminated the Hawks and moved on to Round 2.

Forget all that nonsense. Maybe it was a lack of focus (inexplicable), or maybe it was just a bad matchup with the Hawks (athletic bigs), but the Celtics will NOT return to Boston for a Game 5 with the series tied 2-2. The Celtics will assuredly grab at least one of the games in Cleveland, if not both, simply because they match up incredibly better with the Cavs.

I know LeBron and company will play better at home, but I can’t see the Celtics showing up without a sense of urgency. The defense against LeBron has been outstanding. They are forcing him to take shots he doesn’t want to take. He has been hesitant to get to the hoop and he’s turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Wally and Delonte have been virtually invisible, and so far Boston has proven to be the deeper team.

The Celtics had the best road record in the league this year (31-10), and all they really need to do is take one game in Cleveland to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. Look for a strong performance by the green team tomorrow night in hopes of quieting all the critics of whether or not this group is good enough to win the road in the postseason.

Suffocating

Posted by Mike Giardi May 9, 2008 at 9:05 am

Here we go again. The Celtics were on the verge of becoming choking dogs a week ago. This morning, they’re halfway home to a Round 2 win over Cleveland, and all is right in the world of fandom (yes, I’m making up words) and media.

I can understand the positivity. After a slow start, the C’s dominated the Cavs, allowing me to flip back to the Sox game at various points. The team defense - the thing that allowed the Celts to win 66 games in the regular season - has been terrific in the first two games of this series.

In particular, I appreciate how Doc has this team defending LeBron. He’s letting Cleveland’s version of the “Big Z” beat ‘em, but making the King work hard for everything. Kendrick Perkins is essentially playing a one-man zone, waiting for LeBron to come into the lane. They’ve run Kevin Garnett at him over and over (there isn’t a more active big man than KG). And if Garnett is on the wrong side of the floor, its somebody else. Powe. P.J. Brown. The team trainer. Greg Dickerson. I mean, SOMEBODY is always running at the league’s top scorer. Combine that with very good on the ball defense from either Paul Pierce and James Posey, the two men with the daunting task of containing LBJ, and you can understand why the C’s have been so successful in this series.

Of course, what makes it tougher is that LeBron couldn’t toss a rock into the ocean if he was on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic (its an oldie, but goodie). Every jumper is long, he’s settling for deep 3’s and when he does go to the hoop, the greatest finisher on the planet (Kobe is #2) can’t convert a twisting layup. I don’t expect this to last. But I didn’t expect LeBron to lay an egg on Wednesday and again last night. The weight of the world…or at least Cleveland…will be on his shoulders Saturday.

My one caution: the C’s were at this same point with the Hawks after two games. In fact, the Green team was more impressive in that series than they have been in this one. Then the C’s went to Atlanta and got tight and made a short set last the full 7. So let’s not go making plans for the Eastern Conference finals until we see how the next 48 hours turn out.

WHAT IF?

Posted by Chris Collins May 7, 2008 at 11:48 pm

Tuesday night’s game really makes you think, “What if?” What if LeBron James was the typical LeBron James (who by the way is the best finisher in basketball)? Would the Celtics have lost by 15 points? Or you could look at it this way: What if all the members of the big three were doing what they typically do? Would the C’s have won by 15?

Who knows, but what we do know is this: we likely will know a whole lot more about where these two basketball teams stand in relation to each other after Game 2.

Could the Celtics defense be that good? Could the Cleveland defense be that good? I have a feeling the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

Nobody is expecting the King to score two points in the second half Thursday night and no one is expecting another goose egg from Ray Ray. So with things returning back to normal on Thursday, let’s see what happens.

I think Game 2 will tell us a lot about this series.

C’s Survive Brawl

Posted by Mike Giardi May 7, 2008 at 8:17 am

Last night, I bet you didn’t quite realize you were going to be watching a throwback to the Celts/Pistons series in 2002, did you? That was the Celts team CNNSI’s Marty Price referred to as the “Boston Stranglers.” They took care of Detroit in 5, but it was U-G-L-Y from start to finish.

No different at the Garden Tuesday. I was struck almost from the opening possession just how hard the C’s and Cavs were going at each other. I know this is Round 2 of the playoffs, but there was some nasty stuff out there. Play in the post was not for the feint of heart. Slaps, elbows, knees into thighs, chests all puffed out. There’s no doubt a bunch of those big men will need to visit the team masseuse.

Then there’s LeBron. The 2-for-18 is stunning. The 10 turnovers equally mind-boggling. Every time the Cavs King went to the rack, he got whacked. Okay. That’s the price you have to pay, and James knows it. But for a good two quarters, LeBron stopped going deep to the bucket, instead settling for ill-timed jumpers and deep 3’s. I don’t know who encouraged that, but if I’m the C’s, I’m praying there’s a repeat performance on Thursday night. You realize that if LeBron hit anything, the Cavs steal Game One. They SHOULD have stolen it. Now, you wonder how their psyche will be affected in less than 48 hours when the two teams go at it again.

C’s fans probably breathe a sigh of relief after looking at the box score as well. The C’s survived a 15-0 run by Cleveland in the 3rd Quarter, and two dreadful offensive performances by Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Ray got shut out in a game for the first time since 1997. Heck, I barely even noticed he was on the floor last night. He went from one extreme in the Atlanta series - forcing his shot - to last night’s debacle - when he got outplayed by Wally Szczerbiak. Trust me, those last words hurt. Not so much for me, but for Ray.

As for “The Truth,” well, the truth is, he is still way too emotional. It cost his team in Game 6 vs. the Hawks, and I must say, I fear it will come back to harm this group again at some later date, be it in May or June. Plus, I think that when Pierce gets angry, he is reckless in his approach to the basket. That led to some hard spills last night, and this is a guy who is dealing hip and back injuries suffered in the Round One. I suppose it too late to suggest he’ll change, considering how long he’s been in the league, but trust me, a change would be nice.

Alright - get your rest. Thursday is bound to feature more of the same.

Powe and Perkins react to Celtics win

Posted by NECN - Sports May 7, 2008 at 6:21 am

(NECN) - The Celtics have grabbed a one game to none lead over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

But this was not a game for the stars.

Paul Pierce scored just four points and Ray Allen was held scoreless. Lebron James scored just 12 points on 2-8 shooting.

Two of the big men in the middle, Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins spoke after the game about stopping Lebron.

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