CelticsBlog

Celtics Look Win Back Home Court as Series Shifts to Philly

2012-05-16T19:17:25Z

Boston Celtics (5-3, 1-1) at Philadelphia 76ers (5-3,1-1)
Wednesday, March 16
7:00 PM ET
Playoff Game #9 Road Game #4
TV: TNT
Radio: WEEI, 97.5 The Fanatic
Wells Fargo Center
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis

Game Thread l Chat

The series now moves to the Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics have to pick up at least one game in Philly after giving up home court in the game 2 loss at home.

The Celtics have played very poorly so far in the first two games. They have struggled shooting. They have struggled on defense. They have gotten down by double digits in both games. They have seemed as though they were coasting though most of both games.

Injuries could be playing a part in both the shooting woes and in the lack of cohesion on many of the plays. Pierce is obviously not 100% and has been front rimming the majority of his shots. Bradley's shoulder has been painful and could be altering his shot as well as affecting his play. Pietrus has had hamstring problems. Ray's ankles have definitely been affecting his shot. For a player who has always been automatic from the line, he is shooting just 66% on his free throws in the playoffs so far.

Theories have ranged from guessing that the Celtics feel they can just flip the switch at any time to the fact that they are taking the Sixers for granted and feel they can beat them without 100% effort. Whatever the problem has been in the past, it has to be clear that the Celtics must give a better effort from the start and not just turn it on in the 4th quarter. Doc also has to take a share of the blame for some questionable decisions in game 2.

They have to be more focused, especially on the road. The Celtics are capable of winning in Philly and they are capable of playing much better than they have been so far in the series. The Sixers have been playing with great effort and the Celtics haven't matched it. Doc has said that he plans to change the offense to try to get Pierce going with more screens and posts for him. With the stakes getting higher, it's time for the Celtics to up their effort and take control of the series. If they don't, they could find themselves going back to Boston in a 1-3 hole.

Probable Starters

PG: Rajon Rondo..................................................SG Avery Bradley

C: Kevin Garnett

SF: Paul Pierce ................................. ............PF Brandon Bass

Coach: Doc Rivers

Celtics Reserves

E'Twaun Moore

Injured

Paul Pierce (knee) probable

Avery Bradley (shoulder) probable

Ray Allen (ankle) probable

Greg Stiemsma (feet) probable

Mickael Pietrus (hamstring) probable

Probable Starters

PG: Jrue Holiday ......................................................SG: Evan Turner

C: Spencer Hawes

SF: Andre Iguodala .................................................. PF: Elton Brand

Sixers Bench

Lou Williams

Craig Brackens

Injuries

None

Key Matchups

Paul Pierce vs Andre Iguodala

Paul Pierce has struggled in the 2 games so far. Some of it may be Philly's defense, but most of it is the sprained MCL. For the first 2 games he shot just 25% from the field and an even worse 17% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need Pierce to step up and somehow find a way to be more efficient scoring or get to the line once again. Getting Pierce to be the Truth again is crucial to the Celtics winning this series.

Rajon Rondo vs Jrue Holiday

In game 1, Rondo ended up with a triple double, but he did almost nothing before halftime. It was like he woke up at the half and then took over the game. He seemed to turn it on and off once again in game 2. The Celtics need Rondo to be aggressive from start to finish if they hope to win this game. Rondo must control the pace of the game and has to run the Celtics offense and get them going. He also has to do a better job on defense as he allowed his man to beat him several times down the stretch in game 2.

Honorable Mention

Kevin Garnett vs Spencer Hawes

KG has been able to score around and over Hawes. He has been the Celtics only efficient scorer in the first 2 games. When KG goes to the bench, the Celtics have struggled to score and to rebound. If no one else steps up to help shoulder the load, they will need KG to continue his other-worldly play if they hope to win this game.

Key Off the Bench

Ray Allen

Ray was warming up some in game 2. He was 7-14 from the field, although just 2-6 from beyond the arc, which was pretty good considering how everyone else was shooting. We need to do more than use Ray as a decoy. He can hit shots and we desperately need scoring. Hopefully he improves even more in this game.

Ryan Hollins/Greg Stiemsma

The Celtics 2 headed back up center off the bench has got to be more productive, especially on the glass. Hollins went over 13 minutes without grabbing a rebound. Stiemsma wasn't much better with 1 rebound in 11 minutes. The Celtics need both of them to box out and crash the boards. The Celtics were out rebounded 47-36 and the Celtics have 2 seven footers who should be able to get more than 1 board between them.

Lou Williams

Williams is a shooter and as such, he's going to keep shooting. At times he will be crucial in helping the Sixers get a win and at other times he will shoot them out of the game. But, he is dangerous and the Celtics have to stay on him or he could have a big night.

LaVoy Allen

Alllen has been the most effective of the Sixers bigs in guarding KG. He's also a big body that can box out and grab rebounds. He had 10 points and 8 rebounds in game 2 and hit a huge shot to help them get the win. The Celtics need to keep him off the boards and find a way for KG to get open even with Allen on him.

Keys to the Game

Defense - As always, defense is key to getting the win. The Celtics must play tough in your face defense from start to finish. They can't let themselves get caught up in a shoot out (especially when their shots aren't falling) and must concentrate on getting stops. The Celtics have allowed way too many easy baskets and tip ins so far in the series. They have to play better defense and not just in spurts.

Rebound - The Celtics were out-rebounded 47-36 in game 2. They have to crash the boards as a team. The team's bigs must go harder after rebounds. Rebounding is effort and desire. How else can you explain a 6'1" guard out rebounding all the bigs on the court? Every Celtic must have that desire and they have to put out the effort to win the battle of the boards. No rebounds - no win.

Run the Offense - The Celtics have been in a big offensive drought. Over the first two games they have struggled as a team to hit their shots. Many times they would either settle for a quick shot or they would settle for a desperation shot at the end of the shot clock. Other times they were missing wide open shots. The Celtics simply must hit their shots. They have to move the ball and run their offense to get the best shots possible. Unless they can somehow get their offense going, this is going to be a very tough series.

Effort and Focus - In the first two games it seemed as though the Celtics didn't get serious about playing until the final stretch. They made sloppy passes. Shot terribly. Didn't fight for rebounds and just generally looked sloppy and too laid back. The Celtics have to know that they can't just turn it on in games and pull out a win. They have to come in focused and put out a strong effort from start to finish. They also have to be focused on playing their game and not allow bad calls and no calls or rough play by the Sixers to get them sidetracked.

Be Aggressive- The Celtics have to be more aggressive in going after rebounds, going after loose balls, and driving to the basket, especially if their shots aren't falling once again. They also have to be more aggressive on defense. So far in the series, the Sixers have been more aggressive for much of the game and the Celtics just picked up their game at the end after getting down by 10 or more. The Celtics have to be aggressive from start to finish and go out and take this game because the Sixers definitely aren't going to give it to them.

Official Report

Derrick Stafford

Over his 23 NBA seasons, Derrick Stafford has worked 1,402 regular season, 99 playoff, and five Finals games. He was a member of the crew that officiated the 1997 McDonald’s Championship in Paris, the Legends All-Star Game in Orlando and the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. The 23-year NBA officiating veteran has also served twice on the Executive Board of the National Basketball Referee Association. Stafford has six years of CBA officiating experience, and he officiated Pro-Am basketball for six years. He also has seven years of collegiate officiating and 10 years of high school officiating experience in Georgia. Stafford is known to be quick to call technical fouls. Pat Riley and Stafford have a bit of bad blood between them. Back in 2003 when Riley was coaching, he accused Stafford of shouting "It's not about you." at Riley when Riley complained excessively about the calls. Stafford was suspended for 2 games as a result. Stafford was also fined as a result of a complaint that Lawrence Frank made when he was coach of the Nets. I found 4 other articles detailing complaints about Stafford for his actions or comments. It seems that Mr Stafford is a hot head who loves to give out quick technicals and lash out at players and coaches who question him. The Celtics are 2-2 this season and 6-4 over the last 10 games with Stafford on the court. Their regular season win was against Toronto and the Celtics shot 32 free throws to 20 for the Raptors. One loss was to the Lakers where the officiating was terrible and the Celtics shot just 5 (yes, that's FIVE) free throws to 20 for the Lakers. And you thought the 9 free throws against the Sixers in game 2 was bad. The second loss was to the Raptors where Toronto shot 31 free throws to 19 for the Celtics. He also officiated game 6 vs the Hawks where the Celtics shot 24 free throws to 10 for the Hawks. He is a homer ref with a home W/L record this season of 40-18.

Mike Callahan

A veteran of 21 NBA seasons, Mike Callahan has officiated 1,265 regular season and 110 playoff games and 11 NBA Finals games. He was a member of the crew that officiated the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, 1994 Mexico Challenge and the 1996 Schick Rookie Game. Prior to joining the NBA, Callahan spent three years officiating in the CBA, including the 1989 and 1990 CBA Finals. A member of the Cardinal O’Hara High School basketball team for four years, Callahan also coached the freshman basketball team after graduating. Callahan has run a clinic for referees called "Hoops4Heros" that benefits local fire departments and maintains strong ties to the Philadelphia community through his volunteer work with the Don Guanella School for developmentally disabled boys. Callahan is one of 4 refs to come out of Cardinal O'Hara High School in Pennsylvania. The other 3 are Joey Crawford, Ed Malloy and Tim Donaghy. Callahan was one of the referees mentioned in an incident in Tim Donaghy's book. He and other refs would regularly wager with his fellow refs over things like who would call the first foul, who could give out the first tech, etc. Makes you wonder what game they might be playing tonight. The Celtics are 9-1 over their last 10 games with Callahan officiating. They are 2-1 this season, including one preseason game against Toronto where the Raptors shot 36 free throws to 34 for the Celtics. The other win was against Detroit where the Celtics shot 19 free throws to 15 for the Pistons. He also called the loss in game 1 of the Hawks series where the Celtics shot 13 free throws to 21 for the Hawks and the officiating was terrible with several obvious bad calls, most of which were made by Marc Davis. He usually lets the teams play and isn't a tyrant with the whistle. He isn't influenced by the home crowd and has a home W/L record this season of 29-26.

Eric Lewis

This is Lewis' seventh season as an NBA official. He has 427 regular season games and six playoff games. Prior to the NBA he worked three seasons in the NBA Development League, where he worked the 2004 D-League Finals and the 2003 and 2004 Playoffs. He also has 8 years experience calling college games and 6 years officiating high school games. In the offseason he works with troubled teens. The Celtics are 2-3 this season and 5-5 in their last 10 games with Lewis as a ref. One loss this season was at home vs Cleveland. The refs in that game were terrible and allowed hacking all night by the Cavs. They failed to call a very obvious foul on the Cavs against Pierce in crunch time. The Cavs took 20 free throws to 14 for the Celtics. The second loss was the Bulls where the officiating was again terrible. The Bulls shot 9 free throws before the Celtics got to the line even once and the Bulls shot 28 free throws to 18 for the Celtics. The 3rd loss was vs Philly where the Sixers shot 18 free throws to 13 for the Celtics and the refs pretty much let both teams play. One win was in OT vs the Knicks where the Knicks shot 26 free throws to 22 for the Celtics and the game was called fairly. e also officiated game 6 vs the Hawks where the Celtics shot 24 free throws to 10 for the Hawks. His home W/L record this season is 34-23.

X-Factors

Injuries and Officiating

Injuries have been affecting the Celtics. Can Pierce overcome the knee injury to have his first good game of the series? Can Bradley be effective with the shoulder? Can Pietrus and Allen continue to hit their shots?

As we saw in game 2, officiating can rear its ugly head and affect the outcome of the game. Will the Celtics get calls in this one? Hopefully the Celtics can get to the free throw line more than 9 times in this one. And, if they play up to their capability, it won't come down to a call at the end in this one.

The Truth Hurts - Perhaps Pierce Should Sit

2012-05-16T16:49:09Z

Paul Pierce should not play tonight and not until his bummed knee improves. He is hurt. He is ineffective. The Celtics are a better team without him on the floor. Paul Pierce continuing to play injured does nothing to help the Celtics this post-season. The only thing that can help this team is his rest, and rest he should for as long as it takes to make some serious improvements in his knee.

Without Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen in game 2 against the Hawks a mere two weeks ago down 1-0 in the series, vintage Paul Pierce took over exactly when the Celtics needed him most. Scoring 36 (including several clutch baskets) while bringing down 14 rebounds, this is a game that truly depicts the type of player Paul Pierce is and will be remembered for. Under pressure, Pierce will go down as one greatest in the history of this league and this performance justly portrays why. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going for Paul. This fact cannot be ignored.

There comes a time when a man physically cannot perform up to a reasonable speed due to an injury and the best thing for him to do is to sit. This is one of these times for Pierce. Additionally, Pierce has top-notch defender Andre Iguodala tracking his every step while holding him to 25% shooting from the field so far this series. A hobbled Paul Pierce is not going to have success against Andre Iguodala no matter what is on the line. He’s just not.

While Paul Pierce is arguably the best player on the Boston Celtics, he is not even the second most important player on this team. These two roles are interchangeably filled by Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. Rondo runs this offense as the only true point guard on the roster while Garnett anchors the boards and defense as the only intimidating big. Not to mention, these are two of the best players in the game at what they do. Without Paul Pierce, the Boston Celtics can still play the same style of basketball as they would normally, especially going up against the 76ers.

Running the offense through Rondo and Garnett gives the Celtics their best chance to score on any given possession during this series. Garnett has a size advantage over both Elton Brand and Lavoy Allen while Spencer Hawes can’t come close to matching his quickness. Rondo is just Rondo and nobody can stop him from making plays except for his occasionally sporadic mind. Add Ray Allen, who looks like he has finally gotten his hot hand back, into the mix and you have the only big-3 needed to carry an offense against a young 76ers team. Avery Bradley, Mickael Pietrus, Brandon Bass, and the role players need to make their shots, but offensively this team should be fine without Pierce.

Analyzing the defensive side of the ball, it makes even more sense to rest Paul. He cannot keep up with these ever-so-athletic Philadelphia 76ers no matter who he’s guarding with this ailing knee. Pietrus and Bradley can eat away at his minutes and not only adequately fill his role on defense, but fill it more effectively. Adding the defense factor into the equation, which is a full 50% of the game, it makes even more sense to rest Pierce.

The Boston Celtics are championship contenders once again five years into a three year window. The only way they can come out on top is with a healthy Paul Pierce for both the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals itself. If Pierce continues to play at what looks like far less than full strength, he is not going to get any healthier and this team will fall. If he takes some time to rest this knee while his teammates pick up the slack, as they should, another championship banner may just drop this coming fall. As Pierce did so in game 2 against the Hawks, it is now time for his teammates to come through and do for him as he did for them. Paul Pierce has a decision to make. Sometimes the truth hurts and the sooner Paul realizes this, the better it will be for the Boston Celtics.

Doc Rivers Is On The New NBA Competition Commission

2012-05-16T16:28:28Z

#CelticsTalk: The #NBA announces new Competition Committee that includes 3 head coaches. #Celtics Doc Rivers is one of them.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@SherrodbCSN) May 16, 2012

Flannery has the details:

The other members include: owners Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Joe Lacob (Golden State); general managers Bryan Colangelo (Toronto Raptors), Mitch Kupchak (L.A. Lakers), Kevin O'Connor (Utah Jazz), and Sam Presti (Oklahoma City); and coaches Rick Carlisle (Dallas Mavericks), Lionel Hollins (Memphis Grizzlies) and Rivers. The NBPA will designate one of its members to serve on the committee.

That seems like the perfect mix of GM's and coaches. If the Lakers are included, you gotta throw in the Celtics. You've got pugnacious owner Dan Gilbert on one side and a smart, young GM in Sam Presti on the other. You can bet that flopping, flagrant foul reviews, and subsequent suspensions will be on the agenda. The first meeting is scheduled during The Finals. Let's hope that Doc gets an absentee vote because he'll be coaching in June.

Doc's a great choice. He's a well-respected coach by his peers and players alike and his history as a former player gives him great insight about the game. He was also received the Rudy Tomjanovich award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association for his cooperation with the media and fans.

Celtics Offense 101: Back To Basics

2012-05-16T12:50:51Z

There's been a lot of talk about the offense since the Celtics dropped Game 2. Some credit is due to the Sixers; they were the third best defensive team in the regular season in terms of points per game (89.4) and are putting up even better numbers in the playoffs (84.9). Part of it is that the Celtics are a jump-shooting team and jump-shooting teams can get streaky. Last night's second and third quarters notwithstanding, Boston is shooting at almost an identical clip in the regular and post-season. From 10-15 feet, the Celtics averaged 3.6 makes to 8.8 attempts in the regular season and 3.75 makes to 8.88 attempts in the playoffs. From 16-23 feet, the Celtics averaged 9.8 makes to 23.7 attempts in the regular season and 9.75 makes to 24.38 attempts in the playoffs. It's scary how identical those numbers are. And of course, there are the injuries. Pierce's sprained MCL has robbed him of his explosiveness and Ray's bone spurs have him shooting 61% from the free throw line. And can you imagine this team with Jeff Green, Jermaine O'Neal, and Chris Wilcox right now?

But even with all these obstacles, the Celtics are winning, can continue to win, and raise #18. Doc's a great X's and O's guy and he's masterful drawing up plays out of timeouts to find the right shot for the right guy, but not every play can be perfectly diagrammed and executed. There are about 90 possessions in a game and basketball is a free-flowing sport where nothing can really be scripted, but sometimes, you just have to simplify. Basketball is just one giant game of Choose Your Own Adventure: there's usually two different paths and each has their own consequences. If you cut off someone's lane to the basket, they can pull up for a jumper. If you try and go over a screen, you might get caught and they can drive right past you. With the Celtics, their offense has bogged down at times and sometimes, in key situations. It's as if they forget that they're one of the most talented teams in the league and no matter the scheme, they'll be able to attack any defense. Boston is equipped to deal with either The Lady or The Tiger.

For what its worth, this is what seems to be working right now (and frankly, for the last five years):

Start the possession with a 1-4 PnR on the weak side. According to MySynergySports.com, the Celtics rank 2nd in the playoffs scoring efficiently with the pick-and-roll and it makes up 17.2% off their plays. With Avery or Ray camped out in the corner, I like the pick-and-roll action between Rondo and Bass to jump start the half court offense for three reasons:

It puts the ball in our most dynamic player's hands. This seems like a simple point, but there are times when Rondo (and/or Doc) defer to Pierce to initiate the offense. With Pierce a little gimpy, he hasn't been as good with the ball in his hands. They've been trapping him in picks and that's lead to a lot of turnovers and transition.
Some fans are clamoring to bench Brandon Bass and I could not disagree with this more. Although his shooting is a little down (38.5% in the post-season vs. 48% in the regular season from 16-23 feet), he's still an integral part of the offense. His mid-range jumper forces his man (Elton Brand) to not cheat in the paint and honor his shot. Brand isn't the most intimidating help defender, but he's a decent shot blocker and good rebounder.
Making Rondo the focal point of the offense engages him right off the bat. He's faced some criticism from fans accusing him of not being aggressive for all 48 minutes. With a 1-3 PnR less of an option because of Pierce's knee, Rondo has to be the primary playmaker in transition and the half court.

With Rondo now in space, he can either choose to penetrate, find Bass, or shoot that free throw line extended J. Some people cringe at the idea of Rajon shooting that shot, but it's something that he's now comfortable with. In years past, he'd hesitate and throw up an out-of-rhythm brick. To a lot of fans, I feel like his jumper are like poker hands: you dismiss the big ones you win on but remember the ones you lose with. Let's not forget how deadly Rondo was in Game 1 against the Sixers or Game 4 with the Hawks. If he's open, he needs to take it.

If he chooses to drive, this is where Rondo thrives and things get interesting. In that weak side corner, Avery or Ray is there to help. The great thing is that the corner three has become a sweet spot for both of them. We know all about Ray from that distance, but even Avery is has started clicking. He had been cold in the playoffs, but after hitting two in Game 2, it looks like he's returning to the same regular season form where he shot 40.8% from beyond the 3-point line.

If Evan Turner or Lou Williams play up to prevent that shot, they can effectively cut to the basket and Rondo will find them. What I love about Ray is that just as Avery has torn a page out of his book with that corner 3-pointer, Ray's starting to play off the ball like Avery and finding easy looks at the rim. In Game 2, the Sixers overplayed his jumper and twice, Ray cut back door for an easy lay up. In Game 2, he went to the rim 7 times. That equals his attempts from all previous five games. That's a great sign that maybe his ankle is feeling a little better and more importantly, his game is expanding from being a spot up shooter and floor spacer.

What's not working are the multiple screens to free up Ray for a jumper. They work like a charm in dead ball situations but in the flow of the game, they're momentum killers. I'm not sure if Ray's getting "less open" because we're missing another great pick setter in addition to Garnett (see the departures of Big Baby and Perk) or Ray has loss some confidence, but when he's catching that pass off the down screen, he's not pulling the trigger and getting trapped. This has two very bad consequences. First of all, it turns Rondo from a dual threat running quarterback to a one-dimensional pocket QB. The only saving grace is that Doc seems to be running these sets more often when Keyon's running the point and when Ray receives the ball, he's not even looking for the shot and immediately putting it on the floor and taking it to the hoop.

Let's not forget about KG and The Captain. As Rondo penetrates, defenses collapse. If he can find Pierce, odds are, Iguodala would have laid off him a little. I like the idea of PP catching the ball while the defense reacts because optimally, he's getting the ball in motion. With his knee, he's having difficulty beating guys off the dribble one-on-one, but if he catches on the run, he's strong enough to attack the paint, finish, or draw a foul. Iggy has done a great job limiting Pierce, but I doubt he'd be as successful if the Pierce train had a head of steam rather than starting and stalling in neutral. MCL sprains limit your horizontal movement and without that side-to-side ability, Pierce can't access his entire bag of tricks. It doesn't sound like Pierce's knee will be fully healthy until next season or at least extended rest between series (Go Pacers!), so this might be the best way to get Pierce going and we need him to get going. Outside of the blowout win against the Hawks, Pierce has gone to the line at least 8 times in all the Celtics' wins, and for a shooter struggling with his shot, hitting a couple of free throws is a great way to get Pierce his groove back. Here's a hard stat to swallow about Game 2:

Iguodala sparks defense in Sixers win

If the Celtics had gotten to the line, they might have been able to win the game despite their poor shooting stretch. Boston attempted only nine free throws in the game. In 1,879 playoff games over the last 25 years, the Celtics are one of only eight home teams to attempt fewer than 10 free throws.

UPDATE: In today's shootaround, Doc expressed the need to free Pierce off down screens because his knee is hampering him:

CELTICS LOOK TO GET PAUL PIERCE OPEN

"We're not sure where those spots are yet," Doc Rivers said. "Usually with Paul, the elbow ISOs are great, but right now he can't get away from anybody with his leg. We're going to go to more pin downs for him and do different things. You usually didn't have to get a body off of him. He can usually shake the body on his own. I think, now we have to use him a lot like Ray [Allen] and bring him off screens."

If all else fails, throw the ball into KG. Beckley Mason at Truehoop wrote the latest love letter about Garnett turning back the clock:

What does Kevin Garnett have left?

Like the rest of the NBA, the 76ers haven't come up with an adequate answer to Garnett's long range shooting, and he's been able to take advantage of the Sixers in the post, where he can create shots for himself and, and when doubled, for his teammates. Philadelphia's wing defenders present a tenacious and largely interchangeable thicket. The Celtics' only reliable ways through involve Garnett. Even when he's not the focal point of a pick and roll, or a post-up, he's also Boston's best screener. On his least taxing offensive plays he's still throwing his body around, colliding with 76ers, in an effort to spring his teammates free.

With the team so banged up, Garnett's been the team's first option, but I can understand why Doc tried to get the rest of the team involved in the first half on Monday night. Garnett only took three shots in the first half, in part because the Sixers doubled often but mainly because Garnett didn't ground-and-pound as much. I think he and Doc understand that for the Celtics to be successful, they're going to need more efforts like that Game 4 offensive explosion.

The Celtics and lived and died with their mid-range game all year and generally, they've been pretty good at it. Down 1 with ten seconds left, sure. I'd love to see Ticket on the block with the ball in his hands, but over the course of an entire game, I want Rondo distributing the ball, Bass being his release valve, Ray and Avery working off the ball, and Pierce slashing.

A Random Rondo Goes, So Goes The Celtics

2012-05-16T10:25:28Z

Don't know why I never thought of this before, but I must say that the word "random" is about as good a word as you can get to describe Rajon Rondo's game. Like a great jazz player jamming with his band, you never know what's coming next and that's part of what makes him so great.

Of course the flipside is that sometimes that randomness comes out flat. Sometimes the band mates or teammates just can't pick up on the groove that he's putting down which makes everyone look bad. Perhaps that's what's going on with Rondo lately. Well, that and the Sixers defense.

Celtics try to strike delicate balance - BostonHerald.com

The problem — and blessing — is that much has been left to Rondo’s whim. As much as Rivers dislikes when Rondo starts to freelance in what they call "random" mode, improvisation is also what makes the point guard great. "That’s a tough one, and it is every night," Rivers said of trying to find a balance between random and set offense. "I let Rondo do that. I need him to just go play, and we try to figure it out during the game. We need him in random. As much as any guard in the league he needs to be in random at times.

Still, I see Rondo's randomness as an asset so much more often than a liability, regardless of what the critics might say. I fully expect him to listen to his coach, figure out a good balance of set plays and random and when to employ each. I fully expect him to be back to slicing apart defenses and winning games for us. I fully expect him to make sweet, sweet music.

The Heat Lose, So There's That

2012-05-16T10:13:11Z

This would have been much more fun to write about if the Celtics had won game 2, but I admit to getting a smirk on my face seeing that the Heat lost last night. The story lines just write themselves, don't they Sam Amick?

Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers beat LeBron James, Miami Heat - Sam Amick - SI.com

The chastising chatter that often surrounds LeBron James grew loud again Tuesday night, the questions about heart and poise and that game of hot potato that he sometimes likes to play late in games. It was mostly fair play, of course, not only because Miami fell 78-75 on its home floor in Game 2 against Indiana but also because they did so without the three-time MVP playing a role in the Heat's final two possessions.

Of course, as much as we like to dismiss Bosh as the 3rd wheel sidecar on this motorcycle, he's an All Star and and added weapon that teams have to account for when he's on the court.

Without Bosh, Heat inside game doused - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN

The Miami Heat were unable to overcome the loss of Chris Bosh, dropping Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at home against the Indiana Pacers. When LeBron James and Dwyane Wade played together without Bosh on the floor during the regular season, the Heat outscored their opponents by 17 points per 48 minutes. In Game 2, the Pacers outscored the Heat 62-51 in the 32 minutes when they were on the floor together.

I'm not going to even venture into the land of "who would we rather play in the 2nd round" because there are miles and miles to go for both teams before then. I'm just going to enjoy watching the Heat lose because that's what I do.

Anatomy Of A Celtics Collapse

2012-05-16T03:00:16Z

Apparently I'm completely to blame for the Celtics loss last night. You see, I jinxed them. These things are obviously real. So you better figure out what you were doing on Saturday and do that tomorrow. Then figure out what you were doing on Monday and definitely don't do that.

What did I do to jinx the team? Well, I wrote a quick post called Anatomy of a Sixers Collapse just hours before tipoff on Monday. Bad move Jeff, bad move.

For my penance and repenting, I now present to you the Bill Simmons special, ...the reverse jinx.

How did the Celtics lose? You know, other than the evil refs and a complete inability to put a orange ball through a metal hoop? Well, they did all the things that I thought a veteran team didn't do. For one thing, they let the Sixers take Kevin Garnett (the playoffs MVP thus far) out of the game.

Doc Rivers on WEEI: 'Maybe we weren't a smart team last night' -Celtics blog - Boston Globe basketball news

"Maybe we weren't a smart team last night or a well-coached team last night," said Rivers. "It was obviously the game plan to go there. We were in transition a lot and never really got into our sets. That happens in games ... they were trapping early, which made us want to move the ball. But not move away from Kevin, and I thought that's what we did. I thought we overreacted to their traps."

Then, our coach, whom I spent much time praising for his clock management (another jinx!) went out and fumbled the closing seconds away.

Why did the Celtics intentionally foul?

"Obviously, if they didn’t have a foul to give we would’ve played the clock out," Rivers said. "My thinking was, it would be a four-second differential. There’s no guarantee you’re going to get the rebound. By the time you rebound it’s probably three seconds, and then they have the foul to give, so they foul and now it’s down to two seconds." The error they was made was in not fouling earlier. The Celtics let 10 seconds burn off the clock before Rivers called for the foul. "That’s the mistake we made," Rivers said

So I am sorry hoop gods wherever you are. I am just a humble blogger. If those that can't do teach, those that can't even teach just blog about it. Forgive me for I have jinxed. Make the bad mojo go please.

Doc: Paul Pierce Is "Clearly Not 100%"

2012-05-16T02:16:56Z

I miss the Truth. If there's one guy that can break a 5 minute scoring drought, it is Paul Pierce. If there's one guy that can grab negative momentum and swing it back in the other direction, it is Paul Pierce. Complain about hero-ball all you want, but when you can't buy a bucket for all the leprechaun's gold, who do you turn to? Paul Pierce.

So when Paul Pierce isn't Paul Pierce, when he isn't The Truth, then what do you do?

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Celtics Insider" Blog Archive " Celtics can’t overlook their task

"You know, I don’t think we have a big margin of error," said the coach. "We knew that coming into this whole playoff run with the bodies we have. We’ve got guys going in and out of games. Paul (Pierce) clearly is not 100 percent. We’re not going to run away from anybody."

Green Street " Elton Brand feels (and sees) Paul Pierce’s pain

"He’s not hurting himself by playing," said Rivers, "but he’s probably not healing either. In other words, while the knee isn’t getting any worse, it’s also not getting any better.

That's not exactly comforting. Hopefully Pierce has a little bit of magic left in him for the rest of the playoffs. And hopefully his teammates can pick up the slack some while he looks for that magic.

Sorry, I just watched the finale of Once Upon A Time and I'm just looking for a storybook ending here.