Game Review: Triple Threat as C's Bear Down on Grizzlies.

[snoopy1@pig.net]

Yes, it was the same game.  

That's the answer  to the question "You mean the really rotten game between
the C's and the Grizzlies was the same one that went to 3OT?"

God help us all.  The game didn't *start* until 10pm EST, and ran 4 hours.
It's almost 3AM now, and I've been up since 730AM yesterday.  So I'm a
lit-tle cranky. :>)  

The game, at the start, yesterday, bore no resemblance to what we normally
consider a professional basketball game.  Despite Cousy and Heinsohn
stating the obvious (we need to organize the team offense in the first
quarter, we need to press more) the C's (and lucky for us, the Grizzlies,
to a certain extent) had an inordinate amount of trouble actually making a
basket--be it from the field or the free throw line.

The first quarter went with the starting lineups of Pierce and Walker at
Forward, Riley at Center, and Mercer and Declercq at Guard for the C's.
The Grizzlies had Rashim and Smith at Forward, Massen ? (oh great, I cant
read my writing) at Center, and Bibby and Mack at Guard.

For a few seconds, it looked as if the C's were going to take better care
of the ball.  Then they fell apart.  A lot of what happened in the first
quarter happened well into the fourth, so if it sounds repetetious, it was
even worse when watching it live.  The Grizzlies would make a run, and the
C's defense would start to sputter to life and close it up a bit.  The
Grizzlies would then reorganize, and squash the C's.  

note here:  If they don't start improving their free throws, I'm gonna have
to stop making fun of Shaq.  And I really don't want to do that.  But
yeek.....the free throws, all night, were really bad.  For the C's anyway.
Vancouver had no problems there.  

Big Country Reeves came in off the bench to play, and made a pest of
himself well into the 3rd OT.  For a guy who's out of shape, he spent an
inordinate amount of time breezing past the C's "defense", which often
consisted of standing around as he ambled on past.  

The C's had no team play, only bursts of individual competence.  Had there
not been some good defensive plays from Battie, the situation would have
gotten worse.  Anderson was too busy driving in for the outside shot to
bother running plays for anyone else, and it showed.  I've mentioned this
before, as have many others.  They have GOT to stop settling for the open
jumper.  We're getting killed because we're standing around defensively in
the 1st, and taking low percentage shots.  Then we try to dig out of the
hole later on.  MUCH later, this time.  In any case, the 1st quarter is put
out of our misery with the Grizzlies leading 23-14.  That's right, the guys
in Green only managed 14 points in the first quarter.

I was looking forward to the second quarter, fool that I was, thinking
things would get better.  The C's made a convincing arguement that they'd
never played on the same court together, as they kept getting in each
other's way, when they were moving at all.  The C's kept missing easy shots
(and a ton of free throws), and despite this, I realized that about halfway
through the 2nd, that the C's had actually outscored Vancouver.  It was 7
points to 6, but it was a positive thing, and the way this game was shaping
up, I figured I'd need to be able to mention that.  Maybe even do a
paragraph on it.  

There were, again, bursts of individual hustle, as Popeye Jones came in and
demonstrated "playing inside" as he took two quick charges.  Anderson
finally demonstrates patience, and the C's start to slowly (really, really
slowly) get their act together.  Rashim had discovered that he was, for
some reason, allowed to knock people down so they wouldn't get between him
and the basket.  Ask the refs about that one.  They never did explain it to
me.  Walker managed to put a bright spot on the end of a miserable half by
hitting a 3.  That the ball went near the basket was a moral victory to
begin with.  At the Half, the C's, despite truly lousy play, had cut the
deficit to 47-41.  The only saving grace is that Vancouver was nearly as
inept as the C's from the field.  But they were amazingly accurate at the
free throw line.  The c's were hitting only 50% at the line.  Eep.  Mercer
was looking good in spots, and was the closest thing to an offensive spark.

The Third Quarter was frighteningly familiar to those who watched the first
half.  Then, the C's rediscovered defense.  It was little things, adding
up.  Riley went at it so hard on one play, he left his sneaker back in the
paint!  Free throws were more of the same.  The Grizzlies would make the
basket and get fouled, and shoot one.  The C's would miss the basket, get
fouled, and miss two.  By this time, it was plain that if the C's lost by
less than 20 points, the difference was all at the line.  There's a reason
they call them "free throws" but darned if they seemed to know why.

With 2:44 to go, after one play where the C's made a needless 24 second
violation, the camera panned to Pitino, and for a moment, I thought he was
giving the C's the finger.  (He wasn't, but I'll bet he was tempted).
Riley picked up his 4th foul here, as did the Grizzlies West.
But the Grizzlies went on a 6-0 run to close out the 3rd 74-64.

By the start of the 4th quarter, I was wishing I'd simply taped the game
and reported on it tomorrow.  At this point, Walker, who'd been so bad, he
sat most of the 3rd quarter, was back on the court, having done penance on
the pine.  Then, more weirdness, Barros was called for a foul before the
ball was inbounded....twice.  What made it worse was that just prior to
that, the C's had accomplished their first lead of the game, at 80-79, with
7:45 to go.  Grizz's hit the free throw line, bye-bye lead.  

But wait.  Something happened.  it was called "Offensive Rebounding",
something that had been largely absent for the C's.  Suddenly, they were
all Bill Russell wannabes.  but the play is still horribly uneven, with the
lead seesawing back and forth.  Cousy called it "stupid
basketball...careless".  I called it something else, but kids might read
this.  

The final three minutes was the game we'd been waiting to see all night.
There was a questionable call on the shot clock that cost the C's a
possible basket, but the team kept fighting.  Barros, who'd been relatively
quiet, hit a BIG three pointer with .5 seconds to go, sending the game into
overtime at 96 all.

OT #1

The C's finally had some steam going, and the first 2:30 minutes kept it
going.  The C's playing Riley, Mercer, and Pierce with 4 fouls each, start
hitting, and build a 102-96 lead.  With 2:30 to go, the C's look to have
this one locked up.  Then Mike Bibby makes a steal, and there's another
turnover.  Suddenly, the score is tied at 106  with 22.6 seconds to go as
Walker gets his 5th personal foul.  

A weird thing happened--during a timeout, the game clock said 7 seconds.
just before play started, it was changed to 7.3 seconds, and no one
commented on it.  Fortunately, for the C's, the Grizzlies inbounded the
ball, and promptly outbounded it off Rashim's head.  For some reason, the
Grizzlies don't use the foul they have to give, but the C's, despite
several good shots, can't convert, and we go to a second OT.

As the 2nd OT began, I was thinking if the C's had played like this in
regulation, we'd all be asleep by now.  This was the 2nd double OT game in
2 days for the Grizzlies.  It showed as West fouled out quickly.  Pierce
and Battie busted their butts keeping Boston in this, but some mental
mistakes creep in. Pierce even travels.  The lead seesaws repeatedly, when
the C's make a nice steal, basdket and make the free throw (YAY) to make it
114-110 with .53 to go.  But soon, the Grizzlies convert three free throws
after a silly foul, and it's 114-113.  Boston couldn't inbound the ball,
and called a timeout.  Then, the Grizz help out by fouling Pierce when they
were over the limit.  there was speculation that it was meant to make him
miss (and given the percentage this game, that wasn't a bad bet), and the
play the remaining time for the win.  Pierce sinks them both, and it's
116-113.  The C's fail to cover Mack, who's shooting really well from the 3
point range, and he ties it at 116.  Walker missed the last shot, and we
headed wearily into the 3rd OT.

By this point, people start fouling out, beginning with Mercer.  Rashim,
drat him, doesn't foul out.  He just keeps scoring, almost singlehandedly
keeping the Grizzlies in the game, along with Reeves, who's been killing
the C's at the free throw line all night.  The guy normally shoots in the
63% range, and he only missed one of 14 tonight.  With 2:50 to go, the
score is 121-120 with the Grizzlies out in front, and people wondering if
we were going to a fourth OT.  Boston got called for an illegal defense
(the first call was the previous calendar day) and Mack makes it 122 all
with 2:38 to go.

Riley fouled out while making Bibby miss one, so it was worth it.
Unfortunately, he hit both shots, and the score was 126-122 with 1:40 to
go.  Anderson went to the bench, limping after what looked like a collision
with Bibby.  Pierce was cool under pressure as he made a 3 point play to
make it 126-125.  

Walker fouled out with 1:06 to go.  Rashim kept hitting, until Pierce
stripped him of the ball, and passed to Declercq for a score and foul.
With making the free throw, the score is now 130-129.  There's 15. 8
seconds left.  Timeouts are taken to reset.  Pierce then stripped the ball
again, and promptly called timeout with 3.9 to go.  Anderson, who's come
back in, is fouled, obviously in pain, and makes 1 of 2.  Free throw wise,
that's pretty good for the C's tonight.  He makes it 131-129.  After a
timeout with 1.4 seconds to go, Pierce stole the inbound pass to end the
game.  Final score was 131-129.  With the effort at the end of regulation,
and the close fought overtimes, it was actually worth sitting through the
first 3 quarters.  

There really wasn't much noteworthy until the end of the 4th and the OT.
The C's finally stepped it up and played like a team.  The more they played
the better they were.  I was glad to hear that they aren't getting another
6 day break.  I'm gonna stop now, because it's 4AM and I have to get
breakfast ready.  Thank goodness the next game I review starts at 7:30pm.

zzz.........

poof...