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

["Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca>]

Thanks, Snoopy, for the game review. This more than makes up for Bill
Cooper's (forced) absence from the reviews .......
Keep 'em coming!!

venkat

>----------
>From: 	snoopy1@pig.net[SMTP:snoopy1@pig.net]
>Sent: 	Thursday, February 18, 1999 4:04 AM
>To: 	celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: 	Game Review: Triple Threat as C's Bear Down on Grizzlies.
>
>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...
>