That last loss

[jmc@ptc.com]

All I have to say about Saturday's loss to the Bulls is that 
Kenny Anderson played great, a couple other guys were good in 
spurts, but not consistent, and the rest of the team STUNK up
the place. 

I think the main thing Pitino needs to teach the players after 
a loss like this is that a 23-9 lead should not feel comfortable 
to them.  The second unit came in and treated a 14 point first 
quarter lead like it was "party time".  This is the NBA and even 
the worst team in the league can come back against you if you 
let their crowd into it, and give them a chance to believe they 
can win.  The second unit let the Bulls back to within 8 by the 
end of the first quarter, and that was it... game over.  You could 
sense that the Bulls believed they could win.  Had the second unit 
instead pushed the lead up to 18 or 20 points, the Bulls would 
have started believing this game would go like all their earlier 
games, and given in. 

Pitino needs to get the C's players to FEEL uncomfortable and 
unsatisfied with just a 14 or 20 point lead.  He has to get them 
to want to keep playing hard with a goal of getting the lead 
OVER 30 POINTS before relaxing.  I've seen teams come back from 
25 points down, but I've never seen a 30 point lead become a loss. 
They have to FEEL unsatisfied with a lead of 20 or 25 points.

Last year the Celtics would be excited by a 14 point lead (it seemed 
"big").  This year, it's becoming common, so they're getting comfortable 
with that kind of lead (it seems "normal), but they need to make it 
so they're unsatisfied with a 14 point lead (it should feel "small"). 

If Pitino tells the players that he'll stop calling plays and let 
them just have some fun in any game in which they get the lead 
over 30 points, it might instill that positive difference in feelings 
about what constitutes a "big" lead. 

Jon Mc