Re: You gotta be kidding me

[Mike Dynon <mdynon@ix.netcom.com>]

This is what Pitino means about being "painfully young." The team has
not yet learned how to win this type of game. The Celts had a 5-point
lead in the last 2 minutes of both regulation and the first OT, yet
couldn't protect those leads because of missed FTs, and failure to get
crucial rebounds. The bad calls hurt (Kukoc makes a pass from the
shooting motion, and the refs call Pierce for fouling him taking a 3!).
Overall the Celts really did outplay Philly, but they also couldn't make
a key play to put the game away.

And, damn it, when is this team going to get a break? Two games in a row
Pierce has made a clutch shot, and the opponent has trumped it. McKie
was not open, Cecil--he caught the ball with his back to the basket,
turned and made a 20-footer with Pierce in his face. Conversely, Vitaly
had an open lay-up to tie the game at the end, but rushed it and hit the
underside of the rim. So while opponents hit miracle shots, Boston
panics on a gimme.

The good news is the Celtics are playing very hard every game. If
there's any justice it will eventually pay off. Sunday would be a good
time to start.

Mike D.

Richard & Cynthia Davies wrote:
> 
> Pretty damn hard to win when the refs are handing out free points to the
> opposing team. I can think of at least 3 occasions where the refs allowed a
> Sixers' continuation when the Celtic foul was clearly before the shot was
> away. And we're not talking about the end of the game here.
> 
> Not to mention 2 or 3 of Paul's "fouls" were questionable at best.
> 
> Still, in regulation we had a chance to win and Paul missed his jumper.
> 
> In the first OT we missed four free throws that could have iced it.
> 
> And at the 2 OT buzzer, Potapenko missed a bunny put-back that would have
> forced a third OT.
> 
> I don't blame these guys for missing their shots, I'm just saying we still
> had our chances. But the refs were just awful. I'm mostly upset about the
> bad calls against us, but there were bad calls against the Sixers, too.
> 
> I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the look I've been seeing on Antoine's
> face lately. It was most evident the other night when Peeler hit his
> game-winning 3, but I saw it in tonight's OT periods as well. It started as
> sort of a shocked look (the other night), but now it appears more like
> resignation. Like 'The refs won't call them my way... ', 'No matter how hard
> we try, we keep coming up empty... ' etc. I am worried that if this 'close
> but not enough' stuff continues, he's going to go into a depressive, 'why
> bother' mode. It would just really suck after the good play he's had of
> late.
> 
> Yeah, it was a hard, gutsy game in which the Celtics did well. Particularly,
> I thought the game plan of having Cheaney defend Iverson was good. But it's
> too bad it had to happen when they were 2 games out of the last playoff
> spot.
> 
> What a heartbreaker...
> 
> Damn those refs!
> 
> Rich D.