Interesting stuff from S. Smith of the Philly Inquirer

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

I think this is very revealing. It's called "settling" and the Celtics did a
lot of it Sunday. I expect them to be back in attack mode tonight.

Here's the clip:


In four games during this regular season, the Celtics launched three-point
shots with abandon, more than 20 a game.
In a 99-83 Sixers win on Dec. 17, the Celtics shot 7 for 26. On Jan. 25,
Boston registered 7 for 29 from beyond the arc. On March 22, the very game
during which Allen Iverson broke his left hand, the Celtics shot 11 for 29.
They lost every single one of those games.
The only game the Celtics captured during the regular season was a 100-94
victory at the First Union Center on March 4, when they took 20
three-pointers. In Games 1 and 2 of this playoff series, they took 18 and 19
three-point shots, respectively.
"They didn't get caught up in threes in those games," one Sixers player
said. "Part of our plan was to make sure they did."
In the games they didn't, Derrick Coleman couldn't defend Walker because
Walker would fake a jumper and drive into the lane. The same with Pierce,
who had a field day against Aaron McKie in Game 1. Keeping the Sixers
off-balance and wondering if the Celtics were going inside or out made it
virtually impossible for the Sixers to defend them.
The Celtics forgot about such an offensive strategy on Sunday. Now, they're
in a hole.