Game 4

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

Again, lots of thoughts...

1.	Antoine is carrying this team. Pierce was pretty good Sunday, but I
don't think any of us can deny that he's not quite himself. The free throw
shooting problems early in the series have gotten in his head. To his
credit, he hasn't stopped attacking the basket, but he's missing that
swagger he usually has.

2.	Back to Antoine... We all know about the tongue-lashing in Game 3,
but I thought he may have been even more impressive yesterday. He wanted the
ball in the fourth quarter and he made good decisions with it. He's playing
great.

3.	The supporting cast... They were lousy yesterday. Rodney wasn't
awful (and we should take a moment to mention his play down the stretch in
Game 3; Pierce and Walker got all the attention, but Rogers was battling
like a man out there). Kenny made some plays late, but his struggles early
helped put the C's in the hole. I'd run some plays to get Delk some open
18-footers early in the game to get him involved. He has said himself many
times he doesn't consider himself a 3-point shooter, so why not get him
started with some shots he's more comfortable with?

4.	The key factor, above and beyond all the personnel stuff, has been
the Celts' lack of intensity. They've been dominated in three of the four
games, and only a miracle has kept this from 3-1 Jersey. I just can't
understand it. Jersey isn't an easy team to defend, but the Celtics haven't
approached the kind of intensity we saw in Game 2 (or in games 2-5 of the
Detroit series). This is the Eastern Conference Finals, and they seem
overconfident. I'm mystified.

5.	Before I talk about offense, I just want to go on record that the
key to winning this series remains defense. Having said that... the offense
is pathetic right now. I can't believe I'm about to write this, but I think
they may need to spread the floor with a few more threes. Jersey is really
collapsing and sagging defensively. If the Celts can penetrate and kick out
(to anyone but Eric Williams) for some open threes, that defense will have
to stay honest. The Celtics are allowing the Nets to only defend one side of
the floor. They aren't kicking the ball out and reversing it to the other
side. They're making it easy on them.

6.	It's impossible to argue with Tim Duncan as MVP, but having watched
this series, I'm even more convinced the award should have gone to Jason
Kidd. What a player... He's in the middle of everything. He makes the right
pass, hits the big shots and draws all those charges... He sees the game a
step ahead of everyone else. And what can you say about his leadership? The
Nets could have packed it in after the collapse in Game 3, but Kidd wouldn't
allow it. He came out, hit two big threes to start the game yesterday and
never let up. He's the best player on the floor.

7.	Will someone knock Kittles and Van Horn on their butts at least once
this series? These guys are notoriously soft. Kudos to both for strong games
yesterday, but if you get physical with them they tend to back down. The
Celts haven't done that. Which brings me to my final point...

8.	The Nets have been more physical, tougher, quicker to the ball and
more determined than the Celtics in this series. No way that should happen.
The Celtics need to try to bully this team physically. Kidd, Martin and
Lucius Harris are tough guys, but they're surrounded by softies. Bump them.
Hit them. Talk in their faces. Be the bad guys.

9.	One more thing... The officials aren't the problem. I'm so sick of
all the whining on this list about the officials. Close calls go for and
against teams throughout a game and a series. Generally, the more aggressive
team gets more of those "close" calls-block/charge, etc. That team has been
New Jersey. Why on earth would the NBA or NBC want to send Jersey to the
Finals instead of the Celtics? Celtics-Lakers is the best possible matchup
for them. This list, just like the Celtic players, spends too much time
complaining about the officials. I hesitate to post this, because all the
other points will be ignored and this will devolve into a thread about
"terrible officiating and trying to stretch the series to seven games and
Kidd getting the superstar treatment and why don't our guys get the
superstar treatment and blah, blah, blah..." Let's stop talking about it.

Mark