CBW review, Celtics vs. Pistons, 4th quarter

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle]

  4th quarter:

The closing quarter of the game started with the Celtics playing to 
the inside, where Al Jefferson got another basket, closing the lead 
to one point.  At the other end, Olowokandi forced a turnover, and 
the C's came back up on offense.  It was interesting to see Rondo and 
Delonte oncourt together, as the C's set up the play.  Al unleashed a 
hook shot that gave Boston the lead once more with 11 minutes to go 
in the game.

Olowokandi took the ball away from Murray at the other end, and 
Boston finally started to run!  The lead pass to Tony Allen was off a 
bit to the left, so he couldn't make the fast basket, and barely 
avoided colliding with one of the officials as he moved along the 
sideline to set the offense.  Rondo ended up in the paint, where he 
was promptly fouled going to the hoop.  His first free throw was too 
strong, bouncing cleanly off the back of the rim.  The second one 
went in as Cousy worried about Rondo's ability at the line.

This was the culmination of a 10-0 run by the Good Guys, which is 
exactly how they needed to start the quarter.  Hamilton finally made 
a shot, a very deep two with his feet on the line, to even things up 
at 75 with 10 minutes left in the game.  Tony Allen drove along the 
baseline and was fouled, sending him for some free throws.  The first 
one went scraped a lot of paint off the rim, but went through.  The 
second one bounced all over the rim before tipping out into the 
waiting hands of the Pistons.

The amazing thing--which I must admit had to be pointed out to me by 
Mike Gorman, showing why he gets paid whilst I do this for free--was 
that Pierce had started the quarter on the bench, and was resting up 
as the C's had made their run!  Meanwhile, Delfino fired up an 
airball, which the C's easily retrieved.  They worked the ball in as 
the Detroit defense stiffened up. Al Jefferson's hook didn't go this 
time, in the face of a very tough defense, but I was glad the C's 
were going in to him.  He could, however, have used some help there.

The next trip up, the C's defense left the center open and Rasheed 
went in for two.  It was a small defensive lapse as they go--the 
Pistons had spread the Boston defense out quite a bit--but Detroit 
lives for those plays.  At the other end, Detroit closed up the 
middle, mindful of what they'd just done a few seconds ago.  Delonte 
ended up taking a shot clock three that didn't go in, but Olowokandi, 
Jefferson and Tony Allen mixed it up under the hoop with Detroit and 
when the ball scooted out of bounds, the ref made the correct call, 
giving the ball back to the Good Guys.  This prompted a timeout as 
the crowd roared it's appreciation, and the Celtics were down by one 
point, 77-76, with 8:31 left in the game.

The Moosiers did their thing during the break--whatever the thing 
they're doing is, it just doesn't look like dancing to me--and Mike 
Gorman revealed the answer to a trivia question posed earlier, which 
four Celtics were named season MVP by the NBA: Bill Russell (5 
times), Larry Bird (3 times), Bob Cousy and Dave Cowens (1 time 
each). Gorman referred to Cowens as "sitting with the Bad Guys", and 
I thank him for backing me up.  We're the Good Guys, the other team 
is the Bad Guys.  Mike Gorman, I owe you a cookie.

As the game got back underway, Pierce was back on the floor, and I 
hoped that his presence would not break the flow and trust the 
players had during his time on the bench--sort of like the Metropolis 
Police Department when Superman shows up when the cops have things 
mostly under control.

As it happened, Pierce was the only relatively open guy on the first 
possession and he made a VERY nice baseline drive to the hoop, but 
Rasheed timed the block perfectly.  I have to admit, it was a case of 
great offense meeting brilliant defense.  It was tough to see, as 
Paul doesn't get very many open drives.  'Sheed recovered beautifully.

Jefferson nearly had the rebound but couldn't quite hold on as he got 
sandwiched by two Detroit players.  Al also got caught in the lane at 
the other end, when the man he was guarding from in front stepped 
back while Al watched the ball.  Jefferson knew he'd been 
schnookered, and made no protest, wisely learning from Wally's 
mistake earlier in the game.  Hamilton went to shoot the technical 
free throw only because Billups wasn't in the game at that time.  The 
attempt went in, giving Hamilton 20 points so far in the game, and 
Detroit took the side out.  Despite the C's playing decent defense, 
Rasheed shot over the double team for two more.  I've got to admit if 
he wasn't such a pain in the basketball, I'd like him on our team.

On the next trip, Delonte failed to catch the pass from Rondo, losing 
the ball out of bounds.  I watched it again in slow motion.  Rondo 
made the correct pass, and Delonte obviously was ready for it, facing 
Rondo with his hands up.  It looked like the ball slid right through 
his hands and bounced off Delonte's right shoulder and out of 
bounds.  Since West normally isn't ham-handed, I think it was the new 
compost ball getting too slippery.  Unfortunately, it was still a 
turnover, the 12th for Boston against 6 for the Pistons.

At the other end, Rasheed missed a three and Olowokandi got the 
rebound, and passed it quickly to Pierce, who was almost instantly 
surrounded by the entire Piston's team.  Wisely, Paul passed the 
pumpkin to the wide-open Delonte West, who's three point attempt just 
bounced off the inside of the front of the rim, sending the ball up 
off the backboard and down into the hands of the Pistons.  It was a 
good attempt that was so very close from dropping cleanly through the 
net.  This made Delonte 0-7 for the game, emphasizing he wasn't quite 
up to contemporary professional standards yet.  At the other end, 
Hamilton nailed a baseline jumper over the upstretched hand of Rondo, 
prompting  Doc Rivers to call timeout with 6:55 left in the game, and 
Detroit ahead, 82-76.

When the game resumed, Boston brought the ball up the length of the 
court, as the C's fielded a team consisting of Rondo, Jefferson, 
Szczerbiak, Gomes and Pierce.  Gomes immediately launched a shot from 
nearly the exact same spot in the corner where Delonte had fired it 
up, with about the same result, save that Gomes' shot was short off 
the near side of the rim.  Delfino took the rebound for Detroit, and 
what had earlier been the loud roar of a sold-out Garden became the 
nervous voices of worried fans.

Murray's shot at the opposite end was no good, but Boston lost the 
rebound when, once again, Wally, Pierce, Rondo, and Jefferson 
collided in trying to get the same ball, which promptly scooted out 
of bounds. Tommy's commented about this--loudly enough, I guarantee, 
for the guys to hear--before.  Yell "I got it" and stop fighting your 
own teammates for the rebounds!!!  Doc was standing on the sidelines 
encouraging them, but that was a bonehead play.  Were the choice 
mine, the team, one at a time, would each spend 10 minutes at 
practice repeatedly yelling "I GOT IT", to make sure they DID get 
it.  Then, practice letting the guy who yells "I got it", actually 
get the ball.  Aaugh!

Has the teaching of fundamental basketball become so poor that they 
can't understand why things like that are important?

Yes, that's a rhetorical question.  *sigh*

Meanwhile, as the Celtics were clearing their overloaded noggins, 
Detroit scored off the inbound pass to Hamilton.   Back at the other 
end, Rondo cut nicely to the hoop for two off a Jefferson pass, but 
several Boston players were standing around. On defense,al snagged 
another defensive rebound, showing his lighter weight was indeed 
making him more effective in the post.  Gomes came up firing, but 
missed short.  He only played 27 minutes all night, so he wasn't 
tired.  Lucky for him, Al Jefferson got rebound number 10 off the 
miss, but his hook shot was too long.  He was a little too far out to 
try the hook, and he overpowered it off the back of the rim.  Detroit 
barely kept ahold of the ball, and called timeout as soon as they 
were over halfcourt.  With 5:10 left in the game, Detroit held an 
84-78 lead over the Good Guys.

When play resumed, Billups quieted the raucous Garden crowd with a 
very deep two.  Telfair had replaced Rondo. Pierce drew in the 
defense and passed the ball out to Gomes, who hit a very deep corner 
two that rolled around the rim and into the net. But, as Bob Cousy 
pointed out, something had to happen defensively and soon, before the 
gap got too wide to close.  At that moment, Billups promptly blew 
past Telfair, zoomed down the left side of the lane, and scored a 
layup, which Cousy rightly decried as "unacceptable".

At the other end, Pierce got cut off by the Detroit defense, and 
fired up a shot, hoping in vain for a foul call.  The ball missed 
everything, but Wally snagged the ball--sadly, he then stepped out of 
bounds, his foot just grazing the baseline as he drove to the 
hoop.  At the other end, Rasheed celebrated as he converted the pass 
from Hamilton into a basket.  This gave the Pistons a 10 point 
lead.  Doc, looking really annoyed, ordered Telfair to get the ball 
over halfcourt, then called timeout with 3;31 left in the game and 
Detroit leading, 90-80.

By this time, we learn that Boston is shooting 4-12 whilst Detroit is 
8-13.  Between the greater number of shots and the higher percentage 
made by Detroit, and the Boston turnovers,   The fact that the lead 
is ONLY ten points is pretty amazing.  As play resumes, Wally's 
inside pass is deflected by the Pistons, who are gambling off Gomes 
and Perkins to keep two extra players to cover Pierce.  Rasheed runs 
the clock down before drawing the foul on the way to the basket.  Two 
free throws later, Detroit had a 12 point lead.

Things fell apart quickly after that.  Telfair's pass was stolen, and 
Billups went to the hoop and  drew a foul off Pierce, who shook his 
head, knowing--as the replay showed--that Billups pushed off 
Pierce.  Doc was visibly upset, but the refs forbore to call a 
technical at this juncture as a timeout was called with 2:44 left in 
the game and Detroit maintaining a 92-80 lead.

After the timeout, Billups went to the line, making the first, but 
rolling the second back over the front of the rim.  Wally missed a 
three at the other end, and Detroit was content--as they had been all 
night--to move the ball up slowly.  Rasheed drained a turnaround 
jumper that extended the Detroit lead to 15 points.  There was a 
momentary bright spot as Rondo made a nice bounce pass to Telfair for two.

As Pierce rebounded a Piston miss, the bench was emptied, awaiting 
the next whistle to enter the game.  The ball dropped out of bounds, 
but the C's maintained possession, as Gerald Green made his regular 
season debut, whilst Pierce walked resignedly to the bench.  Wally 
also sat, his night's work over as well.  With 1:36 left in the game, 
Detroit held a 95-82 lead.

A nifty long inbounds pass from Rondo to Delonte across the baseline 
in the far corner resulted in a three point hoop.  On the next 
attempt by Detroit to inbound, Tony Allen nearly picked off the long 
entry pass.  The third time, at halfcourt, Rondo knocked the ball out 
of bounds again.  However, by the end of the possession, Billups had 
once more driven to the basket, dropped the ball in and drew the 
foul.  The free throw was good, and Detroit's lead was not 13 points.

Rondo went end to end and got nothing out of it, looking like a 
little kid as a Detroit player easily snagged the ball from over 
Rondo's head.  the Pistons ran down the shot clock in the face of a 
frenzied Celtics defense, and came away with nothing as Boston jogged 
up the court. On the following possession, Detroit ran down the 
clock, only putting up a shot to prevent a turonver. The shot, 
launched with 1 second on the shot clock, went in for three.  the 
Celtics ran back the other way, and Gerald Green's three point shot 
was the last of the game as the game ended with Detroit winning it, 101-88.

Cookies and Crumbs:

Cookies go to:

The Celtics effort on offense and defense, they showed a lot more 
effort than the last game.

Celtics free throw shooting, perfect in the first half, and ending 
with 15-20 for 75%  I normally want 80% but this represented a major 
improvement by the team.

The halfcourt game, which for three and a half quarters was more 
effective than it had any right to be against the Pistons.

Al Jefferson, who continued his solid play.

Paul Pierce, who showed a consistent willingness to pass the ball out 
of the double and triple teams, made 7 of his 8 free throws, and shot 
well from the floor.   His only three point attempt was the one at 
the end of the third quarter.

Michael Olowokandi, who worked hard and played smart.

Mike Gorman, for being such a great and gracious guest on 
Celticsstuff Live this past week.


Crumbs left for:

The Celtics running game.  "What running game?" you ask.  Exactly.

Celtics rebounding.  when there's three times in the same game that 
you turn over the ball after colliding with your teammates, it 
negates the positive aspects of otherwise decent rebounding.

Turnovers.  Some really, really dumb ones, too.

Sebastian Telfair's defense.

Tony Allen's offense.

Celtics basketball fundamentals, which have taken a beating this week.

The Celtics now face an 0-2 record and travel to Washington, D.C. to 
face the Wizards, in a game that will be broadcast on NBAtv, unless 
the guys at NBAtv.com saw the last 2 Celtics games.  Boston MUST make 
the running game work, first of all, by actually running. Then, they 
have to stop with the cheap fouls and silly turnovers.  They looked a 
lot better tonight than in the previous game, but that's a long way 
from where they need to be.  Hopefully, they'll learn from these two 
difficult games and walk out of Washington with a win.

Next game, Saturday Nov 4 at the Washington Wizards.

And that's the view from the doghouse.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website