Celtics Down Spurs In Possible NBA Finals Preview

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Celtics Down Spurs In Possible NBA Finals  Preview
 
 (http://bleacherreport.com/users/9236-Andrew_Palumbo) 

by _Andrew  Palumbo_ (http://bleacherreport.com/users/9236-Andrew_Palumbo)  
(Contributor) 
March 17, 2008 
 
 



 
The Boston Celtics swept the season series versus the San Antonio Spurs 2-0  
with a 93-91 victory on the road tonight.  The story of the night was the  
production of Manu Ginobili and Rajon Rondo.  Sure... Paul Pierce, Kevin  
Garnett, and Tony Parker all filled up the stat sheet, but to watch the game was  to 
observe two elite NBA guards in one of the most exhilarating East/West duels  
this season. 
Ginobili's line (32 PTs, 10-18 FGs, 4-7 3PT, 8-8 FT, 4 REB, 2 AST) was the  
best in the game, but sophomore point guard Rajon Rondo answered with a clear  
message to the Western Conference teams: "Don't leave me open!"  Rondo  
answered Manu's efforts with his own impressive numbers (20 PTs, 9-18FGs, 2-2  FT, 6 
REB, 3 AST, 3 STL).   
Fans who watched the game were treated to a roller coaster ride that ended  
with a Bruce Bowen steal and subsequent Robert Horry fade away three-pointer 
off  of a sloppy Garnett inbound pass with precious seconds left in the game.   
If you switched the channel with the Celtics down 22 points early in the 1st  
half, you missed one of the most exciting inter-conference games of the  
season.  The Spurs owned the first quarter and a half, but the Celtics were  able 
to close the gap to just tens points as the buzzer sounded to end the  half.  
Boston made quick work in the opening minutes of the third quarter  to 
essentially erase what had seemed to be an insurmountable lead.  Boston  took it's 
first lead of the game off of a Rondo steal, spin move, and leading  pass to Paul 
Pierce who dunked the ball home to silence San Antonio's roaring  crowd.  
Seconds later, the Celtics built on this lead with a Paul Pierce  full-court pass 
to Rondo to return the favor.  The rest of the game was  fought in short 
spurts and impressive offensive plays by both teams. 
To watch this thriller was to experience two totally different players with  
an (almost) equal effect in the game.  Manu and Rajon fiercely battled back  
and forth before the Celtics' point guard left in the third period with an 
ankle  sprain.  Had Rondo not returned, the Celtics could easily have lost the  
game.  Rondo ended up pulling down a beautiful one-handed rebound, cradling  the 
ball between his right palm and forearm.  He simply WANTED the ball  more 
than a tired Tony Parker who stood (both feet on the floor) waiting for the  ball 
to drop into his outstretched hands.  This single play sealed San  Antonio's 
fate and silenced critics league-wide who believed that Rondo lacked  
"experience" and the "intangibles" than an elite point guard needs to lead a  team to 
the NBA Championship.  Was it just this play?  No.  Was  it the all-around 
solid game against the defending champions?  No.  It  has been Rajon Rondo's 
student mentality that he takes into each and every game  as he learns on the fly 
from some of the most intelligent basketball minds of  the past 20 years 
(Garnett, R. Allen, Pierce, Cassell, Coach Doc Rivers, and my  selection for 
assistant coach of the year Tom Thibodeau). 
Back to Manu vs. Rajon... The two guards acted as foils throughout the entire 
 game.  Rondo brought a silky smooth set of moves consisting of ball fakes,  
floaters, and reverse layups, that are rarely seen in today's bump-and-grind  
style of point guard play.  Conversely, Ginobili had the most effective  
"ugly" game that I've had the pleasure of watching all season long.  And it  was a 
pleasure...  If you've played enough schoolyard pickup games or maybe  try to 
find 45 minutes during lunch to sneak away from work to shoot some hoops,  
you've probably had the fortune (or misfortune) of playing with "that  guy".  The 
balding, some-what-out-of-shape older guy who wears his shorts  too short and 
his socks too high.  Invariably, "that guy" takes the most  ridiculous, 
ill-advised shots of anyone on the court.... and reliably seems to  hit each and 
every one.  Manu Ginobili is often "that guy" and tonight was  certainly no 
exception.  Helped out by an extra step on every other layup  and very generous 
foul calls, Manu carved out the line of the night and did so  in an incredibly 
ugly fashion.   
In fact, Ginobili's game was so ugly that it lead me to mutter comments such  
as "I could play better than this bum" and "it's easy when you're reflecting  
light off of your bald spot into the defender's eyes" (yes... I was watching  
this game alone and continually talking - and cursing - to myself).  But  the 
truth of the matter is that, Manu is simply "that guy" on a whole other  
level.  He is the embodiment of this stereotype at the highest level of  
basketball that leaves the likes of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett shaking their  heads 
in disbelief.  To return to the pickup game metaphor, that would make  you and 
I... Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.   The guys I ball with have  called me a 
lot of names but "The Truth" isn't one of them.  The bottom  line, Manu 
Ginobili is playing some of the best "ugly" basketball this league  has ever seen 
and on some level, that's more crushing that a guy like Kobe  sweet-stroking his 
way to these type of numbers, or LeBron muscling his way  through a helpless 
defensive line.  Every lucky bounce (or eight) on the  rim and every missed 
traveling call is like a dagger through the heart.   
Manu Ginobili - in this Celtics fan's humble opinion - was the best player of 
 the game, but Rajon Rondo WON the game.  I look forward to several more  
years of back-and-forth duels between Rondo and Ginobili and their clearly  
contrasting styles of play.



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