I had really meant to post something following the win at New York from Monday with the emphasis that this was in fact a season turning win from the C's. I waited, and instead decided to sit down and watch Wednesday's match up versus the Grizzlies at home. I'm glad I didn't rush to any notions, because judging from last night's game against Memphis, the Celtics inconsistent play at both ends of the court is preventing them from being where they want to be.
The Good
In Monday's win at New York, Boston came out in the first half flat, playing "soft" as Doc Rivers would later tell his squad at halftime. Down 14 at halftime, the Celtics eventually cut the deficit to two with 10 minutes left to play. A few "New York" style calls and a Chauncey Billups four-point play pushed the Knicks lead to nine with seven minutes remaining.
With Paul Pierce at the foul line, the New York faithful decided now would be a good time to let out a "Boston sucks" chant. I know it's not smart to piss against the wind, or to challenge a bear to a wrestling match, but New York fans should realize it's not wise to disparage a championship caliber team with more mental toughness than Knicks teams have had combined in the last decade. It's like egging on Kobe Bryant down the stretch of a close game. Not something you should do.
Pierce's free throws sparked a 13-0 run, which saw Kevin Garnett go all out for a loose ball, giving fans a glimpse of Celtics playoff basketball. Pierce absolutely dominated Carmelo Anthony and Landry Fields in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the final quarter, and showing fans why he is dubbed "The Truth".
If fans were excited by Boston's fourth quarter execution against the Knicks on Monday, Wednesday's final quarter against the Grizzlies was hardly anything to write home about.
The Bad
The Celtics could have actually used old friends Tony Allen and Leon Powe against Memphis. Both on the Grizzlies this season (Powe was just recently signed by Memphis. Boston had interest, but opted instead for Troy Murphy), Allen's play right now is what Boston envisioned when they held on to him over the years. Averaging 12.6ppg and 2.1spg on over 50% from the field this month, T.A. is playing like a seasoned vet in place of injured star Rudy Gay. Signed by the Grizzlies around two weeks ago after being released by Cleveland, Powe saved his best game thus far with Memphis for his former teammates in Boston, scoring 13 points in 17 minutes of action and getting to the line four times. Powe and Allen also helped key a pivotal 8-0 run late in the game, combining for six of those points.
After a sluggish first, Boston would go on to score 30 points in the second and hold a 45-44 advantage at halftime. Despite the edge at the half, the Celtics play appeared sluggish and uneven.
It was clear before the game that Memphis liked to pound the ball inside and force turnovers on the defensive end. Everyone knew that's how they've won ball games this season. The Grizzlies bested the Celtics in both of those categories, outscoring them a staggering 52-26 in the paint, and forcing 18 turnovers. The Grizzlies also held a 43-37 advantage on the glass.
Rondo poured in great assists, rebounds, and steals, but couldn't throw a rock into the ocean, shooting 2-12. Since the March 13 win against Milwaukee, Rondo has shot 16-64 from the field. Randolph seemed to outplay Garnett down low, and Kristic was absolutely dreadful, getting more turnovers (4) than rebounds (2). If not for Pierce's late game buckets, the game would not have been as close.
In opposition of what happened in New York, Boston failed to execute with the game on the line. Instead of regrouping or calling for a timeout down one with 20 seconds remaining, Rondo went for a floater that was too strong. Down three with ten seconds left, the Celtics failed to execute the play Doc Rivers drew up. For some reason Glen Davis took a contested three that obviously missed. Grizzlies center Marc Gasol helped out the Celtics by missing both free throws and keeping the score at three points. An off balance three from Pierce at the buzzer clanged off the front of the rim, and Memphis had taken one in Boston.
It's clear that the Celtics look sluggish on both ends of the court from time to time, a far cry from earlier in the season when the team was firing on all cylinders on both ends of the court. Rondo's confidence in his offensive game appears shot, and the new guys still need to figure things out. Now a full game by Chicago for the top spot in the east, one has to wonder whether Doc will opt to rest his key players more or stick with the plan from the get-go that the number one seed and home court advantage was the most important part to this season.
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