Deja vu: Celtics 111 Bobcats 109
Posted by Brian Robb on Apr 2, 2009
AP
Paul Pierce to Ray Allen for the win. That combination has been a proven formula for this team all year long for game winning shots. I can not contain my astonishment however, in noticing how much the conclusion of this one paralleled the 96-95 victory over the Bobcats from last season, after a game winning 3 pointer by you guessed it, Ray Allen. Stick with me here as we walk through the parallels of both games.
First we have the hero Ray Allen, who had a miserable shooting night for the majority of both affairs (4/15 from the field last November, 8/20 last night) Then there’s the final play of each of the games where the game winning shot was set up by perfect assists by none other than Paul Pierce. The biggest similarity between these two contests though would have to be that the Celtics had absolutely no business winning either of these games.
The Celtics were down 93-85 in this one with two minutes left. Paul Pierce who had carried this team for three quarters was reinserted back into the game, curiously on the late side but also understandable since after he had played the first 17 minutes of the half. The Celtics had made a minor run in the middle of the 4th, but after a Raja Bell jumper, it appeared they had run out of time to finish their comeback. It was evident though the the C’s never lost confidence in their ability to come back.
Doc sent Pierce back into the game in the place of Glen Davis, while leaving in Eddie House. This left the Celtics with a small lineup with Pierce playing the four, having to match up with Boris Diaw. Doc’s decision paid immediate dividends as the smaller quicker unit exploded with an 8-0 run, led by Rajon Rondo making two clutch free throws that tied this one up with 27 seconds left to play. The C’s, lest we forget, even had a chance to win this one in regulation on another genius inbounds play drawn up by Doc, that gave Rondo a great look which rimmed out as time expired.
I can’t give enough kudos to Doc for how well he managed this game down this stretch, continuing into the overtimes. He stuck with this small lineup through both OT’s which had its drawbacks. (three straight offensive rebounds on one possession for Bobcats in first OT) Ultimately though it gave this team the best chance to match up with the Bobcats on both ends of the floor as Big Baby had not been able to stop Boris Diaw (17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) all night long.
When Pierce came in though, he did a great job playing defense on the 6’8” power forward, forcing him to miss the final Bobcat shot of regulation and pestered Diaw into making 4 turnovers in the final 12 minutes of this thriller.
One final brilliant maneuver by Doc came on the game winning possession as he decided not to call a timeout once the C’s got the rebound off a missed Raymond Felton jumper with 12 seconds remaining. Instead, he let Rondo push up the ball in transition, which inhibited the Bobcats from setting up their defense effectively. Rondo dished to Pierce who made a great drive to the hoop but was met by three Bobcat defenders. Pierce dished to Ray who was open for a split second in the corner. Ballgame.
I loved the move, since I feel like there is no way the Celtics would have gotten a better look than that coming out of a timeout. Sometimes it’s a terrific idea to just let your stars create and try to catch the other team off guard. Last night it worked to perfection.
I have been gushing about this one for awhile, to be fair let’s backtrack to the first 46 minutes of this one to put into perspective how bad the Celtics had been playing. First off some disturbing totals from the box score:
- 25 Turnovers for the Celtics
- 20 offensive rebounds for the Bobcats, which led to
- 25 more shots taken by Charlotte than Boston for the game (102 to 77)
The C’s have pulled this act repeatedly this year against inferior opponents. They failed to bring the intensity in the early parts of this contest and were rudely awakened by an aggressive and desperate Bobcat team that showed no intention of backing down against the defending champs.
The bench luckily jumpstarted the C’s once again in the 2nd quarter, leading the way for the C’s to flip a seven point deficit into a three point halftime lead. The starters returned and built on that lead in the 3rd quarter by extending it to nine points, and it appeared as if the C’s may have gotten over the hump. The lackadasical play returned for the Green as did the Bobcats sense of urgency, allowing Charlotte to go on a 21-3 run in the 3rd period that reversed a nine point lead into a nine point deficit for Boston.
Thankfully for the C’s Eddie House and Rajon Rondo combined to make enough baskets to keep the C’s within striking distance in the 4th, before they went on their final run. Eddie was 7/10 on the night, 4/7 from downtown for 18 points and was a +18 to boot. Clearly he has been a catalyst for this team’s offense right now while having one of the best shooting seasons in Celtic history.
Rondo was tremendous as well down the stretch, using his speed to blow by Raymond Felton repeatedly to get some easy baskets around the hoop. It was an encouraging sign to see Rondo take command like that in a close game, rather than deferring to Paul as it makes the Celts a much more unpredictable and dangerous team. More thoughts on Charlotte and Perk after the jump.
I have to give Charlotte a lot of credit for their effort last night. Coming off of a huge win over the Lakers, they came into town as hungry team and refused to fold when the Celts made their intital run in the 3rd quarter. They are an extremely talented and balanced squad (7 players in double figures) that penetrates and kicks the ball as well as any team I have seen this year.
Also if any coach is looking to show their team how to properly crash the offensive glass, they would be well served watching to watch a tape of this contest, as Charlotte put on an absolute clinic on the glass. They must have had at least 7 or 8 deflections from under the hoop they wisely tapped back out to their teammates on the perimeter, that allowed for countless additional offensive rebounds giving them 20 overall on the night. Frustrating for Celtics fans to watch but incredibly impressive nonetheless.
I would not envy the Cavs, if Charlotte manages to sneak into the 8 spot as they remind me of the up and coming Hawks we saw last year, who were playing much better basketball than their record indicated.
More Notes
-Great defense by Perk in the two overtimes under the basket with a couple blocks at the end of a long 48 minute performance, a career high in minutes. Nice to see him stick with it, despite having a terrible night (6 turnovers) for the first 48 minutes.
-Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn might as well be in the huddles at the end of these games, as they perfectly predicted the Bobcats final play, with Raja Bell the inbounder getting the ball back for a great look at a 3 as time expired. Scary finish right there for sure.
-No Tony Allen tonight…makes you wonder if Doc thought twice about bringing him back so far ahead of schedule, even though if my memory serves me correctly, Gorman announced he was waiting to check in at some point in the 4th before being called back at a timeout.
-48 minutes for Perk, 47 for Paul, 45 for Ray. Doesn’t bother me too much though, the C’s will have four days to rest up after Friday’s tilt with Atlanta and look to be in great shape now to earn the 2 seed, with an easier schedule than Orlando the rest of the way out.
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