It was good to play a close one [against the Pistons]. Because when you keep winning these double-digit games, we [the Celtic starters] are not in the game in the fourth quarter.
--Ray Allen
Pundits from across the globe have been trying to explain the Celtics' 2-7 slump earlier this year. We've heard just about everything. They were tired. They quit playing D. They had a soft schedule. The Lakers did a number on their psyche (what moron said that?).
But we hadn't heard this one. We hadn't heard that the Celtics 27-2 start included so many blowouts, the green were, well, green when it came to playing close games down the stretch. I'm telling you that Ray Allen is a freakin' genius. This would also explain why the Celtics struggled early in the playoffs last year.
Playing close games in the fourth quarter takes a special mindset. Teams need their "reps," as Bill Simmons would say, to execute and get stops.
I'll be curious to see how things go against LAL, SA, NO, and DAL over the next 10 days. I'm thinking the starters will have ample opportunity to play minutes in the fourth quarter.
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