C's playing better. What's going on? Avery Bradley and Ubuntu. Yes, the old guys are playing better. But I'm going with Avery Bradley has a J to accompany his stifling D and the team is now playing like a team instead of a bunch of parts. No more shuffling Jermaine O'Neal, Keeyon Dooling and the rest in and out of the game. Tighter lineup, playing together. They even outrebounded the Heat last night.
4.11.2012
11 Games in 15 Nights: Game 6
C's playing better. What's going on? Avery Bradley and Ubuntu. Yes, the old guys are playing better. But I'm going with Avery Bradley has a J to accompany his stifling D and the team is now playing like a team instead of a bunch of parts. No more shuffling Jermaine O'Neal, Keeyon Dooling and the rest in and out of the game. Tighter lineup, playing together. They even outrebounded the Heat last night.
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While moving Avery Bradley into the starting lineup has sparked the Celtics, the rejuvenated Kevin Garnett has been just as critical to their recent success. With Boston holding a precarious 5-point lead with nine minutes left, and the announced sellout crowd screaming for the Heat to go on a run, Garnett (11-of-14 shooting, 24 points) looked vintage, delivering four consecutive midrange jumpers as he torched counterpart Chris Bosh
The 8-point surge gave the Celtics an 11-point lead and Garnett landed a finishing blow with another turnaround jumper with two minutes left for a 110-103 lead. The Celtics shot a blistering 60.6 percent, more than 5 points higher than the previous high against the Heat, who are fifth in the league in percentage allowed
Tuesday was just the sixth time in team history the Celtics shot at least 60 percent from the field, 3-point line, and 80 percent from the free throw line. The last time they accomplished the feat was March 4, 2009 against the Nets . . . With his eight free throws, Paul Pierce moved ahead of Wilt Chamberlain for 14th in all-time free throws made. Pierce has 6,065 . . . Kevin Garnett has scored in double figures in all of his 36 career games against the Heat . . . Rajon Rondo's streak of 18 games with double-figure assists is the longest since Jazz great John Stockton had a 29-game streak from Jan. 25 to March 30, 1992
The Celtics can no longer be considered an afterthought. Their improved defense, newfound athleticism with Garnett and Brandon Bass in the frontcourt, and the stifling defense of Bradley have changed their image
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KG is still old, but at the center position, it's less of an issue.
The Celtics are like Dennis Rodman, Fidel Castro and Ochocinco's career in New England. They were supposed to be dead by now. They were supposed to be stumbling to the end of the NBA season like the last stragglers crawling into Kenmore Square as the sun sets on Marathon Monday.
There are 10 games left in this condensed, 66-game schedule, and none of them was supposed to matter. This was supposed to be a melancholy month, the final few days of a gallant, five-year run by a proud group of sure Hall of Famers. Barbra Streisand was supposed to be singing "Memories" in the background as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen played out their last games in Celtics uniforms in slow motion.
Oh, the way they were. They won one title, almost won another. They showed a lot of heart and a lot character, but in the end, they just couldn't overcome the ravages of time and gravity. Happens to the best of them. The Garnett-Pierce-Allen era was supposed to be ending right now, quietly, mercifully, with all the dignity they deserve.
Maybe someone should have told Garnett, Pierce and Allen that we took them off life support a long time ago. Maybe someone should have informed Doc Rivers that he was just supposed to play out the string, allow the big contracts to expire and let the extreme makeover begin.
Does Doc know he's spoiling his chances of drafting young Austin each time he climbs another spot in the standings? Does he know that everyone — and I mean everyone, including those with Tommy Heinsohn ringtones and leprechaun tattoos — gave this team no shot, none, zero, to even win a round in the playoffs?
You know why no one is saying 'I told you so' as this Celtics team morphs into something truly dangerous just in time for the playoffs?
Because no one told us so.
Kill the Streisand and cue the Crosby, Stills and Nash because something is happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear. Six weeks ago, the Celtics were 15-17 and pondering a fire sale at the trade deadline. They lost Jermaine O'Neal for the season. They lost Chris Wilcox indefinitely. They lost Allen for five games and Mickael Pietrus for nine games and counting. And what did they gain? Well, more minutes for their backup point guard. That's it, that's all, and that, as Robert Frost said, has made all the difference.
Avery Bradley — or as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called him, the "pain in the ass" — has transformed the Celtics from aging, calcifying first-round cannon fodder to the Team No One Wants To Play In the Playoffs. On offense he has given Rajon Rondo someone who can run the floor with him and who cuts to the basket like a bullet if his man even thinks about doubling elsewhere. And on defense the Celtics are the best team in the NBA right now, and Bradley is the best defender they have.
As Ben Rohrbach pointed out on WEEI.com, the Celtics' past five games have been against the Heat, Spurs, Bulls, Pacers and Sixers. Those are the top three teams in the East and, currently, the best team in the West. They are all playoff teams. The Celtics allowed 80.6 points per game in that stretch.
I sure hope they can sustain this level of play to the end. So fun to watch.
Beyond KG playing out of his mind (maybe it IS the contract year like you said!?), I think we are finally tough again.
Look at the guys outside of the Big 4. Bass, Bradley, Steimsma, Pavlovich, and hopefully Air France...they are all instigators, who like to mix it up.
Last year, I thought we were too soft...Nenad, Baby, old and slow JO, and a timid Jeff Green (who I think ultimately will be more aggressive, but was too uncomfortable in the playoffs too often).
Compare that to the champs of 08, who had guys like TA, Powe, Posey, PJ, and Perk, supporting the Big 4.
The more we traded toughness for skill, the more we lost our identity. We are nasty again, and that's how I like this team.
Keep up the good work! Looking forward to a nice run.
Good point on toughness.
I think either hollins or johnson will need to play 4-12 MPGs in the playoffs.
Or maybe not.
Maybe one of the smalls will play the 4 spot.
I believe Mr. Ryan is due to share his opinion.
should be interesting
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