Garnett Drops 24 after Talk with Doc

October 30, 2010

The message coach Doc Rivers gave Kevin Garnett before the Celtics' 105-101 win over the New York Knicks last night was to be "more aggressive offensively." But Rivers could have substituted "selfish" for "aggressive."



Semantics aside, the message was heeded. The first time Garnett faced up from the perimeter, there was no hesitation as he fired away from 20 feet. And Garnett did not stop firing until fouling out with 36 seconds remaining in the game, finishing with 24 points on 12-of-17 shooting.

Garnett did all the other things he usually does, and even was guilty of overpassing - he had three turnovers and zero assists. But when it came to taking shots, Garnett was as uninhibited as Rivers wanted him to be.

"I started off pretty rough," Garnett said. "My thing is, my personality is a very giving personality. I care about the next person. It's who I am, it's my ID. In basketball, it's very similar. I never try to do just one thing, I try to multitask." Among Garnett's priorities are including Shaquille O'Neal in the offense. So, late in the second quarter, while he and O'Neal were going full tilt down the lane, Garnett made an ill-advised touch pass that went out of bounds.

"I think the turnovers are coming from overpassing," Garnett said. "Just knowing that that presence [O'Neal] is there, knowing that I have the luxury of playing with the big fella." In other words, Garnett can't go totally against his instincts. If a teammate is open, in a better position to score, Garnett will deliver a pass.

"We have a pretty good comfort level with him [O'Neal]," Garnett said. "I think Doc is trying to get him in rhythm, [as] soon as possible . . . He wants minutes. But at the same time, the more we play with him, the better I think we'll get. It's a learning curve and it started in training camp, and even before training camp."

Garnett converted only seven field goals on 19 attempts in the Celtics' first two games. So, if he was going to break out, there could not have been a better opportunity than having the Knicks as the opposition, their freelance tactics leaving plenty of room for anyone wanting to improve their field goal percentage.

If Garnett, like most players, gets off to a good shooting start, it often pays off late. Garnett found a rhythm in the opening quarter, then battled foul trouble. But by the fourth quarter, he was in synch with Rajon Rondo, converting 5 of 6 shots in a 4:47 span, his final points giving the Celtics a 101-90 lead with 2:14 remaining.

That should have been enough for the Celtics to coast to the finish, but nobody could keep up with Amar'e Stoudemire in the final minute. Garnett committed his sixth foul as Stoudemire banked in a shot, then completing a 3-point play to cut the Knicks' deficit to 102-98 with 36 seconds remaining. Stoudemire sank a 3-pointer on New York's next possession, but Paul Pierce's free throws finally clinched the result.

"When Doc asked us about our roles, he wanted me to be more aggressive and not be so passive. And I'm adjusting," said Garnett. "I know I've got a bar code on the back of my neck, but I am human, and I'll adjust accordingly. It's who I am. I try to make guys around me better but at the same time I have to be aggressive. It's a learning process."