4.19.2020

C's Go Buck Hunting

November 8, 2008

The last two Celtics victories look just fine in the standings, but they're not doing much to smooth coach Doc Rivers' worry lines. Last night against the Bucks, the Celts again managed to triumph with one quarter tied behind their back. After surviving Oklahoma City's 29-point opener Wednesday, they surrendered 30 to Milwaukee in the first before eventually pulling away for a semi-deceiving 101-89 win.



In that the Bucks were without their best player, the injured Michael Redd, this one simply shouldn't have been as interesting as it was for a little more than three periods. And if it's excitement you were seeking, you can thank the Celts for continually tossing the Brew City crew a life preserver in the form of some uninspired play. With Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead sitting courtside, they were, at times, only technically alive.

``We've got to do a better job of getting off to better starts,'' said Paul Pierce, who made just one of his first six shots before scoring a team-high 18 points. ``The last few games we've been starting off slow and then settling in, but it's up to the starters at the beginning of the games. We're putting ourselves in a hole and we have to understand that especially going into Detroit (tomorrow night) and with the teams coming in next week.''

Looking at the last two opening quarters, Rivers shook his head. ``Yeah, I don't like that,'' he said. ``At least the good news - and you can get caught up in that, as I can as well as anybody - but the good news is that we've been able to catch ourselves and turn it around, and that's a good sign.''
The C's needed a Glen Davis jumper with six seconds left to get into the last quarter with a 75-70 lead.

Milwaukee took the ball to open the final frame, and with the Celtics digging in on defense and the video board egging the crowd on with the help of the noise-meter, the Bucks failed to get up a shot in 24 seconds. Paul Pierce compounded the turnover by hitting two free throws. After a Ramon Sessions runner and a Leon Powe foul shot, some smaller Celts got big. First, Tony Allen came up with a steal and raced down for a dunk. Then, Rajon Rondo picked Sessions clean and flew down for a layup to give the locals a 10-point lead.

The margin was up to 11 a few moments later when Leon Powe blocked a Luke Ridnour layup attempt and then made it down the floor to take an Allen pass for a dunk. By then, a first quarter in which Richard Jefferson smoked the Celts for 14 points was rendered moot. Things would have been worse had not Kendrick Perkins blocked four shots in that period (seven in the game), but the key became just paying attention.

``We guarded (Jefferson) better,'' Rivers said. ``He got off to a great start and then I just thought we focused on him more and contested shots. I don't mind when guys make contested shots over us. I just hate the hands-down shots that we gave him and a bunch of them to start the game.''

To the Celtics, it's all about taking a punch. ``Teams we play come out with what we call gas,'' Kevin Garnett said. ``They come out and they're hitting everything. We have a saying that if we can withstand the first six minutes of the opposing team's blow, then pretty much we get into sync.'' And get into the win column.

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