Posts Tagged ‘Doc Rivers’

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Big Shot Rondo Rescues The Celtics

May 26, 2012  ·  11:55PM





HANG TIME PLAYOFF HEADQUARTERS – With a slim three-point lead and their closer heading to the bench with four minutes and change left to play, few people inside TD Garden would have chosen Rajon Rondo as the man to save the Celtics’ Game 7 bacon against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rondo was mysteriously missing in action for most of the first 44 minutes of the biggest game, to date, of the Celtics’ season. But he turned it on when it mattered most, scoring 11 of the 12 points, including nine straight, in the three minutes after Paul Pierce fouled out with 4:16 to play.

The Celtics’ famed Big 3 is officially a Plus-1 now, since they’re moving on to the Eastern Conference finals to face the Miami Heat Monday night because of the late-game heroics of the one member of the band least known for his offensive prowess.

Rondo knocked down a driving layup and two deep jumpers (one was initially called a 3-pointer but later changed to a 2-pointer after being reviewed and the second was a 3-pointer well behind the line) to extend the Celtics’ lead back to double digits while Pierce was still getting settled in his seat on the bench to watch the final minutes of the Celtics’ 85-75 win.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers had no fear with Rondo stepping up for both shots, the first to beat the shot clock and the second a dagger Rondo stepped into like he was as sharpshooter instead of an All-Star point guard known best for setting the table for his teammates and being one of the best defensive and rebounding points guards in league history.

“Go in, please,” Rivers said when asked what went through his mind seeing Rondo raise up for both of those crunch time 3-pointers. “I’m not above praying … When you get him in rhythm he’s a good shooter. I’ve been saying for that last couple of years. The first [3-pointer] he didn’t have a choice because of the shot clock. The first one he had to take. The second one, he wanted that shot. He stepped into it. And it was big. Big.”

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Sixers’ Unexpected Run Comes To An End

May 26, 2012  ·  11:41PM





BOSTON – No one thought the Philadelphia 76ers would make it this far. And no one gave them much of a chance in Game 7 either.

But there they were, down three with the ball and a little more than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Paul Pierce had just fouled out, and you had to think the Sixers had a shot.

It turned out, instead, that Rajon Rondo had a shot. And when Rondo beats you with a long two and a long three, and when Ray Allen finally connects on a couple of shots from beyond the arc after missing his first five, you might just have to shrug your shoulders and realize it just wasn’t your day.

The Sixers could look back at Game 7 and the series as a whole, and choose to remember the turnovers and missed free throws. They shot 24-for-30 from the free throw line on Saturday and just 69 percent in the series. These seven games were downright ugly and the Sixers struggled to score throughout. So to not take advantage of every trip to the line is just shooting yourself in the foot.

“It’s just our inability to score that’s sort of plagued us throughout the season,” Sixers coach Doug Collins said.

But Philly also had their positive moments to look back on. They out-executed the veteran Celtics in three of the seven games. Their young players certainly gained a ton of valuable big-game experience. And they learned that if you play hard, play together, and play defense, you can go further than you should otherwise.

That’s really what this Sixers team should be remembered for. If you can overlook the missed free throws, they made the most of what they had. They were a great defensive team without a dominating big man. And they were a decent enough offensive team without a go-to guy.

Really, teams without stars aren’t supposed to take teams with four stars to seven games in the conference semifinals, but the Sixers did. They played the Celtics’ style and almost matched them defensive stop for defensive stop.

“The Sixers are a pain in the ass,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “They are a tough basketball team.”

Sure, things would likely have been different if Derrick Rose didn’t tear his ACL in the first game of this postseason. But that doesn’t mean the Sixers didn’t earn their way here.

“It was a good run,” Jrue Holiday said. “We fought to the end.”

***

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. Send him an e-mail or follow him on twitter.

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Say Hello To The Big Executive?

May 24, 2012  ·  10:26AM





HANG TIME PLAYOFF HEADQUARTERS – We can see it now: Peaches and Herb’s “Reunited”  blaring from the sound system and a suited and booted Shaquille O’Neal walking to the podium as he’s introduced as the Orlando Magic’s new general manager.

Don’t laugh. It might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.

An ESPN report that TNT’s O’Neal will speak with the Magic about the opening next week has NOT been confirmed by either side. But it hasn’t been scuttled by either side either … not yet, at least. O’Neal’s Inside colleague Charles Barkley confirmed Shaq’s interest it this morning on The Dan Patrick Show:

Dan asked Barkley if Shaquille O’Neal has told him he’s is interested in the Orlando GM job. “Yes,” Barkley said. “I do know he’s interested in the job and he’s going to interview for it.”

Barkley said O’Neal and Dwight Howard have had issues in the past, but that doesn’t mean Shaq can’t go to Orlando.

Barkley thinks Howard needs to make a decision and stay or go in Orlando. He’s sick of talking about it.

“They’re trying to do anything they can to keep Dwight there and get a buzz,” Barkley said. “They have to do something whether Dwight stays there or not. Bringing in Shaquille is an attention getter.”

This gives folks a license to let their imaginations run wild with images of O’Neal back in the city where his Hall of Fame playing career began, the same city he calls home. If Shaq is on the short list of people the Magic want to talk to about replacing Otis Smith, it is noteworthy. Especially considering the nature of his departure from the Magic in 1996 for the Los Angeles Lakers.

O’Neal hasn’t even finished his first year of retirement and already his name is popping up in a GM search. That’s impressive, no matter how it all transpired.

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Sixers Take Advantage Of Bradley’s Absence

May 23, 2012  ·  11:20PM





PHILADELPHIA – Before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins stressed points in the paint as one of the biggest keys.

Then his team proceeded to outscore the Boston Celtics 42-16 in the paint, forcing Game 7 with a 82-75 victory.

This was an ugly game through and through. But the Sixers finally broke through offensively in the third quarter, largely because their guards were repeatedly able to get into the paint. And you had to wonder if things would have been different if the Celtics had Avery Bradley.

The second-year guard, who had made life tough for the Philly guards in the first four games, missed his second straight game with a pair of shoulder injuries. The Sixers’ Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner and Lou Williams took advantage.

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Sixers Get Clutch Again, Tie Series

May 18, 2012  ·  11:17PM





PHILADELPHIA – Andre Iguodala has never really been known as a clutch player. One of the best defenders in the league? Yes. A terrific passing forward? Absolutely.

But as the Philadelphia 76ers’ best player, Iguodala hasn’t been able to help his team much in late-game situations. As a result, Philly has had a pretty poor record in close games over the years.

But on Friday, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, after shooting 2-for-9 through the first 44 1/2 minutes, Iguodala hit three huge jumpers down the stretch to lead his team to a 92-83 victory over the Boston Celtics to give us our first 2-2 series of the 2012 postseason.

The first was a left-wing three off a drive and kick from Thaddeus Young that tied the game at 79 with 3:11 to go. The second was a step-back jumper that put Philly up 85-83 with 1:22 to go. And on the next possession, Iguodala hit a dagger right-wing three off a feed from Lou Williams.

For the second time in this series, the Sixers, who have been just awful in these situations over the last two seasons, finished the game with a terrific run of clutch offense. In Game 2, they scored on eight of their last nine possessions. And in Game 4, they scored on their last seven.

The Celtics’ defense was typically stifling for most of the night. But the Sixers also had themselves to blame for the 18-hole they were in early in the third quarter, missing free throws and open shots. But then they pulled themselves out of it with defense and hustle, forcing 17 turnovers and grabbing 17 offensive rebounds.

“They outworked us,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Then they got clutch.

 

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Offensive Outburst Lifts Celts In Game 3

May 16, 2012  ·  9:35PM





PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers had their most efficient offensive game of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday. And they lost by 16.

This was the Boston Celtics’ night, an easy 107-91 victory to grab a 2-1 series lead and take back home-court advantage. In the wake of their anemic offensive performance in Game 2 and countless articles (including this one) about their inability to score, the Celtics exploded for their best offensive game in a long time.

After going scoreless on their first four possessions of the game, the Celtics did what Doc Rivers has been asking for the last two days. They went to Kevin Garnett in the post on their next two possessions. He gave them two short jumpers over Elton Brand, and the flood gates opened from there.

Rajon Rondo also set an aggressive tone early, scoring 13 points before he recorded a single assist. Garnett owned the Sixers bigs in the post and led all scorers with 27 points. And Paul Pierce finally got into the scoring act. He shot just 6-for-17 from the field, but got to the line 14 times.

All around, the Celtics were sharper than we’re used to seeing them. The ball movement was crisp and contagious all night. And after the Sixers scored 33 points in the first quarter, Boston also turned up the heat defensively.

It’s doubtful that the Celtics can pour it on like this again in this series, and in the playoffs, every game has its own personality. But Boston clearly found a rhythm in Game 3 that can help them going forward.

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One Play Can’t Cost You A Game …

May 15, 2012  ·  10:01AM





HANG TIME PLAYOFF HEADQUARTERS – How many times have you heard someone say it, “that one play didn’t cost us the game?”

Don’t care to count?

No?

We understand.

Technically speaking, one play might not cost you the game. But one crucial play at the right time in a tight game can certainly have a more significant impact on the outcome of said game. And that was indeed the case in Boston last night for Celtics’ forward Kevin Garnett. He was called for an offensive foul on a moving screen on Andre Iguodala as he tried to make space for Paul Pierce with 10 seconds to play in a game the Philadelphia 76ers led 78-75.

The call, made by Michael Smith after Garnett had already been warned by Danny Crawford to watch the moving screens, helped seal the deal for the Sixers.

“I just thought in that situation you let the players decide the game,” Garnett said after his illegal pick took the air out of the building and a spirited, fourth quarter rally from the home team. “But if he felt like that was an illegal pick, then that’s what it is.”

It was glaring (check the video above). But not necessarily a call anyone expected in that situation. To his credit, Garnett tried his best not to make a huge fuss about it afterwards, choosing instead the common refrain that it was one of many mistakes made that led to the final outcome.

“Danny had already given me a warning about how I was setting the picks,” Garnett said. “I’m going to continue to set picks. I’m going to continue to get guys open. That wasn’t, to me, the game. We did things going up to that point in determining the game.”

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Hawks Owner Calls Garnett “The Dirtiest Player In The League”

May 10, 2012  ·  8:59AM





HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – Not that this series needed any more fire, but those passionate fans the Hawks will see in Boston tonight got a little extra incentive from Atlanta.

When Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon called Celtics forward Kevin Garnett the “dirtiest player in the league” during a speech Wednesday, he tossed even more kindling onto an already raging fan fire.

It doesn’t matter that most of those fans in Boston wouldn’t be able to pick Gearon out of a lineup, or that his comments were supposedly made “off the record” during a luncheon sponsored by an Atlanta-based non-profit organization.

All anyone will know by tipoff of Game 6 tonight in Boston is that the other team’s owner called out the guy universally regarded as the emotional heart and soul of the Celtics the night before they have a chance to close out the Hawks and move on to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

And now that it’s all out there, courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s D. Orlando Ledbetter, a NFL writer who happened to be in attendance at the luncheon, it gives the Hawks yet another mess to deal with on the day of what is no doubt the biggest game of their season. Check out exactly what the AJC reports that Gearon said and decide for yourself how big a mess this is:

On media coverage of Hawks’ playoff series against the Celtics

“Did you see what Al Horford did last night? The timeline for recovery for his injury is another three months. He’s not even supposed to be playing and Josh [Smith] should not be playing.Zaza [Pachulia] can’t stand up, but if we can get past this round there is a chance that we can get him back. So this is a team that is overcoming adversity. I wish . . . some of the national media or even some of the local media, more the paper than the TV guys, recognize how hard these guys are playing based on how injured they are.

“On top of all that, we don’t get any calls, which I know everybody always hears. But I’ll give you a stat. Last night, we are playing this old physical team. They are old. I know what happens when you play basketball, old guys foul. [Kevin] Garnett is the dirtiest guy in the league. We are playing Boston last night and they had two fouls the whole first half. We had five times that and we’re athletic.”

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Hawks Survive For Another Day

May 9, 2012  ·  6:27AM





HANG TIME PLAYOFF HEADQUARTERS – Survival came in the form of a furious 6-foot-10, 245-pound package for the Atlanta Hawks. You might remember him. His name is Al Horford. He’d been missing from the scene for months, stuck on the Hawks’ bench in a suit, courtesy of a torn pectoral muscle that cost the All-Star center all but 11 regular season games.

Horford made up for lost time Tuesday night, though, scoring the final four points and saving the Hawks’ season with a last second defensive stop on Rajon Rondo to preserve his team’s 87-86 win over the Boston Celtics to push this series to a Game 6 Thursday night in Boston.

Rondo’s steal of a Josh Smith inbounds pass intended for Joe Johnson with 9.5 seconds to play was thwarted when Horford closed off all driving lanes on the sideline in front of the Hawks’ bench. Rondo lost his dribble and then flung a pass to Kevin Garnett that Smith batted out of bounds before laying his head on the scorer’s table, knowing full well that Horford had just saved him from being the Hawks’ playoff goat.

In his first full-game action in four months, Horford battled his way to 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assist, three steals and three blocks. It helped the Hawks stave off elimination and provided their fans a glimmer of hope that the home-court advantage Horford’s teammates earned in his absence might still be available for use by the weekend.

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Who Is Your Coach Of The Year?

April 26, 2012  ·  11:44AM





HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – Don’t take our word for it — one of the greatest coaches of all time thinks Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ranks among the best of the best.

Larry Brown (above) speaks glowingly about the job Popovich has done throughout his career. And much like NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner, we think this season has been one of Pop’s best ever (not that he cares what we or anyone else in the media thinks). Good enough to edge reigning Coach of The Year Tom Thibodeau for the honor this season.

There were a number of strong candidates in addition to Popovich and Thibodeau. Frank Vogel guided the Pacers to a top three seed in the Eastern Conference. Doc Rivers revived the Celtics from an early season funk and finished with the Atlantic Division title. Scott Brooks has led Oklahoma City to the top of the Western Conference heap, a hair behind Pop’s Spurs. And you know we couldn’t forget our guy Lionel Hollins and the job he did with the Hang Time Grizzlies this season.

And those are just the guys who made the final cut.

If you had to choose, who gets the hardware?:


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