Friday, March 10, 2006
Jack Sikma Would Be Proud
Tonight we witnessed the end of the magical ride. The Celtics were fully exposed as a weak interior team that cannot win unless Paul Pierce is on fire and the shots are falling from the outside. This may not be the end of the Celtics playoff ambitions for this year, but it speaks volumes about where we really are as a team. The reeling Bucks came in and got the win they needed, while the loosey-goosey Celtics giggled and ass-grabbed their way very nearly out of the postseason.
For a game with theoretically a lot riding on its outcome, it was sloppy and largely free of intensity or passion. For large stretches the Celtics forgot entirely about ball movement and took the first shot they saw, while the Bucks plugged away with no real urgency, content to keep it a tied game with 4 minutes left. Pierce then tried to take over and recreate his recent heroics but just looked godawful. He tossed up a few bad shots and culminated with a total choke job at the free throw line when he bricked the 1st of three free throws that together would have tied up the game. What killed the Celtics most, however, was that they played like sickly children on the boards and gave the Bucks far too many second chance opportunities.
On the player side of things, Gomes came back down to earth with 12/5, and generally got manhandled on the glass by Bogut and Magliore. Al Jefferson had a solid game in the first half and got progressively iffy as the game went on. Tony Allen appeared to regain some of his absent athleticism, but still gave his classic "1/2 man 1/2 brain damaged wolverine" effort. As always, Orien Greene gave me a classic headache.
Player of the Game - Andrew Bogut. Simply because at one point I heard someone yell, "let's go mates" in a sick Australian accent and I want to believe it was him being picked up by the courtside microphones. That's so cool. As far as his game is concerned, I'd be ripshit if I held the #1 pick in the draft and this slightly more skilled Scott Pollard was all I had to show for it, but he played decent (11/10) and helped the Bucks dominate the glass.
Hamcock - Brian Scalabrine. It was tempting to hit Pierce with it for his last minute follies, but I present it yet again to Scalaburine for what had to be one of the top 10 most remarkable plays of the season. At one point in the 4th quarter, he pulled down a defensive rebound but unable to control his bloated frame, he barreled over Orien Greene and knocked him into the front row, and as he himself started to fall TJ Ford stole the ball and went to the rim. Unbelievable. He's so destructive to the Celtics that I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with all that bad coke reaching the virgin nostrils of Len Bias. Ohhhhhh, tasteless. Sorry. Let's move on.
Quote of the Night - "Thank you," Gerald Green. In what has to be a first in the history of the league, cameras caught Gerald Green uttering these two simple words to the normally anonymous kid handing him a paper cup full of Gatorade. What, is he trying to win Celtic Cutsey Pooh of the Year from Delonte West? Sorry pal, Delonte the Spongebob Squarepants hugger is a future 1st ballot Cutsey Pooh Hall of Famer. Is he vying for inclusion on the CelticsDoom "All Gentle Team"? Sorry, Mike Olawakandi is still ahead of you. Anyway, no word on whether Gentle Gerald says "thank you" to those menaced by his aggressive attack mastiffs.
For a game with theoretically a lot riding on its outcome, it was sloppy and largely free of intensity or passion. For large stretches the Celtics forgot entirely about ball movement and took the first shot they saw, while the Bucks plugged away with no real urgency, content to keep it a tied game with 4 minutes left. Pierce then tried to take over and recreate his recent heroics but just looked godawful. He tossed up a few bad shots and culminated with a total choke job at the free throw line when he bricked the 1st of three free throws that together would have tied up the game. What killed the Celtics most, however, was that they played like sickly children on the boards and gave the Bucks far too many second chance opportunities.
On the player side of things, Gomes came back down to earth with 12/5, and generally got manhandled on the glass by Bogut and Magliore. Al Jefferson had a solid game in the first half and got progressively iffy as the game went on. Tony Allen appeared to regain some of his absent athleticism, but still gave his classic "1/2 man 1/2 brain damaged wolverine" effort. As always, Orien Greene gave me a classic headache.
Player of the Game - Andrew Bogut. Simply because at one point I heard someone yell, "let's go mates" in a sick Australian accent and I want to believe it was him being picked up by the courtside microphones. That's so cool. As far as his game is concerned, I'd be ripshit if I held the #1 pick in the draft and this slightly more skilled Scott Pollard was all I had to show for it, but he played decent (11/10) and helped the Bucks dominate the glass.
Hamcock - Brian Scalabrine. It was tempting to hit Pierce with it for his last minute follies, but I present it yet again to Scalaburine for what had to be one of the top 10 most remarkable plays of the season. At one point in the 4th quarter, he pulled down a defensive rebound but unable to control his bloated frame, he barreled over Orien Greene and knocked him into the front row, and as he himself started to fall TJ Ford stole the ball and went to the rim. Unbelievable. He's so destructive to the Celtics that I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with all that bad coke reaching the virgin nostrils of Len Bias. Ohhhhhh, tasteless. Sorry. Let's move on.
Quote of the Night - "Thank you," Gerald Green. In what has to be a first in the history of the league, cameras caught Gerald Green uttering these two simple words to the normally anonymous kid handing him a paper cup full of Gatorade. What, is he trying to win Celtic Cutsey Pooh of the Year from Delonte West? Sorry pal, Delonte the Spongebob Squarepants hugger is a future 1st ballot Cutsey Pooh Hall of Famer. Is he vying for inclusion on the CelticsDoom "All Gentle Team"? Sorry, Mike Olawakandi is still ahead of you. Anyway, no word on whether Gentle Gerald says "thank you" to those menaced by his aggressive attack mastiffs.
# posted by Dr. Chestnutt @ 10:54 PM 
