Hopefully this will be just what the Celtics need to get focused.
Look, this was a great game, and that's why you should feel good if you're a Celtics fan. Some analysts are saying it was the greatest opening playoff game they can remember, which is strange because I just found it incredibly frustrating. Really, with the way they were playing, the Celtics had no business being in this one. They could not have played worse. And yet, they were one missed free throw away from taking it.
Really, think about that game. Ray Allen turned in one of the worst performances of his career. 1-12 shooting, 4 points, and uncharacteristically sloppy play. Ray missed a dunk! Ray Allen, who is smoother than a fucking silk diaper on a baby's ass, clanged a dunk. Overall, 4-16 from beyond the arc yesterday for the Celtics, who were the the league's top three point shooting team this season. No mystery here, the Celtics struggle when they don't shoot well (see rough January stretch after Christmas loss to Lakers).
Glen Davis only had 3 rebounds, and that makes it hard to feel good about his scoring. The C's were outrebounded in this one (the margin was only 8 but it seemed like more). Leon Powe went virtually unnoticed, which can't happen if we are going to have any hope of making it to the Cavs.
Defensively, this was a lazy, uninspired nightmare. They were horrible in transition, and Joakim Noah reaped the benefits. Derrick Rose pushed the tempo, and the Celtics had no answer. They couldn't keep Rose in front of them, and they really struggled against the pick and roll (I'm sure they heard about that from KG immediately). I'm not too concerned here. Tom Thibodeau will make adjustments.
OK, so this was a full-blown disaster. The Celtics struggled in all areas. And, Derrick Rose turned in a perfect game. And yet, if Paul Pierce hits his last free throw with 2 seconds left, the Celtics take the game. When you take all of that into account, how could you be worried? Disappointed? Of course. That was a pretty anti-climactic way to start off the playoffs, particularly at home. If this were March Madness, we'd be devastated. But, it's not. It's a 7 game series, and I don't think the Bulls can pull this off again.
Some final loose thoughts:
- The one pleasant aspect of this matchup was watching Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo go at each other. Brilliant performances turned in by both of these guys. I can't even count how many times in the fourth quarter Rose made me say to myself "jesus, there is no fucking way we are beating this guy today." He played a perfect game.
- I am probably in the minority here, but I was impressed with Stephon Marbury's ten minutes. He was finding good, open looks for his teammates. They just weren't knocking them down.
- Kirk Hinrich is still impressive to watch defensively. He kept Rondo in front of him, and he even did a good job on Pierce.
- The Bulls, in general, did a good job denying Pierce the ball. He kept getting the ball outside the three point line. This is going to have to be remedied. In particular, they need to figure out how to get Paul the ball down low when Hinrich is on him.
- Derrick Rose shooting free throws with ten seconds left on an off the ball foul.........questionable. I might not be bringing it up if Bennett Salvatore was not officiating (we know he has NO PROBLEM putting guys on the line at the end of big games), or if Rondo hadn't chased down a loose ball and been clobbered by three Bulls without a whistle, or if a travel call on Salmons hadn't just been reversed. Whatever, I said it. The Celtics didn't deserve the win, so I'm not blaming anybody. But, it had to be said.
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