- Glen Davis is going to get paid a HUGE contract next year, and then shoot .300. I say this not because I’m bitter, but because we’ve seen it oh so many times. Great shot, kid. Great shot.
- The Celtics shot 53% from the field, shot only one fewer free throw, got 39 from Pierce and Allen, got 21 from Glen freaking Davis, managed to not foul anyone out, and got a way with a world of flops.
- The Magic shot 40% from the field, 19% from the arc, even though they had open looks all night, SVG played Rafer Alston when he was a -14734834347347384374 for the game, did not play Gortat more than 9:32, Howard had foul trouble, Hedo had a wretched night, and Redick was 0-5 from the arc.
- And the Boston Celtics needed a desperation, 18 foot jumper from Tons of Fun to win the game.
- There are two ways to look at this. Either this Boston Celtics team possesses a greatness that cannot be defined, that just finds a way to win, that never gets up and will always get big contributions from role players, and has juevos of titanium steel alloy, or…
- The Orlando Magic gave this one away, and there’s no way what occurs tonight is repeated, the Magic have way too much ammo, and this was the Celtics last night in victory.
- I lean towards the latter.
- The Magic played horrible. I predicted a 15 point Boston win last night and again today, and when the Celtics went up by 9 in the third, I was sure it was over. But Boston let them back in it, because the Magic have too much firepower. Thankfully for the C’s, the triggers were off, and Orlando can’t do anything the easy way.
- SVG gets this loss. No question. He buried this team. He overplayed Rafer Alston, who somehow managed to miss runners, jumpers, three pointers, one handers, two handers, gimmes, tough shots, and granny shots. Yet SVG kept going to him. At what point is SVG going to realize that his best chance to win is Lee, Hedo, Lewis, Gortat and Howard? He lets the Boston bigs double team Howard, then refuses to give Gortat the chance to play cleanup man. He watches Alston kill possessions, with the Celtics giving him shots and him still missing, and yet sticks with him over Anthony Johnson. The pride of coaches in the playoffs just floors me. This one is on you, Stan Van Gundy.
- The Celtics did some neat things to get Allen sprung tonight. He didn’t have a huge night and missed some daggers, but had a pretty good night and kept them honest. They were running pick and pops with him and Pierce, making them decide which poison to drink.
- Perkins did a fantastic job on Howard tonight. The refs let him shove Howard away from the basket, and when they stopped, he just played smart defense and got the stops. Also hit a few drop hooks that should have been in the third row.
- Hedo was horrible tonight, in every conceivable way. The Celtics are in his head a little bit, flashing at him and making him question his dribble.
- Courtney Lee needs to do a better job of not second guessing shots and taking the three. He’s got the trigger. They’re not going to get there in time, kid.
- Glen Davis. Really? That’s the answer?
- I really thought Boston would put away this game more convincingly, but a win’s a win. I like Orlando in Game 5 on the road.
- Pierce looked healthier than I’ve seen him this offseason. He attacked the basket, hit shots, and when he hit the pivot, I wasn’t afraid his knee was going to buckle.
- The Magic have all the pieces of a killer ultra-long, hyper-athletic lineup. Then SVG gets involved and we get Alston-Pietrus-Hedo-Battie-Howard/Gortat lineups. If SVG can learn to harness what’s referred to in some circles as “playing the talented players” then they can win this thing. If he sticks to his guns, the Magic are going home and Boston will lose to Cleveland in 2.5 games. Glen Davis will not be getting that shot versus Cleveland’s D.
- Glen Davis may show up to camp at 300 lbs with all the bacon that new contract is going to buy him.
- And he can throw away all the kids he wants.
The Taste Is In The Gristle: Celtics at Magic, Game 4
As a Celtics fan, it's really satisfying to see what Doc Rivers is doing this season. A lot of people were questioning him in Boston a couple of years ago (with Pierce hurt, that team was wretched, although I loved watching them). Then last year everyone said that "anybody could coach this team". This year, he has been phenomenal, and it has been great to see him completely outcoach VDN and SVG. I think he will outcoach Mike Brown too, but it won't lead to a win, so I guess maybe he won't. It all depends on whether or not outcoaching hinges on the outcome.
Alston hasn't been the 'pass first, shoot second ' player as Magic expected (I believe) from him. That would have made such a big difference in all postseason games.
Wow, Matt. Sounds like you lost some money on this one.
Seems to me that Davis has played rather remarkably in relief of Garnett.
Just as it seems rather embarrassing to me that the Magic just can't seem to put away an NBA team whose GM is so full of himself that he built a bench full of NBDL wannabes, thinking he could ride his starters to a championship. Five on nine and you lose? Really rather embarrassing for the Magic, if you ask me.
Or maybe it's just that the Magic don't have an earthly clue about shot selection. Or that Howard's offensive game off the low block was shut down last night by Perkins, who's actually been the Celtics' best player in the series.
"The more I've rewatched the Davis play a lot, and looked at the numbers. It's time to just admit Davis is a legit threat."
All is forgiven! (Seriously, thanks.)
The officiating last night, for the record, sucked. There was enough suck to go around for both teams. Having watched the replay a few times: Davis tossed in a moving pick on the final play. Not anything that you won't see in the final seconds of every tight game, but yeah. Pierce had a phantom fifth foul. So it goes.
I am not making any bets on the next three games.
Ray Allen had a pretty good night? 12 points on 0-5 from three isn't a pretty good night from an all-star. Furthermore, Paul Pierce was the recipient of the phantom fifth foul call, which rendered him useless on defense for the remainder of the game, and stymied the Celtics' fourth quarter offensive run. I chalk this article up to bitterness.
There are many better places to read about how this was a Magic flop, not a Celtics victory.
Your Celtics hate is showing again. :-P
"Glen Davis. Really? That's the answer?"
Yes. Especially when he's averaging 16ppg in the playoffs on (what seems to be) primarily mid range jumpshots and he's wide open.
Yep. If Perkins is hurt, it's not happening.
Ball Don't Lie notes that Davis made 23 of 45 shots from that spot over the course of the season, btw. It was not a random desperation shot. The Celtics are one of the teams with a full time stats guy -- they know where to put their personnel for the high percentage final shot, and they do it.
more than a little bit of bitterness.
"Hate Davis. So much. He's going to hit 1 of 10 from there next year."
yeah we'll see-your predictions are about as accurate as ticket stub's listed weight.
one point game, no one seems to mention rondo's goal tend that wasnt called and foyles goal tend that was called and wasnt one
Indeed, Bryant. And the Magic may have a lot of ammo, but each team has been blown out by the other once in this series, and the two of the last three games are in Boston. Anything could happen, I think.
Unless Perkins is hurt. Then it's ovah.
I'm with you on the Magic lineup, though, Mr. Moore. Van Gundy should go big. That lineup of giants would be a lot of fun.
I'm thinking it might be a bit of bitterness. Just a tad.
The Celtics won because Paul Pierce has evolved into the kind of player who can be red hot all night and still recognize that he should dish off to the third option. Lots of other parts to this story, but in the final moment, that's what happened and that's why they won.
LeBron mothaf*ckin' James, y'all. Discuss.
I thought you might enjoy this video of the Big Baby shot captured in one of those Where Amazing Happens commercials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD4V4XAyT7U&fmt=18