This is going to be more of a war than a series. The first battle went to the Celtics tonight. The Sixers blew an opportunity to steal game one on the road, but this is far from a death knell. This was the Sixers setting the tone and showing the Celtics they're in for a fight. This was also 36 minutes for Kevin Garnett, 39 minutes for Paul Pierce and 40 minutes for Rajon Rondo, to hold serve. As the road team, you want to split the first two games. It's just going to have to happen in game two. (
game capsule)
Here's your rotation chart. Note the ends of the quarters, and the horrid performance of a couple of questionable lineups Collins threw out there:
First things first: Elton Brand, where the hell are you? This disappearing act cannot continue. The interior defense is much appreciated, but you have to do more. Unfortunately, Brand wasn't the only guy who played horribly tonight. Jrue's jumper was as off as I've ever seen it, had he hit half of the wide-open looks he got, this game isn't even close late.
The blame certainly doesn't stop with those two, but I think they're two guys this team relies on for heavy minutes and production, and it just wasn't there tonight. For me, this loss came down to Doc Rivers doing a better job with in-game adjustments than Doug Collins. Even Turner killed the Celtics in the first half, he was a non-factor after the break. Whether that was the fault of Turner, Collins or the adjustment Rivers made to put Avery Bradley on him is anyone's guess, but Rivers made a change and achieved the desired result. Collins didn't have a counter.
On the floor, the game was probably decided during Lou Williams' meltdown in the fourth quarter. I'm not going to crucify Collins for bringing Lou in at that point, the offense was sputtering and Jrue just wasn't getting the job done. As for Lou, well, these two series have been extremely discouraging. Of all the players on the Sixers, Lou seems to be the one guy who doesn't realize this isn't the regular season anymore. For some reason, he seems to think he's going to get those same touch fouls called in the playoffs. He seems to think defenders aren't going to challenge his shots on the break. He's playing way too slow, consistently eschewing potential transition opportunities to walk the ball up, and he's playing way too soft. On the defensive end, well, lazy doesn't begin to describe it. Lou needs a wake-up call, because the team needs production from him.
So they had a chance to grab home-court advantage in game one. They didn't. They have another chance less than 48 hours from now. I don't want to hear anything about how you can't lose game one like that, because the fact of the matter is you can. Losing game one on the road is what's supposed to happen. It's water under the bridge, the only thing that matters now is game two. Get that one and you go swing the series.
Player of The Game: First half it would've been Turner, hands down. If you're looking at the game as a whole, Iguodala probably had the biggest impact on both ends, but I'm going with Hawes. He had some absolutely huge hoops in the second half and challenged a bunch of shots at the rim. Had they won, it would've been because of his effort. Also, don't forget Lavoy. Huge contribution from those two guys tonight, almost enough to make up for the vacuum created by Thad and Brand doing nothing.
Series: 0-1.
Next Game:, Monday night, at Boston.
Ugh, you just can't lose game one like that. Disgusting.
Column (with Evan Turner postgame video): Sixers let one slip away with inability to score at the end:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/sports_columnists/tom_moore/sixers-let-one-slip-away/article_ed226307-d5e9-5cb6-ab12-b495a2c0b83f.html
I like your positive take, Brian. Reading all the articles this morning and all the negativity in them is not what I saw last night.
We were getting good shots all night and Garnett won't make that many long jumpers all series. If Spencer or Jrue hit one more jumper we win. The young kids, Spencer and Lavoy included, are growing up before our eyes.
yea but the rest of the Celtics probably won't play as badly as they did for most of the game either. i don't see how you beat Boston in a 7 game series without winning a game like last night's.
Admittedly I only watched the first half. I just felt they were going to lose the way the first half ended.
But though they only got 20 FT's in the game, that's just going to have to improve. Poor FT shooting is why you lose close games sometimes. 70% is unacceptable.
I only expected the Sixers to win one of two in Boston. What I took away from this game was that I believe the Sixers are the better team and still expect they win the series. Boston was fortunate to win. DC needs to manage the game more closely when the Sixers have the lead. He talked about 4 straight bad offensive possessions. It's his job to make certain that doesn't happen. Stop the clock after.the second bad possession, call a play and/or make a substitution to fix it. No one would have had to tell Billy Cunnungham to do that - or Doc Rivers for that matter.
There are a lot of encouraging signs in this one. The Sixers lost at the end of the game because they forced Rondo to make jumpers, which he made. Let's see him do that three more times.
They really need to attack Rondo on that end of the floor too, especially when they get him on Turner. ET just bullied him a couple of times.
It really isn't that Lou is missing shots that bothers me. That's whatever. I just can't take Low IQ and lazy B.S. in the playoffs. The game probably swung when Bradley blocked his shot. Did he not see Bradley lining him up from half court? Lou drove in like there was nobody there. I believe Thad was running with him on the break too so that was obviously an option, but Lou's non-existent court vision hurt them again. I feel like they are going to need Lou to put them over the top to win a game, but man, he can't have a meltdown that coughs one up.
The switch to put Brabley on Turner was a good move for the C's. Turner chose to start his offense 20 ft from the basket allowing Bradley to use his quickness to bother his dribble. Turner just needs to get the ball within 12 feet and use his height/strenght to score.
As we have debated much over the last two playoff series (I'm including Miami), Thad had very tough match-ups and played rather soft. This series though...Thad has a real opportunity to get that consistency and swagger back he had throughout the regular season. Thad poses big time match-up problems for the Celtics. They had nobody who could stay in front of him yesterday. I would like to see Doug consider starting Thad at the PF, Lavoy at C, Iggy, Jrue, and ET to round it out.
Watching the Clippers game. I used to enjoy watching CP3, but his never ending flopping makes him an-watchable.
Certain players reach a point in their career where they get so focused on officiating that they are painful to watch. I remember Barkley at one point of his career routinely holding the ball 10 sec every possession and screaming for illegal defense calls. It was ugly.
Agreed. And if Blake Griffins behavior to this point in his career are any indicators, he is going to take whining for calls to a new level.
And it is interesting the differences between a guy who is good at drawing a foul by getting a step and leaning in for contact or a good ball fake (Paul Pierce, Andre Miller, etc) and those that just try and steal a call by kicking out their legs or falling for no reason.
It is one think to draw attention when you are fouled. It is another to try and cheat by pretending there was a foul that is a complete flop.
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/39096/the-2012-all-flop-teams
Game 1 reminded me of a younger, inexperienced boxer going up against an older, wiser one, with the older one having better technique but less energy. Often in that type of match, the older fighter will pick his spots, trying to steal rounds by flurrying in the last 30 seconds of each round (after having done little in the first 2:30), and he will also come on strong in the last 2-3 rounds of the fight. There are times when the younger fighter builds up enough of an early lead that the older fighter's late rally isn't enough. Other times, the older fighter just schools the younger one. And still other times, the younger fighter dominates and just makes the older fighter look old. As much as I hope for the 3rd scenario in this series, I see it wavering between the 1st and the 2nd. Game 2 will tell a lot about the rest of the series.
Good analogy. I worry if Bass and others start hitting long jumpers that the Sixers are conceding then it could spell serious trouble in game 2.
I think the Celts should be worried about what it'll look like if Jrue, Brand and Thad contribute even a little bit in game 2.
Does either team really have a higher ceiling? The common retort is that the C's won't shoot 2-18 from deep again, but I would gladly challenge Rondo and Bradley (0-7 combined) to keep trying to improve that number. Also, Ray Allen isn't going to suddenly overcome his bone spurs until he has surgery. I still hold my breath every time he got the ball with room off a screen, but I don't forsee a vintage game a la Garnett's herculean effort yesterday.
The 6ers flaws are well documented. Collins has to trust his D to close out quarters and halfs with stops.
Sunday video: Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young on their respective injuries and limited roles in the Game 1 loss to the Celtics:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/sports_columnists/tom_moore/sixers-brand-young/youtube_f7dfc707-9553-54b1-a057-87e9603422d7.html
I would have played Lavoy more late in the game. I realize that the Celtics were going small, but as Brian pointed out, Brand and Thad were doing nothing, and countering with a Lavoy/Hawes front court may have forced the Celtics to adjust and go bigger.
Man, that one still hurts. Bad.
Pacers looking good against the Heat. Very deep team with good defenders, and now Bosh injured.
Story (with Lavoy Allen video): Allen keeps surprising Sixers:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/sixers/allen-keeps-surprising-sixers/article_dd1ea278-e379-5de5-8f62-0a8ed65fe72a.html
Notes story (with Brand, Young video): Sixers looking for more from Brand, Young:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/sixers/philadelphia-looking-for-more-from-brand-young/article_95d7d13d-6a67-5b03-9276-b68e724d102e.html
Wonder if we can get Jrue and Evan to play well in the same game, I don't really see Boston having an answer for that, a la game 2 in Chicago.