Both teams are looking alright coming out of the gates, Charlotte handed the weak 76ers a nice whooping last night whereas Boston suffered a heartbreaker against Detroit. Keys to the Game: FOR BOSTON- [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/brevin_knight.jpg[/imgr]1. Shut down Brevin Knight- Knight is averaging 11 assists per game coming into this one. The Celtics need to get a handle on his playmaking ability and try to hold him to 8 or less assists. Something that is very possible with defensive point guards like West and Greene on the Celtics side. [imgr]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/paul_pierce.jpg[/imgr]2. Score, score score!- The Celtics were known as a very strong offensive team with some defensive weaknesses last season. This year they got out to a great offensive start against New York, but only managed 81 against Detroit (however, they held Detroit to 82). Charlotte is no defensive dynamo, so Boston needs to fill it up tonight. Pierce should put up some big numbers on the offensive side tonight. [IMGr]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/emeka_okafor.jpg[/imgr] 3. Big defensive from the bigs- Okafor, usually known as a defensive player, is averaging 20 points per game from the PF and C positions. Blount, Lafrentz, Jefferson and Perkins need to gang up on him and stop the big guy from scoring against the Celtics. Primoz Brezec also had a strong offensive game against the 6ers, scoring from the inside, if our bigs can shut them down the C's don't have much to worry about. My prediction: Celtics 104 - Bobcats 92
My halftime observations: 1. Delonte is doing an excellent job at point right now. 2. Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis are an official two pronged scoring threat in the NBA. 3. This team is one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA. 4. Orien Greene's preseason play hasn't spilled over into his regular season. 5. Dan Dickau is a lot more experienced and therefore should be the backup point. 6. The overall quality of an away broadcast PALES in comparison to a home game. 7. Ray Felton is outta control like that 50 Cent song with Mobb Deep. 8. Brevin Knight is an assist machine, he makes the right play 85% of the time. 9. Kendrick Perkins, if he ever developed a stable offensive game, would be a beast in the Eastern Conference...he blocks, rebounds, passes and defends. 10. I HATE those damned TD Banknorth "We're fans, too" commercials...especially the one with the guy with the green headband that skyhooks the deposit into the bin from the car. Those teller chicks howling and high fiving make my eyes roll slowly to the back of my head. "That's my man!" WTF? One.
I love watching this team play. End of the third, and Al is ripping Charlotte a new one. It's been fun. Unfortunately, this is all I've gotten to watch. That said, great hustle, near as I can tell.
Oh no. Not again. Please don't let this damned game go into overtime with no Raef or Mark Blount available. One.
I guess we know how important Blount and Raef are. Doc did a great job of letting them play with 5 fouls so they could foul out nice and early. Hey, what can you do...one team was on the wrong side of a home/away back to back, and the other was opening up a new arena. It's still total garbage, though.
Great win for Charlotte. They caught a break when Jefferson choked at the end of regulation. The Bobcats still don't have a go-to guy, and it almost cost them the win tonight, but a win is a win.
With the past Hurricane here in MIA I just got my power back, and my computer works but my TV doesnt so I was forced to watch the play by play. Another heartbreaker for the Celtics, I thought we had it both games.(Pistons and Bobcats) Jefferson missed those costly free throws at the end witch killed us. Pierce had another great game with 32 points im pressed with his scoring so far this season, Also Ricky Davis played well got a double double. Hopefully the Celtics can get off this small losing streak when we play the Grizzlies.
Rough rough game. It was extremely difficult to watch another game like this. I'm just plain infuriated with Doc right now. I can't believe how poorly Doc has run this bench.
Is it just me or do we take way too many jumpers namely paul and ricky in overtime-How many times did I see both of them take fallaway jumpers when there was no one on them? Paul has to realize that at the end of a game the refs will give you the call if you are a so called "superstar" and for being agressive going to the hoop. This is the same problem we had last year. We took too many jumpers as a team. We settle too much and Im not going for it this year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting HASAN33:</div><div class="quote_post">Is it just me or do we take way too many jumpers namely paul and ricky in overtime-How many times did I see both of them take fallaway jumpers when there was no one on them? Paul has to realize that at the end of a game the refs will give you the call if you are a so called "superstar" and for being agressive going to the hoop. This is the same problem we had last year. We took too many jumpers as a team. We settle too much and Im not going for it this year.</div> I'm with you on the "too many jumpers deal," but the reason Paul doesn't go to the hoop in these instances is that refs have historically not given him calls. He's only doing what he is more certain will work. If I'm Paul, I don't go to the bucket either, he gets clobbered, and he doesn't get the calls. You can't play basketball as if you expect the ref to intervene. When you play offensive basketball, especially late in the game, you have to play like they aren't even there. Counting on a ref is Basketball 101, you just don't do it.
