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Post Ups Powered By
Peter Stringer and Marc D'Amico "post" the latest from practice and pre-game media sessions in Celtics.com's Post Ups notebook. Bookmark this page and come back for updates from the Garden and Waltham. You can send them .
Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author exclusively and do not necessarily represent those of the Boston Celtics.
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Friday, May 18 - Game 4 – Celtics at 76ers
Friday, May 18 - Game 4 – Pregame with Doc
Doc Rivers met the media before Game 4, and his point was simple: The Celtics haven’t accomplished anything yet, despite holding a 2-1 lead over the Sixers.
After all, given that the Celtics have played two games in Boston and one game in Philadelphia, on paper, this is exactly where the series is supposed to be. But a win tonight could really change all of that quickly, especially with a potential elimination game in Boston Monday if the Celtics can get the win in Philly tonight.
“This is a big game. After three games, this is as close of a series as it could be,” Rivers said. “We haven’t really done anything yet and that’s one of the things I tried to tell our guys. Something has to give tonight and we’re hoping we can make some room for ourselves.”
Rivers was asked qute a bit about Rondo, whom he called “as smart a player as I’ve ever been around.” He noted Rondo’s penchant for gambling for steals on the defensive end, but loves how in sync he can be when they’re both thinking about calling the same play.
Rivers said that the Celtics are at their best when Rondo has the team running but is still able to keep the team executing its half court offense as well.
“It’s just rhythm for him. It’s not even a pace, I can’t explain what it is,” Rivers said. “But when we have transition and execution going we’re a very good team. When we have one going we’re not. It’s a very fine line.”
Thursday, May 17 - Off Day Media Session
PHILADELPHIA – The Celtics canceled practice on Thursday afternoon, but to fulfill league obligations, the team still met with the media, taking questions outdoors in a courtyard at the team hotel downtown.
It was a more casual setting than usual, without a basketball in sight, and the interviews were pretty short and sweet. Doc Rivers met with the media even earlier than expected, and Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett did a rare combo interview, standing side-by-side.
If you’re looking for new storylines during an off day in the middle of a playoff series, you’re going to be largely disappointed. The team had a brief film session today, but there wasn’t much to talk about that wasn’t already covered in postgame Wednesday night.
The most interesting nugget from today’s session? Ray Allen told reporters that Kevin Garnett thinks the team has to work harder to get Allen involved. For his part, though, Allen, who scored just three points on one field goal attempt and one free throw in the Game 3 blowout win over the Sixers, isn’t concerned with his own box score line.
“I looked at him and said, ‘Kevin, you’re the guy who’s scoring and we just won by 20 (sic).’ I don’t need to, for the sake of my ego, or anything like that. Let’s just keep doing what we’re doing,” Allen said, noting that the Celtics have been able to exploit Garnett’s matchups throughout the series.
The other thing Allen noted was that the Celtics need to work harder at coming out the gates strong when the ball tips off, pointing to slow starts in Game 1 versus Atlanta and Games 1 and 2 against Philadelphia as problematic.
“We can’t walk into a series or a game thinking ‘This team is going to bow down to us.’ Everybody is here and everybody knows that they can win and move on,” Allen said. “We have to continue to feel as though we have to be the aggressors and we have to attack.”
As for Rajon Rondo, who had a dominant performance orchestrating the offense Wednesday night, he said he’s not sure what to expect from the Sixers in terms of how they defend him. “Evan Turner’s been checking me and that’s not a normal matchup,” Rondo said.
“Who knows, but we’ll be ready.”
Wednesday, May 16 - Game 3 – Celtics at 76ers
Celtics 107, 76ers 91
Feature Stories:
Star Trio Helps Celtics Find Their Way
Pierce’s Aggression Sparks Game 3 Rout
Game Links:
Wednesday, May 16 - Game 3 – Shootaround Update
PHILADELPHIA – After a travel day on Tuesday that included some film work and a flight to Philadelphia, Doc Rivers told reporters at Wednesday’s morning shootaround at the Wells Fargo Center that everyone is good to go for tonight.
With the series tied 1-1, the Celtics face the prospect of falling behind 2-1 should they lose tonight on the road. Rivers knows a few things need to change about the team’s offense for it to avoid that fate and take back home court advantage.
“We have to be more aggressive offensively. We have to get to the basket. I thought Game 1 and Game 2, we were basically taking jump shots,” Rivers said when asked about the third quarter of Game 2 when the Celtics shot just 4-for-17 from the field. “Nine free throws at home? That should never happen.”
Paul Pierce took eight free throws by himself in Game 1, and the team shot 19 overall in the first game, but they’ve launched 32 3-point field goal attempts over the first two games of the series.
Part of the issue is that Paul Pierce’s mobility has been drastically limited by his nagging left MCL sprain. Rivers said that the team might have to think about changing how they use Pierce and get him the ball, because he “can’t get away from anybody.” Rivers suggested the team may try to run him off more screens and pin-downs the way they get Ray Allen open, but he admitted that he’s not sure if that will be effective either.
“We hope,” Rivers said when asked about Pierce’s ability to get free off of screens. “The other way (to get him the ball) is the post.”
As for getting Kevin Garnett more invovled earlier in the game, Rivers said he’s more interested in getting KG touches than shots. “He has to get touches. If he gets touches and they trap, someone else is going to get a shot,” Rivers said. “If he gets touches and they don’t trap, then he’s going to get shots.”
Avery Bradley said he’s “trying not to think about” his pesky left shoulder, which has developed a penchant for dislocating itself. And he’s not worrying about whether he’ll need offseason surgery to correct the problem.
“As of right now, I’m just rehabbing and trying to get it stronger,” Bradley said.
Ray Allen, who connected on two of his six attempts from downtown in Game 2, isn’t out of the woods with his ankle either, but he’s set to play again tonight. He said he briefly considered going for a run on the treadmill at the team hotel on Tuesday, but erred on the side of caution.
Monday, May 14 - Game 2 – 76ers at Celtics
76ers 82, Celtics 81
Feature Stories:
Celtics Battling Injuries As Playoffs Roll On
Game Links:
Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Pregame – Rivers Expects Adjustments from Philly
We’re back at it again for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics will host the 76ers at 7 p.m. tonight in TD Garden, a rare time frame for a basketball game in Boston. This will be the first non-Sunday game of the season that will be played this early in the day in the Garden.
Hopefully that half hour doesn’t throw the Celtics off and they come into this game with the fury they finished Saturday’s Game 1 with. Doc Rivers is certainly ready for this one and understands the importance of Game 2.
“I just think each game is a beast of its own and you just focus on that game,” he said. “Game 1 was the most important game, and now Game 2 is.”
Rivers expects this to be a battle yet again, and he also expects some adjustments to come from Philadelphia.
The Sixers were torched by Kevin Garnett in Game 1. He shot a ridiculous 12-of-20 from the floor en route to a game-high 29 points. Although Doug Collins said after that game that he will not change his defensive strategy against Garnett and the C’s, Rivers might have called his bluff.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go early,” Rivers said of Philly’s defense on Garnett. “In game 2 and 3 in the regular season they trapped him in the post right on the catch and they didn’t the other night. So I would assume that they would get back to doing that most likely, for sure.”
If Philadelphia does make such an adjustment, expect Garnett to rack up far more than the one assist he accumulated in Game 1. That is, of course, if the rest of his teammates can the open looks that he gets them.
The one man to keep an eye on if the Sixers make such an adjustment is Paul Pierce. Pierce struggled with his shot in Game 1, making just three of his 11 attempts, and he clearly did not have much lift on those shots. He is playing through a sprained left knee but had the day off yesterday and it has been eight days since he originally suffered the injury. Maybe, with a little assistance from Garnett, tonight will be his night.
Saturday, May 12 - Game 1 – 76ers at Celtics
76ers 91, Celtics 92
Feature Stories:
Rivers’ Genius Leads to Celtics Victory
KG-Rondo Tag Team Carries C’s in Game 1
Game Links:
Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Pregame – Rivers, Collins Chat About Their Teams
The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers are set to tip off their Conference Semifinals series in just less than an hour, and we just popped back from speaking to both coaches about what we as fans will be seeing.
Doug Collins, who spoke first, gave several reasons why this Sixers team is far different than the one the Celtics saw in the regular season. As he stated, “My young guys are growing up.”
The numbers he cited back that statement up. Collins notified reporters that his team was 2-18 in the regular season during games in which it scored less than 90 points. The Sixers have flipped that script in the postseason, going 2-1 in such games.
In addition to learning how to win low-scoring games, Philadelphia has also mastered the ability to win the fourth quarter. Collins was informed by one of his old TNT colleagues that the 76ers are the only team in the postseason that has outscored its opponent in every single fourth quarter it has played in. That’s an impressive stat.
Doc Rivers wasn’t interested in throwing out numbers about his team. Instead, he told the media what his team needs to do to win this series.
“Philly really needs to run. It’s more of a ‘they’re going to force it down your throat’ thing,” Rivers said. “Listen, if it’s a track meet it’s not going to be good for us.”
That message has been consistent since Thursday night, when the Celtics found out they’d be taking on the Sixers in this round. Boston would love to keep its turnover number around 10 throughout this series. Keep an eye on the team’s main ballhandlers, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce, and their ability to make good decisions.
Thursday, May 10 - Game 6 – Hawks at Celtics
Hawks 80, Celtics 83
Feature Stories:
Beating the Odds: Celtics Moving On
Fired Up KG Carries C’s to Second Round
Game Links:
Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Pregame – Doc Talks Pierce Injury
As we all know by now, Paul Pierce is playing the final games of Boston’s first-round series against the Hawks with a hampered left knee. The team released more information on the injury today, saying that his left medial collateral ligament is sprained.
Pierce played well in Game 4 despite the injury. He scored 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field in less than 17 minutes. That’s a pretty incredible feat in an NBA Playoffs game.
Game 5 was quite different. Pierce had absolutely no lift on his jumper and wound up shooting a woeful 7-for-17 in that game. Sadly, it doesn’t sound like he’s feeling much better heading into tonight’s contest.
“Pretty much the same,” Doc Rivers said before tonight’s game. “He said he had a little more life, just energy-wise, but the knee feels the same.“
Most would think that such a fact means that Pierce will absolutely struggle again tonight the way he did Tuesday night in Atlanta. His coach, however, feels quite different.
“He’s a scorer,” Rivers said. “I think Paul can score in any situation.”
Still, though, Rivers and the rest of the Celtics will do everything they can to help Pierce out on the floor tonight. Pierce won’t be able to do it on his own tonight, so Rivers will try to figure out how to put his captain in good positions on the floor, though he might not figure that out until the flow of the game has been established.
“For us, we just have to figure out the most effective way for him to be effective,” Rivers remarked. “And the only way we’re going to know that is with the game being played.”
Tuesday’s game was played for 48 minutes and the team couldn’t figure out how to get its top scorer heavily involved. The hope is that tonight will be a different story, or this series might be heading to do-or-die status in a Game 7.
Wednesday, May 9 - Game 5 – Celtics at Hawks
Celtics 86, Hawks 87
Feature Stories:
Hollins Finally Making Presence Felt
Game Links:
Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Sunday, May 6 - Game 4 – Hawks at Celtics
Hawks 79, Celtics 101
Feature Stories:
Tranquil Rondo Leads Celtics Again
Pierce Buries Hawks Despite Wounded Knee
Game Links:
Ford Keys to the Game | Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Pregame – Allen, Bradley Both Playing in Game 4
The Celtics won Game 3 Friday night but headed into the weekend unsure of what its shooting guard position would look like when Game 4 arrived. Now they know exactly what that position looks like, and it’s about as good as they could have hoped.
Ray Allen, who returned from an 11-game absence to log 36 minutes Friday night, is active and will play again tonight. He said the right ankle was in a lot of pain all day yesterday but when he woke up this morning he was in a much better place.
“I woke up this morning and I was back right where I hoped I would be,” Allen said.
Boston will also have the services of Avery Bradley, who was questionable heading into tonight’s game after suffering a left shoulder injury Friday night. The shoulder popped out of its socket and prevented him from returning to action. However, Bradley worked out on the parquet floor about 90 minutes before tip-off and team doctor Brian McKeon liked what he saw, giving the shooting guard the thumbs up to participate in Game 4.
Having both of those players available is a huge plus for the C’s. It gives Doc Rivers his scoring guard, Allen, and his defensive guard, Bradley. That’s not a good thing for the Hawks, to say the least.
The fact that Allen is playing tonight is somewhat surprising, but his comments before this game were even more surprising. Just more than a week ago Allen told reporters that the ankle would need surgery this offseason. That thought process shifted gears over the past 48 hours, an indication that the all-time 3-point king is rapidly progressing.
“Based on how I feel now and where my body is, I’ll revisit having X-Rays and MRIs when it’s over with and I’ll make an assessment then,” Allen said of a possible surgery. “If I continue on this track and I know I’m getting better, then I don’t need to have surgery if it’s not necessary.”
