| 26 November 2009
It's really a pity that, again, we couldn't finish the business, despite a nice game, vs a better team.
It's also a sign that we aren't good. We play well, fight hard, give everything we have, overcome serious problems (injuries etc), then we come to the final possesions, or even the last second shot, and we eventually lose. Without deserving it, perhaps.
A saying here goes like "one coincidence is just one coincidence, two coincidences are two coincidences, three coincidences are a circumstantial evidence". We lost in very similar ways against Cleveland, Washington, Boston: make it an evidence.
But I have to take my hat off to the ten Sixers that played in the 113-100 loss to the Celtics: it was a great, enjoyable show, that sadly had the usual end: fourth straight loss this season, sixth consecutive against Boston (this really sucks..).
Without Lou Williams (who will miss EIGHT WEEKS with the broken jaw !!), without Speights, without Brand (sore hamstring), Sixers played their butts off and gave a hard time to the Celtics, the team we all love to hate - and that will NOT win the title this year, but I'm digressing. I am proud of my guys.
After a balanced first half (51-52), a possessed Willie Green exploded in the third with 14 points (!): Sixers closed the quarter up six, 79-85, thanks mainly also to a stunning barrage brom behind the arc: we shot 10/14 as a team. If you rememeber, we hit one, meaningless three in the first game vs Boston (on 14 attempts), while they knocked down 14 (on 20)... This time Kapono (simply fantastic) & friends turned things around.
In the fourth, the-more-than-predictable Celtics' comeback came early. Three threes by House, Pierce and Rasheed sparked a 21-6 run, with Sixers shooting 1/7, Celtics 8/10: 100-91, that become 102-92 with 5.40 to play. But Sixers weren't ready to quit, and cut the deficit: 106-101 on Kapono's fourth trey of the night, then 107-105 with Iguodala (surprisingly) hitting both freebies with 1.20 left.
Then it came down to the final plays, and here we committed the mistakes that costed us the game. First Thad got his pocket picked by Rondo, then Iguodala was called for an offensive foul, a charge against Pierce, with 34 seconds left. That set the stage for Rondo's turnaround jumper that basically decided the game: 109-105 with 9 seconds to play.
I must say I saw ALL of these three plays coming, an ocean away. I'm saying this not to brag or anything, just stating a fact. Anyone familiar with the Sixers - and the Celtics, for that matter - knew that would have gone that way. The stupid turnover, the bad decision, the lucky/nice shot. Had Rondo taken the shot from behind the backboard, he would have made it. From the locker room? Same result.
Had any other Celtic taken the same shot, he would have hit it. Put there Shelden Williams, Scalabrine, Doc Rivers, Scott Wedman, Greg Kite, let them try, and they would have knocked down the fallaway jumper as the shot clock was expiring. It's because they are the Celtics, one of the luckiest teams in the history of sports, and they have made some billion shots like that, with any player, from HOFers to perennial bums, from Bird, Pierce, Ray Allen, to Milt effin' Palacio. And we helped them being in that situation, with the errors I mentioned. So praise them, blame ourselves also.
Clearly, Rajon Rondo was decisive in the fourth, scoring eight points and setting up extremely well his team mates: even Marquis Daniels (WAY overrated in my opinion, an average back up with no outside shot and few atheticism) made a couple of layups because Rondo found him all alone just under the rim (more after the jump).I think it was the small things that made us lose: six missed free throws in the fourth (one intentionally, by Kapono, that anyway had missed the first one unintentionally...), the turnovers in the final minute, some rushed shots, a couple of missed assignments that left their shooters wide open. All lessons that will (hopefully) be learned, part of the growing process. But we are five games under .500 now.
THREE ANSWERS
1) Yes, Garnett still loves to play the "tough guy" part but he's always the same jerk and looks like he lost a step, maybe two. He lived at the free throw line yesterday, and for sure he will still have a bunch of good games, but he's not a factor anymore. That's one of the reasons why Celtics will not go far in the playofs, I am 100% sure.
2) Yes, Eddie House is the new Rick Fox, it's confimed. I absolutely LOVE to hate this guy and I think I'll never stop, even if yesterday he was less annoying than usual. A piece of trash, nonetheless.
3) No, you can't blame Andre Iguodala this time, even with the silly charge. 25, 9 and 9 in 46 minutes, + some solid defense, excellent performance. And an unbelievable long three to make things interesting at the end (109-108, 4 seconds to play).
THREE QUESTIONS
1) What did Green eat/drink before the game? Whatever it was, please give him more.
2) How did Holiday do in his first career start? I think he did ok, considering the quality of the opponent, his age etc etc. He forced a couple of drives, missed some "easy" shots and turned it over four times, but had also some good flashes: a dunk, a couple of assists (one not going in the stat sheet cuz stone hands Sam didn't grab the ball..). I'm not complaining at all. Now he will remain at the helm for a long period of time, with Lou out. Let's turn this bad news into an opportunity.
3) When will Brezec be able to convert a putback? 0/6 for the season, with the longest shot taken one foot from the rim. I really LMAO when Celtics' (ignorant, and biased) commentators called him "Brezhnev" !!!! Funny also how he was the best Sixer in the +/- category (+11), one more proof that this stat is pretty much meaningless...
REASONS
Why we lost the game
Read above, the small things.
To be worried
Injury to Williams unfortunately is damn serious and will make this season go south early, I'm afraid. The streak of losses is becoming long and will affect our confidence, obviously. Green won't have many games like this, and we missed the chance...
To be optimistic
Team showed it has pride. Kapono is back, and showed his importance for the team. Thad is again at a good level, at least offensively (he guarded Pierce most of the time...). Celtics think they are the team to beat, but they won't do shlt in the post season, and it will be nice to enjoy their exit. We won't have to lobby for Jrue Holiday to play anymore.
Who's next? The Hawks, on Friday. Ouch.
