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November 23, 2008
Celtics' Dominant Team Play Posterizes Sam Mitchell
The Celtics don't posterize players. They posterize opposing coaches.
It doesn't happen on a single play. It is a game changing stretch that renders opposing teams and coaches helpless. They have done it three times in a row now.
Raptor coach 'Subtle Sam' Mitchell can be a very funny guy, in his own sarcastic way.
He wasn't laughing or being sarcastic in the second half of today's game against the re-emerging Celtic Machine. Was he looking up and down the bench for an answer? Definitely. Forlorn? At times. Astonished? Often.
Posterized? Absolutely.
The Celtic final numbers were preposterous. 118 points (from the 11th lowest scoring team in the league) .616% shooting from the field. .588 from the three point line. 48 points in the paint. And it was a team wide affair. Seven Celtics were in double figures. It easily could have been nine.
Ray Allen carved up the Rapts for a team leading 21 points on 8 of 12 from the floor and 5 of 7 three pointers in a team high 31:29 minutes.
The Celtics never trailed in the game. They led by as many as 24 points.
Sam's astonishment was at the complete lack of competitiveness his team was displaying. His team was just a few more defensive lapses up and down the court from a 3-7 collapse, after a 3-0 season start to the season.
The Celtics jumped on the Ruptures with an uncharacteristically fast start. Four different Celtics scored as the Celtics ran off ten straight points to start the game. The Green Machine went up 22-6 before the Raptors recovered. Toronto fought back with a 10-2 run of their own.
Rajo Rondo and Kevin Garnett each had 9 points in opening quarter. Toronto point guard Jose Calderone was having difficulty keeping up with the fleet, aggressive, driving Rondo and the help defense was slow to react. Rondo finished with 15 points. KG even hit a rare three point shot for more preposterousness.
Rondo's Run
Over the last four games, all blow outs, Rajon Rondo is averaging 15 points a game on 57% shooting and 71% from the foul line. Previously, he was averaging 7 points per game and 51% from the line. It's not a coincidence that the games have been easier wins.
Tony Allen's Run
He is averaging 14 points over three games, on a red hot 70% (16 of 23), most of them slashes to the hoop. He added 6 rebounds for the second time in three games
Toronto fought back to within four points at 36-32 on a Jermaine O'Neal jump shot. O'Neal left the game for good shortly after, re-aggravating his surgically repaired knee. Boston went on a 17-3 run that put the game out of reach for the rest of the contest, and I use the term 'contest' loosely.
The helpless look on Raptor Coach Sam Mitchell's face for much of the second half is as close to one coach posterizing another as you will get. Doc Rivers' team has now done it three times in a row - Detroit's Michael Curry, Minnesota's Randy Wittman and now Subtle Sam Mitchell of that previous pre-season contendor - the Toronto Ruptures - all had the same bewildered looks.
Those long stretches when the Celtics dissect a team at both ends of a court to take a game over are amazing to watch coagulate, seemingly, from out of nowhere. The stunned look on the opposing team's coach's face tells a story all by itself.
When Doc Rivers' team plays that well, and your own team looks that bad, no matter what you try to do to change things - the resulting look on your traumatized face for long minutes of absolutely futile play by your team - well, hey....you've been posterized for all intents and purposes, Sam.
The Raptors Rupture = Celtic Rapture
It was all about defense and the lack of it by the Raptors.
With 15 points of his own, on 5 of 7 shooting, slashing Tony Allen joined Rondo on the international highway to the hole. It was easier than it should have been against a team as talented as this one. With O'Neal, they are not a particularly stout team. With O'Neal out, they are a small team. Today you could add 'slow' to that description.
Even the home town fans began to boo after yet another easy penetration by the Celtics. After one more easy lay-up, where Toronto star Chris Bosh arrived a step too late, he slammed the ball down hard in frustration.
Toronto's marshmallow defense allowed Kendrick Perkins to score on 6 of 8 inside shots for 12 points to go with his 8 rebounds and his now customary technical foul (league leading 8th).
Doc has spoken to the club about playing instead of talking, and refs are taking notice after complaints about the verbosity of Kevin Garnett and the Celtics by other teams. Paul Pierce was also assessed a technical for the category leading Celtics.
More Numbers
Leon Powe was 3-4 and 8 points. Kevin Garnett finished with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting, 6 rebounds 5 assists, a steal and a blocked shot. All in a relatively easy 29 minutes.
In the last three easy wins, Pierce has been happy to lay low offensively. He scored 11 points on just 6 shots in 24 minutes. This, after scoring 12 and 9 previously. He added 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 4 turnovers.
Glen Davis added 7 points, and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Brian Scalabrine is making it a habit. He is now 6 of 8 in three point shots and has made one in 5 straight games now.
It was a case of the Irresistable Force meeting the Moveable Object. The Rapts gave up 60 points in the paint to the Nets in OT in their previous game.
Still, the Celtics have completely disarmed 3 straight teams now and they look like they are starting to find some rhythm offensively. They are already solid defensively. They are able to rest the Big Three as a result, because the bench is responding with strong performances.
Unusual Stat of the Game
Defensively challenged, league leading three point shooter, Jason Kapono play 11 minutes without taking a shot, and the Raptors were 'plus eleven' while he was in.
Next up: Golden State Warriors in Boston, Wednesday 7:30
Posted by Tom on November 23, 2008 8:54 PM
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