Are the Celtics ready? The season and this team's (and the coach's) reputation hangs in the balance.
Scott Souza reports the atmosphere at HealthPoint in his column this morning for the "Metro West Daily News.”
If there were any stress involved with staring at their second Game 7 in two weeks, the Celtics did a good job hiding it following yesterday's film session, shootaround and impromptu one-on-one battle royale at HealthPoint.
While they talked a calm game before their Game 7 rout of the Hawks, there was an underlying tension the day before their first deciding game as a unit. With the stakes the same, facing a better opponent, today against the Cavaliers at the TD Banknorth Garden (Ch. 5, 3:30 p.m.) the relaxation appeared more bona fide.
"I don't think there's any reason to be uptight," said Kendrick Perkins. "We are in the playoffs, second round, Game 7. Why would you complain about that? And we are here in Boston. So there's nothing to really stress about.
"This is what you play all year for," said a smiling Paul Pierce following 45 minutes of one-on-one games against Sam Cassell, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine which Pierce, not surprisingly, won. "The urgency right now is at an all-time high level. You win, you advance. You lose, you go home. That's all the motivation I need."
The Celtics Stuff Live crew were interviewed for our thoughts on the game/series by Tenacious T," AKA Thomas Halzak in this mornings column at “connpost.com.” Check it out. Here is a sample.
Jon - Not sure how any fan of the NBA can watch games like last night's Game 6, Game 3 between the Spurs and Suns last year, and the notorious Kings-Lakers Game 6 several years ago; yet somehow not feel completely and utterly frustrated with the impact officials have in deciding important games.
I don't know whether guys like Rondo and Pierce should be slicing to the hoop regardless of how the officials are calling the game, but it seems pretty obvious to me that when they aren't getting calls they aren't nearly as effective.
JB - I've determined that our three all-stars are disparate parts. Their offensive games do not mesh. Too often it's "your turn, my turn, my turn again, his turn....etc. There is no cohesiveness and no whole being greater than the sum of it's parts.
The "seams" that hold them together and make the offense work are Perkins/Powe, getting open underneath for easy bailout baskets when one of the "three" face pressure and Rondo being allowed to create and zooming all around the floor moving the defense and creating passing lanes to get them the ball.
If the team adopts a total unselfish mode and these youngsters grow up quickly, no one can beat us in a seven game series.
Justin - KG rules, Rondo is Bipolar, Ball movement is imperative, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan is my boy!
If you have a question for our guest or the show you can call our toll free number (1.866.751.9649), send us an e-mail to CSL@CelticsBlog.com, or join us in the “pit” (chat room) during the broadcast.
We should have a normally effusive guest tonight and it should be Grande.
We hope you will join us.
Topic: Celtics Stuff Live! Tonight. 7-9PM, EDT. (Read 1497 times)