Author Topic: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7  (Read 134206 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« on: May 05, 2011, 11:56:23 PM »

Offline FLCeltsFan

  • Kendrick Perkins #1 Fan
  • Author
  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5280
  • Tommy Points: 11832
  • Marcus Smart Fan!

 at  
Miami Heat (2-0) at Boston Celtics (0-2)
Saturday, May 7
8:00 PM ET
Playoff Game #7,  Home Game #3
TV:  ABC, CHCH-TV
Radio:  WEEI, ESPN Radio
TD Garden



Probable Starting Matchups


Point Guard:  Rajon Rondo vs Mike Bibby
vs

Shooting Guard:  Ray Allen vs Dwyane Wade
vs

Small Forward:  Paul Pierce vs LeBron James

vs

Power Forward:  Kevin Garnett vs Chris Bosh
vs

Center:  Jermaine O'Neal vs Zydrunas Ilgauskas  

vs



Game Notes
The Celtics return home looking to get their first win in the series.  They left Miami bruised and battered by LeBron's elbows and the refs' failure to call them.   Fortunately they have 3 days to heal and prepare for game 3.  

News out of Thursday's practice is that Shaq is ready to play and has been cleared to do so by the training staff.  His presence alone should give the Celtics a boost. The Celtics have struggled with stopping penetration and rebounding and having Shaq on the court should be a help in both areas.  

One thing that is certain in this series is that the Celtics have not played well in either game so far.  They haven't played Celtics ball and they haven't played with much energy or focus.  They have not shot the ball well.  Both the starters and the reserves can all play much better.  On the other hand, the Heat have played very well and it is doubtful that they could play much better.  

The Celtics are confident that they can come back and win this series and were buoyed by a visit from John Havlicek to Thursday's practice.  They are inspired by Havlicek's 1969 team that also were down 0-2 and went on to win the series and the Championship.  There are many parallels that can be drawn between the two teams and this Celtics team is poised to repeat that feat.  It all starts with a win in this game and the Celtics are determined to get it.    


Boston Bench Mob
Jeff Green
Glen Davis
Delonte West
Nenad Krstic
Carlos Arroyo
Avery Bradley
Sasha Pavlovic
Troy Murphy
Von Wafer
Shaquille O'Neal

Injured
Shaquille O'Neal (calf/old age/Danny Smokescreen) probable
Paul Pierce (Achilles) will play
Rajon Rondo (back) will play
Ray Allen (chest bruise)  will play
Jermaine O'Neal (back) will play


Miami's Reserves
Mario Chalmers
Juwan Howard
Eddie House
Jamaal Magloire
Dexter Pittman
Mike Miller
James Jones
Eric Dampier
Joel Anthony

Injuries

Udonis Haslem (foot) day to day

Key Matchups
 vs  
Rajon Rondo vs Mike Bibby
Rondo was hampered much of game 1 with foul trouble after picking up 3 quick fouls early in the first half.  In game 2, he was hampered with a sore back.  In spite of having to leave the game at one point to get treatment, he finished with 20 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds.  Delonte West finally started hitting his shots and played well when Rondo was on the bench.  The Celtics need Rondo to be at the top of his game if they hope to come back in this series.  

 vs  
Ray Allen vs Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade went off for 38 points in game 1 while Ray Allen put up 25 of his own.  In game 2, Wade again put up 28 points while Ray had just 7 on just 2-7 shooting.  When Ray isn't getting shots, the ball isn't moving and that is a big problem for the Celtics.   They need to defend Wade better and not allow him to get the open looks and the drives to the hoop that he got in the first 2 games.    The Celtics must move the ball in order to get Ray more involved in the offense.  

 vs  
Kevin Garnett vs Chris Bosh  
After keeping Bosh from being a factor on offense in game 1, he scored 17 points in game 2.    The Celtics haven't been able to take advantage of this matchup because KG has been not been playing well.  He shot just 3-9 for 6 points to go with 8 rebounds in game 1.  After Doc told him he wanted him to take 20 shots in game 2, he got the 20 shots but shot just 8-20 for 16 points to go with 6 rebounds.   What's more, Bosh shot 10 free throws in game 1 and 11 in game 2.  KG did not get to the line even once in game 2.    The Celtics need KG to be more aggressive and to be a factor if they want to win this game.  They have to work on getting KG going early and hopefully he will hit his shots in this one.  He also needs to be more aggressive going to the hoop to get to the line.  

Honorable Mention
Paul Pierce vs LeBron James
The Celtics held James to a pedestrian 22 points on 8-19 shooting in game 1 but went off for 35 points in game 2.    Paul Pierce did a good job defending him in game 1 but struggled with a strained Achilles in game 2 which limited his mobility.    He shot just 5-11 for 13 points in game 2 as the Celtics struggled to score as a team.   Pierce has said that he is good to go for game 3 and the Celtics need more from him on both ends of the court.  

Keys to the Game

Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics must limit their turnovers as the Heat will turn them into fast break points.  Wade in particular is good at making teams pay for their turnovers.  The Celtics had 18 turnovers in game 1 which the Heat turned into 23 points.  In game 2 they were able to cut their turnovers down to 11.  They need to continue to take care of the ball and avoid costly turnovers.  

Rebound - The Celtics have to limit the Heat's second chance baskets and fast breaks by crashing the boards.  The amount of effort put into winning the rebound battle often follows through to the other areas of the game.  The rebounding was even at 39 each in game 1 but the Celtics were out rebounded 44-38 in game 2.  The Celtics need to try to work harder on the boards.  If Shaq indeed can play, that should help in this area.  

Defense -  The Heat have played very good defense in the first 2 games while the Celtics' defense has been played in spurts.    The Celtics have to make defense a priority.   Defense wins games and defense wins championships.  If the Celtics can't get stops, they won't win the game.  The Celtics allowed 99 points on 47% shooting in game 1 and they allowed 102 points on 45% shooting in game 2.  The Heat have won 26 games in a row when reading 100 points.  The Celtics must do a better job on the defensive end.  

Be Aggressive -  The Celtics must be the more aggressive team.  In both games so far,  the Heat were the aggressors and got into the Celtics' heads because of it.   The Celtics have got to be aggressive in getting to the basket and not settle for jumpers all game.  They also have to be aggressive in diving for loose balls and winning the 50-50 battles, something they haven't done in game 1 and 2.  The Celtics can't afford to give up possessions by failing to hustle after loose balls and after rebounds.  They also must take it to the basket especially if the jumpers aren't falling.   It seems that when the Celtics go to the basket and get mugged and the fouls aren't called, the Celtics just stop driving.  They have to continue to go inside and force the refs to call the fouls.   The Celtics have to be the more physical team and not be the team reacting to the physical play of the Heat.  

Team Ball -  The Celtics need to play team ball.  When they move the ball and make the extra pass and find the open man and play as a team,  they are tough to beat.  When they revert to hero ball and there is little ball movement and they settle for quick shots, they rarely win.  Rondo is a big part of keeping the ball moving and setting up the offense and he was limited in game 1 because of foul trouble and somewhat limited by a sore back in game 2.  He has to be more aggressive and run more and keep the ball moving. The Celtics had just 18 assists in game 2 (Rondo had 12) and that means that the others aren't moving the ball.  Hero ball won't win games. Team ball will.  

Bench Play - The Celtics bench finally showed some signs of life in game 2 with Delonte scoring 10 points and Jeff Green scoring 11.  Big Baby only scored 6 points with 2 rebounds.  Big Baby has to start playing for a championship instead of playing for a contract.  They need more from him.  They also need Jeff and Delonte to continue to produce and play well.  Shaq is rumored to be playing in this game and his addition off the bench should be a huge help.  

X-Factors
Home Court and Officials
The Celtics are coming home and should get a boost from the fans.  There is a notion that teams get more favorable calls at home, but that hasn't always been the case for the Celtics for some reason.  Hopefully after 2 horribly officiated games in Miami's favor, the Celtics will at least get a fair shake on their home court.  
« Last Edit: May 06, 2011, 10:56:32 AM by FLCeltsFan »

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2011, 12:10:58 AM »

Offline Kuberski33

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7070
  • Tommy Points: 533
This is the first time I've ever wanted to see Bennett Salvatore ref a Celtics game.  C'mon Stern, you owe us this one.....

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2011, 12:19:14 AM »

Offline barefacedmonk

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7221
  • Tommy Points: 1796
  • The Dude Abides
Heat in pink? lol....TP FL.
"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching." - M.K. Gandhi


Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2011, 12:55:06 AM »

Offline LilRip

  • Paul Silas
  • ******
  • Posts: 6857
  • Tommy Points: 391
i will be watchin this live!!! i'm so excited ^_^  i feel a C's win in the air.

will post pix and vids up as soon as i can :)
- LilRip

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2011, 02:10:44 AM »

Offline j804

  • Satch Sanders
  • *********
  • Posts: 9188
  • Tommy Points: 3060
  • BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS
Let's go yes I was frustrated, yes the confidence was at an all time low a day back or so, but it's a new day and new attitude.

I'm feeling confident upbeat and ready for a huge W


ANNNNYTTTHHIIINGGGG ISSSS POSSSSIBLLEEEEE
"7ft PG. Rondo leaves and GUESS WHAT? We got a BIGGER point guard!"-Tommy on Olynyk


Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2011, 07:42:50 AM »

Offline KGDunks

  • Joe Mazzulla
  • Posts: 128
  • Tommy Points: 31
let's show all the haters that we're not done!

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2011, 09:10:45 AM »

Online Who

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 47136
  • Tommy Points: 2401
It'll be very interesting to see how Doc uses Shaq off the bench. How many minutes does he get? Will he be a go-to scorer for the second unit or used as a complementary offensive player like he was with the starters?

And how does Spoelstra use Joel Anthony as a result? From his comments, it sounds like Dampier is his first choice defender on Shaq? So how much playing time does Joel Anthony lose? Who does Joel Anthony matchup against then? At power forward against BBD?

After Game 3, does Spoelstra adjust his starting lineup for the rest of the series. Drop Big Z from the rotation. Insert Joel Anthony into the starting lineup to pit him against Jermaine ... to make sure he gets more playing time and that he won't have to play against Shaq defensively. Then does he use Dampier or Big Z off the bench against Shaq?

Looking forward to seeing how the coaches respond to this one.

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2011, 09:11:56 AM »

Online Who

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 47136
  • Tommy Points: 2401
I'd like to see Doc use Jermaine O'Neal for the first 7 minutes of each quarter and Shaq for the final 5 minutes of each quarter.

That'll give Jermaine around 28 minutes and Shaq 20 minutes.

It also has Shaq finishing the half and fourth quarter alongside the Big Four + has Jermaine in the second unit as a defensive anchor in second and fourth quarters.

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2011, 09:15:42 AM »

Offline Kuberski33

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7070
  • Tommy Points: 533
At least for Saturday I would anticipate Doc using Shaq the way KC Jones used Bill Walton his last season here.  Figuring he might only be useful for one brief stint, try to insert him at a moment where the home team needs energy.  The minute he gets up off the bench, the Garden crowd will ignite.

I'm just hoping he's more than window dressing.  Have to say I'm skeptical.

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2011, 10:15:35 AM »

Offline Celtic

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3770
  • Tommy Points: 55
  • TRANSFORMATION INTO CHAMPION COMPLETE!!!
Haven't posted a lot lately so I am going to try and switch things up.

One in a row, here we go!


Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2011, 10:34:55 AM »

Offline Chief

  • Robert Parish
  • *********************
  • Posts: 21216
  • Tommy Points: 2450



A little Shaq Fu anyone?
Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
 
Larry Bird

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2011, 11:15:44 AM »

Offline CelticG1

  • Antoine Walker
  • ****
  • Posts: 4201
  • Tommy Points: 288
It'll be very interesting to see how Doc uses Shaq off the bench. How many minutes does he get? Will he be a go-to scorer for the second unit or used as a complementary offensive player like he was with the starters?

And how does Spoelstra use Joel Anthony as a result? From his comments, it sounds like Dampier is his first choice defender on Shaq? So how much playing time does Joel Anthony lose? Who does Joel Anthony matchup against then? At power forward against BBD?

After Game 3, does Spoelstra adjust his starting lineup for the rest of the series. Drop Big Z from the rotation. Insert Joel Anthony into the starting lineup to pit him against Jermaine ... to make sure he gets more playing time and that he won't have to play against Shaq defensively. Then does he use Dampier or Big Z off the bench against Shaq?

Looking forward to seeing how the coaches respond to this one.

it really shows just how much impact Shaq has just for standing on the floor. Hopefully this can cause some problems for their coaching staff as well as their players

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2011, 11:24:57 AM »

Offline Kuberski33

  • Tiny Archibald
  • *******
  • Posts: 7070
  • Tommy Points: 533

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2011, 12:12:13 PM »

Offline Q_FBE

  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2317
  • Tommy Points: 243
Munch on my Moons over My Hammy and the Super Bird Sandwich at Dennys and see what the heck happens  ;)
The beatings will continue until morale improves

Re: Heat (2-0) at Celtics (0-2) Round 2 Game 3 5/7
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2011, 06:47:20 PM »

Offline LakersFan_33

  • Al Horford
  • Posts: 443
  • Tommy Points: 79
Good luck, Celtics fans. I don't like either team so I am objective and have no rooting interest in this series, other than a long and entertaining battle.

If you can establish inside post dominance (i.e. Points in the paint and rebounding) and can force the Heat to shoot outside shots, you'll win the game.