NBA Scores And More: Rajon Rondo-Kevin Garnett Alley-Oop Sends Celtics Over 76ers
Thanks to a Rajon Rondo-Kevin Garnett alley-oop with a second left, the Celtics sweep a back-to-back while the Magic waste a great Dwight Howard performance in Portland.
I’m pretty sure I took the game story from last night’s Lakers-Clippers game, switched a few names and titled it Celtics-76ers. For the second straight night a young, inexperienced team trying to learn how to win games fell to an experienced championship level team not playing its best basketball.
In an exciting fourth quarter featuring 14 lead changes the Celtics were able to with stand two difficult Andre Igoudala shots down the stretch and pull out a victory because of two major defensive lapses by the 76ers.
- When you are up two with less than a minute and thirty seconds left, don't lose Ray Allen. The 76ers didn't understand that concept. Up 97-95 with 1:20 left, Philly did the exact opposite. Paul Pierce started with the ball at the top of the key and he drove left. Four of the 76ers five defenders turned their backs to who they were guarding, collapsed on Pierce and lost track of their man. Pierce threw an off target pass to a wide open Glen Davis for what would of been easy 8-footer because of pressure by Jrue Holliday. Jodie Meeks, who started off the play guarding Ray Allen, rotated over to Rondo because he already left Allen thinking he was going to steal the errant pass and Rondo was the closest man to him. Holliday was now left roaming with no one to guard. The two smart choices would have been to rotate down to KG and have Thaddeus Young run out on Allen or try his best to run across the court to Allen. Holliday went with answer C, inexcusably doubling Big Baby, who found Allen standing by himself. We all know what happened next.
- Mistake #2 is simpler to look at. If Rondo is running a pick and roll 30 feet away from the basket, don't switch. On the game winning basket by the Celtics, Kevin Garnett set a pick for Rondo (it was a moving screen, but we all know that isn't getting called) and Holliday and Young switched. This leaves KG in a mismatch with Holliday and Rondo throws a perfect alley-oop which KG lays in for the go ahead bucket. On this play I'm honestly not sure if the fault goes on Holliday or Young. Either Holliday stayed with KG because he saw Young jump out or did a terrible job getting under KG's screen forcing Young to jump out on Rondo so he did not have an easy path to the basket.
Here is the Rondo to KG game winner.
Boston playing the second night of the back-to-back looked sluggish in the first half allowing the rested and young-legged 76ers to grab 10 offensive rebounds even though they primarily played a point guard, three wing players, and Elton Brand (Brand had 8 offensive boards in the game). Boston was 5-7 from behind the arc in the second quarter with Nate Robinson dropping in three of them, which was the main reason they led 56-55 at the completion of the first half.
This was a nice start to Boston’s mini three-game road trip; they play at Charlotte on Saturday and at New York on Wednesday. Boston improved to 4-2 on the second night of back-to-back games.
Philly on the other hand missed an opportunity to win the first three games of a four-game home stand. It wraps up on Sunday when the 76ers play a struggling New Orleans Hornets squad that has lost six of its last nine games.
The CelticsBlog wrote Boston was able to win even though they looked tired and Liberty Ballers discussed the 76ers losing a tightly contested battle.
In game one of Andre Miller’s new games-played streak, the Trail Blazers were able to pull back to .500 and won their third straight game.
The Blazers overcame a monster game by Dwight Howard who finished with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Howard outscored the Blazers by himself in the first quarter, 18-14.
As good as Howard was, Portland was able to slow him down with an impressive defensive effort in the fourth quarter. The Blazers held Dwight to seven points and only allowed him to score one field goal; six of his seven points came from the line.
While Howard shouldered the offensive load for three quarters, his teammates were nowhere to be found at any point during the game. Magic players without the initials DH shot a putrid 33 percent from the field, headlined by Rashard Lewis (4-10), Vince Carter (2-12), and Jameer Nelson (4-14).
Andre Miller and Wesley Matthews shouldered the offensive load for the Blazers, combining for 42 points. It really is weird watching Blazers game as Brandon Roy stands on the weak side and watches other players initialize the offense.
Matthews has really picked up his game to make up for the lack of offense from Roy. Wes has scored 20 points or more in six of Portland’s last seven games. Matthews and Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert are my two early season frontrunners for the Most Improved Player award.
Orlando Pinstriped Post is worried about the Magic being a true contender in the East and Blazersedge credited Nate McMillan’s decision to play smallball.
In one of Orlando’s rare non-Howard highlights, Carter goes to the backside for a big jam.
I didn’t see any of this game, but the Mavericks extended their winning streak to 11 over the lowly Nets. Devin Harris missed the last three quarters due to a left shoulder injury. Nets second-year player Terrence Williams played in his first game since being recalled from the D-League.
Mavs Moneyball discussed the Mavericks playing unselfish basketball and Nets Daily wrote the Nets might have lost more than just the game
