Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
Breaking news! The Boston Celtics aren't the same team, defensively, without Kevin Garnett. Oh, you knew that? Well, paying close attention to last night's game helped make that point crystal clear.
The Charlotte Bobcats didn't get the win, but they took the Celtics to double overtime and enjoyed an abundance of offensive success as well as winning the battles of interior scoring and rebounding. Hmmm, KG does pretty well in those areas, doesn't he?
The Bobcats shot 70 percent in the first quarter, and even as that number shrunk, they were able to pile up points in the paint (56) and on put-backs and second chance attempts (22 second chance points) that basically amounted to stealing baskets.
Seven Charlotte players recorded 10 points or more, and that’s from a team that only went to the free throw line seven times in a double overtime game (a franchise low). Boris Diaw (17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) presented match-up issues with the range on his jumper and ability to penetrate with the dribble against big defenders at the power forward position. He also made every Boston defensive switch and adventure.
With Garnett’s presence Diaw would probably have been close to a non-factor.
Celtics head coach Doc Rivers alluded to the match-up difficulties the Celtics now face prior to the game as he pointed to the recent Orlando game when Boston didn’t have a big to match up with Rashard Lewis’ size, athleticism and outside shooting ability, saying, “It just changes us defensively. I would say over all of them, it’s our pick and roll coverage and then our help-side defense. It’s a huge difference, not having him (Garnett).”
It took a late game switch to a small lineup featuring Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Eddie House, Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins for Boston to pull even with Charlotte.
Pierce’s ability to guard Diaw and to switch out on smaller offensive players helped Boston force the game into overtime as he made Ray Felton to shoot an errand fade away jumper with 33 seconds left in regulation and getting Diaw to miss a shot in the low block eventually leading to a shot clock violation with 3.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
While it worked out for Boston in the end, Rivers knows it’s not the ideal situation the Celtics want to be in defensively. He admitted that he went with the group somewhat unwillingly because they were trailing late and he knew they needed to create room for Rondo to maneuver on offense. At the same time, Rivers acknowledged they could easily have gotten punished, saying, “We don’t love that lineup because of second shots and post game. They just didn’t hurt us.”
Things go so much smoother with the Defensive Player of the Year holding down the fort. The Celtics sure will be happy when they get back to those days.
Use the comments link below to add your comments and observations on the Celtics win and their outlook down the stretch of the regular season.