Celtics (47-17) at Nets (20-43) 3/14

[zerophase]

i don't really understand why rondo went back to wearing low top shoes... he knows he shouldn't. he was wearing lows... then got hurt a bunch... went to mids.. BUT NOW HE'S BACK TO LOWS... this team needs to be like the pistons and ban low cut shoes... once the pistons did that... 90% of the ankle injuries went away. surprised  ?

[JohnBagleyValueMeal]

Celtics shot the ball better, played better defense, hit the glass better, and moved the ball better.

Nets took almost 3x as many freethrows and hit 9 more threes.

Pretty frustrating loss, but none of that says 'lazy' or 'effort'. That kind of posting is lazy, imho.

the celtics effort on defense was poor. they continued to allow the nets to have wide open looks and they let them get multiple shots each time down.

And what evidence do you have for that? None? Okay. The Celtics outrebounded the Nets. The Nets shot below 40%. That doesn't happen in games with "no effort." Go away, troll. Didn't you say you were through with this game 45 minutes ago?

1. don't call me a troll...you haven't earned that right junior
2. i watched kris humphries beat boston to rebounds and get second shots all night
3. nets shooter wide open all night
4. if you think this was a good effort then you don't lnow much of anything

You've been consistently wrong about this team for the last three years. Wrong wrong wrong and wrong. If you can't take it when someone calls you on it I suggest you go somewhere else.

I didn't call this a "good effort," I said the loss wasn't an "effort problem."

The Celtics outrebounded the Nets by 5. Humphries had 15 boards, yes. BBD had 14. But hey, don't get the facts get in the way of your trolling.

[barefacedmonk]

Sixers or Knicks
Heat
Bulls
Lakers

All 4 of those teams can beat the Celtics if they play their A games.

And Celtics can beat those 4 teams if they play their A games too.

[gar]

Spurs down by over 20 pts. Guess they suck too.

[FLCeltsFan]

You know when I do the Comments from the Other Side, I'm always amazed at how fans turn on their own team and trash the team and the players.  I always said that I was so proud that Celtics fans weren't that fickle.  The Celtics will be fine.  They are tired. They are battling chemistry problems after having half the team including a key member of the starting 5 traded away.  

Perk was Rondo's best friend.    I didn't even know Perk personally but he was my favorite player for all those years and I'm still struggling with having him traded so suddenly.  Of course Rondo misses Perk and maybe he is having trouble focusing right now.  But time heals and he will be fine especially since Perk seems to be doing great in OKC. It was theraputic for me to watch Perk play well for the Thunder tonight, but it also really tugged at my heartstrings once again.  It takes time. 

  Maybe the team is fatigued, not just physically, but mentally because of playing more minutes since the trade. And maybe they just are struggling with chemistry issues that will work themselves out once they play together awhile.  Don't forget the team just swapped out 5 players who have to learn all of the offensive and defensive sets and aren't there yet. We have had 4 and 5 new guys on the floor at a time with the second unit sometimes.  

And that's not even mentioning the 4 key players that are still on the injury list.  Delonte will be back Wednesday.  Rondo can get a bit more rest and we have yet another player who knows the system off the bench.  They still need another big body, whether it is Shaq or JO that comes back first, we need another center.  

The Celtics will be fine. Last night we saw what the Celtics can do when they put their mind to it and play with energy and play together.  Tonight they just didn't seem to have it mentally, more-so than physically.  Yes, they lost to a team they should have beaten. Yes, Rondo hasn't been himself.  But they are still our Celtics and Rondo is still the same player that when he plays well is incredible.   Being a Celtics fan is like being married.  It's for better or worse.  

[barefacedmonk]

TP FL. We're going to be fine by the time playoffs roll around...you'd think people had learnt their lesson last year...but I guess not.

It's a long season...and a veteran team like ours will go through a slump during the course of the season...but we all know they are a terrific and formidable team once they get out of that slump...look at the Lakers..they were losing going into the all star break...but they are playing well now.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if we find out later that Rondo had been playing injured all this while. He is too good and talented to go through a prolonged slump like this.

[barefacedmonk]

BTW, will Mr. Stern fine Deron for wearing his headband upside down?

[FLCeltsFan]

And don't forget that the Celtics did out rebound the Nets on both the offensive and defensive end. They hit 4 more field goals than the Nets. They had 3 more assists than the Nets. They had only 11 turnovers which was just 1 more than the Nets. Where the Nets beat the Celtics was 24 free throws to 8 for the Celtics. 3 times as many free throws. So it's not like the Celtics completely tanked the game.  They outplayed the Nets in most areas except on the free throw line.  

[Drucci]

Sigh. Just saw the game. I'd rather not comment on Rondo because I would become insulting quickly but to me Doc better rest him for some games and play Arroyo/West instead, Rondo is just plain awful to the point I want to see him off the court.

His awfulness combined with terrible refs (10 FT's against 25 for NJ while we attacked the basket as much? Really?), very lucky shots from NJ (I can't recall a game where a team made that many lucky, deep, wide beyond the line 3's) and a back to back helped the Nets win.

It sucks to lose this team and it sucks even more to lose (or be on the verge of losing) the #1 seed to Chicago. Knowing we've got plenty back to back coming up we will probably not only lose it but Chicago will get a big lead in the standings. Frustrating.

[Who]

That was a nice screen in the backcourt by Kris Humphries on Rondo early in the ball game.

Just watching the start of the game now ... Anthony Morrow defending Paul Pierce. What a bad matchup for NJ. There is no way that Morrow can cover Pierce. Too small physically and not talented enough defensively. Pierce can take Morrow whenever and wherever he wants.

It's rare that you see Pierce be gifted that advantageous a matchup.

[nba is the worst]

Sigh. Just saw the game. I'd rather not comment on Rondo because I would become insulting quickly but to me Doc better rest him for some games and play Arroyo/West instead, Rondo is just plain awful to the point I want to see him off the court.

His awfulness combined with terrible refs (10 FT's against 25 for NJ while we attacked the basket as much? Really?), very lucky shots from NJ (I can't recall a game where a team made that many lucky, deep, wide beyond the line 3's) and a back to back helped the Nets win.

It sucks to lose this team and it sucks even more to lose (or be on the verge of losing) the #1 seed to Chicago. Knowing we've got plenty back to back coming up we will probably not only lose it but Chicago will get a big lead in the standings. Frustrating.

Even worse - it was 8 to 24 fts, starters 4 to 18.

Bennett Salvatore strikes again - setting the tone to the players early and often.

How can they NOT be affected?

(Just like Joey Crawford and the one-sided 1st half in Miami, where the 1st Q was 8-0 fts for the Heatles, and 21-3 at the half - in a 10 point game).

Ridiculous.