Author Topic: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake  (Read 1450 times)

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ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« on: May 02, 2013, 10:47:42 AM »

Offline quidinqui33

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Pretty good read from Windhorst today at ESPN.  The first several paragraphs got me pumped, he buzz kills with some reality in the end but has some good lines before that.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-130501/daily-dime


The New York Knicks are guilty of an unconscionable mistake.

Forget what's on the interior pages of the scouting report, the details of sets and the tendencies and the advanced stats.

If there's one thing to hold dear, to write in giant letters on the grease board, to emphasize in huddles about the Boston Celtics, it is this: never, ever, ever assume they're dead. Ever. Not until Kevin Garnett is on the beach in Malibu, Paul Pierce is rolling craps in Vegas and Doc Rivers is playing golf in Orlando.

Good grief, it has practically gotten to the point that the calling card of this era of Celtics basketball is not their 2008 title or defensive style that's been mimicked across the league, but their ability to come crawling out of the crypt season after season.

Heck, the Celtics' playoff runs over the past few seasons could double as a zombie movie franchise. They seem to lose more players to season-ending injuries than the entire AFC East. They finish the regular seasons about as well as the U.S. finishes Ryder Cups. And yet, season after season, they string together playoff comebacks like they're the heroes in a Disney movie.

So why -- why, oh why -- would a supposedly veteran Knicks team dare to even think they'd finished off the Celtics just because they had a home close-out game? We know they were thinking it because they told us with their words and their actions. In Game 5 Wednesday night they told us with their play in a 92-86 loss, which allows a possible series-evening Game 6 in Boston on Friday.

J.R. Smith was talking about golf plans on off days before the next series. Kenyon Martin was telling his teammates and the media -- which is telling the Celtics -- to wear black to the game because they were going to Boston's funeral. Coach Mike Woodson was even spotted at the Yankees game Wednesday night. Do you think Rivers has gone to any Red Sox games lately?

Forget those histrionics. After getting up 11-0 Wednesday, the Knicks acted like they were thinking about dinner reservations for the next two quarters. They stopped running their offense altogether, symptomatic of a lack of focus throughout the season, and settled into the Smith and Carmelo Anthony one-on-one fest that played right into the Celtics' hands.

Against a lesser team or a team without a résumé, perhaps this could pass for a confident group. Of course, since the Knicks haven't won a playoff series in a decade, it'd still be questionable. Nonetheless, this isn't the Milwaukee Bucks the Knicks are playing. It's the don't-kick-dirt-on-us Celtics.
"They came out, they talked," Garnett said. "We didn't do any talking; we put ourselves in this position, and we're scrapping."

Garnett has 52 rebounds over the past three games after getting 18 in Game 5. He played nearly 39 minutes on his 36-year-old legs, the most he's played in more than two months. He made a contested jumper in the final minute that clinched the game. This is how the Celtics play when they're down in a playoff series.

Jason Terry has 35 points and is shooting 50 percent since Smith bludgeoned him with an elbow in Game 3. He made five of nine 3-pointers a day after Smith blew Terry's championship experience off, saying "I don't even know who [Terry] is."

"I'm a 14-year veteran," Terry told the cameras moments after the game. "If you don't know who I am by now, you will after this series."


Terrence Williams wasn't even a Celtic until late February, when three players had gone down with season-ending injuries. He didn't even have a job in the NBA until then, but he played 17 crucial minutes at backup point guard -- and no, he's not a point guard. This is what the Celtics do -- figure out ways to steal games and extend series.

Rivers was stalking up and down the sideline throughout the game. In timeouts he approached individual players, locked eyes with them and barked challenges. His bench hasn't been playing well, so he just eliminated most of it, playing only seven players. When the game was in hand, he walked the length of the bench to high five each player and coach.

This is not the first time Rivers has been in this spot, and it's when he's done some of his best coaching. He's a Celtic. It's what he does.

"I just kept telling them, 'We are fine, we are good. Keep hanging in there,'" Rivers said. "Everyone wanted to be in the fight."

The Celtics, it seems by their recently history, really like to fight only after they've been giving a standing eight count.

The Knicks, however, are reasonably fortunate in all this. They got this lesson before it was too late. It's one thing to come back, and it's another to win the series. The Celtics pulled acts like this in the 2010 Finals and 2012 conference finals only to lose both in seven games. They are amazing at extending the drama, but they have not been experts at pulling it out.

There's a reason teams that have fallen behind 0-3 are 0-for-103 in pulling a comeback. The Celtics are just the 11th team to force a Game 6. The Knicks still have the 3-2 lead, and now they have the ability to draw on the humility that obviously was needed, given their actions leading up to Wednesday.

Their attitude and play have been unbecoming ever since getting a huge lead in Game 3 when Smith seemed to sour the karma with his flagrant flying elbow. Like the Celtics, the Knicks have the advantage of a long series giving them more chances. When they come back for Game 6 or, gulp, Game 7, it's a safe bet it'll be without the arrogance that's fed into this most recent Celtics' stay of execution.

They also have Anthony, who is due for a bounceback after two straight bad shooting nights. He was 8-of-24 in Game 5 and suffered what he said was a minor left shoulder injury after going 10-of-35 in Game 4. Anthony doesn't play three bad games in a row too often.

"We don't need to panic," Knicks veteran Jason Kidd said. "We have to relax and execute our game."
« Last Edit: May 02, 2013, 10:54:22 AM by quidinqui33 »

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2013, 10:52:32 AM »

Offline Snakehead

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I love that they'll write this.  But then they'll bury us again every year.

ESPN's downtalking the Celtics shtick is old.

Frankly, I'm sensing it from all media.  Anyone else feel like Marv Albert and Kerr especially last night was really slighting us?  It was all about how the Knicks were blowing it.  The Knicks would score a basket when they were down like 10 or so and it'd be some statement like "okay, that basket should get them going".

Does anyone realize we are holding the Knicks to like 15 points below their average?  That our defense is great and we just need to score around 92 pts to win these games?  If our offense had been even decent in the first 3 games we would be fine.

It's all confusing.  I get that I'm a homer but I mean really.
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Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2013, 11:14:58 AM »

Offline SHAQATTACK

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I think non Celtic fans don't appreciate KG enough .  Probably many are too young to remember the career he has had , same for Pierce and even Terry. 

   NEVER count out someone whose reputation is one who never lays down or quits no matter bad the odds.

Discounting KG is plain foolish  ...one of the best players to ever wear a NBA uniform




Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2013, 11:21:01 AM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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I love that they'll write this.  But then they'll bury us again every year.

ESPN's downtalking the Celtics shtick is old.

Frankly, I'm sensing it from all media.  Anyone else feel like Marv Albert and Kerr especially last night was really slighting us?  It was all about how the Knicks were blowing it.  The Knicks would score a basket when they were down like 10 or so and it'd be some statement like "okay, that basket should get them going".

Does anyone realize we are holding the Knicks to like 15 points below their average?  That our defense is great and we just need to score around 92 pts to win these games?  If our offense had been even decent in the first 3 games we would be fine.

It's all confusing.  I get that I'm a homer but I mean really.

I had the opposite reaction - I mentioned to my wife last night that for having been down 3-0, the media seemed really, really reluctant to count us out of the series.  Probably because of our playoff history, especially with the Heat series fresh in people's minds.

Albert is a Knicks guy, so it makes sense that he'd be maybe unconsciously talking up the Knicks a little.  But everyone else seems to think that against all odds we still have a good shot.

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2013, 11:23:26 AM »

Offline Q_FBE

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I hope that the Knicks will get another chance for a close-out game on their HC - THIS SUNDAY. That will give Spikey trouser chili!!!!  ;D
The beatings will continue until morale improves

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2013, 11:24:36 AM »

Offline Snakehead

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I love that they'll write this.  But then they'll bury us again every year.

ESPN's downtalking the Celtics shtick is old.

Frankly, I'm sensing it from all media.  Anyone else feel like Marv Albert and Kerr especially last night was really slighting us?  It was all about how the Knicks were blowing it.  The Knicks would score a basket when they were down like 10 or so and it'd be some statement like "okay, that basket should get them going".

Does anyone realize we are holding the Knicks to like 15 points below their average?  That our defense is great and we just need to score around 92 pts to win these games?  If our offense had been even decent in the first 3 games we would be fine.

It's all confusing.  I get that I'm a homer but I mean really.

I had the opposite reaction - I mentioned to my wife last night that for having been down 3-0, the media seemed really, really reluctant to count us out of the series.  Probably because of our playoff history, especially with the Heat series fresh in people's minds.

Albert is a Knicks guy, so it makes sense that he'd be maybe unconsciously talking up the Knicks a little.  But everyone else seems to think that against all odds we still have a good shot.

Maybe I'm off base, possible, but I feel that's very certain and people giving us any chance is just NOW happening (when the Knicks have managed to make fools of themselves since game 3).

But I mean as far the series, there was maybe one ESPN guy who picked us to win?  So I don't know.  They bury us every year and say we're old.  Just tired at this point.
"I really don't want people to understand me." - Jordan Crawford

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2013, 11:29:45 AM »

Offline fairweatherfan

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I love that they'll write this.  But then they'll bury us again every year.

ESPN's downtalking the Celtics shtick is old.

Frankly, I'm sensing it from all media.  Anyone else feel like Marv Albert and Kerr especially last night was really slighting us?  It was all about how the Knicks were blowing it.  The Knicks would score a basket when they were down like 10 or so and it'd be some statement like "okay, that basket should get them going".

Does anyone realize we are holding the Knicks to like 15 points below their average?  That our defense is great and we just need to score around 92 pts to win these games?  If our offense had been even decent in the first 3 games we would be fine.

It's all confusing.  I get that I'm a homer but I mean really.

I had the opposite reaction - I mentioned to my wife last night that for having been down 3-0, the media seemed really, really reluctant to count us out of the series.  Probably because of our playoff history, especially with the Heat series fresh in people's minds.

Albert is a Knicks guy, so it makes sense that he'd be maybe unconsciously talking up the Knicks a little.  But everyone else seems to think that against all odds we still have a good shot.

Maybe I'm off base, possible, but I feel that's very certain and people giving us any chance is just NOW happening (when the Knicks have managed to make fools of themselves since game 3).

But I mean as far the series, there was maybe one ESPN guy who picked us to win?  So I don't know.  They bury us every year and say we're old.  Just tired at this point.

Well, maybe we're talking about different things.  Almost nobody picked us to win the series going in, but almost no one seems to have counted us out after going down 3-0. 

The vibe I got was that the media had seen us play enough to know winning 3 games against us didn't mean that we would roll over for the 4th.  We're not the Lakers, after all  :D

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2013, 11:35:04 AM »

Offline Snakehead

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I love that they'll write this.  But then they'll bury us again every year.

ESPN's downtalking the Celtics shtick is old.

Frankly, I'm sensing it from all media.  Anyone else feel like Marv Albert and Kerr especially last night was really slighting us?  It was all about how the Knicks were blowing it.  The Knicks would score a basket when they were down like 10 or so and it'd be some statement like "okay, that basket should get them going".

Does anyone realize we are holding the Knicks to like 15 points below their average?  That our defense is great and we just need to score around 92 pts to win these games?  If our offense had been even decent in the first 3 games we would be fine.

It's all confusing.  I get that I'm a homer but I mean really.

I had the opposite reaction - I mentioned to my wife last night that for having been down 3-0, the media seemed really, really reluctant to count us out of the series.  Probably because of our playoff history, especially with the Heat series fresh in people's minds.

Albert is a Knicks guy, so it makes sense that he'd be maybe unconsciously talking up the Knicks a little.  But everyone else seems to think that against all odds we still have a good shot.

Maybe I'm off base, possible, but I feel that's very certain and people giving us any chance is just NOW happening (when the Knicks have managed to make fools of themselves since game 3).

But I mean as far the series, there was maybe one ESPN guy who picked us to win?  So I don't know.  They bury us every year and say we're old.  Just tired at this point.

Well, maybe we're talking about different things.  Almost nobody picked us to win the series going in, but almost no one seems to have counted us out after going down 3-0. 

The vibe I got was that the media had seen us play enough to know winning 3 games against us didn't mean that we would roll over for the 4th.  We're not the Lakers, after all  :D

haha that's fair enough.  I hope they know KG doesn't get swept.

But I just sense a pro-NY vibe in the broadcast and stuff.  Maybe I'm the only one.  I just think, for example, from Kerr and Marv our defense gets no credit.  They said hardly  a thing about it while complimenting NY's D at some point.
"I really don't want people to understand me." - Jordan Crawford

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2013, 11:42:36 AM »

Offline angryguy77

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I like the article, but I think it misses one point: We've won not because the knicks got overconfident. We won because we played better than we did the last few games. The Knicks may have been cocky, but I don't believe for one second they thought we would role over and die. They missed shots, we made them. We played better d and o after the initial 4 minutes of the game.

They've been waiting since the incident with KG to talk trash. They want to rub it in our face and have the last laugh.

The odds are definitely not in our favor, but if there is one team that can make history by coming back from being down 0-3, it's this one.
Back to wanting Joe fired.

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2013, 11:59:48 AM »

Offline Snakehead

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I like the article, but I think it misses one point: We've won not because the knicks got overconfident. We won because we played better than we did the last few games. The Knicks may have been cocky, but I don't believe for one second they thought we would role over and die. They missed shots, we made them. We played better d and o after the initial 4 minutes of the game.

They've been waiting since the incident with KG to talk trash. They want to rub it in our face and have the last laugh.

The odds are definitely not in our favor, but if there is one team that can make history by coming back from being down 0-3, it's this one.

Yes this is exactly what I'm saying.  Our defense has been great, we just played some of the worst offensive halves EVER in the playoffs.

But frankly, this media heat on NY could help us so I'm okay with it.  Keep putting pressure on them.
"I really don't want people to understand me." - Jordan Crawford

Re: ESPN: Undead, Again: Celtics Leave Knicks In Wake
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2013, 12:20:28 PM »

Offline LooseCannon

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I had the opposite reaction - I mentioned to my wife last night that for having been down 3-0, the media seemed really, really reluctant to count us out of the series.  Probably because of our playoff history, especially with the Heat series fresh in people's minds.

I think some of that is a reluctance to put any trust in the Knicks.
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