Paul Pierce is not clutch (from the free throw line)

[crownsy]

Well, Pierce blows a crucial game six against Orlando at the line. I can't say that I'm surprised.

Are you serious?

In fact, that was a key moment of the game... I really believe that if he had hit those 2 FT, we would have won!! But I can't put the blame on him because he scored 6 consecutive points and got us back to the game when no-one else seemed able to step up!! So, he is responsible for the loss just as much as the others...

care to explain why hitting two FT's to tie the game would have stopped the magic from playing well for the next 5 minutes while our entire team forgot how to handle the ball and play defense?

I like to think that if rondo hadn't missed a shot in the third quarter to put us up 11, we would have won, but i just made that up and have no actual facts or logic to back that up....but it seems just as reasonable as the above to assume.

[BballTim]

  Didn't everyone just know we'd see this revisited when he missed the shot last night? I was half-trying to remember whether the score and time remaining fit into the "clutch" criteria.

[albas89]

Well, Pierce blows a crucial game six against Orlando at the line. I can't say that I'm surprised.

Are you serious?

In fact, that was a key moment of the game... I really believe that if he had hit those 2 FT, we would have won!! But I can't put the blame on him because he scored 6 consecutive points and got us back to the game when no-one else seemed able to step up!! So, he is responsible for the loss just as much as the others...

care to explain why hitting two FT's to tie the game would have stopped the magic from playing well for the next 5 minutes while our entire team forgot how to handle the ball and play defense?

I like to think that if rondo hadn't missed a shot in the third quarter to put us up 11, we would have won, but i just made that up and have no actual facts or logic to back that up....but it seems just as reasonable as the above to assume.

Pierce was the only player able to score at that moment... so, he misses those 2 FTs, the crowd goes nuts, Alston goes nuts, Pierce loses some confidence(don't tell me he didn't, I saw him bowing his head in disappointment) and the Magic gain some, because they see the other team's best player and a 90%FT shooter for the series losing both FTs,etc... whatever, maybe we still wouldn't have won the game but you can't convince those FTs were NOT 2 critical ones!!

[crownsy]

Well, Pierce blows a crucial game six against Orlando at the line. I can't say that I'm surprised.

Are you serious?

In fact, that was a key moment of the game... I really believe that if he had hit those 2 FT, we would have won!! But I can't put the blame on him because he scored 6 consecutive points and got us back to the game when no-one else seemed able to step up!! So, he is responsible for the loss just as much as the others...

care to explain why hitting two FT's to tie the game would have stopped the magic from playing well for the next 5 minutes while our entire team forgot how to handle the ball and play defense?

I like to think that if rondo hadn't missed a shot in the third quarter to put us up 11, we would have won, but i just made that up and have no actual facts or logic to back that up....but it seems just as reasonable as the above to assume.

Pierce was the only player able to score at that moment... so, he misses those 2 FTs, the crowd goes nuts, Alston goes nuts, Pierce loses some confidence(don't tell me he didn't, I saw him bowing his head in disappointment) and the Magic gain some, because they see the other team's best player and a 90%FT shooter for the series losing both FTs,etc... whatever, maybe we still wouldn't have won the game but you can't convince those FTs were NOT 2 critical ones!!

oh please.

yes, they were important FT's, but they weren't releated to what happened going forward. We turned the ball over and everyone missed shots. no one got the sniffles because paul missed a couple FT's. we got sloppy and the magic out played us, for more than half a quarter of an important game. IT was a team effort.

and its super and all that he's a 90% FT shooter for the series, but he's still a career 80% shooter.

he misses FT's because he's not a great FT shooter, he's above average but thats all. always has been. It has nothing to do with him being "not clutch"

Howard, before last night, was shooting 75% for the series, were you shocked when he missed a ton last night? I mean, a 75% shooter for the series shouldn't miss as many as he did right?

as someone posted earlier, just going by math, 80% FT shooters miss one of two FT's about 1 out of 4 times. eddie and ray aren't "more clutch" they are career mid 90's and low 90's shooters from the strip. thus, when they are fouled, the tend to make them both.

[PaulPierce34G]

Well, Pierce blows a crucial game six against Orlando at the line. I can't say that I'm surprised.

Are you serious?

In fact, that was a key moment of the game... I really believe that if he had hit those 2 FT, we would have won!! But I can't put the blame on him because he scored 6 consecutive points and got us back to the game when no-one else seemed able to step up!! So, he is responsible for the loss just as much as the others...

care to explain why hitting two FT's to tie the game would have stopped the magic from playing well for the next 5 minutes while our entire team forgot how to handle the ball and play defense?

I like to think that if rondo hadn't missed a shot in the third quarter to put us up 11, we would have won, but i just made that up and have no actual facts or logic to back that up....but it seems just as reasonable as the above to assume.

Pierce was the only player able to score at that moment... so, he misses those 2 FTs, the crowd goes nuts, Alston goes nuts, Pierce loses some confidence(don't tell me he didn't, I saw him bowing his head in disappointment) and the Magic gain some, because they see the other team's best player and a 90%FT shooter for the series losing both FTs,etc... whatever, maybe we still wouldn't have won the game but you can't convince those FTs were NOT 2 critical ones!!

I saw it.  After he missed, he hung back just standing at the free throw line for a few seconds then made his way down the defensive end.  I bet the fact he got contact and was put on the ground made him miss too.  He did stay down for a few seconds, ie got the wind briefly knocked out of him or couldv'e hit his elbow.

In terms of clutch.  Pierce has been clutch numerous times throughout his career.  You can't hit them all..whether it be a free throw, a game winning shot, or making a key defensive play.  Even Jordan missed his fair share of game winners, potential big shots, big plays.  Human nature is a funny thing.  Someone can do a good thing 10,000 times, but as soon as they do something "bad" even once, the whole world wants to jump on them.  The same hold true for Ray Allen.  He has held his own throughout his career, but because he hasn't played very well in this series there is the ump-teenth "Potential Ray Allen off-season trade" topic.  He is in a slump right now,  albeit at the wrong time, but still he is human, slumps happen to him, too.

[KungPoweChicken]

Even though I would have preferred Paul to make his foul shots, I think it's hard to blame two missed FTs for an eight point loss.

You must not have watched the game. The eight point difference in score was not indicative as to how close the game was and how imperative Paul's free throws were. As another poster already stated, the Celtics were on a run, and Pierce was the only Celtic who could score the ball at the time. The two free throws would have given the Celtics the lead when points were extremely hard to come by. (They only scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, Roy Hobbs.) And what did Paul do at the line? He bricked two free ones. But hey, when you've been arguing how clutch Pierce has been for a month and the dude goes and bricks to free throws, I guess the only thing you can do is say, "The Magic won by eight." Good rationale.

[crownsy]

Why are we whining about clutch FT stats? If PP hadn't made a 3 point foul play and a clutch 3, that missed free throw would have meant nothing.

TP, and it's because god forbid we tip our hat to the magic playing great defense on their home court and showing some heart forcing a game 7, instead we need to chew our own guys apart and spit them out.

no opposing team gets credit around here, and i hate coming here the day after losses because people just rip our guys and don't even acknowledge the other team might have had something to do with it. So far this morning, things ive learned about the team:

- PP is a selfish ball hog, and cost us the game by dominating the ball in the 2nd half.

- PP sucks at FT's, and is a choke artist

- Ray allen is washed up, and should be traded immediately.

- Rondo isn't a good rebounder, he just steals rebounds from perk to pad stats.

- Rondo is arrogant, and isn't running the team as he should

- Rondo is a bad defender, and should be benched.

- Marbury officially worthless to the team again.


- Big baby davis came back to earth, and is not very good to begin with.

- Ray allen has lost the ablity to shoot the 3, and eddie should start game 7.


Yet ive seen one...mabey two mentions of the fact that the magic dug down and played some really, really good defense and hit some big shots. They showed up on thier home floor, give them credit. They had every reason to fold, multiple times (i thought they would) and start pointing fingers when they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half and third quarter.

Does that mean the celtics are immune to criticism? of course not, we didn't help ourselves with our turnovers and poor execution, but people act like every member of our team is a horrible basketball player and teammate after every loss. Calm down and enjoy game seven IMO, im proud of this team either way

[crownsy]

Even though I would have preferred Paul to make his foul shots, I think it's hard to blame two missed FTs for an eight point loss.

You must not have watched the game. The eight point difference in score was not indicative as to how close the game was and how imperative Paul's free throws were. As another poster already stated, the Celtics were on a run, and Pierce was the only Celtic who could score the ball at the time. The two free throws would have given the Celtics the lead when points were extremely hard to come by. (They only scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, Roy Hobbs.) And what did Paul do at the line? He bricked two free ones. But hey, when you've been arguing how clutch Pierce has been for a month and the dude goes and bricks to free throws, I guess the only thing you can do is say, "The Magic won by eight." Good rationale.

almost as good as blaming two missed FT's for poor execution of an entire basketball team for a good half a quarter.

I'd say both rationals are equally asinine.

[jambr380]

I agree with Kung Powe...Pierce has been clutch his entire career, there is no doubting that. But something seems to have gotten to him these playoffs. So he isn't going to hit all of his free throws- that's a given. But it seems that he is missing them at the most crucial times. If he had hit only one of the two, that would have been great- they would have tied the game back up and maybe felt like they could score again. After those misses, it all went down hill and the Magic took complete advantage of it. I never thought they were the kind of team that smelled blood and drove daggers into other teams' hearts, but that's just what they did last night. Hopefully the inconsistency can continue for both teams in the next game and Boston can pull it out.

[Drucci]

I can't understand how you can blame Pierce for missing one or two free throws when he scored 8 consecutive points before to get the game back into control. Sure, his missed free throws hurt but he did much more before. The lack of stops and the turnovers cost us the game down the stretch.

[crownsy]

Sure, his missed free throws hurt but he did much more before. The lack of stops and the turnovers cost us the game down the stretch.

you keep your crazy logic out of this Drucci!

everyone knows poor execution and bad passing leading to turnovers are all the fault of the guy who just got them back into the game missing FT's, come on now.

[TheReaLPuba]

Pierce was 29 for 30 or something like that before he missed those 2 free throws.

He was going to miss at some point because he's not THAT good of a free throw shooter....was it a bad time to miss? Absolutely. Did he look nervous taking them? Probably. But he back rimmed the first one and the 2nd was rimmed around and came out. They both were right on target just missed...it's no excuse though, he should have made them or at least one of them to tie the game. He didn't and it made it harder for us to regain the lead.

But honestly we never should let it come to that point...we had a double digit lead and we had to play much more aggressive and attack the paint. We didn't do that and we threw the ball away like retarded 5 year olds with no brains!

We CAN play better.

We WILL play better.

[celts55]

I blame Hubie Brown, or what ever his name is. He's the one who keeped saying how Pierse had been shooting free throws so great and how he was 29 for 30. I knew right than he was going to miss. Dam Jinx.

[BballTim]

Why are we whining about clutch FT stats? If PP hadn't made a 3 point foul play and a clutch 3, that missed free throw would have meant nothing.

TP, and it's because god forbid we tip our hat to the magic playing great defense on their home court and showing some heart forcing a game 7, instead we need to chew our own guys apart and spit them out.

no opposing team gets credit around here, and i hate coming here the day after losses because people just rip our guys and don't even acknowledge the other team might have had something to do with it. So far this morning, things ive learned about the team:

- PP is a selfish ball hog, and cost us the game by dominating the ball in the 2nd half.

- PP sucks at FT's, and is a choke artist

- Ray allen is washed up, and should be traded immediately.

- Rondo isn't a good rebounder, he just steals rebounds from perk to pad stats.

- Rondo is arrogant, and isn't running the team as he should

- Rondo is a bad defender, and should be benched.

- Marbury officially worthless to the team again.


- Big baby davis came back to earth, and is not very good to begin with.

- Ray allen has lost the ablity to shoot the 3, and eddie should start game 7.


Yet ive seen one...mabey two mentions of the fact that the magic dug down and played some really, really good defense and hit some big shots. They showed up on thier home floor, give them credit. They had every reason to fold, multiple times (i thought they would) and start pointing fingers when they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half and third quarter.

Does that mean the celtics are immune to criticism? of course not, we didn't help ourselves with our turnovers and poor execution, but people act like every member of our team is a horrible basketball player and teammate after every loss. Calm down and enjoy game seven IMO, im proud of this team either way

  Definitely the post of the day. Does everyone realize that Orlando had the best defense in the league this year?

[ACF]

Even though I would have preferred Paul to make his foul shots, I think it's hard to blame two missed FTs for an eight point loss.

You must not have watched the game. The eight point difference in score was not indicative as to how close the game was and how imperative Paul's free throws were. As another poster already stated, the Celtics were on a run, and Pierce was the only Celtic who could score the ball at the time. The two free throws would have given the Celtics the lead when points were extremely hard to come by. (They only scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, Roy Hobbs.) And what did Paul do at the line? He bricked two free ones. But hey, when you've been arguing how clutch Pierce has been for a month and the dude goes and bricks to free throws, I guess the only thing you can do is say, "The Magic won by eight." Good rationale.

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[Edited.]  Please don't insult others, or question their worth to the blog.  I appreciate you standing up for me (and others) but it's not necessary. -R.H.