Does it look like the starters are running out of gas?

[CelticSooner]

I'm starting to think so. This is exactly how they looked last year against Orlando. The bench was huge tonight thankfully.

I'm glad the C's have two days rest.

[Mr October]

No. They just looked jittery. They rushed alot of shots. Especially KG and Rondo. I think they'll play more free in game 5.

[Roy Hobbs]

I don't think so.  If we were tired, it would show on the defensive end.  The offense is just having a hard time finding its rhythm. 

[Change]

The noticeable one is Rondo. The minutes he piled up in the 3rounds is showing. With the emergence of Nate, Doc needs to monitor his Minutes. Pierce & KG are hitting their strides right now. Ray is machine, I don't think he ever get tired. Its looking up with Nate & his instant offense.

[Kuberski33]

I think they were actually trying too hard.  As was pointed out, defense was fine.  The issue was rushing shots and I think a feeling that the series was starting to slip away.

They'll be fine for Game 5.

[mmbaby]

Yup, not out but low on gas. They need more rest than your average young player. They're still great, but a body is a body.

[Redz]

Fortunately the Lakers are low on gas too.  Both teams are really giving max effort.  Great to see.

[tenn_smoothie]

yes - i think that what it took to beat cleveland and then orlando has taken a lot out of our first five, both physically but also mentally. that lock-down, suffocating defense takes a lot of concentration and mental focus to be succesful and our guys have played tired this series.

meanwhile the lakers took some losses out west, but they were scoring contests, not grinding defensive games that draina  team. the lakers had more energy and fresher legs coming in.

these two days off will do the Celts good, especially being at home - hope they will give us the rest we need to go back to work sunday nite and get 2 more wins to close out #18.

[Simulacra]

I definitely think its actually LA thats running out of gas in the 4th. Without Fisher in game 3 they looked flat and have appeared that way in games 2,3, and 4.

This is especially true of Kobe who doesn't get a rest, you can see it. He has too many miles and has burned his nut in these games and as long as it isn't a 1 or 2 possession game he doesn't have the gas to reign it back in.

The one thing I thought before this series began was how abysmal LA's bench actually is and how they simply don't match up to the Cs, that was without even contemplating Nate. Odom is the only player they have and he is an unmotivated player most nights. Without mins from Bynum where are they going to get rest from? I would think this should benefit the Cs moving forward.

[vinnie]

I don't think they are out of gas at all. They just really look tight. And to be honest, Rondo looked like he was playing a little scared or timid tonight, which is why he did not finish several layups.

[PosImpos]

The Celtics are just a bad offensive team unless they're able to get out into transition, and for much of the night the Laker's transition defense was quite good. 

All of the missed layups and decent shots were perplexing, though.  We just have to hope that changes.  If the starters made even 10% more of their shots tonight it would've been a 10-15 point game.

[Change]

I don't think they are out of gas at all. They just really look tight. And to be honest, Rondo looked like he was playing a little scared or timid tonight, which is why he did not finish several layups.

Totally agree. The pressure got to them even though they were playing at home. I think losing game3 hurt their spirits. Like you said they seemed very tense

[Surferdad]

I don't think they are out of gas at all. They just really look tight. And to be honest, Rondo looked like he was playing a little scared or timid tonight, which is why he did not finish several layups.

Totally agree. The pressure got to them even though they were playing at home. I think losing game3 hurt their spirits. Like you said they seemed very tense

It doesn't make sense that they should be tense or tight.  Why?  Being out of gas just seems a lot more likely a reason.  Certain players are gassed, but not the whole team:  Garnett for sure, Ray is tired from chasing Kobe, Rondo is gassed from too many minutes in the playoffs.

[SFCelticFan]

OK. Been a Celtic fan since 80 and I just bleed green. Have to admit that I've been a lurker on this site since July 30th 2007 and have gotten a lot of gratification from reading posts anytime & anywhere from other die hard fans.

I have to engage on this topic of the starters because it seems like it is obvious and critical to winning the last two games.

Shouldn't Doc be using the bench more throughout the 1st half to really push the tempo? It just seems like the Celtics starting 5 slow the ball down so much that it plays into the laker strategy of muscling us and using their length to get us off rhythm.

Tonight's game (actually all the games) showed that the Lakers really only have 4 or 5 players who -- Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Fisher and Artest and maybe Odom.  We should be trying to wear them out every chance we get!

Our strength is that we have 10 players to their 5! If we move the ball, or if we get penetration, we get them out of position and our buckets come easier and in rhythm. Why don't we play that way? The offense at the end of game 3 was truly painful in this regard -- especially since the bench was being productive! The bench tonight wasn't doing anything but driving & cutting hard and moving the ball to whoever had an open shot. Van Gundy was pointing this out. The Laker starters either couldn't keep up because they were tired or because they weren't expecting movement (or both).  

Also, could Doc try getting KG to set a screen above the 3 pt line out on the wing? I would think this would do a few things:

give Rondo a running start at the basket
neutralize the Laker length by getting them out of position or get fouls -- especially if Bynum has to rotate on that bum knee.
get everybody else moving toward the basket

Rondo and Nate need to control the tempo in game 5 and make the Lakers react to us. If we can do that (and rebound) throughout the game then we'll win games 5 AND 6!

Please, no more standing around offense. Rondo don't defer so much to the Big 3 -- use your athleticism to make a play and dictate to the Lakers.

Go CELTICS!
 

[GranTur]

TP for a great post, SFCelticFan.