Just watching the game now, and I'm encouraged by a few things. Firstly, we really didn't play very well, and yet we still pulled out the victory. We had moments where we dug in when we needed to, but overall it wasn't one of our best performances, yet still the win over a Knicks team that was playing very good ball.
There's also no denying that Jermaine has "flipped the switch" ... he was extremely effective at
both ends of the court, and if he stays healthy and this active, this team is going to be very formidable in the post-season. (I
love what he said about the Boston fans, too, after the game).
They call Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot", but to
me, (and in this game especially), that is a title more fitting for Ray Allen. I mean, this guy is amazing ... it doesn't matter if he's hot or cold, or if he's been in a slump, he can
still come up with a clutch game-winner when it's needed.
The biggest impression for me tonight was that, despite not playing our best, we
out-hustled a younger, more athletic team ... we got to the loose balls, made the blocks, went to the floor, took the charges, and even got a fair amount of offensive rebounds! Even if a team is not shooting well, if it out-hustles it's opponent, it has a great chance of stealing a win.
I really thought this one was slipping away around the six minute mark, but we really dug down deep and turned it on, and did what we needed to secure this win. A lot of positive energy from this team tonight, and that to me is what made the difference ... along with JO and a clutch Ray-Tres.
Very nice save and win ... now let's close up the gaps and secure Game 2. Go Celtics!!