Celtics (21-18) at Lakers (24-16) 3/11

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

As usual, there were several things contributing to this loss, not just Bynum's dominance. Derek Fisher shouldn't be getting an offensive rebound in the paint late in the game, the Cs shouldn't have given Kobe two consecutive open 3s late in the game, and a team shouldn't be getting its first free throws of the second half with ONLY 4 MINUTES LEFT IN THE GAME! Do these guys know that they're allowed to shoot from near the rim?

Should they blow it up? I don't know. I'm trying to not be reactionary after this loss, and I'd dislike seeing any of the big 4 traded, but it seems like this team just isn't willing to work on its deficiencies: they haven't increased their efforts on rebounding, they haven't significantly cut down on turnovers, they haven't started taking it to the rim more and thus getting to the line more, and they haven't shown a willingness to step on opponents' throats when given the opportunity ... and I don't see them suddenly changing their tune. It's often been said about this year's team that it just needs to get to the playoffs and anything can happen, that the Bulls and even the Heat would dislike facing this team in the first round, blah, blah, blah. Well, I'm kinda doubting all that. First, any team should be wary of ANY opponent--and Boston often isn't, which is why it loses to so many bad teams. Second, barring a major change in personnel, this team isn't going to suddenly become great at rebounding, ball protection or inside scoring, all of which are crucial to championship aspirations. So do you want to see another 30 games of mediocre basketball this season, or try to beat the inevitable to the punch? Again, I'm torn between loyalty and the desire for positive change, and I'm tired of the continual excuse-fest put forth for this team--yes, they were without JO and Wilcox today, but if they'd been there, the excuse-meisters would've had another defense for the Cs--Pietrus' knee was sore, they had to travel all the way across the country, they were served the wrong kind of bagels at the pregame buffet. Just give me some guys who want to play hard and CONSISTENTLY make the big plays when it counts.

[Kiorrik]

Cheers for the responses guys.

[apc]

as long as Dooling is getting playing time, i will blame Doc for every Loss.

[hpantazo]

al gae long bynum scored at will EXCEPT when steamer was ON HIM...then steamer was out...bynum scored the hard last points.....6 of them..explain that...

Is that really what happened? Wow...

Steamer did not get a 4th quarter minute. Truly sad. Van Gundy was commenting on how well he was playing before Doc yanked him. Doc does not have the guts to play Steamer over Bass.

Doc has some real issues when it comes to trusting rookies...I obviously don't know what goes on in practice and the locker room but if Stiemsma found a way to slow down Bynum at ALL and wasn't in foul trouble, theres no reason for him not to be on the floor.

one big reason is that we can't afford to have 2 guys who can't shoot out on the floor together at the end of games. We already had enough issues with the defense sagging off Rondo. This is why Perk sat at the end of games when he was here. The rondo effect.

Pietrus was -7 today, Stiemsma was -4.

The two guys people are saying they should have replaced in crunch time were +1, +3.

Did you watch the game? Did you see Pietrus shut down Kobe and Steamer block Bynum and Gasol plus get some tough rebounds against the 7 footers? I did and it happened multiple times.

I actually thought Pietrus struggled massively against Kobe today, he could barely move. I was shocked and not happy when I saw Pietrus in the game during the 4th. Plus I was worried about him launching his patten  bonehead 3's

Pietrus did a good job on Kobe defensively, he helped key the celtics run, and he kept his own shots closer to the paint. I'm not sure he had much left in his legs in the 4th though.

[Jkeyz]

al gae long bynum scored at will EXCEPT when steamer was ON HIM...then steamer was out...bynum scored the hard last points.....6 of them..explain that...

Is that really what happened? Wow...

Steamer did not get a 4th quarter minute. Truly sad. Van Gundy was commenting on how well he was playing before Doc yanked him. Doc does not have the guts to play Steamer over Bass.

Doc has some real issues when it comes to trusting rookies...I obviously don't know what goes on in practice and the locker room but if Stiemsma found a way to slow down Bynum at ALL and wasn't in foul trouble, theres no reason for him not to be on the floor.

one big reason is that we can't afford to have 2 guys who can't shoot out on the floor together at the end of games. We already had enough issues with the defense sagging off Rondo. This is why Perk sat at the end of games when he was here. The rondo effect.

Pietrus was -7 today, Stiemsma was -4.

The two guys people are saying they should have replaced in crunch time were +1, +3.

Did you watch the game? Did you see Pietrus shut down Kobe and Steamer block Bynum and Gasol plus get some tough rebounds against the 7 footers? I did and it happened multiple times.

Yeah, I did watch the game, did you?

You list a few rebounds he had... he had 4, that's great.  The problem is he's a non factor on the offensive end, even in the rebound department.  When you get to 4 or 5 minutes left in the game, he's too much of an offensive liability to have in the game.

The Lakers turned an 5 point deficit into a 3 point win in the last 2 minutes of the game?  Are you seriously suggesting that Stiemsma should have been on the court in the last 2 minutes?  The offense would have been even more depressing.

He had essentially the same exact stat line as Troy Murphy.  I wonder why the Lakers didn't have Troy Murphy in at the end of the game?

[Chief]

al gae long bynum scored at will EXCEPT when steamer was ON HIM...then steamer was out...bynum scored the hard last points.....6 of them..explain that...

Is that really what happened? Wow...

Steamer did not get a 4th quarter minute. Truly sad. Van Gundy was commenting on how well he was playing before Doc yanked him. Doc does not have the guts to play Steamer over Bass.

Doc has some real issues when it comes to trusting rookies...I obviously don't know what goes on in practice and the locker room but if Stiemsma found a way to slow down Bynum at ALL and wasn't in foul trouble, theres no reason for him not to be on the floor.

one big reason is that we can't afford to have 2 guys who can't shoot out on the floor together at the end of games. We already had enough issues with the defense sagging off Rondo. This is why Perk sat at the end of games when he was here. The rondo effect.

Pietrus was -7 today, Stiemsma was -4.

The two guys people are saying they should have replaced in crunch time were +1, +3.

Did you watch the game? Did you see Pietrus shut down Kobe and Steamer block Bynum and Gasol plus get some tough rebounds against the 7 footers? I did and it happened multiple times.

Yeah, I did watch the game, did you?

You list a few rebounds he had... he had 4, that's great.  The problem is he's a non factor on the offensive end, even in the rebound department.  When you get to 4 or 5 minutes left in the game, he's too much of an offensive liability to have in the game.

The Lakers turned an 5 point deficit into a 3 point win in the last 2 minutes of the game?  Are you seriously suggesting that Stiemsma should have been on the court in the last 2 minutes?  The offense would have been even more depressing.

He had essentially the same exact stat line as Troy Murphy.  I wonder why the Lakers didn't have Troy Murphy in at the end of the game?

4 rebounds and 3 blocks in 13 minutes does not sound terrible. And yes, I would of had Steamer and Pietrus in after the Lakers called the time-out. Just for size and defense. After the possession, I would have called a time-out and put Ray and Bass back in.

[greensquirrel]

I can't blame Doc fot the loss. Since Bass's promotion to starter (which I like) the bench consists of defensive role players. They can eat up some minutes and that's all. They can't give a boost and certainly not close games.

[Chief]

I can't blame Doc fot the loss. Since Bass's promotion to starter (which I like) the bench consists of defensive role players. They can eat up some minutes and that's all. They can't give a boost and certainly not close games.

Maybe that is why Pietrus and Steamer should start. Ray and Bass would be a nice bench combo.

[jc3celticsphan]

bynum just ended KG's career at center

[greensquirrel]

I can't blame Doc fot the loss. Since Bass's promotion to starter (which I like) the bench consists of defensive role players. They can eat up some minutes and that's all. They can't give a boost and certainly not close games.

Maybe that is why Pietrus and Steamer should start. Ray and Bass would be a nice bench combo.

I like Pietrus as a starter. His defense and hustle are valuable. As for Steamer, I don't think he's NBA ready yet.

[Tgro]

After the 1st quarter, I didn't think we had a shot. We played lousy and had every reason to be blown out. Then they fought and clawed and played their tails off and were the better team for the next 34 minutes of the game. Just not the next 36.

That's the depressing part for me. It's not a matter of who was in the game. If we were out-coached or any of that. For me, its the fact we played as a team with the guys we had out there and we totally outclassed them until there was 2 minutes left to go in the game and we're up by 5. And then we allow them to finish the game on an 8-0 run and we end up losing by 3 and we never scored another point to close out the game.

For me what lost it was execution! We didn't execute anymore like we did the previous 34 minutes. We played that familiar, slow, walk it up kind of predictable basketball that we play at the end of games that usually gets us loses. We got away from being the team that had us up by 5. We stopped doing the things that was working and we start playing desperate undisciplined basketball while the Lakers just waited for us to fold.

The game was really a bummer. I'll take it for what its worth with our guys as a team. We played well as a team for most of the day and we lost the game as a team at the end when it counted. In my mind, we just stopped executing. We didn't play to win. We played NOT to lose. And we just stopped playing sound basketball when it mattered the most and then we lost.

[Celtics4ever]

LA is big.  We are not.  We could not buy a shot down the stretch.   

[CelticG1]

al gae long bynum scored at will EXCEPT when steamer was ON HIM...then steamer was out...bynum scored the hard last points.....6 of them..explain that...

Is that really what happened? Wow...

Steamer did not get a 4th quarter minute. Truly sad. Van Gundy was commenting on how well he was playing before Doc yanked him. Doc does not have the guts to play Steamer over Bass.

Doc has some real issues when it comes to trusting rookies...I obviously don't know what goes on in practice and the locker room but if Stiemsma found a way to slow down Bynum at ALL and wasn't in foul trouble, theres no reason for him not to be on the floor.

one big reason is that we can't afford to have 2 guys who can't shoot out on the floor together at the end of games. We already had enough issues with the defense sagging off Rondo. This is why Perk sat at the end of games when he was here. The rondo effect.

Pietrus was -7 today, Stiemsma was -4.

The two guys people are saying they should have replaced in crunch time were +1, +3.

Did you watch the game? Did you see Pietrus shut down Kobe and Steamer block Bynum and Gasol plus get some tough rebounds against the 7 footers? I did and it happened multiple times.

I actually thought Pietrus struggled massively against Kobe today, he could barely move. I was shocked and not happy when I saw Pietrus in the game during the 4th. Plus I was worried about him launching his patten  bonehead 3's

Pietrus did a good job on Kobe defensively, he helped key the celtics run, and he kept his own shots closer to the paint. I'm not sure he had much left in his legs in the 4th though.

Yeah didn't see that myself. But in general Pietrus has been pretty putrid for a good stretch of games now.

[BASS_THUMPER]

good game and gained much more respect for rondo
they tried to physically break him down and that bad eye is the only reason why he missed that last 3pt at the end

this team will go further in the playoffs than people think

[2short]

bynum just ended KG's career at center

if we would rebound and run i'd take kg at center
bynum & marc gasol are the 2 biggest centers in nab, big long strong guys, we can't bang on the low post with that sort of player, take the 1/2 court game away
rebound and let rondo work his "magic"