HAS A NEW USE FOR THE TIKI BAR
There was a common sight in both the Sixers and Celtics locker room, throughout the hallways of the Wells Fargo Center and in the media room. It was a look of "what the hell just happened?" as writers scrambled to meet deadline while coaches and players tried to decipher what took place over the 48 minutes on the court.
If this game was a boxing match, the Sixers were not only on the ropes after the first half, they had been knocked down almost to the point of stoppage. But the Sixers withstood the haymakers and returned to land even more of their own as they somehow took a 92-83 decision from Boston and evened the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2. Game 5 will be Monday in Boston at 7 p.m.
The Celtics barrage started with a 14-0 run to begin the game. The Sixers didn't score their first basket until nearly four minutes had been played. They scored just 12 points after the first, missing all but three of their 16 shots. The only reason the second quarter was a little bit better for the home team was because it couldn't have gotten worse, really.
At the break the Celtics led by 46-31, and really it was lucky to be that close for the Sixers. There seemed little to grab onto in the way of hope. The starters, not including Jrue Holiday's 4-for-6, combined to shoot 2-for-22. Key subs Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams combined for one field goal. The team missed 8 of its 21 fould shots.
And as much as the Celtics were dominating, they were smack talking. As one player told me in the Sixers locker room after the game, that went a long way into the Sixers' second half surge.
It started in a fiesty third quarter, during which a pair of double-technicals were called. That seemed to help fuel the Sixers, who outscored the Celtics by 28-17, limiting Boston to 5-of-18 from the floor in closing the gap to 69-53 after three.
"We started expending more energy, started making shots," said Thaddeus Young of the third quarter effort. "Lou (Williams) got it going and then were were getting in transition and getting stops on defense."
It was only the beginning to the end.
The crazy fourth quarter, in which the Sixers outscored Boston by 33-20, featured 8 ties and 7 lead changes. But the craziest thing of all, the biggest question left after the game had to be the limited presence of center Kevin Garnet in the fourth.
On the first play to begin the final 12 minutes, the Celtics dumped the ball down to Garnett, who missed a four-footer. He made his only other shot of the quarter, about four minutes later. For some reason, Boston decided to shoot mostly from the outside in the fourth. Part of it was the defense of Lavoy Allen on Garnett. Most of it was because the Celtics decided they loved jump shooting. It didn't work.
Meanwhile, the Sixers kept the pressure on the aging Celtics. Led by the super active Thaddeus Young, who had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the final quarter, the Sixers dominated in every phase. They won the rebounding (14-7), which allowed them to get out and run. They also forced the Celtics into 5 turnovers which led to 6 points. In contrast, the Sixers had 1 which didn't lead to any Boston points.
Andre Iguodala, who struggled offensively all evening, also scored 8 in the quarter, including five-straight that sealed the win.
With 1:22 remainin, Iguodala hit a step-back 16-footer for an 85-83 lead. On Boston's next possession, Rajon Rondo broke free from Jrue Holiday and appeared to have a clear layup on the left side of the basket. But Young drifted from his man at the foul line area and blocked the attempt. When Lou Williams then began to drive the lane, he found Iguodala open on the right wing for a three pointer which Iguodala drained for an 88-83 lead and securing another home game for the Sixers.
"When you're getting your butt kicked you've got to compete," said Williams, who finished with 15 points and 8 assists. "When we were down 18 the basket gets bigger because there's not a lot of pressure on the next shot."
When the Sixers were trying to close it out, pressure was everywhere. But the Sixers were the ones who played through it Friday. Iguodala and Turner led the Sixers with 16 points, while Young had 12 and Holiday 11. Lavoy Allen contributed 8 points and 10 rebounds in almost 33 minutes, plus tons of tough defense on Garnett.
How did it happen? Well, scoring 61 second half points compared to 31 in the first half helps. So does 22 field goals compared to 9 and allowing 37 points in the second half.
Hours later, the win is still head-scratching.
Video: If the Celtics play like they did in Game 3, do the Sixers have any shot of beating them? Bob Cooney of the Daily News discusses with Cinesport's Noah Coslov.
Before the Boston Celtics took to the court for shootaround this morning at the Wells Fargo Center, coach Doc Rivers talked to the media about what was most concerning after their Game 2 loss to the Sixers that evened the series at 1-1. Rivers will be looking for more from his star players tonight, particularly Kevin Garnett, who scored 29 in the first game but was limited to 15 on Monday.
"We have to be more aggressive offensively, we have to get to the basket more," said Rivers. "I thought Game 1 and Game 2 we were basically taking jump shots. We shot nine free throws at home (Game 2). That should never happen. We're trying to get Paul (Pierce) to his spots, but we're not sure where those spots are right now. Right now he can't get away from anybody with his leg. We'll look to get more pin downs for him. Usually he can shake the (defender) on his own. We're going to have to use him a lot like Ray (Allen), get him off screens then get him space.
"If (Garnett) gets double-teamed, then other players will get shots. If they don't double-team him, then he'll get shots. Kevin had 18 touches in Game 2, which is a lot, but 13 of them were in the third and fourth quarters. We need an in-out game starting the game, and we didn't do that. We fell in love with the jump shot and we fell in love with our random offense."
Pierce is limited in his mobility as he is suffering from sprained ligaments in his knee. He is obviously hindered by the injury, which won't allow him to make hard cuts to get away from defenders. Andre Iguodala has pretty much owned Pierce on the defensive end in the first two games.
The key tonight for the Celtics was laid out by Rivers. For the Sixers, they'll still be trying to get out on the fastbreak, getting easy buckets in the open court instead of having to rely on their halfcourt offense, which is anemic.
More to come...
The Philadelphia 76ers evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series at 1-1 with a 82-81 victory over the Celtics in Boston. The Daily News' Bob Cooney breaks down the game with the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.
BOSTON -- Sixers forwards Thaddeus Young and Elton Brand are both expected to play in tonight's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston.
The Sixers said Brand has a strained neck that is impacting the left side of his body. He saw a chiropractor Sunday and was still sore Monday during the team's light shootaround. Brand said the neck has been bothering him for about a week.
Brand played only a bit over 15 minutes on Saturday, partially due to the injury, partially due to the effectiveness of Lavoy Allen, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in just under 20 minutes.
The Sixers said during Saturday's game that Young injured his right ankle, but Young told reporters Sunday that he rolled the ankle after getting kneed in the shin. Young had the shin iced this morning.
Young missed a little time in the second quarter due to the injury and didn’t play at all in the third quarter, but was able to return throughout the fourth.
The Celtics lead the series, 1-0.
BOSTON -- Thaddeus Young sat courtside after Sunday's film/shooting session at TD Garden with an ice pack wrapped around his right shin. While the team relayed to the media during the game that he had sprained his right ankle, Young cleared up the injury a bit Sunday.
"I actually got kneed in the shin which caused me to roll my ankle a little bit, but it was the shin that hurt," Young said. "I tried to run it out, but it kind of spasmed up a little bit. I'll be fine. I'll definitely play."
He missed a little time in the second quarter due to the injury and didn't play at all in the third quarter but was able to return to play throughout the fourth.
Also on the injury list is forward Elton Brand, who is nursing a sore neck. Brand played only a bit over 15 minutes on Saturday, partially due to the injury, partially due to the effectiveness of Lavoy Allen, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in just under 20 minutes of play.
"E.B. was struggling a little bit, and Lavoy was playing great," said coach Doug Collins. "I think the guys know that at this point in time I got to go with the guys who are playing well. E.B. is a proud guy, and he's going to give everything he can (Monday). If he's playing well he'll get those minutes. When they went to a smaller lineup it's hard to get E.B. and Spencer (Hawes) out there together."
Brand said that the neck has been bothering him for about a week and that he was going to see a chiropractor Sunday.
Video: The Celtics came back to defeat the 76ers 92-91 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Daily News' Bob Cooney breaks down the game with The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy.
The rivalry between the 76ers and Boston Celtics used to be among the best in all of sports. Russell vs. Chamberlain. Bird vs. Erving. Malone vs. Parrish.
Times have certainly changed but many remember how riveting the games between the green and white and the red, white and blue used to be.
“I grew up and the Sunday afternoon game we used to get when I was a kid was the Sixers and the Celtics, either from Boston Garden or from Philadelphia,” said Sixers coach Doug Collins. “I remember the parquet floor and I remember how I couldn’t wait to go to the Garden and see the parquet and it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be this beautifully polished parquet floor that you could eat off of and I realized that wasn’t the case.
“The first NBA game I ever saw I was visiting Lehigh University to see if I wanted to go to school there and my cousin took me to a Sixers-Celtics playoff game. I remember coming in here as a player and playing them in the playoffs. We played them a Game 3 in Boston and it was so hot in the Garden. And then I remember as a coach going into the Garden with the Bulls and my first playoff experience and they had (Larry) Bird, (Kevin) McHale, (Robert) Parrish, D.J. (Dennis Johnson), Danny Ainge and that group of guys. It goes back a long time for me. I remember the locker rooms if you won, if the game before it was hot the next night it was cold or one night it would be cold and the next night it would be red-hot. I remember the early morning wake-up calls at the hotel where people would just so happen to call you and wake you up in the middle of the night. All those wonderful things. I remember going back to watch the tape of a game, they gave me a tape to watch when I was coaching Chicago and the tape was blank. Good rivalry.”
Thad Free:
Few people could have been happier when the Sixers polished off the Chicago Bulls in the first round than Sixers forward Thaddeus Young. In the six games, Young produced only 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in just under 22 minutes. He was basically swallowed up on both ends of the court by Chicago’s Taj Gibson. Now facing a Celtics team in the second round would seem to bring a huge sigh of relief for Young, though he was wary as the Celtics were the No. 1 defensive team during the regular season.
“They (Chicago and Boston) are two tough teams with some of the better defenders in the league,” said Young. “As far as playing against them you just have to take it game by game and just play. Whatever matchup is fine with me. I’m just going to go out there and play regardless. That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing (in the playoffs), try to go out there and not get frustrated and remain focused. I think I’ve done a good job of that. The last game (against Chicago) I think I played with a lot more energy and intensity than I played in the games before that and we got the win. I’m happy about moving to the next series and next round and just ready to play.
“They usually try to match up (Greg) Stiemsma and (Brandon) Bass. Those guys try to be physical with me and take me out of my game a little bit. But I pretty much just use my quickness and athletic ability to try and get around them and get a few shots off. But that’s not the key. The key is us going out there and playing as a team together.”
Longtime Friends:
Had the Chicago Bulls beaten the Sixers in the first round, Boston coach Doc Rivers would have been squaring off against his former assistant in Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. As it is he’s going against Doug Collins, a longtime friend whose son, Chris, recruited Rivers’ son, Austin, to play at Duke University where the younger Collins is an assistant coach.
“We’re very, very close,” said Rivers. “We talk a lot during the season. For me I don’t enjoy that part of it. I was talking to Thibs and I said that I was screwed either way, having to play either him or Doug. In this case it’s just what it is.”
“I think Chris sort of played a big-brother role for Austin at Duke,” said Collins. “Our families are close. When Doc and his family decided that Austin was going to go there I think they felt it was a place where he was going to get nurtured and grow not only on but off the court. Doc reached out to Chris after the season was over and thanked him for what he did for Austin this year. I have great respect for Doc.”
Bad Scheduling:
Both the Sixers and the Celtics started their series Saturday less than 48 hours after having clinched the first round. It didn’t go unnoticed by Celtics coach Doc Rivers, whose older team is dealing with injuries to Paul Pierce (sprained kneed ligaments) and Ray Allen (foot injury).
“I was surprised and I’m sure Doug (Collins) was surprised as well,” Rivers said. “Miami and Indiana have been off and they’re playing on Sunday. What surprised me more was the first four games (being played) every other day. I couldn’t have prescribed a worse solution for us. I was very surprised by that. But like I told our guys, nobody cares. You have to go play. That’s just the way it is.”
UPDATE: While it is unclear how much -- if any -- Joakim Noah will play, he is listed as "available" for the Bulls.
EARLIER:
Bulls center Joakim Noah will be on the court for wramups tonight to see if he is ready to return to action after missing the last two games with a sprained ankle.
"He’s diligent with his rehab, he’s doing the work, the swelling has gone down and if he can go, he goes, and if he can’t, he’ll get ready for the next one," Coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters.
The Bulls still like Omer Asik as the starter.
Thibodeau also said Taj Gibson would be a game-time decision, but he has indicated he intends to play.
Noah and Gibson were both in the Bulls' layup line.
**
Both the Sixers and Celtics have some work to do tonight to close out their first-round series, but the NBA is looking ahead to the possible Round 2 schedule with the various possibilities.
If both the Chicago-Philadelphia AND the Boston-Atlanta series conclude in 6 games, here is the schedule
* Game 1 is Saturday in Boston at 7 or 8 p.m.
* Game 2 is Monday in Boston at 7 p.m.
If either the Chicago-Philadelphia OR the Boston-Atlanta series conclude in 7 games, here is the schedule:
* Game 1 is Monday at the highest remaining seed at 7 p.m.
* Game 2 is Wednesday at the highest remaining seed at a time TBD.
Sixers guard Lou Williams was named the runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man Award.
Williams led the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game despite not starting a single game.
Williams finished behind Oklahoma City's James Harden. Harden, who led all NBA reserves in scoring (16.8 ppg), came off the bench in 60 of 62 games he appeared in, helping Oklahoma City finish with the NBA’s third-best record (47-19).
Harden received 584 of a possible 595 points, including 115 of a possible 119 first-place votes, from a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Williams finished with 231 points. Dallas' Jason Terry, who won the award in 2008-09, finished third with 81 points.
The Sixers' Thaddeus Young finished ninth with 10 overall points.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
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