You'd think a team down by 25 at the half would be out of it, but with 24 minutes of basketball left, and a team record on the line, the Boston Celtics fought hard, but fell short in the last quarter, finally falling to an inspired Orlando Magic team, 104-102.
Shoulda / Woulda
Played defense. The Celtics allowed 58 points in the first half. For a team that takes pride in its D, this was unforgivable. Credit, however, should also go to the Magic, who really pounded it inside to Dwight Howard, who has shown improvements to his already expanding game. Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson also impressed with his ability to distribute the ball, finding wing men Rashard Lewis and Keith Bogans in the right spots. Nelson was the key; if they had frustrated him early, they would've been able to make him less effective.
Cut down turnovers. Boston should really cut down on their turnovers, sometimes the result of too much passing. Allen and Pierce aren't guilty of this; as scorers, they take shots when they're given. KG, however, has a tendency to pass out and not explore his options first. The others (Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo) pass up open shots that they should take. Too much deference to the Big Three. Just taking care of the ball better would've helped.
Matched up better. Doc Rivers should've put a bigger body on Dwight Howard from the start. Reserve Scott Pollard did a good job on him in the fourth, and should've been utilized earlier. Rondo was outplayed by Jameer, who's much stronger.
Made some serious fourth quarter stops. The Celtics almost had the game by getting into the flow of their offense in the fourth quarter, but when they needed to lock down the Magic, they couldn't. This is what separates elite teams from good teams––the ability to make stops at will. The Spurs are great at this, and this is absolutely necessary, either when making a big comeback––as was the case here––or staying close when your offense sputters. Those threes by Turkoglu to push the Magic ahead? Unforgivable. What use is neutralizing Howard and Lewis––the Magic's first and second options––if you leave shooters like Turk open?
Improve shot selection in crunch time. Pierce was doing it the right way, driving inside for layups, making contact to get fouls to get to the line. KG is usually money fading away close to the basket, but in tight games, every point counts. Creating separation from your man is a great way of getting free for a shot, but it also means almost zero opportunities for fouls. The Celtics should also avoid running plays for KG when there are so many options, i.e., Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Garnett is more valuable under the basket, boxing out and grabbing potential misses and putting them back in, rather than taking shots. Ironically, Pierce, who drove in against the Heat for the go-ahead basket in their nail-biter against Miami, took a long three on Boston's last possession, when conventional wisdom dictated that he drive it in for either the potential game-tying basket or two free throws.
Coulda
The Celtics could've won nine straight games, and if not for some bad breaks in the end, their comeback would've been complete. But then again, it was just a matter of time before Boston lost. It might as well be to the Magic, a good, young team that could beat any team on any given night.
Shoulda / Woulda
Played defense. The Celtics allowed 58 points in the first half. For a team that takes pride in its D, this was unforgivable. Credit, however, should also go to the Magic, who really pounded it inside to Dwight Howard, who has shown improvements to his already expanding game. Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson also impressed with his ability to distribute the ball, finding wing men Rashard Lewis and Keith Bogans in the right spots. Nelson was the key; if they had frustrated him early, they would've been able to make him less effective.
Cut down turnovers. Boston should really cut down on their turnovers, sometimes the result of too much passing. Allen and Pierce aren't guilty of this; as scorers, they take shots when they're given. KG, however, has a tendency to pass out and not explore his options first. The others (Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo) pass up open shots that they should take. Too much deference to the Big Three. Just taking care of the ball better would've helped.
Matched up better. Doc Rivers should've put a bigger body on Dwight Howard from the start. Reserve Scott Pollard did a good job on him in the fourth, and should've been utilized earlier. Rondo was outplayed by Jameer, who's much stronger.
Made some serious fourth quarter stops. The Celtics almost had the game by getting into the flow of their offense in the fourth quarter, but when they needed to lock down the Magic, they couldn't. This is what separates elite teams from good teams––the ability to make stops at will. The Spurs are great at this, and this is absolutely necessary, either when making a big comeback––as was the case here––or staying close when your offense sputters. Those threes by Turkoglu to push the Magic ahead? Unforgivable. What use is neutralizing Howard and Lewis––the Magic's first and second options––if you leave shooters like Turk open?
Improve shot selection in crunch time. Pierce was doing it the right way, driving inside for layups, making contact to get fouls to get to the line. KG is usually money fading away close to the basket, but in tight games, every point counts. Creating separation from your man is a great way of getting free for a shot, but it also means almost zero opportunities for fouls. The Celtics should also avoid running plays for KG when there are so many options, i.e., Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Garnett is more valuable under the basket, boxing out and grabbing potential misses and putting them back in, rather than taking shots. Ironically, Pierce, who drove in against the Heat for the go-ahead basket in their nail-biter against Miami, took a long three on Boston's last possession, when conventional wisdom dictated that he drive it in for either the potential game-tying basket or two free throws.
Coulda
The Celtics could've won nine straight games, and if not for some bad breaks in the end, their comeback would've been complete. But then again, it was just a matter of time before Boston lost. It might as well be to the Magic, a good, young team that could beat any team on any given night.
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