POST GAME SAS - AWAY

Celtics Wrap: Manu Ginobili’s Game-Winning 3-Pointer Sinks Boston

NESN by Logan Mullen on Sat, Dec 9, 2017 at 12:01AM

Manu Ginobili has not aged a bit. And the San Antonio Spurs’ 40-year-old made sure the Boston Celtics knew that. With the game locked up at 102 and the clock winding down, Ginobili pulled the trigger from 3-point territory and jammed the dagger into the Celtics as the clock struck five seconds to play. The Celtics had a chance to answer, but a Kyrie Irving 3-pointer rimmed out, sealing the 105-102 loss for the Celtics.. Irving had carried the Celtics throughout the night, dropping 36 points, 17 of which in the first quarter. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 27 points. Boston had no shortage of chances to take — and keep — control of the game. They opened up the game with an 11-0 run, but watched the lead slip away throughout the half. They kept battling to regain the lead in the second half, but each time they would take control, it would get snatched back by San Antonio. The Celtics fall to 22-5 with the loss, while the Spurs improve to 18-8 Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Aron Baynes

NO JET LAG FOR THE CELTICS Just two days earlier against a far worse Dallas Mavericks team, a slow start had the Celtics playing catch up most of the game. Consider the lesson learned. The Celtics never trailed in the first period after opening the game with an 11-0 run, not allowing San Antonio to put up its first points until 4:05 into the game. In that time frame, the C’s held the Spurs to 0-for-8 shooting from the field. The Celtics were efficient in all areas through the first, leading by as much as 12 at one point. Though the Spurs pulled within five on three occasions during the final 90 seconds of the period, seemingly every trip down the floor for Boston was capped with a Kyrie Irving 3-pointer. The Celtics led 31-26 after one thanks largely to Irving’s stellar 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting, going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.

REBOUNDING WOES LET SPURS BACK IN IT The Spurs took their first lead of the game as time expired in the half, with Manu Ginobili netting an off-balance 3-pointer to give the Spurs a 56-55 lead. The Celtics found themselves in a world of trouble throughout the period, however, by getting manipulated on the boards. The Celtics were out-rebounded 15-10 in the frame — 24-21 for the half — and found themselves having trouble containing LaMarcus Aldridge in the paint. Aldridge grabbed five rebounds in the second quarter, three such boards coming on the offensive glass. Those second chance points added up over the half, with the Spurs going 3-for-7 on those opportunities, grabbing six points as a result.

CELTICS BATTLE BACK IN THE THIRD The Celtics spent the majority of the third period trying to chip away at the Spurs, who kept the C’s at an arms reach. They played with defense clearly in mind during the early going, finishing the quarter by containing San Antonio to just 21 points. After chipping nonstop and doing whatever they could to not let the Spurs get on a run, the Celtics finally did enough to take the lead after an Irving 3-pointer with 2:57 left in the quarter. Finally breaking through after grinding on both ends for a while visibly energized the Celtics, leading to them scoring points in transition and playing more aggressively in the defensive end. Brown contributed a pair of thunderous dunks to continue to build the momentum, with the C’s ultimately capping off the quarter with an 82-77 lead.

GINOBILI BURIES BOSTON The Spurs quickly retook the lead by opening up the final quarter with an 8-2 run in a little over two and a half minutes. That deficit proved hard to shake for the Celtics, who wouldn’t retake the lead until Jayson Tatum’s 3-pointer with 2:37 to play. With time running thin, however, and the Spurs back on top, the Celtics could never truly separate themselves, paving the way for Ginobili’s game-winner.

PLAY OF THE GAME What a finish.

UP NEXT The Celtics will take on the Detroit on Sunday in the second game of their three-game road trip. Tip will be at 4:00 from the Little Caesars Arena.
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112288

This was a very winnable game which the Celtics gave to SA.  They are falling into playing spurt basketball..................hot for half a quarter or 3-4 minute runs and then they go flat............unable to score for long periods of time.    

This happened tonight where they went cold towards the end of the first quarter and much of the second.  In that period of time SA did not exactly set the world on fire with their shooting.........just average scoring here and there while the Celtics went stone cold and their 14 point lead evaporated.

They are missing something for sure...........bad shot selections?...............too many hero ball 3 pointers?..............no hard picks being set for a curl by a wing in a pick and pop................???????

For sure Hordford cannot play center against bigger stronger guys.  He needs help.............not sure why Brad did not put Bayless in sooner during the 2nd or 3rd period to add more muscle with a match up with Aldridge?

Let us see who gets a buy out or release in the coming weeks.

112288

Celtic bench was horrible tonight - 10 for 33, and 2 for 18 on threes.

Shame such a great start and winnable game. Thought Brad didn’t play Baynes enough, then later he took a bad shot/knee and was out. What happened to all those great pnr’s that Kyrie and Al run? Was it the Spurs defense or we just went away from that play? Hope Baynes is not out an extended time, we are vulnerable to big centers and obviously need him. Something is wrong with Morris, he wasn’t moving well, and I think his knee is effecting his shot and defense. That being said I would have went with Theis more, he can make more hustle and intangible plays then Morris right now. If Morris can’t play in back to back games, that’s a concern. Right now our bench is a concern as is our size and depth at center. We got off to a surprising and great start and we can still beat the many non elite/playoff teams, but now the effect of not having an all star like Hayward can take its toll as the season goes on and can show up especially against the elite teams with size.

Rozier got off to a great start, finishing and hitting everything in the 1st half, Jaylen came alive in the 2nd half, making some highlight plays, that tip in was vintage Dominique. Tatum was Pierce like burying huge 3 to put us up 1 at crunch time and did a great job getting and fighting for boards. Love the 2 J’s, refs screwed us throughout the game, Tatum got hacked a bunch of times on drives with no call and you know he would have hit those FT’s and Smart caught a long pass at end of first, was obvious foul and no call led to Ginoblli 3 at end of half. That no call play which led to the 3 could have been difference in the game. Kyrie was unbelievable as usual, putting on a dagger shooting clinic, he just came up short at the end, it happens. Aldridge was punishing and posting on Al whenever he wanted it seems, did going at Al like this take away from Al’s offense at the other end? Curious to see how we respond to Pistons, we’re gonna need a lot of Baynes for that game as Al just doesn’t have the bulk to bang in the paint like a Perk for the whole game....now you guys can see sure it’s a new NBA yada yada, but a Perk like brute in the paint is still a need in this league and there’s more young bigs developing so we better get one at some point going forward.

Cow,

Yes, I think you have a valid point. For all the talk of a changing NBA game, a dominant big is still a key factor.

Regards

no need to panic here. The Spurs are one of the bets teams in the west (perhaps still second best) and we played at their court.

They won on a last minute 3, that was contested well. Sometimes that happens.

Smart got a lot of lousy foul calls in the second half, especially the 6th one, where he was pushed into the Spurs player.

Yes, Horford doesn't seem to have the strength to match up to Aldridge down low. Honestly I expected him to give more resistance than he did on those back downs. I guess Brad did as well, as he never brought double teams for help that I saw.

over all I felt we played well, against one of the top teams in the NBA on their court.

With Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Utah, Memphis and Indiana next up I expect at least 4 more wins there ( as 4 games are on the road). If not , then maybe I 'll start to panic a bit.

A very winnable game.  Manu with only 11 on 3-8 but he is SO clutch.  Which part of "never let Ginobili go left" didn't we understand?  Yeah, I know Manu went right around a pick to hit the game winner, but he got two drives to the basket because our defense was cheating to force him to go left, as if he was a right-handed player.

Horford was completely outplayed and abused by Aldridge, obviously.  I don't understand why Brad didn't put Baynes on him more.  Would Baynes be more likely to not go outside with Aldridge than Horford?  Sure, but he wouldn't be bounced back so Aldridge could get a layup neither.  I'd rather give up a 20'er to Aldridge than a 2'er.

One of the things I liked about Tatum's game is that he was completely unaffected by Horford and Morris' struggles.  He played his game, hit his shots (6-11, 2-4 from 3 which actually dilutes his season average) and hit his fritos (6-6).  The kid is unflappable.

Morris had a bad night. 

Smart had a good defensive night, maybe even a great one, but he made some dumb turnovers.

Smart, Brown and Horford with 3 TO each.  There's 9 of our 14.  Horford's was just because his head wasn't in the game.  Smart's were because he made some dumb passes.  Brown's were because he needs to work on his handle.  He lost the ball, at least 2x, because the ball wasn't on a string.  His #1 most important thing to work on next summer is his frito shooting, his #2 most important is his ballhandling.  If he's going to play in the back court he needs to be a good dribbler.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400975125




















bob


.

This game was lost last night not to Genobli, but rather to not being able to defend against a big guy within 10 feet of the hoop.

The exact same situation happened in the loss to Detroit when Drummond went off for nearly 30 (+/-) earlier in the season. Could happen again on Sunday, too.

If Aldridge scored 27 every game he plays, I would not have problem, but he does not score nearly 27 per game.

Games like last night show that we have a glaring weakness.

We lost a winnable game. It happens.

Brad is not perfect. He has his own issues and some of those were on display.

Real Marcus seems to have returned.

Very important test of this team's resolve tomorrow.

The glory of "the streak" is over. It's REAL from now on.

My opinion of this team remains unchanged.

Most of my thoughts about this game have already been expressed here.

Guys are going to make shots and miss shots.  Guys are going to play good defense but also miss a defensive assignment or two.  This collective body of work is separated by one or maybe two possessions in this game.  A strategic plan with applied tactics is the difference between winning and losing.

As has been stated, this was a very winnable game.

If there was one area to point to as the reason why we lost, it falls right in the lap of Brad Stevens.  We all agree that Brad is a great coach but last night he was outcoached by Pop.

The Aldridge/Horford matchup defined the outcome of this game.  

On offense Al missed 5 out of 6 from the field including 0-3 from deep.  We saw virtually no P&R action.  That is inexplicable even though the Spurs are a solid defensive team.  I can live with the fact that Al's 3 point total contribution was the lowest since he became a Celtic.  What is hard to fathom is the abuse he was exposed to because Brad had not a clue on how to defend Aldridge.

Are you kidding me?  Aldrige looked like he was in driving school practicing on how to back up.  Once it became clear that Al simply did not have the strength to stand his ground, coach Stevens should have thrown a few wrinkles at Aldridge.  We saw no double team help even when Aldridge took his time and efficiently destroyed Al and the Celtics in the post.  It was horrible to watch.

The Celtics needed to utilize a double team whenever Aldridge set up to begin his assault.  The double team could be random but you have to make Aldridge think about something other than plowing Al under the glass.  That seems obvious but the other thing that should have been obvious to our coaching staff is that Aldridge is a black hole.  He only averages 2.2 assists per game and therefore he is very limited passing the ball so the tactic is to turn him into a passer, something that he is not very good at.

While Baynes would have created a sturdier wall, he does not have the skill to check Aldridge away from the basket.

The Celtics need to add a center if they plan to make another deep playoff run.

I thought our team played their hearts out and deserved to win this game.  I was very disappointed in our coach.  The Celtics have the speed, athleticism and depth to scramble in their halfcourt defensive schemes.   You have to focus on where the pain is coming from.


dboss

It’s a copycat league, if I’m coaching against us and I have a post up monster big, I go right at Horford, make him work on defense to take away from his offense. Baynes has got to get more minutes against those kind of teams.

bob


.

Hi,
To be fair, when Aldrige was eating AH alive in 4th quarter Baynes was nursing his injury (I suspect it's groin).
I suspect Brad just didn't have anybody else to put against Aldrige.
As for the the game's outcome, I guess sometimes the ball bounces against us. I hope Kyrie and Co. will channel that disappointment tomorrow against Pistons.

AK

bobheckler wrote:



bob


.

Bobh,
Speaking about copycatting. Don't give any ideas: pretty soon everybody will be wearing masks and it will be NMBA

AK

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
To be fair, when Aldrige was eating AH alive in 4th quarter Baynes was nursing his injury (I suspect it's groin).
I suspect Brad just didn't have anybody else to put against Aldrige.
As for the the game's outcome, I guess sometimes the ball bounces against us. I hope Kyrie and Co. will channel that disappointment tomorrow against Pistons.

AK

That comment about Baynes is true.  The team could have really used his size.  However I have seen some reluctance on the part of Stevens to get Baynes more minutes.  Each game is a learning experience.

I am all in with what this team has been doing.

They will be playing with house money all year long.

Dboss

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
To be fair, when Aldrige was eating AH alive in 4th quarter Baynes was nursing his injury (I suspect it's groin).
I suspect Brad just didn't have anybody else to put against Aldrige.
As for the the game's outcome, I guess sometimes the ball bounces against us. I hope Kyrie and Co. will channel that disappointment tomorrow against Pistons.

AK

And Detroit will be a pissed off team after their loss to GS.

I'm glad so many people are asking about Baynes. Brad is great but deserves to be called out for stupid moves. It's as if he doesn't want issues with Morris. Doc pussyfoot around Ray's feelings in a similar situation.

Morris is a lousy fit with Horford. Maybe before the year when it seemed Al had become a center, Morris was a good idea. Horford can't handle big centers. Don't even try.

Baynes got injured, but he wasn't against Drummond in the other game. In the first half last night, he got benched when it was supposed to be his second stint and that's where the game was mostly choked away. That could have been an easy ten point win. Maybe not, but it is inexplicable how Baynes has been used this year. It doesn't matter how good he plays. He's not getting the minutes. Now he is hurt and the team could slide if other teams start bullying Horford, which could very well happen again tomorrow.

I'm not too confident in Brad Stevens right now when it comes to handling bigs. He's the same guy that started a season with Zeller and Lee. I would trade Morris asap and pick up a real big, not continue with tweener ball doing nothing to support a rejuvenated Horford.

You can't waste any of these years with Al, but it certainly looks like this one will be if Danny and Brad don't figure out the front court. It's been weeks possibly over a month in which a lot of people are saying hello Danny? We are weak at center.

I kind of don't think the Hayward loss has made too big of an impact because Tatum and Brown have played so well. He would help, but a team can't do much better than 22-5. There would just be tremendous depth at the wings.

There is a big gaping hole for bigs and it appears that many here can see that but Danny and Brad do not. I know they can't just snap fingers, but it's ridiculous Theis and Baynes haven't played more. Morris should be shelved until he fixes his knee. He's not that special even at 100%. If he's healed, then fine, no one else is like him and he fits in, but not with a bum knee and he has never been that good at rebounding and now he's clanking shots.

I have yo disagree with just about everything you have expressed.

Dboss

dboss wrote:I have yo disagree with just about everything you have expressed.

Dboss

I can't tell who you are responding to, but it seems to be me. If so, you have given me nothing to counter or accept.

His stats are not great. He is a pro player, a vet. That's about all I'm seeing. He has been mediocre at rebounding. He offers next to nothing for assists and blocked shots. There's no way he is playing center against anyone. If he is a big part of a team, that makes a lineup very small.