DOC: NOT 'REAL HAPPY OR PROUD' OF C'S GAME

WEEI
By: Mike Petraglia

In a game that could only be classified as ugly from the Celtics' standpoint, Boston shot just 41 percent Monday night in Game 2 against Philadelphia and lost at home for just the second time in 19 home games, dropping an 82-81 decision to the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was Philadelphia's first playoff win in Boston since the epic "Beat LA" chant in Game 7 of the 1982 Eastern Conference finals. The Sixers had lost seven straight in Boston in the postseason before Monday's win.

Coach Doc Rivers was asked if something was wrong with Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter since his offensive touches seemed to diminish drastically.

“Well, nothing was wrong," Rivers began. "We didn’t go to him. It’s plain and simple. My thought: we never established the post. I thought the second unit again established the post in the one stretch in the fourth quarter. I really thought we started out the first four minutes of the game moving the ball, playing the right way. And then I thought, honestly, we chased shots as a group."

Garnett did finish with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but that was a far cry from Saturday's 29 points and 11 boards in a 92-91 win in Game 1.

Rivers watched as his team made its first four shots from the floor on the night, racing out to a 9-0 lead. But after shooting 11-for-22 in the first quarter, and scoring 25 points, the Celtics managed just 56 points the rest of the way.

"We don’t do it often; it happens, but I thought – we are a great ball movement team, a next-pass team, and tonight we were not. I thought everybody was trying to beat their defense instead of the way we played the other night: just making the simple play in front of you," Rivers said. "If they trap, you pass it. I thought tonight when they trapped us we tried to reject it and go the other way, and we tried to force shots. I wasn’t real happy, or proud, the way we played offensively. It was not very good.”

112288

Rosalle,

What I like about you is you "TELL IT LIKE IT IS"!!!!!!!!! Ya, the attitude and game plan changed for worst after the first 14 minutes. Even Doc was not happy with the teams effort.

112288

We just shot the ball awful. If Bass had hit his normal shot it would have made a huge difference. The whole team miss a lot of shots they normally make. With jumpshooting teams that will happen. The Sixers got a few breaks as well when we played great defense and the ball would end up in their hands and hit a unlikely shot. Maybe we did the same , of course I just don't notice it as much. We should get one back at Philley.