12 Wins Down, 66 To Go!

All I can say is keep feeding the Celtics a steady diet of Turkey Please!

First time in a long time there were smiles on their faces......I Guess they got their SWAGGER BACK!

Just some game notes:
1) The game represented the 4th best shooting night in the last 10 years!
2) Season high in field goals!
3) C's finished with 68 points in the paint!
4) Forced Toronto into a season high 21 Turnovers!

What made the difference?
1) Pushing the ball on offense and breaking down the defense by attacking the paint. Toronto were flat footed and could not defend the paint when Celtics attacked.
2) Celtics ball movement in transition was great. Passing was great, offensive weaving using picks
superb!
3) Celtics reacting to ball movement and ball penetration when on offense down the stretch, giving them some second scoring chances!

A night like this really shows a sore thumb whenever the Celtic's go into their slow down 1/2 court offense .....letting the other team set up their defense. Doc, it does not work! For a couple of minutes in the first half they did that and they fell behind.

Only negative as Tommy pointed out tonight...no fire in the belly on Defense at times! There were no defensive pressure especially at the perimeter arc. However when their defense attacks like the C's two years ago, they form a wall where one one can score.

Hey, a Great Win which sets up a nice start on a long road trip which usually bonds the players even further! Go Celtics!!!!

112288

112288,

A welcome change, huh?

I'm a big believer in the difference between attempting something abstractly and having concrete evidence of how to do it. This game gives the Celtics some concrete evidence. Even on the plane, Doc has the option of passing out the popcorn and treating them to a replay of the third quarter to remind them of what they SHOULD be doing out there.

Good point about how an extended road trip can really help the bonding process. This will really be the first such trip for this team. A very interesting subplot.

And, by the way, the Yahoo box score I saw had the Raptors for 25 turnovers. Now the Celtics even have the box scores dueling among themselves. I love it.

Sam

Sam wrote:112288,

A welcome change, huh?

I'm a big believer in the difference between attempting something abstractly and having concrete evidence of how to do it. This game gives the Celtics some concrete evidence. Even on the plane, Doc has the option of passing out the popcorn and treating them to a replay of the third quarter to remind them of what they SHOULD be doing out there.

Good point about how an extended road trip can really help the bonding process. This will really be the first such trip for this team. A very interesting subplot.

And, by the way, the Yahoo box score I saw had the Raptors for 25 turnovers. Now the Celtics even have the box scores dueling among themselves. I love it.

Sam

Sam,

It is amazing how fragile the psych is in sports. Just one little thing can tip a team one way or the other. But it is good that the new team and the new members experienced the team of old! Sunday will be a good test as to how the team is going to proceed the next month of this season.

112288

Hi,
What happened in the 3rd qtr? Unfortunately I couldn't watch almost half of the game.
BTW, in the 4th when RA went to bench they showed him talking w/Doc and then they hugged and RA left and I didn't see him on the bench. Was it due to, finally, 3-of-4 from 3pt?
Kudos to Perk: 100% FG.
Thank you very much,
AK

The suffocating defense from 2 years ago what makes me howl with laughter and glee..... showed up.

GC

Sinus,

Swarming defense by the Celts is a lot of what happened in the third quarter. In the fourth, Doc obviously wanted not to reinsert Pierce. He was on the brink at least twice, with Pierce at the scorer's table both times. The last time, Ray hit a three, and Pierce just turned around with a smile and went back to the bench—I believe without Doc's even having to summon him. I think the two of them got a kick out of being so much on one wave length.

Apparently Pierce has been more vocal lately, even telling Doc what plays Paul thought wouldn't work.

This whole chemistry thing, with the normal rotation consisting of so many veterans, is turning into a more daunting adventure than I had ever imagined. But gradually, the thinking and actions of the coaches and team seems to be becoming ever more cohesive. Let's hope so.

Sam

Sinus00

We were up in toronto's jerseys. We made life hell for them. They had a very hard time finding a PASS let alone a shot. We were dismissing picks and just plain putting in the work on d. All up in the passing lanes. Think second half of game 4 in the finals.