POST GAME LAKERS

GAME STATS

REBOUNDS - CELTICS 34 /LAL 49.....Offensive - CELTICS 7 /LAL 14 ....Defensive - CELTICS 27/LAL 35
POINTS IN THE PAINT - CELTICS 30 /LAL 54
FAST BREAK POINTS - CELTICS 13 / LAL 9
FG - CELTICS - 39/82 (47.6%) LAL 42/83 (50.6 %)
3PM - CELTICS 9/20 ( 45%) LAL 7/22 ( 31.8%)
FTM - CELTICS 12/20 (60%) LAL 22/31 ( 71%)
TO - CELTICS 12 / LAL 12
ASSISTS - CELTICS 24 / LAL 24
STL - CELTICS 5 / LAL 5
BLK - CELTICS 4 / LAL 3
PF - CELTICS 25 / LAL 21
BENCH POINTS - CELTICS 29 / LAL 33
TOTAL TEAM TURNOVERS (Points off turnovers) – CELTICS 14 (16) /LAL 12 (10)

NEXT GAME FRIDAY - AT PHX - 9:00PM CSNE/NBA LEAGUE PASS


POST GAME RECAP


ESPNBOSTON.COM

Rapid Reaction: Lakers 113, Celtics 99

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

LOS ANGELES -- Rapid reaction after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 113-99 on Wednesday night at the Staples Center:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Dwight Howard posted 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Earl Clark added 14 points and 16 rebounds as the Lakers scored 54 points in the paint and extracted some revenge from a lopsided loss in Boston earlier this month. Kobe Bryant added 16 points as the Lakers put seven players in double figures. Paul Pierce scored a game-high 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, but after a scorching first half (season-high 23 points), the captain produced only three second-half points -- missing both shots he attempted. Pierce was a team-worst minus-17 overall in plus/minus for Boston. Courtney Lee scored a season-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while Jeff Green added 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, a block, and a poster-dunk (over Earl Clark) off the bench.

TURNING POINT
The Lakers were up eight early in the second half before scoring the game's next 10 points on a burst that pretty much blew the game open. Everyone got involved for Los Angeles on the run: a Metta World Peace layup, a fadeaway from Bryant, a driving layup from Steve Nash, a Howard alley-oop (off a feed from Nash), and a Clark dunk (off a feed from Bryant) and the Lakers led 75-57 as Boston scrambled for a timeout with 7:53 to play in the third quarter. The Celtics never saw a single-digit deficit again.

WILLIAMS DEBUTS FOR BOSTON
With the Celtics down 18 and under three minutes to play in the third quarter, newly signed Terrence Williams got his first NBA action of the 2012-13 season. Playing a guard role alongside Paul Pierce and Jeff Green, Williams assisted on a Kevin Garnett bucket early in his first stint. In the fourth quarter, Bryant found himself isolated with Williams defending and the 25-year-old swingman held his own, forcing a missed layup. Williams hit his only shot -- a 3-pointer -- while chipping in five points, two rebounds, and two assists over 12:44.

MELO GETS SOME BURN, TOO
Boston got its deficit down to 12 early in the fourth frame (90-78), but the Lakers quickly had that advantage back up to 22 soon after. Rivers seemingly waived the white flag when he inserted raw rookie Fab Melo while down 20 with 7:06 to play. Melo produced a little alley-oop dunk and an emphatic block in seven spirited minutes.

DOC GETS A TECH
You know it's a tough night for Boston when coach Doc Rivers is breaking his own "no fourth-quarter technicals" rule. Rivers picked up his fourth technical of the season for barking at an official with 9:12 to play in the game. Not that it mattered much with the game out of reach at that point and Rivers simply voicing some frustration.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics continue to struggle against Western Conference teams on the road. Boston has now lost two in a row, falling to 28-26 overall with Thursday's 3 p.m. trade deadline looming and big decisions about the future of this team to be made. Trade activity or not, Boston will take Thursday off before visiting Phoenix on Friday.
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CSNE

Blakely: Slim chance Celtics acquire difference-maker needed

Blakely: 'I think Ainge is trying to make a major deal'

LOS ANGELES — With the NBA trade deadline less than 24 hours away, the Boston Celtics are sticking to their stance that they feel good about their current team. .

That's a good thing, because it's starting to look more and more like the C's don't have much of a choice.

Boston isn't in position where a role player here or there will catapult them into the upper echelon teams in the NBA.

They need to add a difference-maker, which is exactly what Danny Ainge has spent the past few days trying to acquire.

However, the players that would indeed fit that description for Boston -- Atlanta's Josh Smith for example -- appear to be headed elsewhere.

A league source told CSNNE.com that the Milwaukee Bucks have emerged as the strongest suitor for Smith's services.

The Bucks will look to unload Monta Ellis, but a source anticipated the Hawks might want a trade package to also include Larry Sanders who is one of the most improved players in the NBA this season.

Phoenix is another team that has some players that might fit in well in Boston.

Specifically, center Martin Gortat.

A deal that would send Brandon Bass-for-Gortat works money-wise, but it doesn't appear to be enough to entice the Suns. Boston could possibly add Fab Melo to such a deal, but that probably wouldn't be enough either.

As you go through the various scenarios involving difference-making players who might be available, it appears as though most teams have more to offer than Boston, whose efforts to swing a deal are challenged significantly by them having three players out with season-ending injuries.

There were a number of minor trades made on Wednesday, but there's still a considerable amount of attention being paid to Boston to see what kind of major deal, if any, they can pull off.

However, the chances of that happening appear to get slimmer with each passing moment.

Although the C's have been linked with a number of trade proposals in recent days, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said most of the trade talk surrounding the team is media-driven.

"I think we're great," said Rivers who added, "our guys know what's going on. We really know what's going on. Our guys are good."

Among the talked-about trades involving the C's on Wednesday was one in which Paul Pierce would be sent to Brooklyn in exchange for Kris Humphries and Marshon Brooks. A draft pick might also be included in such a deal.

Pierce being subject to trade rumors is nothing new. In fact, this was the second straight year leading up to the trade deadline that the Nets and Celtics had discussions involving Pierce.

Like most teams, Boston is trying to get as much value in return for their players.

Most of the deals being discussed have been "underwhelming" from the Celtics' perspective.

A league source said on Wednesday that the Celtics wanted at least an All-Star caliber talent in return for Pierce, or a rotation player and a future first-round pick.

Draft picks are always valuable, but teams this year seem to be stingier than most seasons in giving them up.

That's why Melo is a chip that the C's are now open to including in a trade package, according to a Yahoo Sports! report.

Selected with the No. 22 pick in last June's NBA draft, Melo has spent the bulk of his professional career with the Celtics' D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
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WEEI 93.7 FM

AS TRADE DEADLINE APPROACHES, CELTICS GET BLOWN OUT BY LAKERS
By WEEI

The Celtics gave up 36 first-quarter points to the Lakers, and their defense remained porous for the rest of the night in a 113-99 loss in Los Angeles. The defeat, which came with just over 12 hours left until the NBA trade deadline, was the second in as many games at the start of a five-game trip against Western Conference teams.

Dwight Howard was dominant in the post for the Lakers, hitting 10-of-13 shots en route to 24 points and 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. Howard and Earl Clark (14 points, 15 rebounds) gave Los Angeles a huge advantage on the boards, with a 48-34 advantage on the glass. Seven Lakers finished the night in double figures in a well-balanced attack that consistently found clear lanes to the bucket against the Celtics.

In defeat, Paul Pierce — at a time when he's been subject to trade rumors — scored 26 points with four rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes. Courtney Lee added 20 points.

The Celtics now have two days to regroup before they face the Suns in Phoenix. Given the uncertainty inherent in the hours leading up to the trade deadline, it remains to be seen what the composition of the team will be when it next takes the floor.

112288

Hope Danny has his battery charger near him and extra batteries!

All kidding aside, Celtics need to make wise trades for good role/bench players for next year. Bass is just not cutting it and Danny should look to move him. Outside of his jump shot which on many occasions he is off, he is undersized at PF position and cannot post up.

As far as Pierce goes, Danny either has to trade him and get his salary off the books for next year or finish the season and buy him out. You cannot have Pierces salary on the books next year and expect to win. We have no cap space available to bring good players in if he keeps him.

Hope we can get somethings for "The Jet" ...I love the GUY...but we need a TOP GUN in key situations who is a lights out shooter from beyond the arch. Terry is a slasher ...pull up jump shooter who is limited when he is pressed outside the arch or paint.

3PM will tell the tale...tighten your seat belts and keep on posting.

JUST A SUGGESTION SAM........

WE SHOULD HAVE 1 RUNNING POST FOR TRADE DEADLINE NEW POSTS AND COMMENTS/DISCUSSIONS SO EVERYONE CAN BE KEYED TO ONE THREAD.

112288

With the majority of regular season games between Boston and the Lakers having been close, hard-fought affairs in recent years, it's odd to have this season with alternating blowouts within two weeks of each other.

Boston's play on both sides of the ball was so striking in the Feb. 7 game. Their defense was frenetic and had the Lakers frustrated, and their offense had outstanding ball movement and unselfish, aggressive play that made the Lakers' defense look ineffectual. Boston came nowhere near that performance tonight.

Regarding the Celtics:

• Pierce kept them in the game in the first half, but his outstanding shooting only masked the team's overall deficiencies in almost every area.

• The defense didn't dictate play. A hallmark of their post-Rondo play has been hyperkinetic defense, and it was absent tonight. To be successful, they simply must find a way to summon the effort and cohesion necessary to play that type of defense. A good indicator of whether they're playing that type of defense is tipped passes, and I didn't notice that many of those tonight.

• The defense didn't collapse well in the paint, part I -- it is positively crucial to swarm Howard and get him frustrated early. You can often tell what kind of night Dwight will have by the first six minutes -- if he's making shots right away, getting rebounds, and not turning the ball over or getting fouls, he gets on a roll and even makes his free throws. Conversely, if the defense frustrates him early, he picks up stupid fouls, can't make a basket, and bricks his free throws. The Celtics were too slow to help on Howard and let him get off to a good start.

• The defense didn't collapse well on players in the paint, part II -- when perimeter players drove into the Celtic defense, the Celtics were slow to react, or if they did react, the remaining players were flat-footed and let Laker cutters have open lanes for passes from Kobe or Nash.

• The Celtics' vulnerability on the boards was a killer. The Lakers had eight more rebounds, including seven more offensive, with many of those offensive rebounds turning into points.

• Boston moved the ball fairly well in the first half, but the ball movement was much less apparent in the second half. Overall, their offense wasn't the biggest issue -- they scored 99 points and shot 47.6% -- but without the ball movement they showed during their post-Rondo win streak, their offense is ordinary.

• The Lakers are weak in transition defense, but Boston didn't get out and run. As we discussed about the Denver game, you have to pick your spots to run against the Nuggets, but the time to run against the Lakers is from the opening tip to the final horn. Opportunity wasted.

Regarding the Lakers:

• Quite simply, the Lakers dictated play instead of the Celtics.

• Kobe didn't have a particularly good shooting game, but his overall game was quite good.

• Earl Clark was a difference-maker. Having role guys step up like that is huge. He is very active cutting to the basket when Kobe or Nash drive baseline and is one of the biggest beneficiaries of their assists. He's rebounding, defending, and just plain playing with confidence.

• Steve Nash looks MUCH better than he did a month ago. MUCH better. I know you guys didn't want it to happen in this game, but it makes my heart glad to see it.

• Even Steve Blake played well. (Sorry, Bob.) It was the Lakers' night.

The Celtics have three winnable games left on the road trip (Phoenix, Portland, and Utah). It's time to get back to what worked so well during that winning streak. There's no reason they can't do it, but it takes effort and focus. Getting past the trading deadline may help.

bob,

One thing that the Lakers are now doing which is greatlly helping Nash and hurting the on ball defender is to have the player who inbounds the ball slowly run up the court in front of Nash who acts almost like a blocker for Nash. Avery had very little disruption on Nash like he did the last time they met.

What is your take on Earl Clark?
Am I the only one that thinks he is the Lakers PF of the future?
If the Lakers can lock him up for 3 or 4 years at $4m per year, he could be a major building asset to go along with Dwight and maybe Jordan Hill. All three are young, athletic and great rebounders.

TJ,

Earl Clark has been a revelation. It's often said that what most players need is a chance, but most players don't truly have the talent or mentality to break out when given the chance. Earl Clark looks like the real deal.

If I'm the Lakers, I'm getting him and Jordan Hill for the long term.

I also noticed the blocker/continuous moving screen tactic for Nash last night. Clark trotted straight up the floor, and Nash did a weave to keep Bradley running into Clark. As long as the league allows it -- and I've seen them allow it for years -- they'll keep doing it.

tjmakz wrote:One thing that the Lakers are now doing which is greatlly helping Nash and hurting the on ball defender is to have the player who inbounds the ball slowly run up the court in front of Nash who acts almost like a blocker for Nash. Avery had very little disruption on Nash like he did the last time they met.

Can you explain to me how this is not a moving pick?

Was pissing me off all night. Clark is NOT set, so he should not be able to impede the defensive player. Once in a while, this happens in a game and it is fine. But as a strategy - it should be illegal

It's not a moving pick. He is making no attempt to pick the player.
Clark was jogging up the court and Nash was staying close behind him.
This is a lot more common then people think it is.
The defender has no more right to that space then the offensive player does.

It is more of Nash using Clark's body to his advantage.

tjmakz wrote:It's not a moving pick. He is making no attempt to pick the player.
Clark was jogging up the court and Nash was staying close behind him.
This is a lot more common then people think it is.
The defender has no more right to that space then the offensive player does.

If it is a coincidental play, where the defender just happens to be in the same area - that one one thing. If it is a plan on the part of the Lakers to free up Steve Nash and make it easier for him to dribble up the court- then it becomes VERY questionable

Here is the rule:

If the opponent is moving, you must get to your position and give him enough distance to stop and/or change direction. The speed of the player will determine the distance. You cannot just jump in front of a player at the last second.

I agree with Kleen that it's a type of moving screen, but as I noted earlier, this tactic has been used for years in the league and I've never seen it called.

It should probably be a moving pick -- but so should half the screens set in the NBA. It drives me nuts when they do call a moving screen, because how is that screen different than all the other screens they let go? This blocker escorting the ballhandler up the court is the least of the moving screen issues.

I am not holding my breath for a call on that play, and as I recall - Perk used to love to run up the middle of the floor from time to time - to impede the defender.

But I see a difference between a big man's right to run up the floor - and a team that instructs a player to do so to relieve the pressure from an aging PG who can no longer handle the pressure he once could

Never going to get called....especially not against the Lakers in LA - and not as long as Steve Nash is the PG.

The defender has no more right to that space then offensive player does. It the Clark or any player that does this had to set 2 or 3 picks, he would do so.

It doesn't get called against the Lakers or any other team because it is not a violation. The only reason you don't like it is because it happened against the Celtics. If that was Asik doing the same thing for Jeremy Lin against Westbrook, you wouldn't care about it.

kleen, do you realize how much you whine about referees and Stern and perceived biases against the Celtics?

tjmakz wrote:
kleen, do you realize how much you whine about referees and Stern and perceived biases against the Celtics?

I think the refs in the NBA are terrible - full stop. Not just against the Celtics, but in general. Since I pretty much only watch Celtics games and College basketball (which has MUCH more fairness in the officiating), they are my point of reference.

But here is an idea. If you dont like my comments about the refs - BUZZ OFF and stop responding to my posts. Pretty simple.

I don't mind your comments about the refs, I'm just pointing out the obvious.