Avery Bradley: Celtics Reveal Identity as a 'Grind' Team

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2013/11/avery_bradley_boston_celtics_r.html


ORLANDO, Fla. – It was the blueprint, the identity, the hope. It was not close to perfect, nor will it probably ever be, but throughout a Friday night marked by improbabilities, the Boston Celtics exhibited who they would like to be.

Forget tanking – unless your definition of that loaded word includes Jordan Crawford diving on a loose ball to save possession, Avery Bradley hounding Victor Oladipo up and down the court, and Brandon Bass trying whatever he can to fend off taller men, that term just does not fit. The Celtics are not close to perfect, nor will they probably ever be, but they showed some “stuff” – as head coach Brad Stevens likes to call gumption – while grappling Friday night with the Orlando Magic.

“Yes,” stated Avery Bradley in the victor’s locker room at the Amway Center, cutting off a reporter before he could finish asking whether a thrilling 91-89 win revealed Boston’s preferred identity. “That’s what kind of team we are. A grind team.”

This grind team now sits at 2-4, not ideal. But the Celtics have a two-game winning streak and have held a lead in every fourth quarter. They entered Friday night with a top-10 defense and limited Orlando – which had beaten the Nets and Clippers in its last two outings – to 39.8 percent shooting, including 4 of 20 from beyond the arc. In the decisive fourth quarter, the Boston defense even improved, holding the Magic to 8 of 23 shooting (34.8 percent) with six turnovers.

With 4:09 left and the Celtics ahead by five, a particularly elusive rebound danced around the Magic 3-point arc. Jameer Nelson had just missed a long shot from the top of the key and nobody could handle the board. Orlando rookie Victor Oladipo grabbed it for maybe a second and tried to shovel it to teammate Arron Afflalo, but Bradley chased the ball down and tapped it away. For about six seconds possession went unclaimed or barely accounted for; when the ball scooted away from Bradley, it bounced just inches from Oladipo’s fingertips.

But head coach Brad Stevens had just implored his players to make “winning plays,” the ones that sometimes leave floor burns, and Jordan Crawford spotted his chance. He dove head-first into the action, seizing the basketball and calling timeout.

“I think the most excited I’ve been since I moved to Boston was when Jordan dove on that loose ball,” Stevens said.

Added Bradley, “I feel like the game-changing play was when Jordan Crawford dove on the floor for the ball and called the time out. That was a big possession for us and to me that was the winning play more than anything.”

So much more unfolded. Afflalo scored nine points in the final 1:38, including an and-one, a 4-point play and a 2-pointer with his foot on the arc – with 4.6 seconds left – that was probably less than an inch away from tying the game. The referees convened for an official review, but the tape confirmed it was a 2-pointer. Bradley was fouled on the ensuing possession, hit one of two free throws, and Boston survived an errant Oladipo bomb at the buzzer.

Somewhere in that final, frantic minute-and-a-half – the official play-by-play tells me it came with 1:19 left – Kelly Olynyk hit a 12-foot jumper from the right wing for Boston’s final field goal. With the Celtics ahead by one point with 20.8 seconds left, Crawford had to call another timeout while trapped in the right corner. His wise decision to save himself from a turnover paid dividends 10 seconds later, when Brandon Bass canned two free throws. That set the stage for Afflalo to miss overtime by a toe.

“When the shot banked in from the baseline I was like oh my goodness, because I thought it was a three,” said Stevens. “But I’m glad it wasn’t.”

It almost felt like the Celtics did not win; they just succeeded in desperately trying to avoid a loss. Highlights included Bradley picking Oladipo’s pocket and driving for an and-one dunk at the other end; and Jeff Green soaring for a tip-in with 2:58 left to take a 4-point lead. But for the most part, Boston’s offense – which finished with just 35.8 percent shooting – again scurried for the exits early. This time, though, defense and “stuff” were enough to survive.

“Looks like we win that ballgame if you just told me (the) numbers,” said Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn.

But only two numbers really count and 91 is greater than 89, so the Celtics picked up a nice road win.

“Overall, very pleased with the result, but we still have a lot to work on,” cautioned Stevens. “We’re not that much different than if we wouldn’t have won the game.”

No, they’re not. But still.

“We stuck together when we missed some shots,” said Crawford. “Everybody stuck together as a team.”




bob


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It's the proper identity, and overall, mindset to have on this kind of team where you may not have the most talented squad, but you have a lot of guys willing to fight every game. Grinding isn't pretty but its truly admirable.


KJ