Celtics Western Trip Heading South

Losing back-to-back games in the NBA is not a big deal, it happens to the best of teams.  You play 82 games and it's bound to happen here and there.  Last year it happened here, there, then, now, yesterday, and tomorrow for the Boston Celtics.  But that was last year.

For only the second time all season the Celtics dropped two in a row after Baron Davis canned a last second fall away jumper.  The Golden State Warriors defeated the men in Green, 119-117, in front of 20,711 people, the largest crowd in franchise history, and largest crowd to ever watch a basketball game in the state of California.  That's great.  We lost!

Painfully, I watched the entire game, just like the night before when the Denver Nuggets and their hand picked referees, beat up the Celts, 124-118.  But last night, I was convinced that the Celtic pride would will their way to a win.  They had a chance to steal one and probably would have if they listened to me in their final timeout.  Instead, they did what the Doc ordered, like he's the coach or something, and lost.  At least with my plan, even if they didn't win, they couldn't have done any worse.

It was a back and forth game for most of the night where the Celtic 6-12 point leads would last about as long as Scalabrine in a dunk contest. In any case, Boston cut a 5-point deficit in the final two and a half minutes down to 2, when Paul Pierce got fouled by himself and went to the line for two big free throws with 28 seconds left.  It was an offensive foul in my opinion; Pierce bowled over a well positioned Mickael Pietrus.  But Super Stars get those calls late in games for some reason.  After nailing two clutch offensive foul shots, to trim the lead to 117-115, inexplicably, Matt Barnes, who's a bench player, threw up a bad shot and Pierce grabbed the rebound with 12 seconds left.

The following sequence is where Doc and I differed in our timeout strategies.  From halftime onward you could tell it was one of those games where whoever had the ball last would probably win.  That's what I thought anyway. Not Doc.  There were 12 seconds left, the Celts were down by two.  Doc opted for the old Paul Pierce Plow Play and it worked.

Pierce(23 pts) charged down the lane, threw up a wild shot and plowed Al Harrington to the floor.  One ref called it a blocking foul and the other a charge.  I thought the game was over.  There were 6 seconds left, I thought Pierce without question flattened another Warrior and that would do it.  But after viewing the replay, the ref with the block call was right.  Al Harrington was inside that dotted circle.  Pierce hit two more clutch freebies amidst a loud, raucous crowd and the game was tied at 117-117.

 The only problem was that there were still six precious seconds remaining, and Baron, they call the "closer" Davis, had one more shot for Doc.  With a couple of tics off the clock, Davis dribbled from left to right with a couple of head and shoulder flakes, just outside the top of the key, with Tony Allen right on him.   After a step back, Red Baron the moneyman let one fly and got nothing but net income.  The Warriors were golden and the Celtics were....well...Green.  Game over!

I am not one of those Monday morning quarterbacks and let's get that straight for the record.  But I did say to myself when there were 12 seconds left and we had the ball down by 2, that we should take a last second three to win the game.  It was one of those nights where when you had a chance to win the game, you go all, or nothing at all.  Frank Sinatra and I thought there were too many variables in taking the safe route, playing for a tie.  Pierce would have to hit both free throws (he did), then we would have to stop Golden State on their last possession(we didn't), and finally, we would have to win the game in overtime (we'll never know).

I know Doc's plan was for Pierce to take it to the rack, get fouled and have a chance at a retro 3-point play, but there's no fools gold at Golden State.  I wanted a Ray of hope.

Since the All Star game(and during) Ray Allen (32 pts 6-8 3pt fgs) has been burying threes like foul shots. I was hoping for the Pierce Plow decoy kick out for three play.  It doesn't exist, but I can draw it up. Pierce holds the ball for a few seconds, pretends he can dribble by going  through his legs a couple of times,  attacks the hoop with his usual reckless abandon, then kicks it out to Ray for a last second money trip. Bang! Celtics win!

He misses, they lose.  It's a lot easier to handle than watching Baron bearded freakin' Davis toy with Tony I'm the other Allen, then knock down the Warrior gang bang buzzer beater.

My play avoided all of this nonsense and I trust Ray because "He Got Game."  Instead, we lost back to back games to the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors.  How bout them Golden Nuggets?