Sleep easy, Boston: The Celtics are a lock
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
You can put this series in the books and start rooting for the Finals matchup every Boston fan – and casual NBA fan, for that matter – wants to see: Celtics vs. Lakers, Part 12.
I’ve been burned by premature predictions in the past (see my column on Boston’s demise following their Game 1 loss to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals), but I’m fairly certain I’ve seen all I need to see from the Orlando Magic following their latest inept performance at home in Game 2 of the conference finals Tuesday night.
For the second time this series, the Celtics nearly let a big lead slip away, but held on down the stretch for a 95-92 win, giving them a two games to none lead heading back to Boston for Games 3 and 4. At the risk of making the same mistake I made in the Cleveland series, I’m preparing Orlando’s funeral service before its team charter arrives in Beantown. Honestly, based on what you’ve seen thus far from the Magic on both ends of the floor, would you put money on them winning four of the next five games in this series? Only a fool would part with his hard-earned cash so quickly.
As exciting as Game 2 was from start to finish, the final two and a half minutes provided viewers with the perfect thumbnail as to why Orlando is heading to Boston with its back against the wall. Much like the Cleveland series, this one is starting to hinge on defense, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis made the play of the night by drawing a charging foul on J.J. Redick with 2:17 remaining to preserve Boston’s one-point lead (a questionable call based on the replay, but a huge momentum swing nonetheless).
Less than a minute later, Rajon Rondo – undoubtedly the difference-maker throughout this entire postseason – sank a fade-away jumper with 1:32 to go that simultaneously sank Orlando’s comeback hopes. Thanks to a combination of poor shot selection by Jameer Nelson, poor free-throw shooting by Vince Carter and poor clock management by Redick (all in the final 90 seconds, mind you) the Celtics held on for another edge-of-your-seat victory to put the Magic in a dreaded 0-2 hole.
While Boston’s defense has been the key to its success in this series (the Magic shot a blistering 54 percent in their semifinal sweep over Atlanta, but are stuck at 42 percent through the first two games against the Celtics), its experience and intelligence has played a factor, too.
Great defense starts up top, and by “up top,” I mean between the ears. You can see the difference between an experienced, veteran team such as Boston and a young, undisciplined team like Atlanta. Where the Hawks would get lost on rotations, leading to easy buckets for Orlando, the Celtics always know when and where to collapse in the paint to prevent penetration.
Also, Kendrick Perkins has done a sensational job defending Dwight Howard while the Magic have curiously ditched their pick-and-roll attack in lieu of having Howard try to post up in the paint, which is not his forte. In fact, I’d go as far as to say Howard is easily one of the five most overrated players in the NBA. He has no mobility, no hands, no touch, no post-up game and no semblance of when he should attack the basket instead of passing back out to the perimeter. He always gets himself into early foul trouble, too, not because he’s a victim of his own size and strength, but because he doesn’t know when to back off on a play he has no chance to defend cleanly. Any and all comparisons to a young Shaquille O’Neal should stop immediately.
With that said, the Celtics are doing everything on offense the Magic aren’t, which includes moving without the ball, drawing double-teams and unselfishly passing to the open man. On one particular sequence in the second half, Paul Pierce took the ball at the free-throw line, waited patiently for Howard to vacate his spot in the post to help out up top and then calmly passed to a streaking Davis, who received the ball on a backdoor cut and kissed it off the glass for an easy layup. That’s textbook offense, and the Magic have yet to reach that chapter.
The only hope for Orlando at this point is a.) a win in Game 3 and b.) some sort of offense from Rashard Lewis, who was arguably the X-factor for the Magic in their rout over Atlanta, but has been non-existent in this series. Even if they correct their mistakes between now and Game 3, the Magic still need to win twice in Boston to have an outside shot of rallying in this series.
I don’t see it happening – especially not after what I saw down the stretch in Game 2. Thirteen games and one foolish prediction later, my money’s finally on the Celtics.
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