Execution 101. That was the game last night. Purely clinical basketball.
The C's controlled the tempo and the boards, forcing the Hawks to play in
a
way they aren't ready to do yet. Play every game like last night and it
doesn't matter who the C's play. Banner 17 is just a matter of weeks.
Game 5 was a great performance by the C's. Very good ball movement,
hustle,
attacking the rim instead of settling for jumpers, harassing. alert
defense,
controlling the boards and everyman, from KG on down, doing what they are
supposed to.
Even when the Hawks closed the gap at the start of the 3rd Q, look at the
shots the C's got. There was a missed short jumper by KG. Rondo missed a
couple of attempts going to the hoop. There was a 3 second violation on
KG
because Perkins kicked the ball out to a wide open Ray Allen. The C's
were
doing the RIGHT THINGS. The shots just didn't fall for a few minutes.
The C's played the game almost flawlessly. If not for that cold spell to
open the 2nd half, if not for a few bad calls on PP (blocking instead of
what I thought were CLEARLY charging fouls), if not for the slow start by
Ray Allen, the C's might have been up by 30 at the end of 3. Gino would
have been starting the 4th.
The Celtics game plan execution led to the Hawks execution on the court.
Notice how much more WORSE the Hawks shot selection looks when they don't
get second chances? See how defenseless Atlanta really is when the ball
goes into KG on the blocks and he starts the ball moving around the court?
See how much better the C's offense works when PP and Rondo both attack
the
rim and let Ray handle the outside shooting?
And how great is it when the 7 foot tall, legitimate MVP of the season
dives
on the floor TWICE in the game for a loose ball? Shades of Larry Legend!
In basketball, the pace of the game is always dictated by the team that
controls the boards. If both team takes care of their defensive boards,
the
game is a test of wills. If one team owns BOTH boards, THAT team does
whatever they like. Last night was the first time in the series the C's
had
a decided edge in rebounds and controlled BOTH boards. As a result, the
Hawks had to play the way the C's wanted. The Hawks may have the heart,
but
they just do not have the size or talent to do that. They can't double on
KG. They did and what happened? Leon Powe made them pay. PP made them
pay. Ray Allen and Sam Cassell made them pay.
The nice thing is the C's CAN play like this, night in and night out.
They've done it all season against all comers. 66 wins says they're not a
fluke. They have to remind themselves to do it. It's not enough to just
show up. The Hawks have shown us that. When the C's do it...with the
"it"
being solid, fundamental basketball, they aren't going to be beaten by
anyone.
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