Boston Celtics 107, San Antonio Spurs 97: “We got a little bit three happy…”

by

AT&T CENTER-Live by the three die by the three. In basketball the 3-pointer can be the great equalizer, negating a lack of athleticism or talent, providing enough spacing to allow superior skill to offset superior athletes.

Shooting is how the San Antonio Spurs have managed to consistently reload with late draft picks and free agents off the scrap heap.

The rub, of course, is what happens when those shots don’t find the bottom of the net. To say that these Spurs have been over reliant on the 3-point shot all season is a bit of a misconception-they have been able to conjure up other forms of offense all season. To say that the Spurs were over reliant on the three-point shot tonight in their 107-97 loss, however, would be spot on.

“The game was won when we got a little three-happy in the third quarter and the transition defense didn’t follow,” head coach Gregg Popovich said. “Some of the shots were really good and open, some were contest, but the (lack of) transition after it was really important and they took advantage of it.

“They made it a 10-point game at that point and we couldn’t get back in it.”

For most of three quarters both teams executed at the highest levels of basketball, which is what you would come to expect from the Boston Celtics and Spurs. Then the Spurs hit a shooting drought, going 3-for-9 in the third quarter from long distance, and compounded matters by not getting back on defense.

Long shots led to long rebounds, which ultimately ended in 10 Boston third quarter fast break points. There’s the difference on a night that started out fairly promising.

The return to health of the San Antonio Spurs starting lineup produced one of the finest displays of offensive execution this season, for a quarter at least.

Tim Duncan (20 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and five turnovers) once again provided the Spurs an interior presence to balance the offense while Tony Parker zipped and zagged his way into the lane at will, finding the basket and open shooters as is his wont (12 first quarter points and four assists). When the Spurs are moving bodies and the ball around it’s a beautiful thing.

Unfortunately the execution was almost too crisp, and for another night the shooting could not match pace. Some fantastic interior passing between Duncan, Antonio McDyess, and Parker some easy baskets early. Open layups begat open three-pointers, and once it became apparent that the Spurs were not hitting those (8-for-29 from distance on the night) the Celtics were able to shut everything else down to an extent.

In the second half the Celtics were able to sag off in the paint and cut off penetration, and at that point what are the likes of Matt Bonner (2-6), George Hill (1-3), and Gary Neal (0-4) supposed to do besides shoot it?

That’s not to say there are no other options. For much of the season Manu Ginobili has walked a fine line in his 3-point attempts. At his peak this season, his ability to buttress his massive amount of 3-point attempts with massive amount of free throws kept his game in balance. Tonight, 4-13 from the field and no free throw attempts.

“I think I should have gone a couple of times, but it just didn’t happen,” Ginobili said after the game. “I attacked the rim. It hurt me that I couldn’t make a shot so the defense wasn’t really worried about that, but I think I should have gone a couple times.”

Defensively, giving up 55 percent from the field would entail that there are plenty of problems. But at the heart of the defensive breakdowns tonight were the Celtics ability to make shots away from the heart of the Spurs defense.

It’s no secret, mobile big men with consistent range out to 20 feet-especially as second or third options-are increasingly becoming the bane of Popovich’s existence. Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis were 9-12 and 8-12 respectively, most coming from just steps inside the 3-point line. Rajon Rondo unexpectedly hitting the majority of his jumpers didn’t help. Tiago Splitter and his perceived cure-all interior defense would have done little here.

But back to the 3-point shooting, because if the Spurs are going to win a championship or break this Duncan-era record five game losing streak it’s going to take a couple of these shots to finally go down.

Because as Duncan and Ginobili have aged, their ability to take what the defense doesn’t give them has waned. Parker’s game has always been tied to his teammates ability to keep the lanes clean, and there are no explosive athletes on this team that can go over the top of superior defenses.

Without an athletic advantage, the Spurs lean on execution, which ultimately relies on spacing.

This is why Richard Jefferson is a better fit even with lesser numbers, Matt Bonner still warrants a spot in the rotation, and Gary Neal has been such a huge find.

Live by the three, die by the three. But remember to get back on defense.

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  • Titletown99030507d

    I would gladly accept Bonner and Blair spend the entire basketball game on the court if they can one give Bonner wide open looks with no one within 10 ft around him and two one of our 2 biggest bigs be with Blair on the court at the same time.
    In regards to Bonner that won’t happen in a playoff game because the perimeter defenses get a whole lot better when your trying to advance to the next level.
    And in regards for Blair that isn’t so bad he’s giving you rebounds but no offense. Your basically taking away a scorer having him on the floor. I would take that though only if I knew that he can box out and keep players like both Gasols, Garnett, Aldridge, Big Baby, and players of such from shooting over him in clear view. Not gonna happen. That’s my take.

  • td4life

    I’ll virtually repeat my post from the last game and say, “Our shooters are NOT gonna net us 16 post-season wins.”

    Playoff basketball is won in the paint.

  • Titletown99030507d

    @WH Silver,

    It’s a technical issue and a mental issue. Pop does look worried. And he better check his technique really fast. Bad rotations affect this team mentally, they get down and dig themselves a hole because some players know they have to work harder to make up for players that shouldn’t be on the floor. Ask Manu. This team falls apart as soon as incompetent players get on the court.
    That is Pop’s problem. I want this team to win as bad as you do but if he continues to roll out these screwy rotations and the timing of these ridiculous rotations we won’t win period!

  • http://48minutesofhell.com Jesse Blanchard

    Matt Bonner needs to hit some shots, this is a given. But tonight, for the Blair/Bonner frontcourt, here is your breakdown:

    In a little over 8 minutes against a Blair/Bonner frontcourt the Celtics were:

    6-13 from the field without a three-pointer. 2-3 from the free throw line. Three offensive rebounds. Spurs managed 2 steals. That’s 14 points.

    With Blair/Bonner in the game the Spurs went:

    5-16 from the field with a three-pointer. 3-4 from the free throw line. Four offensive rebounds. That’s 14 points.

    Playing Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair together did not lose this game. I’ll be digging through the play-by-play for some stats for different lineups and try to identify what did. But I think the recap answers a little bit.

  • Junierizzle

    @td=be
    TRUE. They have to defend. To be fair Jeff Green had a running start on a couple of those and would of scored on anybody. But like I said If Bonner had made some………..whatever. He missed em. I like Bonner but when he is off he is off. And if he isn’t making them then they have to get stops. I think Splitter should come in first.
    I actually like your starting five. Spliiter and TD can be like a poor mans Twin Towers. But theres no way POP is making that move now.
    I suspect we will see less of Bonner/Blair combo in the playoffs. POP knows he has to slow it down. They’ll play more like they did in the last Mavs game.
    Splitter would be great as a starter. That way Mcdeezy, at this stage in his career can give you a solid 15-20 mins and not burn out.

  • http://48minutesofhell.com Jesse Blanchard

    I pulled these from the play-by-play on ESPN, if I’m off feel free to go look for yourselves and correct me and I’ll check again. But the sky is not falling…I’ll try and have more on that later.

  • chromao

    Kevin McHale said at the end something like that although the Spurs lost, they played well. I wondered if he , being a Celtic, was making a joke at our expense, or was watching another game on ESPN Classic.

    We played TERRIBLY, particularly on the defensive end. Did you guys count the number of OPEN jumpers Garnet and Davis conected last night??? If we keep employing the defensive scheme we used last night against strong mid-range jump-shooters like Gasol/Nowitzki/Aldridge, they will go for 30-40 points easily.

    Moreover I know the conventional wisdom is that Rajon Rondo can’t shoot. But, once he is shooting AND scoring, why not play closer to him??? We did it just once, and he shot a brick! Two points are still two points, no matter who scores them, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo. Now we did the favor of completely restoring his confidence (like we did the other day to another brick-thrower, Tony Allen).

    This game we were far less competitive than the previous four losses. From midway through the 3rd quarter it was pretty obvious we could not make a strong run. I am not exagerating at all when I say that , comparing to their last five games, it was a pretty EASY win for the Celtics.

  • chromao

    Also, the inexplicable loss @Portland will probably haunt us towards the end of the regular season, when we will have needed one more win to secure HCA.

    In conclusion, if we play like the previous four games, we are Ok (not great, but Ok), but if we keep playing like we did last night, I actually see a double digit losing streak, a 2nd or 3rd seed and a colapse in the first or second round. Our next games: Houston is still in the hunt for a playoff spot; Phoenix, even basically out of the hunt, will for obvious reasons, play us tough; Atlanta and Sacramento are not playing as bad as some people say (and Atlanta will play at home); LA …no comments.

  • Matt C.

    I’m a little disturbed by the statement, “They made it a ten point game and we couldn’t get back in it.”

    That may be the truth of it, but that’s not the mentality we need to win many games in the playoffs. We are going to go down by more than 10 in a lot of games.

  • fan_fromfarfaraway

    Bottom line is that don’t let Blair/Bonner playing together. They are slow and shorter ( no offense to Blair, but when you play with LA and Boston, you need to match up the height). Splitter should be the sub to Tim, Bonner should be the sub to McDyess, Novak can be the sub to Bonner. Blair will only play well when he is playing with Tim. The rotation should look at this:

    1. Tim/McDyess (10min) => Tim/Bonner (2min)

    2. Tim/Bonner (6min) => Splitter/Novak (6min)

    3. Tim/Blair (6min) => Splitter/Bonner (6min)

    4. Tim/Bonner (2min) => Tim/McDyess (10min)

    With Tim playing with Bonner or Blair, Tim can pick up for them. However, Tim can not play 48min, the pair of Splitter/Novak is better than the pair of Bonner/Blair because they are taller and faster (with more energy).

    Splitter and Novak are no worse than Blair (if not better). We have to use all the hands that we have. If not, and just use this game’s rotation, which is almost the same as we used last year ( except for 4min to Splitter), I don’t see a hope when competing with LA.

  • doggydogworld

    The game was not lost at the 3 point line. The Spurs got 24 points from their 29 attempts instead of the 33 points a good three point shooting team would expect to get. That’s -9. Boston got 6 points on 11 attempts instead of the 12 a fair shooting team would expect. That’s -6. That’s a 3 point differential in a 10 point loss.

    The real issue was mid-range jumpers. Box scores don’t track this, but looking at ESPN’s shot chart I see the following:

    2 point jumpers outside the paint:
    1Q - Boston 8/11, Spurs 1/4
    2Q - Boston 3/6, Spurs 1/5
    3Q - Boston 4/6, Spurs 0/4
    4Q - Boston 7/10, Spurs 5/6
    Tot - Boston 22/33, Spurs 7/19

    Spurs defense is geared toward forcing opponents into the game’s most inefficient shot - the contested long 2. You’d expect Boston to score about 28 points on their long 2s. They actually scored 44 for a +16 differential. That’s the ball game, folks. The problem was the Spurs didn’t contest enough of those long 2s and Boston made them at an unusually high rate.

  • junierizzle

    @Jesse Blanchard

    “Matt Bonner needs to hit some shots, this is a given. But tonight, for the Blair/Bonner frontcourt, here is your breakdown:

    In a little over 8 minutes against a Blair/Bonner frontcourt the Celtics were:

    6-13 from the field without a three-pointer. 2-3 from the free throw line. Three offensive rebounds. Spurs managed 2 steals. That’s 14 points.

    With Blair/Bonner in the game the Spurs went:

    5-16 from the field with a three-pointer. 3-4 from the free throw line. Four offensive rebounds. That’s 14 points.

    Playing Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair together did not lose this game. I’ll be digging through the play-by-play for some stats for different lineups and try to identify what did. But I think the recap answers a little bit.”

    That is actually reassuring. But Bonner/Blair sure don’t pass the eyeball test.

    Matt has to hit shots!!!!

  • Titletown99030507d

    @JesseBlanchard,

    Another Blair/Bonner fan. Far and few. Face it dude they suck and I don’t want them on the frikin floor. One can’t shoot the other can’t defend real bigs. Damn when will people learn.
    Well good then play them the whole damn game with Timmy on the bench. Don’t bring that crap in here. I have a DVR too.

  • Dr. Who

    @ Jesse

    Didn’t the Surs go down by 10 with Bonner and Blair on the court, with Bonner’s guy scoring something like 8 straight points before being pulled? Stats are essential, but somethign doesn’t pass the “sniff” test with that combo. It appears we’ve seemed to lose something the last few games with that combo on the court. Of course last night’s los in not squarely on Bonner/Blair combo. THe reliance on 3 pt (poor 3 pt shooting) coupled with the utter lack of D, sealed our fate. hard to win when you allow the other teams consistently to shoot %50 or better. Yikes!

  • TD = Best EVER

    I will say it again …… IT’S BONNER that SUCKS. I said it when we signed him last summer and even then if you can go back that far and read the post….. Tim/Jesse (or some Admin, forgot which 1’s) reassured many that Bonner will be a good signing if we just can limit his minutes and have him play in short spurts to boost the Offense…… Well that isn’t happening…… POP’s inner Phil Jackson can’t contain himself…… he wants to be able to say he did it differently than anyone else…… SO he keeps going back to the same old dry well……. He still will not micro manage the game like it needs to be…… he should be up calling plays like 45% or our possessions to keep our Offense in SYNC…….But he doesn’t and eventually against any good team, they will put a stop to your bread and butter plays…….Then it was game over….. Splitter should start and Dice should finish…… With Blair getting 15 minutes or so depending on how well he is playing…….

  • TD = Best EVER

    As far as our Defense we have to face it…… I was calling for perimeter D when Denver sans Melo was ripping us up earlier in the year………. Most cried that G.Hill/J.Anderson would help in that department…….. Not looking good there……We are basically in the same situation that the Mavs/Suns and other teams like that have found themselves in…… Trying to play Good/Great team defense with Bad/Horrible defenders…….

    Dallas

    Dirk/Jet - how can you win a game when your 2 best players play HORRIBLE defense and are on the court at the same time…..How many times have Dallas lead late only to loose anyway

    Suns

    Nash/Amare - Same as Dallas - your 2 best players are both liabilities on defense……. You will never win with those players on the court late…….

    Spurs - Listing defenders from Worst to 1st…….

    WORST
    Bonner - can’t guard ANYBODY….. should never play late…See Dallas/Suns above
    Novak - simply because he plays less than Bonner
    Quinn - plays even less than Novak

    BAD - haven’t played enough to put them any where else
    Anderson
    Green
    Butler
    Neal - He tries…… but that’s it

    Average - they try(get a few good plays here and there)
    TP - can’t guard any player….. he is really fast on offense but seems to loose that speed on D…. funny how that happens…..lmao - Bowen covered up his poor D all these years
    Blair - undersized…..plays hard….. needs to cut out mental mistakes to place higher…..
    Splitter - needs more minutes to place higher
    RJ - Very TP like in that he shows good D in flashes, but more often than not he is getting light up…….

    Above average - but BARLEY
    IndyG - has shown signs….. but focuses on Offense too much….. and is undersized…..

    Our Best - They would be B’s if scoring on Letter grades
    Dice : (B-) He does a lot of things well…. he still has it mentally but is old and it shows at times. Still rebounds/blocks and contest shots at the rim well - Best individual defender on the team…….
    Manu (B) Best perimeter defender - very pesty and always in the other players face….. contests shots very well - just needs a little more size and he would have been a STUD defensively
    TD (B+) Best rebounder/shot blocker(was top 10 in both most of the year) He may have fallen off a little here the past 10 games, but will have plenty in reserve come the playoffs……Best help defender…..and can still play the Slower PF/C in the NBA…..

    That’s the list…… No how on Earth are we gonna win games late against GOOD teams with Bonner playing late…… You can’t - the rest o four team isn’t good enough to cover up for him, and POP has to see this…… Because as we have seen….. We already have a problem with guard penetration, we can’t COMPOUND that with poor interior/help D as well…..There will be more PG’s in the playoff like Andre Miller/Conley/Westbrook who have all went off on us at 1 point this year……. But TP is part of the big 3 so you can’t sit him……. Bonner by default has to go……

  • http://48minutesofhell.com Jesse Blanchard

    I’m still in the process of breaking things down individually, and I apologize for the lack of non-recap content from me as of late. Bonner and/or Blair could very well be the culprits, but during their time together last night, they broke even.

    From the ESPN play-by-play:

    DeJuan Blair enters the game for Tim Duncan with 2:27 left in the first quarter and the Spurs up 27-21 after a Parker free throw.

    McDyess comes back in for Bonner with 8:30 in the 2nd and the Spurs winning 38-33. The Celtics shoot 5-10 (no three-pointers made) and hit two free throws. Spurs net two steals. That’s 12 points in the first stint. The Spurs grabbed 3 offensive rebounds, shot 4-13 (one three) and hit two free throws. That’s 11 points. This frontline has lost one point off our lead.

    In the second half Blair comes in for Duncan and joins Blair with 2:20 left in the third quarter and the Spurs down 67-73.

    I did miss one shot when I first posted, a Jeff Green jumper. So the Celtics were actually 2-4 with four points. And Bonner/Blair lost two points overall. Again, even with the missed two points taken into account, this combination is hardly what lost the game.

    If there is anything, read the recap, Baby Davis and KG shot lights out from deep two-point range. This has more to do with dribble penetration getting too far in the paint and our bigs not able to recover all the way out to 20 feet.

  • tradetp…not right now

    Dr. WJO- please give these instances of STELLAR DEFENSE that McDyess plays. Notice when I give an analysis I state the argument and then give some sort of FACT. I dont just give an opinion followed by more opinions.

    COLIN: “McDyess needs to play better defense as well as contribute 8-10 pts and 8 rebs/game to warrant minutes. Garnett did outplay him last night. Too many open, uncontested jumpers last night given up by McDyess in the 2nd half.”
    - Thanks for being honest here. This IS/HAS been the problem with McDyess ALL ALONG. So what he can fine body up a guy in the post, but he is HORRIBLE at rotation and switch off on picks. Get a guy who can shoot a j from the elbow and he is more a liability than Bonner. Also McD hasnt averaged what you said 8/8 since coming to SA.

    Jesse- Great job with the stats. You need to break it down further though. Simply stating the lead or stats from all 5 doesnt make any logical points. You have to break down the numbers individually. How many did bonner score, miss, shoot, TO, get outrebounded etc.

    Another FACT: Bonner is AWFUL during playoffs his stats ALWAYS drop considerably. Why? More athletes on the court and he cant hold his own. We really need to monitor his minutes come playoff. Only time for winning not loyalty.

  • SAJKinBigD

    Alix Babaie
    April 1st, 2011 at 5:22 am Oh yeah and Violet Palmer is not only a horrible official but probably also a man.

    Speaking of making someone laugh-out-loud. haha. Needed that after all the negativity.

    At least it’s Opening Day for MY TEXAS RANGERS!
    And there’s a chance to clear some of the stench with a game against the Rockets tonight.
    Go SPURS GO!

  • Mike

    @tradetp…not right now

    The only year your Bonner “fact” is true was the 08-09 Playoffs, all other years his playoff stats fall inline with his reg season stats.

  • DorieStreet

    A statistical oddity from this series:

    Both teams duplicated the same number of FGs in each game:
    Jan 5th -Celtics 46/75; Spurs 39/86
    Mar 31st -Celtics 46/84; Spurs 39/90

    As last night’s result sort of erased the Celtics stumbling (unless they drop a few more going down the stretch), let a win by the Spurs tonight begin a playoff-reading push these last 2 weeks of the season.

  • Junierizzle

    @td=be
    I dont think Bonner will be playing late in the games during the playoffs.

    I think we can agree that the starting five is nothing if not solid. The starting five are also gonna close it out in the playoffs.
    We just have to bare with Bonners late minutes for now.

  • Jim M

    Wow, a whole lotta complaining going on about the #1 team in the NBA. Yes it is a late season slide but it’s the only one the Spurs have had all season! News Flash #1 Splitter is not going to carry this or any other team; he’ll be good, just not part of a big three. News Flash #2 shooters go through slumps, Neal, Bonner and Ray Allen included; get over it. Shut up and wait for June.
    Go Spurs!!!!

  • jwalt

    All this Bonner bashing and it is just NONSENSE. Question, name the only player last night who when on the floor the Spurs won? The only player with a positive +/- score? Matt Bonner. Look it up. Doesn’t winning mean more than looking good?

    To say he only helps offensively when he’s hot is just wrong, as TD - Best claims. His mere presence on the floor helps offensively. Parker and Manu get to the key much easier with him on the floor.

    The guy who has to sit is Blair (-6 last night, can’t remember his last positive game).

    Finally, Pop pointed out missed 3’s leading to Boston’s getting up by 10. When Manu left the game in the 3rd it was 67-65 Spurs. Boston immediately went on a 12-0 run. 77-67 Boston when Manu went back on the court. The team goes south whenever he leaves the game against good opposition.

  • jwalt

    td best — Bonner just sucks???? Then why does he have the 3rd best +/- rating for the season on the team? First is Manu, second is Tim. Do you find that surprising? Since Tim and Manu are clearly the 2 best players on the team. So this rating only counts up until you get to Bonner?

    And I’m not saying Bonner is the 3rd best player on the team. But he is a helluva lot more effective than some others, like DeJuan Blair for example (who has a negative score for the season).

    Question for you TD. Do you want to win or do you want to look good? Blair dunks better than Bonner. That looks good.

  • SA_Ray

    I was at the game last night and I think that Boston won this game on jumpers on the perimeter. I think SA made them take tough, long two pointers and to Boston’s credit they knocked them down over and over. Granted at some point you would think Pop would have adjusted to them hitting those shots over and over again but that adjustment never came.

    I just couldn’t understand Pops rotations. I am not a Bonner hater (in fact I think he is a better defender than given credit for) but he can’t close a game where the Spurs are down. When Pop put Bonner back in at the end of the 4th with the Spurs down less than 10 I was ready to walk out. He isn’t hitting threes and he isn’t closing out on the shooter so why is he in there. That game ended when Bonner came back in. I don’t care what the stats say, I have been going to games 4 years watching Bonner, he is a liability.

    I have always been in the ‘In Pop We Trust’ club but it’s time to give back my membership. I just don’t understand what he is doing the past 2 seasons. Bonner gets to much time that’s undeserved (never more than 15-20 a game. NEVER).
    While I don’t believe Splitter is the answer to the Spurs problems he isn’t going to get a chance playing < 5 minutes a game.
    And he has this tendency to take out players that are hot. Manu just hit 2 shots in a row and stole the ball, well my sheet says its time to sit him to I will.
    He has to coach differently in playoffs if we want to have a chance to get out of second round.

  • jaydog7

    No question…….we need to get more easy baskets!!! Especially going into the playoffs, when we will be going up against teams that have the athletes to run shooters off the line. Don’t mean to harp on Bonner anymore than already has, but along with his defensive liabilities is his limited offensive set-he can’t and doesn’t finish around the basket. Again, as I said before in an earlier post, I’m still looking for that one player on this team that is focused on playing hard nosed, lockdown D on opposing scorers, get a little physical and do the dirty work. Without that, it can, and most certainly will, be an early exit.

  • Colin

    JWALT

    “The only player with a positive +/- score? Matt Bonner. Look it up.”

    I have. See my previous post in the last installment.

    Matt Bonner being the only + last night tells you everything you need to know about +/- stats…………….they are useless!

    If you are going by that stat to prove to yourself that Bonner is good, then you need to actually start watching the games.

  • TD = Best EVER

    Mike
    April 1st, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    WRONG….. Look at 06-07
    Check link below
    http://www.nba.com/playerfile/matt_bonner/career_stats.html

    jwalt
    April 1st, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    I love it how you keep referring to the MOST OVERRATED stat there is…… +/- refers to the lead changes… Not how well an individual player plays…….

    jwalt
    April 1st, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    They are called FACTS for a reason…… you are suppose to be able to let others verify them and they should stand up…….But your DONT……. just sad

    http://www.nba.com/statistics/plusminus/plusminus_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22010&split=9&team=Spurs

    Bonner is clearly 6th on the team and not 3rd…….. And Blair is right behind him in 7th….. but go on keep telling lies……

  • Dr. Who

    @tradetp

    Oh I forgot ur posts are fully objective and stats supported… C’mon… Ur “McDoosh” moniker never really had anyone is stitches. 1st game Timmy went down Dyess was very active. He had a very solid game against the Nuggets. Following that, he’s only playin about 25min/game and has been decent throwing in blocks and boards here and there. Not stellar and not horrible either. To say he’s the reason for the slide is more than a bit much. Did he play good D last night??? Of course not, who did besides TD? Pierce, Garnett, Rondo and big Baby lit them up with long 2’s. And when I say, “them” I mean everyone who was gaurding them. Some were wife open looks and others were well contested shots. To say a majority of this falls on Dyess shoulders is just as foolish as ur screen name was last year and is this year. You can continue ur disdain for McDyess (that isn’t exactly well supported on this board), I’d rather concentrate on beating the Rockettes.

  • TD = Best EVER

    @ Mike and jwalt

    Both of your facts are wrong…. Bonner also choked in 06-07 and There are several people ahead of Bonner in +/-…. And about 9 positive in all last I checked…….

  • TD = Best EVER

    @tradetp

    Dice had a bad game YES……. but worse than Bonner……. really???? most things you say make sense……. but this is way off…… Dice has been great for us….. he makes plays that no other big we have can make…. like that 1 on 1 block v Zach Randolph the other day…… so he may not be a solid numbers buy like we would want……be he is far from a defensive liability….. and Offensively….. he normally makes those 15ft shots and gets a put back or two as well………

    The real problem wasn’t Dice leaving KG…… it was Rondo blowing up TP…… If Dice wasn’t helping out on Rondo all night KG would have not been as open……. W/O a really good defender Parker is being exposed for his lack of defense and discipline….. All those years Bowen would guard Nash/Paul, or who ever was because TP couldn’t……

  • rob

    @Jesse Blanchard

    “Playing Matt Bonner and DeJuan Blair together did not lose this game.”

    First I appologise for not responding earlier but…I have a busines to run and most of the time I don’t get a chance to reply all day long. But I agree totally.

    What I would like to know in your fact roundup ability is… How many… in the paint attempts compared to jump or 3 point shot attempts were made in this game.

    It appeared the Spurs played a game that fell right into the Celtics lap and not played according to the Celtics known weaknesses in defending.

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