PICKING UP GAME 7 ACTION at the start of the 3rd quarter, as Paul Pierce has hit another three for his 29th point to put the Celtics up by six. The forwards have dominated play all day and the shooting guards - Ray Allen and Wally Szczerbiak have been wise to stay out of the way. Lebron is hot to start the second half.
Rondo miss - "If you're Doc Rivers you've got to start thinking about Eddie House ..." ABC/ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy comments, as Ilgauskas collars the rebound. Lebron hits a three; Pierce counters with a three. The forwards are on FIRE. What a show.
In Milwaukee, the small forward position has been all but eliminated, but the position is alive and well in Game 7. Point guard play is still important - the edge all series goes to Delonte West - but the forward play has relegated the shooting guards to role players, the big men to pick and roll outlets. Cleveland and Lebron play this way every night, but Boston? The Cavs have upset the Celtics offensive balance, and now Boston is playing Cavs-ball. ... Or, maybe there was never really enough ball to go around in Boston. .... Escaping notice from analysts Van Gundy and Mark Jackson is that Doc Rivers has started big forward 38-year-old PJ Brown in the 2nd half. Celtics up eight.
Ray cannot hit!!! Two wide-open three-looks within a few possessions. If Ray drains those, the Cavs are reeling going into the 4th quarter. Instead, Ray's back on the bench with Rondo and the Celtics go back to the Eddie House one-guard offense, which means the ball will be in Pierce's hands for the next six minutes. Final seconds of the third quarter, Pierce at the line. Celtics by five going into the 4th.
Here's a link from Basketball Prospectus.
Prospectus says: "Mike Brown and Doc Rivers have set NBA basketball back about eight years, taking us back to the micro-managing control freaks who dominated the game at the beginning of the current decade."
This has been the type of series only Jeff Van Gundy and his point guard, Mark Jackson, sitting next to him for ABC/ESPN, could love. Van Gundy happens to be one of the coaches to whom bball prospectus is referring.
Another ex-Buck on the floor, Damon Jones from the 2003-04 team: "Damon Jones with a wide open look from the corner ...." It's off this time (he had made one earlier). Jones is filling in at guard for Boobie Gibson, sidelined with a separated shoulder.
8:30 remaining now, "Celtics trying to hold on."
Rondo back in the game, Allen and House on the bench.
Eddie House was a Buck for five games in 2004-05 season. Larry Harris picked him up off the waiver wire in Dec. 2004 then released him few weeks later, in favor of Mo Williams, Mike James and Erick Strickland? Five ex-Bucks on these teams. Ray and Sam and House for the Celtics (three of the four Boston guards who get PT). Joe Smith and Jones for the Cavs. Of the six guards playing today, three are ex-Bucks (Jones, Ray and House - Sam is on the bench). I can't resist thinking how the Bucks fate could've been different. Slickless Larry's overconfidence in Mo Williams and Michael Redd probably got the better of him in the end -- $142 million for those two. Meanwhile, here are all of these former Bucks guards in Boston, playing in a game that is bigger than any the NBA has put on the floor so far this season. ...
Pierce hits again - 39 for Pierce. Lebron hits a three. 83-80. Garnett dunks. Celts by five. James misses a three. Five minutes left.
An open Rondo misses. Delonte West has gone back to not guarding him, but by and large, Rondo is keeping his cool, not trying to do too much. I'm feeling that I've been too hard on Rondo, who's only in his second year. PJ Brown is there for the rebound and lay-in!!! Celtics by five. Brown has played nearly the entire second half at power forward/center with Garnett. Perkins and Big Baby have been spectators. Posey gets some minutes.
2:20 left. One-point game. Celtics ball. Doc Rivers goes to Ray Allen and Eddie House for the final two minutes. Free Ray Allen!!!
Jump ball. Celtics James Posey had time to get a timeout in that scrum - Ilgauskus never had a hand on the ball. Bad call by the officials. Could've been a foul on Z. On the tip, Pierce dives to the floor, saves it and gets the time out, even though Delonte West has his hands wrapped around the ball. Somebody chuck a rule book at these refs. 58 seconds left - Garnett ignores Ray on the wing and misfires a 20-footer. Bad judgement, KG. Free Ray Allen!!! KG redeems by grabbing a tough rebound on a James miss, dumps the outlet to Pierce and Pierce, making smart decisions all day, gets it upcourt to Ray, the best free throw shooter in the playoffs. Ray is fouled, hits two and is now 33 of 34 from the line in the playoffs. Celtics by five. 18 seconds left. Celtics hold on if they hit their free throws.
Pavlovic hits a three for Cleveland! Three point game with 9 seconds to go. Pierce now to the line. ... 8 seconds left. He hits two. The first one takes a crazy bounce and falls. Assist to the ghost of Red Auerbach. Cavs down five, needing a miracle. ... Game. 97-92 Celtics. Pierce finishes with 41, a game for the basketball gods.
The Detroit Pistons will practice in Detroit tonight (Chauncey Billups said at halftime that a practice is scheduled), and pack their bags for Beantown tomorrow. Tuesday night, 7:30 Central. Celtics-Pistons Game One. I don't like the Pistons chances at all in that series, and I don't see it going seven games.
Tomorrow night in the hive in New Orleans, the Hornets and Chris Paul try to hold of the defending champion Spurs, who, up to their usual dirty tricks, have disabled an opponent -- this time it's forward David West, popped in his ailing lower back by Robert Horry, the culprit who last season body-checked Steve Nash in the Suns-Spurs Western Conference Finals. ... Dare I say it? This year is not the Spurs year. ... There, I said it.