This isn’t a must-win, but it’s still damn important. I put together a preview of sorts at FanHouse, and I’ll also be live-blogging the game. Do your thing in the comments — I’ll see you when this gets tied up.
NBA FanHouse
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- Blake Griffin: The Clippers Are Going to Be Explosive
- Report: Portland Lands Hedo
- Phil Jackson Confirms He'll Return
- Lakers Learned From Previous Champs
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- Allen Iverson One of Five People To Think Memphis Sounds Nice
- RoundCast: Breaking Down Artest to L.A.
Latest Comments
- JasonR on the post Charlie Villanueva commits to the Pistons
- Birdman on the post Ben Gordon as The Microwave
- joejoejoe on the post Report: Deron Washington gets a guaranteed deal
- Quick Darshan on the post Report: Deron Washington gets a guaranteed deal
- Intiimais on the post Report: Deron Washington gets a guaranteed deal
- Rob G on the post Ben Gordon as The Microwave
- Matt Watson on the post Ben Gordon as The Microwave
lets go Pistons
woohoo — thanks!
Here’s to “aggression.” *\m/*
just wanted to be first.
amir in, we’ll win by 30.
if we go down more than 3 points at any point in the game:
trade rip
fire flip
-and we’re going to lose the series.
that’s a pre-recap for the knee-jerkoffs. no offense to anyone that may be.
LETS GO STONES!
If I have to see one more picture or video of KG screaming I’m gonna puke. GO PISTONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, not only do I think Doc Rivers is a truly horrible coach, but now I hate him. That hype speech ESPN showed him giving in the locker room was patented lunacy.
“Come With Me”? Really Boston, you’re going to play the musical anti-christ during our introductions? I liked it when San Antonio played the theme for The Undertaker from the WWF during the 2004-2005 Finals. And Antonio McDyess is 6′10 Palladino! You get it wrong tonight and watch him drop a double-double on your Celtics. And Celtics, we OWN Final Countdown. Please stop using it, thanks.
No tights from Chauncey, that’s gotta be encouraging.
The tights are gone! Good sign!
I could do without Javie reffing this game.
WTF Garnet screaming on video?
Go Stones!!
Nice foul! Go Stones!
nice D… looks like Game 2 of the Philly series
LOVE the D! “Great defense” said VG. Love it. EVERY possession!
ESPN is so reactionary … ugh. Travel by Garnett after 22 seconds of excellent defense. Don’t go to sleep Celtics or this will be a long night.
At least there was a hand in his face.
Bad foul Sheed.
Good to see CB being “aggressive”.
2 on Sheed-Not good. Let’s hope Maxey brings it tonight. Terrible call, BTW.
I am just loving the D. Wish that 3 would’ve fallen.
Putting Allen on the line is not exactly the best of strategy. I wouldn’t describe Chauncey’s play thus far as “tentative”. If anything, he may be overcompensating for his tentative play last game. Sheed looks lost again though that offensive foul call was a blown call.
This is not good. That T is bad news. Now and later.
I don’t think Celtics fans know that technical is likely to be a good thing. Should re-focus Sheed and get him engaged.
Wonderful.
According to Yahoo!, the foul against Allen was on Rip. Good make up call on Allen. Tee-hee. Three team fouls on Boston already, Chauncey will probably have no trouble exploiting that type of advantage tonight.
Good D. Peirce looks “on”
Did you see Sheed there with the encouraging arm around Rondo while Rip was shooting the foul shots? Pretty funny.
Rip gets it to go from a horrible shot choice and attempt. I like that sign.
That was a whack turnover.
10-14 w/Boston shooting 50% and us shooting 27.3%. If one assumes these percentages regress toward the mean while we keep up the rest of the good things we’re doing, we’re winning this game.
*make that 45.5% for Boston, which is a little closer to the mean.
I feel better about our start this game. And its not just the fact that we didn’t go down 8-0. We look focused. Especially on D. And I like that. A little discombobulated on the offense, yes. But I am happy to see Chauncey looking better than last game so far. I don’t like the fouls on RW though. Not at all.
Our bigs are rebounding ferociously, but I´d like to see Billups be just as careful when he is under the basket. That offensive rebound given to Allen was a shame.
We *really* need to cut down on our sloppy TOs tho. I just cringed as that last pass was made where Rondo made that steal & threw it off Rip.
Deeee-troit Basket-ball!
Haha, Chauncey’s keying in on what is KG’s Achilles heel, his craziness. 24 second violation without Boston even knowing where the clock was at. Awesome.
Nice, another shot clock viol. And Rondo is still a tentative little bitch.
And another ridiculous TO
Nice to see an easy bucket.
Pierce is good. Plain and simple. Gotta admit it.
He’s crafty
While dormant on offense, Sheed has locked down the defensive glass. We’re being a little lazy with our (lack of) ball control. If we clean that up and keep all things generally the same, we’ll control the game. I expect Flip to hone in on protecting the ball. Let’s hope the boys are listening and can do it.
Pierce is definitely good, but far from dominant.
no foul by Pierce on that shot by Hamilton?
since i’m chopping veggies, garlic, etc for dinner right now, i’ve got a nice huge butcher knife in the living room while i’m watching this. I’ve never cheered on the team and celebrated a good play while holding a big knife - it felt way better than clapping loud.
Arright, save for the turnovers, we’re looking much better. I have a feeling those won’t happen as much after this quarter, we’ll be in good shape. I’m hoping that Max and Stuck will come out rebounding and scoring tonight, respectively. Go Stones.
Pinon-LOL
Chauncey Billups owns the Celtics backcourt. Plain and simple. Gotta admit it.
LOVE that foul!!!!
Very nice D, overall good play by the Pistons. I´m surprised by the turnovers, though. If Detroit eliminates them in this first quarter, it will mean their focus will be completely on, and only good things can happen if that´s the case.
And Chauncey kicking House in the groin, literally.
I would love to see some baby eating!
It worked that time but I can’t stand when Billups does that.
C’mon Stuck we need you to come with BIG energy. Bring it.
UTEP: With you a 100%, buuuuut … he’s been owning them in more ways than just drawing a ridiculous shooting foul. Billups is ready.
Chauncey looking much better here in game 2.
FINALLY. KG pushes off *all the time*
LB-I agree
Yeah, that Billups step back J over Pierce was awesome. I think he’s at %100, or damn close.
I got Monday tickets. Hope we’re up 2-1 by then…
I wish Van Gundy would STFU about his coaching days. I don’t care about your stupid fucking suits, you jackass. Talk about the game.
Sheed cannot make a three in these playoffs. Does anyone have his numbers handy for playoff threes? BTW, where are you guys getting your box scores at? ESPN is slow.
Feeling good about quarter one, my keys to game 2 for Pistons fans: Chauncey looking better, and finding some answer for their Pierce/KG pick-and-roll. Good signs both.
Van Gundy should never coach again. Not because he was a bad coach but because he is hilarious as a color guy. Decent quarter. Would love to see Sheed get going offensively.
Flip’s face after the Stuckey foul, absolutely classic. I’m very happy with the first quarter. If we don’t fall asleep in the 3rd quarter like we did in Game 1, we should take it. Rip, Chauncey and Dice with all our points is a little suspect but I don’t think it particularly matters. Looks like we’re going to need to cover for Sheed’s offensive absence tonight, and so far we’ve done that just fine. His defense is solid though.
Jeff Van Gundy is almost as bad as his brother, the Penguin.
I aggressively posted this comment, with arrogance.
I use the Yahoo box scores, they’re much better and faster.
We’ve got to shut Pierce down. Or at least limit him. His confidence is through the roof after that duel with LBJ.
we need Prophecy Projectz here to tell us how he doesn’t have the Pistons getting past the first round… then it’ll feel like a real Piston playoff game
Sheed and Prince look a little off. And I find it noteworthy that Tay isn´t guarding Pierce exclusively. It´s only the first quarter, and Rip has defended him on a few plays.
Thanks Other Matt. Got a link?
Weird note, in the regular season victory … our top 3 scorers: Chauncey - 28, Rip - 21, Dice - 13 Sheed had 9 on 3-10 shooting (3-5 from 3) and Tay had 2 on 1-10 shooting. So, we certainly can beat Boston without offensive production from Tay and Sheed.
Heh, each team only has 3 scorers.
Dash Rick: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2008052202
Dash Rick:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=ApGD0s44AGbRgVGyPZRnKnA5nYcB?gid=2008052202
That J was way off. C’mon Stuck.
I hate that foul on RW.
that “blocking” foul was BS
I think Juan Dixon was just shown talking on his cell phone. He definitely had his hand up to his ear while he was talking.
Dash Rick, I can’t paste the link for some reason, but go to sports.yahoo.com and navigate from there.
Dash Rick: BTW, in case you still wanted it, the Yahoo! Box Score:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2008052202
Finally, a rebound. And an easy basket!
damn, did it really just take like 2 min 15 seconds for *anybody* to score in this quarter?
Theo! Stuckey, awareness … I like.
Thanks Other Matt. I tried to paste a link earlier today and it wouldn’t let me either. Hmmmm.
Love that play by Stuck.
Great play by Stuckey, and great call with the trip on Allen on the Hunter steal.
Fuckin’ beautiful. Do it, Zoo Crew, do it!
Anybody else commenting in the Liveblog over on FanHouse?
Haha, 3 on Ray. Watch Celtics fans blame it on the refs if they lose. I think the Celtics already have 3 team fouls for the quarter but I’m not sure.
As much as I love Stuckey (and hate Van Gundy) I do have to agree that any Pistons coaching staff member comparing Stuck to DWade is a little crazy.
I wish those three were on Pierce rather than Allen. It’s hardly consoling that Allen is sitting. Whoever replaces him will almost certainly be shooting better.
‘Bout time some bad breaks happened to Boston.
Hooray, Ray Allen’s Twilight Years.
Would love to see Billups/Stuck go right at Cassell, assuming he gets some of Allen’s minutes here.
Stuckey is learning amazingly fast. Such good decision-making in his first playoffs is a great omen for the future, and a big boost to Detroit right now. That floater in the paint was outstanding from his part.
NIIIICE!
Arrrgghhh! I wanted that turnover!
a bucket like that from Lindsay is a major unexpected bonus
That foul on the Raptor was ridiculous. Let them play!
I kind of hate this lineup, Ratliff and Hunter, not nearly enough fire power.
shit, are we in the penalty already? How many fouls does Boston have?
Dash Rick: 3 fouls on Ray will only further send him into basketbal depression. He’s still their starter.
damn it, get your feet behind the line LH
LINDSEY!!!
Hunter coming through!!!!
Phew-
LB, true enough. And I agree. I’d just rather have it be Pierce.
that was a beautiful! back and forth b/n Stuck & Dice
and one
That give and go was BEAUTIFUL! Dice is HUNGRY. Mark it down.
Hey, at least Davis moisturized for that foul…
McDyess is da man. Without the mask he is still very cool with the basketball.
If Lindsey keeps on scoring, this breather for the starters will pay major dividends in the third and fourth quarter. And Dyess, you rock.
Can’t stand Big Baby. Anybody seen his picture on Yahoo! Classic.
Good point LB — riding the pine will only further eat on Ray-Ray’s mind & doom his chances at recovering his shooting touch.
Although I think I agree with David Friedman (http://20secondtimeout.blogspot.com/) that Ray’s value in the regular season vs the playoffs is just dramatically different. When teams can scout & plan for the C’s offensive sets, he sees far fewer open looks, and his entire game is based on knocking down open shots. He creates nothing & lives/dies on others making space for him. That happens far less in the playoffs.
Dash Rick: I would rather have it be Pierce too since he’s a burden on offense, but I’d take Posey/House/whoever in for Allen with 3 fouls on Allen than just Allen in there himself.
We’ve made this run with a lineup of: Hunter, Stuckey, Rip, Dice & Theo while Boston has had Rondo, Pierce and Garnett in. Just think about that for a second, folks.
Was Glen high? Good God…
+1 to Mike Payne for ripping on Big Baby, the manicure spokeswoman.
Doc Rivers said nothing meaningful there. RA RA.
Two words, BALL MOVEMENT.
We have it.
Boney
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:12 pm
we need Prophecy Projectz here to tell us how he doesn’t have the Pistons getting past the first round… then it’ll feel like a real Piston playoff game
*crashes through the wall like the Kool Aid man*
We’re doomed!!!!!
*runs out like a madman*
Late to the party but Im liking the aggression and the fact we are keeping up with them.
MP: Even though I think it’s fair to say you and I share a little bit with Big Baby Davis … still, +1.
Stuckey has three fouls already? Again I just tuned in
Dash Rick: Well, there’s one on Pierce for good measure.
Wow, Celtics fan are so whiny. Um, Pierce was clearly in the restricted area. No amount of crying changes that.
P_P: So does Allen.
Argghhh! Mogulus is slow. Anyone have another link?
Sweet, 2 on Pierce. Suck it, Celtics.
Excellent fouls on Pierce. Good job by Rip.
Excellent work from Rip going at PP.
Here’s to hoping Sheed doesn’t pick up #3. Let’s close this half strong!
I agree with JVG though Breen is right, it could’ve gone the other way. Certainly not worthy of the Celtics’ fans classy trademark chant.
Two on Pierce!
LOVE that steal. And quick 2.
Wooooooo! Doc Rivers strikes again! Tony Allen in the game.
Thats what I like to see Chaunce
Wow, really? You’re really gonna complain on that foul when you had a fistful of Sheed’s jersey on that play?
Is Perkins capable of playing basketball without fouling? I don’t that he is. Perhaps he should look into a career as a sumo wrestler or a rugby player.
Rip! WHAT!!??!?!? Was that!?!?!
McDyess is playing fantastic defense. Absolutely fantastic. When Garnett scores on McDyess he absolutely has to work his ass off for it. I LOVE it.
Jesus that was one hell of a move & shot by KG. He has been playing ridiculously well against us so far, but I don’t think the Cs can count on that level of play the whole series. We’re contesting his shots, but he’s just making some fantastic shots.
That is good D on KG. That was a tough shot. But at least Dice made him work for it.
When Garnett scores on McDyess it’s no fault of McDyess’s, it’s because there’s no defending that shot, but McDyess is killing himself to try. Garnett can’t make that shot every time. We’ve almost played a perfect quarter thus far.
Perkins still looks like an angry fowl. Turkey or chicken, take your pick - a real cartoon, that guy.
And Rip cleverly getting fouled on every possession. This feels good.
That was a fundmental play by KG, I can respect that.
Now dont do that again Ticket….
I gotta give Flip having the balls to switch McDyess on Garnett. By that reason it is why the Pistons is leading.
If McDyess and Ratliff can keep bothering Garnett all night, that’s a much better idea on defense than I can ever give Flip Saunders credit. At first, I hated it because Antonio’s a mediocre defender, but he doesn’t seem to get bothered by KG’s tough made shots. Yet, Antonio still brings the defensive effort. Keep it up, Antonio. I’ve been critical in the past, but man, just keep doing this. It’s genius.
I agree LB. KG is just playing ridiculous ball right now. It can’t continue forever.
J: No way he makes shot more than 45% of the time, generally speaking. If Dice continues to hound him like that, it’ll stop falling for KG eventually. I mean still within this game eventually. The key is keeping KG to that shot.
Beautiful Chauncey.
Getting good value from the penalty
motherf’r!
ChAUNCER
That play and that 3 were so sweet it should be illegal.
Chauncey’s limping!!!!NOOOOOOOOO!!!
Despite that miss by Rippy, him and Chauncey are 10-12 from the FT line for the night (83.3%). Not quite their average level of FT shooting, but 12 attempts between them in the first half is excellent.
Note: Mike Breen did not say BANG! on that three by Chauncey.
May I just say … My man Flip!
Bang!
hell yeah Tay
tay is solid gold
Mr Bigshot, welcome.
I´m liking the way Detroit is fouling right now. Preventing easy buckets, and spreading the fouls. This is a thing of beauty right now.
a 32 point 2nd Q? astounding! the c’s don’t give up many of them.
Wow, making Perk earn it from the line. Excellent instincts and reaction by the Pistons. There is not a pump fake Tony Allen doesn’t fall for. Sucker. My goodness is he bad. To think I thought he was good before he got hurt last year. 32 point quarter. Pure ownage. This is how you do it, folks. Unless we come out very flat in the 3rd, we’re going back to Motown tied. Afflalo sighting!
Was gone for a few minutes… What’s up with CB!?!? Limping!?!?
Hunter is amazing on D. That was SO close.
He walked it off.
CB looked great, and then he had worrisome moment. But he seemed fine on the next 2 possessions.
Detroit’s having a great game, so far. Please oh please, keep playing this great.
Tough break on Lindsey right there, but that’s nothing in the scheme of things. Just an unfortunate circumstance off a nice defensive play that had to be called a foul. I love the stone-cold crazy intense look on KG’s face. Sourpuss is gonna lose his mind. Yes sir!
he didn’t want to come out cause he was already warm and moving. if he aggravated anything, it could tighten up during halftime.
lol@ The Garden playing Marky Mark
Feel it, Feel it lol
Dash Rick: No harm, no foul. He probably just got nicked and it jolted him momentarily. He’s fine.
can I get a “yessir”, Rip?
Thanks!
Well that was as solid a 1st half as you could.
Obviously like all these Playoff games, the 3rd Quarter is gonna be key. Lets see if we can keep this going.
+1 Prophecy
I love the breaking through like the kool aid man… nice!
Beautiful.
I feel positive, but it should be said– I can’t tell you how many Boston box scores I watched throughout the season, where a team was up on them 10, 15 points– and then Boston rallies it away in a heartbeat. Hopefully Detroit keeps this intensity after the half and continues to shut Boston down. We’re holding them to 39%, and their only answer at this point is Garnett, who can’t f#cking miss…
We can do this, let’s go back to Detroit with the series tied, and prevent Boston from getting another home win.
Get this: We’re being outrebounded 12-22. Why does it not matter? Assists are 10-5, TOs are 4-9 (Flip got to ‘em after the first quarter. Go Flip!) and steals are 6-2. Rondo can get his five steals again at this point, we’re just turning the heat up on them as a whole team and that’s what we need to do. Not that I think this team suffers from complacency like teams in the past, but it’s hard to keep a killer instinct when you play that comfortably. I love how now Stu Scott is declaring the game ours. Stupid ESPN flip-floppers. God, I hate the media. Wilbon called Rondo one of Boston’s “perimeter shooters”. Shows how much he knows about this series.
3rd quarter becomes very important now. We must at the least break even.
Same here, Payne. I don’t want the foot off that throat, ever.
*when you outplay them that comfortably
a win tonight would play some psych games for better and worse - detroit coming in and winning on boston’s court - something boston has yet to do - it ups the ante.
Great stat breakdown LB. Very interesting #s on the boards & TOs.
Enjoy the 3d quarter — I’m going down to the gym to watch the second half on the treadmill.
Laughton: If we can take the 3rd quarter by 7 or so, this game becomes a blowout in the 4th. But yes, staying even at the least would be a very worthwhile quarter.
Did Wilbon really say that about Rondo? What an idiot. After Rondo drilled those back-to-back 3s against the Cavs, I checked his stats. Rondo shot 5 for 19 *all year* from 3-pt range. Rondo is *not* a perimeter shooter.
We should bring Jackie Moon to camp next season
Hello. Great game so far. Man, did Sheed make the plane to Bostonn or what? But nice to see CBill and Rip get after it.
I thought I saw spellcheck get in the game, but the Boxscore shows a goose. He didn’t just get in for that free throw attempt did he?
pinon: If we win tonight, I feel like we can pretty much mark wins for Games 3 and 4 in pen.
I’m late on this, but Prophecy_Projectz: best entrance ever. Oh yeah!
guys, i leave you with a 7 point lead.
it´s 4 in the morning where i live..
that´s the game we need to take from boston and it looks possible tonight.. go pistons
I feel good about the first half. Good team play. Some silly turnovers, but the intensity on D has more than compensated. I like Stuck’s play. And Hunter was a definite bonus! CB looks better. Biggest downside is probably Sheed’s three fouls. We need to stay in the zone. Especially on D. I like Flip’s rotation. And really like the gutsy move of putting Dice on KG. Yes, KG is making shots. But they are anything but easy shots. Go Dice!
Realistically, all you hope for on the road in the playoffs is hanging tight and hoping to steal one at the end. So as long as we’re there at the end, I’ll be happy (unless there’s some kind of ridiculous Spurs-esque collapse). First 4 minutes out of the half are huge.
Wooden stake, Pistons. Now is the time for it. Sheed isn´t making an impact offensively, but I´m beginning to think Detroit really can live with it long-term. If Sheed has a breakout game, good, but their bread-and-butter against Boston clearly is the backcourt. And when McDyess is this awesome, Detroit is in control, even though KG is playing out of his mind. Great job by Flip.
J: Thanks to the wonders of DVR, the exact quote is:
“But you look at the perimeter shooters: Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, P.J. Brown (WHAT? the perimeter is suddenly 18 feet and in now, Wilbon? I might have to delete my PTI Season Pass, you IDIOT). They’re like 3-15 in the first half. (Those 4 are actually 2-10 for the first half, but I’ll give Wilbon a break because he doesn’t have a Yahoo box score at his disposal). KG and Pierce have gotten their points; no else for Boston is scoring.”
God, I need a life.
Like I said its all about this next quarter. I know Cleveland had a sizeable lead in Game 2 of the last series but Detroit has to keep there composure and Sheed hopefully gets going.
Dash Rick: Sheed has two fouls. Breen misspoke. The early foul we all attributed to Sheed (which sent Allen to the line) went to Rip.
Did anyone else read that article by Chris Sheridan on ESPN titled variously “Running on Empty” and “Down 0-1, Pistons find themselves in East finals slump”? I HATED that article. “Slump”!?!? After one game that the Celtic’s were supposed to win? Stupid.
Although I complain about my Canadian broadcasts all the time on here, there is one saving grace to showing a game on TSN: Jennifer Hedger. Sweet, sweet Jennifer Hedger.
http://www.freejose.com/images/j/jenniferhedger.jpg
It is nice to see our bench get some minutes. There speed and wreckless abandon seems to make the C’s look tired.
To Breen’s credit, he quickly corrected himself.
LB, you’re saying that you need a life to a group of people watching a huge playoff game together on the internet. We all need a life.
Garrett: That lady looks purdy.
Other Matt: I rewound the game just to correctly transcribe a Wilbon quote. I’m retarded.
Thanks LB that IS good news.
I hope we see more of the bench in the 3rd too. Afflalo should get more time on Pierce.
LB - If we can blow this thing out I believe this series will be over in 5.
I would hope that 14 games through the first two rounds would catch up with Boston during this series. Especially since I’ve seen that same thing catch up with other teams, including Detroit, in previous seasons.
Dash Rick: That article said nothing because at the end Sheridan basically says “They’ll win Game 2 though … or they won’t, but the probably will but they still may not”.
Mark Jackson - “if you’re the best backcourt in the league act like it”
LB, I don’t find that even slightly out of line.
LB did you hate the article like I did?
Terrible freaking start.
MCDYESS!!!! All over Pierce’s head!
I think Mark is right about that. On both counts.
Game on. Let’s go!
Yuck!
But Dice is the MAN!
So sloppy with the ball, COME ON.
Unfreakingbelievable.
We need to regain the tempo. We’re not playing uninspired so much as just missing shots and letting them dictate the pace.
Way to come out focused, fellas. Yikes. Hopefully this time-out wil regain some composure and they can stop turning the ball over and start playing some D.
Prince. That was beautiful.
We don’t Ray Ray on fire.
Well that pretty much sucked! Dice is gonna be huge if we are to win.
Ray Allen…that motherf’cker.
These TO’s are killing me. Slop.
I could watch that block a thousand times in a row.
Dash Rick: I sure did. He didn’t say anything. His piece had no focus, inaccurate claims and had no clear thesis. He sounded as unfocused as me, but I’m not a professional.
Other Matt: You don’t find my abuse of DVR out of line? Well, I’m relieved to know not everyone thinks I’m as nuts I think.
That was not exactly what I had in mind for a start to the 2nd half.
Random question, but how many years do you guys give these Celtics as a dominant team in the East? 3 more?
Oh sweet! A 9 point swing to start the 2nd half. Somebody wake our guys up please.
You can tell that Ray Ray thinks he is feeling it. I hope he is wrong.
Another TO!! Rip dribbles it off his foot and its “great defense” by Ray.
Yeah Sheed!
Sheeeeeeeed!
oh crap Jesus is back….
That Cb shot was SO bad. I am so glad that Ray missed that shot…
Glad to see Chauncey running the offense again. No one else should be running the offense for us now. Wow, Sheed hit a 3? I didn’t know he wasn’t playing “all-time defense” like quarterback in pick-up football.
raining threes bitches.
Man, I hate excessive Boston praise. Sheed just hit a huge 3, and Mark Jackson said, “He’s a big-time shooter……….just like Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.” He just couldn’t let that sentence end without praising the C’s.
Great D on KG!!!!
Sheed picked a good time to sink one. So did CB!!!
Rondo looks very out of his element in an over-matched kind of way. He hasn’t faced that bad of a mismatch all playoffs. Haha, Allen makes a couple buckets, misses one and then picks up his 4th. Wah wah.
And the Boston meth wears off right about . . . now.
girlfriend got home from the gym and stopped me from celebrating with the knife - would have loved to have it during those consecutive 3 pointers!
That’s a little better, now.
at least some tasty yucatan-lime chicken soup is coming up for a rainy cold day here in Portland
That 4th foul on Ray Ray COULD NOT have come at a better time.
After picking up the T Rondo looked like he was about to cry.
lol they were praising Rondo for those fantastic gambles, and now they’re getting on his case for it. Get the broom, these children calling this ESPN game need to get off my lawn.
Rondo melting down. Love it.
The old CB is back! Game 1 seems so long ago.
dice has his mask off already eh?
Great steal!
Rondo acts like he’s shot. Come on…
Boston is racking up the fouls with 4 on Allen and 3 on Pierce and Perk. Awwwww, poor Rajon. That’s a playoff foul, that wasn’t even close to excessive contact.
Not a flagrant
5 on Ray Ray. Wah wah.
Sit down, Ray.
take that 5th foul Ray Allen and go sit down.
EXCESSIVE CONTACT
HOW YA LIKE THAT CHARLES BARKLEY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BGr55xDXVFw
At least for Doc Rivers’ sake he realized that Tony Allen doesn’t deserve anymore playing time this series.
5!!!!!
Apparently, if you fall, its a foul.
“our buttholes don’t pucker!”
I hate that call against Dyess. He’s just standing there, Rondo runs into him in a panic, and gets the call. Bail out.
*looks around*
Pistons in 5……?
The NBA - I loved this game! (in 1989)
piñon, shouldn’t you be making a turkey pot pie or something?
Q Dog, it’s “booty holes”
Ya I just notice Dice w/o his mask, I maust be drink.
Sauce: Whoa, whoa, that was crazy. I never knew about that. That makes me really angry for the way the media treated the Malice in ‘04.
Other Matt, he’s been quoted saying “buttholes” LOL
So, I’m watching on ESPN360.com, and I’m lagging a bit behind the rest of you guys. So, by reading the comments it’s like I’m seeing into the future!
P.S. That was not a foul on Dyess when Rondo just flung his body haphazardly toward the rim.
No, ESPN, you don’t trust a mediocre defender like Ray Allen out there with 4 fouls in the 3rd, unless of course you are the clown that is Doc Rivers.
There is no moral victory in a loss from this game. We have to kill them.
Rondo with the face-guarding. Nice.
WTF was Rondo doing?
That was ridiculous, what was Rondo thinking?
LB, this is why I often tell people I love basketball and not the NBA.
What is Rondo thinking?
MEN-TAL LAP-SES! *clap clap clap clap clap*
See, now I’m excited about seeing Rondo mess up with some weird, vague face-guarding thing! Woo!
Maybe the 7 game playoff battles are finally starting to take their toll on the Celtics. They’re making a LOT of mental mistakes that could evidence of fatigue.
Rondo is melting. He is gone.
Birdman: Was it worth the hype?
Rip we need everyone of these. Drop those FT’s…
It just burns them to see Stuck drain the jumper
I’ll say it again: Pierce is good. Really good. Period.
Stuck steps up…
Celtics imploding
BS call on Ratler
I can hear the Celt fans complaining about the FT disparity already…
Sheed blocks “baby” doesn’t sound as good as Max eating one!
I sound like Andy Rooney, but you know what else I don’t like about Boston? How they’ve all adopted the little things KG does after the whistle. Like, there will be a stop in play and someone will go to shoot a lazy jump shot after the fact, and KG will block it. Or catch it before it goes in. Or strip the ball from the player while he’s listening to what the ref has to say. All of the Celtics do it now and it drives me crazy. I hate little extra-curriculars like that.
This third quarter definitely proves to me that Detroit´s average level is slightly better than Boston. Even with sloppy turnovers, when they stick to their motion offense, they have to be shooting craptastically for Boston to have the upper hand.
It paid off in spades, Garrett. Incidentally, I hope no Celtics fans complain about free throw disparities when Boston is committing so many dumb fouls, like Posey’s check on the baseline.
SHEED
Nice end to the 3rd Sheed. I like you, you like me? Very nice!
I am smelling a win tonight unless something cataclysmic happens.
Dash Rick, the NBA needs a rules/officiating overhaul. The flavor of the quarter game-calling is ridiculous for players, let alone fans, to endure.
Okay, we played very inconsistent in the 3rd and we still won the quarter. Um, Boston, I want you to know, you’re going to need to win on the road in order to win this series.
I haven’t felt this all season, fellas, but I just felt it moments ago. When Stuckey was at the line shooting his second free throw for his second point, after a big play on offense, the hairs on my arm raised and I felt it. We’re going to be NBA champions this year.
Wow, really nice way to close out the quarter there after we gave up that big swing early. Well done.
Mike Payne: If we win it all, I’m calling it now. Amir for MVP.
Yo Q-dog - we made that crazy soup - took the whole first half chopping all the stuff up. Yeah i won’t bring the knife for the next NW Pistons Enclave meeting - clapping will certainly suffice.
Stones got the momentum from early second Quarter - and the ripped it right back after boston made an opening 3rd quarter run - just need to maintain the intensity.
The last time I felt that way M.P. I lost my motorcycle and sea-doo.lol
Damn good Q. Really shows the maturity and composure of the stones.
More please.
Sheed looks fired up, too, which is in stark contrast to game 1. Keep it up, fellas.
World Champions already? Let’s win this game first. We’re playing well, but we need to take this one step at a time. One game at a time.
Birdman: Forgot to mention, absolutely right on the Dice phantom foul. Apparently the referee had too severe a case of bystander sympathy.
Doc blaming it on the basketball gods and Michelle Tafoya rips him openly for Boston’s stupid fouls. I love you Michelle!!!
First time in the playoffs that the Celts have trailed to start the 4th. It pleases me that it was us.
Haha! JVG wants no part of The Stuck.
stuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a bit early for that, Mike. Paul Pierce is a dangerous man (and just showed us why AGAIN), and so far we have no answer for him because he’s just playing out of his freaking mind, and has been since game 7 vs. Cleveland. Way more of a factor than KG. If we keep this one under control and get this to 3-1 you can start talking about the finals…
Rodney MF Stuckey!
If Stuckey is “Wade-like”, I hope he doesn’t shatter like broken glass when he hits the floor.
world. meet stuckey.
Man, Rodney Stuckey is on fire.
Both our backup point guards, on the whole, are better right now than their starting point guard. Rondo is a nice player, but media fellates him too much after a good game. Allen misses another jumper, wah wah. Despite the miss on that jumper, is it me or has Hunter just been way more consistent and/or made way more of an impact this post-season?
Rodney Stuckey … cold-blooded. Surprise Boston, we didn’t tell you about him until now, suckers.
hahahahahahaha STUCK for Pres.
Rodney Stuckey is a rookie. A rookie! I just thought we all needed to be reminded of that. Incredible.
Come on, that’s Ray Allen getting a wide open back door. You can’t let him do that, Detroit.
We let Ray Ray go unmolested to the hoop. He should’ve been put on the floor.
Really. Mike Conley went before Rodney Stuckey?!
We still lead by 7. Unless we come out of this timeout with some stupid mistakes, I’ll pass no judgment on one flub.
This game is not nearly over. I like what we’re doing out there, don’t get me wrong, but I think Game 7 against Cleveland taught Pierce just how good he can be. Impressive night for him, he can get them back in this thing quickly if we’re not careful.
He’s not wade like until he gets that freebie and-one whistle…by my goodness I can’t wait for that.
Mr Monday: I’d watched many of Conley’s performance since he was in HS(No reason to watch Memphis consistently even if you have League Pass). It’s WAY too early to make that call. Conley could be an excellent pro.
G, O-Town, I stand by that feeling. When I get that high, I’m never wrong. Besides, its better to be optimistic than be a bunch of crybabies as many negative DBBers are after losses. Prophecy, Mike, I’m pointing at you.
LB, if you are right with your predictions about the game-by-game performance this series, I’m going to buy you a beer even if I have to fly to LA.
G, O-Town, point being– I think we need to reward optimism here on DBB, instead of negativity.
*performances
Stuck is a rook and Hunter is 63, but they are a HUGE part of why we’re up right now. Go team!!
Ratliff couldn’t afford a 5th foul on that play, he picked up a silly foul on the perimeter against Paul Pierce.
That being said, for @#@#$ SAKE RAY ALLEN HAS FIVE FOULS RUN PLAYS AT HIM UNTIL HE GETS A 6TH.
This game is NOT over. Not by a long shot.
Mike Payne: You’d like it out here … LOTS of t-shirts, and there are even some really great cheap finds.
Hey, did you guys know that Kevin Garnett won a community assit award in the month of April? Oh, and by the way, Chauncey Billups won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for 2007-2008.
PJ Brown is playing well in these playoffs.
Where’s Maxiell? It seems like he hasn’t been in this second half at all. McDyess is playing a man’s game right now, though.
Uh Garrett, how about the NBA Sportsmanship Award renamed the Joe Dumars Trophy?
Time to take uncle Theo out of the game
I could really do without Ratliff’s “experience” tonight.
COME ON RIP FOR @%!@# SAKE ATTACK THE BASKET ONE ON ONE WITH RAY ALLEN ON YOU DO NOT SHOOT CONTESTED JUMPERS %!@#$!
Dyess wants this more than anyone on the team, period!
Why is Ratliff in a playoff game with less than 8 minutes to play and a single digit lead? Somebody help me out.
Birdman: I was thinking the same thing. As much as TripleOT annoys me, he has somewhat of a point about Maxiell disappearing recently. The thing is, it’s not like we NEED Maxiell to win. Sure, I’d like to feel more confident about Maxiell being a consistent presence, but I’m not going to worry about that right now.
M.P. I NEVER get negative with my stones! Just sharing a painful memory of the last 2 yrs.
LawyerBoy: Good call — I didn’t know it was renamed to the Dumars award! And Grant Hill won it this year! Go figure.
Dice is on fire!
Ray is back. Bummer.
Someone drive into Ray Allen’s chest please.
KG cannot miss.
Tayshaun with the big plays!
Watching the game on ESPN360 means I get all the same ESPN commercials during every timeout.
Commercial 1: SportsCenter bit where Scott VanPelt steals LeBron’s throne chair.
Commercial 2: Baseball Tonight
Commercial 3: WNBA
Argh!
Ha! Those boos are for the Celtics!
Wow. Just wow.
oh hellz yeah
Even though the Pistons are hitting their J’s, this kind of basketball drives me batty — you’ve got a guy on the floor with 5 fouls, and the Celtics are playing pretty loose on D. Why not drive to the rim?
Come on, Detroit, hold them off for the first series win, come on . . . you can do it.
The Pistons are unflappable. Get used to it.
OMG, that have got to be the best 4th quarter of an NBA game I have ever witnessed.
Nice block by Prince, but I would have loved if he could hit that three.
These last 3 minutes might actually kill me.
I want this win so bad. It will put ALL the pressure on the Celts. The no-road-win Celts, that is.
sheed!
On a side note, might have to check out that Coldplay album. Theres a lotta albums I wanna check out this summer (Nas, Game, Busta….Coldplay lol)
Lets keep it together boys and protect the perimeter…
Garrett: Joe D. won it the first year in 1995-96. As a courtesy, they named it after him. Interestingly, no other Piston has won it while with the team. And while KG has never won it (Uh, that’d be a travesty of justice), Ray Allen and P.J. Brown won it in ‘02-’03 (Allen was on the Sonics) and ‘03-’04 (Brown was on the Hornets).
Birdman, I’ll trade your commercials for mine.
In the mix tonight: blind dude likes Miller Lite, Bourne Conspiracy, a bunch of NBA bullshit– and it makes me realize I could be a highly paid ad exec…no kidding!
Tayshaun has one of the highest BB IQs we´ll ever find. That offensive rebound and that jumper were awesome. And Detroit is not panicking and executing perfectly. In this context, it´s great, and something everyone should admire.
Again, KG cannot miss. Arghhh!
close this sucka out!
Why on earth didnt Rip do the put back?
This is playoff poise. And Rip just hit the biggest runner ever.
and Allen misses….and now the game is over.
THAT WAS HUGE! RIP! YEAH!
Completely agree about TP’s BB IQ. He’s a genius.
That Rip shot was AMAZING!!!
fire flip
trade rip
put in amir to close this one out.
you can hear crickets @ the garden after that
RIP CITY, PIERCE, WELCOME TO IT.
Good shot under duress
It feels so good to be the first team to beat the Celtics at home in the playoffs. Their fans needed a reality check for sure. Anyone who regularly chants, “Bullshit!” deserves it.
Because running the clock down was more important, Proph. And that’s one of several differences between us and Boston. The experience to make the right decision and work the clock down with a lead on the road. Absolutely the right thing to do.
Rip finally tries to goad Allen into his 6th foul, and instead he shoots an awkward floater which drops. Boston, you were done before the series even started. Now you’re starting to consider it. Not even Chuck Magione’s “Gonna Fly Now” can stir you. You’re gonna fly to Detroit with a tied series.
CLOSE THIS OUT!!
Good Game Guys
Rip, please have my babies
*echoes g’s statement 100%*
Laughton for the win.
Holy crap! BEAUTIFUL inbounds play!
Didnt like the fact they didnt challenge Paul’s shot
Also I thought Tay was fouled on that.
I disagree, ESPN, you can foul Detroit, just like every other team, as there is no guarantee that Billups or Hamilton will make both free throws. They miss sometimes. It beats letting them have possession of the ball, running off precious seconds with less than a minute to go and down by four, unless of course you are the worst broadcasting group on the face of the earth, or you’re Doc Rivers.
that was the most beautiful play EVER! NICE going FLIP.
Holy shit, Flip! That was Larry Brown-esque!
Is the game over? Am I behind? I’ve got 18.7 seconds left…
Re: the Billups layup, I present you with my prophetic vision:
LawyerBoy
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
MEN-TAL LAP-SES! *clap clap clap clap clap*
wth are they playing that rocky music for???
lucky shot Allen! see if you can make another one.
Ray Allen is officially back.
That was a crazy-ass three by Ray. Too little too late, though.
Nice shot by Allen, but Boston blew way too much time off the clock when we have a foul to give. Again with the mental lapses. All we have to do is get this ball in, make one FT, and the baby goes to bed.
do ya see Sheed sing’n take me HOME!!!!!!
Hahahahaha! Sheed is singing along to Guns n’ Roses! Sheed is my hero.
LMAO@ Sheed singing GNR!
Inbounds play against Boston in the playoffs. Good thing Bird and Dennis Johnson aren’t out there.
Ouch. We needed to get that ball in.
Crap. Come on!!!!
lol way to go NBA refs for not calling the holding all over Rip by Pierce. Way to go, bravo, we burn a time out because Boston’s allowed to finger-bang our puckered buttholes.
that last 3 that sheed missed was a huge part of this. Rip rebounded it right below the basket and could have pursued some production in the paint - but being up by 6 he took it outside and passed it off, the smarter move with the clock in mind.
My girlfriend just ragged on the choice of music at the garden. haha
C’mon Sheed.
how ironic. Our Pistons handed the Celtic their first loss of the season and now the first loss in the Playoff.
Drop these Sheed. Put this thing to bed.
You can see Washington telling Garnett “Posey was holding him”. And the Boston fans commence their rampant crying. Sheed’s “big gums” ice it. Damn, that’s got sting the worst, Boston.
one out of two ain’t bad.
Tick clock! Tick!
Good call HB
all five Pistons should be on Allen. Don’t ;et that guy alone.
Garnett for a three? WTH?
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great game everyone.
KG with a 3… All day baby. All day baby.
1-1. Boom. Count it. Its in the books.
Nice game plan Doc! Garnett for a three. Man what a great joke.
Must. Beat. Them. At. home.
*glares*
Please see my game prediction in the “agresive” thread….fairly accurate and detailed if I do say so myself…great game by the staff
YES SIR, GARNETT, WHERE WAS THAT JERSEY POP TONIGHT!
SKADOOSH
what’s up with Rip calling Michelle Tafoya “sir” ?
Who called it by 6? That guy gets a beer!
Further, let me draw attention to this:
Ray Allen 9-16 (5-5 from FT) for 25
Paul Pierce 9-16 (6-6 from FT) for 26
KG 11-19 (2-2 from FT) for 24.
That’s the Big 3 combining for 75 on 20-34 (58.8%) shooting … and we still beat them.
Goodbye Boston. You had a nice season. You had a nice little turnaround in wins. Now the better team’s moving on.
Not undefeated at home anymore. Sorry. See you at the Palace!!!!!
DEEEEEEE-TROIT BASKET-BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great game everyone. Dice especially. He wants that ring. No joke.
Nice shout-out by Rip, saying they get to go home and play in front of the best fans in the league. Let’s hope the Palace crowd is insane.
YESSIRRRR!
Easy big dog. These guys can beat us at home too.Lets hope not but be alert.
I know there’s some Flip hataz out there, but he made some great changes this go round. Doubling KG, laying off Rondo, and letting Stuck play despite the dreaded fouls. Also, using Theo more than Max (don’t get me wrong, love me some Max, but Theo did well). Great job, Phillip!
Will the Big 3 really drop 75 or better on 58.8% shooting or better once for the rest of the series? No. Bye Celtics.
Detroit earned it. Completely deserved, referees had no hand in it, and after dominating 65% of the game… When Detroit comes out to play, there´s no doubt to who´s the better team!
I called it by 6. That was me. But I don’t drink beer. I’ll take a lemonade.
Series: In 6
Tonight: By 6
who cares HB he said, “THE GREATEST FANS IN THE LEAGUE” 22,076 THATS RIGHT BABY!!!!
way to go pistons
way to lawyerboy for calling it - I hope you continue to be right
Lets go Pistons!!
lol@ Jon Barry all giddy
no way “Dash Rick” Series in 5. The Celtic is done in the oven.
Damn, I don’t get all the post-game stuff up here.
Sorry, but we are not beating Boston 4 games in a row.
I’ve said 6 from the beginning. I’m sticking with it. 5 is ambitious. Too much so, I think. We’ll get the next 2. They’ll get number 5. We’ll close it with number 6.
True Matt but I would like us to beat them twice. At home.
I hope the fellas dont just show up and assume its a W. Especially with Ray getting his swagger back.
PP: The switch is on. All the way on. They’ll be ready Saturday.
Prophecy, I think we’ve played basically with a non-stop sense of urgency since halftime of game 4 vs the Sixers. Even in game 1 of this series, we were just making bone headed decisions, stuff that was correctable.
LMAO@ how many times Rip is saying “you know” in the post game conference
I counted like 13 in one response.
Boston has a big three. So do we. Stuckey wears #3. He’s the man.
AWWWW YEAH, RODNEY!
BAPTISM BY FIRE!
Comes up big, gets mad space next to Rip in the national post-game, just pure baptism by fire, I’m lovin’ that, above the rest.
“Boston has a big three. So do we. Stuckey wears #3. He’s the man.”
Nice one RobG. I sense a sign being made.
ha. Stuck outscored the entire Celtics bench alone.
GO STONES!
pressure IS on celtics. Stones played great - but I hope to high heaven they realize they MUST maintain this feverish intensity for 7 more wins.
For me, the play of the game was Rip’s runner right at the end to put us up 6. That was a tough shot. Right at the end of the shot clock. It was perfect.
I wonder what its gonna be like at the Palace on Saturday. Is the Stanley Cup gonna influence the attendance or are the hometown fans exclusive to the Pistons? (Im speaking as a non-Michigan Pistons fan)
Well done! I’m out.
as a michigander, it will NOT influence attendance. First of all, Joe Louis Arena and the Palace are perhaps 50 miles apart & there is more than enough demographic for both places to be mad crazy.
The Celtics have GOT to be deflated right now. They were just handed their first home playoff loss. Normally that wouldn’t necessarily a harbinger of doom, but when you haven’t won a SINGLE road game it sure is. They’re sweating it right now, you know it.
Just can’t say it enough: Great, great game by everybody. It’s great to see RW get the 3 back. Plus CB looked great, 100%. Stuck looked more confident than ever. Prince was the man, as usual.
But DICE gets my nod for the player of the game. He just came out firing. His energy carried us, especially in the first half.
Cool, its gonna be funny knowing the fans are gonna ignore those white T-Shirts. Frankly I thought the whole gimmick of making the home crowd wearing the same T was corny when Miami started the trend and it was overkill in last years Playoffs. Didnt think Detroit was gonna join in on it.
Did Max miss the plane? Or the bus? What happened to him? He was money in the first two series. We need him back. His energy and intensity can single-handedly put an opposing team collectively on its heals.
Can’t wait to be at the game on Monday!
PP, agreed. The White thing is insipid. If only one club did it, it might be passable, but when numerous clubs do it… nope. Glad I’ll be there Monday and not Saturday. Wearing the white shirt would be a moral dilemma for me.
WTF on the t-shirt thing. If the org is doing it, get behind the fucking team & organization. Who cares if other teams are doing it. I think it actually does look kinda cool & imposing. But the point is that the Pistons are going for it & it’s lame as hell to do some half-assed protest & fuck up the atmosphere.
Really enjoyed these lines from Celticsblog.com
“Typical efficient effort from the Pistons. Every time the Celtics made a run, they had an answer. Gotta hand it to them, they are cold blooded killers. Every mistake, they capitalize on. We’ve seen it from them before. This is who they are. Still, the Celtics were right there.
So much for hoping that Chauncy Billups would still be off. So much for sleeping on Rodney Stucky. So much for that home winning streak.”
Congratulations Detroit fans. Great game wasn’t it? I hate it that my somewhat favored team lost but the Pistons play tonight was inspirational. It was nice to see Chauncey back and the whole bunch stepping up into form. Heck of a battle. There’s just nothing quite like great basketball is there?
Bob Day, you’re an awesome sportsman. My hat goes off to you.
i’m so glad i bought my dad (the only other eastern washington university alum i know) a rodney stuckey t-shirt for x-mas this year.
Dash Rick: Said it earlier, but we won in spite of Maxiell not showing up, or really even getting a chance to. Until I find that we can no longer win without Maxiell’s help, I’m not going to sweat it. Flip is keeping the ship on course. If Flip thinks Max should only get 4:35 of run in a game, I am going to 100% trust his call. Look, I know Stuck is a rookie too, but he’s way more dangerous offensively at this point than Maxiell is as a 3rd year guy, and he’s way more likely to exploit a mismatch (Rondo has nothing) than Maxiell would be trying to guard KG (I suppose they could put him on Perk, but there’s no need yet), so Stuckey’s contributions are the ones that matter in my book.
If you told me Allen, Pierce and KG would combine for 75 on 56.8 shooting (58.8 was a miscalculation) with Allen getting 25 and the trio would hit 13-13 free throws (when Allen is the only one who’s automatic), I would of told you it was Game 5 and we got blown out of the water for having a little bit skittish focus while switching venues. It was Game 2, and we still closed them out on the road. Fact: Boston can’t beat this squad as presently constituted in a seven-game series.
Bob Day: You sure you’re from Boston. If I was at a bar and I heard you say that to my friends and me, I’d buy your table a round.
That first sentence was supposed to be a question.
and we go over 450 comments on this one.
Nice.
Let us dedicate the next 50 to Antonio McDyess.
And the 50 after that to Stuckey.
And the 50 after that to Rip.
hey, bob day! good to hear from you again. you’re a bigger man than 99% of us. (though i can only speak for roughly .0000001% of us.)
where do you guys watch post-game pressers besides nba.com?
Angela: ESPN cuts into some of it during the SportsCenter following the game. They don’t show the whole thing, but they give you good coverage.
did i really hear one of the ESPN announcers say they thought Rip could have picked up a charge on that last drive over Pierce? How fucking ridiculous is that? Rip was in the air & Pierce slid over under him — have I gone nuts, or isn’t that a clear blocking foul? Don’t you have to let the shooter land? And in any event, PP clearly came sliding in from the side at the last moment — no way he was set.
LB, I agree completely about Stuck. The guy is playing out of his mind. I have to keep reminding myself that he’s a rookie. That’s why I had the public service announcement earlier. Its just amazing, really. His play, yes. But his confidence and poise even more so. He plays like he BELONGS on the court. And he does! He’s way better than Rondo. No question.
I’m not lobbying for more minutes for Max, that’s Flip’s call, and he coached very, very well tonight, by the way. I’m fine with Max having less than 10 minutes, no problem, especially if Dice continues his inspired play. My point was only this: When Max comes in, I want to see him coming in with crazy energy. Jumping out of the building. Fighting for every rebound. Growling. Prowling. And hard-fouling. The guy’s a beast. He needs to get back to playing like one. Whether for 5 or 25 minutes. I just love the guy’s demeanor and energetic play, so it pains me when its not there like we know it can be.
Dash Rick: My bad, I misinterpreted. 100% agree. Without him, they never get the name Zoo Crew. If they’re animals, he’s the leader of The Pack. Regarding Stuckey, Matt makes mention of how much he has a calm demeanor in the locker room and a Pistons-esque coolness about himself. Stuckey seems to be a natural with the whole “not phased” element the starters share.
Stuckey needs to play 25 minutes from now on. Billups lost his explosiveness off the dribble and can’t finish at the rim. Stuckey compensated for that, however.
LB: thanks, i’ll wait for nba.com then…damn they’re always slow
@Fadel: that’s a little rash, imo. Stuckey has played like we all hoped he would in this series, but that’s not to say Billups didn’t have a big game as well, especially in spite of injury.
Before the series started, I suggested that Stuckey get the start over Billups, as Stuckey would manhandle Rondo and Billups would be a killer off the bench. Even though Stuck has shown his skill here, I admit I was wrong…
I don´t know, I´m getting the feeling that Dyess is playing at such a high level right now, and that Ratliff is being so consistent, that somehow the Pistons depend less on Maxiell´s energy. I think Ratliff´s minutes have become so good for the team that Maxiell´s participation is more optional than it ever was during the regular season, and we have seen how he needs more than 15 minutes a game to adjust to the team´s flow.
It´s not a complaint, mind you. Flip knows what he´s doing. Ratliff has been really good for this team, particularly on defense, and Dyess is providing everything the Pistons need. He´s the player of the series so far, in my opinion.
It’ll be interesting to see how Boston adjusts to Stuckey. That’s where we’ll see how far Rodney’s come.
QD, agreed. Rodney is just starting - consistency is as big of an issue as it is for Rondo.
I’m just ecstatic that he’s showing life that was sorely needed for the last 2 years . . . we had no 3rd guard, and that’s not even asking him to be Vinnie Johnson, either . . .
Sauce: 13 points in 17 minutes looks like shades of The Microwave to me.
I hope so. I still believe Rodney’s taking Chauncey or Rip’s job in less than 5 years.
I go to bed with sweet dreams of hard curls, wide open jump shots, and hard-fought offensive rebounds… ah, to go to work and be able to hold my head up high, since I’m ‘that guy’ - the Pistons Fan.
Rob G +865,732,491
I miss Maxy too. Unless he’s tired or banged up, my theory is that Flip likes Theo’s length against KG more. Flip definitely has made some big adjustments with bench time: beyond Theo playing more than Jason, we now basically have no backup SF (Hayes doesn’t play, Afflalo got like 30 seconds) and instead play three guards when Tayshaun is out.
It’s a little odd that our bench is now mostly Rodney Stuckey (what a great game for a rookie on the road in the ECF) with a bit of Lindsey Hunter and Theo Ratliff thrown in, but it worked this time.
Loved the defensive intensity, the poise when Boston made their runs and the intelligence generally. This shows Detroit CAN beat Boston. But of course during the regular season, Boston was one of the best road teams in the NBA, and one of their post-season weird problems (Allen stinking) may have just reverted back to normal. Plus, as others have said, Pierce and KG made a bunch of ridiculous shots to keep it close tonight, and they actually are capable of doing that again. Detroit will have to bring it just as hard back at the Palace; if they don’t, they will have to win another at the Garden or go fishing.
But do I feel better than I did 24 (or even 6) hours ago? Hell yeah.
Congrats. The Pistons were able to play their type of game at the Garden, like they did on December 19th, when they hung the first regular season home loss on my Celtics. The dreaded Second Quarter Swoon cost the Cs again, the Celtics bench was MIA, and Stuckey was sensational, (unfortunately).
This was like a heavyweight fight that last quarter, and the Pistons were able to answer every big punch. As I said in an earlier post, nothing really matters in the playoffs until someone wins either a road game or a Game 7. The Pistons were able to get one on the road, and now the Cs will have to prove that they can do the same thing.
First of all, a great win in an extremely tough environment. Anyone else notice how loud the crowd was in Boston compared to LA last night? And it wasn’t just when the Celtics would go on a run, it was almost after every basket that the crowd would get up and just blow the roof off the building only to have the Pistons come down time and time again silencing them with key shots.
I still am a little concerned that the zombie known as Ray Allen was finally resurrected, only because his slump was causing him to actually think twice about taking wide open shots which he never would do, only aiding in Detroit’s defense of him. Once Allen got going tonight, you didn’t see him hesitate and that grin on his face after he hit that prayer 3 in the end makes me wonder if he also knows that he just needs to shoot and not press so much.
I’m also worried that the Celtics will inexplicably find a way to steal one of these games in Detroit only because history has shown us that the Pistons can lay a goose egg when you least expect it. Remember, Detroit split in Miami in 2005, only to lose game 3 at home. I know the Celtics have looked miserable these playoffs on the road, but mathematically they just have to get one, right?
I picked Detroit to win it in 6, but I’m not ready to call the series just yet. The Celtics (Garnett, Allen, and Pierce) played a tremendous game that went down to the wire, and they only lost because the Pistons played at an even higher level, which made this game very entertaining. Can they keep it up at this level? I have a feeling because of the similarities of both teams that we will see a few more of these ‘doozys’ as Rasheed Wallace would say.
Detroit winning in Boston only means that every game is up for grabs. I don’t think there is a ‘better’ team, just two ‘different’ teams, teams on the same level. Whoever loses this series, no excuses, since it’s obvious that both teams could win the whole thing.
Remember before the season started, our knock on the Celtics was “Rondo and Perkins, your starting PG and C can’t match up with Detroit” and “you’ve got no bench”.
That was proven true tonight.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=AnQALieg6uZNXf3xZHguULK8vLYF?gid=2008052202
I don’t know if Detroit can play as hot as we did tonight night in night out, but I don’t think Boston’s big three can do that either. This is going to be a beautiful series for Detroit.
I’m coming late to this, but I wanted to note the line on Game 1 was Celts -4.5 where it was -3.5 for Game 2. Obviously the books knew something the public didn’t.
Jon Barry mentioned Game 1 would be a good opportunity to steal for Detroit. I disagreed, feeling it would be Game 2. I felt like the books put out the right line, they obviously had an opinion on this like we did.
Boy,t here’s a lot to read here, but it’s good to get a win. At least those who are on track for Pistons in 6 are there.
Detroit merely plays a bunch of Boston mercenaries.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NCcpEvDSPfs
Remember how P.J. Brown came out swinging for the Bulls in their last game in the 07 playoffs?
How about Sam I Am hoisting 16 footers while Elton Brand looked longingly for a pass in ‘06?
This isn’t even close to the Larry Bird era. It feels cheap, like a bunch of sorority girls all liquored up.