We're Up 2-0
Well Yardbarkers it got a little scary in the end but we made it two in a row tonight. It was a great team effort and our crowd made a big difference. They were into it and brought so much energy - I felt them the entire night. Tonight was all about getting into the paint and creating shots for my teammates. I take pride in getting the guys the ball and they were hitting the shots. I passed up a few layups and some other shots, but I wanted to spread it around. Look what happened - Paul had 28 and 8 assists so he was passing it too. KG was doing what he's done all year and Leon was big. It was a team effort. We need to be proud of ourselves for winning the first two games of the NBA Finals. That was big. But two wins are not good enough. We need two more so we need to watch film, stay focused and execute. I do know this, the two wins will make that long flight to LA much better. Stay tuned, I'll be updating you every day during the finals. I'll holla!
Thanlis said June 09, 2008
Love watching you guys. Stay strong.
rajon9 said June 09, 2008
ballinhannah said June 09, 2008
marc10web said June 09, 2008
Valencia said June 09, 2008
gaucho said June 09, 2008
noangel424 said June 09, 2008
thebeard said June 09, 2008
Dirk__ said June 09, 2008
Oh, and with the rest of the series too of course.
bostonfan213 said June 09, 2008
2-0 is huge but keep your heads in the game and i will be ruting for you in game 3 on tuesday. and very nice job getting 16 assists in the game tonight i heard that, that is the fourth most amount of assists in one game in the playoffs for the bosten celtics. HUGE WIN!!!!
bob_sanderz said June 09, 2008
bostonfan213 said June 09, 2008
The frustration in the advance scout's voice reached its zenith as we talked about Rondo. Here, the scout said, you had a player who was insanely quick and had the same type of physical ability as Kevin Johnson, the hard-nosed point guard who led the Phoenix Suns to an extended run of success. Skill-wise, though? Not so much. The possibility that his raw potential might never be realized was something that made the scout's heart hurt.
NBA FINALS COVERAGE
McNeal: Series can still be memorable
Fagan: Rondo's improvement evident
Recap: Celtics hold on
Notebook: Powe joins the fun
NBA Finals: Results, schedule
"Certainly, he's a pure point guard," the scout said. "His weakness at this particular stage is he's a horrible shooter. I don't know that he'll ever be a good shooter, but he's at least got to become a competent shooter. If he becomes, somehow, through work and individual player development, a guy who shoots 31-34 percent [on 3-pointers], where you have to at least respect that, and a guy who's not going to miss free throws, which he's struggling with right now, that will complement his at-the-basket game so much, then we're talking about a different level for that guy."
Rondo did more than just defend in Game 2.
As we watched Game 2 of The Finals on Sunday night, we saw a guy who had reached that different level. For all the excitement surrounding the will-he-play status of Paul Pierce or the where'd-that-come-from showing from reserve forward Leon Powe, a huge reason the Celtics held on to beat the Lakers, 108-102, was Rondo.
Sixteen assists. One turnover. Six rebounds. Two steals. He only scored four points and was 0-for-4 on shots from outside the lane, but that's not what mattered as the Celtics took a 2-0 lead in The Finals. It was everything else he did -- the types of things the scout told me 15 months ago that could make Rondo a star.
"His biggest strength ... is his ability to drive by people and get to the basket," the scout said. "He's unbelievably quick, and that causes problems for the other team. He's unbelievably fast from end to end. I think he's stronger than people give him credit for, and that's a key attribute at that position. Because of the way he plays, he's got to be able to go inside and take some bumping around and survive."
Look at the end of the first half. The Lakers had closed their deficit to 49-42 when Rondo found Pierce for a jumper, then blocked a 3-point attempt by 6-10 Vladimir Radmanovich. Next, he sprinted past the Lakers and hauled in a long pass from Kevin Garnett for a dunk. An offensive rebound and a free throw later, the Celtics headed into halftime with a 54-42 advantage.
Scary thing is, Rondo is still far from a complete player. That jump shot is better, but defenses still don't respect his outside shooting, and with good reason. Case in point was the wide-open jumper he clanked in the waning moments, which helped fuel the Lakers' amazing comeback attempt. But with Pierce and Garnett and Ray Allen on his team, scoring isn't as important for Rondo right now. Doc Rivers knows it, and most importantly, Rondo knows it.
"I'd have to say the pressure is not on me," Rondo told reporters between Games 1 and 2. "Those are our big three All-Stars, and I'm just out there playing defense basically. If I score, it's a bonus, and if I do anything it's a bonus. I go out there and play defense and try to bring energy to the game, and I'll be pretty good."
On Sunday night, however, he was more than pretty good.
SmoovArt said June 09, 2008
Green17chica said June 09, 2008
lsht1230 said June 09, 2008
Take care of yourself!!!
And Celtics Go!!!Beat LA!!!
Justwannawinna said June 09, 2008
thehbomb said June 09, 2008
MacDCo said June 09, 2008
croflash said June 09, 2008
24sportsnut9 said June 09, 2008
You played very well.
I'm so proud of you guys.
Now go beat LA on their home court!
FLCeltsFan said June 09, 2008
theoneandonly said June 09, 2008
soxaddict said June 09, 2008
LeioZhang said June 09, 2008
oh ~~~~my god~~~you are great~~~
robbz18 said June 09, 2008
But I have something I'd like you to know about:
Rage, I was reading SLAM April 2003 and in it was an article on Elton Brand. This was supposedly the time when his rookie contract expired, so he was angling for a new contract. This was when the Clips drafted Wilcox and Ely, and a worried EB kept his knee injury hidden from most people. By hidden, I mean he said that he kept playing through it. He couldn't play like he used to (jumping was hard for him), but he was able to play still. Later on, though, he had to really get the MRI and found out that he had a tear in his knee.
I think this is possibly what happened to Pierce. I think his injury was legit, but right now I guess he isnt feeling the pain yet or maybe is just sucking it up. If so, then I hope he doesnt aggravate it further.
Anyways, I hope this clears things up a bit somewhat. I too was skeptical of his injury at first, but after chancing upon this article, maybe he really is injured. Just how badly, nobody knows yet.
Best keep that in mind, so that Paul can avoid further damage in the future.
Once again, great game!
Reds1214 said June 09, 2008
celticsblog said June 09, 2008
BobbyD replied June 09, 2008
kiddicus said June 09, 2008
If you get bored in Boston, we're looking for a point guard. I think Danny Ferry might be in the market soon...
theoneandonly said June 09, 2008
JScore said June 09, 2008
Dewey said June 09, 2008
KatKat replied June 09, 2008
Dewey replied June 10, 2008
bblais8 replied June 09, 2008
Dewey replied June 10, 2008
daveagles said June 09, 2008
Yangxiaoyuan said June 09, 2008
it has been more than 1month i've not seen NBAgames on TV.
because there is a big earthquake in our country and busy studies.
i see your good job..keep fighting .i like your dunks.
celticsbabyy said June 09, 2008
and shared with your team.
that's one of the besst aspects of your
game.
i love watching you play, and i really hope
you guys win
good luck!
JohnPaulsen said June 09, 2008
Mizzy21390 said June 09, 2008
jwil08 said June 09, 2008
dream_in_green said June 09, 2008
KatKat said June 09, 2008
Eagles2good said June 09, 2008
rcs360 said June 09, 2008
aanJeLiCaa said June 09, 2008
Great game, you're really shinning and becoming a Key player.
between me and you i like you better than Allen. :-P
bblais8 said June 09, 2008
Thanks for keeping your fans up todate on a day by day basis. Your beyond awesome!
buckner1976 said June 09, 2008
davejb851 said June 09, 2008
Celtic Pride!
beckett1 replied June 09, 2008
DaWong1 said June 09, 2008
Now you guys just gotta make sure you play 48 minutes on the road -- let's end this thing in LA!
kayluvsrajon9 said June 09, 2008
Well much love to you Rajon!
From your #1 Fan, Kayla!
beckett1 said June 09, 2008
Bballa said June 09, 2008
kaseyatthebat said June 09, 2008
Marinman said June 09, 2008
9Celtics9 said June 09, 2008
KGSANDERS said June 12, 2008
anisa08 said June 12, 2008
shoota said September 21, 2008