The Big Story – C’s Go Down 1-2 to New York: There’s not enough space to list the number of coaching decisions and non-decisions Joe Mazzulla made to cause the Celtics to lose Games 1 and 2 at home to the Knicks, in an astonishingly poor job of inaction to adjust during a game.
In Game 3 they were much more aggressive going to the rack. But ironically Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown missed tons of those shots and they got their 115-93 win thanks to making 15 more 3’s than NY. Game 4 went off after I filed this column.
Sports 101: Name the only Division I players in history to lead college basketball in scoring and rebounding in the same season.
News Item – Mazzulla Game 1 and 2 Box Scores: The players had something to do with it by missing an NBA record 45 three-point shots and being 25-100 overall. But those 45 misses were the point. They kept firing blanks with no intervention by Mazzulla as they blew a 20-point third-quarter lead without adjusting to stop the bleeding by going inside for better shots or to get free throws.
The first-quarter hacking of poor foul shooting Mitchell Robinson was dumb for two reasons. (1) You don’t have key people (Jrue Holiday, Payton Prichard, Luke Kornet) accumulate unnecessary early fouls because you can’t predict when more will come as the game proceeds. So Mazzulla handcuffed his end-of-the-game decision-making when Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t play in the second half and the now needed Kornet was chained to the bench with five fouls. (2) You don’t give free points to a guy who doesn’t have the ball or is nowhere near the basket. And guess what? While he only went 3 for 10, no free 3 points, no OT and C’s win Game 1 by two. Plus it puts teams in the bonus much earlier than normal to give the better shooters more free throws.
End of Regulation: As usual the C’s have no set play. Just a Tatum isolation that leads to a bad 23-foot fallaway, which (as usual) he bricked. Meanwhile Jalen Brunson got a back screen and slithered into a 10-foot leaner that went in and out. He missed it, but it was a good final shot.
Finally — with three seconds left in OT and down three — again no set play, and in the game are frigid three-point shooters Brown (1-10), Tatum (4-15), Holiday (2-7), Horford (1-5) and White (5-16). Who’s not in? Prichard, their best three-point shooter, who shot 45% on the year 2-5 in Game 1. The 91-90 Game 2 loss mirrored Game 1.
News Item – Here Comes The Judge: If the season ended today Aaron Judge would win the triple crown and be the first .400 hitter since you know who in 1941. To go along with the .409 average, his 14-homers 39-RBI stat line after 40 games projects to 64 and 156 to rank among the greatest single seasons ever.
News Item – Rest In Playoffs: A long rest after ending an NBA playoff series early isn’t as good as some think. It was the opposite again last week as the rested higher-seeded Celtics, Cavaliers, T-Wolves and Oak City all blew home court advantage with rusty, unfocused Game 1 play.
The Numbers:
21 – runs allowed by Colorado in a 21-0 loss to Arizona that dropped them to an astonishing 6-33, which got manager Bud Black fired the next day.
31 – years streak Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton are trying to end of a Canadian team (Montreal) not winning the Stanley Cup.
600 – cheapest ticket price in dollars at MSG for Celtics-Knicks Game 3.
… Of the Week Awards
Thumbs Up – Mike Tirico: For calling out ESPN’s Stephen A. Blowhard talking about being a Knicks fan during halftime of NBA playoff broadcasts. Sorry, nobody gives a flip who you’re rooting for, Steve A.
What A Stupid I Yam Award – Me: For last week’s Sport 101 Answer, which numerous people mentioned was wrong. I assumed Rickey Henderson holdingthe record for lead-off homers meant he’d broken up the most no-hitters by homer. It didn’t occur to me, but the Babe and others got up after two outs in the first inning and then homered to end the no-hit bid more often.
Random Thoughts:
The NBA shouldn’t limit coaches to just two replay challenges. Why should a team be penalized if the refs keep missing calls? Instead they should retain their right until their challenge fails.
Sports 101 Answer: Wichita State’s Xavier McDaniel (1985) and Loyola of Marymount’s Hank Gathers (1989).
Final Thought – Raphael Devers: Absolutely hard to believe the Red Sox let this immature player tell them he won’t switch from DH to first base. What they should say is, that’s insubordination. You’re suspended without pay. We’re bringing Roman Anthony up to DH, Marcello Mayer to play second base and moving Kristian Campbell to first base. And if you don’t like it, too bad.
Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.
