jmard5
02-09-2009, 02:13 AM
Game's crucial play kind of spacey
By Frank Dell'Apa
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/02/08/games_crucial_play_kind_of_spacey/
Ray Allen was feeling claustrophobic on inbounds plays in Boston's 105-99 loss to San Antonio today. So Allen requested official Ron Garretson make some space as the Celtics set up for what might have been their last meaningful possession.
No dice, though. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili got close enough to steal the ball as it slipped from Allen's hands; Ginobili also drew a clear-path foul from Paul Pierce and, four foul shots later, the Spurs led, 99-93.
Allen claimed Ginobili illegally reached over on the play, but he offered no excuses, either.
"I talked to Ronnie and I said before the play that I thought Ginobili should get back a certain distance," Allen said. "When Paul came up, [Ginobili] just kind of came close and I just ... I probably should have pump-faked him, but I was so anxious to get Paul the ball that I turned it over."
Allen was informed Pierce thought the ball slipped from his hands. Again, no excuses.
"If it slipped out of my hands, I know what my intention was, to get Paul the ball," Allen said. "Ultimately it ended up to be a good play on [Ginobili's] part, and you can't take that away from him.
"I told Ron even before that they had to back off because what they were doing the whole game [was] stepping over and trying to get their hands on the ball. [It's] something referees let go if you don't point it out to them throughout the game and I thought that was important at that point because they like to get deflections on the ball and they ended up doing it."
But this was such an unexpected occurrence, even the Spurs were surprised.
"We were waiting to see where the ball was going and you have to look back and realize he stole it," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Ginobili, too, was surprised at getting the steal.
"When you are in the play, everything goes so fast that I am not sure what happened," he said. "But what I think happened was that Ray was going to pass it to [Pierce] and I kind of jumped up and he wanted to pull it back and he lost his grip and it was just in my hands."
Pierce committed the foul in the San Antonio half of the floor, but a backcourt foul can be considered clear-path, meaning Ginobili was awarded free throws and the Spurs kept the ball.
"I was going to come out to get the ball and there was going to be like a screen and roll," Pierce said. "They jumped at the pass, Bruce and Ginobili, and I think Ray kind of hesitated and the ball slipped out of his hands and it just put us in a position where we had to foul. And I thought I fouled him when I was in front of him. But that was a crucial play — my foul really hurt us, gave them two shots and the ball.
"When you play the top teams in the league, it comes down to the little things and I just thought the last couple of games at home, 1- or 2-point games, it's the little things -- defensive transition late in the game, covering for one another. One possession, it's like the playoffs -- one play can kill you. Every possession counts and we've got to understand that when we play against the top-tier teams like the Spurs or Lakers."
[B]Hill gets kudos
Celtics coach Doc Rivers was impressed with San Antonio backup guard George Hill (7 points in 16-plus minutes) during a predraft workout last year. "He's a high character guy," Rivers said. "It would have been interesting if he would have been there. We were very, very high on him because of the way he played. He's tough. He made shots. He would have been a good fit for both teams. He was one of my favorites [in the predraft workout]."
Fine mess for Rivers
Rivers was fined $15,000 for protesting to officials after the Celtics' 110-109 overtime loss to the Lakers Thursday.
"There is nothing you can do about it," Rivers said of the fine. "My wife had the best thing: she said, ‘Did you feel good about it when you did it?' I said, ‘Yeah.' She said, ‘So do they.' Then she said, ‘Make sure it doesn't hurt me on Valentine's Day.'
"That's my first [fine]. I'm hoping it goes to one of those new funds that we are all creating. I hope it's the Doc Rivers Fund."
By Frank Dell'Apa
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/02/08/games_crucial_play_kind_of_spacey/
Ray Allen was feeling claustrophobic on inbounds plays in Boston's 105-99 loss to San Antonio today. So Allen requested official Ron Garretson make some space as the Celtics set up for what might have been their last meaningful possession.
No dice, though. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili got close enough to steal the ball as it slipped from Allen's hands; Ginobili also drew a clear-path foul from Paul Pierce and, four foul shots later, the Spurs led, 99-93.
Allen claimed Ginobili illegally reached over on the play, but he offered no excuses, either.
"I talked to Ronnie and I said before the play that I thought Ginobili should get back a certain distance," Allen said. "When Paul came up, [Ginobili] just kind of came close and I just ... I probably should have pump-faked him, but I was so anxious to get Paul the ball that I turned it over."
Allen was informed Pierce thought the ball slipped from his hands. Again, no excuses.
"If it slipped out of my hands, I know what my intention was, to get Paul the ball," Allen said. "Ultimately it ended up to be a good play on [Ginobili's] part, and you can't take that away from him.
"I told Ron even before that they had to back off because what they were doing the whole game [was] stepping over and trying to get their hands on the ball. [It's] something referees let go if you don't point it out to them throughout the game and I thought that was important at that point because they like to get deflections on the ball and they ended up doing it."
But this was such an unexpected occurrence, even the Spurs were surprised.
"We were waiting to see where the ball was going and you have to look back and realize he stole it," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Ginobili, too, was surprised at getting the steal.
"When you are in the play, everything goes so fast that I am not sure what happened," he said. "But what I think happened was that Ray was going to pass it to [Pierce] and I kind of jumped up and he wanted to pull it back and he lost his grip and it was just in my hands."
Pierce committed the foul in the San Antonio half of the floor, but a backcourt foul can be considered clear-path, meaning Ginobili was awarded free throws and the Spurs kept the ball.
"I was going to come out to get the ball and there was going to be like a screen and roll," Pierce said. "They jumped at the pass, Bruce and Ginobili, and I think Ray kind of hesitated and the ball slipped out of his hands and it just put us in a position where we had to foul. And I thought I fouled him when I was in front of him. But that was a crucial play — my foul really hurt us, gave them two shots and the ball.
"When you play the top teams in the league, it comes down to the little things and I just thought the last couple of games at home, 1- or 2-point games, it's the little things -- defensive transition late in the game, covering for one another. One possession, it's like the playoffs -- one play can kill you. Every possession counts and we've got to understand that when we play against the top-tier teams like the Spurs or Lakers."
[B]Hill gets kudos
Celtics coach Doc Rivers was impressed with San Antonio backup guard George Hill (7 points in 16-plus minutes) during a predraft workout last year. "He's a high character guy," Rivers said. "It would have been interesting if he would have been there. We were very, very high on him because of the way he played. He's tough. He made shots. He would have been a good fit for both teams. He was one of my favorites [in the predraft workout]."
Fine mess for Rivers
Rivers was fined $15,000 for protesting to officials after the Celtics' 110-109 overtime loss to the Lakers Thursday.
"There is nothing you can do about it," Rivers said of the fine. "My wife had the best thing: she said, ‘Did you feel good about it when you did it?' I said, ‘Yeah.' She said, ‘So do they.' Then she said, ‘Make sure it doesn't hurt me on Valentine's Day.'
"That's my first [fine]. I'm hoping it goes to one of those new funds that we are all creating. I hope it's the Doc Rivers Fund."