Spurzilla
12-10-2005, 06:58 AM
Celtics are Spurred on to repeat bad history: Lose again in San Antonio
By Mark Murphy
Saturday, December 10, 2005 - Updated: 01:26 AM EST
Boston Herald (http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=116418)
SAN ANTONIO - The numbers continue to grow and destroy like doom itself.
The Celtics have now lost 17 straight games to the Spurs, as well as 16 straight in San Antonio.
We’re now talking about a 14-season Alamo road drought as a result of last night’s 101-89 Celtics loss.
After playing a reasonably sound game against the NBA’s gold standard, the Celtics were once again reminded of just how far they have to travel before they are able to breathe some of that air on the league’s elite level.
“They’re a well-oiled machine,” Paul Pierce said. “They don’t get rattled, and they counter with runs. They’re the class of the league.”
Pierce, dogged throughout by Bruce Bowen, had a particularly frustrating 24-point, 7-for-17 night. Though Ricky Davis heated up for a 10-point fourth, he and Pierce shot a combined 16-for-35 and spent most of their time struggling to find an opening.
The result was a typically efficient performance by the defending NBA champs.
Though the duo of Delonte West and Orien Greene did a surprisingly good job of limiting Tony Parker his deadly penetrations, and though even Duncan had his quiet stretches, it all came together in standard form.
The Spurs shot 49.4 percent from the floor (38-for-77) and outrebounded the Celtics by a 44-33 margin.
The Celtics threatened on a number of occasions down the stretch, only for someone - be it Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Michael Finley - to eliminate the opportunity each time.
“It’s like a yo-yo - you get close and then they just go the other way again,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “There’s no doubt - it’s them and Detroit right now. It showed that we have a ways to go.”
In the yo-yo department, the Celtics came as close as three points (56-53) on a Raef LaFrentz trey, only for the Spurs to respond with their most masterful run of the game - a 15-2 burst while, among other things, the Celtics were suffering from two charging calls on the frustrated Pierce.
The result was a 71-55 San Antonio lead that the Celtics would cut to 10 points (75-65) by the end of the third. But that 10-point margin would also prove to be a frustrating number for the Celtics.
After pulling as close as four points early in the fourth with a quarter-opening 6-0 run, Duncan simply took charge.
“He just decided it was time to take the game over,” Rivers said.
The Celtics cut the Spurs lead to 10 points five more times (83-73, 87-77, 95-85, 97-87, 99-89) down the stretch. Duncan responded the first two times with a pair of smooth post moves. His second shot triggered a 7-0 burst that included a dagger from Finley - a right side trey for a 94-77 edge with 5:17 left. A Finley put-back and then his two free throws kept the Celts at bay.
With Duncan scoring eight of his 28 points in the fourth, the Celtics were never able to dent that 10-point barrier again.
The Celts dropped to 2-2 on the present five-game road trip, and things don’t get any easier with tonight’s game in Dallas against the Mavericks. After beating Memphis last night for their fourth straight win, the Mavs trail only the Spurs in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division.
“We actually caught the Spurs on a night when they were beatable,” Rivers said.
He also knows, however, that his team is at least another season removed from that possibility.
By Mark Murphy
Saturday, December 10, 2005 - Updated: 01:26 AM EST
Boston Herald (http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=116418)
SAN ANTONIO - The numbers continue to grow and destroy like doom itself.
The Celtics have now lost 17 straight games to the Spurs, as well as 16 straight in San Antonio.
We’re now talking about a 14-season Alamo road drought as a result of last night’s 101-89 Celtics loss.
After playing a reasonably sound game against the NBA’s gold standard, the Celtics were once again reminded of just how far they have to travel before they are able to breathe some of that air on the league’s elite level.
“They’re a well-oiled machine,” Paul Pierce said. “They don’t get rattled, and they counter with runs. They’re the class of the league.”
Pierce, dogged throughout by Bruce Bowen, had a particularly frustrating 24-point, 7-for-17 night. Though Ricky Davis heated up for a 10-point fourth, he and Pierce shot a combined 16-for-35 and spent most of their time struggling to find an opening.
The result was a typically efficient performance by the defending NBA champs.
Though the duo of Delonte West and Orien Greene did a surprisingly good job of limiting Tony Parker his deadly penetrations, and though even Duncan had his quiet stretches, it all came together in standard form.
The Spurs shot 49.4 percent from the floor (38-for-77) and outrebounded the Celtics by a 44-33 margin.
The Celtics threatened on a number of occasions down the stretch, only for someone - be it Duncan, Manu Ginobili or Michael Finley - to eliminate the opportunity each time.
“It’s like a yo-yo - you get close and then they just go the other way again,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “There’s no doubt - it’s them and Detroit right now. It showed that we have a ways to go.”
In the yo-yo department, the Celtics came as close as three points (56-53) on a Raef LaFrentz trey, only for the Spurs to respond with their most masterful run of the game - a 15-2 burst while, among other things, the Celtics were suffering from two charging calls on the frustrated Pierce.
The result was a 71-55 San Antonio lead that the Celtics would cut to 10 points (75-65) by the end of the third. But that 10-point margin would also prove to be a frustrating number for the Celtics.
After pulling as close as four points early in the fourth with a quarter-opening 6-0 run, Duncan simply took charge.
“He just decided it was time to take the game over,” Rivers said.
The Celtics cut the Spurs lead to 10 points five more times (83-73, 87-77, 95-85, 97-87, 99-89) down the stretch. Duncan responded the first two times with a pair of smooth post moves. His second shot triggered a 7-0 burst that included a dagger from Finley - a right side trey for a 94-77 edge with 5:17 left. A Finley put-back and then his two free throws kept the Celts at bay.
With Duncan scoring eight of his 28 points in the fourth, the Celtics were never able to dent that 10-point barrier again.
The Celts dropped to 2-2 on the present five-game road trip, and things don’t get any easier with tonight’s game in Dallas against the Mavericks. After beating Memphis last night for their fourth straight win, the Mavs trail only the Spurs in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division.
“We actually caught the Spurs on a night when they were beatable,” Rivers said.
He also knows, however, that his team is at least another season removed from that possibility.