LOS ANGELES – Champagne chilling, a dozen of years of frustration weighing on his shoulders, Kevin Garnett stepped to the free-throw line late Sunday. This was his moment. His time. Tucked away in a back room of the Staples Center, buffed and ready to be wheeled out, sat the Lawrence O’Brien trophy. Make both foul shots and the game would be tied, the NBA’s ultimate prize would finally be within grasp.
Garnett set his feet, palmed the ball and exhaled.
What happened next explains why these NBA Finals have another 2,500-mile cross-country flight left in them. It also says something about the man who waited the longest to step onto this stage.
As shaky as the young Los Angeles Lakers have looked, KG also twitched Sunday. He spent much of the evening shackled by fouls, he let Pau Gasol take the action to him and, yes, he missed both of those free throws. The night ended without a single cork flying.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We let it slip right through our hands,” Garnett said.
Garnett still figures to get his long-awaited champagne shower. The Lakers have wasted 24-, 19- and 14-point leads in the past two games, and on Sunday they were as lucky as they were resilient. Now they’ll be away from the comfort of home.
“It’s going to be like coming into the Amazon,” Garnett said, “coming into the jungle.”
At one time, Garnett was the king of his jungle. Even now, the Boston Celtics still amp up their fans before each game with a video clip of KG screaming. But histrionics alone do not win championships, and in these Finals, the biggest member of Boston’s Big Three has also been its Vulnerable One.
Garnett finished with 13 points, 14 rebounds and a pair of steals on Sunday, typically adequate numbers. But Garnett also knew better than to grade himself with a stat sheet. “It was trash,” he said of his performance. “I played like garbage.”
Garnett stunk on a night when the Celtics were already missing their starting center. With Kendrick Perkins sidelined by a shoulder injury, Garnett became Boston’s primary post defender. Gasol rang up two fouls on him in the first quarter, and when Garnett returned midway through the second quarter, he needed all of 13 seconds to pick up No. 3.
Part of Garnett’s game is built on intimidation, and he’s had Gasol spooked for much of these playoffs. But on Sunday, he spent too much time trying to bully the Lakers’ wispy center instead of defending him.
“I really felt like I was selfish and being compe ive one-on-one with Pau in the matchup,” Garnett said. “Instead of actually talking a breath and taking a step back and playing defense from a more sound and mental standpoint.”
Or as Celtics coach Doc Rivers said: “The thing I told Kevin is I thought he was playing extremely hard, but we have to play smart, too.”
Garnett’s emotion and energy have fueled the Celtics for much of the season, but, on occasion, they also have overwhelmed even Garnett himself. KG admitted as much a day earlier.
“I’m real big on being centered and having my breathing right,” he said. “I sound like I’m at Lamaze class or something … but I’m serious man. I cannot – I can’t – I am not a player who does well when I come out and I’m not centered.”
Garnett wasn’t centered when the Celtics needed him most, and that shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. After all, Kevin McHale isn’t the only reason why Minnesota advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once during Garnett’s tenure with the Timberwolves. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, KG also missed a pair of free throws that nearly cost Team USA its semifinal game against Lithuania.
The Celtics don’t need Garnett to be clutch as much as they need him to be himself. Not with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen flanking him. Pierce told Garnett just that after Sunday’s loss, reminding him that he’s far too important to be idling on the bench in foul trouble. Sam Cassell said the same.
“It’s on Kevin,” Cassell said. “Kevin’s smart enough to make the proper reads. Today he made some bad reads defensively and put us in a jam.”
Pierce and Cassell expect Garnett to play better on Tuesday. So does Garnett. But Garnett also knows he let a great opportunity slip away on Sunday, and nothing is certain going forward. Rivers doubts Perkins will be able to play in Game 6. Rajon Rondo remained ineffective, missing all but one of his seven shots.
Of greater concern: Allen left the team immediately after Sunday’s game because of a health issue with one of his children.
Boston also has allowed the Lakers to run out to substantial leads in each of the past two games. The Celtics’ legs could feel even heavier Tuesday considering they will spend most of their off day flying.
“It could come down to a game of mental toughness,” Rivers said. “Who fights the fatigue mentally better than the other group.”
With Perkins still hurting and Allen possibly distracted? With Gasol’s confidence growing? With Pierce having already done all he can do?
As Cassell said: It’s on Kevin.
"Rivers doubts Perkins will be able to play in Game 6. Rajon Rondo remained ineffective, missing all but one of his seven shots.
Of greater concern: Allen left the team immediately after Sunday’s game because of a health issue with one of his children."
... sounds like Celts luck is running low.
Garnett "screwed the pooch" last night and cost his team a chance to win it on the road.
The Celtics have played the most games of any team in NBA history. It's no surprise that they are so banged up at this point.
....all the more reason why Garnett needs to raise his game and help his team get this over with quickly.
this is why i think kg should never be mentioned with the all time greats, his whole career he's been a complete failure, and now that he's on the grandest stage in the nba, he's failing again............ and i love it..........sure he'll get a ring but it won't be because of him
yup.
Duncan >>> Garnett.
Dirk >>> Garnett.
Garnett also missed two put back opportunites in the final minutes that could have been the differnence. If he was more agressive around the post the Celtics would have put that game away. He sure hets a "scared" look in his eyes in clutch time. He also doesn't have a real GO TO move that he can count on in pressure situations.
My thoughts EXACTLY
Agreed
While I agree he shouldnt be mentioned with the all time greats, to say that he isnt helping the team to win the le this year is absurd. He isnt mr 4th but he is the anchor of the D and the boards and a huge reason why the Celts have the best D in the league.
what he did in the regular season and in the playoffs to get to the finals don't mean if you choke when it really matters, and he has chocked in the finals, he has to have bum ass ray allen and drama queen peirce carry his ass cause he's not good enough to carry a team
Agreed he isnt good enough to carry a team. Granted he has made some huge 4th quarter buckets during these finals (GAME 4 hit a basket to put them up 5 with 2 minutes left and hit a basket to tie it at 90 last night) he doesnt do it enough. Despite his ty choking 4th quarter offense, he has still been the anchor on the D and on the boards. That means something and it's played a positive factor in this series.
These finals are turning out fine I think...Kobe won't win without Shaq, and KG will only be a role player in his team's championship run.
And, being the clutchest player in the most stressful, crunchtime moments doesn't mean if you can't get to those moments.
Shaq hasn't won with Shaq the last few years either...
KG? come on now....its not like this is his first choke artist performance...ive seen plenty before last night.....go spurs go
Kobe not winning without Shaq is a stupid criticism IMHO made by Kobe/Laker haters.
For the past two years Kobe's starting 5 was:
PG: Smush Parker
SF: Luke Walton
PF: Odom
C: Kwame Brown
Not even MJ would get anywhere with this cast. Basketball is a team sport, you need to have a well-rounded team to get anywhere. Now that he finally has talent around them he is in the Finals and got his team to the #1 spot in the toughest WC in years, all this without the starting C Andrew Bynum. A lotta people are going to be eating crow during the next 5 years as Kobe hoists up some Finals MVP and LOB trophies.
mj would not be looking for his teamates to bail him out like kobe is
You guys don't remember when Jordan got owned by the Pistons in the 80s with no talent. Jordan lifting his talentless team? Stop forgetting Jordan's selfish, ball-hogging, losing ways in the 1980s.
how old are you?
did you even watch them?
I rember his team doing well and his team needing playoff experience
kobe and fisher have playoff experience
but both are doing stupid things
fisher shots a long 2 because he steps on the line DUMB
mj teams did not play soft
lakers team is playing soft
Fisher shots a long 2...........
since when did this ever happen?
wrong post...
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
