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Your Morning Dump... Where the Celtics want to throw it in and see how they react

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“It’s easier to post someone out of pick and roll than it is just straight post,” Rivers said. “Their weakside is so athletic with LeBron or Wade, it’s difficult to throw a pass up in the air. But at the end of the day, Kevin’s still the biggest guy on the floor. The longest guy.”

Now the Heat have to adjust. 

“They were able to get probably the easiest buckets they’ve been able to get all playoffs, and particularly in the paint, at the rim,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters at Miami’s practice on Saturday. “They were making one-trigger plays to get deep catches in the paint on any situation that they wanted to. It could have been a pick-and-roll, it could have been a post-up, it could have been a catch-and-shoot.”

It’s not just Garnett. The Celtics want to post everybody. 

“We want to post all of them and that’s one of the points we made before the game, not just Kevin,” Rivers said. “Brandon [Bass], if they keep switching, wherever they switch, let the ball find them and we want to post anybody, any mismatch we have. Throw it in and see how they react.”

WEEI - Four for Game 4: What Celtics need to do to even series

The Celtics strategy in the post is similiar to my approach with the ladies back in the 90s (rimshot).

How will Miami adjust to Garnett's dominance? They can go with a bigger lineup, stop fronting or send an immediate double team to Garnett. 

Bass in the post is a bit scary. He never seems quite sure what he's going to do. 

Another nugget from Paul Flannery's column:

Rajon Rondo has been on the floor for 140 minutes out of a possible 149 in the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals and has recorded just nine turnovers. In between, he’s scored 81 points, grabbed 23 rebounds and handed out 27 assists while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 77 percent from the free throw line. 

Head-shaking statistics.

Related link: Herald - Garnett gives Celtics advantage on inside

On Page 2, Doc Rivers is winning the chess match with Erik Spoelstra.

VIDEO: GreenLights Game 3 ECF vs Miami

The Celtics responded from a tough Game 2 loss on the road with a scintillating Game 3 win at home to make it a 2-1 series.  There were several fantastic plays and moments from the game.  Check out the highlights below for some of them:

Haslem gets Rondo'd

 

Rondo's No-look Pass to Quis:

 

 

Photo Gallery: Celtics-Heat G3

Lots of pics from G3: push-ups, superfans and more. After the jump, GIFs, and my goodnight to the Heat...

Miami media are not fans of the Garden

This series has me flashing back to the mid 80s and I love it.

First, the Heat staff complained about the temperature in the Garden for Friday's shootaround. Now, we are getting complaints about the quality of the floor. 

Somewhere Red Auerbach is smiling.

The KG/Rondo dynamic: clash and recover

In many ways, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo are the same person, they just express themselves a little differently.  Think of them as cars with the same engine, but different bodies. 

The thing about their personalities, though, is that they're always right... at least in their own minds.  And they're not going to believe they're wrong until someone they respect comes along and disagrees.  Getting that respect, though, that's one hell of a challenge.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen?  They had KG's respect because they had been around forever and had earned it by being future Hall of Famers.  Doc Rivers had KG's respect because he'd been a player and he treated players like adults who can handle their own business. 

Rajon Rondo?  Well he was just some young kid with a crazy handle, insane passing ability and one job:  Keep the vets happy.  When KG first got here, all Rondo had to do was that job, pay attention to what they the Big 3 told him, and he would have been just fine in KG's book.

Well, Rondo's not that guy.  Rondo's one of those "too smart for his own good" guys. And because Rondo is 10000000000% confident in what he's seeing and doing, and so is Garnett, they have had some... disagreements. 

So this Woj piece that sheds light on their dynamic is both surprising in that that we didn't really know it before, but not surprising in that we should have just expected this. 

"There were times when they really clashed," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night. "But the difference now? They clash and recover. They have an amazing friendship now. But it took time. It took time, and it took trust."

Sometimes, a young guy earns KG's respect by taking everything he has... on the court, off the court, in the media, in the weight room, wherever... and giving it right back.  When you're Kevin Garnett and you see a guy with such confidence, and a guy who will stand up for himself you start to respect him.

And when that guy backs it up by proving to you he sees what he sees and by performing on the court, you start to respect him a little more. 

And when that little, skinny kid gets up in the face of some guy who just knocked you down and shows he's got your back, well, you respect him even more.  

By the mere nature of the positions, Garnett and Rondo see the same court from different perspectives. But Rondo is driven by one single goal:  winning.  Just like KG.  And when time passes, like Doc said, that time tends to show the other guy that they're fighting for the same thing.

So they've clashed.  They will again.  But it's obvious that they truly are one in the same, even if they outwardly might not carry themselves the same way.  KG is often loud and profane.  Rondo is often monotone and curt.  But on the court, in the locker room, and on the practice floor, they are pushed by the same impossible-to-understand engine of intensity and desire to win games.  Sometimes they'll butt heads, sometimes they won't.  But they'll aways be moving in the same direction. And if they're moving in that same direction, at the same time, in the same game, they spin wonders that carry this team further than any of us could have ever guessed.

Enemy Chatter: The Heat suddenly miss Chris Bosh

We often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics after playing the Celtics. Here's a dose of 'enemy chatter' from Miami.

On a night when the Boston Celtics were determined to hit the Heat literally where they're hurting by pounding the ball inside to Kevin Garnett, Miami had no options to counter. For the previous five games, the Heat were able to overcome their lack of reliable depth inside the paint.

But for the first time since Bosh went down with the strained abdominal muscle he sustained in Game 1 of the previous series against the Indiana Pacers, Miami played like it completely missed its most effective interior player...

The question facing the Heat now is, how will they respond Sunday? Among the answers could be to utilize seldom-used center Dexter Pittman, who became available in Game 3 after serving a three-game suspension for a flagrant foul he committed in the Indiana series. But Pittman lacks the experience and quickness to keep up with Garnett.

Beyond Turiaf, Pittman and Joel Anthony, the Heat also have Eddy Curry on the roster, although the veteran has played sparingly this season and remains far more of a long-range project than a stop-gap prospect at center.

So then comes Bosh, who has gone through five workouts that have included basketball-related drills this week in his attempt to eventually return to action. After indicating Thursday that it was "too early" to speculate when Bosh might be available to play, Spoelstra declined before Friday's game to rule him out of the mix for Game 4.

ESPN - Can Miami keep KG out of the paint?

When Chris Bosh went down with his abdominal injury, some claimed his absence would open up the floor for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. They no longer had to worry about Bosh getting shots and could play more freely. James and Wade responded with some monster games. Suddenly, the Heat were better without Bosh.

Not so much anymore.

On Page 2, pot, urine and Lebron insults.

Your Morning Dump... Where the jungle was f---ing rocking

 

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

"The next game, game 4 is going to be even more. You gotta anticipate them making adjustments.  We're gonna make some adjustments.  But the tenacity, the desperation has to be there.  We're playing at home, we have to give it all out, and it will be out.  The jungle was rockin' tonight. I want to thank all the fans that came out. [expletive] jungle was ROCKIN' tonight.  I loved it.  [expletive] loved it. [expletive].  Alright?"

CSNNE

I often wonder what Kevin Garnett would do if he couldn't drop f-bombs.  I'm not sure he could exist in that world.  But as along as KG can play like he played last night, he swear at nuns holding babies for all I care.  "That's one [expletive] beautiful [expletive] baby"

The Celtics established KG deep in the paint on a regular basis, allowing him to (a) get easy baskets and (b) draw the attention of the defense and get them all moving around.  Even the best defenses break down if there's good ball movement and everyone is forced to move.  

Of course, being in the paint that much means you get hit a lot.  And we know that one of those times resulted in this:

The good Reverend Keyon Dooling explained this one.

"As an athlete, you have to get yourself going, especially when you get knocked down, you don't want your opponent to see you vulnerable," said C's guard Keyon Dooling. "So that was his opportunity to show them that they can keep hitting him. He loves it. he plays a lot of mental games with himself, and with others."

KG is a unique [expletive] character.  Over g-chat, Chuck summed it up best:

"i'll tell you... if KG retires after this season... I'm gonna be crushed...

i love everything about that dude..."

Related links: CSNNE:  Celtics plan to go to Garnett pays off  |  ESPN Boston:  Change in scenery aids Celtics  |  WEEI:  It's the Rondo and Garnett show  |  KG:  At this point its desperation basketball  |  Globe:  The many sides of Kevin Garnett on display  |  

On Page 2:  Marquis Daniels gets some love

Recap: Rondo saves Celtics from epic collapse

There are two guarantees with the Celtics. They'll play tough and gritty. And nothing ever comes easy. We witnessed both in tonight's 101-91 victory in Game 3.

Rajon Rondo scored 8 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter as the Heat slowly whittled away a 24-point deficit. Knowing the Heat are going to make a run doesn't make it any easier on my heart. But thanks to Rondo's big buckets, the Heat could never get closer than 8.

Miami made its run with a super small line-up that featured LeBron James at center. Mike Miller nailed 3 threes in the quarter. But my beef was with the Celtics offense. It went stagnant and I'm going to put a lot of blame on Paul Pierce (23 points, 7-21 FG). He was 1-3 FG with 2 awful TOs. 

The Celtics really worked Garnett (24 points, 10-16 FG, 11 rebounds, +27) in the paint. The Heat simply have no answer for him. Except for the 20-footer that sealed the game late in the 4th, all of KG's shots came from within 15 feet. 

Marquis Daniels (9 points, 5 rebounds) and Keyon Dooling (7 points, 4 rebounds) brought tremendous energy and production off the bench in the 2nd quarter. 

The officiating was decent tonight (and by decent I mean, the whistle was blown when guys in white and green were raked across the head). While some bloggers will try to claim the officiating went in Boston's favor tonight, each team was whistled for 24 fouls. I didn't like the dead ball technical on Garnett for the phantom elbow. 

Brandon Bass (4 points, 5 fouls in 17 minutes) was out-of-sync all night. Not sure if you can really blame him for the foul trouble, because he shouldn't be covering Shane Battier.

The Celtics outrebounded Miami 52-30 44-32 (12-6 offensive). 

Box score

Video of KG's push-up routine, after the jump.

Is Kevin Garnett planning a "proud, strong exit?"

NBA.com's Steve Aschburner has a speculative column on Kevin Garnett's future in which he cites a "friend of Garnett" who thinks the Celtics star is planning on retiring after the season:

Back to Boston? To another NBA team? Or home to stay, where he can glare at the kids who stray onto his lawn and talk trash once a week with the garbage men?

It is a decision -- actually, a sequence of them -- that hangs over the Hall of Fame-bound player, the Celtics and any other teams that might be interested in getting some KG for themselves. It's a situation about which Garnett isn't talking, of course, since he does so little of that these days once he steps off a court, his rapport with the media more cantankerous than ever.

But at least one league source who knows Garnett well thinks a proud, strong exit and, as they say in show biz, a chance to leave 'em wanting more might be his plan. "I think that's what we've been seeing in these playoffs," the friend of Garnett said. "The way he's been playing, it's like he wants to go out on his terms."

I hope this isn't true. I want KG back for another year. One more.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Got an issue with the refs? Do something about it

We’ve all had problems in our lives. We either accept them, complain about them, which accomplishes nothing, or we hit them head on and resolve them. That’s the decision Celtics fans, for that matter all NBA fans, face when it comes to the quality of officiating in what’s marketed as the world’s greatest basketball league.

LeBron James took almost as many free throws as the entire Celtics team in game two. The Heat went to the line 47 times compared to the Celtics 29. LeBron and D-Wade are the only players in these 2012 NBA playoffs to shoot over 100 free throws each. The disparity in statistics is endless. Some of you believe David Stern is telling his officiating crews, either directly or through subtle measures, that he wants the LeBron-D-Wade due in the finals to boost TV ratings. The NBA under Stern’s watch has always been about marketing its stars at the expense of the team. This type of conspiracy theory has been presented by fans and media personalities for years. Maybe there’s some truth to it. Well, it’s time to stop K’vetching and do something about it.

Sue the NBA for fraud. I’m not kidding here. You the fan watch games on TV and the internet, listen to them on the radio, and buy tickets to see them live under the assumption they aren’t predetermined. That they represent the true ideals of sport, namely sportsmanship, fair play, and the concept that the best team wins. You invest your time and dollars watching a contest that unfolds before your eyes, under the assumption there is no league mandated hidden agendas. If David Stern is selling you a bill of goods, then take the league to court.

There is precedence here. Jets fans sued the Patriots for millions on the grounds that the Pats cheated through Spygate, thereby robbing them of a fair and balanced gridiron fight. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually refused to hear the case. However, don’t let that deter you. Fans expect fair competition. If you and other NBA fans believe a fraud if being perpetrated, then file a class-action lawsuit against David Stern and the NBA. If the case isn’t thrown out by the courts, then Stern and his officials will have to answer questions under oath. Maybe we’ll finally get to the bottom of these conspiracy theories.

If a class-action suit is too radical for you, then why not work to change the culture in the NBA. I’m referring to the blatant acceptance that the league’s superstars/veterans have earned the right to get the benefit of the doubt from officials. Not a game goes by that I don’t hear a broadcaster say that so and so isn’t going to get that call because he hasn’t been in the league long enough. This warped way of thinking bothers me more that the conspiracy theories, because it’s so obviously wrong and can so easily be changed. If an infraction happens on the court, who made it, how big a star he is, or how long he’s been in the league should have nothing to do with whether it’s a foul.

It’s like the ridiculous code of conduct in major league baseball when a pitcher throws at a batter’s head the next inning, because one of his teammates was hit by a pitch in the prior inning. Or when a batter is plunked by a pitch in retaliation for hitting a home run. This Neanderthal line of thinking in professional sports, including the NBA, must stop. It’s time to stop accepting this zany sports culture. Change can happen if you the fan decide to boycott the NBA. Turn off the TV set and stop buying Celtics tickets. Do something else with your disposable income and leisure time. Hit the league where it hurts, in the pocketbook. Stern will get the message and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll return to unbiased officiating and fair play.