NBA Playoffs 2011: Why the Boston Celtics Won Game 2 Against the Knicks
Minutes ago, the Boston Celtics took Game 2 in their playoff series against the Knicks. Kevin Garnett took a jump-hook shot over Jared Jeffries with 14 seconds to go and then had a key still as the Knicks threatened on the next possession. The Celtics won 96-93.
Despite another loss, the Knicks looked very impressive. Carmelo Anthony scored 42 points to go with 17 rebounds as his team played the entire game without point guard Chauncey Billups. To add onto that, Amare Stoudemire missed the entire second half with back spasms.
The team drove to the basket more and was able to keep up with the Celtics, but they just could not do enough and lost to the Celtics for the sixth time this season. Let's analyze how the Knicks can keep a game so close, yet ultimately be at a disadvantage against the Celtics.
Point Guard: Rajon Rondo vs. Toney Douglas
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This was easily the biggest disadvantage for the Knicks tonight. Veteran Chauncey "Big Shot" Billups missed the game with a strained knee and the talented, yet postseason-inexperienced Toney Douglas started in his place. His task was to defend dangerous Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Based on the result of the game, Douglas failed.
Rondo drove to the basket with ease as he shot 13 of 23 from the field and finished with 30 points. Douglas finished with 14 points, but on 5 of 16 shooting. On defense, he just looked lost.
The fact of the matter is that Rondo is just a superior athlete compared to both Douglas and Billups. He has blazing speed and just outclasses opposing players when he drives to the basket. The 6'2", 185 pound Douglas has been described as a shooting guard trapped in a point guard's body, as he is primarily a shooter who is still learning how to score effectively inside. Billups, while a playoff legend and a great player, is also a shooter who rarely drives to the hoop.
Without a point guard who can't keep up with the talented Rondo, the Knicks are simply at a disadvantage.
Shooting Guard: Landry Fields vs. Ray Allen
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This positional matchup has got to be the most one-sided out of all the matchups in the playoffs. The Knicks have rookie Landry Fields, who has essentially been a non-factor this series. The Celtics, on the other hand, have Ray Allen, one of the best shooters in NBA history.
Fields has shot 2 of 7 over the first two games, playing only 34 minutes. Allen has been the exact opposite, including a 6 of 8 performance (4 of 4 from three-point range) in Game 2, finishing with 18 points.
Allen also had a good performance in Game 1, shooting 9 of 15 with 24 points. He made the game-winning three pointer at the end of the game.
Simply put, Allen is more experienced than Fields. The rookie from Stamford showed some signs of surprise in the first half of the season, but he has turned into a role player with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire taking control of the offense. Until he can shoot as well as Allen, Landry Fields and his inexperience give this edge to the Celtics.
Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce
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The amazing thing about both Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce is that both players are extremely accurate shooters. No matter how odd a shot looks, they have a way of making the ball go in the hoop. Naturally, they went toe-to-toe in Game 2.
Pierce shot 8 of 18 with 20 points, while Anthony shot 14 of 30 and 10 of 11 from the free throw line as he finished with 42 points. He also had 17 rebounds compared to Pierce's five.
As great a player as Paul Pierce is, he is a glorified shooter. Carmelo Anthony is stronger and in Game 2, he simply put the team on his back in the absence of two stars. Without him, the game would not have been as close.
Despite the Knicks losing, Anthony and his Game 2 performance won the matchup between himself and Pierce.
Power Forward: Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis vs. the Knicks Reserves
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Once again, Kevin Garnett came through in the clutch for the Celtics. He only shot 6 of 16 from the field, but also had 10 rebounds and made what turned out to be the game-winning shot in the final seconds. Amare Stoudemire was a non-factor for the Knicks, shooting 2 of 9 in 18 minutes and he missed the entire second half due to back spasms.
With him out of the game, the big-man duties went to Jared Jeffries. The former Indiana star had six rebounds and shot 5 of 7 from the field, but he simply did not have the size necessary to keep up with both Garnett and Glen "Big Baby" Davis.
Amare was the hero in Game 1 and had he been available in the second half of tonight's game, one can't help but wonder if the outcome would have been different.
Center: Ronny Turiaf vs. the Celtics Defenders
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Ronny Turiaf is not an elite center. He has good size at 6'10" and 245 pounds, but does not have the hands, footwork nor the physicality to keep up with the top centers in the NBA. Tonight was no exception.
Turiaf scored six points and only had three rebounds in Game 2. As it has all season, the Knicks' lack of a true big man in the middle has hampered them. Stoudemire can hold his own covering Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis, but the same cannot be said for Turiaf.
The elite big man is expected to be back for Game 3 on Friday, but there is no guarantee just how healed he will be come tip-off time. If he's in full form, the Knicks should be fine on their home court. If not, it will take a lot more than a fired-up home town crowd to bring New York a victory.
Coaching: Doc Rivers vs. Mike D'Antoni
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As a Knicks fan, I can honestly say that I like what Mike D'Antoni has done with the team. He has helped inject life into a franchise that spent nearly a decade in the doldrums and has renewed the faith of a great group of fans. Still, he is horribly outmatched in this series.
Don't get me wrong, I love Coach D. Yet, his style of coaching does not match up well against that of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. His run-and-gun offense has been largely inconsistent against the Celtics' halfcourt defense and with barely any defense played by the Knicks, it is no wonder that Boston has beaten New York six times this season.
On top of that, Rivers has been coaching his squad for years. Boston's "Big Three" know how to play together and already have one championship to their name. The Knicks, on the other hand, are a team whose players are still learning how to share the ball with each other and win together.
In Game 2, the Celtics were just a better-coached team. Their double-teaming Carmelo Anthony essentially took the All-Star forward out of the game. Combine that with the absence of Stoudemire, and Doc Rivers' coaching is what won the game, not Garnett's game-winning shot.
Conclusion
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So, the Knicks are now down 2-0 in the series against the Celtics. Game 3 is on Friday at Madison Square Garden. That being said, can the team come back and take two at home?
Let's put it this way. The Knicks certainly are capable of winning this series, but not if they keep playing the way they are now. Anthony and Stoudemire need to take equal amounts of good shots, and Billups MUST drive to the basket and do more than just take outside shots.
The fact is that while talented, the Knicks are still, for the most part, inexperienced in the playoffs and do not communicate well. If they can put this game behind them and go into Game 3 with a fresh approach, perhaps the team can use youth as an advantage rather than a crutch.
