Celtics Mauled by Grizzlies
So I'm watching the game and thinking, "Wow. Twelve points scored in the first quarter - it has to get better than this." Yes, they scored another twenty-one in the second quarter for a total thirty-three points in the first half, so in a way it got better. But not really. As a self-proclaimed die-hard and at times - rabid - fan, this loss was a tough one to take.
All I can do is share some stats - I am pretty much at a loss for words right now. Suffice it to say the Grizzlies played excellent ball while the Celtics played miserably to combine for one pretty embarrassing night. At the end of the first quarter, the C's were shooting a measly 25% to Memphis' 55%, and the score was 27-12. Ray Allen had half of Boston's first quarter points. The first half ended with the Grizzlies up by 55-33 over the Celtics, and the team was met with a roaring "BOO" from the crowd as they left the floor.
Donny Marshall said at the half that Doc should stop all the players and just have them listen to that "BOO" - "if the boos don't get to you as a player, nothing will" ... apparently they didn't get to the players tonight. Some comments during pre-game were about the big three and how they need to all be playing well at the same time, which we just don't see anymore, and it was certainly that way tonight. Sure, there were some plays during the game that were great to watch (I seem to have blocked them out) and the crowd would get back into the game for a while, but they just had nothing. Sheed put forth a good defensive effort in the third quarter, though that ended with the Celtics down 82-63. At one point in the fourth quarter, the C's were down by 29 points. That's when the fans started leaving en masse, something just not seen at a Celtics game. The final score was 111-91. Hopefully what can come out of this game is a determination to redeem themselves from such humiliation.