Doc Rivers keeps it real
via The Boston Globe >> Rivers won’t go with flow:
They were words spoken when a team loses a game it should have won, and after blowing an 11-point halftime lead to the Magic yesterday at home, someone in the Celtics’ locker room said them.
We’re better than Orlando.’’
Coach Doc Rivers wouldn’t let anyone in the room believe that.
Not after Orlando had outscored the Celtics, 36-11, in the third quarter, not after Boston had let Matt Barnes, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, and Mickael Pietrus combine for 10 3-pointers, not after the Celtics lost the season series to Orlando.
“No, you’re not,’’ Rivers said. “That’s a bunch of [expletive].’’
The Magic were better than the Celtics in the third quarter (when they shot 12 of 17 and held the Celtics to 4 for 14) the same way they were last month when they outscored the Celtics, 35-22, in the fourth quarter and put them to bed on a last-second layup by Lewis.
“They beat you three games,’’ Rivers said. “Two at your place. They’re better.’’
Kudos to Doc here. I don’t think there is anybody who watches a lot of NBA basketball that wouldn’t agree with his thoughts here. The Celtics have been owned by the three other elite teams in the Eastern Conference and they are struggling. Not that they don’t have the talent to turn things around, but it’s not exactly the time that they should be pounding their chest about how awesome they are.
I know you want you’re team to be confident and all, but there is a fine line between that and being cocky. The Celtics looked old and the Magic looked like a team that is very deep. That’s the main thing to be taken from the game on Sunday.