Tune in as Jim and Mike break down the C's 3-1 West Coast trip, and a deep dive into how the Celtics snatched victory from the jaws of defeat vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Tune in as Jim and Mike break down the C's 3-1 West Coast trip, and a deep dive into how the Celtics snatched victory from the jaws of defeat vs. the Detroit Pistons.
You're listening to. They're gonna call it a heartfelt. They're gonna call it a heartfelt Offering in-depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics With your hosts Jim and Mike Quigley.
Mike Quigley:Hey everyone, it's time for another episode of Hard Foul with my brother, michael, and myself, jim Quigley, we haven't been, we haven't chatted with you since the Celtics went on the West Coast where they went three and one On a very impressive trip. And then yesterday's wild game against the Pistons where a lackluster effort and a team that was playing in mud in the first half, terrific third quarter and then somehow survived the Pistons and you know that you know the title of being the team that finally lost to the team that lost 27 straight they were able to avoid that and continue their winning streak at home and sets up an interesting, I think, game tonight against Toronto. Mike, where do you want to start? I feel like the Pistons game.
Mike Quigley:There's so much to discuss that maybe we table that for a second and we talk a little bit about the West Coast and what they did there, because I do feel like that was important. It was impressive. You know most points they've scored over a four game span on the road in team history. You know really should have gone for an O and I just thought in a lot of ways it was really impressive and I think that's mostly on how they had played previously on the road going into this trip, so I don't know your thoughts or where you want to stop.
Jim Quigley:So, yeah, last time we were on the pot it was after the Sacramento game. We definitely talked about that third quarter and the impact of porzingis on both ends of the floor, that game, and how it just opened it up for Boston with his shop making and shop locking really, and so we were really excited to go to the tie, to that road trip where the Celtics got really hot the next two games. The Clippers game is not much to really break down. The Clippers didn't really show up to play. If we're going to be honest, I think every player on the Celtics scored. It was this. Celtics were hot right from the start. The Clippers didn't have quiet, but I don't think it would have mattered if they have quiet without. The Celtics were shooting and just maybe was tired legs that game with the Clippers, but they just they looked disinterested and awful.
Jim Quigley:The Lakers game was really impressive because Anthony Davis showed up to play. He's really dominated the Celtics on the offensive end. The Celtics didn't really have an answer for them. They couldn't make stops. When they made stops, the only way to really slow them down was put them at the free throw line. I even hit a big three.
Jim Quigley:The Celtics got off to a really nice start and early lead and the Lakers bounce back and made it a game and it felt like it felt like for a little while there that the Celtics were going to lose their grip on it and last year they would have.
Jim Quigley:I think that's the biggest difference between this year and last year, where the Celtics, you know, come on hot, blow a lead and then wouldn't get it back last year and this would find a way at the end of the game to turn the ball over and make mistakes. The Celtics, in that fourth quarter, just took over the entire game and really were getting whatever they want. They were making stops offensively was really impressive and, quite frankly, they're just on another level compared to the Lakers when the Celtics are a full health. And yeah, it was impressive, kim, and you know, going into the road trip, we talked about their road woes, but now I mean I think they have the third best road record in the NBA. A lot of teams struggling on the road in the NBA, so nine and seven is a decent record to have right now and they'll be tested on the road again shortly after this weekend against San Antonio. But yeah, it was a good road trip. Really impressed with the way they played in that road trip.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, no, that like a game. In particular I'm glad you spent some time on it. We've talked about how the Celtics philosophy defensively has been to allow a little bit more three pointers. But what they don't allow, you know, and what they've done a really good job specifically on that road trip, is the corner three which killed them a ton last year, particularly in the playoffs. That would help off the strong side corner help did it a ton against Miami and it would just kill them.
Mike Quigley:And they just kind of taken that away versus teams and the Lakers kind of they start now more of a defensive alignment. They put, you know, russell on the bench and they put in Vanderbilt and the other guys around them where it's just more defensive, minded what they're going after, and the Celtics were able to grind it out. You know the Lakers did a pretty good job in the second half and the second quarter have taken away three point shot from the Celtics and they found different ways to score and to move the ball and to get good shots. Get the ball into Przingis and you know you watch a game playing defensively for the Celtics as that one kind of you know the game moved along. They got it, anthony Davis with smaller guys all game long, whether it was Jaila Brown or Jason Tatum, they were willing to give up those points. What they weren't willing to do was help on the bronze drives. Until it became Przingis at the paint, they weren't going to come off shooters and I think it really restricted and already limited offense that the Lakers have to just Anthony Davis and that was it.
Mike Quigley:You know, I thought that game showed the difference between a championship contender and a pretty good playoff team, which is what I think the Lakers probably are right now, you know, without another move. But it was a really good road trip. I mean the way they really should have gone 4-0, they lost that tough one to Golden State, came back, responded without Tatum in Sacramento, then responded without Przingis which they haven't done well with on the road at all against the Clippers, then at full strength I'll last it and really a game that at the end of the day really wasn't that close either against the Lakers. They pulled away in one by double digits and that just really extended. You know when you talked about the homestand going back to the next, those five games and then these four where they were eight and one going into setting up for last night which.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, it was interesting. The one thing I took really familiar with yeah, that Lakers game too is the Celtics are so much better when they're going to the paint. When their threes come off, it's rhythm threes. When they're actively attacking the basket, they're a really, really difficult team to contend with and we've seen. You know, we started against Golden State, where they weren't really doing that in the second half compared to the first half, and I really think we saw it in the second quarter against the Lakers, where they weren't attacking the basket, and then that third quarter against LA, they just came out similar to last night when we talked about Detroit.
Jim Quigley:Then the threes are rhythm shots and they're just different because they're off of drives, they're off of ball movement. Now, when they are intentional about getting Pozinha Saval around, follow line extended, which is something that they should feed that guy as much as possible. They're just such a different team when Derek White and Pozinha Centeno, when these guys are going to the hoop, it just opens up so much and I think that's also what makes them so different from last year when their threes weren't falling. Last year they would lose. This year they have that component that other teams don't have, where they can get to the rim, they can get to the free throw line, and that's something that is making them a much more, making them making me believe that they can actually go all the way and win this thing this year, compared to when he was passed, when I felt like they were lying too heavily on the three and they didn't have anything else to go to.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, the Pozinha factor is just huge. So when you're able to play that two man game and you saw it last night down the stretch with him and White and we can get into the Pistons games, but we saw it going them inside to the Lakers or you're running it with Tatum Brown's, got him more comfortable with it right now to be able to run kind of that pick and roll two man offense effectively as they can. And I know it's three point numbers on great Pozinha's but his shot looks great so I want him to keep taking it. I mean, even when he misses, it's like right online and it looks like a guy shooting a tennis ball into a Nerf hoop, even from three point line. And when he catches the foul line extended and is able to just count around and shoot over, it's just kind of amazing to watch.
Mike Quigley:It's not something that, as Celtic fans, were used to. I don't think he played at this level up until last season with the Wizards where he started to take off and I think the Celtics have really seen the benefits of that now. It's just you're right, it's the way they can do things because of him is just so much different and I also think you know I love Marcus Mott and this isn't a knock on him, but the ability. His subtraction means more addition of Derek White and you see what he's capable of doing within this offense and it doesn't feel like there's any shot that's really ever forced by him. It always seems to be in rhythm.
Mike Quigley:I know he had his tough first half last night but in the fourth quarter and overtime once again he was spectacular and let's lead right into last night. You know this is a historically tough spot for teams you come back from the West Coast. I think specifically for the Celtics, you've played nine games now that have been kind of high level games. All those games at home or, you know, with the exception of the Knicks, were against teams that have kind of played well against you over the last two seasons. Playoff contenders went out, west playoff contenders.
Jim Quigley:The next dominated the Celtics last year. What's that?
Mike Quigley:The Knicks dominated the Celtics last year, yeah, but the Celtics have kind of dominated this year, even going into that game. So I think it was a little bit different fail for that game. And then you also had you know this isn't something that people really think about, but they weren't home for Christmas, came back home either that day, that night on Christmas or that next day. Then you have all those family responsibilities that pull at you because you run around for the holidays on some of these guys, especially older guys like Corford in holiday, and you just wonder you know what's in their mind and what's in the tank, and you kind of start, especially in that first half. The effort wasn't good.
Mike Quigley:You alluded to it multiple times last night. Joe Missoula set it after the game, the assistant coaches set it a half time and I thought they only really played one great quarter, which was the third quarter, and I feel like they let it all out that quarter. And because you know they have so much more talent than the Pistons and the Pistons are the Pistons they were able to climb back from 21 and eventually win an overtime and credit Detroit for not completely folding in the fourth. I thought they were going to do that. I thought Detroit was gonna completely fold. In the fourth they made some big shots, got some big time offensive rebounds and stayed in the game.
Mike Quigley:But I think the element of Detroit playing is how does they can? Over the last couple of games the Celtics absolutely sluggish. It created, you know, great theater last night in you know an exciting game and, you know, wasn't one of their best games by any sense. It's probably one of the worst games they played all year, but it was. It was kind of exciting to find a watch. You have to fail for the Pistons, you just have to fail for the Pistons right now. But that's you know. In some ways I'm glad to turn out the way it did because it made a lot more interest in the record that.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, I mean, I get it that the Celtics look sluggish and whatnot, but I also feel like there was an element of we're gonna roll the balls on tonight and we're gonna win.
Mike Quigley:I think they don't even have to.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, yeah, I mean Tatum wasn't even going to the basket at all in the first half. He was just settling for threes off the dribble. The possessions were just lifeless and meaningless. On offense, there was no ball movement. I mean at one point there were four for 24 from three, with no effort at all to get the ball inside, you know, for Zengas out there.
Mike Quigley:That doesn't make sense to me and I don't think it was entertaining and I don't think it was fighting for position either. You know much in that first half to get the ball.
Jim Quigley:Oh they had Alec.
Jim Quigley:Burke. Yeah, kate Cunningham obviously showed up to play Joe and Ivy did to ran. Pistons put in a good effort in. You knew the Pistons were going to put in a good effort. If you watch him against the Nettsie on the night, pistons probably should have won their last two games. So it's a tough season for them. Yeah, that's coming finally, yeah, al Warford I thought on the defensive end last night was, I guess you could say, sluggish.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, he looked tired, really struggling against the offense against Iran and against Jordan Ivy. That was. That's something to keep an eye on.
Jim Quigley:I think that the Celtics have had issues with the defensive glass at different points of season, depending on the type of center they're playing against, starting in Charlotte with a similar type of center to what the ran is, and so while thinking about how the Celtics match up with players like that in the future, they've struggled, as I alluded to in the past, with you know, reed from Philadelphia, these athletic center types, and Al really does have a hot time on the defensive blast.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, poor Zingas out there with a manta. So, you know, maybe if the trade deadlines moving here and the little money that you have to move around, maybe you want to look at a big whose specialty is, you know, cleaning up that glass for moments like last night, because that's what kept the Pistons in the game. The Pistons were missing a lot of open shots, except for that one. Like after the time out in the third quarter, the Pistons came on, hit three straight threes when I thought the Celtics were going to go on a run to go up by like 20. Outside of that, they weren't hitting a lot of their threes, they were just getting multiple, multiple opportunities at it, and that's really what kept them.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, yeah, I mean, even Derek White looked like crap in that first half. He looked at like he couldn't get out of his own way. He was falling on the floor. Yeah, he had all the layup you know and it's. I mean, I know people don't like to hear this stuff, but you know he's away for a week, he's away at Christmas. He comes home. He's got really young kids. You wonder. You know these life does factor into some of these road trips.
Mike Quigley:I think tonight's going to be really tough. Mike, you heard Tatum last night saying his ankle is still swelling up. I don't know really Jaylen Brown's availability. I assume he's going to play, but he's listed as questionable. Przingis is doubtful. Al is out Holiday's questionable. Holiday could probably use it at night off. I don't think it makes a ton of sense. You know to play Tatum tonight, but he is Tatum and I'm sure he's going to try to play. And you're coming off the back to back, the home winning streak. I'm sure it's something that's important to them. They want to keep alive. But at the same time it feels like, you know, end of December, early January type of game, and on the second night of a back to back I would not be surprised one bit if this is the night that the winning streak at home ends and the Raptors get him tonight. It would not shock me at all, it just feels kind of like the last, no, the Raptors have shocked me.
Jim Quigley:You don't really no way. No, raptors can't shoot the ball. They don't have a chance. The Raptors can play their best game. They simply can't shoot the ball. This is why they can never beat the Celtics. They can't compete the.
Mike Quigley:Acoma will score a season. Detroit's like 29.
Jim Quigley:It's all like the season three, the Raptors. This is year and year out with the Raptors and I would be really surprised if Tayden doesn't play. I think this home winning at home, I think, is what is a priority to this team this year, going into this year, and I think this home winning streak actually means a lot. I was reading today it looks like Brown's gonna play. Okay, what I was questioning is whether you wanna have poor Zingas play two nights to back to back. It's helpful. I don't see anything wrong with Tayden as far as his ankle. I mean, I don't think he looks her. Oh, really, so I thought it's hard to get-.
Mike Quigley:You didn't think he was coming up short, going to the rim Like I thought that one dunk attempt on the fast break. I thought he barely got off the ground where they called the foul and he didn't finish. I thought his drive's late when Cunningham was able to block his shots. He wasn't exploding to the basket like he usually does. He usually uses his body and strength and I felt like he was almost going up softer than we usually see him throughout the entire game going to the rim and I thought it was part of the reason we saw him settle for so many shots from distance early in that game.
Jim Quigley:I didn't think that was the reason. I thought it was effort to play.
Mike Quigley:I thought his finishing his finishing at the rim since he's gotten hurt has not been as good you know, and so, and if he's saying it's swelling up, I don't see a huge reason to play him tonight. But maybe you're right and I'm wrong. That's entirely possible. We'll have to kind of wait and see. Well, you know the line tonight for the moves that are interesting. Those sort of things have the Celtics favored by six and a half as of this podcast. I guess that will change based off of who's available and then we'll go from there. But I want to thank everyone for joining us tonight and go Celtics, let's see if they can continue that home winning streak and we'll talk to you all soon.