SB Nation NBA Playoffs -- Quarterfinal Round
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There are many different ways a Celtics fan can look on the bright side when it comes to Kevin Garnett's suspension. One way would be to say that Garnett's not very good these days anyway, and replacing some of his minutes with the younger Glen Davis could bring out the Davis we saw in the playoffs last year.
But that's a specific bright side. In terms of the big picture, the Garnett suspension could finally be the flame that ignites some real passion in a Celtics club that's played lethargically through most of the season.
Jeff Clark of Celtics Blog writes about emotion today and suggests that the suspension could be a blessing in disguise.
Now momentum doesn't always carry over into the next game, but sometimes it can. If you have it, you never want to get rid of it. And now we learn that Garnett won't be with the team when they take the floor on Tuesday. By all measures, that could be a very bad thing. Even in his advanced age he's still a very, very good defender and a matchup problem for other teams to account for. Oh yeah, and he's still the emotional (there's that word again) leader of the team. With that said, who's to say that the team doesn't turn around and push even harder with him out? They might use "The Skirmish" and the suspension and Q's petty comments to drive them to demolish the Heat in game 2. You just don't know with this stuff.
One way or another, this beats the general malaise that plagued the team in the second half of the season. The playoffs are everything to this team. Perhaps to a fault. They need to push themselves with that emotion right up to the same edge that they might fall off of if they push too hard. Finding that delicate balance is the best hope this team has of advancing and reclaiming their place among the game's best.
I guess we'll see Tuesday. I doubt the Celtics suddenly flip that switch emotionally, but stranger things have happened.
What was already expected became reality Sunday evening: Kevin Garnett has been suspended for Game 2 of Boston's series with Miami.
The one-game suspension is a result of Garnett's elbow introducing itself to Quentin Richardson's face during a dust-up between the two teams late in Game 1, after Paul Pierce fell to ground when he re-aggravated a shoulder injury. For his efforts, Richardson was also fined $25,000.
"I saw Paul grab his shoulder, as a stinger or whatever, so I just tried to immediately call [Celtics trainer] Ed [Lacerte] over," Garnett explained after the game. "I tried to give him some room and I just saw [Quentin Richardson] standing over him talking nonsense. I asked [Richardson] to give him some room and, before you knew it, mayhem started. That situation, man, I know these two [Richardson and Pierce] have competed against each other in the past and have history from bumping heads a little bit. I was just trying to give him the common courtesy for an injured player, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less.
"I have no beef with Q, I know him personally. I thought what he did was a bit disrespectful, standing over a guy hurt, you know, and talking nonsense. Before you knew it, it all just broke out. I gotta use my head, but all I saw was Paul hurt and that's all I cared about at that time."
At the time, KG was assessed two technicals, and was ejected from the game.
As the suspension comes without pay, Garnett's bank account will be $162,222 lighter after Tuesday's Game 2.
For more be sure to visit our Celtics blog ... CelticsBlog.
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Paul Pierce scored 16 points and Boston used a suffocating defense in the fourth quarter to beat Miami, 85-76, in an ugly finish to the opener of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The game saw the ejection of Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, who could be looking at a suspension after he threw a pair of elbows at Miami's Quentin Richardson in the game's final minute.
It was a horrid second half for the Heat, who shot 13-of-39 over the final 24 minutes. That included a 4-for-21 effort in a 10-point fourth quarter as the Heat wasted a 14-point lead from the third period.
Garnett had 15 points and nine rebounds before being shown the door with 40 seconds left in the game. Rajon Rondo chipped in 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who lost to Orlando last year in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Tony Allen had 14 points in the win.
Dwyane Wade totaled 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but also accounted for seven of Miami's 22 turnovers. Those miscues led to an incredible 38 points for the Celtics.
Meeting Miami for the first time in the postseason, the Celtics turned a four- point deficit in the opening minute of the fourth into a lead with a 12-1 run. Allen's layup capped the flurry with 6:13 left for a 76-69 lead.
Boston pushed to an 81-71 lead inside two minutes left on a Rondo bank shot, but it was an ugly final minute following two Miami field goals. The Celtics were called for a shot clock violation with 40 seconds remaining, as Pierce dribbled around Udonis Haslem, but was forced out of bounds by the Miami forward and Richardson.
"Everybody collided at the bench, emotions ran high from there," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Really, the damage for us was done long before that."
Pierce was on his back, holding his shoulder in front of the Miami bench, when the trouble started. Garnett stood over Pierce, seemingly to see if his teammate was okay. Richardson walked over to the pair and said something to Garnett, who elbowed Richardson away lightly. Garnett, seemingly grabbed from behind, threw a second elbow, which resulted in his ejection. The players then massed together with Boston center Glen Davis and Miami's Jermaine O'Neal getting involved, but cooler heads prevailed.
"I thought what he (Richardson) did was a bit of disrespect by standing over a guy that was hurt, just talking nonsense," Garnett said. "Before you know it, it all just broke out. I'm a vet, I have to use my head, but the only thing I saw was Paul hurt. That's the only thing I cared about at that time."
Wade made a technical free throw, drawing Miami within 81-76, but he missed an ensuing jumper and the Celtics held on.
"Even if you're right, you're still wrong. Get out of there," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "That's a lesson for us."
Miami will try to even the best-of-seven series Tuesday at TD Garden.
Wade's jumper extended Miami to a 61-47 lead with 7:03 left in the third quarter, but the Celtics fought back and got within 63-60 following a Pierce three-pointer. Miami held a scant 66-64 edge going to the fourth.
Boston trailed 29-28 after one quarter and found itself facing a 44-36 deficit following a Richardson three-pointer in the final two minutes of the half Rondo's jumper at the buzzer moved the Celtics within 44-41 at the break.
Richardson had 15 points...O'Neal ended eight points on 3-of-14 shooting and also had nine rebounds...Miami won 12 of its final 13 games of the regular season to get the fifth seed going into the playoffs...Boston, the Atlantic Division winners, went 1-of-6 from three-point range.
VIDEO: Kevin Garnett Elbows Quentin Richardson, Draws One-Game Suspension
Still curious about what Kevin Garnett did to draw a one-game suspension? Here's video of the incident.
Cue cries of "The NBA has gone soft, it was so much better back in the day when you could actually fight!"
(Also, what the heck is Quentin Richardson doing getting in KG's face like that? Just back off, dude).
Apr 19 10:36a by Mike Prada - 0 comments