Those are the numbers after the much-anticipated season opener between the two teams many assume will ultimately face off in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The first game of the season is always exciting, but this one was different. Last year's Eastern Conference champs who fell to the Lakers in 7, now with a healthy roster and some key additions, against the biggest story of the summer: the team that won the LeBron Sweepstakes, the NBA's new villains. The media presence, ticket sales, and the crowd at Boston's TD Garden were all playoff-esque.
The game itself? Not so much. At least, not to begin with. The Heat scored a measly 9 first-quarter points. They picked it up a bit in the second quarter but still ended the half with only 30 points on 26% shooting. Meanwhile, the Celtics led by as much as 19 and, at the half, had 45 points on (somewhere around) 46% shooting. They also won the battle of the bench (14 points to Miami's 7--special mention Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels, who were great) and outscored Miami in the paint by double figures.
Things started to get exciting in the second half. LeBron started to do his thing, like he was back in Cleveland and like it was his team (as opposed to Wade's). The ball was in his hands, he shot a bunch of 3s (and so did Jones... Who? Yeah, that's what I said) and scored 15 of his 31 points in the third quarter. Bosh was something of a pest, grabbing offensive boards throughout the game. Meanwhile, the Celtics showed that they still have the same bad habits: turnovers (18), offensive fouls (on illegal screens), and, oh yeah, blowing big leads. (Also, Paul Pierce fell on his back after a collision with LeBron and had to retreat into the locker room for treatment. And yes, he did come back out to play. No, not on a wheelchair.)
By the end of the third quarter, Boston's lead was down to 6, and by the 1:10 mark of the fourth quarter, Miami had cut the lead to 83-80.
Out of a timeout, Ray Allen (team-high 20 points) hit a timely 3 to bring the lead back up to 6. Miami in turn called a timeout and drew up a play for a Wade 3, which he missed. With 46 seconds left, Boston dribbled off the seconds on the shot clock to use up as much time as possible. With 6 seconds left on the shot clock, Wade made the costly mistake of fouling Pierce. Pierce made both free throws, and the remaining 26 or so seconds thereafter were uneventful and inconsequential.
Final score: 88-80, Celtics.
So, what do we get out of this game?
The Celtics look like they're in much better shape than they were last season. The big 3 are healthy (KG looks a lot like his old self), Rondo is his usual self, the old bench guys showed that they are capable of holding down the fort, and Shaq looks to be a good fit with the team. After 10 games, Delonte West will be able to join the crew, and sometime next year, so will Kendrick Perkins, adding even more depth to the roster. However, the team still is plagued by the same bad habits that ultimately cost them the title last season, and that should be a cause for concern.
The Heat obviously have issues to work out. They're a new team who haven't been playing together long. They gave away most of their roster, so after their "big 3," the dropoff in talent is pretty significant.
Despite these issues, this team's potential to be phenomenal is evident. LeBron showed he's still the same old LeBron who can completely take over a game and cut into a double-digit lead in a matter of minutes. Bosh showed that he might be the third scoring option, but he can still make a difference on the boards. Wade had a bad game, but he spent most of the preseason recovering from injury; he will get into his groove, and when he does, we'll get to see what this new superteam can do at full strength.
So all in all, this was a fun game, and it showed us some things about two teams we expect to see in late May and June. One team now was a 1-0 record, whereas the other has an 0-1. And that's about it. One regular-season game down, 81 to go.
*Point of Interest (to me, at least): Each of these teams has added two members who played for the Cavs last season: LeBron and Big Z in Miami, and Shaq and Delonte West in Boston (the latter of whom used to be a Celtic anyway). Furthermore, both teams have a player who won a championship with the other team: Shaq won a championship with Miami in 2006, and Eddie House won one with Boston in 2008. Also, Jermaine O'Neal, now playing for Boston, spent the previous two seasons with Miami.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
FEU trips Adamson, La Salle stuns UST in UAAP
(From Inquirer)
Defense-minded Far Eastern University showcased its remarkable shooting this time to roll to a sixth straight triumph on Sunday.
The unbeaten Tamaraws recorded the league’s highest shooting percentage in seven years to clip the Adamson Falcons, 74-65, and strengthen their hold of top spot in the 73rd UAAP men’s basketball tournament, on Sunday, at the PhilSports Arena.
RR Garcia led a balanced offensive with 16 points as the Tamaraws registered an impressive 57.4 percent shooting clip and pushed the Falcons to a share of third with the idle Ateneo Blue Eagles at 3-2.
The Tamaraws’ shooting clip was the highest since Sept. 4, 2003, when University of the East shot 60 percent in its 80-69 triumph over National University.
FEU veteran Aldrech Ramos collected 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Cameroonian Pipo Noundou posted 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Tamaraws.
“I know that the other teams are focusing their defense on me, so it’s good that everyone’s contributing,” said Garcia, a former RP Youth team member.
The Tamaraws posted a staggering 60.7 shooting clip in the first half and took a 42-32 advantage, before stretching the gap to as many as 15 points, 58-43, in the third quarter.
But Capacio said the Tamaraws, who would shoot for a first-round sweep against the Tigers on Saturday, need to work on their end game.
“I’m not happy with our finish; we had turnovers down the stretch,” said Capacio.
Alex Nuyles, who shot a game-high 23 points, towed the Falcons to within 58-51, before the Tamaraws responded with a 14-5 spurt to erect a 72-56 lead.
While the title-favorite Tamaraws continued to live up to their billing, La Salle’s young Green Archers sustained their aggressive run by grabbing solo second after downing the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 61-53, in the second game.
The Archers raced to a 19-point advantage, 41-22, and bucked the Tigers’ fourth-quarter rally to clinch their fourth victory in six games. UST slipped to fifth at 3-3.
“I can’t say anything more, I’m proud of the boys,” said FEU coach Glenn Capacio. “From our first group to the third group, the intensity was the same. Offensively and defensively, this is our best game.”
In the La Salle versus UST game, Jovet Mendoza topscored with 16 points, but the Archers also drew solid games from rookies Almond Vosotros and Luigi dela Paz.
“Our gameplan was to play defense above the three-point area because we know UST loves to shoot,” said La Salle coach Dindo Pumaren.
The scores:
First Game
FEU 74 —Garcia 16, Ramos 13, Noundou 11, Knuttel 10, Exciminiano 8, Cervantes 6, Cawaling 5, Romeo 3, Cruz 2, Mendoza 0, Bringas 0, Sanga 0.
ADAMSON 65 —Nuyles 23, Cañada 11, Camson 8, Alvarez 7, Colina 4, Cabrera 4, Stinnett 2, Manyara 2, Lozada 2, Basillio 2, Etrone 0, Galinato 0.
Quarters: 24-18, 42-32, 58-49, 74-65
Second Game
LA SALLE 61 —Mendoza 12, Vosotros 8, Dela Paz 8, Villanueva 8, Atkins 7, Tolentino 6, Andrada 6, Tampus 2, Paredes 2, Marata 2, Webb 0, Ferdinand 0.
UST 53 —Bautista 18, Camus 13, Mariano 8, Afuang 6, Pe 4, Teng 2, Fortuna 2, Daquioag 0, Marquez
Quarters: 15-12, 37-22, 47-33, 61-53
Defense-minded Far Eastern University showcased its remarkable shooting this time to roll to a sixth straight triumph on Sunday.
The unbeaten Tamaraws recorded the league’s highest shooting percentage in seven years to clip the Adamson Falcons, 74-65, and strengthen their hold of top spot in the 73rd UAAP men’s basketball tournament, on Sunday, at the PhilSports Arena.
RR Garcia led a balanced offensive with 16 points as the Tamaraws registered an impressive 57.4 percent shooting clip and pushed the Falcons to a share of third with the idle Ateneo Blue Eagles at 3-2.
The Tamaraws’ shooting clip was the highest since Sept. 4, 2003, when University of the East shot 60 percent in its 80-69 triumph over National University.
FEU veteran Aldrech Ramos collected 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Cameroonian Pipo Noundou posted 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Tamaraws.
“I know that the other teams are focusing their defense on me, so it’s good that everyone’s contributing,” said Garcia, a former RP Youth team member.
The Tamaraws posted a staggering 60.7 shooting clip in the first half and took a 42-32 advantage, before stretching the gap to as many as 15 points, 58-43, in the third quarter.
But Capacio said the Tamaraws, who would shoot for a first-round sweep against the Tigers on Saturday, need to work on their end game.
“I’m not happy with our finish; we had turnovers down the stretch,” said Capacio.
Alex Nuyles, who shot a game-high 23 points, towed the Falcons to within 58-51, before the Tamaraws responded with a 14-5 spurt to erect a 72-56 lead.
While the title-favorite Tamaraws continued to live up to their billing, La Salle’s young Green Archers sustained their aggressive run by grabbing solo second after downing the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 61-53, in the second game.
The Archers raced to a 19-point advantage, 41-22, and bucked the Tigers’ fourth-quarter rally to clinch their fourth victory in six games. UST slipped to fifth at 3-3.
“I can’t say anything more, I’m proud of the boys,” said FEU coach Glenn Capacio. “From our first group to the third group, the intensity was the same. Offensively and defensively, this is our best game.”
In the La Salle versus UST game, Jovet Mendoza topscored with 16 points, but the Archers also drew solid games from rookies Almond Vosotros and Luigi dela Paz.
“Our gameplan was to play defense above the three-point area because we know UST loves to shoot,” said La Salle coach Dindo Pumaren.
The scores:
First Game
FEU 74 —Garcia 16, Ramos 13, Noundou 11, Knuttel 10, Exciminiano 8, Cervantes 6, Cawaling 5, Romeo 3, Cruz 2, Mendoza 0, Bringas 0, Sanga 0.
ADAMSON 65 —Nuyles 23, Cañada 11, Camson 8, Alvarez 7, Colina 4, Cabrera 4, Stinnett 2, Manyara 2, Lozada 2, Basillio 2, Etrone 0, Galinato 0.
Quarters: 24-18, 42-32, 58-49, 74-65
Second Game
LA SALLE 61 —Mendoza 12, Vosotros 8, Dela Paz 8, Villanueva 8, Atkins 7, Tolentino 6, Andrada 6, Tampus 2, Paredes 2, Marata 2, Webb 0, Ferdinand 0.
UST 53 —Bautista 18, Camus 13, Mariano 8, Afuang 6, Pe 4, Teng 2, Fortuna 2, Daquioag 0, Marquez
Quarters: 15-12, 37-22, 47-33, 61-53
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