We often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics. Here’s a look at some enemy chatter from Brooklyn.
“Did you see Paul Pierce hit that pull-up 3-pointer (with 24 seconds left to get them within two)?” Johnson asked reporters. “I had in my mind that he was probably gonna do it again, so I played the foul game. It’s a coaching decision. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Teams don’t normally foul in a two-possession game. So why would Johnson? Does he not trust his defense?
“It’s not about trust. It’s a strategy. You do what you gotta do to win, and that’s what we thought was the appropriate strategy,” he replied.
The strategy ended up working because Deron Williams and Joe Johnson went 7-for-8 from the charity line in the final 43 seconds to secure the win.
It was Paul Pierce’s two missed free throws before that pull-up three pointer that altered the course of the game. Those makes would have kept it a one possession game.
You might think running clock is your priority when leading by 4 with less than 20 seconds remaining, but Avery Johnson was content with turning the game into a free-throw shooting contest. That’s not a risky strategy, considering Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are both career 80% FT shooters.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
