Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“We just kind of showed up,” coach Doc Rivers said after watching his club commit 14 of its 20 turnovers in the first half and shoot 38 percent overall. “I thought we had poor intensity throughout, and that’s obviously unacceptable.
“I get upset, but listen, I’m not going to use any bullets or whatever you want to call it now. You kind of wait. But I think it’s a good lesson for us. Some of our guys got frustrated early because other guys forgot plays or didn’t know things. I think that’s a lesson, too. You have to be able to grind a game.
“We’re going to play 82 regular-season games, and I guarantee you we’re not going to be great in all of them. But you can still win the game if you have mental toughness. But today things went wrong, and we kind of caved in quick — and I told them that’s not a good sign.”
The Celtics remain plagued by turnovers and horrible execution on defense.
Anyone concerned yet? As long as Doc Rivers is playing mix-and-match with the rotations, I would ease back on your throttle of frustration.
Last night’s debacle was more about effort, or lack of effort. And that’s something a lot of teams deal with every preseason.
One other note, the strained ligaments in Darko’s right wrist are a problem:
The pain is so severe now that he’s contemplating having a cortisone shot to help alleviate the pain.
“I’m thinking about it,” Milicic told CSNNE.com. “It (the pain) went away and I forgot about it. And I landed on it, and I got hit on it, and got hit on it and some other stupid (bleep) … the pain keeps coming back.”
Darko’s fighting for a job, so I understand why he wants to play through the pain. But if rest is the only cure, then it makes sense to sit now. I think he’s shown enough to secure a spot in the rotation. [Did I really type that?]
Chris Wilcox is still out and there’s no timetable for his return.
The rest of the links:
Celtics.com – Video highlights | Keys to the game | ESPN Boston – Philly shows Boston no love | Globe – Bass staying focused | WEEI – Sixers hand Celtics ugly preseason defeat | CSNNE – 76ers blow out Celtics | Christmas returns home for first time as NBA player | SI – Durant picks Bird as legend he would most like to play with |
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