Celtics among first to join NBA scoring spree

December 21, 2004|On basketball, Globe Staff

The numbers jump out at you each day, to the point where you think they must be misprints.

Boston 134, LA Clippers 127. Miami 117, Orlando 107. Phoenix 112, Seattle 110. Charlotte 101, Houston 100.

Scoring is back in the NBA.

That is a good thing, and the 2004-05 Celtics are right on the cusp of this change. Those merry ramblers from Phoenix may be pushing the envelope, but the Celtics and several others are in hot pursuit.

As of yesterday, there were eight teams, including the Celtics, who were averaging 100 points a game. Last year, only two teams averaged 100 points a game, the Mavericks and the Suns. This year, through Sunday, there were 19 teams who were averaging 95 or more points a game. Last year, there were eight. "There is an increase [in scoring]," said Stu Jackson, the NBA's operations chief who monitors these things. Overall scoring is up to 95.6 points a game, an increase of more than 2 points a game from last year's 93.4, the lowest average for a full (as in non-lockout) season since 1954-55. Shooting percentage is up marginally, from last year's 43.9 percent to 44.1 percent this season.

"The big key," said Jackson, "is that free throw attempts are up, around two per team per game. And that, in large part, is due to the focus on defenders [illegally] using their hands and forearms. It has [given incentive to] the offensive player to take the ball to the basket, where he may get fouled or where he uses dribble-penetration that results in a higher quality shot."

But, Jackson said, there may be another reason for the increase in scoring: style of play. To that, we say, hallelujah! Led by the high-octane Suns, who average a mind-boggling 109.5 points a game, there are several teams who are embracing the running game. Mercifully, the words "fast break" are starting to reappear on chalkboards and clipboards around the league.

We've heard Doc Rivers talk about running the ball, moving the ball, sharing the ball and, to date, his Celtics are trying to do just that. The Celtics push the ball -- they have been among the league leaders all season in the very subjective category of fast-break points -- and the coach gives them a pretty long leash. In my mind, a signature moment from this season is still Rivers's refusal to call a timeout on the final possession of the Nov. 10 game with Portland, forcing the team to come up with a play. Ninety-nine percent of coaches at any level would have called a timeout in that situation. Rivers didn't. And the Celtics won the game.

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