“Great win, obviously,’’ said Rivers. “We talked before the game about trying to handle their intensity early. We knew they’d come out jacked up, but not 13-2.’’
Who hasn’t seen this in an NBA game? An adrenaline-fueled home team gets off to a rocket start, in this case scoring on its first six possessions, eight of its first nine, and 12 of its first 16. They go up by as many as 14 (19-5, 21-7). It is at this point you find out what the opponent is made of.
You might say this scenario was just what - I almost hate to do this, but you know what’s coming - the doctor ordered. Might as well see what your team is made of in Game 1.
If you’ve been following the Celtics at all during the exhibition season, you know that Doc Rivers has been practically giddy on the subject of his bench. Last night we all saw why.
He subbed in a Rasheed Wallace for Kendrick Perkins, trailing 21-12. At 26-14 Marquis Daniels came in for Ray Allen, announcing himself to his new Celtics TV audience by stripping the ball from LeBron James on an iso situation just before the first-quarter buzzer. By the end of the first the Cavs’ lead was down to 7 (28-21), and by the 5:41 mark of the second quarter the game was tied at 36, as Shelden Williams and Eddie House were making their own contributions.
Kevin Garnett, replaced by Williams with 2:08 left in period one, sat for the next 9:37. When he returned the team was up by 3 (41-38), having outscored the Cavs by a 24-10 margin.
This is kinda what Doc and Danny Ainge had in mind.
And when crunch time came, and a 15-point lead (62-47) had, predictably, been whittled to 4 (83-79), the guys earning the eight-figure salaries went to work. When the Celtics absolutely, positively needed to score, Garnett banked home a spinner and Pierce turned into the 2008 playoff MVP guy and that was that.
“That was as good a team effort as you’d want to see,’’ Rivers exclaimed. “The second unit saved the game for us and the first unit won it.’’
