The Celtics had to play this one without Kevin Garnett, who was grounded by Doc Rivers because of a bruised right thigh he sustained Dec. 14 against Memphis, and which has had the team’s emotional leader operating at less than full speed. Thinking, as always, about the Big Picture, Doc decided he could risk the consequences of playing an overmatched opponent at home against the positive effect of having him far healthier for a trip that will take the Celtics to Orlando, Los Angeles (Clippers), Oakland (Golden State), and Phoenix.
Knowing in his heart he had absolutely done the right thing, Doc settled back to watch his team totally stink up the joint in the first half. The Celtics trailed from the get-go and capped off a dismal performance by surrendering a period-ending 16-4 run.
It was a shocking 57-42 mess at the half, and you couldn’t blame it all on KG’s absence.
“No, no, no, no, no,’’ Rivers insisted. “We did that all to ourselves. All I told them at the half was that the defense was awful, the effort was awful. There was no defensive energy. It was just like last year [when Garnett was out]. We had the ability to score. We just couldn’t stop them.’’
The Pacers were knocking down shots with regularity, many of them open jumpers created in what the NBA likes to refer to as “early offense’’ opportunities. The Celtics were lazy. They weren’t getting back on defense, even when they scored. It was that simple.
“It was a walk-it-up game for us, and they were running it down our throats,’’ Rivers pointed out.
There wasn’t a lot of fiery rhetoric at halftime. It was simply a matter of each guy looking in the mirror and saying, “You ready to start playing or what?’’
“We shot good shots,’’ said Paul Pierce, “but in the end you look up and they had 57 points. And that’s what Doc really stressed. We’re not a team that gives up 57 points in a half, especially to a team that’s struggling.’’
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