Posted on May 8th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER
There are numerous ways to impact a basketball game. You can score. Set screens. Rebound. Make passes. Defend.
Washington coach Scott Brooks notes that many players are overly fascinated with putting the ball in the basket. Conversely, most coaches – with Houston’s Mike D’Antoni the notable exception – strongly prefer stops as difference makers.
Sometimes, both factions can have their way. Coaches get the extra-effort, in-your-face defense they crave, and players fly up down the court torching the scoreboard. When that happens, the result can be ugly for the opposition. Boston found out the hard way, 121-102, as it was routed for the second consecutive game in the second-round series.
Observers who went to Verizon Center only for the last couple of games are wondering how brooms weren’t passed out on Sunday. They find it hard to fathom that this Celtics team opened the series by beating this Wizards team twice in Boston.
Nothing that transpired in downtown D.C. suggests these squads are remotely close. The visitors were manhandled on the boards and in the paint, overwhelmed by the Wizards’ size and length. There were glimpses of the mismatch in Boston, too, just not long enough or convincingly enough for a win.
But if you look at the totality of Washington’s play in this series, there’s little doubt which team is superior.
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Posted on May 5th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER
Prior to Game 3 of the Wizards-Celtics playoff series, Boston coach Brad Stevens offered his assessment of the proceedings to that point. He said his team had been “pounded” in five of the eight quarters, even though Washington lost each game.
Make it nine out of 12. And a 2-1 series.
The Wizards battered the Celtics from wire-to-wire in a rounding 116-89 victory. If Boston stole Washington’s heart in the first two games, the Wizards snatched it back, punched the Celtics in the nose and kicked them in the rear.
The fight was over early but there’d be no standing-eight and Boston couldn’t throw in the towel. So Washington kept wailing away, leading by 22 points after the first quarter and 30 points late in the third.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had been ejected early in the second quarter for charging Kelly Olynyk like a corner blitz. Oubre took exception to a hard screen that included an elbow to the jaw. He eventually was joined by teammate Brandon Jennings and Boston’s Terry Rozier, who seemed on the verge of blows during a 60-second span in the fourth quarter when they received a pair of double technicals for excessive yapping and menacing behavior.
The night sparked memories of playoff basketball in the 1980s, when the term “flagrant foul” was redundant. The physical nature of the first two games was ratcheted up several notches, except this time the Wizards were the aggressors. Bad blood was on full display for two teams that … well, let the superstar point guards explain.
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Posted on May 3rd, 2017
By DERON SNYDER
Since Allen Iverson was “The Answer,” Isaiah Thomas must be “The Question.” As in: “How does someone so small come up so large in moments so big?
It beats me. And he’s beating the Wizards.
A player who stands 5-foot-9 is not supposed to take over NBA games in crunch time. He’s not supposed to carry the team on his back like an ant hauling a picnic basket. He’s not supposed to score 20 points in the fourth quarter and nine in overtime while Washington’s entire team scores 30 points over that span.
But that’s what Thomas did for the Boston Celtics Tuesday night in a 129-119 thriller that left the Wizards behind in the series, two games to none. Thomas connected on 18 of 33 field goal attempts (54 percent) and finished with 53 points.
“A great player had a great game,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters.
A tough player overcame tough circumstances.
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Posted on May 2nd, 2017
By DERON SNYDER
The Wizards lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals for several reasons. They let Boston connect on 19 of 39 three-pointers. They were outscored by 20 points in the third quarter. They missed the difference that Markieff Morris can make.
In overcoming a 16-0 deficit to start, the Celtics later led by 17 points and eventually won, 123-111. The lead changed hands exactly once as Boston enjoyed sizable contributions from forward Jae Crowder (6-of-8 behind the arc) and center Al Horford (21 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists).
The biggest boost came from the smallest player, point guard Isaiah Thomas, who led all scorers with 33 points, hitting 5-of-11 3-pointers and dishing out nine assists.
Thomas has been the Celtics’ pivotal player all season. An unfortunate layer was added to his story with the death of his sister, whose funeral he attended on Saturday before flying cross country and arriving back in Boston at 4 a.m., nine hours before he torched the Wizards and lost a tooth in the process.
It’s hard to root against him. He’s 5-foot-9 in a land of giants. He’s looks like a cute little kid, a slightly bigger version than his son. He’s playing with a heavy heart. That’s Hollywood stuff. I get it.
But the Wizards can’t take it easy on Thomas.
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Posted on May 2nd, 2017
By DERON SNYDER
Dear Hockey Fans:
It’s great to hang out with you again. There’s nothing like playoff hockey!
True, we spend precious little time together during the regular season. But, you know, so what? Don’t take it out on me just because you’ve been here for the entire slog. Others have watched from afar, watching and flipping the calendar. We grabbed a seat and enjoyed the Maple Leafs series, a tasty first-round appetizer.
Now comes a meatier course, the nemesis from Steel City. Go Caps!
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