12.28.2017

Doc Keeping C's Steady on the Road

12/30/2007

SALT LAKE CITY - While the Celtics were resting in this snowy city in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, the home team was in Los Angeles on Friday night, getting destroyed by the resurgent Lakers.

As a result, the Celtics weren't quite sure what to expect going into last night's game with the Jazz.

Andrei Kirilenko, a prime consideration for any opponent, walked out of EnergySolutions Arena yesterday morning with his right arm in a sling - courtesy of a strained biceps suffered during a 123-109 loss to the Lakers.

Asked if he was going to play against the Celtics, the Russian forward shrugged with a forlorn look on his face.

And then there was the case of Gordan Giricek, the tempermental Croatian guard who had fallen into coach Jerry Sloan's doghouse for a variety of reasons.

The crisis reached a peak yesterday, when the Jazz traded Giricek and a lottery-protected first-round pick to Philadelphia for Kyle Korver, who had developed a reputation as a Celtics killer. The good news for the Celtics was that Korver didn't make it into uniform last night.

``Now I don't have to chase Korver off of screens except for one more time this year,'' said Ray Allen, referring to Utah's March 14 visit to Boston. ``It sounds like this was one of those trades where the team just had to move a guy who had a problem with a coach. But I know that Korver is one of the best shooters in the league.''

Despite their league-leading 24-3 record, however, the Celtics had no business looking too deeply into the other team. Not with the intensity they faced on the first two stops - Sacramento and Seattle - of this four-city road trip.

Though Utah came into last night's game on a clear slide - the Jazz had lost 10 of their previous 13 games - the Celtics had discovered during the same stretch that their opponents play inspired basketball against them.

``We know that they are all going to come out and play hard,'' Paul Pierce said. ``You have to expect that. ``There's a big target on our backs when we're on the road. But I don't think any of us are surprised by it. We've been seeing this everywhere now for at least the last 15 or 20 games.'' Sometimes, like in Sacramento, the result is a chippy, physical response from the opposing players.

``It will happen,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ``We're fine with that. We see a lot of different looks, and it's something you have to deal with. It's just the way that teams have chosen to deal with us.

``But I've told our guys, when the other team goes at you verbally and physically, don't respond to it. But if we play the way we generally have, then we're fine with being on the road.''


No comments: