Wizards have hex on Green in D.C.
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
WASHINGTON — One of the Celtics’ most reliable traits throughout the season was their consistency as a road team. They tied Toronto for the best road record in the Eastern Conference at 23-18, and generally thrived under isolated, hostile conditions.
And then there’s Washington, the Verizon Center, and an emotional Wizards team as plugged into its home crowd as any in the NBA. The Celtics, with a 3-2 conference semifinals edge, have a chance to close out the series here tonight, provided they can accomplish something they failed to do four times this season.
“If I knew (the solution) we wouldn’t be in the situation we’ve been in there,” said Jae Crowder. “I can’t answer that, but hopefully we change it around in Game 6.
“We’ve been a good team on the road all year, if you look at it,” he said. “Of course we do play well at home, but great teams find a way to win on the road. Of late we haven’t done that, but we have to get back to the basics. … I feel sometimes we play a different brand of basketball on the road, and shots come differently. But we have to all be on the same page, the same way, home and away.”
That was Brad Stevens’ message yesterday during a conference call — there should be no difference between home and road performance.
“When you start to think of different venues, you realize it’s more about how you play,” said the Celtics coach. “We just have to play better — it’s not a matter of where the game is or who you play.”
That said, the Celtics’ collapse in Washington in Games 3 and 4 included the sight of several younger players wilting under the pressure of two game-turning Wizards spurts — 26-0 in the third quarter of Game 4, and 22-0 in the first quarter of Game 3.
“But these guys have played in a ton of road venues,” Stevens said. “The biggest reason why we’ve struggled here is the quality of the competition.”
Just as there shouldn’t be any difference from Game 1 and a closeout game.
“We don’t treat any one game differently from another,” Stevens said. “That’s what we have to continue to do. I don’t think winning is about Game 1 and Game 6. It’s just what our task is.”
Hip to be Avery
As evidenced by his 29-point performance in Game 5, Avery Bradley’s twin hip pointers are no longer an issue — or at least one that is manageable.
“He hasn’t said anything to me about it today,” Stevens said, “but all indications are that he feels well.”
That certainly jibes with what Bradley said Wednesday night.
“Fine. Those two days were very important for me,” he said of the break leading up to Game 5. “I feel like our training staff is the best. They made sure that I was in two-a-days, icing my hips, taking care of myself. I just wanted to come out and play as hard as I can, play through the pain, whatever it is.”
Big game for Big Al
According to stats guru
Dick Lipe, Al Horford’s Game 5 performance (19 points on 8-for-9 shooting, three 3-pointers, six rebounds, seven assists, three blocks) joined an exclusive group.
He became one of only three players in Celtics history to have at least six rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and a .500-plus shooting performance. The others were Paul Pierce in April 2005 against Indiana, and Larry Bird against the Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals.
But Stevens isn’t seeing anything new.
“I don’t feel it’s much different from the season,” he said. “He’s played at a high level all year. He does every little thing. He’s always down in his stance with his long arms out. We can always play through him.”
Perhaps it could even be said that now that this young C’s team is growing up under fire, Horford has been the main calming influence.
“The bottom line is that when you have a guy who does his job so often, is so reliable, that he can have a calming influence in and of itself,” Stevens said.