In a 98-89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, the Celtics were out-rebounded 44-35 and surrendered 14 offensive boards. That resulted in 13 second-chance points for the Bucks (the C’s had just two) and again got coach Doc Rivers going.
“They got every loose ball, they got every long rebound,” Rivers said of the Bucks. “And they scored more off the secondary action than the offense. That’s just awareness and quickness, but again it’s the physicality that we have to get to.”
On several occasions against Milwaukee, there were lazy leak-outs by some of the Celtics guards before the defensive rebound was secured, and there were other times when the big men were slow to balls underneath.
The remedy may just be one of the most basic in basketball.
“It looks as though we’re trying to beat guys to the ball,” said Ray Allen. “We’ve got to do a better job of boxing out, all of us. Guys slip behind us, tap the ball back to their man.
“It’s the principles. We’ve got to get back to doing the small things.”
In part because they miss so few shots, but more so because of the issues they have with limiting opponents to one shot, the Celtics collect just 38 rebounds per game, the second-lowest figure in the league. They ranked in the top 12 in total rebounds in each of the last two seasons.
Paul Pierce was quick to note that the issues lie in the backcourt.
“Our bigs are really doing a great job, putting bodies on men,” he said. “It’s a problem with the guards. We have to do a better job at coming back and helping the bigs, especially on long rebounds. … Between me, Ray and [Rajon] Rondo, we have to a better job at that.”
Kevin Garnett, who matched Rondo with a team-high nine boards on Tuesday, countered Pierce with a bit of blame on his end.
“[Center Kendrick Perkins] and I always figure that we are the two bigs so we have to have some sort of communication,” Garnett said. “Paul made a reference to rebounding, but I think it starts with the two of us, Perk and I. We always ask the smalls, guards and forwards, to come back and help us a little bit, but it’s a team effort.”
During their eight-game winning streak, the Celtics has given opponents 117 second-chance points, compared to just 91 of their own.
After a 90-83 win at San Antonio last week, Rivers said his team was angry to a man because it had just been out-rebounded by 23 and had given up a season-high 20 boards on the offensive end.
Perhaps their anger at that effort combined with a fourth quarter Tuesday in which they finally went back to the basics, suggests that the Celtics will soon see improvement in the one area that has given them fits.
And while there is comfort in knowing it has not hurt them yet, there is legitimate concern that it will soon enough.
“I thought there was one stretch in the fourth quarter where you could physically see bodies on bodies. And we got all the rebounds,” Rivers said. “We’ve just got to get better at it. We’ve always been a good rebounding team over the last couple years and right now we’re not. It’s that simple.
“We can get away with winning now, but we’re not going to win in the long term if we don’t start rebounding.”
