KG returns, Celtics win 95-78 with dominating third quarter
Posted on November 22nd, 2008 – 1:33 AMBy Jerry Zgoda
Kevin Garnett came back for real Friday on a night when fans too many to count arrived at the arena wearing his jerseys new and old under their topcoat and over their undershirts and cheered the fellow who played here for 12 seasons while turning surly against the home side after the Wolves were outscored 35-10 in the decisive third quarter.
I’ll leave the game analysis for those of you who attended or watched the game on TV tonight and instead, because of the special occasion, provide the transcript from KG’s post-game interview, the only time he talked to the media during his only visit to Minnesota this season.
KG: It’s always good to go somewhere and feel the love in the building. It’s even better to win in the place I used to play. It was a good feeling. There was a lot of great energy in the building. I was just blessed that the people came out, so thank you, fans.
We’re a work in progress. I think right now our defense was ahead of our offense. I think offensively, it’s a rhythm and we’re working on trying to get that rhythm consistently night-in and night-out. But for the most part we’re playing hard, playing great defense and we’re a work in progress. We’re not perfect.
On winning his first title last season: Got a monkey off my back so to speak. Definitely a life-changing experience, winning a championship. Definitely an experience for me that I’ll take to my grave.
On that third quarter: In the first half I thought we played to their level. I thought we were definitely playing to the level of the competition, worrying about some of the things that have nothing to do with us. I thought in the second half we got back to Celtic basketball and doing the things that we know how to do. Also, we were a lot more in tune defensively to what we wanted to do. Guys were rallying, not missing rotations, the assignments were fulfilled and we didn’t look back.
Once we get a lead, we like to put our foot on the gas and I thought our second unit did a great job.
Sid’s question about whether the Wolves have a future: Next question.
On getting rested for the entire fourth quarter: A couple fourth quarters, a couple days off (laughs). Rest is always good. I’ve never been one to object to it when it was in the right sense. I think I benefited from the couple days of rest. Not only that, but the blowouts, not playing in the fourth quarter.
On hanging over Al Jefferson for a hoop: It’s not personal. People try to make it personal because we were the two obvious ones in the trade. But I don’t even think about that. It’s just another team that I play against. I don’t put no more or no less than that into it. He’s a competitor. I’m a competitor. He’s trying to make this franchise better. I’m trying to win another championship. Two different stages, two different players at two different stages in their career.
About a theatrical fist pump he did right in front of Wolves owner Glen Taylor: I didn’t know that, but who cares?
26 Responses to "KG returns, Celtics win 95-78 with dominating third quarter"
Bad game all around. There wasn’t any one thing or player that lost us this one, it was everyone and everything. We couldn’t shoot, couldn’t pass, couldn’t defend. We came out of the half dead and the Celtics took advantage.
Bassy was the only guy trying to get anything done out there, but his strength is playmaking and no one responded and tried to help him get it done. Love and Craig couldn’t even catch half his passes. And once again, Mike had a pitifully low FGA line.
Most games it’s because we don’t have a good point guard to lead the team, but tonight it was just flat out bad shooting. We actually ran our sets well, took care of the ball for the most part, and got open looks. We just didn’t hit any of them. Boston is a superior defensive team, they obviously had us scouted well and knew that even though we brought in a lot more shooting, none of those shooters are getting up shots. It’s still all about Jefferson in the end…shut him down, and the whole team goes down.
What we need in terms of a shakeup is to start with the front office. Fire McHale. Bring back Saunders, promote Hoiberg, and start over. The roster is obviously not going to cut it. We’re more talented than last year by a lot, but it’s clear now that it’s all mismatched parts. No defense, no athleticism, doubled up on strengths while not addressing weaknesses at all, and filled out with guys who apparently can’t follow simple instruction (Foye and MCCANTS). By firing McHale, the team gives itself a legitimate excuse to not go anywhere this year, using the remainder of the season to re-evaluate the players, make a few trades, and position for the draft and free agency all without the pressure to win.
Remember, McHale is the one who told us he thinks this team can contend for the playoffs this year. Even Wittman was quick to distance himself from that mindset.
Hopefully we get our mentality fixed tonight and tomorrow, because it’ll be the same thing Sunday. The Pistons play like the Celtics…great team defense, coordinated offense, a lot of veteran savvy.
Also I want to comment on Kevin Love:
One of the things that’s been bothering me isn’t that Mayo has been doing better (because he’s not a better player, he’s just in a better system), but rather that Love’s biggest strength coming into the draft was that he was NBA ready and would contribute a lot immediately. Which he hasn’t done much of so far.
But here’s the thing…I realized tonight, watching him be the go to guy in garbage time, that it’s not him.
This is the first time in his career at any level where he has not been THE MAN on the team. This is obviously Al Jefferson’s team, and will pretty much always be until Al is gone. And I don’t think Love knows how to adjust his game to that.
It’s kind of like Melo and Iverson….two extremely talented players, but both used to being the go to guy on the team. They were operating in the same airspace on the floor and trying to do the same things for the team and as good as they both were, they couldn’t make it work. And I think that’s the problem Love and Al have right now, which is just another indication that McHale isn’t a good judge of talent and doesn’t know how to blend it together (I mean, in hindsight, would any of us really say that KG and Wally were a dynamic duo?)
I really believe that, had Love remained with the Grizzlies, he’d be a 15-8 player right now. He is NBA ready, he’s just out of position and being misused. And as long as Al is here (and there’s no way I’d pick Love over Al), that’s not going to change.
[…] On the Wolves – […]
Bryan…well stated….you said the obvious. What was McCale thinking of drafting a 6′8 power forward when the teams only real strength was at PF. They have soo many other weaknesses that the trade or acquiring Love made no sense. Sure they also got Miller, who is a good player, or was before he got here, but I ‘m not sure of his salary, and if he fits into the whole plan of building a team.
Did anyone else here that sound in the Target Center last night? I believe it was crickets chirping.
Looks like the Oklahoma thunder just canned Carlesimo. Yet our idiot owner gives endorsements to Witless and Mcloser.
We don’t need to play 11 player every nite. Love needed to be a starter and leave him in there.
I can’t speak about this game or many others since I only get FSN, but I look at boxscores of the Wolves and other NBA teams. Gomes can get it done on both sides of the floor occasion but not regularly enough. Brewer can play defense, and although improved, is still an offensive liability. Other teams are not scared to throw people out there such as Dallas with Gerald Green due to injury. Should Carney get a look now because he is athletic and may have some untapped offensive ability?
Also, if Miller is not going to try to score when we badly need him to then we should put McCants in the starting lineup when he gets healthy. Did I just say that?
They could also just try Miller and McCants together.
how tough is it to justify anything concerning this team’s players, coaches or front office staff when everybody on the Strib is ripping every part of this team in todays paper after a loss to KG and Celtics…this is a sad state for the Wolves and I empathize w/ the players…they can only do so much concerning where their contracts say they will play…I have a feeling that a lot of Wolves players agents are calling Taylor and McHale today demanding trades…
last time I checked gomes re-signed, jefferson re-signed. mcfail didnt put a gun to their heads (not that i know of anyway) i dont empathize with these loser players either. they get overpaid, and need to start earning that money. jefferson stunk up the joint last night and showed he isnt in the same league as an old KG.
the general manger should step aside and let fred run the team. Brewer and love should be starting and Miller should be shooting a lot more. There should plays to get him open.
a few quick points-
-who ever said that 20 year old Kevin Love was NBA ready? I thought the argument was the opposite, that he’s got a ton of potential. he’s got some well developed skillsets, but others that aren’t fully developed yet.
-how is KG considered “old”? he won’t be “old” by NBA standards for another 3 years, at least!
-this game stunk in a lot of ways, no one person can take blame for this game. a superior veteran squad came in and had their way with a young, somewhat mismatched, and somewhat poorly coached and unprepared team.
other games won’t typically be this putrid. I should probably keep telling myself that.
kg has alot of games under the hood, that is NBA old. think about it for 2 seconds next time
McHale and Stack have to be fired. This team is going to be lucky to win 18 games this season. That makes it imperative that we have a smart GM and VP of Personnel who can make smart moves with the draft picks we have accumulated. Meanwhile, teams like the Knicks are making moves to be big players in the 2010 free agency class. We’re going to get stuck in line behind those high-profile teams, getting the 2nd tier free agents, if they want to come to cold Minnesota with a team that continues to lose. Fire McHale and Stack now, we’re losing the chance to improve the team in time for 2010.
We should bring back Sam Cassell and offer him the coaching job…it’d be intesting and he’d probally do a hell of a job….at least a hell of a lot better than Wittman
INTERESTING…
I agree with Tim… one of the most disheartening things about last night was watching a team like the Knicks continue to rebuild with a real plan and set themselves up for future success. If only we had a real front office. The next two offseasons are going to be so crucial and will either make us a real team or set us up for another 5 years of failure…. and with the way things are looking I can guess which one it will be.
We are in a similar situation as the Knicks were last year in terms of having little direction with the assembling of the team. Look how much difference a competent decision maker and real head coach make…. Please fire McHale, Stack and Wittman Now!
nice vote of confidence for Wittman,soon the Taylor,Mchale,and Wittman families will be able to sit anywhere they want to at target center,because they will be the only ones in attendance
The Wolves are well on their way to getting the coach fired, even if he has $5 mil remaining on two more contract years. I believe that Taylor is going to ride this one out for a long while.
They have been in a number of games and will eventually win a few or heads will have to eventually roll. We can clamor for firings day after day or accept it until it is actually a reality.
It has become a vicious cycle of the Wolves playing poorly and everyone calling for firings.
They appear to have some supposed talent, but Jefferson is the only one that has consistent offensive production. They are planning to build around Jefferson since he is only 23 and the only big building block that they have.
We can’t focus on past trades and draft choices but should focus on developing the players that they have and to look for ways to improve the future.
The Wolves do currently have cap room for the big free agent frenzy in a couple of years but need to be realistic. Many teams will be competing for the big time players and there is no reason for any big time player to come here. Cold weather, a small market, and a tradition of losing will attract no one when the same money can be had elsewhere.
I don’t want to bring in big name players and ruin their careers, or keep them from getting to the championship until we can change the culture around here. Step one won’t happen until McHale is gone. I mean he’s human so at least we can look forward to the grim reaper if we can’t look forward to his firing, and public character assassination which I would like to be the first person in line for. He’s a nice guy that is as talentless as a GM as he was talented as a forward. A hall of famer, and a Hall of Shamer!
2. Randy Wittman is a clueless dolt! I have never seen a coach that had less of a clue at any point in time, and I’m old enough to have seen Les Steckel destroy the vikings. Seriously Minnesotan’s flush toilets that held more coaching ability than Wittman has on a daily basis. He is the antichrist of headcoaches. 11 games in 9 lineups, and inconsistant bench minutes… he is a disgrace, and I feel sorry for him for not knowing that he is terrible at his job. I feel worse for the rest of us for having to endure it!
3. We need to draft a point guard, and a center next year (I am hoping for Collison or Ty Lawson and Hasheem Thabeet
I drove 150 mile to watch a basketball game. The first half was exciting, but the second half was really bad. I will not be drivng back to watch another game unless they chance some thing. I have better things to do.
I can’t believe anyone would pay money to watch the Timberwolves.
I refuse.
I won’t pay for a ticket, and I might not even go for free until Wittman and McHale are gone.
I went to the Celtics -KG- game last night. It was a little sad, I was looking around Target Center thinking that it is probably the largest attendence of the year and it was not even sold out. Unless there is a major change, attendence at the Wolves games is all downhill from here.
GEES, WHATS WRONG WITH EVERYONE. GENERAL MCHALE HAS A PLAN TO BUILD A GREAT TEAM JUST LIKE THE SOMOLIAN PIRATES WHO RULE THE OCEAN BECAUSE THE US NAVY HAVE NO BALLS. WE NEEDED MILLER TO DRAW ALL THE FANS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA. WE DON’T NEED MAYO BECAUSE HE MIGHT BE TO GOOD FOR THIS TEAM AND WILL LEAVE IN 3 YEARS. AND LOVE IS THE PROTOTYPE BIG DUMB WHITE GUY WE NEEDED TO SELL TICKETS TO IDIOTS WHO ENJOY WATCHING BS BASKETBALL. WE HAVE FOYE INSTEAD OF ROY- ENOUGH SAID. THIS TEAM REALLY SUCKS.I AM BORED WATCHING THESE GUYS AND GENERAL MCHALE MAKE A-HOLES OUT OF THEMSELVES. DESTROY THE TARGET CENTER AND ADD A BASEBALL DOME OR MAKE ANOTHER HOMELESS SHELTER. SEE YOU FANS LATER- TIME TO WATCH THE REPLAY OF THAT GREAT GOPHER FOOTBALL GAME. WE LOVE LOSERS IN THIS CITY= TELL THEM SID………
Dr.Pepper.com is giving away a coupon, to be mailed, for 1 free Dr. Pepper due to the release of Guns & Roses “Chinese Democracy”.
It is only available today the 23rd. This is the result of Dr. Pepper anouncing that they would give every person in the U.S. a Dr. Pepper if the album was released this year.
Ordering a coupon from their website is their way of copping out to save money on a huge giveaway. They probably hope that people won’t hear about it or even bother. I hope that they lose a ton of money on this deal. The only problem is that their link to the “Terms of Use” isn’t even working. Hmmm…registration isn’t even working.
I don’t even drink Dr. Pepper.
