Everybody talks about how important “two for one” possessions are. While I agree, I tend to believe (at least early in games) that I would rather get a good shot and not have a “two for one” situation, rather than forcing up a bad shot just to preserve the “two for one.” However, one thing I believe is that a team should always get the last shot of the quarter if possible. In the first quarter of game three, the Celtics found themselves in a situation where they could hold for the last shot, but they weren’t able to execute.
After Vince Carter missed 2 foul shots to keep the game at three points, the Magic needed a stop to have a chance at tying the game. There was 6 second difference from the shot clock and the game clock, so there was no need to foul, and the Magic didn’t. They just played solid defense and got the shot they wanted, a Kevin Garnett jumper one step inside the three point line. This is where Redick makes his mistake:
Before we get to criticizing J.J. Redick, we do have to give him credit for crashing the boards as soon as KG releases the basketball on his attempt. With Boston worried about the fast break, they only send two guys in for the rebound, and they are effectively boxed out. Redick is uncontested as he attacks the rebound.
In the fourth quarter of the Cavs game against the Celtics, LeBron James was a runaway freight train. He scored 20 points in said quarter, and he did it by attacking the basket. When James decided to put his head down and get to the rim, he either got himself an easy basket or a foul call. Conversely, nothing was dropping from the three point line as he was 0-7 from deep with his team down 2 with just about 10 seconds left. That is what makes his decision for a pull up three on a 2 on 2 situation so confusing.
We have all seen LeBron’s heat check threes before, you know, the ones that as he pulls up everyone says “No! God no!” but then it goes in to a resounding “Yes!” but those usually come after a couple makes. LeBron was so successful attacking the rim in the fourth quarter, it was just plain silly:
This was 1 of 5 plays that LeBron had where he attacked and ended up with a dunk or a lay-up. Now, let’s look at that final play:
