WALTHAM, Mass – Just another Game 7 for the Celtics, even if it is Game 5.
Wednesday at the Garden could represent the Celtics finale for Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce or both. But the Celtics, before their practice here in preparation for Game 5, which is another elimination-type event, spoke only of prolonging the first round series against the Knicks to bring it back to Boston.
“I’m thinking about the game Wednesday and pretty much I haven’t thought about post, after,” Garnett said. “I’m focusing on what it’s going to take to get to the next game.”
So the Celtics, in an incredibly unenviable 3-1 ditch, stressed on repeating what went right for them in Game 4, their lone victory in the series. They offered the usual laundry list of “must avoids” like the killer quarter, thinking too much, hesitating, giving up too many offensive rebounds. Name a basketball sin and the Celtics have committed it and more at some point in the series.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time right now, just trying to focus on some of the things that we did well in the game that we won and go over some of the things that we didn’t do well and try to correct those and get ready for Game 5,” Pierce said .
The Celtics were 14-27 away from Boston this season, the worst road record of any playoff team. And they realize they are walking into Madison Square Garden, as friendly as quicksand to visitors.
“You can’t worry about it. You can’t worry about the past you can only worry about this next one. This next one is on the road it is what it is,” said Game 4’s overtime hero, Jason Terry.
And Terry sidestepped any byplay with Knicks forward Kenyon Martin who has suggested the Knicks wear black. Martin said before Game 4 Terry claimed the Knicks would not dance at his funeral. So with J.R. Smith returning from his suspension for Game 5, Martin wants the Knicks in black.
“That’s cool. I thought they wore that last game, too,” Terry said. “For us it don’t change whether they wear white, pink, blue, black, green. It’s Game 7 for us. We know what mindset we have to be in. You lose, you’re going home.”
Coach Doc Rivers is expecting an aggressive Smith in Game 5. He felt the Knicks didn’t lose much in Game 4 with Raymond Felton’s production.
“Felton took up all the slack for J.R.,” Rivers said. “(Smith) is going to come back and he’s going to be very aggressive. He’s going to want to wash away the demons that he created. That’s fine by us.”