Celtics must pull out stops

Memphis visits the FleetCenter tonight for its second and final meeting with Boston. Since the Celtics defeated the Grizzlies, they have struggled to close out tight games. They also have struggled to maintain big leads in the second half, leaving them in more close fourth quarters than Pierce and Co. would like. The Celtics know they have a problem winning games that come down to one or two possessions, a defensive stop here or there.

For now, they know the only way to avoid further fourth-quarter disappointment is to maintain composure down the stretch. That's something easier recognized than accomplished.

"You're going to hear me say this all year long," said Pierce. "It's going to be about our defense. When we get the consistency on the defensive end, and we get consecutive stops, especially at crucial moments of the game, then we'll be able to close teams out more consistently. I think we get leads and the tendency is to relax. And we can't do that. We can't afford to do that. We don't have that kind of team. We've got to thrive on hard work and defending night in and night out. It's frustrating, especially when you have the game in hand and all you need to do is get a couple stops to demoralize the [opponent]."

A closer look at the games Boston has lost in the fourth quarter reveals disturbing trends on both ends of the floor. Trailing by 2 points entering the fourth at home against the Bulls, the Celtics let the visitors shoot 46 percent in the final quarter to secure the win. In a loss to the Hornets at New Orleans Arena, the Celtics scored just 11 points (4-for-19 shooting) in the fourth, their lowest point total in a quarter this season. After taking a 1-point lead into the fourth against injury-depleted New Jersey, Boston allowed the defending Eastern Conference champions to shoot 53 percent in the fourth and pick up the victory.

At Madison Square Garden, after leading by 16 in the second quarter, the Celtics failed to execute on offense in the fourth (3 for 16) and lost to the Knicks. Finally, facing Philadelphia on the road, Boston's 12-point second-quarter lead disappeared in the second half as the Celtics allowed the Sixers to shoot close to 50 percent.

"We've got to stick with our game plan [against Memphis]," said James. "We've got to continue to stay focused. They're a tough team to play. They like to run and move the ball a lot. We've just got to stay with our defensive schemes. It really doesn't matter about our offense because our offense is going to take care of itself. What matters is how we react defensively to them."

With all the rotation players finally healthy and coach Jim O'Brien more certain about how he would like to use them, a more consistent lineup should help.

Before Raef LaFrentz returned from the injured list Friday night, Boston's first matchup with Memphis represented the last game in which both LaFrentz and Eric Williams were healthy, though Williams did hyperextend his right knee in the third quarter against the Grizzlies.

Yet it is no coincidence that the Memphis win came with the full complement of regular players.

And no surprise, defense remains a strong factor in determining who receives playing time. But it's not the only factor.

"I have a pretty good feeling with where our rotation is right now," said O'Brien, who gave the Celtics yesterday off.

"I just try to react to what the opponent has on the court as well as run our normal rotations. A statistic that I use heavily is the differential between our field goal offense and our field goal defense. If two people, when they're on the court, we hold the other team to 41 percent, and when one guy's on the court we're shooting 43 percent and with the other we're shooting 48 percent, I'm going with the 48 percent. So, let's just say the offense would be a tiebreaker."

Tonight, the Celtics are not looking for another late-game tiebreaker. They'd much prefer a consistent four quarters, which wouldn't leave them vulnerable to the kind of late-game collapses that have plagued them this season.