Gameday Q&A with Spears and Dzen

Boston Globe Celtics beat writer Marc J. Spears and Boston.com Celtics blogger Gary Dzen checked in from Los Angeles earlier today to answer your questions about tonight's Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Below is a transcript of the Q&A session ...

browerpowr: how is Rondo's ankle feeling, is he good to go for game 4?

Gary Dzen: Rondo said the ankle was pretty sore yesterday, so sore that it made him almost fall out of bed when he woke up. He did some light practicing on it yesterday, though during the media-access portion of practice, Rondo stood on the sidelines during the drills that required a lot of running. The team will not practice today. Rondo said he'll play tonight, and it looks like the team will give him a chance.

Celts2008: If Rondo is not 100% on his ankle do you think it is even worth having him in the game if he doesnt have 100% of his speed and quickness which he depends so much on for defense and to creat shots for others.

Marc J. Spears: If he's not 100 percent, I don't think Doc will play him. That's based on how things were in the regular-season. But... This is the Finals.

bad_ankle: do you think the Cs consider this a must win game tonight?

Gary Dzen: Absolutely not. They would like to win one game out here, but they also love their home court advantage. If you ask any Celtics player, they'll tell you they earned home court for a reason. Going home down 3-2 wouldn't be a big deal for this team.

can_thandlethetruth: how important is it for he C's to take one in LA?

Marc J. Spears: I think they not only need to take one in LA, but they need to take one tonight. By losing tonight, the whole dynamics of the series changes and the Lakers are back in it. And with the world's greatest scorer in Kobe, you don't want to do that if you're the Cs. Remember, there is still another game here in LA.

Lou__Argentina_: Rested team and focus tema tonight is what is needed besides a healthy Rondo. What have you seen being upfront with the team. Are the Celtics determined and focused for tonight? Or too many distractions?

Marc J. Spears: I definitely see a much more focused team tonight. I know the Game 3 loss is really bothering them. The big question, however, is how healthy Rondo is.

Nevsky: What is key to preventing Sasha Vujavic to easily get a 3pt shot?

Gary Dzen: Just cleaner rotations. The Celtics play a help defense, meaning they're sometimes leaving shooters open for brief moments to collapse on penetration. If the defense works well, someone else rotates over to the shooter to prevent an easy shot. But if someone misses an assignment, guys like Vujacic are left open. I talked to Vujacic yesterday and he seemed to revel in the role of shotmaker.

brent: Gary, will Garnett have a big game tonight? It sounds like he's taking the advice of everyone and acknowledging that ne needs to be more agressive inside

Gary Dzen: I think KG will have a big game. His poor play in Game 3 was largely his fault, as well as the fault of his teammates. He was catching the ball too far outside the paint to make any effective post moves. Garnett can score against the Los Angeles defense. Like Kobe Bryant on the other side, the Lakers don't have a guy who can match up with KG one-on-one. So it's up to Garnett to have a good game, and I think he will.

maxwell: What do you think about all the 20+ft jumpers Garnett has been taking?

Marc J. Spears: As a former college big man, it drives me a little crazy. But on the other hand, I couldn't shoot like him either. Against the physical likes of Detroit and Cleveland, I didn't mind. But against the finesse and very less physical Lakers, he can have a field day in the post.

Dr_Doogan: Which Kevin Garnett shows up tonight?

Marc J. Spears: I definitely expect a more aggressive, more intense KG. I'm sure he's been beating himself up for not having a great series and he seems to play pretty well when people challenge him. Criticism usually brings a more fiery Garnett and I think he'll shine near Hollywood tonight.

bostonthreeparty: What do you think we can do to get Garnett to post up more, or is it just not going to happen?

Marc J. Spears: I think what you need to do has already been done because he talked about it two days in a row. I definiely expect to see Garnett take the ball to the basket much more aggressively. Keep an eye on Garnett's post position. I think it'll be interesting to see where he gets the ball in the post. If he gets it in the low post, which shouldn't be a problem against the less-physical Lakers, he can score at will.

mg: Hey Gary, Question about how the two coaches have reacted towards the officiating. Phil Jackson openly complained about Game 2, while Game 3 was the exact opposite, in favor of the Lakers this time. Doc Rives did not complain at all, saying it was Boston's lack of aggression. do you feel that the Doc's lack of complaining will put his team in jeopardy of not getting the calls again in Game 4? Or will the refs "appreciate" doc's candor. Thanks

Gary Dzen: Great question. Phil Jackson is that kind of coach. He plays games with officials and with his players in the media. Whether that helps him or not is hard to say. Jackson's witty asides certainly draw a lot of attention and earn him both fans and detractors. On the other side, everybody likes Doc Rivers. He's personable. He has great connections in the league. So I think he gets what he wants simply be being nice. Two different strategies. Rivers did take a jab at Jackson after Game 3. When asked what he thought of Jackson calling KG "gassed" at the end, Rivers said "At least he wasn't complaining about the fouls this time." That statement, without complaining directly, could earn the Celtics some calls in Game 4.

enggass: Do you think that because of the latest NBA ref fiasco, the Cs have a 'fairer' chance being the away team?

Gary Dzen: That's a big can of worms, there. Logic will tell you that the league doesn't want to appear biased, especially right now. So maybe they do something to prevent that. But the very action of doing something to prevent appearing biased is in itself unnatural. If the calls all of a sudden went Boston's way on the road, people would question that, too. So I think things will stay pretty much the same.

BostonHoosier: To what extent do you think league officials direct refs regarding how to call specific situations?

Marc J. Spears: After spending some time with referees in recent years, the answer to me is none. It's just human nature than humans are going to be skeptical of zebras.

Robo84: Is it possibly that the officiating controversy will influence the current NBA Finals officials and help the Celtics in the long run (i.e. Kobe won't get all those phantom calls)?

Marc J. Spears: Do you actually believe Tim Donaghy? If the referees saw him in dark back alley one day, I would doubt he'd come out alive.

Lou__Argentina_: In past game early foul trouble has caused Paul to not get into his game. Will this be another factor tonight (early foul calling)? And is Garnet again not resting enough (are the stories true that he just doe not sleep during these games)? Do the Celtics treat Garnet's Insomnia as they would treat the other injuries such as sprain ankles? This should be looked at and treated if it's true.

Marc J. Spears: I think a combination of the travel and PP and KG being amped to play in LA was the reason why they played poorly. As you know, Paul is from Inglewood and KG actually has a home in Malibu. So they are both playing at home. After getting the nerves and jet lag out there way, I think they will be back to their normal selves tonight.

celtic_fanatic: what are the chances that Doc if rondo is hurting goes with a Posey, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Perk (with Allen running the point) lineup to force L.A. into harder matchups?

Marc J. Spears: I can't see that lineup happening unless the point guard play is terrible. I believe the Celtics did that in the home regular-season loss to Detroit. But because of the Lakers finesse style, I see the Cs going small instead of big first.

doobie: Marc, do you believe we've seen the last of Sam Cassell? Not to say he won't play again, but that Doc will likely turn to House now over him when going to the bench?

Marc J. Spears: Thought it was interesting that Doc didn't mention him yesterday when we asked about how his team would respond if Rondo doesn't play. Cassell also wasn't mentioned as a potential starter. I think the problem is Sam needs to be more of a point guard and less trying to get points.

Dan_NU: Kobe couldn't miss. Paul couldn't hit. They happened to fall on the same day. The Celts only lost by 6! Unlikely that it will happen again. The C's will win the next two. Thoughts?

Marc J. Spears: I like your theory. Actually think such will be the case tonight, although I do think Kobe will play well the rest of the series. Game 3, however, did show that the Cs can win when Kobe is on.

The_Fix_Is_In: So, we have the ref assignments and DeRosa and Washington are the #1 and #4 "homer" refs as labeled by vegas. Surprised?

Marc J. Spears: Wow. Interesting. What web site is that? I actually don't have a problem with either guy.

Bruinsfan: Why didn't Doc play Powe in Game 3? I know nothing about basketball stratagies, but that seemed odd to me.

Marc J. Spears: It seems that Powe plays based a lot on what he shows early. If Doc thinks he is on, he keeps him in. If he starts slow, he usually will just stick with PJ.

kevin: Best chance winning the title is by sitting Pierce and Rondo for game 4 to allow a much healthier team for game 5 and put Tony Allen to guard Bryant. And have Ray Allen be point guard. If we lose no biggie in my oppinion I might even keep perkins out and put leon and big baby in to punish the Lakers on the inside big time. The FAKERS ARE SOFT!!! Any thoughts?

Marc J. Spears: I think that's an easy loss for the Cs. No way you can sit those two guys, especially if they can play. I undertand your point, but Rondo and Pierce are way too important to rest in a cautious fashion.

TM: why is the spread at 7 1/2?

Marc J. Spears: you didn't say who its in favor of. I don't keep up with that stuff.

goGreeN_: But dear friend Marc! Tell me when will Big Baby get in there! kids a winner!

Marc J. Spears: Right now the way it's looking, only when it's a blowout. I think his lack of experience is keeping him on the bench.

Matt_P: Do fans in LA truly like Kobe or simply respect his game? He seems to be a pretty unlikable guy.

Marc J. Spears: HAHA. Well, they love him in LA for the most part. Kobe's an interesting dude, interesting. We've had our ups and downs. I'll just say I really respect him as a player.

RL_Burnside: What is your scoop on the Celtics for tonight? Is KG gonna come up big?

Marc J. Spears: I think Pierce and Garnett are back and they get a big win tonight. Also, see the Cs tough defense coming back.

Duff_Man: With Rondo injured (to some degree), wouldn't it make sense to let Pierce bring the ball up? I just don't trust the ball handling skills of T. Allen, E. House, or even Ray. What do you think?

Marc J. Spears: Since they haven't been doing that all season, think it would be tough to do it now. Not sure how Pierce would handle being pressed either. Quietly, one guy that has point guard experience that the Cs never run at point is James Posey. He played some point with Denver and Memphis.

Mike_G_: Marc, I like the Celtics chances of winning this evening. I think a little more Eddie House would be ideal since the Lakers do not present the same kind of harrassing D that Detroit threw his way. Rondo has been good but scoring and the x factor hustle could be the key this road game. Please share your thoughts.

Marc J. Spears: Once Eddie gets his chance, he has to knock down his shots to become a real asset. But I do give him credit for his hustle plays in Game 3.