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Nalod
Posts: 72072
Alba Posts: 155
Joined: 12/24/2003
Member: #508
USA
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What a tool! The guy scored 8 pts and they lost. He gets a cheer and has the best day of his miserable overpaid life! Breaks now going Marbury's way
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | May 6, 2009
WALTHAM - Stephon Marbury's most memorable NBA ovation came in his first game with his hometown Knicks in 2004. But as he walked off the TD Banknorth Garden floor with 4:19 remaining in the second quarter Monday night, he received cheers that meant just as much, if not more.
Marbury believes he had his breakthrough game as a Celtic, recording 8 points and 3 assists in eight minutes of a 95-90 loss to Orlando in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. And as he went to the bench before the half, he not only felt honored by the reception but also confident that he finally gave Celtics fans what they've been waiting for.
"The love that they showed me is incredible," said Marbury. "When I first got here, I didn't know what reception I was going to get, plus all that had been said.
"But all those [fans] showed me mad love. They're like, 'We don't know what happened over there [in New York] because we didn't hear it or we didn't see it. So I'm not going by that. I'm going by what I see right now.'
"It's clean. It's really clean. Coming here, how can you not be happy?"
The Celtics signed Marbury Feb. 27 after the Knicks bought out his $21 million contract following a lengthy dispute. He was very rusty after not having played for more than a year. While Marbury showed flashes, he didn't have any offensive consistency. He wasn't in game condition, he struggled with the plays, and he found it hard to get in rhythm while playing sporadically.
Marbury averaged 3.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 18 minutes per game during the regular season. His most memorable moment in the first-round series against Chicago came late in Game 5, when he passed on an open 3-pointer and shoveled the ball inside to Rajon Rondo. A surprised Rondo shot an airball and the Garden crowd groaned at Marbury.
"I was hesitant when I got the ball because I was shocked," Marbury said. "I knew I was going to be open because I hadn't been making shots. When I saw him open, I said, 'There is the play right there.' "
Prior to Game 1 against Orlando, Marbury described his adjustment this season this way: "If you're in a marathon and you're not at the start like everyone else, you shoot the gun and everyone's gone and I'm still there, I'm going to be behind. I'm not going to be able to catch up to the runner that's in front or not even the 100th runner."
But after Monday night's performance, Marbury feels he's back in the race. He shot 4 of 6 from the floor, including a lay-in over Dwight Howard, and found open teammates with crisp passes.
"He was really aggressive," coach Doc Rivers said.
Said guard Eddie House, "He was really huge. He gave us a big lift when we needed it."
Marbury, however, didn't play in the second half. Rivers sent Marbury to the scorer's table in the third quarter but sat him back down since Rondo was playing so well.
"He played terrific in the first half and we didn't use him in the second half because the group that was in was making a run," Rivers said. "You could never take that group off the floor because that group got us back in it."
Marbury had no problems with the decision.
"I wasn't frustrated," he said. "I wanted to play because I felt that I would help them. But I believe in what Doc is doing, and if he takes me out, he's doing something different to try to win the game. He's not taking me out to punish me."
With his breakthrough moment behind him, Marbury is confident he will give fans many more reasons to cheer.
"If you knock down that shot, then it builds your confidence," Marbury said. "Now they're going to have to play us differently. They are going to have to play me differently.
"And even if I don't play the same way, they're going to have to make an adjustment and the lane is going to open up."
Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com
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5/6/2009 10:47 PM
