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“It’s sad to say that you have to wait for something like [Daniels' injury] to get a boost, but that's just how it is," Rondo said.
[…] "I don't know if it's a coincidence that after Marquis [got] hurt that we kind of rallied together," said Pierce. "I guess it seemed that way, but … usually when you see a guy get injured, teams use that as an excuse and have a letdown and kind of go through the motions for the rest of the game, worried about the guy that went down because you're worried about him. But it seemed like the complete opposite and I think we kind of fed off of it and it was kind of like, 'Let's do this for 'Quis.' I mean, that's what I saw, you know, it just seemed like our energy went up because I was on the bench at the time and I was watching and it just seemed like that's what started the run so we're happy that he's OK and, unfortunately, he probably gave us a spark."
[…] "Well this is a very close-knit team," Pierce said. "This is one of the closer teams, it kinda reminds me of the team in [2007-08]. It's like when Marquis goes down, it's like your brother; When Delonte goes down, it's like your brother. If you ever have a family member and something ever happens to them, you don't feel right. And we're around each other so much — plane, bus, we even go to each other's houses — so it's like we created this bond with one another and when something bad happens to him we all feel for him but the rest of us try and rally together, and that's what you kind of saw in those two injuries."
ESPN Boston: C's rally around injured Daniels
You'd think most teams would fall apart at that point… distracted by the thoughts of a fallen brother.
But these guys flipped a switch when he went down. Before the injury, this team was flat. They looked deliberate out there… almost as if they were demonstrating plays rather then running them. I touched on it in last night's recap… the C's outscored Orlando by almost 20 after the injury.
I'd really like it if the C's didn't require an injury to get energized. Maybe they should have some 5 Hour Energy before these afternoon games or something. Something.
One other note on Marquis: He tweeted this this morning
Glad you're feeling better Quis.
Related links: CSNNE: Rondo ups his game after Daniels injury | WEEI: Celtics show they're a band of "brothers" like in 2008 | Herald: Celtics rally around fallen teammate, win
On Page 2: Marquis has had these issues before
McKeon confirmed that Sunday’s injury was directly related to the same injury sustained in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals last spring, when the team announced at first that Daniels had a concussion.
“It’s not a concussion,” McKeon announced. “This is the same type of neck injury that he had so it’s just a little bit worse. He’s got some spine issues in the past that have been addressed by other teams and so we’ll just have to see how it plays out in the next few days.”
“I think he was scared when he was out on the court because he couldn’t really move there for a short period of time so that scared him,” Ainge said. “But he’s had some issues with this before and some tingling in his body and his arms and things before so I think he wasn’t scared, he was fine. He had it last year against Orlando in Game 5 and I’m not sure before that. He’s had a couple of episodes throughout his career.”
WEEI: Daniels has 'spine issues' that led to Sunday's injury
I didn't realize all of these issues were related. It makes you wonder about future issues.
Let me just say first and foremost his health is of the utmost importance. What I don't want is him coming back and then doing something again to permanently injure himself. That much, I hope, is obvious.
But from a basketball standpoint, will he be able to play like he's always played after an episode like this? Will he be able to put his head down and drive having experienced what he went through yesterday?
Again, the most important thing is Marquis recovering. He's doing well now and he'll be back in a month or two. And the last thing anyone wants is another episode like yesterday. But I also want him to come back and play like Marquis. Hopefully he can do that.
Related links: CSNNE: Daniels out indefinitely with bruised spinal cord | ESPN Boston: Daniels suffered bruised spine | Herald: Daniels out 1-2 months | Globe: Daniels hurt in collision
The rest of the links:
CSNNE: West to return immediately after All Star break | Redick keeps Allen from getting 3-point record | Celts have Howard's number | ESPN Boston: "Dwight couldn't beat us by himself" | Snapshot: Bradley's back | Reappearing act | Video: Sports Science on Ray Allen | WEEI: Delonte plans to return Feb. 22 | Shaq could be out until the All Star break | Rondo makes magic, Orlando disappears | Herald: Rondo turns up the volume with scoring | Age-old issued: Celtics' injuries | Globe: Celtics take down Magic | photos | Their focus was clearly at a high level | Rondo steps up his game | Celtics recall Avery Bradley
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