After watching last night's 86-78 victory over the Detroit Pistons, I really cannot believe Allen Iverson had almost 2 million votes for the All-Star game. Maybe it was just the fact that the game was pretty boring overall, but Iverson was not exciting to watch whatsoever.
I can't really blame the Detroit fans for only cheering when a near fight broke out between Kendrick Perkins and Jason Maxiell, after Perk threw Maxiell to the floor while Maxiell attempted a layup. Iverson used to be exciting, sure, but now that he's in his "sacrificing" mode it takes away a lot of the flash that made Iverson who he was for so long. He's still really fast, which also asks the question of why Detroit doesn't look to push the tempo whatsoever. Detroit coach Michael Curry had to have stolen Mike Fratello's playbook in the offseason, because the Pistons only pushed the ball when they absolutely HAD to.
As for the hard foul by Perk, which was labeled as a Flagrant-2 foul, culminating in his ejection, we can most likely expect fines or suspensions trickling down from David Stern's office within the next 48 hours. Doc Rivers, however, doesn't feel any extra punishment is needed.
"I don't think anything should happen with either guy, honestly," he said. "It was a hard foul for Perk and I don't like him committing fouls that hard, because we don't want to give up layups, but we don't want him getting thrown out of the game. With the rules now you're going to get thrown out if it's excessive and they're going to do that."
Even though this was a boring game in many ways, it was almost needed for the Celtics. Despite building an 11-point lead (21-10) with 1:48 left in the first quarter, Detroit rallied to tie this one on six separate occasions, and it was nice to see the men in green still capable of closing out an above average opponent late in a game.
Glen Davis continues to show why he should be ahead of Leon Powe in the rotation, as he came up with a big hoop late in the fourth, and then grabbed a key offensive rebound a few possessions later, which led to an Eddie House 3-point basket that broke open the game for the time being. Despite Detroit battling, it never really seemed like the Celtics lost control of the game.
The C's will take their 10-game run back to Boston for a noon-time game with the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow. Don't take these Wolves for granted, though. This is not the same team the Celtics beat by 17 back on November 21st. The Wolves have won 10 of their 14 games in January, and Kevin McHale is up for Coach of the Year! (Totally kidding.)
Despite them losing to the Lakers last night, expect to see Al Jefferson in, "I'm going to show you all why I should have been an All-Star", mode. This game won't be boring at least.
Stay tuned.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
CELTICS 86 - PISTONS 78
The Celtics hadn't had to deal with many close games during their nine-game winning streak.
But that doesn't mean they forget how to finish a team off. In a scrappy, foul plagued contest, Boston hung on against the Detroit Pistons, 86-78, to capture their 10th straight victory.
It was a game that featured 36 personal fouls, including a flagrant 2 foul on Kendrick Perkins in the 4th quarter, who slammed Jason Maxiell to the floor, culminating in Perk's ejection, and a technical foul on Maxiell for his shove on Perk after the flagrant foul.
"It was a good win because it was a hard fought, almost playoff atmosphere tonight," C's coach Doc Rivers said afterward. "A lot of banging and shoving and you know, we just hung in there."
Kevin Garnett led the way for Boston with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Paul Pierce added 20 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
"We just took advantage of our opportunities," Pierce said. "I had a mismatch in the post, and guys looked for me. We found Kevin in pick and roll situations that we thought it was difficult for them to defend and we just moved the ball. That's why we were able to execute down the stretch."
Detroit never led in this game, but they managed to force six separate ties before finally submitting to Boston's will.
With Boston up by five (72-67), with 5:56 left in the fourth, Maxiell went up for a layup, and Perk came down hard on the back of his next. After hitting the floor, Maxiell popped right back up and shoved Perkins in the back. After the officials reviewed the play, Perk was ejected and Maxiell received his technical foul.
"It was a good, hard play. I know Kendrick didn't mean to hurt him," said Pierce. "But he didn't want (Maxiell) to get the layup."
"It was a hard foul for Perk and I don't like him committing fouls that hard" said Rivers. "We don't want to give up layups, but we don't want him getting thrown out of the game."
After squandering an 11-point first quarter lead, Perk's ejection seemed to spark Boston's offense, as they executed almost flawlessly down the stretch.
Eddie House hit his one and only 3-point basket of the night with 4:47 left to put Boston up 76-67, and the Celtics followed that up on defense by forcing a 24-second violation on the Pistons. Garnett then scored on Boston's next trip down, making it 78-67. But the Pistons weren't giving up that easily.
After Rajon Rondo (eight points, four rebounds, 12 assists) threw an alley-oop to Garnett for a 80-71 lead with 2:17 left, Detroit went on a short 4-0 burst to get back within five with 1:42 left. Pierce would miss on Boston's next trip down, but Garnett stripped Richard Hamilton on the ensuing Detroit possession and would score inside 30 seconds later to put Boston up, 82-75. The visitors would finish Detroit off from the free throw line.
"The execution down the stretch was phenomenal," said Rivers. "Out of timeouts, our execution today was as good as we've had. It was almost to a point where it was the only time we could score. I was really happy with our composure."
But that doesn't mean they forget how to finish a team off. In a scrappy, foul plagued contest, Boston hung on against the Detroit Pistons, 86-78, to capture their 10th straight victory.
It was a game that featured 36 personal fouls, including a flagrant 2 foul on Kendrick Perkins in the 4th quarter, who slammed Jason Maxiell to the floor, culminating in Perk's ejection, and a technical foul on Maxiell for his shove on Perk after the flagrant foul.
"It was a good win because it was a hard fought, almost playoff atmosphere tonight," C's coach Doc Rivers said afterward. "A lot of banging and shoving and you know, we just hung in there."
Kevin Garnett led the way for Boston with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Paul Pierce added 20 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
"We just took advantage of our opportunities," Pierce said. "I had a mismatch in the post, and guys looked for me. We found Kevin in pick and roll situations that we thought it was difficult for them to defend and we just moved the ball. That's why we were able to execute down the stretch."
Detroit never led in this game, but they managed to force six separate ties before finally submitting to Boston's will.
With Boston up by five (72-67), with 5:56 left in the fourth, Maxiell went up for a layup, and Perk came down hard on the back of his next. After hitting the floor, Maxiell popped right back up and shoved Perkins in the back. After the officials reviewed the play, Perk was ejected and Maxiell received his technical foul.
"It was a good, hard play. I know Kendrick didn't mean to hurt him," said Pierce. "But he didn't want (Maxiell) to get the layup."
"It was a hard foul for Perk and I don't like him committing fouls that hard" said Rivers. "We don't want to give up layups, but we don't want him getting thrown out of the game."
After squandering an 11-point first quarter lead, Perk's ejection seemed to spark Boston's offense, as they executed almost flawlessly down the stretch.
Eddie House hit his one and only 3-point basket of the night with 4:47 left to put Boston up 76-67, and the Celtics followed that up on defense by forcing a 24-second violation on the Pistons. Garnett then scored on Boston's next trip down, making it 78-67. But the Pistons weren't giving up that easily.
After Rajon Rondo (eight points, four rebounds, 12 assists) threw an alley-oop to Garnett for a 80-71 lead with 2:17 left, Detroit went on a short 4-0 burst to get back within five with 1:42 left. Pierce would miss on Boston's next trip down, but Garnett stripped Richard Hamilton on the ensuing Detroit possession and would score inside 30 seconds later to put Boston up, 82-75. The visitors would finish Detroit off from the free throw line.
"The execution down the stretch was phenomenal," said Rivers. "Out of timeouts, our execution today was as good as we've had. It was almost to a point where it was the only time we could score. I was really happy with our composure."
Later Lucky!
The Celtics have announced they've released Damon Lee Blust, a.k.a, Lucky, as their mascot.
Read the full story here.
Read the full story here.
Where have you gone, Leon?
The Celtics are enjoying their most recent nine-game winning streak, but one player who's fallen slightly off the radar as of late has to be Leon Powe. The Celtics' bruising big man was a steady figure in Doc Rivers' rotation throughout the first half of the season, but the last five games he's been more of an anomaly than an enforcer.
Over the past five games Powe's minutes have dipped to just 13.0 per, and his contribution has declined steadily as a result. Over the past five games, Powe is averaging just 2.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
So why has this happened?
Well, back when Kendrick Perkins sustained his left shoulder injury that caused him to miss five games, Rivers chose to insert Brian Scalabrine into the starting line up, instead of Leon, who was chosen to replace Perk in the starting line up back on December 26th against the Golden State Warriors. Somewhat surprisingly, Scalabrine was extremely effective in his new found starting role (8.4 ppg), and once Perk returned, Scal was still used as a key reserve off the bench, thus cutting into Powe's minutes.
Another factor contributing to Leon's reductions has to be the increased play of Glen Davis. Over his last five games, Davis has averaged 18.2 minutes, and in that span he's averaging 10 points and 4.4 rebounds, while also playing terrific defense on the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard. His increased performance has kept Powe glued to the pine, and Davis's offensive game is much more developed at this point than Leon's.
Much of the time, Davis and Powe would split the big man time in the second unit, and with Brian Scalabrine out the next two games at least, don't be surprised to see Leon receive an increase in minutes. NBA teams compete night in and night out, but spots in a coach's rotation are separate competitions of their own. If Leon does see that rise in time and plays well, don't be completely surprised to see Scal demoted back to the bench while Leon takes his minutes. Either way though, whether Scal, Davis, or Powe plays, we now know there is a quality backup behind him. This Celtics' bench has been a work in progress, but throughout this winning streak, it's slowly coming together. The bench is no longer holding the starters back and blowing their leads. Instead, they're extending them, or creating new leads of their own.
Despite Powe not playing right now, he's still a valuable option for Doc's rotation and he will see his minutes return in time.
With Detroit's lack of low post power, don't be surprised is Leon has a productive games tonight. Keep an eye on him.
Stay tuned.
Over the past five games Powe's minutes have dipped to just 13.0 per, and his contribution has declined steadily as a result. Over the past five games, Powe is averaging just 2.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
So why has this happened?
Well, back when Kendrick Perkins sustained his left shoulder injury that caused him to miss five games, Rivers chose to insert Brian Scalabrine into the starting line up, instead of Leon, who was chosen to replace Perk in the starting line up back on December 26th against the Golden State Warriors. Somewhat surprisingly, Scalabrine was extremely effective in his new found starting role (8.4 ppg), and once Perk returned, Scal was still used as a key reserve off the bench, thus cutting into Powe's minutes.
Another factor contributing to Leon's reductions has to be the increased play of Glen Davis. Over his last five games, Davis has averaged 18.2 minutes, and in that span he's averaging 10 points and 4.4 rebounds, while also playing terrific defense on the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard. His increased performance has kept Powe glued to the pine, and Davis's offensive game is much more developed at this point than Leon's.
Much of the time, Davis and Powe would split the big man time in the second unit, and with Brian Scalabrine out the next two games at least, don't be surprised to see Leon receive an increase in minutes. NBA teams compete night in and night out, but spots in a coach's rotation are separate competitions of their own. If Leon does see that rise in time and plays well, don't be completely surprised to see Scal demoted back to the bench while Leon takes his minutes. Either way though, whether Scal, Davis, or Powe plays, we now know there is a quality backup behind him. This Celtics' bench has been a work in progress, but throughout this winning streak, it's slowly coming together. The bench is no longer holding the starters back and blowing their leads. Instead, they're extending them, or creating new leads of their own.
Despite Powe not playing right now, he's still a valuable option for Doc's rotation and he will see his minutes return in time.
With Detroit's lack of low post power, don't be surprised is Leon has a productive games tonight. Keep an eye on him.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
TONIGHT: CELTICS AT PISTONS
The Boston Celtics (38-9) travel to the Palace of Auburn Hills tonight at 7:00pm to take on the Detroit Pistons 25-19). Coverage of this game can be found on Comcast SportsNet and ESPN.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 8. The number of 3-point baskets Eddie House knocked down in the Celtics' win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo has hit 16 of his 25 shots the past two games (64 percent), while also dishing out 23 assists in that same span (11.5 per game).
WHO'S NOT: For the Celtics, Leon Powe has played only 10.5 minutes over his past four games, while scoring a mere 1.5 points per game during the same stretch.
KEY MATCHUP: Allen Iverson vs. Rajon Rondo
SKINNY: The Detroit Pistons are a team in quiet turmoil. First year coach Michael Curry has had to deal with line up changes, and Iverson bickering about minutes. This is not the same team that went to six straight Eastern Conference Finals. The team chemistry is just not there for the Pistons right now. If the Celtics can jump on this team early, they can run away with this thing.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 8. The number of 3-point baskets Eddie House knocked down in the Celtics' win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo has hit 16 of his 25 shots the past two games (64 percent), while also dishing out 23 assists in that same span (11.5 per game).
WHO'S NOT: For the Celtics, Leon Powe has played only 10.5 minutes over his past four games, while scoring a mere 1.5 points per game during the same stretch.
KEY MATCHUP: Allen Iverson vs. Rajon Rondo
SKINNY: The Detroit Pistons are a team in quiet turmoil. First year coach Michael Curry has had to deal with line up changes, and Iverson bickering about minutes. This is not the same team that went to six straight Eastern Conference Finals. The team chemistry is just not there for the Pistons right now. If the Celtics can jump on this team early, they can run away with this thing.
Just read this...I can't really put a title on this one...just read it
The NBA is crazy, isn't it? Earlier tonight, the Orlando Magic (35-10) took down the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-9), 99-88 in Orlando.
I'm not surprised, but it is crazy if you think about it. The Celtics have defeated the Magic twice this season, by an average of 14.5 points per game, but the Magic defeated the Cavs tonight by 11, and the Cavs defeated the Celtics 98-83 back on January 9th.
Also, the Magic took down the Lakers 106-103 back on December 20th, and defeated them 109-103 back on January 16th, and the Lakers defeated the Celtics, 92-83, back on Christmas Day.
I suppose I should also mention that the Celtics beat the Cavs in the first game of the season, 90-85, and that the Lakers defeated the Cavs, 105-88, back on January 19th.
So, the Celtics have beaten and lost to the Cavs, lost to the Lakers, and beaten the Magic twice. The Magic have beaten the Lakers twice, the Cavs once, and have lost to the Celtics twice. The Lakers have defeated the Celtics and Cavs, but lost to the Magic twice. The Cavs have defeated and lost to the Celtics, lost to the Magic, and lost to the Lakers.
I think it might look something like this...
Celtics
vs. Magic: 2-0
vs. Cavs: 1-1
vs. Lakers: 0-1
Magic
vs. Celtics 0-2
vs. Cavs 1-0
vs. Lakers 2-0
Cavaliers
vs. Celtics: 1-1
vs. Magic: 0-1
vs. Lakers: 0-1
Lakers
vs. Celtics: 1-0
vs. Cavs: 1-0
vs. Magic: 0-2
Wow.
It is a crazy world out there. But you know what? The Celtics now officially have the best record in the NBA once again (38-9). Boo-Yah.
Stay tuned.
I'm not surprised, but it is crazy if you think about it. The Celtics have defeated the Magic twice this season, by an average of 14.5 points per game, but the Magic defeated the Cavs tonight by 11, and the Cavs defeated the Celtics 98-83 back on January 9th.
Also, the Magic took down the Lakers 106-103 back on December 20th, and defeated them 109-103 back on January 16th, and the Lakers defeated the Celtics, 92-83, back on Christmas Day.
I suppose I should also mention that the Celtics beat the Cavs in the first game of the season, 90-85, and that the Lakers defeated the Cavs, 105-88, back on January 19th.
So, the Celtics have beaten and lost to the Cavs, lost to the Lakers, and beaten the Magic twice. The Magic have beaten the Lakers twice, the Cavs once, and have lost to the Celtics twice. The Lakers have defeated the Celtics and Cavs, but lost to the Magic twice. The Cavs have defeated and lost to the Celtics, lost to the Magic, and lost to the Lakers.
I think it might look something like this...
Celtics
vs. Magic: 2-0
vs. Cavs: 1-1
vs. Lakers: 0-1
Magic
vs. Celtics 0-2
vs. Cavs 1-0
vs. Lakers 2-0
Cavaliers
vs. Celtics: 1-1
vs. Magic: 0-1
vs. Lakers: 0-1
Lakers
vs. Celtics: 1-0
vs. Cavs: 1-0
vs. Magic: 0-2
Wow.
It is a crazy world out there. But you know what? The Celtics now officially have the best record in the NBA once again (38-9). Boo-Yah.
Stay tuned.
Ray gets rocked
Earlier tonight the NBA All-Star reserves were announced. One of the biggest surprises of all was that the Orlando Magic had three players from their roster selected, while the Boston Celtics only had two. Paul Pierce joined Kevin Garnett on the East's roster, but Ray Allen was snubbed by the coaches. Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis will team with Dwight Howard from Orlando this year.
Now, I don't want to go as far as to say Lewis does not deserve his selection...his stats compared to Ray's are superior in a number of categories, but it's the fact that Boston still has the better record than Orlando and that they've beaten them twice this year by an average of 14.5 points. If Orlando had the better record then Boston then I would understand Lewis being selected, but the fact that Boston is the superior team right now should give the selection to Ray and not Rashard.
Here's what the complete rosters looks like:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
* G Dwyane Wade
* G Allen Iverson
* C Dwight Howard
* F Kevin Garnett
* F LeBron James
F Paul Pierce
C Chris Bosh
G Joe Johnson
F Danny Granger
G Jameer Nelson
G Devin Harris
F Rashard Lewis
WESTERN CONFERENCE
* G Chris Paul
* G Kobe Bryant
* C Yao Ming
* F Amare Stoudemire
* F Tim Duncan
F Dirk Nowitzki
F Pau Gasol
G Chauncey Billups
G Brandon Roy
G Tony Parker
F David West
C Shaquille O'Neal
Two very solid teams have been put together, but that Ray Allen snub still rubs me the wrong way, and not just because of my Celtics bias. Ray is on an absolute tear right now. He's shot 52 percent from the floor during the Celtics' nine-game winning streak and 64 percent from 3-point nation. I almost feel like this is slapping Ray in the face and making it seem like he's not important to what the Celtics are doing. He's been just as important to this team as Garnett and Pierce have. I can understand Rondo not being selected; Nelson and Harris have played phenomenal ball all season. But, Ray should be going, and I'll argue that one with anyone. If any team in a conference is going to have three players go to the game, it should be the team with the best record. That's the Boston Celtics.
The only good thing about this is I have a new MVP argument. People said before, "The Celtics have too many good players for their guys to get recognition". Fine. Then wipe Dwight Howard off the MVP list. Because apparently he has more All-Stars on his team than Kevin Garnett does.
Stay tuned.
By the way, check out this post from Sports From Mars about Al Jefferson being snubbed out west.
Now, I don't want to go as far as to say Lewis does not deserve his selection...his stats compared to Ray's are superior in a number of categories, but it's the fact that Boston still has the better record than Orlando and that they've beaten them twice this year by an average of 14.5 points. If Orlando had the better record then Boston then I would understand Lewis being selected, but the fact that Boston is the superior team right now should give the selection to Ray and not Rashard.
Here's what the complete rosters looks like:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
* G Dwyane Wade
* G Allen Iverson
* C Dwight Howard
* F Kevin Garnett
* F LeBron James
F Paul Pierce
C Chris Bosh
G Joe Johnson
F Danny Granger
G Jameer Nelson
G Devin Harris
F Rashard Lewis
WESTERN CONFERENCE
* G Chris Paul
* G Kobe Bryant
* C Yao Ming
* F Amare Stoudemire
* F Tim Duncan
F Dirk Nowitzki
F Pau Gasol
G Chauncey Billups
G Brandon Roy
G Tony Parker
F David West
C Shaquille O'Neal
Two very solid teams have been put together, but that Ray Allen snub still rubs me the wrong way, and not just because of my Celtics bias. Ray is on an absolute tear right now. He's shot 52 percent from the floor during the Celtics' nine-game winning streak and 64 percent from 3-point nation. I almost feel like this is slapping Ray in the face and making it seem like he's not important to what the Celtics are doing. He's been just as important to this team as Garnett and Pierce have. I can understand Rondo not being selected; Nelson and Harris have played phenomenal ball all season. But, Ray should be going, and I'll argue that one with anyone. If any team in a conference is going to have three players go to the game, it should be the team with the best record. That's the Boston Celtics.
The only good thing about this is I have a new MVP argument. People said before, "The Celtics have too many good players for their guys to get recognition". Fine. Then wipe Dwight Howard off the MVP list. Because apparently he has more All-Stars on his team than Kevin Garnett does.
Stay tuned.
By the way, check out this post from Sports From Mars about Al Jefferson being snubbed out west.
Eddie's on fire, TA's back, and we're going to win without even playing
Eddie House, ladies and gentlemen!
How phenomenal was his performance last night? 28 points, 10-13 from the field, and 8-9 from 3-point nation (a career high in 3-point field goals made)! For all of you who still didn't believe he belongs in the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout, what more do you need?
"I gave (Eddie) a couple of my secrets, and Paul's been working with him. He's definitely got it going," Kevin Garnett said after last night's game. "He needs to be in the 3-point contest. That's what this press conference is about. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are here to say that we think Eddie House needs to be in the 3-point contest."
Okay, do you need any more, NOW?
The Celtics were yet another Eastern Conference team to take down the Sacramento Kings last night, 119-100, behind 28 from Mr. House, and 24 points and nine assists from Rajon Rondo. Rondo was the only starter who stole the show from the Celtics bench, which put up a season-high 61 points last night.
Tony Allen, after missing the previous 11 games to nurse his sprained right ankle, returned to put up a line of: 10 points (5-5 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals, along with a very emphatic block on a Kevin Martin jumpshot. You're a bloody liar if you knew Tony would come back and play this well from the start. He was only supposed to play in three minute spurts, but Paul Pierce picked up his third foul with 2:56 left in the FIRST quarter, in a game that made you wonder whether the Tim Donaghy scandal was an isolated incident, so Tony was called on to play a few more minutes.
Getting back to Rondo, like House, he was making his case to be a part of All-Star weekend. The C's point guard shot a blistering 10-15 from the floor, and managed to get inside for easy baskets time and again. The guys on the Celtics' broadcast made a good point about why Rondo probably won't make it to the All-Star game this year. Both Jameer Nelson of Orlando and Mo Williams of Cleveland are vying for spots, and with Dwight Howard of the Magic and LeBron James of the Cavs already in, it'll be difficult for the Celtics to get four players in there while the Magic and Cavs might only have one. That will be a tough sell.
The Rondo to Garnett alley-oop has become a basic staple of the Celtics offense these days, but with the exception of two instances last night, it was Rondo on the receiving end of some nice feeds from Garnett, after the point guard made ferocious cuts to the basket over and over again.
Sacramento actually had a 10-point lead in this game. With 5:02 left in the first quarter, they led 23-13, but, was anyone actually worried the Celtics wouldn't make a comeback in this one? It's funny how the Celtics can be down by 30 points to anyone and we believe they'll make one of those miraculous comebacks, but when they're up by 30 points we just see it as a routine bashing of any opponent.
I was messing around with the ESPN trade machine last night, trying to find a way for us to get John Salmons from Sacramento. Was anyone else really, really impressed with this guy last night? He's only 29 years old, and he's averaging 18.8 point per, and would be an AWESOME second unit player for us. Unfortunately, there are no realistic trade possibilities surrounding him.
However, if Tony Allen can play consistent now, our bench is looking pretty good. With Eddie House lighting it up the way he is, Allen slashing to the hoop, Scal doing a little bit of everything, and Glen Davis looking like a poor man's Charles Barkley, this bench is a force to be reckoned with. Insert player X just to fill out the line (Gabe Pruitt, Leon Powe, Sam Cassell, etc.) and now opponents have two completely separate monsters to tackle.
Finally, Cleveland and Orlando face off tonight at 8 o'clock on TNT. So...who do we cheer for? I say Orlando, simply because they're further back than the Cavs right now, and if they win they'll still be two games behind us, while Cleveland will fall one and a half games back. The Magic have gotten Mickael Pietrus back (not that they need any more 3-point firepower) so that gives them another weapon that Cleveland hasn't seen this year. Can Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis slow down LeBron? Let's not get out hopes up. No matter what the outcome, it's a win-win situation for the C's...but...go blue!
Stay tuned.
How phenomenal was his performance last night? 28 points, 10-13 from the field, and 8-9 from 3-point nation (a career high in 3-point field goals made)! For all of you who still didn't believe he belongs in the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout, what more do you need?
"I gave (Eddie) a couple of my secrets, and Paul's been working with him. He's definitely got it going," Kevin Garnett said after last night's game. "He needs to be in the 3-point contest. That's what this press conference is about. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are here to say that we think Eddie House needs to be in the 3-point contest."
Okay, do you need any more, NOW?
The Celtics were yet another Eastern Conference team to take down the Sacramento Kings last night, 119-100, behind 28 from Mr. House, and 24 points and nine assists from Rajon Rondo. Rondo was the only starter who stole the show from the Celtics bench, which put up a season-high 61 points last night.
Tony Allen, after missing the previous 11 games to nurse his sprained right ankle, returned to put up a line of: 10 points (5-5 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals, along with a very emphatic block on a Kevin Martin jumpshot. You're a bloody liar if you knew Tony would come back and play this well from the start. He was only supposed to play in three minute spurts, but Paul Pierce picked up his third foul with 2:56 left in the FIRST quarter, in a game that made you wonder whether the Tim Donaghy scandal was an isolated incident, so Tony was called on to play a few more minutes.
Getting back to Rondo, like House, he was making his case to be a part of All-Star weekend. The C's point guard shot a blistering 10-15 from the floor, and managed to get inside for easy baskets time and again. The guys on the Celtics' broadcast made a good point about why Rondo probably won't make it to the All-Star game this year. Both Jameer Nelson of Orlando and Mo Williams of Cleveland are vying for spots, and with Dwight Howard of the Magic and LeBron James of the Cavs already in, it'll be difficult for the Celtics to get four players in there while the Magic and Cavs might only have one. That will be a tough sell.
The Rondo to Garnett alley-oop has become a basic staple of the Celtics offense these days, but with the exception of two instances last night, it was Rondo on the receiving end of some nice feeds from Garnett, after the point guard made ferocious cuts to the basket over and over again.
Sacramento actually had a 10-point lead in this game. With 5:02 left in the first quarter, they led 23-13, but, was anyone actually worried the Celtics wouldn't make a comeback in this one? It's funny how the Celtics can be down by 30 points to anyone and we believe they'll make one of those miraculous comebacks, but when they're up by 30 points we just see it as a routine bashing of any opponent.
I was messing around with the ESPN trade machine last night, trying to find a way for us to get John Salmons from Sacramento. Was anyone else really, really impressed with this guy last night? He's only 29 years old, and he's averaging 18.8 point per, and would be an AWESOME second unit player for us. Unfortunately, there are no realistic trade possibilities surrounding him.
However, if Tony Allen can play consistent now, our bench is looking pretty good. With Eddie House lighting it up the way he is, Allen slashing to the hoop, Scal doing a little bit of everything, and Glen Davis looking like a poor man's Charles Barkley, this bench is a force to be reckoned with. Insert player X just to fill out the line (Gabe Pruitt, Leon Powe, Sam Cassell, etc.) and now opponents have two completely separate monsters to tackle.
Finally, Cleveland and Orlando face off tonight at 8 o'clock on TNT. So...who do we cheer for? I say Orlando, simply because they're further back than the Cavs right now, and if they win they'll still be two games behind us, while Cleveland will fall one and a half games back. The Magic have gotten Mickael Pietrus back (not that they need any more 3-point firepower) so that gives them another weapon that Cleveland hasn't seen this year. Can Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis slow down LeBron? Let's not get out hopes up. No matter what the outcome, it's a win-win situation for the C's...but...go blue!
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
CELTICS 119 - KINGS 100
Eddie House is on a torrid shooting streak. Like a swift shooting sheriff in the old west, House is knocking down 3-point baskets and opponents like bad outlaws.
After scoring 23 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, House followed it up with his best game of the season, and possibly, his career. House scored a season-high 28 points, and knocked down a career-high eight 3-point field goals, as the Celtics knocked off the Sacramento Kings, 119-100, for their ninth straight victory.
"I've been knocking the ball down," House said afterward. "Against Orlando (0 points) I might have taken a day off, but it seems like I picked it right back up. Guys are giving me easy shots and I'm just knocking them down."
"He's been unbelievable," C's coach Doc Rivers said of House. "He's moving without the ball so well and I think the biggest change we've made obviously is taking him off the ball more and I think that's really helped him."
House led a string of bench deputies into battle against Sacramento, and they didn't disappoint. Tony Allen, in his first game back after missing the previous elven with an ankle sprain, scored 10 points (5-5 shooting), grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists, and stole the ball three times.
"We needed it, with Paul out (3 fouls in the first half), and them being pretty big," said Rivers. "I just told him to tell me if he gets tired. It was great to see him back. In the first half he kept it simple and in the second half he tried doing a little bit too much and he turned it over. We need him to play like in that first half all the time."
Glen Davis shot 5-6 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line en route to his 14 points, all in only 22 minutes.
"He's been great," Rivers said. "He's back doing all the little things and doing his role better. He's running around, setting picks, especially when plays break down and it usually means that he's the guy left open, so I think he's learning that."
All in all the bench tallied a season-high 61 points.
The only starter who stole any of the bravado from the bench was point guard Rajon Rondo (24 points, nine assists), who made a significant case why he should get some All-Star consideration.
After dropping the Kings by 45 in their first meeting out in Sacramento, the Celtics had a tougher time in this bringing the Kings to their knees. The Kings led by 10 (23-13) with 5:02 left in the first quarter, but the C's outscored them by eight the rest of the way to get within two (30-28) at the end of the frame.
Then in the second quarter the C's would outscore the Kings 40-19, behind Davis, Allen, and House.
"(Davis's) really been turning it up and it was good to see Tony Allen get back out there and give us a spark after the long day off," C's captain Paul Pierce said afterwards. "When our bench is playing the way it is that's great because it means it's taking a lot of pressure off us, and as you can see, we don't need to play heavy minutes when they're rolling like that."
If Eddie House keeps rolling like he is, don't be surprised to see this current win streak challenge the new team record of 19 straight.
After scoring 23 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, House followed it up with his best game of the season, and possibly, his career. House scored a season-high 28 points, and knocked down a career-high eight 3-point field goals, as the Celtics knocked off the Sacramento Kings, 119-100, for their ninth straight victory.
"I've been knocking the ball down," House said afterward. "Against Orlando (0 points) I might have taken a day off, but it seems like I picked it right back up. Guys are giving me easy shots and I'm just knocking them down."
"He's been unbelievable," C's coach Doc Rivers said of House. "He's moving without the ball so well and I think the biggest change we've made obviously is taking him off the ball more and I think that's really helped him."
House led a string of bench deputies into battle against Sacramento, and they didn't disappoint. Tony Allen, in his first game back after missing the previous elven with an ankle sprain, scored 10 points (5-5 shooting), grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists, and stole the ball three times.
"We needed it, with Paul out (3 fouls in the first half), and them being pretty big," said Rivers. "I just told him to tell me if he gets tired. It was great to see him back. In the first half he kept it simple and in the second half he tried doing a little bit too much and he turned it over. We need him to play like in that first half all the time."
Glen Davis shot 5-6 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line en route to his 14 points, all in only 22 minutes.
"He's been great," Rivers said. "He's back doing all the little things and doing his role better. He's running around, setting picks, especially when plays break down and it usually means that he's the guy left open, so I think he's learning that."
All in all the bench tallied a season-high 61 points.
The only starter who stole any of the bravado from the bench was point guard Rajon Rondo (24 points, nine assists), who made a significant case why he should get some All-Star consideration.
After dropping the Kings by 45 in their first meeting out in Sacramento, the Celtics had a tougher time in this bringing the Kings to their knees. The Kings led by 10 (23-13) with 5:02 left in the first quarter, but the C's outscored them by eight the rest of the way to get within two (30-28) at the end of the frame.
Then in the second quarter the C's would outscore the Kings 40-19, behind Davis, Allen, and House.
"(Davis's) really been turning it up and it was good to see Tony Allen get back out there and give us a spark after the long day off," C's captain Paul Pierce said afterwards. "When our bench is playing the way it is that's great because it means it's taking a lot of pressure off us, and as you can see, we don't need to play heavy minutes when they're rolling like that."
If Eddie House keeps rolling like he is, don't be surprised to see this current win streak challenge the new team record of 19 straight.
It's Wednesday, so that means it's time for the weekly check up on Orlando and Cleveland.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:
Record: 35-8. Games back: 0.5
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 4-1
Leading scorer: LeBron James (27.9 ppg)
Leading rebounder: LeBron James (7.50 rpg)
Leading passer: LeBron James (7.0)
ORLANDO MAGIC:
Record: 34-10. Games back: 2.0
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 3-2
Leading scorer: Dwight Howard (20.0 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Dwight Howard (13.80 rpg)
Leading passer: Jameer Nelson (5.4 apg)
BOSTON CELTICS
Record: 37-9. Games back: 0
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 5-0
Leading scorer: Paul Pierce (19.1 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Kevin Garnett (9.00 rpg)
Leading passer: Rajon Rondo: (8.0 apg)
The Celtics can move a full game up on the Cavs, and two and a half games over the Magic with a win over Sacramento tonight. Both Cleveland and Orlando have the night off.
Stay tuned.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:
Record: 35-8. Games back: 0.5
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 4-1
Leading scorer: LeBron James (27.9 ppg)
Leading rebounder: LeBron James (7.50 rpg)
Leading passer: LeBron James (7.0)
ORLANDO MAGIC:
Record: 34-10. Games back: 2.0
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 3-2
Leading scorer: Dwight Howard (20.0 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Dwight Howard (13.80 rpg)
Leading passer: Jameer Nelson (5.4 apg)
BOSTON CELTICS
Record: 37-9. Games back: 0
Record the last 10 games: 8-2
Record the last 5 games: 5-0
Leading scorer: Paul Pierce (19.1 ppg)
Leading rebounder: Kevin Garnett (9.00 rpg)
Leading passer: Rajon Rondo: (8.0 apg)
The Celtics can move a full game up on the Cavs, and two and a half games over the Magic with a win over Sacramento tonight. Both Cleveland and Orlando have the night off.
Stay tuned.
We wouldn't get so excited
I've decided I need to take emergency action and stem all of this Mo Williams and LeBron James talk right now.
Last night against the SACRAMENTO KINGS, Mo Williams scored a career-high 43 points, and LeBron James put up a triple-double consisting of 23 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
Here's why it wasn't as impressive as everyone is making it out to be.
REASON #1: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings give up an average of 107.95 points per game, so defense clearly wasn't going to be much of a factor in this game.
REASON #2: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings allow their opponents to shoot over 40 percent from 3-point nation (.404), and last night, Mo Williams hit seven of his 12 three-point attempts.
REASON #3: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings allow their opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field (.478), and last night the Cavs shot 47.4 percent for the game.
REASON #4: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings allow their opponents to dish out an average of 21.69 assists per game, and last night the Cavs totalled 26 helpers.
If these numbers for LeBron and Mo came against a perennial league power like the Celtics, Magic, or Lakers, then they would have all the right to celebrate. But in the end, they put these numbers up against a team that has won only three road games all season, and only has 10 wins on the entire season. Sacramento has fallen to 10-36 and stand in dead last in the Western Conference. Yes, they are now worse than the Oklahoma City Thunder. The only team worse than Sacramento right now is Washington, who's only won nine games this entire season.
The Kings come to town tonight, and if any of our players puts up a triple-double, we'll say, "Okay, great. Good for them." Then we'll move on.
Check out the game tonight at 7:30pm on Comcast SportsNet.
Last night against the SACRAMENTO KINGS, Mo Williams scored a career-high 43 points, and LeBron James put up a triple-double consisting of 23 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
Here's why it wasn't as impressive as everyone is making it out to be.
REASON #1: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings give up an average of 107.95 points per game, so defense clearly wasn't going to be much of a factor in this game.
REASON #2: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings allow their opponents to shoot over 40 percent from 3-point nation (.404), and last night, Mo Williams hit seven of his 12 three-point attempts.
REASON #3: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings allow their opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field (.478), and last night the Cavs shot 47.4 percent for the game.
REASON #4: It came against the SACRAMENTO KINGS. The Kings allow their opponents to dish out an average of 21.69 assists per game, and last night the Cavs totalled 26 helpers.
If these numbers for LeBron and Mo came against a perennial league power like the Celtics, Magic, or Lakers, then they would have all the right to celebrate. But in the end, they put these numbers up against a team that has won only three road games all season, and only has 10 wins on the entire season. Sacramento has fallen to 10-36 and stand in dead last in the Western Conference. Yes, they are now worse than the Oklahoma City Thunder. The only team worse than Sacramento right now is Washington, who's only won nine games this entire season.
The Kings come to town tonight, and if any of our players puts up a triple-double, we'll say, "Okay, great. Good for them." Then we'll move on.
Check out the game tonight at 7:30pm on Comcast SportsNet.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
TONIGHT: CELTICS VS. KINGS
The Sacramento Kings make their only appearance in Boston tonight when they take on the Celtics at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet.
KEEP IT IN MIND: Kevin Martin. The Kings' leading scorer (23.6 ppg) did not play when the Celtics crushed the Kings by 45 points (108-63) out in Sacramento.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Eddie House hit seven of his eleven 3-point attempts in Sunday's 124-100 demolishing of the Dallas Mavericks.
WHO'S NOT: The Kings have lost six straight games, and 18 of their last 21.
KEY MATCHUP: Ray Allen vs. Kevin Martin
SKINNY: The Celtics are outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.25 ppg during their current 8-game winning streak. The Kings have been outscored by an average of 9.0 points during their current 6-game skid. With the Celtics now playing championship-worthy defense, and the Kings now playing draft lottery-worthy offense, expect an early appearance from Gino on the jumbotron once again.
GAME NOTES: The Celtics will be without forward Brian Scalabrine, who sustained his second concussion in three days, after taking a Patrick O'Bryant elbow to the head during yesterday's practice.
"He got hit in the head and he just has a mild concussion," C's coach Doc Rivers told the Associated Press. "I don't know if he was out, but he was close. He'll be out probably for quite some time because of that, would be my guess, for quite some time."
Scalabrine also took a hard shot in the face from Dirk Nowitzki's elbow during Sunday's win over Dallas.
Expect Scalabrine to miss up to a week.
KEEP IT IN MIND: Kevin Martin. The Kings' leading scorer (23.6 ppg) did not play when the Celtics crushed the Kings by 45 points (108-63) out in Sacramento.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Eddie House hit seven of his eleven 3-point attempts in Sunday's 124-100 demolishing of the Dallas Mavericks.
WHO'S NOT: The Kings have lost six straight games, and 18 of their last 21.
KEY MATCHUP: Ray Allen vs. Kevin Martin
SKINNY: The Celtics are outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.25 ppg during their current 8-game winning streak. The Kings have been outscored by an average of 9.0 points during their current 6-game skid. With the Celtics now playing championship-worthy defense, and the Kings now playing draft lottery-worthy offense, expect an early appearance from Gino on the jumbotron once again.
GAME NOTES: The Celtics will be without forward Brian Scalabrine, who sustained his second concussion in three days, after taking a Patrick O'Bryant elbow to the head during yesterday's practice.
"He got hit in the head and he just has a mild concussion," C's coach Doc Rivers told the Associated Press. "I don't know if he was out, but he was close. He'll be out probably for quite some time because of that, would be my guess, for quite some time."
Scalabrine also took a hard shot in the face from Dirk Nowitzki's elbow during Sunday's win over Dallas.
Expect Scalabrine to miss up to a week.
Friday Night Fights? Not so much...
So far this season, there have been three "Games of the year": Christmas Day against the Lakers, January 9th against the Cavaliers, and last Thursday against the Magic. If it were last season we could add this Friday's matchup with the Detroit Pistons to that list. However, it's not last year, and the Pistons are not the team that once reached six straight Eastern Conference Finals this decade.
Two games into their season, the Pistons shipped Chauncey Billups out to Denver in exchange for former league MVP Allen Iverson. At the time no one was exactly clear at what the Pistons' President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, was thinking, especially since he had such a great track record acquiring key players before this deal.
At first it seemed like they were just trying to acquire Iverson's contract, which will expire in the summer of 2010, along with Rasheed Wallace's. Right now that still seems to be the rationality behind the move. Right now, it has to be. Detroit is currently 24-19, good enough for a tie for 5th in the Eastern Conference with Miami, but poor enough to be a mere 4.5 games out of the ninth spot, potentially staring out at the playoff party VIP room from the bar.
Through 43 games last season, Detroit was 30-13, good enough for second in the Eastern Conference behind only the Boston Celtics. The key difference? Chauncey Billups. Or, Allen Iverson, depending on how you want to look at it.
Detroit is only 2-7 it's past 9 games, and that includes a 10-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the worst team in the league. Things have been so frustrating that Pistons' All-Star Richard Hamilton, who was supposed to mesh with Iverson nicely, has had to resort to coming off the bench in order to spread the possessions around between him and "The Answer". Is Iverson really "The Answer" though?
After two incredibly disappointing seasons the past two years with Iverson at the helm, in which the team peaked with a first round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Denver now stands at 29-15, good enough for third in the Western Conference. That position will most likely increase once Carmelo Anthony returns from a hand injury. Through 44 games last season, Denver was 26-18, in a Western Conference that was far more competitive. Last year, Denver finished 50-32, only managing 8th place in the West with that record. Last year they needed to be better, and they weren't.
It's well known that Iverson isn't the protypical point guard, and the fact that he needs the ball in his hands to be most successful has always hurt his teams in the past. When he and the Sixers met the Lakers back in '01 he basically proved that one guy alone can't get the job done, no matter how much he can score each and every night.
Doesn't it just seem that Iverson has always been more interested in scoring 30 points per game rather than actually winning the game? Have we ever been convinced that he'd turn in his MVP trophy for a championship ring? Sure, everyone says he plays hurt all the time, but you need to play in order to keep your statistics up, so couldn't that be his primary motivation?
Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen rarely miss a practice, if ever, and would never need to dedicate an entire news conference to the word, "practice". Also, wasn't Iverson the point guard of the very first U.S. Men's team NOT to win the Gold Medal at the Olympics? He was actually co-captain of that team and was actually LATE for one of the very first team meetings of that trip.
Do we also think Iverson would try and sacrifice his game for the better of a team that's contending for a championship? He's currently ranked 31st in the league in scoring, at 17.7 points per game, but are we really sure that's about him sacrificing more than it's about him and Hamilton having their personal issues on the offensive end?
Right now it seems like Iverson is only "The Answer" to a team that wants to get worse.
If it were last year, Friday night's showdown in the Palace would be headline news, but this year's it's just another game to play, and another team to beat. Detroit is no longer a beast of the east. It's a middle-aged house broken dog, at best.
Two games into their season, the Pistons shipped Chauncey Billups out to Denver in exchange for former league MVP Allen Iverson. At the time no one was exactly clear at what the Pistons' President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, was thinking, especially since he had such a great track record acquiring key players before this deal.
At first it seemed like they were just trying to acquire Iverson's contract, which will expire in the summer of 2010, along with Rasheed Wallace's. Right now that still seems to be the rationality behind the move. Right now, it has to be. Detroit is currently 24-19, good enough for a tie for 5th in the Eastern Conference with Miami, but poor enough to be a mere 4.5 games out of the ninth spot, potentially staring out at the playoff party VIP room from the bar.
Through 43 games last season, Detroit was 30-13, good enough for second in the Eastern Conference behind only the Boston Celtics. The key difference? Chauncey Billups. Or, Allen Iverson, depending on how you want to look at it.
Detroit is only 2-7 it's past 9 games, and that includes a 10-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the worst team in the league. Things have been so frustrating that Pistons' All-Star Richard Hamilton, who was supposed to mesh with Iverson nicely, has had to resort to coming off the bench in order to spread the possessions around between him and "The Answer". Is Iverson really "The Answer" though?
After two incredibly disappointing seasons the past two years with Iverson at the helm, in which the team peaked with a first round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Denver now stands at 29-15, good enough for third in the Western Conference. That position will most likely increase once Carmelo Anthony returns from a hand injury. Through 44 games last season, Denver was 26-18, in a Western Conference that was far more competitive. Last year, Denver finished 50-32, only managing 8th place in the West with that record. Last year they needed to be better, and they weren't.
It's well known that Iverson isn't the protypical point guard, and the fact that he needs the ball in his hands to be most successful has always hurt his teams in the past. When he and the Sixers met the Lakers back in '01 he basically proved that one guy alone can't get the job done, no matter how much he can score each and every night.
Doesn't it just seem that Iverson has always been more interested in scoring 30 points per game rather than actually winning the game? Have we ever been convinced that he'd turn in his MVP trophy for a championship ring? Sure, everyone says he plays hurt all the time, but you need to play in order to keep your statistics up, so couldn't that be his primary motivation?
Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen rarely miss a practice, if ever, and would never need to dedicate an entire news conference to the word, "practice". Also, wasn't Iverson the point guard of the very first U.S. Men's team NOT to win the Gold Medal at the Olympics? He was actually co-captain of that team and was actually LATE for one of the very first team meetings of that trip.
Do we also think Iverson would try and sacrifice his game for the better of a team that's contending for a championship? He's currently ranked 31st in the league in scoring, at 17.7 points per game, but are we really sure that's about him sacrificing more than it's about him and Hamilton having their personal issues on the offensive end?
Right now it seems like Iverson is only "The Answer" to a team that wants to get worse.
If it were last year, Friday night's showdown in the Palace would be headline news, but this year's it's just another game to play, and another team to beat. Detroit is no longer a beast of the east. It's a middle-aged house broken dog, at best.
Hold that thought...
Apparently Stephon Marbury isn't very clear on his circumstances with the Boston Celtics. Various Boston sources have reported that the Celtics have not verbally committed to the disgruntled point guard who has yet to reach a buyout with his former team, the New York Knicks.
Marbury said in a recent report with the New York Post that he had a verbal agreement to Boston, while still sparking the interest of one or two other teams.
Boston GM Danny Ainge did not comment on the matter, but other Celtics sources have said that they would like to add Marbury under the right conditions. It seems like right now these are not the conditions they want to act under.
Marbury would be limited to a backup role behind C's point guard Rajon Rondo, which is why he has expressed interest in other teams where he would most likely be starting and playing more minutes.
The Knicks rejected Marbury's latest offer for a buyout, and apparently "do not want him to win a championship". Clearly things have hit rock bottom in New York.
Another player expressing interest in playing for Boston is none other than former Pacer great and current TNT broadcaster, Reggie Miller. Miller was offered a spot on last year's roster, but declined, saying he wasn't mentally committed to the long season.
Miller told The Dan Patrick Show that the Celtics were the initiators in this scenario, but according to Ainge, it won't be so easy.
"I would consider it if he were in great shape and had a great desire to come back and play," Ainge told the Boston Herald. "I don't think that he has a desire to play though. I haven't gotten any indication that he wants to play since we talked to him last summer and he decided to retire for good. I've gotten no hint that him coming back is even a possibility."
While the guard situation has dominated the headlines, Ainge hasn't ruled out any low post assistance. Despite both P.J. Brown and Alonzo Mourning announcing their retirement, Ainge hasn't completely shut the door just yet.
"Until I move in another direction, I have still got their names on board," Ainge told the Herald. "I think they have retired. I believe they're not ever going to play again. But it wouldn't be the first time a player has changed his mind. Remember, P.J. didn't show any interest in coming back last year until the All-Star break."
Stay tuned.
Marbury said in a recent report with the New York Post that he had a verbal agreement to Boston, while still sparking the interest of one or two other teams.
Boston GM Danny Ainge did not comment on the matter, but other Celtics sources have said that they would like to add Marbury under the right conditions. It seems like right now these are not the conditions they want to act under.
Marbury would be limited to a backup role behind C's point guard Rajon Rondo, which is why he has expressed interest in other teams where he would most likely be starting and playing more minutes.
The Knicks rejected Marbury's latest offer for a buyout, and apparently "do not want him to win a championship". Clearly things have hit rock bottom in New York.
Another player expressing interest in playing for Boston is none other than former Pacer great and current TNT broadcaster, Reggie Miller. Miller was offered a spot on last year's roster, but declined, saying he wasn't mentally committed to the long season.
Miller told The Dan Patrick Show that the Celtics were the initiators in this scenario, but according to Ainge, it won't be so easy.
"I would consider it if he were in great shape and had a great desire to come back and play," Ainge told the Boston Herald. "I don't think that he has a desire to play though. I haven't gotten any indication that he wants to play since we talked to him last summer and he decided to retire for good. I've gotten no hint that him coming back is even a possibility."
While the guard situation has dominated the headlines, Ainge hasn't ruled out any low post assistance. Despite both P.J. Brown and Alonzo Mourning announcing their retirement, Ainge hasn't completely shut the door just yet.
"Until I move in another direction, I have still got their names on board," Ainge told the Herald. "I think they have retired. I believe they're not ever going to play again. But it wouldn't be the first time a player has changed his mind. Remember, P.J. didn't show any interest in coming back last year until the All-Star break."
Stay tuned.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Marbury coming to town?
According to Stephon Marbury himself, the Boston Celtics have intent to sign him as soon as he can reach a buyout with the New York Knicks. With Marbury still in constant talk with New York, the decision could could be made as soon as this week.
Apparently, the Miami Heat are also in the sweepstakes for Marbury's services. Marbury would have an extended role if he chose South Beach.
However, the Knicks aren't going to let the troubled point guard get away that easily.
"The question to be asked is, 'Are they fearful of me playing for another Eastern Conference Team'?" Marbury told the New York Post. "My thing is, they shouldn't be fearful. They're trying to get under the cap for 2010. They shouldn't be worried about me."
Marbury went on to say: "It shouldn't matter that I go to Boston if you're the eighth seed and Boston is in the front. It can't be about money. The Knicks got plenty of it. It's got to be personal. If it's personal, then how is business being done there?"
Well, actually New York appears to run its business quite well. They've made great strides to take on the likes of Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, and Tim Thomas, while dumping the heavy contracts of Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, in order to make a major run at a few select franchise players in the summer of 2010.
I've written a previous post about the advantages and disadvantages of signing Stephon Marbury, but if there is truth to these rumors then we'll have to start paying attention to the advantages. Let's look at them:
1) His contract. Marbury would be signed to the veteran minimum, which means if any trouble was brewing he would be waived instantly and it wouldn't cost the team any significant money.
2) The locker room. Can you see Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, or Doc Rivers taking any crap from Marbury? I sure can't. No matter what Marbury's hidden agenda might call for, he'll have to play the way the Celtics play or he'll be gone.
3) He can play. Marbury's career averages of 19.7 points and 7.8 assists don't lie. He'd be a consistent source of offense off the bench that the Celtics have been missing.
4) More rest. In every game so far we've been one of the starters and/or Big Three stabilizing the second unit at the start of the second and fourth quarters. That won't have to happen anymore with Marbury's offense added to the second unit.
The worst part about potentially signing Stephon Marbury? We'd have to either trade or waive a player on the current roster in order to bring him in, since we can't go over the NBA alotted 15-man roster.
In other news, Tony Allen is set to try and run through his first full practice while he still recovers from a lingering ankle injury. The February 19th trading deadline is approaching. Is Tony really safe? Are we sure this is still about an ankle? I wouldn't want to see Tony leave, but the Celtics are playing so well right now and he hasn't been a single part of any of it.
Stay tuned...
Apparently, the Miami Heat are also in the sweepstakes for Marbury's services. Marbury would have an extended role if he chose South Beach.
However, the Knicks aren't going to let the troubled point guard get away that easily.
"The question to be asked is, 'Are they fearful of me playing for another Eastern Conference Team'?" Marbury told the New York Post. "My thing is, they shouldn't be fearful. They're trying to get under the cap for 2010. They shouldn't be worried about me."
Marbury went on to say: "It shouldn't matter that I go to Boston if you're the eighth seed and Boston is in the front. It can't be about money. The Knicks got plenty of it. It's got to be personal. If it's personal, then how is business being done there?"
Well, actually New York appears to run its business quite well. They've made great strides to take on the likes of Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, and Tim Thomas, while dumping the heavy contracts of Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, in order to make a major run at a few select franchise players in the summer of 2010.
I've written a previous post about the advantages and disadvantages of signing Stephon Marbury, but if there is truth to these rumors then we'll have to start paying attention to the advantages. Let's look at them:
1) His contract. Marbury would be signed to the veteran minimum, which means if any trouble was brewing he would be waived instantly and it wouldn't cost the team any significant money.
2) The locker room. Can you see Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, or Doc Rivers taking any crap from Marbury? I sure can't. No matter what Marbury's hidden agenda might call for, he'll have to play the way the Celtics play or he'll be gone.
3) He can play. Marbury's career averages of 19.7 points and 7.8 assists don't lie. He'd be a consistent source of offense off the bench that the Celtics have been missing.
4) More rest. In every game so far we've been one of the starters and/or Big Three stabilizing the second unit at the start of the second and fourth quarters. That won't have to happen anymore with Marbury's offense added to the second unit.
The worst part about potentially signing Stephon Marbury? We'd have to either trade or waive a player on the current roster in order to bring him in, since we can't go over the NBA alotted 15-man roster.
In other news, Tony Allen is set to try and run through his first full practice while he still recovers from a lingering ankle injury. The February 19th trading deadline is approaching. Is Tony really safe? Are we sure this is still about an ankle? I wouldn't want to see Tony leave, but the Celtics are playing so well right now and he hasn't been a single part of any of it.
Stay tuned...
8 Straight, Cleveland gets a break, Orlando falls behind, and free Eddie House!
Eddie House, ladies and gentlemen! I swear there'll be a theme park ride named after him if he keeps this torrid up and down streak going much longer. Against the Heat last Wednesday he scored 25 points. A night later against the Magic he scored 0 points. Yesterday against the Mavericks? 23 points. Conistency, consistency, consistency...
Anyway...
I don't want to get ahead of myself but we're playing really, really well right now, and we've won eight games in a row. Remember when we won 19 in a row? You could argue we weren't even playing THAT well during that streak, but this one? We're lights out. We're demolishing our opponents. In four of the eight games the Boston starters didn't need to play a single second of the fourth quarter. Three of the eight wins have been by at least 20 points, and six of the eight wins have been by 10 or more points.
Let's take a quick look back at the first eight games of that 19-game winning streak...
Only four of those first eight wins were by 10 or more points, and only one game was won by at least 20 points.
Doc Rivers seems to be thinking along similar lines. He told the Associated Press after yesterday's game, "I just think we're playing together right now. In the 19-game winning streak, we were winning games but in my opinion we weren't playing Celtics basketball the way we established last year."
Just what is Celtics basketball? It's playing together. It's pushing the tempo on offfense, and slowing the opponent's tempo on defense. It's communicating on defense, and moving the ball on offense. It's hustle and effort and passion and determination.
Don't we love how Bill Walker's averaging a modest 4.2 points while shooting 67 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line, all in seven minutes per game? I sure do. I root for these blowouts for the easy wins and rest for the starters, but we all want some quality Bill Walker time. He plays patient and he waits for his opportunities. He's a freak athlete and anytime a fast break starts you sit up a little bit straighter and breathe a little bit deeper because you know you just might explode with excitement when Billy throws down a thunderous dunk that rocks the rim.
I would love a rematch with Cleveland right now. With the way we're playing right now, we'd run Cleveland out of the gym. LeBron could score 40 and it wouldn't matter. You want to argue? How is Cleveland going to deal with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Eddie House each scoring 23 points? How does it plan to limit Rajon Rondo who put up a lethal line of 13 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals against the Mavericks yesterday. I think it's safe to say that Chris Paul and Rajon are the two best defensive point guards in the NBA right now. Any arguments?
Oh, quickly...I just started a college writing class today and mentioned the blog to my professor, so real quick, hey Professor Burt.
Sorry...in other news, rejoice, for Orlando lost the night after they lost to the Celtics to state rival Miami. They now fall a game and a half behind us in the standings and two and a half behind Cleveland. Anyone else bothered by the fact that Cleveland jumped back into first place, even though they've still played four less games than Boston? They're now 4-2 in their first tough 10-game stretch of the season, but only because Golden State and Utah can't finish games well enough. Is Utah even a real contender anymore? Especially now that Carlos Boozer is out for extended time due to surgery on his knee?
I feel terrible that Michael Redd is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL in his left knee. I'll probably feel a little less terrible if Milwaukee hangs on to the eighth spot in the East and we see them in the first round of the playoffs. I wish Michael Redd the best, but we know how deadly that guy is when he gets hot. A team without Mike is a team I want to see.
Want some more good news? We have two more days off! We'll practice today and tomorrow, and then we'll take on Sacramento on Wednesday at 7:30. I know we crushed Sacramento by a score of 108-63 back on December 28th, but their best player, Kevin Martin, will be in the lineup this time around. I still don't understand how Martin scores over twenty points per game. He doesn't look overly strong or quick, and his jumpshot isn't much of a JUMPshot. But, the numbers don't lie: 24.3 ppg, 88 percent from the free throw line, 41 percent from 3-point nation, and 43 percent from the field. He's solid. He probably won't make it to the All-Star game just because of Sacramento's abismal 10-35 record, but, he'll be a force in the league for a while.
Eddie House says he'll be in Phoenix when it comes time for All-Star weekend, but only because he has a house down there. Shouldn't he just be invited to the Three-Point Shootout then? I mean, he can just hang out at home until like 6 o'clock, leave the kids at home with his wife, drive over to the arena real quick, win the competition, drive home, and be back in bed by 11. Let Eddie House shoot.
I don't want to see Ray in that competition as much. Ray is shooting lights out right now, and I see this three-point contest almost as I see the home run derby in baseball. It's great for the fans, but it can wear the athletes out. Ray's already won it, so he doesn't have anything else to prove. But Eddie should go.
Stay tuned.
Anyway...
I don't want to get ahead of myself but we're playing really, really well right now, and we've won eight games in a row. Remember when we won 19 in a row? You could argue we weren't even playing THAT well during that streak, but this one? We're lights out. We're demolishing our opponents. In four of the eight games the Boston starters didn't need to play a single second of the fourth quarter. Three of the eight wins have been by at least 20 points, and six of the eight wins have been by 10 or more points.
Let's take a quick look back at the first eight games of that 19-game winning streak...
Only four of those first eight wins were by 10 or more points, and only one game was won by at least 20 points.
Doc Rivers seems to be thinking along similar lines. He told the Associated Press after yesterday's game, "I just think we're playing together right now. In the 19-game winning streak, we were winning games but in my opinion we weren't playing Celtics basketball the way we established last year."
Just what is Celtics basketball? It's playing together. It's pushing the tempo on offfense, and slowing the opponent's tempo on defense. It's communicating on defense, and moving the ball on offense. It's hustle and effort and passion and determination.
Don't we love how Bill Walker's averaging a modest 4.2 points while shooting 67 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line, all in seven minutes per game? I sure do. I root for these blowouts for the easy wins and rest for the starters, but we all want some quality Bill Walker time. He plays patient and he waits for his opportunities. He's a freak athlete and anytime a fast break starts you sit up a little bit straighter and breathe a little bit deeper because you know you just might explode with excitement when Billy throws down a thunderous dunk that rocks the rim.
I would love a rematch with Cleveland right now. With the way we're playing right now, we'd run Cleveland out of the gym. LeBron could score 40 and it wouldn't matter. You want to argue? How is Cleveland going to deal with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Eddie House each scoring 23 points? How does it plan to limit Rajon Rondo who put up a lethal line of 13 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals against the Mavericks yesterday. I think it's safe to say that Chris Paul and Rajon are the two best defensive point guards in the NBA right now. Any arguments?
Oh, quickly...I just started a college writing class today and mentioned the blog to my professor, so real quick, hey Professor Burt.
Sorry...in other news, rejoice, for Orlando lost the night after they lost to the Celtics to state rival Miami. They now fall a game and a half behind us in the standings and two and a half behind Cleveland. Anyone else bothered by the fact that Cleveland jumped back into first place, even though they've still played four less games than Boston? They're now 4-2 in their first tough 10-game stretch of the season, but only because Golden State and Utah can't finish games well enough. Is Utah even a real contender anymore? Especially now that Carlos Boozer is out for extended time due to surgery on his knee?
I feel terrible that Michael Redd is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL in his left knee. I'll probably feel a little less terrible if Milwaukee hangs on to the eighth spot in the East and we see them in the first round of the playoffs. I wish Michael Redd the best, but we know how deadly that guy is when he gets hot. A team without Mike is a team I want to see.
Want some more good news? We have two more days off! We'll practice today and tomorrow, and then we'll take on Sacramento on Wednesday at 7:30. I know we crushed Sacramento by a score of 108-63 back on December 28th, but their best player, Kevin Martin, will be in the lineup this time around. I still don't understand how Martin scores over twenty points per game. He doesn't look overly strong or quick, and his jumpshot isn't much of a JUMPshot. But, the numbers don't lie: 24.3 ppg, 88 percent from the free throw line, 41 percent from 3-point nation, and 43 percent from the field. He's solid. He probably won't make it to the All-Star game just because of Sacramento's abismal 10-35 record, but, he'll be a force in the league for a while.
Eddie House says he'll be in Phoenix when it comes time for All-Star weekend, but only because he has a house down there. Shouldn't he just be invited to the Three-Point Shootout then? I mean, he can just hang out at home until like 6 o'clock, leave the kids at home with his wife, drive over to the arena real quick, win the competition, drive home, and be back in bed by 11. Let Eddie House shoot.
I don't want to see Ray in that competition as much. Ray is shooting lights out right now, and I see this three-point contest almost as I see the home run derby in baseball. It's great for the fans, but it can wear the athletes out. Ray's already won it, so he doesn't have anything else to prove. But Eddie should go.
Stay tuned.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
CELTICS 124 - MAVERICKS 100
While we hesitate to say the Boston Celtics are back to their old form, it certainly is beginning to look that way.
Another way to look at it is that the Celtics are finally utilizing all of their offensive weapons, night in and night out, thus keeping their opponents guessing.
Against Orland on Thursday, C's captain Paul Pierce scored 27 points as Boston handed Orlando a 90-80 loss.
When the Dallas Mavericks came to town yesterday it wasn't Paul Pierce who delivered any knock out punches; it was four others. Pierce managed only a pedestrian eight points on 3-7 shooting, but the Celtics still steamrolled the Mavericks, 124-100. While Dallas struggled defensively all night, there's no way head coach Rick Carlisle could have drawn up a defensive scheme to handle three different players each scoring 23 points.
Such was the case as Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Eddie House (7-11 from 3-point nation) all put in 23, and to make matters worse for Dallas was Rajon Rondo wreaking havoc all night, scoring 13 points, dishing out 14 assists, grabbing seven rebounds, and snatching the ball away from the Mavs on four seperate occassions.
"I just think we're playing together," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told the Associated Press. "In the 19-game winning streak we were winning games but in my opinion we weren't playing Celtics basketball the way we established last year."
Togetherness and a quick tempo on offense propelled Boston to a 38-23 lead after the first quarter, and to a 74-47 lead at the half, with the 74 points being a season high for the home team. Boston shot 65% in the first half, with Ray Allen (a very efficient 9-13 from the floor, and 4-5 from 3-point nation) putting in 20 of his 23 points during that time.
Dallas came out with a 12-10 lead with 6:24 left in the first period, but Boston finished the quarter on a 28-11 run to end the frame.
"I thought they were really looking forward to the game," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Boston was great, and we needed to be better. We haven't come across a team that plays this effective defensively."
With less than nine minutes left in the second quarter, Boston went on a 15-0 surge, highlighted by 3-pointers from Ray Allen and Brian Scalabrine (six points), and a 3-point play from Glen Davis (seven points).
Dallas was done before the second half even began. With 6:16 left in the game, and the starters watching comfortable from the bench, Gino appeared on the jumbotron, and the Celtics eighth straight win was set in place.
Another way to look at it is that the Celtics are finally utilizing all of their offensive weapons, night in and night out, thus keeping their opponents guessing.
Against Orland on Thursday, C's captain Paul Pierce scored 27 points as Boston handed Orlando a 90-80 loss.
When the Dallas Mavericks came to town yesterday it wasn't Paul Pierce who delivered any knock out punches; it was four others. Pierce managed only a pedestrian eight points on 3-7 shooting, but the Celtics still steamrolled the Mavericks, 124-100. While Dallas struggled defensively all night, there's no way head coach Rick Carlisle could have drawn up a defensive scheme to handle three different players each scoring 23 points.
Such was the case as Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Eddie House (7-11 from 3-point nation) all put in 23, and to make matters worse for Dallas was Rajon Rondo wreaking havoc all night, scoring 13 points, dishing out 14 assists, grabbing seven rebounds, and snatching the ball away from the Mavs on four seperate occassions.
"I just think we're playing together," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told the Associated Press. "In the 19-game winning streak we were winning games but in my opinion we weren't playing Celtics basketball the way we established last year."
Togetherness and a quick tempo on offense propelled Boston to a 38-23 lead after the first quarter, and to a 74-47 lead at the half, with the 74 points being a season high for the home team. Boston shot 65% in the first half, with Ray Allen (a very efficient 9-13 from the floor, and 4-5 from 3-point nation) putting in 20 of his 23 points during that time.
Dallas came out with a 12-10 lead with 6:24 left in the first period, but Boston finished the quarter on a 28-11 run to end the frame.
"I thought they were really looking forward to the game," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Boston was great, and we needed to be better. We haven't come across a team that plays this effective defensively."
With less than nine minutes left in the second quarter, Boston went on a 15-0 surge, highlighted by 3-pointers from Ray Allen and Brian Scalabrine (six points), and a 3-point play from Glen Davis (seven points).
Dallas was done before the second half even began. With 6:16 left in the game, and the starters watching comfortable from the bench, Gino appeared on the jumbotron, and the Celtics eighth straight win was set in place.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
TODAY: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS
The Dallas Mavericks come to town to take on the Boston Celtics at 1:00pm on ABC.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 98.81: the average number of points Dallas has allowed per game this sesaon.
WHOS' HOT: The Celtics are currently riding a seven-game winning streak.
WHO'S NOT: The Mavericks have lost five of their last eight games.
KEY MATCHUP: Rajon Rondo vs. Jason Kidd
SKINNY: Basic Celtics basketball. Push the tempo on offense, and slow the opponent's tempo on defense. That's been they key to their current streak, and they have a great opportunity to continue it today with Kidd running the show for Dallas. Look for Rondo to exploit Kidd's weaknesss on defense in both the opencourt and the halfcourt.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 98.81: the average number of points Dallas has allowed per game this sesaon.
WHOS' HOT: The Celtics are currently riding a seven-game winning streak.
WHO'S NOT: The Mavericks have lost five of their last eight games.
KEY MATCHUP: Rajon Rondo vs. Jason Kidd
SKINNY: Basic Celtics basketball. Push the tempo on offense, and slow the opponent's tempo on defense. That's been they key to their current streak, and they have a great opportunity to continue it today with Kidd running the show for Dallas. Look for Rondo to exploit Kidd's weaknesss on defense in both the opencourt and the halfcourt.
"Don't They Ever Stop Running?" - Mike Grenier
Above is a copy of the book, "Don't They Ever Stop Running?", by Mike Grenier, currently a sports writer for the Salem News.
Mike is a former graduate of Northeastern University, and covered the Boston Celtics for various newspapers for over 36 years.
The book chronicles the 1972-1973 Boston Celtics, who finished 68-14, and came up just short of an NBA Championship. Its foreword is written by none other than Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn, who also happened to coach the '72-'73 team.
I had the pleasure of working with Mike at the Salem News for over a month while I completed an internship with the paper. He also granted me an exclusive interview, and keep an eye out for excerpts from that interview, which I will proudly display soon.
To purchase a copy of "Don't They Ever Stop Running?", by Mike Grenier, e-mail me at GPayne699@mail.endicott.edu
Stay tuned.
The Cavs don't get defensive, Minnesota's on the move, and Mo Williams shouldn't be an All-Star!
Last summer, Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors severely injured his ankle in a moped accident. After originally lying to the Warriors about the cause of the injury (he said he hurt it playing basketball), the Warriors suspended him 30 games. Well, at long last, Ellis made his season debut last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That gave me hope. Not that Golden State needs any more offense, but Monte Ellis is a legitimate 20-point man every night. That was the case in his first game back: 20 points. With Ellis back in the line up the Warriors look a little something like this:
G- Monta Ellis
G- Jamal Crawford
F-Stephen Jackson
F- Corey Maggette
C- Andris Biedrins
That very well might be the most potent offensive starting five in the NBA right now. Which is why I had a lot of hope that they could prevail against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. Well, they nearly did. Unfortunately, LeBron James decided he wanted to be clutch for once last night and buried a jump shot at the buzzer to lift Cleveland, 106-105.
(S#@T! G%D D%$M IT! WHAT THE F#%@!)...this is a family blog, after all.
So, the super secret schedule maker will be happy to know that Cleveland now moves to 3-2 in their first five games of their first tough ten-game stretch of the season. However, being the optimist that I am, I'm always looking for a silver lining, and I'm pretty sure I've found one.
During this stretch, the Cavaliers' opponents are scoring an average of 97.6 points per night. Now, compare that to the Celtics in their 7-game winning streak. Opponents are only scoring an average of 88.3 points per game. If my math is right...that's a different of 9.3 points per game. Don't think about feeding me this junk about the Celtics facing easier teams during this stretch. Out of the Cavs' five games, three of those opponents have been over the .500 mark (New Orleans, Los Angeles, Portland). During their 7-game stretch, the Celtics have also faced 3 opponents over the .500 mark (Phoenix, Miami, Orlando). Also, the Celtics gave up the fewest number of points to the best team they've faced during their streak (80 points for Orlando).
Also, Cleveland took down New Orleans, 92-78, back on January 16th. New Orleans inched towards the "We officially suck" category after the lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-108, last night, making Cleveland's win slightly less impressive.
Now, before some New Orleans or Cleveland fan leaves the post about it I'll say it first: As much as New Orleans limped toward the "WOS" category, the Phoenix Suns are taking leaps and bounds to get there, as if Earth was facing some sort of Apocalypse and the "WOS" category could save them...
After getting hosed by the Celtics in Boston, Phoenix went on to get taken down by the Knicks, 114-109, which is bad enough. But, apparently it wasn't bad enough for them. I liked using that word "hosed". Let's use it again. The Suns got hosed by the Charlotte Bobcats last night, "98-76". Ouch.
Actually, know what I find pretty funny? How every NBA team's official website obviously isn't going to bash their team in the opening headline of the recap of the previous game. So for example, instead of saying, "Suns get hosed by Charlotte", Phoenix's official website just says: "Suns' skid continues." This feels like more than a skid for Phoenix. This is like Mufasa from the Lion King falling into the valley of stampeding wildabeasts. Don't be shocked if Terry Porter is the next head coach to get canned. If the playoffs started today, Phoenix wouldn't be invited to the party.
Now, before some Phoenix or Charlotte fan leaves a post, I'll say it too: The Boston Celtics have also lost to the Charlotte Bobcats this year. The difference? We did not get hosed by the Charlotte Bobcats.
I mentioned Minnesota earlier. You know, the T-Wolves have won 8 of their past 10 games. Kevin McHale might not lose his job after all! Granted, their first five wins of this stretch all came against teams who are in the WOF category (Golden State, Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee), but hey, the Timberwolves needed something. Actually, that's five straight games of teams in the "WOF" category squaring off! That must have made for some exciting basketball!
My final point, and of course, it always comes back to Cleveland. LeBron was quoted saying this recently on the possibility of Mo Williams being named to the All-Star team: "He has definitely put up the numbers, and we've put up the wins. I don't see any other guard in the East that's playing better right now."
WOAH. Stop everything. First of all LeBron, you just said GUARD. You did not even specify that by saying POINT guard. Okay LeBron, let's play this game.
Mo Williams vs. Rajon Rondo:
Rajon averages more rebounds (4.9 compared to 3.2), more assists 8.0 compared to 3.9), more steals (2.2 compared to 0.8), more blocks 0.2 compared to 0.1), and shoots much, much better from the field (.504 compared to .471). AND, the fact that he averages 4.1 assists more (8.0 compared to 3.9) is very profound, considering they both play POINT guard.
Mo Williams vs. Ray Allen:
Ray scores more points (18.1 compared to 16.4), grabs more rebounds (3.4 compared to 3.2), steals the ball more (0.9 compared to 0.8), shoots the ball from the field (.500 compared to .471) and from 3-point nation (.412 compared to .374) better, and plays more minutes (36.3 compared to 33.2).
Mo Williams vs. Vince Carter:
This might actually be the best example...Vince scores way more points (21.5 compared to 16.4), grabs more rebounds (5.0 compared to 3.2), and dishes out many more assists (4.7 compared to 3.9. Maybe Cleveland should call in Vince to play the point...), while stealing the ball more (1.0 compared to 0.8) and blocking shots more (0.4 compared to 0.1). He also shoots better from 3-point nation (.395 compared to .374) and does this all in more minutes (36.8 compared to 33.2) than Williams.
Yeah, sorry LeBron, I win. I just named three. I could have named more. But, since there are only so many spots available, three should be more than enough. Stay tuned.
G- Monta Ellis
G- Jamal Crawford
F-Stephen Jackson
F- Corey Maggette
C- Andris Biedrins
That very well might be the most potent offensive starting five in the NBA right now. Which is why I had a lot of hope that they could prevail against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. Well, they nearly did. Unfortunately, LeBron James decided he wanted to be clutch for once last night and buried a jump shot at the buzzer to lift Cleveland, 106-105.
(S#@T! G%D D%$M IT! WHAT THE F#%@!)...this is a family blog, after all.
So, the super secret schedule maker will be happy to know that Cleveland now moves to 3-2 in their first five games of their first tough ten-game stretch of the season. However, being the optimist that I am, I'm always looking for a silver lining, and I'm pretty sure I've found one.
During this stretch, the Cavaliers' opponents are scoring an average of 97.6 points per night. Now, compare that to the Celtics in their 7-game winning streak. Opponents are only scoring an average of 88.3 points per game. If my math is right...that's a different of 9.3 points per game. Don't think about feeding me this junk about the Celtics facing easier teams during this stretch. Out of the Cavs' five games, three of those opponents have been over the .500 mark (New Orleans, Los Angeles, Portland). During their 7-game stretch, the Celtics have also faced 3 opponents over the .500 mark (Phoenix, Miami, Orlando). Also, the Celtics gave up the fewest number of points to the best team they've faced during their streak (80 points for Orlando).
Also, Cleveland took down New Orleans, 92-78, back on January 16th. New Orleans inched towards the "We officially suck" category after the lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-108, last night, making Cleveland's win slightly less impressive.
Now, before some New Orleans or Cleveland fan leaves the post about it I'll say it first: As much as New Orleans limped toward the "WOS" category, the Phoenix Suns are taking leaps and bounds to get there, as if Earth was facing some sort of Apocalypse and the "WOS" category could save them...
After getting hosed by the Celtics in Boston, Phoenix went on to get taken down by the Knicks, 114-109, which is bad enough. But, apparently it wasn't bad enough for them. I liked using that word "hosed". Let's use it again. The Suns got hosed by the Charlotte Bobcats last night, "98-76". Ouch.
Actually, know what I find pretty funny? How every NBA team's official website obviously isn't going to bash their team in the opening headline of the recap of the previous game. So for example, instead of saying, "Suns get hosed by Charlotte", Phoenix's official website just says: "Suns' skid continues." This feels like more than a skid for Phoenix. This is like Mufasa from the Lion King falling into the valley of stampeding wildabeasts. Don't be shocked if Terry Porter is the next head coach to get canned. If the playoffs started today, Phoenix wouldn't be invited to the party.
Now, before some Phoenix or Charlotte fan leaves a post, I'll say it too: The Boston Celtics have also lost to the Charlotte Bobcats this year. The difference? We did not get hosed by the Charlotte Bobcats.
I mentioned Minnesota earlier. You know, the T-Wolves have won 8 of their past 10 games. Kevin McHale might not lose his job after all! Granted, their first five wins of this stretch all came against teams who are in the WOF category (Golden State, Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee), but hey, the Timberwolves needed something. Actually, that's five straight games of teams in the "WOF" category squaring off! That must have made for some exciting basketball!
My final point, and of course, it always comes back to Cleveland. LeBron was quoted saying this recently on the possibility of Mo Williams being named to the All-Star team: "He has definitely put up the numbers, and we've put up the wins. I don't see any other guard in the East that's playing better right now."
WOAH. Stop everything. First of all LeBron, you just said GUARD. You did not even specify that by saying POINT guard. Okay LeBron, let's play this game.
Mo Williams vs. Rajon Rondo:
Rajon averages more rebounds (4.9 compared to 3.2), more assists 8.0 compared to 3.9), more steals (2.2 compared to 0.8), more blocks 0.2 compared to 0.1), and shoots much, much better from the field (.504 compared to .471). AND, the fact that he averages 4.1 assists more (8.0 compared to 3.9) is very profound, considering they both play POINT guard.
Mo Williams vs. Ray Allen:
Ray scores more points (18.1 compared to 16.4), grabs more rebounds (3.4 compared to 3.2), steals the ball more (0.9 compared to 0.8), shoots the ball from the field (.500 compared to .471) and from 3-point nation (.412 compared to .374) better, and plays more minutes (36.3 compared to 33.2).
Mo Williams vs. Vince Carter:
This might actually be the best example...Vince scores way more points (21.5 compared to 16.4), grabs more rebounds (5.0 compared to 3.2), and dishes out many more assists (4.7 compared to 3.9. Maybe Cleveland should call in Vince to play the point...), while stealing the ball more (1.0 compared to 0.8) and blocking shots more (0.4 compared to 0.1). He also shoots better from 3-point nation (.395 compared to .374) and does this all in more minutes (36.8 compared to 33.2) than Williams.
Yeah, sorry LeBron, I win. I just named three. I could have named more. But, since there are only so many spots available, three should be more than enough. Stay tuned.
Friday, January 23, 2009
All-Star snubs and MVP praise
So I was thinking...
It has come to my attention that some people feel that Chris Bosh should be starting over Kevin Garnett in this year's All-Star game. I beg to differ.
Let's be honest: both players are having All-Star seasons, and even though Bosh's numbers are superior to Garnett's (23.3 points, 9.90 rebounds for Bosh, 16.1 points, 9.20 rebounds for Garnett), Garnett's team is far superior to Bosh's.
That always seems to be the argument against Garnett and any other Celtic players. The fact that Boston is winning shouldn't hinder the possibility of the players playing in the NBA All-Star game, or when it comes to them being mentioned for possible season awards (MVP, Defensive Player, etc.)
Look, Boston has the best record in the league right now, and who's to say if KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were all on seperate teams again they wouldn't have better individual stats? And, just because Celtics' GM Danny Ainge does his job better than any other GM in the NBA doesn't mean his players should be hindered. Is it Garnett's fault that Danny Ferry, GM of the Cavs, can't put together a roster with three perennial All-Stars? Is it Garnett's fault that Ferry doesn't have the eye to see young talent ahead of time and develop it into future trade bait? Is it Garnett's fault that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are flying solo in Toronto and Miami? No!
The only thing that bothers me more than this topic is a freecreditreport.com commercial.
For the first time in weeks, Boston has a player in the top 10 in NBA.com's "Race to the MVP". Kevin Garnett finally cracked the top 10 after lying in the "honorable mention" pile for practically the entire season. However, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen should also be in the top 10. Each of these players act as a different cog to the Celtics machine, and each one is as valuable to the team as the others.
Okay, now you might want to argue that Pierce, Allen, and Garnett all once had their individual teams and didn't accomplish too much, right? WELL, if you gave Paul Pierce Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Vladimir Radmonovic and all of the current Lakers' team rather than Delonte West, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, J.R. Bremer, Mike James, etc. etc. all in the beginning of their careers, then he might have been a little bit more productive. When Paul was having the majority of his greatest inidivudal seasons, Danny Ainge wasn't even general manager yet, which is why Pierce never got the help he needed and deserved!
If you gave Paul Pierce Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Turkoglu to work with, maybe he would have had some more success. Don't blame Paul Pierce and the C's for every other general manager not being able to put together a championship roster like Danny Ainge has.
Whatever happened to the MVP going to the best player on the best team in the league? For years and years that was a legitimate criteria for selecting the league's MVP, but recently that fact has meant next to nothing.
Sure, you could argue that the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade mean more to their teams, but that comes back to the same fact that their general managers cannot put together a legitimate team! That's all that it comes down to.
Also, and this is all I'm going to say: Allen Iverson does not deserve to be starting at point guard for the Eastern Conference this year. That's an absolute shame. That's all I'm going to say.
Kevin Garnett has had an All-Star season, and his team is having another fantastic year. They've won 7 games in a row, and knocked off conference rival Orlando, AND MVP candidate, Dwight Howard last night.
So I don't want to hear any more about Celtics players not deserving to be in All-Star Games or not being worthy of season awards. That's simply blaming the players for every other general manager's ineptitude and inability to do his job efficiently. The NBA should be celebrating that the Celtics are back on top and that they have the team they have, but instead they hype up LeBron and Kobe and act like they're the only two players who are capable of anything. LeBron vs. Kobe, and who's the best player in the world? No one's going to care about that when the Celtics rise to the top again this year and are holding the Larry O'Brien trophy at center court as a TEAM. They are the best TEAM in the league.
You know what? Who even cares about MVP trophies and All-Star games? LeBron and Kobe can have those. We want another championship. That's what we're aiming for. And that's what we'll get.
Stay tuned.
It has come to my attention that some people feel that Chris Bosh should be starting over Kevin Garnett in this year's All-Star game. I beg to differ.
Let's be honest: both players are having All-Star seasons, and even though Bosh's numbers are superior to Garnett's (23.3 points, 9.90 rebounds for Bosh, 16.1 points, 9.20 rebounds for Garnett), Garnett's team is far superior to Bosh's.
That always seems to be the argument against Garnett and any other Celtic players. The fact that Boston is winning shouldn't hinder the possibility of the players playing in the NBA All-Star game, or when it comes to them being mentioned for possible season awards (MVP, Defensive Player, etc.)
Look, Boston has the best record in the league right now, and who's to say if KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were all on seperate teams again they wouldn't have better individual stats? And, just because Celtics' GM Danny Ainge does his job better than any other GM in the NBA doesn't mean his players should be hindered. Is it Garnett's fault that Danny Ferry, GM of the Cavs, can't put together a roster with three perennial All-Stars? Is it Garnett's fault that Ferry doesn't have the eye to see young talent ahead of time and develop it into future trade bait? Is it Garnett's fault that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are flying solo in Toronto and Miami? No!
The only thing that bothers me more than this topic is a freecreditreport.com commercial.
For the first time in weeks, Boston has a player in the top 10 in NBA.com's "Race to the MVP". Kevin Garnett finally cracked the top 10 after lying in the "honorable mention" pile for practically the entire season. However, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen should also be in the top 10. Each of these players act as a different cog to the Celtics machine, and each one is as valuable to the team as the others.
Okay, now you might want to argue that Pierce, Allen, and Garnett all once had their individual teams and didn't accomplish too much, right? WELL, if you gave Paul Pierce Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Vladimir Radmonovic and all of the current Lakers' team rather than Delonte West, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, J.R. Bremer, Mike James, etc. etc. all in the beginning of their careers, then he might have been a little bit more productive. When Paul was having the majority of his greatest inidivudal seasons, Danny Ainge wasn't even general manager yet, which is why Pierce never got the help he needed and deserved!
If you gave Paul Pierce Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Turkoglu to work with, maybe he would have had some more success. Don't blame Paul Pierce and the C's for every other general manager not being able to put together a championship roster like Danny Ainge has.
Whatever happened to the MVP going to the best player on the best team in the league? For years and years that was a legitimate criteria for selecting the league's MVP, but recently that fact has meant next to nothing.
Sure, you could argue that the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade mean more to their teams, but that comes back to the same fact that their general managers cannot put together a legitimate team! That's all that it comes down to.
Also, and this is all I'm going to say: Allen Iverson does not deserve to be starting at point guard for the Eastern Conference this year. That's an absolute shame. That's all I'm going to say.
Kevin Garnett has had an All-Star season, and his team is having another fantastic year. They've won 7 games in a row, and knocked off conference rival Orlando, AND MVP candidate, Dwight Howard last night.
So I don't want to hear any more about Celtics players not deserving to be in All-Star Games or not being worthy of season awards. That's simply blaming the players for every other general manager's ineptitude and inability to do his job efficiently. The NBA should be celebrating that the Celtics are back on top and that they have the team they have, but instead they hype up LeBron and Kobe and act like they're the only two players who are capable of anything. LeBron vs. Kobe, and who's the best player in the world? No one's going to care about that when the Celtics rise to the top again this year and are holding the Larry O'Brien trophy at center court as a TEAM. They are the best TEAM in the league.
You know what? Who even cares about MVP trophies and All-Star games? LeBron and Kobe can have those. We want another championship. That's what we're aiming for. And that's what we'll get.
Stay tuned.
Wow, I forgot what first place feels like!
Eddie House, ladies and gentlemen! After putting up a season-high 25 points against Miami last night, Eddie put up a whopping ZERO points against the Magic last night. So much for that consistency I was hoping for yesterday. Remember, I was thinking maybe we could get three 3-pointers from Eddie every night? Yeah...
But in the end, it didn't actually matter, as the Celtics won a very important game down in Orlando, 90-80.
Paul Pierce led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Time and time again we see Paul just take over and will himself and his team to the win. That was the case tonight. Kevin Garnett threw in 16 points to go along with five rebounds, and in a great effort in his second game back, Kendrick Perkins put up seven points and six rebounds.
But the player of the game was clearly Glen Davis, who hit three huge fourth quarter buckets to help hold off the Magic who were trying to surge late. In only 21 minutes, Davis put up those 16 points on 6-8 shooting, including 4-4 from the free throw line.
While those offensive numbers are great, the Celtics held the Magic to their lowest scoring output of the season. Even better than that, Dwight Howard, a.k.a. Superman, a.k.a. I'm awesome because I received 3 million votes for the All-Star Game, only had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Apparently the Celtics are Superman's kryptonite (they do have the color for it...)
The BEST part about all of this though is that Orlando, much like Cleveland, has now fallen 1.5 games back and the Celtics currently stand alone as kings of the Eastern Conference.
Another great part about all of this is that we have the next two days off, which means we can get some valuable practice time in before we take on Dallas on Sunday. The Dallas team we'll see on Sunday is not the same Dallas team that has been a force in the West the past decade. With a point guard in decline and no real inside game since they're tallest player prefers a 3-point jumpshot rather than a layup, the Celtics will have a lot of advantages going into this game. I can't wait to see Rajon Rondo dismantle Jason Kidd. It'll be even worse than when he dismantled Steve Nash last Monday. Maybe Rondo is out on some personal vendetta against aging, white point guards. Nash? Check. Kidd? Soon to be check. Mike Bibby? Double-check.
Can't you just imagine Rondo saying to himself as he brings the ball up the court: "God, another one? This is why I don't get any credit for the All-Star game. My game actually begins to sucks when I play these guys because I am so much better than them. I feel like I'm actually going to suck when I make this move right now." (Makes his move, crosses over, drives left, scores with the right hand). "Man if I don't win the Tommy Award tonight, I'm gonna be pissed."
On a different note, the Lakers absolutely dismantled the Washington Wizards last night, 117-97. BUT, we should take a look at something. The Lakers average 107.81 points per game, which is tops in the NBA, BUT, they also give up 99.09 points per game. Remember the whole "Boston used defense to win the Championship last year"? Well, apparently the Lakers don't seem to care about that. I don't want to guarantee anything, or discredit the Lakers, but, 99 points is a lot of points. If you're giving up that many points, and have a bad night offensively, you're going to have a long night.
Let's a look at a few "blowouts" for the Lakers:
Sunday, December 28th vs. Golden State: Lakers 130 - Warriors 113
Actually, they haven't had many "blowouts" this season. Granted they held Cleveland to 88 points last Monday, BUT, only 11 times this season have they held opponents under the 90 point mark.
Oh, my friend Andy said something pretty funny the other night. The Celtics need another guard right? We should sign Barack Obama! Think about it, he's a lefty, he has a nice jump shot, he can handle pressure, and if any team tries to touch him, secret service will take them out! (Anyone have Danny Ainge's e-mail address lying around?)
And finally, our guy Kevin Garnett was voted as a stater in this year's All-Star Game. He'll team up with LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Allen Iverson (what?), and Dwyane Wade. Doc Rivers has a great shot at coaching this year's game for the second year in a row, and Phil Jackson has already been confirmed to coach the West, composed of Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, and Yao Ming.
But in the end, it didn't actually matter, as the Celtics won a very important game down in Orlando, 90-80.
Paul Pierce led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Time and time again we see Paul just take over and will himself and his team to the win. That was the case tonight. Kevin Garnett threw in 16 points to go along with five rebounds, and in a great effort in his second game back, Kendrick Perkins put up seven points and six rebounds.
But the player of the game was clearly Glen Davis, who hit three huge fourth quarter buckets to help hold off the Magic who were trying to surge late. In only 21 minutes, Davis put up those 16 points on 6-8 shooting, including 4-4 from the free throw line.
While those offensive numbers are great, the Celtics held the Magic to their lowest scoring output of the season. Even better than that, Dwight Howard, a.k.a. Superman, a.k.a. I'm awesome because I received 3 million votes for the All-Star Game, only had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Apparently the Celtics are Superman's kryptonite (they do have the color for it...)
The BEST part about all of this though is that Orlando, much like Cleveland, has now fallen 1.5 games back and the Celtics currently stand alone as kings of the Eastern Conference.
Another great part about all of this is that we have the next two days off, which means we can get some valuable practice time in before we take on Dallas on Sunday. The Dallas team we'll see on Sunday is not the same Dallas team that has been a force in the West the past decade. With a point guard in decline and no real inside game since they're tallest player prefers a 3-point jumpshot rather than a layup, the Celtics will have a lot of advantages going into this game. I can't wait to see Rajon Rondo dismantle Jason Kidd. It'll be even worse than when he dismantled Steve Nash last Monday. Maybe Rondo is out on some personal vendetta against aging, white point guards. Nash? Check. Kidd? Soon to be check. Mike Bibby? Double-check.
Can't you just imagine Rondo saying to himself as he brings the ball up the court: "God, another one? This is why I don't get any credit for the All-Star game. My game actually begins to sucks when I play these guys because I am so much better than them. I feel like I'm actually going to suck when I make this move right now." (Makes his move, crosses over, drives left, scores with the right hand). "Man if I don't win the Tommy Award tonight, I'm gonna be pissed."
On a different note, the Lakers absolutely dismantled the Washington Wizards last night, 117-97. BUT, we should take a look at something. The Lakers average 107.81 points per game, which is tops in the NBA, BUT, they also give up 99.09 points per game. Remember the whole "Boston used defense to win the Championship last year"? Well, apparently the Lakers don't seem to care about that. I don't want to guarantee anything, or discredit the Lakers, but, 99 points is a lot of points. If you're giving up that many points, and have a bad night offensively, you're going to have a long night.
Let's a look at a few "blowouts" for the Lakers:
Sunday, December 28th vs. Golden State: Lakers 130 - Warriors 113
Actually, they haven't had many "blowouts" this season. Granted they held Cleveland to 88 points last Monday, BUT, only 11 times this season have they held opponents under the 90 point mark.
Oh, my friend Andy said something pretty funny the other night. The Celtics need another guard right? We should sign Barack Obama! Think about it, he's a lefty, he has a nice jump shot, he can handle pressure, and if any team tries to touch him, secret service will take them out! (Anyone have Danny Ainge's e-mail address lying around?)
And finally, our guy Kevin Garnett was voted as a stater in this year's All-Star Game. He'll team up with LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Allen Iverson (what?), and Dwyane Wade. Doc Rivers has a great shot at coaching this year's game for the second year in a row, and Phil Jackson has already been confirmed to coach the West, composed of Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, and Yao Ming.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TONIGHT: CELTICS AT MAGIC
The Boston Celtics will visit the Orlando Magic tonight at 8:00pm on TNT.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The number 0: the number of games seperating Boston and Orlando in the Eastern Conference standings.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Eddie House scored a season-high 25 points (7-11 from 3) last night against the Miami Heat.
WHO'S NOT: The entire Orlando bench managed only 2 points in their 106-88 win over Denver last Saturday.
KEY MATCHUP: Kevin Garnett vs. Dwight Howard
SKINNY: The Magic have won 7 games in a row. The Celtics have won 6 games in a row. Something's gotta give. The Magic are the best 3-point shooting team in the league, but the Celtics are one of the best 3-point shooting defensive teams in the league. Something's gotta give. Boston's 6-game streak has derived from Rajon Rondo pushing the pace from the start. If the Celtics ever need an early lead, it's tonight.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The number 0: the number of games seperating Boston and Orlando in the Eastern Conference standings.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Eddie House scored a season-high 25 points (7-11 from 3) last night against the Miami Heat.
WHO'S NOT: The entire Orlando bench managed only 2 points in their 106-88 win over Denver last Saturday.
KEY MATCHUP: Kevin Garnett vs. Dwight Howard
SKINNY: The Magic have won 7 games in a row. The Celtics have won 6 games in a row. Something's gotta give. The Magic are the best 3-point shooting team in the league, but the Celtics are one of the best 3-point shooting defensive teams in the league. Something's gotta give. Boston's 6-game streak has derived from Rajon Rondo pushing the pace from the start. If the Celtics ever need an early lead, it's tonight.
Cleveland stays alive while we have a raging House fire
EDDIE HOUSE ladies and gentlemen! The C's back up combo guard came off the bench last night to score 25 points as Boston captured its sixth straight win, over a pesky Miami team who just wouldn't go away.
Eddie scored 20 of those points in the second quarter, helping Boston build its 57-34 halftime lead. However, Miami came right back in the second half, cutting that lead to 11 on a Mario Chalmers layup with 1:04 left in the third. But, it was Eddie once again who buried a 3-pointer late in the third to give the C's a 14-point lead (78-64) heading into the fourth. Then it was Scalabrine who buried his only basket, a three-pointer, to start the fourth, and Ray Allen finished off Miami later in the quarter. Allen buried three straight 3-pointers to put Boston up 98-76, ending any hopes of a comeback for Miami.
It was great to see Eddie have a night like that. Granted, Boston isn't going to shoot 60 percent (12-25) from 3-point nation every single night, BUT, is three 3-pointers from Eddie House each nigh too much to ask for? Perhaps all of the "issues" surrounding the Celtics can be solved within our own group of guys. Eddie's averaging just over 7 points per game as you're reading this, but couldn't that average get up to around double figures? Couldn't that extra production give the bench a must needed boost? Doc Rivers has said before if this roster is the one the Celtics enter the playoffs with then he'll be more than satisfied with that. Gabe Pruitt is developing steadily, and can handle the pressure as the back up point guard. Move Eddie to the "2" and just keep him strictly as a shooter and that production you need should be there. Granted, Miami was doubling down on KG last night, leaving the perimeter wide open, but no matter what the defense does, if the Celtics move the ball well on offense, there's a good chance they're going to get an open shot.
While the Celtics took down the Heat last night, Portland wasn't so fortunate out west. The Cleveland Cavaliers moved to 2-2 in their first tough 10-game stretch of the season, with a 104-98 victory over the Blazers, courtesy of 34 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists from one LeBron James and 33 points from one Mo Williams. Now, this was a season-high for Williams. The blueprint for stopping Cleveland is slowing down James. He's leading his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and is only a hair away from leading the team in blocks. He also leads them in minutes played at 37.7. I've been trying to think of a way to stop James, and it becomes increasingly difficult just because of his superior court vision, basketball IQ, and passing ability. You double team him, he dishes it off to someone wide open. Cleveland does not have a championship roster. They have one Hall of Fame player and a bunch of slightly above average guys who can finish. Williams, Wally Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavoliv can all shoot the ball fairly well. Anderson Varejao and Big Z can finish inside, but so can most 7-foot big men when you give them a wide open opportunity at the rim. Do you honestly expect to see anyone on the Cavaliers in the All-Star game besides James? No. No one on that team is worthy, with the possible exceptions of Williams and Big Z.
That shows you the talent of James, because he alone is keeping his team in this, and there are next to no defenders who can actually slow him down in the league. You can't put someone who matches him in height on him because most likely he'll go right by them with his quickness, and you can't really put someone on him who's smaller and lighter than him because he'll most likely go by them using his strength and size. He's a double edged sword in every way, but everyone has a weakness. LeBron James' jumpshot leaves something to be desired. It's his achilles heal. Opponents need to learn to start exploiting that. He's much more likely to hurt you in the open court or when he's driving to the basket. Sagging off of James might seem ludicrous, but it gives the defender the best opportunity to stop him if he decides to try and get to the hoop. If he's making his jumpshot on a given night, then the defender can move up on him, and you'll have to send a second defender to basically jump at him, but not commit to guarding him, thus leaving a second man open. It's really the only plausible way.
Remember how I said we had to rely on Greg Oden last night? Well, he delivered a MODEST 10 points and eight rebounds, but only played 26 minutes because of his 6 personal fouls. Brandon Roy put in the usual 23 and LaMarcus Aldridge added the typical 21 for Portland, but it was just not enough.
Well, Cleveland gets back in action tomorrow night against the Golden State Warriors, who we have to respect, because they beat us after all. The usual question: Who on the warriors can stop LeBron James? If Corey Maggette is playing, he looks to have the strength to possibly not let LeBron get past him too easily, but Don Nelson's team isn't famous for its defense so don't actually count on anything.
Cleveland still trails us by a game thanks to last night's win against the Heat, and with Cleveland off tonight, if we can take down Orlando, they'll drop a game behind us, and we'll move a game and a half above the Cavs, at least until they play tomorrow night. But it's a start. Go Green.
Stay tuned.
Eddie scored 20 of those points in the second quarter, helping Boston build its 57-34 halftime lead. However, Miami came right back in the second half, cutting that lead to 11 on a Mario Chalmers layup with 1:04 left in the third. But, it was Eddie once again who buried a 3-pointer late in the third to give the C's a 14-point lead (78-64) heading into the fourth. Then it was Scalabrine who buried his only basket, a three-pointer, to start the fourth, and Ray Allen finished off Miami later in the quarter. Allen buried three straight 3-pointers to put Boston up 98-76, ending any hopes of a comeback for Miami.
It was great to see Eddie have a night like that. Granted, Boston isn't going to shoot 60 percent (12-25) from 3-point nation every single night, BUT, is three 3-pointers from Eddie House each nigh too much to ask for? Perhaps all of the "issues" surrounding the Celtics can be solved within our own group of guys. Eddie's averaging just over 7 points per game as you're reading this, but couldn't that average get up to around double figures? Couldn't that extra production give the bench a must needed boost? Doc Rivers has said before if this roster is the one the Celtics enter the playoffs with then he'll be more than satisfied with that. Gabe Pruitt is developing steadily, and can handle the pressure as the back up point guard. Move Eddie to the "2" and just keep him strictly as a shooter and that production you need should be there. Granted, Miami was doubling down on KG last night, leaving the perimeter wide open, but no matter what the defense does, if the Celtics move the ball well on offense, there's a good chance they're going to get an open shot.
While the Celtics took down the Heat last night, Portland wasn't so fortunate out west. The Cleveland Cavaliers moved to 2-2 in their first tough 10-game stretch of the season, with a 104-98 victory over the Blazers, courtesy of 34 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists from one LeBron James and 33 points from one Mo Williams. Now, this was a season-high for Williams. The blueprint for stopping Cleveland is slowing down James. He's leading his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and is only a hair away from leading the team in blocks. He also leads them in minutes played at 37.7. I've been trying to think of a way to stop James, and it becomes increasingly difficult just because of his superior court vision, basketball IQ, and passing ability. You double team him, he dishes it off to someone wide open. Cleveland does not have a championship roster. They have one Hall of Fame player and a bunch of slightly above average guys who can finish. Williams, Wally Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavoliv can all shoot the ball fairly well. Anderson Varejao and Big Z can finish inside, but so can most 7-foot big men when you give them a wide open opportunity at the rim. Do you honestly expect to see anyone on the Cavaliers in the All-Star game besides James? No. No one on that team is worthy, with the possible exceptions of Williams and Big Z.
That shows you the talent of James, because he alone is keeping his team in this, and there are next to no defenders who can actually slow him down in the league. You can't put someone who matches him in height on him because most likely he'll go right by them with his quickness, and you can't really put someone on him who's smaller and lighter than him because he'll most likely go by them using his strength and size. He's a double edged sword in every way, but everyone has a weakness. LeBron James' jumpshot leaves something to be desired. It's his achilles heal. Opponents need to learn to start exploiting that. He's much more likely to hurt you in the open court or when he's driving to the basket. Sagging off of James might seem ludicrous, but it gives the defender the best opportunity to stop him if he decides to try and get to the hoop. If he's making his jumpshot on a given night, then the defender can move up on him, and you'll have to send a second defender to basically jump at him, but not commit to guarding him, thus leaving a second man open. It's really the only plausible way.
Remember how I said we had to rely on Greg Oden last night? Well, he delivered a MODEST 10 points and eight rebounds, but only played 26 minutes because of his 6 personal fouls. Brandon Roy put in the usual 23 and LaMarcus Aldridge added the typical 21 for Portland, but it was just not enough.
Well, Cleveland gets back in action tomorrow night against the Golden State Warriors, who we have to respect, because they beat us after all. The usual question: Who on the warriors can stop LeBron James? If Corey Maggette is playing, he looks to have the strength to possibly not let LeBron get past him too easily, but Don Nelson's team isn't famous for its defense so don't actually count on anything.
Cleveland still trails us by a game thanks to last night's win against the Heat, and with Cleveland off tonight, if we can take down Orlando, they'll drop a game behind us, and we'll move a game and a half above the Cavs, at least until they play tomorrow night. But it's a start. Go Green.
Stay tuned.
CELTICS 98 - HEAT 83
The Boston Celtics rode into Miami last night looking for an easy win to gear up for their conference showdown with the Orlando Magic tonight. The Heat weren't in a very complying mood as they managed to hang around before ultimately falling, 98-83.
Despite Kendrick Perkins returning to the Boston line up after missing the previous five games with a strained left shoulder, it wasn't the big man that sparked the Celtics' sixth straight win. Instead, it was guard Eddie House who scored a season-high 25 points, with 20 of those coming in a second quarter where the Celtics built on their 19-point first quarter lead (29-10) to have a 57-34 cushion at halftime.
House matched a career-high with seven 3-pointers, and held the C's up in the second frame, while Ray Allen (27 points) hit three of his five three pointers with less than five minutes left in the fourth to seal the deal for Boston.
"This is Eddie's best game of the year," Paul Pierce told the Boston Herald. "I think Eddie really needed a breakout game like this to get going."
House spent his first three seasons in Miami, but apparently the rims in South Beach were only distant memories for him.
"I don't think this has anything to do with the building," House told the Herald. "I was just getting open looks. We concentrated on moving the ball, and this is what happened. But you never say these shots are too easy, because I haven't really shot the ball well this season."
Despite leading by as least 23 points at halftime for the third straight game, the Heat didn't go away as easy as New Jersey and Phoenix did.
The Heat stormed out of the gate on an 11-2 spurt to cut the lead to 13 (59-36), and had it all the way down to 11 (73-62) courtesy of a Mario Chalmers layup, but Eddie House righted the ship with his seventh three-point basket of the night to put Boston up, 78-64, heading into the final frame.
After Brian Scalabrine opened the fourth with his only basket of the game, Paul Pierce connected on a short jumpshot to put Boston up 83-66.
The two teams would trade baskets for the next seven minutes before Ray delivered his three knockout punches.
Allen went on a personal 9-0 barrage, courtesy of three-point baskets coming at the 4:28 mark (92-76), the 3:56 mark (95-76), and finally at the 3:27 mark to put Boston up 22 (98-76). The Celtics would never look back.
As a team, Boston shot 12-25 from 3-point nation (60 percent), thanks largely to Miami choosing to double down on Kevin Garnett (16 points, 11 rebounds).
"I thought we kind of fell in love (with 3-point shooting) in the third quarter, but they made a choice and we made shots," C's coach Doc Rivers told the Herald. I actually thought the choice was right, because they were going to front and back Kevin and try to take the post away. It made us have to shoot the ball. They caught us on a night when we actually shot the ball well."
Despite Kendrick Perkins returning to the Boston line up after missing the previous five games with a strained left shoulder, it wasn't the big man that sparked the Celtics' sixth straight win. Instead, it was guard Eddie House who scored a season-high 25 points, with 20 of those coming in a second quarter where the Celtics built on their 19-point first quarter lead (29-10) to have a 57-34 cushion at halftime.
House matched a career-high with seven 3-pointers, and held the C's up in the second frame, while Ray Allen (27 points) hit three of his five three pointers with less than five minutes left in the fourth to seal the deal for Boston.
"This is Eddie's best game of the year," Paul Pierce told the Boston Herald. "I think Eddie really needed a breakout game like this to get going."
House spent his first three seasons in Miami, but apparently the rims in South Beach were only distant memories for him.
"I don't think this has anything to do with the building," House told the Herald. "I was just getting open looks. We concentrated on moving the ball, and this is what happened. But you never say these shots are too easy, because I haven't really shot the ball well this season."
Despite leading by as least 23 points at halftime for the third straight game, the Heat didn't go away as easy as New Jersey and Phoenix did.
The Heat stormed out of the gate on an 11-2 spurt to cut the lead to 13 (59-36), and had it all the way down to 11 (73-62) courtesy of a Mario Chalmers layup, but Eddie House righted the ship with his seventh three-point basket of the night to put Boston up, 78-64, heading into the final frame.
After Brian Scalabrine opened the fourth with his only basket of the game, Paul Pierce connected on a short jumpshot to put Boston up 83-66.
The two teams would trade baskets for the next seven minutes before Ray delivered his three knockout punches.
Allen went on a personal 9-0 barrage, courtesy of three-point baskets coming at the 4:28 mark (92-76), the 3:56 mark (95-76), and finally at the 3:27 mark to put Boston up 22 (98-76). The Celtics would never look back.
As a team, Boston shot 12-25 from 3-point nation (60 percent), thanks largely to Miami choosing to double down on Kevin Garnett (16 points, 11 rebounds).
"I thought we kind of fell in love (with 3-point shooting) in the third quarter, but they made a choice and we made shots," C's coach Doc Rivers told the Herald. I actually thought the choice was right, because they were going to front and back Kevin and try to take the post away. It made us have to shoot the ball. They caught us on a night when we actually shot the ball well."
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
TONIGHT: CELTICS AT HEAT
The Boston Celtics will make their first trip to South Beach to take on the Miami heat tonight at 7:30pm on Comcast SportsNet.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 28.8 - Dwyane Wade's league-leading scoring average.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Ray Allen has scored 45 points the last two games combined.
WHO'S NOT: For the Heat, starting center Joel Anthony has only scored four points the past four games, including zero points in the past two games.
KEY MATCHUP: Ray Allen vs. Dwyane Wade.
SKINNY: Rajon Rondo and the Celtics should look to push the tempo from the start, while focusing the majority of their attention on Dwyane Wade. Slowing him down will be key if they want another easy win. Also, watch whoever matches up with Shawn Marion, who's versatility could be an issue.
KEEP IT IN MIND: 28.8 - Dwyane Wade's league-leading scoring average.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Ray Allen has scored 45 points the last two games combined.
WHO'S NOT: For the Heat, starting center Joel Anthony has only scored four points the past four games, including zero points in the past two games.
KEY MATCHUP: Ray Allen vs. Dwyane Wade.
SKINNY: Rajon Rondo and the Celtics should look to push the tempo from the start, while focusing the majority of their attention on Dwyane Wade. Slowing him down will be key if they want another easy win. Also, watch whoever matches up with Shawn Marion, who's versatility could be an issue.
I've got my eye on you...
It's time to start keeping tabs on Orlando and Cleveland. Let's take a closer look.
Cleveland
Overall record: 31-8. Games back: 1.0
Last ten games: 6-4
Last five games: 3-2
Leading scorer: LeBron James (27.6)
Leading rebounder: LeBron James (7.20)
Leading team in assists: LeBron James (6.6)
Hmm...I see a trend developing...
Next five games:
Tonight at Portland (10:00pm)
Fri. Jan. 23- at Golden State (10:30pm)
Sat. Jan 24- at Utah (9:00pm)
Tues. Jan 27- vs. Sacramento (7:00pm)
Thurs. Jan 29- at Orlando (8:00pm)
Orlando
Overall record: 33-8. Games back: 0
Last ten games: 9-1
Last five games: 5-0
Leading scorer: Dwight Howard (20.2)
Leading rebounder: Dwight Howard (14.10)
Leading team in assists: Jameer Nelson (5.4)
Next five games:
Thurs. Jan. 22- vs. Boston (8:00pm)
Sat. Jan. 24- at Miami (7:30pm)
Tues. Jan. 27- vs. Indiana (7:00pm)
Thurs. Jan. 29- vs. Cleveland (8:00pm)
Sun. Fev. 1- at Toronto (12:00pm)
Boston
Overall record: 34-9. Games back: 0
Last ten games: 6-4
Last five games: 5-0
Leading scorer: Paul Pierce (19.10)
Leading rebounder: Kevin Garnett (9.10)
Leading team in assists: Rajon Rondo (8.0)
(Gotta love the versatility)
Next five games:
Tonight at Miami (7:30pm)
Thurs. Jan. 22- at Orlando (8:00pm)
Sun. Jan. 25- vs. Dallas (1:00pm)
Wed. Jan. 28- vs. Sacramento (7:30pm)
Fri. Jan. 30- at Detroit (7:00pm)
Cleveland
Overall record: 31-8. Games back: 1.0
Last ten games: 6-4
Last five games: 3-2
Leading scorer: LeBron James (27.6)
Leading rebounder: LeBron James (7.20)
Leading team in assists: LeBron James (6.6)
Hmm...I see a trend developing...
Next five games:
Tonight at Portland (10:00pm)
Fri. Jan. 23- at Golden State (10:30pm)
Sat. Jan 24- at Utah (9:00pm)
Tues. Jan 27- vs. Sacramento (7:00pm)
Thurs. Jan 29- at Orlando (8:00pm)
Orlando
Overall record: 33-8. Games back: 0
Last ten games: 9-1
Last five games: 5-0
Leading scorer: Dwight Howard (20.2)
Leading rebounder: Dwight Howard (14.10)
Leading team in assists: Jameer Nelson (5.4)
Next five games:
Thurs. Jan. 22- vs. Boston (8:00pm)
Sat. Jan. 24- at Miami (7:30pm)
Tues. Jan. 27- vs. Indiana (7:00pm)
Thurs. Jan. 29- vs. Cleveland (8:00pm)
Sun. Fev. 1- at Toronto (12:00pm)
Boston
Overall record: 34-9. Games back: 0
Last ten games: 6-4
Last five games: 5-0
Leading scorer: Paul Pierce (19.10)
Leading rebounder: Kevin Garnett (9.10)
Leading team in assists: Rajon Rondo (8.0)
(Gotta love the versatility)
Next five games:
Tonight at Miami (7:30pm)
Thurs. Jan. 22- at Orlando (8:00pm)
Sun. Jan. 25- vs. Dallas (1:00pm)
Wed. Jan. 28- vs. Sacramento (7:30pm)
Fri. Jan. 30- at Detroit (7:00pm)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
To which foe goes our support?
So I'm a little irate at the fact that FX refuses to replay Nip/Tuck at 11, but on the bright side of things my cell phone decided to start vibrating again. For the past 4 months I've missed calls because it would do more than shiver for less than a second like it was shaking off a chill.
Anyway...I've decided we need to keep closer tabs on Orlando and Cleveland since they've clearly decided they want to make it a race for the Eastern Conference. So, starting tomorrow I'll have entire posts dedicated to the Magic and the Cavaliers with things like overall record, records the last 10 games, last night's results, team stats, etc. etc.
Also, as much as it pains me, and it's happening already, we're really going to have to start cheering for people we might not like too much. We've recently had to cheer for Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant (twice! I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit), and who will we have to cheer for when the Cavaliers and Magic play each other? That's a living nightmare. I guess I'd have to go with Dwight Howard just because he's ALWAYS smiling. Howard's a pretty tough guy to not like. Actually, he's just pretty tough in general. He's like Ben Wallace in his prime on steroids. I mean that strictly in terms of just his physiological make-up.
Anyway, next up on the "We're cheering for you, but we actually really don't like you" list is Greg Oden. The James Gang will take on Portland in the Rose Garden at 10:00pm tomorrow. Now, Oden recently put up a career-high of 24 points and 15 rebounds, so that gives us slight hope he can outduel any Cleveland big man in the paint, but who is going to try and stop LeBron from Portland? That's always the million dollar question with any Cleveland opponent. If James Posey couldn't do it from New Orleans, we might just be out of luck.
I want to take some time to commend Brian Scalabrine once again for his professionalism and his overall play these last five games. Let's face it. He's been phenomenal. I'm not saying the Celtics would not have won these past five games if either Leon Powe or Glen Davis were starting, but Scal has been so consistent on the defensive end, he's been impossible to ignore. He's averaged 8.4 points over this 5-game stretch, 6 more than his season average (hey, 6 points is 6 points).
Also, I've been keeping a seperate column in my personal write-ups reserved strictly for number of times Rondo's face hits hardwood per game. Right now he's averaging 4 face plants per contest, and I definitely want to keep track of that the rest of the season. You can't call that a useless fact, we could be looking at a potential world record here. I only wish I started sooner. Shame on me. Oh well, I've picked up on it now. John Hollinger and the ESPN guys should add that to their PER numbers.
Health Check: Tony Allen did not make the trip down to Florida, as he is still nursing his sore ankle. Kendrick Perkins did make the trip, but is still listed as day-to-day. Paul Pierce twisted his right ankle against Phoenix, but his ice afterwards was strictly precautionary. We've been getting awfully lucky with Pierce's injuries this season. He's hyperextended that right knee twice, with both times coming on eerily similar situations. Other humans are not meant to fall into straightended legs...especially when the people falling weight over 200 pounds. The first time against the Jazz I thought it looked creepily similar to Tom Brady's injury, but fortunately it didn't end up that way.
The priority tomorrow will obviously be stopping MVP Candidate Dwyane Wade, who is leading the league in scoring at a 28.8 per game clip. Based on matchups it'd seem like Ray Allen would start out on him, but don't be surprised to see Pierce switch onto him if he gets it going early. Let's see how long the Celtics can keep this streak of not playing the starters in the fourth quarter going. It's great to see Bill Walker play every night now. Who cares about garbage time? One man's trash is another man's treasure after all. We all have to start somewhere.
Stay tuned.
Anyway...I've decided we need to keep closer tabs on Orlando and Cleveland since they've clearly decided they want to make it a race for the Eastern Conference. So, starting tomorrow I'll have entire posts dedicated to the Magic and the Cavaliers with things like overall record, records the last 10 games, last night's results, team stats, etc. etc.
Also, as much as it pains me, and it's happening already, we're really going to have to start cheering for people we might not like too much. We've recently had to cheer for Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant (twice! I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit), and who will we have to cheer for when the Cavaliers and Magic play each other? That's a living nightmare. I guess I'd have to go with Dwight Howard just because he's ALWAYS smiling. Howard's a pretty tough guy to not like. Actually, he's just pretty tough in general. He's like Ben Wallace in his prime on steroids. I mean that strictly in terms of just his physiological make-up.
Anyway, next up on the "We're cheering for you, but we actually really don't like you" list is Greg Oden. The James Gang will take on Portland in the Rose Garden at 10:00pm tomorrow. Now, Oden recently put up a career-high of 24 points and 15 rebounds, so that gives us slight hope he can outduel any Cleveland big man in the paint, but who is going to try and stop LeBron from Portland? That's always the million dollar question with any Cleveland opponent. If James Posey couldn't do it from New Orleans, we might just be out of luck.
I want to take some time to commend Brian Scalabrine once again for his professionalism and his overall play these last five games. Let's face it. He's been phenomenal. I'm not saying the Celtics would not have won these past five games if either Leon Powe or Glen Davis were starting, but Scal has been so consistent on the defensive end, he's been impossible to ignore. He's averaged 8.4 points over this 5-game stretch, 6 more than his season average (hey, 6 points is 6 points).
Also, I've been keeping a seperate column in my personal write-ups reserved strictly for number of times Rondo's face hits hardwood per game. Right now he's averaging 4 face plants per contest, and I definitely want to keep track of that the rest of the season. You can't call that a useless fact, we could be looking at a potential world record here. I only wish I started sooner. Shame on me. Oh well, I've picked up on it now. John Hollinger and the ESPN guys should add that to their PER numbers.
Health Check: Tony Allen did not make the trip down to Florida, as he is still nursing his sore ankle. Kendrick Perkins did make the trip, but is still listed as day-to-day. Paul Pierce twisted his right ankle against Phoenix, but his ice afterwards was strictly precautionary. We've been getting awfully lucky with Pierce's injuries this season. He's hyperextended that right knee twice, with both times coming on eerily similar situations. Other humans are not meant to fall into straightended legs...especially when the people falling weight over 200 pounds. The first time against the Jazz I thought it looked creepily similar to Tom Brady's injury, but fortunately it didn't end up that way.
The priority tomorrow will obviously be stopping MVP Candidate Dwyane Wade, who is leading the league in scoring at a 28.8 per game clip. Based on matchups it'd seem like Ray Allen would start out on him, but don't be surprised to see Pierce switch onto him if he gets it going early. Let's see how long the Celtics can keep this streak of not playing the starters in the fourth quarter going. It's great to see Bill Walker play every night now. Who cares about garbage time? One man's trash is another man's treasure after all. We all have to start somewhere.
Stay tuned.
Celtics Stories: Dave Cowens
If you're ever in the TD Banknorth Garden, look up in the rafters at all the retired numbers and look for #18. That's Dave Cowens' number.
From 1970-1980 no one in the NBA played the game as fiercely as Cowens. Despite only being 6'9", Cowens played the center position and went toe to toe with some of the greatest big men to ever take the court.
Cowens' achieved many things during his NBA career, and will always be considered one of the most dedicated and most successful players in Celtics history.
He was co-Rookie of the Year in the 1970-71 season, and made the All-Rookie first team that same year. Two years later he was league MVP. Cowens was a key member of the Celtics' 1974 and 1976 NBA Championship teams. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star from 1972-1978, and was awarded NBA All-Star Game MVP in the 1973 contest. In 1996 he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990. He grabbed 10,170 rebounds over his Celtics' career, trailing only Bill Russell and Robert Parish for top honors in Celtics history.
I caught up with Paul Sullivan, former Athletic Director for North Attleboro High School in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, to get his opinion on Dave Cowens and some of the other Celtic greats.
Want to hear your Celtics stories on Banner 18? E-Mail me at GPayn699@mail.endicott.edu to make it happen.
From 1970-1980 no one in the NBA played the game as fiercely as Cowens. Despite only being 6'9", Cowens played the center position and went toe to toe with some of the greatest big men to ever take the court.
Cowens' achieved many things during his NBA career, and will always be considered one of the most dedicated and most successful players in Celtics history.
He was co-Rookie of the Year in the 1970-71 season, and made the All-Rookie first team that same year. Two years later he was league MVP. Cowens was a key member of the Celtics' 1974 and 1976 NBA Championship teams. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star from 1972-1978, and was awarded NBA All-Star Game MVP in the 1973 contest. In 1996 he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990. He grabbed 10,170 rebounds over his Celtics' career, trailing only Bill Russell and Robert Parish for top honors in Celtics history.
I caught up with Paul Sullivan, former Athletic Director for North Attleboro High School in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, to get his opinion on Dave Cowens and some of the other Celtic greats.
Want to hear your Celtics stories on Banner 18? E-Mail me at GPayn699@mail.endicott.edu to make it happen.
It's time to make our move
So, could last night have gotten any better? Last night's 104-87 debacle of the Phoenix Suns in Boston was arguably the best win of the year, simply because the critics were saying how we won four straight games against only two subpar teams. Well, the Phoenix Suns are still contending in the west, so to destroy a western power the way we did proves that this team is back.
We now see what this team can do when it gets the chance to actually rest before games. Even though they have a back-to-back tomorrow and Thursday against the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic, at least we'll be able to stay in Florida for some low key travel. Boston led by 30 (64-34) at the half, which was Phoenix's first 30-point halftime deficit since 1971. Also, when their deficit stood at 35 (87-52), it was Phoenix's largest deficit of their season.
Last night Rajon Rondo was the story as he put up 23 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. The big story was Kevin Garnett guarding Shaquille O'Neal and Brian Scalabrine going toe-to-toe with Amar'e Stoudemire. Now, you might be thinking that Stoudemire would have his way with Scal, but the redhead continues to impress, as he held Stoudemire to a line of: 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 4 turnovers. He was 0-7 from the field, and scored all 3 points on free throws. It's not like he didn't get the opportunity to contribute...he was in the game for 31 minutes. I've written before about how skilled a defender Scal is when it comes to versatile big men, and Stoudemire certainly fits that description.
Shaq was arguably the most effective Sun last night, as he contributed a solid 16 points and 10 rebounds. Despite KG having to guard Shaq, he wasn't going to let him run away with anything as he put up 16 points and 8 rebounds himself.
Paul Pierce was closing in on a triple-double with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, but he, like every other Celtics starter (besides Scal), didn't have to play a minute of the 4th quarter for the third straight game.
I think that shows the quality of a team, when the starters only need to exhert their will on a team for three quarters. I think it's safe to say the Celtics have recovered from their slight recession, and even though there will be some more bumps along the way, expect better things from here on out.
Doc Rivers has stated over and over again that he just wants his team to improve throughout the course of the season, and that he wants this team to be better than last year's when it comes time for the playoffs. Well I think we're on the right track.
AND! I hope you all got to see what happened after the Celtics took out the Suns. Guess who lost last night? Yup. It happened again. Cleveland fell for the second time in three games. We've had to root for the Lakers the past few nights because they took on the Magic on Friday, and the Cavs last night, but once again they don't pose a threat to us in the conference so it's okay to root for them. They weren't able to handle the Magic, but it was a different story last night. The Cavaliers fell in Los Angeles, 105-88. 105-88!
That means the Cavs now fall to 1-2 in their first tough 10-game stretch of the season. What do you have to say now super secret schedule maker? Try as you might to thwart our quest for a second championship, your love for the Cavaliers cannot spark them to wins when the competition heats up. You can feed them easy opponents for only so long, which is why they're 31-8 right now. With the loss, Cleveland drops a game behind Boston and Orlando who are currently tied for first place in the East.
Even though a strong dislike for this man courses through my veins, I have to give it up for Sasha Vujacic who put in 14 points, and helped LA stay afloat during the second quarter when Cleveland was threatening to pull away. LA had six players in double figures, and scored 30 points in the fourth quarter to help themselves come out on top.
The Celtics continue to have the most wins in the NBA (34), with Orlando trailing slightly at 33. This is a huge stretch for the Celtics, which can't be stressed enough. With Cleveland in the midst of its tough stretch and the C's taking on Orlando Thursday, then can begin to pull away. Orlando is riding a 7-game winning streak, and it will be up to Boston to snap that on Thursday.
Miami is first though on Wednesday. Time to take care of business.
Stay tuned.
We now see what this team can do when it gets the chance to actually rest before games. Even though they have a back-to-back tomorrow and Thursday against the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic, at least we'll be able to stay in Florida for some low key travel. Boston led by 30 (64-34) at the half, which was Phoenix's first 30-point halftime deficit since 1971. Also, when their deficit stood at 35 (87-52), it was Phoenix's largest deficit of their season.
Last night Rajon Rondo was the story as he put up 23 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. The big story was Kevin Garnett guarding Shaquille O'Neal and Brian Scalabrine going toe-to-toe with Amar'e Stoudemire. Now, you might be thinking that Stoudemire would have his way with Scal, but the redhead continues to impress, as he held Stoudemire to a line of: 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 4 turnovers. He was 0-7 from the field, and scored all 3 points on free throws. It's not like he didn't get the opportunity to contribute...he was in the game for 31 minutes. I've written before about how skilled a defender Scal is when it comes to versatile big men, and Stoudemire certainly fits that description.
Shaq was arguably the most effective Sun last night, as he contributed a solid 16 points and 10 rebounds. Despite KG having to guard Shaq, he wasn't going to let him run away with anything as he put up 16 points and 8 rebounds himself.
Paul Pierce was closing in on a triple-double with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, but he, like every other Celtics starter (besides Scal), didn't have to play a minute of the 4th quarter for the third straight game.
I think that shows the quality of a team, when the starters only need to exhert their will on a team for three quarters. I think it's safe to say the Celtics have recovered from their slight recession, and even though there will be some more bumps along the way, expect better things from here on out.
Doc Rivers has stated over and over again that he just wants his team to improve throughout the course of the season, and that he wants this team to be better than last year's when it comes time for the playoffs. Well I think we're on the right track.
AND! I hope you all got to see what happened after the Celtics took out the Suns. Guess who lost last night? Yup. It happened again. Cleveland fell for the second time in three games. We've had to root for the Lakers the past few nights because they took on the Magic on Friday, and the Cavs last night, but once again they don't pose a threat to us in the conference so it's okay to root for them. They weren't able to handle the Magic, but it was a different story last night. The Cavaliers fell in Los Angeles, 105-88. 105-88!
That means the Cavs now fall to 1-2 in their first tough 10-game stretch of the season. What do you have to say now super secret schedule maker? Try as you might to thwart our quest for a second championship, your love for the Cavaliers cannot spark them to wins when the competition heats up. You can feed them easy opponents for only so long, which is why they're 31-8 right now. With the loss, Cleveland drops a game behind Boston and Orlando who are currently tied for first place in the East.
Even though a strong dislike for this man courses through my veins, I have to give it up for Sasha Vujacic who put in 14 points, and helped LA stay afloat during the second quarter when Cleveland was threatening to pull away. LA had six players in double figures, and scored 30 points in the fourth quarter to help themselves come out on top.
The Celtics continue to have the most wins in the NBA (34), with Orlando trailing slightly at 33. This is a huge stretch for the Celtics, which can't be stressed enough. With Cleveland in the midst of its tough stretch and the C's taking on Orlando Thursday, then can begin to pull away. Orlando is riding a 7-game winning streak, and it will be up to Boston to snap that on Thursday.
Miami is first though on Wednesday. Time to take care of business.
Stay tuned.
Monday, January 19, 2009
CELTICS 104 - SUNS 87
The Boston Celtics dismantled the Phoenix Suns in Boston, 104-87, behind 23 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds from Rajon Rondo, and 20 from Ray Allen. The Celtics led by 30 (64-34) at the half, and a 35-point deficit (87-52) in the third quarter was Phoenix's largest of the season. Paul Pierce neared a triple-double with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. For the third straight game no Boston starter played in the fourth quarter.
Full story coming. Stay tuned.
Full story coming. Stay tuned.
TONIGHT: CELTICS VS. SUNS- 8:00PM
Tonight the Boston Celtics will take on the Phoenix Suns at 8:00pm, part of a 3-game, Martin Luther King Day package, brought to you by TNT.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, 6 players have scored in double figures in the past two games; both easy wins against the New Jersey Nets.
WHO'S NOT: For the Suns, Steve Nash has only scored 15 points in the past two games combined.
KEY MATCHUP: Shaquille O'Neal vs. ??? - The Suns' big man is on a strict schedule geared toward frequent rest for the aging super star. With Kendrick Perkins still out of the line up, don't be completely surprised to see Glen Davis start over Brian Scalabrine.
SKINNY: The Suns played yesterday up in Toronto, while the Celtics have been enjoying a slight break in their schedule. A rested Boston team proved on Saturday no one should take them lightly anymore. Expect Boston to come out hard and fast and try and push the tempo to wear down the Shaq matchup.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, 6 players have scored in double figures in the past two games; both easy wins against the New Jersey Nets.
WHO'S NOT: For the Suns, Steve Nash has only scored 15 points in the past two games combined.
KEY MATCHUP: Shaquille O'Neal vs. ??? - The Suns' big man is on a strict schedule geared toward frequent rest for the aging super star. With Kendrick Perkins still out of the line up, don't be completely surprised to see Glen Davis start over Brian Scalabrine.
SKINNY: The Suns played yesterday up in Toronto, while the Celtics have been enjoying a slight break in their schedule. A rested Boston team proved on Saturday no one should take them lightly anymore. Expect Boston to come out hard and fast and try and push the tempo to wear down the Shaq matchup.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Hmmm...If you think about it, we actually have a lot going for us right now...
I've always heard that familiarity can breed contempt. Well, in the Celtics' case, familiarity bred four straight wins, so I'm A-Ok with familiarity. The Celtics seem to have righted the ship as they earned their fourth straight win today, 105-85, over the New Jersey Nets. This four-game winning streak has come against only two teams: The Toronto Raptors and the Nets, and the Celtics handled their business they way the should have.
We had some slight reason to be concerned heading into the past four games, just considering the fact that Boston had struggled during their losing streak against teams with losing records (New York, Charlotte, Golden State, etc.), so the fact that in the past two games particularly the Celtics won by an average margin of 26 points speaks volumes for a team that many critics claimed had lost its way.
At 33-9, the Celtics are back in a tie for second place with the Cleveland Cavaliers and are only half a game behind the Orland Magic, and the C's will see the Magic very soon. This Thursday on TNT, we'll finally see a Celtics-Magic matchup with a lot on the line. The way Cleveland and Orlando are keeping pace, a one game differential or an edge in the season series could have significant impact come late April when home court advantage will most likely be decided.
Before we head down to Orlando though we'll see Phoenix on Monday in Boston, and then head to South Beach for a clash with the Heat on Wednesday. Orlando will have a major advantage as the Celtics will be coming off a game the night before, and the Magic won't have played since yesterday. That's right, in an odd break, the Magic will have four days off in between games. That's rare, but expect the Magic to try and use that to their advantage. Maybe the super secret schedule maker is behind this...
Hopefully the Celtics will have Kendrick Perkins back in the line-up for that game. Perk has missed the last four games with that left shoulder strain after being whacked by Ben Wallace back in Cleveland. Tony Allen will also be out the majority of next week, but could be back in time for Orlando. Allen has been nursing a sore ankle the past few weeks, that didn't appear to be very serious at first, but as is customary with coach Doc Rivers and his medical staff, he's not going to rush Tony back any time soon.
In the meantime, the Celtics seem to have enough depth to fill both voids. First off, Brian Scalabrine continued his impressive streak in his new starting role, as he put up 11 points and pulled down 4 rebounds against the Nets yesterday. Also, did anyone catch that block he had on Ryan Anderson? Who knew Scal had it in him. It seems like Scal has a new surprise for us each and every game. I wonder what we'll see Monday against Phoenix? Will he be able to defend Shaq? Imagine if Brian Scalabrine was Shaquille O'Neal's kryptonite...Stranger things have happened I suppose.
Meanwhile, Tony Allen's spot has been filled nicely by a few players, but it seems like maybe rookie Bill Walker could receive steady minutes now that he has been called back up from the D-League. Bill posted a modest 6 points and 3 rebounds yesterday against New Jersey, but it still looks like he's in that role of not wanting to do too much just yet, and we certainly have to be patient. I haven't been this excited about a player in a long time. Look for Walker to keep improving that jump shot of his, and if that ever turns into a legitimate part of his offensive tool kit, he's going to be a scary player. We already know he's capable of attacking the rim and finishing once he gets there, so if he can turn into a respectable outside threat, watch out.
Also, I have to give a shout out to Gabe Pruitt, who has been coming along very nicely in his second year. He went from not playing at all in the first few months of the season to essentially being the backup point guard. It's nice to see Eddie House just having to focus on shooting while Gabe handles the pressure bringing the ball up the court. And don't count out Gabe as an offensive threat. His jumpshot is pure and he has a crafty way of getting to the hoop when he needs to be. Don't look now, but it looks like while the Celtics are still vying for the championship for a few more seasons, Danny Ainge is already building up the team of the future and he has some nice pieces in place: Pruitt, Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Tony Allen, Bill Walker, J. R. Giddens, Perk, and Patrick O'Bryant. And it's going to be very interesting to see if Danny goes after anyone in the summer of 2010 when free agency will resemble a day on Wall Street.
When will we see Sam Cassell? Apparently Doc doesn't see the need for him just yet. He knows Sam is the type of guy who doesn't need the in-game reps in order to contribute. Sam could step on the court for the first time in Game 7 of the NBA Finals with 20 seconds left with the Celtics trailing by 1, needing to hit the game-wnning shot, and he'd be ready. That's just the type of guy he is. Plus, he practices with the team and is obviously present at all the shoot arounds and team meetings and film sessions, so it's not like he's unfamiliar with the offensive and defensive sets like he was when he first arrived last season. Sam will be fine, and I think he's going to play a pretty big role come later in the season.
Oh well, those were just some thoughts. The C's will practice tomorrow to gear up for Phoenix, who will play up in Toronto tomorrow at 12:30. Hopefully the C's will have a slight edge heading into that game.
Oh, and what's the deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder? All of a sudden they've won three out of their last four games. Good for them? I mean, they won't make the playoffs, so we might as well root for them to play spoiler to some other Western Conference powers, or bug them if nothing else. I hereby jump on the Oklahoma City Thunder bandwagon! Oh, and while I'm at it...I have to jump on the Washington Wizards bandwagon as well. Even though the Wizards are 8-31, they seem to be to the Cleveland Cavaliers what the Charlotte Bobcats are to the Celtics: just an inferior team that, for no single reason, seems to play a certain team the right way. In two games with the Cavs so far the Wizards have won (January 4th, 80-77), and lost, but only by four points (December 25th, 89-93). Like Oklahoma City, Washington won't make the playoffs, but if they can help slow down Cleveland for us, I'm all for them! Go Wizards! (In the meantime I'll search for another pathetic team that seems to give the Magic trouble).
Stay tuned.
We had some slight reason to be concerned heading into the past four games, just considering the fact that Boston had struggled during their losing streak against teams with losing records (New York, Charlotte, Golden State, etc.), so the fact that in the past two games particularly the Celtics won by an average margin of 26 points speaks volumes for a team that many critics claimed had lost its way.
At 33-9, the Celtics are back in a tie for second place with the Cleveland Cavaliers and are only half a game behind the Orland Magic, and the C's will see the Magic very soon. This Thursday on TNT, we'll finally see a Celtics-Magic matchup with a lot on the line. The way Cleveland and Orlando are keeping pace, a one game differential or an edge in the season series could have significant impact come late April when home court advantage will most likely be decided.
Before we head down to Orlando though we'll see Phoenix on Monday in Boston, and then head to South Beach for a clash with the Heat on Wednesday. Orlando will have a major advantage as the Celtics will be coming off a game the night before, and the Magic won't have played since yesterday. That's right, in an odd break, the Magic will have four days off in between games. That's rare, but expect the Magic to try and use that to their advantage. Maybe the super secret schedule maker is behind this...
Hopefully the Celtics will have Kendrick Perkins back in the line-up for that game. Perk has missed the last four games with that left shoulder strain after being whacked by Ben Wallace back in Cleveland. Tony Allen will also be out the majority of next week, but could be back in time for Orlando. Allen has been nursing a sore ankle the past few weeks, that didn't appear to be very serious at first, but as is customary with coach Doc Rivers and his medical staff, he's not going to rush Tony back any time soon.
In the meantime, the Celtics seem to have enough depth to fill both voids. First off, Brian Scalabrine continued his impressive streak in his new starting role, as he put up 11 points and pulled down 4 rebounds against the Nets yesterday. Also, did anyone catch that block he had on Ryan Anderson? Who knew Scal had it in him. It seems like Scal has a new surprise for us each and every game. I wonder what we'll see Monday against Phoenix? Will he be able to defend Shaq? Imagine if Brian Scalabrine was Shaquille O'Neal's kryptonite...Stranger things have happened I suppose.
Meanwhile, Tony Allen's spot has been filled nicely by a few players, but it seems like maybe rookie Bill Walker could receive steady minutes now that he has been called back up from the D-League. Bill posted a modest 6 points and 3 rebounds yesterday against New Jersey, but it still looks like he's in that role of not wanting to do too much just yet, and we certainly have to be patient. I haven't been this excited about a player in a long time. Look for Walker to keep improving that jump shot of his, and if that ever turns into a legitimate part of his offensive tool kit, he's going to be a scary player. We already know he's capable of attacking the rim and finishing once he gets there, so if he can turn into a respectable outside threat, watch out.
Also, I have to give a shout out to Gabe Pruitt, who has been coming along very nicely in his second year. He went from not playing at all in the first few months of the season to essentially being the backup point guard. It's nice to see Eddie House just having to focus on shooting while Gabe handles the pressure bringing the ball up the court. And don't count out Gabe as an offensive threat. His jumpshot is pure and he has a crafty way of getting to the hoop when he needs to be. Don't look now, but it looks like while the Celtics are still vying for the championship for a few more seasons, Danny Ainge is already building up the team of the future and he has some nice pieces in place: Pruitt, Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Tony Allen, Bill Walker, J. R. Giddens, Perk, and Patrick O'Bryant. And it's going to be very interesting to see if Danny goes after anyone in the summer of 2010 when free agency will resemble a day on Wall Street.
When will we see Sam Cassell? Apparently Doc doesn't see the need for him just yet. He knows Sam is the type of guy who doesn't need the in-game reps in order to contribute. Sam could step on the court for the first time in Game 7 of the NBA Finals with 20 seconds left with the Celtics trailing by 1, needing to hit the game-wnning shot, and he'd be ready. That's just the type of guy he is. Plus, he practices with the team and is obviously present at all the shoot arounds and team meetings and film sessions, so it's not like he's unfamiliar with the offensive and defensive sets like he was when he first arrived last season. Sam will be fine, and I think he's going to play a pretty big role come later in the season.
Oh well, those were just some thoughts. The C's will practice tomorrow to gear up for Phoenix, who will play up in Toronto tomorrow at 12:30. Hopefully the C's will have a slight edge heading into that game.
Oh, and what's the deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder? All of a sudden they've won three out of their last four games. Good for them? I mean, they won't make the playoffs, so we might as well root for them to play spoiler to some other Western Conference powers, or bug them if nothing else. I hereby jump on the Oklahoma City Thunder bandwagon! Oh, and while I'm at it...I have to jump on the Washington Wizards bandwagon as well. Even though the Wizards are 8-31, they seem to be to the Cleveland Cavaliers what the Charlotte Bobcats are to the Celtics: just an inferior team that, for no single reason, seems to play a certain team the right way. In two games with the Cavs so far the Wizards have won (January 4th, 80-77), and lost, but only by four points (December 25th, 89-93). Like Oklahoma City, Washington won't make the playoffs, but if they can help slow down Cleveland for us, I'm all for them! Go Wizards! (In the meantime I'll search for another pathetic team that seems to give the Magic trouble).
Stay tuned.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Celtics cruise by Nets, 105-85
The Boston Celtics decided to start the second half of the season the same way they ended the first: with a routine bashing of the New Jersey Nets. After dismantling New Jersey in Boston this past Wednesday, 118-86, the Celtics followed it up with a slightly less brutal victory, 105-85.
New Jersey was yet another victim of the double-edged sword that is this Celtics team. New Jersey had no answer for Boston's offense, or Rajon Rondo in particular, as the C's scored 18 points in the first seven minutes, and they also couldn't solve Boston's defensive schemes as they managed only two points in the first 7:03 of the game.
"(The past) three games we've come out with great starts," C's coach Doc Rivers said afterward. "It gives you a chance to play well the whole game. I thought the whole team was running tonight. As much as the guards running is important, I think the bigs running is even more important."
Rondo nearly captured his second triple-double of the season, finishing with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 14 assists, with many of those helpers going to Ray Allen, who finished with a Celtics game-high 25 points.
"When you've got that type of player on your team, you're going to win a lot of games," C's forward Leon Powe said of Rondo's performance.
The C's held a comfortable 14-point lead (29-15) after the first quarter, thanks to Rondo pushing the tempto.
"I just thought as a group, the first quarter was as well as we've run maybe all year," Rivers said.
The C's would extend that 14-point lead into a 29-point halftime cushion (68-39), with those 68 points being a season-high.
The second half was business as usual for the C's, with the starters sitting out the entire fourth quarter. The Nets managed to put small spurts together to cut the lead to 20 (74-54) in the third, and 17 (85-68) in the fourth, but the threat proved to be just that.
"The second half we didn't come out and play great," Rivers said. "But it was a very productive games for us. We looked at these last four games like a playoff. We played Toronto back-to-back and New Jersey back-to-back. We had great focus in all four games which was nice."
"The bench was good in the first half, and in the second half they just maintained the lead. When our starters play the way they played they deserve the rest."
The Celtics improved their modest win streak to four games, but Rivers stresses it's all about improving.
"We don't look at our record. We don't look at wins and we don't look at losses. We just look at improving. Our goal is to be a better team than we were last year."
The Celtics are certainly a better team than they were two weeks ago.
New Jersey was yet another victim of the double-edged sword that is this Celtics team. New Jersey had no answer for Boston's offense, or Rajon Rondo in particular, as the C's scored 18 points in the first seven minutes, and they also couldn't solve Boston's defensive schemes as they managed only two points in the first 7:03 of the game.
"(The past) three games we've come out with great starts," C's coach Doc Rivers said afterward. "It gives you a chance to play well the whole game. I thought the whole team was running tonight. As much as the guards running is important, I think the bigs running is even more important."
Rondo nearly captured his second triple-double of the season, finishing with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 14 assists, with many of those helpers going to Ray Allen, who finished with a Celtics game-high 25 points.
"When you've got that type of player on your team, you're going to win a lot of games," C's forward Leon Powe said of Rondo's performance.
The C's held a comfortable 14-point lead (29-15) after the first quarter, thanks to Rondo pushing the tempto.
"I just thought as a group, the first quarter was as well as we've run maybe all year," Rivers said.
The C's would extend that 14-point lead into a 29-point halftime cushion (68-39), with those 68 points being a season-high.
The second half was business as usual for the C's, with the starters sitting out the entire fourth quarter. The Nets managed to put small spurts together to cut the lead to 20 (74-54) in the third, and 17 (85-68) in the fourth, but the threat proved to be just that.
"The second half we didn't come out and play great," Rivers said. "But it was a very productive games for us. We looked at these last four games like a playoff. We played Toronto back-to-back and New Jersey back-to-back. We had great focus in all four games which was nice."
"The bench was good in the first half, and in the second half they just maintained the lead. When our starters play the way they played they deserve the rest."
The Celtics improved their modest win streak to four games, but Rivers stresses it's all about improving.
"We don't look at our record. We don't look at wins and we don't look at losses. We just look at improving. Our goal is to be a better team than we were last year."
The Celtics are certainly a better team than they were two weeks ago.
Let's do it again!
The Boston Celtics will visit the New Jersey Nets today at 1:00pm on Comcast SportsNet.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The number 2. A.k.a. the number of days the Celtics have had to rest since their last game.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Paul Pierce scored 18 of his 22 points in the third quarter alone (5-5 from 3-point nation) this past Wednesday, when the Celtics dismantled this same Nets team, 118-86.
WHO'S NOT: For the Nets, Vince Carter scored just 4 points on 1-10 shooting on Wednesday in the Nets loss.
SKINNY: The Celtics jumped on the Nets early and kept their foot on the gas the entire game. Look for much of the same today.
KEEP IT IN MIND: The number 2. A.k.a. the number of days the Celtics have had to rest since their last game.
WHO'S HOT: For the Celtics, Paul Pierce scored 18 of his 22 points in the third quarter alone (5-5 from 3-point nation) this past Wednesday, when the Celtics dismantled this same Nets team, 118-86.
WHO'S NOT: For the Nets, Vince Carter scored just 4 points on 1-10 shooting on Wednesday in the Nets loss.
SKINNY: The Celtics jumped on the Nets early and kept their foot on the gas the entire game. Look for much of the same today.
You want a sure thing? The Hornets can't be trusted and the Lakers have a not-clutch toad problem
Want to know why I won't bet my own money on sports games? I can't control the outcome. I can't have an impact on whatever game I'm betting on. The fate of my money is in someone else's hands. It's just like how the fate of this year's Patriots team fell into the hands of Brett Favre.
Now, if my friends want to bet their money, I'm more than happy to lend any knowledge I might have about the team's they are betting on. Even then, anything can happen. For example, a friend of mine frequently visits one of those betting websites and tries to win millions of dollars. Sure it sounds like it's fun when the bets are happening, but when you lose you hit rock bottom. Plus, there are no "sure things". He asked me who would have a better night in the Spurs-Clippers game: Tim Duncan or Marcus Camby. I said, "Duncan will easily drop at least 19 points and grab at least 11 rebounds, and Camby will get his usual 9 points and 11 rebounds, so go with Duncan." Now, for those of you who do not know, Tim Duncan is arguably the most solid and consistent player in the entire league. He just shows up and gets it done night in and night out. He's like Bruce Springstein. Never has a bad show.
So what was the end result?
Tim Duncan: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists
Marcus Camby: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist
Camby wins. Ouch. So much for Mr. Reliable. On the one night I actually need him to be who he is he isn't. Then I have to go say sorry to my buddy because after all, there is just no such thing as a sure thing.
The same thing happened last night. The Cavs took on the Hornets at home and the Magic battled the Lakers out in LA. It's situations like these where you have to put your faith in teams you don't particularly care about and that you migh not know a whole lot about. I can name you the majority of the Hornets roster easily, but can I give you all the detailed stats off the top of my head? No. Why? I just don't care about the Hornets. Does anyone still consider them a legitimate title contender? I sure don't. Which is why I was only slightly optimistic heading into last night's showdown on ESPN. Sure enough, the Hornets let me down, as they lost miserably, 92-78. The Cavs improved to 20-0 at home. Spectacular.
Chris Paul, the main man for New Orleans, finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Now, Chris Paul also got ejected from this game. That right there says something was horribly wrong with the officiating crew. Oh, great example: End of the third quarter? Chris Paul gets whacked as he tries to beat the buzzer and doesn't get a call? Anyone see Chris Paul nursing a sore hand in between quarters? Chris Paul getting ejected is like Barney the dinosaur throwing one of those kids through a window. Paul is one of the most polite, mild-mannered kids in the league. Something was seriously wrong last night.
Oh, want to know what was wrong? James Posey scored 4 points and must have just played terrific defense on LBJ as James went off for 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. Apparently we can't rely on Posey even when he's not on our team anymore. Do you think Pose regrets his decision to go to New Orleans now? I bet if you got your hands on some of that truth juice they use in Harry Potter you'd get a pretty interesting answer. The Hornets will make the playoffs, as they currently have the #4 seed locked up (they're 23-13), but it's only because the teams behind them are reeling. Portland was clearly a pretender. They're not a legitimate threat yet, but hopefully they can just duel a higher seed in the first or second round to wear that other team down. Houston would be phenomenal if they could at least get all their men on the court at one time. Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Ron Artest just can't seem to find the court together anymore.
Picture going to a Nirvana concert and only seeing 1 of the 3 guys play the entire set, and it's not the same guy every night. One night it's just Kurt Cobain, which is fine, but you get no drums and no bass. The next night it's just Krist Novoselic, so you get no guitar and no drums. Finally, the third night you go, only Dave Grohl comes out so you get no guitar, bass, or vocals. When they're all together it's a great band. When they're apart, it can be ugly. That's Houston right now.
The Rockets just don't have the team chemistry or the health to make a legitimate post season run. Maybe this ploy of being injured is just to limp into the playoffs and all of a sudden T-Mac and the boys are incredibly, miraculously healthy and go on a post season push. You know, I wouldn't actually rule out that possibility...
So, the Cavs now move to 1-1 in their first 2 games of their first tough 10-game stretch of the season.
Now, on the other side of things, Orlando knocked out the Lakers late last night, 109-103. This was a lose-lose situation in a lot of ways because we don't want either of these teams to actually win ever again, but like I said yesterday we should have rooted for the Lakers simply because they are not in our conference. But, Jameer Nelson had other plans as he buried two huge 3-pointers late in the game and helped the Magic seal it from the free throw line. By the way, didn't we all just take the slightest comfort as Kobe Bryant single handedly blew the game for Los Angeles last night? I mean, you want to talk about not being clutch, Kobe just threw up brick after brick after brick, trying to be the hero. I seriously lost count of the number of shots Kobe missed in the final 1.5 minutes of last night's action. He stunk. Someone should wave a skunk in his face!
Sorry, no more Saved by the Bell references.
Anyway, the Magic basically proved that they are, kinda sorta, as much as I hate to say it, legit. They have done twice so far what we have failed to do once: defeat the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the first season sweep of the Lakers for the Magic in franchise history. Impressive stuff.
Imagine if Dwight Howard didn't actually smile all the time? Imagine if Dwight Howard was a mean guy? Imagine if last night when Pau Gasol elbowed Howard in the chest, Howard just turned around and absolutely decked Gasol in the face. I mean, Dwight Howard is a big guy, like a really big guy. That's like taking a hammer and smashing a tomato.
Oh, did anyone else notice how much Pau Gasol looks exactly like a toad when he starts to get all gross and sweaty? It was a scary resemblance. He literally looks like a toad with a mat of swamp weeds stuck to his head, which he's trying to pass off as hair. Someone else please tell me you saw that.
Anyway, the Celtics get back in action today, and can now use the win just to stay tied with Cleveland and Orlando for the East's lead. They're taking on New Jersey again, so hopefully they'll win as easily as they did on Wednesday night.
Stay tuned.
Now, if my friends want to bet their money, I'm more than happy to lend any knowledge I might have about the team's they are betting on. Even then, anything can happen. For example, a friend of mine frequently visits one of those betting websites and tries to win millions of dollars. Sure it sounds like it's fun when the bets are happening, but when you lose you hit rock bottom. Plus, there are no "sure things". He asked me who would have a better night in the Spurs-Clippers game: Tim Duncan or Marcus Camby. I said, "Duncan will easily drop at least 19 points and grab at least 11 rebounds, and Camby will get his usual 9 points and 11 rebounds, so go with Duncan." Now, for those of you who do not know, Tim Duncan is arguably the most solid and consistent player in the entire league. He just shows up and gets it done night in and night out. He's like Bruce Springstein. Never has a bad show.
So what was the end result?
Tim Duncan: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists
Marcus Camby: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist
Camby wins. Ouch. So much for Mr. Reliable. On the one night I actually need him to be who he is he isn't. Then I have to go say sorry to my buddy because after all, there is just no such thing as a sure thing.
The same thing happened last night. The Cavs took on the Hornets at home and the Magic battled the Lakers out in LA. It's situations like these where you have to put your faith in teams you don't particularly care about and that you migh not know a whole lot about. I can name you the majority of the Hornets roster easily, but can I give you all the detailed stats off the top of my head? No. Why? I just don't care about the Hornets. Does anyone still consider them a legitimate title contender? I sure don't. Which is why I was only slightly optimistic heading into last night's showdown on ESPN. Sure enough, the Hornets let me down, as they lost miserably, 92-78. The Cavs improved to 20-0 at home. Spectacular.
Chris Paul, the main man for New Orleans, finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Now, Chris Paul also got ejected from this game. That right there says something was horribly wrong with the officiating crew. Oh, great example: End of the third quarter? Chris Paul gets whacked as he tries to beat the buzzer and doesn't get a call? Anyone see Chris Paul nursing a sore hand in between quarters? Chris Paul getting ejected is like Barney the dinosaur throwing one of those kids through a window. Paul is one of the most polite, mild-mannered kids in the league. Something was seriously wrong last night.
Oh, want to know what was wrong? James Posey scored 4 points and must have just played terrific defense on LBJ as James went off for 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. Apparently we can't rely on Posey even when he's not on our team anymore. Do you think Pose regrets his decision to go to New Orleans now? I bet if you got your hands on some of that truth juice they use in Harry Potter you'd get a pretty interesting answer. The Hornets will make the playoffs, as they currently have the #4 seed locked up (they're 23-13), but it's only because the teams behind them are reeling. Portland was clearly a pretender. They're not a legitimate threat yet, but hopefully they can just duel a higher seed in the first or second round to wear that other team down. Houston would be phenomenal if they could at least get all their men on the court at one time. Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Ron Artest just can't seem to find the court together anymore.
Picture going to a Nirvana concert and only seeing 1 of the 3 guys play the entire set, and it's not the same guy every night. One night it's just Kurt Cobain, which is fine, but you get no drums and no bass. The next night it's just Krist Novoselic, so you get no guitar and no drums. Finally, the third night you go, only Dave Grohl comes out so you get no guitar, bass, or vocals. When they're all together it's a great band. When they're apart, it can be ugly. That's Houston right now.
The Rockets just don't have the team chemistry or the health to make a legitimate post season run. Maybe this ploy of being injured is just to limp into the playoffs and all of a sudden T-Mac and the boys are incredibly, miraculously healthy and go on a post season push. You know, I wouldn't actually rule out that possibility...
So, the Cavs now move to 1-1 in their first 2 games of their first tough 10-game stretch of the season.
Now, on the other side of things, Orlando knocked out the Lakers late last night, 109-103. This was a lose-lose situation in a lot of ways because we don't want either of these teams to actually win ever again, but like I said yesterday we should have rooted for the Lakers simply because they are not in our conference. But, Jameer Nelson had other plans as he buried two huge 3-pointers late in the game and helped the Magic seal it from the free throw line. By the way, didn't we all just take the slightest comfort as Kobe Bryant single handedly blew the game for Los Angeles last night? I mean, you want to talk about not being clutch, Kobe just threw up brick after brick after brick, trying to be the hero. I seriously lost count of the number of shots Kobe missed in the final 1.5 minutes of last night's action. He stunk. Someone should wave a skunk in his face!
Sorry, no more Saved by the Bell references.
Anyway, the Magic basically proved that they are, kinda sorta, as much as I hate to say it, legit. They have done twice so far what we have failed to do once: defeat the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the first season sweep of the Lakers for the Magic in franchise history. Impressive stuff.
Imagine if Dwight Howard didn't actually smile all the time? Imagine if Dwight Howard was a mean guy? Imagine if last night when Pau Gasol elbowed Howard in the chest, Howard just turned around and absolutely decked Gasol in the face. I mean, Dwight Howard is a big guy, like a really big guy. That's like taking a hammer and smashing a tomato.
Oh, did anyone else notice how much Pau Gasol looks exactly like a toad when he starts to get all gross and sweaty? It was a scary resemblance. He literally looks like a toad with a mat of swamp weeds stuck to his head, which he's trying to pass off as hair. Someone else please tell me you saw that.
Anyway, the Celtics get back in action today, and can now use the win just to stay tied with Cleveland and Orlando for the East's lead. They're taking on New Jersey again, so hopefully they'll win as easily as they did on Wednesday night.
Stay tuned.
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