Boston Celtics

So I'm not keeping minutes for this game. I should be, considering how much better this game is going than game 1. But, I've a headache, and there's no way I'll enjoy this game if I'm describing every play of it. Maybe. We'll see.

Continue reading "RAY ALLEN FOR 3!!!!!!!!!!!!"

After a nightmare weekend for all the Boston teams (except the Bruins, who barely managed an over-time win)...It was good to see the Red Sox remember that Fenway is a hitters ball park on Monday night. It was good to see the Celtics infuriate the Cleveland fans, instead of infuriating me by blowing a ten point fourth quarter lead.

Continue reading "C's, B's, and Sox! Oh My!"

The Miami Heat had a foul to give, and Paul Pierce still intimidated his defender enough to dribble within the arc and take a shot that was so clutch in this series it gave me the chance to shout, "Miami can't  handle The Truth!".

Continue reading "The Truth in Miami"

There’s been a lot of griping recently over the state of Boston sports, serving (for me) as another ugly reminder of the developing, spoiled and cocksure nature of fans in this area. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?

Continue reading "A Message to Boston Sports Fans"

Earlier today, the Celtics awarded point guard Rajon Rondo with a 5-year contract extension believed to be in the neighborhood of $55 million. I like Rondo as a player but I’m a bit concerned about banking the future on a mercurial 23-year-old hot shot with a burgeoning prima donna complex and a history of instigating senseless scuffles.

Continue reading "C's Banking on Rondo"

Its recently been brought to my attention that, over the past couple of weeks or so, my readership has doubled in volume, from 2 to 4. Thanks to these good natured and sympathetic followers, I’m left to wrestle with a serious question: Do I quit while on top (never had I anticipated the blog becoming this great a success), or do I continue to dribble out these “bi-weekly” blunderbusses, even though there is likely nowhere to go from here but down?

Continue reading "Late Night Rant"

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

When Mark Cuban told Lydia Moore that her son, the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin, was a "thug" after Game 3 of the Nuggets-Mavs series, he crossed a line. I thought I'd point out the Top 10 Things he MEANT TO SAY to Ms. Moore:

Continue reading "Top 10 Things Mark Cuban MEANT TO ..."

go out on that field and play like one.  Right now the Boston Red Sox and for that matter the Boston Celtics are not playing like champions.  They are playing like a bunch of guys who are glad that they are making a lot of money doing something that we all probably did for free growing up.  It would be like me getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for belching the alphabet (if anyone knows of an opening for that let me know, I'm in for that).  Champions don't get beaten the way the Red Sox got beaten this weekend. 

Continue reading "Play Like A Champion Today"

Last night's game between the Celtics and the Bulls ended what is only going to be remembered as an epic battle. It's finally over and C-nation got the win we wanted and sent the Bulls packing. Clearly, the Celts bench stepped it up to another level -- this is what I have been waiting for during the entire playoffs -- seeing the team play like a unit instead of counting on one guy.

Continue reading "Celtics to Bulls: You're Outta Our House"

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

I'm at a loss for words. Literally speechless.

The consensus among the talking heads here in Boston is that this Celtics team isn't going too far this year. They're getting literally less than nothing from their bench? Check. Their defensive captain and the unquestioned heart of their team is out for the playoffs? Check. Their opponent is a young, athletic team with a lot of poise and a nasty streak to boot? Check.

Continue reading "Another game, another epic battle"

I'm worried for three reasons: 

1) Defense. Having witnessed the Boston Celtics' utter demolition of the Lakers last June, first-hand, in a crowded Georgetown bar amongst rabid Boston Masshole fans yelling while chugging beer (I didn't even think that was possible), I've watched Kobe's squad carefully all year for any signs of an improving defense. I didn't see much worth noting, other than the fact Ariza was sorely missed. If Bynum's back to full strength, that's one thing, but I highly doubt he is. Let's check some stats: at year's end, LA was giving up 100 points per game on average to its opponents. Through its first four games with Utah in the playoffs, the Lakers are allowing the Jazz 98 points a game. LeBron, in comparison, led his Cavs to a first-round sweep of the Shadowy Pistons, including holding them to a pathetic 78 a game. A twenty-point-differential? Don't the playoffs get harder as you progress? I realize the Jazz are tougher than Detroit, and way more physical, but don't be fooled if you think Roy/Aldridge/Blake, or Artest/Yao/Brooks, whoever Kobe faces next, won't be a tougher challenge. Especially if it's vs. Portland, on the road, where the Rose Garden owns Los Angeles.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

"We'll come back to Chicago, the pizza's good." - Doc Rivers

Yesterday's game was absolutely insane, it wasn't the blow out or back breaker Celtics nation had been hoping and praying for!  With KG and Powe out its been a lot of overtime play for 3 three Big guys and the Celtics still had quite a few chances to pull off the win in this game.  To agree with my colleague; Mr. Denizen of Titletown (hell yeah! Title-town) Big Baby left a lot to be desired in Game 4.  Nearly all of us here in Bean-town had a heart attack watching this game.  

Continue reading "Doc Must Really Like the Pizza in Chicago"

Another one of these games, and I'll be rooming with Danny Ainge down at Mass General.

With the exception of Game 3's blowout victory, neither team has had any breathing room at all in this series. And as I paced around the room with my heart in my throat while the teams traded blows, I realized that this could be a matchup we'll be seeing in the NBA playoffs for a while.

Continue reading "The agony of defeat"

When it comes to sports in Boston, we're title-town! The Boston Celtics' last game was exactly what Boston was waiting for and hopefully, the C's can put down the back-breaker on Sunday at 1:00!!! I firmly believe it's going to be the last nail in the Bulls' coffin, even though the Cs would still have to come home and win one more and then head to the second round. Time will tell if we'll be playing Orlando (2 seed)...they're down 2-1 against Philly. 

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Doing their Part in Title-Town"

So we have a tied series with game 3 tonight in Chicago where the Bulls have a home record of 28-13 this year and the Cs lost to them 127-121 in our only visit to their house this season. While that may not bode well for tonight's game, I think there were extenuating circumstances we need to consider: it was St. Patty's Day and the Bulls(wanting to be us) wore the Celts' green. I believe that messed with our heads. It was not cool.

Continue reading "Boston Celtics Heading to Their House"

I am not a morning person. I'm especially grouchy after being out late drinking $7 beers and watching the KG-free Celtics in a matchup with the Wizards that was much too hotly contested.

So you can imagine how I was feeling when I got an email entitled "Breaking Sports News" that confirmed my worst fears about Kevin Garnett's injury. To the co-workers I startled when I began screaming obscenities - my bad. 

Continue reading "What's next for the Celtics"

Pierce v Wade, Friday night at the Garden. This will be like a heavyweight fight as both teams have something to prove since the C's could be playing the Heat in the second round of the playoffs. A

Continue reading "Tonight's Celtics Game -- Basketball ..."

The Boston Celtics got their 59th win of the season, and Rondo was the man! Rondo scored 31 points (33 is his career high), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and had 3 steals-- amazing! The bench stepped

Continue reading "The Rajon Rondo Show"

The Celtic's defense showed up huge against the Atlanta Hawks who the C's have beat 3 times this year, but only by a total of 10 points; two of those games the C's won by only 1 point which gives Atlanta the feeling that they can beat the C's especially after last year's 1st round (taking the Celts to 7). But after last night's win, 104-92, having 10 blocks, the C's were sending a message: "get it out of our house".

Continue reading "Celtics to Hawks: Get it out of our House"

2 overtimes, 2 point win, 2 seed, 2 sweet. What a game!  The Celtics had to battle hard last night to win this one and not let history repeat itself by having the Bobcats beat LA and then us in back to back games.  That has not happened in 12 years, and that did not happen last night!  

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: And the Winning Number is "2""

Doc Rivers announced today that KG would need another four games off. Saying his knee isn't any worse, but that it is not any better, is the reason behind Doc's decision to sit him. Hopefully

Continue reading "Kevin Garnett on the Bench. Should ..."

What a basketball game -- the Celtics down by 16 points in the third quarter and to have the ending we did, CRAZY!  The Celts not only had to battle Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic (who are fighting against us for the 2 seed), but last night the Cs had to battle the referees as well. 

Continue reading "Celts vs Orlando Magic vs. the Refs 3/26/09"

The roar that the garden made when Kevin Garnett came out dressed and ready to go for tonight's game sent chills throughout Boston.  This was an intense game, and you could see the fire that KG brings onto the court and what the C's have been missing for the last 15 games (losing 4-6 in that time).  He played only 14 minutes, but scored 10 points and 4 rebounds and the intensity of the defense was back.  The Celtics blocked 6 shots last night which led to a score on our end each time in this really close game.  The rest of the team looked on top of it's game with Rondo making great passes and great D, Big Perk with 5 blocks, Allen scoring 19 points, and Pierce holding them all together with a big 12 rebounds and 9 points.  And a great assist at the end of the game to Glen "Big Baby" Davis for a huge jumper which led to the win with a little help from Tony Parker missing 4 free throws at the end of the game.

Continue reading "The Celtics' "Block" Party 3/21/09"

Tonight the Boston Celtics play the Miami Heat in what should be an epic battle.  This will be a duel between Paul Pierce and Dwayne Wade which should have us on the edge of our seats.  I'm anticipating this to be a flashback of game 7, Eastern Conference Finals, when Mr. Larry Bird scored 20 points in the 4th to outdo Dominique Wilkins and take the Cs to the finals -- after which all of Boston erupted! 

Continue reading "Celtics - Heat: Back to Boston 3/18/09"

The Chicago Bulls came out onto the court last night wearing what appeared to be the Celtics alternative home jerseys -- the only difference was that they said Bulls. Do they want to be us? Of course they do, we are the champs!  So they tried to confuse us by wearing our colors, and it worked.  The Bulls scored like us on a normal night...and our defense?

Continue reading "Celtics-Bulls: St. Patrick's Day Posers 3/18/09"

Injuries are sweeping through the Boston Celtics locker-room quicker than the Rage Virus infected London in 28 Days Later. Since their February 8th home-defeat against the Spurs, the Celtics have lost Tony Allen, Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Rajon Rondo and Big Baby Davis to one ailment or another. Tonight in Miami, Boston will dress a group of ten players that includes a pair of newcomers who have been on the team less than two weeks, two rookies who never play, and a second-year guard who no one knows if Doc even likes and recently returned from a DUI suspension.

Continue reading "Injuries Slow Celtics - Accentuate ..."

I have to admit, this edition of The Sports Don’s Sunday Musings was harder for me to compile than the previous two weeks. Maybe it’s because I’m still bull over Steven the Black Jack Dealer cheating me out of all of my money at Foxwoods or perhaps it’s because I’m trying to remember to DVR Dark Days in Monkey City. Either way, I still managed to ramble on especially long this weekend so I’ll keep the words typed in the remainder of my intro to a minimum...here it is.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume III"

Are the dogs in New York safe?

5.) I challenge anyone who was beginning to think the Boston Celtics chances at championship 18 were in jeopardy to stand by that belief following the C’s double-digit come from behind victory in the second half against Dallas on Thursday night. It was quite impressive. Boston overcame five Kevin Garnett fouls in three quarters, Ray Allen’s hyper extended thumb, and playing without subs Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to enter the all-star break with the best record in basketball. The Mavericks may not be the superpower they were three seasons ago, but the Celtics didn’t make me regret staying up until 2 a.m. to finish watching the recording of the game after taking a break at the half to kill some zombies in Left 4 Dead. While it should have never been in doubt, Boston sent notice to everyone in the game that home losses to the Lakers and Spurs in a five day span was not a sign of their complacency with last year’s Larry O’Brien trophy. I also challenge anyone to tell me that Kendrick Perkins doesn’t look like a combination of John Thompson III and The Muppets’ Sam Eagle. These are the things I think about it. Is there something wrong with me?

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume II"

That said, here we go...

1-Boston Celtics; 41-10, 2nd in the Eastern Conference

Yes, I'm completely aware of the fact that the Lakers beat the Celtics, in Boston, without Andrew Bynum last night. Still, I refuse to put all my eggs in one basket. I personally prefer the Lakers to the Celtics, and I was rooting for Los Angeles last night, but I'm reserving my biases for the purpose of this post.

Continue reading "NBA Power Rankings"

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have indeed renewed there once coveted rivalry. The Lakers have had a very sour taste in there mouth since last year's NBA finals and this year they have come to play against the Celtics. The Lakers, yet again must learn life without Andrew Bynum. And this year things will be different. They match up so well with the Celtics. Kobe and Gasol against Garnet, Pierce, and Allen. One of the Celtics three will always shoot themselves in the foot. The Lakers bench is devised of quick, nagging, humble assassins who have come to love there role of being Kobe's sidekicks. The Celtics bench is devised of a Big Baby, a Leon Powe and a cold blooded Eddie House. I guess you could throw in an ineffective Tony Allen, as well.

Continue reading "Battle at The Garden"

I never had the opportunity to personally attend any of the classic Celtics-Lakers games of the 80s. I was actually only in the old Boston Garden twice, and neither occasion was for basketball. I can’t even claim to remember watching any of the historic battles live on television since I was just six when the decade ended. ESPN Classic provided me with the handful of Bird vs. Magic matchups I have seen, and while I could still feel the intensity between the two great franchises, the suspense was lacking because I already knew the outcomes prior to sitting down.

Continue reading "Lakers-Celtics: Waiting for Round Three"

The Boston Celtics completed a trade on July 31, 2007 that forever altered the complexion of their franchise. The Celtics swung five players, cash considerations and two first-round picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Garnett, and following some additional tweaking, as Celtics radio announcer Sean Grande so aptly put it, after 20 years of futility, “the game’s original monarchy has retaken the throne”.

Continue reading "The Rise of Big Al Jefferson"

All-Star Reserves ballots were due yesterday at 3p.m., and for the all the Eastern Conference coaches who tune in to my blog, I provided some help, a cheat sheet if you will, to aid in their quest to make the proper selections. Call it an East Coast bias, but time did not allow me to do the same for the West. Hopefully, they managed on their own.

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Western ..."

wyane Wade, Miami Heat

F – LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

F – Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

C – Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

With the aforementioned guidelines adhered to, here are my selections...

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Eastern ..."

(Note: I've published this post on another blog of mine, here.)

Did you see these two teams yesterday? I don't think I've ever been more impressed by a pair of NBA teams on the same day. The Celtics absolutely dismantled a respectable Dallas Mavericks' team, and the Lakers shamed the once-mighty San Antonio Spurs. Everything was clicking for both the Celtics and Lakers, and yet it's not as if this was a one-time deal.

Continue reading "We're headed for a Lakers/Celtics ..."

The Kobes and the LeBrons, excuse me, I mean, the Lakers and the Cavs met for the first time this season a week ago today in Los Angeles, and while the home team won by 17 in an uneventful game where James matched his number in points and Bryant’s 20 weren’t even a team-high, it did give basketball’s so-called pundits another opportunity to debate who’s better: Kobe or LeBron.

Continue reading "Kobe versus LeBron - The Battle for Superiority"

Following a putrid stretch when the defending champions lost seven of nine, the Boston Celtics have regained much of their swagger with six consecutive wins by an average of 16 points per game. Thursday night, the Celtics venture to Orlando to play the hottest, and arguably best, team in the NBA. Regardless of the outcome, do Boston fans still have reason to worry about the chances of Green 18? 

Continue reading "Reason for Concern in Celtic Land?"

Anyone catch that Spurs Lakers game from last night?  It was a fantastic, wonderful game from tip-off to final buzzer.  It came down to the last possession, and there was a certain exchange that I found to be quite delightful that may just come in handy sometime later this year...  

Continue reading "A Quick Aside... (NOT!)"

The Boston Celtics have to tread carefully right now. Their mini skid has become a slide, and they've actually fallen behind the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference standings.

Sure the Men in Green are the defending league champions, but the chinks in their armor may eventually become gaping holes. The Celtics and their fans are getting a little worried, and the players have no one to blame but themselves.

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: Spiraling Out of Control?"

The Celtics finally lost, and although many in the sports world would have you believe that the sky is falling, I for one am not entirely convinced.  Give credit to Kobe and the Lakers, they played hard on Christmas day and earned their win.  They were physical with the Celtics and very aggressive on both ends of the floor, forcing Boston turnovers and making big shots when it counted, but I'm not worried, and I don't believe that the Lakers have redeemed themselves at all for the turd egg they laid in last season's Finals.  Since when does winning one regular season game at home count as a statement game?  How does one victory on National TV even come close to making up for a humiliating 39 point ego-ectomy (to use the basketbawful terminology) of a defeat in basketball's biggest game of the year or the three embarassing losses that preceeded it?

Continue reading "Are They Who We Thought They Were?"

Of course that fire comes from the Boston Celtics’ and their 14-game winning streak. The Celtics boast an NBA 2nd best 90.5 score against them per game while averaging over 100 points themselves. This year’s team shows shades of the 95-95 Chicago Bulls team that posted an impressive 72-10 record by season’s end. During the Bulls’ amazing run they to held a 22-2 record by this point in the season as well. These teams are similar in many ways; defensively they hold their opponent well under 100ppg and offensively they each have their big three. Unlike the Bulls this is a Celtics team who is without a Michael Jordan, and sorry Pierce you are certainly a leader but you just aren’t Mike.

Continue reading "Fire in Ice"

Why Celtics 24/7? Because everything you could possibly want out of your favorite basketball team is right here on this site! Every inch of celtics247.com is fully interactive from our widely popular discussion forum where every detail about the Celtics can be discussed with other fans along with the Sox, Pats, and Bruins. Have a piece of graphics art work you want to display? Do you have your own announcement or suggestion for the C's 24/7 crew? You can do that on the forum as well! Our home page has enough features to keep every Celtics fan happy. With up to the minute breaking news and analysis on every event in the Celtics world from Scalabrine's shorts ripping to blockbuster trades you'll feel right at home.

Continue reading "Celtics 24/7"

First, check out this, it's super hilarious and well written.  Now, on to the good stuff... 

We're less than four hours away from the Blazers and Celtics tipping off in Boston (catch it on ESPN if you don't want to listen to Mike Rice gush over Channing Frye and you love Van Gundy/Jackson as much as I do), so I figured I'd provide a few nuggets of wisdom about what might be the keys to the game for both sides.  Now before you all collectively groan in disgust, let me reassure you that what follows may actually prove insightful, unlike most other "key to tonight's match-up" pieces that simply say score, defend and rebound better than your opponent.  There are a few things that I'm looking for as indicators of successful play by both sides which go much deeper than the usual mundane crap, so bear with me.

Continue reading "Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza"

(cue the Biggie...)  I'm going out of town for the long holiday weekend, so all of you out there (if there are any of you) are going to have to survive for a few days without my wonderful and insightful analysis about all things basketball for a few days.  (I'll pause for a moment to let you scream in anguish and control your sobbing...)  But fear not, I will be back with even more opinions and prognostications about the realm of professional sports on Tuesday, and by then I should have plenty to write about.

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Send Off Spectacular"

ons last season?  I certainly do, and do you know what the number one issue always was for the Boston Celtics against the Pistons?  It was the point guard match up, which at the time was the 6'3" 202 pound Chauncey Billups against the 6'1" 170 pound Rajon Rondo.  Does anyone remember the first Celtics home loss from last season, because I sure do (I was a history major, you know).  To refresh your memory, Chauncey Billups dropped 28 points and 8 assists on the Celtics that night, including two free throws that decided the game in the final second and propelled Detroit to an 87-85 win.  Although Rajon Rondo did not foul Billups on the decisive play (it was, of course, Tony Allen), Rondo was over matched for the entire game in what was to be a foreshadowing of future match ups with the big point guard.  

Continue reading "Raving About Rondo Part Deux: A Pat ..."

the constant late game heroics of Paul Pierce fool you, something is very wrong with the 2008-2009 Boston Celtics.  Actually, “something” isn’t even the right word, because there are multiple things wrong with this year’s Celtics team that if uncorrected, will spell disaster for the defending champs come springtime.  If you don’t already believe me, then I would respectfully refer you to the tape of last Friday’s pathetisad home loss to the Denver Nuggets as evidence supporting my forthcoming claims. 

Continue reading "Alarm Bells are Ringing"

You can't turn on a TV or pick up a newspaper in the greater Boston area these days without the same never-ending argument slapping you squarely in the face: Does Paul Pierce rank among the top 10 players in the NBA?

Continue reading "Truth Time"

h as the Pistons), I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better suitor for your services than the Boston Celtics.   You've seen and experienced their brand of basketball firsthand, and you know better than most what a group of capable, talented, hardworking and skilled group of veteran ball players can do with a little bit of personal sacrifice, now imagine what it would be like to take a duck boat tour of Boston while being bombarded with congratulatory cheers and adulation from an entire city.  

Continue reading "For Your Consideration: An Open Letter ..."

It's been a while since the Detroit Pistons haven't been near the top of the league. Their players buy into the team concept, they play good defense, and they are consistently well coached and well managed from the front office.

Continue reading "What is Joe Dumars thinking?"

Twenty-one and a half hours stand between us and the commencement of the Celtics season, and yours truly managed to score some tickest not only for tomorrow night's game, but for Friday night's as well.

Continue reading "Season's Greetings"

I blinked my eyes and - poof - the Darius Miles experiment was over.

The Celtics waived the lanky forward this week, after a mini-audition throughout the pre-season that featured short bursts of minutes. He may have never amounted to anything legitimate, but now we'll never know. Everyone said the Celtics were "taking a gamble" by signing Miles in the off-season, but what kind of gamble is it if you never let the guy have a chance.

Continue reading "Done experimenting"

been a Boston sports fan the entire time.  Without a doubt my biggest allegiance lies with the Boston Celtics.  My family has had season tickets since the day I was born, and I have bled Celtic green for 22 years.  Of course winning the 2008 NBA Championship was quite a feeling, but I've had other great moments as a Celtics fan and plenty of bad moments.  Through the thick and thing I have stuck with this team, including the drafting of Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer instead of Tim Duncan.  It has all been worth it.  I've had the privilege of being at the then-FleetCenter for Game 1 of the 2002 Playoffs against Philadelphia where they marched all of the all-time greats onto the court with everyone in the crowd waving a rally towel, the current team on the jumbotron getting ready to come to the floor; and I can admit that I got a little choked up.

Continue reading "Welcome to my blog! Here's a little about me..."

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I like a little violence, in sports that is. I think most people who like sports agree. The biggest reactions from spectators usually occur after a big coll

Continue reading "Violence Has It's Place"

Fast forward to last week, and the first three pre-season games for the defending world champion Boston Celtics. Two things stood out in my mind almost immediately: Bill Walker can play in this league, and Gabe Pruitt could be a solid back-up combo guard. Whether either of those things happens in Boston remains to be seen, and one of the reasons that's an issue is Cassell.

Continue reading "Ready for the roster rollercoaster"

6 season for me to find my rabid fan persona again.

So why bring this up now? Because the 2007-08 Boston Celtics were the basketball version of the 2004 Red Sox. I've been a Celtics fan as long as I've been a Red Sox fan, and when I lived in Boston I was one of a few hundred people still interested enough to occasionally buy tickets and watch the Celtics live. I fell in love with Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson and the spunky young players that made up the core of the team, and watched on a nightly basis, knowing full well I was watching the players develop at the expense of having a competitive team.

Continue reading "Back for more"

I don’t know why, but it occurred to me the other day that clothing really changed sports. In ancient Rome, sports were played in the nude. Seriously. That’s probably why there were no

Continue reading "Thank Goodness for Uniforms"

With the MLB playoffs set to begin, there is a subtle difference in the air compared to start of any other postseason. In the NHL, fans can potentially look forward to a great Canadians/Bruins series that is not only exciting, but has a historical kick to it. Likewise basketball fans always have the chance to see if the Suns can finally get past the Spurs and football fans love seeing the rivalry of the Eagles Vs the City of Philadelphia when the Eagles so much as get tackled for a loss.

Continue reading "The Ups and Downs of the MLB Playoffs"

p;Instead, I'm going to hide from my problems inside the twisted world of the NBA, where my beloved Boston Celtics are still champions, and my mistresses, the Portland Trailblazers are looking better than ever and are brimming with talent and potential.

Continue reading "Little Wing?"

king aside, the NBA season tip off should be fantastic, pairing the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, October 28th.  In case you were wondering, that’s only forty days and a few hours away, and already I’m giddy and fidgeting like a kid who’s hopped up on adderal on Christmas Eve (nice imagery, no?).  In case you have forgotten the epic battle between these two teams in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs last year, I suggest that you hit up youtube.com for highlights, or better yet just drop by mi casa and I will gladly subject you to the championship DVD (fair warning: you come for one, and you may get sucked into watching the DVD from the Red Sox’ 2004 World Series run).

Continue reading "Return of the Rivalry"

Well, basketball is over and Major League Baseball is heading into the All Star break, which means that the real baseball season is about to begin.  I know, I am waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy overdue for this year's first rabid Red Sox post, but honestly I've been a little bit preoccupied with the WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS and basketball in general (it has overtaken baseball as my favorite sport, though the Red Sox are and always will be my first love) to really dive into the first three meaningless months of the grueling and arduous MLB season.

Continue reading "Just Hit"

You're probably asking yourself how I could make such a bold statement, especially considering the age of the three superstars who anchored this team.

I'm a Celtics hooligan - this is very true. But I also believe the fortunes for now and the immediate future changed dramatically on July 31, 2007.

Continue reading "Why the Celtics are set for the next 5 years"

 "The Big Three," "Drive for 17." With all the media attention focused on the two recently-added all-stars and the team's comeback this season, a young player's name may have gotten lost in the shuffle, Rajon Rondo. Sure, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG are the present heroes of the Celtics, but it's the young players like Rondo who are the future of this franchise. With his remarkable intelligence at the ripe age of 21, Rondo is a promising leader as point-guard for a team that will undoubtedly be successful in the playoffs for several more years. Look at where he's led his team so far. Although he makes some unwise decisions, this is to be expected from a second-year player. Some fans have criticized Rondo's inexperience as it was evident in game five of the finals against the LA Lakers. During one play, Rajon Rondo had an opening and took it to the paint, but instead of finishing, he dished the ball to Pierce for a jumper from beyond the arc, which missed.

Continue reading ""

Well, well, the day is finally here.  Tonight, I (along with many other rabid basketball fans) will have my eyes and ears glued to my TV set to find out who will go number 1 overall what crazy-ass (Benny, you were an English major, do I need to hyphenate "crazy-ass"?) deal Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard will swing during this year's NBA Draft.

Continue reading "First Draft"

Are you like me? Are you thinking that last week’s NBA Finals should go down as one of the biggest disappointments in league history? Lakers-Celtics was supposed to rekindle the drama and mystique of the Finals; a match-up steeped in tradition, the best team from each conference squaring off in a best-of-seven, no-holes-bared, knockout, high-caliber glitz-fest. The glitz was plentiful, but the high-caliber basketball never really materialized.

Continue reading "Disappointing Finals"

Wearing Celtic Green jerseys in honor of the new 2008 NBA World Champion Boston Celtics, honored in pre-game ceremonies, the Sox luck ran out last night. Julio Lugo hit a game-tying solo homerun in the bottom of the 6th inning then proceeded to make back-to-back throwing errors in the top of the 7th, allowing the Cards to take the lead. The old 4-6-3 double play returned to haunt Manny Ramirez in the bottom of the 7th as he came to the late with the bases loaded and nobody out.

Continue reading "Dice-K returns!!"

Call the cops cause the Lakers got murdered last night, as the Celtics went on to win their record 17th championship . After dominating the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers got beat up and down the floor last night. It even left red blood stains on Doc's suit, it was actually red Gatorade. The Celtics defense held the Lakers to 42.2% shooting, forced 18 steals, and if not for some garbage time buckets in the final three minutes the Lakers had only scored 85 points. They were able to stop the Laker's aggressive play by cutting off passing lanes and coming over to help when they saw the Lakers move to the basket.

Continue reading "Someone Call 911..."

ies for the delay in between the axe murdering defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but seeing as it was their NBA record 17th title, and the first since 1986 (can’t say I remember that one), I thought that instead of immediately pumping out a sloppy reaction column to the Celtics’ 39 point mop-the-floor-with-Pau-and-Kobe victory, I’d spend two days getting hammered in celebration and then pump out a sloppy reaction column later (that’s it boy, show off those $100,000 liberal arts study skills!).  So without further ado, let the praise, adulation, and probably more than a few sick burns commence!

Continue reading "Defense Dominates"

I'm somewhat at a loss for words today (surprising, no?).  All I can say is that the Lakers got lucky last night in more ways than just the favorable officiating (Kobe just about hacked Paul Pierce's arm off on the decisive steal, but the game was not lost there).  The Lakers are lucky that KG missed two crucial free-throws (which, should the Celtics lose will become the mother of all albatrosses hanging around the Big TIcket's neck), and especially lucky that 3 of 5 Celtic starters are hurt during the biggest games of the entire season.  Knowing that, the Lakers should be ahead, they should be cruising to a championship, but they aren't.  The Celtics botched game five and spoiled a brilliant performance by Paul Pierce that could have, and should have clinched the series. The bad news for LA is that the Celtics know that, and they won't let it happen again.

Continue reading "Redraw"

...  (pause) ... Did that really happen?  Was I dreaming (or possibly too fucked up to really see the TV)?  You mean to tell me that the Celtics rallied from an 18-point halftime deficite to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 and put a hammer lock on this series?  And Kobe only scored 17, in LA?  You can't be serious.

Continue reading "Hallucinating in Tandem, or Real?"

s now been appropriately punctuated by the nearly unanimous picks of the Kobe/Gasol Lakers over the Boston Celtics to win the 2008 NBA Finals.  Across three generations, everyone and their mother have picked against the Celtics and chosen the Lakers to steamroll Boston and cruise to a championship, based either on the flashy talent of LA and their dominant players (Wilt, Kobe and Magic), or on the way in which they destroyed the competition in the Western Conference Playoffs, or on the traits that Boston lacks (youth, athleticism, a superstar etc.)

Continue reading "Cyclical History and Boxing Tips"

Sorry about the delay in the game one post, but it wasn't until very recently that I was able to pick my jaw back up off the floor after Thursday's game one 98-88 Celtics win in game one of this year's NBA Finals.  As giddy as I am about the Celtics' win, I am equally terrified for the health of Paul Pierce's knee and Boston's future in this series.

Continue reading "Joyful Panic"

I've been racking my brain for the past two days (and then some, here are some of my thoughts on the Lakers from April) trying to think of ways that the Celtics can beat the Lakers in the Finals that are only four days away at this point.  Thus far I haven't been able to come up with anything really juicy, but I've got some beginnings of some ideas that might lead to successful strategies and/or game plans for the Celtics to employ against the mighty and dangerous (they're just mighty dangerous!) Los Angeles Lakers.

Continue reading "Middle Men"

ours (or at least a solid chunk on the Tivo) to catch some classic NBA Finals match ups between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.  The games will be a smattering from the 1980s era of Bird v. Magic, and will be airing starting this Monday and continuing through Wednesday.  These games have something for everyone, short shorts and good shooting for my mom, passing and good defense for dad, and good, competitive basketball that everyone can and should enjoy.

Continue reading "Get Psyched!!!!!!!"

erence Finals gave us all a taste of the old school NBA rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics, and now we're fixed for a main course of only the choicest and most intense NBA rivalry in the history of the league.  That's right, we are headed towards a Lakers v. Celtics NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years, and I've got to admit (even though it's damaging to my masculinity) that I am giddy about the prospects of this match up.

Continue reading "Throwback"

I know, I know, that's a really convoluded headline for a basketball blog post, but there's a good reason for it that I'll hopefully be able to articulate somewhere in this rambling tangent of drivel (and besides, I know that if Ray is reading this that I got at least one good laugh out of the title).  Want an explanation?  Ok here it goes:

Continue reading "Bastardizing Physics Without Resorting ..."

g big shots in crunch time and proving that he is a true competitor and an invaluable asset for the Boston Celtics.

Now, onto the grimmer and infinitely less pleasant matter of what went wrong last night.  The Celtics defense last night was abominable to say the least.  The Pistons shot 49% from the floor and 50% from the land of three, and to top it all off, they absolutely killed the Celtics from the free throw line, converting 28 of 32 attempts.  Detroit was aggressive and balanced in their offensive attack, continually punishing the Celtics defense by making the extra pass and finding open shooters.

Continue reading "Silver Lining?"

Today's tangent is inspired by Raymond (shockingly, with me on this one) and Matt Stauffer, who has posed a challenge to me by asserting that the Celtics will lose to either Detroit or the winner of the Western Conference for a few key reasons.  Following the game one victory for Boston, I thought I'd address a few of his concerns (convenient that I waited until a resounding Celtics victory to start talking smack, isn't it?).  Hey, hey, easy now, I'm not fixin' to start a war or anything, in fact I respect the feedback and the fact that somebody is actually reading my posts (anyone else? ...Beuller?).  I'm only out to address the argument and provide as complete a rebuttal as I can, so without further delay, let's get started.

Continue reading "Hungry Like the (Former) Wolf"

I could officially care less about the Celtics road record this postseason.  After seeing the way the Celtics have played at home against some tough competition, I don't think that anybody, not even the mighty Detroit Pistons can beat the Celtics in Boston this year.  The players are hungry and the city is too, and we can all smell a championship now. 

Continue reading "The Truth Hurts!!!"

Going into tonight's game 6 match up of Jeckel & Hyde the Boston Celtics vs. LeBron James & his handicap the Cleveland Cavaliers, I have some thoughts on how the Celtics might finally win a game on the road in this year's postseason.  The problems on the road have been numerous for the Celtics (and everyone else) this postseason, however I believe that the key to victory for the Celtics tonight will be their aggression on offense and communication on defense. 

Continue reading "B E Aggressive!!!"

on and a metaphorical megaphone (be it a sports blog or a tv show on ESPN) has been critical of the Boston Celtics this postseason for their inability to win on the road. 

After dropping all three road games in their first round series against Atlanta (never mind that the Celtics' four home wins totaled a victory margin of over 100 points), the Celtics have most recently lost twice to LeBron James in Cleveland.  This perceived weakness is an area for the media to yap about the Celtics woes and inject some additional drama into the postseason (and who really needs that when LeBron is barking at his mom on mother's day on national TV?), but upon further review, the media's talk appears to be meaningless (indicative of a larger trend within the media, perhaps?).

Continue reading "No Place Like Home"

After attending Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semis last night at the "New" Garden, I now feel like I have an understanidng of what it was like around these parts back in the 80's.  I've had the privelage of going to Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins playoff games, but last night's Celtics game was easily the loudest and most intense one I've ever been to.  From the national anthem, to the final 30 seconds no one was at a loss for words.  Having a villan like Lebron James didn't hurt the crowds vocal cords, however it was extremley fufilling to me to see "Celtic Pride" and "Believe in Boston" banners everywhere.  Growing up with such tradition, it's awesome to me to see both fans of the 70's and 80's teams, and now my generation able to share in the passing of the torch of sorts for this Celtics team.

Continue reading "Welcome to the New Garden...Same as the Old"

nd several of Cleveland's flaws may prove to be their downfall against the air tight defense of the Boston Celtics.  Starting in the middle, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, though large and adept at scoring in several different ways, is incredibly slow (not physical at all given his size and imposing frame) and hasn't played well at all in Boston this season.  Kendrick Perkins, PJ Brown and perhaps Glenn Davis will all take a turn on BIg Z, and match up well against his size and his game.  Additionally, there will be some help on the interior because of the collective black hole that Cleveland has at power forward since they traded Drew Gooden away at midseason.  At best, the Cavs have Joe Smith at the 4, and at worst it's Ben "Anemic on Offense" Wallace, with Floppy McFlopperson (excuse me, Anderson Varejao) falling somewhere in the middle in a realm I like to call obnoxious game and hair land.  Since none of Cleveland's power forward's can score consistently, there will be plenty of help defense on Ilgauskas and anyone else who sets foot in the paint in Boston tonight.  

Continue reading "Cross Your Fingers"

I'm upset that I didn't get to watch game 7 of the Celtics/Hawks Beatdown in Beantown on Sunday, but this gig doesn't exactly pay the bills, so alas I was working for the man instead of cheering loudly and laughing my ass off as the Hawks got served in brutal fashion in Boston.  The game speaks for itself (likely won't stop me from speaking for it), and it provided a thunderous and definitive answer to all the doubters and haters (Zaza Pachulia got a personal notice of defeat, the back court pick from KG that leveled the untalented center).

Continue reading "Dirrty South"

    The Celtics seven game series with the Hawks was a beneficial experience for the Celtics.  A team that had never played with each other in the playoffs was able to see what they were really made of.  The Hawks, granted they are an extremely young and inexperienced team, pushed the Celtics to their limit.  But the Celtics responded admirably by absolutely pounding the Hawks in a decisive game seven, ending any hope at all that their team would win.

Continue reading "Watch Out Cavaliers"

a nightmare.  There's not too much to say, other than the officials hosed Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics yet again.  Paul Pierce fouled out on the ticky-tackiest of calls (on a foul that hadn't been called all series), and the Hawks had more than forty attempts at the free throw line, while the Celtics had only 25 attempts from the stripe Regardless, the Celtics still had a chance to win it at the buzzer, and they failed to execute anything resembling an offensive set or a game plan.  And they had two chances. 

Continue reading "You Can't be Serious"

Only three hours and ten minutes until the Hawks and Celtics tip off game 6 in Atlanta, so until then I figure I'll spend the beautiful afternoon rambling on and on about other news in the basketball world.  So I apologize, but this post will have little or nothing to do with my beloved hometown Celtics, but does concern another one of my favorite teams in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns.

Continue reading "Musings From the Hammock"

Now that's more like it.  The Celtics have put the Hawks on the ropes with a resounding and convincing victory in game 5 last night.  Everything that was going wrong for Boston in games 3 and 4 seems to have been solved by playing in front of their home crowd, and similarly, everything that was going right for the Hawks evaporated into thin air as the road team.  I suppose that it just goes to show how huge an advantage a raucous home crowd can be in a playoff series.  That being said, I think that the Celtics are poised to break the cycle in this series and finish the Hawks off in game 6 in Atlanta.

Continue reading "Return to Form"

he Atlanta Hawks lost their scripts for games 3 and 4 of this first round series against my beloved Boston Celtics, and are ad-libbing some kind of horrible nightmare that currently has the series headed back to Boston tied at two games apiece.  I guess they didn't fully read the lay-down-and-die directive that the media handed them and decided to spice things up a bit.  Kudos to them, but I'm not sweating yet (and not just because it's still goddamned cold here in Portland).

Continue reading "Should I be Worried Yet?"

y’all don’t think I’m just hopping on this bandwagon, read my first ever post on Boston Celtics News here.  The writing was on the wall then, and now it's as plain as day.  Last night, Rajon Rondo turned in a great performance that showed how far he’s come this year and flashes of the potential of future of his game.

Continue reading "Rondo On a Roll, Plus Superstars Shining Bright"

Though Garnett's statistics are not as eye popping as any of the other candidates, he has lead the Boston Celtics to the greatest single season turnaround in NBA history.  In the words of Paul Pierce, KG "changed the whole culture" of the

Continue reading "Award Tour"

to think about how far the Celtics have come since last year and how drastically the culture of the Boston Celtics has changed.  In one off-season, the Celtics did everything that Isiah Thomas has been trying to do fir the past three years in New York.  Danny Ainge turned young talent into two All-Star players and turned the NBA's second worst team last year into the class of the league and a dominating force on the court.  Isiah Thomas, on the other hand, drove the Knicks into the ground and compiled a roster with twelve guys who all do the same things and fill the same roles.  

Continue reading "Not to Beat a Dead Horse..."

You can't spell "Los Andgeles" without a 'd.'  Oh wait, yes you can!  "Los Angeles," see?  No 'd,' there you have it (Look what my college degree gets me!).  Maybe that's why the Los Angeles Lakers (no "d" there either!) don't play it very well.  I don't even need to back that statement up, either (but fear not, I'm going to!).  The proof is in the pudding, and by pudding I mean last night's loss to the Trail Blazers in Portland.

Continue reading "There's No 'D' in Los Angeles"

No NBA yesterday, instead I had to settle for March Madness, boo hoo.  It was a great game, and despite the loss I still think that Derrick Rose is the best player in college right now and should be the no. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.  He's incredibly athletic, has a great sense of the game, a high basketball IQ and most importantly is, by all accounts, an excellent leader and teammate.  Michael "Beastly" is incredible as well, I just think Rose's ability to make his teammates better and his upside are tremendous.  Also, Chris Douglas Roberts and Mario Chalmers were amazing, to put it mildly.

Continue reading "A Pu-Pu Platter of Coming Attractions"

Cleveland coming to Boston in the second round this year.

First and foremost, I'd rather see the Boston Celtics match up  against Cleveland than the other likely alternative, the Orlando Magic.  Orlando has already beaten the Celtics twice this season (by a combined 5 points), whereas the Celtics split their season series with Cleveland, 2-2.  Orlando also presents some tough match-ups for the Celtics, with Dwight Howard in the middle and Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu on the perimeter.  While none of the Orlando players present as difficult a cover as LeBron James (Howard is close, but his game is not as diverse as LeBron's, nor does he have the same combination of speed and strength that makes James almost impossible to contain), the Magic have three legitimate scoring options that are capable of sinking any opponent on any night.

Continue reading "I Swear I'm Not Crazy..."

t the last two weeks of the season in the tightest playoff race we've ever seen in the NBA, the Boston Celtics will be resting and tuning up for the playoffs.  While I'll admit that there's nothing like playing two weeks of playoff basketball just to get into the playoffs to tune your squad up and focus them mentally, I still think that the Celtics have a huge advantage and will be the most prepared to make a championship run come playoff time.

Continue reading "God Bless the "Leastern" Conference"

The Celtics handled their business tonight.  They beat the Indianna Pacers in convincing fashion tonight, becoming the first NBA team this season to reach the 60 win plateau.  The Celtics played an excellent team game on both ends, stifling the Pacers, the NBA's 3rd highest scoring team, and holding them to a mere 77 points.  Garnett led the way for the Celtics with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Leon Powe sparkled off of the bench, contributing 14 points and 9 rebounds on an energetic 5 of 8 shooting performance.

Continue reading "Ball Movement and Returning to Form"

Everybody knows Paul Pierce can score.  His reputation in the NBA is that of a tenacious scorer, capable of tormenting defenders and taking over offensively for stretches, using his combination of size and grace to muscle or slash his way into the lane or to the rim or to create space for his silky smooth mid-range jumper.  Unfortunately for Pierce, this is all he's been known as, and for several years he has been seen as only a ball-hogging chucker who couldn't defend anyone, more focused on padding his stats on an irrelevant team than winning games.  While this characterization seems fitting enough given the performances of him and his team for the past few seasons, this season Pierce has shown to the world what dedicated Celtics fans have known for years, that Pierce is a well rounded and versatile player on both ends of the floor, both willing and able to do whatever it takes to get his team a win.

Continue reading "The Complete Truth"

tracked by the Gang Green.

How cool is this spring going to be?  We have the 54-13 Boston Celtics.  The best record in the NBA and maybe best team to match.  And the 2007 Champion Red Sox, coming into the new season with just about all of the key cogs from last year, along with a couple of nice additions in Sean Casey and possibly Bartolo Colon.  It's pretty cool knowing that 2 or 3 times a week through April, Boston fans will have great sports options.

Continue reading "What To Do When The Celts and Sox ..."