Playing .900 after Twenty Games

Larry Bird did it once.

Bill Russell did it twice.

KG did it once last year and is on the verge of doing it again this year.

Other than that, no Celtics team has ever started the season 18-2 or better after 20 games.

I remember being crushed when the Celtics lost at home to the Portland Trailblazers in December of 1985. Not because they lost or because they lost at home. But because the loss dropped the Celtics to 17-3. The Celtics never had a chance to play in the rarefied air of .900 again that season.

Bird and the Celtics had reached .900 during the previous year, starting the 1984-85 season at 18-2. Bill Russell's Celtics also started the 1957-58 season 18-2. However, both Bird's and Russell's fast-starting teams finished the seasons without a ring.

Russell repeated the 18-2 start during the 1963-64 season. This time, however, the Boston Celtics walked home with the championship trophy at the end of the year. KG and the Celtics started last season 18-2, and then reached the .900 plateau again after 30 games, posting a 27-3 record (they went on to win 2 more games before losing three of four).

Now here are KG and the boys threatening to make it two straight years. Motivation certainly hasn't been a problem, with the Lakers a game ahead of them and the Cavs a game behind.

I don't see the Celtics continuing to keep pace with last year. They will stumble eventually. Meanwhile, the Lakers, who were beating up on everyone in the West last year before they got Gasol, are likely to keep rolling, barring injury.

Winning more games than the Lakers isn't crucial. Continuing to beat them in head-to-head match-ups is.

So enjoy the run while it lasts.

Rajon Rondo's Last 5 Games

OPP   RESULT     MIN   FG    3P   FT    STL  BL  TO  PF   OR  TR   AS   PTS
@Min  W 95-78    31    5-13  2-3  1-2    3    0   1   1    0   7    5    13
@Tor  W 118-103  26    6-11  0-0  3-4    2    0   3   1    0   2    4    15
Gsw   W 119-111  35    9-15  0-1  4-4    2    0   0   2    4   8    7    22
Phi   W 102-78   28    3-5   0-0  0-0    3    0   1   0    0   6   12     6
@Cha  W 89-84    32    2-2   0-0  0-2    2    0   2   5    2   4    9     4
                30.4  25-46  2-4  8-12  2.4   0  1.4 1.8  1.2 5.4  7.4  12.0

KG Era Hits the Century Mark

The Boston Celtics have now played their first 100 regular season games during the Kevin Garnett Era. Their record is 82-18. The beginning of no other Celtic Epoch has been marked by a similar flourish.

Bill Russell, who, due to an Olympic commitment, did not play his first game until December 22, 1957, posted a record of 65-35 after 100 games. Dave Cowens posted a record of 72 up and 28 down. Larry Bird was 74-26.

Bill Russell
28-20
37-15

Dave Cowens
56-26
16-2

Larry Bird
61-21
13-5

Kevin Garnett
66-16
16-2

KG is Clutch Again

The Boston Celtics didn't acquire Kevin Garnett "free and clear." He had some baggage. Word was that he couldn't hit the J when it counted. The lovely arc on his shot went flat. The rock fell short and hard against the rim.

The criticism grew louder in the playoffs, with Bill Simmons declaring KG was afraid to have the ball in his hands during crunch time.

There may have been some merit to the charge, though this video presents some impeachment evidence.

Many of us who accepted the criticism, however unwillingly, wondered if KG might benefit from having a championship under his belt. Now that he is officially "certified," as the Ticket himself pronounced on June 17, perhaps Garnett would no longer get the yips down the stretch.

It's still early, the polls are not closed, and there are still ballots to be cast.

But against Cleveland, we saw KG hit a huge jumper to help seal the victory with less than two minutes on the clock.

Last night, he did the same, only this time with 40 seconds left.

Let's just say I'm liking the early returns.

0:40	Kevin Garnett makes 21-foot jumper (Paul Pierce assists)	86-82
0:40	Charlotte full timeout
0:34		86-82	Kendrick Perkins blocks Raymond Felton's layup
0:34		86-82	Charlotte offensive rebound
0:27		86-82	Raymond Felton misses layup
0:25	Ray Allen defensive rebound	86-82
0:24		86-82	Jason Richardson personal foul (Ray Allen draws the foul)
0:24	Ray Allen makes free throw 1 of 2	87-82
0:24	Tony Allen enters the game for Kendrick Perkins	87-82
0:24	Ray Allen makes free throw 2 of 2	88-82
0:24	Charlotte 20 Sec. timeout
0:19		88-84	Raymond Felton makes driving layup
0:17		88-84	Jason Richardson personal foul (Paul Pierce draws the foul)
0:17	Paul Pierce misses free throw 1 of 2	88-84
0:17	Boston offensive rebound	88-84
0:17	Paul Pierce makes free throw 2 of 2	89-84
0:14	Rajon Rondo personal foul (Raymond Felton draws the foul)	89-84
0:07		89-84	Jason Richardson misses 28-foot three point jumper
0:06	Rajon Rondo defensive rebound	89-84

Eastern Conference Standings

            W L  PCT  GB   HM   RD CONF  DIV   PF    PA   DIFF  STRK L10
Boston     16 2 .889  -   9-1  7-1 12-1  4-0  98.2  90.1  +8.1  Won 8 9-1
Cleveland  14 3 .824  1½  9-0  5-3 9-2   5-1  103.6 92.6  +10.9 Won 5 9-1
Orlando    13 4 .765  2½  7-3  6-1 10-1  3-1  100.4 94.2  +6.2  Won 4 9-1
Detroit    10 5 .667  4½  5-2  5-3 7-3   3-0  97.5  96.6  +0.9  Won 2 6-4
Atlanta    10 6 .625  5   5-1  5-5 8-6   4-0  98.3  97.1  +1.2  Won 1 4-6

16-2

Game 18: Celtics 89 Bobcats 84

                            BOSTON             CHARLOTTE 
Points                        89                  84 
FG Made-Attempted             32-73 (.438)        32-67 (.478) 
3P Made-Attempted             2-14  (.143)        5-13  (.385) 
FT Made-Attempted             23-29 (.793)        15-22 (.682) 
Rebounds (Offensive-Total)    10-33               8-36 
Assists                       17                  18 
Turnovers                     13                  22 
Steals                        13                  5 
Blocks                        7                   4 
Fast Break Points             6                   5 
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant)         20 (1/0)            23 (1/0) 
Largest Lead                  7                   8

Game 18: The Box

BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Paul Pierce, SF	38	6-14	0-3	7-9	0	2	2	1	0	1	1	3	19
Kevin Garnett, PF	37	4-12	0-0	2-2	1	6	7	2	1	3	3	1	10
Kendrick Perkins, C	31	7-14	0-0	1-1	5	7	12	1	1	2	1	5	15
Ray Allen, SG	37	5-11	1-7	4-5	1	3	4	1	2	0	2	0	15
Rajon Rondo, PG	32	2-2	0-0	0-2	2	2	4	9	2	0	2	5	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Tony Allen, SG	19	4-7	0-0	3-3	0	0	0	3	3	1	3	0	11
Glen Davis, PF	11	1-2	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	2
Leon Powe, PF	17	0-3	0-0	3-4	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	1	3
Eddie House, SG	16	3-8	1-4	3-3	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	1	10
Brian Scalabrine, PF	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
Sam Cassell, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Patrick O'Bryant, C	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		32-73	2-14	23-29	10	23	33	17	13	7	13	20	89
		43.8%	14.3%	79.3%	Team TO (pts off): 13 (14)
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Gerald Wallace, SF	43	10-16	0-2	3-7	2	6	8	3	1	2	2	2	23
Sean May, PF	18	3-5	0-0	0-0	2	2	4	1	0	1	2	2	6
Emeka Okafor, C	32	3-3	0-0	3-4	1	6	7	0	1	1	2	2	9
Jason Richardson, SG	30	7-13	3-6	5-6	1	5	6	2	0	0	2	4	22
Raymond Felton, PG	41	2-15	0-3	0-0	1	6	7	6	2	0	6	2	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Nazr Mohammed, C	11	1-2	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	1	2
D.J. Augustin, PG	31	5-10	2-2	1-1	0	0	0	5	1	0	1	3	13
Jared Dudley, SF	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Morrison, SF	10	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	2	2
Dwayne Jones, PF	13	0-0	0-0	1-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	2	1
Alexis Ajinca, C	4	0-1	0-0	2-2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
Matt Carroll, SG	2	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	1	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		32-67	5-13	15-22	8	28	36	18	5	4	21	23	84
		47.8%	38.5%	68.2%	Team TO (pts off): 22 (25)

29-4

Ah, Charlotte.

I remember them well.

Chances are you do, too.

Sat, Nov 24   @ Charlotte   W 96-95
Wed, Jan 9    Charlotte     L 83-95
Fri, Feb 29   Charlotte     W 108-100
Sat, Apr 5    @ Charlotte   W 101-78

One loss, one near loss, and two dog-fights.

All four games last year had one thing in common:

Talk of mismatch problems.

Most Celtics fans dismissed the talk, much like they did when the same discussion was had during regular season games against Atlanta.

But as the first round of the playoffs proved, where there's smoke, there's fire.

Another interpretation of the four Celtics-Cats contests suggests that there were scheduling issues that favored the Cats.

The Celtics first game against the Cats last season, a last second win, followed the first Celtics-Lakers tilt at the Gahden.

The Celts second game against the Cats, a 12-point loss that prompted a special editorial from Bill Walton (pictured giving that editorial above), dropped the Celtics to 29-4. The loss followed a nine game win-streak that included a five-game West Coast sweep and victories at home over Houston and Detroit. After the loss to the Cats, the Green lost two straight to the Wiz.

Can you spell L-E-T-D-O-W-N?

The Celtics handled the Cats more easily in the next two contests, largely because the vagaries of the schedule finally favored the C's.

The C's are due for a letdown again here sometime soon. With a big game looming on Monday against the 12-4 Magic, let's hope the Green is focused on the game at hand tonight.

Cassell's Defense Stands Out

Sam looks great. From the time we've started playing, both of our games have gone up. His ability to defend and make shots is big. He'll be ready for us down the stretch.

--Brian Scalabrine

Defense?

Sam Cassell?

Our Sam Cassell?

The 39-year-old guy who had trouble guarding anyone last year?

I think Scal's been hanging out with that other red-head again.

You know the one. He wore number 5 and toured with the Dead.

Why I Won't be Posting the Division Standings Very Often

On their march to the franchise's 17th NBA title, the Celtics set an NBA record last season by winning the Atlantic by 25 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They're on pace to win the division by an even greater margin this season.

No, No, Thank You

It was really a sort of Allen/Rondo show in the third quarter, with Rondo assisting on every field goal Allen made. And so when the game was over, it was Allen making the pass, only this time passing the credit: “When you play like that,” he told Rondo, “we’re a beast to contend with.” To which Rondo said, “When you play like that.” “I feed off you,” Allen told him.

--Boston Herald

Oh my Guush.

Not to be Outdone...

An oh-my-gosh game is when the 11 o’clock sports anchors talk about your performance with such over-the-top exuberance that they barely have time to point out that, oh, by the way, the Celtics won. An oh-my-gosh game is what Allen had last night. His shots were clean, precise, as though computer-generated. He wound up with 23 points, but that’s just bookkeeping.

What Ray Allen was last night was other-worldly. And if he keeps this up - with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce continuing to shine, and with young Rajon Rondo [stats] continuing to muscle in on the press clippings generated by the Big Three - then we could be on the cusp of witnessing a winter wonderland of historic proportions by this team.

--The Herald
Steven Buckley

I love the Celtics as much as the next guy.

But let's postpone the histrionics until the day after Christmas.

OK?

Laker Beat Writer Projecting 17-Game Win Streak

At least one veteran Lakers beat writer has suggested in print that the Lakers might be riding a 17-game winning streak by the time they face the Magic in Orlando on Dec. 20, one night after starting a four-game trip in Miami.

--LA Times

Ok, then.

Never mind that admonition about getting too full of yourselves.

Buss Tamping Down Expectations

I don't think one game ever determines anything. Somebody can come out flat or something. I tell you one thing: I'm really looking forward to that game, but I won't really measure this team until they have their big Eastern swings and they play Cleveland and Orlando, and catch Detroit again.

--Lakers' Owner Jerry Buss responding to questions about the importance of the Christmas-Day Showdown

My Dearest Jerrys (West and Buss),

Your best bet might be to pray for an injury one or more members of the Big 3. Of course, if that were to happen and you still lost, I perish to think how Lakerdom would react.

Remember the Alamo

"But in terms of getting too excited about this good start or thinking we've won the championship in November, we all remember getting our butts kicked (by the Boston Celtics) in the Finals in June."In fact, losing to the Celtics by 39 points in the decisive Game 6 has been the Lakers' version of "Remember the Alamo," a rousing rallying cry for this season.

--LA Times

Whatever fellas.

Remember this. Remember that. I don't much care.

Phil promised that you were gonna remember Game 1 of the Finals in Game 2, and Game 2 of the Finals in Game 4. You lost almost the same lead in Game 5 that you did in Game 4 in less than half the time.

Then there was Game 6.

Talk is cheap.

Let's see what you can bring on 12/25.

Allowing Dallas to shoot 51% on your home court doesn't sound like any kind of new defense to me.

Hey Philadelphia

Like I was saying, you may want to choke back talk of a renewed Celtics-Sixers rivalry, at least for the time being.

Maybe work on getting above .500 first.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

While the Lakers spent most of October and November sending messages to anyone who cared to listen, Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics waited until after Thanksgiving before sending a message of their own.

The next holiday on the Calendar is Christmas, and with the Zen Mistress firing shots across the bow and the rest of the Lakers still stewing over the June 17th blowout, the Celtics thought they'd see what would happen if they played some down-and-dirty D. You know, the kind they played all of last year and for parts of this year.

The result?

28 points given up in the first quarter.

Oh wait.

It took Philadelphia two entire quarters before they scored 28 points.

The Celtics don't need to thump their chests, pull their jerseys, and taunt opposing crowds like they did last year.

They already proved what they needed to prove.

But it's always nice to send an early Christmas greeting to anyone on the Left Coast who might be paying attention.

And with 30 assists posted tonight, I think we can all agree that the Celtics are well on their way to ironing out the wrinkles in their offense.

This Boston Celtics team now reminds me of last year's team in one very important respect:

They like to win.

Next Five Games

Sat, Nov 29   @ Charlotte   7:00 PM 
Mon, Dec 1    Orlando       7:30 PM   NBA TV 
Wed, Dec 3    Indiana       7:30 PM    
Fri, Dec 5    Portland      8:00 PM   ESPN
Sun, Dec 7    @ Indiana     6:00 PM

Eastern Conference Standings

          W L  PCT  GB  HM   RD   CONF  DIV   PF     PA   DIFF   STRK    L10
Boston   15 2 .882   -  9-1  6-1  11-1  4-0  98.8   90.5  +8.3   Won 7   9-1
Cavs     13 3 .813  1½  9-0  4-3  8-2   4-1  104.0  93.1  +10.9  Won 4   9-1
Orlando  12 4 .750  2½  6-3  6-1  9-1   3-1  99.8   94.1  +5.7   Won 3   8-2
Detroit  10 5 .667  4   5-2  5-3  7-3   3-0  97.5   96.6  +0.9   Won 2   6-4
Atlanta   9 6 .600  5   5-1  4-5  7-6   3-0  98.1   97.1  +1.0   Lost 1  4-6

Game 17: Celtics 102 Sixers 78

                              PHILADELPHIA         BOSTON
Points                            78                102
FG Made-Attempted                 32-77 (.416)      39-76 (.513)
3P Made-Attempted                 2-9 (.222)        6-14 (.429)
FT Made-Attempted                 12-21 (.571)      18-22 (.818)
Rebounds (Offensive-Total)        14-44             6-39
Assists                           15                30
Turnovers                         16                11
Steals                            6                 9
Blocks                            3                 6
Fast Break Points                 9                 11
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant)             20 (0/1)          14 (0/0)
Largest Lead                      2                 30

Game 17: The Box

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Thaddeus Young, SF	22	2-9	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	4
Elton Brand, PF	32	8-14	0-0	2-2	2	6	8	0	0	0	0	2	18
Samuel Dalembert, C	24	0-2	0-0	0-2	0	4	4	0	0	0	1	1	0
Andre Iguodala, SG	34	4-8	0-1	1-4	2	4	6	2	2	1	4	3	9
Andre Miller, PG	28	6-12	0-1	0-0	2	3	5	3	1	0	5	2	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Willie Green, SG	24	1-6	0-0	0-0	2	3	5	0	0	0	1	1	2
Theo Ratliff, C	10	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	3	0
Lou Williams, SG	20	5-7	1-2	4-5	0	1	1	6	3	0	0	0	15
Marreese Speights, PF	15	5-11	0-0	2-4	4	2	6	0	0	0	1	4	12
Reggie Evans, PF	14	0-0	0-0	1-2	2	5	7	1	0	1	1	2	1
Kareem Rush, SG	6	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Royal Ivey, PG	12	1-5	1-3	2-2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	5
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		32-77	2-9	12-21	14	30	44	15	6	3	15	20	78
		41.6%	22.2%	57.1%	Team TO (pts off): 16 (19)
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Paul Pierce, SF	27	1-6	0-3	4-5	0	2	2	2	0	0	2	2	6
Kevin Garnett, PF	28	6-12	0-0	4-4	0	2	2	2	1	1	0	1	16
Kendrick Perkins, C	28	4-6	0-0	0-0	1	6	7	0	0	4	3	2	8
Ray Allen, SG	31	10-15	3-5	0-0	0	2	2	3	2	0	0	0	23
Rajon Rondo, PG	28	3-5	0-0	0-0	0	6	6	12	3	0	1	0	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Tony Allen, SG	26	3-8	0-0	4-4	2	3	5	4	1	0	1	2	10
Glen Davis, PF	15	4-6	0-0	1-2	1	4	5	1	1	0	0	1	9
Leon Powe, PF	20	3-6	0-0	4-5	1	3	4	1	0	1	1	3	10
Eddie House, SG	20	3-6	2-4	0-0	1	2	3	4	1	0	1	2	8
Brian Scalabrine, PF	13	1-3	1-2	1-2	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	4
Patrick O'Bryant, C	5	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	1	2
Sam Cassell, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		39-76	6-14	18-22	6	33	39	30	9	6	10	14	102
		51.3%	42.9%	81.8%	Team TO (pts off): 11 (14)

Ray's Ankles

If this is how Ray shoots when his ankles still aren't fully healthy, I think I speak for all of Celtic Nation in saying, boy, I can't wait to see what 100% looks like!

Celtics-Sixers Seventies Style

164 Days and Counting

The Lakers could have used some defense in the Finals, when the Celtics ended the Lakers' fairy tale by crushing them with Paul Pierce's slow, methodical, back-'em-down-the-lane style. It has created a slow burn in the Lakers for, oh, about 164 days since their 131-92 humiliation in Game 6 of the Finals.

--LA Times

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You gave us your best shot in game 4.

I guess you can try again in December.

It might be better if you spent your time praying with the Zen Mistress for an injury to the Big 3.

Zen Mistress Takes Pot Shot at the C's

So Jackson gathered his coaches before training camp and told them he was appointing a defensive coach--Kurt Rambis--something he hadn't done in his previous 18 years of coaching in the NBA. "We didn't want to announce it and make a big deal about it like Boston did with their guy," Jackson said.

--LA Times

The Zen Mistress is clean-shaven, and he's parting his hair on the side (well, what hair he has left).

But he's still the same old Zen Mistress.

You can tell we're getting closer to Christmas, as the rhetoric starts to escalate.

Here's my take:

With Kurt Rambis as defensive coach, it will be twice as sweet beating the purple this year. Last year was pretty nice, especially after I learned a tearful Jerry West showed up to present the Lakers with the Western Conference championship trophy. But now that a 1980s Laker has officially assumed defensive responsibilities, beating the Lakers this year will essentially be a twofer, one beat-down for Kobe and the gang and one beat-down for Kurt, Jerry, and Riles.

Michael Smith is Underwhelming

Remembering the 29-5 Start
1990-91 Boston Celtics

He started the second game of the season. In the first three sequences, he allowed his man to blow by him for a layup, threw away the ball and then committed a foul.

And it's been downhill for Michael Smith since then.

Last year's No. 1 draft pick was pulled 4 minutes into the Knicks game and didn't play at all against the Bulls. Chicago is on the docket tonight (7:30, SportsChannel) at the Garden, and coach Chris Ford still is looking for Smith to be his elusive small forward.

Smith and Ed Pinckney have been staging a "you can have it" campaign. Pinckney is the latest to take the spot, going 12 minutes against the Bulls.

Smith has played 6 minutes in three games. Pinckney has played 24. Each has a DNP.

As for Smith, Ford said, "He hasn't had a whole lot of opportunities in game situations. He had his shot against the Knicks.

It's still early and I don't want him to get down on himself. I hope he continues to work hard and develop and prove to me he deserves playing time. The same thing with Eddie."

Smith is getting used to rough starts. Last season, a series of injuries kept him sidelined for the first five games. This year, he has not found a spot in the rotation. The result has been a grand total of 8 minutes played in the first four games. Last night, he played 2 minutes of garbage time.

"Last year, I was sitting there wondering if I could play, wondering if things would ever get resolved," said Smith. "This year I'm just sitting and waiting for my chance.

"Sure, the lineup will be small and quick sometimes, but I think we need outside shooting, too. And that's not all I can do. I feel like I run an offense intelligently. When the ball is moving, good things happen, and I can be part of that."

And what of his rough go in New York last weekend, when he lasted just 3:20 before coach Chris Ford went to Kevin McHale?

"It was bad luck for me that everything went wrong while I was out there," he said. "I thought I played well. Kiki Vandeweghe hits two shots without even looking, and there's not much I can do. I made three good passes out there, but the shots didn't fall.

"It would be easy for someone in my position to get really discouraged. I'm not going to."

Magic Win Sixth Straight

Dwight Howard had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Hedo Turkoglu added 20 points and a season-high 10 rebounds to help the visiting Orlando Magic beat the Washington Wizards, 105-90, on Thursday night.

Hold Nose, then Vote Yes

Acquire Merrill
ROBERT CYRAN

Let us give thanks to Bank of America shareholders for taking one for the team. That’s what they’ll essentially be doing, assuming they greenlight the bank’s takeover of Merrill Lynch next week, as seems likely.

By almost any measure, Merrill will not be worth remotely as much as Bank of America, the bank run by Kenneth D. Lewis, agreed to pay in September. So it might be tempting for shareholders to vote against the deal when they meet on Dec. 5.

Trouble is, after the latest bailout of Citigroup — and multiple attempts to stabilize Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and other former investment banks — voting down the merger would deliver another terrifying shock to the financial system.

Man, I was Living

Ronda Churchill
New York Times

With the economy crippled, joblessness at a 14-year high and more financial bad news almost certain to come, there was a lot less, materially speaking, for thousands to be grateful for as they gathered around Thanksgiving tables. For many, the elation that followed the election of the nation’s first black president was tempered by more immediate concerns, like where the next paycheck might come from. And yet coast to coast, people approached Thanksgiving with something close to a gritty resolve this year, determined to find a few hours of respite from their worries.

I was listening to NPR the other day, and they were interviewing an investment banker who went bust in the subprime meltdown. The woman described her lifestyle before going bust:

"I had three houses, six cars, and three boats. I vacationed around the world. Man, I was living."

"Living?" The interviewer inquired.

"What about seeing friends and family, exercising, reading a book, maybe taking up a hobby?"

You know, really living?

"Well, I thought I was living."

There you go.

I Got Your Back-to-Back

Still Running After All These Years
By STEPHANIE SIMON

Last month, my dad celebrated the 30th anniversary of his running streak.

In other words, he has run every day for 10,987 consecutive days. The last time he took a pass -- he was feeling a bit sore after a marathon -- was Oct. 30, 1978.

Obsessive doesn't begin to describe it.

When he travels overseas, my dad, who is 66, plans layovers so he can get in a couple miles around the concourse, lest he miss a day to the time-zone shift. During blizzards, he wraps his feet in plastic bags, pulls galoshes over his sneakers and screws in cleats for traction. Then he waits for a snowplow to pass his front door, so he can follow in the freshly cleared path.

Next Five Games

Nov 28   Philadelphia  7:30 PM
Nov 29   at Charlotte  7:00 PM
Dec 1    Orlando       7:30 PM
Dec 3    Indiana       7:30 PM
Dec 5    Portland      8:00 PM

Atlantic Standings

                W  L   PCT  GB
Boston         14  2  .875  ---
Toronto         7  7  .500  6
New Jersey      7  7  .500  6
New York        7  8  .467  6 1/2
Philadelphia    7  8  .467  6 1/2

Doc Really Put Some Thought into This

This could have been a fluff piece by Bulpett, but Doc Rivers actually coughed up the goods.

Basketball the Way it was Meant to be Played

"They said, 'The way you guys won, it's the way basketball is supposed to be played and you brought the NBA back where it used to be,' " he said. "I've heard that from a lot of people and it really makes me proud."

--Wyc Grousbeck

This team has a little of all the great Celtics teams in it. But I'm going with the 1970s team. Their championship run lasted four years, or about how long the current squad will play championship-level basketball.

14-2 Despite Target on our Back

"What has struck me the most is that the guys are focused in and bringing a lot of energy," said Grousbeck. "And they have to because everybody is coming after us so hard this year. I'm just amazed by how pumped teams are to play us and how badly they want to beat us.

"It feels like a playoff game almost every single game. It's exhausting, quite honestly. I think the team has gotten tired, but they've made it through with a [remarkable] record, but it's been tiring and exhausting and I'm amazed at how well they've done."

--Boston Globe
Nancy Marrapese-Burrell

Ankles Still Not Back to Normal

Although his ankles are a lot stronger now, Ray Allen still doesn't feel completely back to his old sharpshooting self just yet. Even so, he is second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 points while playing in all 16 contests. The 33-year-old also has made a team-best 31 3-pointers on .352 shooting.

--Boston Globe
Marc J. Spears

Interestingly, his field goal percentage is 2 points better this year, but his accuracy from range is four points worse.

Fire McHale

I take a lot of Celtics-related stuff personally, too personally, I might even admit.

But I gotta tell ya, I'm sick and tired of this "Fire McHale" & "McHale should resign" crap (oh wait, that's a link to an article saying the Celtics "resigned" McHale. Try this link). Ok, the dude has made some bad moves. I'm sure you can Google a list of them. No one would dispute the boneheadedness of his choice to memorialize in writing what should have been a wink-and-a-nod deal with Joe Smith.

But as someone once wrote:

[Y]ou can hardly fault McHale for everything else that has transpired under his watch--Marbury demanding a trade, Malik Sealy dying in a car accident, Tom Googliotta demanding a trade, Latrell Sprewell demanding a max contract, Terrell Brandon suffering a career ending injury, and Sam Cassell demanding that his contract be renegotiated two years before it expired.

I understand the Learch wants to be on board when the franchise has turned the corner. But I've got a different piece of advice.

Just quit.

In two years, come back to Boston as Danny's special assistant.

KG will still be here. Who knows, maybe we'll be talking about back-to-back-to-back-to-back by then.

The point is this:

End your suffering now, and do the right thing.

Come home where you are appreciated.

I'm sure Danny would let you buy the champagne for the locker room.

Maybe he'd even let you drive a duck boat.

Ubuntuless Marbury

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Knicks’ season slogan appeared on the dry erase board inside the visiting locker room at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday night. It wasn’t, “Yes, We Can,” but that was the gist.

Along the opposite wall, Stephon Marbury sat in front of his locker with his head down, texting on his P.D.A. The message staring him in the face — had he bothered to look up — failed to resonate. For the second time in a week, Marbury declined to plug a gaping hole in the backcourt.

Desperate for reinforcements, Coach Mike D’Antoni asked Marbury to play, according to a person briefed on their exchange who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Marbury, despite having nothing wrong with him physically, also declined to play Friday in Milwaukee, when the Knicks were down to seven healthy players after making two trades. Quentin Richardson joined the brigade of the bruised in the second half of the Knicks’ 110-96 defeat Wednesday night when he fell hard to the floor, landing on his left forearm. He thought he might have broken his arm — X-rays were negative — but he returned in the fourth quarter and gutted out six minutes.

Afterward, Richardson said he told D’Antoni to put him in the game so he would not let his teammates down. Richardson was easing a compression sleeve on his forearm when he was asked how he felt about a healthy teammate who wouldn’t play. “You mean Steph?” Richardson said. Speaking without rancor, he continued: “I don’t consider him my teammate. He hasn’t played with us all year. He didn’t want to play with us. I don’t look at him as a teammate because teammates don’t do that.”

He added: “Regardless of if you’re trying to stick it to whoever you’re trying to stick it to, at the end of the day we’re short-handed. People are hurt. A teammate would get out there and help.”

Steph started McHale on the black hole's downward spiral as Wolves' GM, and, once McHale got rid of him, Marbury never really changed his tune.

Talkin' 'Bout Practice

Pistons punish Iverson after missing practice

DETROIT (AP) — Allen Iverson apparently chose family and food over practice — and he'll be fined for it.

If only I could resist the temptation. But, alas, I cannot:

Twenty the Hard Way

I thought we started out the game great, the first six or eight minutes. Then, I thought we got infatuated with scoring, and it became a scoring contest. I thought our bench came in and had that feeling. Our bench has been phenomenal all year; [last] night, I thought they came in with the thought they were going to try to score. And that's when Golden State got going.

--Doc

During the playoffs last year, Sam Cassell was asked what it takes to make the bench effective.

"Twenty points" was his answer.

Other than the double-digit loss to Indiana, where the bench scored 20 because they saw more garbage time than usual, Sam's Golden Rule has held true. The bench scores 20 and we either win or win big. We don't score 20 and we either lose or struggle.

Last night the bench shot an abysmal 4-12, but still managed to post 20 points, as Tony Allen, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis converted 13 freebies.

Collectively, however, the bench was -21 as a unit.

For the year, Tony Allen and Leon Powe are a combined +10 on the year. The rest of the bench, along with Kendrick Perkins, are in negative territory.

Doc seems to be suggesting above that the bench does best when it lets its defensive play fuel its offense. When the opposite is true, the Green Team again struggles.

Interesting.

Were the Pilgrims French?

New York Times

TO commemorate the arrival of the first pilgrims to America's shores, a June date would be far more appropriate, accompanied perhaps by coq au vin and a nice Bordeaux. After all, the first European arrivals seeking religious freedom in the ''New World'' were French. And they beat their English counterparts by 50 years. That French settlers bested the Mayflower Pilgrims may surprise Americans raised on our foundational myth, but the record is clear.

Long before the Pilgrims sailed in 1620, another group of dissident Christians sought a haven in which to worship freely. These French Calvinists, or Huguenots, hoped to escape the sectarian fighting between Catholics and Protestants that had bloodied France since 1560.

Landing in balmy Florida in June of 1564, at what a French explorer had earlier named the River of May (now the St. Johns River near Jacksonville), the French emigres promptly held a service of ''thanksgiving.'' Carrying the seeds of a new colony, they also brought cannons to fortify the small, wooden enclosure they named Fort Caroline, in honor of their king, Charles IX.

In short order, these French pilgrims built houses, a mill and bakery, and apparently even managed to press some grapes into a few casks of wine. At first, relationships with the local Timucuans were friendly, and some of the French settlers took native wives and soon acquired the habit of smoking a certain local ''herb.'' Food, wine, women -- and tobacco by the sea, no less. A veritable Gallic paradise.

Except, that is, to the Spanish, who had other visions for the New World. In 1565, King Philip II of Spain issued orders to ''hang and burn the Lutherans'' (then a Spanish catchall term for Protestants) and dispatched Adm. Pedro Menendez to wipe out these French heretics who had taken up residence on land claimed by the Spanish -- and who also had an annoying habit of attacking Spanish treasure ships as they sailed by.

Leading this holy war with a crusader's fervor, Menendez established St. Augustine and ordered what local boosters claim is the first parish Mass celebrated in the future United States. Then he engineered a murderous assault on Fort Caroline, in which most of the French settlers were massacred. Menendez had many of the survivors strung up under a sign that read, ''I do this not as to Frenchmen but as to heretics.'' A few weeks later, he ordered the execution of more than 300 French shipwreck survivors at a site just south of St. Augustine, now marked by an inconspicuous national monument called Fort Matanzas, from the Spanish word for ''slaughters.''

With this, America's first pilgrims disappeared from the pages of history. Casualties of Europe's murderous religious wars, they fell victim to Anglophile historians who erased their existence as readily as they demoted the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine to second-class status behind the later English colonies in Jamestown and Plymouth.

But the truth cannot be so easily buried. Although overlooked, a brutal first chapter had been written in the most untidy history of a ''Christian nation.'' And the sectarian violence and hatred that ended with the deaths of a few hundred Huguenots in 1565 would be replayed often in early America, the supposed haven for religious dissent, which in fact tolerated next to none.

Starting with those massacred French pilgrims, the saga of the nation's birth and growth is often a bloodstained one, filled with religious animosities. In Boston, for instance, the Puritan fathers banned Catholic priests and executed several Quakers between 1659 and 1661. Cotton Mather, the famed Puritan cleric, led the war cries against New England's Abenaki ''savages'' who had learned their prayers from the French Jesuits. The colony of Georgia was established in 1732 as a buffer between the Protestant English colonies and the Spanish missions of Florida; its original charter banned Catholics. The bitter rivalry between Catholic France and Protestant England carried on for most of a century, giving rise to anti-Catholic laws, while a mistrust of Canada's French Catholics helped fire many patriots' passion for independence. As late as 1844, Philadelphia's anti-Catholic ''Bible Riots'' took the lives of more than a dozen people.

The list goes on. Our history is littered with bleak tableaus that show what happens when righteous certitude is mixed with fearful ignorance. Which is why this Thanksgiving, as we express gratitude for America's bounty and promise, we would do well to reflect on all our histories, including a forgotten French one that began on Florida's shores so many years ago.

Rondo Catalyst for Game 16 Win

We had six deflections in the first half, we had 17 in the second half. Same team - it's amazing. I thought it started with Rondo picking it up, picking up ball pressure, just attacking, using his speed.

--Doc

Rondo Should be an All-Star

Rajon Rondo grabbed an inbounds pass early in the third quarter and slammed the ball to the court with enough strength that it bounced several feet over his head. He had just allowed his man to score, and he'd had enough.

"I was frustrated on the defensive end," Rondo said. "It was a defensive mind-set."

Rondo, though, willed the Celtics in the second half with his offense, which has blossomed to the point that Paul Pierce suggested after the Celtics' 119-111 victory over the Warriors last night that Rondo might be an All-Star.

Rondo sparked the Celtics' comeback by scoring 16 of his season-high 22 points in the third quarter, taking it upon himself to extricate the Celtics from their second-quarter malaise and erase a 13-point halftime deficit.

Rondo continued his emergence as a consistent offensive force. He has scored at least 13 points in five straight games, upping his season scoring average to 10.1. Rondo's streak owes to enhanced aggression, and one prominent teammate believes it makes him one of the league's elite players.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he made the All-Star team this year," Pierce said. "He really changed the game. When he's on like he was on tonight, we're unbeatable.

"Rajon is now starting to develop that consistency as a player. He's starting to establish himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA."

--Boston Globe

Next Five Games

Fri, Nov 28   Philadelphia   7:30 PM   
Sat, Nov 29   @ Charlotte    7:00 PM   
Mon, Dec 1    Orlando        7:30 PM 
Wed, Dec 3    Indiana        7:30 PM 
Fri, Dec 5    Portland       8:00 PM 

Eastern Conference Standings

            W L  PCT  GB  HM   RD  CONF  DIV   PF    PA    STRK L10
Boston     14 2 .875  -  8-1  6-1  10-1  3-0  98.6  91.3  Won 6 9-1 
Cleveland  12 3 .800  1½ 8-0  4-3  8-2   4-1  103.5 92.9  Won 3 9-1
Orlando    11 4 .733  2½ 6-3  5-1  8-1   2-1  99.5  94.4  Won 2 8-2
Atlanta     9 5 .643  4  5-1  4-4  7-5   3-0  98.8  97.4  Won 1 5-5
Detroit     9 5 .643  4  4-2  5-3  6-3   2-0  96.8  96.6  Won 1 5-5

Highlights

Game 16: Celtics 119 Warriors 111

                         GOLDEN STATE             BOSTON
Points                       111                     119
FG Made-Attempted            39-79 (.494)            41-87 (.471)
3P Made-Attempted            7-19  (.368)            5-14  (.357)
FT Made-Attempted            26-33 (.788)            32-36 (.889)
Rebounds (Offensive-Total)   7-34                    13-47
Assists                      21                      21
Turnovers                    11                      11
Steals                       6                       4
Blocks                       8                       7
Fast Break Points            21                      20
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant)        24 (0/0)                24 (2/0)
Largest Lead                 14                      10

Game 16: The Box

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Corey Maggette, SF	37	12-20	2-6	6-8	0	4	4	1	1	0	4	4	32
Brandan Wright, SF	13	1-4	0-0	0-0	2	2	4	1	0	0	1	2	2
Andris Biedrins, C	42	4-9	0-0	0-2	1	8	9	4	1	2	0	4	8
Stephen Jackson, SF	45	11-18	3-4	5-7	2	3	5	6	3	1	2	2	30
Jamal Crawford, SG	37	5-17	2-8	6-6	1	5	6	6	0	0	4	3	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Anthony Randolph, SF	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Kelenna Azubuike, SG	23	0-3	0-1	5-6	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	1	5
Rob Kurz, SF	3	1-1	0-0	2-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	4
Ronny Turiaf, PF	22	1-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	1	1	5	0	4	2
C.J. Watson, PG	16	4-4	0-0	2-2	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	10
Anthony Morrow, SG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Marco Belinelli, SG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		39-79	7-19	26-33	7	27	34	21	6	8	11	24	111
		49.4%	36.8%	78.8%	Team TO (pts off): 11 (17)
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Paul Pierce, SF	40	6-14	0-4	9-9	0	6	6	5	1	0	5	4	21
Kevin Garnett, PF	38	9-23	0-0	3-3	3	10	13	3	0	4	1	3	21
Kendrick Perkins, C	29	3-6	0-0	3-4	2	6	8	3	0	2	2	2	9
Ray Allen, SG	39	10-17	5-7	0-0	0	3	3	3	0	0	1	4	25
Rajon Rondo, PG	35	9-15	0-1	4-4	4	4	8	7	2	0	0	2	22
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Leon Powe, PF	6	0-2	0-0	3-4	2	1	3	0	0	0	2	1	3
Tony Allen, SG	21	3-7	0-0	3-5	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	3	9
Eddie House, SG	13	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	2	0
Glen Davis, PF	13	1-1	0-0	7-7	1	2	3	0	0	1	0	2	9
Brian Scalabrine, PF	7	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Gabe Pruitt, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Patrick O'Bryant, C	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		41-87	5-14	32-36	13	34	47	21	4	7	11	24	119
		47.1%	35.7%	88.9%	Team TO (pts off): 11 (14)

And Another 3

KG Isn't Clutch?

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda Have Beens for Nellie

On Tap the World Champion Boston Celtics

The defending champs offer numerous reminders of what could have been -- and what might be -- for the Golden State Warriors.

There's Kevin Garnett, the player they almost landed in a draft-day trade two summers ago, until Kevin McHale got cold feet and wanted more than Golden State could offer.

Then there's Leon Powe, the Cal standout turned gritty Celtics reserve, who was available when the Warriors took Kosta Perovic in the second round of the 2006 draft. All he did last year was score 8 points, grab 4 rebounds and shoot 57% from the field in less than 15 minutes per game. Oh, and he led the entire Celtics team in points-per-minute.

Finally, there's Ray Allen, whom Golden State rookie Anthony Morrow studies immensely and wants to pattern his game after.

--San Francisco Chronicle

Hey, what about Patrick O'Bryant? He's already blocked more shots in garbage time than Nellie ever thought possible.

And what's this about Anthony Morrow and Jesus Shuttlesworth?

Yeah, right.

Keep dreaming...

Celtics Roll Despite Modest Production from Big 2

During the Celtics-Timberwolves game the other night, they showed a graph comparing Al Jefferson and Kevin Garnett since they were traded for each other in August of 2007. Big Al led in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. Garnett trailed in double-doubles by more than a 2-1 ration.

This is further proof that Garnett's value goes way beyond numbers, as the next graph shows. Garnett posted rebounding totals of 7, 4, 4, and 6 in four wins, three of the wins by large margins.

DATE   OPP   RESULT       M   FG   3P   FT  S B  T F  O D TR  A  PTS
11/15  @Mil  W  102-97   39  6-15 0-0  3-4  2 4  5 6  2 5  7  3  15
11/18  Nyk   W  110-101   0  0-0  0-0  0-0  0 0  0 0  0 0  0  0  0
11/20  Det   W  98-80    25  6-10 0-0  3-4  3 0  0 0  2 2  4  2  15
11/21  @Min  W  95-78    29  8-12 0-0  1-2  1 1  2 0  0 4  4  2  17
11/23  @Tor  W  118-103  29  7-10 1-1  0-0  1 1  0 3  1 5  6  5  15

It also goes to show how reliance on numbers as proof of player-value can be misleading, as the next graph shows. Pierce took 9, 8, and 6 shots during three blow-out victories. Even the 13 shots he took against New York was far from Kobesque.

DATE   OPP   RESULT       M   FG    3P   FT   S B  T F  O D  TR  A  PTS
11/18  Nyk   W  110-101  35  5-13  2-4  10-13 1 0  3 1  0 8  8   2  22
11/20  Det   W  98-80    28  2-9   1-3  4-4   1 0  1 2  1 3  4   3  9
11/21  @Min  W  95-78    32  4-8   0-1  4-4   2 0  3 2  1 10 11  4  12
11/23  @Tor  W  118-103  24  3-6   1-2  4-6   3 0  4 5  1 3  4   2  11

The Celtics have won six straight, and the Big Three have played no small role. It's just not a role that is fully reflected by the numbers. Nonetheless, it must be intimidating to the rest of the league when the Celtics can steamroll one opponent after another with only modest statistical contributions from Pierce and Garnett.

Are We Better than Last Year?

Paul Pierce and Doc weigh in.

The Offense is Catching Up

The offense is averaging 101.6 points since beating Atlanta, 103-102, Nov. 12, and Kendrick Perkins said it's starting to get where it needs to be. "Our defense's been there," he said. "But it seems like offensively we're starting to really get it down pat. We're moving the ball, guys are taking their shots, guys are finishing around the basket. It just feels good right now."

--Boston Globe

Stay healthy, keep coming together, and round the offense into form.

And then?

Administer beat-down at Staples.

Rivers on the Campaign Trail

Rivers says the team has been sending tapes of Perkins’ technical foul violations to the NBA office, contending that he’s being targeted by refs. “We’re going to try to get a couple rescinded,” he said. Rivers also added that he wasn't going to hold his breath.

--Patriot Ledger

Rivers may not be holding his breath.

But, like most things with Doc, there's a dual agenda.

The primary agenda is to get the refs off Perk's back. Eight technicals in 15 games is ridiculous. We can't afford to have Perk missing multiple games from having exceeded the limit, which he most assuredly would do were he to keep up this pace.

The secondary agenda is to reduce the number of technicals Perk has on file at the league's office. This might not be as unlikely as it sounds, as every time Perk gets a funny look on his face, he gets flagged with a technical. Maybe the league will take one away.

In any event, the real message is obvious:

David Stern, call off your goons!