Joe Dumars acquired Allen Iverson in part to help offset Boston's artillery. It hasn't worked out too well. As a result, Iverson, whose contract expires after this season, may find himself working elsewhere next year. Dumars also has another large expiring contract on his roster--Rasheed Wallace. Depending on the Grand Vision of the Pistons' El Jefe, Wallace may not be part of Detroit's rebuilding plans either.
Would Dumars consider trading Wallace to the Lakers for Lamar Odom and some picks and young talent?
We know the Lakers won't waste time if the injury to Andrew Bynum is serious. We also know Phil has never been a big fan of Lamar Odom, whose contract also expires this summer. After last year's ridiculous Pau Gasol trade, anything is possible.
I'm going to reserve hope that this trade doesn't happen. The Pistons would essentially be throwing this season away. I'm not sure they are ready to do this quite yet. Nor do the Lakers have any young talent that would interest the Pistons. Jordan Farmar and the gang are not difference makers. Finally, any pick the Lakers' offered would be very low.
Still, the wheels will be spinning in Mitch's office. That's enough to make me nervous.
About Me
Bird Goes for 40, 17, 7, and 6 in Win Over Pistons
Celtics Improve to 25-8
1981-82 Boston Celtics
His nightly imitation of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde defies adequate explanation. But that is the charm of a Larry Bird. He finds ways to help the Celtics win when lesser players might hang their heads.
No one who watched Bird score 40 points, haul in 17 rebounds or dish out 7 assists in Boston's 134-124 victory over Detroit last night would have even suspected that he was coming off just a so-so effort against the 76ers on Friday night.
1981-82 Boston Celtics
His nightly imitation of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde defies adequate explanation. But that is the charm of a Larry Bird. He finds ways to help the Celtics win when lesser players might hang their heads.
No one who watched Bird score 40 points, haul in 17 rebounds or dish out 7 assists in Boston's 134-124 victory over Detroit last night would have even suspected that he was coming off just a so-so effort against the 76ers on Friday night.
Read more.
Celtics Give Up 38 First-Quarter Points, Still Win
1981-82 Boston Celtics
The Detroit Pistons hit the world champs with a 38-point first quarter that included 20 fast-break points (on 10-for-12 running), but the Celtics came right back in the second quarter to pick up 19 fast-break points of their own. Thus a Detroit lead that had twice peaked at eight in the first quarter (28-20, 30-22) was turned into a pair of 10-point Boston leads, each one answered by Kelly Tripucka.
Read more.
The Detroit Pistons hit the world champs with a 38-point first quarter that included 20 fast-break points (on 10-for-12 running), but the Celtics came right back in the second quarter to pick up 19 fast-break points of their own. Thus a Detroit lead that had twice peaked at eight in the first quarter (28-20, 30-22) was turned into a pair of 10-point Boston leads, each one answered by Kelly Tripucka.
Read more.
Pistons Score 251 Points in Two Games, Lose Both
1981-82 Boston Celtics
What price running? the Pistons played two hard games in two nights, during which they scored 251 points. They also lost them both.
Read more.
What price running? the Pistons played two hard games in two nights, during which they scored 251 points. They also lost them both.
Read more.
Green Tallies 25 Assists on 31 Field Goals
| Team Stat Comparison | ||
| BOSTON | DETROIT | |
| Points | 86 | 78 |
| FG Made-Attempted | 31-68 (.456) | 30-74 (.405) |
| 3P Made-Attempted | 4-10 (.400) | 1-8 (.125) |
| FT Made-Attempted | 20-25 (.800) | 17-23 (.739) |
| Rebounds (Offensive-Total) | 11-44 | 11-36 |
| Assists | 25 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 12 |
| Steals | 6 | 5 |
| Blocks | 7 | 3 |
| Fast Break Points | 5 | 4 |
| Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) | 18 (0/1) | 18 (1/1) |
| Largest Lead | 11 | 0 |
| Top Performers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTON | DETROIT | ||
 | K. Garnett Points: 22 Reb: 9 Ast: 3 Stl: 1 Blk: 2 |  | R. Stuckey Points: 19 Reb: 3 Ast: 4 Stl: 0 Blk: 0 |
| Game Leaders | ||
| BOSTON | DETROIT | |
| Points | K. Garnett 22 | A. Iverson 19 |
| Rebounds | K. Garnett 9 | A. McDyess 14 |
| Assists | R. Rondo 12 | R. Hamilton 5 |
| Steals | R. Allen 2 | T. Prince 3 |
| Blocks | K. Garnett 2 | T. Prince 1 |
| · Team stats: Boston | Detroit | ||
So-So Celtics Notch 10th Consecutive Win
| BOSTON CELTICS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Paul Pierce, SF | 39 | 6-10 | 2-2 | 6-8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | +10 | 20 |
| Kevin Garnett, PF | 37 | 10-17 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +12 | 22 |
| Kendrick Perkins, C | 29 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +11 | 9 |
| Ray Allen, SG | 38 | 4-14 | 1-5 | 5-5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | +10 | 14 |
| Rajon Rondo, PG | 39 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +9 | 8 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Glen Davis, PF | 19 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 3 |
| Leon Powe, PF | 11 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -4 | 1 |
| Eddie House, SG | 15 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| Tony Allen, SG | 15 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -5 | 6 |
| Gabe Pruitt, PG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Patrick O'Bryant, C | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Bill Walker, SG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 31-68 | 4-10 | 20-25 | 11 | 33 | 44 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 18 | 86 | |||
| 45.6% | 40.0% | 80.0% | Team TO (pts off): 16 (18) | |||||||||||
| +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court. | ||||||||||||||
| DETROIT PISTONS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Tayshaun Prince, SF | 35 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -11 | 4 |
| Amir Johnson, PF | 5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -8 | 2 |
| Rasheed Wallace, C | 38 | 5-16 | 1-6 | 1-2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -11 | 12 |
| Allen Iverson, SG | 43 | 7-14 | 0-0 | 5-6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -9 | 19 |
| Rodney Stuckey, PG | 37 | 7-11 | 0-1 | 5-6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -11 | 19 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Antonio McDyess, PF | 38 | 1-8 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +4 | 3 |
| Richard Hamilton, SG | 30 | 6-13 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +6 | 14 |
| Jason Maxiell, PF | 14 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Kwame Brown, C | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Will Bynum, PG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Arron Afflalo, SG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Walter Herrmann, PF | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 30-74 | 1-8 | 17-23 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 78 | |||
| 40.5% | 12.5% | 73.9% | Team TO (pts off): 12 (19) | |||||||||||
Remembering the Day House Dropped 61
Part I
January 2000
Eddie House scored 61 points and Arizona State needed every one of them to prevail, 111-108, over California in double overtime Saturday in Berkeley.
House went 18-for-30 from the field, including 7-for-10 from 3- point range and made 18 of 19 free throws in surpassing his own school record and tying a 33-year- old Pac-10 record. Fittingly, House had the final say in the game.
Read more.
January 2000
Eddie House scored 61 points and Arizona State needed every one of them to prevail, 111-108, over California in double overtime Saturday in Berkeley.
House went 18-for-30 from the field, including 7-for-10 from 3- point range and made 18 of 19 free throws in surpassing his own school record and tying a 33-year- old Pac-10 record. Fittingly, House had the final say in the game.
Read more.
Remembering the Day House Dropped 61
Part II
House v. Alcindor
January 2000
House's 61 differs from Alcindor's
The crowd gathered in Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 25, 1967 kept chanting, "Give the ball to Lew," so what else were the UCLA Bruins supposed to do? Sophomore center Lew Alcindor responded with one of the greatest performances of his legendary career, scoring a conference-record 61 points in UCLA's 100-78 victory over Washington State.
To do it, Alcindor hit 26 of 35 shots and made three baskets in the final minute, including a dunk at the buzzer. If the big fella had made more than 9 of 18 free throws, he'd have approached 70. "They played him straight (man-to-man defense)," UCLA coach John Wooden said at the time. "I don't believe you can handle him this way." For 33 years, Alcindor's performance stood as the greatest in league history.
Now it has company.
Read more.
House v. Alcindor
January 2000
House's 61 differs from Alcindor's
The crowd gathered in Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 25, 1967 kept chanting, "Give the ball to Lew," so what else were the UCLA Bruins supposed to do? Sophomore center Lew Alcindor responded with one of the greatest performances of his legendary career, scoring a conference-record 61 points in UCLA's 100-78 victory over Washington State.
To do it, Alcindor hit 26 of 35 shots and made three baskets in the final minute, including a dunk at the buzzer. If the big fella had made more than 9 of 18 free throws, he'd have approached 70. "They played him straight (man-to-man defense)," UCLA coach John Wooden said at the time. "I don't believe you can handle him this way." For 33 years, Alcindor's performance stood as the greatest in league history.
Now it has company.
Read more.
Celtics Cruise Again Behind Lewis, Bird, and Parish
Green Improves to 10-2
1990-91 Boston Celtics
Remembering the 29-5 Start
The Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-102, getting big games from Larry Bird (29 points) and Reggie Lewis (28) and Robert Parish was a dominant force inside with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Brian Shaw (12) and Bird (10) hit double digits in assists. Boston had a staggering 51-29 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points. That represented a season's haul in years past.
Who's next? Does it matter? The Celtics have won six straight and are now a heady 10-2. They are 5-1 on the road, an unimaginable feat not too long ago.
Read more
1990-91 Boston Celtics
Remembering the 29-5 Start
The Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-102, getting big games from Larry Bird (29 points) and Reggie Lewis (28) and Robert Parish was a dominant force inside with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Brian Shaw (12) and Bird (10) hit double digits in assists. Boston had a staggering 51-29 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points. That represented a season's haul in years past.
Who's next? Does it matter? The Celtics have won six straight and are now a heady 10-2. They are 5-1 on the road, an unimaginable feat not too long ago.
Read more
Larry Bird Judicious with His Threes
1990-91 Boston Celtics
Remembering the 29-5 Start
RICHFIELD, Ohio The once self-proclaimed King of the Three-Point Shooters has pretty much abdicated his throne.
He was summarily overthrown last year in Miami in the Long Distance Shootout and has since vowed to take 3-pointers only when new popes are installed.
But the opportunity arose for Larry Bird last night and he couldn't resist. The timing was ideal -- it would be a killer if it succeeded.
And it did.
Read More.
Remembering the 29-5 Start
RICHFIELD, Ohio The once self-proclaimed King of the Three-Point Shooters has pretty much abdicated his throne.
He was summarily overthrown last year in Miami in the Long Distance Shootout and has since vowed to take 3-pointers only when new popes are installed.
But the opportunity arose for Larry Bird last night and he couldn't resist. The timing was ideal -- it would be a killer if it succeeded.
And it did.
Read More.
Disturbing Trend or Aberation?
As the February 5th rematch against the Lakers draws closer, I sense history making an attempt to repeat itself. Prior to the first meeting, our stellar defense took some games off. Instead of holding teams below 90 points and below 45% from the field during the lead-up to Green-Purple I, the Celtics decided that defense wasn't as important as they once thought, and were now trying simply to outscore their opponents.
The below chart illustrates. In four of the five games preceding the loss at Staples, the opponent either scored more than 90 points against the Celtics, shot 45% or better from field, or both. During the SLUMP, in which we lost 7 of 9, the opponent scored more than 90 points and shot better than 45% in every loss but one, the loss to the Knicks, who scored 100 points but only shot .415.
In the first seven wins of the latest winning streak, the Celtics defensive dominance returned for the most part. In all but one of those seven games, the Celtics held their opponents to less than 90 points, held their opponents to less than 45% from the field, or both. But in the last two games, the Celtics have given up 100 points twice, and Sacramento inched very close to the 45% marker.
Defense wins championships, of course. But during the regular season, defense wins big games. Outscoring the opponent is always the goal, but for the Celtics to thrive on all cylinders, their defense must fuel their offense by getting stops when they need them. The mindset of a Western Conference shootout where we simply outhoist the opponent isn't one that will take us very far.
I'm not sure what that last two games tell us. So let's see where the Green's D goes from here.
The below chart illustrates. In four of the five games preceding the loss at Staples, the opponent either scored more than 90 points against the Celtics, shot 45% or better from field, or both. During the SLUMP, in which we lost 7 of 9, the opponent scored more than 90 points and shot better than 45% in every loss but one, the loss to the Knicks, who scored 100 points but only shot .415.
In the first seven wins of the latest winning streak, the Celtics defensive dominance returned for the most part. In all but one of those seven games, the Celtics held their opponents to less than 90 points, held their opponents to less than 45% from the field, or both. But in the last two games, the Celtics have given up 100 points twice, and Sacramento inched very close to the 45% marker.
Defense wins championships, of course. But during the regular season, defense wins big games. Outscoring the opponent is always the goal, but for the Celtics to thrive on all cylinders, their defense must fuel their offense by getting stops when they need them. The mindset of a Western Conference shootout where we simply outhoist the opponent isn't one that will take us very far.
I'm not sure what that last two games tell us. So let's see where the Green's D goes from here.
PA=POINTS ALLOWED; FGPA=FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE ALLOWED
PA FGPA
SAC 100 .440 W
DAL 100 .421 W
ORL 80 .382 W
MIA 83 .400 W
PHO 87 .472 W
NJ 85 .405 W
NJ 86 .388 W
TOR 109 .476 W
TOR 88 .378 W
CLEV 98 .508 L
HOUS 89 .486 L
CATS 114 .481 L
NY 100 .415 L
WASH 83 .383 W
PORT 91 .452 L
SAC 63 .279 W
GS 99 .458 L
LA 92 .462 L
PHI 91 .481 W
NY 105 .434 W
CHI 108 .506 W
ATL 85 .367 W
UT 91 .459 W
NO 82 .354 W
WA 88 .431 W
IN 117 .506 W
PORT 78 .426 W
IN 96 .440 W
ORL 88 .420 W
CATS 84 .478 W
PHI 78 .416 W
GS 111 .496 W
The Last We Heard from Pollard
Journal-World (Lawrence, KS)
October 10, 2008
Pollard lurking
The NBA hasn't seen the last of Scot Pollard yet. At least he hopes it hasn't. Injuries prevented him from ever really executing his role as backup center for the Celtics last season, but he told the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World that he ain't done yet.
``Not officially, no way,'' said Pollard, who's coming off ankle surgery. ``I am keeping my options open. I will not close any doors. That's why I'm working out every day, staying in shape. If the right situation does come, great. If not, I'll be a soccer dad in Indianapolis working on my next career (broadcasting).''
No one's been throwing any guaranteed offers his way, but, as he saw when he got hurt last year, things can change in a hurry.
``That's why I'm working out,'' he said. ``Somebody gets hurt, (a team) may call. It happened to me last year. I got hurt, and P.J. Brown got called up in February. He wasn't doing anything. He wasn't officially retired. I needed surgery, and they saw he was available.
"I haven't had any solid offers," Pollard said. "I'm just waiting."
The 6-foot-11, 270-pounder played in 22 games last season while battling injuries with the Boston Celtics. The 2008 NBA champions did not offer Pollard a contract for this season, despite the fact that after a pair of reconstructive ankle surgeries he's physically fit and raring to go.
October 10, 2008
Pollard lurking
The NBA hasn't seen the last of Scot Pollard yet. At least he hopes it hasn't. Injuries prevented him from ever really executing his role as backup center for the Celtics last season, but he told the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World that he ain't done yet.
``Not officially, no way,'' said Pollard, who's coming off ankle surgery. ``I am keeping my options open. I will not close any doors. That's why I'm working out every day, staying in shape. If the right situation does come, great. If not, I'll be a soccer dad in Indianapolis working on my next career (broadcasting).''
No one's been throwing any guaranteed offers his way, but, as he saw when he got hurt last year, things can change in a hurry.
``That's why I'm working out,'' he said. ``Somebody gets hurt, (a team) may call. It happened to me last year. I got hurt, and P.J. Brown got called up in February. He wasn't doing anything. He wasn't officially retired. I needed surgery, and they saw he was available.
"I haven't had any solid offers," Pollard said. "I'm just waiting."
The 6-foot-11, 270-pounder played in 22 games last season while battling injuries with the Boston Celtics. The 2008 NBA champions did not offer Pollard a contract for this season, despite the fact that after a pair of reconstructive ankle surgeries he's physically fit and raring to go.
Deja Green: Celtics Bench Rallies in Janaury . . . Again
The 1985-86 Boston Celtics started the season 17-2, and then promptly lost five of nine. The low point of the season was the Christmas-Day Debacle against the New York Knicks, where the Celtics blew a 25-point lead on their way to a humiliating defeat.
Two days before that Debacle, Dan Shaughnessy called out the Celtics bench for underperforming. The bench fared no better on Christmas Day. But then something happened.
KC Jones started using the bench more and the bench started producing. No one is sure which happened first. A month later, Shaughnessy noticed the difference, lavishing the Celtics' reserves with high praise, from Bill Walton, Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting all the way down to Rick Carlisle, David ThirdKill and Greg Kite.
This year the Celtics started out 27-2, and then promptly lost seven of nine, a slump that began with a tough loss on December 25th. An LA writer then called out the Celtics bench as nonexistent. Since then, the bench has slowly risen to the challenge, especially over the last two weeks when they have been playing like gangbusters. It is still too early to fully evaluate the second unit, but it may just be a Christmas Day defeat that the Celtics' reserves use as a rallying point once again.
Two days before that Debacle, Dan Shaughnessy called out the Celtics bench for underperforming. The bench fared no better on Christmas Day. But then something happened.
KC Jones started using the bench more and the bench started producing. No one is sure which happened first. A month later, Shaughnessy noticed the difference, lavishing the Celtics' reserves with high praise, from Bill Walton, Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting all the way down to Rick Carlisle, David ThirdKill and Greg Kite.
This year the Celtics started out 27-2, and then promptly lost seven of nine, a slump that began with a tough loss on December 25th. An LA writer then called out the Celtics bench as nonexistent. Since then, the bench has slowly risen to the challenge, especially over the last two weeks when they have been playing like gangbusters. It is still too early to fully evaluate the second unit, but it may just be a Christmas Day defeat that the Celtics' reserves use as a rallying point once again.
E. House & D-Fish
Then there’s their bench, as in, what bench? Powe and Tony Allen might or might not break into the Lakers’ nine-man rotation. Davis and Eddie House, no shot.
--Mark Heisler, LA Times
Before the Finals began last June, I said that I wasn't sure that Derek Fisher was better than our third string point guard, Eddie House, much less Rajon Rondo or Sam Cassell. The next six games only made me more dubious. E. House was a difference maker. D-Fish? Don't really remember anything remarkable he did.
The above piece in the LA Times seems to disagree. That's OK. Maybe I'm a homer.
I will note, however, that during January Derek Fisher has been averaging almost 37 minutes per game, while scoring in double figures six times. In no one game did he score more than 20 points. By contrast, E. House has scored in double figures six times during January despite averaging less than 19 minutes per game, or almost a quarter-and-a-half less of basketball than Fisher. Oh, and E.House has exceeded 20 points three times.
C's Post 30 Assists on 44 Field Goals with Only 11 Turnovers
| Team Stat Comparison | ||
| SACRAMENTO | BOSTON | |
| Points | 100 | 119 |
| FG Made-Attempted | 33-75 (.440) | 44-80 (.550) |
| 3P Made-Attempted | 8-19 (.421) | 9-13 (.692) |
| FT Made-Attempted | 26-30 (.867) | 22-27 (.815) |
| Rebounds (Offensive-Total) | 9-33 | 11-40 |
| Assists | 18 | 30 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 11 |
| Steals | 2 | 9 |
| Blocks | 2 | 6 |
| Fast Break Points | 3 | 24 |
| Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) | 25 (1/0) | 25 (2/0) |
| Largest Lead | 10 | 24 |
| Top Performers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SACRAMENTO | BOSTON | ||
 | J. Thompson Points: 21 Reb: 11 Ast: 4 Stl: 0 Blk: 0 |  | E. House Points: 28 Reb: 3 Ast: 0 Stl: 1 Blk: 0 |
| Game Leaders | ||
| SACRAMENTO | BOSTON | |
| Points | J. Salmons 22 | E. House 28 |
| Rebounds | J. Thompson 11 | K. Garnett 8 |
| Assists | J. Salmons 5 | R. Rondo 9 |
| Steals | J. Salmons 1 | T. Allen 3 |
| Blocks | J. Salmons 1 | K. Perkins 2 |
| · Team stats: Sacramento Boston | ||
House Hits 8 Triples in 20 Minutes
7:30 PM ET, January 28, 2009
TD Banknorth Garden
Boston, MA
| SACRAMENTO KINGS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| John Salmons, SF | 38 | 7-14 | 4-7 | 4-4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -11 | 22 |
| Jason Thompson, PF | 36 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 7-7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | +2 | 21 |
| Brad Miller, C | 28 | 5-13 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 11 |
| Kevin Martin, SG | 36 | 4-10 | 0-2 | 10-13 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -9 | 18 |
| Beno Udrih, PG | 20 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | -6 | 4 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Bobby Brown, PG | 28 | 4-11 | 3-6 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -13 | 13 |
| Spencer Hawes, PF | 23 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -21 | 3 |
| Francisco Garcia, SG | 18 | 2-6 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -21 | 6 |
| Shelden Williams, PF | 3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -11 | 0 |
| Mikki Moore, PF | 5 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 2 |
| Donte Greene, SF | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 0 |
| Bobby Jackson, PG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 33-75 | 8-19 | 26-30 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 25 | 100 | |||
| 44.0% | 42.1% | 86.7% | Team TO (pts off): 14 (22) | |||||||||||
| +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court. | ||||||||||||||
| BOSTON CELTICS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Paul Pierce, SF | 27 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 6-6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 8 |
| Kevin Garnett, PF | 27 | 7-15 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +4 | 14 |
| Kendrick Perkins, C | 24 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -8 | 0 |
| Ray Allen, SG | 32 | 5-12 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +12 | 12 |
| Rajon Rondo, PG | 29 | 10-15 | 0-0 | 4-7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Glen Davis, PF | 22 | 5-6 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | +27 | 14 |
| Tony Allen, SG | 23 | 5-5 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +19 | 10 |
| Leon Powe, PF | 18 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +18 | 6 |
| Eddie House, SG | 20 | 10-13 | 8-9 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +29 | 28 |
| Gabe Pruitt, PG | 9 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 2 |
| Bill Walker, SG | 4 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 1 |
| Patrick O'Bryant, C | 4 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 44-80 | 9-13 | 22-27 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 25 | 119 | |||
| 55.0% | 69.2% | 81.5% | Team TO (pts off): 11 (13) | |||||||||||
Flip The Switch
When they lose a couple games on the road I compare them to that one team that broke my heart (1987). So it's only fair, when the green toys with their pray for a quarter or so until the jugular is fully exposed and they pounce, that I compare them to any of the teams from 1980 to 1986.
Tonight would be a good example of the latter. The Celtics were down 30-28 after one quarter, a chapter straight out the 1985-86 season. If you own the 1986 Finals DVDs, throw one in and fast forward to the end of the first quarter. The Celtics routinely gave up almost exactly 30 points.
Then they got down to business.
Kind of like tonight, when they outscored the Queens 40-19 in the second quarter.
Now let's see if they go for the TKO in the third, enabling the starters to snort and laugh their way through the fourth as they look on from the bench.
UPDATE:
I'm glad they won, thereby staving off comparisons to the 1988-1991 Era, when the green would build big leads, only to lose them, and then have to fight tooth and nail to claw out a victory in the last two minutes.
Tonight would be a good example of the latter. The Celtics were down 30-28 after one quarter, a chapter straight out the 1985-86 season. If you own the 1986 Finals DVDs, throw one in and fast forward to the end of the first quarter. The Celtics routinely gave up almost exactly 30 points.
Then they got down to business.
Kind of like tonight, when they outscored the Queens 40-19 in the second quarter.
Now let's see if they go for the TKO in the third, enabling the starters to snort and laugh their way through the fourth as they look on from the bench.
UPDATE:
I'm glad they won, thereby staving off comparisons to the 1988-1991 Era, when the green would build big leads, only to lose them, and then have to fight tooth and nail to claw out a victory in the last two minutes.
Replacing Scalabrine
Once upon a time I might have hoped to see Patrick O'Bryant get some meaningful minutes off the bench. I've long since disabused myself of that notion.
Once upon a time I might have secretly wished to see JR Giddens take the floor.
No more.
But come on.
Brian Scalabrine is out for a week and Doc's response is to simply insert Tony Allen back into the rotation?
People, this is the Sacramento Kings. They stink. It's a home game. Bill Walker deserves some PT. Move him up. Try him as a rotational guy. What's the worst thing that can happen?
Screw Tony Allen and the ankle he rode in on. I'm sick of waiting around for this guy to get healthy, and I'm even more tired of waiting for him to produce on a consistent basis.
Doc needs to learn to live a little, do something wacky once in a while. I've got a suggestion. How about we play the promising rooking over the endlessly disappointing veteran?
Just for one game, unless Walker does well. Then for two games. And so on.
Once upon a time I might have secretly wished to see JR Giddens take the floor.
No more.
But come on.
Brian Scalabrine is out for a week and Doc's response is to simply insert Tony Allen back into the rotation?
People, this is the Sacramento Kings. They stink. It's a home game. Bill Walker deserves some PT. Move him up. Try him as a rotational guy. What's the worst thing that can happen?
Screw Tony Allen and the ankle he rode in on. I'm sick of waiting around for this guy to get healthy, and I'm even more tired of waiting for him to produce on a consistent basis.
Doc needs to learn to live a little, do something wacky once in a while. I've got a suggestion. How about we play the promising rooking over the endlessly disappointing veteran?
Just for one game, unless Walker does well. Then for two games. And so on.
#66
Speaking of the Hip Pocket, I wonder why we haven't heard anything at all about Scot Pollard.
He's got length. He knows the system. He's available. He told us last summer that he had no plans to retire.
He might still be recovering from surgery. Or maybe he's waiting to see what shakes down before March 1. My guess is that Doc, Danny, and #66 have at least had a conversation. He's on Danny's board somewhere. It might not be a likely scenario. But somewhere Danny has his name on a contingency plan.
If coaxing Reggie Miller out of retirement is within the realm of Danny's imagination, bringing back Scot Pollard for a short stint must be, too.
He's got length. He knows the system. He's available. He told us last summer that he had no plans to retire.
He might still be recovering from surgery. Or maybe he's waiting to see what shakes down before March 1. My guess is that Doc, Danny, and #66 have at least had a conversation. He's on Danny's board somewhere. It might not be a likely scenario. But somewhere Danny has his name on a contingency plan.
If coaxing Reggie Miller out of retirement is within the realm of Danny's imagination, bringing back Scot Pollard for a short stint must be, too.
No More Home Cookin' for Da Purple
Including last night's against the Charlotte Bobcats, the Lakers will have played 29 of their 44 games at Staples Center. That includes two games in which the Lakers were the designated road team against the Clippers.
But all that will change after tonight. Starting Friday, the Lakers will begin a six-game, 11-day trip. After tonight, 12 of the Lakers' next 16 games are on the road.
Wait.
You mean the league is holding the Lakers to the rules?
The purple has to play 41 road games like everyone else?
Well, other than those 2 "road games" against the Clippers.
Now let's see how their gaudy record holds up.
But all that will change after tonight. Starting Friday, the Lakers will begin a six-game, 11-day trip. After tonight, 12 of the Lakers' next 16 games are on the road.
Wait.
You mean the league is holding the Lakers to the rules?
The purple has to play 41 road games like everyone else?
Well, other than those 2 "road games" against the Clippers.
Now let's see how their gaudy record holds up.
Order Returning to the Universe
W L PCT GBCavs get Z back Thursday, which is kind of amazing, considering how well they did without him. Delonte's absence hasn't made a difference either.
Boston 37 9 .804 -
Cleveland 35 8 .814 ½
LA Lakers 35 9 .795 1
I should be more worried about Cleveland than I am.
Let's get past 2/5, and then I'll shift my energies.
Cats Down Purple
LOS ANGELES — Shannon Brown hit a key three-pointer and Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton hit four free throws late to give the Charlotte Bobcats a 117-110 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was the Bobcats’ fifth victory in six meetings with the Lakers and third straight win against them in the Staples Center. The Bobcats improved to 19-26.
The Cats sure do get up for playing the green and the purple.
It was the Bobcats’ fifth victory in six meetings with the Lakers and third straight win against them in the Staples Center. The Bobcats improved to 19-26.
The Cats sure do get up for playing the green and the purple.
What's in that Hip Pocket?
The volume of rumors is what surprises me.
Suppose Danny had been successful in coaxing Zo and Reggie out of retirement (I suppose it could still happen). Not wanting to be left out, Marbury throws another $5m on the table to secure a buyout from New York and now he wants to come on board in Boston (this seems a stretch, but still possible). It's not out of the question that we'd sign all three. Three different players, three different positions, three different needs.
But all of a sudden our roster would be bursting with 18 players, and I'm pretty sure Doc still plans on using Sam once the playoffs get closer.
There must be a board room contingency plan. In fact, Danny used the word "board" the other day, as in "I still haven't taken PJ and Zo off my board."
I wonder what the pecking order is?
In comes Reggie, out goes JR?
Hello Alonzo, goodbye POB?
Steph signs, Pruitt is punked?
The other interesting thing is I doubt any of these current Celtics would just get cut outright. My guess is Danny has a handful of minor side deals in his hip pocket. Now if we only knew what was in that hip pocket.
Suppose Danny had been successful in coaxing Zo and Reggie out of retirement (I suppose it could still happen). Not wanting to be left out, Marbury throws another $5m on the table to secure a buyout from New York and now he wants to come on board in Boston (this seems a stretch, but still possible). It's not out of the question that we'd sign all three. Three different players, three different positions, three different needs.
But all of a sudden our roster would be bursting with 18 players, and I'm pretty sure Doc still plans on using Sam once the playoffs get closer.
There must be a board room contingency plan. In fact, Danny used the word "board" the other day, as in "I still haven't taken PJ and Zo off my board."
I wonder what the pecking order is?
In comes Reggie, out goes JR?
Hello Alonzo, goodbye POB?
Steph signs, Pruitt is punked?
The other interesting thing is I doubt any of these current Celtics would just get cut outright. My guess is Danny has a handful of minor side deals in his hip pocket. Now if we only knew what was in that hip pocket.
Big Three Make Big Leap at the Line
2008-09 FT% Career FT% Differential
Kevin Garnett .842 .782 .060
Paul Pierce .846 .798 .048
Ray Allen .936 .891 .045
And Another Thing
Can we get over the idea that the green didn't take the 12/25 game seriously?
After the road victories over the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks, Paul Pierce made a point of saying that they were "statement" games.
So road games against the Magic and the Hawks are important but the road game against the Lakers wasn't?
Give me a break.
It's OK for the Celtics to publicly downplay the Christmas-Day defeat. That's what you do when you lose a big game.
But let's not pretend they mean it.
After the road victories over the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks, Paul Pierce made a point of saying that they were "statement" games.
So road games against the Magic and the Hawks are important but the road game against the Lakers wasn't?
Give me a break.
It's OK for the Celtics to publicly downplay the Christmas-Day defeat. That's what you do when you lose a big game.
But let's not pretend they mean it.
It's a Green and Purple World
Ok.
You knew this was coming.
Why did the Celtics go 2-7 after starting the season 27-2?
Easy. The loss to the Lakers did a number on their psyche.
Why are the Celtics 8-0 since going through their slide?
Equally easy.
They are gearing up for the 2/5/09 rematch.
This blog has also argued that one reason the Celtics started the season on fire was because they were determined not to listen to how great the Lakers were for the first two months of the season. So they decided to steal some thunder from the purple and send a little message of their own to the Left Coast.
The motivation for their most recent hot streak is similar. The green understands that they need to be playing very well to win on 2/5, and so they better start ramping up early.
It's a green and purple world everyone.
It's sad how much I can milk one topic.
Isn't it?
You knew this was coming.
Why did the Celtics go 2-7 after starting the season 27-2?
Easy. The loss to the Lakers did a number on their psyche.
Why are the Celtics 8-0 since going through their slide?
Equally easy.
They are gearing up for the 2/5/09 rematch.
This blog has also argued that one reason the Celtics started the season on fire was because they were determined not to listen to how great the Lakers were for the first two months of the season. So they decided to steal some thunder from the purple and send a little message of their own to the Left Coast.
The motivation for their most recent hot streak is similar. The green understands that they need to be playing very well to win on 2/5, and so they better start ramping up early.
It's a green and purple world everyone.
It's sad how much I can milk one topic.
Isn't it?
Making Up for Lost Time
Ray Allen By the Numbers
MIN FG% 3P% FT% OR DR TR ST BL TO PF AS PTS
Season 36.3 .504 .416 .936 .9 2.5 3.4 .96 .13 1.72 1.85 2.8 18.1
Career 37.3 .448 .398 .891 1.1 3.3 4.5 1.23 .18 2.37 2.34 3.8 21.0
Last 5 GamesYou ever get the feeling that one reason Doc is allowing Ray Allen, the elder statesman amongst the Big 3, to play a little more than his counterparts is because Ray Allen is playing his best basketball as a Boston Celtic and maybe of his career?
DATE OPP RESULT MIN FG 3P FT ST BL TO PF OR DR TR AS PTS
1/17 @Njn W 105-85 30 8-12 3-7 6-6 0 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 25
1/19 Pho W 104-87 32 8-12 4-5 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 3 20
1/21 @Mia W 98-83 38 9-12 5-6 4-4 1 0 3 2 3 2 5 5 27
1/22 @Orl W 90-80 38 6-12 0-2 0-0 2 1 3 1 1 1 2 2 12
1/25 Dal W 124-100 34 9-13 4-5 1-1 1 1 0 2 1 4 5 7 23
These numbers are crazy.
42% from 3
50% overall
94% from the line.
The numbers from the last five games are even more mind-numbing.
How about an MVP chant the next time this guy goes to the line at the GAH-DEN?
Celtics Down Sixers in Athens-Sparta III
Late surge gives Boston win over depleted 76ers
Green Improves to 24-8
1981-82 Boston Celtics
This may have been one for the standings, but it certainly was not one for the heart. Defeating Philadelphia without Andrew Toney (sprained ankle) and with Darryl Dawkins playing 11 painful minutes (tendinitis of the left knee) is about as satisfying as beating Farrah Fawcett in an acting contest.
Nevertheless, the Celtics are now just a half-game out of first place.
Read more.
Green Improves to 24-8
1981-82 Boston Celtics
This may have been one for the standings, but it certainly was not one for the heart. Defeating Philadelphia without Andrew Toney (sprained ankle) and with Darryl Dawkins playing 11 painful minutes (tendinitis of the left knee) is about as satisfying as beating Farrah Fawcett in an acting contest.
Nevertheless, the Celtics are now just a half-game out of first place.
Read more.
ML Carr Helps Secure Win
1981-82 Boston Celtics
Welcome Back, M.L.
Check out the box score, folks. M.L. Carr played a season-high 24 minutes last night, all of it at guard, and without his efforts the Celtics would have lost the game. This may have been the big local development to come out of this game.
Read more.
Welcome Back, M.L.
Check out the box score, folks. M.L. Carr played a season-high 24 minutes last night, all of it at guard, and without his efforts the Celtics would have lost the game. This may have been the big local development to come out of this game.
Read more.
Winning Ugly Doesn't Win Fan Approval
1981-82 Boston Celtics
Are we too harsh on a 24-8 team that doesn't have the fans lighting their mental victory cigars every night by the 10-minute mark of the fourth period? Wouldn't folks in most cities be satisfied with such a record, no matter how it were achieved?
"It does get to the players sometimes," says Bill Fitch. "They wonder if they're expected to win, or win every night with great showmanship."
Read more.
Are we too harsh on a 24-8 team that doesn't have the fans lighting their mental victory cigars every night by the 10-minute mark of the fourth period? Wouldn't folks in most cities be satisfied with such a record, no matter how it were achieved?
"It does get to the players sometimes," says Bill Fitch. "They wonder if they're expected to win, or win every night with great showmanship."
Read more.
Antoine Impresses at Rookie Game
Antoine Walker's Rookie Season
2/9/97
Last night, Antoine Walker was one of 16 players in the third annual Rookie Game, coached by Celtics czar emeritus Red Auerbach. He had 20 points, 9 rebounds, 1 airball free throw and led the team with 16 shots in 23 minutes. Red's team won, 96-91.
He isn't quite ready for the Hall of Fame yet. Or, for that matter, the real All-Star Game. He still can do incredibly wild things on the floor, and neither his field goal percentage nor free throw shooting is going to threaten the record books. He's a player. He's a '90s player, not especially sound on the fundamentals, but so incredibly gifted and athletic that he does things no one else does.
Midway through Walker's first NBA season, you have to look long and hard to find anyone who doesn't like this kid. Auerbach likes him a lot. "He's one of my favorites," Red gushed.He leads all rookies in rebounds (8.4). Among last night's contestants, he was fourth in scoring (14.7), fourth in minutes (32.2), second in steals (1.17) and sixth in assists (2.3).
Read more.
2/9/97
Last night, Antoine Walker was one of 16 players in the third annual Rookie Game, coached by Celtics czar emeritus Red Auerbach. He had 20 points, 9 rebounds, 1 airball free throw and led the team with 16 shots in 23 minutes. Red's team won, 96-91.
He isn't quite ready for the Hall of Fame yet. Or, for that matter, the real All-Star Game. He still can do incredibly wild things on the floor, and neither his field goal percentage nor free throw shooting is going to threaten the record books. He's a player. He's a '90s player, not especially sound on the fundamentals, but so incredibly gifted and athletic that he does things no one else does.
Midway through Walker's first NBA season, you have to look long and hard to find anyone who doesn't like this kid. Auerbach likes him a lot. "He's one of my favorites," Red gushed.He leads all rookies in rebounds (8.4). Among last night's contestants, he was fourth in scoring (14.7), fourth in minutes (32.2), second in steals (1.17) and sixth in assists (2.3).
Read more.
Kendrick Rounding into Shape
24 Minutes
4-7 from the field
6 Caroms
3 Blocks
0 Turnovers
A heap load of picks for the shooters.
4-7 from the field
6 Caroms
3 Blocks
0 Turnovers
A heap load of picks for the shooters.
Bill Walker
Good things seem to happen more often when the ball touches his hands than they do when the ball rests with any of the other Celtics reserves. And that might explain his effectiveness. The ball doesn't "rest" in his hands for very long.
I've got to believe Doc sees this as well.
Meaningful minutes are in this kid's future, perhaps after the All-Star break.
I've got to believe Doc sees this as well.
Meaningful minutes are in this kid's future, perhaps after the All-Star break.
Ray Allen's an Old Man
MIN FG-A 3P-A FT-A OR DR TR AS ST BL TO PF +/- PTSYou start to understand Doc's problem after you see enough box scores like this one.
34 9-13 4-5 1-1 1 4 5 7 1 1 0 2 +23 23
How do you rest your best player when he's playing the best ball of his Hall of Fame career?
Are Scalabrine and Big Baby Expendable?
Celticdom has spent much of the season focused on figuring out the best way to replace PJ Brown and James Posey. Reduced to simple terms, the Celtics bench needs to add a shooter and some length.
That shouldn't be too hard, most of us thought to begin the season. Darius Miles dropped into our laps before the season even started. Joe Smith was wasting his time in Oklahoma, and Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo were free agents.
Yet as the season drags on, it has become clearer to many of us that our needs may not be answered via free agency. The most likely free agent candidate, Stephon Marbury, is demanding more money from a buyout than his team is willing to give.
Which doesn't leave many viable alternatives other than a trade. While a few "unnamed" GMs have said the Celtics don't have any desirable assets, the past two weeks have proven otherwise. Eddie House went "microwave" against the Heat, while Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis have been contributing more and more at a higher level.
Which brings me to today's question:
Do we really want to trade either Scalabrine or Davis? If so, what would you want in return?
I'm not entirely satisfied with our roster, but I'm not entirely opposed to sticking with the horses that brung us this far.
Is Mike Miller enough to part with either player? And don't forget, it won't be just Scalabrine or Davis. JR Giddens, Bill Walker, or Gabe Pruitt are likely to be included, too. Davis and another "ute" would be a pretty attractive package. But I'm not so sure I'm willing to part with them unless I get something more than Mike Miller.
That shouldn't be too hard, most of us thought to begin the season. Darius Miles dropped into our laps before the season even started. Joe Smith was wasting his time in Oklahoma, and Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo were free agents.
Yet as the season drags on, it has become clearer to many of us that our needs may not be answered via free agency. The most likely free agent candidate, Stephon Marbury, is demanding more money from a buyout than his team is willing to give.
Which doesn't leave many viable alternatives other than a trade. While a few "unnamed" GMs have said the Celtics don't have any desirable assets, the past two weeks have proven otherwise. Eddie House went "microwave" against the Heat, while Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis have been contributing more and more at a higher level.
Which brings me to today's question:
Do we really want to trade either Scalabrine or Davis? If so, what would you want in return?
I'm not entirely satisfied with our roster, but I'm not entirely opposed to sticking with the horses that brung us this far.
Is Mike Miller enough to part with either player? And don't forget, it won't be just Scalabrine or Davis. JR Giddens, Bill Walker, or Gabe Pruitt are likely to be included, too. Davis and another "ute" would be a pretty attractive package. But I'm not so sure I'm willing to part with them unless I get something more than Mike Miller.
Rondo Continues to Make his Case . . . Loudly and Forcefully
34 Minutes
6-10 from the Field
13 Points
14 Assists
7 Rebounds
4 Steals
2 Turnovers
+28
Another performance reminiscent of DJ in his prime...
6-10 from the Field
13 Points
14 Assists
7 Rebounds
4 Steals
2 Turnovers
+28
Another performance reminiscent of DJ in his prime...
7 Triples for E.House
| Dallas Mavericks (25-19) |
| Field Goals | Rebounds | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pos | min | fgm-a | 3pm-a | ftm-a | +/- | off | def | tot | ast | pf | st | to | bs | ba | pts | |
| J.Howard | F | 36:45 | 6-13 | 1-4 | 5-6 | -20 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| D.Nowitzki | F | 37:07 | 4-17 | 0-3 | 10-12 | -23 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| E.Dampier | C | 27:34 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2-2 | -8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| A.Wright | G | 14:07 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| J.Kidd | G | 34:30 | 2-7 | 1-3 | 1-2 | -18 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| J.Terry | 32:19 | 10-18 | 4-9 | 3-4 | -15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | |
| J.Singleton | 09:02 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| J.Barea | 13:45 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2-2 | -8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| B.Bass | 16:00 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 4-4 | -21 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| R.Hollins | 06:18 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3-4 | +5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| D.George | 06:18 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | +5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| M.Carroll | 06:18 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | +5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 240 | 32-76 | 6-20 | 30-36 | 12 | 28 | 40 | 12 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 100 | ||
| 42.1% | 30.0% | 83.3% | Team Rebs: 11 | Total TO: 15 | ||||||||||||
| Boston Celtics (37-9) |
| Field Goals | Rebounds | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pos | min | fgm-a | 3pm-a | ftm-a | +/- | off | def | tot | ast | pf | st | to | bs | ba | pts | |
| P.Pierce | F | 22:01 | 3-7 | 2-4 | 0-0 | +15 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| K.Garnett | F | 24:41 | 11-17 | 0-0 | 1-3 | +11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| K.Perkins | C | 23:42 | 4-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | +13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| R.Allen | G | 33:55 | 9-13 | 4-5 | 1-1 | +23 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 |
| R.Rondo | G | 34:24 | 6-10 | 0-1 | 1-2 | +28 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| G.Pruitt | 14:23 | 2-7 | 1-3 | 0-0 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| E.House | 27:32 | 8-14 | 7-11 | 0-1 | +11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | |
| G.Davis | 15:08 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 3-3 | +10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| B.Scalabrine | 15:09 | 2-5 | 2-3 | 0-0 | +17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| B.Walker | 12:00 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 2-2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| L.Powe | 08:47 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| P.O'Bryant | 08:19 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 240 | 50-93 | 16-27 | 8-12 | 9 | 28 | 37 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 124 | ||
| 53.8% | 59.3% | 66.7% | Team Rebs: 9 | Total TO: 8 | ||||||||||||
Celtics Shoot 16-27 from Three
| Team Stat Comparison | ||
| DALLAS | BOSTON | |
| Points | 100 | 124 |
| FG Made-Attempted | 32-76 (.421) | 50-93 (.538) |
| 3P Made-Attempted | 6-20 (.300) | 16-27 (.593) |
| FT Made-Attempted | 30-36 (.833) | 8-12 (.667) |
| Rebounds (Offensive-Total) | 12-40 | 9-37 |
| Assists | 12 | 34 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 4 |
| Steals | 3 | 10 |
| Blocks | 8 | 4 |
| Fast Break Points | 15 | 13 |
| Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) | 14 (1/0) | 28 (1/0) |
| Largest Lead | 3 | 35 |
| Top Performers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| DALLAS | BOSTON | ||
 | J. Terry Points: 27 Reb: 2 Ast: 2 Stl: 2 Blk: 0 |  | R. Allen Points: 23 Reb: 5 Ast: 7 Stl: 1 Blk: 1 |
| Game Leaders | ||
| DALLAS | BOSTON | |
| Points | J. Terry 27 | E. House 23 |
| Rebounds | D. Nowitzki 7 | R. Rondo 7 |
| Assists | J. Kidd 5 | R. Rondo 14 |
| Steals | J. Terry 2 | R. Rondo 4 |
| Blocks | J. Singleton 3 | K. Perkins 3 |
| · Team stats: Dallas | Boston | ||
Lakers-Celtics Rematch
The Lakers play the night before.
The Celtics don't.
A built in excuse for the Zen Mistress, who, to his credit, is acknowledging that the Lakers' favorable home schedule thus far has much to do with their gaudy record.
The Celtics don't.
A built in excuse for the Zen Mistress, who, to his credit, is acknowledging that the Lakers' favorable home schedule thus far has much to do with their gaudy record.
Closing Out January
Sun, Jan 25 Dallas 1:00 PM
Wed, Jan 28 Sacramento 7:30 PM
Fri, Jan 30 @ Detroit 7:00 PM
The LA Times Calls Out the Fakers?
The Lakers reclaimed the league's top record after blowing past the Washington Wizards, but how much of it is talent and how much of it is a friendly schedule?
The Lakers (34-8) have the league's highest-scoring offense, an All-Star starter, possibly an All-Star reserve, and one of the NBA's deepest benches.
But they've also played 25 home games and only 17 on the road -- with two at Staples Center against the Clippers.
Cleveland (33-8), on the other hand, has played 20 home games and 21 on the road.
Boston (36-9) has played 23 at home, 22 on the road.
Orlando (33-9) has played 20 at home, 22 on the road.
And, by the way, the Lakers' next two games are at home.
--LA Times
Say it ain't so!
The Fakers did beat Boston and Cleveland at home. But they've also lost to the Pistons at home, the Spurs and the Hornets on the road, and the Magic at home and on the road. Although nothing really matters until the playoffs, it says here that the Fakers real tests won't come until they play Boston and Cleveland on the road. Only then will we get a truer measure of the relative power of the NBA's elite teams.
The Lakers (34-8) have the league's highest-scoring offense, an All-Star starter, possibly an All-Star reserve, and one of the NBA's deepest benches.
But they've also played 25 home games and only 17 on the road -- with two at Staples Center against the Clippers.
Cleveland (33-8), on the other hand, has played 20 home games and 21 on the road.
Boston (36-9) has played 23 at home, 22 on the road.
Orlando (33-9) has played 20 at home, 22 on the road.
And, by the way, the Lakers' next two games are at home.
--LA Times
Say it ain't so!
The Fakers did beat Boston and Cleveland at home. But they've also lost to the Pistons at home, the Spurs and the Hornets on the road, and the Magic at home and on the road. Although nothing really matters until the playoffs, it says here that the Fakers real tests won't come until they play Boston and Cleveland on the road. Only then will we get a truer measure of the relative power of the NBA's elite teams.
Bambino Grande
I've always been a little schizophrenic when it comes to Glen Davis.
I love how he seems to come up big in big games, but I hate how he's seems grossly undersized when trying to get his shot off underneath. Even when shooting from the outside, I must confess, his short, stubby arms give his shot something less than an artistic flair.
At the same time, if he starts hitting that 15-to-18 foot jumper on a consistent basis, it's gonna do a couple of things for us. Most obviously, it's gonna give us another scoring weapon. Less obviously, it's gonna open up things for him inside. Bigs forced to defend him on the perimeter won't be allowed to cheat and collapse on him underneath.
I won't tell you who I'm thinking of. But let's just say there was this other undersized power player who, sans an effective jump shot, wouldn't have been nearly as effective inside. With an effective jump shot, he became one of the best undersized power players ever to play the game.
I'm pretty sure Big Baby's ceiling is a little bit lower than that.
I love how he seems to come up big in big games, but I hate how he's seems grossly undersized when trying to get his shot off underneath. Even when shooting from the outside, I must confess, his short, stubby arms give his shot something less than an artistic flair.
At the same time, if he starts hitting that 15-to-18 foot jumper on a consistent basis, it's gonna do a couple of things for us. Most obviously, it's gonna give us another scoring weapon. Less obviously, it's gonna open up things for him inside. Bigs forced to defend him on the perimeter won't be allowed to cheat and collapse on him underneath.
I won't tell you who I'm thinking of. But let's just say there was this other undersized power player who, sans an effective jump shot, wouldn't have been nearly as effective inside. With an effective jump shot, he became one of the best undersized power players ever to play the game.
I'm pretty sure Big Baby's ceiling is a little bit lower than that.
Wilbon
On yesterday's edition of Pardon the Interruption, Michael Wilbon said that the Orlando Magic simply can't beat the Boston Celtics with Dwight Howard matched up against four Celtic big men.
Wow.
Now that's a fresh perspective.
Who was he talking about?
You've got KG and Perk, of course.
The only two Celtic "big men" who played were Glen Davis and Brian Scalabrine.
Since the 12/25/08 game against the Lakers, all we have heard is how short and undersized the Celtics are. But now at least one national talking head counts Glen Davis and Brian Scalabrine among the league's big men able to help shut down Dwight Howard, the league's preeminent big man.
I'm not going to say I agree or disagree with Wilbon, though 6-9 is the shortest I'd go to call a big man "big" in terms of height. I will say that Big Baby has a history of playing taller than his 6-6 frame might otherwise suggest, at least on defense. Still, I'd like to add some length to this bench. For now, however, it's nice to hear some praise for the Celtic bigs off the bench.
Wow.
Now that's a fresh perspective.
Who was he talking about?
You've got KG and Perk, of course.
The only two Celtic "big men" who played were Glen Davis and Brian Scalabrine.
Since the 12/25/08 game against the Lakers, all we have heard is how short and undersized the Celtics are. But now at least one national talking head counts Glen Davis and Brian Scalabrine among the league's big men able to help shut down Dwight Howard, the league's preeminent big man.
I'm not going to say I agree or disagree with Wilbon, though 6-9 is the shortest I'd go to call a big man "big" in terms of height. I will say that Big Baby has a history of playing taller than his 6-6 frame might otherwise suggest, at least on defense. Still, I'd like to add some length to this bench. For now, however, it's nice to hear some praise for the Celtic bigs off the bench.
Reali
Tony Reali needs to find a new writer and researcher. During Friday's Around the Horn, Reali said not once, not twice, but three times that the Magic had defeated Boston earlier in the season. I kept thinking, boy, I must have fallen asleep at the switch. They lost to Indiana and then to Denver, and then pretty much didn't lose again until the SLUMP.
Did they lose to the Magic during the SLUMP?
Nope.
So no big deal. Reali just got it wrong, right?
Sort of.
By the time he made his point for the third time, Reali added for emphasis this tidbit.
"They beat Boston earlier in the season and Jameer Nelson didn't even play."
Maybe the NBA season is playing out in a parallel universe nobody else knows about.
Did they lose to the Magic during the SLUMP?
Nope.
So no big deal. Reali just got it wrong, right?
Sort of.
By the time he made his point for the third time, Reali added for emphasis this tidbit.
"They beat Boston earlier in the season and Jameer Nelson didn't even play."
Maybe the NBA season is playing out in a parallel universe nobody else knows about.
KG on the Celtics-Lakers Christmas Day Game
In hindsight, Garnett still laughs to himself about the pressure the Lakers put on themselves leading up to that Christmas Day win. “The Lakers felt like that game was the championship,” he said. “Some of the comments those guys made were incredible, and it was just the regular season. It was kind of comical. But we knew that we just had to move on from that.”
--The Herald
On one hand, I agree with KG. But we need look no further than the February 5th to realize that the Celtics need to return the favor in the rematch. The Cavs still scare me. But there remains the distinct possibility that the green will meet the purple again next June.
We just can't go into the Finals having been swept during the regular season. So joke all you want, KG. The Celtics need to take the rematch as seriously as the Lakers took the first game.
--The Herald
On one hand, I agree with KG. But we need look no further than the February 5th to realize that the Celtics need to return the favor in the rematch. The Cavs still scare me. But there remains the distinct possibility that the green will meet the purple again next June.
We just can't go into the Finals having been swept during the regular season. So joke all you want, KG. The Celtics need to take the rematch as seriously as the Lakers took the first game.
Perk Told Doc to Leave Davis In
Davis was playing so well that Perkins looked back at Doc Rivers to make sure the Celtics coach really wanted to make the move. Rivers agreed and gestured Perkins back to the bench.“I asked him if he wanted to leave (Davis) in,” Perkins said after the 90-80 win. “It seemed to me that that was the right thing to do.”
--Herald
Ubuntu, baby.
--Herald
Ubuntu, baby.
Da Glove on Garnett
Garnett shouldn't be starting. Some guys out there are playing better than him. Chris Bosh [sh]ould take Garnett's spot; he's playing way better than him.
--Boston Globe
Red Auerbach had a conversation with Bill Russell when he first joined the Celtics and the same conversation with Bill Walton when he did. Both players expressed concern that their pay would be tied to statistics.
"That's not how it works with the Celtics," Red replied.
"At the end of the season, my only question is whether you helped us win, and I think I already know the answer to that question."
It strikes me as odd that no Celtic fans, no talking heads, and no writers have called out KG because he's not putting up bigger numbers. But because Chris Bosh's numbers are slightly better than KG's numbers (23/10 v. 16/9), Gary Payton thinks Chris Bosh deserves to start ahead of KG in the All-Star game.
Da Glove always impressed me as a savvy player, wise to the real world of hoops.
Obviously, he fooled me on that one.
--Boston Globe
Red Auerbach had a conversation with Bill Russell when he first joined the Celtics and the same conversation with Bill Walton when he did. Both players expressed concern that their pay would be tied to statistics.
"That's not how it works with the Celtics," Red replied.
"At the end of the season, my only question is whether you helped us win, and I think I already know the answer to that question."
It strikes me as odd that no Celtic fans, no talking heads, and no writers have called out KG because he's not putting up bigger numbers. But because Chris Bosh's numbers are slightly better than KG's numbers (23/10 v. 16/9), Gary Payton thinks Chris Bosh deserves to start ahead of KG in the All-Star game.
Da Glove always impressed me as a savvy player, wise to the real world of hoops.
Obviously, he fooled me on that one.
Athens-Sparta III
1981-82 Boston Celtics
Earlier Meetings
The possibilities of the night ahead danced in the season-ticket holder's mind. He might not always have seen a high tide of public opinion when it was approaching in his life, but he darn well saw this one. He bought early. He was covered.
The Celtics will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers again tonight at the Garden at 7:30 and two of the 15,320 golden tickets belong to him.
"I could see it all coming," the season-ticket holder said yesterday afternoon. "That's why I bought the tickets last year. Philadelphia against Boston. There's nothing like it. By the morning, everyone in the city will be talking about the game. Neighbors across their fences. Guys in little coffee shops.
Read more.
Earlier Meetings
The possibilities of the night ahead danced in the season-ticket holder's mind. He might not always have seen a high tide of public opinion when it was approaching in his life, but he darn well saw this one. He bought early. He was covered.
The Celtics will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers again tonight at the Garden at 7:30 and two of the 15,320 golden tickets belong to him.
"I could see it all coming," the season-ticket holder said yesterday afternoon. "That's why I bought the tickets last year. Philadelphia against Boston. There's nothing like it. By the morning, everyone in the city will be talking about the game. Neighbors across their fences. Guys in little coffee shops.
Read more.
Philly is Banged Up
1981-82 Boston Celtics
Athens-Sparta III
The older Julius Erving gets, the more things seem to stay the same. He's 31 years old now and really shouldn't have to be the focal point of a Philadelphia club that is as talented as it is deep.
But don't be surprised to see The Doctor more involved than ever tonight (7:30, Ch. 4) when the first-place 76ers come to Boston with a 1 1/2 -game lead in the Atlantic Division.
Read more.
Athens-Sparta III
The older Julius Erving gets, the more things seem to stay the same. He's 31 years old now and really shouldn't have to be the focal point of a Philadelphia club that is as talented as it is deep.
But don't be surprised to see The Doctor more involved than ever tonight (7:30, Ch. 4) when the first-place 76ers come to Boston with a 1 1/2 -game lead in the Atlantic Division.
Read more.
A Squared + B Squared = C Squared
The Lakers beat the Celtics in LA.
The Magic swept the Lakers home and away.
The Celtics have swept the Magic thus far, home and away.
Clear as mud?
But wait. There's more.
The Cavaliers, who had defeated Los Angeles five straight times, just lost to the Lakers convincingly, while the Lakers, who had previously owned New Orleans, lost to the Hornets convincingly. The Lakers also lost their only contest with the Spurs this season.
So what conclusions can we draw from all of this?
Leave your Geometry books at home. Logic doesn't apply.
The NBA regular season is simply a long and arduous prelude to what really matters--the postseason. The Celtics still have work to do to shore up holes and weaknesses on their roster. Less than a month left until the NBA trade deadline (Feb 19), and a little more than a month left until playoff rosters are final.
It's good that the Celtics are back on track. But back on track isn't the goal.
The Magic swept the Lakers home and away.
The Celtics have swept the Magic thus far, home and away.
Clear as mud?
But wait. There's more.
The Cavaliers, who had defeated Los Angeles five straight times, just lost to the Lakers convincingly, while the Lakers, who had previously owned New Orleans, lost to the Hornets convincingly. The Lakers also lost their only contest with the Spurs this season.
So what conclusions can we draw from all of this?
Leave your Geometry books at home. Logic doesn't apply.
The NBA regular season is simply a long and arduous prelude to what really matters--the postseason. The Celtics still have work to do to shore up holes and weaknesses on their roster. Less than a month left until the NBA trade deadline (Feb 19), and a little more than a month left until playoff rosters are final.
It's good that the Celtics are back on track. But back on track isn't the goal.
In Case You Missed It
Cavalier message boards and even one newspaper are talking about a deal that would send Wally Szczerbiak to LA for Marcus Camby.
I don't like this idea one bit.
I don't like this idea one bit.
Cavs Unlikely to Trade Snow's Contract
After the Cavs play the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 23, they intend to file paperwork to get Eric Snow declared disabled and removed from their roster. Under the rules, Snow has to miss 41 games this season and that will be the date. If all hurdles are cleared, and there are many of them, including reviews by an independent doctor, the Cavs will save $11 million. It comes in luxury tax savings and insurance payments.
Because of this, the Cavs are not planning to use Snow's $7 million contract in a trade. If they traded him, his new team would not be able to get him declared disabled under the rules, so put that out of your mind.
Because of this, the Cavs are not planning to use Snow's $7 million contract in a trade. If they traded him, his new team would not be able to get him declared disabled under the rules, so put that out of your mind.
Our Superman Outduels Their's
| Team Stat Comparison | ||
| BOSTON | ORLANDO | |
| Points | 90 | 80 |
| FG Made-Attempted | 35-75 (.467) | 26-68 (.382) |
| 3P Made-Attempted | 0-6 (.000) | 7-22 (.318) |
| FT Made-Attempted | 20-25 (.800) | 21-29 (.724) |
| Rebounds (Offensive-Total) | 14-40 | 12-36 |
| Assists | 9 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 14 |
| Steals | 7 | 4 |
| Blocks | 3 | 3 |
| Fast Break Points | 3 | 3 |
| Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) | 27 (1/0) | 22 (0/0) |
| Largest Lead | 16 | 4 |
| Top Performers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTON | ORLANDO | ||
 | P. Pierce Points: 27 Reb: 10 Ast: 4 Stl: 2 Blk: 0 |  | R. Lewis Points: 20 Reb: 10 Ast: 2 Stl: 2 Blk: 0 |
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