Jesus Rises

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Antawn Jamison, PF	31	5-10	2-3	4-8	1	9	10	1	1	1	1	5	+7	16
LeBron James, SF	45	14-31	0-9	14-22	1	6	7	9	1	1	3	0	-1	42
J.J. Hickson, PF	32	6-12	0-0	2-2	3	8	11	2	0	1	1	2	-14	14
Mo Williams, PG	31	6-6	3-3	2-2	0	2	2	3	0	0	3	3	-16	17
Anthony Parker, SG	33	4-5	2-2	0-0	2	1	3	2	1	0	0	3	+1	10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C	26	4-9	0-0	2-2	0	4	4	0	1	1	2	6	+14	10
Jamario Moon, SF	6	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	2	-8	2
Delonte West, SG	27	0-4	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	3	0	0	1	1	+8	0
Jawad Williams, F	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	-5	0
Leon Powe, PF	10	0-0	0-0	2-4	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	4	-6	2
Daniel Gibson, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Daniel Green, G	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		40-78	7-17	26-40	7	35	42	20	4	4	11	27		113
		51.3%	41.2%	65.0%
Fast break points: 14 Points in the paint: 50 Team TO ( points off ): 11 (20) +/- 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
Kevin Garnett, PF	35	5-14	0-0	9-10	2	6	8	3	1	1	1	4	-3	19
Paul Pierce, SF	34	4-13	1-3	7-8	0	5	5	5	0	0	1	5	+3	16
Kendrick Perkins, C	31	4-7	0-0	2-6	1	9	10	0	1	1	3	4	-3	10
Ray Allen, SG	42	10-17	6-9	7-7	1	2	3	4	1	0	2	2	+7	33
Rajon Rondo, PG	42	7-14	1-1	1-1	0	3	3	14	1	0	1	2	0	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, C	10	3-5	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	+5	6
Shelden Williams, PF	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	+2	0
Tony Allen, SG	19	3-4	0-0	1-2	0	2	2	1	2	0	2	4	0	7
Michael Finley, SG	8	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	+8	2
Glen Davis, PF	16	2-4	0-0	4-4	2	3	5	0	0	1	0	3	+1	8
Marquis Daniels, SG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Nate Robinson, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		39-80	8-13	31-38	6	32	38	28	6	4	10	27		117
		48.8%	61.5%	81.6%

Leon Powe's Comeback Continues

2009-10 Statistics			FG		3PT		FT		Rebounds			Misc
	G	MIN	FGM-A	FG%	3PM-A	3P%	FTM-A	FT%	OFF	DEF	TOT	STL	BLK	TO	PF	AST	PTS
Season	13	12.5	15-32	.469	0-0	.000	30-48	.625	1.0	2.5	3.5	.31	.08	.62	1.92	0.0	4.6
Career	202	14.4	425-816	.521	0-3	.000	457-652	.701	1.7	2.4	4.1	.28	.38	.86	2.22	0.4	6.5

Last 5 Games | Complete Game Log											Rebounds
DATE	OPP	RESULT	MIN	FG	3P	FT	STL	BLK	TO	PF	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	PTS
3/19	@Chi	W 92-85	19	2-5	0-0	3-4	0	0	0	4	4	4	8	0	7
3/21	Det	W 104-79	21	5-8	0-0	6-10	1	0	0	3	2	5	7	0	16
3/24	@Nor	W 105-92	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3/26	@Sas	L 102-97	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3/28	Sac	W 97-90	22	1-2	0-0	2-4	1	0	1	1	0	3	3	0	4
Numbers for Last 5 Games			16.5	8-15	0-0	11-18	0.5	0.0	0.3	2.0	1.5	3.0	4.5	0.0	6.8

Not Even a Hint of a 4th-Quarter Run

They started the fourth quarter with 72 points, and for over five minutes, Celtics fans wondered whether Team Green would end the quarter and the game with 72 points as well. Even with LeBron James taking a nap on the bench, the Celtics couldn't get a sniff at the basket, despite taking three freebies during the time span. Rasheed Wallace was missing both inside and outside. Meanwhile, former Celtic Leon Powe played 7 minutes for the Cavs and scored six points.

A lot of Celtics fans were mad that the Green signed Shelden Williams to replace Powe. Other Celtics fans argued, no, Sheed will replace Leon Powe. Well the fact is, Leon Powe can do more on one leg than either of them can do on two.

4th Quarter Summary
TIME	BOSTON	SCORE	CLEVELAND
12:00	Start of the 4th Quarter
11:41		72-80	Mo Williams offensive foul (Glen Davis draws the foul)
11:41		72-80	Mo Williams turnover
11:30		72-80	Leon Powe illegal defense foul (1st personal foul)
11:30	Rasheed Wallace misses technical free throw	72-80
11:30	Boston offensive rebound	72-80
11:18	Michael Finley misses 21-foot jumper	72-80
11:17		72-80	Delonte West defensive rebound
11:11		72-80	Antawn Jamison misses jumper
11:10	Rasheed Wallace defensive rebound	72-80
10:45		72-80	Mo Williams misses 18-foot two point shot
10:44	Michael Finley defensive rebound	72-80
10:30	Rasheed Wallace misses 8-foot jumper	72-80
10:30		72-80	Leon Powe defensive rebound
10:11	Nate Robinson shooting foul (Leon Powe draws the foul)	72-80
10:11		72-81	Leon Powe makes free throw 1 of 2
10:11		72-82	Leon Powe makes free throw 2 of 2
9:53	Rasheed Wallace misses 9-foot jumper	72-82
9:47		72-82	Leon Powe defensive rebound
9:36		72-82	Antawn Jamison misses 22-foot three point jumper
9:34	Marquis Daniels defensive rebound	72-82
9:25	Nate Robinson misses layup	72-82
9:23	Glen Davis offensive rebound	72-82
9:23		72-82	Leon Powe shooting foul (Glen Davis draws the foul)
9:23	Glen Davis misses free throw 1 of 2	72-82
9:23	Boston offensive rebound	72-82
9:23	Kevin Garnett enters the game for Rasheed Wallace	72-82
10:59	Rasheed Wallace misses 26-foot three point jumper	72-82
9:23	Glen Davis misses free throw 2 of 2	72-82
9:22		72-82	Leon Powe defensive rebound
10:57		72-82	Leon Powe defensive rebound
9:07	Kevin Garnett personal foul (Antawn Jamison draws the foul)	72-82
8:56	Marquis Daniels shooting foul (Delonte West draws the foul)	72-82
8:56		72-82	Official timeout
8:56		72-83	Delonte West makes free throw 1 of 2
8:56		72-84	Delonte West makes free throw 2 of 2
8:45		72-84	Delonte West personal foul (Marquis Daniels draws the foul)
8:37	Marquis Daniels misses 10-foot two point shot	72-84
8:33		72-84	Delonte West defensive rebound
8:19	Nate Robinson personal foul (Mo Williams draws the foul)	72-84
8:19	Rajon Rondo enters the game for Marquis Daniels	72-84
8:19	Ray Allen enters the game for Nate Robinson	72-84
8:19	Paul Pierce enters the game for Glen Davis	72-84
8:07		72-84	Mo Williams misses 10-foot running jumper
8:07		72-84	Cleveland offensive rebound
8:07	Paul Pierce loose ball foul (Antawn Jamison draws the foul)	72-84
8:07		72-85	Antawn Jamison makes free throw 1 of 2
8:07		72-85	LeBron James enters the game for Leon Powe
8:07		72-85	Antawn Jamison misses free throw 2 of 2
8:07	Paul Pierce defensive rebound	72-85
7:48	Kevin Garnett misses 16-foot jumper	72-85
7:46		72-85	Antawn Jamison defensive rebound
7:35		72-87	Antawn Jamison makes layup (Mo Williams assists)
7:24	Jamario Moon blocks Rajon Rondo's layup	72-87
7:22		72-87	Antawn Jamison defensive rebound
7:16		72-89	LeBron James makes layup (Mo Williams assists)
7:13	Boston full timeout
7:13		72-89	Anthony Parker enters the game for Delonte West
6:56	Kevin Garnett makes 11-foot two point shot	74-89
6:39		74-89	LeBron James misses 13-foot jumper
6:39		74-89	Antawn Jamison misses tip shot
6:39		74-89	Antawn Jamison offensive rebound
6:35	Michael Finley defensive rebound	74-89
6:30	Michael Finley misses 25-foot three point jumper	74-89
6:28		74-89	Antawn Jamison defensive rebound
6:13		74-91	Antawn Jamison makes layup (Mo Williams assists)
5:48	Kevin Garnett bad pass (LeBron James steals)	74-91
5:43		74-91	Mo Williams misses 26-foot three point jumper
5:39		74-91	Mo Williams offensive rebound
5:33		74-91	LeBron James misses 25-foot three point jumper
5:31	Rajon Rondo defensive rebound	74-91
5:31		74-91	LeBron James personal foul (Rajon Rondo draws the foul)
5:31	Kendrick Perkins enters the game for Michael Finley	74-91
5:31		74-91	Anderson Varejao enters the game for Jamario Moon

Leon Powe Continues his Comeback

Game By Game Stats

Date	Opponent	Result	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OFF	DEF	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Regular
Mar 05	vs. DET	W 99 - 92	4	0 - 0	0 - 0	0 - 2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
Mar 03	@ NJN	W 111 - 92	10	0 - 0	0 - 0	1 - 2	0	3	3	0	1	0	0	1	1
Mar 01	vs. NYK	W 124 - 93	18	3 - 6	0 - 0	2 - 4	1	3	4	0	1	0	3	3	8
Date	Opponent	Result	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OFF	DEF	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Feb 26	@ TOR	W 126 - 118	16	1 - 2	0 - 0	2 - 2	2	2	4	0	0	1	2	3	4
Feb 25	@ BOS	W 108 - 88	4	1 - 2	0 - 0	2 - 2	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	4

The Battle of 17-15

There's been a lot of good days in my Celtic fanhood, June 17, 2008, and June 8, 1986, being two of them. But let me tell you about another day that might surprise you. December 11, 1987. The Celtics lost. To the Lakers.

Let me explain.

The 1986-87 season was very painful for me. As I've said before, it was like 100 games of watching the Beatles break-up over and over. After that season, I vowed never to inflict that kind of pain on myself again.

December 11, 1987, was a Friday night. The Celtics faced off against the Lakers. Their first match-up since the previous June. I was starting my first semester of law school. Finals of a different kind were upon me. But it was Friday night. So I took some time off to watch the game, right? Nope. I watched none of it. Didn't even tape it.

So when my brother, the Lakers fan, called me moments after Magic threw in another miraculous shot to down the Celtics yet again, I was busy studying, listening to classical music. My mood? Low key and focused.

Hello? (I figured the Lakers won, and held the phone a good foot away from ear, prepared to hear nothing but a loud scream).

What's going on? (The giddy sound of his voice confirmed my suspicion).

I'm studying.

Oh. Did you see the game?

No.

The Celtics won.

That's too bad (yup, that's what I said).

That's too bad?

Dude, I'm studying. Do you have anything important to tell me?

Yeah, the Lakers won on a last second shot by Magic! Owwwwwwww!!

Good deal. You got anything else?

I don't remember how the rest of the conversation went. I just know he was totally deflated thereafter. Awwww. The Celtics may have lost. But chalk up a victory for this Celtics fan over that Lakers fan.

Where I'm headed with this is as follows: While the rest of Celtics Nation sits by in a morose stupor as Danny Ainge figures out his best way to impersonate Kevin McHale, when McHale attempted to salvage one more championship run with a series of boneheaded moves as GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves, my step is actually a little lighter today.

Why?

The Cavs might get Amare Stoudemire.

This may further depress the rest of Celticdom, but not me. If they get Amare, the Celtics still stand about an 8-12 percent chance of winning it all. But the Cavs chances improve drastically, and mostly at the expense of the Lakers. Bron-Bron won't be denied this year. That's where my money is.

And that's OK with this Celtics fan.

That just makes the 2009-10 season a draw.

The score is still 17-15.

Celtics.

1986 Cs win 13th in a Row, Improve to 63-13

Long ago and far away, in a chilly land where the winters are long and the women are blond, a basketball record was set. A team called the Minneapolis Lakers, whose stars were named Mikan, Mikkelsen and Pollard, won 27 straight home games, often aided by a pair of petrified officials, which was the custom in those days. But that record is theirs no longer.

The Celtics own it now.

With all due respect to the athletic memory of the 1949-50 Minneapolis frontcourt trio, the Laker men of yore were Model T's compared to the elongated Rolls-Royces currently gracing the Celtics' lineup. Kevin McHale (24 points, 8 rebounds), Robert Parish (season-high 30 points, 18 rebounds) and Larry Bird (29 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists for triple double No. 9 of the season) put on a display of ummatched frontcourt power and finesse as the Celtics won the record-breaking consecutive home game No. 28, blowing out the Isiah Thomas-less Detroit Pistons, 122-106, at the Garden last night.

As they had the night before, the Celtics allowed an opponent the illusion of competition, leading by a mere deuce (57-55) as the teams broke for intermission, and then only because McHale had grabbed a long rebound and stuck in a 13-foot jumper in the lane with four seconds to play. But the Celtics imposed reality on the visitors in the third quarter, breaking out with a barrage of crowd-pleasing fast breaks, plus the obligatory Bird three- pointer to establish control of the game.

The third-period lead swelled to 14 (80-66 and 82-68) before the visitors came up with one last countersurge, creeping within nine (88-79) by the period's end.

This incursion served only to recharge the Celtics' competitive juices, especially the ones flowing through Bird, who came back from what amounted to a mental night off in Richfield to play one of those games that could be studied by future hoopologists in the same manner that a Talmudic scholar would examine a parchment from the Holy Land, the thinking being that somewhere in the midst of Bird's numerous actions lies the Meaning of Basketball.

What Detriot coach Chuck Daly was sure of, meanwhile, was that Bird's play had guaranteed the Pistons would know the meaning of defeat.

"There has never been, and never will be, a player like Bird," Daly declared. "He manufactures things no one else does. He puts the ball at the right speed with the right spin, just exactly where it should be. He's very difficult to defend because in addition to him, the others are very talented -- and very big."

That they are, and you can throw in fluid, intelligent, determined and grateful to be playing alongside Bird. You think McHale doesn't realize that only one forward exists who could go up for a defensive rebound and throw a 50-foot outlet before hitting the floor so his teammate could enjoy a sneakaway dunk? You think Parish doesn't know that only one forward exists who would (a) set a pick for him at the foul line and then (b) rebound his miss and pass up a 6-footer to slip it right back to him for a jam? They know, all right.

And Daly knows that his team didn't have much chance of defeating the Celtics last night, not without the ailing Thomas (hamstring pull) and not the way the Celtics are playing these days. "In order for us to defeat them," explained the ever candid Daly, "we would need all our guys to be here, all to play well and then to have Vinnie (Johnson) or somebody play way above normal. We didn't get that tonight."

Say this much: The Pistons did lead, 4-0, in the first 1:11, and not many recent visitors to the Garden can make such a statement. That was apparently an irritation to Bird, because in the next three minutes or so, he gave new meaning to the word "active," at least as it applies to a basketball player.

The ubiquitous Mr. Bird poked his Hoosier nose into every bit of basketball business imaginable, the result being that when Boston called a timeout at the 6:47 mark (12-9, Celtics), he had already accounted for six points, four rebounds, an assist, a block, a steal, a turnover, a personal foul, a keep- alive (resulting in two points for Parish), one left-handed runner and two three-point misses.

All this activity consumed 3 minutes 39 seconds, starting with a long jumper (call it a 2 1/2-pointer) and culminating in two free throws. And it was all well before he ended the quarter with a long, long, buzzer-beating three-pointer to complete a 15-point, 6-rebound statement.

But Bird was only a partial story. There were the unstoppable post-up moves of McHale ("A problem for everybody in the league" -- Daly) and the all- around might of Parish, who has never before looked this fresh in April. And what else is there to say about Dennis Johnson (12 points, 7 assists), except that the Celtics can't go very far without him?

Celtic milestones are everywhere these days. They've won 13 straight. They've tied a record with 37 home victories in one season. They've won 50 games more than they've lost. The Magic Number to clinch the best overall record in the NBA is one.

Cavs between a Rock and a Hard Place

February 10
Akron Beacon Journal

The only young player the Cavs have that is desired by the rest of the league is Daniel Gibson, who James calls his younger brother. He is not going anywhere. Other than James, the player teams would want the most in a trade is Anderson Varejao, and he cannot be traded under league rules. Though the Cavs would like to have either one, the word going around the NBA is that neither Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies or Andre Miller of the Philadelphia 76ers are being made available at this point.

Bibby to the Cavaliers?

link

Cs (19-4) Lose for 2nd Time in Four Games

December Doldrums, which Began in Home Loss to Portland, Continue in Road Loss to Cavs as Cs Drop to 19-4

AINGE, SICHTING, AND CARLISLE CLANG RIMS IN DJ'S ABSENCE

RICHFIELD, Ohio Hurry back, DJ. The fellas need you. K.C. Jones tried everybody in the backcourt last night, but no one could do the job.

"I just don't think they are the same team without DJ," Cleveland coach George Karl said after his Cavaliers beat the Celtics , 109-99, last night at the Richfield Coliseum. "You don't have to worry about any of their guards . . . I mean, they're NBA guards, but who are you going to let beat you - Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird; or Jerry Sichting, Rick Carlisle and Danny Ainge?"

In the absence of Dennis Johnson, who has a hyperextended left thumb and may play tonight against the Bulls, Ainge (5 for 13), Carlisle (1-6) and Sichting (2-8) clanged the Richfield rims to the tune of 37 percent.

Bird (31 points, 11 rebounds) tried to make up for the backcourt masons. He played like his old self for three quarters, but he scored only two in the fourth quarter while the Celts failed to catch Cleveland.

"We tried to make him put the ball on the floor," said Karl. "It looked like he was hurting when he drove to the basket."

Jones started Sichting in place of DJ, but the Hoosier gunner never warmed up. He played only six minutes of the second half as Jones resorted to Scott Wedman (5-10) in the backcourt at crunch time.

"From where I was looking, it was pretty cold out there," admitted Sichting.

The Celtics shot 42 percent and were outrebounded, 49-44. World B. Free led the Cavs with 22, and rocketman Roy Hinson added 20 with 10 rebounds. It was the Cavs' second big win in two nights. They won at Milwaukee Friday.

"We decided we had to start getting physical again, like we did in the play-offs (against Boston) last year," said Free.

Asked to sum up the game in 25 words or less, Parish held his nose, then commented, "I don't feel that we took them seriously enough. Hopefully, this will be a lesson for us. We can't be overconfident like that."

It looked like a Boston blowout in the first few minutes. Cleveland's first seven possessions yielded five turnovers, a missed field goal and three missed free throws. The Celts broke to an 8-0 lead and led, 21-12, before Cleveland starting fighting back.

The Cavs cut Boston's lead to four at the end of one and battled to a 40-40 tie with 3:10 left in the half.

Oddly enough, Keith Lee was on the court when Cleveland seized the lead for the rest of the night. That's right, Keith Lee, Mr. Milkbone Dog Bisquit Award Winner of 1985.

After Chuck Wagon Brothers Mel Turpin, Lonnie Shelton and Mark West had pulled Cleveland even, Lee made his NBA debut and put the Cavs ahead to stay.

A rookie from Memphis State who has shown all the enthusiasm of Alex Johnson, Lee made three of three shots and had two rebounds in four minutes as Cleveland surged to a 53-45 halftime lead.

The first-half lowlight for the Celts came when Parish yelled at Ainge after Ainge failed to get the Chief the ball in time to avert a three-second violaton.

Cleveland held serve in the third quarter as Jones watched more Green guards flounder. Carlisle and Sam Vincent were no better than Sichting. Ainge continued to struggle. It was 82-74 when Jones tried Wedman in the backcourt in the fourth.

Wedman was hot and Ainge brought the Celts to within two, but Free and John Bagley got Cleveland's lead back up to six. Then Wedman stepped out of bounds with the ball and Bird was tagged with a stupid technical foul. Free's free throw made it 97-90 with 3:57 left. Two more free throws by Free (after McHale missed a jump hook) made it 99-90 with 2:55 left. Ball game.

The Cavs owned the league's worst home record (4-7) and had lost 16 straight regular-season games to Boston. Adding insult to injury, Cleveland's victory was accomplished without the services of injured players Edgar Jones and Phil Hubbard.