101 Magic, 82 Boston

I'm physically ill. It's tough to think about last night let alone write about. I've been a die-hard Celtics fan my whole life. I still watched them all of those years when they were terrible, and DP and I had a Leon Powe chant going on outside of Halftime pizza on Canal Street during their 24 point win season. So don't think this is an article of a guy who just watched the Celtics when they got Garnett and Allen and then were instant contenders. Not the case at all. That being said, the Celtics got smoked last night and looked pretty pathetic in the process. They are my favorite team in all of sports but they looked really soft last night. Did the injuries finally catch up to them? Did they run out of gas? Is Orlando really a better team? Maybe. Those questions are debatable. But to me, the Celtics looked soft, didn't play defense, and lost by 19 in game 7 on their home floor. That kills me and any other die-hard Celtics fan. They played their asses off all season. They played really well and hard without Garnett. But last night was tough to swallow. People will talk about how great Orlando shot the ball. And they did. But they had wide open looks all night. So they really weren't that impressive. Yes they moved the ball well, but they had open looks all night. Oh yea, they had a ton of dunks and lay-ups too. The Celtics gave up 35 points in the fourth quarter...35...I don't have it in me to write anymore. Fuck you Orlando.

Magic 117 Celtics 96...Disgusted...

The Celtics never led in this game, while Orlando's largest lead was 25. The Celt's defense and energy was awful. You could see it right away. They continually allowed dunks and lay-ups for the whole first quarter. Don't quote me on this, but I don't think Orlando hit 1 jump shot for the entire first quarter. That is not Celtics defense and is definitely not championship defense. Orlando is an outside shooting team. If you allow them to get off to a hot start and get easy baskets, then they will burn you later on. And they did. Orlando set a franchise record by shooting 59.1% from the field. They outscored Boston 23-10 on fast break points, and dominated the paint. Then they got on fire and lit the Celts up. Plain and simple. No defense and they looked soft. The offense is not always going to be there. But there’s no excuse to not play defense. Unacceptable….we’re all disgusted…



Pierce played aggressively and was 14 of 14 from the line. Rondo played well adding 15 points and 6 assists but did not attack and dominate like I thought he would have. Problem is it’s tough to fast break when you keep giving up easy baskets. Thankfully Eddie stayed hot and knocked down 15 points. But Ray is still having a tough series, going 3 of 13 and Big Baby was only 2 of 6. I still like the Celts in this series, and Ray Allen can easily snap out of this and kill opposing defenses like we have seen him do so many times. But last night was a tough one to watch as a Celts fan.



Rashard Lewis was unstoppable and Turkoglu was right beside him hitting key shot after key shot, killing any chance of a Celtics comeback. DP was right when he said that the power forward position is the key match-up. Lewis v/s Davis. And we all know who’s getting the better of that one. He was on fire last night, going 9 of 17 and 3 of 7 behind the arc. Big Baby can’t defend him. And Scal has been playing well but Lewis is too good and can do so many different things on the offensive end. Turkoglu added 24 and Howard had 17 with 14 boards. Courtney Lee had a nice comeback with 11 points, but the biggest surprise was Anthony Johnson. No one thought he could step in, myself included, and play as well as he did last night. But he was a true veteran and was an extremely efficient point guard. I’m not really sure what happened with him and Stan Van Gundy but it was hysterical, especially given the fact that no one on Orlando even listens to Van Gundy. Just watch one of their timeouts. But he played really well in the absence of Alston and Orlando is sadly up 2-1. However, it’s a long series and I can’t imagine the Celtics could play any worse than they did last night.

Celtics Vs Magic Preview

Game 3 of the Celtics and Magic continue tonight in Orlando for what should be a nice Celtics victory. I've never been sold on Orlando and I'm still not, even though they went up by 28 in Game 1. They have talent and can shoot the rock, but they don't defend. If the Celtics can play tough defense and contests shots, they will easily win tonight.

For Orlando to win, Dwight Howard has to be dominant. We all know he's a beast, but I do not believe he consistently dominates games. Yes, he's still young and learning and does things that make us go "Holy shit," but overall I do not think he is like a Shaq or Ewing that could just take over a game at will. Also, Rashard Lewis should be able to shoot over Big Baby and drive when they switch. If he lights it up combined w/ Turkoglu (top 3 ugliest man in the NBA) shooting well, they have a chance. But they also have to attempt to play defense.

Oh wait, they have no chance b/c Rafer Alston is gay and slapped another man which resulted in a suspension. How fuckin weak is that? Here is my small tangent of the day. When I was younger we played a basketball game against this team from Needham (Sorry Bob) that we hated. While their guard was shooting a foul shot, our point guard and theirs were at half court. Before the shot went up, all you could hear was "HE SLAPPED ME! DAD HE SLAPPED ME! HE SLAPPED ME!" And then his queer father started screaming "GET OFF THE COURT! GET OUTTA THERE! GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!" Obviously no one knew what happened, but it turns out my friend literally bitch-slapped the kid right on the court. We all started laughing while his old man was trying to get him out of the gym. We ragged on our friend b/c he should have just hit him if anything. You don't normally hear of a Southie kid slapping someone else, but it was hysterical b/c this kid got bitch-slapped and ran to his father. The game stopped for 20 minutes. How could a streetball legend like skip to my lou slap another man? Are you fuckin kiddin me?

Back to the game...Rondo will play out of his mind tonight and the Celts will have a 2-1 advantage. Do you really think Anthony Johnson can guard Rondo? I expect Rondo to push the ball aggressively, drive to the basket, and get open looks for the guys running on the wings. You may see the Celts fast break all night, unless Orlando is on fire. But even so, look for Rondo to dominate and show everyone once again that he is a premiere point guard in the NBA and the future of the Celtics.

Eddie House has to be mentioned. His 31 point performance in game 2 was extremely impressive and he showed how much of an asset he can be for this team. No, he is not a true point guard. But he can play tough and provide a huge offenseive threat off the bench. Also, he comes though in the playoffs. Last year people bitched about not having a back-up point guard so they got Cassel. This year they bitched about not having a back-up point guard so they got Marbury. But Eddie House played better than Cassel last year and has played better than Marbury this year in the playoffs.

Defensively, the Celts have to push Howard off the block as best as they can. He is a different offensive player when he has the ball 4 ft from the basket as opposed to 8 feet. As for the shooters, just stick a man and have a hand up. If they hit long contested shots all night, then they deserve to win. The Celts have to switch only when necessary and rotate quickly. If not, then Lewis, Turkoglu and Reddick can get hot and this could be a high scoring game.

Yes, the Celtics were pathetic in the first half of game 1 and were down 28. But they also came back and should have won that game. In my opinion, they actually blew that game b/c they played great defense, rebounded, and attacked, but they turned it over a lot and missed shots off good looks. You never hear of a team down 28 and then blow the game. Overall the Celts are just a better team. That being said, I expect Rondo to capitalize on Alston's suspension and lead this team to a 2-1 lead in the series. advantage.

One more time. Rafer Alston is gay.

Celts 103-94

Tommy Award - Rondo

127 Celtics, 128 Bulls

This is really painful for me to write, but I'll deal w/ it. Before I even get into how great Ray Allen was last night, we have to give props to the Bulls. Yes, even us Celtics fans. The Bulls did what no one thought they could do and force a game 7 in Boston on Saturday night. The MVP for the Bulls was John Salmons. I specifically wrote yesterday that the Celts can't let this guy get going but that's exactly what he did. He lit the Celts up for 35 points last night, going 13 for 22 and 5 for 9 from behind the arc. Brad Miller, a man who clearly doesn't get laid, was clutch last night. The problem for the Celts however is that they let him. They gave him wide open looks and allowed him to get a lay-up at the end of regulation. Derrick Rose played older than his age again by scoring 28 points and dishing out 7 assists. But he should have because he barely had to work on defense due to Rondo's lack of aggressiveness. As much as I hate Noah, he's a tough player who loves the game and came up with the biggest steal of the game, slamming it down in the 3rd overtime. I hate the Bulls but give them their props.

I used to respect Chicago as a tough city with a passionate love of sports. But last night was ridiculous. They were screaming at Rondo all night and bitching over every call. Are you fuckin kidding me? Newsflash people: Rondo's hit on Brad Miller in Game 5 was not that bad! A 6-1 guard tried to block a 7-0 center. He inevitably missed and hit his face. There was no malicious intent, nor did he hit him that hard. Grow up the fuck up Chicago and tell your lovable Brad to stop being a pussy. Did you see the hit from Thomas last night on Pierce? That was harder than Rondo's. Pierce had to leave the game bleeding and get stitches inside his nose. Did he bitch? No. Will the Boston fans scream at Thomas all night? No. These are hard playoff fouls. No big deal, stop bitching. And I'm sorry. I love Tommy, but even he needs to stop bitching. WHO GIVES A FUCK WHAT THE BULLS PUT ON THEIR BLACKBOARD BEFORE GAMES. WHO CARES IF THEY WANT TO BE PHYSICAL! Be more physical and keep your composure. The officiating has been terrible, but can we please stop bitching and play basketball. There are way too many bitch fouls being called and it makes me not even want to watch the game. But they are being called, so deal with it and play better and tougher.

Ray Allen played out of his mind last night. He had a career playoff high 51 points and killed Chicago all night. The shots he hit were incredible. It's not like he just hit wide open shots and lit them up. He drilled greatly contested shots all night and was unstoppable. My personal favorite was the one over Noah in the corner. He had an amazing season and is having an even better playoffs so far. Any idiot that worried about him after game 1 clearly doesn't know Ray Allen or basketball.

Big Baby also stepped up and made huge clutch shots. His 23 points on 10 of 18 shooting was impressive. He is making a name for himself on the national stage, and I expect him to get paid next season. The Truth played well but didn't dominate like I thought he was going too. He still ended up with 22 points but only shot 5 for 13 from the field. If Ray didn't play like Larry Bird, then they would have been smoked. Pierce is better than that and needs to step up. I have faith in Pierce and expect him to come through in game 7, just like last year's game 7 against Lebron. I usually shit on Scal and hate when Boston fans jizz all over him when he touches the ball, but he played like a true professional last night. He gave the Celts some life off the bench and didn't allow the Celts to get in a larger deficit than that what they already were in.

The biggest disappointment for the Celtics was Rajon Rondo. Yes, he had 19 assists and 9 boards, but his offense was stagnant. He was not aggressive and did not make Rose work on the defensive end. The Celtics are at their best offensively when Rondo is aggressive. He can get into the lane at will and either create for himself or penetrate and dish when the Bulls have to switch. I don't know if the Chicago crowd got to him or not, but he was not aggressive and the offense suffered because of it.

People will pick and choose plays here and there. There's a lot of woulda coulda shoulda. But I think that's bull shit. The game is 48 minutes, and the game shouldn't have even made it into overtime. Why? Because the Celts didn't play the way they are capable of playing. They still couldn't guard a pick and roll. The were not aggressive and did not go to the basket. The refs were calling pathetic fouls early in the game, so any smart basketball team should try and go to the basket and get fouls. But they took way too many jump shots. Ray was amazing, but others needed to go to the basket. They didn't take advantage of the refs' bad calls and let Chicago off easily defensively. Their offense in the 4th quarter has not been fun to watch. There is still 4 minutes in the game left. Why do they play like there's only 44 seconds left? Their aggressiveness offensively was not there last night and the Bulls capitalized. Also, Chicago's bench outscored the Celtics 35 to 11. Unacceptable.

Great game but a tough loss. However, is there really anything better than a game 7 on a Saturday night in Boston?

Celtics Vs Bulls Preview

The greatest first round basketball series in NBA history continues tonight at the United Center in Chicago. As a basketball fan, this has truly been an incredible series to watch and admire. As a Celtics fan, I want to put my head through a wall and throw empty beer bottles across the room. These games continue to go back and forth with neither team giving a budge. With the exception of game 3, there has not been a more even series in the playoffs. Get ready for another great one tonight.

The Bulls are young, talented, scrappy team who know they can play with the Celtics and will be pumped up tonight. The home crowd will give them even more energy and allow them to get off to a hot start. For them to win, they can't let Rondo fast-break the way we all know he can. They have to stop the ball and make the Celtics get into a half-court set. They can't allow Pierce to dominate or get beat on the boards. Perk also has to be kept in check. He killed Chicago last game, and they have to be physical with him but not get into foul trouble.

The best way for the bulls to win is to take advantage of their speed. If they defend and rebound then they can fast break and get easy dunks and jump shots. Rose can penetrate, create, and find guys on the wings. Gordon is lethal and Thomas can fly. Even though Noah looks like a pigeon-rat, he still can play ball and dunk on the Celtics. If they use the athleticism to their advantage, they can run up and down on the Celts and force a game 7. But if they allow the Celts to set up their D most of the night, it will be a long night.

The Celtics must defend and rebound. Plain and simple. They will win if they play Celtics defense and control the boards. A big reason why they have lost close games is because they have difficulty defending the pick and roll at the top of the key. Before a solid pick is even set, it seems like the guard, usually Rondo, comes off his man while the Celt's big man switches. This always creates a mismatch in which Rose and Gordon have taken advantage of. Any good offensive team can exploit mismatches. The Celtics must play tough defense and stick to their men. They should only switch when necessary, talk to each other, and rotate quickly. They also cannot give up open 3's. The Bulls' hot 3 point shooting killed them last game. Rose and Gordon will most likely have great games, but they can't allow Heinrich and Salmons to get hot. If they do, we might see another overtime game.

Offensively, Rondo has to keep doing exactly what he has been doing all series. This guy is playing out his mind and is practically averaging a triple double. Does Jason Kidd ring a bell? I used to say that Rondo has the vision of Kidd, and now he looks just as good in this series. Ray Allen is still pissed from getting 2 pussy calls on him in the 4th quarter. He had to sit out the last 10 minutes of that game, so look for him to step up and get his revenge on fag redneck Brad Miller. Perk had his best game of the series on Tuesday and I would let him take advantage of his strength and size. Ultimately, Paul Pierce needs to step up offensively and carry the load. He hasn't played up to his potential consistently. But with Garnett out, he must have the attitude of "No one can stop me tonight" It's great for him to get everyone involved, but sometimes great players need to be selfish and dominate. That's what I expect him to do tonight and the Celts will come back to Boston with a second round playoff birth.

Celtics 101-98.

From A Different Perspective On The Celtics

So I wrote my boy Bobby an e-mail about what he thinks about the Celtics, and as I was reading his response I started to feel more refreshed on the team. Anyways he makes a lot of good points and here it is:

I agree w/ your post. Last night was pathetic. And there's no way they should have played that kind of defense But they are ok and you don't need to hit the panick button. The reason why they are losing is b/c their best players are injured. Take any NBA team and see how many games they would win if their best players were injured. They have 2 rookies and 2 guys that have only been here playing for a few weeks. That is half of their team right now. They will be fine come playoff time. And the truth is, it doesn't matter if they are the 3 seed. The Celtics CAN win on the road. In fact, they are one of the best road teams in the NBA. People bitch about how they only went 3-9 on the road last year in the playoffs. Well that was last year. That was the first time the big 3 played together in the playoffs, combined with a 22 year old point guard. They won TWICE in Detroit, which is harder to play in than Atlanta, Cleveland, or LaLa Land. So, even if they get the 3rd seed, they are going to the Eastern Conference Finals. Orlando can play and can def light it up. But they aren't a championship team. They live and die by the 3. That's not getting it done. There's no way a 3 point shooting team can beat the Celtics in a 7 game series. Winning in Cleveland may be tough, but they can do it. They are the champs and they are too tough to let the trophy slip away. I'd rather a healthy Celts team w/ a 2 or 3 seed as opposed to a depleted 1 seed w/ home court advantage.

I Hate Tyler Hansbrough

Look, I'm not saying he's not a great college player, even though he'll do nothing in the NBA. I'm talking about how flamboyant he looks when he gets excited and "fired up." Did you see him after the win against Virginia Tech? He needs to learn how to throw a punch and keep his legs under control. Wouldn't you love to see him in a fight? He reminds me of that guy in Dazed and Confused who thinks he'll get one good punch in and hopes everyone will stop the fight so he'll look like a tough guy, except no one jumps in and gets the shit kicked out of him. Yup, that's Tyler Hansbrough.

Here is Tyler in High School