Holy Shit, The Spurs Are On The Brink

That's the back of Tony Allen's head.

The Grizzlies, yea the Grizzlies are up 3-1 on the 1st seeded Spurs.

I never really believed in the Spurs to be honest. They limped into the playoffs, Manu Ginobili is injured (or what Tony Allen thinks faking it) and they are just getting old. What is kind of funny is the fact that Rudy Gay arguably the Grizzlies best player has been injured and gone for the year.

With the Lakers and the Spurs struggling in round 1, how crazy would it be if the Hornets and Grizzlies were in round 2. It would probably usher the Thunder into the championship.

I honestly didn't see the Spurs making it far in the playoffs, but maybe losing in round 1. I definitely didn't see.

107 Celtics, 97 Spurs

No one can really explain how much this game meant to the Celtics. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the win that saved their season. The Spurs came in at full strength and the Celtics got Jermaine O'Neal back. The Spurs have the best record in the NBA and the Celtics have been playing like shit lately.

Last night was vintage Celtics. They took the lead in the 3rd and ended it on a 14-3 run and didn't take their foot off the gas until the end of the game. The offense was clean, the defense was tough and stout, last night was a thing of beauty. The only thing that wasn't good was Nenad Krstic's potential devastating injury, we will get back to that when we get the results back.

Back to the game.

The Big 4 played great, Kevin Garnett (20 points, 9-12 FG, 9 rebounds), Paul Pierce (21 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists), Ray Allen had 13 points including a huge 3, and Rajon may have had his best game as a Celtic he had 22 points, 14 assists, 5 rebounds and ZERO turnovers, he seemed to not miss his 17 foot jumper also. Rondo is playing with great confidence and seems to have shook the injury.

Jermaine O'Neal didn't look like Troy Murphy so that's good, he seemed to be moving well and being effective when he was in there. He played 11 minutes and had 5 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.

The bench was really effective too, Glen Davis had 16 and Jeff Green was very effective with 8 points. Boy he is going to be a great weapon come play off time.

Great win!

The win that saved the season.

See what happens when the switch is turned on.

Celtics vs Spurs Preview

Depth Chart

	Boston (PPG)	San Antonio (PPG)
PG	R. Rondo 10.4	T. Parker 17.5
SG	R. Allen 17.0	M. Ginobili 17.8
SF	P. Pierce 18.7	R. Jefferson 11.1
PF	K. Garnett 14.7	A. McDyess 5.2
C	N. Krstic 8.2	T. Splitter 4.6

Two old teams on a downward spiral are facing off and to be honest I much rather the Spurs when Tony Parker, Manu, Tim Duncan and McDyess are all gimpy. Parker is considered the most likely of the Spurs' injured players to return Thursday, though McDyess also has a chance to play. Ginobili, injured in Sunday's loss at Memphis, said he was feeling "much better" on Monday, but his status and Duncan's are unknown.

That's a good thing and good news for Rondo who is coming off a good game against the Pacers. Rondo can absolutely take advantage of Parkers injury and age and blow passed him all game. Since the Celtics recent struggles this would be a perfect game to right the ship and get Paul Pierce and Ray Allen going. The Spurs are a good team and even though they have injuries this will still be a quality win.

I think the Celtics turn the switch on and win this game big.

Celtics 112-94
Tommy Award: Rajon

Timmer! Out For A While

Tim Duncan passed an MRI test Tuesday with no signs of structural damage in his sprained left ankle. The Spurs won't know how long the 34-year-old might be out until later this week, but Duncan will miss at least the next three games as the NBA's winningest team tries to clinch the West's No. 1 seed. ESPN

You would think the Spurs would go Celtics here and be safe and sit him out longer then he needs to be. The Spurs have played over their heads all year and have the 1 seed by 7 games. I'm thinking they can wrap up the 1 seed without the Big Fundamental, there are only 12 games left. The Spurs have a good enough team to win games with Duncan on extended rest because the offense no longer revolves around him with him averaging 13 and 9.

105 Celtics, 103 Spurs

I'm not one to crush the refs, but it certainly wasn't the best showing from them last night, especially down the stretch. The Celtics were up a by 9 with 50 seconds left, however, helped by a couple of non-foul calls when the Spurs blatantly wrapped up Pierce and when Manu Ginobelli ran over Rondo, the Spurs rattled off 7 straight to make it a two point game. After that the weirdest thing happened. Ray Allen missed both free throws with .08 seconds left. Then maybe the teams MVP Paul Pierce was able to block a last second three attempt by Ginobelli to seal the win.

Now to Mr. Triple Double Rajon Rondo. If you watched the game you could see he was a lot more mobile then he has been. He had a stupid box score with 12 points, 22 assists, 10 rebounds, 6 steals and 1 block in 43 minutes. He also was knocked down some big shots in the 4th quarter. It was great to see.

Ray Allen had 31 points on 13-16 FG and Baby had Glen Davis had 23 points on 10-18 FG. Jermaine O'Neal may not wow you on the box score 5 points, 6 boards but he payed excellent defense on Tim Duncan.

Doc made a ballsy coaching move in the 3rd and the Spurs didn't know how to respond. He decided to play a lineup where it was Nate, Rajon, Quisy, Pierce and Jermaine and stuck with it. The small guys absolutely boggled the Spurs.

Great game, too bad the refs tried f'n it up.

Spurs @ Celtics Preview

The Spurs come in to Boston with the best record in the NBA, yet the Knicks were able to upset them last night. Boston meanwhile has the 2nd best record in the NBA and are riding a 2 game winning streak, but Boston will be playing short handed as Kevin Garnett is still out.

The Spurs (much like the Celtics) are one of the oldest teams in the NBA. Usually I don't think that matters much, but having to play back-to-back games can be rough. We have seen the Celtics struggle with it in the past, and I think it could have a big affect on this game.

I haven't been overly impressed with the way the Celtics have been playing, but Rajon seems to be getting healthier and he will be the difference in this game. The Celtics shoot the highest shooting percentage in the league, and that is in large part to the way Rondo runs the offense.

You know the Spurs are going to try to come out and make a statement after letting up a season high 129 to the Knicks last night. The good news is the Celtics are the best defensive team in league, so look for a close low scoring game, but Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo will end up being the difference in this one.

Celtics win 91-89
Tommy Award: Rajon Rondo
Game starts at 7:30pm on Comcast

Is Richard Jefferson Retarded?

Richard Jefferson surprised everyone Wednesday when he opted out of his contract for next season that would have paid him $15 million. What the fuck could he possibly be thinking???

He is coming off of one of his worst years ever, and there is no way he'll make anywhere near that amount next season. I know everyone is freaking out, because of the new CBA is coming, but Jefferson was so bad (12 pts 4.4 rebs - lowest since is rookie season in 2001) that I just don't see anyone wanting to take a risk on him. I think he can come back next year and be decent, but I just don't see anyone giving him anywhere near what he was going to make next season.

Anyways, he sucks, but since he has already opted out I think he should not resign with the Spurs. Their offense obviously doesn't fit his game, and he would be better off somewhere else.

94 Spurs, 73 Celtics

Just a bad, bad game for the Celtics. Here are a couple of points:

* Celtics were 1-14 from 3 point range
* Tim Duncan only got 8 points tonight, and we still got smoked.
* Michael Finley is a douche bag
* Bench was terrible tonight. But so were the starters.

Nothing really else to say other than this was an awful game and I hope the Spurs play the Lakers in the first round.

90 Celtics, 83 San Antonio

Other than the rebounding this was a terrific game for the Celtics. I know the Spurs aren't what they used to be, but it still feels good beating them. KG had another great game and has been on fire of late. The Big Ticket finished with 20 points, 7 boards and 5 assists and the double double machine known as Rajon Rondo had 12 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Again, Paul Pierce scored 8 points, but I'm not worried about that at all, because if it came down to it and if we really needed him to score he would. For the Spurs Dejuan Blair was a beast, he finished the game with 18 points (9-11 shooting) and 11 boards. For a 6-5 guy he was in complete control, and if it wasn't for him the Spurs wouldn't have been close in the point total. A lot of people are going to say the Celtics don't have the killer instinct after this game, I say fuck you to those people, we are 15-4.

Celtics vs Spurs Preview

Tonight's game will be fun. It's old bones vs older bones. The Celtics seem as young as the Hawks compared to how the Spurs have been playing and acting. The Spurs have been somewhat of a disappointment this year after signing Richard Jefferson and drafting Dejaun Blair in being only 9-6. The starting line ups are:
PG R. Rondo 10.8 T. Parker 16.5
SG R. Allen 15.9 K. Bogans 4.5
SF P. Pierce 19.1 R. Jefferson 13.9
PF K. Garnett 14.2 T. Duncan 18.5
C K. Perkins 11.8 A. McDyess 6.9

For the exception of KG maybe, every Celtics player should easily be able to get by their defender, especially the point guard match up. Allen should feast on Bogans, and Pierce should be able to toast RJ. Unlike the past few games, I expect the offense to be run through the 1-3 positions do to the Celtics "speed".

Celtics 97-91
Tommy Award: Rajon

Whats on TV tonight?

I know what your thinking...

Its almost noon, I'm excited for lunch and I can't wait to get home, throw on a snuggy and watch some sports as I duel on a couch for the night over a fine glass of water and hops...

Nevertheless, here is whats on your flatscreen, tube or b&w TV tonight:

Montreal Canadians @ Boston Bruins, NESN 7pm or WBZ-FM (98.5)

Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Lebron James', TNT 8pm

San Antonio Spurs @ Utah Jazz, TNT 10:30pm

Virgina Tech Hokies vs. East Carolina Pirates, ESPN 7:30pm

MLS: Real Salt Lake @ Columbus, ESPN2 8pm

...not the best games but now you know.

Bruce Bowen Retires

"After helping the San Antonio Spurs win three championships and establishing himself as one of the premier perimeter defenders of the decade, Bruce Bowen is retiring at 38. Bowen told ESPN.com that he will formally announce his retirement at a Thursday afternoon news conference and said he would elaborate more on his decision then (ESPN)."

At one point this offseason I really thought the Celtics were going to be able to land this guy, and after he turned them down I thought maybe he would go back to the Spurs. In the end, he chose retirement, so that he can focus on off the court stuff like community and business (that's what it says anyways). Good for him, he had a great career and has nothing left to prove.

Glen Davis Getting No Love

"There was a report Sunday that the Spurs were prepared to offer Glen Davis a contract. The San Antonio Express-News says that's not true and that Davis, a restricted free agent, is not particularly close to signing an offer sheet with any team. According to the newspaper, the Spurs will pursue players at the top of their free-agent list, like Antonio McDyess, before looking elsewhere (ESPN)."

There has been a lot of talk about what Davis' value really is. It sounded like the Spurs were really ready to make a run at him, but now that may not be true. The Spurs may want more experience. The good news is that the longer this goes on the more likely it is that Big Baby's value will go down, and if the Celtics can't sign Hill then maybe there is a chance Davis could be back on the court with the Celtics.

Glen Davis To Spurs?

Gary Tanguay of Comcast SportsNet New England reports the San Antonio Spurs are prepared to offer their mid-level exception to Glen Davis and that the Celtics will not match the offer sheet to the restricted free agent.

One team that won't offer a contract to Davis is Dallas. Owner Mark Cuban said yesterday via twitter.com "contrary to reports, the Mavs are not pursuing Glenn Davis. Great player, but we like our guys."

It sucks, but I guess he needs to do what he needs to do, and we need to save money. I love Big Baby, and I will miss him a lot, but he is young and needs to go after his money, he certainly worked hard for it this offseason. So thank you BBD, we will miss you.

Bucks Deal Jefferson To Spurs

"The Milwaukee Bucks agreed to trade Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto a Bucks source told ESPN.com. The two teams have agreed to the deal in principle. A trade call to make the deal official is coming later Tuesday (ESPN)."

The Spurs window is closing, but this deal could give them enough scoring to compete once again. The Bucks on the other hand get Bowen, Oberto and Thomas who are all in the last year of their contracts. The deal will clear $15 million from their cap for next season and give Milwaukee more flexibility for next year. They could use this to resign players like Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions. Also, there is a good chance that the Bucks will cut Bowden right away, since that will save them another 4 million on their cap. In that case Bowden would almost certainly go back to the Spurs.

Basically this boils down to the Spurs trying to stay relevant, and the Bucks wanting to clear some cap room.

Manu Ginobeli Out For Season and Playoffs

Manu Ginobili will miss the rest of the season and playoffs for the Spurs after tests Monday revealed that his troubled right ankle has gotten worse. This pretty much solidifies the Spurs chances to not winning this year. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are definitely hurt without their feisty swingman. My prediction is going to be that they lose in the second rounf in the playoffs. Without Ginobeli the team doesn't have a chance. But hey they picked up my boy Salim Stoudimire.

80 Celtics, 77 Spurs

Thank you Michael Finley and Tony Parker who missed 6 straight free throws to let the Celtics clinch last nights game.

Kevin Garnett only played 15 minutes, Paul Pierce only scored 9 points, and we still didn't have Leon Powe, so how on earth did we win the game. Rajon, Rajon, Rajon, the young point guard has been absolutely on fire as he scored 16 points and had 12 assists to make it his third game in a row with over 10+ assists. When the Celtics couldn't get anything going offensively the point guard was able to drive into the heart of the Spurs defense and make a play happen. At one point it seemed as if Rajon and Ray Allen(19) were the only ones who were scoring. KG started really slow, but hit his 5 shots in the third quarter to finish with 10 points. Mikki Moore also didn't suck so much as he scored 4 points and had 8 rebounds.

Either way, hell of a win.

Box Score

Celtics vs Spurs Preview

This is the face I hope we see tonight.

The good thing about this game is that both teams are banged up. Tim Duncan is expected to play, but Manu Ginobelli is going to miss tonight. For the Celtics there really is no word on whether KG and Ray Allen will play. I expect Allen to play based on nothing, but expect K.G. to be out tonight. The most intriguing thing about tonight is how much Mikki Moore cannot suck. He is doing absolutely nothing for the Celtics except for getting them in foul trouble. I want to see the lanky animal play a quality game. Either way this is a must game for the Celtics who need to show that they still have it. They also NEED to do something on defense. The past couple of games have been a defenselessness Celtics which has me worried a little. They won a nail bitter in Miami the last time we saw them out, and if they can possibly pull one off in San Antonio they will start being talked about again. Rondo proved that he can be an exceptional scorer last time out and expect the same thing tonight. He is looking more confident with his mid range game and I believe he will be able to exploit the less quick Tony Parker.

Celtics 83-75

T.A. Rajon Rondo

105 Spurs, 99 Celtics

The Spurs were able to finish strong and that was the difference between the two teams. I was watching the game on game channel on ESPN because I couldn't watch it on the TV and it seemed that every shot the Celtics put up in the 4th was a miss. The Spurs put up 11 straight points in the last 45 seconds, including huge shots by Roger Mason Jr who had a game breaking 3 with 20 seconds left. Gregg Popovich improved to 10-2 in Boston. It is the highest career-win percentage in road games against the Celtics for any head coach in NBA history.

I am starting to get a little nervous about Boston's defense. it has let up 3 straight 100 point games to the Lakers, Knicks, and now the Spurs and has let up 99.1 points in their last 8 games. That is 8 more points to their season average. The Celtics are in dire need of another big man, and obviously Leon and Glen aren't the answer. I have faith in Patrick O'Bryant but it seems like Doc doesn't if he continues to get DNPs. At least the last two losses belong to teams that we are suppose to lose too.

Around The NBA

104 Denver, 96 Spurs


The Denver Nuggets were tested by the San Antonio Spurs all right, even with everyone on the bench.

With Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all sidelined Tuesday night, the Denver Nuggets took advantage for a 104-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs after pissing away most of a 17-point lead.

99 Nets, 85 Bucks

Carter had 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his fifth career triple double, and the New Jersey Nets spoiled Richard Jefferson's return with a 99-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Jefferson scored 27 points but it wasn't enough, especially with Michael Redd out forever.

101 Cavs, 83 Raptors

The Cavs stay perfect at home as LeBron James scored 33 points, eclipsed 12,000 for his career, blocked Chris Bosh's dunk attempt during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter as they continue to roll. The Cavs keep playing extremely well and are going to be a pain in the ass when it comes to home court throughout.