News 12/22

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1140523&format=text

Celtics streak hits 18
Outlast Knicks to tie franchise mark

By Mark Murphy | Monday, December 22, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Faith Ninivaggi
Some major barriers fell last night.

The Celtics [team stats] defeated the Knicks, 124-105, to tie a franchise record originally set by the 1981-82 team with 18 straight wins. Now 26-2, they also pulled even with the 1969-70 Knicks and 1966-67 76ers for the league’s best start through 28 games.

This historic run, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t imperfections.

It doesn’t mean that the C’s occasionally take their eyes off the ball.

“We have things that we’re talking about all the time - the bench playing better, cutting down on turnovers, a long list of things,” coach Doc Rivers said before the game. “Because you’re winning games, people think you’re throwing stuff out there when you talk like this. But it’s true.”

At least some of his players must have been listening, because early on they acted out the worry behind those words.

A 19-point (40-21) lead at the end of the first quarter hit the Celtics like a sleeping pill. That second-quarter power drain forced some panicked play in the third, including a ferocious 18-point, 12-minute stretch from Rajon Rondo [stats] before the C’s applied a strong finishing touch.

Rondo was again the picture of powerful balance with 26 points on 12-for-14 shooting, five assists and six rebounds. Kevin Garnett was closing in on triple-double territory when he checked out for good with 12 points, eight assists and six boards.

On the heels of Friday night’s 40-assist, 50-field goal performance in a 126-108 win against Chicago, the Celtics had 33 assists and 50 field goals last night.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the first time since Feb. 3 and 6, 1991, that the C’s put together back-to-back games with at least 50 field goals. In addition, it was the first time since overtime victories on March 24 and 27, 1994, that the Celtics scored more than 120 points in back-to-back games.

“To get 124 points with 22 turnovers makes me feel that if we don’t turn the ball over then we can score 140 to 150 points with the way we move the ball,” Paul Pierce [stats] said.

But there was indeed a blemish for Rivers to show in the next video session.

“We had a bad start with the second quarter,” he said. “At one point we had our bench giving up 18 points in four minutes.”

Most importantly, they finished well.

“It was great,” said Kendrick Perkins [stats], who finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. “We moved the ball. Guys see, they knocked down their shots, they took their shots, and that’s the key to winning.”

The Celtics, courtesy of a 7-0 run spanning the first 1:32 of the fourth quarter, started flirting with a 20-point lead for the first time since early in the second. They finally hit it with Leon Powe’s putback of a missed Tony Allen free throw for a 109-89 edge with 8:35 left.

The Knicks weren’t finished, however, as evidenced by tiny Nate Robinson’s tip-dunk in the midst of a 7-0 run that cut the Celtics’ lead to 113-101 with 3 minutes remaining.

The Celtics starters returned to the floor and played some of their sloppiest basketball in recent memory. An ugly glut of those 22 turnovers came in this stretch.

Pierce finally added sanity to the proceedings with a 3 for a 116-101 lead with 2:15 left. Rondo then stole the ball from Robinson, who roughly shoved the Celtic under the basket. The play was ruled a clear path foul, Rondo hit both free throws, and Eddie House buried his third trey on the ensuing possession.

“Rondo was unbelievable in the third quarter,” Garnett said. “He totally took the game over. He got people some easy shots and stretched their defense. He had almost a perfect game. He was in the zone.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1140585&format=text
Paul Pierce says he’ll stay in Boston for good
The Truth? Hub is home

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat | Monday, December 22, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by FAITH NINIVAGGI
Paul Pierce could have been excused for California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day, but he’s different now. The kid who grew up in the shadow of The Fabulous Forum in Inglewood has become a New Englander.

And he plans to stay one even after he ceases with this basketball gig.

The same guy who once cowered in his Kansas dorm room at the first sight of snow has now come to embrace the whims of our weather - not to mention the Celtics [team stats].

“I feel like I’m always going to keep my home here,” said Pierce, who made his way through the snow and sleet for last night’s 124-105 victory against the Knicks. “I feel like I’m always going to have something to do with the organization. I’ve put a lot of time in here, and I feel like I can still have a lot of influence after I’m done playing. I’d like to possibly give something back in a way. So I feel like I’ll always have a home here in Boston.

“This is always going to be a part of me. Boston is always going to be a part of me. I feel like I’m going to retire here as a Celtic, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t always be a part of this team. I’m not sure in what way I’ll stay with the team, but I want to be a part of it in some type of way. And a part of Boston, too.”

Even with the weather. He can laugh now when recalling his first brush with snow, but after getting the proper attire he grew to appreciate such life beyond Los Angeles.

“The first time I saw that stuff, I don’t think I went to class for a week,” Pierce said, smiling at the story he’s told often. “I didn’t have a big jacket or anything.

“The worst it would get back home is maybe you needed a sweater on the way to school in the morning. But then it would warm up by the afternoon. You didn’t have any big changes.”

When playing host to hometown pals during winter, he is amused by their reaction.

“When my friends come up, they want to go outside and make snowballs,” Pierce said. “They really enjoy going out there. It’s something they’re obviously not used to. They want me to come out there with them, but I’ve already done that. It’s just funny to watch them when they see the snow.”

But then the acquaintances shed the chill and return to the land of warmth - and earthquakes and mudslides. However, Pierce stays . . . for more than just his job. It’s not like he’ll ever give up on Los Angeles or even his home in Las Vegas (which has great tax benefits). But Boston is in his blood, as well.

“I don’t mind the weather,” he said. “I’ve adjusted to it. Plus I just like the seasons here.”

Pierce gets to play back in LA on Christmas Day, but it’s the memories of his youth that help him warm to the New England conditions.

“Just look outside. I think this is what Christmas is all about,” he said. “When I was a kid, my mother used to drive around this neighborhood back home where all the houses on the block were decorated and everybody in the front yard had fake snow. It was the whole block, so it kind of looked like it belonged there.

“We always felt that was what Christmas was supposed to look like with the snow on the ground, the reindeer and the lights. I really liked that, and you get it more for real up here. I think that kind of thing is great, and you have that here with the leaves changing and all that.”

He’s been here longer than the Zakim Bridge and he’s been more reliable than the Ted Williams Tunnel. He can laugh at the way the Arizona Cardinals looked as if they absolutely didn’t want any part of the snow or the Patriots [team stats] yesterday.

“This weather’s crazy,” Pierce said, “but it’s great. You’ve just got to know how to handle it.”

Spoken like a true veteran of a January nor’easter.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1140586&format=text
Streaking Celtics look for more

By Steve Bulpett | Monday, December 22, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by FAITH NINIVAGGI
The Celtics [team stats] continue to insist they are paying no attention to their winning streak. They say they are just focusing on one game at a time and trying to get better.

But at some point, you’d have to believe they’ll realize they haven’t lost in, you know, a wicked long time. When they fell to Denver on Nov. 14, George Bush was still president and the economy was tanking. Talk about ancient history.

Last night, the Celtics dispatched the Knicks, 124-105, for their 18th consecutive victory. That ties them with the 1981-82 edition for the longest such run in franchise history. It gives them a 26-2 start, equal to the best ever at this point with the 1966-67 76ers and the 1969-70 Knicks - both champions and both losers of their next game.

But there is another lesson in the books. The 18-game run is tied for fifth all-time. The 1971-72 Lakers are first at 33. In second are last season’s Rockets, who won 22 before being brought to a screeching halt on their own floor by the Celtics last March. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back after winning in San Antonio, the C’s slapped them by 20. The fact Houston didn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs is sufficient evidence that regular-season streaks can be made of clay.

“Hell, we’ve had some games we could’ve lost in this stretch,” coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t even pay much attention to that. What the Rockets did last year . . . you know, you get to playing well and you believe you can win games. But that’s been us all year, even before this streak. We believe we can win a game. We don’t even talk about it. We just go out and play, we really do. We know again, and I know it sounds crazy, but we just know that we can be better and that’s all we’re focused on.

“It’s amazing how many times we’ve won and in the locker room there’s a high frustration level because they want to get better. They really do. And that’s a good sign.”

Still, winning 18 in a row is at least improbable in a league where scheduling and travel hurdles lurk.

“Especially in the NBA where there’s so many games, it’s difficult,” Paul Pierce [stats] said. “It’s definitely difficult with the amount of teams you’ve got to play, and playing back to back games on the road and at home. So it’s definitely an accomplishment. It’s not one we want to wipe under the mat, but we’re just focusing on each and every game and improving each and every game.”

Even with two losses in 28 games, said Pierce, “We feel like we’ve still got a great upside. We’re looking for the perfect game.”

But what about scoring 40 points on 78.3 shooting in the first quarter last night?

“We want 100 percent,” said Pierce.

Apparently greed is still good in the NBA.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1140498&format=text

Glen Davis injured in crash

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook | Monday, December 22, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill
Glen Davis missed last night’s 124-105 win over the Knicks after suffering a concussion and whiplash during a traffic accident on the Mass Pike.

The accident was described by a team spokesman as minor, though serious enough that Davis, who according to a source broke the windshield with his head, had to be taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for treatment.

The accident occurred at 3:10 p.m. as Davis was driving to the Garden from his home in Waltham.

Davis, driving a 2008 black GMC Yukon, was involved in a three-car accident just before the tunnel under the Prudential Center.

According to state police spokesman Eric Benson, Davis was driving in the right lane when he hit a puddle, lost control, and veered into the middle lane, where Davis’ Yukon hit the front end of a Toyota Tacoma driven by 50-year-old Jan Wojcik of Leverett. Davis continued into the passing lane, where his Yukon struck the side of a Hyundai Sonata driven by Lallchand Singh, 33, of Marlboro.

Davis was the only person transported from the scene by ambulance.

The eastbound middle and passing lanes were closed for approximately 30 minutes as the accident scene was cleaned up.

A number of Celtics [team stats] officials, including Danny Ainge and co-managing partner Steve Pagliuca, visited Davis in the hospital.

“He’s OK,” Pagliuca said. “He had tests - an MRI - and everything was fine. He was a little subdued, but you would expect that. The good thing is that he’s OK.”

Technical talk

With the Knicks in town, the chances of some Celtic drawing a technical foul automatically increased.

But the trash talking that has become a running theme between these two teams hit a significant lull.

“There was none of that,” said the Knicks’ Quentin Richardson, whose verbal battles with Celtics captain Paul Pierce [stats] are well-known, of the change in temperament. “It was a competitive game. We played hard and they played hard. There wasn’t a whole lot of anything except playing basketball.”

That said, there was a lot of anticipation for the verbal stuff.

“We’re playing the Knicks tonight, so I don’t want to start talking technicals,” coach Doc Rivers said before the game.

Richardson, particularly critical of the Celtics’ on-court manners after the C’s won the first meeting on Nov. 14, wasn’t prepared to back down.

“You never go into a game saying I want to do this or I want to do that. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” Richardson said. “The idea is to go out and play basketball, go out and try to win a game. But as a competitive athlete, it’s in our nature. . . . When (trash talking) starts to happen - you’ve got pride, and you get - mad you’re not going to sit down and let somebody say something to you.”

Al Harrington, the newest Knick, has a particular admiration for Paul Pierce’s vocal style.

“Paul Pierce is a professional (expletive) talker, excuse my language,” Harrington said. “We live next to each other in Vegas, so we hang out a lot, so I know what Paul’s going to bring with that mouth.”

Marksman

With his 26-point performance on 12-of-14 shooting from the floor, Rajon Rondo [stats] boosted his field-goal percentage to 53.9.

“I think eight of them were layups. So, hah, I make my layups,” Rondo said. . . .

Eddie House has come off the bench to shoot 17-for-27 from 3-point range in his last six games.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/22/rampaging_celtics_make_knicks_history?mode=PF

Rampaging Celtics make Knicks history
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | December 22, 2008

Say hello, 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers and 1969-70 New York Knicks. How are you, 1981-82 Celtics?

The Celtics are surrounded by so much history, it is difficult for them to contribute anything new. But the current team is doing remarkably well at catching up to its past. After a 124-105 victory over the New York Knicks last night, the Celtics became the third NBA team to start the season with 26 wins in 28 games and the second in franchise history to win 18 successive games.

The Celtics can surpass both those marks when they host Philadelphia tomorrow night, though records seem to be low on the list of priorities.

"It's all good and well," captain Paul Pierce said. "The key is for us to play better and we're going to continue to say that, regardless of whether we're winning or losing. We feel like we still have a great upside. We're looking for the perfect game."

Indeed, the Celtics have been able to win despite their flaws - and there have been close calls along the way. Since early losses to Indiana and Denver, the Celtics have twice won in overtime and had other games go to the wire. Most of the time, though, they have set the tone with defense, dominating their opponents for long stretches and winning going away.

That was the formula for knocking off the Knicks in a game that turned the stats sheet upside down.

Rajon Rondo (26 points) had a Wilt-esque shooting night (12 for 14 from the field, 2 for 5 from the line). Eddie House grabbed six rebounds, tied for second on the Celtics and more than all but one Knick. Brian Scalabrine fouled out in 14 minutes of playing time. The Celtics had season highs for field goal percentage (.658), first-half points (66), and first-quarter points (40), and they tied their field goal mark of 50, set Friday in a 126-108 win over Chicago.

In the opening quarter, the Celtics were shooting 81.8 percent from the field when the Knicks allowed Rondo an opener jumper (he missed) just before the buzzer. Only one Knick (David Lee) grabbed a first-quarter rebound. And that set the stage for a rout, Leon Powe's dunk stretching the Celtic lead to 46-23 1:42 into the second quarter.

But the Knicks' offensive explosiveness took its toll on the Celtic reserves, who blew most of that advantage.

Chris Duhon's 3-pointer at the buzzer capped a 37-22 Knick run in the second quarter, cutting their deficit to 66-58 at halftime. That was the Knicks' seventh 3-point possession (plus a 4-point possession) of the quarter.

The Celtics' defense put the squeeze on late in the third quarter, though. The Knicks would not have another 3-point possession after Al Harrington's 3-pointer cut the deficit to 89-81 with 3:04 remaining in the third. Tim Thomas's drive then cut the deficit to 6 with 2:23 to go. But the Knicks would convert only once more from the field in the quarter, the Celtics taking an 11-point lead. Rondo capped a 9 for 9 quarter with his 10th successive field goal, a straightaway 17-footer, extending the advantage to 98-87 with nine seconds remaining.

For most of the quarter, Rondo was allowed an open route to his left and was uncontested once he entered the lane. Eventually, the Knicks began challenging Rondo.

"Rondo was unbelievable in the third quarter," Kevin Garnett said. "He totally took the game over. He got people some easy shots and stretched their defense. He had almost a perfect game - he was in the zone. I thought the bigs did a good job of giving him avenues and he did a good job of finishing."

The Celtics put things away by starting the final quarter with an 11-2 run, surrendering only a Duhon shot-clock-buzzer-beating drive in the first 3:43. Powe scored what turned out to be the clinching points 2:16 into the final quarter and then extended a 20-6 run with a follow for a 109-89 lead with 8:37 remaining.

"We're really scoring the ball as of late," Pierce said.

"To get 124 points with 22 turnovers makes me feel like, if we don't turn the ball over, we can probably score 140-150 points, with the way we move the ball.

"We still have room for improvement."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/22/time_helps_put_a_streak_in_perspective?mode=PF

Time helps put a streak in perspective
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff | December 22, 2008

It's not that hard, Leon Powe says, to tell the difference between winning 18 straight and losing 18 straight.

Lose 18 straight and you don't pick up the papers, he says, because you're the headline and the punchline, too.

You don't watch "SportsCenter," because you're the top story and on the Not Top Plays.

"Everybody was losing sleep, was coming in here with bags under their eyes because every channel we turned on was talking about our losing streak," Powe said, referring to the 18-game slide of just two years ago.

You don't pick up your phone.

"You've got people calling," he said, "I had to turn my phone off. I didn't want to listen to everybody."

They say all sorts of things, too.

They say how bad you are.

Then they tell you what you need to do.

Then, the best ones, try to predict how many they think you're going to lose.

"It got real bad for all of us," Powe said.

You don't walk the streets unless your skin is Teflon.

"People yell out stuff," Powe said. " 'Win a game!' Stuff like that. We took it real personal."

But win 18 straight, as the Celtics have after putting the Knicks away last night, 124-105, and every street's a yellow brick road.

"Win 18 straight and you can walk anywhere you want in the whole world and feel good about yourself, feel good about your team," he said.

This winning streak's nice, but it's different. When you win as many as the Celtics have now, forgetting them all is what you're supposed to do. Lose that many, and it's hard to forget.

Last night Kevin Garnett didn't waste time thinking about the winning streak.

"We did what?" he asked, showing how much he cared about it.

His point's taken. You could win 18 straight games and have it not mean a thing beyond a nice piece of real estate in the playoffs (i.e. the 22-game tear that launched the Rockets to the fifth seed in the Western Conference last year).

"What the Rockets did last year, you know you get to playing well and you believe you can win games," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "But that's been us all year. Even before this streak. We believe we can win a game. We don't even talk about it."

If you're Paul Pierce, who will brag that he went on an 18-game streak at Kansas, you appreciate the wins. But you also move on.

"It's difficult," he said. "Especially playing in the NBA, it's definitely difficult. Playing every night, back-to-back games on the road. So it's definitely an accomplishment. But we're just focusing on each and every game and improving each and every game."

But Pierce was with Powe two years ago, when streaking was a different kind of difficult. Rivers, Brian Scalabrine, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Tony Allen are holdovers from that team.

Rondo said he treats each stretch the same. He tries not to think about either.

"When we lost 18 straight you try to get off the hump," he said. "And now when you win 18 straight you try to take it one game at a time and not overlook anyone."

But as Scalabrine pointed out a few days ago, you can't help thinking about the losses, but winning makes it easier not to look back.

Powe won't let himself forget.

"Everybody was hurting," he said, "You play the sport to win. We were losing. We were young and we really couldn't figure it out and it was frustrating.

"We just remember where we came from, that's why we take it one game at a time and don't try to get too greedy."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/12/22/rondo_still_is_leading_way?mode=PF
Rondo still is leading way
Third quarter his personal showcase
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | December 22, 2008

Rajon Rondo turned the third quarter into a layup drill during the Celtics' 124-105 win over the Knicks last night.

Rondo (26 points) led the team in scoring for the second time in four games - he scored 25 in a 100-91 victory over Utah last Monday - and took more shots from the floor (14) than Ray Allen (12 shots, 18 points), Paul Pierce (11 shots, 17 points), and Kevin Garnett (8 shots, 12 points).

"He is when Ray, Paul, and Kevin are on the floor," coach Doc Rivers said of Rondo's ability to take control of the game. "I don't lose sight of that.

"He's playing phenomenal, but there's a reason, too. No. 1, he's playing well. No. 2, it's very difficult to help off when you've got three guys on the floor that you can't leave, and then you've got another guy with the ball - it makes it difficult for you to help off of him."


Making connections
This marked the first time since Feb. 3 and 6 of 1991 the Celtics converted at least 50 field goals in consecutive games (they also converted 50 times in a 126-108 win over Chicago Friday).

The Celtics' defense set the tone early, but the Knicks outscored the Celtics, 37-26, in the second quarter. But the Knicks failed to convert from 3-point range in the final 15:09 of play and were 0 for 9 on fourth-quarter treys.

"Our guys had a great focus on it," Rivers said of the Celtics' perimeter defense. "They got beat off the dribble a couple times, that's fine, actually. But they made them put the ball back on the floor instead of taking spot-up threes, and that's what we're trying to do."


Davis in accident
Glen Davis missed the game recovering from a concussion and whiplash suffered in an auto accident on the Massachusettts Turnpike on the way to the game.

He was released from Brigham & Women's Hospital last night, according to director of press relations Jeff Twiss.

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge was with Davis at the hospital.


A better way?
Though the Celtics (26-2) have tied the franchise consecutive-win mark (18 games), Rivers said the team is seeking improvement.

"We have a long way to go - if we are this good at the end of the year I don't know if that's good enough, yet," he said. "For any team, the whole season, you try just to improve each game to the point where by the end of the season you think you are at your best. We have things we talk about that we need to work on all the time. Our bench is a focus, we have to be more consistent, cut down on turnovers, a long list of things I know as a group we are going to get better on.

"Our young guys . . . we are hoping they mature each game and get better. Just because you are winning games, people think when you say that stuff you are throwing stuff out there, but it's the truth, and I think that's the way our team feels, and that's probably the best part about our team.

"Last year, I thought we played pretty good in stretches, we started out the season in a pretty good flow. This year, it's like we are just slowly climbing. When the second unit is good, we have had some games when the starters haven't played well and the second unit has come in and won games for us, and games when we've had big leads and they've lost them. They have to be more consistent."


Perking up
Kendrick Perkins (12 points, 12 rebounds) outrebounded the Knicks, 5-4, in the opening quarter. Perkins is grabbing 14.3 rebounds per 48 minutes.

"The biggest trap for [Perkins] is that when you are having offensive success, then a lot of guys stop doing their regular jobs, and that's setting picks," Rivers said. "He's continued to do that, he understands the more picks he sets the more open Perk's going to be. He's kind of perfected that role."

Perkins also has been whistled for nine technical fouls.

"He's contained himself," Rivers said. "He's emotional and we already have Kevin, who's emotional every night, every second. Kevin's emotional, so he says something and gets away with it and the next guy who says something gets popped and, unfortunately, that's been Perk. He's trying to get better and he's done a pretty good job of it."


Hancock signing
Physical therapist Dave Hancock was recently hired by the Knicks after spending a year and a half with Garnett's favorite English soccer team, Chelsea FC.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/

< Back to Front Page Text size – + Scal gets a standing ovation ...
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 08:08 PM
... for fouling out with 6:29 left. Not a bad deal for a night where he almost had as many fouls (6) as points (7). Hard to say his 14 minutes of the bench weren't useful though, he went 3-for-4 from the floor with a three and a single rebound on a night when the Celtics were short in the front court with the loss of Glen Davis.

The score is 113-99 and Leon Powe just got caught under Nate Robinson after Robinson got up for a nasty little putback dunk.

5:02 on the clock. Tick, tock.




The 15th Century
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 07:56 PM
Ray Allen just hit a long J that gave him 16 points on the night and gave the Celtics 100 points for the 15th time this season (he then hit another jumper followed by a three from Scal that makes it 105-87 early in the fourth--yup, those are floodgates opening).

It's the seventh time they've reached the century mark in December, and they're scoring 107.3 points per game this month.

The lead is up to 18. The lineup is House, Pierce, Tony Allen, Scal, Powe. Allen just missed two free throws. Powe put the last one back to give him 9 points on the night.

8:03 on the clock in the fourth. Tick tock.

Need an all-star ballot?
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 07:24 PM
Now's as good a time as any.

Check Rajon Rondo's stat line a night after putting up 15 assists against Chicago.

He's got 22 points with two minutes to go in the third.

His only miss in 12 shots so far was a 15-footer at the end of the first quarter.

He's got more boards (5) than assists (4), and if it weren't for Quentin Richardson's 27 points (9-of-16 shooting) he'd have the high on the night.

He's made steals and run the court. He's sliced through the lane and made easy lay-ups. And yet against he's made another case for an all-star bid.

Which reminds me: here's the link

Duhon at the buzzer
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 07:06 PM
And it looked like nets the whole way.

That three cut the Celtics lead to eight at the half. It was 23 at one point.

The bench situation is weird because it's basically the Cs bench v. Nate Robinson. Robinson snapped in the second quarter, scoring 17 of his team's 37 points, going 5 for 5 from the floor with 4 threes, and three boards.

It wasn't that the bench Celtics didn't score, they've put up 15 points (14 if you use the new patent-pending system). It was basically Robinson the assassin.

But this is interesting: When Gabe Pruitt checked in, meaning when all five starters were on the bench, the Celtics had a 21 point lead. Now track the lead at the points when each starter checked in.

7:41 -- Paul Pierce checks in for Pruitt, 47-30

6:11 -- Rondo checks in for Tony Allen, 49-33

5:56 -- Garnett checks in for Powe, 49-35

4:26 -- Perkins checks in for Scalabrine, 53-40

Right now it's 66-58, definitely closer than it could be but probably not too close for comfort.

Should we deduct the points ...
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 06:53 PM
... that starters are involved in.

Might be thinking too hard here, but bench scoring's kind of a faulty stat if a starter was in on the basket.

Kevin Garnett''s got five assists and he's been the helper on two of then bench's six baskets. So should that mean that you take those four baskets back, and make the bench scoring count 11.

If you did then you'd have to give the bench credit for baskets that they helped create, like House hooking up Ray Allen for a 14 footer early in the quarter that made it 42-21. If you did it that way the bench scoring would be 14 points (that of course is assuming my math is right, which I begging anyone out their to double-check for me).

Doesn't matter much at the moment with the starters on the floor trying to build on a 13-point lead. It was up to 23 at one point, but the bench waffled and Doc tweaked the lineups a few times trying to adjust.

Rondo just hawked a rebound from Quentin Richardson, who has five more inches n Rondo (6-5, to 6-1), but two fewer boards (4 to 2) That's neither here nor there, but it's interesting.

T.A. the instigator
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 06:44 PM
Not the best language in this particular game, I know, but it's just as good as catalyst, spark plug or facilitator.

He's been aggressive shooting the ball. He's creating shots for other teammates off the dribble drive (Scal got a layup off one of Allen's passes, and Powe got to the free throw line on another, hitting 1 of 2). He's was whistled for traveling on one sprint through the lane that looked like it would be a nice highlight.

So far the bench has 13 of 47 points. Doc just sent Pierce in to get Pruitt. T.A. just tried to go up against Nate Robinson and realized Robinson's only 5-9 on paper; he's like 6-10 in the air. Pierce just hit a deuce to keep the ship steady. Rondo went in for T.A., and the Cs are up 49-35.

***takes deep breath**

Will be back


Bench Scoring tracker: 8
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 06:33 PM
Tony Allen fired the first shot with a 24-footer from Kevin Garnett.

Eddie House took a feed from Ray Allen on the wing, and drilled another three

Then T.A. slashed through the middle and turned a gorgeous pass from KG into an easy lay-up.

That gives the reserves 8 of the Celtics 43 points. The lineup to start the second was Ray and Tony Allen. Eddie House, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine. Gabe Pruitt just checked in for Mr. Shuttlesworth. So the bench is on it's own.

Positive sign, Powe just got a nice dunk to up the count to 10. Negative sign, he just traveled.

Welcome to the Garden
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 06:14 PM
***Picture substitute teacher stumbling into class all huffy and slightly confused, with the brown folder things bursting with paper's he hasn't really looked at***

Sorry I'm late guys. Snow's got the Dzen Master trapped again. So I'm your substitute. I'd say welcome to the Garden, but the first quarter's almost over and the Celtics are up 35-21.

It's barely been five minutes and the C's are already up 13-3. Here are a few things.

* If you didn't know, the Knicks are pretty chatty.

Remember Quentin Richard's went all Mike Tyson after the last Knicks-Celtics tip

(In case you don't, he said, "I'll just be real curious to see what a lot of those guys would say if we weren't in a basketball arena where there ain't no referees and the NBA officials are going to stop certain things," he said. "I mean, it wouldn't be the same story. They are the world champions and rah-rah-rah. But I mean, the tough talk, I don't buy.")

Well he was a little more coy before the game today, showing respect to the Celtics, if only because they're the champs. He said he wanted to focus on the game, rather than the talk, but that he didn't really regret anything he said (his trash talk transcript goes all the way back to last year).

Doc Rivers, always good for sarcasm, almost got baited into talking about Kendrick Perkins and technical fouls. Instead, he said, "We're playing the Knicks tonight. So I don't want to talk abut techs before the game. I can tell you that."

*Bench production

THe starters are all kinds of nasty, from Perk's early 8 points (he just had a career high 25), Ray Allen dropping transition 3s and Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce combining for 7 assists.

It's nice. But the bench has to protect it. Rivers called the second unit "inconsistent," and after watching them blow the 10-point lead built by the starters in Friday's game against Chicago, you'd say he's being gentle. He's worked with them after practice trying to tighten the group up. So it's worth paying attention to now that they'll inherit another double-digit lead.

*Stride right?

Rivers swears it's not just coach speak when he says the Celtics, who haven't lost since Nov. 14, haven't hit their stride yet. "When you're winning games people think when you say that stuff, you're just kind of throwing stuff out there," he said. But he's serious. He said they've got a long list of things to improve on, from the bench, to consistency (he was serious), to turnovers. "We've got a long way to go," he said. "If we're this good at the end of the year, I don't know if we're good enough yet."

OK, coach.

Anyway, I'll be back with more later.





Davis hospitalized after car crash
Link|Comments (10) Posted by Julian Benbow, Globe Staff December 21, 2008 05:30 PM
Celtics forward Glen Davis is currently at Brigham and Women 's Hospital after a mid-afternoon car crash on the Mass Pike.

Team spokesman Jeff Twiss said Davis suffered whiplash and a concussion. He will miss today's game against New York, and the status of his return is undetermined.

Twiss said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was at the hospital with Davis, who will turn 23 on New Years Day.

Twiss said the Celtics will likely know more about Davis's condition tomorrow.