News 3/13

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1079955&format=text

Celts lower boom
Win vs. not-so-super Sonics runs streak to 10

By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, March 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The physics did not look good for the Seattle SuperSonics last night. Playing the finale of a seven-game road trip, they had lost five straight and 9-of-10 while the Celtics [team stats] arrived at the Garden with nine straight wins in their duffel bag . . . and it was Kevin Garnett bobblehead doll night.

Is it really any surprise the SuperSonics wound up as merely the latest bug on the windshield of the large green wagon?

The 111-82 C’s victory was as humane as the local entry could make it. While the people in sneakers ran out to leads as great as 37 points, the game presentation staff chose not to rub it in. Human victory cigar “Gino” didn’t dance his way onto the videoboard until the 2:38 mark of the fourth quarter, when, in all reality, this one was over almost before the national anthem ended.

The regulars were on the bench in full relaxation mode for the fourth quarter as their close friends put a bow on the first 10-game winning streak (after two nine-gamers and an eight-game run) of the season. The C’s have now won 11 in a row at home.

Bringing a Garnett doll with him into the postgame press meeting, Paul Pierce [stats] said, “I knew we couldn’t lose when I saw that.”

Or when he saw the Sonics.

Ray Allen hit 8-of-10 shots on the way to 18 points against his former team, while Garnett matched Allen’s total and Pierce tossed in 14. Points simply weren’t going to be an issue against a Seattle outfit that had given up an average of 115.8 points in its previous four games. The Celtics, on the other hand, had won their previous five by an average of 15.8.

In that the Sonics are in the process of blowing their team up and going young while the Celts are packing for a long playoff trip, mismatch doesn’t begin to describe this exercise.

The Celts led by 10 after one quarter, 20 after two and 32 after three.

“Coach (Doc Rivers) said that he didn’t have no great speech for us,” Pierce said. “This is a game we should win, so let’s go out there and handle business. And after those first couple of minutes, we did and pretty much put the game away in the first half.”

Pierce was the biggest factor of the first quarter, scoring 14 points as the C’s survived the indignity of a 19-17 deficit and stepped on the gas. A full bench complement was on the floor when the hosts did their most impressive first-half damage.

“I thought our bench is what changed the game,” Rivers said. “The starting unit in the first six or seven minutes was good, but the second unit came in and they were great.”

Eddie House had made just 14-of-50 shots in his last seven games, but he went 5-for-5 vs. Seattle for 11 points. Five assists gave House 22 in the last four games. James Posey contributed 10 points and the group as a whole provided the necessary defensive pressure to keep any foolish thoughts of a comeback out of the Sonics’ heads.

“Nice professional win by our guys,” said Rivers, who’s been using that adjective quite a bit of late. “(The Sonics were playing) the seventh game on a hellish road trip, and our guys came out with great energy and took advantage of that.”

In the end, it was a laugher - all the way to the dressing room.

“Get back on defense,” said Pierce to the Garnett doll, giving it a whack while its model sat beside him.

“Paul Pierce, ladies and gentlemen,” said Garnett as Pierce continued to play with his new toy.

Thank you. They’ll be here all season and, they hope, well into June.

[FLCeltsFan]

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Cassell glad to be home
Better in 2nd game

By Jeff Horrigan | Thursday, March 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The last time Sam Cassell visited TD Banknorth Garden prior to last night, he all but had to duck for cover as he left the court.

On Feb. 6, he was ejected with 2:54 remaining in the second quarter after decking Rajon Rondo [stats] with a flagrant foul as the Celtics [team stats] point guard drove to the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Last night, however, Cassell learned that all is quickly forgiven when you pull on the home uniform. The veteran point guard received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd when he made his home debut for the Celtics with 6:45 remaining in the first half of their 111-82 thumping of the Seattle Supersonics, which came as a welcome relief.

“It’s nice to be wanted,” the 15-year NBA veteran said. “It’s a great welcome.”

Cassell, who was signed as a free agent on March 4 after being released by the Clippers, scored six points on 3-for-8 shooting, dished out two assists and blocked a shot in just over 14 minutes of action.

It was a marked improvement from his Celtics debut two nights earlier in Philadelphia, where he went in cold, with little knowledge of the team’s system, and went 0-for-2 shooting while committing four personal fouls and two turnovers in only 5:24 of garbage time in the ninth of the Celtics’ 10 consecutive wins.

Cassell worked out with a handful of players on the off day Tuesday and felt much better.

“I can’t keep going out there blind, like I did in Philly,” he said. “I was more comfortable today (but) with this team, it’s hard not to get this right. You’ve got Ray Allen, you’ve got Paul (Pierce) slicing and dicing, you’ve got Kevin (Garnett) demanding the ball on the post. I’m just trying to figure out where I fit in.”

The one thing that has been made clear to him, however, is that the team considers him to be a vital piece to the overall puzzle.

“They say I was the missing piece,” Cassell said. “I’m not here to challenge Rondo for a starting position. I’m just here to help this team win a championship. Some nights I might play big minutes, some nights I might not. I’m fine with that. I just want to win, man. Losing is a drag feeling.”

He has quickly learned that nothing drags with the Celtics.

“This team plays hard,” Cassell said. “This team talks a lot to each other on the court. We help each other out a lot. You know if you get beat, somebody’s going to be there to help you out. A lot of teams don’t have it, but whatever it is, we’ve got it.”

Even though he won a pair of championships with the Houston Rockets during his first two seasons as a pro, the 38-year-old said that winning in Boston would be an unforgettable achievement.

“Winning a championship in Boston is definitely different than winning a championship in Houston,” Cassell said. “Those championships I won in Houston were magnificent. They were the first championships the city of Houston ever had, but the basketball tradition isn’t anywhere near Boston.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1079985&format=text
Durant accepts Seattle but for all the losing

By Jeff Horrigan | Thursday, March 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
Last year at this time, many in New England envisioned Kevin Durant as the possible savior of the woeful Celtics [team stats].

Holding a draft lottery ticket that gave them a high probability of landing one of the top two picks in the 2007 draft, the Celtics took a numbing backhand to the chops from statistical probability, which knocked them to fifth instead. Danny Ainge was thus deprived of a shot at the draft’s two perceived franchise players, Texas forward Durant and Ohio State center Greg Oden.

Little did anyone realize that the way the ping-pong balls bounced was the best thing that could have happened for the Celtics . . . and quite possibly the worst for Durant.

The Portland Trailblazers nabbed Oden with the first pick, Durant going second to the Seattle Supersonics. The inability to nab either one, meanwhile, spurred Ainge to do a complete overhaul of the Celtics, beginning with the trade of the No. 5 pick (Georgetown’s Jeff Green) to Seattle, as well as Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West for Ray Allen and the 35th pick (Glen Davis).

The trade, followed by the blockbuster acquisition of Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves, transformed the Celts into the NBA’s top team. Durant, meanwhile, ended up on one that entered last night’s game at the TD Banknorth Garden as one of the league’s worst (16-48).

To compound matters, the Sonics could be moving to Oklahoma City next season, forcing Durant to relocate for the fourth time in four years. Despite the twist of fate, however, the 19-year-old said he doesn’t dwell on what could have been had he ended up with the Celtics.

“I was just playing it by ear,” Durant said prior to scoring 16 points in a 111-82 loss. “I didn’t set my head on playing in Boston. Wherever I ended up, that’s where I’d end up. I’m happy in Seattle, I really am.”

The one thing he isn’t happy with, however, is the being on a losing team for the first time in his life.

“It’s still tough to deal with every night, when you lose,” he said. “If we’re losing and we’re not getting better as a team, it would be hard but I think we’re getting better as a team and progressing as the season goes along.”

Durant is averaging 19.5 points, and coach P.J. Carlesimo said the rookie has made massive strides during his first year as a pro.

“It’s hard for people to understand how (much more) difficult a rookie year it has been than most,” Carlesimo said. “LeBron (James) would be similar in terms of what he’s seen (defensively) as a rookie that most people don’t normally see. I actually think (Durant) is much better than he gets credit for.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1079987&format=text
Win streak kicks up spirit of ’86

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Thursday, March 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
The omens are beginning to come into alignment for the Celtics [team stats]. One game after clinching their first 50-win season since Larry Bird’s last year in the league, the renaissance roundballers won their 10th straight.

The last time the Celts acquired that many wins in a row was a 14-gamer in March 1986 . . . the last year the franchise won a championship.

While continuing to say that they’re playing for more than just pretty regular season numbers, the C’s did admit that they’re, you know, playing pretty well.

“We’ve got a nice little groove going defensively and offensively,” said Paul Pierce [stats] after last night’s 111-82 walk over Seattle. “We’re riding this wave right now.”

Nice try, Scot

Scot Pollard gave the Celtics just 173 minutes over 22 games this season, but his effort in playing through injury did not go unnoticed.

Pollard had surgery to repair a ruptured left ankle tendon Tuesday night in Indiana, ending a year that saw him struggle after a bad preseason sprain. He had hoped the donning of NFL lineman-style braces would help him continue playing, but the injury obviously got worse.

The Celts appreciate his try.

“We do,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I mean, it’s not like he wasn’t trying to do the right thing. He was. He was trying to delay surgery. He hurt his ankle because he came in and he was playing with the guys early, which is something he didn’t have to do and he did. So, I mean, everything he did was the right thing.

“It’s just that it’s one of those years where he gets injured and things don’t work out for him. But as a coach . . . and I think his teammates understand, too, what he tried to do for the team, and I think it was great.” . . .

It passed largely without notice, but Kevin Garnett moved into 25th place on the NBA’s all-time rebound list when he pulled in 12 Monday.

Who needs practice?

The C’s aren’t scheduled to have a full practice again until next Thursday in Dallas, the day after meeting the Mavericks.

“That’s a long time, but there’s now way around it,” Rivers said. “You need legs. Our thought is getting to April where we have those two days between games where we can get back to practicing a lot.”

But the Celtics practice facility won’t be empty today. Sam Cassell, P.J. Brown and a number of bench guys will work on some sets, while others will show up for personal sessions.

“In a way we are having practices, just not whole team practices,” said Rivers. “Baby (Glen Davis) comes every day because if he doesn’t he would be Bigger Baby.

“Every single guy will be in the gym (today). That’s why we do it. We noticed that every day we’ve had off they come in the gym and get shots up. They (lift weights). They work out. Once we saw that, you knew as a coach this is a team you can give days off to because they’re going to work anyway.”

P.J.: So far, so good

Former Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo, now in his first year leading Seattle, isn’t sure the timing is right yet to compare the Celtics to his old club.

“I don’t know. To this point? As good or better,” he said. “San Antonio had some really good teams the five years I was there and the two years I was doing TV, but regular season’s regular season. But (the Celtics) compare just as well or better right now.”

Noting the Spurs won 63 games in 2005-06 but were considered a failure because they lost in the playoffs, Carlesimo said the postseason will be the Celts’ true proving ground.

“I think it’s to be determined,” he said. “When the Spurs compare their teams from ’03, ’05 and ’07, the starting point is, well, they won championships; now let’s compare the teams. I don’t think you can compare a regular season team to a championship team yet. We may be able to have the conversation come June.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/13/put_in_their_place?mode=PF


Put in their place
Celtics have no trouble subduing lowly SuperSonics
By Peter May, Globe Staff | March 13, 2008

You had the feeling this one was going to be over in a hurry. Seattle had lost five straight and nine of 10, was playing on the second night of a back-to-back, was finishing up an Eastern swing of seven games, and, well, is one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Celtics, meanwhile, had won nine straight, were unbeaten in March, had won 10 in a row at home, and had the best record in the league.

Not even Tim Donaghy could change this one.

The Celtics took control early, led by double digits for the final three quarters, allowed Doc Rivers to sit and watch - as opposed to actually coach - and drilled the overmatched SuperSonics, 111-82, before another de rigueur sellout at TD Banknorth Garden.

"We played well," understated Kevin Garnett, while Paul Pierce, sitting next to him at a table, cuffed around Garnett's bobblehead ("Get back on defense!"), which had been given to the first 5,000 in attendance.

Garnett and Ray Allen each had 18 points - in very limited minutes - as the Celtics rolled to their 10th straight victory, their longest winning streak since the halcyon days of 1986, when they rang up 14 straight in March and April. Pierce had all 14 of his points in a shot-from-guns first quarter as the Celtics again played superbly at both ends in manhandling a Seattle squad that looked every bit like the 16-win team it is.

"A nice, professional win," Rivers said. Prior to the game, his only remarks to the team were that this was a game the Celtics should win, so they might as well go out and win it.

The wiseguys in Vegas had the Celtics as 17 1/2-point favorites, which pretty much summed up the state of affairs for both franchises. But say this for Seattle - it had the temerity to actually lead the Celtics, by 4 points in the first quarter before it all went downhill.

Why is that noteworthy? Because it marked the first time in 11 days the Celtics had trailed in a game. In their previous four games, they had a wire-to-wire blowout of the hapless Grizzlies and were tied once by Detroit, once by Philadelphia, and twice by Chicago. When Seattle's Earl Watson opened the scoring with a jumper 72 seconds into the game, it marked the first time the Celtics had trailed since they were behind, 46-44, to the Hawks early in the third quarter March 2 in Boston.

Told about finally allowing an opponent to actually lead, Danny Ainge cracked by text message, "That is unacceptable."

Though it's hard to gauge off last night's blowout because of the quality of the competition, the Celtics sure look to be hitting their stride at a great time. No one is seriously banged up. They're on a 10-game run since their Feb. 22 loss in Phoenix. They've won 11 straight at home since the Jan. 23 loss to Toronto. They've added the final two pieces to their roster in P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell. They are at the top of the two statistical categories they hold near and dear - points allowed and defensive field goal percentage - and last night they shot 56 percent over the first three quarters. They led by 10 after one, by 20 at the break, and by 32 after three.

"I could see that [the Sonics] were searching," said Allen, who knocked down 8 of 10 shots in 25 minutes. "We have all been on the other side where you are trying to find your way against a team who has everything working. I won't say we were playing great. But, on both sides, we were executing."

That was not good news for the Sonics, who were, to be blunt, awful. They played six minutes and then fell apart like a cheap suit. Kevin Durant had 16 points and showed a few nice moves. But the Sonics couldn't shoot (38 percent) and were sloppy with the basketball (22 turnovers), and you can't play that way against a team like Boston and live to tell about it. Mentally, the Sonics were on the team charter back to Seattle by halftime.

"We need to take what we did this game and execute more, play a little bit more defense, and we'll be OK," Durant said. The callow fellow may actually believe that.

Boston opened the third with a Garnett-led 11-3 run that blew the lead out to 28 points (75-47), and soon thereafter, Allen slalomed through what passed for the Seattle defense for a reverse layup to make it 77-48 with 7:46 left. This meant one thing - showtime. It meant a corkscrew dunk for Rajon Rondo on a breakaway, another early evening for Garnett (an exhausting 23 minutes of work), and a lot of time for the bench, who already had shown its merit in the first half, producing 27 of its eventual 50 points. A Brown sighting was confirmed in the final minutes of the third. Cassell logged 14 minutes.

The 29-point spread marked the 16th time this season the Celtics won by 20 or more, and the 11th time Seattle had lost by 20 or more. At least for Seattle's sake, a fourth-quarter rally of sorts avoided what could have been its worst loss of the season. But the outcome by then? That was never an issue.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/13/fortunately_bounce_didnt_go_their_way?mode=PF
Fortunately, bounce didn't go their way
By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | March 13, 2008

Kevin Durant was in the house last night and it was hard not to wonder what would have happened if Celtics fans had gotten their wish when Wyc Grousbeck and Tommy Heinsohn went to Secaucus, N.J., last May 22.

Remember that night? The Celtics had played their way (24-58) into a great shot at the first or second pick in the draft and Green fans were frothing when the ping-pong balls tumbled. And then we learned the buzzard luck was still alive on Causeway Street. After all their hard-earned losses, the Celtics came away with the fifth pick in the draft - a draft that had two franchise players.

"No one was more devastated than I was," Grousbeck said last night at halftime of the Celtics' 111-82 pummeling of the still-Seattle SuperSonics. "I had worn my lucky suit and everything. I was miserable."

So there was no Kevin Durant in Boston. No Greg Oden, either. And then Danny Ainge made the curious decision to trade the disappointing pick for an aging All-Star guard who was coming off double-ankle surgery.

Here we are almost 10 months later and the Celtics are an NBA-best 51-12 with a 10-game winning streak (the team's first since 1986) and a legitimate shot at Flag No. 17. It's Boston's best team since Larry Bird retired and it's all because the Celtics didn't get Kevin Durant last spring.

If the Celtics and their fans had gotten their wish in Secaucus that night, last night's starting lineup against Seattle probably would have been Durant, Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo. And the Celtics probably would have 30-35 wins. There would be a lot of talk about the future, but no real hopes for a long playoff run in the spring of 2008.

"We probably wouldn't have 50 wins by now, I can tell you that," said Boston coach Doc Rivers. "But we would have a pretty good future."

We heard much too much about future in the two-decade drought that plagued this storied franchise after the last crown was won in 1986. Fans were ready for a switch to the George Allen "future is now" mind-set and that's what happened when Ainge went after Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. The Celtics have since added fossils James Posey, P.J. Brown, and Sam Cassell.

No country for old men? Tell that to the folks who are planning on a memory lane trip to the Finals against the Lakers in June.

Durant was predictably unimpressed by all of the above. The (soon-to-be-named) NBA Rookie of the Year is all of 19 years old and it's not his job to empathize with a New England fan constituency that was banking on his services for the next 10 or 15 years. He knew Boston was a possibility when he watched the lottery, but that dream died May 22 and Durant quickly adjusted to life in the coffee capital of the USA.

"Anywhere I went, I was gonna be happy," said Durant before scoring 16 points in the Garden beatdown. "I'm happy in Seattle. [Boston] is a great team, Finals-type of team. But I can't worry about that . . . A lot of people talked to me about the draft process, but it's like, wherever I end up, I end up."

Durant wears No. 35. He is listed at 6 feet 9 inches but appears taller, and was assigned the task of guarding Pierce and Allen for portions of last night's game. Playing out of position much of the time, he's averaging more than 19 points a game for the 16-49 Sonics, whose owners want to play in Oklahoma City next season. He has been thrown into the fire and has responded nicely - not an easy assignment for a great rookie on a bad team.

"We put him in a situation that's very difficult," said Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo. "It's hard for people to understand how difficult his rookie year has been. It's a big adjustment. I think he's been much better than he gets credit for."

What if he were playing for the Celtics?

"If he were here, I think he'd be in the same position he is now," said Cedric Maxwell. "He'd be a work in progress and the Celtics would be a work in progress. They sure wouldn't be where they are now."

"We wouldn't have had the turnaround we have now," said Heinsohn. "We'd be struggling, bringing up baby."

They are not struggling. They are bringing up Big Baby. While the coveted Durant is en route to the Rookie of the Year award, playing for a moribund franchise that may be relocated, the Celtics are banging on the door of a long run in the playoffs. So the 2007 draft lottery wasn't such a disaster after all.

This is really going to be fun.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/13/durant_carrying_heavy_load?mode=PF

Durant carrying heavy load
He takes tough season in stride
By Peter May, Globe Staff | March 13, 2008

Kevin Durant is the youngest player in the NBA. He will turn 20 Sept. 29. The exciting Sonic pretty much has Rookie of the Year honors wrapped up, but he admitted last night it hasn't been easy being on a team that loses three of every four games.

"It's still tough, every time you lose," he said before the Celtics' 111-82 victory over the Sonics, Seattle's 49th loss in 65 games. "But I think it would be harder to deal with if we weren't getting better as a team."

Durant had a team-high 16 points in 33 minutes in his first game in Boston. It was the 34th time he has led the team in scoring this season.

Durant's coach, the estimable P.J. Carlesimo, said his prize rook is being asked to do things few rookies have to, namely, carry a team, be the face of a franchise, learn the NBA game at 19, all the while having a possible relocation issue hanging over his head.

Oh, and did we mention that he has had 18 teammates this season?

"It's hard for people to understand how difficult his rookie season has been, in terms of what he sees every night," Carlesimo said. "We've put him in a situation not many rookies have ever been in. Maybe LeBron [ James] a few years back. But not too many. But when you see him night in and night out, you can appreciate what he does on a daily basis."

Durant leads the Sonics in scoring and minutes. He's doing it possibly in his first and only season in Seattle, as Sonics ownership will ask the NBA next month to approve a petition to move the team to Oklahoma City. The city is fighting the move in court and, since there are two years left on the team's lease at Key Arena, it's not inconceivable the Sonics could stay where they are for another year or two.

"I love Seattle. It's a great city," Durant said. "But there's not a great deal I can do about [the possible move]. You can't pick where you go in the draft and you can't pick where you're going to play as a team.

"But wherever we do end up, we're still the same team."

Carlesimo said he didn't think the possible relocation has had any effect on his players.

"We all wonder where we're going to be, but it's not something we have any control over," he said. "I haven't seen the players bring any of it to practice or to games."


Pollard has surgery
Scot Pollard underwent successful surgery Tuesday night to repair a torn tendon in his left ankle. The operation was performed in Indianapolis by a surgeon Pollard had become familiar with during his time with the Pacers. Pollard revealed more than a week ago that he had decided to have the operation, effectively ending his season. "He hurt the ankle early, coming in to play with the rest of the players, and he didn't have to do that," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "But he did. I think the coaches and his teammates understand what he tried to do for this team." . . . In a 10-question interview in Time magazine, NBA commissioner David Stern said he hopes to raise the minimum age to 20 when the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2011. The NBA said Stern wanted the age limit raised to 20 during the last round of CBA negotiations, but agreed to 19. Stern did not say if raising the age limit would also mean a draftee would have to be two years out of high school . . . Seattle was without Nick Collison (right hip, right elbow, lower back). No one noticed outside the immediate Collison family . . . When he came out of the game in the first quarter, the Celtics gave a shout-out to Kevin Garnett, who scored his 20,000th career point last Saturday in Memphis. A standing ovation ensued. Sam Cassell also got a standing ovation when he made his Garden debut as a Celtic with 6:45 left in the first half . . . Eddie House had his "A" game, scoring 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting while adding 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes . . . Ray Allen and Mike Wilks, teammates last year, had a chat at halfcourt after the game. Wilks has only been back with Seattle since Feb. 29 and is on his second 10-day contract, which expires March 21 . . . What can be done in the last 20 games, with the playoffs already in the bag and the likely No. 1 seed secured? Well, there is the matter of getting the two newest Celtics - Cassell and P.J. Brown - integrated into the mix. "Actually, that's important," Rivers said at yesterday's shootaround. "How quickly can we do it? We'll see." Rivers had some fun with Cassell, whose Celtics debut Monday featured four fouls in 5 minutes 24 seconds. "Sam's a hack," Rivers said. "I think maybe he thought because he was in a different conference that he could foul more and he wouldn't get called for it."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1807816620

Courtside View: Perfect 10 for Celtics
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By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Mar 12, 2008 @ 11:41 PM
Last update Mar 12, 2008 @ 11:42 PM

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BOSTON — It was the lull before the storm last night at the TD Banknorth Garden.

The lull turned out to be pretty dull, while the impending storm could test the Celtics unlike any stretch of games this season.

With the hapless Seattle SuperSonics stumbling to the end of what Celtics coach Doc Rivers called a "hellish" seven-game road trip, last night had all the makings of an early knockout. The Celtics made sure not to make it any more interesting than it had to be with a 111-82 rout.

Starting with a 10-0 blitz during a Paul Pierce-dominated first quarter, it was run-out-the-clock time as a painfully inexperienced Sonics roster played the role of experimental mouse against different variations of the Boston lineup.

Pierce (14 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists in 26 minutes) scored, rebounded and passed at will, Kevin Garnett (18 points in 23 minutes) schooled an overwhelmed Seattle frontcourt and Sam Cassell (6 points in 14 minutes) got into the groove much more than he was able to during five foul-plagued minutes in Philadelphia on Monday.

As the lineup of Garnett, Pierce, Cassell, Ray Allen and James Posey ran through the NBA teaching manual against Seattle's mix of rookies Jeff Green and Kevin Durant, veteran backup Earl Watson and the undistinguished Francisco Elson and Mickael Gelabale in the decisive second quarter, you wondered if the Sonics would be allowed to concede at halftime.

But the 10th straight victory (the team's longest win streak in 22 years) will be the last cupcake the Celtics get to taste for a while as they head into a punishing gauntlet of games beginning with Friday night's Garden tilt with the Jazz. After that comes a five-game road trip that includes four teams competing for the top seed in the Western Conference - San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and New Orleans - followed by games against Phoenix and New Orleans upon returning home the last week of March.

"It will be great because they are all in desperation mode," said Rivers of the upcoming foes. "I was reading something where (San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich) said the other day that all those teams, including his team, have had to go into playoff urgency earlier than normal. So we are going to catch that. We are going to get thrown in the middle of the fire of that. That's going to be a great test for us. I am really looking for it."

After that, the Celtics ease into the playoffs over the final 10 games with only one or two of the remaining opponents likely postseason-bound. But the imminent challenges are considerable.

"These wins we've been having lately, I have been pretty happy with those as well," said Rajon Rondo, who has enjoyed four straight blowouts. "But we had a lot of those at the beginning of the season where it was close situations that would come down to one stop. This next stretch is going to probably get back to having each possession count during the fourth quarter, the whole game really, and I think we'll be prepared for it."

The Celtics will also be faced with trying to work Cassell and P.J. Brown into the mix during the punishing stretch, though Cassell showed last night that - as he predicted - it probably won't take him long to get the hang of things playing alongside old teammates Garnett and Allen once again. Cassell, who made his Garden debut to a standing ovation with 6:45 left in the second quarter, had four points, a block and an assist before the half while sharing point guard duties with Allen as the Celtics rolled up a 64-44 lead by halftime.

"What's crazy about the league is that if you miss one or two days it throws your rhythm off," Garnett said of Cassell. "He's no different from that. As he said, it's just a matter of time, and I now believe that. He's been in the league long enough to know what makes it work. He's coming along."

The start of the second half erased any fleeting doubt about whether the Celtics would be inspired enough to go in for the kill as they started the third quarter on a 13-4 run - during which Garnett scored nine points - for a 77-48 lead 4:14 into the second half. A Rondo highlight dunk (a suddenly frequent sight of late) and five straight points from Allen made it 88-58 into a Seattle timeout with 2:07 left in the third quarter.

When the teams returned to the floor following a P.J. Carlesimo timeout, Garnett, Pierce and Allen were already on the bench for the rest of the night as the lead stretched as high as 37 with no Celtic playing more than 26 minutes.

Rivers likely wanted them to enjoy the light night. It could be their last for a while.

[FLCeltsFan]

aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/post-ups.html

Postgame Wrap Up
Game Info | Video Highlights

I'm not sure which smackdown was harder, the one the Celtics put on the Sonics tonight, or the one Paul Pierce put on Kevin Garnett's bobblehead doll in the postgame press conference.

P.J. Carlesimo talked about the Celtics defense in his postgame remarks, noting that "people talk about the Celtics offense, but if anything they are a better defensive team. There aren't that many teams close to them defensively."

When you hold a team to 38% shooting, it's hard to argue. Only the Chicago Bulls have scored more than 90 points against them in March. So it didn't bode well for the Sonics when they give up 105 points a night and were playing the best defensive team in the Association.

The Sonics were really only close in the first quarter, when Paul Pierce did most of his damage. Pierce abused Jeff Green (who later left with a shoulder injury) early and then when he returned, he dished seven of his 11 assists in the third quarter.

As we mentioned earlier, the Celtics won't hold an official practice on Thursday, with Coach Doc Rivers maintaining that keeping his veteran team's legs fresh was the priority.

"We made a choice. We don't have a young team. We know ahead there's going to be a lot of games, especially this stretch coming up," Rivers said. "Our thought is getting to April where we have those two days between games where we can get back to practicing a lot. When we get off the trip, that's when we can get back to having good practices."

"Every single guy will be in the gym tomorrow. That's why we do it," Rivers said. "Every day we've had off, they come in the gym, they get shots up, they get their lifts and work out. Once we saw that they continued to do that, as a coach, you knew, this is a team you can give days off to."

Live Courtside Blog
111-82 Celtics, FINAL: Not much to say. Just a dominant effort by the C's, and it didn't take much for the Sonics to tap out. Think Hulk Hogan vs. Iron Mike Sharpe on Saturday morning WWF in the mid '80s. The Sonics, like Sharpe, came out swinging early, the but the Celtics hit 'em with an early leg drop, and the squash was on. Ring the bell...

101-69 Celtics, 5:57/4th: The jumbotron just showed a guy wearing a backwards Montross jersey in the balcony. No one could ever call that guy a bandwagon fan, that's for sure. We will, however, question his choice of jerseys. Doesn't he have a Nate Driggers #27 model in the closet?

We just noticed how Sam Cassell defends jump shooters...by sticking his palm in the face of shooters (between their arms, and as close to their face as possible) rather than trying to block the shot. Jason Kidd is probably the most obvious practitioner of this tactic in the league and it seems to work for him.

If memory serves me correct, there's a classic shot of a Paul Pierce buzzer-beater from last year in New Jersey where he's got Kidd's hand up in his grill as he released the winning shot.

99-64 8:25/3rd: Seattle's got 21 turnovers and this one's been over for a while. Had this game stayed close, Pierce probably would have dropped a triple-double; he's five rebounds short...

90-60 Celtics, 1:22/3rd: Tech difficulties continue as the C's pull away. Suddenly your hero looks up and Paul Pierce still has 14 points -- he hasn't scored since the first quarter -- and now he has 11 assists ?

64-44 Celtics, Halftime: Stat of the Half: Shooting percentage. Celtics 55.3%; Sonics 38.8%

58-40 Celtics, 2:34/2nd: Given all the factors we talked about in the pregame report, this game is playing out about how we expected it would. The only question now is, do the Sonics have a run in them? They haven't shown any signs of it yet.

50-34 Celtics, 6:15/2nd: Sam Cassell just checked in to a rousing ovation and then drained a baseline floater. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to the home crowd...

Sorry about the delay in posts; NBA.com's publishing tool is experiencing technical difficulties.

34-24 Celtics, End of 1st: Kevin Durant dropped nine points in the first quarter but the Sonics shot just 40%. That's no surprise, as the C's continue hold opponents to a shade under 42% shooting on the year. Both teams are attacking the paint but Boston is getting much better looks at the hoop.

25-19 Celtics, 2:47/1st: Pierce continues to abuse Green and the C's just put together a 7-2 run to reclaim the lead. Pierce has 14 points, and 12 of them came on layups after beating Green or losing him on a pick.

18-17 Sonics, 5:30/1st: It's a fast-paced first quarter thus far, with not much 'D' to be seen in the early goings. Pierce scored 9 of the Celtics' first 13 points; he dropped 37 on the Sonics in December and he may be on his way to another big game tonight.

The Celtics took a long look at Jeff Green around draft time before they made the deal to draft and then trade him to Seattle in the Ray Allen deal, and Doc Rivers knows his game a little more than most since his son Jeremiah played with him at Georgetown. He's having trouble getting over picks and just seems confused on the defensive end, so checking The Truth is naturally going to be a tough assignment.

Pregame Media Access - No Practice Makes Perfect?
As the regular season winds down, the Celtics have been holding official practices with far less frequency. Rather than gathering the troops on a Tuesday or Thursday in Waltham, the team has been staging longer gameday shootarounds and opting to rest on their off days.

While it does help save the team's legs, it doesn't help newcomers like Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown get integrated, or learn the playbook, for that matter. So the second unit players have been having informal workouts on off days to get their plays down. Cassell and some reserves (Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, among others, according to Rivers) worked out on Tuesday and will likely do it again tomorrow, as Rivers indicated that it was unlikely that the team would practice tomorrow as previously scheduled.

"We've been trying to take days off and use hour-and-a-half shootarounds, which, some of our guys like that," Rivers said.

Asked when the team's next official practice would be, Rivers told reporters that it would be on March 21 in Dallas, the day after the Celtics play the Mavericks and before they skip town to head for New Orleans that Friday.

"That's the tough part about this league. That'll be a long time, but there's no way around it. We need legs," Rivers said.

Check the Audio Archive for interviews with Rivers, Seattle Coach P.J. Carlesimo and former Sonic Ray Allen.

Early Pregame
It could be a rough game for the Sonics. They've lost five straight games, they played last night (no rest), and it's the last game of a seven-game road trip. Those type of circumstances usually add up to disaster for road teams who have a long flight home ahead of them.

Sam Cassell will likely make his TD Banknorth Garden debut in a Celtics uniform tonight against the Sonics. He was out around 5:30 signing autographs for some of the kids at courtside.

The locker rooms open in 10 minutes. We'll have the pregame update just before tipoff

[FLCeltsFan]

blogs.metrowestdailynews.com/celtics/?p=1082

Around the parquet for Wednesday: Rest easy
Posted on March 12, 2008 by Scott Souza
Filed Under Uncategorized |

BOSTON - Following Monday night’s foul-plagued struggles in his Celtic debut, Sam Cassell argued that he hadn’t been able to work into the mix too much because there hadn’t been a practice since he signed.

He added that he hoped to pick up more during Tuesday’s practice.

But there was no Tuesday practice after Doc Rivers gave the team off following a two-city road trip.

So then you figure he would get his chance to sharpen up some things during a full team workout on Thursday between two home games.

Or maybe not. Rivers said before tonight’s game against Seattle that he “probably” would not have a practice tomorrow either and that the next workout wouldn’t be until next week in Dallas.

Good news for the players, all maybe except P.J. Brown and Cassell, who could use a real workout to help find their way on a new team.

Rivers said that Cassell did go through an informal workout with Brian Scalabrine, Glen Davis and Tony Allen - as well as one other player he could not recall (likely either Leon Powe or Brown) on Tuesday. …

Scot Pollard had surgery on his torn ankle tendon on Tuesday in Indiana. Though Pollard’s contribution to the team was ultimately meager this season, Rivers said he appreciated the effort.

“Everything he did for us was him trying to do the right thing,” Rivers said. “It’s one of things where he got injured and it didn’t work out for him. But the players appreciate what he tried to do.”

Rivers noted that the effort included coming in early to scrimmage with the new team (when he originally got injured) and trying to play through the injury despite being painfully slowed. …

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080313/NEWS/803130740/1009/SPORTS

Celtics lower boom on Sonics, keep streaking

By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[e-mail]





BOSTON— As winning streaks go, this one is a perfect 10.

The Celtics won their 10th consecutive game last night, blowing out the sorry Seattle Supersonics, 111-82, at the Garden.

Last night’s victory, combined with Detroit’s 83-82 loss at home to Philadelphia, boosted Boston’s lead for the NBA’s best record and the top Eastern Conference playoff seed to 5-1/2 games (6 in the loss column) with 19 to go.


During their 10-game streak, the Celtics have won by a whopping average of 16.9 points a game.

“We’re definitely hitting our stride,” captain Paul Pierce said.

The winning streak is Boston’s longest since it won 14 in a row from March 11 through April 4, 1986. The Celtics went on to capture their 16th and last NBA title that season.

The Celtics haven’t lost since George Washington’s birthday, Feb. 22, at Phoenix. They’d love to continue winning through at least Brian Scalabrine’s birthday, March 18, when they visit Houston.

The Celtics host Utah tomorrow night and visit Milwaukee the following night. Wouldn’t it be interesting if they could win those two games, then prevail at San Antonio for the second consecutive St. Patrick’s Day to keep their streak alive heading into Houston on Tuesday? The Rockets beat Atlanta, 83-75, last night for their 20th win in a row. Then the Celtics visit Dallas and New Orleans, two other Western Conference powers, to conclude their road trip.

“We’re going to get thrown in the middle of the fire of that,” coach Doc Rivers, “and that’s going to be a great test for us. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Celtics led, 34-24, after one quarter, 64-44 at the half, and 92-60 heading into the fourth quarter. With the game in hand, the Celtics rested their starters in the final quarter while recently signed reserves Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown had time to work off some rust.

Pierce scored all 14 of his points in the first 8-1/2 minutes, then was content with setting up his teammates. The captain finished with 11 assists, one shy of his season high. Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 6 rebounds on a night when 5,000 bobblehead dolls in his likeness were passed out to the crowd. During a postgame press conference, Pierce said he knew the Celtics couldn’t lose on Garnett bobblehead night. Pierce held one of the bobbleheads in front of Garnett and pretended the doll was really him.

“Get back on defense, rebound the ball,” Pierce told the bobblehead.

On Dec. 27, when Ray Allen played his first game in Seattle against his former team, he made only 4 of 13 shots and scored just 10 points in Boston’s victory. Last night, he made 8 of 10 shots and scored 18 points. Allen said he wasn’t nervous in his return to Seattle, but he wasn’t himself.

“You have some feelings that start to stir around in your heart that you miss the place,” Allen said, “and you miss the people and you get emotional.”

Last night was the game that season-ticket holders circled on their calendars — as the one to give away, because it wasn’t worth seeing.

There’s nothing super about these Sonics. They’ve dropped six in a row and 10 of their last 11. They also allowed 100 points for the 11th consecutive game. Little wonder that Seattle is only 16-49 overall and 6-28 on the road.

Sonics rookie Kevin Durant scored a team-high 16 points before sitting out the fourth quarter. Earl Watson had 11 points and 7 assists. Johan Petro contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Any chance of a Seattle upset was lessened by the loss of Nick Collison, the Sonics’ leading rebounder. Collison didn’t play after falling in Tuesday’s loss at Indiana and injuring his hip, back and elbow.

The Celtics improved to 12-0 at home against the Western Conference, 29-4 at the Garden overall, and a league-best 51-12 on the season.

In addition to their 10-game streak, the Celtics also have put together two nine-game winning streaks and one eight-game streak this season. Those streaks total 36 victories, more than the Celtics had in either of the last two seasons.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080313/NEWS/803130741/1009/SPORTS
Trades looking like steals

CELTICS NOTES

By Bill Doyle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[e-mail]

BOSTON— Kevin Garnett bobblehead dolls were presented last night to the first 5,000 fans at the Garden. Last year, the Celtics handed out Ryan Gomes bobbleheads.

That’s all you need to know about how much better life is for the Celtics these days.

Gomes is a solid NBA player, but Garnett is an MVP candidate. Without Garnett a year ago, the Celtics lost a franchise-record 18 in a row. With Garnett this season, Boston is a legitimate threat to win its 17th NBA championship.


So far, the Celtics have made out clearly better than Minnesota and Seattle did in the Garnett and Ray Allen deals. The Green own the NBA’s best record while the Timberwolves and Sonics have two of the worst. Ex-Celtics Gomes, Al Jefferson and Sebastian Telfair start for the Timberwolves, but the team waived former Celt Theo Ratliff and traded Gerald Green, who was later waived by Houston.

All Seattle has left from trading Allen and rookie Glen Davis to Boston last June is rookie forward Jeff Green, the fifth pick in the 2007 draft. Green averages 9.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West, also acquired by Seattle from Boston, were dealt last month to Cleveland for a bunch of players whose contracts expire at season’s end. The Sonics will have 13 draft picks over the next three years and plan to rebuild with youth — something that didn’t work for Boston.

Green said he never wonders what would have happened if the Celtics had kept him, but admits he would have liked playing for Doc Rivers. Rivers’ son, Jeremiah, played with Green at Georgetown last year.

“Doc is a great coach and a great person,” Green said, “so it would have been nice to play for him, but that chance is not there. I’m happy where I am right now.”

Rivers had Green over to his house for dinner in Orlando after the predraft workouts.

“I love him,” Rivers said. “I just like him as a kid and I think he’s going to be a helluva basketball player. He’s a player that the better the team is, he’s much better because he plays the game to win. He does all the little things and when you’re not winning, those things don’t show up.”

Green and fellow rookie Kevin Durant represent the future for the Sonics. The 6-foot-9 Durant leads all rookies in scoring with 19.5 points per game.

“Once he clears a screen,” Rivers said, “if you’re not in his face, he’s got a good look at the basket. He’s going to make a lot of game-winning jumpers in his career because there’s not much you can do about it. He’s going to get that shot off, and then you’re just praying they don’t go in.”

Streak shooters
During the Celtics’ 10-game winning streak, Kendrick Perkins has shot 63.9 percent, Allen 58.5 percent, Garnett 55.2 percent, and Paul Pierce 51.6 percent. Perkins also averaged 9 rebounds and Rajon Rondo averaged 7.1 assists and just 1.8 turnovers.

Backup guard Eddie House made all five of his shots, including his only 3-point attempt, to snap out of a shooting slump. Over his previous seven games, he shot just 28 percent, including just 16 percent from 3-point land.

No practice to make perfect
Sam Cassell will have to learn the Celtics’ system without the luxury of taking part in a practice for a while. NBA teams don’t practice much this late in the season, preferring to rest their legs between games. The Celtics haven’t practiced since Cassell signed with them March 4, and aren’t scheduled to practice again until a week from tomorrow in Dallas — four games into their-five game road trip.

“It’s tough, man,” Cassell said, “but I’ve been around long enough. Everybody runs basically the same plays in this league, just different (terminology). I’ve just got to figure the (terminology) out, put my thinking cap on and play.”

Cassell did go over the offense with Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis at HealthPoint on Tuesday. He’ll probably do the same today. The Celtics have gone with longer morning shoot-arounds on game days in order to stay sharp.

Surgery ends Pollard’s season
Center Scot Pollard underwent surgery on his left ankle Tuesday in Indiana and will miss the remainder of the season. Pollard injured the ankle working out with the Celtics before training camp and it never fully healed. He did his best to delay surgery, but played in only 22 games and averaged 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds.

“It’s just one of those years where he gets injured,” Rivers said, “and things didn’t work out for him. As a coach, (I know) — and I think his teammates understand, too — what he tried to do for the team.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/x631488117?view=print
Sonics play down Seattle split
Team seen moving to Oklahoma City
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By Mike Fine
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 13, 2008 @ 01:51 AM

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BOSTON — Enjoy them while you can, because it’s possible that you’ll never have the Seattle Supersonics to kick around any more.

Sonics management has given notice that in the absence of an arena deal with the city of Seattle, it would be attempting to move the team to another venue, probably Oklahoma City, which was the successful second home of the New Orleans Hornets following Hurricane Katrina.

The decision has left a city up in arms, confused players and an angry NBA, which doesn’t want to lose the legacy of a solid franchise that went to two consecutive Finals from 1977-79 and boasted such players as Dennis Johnson, Slick Watts, Jack Sikma, Gus Williams and Marvin Webster, plus a couple of Hall of Fame coaches in Lenny Wilkens and, yes, Bill Russell.

“As a team, a lot of times we’ve talked about this situation on the bus,” said Celtic Ray Allen, a member of the Sonics from 2002-07, “because anytime there’d be some type of news, every guy to a man playing in Seattle loves that city and says that it would be a travesty not to have a team there because people love visiting.”

“It would take a lot of pressure off me as far as tickets,” joked Brian Scalabrine, a native of Enumclaw, Washington, a town located about 45 miles southeast of Seattle. “More than anything, it’s probably a real estate deal. Once that’s settled, I think there’ll be another team there. There will be basketball in Seattle in five or 10 years.”

Although they’re struggling this season, especially in light of recent roster upheaval that has left them with 10 losses in 11 outings after Wednesday’s 111-82 beating by the Celtics, Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo swears that the relocation talk hasn’t been an issue for his team.

“We don’t talk about it,” he said. “I’m asked the question every time we go to a city, and it’s something that’s there, but we’re aware that it’s out of our control. We do our jobs night in and night out. I don’t think it has any affect on our play on the floor. I don’t think guys bring it to practice or on the floor.”

Sleeping in Seattle

Sonics rookie Kevin Durant had absolutely no feelings about coming to Boston, to play against the Celtics, who could have made him their first-round draft choice last June had everything fallen in place. Fortunately for the Celtics, it didn’t, and after the Trail Blazers chose Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick, Durant went to Seattle.

“Anywhere I would have went I’d have been happy,” Durant said. “I’m more than happy to be in Seattle. It’s a great place to play, great teammates, great organization, so I’m happy. I mean they’re (Celtics) a great, great team, a finalist type of team, but I can’t worry about that. I’m here in Seattle. I’m loving it here.”

Durant said he didn’t know what was going on prior to the draft lottery and the NBA draft. “I was just playing it by year. I didn’t have it set in my head that I was going to play in Boston,” he said.

Overall, Durant, who came in averaging 19.8 points per game and left after scoring 16, is happy with his first season. “It’s been fun, a lot of ups and downs, a learning process, but overall it’s been a great season.”

“We’ve had him in a situation that’s very, very different, that not many rookies have been put in,” said Carlesimo. “He’s progressed a lot.”

Durant hasn’t backed down from anyone. In the second quarter he had words with Kevin Garnett.

Around the rim

Celts center Scot Pollard, who averaged only 7.9 minutes in 22 games this season, underwent surgery on his left ankle Tuesday night in Indiana. The Celtics had no further news, but were assuming surgery was successful The Sonics were playing without center Nick Collison, who suffered several contusions in a fall a night earlier in Indiana Brian Scalabrine was inactive for a second straight game. “I’m going to break records on the bike,” he said. “No one in the league can ride with me.” Pop star Natasha Bedingfield will perform following Friday’s Garden contest with Utah Five thousand fans were given Kevin Garnett bobblehead dolls with diamond earrings prior to Wednesday’s game None of the Celtics played more than 26:24 (James Posey) Sam Cassell played 14:11 and scored six points with two assists in his Garden debut as a Celtic Garnett acknowledged the fans when the PA guy called attention to his scoring his 20,000th point Monday in Philadelphia.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/x1926016260?view=print
Green Machine back on track, gaining steam
The sizzling Celtics rip the Sonics for their first 10-game winning streak in 22 years.
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By Jim Fenton
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Mar 13, 2008 @ 01:26 AM
Last update Mar 13, 2008 @ 01:29 AM

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BOSTON — One of their rare ugly performances in this brilliant season occurred nearly three weeks ago in the middle of a West Coast trip.

The Boston Celtics did little right in falling to the Phoenix Suns for their third straight setback, their longest losing streak of the year.

After going 41-9 before the NBA All-Star break, the Celtics looked like they might finally be stumbling at the start of a five-game road trip.

So much for that theory.

Since losing to the Suns on Feb. 22 after dropping games to Denver and Golden State, the Celtics have been unbeatable.

They responded to those three straight losses by putting together the franchise’s first double-digit winning streak since late in the 1985-86 season.

The Celtics are rolling along with 10 consecutive victories after picking apart the young and road-weary Seattle SuperSonics, 111-82, at the TD Banknorth Garden Wednesday night.

They have won by an average of 16.9 points during their streak with eight of their victories by double figures.

A Celtics’ team hasn’t been on a run like this since Boston’s last championship team put together a 14-game winning streak from March 11-April 4, 1986.

“I think we’re playing well at both ends of the court,” said Paul Pierce, who had all 14 of his points in the first quarter when the Sonics were put away. “We’ve got a nice little groove going defensively and offensively, and it’s at the right time of year.

“Off the West Coast trip, we came together and we’re playing well right now. We’re just riding this wave right now.”

Each of their past five wins have been by at least 12 points as the Celtics have handled every challenge since that three-game losing streak.

They are now 51-12 and picked up another game on the Detroit Pistons, who lost at home to the Philadelphia 76ers, giving the Celtics a six-game lead in the loss column in the race for the NBA’s best record.

“The last couple of games, we’ve been able to come out with an emphasis on energy,” said Kevin Garnett, who had 18 points and six rebounds in less than 23 minutes. “I feel like, for the most part, we’ve been doing that.

“Defensively, we’re very fundamentally sound right now. We’re connected, talking more than ever. We’re coming together a little bit. It’s at a good time. We’re aggressive, sharing the ball, the ball’s moving from strong side to weak side.

“I think our whole team seems to be confident. It’s good to see Tony Allen, Eddie House, Leon (Powe), those guys playing well. I think, confidence-wise, we’re very, very confident. Everybody understands what we’re doing.

“Even though we do have flaws and mess up, the confidence is very high. We’re real confident in each other. That’s a rarity, but it’s coming at the right time.”

The Celtics took full advantage of a sub-.500 Sonics’ team that was playing its seventh straight road game and had little chance to pulling an upset, especially when Seattle fell behind, 64-44, by halftime.

Coach Doc Rivers was able to get Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen (18 points against his former team) plenty of rest with a difficult stretch of games ahead.

“The only thing we talked about before the game was we are our opponents,” said Rivers, who is now 324-324 as an NBA coach. “We have to just do what we do every night, and if someone beats us doing that, then we have to do that better or do something different.

“We stay with who we are and keep playing well, keep moving the ball on the offense and play with the defensive urgency we have since the first three games after the All-Star break.”

There was absolutely no sign of a letup against Kevin Durant (16 points) and the Sonics as the Celtics took them out of action early.

“Our first five or 10 minutes have a lot of energy in them, and tonight was no different,” said Garnett. “We didn’t want to have a setback. Any team can beat you in this league if you give them a chance or opportunity. We were aggressive, we shared the ball. It was a good night.”

The winning streak will be difficult to keep alive in the upcoming days as the Celtics play five of their next six games against top teams from the Western Conference — Utah at home Friday, then on the road against San Antoino, Houston, Dallas and New Orleans.

The Celtics head into that rugged stretch playing some of their best basketball in what has been a remarkable regular season. In addition to the 10-game winning streak, they have a pair of nine-game streaks and another eight-game streak.

“It’s hard to say (if this is the best they’ve played),” said Allen. “We have taken on the mantra that winning the game is all that matters. We’ve had a lot of different wins. I try not to judge them. You win and go home and move on.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/pros/x1600908239?view=print
Celts’ chemistry about perfect
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By Mike Fine
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 13, 2008 @ 12:09 AM

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BOSTON — BOSTON

The last time he sat next to Kevin Garnett in a post-game press conference, Paul Pierce looked on in horror as his teammate sang “Reunited, and It Feels So Good,” by Peaches and Herb.

So when they did their usual thing again Wednesday night after a blowout win, Pierce got revenge of a sort. When someone placed a KG bobblehead doll on the table, the veteran Celtic started batting it around a bit.

“Get back on defense,” he said, knocking it off the table. But even Pierce knows that getting back on defense is the least of Garnett’s, or his team’s, problems.

The Celtics, in fact, are rolling, which is why that duo, plus Ray Allen, were able to do a little late-game dancing on the sidelines as the Gino guy did his thing on the scoreboard.

This 111-82 victory over Seattle was the latest in a series of dominant performances that has stretched their winning streak to 10 straight games, and for those of you keeping score at home, that’s something this team hasn’t done since the real Big Three, Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton, et. al, were running up and down the real Garden, winning 14 straight.

This Celtics team might even be doing it better than the last championship team, 1986, through a combination of veteran savvy, wisdom and dedication. The Celtics have now won 51 games for the first time since 1991-92, the year Bird retired, and they’re on a pace to eclipse the 1985-86 team’s 67 victories.

“For the most part,” Garnett said, “we’re coming together a bit, and this is a good time for it. Guys are aggressive, they’re sharing the ball.”

It goes beyond that. As wins have accumulated, the team has developed a feel for one another. “Our whole team seems to be confident,” Garnett said. “It’s good to see Tony Allen, Eddie House, James Posey playing well. We’re confident, from one through how many guys we have.”

That would be one through 12, with Brian Scalabrine waiting in the wings. “We’re definitely hitting our stride,” Pierce said.

This team took off after the February West Coast road trip that began with three straight losses as Garnett struggled to return from a nine-game absence due to his strained ab. Starting with a Feb. 24 win at Portland, it hasn’t lost. Now the true test begins. The Celtics are about to embark on a critical part of the schedule, the segment that will tell them whether they’re the real deal or just beating up on the have-nots. With wins over Detroit, the Lakers, Mavs and others, that hasn’t been the case, but after Friday’s home contest against 43-23 Utah (which is 15-20 on the road), the Celtics are off to Milwaukee, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and New Orleans, and when they return home against Philly March 24, they’ll be looking at upcoming games against Phoenix and New Orleans again.

“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing,” said Celts coach Doc Rivers. “We talked about it. The only thing we really talked about before the game was, we are our opponents. And it’s important that we remember that. For the most part we basically stay with who we are, and just keep playing well. Keep moving the ball on offense, which I think we’re doing a great job of making extra passes. And keep playing with the defensive urgency that we’ve played with since those first three games from the All-Star break.”

As for playing some of the iron of the West, he said, “It’ll be great because they are in desperation mode. I was reading something that Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) said the other day, that all their teams, including his team, has had to go into playoff-play urgency earlier than normal. And so we’re going to catch that. We’re going to get thrown in the middle of the fire of that, and that’s going to be a great test for us. I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s great for us, because it’s tough. Out on the road, teams are desperate for wins, and they’re going to play their best. And if we don’t play absolutely great basketball, we’re not going to win games. So I think it’ll be great for us.”

Funny thing is, the Celtics haven’t practiced, officially, in more than a week, since March 4. They do have unorganized workouts, where players come to Waltham for weightlifting, treatments and shooting, but that’s about it. Rivers believes it’s important for older players to save their legs. And the next time they’ll have another full-fledged practice will be March 21, between the Dallas and New Orleans road games.

“We get about nine to 10 guys in that get their daily regimens in and stay consistent with their weight lifting and things,” Garnett said. “So even though we’re not up and down beating each other up, we actually get in there, keep the rhythm, and keep the things we have been doing throughout this year consistent, but it is an off day and if you want to take it or you need it you can, but for the most part guys come in and get their work in.”

Rivers said he expects everyone to be at Waltham today, a tribute to the work ethic of a team that has won 10 straight.