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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:20:00 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081370&format=textC’s put an end to it Snap Rocket run at 22 By Steve Bulpett | Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP HOUSTON - The Rockets’ winning streak - at 22, the second-longest in NBA history - had been the talk of professional basketball. But the Celtics [team stats] needed just two nights in Texas to take over the conversation. After outlasting the Spurs in a thriller, the Bostonians came out on a back-to-back against the rested Rockets and did what Houston’s previous 22 opponents could not. Win. Kevin Garnett had 22 points (including a thunderous punctuation dunk), Paul Pierce [stats] had 20 and Leon Powe, a DNP in San Antonio, had 21 as the Celts stuck a 94-74 pin in the red balloon. They evidently don’t have the best record in the league for nothing. “It was nice breaking the streak,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I mean somebody had to do it eventually, and we just happened to be in the spot to do it. The game helped us, too, because of the streak. It helped our guys get up for it. They wanted to do it and they did it, so I’m very proud of them. Houston still should get all the credit.” On an evening that featured a double-technical foul (Rajon Rondo [stats] and Rafer Alston) before a second had left the clock, the Celtics’ intensity trumped the fact they were playing their fourth game in five nights. The only smudge in the affair came when Tony Allen came down hard on his back in the third quarter after being flagrantly fouled by Luis Scola. Allen was tended to by trainer Ed Lacerte and arose to make the two free throws before leaving for the night with a bruised back. Other than that, the third period was fairly perfect for the Celts. Coming out of the half in a 40-40 tie, they scored 18 of the first 23 points and went on to double Houston’s 16. Pierce, Garnett and Rondo each had eight points in the frame, with the latter putting aside an 0-for-7 first half to hit four straight shots. With a lineup of Pierce, Sam Cassell, James Posey, Glen Davis and Powe, the Celts scored the first five points in the last quarter to complete a 9-0 run to a 21-point lead and give the team its third win in as many games on this trip. All the pretty points aside, this one was won on the other end of the floor. The Celtics defense was a bad-weather system keeping the Rockets on the launching pad. Tracy McGrady had eight points. Houston’s previous low output was 80 points, and their worst loss was by 19. The Celtics clearly did not want to become victim No. 23 in the Rockets’ historic run. “Oh, definitely, we didn’t want the streak to continue on us,” Pierce said. “A lot was talked about in the game, but we’re playing well right now. This is the biggest trip of the season. This is a game that we wanted. And we took care of business. It was a great game, we just kept our composure. Our defense just settled in, that’s all it was.” Any doubts that this would be a hotly contested affair were dispelled after just . . . well, actually no time had left the clock when Rondo and Alston were called for a double technical. The Rockets were given the ball out of bounds on a Celtics jump ball violation, and before play began, Alston appeared to get his elbow up as he tried to make space. Rondo pushed back and it took a few moments to restore order. There was much discussion and posturing before basketball got under way. Pierce tried to calm Rondo down, but the teams never got the memo. Pierce had all seven of his first-quarter points in an 11-2 run that sent the Celts to a 13-6 lead. Garnett had the other four as the guests got aggressive offensively after hounding Houston at the other end. But Shane Battier stuck a trey in the Rockets’ 7-0 reply and it was clear there would be no running away here. Still the Celtics were in possession of a three-point lead when they were caught with their guard down in the final minute. Chuck Hayes got free inside for a layup, then Cassell was picked clean by Alston, who looked back in a semi-taunt as he cruised in alone for a layup. That put the C’s down 22-21 after one, and it would have been worse had not both McGrady and Scola bricked a pair of free throws. Powe did have four points in the last two minutes of the period, and he continued to do well inside in the second frame.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:23:30 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081375&format=textWolves owner: KG tanked it By Steve Bulpett | Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill HOUSTON - The same guy the Celtics [team stats] had to fight to keep out of the lineup when he was injured this season is now being accused by his former owner of tanking games last season. Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor rapped Kevin Garnett for the club’s apparent late-season dive to keep a protected draft pick away from the Los Angeles Clippers. Asked yesterday why the Wolves have begun to win of late when the strategy seemed otherwise last season, Taylor told reporters, “I don’t like that so much. I don’t like that. It was more like, I’d say, KG tanked it.” The implication is that Garnett decided on his own to miss the last five games with a quad injury. “The other guys still wanted to play and stuff like this here, but it sure changed the team,” Taylor said. Garnett took the high road after the C’s 94-74 win in Houston last night. “First off, I just want to say, man, Glen Taylor was good to me while I was a Timberwolve. And I’m a Boston Celtic now,” Garnett said. “I’m not going to be going back and forth and saying tasteless things. That’s not my character. “I’ll let him speak if he wants to. I have nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That’s my past. I’m in a new chapter in my life, and I thank him for the opportunity when I was younger to not only explore my dream but to make it where I’m at today. That’s all I’m going to say about that.” Garnett’s agent, meanwhile, said Taylor’s statements didn’t make sense. “To me it’s just mind-boggling,” Andy Miller said. “I think if you got together a jury of the basketball world, their verdict would be unanimous that Kevin Garnett is focused all the time on playing hard and winning basketball games. I don’t think anyone would say anything different unless they had an agenda.” As for Taylor’s assertion that Garnett tanked the end of the season, Miller said, “My recollection is that Kevin played through the pain and agony almost all season because he didn’t want to let his team down. He wanted to win and he felt he had an obligation to his teammates. He refused to take any time off, but then it got to the point where it was just too much.” Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn’t want to delve into the matter. “I could care less about that,” he said. “It has nothing to do with us. That’s last year’s stuff.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:30:26 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081377&format=textLittle love for Green Pierce questions leaper’s work ethic By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP HOUSTON - Gerald Green will be a free agent this summer, but it’s been interesting to note the Celtics [team stats] aren’t jumping at the chance to bring the leaper back. Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the club will evaluate Green, but others say privately his two years as a Celtic will likely be his last. Even Paul Pierce [stats], one of Green’s main supporters, showed no eagerness at all when asked if he’d like his former teammate back. “I don’t know,” Pierce said prior to last night’s 94-74 win over the Houston Rockets. “I think we’re looking for experience.” Green, traded to Minnesota in the Kevin Garnett deal last offseason, was sent to his hometown Rockets last month. The Rockets waived him when a bigger body was needed after Carl Landry went out for a while with an injury. Now Green is looking for a new employer. “I think he has the talent to definitely be in the NBA, but I just think he has to develop a better work ethic,” Pierce said. “I think the coaches he’s played for say that’s the one knock on him. He knows how talented he is and how good he can be, but it’s a matter of wanting to work at it every day. If he ever gets that mind-set, he wouldn’t have to worry about being cut and who he’s going to play for next. “Definitely he has the ability, but that’s the story in the NBA with these young guys. I’ve seen guys come and go. They can have the talent, but if they don’t work at it they never really make it.” Count Pierce among the frustrated. He often went out of his way to work with Green and to praise the youngster publicly. “I tried to take him under my wing,” Pierce said. “I tried to work with him. There were days when I’d come in and play some one-on-one with him and show him some stuff that I do to get better. But you’ve got to have the work ethic. You’ve got to want to do it. “I think that’s what helped me as a young player. I wanted to be in the gym. It wasn’t because I have a veteran telling me to. What are you going to do in the summertime when you don’t want to be there? That’s the NBA. It’s all about the grind. If you’re not willing to do it, there’s somebody else who’s hungrier and younger and just as talented, and they’re going to take your job.” As for the C’s picking up Green, Ainge said: “That’s something we’ll wait to see in July. Gerald is someone we’ll look at in our process. It depends on our needs. . . . I haven’t seen Gerald this whole year, so I don’t know what kind of progress he’s made.” Allen out again The Celts held Ray Allen out for a third straight game with a jammed left ankle. “I didn’t even ask,” said coach Doc Rivers of whether Allen could play. “I just knew he wasn’t playing (last night). I told him he wasn’t playing. To me, if you can’t play (Monday), I just thought why even take a chance (last night)? It gives him two extra days of rest and treatment, and it’s possible he can play against Dallas (tomorrow night).” . . . The other Allen, Tony Allen, landed hard on his back in the third quarter after being flagrantly fouled by Rockets big man Luis Scola. After making the two free throws, he left for the night. “My lower back is bruised. It hurts. It hurts real bad,” Allen said after the win. “I’m just going to get some ice and treatment and massage and see what happens.” . . . The Celts will have no formal practice today, but Ray Allen will get treatment and others will work out. After meeting the Mavericks, the club has a practice scheduled for Friday in Dallas before flying off later that day to New Orleans.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:31:31 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081378&format=textEx-Celtic Morey watches career Rocket By Steve Bulpett | Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics HOUSTON - Daryl Morey is in just his fifth NBA season, but he’s wise enough to know that what’s happening to the Rockets isn’t an annual occurrence. “Oh, it’s wild,” the Houston general manager said of the 22-game win streak the club took into last night’s game against the Celtics [team stats]. “And this business is so tough that you’ve got to make sure you enjoy the rise. I know we’ve had a lot of good play, but we’ve had a healthy amount of good fortune, too, and I appreciate that.” The rise has been almost as quick for Morey as it has been for the Rockets. After spending three years with the Celtics analyzing statistics for the basketball operations department and developing ticket pricing formulas, he was hired by the Rockets in 2006 and groomed under then-GM Carroll Dawson for a year. He is thankful for his time in Boston. “I think learning under Danny (Ainge) was tremendous,” Morey said. “I’d even put the ownership group in there. I learned from Wyc (Grousbeck) and Steve Pagliuca. I’m thankful every day for the opportunity that Wyc gave me with the Celtics. None of this would be possible for me without Wyc and his early confidence in me. “And I just think Danny’s ability to look for any edge and how well he integrates very different resources - whether it be using a quantitative approach or his wealth of experience in the league or the psychological approach - have been a great example. He was patient and waited to get the right veterans.” Morey certainly is happy for the NBA-best Celtics, but he had to shift gears a little last night. “It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do,” he said. “I keep up with them and root for them every night of the year except two - and (last night) is one of them. “I just think Danny’s done an awesome job turning what he had built into this team. Even though he made (the Kevin Garnett trade) later in the free agent period, he was still able to get two perfect role players in (James) Posey and (Eddie) House. He’s even getting contributions from unheralded guys that he drafted like Leon Powe and Glen Davis. To me, Danny’s the executive of the year for sure.” The Rockets, too, have done an impressive job building a team that has continued to win without Yao Ming, whose season ended due to a fractured foot 12 games into the streak. “It’s really been unexpected how resilient the guys are,” Morey said. “There have been a lot of personnel changes, but they’re still finding a way to win. It’s exciting. Obviously Mr. (owner Leslie) Alexander and Carroll Dawson set the foundation with Yao and Tracy (McGrady), but since I’ve been here I’ve worked in collaboration with Carroll and we definitely feel we’re starting to get the roster where we’re hoping to get it to. I thought before the year we were a championship-caliber team. The road is harder now (without Yao), but we’re not conceding anything.” And Morey would like nothing more than to make it to The Finals and see the Celtics.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:35:02 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/19/breaking_news_celtics_end_it?mode=PFBreaking news: Celtics end it By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 19, 2008 HOUSTON - The Celtics sent the hot Rockets back to earth last night. The second-longest winning streak in NBA history - 22 games - ended when the Celtics brought down the Rockets, 94-74, at the Toyota Center, handing Houston its first loss since Jan. 27. "Obviously, this was a good win for us," said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, who had a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds. "This is one of the best accomplishments in sports. It's unbelievable, not just in basketball but in all sports. To do that is remarkable." With their 13th win in 14 games, the Celtics pushed their NBA-best record to 54-13. They have won seven straight on the road. A night after winning at San Antonio, the Celtics improved to 14-2 in the second of back-to-back games. The Celtics are 3-0 on this five-game trip and improved their road record to 25-8. "Someone had to do it, eventually," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "We happened to do it." Houston star Tracy McGrady was held to 8 points on 4-of-11 shooting, and no one on his team scored more than 15. After the teams played to a 40-40 tie at halftime, Boston limited the Rockets to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, 23.1 percent from 3-point range, and outscored them, 54-34. McGrady said it was the best defense he has seen in his illustrious 10-year career. "All good things must come to an end," said McGrady, who was averaging 22 points. "It's not disappointing. It's a [heck] of a team there. They outplayed us. "I've never seen defense like that. If they play defense like that night in and night out, then the NBA is in trouble because that defense was at its finest." The Celtics were without Ray Allen (left ankle) for the third straight game. Rivers is hopeful that Allen can play tomorrow at Dallas and could definitely use him since his replacement, Tony Allen, could be out. With 3:18 left in the third quarter last night, Tony Allen was fouled hard by Luis Scola as he took the ball to the basket. Allen hit his lower back as he fell, and he lay on the floor for a couple of minutes before slowly getting back up. Scola was given a flagrant-1 technical, and Allen made both free throws to give Boston a 64-52 lead. Soon after, he was replaced by James Posey. Allen headed to the locker room early in the fourth quarter and didn't return. "My lower back is pretty sore," Allen said. "I need to get some ice and treatment and a massage and hopefully I will be OK. The win makes it feel better." There was no doubt that this game was highly anticipated. TNT picked up the contest to televise nationally. Media from around the country braved bad travel conditions to make it to Houston. Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon sat courtside (not far from Roger Clemens's attorney, Rusty Hardin). Rockets guard Rafer Alston, known for talking trash, had recent run-ins with Hornets center Tyson Chandler and Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic. Add Rajon Rondo to his list of targets. At the opening tap, as Alston tried to get position, he seemed to elbow Rondo in the neck. Rondo responded by pushing Alston. After several pushes, Rondo balled his fists at his side. After being separated by a referee, Rondo and Alston were slapped with technicals. Nothing further ensued, but the crowd went wild. When Houston coach Rick Adelman told Alston to relax, he replied that he was trying to get in Rondo's head. "It wasn't nothing," Rondo said. "He just pushed me and I pushed him back. That's it. There wasn't any other exchange. It's all over with." A jumper by Leon Powe (21 points) with 9:57 left gave Boston a 21-point lead, 77-56. During a timeout with 8:45 left, Rockets fans began heading toward the exits, though those who remained cheered loudly in hopes of firing up their team. But two free throws by Garnett gave Boston an 81-58 lead with 7:01 remaining that was too much to overcome. Garnett applied the exclamation point with an emphatic dunk that gave the Celtics an 89-64 lead with 2:08 left. Shortly thereafter, during a Houston timeout, the Celtics celebrated wildly, with Sam Cassell yelling to a teammate, "Yeah, they wanted it!" When the buzzer sounded and Houston's streak ended, the remaining Rockets fans gave the team a much-deserved standing ovation. "You're not going to play a great game every night, and we didn't come out and play a great game," said Houston's Shane Battier. "There is a reason why Boston has the best record in the NBA. They're pretty darn good. You've got to play pretty well against them." The Celtics completed an impressive feat by beating possibly the best two Western Conference teams on the road on back-to-back nights in San Antonio and Houston. Next up are two more tough West tests against Dallas and New Orleans. "This is definitely a test for us," said Paul Pierce. "You're talking about the top teams in all of basketball. It doesn't get any easier as we go to Dallas and New Orleans."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:37:34 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/19/a_tank_shot_is_fired/A 'tank' shot is fired Garnett dismisses charges by owner Email|Print|Single Page| Text size – + By Marc J. Spears Globe Staff / March 19, 2008 HOUSTON - Instead of getting into a war of words with the owner of his old team, Celtics forward Kevin Garnett took the high road last night. more stories like thisIn comments to Minneapolis reporters yesterday, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor accused Garnett of "tanking" the last five games of the 2006-07 season. Taylor's comments came after he was asked about the Wolves having a reputation for tanking games in recent seasons to aid their draft position. Garnett missed the last five games last season with a sore right quadriceps, but Taylor questioned the truth of that claim. "It was more like, I'd say, KG tanked it," Taylor said. Taylor also said: "The other guys still wanted to play, but it sure changed the team and didn't make us as [good]." Following the Celtics' 94-74 win over Houston last night, Garnett talked briefly about Taylor's accusation. "First off, I want to say Glen Taylor was good to me when I was a Timberwolf and I'm a Boston Celtic now," Garnett said. "I'm not going to be going back and forth saying tasteless things. That's not my character. "I have nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's in the past. I'm in a new chapter in my life." Garnett played with Minnesota from 1995-2007 and is the franchise's career leader in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He was an 11-time All-Star and the NBA's 2004 MVP with the Timberwolves. Ironically, despite Taylor's accusation, Garnett is widely viewed as the most intense player in the NBA. "I thank them for the opportunity they gave me when I was younger and not only being able to explore my dream, but to be able to make it to where I'm at today," Garnett said. "That's all I'm going to say about that." Celtics guard Sam Cassell, who played with Garnett in Minnesota from 2003-05, described Taylor's statement as "personal." Cassell also said that while Garnett might have been bothered by Taylor's words three or four years ago, he's too mature to let it bother him now. "Kevin's Kevin," said Cassell. "Ask anyone in this organization if Kevin tanks anything. Games? Practice? I wish he did tank a couple practices. "I was there. I know the goings-on there. I hear the pains and what they say about Kev. I know what Kevin Garnett meant to that community. The good things that Kevin did for that community was outrageous."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:41:56 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/19/guards_handed_out_assists?mode=PFGuards handed out assists By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 19, 2008 HOUSTON - Fifteen years ago, Rockets point guard Kenny Smith pulled aside rookie Sam Cassell, also a point guard, to tell him he was rooting for him, not against him. And recently, Cassell told Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo something similar. Smith, now an NBA analyst for TNT, expressed pride in seeing his longtime friend Cassell become a mentoring figure with the Celtics. "He's kind of ending it the way he started it," said Smith, whose broadcast team was on hand last night at the Toyota Center, where the Celtics were attempting to stop the Rockets' winning streak from reaching 23 games. "He's coming off the bench and is the guy who sometimes closes games out when the guy in front is stalling a little. "We had a conversation one day where I pulled him aside and said, 'I want you to know, no matter what happens in a game, I'm never hoping you fail. My competition is not with you, regardless of what the papers say.' He thanked me. "He called me three years ago and told me he had the same conversation with [Clippers guard] Shaun Livingston. I forgot that I told him that and he reminded me. He will have the same conversation with Rondo. I never felt when I was in the game and I looked over the sideline that he wasn't my biggest supporter. Rondo will appreciate that. That's hard to do." During Cassell's first two NBA seasons, 1993-94 and 1994-95, he and Smith were teammates on Houston teams that won back-to-back NBA titles. Smith said Cassell played a solid role in the team's championship runs. Cassell averaged 9.4 points in the postseason his rookie year and 11 points his second season. "He was a super integral part," Smith said. "We all had games throughout the playoffs where Vernon Maxwell, myself, Clyde Drexler and always Hakeem [Olajuwon], where without that effort from each of us, the Rockets don't go on. [Cassell] had games where you say, without the effort, the Rockets don't go on." Said Cassell, "I was there the first time the city ever won a championship as far as sports. It was cool." After three seasons with Houston, Cassell was dealt with Robert Horry, Mark Bryant, and Chucky Brown to the Suns for Charles Barkley and a second-round pick. Cassell hasn't won a title since being dealt by the Rockets, but he has a legitimate opportunity now in Boston. "I was young, so I really didn't understand what winning a title was," Cassell said. "Now, I really do. I don't think any young player realizes what winning a championship is all about until you don't win it for a while and you try to win it again." Smith believes Cassell is a great addition to the Celtics, most notably for the poise and experience he brings. Cassell made his first major contribution Monday night by nailing a key 3-pointer in a 93-91 win at San Antonio. "He's not going to panic," Smith said. "That's big to have, when your point guard doesn't panic when things go wrong. When you're down 7, he won't panic. That's not saying that Rondo will panic, it's that Sam Cassell won't. When things are going awry, he can get it back on line. "[Kevin ] Garnett and Ray Allen know that from playing with him, and Paul [ Pierce] will. And he's not scared to make the big plays. People say Sam makes the big shot, but he takes the same shot in the first as the fourth. He's not afraid to fail and not afraid to be a hero. He loves it." Cassell, 38, also has played for Phoenix, Dallas, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and the Clippers, but he still lives in Houston, he says, because of the people. Ex-NBA player and coach John Lucas also runs a workout and pickup-game program for NBA players there during the offseason. "It's the best city to live in," Cassell said. "A lot of guys live there during the offseason. It's a nice city. Sometimes [the pickup games] are the best in the country. It's great. It's still my home." Cassell's Rockets won their titles playing at an old arena known as The Summit. It was converted to a nondenominational mega-church called Lakewood Church Central Campus in 2003. "That's where the history is at," Cassell said. "It's definitely different. But the times have changed. Old buildings can't last that long. "The construction is still the same on the outside, but it's totally different on the inside. You wouldn't notice that it was an arena." Cassell seems interested in continuing his NBA career after this season. Smith sees him remaining in the game as a coach once his playing days are over. "He's a natural coach," Smith said. "He understands why things happen. He doesn't just do them. That's what makes him a great point guard." An A in D-League Celtics rookie guard Gabe Pruitt has been playing so well in his third stint with the D-League's Utah Flash that the team's general manager, David Fredman, recently called him a "special talent." The 2007 second-round pick has averaged 21 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 steals while nailing 16 of 39 3-pointers in six games after being reassigned March 4. Pruitt, who played sparingly in Boston, is expected to stay with the Flash for the remainder of their season before returning to the Celtics. "He's playing well," Fredman said. "He's really improved since we had him the first two times. He's working hard and gaining confidence in his game. When you sit so long, you need to play to reassure you on your work. He's working hard on both ends of the floor. He has a bright future. He's one of the top players I've seen in the D-League." Time to rest After playing back-to-back games, the Celtics will enjoy a day off in Dallas today before playing the Mavericks tomorrow night . . . Monday marked the first time this season the Celtics trailed by more than 20 points (22) and came back to win.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 19, 2008 6:44:40 GMT -5
aol.nba.com/celtics/promotions/press031808-celtics-gamenight.html"Celtics Gamenight" Coming to Select National Amusements Theaters New England movie theaters will show two Comcast SportsNet High Def Celtics Telecasts live on the big screen beginning April 8 BOSTON (March 18, 2008) - The Boston Celtics and National Amusements will show two upcoming Comcast SportsNet high definition Celtics telecast featuring Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn live in movie theaters. The first Celtics game to be broadcast will be April 8 at 8:00 p.m. when the Celtics take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Admission for the broadcasts will be $7 for an adult and $5 for children ages 11 and under. "The Celtics and National Amusements are excited to bring fans a whole new way to enjoy Boston Celtics basketball in high definition," Celtics Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Business Development, Sean Barror said. "We wanted to give fans that are unable to get tickets this season the chance to experience a Celtics game in a unique and fun environment." In addition to the game on April 8, National Amusements will broadcast the April 16 game versus the New Jersey Nets at 7:30 p.m. Participating theaters include National Amusements Showcase Cinemas, Randolph, MA, Showcase Cinemas, Revere, MA, Showcase Cinemas, Woburn, MA, Providence Place Cinemas, Providence, RI, Showcase Cinemas, West Springfield, MA, and Blackstone Valley 14: Cinema De Lux, Millbury, MA. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at nationalamusements.com or by calling the individual theaters. "What a great partnership, to bring the unrivaled Boston Celtics to our theatres for devoted New England sports fans to enjoy them live, and larger-than-life, on the big screen," Vice President Marketing for National Amusements, Scott Bernstein said. "Fans who can't get to the game at the TD Banknorth Garden, can now experience the next best thing in our theatres, live and in High Def!" National Amusements is transforming the movie-going experience by developing and introducing exciting alternative entertainment experiences like "Celtics Gamenight". The first theatre circuit to feature live, high-definition sports broadcasting, National Amusements is expanding its programming with live comedy music and other forms of unique entertainment concepts. National Amusements is focused on making our theatres a community entertainment destination for everyone to enjoy.
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