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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:01:55 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1081601&format=textCelts state convincing case Show heart as big as Texas By Steve Bulpett | Thursday, March 20, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by AP DALLAS - The Celtics [team stats] have spent most of the season dousing their doubters, but even they may have had their own eyes opened by the latest success. Acquiring the best record in the NBA has been discounted in part because - holy geography, Batman - Boston is in the Eastern Conference. But going into San Antonio and Houston to finish a stretch of four games in five nights and coming out with victories has to cast the Celts in an even better light. If that was possible. “That’s pretty good, huh,” said Paul Pierce [stats] as the Celtics prepared to close their five-game trip with games in Dallas tonight and New Orleans on Saturday. “It’s hard to say if we’re better than we thought. I don’t know if you can feel more confident after what we’d already done, but the good thing about it is you can learn more and more about your team with each test. That’s what it is. I mean, this was pretty much I think our ultimate test in the regular season. “You look at it: We come in after a grind-it-out game vs. San Antonio on a back-to-back on the road against the hottest team in the league - and then we come out and win like we did. We haven’t had that situation before, and to respond in the fashion we did, it just shows you how gritty this team is. We’re capable of anything.” The Celtics should have been exhausted after going to the wire with the Spurs Monday night, but they ran the rested Rockets out of their own building on Tuesday. And, though it’s largely escaped mention, they did it without Ray Allen. Could the Celtics have truly expected this, given the schedule circumstances and the level of competition? “Let me put it this way: I didn’t think we couldn’t,” said Doc Rivers, who can move to .500 overall as Celtics coach with a win tonight. “I think what helped was the rest we got late in the Milwaukee game. I never thought we couldn’t win these two games. But I didn’t think about if we could either, to be honest. “It is really nice, especially with how things have played out. That game we played (in San Antonio) was the toughest game we’ve played all year. I just thought it was a rough, physical, mentally tough game. That was a tough (expletive) game. And then to turn around and come into Houston and win makes it even better.” Even with their home crowd screaming for a 23rd straight win from the first moment, the Rockets ultimately weren’t a match for the Celtics’ intensity. “It was in the building, man,” said Kevin Garnett. “Really I could tell after the Spurs win, which was a very emotional win for us, how we were prepared. There wasn’t really a lot of talking on the bus after that game. We were on the plane and it was real subtle. Music was going, but there wasn’t a lot of talking. “I know when we’re like that we’re focused. It’s sort of like an unspoken focus. We could see it in our walkthrough. We’ve go to continue to do that. We’ve got two more games left on this trip, and we have to carry that over and make it a consistent thing.” Consistency in this case would mean a win over the Mavericks and completion of one of the NBA’s rarest feats - a perfect journey through the Texas Triangle. Asked how that would feel, Garnett looked up and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever done it, so I can’t tell you. It’s not an easy thing. Everybody knows this Texas trip is the hardest by far.” Rivers prepared his club with yet another day off, refusing to fool with a formula that has produced such striking results. He knows the eyes of the Triangle are upon him. “It would mean a lot, but we ain’t thinking of it that way,” Rivers said of a Lone Star sweep. “We’re thinking about it that we’re playing Dallas now, and then let’s see what happens. They’re terrific at home. We’re going to get some rest and practice in the morning of the game like we’ve been doing and throw it up and see what happens. “I’m sure as a player we did it back in the day because Texas wasn’t as tough. It wasn’t as hard. Texas is awful to go through now. This is the toughest it’s ever been.” But, then again, the Celtics are as tough as they’ve been in two decades. Late Tuesday night, Tracy McGrady said they have the best defense he’s seen in 11 years. “That’s a hell of a statement,” Garnett said. “Thank you.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:03:16 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1081602&format=textBird’s future uncertain By Associated Press | Thursday, March 20, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird wants to stick around for the team’s expected offseason overhaul. He’s just not sure whether he’ll be orchestrating it. The former Celtics [team stats] great said yesterday he won’t know his plans until he meets with team owners Melvin and Herb Simon. “I want to wait to talk to the owners and see what they want,” Bird said after the Pacers’ shootaround in preparation for hosting the Charlotte Bobcats. “I will say that I’d like to be here because I enjoy this.” The past few seasons, however, haven’t been much fun. Bird acknowledged he didn’t want to trade Ron Artest to Sacramento and Stephen Jackson to Golden State, moves made after those players ran into trouble. Ridding the team of the pair didn’t make the Pacers’ off-court problems vanish. This season, Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley and several companions were targeted in a shooting that wounded the team’s equipment manager outside a downtown hotel. “That’s the most discouraging thing, the incidents the players have been in,” Bird said. “There’s really a disconnect between the fans and the team.” Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh reportedly has been talking with the New York Knicks about taking over as president. Walsh did not take questions yesterday, and Bird did not elaborate on the reports, although he said he has seen them. “While there’s been speculation he’s been talking to other teams, I have too much respect for him to talk about that,” Bird said. “I hope he stays.” The Simons have promised changes. But the team could risk a public relations disaster if it fired Bird, a revered figure in his home state. Bird shrugged off such a suggestion, reiterating he wants to help turn things around. “That’s very important to me,” he said. “It’s easy when you’re winning 55 or 60 games and going to the conference finals every year.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:05:45 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/20/clearly_celtic_hexes_no_longer_live_in_texas?mode=PFClearly, Celtic hexes no longer live in Texas By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 20, 2008 DALLAS - The Celtics will try to do a rare Texas three-step tonight at the American Airlines Center. The most daunting part of an NBA schedule is often the Texas triangle - consecutive games at San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. The last team to beat the three Texas teams consecutively was Sacramento in 2001. The Celtics could accomplish the feat with a win against the Mavericks. "This is by far the toughest stretch of our season on the road," said Paul Pierce. "It would be great just to capitalize and go through Texas with three wins. I don't know that anyone is going through this in the Eastern Conference, especially when we have so much going on with these [West] teams the way they're playing at this stretch of the season. "It's a tremendous boost of confidence any time we can go in against one of the top teams in the Western Conference and get a win." The Celtics haven't swept the Texas triangle since 1986-87 season. Boston has earned three sweeps, has won twice on four occasions, won once twice, and has come out winless three times for a 19-17 record. The first seven sets each resulted in at least two wins for the Celtics, but the last five had no more than one victory. "It would mean a lot," said coach Doc Rivers. "But we aren't thinking about it that way. We're thinking about we're playing Dallas now and we'll see what happens." Boston overcame a 22-point deficit Monday to win at San Antonio, 93-91. The next night, the Celtics raised their intensity level even higher as they snapped the Rockets' 22-game winning streak with a 94-74 rout in Houston, improving their record in the second of back-to-back games to an amazing 14-2. This one was earned on the defensive end, and no one recognized that more than Houston star Tracy McGrady, who was held to just 8 points (4 for 11 shooting). "I've never seen a defense like that," lauded McGrady, whose team was outscored, 32-16, in the decisive third quarter. "I mean, if they play defense like that, night in and night out, the NBA is in trouble because that was defense at its finest." Now the task for Boston (3-0 on its five-game road trip, which ends with a stop in New Orleans Saturday) will be to carry its momentum into Dallas and ride it all the way home. "A very hot team," said Mavericks coach Avery Johnson after yesterday's practice. "They're playing some outstanding ball. I told Doc he wasn't any good as a coach last year. Now he's a better coach this year." The Mavericks are 18-11 this season against the Eastern Conference. "It's funny, when we were in San Antonio everyone wanted to talk about Houston and we wanted to talk about San Antonio," Rivers said. "[Tuesday], everyone wanted to talk about the streak and we just wanted to talk about Houston and trying to beat them. And now we're going to go to Dallas, where they are [29-5] at home. So, it's just another challenge. "I would assume if you are a West team, that's how every game is. And for us, it's just one week of this trip. So, we just have to get through it." Kevin Garnett is looking forward to the challenge since he never accomplished the Texas triangle sweep with Minnesota. "It's not an easy thing," Garnett said. "Everyone knows that this Texas trip is the hardest by far. But, like we've been doing all year long, we'll take it one game at a time, try to keep it consistent on the defensive end, stay true to our offense, believe in it, prepare each game as if it was our last." Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is averaging 8.9 points, 9.6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 34 minutes in 15 games since being dealt from New Jersey. The Mavericks, who were 35-18 before the deal, are 9-6 since acquiring the All-Star Feb. 19. Garnett said he didn't talk to Kidd about the rumors of the trade during All-Star Weekend. "When you're players, you talk about family and what's new in people's lives, other things, especially during All-Star Weekend," Garnett said. "You get asked 50,000 questions from the media. The last thing you need is some of your peers asking you the same questions. "We've been talking. I think he was ready to move on, from what it sounded like. He was healthy, his kids were healthy, and at the end of the day that's what you want. It will be good to see him. "J-Kidd is one of the best in the league. He's definitely going to have Dallas a contender when it's time to be one." Ray Allen could return to action tonight after missing the last two games with a left ankle injury. Boston is 6-1 without Allen this season . . . Tony Allen suffered a lower-back bruise when he was fouled hard Tuesday, and is day to day . . . TNT analyst Charles Barkley on Garnett's reaction to being accused by Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor of tanking games at the end of last season: "I like what he said about Glen Taylor, he let that go. That's the difference between me and Kevin Garnett, I can never take the high road."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:08:21 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/green_room/2008/03/catch_22.htmlCatch 22 Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Matt Hafele March 19, 2008 05:30 PM I thought it was unlikely the Celtics would start this week unscathed given the impressive number 22 standing in the way on their biggest back-to-back of the season. First, they started out down 22 against the NBA's defending champs. Then they followed that up with a showdown against Houston and their historical 22-game winning streak. Monday's game in San Antonio was nothing short of spectacular. Even after an atrocious start you knew the Celtics had a comeback in them, especially on St. Patrick's Day. When they battled back from an overwhelming first half deficit to make it a two-point-game heading into the fourth quarter, I knew we were in line for something special. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical of the C's chances after the Spurs built up a nine-point-lead with less than five minutes to go. However, the Celtics were able to show their resilience down the stretch. Pierce, Garnett and Rondo all had impressive showings but it was Cassell that left his lasting impression on the night with what turned out to be a game-winning three. The luck of the Irish shined in the final minute. First, Manu Ginobili's layup spun around the rim 283 times before rimming out. Then Garnett apparently couldn't hear me screaming (from my couch) to call a timeout as he inadvertently threw away the inbounds pass in the final seconds. I nearly had a heart-attack when the ball found the hands of Robert Horry -- aka "Big Shot Bob" -- but thankfully he couldn't find his magic. Sky Rockets in Flight Up next came the Houston Rockets, who as we all know, hadn't lost in well over a month. As is the case with most Celtics' games these days, it was a playoff-type atmosphere right from the start. Rondo and Alston exchanged elbows, technical fouls, and threatening glances before the ball was even in play. Their fists were clenched from the start but the Celtics didn't land their haymaker until the second half. (AP Photos) It took a while for the C's offense to get rolling, but like we've seen so many times this season, they came out with a purpose to start the second half. The game was tied going into the break but the Celtics came out of the locker room and outscored the Rockets 32-16 in the third to put the game out-of-reach. Garnett capped the night off with a thunderous dunk late in the fourth quarter that put an exclamation point on the game. It still impresses me how hard he plays, even when the game is well-in-hand. That makes Minnesota's owner, Glen Taylor, look all the more foolish for his comments about Garnett 'tanking' while missing the last five games last year with an injury. Road to Riches The Celtics have been road warriors all season long. Subtract a three-game hiccup a month ago and you can count their road losses on one hand, quite easily if you're Antonio Alfonseca. The Celts continued their road (and overall) dominance Tuesday night in Houston while improving their league-leading road record to 25-8. They put on quite a show considering their exhilarating come-from-behind victory in San Antonio the night before. They are now three games deep on their second and final five game road trip of the season and looking, dare I say, playoff-ready. Bullet Points!!! Even though I hate him, I'll give Doc some credit for his halftime adjustments. We've seen the Celtics flourish in nearly every third quarter this season. I assume some of that has to be attributed to the coach and whatever he's saying to the players. But I'd also like to think Doc just takes a nap at halftime while Scalabrine initiates awe-inspiring slow-claps throughout the break. I guess we're all entitled to our own opinions. I have to say I'm none-too-pleased with Sam I Am's shot selection. I understand he can score but a lot of his shots come early in the shot clock with defenders all over him. He gets a pass for now because of his clutch shot against the Spurs, but this is something that worries me. I'm hoping over the next month, before the playoffs start, he learns there are many other options on this team and one assist is just as good as two or three points. Let me apologize for Friday's loss against Utah. That was the final game in my weekend-pack of tickets. Heading into the game the Celtics were a perfect 10-0 this season in games I've attended. I made a poor judgment call and gave an extra ticket to an unlucky friend. He's now been to four games so far this season - all losses. Considering the Celtics have only lost 5 home games in total; that seems a bit outlandish. I swear I tried to get him to leave at the half, but to no avail. Finally, it will never happen, but Pierce should get some consideration for MVP this season. Garnett gets the majority of the praise from the media, but Pierce has been playing almost flawlessly all season long.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:11:08 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x722405705Courtside View: Convincing victories -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff GHS Posted Mar 19, 2008 @ 10:08 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since the beginning of the season, the Celtics have been viewed as a championship contender in the Eastern Conference. By the end of next week, they may finally be considered the championship favorite in the NBA. Despite having the best record in the league the entire campaign, many projected Boston's regular season dominance more conservatively in the postseason. How would they do in a seven-game series against Detroit or Cleveland where matchups - and a coaching staff's ability to exploit or control them - close any gap in skill differential? What would happen when the champion of an Eastern Conference where the current eighth-place Hawks entered last night with a 29-38 record, met up with the survivors of a Western Conference where a Nuggets team 40-27 as of yesterday would not even make the playoffs? In a league where the teams whose cores have played together the longest - with the 2006 champion Heat a notable exception - tend to do best in the playoffs, what would be the fate of a Celtics squad with nine new players on a 15-man roster? All legitimate questions. Over the past few days, though, the Celtics have provided some legitimate responses with impressive, back-to-back victories over two Western powerhouses. Coming off Friday's surprising 18-point loss to the Jazz, Paul Pierce vowed, "I am not even worried about our focus (the next night in Milwaukee). The way we lost tonight, I can assure you that we will have a very good focus." While the 99-77 whipping of an undermanned and overwhelmed Bucks team could have been predicted, the consecutive victories over the Spurs (93-91 on Monday) and the Rockets (94-74 on Tuesday) were harder to forecast. All three of the victories came without injured guard Ray Allen (sore left heel) and came with different players leading the way. On Saturday, it was Eddie House with 17 points off the bench to go with Kevin Garnett's team-high 19 points. In the decidedly more significant comeback from a 22-point deficit against the Spurs on Monday, it was Rajon Rondo (20 points), Garnett (22 points, 8 rebounds), Pierce (22 points, 8 rebounds) and Sam Cassell (17, including the decisive 3-pointer in the final minute). When they obliterated Houston's NBA season-best 22-game winning streak on Tuesday, it was Garnett (22 points, 11 rebounds), Pierce (20 points) and Leon Powe (21 points on 8-of-12 shooting). The common thread between the games - and the one that perhaps bodes best for the postseason - is that Celtics coach Doc Rivers now has the ability, with his deep bench and varied scoring options, to counter almost any strategy or lineup an opponent can present. Against the Spurs, he went to Cassell and House in the backcourt together for a long stretch of the fourth, and they each hit a big 3-pointer while helping spread the floor for Garnett and Pierce. Against the Rockets, when Cassell struggled at times, Rivers went with Rondo in the backcourt in the second half and relied on a bigger lineup overall with James Posey playing 29 minutes off the bench. While Posey was scoreless, he was a major factor in keeping Houston's Tracy McGrady to eight points in 34 minutes. The best case of matchup effectiveness was the two-day routine of Powe, who had a DNP-CD against the Spurs on Monday and then scored the 21 points in 20 minutes off the bench against the Rockets the next night. It is the type of minutes maneuvering that can have a tenuous effect on egos over the course of a season, in general, but somehow seems to work out just fine when you are 54-13. The Celtics are far from done running the two-week gauntlet. They travel to Dallas to finish the Texas Triangle tonight (TNT, 8 p.m.). Then it is off to New Orleans to face another contender for the top seed in the Western Conference on Saturday. Next week, the Celtics return home for two more Western challenges against the Suns (Wednesday) and the Hornets (Friday). After that, the final 10 games of the season will be a lot of tuning up for the playoffs with the best record in the NBA largely secured. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, the Celtics could be doing so as the widely acclaimed team to beat for the title no matter how much they will try to claim otherwise.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:33:04 GMT -5
www.lowellsun.com/basketball/ci_8625463Ainge talks about business of sports By Lynn Worthy, lworthy@lowellsun.com Article Last Updated: 03/19/2008 11:34:16 AM EDT ANDOVER -- Before championship banners there must be collective bargaining. Long before numbers are retired, contracts need to be negotiated. Danny Ainge, executive director of basketball operations and general manager of the Boston Celtics, knows the business side of sports very well. The architect of the team with the NBA's best record talked openly and candidly about the behind-the-scenes aspects of professional sports with students at faculty at the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover. Where handshakes and promises may have been a way of conducting business at one time, the business has become far more complex. "Things are a lot different than when I was playing," Ainge said referring to the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, free agency, and the salary cap. Ainge is in his fifth season at the helm for the Celtics after 14 years as an NBA player, more than three seasons as a head coach, and two stints as a television analyst. He spoke as a guest lecturer for the school's Sports Law and Player Representation class. Twenty-five students are enrolled in the class, but Ainge spoke to a crowd of at least 50 aspiring lawyers and basketball fans. Ainge fielded questions on everything from his days playing beside Larry Bird to his dealings with sports agents and the legal side of the business. "In my job it's important to develop relationships with agents, and it's important for agents to develop relationships," Ainge said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But even he admits that he finds himself dealing with some agents that work in their own self interests. He shared one of his "pet peeves" -- agents who don't spend much time educating young players and helping them become independent, instead running players lives for them. The Celtics boss didn't shy away from talking about the decision-making process when it comes to signing or drafting players. The organization turns over every rock when diving into a player's background. That extends beyond simply chatting with former coaches. Ainge said the Celtics "do everything we can do legally to find out about the player." According to Ainge, the Celtics look into every potential issue and interview neighbors, posing questions like "would you let him date your daughter?" Still, the bottom line is always wins. Past transgressions off the court can get glossed over in favor of upside on the court. "It's unfortunate, but talents wins games for us," Ainge said. Ainge also said the Celtics have included morals clauses in player contracts. He added that sometimes major deals with superstar players like Kevin Garnett can be hammered out in 20 minutes, while second-round draft picks can take days because of haggling over terminology. In today's NBA teams rely on in-house legal experts to work through things like contract structuring and salary cap management. The Celtics employ Harvard Law School graduate Mike Zarren as the assistant executive director of basketball operations. Frank Catapano, sports agent and co-instructor for the Sports Law and Player Representation class, arranged Ainge's visit. Catapano has represented professional basketball players since 1982. His first client was former Boston College's John Bagley, a first round draft pick in 1982. He has also represented Sam Mitchell, Sidney Lowe, and Scott Brooks. Today most of the 45-50 clients compete in leagues overseas in Europe. He does represent Courtney Sims, who made the Pacers roster before landing in the NBDL. "We wanted them (students) to talk to people in the business," said Holly Vietzke, assistant professor and co-instructor for the Sports Law and Player Representation class. This year is the first time the class has been offered. Future guests slated for future visits include Indiana Pacers CEO/President Donnie Walsh in two weeks and former Celtics general manager and current Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace at the end of the semester.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:36:02 GMT -5
www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/SPORTS/803200345INSIDE THE CELTICS: A success almost spiritual March 20, 2008 6:00 AM Perhaps nobody can sum up the Boston Celtics' past two spectacular wins than Hindu Prince Siddharta Gautama, the founder of Buddhism: "In the sky, there is no distinction of East and West; people create distinctions out of their own minds and believe them to be true." The good Prince likely wasn't referring to the Celtics themselves — after all, he died in 483 BC. But his words have proved prophetic: From Boston's lofty position high above the rest of the NBA, it makes no difference where the opposition comes from. Be it the supposedly superior Western Conference or the up-and-coming Eastern, they've handled the best the league has to offer. There's no longer any doubt who rules the Association. The Celtics have gone 22-4 against the West, with sweeps of three of its best teams after coming from 22 points down to edge out the Spurs and ending the Rockets' 22-game win streak with a 20-point blowout. They've also defeated the Lakers twice by an average of 16 points, though that was before L.A. acquired Pau Gasol. Tonight, they finish the Texas Triangle in a national game against Dallas. The Celts toppled the Mavs earlier this season at the Garden — without Kevin Garnett — but Dallas is a different team with Jason Kidd running the floor. But it's impossible for the Celtics to not be favored in any regular-season game going forward. "This is definitely a test for us," Paul Pierce said. "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." Going through the rest of the Western playoff ranks, the Celts split with both Utah and Golden State, and lost at Phoenix — the Boston rematch is on tap for next Wednesday. And, as Pierce noted, they still have two games with the Hornets as well. In the East, they're not doing too badly, either. If the playoffs started today, they would face Atlanta, whom they've beaten in both meetings. They're 3-0 against Toronto, 2-0 against Philadelphia and 2-1 against Detroit, their potential conference finals opponent. They've posted a 2-2 record against Cleveland, and on the scarier side, 1-2 records against Washington and Orlando. There are tough challenges ahead: The Suns, with Shaq a little more assimilated into what his new team is doing. Those two with the Hornets. Single games against the Sixers, Wizards and Hawks. If the Celtics have proven anything, however, it's that they're competitive in just about every game, and they are multi-faceted enough to get the job done even when something isn't working just right. Off-night for one of the Big 3? Leon Powe drops 20 points. K.G. getting double-teamed down low? Kendrick Perkins comes up with a double-double. Rockets star Tracy McGrady, who may not be as influential in the grand scheme of the universe as Prince Siddharta, had his own summation of just how good the Celtics are. "I've never seen defense like that," said McGrady, who was averaging 22 points a game before the Celts held him to eight. "If they play defense like that night in and night out, then the NBA is trouble because that was defense at its finest." Music to Red Auerbach's ears, and perhaps above all why Celtics fans are leaving the early part of June open. Everything is coming together in the chemical equation to produce Banner No. 17. They've got a five-game lead on the Pistons for the top spot in the East. They've already clinched the Atlantic Division. They're the best defensive team in the league, and as long as they remain healthy, they're capable of outscoring just about anyone. The way things look from here, the Celtics are the only team capable of beating the Celtics, and they've pretty much assured that won't happen with veteran frontcourt help like P.J. Brown and a wily, playoff-tested point guard in Sam Cassell. Both have quickly found their niche, with Cassell playing a key role in Monday night's victory. And by fortifying a team that was already scary-good, another of Buddha's pearls of wisdom comes to mind: "It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then, the victory is yours." At this point, it's all but a given.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:38:42 GMT -5
www.patriotledger.com/sports/x1930820240Celtics could be changing minds around the NBA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza GateHouse News Service Posted Mar 20, 2008 @ 03:23 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — Since the beginning of the NBA season, the Boston Celtics have been viewed as a championship contender in the Eastern Conference. By the end of next week, they may finally be considered the championship favorite in the NBA. Despite having the best record in the league the entire campaign, many projected Boston’s regular season dominance more conservatively in the postseason. How would they do in a seven-game series against Detroit or Cleveland where matchups – and a coaching staff’s ability to exploit or control them – close any gap in skill differential? What would happen when the champion of an Eastern Conference where the current eighth-place Hawks entered last night with a 29-38 record, met up with the survivors of a Western Conference where a Nuggets team 40-27 as of yesterday would not even make the playoffs? In a league where the teams whose cores have played together the longest – with the 2006 champion Heat a notable exception – tend to do best in the playoffs, what would be the fate of a Celtics squad with nine new players on a 15-man roster? All legitimate questions. Over the past few days, though, the Celtics have provided some legitimate responses with impressive, back-to-back victories over two Western powerhouses. Coming off Friday’s surprising 18-point loss to the Jazz, Paul Pierce vowed, “I am not even worried about our focus (the next night in Milwaukee). The way we lost tonight, I can assure you that we will have a very good focus.” While the 99-77 whipping of an undermanned and overwhelmed Bucks team could have been predicted, the consecutive victories over the Spurs (93-91 on Monday) and the Rockets (94-74 on Tuesday) were harder to forecast. All three of the victories came without injured guard Ray Allen (sore left heel) and came with different players leading the way. On Saturday, it was Eddie House with 17 points off the bench to go with Kevin Garnett’s team-high 19 points. In the decidedly more significant comeback from a 22-point deficit against the Spurs on Monday, it was Rajon Rondo (20 points), Garnett (22 points, 8 rebounds), Pierce (22 points, 8 rebounds) and Sam Cassell (17, including the decisive 3-pointer in the final minute). When they obliterated Houston’s NBA season-best 22-game winning streak on Tuesday, it was Garnett (22 points, 11 rebounds), Pierce (20 points) and Leon Powe (21 points on 8-of-12 shooting). The common thread between the games – and the one that perhaps bodes best for the postseason – is that Celtics coach Doc Rivers now has the ability, with his deep bench and varied scoring options, to counter almost any strategy or lineup an opponent can present. Against the Spurs, he went to Cassell and House in the backcourt together for a long stretch of the fourth, and they each hit a big 3-pointer while helping spread the floor for Garnett and Pierce. Against the Rockets, when Cassell struggled at times, Rivers went with Rondo in the backcourt in the second half and relied on a bigger lineup overall with James Posey playing 29 minutes off the bench. While Posey was scoreless, he was a major factor in keeping Houston’s Tracy McGrady to eight points in 34 minutes. The best case of matchup effectiveness was the two-day routine of Powe, who had a DNP-CD against the Spurs on Monday and then scored the 21 points in 20 minutes off the bench against the Rockets the next night. It is the type of minutes maneuvering that can have a tenuous effect on egos over the course of a season, in general, but somehow seems to work out just fine when you are 54-13. The Celtics are far from done running the gauntlet. They travel to Dallas to finish the Texas Triangle tonight (TNT, 8 p.m.). Then it is off to New Orleans to face another contender for the top seed in the Western Conference on Saturday. Next week, the Celtics return home for two more Western challenges against the Suns (Wednesday) and the Hornets (Friday). After that, the final 10 games of the season will be a lot of tuning up for the playoffs with the best record in the NBA largely secured. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, the Celtics could be doing so as the widely acclaimed team to beat for the title no matter how much they will try to claim otherwise.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Mar 20, 2008 6:55:27 GMT -5
www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x898889453Celtics have all the right answers Questions about the team are no longer relevant as it makes a run at the NBA championship. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza gatehouse news service Posted Mar 19, 2008 @ 11:25 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BROCKTON — Since the beginning of the season, the Celtics have been viewed as a championship contender in the Eastern Conference. By the end of next week, they might finally be considered the championship favorite in the NBA. Despite having the best record in the league the entire campaign, many projected Boston’s regular-season dominance more conservatively in the postseason. How would they do in a seven-game series against Detroit or Cleveland where matchups — and a coaching staff’s ability to exploit or control them — close any gap in skill differential? What would happen when the champion of an Eastern Conference met up with the survivors of a Western Conference? In a league where the teams whose cores have played together the longest — with the 2006 champion Heat a notable exception — tend to do best in the playoffs, what would be the fate of a Celtics squad with nine new players on a 15-man roster? All legitimate questions. Over the past few days, though, the Celtics have provided some legitimate responses with impressive, back-to-back victories over two Western powerhouses. Coming off Friday’s 18-point loss to the Jazz, Paul Pierce vowed, “I am not even worried about our focus (the next night in Milwaukee). The way we lost tonight, I can assure you that we will have a very good focus.” While the 99-77 whipping of an undermanned and overwhelmed Bucks team could have been predicted, the consecutive victories over the Spurs (93-91 on Monday) and the Rockets (94-74 on Tuesday) were harder to forecast. All three of the victories came without injured guard Ray Allen (sore left heel) and came with different players leading the way. On Saturday, it was Eddie House with 17 points off the bench to go with Kevin Garnett’s team-high 19 points. In the decidedly more significant comeback from a 22-point deficit against the Spurs on Monday, it was Rajon Rondo (20 points), Garnett (22 points, 8 rebounds), Pierce (22 points, 8 rebounds) and Sam Cassell (17, including the decisive 3-pointer in the final minute). When they obliterated Houston’s NBA season-best 22-game winning streak on Tuesday, it was Garnett (22 points, 11 rebounds), Pierce (20 points) and Leon Powe (21 points). The common thread between the games — and the one that perhaps bodes best for the postseason — is that Celtics coach Doc Rivers now has the ability, with his deep bench and varied scoring options, to counter almost any strategy or lineup an opponent can present. Against the Spurs, he went to Cassell and House in the backcourt together for a long stretch of the fourth quarter, and they each hit a big 3-pointer while helping spread the floor for Garnett and Pierce. Against the Rockets, when Cassell struggled at times, Rivers went with Rondo in the backcourt in the second half and relied on a bigger lineup overall with James Posey playing 29 minutes off the bench. While Posey was scoreless, he was a major factor in keeping Houston’s Tracy McGrady to eight points in 34 minutes. The best case of matchup effectiveness was the two-day routine of Powe, who had a DNP-CD against the Spurs on Monday and then scored the 21 points in 20 minutes off the bench against the Rockets the next night. It’s the type of minutes maneuvering that can have a tenuous effect on egos over the course of a season, in general, but somehow seems to work out just fine when you’re 54-13. The Celtics are far from done running the two-week gauntlet. They travel to Dallas to finish the Texas Triangle tonight (TNT, 8 p.m.). Then it’s off to New Orleans to face another contender for the top seed in the Western Conference on Saturday. Next week, the Celtics return home for two more Western challenges against the Suns (Wednesday) and the Hornets (Friday). After that, the final 10 games of the season will be a lot of tuning up for the playoffs with the best record in the NBA largely secured. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, the Celtics could be doing so as the widely acclaimed team to beat for the title no matter how much they will try to claim otherwise.
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