Running Blog: Snowed In

Posted by Adam Hart December 19, 2008 at 11:00 pm

Just finished shoveling my massive driveway in exactly 59 minutes. I’d like to see Michael Phelps attempt that feat. But we’re not here for Olympic endeavors. It’s time for Celtics v Bulls. Let’s do this. Read more

Running Blog: Celtics, Hawks — The Final Minutes

Posted by Adam Hart December 17, 2008 at 11:07 pm

So I’m enjoying the family and some holiday laughs, when all of the sudden I realize that the Celtics are in a neck-and-neck battle with the Hawks. Then I do what any sports blog nerd would do — I immediately begin running… Read more

Sweet Seventeen

Posted by David Green June 18, 2008 at 5:00 am

Where do you start? How do you even begin to talk about the Celtics’ domination on the parquet Tuesday night?

It was total. Unrelenting. Humiliating. And for Celtic fans, it was the most impressive and enjoyable 48 minutes in a long, long time.

A magical second quarter broke the Lakers’ spirit, meaning Game 6 would not feature yet another huge Finals comeback. How good was the 2nd? Try 11 assists on 11 baskets. An 11-0 run courtesy of supersubs James Posey and Eddie House. A 9-0 run going into halftime that turned a 14-point lead into 23… a run that “buried the [Lakers] emotionally,” according to Phil Jackson. You know what? The Zen Master was right.

The second half was a glorified victory lap for this team that brought glory back to Causeway Street after a 22-year hiatus that seemed decades longer. While L.A. couldn’t get anything going, the C’s got everything going. The Celtics had a Finals record 18 steals, including 6 from Rajon Rondo, whose pestering, aggressive defense set the tone early. The rebounding edge was 48-29 — including a 14-2 edge on the offensive glass, as L.A. couldn’t grab a single offensive rebound until the 4th quarter.

You could marvel at the stats of this one for ages. The 39-point margin of victory was the largest for a clincher in Finals history, and just a couple of points shy of the worst beating in any Finals contest. Ray Allen’s 7 threes tied another Finals record. (By the way, can anyone remember all the concern about Ray Ray’s struggles early in the playoffs? Yeah, didn’t think so.)

By the way, do you want to talk about home-court advantage? The Jungle earned its nickname in this series, especially compared to the disinterested crowd that sauntered into the Staples Center. I was there for Game 3, and I was embarassed by the atmosphere. The crowd made more noise when Hugh Hefner was shown on the Jumbotron than when some guy named Earvin Johnson made an appearance. On Tuesday, the place was rockin’ from the opening introductions, and it never let up until the last piece of confetti finally touched down on the parquet. The official attendance was 18,624 but it felt like thousands more.

The scene in the locker room afterwards was one of total jubilation. I’ll admit it; my job has many perks, but nothing I’ve experienced to this point compares with being in the middle of the madness Tuesday night. Even now, as I’m watching the trophy presentation on the ESPN replay at 4:49 a.m., I’m still at a loss for words. While it felt amazing to watch the Sox and Patriots spray champagne after their championships, the sting of having champagne and beer sprayed in your eyes as it’s happening is a much better experience.

Now it’s time for yet another parade in Titletown. I’m guessing a few people might call out sick on Thursday to watch the Celtics roll through the city on the Duck Boats that Doc took the new Big 3 on way back at the start of the year. Doc told them that’s how Boston celebrates champions… now they’ll get to see exactly what it’s like.

Collins: The bench stepped up big time

Posted by Chris Collins June 13, 2008 at 1:51 am

NECN’s Chris Collins says it was the Celtics’ bench that stepped up and made the biggest comeback win in NBA Finals history possible. The Celtics won 97-91 in Game 4, and their 17th NBA championship is just one win away

Collins: It’s all about bouncing back

Posted by Chris Collins June 12, 2008 at 5:52 pm

NECN’s Chris Collins says tonight is all about bouncing back for the Celtics. They will have to do that with an injured Rajon Rondo, who says he is ready to go, but will obviously not be 100 percent. Collins previews game 4.

Morning Coffee

Posted by Mike Giardi June 12, 2008 at 9:43 am

Early morning thoughts while being thankful that I never said anything bad about Texas outfielder Milton Bradley (at least, as far as he knows or I’ll admit)…

- You know how athletes like to blame the media for taking quotes out of context, or being overtly negative? Apparently Curt Schilling doesn’t need our help. He can do it all on his own. Never mind the fact that he was right about Kobe. Schill objects to having clubhouse business spilled out on the back pages of newspapers, but obviously has no problem laying the hammer on a guy he doesn’t even know, playing for a team he doesn’t know. Hypocrisy anyone?

- I don’t spend too much time worrying about the Pats and their habit of not disclosing injuries. I mean, why should I, and more importantly, why should they? Ellis Hobbs was right earlier this week when he said the opposition will go after you if they know you’re hurt. I don’t see how the NFL can make them tell the truth. If Hobbs ends up getting scratched, they could say he slipped on banana peel the morning of the game. How can the league prove that wrong? So that said, I think Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo blogging about his ankle injury is the height of stupidity. Unless he’s setting the Lakers up for something, there is absolutely no reason for it. I guess its youth…or something.

- Did you see Bill Simmons claim that Kevin Garnett didn’t sleep for like 4 days straight in the Detroit series? Am I suppose to be impressed? As a professional insomniac, I can triple that with no effort. But seriously…KG needs to dial it down a bit. Part of being great is getting a handle on your emotions and managing your intensity. 1st Quarters mean as much as 4th Quarters on the scoreboard, but its those final 12 minutes that determine a player’s legacy. I suspect Garnett knows that, even bleary eyed…

- If Rondo doesn’t play tonight, or is ineffective, how does Doc handle it? Pray that Eddie House’s dribbling skills have taken a quantum leap in the 48 hours since the C’s and Lakers last played? Hope that someone got the smelling salts for Sam Cassell? Mercifully, LA doesn’t have a Lindsey Hunter type to hound the ball, although Jordan Farmar did a pretty good job Tuesday. I suppose you could have Pierce and/or Allen bring the ball up, but I have to believe that would impact the offense in a negative manner. The more I think about it, the more Rondo just has to pull a Pierce, put on a Cape and play Superman…or at least the Green Lantern or Flash Gordon (I loved the Green Lantern as a kid, but you gotta admit, his gimmick was pretty lame. Not as lame as the Wonder Twins, but I digress…)

- If you don’t like “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret” by Queens of the Stone Age, I’m not sure we can be friends.

Help Me Rondo

Posted by Mike Giardi June 9, 2008 at 5:19 pm

16 assists. 2 turnovers. If that wasn’t the very definition of what you want from a point guard, than I don’t know what is. Rajon Rondo didn’t shoot very often - reluctantly hoisting up just 4 shots - but he was, arguably, the reason the Celtics built up a 24-point 4th Quarter lead. It was a Jason Kidd type performance, except from a man much smaller than the aberation that is the Mavs floor general.

But I’m not here to toast Rondo. I treat point guards exactly the way Doc Rivers does. And if the second-year playmaker from Kentucky deserves praise for getting the C’s way out in front, he also deserves criticism for not seizing the leadership mantle and preventing the Lakers from making a nearly miraculous comeback. I mean, run the offense! Almost that entire final quarter was spent pounding the ball on the perimeter and watching the shot clock and the game clock. That took the C’s out of an incredible offensive flow.

It also sucked some of the energy out of the Green Team at the other end, and the next thing you know, Vladimir Radmanovic is the next coming of Larry Bird, dropping in 3’s like they were uncontested layups. To say it got uncomfortable in the Garden would be an understatement. There was a nervous buzz, a “this can’t really be happening” feel. Point the finger at the player with the rock in his hands.

I’ll tell you what, I would not want to be Rondo today and in tomorrow’s walk-through. That film session probably caused some bruises…physical and mental. One example of “here’s how you did it right,” followed by two of, “and this is what you did wrong.” Rondo has proven confident enough to handle it, and handle the responsibility of running a team that features three All-Stars. All he needs to do now is do it well two more times - simply by running the offense -and he’ll likely be feeling pretty good as that parade trickles down Boylston Street…

Big Papi and Big Hoops

Posted by Mike Giardi June 3, 2008 at 7:15 pm

Before I get on to the Celtics, let me just say that the David Ortiz injury worries me, but I won’t get panicky unless the wrist won’t get right. Right away you worry about Manny. Unless J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell and Chris Carter (no, not that one. He spells it Cris…and he’’s an idiot) rake, there is absolutely no reason to ever throw Manny a strike again. And the Sox slugger is such a patient hitter, he’ll take walks. I say if Ortiz misses a month, Manny will take between 35 and 40 base on balls during this stretch. Its great for the OBP, but dudes below him better swing big bats or you might be talking about a couple of walks per game.

The only reason I don’t get crazy is because the Sox are better built to manufacture runs then they’ve ever been in my lifetime, even more so if Coco could get on base every once in a blue moon. Jacoby Elllsbury has a chance to be a very special player, and I wasn’t convinced that would be the case 7 or 8 months ago.

As for the Celtics, another busy day at the team’s practice facility in Waltham. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce held court for a second day, basically repeating their takes from a day ago. I get the feeling that Ray may have a good series now that his confidence has been restored. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind if Kobe tortures him for 40. Hey, I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid.

Other bits and pieces…Kendrick Perkins thinks that Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess got him well prepared for Pau Gasol. In fact, I think Perk thinks this will be an easier task. You know what? I think he’s right.

Sam Cassell thinks there’s very little pressure on Rajon Rondo. He said it was similar to his situation in his rookie season with Houston, when he didn’t have any plays designed for him, and didn’t need to carry the offense. Cassell noted he had Hakeem and Clyde Drexler - 2 Hall of Famers - and Rondo plays with 3 future HOf’ers. The late-season acquisition also noted that nothing prepares you for the NBA Finals. The atmosphere is “crazy.”

James Posey wouldn’t reveal just how much time he’ll get matching up with Kobe (see my one-on-one interview with him on NECN.com), but says that its all about “team defense,” again a theme that has been very prevalent these last couple days (and all season, of course). It will be crucial for the C’s to make sure Kobe has to work defensively as well, something they did a nice job with in the two regular season meetings.

Doc Rivers is a huge fan of Derek Fisher, citing his character and basketball smarts. The C’s tried to get Fish this offseason, but he was no dummy, sticking to his West Coast roots and Kobe. Can’t blame a guy for that.

Paul Pierce thinks Kobe has great trust not just in Gasol, but all his teammates, and Doc feels like Phil Jackson has loaded up on shooters when those two are on the floor, making life easier for both, and Lamar Odom.

More tomorrow….

4 Wins Away From Glory

Posted by Mike Giardi May 31, 2008 at 5:55 pm

Quick thoughts on what I just saw from the Celtics and questions I have on the series ahead.

1. Rajon Rondo is driving me nuts. His inconsistencies are not just game-to-game, but possession to possession. I’m on record as saying he’s the C’s most important player. He sets the tone defensively, and he’s responsible for getting this team moving offensively. But there have been too many times this postseason that the Green team is grinding to a halt in the halfcourt…and how can you put it on anyone else but Rondo? Take charge and finish this run off!

2. I’m an unabashed Kendrick Perkins fan. Man works like a kid forced to pay his way through college. Those lumbering legs never stop moving, and he made an indelible mark in the Pistons series. That 18-point, 16-rebound, 2 block performance in Game 5 goes to the head of his resume. but there are so many subtle things he does defensively. I’m assuming he gets Paul Gasol in the Finals. A difficult challenge, but if Perk is allowed to body Gasol, he could slow the Lakers gifted center (who’s really a power forward).

3. The C’s bench didn’t have big numbers in Game 6 versus Detroit. But their contribution was huge. I don’t want to get too simplistic on you, because are so many factors that go into winning, but when the bench plays well, the C’s have won in these playoffs.

3a. On that note, does Leon Powe reemerge in this series, or is it too late for him? They could use a little offense on the second unit, and if Cassell isn’t hitting jumpers, Powe seems to be the obvious choice.

4. If Phil Jackson pilots L.A. to a title, he’ll break Red Auerbach’s record of 10. Now there aren’t too many players on this current C’s team who got to spend any considerable time around Red, but man, they gotta do it for the old coach. You know he’s looking down, chomping on that stinky cigar, probably cursing at the refs. He is the Celtics. And it would be nice to deny a somewhat smarmy Jackson of that honor, even if he gets it eventually.

5. Do you just let Kobe get his, and focus on shutting down the solid supporting cast? I mean, I’m not suggesting you single Kobe up and let him torture you 1-on-1, because if you do that, he’ll beat Ray Allen and James Posey and whoever else tries to “D” him up off the dribble, and your big men will be in foul trouble from the word “go.” But if you devote too many resources to him, the Lakers have far more talent than LeBron had alongside. In other words, the Cavs took the C’s 7. If the C’s play the Lakers that way, they’ll get taken out.

6. Be prepared to hate Sasha Vujacic. The floppy-haired guard is a certifiable pain-in-the-butt. Also be prepared for me to butcher his name. Hey, you gotta know your strengths and weaknesses. That name will be on the negative side of the ledger.

7. Is it Thursday yet?

Classic

Posted by Randolph Charlotin May 18, 2008 at 9:37 pm

While game seven wasn’t easy on the hearts of Celtics fans, you have to admit that you were glad to witness a duel between Paul Pierce and LeBron James that will go down in history. Give ESPN a week and the game will be re-run on their Classic network.

That was what a game seven is supposed to be: Competitive from beginning to end with superstar performances. King James vs. The Truth. Already it is being compared to the Larry Bird-Dominique Wilkins showdown and Pierce-James belongs in that class of unforgettable duels.

Everyone knew LeBron was due for a dominant offensive performance and boy did he bring it. After having trouble getting to the rim all series, he bullied his way to the rim, either finishing or getting the foul. And his unreliable jumper became money in the bank from all locations. It couldn’t be more evident than the two 3-pointers he nailed in the fourth quarter as he carried his Cavs team, preventing Cleveland from falling too far behind.

Not to be out-done was Pierce, nearly matching James point for point. From the very beginning Pierce set the pace, taking James one-on-one with spins, drives, fadeaways, and off repeated screens. As the teams played into crunch time, the ball was in Pierce’s hands to either take his defender or create for a teammate.

Despite a 45-point performance, King James’ efforts came up short for two reasons.

1. It wasn’t the King’s court. The home team never lost a game during this series. Thanks to home court advantage, the Celtics had the deciding game played on the parquet with Red Auerbach’s name on it.

2. The King’s loyal subjects were nowhere to be found. Only Delonte West, the other Cavalier in double figures with 15 points, showed up to play alongside James. 7-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskaus’ performance shrunk the deeper the series went. And old friend Wally Szczerbiak turned in a 0-3 for zero points performance.

While Pierce was used to carrying a team, other stepped up for Boston, unlike the past few years for The Truth. P.J. Brown came off the bench with 10 points and two key baskets down the stretch: a put-back of a Rajon Rondo air ball with 2:45 left and calmly hitting a jumper with 1:21 remaining. Eddie House and Ray Allen sunk their free throws during foul time. And, of course, Kevin Garnett was present during the whole game with 13 points and 13 rebounds. But a late turnaround jumper helped the Celts maintain a lead they never relinquished.

Isn’t it kind of funny looking back at how the focus had been on Garnett throughout the playoffs? In everyone’s mind the fate of Boston was placed in his hands. Ultimately Garnett played Antoine Walker for Pierce, stepping aside for the team’s best offensive machine to carry the team to victory. Remember, it is Pierce, and not Garnett, that is the captain of the Celtics. And in game seven, Pierce showed why he still is.

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