Jeff Howe is an award-winning sportswriter who is
in his second season as the lead writer on the Celtics beat for the Boston Metro.
Howe has worked at the Metro for two years as the GameDay editor. He has also
covered the Patriots for two seasons. Howe graduated from the University of
Massachusetts in 2006. He can be reached at jeff.howe@metro.us.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 11:19 a.m.
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have promoted Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ainge to President of Basketball Operations. The team also announced Ainge’s contract has been extended.
“Danny has been a key part of building our World Championship team and basketball program,” Boston Celtics Managing Partner and Co-owner Stephen Pagliuca said in a statement. “He represents all that is the best of Celtics Pride and we applaud his success.”
Ainge was
the 2007-08 NBA Executive of the Year and was named to the position of Executive Director of Basketball Operations after the 2002-03 season. Ainge is currently in his sixth year in the position and his 14th overall with the organization.
“Danny
was visionary as he assembled the players who brought home our
17th banner,” Managing Partner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck said in a statement. “His
work ethic, character and insight earned him Executive of the Year and
earned us a world title."
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 27, 5:01 p.m.
Since the season starts tomorrow, I figured I'd lay down my predictions for the 2008-09 season:
MVP: LeBron James, Cavs
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Comeback Player of the Year: Elton Brand, 76ers
Sixth Man of the Year: Ben Gordon, Bulls
Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat
Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Trail Blazers
Executive of the Year: Ed Stefanski, 76ers
Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics over Cavs
Western Conference Finals: Hornets over Jazz
Champions: Celtics in six
Finals MVP: Ray Allen, Celtics
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 21, 4:54 p.m.
I've got a few interesting notes that will appeal to Celtics fans, particularly those with tickets to the regular-season opener next Tuesday.
First, not that it's much of a secret, but the Celtics officially announced today they'll be raising the 2008 championship banner and presenting the players with their rings before tip-off, so it's worth getting to the Garden as early as possible. Paul Pierce will address the crowd before the game, and the Celtics will wear special championship-edition uniforms during the game. There will also be a collection of Celtics legends on hand for the pregame ceremony.
Second, Kevin Garnett will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated's NBA preview edition, which hits newsstands tomorrow.
And finally, I received a press copy of the DVD, "Return to the Rafters," which hits stores next Tuesday. It takes viewers through the 2007-08 season with a mixture of highlights, behind-the-scenes action and also follows the lives of a handful of Celtics fans. Overall, it was definitely an entertaining DVD, and the behind-the-scenes action will give Celtics fans a unique perspective. The press release says there are 40 minutes worth of bonus clips, but that wasn't available on the pre-release DVD so I can't comment on those. I won't give it a grade, but I will say this: It's definitely worth watching and probably worth the $20 for diehard Celtics fans.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 19, 6:44 p.m.
Breaking down the Celtics' 83-66 win against the Vince Carter-less Nets today at the Garden:
Gabe steps in: Second-year point guard Gabe Pruitt started in place of Rajon Rondo, who has a sprained ankle, and played exceptionally well for someone who has never seen significant minutes in a Celtics uniform. Pruitt had 11 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and seven assists while playing a game-high 43:48, which he said was probably the most minutes he's ever played in a game in his life. Pruitt can be a pure scorer, but that's not his role with this team and he did everything Doc Rivers has been hoping he'd do since he kept Pruitt in Boston over the summer to improve his game. He managed the offense well, moved the ball and knocked down a few jumpers, which kept the Nets from doubling off of him. The rebounding number is absurd, and he was pretty good on defense. He's not the pickpocket Rondo has become, but he never really got lost on rotations and held Devin Harris to 0-for-8 from the floor. Pruitt drew the largest media crowd in the locker room after the game as a result. The performance probably didn't solidify his spot on the regular rotation, but it certainly gives the coaching staff and his teammates a whole lot more confidence when he's in the game.
Perkins getting it back: Kendrick Perkins had his best preseason game, scoring a team-high 18 points and pulling down nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end. He said it's the best he's felt during the preseason while he's been trying to get back in shape after offseason shoulder surgery caused him to miss the first three games. Rivers said Perkins generated a lot of the statistical production because the starters played so well as a whole, but that's typically the case when Perkins goes big like that. Perkins said after the game he hopes to get back to 100 percent by the regular-season opener next Tuesday.
Sweet 16: The Celtics have until next Monday to cut one player from their roster to get down to the league-mandated 15 players. Darius Miles is probably that guy (check tomorrow's Metro for my breakdown), and he didn't do a lot this afternoon to stand out. He had two points, one rebound, one assist, two blocks, two turnovers and three fouls in 11:19 of action. When I asked Rivers about the roster after the game, he said, "I pretty much know where we want to go, if you want me to be honest." Rivers has said all along he hopes to make the final cut as soon as possible in order for that player to get a chance to land on another team, so a decision may come very soon.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 19, 5:56 p.m.
The Celtics rolled past the Nets, 83-66, today at the Garden. Gabe Pruitt and Kendrick Perkins were particularly impressive. I'll have the breakdown coming shortly.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 19, 5:25 p.m.
The Celtics have a 65-51 lead after the third quarter here at the Garden. Kendrick Perkins leads the way with 18 points and nine rebounds. Leon Powe left the game and disappeared into the locker room a few minutes ago. He was slightly limping and seemed to be favoring his left leg. I'll pass along more info if it becomes available.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 19, 4:55 p.m.
The Celtics hold a 48-40 lead over the Nets at the half. Without Vince Carter in the lineup, the Nets are hardly good enough to compete with most college teams. Darius Miles got into the game for six minutes during the second quarter, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound. He looked pretty good defensively, though he was guarding Yi Jianlian, who isn't a very difficult assignment.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 19, 3:39 p.m.
Rajon Rondo just addressed the crowd before tip-off and said, "Enjoy the game, and let's go Red Sox." He clearly knows how to appease the Boston fan base.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 19, 2:54 p.m.
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will not play today because he said his sprained right ankle is still a little too sore. Rondo hurt his ankle while backpedaling early in the third quarter Friday night against the Knicks. He was originally in the starting lineup today, but he and Doc Rivers decided after the shootaround it wasn't worth risking further injury. Rondo said he would be playing today if it were a regular-season game, and he said he'd "probably" play Tuesday against the Knicks. Gabe Pruitt will start in place of Rondo this afternoon.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 10:28 p.m.
Breaking down tonight's 104-97 Knicks win at the Garden:
Defense a step slow: New coach Mike D’Antoni clearly has his team pushing the ball all over the court, and the Celtics’ defense – mostly the second unit – was a step behind through much of the night. Without Kevin Garnett in the game, the interior defense was suspect, too, and Glen Davis really struggled against Zach Randolph, who is the size of a Ford F350. Patrick O’Bryant didn’t get into the game until late in the third quarter, but they were much better defensively in the paint with him in.
Rondo’s injury: Rajon Rondo left the game in the third
quarter with a sprained right ankle. Doc Rivers said Rondo could have played if it were a regular-season game, and Rondo will only play Sunday against the Nets if he is 100 percent.
C-Notes: Glen Davis has a nice jumper, but it’s highly unlikely Doc Rivers wants Davis putting it on display unless he’s wide open. Davis took a few contested jump shots tonight and missed them all. … J.R. Giddens didn’t get in the game, but he was the biggest cheerleader on the Celtics’ bench. He was jumping all over the place every time Eddie House hit a 3-pointer and making noise when the Knicks were shooting near the C’s bench. That’s nice to see from someone who’s been the best player on his team throughout pretty much his entire life but hasn’t gotten much playing time yet for the Celtics.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 10:01 p.m.
The Knicks took down the Celtics, 104-97, at the TD Banknorth Garden. Eddie House led the C's with 27 points, including an impressive night from long range. I'll have the breakdown shortly.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 9:22 p.m.
The Knicks opened it up a bit and took an 84-76 lead after three. Rajon Rondo's night is over after spraining his right ankle early in the quarter. He finished with seven points and three assists. Eddie House played the point for the duration of the third quarter once Rondo left the court.
C-Notes: Billy Walker was the first rookie off the bench but was a non-factor over the final 2:04 of the third quarter. ... Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett diffused a four-on-one early in the quarter. ... Darius Miles hasn't checked into the game, but he's been on the stationary bike a couple times to keep the knee loose.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 9:06 p.m.
Rajon Rondo sprained his right ankle during the first two minutes of the third quarter, came out of the game and went to the locker room with trainer Ed Lacerte. Rondo will not return to the game, according to the Celtics.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 8:38 p.m.
The Knicks took advantage of the Celtics' second team early in the second quarter to grab a lead, but the C's starters took control late and the teams are tied at 56 at the half. Tony Allen looked really good on the offensive end, especially when he drove to the bucket. He went in strong five times, scoring on three occasions. The other two times, he drew a double team and fed Leon Powe for a huge dunk on the weak side, and Allen also caused Quentin Richardson to foul him with a desperation hand check. If Allen keeps this up, he might average eight to 10 points per game with the second unit.
Kendrick Perkins had himself a nice spurt, streaking down the court for an easy fast-break dunk and then returning to the other end to swat David Lee's lay-up bid.
The one issue for the Celtics in the second quarter was their interior defense, which allowed a lot of shots in close, though Stephon Marbury was able to offset those chances by blowing a bunch of lay-ups. Hey, when you're playing the Knicks, you don't always have to be at your best.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 8:04 p.m.
The Celtics lead the Knicks, 26-22, after the first quarter. Starters Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo played the entire quarter, and Kevin Garnett played 11 minutes. They looked a little cold early in the quarter, but they were also taking a lot of jump shots. The Celtics started to create a little separation once they started working toward the paint and spreading the ball around the court, and the ball movement was very sound. Garnett, in particular, made two great passes that led to easy lay-ups. Allen also looks sharp from the outside, obviously a good sign as he's been shooting it well throughout the preseason.
One interesting note is the rims are miked up a little louder than usual, so much so that there were a few occasions when some of the big men could be heard yelling while battling for rebounds.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 7:39 p.m.
The introduction of the starting lineups had a different feel tonight, as the lights stayed on and there was no amped up video preceding what is usually a very entertaining spectacle. No need to worry, the Celtics are clearly keeping that in the bag for the regular-season opener. Kendrick Perkins also addressed the crowd -- which is half full, at best -- prior to tip-off, calling Celtics fans the best in the world and asking for their support "as we defend our title."
One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post, Doc Rivers said he anticipates playing the starters a little more tonight.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 17, 7:11 p.m.
The Celtics return to the Garden (4-1) tonight for the first time since circling the city on the duck boats in June, and the new-look Knicks (1-2) await. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said during his pregame press conference he sees a looser, happier Knicks team under first-year coach Mike D'Antoni, who replaced Isiah Thomas. Rivers made that assessment just by looking at the Knicks on tape, and he thinks that will instantly translate into a better team on the floor this season.
As for the Celtics, they're trying to extend their preseason winning streak to five games, and Doc Rivers is mostly impressed with where his team is currently at as far as preseason progress is concerned. Tony Allen sparked the C's with 32 points last night, and Rivers said Allen is looking much more confident mentally, which was his primary issue last season as he recouped from his knee injury. Rivers' most interesting comment of his pregame meeting with the media was that Allen wouldn't have been able to score 32 points last season -- preseason or not -- because he wouldn't allow himself to pull off the slashing moves and explosive maneuvers around the net due to his unwillingness to trust his knee.
Rivers also said Kendrick Perkins looks like his old self, except he's still not in basketball shape, which has caused him to tire in the second half of games. Rivers joked that Perkins got pump-faked by a center outside of the 3-point arc last night, a result of how getting physically tired can make someone mentally tired, as well.
The locker room scene was pretty bare, but one item of note is Billy Walker and J.R. Giddens -- the dunker and the defender, respectively, as they call themselves -- have lockers next to each other. Walker is in Scot Pollard's old locker. Everyone who returns from last year's team is slotted in the same spot.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 8, 7:52 p.m.
As a UMass alum (have I told you that before?), it's going to take a lot to rip the old stomping grounds. When seats at the media table (mine and at least seven others) were sold to the public, causing us to move midway through the second quarter, it's time to rip away. As one scribe put it, "You get better treatment at a high school football game." The folks at UMass had a chance to put on a show for the media and choked. I should be surprised. Should.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 8, 6:29 p.m.
With Kendrick Perkins taking the night off and the rest of the starters looking at limited action, here are a few things to look for as the Celtics take on the 76ers at the Mullins Center.
How has Tony Allen improved? Allen was fine from a physical standpoint last season, but he hadn't recovered mentally from the knee injury. He didn't really get it going -- outside of a few occasions during the regular season -- until deep into the playoffs. By that time, Doc Rivers didn't have Allen in his plans. Allen has a chance to step in as a sixth-man type if he can bring the defensive tenacity he's shown in the past. He should be involved in the offense tonight and could put up double-digit points.
Gabe Pruitt's first test. Pruitt will get a good look as the point guard throughout the preseason, and his primary objective is to keep the offense running smoothly with Rajon Rondo on the bench.
Patrick O'Bryant gets his shot. With Perkins facing very limited preseason action due to shoulder surgery, O'Bryant has a chance to turn some heads and become the primary backup center. The 7-footer is the only true center on the bench.
How has Glen Davis improved? Davis stayed in Waltham over the summer along with Pruitt at the request of the coaching staff. He's in better shape, and his minutes will increase.
What kind of shape is Darius Miles in? Miles is attempting to be the first player in NBA history to return to the league after facing what doctors termed a "career-ending injury." He's currently the 16th man on the roster and will have to make the team, but his back is really against the wall in that regard. He's admittedly not back at 100 percent, so we'll see if he can step in during the preseason and force Rivers and Danny Ainge to give him a roster spot.
How will the rookies mix in? J.R. Giddens and Billy Walker will get their playing time. As I wrote earlier, Armond Hill is going to keep them on the court providing they don't hurt the team.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 8, 6:16 p.m.
Doc Rivers also did not make the trip to Amherst tonight because he's dealing with a family situation home in Orlando. Rivers and his family were awarded guardianship of one of his son's friends last week, and there was an issue as to whether or not he could join his new high school's basketball team after transfering.
Tom Thibodeau will take over the coaching duties tonight, and Armond Hill addressed the media before the game.
Hill said the starters could play about 24 minutes tonight. When asked what he is looking for the younger players to do while in the lineup, Hill said, "that they're not going to hurt us."
Ray Allen spoke to a few of us earlier and touched on a number of things, including the UMass-UConn rivalry in the 1990s that was basically non-existent due to the fact that the teams stopped playing each other.
Allen also said he was hanging out with Michael Jordan on the golf course over the summer, and Jordan said Allen and the Celtics winning their first championship "was lucky." It wasn't to be taken as a knock on the Celtics, just that Jordan has an ability to talk as much trash as he so desires because he's won six rings. "It's his way of saying congratulations," Allen said with a smile.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 8, 5:44 p.m.
Just got back from sunny San Diego and getting ready here at the alma mater for the Celtics' preseason opener against the 76ers at the Mullins Center at UMass.
The plan tonight is still a little up in the air, but I'll take you all the way through the game just like last season. Ah, it's almost like the first day of school.
I'm going to peak around and see what the locker room availability looks like with Doc Rivers and the players, and I'll check back with a few things to keep an eye on tonight and through the rest of the Celtics' preseason. We know two things right now: Kendrick Perkins will not play tonight (though he did make the trip to Amherst), and Sam Cassell did not make the trip due to personal reasons.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Sept. 10, 2:51 p.m.
The Celtics announced today they have extended Doc Rivers' contract. Yahoo! reports the deal runs through 2010-11 and is worth a base of $5.5 million per year with postseason incentives that could raise the salary to $7 million.
"We are pleased to be able to extend Doc’s contract," Celtics GM Danny Ainge said in a statement. "Doc molded a championship team last season through his leadership and we are confident that he is the man to lead this franchise on the court now and in the future."
Breakdown
Doc Rivers has been the subject of a lot of criticism, both this season and prior to his success with the Celtics, but he did a tremendous job during their championship run, in my opinion. My only issue with him came with taking away Eddie House's minutes in favor of Sam Cassell, and that didn't even last very long.
We've seen a shift in coaching philosophies over the last decade in professional sports. With higher contracts and bigger egos among the newer generation of players, coaches are forced to adapt. It's not always about X's and O's anymore, as a lot of teams have become successful based on chemistry. More than anything, players in the Celtics' locker room trusted and respected Rivers, and that allowed him to get the best out of them last season. No question, talent helps, but a lot of talented teams refuse to buy into their coach and they underachieve as a result.
The Celtics have made Rivers a happy -- and financially secure -- man, and that's only going to help the organization for the next three years.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Aug. 22, 1:37 p.m.
The Celtics today announced the signing of forward Darius Miles, a freak athlete who is looking to prove his worth in the league while coming off microfracture surgery on his right knee. The team did not disclose terms of the deal, but the Boston Globe reported it's a non-guaranteed contract, meaning Miles will be forced to make the team.
“Darius has been in twice for workouts with us and has impressed us with his progress, health, and attitude,” Danny Ainge said in a statement. “Darius will have the next couple of months to prove to myself and Coach Rivers that he can help us win.”
“ I’ve watched the Boston Celtics play a lot last year and loved what I saw in their teamwork and chemistry on the court and it’s the team that I want to try to resume my career with.” Miles said in a statement. “I am excited about having an opportunity to play on a team that I feel my personality fits with and a team that can have great success on the court.”
The Breakdown
Miles, who is 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, was averaging 14.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game with the Blazers in 2005-06 before suffering the injury. He hasn't played in either of the last two seasons. Suns center Amare Stoudemire is the most notable NBA player to have undergone the surgery, which typically takes two years of recovery time.
Ideally, the Celtics are hoping Miles can come off the bench as a scoring option for the second unit in a similar way they would have used Corey Maggette if he had signed with Boston. That, however, is the absolute best-case scenario. Rivers and Ainge have said they wanted to get more athletic during the offseason, and Miles improves that area immediately.
It will take some work for him to make the 15-man roster. The Celtics return their five starters, plus Eddie House, Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt. They've also brought in free-agent center Patrick O'Bryant and rookies J.R. Giddens and Billy Walker. Miles would be the 15th player on the roster, meaning he's got an inside track to make the team as the roster currently stands.
Overall, the Celtics have nothing to lose with this signing, and it's a good pickup in my opinion.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Aug. 6, 2:01 p.m.
The Celtics announced their 2008-09 regular-season schedule today, and they kick off their title defense at home against the Cavaliers on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. The contest will be nationally televised (the first of 25 such games next season), and the Celtics will be presented with their world championship rings before tip-off.
As anticipated, the Celtics will visit the Lakers at the Staples Center on Christmas at 5 p.m.
You can find their entire schedule by clicking 
here.
Posted by Jeff Howe, Aug. 6, 1:44 p.m.
The Celtics will open their preseason schedule at the Mullins Center at UMass, my alma mater, against the 76ers on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. This is the second bit of good news of the offseason for UMass basketball fans, who finally watched Travis Ford take his second foot out the door after the team's NIT run.
Enough with the ranting, here is the the Celtics' preseason schedule:
Oct. 8 -- Philadelphia
76ers -- Mullins Center – UMass-Amherst (Amherst), 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 -- Cleveland
Cavaliers -- Dunkin’ Donuts
Center (Providence), 7:30
p.m.
Oct. 11 -- Houston
Rockets -- Verizon Wireless Arena (Manchester, N.H.), 7:30
p.m.
Oct. 14 -- Cleveland
Cavaliers -- Petersen Events Center
(Pittsburgh), 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 -- New Jersey
Nets -- Izod Center (East Rutherford,
N.J.), 7:30
p.m.
Oct. 17 -- New York
Knicks -- TD Banknorth
Garden, 7:30
p.m.
Oct. 19 -- New Jersey
Nets -- TD Banknorth
Garden, 3:30
p.m.
Oct. 21 -- New
York Knicks -- Madison Square
Garden (New York City), 7:30 p.m.
Posted by Jeff Howe, July 9, 12:19 p.m.
The NBA announced today its salary cap for the 2008-09 season will be $58.68 million. The luxury tax level is set at $71.15 million, meaning any team that exceeds that limit must pay a $1 tax for every $1 it spends past the tax limit. Also, the mid-level exception is $5.585 million, which is slightly lower than the $5.8 million that was projected in many media reports. The league minimum team salary is $44.01 million, which is 75 percent of the cap.
Last season, the cap was at $55.63 million with the tax level at $67.865 million and the mid-level exception at $5.356 million.
What this means for the Celtics: The C's currently have nine players under contract (their five starters plus Brian Scalabrine, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt), and those contracts add up to about $71.37 million, already putting the Celtics over the tax number. No worries there, because ownership has already given Danny Ainge the liberty to spend freely.
However, due to the complexity of the NBA's soft salary cap system, the Celtics can only spend their mid-level exception on free agents, whether they're returning players like James Posey or Eddie House or players from another team. Additionally, the mid-level exception can be spread out to multiple players.
Finally, the Celtics' draft picks can be signed without that money affecting the mid-level exception. Their salaries are predetermined by the league anyway.
Posted by Jeff Howe, July 7, 3:41 p.m.
Mark Bartelstein, the agent of both James Posey and Eddie House, said just a little while ago there is nothing new to report on his two free agents.
Bartelstein said there are a number of teams interested in his clients, and there is no timetable for either to sign a contract, whether it is with the Celtics or another team.
"It could be tonight, it could be tomorrow, it could be next week," Bartelstein said.
Posted by Jeff Howe, July 2, 2:15 p.m.
The Celtics announced that center
Kendrick Perkins and second-round draft pick Bill Walker both had successful surgical
procedures today at New England
Baptist Hospital.
Perkins underwent arthroscopic left shoulder surgery while Walker underwent arthroscopic right knee
surgery. Both surgeries were preformed by team physician Dr. Brian McKeon, who was assisted by Dr. Alan Curtis and
Dr. John Richmond.
Posted by Jeff Howe, July 1, 7:51 p.m.
The Celtics introduced rookies J.R. Giddens, Billy Walker and Semih Erden to the media today at their practice facility in Waltham. As Giddens began to hold up his jersey for a photo op, he appeared to have to pause to collect himself as it started to hit him that he has finally arrived.
Giddens will wear No. 4, Walker will wear No. 12 and Erden, who is under contract to play in Turkey for one more season, has No. 86. Giddens brought his father, Charles, and AAU coach, Al Johnson, to the facility today.
Walker, who tore his right ACL during his freshman year of high school and his left ACL 18 months ago during his freshman year at Kansas State, will undergo a scope of his right knee. Walker says it's minor surgery to repair his meniscus (he said it would take about 20 minutes, and he can walk out of the hospital right after), and he'll be faced with about three or four weeks of rehab before he can get back to action. While he doesn't know how he injured the knee, he said he felt it during a pre-draft workout at Golden State. He plans to attend the Celtics' rookie camp this week to meet the coaches and watch from the sideline.
"Getting injured is something nobody can control," Walker said. "You can just walk into your car funny, and it can happen. All you can do is just prepare to go out there and be the best. You can’t really think of that."
Walker also doesn't have an agent because he considered returning to school if he didn't get drafted. He really doesn't need one now because rookie contracts are set by the league, and there's very little negotiation involved between the player and team.
Here is my favorite quote from Walker today: "I’m not nervous. I know how to play this game. I’m excited to go in there and compete with Paul Pierce. I want to see where my game is at compared to his. He’s a competitor, too, so I’m pretty sure he’s not going to want to let me come here and try to show him. I plan on learning from him, not trying to step on anybody’s toes."
Erden spoke through a translator and said he was in New York City during the draft. He watched the first round at the ESPN Zone in Times Square -- I can't speak for his basketball skills, but I'll be damned if I ever say a bad thing about the ESPN Zone -- and then watched the second round in his hotel room.
Giddens spent a decent amount of time answering questions about his issues off the court and his label as someone with character issues.
I'll tell you straight up, I've been around all types of people in this business, and Giddens comes across as a really good kid who is funny, personable and passionate about the game. Granted, he was only there for about an hour, but it was evident that he wanted to be there with the media. He's also got an extremely good relationship with his father, who Giddens says would work three or four weeks at a time without a day off to support his family because his mother, Dianna, is disabled and cannot work. Time will tell how much playing time Giddens earns next season, but Celtics fans will definitely embrace him.
Lastly, Danny Ainge said he will consider sending Giddens and/or Walker to play in Europe depending on what happens in free agency. Ainge also noted he began inquiring about adding second-round draft picks around the 34th selection last week. I asked if that was strictly because Walker was available, and Ainge said there were a pool of players the Celtics were interested in.
The Celtics' rookie/free agent camp begins tomorrow and is scheduled to run through Friday. Giddens, Walker, Erden, Gabe Pruitt and Glen Davis will all be present, along with whichever rookie free agents the Celtics sign or invite between now and then.
Posted by Jeff Howe, July 1, 6:38 p.m.
As I posted earlier, the Celtics have offered a contract to James Posey, according to both Danny Ainge and Posey's agent, Mark Bartelstein. Still, Bartelstein says Posey is looking around to see what else is out there for him.
"He’s a free agent," Bartelstein said. "Right now, we’re seeing what the market holds. There’s obviously a lot of teams interested. He’s a guy a lot of people would like to have.
"We’re talking [with the Celtics], but he’s out there, and we’ve got to kind of see what happens. He’s got great feelings for the Celtics. The Celtics have been great with him. We’re certainly going to talk to them, but right now, he is a free agent. He’s got great feelings for Danny and Doc, and if we can get something done, that would be great."
Also, the Celtics failed to extend a qualifying offer to Tony Allen, which makes him an unrestricted free agent. Allen entered the offseason as a restricted free agent, and if the Celtics gave him a qualifying offer -- in his case, it was $2.7 million for next season -- they would have been able to match any contract offer from another team. Allen also could have simply accepted the offer, which would limit the Celtics in the free agent market. The Celtics are already limited enough, as they're over the salary cap and can only sign players using the midlevel exception (reportedly around $5.8 million). Now, Allen is free to sign with any team he wants.
"I’ve assured Tony that this doesn’t necessarily close the book for him here," Ainge said today. "We like Tony. We think he’s moving forward in his career, and if things might not work out with James [Posey] or other free agents for that matter, then Tony would be a guy we would be interested in returning to the Celtics."
Clearly, Ainge is focused on re-signing Posey first, and Eddie House's return may hold precedence over Allen's. In addition to that, Ainge said the Celtics are speaking with free agents outside the organization. Allen, then, looks like a Plan C or D.
"Tony may get something that entices him to change scenery," Ainge said, "but he knows that he would be welcomed here in the right circumstance depending on what happens in free agency.
" With our team right now, we have a lot of people that want to come here and play for the Boston Celtics, so that’s a good thing."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 30, 7:09 p.m.
The Celtics will introduce the three players they acquired in last week's NBA Draft tomorrow at 2 p.m. at their practice facility in Waltham. Make sure to get In the Paint tomorrow to hear what J.R. Giddens, Billy Walker and Semih Erden all have to say about their newest team.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 27, 5:03 p.m.
Like I said before, I'm not a fan of assigning grades to teams for their performances during a draft, but I have no problem evaluating them in other fashions. Here's how I saw everything develop yesterday, from trades to draft picks and everything else (side note: the teams are not ranked from top to bottom inside each category):
Best in show:
Bulls: They didn't out-think themselves. They simply took the best player in Derrick Rose. It should be interesting to see if they can trade some of their younger pieces for some veteran presence that might turn them into a contender.
Pacers: They got rid of Jermaine O'Neal, landed T.J. Ford and acquired Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. That's some solid work in a 24-hour stretch. They probably won't contend with the current group -- not next season -- but I like their direction.Golf clap:
Celtics: I forgot to mention this in my previous post. While originally wondering why the Celtics passed up on Chris Douglas-Roberts for J.R. Giddens, I later heard the two matched up during the pre-draft camp at Golden State, and Giddens out-played CDR when they were on the court together.
Warriors: They took Anthony Randolph from LSU, a big guy with a ton of potential who they're hoping to pair alongside Brandan Wright down on the block for the next dozen years.
Rockets: Joey Dorsey is the third member of the Memphis crew who I think will have a nice career. Great defender who rebounds and plays with a nasty edge, which the Rockets badly need. Donte Greene could turn into a solid player, too. Now, if they could just turn Tracy McGrady into a winner.
Clippers: Not like it matters in the grand scheme of things, but Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan should be good players in this league. Right before they reach that point, though, the Clippers will trade them or let them walk.
Grizzlies: The trade could have long-term cap ramifications, but acquiring O.J. Mayo -- the third best player in the draft, in my opinion -- was a move that required creativity, and they pulled it off. Darrell Arthur was another bargain. Mayo and Rudy Gay could turn into one of the league's most creative duos.
Sonics: Russell Westbrook is a point guard whose play is dictated by his defense. Sound familiar, Celtics fans? D.J. White was a very good college player, and DeVon Hardin could turn into a hard-nosed big man who could protect the paint for Kevin Durant. The biggest question of the Sonics' draft is which city should be more excited about it: Seattle or Oklahoma City?
No harm, no foul:
Hawks: They didn't have a first-round selection because they sent it to the Suns for Joe Johnson a few years back.Posted by Jeff Howe, June 27, 2:38 p.m.
OK, so it's the afternoon after, but when you've been awake for a little less than three hours, it's all the same, right?
I really like what the Celtics did last night, considering the position they were in with their late picks. At 30, I was convinced Chris Douglas-Roberts was their guy, and based on pure speculation -- same position, similar skill set and probably a touch of personal bias after seeing CDR play down in Memphis last November -- I have a feeling Douglas-Roberts was the second guy on the Celtics' radar when their pick came up.
Either way, J.R. Giddens sounds like he could be a tremendous talent, and the thing that really, really sticks out to me is he led the Mountain West Conference with 8.8 rebounds per game last season as a guard. Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge love his defensive ability, and he's got the ability to do other things than score, which will get him immediate playing time.
As for sending cash to acquire Billy Walker from the Wizards, I mean, wow. Washington is obviously looking to scrounge up the money to keep Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, so it may have worked out for both sides. But if the Wizards don't re-sign their star pair, they could look back on that decision as a serious opportunity lost. Walker played high school ball with O.J. Mayo and college ball with Michael Beasley, so he's been overshadowed his entire career. The knee issue raises a flag, but the Celtics could afford to gamble in this draft for obvious reasons. Walker can flat-out play, and anyone who watched the Big 12 tournament and NCAA tournament a few months ago knows this.
Ainge's ability to draft tremendous talent has been his best asset since joining the Celtics' front office, so he's earned the right to receive the benefit of the doubt. I'm not a fan of assigning arbitrary letters to grade teams in the days following a draft, but the immediate aftermath looks good once again for the Celtics. I'm not sure they could have done much better than they did with the acquisitions of Giddens and Walker.
Shortly, I'll break down the league's 30 teams and their performances on draft day.
Posted by Jeff Howe, July 27, 12:40 a.m.
Heading into the draft, the Celtics had four players they were targeting with their 30th pick. By the time they were on the clock, two were left, and J.R. Giddens was one of them. Doc Rivers would not say who the others were.
The Celtics had Giddens work out at their practice facility in Waltham yesterday, and his work ethic put Rivers over the top. Giddens had been on Danny Ainge's radar for quite some time now, though Giddens wasn't sure where he would be selected in the draft. In fact, no one from the Celtics called him until after the pick was announced, so Giddens was surprised and overjoyed at his college practice facility in New Mexico, where he watched the draft with his coaches, teammates and close family members. He received a phone call from Ainge afterward.
Giddens said he thought he could be selected by Memphis at No. 28 or the Celtics at No. 30, but if he fell into the second round, he had no idea where he would land.
Rivers said there were some trade calls as the night progressed but "none that went anywhere."
Giddens knows Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe, who were both part of the high school class of 2003.
Lastly, here are some other quotes about the Celtics' first-round selection. You may want to first check the post below to get caught up on Giddens' file before you read these quotes:
Rivers:
"I really like J.R. I think he’s athletic, skilled, great in-between game, offensively, one of the reasons I liked him and Danny obviously liked him was we think he has a chance to fight for minutes right away because of his defense. He’s got an incredible wingspan, great feet, and defensively, he can be an NBA player right away. The other things we’ll work on, but we really like him."
"I think he may have been young and immature at times. I think he’s grown up, and I think he’s shown that. He showed that last year that he’s matured."
"Everyone gave him pretty much a good review. Back then, obviously, he was young, immature. Not a bad kid is what we kept hearing, but very immature and has matured."
"One of our needs was athleticism. We felt one of our weaknesses was we were very skilled, but we’re not very athletic as a group. We needed to improve our athleticism."
Giddens:
"I think I’m kind of long and athletic, and that’s one of the ways to get playing time, going out to try to D guys up to the best of my ability. I had to match up with guys bigger and smaller than me [at yesterday's workout], but I didn’t give up. I just went out there and all out on every possession, tried to compete and let these guys know if they picked me I would do anything to help them win. Defensively, I’ll try to bother people as much as I can and help them in that way."
"I never thought it would be the Celtics until I actually worked out for them and felt like those were one of the teams that were really interested in me. After that, I was just praying I could even be a part of that organization. Deep down, after I worked out there and got a chance to meet with everybody, I felt if I could be a part of this, it would be a blessing. Now, my dreams are coming true because I’m going to a place full of history, deep with tradition."
"I feel like I’ve overcome all those [off-court transgressions], and they’ve made me the man and ballplayer that I am today. I didn’t go through all those things for no reason. I just feel like it helped me build the character that I have now. It’s made me a better ballplayer."
"Just a young guy, immature, made some bad decisions. I didn’t put myself in the best positions, and now that I’m older, I feel like I do a lot better decision making, making the right choices and staying on the right path."
"I got to see a lot of the Celtics. Larry Bird and Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, all those guys were great players. My father followed basketball, so I got an earful of Celtic basketball, Celtic pride, watching them play those historic games against the Lakers like they did this year."
"I just want to give a shout out to the Boston Celtics organization for giving me a chance. Thank you so much. And the city of Boston , I can’t wait to get there and be the best Celtic I can be."
Ainge:
"I think he’s more talented than the 30th pick in the draft."
"First of all, I’m confident that he’s a good kid. Second of all, the fact that the kind of team we have is going to make him a better kid and make him more mature and more accountable for any behavior that he might slip up. I’m confident in his own right that he’ll be fine, I don’t think that J.R. is as mature as I’d like to see yet. I don’t think he’s as disciplined, and our veterans are, and I think they do a good job of that and it will make him better."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 26, 11:58 p.m.
The Celtics sent cash to the Wizards for Kansas State forward Billy Walker, who was the 47th pick tonight. Walker was somewhat under the radar because he played alongside Michael Beasley last season, but the kid is a great athlete who plays strong defense and can score inside.
Then, the C's wrapped up the night by selecting Semih Erden, a center from Turkey, with the 60th pick.
Danny Ainge is going to address the media in a few minutes, and I'll check back in with another update on J.R. Giddens, who also spoke to the media via conference call a little while ago.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 26, 11:42 p.m.
J.R. Giddens is 6-foot-5, weighs 215 pounds and can play shooting guard and small forward. He's 23, a bit old coming out of college because he transferred from Kansas after his sophomore year and had to sit out a season before playing his final two years at New Mexico.
Giddens was the Mountain West Conference co-Player of the Year last season, averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 rebounds (league high), 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He's a great athlete and exploded for a few big games last season -- 36 points, 11 rebounds, six steals vs. Wyoming; 20 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists vs. UTEP; 28 points, 17 rebounds vs. Utah in the first round of the MWC tournament; 26 points, 13 rebounds, six assists vs. Cal in the first round of the postseason NIT.
Doc Rivers loves his defensive ability and said he's got a chance to earn some minutes right away because of his work on that end.
Giddens has had some off-court troubles, most notably during a bar fight in May 2005, when he was stabbed in the leg. That was one of the reasons that caused him to transfer from Kansas.
Giddens was a McDonald's All-American in high school and was the 17th rated high school prospect according to ESPN.com in 2003. He committed to Kansas and former coach Roy Williams, but after Williams left for North Carolina, Giddens thought about revoking his scholarship. However, incoming coach Bill Self convinced Giddens -- a prized recruit in that class -- to go to Kansas anyway. After putting up 11.3 points in his freshman year, he only scored 10.1 as a sophomore, drawing criticism about his work ethic and willingness to get better. The off-court troubles eventually led to his transfer to New Mexico.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 26, 10:28 p.m.
A lot of things seemed to fall the Celtics' way tonight, and they wound up drafting J.R. Giddens from New Mexico with the 30th pick in the draft. Doc Rivers will address the media in a few minutes, and Giddens is expected on a conference call soon after. I'll have more coming in a little bit.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 26, 9:30 p.m.
We're 21 picks deep here, and I'm scratching my head over the Suns' selection of Robin Lopez. Of course, for a team that is used to skipping the draft altogether, I can see how they can completely whiff on this one.
These teams know Darrell Arthur is still around, right? Washington? Cleveland? Charlotte? Anyone awake?
The Nets acquired Yi Jianlian today and drafted Brook Lopez and and Ryan Anderson. That team is getting Tall with a capital T. Same can be said for the Raptors, who got Jermaine O'Neal to go alongside Chris Bosh and then drafted Roy Hibbert. I'm still not sure whether or not Hibbert will pan out, but his size and ability to take over games for two minutes at a time are certainly intriguing qualities.
I read a comment from a Blazers beat writer who said if Portland wins a title at some point in the next three or four years, they're not going to stop winning them for another 12 years. Adding Jerryd Bayless certainly legitimizes that claim. If this team can learn how to win sooner than later, crown them as the next dynasty.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 26, 8:20 p.m.
I just spent about an hour at the party for season ticket holders in the Legends Room down the hall, and there's a nice buzz around the place. Danny Ainge kicked the event off with a quick speech to the crowd, and Doc Rivers spoke to the media shortly afterward.
Most notably, Rivers said they had their crop narrowed down to four players who they'd like to take with the 30th pick. That's way down from the 23 Danny Ainge said the Celtics were targeting yesterday at 1 p.m. Rivers also said if given the chance, he'd take the same 15 guys from this year's team and make a run with them next year. He did mention that he thinks P.J. Brown wants to retire as a champion, but Rivers joked he could retire as a champion next year as well.
I spent a couple minutes with Dana Barros, who spent a lot of time this season working with Gabe Pruitt. Barros said this summer is going to be very important for Pruitt, and he wants the USC product to come to work with more of a killer instinct. Barros wants Pruitt to be more consistent with that mentality, and he's hoping Pruitt comes to practice every day challenging Rajon Rondo for his spot. Pruitt can play both guard positions, but Barros said the Celtics expect him to take the backup point guard role next season. I'll have more on this topic coming at some point in a few days.
Rivers will speak to the media after the first round, and Ainge (and maybe Rivers) will talk after the draft is over.
Through eight selections, I think this draft has gone according to the script. I wouldn't have roasted the Heat had they taken O.J. Mayo, but I think Michael Beasley was the right choice. You don't even need to get me started on Derrick Rose. That kid will be a no-doubt superstar in this league for 12 years, and the Bulls have the youngster they can finally build their franchise around. There are a lot of nice pieces on that roster, but none will have the impact of Rose.
As a side note, this draft is a thousand times better to cover than the NFL Draft. Five minutes between first-round selections is nothing short of awesome.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 26, 6:25 p.m.
All set up here at the Garden, which is serving as the Celtics' headquarters for tonight's NBA Draft. The Celtics are scheduled to pick 30th and 60th, and their first pick probably won't happen until about 10-10:30. Make sure you keep checking here throughout the night, as I'll offer my thoughts on some of the bigger happenings as the draft unfolds. As always, I'll also do my best to set the scene around here, which is currently very quiet.
For starters, you can check out my column from today's paper, spotlighting some of the Celtics' options.
A few highlights from Danny Ainge's conference call yesterday:
And, because I know you care, I've got a couple opinions to share on the recent trades across the league.
First, if Jermaine O'Neal wasn't happy in Indiana, I'm not seeing how he could be happy in Toronto. However, if he does get his act right, and he can stay healthy -- big if, I know -- that front line with O'Neal and Chris Bosh is downright scary. I don't agree with the notion that the Raptors are the third best team in the East, but it definitely puts them in the same category as Orlando, at least on paper.
I think the trade is great for the Pacers, who rid themselves of a serious malcontent who wasn't going to get them over the top. T.J. Ford can be a top-level point guard in the league, and they can use this draft to acquire some solid talent as the team rebuilds. Larry Bird knew restocking the franchise was in order, and he accomplished the first step. As we all know around Boston, drafting well can lead to a highly beneficial trade down the road.
With the other trade, I have no idea what the Bucks are really thinking. At least, that's my initial reaction. Richard Jefferson isn't going to be the answer -- in Milwaukee, just like he wasn't in New Jersey -- for a team that underachieved last year. Plus, I think Yi Jianlian could really develop into something special. It won't happen next year or maybe in the next two years, but there's enough in his game -- the outside shooting and quick moves in the paint -- to warrant developing him for a few years. After all, the Bucks drafted him last year fully knowing he didn't want to go to Milwaukee, but they understood the talent was there. Why give up on him after the PR nightmare they endured a year ago? For the Nets, this deal frees up cap room -- $10 million, according to ESPN -- and gives them a nice player to go along with Devin Harris, who they acquired by trading Jason Kidd.
So, I give the edge to the Nets and Pacers in those two trades, but the Raptors could end up as winners in their own right down the road.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 19, 5:22 p.m.
You can check out this story in tomorrow's Metro (with breathtaking colors that will smell of rich mahogany), but I figured I'd give everyone an early taste today. Here is a breakdown of everyone's status heading into next season:
Paul Pierce: The Finals MVP re-established his superstardom from six years ago. Though Pierce was tremendous all season, he was legendary in the playoffs. He is locked up for three more years and about $60 million, and the 30-year-old will stay in his prime through the course of that contract.
Kevin Garnett: The most intense man to walk through the Garden doors in the history of the franchise is signed for four more seasons and $81 million. By nearly all accounts in the Boston media, Garnett was the league MVP this year. His biggest challenge will be maintaining his focus after reaching the pinnacle. At 32, he’s relatively young, but next season will be his 14th. Like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, just keep him fresh for the postseason.
Ray Allen: He proved in the Finals that he’s not just a sharpshooter, and his overall game is grossly underrated. Allen’s best night as a Celtic came in the Game 4 comeback, when he played 48 minutes of incredibly intense basketball, which started with defense and rebounding. His record 22 3-pointers in the series were helpful, too. He’s 32 and signed for two more years at $36 million.
Rajon Rondo: The claim that Rondo, 22, is the future of the franchise may not be off-base. He’ll be tremendous next season, when he is signed for a bargain $1.6 million. He’s got a team option for $2.6 million in 2009-10, and he is a restricted free agent after that, so the Celtics are in good hands for awhile.
Kendrick Perkins: It’s way too easy to forget that Perkins, who just played his fifth season, is only 23 years old. He’s a savage rebounder and physical brute in the paint, and we may not see how good this kid can be for another three to five years. He’s currently locked up for three more seasons at $12.5 million.
James Posey: The Celtics’ offseason focus starts right here. Posey can choose to pick up his player option for one more year at $3.5 million, or he can become an unrestricted free agent and test the waters. At 31 and a career journeyman, he’s coming off his most high-profile campaign and could draw a long-term contract from a team looking for grit. Posey has two championships, so it would be hard to blame him for going after some financial security. After seeing the Heat crumble following his departure, it would be wise for the Celtics to extend him for three years to make him – along with his teammates who adore him – happy. You could liken Posey’s situation to that of Mike Lowell’s. On paper, the Celtics can win without Posey, but that’s not a theory worth testing.
Tony Allen: Without question, this was his toughest season coming off a devastating knee injury. He was inconsistent with minimal playing time, and as a restricted free agent, the Celtics can match any offer from another team to bring him back. Allen would be worth one more year.
Brian Scalabrine: For someone who never set foot on the court in the postseason, it took a lot of brass to throw stones at the media for picking the Lakers to win the title. Either way, the fan favorite is signed for two more years at $6.6 million.
Leon Powe: This diamond in the rough is due to earn $800,000 next season, and he has quickly developed into the role player every team covets.
Glen Davis: He is due to make a little less money than Leon Powe next season, but he provides the same value. Davis ’ contributions turned heads across the league during his rookie season.
Gabe Pruitt: For what it’s worth, Pruitt tore up the D-League, and he could grow into a decent backup for Rajon Rondo. He won’t get the sole rights to those keys next season, but expect him to get an increased opportunity, pending next week’s draft.
Eddie House: He is an unrestricted free agent who Doc Rivers would love to bring back, but after losing a lot of minutes in the playoffs despite a very strong regular season, House may decide to look elsewhere. He’s only 30 and would definitely be a smart investment for another couple years.
P.J. Brown: The 38-year-old was semi-retired before signing with the Celtics in February, and he was much more valuable than anyone anticipated. Brown, an unrestricted free agent, said he’s unsure if he’ll return for another season after winning his first title, but he did say if he was promised he’d be in the same spot next June, he’d sign right now.
Sam Cassell: During the locker room celebration, Cassell said sternly, “I’ll be back [for another season].” Whether or not that is with the Celtics remains to be seen for the unrestricted free agent. Doc Rivers loves him – and so does Kevin Garnett – so it’s possible.
Scot Pollard: Injuries plagued Pollard’s season, which was tough for a guy so well liked in the locker room. It’s a good bet he’s played his last game with the Celtics.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 18, 3:11 p.m.
Kevin Garnett had the analogy of the night when he described winning the championship and hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
"You ever go to school and you had that bully mess with you every day?" Garnett said. "I know
everybody, ain't no tough guy here. It's like that bully that you go to school
with every day, and you know when you get out of your mom's or dad's car, you know
you're going to see him as soon as you walk through the doors. He's sitting
there waiting to pat your pockets and mess with you. Then one day you say this
is going to stop today. You walk in and as soon as he pats your pocket, you lay
his ass out. And you see the expression on his face, and you're sort of kind of
shook because you know what? You just knocked the bully out, and you don't know
how he's going to come back. The next morning when you come in and he's not
there, it's like a sigh of relief. It's like getting rid of the bully. It's like
I knocked the bully's ass out. I knocked his ass clean out. That's what it feels
like. For y'all who ain't been bullied, y'all ain't got no idea what I'm talking
about. But for y'all who have, you understand the story."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 18, 2:41 p.m.
After the Celtics dispatched the Lakers in six games last night by the tune of a 39-point beatdown, the largest in a title-clinching game in history, Brian Scalabrine had a message for those in the media who picked the Lakers to win the series.
"Let me break it down for you guys," he said. "A long, long, long time ago, we committed to this team. We committed on the defensive end. We had the personnel to do it. How, when you guys consider yourselves NBA experts, can you pick the Lakers to beat us in six games? We're on TV all the time, so it's not like you don't get to watch us play. I just didn't see it. You guys were so convincing that -- you were so convincing that I maybe thought in my heart that, wow, this is going to be a series. How could that be? I have questions for you guys. We won 66 games, we had the best defense in the NBA. I just didn't see it. I didn't see it."
I didn't see it either, Scal. I picked the Celtics to win in six, correctly calling for the C's to win Games 1, 2, 4 and 6. And for good measure, I had Paul Pierce as the Finals MVP.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 18, 2:17 a.m.
Now that I've regained internet access and cleaned off my booze-soaked clothes from the locker room celebration, I will do my best to capture the spirit of the Celtics' 17th world championship.
First of all, the locker room scene was wild. The players and team staff were jumping all over the place, singing, dancing and spraying champagne on anyone within range. The most common theme from the team were the quotes, "This is why we all came here," and, "They deserved it," in reference to Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
James Posey and Sam Cassell each said this title felt far and away better than their previous ones to the tune of "because it's with the Celtics" in both cases.
Cassell also guaranteed he would be back for another season. P.J. Brown, on the other hand, said he still has to talk it over with his family and think about it some more. Brown did say, "If you can promise me I'll be in this same exact position next year, I'll be here."
Donnie Wahlberg appeared in the locker room later and held court with a few members of the media. He scolded the Lakers' celebrity fans, saying, "Some people like to go out and follow a team when they're winning, but that doesn't happen here. Boston fans are always here." He was then asked if he would brag to some fellow actors and Hollywood types about the Celtics' victory and responded, "I'm not a celebrity. I'm a Boston sports fan first and foremost."
It's been a crazy night, and I'll have plenty more updates tomorrow. Remember, the parade starts at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 17, 8:53 p.m.
The crowd at the Garden tonight is so much louder than it was during Games 1 and 2 of the Finals. Obviously, the stakes are a lot higher, but this doesn't seem like the corporate crowd the first two games attracted. A fellow writer compared everything going on outside the building to Mardi Gras.
While walking through the back hallways, it was clear there is a higher police presence ready for anything that may happen postgame.
Doc Rivers also said before the game that Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins will be in the starting lineup.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 17, 6:55 p.m.
... Red said let there be a 17th banner hung from the Garden rafters. In about five hours, we'll all find out whether or not it's a coincidence the Celtics will be going for their 17th championship on 6/17. Remember, though, the Lakers are trying to win their 15th title, and they extended the series with a Game 5 win on 6/15. Have the stars aligned for the C's?
I just had a talk with Celtics media relations director Jeff Twiss, who shared an abundance of knowledge regarding the team's delayed flight, Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins.
First, the easy one. Perkins, who has a strained left shoulder and didn't play in Game 5, is available to go tonight and will be active.
By now, you've heard the Celtics' charter was delayed from LAX to Hanscom Air Force Base yesterday. They showed up to LAX at 10:30 a.m. local time (1:30 ET) for an 11 a.m. flight, but a mechanical issue kept the plane grounded. The Celtics spent most of their time watching Tiger Woods claim another U.S. Open before they finally took off at 2:30, three and a half hours later. They landed at 10:30 p.m. ET after a separate plane, a 757, showed up. Twiss said they were very helpful during the time of potential chaos. Twiss also said plane issues, or "snafus," are common, such as weather delays in Minnesota and the such, but mechanical problems are few and far between. Twiss laughed at the notion that Phil Jackson may have had anything to do with the flight issues but quickly put a squash on that conspiracy theory.
Allen was in L.A. until last night and was expected to fly out around 11 p.m. and land this morning around 6. Allen's son Walker, who is not quite 2 years old, had been undergoing tests at an L.A. hospital to figure out why he was sick. Twiss called it a "good sign" that the family had flown back to Boston, though. Twiss expects Allen to be available to the media tonight, but he will only talk about basketball.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 16, 2:00 a.m. ET
The Celtics have already tied the record with 12 home wins during a single postseason. Tonight, they fell to 3-9 on the road in the playoffs, and nine losses ties the 1994 Knicks for the most ever in a single postseason. This was also the Celtics' 25th playoff game, tying the 1994 Knicks and 2005 Pistons for the most in a single postseason. Both of those teams lost in the Finals in seven games. The Celtics will obviously break that record when they take the court in Game 6.
And finally, Ray Allen will break the record for most 3-pointers in a single NBA Finals if he knocks down three more. He currently has 15 3s in the series. New York's Derek Harper (vs. the Rockets in 1994) and Phoenix's Dan Majerle (vs. the Bulls in 1993) each hit 17 3-pointers.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 16, 1:47 a.m. ET
Kevin Garnett had 13 points and 14 rebounds tonight, including seven offensive boards. He shot 6-for-11 from the floor and missed three of four free throws. He also had two steals and four turnovers, and he was in foul trouble in the first half to the point where he only played 13 seconds in the second quarter.
"My play tonight?" Garnett asked. "It was trash. I played like garbage tonight. I can do better, and I will."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 16, 1:27 a.m. ET
The Lakers blew a pair of double-digit leads tonight. They had a 19-point, second-quarter lead dwindle down to three points at the half before it completely evaporated in the third quarter, and they lost a 14-point lead in less than four minutes in the fourth quarter. This, of course, is after the Lakers blew a 24-point lead in Game 4.
"Well, I went in at halftime and said, 'Thank God we don't have a [big] lead,'" Phil Jackson said after the game. "It's important we don't have something like that because we just don't know what to do with it anyway."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 16, 1:20 a.m. ET
The Lakers beat the Celtics, 103-98, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight. The Celtics lead the series, 3-2, and Game 6 is set for Tuesday night at the Garden.
Ray Allen left immediately after the game tonight and was not available to the media. Doc Rivers issued the following statement regarding the matter: "Ray Allen was forced to leave Staples Center right at the conclusion of tonight's game due to a health issue with one of his children. We ask that you please respect Ray's privacy at this time, and we'll keep you up to date as best we can moving forward."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 15, 11:12 p.m. ET
The Lakers have a 79-70 lead after three, closing the quarter on a 14-6 run. Paul Pierce has played all 36 minutes tonight and looks like he's starting to show it. It might be wise to give him a breather for a couple minutes in the fourth quarter.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 15, 10:18 p.m. ET
It didn't take the Celtics as long to wake up tonight as it did in Game 4. After the Lakers built their lead to 18 points, the C's closed it to within 55-52 at the half. Paul Pierce knocked down a 3-pointer in Derek Fisher's face to complete a late 5-0 run before the break. The Lakers went through another nightmarish stretch, as the Celtics cut into the lead with a 15-0 run to make it 43-39. The Lakers didn't score for 6:56, and they missed 10 straight shots, two free throws and had five turnovers during the Celtics' run. Pierce scored 16 in the quarter and is the leading scorer in the game with 21.
Kevin Garnett will be well-rested for the second half, as he got himself into foul trouble early in the game and spent most of his time on the bench. He picked up a pair of fouls in the first quarter and returned for a whopping 13 seconds before picking up his third foul in the second quarter.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 15, 9:36 p.m. ET
The Celtics have the Lakers right where they want them. After falling behind by 21 points in the first quarter during Game 4, the C's trail 39-22 after one tonight. Kobe Bryant hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 of the Lakers' first 25 points.
Kevin Garnett picked up his second personal foul with 1:08 to play in the quarter, which hurt some of the Celtics' little momentum. They had a 4-0 spurt and cut the lead to 31-19, but the Lakers closed the quarter on an 8-3 run in the last 68 seconds.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 15, 9:02 p.m. ET
Two notes before tip-off. The Lakers are wearing their home whites, which takes nothing away from the historical aspect of this rivalry (sarcasm font). And the media room just went crazy when Tiger Woods sank his birdie putt to force a playoff at the U.S. Open. It might have been the loudest noise this building has heard all week.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 15, 8:39 p.m. ET
Kendrick Perkins will not play tonight due to his strained left shoulder. Doc Rivers said if there is a Game 6 on Tuesday in Boston, it is doubtful Perkins will play in that game.
As an aside, the buzz in the media room right now is centered around the U.S. Open.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 13, 1:31 a.m. ET
The Celtics are one win away from winning their first championship in 22 years. Here is what they had to say about the task at hand.
Ray Allen: "We have a game that we have to play and we have to win, so we're not going to get too worried about what's on the other side of the fence yet. The joy and the journey and the process that we've talked about all year long, enjoy the process and continue the process because the process is going to get us to where we want to go."
Paul Pierce: "Sam [Cassell] and [James Posey], those guys have won championships. They said, 'Hey, the close-out game is the hardest game. You thought this game was hard.' So hey, I don't want to get overjoyed. I want to go out there to try to win Game 5 on Father's Day, and then I'll be able to breathe. Right now, I'm waiting to exhale."
Kevin Garnett: "We know we have obviously one win away from our goal, and that's the focus, nothing more, nothing less that that."
Doc Rivers: "Don't feel it yet. Let's win one first, then I'll let you know."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 13, 1:25 a.m. ET
Paul Pierce told Doc Rivers he wanted to guard Kobe Bryant in the second half. Bryant scored three points and was held without a field goal in the first half when Ray Allen was guarding him, and he scored 14 points against Pierce, who still did a very solid job despite the point differential. That also allowed Allen to create more plays all over the court, and Allen might have had his best all-around game of the postseason tonight. He never stopped moving, even when the Celtics trailed by 24. Allen was surprised by Pierce's request at the half, but it was one he welcomed.
"It was interesting because I know Paul wanted to conserve his energy for the offensive end, and we needed him on the offensive end," Allen said. "I didn't want him to get in a lot of foul trouble, and I had been guarding Kobe for the most part of the series. I knew what [Pierce] was trying to do, and I would have suggested it a long time ago. But it took for Paul to say, 'Let me guard him.' When he said that, I knew he wanted him and he was ready for the challenge. I was like, 'Let's do it. Take him.'"
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 13, 1:21 a.m. ET
As always, Kobe Bryant was good for a couple great quotes after the game. Regarding the Lakers having to win three straight to steal the Finals, he said, "Take one swing at a time to try to chop down a tree."
Even better was his assessment on the game. "We just wet the bed, a big one, too," he said. "One of those ones you can't put a towel over."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 13, 1:14 a.m. ET
Ray Allen has always been known for his shooting more than his driving ability, but he was flat-out impressive when he schooled defensive specialist Sasha Vujacic with 16.4 seconds remaining in the game. Allen called for an isolation, went to the right past Vujacic and switched back to lay the ball in to give the Celtics a 96-91 lead. The Lakers admitted after the game they weren't going to help with a double-team because the Celtics had been shooting the ball so well from the perimeter in the second half.
"We were at the point in the game where they were going to try to foul us, so I just was making sure that I was getting to the ball," Allen said. "If they were going to foul anybody, I wanted it to be me and go to the free throw line. They hesitated, they stayed off the foul, so they got over the half court and I saw the shot clock was running down. Kevin [Garnett] ran up to set the screen, and as he was setting the screen, I told him, 'Back off, let me take him one-on-one.' Five, six seconds left, at least I'm going to get a good shot up. I just made my move, and I looked up and [Vujacic] was behind me and I had the whole basket free and clear. It worked out for me that time."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 13, 1:09 a.m. ET
Kendrick Perkins suffered a left shoulder strain at 9:34 of the third quarter tonight, according to the Celtics. There is the chance it could be worse than that, though, as someone I spoke with who was in the hallway when Perkins went to the locker room said Perkins was screaming loudly about his shoulder pain. Perkins has separated his shoulder in the past, so that's something to keep an eye on.
Rajon Rondo only played 17 minutes tonight, although part of that could be the play of Eddie House. Even still, Rondo has been suffering from a bone bruise in his left ankle.
After the game, Paul Pierce said he tweaked his knee in the game tonight, but the two days of rest before Game 5 should be huge for him.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 13, 1:02 a.m. ET
The Celtics erased a 24-point deficit tonight and beat the Lakers, 97-91, in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the Staples. Center. The Celtics take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 on Sunday night. Since the NBA began keeping play-by-play stats in the 1970-71 season, this is the largest comeback in Finals history.
The Lakers are going to have to pull a rabbit out of their hat to win this one. The Celtics are 47-7 at home this year, including a 12-1 mark in the playoffs. The Celtics have only lost three in a row once this year, and it came during a Western road trip in late February. They've also only lost twice in a row at home one time, Jan. 9 against the Bobcats and Jan. 14 against the Wizards. Those were not consecutive games, though, as there were two road games in the middle.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 12, 11:06 p.m. ET
Out of nowhere, maybe the set of a Hollywood sci-fi set, the Celtics appeared at the Staples Center in the third quarter. The C's closed the third quarter on a 21-3 run and closed the Lakers' lead to 73-71 after three. What was once a 24-point advantage is down to two points for the first time since it was 4-2.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 12, 10:42 p.m. ET
I wanted to mention this earlier, but I was so enamored by this Lakers practice session that I lost my train of thought. I take my hat off to NBA commissioner David Stern for holding an impromptu press conference prior to the game. He held court due to all of the requests for interviews regarding the daily developments in the Tim Donaghy case. Stern made a statement defending the referees, the integrity of the league and then allowed for as many questions as the media desired. Stern didn't say anything otherworldly, and I'm not sure we learned anything we didn't already know, but it's a noble move to make yourself available during such a controversial episode. Stern is the best commissioner of the four major sports in my opinion, and he showed why once again tonight.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 12, 10:30 p.m. ET
Those who paid to get into the building tonight should be asking to recoup half of their ticket price, as the Celtics are churning in a performance that would make the Clippers blush. Jordan Farmar's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Lakers a 58-40 lead at the break, and they appear well on their way to tying the series at two games apiece.
A few notes from that oh-so-entertaining first quarter, which resulted in the Lakers taking the largest lead after one in NBA Finals history. The Celtics missed 13 of their first 16 shots and didn't record an assist at that point, while the Lakers jumped ahead 26-7 and had nine assists on 10 field goals. Kevin Garnett hasn't been able to set the tone on offense by repeatedly taking the ball down low. When jumpers aren't falling for this team -- not Garnett exclusively -- it has to be Garnett's responsibility to attack the bucket. If it doesn't result in easier buckets, it should at the very least slow down the game while he draws fouls. The most disturbing part of the Celtics' game has been their lack of desire on the boards. That's where they dominated in their first two wins of the series, and they're getting slaughtered tonight.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 12, 8:21 p.m. ET
Just a few thoughts after spending a few days wandering around downtown Los Angeles looking for something, anything to do.
From my experience, it's impossible to find an enjoyable bar around the Staples Center. This is nothing like the Garden, where there seem to be more bars than people. If you're looking to sit down and grab a beer, you've got to do it at a hotel or a ritzy place near people who wear suits like they're gym shorts. There is a bar connected to the Staples Center, but the hours seem a little bizarre and unreliable.
If you're looking for some good breakfast food, definitely check out The Pantry, which is located on the corner of 9th and Figueroa. My friends usually laugh at the fact that I can eat about 20 dollars worth of breakfast food at the drop of a hat, and I barely made it through 75 percent of my meal today, which cost 10 bucks.
There's also a really cool mall located a few blocks east of the Staples Center. And get this, it's outside. Apparently, those are the things you can do when it never rains.
After the game tonight, my world tour takes me to San Diego for a couple days, where I'll be taking in the US Open. Life ain't bad, not bad at all.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 12, 8:15 p.m. ET
Rajon Rondo said he's still in a little pain, but he's all set to go tonight. He characterized the injury as a bone bruise. He was shooting around about an hour and a half ago, and he looked fine, though there were times when he favored or stretched out his ankle. He said speed won't be an issue, but he does think the injury will affect his ability to rebound because he's a little timid about landing on someone in traffic.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 11, 6:44 p.m. ET
The most important news of the day regards Rajon Rondo's sprained left ankle. Rondo said last night the pain is on the inside of his ankle, which is something he has never suffered from before. Rondo did return to the game after the injury last night, but Doc Rivers said Rondo would not take part in the normal practice today, which was closed to the media. During the 30 minutes the media was allowed to view the session -- just the team shooting around -- Rondo was out there in normal practice gear taking jumpers. He didn't look hobbled by the injury at first glance. If Rondo is unable to play tomorrow night -- I think he'll be in the starting lineup, for what it's worth -- Rivers noted that Tony Allen could see some more playing time.
Rivers was also asked why he kept telling the team to get their rest following last night's loss. He responded, "How did you know that? You weren't in the locker room." He was then told the world knew about that because it was aired on TV, to which he responded, "We've got to turn those damn TVs off."
Rivers said the team was definitely more tired than normal last night, and there were four or five times when players signaled to be taken out to get some rest, which Rivers said was the first time that has happened. He also burnt a timeout when Paul Pierce got fouled late in the fourth quarter. Pierce was signaling that he was tired, and Rivers thought Pierce was hurt. Burning that timeout was not something Rivers was very happy about.
The Tim Donaghy story keeps stealing headlines across the country, and I vow to stay as far away from that as possible unless something comes out that directly affects the Celtics. Still, Rivers gave his first candid response to a Donaghy question earlier this afternoon. "The whole Donaghy thing just makes me sick, if you want me to be honest. Paul Pierce got injured and we questioned him, but we believe Donaghy? When you think of the logic of that crap, it really, I'm not going to go any further. Our league is a great league, and that stuff bothers me a lot. It really does."
Kobe Bryant was also asked about Donaghy, and Bryant kept giving short responses before saying, "Sorry to be so Belichick-y."
Finally, check out Metro's full coverage tomorrow. I've got a story on Kevin Garnett's struggles and a preview of Game 4. Here's an interesting stat I dug up that I'll let you read early, just because I'm a nice guy:
The Celtics are 31-40 (.437) all-time in Game 4s in best-of-seven series, their worst winning percentage among any game in that regard. During this postseason, the Celtics are 0-3 in Game 4s, the only game in which they have not been victorious.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 11, 6:38 p.m. ET
In case you haven't heard, Curt Schilling went on a rant about Kobe Bryant on his blog, 38pitches.com. Here is the excerpt, which was Schilling's opinion on Bryant after sitting courtside for Game 2.
"From the first tip until about 4 minutes left in the game I saw and heard this guy bitch at his teammates. Every TO he came to the bench pissed, and a few of them he went to other guys and yelled about something they weren’t doing, or something they did wrong."
It's a pretty long post, so click on the link to check out the rest.
Anyway, Bryant was asked today if he had a response to Schilling's words.
"You're asking for my response to it?" Bryant said. "Go Yankees."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 11, 1:07 a.m. ET
The Lakers cut the Celtics' series lead in half tonight, coming out on top, 87-81, in an ugly, blue-collar game at the Staples Center. Neither team had much of a rhythm, sans a pretty good back-and-forth late in the third quarter. Even Kobe Bryant, who scored 36 points, missed seven of his 18 free throw attempts. The Celtics shot just 34.9 percent from the floor (29 of 83), while the Lakers shot 43.5 percent (30 of 69). Each team had 13 turnovers, which was surprisingly low considering neither could sustain a lot of offensive rhythm. Paul Pierce had his worst game of the postseason, going 2-for-14 from the floor, and Kevin Garnett was 6-for-21.
Even Sasha Vujacic chimed in on the teams' poor play, saying, "We didn't play good, but we played good enough."
Phil Jackson said after the game he thought Garnett was tired down the stretch. When Doc Rivers was made aware of Jackson's comments -- the latest among a long line of spew thrown the Celtics' way during this series -- Rivers said, "I'm just surprised he wasn't whining about fouls tonight."
Garnett was asked why he stopped taking the ball to the rim tonight even though it was working well for him. Garnett responded, "I probably do need to take the ball to the basket more."
The most visible adjustment in Game 3 was Bryant defending Pierce with more regularity. "He's a tough cover," Bryant said. "He's a bad boy. He's extremely versatile, go left, go right, shoot it. He's a very tough cover, as tough as you're going to have in the league. I just tried to accept the challenge and tried to make it as tough as I can for him."
Bryant had the quote of the night when he was asked about his struggles from the charity stripe. "I felt like I was in a foreign territory because I haven't been there in so long. It's like somebody took me and just dropped me off in the middle of Shanghai with no translator, you know what I'm saying? And no dictionary. It was crazy."
And lastly, I received an apology on the issue described in the last post. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 10, 10:51 p.m. ET
Well, this is a later first post than I had originally hoped, but I'll explain some of that later. Rather than get caught up on some of the game action, I'm going to borrow a feature from our columns at Inside College Hockey and break down the Staples Center using a plus and minus system.
+ The people who work at the Staples Center -- the Lakers PR staff, ushers, etc. -- are extremely hospitable. They go out of their way to make things as easy as possible for you, and the kids running the elevators are hilarious.
+ The in-game music doesn't come from the PA system. There's actually a band here, which is awesome.
- The atmosphere in the building is pretty boring, especially during the starting lineups. I watched the local news on TV last night (exciting, I know) and there was a feature on ticket prices, which ran from $400 to $700 in the upper section and cost 15 large to sit courtside. I know the people out here have money, but if I spent that much to cheer on a team, you'd be damn sure you could hear me.
- I'm still not really sure why they dim the lights in the crowd.
- The video boards aren't in HD. There's a clear difference from watching an instant replay at the Garden and at the Staples Center.
+ However, the celebrities in the building really seem to get into it when they are shown on the video boards, which creates a laugh. Except for Hilary Duff anyway, or whichever cookie cutter young actress they showed up there.
- Ah, the one we've been waiting for. This minus could use some of the stuff Barry Bonds uses. Anyway, I showed up and realized my name wasn't on the seating chart, so I tried to figure out what the situation was. After being sent all around the building, then outside the building to a couple different trailers and back into the building, I found myself in the NBA communications room. I was advised that was the place to resolve my issue, so I walked in and spoke to a nice woman, who truly seemed as though she wanted to help me out. That's when some crazy old guy storms across the room, yelling that I can't be in the room and then PUSHING me out the door. I wasn't so much as politely escorted out of the room, I was pushed a couple different times by this guy, including when I had my back turned, which shows how much machismo he carried with that awesome mustache of his. I never raised my voice, never insisted I deserved a seat, just wanted to know if there was an error since this has never happened before. Naturally, some might wonder why there were no repercussions. Let's just say the NBA has the upper hand in such a situation and could revoke my credential for the remainder of the Finals if they so chose. Plus, I needed to work on a story, which is a whole lot more important to the newspaper than anything else. Don't worry, though, I've got myself a seat right now.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 9, 5:48 p.m. ET
I'll start off by saying I hope you weren't on the wrong end of this one. After seeing the large contingent of Lakers fans at the Garden last night, though, I'm surprised there were enough left to watch from the Staples Center. That was the most visiting fans I've seen at the Garden in recent memory.
Anyway, there were probably 20 sportswriters on the flight from Boston to L.A. this morning, which made for a good time. Most of them were pretty well-known, and all of them were working on less than two hours of sleep. Hey, it's the Finals. We'll sleep during the draft. Where else will the rest come from heading into the Vegas summer league? After my triumph at Belmont on Saturday, I might just be feeling lucky enough to head to the gambling mecca of the universe.
It's pretty hot here in L.A., but it doesn't sound nearly as hot as it is back in Boston. I drove past the Staples Center on the way to the hotel earlier today, and there are full crews outside decorating the building with the giant Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, posters and everything else. The area definitely has a different feel than the Garden, which seemed like it was set up more like a community. I may be jumping the gun on that notion, and I'll do a better job to fill you in on the local scene when I head there tomorrow.
Well, I just wrote two stories and have been inside all day. Make sure to get your full coverage in tomorrow's Metro. For now, I think it's time to go find 2Pac.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 9, 2:00 a.m.
The Celtics held off a furious rally tonight and hung on to a 108-102 victory at the Garden in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The C's have a 2-0 series lead, and Game 3 is set for Tuesday night at 9 ET in Los Angeles.
Because my alarm is set for exactly two hours from now so I can wake up and jump on a plane, I'll keep the postgame musings short.
First of all, the Lakers' defense was embarrassing. If I were the coach of a team that allowed Leon Powe (or any big man) to drive coast to coast through a set defense and then dunk the ball, I'd pull a Roy Williams and bench everyone.
While the Celtics were happy with the win, most of the postgame talk surrounded their displeasure with the way they closed the fourth quarter. The Lakers ripped off a 31-9 run to draw within 104-102, but Paul Pierce iced the game with a pair of free throws and a block on a 3-point attempt from Sasha Vujacic.
Phil Jackson slammed the officiating in the most indirect way possible. It should be interesting to see if he gets fined. He also set the tone for the remainder of the Lakers to follow suit with the bashing of the referees. While the Celtics were definitely more aggressive than the Lakers, they probably weren't more aggressive by 28 free throw attempts. The C's took 38 free throws to the Lakers' 10, and Leon Powe had 13 on his own.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 8, 10:20 p.m.
The Celtics had one of their strongest quarters of the playoffs, and they lead the Lakers, 54-42, at the half.
The Lakers got Rondo'd late in the second quarter. Rondo came from Cambridge to block a Vladimir Radmanovic 3-pointer, Kevin Garnett hit Rondo with the outlet pass down the court, and Rondo threw down a hard dunk to give the Celtics a 53-42 lead with 1:04 to play.
Sox pitcher Jon Lester was the recipient of the Celtics' Heroes Among Us Award, which they present during the second quarter of every home game.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 8, 9:35 p.m.
Jordan Farmar hit a 3-pointer with a few seconds remaining in the first quarter, and the Lakers have a 22-20 lead heading into the second. Paul Pierce looks pretty good so far, and he's got six points after one. Also, Kobe Bryant picked up two fouls in the first quarter.
Count David Ortiz, Curt Schilling (in a Larry Bird jersey) and Jon Lester among those in attendance tonight. And former Sox first baseman Kevin Millar, who was with the Orioles in Toronto today, is here with Ortiz. Turns out you have a lot of pull in this city when you win a World Series.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 6, 3:06 a.m.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 6, 2:55 a.m.
Just the other day, Jerry West called Kobe Bryant the "basketball Picasso." As it turns out, West must have been speaking into Picasso's bad ear.
Bryant was just 9 of 26 from the floor tonight, and he missed five of his six shots on the fourth quarter and didn't have an assist in the last 12 minutes. While the Celtics' defense deserves some credit for Bryant's mishaps, the real story was the wide open shots he missed. James Posey even said after the game that they need to be better at sticking with Bryant, who finished with 24 points and six assists.
"I had some great looks," Bryant said. "They just didn't stay down. Just pile it in with the other bad shooting games I've had and flush it."
Bryant was visibly disgusted with his off-night.
"I just missed some bunnies," he said. "I just missed some really, really good looks. I'll be thinking about those a little bit tonight."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 6, 2:47 a.m.
Kevin Garnett was very displeased with his individual effort in the fourth quarter. While Garnett finished the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds, he had just four points and three boards in the fourth. He missed five-of-six shots and had a second-half stretch in which he missed nine straight. He also had his hands on a couple more rebounds and loose balls that slipped through his hands.
"Terrible, my fourth quarter was plain out terrible," Garnett said. "I'll be honest. ... I thought I was active. I was talkative, but I could be better and I will be."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 6, 1:19 a.m.
Paul Pierce scored 13 of his 22 points in the third quarter tonight. In the middle of all that, he sprained the meniscus in his right knee. This wasn't quite as dramatic as Willis Reed or Larry Bird, but it was definitely in the same ballpark.
Pierce jumped to defend a shot from Kobe Bryant, and when Pierce landed, Kendrick Perkins stepped on his foot, causing his right leg to bend awkwardly. He was carried off the court and into the hallway with 6:48 remaining in the third and the Celtics trailing 62-58. While most in the building -- Pierce included -- thought the captain was done for the game, if not the series, he returned 1:45 later to a huge ovation from his teammates and the crowd. Just as important, the Celtics outscored the Lakers 6-0 with Pierce in the locker room.
"When I first fell to the ground, I heard a pop in my knee, and all I felt was pain when I grabbed it," Pierce said. "And at that point, I thought it was just, I thought I tore something. That's the way I felt at the time. Usually when I go down, I'm getting right back up, but it was an instance where I turned my knee, and it popped. ... I just couldn't move. Once I got to the back, I felt on it then I stood on my two feet and just tried to see where the pain was at. It was at the inside of my knee. I tried to put weight on it [and] it wasn't bad. I tried to [move] lateral, [and there was] a little soreness. Once I felt I could put weight on it, I was like I had to get back out there to help my ballclub. That was all that was going through my mind, just being a part of it. I just wanted to get back out there.
"I thought that was it. ... The doctor said I have a strained meniscus. We'll see how it feels tomorrow and the next day and go from there.
"I was like, 'Man, it can't be over like this.' You know, I think God just sent this angel down and said, 'Hey, you're going to be all right.' You need to get back out there. Show them what you've got."
Pierce had the knee heavily wrapped after the game, and he was grimacing in pain at times when he moved it during the press conference. He moved very slowly while walking down the stairs after leaving the podium and to the locker room. He admitted his adrenaline may have carried him through the game, but the big test will be how the knee reacts during inactivity tonight. The fact that he was moving much slower 15 minutes after the game ended compared to how he moved during the game may not be a good sign. Either way, it's very difficult to imagine Pierce missing Game 2.
"We'll see," Pierce said. "I mean, it's in pain."
Pierce's return gave a huge emotional boost to his team, but it also helped that he hit all six of his shots in the second half.
"I was surprised," Ray Allen said. "The way he was carried off, it seemed like he was done for the game, and then he came running back on the floor. It was a great feeling for me, and just for me thinking about him because I didn't want -- anytime anybody gets hurt at any point, whether they're on your team or the other team, you just hate to see somebody go through an injury. I was just glad for him that he was fine and that he picked it up. He came back in, and he played well, so it was obvious whatever he did, it wore off."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 6, 12:46 a.m.
Due to the internet dying every few minutes tonight, I couldn't blog during the game. By now, you know the Celtics dispatched of the Lakers, 98-88, in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Game 2 is set for Sunday night at 9 at the Garden.
Now that the internet has so graciously returned, I will start posting some postgame updates.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 5, 7:10 p.m.
We're less than two hours away from tip-off, and things at the Garden are crazy. The food line resembles the wait for the Superman ride at Six Flags, and if you read my post about the connection between food and media during the day of Game 7 against the Cavs, that shouldn't be much of a surprise. If you're going to be in the area over the next few days, make sure to stop around the Garden and check out the atmosphere. There's a lot of fanfare going on outside, and it seems like it would be a fun take.
There's going to be a white-out inside the Garden tonight. Each seat is draped with a white T-shirt with the words "Gotta Beat LA" written in green on the front.
Tonight also starts one crazy sports marathon for me. Besides covering the Finals in both Boston and LA, I'll be at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday and the US Open in San Diego next Friday. And if this series ends in LA, I might pull a Kramer and live out there for a little while. Hey, living out of a suitcase in LA, I'd fit right in.
I'll check back in soon with more updates.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 5, 1:10 p.m.
The 2008 NBA Finals will attract the largest number of international media members in NBA history, according to a statement released today by the league. A
record 280 international media members from 35 countries and territories will be
on-site to cover the 2008 NBA Finals in Los Angeles and Boston.
The Finals will be televised to 205 countries and
territories in 46 languages. In 1987, the last time the Lakers and Celtics met
in The Finals, the games were televised to only 28 countries and
territories.
A record 27 media members from Spain
will be on hand to watch Los Angeles Lakers star Pau Gasol (Spain) play in his
first Finals.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 3, 4:12 p.m.
If anyone knows there is more to life than basketball, it's Ray Allen, who is considered to have the deepest personality on the Celtics. He grew up in a military family and was often moving across the globe, gaining countless life lessons in the process. He is also extremely well-read and has earned the nickname "The Philosopher" from his teammates in part because of that.
The Celtics have lived by the word "ubuntu" since Doc Rivers brought it upon them before the season. It's a word of South African descent and relates to the bond between people. It's a very common phrase used by those affected by the civil wars and diamond crises in Sierra Leone, and I asked Allen if he realized how much ubuntu affects and unites the everyday lives of those struggling through those horrible conditions.
"Where the phrase originated in Africa , all of us would really benefit from probably from going over there and seeing how people live and what it really means for them to stick together," Allen said. "In order to help some of the kids, some of the communities and some of the atrocities over there, from kids diseases, from malaria, AIDS, all the things. We’ve seen a lot of the players going over to Africa and being able to perform clinics and things to affect in a positive way. Only until you see how people withstand adversity in adverse situations will we understand what it really means because we all have pretty great lives compared to I think maybe 80, 90 percent of people around the rest of the world and the third-world countries. It’s hard for us to say we know what it’s like."
After that, I asked if it humbles him to stick by such a strong, meaningful word.
"It definitely humbles you," Allen said. "The closest that we’ve probably come to adversity throughout the year, the holidays you go to childrens’ hospitals that you go to see kids, some kids that can’t walk, some kids that have developed cancer. Being able to give kids Christmas presents over the holidays and things of that nature, you can touch another child that doesn’t have what we have or has been affected by a negative situation. It’s been tough for us because we’ve probably been in negative situations growing up where we’ve had to fight to get to this point from a competition standpoint. But physically not having the ability to do certain things in life, we all have witnessed that and realize that we can affect people in a positive way, so it’s always important for us to help children who are in dire need. We can make them smile and do something for them that can uplift them or even a community."
Sticking with the theme of relatively depressing questions, I asked him if he had spoken with UConn coach Jim Calhoun, who announced over the weekend he is fighting through his third bout with cancer. Allen said he hadn't yet talked to his former college coach, but he felt as though he had because they've been playing such a long game of phone tag.
"Somebody asked if he’s all right, and I said he’s probably playing golf," Allen said with a laugh. "And he actually is playing golf right now in Ohio . It’s ironic because he’s playing in the golf tournament Coaches vs. Cancer. He actually called me last night."
Allen also said Calhoun was one of the most important figures in his growth as a man.
"I would definitely say he’s in my top five," Allen said. "He taught me a lot from a discipline perspective. I always say that I wish kids would go to college, and don’t pick a school because it’s going to be easy. Pick a school where the coach is going to put demands on you, and is going to discipline you and make sure he somewhat teaches you to be a man because I think it’s going to pay off into your career and your life later on. It’s not just about going to school and having a blast in college. I had a blast, but it was under certain circumstances where work is first and foremost. … It definitely wasn’t easy, but a lot how I live today is because of the things that he has instilled in all of us."
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 3, 12:38 p.m.
Still waiting to get into practice, but here is a link from the LA Times detailing the Lakers' hotel issues in Boston this week. Due to a microbiology conference (you can't make this stuff up) and graduations at both MIT and Harvard, there is a real shortage of hotel rooms in Boston right now. The Lakers are flying into the area later today and will stay in Providence tonight before shifting to Boston tomorrow for the remainder of their stay.
Posted by Jeff Howe, June 3, 12:21 p.m.
The Celtics have been practicing for about an hour and 20 minutes today, and things are expected to wind down soon. The curtains in the media room are still closed, though, meaning there could be at least another 15 minutes of practice remaining. Let's all hope things don't last three hours like yesterday. I'll have updates coming later on.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 31, 5:43 p.m.
As you know, the Celtics pulled off their biggest win in two decades last night, taking down the Pistons in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to win the series, 4-2. The C's are making their first trip to the NBA Finals in 21 years, and they'll open up against the Lakers on Thursday. Make sure to check back here often, as I'll be on location with the Celtics throughout the Finals, including a week-long trip to L.A. Here's the schedule:
Game 1 -- Thursday, June 5, at Boston
Game 2 -- Sunday, June 8, at Boston
Game 3 -- Tuesday, June 10, at Los Angeles
Game 4 -- Thursday, June 12, at Los Angeles
*Game 5 -- Sunday, June 15, at Los Angeles
*Game 6 -- Tuesday, June 17, at Boston
*Game 7 -- Thursday, June 19, at Boston
*If necessary
All games scheduled for 9 p.m. on ABC
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 29, 2:24 p.m.
There's been a familiar face sitting courtside for two of the Celtics' home games during the Eastern Conference Finals. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, sitting in the same seats as Jay-Z and Bill Russell, has been cheering on the C's alongside the Pistons' bench in Games 1 and 5.
"I sure did," Belichick said today at Gillette Stadium when asked if he's been having fun at the Garden. "I enjoyed it last night. What an awesome performance. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, [Rajon] Rondo, [Kendrick] Perkins played great and Paul Pierce. It was an exciting game to watch. So was the first one. I feel like the team mascot."
Belichick then went on to note his closer view makes the game look a lot more look football.
"The seats are awesome," he said. "There is a lot of contact down there. It looks like a lot of tight ends playing and bigger. "
Interestingly enough, the Celtics are 2-0 against the Pistons when Belichick is in attendance, but they're 0-1 at home in the series when he's not.
Belichick said he's developed a bit of a friendship with Celtics coach Doc Rivers over the last few years similar to the one he has with Sox manager Terry Francona. Now, Belichick is just taking it all in at the Garden the way his players have been doing all season. Linebacker Adalius Thomas probably leads the Patriots in games attended, but nearly every player of significance on the Patriots has been to at least one game through the playoff run, including Tom Brady and Randy Moss.
"Doc and I have talked several times over the last few years," Belichick said. "He has been really supportive of us, and I really appreciate that. The Celtics take great care of not only me, but you also see a lot of our players at the games. I know all the guys love to get over there and watch those great athletes perform. The Celtics have been great. They have been very supportive of us, and they have taken great care of us and we appreciate it. We are pulling for them. Hopefully, they won’t have to come back from Detroit and play them Sunday [in Game 7]. Hopefully, they can wrap it up in Detroit -- we are pulling for that."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 29, 1:24 a.m.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 28, 11:44 p.m.
The Celtics held on for dear life tonight, beating the Pistons 106-102 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The C's have a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 set for Friday night in Detroit. The Celtics had a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, and the Pistons whittled it down to one point late but couldn't steal the win.
More is coming later.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 28, 9:50 p.m.
The Celtics have a 52-46 lead at the half and closed the second quarter on a 16-4 surge to claim the lead. The Pistons grabbed control early in the quarter, going on a 10-0 run over a 2:42 stretch to take a 33-25 lead. During that span, the Celtics had four turnovers to one shot attempt, and P.J. Brown was called for a flagrant foul.
The highlight of the quarter came on a Kevin Garnett dunk that trimmed the Pistons' lead to 33-29, and Garnett appeared to take out all of the Celtics' early-quarter frustration on the rim, which he definitely tried to dislodge from the backboard. Garnett also hit a fade-away 3-pointer later in the quarter as the shot clock was expiring to put the C's ahead 50-43. It was Garnett's first 3-pointer since April 7, 2007.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 28, 9:08 p.m.
The Celtics and Pistons are tied at 23 after the first quarter tonight. Kendrick Perkins was the story for the C's, registering eight points and seven rebounds.
Richard Hamilton went diving into the stands for a loose ball two minutes into the first quarter. He nearly hit Celtics legend John Havlicek.
This is the 21-year anniversary of Robert Parish's Game 6 suspension in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons. Parish got into a fight with Bill Laimbeer in Game 5 to warrant the suspension, and the Pistons went on to even the series, 3-3.
And after the Celtics' locker room was reportedly more like a sauna in Game 4, I made sure to check out the Pistons' room tonight to see if there would be any retaliation. The locker room was perfectly comfortable, at least while the media was granted access.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is back in the building and sitting next to Detroit's bench. No offense to Belichick, but those seats were much cooler when Jay-Z and Beyonce were sitting there last series. Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi is also here and helped Lucky during his dunk routine between quarters.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 28, 8:35 p.m.
A bit delayed on my end tonight, but I'll fill you in on how little was going on before the game. First of all, Tony Allen and Scot Pollard were the only two players speaking to the media in the locker room. Allen was very dejected sitting by his locker as he told the media he won't be playing tonight because he sprained his right Achilles during one-on-one drills yesterday at practice. Brian Scalabrine will be activated in his place.
The Garden has also been a little more decorated than usual, at least in the back hallways. There are a number of Celtics posters hung through the media rooms to dress up the bland walls that have been installed to accommodate the extra bodies in the building.
Like I said, there wasn't much going on tonight. I'll have more updates throughout the game.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 23, 1:59 a.m.
The Celtics can pin this loss on one thing: They couldn’t
get a defensive stop when their playoff lives depended on it.
Not that their defense was very good at any point throughout the game -- save
for the first quarter and a stretch early in the third -- but their work on
timely possessions was miserable.
After the Celtics went on an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter to trim the Pistons’
lead to 86-83 with 5:41 remaining, Detroit
had its way on the offensive end. The Pistons scored on nine of their final 11
possessions, and it got even more maddening for the Celtics from there.
Kevin Garnett knocked down a jumper to make it 92-90 with 3:30 to play, but the Pistons followed by scoring on six
of their last seven possessions. Again, it gets even worse. The one possession
the Pistons didn’t score on in that stretch lasted 44 seconds because they got
an offensive rebound, and the Celtics didn’t touch the ball between the 2:04
and 1:20 mark of the fourth quarter. What’s more, Ray Allen -- who really can’t
be faulted because he scored 20 points in the second half, including 12 in the
fourth quarter -- missed a jumper, and the score stayed at 96-92 for 1:16 .
Richard Hamilton then hit a jumper to start a stretch in which the Pistons
scored on their final four possessions.
"When it came down to hitting shots, they made their shots, we made ours, but at that point it was like running uphill in sand," Garnett said. "Never could turn that corner."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 23, 1:57 a.m.
The Celtics started the third quarter on a 15-4 run to grab a 58-54 lead, but the Pistons answered that by closing the quarter on a 24-11 run. That ultimately gave Detroit enough of a cushion to hang onto the lead in the fourth quarter.
“These guys, we’ve been through a lot,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said of answering the Celtics' third-quarter spurt. “Our players, they’ve been here six times, and what we did is we kept our composure. We had some guys that made some big shots. … But I think more than anything else, they trusted each other. They’ve been through this, and the composure, and they knew the importance.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 22, 11:40 p.m.
The Pistons stole home-court advantage and beat the Celtics, 103-97, in Game 2 tonight at the Garden. The series is even, 1-1, and the Celtics have to win a game in Detroit in order to advance to the NBA Finals. I'll have more once I get off the locomotive.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 22, 10:42 p.m.
The Pistons have a 78-69 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Celtics jumped all over Detroit early in the third with a 15-4 run that put them ahead 58-54, but the Pistons answered right back, closing the quarter on a 12-5 run that was capped off by a Rasheed Wallace 3-pointer.
Posted by Jeff Howe, 10:10 p.m.
The Pistons used a late rally to take a 50-43 lead at the half. The Celtics had one of their worst defensive quarters in the postseason, giving up 32 points, which tied their most points allowed in a quarter all season. The Pistons shot 11-for-17 from the field (64.7 percent).
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 22, 9:10 p.m.
The Celtics lead the Pistons, 20-18, after the first quarter. Each team has had just three players hit the score sheet. Paul Pierce (nine points), Kevin Garnett (six) and Ray Allen (five) lead the Celtics, while Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess each have six points for Detroit. Rajon Rondo, meanwhile, has five rebounds.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 22, 6:44 p.m.
First of all, there's a pretty nice ice sculpture outside the media room with the Eastern Conference Finals logo in the middle and the Celtics and Pistons logos on each side.
Second, this is the 20-year anniversary of the highly acclaimed matchup between the Celtics and Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Larry Bird scored 34 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter, to lead the C's past the Hawks and Dominique Wilkins' 47 points.
And lastly, Kevin Garnett was named the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award for April.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 21, 1:55 a.m.
All eyes were on Paul Pierce tonight to see how he would bounce back from his 41-point performance against the Cavs in Game 7. While coach Doc Rivers compared guarding LeBron James to playing a game of football, Pierce admitted he was beat up badly late Sunday night and into yesterday.
But Pierce stayed true in Game 1, hitting 9 of 18 from the field to score 22 points. He also had six rebounds and six assists. Pierce is now averaging 30.7 points in the Celtics' last three home games.
"Coming to the game tonight," Pierce said, "I felt pretty good. I didn’t think I would feel this way before the game, especially after that Game 7 because I thought my body was just totally gone that night and all day the next day."
Pierce noted he went through a number of ice and massage treatments and had to just about rebuild his body after the punishment he took against James and the Cavs, but Kevin Garnett wasn't surprised how Pierce bounced back.
" He gets his work done every day when he’s hurt," Garnett said. "Whether he gets beat up, whether he’s damn near walking on one leg, he gets in his routine. You all don’t see the real professional behind the scenes. The things he does on the floor don’t surprise me. You see him work on it every day. He’s probably one of the strongest mental players in the league."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 21, 1:41 a.m.
It's always a little extra special for a team when its best player plays his biggest games against their biggest rival. That has been the case for Kevin Garnett against the Pistons this season. While he scored 18.8 points per game in the regular season, he averaged 24.0 in three contests against the Pistons, including a 31-point effort and 26-point performance. Tonight, Garnett threw down another 26 points and was dominant in the paint, where the Celtics outscored the Pistons, 44-22.
The Celtics were clearly aware of Garnett's success against the Pistons, and they went to him early. Garnett scored the C's first four points and had eight in the opening quarter.
"We wanted to establish Kevin," Paul Pierce said. "We know the success he’s had
against Detroit . We feel like Kevin
has an advantage almost every night, especially on the one-on-one or on the
block, on the wing, so we try to get him the ball and establish that.
"It’s great to have a guy like this, and I’ve never played with anybody like this in my whole career. He just makes my life so much easier."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 21, 1:38 a.m.
While Ray Allen only scored nine points and still has now played three straight games without hitting a 3-pointer, he showed some signs of life tonight against the Pistons. He was aggressive early, driving through the paint for six first-quarter points on two lay-ups and a dunk. He missed open 3-pointer and even passed on another, but Allen said after the game he feels like his stroke is starting to come back.
“I had a great feeling tonight,” Allen said. “I felt free, more free than I have felt. I had a great rhythm going. If I can think about it, it’s like the first time coming out to play and you’re ready to go. I was so amped and ready to go.”
With a day to practice and look at some tape, don’t be surprised to see Allen improve that much more, and his breakout game could be right around the corner.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 21, 1:27 a.m.
Here are a few interesting numbers that I found while I took a 40-minute train ride home:
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 20, 11:10 p.m.
The Celtics took down the Pistons tonight, 88-79, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Kevin Garnett scored 26 points, and Paul Pierce added 22.
This was also the Celtics' 200th home win in their postseason history.
I'll have more coming later on.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 20, 10:34 p.m.
The Celtics played one of their best quarters of the postseason and take a 69-57 lead into the fourth. Eddie House hit a 3-pointer from the left arc with 1.2 seconds remaining to cap the scoring. The C's forced seven Detroit turnovers and outscored the Pistons, 28-17, in the third. Kevin Garnett has 22 points, and Paul Pierce has 18 to lead the Celtics.
There were a couple loud roars from the crowd in the third quarter from some non-basketball items on the video boards. They flashed the Sox beating the Royals and followed that with the Yankees' 12-2 defeat to Baltimore, which was accompanied by a message that read "Still in last place." Later in the quarter, the video boards showed Bill Belichick sitting next to the Pistons' bench, and the crowd welcomed him with one of the loudest ovations of the night. And yes, that made Belichick smile.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 20, 9:02 p.m.
The Celtics have a 22-17 lead after the first quarter, and it was all about the runs for the C's. They jumped out to an 8-0 lead, as the Pistons took nearly four minutes to get on the board. The C's hit five of their first eight shots to build a 10-3 advantage, but the Pistons went on a 10-2 run to take a 13-12 lead while the Celtics missed nine of their next 10 shots. They proceeded to hit their last five shots of the first quarter to build the lead. Ray Allen couldn't find his shot, but he scored six points while attacking the basket.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 20, 8:35 p.m.
David Stern's words may have had some weight with the Celtics because for the first time in the playoffs, there were no fireworks during the starting lineups.
You can check my story in tomorrow's Metro, but I wanted to include a couple good quotes from Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers on "losing out" in last year's NBA lottery, which was held a few minutes ago in New Jersey.
Ainge: "We’ve made a lot of changes. I remember this night last year. It felt like, it wasn’t a devastating night, but it was like we lost a big game. We bounced back the next day and kind of regrouped. It’s a big day for the teams that are there. But at the same time, as a team, you know you can’t rely on it. You’re hopeful that something good will happen and you’ll get a lucky bounce, but at the same time, you certainly can’t run a franchise waiting around for balls to bounce your way."
Rivers: "Shoot, I was the luckiest guy on earth. If we got [the first or second pick], I would probably be interviewing somebody tonight before the game for ABC or TNT. Heck, expectations would have been unrealistic with one of those two young guys. They would have pegged us to win everything. As a coach and as a staff, we would have known that we would have been a little better with talent, but we would have been younger. And it would have been one long year. The best break was that night. Now, at the time, I obviously didn’t see it that way, but later, once you thought about it, I came to that realization a lot sooner than people thought."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 20, 7:08 p.m.
While we're all getting ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Pistons, I figured I'd let you know there are some glaring differences now that we've reached the NBA's final four. The back hallway in the Garden that typically leads from the elevators to the press room has been turned into a gigantic media area, separated into the meal room, a workroom and the press conference room. There is also a nice turkey dinner for the media. Also, the coaches will each speak at the podium in the press conference room -- in the season, they speak in the hallway outside of their respective locker rooms. And finally, the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals insignia is on the court.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 9:57 p.m.
Eddie House has gotten his chance in the last two games, and he was especially valuable for the Celtics today. House played 15 minutes and had four points, one assist, one rebound, one steal and one blocked shot. He was huge in the second quarter, racing down the court and diving for a loose ball to set up James Posey under the basket and also getting into a skirmish with Delonte West. While the fans cried for House to get more playing time lately, they began to chant "Edd-ie! Edd-ie!" numerous times during the game.
"Before the year, if you had looked at the stat and saw that Eddie House was 1-for-5, you would’ve said, 'Wow, he really struggled,'" Doc Rivers said. "Yet, he was fantastic with his energy, with his defense, and these are the things they said he couldn’t do before he got here. I was really proud of him. And P.J. Brown, to play those minutes and that many minutes straight, we might not see him for the next couple days, but that was fantastic."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 9:47 p.m.
While Paul Pierce carried the Celtics with 41 points, P.J. Brown hit the biggest shot of the game, knocking down a 20-footer to give the C's a 91-88 lead with 1:21 to play. Brown then played great defense on LeBron James while the Cavs' star was trying to drive to the rim on the left baseline. James put up an air-ball, and the Celtics were able to close out the game with a parade of free throws.
"I wasn’t brought here for that," Brown said. "I was definitely not brought here to shoot last-second shots. It was a natural thing. I felt good. The ball came to me, Eddie [House] threw me a nice pass, I felt the rhythm and took the shot."
"He’s been huge for us all year," Kevin Garnett said. "He’s what we need in certain situations. He’s been in every facet. I thought his shot was the biggest shot in the game."
Brown had 10 points and five rebounds, and he played 20:16, including 10 minutes in the fourth quarter.
"I wasn’t expecting to play much," Brown said. "I really wasn’t, and coach finds the rhythm of the team, and he just let it go."
Brown signed with the Celtics after the All-Star break in February, largely because Pierce, Ray Allen and Garnett personally recruited him out of a semi-retirement in New Orleans. Pierce, apparently, was a psychic.
"When I saw P.J. at the All-Star break, I said, 'P.J., we’re going to need you. We’re going to need you in the second round, Game 7 versus Cleveland ,'" Pierce quipped. "And hey, he showed up tonight. He was big."
"They came to see us play, so let’s give the fans something to remember. I think the second round of the postseason, Game 7, these fans finally have an opportunity to forget a little bit about what Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins did and remember what Paul and LeBron did. Two great guys just going at it. Two of the best in the league. It was very exciting to be a part of it, especially in this building. Game 7 at the Garden, it gets no better than this. As a fan of basketball, I know so much about the history. This will go down in history."
Kevin Garnett: "Tonight was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the hell out of the way. That’s exactly what it was. I don’t need you all to ask me any questions. That was the game plan, and that’s what we did."
Delonte West: "I think you’ve seen an all-time showdown between, I can’t say Jordan and Bird, but the way Paul and LeBron competed today against one another, you’ve just seen a whole other generation of superstars battle."
Mike Brown: "Both of them had a hell of a game offensively. To score 86 points between the two of them is an amazing feat, but you have two very good basketball players in Paul Pierce and LeBron James."
Paul Pierce: "It’s been physically grinding for me all series. Pretty much after every game, I’m like, ‘This is one of the tougher, if not the toughest guys I’ve guarded in my career because of the things he does. He just wears you down physically, going to the hole, how strong he is, coming off a number of screens. After the game, your body is sore, massages, hot tubs, and then you come back for another sparring match. I’m just happy this series is over with because there’s not another player for the rest of the playoffs that I have to match up with like that who is going to physically wear you down throughout the game.
"It’s just one of those games where I had it going, LeBron had it going and we just didn’t let up. Neither one of us wanted our teams to lose tonight. Just to be a part of something like this and be on the winning side is a great feeling. We worked so hard from the preseason on to now, and now we get the opportunity to go to the [Eastern Conference] championship and play against Detroit . We knew this was going to be a tough, tough series."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 9:31 p.m.
Throughout the game, I kept thinking to myself -- sometimes aloud -- "Wow, this truly is a great, great basketball game." Not for one second did I fail to realize how important this game was to two franchises for so many different reasons. LeBron James is trying to become the next superstar to capture his first title, and the Celtics are obviously trying to reclaim their identity as the best team in the league.
This was special, and everyone in attendance witnessed something worth far more than any price on a ticket stub. As Pierce (41 points) and James (45) traded blow for blow, lifting their team to a higher level with each possession, it seemed as though everyone around -- media, fans, players and coaches -- found some way to compare this one-on-one duel to another classic matchup between stars of decades past. This was the boost the league has been looking for since Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls. Regardless of the fact that showdowns between James and Kobe Bryant are the most desirable in the NBA, Pierce anted up and found the superstar level he played at five years ago.
There will be more meaningful games in this postseason, and the Celtics might even be a part of them. But this one game will be a staple in league highlight reels for years to come. People will remember where they were on this day for as long as they're alive. I sure know I will.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 6:37 p.m.
The Celtics took LeBron James' best shot, but he also took his last. The C's beat the Cavs, 97-92, at the Garden today in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. They'll host the Pistons in Game 1 of the Eastern finals Tuesday. James scored 45, but Paul Pierce countered with 41.
It's a knee-jerk reaction, but I'm pretty confident this was the greatest game I've ever covered.
I'll have much more coming soon.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 5:06 p.m.
If you're not aware, we in the media love our free food, and the scene in the meal room at halftime was priceless. The hot food was taken away once the game started, so the only stuff left is popcorn, nachos, pretzels, chips and candy bars. (I guess "only" should have been used a little more lightly in that sentence.) Anyway, all of that food is located in one corner of the room, which made that corner look like a bad traffic jam on the Southeast Expressway. Everyone was standing around, waiting in line or trying to weave through the masses like a scene in a packed club. This was like a bad stereotype.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 4:55 p.m.
Paul Pierce and LeBron James are having a great one-on-one battle, and the Celtics lead 50-40 after the second quarter. Pierce has 26 points, including 17 in the second quarter, along with three rebounds and two assists. James has 23 points, including 14 in the second, and one assist and one rebound.
Pierce, though, appears to have hurt has back again. He suffered a lower back injury in Game 2 against the Hawks and didn't look right for a few games. He was hit hard from behind today by Sasha Pavlovic with 23.3 seconds remaining in the half, and Pierce landed hard on a cameraman under the basket. Pierce was slow to get up, and Doc Rivers called a 20-second timeout to give Pierce a chance to mend before he hit a pair of free throws. He then left the game with 4.2 seconds to play and went into the locker room with team trainer Ed Lacerte.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 4:07 p.m.
The Celtics jumped out to an 18-13 lead after the first quarter, largely because of their 12-0 run that put them ahead 16-4. The Cavs went 5:40 without a field goal and missed seven straight shots over that stretch. The Celtics went cold after that, though, as Cleveland went on a 9-0 run to draw within 16-13. The C's missed five straight field goals over a span of 3:47.
Tom Brady and Randy Moss highlight a group of Patriots in the building, and Brady is wearing a Giants hat. No, not those Giants.
This building has been so loud at times that I haven't been able to hear the PA announcer.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 2:54 p.m.
There wasn't much going on in the locker rooms before the game. The Celtics were pretty much nonexistent, per usual for them, especially in the playoffs. LeBron James spoke for a few minutes, saying he thinks his team is always the underdog because he doesn't feel as though anyone ever gives them the credit they deserve.
Doc Rivers was asked about the foul calls James gets in the closing minutes of games, and Rivers responded by saying he's got four kids and needs to keep his money in his pocket to send them all to college. Criticizing officials is an automatic fine in the NBA.
The Celtics are 22-9 all-time in series-deciding games, including an 18-5 mark in Game 7s. Prior to their first-round victory over the Hawks, the Celtics hadn't won a Game 7 since beating Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1988.
If you're superstitious or fear trends, this note may not be for Celtics fans. The C's have alternated wins and losses in their last six series-deciding games. If that trend continues, the Celtics will lose today.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 18, 2:01 p.m.
Everyone knows the drill by now. The Celtics are prepping for their second Game 7 in as many series, and they'll tip off with the Cavs in about an hour and a half. Things looked lively outside the building, and there was even a sighting of a Dee Brown jersey. The locker rooms are opening now, so I'll check back later.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 15, 3:21 p.m.
Cavs guard Daniel Gibson has a separated left shoulder and will miss one to two weeks, meaning he's done for the remainder of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics. The Cavs said Gibson has a first-degree separation, according to The Associated Press. Gibson injured the shoulder during the fourth quarter of Game 5 last night.
This has a direct effect on the Celtics. Doc Rivers planned to use Eddie House in the second half last night instead of Sam Cassell, who couldn't stay with the speedy Gibson on defense. That became a moot point when Rajon Rondo played all 24 minutes in the second half, though.
Moving forward to Game 6 and a potential Game 7, you had to wonder if House would have been the first guy off the bench for Rondo or if this was a one-game philosophy for Rivers. With Gibson gone, all of that has changed.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 15, 1:27 a.m.
Rajon Rondo recorded the second double-double of his postseason career tonight with 20 points and 13 assists, and his loudest moment of the game was in the second quarter when he hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Celtics within 43-37.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce said after the game that Rondo's heroics sparked the C's on both ends of the court. They credited the second-year point guard for the spurt late in the second quarter and also their intensity out of the locker room in the second half. Cavs coach Mike Brown couldn't disagree.
"The biggest difference for those guys was Rondo," Brown said. "I thought Rondo played a terrific basketball game for the Celtics tonight. We always say that they’ve got some players on their team that we want to try to take some things away, and that’s going to give other guys an opportunity to step up and make some plays. I thought Rondo made some plays tonight."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 15, 1:24 a.m.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 15, 1:22 a.m.
Danny Ainge was named NBA Executive of the Year by Sporting News before the game, but he was prouder of another accomplishment. His oldest daughter, Ashlee, gave birth to daughter Siena , who is Ainge’s sixth grandchild, a couple hours before the game.
Even with that, Ainge was admittedly honored to receive the award, but he was quick to deflect the attention toward the game at hand.
“I don’t want to diminish the award,” Ainge said. “It’s just that right now there’s just a lot of other things going on, and I want the attention to stay on the players on the court. I’m a little uncomfortable with this right now. This is the biggest game of the year for us and for a lot of people. We’re still in the middle of trying to become the best team in the NBA, and that’s really our objective.”
Doc Rivers, however, made sure Ainge got his due.
“The last two years, him and I took a lot of heat, and it’s really nice that he had a vision and it came through,” Rivers said. “That’s really nice. … He’s been great for me as a coach, and that has nothing to do with his moves. He’s been great in a lot of ways. I’m really happy when good things happen to good people, and that’s really good.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 15, 1:20 a.m.
There’s been a recent outcry for Doc Rivers to establish and maintain a set rotation, but that’s obviously because outsiders see the Celtics struggle and look for anything to pin those troubles on.
When the C’s comprised an NBA-best 66 wins while boasting arguably the deepest bench in the league, though, no one seemed to have a problem with Rivers’ moves. On the other hand, Eddie House and Glen Davis have been noticeably absent from the floor during the majority of the playoffs.
“We’re not going to play everybody,” Rivers said. “Obviously, when you’re winning, the guys you’re playing are just perfect. And when you’re losing, then everyone wants the backup quarterback. That’s basically how that works.
“I like what we do. I like our record. We’ve been doing the same thing all year. Whoever doesn’t like it, tough, we’re going to keep doing it.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 15, 1:19 a.m.
Players and coaches from both sides raved about the minutes Glen Davis gave the Celtics in the second half. Davis scored six points and grabbed one rebound, but his energy was disruptive to the Cavs’ rhythm on both ends of the floor.
“The little things count also,” Davis said. “It adds up, offensive rebounds, loose balls, not getting our hands on it, not going the other way with it hurts for us, so that is one of the things we wanted to do in the second half.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 14, 11:41 p.m.
Word came down that the Celtics will be playing at the Garden on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., whether it's Game 7 against the Cavs or Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Pistons.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 14, 10:53 p.m.
The Celtics hung on for dear life tonight, beating the Cavs 96-89 with the help of 29 points from Paul Pierce, who hit eight free throws in the game's final 1:23. I'll have a lot more coming later.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 14, 9:10 p.m.
The Cavs lead, but the Celtics dodged a major bullet in the first half. The C's fell behind by 14 but closed the second quarter on a 14-3 run to draw within 46-43.
LeBron James has been on fire, putting up 23 points in the first half. His series-high had been 21, which he's done the last three games. Paul Pierce has 14, and Kevin Garnett has 12.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 14, 8:30 p.m.
The Cavs lead 23-18 after the first quarter, but it could be a whole lot worse for the Celtics, who trailed 18-9 before going on a 9-3 run. LeBron James hit 5 of 8 from the floor and scored 11 points in the opening frame, and Paul Pierce countered with eight points.
After Pierce converted a lay-up and drew a foul with 52.2 seconds left in the quarter, he reached up to Danny Ainge in the second row and gave him a high-five.
And I'm not sure how this will effect the Cavs tonight, but Beyonce is sitting next to their bench. Oh, and she's with hubby Jay-Z, who comprises just about half of the songs on my iPod.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 14, 8:06 p.m.
I'm a bit behind on my normal pregame posting schedule, but there was a lot going on prior to the game tonight. I'll get to some of it later on tonight.
Two quick notes: Paul Pierce has put a pair of pictures of his newborn baby in his locker, and Delonte West said he went to an eye specialist today to check up on the allergy issues he's had this series. West was given some cream to help diffuse the problem, and he quipped a great line after explaining his doctor visit.
"It's hard to play with one eye unless you're a pirate," West joked.
He'd fit right in with the Red Sox' bullpen.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 14, 6:13 p.m.
Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge was named the 2007-08 NBA Executive of the Year today by Sporting News.
The magazine polled general managers and other executives from all 30 league teams, and Ainge received 18 of 47 votes to earn the honor. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak got 14 votes, and Hornets GM Jeff Bower got 12.
Ainge is the second member of the Celtics to win the award since its inception in the 1972-73 season. Red Auerbach was honored in 1979-80.
Ainge will receive the award prior to the game tonight.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 12, 5:52 p.m.
Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett was voted onto the NBA All-Defensive First Team, according to the ballot released today by the league.
The voting panel consisted of the NBA's 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.
Garnett and Kobe Bryant led the way with 24 first-team votes and 52 points. Marcus Camby, Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan joined them on the First Team.
Shane Battier, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Tayshaun Price and Raja Bell were selected to the Second Team.
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo received 11 points, including three first-team votes, which is deserving but somewhat surprising because he received a lot more acknowledgment than Paul Pierce, who received two points. This is completely baffling because Pierce has been a rock on the perimeter this season, and he was revitalized on the defensive end to the point where he looked as good -- if not better -- than his prime seasons five or so years ago. Pierce was constantly lauded for his defense by opposing coaches through much of the season, but when it came time for them to submit their ballots, they seemed to have forgotten the praises they once sung with such a high tune.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 9, 1:54 a.m.
While it took six quarters for Ray Allen to crack the scoreboard in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Paul Pierce got off the ground right away in Game 2. After scoring a career playoff-low four points in the first game against the Cavs, Pierce dropped seven of his 19 points in the first quarter tonight. It obviously helped Pierce's cause by not picking up a pair of fouls and heading to the bench in the game's first four minutes, but the Celtics' had crisper ball movement tonight, at least once the second unit changed the pace eight minutes into the first quarter.
Allen, however, took a little longer. In the first half, he missed all three field goal attempts and a free throw that resulted from a defensive three-seconds call, which begged him to get on the scoring sheet. Those struggles were enough for Doc Rivers and the coaching staff. Rivers had a halftime meeting and instructed his team would call the first four or five plays for Allen to start the third quarter, and the sharpshooter responded. He scored 11 points in the third, keyed an early 10-0 run that broke open the game, and finished the night with 16 points.
"I’m not frustrated," James said. "With me missing shots I normally would make, that can be frustrating, but with my overall play, I’m more frustrated with the turnovers I’ve had than anything. Missing a few shots here and going through a period or stretch where I can’t make a shot, I’m not frustrated more than me having 17 turnovers in two games. I’m more frustrated with that because I know how to protect the ball because I’ve been pretty good at protecting the ball this whole season and the playoffs. I’m more frustrated with that."
What's funny is James' 21 points were a game-high, as Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 19. But the C's are perfectly happy with that. Their defense has been outstanding, and their weak-side rotations and double teams coming from the low block have kept James from getting uncontested drives through the lane and to the bucket. Sure, it's utterly baffling to see the NBA's scoring champ struggle like this, but the Celtics are looking for a little credit, too. After all, they say, this is why they have practices and film sessions.
"[I'm] a little shocked that he’s 8-for-42, but this is what we work on," Pierce said. "We go into the scouting report. We’ve done the practice. We work on trying to contain him. It’s not me. It’s everybody. It’s Kevin [Garnett], it’s [Kendrick Perkins]. It’s mostly the big guys who are stepping up showing the help. … It makes it tough on him. It puts him in the position to where he has to start forcing things. That’s what we try to do. It’s total team defense.
"LeBron is what makes them go. If we control him, we control the team. With the help of the guys around me, we’ve been able to do that."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 10:40 p.m.
The Cavs got benched tonight. Boston took down Cleveland, 89-73, to grab a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 3 is Saturday night in Cleveland.
The Celtics' bench was outstanding, particularly after the starters struggled in the first quarter. The bench scored 34 points in the game, but it had a stretch in which it put up 21 of 23 points for the C's, including the first 15 in the second quarter.
The Celtics have held the Cavs to three of their four lowest point totals of the season. LeBron James is 8 of 42 from the floor in the series after going 6-for-24 tonight with 21 points. I'll have more coming later on.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 9:15 p.m.
It took Ray Allen until the seventh quarter of the series to score his first points, but they came in a big way. Allen dropped 11 in the third quarter, and the Celtics have a 70-51 lead heading into the fourth.
LeBron James' struggles continued. He had missed 10 straight shots at one point and is 4 of 19 from the floor through three. He's also missed four of nine from the free throw line and has 13 points.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 8:25 p.m.
The Celtics stormed back in the second quarter, using 20 points from the bench to take a 44-36 lead at the half.
LeBron James has missed seven straight shots and is 3 of 13 from the floor in the first half. The Celtics have also missed 9 of 17 from the free throw line.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 7:41 p.m.
The Cavs lead 24-17 after the first quarter, and the Celtics should consider themselves lucky to be trailing by only seven. They looked miserable on offense for the first eight or nine minutes, failing to move the ball and taking bad shots.
The C's trade by as many as 12 and looked as bad as they have at home in the playoffs, and the crowd has treated them that way. They were booed on several occasions.
Ray Allen had a chance to end his scoreless streak, but he missed a technical free throw with 6:09 to play in the first quarter. He also missed his only shot from the floor and still hasn't scored a point in the series.
Finally, Cavs forward Ben Wallace left the game early in the quarter with what the team called "dizziness" and his return is doubtful.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 6:44 p.m.
The Cavs have switched to their blue road uniforms in an attempt to change up their luck from Tuesday's Game 1 loss.
Around the Cleveland locker room, Damon Jones was dancing and some teammates told him to take it easy so he doesn't break an ankle. Delonte West and LeBron James also spoke to crowds of media, and one reporter was yelled at by the Cavs' PR staff for taking a picture of James with his cell phone camera. He was ordered to delete the picture because -- as is a very well-known rule for media who know what they're doing -- there are no cameras allowed in locker rooms.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers addressed his son's decision to transfer from Georgetown: "It was something he wanted to do. I loved where he was at, but he wants to be happy and in a different system. He loves Coach Thompson. I love Coach Thompson. It was a tough one. ... I didn’t try [to talk him out of it] because if I did and it didn’t work out then it’s [my] fault. I did try to show him where he was at as far as his school. He was playing a lot and had a great chance of starting the following year, but kids sometimes want to do things and you support them. That’s what you do as a parent."
Rivers would not elaborate as to where his son, Jeremiah, plans to look to transfer.
Rivers also said his team defended James very well in the first game, but there's one note of concern going forward: "The problem will come when he does start to making shots if we can continue to trust what we’re doing defensively and not try to change on the fly out on the floor."
Paul Pierce, Leon Powe, P.J. Brown and Glen Davis all spoke to the media in the C's locker room. Pierce, who doesn't typically speak before games, said he was honored to get voted to the All-NBA Third Team.
Powe on his first trip to the playoffs: "I always think about basketball, think about the playoffs, think about where I was back in the day. When I was young, I used to watch it, and now I’m in it and see the intensity level and everything that comes along with it. It’s just great, and as long as we keep on winning, it’s been great for me."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 5:26 p.m.
Kevin Garnett was voted onto the All-NBA First Team, according to the ballot released today by the NBA. Garnett received 118 First Team votes and 612 points, each of which were the third most in the league. Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul, who each finished one-two in the MVP voting, received the most first-place votes and points, respectively.
Paul Pierce was selected on the Third Team with two First Team votes and 151 points.
Ray Allen received four points, and former Celtic Al Jefferson received 14.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 12:53 p.m.
Jeremiah Rivers, son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, has decided to transfer from Georgetown, according to the Washington Post.
Jeremiah Rivers, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, was primarily used as a defensive specialist coming off the bench and averaged 2.5 points per game last season.
"Jeremiah and his family made a decision and determined this was best for him," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said in a statement released by the University, and printed in the Post. "We appreciate his hard work and wish him best in his future endeavors."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:35 a.m.
Here's a last take on Game 1 tonight, but before I get to that, a reminder that Game 2 is Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:28 a.m.
LeBron James had some high remarks about counterpart Paul Pierce.
"He’s a very good offensive player," James said. "Footwork-wise, besides Kobe Bryant, he has the best footwork I have seen. I don’t expect him to play like he played tonight, him or Ray [Allen]."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:24 a.m.
Defense ruled the night at the Garden. The Cavs shot 30.7 percent from the floor, while the Celtics made good at a 42.6 percent clip. There were also 41 combined turnovers compared to 37 assists.
Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett compared the game to a heavyweight fight.
"This was a defensive game tonight," Garnett said. "This was two heavyweights just body punching. There wasn’t any finesse, wasn’t any jabs. It was all body punches. It was just an all-out defensive beatdown fight."
"It’s great," Rivers said. "Every possession, as a coach, you live and die with. You just hope your players feel the same way, and they do. You can see it every possession. It’s funny. I look at the score, and [the Cavs] had 72 points. And in my head, I can count 16 points that they never should have gotten. We lost guys [on defense], so that just proved that you do. You live every possession as a coach and a player, and it’s good. That’s what playoff basketball is about, and that’s fun."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:19 a.m.
Kevin Garnett took advantage of a mismatch when he scored the game-clinching bucket. With the ball on the low block, Garnett spun past Joe Smith and laid in the ball to give the Celtics a 74-72 lead with 21.4 seconds remaining in the game.
Cavs coach Mike Brown said he would have rather had Ben Wallace in the game to guard Garnett, but that didn’t happen because he assumed the Celtics would take a timeout prior to that possession, when Brown would have subbed Wallace in for Smith.
Kendrick Perkins was clearly happy how it all transpired.
“He is called the ‘Big Ticket’ for a reason,” Perkins said of Garnett. “You throw it in there, and he goes to work. He is either going to make it or miss it, but you are still going to love him either way.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:16 a.m.
Kevin Garnett finished third in the MVP voting, but he said he felt honored to be considered for the award that most who followed the Celtics thought he deserved.
“Anytime you get votes for any kind of award in this league, it’s always a pleasure,” Garnett said after the game. “I’ve always been privileged. But without this guy to my right (Paul Pierce) and the hoist of other guys in that locker room along with the coaching staff, the organization, I always have to give thanks to them, also, for that opportunity. Players think sometimes it’s all about them, but they don’t understand the other four guys that are out there on the floor with you, along with those guys on the bench who make a lot of things happen. I’m privileged for that, and I thank you for those who voted for me. That’s what’s up.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:14 a.m.
Obviously, the big story of the night surrounded the struggles of LeBron James, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who combined to shoot 4 of 36 (11.1 percent) from the floor. James was 2 of 18 for 12 points, with just two points coming in the second half. He also missed a lay-up to tie the game in the waning seconds. Pierce was 2 of 14 from the field with four points and six turnovers. And Allen was 0 of 4 from the floor, including three misses from 3-point range and went scoreless in a postseason game for the first time in his career.
“Me and Ray Allen feel like we played [James] to a standstill because the combination between me and him were 2 of 18, also,” Pierce said. “We didn’t give ourselves the best chance. We just tried to run [James] into the help. One-on-one, he’s tough, just driving to the hole with his strength, the way he can knock down shots. We just tried to direct him toward where the help is, where Kevin, where Perk is, and make his finishes tough at the rim. The other thing was we tried to keep him off the fastbreak and limit easy opportunities.
“I can’t play any worse than this, and we got a win. And Ray can’t play as bad, or LeBron. I think we’ve set ourselves for an exciting series. I look for it to get better and better.”
Against the Wizards in the first round, James missed an opportunity to win the series in the final second of Game 5, but his lay-up bounced off the rim. Cavs coach Mike Brown said James deserves a pass on the difficult stretch.
“He had a tough night,” Brown said. “He’s definitely entitled to it. He’s had, I don’t know how many games he’s had – like I said in my last press conference – terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific. But the one thing he tried to do, he tried to attack, which was good, and I thought he did a good job defensively. I’m not worried about him. He’ll definitely bounce back in Game 2.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 9:25 p.m.
The Celtics lead 41-37 after the second quarter, but they struggled in the quarter and allowed the Cavs to make it a game. They did catch a break, though, as Rajon Rondo drew a foul on LeBron James with 0.2 seconds remaining in the half, and Rondo hit both free throws to give the C's their four-point advantage.
The Celtics didn't help themselves early in the second when James was on the bench. Cleveland outscored the C's 7-4 while James sat on the bench for 4:23. Still, he has struggled, shooting 1 of 6 from the floor and scoring 10 points.
Paul Pierce hasn't been any better, also going 1 of 6 from the field and scoring two points. The Celtics hurt themselves with 12 first-half turnovers, including eight in the second quarter.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 8:44 p.m.
The Celtics fought off a tough start and closed the first quarter with a bang, taking a 25-15 lead. The first four minutes couldn't have gone much worse for the C's. They missed their first seven shots, committed two turnovers and lost Paul Pierce to the bench after he was called for two fouls. The C's followed that by hitting eight straight shots, though, and James Posey drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner with 0.6 seconds remaining to put the Celtics ahead by 10. Cleveland didn't help its cause much, missing 14 of its first 16 shots and going 4 of 19 in the quarter. LeBron James was held to 1 of 4 from the field, as Posey did a great job on him defensively.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 8:07 p.m.
Kevin Garnett finished in third place in the MVP voting, according to the ballot released today. Garnett received 15 first-place votes and 670 points. Paul Pierce received one point and was in 14th place in the voting.
Kobe Bryant won the award with 82 first-place votes and 1,105 points. Chris Paul finished second with 28 first-place votes and 670 points. LeBron James finished fourth with one first-place vote and received 438 points.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers avoided getting into the media war the Wizards found themselves in, as they called James "overrated."
"I just thought LeBron should have been higher," Rivers said. "We’re playing Cleveland, right? As a matter of fact, I thought he should have won."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 7:57 p.m.
There wasn't a ton going on tonight, but LeBron James met with the media for a little less than four minutes earlier. Here is a complete transcript from that session:
(Thoughts on Kobe Bryant winning the MVP)
“I’ve always stated since two or three years ago that Kobe Bryant was the best player in this league. I think he’s been the best player in this league for the last five, six, seven years. It was exciting. It’s good that he won it. His team played well. He’s part of the reason why they finished No. 1 in the West.”
(How comfortable he is with the team since the trade)
“We’re a much better team since, of course, the first couple weeks after the trade, just learning the system. We’ve been more on a string lately. If one guy breaks down, we’ve been more helping each other. It’s been a whole team thing. We knew it was going to take a little while, but we’re happy that we’re playing the best basketball now in the postseason.”
(How much the extra two days of rest helps)
“It always helps anytime you get rest, especially in a playoff series that’s always grueling. Physically, mentally, you go through a lot. It’s always good when you get a little rest.”
(On carrying the Cavs)
“Well, I’m the leader of this team. If that means carrying this team, that’s what it is. I know I can’t do it by myself, so my teammates always show up for me. I’m never worried about that. That’s why we’re always in the position that we are every postseason because my teammates come through.”
(If they’re better because of last year’s trip to the Finals)
“We have to see. We’ve got to continue to play well. We did a good job playing well in the first series against Washington . We’ve got to continue to play well against Boston .”
(How the playoffs are different than the regular season)
“You have to be mentally prepared to play a team at least four times in the postseason. That’s challenging. It’s tough to go out there and just seeing the same faces, the same sets, going against the same defenses, and then the next game, there might be a change. Can you adjust to what’s going on in the game on a game-to-game basis? Can you keep up the same intensity throughout the 48 minutes? You have to in the playoffs. You can’t allow any mental mistakes in the playoffs because one possession can cost you. In the regular season, it’s OK. You may be going into a back-to-back [against] a team maybe you haven’t played. But we’re playing the same amount of games against this team. It’s not like they’re getting four days of rest and we’re getting one day of rest. Everybody is getting the same amount of rest, and you have to be mentally prepared to go out and play. I think everybody will tell you that the postseason and the regular season are totally different.”
(Are you any better now because of the Finals run last year)
“I’m a better player now because of what happened to us in the Finals. I figured out that we lost to a better team. They were better than us, and they did some things to me that I didn’t like. In the offseason, I took it personal on myself of getting better and making myself a complete basketball player. I carry it on to this year.”
(Do you prepare any differently heading into a new series because of last year?)
“No, not for me. You prepare against a team you’re going to, but me as an individual, I approach the game the same way. I take what the defense gives me, and I go from there.”
(On beating double teams because of better shooters around him)
“Anytime you get guys around you that can shoot the ball, it always helps me a lot because sometimes they don’t want to double, but I know I’m not going to see any one-on-one defenses. It hasn’t happened the last four years, so I know it’s not going to happen. But my guys will be ready on the backside to shoot.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 5, 12:55 p.m.
The Celtics and Cavaliers open their Eastern Conference semifinal series tomorrow at the Garden at 8 p.m. While the Cavs are the defending Eastern Conference champs, they're a new-look squad after the midseason trade acquisitions of Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Ben Wallace. The new guys cracked the lineup on Feb. 24, and they finished the regular season on a 14-13 stretch, which doesn't sound like much of an upgrade considering they were 31-24 before that. Either way, here are the Celtics' initial impressions on Cleveland.
Kevin Garnett: "They’re a group that’s the defending champs. To do anything, you’ve got to go through them. You’ve got to deal with that. LeBron [James] is playing at a high level right now. It’s good that we have homecourt advantage. Overall, I think this should be a good series. Obviously, they’re trying to figure out some things with their new group, but they’re playing really well. Our gas is high, our confidence is high, too, so it should be a good series."
Paul Pierce: "The Cleveland Cavaliers are the Eastern Conference champs from a year ago, the team that went to the Finals, so we know it’s going to be a tough road. You’ve got to go through the Eastern Conference champs, a team that has a lot of experience, a team that’s been to the Finals and knows what it takes. We’re still learning as a group, so this is going to be the ultimate test. You have one of the top players in the league coming in, one of the top teams in the league coming in who has been there and done that. We definitely have our work cut out for ourselves. We have to be ready, simple and plain."
Doc Rivers: "This is going to be a tough series. They were in the Finals last year. One of the things I told our team all year every time we played them is we’re trying to catch them, not them trying to catch us. The record means nothing. That team went to the Finals last year, so in our minds, we’re trying to catch them."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 6:42 p.m.
Paul Pierce ended his media boycott today, which he started after some writers took it upon themselves to say Pierce was flashing gang signs.
"The stuff that was going on with myself, I just didn’t want to be a distraction to what we are trying to accomplish," Pierce explained. "My whole focus was just trying to be on game in and game out for what we were trying to do. I was just trying to take a step back to myself and not really be a distraction to others and everything that was going on on and off the court. I didn’t want to bring that attention back to my team. My focus was just on playing basketball."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 6:25 p.m.
Doc Rivers won his first career playoff series as a head coach. He lost three first-round series with the Magic from 2001-03 and one with the Celtics in 2005. He is now 7-7 in playoff games with the Celtics and 12-17 in his career.
“I guess if you coach long enough, you get luck and you can move on,” Rivers quipped. “I didn’t do anything, to be honest. We’ve got Kevin [Garnett], Ray [Allen], Paul [Pierce] and all those guys, and I’m just riding with them.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 6:08 p.m.
Kendrick Perkins dominated the paint in the first quarter, as noted by an earlier post. He finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
"Kendrick was phenomenal," Doc Rivers said. "I thought he set the tone defensively as much as anyone."
" I haven’t been able to get enough sleep, so I just came out and set the tone, leave it all out on the court," Perkins said. "I think my team will feed off of me. I thought I came in with a great focus, and I wasn’t trying to go home."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 5:57 p.m.
Since there wasn't much to discuss about the Celtics' beatdown of the Hawks today, a lot of the postgame talk surrounded Marvin Williams' Flagrant-2 foul on Rajon Rondo in the third quarter. Rondo was in the process of laying in the ball on a fastbreak when Williams tackled him midair and sent him hard to the ground with 9:09 remaining in the third and the Celtics ahead 51-28. Williams was given an automatic ejection.
"I knew no question that it would be a flagrant," Williams said after the game. "But a Flagrant-2? Like I said, I was trying to catch him. I wasn’t trying to take him out. I would never try to hurt anybody, so for them to kick me out. It was a good call. I saw it on TV, and it did look pretty bad, so I can’t argue that at all. I just want Rondo to know that I would never try to hurt him."
Williams and Rondo have actually been close friends since high school, as the pair met up regularly on the court. Williams said he would call Rondo on the bus ride to the airport to make sure Rondo knew their was no ill intent.
"I thought [Rondo] was really hurt, and I just told him to stay down," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Marvin Williams, by the way, is not a dirty player at all. Rest assured, I know that as a fact. I really thought he tried to commit a hard foul, but then he couldn’t catch him. It was a bad foul and two good kids playing hard. I guess by the rule you have to throw him out."Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 4:45 p.m.
The Celtics moved on with their 99-65 win against the Hawks today. I've got more coming later, but here is the first snapshot at the Celtics-Cavaliers series.
Game 1 -- Tuesday, May 6, at Boston, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 2 -- Thursday, May 8, at Boston, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 3 -- Saturday, May 10, at Cleveland, TBD, TBD
Game 4 -- Monday, May 12, at Cleveland, 8 p.m., TNT
*Game 5 -- Wednesday, May 14, at Boston, TBD, TNT
*Game 6 -- Friday, May 16, at Cleveland, TBD, ESPN
*Game 7 -- Sunday, May 18, at Boston, TBD, TBDPosted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 2:59 p.m.
This one's all but over. The Celtics hold a 79-43 lead heading into the final quarter and can start looking forward to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
Hawks forward Marvin Williams was assessed a Flagrant-2 foul and ejected from the game with 9:09 to play in the third quarter. Rajon Rondo was driving for a lay-up, and Williams tackled Rondo midair and sent him hard to the floor in a bush-league move. Since the league can't suspend Williams due to the Hawks playing their final game today, a very hefty fine is sure to follow.Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 1:28 p.m.
The Celtics played one of their best quarters of the series and lead 27-16 after one. Kendrick Perkins has been a beast in the paint with eight points and six rebounds. He had a great hard foul to stop a Josh Smith lay-in, and he had a nice block on a Zaza Pachulia drive. The Celtics out-rebounded Atlanta 17-8 and held the Hawks to 26 percent (6 of 23) from the floor. Joe Johnson has kept the Hawks from extinction with three 3-pointers.Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 12:36 p.m.
I forgot to mention earlier that Hawks starting forward Marvin Williams, who injured his knee in Game 6, said he will try to play today. With the way he is moving around, though, I can't imagine he'll be very effective.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 11:22 p.m.
The Celtics dropped the Hawks, 110-85, tonight at the Garden and
took a 3-2 series lead in the process. Game 6 is Friday night at
Philips Arena. More coming later.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 10:45 p.m.
The Celtics lead the Hawks, 81-64 after three. Atlanta trimmed the
lead to 60-54 with an 11-0 run early in the quarter, but the Celtics
got three 3-pointers from Ray Allen and another from James Posey at the
end of the quarter to reestablish momentum.
One of the biggest roars of the night came during a timeout with
7;27 remaining in the third quarter. The video boards showed highlights
of the Red Sox' 2-1 win against the Blue Jays at Fenway, and the crowd
erupted to the tune of "Sweet Caroline." Sox owners John Henry and Tom
Werner, who are in the building, were then shown on the video boards.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 9:56 p.m.
The Celtics opened it up a bit in the second quarter and take a
58-43 lead into the half. Al Horford was assessed a Flagrant-1 foul
after knocking down Kevin Garnett in the final minute of the second
quarter, and Garnett made both free throws. A Ray Allen 3-pointer a few
seconds later pushed the margin to 15, and that's where we're at right
now.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 9:17 p.m.
The Celtics lead, 27-19, after the first quarter. This is the
Celtics team we saw during the first two games of the series,
pressuring the ball on both ends of the court and controlling play.
Paul Pierce had 10 points and four rebounds in the quarter. The Hawks
are lucky to be this close right now, having hit three or four circus
shots and breaking down a few times on defense. Pierce has been left
alone with Bibby guarding him, and Kevin Garnett had a matchup with
Josh Childress he didn't take advantage of. Ray Allen also missed a
wide open 3-pointer from the right arc, which resulted from tremendous
ball movement. The Hawks have brought the same tenacity they've had in
the last two games and have sort of made their own breaks, but they
should be lucky at this point to be in the game. If the Celtics let up
like they did in Atlanta, though, this will be another game that goes
down to the wire.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 8:22 p.m.
Apparently, all 18,000 in attendance tonight called each other before the game to plan their wardrobes. OK, I kid, I kid. Reebok has sponsored a free T-shirt night at the Garden tonight, and they're pretty nice as far as free stuff goes. And believe me, we in the media know all about the free stuff. The T-shirts are green and have the Celtics logo on the front with a "Playoffs" insignia below it.Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 7:51 p.m.
Not a ton going on before the game tonight, but Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins each addressed the media for a few minutes. Rondo spent a good deal of time talking about Hawks forward Josh Smith, who has been instrumental in Atlanta's two wins in the series. Rondo and Smith were high school teammates at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, and Rondo said he was able to dunk on Smith once during their years together. Smith set a Hawks single-game playoff record with seven blocks in Game 4 and has had similar success against Rondo this series. Rondo, though, said he'll still try to throw one down on Smith before the series is over.
Perkins said he thinks Paul Pierce got a raw deal with the league-issued $25,000 fine for making a "menacing gesture" in Game 3. Rondo and Perkins both said it's a hand signal the team has used all season, and it symbolizes their "blood, sweat and tears" motto.
Doc Rivers spoke candidly about the firing of Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, who Rivers called one of his best friends in the league. Johnson was fired today after the Mavs failed to reach the second round of the playoffs in two straight years. (In my opinion, Mark Cuban is a moron, but this isn't a Mavericks blog and I'll leave it at that.)
Other than that, Rondo and Perkins each harped that the team is just trying to stick together and rally up for tonight's all-important Game 5.Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 6:50 p.m.
Paul Pierce has taken a bit of heat for his "menacing gesture" (term used by the NBA) at the end of Game 3 in Atlanta. Pierce was fined $25,000, and many have speculated -- probably going a bit overboard -- his hand signal was gang related. The following is Pierce's statement in its entirety:
"I don't want to take the focus away from the playoffs," the statement read. "In sports, emotions run high. After playing for 10 years in Boston, I think Celtics fans know that I am a passionate player.
"I 100 percent do not in any way promote gang violence or anything close to it. I am sorry if it was misinterpreted that way at Saturday's game.
"In fact, through my Truth foundation I am committed to giving back to youth groups and making sure young people have the opportunities to succeed in life. I am extremely proud of the work I have done through the foundation to provide positive influences and safe havens for inner city kids."
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 28, 7:06 p.m.
Rajon Rondo finished fifth today in the voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, losing out to Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu. Rondo received six first-place votes, 10 second-place votes and 17 third-place votes for a total of 77 points, well behind Turkoglu. Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge and old friend Al Jefferson rounded out the top four.
This is a tough award to vote for, but there were some weird names on the list, including LeBron James (Seriously, only one person voted for him, and it was a first-place vote. Does someone in Cleveland have a Peter King thing going here?), Monta Ellis (who won the award last year) and Shaquille O'Neal (someone's vote should be revoked).
On the other side of the ballot, Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins were each ignored. Now, you could make the case that Perkins improved because he was playing alongside Kevin Garnett, and that's completely fine. But no love for Powe? I'm not saying he should have won the award or even finished in the top 15, but he deserved a vote somewhere along the line. One of the 125 voters should have seen the Celtics enough (because they were finally on TV this year) to realize what Powe brings to the table. His numbers don't jump off the charts (7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 2007-08 compared to 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in his rookie season), but his energy and ability deepen Boston's rotation were second to none in the latter half of the season. And those are two intangibles the Celtics thrived upon as a whole this year.
Finally, the league announced today Paul Pierce was fined $25,000 for "making menacing gestures" during Game 3, presumably toward the end of the game in the direction of Al Horford.Posted by Jeff Howe, April 26, 11:30 p.m.
The Hawks beat the Celtics, 102-93, in Atlanta tonight to draw the series to 2-1. Here are a few of my thoughts on the Celtics' dismal performance.
The Hawks beat the Celtics, 102-93, in Atlanta tonight to draw the series to 2-1. Here are a few of my thoughts on the Celtics' dismal performance.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 24, 2:04 p.m.
I just finished up a story for tomorrow's paper dealing with the
Hawks' attempts to get into the Celtics' heads during Game 2, but the
Celtics were able to respond with some physical play of their own.
There are a couple things I didn't touch on in that story to save for
the blog.
Kevin Garnett noted the C's no lay-up policy, which makes sure no opponent gets an easy look at the rim during the playoffs.
"We’re not trying to give up any easy baskets," Garnett said. "This team is athletic. We talk about it every practice day, every film day that we have to cut these easy baskets down. We have a no lay-up policy. It’s not trying to hurt somebody but trying to really, really defend the paint here in the playoffs. I feel like in order for us to be effective, we have to do that."
Ray Allen added to that.
"We knew what they were going to try and do and come out and attack us," Allen said. "We had to attack right back. You sense a play like that, and you get more aggressive on the offensive end. Defensively, you just say, 'Look, they’re coming in our paint. Put them down. Make sure they don’t come in there easy, and make sure they think twice about coming in there.'"
In addition, Kendrick Perkins and Mike Bibby allowed their war
through the media spill out a bit onto the floor. Bibby maintained his
stance after the game last night that he shared a major discontent with
Celtics fans and also threw a verbal jab at Perkins' attempt at
physical play.
" I thought he tried to hit me a few times," Bibby said, "but I didn’t feel it."
Bibby's little dittyPosted by Jeff Howe, April 24, 1:34 a.m.
Mike Bibby's comments about Celtics fans were loud. The Garden's response to Bibby during Game 2 was even louder. But Kevin Garnett's reaction during the postgame press conference was something on another level.
"Neither one of us have said anything retarded," Garnett said while sitting at the podium next to Ray Allen. "I don’t remember you saying nothing retarded. Have I ever said anything retarded? No. It’s hard enough playing on the road causing attention to yourself. I don’t think, no I can’t recall, neither one of us has said anything crazy like that."
The fan reaction toward Bibby was a nice mixture of intense and comical. He was booed every single time he touched the ball and heard chants of "Bibby sucks," "Where is Bibby?" when he was on the bench in the second half and "Rondo's better" through much of the fourth quarter.
"I heard them," Bibby said. "I knew it was going to happen. They played a good game. I’m not really worried about the crowd. They played a good game."
Postgame highlights
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 11:44 p.m.
There were a few things of note that happened during the postgame. Here are the quickies:
Kevin Garnett was asked if it was a distraction when he was honored before the game with the Defensive Player of the Year award. Garnett said, "It's a distraction that ..."
And as Garnett paused for a moment, Ray Allen jumped in, "That I wish I had."
"I was going to say it's a good distraction," Garnett said after the laughter in the room quieted. "Obviously, it's for the fans and people to show their appreciation. It's gratifying."
Doc Rivers mentioned the biggest thing he wants his team to improve upon this series is closing out quarters. Most notably, the Celtics had a 15-point lead with less than 90 seconds to play in the first half before heading into the break ahead by 10.
"They’re a young and aggressive team," Rivers said of the Hawks. "And when you give them hope, you’re playing with fire."
Rivers on James Posey, who entered the game for Paul Pierce in the first quarter and gave the Celtics some solid minutes: "He’s so important to our team. I don’t think people have any idea how important he is to our basketball team on and off the floor, and he was terrific tonight."
Rivers on Eddie House (3:03) and Tony Allen (2:25), neither of whom got much playing time: "Eddie and Tony, those guys are going to help us at some point. I can’t imagine how tough it is for them. They’ve played minutes all year, and you shorten your rotation [in the playoffs] and then they’re not playing. That’s difficult. They’ve handled it great, but I do understand how difficult that is."
Celtics take care of businessPosted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 10:50 p.m.
The Celtics blew out the Hawks for the second straight game, using a 96-77 win tonight to grab a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 is Saturday night at 8 in Atlanta. I'll check back in with more after the press conferences.
Hawks are 'dying hard'Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 10:06 p.m.
The Celtics can kick out their legs and enjoy the fourth quarter after extending their lead to 76-58 after three.
Oh, and actor Bruce Willis is in the house. He received a loud ovation from the crowd when he was shown on the video boards.
Celtics create some space, celebs in the housePosted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 9:18 p.m.
The Celtics are taking control of this game and have a 52-42 lead at
the half. Paul Pierce returned to the game at the start of the second
quarter and hit a key 3-pointer to give the C's a 40-29 lead midway
through the quarter. Pierce checked back out of the game with 3:18
remaining in the second and jogged back to the locker room with trainer
Ed Lacerte.
Also, Patriots owner Bob Kraft is sitting with the Celtics' owners in the same seat Sox owner John Henry occupied during Game 1. I think I just broke the record for most uses of the word "owner" in one sentence. Anyway, Pats linebacker Adalius Thomas and comedian Lenny Clarke are also in attendance.
Pierce may not be the only Celtic with back problems tonight, as Sam Cassell is sitting on the bench with his back wrapped.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 8:38 p.m.
The Celtics lead 24-20 after a testy first quarter. Paul Pierce
returned to the bench with about four minutes remaining in the quarter
but has yet to check back into the game. Kendrick Perkins picked up two
quick fouls for the second straight game and had to head to the bench
with 6:11 to play in the quarter. And this Mike Bibby treatment is
epic. He's getting booed every time he touches the ball, and a couple
"Bibby sucks" chants have echoed through the building. Gilbert Arenas
can only wish he was hated this much.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 8:24 p.m.
Paul Pierce was on the wrong end of a hard foul by Joe Johnson 82 seconds into the game. After the foul, Pierce was pretty much tackled by everyone on the Hawks, and there was a lot of jawing from each team. Pierce missed the first free throw and immediately dropped to his knees to stretch his back while in obvious pain.
Pierce left the game a minute later and went into the locker room
with trainer Ed Lacerte and team doctor Brian McKeon. The Celtics
called his injury a lower back strain, and he is expected to return. As
of right now, though, he is still in the locker room.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 7:37 p.m.
The feud started with Hawks point guard Mike Bibby calling out Celtics fans, saying they're "bandwagon jumpers" who are only going to the games because the team is finally winning. Then, Kendrick Perkins spoke out in the fans' defense. Now, it's gotten personal.
Bibby addressed the media earlier tonight and stuck to the comments he made before practice yesterday. Then, Bibby got on Perkins, saying the Celtics' center would be better off keeping his mouth shut because he hasn't accomplished anything in this league. Hey, Bibby's words -- not mine.
After Perkins was told of Bibby's statements, the C's big man shook them off.
"I’m still going to go to sleep tonight," Perkins said about an hour ago. "It really doesn’t bother me either way. Whatever to get his confidence right.
"I ain’t worried about him. Obviously, he’s worried about what’s going on over here, but I’m not worried about him, so it’s whatever."
Outside the locker room, Leon Powe was laughing with P.J. Brown, with Powe leaning on his teammate and saying, "Perk and Mike Bibby are talking crazy about each other."
In case you aren't up to date on how the feud started, click here for the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 11:49 p.m.
Thankfully, the postgame press conferences were moved to a larger area in the Garden's back hallway compared a couple of the smaller locker rooms that were used throughout the regular season.
Kevin Garnett said he plans to soak in all of the playoffs have to offer this time around, saying he was thankful to be put in this position. He also compared running out of the tunnel before the game like sticking your head out of a car window when it's driving 140 mph. He said he needed to stop and collect himself a bit.
Doc Rivers noted his team's success from 3-point range in the first quarter was like "fools gold" in that once the Celtics started knocking them down, that's what they started looking for during much of the first half. He said that's when they started getting into trouble and the lead withered away, saying he emphasized the offense running through the post more often.
Rivers was also unhappy with the way the Celtics failed to close out the first and second quarters, and at halftime, they talked about closing up the lane on defense.
Rivers mentioned the atmosphere in the building, which was the most electric it had been all season. He said it is rare to hear the crowd roars from the locker room prior to the game, but that was the case tonight, noting "I was in the bathroom (pause) combing my hair." It drew a laugh from the media in the room.
Finally, the Celtics were all proud of Rajon Rondo and his ability to stay within himself and control the moment tonight. Rondo had 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
Celtics take Game 1Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 11:12 p.m.
The Celtics made a statement tonight, blowing out the Hawks, 104-81, at the Garden. They took a 1-0 lead in the series and will go for win No. 2 Wednesday night at home. This was the Celtics’ first playoff victory since they beat the host Pacers, 92-89, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on May 5, 2005 . The Celtics lost that series, 4-3.
I'll have a little more coming later on.
Celtics blowing it openPosted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 10:34 p.m.
The Celtics have a 73-55 lead after the third quarter. The C's were 58-7 in the regular season when ahead or tied after three. Ray Allen scored 12 in the quarter to give the Celtics a comfortable lead heading into the fourth.
Apparently, Kevin Youkilis doesn't have the connections that Mike
Lowell, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia have. Youkilis is sitting about
four seats away from the Sox trio but in the second row.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 9:48 p.m.
The Celtics lead 49-40 after the second quarter. The C's were 52-9
in the regular season when ahead or tied at the half. The game
definitely slowed down more once the Celtics' second unit entered, and
the Hawks drew to within four points a couple different times before
Sam Cassell sparked the C's with a big 3-pointer to push the lead to
38-31. The Celtics' biggest concern in the second half will be the foul
trouble of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, who each have three
personal fouls.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 9:14 p.m.
The Celtics lead the Hawks, 29-21, at the end of the first quarter. The C's were 48-7 in the regular season when ahead or tied after one. The Celtics definitely fed off the raucous crowd, while the Hawks showed their youth. They went back-to-back possessions with a shot that was all glass and then an air ball. Atlanta point guard Mike Bibby also picked up a technical foul. Celtics center Kendrick Perkins was tagged with a couple early fouls, and Leon Powe was the first man off the bench for the C's.
Sitting courtside tonight are Red Sox Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia,
David Ortiz and owner John Henry. Pedroia, repping the little man, is
wearing a green Rajon Rondo tee shirt.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 8:39 p.m.
It's not quite yet the loudest this building has been all season because the crowds for the Pistons and Spurs games were pretty electric. But the pregame crowd is rocking the Garden. The C's brought back the fireworks for the starting lineups and also had a new montage they played on the video boards prior to the game. It highlighted past Celtics playoff appearances and looked back on the acquisitions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. JoJo White also spoke live on the video boards. This should be a crazy night at the Garden.
Playoff timePosted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 6:52 p.m.
It's that time again. The Celtics were the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff spot (March 5), and they're the last one to get in their first game, obviously along with the Hawks. The C's finished a league-best 66-16 and will have home-court advantage throughout the postseason as long as they're playing, and the Hawks were 37-45, the worst team still playing. Atlanta, however, finished 16-17 after trading for point guard Mike Bibby in February.
Some nuggets: Celtics coach Doc Rivers played for the Hawks from
1983-91 and is the team's all-time leader in assists with 3,866. ...
The Celtics are in the playoffs for the first time in three years, and
the Hawks are back in the postseason after a nine-year absence. ...
Atlanta's 37 wins were their most in 10 seasons. ... Props to the
Garden for keeping the parking price at $25 for the playoffs, while
another local team (through no fault of their own) sees playoff parking
rates soar around the facility. ... The NBA Playoffs insignia is on the
parquet.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 16, 10 p.m.
The Celtics got their kicks during win 66. Leon Powe scored a career-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 105-94 win against the Nets at the Garden. Ray Allen led the Big Three with 18 minutes played, as this was merely a spectacle for the starters.
The C's finished the regular season with an NBA-best 66-16 record,
and they'll host the eighth-seeded Hawks in the first round, which will
begin this weekend.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 16, 5:42 p.m.
It's been awhile, but don't worry. I wasn't really leaving you guys this way. Kind of like the Celtics, "In the Paint" clinched an early playoff berth and rested the starters for the rest of the season. But we're back in time for the playoffs, and consider tonight something of a postseason warmup.
The main topic of conversation around the Garden tonight revolves around when the Celtics will open play this weekend against the Hawks. The buzz is the NBA wants the Celtics to play in the first nationally televised game Saturday at 3 p.m., but there's a problem with the Bruins potentially hosting a playoff game Saturday night at 7. While parts of other playoff series have been announced, the league is holding off on the Celtics because it is rumored to be in talks with the networks to see if something can get worked out.
Consider the factors, though. A fast Celtics game would take two and a half hours, meaning a 5:30 conclusion. If the building security is completely on point, it would take about a half hour to usher the fans out of the building, and there'd be no time to clean the place. Typically, buildings open 90 minutes before the start of games, meaning that process would already be delayed a half hour. Also, you're talking about two sets of media. Granted, hockey media watches games on the Garden's ninth floor while the basketball media stays around the third floor, but there's still just one central media room. Is it feasible? Yes. But there are way too many small details to overcome.
Of course, the only thing that matters to the league is money in the TV contracts.
Here's where it gets even better. There are a pair of concerts in Atlanta next week on Thursday and Friday. That means the series can't open in Atlanta until next Saturday. As the rumors fly, this series is looking like it's going Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday in the first three games.
And finally, if the Celtics don't get the 3 p.m. game Saturday, it will be the Lakers.