Celtics Life

Fiddlin' & Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/30

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:43:00 +0000

Herald   Celtics-Cleveland updates
Celtics collapse late
Decision doesn’t sit well with Paul Pierce
For Ray Allen, it’s not to be in return
Magic suffer another blowout, this time at home against the Pacers
Cavs close with 12-0 run to beat Celtics 88-87
Globe   Final: Cavaliers 88, Celtics 87
Elder Irving watches son’s winner with BU teammates
Allen back in groove
Cavaliers steal one from Celtics
Cavs close with 12-0 run to beat Celtics 88-87

Celtics Life   Comments From the Other Side - Cavs 1/29
Cavs 88, Celtics 87 Highlights
Celtics/Cavs Post Game Videos
Ray Allen returns but Celtics give game to Cleveland 88-87
CelticsBlog   4th Quarter Collapse Ends Celtics Win Streak -
Celtics Weren't The Only Ones To Choke Sunday
Ray Allen Is Back, But The Loss Still Stings
Celtics Stuff Live: C's - Cavs Sunday Night Postgame 1/29
Doc's Decision Irks Paul Pierce
SB Nation Celtics' Ray Allen Doesn't Miss A Beat In His Return Vs. Cavaliers
NESN   Report: Paul Pierce Questions Doc Rivers' Decisions After Celtics' Collapse Against Cavaliers
Celtics Live Blog: Kyrie Irving's Spinning Layup Downs C's 88-87, Snaps Boston's Four-Game Win Streak
Kyrie Irving Sinks Layup With 2.6 Seconds Left, Snapping Celtics' Four-Game Winning Streak
CLNS Radio   Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavs Post Game Show On-Demand
Cavaliers steal a win from the Celtics, 88-87
Red's Army    Celtics collapse, Cavs steal a win
Your Morning Dump... Did Paul Pierce take a shot at Doc Rivers?
Celtics.com     Ford Keys to the Game: Cavaliers 88, Celtics 87 | Celtics.com
CSNNE   Erden interested in potential return to Boston
Celtics fall flat in fourth, lose to Cavs, 88-87
Pierce unhappy with playing time in fourth quarter
Turnovers, poor defense doom Celtics
Photo Gallery | Talking Points: Cavaliers 88, Celtics 87
Cavs' Irving already playing beyond his years
Allen looks good in return to Celtics
Celtics-Cavaliers review: What we saw
Mickael Pietrus whips up some French cuisine
Celtics Hub   Game 19/66: Cavaliers (7-11) @ Celtics (9-9) Open Thread
One Step Back: Cavs 88 Celtics 87
Highlight Gallery: Cavs 88, C’s 87
Green Street   Fast Break: Celtics let one get away
WEEI   Anatomy of a Celtics collapse
Celtics Title Town Cavs Nip Cs 88-87
Doc made a mistake? -
Celtics Morning Joe: The Celtics can't afford games like this
Sports of Boston   If the Playoffs Started Today – NBA Week 5
Irving, Cavs Score Final 12 Points, Steal Win From Celtics
Hoopsworld   Scott: Semih Erden Lacks Energy, Effort
MetroWest Daily    Cavaliers 88, Celtics 87: Celtics dismayed by defeat
Enterprise News   Rivers knows all about Cavs' Irving
Allen returns, Rondo still out
CBS Sports   Irving’s Basket, 12-0 Run Lifts Cavs To 88-87 Win Over Boston
Taunton Gazette Celtics Notebook: Injuries have showcased Celtics’ depth
ESPN    Points taken: Allen laments missed chances
Frustrated by loss, Pierce vents
Postgame notes: A star is born
SportsNation: C's still an East contender?
Pregame: Allen returns to lineup
Rapid Reaction: Cavs 88, Celtics 87
Sun Herald Scott 'disappointed' in Erden's play
Sacbee Weekly Power Rankings: Thunder ahead of two East powers
Cleveland.com   Kyrie Irving's basket with 2.6 seconds left leads Cavaliers to stunning win over Boston Celtics
Antawn Jamison has heard it all from Boston's Kevin Garnett
Bleacher Report   Boston Celtics: The Signifcance of the "Bar Fight" Analogy
Tony Gaffney Blogspot Gaffney's Amazing Dunk at All-Star Game!

Comments From the Other Side - Cavs 1/29

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:34:00 +0000

Not a lot of Cavs fans were chatting last night during the game. It's definitely not as much fun to gather these comments when we lose, especially when we lose the way we did last night. This comment about Paul Pierce was my favorite: "I use to hate him for spitting at LeBum in his rookie year but damn he did the right thing lol.." Still a lot of bitterness toward LeBron. Here, without further ado are the Comments...

I have always hated the Garden. I swear they pump crowd noise in there, because it just sounds so unnatural.

Celtics is always one of those teams I wanna beat (especially since a lot of my friends are Celtics "fans"). I hate them

A beatable bunch of old men in green!

Even if Ray plays he struggles against the Cavs. Remember the 2008 ECSF’s?

I believe a green victory is probable… about 70% chance or so, especially at home.
The level of aggressiveness the Celtics are able of presenting is a level above what the Cavs can handle. But – without Rondo, this game can be won

F LeQuit and the Cheat. It has nothing to do with the Celtics game but just wanted to say that.

Tonight’s game is gonna be a bar fight

The Man. The Legend. Kevin Garnett

Damn I hate Celtics!!!

Jamison.. Same ol same ol.. Blowing point blank lay ups.. And honestly I'm about tired of casspi.

Lol Avery Bradley is on skates when kyrie and him are ISO

I swear the Celtics are running the same offense as I've seen the old men run at the YMCA

We need a little more pace to tire the old guys out.

Heinsohn never disappoints..worst announcer in sports.

The Boston crowd is really quiet

Tommy boy is like that idiot kid who has something stupid to say about every play and won't shut up.

This is pissing me off. We need to develop Tristan Thompson. The guy comes in the game, gets no plays runs for him, and basically runs up and down the court for 8 minutes and is a ghost. Then like clockwork, the buzzer sounds and rotten corpse Jamison enters the game.

Jamison is so old

So is Ray Allen, but Ray doesn't suck.

I'm 100% serious when I say that a stationary sand bag would provide more resistance to the hoop than antawn jamison. Itd probably have better rebounding numbers too

Antawn, realizing that theres no way he can stop the faster of the two bag of bones, has resorted to just fouling them

Defense was tough. I would like to see it tighten up a bit more and hopefully the grandpas start to get tired

Love to see that Ray Ray is back in the lineup bombing away as usual.

God Twan is so good. Letting Garnett blow right past him is going to get this team a good draft pick.

I love Pierce's game. Very unique player.

I use to hate him for spitting at LeBum in his rookie year but damn he did the right thing lol.

I just wish I had PP34's magic wheel chair. I could make such a f*ing fortune healing people.

These Celtics announcers argh

I hate the Celtics announcers almost as much as I hate the Heat's PA guy.

At least they are not as awful as the Raptors announcers

Honestly I want Tommy Heinsohn to die. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but idgaf.

Pierce: 8-10 Allen: 7-10 Gross

If we trade Jamison we might be able to get a bag of chips for him by the deadline.

He, they'd probably be stale chips the other team found in a back room somewhere.

I think the Celtics best days are behind them.

You know it's a weird season and there are injuries when mychael Thompson is being guarded by good old sasha pavlovic

We should pool our money together and take a hit out on jamison.

Jamison with his best Tony Allen impression tonight on offense.. At least 3 easy lay ups he's blown today.

Speaking of Jamison, he's yet again having another stellar rebounding night, with a whopping 2. This against one of the worst rebounding teams of like the last 3 years.

Lol the one Boston commentator literally doesn't talk unless he is bitching about a call. I havent heard his voice in ten minutes and he finally speaks: “I AM GETTING REALLY AGITATED. HOW IS THAT NOT A FOUL”

There honestly were a small handful of no-calls we benefited from (accidentally jumping onto PP and no foul comes to mind) but we also straight outhustled this team. We want to win more.

We did get a couple calls, but hey we closed out that game. Boston didn't score in the last 4 minutes

Cavs 88, Celtics 87 Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:20:00 +0000

Celtics/Cavs Post Game Videos

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Ray Allen returns but Celtics give game to Cleveland 88-87

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob Noble) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:24:00 +0000

ESPN-Getty Images

Boston gave the game away to Cleveland, 88-87 as they turned the ball over on their last three possessions. Ray Allen returned with 22 points but it wasn’t enough as Kyrie Irving is the hero with the game winning lay up. The officials swallowed their whistles at the end, which frustrated the Celtics. Unable to play through it, the Celtics gave this one away.

Winning rebounding and taking more shots will give you a lead more times than not. That is what the Celtics have done early on in this game, which has been very close with both teams swapping two point leads every other minute. This game had over twelve ties in the first half.

Cleveland has hung around because of their play in the paint. The Cavaliers were very aggressive early on in terms of attacking the basket. Byron Scott’s game plan was to take it right at the Celtic defense. Everyone’s least favorite player, Anderson Varejao was everywhere with his 12 first half points. He has helped give the Cavaliers a one point league going into half time.

Points in the paint have favored Cleveland with 32 first half points. Boston’s slow rotations and help defense have given Cleveland the ability to get to the basket. Allowing fast break points has been a problem for the Celtics. Cleveland has taken advantage of the 10 Boston turnovers so far as they push the tempo and attack the basket. Brandon Bass and the wing players will need to help without Jermaine O’Neal there to clog the lane

Taking care of the basketball in the third quarter paid dividends for the Celtics as they opened up an eight point lead. Their defensive effort improved and they attacked the basket on the other end of the floor. Cleveland did a good job getting into the paint in the first half but was limited outside of Kyrie Irving’s fast break drives in the third.

Boston continues to be the best defensive team in the league in the second half. They also are one of the top offensive teams in the third quarter, where they do most of their damage, as Paul Pierce previously explained. Brandon Bass continues to improve each game on the defensive end. Offensively, we know what we are going to get with the big fella, as his nickname is No Pass Bass.

Defensively Brandon has done a better job of boxing out. Players get into tendencies from time to time to forget to box out. Brandon has also done a better job at switching and fighting through picks. Usually he will pick his own teammate but has done a better job of communicating to prevent that

Cleveland has scored over 52 points in the paint against Boston tonight, which is the most any game by the Celtics this season. The Celtics relaxed play late in the fourth gave Cleveland a chance to steal this win as they have gone on a 10-0 run in the last 3 minutes of the game. Cleveland has fought hard for the loose ball and have the chance to win the game with 22.2 seconds and a one point game.

Kyrie Irving ends up making a great spin move to the basket resulting in an easy two point shot for the lead. The 19 year old, first pick in the draft is showing why he was selected first. Boston on the other end had 2.9 seconds to win the game. Cleveland burned their remaining foul giving Boston 2.1 seconds. Ray Allen inbounds to Pierce who dribbles to the elbow for the shot but was unable to beat the shot clock. The shot missed regardless and the Celtics took another loss.

Doc Talks Prior to Celtics/Cavs Game

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:59:00 +0000

Celtics Host Cavs Looking for 5th Straight Win

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:59:00 +0000

at
Cleveland Cavaliers (7-11) at Boston Celtics (9-9)
Sunday, January 29
Regular Season Game #19, Home Game #12
TV: CSN-NE, FSO, NBA-LP 751/752
Radio: WEEI, WTAM
TD Garden
Referees: Marc Davis, Eric Lewis, Scott Wall

This is the first meeting between these two teams and is the first game in the Celtics third home and home series this season. They fared very well in their first two home and home series, sweeping both the Wizards and the Magic in the previous two.

Last season the Celtics won the series 2-1 with the loss coming in the second game of the season, the night after their big win over the Heat. The Cavs have struggled since LeBron went to South Beach and took his talents with him. Their wins have come against other struggling teams, including Detroit, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Minnesota. But, if the Celtics don't stay focused and play them tough, they do have enough talent to pull out a win.

The Celtics should get Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal back for this game as both have said they are targeting this game for their return. It will be interesting to see how the change in the lineup will change the chemistry and play of the team that has won 4 in a row. It will definitely make the bench better with the reinsertion of Pietrus and Bass.

This could be a trap game if the Celtics come into it thinking they can with it without putting out the effort. They need to play the Cavs as hard as they would the Magic or the Lakers, or the Pacers. If they do, then their win streak should reach 5.

Probable Starters

Avery Bradley.......Ray Allen.......Paul Pierce.......Kevin Garnett...... Jermaine O'Neal

Boston Bench
Marquis Daniels
Chris Wilcox
Brandon Bass
E'Twaun Moore
JaJuan Johnson
Greg Siemsma
Sasha Pavlovic
Mickael Pietrus

Injured
Ray Allen (ankle) probable
Jermaine O'Neal (knee) day to day
Keyon Dooling (hip) day to day
Rajon Rondo (wrist) day to day

Probable Starters

Kyrie Irving.....Anthony Parker.....Omri Casspi....Antawn Jamison.....Anderson Varejao

Cleveland Bench
Tristan Thompson
Ryan Hollins
Alonzo Gee
Ramon Sessions
Daniel Gibson
Samardo Samuels
Semih Erden
Christian Eyenga
Luke Harangody
Mychal Thompson

Injuries
None reported

Key Matchups
vs
Paul Pierce vs Omri Casspi
Paul Pierce has lifted his game to another level during the Celtics' 4 game win streak. He should be able to have another big game in this one in spite of playing big minutes the past 2 games. It's good to have him back to being the Truth!

vs
Jermaine O'Neal vs Anderson Varejao
This will be a tough matchup for the Celtics. Varejao plays with a lot of energy and also plays rough. JO will have his hands full trying to hold Varejao down.

Honorable Mention
Avery Bradley vs Kyrie Irving
Bradley will need to use his defensive skills on Irving, who is an early candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Keys to the Game
Focus - The Celtics have shown that when they come out focused and keep their intensity, especially on defense, throughout the game, they win. They need to stay focused now that they have proved that they can beat the better teams and not play down to the Cavs level. They must also focus on taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers.

Rebound - Rebounding is mostly desire and effort. When the Celtics put out the effort to out-rebound their opponents, they usually get the win. When they put the effort in to crash the boards, that effort also tends to show in other areas of the game as well. They out-rebounded the Magic and the Pacers, both good rebounding teams, because they made the effort to hustle for every rebound. They need to continue to do that.

Defense - Defense is the key to every game. The Celtics won banner 17 with defense and if they want to win banner 18 they must once again do it with defense. They have played that kind of defense in their last 3 games vs the Magic and the Pacers. They have to continue to make defense a priority and not allow any easy baskets.

Official Report
Marc Davis
Davis has been an NBA official for the past 14 seasons, working 802 regular season games and 35 playoff games, and the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. Davis officited his first two Finals games during the 2010-11 season. In addition to his NBA experience, Davis has three years of CBA officiating experience, and three
years of collegiate basketball officiating experience. Davis was investigated for threatening to whoop Allen Iverson's a** when AI complained about a call in a game in 2005, but was not suspended for it. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games with Davis officiating and have won the last 8 games he has called. The Cavs are 2-8 in their last 10 games with Davis on the court. His home W/L record is 7-6.

Eric Lewis
This is Lewis' seventh season as an NBA official. He has 427 regular season games and six playoff games. Prior to the NBA he worked three seasons in the NBA Development League, where he worked the 2004 D-League Finals and the 2003 and 2004 Playoffs. He also has 8 years experience calling college games and 6 years officiating high school games. In the offseason he works with troubled teens. The Celtics are 6-4 in their last 10 games with Lewis as a ref. The free throw totals were fairly close in all 4 losses with opponents taking 95 free throws and the Celtics taking 91 over the 4 games. The Cavs are 5-5 in their last 10 games with Lewis. His home W/L record this season is 10-6.

Scott Wall
The son of former USA Basketball Director Bill Wall, Scott Wall has officiated
908 regular season games and five playoff games over his past 16 NBA seasons. In addition to his NBA experience, Wall has four years of officiating experience for
USA Basketball, four years of collegiate officiating experience in the college ranks, and five years of high school officiating experience in Kansas
and Alabama. The Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10 games with Wall as an official. The Cavs are 3-7 in their last 10 games with Wall. His home W/L record this season is 9-3.

X-Factors
Focus and Energy
If the focus and energy are there, the Celtics will win. If they lose focus and feel they can play less than their best because of the Cavs record, then they may be surprised.

Fiddlin' & Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/29

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Herald   Reserves put Celtics back on track
International debate
Globe Celtics have interest in Kaman, if bought out
Strength gaining
Paul Pierce has Celtics recognizable again
Celtics Life Doc Rivers in the Running for Father of the Year
Rondo Could be Sidelined the Majority of February
CelticsBlog Rondo May Be Out For A Month - Maybe
Celtics right wrongs down low in win over Pacers
Tempering Expectations After A Winning Streak
Rumor: 5 Teams Interested in Kenyon Martin
Dwight Howard Unleashes On Teammates

ESPN   3-on-3: Celtics vs. Cavaliers (Game 19 of 66)
Video: NBA Tonight on streaking C's
Pierce 'understanding what the game needs'
C's should hope for quiet Kaman market
CLNS Radio   Ask Dr. John: How Long Should It Take For Rajon Rondo’s Wrist To Heal
The Celtics have no shot at Chris Kaman
Your Morning Dump... Where we heap praise on Paul Pierce
CSNNE   For Allen, naming child is about consistency
For Allen, naming child is about consistency
NESN Celtics Live Blog: Mickael Pietrus, C's Go for Five in a Row Sunday Against Cavs
Is Doc Rivers the Best Coach in the NBA?
Celtics Title Town C's Playbook game 18 of the season against the Pacers
Pierce takes over, as Rondo sits
Celtics Morning Joe: Does Ainge have his answer?
Hardwood Houdini   Celtics Notebook
Six Degrees Of The Celtics: Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Garnett Moving On Up
Taunton Gazette Boston enjoys success with Garnett in the middle
Bleacher Report Boston Celtics Mailbag Questions Answered
Hoopsworld Brandon Bass Wants Career Run in Boston
CBS Sports NBA Preview - Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics
Lucid Sports Fan   Rumors of the Celtics demise are greatly exaggerated
Enterprise News   Celtics had a week to remember
SB Nation   Celtics Trade Rumors: Boston Will Not Trade For Chris Kaman
Rant Sports Boston Celtics Paul Pierce Has Made Rajon Rondo Expendable?

Rondo Could be Sidelined the Majority of February

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

CSNNE

The point guard was vague about his expected return, offering, “I am going to play -- one day. Maybe like next -- hopefully before All-Star Break. That’s my goal, to come back before All-Star. I’m going to try to get February, like my birthday, like before Oklahoma.”

When a Celtic gets injured you never really know when he'll be back. He could be back the following game or he could be done for the season ('09 KG, '11 Shaq). Danny Ainge will usually say the player is doing fine and he'll be back soon. By now you should know not to put too much faith in that.

Now you add Rajon Rondo to the mix, who tends to talk like Yoda often, and you really get lost. My interpretation of the above quote is that he'll be out for three more weeks, possibly longer. But with that said, I wouldn't be shocked to see him suiting up later this week.

Until then, Pierce will have to overextend himself carrying the team, since we really don't have another point guard. Yes we have a few guards who height wise can be classified point guards, but Keyon Dooling, E'Twaun Moore, and Avery Bradley all are more 2 guards than point guards. Doc has even said as much. Eddie House was more of a 2 guard as well, so it's not the end of the world. The 3 will battle out to be Rondo's eventual back-up. But regardless of the good feeling surrounding our win streak, Rondo is the straw that stirs the Celtics drink and we need him to return 100% healthy if we plan on trying to pull something spectacular off in the playoffs.

Doc Rivers in the Running for Father of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Remember when Doc was weighing whether he wanted to stay on as the Celtics head coach or spend at least a year away from coaching so he could spend more time watching his kids play collegiately? Well it looks like he has figured out a way to do both. It seems every time I turn on a tv and see Duke, there's Doc in the stands. Like today for instance. Duke defeated St. John's, Doc's son Austin had a solid game, and there was Doc cheering him on. My guess is that after a quick dinner, Doc is back on a flight to Boston. So he coached last night, flew to North Carolina, and has to coach again tomorrow in Boston.

Many coaches talk about wanting to spend more time with family. Often this talk comes after a losing season or two. Doc is walking the walk. My guess is that when Doc and Danny met to discuss his new contract, part of the agreement was that Doc would travel on off days, so he could also be a dad. With the compressed schedule as it is, where you have 4 or 5 games a week, credit to Doc for keeping his commitment to his family. Most people would be like, "Son I'm exhausted. I'll watch your game and call you afterwards." But Doc knows he'll only have so many chances to sit in the stands and watch his son play Division I basketball, and if he can make it, he'll be there for every opportunity. It's nice to be able to root for a guy who in my opinion is the best coach in the league. It's even cooler that he also seems like a great person and father.

Fiddlin' & Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/28

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:56:00 +0000

Herald   Celtics hold off Pacers for 4th straight win
Allen looks to tomorrow
Celts don’t get message, win anyway
Pierce’s 17 in 3rd leads Celtics past Indy 94-87
Hornets GM Dell Demps says team looking to trade center Chris Kaman
NBA shot blocking is part art, part science, and all about denial
Reeling Magic stung hard by Hornets
Telecommunications exec buys share of Celtics
Knicks, like the Jets, are a major New York disappointment
Globe   Final: Boston Celtics 94, Indiana Pacers 87
Wilcox leads breathtaking effort by Celtics’ bench
Pierce, Celtics keep up pace
Telecommunications exec buys share of Celtics

Celtics Life Comments From the Other Side - Pacers 2/27
Are the Celtics back? Boston defeats Pacers: 94-87
Celtics/Pacers Post Game Videos
Celtics 94, Pacers 87 Highlights
Will Marquis Daniels Ever Be What He Was?
Celtics Week In Review January 22-27th
CelticsBlog   How Much Money Do We Have For Free Agents, Anyway?
Epic Comebacks Are Nothing New For Paul Pierce
Pierce > Pacers... 4 In A Row And We Are On A Roll!!!
Chris Wilcox Is Finally Shaping Up To Be A Good Addition
Celtics Stuff Live: C's - Cavs Sunday Night Postgame 1/29
Celtics Only Interested In Chris Kaman If He's Bought Out
CLNS Radio   Celtics stun Pacers to extend winning streak to 4
Pierce, Wilcox, Pietrus, Bass & Doc Post Games
What are the Factors which have Led to this Celtics Turnaround?
Red's Army    Recap: Pierce does it all in win over Pacers
Your Morning Dump... WTF got into Chris Wilcox??
Enemy Chatter: Paul Pierce gets it done on sheer will
Celtics.com   Ford Keys to the Game: Pacers 87, Celtics 94 | Celtics.com
CSNNE    Celtics-Pacers Review: What we saw
Talking Points: Celtics 94, Pacers 87
Wilcox kicks into gear
Amica Game Recap
Boston Celtics News and Video
Allen remains consistent when naming children
Rondo: Pierce is 'Mr. Everything'
Pietrus rebounds from spill
Celtics' hot hand continues
Allen not yet ready
NESN    Kevin Garnett, Celtics Won 'Bar Fight' After 27-Point Comeback Win Against Magic (Video)
Celtics Live Blog: Paul Pierce Scores 28 Points As C's Beat Pacers 94-87 for Fourth Straight Win
Celtics Are in Survival Mode After Rough Start to Season
Celtics Hub Second Half Confidential
5 Questions With David West
Game 18/66: Pacers (12-5) @ Celtics (8-9) Open Thread
The Truth Reigns Supreme: Celtics 94, Pacers 87
Highlight Gallery: C’s 94, Pacers 86
Celtics Town Celtics 94, Pacers 87: Paul Pierce, defense lead win
Brandon Bass wants to remain with Boston Celtics forever
On Boston’s role in Indiana’s putrid shooting night
WEEI The Truth: Paul Pierce is back
Celtics Title Town This Is Not a Mirage! Celtics Pace Pacers
Celtics by the numbers: Celtics finally beat Pacers
Celtics Morning Joe: Back-to-back solution is youth - Celtics Title Town
The Good,the Bad,and the Ugly: Game 18 of the season against the Pacers
Rondo out another three weeks?
NBA Point Forward Short season = really awful shooting? «
Banner 18   Photos: Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic
State of the Celtics   Celtics climb back to .500 with 94-87 win over Pacers
Washburn: Celtics will look at Chris Kaman if he's bought out by New Orleans
Press Herald Red Claws beat buzzer, edge Stampede
Green Street   Paul Pierce: ‘I’m probably at about 83.7 percent’
Chris Wilcox is gaining momentum
‘I’d love to be Paul Pierce, but I’m Mickael Pietrus’
Fast Break: Celtics win fourth straight, reach .500
Indy Star Confidence builder
ESPN   Rapid Reaction: Celtics 94, Pacers 87
Wilcox a breath of fresh air
Working for the weekend
Video: Rocking the Rondo vote
Postgame: O'Neal aims for Sunday return
Transcript: Forsberg on Celtics
Cleveland.com   Cavs interested in Hornets center Kaman
SB Nation Boston Celtics Winning Streak A Good Start, But February Will Be Key
Slam Online   Bulls Targeting Leon Powe, Joel Przybilla?
Bleacher Report Why the Boston Celtics Are the Best Choice for Dwight Howard
Kevin Garnett and the Craziest Postgame NBA Interviews
CBS Sports   NBA Recap - Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
Dwight Howard: Magic have to 'change'
MetroWest Daily News    Celtic Ray Allen says he would 'never' consider declining White House invite
Patriot Ledger   CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Allen, O’Neal set to rejoin lineup on Sunday
NBA.com On-the-job training paying off for Nets rookie Brooks
Dimemag Rajon Rondo Gets an All-Star Push from Red Bull
Who’s Better: Kyle Lowry or Rajon Rondo?
Hardwood Paroxysm   Lion Face/Lemon Face 1-26-12: It Was A Bar Fight
Yahoo   Rajon Rondo Returns to Practice, but Don't Get Too Excited
Lucid Sports Fan   Celtics suffocate Magic on Monday, then rip their hearts out on Thursday
Grantland   Is This Boston's New Crunch-Time Play?
SI.com   Shaquille O'Neal dances in his underwear on TV
Orlando Sentinel   Dwight Howard calls out teammates to “change”

Celtics Week In Review January 22-27th

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Dillinger) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:04:00 +0000

Comments From the Other Side - Pacers 2/27

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:54:00 +0000

Another fun night on the boards. It's so much fun when we win. I love how over confident they are to start and how much they hate on their own team at the end. Instead of giving the Celtics credit, they blame their team. And once again, it always amazes me when fans wish harm to players. I hope you enjoy today's comments.... What's your favorite?

I keep seeing people walking around campus with Boston hats and T-shirts, and I wanna kick them in the shins. Like the Pacers are gonna do tonight! A little Psycho T shinkick should put KG out for a while.

I'm sick and tired of the Celtics, I want to sweep them this year, tonight is step 3 of 4.

Boston w/o 3 starters - Rondo, Ray Allen or JO - tonight.

Could all 3 be out cause of a trade with the Pacers?
I kid, I kid.
Would be nice to get them though.

All 3 of them for David West....that would be Funny as Hell! (not for David tho)!

Time to take on those retirement home Celtics once again!

The Celtics will sure be a younger team without Jo and Allen

If they don't win this game by 15+ points I will be disappointed. A loss would be a MASSIVE embarrassment.

If our young and rested team can't beat this team of geezers and d leaguers then we don't deserve to be in the league. They don't even have 3 of their starters. Should be a cake walk. Pacers by 30+

Good god...I'm having the Tommy Heinsohn feed...

OK, you've got to give us some of his best (worst) lines. C'mon. If you gotta suffer at least help us get a laugh out of it.

This should be an easy win... Half the team is sitting out

Can’t be like the Magic. Need to take advantage of 2 very good players being out for the Celts….and JO.

I will always think that that Paul Pierce thing was set up from the very beginning. Since when do you remove a seriously injured player from the court by carrying him off with 4 people?

Let's run them out of the gym and have them all begging for wheel chairs by the end of the game. They played last night and will be gasping for air by half time.

Their fans are loud... Can't even here Quinn

We should blow this Cs team out by 20+ they played last night and used tons of energy and quite frankly without Rondo and Ray they aren't very good.

Celtics look to have plenty of energy tonight. No excuse to lose to them though

A couple of good punches in the throat and they should be done after expending all that energy last night.

Bass has a mid range shot??? Damn.

Amundson is bad. Can we trade him? Or maybe just shoot him?

Why shoot him? It’d just miss anyway.

Sasha Pavlovic to Chris Wilcox Is beating us. I don’t like these games

We should have two starters in at all times. They can rest when they’re dead.

Brandon Bass can’t freakin miss.

Wilcox having a field day!

Does MDaniels have a dead black cat on his head?

I met Quis in San Fran, he may be one of the strangest people I've ever run into.

Someone may want to get in Bass' jersey.

I wish Lou wouldn't try to do anything offensive.

As soon as he steps on the floor he is offensive.

If we lose this ****ing game I will be so pissed. They are missing two of their top 4 players

Is it too late to reconsider the McRoberts trade? At least if he were here and Tyler were gone, we’d have a PF that wasn’t afraid of throwing elbows at people’s throats. We could use that from time to time.

Are we getting cocky or are we facing a diff Boston team?

At this point I just wish Hansbrough would punch somebody....

I vote for Paul Pierce to get one in the mouth

We're shooting 28%. Can we just quit?

This had BETTER be a game of two halves, you morons.

They are an old team in a b2b game and missing 3 of their starters.We simply don't take advantage of that and also have a lazy attitude.We need to wake up.

It's their (relatively) younger players that are playing well- Wilcox, Pietreus, and Bass.

KG keeps pushing Tyler, I don't think he likes him

We must've really angered Paul Pierce...

****ing Pierce. Anyone have a wheelchair handy?

Somebody stab Pierce...oh wait...

Why have all of our guys forgotten how to defend Paul Pierce?

3 dudes don’t have to collapse on Garnet’s 40 year old ass.

Pacers getting beaten by a D-League Celtics team That even played last night.

Rondo looks like a younger version of Billy Bob in Slingblade.

And Ray Allen looks like that Jesus shuttlecock In that movie….oh, wait

Attack Stiemsma. He can't play defense.

Steimsma looks like an extra in a Nazi propaganda film.

Pierce is killing Danny. Anyone going to guard Pierce?

What is this voodoo the Celtics have And where do we buy it?

Pierce the player I hate most in the NBA Plays when he wants to.

I think he just hates the Pacers for some reason.... …must be b/c Bird will always have more love than him in Boston.

Wow Pierce! Those legs ain't dead after all

Haha, the Celtics commentators complaining about West getting two bogus FT's. LOL... Like Pierce has not been getting TONS of those the past 10+ years!

Hopefully Paul learns from the clinic Pierce just used against him in that quarter.

U know its sad when they are doing 1 on 1's for marquis

Still at his age Pierce>Danny

I don't see how we can't stop pierce... It is beyond me...

The Pacers handled the Celtics easily TWICE this season and are on the verge of being blown out tonight by them minus three starters

FT 22/22 is awesome... Can't believe we are getting whooped.

We've been getting the benefit of the refs. I can't complain. they let a lot of stuff go both ways but we're getting more calls than them.

Celtics are a better team than they were earlier in the season. Pierce is playing like Pierce again. When we first played them three weeks ago he was a sloth. Now he is entering his mid-season form. They will be a team to be reckoned with when Rondo and Ray get back, especially if guys like Moore, Bass, Wilcox, and Pietrus keep producing.

How do you go from looking like contender to a team that needs to be blown up in one night

No way Pacers should be losing to these geezers after they played last night. Unreal

Thank god we don't play the Celtics until April These guys are getting it together

No they arent Look at their starting five, it’s probably the worst in the nba if that was their regular lineup we just didn't make any shots,

Boston's announcers are beyond delusional. Even if they were rooting for the Pacers, I wouldn’t be able to stand them. Something Rush Limbaugh-ish about them.

Here's what we need... 5 techs on Boston players. Get us the 5 FTs and give us a chance. Lol

Rasheed is retired dude.... …no hope.

The lineup the C’s started tonight, in 2012, couldn't win consistently in the d-league

They've destroyed the Magic twice With this lineup. They even spotted them a 27-point lead last night.

Pierce's 4 layups with his left hand average speed 2mph!

How many times does Pierce get to the rim uncontested before the defense adjusts? I guess never?

Bill Kennedy is jacked

Ref trying to help us win tonight and we couldn't take advantage

We hit 18 more FTs than them though. That’s gotta hurt.

Tommy Heinsohn should become a referee. Seriously...

Pietrus burns Danny again!

The fans are celebrating too much. Ill never forget this.

KG celebrating publicly when the game is still ongoing!!! Scandalous!!

Tommy Heinsohn on Pietrus' foul: "What's wrong with that?"

Kevin Garnett ran in there like it was some kinda bar fight or something...

Can someone put a bullet in tommy's head god I hate listening to this moron

Pietrus is a *****!What's up with the constant taunting throughout the game?Someone should slap his face

Someone needs to deck this French scumbag Pietrus the next game.

He is actually what we need.

Not IMHO.....he's not a difference maker.

Only saw the box score... But 05.3% from three will do any team in.

I will never forget the way KG celebrated during a regular season game. I can't wait to play them again!

GO **** YOURSELF, CITY OF BOSTON.

I mean Hibbert played against a really tough Center tonight....woo, wait.. What center?

He was defended by this guy named Kevin Garnett for most of the game...maybe you've heard of him?

I hate the city of Boston. I hate the Celtics. I hate Paul Pierce. I hate Kevin Garnett. I hate every referee on any level/decree of basketball ever. I hate the NBA. I hate some of the decisions made by this team. I hate Tyler Hansbrough. I REALLY hate Lou Amundson. I hate karma. I hate Fridays (**** you Rebecca Black). I hate my life, and I hate basketball right now.

Will Marquis Daniels Ever Be What He Was?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Dampolo) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Two years ago Marquis Daniels was brought to Boston, the signing was immediately praised across the board. On opening night Marquis played 18 minutes of tenacious defense against Lebron James and the Celtics beat the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers.

About a month later Daniels was out for 2 months, he came back and played effectively, was re-injured, and Tony Allen essentially took over his minutes through the playoffs. The Celtics played through Game 7 of the NBA Finals but Quis only played 37 total minutes in the Playoffs.

Many fans felt that Daniels was done in Boston when he returned in 2010. With former teammate Jermaine O'Neal donning the Celtics #7, Marquis had to switch another former teammate's number... Antoine Walker's infamous number 8. Daniels once again started off strong. When at his best Daniels is an effective slasher with an extremely smooth game, strong ball handling, lock down defense, and the ability to slow down the game.

Then tragedy struck. At home against the Orlando Magic Daniels hit his head against Gilbert Arenas and suffered an extreme neck injury. Daniels laid on the floor motionless while his teammates rushed to his arrival. Marquis was taken off the court on a stretcher and was immediately transported to the hospital. The doctors found that Daniels had been suffering from a damaged spinal column. The injury had been effecting a lot of areas of Marquis' body and could have been the reason for him appearing to be so "injury prone" over the years.

Marquis was traded to Sacramento at the trade deadline but never actually headed west. After being cleared for basketball activities the Celtics immediately signed on to bring him back.

After the warm homecoming to start the training camp Daniels has had a rough start. For the first week the whole team was down, but Marquis especially got beat up on by Lebron and Carmelo Anthony. Everyone obviously understands that he is coming off of a serious injury and a life changing experience but it seems like Daniels doesn't have the same feel for the game that he had before. He's only shooting .311% from the field for the season and is missing a lot of lay ups that were money for him before.

Tonight against his former team, The Pacers, Daniels scored 4 points in 17 minutes of action. Not exactly mind blowing, but he is looking better on the defense end of the floor and with his play making.

Who knows if Marquis can ever be the player he was in Indiana as a starter, but if he can just get back to 80% of that The Celtics will be happy about him as a strong contributor to this team's bench. Especially now that they are finding their groove.

Celtics 94, Pacers 87 Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:05:00 +0000

Box Score after the jump.

Starters	Pos	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
M. Pietrus (notes)	G	33:03	5-13	2-5	1-2	+8	2	8	0	1	0	0	1	4	13
A. Bradley (notes)	G	32:06	2-7	0-0	0-0	+4	0	2	3	1	1	1	0	2	4
K. Garnett (notes)	C	32:06	4-9	0-0	5-5	+9	1	8	4	1	1	2	0	2	13
B. Bass (notes)	F	37:31	6-12	0-0	0-0	+6	2	6	2	1	0	1	0	4	12
P. Pierce (notes)	F	34:04	10-23	4-7	4-4	+5	2	10	8	6	3	2	1	1	28

Bench	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
Totals		38-83	6-14	12-14		9	45	21	16	6	7	3	21	94
Percentages		.458	.429	.857		Team Rebounds: 7
C. Wilcox (notes)	21:50	6-8	0-0	2-3	+1	2	6	0	2	0	0	1	2	14
M. Daniels (notes)	17:43	2-4	0-1	0-0	+1	0	1	2	2	0	0	0	1	4
E. Moore (notes)	15:54	2-4	0-1	0-0	+3	0	1	1	2	1	0	0	2	4
S. Pavlovic (notes)	11:45	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	3	1	0	0	1	0	1	2
G. Stiemsma (notes)	3:58	0-1	0-0	0-0	-2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0

Celtics/Pacers Post Game Videos

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:08:00 +0000

Are the Celtics back? Boston defeats Pacers: 94-87

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Saver) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Again, no Rondo and no Ray Allen but yet again another inspiring Celtics win. It was a game that was close at times but Boston never really seemed to lose control of this one, leading by as many as 16 points, and defeating the Pacers 94-87. It is the Celtics fourth straight win.

Indiana had tied the game in the third, however 17 points from Paul Pierce in that quarter helped stave off the run and keep the Celtics in the lead. Pierce was the driving force in the Boston victory, totaling 28 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocked shots.

Chris Wilcox played probably his best game since arriving in Boston, with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Mickael Pietrus added 13 points and 8 boards and Brandon Bass scored 12 points and 6 rebounds.

The Pacers only shot 35% on the night and were led by Danny Granger's 21 points. David West added 14.

Indiana falls to 12-6 and the Celtics become a .500 team at 9-9. It is the first time they do not have a losing record since January 6th.

Add Celtics Life on Google+

Celtics Host Pacers Looking for 4th Straight Win

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:11:00 +0000

at
Indiana Pacers (12-5) at Boston Celtics (8-9)
Friday, January 27
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #18, Home Game #11
TV: CSNNE, FSI, NBA-LP 752/753
Radio: WEEI, WIBC
TD Garden
Referees: Bill Kennedy, Olandis Poole, Gary Zielinski
This is the 3rd meeting between these two teams. The Celtics were soundly beaten in both of their previous meetings, once in Indiana and once in Boston. This time, hopefully the outcome will be different. The Celtics are on a 3 game win streak, having beaten the Magic in dramatic fashion twice in a row, despite missing key players.   I have to admit that at this time, I have no idea who will be playing and who won't. So, in line with my wishful thinking, I've included Ray, Rondo and JO in the starting lineups. However, we could see another game with Bradley, Bass and Pietrus, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm going to make a wild guess that Ray will be back but Rondo won't and I have no clue about JO.

The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games. The Pacers had the night before off but they are playing in the 3rd game in 4 nights. The Celtics expended a lot of energy in their comeback win over the Magic last night. Paul Pierce played a season high 44 minutes. KG played 34. It would be great if a rested Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo return for this game.

The Celtics got Keyon Dooling, Chris Wilcox, and Mickael Pietrus back from the injured list for last night's game. However, Dooling left last night's game with a hip pointer. He was out on the court shooting after the half but the trainers kept him from returning to the game. Not sure if he'll play tonight.    Rondo wanted to play vs the Magic so it's possible he could come back for this one. He said that his wrist is about 45% so that could mean that he will be out a while yet. If he still can't go, both Avery and E'Twaun have played well in his absence. There hasn't been any news on Jermaine's knee so he could be playing or he could be sitting. Pietrus also took a hard fall onto his tailbone last night. He came back to play afterwards but who knows if that tightened up on him overnight.

After last night, it's safe to say that the Celtics will play with heart, but whether they have the strength and stamina to back up that heart, it's may not be so easy after expending so much energy on their come back win last night. When and if we get an update on who's in and who's out I'll update the thread. You know, it it's hard for us to do a game thread not knowing who's playing, imagine how hard it is for opposing coaches to make a game plan.

Probable Starting Matchups
PointGuard
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Darren Collison

Shooting Guard
vs
Ray Allen vs Paul George

Small Forward
vs
Paul Pierce vs Danny Granger

Power Forward
vs
Kevin Garnett vs David West

Center
vs
Jermaine O'Neal vs Roy Hibbert

Celtics Reserves
Brandon Bass
Marquis Daniels
Chris Wilcox
Keyon Dooling
E'Twaun Moore
JaJuan Johnson
Avery Bradley
Sasha Pavlovic
Greg Stiemsma
Mickael Pietrus

Injured
Ray Allen (ankle) day to day
Rajon Rondo (wrist) day to day
Keyon Dooling (hip) day to day
Jermaine O'Neal (knee) day to day

Pacers Reserves
Tyler Hansbrough
George Hill
Louis Amundson
Dahntay Jones
Jeff Foster
Jeff Pendergraph
Lance Stephenson

Injured
AJ Price (strep throat) day to day
Jeff Foster (back) out

Key Matchups
vs
Paul Pierce vs Danny Granger
Danny Granger is a tough player who can hit from outside as well as take the ball to the basket. He always seems to play extra hard against the Celtics. Paul Pierce has found his stroke and his conditioning is back and so this should be a really good matchup.

vs
Rajon Rondo vs Darren Collison
Hopefully Rondo will be back for this game and if he is, he needs to re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. Bradley filled in very well for him and Rondo's competitive nature will bring out the best in him. When Rondo is aggressive, he makes the Celtics very tough to beat. If Rondo can't go, Bradley needs to keep up his aggressive defensive play.

Honorable Mention
Kevin Garnett vs David West
KG has shown in recent games, most notably the Magic games, that he's still got the old defensive spark. He will need to bring find that spark again to give the Celtics the advantage in this game. Whether he can go strong 2 nights in a row remains to be seen.

Keys to the Game
Defense - The Celtics defense had been up and down but they have clamped down in both of their last 2 games vs the Magic. They showed that they are capable of playing solid defense for 48 minutes when they beat the Magic in the first game. And they came back from 27 points down in the second Magic game by once again playing tight lock down defense. They need to bring that same defensive intensity in this one.

Rebound - Winning the rebounding battle prevents second chance points and tip ins for the Pacers as well as limits fast break opportunities. Without a lot of height, the Celtics must gang rebound with everyone putting out effort to grab rebounds. When the Celtics put out the effort on the boards, it often translates to other areas of the game as well.

Ball Movement - There have been times when the Celtics' ball movement is a joy to behold. They have to continue to move the ball and find the open man. They can't lapse into playing one on one and playing hero ball and expect to win the game. They also can't get sloppy and turn the ball over.

Hustle and Energy - The Celtics need to bring some hustle and effort to the game. They have to go after loose balls and chase down rebounds. Too many times we see Celtics standing around while the other team dives for loose balls and chases down rebounds. Hopefully they didn't put out too much effort to come back last night and they will be able to get off to a fast start and hustle through the end.

Official Report
Bill Kennedy
Kennedy’s 13 seasons of NBA officiating experience include 814 regular season and 42 playoff games including 3 Finals games. In addition to his NBA experience, Kennedy has 5 years officiating experience in the CBA, including working the 1996 and 1997 CBA Finals. He also officiated 2 games in the WNBA Finals in 1998,
and has 15 years of high school officiating experience in Arizona. Celtics fans will remember Kennedy's run in with Doc Rivers that resulted in both of them being fined. Yes, David Stern fined one of his precious refs and certainly, Kennedy hasn't forgotten. Here is how Doc described the incident:

"[Kennedy] stood there and goaded me and goaded me and goaded me and stared at me," Rivers said. "Look at the film. I actually walked away. He asked me, 'Where do you want the ball?' And I said, 'Ask them,' talking about our players. That's my right to say that, and I walked away. He stood there and stared me down and stared me down and goaded me until I turned around and said, 'What?' That's when I got thrown out of the game."

Doc was fined for criticizing a referee, but since the league fined Kennedy, they as much as admitted that Doc's criticism was deserved. Go figure. According to Tim Donaghy, Bill Kennedy is gay and his beef with Doc stems from Doc questioning his sexual orientation. Both teams are 6-4 over their last 10 games with Kennedy on the court. His home W/L record this season is 11-4.

Olandis Poole
After three seasons in the NBA Development League, where he worked the postseason each year, Poole joined the NBA officiating staff eight years ago and has officiated 421 games. Poole spent 12 years in the college ranks and officiated the NCAA Tournament from 1996 through 2004, including the 2004 NCAA Final Four. The Celtics 8-2 over their last 10 games with Poole as a ref. The Pacers are 6-4 over their last 10 games with Poole. His home W/L record this season is 7-7.

Gary Zielinski
Zielinski has officiated 616 regular season games and six Playoff games. In addition to his 10 seasons in the NBA, Zielinski officiated for seven seasons in the CBA and four in the WNBA. He worked the CBA Finals from 1997-2000, the CBA All-Star Game in 1995 and the WNBA Finals from 1998-2001. The Celtics are 9-1 in their last 10 games with Zielinski on the court while the Pacers are 6-4 in their last 10. His home W/L record this season is 7-5.

X-Factors
Back to Back
In their last back to back set, the Celtics demolished the Magic in the second game. They showed that they are capable of winning on back to back nights. Will they have enough energy in this one after battling the Magic the night before and then traveling? We shall see.

Video: Vote Rajon Rondo 2012 NBA All-Star

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Video produced by Red Bull.

Fiddlin' & Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/27

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Herald   Celtics pile another embarrassing loss on Magic
E’Twaun Moore like that, rookie -
Chris Wilcox answers the call
Rajon Rondo’s eager to take shot at foes
Celtics erase 27-point deficit, beat Magic 91-83
Globe Celtics make statement
Rookie Moore keys big rally at both ends of floor

Celtics Life Comments From the Other Side - Magic 1/26
KG Talks Bar Fights
Celtics- Magic Highlights and Box Score
Austin Rivers Tweets on the Celtics
Celtics find some Magic of their own, comeback from 27 points to win 91-83
JaJuan Johnson on life in the NBA
CelticsBlog   Magical!!!! X 2
Moore E'Twuan Please
SB Nation Hold The Phone: Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics Make Strong Statement
Danny Ainge Impressed With Avery Bradley's Performance Against Orlando
Shaq, Newark Mayor Looking To Replace Nets In New Jersey
Hoopsworld NBA AM: Magic Completely Collape
CLNS Radio Congrats to Ray Allen and Family!
Celtics come back from 27 down to beat the Magic, 91-83
Red's Army Schwan: Kraft is King for now, but don't forget about Walter Brown
Gang Green's "State of the Celtics"
Recap: Celtics rally from 27 points down to beat Magic
Your Morning Dump... Where Doc nearly pulled the plug on comeback
CBS Sports   Report Card: Magic make a lead disappear
NBA Preview - Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
Kevin Garnett interview: 'It was a bar fight'
Indy Star   Bird's long-range plan for Pacers comes together this season
Celtics.com   Ford Keys to the Game: Celtics 91, Magic 83 | Celtics.com
CSNNE Howard: Celtics 'have the championship mentality'
Celtics-Magic: Keys to the game
Celtics come from 27 down, beat Magic, 91-83
Magic plan accordingly for Bradley's defensive pressure
Photo Gallery Talking Points: Celtics 91, Magic 83
Celtics-Magic review: What we saw
Confident Moore gets hot at right time for Celtics
Celtics desperate for inside scoring
Magic plan accordingly for Bradley's defensive pressure
Gortat: Celtics "weaker" this year
NESN   Celtics Live Blog: Paul Pierce, C's Return to Boston Hoping for Different Outcome Against Pacers
Are the Pacers Good Enough to Host an Eastern Conference Playoff Series?
Dwight Howard Would Listen If Celtics Called, Says They 'Have the Championship Mentality'
Celtics Live Blog: Paul Pierce Leads C's Back From 27 Points Down to Beat Magic 91-83
Report: Orlando Magic Fans Receive Adidas Sneakers in Honor of Dwight Howard Setting Scoring Record (Photo)
Paul Pierce, Celtics Far From Perfect, But Boston Fans Can Never Be Ashamed of Effort
Report: Ray Allen's Wife Gives Birth to Boy, Wystan Ryan Allen
Celtics Hub 5-on-5: Magical Turnaround?
Game 17/66: Celtics (7-9) at Magic (12-5) Open Thread
Comeback Kids: Celtics 91, Magic 83
Presented Without Comment: KG’s Postgame Interview
Highlight Gallery: C’s 91, Magic 83
Celtics Town Ticket deal for Celtics-Pacers on Friday night
Celtics 91, Magic 83: Oh, what a night
Celtics Title Town Give me some 'Moore' of that! C's comeback after being down 27 points
Celtics by the numbers: C's put defensive clamps on Magic
Hangtime Blogs   Emotional KG Reacts To Comeback Win
Sports of Boston   Celtics Complete Biggest Comeback in 16 Seasons Against Magic
Hardwood Houdini   Six Degrees Of The Celtics: Orlando Magic
Yahoo No timetable for Celtics’ Rajon Rondo’s return
WEEI   The Celtics are not dead yet
Furious Celtics comeback stuns Magic
Bleacher Report   NBA Trade Rumors: Dealing Paul Pierce Worst Move the Boston Celtics Can Make
Kevin Garnett 'Was in a Bar Fight': Video of Boston Star's Emotional Interview
NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Who's Hot and Who's Not in Week 4
Rajon Rondo Is the Boston Celtics' Most Valuable Player
ESPN    Observations: Oh, Oh It's Magic
Rapid Reaction: Celtics 91, Magic 83
Dooling (hip) departs vs. Magic
Tuck: Breaking Up Boston’s Big Three Not Easy
Orlando Sentinel   Former Orlando Magic player Mickael Pietrus returns to Orlando and starts for the Celtics
Celtics play mind games with fragile Magic
Mickael Pietrus ready for return to Amway Center
Green Street   Fast Break: Comeback Celtics stun Magic
Howard the Dunk    HtD Video: Glen Davis Celtics Postgame
Huffington Post   Celtics Beat Magic In 'Bar Fight:' Kevin Garnett Helps Erase 27-point Deficit (VIDEO)
Rant Sports   Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett Has Impressive Defensive Performance
Sporting News   A look at the numbers tells the story of injury-impacted NBA season
Slam Online Dwight Howard Would Listen to Offers from the Boston Celtics
Pro Basketball Talk   Dwight Howard says he would consider Boston. Well, sure.
News Herald Semih Erden emerging on offense, but his defense needs work
Dimemag Paul Pierce Leads One Of The Greatest NBA Comebacks Ever
LCT Mag The Game Changer

Comments From the Other Side - Magic 1/26

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Magic game threads were fun in this game. Talk about going from ecstasy to despair! I'll never understand fans wishing injury and death on players though. Talking about Pierce's stabbing goes way over the line. I've gotten down about a big loss or when the Celtics weren't playing well, but I've never hated on the Celts the way some of these fans are hating on the Magic by the end of the game (same ones who were loving them in the first half). I think my favorite exchange was this one: "I know how you guys feel. I felt the same way at half time. (from a Celtics fan) -- Your team has a thousand championships. Your argument is invalid." I hope you enjoy today's comments!!!

We REALLY need this game from them to prove the other night was a fluke. That being said, with the home crowd, I do think we win

I'm sick of these guys punking us

let's DESTROY them on national television... I mean absolutely beat the s*** out of them

JO was lucky they were holding him back and the fact that Dwight is a "gentle giant"... Dwight would have broke JO's face.

I want to see Orlando destroy these guys. I am hoping that their punking tactics will end on Thursday

Jermaine Flopping O'neal is out

If we don't win, this team is full of prideless punks.

My bold prediction is we score more then 57 points

Jameer has to redeem himself tonight...he was punked by Avery Bradley of all people someone who would probably be wearing a suit if everyone else was healthy for Boston

I wish they were healthy because when we destroy them they'll just have the excuse that they were missing 3 of their starters.

I want to put a beatdown on those geezers. We will prob come out strong but we need to sustain it. Lets embarrass them.

I want to see Q slap Pierce in the face

Everybody in Boston gets injured and they blow out the Magic by 40 using the cleaning crew of the Garden.

God, I wanted to shoot myself in the foot listening to Shaq. He's just a bitter, fat, old, slob.

Please don't humiliate us tonight, Magic

Don't give Bass those wide open jumpers, hes gonna make all of them.

The loudest I've heard the crowd on a stream was just then when Peaches sunk that 3.

Jameer wants to drink Avery Bradley's blood tonight

Well D12 in foul trouble on 2nd BS call. F*** these Stern puppets.

Dwight is a flat out bum. Boston has no one who can guard him and he misses easy shot after easy shot after easy shot. Just pure trash.

Stern and his refs are so corrupt.

We see green and we just go retarded. I don't get it.

Man u wear green and the refs let you get away with murder.

I HATE BOSTON SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH

Pietrus shooting well. Why did we let him go again? That's right it was a part of that stupid trade

Dwight knows the almighty Perk, who he routinely made look like the GOAT post defender, is no longer on their team, right?

I want Jameer to make Avery cry tonight

Trade Dwight for Pietrus

After Howard talks to Boston media about wanting to be with a team that knows how to win:
Screws around joking during pre-game
Bricks from point blank
Fouls
Gets rejected and complains
Fouls
Benched
Think there might have been another brick too ... What a friggin looser .. And this is our "team captain"

Stan just shut down Baby's odd celebration to the obvious displeasure of Davis.

Davis dunking is like finding a unicorn

All right, we don't need Dwight. Trade him now.

Stan should just bench Howard for the rest of the game so we can win and show him how it's done.

These ex-Magic players are killing us

All Boston points are scored by former Magic players

Looking much, much better without Dwight.

Offense flows better, that's for sure...more uptempo

Which is how it should be against these old crotchety f**kers.

KILL THE CELTICS. KILL THEM

Make them wish they all had Paul Pierce wheel chairs

I want to see Paul Pierce cry

Paul Flopierce!

Blow them geezeers out!!!!

I love this team. This is how you respond to being embarrassed. LOVE THIS TEAM! KILL THEM!!!

We look like we're playing pissed off......The embarrassing loss has us playing possessed.....Maybe Dwight was trolling us so that the team can use it as fuel

Glen Davis turned this game around when he came in

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

This lineup sucks for offense... where's Dwight?

On the bench, with no energy whatsoever to bring to the court, BC he wants to go to a winning team, like the green geezers

Peaches is playing like when he used to get in the game with the all 2nd string line up and act like every shot should be his. Bass is playing same as always.

The five on the floor for the Celtics are god awful. When an aging Kevin garnett is your main offensive weapon you are in trouble

It's rich to hear Marv making excuses for the Celtics who are hurt by the tight schedule. Kevin Garnett is a major component in why the lockout continued, big baby

Another BS call. It's not JJ's fault that Pietrus can't dribble.

Stiemsma looks like Birdman before the tattoo salon

Amazing how much jawing is allowed by KG. He can complain without reprisal.

I hate him so so much

Stiemsma looks like a kid in military school

That guy's hair is so pale it's creepin' me out

Jameer is making Bradley look like the scrub he is!!!

I hope Avery quits the NBA tonight.

Up 20 step on their throats. This is when Bostons starts trying to act tough. Start throwing bows and knocking bodies to the floor when it happens.

I feel no remorse for that bad non-call. We have witnessed tons of bad calls over the years on Dwight blocks/putbacks.

Avery might want to consider asking Jameer not to pick him up. Can't hurt to ask.

Gotta give Jameer credit for going after Avery on D. He normally doesn't pressure the point guard in the backcourt. Especially with a twenty point lead. This is personal.

What a pick by Dwight!! He's learned something from Big Baby!

Die Boston die!

Can we hold the Celtics to less than 56 tonight? That'd be pretty funny.

Too hard to do if Pierce plays the whole game.

Don't worry, Pierce is planning on leaving in a wheelchair sometime in the 3rd quarter

Avery, go to the D league you scrub

Big Baby is playing a gem of a defensive half.

Destroy these old ass bums!!! ******** hate the Celtics!

I seriously hope Avery Bradley cries tonight

Punch the Celtics in the mouth and they fold like poodles

Celtics can rest their players tonight.

They need it Garnett’s knees are cracking

They ain't coming back from this beat down! Magic showing who's boss here! Step on their throats and choke the life out of them!!!!!

Is it just me or are you guys loving every Boston shot not taken by Pierce and Garnett? As a Magic fan I can watch Avery Bradley clank it every time. And looks like Bass is having his regression game.

Marquis Daniels looks like excess rope

The Celts will get killed tonight, the Giants will decimate the Patriots in the Super Bowl and once again, we will see Boston teams SUCK, all except for the Bruins, but no one here cares about hockey, right?

what's hockey?

I watched a cartoon once when a bunch of raccoons were playing hockey in Canada

I don't know like half of these guys on the Celtics.

Half of them are ex-Magic players

Sit Dwight. I’m suspicious now after him saying he liked the Celts.

Brandon Blackhole...

Please Boston run some plays for Bass

Pietrus has learned flopping

Every player needs a talent.

Randomly losing the ball and smiling isn't a talent?

Man, the refs really don't want Jameer to go to the line, do they?

Whenever Baby shoots god kills a kitten.

Jameer still getting punked by Bradley smh.

Damn Bradley making Jameer break his own ankles.

Jameer with his new signature move. Dribble, dribble, fall over.

So TNT posts Austin Rivers’ tweets, but not mine #lame

Why are there so many Boston fans in Orlando? Go back to Boston

Because people from Boston move down here to get away from Boston.

We suck again... Nice!

This is why I respect Doc. He USES what he has. You think Stan might realize that these guys could all contribute. I mean they are professional players. Why no Wafer, Hughes, etc. No way these guys can make any significant contributions when they never get any floor time.

Baby has the brains of an actual baby.

Moore is killing us

That's now more 3s in this game alone than he had the entire season coming in.

We suck

Anyone know our biggest lead lost in franchise history? 27 would have to be up there.

STOP SHOOTING BABY

That is why Boston leaves him open.

Who the #@$@# is Wilcox? And why is he lighting us up?!

We should switch to zone. As long as Pierce doesn't have the ball from three, we're good

Are there more Boston fans in Amway? What's up with the crowd?

I wish the guy who stabbed Pierce 12 years ago would have finished the job. The scrub lights us up every single time.

We just cant beat Boston. Not even with a 27 pt lead. Need at least a 50 pt lead to do it Imo.

If we lose this... God help us... Break it up and start over

Being a Magic fan is so stressful .

I won;t even be happy with a win. We should have blown this team out

I know how you guys feel. I felt the same way at half time. (from a Celtics fan)

Your team has a thousand championships. Your argument is invalid.

Dwight is so **** stupid.

Howard sucks. Trade him now.

Big Baby is the worst. Unbelievable.

Have some pride and beat these geriatrics... Attack! ... F you soft pieces of crap... Man up!

ET'WAUN MOORE FOR REAL?

Killed by a guy that I've never even heard of

Why does every other team get good rookies?

We welcome our new Magic killer. Wait what his name again?

Big Baby... He infiltrated

#55 from Purdue, had to look him up

Sounds like a Boston crowd there cheering.

What's worse than scoring 56 points for a game and letting a team beat you by 30+? Letting the same team come back from 27 down 3 nights later.

I hope to God we lose this game. Get Dwight out of here quicker.

Refs are crap, but not as crap as the Magic players.

Embarrassed... I was flaunting the Magic's huge lead at half via text to my Bostonian friends... F this team

Orlando residents bleed green.

Glen Davis is just bad. If he didn't ever shoot I would like him.

The Bass trade was awful, not that Bass has been a star tonite but he's much better overall

Dwight after the game: "I told y'all I like green."

You guys realize they are without Allen and Rondo right? We better pray we avoid these guys in the playoffs, if we even make it.

Dwight has already traded himself to Boston. He is a complete loser. A loser.

Just when you thought that the Magic couldn't get any lower they somehow find a way.

Today was the day another Magic killer was born

Moore is writing the "how to" book on being a magic killer

Someone needs to kick the ball into the stands. Just because.

We deserve to lose... But these refs suck

Bass... Lol... We got pillaged on that trade

This is............................................this is worst than Monday. Worst.

I've never wanted to punch Garnett in the face more than I do right now

I always want to punch him a lot

If someone had intentionally injured Pierce, none of this would have happened. Just sayin’

When the Celtics are allowed to tackle our players why are any of you surprised that we lost? This game was fixed.

This team never ceases to humiliate me.

Remember when everyone said the last loss to Boston was the worst loss in team history? Nah, this one is. Absolutely unfathomable that they blew a frikkin' 27 point lead. T-W-E-N-T-Y S-E-V-E-N. What a bunch of losers this team is comprised of. Every last one of them is a bum.

Yet again this team loses to a Boston team minus 2 of their best players

Clowns, this whole team has NO fight, just a bunch of clowns, man I'm so furious. I swear we need to add big red clown noses to our uniforms.. This team is a joke!

Going to hit 2k12 and beat the crap out of the Celtics online

Poodles. Change our logo to a cuddly poddle wearing a pink bow cuz that's all this team is. Bye Dwight.

So now all we have to do is avoid the Celtics and Heat during the playoffs and we're golden

I am really ticked off right now about The magic blowing this and losing to the short-handed TWICE in one week.

That's the WORST part. THEY DIDN"T EVEN HAVE RONDO OR ALLEN

Um they didn't have O'Neal either. We have no excuses to let this shirt handed geriatric team beat us like this. No excuse whatever!!!! UGH!!

Here is another perspective. Doc knows how to defend against us, svg couldn't adjust. I think doc won this game

You can't turn toilet paper into sand paper. This team is just soft.

They're running out of ways to embarrass us. I guess the shutout is all that's left. It could happen.

I picked the correct night to binge drink.

KG Talks Bar Fights

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:20:00 +0000

This might be KG's 2nd best post game interview ever. After the jump, Doc Rivers explains to Jameer Nelson that he's not really a doctor.

Thanks twelve from the Shout Box for the KG link.

Celtics- Magic Highlights and Box Score

noreply@blogger.com (DH) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:14:00 +0000

Box score after the jump.

Boston Celtics (8-9)

	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
P. Pierce	F	44:24	7-18	2-6	8-11	+9	0	6	6	10	3	0	5	1	0	24
B. Bass	F	29:12	4-12	0-0	2-4	+5	1	4	5	1	4	2	0	2	3	10
K. Garnett	F	34:46	6-14	0-0	0-0	+23	2	8	10	4	3	3	3	4	0	12
M. Pietrus	G-F	31:38	4-9	3-8	1-2	-1	2	2	4	2	2	0	0	0	0	12
A. Bradley	G	24:33	3-7	0-1	0-0	-13	2	2	4	2	2	0	5	0	0	6
G. Stiemsma		07:18	0-0	0-0	0-0	-15	0	0	0	1	4	0	1	2	0	0
M. Daniels		18:25	2-2	0-0	0-0	+13	0	1	1	3	3	0	2	1	0	4
K. Dooling		08:53	1-2	1-2	0-0	-12	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
C. Wilcox		18:50	2-2	0-0	0-0	+4	1	2	3	0	4	1	0	0	0	4
S. Pavlovic		04:05	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E. Moore		17:57	5-6	4-4	2-2	+27	1	2	3	0	2	0	0	1	0	16
J. Johnson	DNP - Coach's Decision
J. O'Neal	DND - Sore Left Knee
Total		240	34-73	10-21	13-19		9	28	37	23	27	6	16	11	3	91
			46.6%	47.6%	68.4%		team rebs: 10			total to: 17

Orlando Magic (12-6)

	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
H. Turkoglu	F	35:00	3-10	2-5	2-4	-7	1	4	5	7	2	2	4	0	2	10
R. Anderson	F	26:57	5-12	1-2	1-1	+8	2	2	4	1	3	0	0	1	3	12
D. Howard	C	30:43	6-12	0-0	4-8	-25	5	11	16	0	4	0	3	1	3	16
J. Richardson	G	31:32	5-12	1-4	2-4	+1	0	0	0	0	2	3	2	0	1	13
J. Nelson	G	33:17	3-8	1-4	4-6	-2	2	3	5	5	5	1	1	0	0	11
G. Davis		26:12	3-11	0-0	1-3	-4	2	4	6	0	1	3	1	0	0	7
Q. Richardson		13:00	0-3	0-2	0-0	-1	1	0	1	1	3	1	0	0	1	0
C. Duhon		14:43	1-2	0-0	0-0	-6	0	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
E. Clark		12:08	2-3	0-0	1-2	+5	3	1	4	0	1	0	0	1	1	5
J. Redick		16:28	2-6	0-0	3-3	-9	0	2	2	2	2	0	1	0	0	7
L. Hughes	DNP - Coach's Decision
D. Orton	DNP - Coach's Decision
V. Wafer	DNP - Coach's Decision
Total		240	30-79	5-17	18-31		16	30	46	16	23	10	12	3	11	83
			38.0%	29.4%	58.1%		team rebs: 14			total to: 13

Austin Rivers Tweets on the Celtics

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:58:00 +0000

via Austin Rivers twitter

First off, how are you going to have more followers than us Little Doc? 2nd off, Austin Rivers must have been the only person affiliated with the ACC in North Carolina not watching the UNC/ NC State game. And lastly, Austin Rivers will be a Celtic. It is your destiny Austin.

Celtics find some Magic of their own, comeback from 27 points to win 91-83

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob Noble) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:53:00 +0000

The Celtics defense was on full display tonight as they used their strength to break out a come from behind victory over the Orlando Magic 91-83. Boston over came a 27 point deficit in the second half led by Paul Pierce and rookie E’Twaun Moore whose three point shooting helped propel the Celtics.

This is the second game in as many games against the Orlando Magic for the Boston Celtics. Coming off their best defensive performance, which speaks volumes because Rajon Rondo was not playing, the Celtics will be without Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen again. Rajon Rondo is resting that sore right wrist and Ray Allen is home expecting a newborn with his wife in Boston.

Going back to Rajon, the amount of games he has missed due to a sore wrist is bringing up thoughts of Kevin Garnett in 2009. The medical staff kept saying that he would be back any time soon. Well KG didn’t come back for a while but when he did, he got hurt again. We later found out it was a serious injury that needed surgery. Could there be something more serious with Rondo’s wrist? Or are they just being cautious?

This was not the start the Celtics wanted. The first quarter was a miserable one with seven turnovers and a 16 point deficit. They do not appear to be coming off three days rest as they look sluggish and slow. Marquis Daniels has been awful off the bench with two turnovers. Pierce and Brandon Bass combine for 1-8 in shooting settling for contested jump shots. The Celtics need to start moving the basketball and attacking the basket, especially since Dwight Howard has been on the bench with two early fouls.

The Celtics struggle early on in this game being out rebounded by Orlando so far 23 to 10. Doc Rivers has picked up a technical as this game has been poorly officiated with Dwight getting two early fouls and not calling easy calls such as traveling and offensive goaltending. The Celtics seem to be throwing in the white flag already as they seem both physically and mentally beat. Paul Pierce has not got into his rhythm yet.

Uninspired first half basketball is what we received tonight. Boston only had one steal and three fast break points. Laziness on defense was their Achilles heel in this game, which put the team in foul trouble on a night they are short on the bench with three starters out. Orlando has been the exact opposite of the Celtics as they are revenging the embarrassing loss in Boston.

Avery Bradley has picked up the effort in the third quarter both offensively and defensively. This is when coaching is evident as Doc must have given the kid some advice to help him be more effective in the second half. Bradley’s defense has frustrated Jameer enough to pull himself from the remaining of the third quarter with a big lead.

Boston’s 17-7 run in the last five minutes of the game has cut the lead to 11 points heading into the final quarter. The effort increased resulted in defensive stops. The ball movement was on display in the third quarter with more action on the offensive end with cutters and slashes moving vigorously.

The run hasn’t stopped as Boston now has 32-8 run and have taken the lead for the first time in this game. Boston has been phenomenal defensively forcing turnovers, diving for loose balls and blocking shots. Their 15 -3 run in the fourth quarter has highlighted their defense, with Orlando unable to make their first basket until 5:56 left in the quarter, a whole 6:02 without a made field goal. They have been the beneficiaries of calls, as the Celtics are now in the penalty the rest of the game.

Orlando was unable to gain any momentum back as they argue with the officials resulting in numerous technical fouls. Boston continues to fight to hold this lead as they have snuck out a win after being down 27 points at one point. E’Twaun Moore had his break out game going 4-4 from three point range with 16 total points. Fantastic win for the Celtics as they battle the Indiana Pacers in Boston tomorrow night.