Tag: Boston Celtics

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Boston Celtics

It’s the Late Show with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen

When a professional football player reaches the pinnacle of their sport, they usually go to Disney World or Disneyland. But when NBA ballers finally get their giant hands on the Larry O’Brien trophy they have their own special place they like to visit. Uncle Dave’s house.

The Celts’ victory lap started last night as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen yukked it up with David Letterman. The dynamic duo told Dave that appearing on “The Late Show” is one of the sweeter spoils of winning an NBA title.

Letterman greeted his guests by saying, “Congratulations to both you guys and thank you very much for being here. I know, I mean, it’s crazy that you were in the big celebration and it’s still continuing now, isn’t it? And you’re probably saying to yourselves right now, ‘Why are we here?'”

Allen and Garnett said it was an honor to be on the show. “This’ll solidify when you’ve won something, you’ve got to do Letterman,” said Garnett.

Added Allen: “I think in the 80s when you won a championship, you said, ‘We’re going to Disneyland… In the year 2000, we say, ‘We’re going to David Letterman.”

See, we told ya so.

Oh, and Ray, it’s currently the year 2008.

Links:

[Boston.com]: `Late Show’ with the Celtics
[Celtics Blog]: Allen, KG chat with Letterman

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Boston Celtics

Celtics certify their championship with a beatdown of epic proportions

The Celtics finally completed their 22-year journey back to the NBA championship while Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all had their careers “certified” as Garnett said during his interview moments after the final buzzer. The 131-92 annihilation of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 was the most lopsided championship-clinching game in league history, delivering a massive spinning back fist to Kobe Bryant’s legacy as the “next” Michael Jordan. After all, can you imagine Mike ever dropping a Finals-clincher by 39 points?

After the game, fans flocked to the streets to celebrate their 17th banner which sounds like a ton of fun, but is really just confusing, frustrating agony. Just try to enjoy yourself amidst a sea of knuckleheads like this:

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All Other Sports

Odds and Ends: Unfortunately, Marcus Vick’s hero is still his big brother

Marcus Vick was arrested early Thursday morning in Norfolk after taking police on a brief chase. Once the former Virginia Tech miscreant was captured, he was charged with driving under the influence and received citations for driving on the wrong side of the road, reckless driving, eluding police and driving on a suspended license before posting bond. And it all started over an argument with his ol’ lady.

According to the police report, a uniformed bicycle patrol officer saw Vick and Cordon sitting in a vehicle in the 200 block on Granby Street, having an apparent altercation. When the officer approached and asked Vick for his license, Vick fled the scene at a high rate of speed, police spokesman Chris Amos said. A description of the vehicle was broadcast, and Vick was pulled over a few minutes later.

As always, Marcus Vick said it was just an accident.

In other news…

[SI.com]: You might hate the Celtics, but you gotta love their dancers

[The World of Isaac]: Stanley cups and babes go hand in hand

[The Love of Sports]: Mullet mania

[TiricoSuave.com]: Kobe will never be Jordan and that’s that!

[Oklahoma Sooners Football Network]: That’s weird, in Texas, a Sooner is a derogatory term

[Cuzoogle.com]: What, no Oliver Miller?

[SportsbyBrooks.com]: The Chinese are literally breeding thousands of Olympians

[The Fightins’]: Another horrible team themed song

[YouTube]: Are you as disgusted with Game 4 of The Finals as this dude?

[Chili Dog Blog]: John Clayton Is A Weasel

And finally, try this excuse the next time you want a day off from work. Sounds insane, but this guy fell for it.

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Boston Celtics

Odds and Ends: How well do you know Rajon Rondo?


You’d think Rajon Rondo would have enough on his plate as it is with the bum ankle and The NBA Finals going on and all, but Rondo is no normal man. See, while he’s rehabbing and studying tape, he’s also giving back to all his fans out there. But you better know your random Rondo trivia.

I’m going to challenge you with some trivia – see how much you know about me. Get the answers right and I’ll send you an autographed headband. If a bunch of people get them right then I’ll hit the first three. I’m going to do this every day through the rest of the Finals so if you don’t get the first one right you’ll have another shot.

We’ll start with a high school question. I went to Oak Hill Academy and 2004 I set the school record for most assists in a game with 31. Who’s record did I break?

Get it right and I’m sending you a headband. Hit me back. I’ll holla

In other news…

[The Slanch Report]: Nutty 50 minute brawl at minor league baseball game

[Sportaphile.com]: Vernon Davis grabs some of Flavor Flav’s sloppy seconds

[The World of Isaac]: Fights you’d love to watch over and over and over again

[YardBarker.com]: What do we gotta do to get this kid in the ring with Chris Leben?

[Epic Carnival]: 10 reasons sports should go green

[TMZ.com]: Tommy Lasorda is old and impatient

[MixMakers.net]: Paul Pierce’s special edition jersey hits the shelves

And finally, the evolution of the fist bump.

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Boston Celtics

There can only be one: Magic and Bird style

Game 1 of the NBA Finals was spectacular on Thursday night with the Celtics topping the Lakers by 10 points, 98-88, in Beantown. From Paul Pierce’s four-point play to his injury and heroic comeback to Kobe Bryant’s alley-oop flush late in the third to Kevin Garnett’s monster two-handed dunk off a rebound that basically sealed the victory, there were a whole lot of memorable moments in the series opener. However, there’s no doubt that this was absolutely the best 30 seconds of the night.

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Boston Celtics

Sorry Lakers, but the Leprechauns already have the Finals wrapped up


If you’re one of those people who just hates waiting then, boy, do we have a solution for you. The fellas over at WhatIfSports.com used their massive brain power/computer programs to find out who’s going to win the NBA Finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics long before either team takes to the court for Game 1 on Thursday night. Other than giving yourself a sports almanac from the future, this is the surest thing going.

We have simulated the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers 10,000 times in order to determine the likelihood of either team winning it all. In the 11th Finals matchup of these two teams, the recently rebuilt Celtics come out on top by winning the series 64% of the time. The most common occurrence is a six game series, where Boston wins it all in its return home after three games in LA.

What follows is an example NBA Finals based on the most common result of those simulations.

GAME 1 Los Angeles 118 @ Boston 115 (OT)
GAME 2 Los Angeles 103 @ Boston 104
GAME 3 Boston 105 @ Los Angeles 95
GAME 4 Boston 89 @ Los Angeles 99
GAME 5 Boston 110 @ Los Angeles 101
GAME 6 Los Angeles 103 @ Boston 107

So, bust out the champagne Beantowners because it’s just a matter of time now. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Kevin Garnett is taking home Finals MVP honors with 20.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 0.8 steals per game.

Links:

[WhatIfSports.com]: NBA Finals Preview

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San Antonio Spurs

Around the Rim: Stayin’ alive in SA


1. Dynamic duo comes through
The Spurs knew they had to win Game 3 or the curtain on their 2008 season would come down. The defending champs weren’t able to stop Chris Paul, but by containing the rest of the Hornets squad, San Antonio grabbed its first win of the series, 110-99, behind the offensive wizardry of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs backcourt provided 31 points apiece to offset another tremendous game from the should-be MVP Paul. The Hornets guard was close to yet another 30 and 10 game, finishing with 35 points and nine assists as he torched San Antonio from every possible angle. It was a back and forth contest all night, but the Spurs used and 11-0 run, capped off by a Bruce Bowen trey, to seal the game with 5:57 remaining. Tim Duncan had a big role in the victory as well with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but there’s no doubt who stole the show. Parker and Ginobili became just the third duo in the past 15 seasons to each post 30 points in a playoff game. Dwyane Wade (32 pts) and Damon Jones (30 pts) did it for the Heat in 2005 and ten years earlier, Kenny Smith (32 pts) and Clyde Drexler (30 pts) went off for the Rockets.

2. Shutdown by Beantown

LeBron James is in a serious funk. After missing 16-of-18 shots in Game 1, James had another dreadful shooting performance in Game 2, going 6-for-24 from the field in an 89-73 loss to the Celtics. James finished with 21 points and seven turnovers in the contest. On the other side of the court, Paul Pierce (19 pts) and Ray Allen (16 pts) broke out of their opening game funk, joining Kevin Garnett (13 pts, 12 reb) in double-digits. The Cavs were able to take an early lead despite losing Ben Wallace in the opening minutes after he began experiencing dizziness and had to be taken to the locker room. However, the Cs roared back in the second and third quarters when they combined to outscore Cleveland 53-27. The defense is clicking for Boston in this series and with Allen and Pierce returning to form, so is the offense. Good thing Game 3 is taking place in Cleveland, the Cavs need all the help they can get.

3. Dream team
If you’re wondering what the ultimate fantasy basketball lineup is, wonder no more. The NBA released the players on the All-NBA team and it is a star-studded affair indeed. Led by the only unanimous selection of the first team and current MVP Kobe Bryant, the panel gave its utmost props to Chris Paul, LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett. Second team honors were issued to Phoenix duo Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash, as well as Tim Duncan, Deron Williams and Dirk Nowitzki while Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Carlos Boozer, Paul Pierce and Manu Ginobili make up the third team. In case you’re wondering, all five first teamers and 10 of the 15 total players are still alive in postseason action.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Tony Parker vs. New Orleans 41 min, 31 pts (FG: 12-24, 3FG: 0-1, FT: 7-8), 4 reb, 11 ast

Buzzer Beater: Happy birthday Mike D’Antoni. The coach turned 57 years old on Thursday and looks like he might get a giant wad of cash from the Knicks as a gift. New York is poised to offer D’Antoni a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $30 million! D’Antoni has yet to make a decision about his coaching future as he is apparently bouncing between either Chicago or the Big Apple. However, after the Knicks threw down there offer, sources in Phoenix could hear screams of “Yippeee!” and “I’m rich bitch!” emanating from the D’Antoni house.

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LA Lakers

Around the Rim: A tale of two kings


1. The new king of the league
He’s got the rings and now he’s got the trophy. For the first time in his career, Kobe Bryant can officially be called the MVP. It took 12 seasons of patiently waiting for his turn in the spotlight, but Bryant ran away with the award on Tuesday, taking 82 first-place votes for a total of 1,105 points compared to Chris Paul who finished second with 28 first-place votes and 889 total points. Kevin Garnett finished in third while LeBron James came in fourth place. Bryant will receive his trophy tonight before the Lakers host the Jazz in Game 2 of their second round series. There’s no doubting Bryant deserved the award with his 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.84 steals per game during the regular season, but we’re figuring it was the wins that earned him the trophy. After all, besides winning more games, his numbers are virtually identical to his production over the previous five to eight seasons. If you ask us, there is a distinct bias against young players amongst the MVP voters. It the same bias that kept the award out of Bryant’s hands in the past and kept Paul from winning his first MVP despite posting better numbers than Steve Nash did in either of his two MVP reigns.

2. Knocked off his throne

It wasn’t pretty for King James or his court in Game 1 against the Celtics. LeBron James finished with just 12 points on 2-of-18 shooting as Cleveland lost 76-72 in an ugly, ugly offensive game. Despite grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out nine assists, the game was one of James’ worst ever considering he racked up 10 of the team’s 17 turnovers. LBJ became just the third scoring champion to have two or fewer field goals in a playoff game the same year they won the scoring title. It was that bad. While the grass was greener on the Celtics’ side of the fence, it still wasn’t all that great. Ray Allen went scoreless for the first time since his rookie season and Paul Pierce missed 12 of his 14 attempts, finishing with just four points. Luckily, Kevin Garnett’s 28 points proved to be enough in a tremendously disappointing game for both teams and the fans alike.

3. Mike D’Antoni weighs his options
Chicago might have finally found its next Mike. While Michael Jordan won’t be walking through the arena’s doors anytime soon, Mike D’Antoni very well could be. The current Suns coach appears to be off to the Windy City where he will become the latest person to attempt to make the baby Bulls grow up. Chicago GM John Paxson sounded impressed after a pair of interviews with D’Antoni, but New York is still a possible landing spot. Personally, we think it’s a good move if the Bulls want to put together a European-style, run-n-gun offense, but the defense will never be a priority under D’Antoni. Rick Carlisle would be a much better candidate for turning Chicago around, but it’s sounding more and more like he’ll be heading to Dallas.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Kevin Garnett vs. Cleveland 40 min, 28 pts (FG: 13-22, FT: 2-2), 8 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl

Buzzer Beater: From the “Too little, too late” file:

The NBA admitted Chauncey Billups’ 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter of Monday’s Detroit-Orlando playoff game should not have counted, but said referees weren’t allowed to review instant replay to determine that.

League president Joel Litvin also said the disputed shot, which gave Detroit a 78-76 lead in its 100-93 victory, could not have been replayed after the clock malfunction was discovered.

“After reviewing the video of last night’s Pistons-Magic game, we determined that the play that concluded with Chauncey Billups’ 3-point field goal at the end of the third quarter took approximately 5.7 seconds,” Litvin said in a statement. “Because there were only 5.1 seconds remaining in the quarter when the play began, the shot would not have counted had the clock continued to run.”

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Boston Celtics

Around the Rim: Boston saves the best for last


1. Through to round two
The Hawks still shocked the world, even if they didn’t shock the world. Nobody expected Atlanta to make it past Game 4, but the Hawks forced a deciding game against the Celtics in Boston on Sunday. Unfortunately, they forgot to show up. The Cs saved their season by destroying the pesky Hawks 99-65, advancing to the second round where they must now face the defending Eastern Conference champions. LeBron James and his Cavaliers have been patiently waiting to see who would survive the David vs. Goliath battle to the bitter end and can now finally game plan for the league’s top trio. Paul Pierce led Boston on Sunday, scoring 22 points, followed by Kevin Garnett’s 18-point, 11-rebound double-double. Ray Allen was subpar, connecting on just 3-of-12 attempts for seven points, but it didn’t even matter in the rout. Boston’s beatdown included a near record performance, holding Atlanta to the second fewest points scored in a Game 7 since the shot clock came into play.

2. Lakers now 5-0 in playoffs

Kobe Bryant’s first MVP reign has yet to become officially official, but that’s not preventing him from making other players bow down. The Jazz felt the wrath of the soon-to-be NBA’s newest king of the mountain yesterday when Bryant dropped 38 points to go with six rebounds and seven assists in a 109-98 series-opening victory for the Lakers. Kobe converted a franchise playoff-record 21 free throws in the contest, missing only two during the entire contest. Game 2 goes down Wednesday night. The Jazz played a decent game except in the second quarter when they were outscored 29-17. Carlos Boozer (15 pts, 14 reb) and Mehmet Okur (21 pts, 19 reb) each recorded a double-double in the loss and Deron Williams dished out nine assists to go with 14 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Bryant and his buddies. Pau Gasol posted 18 points and 10 rebounds while Lamar Odom scored 16 and grabbed nine boards.

3. Bye-bye Bynum
With a 1-0 lead in the second round of the postseason, everything appears to be ice cream and cherries for the Los Angeles Lakers. Not so fast. The Lakers got some bad news from Andrew Bynum over the weekend when he told the press that a return to action this season is highly unlikely. Many believe Los Angeles needs their true center to compete with some of the West’s forces in the post, but so far, so good for LA. The Lakers have an incredible opportunity to take it all this year, but they have to be concerned about the future. Bynum could be a critical piece to the puzzle over the next five years as the Lakers are primed to be amongst the elite of the league with all their players basically peaking in their careers.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Kobe Bryant vs. Utah 40 min, 38 pts (FG: 8-16, 3FG: 1-2, FT: 21-23), 6 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl

Buzzer Beater:

Papa John’s Pizza issued an apology to Cleveland and the Cavaliers for making T-shirts with LeBron James’ number and the word “crybaby” under it.

To apologize, Papa John’s will sell Cleveland residents a large, one-topping pizza for 23 cents on Thursday. The 23 is an homage to James’ jersey number. The company also will donate $10,000 to the Cavaliers Youth Fund.

The pizza chain’s T-shirts were featured during the Cavs’ games against the Wizards on Friday in Washington. Wizards fans taunted the Cavs, who won the playoff series that night in Game 6.

The shirts started after James complained about hard fouls, and Wizards center Brendan Haywood called him a crybaby.

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Atlanta Hawks

Around the Rim: Hawks fly high at home


1. Joe Johnson ignites late
It might sound impossible, but Atlanta has Boston’s number in the playoffs. After taking a 97-92 victory over the top-seeded Celtics, drawing the series to a 2-2 tie, the Hawks have now won five out of their previous six games against the Cs in the postseason. Joe Johnson posted 20 points in the fourth quarter for a game-high 35 points while Josh Smith played out of his mind with 28 points, six rebounds and seven blocks. Everyone and their momma figured this of all the series would end in a sweep, but after taking a 2-0 lead in Boston, the Celtics are winless on the road in the postseason. The Big Three combined for 59 points, but Boston could only muster 17 points in the final period when Johnson and the Hawks exploded for 32. Game 5 will be back in the friendly confines of Beantown on Wednesday.

2. Bust out the brooms

After busting their asses to make the postseason, the Nuggets’ hard work was for not following a four-game sweep at the hands of the Lakers. Denver didn’t roll over and die, but they died none the less, falling 107-101 in their own arena thanks to Kobe Bryant’s 31 points, including 14 in the final six minutes. Bryant’s playoff average this season is now up to 33.5 points per game after he was good for 28.3 during the regular season. LA is now waiting on the winner between Utah and Houston who play Game 5 tonight. Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony both fouled out of the game in the final minutes, allowing Bryant to do his thing without Denver’s superstars on the court. J.R. Smith was the Nuggets high-scorer with 26 points while Allen Iverson and Anthony combined for 43 points. The Lakers look primed to make their first Western Conference finals since Shaq Daddy was in town behind the big efforts of Bryant, Lamar Odom (14 pts, 12 reb) and Pau Gasol (21 pts).

3. Orlando moves on
The kid did it again. For the third time in the series, Dwight Howard recorded at least 20 points and 20 rebounds by tallying 21 of each in Orlando’s 102-92 win at home over Toronto, advancing to the second round for the first time since in 12 years. The Magic dominated 4-1 behind Superman’s super play. Following postseason career-highs of 39 points and 15 rebounds in Game 4 Saturday, Chris Bosh finished with just 16 points and nine rebounds in the Raptors’ playoff finale. Orlando is now waiting on the winner between Philadelphia and Detroit, currently tied at 2-2 following a pair of disappointing performances from the Pistons. All five starters for Orlando and sixth man Keith Bogans finished in double-digit scoring, led by Howard’s game-highs and Jameer Nelson’s 19. Rashard Lewis was impressive as well, going off for a double-double of his own with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Josh Smith vs. Boston 37 min, 28 pts (FG: 8-16, 3FG: 0-6, FT: 12-13), 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 7 blk

Buzzer Beater: After 24 seasons, 2,186 games, 1,381 victories and five championships, Pat Riley’s coaching career appears to finally be ka-put. The Hall of Famer is coming off the worst year of his career, winning just 15 games with the heatless Heat who has replaced Riley with the now-youngest coach in the league Erik Spoelstra. It was obvious Riles was on edge all year, so it’s not surprising he wants to end the suffering. However, he will maintain his position as president, overseeing Miami’s immediate future which could include the drafting of Michael Beasley if the ping-pong balls bounce right.

Ironically enough, on the same day Riley retires, a key contributor from his Laker days was named NBA coach of the year. Byron Scott led the Hornets to the West’s second best record (56-26) and their first postseason appearance in four years.