Paul Pierce

would want more draft picks in return.

Boston has to keep an eye to the future as they anticipate Paul Pierce, Allen, O’Neal, and Garnett riding into the sunset. Ainge kept that in mind when he got that Los Angeles Clippers first round pick as part of the compensation for Kendrick Perkins. If next year’s draft is as strong as experts believe it will be, Ainge could find a cornerstone player with that top-10 protected pick if the Clips miss the playoffs next year.

Continue reading "Eye on the Draft - Trade Winds"

The trade deadline acquisition of Jeff Green allowed the Celts to put a big backcourt of Green and Paul Pierce on the floor. Von Wafer was available if Doc Rivers cared to use him.

Free agency will leave the backcourt very thin, but there are affordable options starting with West and Wafer.

Continue reading "Eye on the Draft 2 - Guarded Concerns"

Earlier today, the Celtics awarded point guard Rajon Rondo with a 5-year contract extension believed to be in the neighborhood of $55 million. I like Rondo as a player but I’m a bit concerned about banking the future on a mercurial 23-year-old hot shot with a burgeoning prima donna complex and a history of instigating senseless scuffles.

Continue reading "C's Banking on Rondo"

This is just not the Celtics' year. Last night's game 7 looked like a game 4 in a 3-0 series. The Celtics came out without their energy, all out of sync. Clearly, they missed KG. Ray Allen, who we needed to step up, finally did, but he was the only one who showed up to play. Meanwhile, Orlando 21-13 from three point land, was just too much to handle and every shot they took led to me biting my nails off and praying for a comeback that never came. This game was a tough one for Boston to handle; we were losing all game and never made the run that they usually can.

Continue reading "The Celtics Lose Game 7 and Boston ..."

Last night's Celts versus Orlando Magic game was different from the other games in this series. The Celtics came out looking determined to win this one and end the series in 6. The Cs had the lead the whole entire game (biggest lead 12) until the last 3 minutes. This is the first time during this playoff that a Cs lead in the 4th did not lead to a close out. Rondo had a good night scoring 19 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, and so did Perkins scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and 3 blocks. But it wouldn't be enough with Ray Ray only scoring 5 points and Davis 6 points -- this is not what C-Nation is used to! The Cs bench did play great Defense though, especially Scalabrine, and if he can keep that up, it will be huge in game 7.  But no offense from the bench -- I was hoping to see House step up when Allen was off, but no such luck.    Their "Superman" D. Howard had the night that Magic fans were waiting for and scored a game high 23 points and game high 22 rebounds and with help from R. Lewis scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, it was just enough to give the Magic the win 83-75.  I thought that when the Cs were up 8 with 9 minutes left in the game, we were leaving with a win, but Pierce and Allen were 3-15 in the second half and that's what cost us. Pierce played an overall good game, scoring 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists keeping the Cs in the lead the whole game. But right down the stretch when Pierce usually single-handedly closes out the other team, he just didn't have it  and no one else stepped up. The Cs handed this game to the Magic!!! Pierce missed two free throws in the last 3 minutes and then the Celts just couldn't score and Orlando took advantage. They got the lead with under 3 minutes and kept it, sending this series to a game 7. Another crazy series but as Dato, G, Jon, KC, Rach, Ro,JR, Bobafet, Even-Murray, and I said from the start, this was going to a Game 7!!!( Rach has believed from the beginning that this series iwould be just like last year's, and she's right.) This will be back in Boston Sunday night at 8:00 where the Cs franchise is 32-0 in game 7. MIT believes the Cs are a lock. The Professor and I believe it's going to be a battle and could come down to the last possession. We will see Sunday. So Go Celts, get your green on; you don't want to miss this one!!!

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: It Can Get Awfully Hot in Orlando"

No better day than Mother's Day for the Celtics to get the victory they desperately needed. Up to this point in the series, every game has been a blow-out; the Magic had won 2 and the Cs 1. In yesterday's game, both teams came out on fire, and we knew that this was going to be a fight to the finish.Pierce set the tone for the Cs and scored a game high 27 points, also 3 rebounds and 4 assists; just what the Cs needed from their captain. (Note: when Pierce has scored over 40% a game in the playoffs we are 4-0.)  It was still a 2 point game at the half and then Allen scored 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and Rondo stepped it up with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Now, as the Professor says, when Rondo plays well, the C's win; and Rondo played well but he got major help from Big Perkins with 21 points, 13 rebounds, 2assists, 1steal and 5 huge blocks, and the man of the night  -- Big Glen Baby Davis!!! He had 21 points and 6 rebounds, but the biggest shot of the night that knocked me on the floor was the last shot of the game. The Celts had possession in a timeout with 11.2 seconds remaining and the Cs down 1. Big Baby had hit the Cs last jumper with 37 seconds on the clock but even then you expected the ball to go to Pierce or Allen; not this time. Pierce held the ball at the top of the 3point line as time ticked down and no one in Boston could sit down!With the clocks ticking it's down to seconds...4..3..2...Pierce passes to Big Baby and with 1 second and the buzzer going off just after the release, nothing but net!!!!!!! Big Baby was the hero in an amazing must win game in a 95-94 final and now they come back to Boston with momentum, exactly what C-Nation need!! What a game, amazing and intense; that's why the NBA rules!!! This game also proved we can hang in there when in foul trouble because Pierce, Baby, Perkins and Scalabrine (who played great Defense) were all in foul trouble early and Doc was able to handle it. So game 5 -- I can't wait --at the Garden would be a great win; MIT thinks we will win by 8-10 points, I believe this series is going to turn into the Bulls series where the last possession can determine the game.  I am sticking with my original guess with G, Dato, JR, A, KC, Jon, Rach, Ro, Hannah and even Murray, that this is going 7 just like last year.   So Go Cs!

Continue reading "The Sky's the Limit for Big Baby and the Celtics"

The Celtics came out with that fire and determination in their eyes last night and showed Orlando exactly where they were(OUR HOUSE) and who the Champs are (The Cs, of course]!!!  The Cs got a quick lead from the beginning of the game and did not let it go; in fact, they did what I had hoped--if House, Scale, and Marbury could give us one good quarter of ball, we'd take it.

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Now that's Playing in our House!"

Last night the Celtics came out fatigued as we had the feeling they would. The Cs came out of the gates so slowly I felt as if we were watching the game in slow motion and the

Continue reading "Celtics Dragged in Game One"

r three attempts.

In other thoughts: the Celtics will win Game 7 in OT (obviously), and this time Paul Pierce, not Ray Allen, will be the scoring machine. The Bulls are going to double-team Allen, leaving Pierce open time after time for crucial 18-footers down the stretch. I'll even go as far as to say

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

But in typical Paul Pierce fashion, he was there when the team needed him the most. It's moments like these where the greatest players shine, and Pierce's taking over the game in the final minute and a half really display the type of player, the type of leader, and the type of heart he has.

Continue reading "Another game, another epic battle"

en each played great basketball and Kendrick Perkins was solid down low, but despite his 29 points, Paul Pierce looked sluggish and made some critical errors that were very uncharacteristic of him. His Twitter update yesterday extolled the virtues of Portello's italian sausages in Chicago. He looked like he had eaten a few before the game today. 

Continue reading "The agony of defeat"

I am not a morning person. I'm especially grouchy after being out late drinking $7 beers and watching the KG-free Celtics in a matchup with the Wizards that was much too hotly contested.

So you can imagine how I was feeling when I got an email entitled "Breaking Sports News" that confirmed my worst fears about Kevin Garnett's injury. To the co-workers I startled when I began screaming obscenities - my bad. 

Continue reading "What's next for the Celtics"

The Celtics stay home for Easter and don't show against Cleveland in a massacre 107-76. Cleveland showed up like this was the championship game while the Celts were simply not there. Ray Ray couldn't hit his jumper, and Pierce only scored 14, but the major problem was that we couldn't play defense. Cleveland, on the other hand, played phenomenal defense at a high-paced level.

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Easter Sunday Holiday"

Pierce v Wade, Friday night at the Garden. This will be like a heavyweight fight as both teams have something to prove since the C's could be playing the Heat in the second round of the playoffs. A

Continue reading "Tonight's Celtics Game -- Basketball ..."

The Celtic's defense showed up huge against the Atlanta Hawks who the C's have beat 3 times this year, but only by a total of 10 points; two of those games the C's won by only 1 point which gives Atlanta the feeling that they can beat the C's especially after last year's 1st round (taking the Celts to 7). But after last night's win, 104-92, having 10 blocks, the C's were sending a message: "get it out of our house".

Continue reading "Celtics to Hawks: Get it out of our House"

Paul Pierce is not only too much for OKC, but he gives away tickets via Twitter. So cool, and that's why he's the man and the captain.  After being signed up on Twitter for only 24 hours (@paulpierce34), he offered free tickets to the first five fans wearing Pierce jerseys in the parking lot at 4:30 before the OKC game. You needed to know the secret password: "the Truth."

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics' Truth-be-Told Man"

As New England suffers the inevitable chill of winter, most notably the ice storm that recently passed through, there is a flame that is burning white-hot. Of course that fire comes from the Boston Celtics’ and their 14-game winning streak. The Celtics boast an NBA 2nd best 90.5 score against them per game while averaging over 100 points themselves. This year’s team shows shades of the 95-95 Chicago Bulls team that posted an impressive 72-10 record by season’s end. During the Bulls’ amazing run they to held a 22-2 record by this point in the season as well. These teams are similar in many ways; defensively they hold their opponent well under 100ppg and offensively they each have their big three. Unlike the Bulls this is a Celtics team who is without a Michael Jordan, and sorry Pierce you are certainly a leader but you just aren’t Mike.

Continue reading "Fire in Ice"

oy is a great one on one player with a scorer's mentality that reminds me more and more each day of Paul Pierce.  Roy will rock you to sleep with the dribble and use his sneaky quickness to get to his spot on the floor.  He can hit the mid-range jumper with the best of them and is always probing for weaknesses in the opponent's defense that he can exploit.  Roy is also very adept at getting into the paint and abusing his defender with an arsenal of moves, and he must have one of the strongest off-hands in the entire league.  I'd put Roy's left handed play right up there with Ginobili, Nowitzki, Nash, LeBron, and anyone else.  Every time I watch the Blazers, I see Roy finish tough looks with the left while defenses fail to adapt.  The Celtics need to be aware that forcing Roy left won't cut it, and they'll have to use their full range of defensive firepower to contain him.  

Continue reading "Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza"

ctually seeing it isn't enough to really be able to grasp the concept.  And yeah, I've watched Paul Pierce enough on TV to know that he's always probing for a weakness, and that even though he seems to be moving in slow motion he still manages to get to his spot or the rim at will time and again, but without seeing him do these things live (which I have done many times), would I really understand?

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Send Off Spectacular"

Don’t let the 9-2 record or the constant late game heroics of Paul Pierce fool you, something is very wrong with the 2008-2009 Boston Celtics.  Actually, “something” isn’t even the right word, because there are multiple things wrong with this year’s Celtics team that if uncorrected, will spell disaster for the defending champs come springtime.  If you don’t already believe me, then I would respectfully refer you to the tape of last Friday’s pathetisad home loss to the Denver Nuggets as evidence supporting my forthcoming claims. 

Continue reading "Alarm Bells are Ringing"

ston area these days without the same never-ending argument slapping you squarely in the face: Does Paul Pierce rank among the top 10 players in the NBA?

Celtics broadcaster Mike Gorman puts him in the top three. Magic Johnson puts him somewhere just behind behind Kobe ( http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/). Local loudmouth Michael Felger has him in the top 10. And Pierce anointed himself the league's best player in an interview this off-season.

Continue reading "Truth Time"

The Celtics started out the season with Paul Pierce crying, then torching the Cavs with 27 points in a 90-85 win on Tuesday night.  Boston started off sluggish after their ring ceremony but came alive in the 3rd quarter outscoring Cleveland 24-13.  Pierce took it to LeBron once again.  Most people talk about LeBron being the best player in the league...but how come Pierce always has his way with him?  I'm not going to consider LeBron to be better than Pierce until he starts making some free throws (4 for 8) or an outside jump shot (0 for 4 from 3 point range).  LeBron had 22 points but they were mostly dunks and layups.  If you watch SportsCenter you'd think James had a great game with a few dunks but if you watched the game you know better.  Rondo had the 2nd best stat online on the Celtics with 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in only 30 minutes. 

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics are 2 games into ..."

s or the Cavs go out and get a real shooter to play with Lebron, the Cavs will never win a title.

Paul Pierce of the Celtics, the 2008 Finals MVP, also shot four three-pointers last night; he made two of them.  Pierce also went to the free-throw line eight times; he made five of them.  Right there is the difference in the game.

Continue reading "Same Old Lebron Loses To The Celtics"

It's time to defend and it's time to prove that they are deserving to be called NBA Champions. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will have their hands full this season as many teams have improved their line-ups.

Continue reading "TOP 5 EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS that ..."

season.  We had our draft the other night and I was able to draft both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics. 

Seeing these players on my team got me to thinking about the upcoming season and what to expect.  I looked over the rest of the Celtics roster for this season and it looks exactly like last season's roster. 

Continue reading "Celtics Look The Same in '08 as in ..."

Giddens, Eddie House, Sam Cassell, Tony Allen, Ray Allen

Forwards:

Paul Pierce, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Bill Walker

Centers:

Kendrick Perkins, Patrick O'Bryant

Continue reading "Who's In, Who's Out? Boston Celtics ..."

As much as the 2004 Boston Red Sox season will forever stand out in my mind, the 2005 campaign lingers, as well. And for an entirely different reason.

The Red Sox were clearly dealing with a season-long World Series hangover in 2005, and I was therefore afflicted by the same disease. It was difficult not to be. Most of the games were lifeless, and the fans at Fenway seemed to be drunk enough on one World Series that it didn't matter that the team was supposed to be competing for another. As a fan, this was particularly disturbing - coming off the most intense six months of fandom in my lifetime, when every day literally revolved around the Red Sox and my mood changed sometimes with each pitch, I expected to be twice as ravenous. But I couldn't find the hunger. It was nothing tangible; the season just felt different. In a bad way.

Continue reading "Back for more"

e Celtics wings this year would be having a few reliable bodies to eat up minutes (and fouls) while Paul Pierce is on the bench and resting.  At this point, they don't even have this locked down yet, which scares the living crap out of me more than the thought of having to watch another Manning championship run.

Continue reading "Little Wing?"

stly because of LeBron’s sour grapes over scoring 45 in Boston and still losing game seven to Paul Pierce’s 41 points and Boston’s suffocating defense (or Cleveland’s ineptitude, it was honestly hard to tell sometimes), but also because of some of the roster tweaks that Cleveland has made to try and get over the top after reaching the Finals two years ago. 

Continue reading "Return of the Rivalry"

Well, basketball is over and Major League Baseball is heading into the All Star break, which means that the real baseball season is about to begin.  I know, I am waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy overdue for this year's first rabid Red Sox post, but honestly I've been a little bit preoccupied with the WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS and basketball in general (it has overtaken baseball as my favorite sport, though the Red Sox are and always will be my first love) to really dive into the first three meaningless months of the grueling and arduous MLB season.

Continue reading "Just Hit"

Sure, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG are the present heroes of the Celtics, but it's the young players like Rondo who are the future of this franchise. With his remarkable intelligence at the ripe age of 21, Rondo is a promising leader as point-guard for a team that will undoubtedly be successful in the playoffs for several more years. Look at where he's led his team so far. Although he makes some unwise decisions, this is to be expected from a second-year player. Some fans have criticized Rondo's inexperience as it was evident in game five of the finals against the LA Lakers. During one play, Rajon Rondo had an opening and took it to the paint, but instead of finishing, he dished the ball to Pierce for a jumper from beyond the arc, which missed.

Continue reading ""

time, be capable of having that same defensive identity.  Think about it, neither Ray Allen or Paul Pierce are gifted defenders, yet they are both intelligent enough (as is Augustin) to use their teammates to help them play the best defense they possibly can.  Opponents still got into the lane against the Celtics this year, but they were constantly met by big bodies and forced into uncomfortable situations.  At the very least, I expect Augustin (who is plenty quick, by the way) to be able to learn to play effective team defense and use his natural gifts as a solid base from which he can grow to be a more complete player.

Continue reading "First Draft"

s otherworldly, and he is a phenomenal player, but he got outplayed by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in this series, particularly in game six, but even I kinda felt that coming. 

Continue reading "Defense Dominates"

akers got lucky last night in more ways than just the favorable officiating (Kobe just about hacked Paul Pierce's arm off on the decisive steal, but the game was not lost there).  The Lakers are lucky that KG missed two crucial free-throws (which, should the Celtics lose will become the mother of all albatrosses hanging around the Big TIcket's neck), and especially lucky that 3 of 5 Celtic starters are hurt during the biggest games of the entire season.  Knowing that, the Lakers should be ahead, they should be cruising to a championship, but they aren't.  The Celtics botched game five and spoiled a brilliant performance by

Continue reading "Redraw"

ng about the pot calling the kettle black).

I've been tirelessly predicting for a while now that Paul Pierce would play huge in LA and score a ton of points, and despite his mortal total of 20 points on Thursday, Pierce came through in huge fashion in game four and was integral to the Celtics' victory.  The Truth got it done on both ends, and keyed the Celtics' rally by staying aggressive and making some tough shots along with Eddie House (more on him later).  More than his offensive production, it was Pierce's lockdown defense on the Mamba himself that allowed Boston to win that game.  Down the stretch, Pierce asked to switch onto Kobe and rose to the occassion.  He moved his feet, stayed active, and forced Kobe into some very difficult looks.  He even flat out rejected Kobe once, setting the tone for his teammates and showing his resolve and winning attitude in the process. Pierce is the man on this team, he knows it, and he stepped up to prove it in a pivotal game last night.

Continue reading "Hallucinating in Tandem, or Real?"

weather the storm tonight and see an opportunity to deliver a knockout blow tonight, you can expect Paul Pierce to lead the charge.  If not, they’ll still be on their feet for the next round and still be in control of this series. 

Continue reading "Cyclical History and Boxing Tips"

NBA Finals.  As giddy as I am about the Celtics' win, I am equally terrified for the health of Paul Pierce's knee and Boston's future in this series.

First off, I have to say (and I don't even care what Phil Jackson thinks) that

Continue reading "Joyful Panic"

I dont know what happened to Kobe but I did notice Paul Pierce was giving him a lot of trouble along with James Posey. Sam Cassel was being saved for the NBA Finals, he was quite trigger happy

Continue reading "Boston Celtics Take Game 1"

Pierce went down with a right knee sprain curtesy of teammate Kendrick Perkins in the third quarter of game 1 of the NBA Finals. He was out of the game briefly, but came jogging back into the arena to

Continue reading "Paul Pierce Sprains Right Knee"

r the Celtics to overcome.

Advantage: Kobe Bryant

Small Forward ( Vladimir Radmanovic vs. Paul Pierce) This match is ridiculously lopsided. Radmanovic is basically on the Lakers just to hit a couple of threes a night. You’re not getting anything else from him.

Continue reading "Lakers vs Celtics Matchups"

The Celtics have the "Big 3" with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in comparison with Robert Parish, Kevin Mchale and Larry Bird. Three great players, two diffrent teams. The

Continue reading "Who will win Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals?"

on’t worry about this one).

Drink when the Celtics’ last possession of the quarter is Paul Pierce standing at the top of half court dribbling the ball until eight seconds left on the clock then driving to the hoop and taking an off balance fade away.

Continue reading "The NBA Finals drinking game for Celtics fans."

Kobe Bryant is the best scorer in the league. Paul Pierce can do it all, and will. Lamar Odom is underrated and overrated at the same time, I’m not sure how though. If Kendrick Perkins can stay out of foul trouble, he will dominate Pau Gasol down low. Rajon Rondo is much better than he thinks he is. Both teams’ benches are pretty equal in talent; I don’t see a huge advantage either way. There’s your breakdown, fill in the blanks as the game goes on.

Continue reading "Celtics NBA Champs? Yes Please."

This NBA Finals will be the most watched Finals in a couple years. I myself have not watched any in quite a few years since the Spurs and Pistons were so frequently in them. No offense to them but they are just not exciting teams to watch. I would much rather watch Kobe light up the Celts great D for 50 points or the Big Three of Boston. Tim Duncan is just not an exciting player to watch. Not only are the teams fun to watch but each of the matchups are interesting:

Continue reading "Celtics vs Lakers Breakdown"

hrow line, or better yet, score easy baskets in the paint.

Leading this charge for Boston will be Paul Pierce, who always plays aggressively, and is averaging more than ten free-throw attempts per game against LA in his career.  Following Pierce to the lane (and then the charity stripe) should be Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen at the very least.  Rondo is so much quicker than Derek Fisher that he should be in the paint every time he drives the ball, ditto for Ray Allen as long as Kobe isn't guarding him.  As for KG, he should focus on being as aggressive as possible and going right at Gasol, Turiaf, Odom and whomever else the Lakers throw at him, using his length, quickness and arsenal of post moves to get some easy shot opportunities.  

Continue reading "Middle Men"

d physicality should disrupt Gasol at least a little.  On the perimeter, the Celtics can match Paul Pierce and James Posey up against Lamar Odom (when they aren't guarding Kobe), and put everybody else on the Black Mamba.  Rajon Rondo should also be able to cope with Derek Fisher better than Fisher will be able to handle Rondo, which should work in Boston's favor (though Fisher is consistent and confident, crucial traits that Rondo is LACKING). 

Continue reading "Throwback"

What a night of basketball it was! The ESPN pundits summed it up perfectly when they were asked to describe the game in one word: "Phenomenal", "spectacular", "thriller"...you can easily add "awesome" to that list.

Continue reading "Back on the Bigger Scene"

  Offensively, the Celtics looked pretty good last night, shooting 48.6% from the field.  Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett both had efficient and productive games last night, as did emerging point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed a triple-double by only one rebound and two assists.  Pierce scored 26 points on 9-16 shooting and added four rebounds and six assists as well.  Garnett played even better, scoring 24 points on 11 of 19 shooting, gobbled up 13 rebounds, and added two blocks just for good measure (one of them, by the way, was an incredible feat of athleticism where Garnett chased down Rip Hamilton by himself on the break and met him at the rim for the crushing rejection that saved an easy basket).  Garnett's play was once again stellar, proving once and for all that serial panic like Simmons (and everybody else in the Boston sports media) are full of it and no better at predicting the fortunes of the Bean town clubs than anybody else, not even a lowly college grad with a laptop stuck in rainy Portland, Oregon.

Continue reading "Silver Lining?"

there are actually other guys who play for theCavs?) and rode the incredibly clutch performance of Paul Pierce to victory.  

Speaking of Pierce's clutch 41 point performance in game seven of the semis, Matt's next contention was that the Celtics have a roster full of guys who haven't won anything and are used to losing in the Playoffs.  He specifically stated that "Save for Sam Cassell, everyone is either new to the Playoffs, or used to losing."  This is not entirely accurate, seeing as how James Posey won a ring in 2006 with Miami, but I dare to go deeper than the mere inaccuracy of my esteemed colleague's argument.

Continue reading "Hungry Like the (Former) Wolf"

What a game it was last night. As I was pacing up and down the modest size of my apartment's living room, my heart palpitations above healthy limits, Celtics managed to cling on to their lead to see away LeBron and his Cavaliers. Make no mistake - despite some of the Cavs' unquestionable talents, without LeBron they aren't that good.

Continue reading "LeBron and On"

s of LeBron James (who played phenomenal basketball and would not quit giving me heart attacks) and Paul Pierce, the Celtics won because of key contributions from everybody on the floor.  Particularly noteworthy were PJ Brown and Eddie House, who both played with exceptional energy and made key plays that provided huge momentum boosts for the Celtics this afternoon.  Brown was very active on the glass and stepped up offensively by hitting big baskets (open shots that a veteran NBA player knows they have to make) and converting second chance buckets, while House's attitude and energy were contagious and fired up the whole team (he also played some nice defense down the stretch). 

Continue reading "The Truth Hurts!!!"

at the rim.  This kind of aggression got the Celtics some easy baskets that had huge impacts (Paul Pierce'sloud dunk late in the game and KG's thunderous stuffs set the tone for the rest of the team) and forced the Cavalier defense to collapse and leave shooters open from the perimeter.  The combination of penetration and the extra pass really established a rhythm for Boston and carried them to victory.  Lastly,

Continue reading "B E Aggressive!!!"

It’s just a fact at this point. I’m all for having Cassell come in if Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are out of the game and we need a perimeter scoring threat, but damn Doc, Rondo had a great first half and along with Garnett was the reason we were even in the game. On the other hand, Cassell was on fire in the fourth quarter and may have been the reason we won the game.

Continue reading "Live by Sam Cassell, Die by Sam Cassell"

 ray Allen/Paul Pierce should be able to lock Wally World down with ease and without expending too much effort, leaving them fresh for the offensive end of the floor.  Devin Brown and Sasha Pavlovic should be easy covers as well, as they are both extremely flawed and incomplete basketball players.

Continue reading "Cross Your Fingers"

banner.  Led by Kevin Garnett's contagious intensity, Ray Allen's poise and smooth moves, and Paul Pierce's desire to finally win a championship for Boston, the Big Three will make its way through Cleveland and ultimately win an NBA championship.

Continue reading "Watch Out Cavaliers"

really?  What a nightmare.  There's not too much to say, other than the officials hosed Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics yet again.  Paul Pierce fouled out on the ticky-tackiest of calls (on a foul that hadn't been called all series), and the Hawks had more than forty attempts at the free throw line, while the Celtics had only 25 attempts from the stripe Regardless, the Celtics still had a chance to win it at the buzzer, and they failed to execute anything resembling an offensive set or a game plan.  And they had two chances. 

Continue reading "You Can't be Serious"

can beat the Hawks once in the ATL.  They're chances loke pretty good as is, and doubly so if Paul Pierce can keep a handle on the ball in crunch time!

One last thing that's worthy of noting about game 5 was the play of Ray Allen.  Though he wasn't Boston's highest scorer, he was integral in the victory and hit several big shots to put the final nails in Atlanta's coffin.  For the series, he's shot 45% from the floor, including 50% from behind the arc (good for a 17 PPG average), hasn't missed a freethrow and has come up big down the stretch for Boston.  You know what they say, he got game.

Continue reading "Return to Form"

't blow the doors of the Celtics by any means.  Last night's game was very, very close, and if Paul Pierce hadn't boffed that gimmie-layup at the end, the result could have easily been a win for Boston and a hammer-lock on the series.  Similarly, if the Hawks hadn't had a 33-18 free throw advantage (did David Stern perhaps place a call and remind the refs that he likes competitive series, not yawners), the Celtics could have easily won last night.  

Continue reading "Should I be Worried Yet?"

Then there's the ultimate slasher in Paul Pierce. He's like the O.J. of the NBA. There are not many guys in the league who can get to the basket like Pierce.  Half the time he barrels over well positioned defenders, but somehow manages to draw fouls for huge three point plays. In O.J. fashion, he gets away with it by reputation, or by using his athleticism to Pierce and knife through unmatched defenders.  Judge Ito would love Paul "The Truth" Pierce. 

Continue reading "Celts Reach Sixty With Help of Bill Bixby"

It's been reported that Paul Pierce has been icing his knees lately and wouldn't mind a rest.  While this may seem troubling to Celtics fans, it's actually just a nice means for me to explain for the 365,872 time why it is soooooo nice to play in the Eastern Conference of the NBA.

Continue reading "God Bless the "Leastern" Conference"

Everybody knows Paul Pierce can score.  His reputation in the NBA is that of a tenacious scorer, capable of tormenting defenders and taking over offensively for stretches, using his combination of size and grace to muscle or slash his way into the lane or to the rim or to create space for his silky smooth mid-range jumper.  Unfortunately for Pierce, this is all he's been known as, and for several years he has been seen as only a ball-hogging chucker who couldn't defend anyone, more focused on padding his stats on an irrelevant team than winning games.  While this characterization seems fitting enough given the performances of him and his team for the past few seasons, this season Pierce has shown to the world what dedicated Celtics fans have known for years, that Pierce is a well rounded and versatile player on both ends of the floor, both willing and able to do whatever it takes to get his team a win.

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In any case, Boston cut a 5-point deficit in the final two and a half minutes down to 2, when Paul Pierce got fouled by himself and went to the line for two big free throws with 28 seconds left.  It was an offensive foul in my opinion; Pierce bowled over a well positioned Mickael Pietrus.  But Super Stars get those calls late in games for some reason.  After nailing two clutch offensive foul shots, to trim the lead to 117-115, inexplicably, Matt Barnes, who's a bench player, threw up a bad shot and Pierce grabbed the rebound with 12 seconds left.

Continue reading "Celtics Western Trip Heading South"

ear, and with a worn out Ray Allen still playing solid enough ball, they turned to the team captain Paul Pierce to lead this team just like he has been for what seems like forever.

 &nbs

Continue reading "The Celtics Run Without KG"