tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33923263460515994502024-03-13T11:40:43.817-07:00Shipping Up to BostonJohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14677530769951812843noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-29774493004201970262012-09-26T20:41:00.001-07:002012-09-26T20:44:31.275-07:00NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers (0-3) @ Boston Celtics (3-0) - Game 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcGMnkV9k0I22UzC6F_2MiFi-on8tohFhmH-SVdLBuNYgnGOvkckHSAcDGFnjm0u6WmSJxcPWb0VORYFTvknewdOodi-Gy2E0hnjftxACpWFRPzL0fDDhOTenhSv4Ib6W0w9RbvZFFNA/s1600/finals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcGMnkV9k0I22UzC6F_2MiFi-on8tohFhmH-SVdLBuNYgnGOvkckHSAcDGFnjm0u6WmSJxcPWb0VORYFTvknewdOodi-Gy2E0hnjftxACpWFRPzL0fDDhOTenhSv4Ib6W0w9RbvZFFNA/s320/finals.jpg" /></a></div>At halftime, the Los Angeles Lakers (and Kobe Bryant) had everything to smile about. But as the final buzzer sounded, the purple and gold titans would be looking forward to next year, when they hope for more satisfying results. Surely, Kobe Bryant cannot be content with being swept out of the NBA Finals.
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However, tonight's conclusive victory for the Boston Celtics could not have come with lesser difficulty. After permitting physical play in the 1st three games, the referees cracked down on the Celtics, not allowing them to contest any shots without hearing a whistle. To their credit, the Lakers knocked down countless free throws as the 1st quarter dragged on forever and Boston had nothing but foul trouble to show for it.
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To make matters worse, Steve Nash was more patient with the ball and had his best game of the Finals, after shooting too much in the first 3 games; and the reserve lineup for Boston barely compensated for the stars in foul trouble.
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With nothing else to go on, Celtics coach Doc Rivers went "all in" and put the stars back on the floor. They could no longer be inhibited if Boston was going to stand a chance. Luckily, the desperate move worked. Not only the supportive home crowd, but also a blessing graced Boston as the Lakers' scoring efficiency dropped.
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For the longest time, Metta World Peace and Antawn Jamison had helped maintain LA's lead, but Kevin Garnett went on a roll (despite 4 fouls), playing a crucial role in Boston's amazing turnaround with 26 points and 13 rebounds.
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Once the Celtics got their legs back, they outran LA in the fast break. On the glass, Boston eventually out-hustled the Lakers in the rebounding department and took their first lead of the game, caused by finally gaining on-court flow. Boston never looked back, and neither did Paul Pierce, as he burned the Lakers with three-pointers in the final two minutes, stifling any hope LA might've had to make a comeback of their own.
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The Celtics surged to a shocking victory of 85-104, the biggest losing margin for LA thus far in the Finals, and the one that ended their championship hopes.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMDBFzCcAhsooD_lwumXPqu4Hq_lxHUlkWIS4qwfrmKLC6gxOn5BGlNc65u9KkNBZwHWqCfrnYjBdwLsdDLVDP6SNkUXqsHzKbQIOs135-mWH_0IIYELwWTiFO79ygAXLHpwEz4NlC00/s1600/20080618_kevin_garnett_33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="218" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMDBFzCcAhsooD_lwumXPqu4Hq_lxHUlkWIS4qwfrmKLC6gxOn5BGlNc65u9KkNBZwHWqCfrnYjBdwLsdDLVDP6SNkUXqsHzKbQIOs135-mWH_0IIYELwWTiFO79ygAXLHpwEz4NlC00/s320/20080618_kevin_garnett_33.jpg" /></a></div>
Kevin Garnett was crowned the Finals MVP and deservedly so, averaging 17.8 points per game on 60% field goal shooting, 82% on clutch free throws, 9 rebounds a game, and for stomaching the foul trouble tonight and transforming it into a dominant victory.
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Overall, as the NBA season comes to a dramatic finish, we look back at how the Boston Celtics only lost a single game in the Playoffs (courtesy of the Miami Heat). They eeked by their adversaries and narrowly won several games. But this isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of Boston's outstanding passion to win, to reach the coveted mountaintop of the NBA and they owe to themselves and to their tremendous resilience.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-81789935544663228702012-09-25T15:28:00.000-07:002012-09-25T15:29:11.125-07:00NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers (0-2) @ Boston Celtics (2-0) - Game 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXgCqCEvbnjIgEiKKwwwb90o5wnGx8O-y-V1IEDfLZJ3K-lPLBCpSgdmUeVpVRVqMZDGlRNxYRMBhMfuJYy2KoYtSjgTa2sjfK9HrF9FuP2KbxQe9GJTJeGA5me7EKjU5gaHSNCaMTyw/s1600/KG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="229" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXgCqCEvbnjIgEiKKwwwb90o5wnGx8O-y-V1IEDfLZJ3K-lPLBCpSgdmUeVpVRVqMZDGlRNxYRMBhMfuJYy2KoYtSjgTa2sjfK9HrF9FuP2KbxQe9GJTJeGA5me7EKjU5gaHSNCaMTyw/s320/KG.jpg" /></a></div>Kevin Garnett had a tremendous performance, dunking it hard through the rim after an offensive rebound, the perfect answer in response to Kobe Bryant making a miraculous lay-up through two defenders with little time to spare. Like Game 2, it came down to the wire once again.
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The Lakers, while playing well enough to have a chance, relied mostly on Kobe Bryant (30 points). Free throws by Rajon Rondo extended Boston's lead to 3 in the dwindling seconds, but a wide open corner 3 by the Black Mamba nearly sent the game into overtime, only for it to be overshot and smack off the side of the rim. The Celtics corralled the loose ball and the game was over.
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In an excellent performance, the Celtics were simply hungrier tonight and looked comfortable trading blows late in the game against the star-studded Lakers.
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This remarkable victory practically seals the championship for the Boston Celtics, but without a doubt, Kobe Bryant will come back even harder in Game 4, now that the Lakers is in a precarious win-or-go-home situation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-46651766642381062012012-09-25T08:38:00.000-07:002012-09-25T08:38:25.081-07:00NBA Finals: Boston Celtics (1-0) @ Los Angeles Lakers (0-1) - Game 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Eyt7aF600Uon91ae3QhG6d2MkUzuOP4hFxHiqFrQPC7ooJzmL1WNW7RzXqjE47TQhZv7kDUpc1cE6OYEMmY9qolqwH20ZoKNjFtLMyHSXYWK9gN7frQH3iMUztcmH_bVnDByaWt7Aww/s1600/kobe600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="258" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Eyt7aF600Uon91ae3QhG6d2MkUzuOP4hFxHiqFrQPC7ooJzmL1WNW7RzXqjE47TQhZv7kDUpc1cE6OYEMmY9qolqwH20ZoKNjFtLMyHSXYWK9gN7frQH3iMUztcmH_bVnDByaWt7Aww/s320/kobe600.jpg" /></a></div>While the Boston Celtics still shot 50% to the Lakers' 44%, Los Angeles learned from their mistakes in Game 1 and came out with a much stronger and fluent effort in Game 2.
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Kobe Bryant & Pau Gasol both scored 22 points and powered the purple and gold titans, hitting clutch shots down the stretch in what became a do-or-die finale in the STAPLES Center. Several lead changes, including a 3 point lead at one point by LA, and a dramatic finish made this one an instant classic.
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Paul Pierce led Boston's charge and seemed to hit the biggest shot of the game, a three-pointer on the right wing after a hectic possession by Boston that narrowly escaped a turnover. After a timeout, the Lakers threw the ball to Steve Nash, who drained a responsive 3 of his own, evening the score at 92 in the highly contested showdown.
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Instead of calling a timeout of their own, the Celtics raced the ball up court, threw the ball inside and then dished it back out to Kevin Garnett, who raised his arms and drained a mid-range jump shot, leaving scarce response time for the Lakers, who immediately called their last timeout.
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Anxious, Boston, not wanting to lose the game, guarded the three-point line. "Overtime or victory" was the mantra in Kevin Garnett's mind as he ran out to guard the perimeter. Reading the defense, Steve Nash threw the ball into Dwight Howard, who elevated like Superman, with the intent of throwing it down over Roy Hibbert. But the ex-Pacer had other plans and as Howard attempted his flashy dunk, Hibbert extended an arm, somehow swatting the ball out of Howard's hands in mid-air. The ball fumbled, fell into Rondo's hands and the buzzer sounded, 94-92, as the Celtics went up 2-0.
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For Los Angeles, this intense defeat may spell the end for their championship hopes because the next three games will be played in Boston. The Celtics only need to win 2 of them before the series shifts back to Los Angeles for a faraway Game 6.
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This win reveals the intent Boston had since the genesis of this series, to utilize the 2-3-2 format as their only answer to LA's home-court advantage. The victory was achieved by stellar play once again by Josh Howard, who didn't have 29, but had enough, knocking down 3's, along with Kenyon Martin who spent most of Game 1 on the bench. Tonight, every Boston Celtic, including Rajon Rondo and Kevin Martin, hit a clutch shot that insured whatever lead Boston had throughout this competitive game. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-25746949978041172432012-09-25T07:31:00.002-07:002012-09-25T07:34:39.358-07:00NBA Finals: Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers - Game 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f3fhAlPp3_Hd78ZAWW25IWYBtxbaxsEsCIU4GSCbBjPMZbDYYefnzL9eswKjhAByYiE2Tk3S0Jpfn57DAp1o033E1oohzTpkB-dPM5dlBb127-QxCLLcL6OdFH1JaqIzzsC18a9UxJM/s1600/finals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f3fhAlPp3_Hd78ZAWW25IWYBtxbaxsEsCIU4GSCbBjPMZbDYYefnzL9eswKjhAByYiE2Tk3S0Jpfn57DAp1o033E1oohzTpkB-dPM5dlBb127-QxCLLcL6OdFH1JaqIzzsC18a9UxJM/s320/finals2.jpg" /></a></div>The Boston Celtics brought their 'A' game to the STAPLES Center and left with a convincing victory, 101-85, courtesy of superior shooting and solid team chemistry on the floor.
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The Los Angeles Lakers suffered from shooting woes all night, losing the shooting battle, 42% to Boston's 54%. Superstar, Kobe Bryant, only shot 30% (6-20) for a meager 14 points. Pau Gasol had a decent showing with 17 points and 10 rebounds, as did Dwight Howard (16 points, 13 rebounds). But LA's on-court flow, or lack thereof, was sorely distinguished from that of Boston, as LA lost the assists battle 17 to Boston's 24 and committed more turnovers.
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Meanwhile, the Celtics addressed the issues that had cost them both regular season games against the Lakers, only losing the rebounding war by 5 and hitting the offensive glass to elicit plentiful rewards. Steve Nash finished with 21 points, but only 7 assists, another indication of LA's scrambled play. He was outmatched by Rajon Rondo, who while scoring 1 less in each category than Nash, was more effective at giving his teammates the ball, especially Josh Howard (29 points), who splashed in 7 amazing three-point shots by running around on the floor, using screens and defensive lapses to his advantage.
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In Boston's front-court, Kevin Garnett had 14 points and Roy Hibbert's size helped Boston on the boards along with 2 monster jams. Paul Pierce (11 points, 35%) had a similar night to Kobe's, but luckily had other options to dish the ball to. The balanced effort on offense let everyone get rest on the bench, so when they came into the game, they were most effective. Kevin Martin strengthened Boston's lead with 13 points and Charlie Villanueva plopped in 12 points.
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While LA stayed on Boston's heels, they failed to trim the lead to less than 6 and Boston's strong defense helped keep it that way. The Lakers should hope for a better scoring performance in Game 2 and try to increase the tempo despite Boston's urge to keep things slow in the half-court style. Ironically, Boston outscored LA in fast break points, 16 to 6. Regardless, Boston is definitely on the right path to a championship.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-30798766265269154212012-09-25T03:59:00.000-07:002012-09-25T03:59:25.672-07:00Looking Ahead: The NBA Finals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4ha2qxJp1WE7JJxsfwl0Ko5IqeobqBB6XJvcOBKZP_5RRCz65aK0J-AshM_fJmI9YPISK8Z1dPVM0KUgmnLMrh3bWPDngYPQqiTlYDCz3ydXxhDS7CHfbBqBzyKZ3N-t4oD5cs-i5SY/s1600/kobe-bryant-24-dwight-howard-expresnba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4ha2qxJp1WE7JJxsfwl0Ko5IqeobqBB6XJvcOBKZP_5RRCz65aK0J-AshM_fJmI9YPISK8Z1dPVM0KUgmnLMrh3bWPDngYPQqiTlYDCz3ydXxhDS7CHfbBqBzyKZ3N-t4oD5cs-i5SY/s320/kobe-bryant-24-dwight-howard-expresnba.jpg" /></a></div>After a rocky start, the Boston Celtics have quieted the critics, surging past the Indiana Pacers (4-0), Chicago Bulls (4-0) & Miami Heat (4-1). While most of those games went down to the wire, the Boston Celtics proved they were the best team in the Eastern Conference.
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Yet, meanwhile on the west coast, the Los Angeles Lakers tore through the Golden State Warriors (4-1), the Utah Jazz (4-0) and the San Antonio Spurs (4-1), proving why they'll have home-court advantage in the upcoming all-or-nothing series against Boston as the top dog in all of the NBA standings.
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How will this historic showdown end? In 2008, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games; and in 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in 7 games.
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Either way, the Celtics will have to fight their hearts out to win at least one of two in the City of Angels, a place that handed them two losses in the regular season, if Boston wants to limit this historic series to a 4-game sweep of the purple and gold titans because the series will then to shift to Beantown for 3 straight crucial games.
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Can--and if so--how will Boston counterbalance the size, skill and presence of Pau Gasol and new Lakers center, Dwight Howard, while also dealing with Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, and the wily passing skills of Steve Nash?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-9616553921553975772012-09-25T03:43:00.001-07:002012-09-25T03:44:31.200-07:00ECF - Miami Heat (1-3) @ Boston Celtics (3-1) - Game 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3lLKOmzo8Sggc5c_kKFkVKegQUA3XWhpoQUgNtrHuLPGFCuQskWSB1fOqPcbQVQ-jiHBd8ZRblJQVCH-mpiea7FpesXMtYOxLcEqVR_cSElBXmknRxXQDvOdkGOQpfoymcttl_K7Wc8/s1600/0510-us-sports-celtsheatgm4_full_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3lLKOmzo8Sggc5c_kKFkVKegQUA3XWhpoQUgNtrHuLPGFCuQskWSB1fOqPcbQVQ-jiHBd8ZRblJQVCH-mpiea7FpesXMtYOxLcEqVR_cSElBXmknRxXQDvOdkGOQpfoymcttl_K7Wc8/s320/0510-us-sports-celtsheatgm4_full_600.jpg" /></a></div>The Miami Heat hung around in the first half, but clearly weren't as offensively proficient and suffered when a "run to the Finals" by Boston in the 3rd quarter ignited the Heat's deficit to 20.
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A collective effort by the Celtics emphasized a more controlled style of play that went unseen in South Beach, as both teams split victories. While they lost Game 4, Boston's vital victory in Game 3 allowed them the opportunity tonight to put away the defending champions.
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The score was much lower than the past two games, reflecting more of Boston's half-court style as it presented too much imbalance for Miami's preferred up-tempo play. LeBron James didn't have a strong showing (only 7-16 from the field), but Chris Bosh poured in 30 points, along with a strong double-double by Dwyane Wade. Ray Allen did what he could to keep Miami in the game, but had another inconsistent showing that would lay shadowed by his great turn-in for Game 4 in South Beach.
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To their credit, the Miami Heat never quit when Boston confidently and conscientiously pulled out their top contributors to start the final quarter as a way to rest for the looming Los Angeles Lakers, Miami utilized this weakness and kept their top scorers in the game to gain the necessary advantage. They cut the lead as they could, but 17 points by Roy Hibbert held them at bay, along with 11 by backup guard, Avery Bradley.
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A timeout late in the final minute cast a gloomy face for LeBron James, who "knew" the game was over and this precognition became apparent as Boston stole the ball shortly after the inbound, leading to 2 made free throws by Roy Hibbert. Now trying to defeat the impossible, the superstar of the Miami Heat, LeBron James, nailed a pull-up jumper at the buzzer, perhaps proving that Miami is capable of winning but simply wasn't superior tonight, as the Miami Heat's championship dreams fizzled, 101-109.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-10749105188880238412012-09-25T03:27:00.000-07:002012-09-25T07:33:45.175-07:00ECF - Boston Celtics (3-0) @ Miami Heat (0-3) - Game 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1aZA8EK2ubjUb8zi8uA2QQJyq8qoIqkk_h-kZq30ZqLWnOEh7v7_Q-XWJSMb4OtVLYjqLmdsthJj9iLEjM_zGRT2JwaLEPSGQiHr5zQXpfg4y6pBKpH9LIscWONN8UjJyh8rVNOWijA/s1600/ray-allen-heat-jersey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1aZA8EK2ubjUb8zi8uA2QQJyq8qoIqkk_h-kZq30ZqLWnOEh7v7_Q-XWJSMb4OtVLYjqLmdsthJj9iLEjM_zGRT2JwaLEPSGQiHr5zQXpfg4y6pBKpH9LIscWONN8UjJyh8rVNOWijA/s320/ray-allen-heat-jersey.jpg" /></a></div>Ray Allen, after being hit-and-miss in the first 3 games of this series, lit the court up with 20+ points, serving as the x-factor in a much needed win for the Miami Heat. They were simply too fast, too strong and too unstoppable in the 4th quarter.
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At one point, the Heat pulled away by 20, but 31 points by Josh Howard and a defiant surge by Kevin Garnett kept the crowd in a hushed silence. The Celtics cut Miami's lead to 5 late in the 4th quarter, but a terrible turnover sealed the must-win victory for the Heat, despite the fact that Boston came out strong to start the game.
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Too many missed three pointers and poor on-court flow cost Boston tonight. While the Heat picked up an inspiring victory tonight, they now travel back to Beantown, away from their supportive crowd, a place where they lost the first 2 games, a place where they simply can't lose again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-69230773206011290652012-09-25T03:21:00.001-07:002012-09-25T07:33:52.637-07:00ECF - Boston Celtics (2-0) @ Miami Heat (0-2) - Game 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCXycDm3tVwL12qfPE72ZpiXUfaqem-R23erdzqgOnHwVoAYr5Fd11RyVqeCB4_DGgB0lS6rvGRy0SAvW5dvHiakr4KGXV5GQF-tq6eOy6NyxvNUtIkVTJKCNGFbyttQRypFCDW1Ln9Q/s1600/game3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCXycDm3tVwL12qfPE72ZpiXUfaqem-R23erdzqgOnHwVoAYr5Fd11RyVqeCB4_DGgB0lS6rvGRy0SAvW5dvHiakr4KGXV5GQF-tq6eOy6NyxvNUtIkVTJKCNGFbyttQRypFCDW1Ln9Q/s320/game3.jpg" /></a></div>After two sub-par games, Rajon Rondo came alive in South Beach, scoring 32 monster points and leading his team to a dominant victory in Miami. Kevin Garnett turned in a powerful performance as well, and while Miami only trailed by 2 late in the 4th quarter, a corner 3 by Kevin Martin sealed the victory for the Boston Celtics who have shocked the world by forcing the defending champions into a corner that demands 4 straight victories.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-12367486121853126462012-09-24T21:56:00.000-07:002012-09-25T07:33:36.823-07:00ECF - Miami Heat (0-1) @ Boston Celtics (1-0) - Game 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCC4HFlen4oC8J2SwiLHarB6VDMxGBqfcr48XFgbWdULmogGGATw9IVpQ_PhwJ8Fh6WiuZ9Om8daZtbc30CeSW3EKD58rASsH3uwhhNDdwbu25njUB5QifA1PHBC-Zd07TDpKeXjOhljU/s1600/game2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="230" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCC4HFlen4oC8J2SwiLHarB6VDMxGBqfcr48XFgbWdULmogGGATw9IVpQ_PhwJ8Fh6WiuZ9Om8daZtbc30CeSW3EKD58rASsH3uwhhNDdwbu25njUB5QifA1PHBC-Zd07TDpKeXjOhljU/s320/game2.jpg" /></a></div>The Boston Celtics had no flow, and tried everything they could to lose the game. Miami certainly appreciated it, taking the lead early on and playing much better, but lacking the offensive consistency to maintain the lead later. Ray Allen was cold again as he was in Game 1, but the big 3 of South Beach scored plenty to make up for it, with Chris Bosh on fire with 36 points and 17 rebounds.
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But a diligent effort, despite giving up offensive rebounds and countless turnovers, ultimately came to fruition for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics barely escaped with the stunning win, courtesy of Kenyon Martin, who made two huge plays down the stretch. The first was an unlikely basket as the power forward drove to the rim after a tip-in by LeBron James claimed the lead for Miami with only 14 seconds left to play. Martin's gutsy drive to the rim tipped the lead back into Boston's favor, only for Miami to score again with only 4.5 seconds to spare.
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Paul Pierce, who was forced to play spectacularly in light of Rondo's terrible performance (full of unsuccessful drives to the rim), had 28 points but missed a step-back jumper. Life deflated inside of the TD Garden, as it looked like Boston was going to come up short with only 2 seconds left on the clock, but Kenyon Martin was there for the offensive rebound.
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LeBron James was pinned beneath the rim as he was boxed out by Martin, and with no time to spare, Martin elevated and sought to throw the ball down through the hoop with a crowd-erupting dunk. "King James" frantically tried to contest the shot, but his hand got stuck somewhere in between, grazing the net and causing a deathly goal-tending violation for Miami as the ball was blocked from inside the hoop.
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While Boston played terribly throughout the game, they did manage to make quite a comeback; and while Miami dominated the rebounding department, Boston (thanks to Kenyon Martin) pulled down the most important one. With only .4 left on the clock, D-Wade fired up a prayer that came up short, sealing a seemingly impossible 101-100 victory for Boston. The Celtics will be going down to South Beach with an unexpected 2-0 lead. While the pressure is all on Miami, Boston simply can't afford to play this horribly again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-57575838874130976462012-09-24T03:56:00.003-07:002012-09-24T04:04:52.264-07:00ECF - Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics - Game 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqVqL7TZLrzr_IL661TuhTuHekgEvXPQTI6KShwP84eo5AnNWMjIMvWhkSdm3tBml0QINdZZJGElph9XUQUaR1p3N2-8Sxz0Ic02YBWZJHGIbVT_CxmNt4rXqJHWkhziPDPvWZhEKYEU/s1600/lebron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqVqL7TZLrzr_IL661TuhTuHekgEvXPQTI6KShwP84eo5AnNWMjIMvWhkSdm3tBml0QINdZZJGElph9XUQUaR1p3N2-8Sxz0Ic02YBWZJHGIbVT_CxmNt4rXqJHWkhziPDPvWZhEKYEU/s320/lebron.jpg" /></a></div>Shooting wasn't "hot" until the 2nd half, including a 3rd quarter that belonged to LeBron James (24 points) as he led a furious 12 point run to square the game against Boston, whose star players, Rajon Rondo & Paul Pierce, failed to find a rhythm all night.
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After catching up, the Miami Heat played hot potato with Boston, both teams losing and reclaiming the lead multiple times until the 4th quarter got underway.
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Despite Chris Bosh's big game of 26 points, the Heat started to miss shots down the stretch and whatever damage had been done to Boston quickly vanished as its two "Kevins", Kevin Martin (24 points) and Kevin Garnett (26 points, 12 rebounds), along with a surprise offensive turnaround by Josh Howard (who hit huge three pointers in the 4th after being cold beforehand) put the game out of reach for Miami, despite the shocking efforts of D-Wade and LBJ.
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Rajon Rondo, even on an off night, had 14 points but it was Boston's eager effort to take the first game that granted their wish tonight as their defense stayed strong, holding Miami back at 90 points compared to their 103.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-5599751313576482092012-09-22T03:40:00.002-07:002012-09-22T03:44:14.353-07:00ESF - Boston (3-0) @ Chicago (0-3) - Game 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz0ZODnYlRPdNM3fEdIIqQ8_ZWzB9b7B0gt4XJfpStDSzVAv2dwh90BTZOvOaohrtaiA2vSmCYc3iMy0VY15q6xV54ZwEANnJvBM5Ps9ib5bDoG3RZa2ACXI5BjjKegZUXFgdG2acikE/s1600/rose1-e1335658081206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="298" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz0ZODnYlRPdNM3fEdIIqQ8_ZWzB9b7B0gt4XJfpStDSzVAv2dwh90BTZOvOaohrtaiA2vSmCYc3iMy0VY15q6xV54ZwEANnJvBM5Ps9ib5bDoG3RZa2ACXI5BjjKegZUXFgdG2acikE/s320/rose1-e1335658081206.jpg" /></a></div>The Chicago Bulls have played hard since the outset of this hellish series against the Boston Celtics, who were simply more consistent and frankly hungrier by comparison, and it blatantly showed tonight.
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While both teams were weary, Boston still proved they could knock down shots. Chicago looked more haggard; no longer were they bustling up and down the court. While Rip Hamilton hit a three to start the game, such brilliant play was only a tease of something greater, something that would never come as the stars of Chicago had their lowest numbers of the series, as did Boston, who simply came to win against a "winded" Bulls team.
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Despite some heroics by Derrick Rose, and only losing by 4 when the final buzzer sounded, the Bulls simply couldn't overcome a seemingly perpetual 10 point lead and cerebral play by Boston as a whole. The Celtics were collectively patient and defensive mistakes by Chicago provided Kevin Martin (25 points) with too many open three pointers.
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With the lead, Boston retired their stars in the 3rd quarter, trusting the bench could finish off the beleaguered Bulls, who had nothing but incomplete drives to the rim and flat shots to offer. A few less mistakes, and maybe the series would be 3-1, but beating the Celtics (or any team) four straight times is a tough task to achieve. Losing Game 3 by blowing a 20+ point lead was the poison that has ended Chicago's hopes for a championship.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-75827807807300209632012-09-22T00:42:00.001-07:002012-09-25T07:34:05.842-07:00ESF - Boston (2-0) @ Chicago (0-2) - Game 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoxAwZQCEagoJ-GLzuDNwHSyFrB-u1OXTCHgu7GKy6ipDJPLTfMz87Yb46gpHQpdpdGO5dGp22gpNXi4Tjc1I4t0huPK6jKghNL11kQxTVNiHVwsaDF4rKGHAgT2yQEnJGJ0rFxN3CUU/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoxAwZQCEagoJ-GLzuDNwHSyFrB-u1OXTCHgu7GKy6ipDJPLTfMz87Yb46gpHQpdpdGO5dGp22gpNXi4Tjc1I4t0huPK6jKghNL11kQxTVNiHVwsaDF4rKGHAgT2yQEnJGJ0rFxN3CUU/s320/0.jpg" /></a></div>The facts would tell you that Boston's shooting efficiency finally hit a brick wall in the Windy City tonight as the Celtics were busy staring at an 18 point hole to start the 2nd half, meaning at least a 5 game series against the Chicago Bulls, who came out firing away with accuracy and out-hustling Boston on the boards. Why? Because Kevin Garnett's shot refused to fall and Rajon Rondo was being clobbered in the paint, leading to thunderous blocks and clear path dunks for Chicago.
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"The Truth", however, would tell you that Paul Pierce would play savior to his one and only team, the Boston Celtics, knock down several three-pointers, while big men KG and Roy Hibbert would corral the necessary rebounds for an 8-0 run, a miraculous effort that saw Boston defiantly tie the game with no time to spare in the 3rd quarter.
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The 4th quarter was a circus. Kevin Garnett had 5 fouls, a scary spot for Boston, who despite KG's shooting troubles, needed the size in the paint to stop Derrick Rose from silencing Boston's comeback hopes. But in a gritty, pie-facing showdown, the Celtics somehow, aided by Paul Pierce's leadership, a 3 by Kevin Martin and more than one offensive put-backs gave Boston a 6 point lead as the final minute of regulation ticked down.
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Yet, Chicago's energy level was off the charts tonight. They charged down the court, stampeding over Boston's measly 6 point lead and taking a 1 point lead with little time to spare. So what did Kevin Martin choose to do off the inbound? He charged <i>back</i> at Chicago, taking on two Bulls in the paint with a gutsy drive to the rim as the ball floated into the hoop.
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With only 4.7 seconds left on the clock, a defensive lapse gave Joakim Noah a perfect drive to the basket, but Roy Hibbert and Charlie Villanueva were there to respond to the threat. The ball went up, rattled, spun, bounced, but finally failed to fall in, freezing the Bulls inspiring series-changing effort with a 108-107 victory for Boston instead.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-11456439411611910852012-09-20T23:45:00.001-07:002012-09-20T23:46:39.802-07:00ESF - Bulls (0-1) @ Celtics (1-0) - Game 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymMJMIctrcHk5fWUca3WuEZrOMv0T2IsFhRtRsmHmsY-CUl7CTJ5nRXTQZ_J5R7FcFP8Qs78doQuWjKTtU2wDezvzkAWx9xpj3_9RIsbbCLHT2jrUvk1lIfru1w2r2KsW4NygvdgblwA/s1600/BAF16RONDO234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="212" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymMJMIctrcHk5fWUca3WuEZrOMv0T2IsFhRtRsmHmsY-CUl7CTJ5nRXTQZ_J5R7FcFP8Qs78doQuWjKTtU2wDezvzkAWx9xpj3_9RIsbbCLHT2jrUvk1lIfru1w2r2KsW4NygvdgblwA/s320/BAF16RONDO234.jpg" /></a></div>The shooting efficiency that kept the Bulls in striking distance for Game 1 didn't stick around for Game 2, as Chicago missed too many shots to stay close against the fiery Celtics, whose shooting fared better but lacked the magic from Game 1.
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Less than magnificent shooting aside, the Bulls stayed on Boston's heels in the 3rd quarter, tying the game after trailing through the first half. But turnovers and those same missed shots saw Boston's lead climb back up to 10 as the Garden went wild, courtesy of Kevin Martin (21 points) and Paul Pierce (17 points).
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Rajon Rondo made some dazzling plays as well (16 points, 8 assists), along with Kevin Garnett (14 points, before resting in the 4th), Josh Howard (15 points) and big man Roy Hibbert (10 points, 7 rebounds).
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Chicago's energy level noticeably dropped. Did they put all their eggs into one basket, i.e. Game 1? Derrick Rose might've powered his team with 33 points and 9 assists, but Carlos Boozer had an off night after a huge showing in Game 1, along with Rip Hamilton (only 9 points).
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While Luol Deng played well again (23 points), and Joakim Noah found his spots on the boards (21 rebounds, 18 points), Chicago heads home to the Windy City with a 0-2 deficit poking at their horns, courtesy of the seemingly impervious Boston Celtics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-16473353880707442402012-09-20T00:52:00.000-07:002012-09-20T00:53:44.048-07:00ESF: Bulls @ Celtics - Game 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce4A7PHQTLi9XPIoLSm1DEJxhpXdKyNItmT8Ejuv669y3aRV3y7J4klz2NMVMAcefcmU9cazZXsG7pjuN49YrUTNhcpS5A0TnxA6tOJMNrC1rHJ3-9VvCD5fvVko4gNEwTRV7Eu3oXBI/s1600/bull-vs-celtics-physical-play.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce4A7PHQTLi9XPIoLSm1DEJxhpXdKyNItmT8Ejuv669y3aRV3y7J4klz2NMVMAcefcmU9cazZXsG7pjuN49YrUTNhcpS5A0TnxA6tOJMNrC1rHJ3-9VvCD5fvVko4gNEwTRV7Eu3oXBI/s320/bull-vs-celtics-physical-play.gif" /></a></div>
An instant showdown for supremacy erupted in Beantown! The Celtics crashed in their first 9 shots and Chicago nearly did the same. Who would be the first to miss, or lose an edge in just the 1st period? It was to be Chicago, who missed some free throws while Boston continued to pour on the offensive flurry, scoring 40 points before the 2nd quarter began.
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This meant a daunting challenge for the Bulls, who were forced to come back, ever slowly, throughout the rest of the highly competitive game. They would trim Boston's lead, only for it to increase again. They cut the lead down to 7 to start the 2nd half, but then let it rise back up to 18. But Chicago wasn't going down without a fight.
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Brilliantly, the Bulls went on an 8-0 run late in the nervous 4th quarter that had the Boston crowd cheering in approval of their team's excellent play while also worrying once reasonable but inaccurate shots began to miss from their stars. Luckily, a shot by Paul Pierce stretched Boston's lead back up to 6, until Chicago sliced it down to 2, only to watch Rajon Rondo sink a pair of successful free throws.
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The worst part about Chicago's resilient effort tonight was when they practically handed the ball to backup center, Roy Hibbert, after Rondo made his free throws, the ball passing right into the big man's hands, before he made the Bulls pay with 2 more free throws. A missed 3 by Rip Hamilton, then a missed 3 by Derrick Rose sealed the victory for Boston by a 4 point margin after Carlos Boozer rattled in a shot near the rim beforehand.
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Rajon Rondo (22 points, 10 assists) celebrated with the crowd, feeling much better after having to sit in the 2nd quarter after getting a second troublesome foul. Having bounced back, and even nailed a couple of three pointers, Rondo had reason to be joyous. And so did Kevin Garnett (16 points, 12 rebounds) who held Joakim Noah in check on the boards, only letting rare offensive rebounds by Derrick Rose slip through his fingers. Kevin Martin (23 pointshelped hold off the hungry Bulls with plenty of offensive flair, finding precious advantages on Chicago and making them count with splashy shots. Josh Howard had a modest showing with 13 points, but a crucial three-pointer in the 4th quarter. Both forwards, Charlie Villanueva and Kenyon Martin, dipped in double figures.
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The deciding factor in this first showdown of what promises to be one of many, was Boston's masterful performance on offense, all of its stars shooting above 50%. In the loss, Carlos Boozer devoured 34 monster points and 12 rebounds; Rip Hamilton splashed in 27, Luol Deng had 21 and, of course, Derrick Rose, just came up short of a win but did all he could with 20 points, dishing out 15 assists. To his credit, Joakim Noah pulled in 14 rebounds, but took some arrant shots down the stretch that only hurt Chicago's chances of pulling off a remarkable comeback in Beantown.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-86780609123087164182012-09-18T16:59:00.000-07:002012-09-18T17:01:53.479-07:00Pre-Game - ESF - Bulls @ Celtics - Game 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZPqajjfrFapaoUnkx5vDzSLS9oEETrkKdfbrLaTzi1ZWHopV94dQvj-WFsSlqtHvTdyecMJn8lt37xpDHLX8dPRSlDjZlWsCpBdSMb6U89TnwoqTsC9KZp5U_tr2Mdycyz3qp16q158/s1600/round2_bulls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="249" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZPqajjfrFapaoUnkx5vDzSLS9oEETrkKdfbrLaTzi1ZWHopV94dQvj-WFsSlqtHvTdyecMJn8lt37xpDHLX8dPRSlDjZlWsCpBdSMb6U89TnwoqTsC9KZp5U_tr2Mdycyz3qp16q158/s320/round2_bulls.jpg" /></a></div>Derrick Rose and the Bulls powered past the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1st Round and now await the determined Boston Celtics, who swept the Indiana Pacers with minimum difficulty.
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However, the season series results favor Chicago (2-1) in this upcoming clash of challengers that would love nothing more than to replace the Miami Heat as the new NBA Champions.
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The last game between these two teams shows that Chicago isn't perfect, either, though. Boston could wind up outplaying them. Yet only time will tell. Until the tip off for Game 1 begins, these superstars will simply have to wait. Then we'll see which of these strong teams is superior.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-44942008820915164952012-09-18T16:33:00.001-07:002012-09-18T16:34:50.313-07:00EQF - Celtics (3-0) @ Pacers (0-3) - Game 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob-2386fges9X013N-1Bxy5FcE-6i3a72Bmjni_PT1hpSFbB-sYYwpwXlGMHDzjMnW3kR-Lc7YIVvh-PM__OMQ98z3-hFh6BLByctIyc5m-j0v0OHRkwlCSdGOFJNvH-Ril_lGiHM3VE/s1600/sweep_pacers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob-2386fges9X013N-1Bxy5FcE-6i3a72Bmjni_PT1hpSFbB-sYYwpwXlGMHDzjMnW3kR-Lc7YIVvh-PM__OMQ98z3-hFh6BLByctIyc5m-j0v0OHRkwlCSdGOFJNvH-Ril_lGiHM3VE/s320/sweep_pacers.jpg" /></a></div>Danny Granger erupted for 37 points, and at first it seemed like Indiana was going to survive for at least one more game back in Boston. But "The Truth" said otherwise; Paul Pierce bombed in 25 points, shocking Indiana like a lightning bolt from beyond the arc. Josh Howard had 20 of his own points and hit some huge gutsy 3's that stretched Boston's lead out of reach. To Indiana's credit, they played well enough to stand a chance, but despite only losing by 7 in the final moments, the hunger they had in the first three games had faded into numbness mixed with too many turnovers and missed shots.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-67986218575335621792012-09-18T16:24:00.003-07:002012-09-18T17:02:19.685-07:00EQF - Celtics (2-0) @ Pacers (0-2) - Game 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIbo9YA1Q-4MZxvhaNdgXvoQClbeh8IVHbd0mVbYOV4Ye3hootMLwm8pXOtDreB8WpvB4qbXySPOV27rjIcwBu5MFgPcGeeZZM79Tff0popPaLjk9B8-LeZVGJJWWZkbMCHAQGfYpmrA/s1600/granger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIbo9YA1Q-4MZxvhaNdgXvoQClbeh8IVHbd0mVbYOV4Ye3hootMLwm8pXOtDreB8WpvB4qbXySPOV27rjIcwBu5MFgPcGeeZZM79Tff0popPaLjk9B8-LeZVGJJWWZkbMCHAQGfYpmrA/s320/granger.jpg" /></a></div>Once again, Danny Granger had a big game (29 points) and the Pacers turned in their best effort of this series so far. But it was still not enough once the Celtics went on a run in the 3rd quarter and maintained their new lead through the rest of the game.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-70497172017131028392012-09-16T04:35:00.001-07:002012-09-18T17:02:33.656-07:00EQF: Pacers (0-1) @ Celtics (1-0) - Game 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdpgfSXskIUfUI6jiXfzzSOxp9N6i9zuPLeCNBpVz9-cy580Cka9sVnRitSsdrDe2_PwIaZkIwacgNDwsgw3bxpk8tSsa829P1-H7FpPiUOZxJOaJCI986k4zQoT729-LrOEhsblSJR0/s1600/danny+granger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdpgfSXskIUfUI6jiXfzzSOxp9N6i9zuPLeCNBpVz9-cy580Cka9sVnRitSsdrDe2_PwIaZkIwacgNDwsgw3bxpk8tSsa829P1-H7FpPiUOZxJOaJCI986k4zQoT729-LrOEhsblSJR0/s320/danny+granger.jpg" /></a></div>Despite 28 points by Danny Granger (pictured above) and a run by Indiana in the 3rd, Game 2 saw more of the same from Boston, who took a 2-0 series lead with an 86-103 victory. The win was powered by fluent team play, 18 by Josh Howard and a big game by KG. Boston led by 27 at one point, and although Indy cut it down to 12, Boston was simply too strong down the stretch as the lead rose again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-22962866989033710122012-09-15T01:46:00.000-07:002012-09-15T01:49:23.325-07:00EQF: Pacers @ Celtics - Game 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfS5INQ9EWIjGpCtRrhV4iHzBb5s21IJhguI4XaOlQihTwoXe9dwyjdu_d_3wh42al6PXnSm9h8EpGONWLSxTJKesBACDHxyqIUbS2ugCvfBq0ASMIr-z8oiBkbZAhI3QOg3Ijy595mc/s1600/pacers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfS5INQ9EWIjGpCtRrhV4iHzBb5s21IJhguI4XaOlQihTwoXe9dwyjdu_d_3wh42al6PXnSm9h8EpGONWLSxTJKesBACDHxyqIUbS2ugCvfBq0ASMIr-z8oiBkbZAhI3QOg3Ijy595mc/s320/pacers.jpg" /></a></div>The Celtics shot 68% in the 2nd quarter, leaving Indiana in the dust for the rest of Game 1 of the Eastern Quarter Finals, winning 94-121 at home as all 12 Celtics scored.
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There was reason to celebrate after a rocky genesis to this series in the 1st quarter, a quarter that saw Indiana play gutsy ball, only for Boston to storm back.
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However, Josh Howard continued his hot streak (18 points), including a steal off an inbound play followed by an immediate three-pointer from the corner. When Boston is leading by 20+, the play made a mockery of Indiana's focus that clearly faltered after the 1st quarter, along with their shooting efficiency and inconsistent defense.
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Clearly, Indiana must play harder to even stand a chance.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-78401641952218937142012-09-13T23:00:00.002-07:002012-09-13T23:01:03.921-07:00Boston wins last 2 games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF9x2dEvk8ujUVAwEqZ3l-AWhSHa8MhK1DOijUAw7oJDQ36UhD1es5Bxi2fQXOhCRx2tptoa6HvB_tU14vJ4HflJgrdBRxvVveF2mT2lI_09EfPbQcDkQvfu-XU5OO01uYZWj5Lrrd0M/s1600/c%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="236" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF9x2dEvk8ujUVAwEqZ3l-AWhSHa8MhK1DOijUAw7oJDQ36UhD1es5Bxi2fQXOhCRx2tptoa6HvB_tU14vJ4HflJgrdBRxvVveF2mT2lI_09EfPbQcDkQvfu-XU5OO01uYZWj5Lrrd0M/s320/c%2527s.jpg" /></a></div>A bitter rematch with the Chicago Bulls, who've dominated Boston so far this season, turned into a blowout win on the road and sweet payback for the Celtics. Boston returned home to close out their season, and boy did they do it with authority!
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The Milwaukee Bucks were competitive in the first quarter, but started shooting terribly from the field. The lead for Boston revved to 20, then 25, then 30, then 35, and ultimately ended at 55 points!
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A triumphant, to say the least, performance at home bodes well for the Boston Celtics, who by doing so secure the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They've drawn the Indiana Pacers in the opening round of the Playoffs, and while Josh Howard didn't win Sixth Man of the Year (courtesy of Lakers forward, Antawn Jamison), he certainly played strongly to the end, preserving leads for Boston. The Lakers might've won best record overall with 68 wins, but Boston was right on their heels with 66 powerful victories. The Celtics are ready to bring home the gold.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-82144815351885736372012-09-13T04:07:00.000-07:002012-09-13T04:10:34.290-07:00Boston (64-16) finally claims #1 Seed in East<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHWy5PHFSFhYlieha-OivQHJVceEQUg0VzUoZu3Phx2wvZTHoWgmBvWEXhM694pfeFGn5KEyBzTyBofFFW559CvkciLD-wHoE_20wzGF9ppwxCMjMPKPHmrWnI6Q7kcVxl6pbu8TW-cM/s1600/Boston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHWy5PHFSFhYlieha-OivQHJVceEQUg0VzUoZu3Phx2wvZTHoWgmBvWEXhM694pfeFGn5KEyBzTyBofFFW559CvkciLD-wHoE_20wzGF9ppwxCMjMPKPHmrWnI6Q7kcVxl6pbu8TW-cM/s320/Boston.jpg" /></a></div>After resting their stars for a series of games that mostly ended up as wins, the Boston Celtics brought out their starting lineup to take on the Spurs (who beat them in their last meeting). After a gritty 1st quarter, Boston climbed to a 14-22 lead and continued to increase it by halftime.
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The Spurs started shooting poorly, and Boston realized its stars had done enough for a blowout victory.
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Afterward, the stars continued to rest on the bench for the next few games as Boston defeated the OKC Thunder and Sacramento Kings. Before long the Knicks were waiting to host the Celtics in Madison Square Garden. The stars certainly returned to the floor. However, just like their last battle, Boston clawed out a small lead by halftime and strengthened it in the 3rd, boasting an unprecedented lead, 75-57.
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Carmelo Anthony's shot was off that night, but New York fired back, slimming the lead down to 8 at one point, only for Boston's strong play to continue and cap off the victory. Whether these two teams will clash in the Playoffs? We can only hope.
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After the big game in NYC, Boston breezed past Toronto & Milwaukee and it was then that they overtook the defiant Miami Heat for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. As of now, the Celtics have a .5 game lead on the defending champions and a tough rematch against the Chicago Bulls, followed by one last meeting with the Bucks to close out the season.
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Either way, Boston should be proud about their outstanding effort.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-8874975849292583642012-09-12T22:02:00.002-07:002012-09-12T22:02:12.001-07:00Nuggets buried by Celtics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLeXDuV_y1kSsysGipvaD69UtIjKXGZdPh64mH0HcWx8oMtmF5enVuisDRpFe8-hXvsOR4PzZn5oNFWqV625jOLsOeYYoqZxxlC2z9NuUz37sDQgaPblBrGvCvQiYrlpyQZf-6Gb5xxI/s1600/nuggets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLeXDuV_y1kSsysGipvaD69UtIjKXGZdPh64mH0HcWx8oMtmF5enVuisDRpFe8-hXvsOR4PzZn5oNFWqV625jOLsOeYYoqZxxlC2z9NuUz37sDQgaPblBrGvCvQiYrlpyQZf-6Gb5xxI/s320/nuggets.jpg" /></a></div>Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets certainly shot well tonight in Boston, but the Celtics were playing stronger on defense and more consistently on offense. Most of Denver's shots came from behind the 3 point line (which isn't a bad thing), but they failed to make other easier shots and it cost them gravely.
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After an all-reserves effort against the Jazz, Boston gave each of its stars a cameo in separate quarters (except for Kevin Garnett) and let Roy Hibbert (14 points, 18 rebounds) & Charlie Villanueva (23 points) get some developmental minutes on the floor which they certainly made the most of, playing tough and smart all night.
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Kevin Martin came in off the bench for his 'cameo' and had the best brief showing of all the stars that mostly stayed on the bench, nailing 3's to help secure a lead for Boston. Josh Howard (30 points) did the rest, and while Danillo Gallinari and Andre Iguodala kept the Nuggets within reach, this game simply belonged to the Celtics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-43498737220742907972012-09-12T18:52:00.002-07:002012-09-12T18:54:06.293-07:00Josh Howard leads Celtics over Jazz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOxwuTIme6q7cueLXqoVZzTZvj2-0KIj1I10PdKRiNrYx2UVh0LPB2LZ2scCu5xBEFQ1x65auhG-iiXWcFyKEnqFhfj9XJqwPxGhfuTYkzxXCVRjBGTAdeZ9wMn5RbHpuj8l6A2B7-Lo/s1600/Josh+Howard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOxwuTIme6q7cueLXqoVZzTZvj2-0KIj1I10PdKRiNrYx2UVh0LPB2LZ2scCu5xBEFQ1x65auhG-iiXWcFyKEnqFhfj9XJqwPxGhfuTYkzxXCVRjBGTAdeZ9wMn5RbHpuj8l6A2B7-Lo/s320/Josh+Howard.jpg" /></a></div>Josh Howard recently played for the Utah Jazz before being acquired by Boston. He provides a spark off the bench and fills in for Boston's big men when they go cold. Tonight? He demolished his former team, scoring a career high 62 points.
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With only 12 games remaining in the regular season, Boston put "beating Miami for #1 seed" on the back burner and rested their stars tonight, who saw no playing time. The reserve unit played the entire game, consisting of: Fab Melo (C), Lou Amundson (PF), Josh Howard (SF), Carlos Delfino (SG) and Avery Bradley (PG).
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Utah's stars, on the other hand, were involved, meaning Mo Williams, Gordon Hayward, ex-Celtics Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, and Al Jefferson. However, what they didn't expect was to be outplayed by Boston's reserve unit and be emphatically destroyed by Josh Howard.
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Boston broke out to an early lead, but Utah stayed in the game, only to lose to Howard's scoring fury in the final minutes. Mo Williams nailed a 3 late to trim a 7 point deficit, but Boston's victory had already been cemented due to Howard's freakish explosion. His huge scoring total clobbers a previous season high of 37 points.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-91620279581286235262012-09-12T08:39:00.000-07:002012-09-12T08:42:47.961-07:00Celtics finally lose in Dallas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMCuH5WsXHQMcE_0EWq5pJMVS8AwEaMXHfmieOmNgikHRWOKpa-dJTooGBIVlVzotiXpxdKuLDDLM5dXFY4vCKZlhwUiKnVblzyEfGl_7wUMfgqztxsv7ata_JMUhfvehpbyMgTCdcZI/s1600/mavs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMCuH5WsXHQMcE_0EWq5pJMVS8AwEaMXHfmieOmNgikHRWOKpa-dJTooGBIVlVzotiXpxdKuLDDLM5dXFY4vCKZlhwUiKnVblzyEfGl_7wUMfgqztxsv7ata_JMUhfvehpbyMgTCdcZI/s320/mavs.jpg" /></a></div>There comes a time when every thing must end, and tonight the Dallas Mavericks snapped Boston's 13 game winning streak.
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The outcome wasn't immediately obvious, however. In fact, Dirk Nowitzki (who finished with 31 points, 20 rebounds) got into foul trouble in the 1st quarter. A weird quarter that started out slow in scoring for both teams, but ended with a 25-16 lead for Dallas.
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Even though Boston was having trouble defending the boards, the rim, and knocking down shots, they stuck around until the 4th quarter when Dallas stretched their lead to 15+.
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Nothing in the world could bring Boston back into this game. They just kept shooting poorly, turning the ball over and failing to stop Dallas on the other end whenever they managed to score a bucket. After cutting the lead to 9 to end the 3rd, Boston had nothing left.
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OJ Mayo scored 20 for Dallas, Shawn Marion had 14, Vinsanity had 12, and center Chris Kaman yanked down 18 rebounds. Clearly, Dallas dominated the boards as Boston fired away from three-point land to no avail, making only 15-47 overall. Boston's shooting woes were highly visible, 35% compared to that of the Mavericks (52%).
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This will undoubtedly hurt Boston's already slim chances of overtaking the Miami Heat (who won't give an inch) in the standings, but with only 13 games left in the season, perhaps Boston should concede the #1 spot to Miami and start resting their stars for the most important time: the playoffs. Maybe they'll still win enough, and somehow surprise Miami.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3392326346051599450.post-1052227218321469882012-09-12T07:39:00.000-07:002012-09-12T07:39:02.000-07:00Celtics grind out win at home against Rockets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bk-MUiug1MMrCGqWCNWRpuBhA0Lhv_qfvLe3WHBx4NMWF8UdjY2WJThEWlfWtfERje_xdRCok_wR7qalYl8F3rfYqPJmOG0uYAV1tYfplcnxp2Bpu17nYYCgIGt6Gr6YXPMfxpeABj8/s1600/lin_rockets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="235" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bk-MUiug1MMrCGqWCNWRpuBhA0Lhv_qfvLe3WHBx4NMWF8UdjY2WJThEWlfWtfERje_xdRCok_wR7qalYl8F3rfYqPJmOG0uYAV1tYfplcnxp2Bpu17nYYCgIGt6Gr6YXPMfxpeABj8/s320/lin_rockets.jpg" /></a></div>The Celtics struggled with poor shooting all night, but made them when it mattered most, outlasting the young Rockets, led by Jeremy Lin (19 points, 6 assists) and recent trade acquisitions, Ben Gordon (20 points) and Tyrus Thomas (17 points, 18 rebounds). Chandler Parsons had 16 as well, but the game-changer was Paul Pierce (31 points) for Boston.
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Both teams weren't shooting the lights out, but 19 from KG, 20 from ex-Rocket, Kevin Martin, some hopeful scoring by Kenyon Martin (10 points) and 9 & 9 by Roy Hibbert kept Boston in the game. Thought Rajon Rondo had an icky night, he finished with 8 crucial points and 7 assists.
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Boston's win proves that it's not how you fail to shoot well, it's when you score. Especially when Houston failed to tie the game or take a lead on two attempts in the final minute. Lin's Rockets made Boston's legs shaky with anxiety, but Boston survived.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0