In a bout of deja vu, the Celtics kept it pretty close for the first three quarters, then fell apart at the seams, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, 104-93. The 1st quarter was a matter of streaks; the Cavs went on a 7-0 run to lead 9-4, then the Celtics led 12-9, and the Cavs finished the quarter with a 8-0 run to lead 24-18. In the process, J.J. Hickson and Kevin Garnett were whistled for a double-technical following some jawing.

It was a back and forth contest for the next 24 minutes, as the Cavs kept their six-point lead at the half, though they should have been up by only five as Maurice Williams was credited with a three despite his foot being on the line, even with an official review. The third quarter saw the Celtics surge back to tie the game, only to fall behind 80-72 heading into the final quarter.

Then, the Celtics unraveled. That eight-point deficit? It was the lowest of the quarter for the Celtics. In fact, the Cavaliers boosted their lead to 17 and the Celtics cut it back to 10 before the Cavs settled it down to the final 11.

C’s Stud of the Game: Ray Allen

The more prominent of the two Allens led the team in points and had half its threes, in addition to being decent at free throw shooting, rebounds, and assists.

C’s Dud of the Game: Kendrick Perkins

In 30:10 on the court, Perkins couldn’t even manage one part of a double-double. The most he could get at any stat was six, for points and rebounds.

That’s What he Said:

“You’ve gotta be prepared for that next game…” – Tommy Heinsohn, on Boston’s upcoming game with the Pistons, though doing the same for the 4th quarter couldn’t have hurt either.

Game Notes:

• Scoring Leaders: Lebron James (CLE 30), Ray Allen (BOS 20), Kevin Garnett (BOS 18), Paul Pierce (BOS 18)
• Field Goal Leaders: Lebron James (CLE 9/21), Ray Allen (BOS 7/14), four others with six
• Three Point Leaders: Maurice Williams (CLE 4/7), Ray Allen (BOS 3/5), Paul Pierce (BOS 3/5)
• Free Throw Leaders: Lebron James (CLE 11/16), Kevin Garnett (BOS 8/8), Leon Powe (CLE 6/6)
• Rebound Leaders: Antawn Jamison (CLE 12), Anderson Varejao (CLE 10), Lebron James (CLE 8), Rajon Rondo (BOS 8),
• Assist Leaders: Lebron James (CLE 7), Maurice Williams (CLE 6), Rajon Rondo (BOS 6)
• Steal Leaders: Lebron James (CLE 2), Rajon Rondo (BOS 2), five others with one
• Block Leaders: Lebron James (CLE 3), Antawn Jamison (CLE 2), four others with one
• Turnovers: BOS 11, CLE 8
• Foul-outs: none
• Technical Fouls: J.J Hickson (CLE) and Kevin Garnett (BOS), 8:18 left in 1st

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

Who ever said that Bruins vs Canadiens games were ever boring? When these two teams match up, it’s like Red Sox-Yankees. Well, it’s not quite that intense, but there is certainly some bad blood between the two teams. Saturday, the two historic franchises clashed yet again and definitely didn’t disappoint.

Montreal got up quick with a 2-0 lead after the first period and never looked back. The Bruins added a goal and then the Canadiens added a goal, and then the Bruins added a goal, and then the Canadiens held onto the lead and the Bruins lost 3-2.

The loss dropped Boston to 30-25-12 (72 points) on the season, while Montreal improved to 35-29-6 (76 points). The Bruins currently hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot as they are three points ahead of the New York Rangers.

Jaroslav Halak was stellar in goal for the Canadiens as he was able to stop 21 of 23 shots on goal. Tuukka Rask looked good for the Bruins but he still let up three goals off of 27 shots on goal.

First Period

• Andrei Markov got things going for the the Canadiens just six minutes into the game as he was able to net his fifth goal of the season while Mark Stuart sat in the penalty box for holding. He was assisted by Benoit Pouliot and Andrei Kostitsyn on the play. Canadiens up 1-0
• Just before the period ended, Sergei Kostitsyn added a goal for  himself, his fourth of the year. He was assisted by Markov and Dominic Moore on the play. Canadiens up 2-0

Second Period

• The Bruins came out of the first intermission ready to play, as Blake Wheeler scored his 16th goal of the season just over a minute into the period. He was assisted by Michael Ryder and David Krejci on the play. Canadiens up 2-1
• Both teams played tough for the rest of the period, racking up the penalties but neither team could find the back of the net in the period.

Third Period

• S. Kostitsyn added his second goal of the night and fifth of the season less than two minutes into the third period to give Montreal a two-goal lead. He was assisted by former Bruin Hal Gill and Moore. Canadiens up 3-1
• The Bruins attempted a comeback with Milan Lucic scoring his seventh goal of the season a little more than halfway through the period. He was assisted by Vladimir Sobotka on the play. Canadiens up 3-2

The Bruins will next travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils on Monday. It will be their sixth game of a current seven-game road trip. So far, the team is 2-3 on the trip.

Game Notes

• Both teams had 10 penalty minutes for the game.
• Boston led in hits, 28-to-17, and also in face-offs won, 28-to-26.
• The Bruins struggled on the power play as they went 0-for-3 while the Canadiens went 1-for-3, with that one goal being the difference maker in the game.
• The Bruins were without Miroslav Satan and Andrew Ference, as they are both nursing sore groins.
• Marc Savard is still out with a concussion.
• Patrice Bergeron was honored before the game along with five other Canadien Olympic medalists.

© Greg for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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Most NBA players and coaches agree that March is the most trying month of the season. With the playoffs still well over a month away, teams are simply looking for consistency in the wake of injuries and long road trips.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks, two teams who made their teams significantly better at the trade deadline, sit at No. 1 and No. 3 respectively this week. The Mavericks earned just as many voting points as the Lakers (25), but LA’s superior winning percentage (.727) helped them edge Dallas (.682) for the No. 2 position.

The Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets were each bumped down a rank, while the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, and OKC Thunder maintained their 2/27 positions.

The Boston Celtics are a team in search of consistency. The green have gone 18-18 since a win over the Orlando Magic on Christmas day, and have slipped to the No. 10 position this week. If they don’t pick it up here down the stretch, the Celtics could find themselves out of our rankings entirely. Especially with hungry teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies waiting in the wings.

Previous Power Rankings: 12/18 | 12/30 | 1/16 | 1/29 | 2/12 | 2/27 | 3/14

© Andrew Kipp for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Opinion, Top Story.

When is the last time anyone has said that the Celtics got an easy win? Think hard. OK, it’s been just nine days (when the Celtics beat the Bobcats 104-80), but it always seems like it’s been an eternity since the Celtics won a game with ease. They really needed an easy win on Friday night against the Pacers, as the team was coming off two tough losses and was playing their third game in four days.

The Celtics did indeed win in blowout fashion on Friday night against Indiana, earning the 122-103 victory. In front of a home crowd that just witnessed the embarrassing loss to the Grizzlies two days earlier, the Celtics won in dominant fashion, carrying a 20-point lead at halftime and never looking back. Paul Pierce led six Celtics in double figures with 20 points in three quarters as the team coasted the rest of the way.

How easy was the win?

Well, the no Celtic played more than 29 minutes, which says a lot. Building such a huge lead early on meant a lot for the team, and allowed Doc Rivers to limit the minutes of his tired starters. Three games in four days will affect any player, especially a trio of veterans in their early-to-mid-30’s, so rest was a must.

The 2nd Unit

When the starters weren’t in, the bench didn’t miss a beat. Glen Davis filled the stat sheet with 15 points, two boards, one assist, one steal, and two blocked shots in 25 minutes. Nate Robinson was even more effective, collecting 15 points on five three pointers.

Michael Finley saw his most extensive action with the C’s, finishing 4/5 from the field with nine points and three rebounds in nearly 18 minutes.

There was even a Shelden Williams sighting!!! The big guy played just under six minutes, tallying two points, one rebound, and one assist.

Another team has been Rondo’d

Rajon Rondo continued his coming out tour across the NBA, helping his team beat the Pacers with a 16-point, 11-assist night. He’s clearly taken over as the team’s most important player. Two years ago, who would’ve thought that would happen so fast?

Historically, Rondo’s 618 assists this season rank sixth-best in club history. He needs a total 716 to pass Bob Cousy for the best mark in team history. Nearly 90 assists in 18 remaining games? I say the record’s his to lose.

The Road Ahead

The Celtics are just 18-18 since a memorable win on Christmas Day against the Magic. Over the first half of March, the C’s have faced a group of crappy opponents. In those games against the Pistons, Bobcats, 76ers, Wizards, Bucks, Grizzlies, and Pacers, the Celts finished 5-2, but really should’ve gone 7-0 and should not have had as much trouble as they did.

The road ahead for the rest of the month is quite bumpy, featuring Sunday’s clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over the rest of March, the C’s face off top teams like the Rockets, the Mavericks, the Jazz, the Nuggets, the Spurs, and the Thunder. By the end of the month, we will know where the Celtics stand. Will this team be championship material? Can they even survive the rough schedule? We will see.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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The Patriots search for a new tight end just got a little more important as Ben Watson has signed with the Cleveland Browns. The deal is reportedly worth $12 million over three years. The deal also includes more than $6 million guaranteed.

Watson was drafted in the first round by the Patriots six years ago and has never quite lived up to the hype coming out of the University of Georgia. His most memorable play came in the 2006 playoffs and his famous length of the field rundown of Champ Bailey.

Watson finished his Patriots career with 167 catches for 2,102 yards and 20 touchdowns.

© Jeff Christenbury for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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In what was definitely one of their most impressive games of the season, the Bruins were able to pile on the offense, racking up five goals against Eastern Conference-rival Philadelphia on Thursday evening, winning convincingly at the Wachovia Center, 5-1.

The loss for the Flyers snapped a five-game home win streak, while the win for Boston helped the B’s creep to within just two points of Philly for the sixth spot in the East’s playoff race. Boston also extended their lead over the Rangers to five points for the eighth and final playoff spot.

As they have in every game since the Olympic break, Boston got on the board before their opponent did, when Blake Wheeler potted his fifteenth goal of the year. In the opening minute of the second period, Philly evened the score on a Jeff Carter power play goal, tying the game at one.

A trio of Boston forwards helped the B’s pull away from the Flyers before the second intermission though, with former Flyer Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci all pushing the puck past Flyers starting goaltender Michael Leighton, chasing him from the game.

Marco Sturm lit the lamp for the game’s only third period goal, scoring one off relief netminder Brian Boucher, and giving us the game’s final score, a 5-1 win for the good guys.

The win evened the season series at two games a piece between these two squads. Boston’s fifth stop on their seven-game road trip is Saturday night, when they face off against division rival Montreal.

© Brian Kintz for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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I don’t want to piss all over everyone’s recent Nomar love-fest, but I feel someone needs to pipe up.

Look, I loved the guy when he was wearing a Red Sox uniform. When I played wiffleball, I would mimic his obsessive compulsive batting glove routine, just like every other kid (I still do, because admit it, it’s fun.) Nomar was idolized in this region. He was our ambassador to the outside world. Jimmy Fallon (badly I may add) played a character on Saturday Night Live based on our love for this guy (which is when I first started hating Jimmy Fallon, a passion (a) I carry on to this day and (b) can proudly say I had long before it was cool to hate Jimmy Fallon). Even Ted Williams, the greatest hitter ever, said that Nomar would be the one to inherit his throne. Hell, for all we know, Teddy Ballgame promised Nomar a spot in the freezer next to him when his life was over.

Nomar marked the resurgence of Red Sox Nation. He was our fearless leader, and like my fellow writer Matt, who posted a nice piece about Nomar retiring as a Red Sox, I was happy to hear about this re-sign/retire gesture. In a sports news cycle saturated with paternity suites and vehicular manslaughter cases, reading a story like this is more than welcome in my book.

But amidst this touchy-feely story, it seems we’re kind of forgetting a few things, or at the very least, quickly glancing them over. And it’s this—we, meaning most of us in Boston and New England (fans and media alike) were more than happy to see Nomar shipped out back in 2004.

Not only did we give two craps about the guy who we had loved so dearly being traded by some new hotshot GM barely old enough to buy a case of Old Milwaukee–we were sending him moving boxes and Google Map directions for the quickest route to Chicago (assuming Google Maps was around in 2004, I don’t know, I try not to do research for any of my pieces).

Terry Francona said Wednesday that Nomar was “Boston’d out” when he was dealt in ‘04–like Nomar had enough of this town. Well believe me, the feeling was mutual. St. Nomar was suddenly in 2004 a “quitter,” a “friggin’ crybaby,” and my all-time favorite, “what kind of queer-ass name is Nomar anyway.”

What was once the guy who hustled, who played the game the way it was supposed to, who was beloved by the young kids and the old-timers alike, was now the guy who sat on the bench nursing a sore muscle and pouting, while Derek Jeter, the guy he was suppose to rival, was diving into the seats of Yankee Stadium to make one of the most memorable catches in baseball history.

The first half of the 2004 season, that July series against the Yanks and that classic play especially, epitomized our frayed dynamic. The Yankees were winners. We were losers. And we needed someone to blame for that—and that blame fell squarely on the shoulders of Nomar Garciaparra, because he was the guy sitting on the bench. He was the guy who committed a couple errors in the previous few games. He was the face of our failures, and we wanted to collectively punch that failing face.

Not that I entirely blame Nomar. Here was a guy who had given the Sox a string of great seasons, only to see management publicly lust after A-Rod, who was then with the Rangers.  And when that trade fell through, they pretended like everything was all good. Imagine if your girlfriend spent the whole night hitting on some random dude at a bar, then when he rejected her, she just came and sat back next to you, acting like she hadn’t been willing to jump said random dude’s bones at the drop of a hat. Then imagine that said random dude was A-Rod (or someone you know of equal or greater douchiness, if that’s possible). Starting to get why Nomar quit on us back in ’04?

But that didn’t seem to matter to any of us then. Or even now, because of what happened next. We all know how the story unfolds: Nomar traded for a few players that help us win a World Series for the first time in 86 years. Red Sox flourish. Nomar flounders. He visits for the first time. Standing ovation! Tears! All is forgotten. He comes back! For a day! Retires. Happy ending.

Of course, this cute little re-signing/retirement doesn’t happen if October 2004 doesn’t happen. Those magical four games against the Cardinals erased any leftover animosity. After that event, no insult from the past was too great to be forgiven. Just as older fans forgave Bill Buckner, we forgave Nomar. We conveniently erased the bad times from our collective memories, even if those bad time had just occurred a few months prior. Nomar was now our wayward son, the player who was “our guy” and just caught a few bad breaks. He was always a Red Sox, no matter what uniform he wore–Wednesday reinforced that sentiment.

I’m not saying this little ceremonious signing is bad. Nor do I think it’s all that great. If anything, I think it’s useful–useful because it makes us Red Sox fans mindful of what the team (and by extension us as fans) used to be, and how that’s not what we are any more.

Like my late grandfather taught me, “You should never forget where you came from.” Thank you, Nomar, for reminding us.

© Fudge for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Opinion, Red Sox, Top Story.

OJ Mayo’s near perfect FG pct. was a microcosm of the near perfection the Memphis Grizzlies (34-31) achieved against the Boston Celtics (40-23) on Wednesday night at the TD Garden. The second year shooting guard out of USC made seven of eight shots for a total of 17 points, and went 2/3 from beyond the arc in a 111-91 blowout victory over the Celtics.

Memphis jumped out to an early lead, outscoring Boston 27-12 in the first quarter, and never looked back. Each time the Celtics threatened to make a run, the Grizzlies had an answer. Rudy Gay led the visitors with 28 points and nine rebounds to go along with two assists, one steal, and and one block (that’s a pretty full stat sheet).

It was a bad loss for the Celtics, no matter how you look at it. So bad that the team was greeted by a chorus of booes as they entered the locker room at the half down 22 points.

“They just came in and totally annihilated us,” said Kevin Garnett, who continued to struggle on the offensive end, finishing with just six points on 3/9 shooting.

The Celtics were out-rebounded 48-29 and were banged around inside all night. Memphis forwards Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol had 10 rebounds apiece and had their way with Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett in the paint. Boston’s interior tandem combined for just 10 points and 13 rebounds in what was an all-around embarrassing performance. The 20-point loss matched the C’s worst loss of the season (the other was a February loss to Cleveland).

In Boston’s defense, they looked tired, playing less than 24 hours after a draining 86-84 loss at the the Milwaukee Bucks. Plus, some credit should be given to the Grizzlies, who are currently competing for the final playoff spot in an extremely competitive Western Conference. They appeared in the January 29th edition of our NBA Power Rankings, and are absolutely loaded with young talent.

The Celtics host Indiana on Friday night before they travel to Cleveland to take on LeBron James and company on Sunday afternoon (3:30 PM ABC).

Game Notes

• Michael Finley scored 10 points in his Boston debut.
• It was the Grizzlies first win over the Celtics in seven tries.
• Six Memphis players finished in double-figures.

© Andrew Kipp for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, Red Sox legend Nomar Garciaparra first announced that he signed a one-day, minor league contract with the team, and then announced his retirement to officially end his 14-year playing career in a Red Sox uniform.

“I was not lying when I said I would always have a dream. This is where I started, this is where the dream to play baseball in the big league started here, with the Red Sox. Once I got to play in front of all these fans, and the way this city and all these fans embraced me, I mean, I always just felt that connection. Like I said, for me, I always said I truly wanted this to be the last uniform I ever put on. And today, I get to do that. And that’s why it’s so important to me,” Garciaparra said (quote from Boston.com).

Nomar and his representatives apparently reached out to the Red Sox about the gesture, and Theo Epstein and co. were happy to oblige.

“I think last time I was in Boston when the Oakland A’s came to town [last season] . . . I was talking about always having a recurring dream to be able to retire in a Red Sox uniform. I want to thank John Henry, Mr. Werner, Mr. Lucchino, and Theo, and the Red Sox organization, because today I get to retire and fulfill that dream and retire as a Red Sock,” Garciaparra said.

Nomar, now 36, will now move on to ESPN as a baseball analyst.

Career Highlights

He played for the Sox from 1996 until he was traded to the Cubs in 2004, months before the team won their first World Series since 1918. He was a fixture in the Boston lineup during that time, hitting .323. He claimed two batting titles after hitting .357 in 1999 and .372 in 2000, becoming the first right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio to lead the league in hitting two years in a row.

Before the 2004 season, the Red Sox were desperate to make the team better. After the infamous collapse in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Yankees, the Red Sox were hungrier than ever to win it all. The team traded for veteran starter Curt Schilling and signed closer Keith Foulke. The team also desperately tried to trade Manny Ramirez for All-Star shortstop Alex Rodriguez, which would’ve triggered a trade of shortstop Nomar Garciaparra for Chicago’s Magglio Ordonez. After the A-Rod trade was disallowed by the MLBPA, the Sox retained Manny and Nomar.

Seemingly unhappy, and suffering from lingering injuries, Nomar was traded to the Cubs in 2004 in a shocking four-team deal at the deadline. In the trade, the Sox dramatically improved their defense, acquiring shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Months later, the Sox won their first World Series since 1918. Nomar received a ring, but his departure was more important to the team’s success than his being there.

Injuries to his groin, calf, hand, among other body parts, tore apart the rest of his career. He won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2006 while playing first base with the Dodgers, but his career continued its downward spiral until Wednesday, when he signed the one-day contract with the Red Sox.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

Tuesday night saw the Boston Celtics traveling to the Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the debut game for new Celtic Michael Finley (five points in eight minutes of play). Both the Bucks and the Celtics had been playing well recently, and both were clearly in the playoff picture. One would expect a good game from two teams such as these, and that’s exactly what one got. There were double-digit ties and lead changes in this game, minimal turnovers (15 apiece), and some high-energy defense. In the end, the Bucks went on one run more than the Celtics did, and beat Boston, 86-84.

The Celtics on Offense

The big story of the night offensively was the Boston bench. They put up a combined 29 points, as compared to the mere 8 put up by the Milwaukee bench. The Boston starters had their fair share of stars as well. Rajon Rondo put up a pretty little 20-point game, while Kevin Garnett put up a double-double, scoring 14 while rebounding 10.

It wasn’t as if energy was the problem for the Celtics against Milwaukee, at least not offensively. They outscored the Bucks on fast-break points 28-3, and it never seemed like they were really lagging behind. The problem lay more in the starters’ sluggish shooting. While Rondo and KG played fine, Paul Pierce really only got it going from the free-throw line (where the Celtics held a 19-10 advantage), and the other two starters never got started at all. When starting shooting goes cold, no matter how well the bench plays, you’re going to lose.

The Celtics on Defense

The biggest critique of the Celtics defense was that they had no answer for Bucks center Andrew Bogut. Bogut led all scorers in the game with 25 points, and he had 17 rebounds to go with them. All night long the Celtics defense experimented with various double-teams and traps, but Bogut was just too big and strong. He was especially strong in situations where he was playing against a Boston bench player. In one particularly memorable play, he backed Glen Davis all the way to the ground, then turned around and dunked on him. Davis looked over-matched and over-powered against the larger, more experienced, and stronger Andrew Bogut.

The Game in Review

This was a preview of a potential first-round playoff match for the Celtics, and it did not go the Celtics’ way. They looked sluggish at the start of all four quarters, allowing Milwaukee to build momentum across each period. This slow-start habit of the Celtics is one they can ill-afford if they want to go far in the playoffs. Milwaukee is about at the level of play the C’s should expect come the first round: high energy, some good shooting, quality defense.

The Celtics were able to match the Bucks for three and a half quarters, but then the starters failed to hold it down for the win. It’s hard to look at this game and point to the one factor that killed the team. It would seem Boston’s biggest problem is just the chemistry of its starters. They’re still not playing like a seasoned, congealed unit, the way you would expect this late in the season. If they can’t start well and they can’t finish well, it doesn’t matter how well they play in the middle: they’re going to lose games.

This match was a measuring stick game, allowing the team to gauge how ready it is for the playoffs. And the sad answer is that it’s not quite ready yet. Wednesday the Celtics return home to face Memphis, a team looking to move into playoff contention on Boston’s back. The starters will have to rally from this loss and rally quickly, or they may find themselves slipping further down the playoff ladder.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.