Another Road Win for the Celtics!

Another road win for the Celtics, this time against the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that had beaten the Celtics two weeks ago at the Garden.  The Celtics won the game by taking care of the basketball (Celtics has 11 turnovers to the Bobcats 16) and shooting well from beyond the 3-point arc (45%).  The Celtics also outscored the Bobcats in both the second and fourth quarters closing out both halves of the game in dominant fashion.  Jordan Crawford led all Celtics with 21 points while shooting 4-of-6 from 3-point land.  Gerald Wallace had a Celtic career high of 17 points and Phil Pressey had 8 assists and no turnovers in only 20 minutes of playing time. You might be tempted to turn your nose up at a win over the lowly Bobcats, but at this point in the season, the Bobcats - even with tonight's loss to the Celtics - have a better record (7-8) than the Celtics (6-10).  Who would have thought the Celtics would have a better record the star-studded NewYork Knicks (3-9) and Brooklyn Nets (3-10) at this point in the season?  What better proof that good coaching and team play matters.  Not a good result tonight for those who want the Celtics to tank this season to improve the chances of landing a lottery pick but a great game for those who enjoying watching this young Celtic team move up the learning curve.

Quality Win Ends Losing Streak

Finally!  The Celtics snapped a 6-game losing streak with a win on the road over the Atlanta Hawks tonight.  And they did it after coming back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.  Even with the loss, the Hawks have the third best record in the Eastern Conference and are a tough team to beat on their home court.  So this is a quality win for the Celtics.  The Celtics did it with tough defense, holding the Hawks to 38.7% shooting while the Celtics shot 45.8%.  Surprisingly, the Celtics still won even though they lost the turnover battle turning the ball over 18 times to the Hawks 8 turnovers.  It was a tight game throughout the first half with the Celtics and Hawks trading the lead.  In the second half, the Hawks led most of the way and opened a 10-point lead over the Celtics in the fourth quarter.  But instead of collapsing, the Celtics found the ability to turn the game around by tightening their defense and making their shots down the stretch.  It was nice to see the Celts maintain their composure late in the game.  Brandon Bass led the Celts with 17 points while five other Celtics scored in double digits.  Jordan Crawford each a double double (16 points, 10 assists and only 4 turnovers) and made clutch shots and free throws the close out the game.

It was also refreshing to see the Celtics play well in the second half after their loss the night before to Indiana Pacers when the Celtics led at halftime, but played a sloppy second half to lose the game.  Tonight's win was in many way better than their win over the Miami Heat, where they stole a game due to some miscues by the Heat late in the game.  Tonight, the Celtics found the ability to play a quality second half and maintain their composure after regaining the lead late in the game.  This was a deliberate team win that didn't depend on a last second 3-point shot to win the game.

There Are No Moral Victories in Basketball

I must confess that I've been AWOL.  I didn't watch two of the last games. I watch most of the Celtics loss to San Antonio Wednesday night.  The Celts put up a good first half holding even with the Spurs at halftime.  No small accomplishment for a this Celtics team on the second night of back to back road games and following a blowout to Houston.  But, in the second half, the better team won after pulling away in the second half.  Jared Sullinger had 19 points and 17 rebounds while Jeff Green and Avery Bradley also each scored 19.  While the Celtics didn't get a win, they showed their poise and potential most of the game and giving Coach Brad Stevens some hope for better things to come.  "There are going to be nights where we measure progress a little differently…tonight we made a little bit and hopefully we can build off of it,"  Stevens was quoted in The Globe.

The Celtics will have another tough assignment tonight against another well coached team in the Indiana Pacers.  It's a tough game to try and end a 5 game losing streak.  But hopefully they will find more to build on.  

You Lose Some. And Then You Lose Some More.

I have to admit it, but I did not watch the last two Celtics games.  Hey, I have an active life that doesn't simply revolve around watching other people play sports.  I was out playing tennis on Friday night and out to dinner with friends on Saturday night.  Nobody's paying me to write this blog (though donations are gladly accepted), so I feel no obligation to watch every game.  And judging by the results of this past weekend, I didn't miss much.  The Celtics got pounded by the Portland Trailblazers at home on Friday and then took to the road to lose to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.  Some individual players had their moments.  Jared Sullinger had a good game on Friday after being sidelined with a bruised knee. And Avery Bradley broke out for 27 points on Saturday.  But the team as a whole struggled (and Jeff Green was again invisible). I did catch some highlights (or from the Celtics perspective, the lowlights), but it's just not the same as watching a game live to see how it unfolds over the course of four quarters.  Basketball is a game of momentum and stopping of momentum.  No single basket wins the game.  Sure, players may hit a game winning shot, but there is in every case a series of scores and non-scores that lead up to the moment where a single shot decides the games.  For example, when the Celtics beat the Heat as week ago Friday, it wasn't just Jeff Green's buzz beating 3-pointer that alone won the game.  It took Dwayne Wade missing both his free throws during the previous possession to give Jeff Green the opportunity to steal the game - which he did.

The Celtics must find a way to win more consistently, but I am not optimistic as the way only gets harder as this season progresses and other teams start to their stride.  I only hope they prove me wrong.

One Celtic's Fan Milks All of His 15 Seconds of Fame

When the team struggles, sometimes its better take the focus off the court.  See one fan make the most of his fan cam moment!

To Tank or Not to Tank

I've heard more than one person say this season that we should all hope the Celtics tank this season to increase their chances of landing a top lottery pick in what looks to be a bumper crop of talent in the upcoming NBA draft.  ESPN's double header of NCAA basketball on Tuesday night certainly supported this notion by showcasing the talents of phenom freshmen Julius Randle of Kentucky, Jabari Parker of Duke and Andres Wiggins of Kansas.  Even the Celtics Jordan Crawford was caught tweeting during the Duke/Kansas game: "OH MY!!!! Parker"

According to ESPN, one NBA general manager is doing just that.  ESPN reported that a NBA general manager told one of their reporters on an anonymous basis that his team was tanking this season on purpose to improve their chances of drafting a top lottery pick "Our team isn't good enough to win and we know it." (The Art of the Tank).   This GM is apparently not Celtics GM Danny Ainge. He has emphatically denied that he is the GM that ESPN purportedly interviewed and the Celtics had no intention of tanking the season (Ainge Denial).

So what do you think?  Should the Celtics write off this season to improve their chances with landing a top lottery pick?  Or should the Celtics continue to strive to win and make the playoffs?

Bad Day at the Office

The win streak is over and the Celtics have come back down to earth.  Please put the tarps back on the duck boats! (Please realize that I'm being tongue-in-cheek here. There will be no duck boat parade for the Celtics this season).  The Celts looked flat tonight, settling for jump shots for much of the game, even though they weren't making their shots (Sounds a lot like the way I play basketball, but then there's a reason why nobody pays me to play basketball).  Give credit to Charlotte in the first half for pushing the tempo off Celtics missed shots and scoring in transition.  Al Jefferson also had a great first half, seemingly scoring at will on the Celtics from the low post.  In the second half, the Celtics did a better job of denying Jefferson the ball, which limited him to three baskets.  Celtics held the Bobcats scoreless for long stretches during the third quarter, but continued to struggle offensively themselves.  Celtics never had a lead the whole game and closed the gap to two points late in the fourth quarter.  Let's hope the Celtics are ready to come out and play on Friday when they face the Portland Trailblazers.

Preview: Celtics vs Bobcats and Al Jefferson's and Jeff Adrien's Return to Boston

Celtics have been on a good run over the last four games and will face the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.  This game features the return of former Celtics center Al Jefferson, who was traded by the Utah Jazz to the Bobcats over the summer.  This game hopefully will also feature the return of Brookline native Jeff Adrien, who finally secured a guaranteed NBA roster spot at least through the end of this season after bouncing around Europe, the NBA summer league and temporary roster spots with the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.  But we may not have the fortune of seeing Adrien play as he's behind Anthony Tolliver and Cody Zeller on the Bobcat's depth chart.  Such is the life of a 6'7" power forward with meager offensive skills.

This is a game the Celtics should win. Just two years ago, the Bobcats recorded the worst ever NBA season winning percentage (.106) and followed it up in 2012-2013 season with another woeful season (21-61) despite a shake up of both the team's front office and roster.  But it's these types of games that can cause a young team to become complacent and not bring the intensity level needed to win.

Side Note:  Team owner Michael Jordan has petitioned the NBA to change the team's name to the Charlotte Hornets now that the New Orleans has given up the name to become the Pelicans.  Should help the team sell more jerseys, but won't have any impact on the win-loss record.

Monday Night Highlight: Defense to Offense Courtesy of NBA.com

http://www.nba.com/video/games/celtics/2013/11/11/0021300101-orl-bos-play1.nba/index.html

A highlight that captures the total team effort that led to Celtics 4th consecutive win!

Celtics Cruise to Their 4th Consecutive Win Over the Orlando Magic

Wow! Another great win by the Celtics tonight. Just like the last three wins, it was a total team effort. Seven Celtics scored in double figures and all ten players who got into the game scored. Richard Wallace scored a single point on a free throw, but brought such great energy off the bench he pushed the Celtics to a 20 plus point lead over the Magic at certain points in the game. Alas, I don't think the Celtics can keep up this momentum and unity over the course of the season, but it's really fun to watch. Just makes you wonder if Rajon Rondo will upset the chemistry when he comes back (I'm a glass half full kind of guy and believe he'll love running a team where every player is a contributor). Coach Brad Stevens again went with Bradley/Crawford running the backcourt for the first unit and with rookie Pressey running the second unit. Crawford had a double double (16 points. 10 assists) tonight and seems like he's growing into the role of playmaker. He has the confidence and ability to penetrate the key and disrupt the defense to either create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. I also enjoy watching Pressey, an undersized player, run the reserves. Sure he takes some ill-advised shots and sometimes gets stuck leaping into the air for his shot (a bad habit he can hopefully break), but I like his moxie (don't judge me by my use of this word. I'm old but not that old!). The Celtics in the win again won the turnover battle (13 to Orlando's 18) but not by as great a margin as in the last three games. But you can get away with it when the team is making 60% of its shots. Before the game, Coach Steven said Orlando has a lot of big bodies and they do a good job of collapsing and clogging the paint, so it was critical that the Celtics make their mid-range jump shots and push the ball up the court to find scoring opportunities before Orlando could set up their defense. The Celtics did exactly what their coach wanted from them and cruised to the win. It's early in the season and I expect the Celtics success will tail off as other teams find their strengths. But it sure is fun to watch a team without any All Stars reel off a 4-game win streak. I know there are some Celtics fans who think the team should tank the season and increase their chances of landing a high lottery pick in the next year's draft. But Boston fans won't accept a write off season anymore. Maybe we would have pre-2004 when the Red Sox were still under the curse of the Bambino. Blame it on Brady for stepping in as a back-up quarterback in 2001 and taking the Patriots all the way to their first Super Bowl Championship. Blame it on this year's 2012-2013 Red Sox going from last place to World Series Champions. And blame it on Danny Ainge for pulling off a blockbuster trade to bring Garnett and Ray Allen to the Celtics in 2007. For better or for worse, there's no more write-off-this-year-and-wait-until-next-year mentality in Boston anymore. I'm off the camp that thinks it's better. Nobody likes a team that is built to lose.