reflections
Want to Hear Me on Celticsstuff Live?

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2. So you know what exactly to click on, go to the little green box with the play button in the first segment of the homepage. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see this:

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The show is usually on every Sunday from 7-9 pm ET, but this week it will be on Monday from 8-10 pm ET due to the Super Bowl being on Sunday.

Duncan Stays Undefeated Against Celtics

Tim Duncan

On Monday night, the Celtics took on the San Antonio Spurs, who have not lost a game to the Celtics since Tim Duncan was drafted in 1997. The tables didn’t turn tonight either, as the Spurs picked up the win. However, it was no easy win. The Celtics came down from over 20 points to losing by just 4. The run was sparked by Rajon Rondo on the defensive end and Delonte West on the offensive end, who was lights out in the 4th quarter. Though it’s another loss, it was a great game. Final score: 93-89.

Tim Duncan had some trouble with Al Jefferson tonight, on both ends, as he shot just 7 of 17. Duncan ended the game with solid numbers anyway, as he finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. Tony Parker took just 9 shots, but he played very efficiently, as he scored 15 points and dished 5 assists. The final piece of the 3-headed monster, Manu Ginobili, finished with 15 points of his own, along with 6 rebounds. Bruce Bowen didn’t have as good a game as usual on the defensive end, but he did manage to score 9 points on 4-7 shooting. Off the bench, Michael Finley (12 points, 5 rebounds) and Francisco Elson (10 points, 5 rebounds) gave San Antonio a nice spark. Brent Barry also hit a couple three’s, as he finished with 7 points and 3 assists.

Al Jefferson led the way for the Celtics with strong play on both ends tonight, taking it to Tim Duncan play after play, as he finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 11-20 shooting. Delonte West was shooting the lights out tonight, especially in the 4th quarter, as he scored 27 points and brought some serious hustle. Ryan Gomes had another excellent night, as he finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Gerald Green continued his shooting woes, as he scored just 2 points in the game on 1-7 shooting.

The energizer to the big run for the Celtics, however, was rookie point guard Rajon Rondo. He played some outstanding defense, pushed the tempo, he was aggressive, he hit the open shooters, and the energy level was off the charts. Rondo has earned himself the huge minutes, passing Telfair on the depth chart and leaving him in the dust (Rondo – 32 minutes tonight, Telfair – 4). Rondo’s line was 4 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals.

Player of the Game: Al Jefferson

Al Jefferson

26 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks

Next Game: Wednesday (1/24/07) at home vs. Atlanta at 7:30 pm ET. It is possible that Wally Szczerbiak and/or Brian Scalabrine could return for this game. Scalabrine will, for sure, practice tomorrow. If all goes well, he’ll play.

Celtics Come Down From 21, Lose In OT

Caron Butler

On Friday night, the Celtics went to D.C. to play Agent Zero (Gilbert Arenas) and the red hot Washington Wizards. Gilbert Arenas did not have one of his best games, but the Wizards went on to win anyway. However, it was no easy win. The Wizards jumped on the C’s early, and were up by as much as 21, but the Celtics came back. A late game rally, energized by Ryan Gomes, Allan Ray, and Rajon Rondo, forced overtime in D.C. Unfortunately, the Celtics made some mistakes in OT, and they lost the game 115-110.

Gilbert Arenas shot the ball inefficiently (10-26), thanks to Rajon Rondo’s excellent defense, as he finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. The stats look nice, but he was completely out of rhythm in the second half. Caron Butler had himself a great game, as he did it on both ends, coming up with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. In my opinion, Caron Butler should be an All-Star this season. Antawn Jamison, another All-Star caliber player, ended the game with 23 points of his own, hitting 4 of 7 from deep, including a dagger in overtime. DeShawn Stevenson brought a ton of energy, as he finished with 13 points and 5 assists. Brendan Haywood ended up finishing with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Off the bench, Antonio Daniels led the way with 12 points and 5 assists, and Etan Thomas played excellent defense. Thomas finished with just 4 points and 4 rebounds, but also 5 blocks.

Leading the way for Boston was Ryan Gomes. He scored a career high 31 points and also grabbed 9 rebounds, as he was outstanding in the fourth quarter. Rajon Rondo had a near-triple-double with 10 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, but he also completely shut down Gilbert Arenas in the second half. Al Jefferson racked up yet another double-double and 20/10 effort, as he finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Delonte West, who is from Maryland, had a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 assists. He also grabbed 4 rebounds and came away with 3 steals. Gerald Green struggled and did not play much, just 18 minutes, as he scored 9 points and grabbed 2 rebounds on 4-10 shooting.

One guy that went unmentioned in the above paragraph is undrafted rookie Allan Ray. He came away with his second 20 point effort in the last 3 games, as he finished with 20 points off the bench, hitting 4 of 6 from deep. Ray has been playing excellent basketball lately, and I’m sure most GM’s around the league are kicking themselves for letting this kid go undrafted in June.

Players of the Game: Ryan Gomes & Rajon Rondo

Ryan Gomes Rajon Rondo

Gomes: 31 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Rondo: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists

Next Game: Monday (1/22/07) at home vs. San Antonio at 7:30 pm ET. Wally Szczerbiak and/or Brian Scalabrine could possibly play in this game. If not, they are shooting for Wednesday vs. Atlanta.

Kings End 7 Game Losing Streak In Boston

Ron Artest

On Friday night, the Celtics (who, at the time, lost 5 straight) hosted the Sacramento Kings (who, at the time, lost 7 straight). Due to some 4th quarter brilliance from Kings young guard Kevin Martin, the Kings finally ended that losing streak with a 96-91 win in Boston. The biggest reason why the Kings won this game, besides the late game spurt from Martin, was that they scored 20 points off Celtic turnovers. That’s a huge blow. This was a very winnable game for the Celtics.

Kevin Martin, who had a great 4th quarter, led the way for the Kings with 27 points. Ron Artest racked up the double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, as he also contributed 3 assists and stole the ball twice. Brad Miller did a little bit of everything. He hit the mid-range shot, made some excellent passes, cleared the boards in stretches. Miller finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Mike Bibby didn’t have his best game, but he ended the game with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. John Salmons was the leading scorer off the Sacramento bench with 7.

Delonte West made his return in this one, after missing 4 straight games with back spasms, as he started and shot lights out. West finished with 25 points on 10-16 shooting, grabbed 4 boards, and dished 6 assists. Al Jefferson dominated offensively, as he came up with another double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Ryan Gomes had a double-double of his own, as he played all 48 minutes, coming up with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. Gerald Green struggled on both ends tonight, as he shot just 3 of 11 in this game, scoring just 7 points. Michael Olowokandi came off the bench and played very hard. He played some good defense, helped on the glass, and brought hustle and energy. “Kandi Man” did not score, but he grabbed 7 rebounds and came up with a monster block in just 13 minutes. Rookie guard Rajon Rondo played more minutes than Sebastian Telfair tonight, as Rondo played 20 minutes and Telfair played just 12.

Player of the Game: Delonte West

Delonte West

25 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists

Next Game: Tonight (1/20/07) @ Washington at 7:30 pm ET.

West To Start Friday vs. Kings

Delonte West

Celtics guard Delonte West will return to the lineup on Friday night when the Celtics take on the Sacramento Kings at the TD BankNorth Garden. West has sat out the last 4 games due to back spasms. As a starter this season, he has averaged 9.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

Wally Szczerbiak Celtics forward Wally Szczerbiak is unlikely to play in Friday’s game. It is possible that we could see Wally come off the bench to play limited minutes in Saturday’s game @ Washington.

The Troops Drop a Close One In Atlanta

Al Jefferson

On Monday afternoon, the young Celtics traveled to Atlanta to play another young and struggling team, the Hawks. This was an up and down game for the Celtics, as they shined in some moments and committed too many turnovers and fouls in other moments. The Celtics turned the ball over 20 times in the game, had key players in foul trouble, and they struggled defensively. The result was that Celtics dropped a close one on the road, 100-96.

Leading the way for Atlanta was Josh Childress, who shot the ball extremely well and also came up with a huge block with 5 seconds left. Childress shot 10 of 15 from the floor and ended up with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Joe Johnson didn’t have his best game, but he still shot 50% from the floor and scored 18 points, as well as dished 9 assists. Josh Smith was absolutely outstanding defensively, as he blocked 7 shots and stole the ball 5 times. He also scored 18 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished 3 assists. Salim Stoudamire hit some big jump shots, as he ended up with 12 points. Zaza Pachulia hit all 10 of his free throws, including the 2 that sealed the deal, as he scored 12 points off the bench for Atlanta. Marvin Williams struggled from the floor today, shooting just 3 of 12, as he ended up with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Allan Ray and Gerald Green each had 22 points for the Celtics. Green had an outstanding first half, slowed down in the 3rd quarter, but then came back to hit two clutch three’s. He also grabbed 4 rebounds, shot 3 of 6 from deep (8 of 18 all together), and he also threw down a beautiful windmill jam that will be on the highlight reels. Allan Ray was excellent of the bench, as he had his best professional game of his rookie career. He scored 22 points off the bench, hit two clutch three’s himself, and he nailed 7 of his 8 free throw attempts. This was a big game for the young rookie out of Villanova.

Al Jefferson turned the ball over 5 times and also had 5 fouls, but he played an outstanding game, once again. He ended up with 18 points, a whopping 17 rebounds (the previous game, in Detroit, he grabbed a career high 22), and blocked 4 shots. He shot the ball 8-14, and made some pretty hooks down low. Rajon Rondo also had himself a very good game. He shot just 3 of 11, but he did everything else. He ended up with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He played excellent defense and brought a ton of energy ever second he was on the floor. Sebastian Telfair had a rough night, on both ends really, but he did end up nailing 3 three’s in the 3rd quarter, as he finished with 13 points and 4 assists. Ryan Gomes made some great finishes around the basket, as he ended with 12 points and 4 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Allan Ray

Allan Ray

22 points on 6-9 FG, 3-5 3FG, 7-8 FT

Next Game: Friday (1/19/07) at home vs. Sacramento at 7:30 pm ET. It is a possibility that Delonte West could return to the lineup for this game.

Green and Jefferson Mark Career Highs In Road Loss

Rip Hamilton

On Saturday night, the young and banged up Celtics went to Detroit to play the Billupsless Pistons at the Palace. The Celtics showed some outstanding fight all night long, and they stayed in the game up until the last 3:30 of the game. Guys like Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, and Ryan Gomes played excellent ball tonight for the Celtics. Though a tight battle, the Celtics came up short, losing the game on the road 81-73.

Rip Hamilton led the way for the Pistons tonight, scoring 22 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing 5 assists. Hamilton got to the line 10 times as well, hitting 8 of them. Flip Murray had a good offensive game, as well as hit two huge three’s in the fourth quarter, as he came up with 21 points, 4 boards, and 3 assists. Rasheed Wallace came up with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds, but he shot just 3 of 13 from the floor. Tayshaun Prince was relatively quiet tonight, but he came up with a solid line of 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Dale Davis, who is now starting at center over Nazr Mohammed, grabbed 9 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.

Gerald Green netted a career high 24 points tonight, as he shot 10 of 20 from the floor, while attacking Hamilton and Delfino offensively. Al Jefferson also came up with a career high in rebounds, grabbing 22 of them, but he shot just 5 of 16, coming up with 12 points. Ryan Gomes looked much more comfortable at the small forward position tonight than he did last night vs. Toronto, as he was very aggressive, coming up with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Sebastian Telfair had a good first quarter, but was ice cold for the rest of the game, as he went for 9 points and 5 assists on just 4 of 14 shooting. He did, however, block 2 shots. Rajon Rondo came off the bench to contribute 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, as he really hustled on the glass and battled with the big men for the rebounds.

Player of the Game: Gerald Green

Gerald Green

24 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 10-20 FG

Next Game: Monday (1/15/07) @ Atlanta at 2:00 pm ET.

The Kids Lose to Toronto

Chris Bosh

On Friday night, the Celtics played without Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Theo Ratliff, and Brian Scalabrine. The “kids” got the call all night long, and they showed great fight. Unfortunately, the Celtics lost the game 95-86 due to a late surge by the Raptors, led by star Chris Bosh. The Celtics missed 9 free throws, shot just 40%, and they turned the ball over 21 times.
Bosh led the way for Toronto with 27 points and 8 rebounds, as he made some really big shots down the stretch. T.J. Ford had a remarkable start, until Rajon Rondo came in to harass him, as he finished with 19 points and 6 assists. Anthony Parker had a solid all-around night on both ends, coming up with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Number one overall pick from the 2006 NBA draft, Andrea Bargnani, had a tough shooting night, but ended up with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 big blocks. Jose Calderon chipped in 11 of his own off the bench, including 4 assists. Rasho Nesterovic was relatively quiet, as usual, but he ended up with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Leading the way for Boston was rookie point guard Rajon Rondo, who had an outstanding night on both ends of the floor. Rondo scored a career high 23 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished 5 assists, stole the ball 4 times, harassed T.J. Ford, and only turned the ball over once in 30 minutes of play. The other rookie, Leon Powe (who was picked 49th overall by Denver and immediately traded to Boston), had an excellent game off the bench as well. He scored just 3 points, but he also grabbed 12 rebounds (6 offensive), stole the ball 3 times, and played some tough defense along with Michael Olowokandi. Gerald Green scored 13 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished 2 assists, got 2 steals, and blocked a shot, while hitting 3-6 from deep. However, Gerald had a bad night overall, shooting just 4 of 14 from the floor, and turning the ball over a whopping 6 times. Sebastian Telfair had an excellent first half, but struggled in the second, as he finished with 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers on 5-14 shooting. Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes each didn’t have their best games, as they combined for 17 points and 12 rebounds. Undrafted rookie Allan Ray played 26 minutes and had an outstanding 2nd quarter, but struggled immensely in the second half, as he scored 11 points. Michael Olowokandi played 20 minutes, and played very well. He played excellent defense and he was very active, coming up with 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. Kendrick Perkins had a lot of trouble defending the Toronto big men, who like to play on the perimeter, as he finished with just 2 points and 3 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo

23 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals

Next Game: Tomorrow night (1/13/07) @ Detroit at 7:30 pm ET. The status for Delonte West for this game is unlikely.

Allen Tears ACL & MCL, Out 6 Months

Tony Allen

Celtics guard Tony Allen took an awkward fall in last night’s game vs. Indiana off a dunk attempt. He fell to the ground, clutching his left knee, and he needed to be carried to the locker room. Allen was taken to the hospital, along with Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine, to get it checked out.

Allen was diagnosed with a torn ACL and MCL, and it is expected to be out for approximately 6 months. This is just an incredibly unfortunate thing to have happen to Tony Allen. To make it even worse, today is his birthday. Well… happy 25th, eh?

Tony Allen was playing phenomenal basketball on both ends of the floor, and most would agree that he has consistently been our best player on the floor for a month straight. Allen played in 33 games this year, averaging career highs in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and minutes per game. In those 33 games, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 51% from the floor. As a starter, 18 games, Allen was phenomenal, averaging 16.4 points 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. In the last 7 games he played this season, he had 6 games scoring 20 or more points, and in the 7th game (last night) he scored 19.

Allen means so much to this team. He’s our best slasher, he’s our best defensive player, and he’s our emotional energizer. Basketball is secondary right now, however, and I wish the best of luck to one of my favorite Celtics on his recovery.

Celtics Drop Game to Indy, Allen Goes Down Hard

Jermaine O'Neal
On Wednesday night, the Celtics played the Pacers at home, and they made runs but came up short in a 97-84 loss at the Garden. The unfortunate part about all of this is Tony Allen going down with a big knee injury. After a whistle, Allen continued to go to the hoop to throw down a big dunk for

fun, but on his way down he landed very awkwardly on his left leg. He fell to the ground clutching his knee, he rolled over, and he muttered “I’m done.” Doc Rivers said that he thought it was a torn ACL as soon as it happened, because he tore his ACL in the same way. More updates on this when information is given.

Jermaine O’Neal lit it up for Indiana, scoring 23 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and blocking 3 shots. He also shut down Al Jefferson. Jamaal Tinsley went for 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 13 assists as well, as he made some excellent plays setting up his teammates. Al Harrington struggled, scoring just 7 points on 1-10 shooting. Stephen Jackson scored 15 points on 4-8 from the floor. Off the bench, Danny Granger and Sarunas Jasikevicius did it all offensively. Granger scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Jasikevicius scored 15.

Tony Allen was having another outstanding game, until he went down with a bad left knee injury about 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Allen left the game with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals, as he did it all on both ends of the floor. Sebastian Telfair, who started in place of the injured Delonte West, had a terrific first half and a so-so second half, as he finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Gerald Green, who started in place of the injured Wally Szczerbiak, couldn’t hit anything in the second half, but he was the 3rd leading scorer with 14, as he also came up with 5 boards. Al Jefferson had arguably his worst offensive outing of the season, shooting just 2 of 11 from the floor. Jefferson did grab 13 rebounds, however. Kendrick Perkins played tough in the paint, scoring 8 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots. Off the bench, Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe, and Rajon Rondo each scored 7 points. Powe also grabbed 7 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Tony Allen

Tony Allen

19 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals

Next Game: Friday (1/12/07) at home vs. Toronto at 7:30 pm ET.

Wally Out 1-2 Weeks

Wally Szczerbiak

Celtics forward Wally Szczerbiak will miss 1-2 weeks of action due to aggravation of his previous knee and ankle injuries. Szczerbiak had knee surgery this past summer, and he also sprained both ankles in the month of December, but both injuries are bothering him once again. This is another big opportunity for Gerald Green.

Delonte West will also miss at least two games with aggravation to his back injury.

Celtics Go to Disney, Drop One to Magic

Grant Hill

On Sunday night, the Celtics went to Orlando to face one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference: the Orlando Magic. The Celtics displayed a terrible first half effort, came out very strong in the 3rd, but then had a rocky road in the fourth. Orlando went on to win the game 87-79, but it was a little worse than the score might tell you. The Magic killed Boston on the boards (51-31), they got to the free throw line 45 times, and they played some pretty good defense.

Leading the way for Orlando was Grant Hill, who scored 21 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and made some very nice defensive plays. Dwight Howard and Tony Battie each had a double-double on the night (18 points and 12 rebounds for Howard, 11 points and 10 rebounds for Battie). Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu combined for 7-24 shooting, so they each had off nights. Trevor Ariza also shot 1-6. Darko Milicic, however, was the only Magic player who made a big impact off the bench, scoring 12 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, blocking 3 shots, and fronting Al Jefferson (which denied a passing lane).

For Boston, not many people had themselves great games, but Tony Allen was phenomenal. The team shot 32%, but Allen shot 50% (7-14), he led the team in scoring, rebounding, tied for assists, and steals (21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists… 7 steals). Allen was all over the place defensively, and he played an outstanding game. Al Jefferson scored 12 points, grabbed 7 boards, and blocked 2 shots, but the team failed to go to him offensively at times. Delonte West did an OK job tonight, and he came up with 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and he brought some great hustle. Kendrick Perkins played good defense off the bench, as he scored just 4 points on 1-8 shooting, but he also grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. Wally Szczerbiak scored 15 points, but half of them were from the free throw line (6 of 7 from the line), as he had another bad shooting night (4-15 from the floor).
Celtics forward Ryan Gomes had himself a rough night. In the first half, he only played 6 minutes, as he got into foul trouble (2 fouls in the first quarter, one in the 3rd). Gomes also did not play in the entire second half due to a stomach illness.

Player of the Game: Tony Allen

Tony Allen

21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 7 steals

Next Game: Wednesday (1/10/07) at home vs. Indiana at 7:30 pm ET.

Celtics Win Over Pau & the Grizz
Pau Gasol
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On Friday night, the Celtics went on the road to Memphis to take on Pau Gasol and the Grizzlies. It was an up and down, offensive powered game. The Celtics ended up winning a good one 128-119. The Celtics played hard all night long, brought energy, got great contributions off the bench, and they showed signs of some defense! Imagine that.
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Despite the home loss for Memphis, a lot of guys had themselves some very good games. Mike Miller had a great all around game. He started off shooting very well, as he ended up with 24 points. He also dished 14 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds. Pau Gasol had 24 of his own, as well as 7 rebounds and some great defensive aggressiveness, coming up with 5 blocks. Damon Stoudamire, offensively, did a very good job, scoring 17 points and dishing 9 assists. Stromile Swift came off the bench and had another good game, scoring 15 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and making a couple nice defensive plays. Hakim Warrick also had 11 off the bench, but he was only affective for a short period of time.
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The Celtics had a great game. They shot the ball 58%, including 9 of 15 from deep. The high point man was Wally Szczerbiak with 26, who has been in a real shooting slump lately. Wally finally had himself a good shooting night, hitting 9 of 14 from the floor, including 4 of 7 beyond the arc. Tony Allen had himself another 20 point game, as he attacked the basket, made some nice passes (dishing 6 assists), and playing some pressure defense (he also had 3 steals, and disrupted Mike Miller’s shots late in the game). Delonte West had himself an excellent game as well, scoring 16 points and dishing 11 assist, shooting the ball very well and picking great spots on the floor. Ryan Gomes knocked some shots down and displayed his soft touch around the basket, scoring 16 and grabbing 5 boards. Al Jefferson didn’t quite have himself his best night. He had a tough time defensively, he got in foul trouble, and he couldn’t get close shots to go down. He still finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
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The Boston bench tonight was outstanding. Kendrick Perkins, who I believe was the player of the game, was terrific. He played very tough defense, he battled on the boards, he played very hard, and he even displayed his hook shot three times. Perk finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in just 18 minutes. The stat line looks nice, but he aggressiveness meant so much more than any stat line ever could. Brian Scalabrine also had himself a great game. He was on fire shooting the ball, as he hit 5 of 8 from the floor, including 4 of 4 from 3 point territory. Scal finished with a season high 16 points, and he also played some decent defense on Pau Gasol. Sebastian Telfair also made some nice plays. Telfair finished with 7 points and 2 assists.
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Also, if you missed the game, make sure you watch the highlights and look out for that sweet alley-oop slam by Gerald Green (the lob by Sebastian Telfair).
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Player of the Game: Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins
10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
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Next Game: Sunday (1/7/07) @ Orlando at 6:00 pm ET.
Theo Ratliff Out For Season
Theo Ratliff
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Celtics center Theo Ratliff, who was acquired on a draft day trade from Portland along with Sebastian Telfair, will undergo back surgery and he will miss the rest of the 2006-2007 season. Ratliff has been struggling with his lower back since training camp, and he only appeared in two games this season. In those two games, he posted averages of 2.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, in a win over Charlotte and a loss to Utah.
Paul Pierce Injury Update
Paul Pierce
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Celtics star Paul Pierce, who has missed the last seven games due to a stress reaction in his left foot, is still uncertain about when he will return to action. When the injury first happened, it was said that it would be a 2-3 week time of absence. Pierce has already missed 2 weeks (and some change) with the injury, and Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said it is possible that Pierce doesn’t return to the lineup until January 19th or later:
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“That’s the earliest. It could be longer than we anticipate. That is not a guaranteed date.”
Rajon Rondo Mix

Rajon Rondo

By: yours truly

This is a mix of the Celtics young assassin, Rajon Rondo. He is a burst of energy, a good defender, a hustler, a good playmaker, extremely athletic, a penetrator, and a floor general. This kid is going to be something solid in the future.

Also note that all of these plays are from the Las Vegas Summer League 2006, 2006 NBA Preseason, and the first 2 months of the 2006-2007 NBA regular season.

Watch It: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRyzAVD-StU

Download It: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0g4jgk

King James Lifts Cavs Past C’s
LeBron James
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On Wednesday night, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers came to town to take on the young and banged up Celtics at the Garden. It was a great game, with a great effort by the young Celtics, but they fell short and lost the game 107-104. Wally Szczerbiak missed a straight-away three to tie the game at the buzzer.
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For Cleveland, LeBron James was terrific as usual. He wowed the crowd more than once, he scored 32 points, grabbed 6 boards, dished 4 assists, and stole the ball 3 times. “Big Z,” Zydrunas Ilgauskas, had a very effective game as well. Al Jefferson had a tough time with him, as Ilgauskas went for 27 points and 11 rebounds. Drew Gooden had a quiet, yet affective game, as he racked up another double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Larry Hughes quietly had a good all around game, as he scored 14 points as well as dished 5 assists. Damon Jones also came off the bench firing away from deep, hitting 3 of 7 from downtown, going for 9 points.
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For the Celtics, the star of the night was Gerald Green. He only played 19 minutes, but he played outstanding basketball, scoring 21 points on 8-13 shooting, making a clutch drive (on LeBron James, mind you), and making some excellent hustle plays. Fourteen of those 21 points came in the second quarter. Tony Allen had another great game, scoring 22 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing 4 assists, and coming up with 2 steals. Allen played some nice pressure defense on LeBron all night long. Al Jefferson racked up another double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Delonte West had a very good game, all stats aside. He rotated very well defensively, made some outstanding passes in pick and roll situations, and he moved the ball very well. Delonte finished with 10 points, 8 assists, and 2 steals. Sebastian Telfair was very aggressive offensively, like everyone has been looking for out of him, and he ran the second unit very well. Telfair scored 10 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished 5 assists off the bench. Wally Szczerbiak scored 13 and also grabbed 5 rebounds, but he had yet another rough shooting night (just hitting 4 of 13, and only 1 of 5 from long distance).
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Player of the Game: Gerald Green
Gerald Green
21 points, 2 rebounds in 19 minutes
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Next Game: Friday (1/5/07) @ Memphis at 8:00 pm ET.
Celtics Win Last Game of Trip, Start 1-0 for 2007
Sebastian Telfair
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On Monday night, the Celtics wrapped up their 5-game West Coast road trip in Portland to play Sebastian Telfair’s old team (the Portland Trail Blazers). The Celtics finally won a game on the trip! Boston won the game 89-81, and they finished up the road trip 1-4. The Celtics made some key defensive plays and late stops, and they showed great heart and fight all night long.
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For Portland, rookie Brandon Roy was the star. Roy scored 18 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished 5 assists, but struggled with his shot late in the game. Ime Udoka was very aggressive, as he finished with 11 points along with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. The usual star for the Blazers, Zach Randolph had a very tough night. Ryan Gomes played excellent defense on Randolph throughout the entire game, and Randolph finished with just 9 points on 4-11 shooting. He did manage to grab 10 rebounds, however. Young Martell Webster was dialing from long distance, as he hit 3 of 4 from downtown, and finished with 11 points off the bench. Old Celtics Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau did not play in this game.
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A lot of guys played well for Boston tonight. Everybody fought their hardest on both ends all night long. Tony Allen was one of those guys, as he continued his streak of excellent games, ending with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. Allen played excellent on both ends of the floor. Ryan Gomes, who did a phenomenal job on Zach Randolph defensively, also got something going offensively, as he posted a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Al Jefferson also had another double-double, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Wally Szczerbiak struggled with his shot, shooting just 4-14 from the field, but he got to the line and ended up with 15 points and 3 rebounds. Gerald Green threw down a couple dunks as well as play very actively, and he finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds on 3-7 shooting. Sebastian Telfair was not aggressive with his shot, but he made some very nice passes. Telfair finished with 2 points and 3 assists.
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Player of the Game: Tony Allen
Tony Allen
22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals
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Next Game: Wednesday (1/3/07) at home vs. Cleveland at 7:30 pm ET.
Telfair Faces Old Team
Sebastian Telfair
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Tonight, Sebastian Telfair will face his old team, the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland drafted Telfair with the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, but they gave up on the New York high school legend after just two seasons. In June, the Blazers shipped Telfair (along with Theo Ratliff and a 2008 2nd round draft pick) to the Boston Celtics for Raef LaFrentz, Dan Dickau, and the #7 pick in the draft (which was Randy Foye, in which they traded to Minnesota for the draft rights to rookie Brandon Roy, who was picked 6th).
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Sebastian has struggled at times in Boston, and he is in a major offensive slump as of right now, but he’ll be ready to go in Portland tonight with no worries or funny feelings. The last time Sebastian faced his old team was in mid-November, in Boston, where the Celtics won the game 118-90. Sebastian had a very good game that night, scoring 15 points (on 6-10 shooting) and dishing 7 assists.
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However, Sebastian just had a very rough month of December. In November, Sebastian played well, and posted averages of 10.9 points and 4.4 assists per game on 48% shooting. December, however, was a completely different story. Telfair only shot 31% from the floor, he only scored 6.2 points per game, and he only dished 3.5 assists per game. Also, he lost his starting job to Delonte West. Hopefully Sebastian can get back into the way he was playing in October and November, or we are going to have some real problems this season, especially if Rajon Rondo keeps improving and playing well when given a chance. Tonight is the perfect place to start a string of good games: in Portland against his old team and coaches.
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Other things to note about the game tonight:
  • The old leather ball returns! This is good and bad. Good because this is what the players wanted, but bad because the Celtics have very little time to practice with this ball before the game.
  • Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau, who played for the Celtics last season, will be on the bench for Portland. LaFrentz appeared in just 7 games this season, averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game. Dickau has played in 16 games, averaging 2.1 points and 0.8 assists per game.
  • Delonte West’s status for this game is uncertain (back).
Celtics Lose In Seattle to Close Out 2006
Luke Ridnour
On the last day of the year 2006, the Celtics traveled to Seattle to play the Sonics. Boston made too many mistakes early in each quarter (especially the 1st and 3rd), but did end up making late runs. The problem was, the runs were too late. Seattle ended up holding on to win it at home 101-95 over the Celtics. Seattle shot an excellent percentage, while Boston struggled with their shooting a bit. Defense was the other major problem, as the C’s couldn’t really clamp down anybody.
For Seattle, the top performer was Luke Ridnour. He had 17 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and he ran the offense beautifully while picking excellent spots on the floor. Damien Wilkins, starting in place for the injured Rashard Lewis, had a good game as well. Wilkins finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists as he brought a ton of energy and only missed two shots all night long. Chris Wilcox was flying over anybody in a green jersey, as he hammered down some highlight dunks and finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds. The real Sonics star, Ray Allen, struggled tonight. He shot only 7-20 from the floor and ended with only 15 points, but he hit a couple big jumpers. Earl Watson also brought some energy off the bench and contributed 13 points.
For the young C’s, a few players had excellent games tonight. Al Jefferson went for another 20/10 night (finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds) and Tony Allen finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Allen brought a ton of energy and made some nice defensive plays as well. However, the real game-changer tonight was rookie guard Rajon Rondo. He came in and played 28 minutes, filling in for the hurting Delonte West, and he did absolutely everything on both ends of the floor. He made key defensive stops, took the ball to the basket, moved the ball very well, and he was extremely active on the glass. He finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block on 6-9 shooting. Wally Szczerbiak and Ryan Gomes struggled with their shooting, as did Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair. Green did end up shooting 6 of 13, for 18 points, but only 3 of 9 from downtown. Szczerbiak, Gomes, and Telfair combined for 7-25 shooting.
Injury Scare
Celtics starting PG Delonte West was having some back pains, once again. He originally aggravated his back in Denver on Tuesday night, taking a hard fall after a block attempt. He ended up sitting out the next night in Los Angeles, but he played Friday in Oakland vs. the Warriors, and he played very well. However, last night he was having some minor back spasms once again. Doc Rivers made a very risky decision and let Delonte play some extra minutes through the pain. Personally, I don’t believe it was the right move at all, but we’ll see how everything turns out. His status for tonight’s game in Portland is unknown.
Player of the Game: Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo
12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 1 block
Next Game: Tonight (1/1/07) @ Portland at 10:00 pm ET.