I am covering a high school basketball game tonight, so the Celtics-Sixers recap might be late, which really sucks since it’s the most important game (so far) this season. Sadly, I have to put money in my pocket somehow.

(Note: This is where I would tell you about my ill-fated career as a knitter of women’s sweaters, but, also sadly, that never happened.)

To tide you over until game time, here are a couple stories you should definitely, without-a-doubt, absolutely read. Check out the excerpts, click the links, enjoy.

Rick Reilly Chats With Larry Bird And Magic Johnson, ESPN.com

Reilly: What kinds of things would the other guy’s fans do to you?

Bird: They’d be out there shaking our bus and everything. But one night, they beat us and we’re walking out to the bus and this little Mexican guy ran up and just punched me right in the nose! Just jumped up and punched me right in the nose! And that little guy took off so fast. It was almost like it didn’t really happen. I said to my teammates, “Did you see that? That Mexican guy punched me in the nose!”

Magic: One time, we had just landed at Logan (in Boston), during the Finals. We’re walking through the airport and everyone — everyone! — is wearing Larry’s jersey, wearing Celtics hats, all that. And this little old man comes up to me, all kinda hunched over, and he gets right up in me and says, (hissing), “Larry is going to KILL you.” So now we get our bags and get on the bus and our bus driver is wearing a Celtic cap. And I’m thinking, “Are we going to make it to the hotel all right?” Then we go to check in to the hotel and everyone at the hotel — everyone! — is wearing Larry’s jersey and Celtic jerseys and mean muggin’ us. Just being real nasty. And the lady behind the counter goes (hissing), “Here’s your key.” Just staring at me.

Garnett Still Fighting The Good Fight, MetroWest Daily News

“It says we’re fighters,” Garnett said, before entering a rare bit of introspection on what he knows could be the stretch run of his Celtics career. “We’re going to grind this thing out, see what we can do. If you know anything about us, man, or know anything about this history for the past five years here, it’s that we grind, and we’re going to do it.

“We’re going to push this thing to see how far we can take it.”

The Celtics can potentially take the Atlantic Division lead tonight (by percentage points), but I will be watching two 6-foot-3 centers who don’t know the meaning of the term “drop step.”*

At least there’s DVR.

*Doesn’t this sentence kind of sound like I’m describing Chuck Hayes and his fictional identical twin?