"We have GOT to keep our composure!!!!"

I was unable to sleep Monday night. I was busy thinking about the opportunity the Celts pissed away. Despite consuming double digit beers on my couch, I woke up this morning feeling much better than I thought I would.  I fully expected to turn on sports radio and hear all the schmucks in the area calling up, mentioning the Bruins, and how they choked, yada yada yada.

Well, Boston did not disappoint me.  The classic fans who were nowhere to be found when the Celts hit a rough stretch at the end of the season– finishing 27-27  in their last 54 games– suddenly became experts on this team, and how it’s going to fare moving forward.  I fully expected the negativity, but it still pissed me off.  Everyone needs to CALM THE F*CK DOWN!  Yes the Green lost last night. Yes, it sucked and it was painful–but for god’s sake, let’s not lose our minds here.

Orlando played out of their mind last night (outside of Vince “A-rod” Carter, who was once again absent in a big game).  They did everything they needed to do to keep this series going.  I’ll be honest, I was impressed when the game went into overtime, and the Magic answered.  I figured Dwight was ready to go back to doing movies (awesome trailor by the way for “Just Wright” staring Howard and Queen Latifah, seriously, looks like a classic).  I figured Matt Barnes was ready to go back to the slums and sling the crack rock, but no, they answered.

They hit a couple lucky shots in the overtime, and ended up on top.  That is not the point of this entry.  You will see all the highlights in the coming days of why the Celts will choke, and comparisons  to the Bruins, etc.  I am here to tell you that there is no way its going to happen.  Hockey is not basketball, and these C’s are not an overacheiving Bruins team that was running on fumes a little over a week ago.  Below are 10 reasons the Green will end this series Wednesday night in Orlando.

10.  The Green will not shoot that badly from 3-point land again – Yes, Ray Allen was money down the stretch and in overtime, but they still shot around 30 percent from 3 from the game, and nobody outside of Allen hit one all game.

9.  Rondo will return to form – Rondo had an off game last night.  He was not controlling the tempo, he did not play great defense, and he did not put pressure on the Orlando defense.  He is allowed one stinker in the last 10 playoff games because he has been our MVP, but mark my words, he will not throw up another 9 point, 8 assist game.  I would expect no less than 17 points and 13 assists next game (accompanied by him once again taking Jason Williams’  manhood).

8.  Perk will play better defense – I don’t know if  his knees are killing him or what, but Kendrick Perkins just wasn’t as effective on Howard last night. Glen Davis probably played the best D on Howard, and we barely even saw Perk in the 4th quarter.  He will come back to show everyone why he is the best post defender in the league.

7.  Jameer Nelson will not get to the paint that easily again – Nelson had his way with the Celtics on the perimeter, and knifed into the lane whenever he wanted.  Whether he was pulling up for bull shit 3′s (that bank 3 in overtime was just complete horseshit) or drving into the lane off balance and throwing the ball up in the air for Howard, Nelson dominated.  Rest assured, Doc will not let that happen again.  Look for Nelson to be bottled up by Tony Allen and Rondo, who will only give Nelson looks from the perimeter.

6.  Nobody Sweeps in David Stern’s Conference Finals – I’m typically not one of those guys that buys the rumor that the NBA is fixed, but last night got me thinking.  When Pierce got mauled more than 2 times going to the basket without a call in the 4th, and when Howard was not issued a technical after getting

in a skirmish with KG, you have to wonder.  Sterney doesn’t want to miss out on some precious revenue back in Orlando.

5.  Tony Allen will not revert back to 2006 TA again – Allen looked like he did back when the C’s were in the lottery last night.  Dribbling off his foot like an idiot, and commiting stupid fouls that sent Orlando to the line.  He needs to get back to bringing the energy and slicing to the basket.

4.  Orlando has Vince Carter - If anyone knows Vince Carter, they know he is miserable when the lights are at their brightest.  That’s why he has never taken a team to the Finals.  He is lazy, soft, and a selfish ball player.  He doesn’t do anything tough and disappears when his team needs him most.  Hell, J.J. Redick got more time than him last night…nuff said.

3.  Speaking of J.J. Redick, no way he keeps up this pace – Reddick has been the most consistent players for Orlando in this series.  He has knocked down open jumpers, gotten to the foul line, and played good defense.  Redick is a solid bench player in the NBA, no more, and he will not continue to hurt the Celts on the offensive end.  Plus when I was in college I used to work with a kid who went to Duke and said JJ loves banging fat chicks…..just a little tidbit.

2.  KG will not hit a wall again - KG started 5-5 from the field and looked great, but then he hit a wall.  He missed 8 of his last 9 shots and looked generally tired in the overtime.  This is probably because Perk was out for so long and Garnett got so worked up over his skirmish with Howard.  Anyway, he will get back to what he has done over the last 2 weeks.  A solid 16 point 9 rebound effort, and the best pick-and-roll defender in the league.

1.  Pierce is going to close this out – Pierce can’t be happy with how he finished last night.  Puking away that final possession in regulation, and missing 2 wide open 3′s in the overtime.  I know he had 32 points and kept us in this game, but knowing the captain, he is going to be dialed in and ready to give a big F*ck you to the Orlando faithful.

This one ain’t comin back to Boston.  On a side note, does anyone else want to shoot themselves when they hear Mark Jackson say “mama there goes that man.”  We get it buddy–you’re from New York and grew up playing at Rucker Park, but it gets old when you say it 10 times.

Notebook: Rajon Rondo was limited by muscle spasms in Game 4, but told reporters he is feeling better tonight…Rashard Lewis has been battling a stomach virus all series long, and will take intravenous fluids before Game 5…Magic coach Stan Van Gundy expects J.J. Redick to continue to contribute and play big minutes…Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau will likely be offered the head coaching job for the New Orleans Hornets sometime soon.

Sorry, 'Shard. Doesn't look like you'll be seeing L.A. again.

We are on the eve of Game Three, and I am nervous.  Typically one of the more confident Celts fans, I am the first guy to jinx my beloved team.  With the way the Green have looked this series, it is very easy to be as confident as anyone.  Hell, they have now beaten two of the NBA’s three best teams five straight games.  They are playing team defense, shooting their mouth off to the camera, and shutting down the most dominant big man in the game.

Still, I just can’t help but think that the Magic have to have something left in them.  Don’t get me wrong, I think with the way the Celts are playing right now, they are by far the better team.  The Celtics are going to take this series (editor’s note: only the 94,999,384,352nd jinx on Celtics Town since the conclusion of Game Two — remember, if they lose, you don’t know where I live), but Orlando is not going to lay down.  And the key to Game Three is going to be containing the Magic from behind the arc.

During the season, Orlando was the best three-point shooting team in the league, and it is a big reason that they got the 2 seed in the east.  The Celtics have done a great job containing that 3-point shooting, and need to continue to do so in Game Three if they want to close this thing out at home.

You just can’t help but wonder when we are going to see the Magic that ripped off eight straight playoff wins, and 14 straight wins total over the last month.  Jameer Nelson, when he is not busy dancing around like an ass-clown with Howard before games, can be lethal from deep, and is a top-10 point guard in the league.  Rashard Lewis doesn’t make $126 Million for nothing (you know what, no, I take it back — I can’t even bring myself to compliment that sleepy-eyed lazy bastard).  Michael Pietrus is typically pretty solid from deep as well, not to mention a fantastic defender.  I just can’t help but wonder if they are going to go on a streak where they shoot 50 percent from the arc in one of these games.

On the other side of the coin, if the Celts play this game at their pace it should be much like Game One and Two, and hopefully with a hint of a nice dancing Italian on the big screen.  When the Magic stay in a half-court offense, which they have done for most of the series, Orlando does not know what to do.  Howard has zero post moves, Nelson cannot get past Rondo, and there is always a hand in Lewis’ face.  Now if the Magic get going from 3 and on the fast break, that could all change.  If these next two games are played in the 80′s and 90′s I gaurantee the Celts come out on top, but if it creeps up into the hundreds it’s anyone’s game.  The Celts can win games in the hundreds, but cannot do it consistently.  They are a defensive unit who slows the game down and executes at the offensive end.

I know I sound like a skeptic and trying to tell reasons why the Celts could lose this game, but lets be honest, I am just trying to make myself feel like I am not jinxing them.  Seriously though, if I see Dwight Howard dance like a middle school shithead from Medford one more time before the game starts I am going to lose my mind.  What’s even more crazy is the anouncers love it, “he is so happy go lucky, he is having such a great time.”  Last time I checked, this is professional basketball, you are paid to do a job, and that job is to win.  Dwight can have a great time all he wants, but in the end the winners always were focused and had a killer instinct.

Back to my original point.  The Celts need to put a huge emphasis on stopping the outside shooting.  Don’t worry about Dwight, I don’t care if he goes for 30 points and 15 rebounds — that is playing right into the Celtics’ hands.  If he has 25 points paired with 25 from Nelson and 20 from Lewis, then the C’s are in trouble.  If this game gets slowed down and we get Allen and Pierce going, then we are looking at a 3-0 lead and all the talk in the world about taking down Kobe Bryant.  My prediction 92-85 Celts, and another bold statement. Also, Stan Van Fatty will probably crush a monster steak and cheese in the locker room.

The fuel.

I got to thinking on Tuesday, just following the huge victory against the Magic — how did the Celtics get here?  How did the team that played .500 ball for more than half the season morph into the team that we see today?  Obviously they are now healthy (thanks to Doc resting them) and they have had some good contributions off the bench, but I think it was something else.  Obviously all those things have spearheaded this run, but KG and his actions have changed the mindset of this team… and changed their play… and changed their effort level.

In game 1 of the Miami series, the Celts started this playoff run on their home floor.  I was at attending a wedding so I missed much of the first half, but by the time I had made it to a bar to catch the rest of the game, I was not surprised.  The Celts were down by 14 in the 3rd quarter, and it was all too familiar that they would play down to their competition and be looking at an uphill battle with an inferior opponent (something they are used to over the last couple playoff runs).  We obviously know what happened next — the Celts went on a run, got the lead back and got a tough win to start the series.  Before that game finished, though, a funny thing happened — with about 2 minutes left in the game Paul Pierce knocked down hard in front of the Miami bench, there was a bit of a skirmish.  Quentin Richardson started yapping at Pierce right in front of the bench, and things escalated.  In something we haven’t seen for most of the season, KG came to the defense of his captain, elbowing Richardson in the jaw.  The elbow costed KG a game’s suspension, but was also the season’s turning point.

Following that elbow jab by KG, the Green ran off a blowout win versus the heat.  From there they dominated the series against Miami, and ultimately against the top seeded Cavs as well.  I know it sounds stupid that a quick elbow in defense of a teammate can turn around a season, but it has for the Celtics.  Since then they have looked like the Celts of 2008 –  suffocating defense, timely offense and execution, and an us against the world mentality.  You saw none of that fierce attitude from the Cavs (could’ve been because Delonte may or may not have been porking his teammate’s mom), and to this point we haven’t seen it from Orlando either.

If you notice now, whenever the a member of the green hits the floor hard, four green jerseys sprint over the pick them up off the floor.  That is high school and college basketball shit, but you have to love it; it’s teamwork and camaraderie at its finest.  For example, when Pierce was smashed to the face from Howard, not only was he helped up by four teamates, but he glared right at the crowd in Orlando and you could read his lips: “Keep booing.”  How do you not get goosebumps on that shit?  I literally jumped out of my seat and started screaming at my television.

If you notice, KG has had a more calm demeanor on the bench.  You don’t see the same KG of a few years back that is screaming and losing his mind on the sidelines the entire game, but I don’t neccesarily think its a bad thing.  He is quiet, focussed and just straight wants to take it to whomever he faces.  You even caught a glimpse of the old school last night with a couple goaltends on Orlando shots, just so that they remember he is there.  This team is feeding off his example and completely focussed on making this run.  If they stay focussed and keep executing the way they have been, the Celtics will be on their way to banner number 18. And while he is no longer the MVP candidate he used to be, KG is still leading this team in other ways.

Van Gundy will have to do more than yelling if he hopes to win Game 2.

Game 2 is going to come down to which coach can push the correct buttons and make the right moves. I could talk about all the different match-ups at each position, but these teams know  each other well, and I believe the series will come down to who game-plans and executes the best from the sidelines.

In game 1, the Celtics executed their game plan to perfection.  You could tell from the start that their plan was to force Dwight Howard away from the basket (easier said than done) and maul him whenever he gets close , sending him to the line. In addition the green wanted to keep pressuring Rashard Lewis off the three point stripe, forcing him to make moves and beat them from off the dribble.  Lewis is a borderline all-star player, and he has shown at certain points in his career that he can make those plays from the dribble, but versus a great defensive unit like the C’s it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Matt Barnes was supposed to be the defensive stopper, but it looks as if back spasms are going to limit his play (he only played 22 minutes in the first game).  I  thought Barnes would be a problem, whether he  guarded Pierce or Allen to start.  Barnes started guarding Allen, and Allen showed that he can run even some of the best defensive players in the league ragged by piling up 25 points.  It will be interesting to see how Van Gundy adjusts to the Barnes injury, and how his team is affected from a defensive perspective.  While  Matt Barnes looks like he is much better suited to sell crack on Dorchester Ave in South Boston rather than be a reliable NBA player (sweet neck tattoos), when healthy he is a very serviceable defender.

Van Gundy failed to make the adjustments necessary to get his team over the hump in Game 1, and judging from how the game played out, I  wonder if Orlando can match up with Boston.  I know we have a long way to go in this series, but as Rasheed Wallace said after the game, “It looked like their butt holes tightened up.”  In order for the Magic to win, Magic studs Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson will have to lead the way in Game 2.  If the Magic plan to tie this series up, they will need to get  out of a half court game, and speed up the tempo, while getting Dwight involved with some easy buckets early.  Howard and Nelson are at their best when they feed off each other, and when Howard doesn’t get involved early, he has a tendency to disappear from games.

Rivers’ game plan is working true to form, and if they can make Howard beat them from the line, while keep Lewis and Carter in check, Boston will dominate the series. Surprisingly, the Celtics won game 1 without a significant contribution on the offensive end from Rajon Rondo or Kevin Garnett.  You have to believe– with the way those two have been playing– that won’t happen again.  KG was missing open looks, but Rondo really seemed to struggle with having the man with the tiniest head in the NBA (Dwight Howard) waiting for him whenever he beat Nelson off the dribble.  I am curious to see how Rivers devises some  creative ways to get Rondo more involved.

Regardless, Game 2 is as close to a must-win game for the Magic as possible. As good as the Green are playing, they cannot afford to go back to Boston down 2-0.  The key will be how Stan Van Gundy plans to get Howard more touches close to the basket.  If that happens, Howard gets going, the crowd gets going, Nelson gets going, and so go the Magic.

With the way Boston played in game 1 it seemed to me that they were fed up with all the crap going on with ESPN/ABC.  The Celtics were sick of seeing bullshit puppet commercials featuring Lebron and Kobe, sick of seeing stupid halftime segments of Dwight Howard interviewing himself as Superman. Boston is a blue collar team that is peaking at the right time, and if they play Howard the way they did in Game 1, they will be looking at a 2-0 series lead.  My prediction: 99-92 Celts……and maybe Matt Barnes gets caught with a crack rock in the locker room (seriously, you can’t tell me that guy doesn’t do some illegal shit, its a rule, more than one neck tattoo, you are a scumbag, see Delonte West).

Give me that, "Superman."

This post is by the newest member of team Celtics Town, Kyle O’Connor.  Welcome aboard, Kyle.

Entering Sunday afternoon’s showdown with the Magic, you couldn’t help but wonder how the Celtics would respond to the huge series victory versus King James and the Cavs.  The green answered that question early on at the Amway arena in Orlando, FL this afternoon by acting as the aggressor from the start versus a shell-shocked Magic squad.  The result was a 92-88 Celtics win in which the Celtics thoroughly dominated play for three and a half quarters.

It was prevalent from the start that Paul Pierce’s goal was to assert himself on the offensive and defensive end.  The defensive scheme versus Dwight Howard worked to perfection as they forced him into 3-10 shooting and only 13 points.  Tom Thibodeau and the green did exactly what the Atlanta Hawks failed to do in the previous round, running big bodies at Dwight Howard and forcing him to make plays away from the basket.  First it was Kendrick Perkins forcing Howard to do his running hooks from 10 feet out, then came Rasheed Wallace who put in 20 solid minutes and used as many fouls as possible on “Superman.”  The Celts’ plan worked to perfection and unless the Magic (and Stan “Ron Jeremy” Van Gundy) make some serious adjustments they could be in for a long series.  Howard is a player who thrives off of fast break opportunities and garbage points, and the Celts did a great job limiting both of those opportunities.

Pierce flexed his muscle by showing what he had failed to show in the Cleveland series, that he can be the aggressor.   No matter who was guarding The Truth, it didn’t matter, he was getting wherever he wanted to on the court.  Whether it was his mid range game or getting to the basket, nobody could stop him from doing whatever he wanted to on the court.

Pierce’s aggression and play will continue to be a key as the series goes on, particularly because Rajon Rondo seemed to have trouble with the Magic defense.  He had no issues getting past Nelson and getting to the hoop, but he can no longer just flip the ball up wherever he chooses because of the big 7 footer standing there waiting for him.  In game 2 Rondo needs to be more aggressive on his mid-range game in order to get that floater in the lane that he has become so accustomed to.  

Ray Allen ran the Orlando defense ragged by dropping in 25 points on 2-5 from behind the arc.  He needs to continue spreading the floor to open up opportunities for Rondo and Pierce to get to the rim versus the tough Orlando front court.  Rashard Lewis, who was the key to the series win last year, was non existent due to the great defense by Kevin Garnett.  One of the best 3 point shooters in the league, KG forced Lewis to put the ball on the floor every time he touched it.

There was the classic blip in concentration halfway through the 4th quarter that let the Magic cut the once 20 point lead down to a 2 point lead in the final minute.  This was obviously aided by a phantom back-court call (How the hell does Carter tip the ball to Reddick and not get called for back court on that??!), but that is no excuse.  The point is that the green dominated this game for all but about a 7 minute span in the 4th quarter.  

They have the personnel to match up with Howard, and I don’t trust any team whose go to guy is Vince Carter in the 4th quarter.  While Carter did have a good game with 23 points, he is still not the closer that Hedo Turkolu was during last year’s run.  If you have been watching this team all year, you kept waiting for that run where the green relinquish the lead, but it never came.  It never came because this Magic team does not have a player that can take over a game/series, a la Lebron James.  If they get behind, they need to slowly and methodically work the ball to get open 3′s and get Howard the ball to make runs.  

The Celtics match up better with Orlando than any team remaining in these playoffs, this is because they have the bodies to match up with Howard, and the length and speed on the wings to get out on shooters.  Game 2 is a must win for Orlando on Tuesday night, and if the Green play at the pace that they played today, they could be coming back to the Garden looking to put their foot on the throats of the Magic.

A couple quick thoughts..

• Every single time Jameer Nelson brought this team close to making a monster run early in the second half, that was always answered by a hustle play from Glen Davis or Rasheed.
• Anyone else think that Marcin Gortat looks like he shouldv’e been in one of the Rocky movies at some point?
• Rasheed did a fantastic job getting in Dwight Howard’s head, this was evident by the double technicals the two took in the 2nd half.
• Matt Barnes has to have something bothering him.  I had heard before the game that he had some back spasms, but that was no the defensive effort I was expecting versus Pierce and Allen.
• Glen Davis did a monster job in using the rim multiple times to avoid Howard blocks.  He was like me trying to avoid traffic on 93 in the morning, but with a lot less yelling and obscene language (or maybe not).
• If the Celts can somehow come away with a game 2 win, do you think Josh Cohen from Orlando will back off his comments the the Magic are one of the greatest teams of all time? (What a dipshit that guy is, obviously from Florida.)

One quote from Ray Allen after the game was great:

“There were stretches in the season, we know each other so well now, where we were becoming less patient with each other,” Allen said. “We were getting on each other a little too much. We can take it, but we respected each other.

“When we started the playoffs, we said teams are going to hit us, they’re going to attack us. But when somebody scores on us, which they will, we go get the ball out and come back.”