SB Nation - Kevin Garnett

Comfort In Familiarity

Jeff Clark — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:02:42 -0000

Care for a lozenge Doc?

Being a fan can be a stressful thing sometimes. You invest so much emotion into something that you have next to no control over aside from screaming your lungs off and plunking down your hard earned cash. Sports are so unpredictable that any given day any team can lose to the worst team in the league. So it is always nice to have some stable, reliable things that you can count on. They can be small things that don't even change the outcome of the game, but you can lean on them for emotional support because they are so familiar.

Here are some of the things that you'll see while watching any given Celtics game that make me smile.

Kevin Garnett's pre-tip ritual of head butting the basket support and pointing at the officials and who knows what else.
Rondo's fake behind the back pass that always seems to fool people if only for a split second which is all he needs to get by them.
Rasheed barking something at an official after a call that the instant replay showed was actually a perfectly legit call.
Doc's strained voice. Even when he's completely calm and rested he sounds like he's lost his voice from screaming too much. When he spends all night yelling at the players and refs, he sounds downright screechy.
Garnett making eye contact with Rondo, bolting to the rim, and flushing an alley oop on a defender who has that "they got me" look on his face.
Perkins' scowl.
Ray Allen coming off of 2 or 3 screens to catch, aim, release, follow-through, and splash (nothing but net). Poetry.
Ball movement. Unselfish passing. Screens. Pick and rolls. Very little one-on-one.
Paul Pierce pinballing through the lane and throwing his hands up to make sure that the ref sees that he just got mugged. Sure enough, he gets the call just about every time.
KG snatching a dead ball shot out of the air before it hits the rim.
Rondo "walking the dog" on the inbound pass, even when he doesn't necessarily need the extra seconds.
Tommy incredulous about a call that really could have gone either way.
A Scalabrinie sighting. Even if he isn't playing, you notice him on the bench because he sticks out in a "one of these things is not like the other" sort of way.
Update: (by popular demand) the Eddie House "is that such a good idea for a shot? ...ok, it went in, great shot Eddie!" shot.
And of course, much more often than not, a win. It isn't always pretty, but they find a way most of the time.

And that is what makes the losses stick out that much more. They are unfamiliar and unexpected. When the team doesn't come through in the clutch, when they don't make the extra pass, when they don't hit critical free throws, it stands out.

Which suits me just fine. Drama is easier to write about, but I'll take a comfortable, predictable win any day of the week.

Watchability: C's Rank 5th

Jeff Clark — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:57:47 -0000

Ever wonder what other team's fans think of watching the Celtics? Here's a quick insight from SBNation's Mike Prada.

NBA 'Watchability' Scale: Ranking Every Team Based On Entertainment, Not Talent - SB Nation

There's something unbelievably satisfying about watching a veteran team just take care of business no matter what, even if everyone guns for them. Boston is 11-1 on the road this year, and watching them, you know why. They never make a mistake. All their sets are precise, though it helps that they have two great scorers in Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, along with two of the league's best screeners in Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. On defense, they shut down everything your team likes to do. You like pick-and-roll? No problem, we'll unleash the human pick-and-roll eraser, KG, on you. Like post play? Don't worry, we only have the two best low-post defenders in basketball. Good luck, guys. Thanks to Rajon Rondo, they also have the best secondary fast break in the league, meaning they do a great job of pushing the ball on missed shots and taking advantage of the confusion that results while players try to find their man on defense.

Here's the problem: Boston is so damn unlikeable. Garnett and Rondo are punks. Perkins has developed some ridiculous fake swagger, the kind that results from riding the coattails of your four all-star caliber teammates. Rasheed Wallace needs no introduction, and Pierce is a chronic whiner that got carried off the floor by his teammates in the 2008 Finals, only to magically come back a few minutes later and be just fine.

Same stuff we've heard time and time again. One of the reasons people like watching us is because they need a villain to root against. Like I've said before: This team will be America's Most Hated this year.

RECAP: Warriors 105, Nets 89 - Mikki Moore's tenacious dunks and post-dunk celebration rallies the youngins'

dj fuzzylogic — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:22:38 -0000

Originally posted Dec 9, 2009 9:22 PM PST

(Floyd Mayweather looks excited about the opportunity to sit courtside. He probably didn't get the memo who he was watching, though)

Professional sports, particularly Warriors basketball, have a huge toll on my emotional well-being. Watching the Warriors self-destruct night-in-night-out against the NBA's worst ruins my evenings a majority of the time. I curse at the television. Make groaning sounds, in the most unerotic possible way. I usually have to have a beer by halftime just to calm down the nerves of watching turnover after turnover.

Well, lucky for me the Warriors played, arguably, the worst team in the league tonight. Meaning? Maybe I can fall asleep easily without replaying all the blunders that I was witness to.

Anyway, tonight's recap retells the story that was the clash of the anti-titans of the NBA. However, it will be told through the emotional highs and lows that the Warriors put me through. Instead of focusing on the game, we're going to analyze the game through my feelings...

Preview/ Game Thread: Please don't be Nets win #3

Warriors Web Links: Should have won, and we did

Warriors vs Nets boxscore

Warriors vs Nets coverage

Pregame: Apathy.

It's 58 degrees in my apartment and I refuse to turn on the heater. Why is the bay so cold?

Watching the pre-game show, the Izod arena looks as empty as school on a Sunday. I think I've seen WNBA games more packed than this (barely). You would think that all the business deals going on in the Nets' background could spice things up a bit. Heck, you got Jay-z bankrollin'? How can a team with so much extra-basketball influence have so little to offer? Hey Jay, how about pulling some of your star power and getting Memphis Bleek to rap the national album? Or why not perform "Empire state of Mind" at half-time...y'all will be in Brooklyn in no-time right?

I wonder if there are more Warrior fans watching this game on TV then there are fans in the Izod arena.

First quarter: GROAN.

Less than a minute in, Monta's first turnover. 92 down, 264 to go to break Artis Gilmore's record. C'mon Monta, give us Warrior fans something to believe in!

One minute later - heavier and louder GROAN. Monta dribbles into a crowded paint and attempts to pass through Boone and Brooke Lopez. Unless Monta is Superman, he's not going be able to push this ball though 500 lbs of flesh.

One of the great things of watching two bad really bad teams is how quick they get up and down the court. You would think it was the ABA with all the run outs each team is doing with each missed shot. The worst thing(s) about watching two really bad teams is how many missed shots, ill-advised passes, and guys flopping around on the floor there is. How many more passes are we going to see bounce off someone's back tonight?

Brook Lopez is deceptively skilled, but also full of contradictions. He got picked 3 times in the first 6 minutes. But he recovers and has the grace to move around the Warriors bigs, EASILY. I'm thinking he might be the end of the Stanford big man "bust" that includes a long line of gentle giants, Tim Young, the Collins twins, and Curtis Borchardt. Brook Lopez has game.

The non-existent ball movement makes me think the Warriors are playing hot potato. They are chucking the ball wrecklessly and Monta and Stephen Curry are both missing wide open jumpers as if they're shooting jumpers with blindfolds. Hmm, I wonder if I can catch the end of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals right now... Man, Warriors are this bad that I'm considering watching the super annoying Rachel Ray.

Third GROAN of the quarter. Great heads up move by Anthony Randolph to save CJ Watson's blocked shot. Here we go.... WHAT!? CHARGE?? Oh Monta, why are you reverting back to your old ways of trying to run everyone over? I can't believe I'm watching this game right now.

(Harris: "C'mon coach, I know the 'pull-my-finger' trick...)

2^nd quarter: Elated...

Hmm, the Warriors end the quarter on a short run. Maybe the Warriors won't lose after all?

Is it me or did Trenton Hassell gain some weight since his Timberwolves days? Looks like Trenton Hassell's been hitting up the Shawn Kemp School of weight "training" in the off-season.

Anthony Randolph is looking good on defense. Good to see him active but not falling on people to get a block. Maybe Keith Smart slipped a sedative into his Gatorade before the game?

Alright, here we go. The Warriors are starting to run and CJ Watson is getting into the passing lanes easy.

Andris Biedrins is sitting with Fitz and Barnett for some color commentary. Biedrins looks good in his suit but that weird hoop earring doesn't quite fit. May it's a European thing.

The Warriors are racking up steals like they're Ricky Henderson. The boom and bust of the Warriors offense depends on these steals.

Wow, what's up with Randolph playing so even -keeled? Usually after a few excellent plays, Randolph is jumping around making dumb fouls. Hmm, I wonder what's going on in his head when he gets the ball.

OOOH!! Randolph is hustling! Great to see him giving the Warriors the energy they need on both sides of the floor. He and Radmanovic are doing the intangible things that the Warriors need: grabbing boards, running the floor, some nice weakside defense and, most importantly, covering the mistakes of Monta Ellis. Wow, still no yelps or facial expressions. What's happened to him? I'm beginning to think Keith Smart is better at getting to his players than Nellie.

(The only way the Warriors could stop Brook Lopez)

Biedrins is still talking to Fitz and Barnett on the sidelines. He is discussing his friendship with Ronny Turiaf (France) and Radmanovic. The "European Union club" as he calls it. Can we expect to see this on a t-shirt? Maybe the next Tony.psd? Wink wink? Just playin' Tony.

Randolph is everywhere!!! Plus the Nets look like the Warriors on their bad nights. The lazy passes getting picked off and wide open driving lanes are making me realize why they were 0-18. They're not getting back on defense in typical Warriors fashion. Too bad the Warriors are picking up ticky tack fouls, which is keeping the Nets in the game.

Question: Are the Warriors better when Monta ISN'T shooting all the time? At this point in the game, Monta has been a non-factor, scoring-wise. The ball is moving a lot more and the other Warriors are getting involved ... and hey! They're actually winning, right now? I'm not suggesting the Warriors are better without Monta. That would be completely ridiculous. But its nice to see the other Warriors trusting in each other when Monta isn't trying to mimic Stephen Jackson in his shot selection and his complaining to the refs.

OK, I've had enough of watching Randolph fouling Lopez. It's clearly not Randolph's fault that there is a bad matchup. Where's Chris Hunter?

The Nets are blocking out as "well" as the Warriors as Randolph gets a follow-up dunk to a missed jumper. I am feeling at ease now...

CJ Watson is definitely the front runner for Warrior Wonder by the way he is getting steals and converting layups at the other end. His anticipation in the passing lanes is beautiful.

Wow, that last play of the half was beautiful. Heck, it was SEXY. I'm surprised that Monta gave up the ball to Curry and let him thread that pass to Watson for the open reverse under the hoop. Now THAT was the best closing of a quarter/half I have ever seen from the Warriors. Can we see the ball NOT in Monta's hands at the end of the half?

(Curry and Moore are both impressed by the dunk. What kind of shoes are those?)

3^rd Quarter: Hungry

Early on , we see a power move by Mikki Moore dunking over Brook Lopez! I love the post-dunk intensity ala Kevin Garnett, but is it really necessary or kosher for Moore to throw signs when they're playing, arguably, the worst team in the league? That would be equivalent to bragging that you got Susan Boyle's digits.

Looks like the Warriors are finally hitting the offensive boards. Why are the Warriors so afraid to grab rebounds? I miss Biedrins.

My girlfriend: "That guy (Radmanovic) looks like Wolverine. But uglier."

Wow, an Ill-advised shot by Monta, again. Nice move slashing to the middle and trying to lay it up over Lopez, except way off target. Sigh. I ask again, do the Warriors score better when Monta has the ball in his hands LESS? There's seems to be a lot more scoring this game when he isn't trying to score on every single possession.

I am still waiting for dinner to finish cooking... hungry. I wonder what NBA players eat before games?

Towards the end of this quarter, the Warriors frustrating play is finally getting to Fitz. He sounds like he's about to yell at Morrow post-game after seeing him commit his bazillionth turnover of the game. That's what I love about the Warriors color commentary; they never gloss over the Warrior blunders.

Damnit. The Warriors are starting to look complacent out there and there are still 6 minutes left in the quarter. It's like Cinderella and the clock struck twelve. The Warriors' chariot of marvelous game play has transformed back into the pumpkin of bad shots, dribbling into crowds, and porous defense. Are the Warriors trying to lose? Are they trying to throw games like Tim Donaghy?

Whew thank goodness for players like Josh Boone. Boone shoots freethrows like he doesn't want to be there. It's almost like he can't wait to get over with by how rushed his shots are.

(Mayweather: "Damn, I thought the Nets gave me the gift of a superstar..." Mayweather's friend: "Dude, I though we got tickets for Madison Square Garden...")

4^th Quarter: Satisfied

Great feed by Cj Watson to Maggette (no look) to start this quarter. Watson is definitely the Warrior Wonder for tonight...either Watson or the Net's terrible defense. Whereas Ellis and Morrow are looking like the Warrior ‘blunders' with the turnovers they are accumulating together. Can't complain though that Keith Smart lets his players work through these problems in the flow of the game.

Commercial break: "Give the gift...of a super... star... this holiday.. season" ...whew, I never get tired of that commercial. How many takes do you think that took for Monta to say that? Also, does anyone else think its weird that Monta is basically trying to sell tickets to see Kobe and Lebron? Do you think opposing teams run the same commercials and say that about Monta when the Warriors are about to come to town?

Ball movement! Thank goodness, the Net were within 7 but the crisis has been averted. Monta is finally scoring, but not forcing the issue. I'm more pleased that he's using his speed to benefit his teammates by hitting them with open shots.

Thank goodness the Nets cannot shoot threes. Can the Nets poor three-point shooting be the Warrior Wonder for tonight?

Question of the night, why is Sean Williams getting more playing time than Terrence Williams? Every shot of Sean Williams face as he checks in, gets fouled, or fouled someone is look of "........." or "What am I doing here?"

Mikki Moore TRULY has the best dunks. AND best post-game dunk celebrations. After two great passes from Monta, he's cheering like the game was on the line as opposed to being up 13 against the worst team in the league.Gotta love that intensity though.

I have to give it up to CJ Watson. Watson's 15 points in the second quarter, half of those off great anticipation on defense, really jumpstarted a sluggish Warriors team.

Perkins vs. Bogut Had an Old School Feel to It

Greg Payne — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:26:50 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

Bogut wins the individual battle, but Perkins team takes the win.

Browse more photos »

Heading into last night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, rookie Brandon Jennings had my attention. It would be my first time seeing the kid play and after a rookie goes off for 55 points, it's difficult not to want to see him for yourself. I figured Rajon Rondo would present a formidable defensive challenge unlike anything Jennings had seen in his still very young NBA career and for the most part I was right.

While the plight of the point guards was entertaining (mainly due to Rondo being one rebound shy of a triple-double and finishing with 11 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and five steals), the battle of the big men stole the show. Kendrick Perkins and Andrew Bogut did not appear to like each other on the court last night, but Perk was pivotal to Boston's success and Bogut was one of the main reasons Milwaukee kept it close for far too long.

The final lines for the pair:

Perkins: 7-8 shooting, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 2 turnovers

Bogut: 11-17 shooting, 25 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 7 turnovers

Advantage to the Aussie, I suppose, and give him credit for playing so well against one of the NBA's premiere interior defenders. But the tussle itself between these two was worth watching, as the paint proved to be quite the battleground last night.

I missed out on the '60s, '70s and '80s when the vast majority of the NBA's big men actually played in the paint and brought legitimate offensive repertoires down there with them. Hook shots abounded, along with the five to seven-foot turn around and didn't the '80s serve as the 8-10 foot jumper's hay day? I've watched a ton of footage from the decade and I swear EVERYBODY had that shot, including the majority of the league's big guys.

Now come back to last night and with Perk and Bogut going at it, one might have felt like we had taken a step back in time with the moves we were seeing. Bogut was an absolute whiz with the hook shots, whether they be of the stop and pop kind or of the sweeping brand. It looks like he's turned that shot into his go-to move, although, when the Bucks needed him to utilize that go-to move when they were hanging on for dear life with minutes left, Bogut came up empty on two consecutive possessions, primarily due to outstanding defense by Perk (and a helping hand from Rondo the first time around). But despite Bogut's shortcomings in the final few possessions, he really does possess a nice touch down low, and in terms of old school post moves, he's right up there for tops in the league today (along with guys like Al Jefferson and Pau Gasol).

For Perk, has any NBA center in today's league mastered the short fade away jumper in the lane the way he has? He typically begins his move on the right block, backs his man down and buries him into the paint to the point where his defender is almost under the rim, then plants the right foot, turns, fades, and buries the shot. Speaking of go-to moves, Perk has shown he can fall back on this shot whenever he needs to, particularly early on in games when he's establishing his own rhythm.

I think it's fair to say Bogut is a naturally more gifted offensive player, meaning he did not need to develop as much of his offensive game as Perk did when he entered the league. When Perk first stepped onto an NBA floor, if a dunk wasn't an option, he pretty much wasn't going to score. But it's a testament to Perkins' work ethic, along with Clifford Ray's tutelage when we recognize how Perk has developed into a legitimate offensive threat.

But last night it was nice seeing two legitimate interior players really play where their respective games thrive. Bogut didn't drag Perk out to the perimeter, but instead went at him relentlessly down low, and even though I might be forced to say Bogut got the better of Perk for three and a half quarters, watching a skilled big man with legitimate post moves go up against an equally legitimate interior defender is arguably a rarity in today's game. Many of the 6-10 and up guys in today's league possess outside jump shots, or prefer the perimeter in general. But the paint really was a battleground last night and it was somewhat captivating seeing these two continue to go at it, with the hook shots and the up and unders and the reverses, especially when their teammates cleared the lanes and just let them play each other straight up.

I sure hope Perk treats Rondo to a nice dinner when this team heads off on its next three-game road swing, because of the 13 assists Rondo racked up, a bunch of them went through Perk in the paint. As much as we talk about the unspoken on-the-court chemistry between Rondo and Kevin Garnett when they're executing their alley-oops, the relationship Rondo shares with Perk is equally crippling to an opposing team. With Perk always parking himself down low, whenever Rondo slices through the defense and draws the help defender, he can usually count on Perk being wide open mere feet away from the basket. And if Perk isn't always in pristine position, he's usually lurking somewhere nearby, cutting to the hoop or battling for position for an offensive rebound.

I'm not entirely sure which big men helped spark the wave of the 15-18 foot jumper. Perhaps it was Hakeem Olajuwon or Karl Malone. Or maybe it was those drafted in the mid-to late '90s like Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Dirk Nowitzki. Whoever was responsible for the transition, Perk's had to deal with a steady crop of perimeter based big men this season, including Channing Frye, Andrea Bargnani and Mehmet Okur, which takes Perk out of his natural defensive element.

But Perkins vs. Bogut proved the NBA can still go retro every once in a while, where the emphasis isn't necessarily on the pure athleticism, but rather on the quickness and the finesse, as well as the intelligence it takes to play quality low post basketball. It's difficult to tell whether the big men of tomorrow will resemble a Bogut or a Perkins as opposed to a Garnett or a Nowitzki, but regardless, games like last night's proved that we can still be treated and reminded of the NBA's low post glory days from time to time.

Daily Links 12/9

FLCeltsFan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:16:26 -0000

Herald    Rajon Rondo, Celtics home in
Celtics Marquis Daniels out 6-8 weeks
Rasheed Wallace T’s off on ref
Kevin Garnett hits stride
Thumb injury keeps Marquis Daniels down
Rasheed Wallace is a straight shooter
Dwight Howard, Magic top Clippers
Doc Rivers on crooked ref:‘I’m so sick of that guy’
‘Michael Jordan’ hoax hits Flash point
Wallace predicts referee scandal will grow
Globe   Allen weighs in on Donaghy
Final: Celtics 98, Bucks 89
Video: Rivers: 'Celtics need to rebound better'
Video: Garnett: 'We're not a flawless team'
Pierce: Celtics buckled down
Celtics 98, Bucks 89
Rondo took flight in fourth quarter for Celtics
An impressive closing argument in a most perplexing court case
Celtics stop Bucks to extend winning streak to eight games
Vote for Perk    Vote For Perk

Celtics Blog    Open Season: C's Shoot The Bucks
Overseas Fandom; Story of a Lone Celtic Fan
Rondo, Celtics Pounce on Bucks in 4th: 98-89
Loy's Place    Comments from the Other Side - Bucks 12/8
MetroWest Daily    Megliola: Rondo's play sparks C's
ESPN    The Magic are winning and having fun
Pain free, Allen expects no limitations -
First impression: Celtics 98, Bucks 89 -
Pagliuca doesn't fare well at polls
Closing time
Big night for Bogut
KG: Nothing shiny, nothing glossy
Rajon Rondo helps Boston Celtics by passing first, scoring later
Red's Army    Expect to See Big Baby After Christmas
Your Morning Dump... Where rebounding might not be a big problem
Nearly Done in By Bogut
CSNNE     Live from the Garden!
Rondo shines, leads Celtics to eighth straight win
Another game, another win for Celtics
Live from the Garden!
Celtics Hub    Ho-Hum: C’s 98, Bucks 89
This Trend Won’t Buck
North Station Sports    NSS Live Game Chat: Bucks vs. Celtics
Celtics Persevere, Slide Past Bucks 98-89
Where Does Rondo Stand with the Legends?
CT News    Brandon Jennings Hits Beantown Tonight
Gino's Jungle    Celtics Shoot Down Bucks
Celtics Town   Brandon Jennings, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the law of averages
Tim Donaghy blames Rasheed Wallace's technicals on his intelligence
Celtics hold off Bucks, 98-89
The Morning Walkthrough: Celtics not as good as two years ago?
Glen Davis in shape, could be ready by Dec. 27 road trip
Hardwood Houdini    Celtics Rebounding Problems Becoming Consistent
Lex Nihil Novi   Larry v. Magic: Game 6 Post-Mortem
Bird Returns Home for Birthday Tilt 83-84
17-4: Celtics 98, Bucks 89
Celtics Life    Perk should be an All Star
Rondo outduels Jennings as Celtics beat Bucks
Celtics/Bucks Post Game Videos
Celtics 98, Bucks 89 Highlights
CBS Sports   Karl: NBA should fight back against Donaghy
Power Rankings: Flop, flop, it must stop
Celtics Stuff Live    Gang Green: Season 3, Episode 8
NY Post    Sympathy for Blazers' Oden after season ender
Examiner    A Celtics Christmas in the community
For Celtics Ray Allen future remains uncertain.
NECN   Despite loss, Pagliuca feels "like a huge winner"
Patriot Ledger   Celtics aware they have to improve their rebounding
CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Garnett continues his sizzling shooting in win over Bucks
ProJo    Celtics less than impressive, but still beat Bucks for eighth straight victory
Celtics win eighth straight, beat Bucks, 98-89
Doc Rivers responds to disgraced referee Tim Donaghy
NESN     Doc Rivers on Tim Donaghy: 'I'm So Sick of That Guy'
Kevin Garnett, Celtics Break Bucks for Eighth Straight Win
Despite Wins, Rebounding Still a Major Concern for Celtics
Live Blog: Celtics vs. Bucks
Three Reasons Rajon Rondo Vs. Brandon Jennings Is No Contest
Top 10 Comeback Stories in Professional Sports - Top 10
Bleacher Report    Tim Donaghy : A Disgrace to the Game
Commercial Appeal   Boston Celtics top Milwaukee Bucks for 8th straight win"
Slam Online    Missing the Point
Banner 18?    Rondo's World...
WEEI    Doc Rivers Postgame Presser
Brew Hoop    Recap: Celtics 98, Bucks 89 - Brew Hoop
Top Tenz    Top 10 NBA 3 Point Shooters of All Time
Green Street     Take that Tim Donaghy
Davis: ‘I’ll be back soon’
Daniels to get MRI
Pagliuca falls short in Senate bid
Fast Break: Celtics-Bucks
C’s trying to get the point of rebounding
Allen calls for accountability, communication with refs
Tim Donaghy on D&C, 12/8
Telegram    Rondo’s late shooting sparks Celtics
Tony returns at right time
Dimemag   Shooter McDirk
Knickerblogger    The Fix Is (Still) In
Mass Live    Celtics buzz: Kevin Garnett paved the way for Bucks phenom Brandon Jennings, 'Big Baby' Davis update, and more
Slam Online     Decade’s Worst: NBA Team
Waiting for Next Year   Delonte West as the Ultimate Diff: How the Young Guard Makes the Cavaliers Great

Recap: Celtics 98, Bucks 89

Frank Madden — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:16:20 -0000

Box Score

Let's not kid ourselves. When your team has dropped eight of its last nine, there's no such thing as a moral victory, even if it's a hard-fought game on the Celtics' home floor. But let's at least say this: the Bucks' rather predictable loss in Boston at least had more to do with the Celtics being damn good than the Bucks simply being bad.

Unlike Sunday, the Bucks were playing catch-up early but this time held their composure for about 44 minutes. A big reason was Andrew Bogut, who settled the Bucks early on by dropping a series of hooks with both hands en route to 12 first quarter points. Brandon Jennings again had a slow start, missing three shots before heading to the bench midway through the first, but came back in time to toss a tough runner high off the glass going to his left for a three point play to end the first. Improbably, the Bucks not only were in it, but had a one-point lead.

The second quarter was largely the same story from a flow perspective. Both teams rested their starters for longer stretches, and Bogut was held shotless with two turnovers, though he also notched three assists. But as much as the Celtics made short spurts, they couldn't put together the consistency needed to put the Bucks away. The Bucks again finished respectably, as Delfino buried a late three and Jennings dropped in a floater near the buzzer to bring the Bucks within a point at the half.

Third quarter? Same story. Kevin Garnett (25 points, 9/13 fg) started to get on a roll in the third, burying four open jumpers as Rajon Rondo (11 pts, nine boards, 13 ast) used P&R to get in the lane and kick to open teammates seemingly everytime down the court. But Bogut answered with eight of his own and the Celtics' role players had less luck--Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine among those missing open looks that had the Garden crowd ready to explode.

Unfortunately, in crunch time the Celtics simply played like the Celtics. And the Bucks, well, they played like you'd expect the Bucks to play on the road against the league's best defense. After Delfino found Ilyasova surprisingly open for a layup to tie it at 86, Rondo (40% ft shooting coming in) hit a pair of freebies and stuck a mid-range jumper shortly thereafter. It was the capper on a big quarter for Rondo, who scored all 11 of his points in the decisive period, including 5/7 from the stripe. Bogut then turned it over on consecutive possessions, and Garnett dumped a righty hook over Ilyasova to extend the Boston to lead to 93-86. Ballgame.

Three Bucks

Andrew Bogut. Bogut finished the game with an unsightly seven turnovers, but that shouldn't overshadow the fact that he was miles better than he's been the past three games (25 points, 11/17 fg, 14 rebs, five assists, two blocks). It was mostly what we expect of Bogut at his best: when he posted deep he finished with both hands, and when further out he was able to put the ball on the deck and get equally good looks. He even had one improbable turnaround fadeaway with the clock running down and made each of his three free throws--one of those nights apparently.

Ersan Ilyasova. Garnett was able to take it to Ilyasova on the rare occasions he got the ball on the block, and Ilyasova's shot generally wasn't falling from outside. But otherwise the Turkish Delight held his own about as well as could be expected against Boston's best, scoring 19 (6/17 fg, 2/6 threes, 5/6 ft) to go with eight boards, and three steals in 43 minutes.

Carlos Delfino. Jennings (7/19 fg, 17 pts) had a flashier night, but Delfino provided both some shooting (12 points on 5/10 fg, 2/4 threes) and passing (team-high five assists). I'm not sure I like Delfino orchestrating the offense too much, but it's tough to complain when Delfino plays Ray Allen (13 pts on nine shots) to a draw.

Three Numbers

52.2%. Though the Celtics couldn't crack the century mark, it's not to say the Bucks defended particularly well--Boston ended the game right around their averages with 108.9 pts scored/100 possessions and 98.9 pts/100 allowed. They came out looking to pound the Bucks inside, and eventually found their mid-range groove as well.

The Bucks certainly worked hard, but Rondo was seemingly able to draw the extra defender at will, forcing the Bucks to leave either Perkins open under the basket or Garnett open on the perimeter. And even though Rondo was basically no threat to score himself most of the night, he made almost no mistakes finding his talented teammates (13 dimes, one turnover). Whether it was the screener or someone setting up shop in the corner, Rondo's vision was tremendous and he's got the teammates to make him look good.

14. The Bucks got after it on the offensive glass and it helped keep them in the game--14 offensive and 45 total boards helped offset the Bucks' 43% shooting.

17. Turnover differential has generally been one of the Bucks' saving graces the past two seasons, but not tonight. The Bucks coughed it up 20 times--a whopping 17 on Boston steals--as the Celtics simply gave them no margin for error. The Celtics are just impressive all the way around on defense: they defend one-on-one, they take away passing lanes, they hedge/recover on P&R, they close out on shooters when you move the ball. The Bucks might not have seen the Celtics at their best tonight, but they probably saw enough to know why they're once again one of the league's toughest teams.

Three Good

The Anchor. Technically Bogut's been back for over a week, but it's been three games since we saw the Bogut we want to see. As is so often the case, Bogut's ability to finish around the hoop was closely correlated with everything else about his game, and it was nice feeling like the Bucks had someone they could count on to create scoring opportunities whenever the crowd was starting to get into it. Turnovers not withstanding, this is the Bogut that we need to see every night.

The Prince. If practice made perfect, then Luc Mbah a Moute's development as a jump-shooter wouldn't be progressing so miserably. But as much as the Prince has struggled with his shot, his work-rate and footwork on defense is still a sight to behold. Paul Pierce didn't have a terrible line tonight (15 pts on nine shots, five turnovers), but thanks to Luc, he was among the least of the Bucks' problems.

Bouncing back. Unlike most of their recent losses, the Bucks at least didn't have anything to be ashamed of tonight. It was a road game, the Celtics are good, they were in it until late, blah blah. And tomorrow night the Bucks get a chance to bounce back quickly against a Calderon-less Raptors team in Milwaukee. No excuses.

Three Bad

Closing time. It's no secret that the Bucks don't have proven scorers they can rely on in crunch time--a void that was all the more obvious when you watch the Celtics with KG, Pierce and Allen all ready to drop daggers when the Celtics need a hoop.

Sure, Jennings has made some big shots, but he's had even more misses and turnovers--a theme that continued tonight as he misfired on a pair of late threes. Tonight Bogut fell victim to the turnover bug as well, coughing it up twice in the last four minutes as the Celtics made their surge. So while we used to always complain about Mike Redd's one-track mind late in games, I wouldn't mind having an 04/05 or 05/06 Redd around to make life easier at this point. Sadly, I'm not counting on it.

Bench. Luke Ridnour and Hakim Warrick have typically been reliable bench scorers of late; maybe not both at the same time, but typically one of them has provided a shot of energy to the second unit. Not tonight. Ridnour didn't make a field goal before going down with an elbow injury in the third quarter, and Warrick was a complete non-factor in 13 minutes. All told, the Bucks got just nine points on 2/11 shooting from the short bench of Ridnour, Warrick, and Bell.

Rondo'ed. It was a matchup of contrasting roles and styles for Jennings and Rondo. While the more trigger-happy Jennings is already carrying the burden of an entire franchise 20 games into his career, Rondo has steadily developed into one of the league's best all-around PGs while sharing the stage with three all-stars. I doubt either team would want to trade their guy for the other one--the Bucks need to roll the dice with a potential superstar and the Celtics need their more experienced jack-of-all-trades. On the positive side, Jennings showed some creative shot-making around the hoop...but he also missed all eight of his jumpers outside 15 feet. Live and learn.

Rondo, Celtics Pounce on Bucks in 4th: 98-89

tenaciousT — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:10:41 -0000

More photos » by Brian Babineau - NBAE/Getty Images

Rondo and KG put the pinch on Jennings.

Browse more photos »

Thanks to a masterful performance by Rajon Rondo and continued hot shooting by Kevin Garnett, the Celtics took care of home cooking tonight against a feisty Bucks team that was hungry for a win. They dropped their 4th straight.

The Cs winning streak reaches 8 straight and they are 17-4 overall, while raising their record at home to 8-3.

The Cs started the final period tied at 71, and after another tie, pulled away in the fourth quarter thanks to an unstoppable performance by Rajon Rondo. Shaquille O'Neal move over. The Hack-a-Rondo has arrived.

Kevin Garnett led a balanced attack with six Celtics in double figures with 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting.

Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins finished with 15 points each, Ray Allen added 13 to the cause, including 2 of 4 from the three point line, and Rasheed Wallace popped for 13 more, with 3 of 4 from the arc, off the bench. Eddie House was shooting blanks last night, going 1 for 7, but got busy with 3 steals.

Ray Allen on Rondo…

He just distributed the ball throughout the whole game and then the plays were there for him to make, and to me, it was one of his better games, based on just how he managed it.

After three quarters, Rondo was 0-6 and scoreless but had orchestrated the Celtics offense all night with strong drives to the hoop, kick outs, and pin hole interior passing.

Scott Skiles…

Rondo was in the paint on us all night long. A team like that, as the game goes on, they’re going to wear you down and they’re probably going to beat you if you continue to let them do that.

We had tremendous difficulty keeping him in front of us the whole game. We went to go under the pick and rolls and we didn’t have any luck with that. We tried to make several adjustments and he took it to our rookie pretty good.

That rookie is Brandon Jennings, the Bucks new point guard of recent reknown. Jennings looked tentative starting out the game and was 1-7 shooting, before going 6-12 the rest of the way. He was 0-4 from the arc.

Rondo had 13 assists, but also made passes that led to assists for someone else.

Rondo turned it up a notch in the 4th, dropping 11 points on 3-3 shooting, including a few jump shots and 5 of 7 free throw shooting. Rajon finished with 13 assists, 11 points and 9 rebounds, just missing the triple double.

Jennings finished with 17 points on 7 of 19 shooting and had 6 points, but 4 fouls in the final period trying to guard Rondo. He finished with 5 fouls and 4 turnovers.

The Celtics started out the game with one thing in mind, pound it into the paint. They didn’t take a jump shot until the 4:07 mark and they had scored 17 points.

Rasheed Wallace…

We just tried to do what we could to punish them in the paint. We knew they only had one true big with Bogut. They had two bigs on the side (Dan Gadzuric, Kurt Thomas) that didn’t get a chance to play, but we just tried to punish them inside.

The Celtics got small leads all game and the Bucks would battle back. There was great interior passing at different times in the game by both teams. But the Celtics were able to create shots with more varied overall passing due to Rondo’s ability to get inside.

The 4th Quarter was the Difference

After losing Jennings on a screen on the left side, Rajon drove and scored his first basket of the game with a little jump shot on a beautiful spin move in the paint. That made the score 75-73.

The next time down the floor, the Celtics moved the ball around with Scalabrine passing up a three and driving and kicking out to Sheed for a three that rocked the house. Score 78-73.

Jennings drives to make it 78-75, but Pierce kicks it out to Rasheed for another three to make it 81-75.

The Bucks come back to tie it at 86 all on an Ilyasova lay-up, before Charlie Bell fouls Rondo on what Doc Rivers called Hack-a-Rondo.

Rivers…

Well tonight was the first time I saw ‘hack-a-Rondo’. With five minutes left, that was an intentional foul. And he made them. Thank G-d, you know?

And he’s going to get fouled more. That’s going to happen. So, it’s really important, obviously, for your point guard to make free throws. And he’s going to do that. He’s starting to now.

Rondo made both foul shots and then made a pull up jumper to make it 91-86. After Garnett fouls Ilyasova and he makes both free throws, Ray Allen hits a three pointer off a Rondo pass, making it 96-89.

Rondo...

I like taking shots. It's just...you know when you're playing with guys that are great at what they do, my job is to distribute the ball so.....I'm a 'pass first' point guard, probably 'pass second', I think shoot third. This is how I play. I love the...I'd rather get an assist any day than score the ball.

I'm going to shoot the ball when I have to or when I feel I need to but other than that I'm fine with getting rid of the ball to Paul Pierce....Eddie House. You know, I've got great shooters around me.

After taking the rook to the woodshed in a number of ways, what was Rondo's impression of Jennings?

He's a crafty point guard. He can definitely score the ball. He missed some shots tonight. I think we did a pretty good job on him. But he's definitely going to be a great player.

After a Jennings three pointer misses, Pierce comes down court and passes to KG for a long side jumper that decides the game at 98-89 with 1:48 to go.

The Celtics went on a 12-3 run to close it out with a kick. The only three points the Bucks scored were on three Ilyasova free throws in the last 4:51 of the game.

Garnett's Torrid Shooting Continues

Many of Garnett’s 25 points were set up by Rondo drive and kicks, and Pierce drawing Garnett’s defender and kicking it back to KG as in that final shot against the Knicks. Garnett has been nailing the open Js.

Since going 6-6 against Toronto on Nov. 27, he is 50 for 65 from the floor for a ridiculous .77%, especially considering that many of those shots are 16-18 footers.

Andrew Bogut had a strong game though Perkins was guarding him fairly well. The difference between Bogut and Howard is that Bogut has a go-to move or two in the middle. He was on last night and was making a number of contested shots around the paint. Bogut finished with 25 points on 11 of 17 shooting. He also had 7 turnovers due to a harassing Celtic defense.

It was a physical game, especially rebounding late in the fourth quarter, when the Celtics pulled away.

Rivers…

I thought there was one stretch in the fourth quarter where you could physically see bodies on bodies. And we got all the rebounds. And we’ve just got to get better at it.

Even without winning the board battle overall, the Celtics out shot and outplayed the Bucks. They also had 17 steals and those were huge as well. Rajon led with 5 steals, two in the final period.

Tony Allen played for the first time this season, going scoreless in almost 6 minutes time. How did he feel about his performance?

It could always be better. The shots that I did take...I got fouled on one. I need to convert my free throws. For the most part, I took what was in the offense. I couldn't really do too much. It isn't like I had some clear outs.

I just have to get the rust out. I feel good. I have to see how I feel tomorrow.

So the Celtics continue their winning ways and go back on the road for 3 more games before having three games at home before the Christmas Holiday.

Daily Links 12/8

FLCeltsFan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:35:13 -0000

Herald    Young Buck runs wild
Scouting report: Bucks at Celtics
Tim Donaghy has standards, just not high ones Tim Donaghy has standards, just not high ones
Globe     The power of words The power of words
Allen gets defensive
Chat with Gary Washburn right now
Jennings owes a bow to Garnett
Vote for Perk

CelticsBlog     Happy Birthday Larry Legend
Everyone Loves Brandon Jennings
Loy's Place    Celtics Host Bucks Looking for 8th Straight Win
ESPN    Tim Donaghy, disgraced NBA official, sticks to story: Biases helped bets
It's clear Daniels has been hurting
C's climb in power rankings
Garnett named the best in the East
Former Celtic mentored Jennings overseas
Owner sorry for Michael Jordan-Bryon Russell 1-on-1 hoax
Tim Donaghy's claims on trial
Nick Friedell's Blog - What happened?
NBA Basketball Power Rankings
Celtics 17    Iverson scores 11 in inauspicious return
Red's Army     Case of the Mondays: Lakers Lovefest Makes Me Wanna Puke
KG is the Player of the Week
The Morning Dump... Where Ray Gets Defensive
Andre Iguodala nails full court shot
CSNNE    C's Xmas list: Board game
Basketbawful     Happy Birdmas 2009!!
Celtics Hub    Statistical Oddities of Questionable Significance
Everybody Loves Ray
North Station Sports    Dwight Howard has worse hygiene than your garden variety preschooler
Anything Is Possible! KG Wins Player Of The Week
Keep Shooting Ray Ray!
Celtics Town    The Morning Walkthrough: Brandon Jennings was mentored by former Celtic Allan Ray
Is Tim Donaghy lying? Statistics prove it likely
Glen Davis has cast taken off, does 'light work' in practice
Lebron James bashing gone too far
Hardwood Houdini    Kevin Garnett – Hardwood Houdini Player of The Week
Hardwood Houdini NBA Power Rankings
Lex Nihil Novi     Larry v. Magic: Game 6 Preview
Red: Parish Doesn't Take a Back Seat to Anyone
Larry v. Magic: Game 6
Larry v. Magic: Game 6 Post-Mortem
CelticsLife    The decline of the White American NBA Player
More Donaghy
The Rarest of the Rare
What the Hell Happened to...Eric Montross?
Gino's Jungle     Write For Gino's Jungle
One at home then back on the bus.
Celtics Stuff Live    Covering the Celtics the Yahoo! Way V.2
Herald News    CELTIC KNOT:Boston has company at the top of the Eastern Conference
Charlotte Observer    CELTIC KNOT:Boston has company at the top of the Eastern Conference
Newest Bobcat's got your back - always
NESN     Celtics Seeking Eighth Straight Win as Bucks Visit Boston
Bucks' Rookie Star Brandon Jennings Set to Face Celtics
Bleacher Report   NBA Power Rankings: Lakers Still King but Magic, Celtics, Nuggets Closing
How Badly is Rasheed Wallace Out of Shape?
Dimemag      Most Improved NBA Player by Division
Back for the First Time
Slam Online    Phil Jackson on Women in NBA: No Way
Inside Hoops   NBA Rumors: Tuesday, Dec. 8
Patriot Ledger     The Shot heard ’round the Celtics
Cleveland.com    With Shaq and a beefed-up bench, there's plenty to like about the Cleveland Cavaliers
JS Online    Preview: Bucks vs. Celtics
Hoopsworld    NBA Power Rankings
Evan Brunell   The end of the Most Valuable Network, MVN.com
Sports Central     LeBron Develops Kevin Garnett Syndrome
BetUs    NBA Week 6 Hot or Not – Celtics are Back, Cavs Keep Rolling
FanHouse    Rondo Deserves to Be an All-Star
Tim Donaghy on '60 Minutes,' Puts Pressure on NBA
NA Sports     Coach of the Year – Worst. Title. Ever.
Orlando Sentinel    NBA Insider: The New Jersey Nets have sacrificed the present for the future
NBA.com    Kevin Garnett and Carlos Boozer named Players of the Week
My SouthEnd    Last Call for Tony Allen
Mass Live     Celtics buzz: Marquis Daniels out, Tony Allen in, and more
CBS Sports    Bucks-Celtics Preview
Herald Extra     Michael Jordan sighted in Orem for 1-on-1 challenge
American Chronicle      Quite a haul ; The Red Claws open a new era of pro basketball in Maine with a big win in their home opener.
TruFan    Are you ready for Tony Allen?

Game 19 Recap: Boston 105, Oklahoma City 87

Zorgon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:28:59 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

The game got so bad that Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook started practicing for the newest Olympic Sport: Synchronized Jumping!

Browse more photos »

Yet again, my prediction was barely (4 points in total) off of its mark.

But, it was never close. This was just one of those games. The game that you realize that your young, upstart team aren't Supermen that lose closely because they were away, because of an injury, because the refs weren't on their side. Sometimes, they just flat out lose. And badly.

The game got progressively more and more out of hand as it went on. Sure, the Thunder had a 10-7 lead in the first, and they climbed back to within 6 midway through the 2nd, but the outcome was never really in doubt. By the end of the 3rd, their lead was up to 23, and Doc Rivers put in the Celtics scrubs for the rest of the game.

Below: Analysis, Awards

So, what do we take away from a game like this? Well, we are reminded of the fact that Jeff Green struggles against true power forwards, especially those as skilled as Kevin Garnett. But we already knew that, so it's no surprise he struggled here and receives the Thunder Blunder award. Also, none of our big men even stood a chance against Boston's. Sure, Ibaka had a couple of scores, and D.J. White managed to hit a few jumpshots in garbage time, but compared to 13 and 8 for Perkins, 23 and 8 for Garnett, and 10 and 3 for Wallace, it was a massive failure on the Thunder's part.

This game also shows that no matter how bad the loss gets, or no matter how badly a certain position matches up against the opponent, the Thunder can always count on Kevin Durant. He was the lone bright spot offensively, scoring 41% of the team's Points with 36, and grabbing 5 Rebounds and 2 Steals. He rather uncharacteristically got no assists, but that's because he scored every time he got the ball and, quite frankly, nobody else was able to help him out. It goes without saying that he's tonight's Thunder Wonder.

Thabo always gives 100%! Even in garbage time. Bonus points if you can spot me in the background. Super bonus points if you can spot Okluschen (the other writer who has been lazy about posting on this blog) sitting next to me.

Picking the Thunder Down Under for tonight is like trying to pick the perfect fruit or vegetable in a supermarket. No matter how hard you look, even the best one is going to have some sort of flaw. Russell Westbrook emerges as a potential candidate, but he had 5 turnovers along with dreadful 6-16 shooting. Mike Wilks also emerges as a candidate, but it's really hard to give an award to someone for doing the equivalent of dribbling the ball and not screwing up. Thus, I must give the award to Thabo Sefolosha. I know, he scored 0 points, and he had 3 turnovers. But he had 5 Rebounds, 3 Assists, and 3 Steals. But, most importantly of all, he held Ray Allen to just 11 Points on 4-11 Shooting. Obviously, this was more than made up for by the scoring of Pierce and Garnett, but try to imagine this game without Thabo. Yeah, I'm seeing the 30 Point blowout right now.

On the Celtics side of things, it couldn't have gone more perfectly. The starting lineup had a whopper of a game, the key backups in House and Wallace did what the Celtics needed them to do, and the mop-up crew didn't blow the lead. Marquis Daniels was kind of useless, but not everybody can have a perfect game. But, needless to say, Kevin Garnett was their Thunder Plunderer. 23 Points, 10-11 Shooting, 8 Rebounds, and 3 Assists round out just another day on the job for the Celtics great.

Next Game: Versus the Warriors, Monday, December 7th, at 7 PM Central Standard Time.

Go Warriors!

Poll

Comeon, did you really think the Thunder had a chance at winning this game?

Daily Links 12/5

FLCeltsFan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:47:22 -0000

Herald Celtics complete sweep
Kevin Garnett has a point
Sheed not worried about technicals
New Jersey finally gets first victory
Kobe Bryant burns the Heat at the buzzer
Globe Updates from Celtics-Thunder
Analysis of Celtics-Thunder
Pierce goes for a double-double
Despite early stumbles, no doubts on this trip
Celtics roll seven

CelticsBlog    Quick Primer for Tonight's Red Claws Home Opener
Thunder Rolled
Loy's Place Comments from the Other Side - Thunder 12/4
Random Thoughts After Sweeping 4 Game Road Trip
Josh Q Public    Kevin Garnett Is Back!
Celtics.com    Ford Keys to the Game: Celtics at Thunder
Red's Army    The Big 3 Things of the Week
On Fire...
Your Morning Dump... Where Rondo & KG are clicking again
Green Street    Fast break: Celtics-Thunder
CSNNE   Celts complete perfect road trip
Celtics Hub   Travelin’ Bullies: C’s 105, Thunder 87
Roll of Thunder, We Hear You Cry
Loscy    Kendrick Perkins is a freakin all-star: and you know this, man "
North Station Sports   NSS Live Game Chat: Celtics vs Thunder
Celtics Quiet Thunder 105-87
A Reader's Indepth Look at 'When the Game Was Ours'
Celtics Town   What if the Celtics had never traded for Ray Allen?
Austin Rivers, Doc's son, almost beat Paul Pierce in a one-on-one game
Celtics simply too good for Thunder in 105-87 win
The Morning Walkthrough: Kevin Durant is pretty good
Hardwood Houdini     Celtics Show They Aren’t Scared of Thunder
Celtics Storm Past Silenced Thunder
Celtics Use Road Trip As a Statement
Lex Nihil Novi   16-4: Celtics 105, Thunder 87
Marquis Daniels Last Five Games
Shelden Williams Last Five Games
Eddie House Last Five Games
Rasheed Wallace Last Five Games
Rajon Rondo Last Five Games
Kendrick Perkins Last Five Games
Kevin Garnett Last Five Games
CelticsLife   CelticsLife Live Chat: Celtics vs. Thunder
Celtics/Thunder Post Game Videos
Celtics 105, Thunder 87 Highlights
Celtics roll over Thunder to complete perfect road trip
Gino's Jungle    Halftime update @ Oklahoma City
Thunder Get Caught Up In The Celtics Storm
Hartford Courant     Regional Digest: Red Claws Hand Armor Third Straight Loss
Hoopscribe    Um … que?
NBA.com    Celtics close road trip with solid win over Thunder
Here are the top NBA little guys worth looking up to
Rivers waiting for Celtics to reach 'better level' of play
Bleacher Report    Oklahoma City Thunder: The Pieces Are There, But Still Work In Progress
It's LeBron and Kobe In The Finals, NBA 09-10 Preview
Celtics Vs. Bruins: A Look at The Two Garden Atmospheres
WEEI    Celtics Head Home the Hottest Team Around
OSC    Red Claws Capture 1st Home Win in Front of Sellout Crowd
Cleveland.com    Two steps forward, one step back for Delonte
Daily Thunder   Thunder 87, Celts 105
NESN    Despite Defensive Focus, Celtics on Impressive Offensive Run
Another Quiz to Prove Your Worth in Pocket Money
Live Blog: Celtics at Thunder
Celtics Shoot Past Thunder for Seventh Straight Victory
Kevin Garnett, Big Men Leading Celtics Back to Prominence
Celtics Must Shrug Off Road Weariness as Thunder Loom
Sports Booklists NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings December 4, 2009
NewsOK    John Rohde: Boston Celtics show they’re far ahead of Thunder
Boston Celtics returning to championship form
CT News    White Hot Garnett Leads Celtics Down Thunder Road
NY Post     Bobcats no easy task for Nyets
Dimemag   The Incredibles
5 Predictions For Allen Iverson
Yahoo     Gasol stands tall among NBA's elite
ESPN   Another Rivers tributary
Postgame thoughts: Celtics vs. Thunder
The Star    Raptors grapple with communication breakdowns
Hoopsworld    Kendrick Perkins: Learning From the Best
NBA Courtside Blog
SI.com   David Stern believes women could be playing in NBA within decade
UPI    Report: Stern sees women in the NBA
Hardwood Paroxysm   Brash And Bullish Defeat Dull And Efficient: Celtics vs. Spurs Stuff
CMSB Media The CMSB: Red Claws Opening Night Coverage
Sports of Boston    Maine Red Claws Open Tonight, Complete with Live Blog
PBN    D-League teams shuffling rosters
Ridiculous Upside    Previewing Tonight's Games; Featuring the NBA Players of Both Tomorrow and Yesterday
All Boston Blog    Sports Redux: Celts Mess With Texas
LA Times    Kobe Bryant has a solid shot at winning the MVP title again, but ...