CELEBRATE BIRDMASS!

In honor of the great Celtic, Larry Bird.

NBA 2009 OPENING DAY!

Four games were played today and all four were entertaining.

Celtics win over Cavs, 95-89!

It was the Big Three against the King and Shaq Fu. Paul Pierce started out on fire, Ray Allen and new recruit Rasheed Wallace kept the fire going and Kevin Garnett finished the Cavs off with a solid all around game. The Cavs kept the game close by virtue of a brilliant performance by the King but Lebron needed more support from Shaq, Mo Williams and Big Z.

STUDS. Paul Pierce (23pts, 11 rebs), Ray Allen (16pts, 3 assists, 3 steals) and Kevin Garnett (13pts, 10rebs, 3 blocks) seem to be in mid-season form already. Lebron James (38pts, 4 rebounds, 8 assist, 4bloclks, 2 steals) seemed to be the only Cavs player in similar form. 

DUDS. Kendrick Perkins had 9 points and ONE rebound in 25minutes of play. He's 7 feet tall, He should be able to get 2 rebounds by simply showing up. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 6points and 5 rebounds. Wasn't he a starter on a team playing for a championship just a couple of years ago? 

Wizards upend Mavs, 102-91

Agent Zero is back! The Wiz barely missed All-Star Antawn Jamison as Gilbert Arenas was hot in his first NBA game back from his most recent knee surgery. Caron Butler, Randy Foye and Andray Blatche also had good games. The Mavs were fueled by Dirk Nowitzki (and his hair) and Shawm Marion but couldn't get Jason Terry going.  

STUDS. Gilbert Arenas (29pts, 9 assists), Randy Foye (19pts, 2steals) and Andray Blatche (20pts, 7rebounds, 2 blocks) were the difference-makers. Dirk Nowitzki (34points, 9rebs, 2 blocks) was also in vintage form.

DUDS. Mike Miller (6pts, 8 rebs) was supposed to be a deadeye shooter. What gives? Jason Terry (12pts, 4 rebs, 4 assists) was also horrendous, hitting at a 4-15 clip.

Blazers top Rockets, 96-87!

The big question heading into this match up was, with T-Mac and Yao still sidelined, who was going to score for the Rockets? Aaron Brooks tried his best and so did Trevor Ariza but it simply wasn't enough. For the Blazers, it was old

 reliable Brandon Roy who went to town as well as designated gunner Travis Outlaw.

STUDS. Brandon Roy (20pts, 5 rebs, 5 assists) and Travis Outlaw (23pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists) were simply unstoppable. On the defensive side of things, Greg Oden (2pts, 12 rebounds 5 blocks) and Joel Przybilla (2pts, 10rebs, 2 blocks) were insurmountable.

DUDS. Luis Scola (3pts, 4 rebs) and Shane Battier (8pts, 4 rebs) need to step it up.

Lakers dump Clippers, 99-92!

The Lakers got their rings then tried to run rings around the Clippers.  Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum managed to build a lead, only to see their teammates almost lose it, so they went back in to make sure of the win. Clips showed amazing resiliency and drive to keep the game competitive throughout, led by standout supersoph Eric Gordon and veteran Chris Kaman.

STUDS. Kobe Bryant (33 pts, 8rebs) and Andrew Bynum (26pts, 13rebs) more than offset the loss of All Star Pau Gasol. Eric Gordon (21pts, 4 assists) and Chris Kaman (18pts, 16rebs) were the main men for the Clippers.

DUDS. Baron Davis (2pts, 4rebs, 8assists) bombed miserably in this first game, shooting a miserable 1-10 from the field.

IF A LAKERS SHIRT MARRIED A CELTICS SHIRT...celtic

...this would be their baby.

6 AGAINST 5!

When an NBA team has 6 players on court and they score, should it count?

Logic and common sense says no. These refs say yes. No wonder the Celtics got so upset (especially since they lost this game).

SUPERSTARS ALWAYS GET THE CALLS.

Promising young center Andrew Bogut goes up with a shot. Superstar and NBA champion Kevin Garnett fouls him hard. 

Young Bogut's arms accidentally hit Garnett's face. Garnett lashes out, slapping Bogut with an open fist.

Bogut is assessed a technical foul and is tossed out of the game. Garnett plays on. Celtics win over Bucks.

Yes, it's true, superstars always get the calls.

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S QUESTIONS

The Beast of the East remains to be the defending champions. KG and Ray Allen had a bad game but Paul Pierce took over with 27pts and Lebron missed a layup and 2 free throws in the last minute to seal the Cav's fate. Celtics win by 5pts.

The premier big man of the future? Neither Bynum nor Oden, if we go by this game. Bynum logged 8 points and three rebounds, Oden had 5 rebounds, blocked a shot and missed his four free throw attempts before getting injured. Yes, again.

Bulls versus Skiles. Winner, Bulls. Derrick Rose had 11 points and 9 assists, Deng had 21 pts, Gordon had 18, Hinrich had 15pts, Tyrus Thomas had 15 pts and 10 rebounds. Bulls win by 13pts, Skiles loses 100 strands of hair.  

NBA PREDICTIONS!

We've got 2 days to go before the NBA season opens so it's time to lay my proverbial eggs in a prophetic basket and say the sooth!

And so, here are my picks for:

Rookie of the Year - O.J. Mayo. Yes, I know, the safe choice seems to be Greg Oden, Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose. Now, while I think that  Oden is a future Hall-of-Famer and Beasley and Rose will be perennial All Stars, they will all be laboring under the wings of more established stars (Wade, Roy, Aldrige, Haslem, Deng, Gordon). My pick has the chance to be The Man (albeit of the Grizz),  right in his very first year. 

Sixth Man of the Year - Manu Ginobili. There's no better 6th man in the league as the unselfish Argentine would probably start for the 29 other teams in the league...but prefers to play his "spark of the bench" role to perfection. If current team rotations hold true to form, he'll face tough challenges from Andrei Kirilenko and Kirk Hinrich.

Coach of the Year - Jerry Sloan. While people look at New Orleans as a possible Finals contender, I cast a wary eye on the Jazz. Sloan will have this crew ready to rock and roll and Williams, Boozer, Kirilenko, Okur, Brewer, Millsap and Korver will make believers out of pundits.

MVP - Lebron James. Only because I feel like everyone is thinking he should get one already. There are too many people saying the same thing, which makes me wonder is the voting is already done and over with.

Eastern Champion - Celtics. I know the Big Three are old but they've got young guys who are way good and KG, The Truth and Jesus Shuttlesworth may have developed a hankering for the taste of championships.

Western Champion - Lakers. Bynum is back. You mean aside from Kobe, Pau and Odom, the Lakers also welcome back Bynum the behemoth? Rockets and Jazz have a chance against the Laker Machine. Hornets and Spurs will crumble earlier than anyone else thought.

NBA Champion - Lakers. I don't like it anymore than half the world does but the fact is, on a purely basketball world, I'd take Kobe, Pau, Odom, Bynum, Fisher, Radmanovic and Vujavic over KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Perkins, Powe and Davis.

Team I will be following - Bulls. I'm a Nocioni freak and Captain Kirk is also a favorite of mine. Here's hoping they make it to the second round where they can be shown the door by the Cavs.

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR! (just Red Auerbach's)

This was a loss that showed just how possible it is to beat the Celtics.

The Celtics had the Big Three firing, with Pierce scoring 28 and Allen and Garnett scoring 17 each.
The Celtics had Rondo fuelling and orchestrating the offense magnificently, with a Nash-like 16 assists.

The Celtics had a 28-10 advantage in free throws (meaning calls were going their way).

And yet, they still nearly gave away a 24point lead with just 8 minutes left in the fourth, as Kobe brought the Lakers to within 2points with 30seconds left in the game.

It actually took a herculean 21pt effort in just 14minutes from unheralded Leon Powe and a blocked Vujacic three pointer to finally close the deal for Boston.

Now just imagine one of those things not happening.

PS Kobe is such a phenomenal player. In the fourth, I saw a Laker execute a perfect crossover on Pierce, drive to his left, then rise for a lefthanded teardrop in the lane that hit nothing but net and I thought "Damn, that Odom sure is smooth!"

Then I saw the number. Who else but Black Mamba? He is so good with his offhand that I'm not sure he has an offhand.

WHATTA GAME! Boston wins Game 1, 98-88!

It was a great basketball game.

Lead changes, highlight reel plays, smothering D, diving and clawing for loose balls, clutch shots...

It even featured the dead coming back to life, as Pierce bucked a sprained knee that had him writhing and crying, then hobbling off to the dugout before coming back to score 11 points in the second half and lead Boston to victory with 24pts.

KG, after a nervouse showing in the first few minutes, settled down to his old role of demolisher (did you see that dunk?!) and proved you don't have to be The Man to be a man.

And Ray Ray seems to have found his form and rained down 19pts in able wingman support.

Still, Kobe just scored in the mid 20's and we know he's capable of going for forty for 4 straight games.

Game 2 should be interesting but I'm still calling it for the Celtics.

WHO WANTS IT MORE?

You can tell who won by this picture.

The team who wanted it more.

Down by 10pts in the fourth quarter, facing a hostile crowd, accused of practically being unable to win on the road, the Celtics made this the statement game of the season...proving that they can, not only win on the road, but that they can close out a series on the road.

And, in so doing, have given us a dream match up last seen in the 80's...

It's going to be the Boston Celtics versus the LA Lakers for the 2007-2008 NBA Championships!

MAX-IELL IT OUT!

He was just too much to handle. Aggressive on offense, persistent on defense. He seemed to be everywhere at the same time, and there seemed no way to stop him.

And we're just talking about Jason Maxiell here. The bull strong Piston reserve was a key factor in Detroit's Game 4 win, serving up a highlight reel dunk, two sweet jumpers and a game defining block on Kevin Garnett, a block that screamed to the fans that there ain't no way the Celtics were getting another one in The Palace.

Of course, he had a lot of help from old reliable Rip Hamilton, who did another Reggie Miller impersonation, eating the helpless and hapless Ray Allen, who seems to be deliberately bricking his shots in a fit of superstition.

The series is now a best-of-three affair. I still think Boston's coming out of this dogfight but if they don't...Pistons are a more than worthy championship caliber team.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

Guess now the Pistons wish they didn't win in Boston.

After getting it done there, the pistons came home to a rude awakening...that of the Celtics socking it to them mercilessly on the road.

The Celtics led from start to finish, even as the determined Pistons staged comeback after comeback. KG just wouldn't allow them to feel good for more than a day or two.

Ray Allen's shooting touch seems to be the key here. When he's got it on, the Celtics lose. So I suggest that Jesus Shuttlesworth takes his shooting range and loses it by the highway, the way you'd try to lose a persistent puppy.

Coz when he's shooting blanks, the Celtics are winning them.

Oh, and by the way, the Celtics have got homecourt advantage back. i suggest the Pistons lie low and do the "home-team-wins" thing until we get to Game 7. If not, this may be over in 6games.

PISTONS POUND CELTICS!

You could hear the collective gasp of disbelief grow louder and louder.

The green clad players grew more desperate with each tick of the timer, each tock of the clock.

And then, it was official. Detroit's Fab 5 just beat Boston's Big 3. Which actually makes sense.

With Hamilton exploding for 25 pts and Billups scoring 19pts, McDyess had 15 pts, Prince had 14pts and Wallace had 13 pts and 10 rebounds to trump KG's 24pts and 13 rebounds, Ray Allen's 25 points and Pierce's 26pts.

Only Stuckey (with 13pts) even mattered offense wise as Perkins, Rondo, Posey and Macxiell were no shows for this game.

But the bigger question now is...what happens to the Boston Celtics? All throughout the playoffs, they lost on the road, bringing each of their previous series' to Game 7. And while they got away with it with the Hawks and the Cavs, this is the Pistons we're talking about, the same basic group who have been in the ECF for 6 straight years.

Who you gonna call?

GOOD "D" OR BAD "O"?

This seems to be the most pressing question of the Celtics-Cavaliers series...

We know the Celtics are the best defensive team in the NBA...but are they really this good?

Good enough to hold Lebron to 16+points a night, at around 19% shooting?

Or is Lebron just going through a rough offensive patch?

Game 3 should show us the answer. If Lebron breaks through with some home cookin', shakin' and bakin', then we know Paul Pierce is going to have nightmares the rest of the series. But if almost-MVP Lebron fails to show up...then Celtics might have an easier 2nd round than anyone ever expected.

THAT'S THE WAY, A-HA A-HA!

The real Boston Celtics play only on their homecourt.

They hire stunt doubles to play in Atlanta, which is why this particular series went to 7 games.

Jeff Van Gundy said it best during halftime when he commented "This game is already over. Too bad we don't have a mercy rule."

I have to agree with JVG on this one. There is nothing more boring than 24 minutes of meaningless basketball, when the subs are playing for more playing time next year and the fringe players are showing off in the hopes of landing another 10day contract.

I mean, come on! Glen "Big Baby" Davis passed up two open teammates in the paint just so he could run to the three point line and launch one. How pathetic is that?

But thank God this one is in the books already. Now we can move on to a more intriguing match up: Boston versus Cleveland.

My pick. Lebron's gonna have a great series but would I really pick LBJ over KG, the Truth and the Baby Faced Assassin? No, I don't think so. I think it'll be Boston in 6.

WHAT'S UP WITH THE CELTICS?

Or maybe I should have said...what's down with the Celtics?

I mean, they were doing everything right...they went out and traded a high draft pick for a sharpshooting All Star (experience over potential), got perennial MVP candidate for blooming MVP candidate (again, experience over potential), signed on two proven and playoff tested vets (need I say experience over potential again?), won 65 plus games, got the number 1 seed throughout the playoffs and did it with superb offense and unrelenting defense...All that was left was for their 8th seeded opponent to throw in the towel.

And yet, here we are, gearing up for Game 7 of the Celtics vs the Hawks. What the hell happened?

Garnett, Pierce and Allen are all still playing at around the same level as they were during the regular season so there's no drop off there...Rondo is improving steadily and Cassell and PJ Brown are great additions.

So what's wrong? Pressure getting to the Big Three? Or is it that they are still in that regular season level of play while the Hawks have gone on to playoff mode?

Well, I still think the Celtics got the guns to outbombard the Hawks so I'm going with them for tomorrow.

Hopefully, I don't jinx the Celtics the way I did the Suns.