Lex Nihil Novi

Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, and my Celtic Crankiness

2009-11-27T17:33:00.006-05:00

Despite my prediction, I'm still kind of cranky. A couple of thoughts on my crankiness. First, I read today where during Magic Johnson's rookie season, his teammates kept waiting for him to wear down. It never happened. He played balls-to-the-walls the entire regular season, and kept going until he won the NBA championship. Jamaal Wilkes said that Magic's intensity forced everyone else on the team to raise the level of their game.

Sound familiar?

I like KG, and, like Ray Allen, I like having KG on the court in a uniform instead of on the bench in a suit. More importantly, I'm sick of talking about his knee. But that doesn't mean I'm tired of looking for some member of our team to step up. First I advocated Rajon Rondo. For the most part he has answered the bell. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I never realized how great Larry Bird played in 1987 and 1988, mostly because I was so pissed that our team had no bench and no chance of winning it all. But now that I can look back and appreciate Bird's greatness in those two seasons, I asked myself how old he was.

Answer: 31 in 1987 and 32 in 1988. Paul Pierce is 32 this year. He may have thought the days of him carrying the team every night were over. They may not be. Whaddya say Paul? How about posting a season for the ages? I think you can do it and still play reasonable minutes.

Better yet, I've got something to entice you. Four words.

Know what they are?

League Most Valuable Player.

You've got an ego that needs feeding. How 'bout it?

Vegas: Celtics by 9.5 over Raptors

2009-11-27T17:10:00.002-05:00

LINK

Gameday Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK	L10
TOR	7-9	105.8	108.6	5-2	2-7	L1	4-6
BOS	11-4	99.3	90.9	6-3	5-1	W2	6-4

Last 5 Games
TORONTO (ET)	BOSTON (ET)
Nov 25 @CHA Loss 116-81 Nov 24 IND Win 123-112 Nov 22 ORL Loss 104-96 Nov 20 MIA Win 120-113 Nov 18 @UTA Loss 104-91	Nov 25 PHI Win 113-110 Nov 22 @NY Win 107-105 Nov 20 ORL Loss 83-78 Nov 18 GS Win 109-95 Nov 14 @IND Loss 113-104

I started posting the Vegas odds with the Utah game. More than anything else, these posts have served as my substitute for a real pre-game analysis. In any event, since the loss to Atlanta, we've covered one point-spread, Wednesday's game against Philadelphia. It appears that the odds-makers have noticed, too, as tonight's 9.5 point spread seems historically low for a Friday night in the Garden, but about right for how the Celtics are playing at the present.

I'm gonna go all Celtics Blog on you and predict that the green starts getting it together tonight. This prediction assumes the Celtics can in fact get it together and play great basketball. If they can, now would be a good time to do it, as they play seven of the next nine games on the road.

Screwing-around for three and a half quarters has Celtics fans a tad bit annoyed. It says here that the Celtics players are annoyed, too, and they start to do something about it tonight.

C's Face Tree Rollins Year after He Bit Ainge

2009-11-27T15:07:00.001-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/26/1983

This is a tough house for Tree Rollins to work in. Two years ago he filed a $4-million lawsuit against M. L. Carr (and the Celtics) for an alleged knife-wielding incident (the suit was later dropped). Last spring he was fined and suspended for two games after biting Danny Ainge's middle finger during a playoff free-for-all. In a Globe cartoon yesterday, he was shown going for a rebound with a fork in one hand and a dinner knife in the other.

One hesitates to approach the big fella about such incidents, but what the heck. Tree won't bite. Has the finger sandwich incident had any effect on him? "That was last year," says the 7-foot-1, six-year veteran. Will he be bothered by the reaction of the Boston crowd? "It's the usual crowd stuff, that's all." Rollins and Ainge didn't exchange get-well cards after the incident. "I've never heard from him," says Ainge. "The thing is forgotten. My hand is all better."

Tree got the expected reception during the player introductions last night, but things were pretty uneventful after that. The Hawks are 7-0 at home and were 0-5 on the road coming into the Garden. "There's a couple of factors involved," says rookie coach Mike Fratello. "There are nine new coaches in the NBA this year, which means that nine coaches are trying to get a feel for the players they have. I think that has a part in it with us."

Fratello's stately forward, Dan Roundfield, adds, "It's difficult to solve the problem, but we have played well at home and I think we have a better team than we had last year. We have a better bench than we had then." The Hawks still regret losing their three-game mini-series to the Celtics. "We blew that first game in Boston," says Rollins. "We stll thought we could beat them in that last game. We had their number for a while, but after the fight, everything went their way."

MISC

The Hawks play host to the Houston Rockets and you-know-who (Bill Fitch) in the Omni tonight . . . Atlanta officials have noticed that although there are more than 100 USA and ESPN NBA cablecasts this season, the Hawks will be fetured only once. It might have something to do with the fact that Ted Turner's WTBS outfit telecasts 41 Hawk games . . . Celtics center Robert Parish was honored at halftime last night for his cooperation in promoting public awareness of lupus . . . The Celtics play the Pistons in the Garden tomorrow night.

Bulpett Bashes Late 80s Celtics

2009-11-27T10:46:00.009-05:00

Watching the way the Celtics are playing now brings to mind their forefathers from the 1980s. Unfortunately, we’re talking about the very late ’80s. The teams from that decade needed more than just their significant talent to win. They were often tougher and willing to work harder than their opponents. But a strange thing happened as the decade got late. Though they still clearly were one of the NBA’s elite teams, they started acting like it was their birthright. And that was a problem.

LINK

One very good point and one head-scratcher. The Boston Celtics' teams from the 1980s needed more than just talent to win. Of this there can be little dispute. Check out this article from 1985 if you need a refresher about the hard-hat, blue-collar manner in which Bird's Celtics played basketball, or this series of articles from 1987 if you want a graduate course in heart and courage on the hardwood.

Which brings us to the second claim that the Celtics of the late 1980s started playing basketball like winning titles was their birthright. Give me a break. Let me first be clear on one point. Bird's Celtics played with a swagger that was matched only by Magic's Lakers (and maybe, to some extent, Zeke's Pistons). But to suggest that the swagger somehow got in the way of winning games is off mark. Sure the Celtics took nights off. Look here, here, and here for that.

But talented players taking a few nights off and playing a few bad games does not mean that they lost games due to a sense of entitlement. Players are human. It is virtually impossible for even the most well-conditioned and committed athletes to play an 82-game schedule over six months without experiencing a few physical or emotional letdowns. Look at the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, a team thought by many fans and pundits to have played the entire regular season like it was the seventh game of the NBA Finals. Sure, they started out the season 29-3. Once that streak was over, however, they dropped 6 of their next 13 games. They also lost the first three games after the All-Star break to teams they'd handily defeated earlier in the season. Why? They were still on break. A year later they started 27-2, and then proceeded to lose six of their next nine.

Players have ups and downs, and veteran players who realize the prize is not awarded until June may have a difficult time getting up for games early in the schedule. I was there for the demise of the 1980s Celtics. I watched it. They won every regular season game they possibly could. KC Jones made sure of that by grinding the starters into the ground with big minutes. The reason the older Celtics got into trouble was because of 1) injuries; 2) old age; 3) younger opponents; and 4) more talented opponents. That's it. They may have taken some games for granted (expansion teams at home), but they still put their hard hats on and went to work.

I don't see that being the case thus far for the 2009-10 Boston Celtics. They've played long stretches of lethargic and listless basketball. They might be rightfully accused of meandering around the basketball court in a fog. I don't ever recall that being the case in the late 1980s. Every night the late 1980s Celtics played basketball knowing that home court was at stake. They had to win at least 60 regular season games if they wanted a shot at home court in the ECFs or NBA Finals against younger, arguably more talented teams. And those Celtics' teams took home court VERY SERIOUSLY, having gone 50-1 in 1986 at home (regular season and playoffs) and 39-2 (regular season) in 1987.

A sense of entitlement, I remember not.

Will Bird's Celtics Match the Futility of the Wicks-Rowe Era?

2009-11-27T07:03:00.001-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/25/1983

We are reminded today of the last lace, 29-53 Celtics of 1978-79. They were the creation of John Y. Brown, featuring Bob McAdoo, Curtis Rowe, Sidney Wicks, and Dennis Awtrey. We are reminded of this awful outfit because they were the last Celtics team to lose more than four straight games. They did it several times, of course, the last being an impressive eight-game swoon between March 27 and April 7 in 1979.

The 1983-84 Celtics face the prospect of a fifth consecutive loss tonight (7:30) when the high-flying Atlanta Hawks come to the Boston Garden. The Central Division-leading Hawks have won four straight and could create some dubious Celtics history by winning tonight. Take comfort. Cedric Maxwell, the only link between the awful Celtics of '78-'79 and the current Boston unit, sees no resemblance.

"This team doesn't have that knack," says Max. "We've got the quality to bounce back. The team I was on back then, we'd lose four and we'd know it was gonna be five or six. We've got too many leaders now to go into that kind of a
tailspin." Maxwell thinks he knows what's causing the Celtics' skid. "Our inside game has been strong," says Maxwell. "But we've got to be more consistent from the outside. Teams are starting to jam back in on us like they did last year." Larry Bird's much-publicized shooting slump has temporarily stripped the Celtics of their best outside threat. Bird is shooting an abysmal 32.9 percent (25 for 76) in the four-game losing streak.

The Celtics have fallen behind by considerable margins in each game of the streak. "We won't get stuck in the mud again Friday," coach K. C. Jones promises. "We have to eliminate that. We've gotten into some bad habits . . ." Bird added, "We're not executing and not moving the ball, but I still feel really good about this team. I think we've got a better chance of winning a championship than we've ever had. Standing around on offense has been our biggest problem."

The Celtics haven't been able to complete any comebacks either. They made up huge deficits in the Philadelphia and New York losses, but still stand 0-5 in games in which they are trailing or tied going into the fourth quarter. The Hawks are 7-5 and have won four straight, all at home. Rookie guard Glenn (Don't call me Doc until Julius retires) Rivers has started the last three games at point guard and is averaging 32.7 minutes, 10 points, 6.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds in that span. Overall, the 6-foot-4 rookie from Marquette is shooting 52 percent (35-67) from the floor. He has been starting in place of Johnny Davis, who is out with a pulled hamstring.

Eddie Johnson is Atlanta's shooting guard and is averaging 23.2 points and eight assists in his last five games. Mike Glenn is the first guard off the bench, and when he takes over at the wing, Johnson moves to the point. Up front, Tree (Love at First Bite) Rollins makes his first appearance in the Garden since he gnawed Danny Ainge's finger in a playoff brawl last April. Tree is averaging a league-leading 4.6 blocks a game. He took a stray elbow from Indiana's Steve Stipanovich Tuesday, but expects to play.

Dan Roundfield and Dominique Wilkins will flank Tree. The estimable Roundfield has 35 rebounds in his last two games and is averaging 17.3 points and nine rebounds overall. Wilkins is averaging 19.9 points and a whopping 4.1 offensive rebounds a game. He has scored in double figures in every game (something none of the Celtics can claim), and has hit for 20 or more in eight of 12 games.

2009-11-26T10:57:00.001-05:00

The Forgotten Ups and Downs of Early 07-08

2009-11-26T08:54:00.012-05:00

It's difficult to dominate four quarters of basketball. Yet many Celtics fans remember the start of the 2007-08 as a period when the Celtics did just that game after game on their way to an 11-2 start. But as you'll see below, that just wasn't the case. Even though the Celtics blew out both Washington and Denver to start the season, they didn't dominate the opponent in the second half of either game. The Celtics beat Toronto in overtime of game 2, but the only reason the game went into OT was because the Raptors badly outscored the Celtics in the fourth quarter.

In game 5, the Celtics beat New Jersey by 11, but gave up 35 fourth quarter points. We also got dominated by Miami in the fourth quarter of game 8, almost losing that game down the stretch. Orlando kicked our tails in the first quarter of game 9, while the Lakers scored 58 points in quarters 3 and 4 of game 10. Finally, we were up and down against Cleveland, playing an uneven game until finally dropping the contest in OT.

I'm not saying Celtics are now playing as well as they did to start to the 07-08 season. I'm just saying that the 07-08 team played unevenly, too, and that any memories of complete dominance are inaccurate. I also think that a team comprised of veterans sees little to gain from trying to put away a game in the first half. It wastes a lot of energy, and often times doesn't accomplish the objective. It would be nice to see this team start to mesh and post some sizable blowouts. But the first real test will come between Nov 29 and Jan 20, when the team plays 16 of 22 games on the road. That's when we will start to see what this team is made of.

With any luck, we'll be playing some of our best basketball by the end of that stretch. At least I hope we are. Why? The next five games thereafter are against Portland and the Clippers at home, Orlando and Atlanta on the road, and then that other Los Angeles team at home.

  
WAS (0-2)  18  18  21  26  83
BOS (1-0)  21  37  21  24  103

BOS (2-0)  23  15  28  12  20  98
TOR (2-1)  14  17  24  23  17  95

DEN (2-3)  22  16  28  27  93
BOS (3-0)  38  39  26  16  119

ATL (2-3)  19  22  20  22  83
BOS (4-0)  24  31  19  32  106

BOS (5-0)  26  33  28  25  112
NJN (4-2)  27  25  14  35  101

BOS (6-0)  26  26  24  25  101
IND (3-4)  24  19  22  21  86

NJN (4-4)  23  11  20  15  69
BOS (7-0)  17  19  26  29  91

MIA (1-8)  24  22  19  26  91
BOS (8-0)  24  28  24  16  92

BOS (8-1)  17  24  35  26  102
ORL (9-2)  28  30  25  21  104

GSW (3-7)  16  21  27  18  82
BOS (9-1)  25  25  31  24  105

LAL (7-5)   16  19  31  28  94
BOS (10-1)  25  28  31  23  107

BOS (11-1)  23  25  28  20  96
CHA (6-7)   23  30  22  20  95

BOS (11-2)  20  29  23  20  12  104
CLE (9-6)   26  20  28  18  17  109

Jabbar was No Russell

2009-11-26T06:37:00.004-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/24/1983

Item: Kareem Abdul-kabbar passes the 30,000-point mark.

And some day he will surpass Wilt Chamberlain's record of 31,419 points to become the NBA's leading scorer. He is certain to be hailed in Los Angeles as the greatest player ever. We in Boston will say, "I beg your pardon. It's about this guy who used to wear No. 6 . . . " It has now been 14 years since Bill Russell played his last game for the Celtics. Millions have grown up without having seen him play, unable to understand how a man with a lifetime scoring average of 15.1 points per game could be viewed by their elders as the starting point for all pivotman discussions.

The average basketball player today shoots better, runs better and jumps better than the player of 15 years ago. But this does not mean anything when the topic of discussion is Bill Russell, the first "modern" center. His calling cards were defense, rebounding and just plain winning. Be assured that Bill Russell would dominate rival centers today, just as he did in his prime. They don't want to hear about this down in Philadelphia, because they had Wilt Chamberlain.

His individual feats border on the incomprehensible. You will see Michael Gelber elected mayor of Boston before you will see another NBA player average 50.4 points a game for one season (1961-62), average more than 27 rebounds a game (which he did twice) or score 55 or more points in one game 72 times. The numbers favor Wilt in any discussion against anybody; we all know that. But Wilt Chamberlain was no Bill Russell; we all know that, too.

Don't misunderstand. There is a lot to be said for Kareem. He truly was a franchise when he broke in with the Milwaukee Bucks, lifting them from 27 victories in their first season (1968-69) to 56 in his rookie year, then to 66 and an NBA title in his second season. He personally kept the Bucks afloat in the 1974 finals against the Celtics. In case your memory needs refreshing, the Bucks lost Lucius Allen with a knee injury before the Celtics series began and had to make do for much of the final series without Jon McGlocklin, as well. Larry Costello's starting lineup was Kareem, Bob Dandridge, Curtis Perry, a 34-year-old Oscar Robertson and Mickey Davis. Yet this team took the Celtics to a seventh game and the reason was Kareem.

But it is impossible to equate so indifferent a rebounder and so spotty a competitor with Russell, or even with Chamberlain. History will also record that two shorter, fiercer, more passionate men were able to neutralize him in his prime. I am speaking of Willis Reed and Dave Cowens, each of whom was not only able to score on Kareem by staying outside, but who also defended him well and certainly beat him to the boards more than could have been expected.

Indeed, the big beef with Kareem has to be his rebounding. If the first rule of rebounding is simply to go after the ball, Kareem must be marked as a failure. He is 7-3, or whatever. He has marvelous coordination. He is no 97-pound weakling. But the results have always been lacking. He ought to be ashamed of his career rebound accomplishments. Not wanting to rebound doesn't make him a bad person, but it surely disqualifies him from any discussion involving Russell and Chamberlain.

Kareem's legacy will be the hook shot, which he has elevated to an art form. It is the most fearsome offensive weapon in the history of the sport, and the wonder of it all is that Kareem has obviously failed to serve as the role model for all young centers following in his wake. The hook should be the basic shot of every center, at every level, and yet more big men coming out in the '70s and early '80s appear to have been inspired by Elvin Hayes and his turnaround jumper (Exhibit A: Darryl Dawkins) than by Kareem and his hook.

So rank Kareem third, at best, on the all-time list of centers. Then we come to the matter of Bill Walton, whose best game was better than anybody's, Russell included. But that's a discussion for another day. I've got to go polish up my hook shot, not to mention my jump hook.

11-4: Celtics 113, Sixers 110

2009-11-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

76ers 110, Celtics 113

Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart GameCast RealTime Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
PHI (5-10)	23	29	33	25	110
BOS (11-4)	27	24	28	34	113

End of Qtr

7:30 PM ET, November 25, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

Refresh: 30 | 60 | 90 | OFF

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Jrue Holiday, G	33	4-13	0-3	2-4	1	3	6	0	0	4	5	-8	10
Andre Iguodala, SG	46	8-18	2-4	7-8	2	9	9	1	0	4	5	-7	25
Jason Smith, PF	23	3-4	2-2	0-0	2	6	2	0	1	1	4	-17	8
Thaddeus Young, F	40	7-16	1-1	2-4	1	6	0	2	0	3	3	-9	17
Samuel Dalembert, C	26	2-8	0-0	0-0	4	9	2	1	1	1	3	-6	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Primoz Brezec, C	8	0-3	0-0	0-0	2	4	0	0	0	0	4	+16	0
Royal Ivey, PG	5	1-1	1-1	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	+6	3
Lou Williams, G	Has not entered game
Marreese Speights, PF	Has not entered game
Elton Brand, PF	Has not entered game
Jason Kapono, SF	29	8-11	4-6	0-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	+2	20
Rodney Carney, SF	8	1-1	1-1	2-2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	+6	5
Willie Green, SG	13	5-7	2-2	6-6	0	1	4	0	0	1	2	+6	18
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		39-82	13-20	19-26	12	39	26	4	2	13	30		110
		47.6%	65.0%	73.1%
Fast break points: 23 Team TO ( points off ): 13 (17) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Ray Allen, SG	32	6-14	1-6	5-5	1	5	2	1	0	0	2	-5	18
Paul Pierce, SF	43	10-15	3-7	4-4	0	6	6	1	1	0	4	+10	27
Rajon Rondo, PG	37	5-9	0-1	0-0	0	4	7	2	0	3	5	+10	10
Kevin Garnett, PF	30	5-9	0-0	9-12	1	4	4	0	0	3	1	+1	19
Kendrick Perkins, C	23	4-7	0-0	4-6	5	8	1	1	1	2	4	+9	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
J.R. Giddens, SG	Has not entered game
Lester Hudson, G	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Tony Allen, SG	Has not entered game
Shelden Williams, PF	3	0-1	0-0	1-2	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	-6	1
Glen Davis, PF	Has not entered game
Rasheed Wallace, FC	21	2-7	2-6	2-4	1	4	0	0	0	2	3	+1	8
Brian Scalabrine, PF	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	-1	0
Marquis Daniels, SG	21	2-7	0-2	1-2	1	1	2	0	1	2	2	-3	5
Eddie House, PG	22	4-9	1-5	4-4	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	+7	13
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		38-78	7-27	30-39	11	37	23	6	3	12	22		113
		48.7%	25.9%	76.9%
Fast break points: 19 Team TO ( points off ): 12 (12) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Vegas: Boston -12 over the Sixers

2009-11-25T10:45:00.002-05:00

LINK

Gameday Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK	L10
PHI	5-9	96.7	101.1	3-4	2-5	L3	3-7
BOS	10-4	98.4	89.6	5-3	5-1	W1	6-4

Last 5 Games
PHILADELPHIA (ET)	BOSTON (ET)
Nov 24 @WAS Loss 108-107 Nov 21 @CLE Loss 97-91 Nov 20 MEM Loss 102-97 Nov 18 CHA Win 86-84 Nov 14 @CHI Loss 94-88	Nov 22 @NY Win 107-105 Nov 20 ORL Loss 83-78 Nov 18 GS Win 109-95 Nov 14 @IND Loss 113-104 Nov 13 ATL Loss 97-86

"Kevin Garnett is an Average NBA Forward"

2009-11-25T09:38:00.004-05:00

That's what Bob Ryan says here, a statement bound to stir a response. I'm sure there's a few bloggers that can confirm or refute this assertion based on stats. For the record, KG is averaging 13.2 PPG, 7.6 RPB, 1.0 BPG, and 2.3 APG, while shooting 48% the floor. All of these numbers, while sub-par for the Ticket, sound like he still belongs in the upper third or better of all NBA big men.

So I'm going to register my disagreement with Grampa Celtic.

For now.

What's wrong with the 1983-84 Boston Celtics?

2009-11-24T15:18:00.001-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/23/1983

Have we vastly overrated this bunch? Are Robert Parish, Cedric Maxwell, Dennis Johnson, Quinn Buckner and Scott Wedman over the hill? Is Gerald Henderson capable of being the consistent guard the team has lacked? Is it time to give up on Danny Ainge? Are the team's fortunes too dependent on Larry Bird's shooting accuracy? Do they (gulp) miss Bill Fitch?

There are no easy answers to the questions, but one thing is clear: The Celtics have lost much of their intimidation. In the spirit of the Berlin Airlift, they've brought joy to decimated franchises around the league in the last 12 months. This benevolence has cost them dearly. They have forfeited their "big stick" mystique. They have to work harder to win now, because teams don't fear them anymore.

After New York's double-overtime victory over Boston Tuesday (the Knicks' fourth win in their last five games against the Celtics), Marvin Webster and Rory Sparrow issued telling statements.

Webster: "In the past, playing Boston, we always came in scared to lose. It was a psychological thing. Now we know we can beat them."

Sparrow: "We're no longer in awe of the Celtics' mystique."

There. The mere presence of Celtic Green is no longer enough to wilt opponents.

The Celtics are paying for bad habits acquired last year, when they lost to weak teams and had trouble handling mediocre ones. It's not like the good old days when opponents threw in the towel as soon as Fitch unleashed his formidable weaponry. Teams now think they can beat the Celtics. The Bullets do. So do the Hawks, and the Knicks and the Pistons. Even the Utah Jazz know they can beat the Celtics.

Coach K. C. Jones has noticed. "It's more of a problem this year than ever before," he says. "Utah, Detroit, New York, Indiana . . . all of them seem to have supreme confidence. Before, we'd walk on the court and we'd know that they knew that we were gonna win. Now they believe they can win, and it makes a difference."

One more thing. The Celtics are not viewed elsewhere the way they are here. Before Tuesday's game in New York, basketball scribe Harvey Araton of the Daily News wrote, "Another victory over the Celtics might create some doubt as to which team will chase the 76ers in the Atlantic Division."

Chuckle if you like, but the Celtics shouldn't be laughing. It's time for the Green Team to re-establish itself, or admit that it has dropped behind Philadelphia into that second-tier wasteland occupied by the Knicks, Nets and Hawks of this world.

Celtics in 9-Month Slump

2009-11-24T11:21:00.002-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/24/1983

Someone in the Celtics organization did something wrong in the first week of last February. It has to be that. How else can you explain what has happened to this club over the last 9 months? From the time Bill Fitch arrived in Boston to Feb. 4, 1983, the club had a winning percentage of 76 percent - 223 wins and 70 losses. Since that time (including last year's playoffs) the record is 30 wins and 26 losses for 54 percent. How does one explain the dramatic dropoff in performance from such a high level to mediocre with the same players?

Bird Clanging More than His Share of Bricks

2009-11-24T07:52:00.008-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Knicks 117, Celtics 113
Record: 9-5
11/23/1983

If you've ever shot hoops out behind the barn with Uncle Ernie, you know what it feels like. You don't need NBA experience to understand The Big Chill. It can happen to anyone . . . anytime. A shooter goes through white-hot phases when he feels like he's tossing hard-boiled eggs into a silo, then suddenly wakes up one morning with Charles Bradley Disease.

The Big Chill has Larry Bird in a deep freeze right now. Somewhere between Denver and Salt Lake City, Bird temporarily lost his extraordinary shooting touch. Shots that ordinarily kiss the bottom of the twine have been rudely clanging off the back rim and there's not much he can do about it. A $1.8 million per year contract won't help at a time like this, and neither will advice from coaches, teammates or well-meaning talking heads.

Bird's shooting slump is news because it's rare, and it has had a dramatic impact on the sliding fortunes of the local live. With Bird shooting .528 from the floor, the Celtics rolled to a 9-1 start. Since Bird ducked into his ice water mansion, (25-76, .329) the Celtics have dropped four straight. Bird was playing for Indiana State the last time the Celtics lost five in a row (April '79).

Always a key man at crunch time, Bird did not score a single point in either overtime in New York Tuesday night. He finished 6-19 from the floor and said afterward, "I'm tired of this." Bird concedes that he's never had a professional shooting slump like this one. "As far as shooting bad, I'd say this is probably the worst," he says. "I've really had some good shots and I'm not making them.

"I don't really worry about it," he adds. "If I shoot a shot and miss, I always feel that the next one will go in. Right now I'm not hitting the shots I was hitting earlier." He has been hampered by a nagging cold and routine hip and elbow bruises, but refuses to make excuses. He expects to be asked about his slump and handles inquiries without indignation or emotion.

"I know I've got to talk about it when I'm not shooting well," he says. "It's no different than when people ask me about my shooting when I'm shooting real well. If it were someone else, people might not notice as much, but it's expected of me to hit those shots. I'm a pressure player." What about the rest of the Celtics? Is it possible they are relying too much on the shooting accuracy of one player? Cedric Maxwell admits, "The way we've been playing, I would say we've been depending too much on Larry's shot. If we're going to turn things around, we'll have to go to other avenues until Larry gets back on the track."

Coach K. C. Jones adds, "There's a large connection between Larry's shooting and our losing right now. He's our No. 1 outside shooter and he's not shooting well. That puts an extra burden on what we're trying to do, but if we were totally tied into Larry, we wouldn't be much of a team. We just have to find a hot man." Bird thinks he'll be the hot man tomorrow night when the Celtics entertain the Hawks (yesterday's Globe erroneously reported that the Celtics would play San Antonio tomorrow). Bird says, "Chances are, I'll probably have a great game. I love to shoot in the Garden. And once I am out of a slump, I usually come out pretty good."

MISC

The Knicks feel they have Boston's number. New York has won four of the last five games between the two teams and five of the last seven.In the four years before Hubie Brown took over, Boston owned an 18-4 advantage . . . Bird had 11 assists and rebounds to go along with his 16 points Tuesday. It was his second triple-double of the season . . . Celtic owners Don Gaston and Alan Cohen attended the Knick game as did actor Jack Nicholson and Mets rookie Darryl Strawberry . . . Quinn Buckner, who got into a little scuffle with Rory Sparrow, played only seven minutes and did not score . . . Kevin McHale picked up his fourth technical foul of the young season . . . The Celtics have played nine road games already, but will be home for two weeks. Jones ordered a 10 o'clock workout for this morning.

Close Mouth, Play Basketball

2009-11-24T07:44:00.004-05:00

Anyone who watches the NBA on a regular basis knows that the Celtics are the loudest and most demonstrative team in the league when the game starts. They yell to the fans at home. They yell at fans on the road. They chest bump each other. They chest pound themselves. They talk trash to other players constantly. They berate the referees on every call that goes against them. They curse constantly. They laugh and cheer and wave towels on the bench during the fourth quarter of blowout wins. To be perfectly honest, between the lines, they are jerks.

And I love that about them. I like the fact that, at least during the games, they can’t stand the other team. They try and get in the heads of their opponents through intimidation, and why shouldn’t they? They are trying to gain an edge any way they can. They’ve developed a reputation for this behavior and they are widely known for the angry swagger they display every night they take the floor. All good things in my book.

Except that swagger doesn’t block shots. Reputations don’t rebound. F-words don’t count as points. If they did, Kevin Garnett would have broken every scoring record in the history of the league. The Celtics have plenty of hardware. They have championship rings, a Finals MVP, a League MVP, a defensive player of the year award, but unless they are going to bring the trophies to the game and chuck them at the other team, they are meaningless after the opening tip.

Okay, maybe that was a little redundant, but I had to belabor the point to make it clear that this team cannot just show up every night and yell some profanities and wave their resumes and hope to win the East. Again, I love their on-court antics, but when you run your mouth against a team and they run you out of the gym, you should be embarrassed. Example: Gary Washburn wrote on Monday that Pierce and Garnett were making fun of Dahntay Jones’ jump shot in the first half on Saturday, and then proceeded to let him drop 25 points on them. That’s unacceptable. When that happens, the antics go from “intensity” to “stupidity”.

--Ian Rider

As a fan, I'm inclined to direct an F-Bomb at the entire Celtics team. Shut the F up, fellas, and go find your game.

C's Drop 4th Straight

2009-11-23T13:47:00.004-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Knicks 117, Celtics 113
Record: 9-5
11/23/1983

How do you like your turkey?

The Celtics were outplayed and outscored again last night. It took two overtimes, but when the last of the final buzzers sounded, Hubie Brown's hungry Knicks had danced on the fabled Green Team again, 117-113, before a bloodthirsty 16,921 at the Penn Station sports palace. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the sagging Celtics, which means that Boston will be faced with the ugly prospect of five straight when Atlanta invades the Garden Friday night.

The Celtics had plenty of chances to win this one, but Gerald Henderson missed an easy jumper at the close of the first overtime, Larry Bird continued his shooting slump (6 of 19) and Robert Parish (7-20) was neo-catatonic in the extra innings. Collectively, Boston shot a woeful 4 for 19 in the two overtimes. "We had chances to win and we didn't win," sighed Kevin McHale (an impressive 25 points and 13 rebounds). "Three times we didn't win."

The Celtics' best chance for victory came at the end of Overtime 1, when Henderson (21 points) missed an open 8-foot jumper with the score tied and three seconds left on the clock. "You've got to give Marvin Webster credit," said Henderson. "He blocked my view of the basket. I got it up and over him, but it came off the back of the rim. He had his hand up and I couldn't see the basket."

"We had a chance to win and missed a chippy," said a disappointed K. C. Jones. It was 108-108 at the end of Overtime 1. Henderson opened the second extra period with a follow-up basket, but Louis Orr answered for the Knicks. New York went ahead, 112-110, on a jumper by Ray Williams (17 points, 12 assists). After a three-point play by Parish, Bernard King (24) put the Knicks ahead for good (114-113), canning a jumper in Bird's face with 1:43 left.

Then Parish missed a layup and Orr rebounded. When Rory Sparrow (24, 10 assists) buried a bomb to make it 116-113 with 1:22 left, Boston called time and the new Garden exploded. In the closing seconds, Bird had a shot blocked by Webster and Parish had one swatted by Ray Williams. After Parish rebounded a bomb, McHale was hit with an offensive foul with 13 seconds left. New York had the ball, a 116-113 lead and the game.

"To beat them we needed the key block by Marvin and the key block by Ray," noted Brown. "They were big plays, and when we got the ball, we did something with it. The Celtics are usually the team blocking the shot and making the big play at the end. For us to do that, it was extremely big." There was nothing clinical about this one, folks. In five minutes of the first overtime, each team managed to score only four points. The Celtics shot 2 for 9, the Knicks 2 for 8. The Knicks were hit with a 24-second-clock violation with 11 seconds left, and Boston blew its chance when Henderson's shot clanged off the rim.

Regulation ended after the Celtics, who had trailed (by as many as 17) since late in the first quarter, pulled even with six seconds left. McHale rebounded a Sparrow miss and passed to Bird (11 assists and rebounds), who fed Henderson in the lane. Henderson laid it in to tie it at 104-104. The Knicks called time and set up a final play. After two more timeouts, Sparrow finally inbounded to King, who tossed an airball over Bird. The shot landed in the hands of Dennis Johnson as the buzzer sounded.

The Celtics were thoroughly outplayed in the first half and trailed, 63-51, at intermission. Knicks center Bill Cartwright accounted for New York's big lead. No longer Invisi-Bill, Cartwright had 18 points and seven rebounds to Parish's four and two in the first half. Cartwright finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. New York's biggest lead was 78-61, midway through the third quarter. That was when Jones tried his "big" team (two centers, two forwards and Henderson). Boston's treetop team dominated the boards for a while, and the Celtics clawed back into it. The Celtics outscored the Knicks, 16-4, to pull within five (82-77) in the final minute of the period.

The Knicks led, 84-77, after three. Boston had a lot of luck with Sammy Baugh court-length passes in the third and fourth quarters. The Celtics pulled to within two several times, but couldn't tie it until Henderson scored with six seconds left. Then came the 4- for-19 overtime shooting and the Celtics' well-deserved fourth straight defeat.

ERIC FERNSTEN UPDATE

The ex-Celtics center-forward sat at the end of the Knicks bench in street clothes. He's on the injured-reserve list (Achilles tendon). He's still waiting for a ruling on his grievance, filed against Boston after the Celtics cut him last fall. Fernsten still claims he had a hernia at the time he was cut, and expects an arbitration date within 4-6 weeks.

Earlier this fall, it appeared he and the Celtics had made up and he would be at training camp, but he refused to take a physical and the Celtics said goodby. "I didn't take the physical because I hadn't yet talked to my agent (Don Dejardin) about the contract I agreed to with the Celtics," said Fernsten. "The deal was that I would take the physical after my agent approved the terms of the contract, but he was busy with the big San Diego-Seattle trade and the Celtics wouldn't wait. They just call Ed and said to report for a physical in 15 minutes."

KC Jones Riles Up Pitino

2009-11-23T13:33:00.004-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-4
11/22/1983

There is tension between these two teams. When the Celtics arrived at Madison Square Garden last night, Hubie Brown was walking his troops through some plays in the dimly lit sports palace. Celtics coach K. C. Jones took a front-row seat and watched the duration of the workout (about 25 minutes' worth). At one point, Knicks trainer Mike Saunders came over and started talking to Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most, who was seated next to Jones. Saunders' real objective was thinly veiled. He was standing directly in front of K. C. as he small-talked with Most.

"Could you move aside?," asked Jones.

"K. C., you can't watch our practice," said Saunders.

With that, Jones got out of his seat, moved to another and resumed watching the Knicks. When the session ended, Knicks assistant Rick Pitino walked by and said to Jones, "Did you get everything you needed?" Upon learning of the incident, one Knicks official said, "That's a low blow by K. C." Asked about it, Jones said, "There's no law that says we can't come out here and watch." "If K. C. wasn't a nice guy, he'd have knocked that trainer on his ass," added combative general manager Red Auerbach.

"We don't even think about it," said Hubie. "If he wants to do that, fine. In the end, it just comes down to execution anyway." Pitino added, "It was the strangest thing I've ever seen in my life. I was afraid to keep going through the plays, but Hubie said, Never mind him.' Nobody ever watched us like that before. Coaches might be in the arena somewhere, but nobody ever sat and watched."

No One Said It was Going to Be Easy

2009-11-23T13:26:00.006-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-4
11/22/1983

When he was named head coach of the Celtics last June, K. C. Jones said he had wanted the job ever since he was black. That's a long time. In just 13 games, Jones already has experienced almost everything his coveted position has to offer. He has lived through the euphoria of a nine-game winning streak and the second-guessing that comes with a three-game losing streak. He has returned triumphantly to the scene of his firing (Washington) and endured a bitter battle in Philadelphia's Spectrum. He has been ejected by Darrell Garretson and questioned about playing time allotted Danny Ainge and Scott Wedman.

"My introductory period has been over since the (opening) Detroit game," he says with a sigh. What about pressure? Jones' predecessor, Bill Fitch, had trouble coping with ghosts of championships past and the lofty expectations of the Celtic fandom. How does it feel to be 9-4 and hear only, "What's wrong with you guys?" "I really haven't felt the pressure yet," Jones says. "It must be out there waitin' to lay on me, but I don't feel it at this point. It's brought on by what's expected of the Celtics. I knew this was coming and I know that if we don't snap our three-game losing streak, it'll be much more verbal."

He would like nothing better than to beat Hubie Brown and the New York Knicks tonight at 8 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks topped Boston three times in six tries last year, and beat the Celtics at Boston Garden Friday, 110-103. "They think they own us now," Jones says. "They came into Boston and talked about how they were able to quiet our fans. Now we have to go into their place. We'll see what happens."

Jones would probably rather win in New York than anywhere. He no longer attempts to mask his disdain for the Knicks' outspoken head coach. Jones almost got into a hallway brawl with Brown last season, and Brown's inflammatory comments in a recent Sports Illustrated profile further infuriated Jones. In the article, Brown labeled Jones' longtime friend, Bill Russell, as "a terrible human being," and suggested that ex-players were not worthy of NBA coaching positions. Jones says he didn't speak to Brown at the Garden last week.

"Hubie Brown is a small person who thinks that making a big salary and being in the spotlight makes him a man," says Jones. "He rips Russell, a guy that created the NBA as we know it, a guy who gave it respect. Hubie and us other coaches might not have jobs if it weren't for Bill Russell. Russell was the epitome of what a ballplayer should be and you've got to be sick to rip him like that."

What about Brown's torching of all NBA coaches except Dick Motta, Jack Ramsay and himself? "I would have been hot about that, but I'm in a pretty big group there," says Jones. "If Hubie had been in as may championship finals as Billy Cunningham, maybe he could say some of those things." Jones has to bite his tongue when asked about the work of the NBA's substitute officials. Some NBA coaches have been fined for blasting the non- union refs, and Jones will only say, "It's awful not to be able to talk about it. I just got to do what I got to do out there. You give them a break because you know the effort's there, but when something's happening on a consistent basis, you've got to get up and scream and yell."

Boston's ever-volatile playing-time crisis is another of the new coach's dilemmas. Ask Jones if he'll try to find more minutes for Ainge, and he says, "I'd like to get Scott (Wedman) more minutes. I'd like to get M. L. Carr more minutes. There aren't enough minutes." Ainge requested - and was granted - a private audience with Jones after yesterday's practice. Wedman has done so twice already.

Nobody said it was going to be easy.

"I'm not nervous yet," Jones says. "Our record is 9-4. We've had a winning streak and now we're in a little losing streak. I'm comfortable with where I am now and with the team and what we've been doing."

MISC

Celtic assistant general manager Jan Volk was dazzled by a report that Robert Parish's renegotiation agreement provides for an option year after the 1985-86 season. "There's still some work to be done on the agreement," said Volk. "I have no idea how someone came up with the speculation they did, especially someone in the league office. We haven't filed anything with the league office. Somebody's being very creative." . . . Woody Allen and Dustin Hoffman are faces in the crowd tonight.

Rory Sparrow is a questionable starter for the Knicks tonight. Ernie Grunfeld may start in Sparrow's place . . . Bernard King has scored 32 points in each of New York's last two games . . . The Knicks lead the league in turnovers (a whopping 23 per game) and defense (allowing only 101 points per game). They also own the best rebounding ratio (53 percent) in the league . . . New York's 7-5 record is pretty impressive when you consider that the Knicks didn't win their seventh game until December 11th last year . . . Larry Bird is shooting 33 percent (19-57) in Boston's losing streak . . . Is it necessary to point out that the last time the Celtics lost four in a row was against Milwaukee in the playoffs last spring?

Celtics May Trade Ainge for Rich Kelly

2009-11-23T12:08:00.002-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-4
11/21/1983

The latest trade rumor has Danny Ainge and Greg Kite going to the Jazz for Rich Kelly and Utah's No. 1 pick in 1984 . . . Speaking of trades, Rick Robey, whom the Celtics dealt to Phoenix, is injured, and the Suns rank as the league's most disappointing team thus far.

Losing Streaks More Common than Earlier in Bird Era

2009-11-23T10:40:00.002-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/21/1983

A Celtic losing streak used to be genuine, stop-the-presses news. In 344 regular season and playoff games between October '79 and March '83, the Celtics lost as many as three straight only once. Those days are over. Celtic losing streaks aren't a Halley's Comet rarity anymore. In 42 games since March 9, the Celtics have endured two four-game losing streaks and are in the midst of a three-gamer which could get out of hand if they don't beat the Knicks in New York tomorrow night.

Obviously, there was nothing disgraceful about Boston's 92-91 defeat in Philadelphia Saturday night. The Celtics rebounded from a 16-point third quarter deficit, outscoring Philly, 24-6, in a 13-minute stretch to take an 82-80 lead late in the fourth quarter. However, Boston shouldn't take too much consolation from its second-half surge. As they did in Utah and again Friday night against the Knicks in the Garden, the Celtics dug a huge hole and couldn't climb out.

"It says a lot about our defense that we were able to come back the way we did," noted center Robert Parish. "But we've got to have that for four quarters instead of two." "When you get down 16, it's too tough to come back," added Larry Bird, whose shooting slump coincides with the Celtics' slide (19 for 57, 33 percent in the three losses). "You have to struggle so hard to get back, and it's tough to maintain that."

"A game has to be evaluated on a 48 minute basis," observed Julius Erving. "When you start talking about how well you played for a certain amount of minutes, you're searching." The Celtics are searching. After winning nine in a row, they've gone into a shooting slump (119-266, .447 percent in three games) that has created huge deficits. It'll be tough to snap out of it on the road against the Knicks. Hubie Brown's hustlers have beaten Boston four times in the last six meetings.

"I wasn't pressing as much tonight," Bird said after hitting 7 of 18 against the Sixers. "I had shots and I had to shoot 'em. I'm not worried about my shooting right now." . . . The Sixers didn't have Bobby Jones (pinched nerve in leg) . . . The Celtics outrebounded Philly, 48-43 . . . Quinn Buckner and Dennis Johnson played superb defense in the second half, but DJ hurt the cause with a wild drive to the hoop in the final minute. The Celtics trailed by one with 47 seconds left when Moses Malone rebounded Johnson's heave. Andrew Toney then buried a jumper ("That was a real Macadamia buster"- Jones), and the game was over.

MISC

Danny Ainge, rapidly becoming the invisible man, played only eight minutes and did not take a shot. It was Ainge's second shutout in three games . . . The Sixers had only three turnovers in the fist half and 10 on the night. Malone had six of Philadelphia's giveaways . . . Philly shot 12-38 (32 percent) in the second half, scoring only 32 points after intermission . . . DJ has hit 52 of 54 free throws. Meanwhile, Scott Wedman hasn't gone to the line in 13 games . . . Boston's nine-game winning streak seemed impressive at the time, but keep these thoughts in mind: Only two of the nine wins came against teams who made the playoffs last year, and after 13 games last year, the Celtics were 11-2, two games better than they are today.

29th in the League in Rebounding

2009-11-23T08:55:00.007-05:00

For all the depth the Celtics believed they had, they rank 29th in the league in rebounding. The absence of Davis limits Rivers's options with his big men and it's becoming apparent that he doesn't trust Shelden Williams for late-game minutes. All nine of Williams's minutes came in the first half, while the Celtics were in dire need of dependable post play against Curry, the suddenly All-Star-caliber Harrington, or nifty undersized center David Lee.

"Baby gives us a force, he brings strength," Garnett said about an hour after draining the winning shot yesterday at the buzzer. "He brings us versatility, the fact you can play different lineups with myself, Rasheed, Shelden. When we get him back along with Tony Allen, it will make us a better team."

--The Globe

How things change. A couple of weeks ago, we were a team filled with multi-talented giants, and now we're the second worst rebounding team in the league. A couple of weeks ago, many Celtics fans believed Shelden Williams had more to offer than Glen Davis. Now Celtics players are looking forward to the return of Glen Davis and (gasp) Tony Allen.

This may be a long, disappointing season, gang.

Another Alley-Oop that Results in Garnett Limping

2009-11-23T06:43:00.004-05:00

A quick perusal of the Web this morning is quite revealing for what we don't find. No one is talking about KG coming up lame once again after another failed alley-oop attempt. The limp was the most pronounced we've seen since this. Celtics Stuff Live opened their show talking about how the Celtics' defense has suffered from the deterioration in Garnett's defensive abilities. I'm going to go a step further.

If KG's knee doesn't significantly improve between now and May, KG may hang them up after this season and call it a career. I don't know Kevin Garnett personally. But I do know that he sets very high standards for himself, standards he's met or exceeded over the course of his career. It just can't be any fun playing basketball at the level he's playing now, having played in the stratosphere for most of his career.

Celtics-Sixers is NBA's Premier Rivalry

2009-11-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/20/1983

We've got rivalries on the mind. Yesterday was Harvard vs. Yale, Boston College vs. Holy Cross, Michigan vs. Ohio State, Pittsburgh vs. Penn State, Washington vs. Washington State and UCLA vs. USC. The NBA did its best to compete. The Boston Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers in the Spectrum. Pro basketball has nothing better to offer.

"It's the one great rivalry in all of sport," says 76ers general manager Pat Williams. "It's a privilege to be associated with it. It's hard to find a good hatred pattern in any sport, but we've got one. It is something to be savored, valued and enjoyed." Ancient history isn't needed to establish the validity of this holy war. One needn't look back any further than Oct. 16, when three fights, three ejections and Red Auerbach's divine intervention highlighted a Celtics-Sixers exhibition game in the Garden.

Auerbach didn't go to Philadelphia last night. "I don't want to go down there," he says. "The fans give me too hard of a time, you know what I mean?" In addition to mutual disdain, the Celtics and 76ers present uncommon excellence and parity. Over the last four years, the Celtics and Sixers have compiled the top two NBA regular-season winning percentages, reached the finals four times and won two NBA championships.

When it comes to parity, it is impossible to top Philly-Boston. Going into last night's game, the 76ers and Celtics had met 43 times (regular season and playoff) since Larry Bird joined the Celtics in 1979. Philadelphia had won 22 games, Boston 21. They even compete in the offseason. Every move the Sixers make, every breath they take, is monitored by the Celtics, and vice versa. Would anyone deny that the presence of Andrew Toney in a Sixers uniform has forced the Celtics to spend the past two summers searching for a standout defensive guard? Quinn Buckner and Dennis Johnson were acquired to stop Toney.

"Let's put it this way," admits a Celtics official. "We're certainly not putting our ballclub together with the Utah Jazz in mind."

Sixers Win, but Both Teams Still Have Issues

2009-11-22T19:11:00.001-05:00

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/20/1983

Coaches K. C. Jones and Billy Cunningham were both concerned before last night's Celtics-Sixers battle at the Spectrum. Jones was worried because the Celtics brought a two-game losing streak to Philadelphia. Boston lost three in a row only once in three seasons from 1979-82. Last year, the Celtics had a pair of four-game losing streaks.

Cunningham was "very concerned" after Thursday night's loss to Atlanta. The Sixers didn't lose their third game until Nov. 30 last year. Opponents had taken more shots than the Sixers in eight of 10 games, and Philly was outrebounded in six of 10. Guard Maurice Cheeks had yet to compile more than 10 assists in any game and Marc Iavaroni had scored only 13 total points in eight of the 10 games. Making matters worse, the Sixers played without Bobby Jones (pinched nerve in his leg) last night.

MISC

Larry Bird had hit only 12 of 39 shots (31 percent) going into last night's game . . . Scott Wedman, who played a season-high 20 minutes Friday night, was still looking for his first free throw . . . Assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers took a two-game technical foul streak into last night's contest. Rodgers was tagged in Utah Wednesday and again Friday night against the Knicks . . . Going into last night, the Celtics and Sixers had played 55 (regular season and playoff) times since 1976 and produced a six-point differential (Boston leading, 5751-5745).

10-4: Celtics 107, Knicks 105

2009-11-22T16:11:00.000-05:00

Celtics 107, Knicks 105

Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	OT	T
BOS (10-4)	30	26	21	21	9	107
NYK (3-10)	22	31	29	16	7	105

Final

OT

1:00 PM ET, November 22, 2009

Madison Square Garden

New York, NY

BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	32	4-15	0-0	2-2	2	5	7	1	0	0	3	4	+8	10
Paul Pierce, SF	42	9-17	6-7	9-10	0	9	9	6	1	2	3	4	+9	33
Kendrick Perkins, C	37	6-7	0-0	4-6	4	9	13	1	0	4	3	5	+6	16
Ray Allen, SG	40	3-13	1-6	6-6	0	1	1	2	1	2	3	4	+12	13
Rajon Rondo, PG	43	5-13	0-2	4-8	2	7	9	10	4	0	2	1	+4	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	15	0-6	0-3	0-0	1	3	4	1	4	0	0	4	-4	0
Eddie House, PG	18	3-7	2-6	2-3	0	2	2	0	1	0	0	1	-5	10
Brian Scalabrine, PF	12	1-1	1-1	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	2	-5	3
Marquis Daniels, SG	15	3-4	0-0	0-0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	-14	6
Shelden Williams, PF	9	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	-1	2
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		35-84	10-25	27-35	11	37	48	21	11	8	16	28		107
		41.7%	40.0%	77.1%
Fast break points: 5 Points in the paint: 38 Team TO ( points off ): 17 (13) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
NEW YORK KNICKS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Wilson Chandler, SF	29	5-13	0-2	1-1	2	3	5	1	1	1	4	5	-4	11
Danilo Gallinari, F	25	4-8	2-5	0-0	1	5	6	2	2	0	2	3	+3	10
David Lee, C	37	7-12	0-0	8-9	3	12	15	3	1	0	5	2	-1	22
Larry Hughes, SF	38	2-11	0-5	0-0	1	1	2	4	0	1	1	3	-1	4
Chris Duhon, PG	47	1-6	0-2	1-1	0	1	1	6	2	0	1	2	-2	3
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Al Harrington, PF	40	10-21	5-10	5-6	2	7	9	2	1	0	1	5	0	30
Eddy Curry, C	16	2-6	0-0	2-4	1	3	4	0	0	0	2	1	-1	6
Nate Robinson, PG	27	7-11	3-6	2-3	1	2	3	1	0	2	1	4	-1	19
Toney Douglas, G	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	-3	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		38-88	10-30	19-24	11	34	45	19	7	4	18	25		105
		43.2%	33.3%	79.2%
Fast break points: 7 Points in the paint: 38 Team TO ( points off ): 18 (22)