Completely Meaningless Statistic That is In No Way a Reason for Optimism

The Celtics are 3-0 in games in which both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have not played since the KG/Ray trades. Ergo, the Celtics will win on Christmas.

I’m just kidding. But just for fun, here are the three games:

1) April 5, 2008: C’s 101, Bobcats 78 (in Charlotte)

This was regular season game #76, and the C’s clinched home court advantage throughout the playoffs by moving to 61-15. They also clinched the record for the biggest single-season turnaround in win total in NBA history, according to the Associated Press recap. Leon Powe led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed nine boards. James Posey added 19 points.

Pierce missed the game to be with his fiancee, who had given birth to their baby daughter the night before. Doc decided to rest KG and Ray as well.

Quotes from Doc:

“If you could write a script on the way to clinch home-court, this would probably be it,” Rivers said.

And on the season in general:

“Right time, right spot for me,” Rivers said with a shrug. “For the guys, they just play hard every night. They really do.”

2) April 14, 2008: C’s 99, Knicks 93 (@ MSG)

This was game #81, and Doc decided to rest each of the Big Three in preparation for the playoffs. Rajon Rondo scored 23 points, pulled down 10 boards and dished five assists—and scored the key baskets down the stretch. Sam Cassell (!) added 22 points on 7-of-18 shooting.

Said Rajon:

“I’m a pretty confident guy,” Rondo said. “I’m not cocky, but I have confidence in my game and I want the ball at the end of the game, even though the Big Three will have the ball. But sometimes I have it in the palm of my hands, so I have to be ready to take the shot.”

The C’s got a halftime visit from Trevor Immelman, who had just won the Masters. Doc joked afterwards that half the players had no idea who Immelman was.

I also enjoyed this quote from Jamal Crawford on the blood-thirsty calls to fire Isiah Thomas:

“You can’t always do what’s popular and what isn’t popular,” he said. “You just have to be patient. Last year keeping Doc Rivers wasn’t a popular decision, either.”

Very true. But Isiah was awful and he got fired.

3) April 15, 2009: C’s 115, Wizards 107 (in Boston)

This was the last regular season game, and Doc rested Pierce and Allen with the playoffs looming. KG was already hurt, and the C’s were locked into the #2 seed.

Eddie House scored 20 points and hit 6-of-9 from three-point range to surpass Danny Ainge and claim the C’s single-season record for three-point percentage (44.5 percent). Leon Powe racked up an 18-13 in his final regular season game with Boston, and Stephon Marbury set a season high with eight assists.

Here’s Eddie on the record, per the Associated Press: 

“For my name to be at the top of that list, it feels good.” “That’s what means the most to me, that I had the Celtic uniform on,” House said. “If I set it for the Bobcats or the Clippers it really wouldn’t be that big of a deal to me, but to do it here, with all the history and everybody that came through here.”

To conclude: It’s inevitable that the Celtics will win at Orlando tomorrow, but only if Doc sits KG along with Pierce.

In all seriousness, if KG does sit, this will be the first meaningful game both players have missed since KG arrived in Boston. The other three, as you can see, were toward the end of the regular season when the C’s had pretty much sealed their playoff position.

Did I just spend 30 minutes on a meaningless post? You decide.

Off to the mall.

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