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8 days ago

Painful Reminders (Part I): The Celtics Drafted JaJuan Johnson Instead of Jimmy Butler

On June 23rd, 2011, Brian Robb and I stood around a high top bar table in Tommy Doyle’s in Kendall Square.  Before us lay one of the biggest mounds of buffalo chicken wings I had ever endeavor to make disappear.  These 25 cent flappers- one of the few indulgences afforded to the participants of our [...]

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8 days ago

Chris Wilcox: 2012-13 Final Grade

There are a number of contextually-appropriate ways to craft this post. One would be to forgo words entirely, and represent Chris Wilcox’s entire season with a series of videos. That would involve one part of this: For every eight parts of this: Note the headline on that second clip. Someone was so amused/enraged by Wilcox’s [...]

12
9 days ago

Rajon Rondo’s 2012-13 Final Grade

Here’s a sweeping general statement involving super specific statistics that may or may not mean anything: In the 1423 minutes Rajon Rondo played this season, the Boston Celtics were outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions. When he sat (including all contests after he tore his ACL), Boston was better than their opponents by 1.8 [...]

93
10 days ago

Avery Bradley Elected to NBA All-Defense Second Team

Avery Bradley has been a standout defender for the past couple seasons…in the regular season anyway. Now he has a trophy to prove it. The NBA announced this afternoon that the third-year guard has been elected by coaches around the league to the second-team all-NBA defensive team for the first time in his career. Bradley [...]

13
13 days ago

Paul Pierce’s Contract: Dispelling The Myths and Stating The Facts

The first domino to fall this offseason is Paul Pierce’s contract. Until Danny Ainge figures out what he’s doing there, little else matters. As we wait for this decision, we also must face the rest of the offseason, which means it is also rumor season. With that time of year, comes plenty of information floating [...]

42
13 days ago

Final Grade: Avery Bradley (C+)

In his third year in the league, in which promising players often make brash leaps from benchwarmer to starter, from starter to star, Avery Bradley took a big step back. But his regression might be deceptive. When he returned to the Celtics’ lineup on January the 2nd after two in-season months recovering from offseason shoulder [...]

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Game 67/82: Celtics (48-18) @ Rockets (35-34) Open Thread

Boston at Houston
8:30 P.M. ET
Toyota Center
CSNNE

Offensive Efficiency:

Boston: 107.0 points/100 possessions (16th)

Houston: 111.0 points/100 possessions (4th)

Defensive Efficiency:

Boston: 99.8 points allowed/100 possessions (2nd)

Houston: 109.5 points allowed/100 possessions (21st)

Probable Houston starters: Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowry, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes

View From The Opposing Bench: Red94

Thumbnail: March Madness got the best of me this afternoon, so this relatively brief preview will have to suffice as the Celtics kick off their three-game road trip in Houston. Boston will need to step up the defense tonight against the run-and-gun Rockets who go 10 deep and don’t have a lot of household (healthy) names left on the roster, but still can put up points with the best of them.

Houston is just two games out of the final spot in the West, and have won four of six, so they will be well rest and ready to fight the C’s in the midst of a long homestand. Nonetheless, the Celtics are looking to avenge an ugly loss against Houston earlier this year and finally have the horses to do it for the second straight game, especially off the bench, which is pivotal to compete with a team like the Rockets.

If the C’s make a conscious decision to play some defense, they should be able to sneak out of town with the win, which will be even more crucial than usual, given tomorrow night a back to back is looming.

Prediction: Celtics 99, Rockets 91. The bench shines once again and Rondo’s slump continues.

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