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16 hours ago

Rondo Replacing Johnson on All-Star Team

The Herald got it right from Rondo’s agent. According to his agent, Bill Duffy, the Celtics point guard has been named to the Eastern Conference All-star roster, presumably to replace Joe Johnson, the injured Atlanta Hawks guard. This would be Rondo’s third all-star appearance. Nice birthday present for RR, who probably should have been selected [...]

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3 days ago

Comments Deleting?

We apologize if your comments are being deleted (provided that they are not offensive). We are looking into why this is happening. We also want to apologize for the lack of a game thread for last night’s game.  We had a premonition that the Celtics would play that poorly and thought if we pretended the [...]

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7 days ago

5 Questions With Greg Monroe

I talked with Detroit star forward Greg Monroe prior to the Celtics-Pistons game on Wednesday night.  Here is what the 2nd year big man out of Georgetown, who is averaging 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game had to say. 1. Just your 2nd year in the league, but playing so well, were you disappointed [...]

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8 days ago

Call for Responses: 5-on-5

Readers! Last week’s responses to the 5-on-5 questions were really, really great. We had way more qualified answers than we were able to use. So we’re going to keep doing it! FOREVER. Here are this week’s questions: 1. Are you concerned about Rondo’s media boycott this week? 2. The trade deadline is less than a [...]

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11 days ago

5 Questions With Ronnie Brewer

I talked with Chicago starting guard Ronnie Brewer prior to the Celtics-Bulls game on Sunday.  Here is what the 6th year man out of Arkansas who is averaging 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists had to say. 1. You guys have a lot of the same players back from last year’s team which was [...]

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13 days ago

5 Questions With Josh McRoberts

I talked to Los Angeles back up big man Josh McRoberts prior to the Celtics-Lakers game Thursday night at the Garden.  Here is what the former Duke Blue Devil, who is averaging 2.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in his first year in LA, had to say. 1. How have you guys been able to deal [...]

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Escape from New Orleans: Celtics 89 Hornets 85

ESPN Box Score • Hornets 247 • At The Hive

You could tell Doc Rivers wanted this one.

He shortened his bench, bringing only Jeff Green, Delonte West and Glen Davis (a collective 17-23 from the field and +35 overall) into the game to aid his starting five. And after yet another ghastly opening salvo from the starters (the C’s were down 28-14 after the first quarter), the Celtics pulled themselves together at halftime and played something resembling the basketball we’ve come to expect from them in 2010-11.

In particular, Davis and West brought the team back in the third quarter (the Celtics entered the period trailing by 11 and exited up by 3). Without their energy and intensity, Boston might not have pulled this one back under control.

Encouragingly, the second half featured some recognizably Celtics-y defensive stands which limited New Orleans to 34 points in the final 24 minutes. With every defensive stop, the Celtics seemed to rediscover part of their identity, one they seemed to completely forget during last night’s abomination in Houston. By the fourth quarter, on three key possessions down the stretch, Boston forced a shotclock violation, Kevin Garnett tied up Emeka Okafor to force a jump ball, and then Ray Allen recovered to strip Marco Bellinelli after the Hornets guard took him to the hole.

Those three plays (along with a Garnett 20-foot jumper) seemed to break the will of the Hornets, which wasted an enormous game from David West (44 minutes, 32 points, 8 rebounds). West scored in isolation, off pick and rolls, and drained perimeter jumpers against pretty much anyone the Celtics threw at him. It’s a good thing he’s safely stowed away in the Western Conference.

The offense leaves New Orleans with something to build on. Scoring the ball has been a chore lately (to put it kindly) but the ball movement improved tonight and jumpshots were not the default method of attack (although Rajon Rondo hit a few outside jumpers and looked more like himself). Allen went for 44 minutes and while his defense continues to leave plenty to be desired, he did heat up in the second half on his way to 20 points. Davis also had 20 points and 8 boards including a few momentum turning buckets in the third. Really, only Paul Pierce (1-9) and Nenad Krstic were bad tonight, and Pierce seemed more focused than in recent games, if not exactly more effective.

So, it’s one step forward as the Celtics move into a tie with Chicago for first overall in the Eastern Conference. The key now is not to take two steps back Monday night against the Knicks.

More on this one tomorrow…

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