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4 days ago

(Video) Rajon Rondo Continues To Dominate In Postgame Interview

Rajon Rondo is a tremendous player, but he tends to have a little bit of an issue scoring the ball late in games. I won’t go as far as saying he is scared, but he does pass up shots and defer to teammates in crunch-time….well a lot. Last night though may have been his coming [...]

2
4 days ago

Video: Full Kevin Garnett Reaction After Game 1

Garnett followed up his season-best effort against Atlanta in Game 6 with a new season-high in points and another sensational double-double, as well 60 percent shooting (12-of-20) from the field. Over his past two contests, Garnett is averaging 28.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, two steals and four blocks a game. After the game, KG was candid [...]

2
4 days ago

The Enemies List: Philadelphia, Part II

Before every playoff series this season, we’re doing some rundowns on the opposing roster for each team. Now that the Hawks have been dispensed with, we’re onto the Sixers. Here’s Part II. Players are listed in alphabetical order. Andre Iguodala: There are five guys in the league who have a claim on the title of [...]

4
4 days ago

NBA: Hawks Should Have Had Free Throw on Last-Second Foul

Mike Fratello had it right: the NBA announced today that Al Horford should have been given a free throw on Marquis Daniels’s off-ball foul at the end of Thursday’s game. At the time, ref Eric Lewis ruled that Daniels’s foul had occurred after the throw-in, making him probably the only person in the arena who [...]

1
7 days ago

Game 6 Time Set For Thursday Night

Boston will face off with the Hawks on Thursday night at 8pm at TD Garden. The broadcast can be seen on TNT or CSN locally. There was a risk that it would be a 6pm tip for Boston-Atlanta, if the Nuggets failed to extend the series last night against the Lakers. That would have created [...]

3
8 days ago

Atlanta Shakes Up Starting Five For Game 5

Desperate times call for desperate measures and after a blowout in Game 4, Atlanta’s head coach Larry Drew is going to shake things up a bit and add some bulk to his starting five at each position. Kirk Hinrich and Jason Collins will head to the bench, while Marvin Williams will be inserted at small [...]

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Game 7/66: New Jersey (1-5) @ Boston (3-3) Open Thread

Drink up, boys. It's gonna be a long season.

New Jersey at Boston
7:30 P.M. ET
TD Garden
CSNNE

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 104.1 points/100 possessions (5th)
New Jersey: 92.4 points/100 possessions (29th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 103.3 points allowed/100 possessions (22nd)
New Jersey: 107.9 points allowed/100 possessions (29th)

Key Injuries:  Boston: Mickael Pietrus (knee) is out. Ray Allen (flu) unlikely. New Jersey: Deron Williams (ribs), Kris Humphries (shoulder) and Brook Lopez (foot) are all out. Yikes!

Probable New Jersey Starters: Sundiata Gaines (PG), Marshon Brooks (SG), Damion James (SF), Shelden Williams (PF), Mehmet Okur (C)

View From The Opposing Bench: Nets Are Scorching

Thumbnail: This could get ugly. The Nets are fielding the equivalent of a D-League team tonight against the Celtics with Williams, Lopez and Humphries all out. Even with Williams, the Nets have proven to be one of the worst teams in the league (they’re second to last offfensively and defensively). After that ugly 0-3 start, the Celtics have won three in a row, and barring a letdown of mythological proportions, should make that four by the final buzzer tonight.

Pregame Analysis: The Celtics have advantages at every single position on the floor, and only at the center position is the matchup even close (whether it’s Jermaine O’Neal or Greg Stiemsma). The Celtics also have home court advantage tonight. There is absolutely no reason the C’s shouldn’t win this game and four reasons (Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett) why they should blow out the Nets.

The counterpoint to all this sunniness is the notion that Boston might play down to New Jersey’s level, something they’ve proven capable of doing over the last few years. The Nets could just try and out-energy and out-hustle the Celtics. But I still think the talent gap is far too great for this to turn out as anything else but an easy Celtics win (if Brandon Bass was starting for the Nets tonight, he’d be their best player).

Update: Ray Allen now expected to miss tonight’s game with the flu.

PREDICTION: Boston 112 New Jersey 89

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