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2 days ago

Avery Bradley Likely Done For Season

On the back of a horrific game six performance, Gary Washburn of the Globe piled on with more bad news: Avery Bradley is almost certainly done for the season. Washburn: A source close to Bradley told the Globe that it’s in the “high 90s” percentile that Bradley will be shut down and will perhaps need [...]

10
3 days ago

Game 6 Will Be Wednesday Night at 8pm on ESPN

After the Thunder finished up their series by routinely dismantling the Lakers last night to send them packing in five games, a time has been announced for the C’s-Sixers Game 6 on Wednesday night. It will tipoff shortly after 8pm on ESPN. Looking ahead in the postseason, if the C’s do win Game 6, and [...]

1
4 days ago

Highlight: Rondo Leads The Break

I love this decision-making from Rajon Rondo. While leading the break, you can see him eyeballing Ray Allen, who runs the wing and spots up on the arc. The Sixers have a 1-2 disadvantage but are mostly concerned about Allen’s three balls, which allows Mickael Pietrus to make an unmolested baseline cut behind the defense. [...]

2
4 days ago

Celtics-Sixers Game 5 Tips off at 7pm

A note to all you local C’s fans out there that may be attending the game tonight at TD Garden. The game will start just after 7pm and will be broadcast nationally on TNT. However, unlike most TNT regular season games during the season, the tip will not come 15-20 minutes after the scheduled start [...]

4
12 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 [...]

3
13 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 [...]

3
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Rapid Reaction: Celtics 96 Raptors 73

Posted by on Jan 18, 2012 10 comments

Toronto Raptors 73 Final
Recap | Box Score		 96 Boston Celtics
Kevin Garnett, PF 25 MIN | 5-7 FG | 5-6 FT | 7 REB | 2 AST | 15 PTS | +4
Before it became clear the Raptors would offer no opposition tonight, the C’s put KG in a couple of early ISOs to get him going. He responded with an efficient 15 points and 7 rebounds in 25 short minutes, then spent the fourth quarter cheering on the reserves and dancing to Gino.
Paul Pierce, SF 23 MIN | 3-10 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 7 AST | 8 PTS | +19
With Rondo doing the scoring, Pierce ended up facilitating, which is a good thing because he had another bad shooting night, including three missed layups. Legs still aren’t there despite positive signs the last week. That said, to get a layup to miss, you have to be assertive in the first place. It’s coming, folks.
Jermaine O’Neal, C 20 MIN | 4-5 FG | 0-2 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | +12
Active early on both sides of the court. The C’s are using him as the roll man more and more, with good results.
Ray Allen, SG 28 MIN | 2-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 6 PTS | +24
He’s been struggling lately and one reason is that it takes a village to get him open for shots. He can rarely do it himself, especially because an opposing village is usually trying to stop him. Had an up and down night on defense as the Raps had a mind to go at him.
Rajon Rondo, PG 28 MIN | 7-8 FG | 7-11 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 21 PTS | +24
Did whatever he wanted against the Raptors defense. They couldn’t stop him in transition and with three steps of a running start in the halfcourt, he could zip by whoever was on him as well. It’s not a surprise his injury occurred when he was attacking the basket. He did it all night long.
Marquis Daniels, SG 12 MIN | 0-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 0 PTS | -2
Has almost no impact on the game offensively, but plays competent defense. That sounds a bit like Avery Bradley, his garbage-time running mate. Yikes.
Mickael Pietrus, SF 23 MIN | 4-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 12 PTS | +6
The more you watch him, the more you notice his personality comes through in his on-court game. He plays boldly on the defensive end, knows how to get himself open for long balls on the offensive end and loves to take them. He hit four tonight. Not only that, he fits into all manner of lineups with his defensive flexibility, giving Doc Rivers some room to negotiate, so to speak.
Brandon Bass, PF 31 MIN | 4-11 FG | 5-6 FT | 9 REB | 0 AST | 13 PTS | +16
Another nice game for Bass, who manages to be a black hole within the context of the team offense, which is quite the trick. Still not there on defense (and maybe never will be) but 13 and 9 is a good night’s work.
Greg Stiemsma, C 14 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS | +12
He really needs to shoot more. Dare I suggest the C’s should run some stuff to get him face-up looks?
JaJuan Johnson, F 6 MIN | 1-3 FG | 1-2 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | +2
Giving him a passing grade for his season high in minutes, even if it came after all competitiveness had seeped out of the game.
E’Twaun Moore, G 17 MIN | 0-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 0 PTS | -7
You see flashes with Moore, but you also see rawness. That’s an empty line for 17 minutes. He does seem to be picking up the offense even if he can’t make a major impact on it yet.
Avery Bradley, SG 12 MIN | 3-4 FG | 2-3 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | +5
He had his usual grisly moments on offense but also a couple of good ones, including a steal and breakaway dunk and a weak-side baseline cut for a stuff. Baby steps.

Three Things We Saw

  1. A hopeless Raptors team. Without Andrea Bargnani to create offense, the Raptors spent the first quarter burying themselves by missing long jumpers and watching Rondo race around them for layups. Any rumors of Toronto playing tougher or more physical or with more defensive energy proved unfounded (tonight at least). After a third quarter push by the Celtics, Toronto effectively gave up.
  2. A dirty throwdown by Linas Kleiza on Rajon Rondo. Rondo (sore right wrist, day-to-day) was lucky to escape serious injury when Kleiza hammered him in mid-air and then gave him an added push to make sure he went hard to the floor. I suppose it’s one way for Toronto to stop the C’s, because they had no interest in using defense to do it.
  3. A morale-boosting win. It portends little given the quality of the opponent but Boston can head into Friday’s game against Phoenix with a few less questions hanging over their heads.
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