Celtics go 3-1 on Roadtrip out West

The Boston Celtics have been struggling but luckily have shown some life since the All-Star break. From January 14th to the All-Star break, February 10th, the Celtics won only five of their thirteen games. This is unacceptable for a team that was a favorite to win the championship this season and who boasts some of leagues top tier players; even if a few are on the down slope of their careers. However, coming out of the break the Celtic's have looked like there old selves, with mixes of struggles thrown in.
They began a four game road trip to the west coast after the break playing the Kings, Lakers, Trailblazers and wrapping it up with a visit to the Nuggets. They barely beat the Kings (95-92) and squeaked past a Kobe-less Lakers team (87-86). They trounced Portland, let them back in the game, but eventually closed the door on them and won 96-76. However, against the West's number two team, the Denver Nuggets, they struggled quite a bit and eventually lost 104-114. The only game I was personally able to watch was when they played the Portland Trailblazers and I believe that game exemplified the Celtic's season thus far.
Boston opened the game against the Trailblazers with youthful spirit and energized play on both ends of the court. The big three, Allen, Garnett, and Pierce were clicking and they had fantastic play from their young guard, Rajon Rondo. They played like the team who won the championship in 2007. They played how they were supposed to play the entire season; with heart, with energy, with passion. All of these things seemed to have been lacking when the Celtics struggles started back in December. The team is 13-13 since starting the season 22-5.
Rondo capped off a fantastic first half for the Celtics by hitting a turnaround fade away jumper over Portland's Brandan Roy as the buzzer sounded. The Celtics shot 21 of 38 from the floor in the first half and had 31 points in the paint; where they dominated all night. This domination allowed for Rondo to basically enact the infamous dribble drive offense. He torched the Trailblazers by beating them to the basket with his quickness and either kicking it out to the sharpshooters, Pierce and Allen, on the wings or else finishing strong with layups;some of which were even uncontested. Allen found his rhythm and ended with a game high 21 points and tacked on 5 boards and 3 assists. Rondo ended up with 11 assists and raised his season average to 9.7 assists per game; which is second only to the Phoenix Sun's Steve Nash. Garnett and Pierce each added 18 points and Kendrick Perkins had a team high 11 rebounds for the club.
The third quarter of the game was dismal for the Celtic's unfortunately. They let the Blazers back into the game by poor sloppy play that ended up in six turnovers which led to 15 Portland points. They were outscored and outplayed the entire fifteen minutes and showed signs of aging. The veterans, Rasheed Wallace, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, seemed to be beaten on many plays by the younger opposing guards. Eventually, they fixed the problems and locked down on defense in the fourth and final period. The three vets combined for 16 of their teams 24 fourth quarter points and had four blocks, and three steals. The game showed just how dominate the Celtic's can be but also exposed their weakness; quickness. While they are a fantastic team, they can't afford to take time off on the court and let teams back in the game because they are no longer the twenty five year olds they once were. They aren't shadows of their former selves, but they just aren't what they used to be.

All-Stars Garnett, Pierce, Rondo Headed to Dallas; Pierce headlines 3 Point Contest

Three members of the Boston Celtics will be making there way down to Dallas to play in what is expected to be the biggest All-Star game in the NBA's history. Set in Jerry Jones brand new, state of the art stadium (also home to the Dallas Cowboys), Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rando will show off there skills in front of what is to be a crowd of 90,000+ fans. Garnett, making his 13th All-Star appearance, is the only Celtic voted into a starting spot with Rondo and Pierce coming off the bench. Even though Garnett's numbers are down this year from previous years, he is still a fan favorite. Starting along Garnett will be Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat), Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), and Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers). All-Star weekend is February 12th-14th with the actual game being on Valentine's Day, starting at 8pm.
Paul Pierce made the cut for the 3 Point Shoot-out and is one of the headliners in the event. He is shooting .456 from beyond the arc this season (78-171) and has a good chance of taking home the trophy.

Celtic's Sliding, Blow 11 Point Lead in Orlando

What has happened to the Boston Celtics? This is a team full of All-Stars and future Hall of Famer's who started the season with a 20-5 record and is now 30-16. While they are still in command of the Atlantic division (5 and a half games ahead of Toronto) they could potentially lose it if they continue playing at this level. They have lost eleven of their last eighteen games and have slid from second in the Eastern Division standings to third. While that isn't a huge drop, it just shows the struggles the team is facing.
A fantastic example of showing the team's current dilema is there ability to blow an eleven point halftime lead over the Orlando Magic and then lose the game by seven points. Dwight Howard and Vince Carter each scored nine points in the third quarter collaspe of the Celtic's, who were outscored 36-11 in the period. After the game, Celtic's head coach Doc Rivers had this to say, "We were getting what we deserved. I love our team on paper, but we tend to be front-runners. When we get a good lead we relax and teams take advantage of it and then you're caught and it's tough to turn it back on." If the Celtic's continue playing like they are, their chances of becoming world champions are slim to none. Making the playoffs isn't enough when you have te caliber of players the C's do.
On a high note, Celtic's guard, and former University of Kentucky standout, Rajon Rondo has been a postive for the team this year. He nearly notched a triple double in the loss posting stats of 17 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and even tagged on three steals. He is incrediblly close to averaging a double-double on the season (14.8 points, 9.8 assists per game). He will eventually become the face of the storied franchise, however, he can't win the championship by himself.

Ray Allen's Future in Boston?

Ray Allen, Boston's All-Star veteran guard, discussed his future with the media earlier this week. His name has been thrown into trade talks recently and today was the first time Allen had ever really expressed his desire to stay, and retire, in Boston. "I'd like to be here," he told reporters. "There's no reason to be any other place. I'd love to retire with this organization. But that's up to the team. I want to be here. This team has proven over the decades to be a winner, one of the best in sports, and that's what this organization plans to do. I'm committed to it."
Allen also said he would do whatever it took basically to be able to stay in Boston. A lesser role in games (He currently plays 40+ minutes a game)? No problem. A reduced salary (He currently makes 19.8 million a year, part of the 5 year/$80 million contract extension he signed while still with the Supersonics). No problem. He said money isn't really a priority, "I know, going into next year, whatever I sign, it won't be the money I'm making now. I know that." All in all, Allen has shown everyone where his loyalties lie; and it's with the Boston Celtics.