Sat 26 Jan 2008
Big Ticket Comes Up Clutch As Celts Beat T-Wolves 87-86
Posted by Jeff Sack under Main
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You know somewhere Friday night in that great parquet floor in the sky, Johnny Most was sitting in front of a microphone, during the final seconds of the Boston Celtics Minnesota Timberwolves game. The score was 87-86 Boston and Minnesota had possession with just one second left on the clock. Minnesota got the ball inbounds from the sidelines, and…well let’s let Johnny pick it up from here; “The ball goes to Sebastian Telfair…and Garnett Steals It…It’s all over, it’s all over the Celtics win the ballgame, the Celtics?win the ballgame!” Sitting right next to him is Red Auerbach lighting up that victory cigar!
In the first regular season contest between the Boston Celtics, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, that sent half the Boston roster?to Minnesota in exchange for Garnett, that is basically how the game ended, Boston winning 87-86. This was not a well played game by Boston, whether it was the return of old teammates, the Celtics playing down to the level of their competition, or Boston hitting that mid-season wall, they were lucky to leave the “New Garden” with a victory. They had 23 turnovers resulting in 22 T-Wolves points. You can get away with that this season against Minnesota, a? team struggling to find an identity. You can not get away with that with most teams in the NBA. The Celtics after looking almost impervious through the first 32?games, have looked quite mortal in the last couple of weeks. They lost 3-4, then won three in a row before losing to Toronto in their previous contest.
Minnesota led by a razor thin margin at the end of the first quarter 30-29, Boston had the lead at the end of the half by a not much more substantial advantage, up 50-47. The T-Wolves again led by 1? point at the end of the third 68-67,? Minnesota had the lead up to six points a couple of times in the final period, but the Celtics kept clawing back. Boston center Kendrick Perkins?made the final basket of the game with 16 seconds left in the game giving Boston the lead?for good.?
Perkins led all scorers as he shot 8-10 from the floor, 5-8 from the line for 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks. Paul Pierce? scored 19 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, Ray Allen scored 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal. Garnett recorded a double- double 10 points, 16 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block.?
Telfair other than coughing up the ball at the end had a pretty good game, leading the Timberwolves with 18 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 rebounds. Al Jefferson scored 15 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 2 assists, Ryan Gomes scored 13 points, 2 assists, 1 block. Rashad McCants scored 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. Boston is now 34-7, Minnesota 7-35.
? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com????
January 26th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
WOW! It Takes an All-Out EFFORT for the C’s and from their best player (they are considered the best team in the Association - Yeah Right… No WAY they are - That’s a whole other Story in & of its self)
to comeback to beat the 7-win LOWLY Minnesota Timberwolves @ HOME!!!!!! And on TOP of that Garnett acts like his team just WON the NBA Championship afterwards and lifts up his jersey ala Baron Davis last year (how did that series turn out for the GS Warriors?!?) and that to me is just plainly uncalled for and out of control ~ it that’s what it takes for him to be all motivated & fired up for the team to win, by all means Ok…
I just cannot believe or understand that you would get all juiced up and excited for a win over the LOWLY Minnesota Timberwolves Mr. Garnett, who on the season have won 7 games (don’t care that they have been plaing well of late being the Suns and Warriors) and they are not good @ ALL it’s that plain & simple - as they’re still probably the worst team in the NBA! What does that Tell you…?
Does this say that in the NBA any team can lose to any team on any given nite?!? Or taking away from this game does it show that the C’s are not in a position to be an ELITE team and that they won’t CONTEND for the NBA Title let alone the top spot as the best team in Eastern (*JV*) Conference…? Only time will tell. It’s Crazy how MUCH The WEST is BETTER than the EAST ~ Especially looking @ it from the Perspective of top to bottom - 1 from 8!
BLAZERS (longest streak held in NBA for most wins a row) are the #8 SEED! Tied for the last spot with the Jazz, who made the West Conf. FINALS Last Season! Also the Houston Rockets @ 24-19 (winners of 9 out of their last 11- just getting T-MAC Back) are the #10 SEED as of Now! I would take the 3 of those teams over any & everybody in the EAST except for the DETROIT PISTONS & the C’s - or maybe not may I say… Let’s think about that and let’s see how these teams finish out heading into the All-Star Break
Personally Here’s My NBA Top 15: Remember not based on Standings but where teams will be @ the end of the year.
1. SA SPURS (CHAMPS Stay Here)
2. DETROIT PISTONS (So Much DEEPER This Year)
3. Phoenix Suns (7 BONAFIDE Scorers on the Roster!)
4. Dallas Mavs
5. HORNETS (Chris PAUL is the MVP)
6. C’s
7. WARRIORS (Is this team better than last year’s?)
8. LAKERS (Bynum inj hurts - KOBE Stepping Up)
9. Jazz
10. Houston Rockets (PF’s Providing Big Lift)
11. Blazers (So Good Yet So Young)
12. Denver Nuggets (Poor team version of Suns)
13. Orlando Magic (DWIGHT HOWARD best BIG!)
14. Cleveland Cavs (Can LEBRON Keep This Pace Up?)
15. Toronto Raptors (Calderon is a Top Flight PG!)
I see Boston, GS, Cleveland, Denver, and Houston ALL having legitimate chances to move up on my Rankings List.
* Baron Davis for the Warriors needs to continue to rise to the occasion and step up to the CHALLENGE of being the BEST Player on his team nite in & nite out! Monta ELLIS is VASTLY Improved & an ELITE Scorer. Baron is a top 3 PG when his GAME is on and he needs it to be if the WARRIORS want to be successful in the Playoffs or even make ‘em(?)
* Cleveland NEEDS Help Around LEBRON ~ Imagine if they had some more (1 or 2 or try 3) shooters and solid role players around him because they are playing really well as of late. This Will be the Problem and ? Asked about these CAVS All The Time Until they ANSWER It! Too Easy…
* C’s need Paul Pierce to drive more & shoot less “J’s” and let Ray Allen do the perimeter shooting, in which he is so good at. Allen can drive & dish but his STRENGTH is his “J” and Pierce’s STRENGTH is his INSIDE Game & Driving Ability ~ Getting to the STRIPE. Glen Davis can be what Paul Milsap was to the Jazz last year in the PLAYOFFS. They need to him to get GOING Again!
* It’s Unfortunate that the LAKERS (Best Record in the WEST Before Bynum went down) are being held down not because of their depth and scoring production from outside KOBE, but from something they cannot handle, address (unless they make a TRADE which would be hard to do), and CONTROL - the INJURY Bug! Injuries are the ISSUE IN LA & KOBE BRYANT & the “others” will still make it to the Playoffs easily… but NOW’s the TIME MORE Than Ever for ‘EM to STEP up in place of the abscenses due to injuries. They need Bynum back and Kwame to come through like he has never had before!
When will the “REAL” Lamar Odom Stand Up?!? Please Lamar help your LA Lakers out just 1 time (most wasted talent I know of)… This guy was once compared by Bob Ryan as the NEXT Magic Johnson coming outta HS…! How far have you dropped Lamar!
He has all the talent in the world and needs to be that Point-Foward like Pippen was for MJ. KOBE is DISHING off the ball Extremely Well and is the most underrated PASSER in the Game not named CALDERON! D.Fisher has been so VALUABLE not only on Offense but on Defense (Overlooked part of his talented game) and his Leadership and just what he brings to the table everynite cannot be measured nor sized by what he see because he means so much to this team, more than just #s & shots - him being on the court as the 1-Guard is So VALUABLE for the LAKERS! Best Little-Known ACQUISITION of the Off-Season By Far (Luis SCOLA may have an argument here) And he has to be the Best ROLE Player in the League!
Though Jason Maxiell & Travis OUTLAW - you KNOW how much I LOVE this Kid & his Mid-Range GAME as a Potent & Potential Dangerous 22-24 PPG Scorer! may have something to say about that… Maxiell & Outlaw will be All-Stars and MAIN Contributors (they already are but more in that sense…) once they get Starting Spots (which they should) and more P.T. BOTH of ‘EM are up there w / Fisher as the most underappreciated and overlooked players in the Association. Fisher, Outlaw, and Maxiell ALL are Big Pieces that do so much for their teams and if you take ‘EM away, you take away A Lot!
* Denver is a team that is scary. So Good that they can knock off any one and @ times so bad that they could miss out on the Playoffs! Nuggets getting Linas Kleiza (Mizzou) to perform like an All-Star as of late and if he continues his scoring spree and run (On FIRE!) just making shots as a role player, like he has, then Denver could be a team on the rise and not the decline. They still need to add another big (PF) that can score just incase Martin gets hurt again. Starting 5 looks like a Contender - but where’s the BENCH Bunch AT?!? No contribution there and not much Depth after Najera & JR Smith…
They have one of the bigger, faster, and most talented teams in the league but they have to decide if they want to play like the SPURS or the SUNS ~ they can play like BOTH but they have to CHOOSE which type of team they can be. Shooting 3’s Runnin’ & Gunnin’ (which they do well) or with the low-post game being featured with Carmelo & Co. Marcus Camby seems like he’s the ONLY 1 playing D @ Times!
* Houston Rockets are getting key minutes, buckets, and valuable role play from their rookies Luis Scola, Carl Landry, and Aaron Brooks. They are playing well and letting McGRADY ease back into playing shape & top form. YAO is getting better each game and its just impressive what he can do being that tall & so big running down the court playing offense & defense getting all those minutes, depsite having lots of calls go against him, seems like nothing goes his way. YAO is the team’s BEST player, though T-MAC is what makes this team “CLICK”
Houston NEEDS to DEAL for a Swingman next to McGRADY or a PG. Battier isn’t cutting it andn is an offensive liability. Would love to have had Rudy (Houston Drafted 8th Overall) on this team and would like to have him back! Imagine Houston would have kept him, he would be great for this Rocket team and the Rockets wouldn’t need to make a move. He would be the perfect piece to the puzzle and would FIT IN So WELL! Houston needs a player like him next to T-MAC because Battier is overrated, not underrated like you’ve heard from other NBA experts, I’m telling you that right now! He does more damage and harm than good.
Rafer “SKIP 2 My LOU” Alston is playing better but if the Rockets want to make the Playoffs and ADVANCE (Something they haven’t done since ‘97 against Seattle back in the HAKEEM The DREAM, Clyde the Glyde, and Barkley days) they have to get a NEW PG and let Skip & Brooks come off the bench. They have the pieces to get a SOLID Pass-First, Good, Open 3-Point Shooting Floor Leader @ the 1-Guard Position. PG is their GREATEST NEED & They have to get 1 if they want to be considered a LEGITIMATE Contender in a STACKED and Tough WESTERN Conference! McGRADY can’t always Run the Show and he needs help in dishing the ball and distributing it around because Skip just can’t play 35-40 mins a game @ PG for this Houston Rockets to be Successful.