Celtics Show (Yet Again) Defense Wins Ballgames

Back-to-back games can be a killer, especially when it's the first one of the season and the Big 3 haven't yet played 2 games in a row. And more especially when you've got KG who's still working on getting his stamina back. Well last night's game was a big "eff you" to that notion.

Sure, we were playing the Charlotte Bobcats who mysteriously traded Emeka Okafor for a struggling (and I mean struggling) Tyson Chandler. Still, when you hold a team to a franchise-low in points and also a record for fewest points allowed in a season opening game (for the Bobcats), that's something that certainly holds some weight as to how good the team is. After playing a tough buzzer-to-buzzer, heavyweight battle against Cleveland the night before (and not landing in Boston until 2 am), I'm sure I wasn't alone in my fears that this game certainly had the possibility of being a trap game. Those fears quickly went away as we ran out to and early 8-0 lead and didn't look back.

KG and Perk combine to give Boston the best defensive team in the NBA

Garnett put in another very solid performance on his return to Boston, once again showing no ill effects from the knee surgery that everyone and his mother has been worried about. 10 points on 5-9 shooting and 7 boards in 25 minutes. Definitely respectable. Not dominant, but we don't need dominant from really anybody because of the scoring distribution and defense our team has. We had 5 players score in double figures: KG, Ray Allen (18), Pierce (15), Rondo (10), and Shelden Williams (12). Speaking of Williams, I know the guy played basically garbage minutes, but he was pretty damn good. He was scrappy and continued to attack the paint and draw fouls well into the fourth quarter. Not to jinx anything, but he reminds me a little bit of Leon Powe. We'll see how the season goes with him, so we'll be able to get a better sample size. But so far so good.

KG was his usual aggressive self, showing no signs of hesitancy with his knee

Oh, hey. You gotta love Perk, don't you? He's improved so much over these 6 (?) years. The guy is BIG. Not necessarily tall, but freakin' muscular and defensively-minded. I've noticed that he falls for upfakes less and less. How could you not love that play were Raymond Felton drove into the lane and Perk rejected him ("Get that shit outta here!). Felton got the rejection on the baseline and Perk was left to guard him. Felton used his speed advantage to get past him and tried for another layup. Perk (from behind!) swatted another one away. He and Tyson Chandler (really, why did the Bobcats get this guy?) were chippy throughout the game. Perk let his defense speak for itself. Chandler tried a turn around fadeaway at the free throw line, which Perk calmly blocked back in his face. Chandler ended up getting a technical foul for yapping at Perk back up the court. Needless to say, Perk got one also, but only to show Chandler that he was in his territory. Way to be. Those t's are fine with me.

Rondo was busy as hell, too. He scored efficiently (5-6 shooting for 10 points), passed to everyone and everything (11 assists), and used his ginormous hands to make 3 steals. Here's a crazy stat: in the third quarter, Rondo had twice as many assists as the entire Bobcats team. In the THIRD QUARTER. Insane.

KG goes through his ritual pre-game routine in his first game back in Boston

Ray Allen showed some early struggles shooting from the field, but he continued to shoot the ball, and his teammates trusted him enough to keep feeding him. He ended up as the game's high scorer with 18 points (6-17 shooting, but 4-10 from deep). The best thing about tonight's game was that Doc was able to rest all of his starters (although Ray played 38 minutes). KG only played 25, Pierce played 24, Rondo played 29, and Perk played 27. This type of play bodes well in the long run, as it saves our legs for down the road.

The Celtics' solid play allowed the Big 3 to rest for the entire 4th quarter...

One point of contention, not directed at the Celtics play, but at the refs. This happened on more than one occasion, so it's totally worth mentioning and something that should get fixed (I'm talking to you, Mr. Stern). Pierce was often guarding the out-of-control Gerald Wallace and at least 2 times drove his shoulder into Pierce in an attempt to get around him and to the hoop. Both times Pierce guessed correctly which way Wallace would drive, causing him to slam directly into his chest. Each time the ref called a blocking foul. First of all, I don't care what position the defender is in, the offensive player cannot put his head down and drive his shoulder into him. Automatic offensive foul. Second, if the guy runs square into the chest of his defender, who is standing straight up and down, that's a charge. Automatic. Plain and simple. I understand that charges/blocking fouls are among the hardest calls in the game, but in those cases, they are easy.

...while the bench players continued to dominate

In all, it was another great display of defensive prowess and sharing the scoring load (see: 20-0 run to start the 2nd half). As Doc and the players have said so many times, the offense will always be there; the focus has to be on the defense. That's the equation for success and, so far this young season, it's worked to a "t".

EDD-IE! EDD-IE! EDD-IE!!!!

Amen, brotha.

What a way to respond to Game 1! The moral victory that night, which saw us come back to within 4 points after being down 28 is Celtics basketball. That's just how champions play. The Orlando Magic, on the other hand, are not champions. They were out of this game from the get-go and never mounted any sort of comeback or displayed any sort of energy throughout the whole game. This is one of the main reasons as to why the Celtics can win this series. Let's start with the players who were mere footnotes to House's shooting barrage.

Kendrick Perkins. What a beast. Sure, he makes stupid plays all the time, but he's getting better and better at making fewer and fewer mistakes. He's taking on probably the most dominant big man in the game today and holding him down. Howard only had 12 points and 12 rebounds. In Game 1, he only had 16 points. Perk did a fantastic job defensively last night, limiting his fouls while pushing Howard out of the low post and forcing to take awkward hook shots. He ended up shooting 5-13 from the field, which is a sucky percentage for anyone, but even more so for someone who only plays his game 1-6 feet away from the rim. Offensively, Perkins was more efficient and effective: 16 points on 7-10 shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Gotta love the stat stuffer.

Smmmooooooooooth (as the other side of the pillow?)

For the second series in a row, Ray Allen returned to form after a very off game. He scored a (quiet) 22 points on 7-15 shooting, including 2 threes. He too filled out the stat sheet, grabbing 6 boards and handing out 4 assists. He played the most minutes out of anyone (41) and, although I'd like to see him rest in these blowouts, it was somewhat necessary that he get his rhythm back and get his stroke going before we head into Orlando to try and retake homecourt advantage.

J.J. Redick: The New Machine. "Argrggrgrgghhhh!"

Glen Davis was especially efficient tonight. Although he got into early foul trouble, he ended up with only 3. He played solid defense on the quicker and longer Rashard Lewis, he and Scal holding him to a "more-than-it-seems" 17 points. Big Baby shot 4-5 from the field, 5-6 from the charity stripe, and had two steals, one of which was mighty purrty as he poked it away from Lewis as he tried to cross him over.

Pierce and Allen get some much-needed R&R as the Celtics cruise.

Paul Pierce played just 16 minutes, scoring only one basket: a three from the top of the key to open the game. He was plagued with foul trouble throughout, but this rest for him is the most deserved and needed. He's had a couple games here and there, especially in the Chicago series in which he's looked just...tired. Getting essentially 3 days off before Game 3 on Friday should help get his legs as fresh as possible to try and take that game.

Um, and one? Howard is pushing Rondo...so yeah. Whatever, look how HIGH HE IS!!

Rondo. What more can we say about him? The kid's a floor wizard. A mix of Bob Cousy's crazy-ass passes, Magic's scoring abilities, and Jason Kidd's rebounding talent. After a poor shooting night in Game 1, I knew and he knew that the remedy was to attack the rim and continue to do so. As Rondo goes, so does the team, as cliche as that sounds. He had another triple-double, bringing his total to 3 for these playoffs, tying Larry Bird's team record. One more would tie him for the record held by Jason Kidd in the 2002 playoffs (Anyone find this sketchy? Oscar Robertson, who averaged a trip-doub for a whole season never had more than 4 in the playoffs? Did his teams just never get far?). Rondo's line: 15 points (7-19 shooting), 11 rebounds, 18 assists, 2 steals, and only 3 turnovers. For the entire playoffs, he's averaging 18.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg, and 11.9 apg. Pretty dayum impressive. Oh, and to top it all off, to get the needed points for the triple-double, Rondo took a pass from Eddie House, drove straight down the middle, got up so that his elbow was above the rim, and DUNKED it as Howard and Lewis watched. No easy layups? I thought that was everyone's mentality for the playoffs, but Orlando was way to soft in this one. Not championship mettle, if you ask me.

The new defensive set: The Scal-D, in which Scal sneaks up from behind as Big Baby and Pierce surround Howard. Works like a charm.

Now, shall we move on to the bench? Once again, these mofos contributed greatly. Let's start with Brian "Jackie Moon" Scalabrine. What an underrated defender! Keeping the lanky and quick Lewis from going off is a tough job and Scal definitely helped out. He ended up shooting 3-4 (2-3 on threes) with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocked shots! Can I get a hell yeah?? I never thought I'd say this last year, but thank god we have him. He's become a great off-the-bench asset for us.

That guy in the green shirt will be havin' NONE of that!

Now, onto the hero. Eddie "Go Ahead, Make My Headband Spin" House. Man, when he catches on fire, no one, I mean NO ONE can stop that. He's got the quickest release in the game and can change the arc of the ball so dramatically that he can get it over anyone. The plays the Celtics run for Eddie are great. My favorites are the little flare screens, in which he sets a screen for the ball handler and then runs over to the baseline as screens are set for his man. It's beautiful. Thing is, they've got no one capable of staying with him (did you see J.J. Redick trying to keep up with him?). After knocking a deep two in Rafer Alston's face, he got so angry he bitch slapped House's head! (Suspension, please.) What happens the next play? Oh, just another three from House to close the third quarter. And the fun would continue into the 4th, highlighted by a great 4-point play in which House got the ball off over backup PG Anthony Johnson as he hit his arm. That's kinda when you know you've got the hot hand. Fun fact: House scored the most points off the bench in a playoff game for the Celtics since Kevin McHale got 33 (or something) in 1993. Nice company.

If Bennett Salvatore had been watching, Alston would have been automatically ejected from the game. Not like it mattered!!! Boo-yah.

I know it's just one game, but you've gotta think the momentum of this series is directly in the Celtics' hands. We had the moral victory in Game 1, losing by only 5 points. We blow Orlando out of the building in Game 2 without our Captain for basically the entire game. Heading down south, I've got total confidence that we can take a game and at least get homecourt advantage back. Perk just needs to keep Howard contained and their shooters just can't get open looks enough to get hot. They have no penetrating game like we do (Rondo, Pierce) and we've got much more solid shooters, if we resort to that (seriously, who would you pick, Ray Allen or Redick? Yeah, thanks.)

I can't decide which angle's the best. It's all so good!!

And just one more picture to give some love to the ol' timers:

Imagine sitting next to or behind these guys?!?! Wow. Experience of a lifetime.

Celtics Pull It Out in Another OT Thriller

Pierce was all smiles after owning the Bulls in the 4th and OT periods.

I hated this game. Yep. Even though we ended up winning, I just hated it. Pretty much the whole game was a microcosm of what this series has been: frustrating. These Chicago Bulls--young, inexperienced, ugly--are not supposed to be this challenging. They're very reminiscent of the Hawks of last year, but this time around, the games are much closer and you get the feeling that this is a 1 vs. 2 seed going at it. Why are they being so damn pesky? I honestly believe much of it has to do with luck. Sure, they've got some talent in Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, that can't be denied. But in watching these first 5 games, the amount of balls that have bounced their way, the calls they've gotten (or haven't gotten), and the crazy shots they've made continue to grow in number. Last night was no exception, as the two teams fought through the 4th overtime period of this opening series. I don't really have much historical perspective, but I can't see how this wouldn't be the greatest opening round of the playoffs ever.

KG gives the cocky Ben Gordon a piece of his mind: "Mother [Expletive], [expletive] Celtics will dominate your punk [expletive] [expletive] [expletive]. Bitch."

I hated this game. From the start, the Celtics were shooting around 50%. The energy from the crowd was electric and certainly gave a boost to the home team. But those damn Bulls just kept hanging around. How deflating is that? It's so frustrating coming out with fire, yet still only leading by 2 points at the end of one and down by 3 at halftime. How is it that such a streaky player like Ben Gordon who has a strained hamstring (Grade 2, which indicates a partial tear) comes out and goes 2-11 until hitting just his third shot with 1:30 left in the third, but suddenly make some of the most unlikely shots? Mostly luck, my friends. Shooters shoot, yes, which is what he kept doing, but getting double-teamed and hitting a fall-away bank shot from 18 feet is NOT skill no matter how you cut it. Hitting a leaner from the baseline falling to his right with Stephon Marbury draped all over him is definitely more luck than skill. Getting Tony Allen to foul you on a three point attempt when you have ZERO other options is, I'll admit, a huge gaffe on Allen's part, but still, the stars aligned for that more than anything else. 

The Celtics looked tired after their initial push through the first quarter and a half. Rondo's turn around at the buzzer to end the half didn't prove to be the spark we desperately needed in the second half. They extended their lead to 11 points about 3 minutes into the 4th quarter. Now, I often yell and complain that I could do a better job executing than the crap that the Celtics sometimes run. If I had been playing in that 4th quarter, I would've thrown the towel in out of complete frustration. Joakim Noah's layup off of the (admittedly) pretty pass from Brad Miller put them up by the 11-point margin. But his goddamn scream after. Unnecessary. Here are the times when a player is allowed to do a "KG" after a DUNK ONLY, if you're a big man: 

1) To begin or end a quarter

2) To tie the game

3) To put your team within 2 or three points after coming back from a considerable deficit

4) After the other team has called a timeout after said comeback

5) If you're blowing out the other team (i.e. exclamation mark before you come out of the game for good...job well done, etc.)

That's about it, Noah. Cool. You put your team up by 11 on a play you really did nothing to create. You were just standing in the paint and happened to get your hands finally on a Miller pass and you...made a layup. If ANYTHING, Miller should be the one letting out a primal scream, not your butt-ass ugly piehole.

"Hey, Noah! Your penis is thiiiiiiis small! Fucker."

As for the Celtics, our starters are playing the best ball of the season. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about our bench. Sure, it's depleted, but when you only get 5 points out of them the entire game, chances are, you're screwed like Babe Ruth. Marbury canNOT pass up a wide open baseline jumper for a Rondo floater from a little closer in on the baseline. To make such a floater, one has to put it up perfectly. No backboard can help you out. No friendly rolls are likely to occur from that angle, i.e. the airball. Marbury's having noticeable confidence issues, but just look at what happens what he shoots the open shots: His 13 point performance in the Game 3 blowout. See what happens when the bench contributes? Yeah.

Aside from that, Pierce's performance obviously sticks out. He started the game quietly, getting 7 points in the first frame, but slowed considerably after. Jackie MacMullan who was at the game, commented that she thought something was wrong with Pierce. He didn't have any lift and wasn't really looking for his shot. That changed once the 4th was winding down. The Celtics were down to one true scorer and damn, did he deliver. He scored 15 points from the 9:15 mark of the fourth to the end of the OT. That's 15 points in about 14 minutes. Pretty good offensive production, if you ask me. Which you didn't, but I told you anyway.

How come the Chicago defense didn't double Pierce? I'm not complaining, but after about the third time he makes the same shot in a row, you'd think they'd try something different. There were no other real threats on the floor, aside from Rondo. Anyway, his play was 100% vintage and something only a superstar could do. After Ray Allen fouled out on a BULLSHIT call, Pierce took the game in his hands as only he could do and won it for us. Made shots when it matters most.

Ray Allen struggled, but hit this big 3 in the 4th quarter. Miller would later try and suffocate him, leading to a...double foul. Great job, Mr. Derosa.

As for Ray Allen. He struggled, sure. But, after hitting a much needed three from the corner in the 4th, he picked up one bogus call chasing Ben Gordon. It was essentially a hip check foul, something that happens literally EVERY offensive possession for either team. Unbelievable. Then, he gets picked off by Brad "Choke Artist" Miller who, rather than standing there, decides to bear hug Allen, holding him so he can't get out. Allen tries to fight out of it, and the ref calls a double foul. A DOUBLE FOUL! How often does THAT get called? And in such an important game? Holy mother of God. Exhibit Y in the case of the Celtics vs. Given Opponent & the State of Officials. However, like when a coach gets thrown out of a game, it may have been a blessing in disguise, as Pierce took over the game.

Rondo's putting in an all-time playoff performance.

Lost in the shuffle were Rajon "Where the EFF is this coming from?" Rondo and Kendrick "Still Making Some Mistakes, But Progressing a Lot Better" Perkins. Rondo's averaging--get this--24.2 ppg (leads the team), 10.2 rpg (2nd to Perk's 11.0), 10.2 apg (leads the team), 3.2 spg (leads the team), 51% on FG (2nd to Perk's 60%), and 4-7 from three. Yeah, that's a triple-double average with 3+ steals. Pedal to the metal. Soak it in because this is something that is only witnessed once in a very long while. His box score last night: Game-high 28 points (12-22 FG, 2-2 on threes), 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals.

Perk showed what being a Celtic is all about. He's a wily veteran...and only 3 years older than I am.

Another "whoa!" line from Perkins: 16 points, 19 rebounds, SEVEN (7) blocks, tying Robert Parish's Celtics playoff record. And get this: ZERO FOULS. Way to be. We had a short bench and needed our big men to limit their fouls and Perk, well done. Aside from one "wtf?" shot (a 17 footer at the beginning of the shot clock), he went above and beyond the call of duty.

The "controversial" play. Rondo no doubt hits Miller, but this is post-swipe at the ball, so lower the ball more and bring Rondo's arm back and it's clear to me that he's making a play on the ball more than anything.

I must say, this game may still be going on had it not been for the final play. Down by 2 with just over 3 seconds left, the Bulls drew up a surprisingly simple, yet effective play. Brad Miller set a screen for Ben Gordon, forcing Perkins to switch out on him as he faded to the baseline. Rondo recovered, following him under the pick, but giving Miller an open lane to the hoop. Perkins shifted over as Rondo again recovered, committing the foul rather than have Miller sink an easy layup. Ya know, a playoff foul. Miller went for the finger roll straight on instead of attempting the conventional layup, going to one side and using the backboard. My understanding is that Rondo thought he'd go the conventional way (i.e. the smart way) and swiped at the ball. Now, I have no photos of Rondo's face at the time of impact, but I can almost guarantee that his eyes were on the ball. If he was intentionally trying to decapitate Miller, as some Bulls and Bulls' fans are contending, than he would definitely be looking at Miller's head. One looks where one is intending to reach/grab/whathaveyou. The refs made exactly the right call for once. Miller bricked the first and intentionally missed the second, but he hit nothing (DUHHHHH IDIOT!?!) giving the ball to the Celtics. The free throws at our end were inconsequential as good ol' Vin had no timeouts and the Bulls had to go full court to get a shot off. Big Baby actually got the offensive rebound. Game. 

*southern accent* "Hot damn, that there sandwich was deeeelicious. Oops, showin' mah beer-belly on TV. Oh, sugar. I gotta go brick me some free throws! Yippie-kay-ay!"

On to Chicago, where we can close this bitch of a series out. I'm not gonna make any predictions, but last time we won on our home court and then went to Chicago and blew them out. We've got two chances to take this thing. Our experience and fortitude give the impression that this time luck may be on our side... 

[No caption necessary.]

Blahhhhhhh

So I know I said there'd be a Celtics recap of today's game, but since we lost and I was driving back to school for half of the game, I ain't gonna do it. From what I saw, though, we couldn't get anything going and allowed Charlie Villanueva to get whatever he wanted. Perk tried his best (26 points), but it wasn't enough. Both Pierce and Ray Ray were extremely inconsistent. Even still, this was one of those games that didn't bother me that we lost. A "whatev" game, if you will.

KG's looking for a Friday return vs. the Spurs. We obviously need him badly, as our opponents PPG is +13 in his absence. Yeah. Defensive Player of the Year again please?

Blahhh Celtics Lose...I Don't Care.

The road trip seemed to last an entire month. And in many ways, it really almost did. Out of 11 games played so far in February (one more to go...at home), the Celtics played 8 of them on the road. Their road trip started on February 11 and ended last night in LA, February 25. Of course, the All-Star break was in between, but how much of a break was it really? Our Big Three were all involved in the game so, despite all the fun and laidbackitiveness, they were still playing a game on the road. 

Through it all, KG got injured, Scal nearly got decapitated again, and, on a good note, we signed 7-footer Mikki Moore, adding much needed height, especially now. Still, last night in his first game, despite going 2-2, he made some dumb mistakes. Now, I'm not knocking the guy. He's gonna be a REALLY important factor for us down the stretch and I'm very, very thankful he didn't sign with Dallas (which he almost did before talking to Doc). It was only natural that he wasn't used to the Celtics' system of play and he was bound to make some dumb mistakes. No worries. But all of these factors contributed to the loss. It was a trap game, meaning the end of a loooooong road trip vs. a mediocre (at best) team (at worst, they suck balls). 

Now, I'm not one to make excuses very often, but anyone who thinks that the Clippers are legit better than the Celtics and that we're not worthy contenders is just ignorant. I expected us to play poorly and probably lose. Some losses really affect me and get under my skin for a few days, but not this one. We had literally everything going against us, evidenced by Pierce's dislocated right thumb TWICE. Just one gripe about that while we're here. I realize the first time it happened, it was an accident on the part of the Clippers defenders, namely the young Mardy Collins. However, Pierce unfortunately got T'd up after Collins continually aimed to slap at Pierce's injured thumb. Pierce obviously took offense to that (after it had happened a few times) and pushed him out of the way. At least call double-T's there ref. But no matter, Fred Jones (Slam Dunk champ in 2004...?) missed the free throw, so no real damage done. Except for the fact that his thumb could have contributed to his missed potential game-winner at the end. He should've driven and tried to draw a foul. They have no real shot blockers (Camby...ehhhh). C'est la vie.

Whatever though. I don't even care that much. We're coming back home and we still have one of the best, if not the best, road records in the league. We've had a tougher schedule than the Cavs or Lakers by about 0.20 (in terms of opponents winning percentage). Give us KG healthy, Scal playing the whole game, our bigs not getting into foul trouble, or even Mikki Moore being more accustomed to our style and we win. Simple as that.

Oh, and about our bigs getting fouls. Kendrick. Fucking. Perkins. How do you not know how to set a pick?! Dude, just fucking stand there. You're a huge bitch so you don't have to lean into the guy or stick your elbow out. Just. Stand. There. Stop moving. You have the most turnovers in the league. Stop being and idiot and learn how to play fundamental basketball. So goddamn annoying. You give up at least 3 possessions every night because of just stupid boneheaded play. End of rant.

Plus these 10:30 games are ridiculous.

Perkins Nearly Blows the It, But Team Game Leads to W

KG and the C's walked away with a hard-fought W in Detroit. Their record is now 39-9--best in the league.

On a night in which there was no clear player of the game, the Celtics showed some real fortitude in an arena where road teams normally lose. The Palace at Auburn Hills often has a playoff atmosphere and can be very demoralizing to any team playing there (The announcer doesn't help either. How annoying is he?). 

In a few words, the C's played a team game, through and through. No Eddie House career nights. No Ray Ray burning the net with his sweet J. Not even many give-and-go's or alley-oops from Rondo to KG. Yet they still found a way to win in a gritty, physical (at times excessively), and defensive game.

Ray, KG, and Pierce carried the bulk of the scoring load, scoring 14, 22, and 20, respectively. Allen, with his recent All-Star reserve snub fresh in his mind, struggled finding his jump shot for most of the game, going only 4-14, although he knocked down all his free throws, especially when they counted in the waning minutes. Garnett shot an efficient 10-17 with 8 boards and a couple of blocks (and some huge jump shots down the stretch...a high five and a chest-pound for you, sir), and Pierce was 6-10. Rondo barely missed a double-double, with 8 points (4-8) and 12 assists. Again, his jumper continues to fall, as he sunk both of the 16-footers he took.

House wasn't very much of a factor, hitting only one shot. However, that shot was a BIG one, coming with just a couple of minutes left in the 4th and the Pistons making another run. The Pistons never led in this one, but any time the Celtics started to get ahead, they'd claw (literally) their way back into it. We only led by as many as 11, which is definitely not safe against a tried and tested team like Detroit. 

After committing a dirty foul, Perk wisely walks away from a frustrated Maxiell.

Now onto Mr. Perkins, whose emotions on the court have been well-documented. Look, I like Perk. He's a solid player, priding himself mostly on defense and shot blocking. He's got a big body and can carve out space for himself. BUT, he far too often makes boneheaded plays that could hurt the team. The guy came right out of high school and has been in the league for going on 6 years now, but he makes some rookie mistakes. One thing is that 90% of the time the ball gets delivered to him down low, he gathers (meaning he brings the ball down and then jumps up to dunk it). PERK. When you do this, the defense almost always gets back into the play and blocks you. I'm not being picky, people. He does this A LOT. And if you talk to me on occasion, I've probably vented about it a few times. He needs to learn to just hold the ball up and jump. Not too difficult. Another thing is his temper. At one point during the season, Perk led the league in technical fouls. Although I don't think he's gotten one since (is it 12?), he got thrown out of the game tonight with a Flagrant II foul (which basically means the player wound up and followed through on the offensive player; excessive and unnecessary contact.). Maxiell had gotten the ball down low and was going through a series of upfakes. Perk, wisely, stood his ground with his hands up (what you're supposed to do. *Applause*). Still, Perk seemed to get tired or bored of these upfakes and simply karate chopped his hand down on the back of Maxiell's neck and continued to drag him to the ground. Maxiell immediately got up and pushed Perk, who (give him credit) merely walked away without further incident. Luckily, it didn't turn into the infamous brawl between the Pistons and Pacers so many years ago (maybe because Artest wasn't in the building this time. Don't get me started on his ass.). So, end of story: technical called on Maxiell for retaliation, Perk thrown out. The already lacking-in-size Celtics had to bring an ineffective Big Baby in at a crucial point in the game (Oh, Scal...hurry back!). Fortunately, this whole incident seemed to light a fire more so under the Celtics than the Pistons (it's usually the other way around in this situations), and the Celtics escaped with victory. 

Both teams played with a grudge--Rip Hamilton was called for a Flagrant I foul for taking a swipe at Davis' head on this play.

If Perk is reading this, though (I'm sure he is......right?), control your freaking temper. I know the game was chippy, but you cannot let your childlike emotions come into play during games. They're more often than not detrimental to the team. You're a starter for a reason and we want you on the court at the end of games, so don't be an idiot again.

There....showed him...

So, that's 10 in a row for the Green, more than halfway to another 19-game streak!