NEW!! GreenHeadz Wrap-Up

As the one or two of you who frequent this site might possibly have realized (keep hangin' in there, Mom & Dad!), a couple of tiny, nearly imperceptible shifts have taken place over the first hundred posts of this here GreenHeadz blog. The first and more obvious of these "shifts" would be that I no longer post every day as most of the more-than-one-person-writer blogs do. This a natural by-product of the site's next subtle alteration -- I don't do traditional recaps anymore, either. Part of my decision to dunk the recaps was, admittedly, due to time constraints that can best be summed up in a monologue. Ferris? A little help?

The other reason is that everybody and their next-door neighbor's plumber's accountant's sons do recaps and, with few exceptions, they're most often either of the usual rote, boring glorified box score-type or they just give you insights that you've already heard the Tommy Heinshon's of the broadcast world deliver during the game that's being recapped. And you, loyal readers, deserve better than last night's canned coverage, right? No? Okay!

In any case, what this new section, "GreenHeadz: It's A Wrap" aims to deliver is a unique perspective based on an assessment of a collection of games rather than a game-to-game rehash. And, if you'd like to catch action clips from each game, you can click the links for NBA.com video recaps.

I hope you enjoy this first edition, and even if you don't, I can always come over and rake the yard to make up for it (right, Mom & Dad?).

Ahem...

So...have these past eight games have been a crazy cluster or what?

Well, get ready, Peeps...we're about to do this "ye-olde serial recap" style:

 

When last we saw our heroes, they marched into Oklahoma City with a five-game win streak in tow, hoping to slay the giants of the West once more, as they did on November 23rd. Alas, a win was not to be, though the team played valiantly in the 79-91 loss. The weary and disappointed Men of Boston then wandered aimlessly into the lair of the Charlotte Bobcats and were mauled sufficiently, bringing their new streak to two losses and fouling the air behind them as they made for home.

Upon arrival to their familiar confines, they found the Dainty Dinosaurs from the Province of Toronto waiting to be joined by the Green at the table for a spot of tea. Instead, the Men of Boston transformed into the Green Goblins of Causeway St. and kicked the table over on the Raptors, trouncing them to the tune of 24 points (112-88) and spilling tea everywhere. The Goblins continued their rampage against their next opponent, exacting revenge from the Bobcats for even daring to slink into the home of the Goblins after showing them such inhospitality in Charlotte.

The Celtics had blazed a path through two of the lesser-lights in the Land of the Association of National Basketball, but still, they yearned for the opportunity to test their mettle once again against the iron of the League.

Enter the Heat of Miami and their Goliath, Sir LeBrawn.

The battle was joined at Boston's Garden and the inhabitants fought like a team of Emerald Davids, armed with enough stones to fell Team Goliath. The combatants scratched and clawed each other with the Davids gaining the upper hand on several occasions, and a Green Knight rising above all others in an attempt to level the greatest team in the land. Sir Jeff Green launched a barrage against LeBrawn and his Heat scoring 43 points with a series of whirling, slashing shooting attacks that LeBrawn could barely answer. But, answer he did, with 37 points

of his own and, though the two
teams rested at a standstill as the time for the contest had nearly run its course, LeBrawn levitated magically and sent a wish skyward that was answered with the final basket of the night. The Davids would fell no giant on this night and the Heat were allowed to escape their fate for the 23rd time in as many straight games, this time with only two points separating the victors from the defeated.

Possibly dejected, perhaps tired, the Green traveled to the City of New Orleans to trifle with Hornets. Though clearly the superior participants, the Green were unable to grow distance between their foes and consequently, the battle would hinge on a single second and a single shot. For the second time in two contests, the Celtics would fall in a joust that could as easily have fallen to their side of the ledger.

Sadly, the road grew no less treacherous as the Men of Boston arrived deep in the heart of Texas to face the Mavericks of Dallas, a collection of ornery fighters once defeated in this very season by the Celtics of Boston. The thrill of a victory twice would be nice, thought the Celtics. Though one of the Green warriors would carry an ember of fight onto the floor of his former home, the Celtics of Boston found themselves locked in mortal combat, woefully outgunned by the un-guardable Sir Dirk of Nowitzki and Sir Brandan of Wright. Alas, that spark which had been dimmed in their battle with LeBrawn and the Heat of Miami and eluded them in their struggles against the Hornets remained dormant, and the Men of Boston were sent in search of that flame that once burned brightly in honor of their fallen field general, Sir Rajon of Rondo.

The Green next entered the den of the bold bears of Memphis, a formidable pack of Grizzlies even without their most massive bear, Marc de Gasol. Enhancing their troubles was the absence of their own ferocious beast, His Highness KG and tenacious combatant Sir Lee of Courtney. As one might expect, the Boston battlers found themselves at the mercy of the fangs and claws of their opponents as they were mauled for much of the game. They would kindle a fire, however, stoked by the pride and indomitability of their Greatest Green Knight Sir Pierce, who lofted his mates on his broad shoulders and scored 26 as the Celtics of Boston stormed back from a deficit of 21 points, nearly absconding with the contest but falling at last by four and completing their road quest with nothing but dust and frustration to show.

The Celtics now stand before the Crossroads -- the precipice beneath them, the heavens above them -- notched firmly between the bottom portion of the race for Playoffs and mere games distant from the upper echelon of the truest combatants. They have amassed their final army with which they will join the battle -- most recently securing for the duration the services of White Knight "D.J.," and Sir Randolph of Shavilik to bolster the efforts of the newly recruited Sir Terrence of Williams and Sir Jordan of Crawford as they ride in earnest with Ticket in hand and Truth as their currency.

On the horizon for this team -- the vaunted Knickerbockers of New York. The team of Green will face the assassin Carmelo come Tuesday and two times before the fighting season begins with ample opportunity to better their standings and, thus, bring the battle to their own arena where the advantage lies. Was their rally at the end of their contest against the Grizzlies the beginning of that ember that will grow into the flame that blazes their path to glory -- much as it was the last time they jousted with Memphis and lost -- or will the streak of four losses grow, placing their ranking...nay!...their very season in jeopardy?

Methinks the former. These men carry chests full of pride, skill and the desire to prove that they were sorely miscounted when others were heaped with praise and expectation.

So, go...go, Celtics of Boston...go, and continue on your quest to announce before the Association of National Basketball that the loss of a single knight (or three...) is of no consequence to a band of brothers united as such are the Celtics of Boston. Go forth and return to us the Holy Grail...

Indeed...

 

THE BUZZ:

 

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

@ 7:00 p.m.

Boston Garden, Boston, MA

 

C's Big Double Overtime Win Against "Big D" A Big Delight: 117-115

Big "D"isrespect

The Dallas "Big D" Mavericks were in town last night to play the Boston Celtics and, oh, what Big "D"rama! The Mavs were without their Big "D"irk (Nowitzki, out with a sore post-surgical knee), and at first, it looked like the Celtics Big "D"efense was going to lead to Big "D"ominance as the C's ran up a 14-point lead into the early part of the third quarter before the Big "D"ownturn in defensive execution due to Big "D"isinterest on the part of the C's, which led to a Big "D"ip in their production allowing a Big "D"esperate Mavericks team to finally buckle down and begin to take advantage of the Big "D"oldrums, cutting into the Big "D"eficit until it became a Big "D"raw at 92-all.

Big "D"efense

Initially, the C's defensive gameplan was to treat O.J. Mayo like a Big "D"eal and work the Big "D"enial of the ball routine, which seemed to work, but that allowed Big "D"ahntay Jones to have a Big "D"ay, scoring 12 on 5-10 shooting. Unfortunately, the C's Big "D"elicatessen plan to "Hold The Mayo" began to unravel as he found his range and became Big "D"ialed in, ending up with 24 points on 10-19 shooting. The two Dallas point guards, (little "D"s Darren Collison and Derek Fisher) who were previously embroiled in a "who's the starter" controversy, managed to put that Big "D"istraction to the side and totaled 30 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds between them, helping to ensure a Big "D"ate with a Big "D"ouble overtime game.

Big "D"rive

Throughout the game, there were Big "D"'oh moments from Jeff Green and Jason Terry who both missed on bunnies down the stretch and Dallas' Shawn Marion (who was otherwise all-around spectacular for the Mavs with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) became the Big "D"underhead by attempting to make a blind behind-the-back pass to Collison who was trailing him at a critical juncture. Instead, the ball bounced off of Collison's face (no doubt causing a Big "D"ent) and out of bounds.



Big "D"raw

It was, in fact, these kinds of forced and unforced Big "D"iscombobulated dumpoffs from the Mavericks players that ultimately did them in. By game's end, the Mavs had turned the ball over 28 times compared to the Celtics' 13, a Big "D"isadvantage for a visiting team trying to climb back into the game. A Big "D"-List performance by the referees didn't help anyone as they tried to pull a Big "D"ismantle of any momentum to the game with a few Big "D"erelection-of-duty calls and no-calls (some would call them Big "D"ogsh*t calls but, hey, it WAS Joey Crawford's Crew, so...Big "D"uh! I suppose that's why Mavericks owner Mark Cuban looked like a Big "D"**k yelling at the refs, but I digress...)
Despite a Big "D"rained 3-pointer by Vince (the original something-sanity) Carter, the C's administered a fatally Big "D"ose of Paul Pierce (in Truth-mode, scoring 34 points, grabbing 6 boards and 4 steals, and handing out 3 assists with 1 block), Kevin Garnett (in Big-Ticket-mode 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists,  2 steals and 1 block), and Rajon Rondo (in Maestro-mode and once again barely missing a triple-double with 16 points, 15 assists, 9 boards, 3 steals and 1 block). Also showing Big "D"etermination were Chris Wilcox (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block), Brandon Bass (9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals), and Green with 15 points, 5 boards and one Big "D"unk.

Big "D"ominance: 23,000th career point scored

Rondo was simply brilliant all night, whether it was delivering one Big "D"ime after another, tenaciously guarding O.J. Mayo down the stretch, getting a Big "D"rive at a critical juncture as he did with .28 seconds left in the game, followed by a Big "D"efensive rebound -- Rondo, along with his mates, came through with the Big "D"eliverance, handing Dallas a Big "D"isappointment and all of the Boston GreenHeadz a Big "D"elight of a win, even though they likely caused a Big "D"rain on all of our energies and productivity at work for today, thanks to the game's late ending.

And, speaking of the game's extended timeline, I apologize for presenting this post with a Big "D"elay -- person's gotta rest...

Here are the Big "D"etails: Box Score & Tale Of The Tape.

With 11-9 Season Thus Far, C's Hope For December To Remember

"Long December And There's Reason To Believe, Maybe This Year Will Be Better Than The Last."

   -- Adam Duritz, Counting Crows

 

Of course, last December didn’t officially start until Christmas Day because of the lockout, but the C’s were still a dismal 1 and 3 for the month anyway.  

This December, however, the deck is stacked with some fairly stiff challenges that should provide a good barometer as to how far along this current crop of Green has come and what categories, if any, they continue to lag in.  And, while it’s not a “make or break” month for the season, it will allow Doc Rivers and the players themselves to see how well the team’s 10 fresh faces are integrating with the core 5 as they continue to make their push towards Banner #18 in earnest.

The good news? The Boyz from Boston are 11-9 (2-2 in December) and only four spots out of first place in the Atlantic Division heading into the rest of their schedule for December. The not-so-good news? The Celtics have two road trips -- one three-game and another four-game stretch on the road.
 
The C's will kick off the first day of the rest of the month by facing a Nowitzki-free but dangerous Dallas Mavericks team tonight at the Garden before hitting the road against the Jeremy Lin/James Harden-led Houston Rockets (9-10), League-leading San Antonio Spurs (17-4), and the always-tough if Rose-less Chicago Bulls before returning home to host a better-than-their-record Cleveland Cavaliers with a fresh Kyrie Irving, who just returned to the lineup after sitting for the past 11 games with an injured finger. The C's end their 2-game home stand against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that has won two-out-of-three games against the C's already.
 
The Celtics will then embark upon their road show with the "Christmastime In Brooklyn Spectacular" and then take a California swing against the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and the Sacramento Kings to end the month.

While the C's appear to be heading in the right direction by flexing a beefier defense and an offense that features a more consistent and comfortable Jeff Green and Jason Terry, it remains to be seen whether the C's have it completely figured out. My guess is that they'll end the "Holiday Month" with more gifts under the tree than lumps of coal in their stockings. 

The Future begins tonight, GreenHeadz! Dallas Mavericks at the Garden! 8:00 pm!
LET'S GO, C'S!!!