"Revenge to Repeat"...

Here's yet another cool C's-Lakers video, this one from the Laker's fans' perspective. It is from another of my fave YouTubers, mramos4131. It's called "Kobe Bryant-Revenge to Repeat." Check out all of mramo's stuff here: MRAMOS4131.

Is it Thursday yet...?

I think all of us as Celtic (and Laker) fans can not wait until the 2010 NBA Finals start this Thursday. I personally still have a very bad taste in my mouth after the heartbreaking loss in Boston on January 31st. And we all know the Lakers want revenge for the absolute ass-kicking we gave them in Game 6 of the '08 Finals. Here are a couple of cool videos to enjoy until then:

Eastern Conference Champs!

Ahhhhh...victory. What a great night at the Garden. I knew from the moment I saw Glen Davis burying 3's during pregame shoot around that the Celtics were going to take care of business tonight. And indeed they did-beating the Magic this evening 96-84 to win the E.Conference Finals. Just a fun night all-around. I sat next to 2 great Celtic fans that drove up from New York to watch Game 6, and behind a nice family from Jacksonville, Florida that did the same. The Garden was rocking, and the few Magic fans in attendance were heckled pretty much all night. The Magic came out fired-up, and with the help of a few bad calls, hung around for most of this game. But the C's just kept up their intensity on defense and got some great play all-around to punch themselves a ticket to the NBA Finals. Paul Pierce led all-scorers with 31, and together with Ray Allen's 20 points & 3 three-pointers, the Celts pulled away in the 4th quarter. The mood was intense all night, and even when the C's found themselves up by 20, they did not let up-and neither did those of us in the crowd. That focus, and key points off the bench from Nate Robinson (13), whom Doc did say would "win a playoff game for us", were the nail in the coffin. So now the Celtics will face the winner of the Suns-Lakers series in the 2010 NBA Finals.

After the game, my buddy Corey (be sure to follow him on Twitter here: JSKCknit) took me downstairs to congratulate Perk and some of the other C's. It was great to get to walk down behind the C's bench, and actually down the tunnel that leads to the locker room. Their was quite a swarm of family and media, but I did get to wish Perk, Michael Finley and Glen Davis good luck in the Finals. Was hoping to also get to congratulate Marquis Daniels, but I believe he had already left the Garden. Just a great night all-around.

So now we wait. Will it be the Suns..or the Lakers..?? We'll see. I do know one thing though. It was an awesome feeling to prove all the doubters wrong and beat the Cavs & Magic, but we aren't done. We still have 4 games to win, and they will be against a very good team in either L.A. or Phoenix. As a die hard and one who loves rivalry, of course I want to play L.A. But regardless, let's not get complacent C's fans. Let's keep this intensity up through the Finals. Let's do what we can as fans to support our team in the quest for Banner 18!!! Ubuntu.

NBA rescinds technical, Kendrick Perkins eligible for Game 6 - NBA - SI.com

NBA rescinds technical, Kendrick Perkins eligible for Game 6 - NBA - SI.com

Click the link above for full story.

-KWAPT

Not tonight...

Just a really tough game to watch as a Celtics fan tonight as the Magic win 113-92. Bad calls, missed shots, Magic hitting 3's, resorting to "hack-a-Howard". What the hell? Well, the Celtics will now have to win a Game 6 on their home-floor on Friday to secure a trip to the NBA Finals. If not, then we would go back to Orlando for a Game 7 on Sunday. Am I worried? You're damn right I am. Things have changed dramatically in this series. The Celtics went from up 3-0, with  a battered, defeated Magic team on the ropes, to up 3-2, now facing a Magic team with a renewed confidence. Tonight's game just didn't feel right from the start. The Celts seemed a bit flat, and the Magic came out full of energy in front of their home crowd. The turning point, Kendrick Perkins gets ejected for his 2nd technical-foul in the 2nd by an animated Joey Crawford. A call that even the ESPN commentators called terrible.

Everything clicked for the Magic tonight: they hit their 3's, transition offense, good D and they out rebounded us. This was just a nightmare night for me as a Celtic fan: Glen Davis & Quisy both get hurt with concussions, Rondo seems to be bothered by his nagging injuries and he gets in early foul-trouble. Just a bad night for the C's. I have faith in my boys though. They will need incredible heart and toughness to win at home on Friday, especially with momentum swinging Orlando's way, but I know they can do it. Tip-off on Friday will be at 8:30-pm. I don't have a ticket, so I'll be watching from home.

Pack your bags...

We're going back to Orlando. Ugh. I'm not really worried, I feel pretty confident we'll win on Wednesday, but a win at home tonight to complete a sweep would've been nice. It was very frustrating watching the Celts struggling to execute and the Magic's shots all seeming to fall. C's fall in OT 96-92 to the Magic tonight. I just got in from the Garden a while ago and I'm exhausted. I got to the arena at 6:30pm to watch shootaround and worked 8 hours today as well so I'm beat. Not to mention all the energy I expelled tonight at that game. I...am...spent. C's will try to close things out on Wednesday night in Orlando. Tip-off is at 8:30pm. Here's some postgame video of Perk hot off the press. Courtesy of Chris Forsberg:

All Boston, all the time..

Celtics roll tonight at the Garden, 94-71 over the Orlando Magic. They are now 1 win away from a ticket to the NBA Finals. It was another stellar defensive effort, as the Magic looked deflated, frustrated and simply overwhelmed. The C's defense held the Magic to 37% shooting from the floor and 26% from 3. Many people thought the key to winning Game 3 would be bench play, and was it ever-Glen Davis led all-scorers with 17 huge points in a reserve role. Baby was all over the floor, diving for loose balls and hustling for rebounds. Just a great effort from him when we really needed it, as Perk got into some foul trouble tonight. Rasheed Wallace also played well connecting on 2 of 3 from beyond the arc to add to his 10 pts, and he grabbed 4 boards.

4 of our 5 starters chipped in with double-figures also, with Rondo having 11, Ray 14, Ticket 10 & P-Dub 15. Perk had some foul-issues as he only was on the floor for 22 minutes, but it didn't matter-his defense on Dwight Howard was again phenomenal. Howard finished with only 7 points on 3 of 10 shooting. The Celtics defense has been simply magnificent all throughout these playoffs.

The C's will now look to clinch the Eastern Conference title with a sweep of the Magic by winning on Monday night. Tip-off is at 8:30pm, and I'll be there. Hope to have some good pics and video up late Monday night or Tuesday morning. It's been a long, somewhat rough ride for us this year Celtics fans, but for those who've kept the faith, the best is yet to come...

Behind the scenes: Game 2 in Orlando...

Check out this very cool video from CSNNE.com, which was uploaded to YouTube. It features pre and post game highlights of Celtics-Magic Game 2. From shootaround, to coming out of the tunnel, to the locker room, this short clip has it all. Keep your eye out for ESPNBoston's Chris Forsberg fighting for a good view of Doc at about 3 seconds in, and the newly clean-cut Lil' Perk near the end...

New xMuscularGandhix vid: "Big Four"...

My favorite YouTuber is at it again. Thank God! Seems like forever between games once you get to the Conference Finals. Anyways, enjoy this new one that features SugarRay, Rondo, Truth & of course, Ticket. Check out all of M.G.'s stuff here: xMuscularGandhix

Leadership...

Their leader during crunchtime:

Ours:

Solid start...

Celtics are off to a solid start to the Eastern Conference Finals with 2 road wins, as they beat Orlando again tonight 95-92. Paul Pierce was already fired-up when he took a hard shot to the head from Dwight Howard. It was called a flagrant 1, could've been a 2, and Pierce used it to fuel his fire even more. He finished with 28 points, 5 boards & 5 assists. Afterwards, he told the Boston fans that the Celtics were "coming home" to finish the Magic off. On a night where both KG and Ray struggled a bit, Rondo was again huge, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to tally 25 points for the game. This contest was definitely a physical affair, and the Magic were in serious foul trouble throughout. Perkins and Pierce also encountered the wrath of the whistle, both of them fouling out.

But the real story in this game was veteran poise and leadership. Vince Carter missed 2 crucial free-throws in the final minute, and Dwight Howard could be seen chuckling and smiling at key moments in the 4th quarter. The Celts meanwhile stood tough and stoic, hitting their foul-shots down the stretch and playing some great defense once again. The Magic also again tonight did not get hot from 3, a staple of their success this year. The C's were quick to get out on shooters, especially in the corner. So now the C's come back to Boston for 2 games, 2 wins away from a ticket to the Finals. I am very excited! What a tumultuous year for the C's, and they are really clicking and playing their best ball when it really counts. I have my ticket for Monday's Game 4 and I'm working on a ticket for Game 3. Tip-off on Saturday at the Garden will be at 8:30pm. Here's some postgame vid of Big Baby hot off the press from ESPNBoston's Chris Forsberg. *BREAKING NEWS* It also looks like Paul Pierce's Twitter has been hacked. More on that tomorrow..

Halftime chat

Shut 'em down..

Kendrick Perkins (and 'Sheed) shut down and frustrated Dwight Howard today to help the C's pull out a gritty 92-88 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Orlando. Howard was frustrated often and was called for a technical-foul due to 'Sheed & Perk's mental & physical tactics. Howard was held to 13 points on 3 of 10 shooting. Perk battled with Howard down low and made him work for the only 3 baskets he made. Paul Pierce also snapped out of his "funk", scoring 22 points, and hitting some key free-throws down the stretch. Ray Allen led all scorers with 25 points and delivered the game-sealing foul shots with 6.1 seconds left. Rasheed Wallace had another solid game on both ends of the ball, playing tough D as mentioned above, and scoring 13 points, the most of any bench players from either team.

This game was loaded with textbook Boston Celtics defense: hustle, diving for loose balls, deflections, etc. The Magic hung around for the entire 4th quarter, and mounted a comeback late, but the C's held on to get a huge Game 1 victory on the road. Game 2 is Tuesday night in Orlando. Tip-off is at 8:30pm. By the way, 80% of teams that win Game 1 of a Conference Finals series go on to win the entire series....

Rajon Rondo Game 4 mix...

xMuscularGandhix dropped another dope one on us folks. Here is his "Rajon Rondo Game 4 mix." Warning: music that accompanies the video has some explicit language.

Tony Allen top 5 dunks of 2010..

My boy "MuscularGandhi" has put together another sweet T.A. video. Here's some great jams to hold you over until tomorrow's game. Check out all of M.G.'s vids on his YouTube channel: xMuscularGandhix

Full circle...

One guy who has been instrumental in the C's playoff run has been Tony Allen. T.A. has been through quite a bit in his NBA career: serious knee-injuries/surgeries, the angst of Celtics fans and of course the drama and death-threats in Chicago. It has been so enjoyable to watch T become a key contributor off the C's bench this season. Here is yet another highlight dunk from the man who dubbed himself "The Quiet Assassin". This time, a soaring, one-handed throwdown over Antawn Jamison during last night's Game 6 at the Garden...

What can they say now..

Just got home from a wild night at the Garden where the Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers 94-85 behind a gusty team-effort. The Big Ticket looked the best I've seen him all year, dropping 22 points and grabbing 12 boards. Just a great all-around game from Garnett. I could gush all night about this team, but I am exhausted, and have to get up for work in 5 hours. We were really loud tonight, and that arena was rocking. Anytime it looked like the Cavs might be gaining some momentum, the crowd just got louder, and louder! Lebron James had a quiet (if that's possible) triple-double and walked off the court maybe for the last time as a Cleveland Cavalier. But that's for Cleveland fans to worry about. We are on our way to the Eastern Conference Finals baby!! Here is some video I shot on my phone as the final seconds of tonight's game ticked away. ECF's begin on Sunday. Tip-off is at 3:30pm. GO CELTICS!!!

The defense is the backbone..

Celtics absolutely shock, stifle and frustrate the Cavs tonight, 120-88 at the Q. C's held the Cavs to 40% from the floor and 30% from 3. My feeling is that the key to this win was not just the defense, but the ability of the C's bench to come in and keep up the pressure & hold the lead. Big Baby started off slow, but came through with 15 points and 4 boards. The C's bench outscored the Cavaliers' 30 to 20. Ray Allen was smooth as dolphin skin, scoring 26 on an array of sweet jumpers, (6) three-pointers and perfect (3 of 3) FT shooting. We all knew heading into this game that Paul Pierce was going to need to get it going. He did-dropping in 21 points. He struggled a bit early on, but found ways to score in the paint and from outside.

The turning point in this game was a 16-0 run by the Celts in the 2nd quarter. They came out strong after halftime and never looked back. Lebron James finished with only 3 total field goals and scored most of his 15 points from the foul-line. The Cleveland crowd booed at times and seemed to be waiting for James to take the game over. He never did. Shaq led the Cavs with 21 points, despite some great defense by Perk and 'Sheed. Perk took yet another shot to the face from Shaq tonight. KP picked up a tech and he & Shaq briefly got into a war of words. Ticket came over and quickly settled Perk down. That type of veteran leadership is another reason why I believe the C's can win a title this year.

Now the C's will try and close things out at home on Thursday night. It should be an electric atmosphere and I am hoping to be there. Tip-off is at 8pm...

Tony Allen, RedsArmy & CelticsBlog...

My boy HrVoje1313 over at YouTube just published another great T.A. video. This one really alludes to how T.A., once hated and the butt of fans' jokes here in Boston, has come into his own this season-most recently shining in Sunday's Game 4. The clip also has cameos by RedsArmy.com, CelticsBlog, & gives a quick moment to remember Keith "Guru" Elam of Gangstarr. RIP Guru. Check out all of HR's clips here: Hrvoje1313

Dugout Sports pregame show tonight...

Two of my good friends, and great Celtics bloggers, John Karalis and Brandon Paul, will be on the Dugout Sports Show tonight. Dugout Sports Show is a great live show hosted by Glenn Moore. Dugout is based in Cleveland, and is a great site for fans looking for the latest news, opinions and features on the Cavs, Indians, Browns and more. Checkout the show here at 7pm. You can catch John and Brandon on their sites, RedsArmy.com and GinosJungle.com respectively. Tonight's edition of Dugout Sports will be airing right up until tip-off of the Celts-Cavs game at 8pm.

Tim Donaghy live tonight on CelticsLateNightShow

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy will be live talking all things NBA and taking your questions at 9pm tonight. My good friends over at CelticsLateNightShow have Tim from 9pm to 11pm and it should be a very interesting night. Like him or dislike him, Donaghy definitely has alot to say, and no question will be ignored. Nick, Brandon and Travis go live at 9pm, and you can listen to the show here: CeltsLateNightShow:TimDonaghy

The total package....

Just got in from the Garden. Took me a while to get home through the Sox traffic, but that's ok. After a win like this, it's ALL good. This was easily one of the most exciting and entertaining games I've ever been to. The crowd was extra-hyped, the C's were battling through some real tough calls and then there was Rondo. Oh my. This kid is the total package. 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists. The smallest guy on the court pulls down 18 boards with guys like Shaq and The Queen out there. Incredible. Also have to give BIG props to another important part of today's win: Tony Allen. T.A. came off the bench today when Pierce was in foul trouble, and was absolutely clutch. He hit some big shots down the stretch and racked up 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting. HUGE.

 So the C's win 97-87 today and head to Cleveland tied up at 2-2. A win on Tuesday night would give the C's a chance to eliminate the Cavs at the Garden in Game 6 on Thursday. You know that the "Q" will be rocking Tuesday night, but our boys will be ready. Tip-off is at 8pm. I leave you with these 2 terrific Rondo highlights from today..

Flagrant...?

There has been heated debate all day on Twitter, and also on some of my favorite blogs including Red'sArmy.com and GinosJungle.com about this play. Lebron James comes in from the wing and is corralled by Kendrick Perkins. Fans at the Garden seem to like this, but referee Bennett Salvatore does not. He called it a flagrant 1. In my opinion, Perk does not really make a play on the ball until after the body check. And when NBA refs consider flagrant fouls, a play on the ball is key in their decision. Check out the clip and vote on the poll in the right sidebar afterwards. It's a tough call, especially if you're a fan like me and tend to go with your heart rather than your head. Big thanks to Jay, aka MrTrpleDouble10 for the clip. Check out all his YouTube vids here: MrTrpleDouble10'sYouTube

Smothered...

C's get smoked tonight, 124-95 by the Cavs. Lebron came out guns blazing tonight, scoring 21 in the 1st quarter alone and finishing with 38. If that elbow was bothering him, he sure didn't act like it. Celtic fans, including myself, were fired-up for this game and had high hopes after the C's convincing win in Cleveland on Monday. But as has been the story all year, the C's came out flat tonight, looking nothing like the team that shook the Cavs up only 4 days ago. So what now? The C's now must win on Sunday, or they will go back to Cleveland down 3-1.

I am disappointed, saddened and also upset with myself. I got too confident after Monday's win, and looks like the C's may have too. I just can't explain it. You look at the stats tonight, and you see some obvious things, but still, how did this happen? Did the Cavs "want it more"? Ugh. Well, as a die hard fan, and a guy who really loves this team, and it's players, I'll hope for the best on Sunday. But I will go to bed baffled tonight. Simply baffled....

Ticket, Beast a bit beat up...

As many of us learned today, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins are both a little banged-up. Thank God we have 3 days between Games 2 and 3. Doc should give an update tomorrow, and as of now, they are both expected to play on Friday. Here is where Ticket's injury occurs. Video is courtesy of my good pal Jay, aka MrTrpleDouble10. You can follow Jay on twitter here: Jay'sTwitter and he also writes for one of my favorite sites, Red'sArmy.com

Celtics Late Night Show: C's-Cavs w/Glenn Moore

Tonight's Celtics Late Night Show should be a good one. They will of course be talking about the Celtics' current semifinal series w/the Cleveland Cavaliers. Joining them will be an expert on the Cavs, The Dugout Sports Show's own Glenn Moore. You can listen live tonight at 8pm EST here: CeltsLNShow-feat.GlennMoore. And, you can check out Glenn's site here: TheDugoutSportsShow. The site covers a variety of teams and sports from Cleveland, including the Indians and of course the Cavaliers. I am really looking forward to hearing Glenn's take on the first 2 games of what should be an exciting series. Be sure to tune-in and give them a call with your thoughts, opinions and questions!

These boots are made for walkin'...

Despite a scare in the 4th quarter, the C's hold on to beat the Cavs tonight 104-86 in Cleveland. The best-of-seven series is now tied at 1 game each. I was texting back and forth with alot of fans/friends, and we all geared up for the worst as the Cavs scored 15 straight in the 3rd and closed to within 10 points. But Doc Rivers called 2 quick timeouts and got the C's centered again. Rondo said after the game that at that point, they were just trying to eat up clock. That was exactly my thought-it looked like they tensed up and were playing not to lose instead of trying to win. That's what is great about this club-they are a veteran team with alot of playoff experience. The Cavs, Hawks and Magic may have more youth and athleticism than the Celtics, but these guys know what it is to play in big games and hostile arenas and come out with a victory. Speaking of that, how lame was it for Cavs fans to throw stuff on the court tonight and boo their team in a playoff game? Unreal.

Ain't no one gonna break my stride...

Despite tonight's loss, I was amazed at Rajon Rondo's play. He took a beating out there tonight, but kept coming back for more. While looking through gamepics from Yahoo's NBA page, I noticed in every pic, Rajon had 2, 3 or 4 guys on him each time he drove the lane. Makes it that more stunning at how tough/slick/posied this kid is. Here are some of those pics, and a clip of him postgame shot by Chris Forsberg in the locker room...