Amare Fonzarelli

TNT pic via Skeets

Album: Boston Celtics Media Day

Alot of folks on Twitter have been asking me where they can find these. Here they are- enjoy!

Chris Wilcox 2010-11 Highlight Reel

 Folks have been asking me about one of the newest members of the Boston Celtics-Chris Wilcox. "What kind of game does he have?"  "Is he quick/strong?"  Etc..etc. So here's a highlight reel of him from last season, which he spent with the Detroit Pistons. Enjoy:

Day 2: Celtics training camp

I had to work today and missed the media's coverage of day 2 of C's training camp. If you missed-it too, don't worry-I've gathered video from Trags, Chris Forsberg and the Celtics that should get you caught-up.

And of course there are all the trade rumors. To quote my buddy John, my head is "spinning". David West? Dwight Howard? Those are a couple of the names being thrown-around by media and fans alike. Head on over and check-out Red's Army for all the latest on the trade-talk from John, Chuck, Jay, Scott & myself.
Enjoy the clips below:

Are you ready?

The Boston Celtics have finally opened training camp. After a long summer-into-fall of doubt, frustration and depression, it would be easy to abandon basketball and the Celtics. But as a Celtics fan, it's not that simple. It's in your blood. It becomes a part of you. It is with you every waking-moment. The fans that you meet, they become your family. You eat, sleep and breathe Boston Celtics basketball. So Celtics fans, it's time for another roller coaster ride through an NBA season. All I want to know is... ARE YOU READY....?



Be sure to tune-in to Comcast Sportsnet New England tonight at 8:30pm. They will be broadcasting live from Celtics camp in Waltham.

Not looking good

This is my first post to "Banner18?" since the lockout began in June. Hope you're all doing well, and getting through this BS as best you all can. A few minutes ago, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted some pretty discouraging news:

"Negotiations have broken-off in New York and no new meetings are scheduled, league source tells Yahoo sports."


He then followed that up with this one:


"Talks on a 50-50 BRI split broke down, and labor talks have ended, source tells Y! No new meetings scheduled. Huge setback in this lockout."


‎I'm not sure what to think right now. This lockout has taught me some interesting things about myself, my fellow bloggers and the business-side of the NBA. I honestly feel like just deleting my Twitter, Facebook and other social-media and basically shutting-it down. I also have seriously thought of never attending another NBA game, or buying any NBA merchandise again-as have some other fans I've talked to. But for now, I just wait. And wait. And wait some more- just like we all are doing. I must say that right now, I have very little hope for a 2011-12 NBA season happening..

It's on like popcorn

At 12am, the NBA will officially be in a lockout. The players and owners could not reach an agreement at today's meeting, and David Stern says "we're not closer..we have a huge philosophical divide.."


Here's what this all means from ESPN.

Celtics draft Moore with 55th pick

E'Twaun Moore

Celtics select another Purdue senior with their final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. 6'4" guard E'Twaun Moore from East Chicago, Indiana. Here's his complete bio from Purdue's website, and of course, a YouTube highlight video. No significant moves for the Celts in tonight's draft. Now we watch and wait to see what will happen as far as a lockout...

Celtics acquire Purdue's Jujuan Johnson

Welcome to the City of Champions J.J.

After trading the 25th overall pick, Providence's Marshon Brooks, to the Nets, the Celtics got New Jersey's 27th overall pick, Purdue's Jujuan Johnson. The C's also get a 2nd round pick from NJ in 2014.

Johnson is a 6'10" center/forward with a 7'2" wingspan. He was voted last year's Big 10 player of the year. Here's his DraftExpress profile, and his 2010-11 highlights via YouTube. The Celtics will also be picking at #55 later on tonight.

Great weekend for the Stanley Cup champion B's

Tim Thomas & Zdeno Chara at yesterday's parade

I have to dedicate one more post to the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. I had a phenomenal time in Boston yesterday watching their victory parade. They made so many people in this city happy, and overcame so much to bring the Cup back to Boston. 


This video I came across on Twitter today is such a perfect tribute to all that the B's have accomplished this season. I really hope to be at the Garden next season when they raise Banner 6 as well. So from the bottom of my heart, congratulations again, and thank you Boston Bruins!!!!

Boston Bruins are the 2011 Stanley Cup Champions!

A huge congrats goes out to the Boston Bruins for winning their 6th Stanley Cup tonight. The odds were absolutely stacked against them. Vancouver hadn't lost at home in the Finals, the B's had trouble scoring on the road and only 2 teams had won a Game 7 in the Cup Finals away from home.

But the Bruins pulled it off. And in impressive style. Conn Smythe trophy winner Tim Thomas was once again amazing, and the B's smoked Vancouver 4-0 tonight. I feel very fortunate to have now seen every major sports team in Boston win a title in my lifetime. Think about it-some fans don't get to see one of their cities' teams win a championship while they are on this earth...

So hats-off to the Boston Bruins for a gutsy win and for bringing yet another title to the city of Boston. You had better believe that I will be there to celebrate when the Duckboats once again roll through Boston soon!

Perk chats w/Jim Rome

Here's the Perk clip alot of you were asking me for:

 video courtesy of Daily Thunder

Here is an interview old friend Kendrick Perkins did with Jim Rome last week on "Jim Rome is Burning."

 Perk talks about how he plans to train with his new teammates this summer, if he's been watching any of the Finals and the "mental toughness" of his new squad.

Thank you.

Thank you everyone for being a part of another great Boston Celtics season. As tough as tonight's ending was, I still had a fantastic time this year. Enjoyed some absolutely fantastic moments at the Garden, from Opening Night vs Miami, to Ray breaking the all-time 3 pointers record and many, many more.

But more importantly, it was a great chance to meet some fabulous people on Twitter, Facebook, through Red'sArmy.com and at the TD Garden. Just had such a great time with all of you, and I look forward to doing it all again. Thank you to all of you! -KWAPT

Jessica Camerato Celtics chat and GangGreenTV tonight

Tonight from 8pm to 10pm, you can get your fill of Celtics news, analysis and chat. First, at 8pm, join CSNNE's Jessica Camerato for a live Boston Celtics chat. You can join the chat over at CSNNE's Facebook page. I've participated in all of Jess' previous C's chats, and they've been great. I can speak for alot of my fellow C's fans/friends by saying they've truly enjoyed them also.

What's that you say? That's enough to satisfy your Celtics appetite? Well have no fear, because the guys from GangGreenTV will be going live tonight at 9pm. If you're not familiar with GangGreenTV, what the hell is wrong with you?! No really, you can check-out last week's episode w/guest ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg. If you're a C's fan, GangGreenTV is a must-see. So head over to Red's Army at 9pm to watch.

In the meantime, one of the guys I recently profiled on Red's Army.com's "Fan Friday", GeeZee, emailed me his thoughts and feelings as a C's fan on last night's loss. Enjoy, feel free to comment and you can follow GeeZee on Twitter here.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Livin’ life in the fast lane
Movin’ at the speed of life and I can’t slow down
Only got a gallon in the gas tank
But I’m almost at the finish line, so I can’t stop now

I don’t really know where I’m headed, just enjoyin’ the ride
Just gon’ roll ’til I drop and ride ’til I die
I’m livin’ life in the fast lane (Pedal to the metal)
I’m livin’ life in the fast lane (Pedal to the metal)
“Fast Lane” – Royce Da 5’9” feat. Eminem

Alright, here we are, down 1-3 and possibly staring down the end of the Big 3 era in Boston. Our beloved team messed up where we thought they never would – in the clutch. Rondo’s missed layup and Pierce’s desperation stepback will stay in the memory of fans for long. LeBron and the Heat, in turn, did what we thought they wouldn’t – closed out mercilessly.

I believe I speak for most fans when I say the feeling now is devastating. What is it? Is it the fact that it’s really, possibly over? Or could it be that we can’t believe that the Heat – the eternal antagonist - are winning? Is it that James, after all he did to Cleveland, stands there, about to celebrate his triumph?

Or could it be that the Heat simply wants it more?

The answer to the latter is simple: No. They don’t want it more.

Look, everything points to our season ending in the next week. But it won’t be a surrender because this team wants to win. No matter what happens, you can never question the desire of this group of fighters. They show the true heart of a champion. Never mind the Lakers, who collapsed in embarrassing fashion. This team acts like they are the champion. And for that reason we can’t take being down 1-3. It shouldn’t be like this.

But wait.

We’ve been here before. Everyone, even the fans themselves, has questioned this team. A year ago, we had lost Game 3 to Cleveland in a blowout and trailed the series 1-2. Some declared the series over. Well, you know how that turned out. It was three straight grotesque wins, forged with great teamwork over individual skill.

Fast forward to 2011 and we essentially face the same situation. Hardly anyone believes we can still pull this out. Three wins is what we need to advance. Backs to the wall.

Is it familiar to you?

All in all, what I’m trying to say is that you can never count the Celtics out. Again, everything points to defeat. There is nothing else for us to grasp and hold on to besides despair. And this despair is the single thing that makes me hold out hope until the loss column shows ‘4’.

And in reality that may never happen. You just don’t know.

Until then, do like Royce does. Enjoy the ride.

Outlasted..

"F***."

Celtics are now down to their final loss in this best-of-seven series with Miami. After failing to execute in the final seconds of regulation, Lebron James and the Heat win Game 4 98-90. The Celts gave themselves and the fans alot of confidence early-on. Paul Pierce once again came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, Rondo, despite a dislocated elbow, was getting it done, and the C's were playing great defense. But Miami hung-around all night. The Celts never could stretch the lead out to a comfortable margin. Pierce led the C's with 27, but KG struggled, putting in only 7 points. A completely different Big Ticket than the one who scored 28 points in Game 3. Ray Allen also had a tough night-he put in 17 points, but never got into a good rhythm.

With about 20 seconds left in the 4th, the Celtics got the ball back with the score tied 86-86. The C's had a chance to put Miami away and tie this series up at 2 games. But execution once again was the C's downfall. Paul Pierce had to force up an awkward shot at the buzzer, and we went to OT. At that point, as big a Celtics fan as I am, I knew we were in deep trouble. You cannot leave the door open for a team with 2 guys as talented as Wade and James.

The Heat completely dominated the OT, and the C's simply ran out of gas. It was tough to watch. And as a C's fan, it's frustrating because this game was our's for the taking. James led all scorers with 35. The other key stat tonight was Miami's dominance on the glass. The C's only mustered 3 offensive rebounds to Miami's 10, and overall were out-rebounded 45-28.

So the Celtics have a daunting task ahead: beat Miami 3 times in a row, or the season is over. They will travel to Miami and play for their playoff lives in Game 5 on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 7pm. Head over to RedsArmy for Chuck's recap and a link to the full boxscore.
(video via Chris Forsberg)

Heart.

"We got you man."

Gusty performance tonight as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo lead the Celtics to a must-win over Miami in Game 3. Final at the Garden: C 's 97 Heat 81. Kevin Garnett schooled Chris Bosh and the Heat with 28 big points and 18 boards. Pierce tallied 27 including 5 three's and Rondo, well Rondo was amazing. After dislocating his elbow in the 3rd, he returned to finish the game with one arm.

This was an amazing night to be at the Garden. The C's still have alot of work to do, but this win showed us they have alot of fight, and can still play Celtics basketball. Check out Chuck's recap at Red's Army.com.

C's have tomorrow off, and we should get some injury news on Rondo, and Delonte, who injured his shoulder this evening. Tip-off on Monday is at 7pm.

Is it in them?

"Get off me."

C's fall in Miami again tonight, this time DWade and Lebron's combined 63 leads Heat to a 102-91 win. In my opinion, the Celts did not get big stops when needed tonight. Too much trading of baskets. Pierce going down with the foot strain was tough as he never got in a rhythm. He only tallied 13 points, and his partner-in-crime Ray Allen only mustered 7. The Heat did a good job swarming Ray-Ray and denying him the ball. Kevin Garnett pretty much kept Boston close most of the game. His 16 were 2nd only to Rondo's 20.

The C's did not seem fluid on offense, and despite some spurts, they did not move the ball very well. The bench played much better, as DWest, Baby and Jeff Green combined for 27 to Miami's reserves' 12 points.

So now it comes down to protecting the home court. Can Boston go back home and win 2 to even this up and stop the bleeding? I believe I know they can. It's just a matter of executing, defending and playing Celtics basketball. That building is going to be rocking this Saturday night, and the fans will do what they can. Let's hope the team responds as well. We have been through too much this season to let it end without a fight. Game 3 at the TD Garden will tip-off at 8pm on Saturday. I don't have a ticket yet, but I'll do whatever I can to be there. Be sure to read Chuck's recap over at Red's Army for more- including a link to the boxscore.

NOT what the Doctor ordered..

"Oh it's like THAT?"

So did you think the C's would come out a little rusty after 1 week off? Me too-but not this rusty. C's lose Game 1 99-90. Now let me be clear, I'm not taking away from DWade and Lebron. More so Wade, who was incredible. He finished with 38 points on 14 of 21 shooting. Lebron put up 22 of his own to go with 6 boards and 5 assists. James Jones was huge off the bench with 25 points-5 of 7 from downtown and a perfect 10 of 10 from the line. That was unexpected. But the Heat really did nothing all that fancy. They simply "played their game", as coach Erik Spoelstra said postgame. And the C's did not play their's. They were out of sync and not as focused as needed to win today. Poor shooting, costly early fouls on Rondo and some very questionable calls by the refs. But it was poor execution, not the refs that cost us this game.

The Celtics offense sputtered pretty much all day. The lone bright-spot, and reason they were able to They just could not get it going until it was too late. Paul Pierce struggled-but still managed to score 19 points before being ejected after his 2nd technical. He got into it with DWade after the two collided on the baseline. The ref overreacted, and ESPN's Mike Wilbon thought so too. Will be interesting to see if the NBA rescinds either of the techs called on Pierce or J.O. today. Rondo never really got rolling, KG was cold and the bench struggled going 8-23 from the field. Just a frustrating day all-around for the C's.

Am I worried..? No. I'm really not. This Celtics team responds very well to adversity. And mark my words-they will not play this poorly again anytime soon. And Paul, Rondo & KG will not come out this cold either. Doc Rivers will watch film, talk to his troops, and they'll be ready to play better in Game 2. Tip-off is at 7pm on Tuesday in Miami. Check out Chuck's recap over at Red's Army.com.

I am so ready to beat these jokers..

Is it Sunday yet?

I am so ready for this series to start. Despite that debacle a few weeks ago, we have owned the Heat all season. And I believe things will be no different during the playoffs. Here's a few reminders for Celtics and Heat fans:

On to the next one.

"Eat this."

Celtics finished off the Knicks at MSG today 101-89. They will now move on to face the winner of the Heat-Sixers series in round 2. The Heat lead that series 3-1, and will look to wrap-it up on Wednesday night in Miami. The main reason this sweep is so huge for the C's is that it guarantees Shaq and the rest of the squad at least 1 full week of rest.

The Celtics were in control most of this game. New York made a run and got within 6 in the 4th, but the Celts pulled-it together and finished the job. I knew the bench would not stay down much longer, and today they were a key part of the C's victory. Big Baby scored clutch baskets throughout the 1st half and finished with his series-best of 14 pts & 5 rebounds.

But the story again today, and the story of this series, was the "Big Four" of Ticket, Truth, Rondo & Ray. Rondo got to the basket at will, and despite the Knicks trying to deter him w/a hard-foul early on, he finished with 21 pts & 12 dimes. Paul & Ray started off slow, but hit big shots when it mattered. They put in 13 and 14, respectively. The Big Ticket led the Celtics with 26 points today, and stoically hit big shot after big shot down the stretch. He also was a perfect 6 for 6 from the FT line.

This was the first sweep since 1992 when the C's eliminated the Pacers in 4, and only the 2nd road close-out win since KG & Ray joined the team in 2007. The C's continue to get better & better, and now will get a nice extended rest to regroup and possibly get Shaq ready for some significant playing-time. Enjoy the time-off Celtics fans, and be sure to check out Chuck's recap over at Red's Army.
(video courtesy of Chris Forsberg)

Silent.

"Swissssh."

"Get off me."

The MSG crowd was raucous and rowdy at the beginning of the night. By the end of it, they were silent.
Spike Lee even left early. It was that bad. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and the rest of the Boston Celtics were the reason why. Behind the Captain's 38 and Ray's 32, the Celtics convincingly beat the Knicks 113-96 in
NYC tonight. Knicks fans will probably say their team is "banged-up" or that they didn't play "hardenough", but it's hard to deny the C's offensive effort and more importantly, the way they turned things around on the glass tonight.

Pierce had a look of determination in his eye from the jump. Watching on tv as he came out on the floor, he just had a menacing look like he was not going to be denied tonight. And sure enough, he wasn't. With his 38 points, he passed Kobe Bryant as the active-player with the most 30+ point performances at MSG with 8. Ray Allen dropped in 32 points of his own, including 8 of 11 from downtown. He was absolutely unstoppable once he got going. And of course we cannot forget about Rondo. Rajon had easily his best playoff game of 2011 thus far, notching a triple-double of 15 pts, 11 boards and an incredible 20 assists-which tied a Celtics playoff record. Jermaine O'Neal continued to silence his skeptics by playing another solid game. He had 3 blocks, 2 assists, 6 points and 3 boards in 27 minutes. This from a guy who many, including myself, did not think would be healthy enough to play at all this postseason.

 The only concern this evening was the C's bench-they continued to struggle and looked lost at times. However I am confident that together with Doc and their teammates they will tighten things up. The Celtics now will look to sweep the Knicks on Sunday, my birthday, at Madison Square Garden. What a great present that would be! Tip-off is at 3:30pm. Check out Chuck's recap at Red's Army.com for more, including a link to the complete box score.

Scrap.

"MINE."

Another scrap tonight. Celtics defeat a gutsy, relentless Knicks team 96-93. Carmelo Anthony was simply not human. Hitting shot after shot he finished with 42 points. Rajon Rondo led the C's with an epic 30 of his own.
Kevin Garnett was the true hero though, hitting the game-winning turnaround in the lane with 14 seconds left, then stealing the ball in the final seconds to seal the win. Check out a full-recap over at Red's Army.


Here's some postgame vid courtesy of Chris Forsberg:

Meaningless.

Bitten again by the injury-bug.

Other than to the 2nd unit's pride, tonight's Celts-Wiz game was meaningless. Celtics lose in OT 95-94. Jeff Green had his best game as a Celtic, scoring 20 points to go with 15 boards. Delonte West left the game in the 3rd quarter with a sprained right ankle. This guy just cannot catch a break. Let's cross our fingers that he's ready to go by the weekend.

We now know that the Celtics 1st round opponent will be the New York Knicks. Game 1 will be Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. C's also wrap-up regular season vs New York on Wednesday night at TD. Tip-off for "Fan Appreciation Night" will be at 8pm. I'll be there. Check out our full recap of tonight's game w/links to the box score at Red's Army.com.

C's 104 Wiz 88-Postgame videos from Chris Forsberg

"Get off me."

Here's some postgame vids from my boy Chris Forsberg. Also, read the full recap from Chuck over at Red's Army. . C's face the Heat in Miami on Sunday. Tip-off's at 3:30pm.

Give it away now.

See you in the playoffs sucka.

That song just popped-in my head when thinking about tonight's game. In my opinion, the C's gave it away. Missed layups, getting out-hustled, not executing etc. Sure, D.Rose had his 30 points, but we knew that was going to happen. Regardless though, the C's drop one in Chicago to the Bulls tonight 97-81.

Celtics opened the game hitting their first few shots and looking pretty good. But as time went on, they got out of their game plan, partly due to some great Bulls defense, and the game slipped away in the 2nd half. C's shot a paltry 20% from behind the arc and 38% from the field. Once again, it seemed that Ray didn't get enough touches and he and Rondo combined for 14 points.

Not much more to say tonight as I have to get to bed. But you can read John's recap and get the full boxscore over on Red's Army. Don't panic folks, this game tonight really means nada in the grand scheme of things. Frustrating and disappointing? Yes. But the be all/end all to the season? Hell no.

Celtics are back in action tomorrow night at the Garden to face the Wizards. Tip-off is at 7:30pm. I'll be out of town for a wedding all weekend, but we'll have all the action covered over at Red's Army.com.

Good news, bad news..

"Get off me!"

Good news is, the C's beat a subpar Detroit Pistons team 101-90 at the Garden tonight. Bad news is, after absolutely killing-it with 6 minutes of great play, Shaq strains his left calf and does not return.

This was an up and down game where the C's would get a double-digit lead, and then Detroit would claw back. The main cause of that being 19 Celtic turnovers. A 33-18 3rd quarter in favor in the C's was crucial in them holding down the Pistons. Kevin Garnett led all scorers with 23, Paul Pierce had 22, and Rondo dished out 14 assists. Glen Davis and Delonte West both played well off the bench, scoring 11 and 10 points respectively.

But the real story tonight of course is Shaq. It's very clear that without his help, the odds are against us in the postseason. We need his big body down low to battle in the paint. I'm sure as the week goes on, we'll find out what Doc and Danny's plan is. You want Shaq healthy for the playoffs, but you also need him to get some burn and get his wind back before the postseason starts. Stay tuned...

Celtics are now off until Tuesday when the Sixers come to town. Tip-off is at 7:30pm. Be sure to read Red's Army's recap as well.

Out of gas..

C's were a step behind in the 4th quarter.

Tough one to watch this evening. You really felt like the C's were firing on all cylinders tonight, but a rough 4th quarter costs them the game. They fall in Atlanta to the Hawks 88-83 on the 2nd night of a road back-to-back.

There are alot of things you can blame tonight; getting out-rebounded 52-38 and 14-2 on the offensive glass, missed layups, missed free-throws..but the bottom-line in my eyes was that the C's just ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.

You can read and comment on Chuck's recap and get links to the boxscore on Red's Army.com.

Celtics travel back to Boston and next play on Sunday against the Pistons. Tip-off at the Garden is at 6pm.