11 posts tagged “celtics”

No, it certainly doesn't. I've yet to find a better toupee than that in my life...

(from Deadspin via The Sports Hernia)

With apologies to Juan Dixon and Darrick Martin, I'd forgotten what it was like to have the NBA's top point guard duo. Tonight was the third stop on T.J. Ford's comeback tour, a 115-82 Raptors win over the lowly Timberwolves. Ford and Jose Calderon combined for 22 points, seven rebounds, 23 assists and just three turnovers.

Despite being the world's biggest Calderon homer, I'm more than pleased to have Ford back in the lineup and I'm especially impressed with his play off the bench. Prior to his injury in early-December, it seemed as though Ford had been forcing his game with Calderon breathing down his neck, so I had some concern about him accepting a secondary role in his return. If he plays within himself for 20 minutes per game off the bench, both him in Calderon should be in good shape come playoff time.

At 27-22 and still reeling from a disappointing home loss to the Clippers Friday night, the Raptors still don't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the Celtics, Pistons or even the Magic, though things are looking up with Ford's return. Welcome back, T.J..

Think the Raptors have a shot at coming out of the Eastern Conference this season? Well, so far...no. Tomorrow afternoon they've got the 19-2 Celtics at the Air Canada Centre, as important a game as can be this early in the season, at least if they want to be taken seriously.

The Raptors have won four in a row since a 112-84 drubbing in Boston last Friday, leaving them fourth in the conference at 14-10. Believe it or not, tomorrow's match up may be one of their easier games this month, as the Raptors follow with seven straight out West, including Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans all in a row to wrap the trip up. 

The Boston Celtics might not be that screwed after all. After losing the Greg Oden and Kevin Durant sweepstakes, the Celtics are set to acquire Kevin Garnett from the Timberwolves in exchange for Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff and a draft pick. The trade is not yet official, although it's reported that both teams have agreed.

Garnett, coupled with Paul Pierce and the newly-acquired Ray Allen, gives the Celtics the Eastern Conference's best Big Three. They do, however, sacrifice a lot of depth in the deal. Still, as a Raptor fan, this isn't a team that I'd like to run into in the playoffs. The T-Wolves did pretty well for themselves too, getting a future All-Star in Jefferson and an expiring contract in Ratliff, which will clear up some space for them to make a free agent signing in the future. Telfair will likely get a chance to play, at least until the T-Wolves discover just how bad he is. They'll be better off if they can coax Boston into giving up Rajon Rondo instead, whose name had been previously mentioned.

Overall, a good trade for both sides, and one that should make Boston an instant contender in the East. They've reportedly advised Garnett not to celebrate by sniffing large amounts of cocaine.

With several NBA and NHL teams introducing new looks (the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, to name a few) for the coming season, I got to thinking about the best uniforms in the four major sports. Here’s what I came up with:

MLB: Though the Yankees’ pinstripes and Dodgers’ blue and white are tough to pass on, I’m partial to Detroit’s Old English home whites. Interesting fact about the uniform, which I wasn’t aware of until Paul Lukas pointed it out in his ESPN column during last year’s World Series: The D logo on the hat is different than the one on the jersey. For more on this, check out the article yourself. Nevertheless, a great look, and in my opinion the finest in baseball and possibly all of sports.

 

NFL: What’s more intimidating than the Raiders’ black and silver? Alright, to be honest, there hasn’t been anything scary about the teams the Raiders have fielded the past couple years, but at least they’ve looked great. After using black and gold for the first three years of their existence, Al Davis switched the colours to black and silver upon being named head coach and general manager in 1963. Since then, the black and silver have been as constant with the team as Davis himself.

 

NBA: Though the past 15 years or so have been painful in Boston, the Celtics can rest assured in being the best-dressed team in the NBA. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—and the Celtics haven’t. From Cousy to Russell to Bird to Pierce, the green and white has been a staple.

 

NHL: Notice a trend yet? When it comes to uniforms, tradition reigns supreme. What greater tradition is there in the NHL than that of the Montreal Canadiens, 24-time Stanley Cup champions? It’s one thing to win that many Cups, but to do it while looking great is a whole other thing. Like the Celtics’ green and white, the Habs’ blue, white and red has stayed consistent throughout the franchise’s history, and is still the best look in the league today.

Last night was most important night of the year for teams in the NBA's lower echelon, and it also proved to be the worst night of the year for the Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics. The two teams with the best odds of landing a top two pick fell to fourth and fifth, respectively, opening the door for Portland to steal the top pick and Seattle to grab the second spot. Atlanta grabbed the third spot.

Based on the needs of the Blazers and Sonics, it's safe to say that Greg Oden can begin making reservations in Portland and Kevin Durant can start looking for a place in Seattle. That is, unless, Portland decides to trade the pick, as ESPN's Jon Barry suggested prior to last night's San Antonio-Utah game, all but ensuring that no NBA team will ever offer him a front office position for as long as he lives. Nevertheless, Oden will be a good fit in Portland (as he would be anywhere, of course)---he'll take pressure off of Zach Randolph and LaMarcus Aldridge, and his presence under the basket should create more outside looks for Brandon Roy and Martell Webster. It does create even more of a logjam at center, but regardless, Oden is not going to be losing minutes to Joel Przyzbilla and Jamal Magloire.

Kevin Durant to Seattle is also a no-brainer, regardless of whether the Sonics are able to retain Rashard Lewis in free-agency this summer. Lewis and Durant are both 6'10" and would fit well at the 3 and 4. With Ray Allen also in the mix, this would give Seattle three talented scorers. They still lack depth, but don't forget, they won 52 games just two years ago with Allen and Lewis. Durant to the Sonics makes them a considerably better team, assuming they are able to re-sign Lewis.

In closing, I'd just like to touch base with the Boston situation. How bad can it get for this franchise? Call it the curse of Len Bias or call it the basketball gods' punishment for tanking. I'm just glad I'm not a Celtic fan. I'm just looking forward to Bill Simmons' next ESPN column. That is, if he was able to make it through the night. And as for Memphis basketball fans, they may have missed out on Greg Oden, but can find solace in the fact that they still get one more season of Joey Dorsey.

In a difficult reminder that there is no such thing as karma, Vince Carter and the Nets finished off the Raptors in a surprisingly close Game 6 last night in New Jersey. After getting torched in their previous two road games, the Raptors hung in this one till the very end, only to have their one-point point lead erased on a Richard Jefferson layup with eight seconds remaining. Jefferson's steal on the Raptors' ensuing possession sealed the deal in the Nets' 98-97 win.

The Raptors used gutty performances from point guards Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford and another strong effort from Andrea Bargnani to hang around in this one, but but were held back by another sloppy outing from "All-Star" Chris Bosh. Bosh was horrible in the first three quarters, shooting a Dirk Nowitzki-like 2-of-13, before finishing strong in the final quarter. He finished with 23 points on just 8-of-22, but to his credit added a career-high 9 assists. Nevertheless, Bosh was shut down all series by Jason "Big Game" Collins, whose job, according to Raptors' color-commentator Leo Rautins, was to "bang Chris Bosh" all night. If Collins' role in the second round is similar to his role against the Raptors, he'll be called upon to "bang Zydrunas Ilgauskas", and maybe even grind LeBron James should he have any thoughts of attacking the hoop.

A tough way to go out against the despised Nets, but still, credit must be given where it's due. Jason Kidd was remarkable in the series, averaging a triple-double (14.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 13.2 apg), becoming the first to do so in a series since himself in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against Boston. Carter averaged 25.0 points per game despite looking disinterested 75% of the time, which is no surprise to Raptor fans. Jefferson was huge all series, averaging 21.0 per game, five above his regular season average. And finally, let's give it up for Collins. His average of 3.2 points per game far exceeded the 0.1 that he averaged in his final ten starts of the regular season. That's not a typo, he scored a total of one point in his final ten games.

Again, a difficult way to end the season, but a monumental year nonetheless. The Raptors equaled their franchise-high with 47 wins, won the Atlantic Division for the first time in team history, and secured home court in the playoffs for the first time. They're a young team that will benefit from this experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing them bounce back in '07-08.

Barton College's late rally to shock Winona State in Saturday's NCAA Division II championship game got me thinking about some of the greatest comebacks in sports history. You see a few great ones each regular season, so I'm going to narrow this list to the greatest in the history of postseason sports. Give it a look, and let me know if I'm missing something.

Houston Oilers vs. Buffalo Bills
AFC Wildcard Round
January 3, 1993

In the final week of the 1992 season, Buffalo was mauled 27-3 by Houston, losing Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly to a knee injury in the process. Despite finishing with a better record in the regular season, the Bills were considered underdogs to the healthy and confident Oilers in their AFC Wildcard matchup. This appeared to be the case early on, as Houston jumped all over the short-handed Bills, rolling to an apparently insurmountable 35-3 lead early in the second half. That was until Frank Reich, Kelly's long-time backup, had something say about it. Reich threw four second half touchdowns, three to Andre Reed and another to Don Beebe, and Kenneth Davis added a one-yard plunge as the Bills scored 35 straight points to take a 38-35 lead. Houston's Al Del Greco made a late field goal to send the game to overtime, but an interception by Buffalo's Nate Odomes set up a game-winning field goal by Steve Christie. Final score: Buffalo 38, Houston 35. The 32-point comeback is the biggest in NFL history.

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Western Conference Finals, Game 7
June 4, 2000

The Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers looked to have the series in the bag after jumping out to a 3-1 lead, but let the Blazers back with wins in Games 5 and 6. The Blazers also appeared to have Game 7 locked up after taking a commanding 15-point lead with 10 minutes remaining, before O'Neal and Bryant took over. The Lakers ran off 15 straight points, tying the game at 77-77, before pulling away for good in an eventual 89-84 win. The exclamation point came on an alley-oop pass from Bryant to O'Neal in the final minute, putting the Lakers ahead by six and effectively putting an end to all Blazer hopes. The Lakers went on to beat the Indiana Pacers in six games in the NBA Finals, their first of three consecutive championships.

New Jersey Nets vs. Boston Celtics
Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3
May 25, 2002

The Celtics' comeback in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals isn't as well-remember as the Lakers' over the Blazers, merely for the fact that it occured in Game 3 as opposed to Game 7. It is, however, the greatest fourth quarter comeback in NBA Playoff history in terms of points erased. After splitting the first two games of the series in New Jersey, the Celtics trailed the Nets 74-53 entering the fourth quarter of Game 3. That was also around the time Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker decided to take control. The Celtics outscored the Nets 41-16 in the fourth quarter, with Paul Pierce scoring 19 of his 28 points en route to an incredible 94-90 win. Walker added 23 points and 12 rebounds. Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived---Boston dropped the next three games of the series, allowing the Nets to reach the NBA Finals.

New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers
NFC Wildcard Round
January 5, 2003

A trip to the second round of the playoffs appeared certain after the New York Giants jumped out to a 24-point lead late in the third quarter in their 2003 NFC Wildcard matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. A Matt Bryant field goal gave the Giants a 38-14 lead with 20 minutes remaining in the game, but Jeff Garcia led the 49ers on a furious comeback,
highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tai Streets in the final minute to claim a 39-38 lead. The Giants had one more chance, getting close enough for a 41-yard game-winning field goal attempt by Bryant, but a poor snap by Jeremy Newberry sealed the loss. Garcia threw for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran for a 60-yard touchdown for the 49ers, who would go on to lose 31-6 to eventual-champion Tampa Bay in the second round. The 24-point comeback is the second biggest in NFL playoff history.

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
American League Championship Series
October 2004

Alright, so this one is different because it was a series comeback, but a discussion of the greatest comebacks in postseason history is incomplete without mention of the Red Sox' magical run in the 2004 ALCS. The Curse of the Bambino appeared to be ringing true once again as the Sox dropped the first three games to the arch-rival Yanks, including an embarassing 19-8 blowout in Game 3 at Fenway Park. However, a David Ortiz walk-off homerun in Game 4 was followed by an Ortiz walk-off single in Game 5, putting the Sox right back in the series, down 3-2. Curt Schilling's heroic bloody sock performance was the story in a 4-2 Boston win in Game 6, and a 10-3 blowout in Game 7 sealed the most memorable comeback in baseball history. The Sox didn't stop there, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, effectively ending the curse and wrapping up their first World Series Championship since 1918.