Jeff Howe is an award-winning sportswriter who is
in his first season as the lead writer on the Celtics beat for the Boston Metro.
Howe has worked at the Metro for two years as the GameDay editor. He has also
covered the Patriots for two seasons. Howe graduated from the University of
Massachusetts in 2006. He can be reached at jeff.howe@metro-boston.com.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 12, 5:52 p.m.
Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett was voted onto the NBA All-Defensive First Team, according to the ballot released today by the league.
The voting panel consisted of the NBA's 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.
Garnett and Kobe Bryant led the way with 24 first-team votes and 52 points. Marcus Camby, Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan joined them on the First Team.
Shane Battier, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Tayshaun Price and Raja Bell were selected to the Second Team.
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo received 11 points, including three first-team votes, which is deserving but somewhat surprising because he received a lot more acknowledgment than Paul Pierce, who received two points. This is completely baffling because Pierce has been a rock on the perimeter this season, and he was revitalized on the defensive end to the point where he looked as good -- if not better -- than his prime seasons five or so years ago. Pierce was constantly lauded for his defense by opposing coaches through much of the season, but when it came time for them to submit their ballots, they seemed to have forgotten the praises they once sung with such a high tune.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 9, 1:54 a.m.
While it took six quarters for Ray Allen to crack the scoreboard in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Paul Pierce got off the ground right away in Game 2. After scoring a career playoff-low four points in the first game against the Cavs, Pierce dropped seven of his 19 points in the first quarter tonight. It obviously helped Pierce's cause by not picking up a pair of fouls and heading to the bench in the game's first four minutes, but the Celtics' had crisper ball movement tonight, at least once the second unit changed the pace eight minutes into the first quarter.
Allen, however, took a little longer. In the first half, he missed all three field goal attempts and a free throw that resulted from a defensive three-seconds call, which begged him to get on the scoring sheet. Those struggles were enough for Doc Rivers and the coaching staff. Rivers had a halftime meeting and instructed his team would call the first four or five plays for Allen to start the third quarter, and the sharpshooter responded. He scored 11 points in the third, keyed an early 10-0 run that broke open the game, and finished the night with 16 points.
"I’m not frustrated," James said. "With me missing shots I normally would make, that can be frustrating, but with my overall play, I’m more frustrated with the turnovers I’ve had than anything. Missing a few shots here and going through a period or stretch where I can’t make a shot, I’m not frustrated more than me having 17 turnovers in two games. I’m more frustrated with that because I know how to protect the ball because I’ve been pretty good at protecting the ball this whole season and the playoffs. I’m more frustrated with that."
What's funny is James' 21 points were a game-high, as Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 19. But the C's are perfectly happy with that. Their defense has been outstanding, and their weak-side rotations and double teams coming from the low block have kept James from getting uncontested drives through the lane and to the bucket. Sure, it's utterly baffling to see the NBA's scoring champ struggle like this, but the Celtics are looking for a little credit, too. After all, they say, this is why they have practices and film sessions.
"[I'm] a little shocked that he’s 8-for-42, but this is what we work on," Pierce said. "We go into the scouting report. We’ve done the practice. We work on trying to contain him. It’s not me. It’s everybody. It’s Kevin [Garnett], it’s [Kendrick Perkins]. It’s mostly the big guys who are stepping up showing the help. … It makes it tough on him. It puts him in the position to where he has to start forcing things. That’s what we try to do. It’s total team defense.
"LeBron is what makes them go. If we control him, we control the team. With the help of the guys around me, we’ve been able to do that."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 10:40 p.m.
The Cavs got benched tonight. Boston took down Cleveland, 89-73, to grab a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 3 is Saturday night in Cleveland.
The Celtics' bench was outstanding, particularly after the starters struggled in the first quarter. The bench scored 34 points in the game, but it had a stretch in which it put up 21 of 23 points for the C's, including the first 15 in the second quarter.
The Celtics have held the Cavs to three of their four lowest point totals of the season. LeBron James is 8 of 42 from the floor in the series after going 6-for-24 tonight with 21 points. I'll have more coming later on.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 9:15 p.m.
It took Ray Allen until the seventh quarter of the series to score his first points, but they came in a big way. Allen dropped 11 in the third quarter, and the Celtics have a 70-51 lead heading into the fourth.
LeBron James' struggles continued. He had missed 10 straight shots at one point and is 4 of 19 from the floor through three. He's also missed four of nine from the free throw line and has 13 points.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 8:25 p.m.
The Celtics stormed back in the second quarter, using 20 points from the bench to take a 44-36 lead at the half.
LeBron James has missed seven straight shots and is 3 of 13 from the floor in the first half. The Celtics have also missed 9 of 17 from the free throw line.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 7:41 p.m.
The Cavs lead 24-17 after the first quarter, and the Celtics should consider themselves lucky to be trailing by only seven. They looked miserable on offense for the first eight or nine minutes, failing to move the ball and taking bad shots.
The C's trade by as many as 12 and looked as bad as they have at home in the playoffs, and the crowd has treated them that way. They were booed on several occasions.
Ray Allen had a chance to end his scoreless streak, but he missed a technical free throw with 6:09 to play in the first quarter. He also missed his only shot from the floor and still hasn't scored a point in the series.
Finally, Cavs forward Ben Wallace left the game early in the quarter with what the team called "dizziness" and his return is doubtful.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 6:44 p.m.
The Cavs have switched to their blue road uniforms in an attempt to change up their luck from Tuesday's Game 1 loss.
Around the Cleveland locker room, Damon Jones was dancing and some teammates told him to take it easy so he doesn't break an ankle. Delonte West and LeBron James also spoke to crowds of media, and one reporter was yelled at by the Cavs' PR staff for taking a picture of James with his cell phone camera. He was ordered to delete the picture because -- as is a very well-known rule for media who know what they're doing -- there are no cameras allowed in locker rooms.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers addressed his son's decision to transfer from Georgetown: "It was something he wanted to do. I loved where he was at, but he wants to be happy and in a different system. He loves Coach Thompson. I love Coach Thompson. It was a tough one. ... I didn’t try [to talk him out of it] because if I did and it didn’t work out then it’s [my] fault. I did try to show him where he was at as far as his school. He was playing a lot and had a great chance of starting the following year, but kids sometimes want to do things and you support them. That’s what you do as a parent."
Rivers would not elaborate as to where his son, Jeremiah, plans to look to transfer.
Rivers also said his team defended James very well in the first game, but there's one note of concern going forward: "The problem will come when he does start to making shots if we can continue to trust what we’re doing defensively and not try to change on the fly out on the floor."
Paul Pierce, Leon Powe, P.J. Brown and Glen Davis all spoke to the media in the C's locker room. Pierce, who doesn't typically speak before games, said he was honored to get voted to the All-NBA Third Team.
Powe on his first trip to the playoffs: "I always think about basketball, think about the playoffs, think about where I was back in the day. When I was young, I used to watch it, and now I’m in it and see the intensity level and everything that comes along with it. It’s just great, and as long as we keep on winning, it’s been great for me."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 5:26 p.m.
Kevin Garnett was voted onto the All-NBA First Team, according to the ballot released today by the NBA. Garnett received 118 First Team votes and 612 points, each of which were the third most in the league. Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul, who each finished one-two in the MVP voting, received the most first-place votes and points, respectively.
Paul Pierce was selected on the Third Team with two First Team votes and 151 points.
Ray Allen received four points, and former Celtic Al Jefferson received 14.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 8, 12:53 p.m.
Jeremiah Rivers, son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, has decided to transfer from Georgetown, according to the 
Washington Post.
Jeremiah Rivers, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, was primarily used as a defensive specialist coming off the bench and averaged 2.5 points per game last season.
"Jeremiah and his family made a decision and determined this was best for him," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said in a statement released by the University, and printed in the Post. "We appreciate his hard work and wish him best in his future endeavors."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:35 a.m.
Here's a last take on Game 1 tonight, but before I get to that, a reminder that Game 2 is Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:28 a.m.
LeBron James had some high remarks about counterpart Paul Pierce.
"He’s a very good offensive player," James said. "Footwork-wise, besides Kobe Bryant, he has the best footwork I have seen. I don’t expect him to play like he played tonight, him or Ray [Allen]."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:24 a.m.
Defense ruled the night at the Garden. The Cavs shot 30.7 percent from the floor, while the Celtics made good at a 42.6 percent clip. There were also 41 combined turnovers compared to 37 assists.
Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett compared the game to a heavyweight fight.
"This was a defensive game tonight," Garnett said. "This was two heavyweights just body punching. There wasn’t any finesse, wasn’t any jabs. It was all body punches. It was just an all-out defensive beatdown fight."
"It’s great," Rivers said. "Every possession, as a coach, you live and die with. You just hope your players feel the same way, and they do. You can see it every possession. It’s funny. I look at the score, and [the Cavs] had 72 points. And in my head, I can count 16 points that they never should have gotten. We lost guys [on defense], so that just proved that you do. You live every possession as a coach and a player, and it’s good. That’s what playoff basketball is about, and that’s fun."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:19 a.m.
Kevin Garnett took advantage of a mismatch when he scored the game-clinching bucket. With the ball on the low block, Garnett spun past Joe Smith and laid in the ball to give the Celtics a 74-72 lead with 21.4 seconds remaining in the game.
Cavs coach Mike Brown said he would have rather had Ben Wallace in the game to guard Garnett, but that didn’t happen because he assumed the Celtics would take a timeout prior to that possession, when Brown would have subbed Wallace in for Smith.
Kendrick Perkins was clearly happy how it all transpired.
“He is called the ‘Big Ticket’ for a reason,” Perkins said of Garnett. “You throw it in there, and he goes to work. He is either going to make it or miss it, but you are still going to love him either way.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:16 a.m.
Kevin Garnett finished third in the MVP voting, but he said he felt honored to be considered for the award that most who followed the Celtics thought he deserved.
“Anytime you get votes for any kind of award in this league, it’s always a pleasure,” Garnett said after the game. “I’ve always been privileged. But without this guy to my right (Paul Pierce) and the hoist of other guys in that locker room along with the coaching staff, the organization, I always have to give thanks to them, also, for that opportunity. Players think sometimes it’s all about them, but they don’t understand the other four guys that are out there on the floor with you, along with those guys on the bench who make a lot of things happen. I’m privileged for that, and I thank you for those who voted for me. That’s what’s up.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 7, 1:14 a.m.
Obviously, the big story of the night surrounded the struggles of LeBron James, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who combined to shoot 4 of 36 (11.1 percent) from the floor. James was 2 of 18 for 12 points, with just two points coming in the second half. He also missed a lay-up to tie the game in the waning seconds. Pierce was 2 of 14 from the field with four points and six turnovers. And Allen was 0 of 4 from the floor, including three misses from 3-point range and went scoreless in a postseason game for the first time in his career.
“Me and Ray Allen feel like we played [James] to a standstill because the combination between me and him were 2 of 18, also,” Pierce said. “We didn’t give ourselves the best chance. We just tried to run [James] into the help. One-on-one, he’s tough, just driving to the hole with his strength, the way he can knock down shots. We just tried to direct him toward where the help is, where Kevin, where Perk is, and make his finishes tough at the rim. The other thing was we tried to keep him off the fastbreak and limit easy opportunities.
“I can’t play any worse than this, and we got a win. And Ray can’t play as bad, or LeBron. I think we’ve set ourselves for an exciting series. I look for it to get better and better.”
Against the Wizards in the first round, James missed an opportunity to win the series in the final second of Game 5, but his lay-up bounced off the rim. Cavs coach Mike Brown said James deserves a pass on the difficult stretch.
“He had a tough night,” Brown said. “He’s definitely entitled to it. He’s had, I don’t know how many games he’s had – like I said in my last press conference – terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific, terrific. But the one thing he tried to do, he tried to attack, which was good, and I thought he did a good job defensively. I’m not worried about him. He’ll definitely bounce back in Game 2.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 9:25 p.m.
The Celtics lead 41-37 after the second quarter, but they struggled in the quarter and allowed the Cavs to make it a game. They did catch a break, though, as Rajon Rondo drew a foul on LeBron James with 0.2 seconds remaining in the half, and Rondo hit both free throws to give the C's their four-point advantage.
The Celtics didn't help themselves early in the second when James was on the bench. Cleveland outscored the C's 7-4 while James sat on the bench for 4:23. Still, he has struggled, shooting 1 of 6 from the floor and scoring 10 points.
Paul Pierce hasn't been any better, also going 1 of 6 from the field and scoring two points. The Celtics hurt themselves with 12 first-half turnovers, including eight in the second quarter.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 8:44 p.m.
The Celtics fought off a tough start and closed the first quarter with a bang, taking a 25-15 lead. The first four minutes couldn't have gone much worse for the C's. They missed their first seven shots, committed two turnovers and lost Paul Pierce to the bench after he was called for two fouls. The C's followed that by hitting eight straight shots, though, and James Posey drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner with 0.6 seconds remaining to put the Celtics ahead by 10. Cleveland didn't help its cause much, missing 14 of its first 16 shots and going 4 of 19 in the quarter. LeBron James was held to 1 of 4 from the field, as Posey did a great job on him defensively.
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 8:07 p.m.
Kevin Garnett finished in third place in the MVP voting, according to the ballot released today. Garnett received 15 first-place votes and 670 points. Paul Pierce received one point and was in 14th place in the voting.
Kobe Bryant won the award with 82 first-place votes and 1,105 points. Chris Paul finished second with 28 first-place votes and 670 points. LeBron James finished fourth with one first-place vote and received 438 points.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers avoided getting into the media war the Wizards found themselves in, as they called James "overrated."
"I just thought LeBron should have been higher," Rivers said. "We’re playing Cleveland, right? As a matter of fact, I thought he should have won."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 6, 7:57 p.m.
There wasn't a ton going on tonight, but LeBron James met with the media for a little less than four minutes earlier. Here is a complete transcript from that session:
(Thoughts on Kobe Bryant winning the MVP)
“I’ve always stated since two or three years ago that Kobe Bryant was the best player in this league. I think he’s been the best player in this league for the last five, six, seven years. It was exciting. It’s good that he won it. His team played well. He’s part of the reason why they finished No. 1 in the West.”
(How comfortable he is with the team since the trade)
“We’re a much better team since, of course, the first couple weeks after the trade, just learning the system. We’ve been more on a string lately. If one guy breaks down, we’ve been more helping each other. It’s been a whole team thing. We knew it was going to take a little while, but we’re happy that we’re playing the best basketball now in the postseason.”
(How much the extra two days of rest helps)
“It always helps anytime you get rest, especially in a playoff series that’s always grueling. Physically, mentally, you go through a lot. It’s always good when you get a little rest.”
(On carrying the Cavs)
“Well, I’m the leader of this team. If that means carrying this team, that’s what it is. I know I can’t do it by myself, so my teammates always show up for me. I’m never worried about that. That’s why we’re always in the position that we are every postseason because my teammates come through.”
(If they’re better because of last year’s trip to the Finals)
“We have to see. We’ve got to continue to play well. We did a good job playing well in the first series against Washington . We’ve got to continue to play well against Boston .”
(How the playoffs are different than the regular season)
“You have to be mentally prepared to play a team at least four times in the postseason. That’s challenging. It’s tough to go out there and just seeing the same faces, the same sets, going against the same defenses, and then the next game, there might be a change. Can you adjust to what’s going on in the game on a game-to-game basis? Can you keep up the same intensity throughout the 48 minutes? You have to in the playoffs. You can’t allow any mental mistakes in the playoffs because one possession can cost you. In the regular season, it’s OK. You may be going into a back-to-back [against] a team maybe you haven’t played. But we’re playing the same amount of games against this team. It’s not like they’re getting four days of rest and we’re getting one day of rest. Everybody is getting the same amount of rest, and you have to be mentally prepared to go out and play. I think everybody will tell you that the postseason and the regular season are totally different.”
(Are you any better now because of the Finals run last year)
“I’m a better player now because of what happened to us in the Finals. I figured out that we lost to a better team. They were better than us, and they did some things to me that I didn’t like. In the offseason, I took it personal on myself of getting better and making myself a complete basketball player. I carry it on to this year.”
(Do you prepare any differently heading into a new series because of last year?)
“No, not for me. You prepare against a team you’re going to, but me as an individual, I approach the game the same way. I take what the defense gives me, and I go from there.”
(On beating double teams because of better shooters around him)
“Anytime you get guys around you that can shoot the ball, it always helps me a lot because sometimes they don’t want to double, but I know I’m not going to see any one-on-one defenses. It hasn’t happened the last four years, so I know it’s not going to happen. But my guys will be ready on the backside to shoot.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 5, 12:55 p.m.
The Celtics and Cavaliers open their Eastern Conference semifinal series tomorrow at the Garden at 8 p.m. While the Cavs are the defending Eastern Conference champs, they're a new-look squad after the midseason trade acquisitions of Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Ben Wallace. The new guys cracked the lineup on Feb. 24, and they finished the regular season on a 14-13 stretch, which doesn't sound like much of an upgrade considering they were 31-24 before that. Either way, here are the Celtics' initial impressions on Cleveland.
Kevin Garnett: "They’re a group that’s the defending champs. To do anything, you’ve got to go through them. You’ve got to deal with that. LeBron [James] is playing at a high level right now. It’s good that we have homecourt advantage. Overall, I think this should be a good series. Obviously, they’re trying to figure out some things with their new group, but they’re playing really well. Our gas is high, our confidence is high, too, so it should be a good series."
Paul Pierce: "The Cleveland Cavaliers are the Eastern Conference champs from a year ago, the team that went to the Finals, so we know it’s going to be a tough road. You’ve got to go through the Eastern Conference champs, a team that has a lot of experience, a team that’s been to the Finals and knows what it takes. We’re still learning as a group, so this is going to be the ultimate test. You have one of the top players in the league coming in, one of the top teams in the league coming in who has been there and done that. We definitely have our work cut out for ourselves. We have to be ready, simple and plain."
Doc Rivers: "This is going to be a tough series. They were in the Finals last year. One of the things I told our team all year every time we played them is we’re trying to catch them, not them trying to catch us. The record means nothing. That team went to the Finals last year, so in our minds, we’re trying to catch them."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 6:42 p.m.
Paul Pierce ended his media boycott today, which he started after some writers took it upon themselves to say Pierce was flashing gang signs.
"The stuff that was going on with myself, I just didn’t want to be a distraction to what we are trying to accomplish," Pierce explained. "My whole focus was just trying to be on game in and game out for what we were trying to do. I was just trying to take a step back to myself and not really be a distraction to others and everything that was going on on and off the court. I didn’t want to bring that attention back to my team. My focus was just on playing basketball."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 6:25 p.m.
Doc Rivers won his first career playoff series as a head coach. He lost three first-round series with the Magic from 2001-03 and one with the Celtics in 2005. He is now 7-7 in playoff games with the Celtics and 12-17 in his career.
“I guess if you coach long enough, you get luck and you can move on,” Rivers quipped. “I didn’t do anything, to be honest. We’ve got Kevin [Garnett], Ray [Allen], Paul [Pierce] and all those guys, and I’m just riding with them.”
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 6:08 p.m.
Kendrick Perkins dominated the paint in the first quarter, as noted by an earlier post. He finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
"Kendrick was phenomenal," Doc Rivers said. "I thought he set the tone defensively as much as anyone."
" I haven’t been able to get enough sleep, so I just came out and set the tone, leave it all out on the court," Perkins said. "I think my team will feed off of me. I thought I came in with a great focus, and I wasn’t trying to go home."
Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 5:57 p.m.
Since there wasn't much to discuss about the Celtics' beatdown of the Hawks today, a lot of the postgame talk surrounded Marvin Williams' Flagrant-2 foul on Rajon Rondo in the third quarter. Rondo was in the process of laying in the ball on a fastbreak when Williams tackled him midair and sent him hard to the ground with 9:09 remaining in the third and the Celtics ahead 51-28. Williams was given an automatic ejection.
"I knew no question that it would be a flagrant," Williams said after the game. "But a Flagrant-2? Like I said, I was trying to catch him. I wasn’t trying to take him out. I would never try to hurt anybody, so for them to kick me out. It was a good call. I saw it on TV, and it did look pretty bad, so I can’t argue that at all. I just want Rondo to know that I would never try to hurt him."
Williams and Rondo have actually been close friends since high school, as the pair met up regularly on the court. Williams said he would call Rondo on the bus ride to the airport to make sure Rondo knew their was no ill intent.
"I thought [Rondo] was really hurt, and I just told him to stay down," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Marvin Williams, by the way, is not a dirty player at all. Rest assured, I know that as a fact. I really thought he tried to commit a hard foul, but then he couldn’t catch him. It was a bad foul and two good kids playing hard. I guess by the rule you have to throw him out."Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 4:45 p.m.
The Celtics moved on with their 99-65 win against the Hawks today. I've got more coming later, but here is the first snapshot at the Celtics-Cavaliers series.
Game 1 -- Tuesday, May 6, at Boston, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 2 -- Thursday, May 8, at Boston, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 3 -- Saturday, May 10, at Cleveland, TBD, TBD
Game 4 -- Monday, May 12, at Cleveland, 8 p.m., TNT
*Game 5 -- Wednesday, May 14, at Boston, TBD, TNT
*Game 6 -- Friday, May 16, at Cleveland, TBD, ESPN
*Game 7 -- Sunday, May 18, at Boston, TBD, TBDPosted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 2:59 p.m.
This one's all but over. The Celtics hold a 79-43 lead heading into the final quarter and can start looking forward to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
Hawks forward Marvin Williams was assessed a Flagrant-2 foul and ejected from the game with 9:09 to play in the third quarter. Rajon Rondo was driving for a lay-up, and Williams tackled Rondo midair and sent him hard to the floor in a bush-league move. Since the league can't suspend Williams due to the Hawks playing their final game today, a very hefty fine is sure to follow.Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 1:28 p.m.
The Celtics played one of their best quarters of the series and lead 27-16 after one. Kendrick Perkins has been a beast in the paint with eight points and six rebounds. He had a great hard foul to stop a Josh Smith lay-in, and he had a nice block on a Zaza Pachulia drive. The Celtics out-rebounded Atlanta 17-8 and held the Hawks to 26 percent (6 of 23) from the floor. Joe Johnson has kept the Hawks from extinction with three 3-pointers.Posted by Jeff Howe, May 4, 12:36 p.m.
I forgot to mention earlier that Hawks starting forward Marvin Williams, who injured his knee in Game 6, said he will try to play today. With the way he is moving around, though, I can't imagine he'll be very effective.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 11:22 p.m.
The Celtics dropped the Hawks, 110-85, tonight at the Garden and
took a 3-2 series lead in the process. Game 6 is Friday night at
Philips Arena. More coming later.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 10:45 p.m.
The Celtics lead the Hawks, 81-64 after three. Atlanta trimmed the
lead to 60-54 with an 11-0 run early in the quarter, but the Celtics
got three 3-pointers from Ray Allen and another from James Posey at the
end of the quarter to reestablish momentum.
One of the biggest roars of the night came during a timeout with
7;27 remaining in the third quarter. The video boards showed highlights
of the Red Sox' 2-1 win against the Blue Jays at Fenway, and the crowd
erupted to the tune of "Sweet Caroline." Sox owners John Henry and Tom
Werner, who are in the building, were then shown on the video boards.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 9:56 p.m.
The Celtics opened it up a bit in the second quarter and take a
58-43 lead into the half. Al Horford was assessed a Flagrant-1 foul
after knocking down Kevin Garnett in the final minute of the second
quarter, and Garnett made both free throws. A Ray Allen 3-pointer a few
seconds later pushed the margin to 15, and that's where we're at right
now.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 9:17 p.m.
The Celtics lead, 27-19, after the first quarter. This is the
Celtics team we saw during the first two games of the series,
pressuring the ball on both ends of the court and controlling play.
Paul Pierce had 10 points and four rebounds in the quarter. The Hawks
are lucky to be this close right now, having hit three or four circus
shots and breaking down a few times on defense. Pierce has been left
alone with Bibby guarding him, and Kevin Garnett had a matchup with
Josh Childress he didn't take advantage of. Ray Allen also missed a
wide open 3-pointer from the right arc, which resulted from tremendous
ball movement. The Hawks have brought the same tenacity they've had in
the last two games and have sort of made their own breaks, but they
should be lucky at this point to be in the game. If the Celtics let up
like they did in Atlanta, though, this will be another game that goes
down to the wire.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 8:22 p.m.
Apparently, all 18,000 in attendance tonight called each other before the game to plan their wardrobes. OK, I kid, I kid. Reebok has sponsored a free T-shirt night at the Garden tonight, and they're pretty nice as far as free stuff goes. And believe me, we in the media know all about the free stuff. The T-shirts are green and have the Celtics logo on the front with a "Playoffs" insignia below it.Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 7:51 p.m.
Not a ton going on before the game tonight, but Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins each addressed the media for a few minutes. Rondo spent a good deal of time talking about Hawks forward Josh Smith, who has been instrumental in Atlanta's two wins in the series. Rondo and Smith were high school teammates at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, and Rondo said he was able to dunk on Smith once during their years together. Smith set a Hawks single-game playoff record with seven blocks in Game 4 and has had similar success against Rondo this series. Rondo, though, said he'll still try to throw one down on Smith before the series is over.
Perkins said he thinks Paul Pierce got a raw deal with the league-issued $25,000 fine for making a "menacing gesture" in Game 3. Rondo and Perkins both said it's a hand signal the team has used all season, and it symbolizes their "blood, sweat and tears" motto.
Doc Rivers spoke candidly about the firing of Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, who Rivers called one of his best friends in the league. Johnson was fired today after the Mavs failed to reach the second round of the playoffs in two straight years. (In my opinion, Mark Cuban is a moron, but this isn't a Mavericks blog and I'll leave it at that.)
Other than that, Rondo and Perkins each harped that the team is just trying to stick together and rally up for tonight's all-important Game 5.Posted by Jeff Howe, April 30, 6:50 p.m.
Paul Pierce has taken a bit of heat for his "menacing gesture" (term used by the NBA) at the end of Game 3 in Atlanta. Pierce was fined $25,000, and many have speculated -- probably going a bit overboard -- his hand signal was gang related. The following is Pierce's statement in its entirety:
"I don't want to take the focus away from the playoffs," the statement read. "In sports, emotions run high. After playing for 10 years in Boston, I think Celtics fans know that I am a passionate player.
"I 100 percent do not in any way promote gang violence or anything close to it. I am sorry if it was misinterpreted that way at Saturday's game.
"In fact, through my Truth foundation I am committed to giving back to youth groups and making sure young people have the opportunities to succeed in life. I am extremely proud of the work I have done through the foundation to provide positive influences and safe havens for inner city kids."
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 28, 7:06 p.m.
Rajon Rondo finished fifth today in the voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, losing out to Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu. Rondo received six first-place votes, 10 second-place votes and 17 third-place votes for a total of 77 points, well behind Turkoglu. Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge and old friend Al Jefferson rounded out the top four.
This is a tough award to vote for, but there were some weird names on the list, including LeBron James (Seriously, only one person voted for him, and it was a first-place vote. Does someone in Cleveland have a Peter King thing going here?), Monta Ellis (who won the award last year) and Shaquille O'Neal (someone's vote should be revoked).
On the other side of the ballot, Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins were each ignored. Now, you could make the case that Perkins improved because he was playing alongside Kevin Garnett, and that's completely fine. But no love for Powe? I'm not saying he should have won the award or even finished in the top 15, but he deserved a vote somewhere along the line. One of the 125 voters should have seen the Celtics enough (because they were finally on TV this year) to realize what Powe brings to the table. His numbers don't jump off the charts (7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 2007-08 compared to 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in his rookie season), but his energy and ability deepen Boston's rotation were second to none in the latter half of the season. And those are two intangibles the Celtics thrived upon as a whole this year.
Finally, the league announced today Paul Pierce was fined $25,000 for "making menacing gestures" during Game 3, presumably toward the end of the game in the direction of Al Horford.Posted by Jeff Howe, April 26, 11:30 p.m.
The Hawks beat the Celtics, 102-93, in Atlanta tonight to draw the series to 2-1. Here are a few of my thoughts on the Celtics' dismal performance.
The Hawks beat the Celtics, 102-93, in Atlanta tonight to draw the series to 2-1. Here are a few of my thoughts on the Celtics' dismal performance.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 24, 2:04 p.m.
I just finished up a story for tomorrow's paper dealing with the
Hawks' attempts to get into the Celtics' heads during Game 2, but the
Celtics were able to respond with some physical play of their own.
There are a couple things I didn't touch on in that story to save for
the blog.
Kevin Garnett noted the C's no lay-up policy, which makes sure no opponent gets an easy look at the rim during the playoffs.
"We’re not trying to give up any easy baskets," Garnett said. "This team is athletic. We talk about it every practice day, every film day that we have to cut these easy baskets down. We have a no lay-up policy. It’s not trying to hurt somebody but trying to really, really defend the paint here in the playoffs. I feel like in order for us to be effective, we have to do that."
Ray Allen added to that.
"We knew what they were going to try and do and come out and attack us," Allen said. "We had to attack right back. You sense a play like that, and you get more aggressive on the offensive end. Defensively, you just say, 'Look, they’re coming in our paint. Put them down. Make sure they don’t come in there easy, and make sure they think twice about coming in there.'"
In addition, Kendrick Perkins and Mike Bibby allowed their war
through the media spill out a bit onto the floor. Bibby maintained his
stance after the game last night that he shared a major discontent with
Celtics fans and also threw a verbal jab at Perkins' attempt at
physical play.
" I thought he tried to hit me a few times," Bibby said, "but I didn’t feel it."
Bibby's little dittyPosted by Jeff Howe, April 24, 1:34 a.m.
Mike Bibby's comments about Celtics fans were loud. The Garden's response to Bibby during Game 2 was even louder. But Kevin Garnett's reaction during the postgame press conference was something on another level.
"Neither one of us have said anything retarded," Garnett said while sitting at the podium next to Ray Allen. "I don’t remember you saying nothing retarded. Have I ever said anything retarded? No. It’s hard enough playing on the road causing attention to yourself. I don’t think, no I can’t recall, neither one of us has said anything crazy like that."
The fan reaction toward Bibby was a nice mixture of intense and comical. He was booed every single time he touched the ball and heard chants of "Bibby sucks," "Where is Bibby?" when he was on the bench in the second half and "Rondo's better" through much of the fourth quarter.
"I heard them," Bibby said. "I knew it was going to happen. They played a good game. I’m not really worried about the crowd. They played a good game."
Postgame highlights
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 11:44 p.m.
There were a few things of note that happened during the postgame. Here are the quickies:
Kevin Garnett was asked if it was a distraction when he was honored before the game with the Defensive Player of the Year award. Garnett said, "It's a distraction that ..."
And as Garnett paused for a moment, Ray Allen jumped in, "That I wish I had."
"I was going to say it's a good distraction," Garnett said after the laughter in the room quieted. "Obviously, it's for the fans and people to show their appreciation. It's gratifying."
Doc Rivers mentioned the biggest thing he wants his team to improve upon this series is closing out quarters. Most notably, the Celtics had a 15-point lead with less than 90 seconds to play in the first half before heading into the break ahead by 10.
"They’re a young and aggressive team," Rivers said of the Hawks. "And when you give them hope, you’re playing with fire."
Rivers on James Posey, who entered the game for Paul Pierce in the first quarter and gave the Celtics some solid minutes: "He’s so important to our team. I don’t think people have any idea how important he is to our basketball team on and off the floor, and he was terrific tonight."
Rivers on Eddie House (3:03) and Tony Allen (2:25), neither of whom got much playing time: "Eddie and Tony, those guys are going to help us at some point. I can’t imagine how tough it is for them. They’ve played minutes all year, and you shorten your rotation [in the playoffs] and then they’re not playing. That’s difficult. They’ve handled it great, but I do understand how difficult that is."
Celtics take care of businessPosted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 10:50 p.m.
The Celtics blew out the Hawks for the second straight game, using a 96-77 win tonight to grab a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 is Saturday night at 8 in Atlanta. I'll check back in with more after the press conferences.
Hawks are 'dying hard'Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 10:06 p.m.
The Celtics can kick out their legs and enjoy the fourth quarter after extending their lead to 76-58 after three.
Oh, and actor Bruce Willis is in the house. He received a loud ovation from the crowd when he was shown on the video boards.
Celtics create some space, celebs in the housePosted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 9:18 p.m.
The Celtics are taking control of this game and have a 52-42 lead at
the half. Paul Pierce returned to the game at the start of the second
quarter and hit a key 3-pointer to give the C's a 40-29 lead midway
through the quarter. Pierce checked back out of the game with 3:18
remaining in the second and jogged back to the locker room with trainer
Ed Lacerte.
Also, Patriots owner Bob Kraft is sitting with the Celtics' owners in the same seat Sox owner John Henry occupied during Game 1. I think I just broke the record for most uses of the word "owner" in one sentence. Anyway, Pats linebacker Adalius Thomas and comedian Lenny Clarke are also in attendance.
Pierce may not be the only Celtic with back problems tonight, as Sam Cassell is sitting on the bench with his back wrapped.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 8:38 p.m.
The Celtics lead 24-20 after a testy first quarter. Paul Pierce
returned to the bench with about four minutes remaining in the quarter
but has yet to check back into the game. Kendrick Perkins picked up two
quick fouls for the second straight game and had to head to the bench
with 6:11 to play in the quarter. And this Mike Bibby treatment is
epic. He's getting booed every time he touches the ball, and a couple
"Bibby sucks" chants have echoed through the building. Gilbert Arenas
can only wish he was hated this much.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 8:24 p.m.
Paul Pierce was on the wrong end of a hard foul by Joe Johnson 82 seconds into the game. After the foul, Pierce was pretty much tackled by everyone on the Hawks, and there was a lot of jawing from each team. Pierce missed the first free throw and immediately dropped to his knees to stretch his back while in obvious pain.
Pierce left the game a minute later and went into the locker room
with trainer Ed Lacerte and team doctor Brian McKeon. The Celtics
called his injury a lower back strain, and he is expected to return. As
of right now, though, he is still in the locker room.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 23, 7:37 p.m.
The feud started with Hawks point guard Mike Bibby calling out Celtics fans, saying they're "bandwagon jumpers" who are only going to the games because the team is finally winning. Then, Kendrick Perkins spoke out in the fans' defense. Now, it's gotten personal.
Bibby addressed the media earlier tonight and stuck to the comments he made before practice yesterday. Then, Bibby got on Perkins, saying the Celtics' center would be better off keeping his mouth shut because he hasn't accomplished anything in this league. Hey, Bibby's words -- not mine.
After Perkins was told of Bibby's statements, the C's big man shook them off.
"I’m still going to go to sleep tonight," Perkins said about an hour ago. "It really doesn’t bother me either way. Whatever to get his confidence right.
"I ain’t worried about him. Obviously, he’s worried about what’s going on over here, but I’m not worried about him, so it’s whatever."
Outside the locker room, Leon Powe was laughing with P.J. Brown, with Powe leaning on his teammate and saying, "Perk and Mike Bibby are talking crazy about each other."
In case you aren't up to date on how the feud started, click here for the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 11:49 p.m.
Thankfully, the postgame press conferences were moved to a larger area in the Garden's back hallway compared a couple of the smaller locker rooms that were used throughout the regular season.
Kevin Garnett said he plans to soak in all of the playoffs have to offer this time around, saying he was thankful to be put in this position. He also compared running out of the tunnel before the game like sticking your head out of a car window when it's driving 140 mph. He said he needed to stop and collect himself a bit.
Doc Rivers noted his team's success from 3-point range in the first quarter was like "fools gold" in that once the Celtics started knocking them down, that's what they started looking for during much of the first half. He said that's when they started getting into trouble and the lead withered away, saying he emphasized the offense running through the post more often.
Rivers was also unhappy with the way the Celtics failed to close out the first and second quarters, and at halftime, they talked about closing up the lane on defense.
Rivers mentioned the atmosphere in the building, which was the most electric it had been all season. He said it is rare to hear the crowd roars from the locker room prior to the game, but that was the case tonight, noting "I was in the bathroom (pause) combing my hair." It drew a laugh from the media in the room.
Finally, the Celtics were all proud of Rajon Rondo and his ability to stay within himself and control the moment tonight. Rondo had 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
Celtics take Game 1Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 11:12 p.m.
The Celtics made a statement tonight, blowing out the Hawks, 104-81, at the Garden. They took a 1-0 lead in the series and will go for win No. 2 Wednesday night at home. This was the Celtics’ first playoff victory since they beat the host Pacers, 92-89, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on May 5, 2005 . The Celtics lost that series, 4-3.
I'll have a little more coming later on.
Celtics blowing it openPosted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 10:34 p.m.
The Celtics have a 73-55 lead after the third quarter. The C's were 58-7 in the regular season when ahead or tied after three. Ray Allen scored 12 in the quarter to give the Celtics a comfortable lead heading into the fourth.
Apparently, Kevin Youkilis doesn't have the connections that Mike
Lowell, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia have. Youkilis is sitting about
four seats away from the Sox trio but in the second row.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 9:48 p.m.
The Celtics lead 49-40 after the second quarter. The C's were 52-9
in the regular season when ahead or tied at the half. The game
definitely slowed down more once the Celtics' second unit entered, and
the Hawks drew to within four points a couple different times before
Sam Cassell sparked the C's with a big 3-pointer to push the lead to
38-31. The Celtics' biggest concern in the second half will be the foul
trouble of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, who each have three
personal fouls.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 9:14 p.m.
The Celtics lead the Hawks, 29-21, at the end of the first quarter. The C's were 48-7 in the regular season when ahead or tied after one. The Celtics definitely fed off the raucous crowd, while the Hawks showed their youth. They went back-to-back possessions with a shot that was all glass and then an air ball. Atlanta point guard Mike Bibby also picked up a technical foul. Celtics center Kendrick Perkins was tagged with a couple early fouls, and Leon Powe was the first man off the bench for the C's.
Sitting courtside tonight are Red Sox Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia,
David Ortiz and owner John Henry. Pedroia, repping the little man, is
wearing a green Rajon Rondo tee shirt.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 8:39 p.m.
It's not quite yet the loudest this building has been all season because the crowds for the Pistons and Spurs games were pretty electric. But the pregame crowd is rocking the Garden. The C's brought back the fireworks for the starting lineups and also had a new montage they played on the video boards prior to the game. It highlighted past Celtics playoff appearances and looked back on the acquisitions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. JoJo White also spoke live on the video boards. This should be a crazy night at the Garden.
Playoff timePosted by Jeff Howe, April 20, 6:52 p.m.
It's that time again. The Celtics were the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff spot (March 5), and they're the last one to get in their first game, obviously along with the Hawks. The C's finished a league-best 66-16 and will have home-court advantage throughout the postseason as long as they're playing, and the Hawks were 37-45, the worst team still playing. Atlanta, however, finished 16-17 after trading for point guard Mike Bibby in February.
Some nuggets: Celtics coach Doc Rivers played for the Hawks from
1983-91 and is the team's all-time leader in assists with 3,866. ...
The Celtics are in the playoffs for the first time in three years, and
the Hawks are back in the postseason after a nine-year absence. ...
Atlanta's 37 wins were their most in 10 seasons. ... Props to the
Garden for keeping the parking price at $25 for the playoffs, while
another local team (through no fault of their own) sees playoff parking
rates soar around the facility. ... The NBA Playoffs insignia is on the
parquet.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 16, 10 p.m.
The Celtics got their kicks during win 66. Leon Powe scored a career-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 105-94 win against the Nets at the Garden. Ray Allen led the Big Three with 18 minutes played, as this was merely a spectacle for the starters.
The C's finished the regular season with an NBA-best 66-16 record,
and they'll host the eighth-seeded Hawks in the first round, which will
begin this weekend.
Posted by Jeff Howe, April 16, 5:42 p.m.
It's been awhile, but don't worry. I wasn't really leaving you guys this way. Kind of like the Celtics, "In the Paint" clinched an early playoff berth and rested the starters for the rest of the season. But we're back in time for the playoffs, and consider tonight something of a postseason warmup.
The main topic of conversation around the Garden tonight revolves around when the Celtics will open play this weekend against the Hawks. The buzz is the NBA wants the Celtics to play in the first nationally televised game Saturday at 3 p.m., but there's a problem with the Bruins potentially hosting a playoff game Saturday night at 7. While parts of other playoff series have been announced, the league is holding off on the Celtics because it is rumored to be in talks with the networks to see if something can get worked out.
Consider the factors, though. A fast Celtics game would take two and a half hours, meaning a 5:30 conclusion. If the building security is completely on point, it would take about a half hour to usher the fans out of the building, and there'd be no time to clean the place. Typically, buildings open 90 minutes before the start of games, meaning that process would already be delayed a half hour. Also, you're talking about two sets of media. Granted, hockey media watches games on the Garden's ninth floor while the basketball media stays around the third floor, but there's still just one central media room. Is it feasible? Yes. But there are way too many small details to overcome.
Of course, the only thing that matters to the league is money in the TV contracts.
Here's where it gets even better. There are a pair of concerts in Atlanta next week on Thursday and Friday. That means the series can't open in Atlanta until next Saturday. As the rumors fly, this series is looking like it's going Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday in the first three games.
And finally, if the Celtics don't get the 3 p.m. game Saturday, it will be the Lakers.