The Celtics started out the season very strong. They were blowing out teams on a regular basis. In November, they scored over 100 in 10 of 14 games. They won their games by an average of just over 18 points a game. They were dominating on both ends of the court. They averaged 102.3 points per game and 42.5 rebounds per game. They shot 48% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc. They allowed 88 points per game by their opponents. They lost 2 games in the month of November by an average of 3.5 points per game.
In December, they scored over 100 in 8 of 14 games, down 2 from the previous month. They averaged 98.8 points per game, down 3.5 from the previous month. Rebounds were down 1.1 to 41.4 per game. Their field goal percent was down 2.1% to 46.2% and they shot 38.9% from beyond the arc, down 1% from the previous month. They lost only 1 game in December by only 2 points. So, while their stats were down, their losses also decreased. They allowed their opponents only 85 points per game. The offense may have been down slightly, but the defense picked up. They won their games in December by an average of 13.3 points per game, down from 18 the previous month.
In January, their scoring is down just .3 from the previous month. They allowed 3 more points per game at 88. They have won their games so far in January by an average of 10.5 points per game, down even more from 13.3 in December. They averaged 98.5 points per game so far in January and are allowing 88 points per game from their opponents. They lost 3 games by an average of 6.7 points per game.
It would appear that the Celtics have been wearing down. But a more likely explanation for the drop in statistics is the fact that teams are scouting the Celtics and are more prepared for them. Because teams are preparing more and learning from the other teams who have played them, they are able to play them much closer and hold them to fewer points. At the same time, the Celtics should be learning from their losses and preparing for other teams. There is an article in today's MetroWest Daily that discusses teams playing zone against the Celtics as a way to stop them.
When the Wizards used a zone defense to help hand the Celtics back-to-back losses last week, the league took notice. A national publication even went so far as to say that perhaps this was the model for teams to follow in trying to slow down the balanced and veteran offense. Maybe. Then again, like most other defensive schemes this season, the zone's success is probably more temporary than blueprint material.
Teams are bringing their A+ games against the Celtics this season. They may stop them for a game or two, but in the end, the Celtics are a veteran team and will bounce back. More from the MetroWest Article:
It worked for a while, but eventually the Celtics pushed the ball up the court via the pass rather than the dribble to greater success. With the Sixers also back to the traditional strategy of clamping down on Garnett whenever he touched the ball, the power forward expertly passed out of the crowds and found seldom-used Leon Powe for 10 points in the final 15 minutes as the Celtics opened the floor and blew away the Sixers in the fourth quarter. "It's just constantly making adjustments," Garnett reasoned. That process will continue the rest of the season. "When teams were starting the season off teams didn't know how to play us because we were new to the fold," said Ray Allen. "Every team adjusts. They have scouts and they have coaches dissecting film. Whenever we have lost games, they are watching that and trying to figure out where we are bad. Then they try to put us in those situations.
The Celtics stats have gone down in each month so far, but that is to be expected as teams scout them and as other teams gain their stride and play better against us. But as the Celtics also get stronger and learn from their losses, they will continue to win.
ESPN is reporting that Damon Stoudamire is close to a buyout with the Grizzlies within the next several days. They also report that the Celtics and Suns are the favorites to sign him as a free agent. Talks are being impacted by Sam Cassell's situation with the Clippers. Reports are that he could be traded or bought out as well. Either player would more than likely jump at the chance to join league leading Celtics so it would be a matter of whether the Celtics are really interested or not.
The Celtics came out sluggish in the first half. The ball movement, aggressiveness and defense just where there. It looked like it was going to be one of those games when Reggie Evans hit the first 3 pointer of his career. At the end of 1 the game was tied at 29 on a 3 from the corner by House at the buzzer. The Sixers then went on a 11-0 run to take an 11 point lead while Doc had his small ball lineup in. The Celtics were getting killed on the boards and were outrebounded 11-12 in the first half.
Doc finally put Leon Powe into the game with 3:04 left in the third and in less than a minute after he entered the game, he grabbed an offensive rebound. He brought energy and much needed toughness and rebounding to the team and the Celtics led 78-73 at the end of 3. The Sixers still had a 34-16 rebounding edge. Behind Powe's energy and rebounding, the Celtics went on a run in the fourth to win by 27 points.
Powe was definitely the difference as he scored 10 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, with 4 on the offensive end, and had 1 block in just 15 minutes. This kid has always made the most of his minutes. He plays well when Doc plays him. I think he made the case for more minutes with his play in this game. He definitely should be getting minutes over Scal. Perk also played well and was the high rebounder for the game. He finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 on the offensive end, and 3 assists in 22 minutes.
Pierce played only 30 minutes as he sat out the 4th quarter. He was on the sidelines cheering on his teammates though and when Powe grabbed a rebound and was fouled, Pierce grabbed him and was giving him some encouragement. Pierce finished with 22 points, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Ray Allen had his second straight good offensive game as he finished with 23 points on 9-14 shooting to go with 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. He is finally back to playing like we expected Ray Allen to play. KG brought his usual intensity and finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks. He was finding Powe, Perk and Baby in the post and passing inside to them for easy scores.
Pruitt played just over 9 minutes and finished with 3 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Tony got some time at the point for defensive purposes and finished with 12 points and 2 assists. He is looking more and more comfortable going to the basket. Posey also played well off the bench and finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Scal played 5 minutes and finished with just 2 points.
The Celtics shot 59% from the field while holding the Sixers to 45%. The Sixers struggled from the line, shooting only 57%. The Celtics shot 76% from the line. The ball movement was back for the Celtics as they had 31 assists on 43 field goals. The Celtics were out-rebounded 39-30 but the gap narrowed considerably after Doc put Leon in. This was a solid win over a team that played very well against us and the Celtics are still perfect against the Atlantic division teams. They will have another Atlantic division matchup on Monday as they face the suddenly hot Knicks.
Looks like it's time to start a new losing streak hence... My Prediction: Celtics by 15+
We will beat them by 25... Why? Because they are tanking scum that I will never pick to win . Celtic fans are just as bad go Rose Bowl!!!!!
This one could get ugly.
I'm all for us getting a good draft pick during the summer, but I really want us to win this game cuz I hate the Celtics so much. I'll be so happy if we can somehow just shock them, and stomp them. It might not happen, but a kid can dream right???
Feels like a win tonight!!!!
Its looking okay and this is one of those rare games that I wouldn't mind winning. 3rd q is when they probably will end up torching us.
I'm just waiting to see Lou posterize KG. Hehe
There is a lot of calls........these refs suck on both sides
We just disappear now as usual. You cannot beat an NBA team with 22 Turnovers
Sounds like you thought the Sixers might win this game ... LOL ...
Where did this Poe guy come from? He's pretty good.
This is standard procedure for a good team playing a poor team. They spar with them for 3 quarters ... Just keeping it close ... And then they pull away in the 4th quarter. NBA players know they cannot get a win in any of the first 3 quarters so they do no kill themselves trying to do it. They wait until the 4th quarter.
Its like the Celts become a new team in the 4th. Their efficiency in 4th quarters of games must be through the roof
They didn't beat us we beat ourselves.
Pierce didn't even play in the 4th and they still beat us going away. That is like adding insult to injury.
there is something to be said for the officiating in the second half. Iguodala was getting raped inside and the whistles were silent. Speaking of which, Iguodala lets the officiating get to him too much. It seems like when he's not getting the calls, he quits. He needs to take motivation from this and elevate his game. Instead, he starts playing erratic or shrinks.
Anyway, I didn't expect to win. But it's still annoying watching the one-trick pony, Eddie House, drain threes repeatedly. For whatever reason, that guy has always annoyed the hell out of me. Maybe if he was on my team, I wouldn't feel that way...
One loss closer to the Rose Bowl I guess...
I was driving dwon from North Jersey and listened to the 2nd half on the radio. Things seemed to be going good up until there were 2 minutes left in the 3rd. ( My note: This was about when Powe was inserted into the game)
And surprise surprise the Celts eventually blew out the sixers 116-89 you had your fun in the first half but in the 2nd well talk about overmatched
What is up with New York? They have won 3 in a row over quality teams. First, they annihilated Detroit and then they beat the Wizards, who had just beat the Celtics twice, and finally they beat New Jersey. The Knicks won 3 in a row and the Celtics lost 3 of 4. Talk about Bizarro world.
It's a Baby Boom! First Perk had little Perk and now Leon has a little Leon and Pierce has announced that he is expecting a little Truth. I think Perk and Leon are both going to be great dads since both didn't have dads in their lives growing up. Perk said when he had the infamous bed incident that he was trying to be a good role model for little Perk when he tried to fix the bed himself. Leon has been fathering his younger siblings and loves kids and he is going to be a wonderful father. I am thrilled for both of them and very happy for these little ones who are going to have wonderful daddies. Inside the Bay Area reports that Powe, the tough enforcer on the court, was weak in the knees when it came to the birth of his son, Leon III. You just have to love this kid.
"I was doing good for the whole delivery until the end," said Powe, a former Oakland Tech High and Cal star now in his second season with the NBA's Boston Celtics. "Then they showed me the baby coming out, and I almost passed out. That was just too much. My legs were weak. I had to go sit down." Powe said the delivery by his girlfriend of 21/2 years, Llorren Cook, went smoothly. Leon Powe III arrived at 21 inches and 7 pounds, 14 ounces. "He's got big hands. They cover his whole face," Powe said. Powe, who grew up without a father, said he embraces the opportunity to raise a son. "Oh man, it feels great," he said. "It's great having a kid and being able to try to lead him in the right way, show him all the right things.
Delonte West is out of action again with plantar fasciitis. Poor guy can't catch a break. I really like Delonte. I miss his personality, but he just can't seem to stay healthy. I really like Delonte and wish him well. Get well soon Delonte!
The Oregonian had an amazing piece about KG's trash talking during the game. It seems they are blaming their loss on KG's trash talking. Here is a little excerpt from it.
The padded basket standard at one end of the court inside the TD BankNorth Garden got an earful from Kevin Garnett on Wednesday. He stood three inches from the thing just before tipoff, mumbling and shouting and slapping at the padding on it while he tied his basketball shorts, and loosened up. And I'm thinking if the thing had arms and fists, it might have decked the All-Star forward and saved the Blazers some trouble in the Celtics' 100-90 victory. Because after Garnett finished berating the basket standard, he stomped around during the game, staring, glaring, dunking and slinging an annoying barrage of trash talk at the league's youngest team. Guess what? It worked. First, LaMarcus Aldridge got an earful, then Channing Frye, then Travis Outlaw, and Jarrett Jack, and Brandon Roy. And when Garnett saw Trail Blazers' center Joel Przybilla foul Celtics' teammate Paul Pierce, oh man, here was Garnett, hurrying over, lips flapping, staring down Przybilla. Shouted Garnett: "I'll chop his head off on the other end!" Portland's problem against Boston wasn't youth, or officiating, or coaching, or being on the road vs. home. The Blazers' obstacle was one of the soul. What Portland lacked most on Wednesday was courage. "I think his talking did get to our big guys, a little," Roy said. A little? Przybilla scored three points to go with four fouls and two turnovers. Aldridge had four turnovers, and fouled out, but scored 16 points. Frye went 0 for 4 from the floor, and had four fouls. Outlaw had five fouls, and also, on a missed Boston free-throw attempt in the second quarter, Outlaw got caught listening to Garnett and let him slip past for an easy offensive rebound and dunk.
After the game there was a lot of animosity toward KG on the Blazers boards and he was called a punk and obnoxious and assorted other names. Gary Payton has always been known for his trash talk and let's not forget Larry Bird, who was also known to talk a lot of trash as well. I remember one game where Larry went up to a young player in the time out before the final play of the game and told him that he was going to hit the game winner right in his face and there was nothing he could do about it. And then, Larry proceeded to do just that. If trash talking gives a team an edge, then players are going to do it. It wasn't KG's trash talking that lost the game for the Blazers. It was his defense, and Perk's defense and solid team defense. KG could have talked trash all night long and if he didn't back it up with solid defense, it wouldn't have changed a thing.
The Globe had this little tidbit tucked away at the end of an article:
The NBA and Turner Entertainment are expected to announce today that NBATV and NBA.com will be moving to Atlanta and be managed and operated by Turner under a multiyear deal
Does this mean that we get to watch Havlicek steal the ball in a colorized version now?
I loved the press conferences after the Blazers game. First, KG and Pierce did a comedy routine. After one of KG's replies, Pierce leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Apparently they had a class on public speaking and Pierce was pointing out KG's use of "ya know" in his comments. Although Pierce used "Ya know" a few times himeself, he pointed it out to KG. Good stuff. Here is the audio of the exchange. And then, Doc brought Rondo out to do his press conference and the Globe has the transcript of it here.
Gerald Green will be defending his title in the Slam Dunk contest. I remember back to last season when Gerald's win was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season. I eve went out and bought a Geral Green Dunk Champion tee shirt. I can't wait to see what he comes up with this year. I hope Dwight Howard gives it another try because I think he was robbed last season. His sticker dunk was one of the most creative dunks I have seen in awhile.
It just gets worse for the Bulls this season. Talk about mouths. Joakim Noah just doesn't know when to be quiet. His antics are way more interesting than the Bulls' play this season so far. And now, their other rookie, JamesOn Curry has been arrested for a rather strange offense. At the beginning of the season, I thought that the Bulls were going to be at the top of the East. This is an example of what poor chemistry can do to a team.
We play the Sixers tonight. This is a district game and we need to win this one and send a message. Rondo will be out again but House and Pruitt handled the point guard duties very well last game. Hopefully they can build off of that last game. Also hope Ray is past his slump and will build on his performance as well. The key to the last game and to this game as well is aggressiveness. They settled for jumpers and didn't take the ball inside and weren't aggressive on defense in the 3 losses and they got back to being aggressive on both ends against the Blazers. They can let up against some teams, but not teams in our division.
Finally, I leave you with a video of the high point of the Blazers game for me. It is no secret that I love Perk and this play by him was just great. A steal and a behind the back dribble before the pass to Pierce that finished with a dunk by KG. Maybe Perk is making his pitch to play point guard! Love it!!!!
The Celtics bounced back from two losses in a row to beat the Portland Trailblazers 100-90. The Blazers are a very tough team and Brandon Roy is destined for greatness. When they get Oden in the middle next year they are going to be the team to beat. But tonight, the Celtics, behind the hot shooting of Ray Allen, came out on top. It was a game with 14 lead changes and 24 ties that was a war for most of the game.
In the first half, The Blazers went up by 9 and the Celtics fought back to take the lead briefly but went into half time down 45-43. The Celtics shot 36% for the half and only 57% from the line. In the second half, the Celtics came on strong and gradually pulled away, outscoring the Blazers 31-24 in the third quarter and 26-21 in the fourth.
Ray Allen was the player of the game, snapping out of his shooting slump to score 35 points to go along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. KG also had a strong game with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Pierce struggled offensively but played well in other areas, finishing with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Perk set the tone defensively and finished with 3 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Big Baby had another nice outing finishing with 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in 12 minutes of play. Posey added 4 points and 4 rebounds.
Rondo sat out the game with a sore back and sore hamstring. House got the nod as the starting point guard. He had a very good game and was aggressive on both ends of the court with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Gabe Pruitt finally got some time backing up House and looked good, finishing with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 12 minutes while playing some aggessive defense. Tony played well again with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
The Celtics finished the game shooting 43.6% while Portland shot 46.4%. The Celtics were woeful from beyond the arc, shooting only 26.9%. They also missed 13 free throws, shooting 65.9% from the line. They took good care of the ball with only 8 turnovers, while the Blazers committed 19. The Celtics had a slight edge in rebounding, pulling down 41, while the Blazers had 39. It was a very good game and nice to see the Celtics hang on for the win. Look out for this Portland team. They are for real.
Here are comments from around the Blazers' boards:
Bench play IS the game IMO. If Portland can just keep the rest of the Boston's team contained I think they could eek out a win. If someone like Perkins, Posey or Baby has a strong game I think its over.
It should be an interesting game. Boston proved that they can lose against young, atheletic teams so it's important for the blazers to use their youth and atheleticism against the older stars on Boston. It's obviously going to be tough to defend PP, Allen, and KG but if they can contain them to mediocre games, I believe that our reserves will outhustle theirs.
I picked this as a loss before the road trip started, but for some reason I have a feeling about this game. Even if Rondo plays, we know he's not 100%, and Allen is clearly playing hurt. I think the Blazers surprise some people and take the victory.
Bench play is their weakness, and our strength. Should be interesting.
I hope Nate pins up all the disrespect the Boston Media has been putting in the papers. From players Names being wrong or mispelled to the Blazers record Being wrong. Teams, or good teams shouldn't need any Type of motivation to win, but I hope the Blazers know About what the Boston media did & make them pay by Defeating the Celtics on their own home court!!!!!!!!
I have this horrible feeling Pierce and KG are going to go off for a combined 75 plus and just destroy us. Expecting a trip-dub from KG.
Rajon Rondo is one of the best defensive Point Guards in the league.
Is he? I thought he was the one weak link on Boston that everyone keeps talking about, especially when they play Detroit and the Pistons always try to exploit him on the post with Chauncey Billups.
On the good side of things- Boston really isnt' a low post scoring team, KG is more of a jump shooter like Wallace so I think aldridge will be able to do okay against him- he matches his quickness. If Ray Allen is cold blazers get the win.
The Celtics aren't clicking right now and according to their board have a hard time with long, athletic as well as deep teams. Sounds like us.
Oh man Washington really did us in. Boston will be out for blood, shoot they'd beat their own mothers by 100 tonight.
Every team hits a motivational rough patch at some point in the season. I'm certainly not worried about the Celts being there deep in the playoffs.
who's this prute guy? He looks like a 4th grader.
Boston is definitely a good defensive team. They're cutting off so much of what we're trying to do. Every pass is contested, they're closing out well, and they fight through screens.
Is it me, or do the rims in Boston sound really loose? As in, if my team had an aging veteran, I might loosen the rims so his shots land softer? In other news, Glen Davis is great.
I'm impressed by Davis' power so far. And yes--the rims are a-rattln' like they're loose
KG is the most annoying player in the NBA... He makes AI and Melo look like good sportsmen.. Sooo friggen immature.. Grow up and pretend that you've been there before
Perkins really seems to be pushing us around underneath.
That was a dirty foul posey had on outlaw I cant stand posey. I hope oden punches him in the face
Does Garnett have to shove every player he runs by? It's too bad they're so dirty because their fans aren't half bad.
Rice is mocking Boston fans for only cheering when the jumbotron tells them to.
OMG give the Celtics the championship.. Don't bother playing the rest of the season Awful calls down the stretch
Anyone else notice that Boston is slapping Portland's shooters' hands after every shot?
I just cant wait the Pistons just crush the overrated Celtics in the playoffs. Lets see what Garnett could do against Sheed.
Is it against the rules to wish herpes upon Kevin Garnett? That guy is an absolute tool
Seriously, fellow Blazer fans. Stop whining about the refs. Whine about our lack of interior defense. Or the fact that we actually are leaning into players on our screens. Boston is the better team and they are answering every call. Blazers putting up a good effort nonetheless.
I've lost a lot of respect for Garnett. He played with more class in Minnesota. At least Boston won't have to work very hard for a title.
The refs aren't the reason we're losing. Our lack of aggressiveness is the reason we're losing.
Later in his time in Minesota, KG started to act like an arogant a#%hole. I guess he's just getting more desparate to win this late in his career.
The officiating was uneven, but Boston's defense was excellent. They worked hard at it.
Not that impressed by Boston. Yeah, yeah, they'll win 60+ games, but I'm not sure they would crack 50 in the Western Conference. Blazers had easily their worst game in 50 days (unforced errors and failing to stick with a gameplan) and still had a chance to win late.
Does Boston remind anyone else of the Spurs? I'm mean that in a bad way. They are slow, plodding and ugly. They play dirty and fall back on their big name players getting big name player calls instead of showing actual talent. What a dull team. I thought they were supposed to be dynamic and exciting.
Must be nice playing 8 on 5..my God...Kg is like the new Wade...The guy seems like such a damned jerk, always showing our guy up by staring at them on the ground, talking smack the whole game, learn some class Garnett.
We didn't deserve to win this game. We played soft, we made stupid mistakes, and it just seemed like we were afraid of the Celts from the first minute of the game. I thought we played well in stretches, but overall we just didn't look like the same team out there.
With that said, I am NOT impressed with the Celtics. The only thing they did well tonight was play defense, other than that, this team should not compete for a title. The big three was huge for them though, not Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, I'm talking about the refs.
What a horribly officiated game. You knew from the first quarter that they weren't gonna "let" them lose three in a row.
They don't play real basketball..they just rely on the talent of their big 3 and not even worry about anything else. In a 7 game series, they go down if their opponent is well coached. I don't know how they can beat the Pistons in a series IMO.
Unlike the Blazers, the Celtics would ARGUE EVERY CALL the blazers got... And they would intimidate the refs into changing the calls... The Blazers should probably talk to the refs and get some technicals... It is rare to see any Blazer ever say anything to a ref.
Marc Spears is reporting in the Globe that Rondo will definitely be out tonight versus the Portland Trail Blazers. With both a hamstring injury and a back injury this is the wisest course of action.
Doc has hinted that Gabe Pruitt may get some playing time tonight and that too seems a good thing. House and TA are not point guards and Gabe Pruitt is. He has talent and it would be a good thing to get him some minutes early as they may need him later.
Please accept my apologies, but our hosts server that serves our forum is currently having issues. It has been down for some time. As soon as it is up, I will let you all know.
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Johnny Most passed away 15 years ago this month. He was truly one of a kind and is missed by all the Celtics faithful who were fortunate enough to have heard his broadcasts. No one could ever mistake Johnny Most as an impartial analyst. He loved the Celtics and with every call, you could hear it. To Johnny, being called a "homer" was a good thing and we all loved him for it.
From 1953 through the present, the Celtics have had a couple of announcers who love the Celtics with no apologies for being one sided with their calls. From 1953 through 1990, Johnny Most was the radio voice of the Celtics. Most never pretended to be objective: his Celtics were near-saints who could do no wrong and anyone not wearing the green was the enemy and the scum of the earth.
He was a legend to Boston Celtics fans during the Celtics' 30 year reign from the 1950s through the 1980s as basketball's most dominant team. Most was as much honored in Boston as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Larry Bird. Many Celtics fans turned the sound down while watching the team play on television and tuned in to Most's radio broadcast of the game instead.
Born to Jewish parents, Most began his career in the 1940s mentored by Marty Glickman. He called road games for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers baseball teams as well as the New York Giants and Army football team. In 1953, Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown and Red Auerbach hired him to replace Curt Gowdy as the team's radio play-by-play man on WBZ radio. He always referred to his perch at Boston Garden as being "high above courtside."
Most was never shy about criticizing the other team's players. One time Most described the Los Angeles Lakers' Kurt Rambis as "something that had crawled out of a sewer." He also nicknamed Washington Bullets players Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland as "McFilthy" and "McNasty." Kareem Abdul Jabbar was "Kareem Puff" and Isaiah Thomas was referred to as "Little Lord Fauntleroy." He called Magic Johnson "Crybaby Johnson" when he challenged a referee's call. Most's pro-Celtic descriptions could turn shoving matches into "bloodbaths" and minor fouls into "vicious muggings" and once during a game in Detroit, he loudly proclaimed, "Oh the yellow, gutless way they do things here." I still hear his voice ringing in my ears when a player fouls one of our guys hard. When a player such as Xavier McDaniel would come to the Celtics after being a favorite target of Most's venom, he would suddenly be rehabilitated into a wonderful guy.
He was famous for coming up with phrases to describe the action on the court as well. I use Fiddlin' and Diddlin' to describe the news and links columns on this blog as a tribute to Johnny Most. Johnny used the term fiddlin' and diddlin' originally to describe how Philly point guard Maurice Cheeks dribbled the ball for 4 or 5 seconds as he waited for the Sixers to set their offense but he ended up using that expression to describe the play of DJ and Ainge. They weren't true fast break style PG's and would dribble the ball up the court when waiting to set up the offense. They'd dribble the ball to one side of the court and then dribble the ball back to the middle. Rather than describe all the ball handling for 5 or 6 seconds at a time, he would use the phrase fiddlin' and diddlin' to describe their dribbling around.
Johnny's most famous call came the closing seconds of Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals between the defending champion Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics' lead had shriveled to 110-109, and Philadelphia regained possession with five seconds left after an inbounds pass attempt by Boston's Bill Russell hit one of the wires that ran down from the ceiling of Boston Garden and helped support the baskets in those days. Hall of Fame guard Hal Greer prepared to toss the ball inbounds under his own basket. The logical target seemed to be Wilt Chamberlain in the low post, but Russell fronted Chamberlain and took away that option. K.C. Jones, guarding Greer, leaped along the baseline and frantically waved his arms to distract him as the five seconds ticked away.
To get a better view of the court, Greer jumped up and spotted high-scoring forward Chet Walker, seemingly open beyond the key. But Boston's John Havlicek had taken a position several feet off the direct line between Greer and Walker, making it look like Walker was open when he really wasn't. After counting off a couple of seconds in his head, Havlicek sneaked a peek over his shoulder at Greer just as he prepared to release the ball. He moved into the passing lane - but let Most tell it:
"Greer is putting the ball into play. He gets it out deep," Most intones, before his voices rises into a frenzy. "Havlicek steals it. Over to Sam Jones. Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball!"
Havlicek tipped the inbounds pass away from Walker and toward teammate Jones, who dribbled out the clock as fans poured onto the court. The Celtics had the win, and would go on to capture their seventh consecutive championship. As Havlicek tipped the ball, Johnny Most could be heard yelling into the microphone in his raspy voice, "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! It's all over!"
His second most famous call (and my personal favorite) came in Game 5 of the 1987 playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, the series tied at 2-2. Detroit had a one-point lead late in the game and needed to inbound the ball to secure the victory and take a 3-2 Series lead with Game 6 on their court. Isiah Thomas was inbounding the ball to Bill Laimbeer, who was in the backcourt. But in the words of the immortal Johnny Most:
"Now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ! He lays it up and in!! ... What a play by Bird! Bird stole the inbounding pass, layed it up to DJ, and DJ layed it up and in, and Boston has a one-point lead with one second left! OH, MY, THIS PLACE IS GOING CRAZY!!!" You can hear it for yourself on the clip below.
But perhaps his most memorable on air moment wasn't the call of a play, but was when he dropped a lit cigarette into his lap, setting his pants on fire while he was on the air.
On October 10, 1990, Johnny Most, who was a lifelong smoker announced his retirement due to health concerns. On December 3 of that year, Most was honored with the permanent installation at Boston Garden of his microphone, silver-plated and encased in a Celtic-green frame. The microphone was attached to the façade of the vantage point that Most always described as "high above courtside." On January 3, 1993, Most died at the age of 69 of a heart attack in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Shortly after his death, Johnny Most was awarded the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Trustees of the Basketball Hall of Fame for his contribution to basketball. It was very ironic, considering that Most replaced Gowdy as the Celtics' play-by-play announcer. On October 4, 2002 (almost ten years after his death), Most was inducted into the media category of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island.
Johnny Most is fondly remembered by any Celtics' fans fortunate enough to have listened to his broadcasts. There was never a doubt that Johnny Most loved the Celtics and was an unashamed and self proclaimed homer. It was evident in his absolute defense of the Celtics and in every call that he made. We take this time to remember Johnny Most, a true Celtics legend.
Read around the Wizards' Boards Must we really play this sorry excuse for a team again? Seems redundant.
I concur. Celts should just forfeit.
More seriously
C's are definitely going to be pumped and looking for payback. 'Zards know this. Just hoping for a close game. A second win would be a real stunner. Bill Simmons predicted a 29 win season for the Wizards, who now have 19 wins. The Wizards only play the Celtics one more time after tonight. I don't know where the additional 8 wins are going to come from.
I may not even watch, gonna be boring....I hate when we play against scrub teams.
Obviously, Jamison and Butler will shoot much better. Wiz 98, Celts 82.
BLOWOUT! The C's don’t stand a chance because "Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door." The Wiz extend Boston's longest losing streak of the season.
Is Rondo the glue for the Celts breaking out this season? If-so, then perhaps they might continue their slump until they find their way like we did w/o Gilbert. Still, how can you not predict that they will do anything other than rebound with a vengeance.......at least against us tonight.
Rondo is the reason they are so good. ARENAS for RONDO! Get ER done
Don't be so hasty. Maybe we can get them to include Scalabrini in the deal.
Vegas knows something. You'd figure at best the Celts would be 7-8 pt favorites considering we just beat them by 7 two days ago. Nope, instead the line opened at 12.5 and is currently around 11.5. Vegas wants to suck people into betting on the Wizards because they know that the Celtics are going to blow them out.
The Beantown hoops squad sports the green, Their Big Three should sweep the league clean, Old School Celts proud of Hondo, Now they're crying 'bout Rondo, When he's out, PG pickings are lean.
What about Big Baby, is he out again tonight? Dude does serious damage in the post; I can see him exhausting AB with his 300 pounds of muscle, and racking up big rebound numbers.
I'm confused didn't we just beat them. Is there a second chance for Boston in the nba rule book or something? They are done, those old men they traded for are tried and worn down.
Baby played in limited minutes in the last game so he'll probably play tonight. Unless of course there's an All You Can Eat restaurant in the area. If that's the case we may never see Baby again.
Never knew Pierce was such a good defender.
Somebody needs to bow Perkins the next time he reaches!
I've got a Boston Internet feed. My god, their commentators are unbearable! I've never heard such a homer! I had to put it on mute.
Refs showing the Celtic Pride on the 3 after the jump ball.
And we thought the Celtics played good defense last game...
I'm listening on mute because Heinsohn must be drunk on top of being a homer. The other guy's a professional announcer and I wish they could just mute Tommy Heinsohn.
Refs have sucked both ways today.
This game has set basketball back 25 years.
Celtics aren't this bad offensively. I'm not sure what's going on, either a really bad shooting slump or their big three is starting to wear down, which is a bad sign considering there's another 3 months of regular season basketball to play.
Not only does if feel like playoff basketball, the longer these teams play the less imposing the Celtics seem. Garnett is clearly flustered even though he's having a decent game.
I always thought the refs wore black and white. Not green and white.
GAWD how lame can an organization get. First, the annoying announcers and now the gay canned noise. Ugh what a bunch of losers.
I can't believe Boston is still using the piped-in fan noise. I can understand why they may have used it last year (not that I approve), but do they seriously need it this season?
Heinsohn says "Garnett had worked Haywood under the basket". I believe pushed or shoved Haywood and gone over the back would have been the correct call.
Take THAT, Bill Simmons.
This was the best I've ever seen the Wizards play since... Since... Since the Wes Unseld days.
Well a pretty big difference Rajon Rondo made didn't he?
Was Pierce talking smack to Butler at the end as Caron blew by him?
They won because they wanted it more. Just a tough, gritty effort. Nobody was hot. Nobody really played well. No superstar to bail us out. They just played D, rebounded, and executed down the stretch.
Boston got beat down at the end because they're weren't ready for a fight that went the way that game did. Washington ran on them at the end because the Wizards WERE IN BETTER SHAPE. Jamison and Butler and Haywood and Stevenson and Daniels were all fiesty at the end. KG and Ray Allen clearly were not. Only Pierce and Tony Allen seemed like they wanted to play at the end.
Sweet justice that Boston has the D coach that was going to come here but changed his mind.
Boston's D coach earned his paycheck. Up until the Wizards went on that final run Caron had been held in check and the Wizards were shooting in the 30s. Thibodeau is good.
Ah man, we are going to be all over the press. Back to back wins over Boston the best team in the league and without GA.
Props on the win, and thanks for (temporarily) shutting up Boston fans
That Celtic defense is quite something to behold. The Wizards were doing a decent job of closing out on the shooters. The Celts on the other hand were bodying up on the shooters before they had a chance to even think about shooting. Ray Allen is looking like Mitch Richmond in his final season here.
Great win! I didn't see this coming. Boston deserved to lose anyways for having canned crowd noise at a sellout game.
The Celtics played very well for 3 quarters and took a 12 point lead at one point, but faltered down the stretch to lose their second game in a row to the Wizards. The Celtics were outscored 25-6 down the stretch to lose 88-83 at home.
But, it wasn't all negative. One bright spot was the play of Tony Allen. He seemed more like the pre-injury Tony as he drove baseline for a tomahawk dunk. After the dunk he was very fired up. He played great defense and was aggressive going for rebounds and loose balls. He finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal and brought a lot of energy to the team. Perk had a great game. He played great defense and set good picks and finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks. He may have had the play of the game when he got a steal and dribbled behind the back before passing to Pierce who set up KG for an alley oop dunk.
Rondo started the game and played 21 minutes but at times looked a bit stiff. He finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block. House played most of the minutes behind Rondo at the point and finished with 5 points on 2-9 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Ray Allen is still struggling with his shot as he shot only 5-14 from the field. He finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
Paul Pierce had a good game as he scored 18 points and pulled down 5 rebounds to go with 2 assists and 1 block. He took several hard charges and played great defense on Butler. In the press conference, KG made it very clear, repeating it twice, that it wasn't Paul Pierce who allowed Butler to get to the hoop for the layup to put them ahead, but it was the team who allowed it. Posey played well, hustling for loose balls, taking charges and playing defense. On one point, he went into the second row of seats trying to poke the ball away. Davis played 10 minutes and finished with 1 point and 1 block.
The Celtics played much better in this game than they did in their last matchup. The matched the Wizards with 37 rebounds. They shot 42% and held the Wizards to 39%. They outscored the Wizards in the paint 34-22. But on the negative side, the Celtics didn't execute down the stretch and allowed the Wizards to outscore them 29-20 in the fourth quarter and to go on a 25-6 run to end the game. The Celtics have lost 2 in a row and 3 out of the last 4 games. I guess you could say they are slumping. They have struggled to get stops down the stretch in their last 4 games. Teams are now playing defense against them and they have always struggled against teams that press and play tough defense. They have to figure out how to score against teams who play defense or this season could go downhill very quickly.
