There’s a nice early-season matchup between the 2-1 Boston Celtics and the 3-0 Houston Rockets tonight on NBA TV. So far, the addition of Ron Artest has been a good one as the Rockets have won their first three games by an average of 11 points. Wins over the Grizzlies and Thunder aren’t exactly impressive, however, so a win tonight against the defending champs would give the Rockets some more credibility.
Tag: Boston Celtics (Page 38 of 39)
I don’t think anyone is surprised that the Celtics were able to beat the Cavs on opening night, but given the fact that two of the Big Three – Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett – combined for only 19 points on 7-24 shooting, it is a little remarkable that the C’s were still able to get the win.
LeBron was his usual self (22p/7r/6a), and Mo Williams had a decent debut with 12 points on 3-5 3PT shooting, but he only had two assists against four turnovers. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (15p) was the only other Cavalier in double figures. Outside of Williams, the Cavs were 0-10 from long distance.
Paul Pierce led all scorers with 27 points and looks like he’s picking up right where he left off last June.
On the West Coast, the Lakers dismantled the upstart Trail Blazers, 96-76. Kobe led all scorers with 23 points, while Portland “rookie” Rudy Fernandez posted an impressive 16 points in his first NBA game.
In the Lamar Odom Bench Watch, he posted nine points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes.
Greg Oden sprained his foot. X-rays were negative, but he’s going to have an MRI this week. I hope he doesn’t turn out to be just another injury prone big man.
There was one other game on the docket. The Bulls welcomed back Bucks coach Scott Skiles and pasted his team, 108-95. Derrick Rose (11p, 9a, 4r) was impressive in his first NBA game.
TNT has a nice doubleheader to start the NBA season.
Cavs @ Celtics, 8 PM ET
LeBron James and his new sidekick – Mo Williams – head into Beantown to face the defending champion Celtics, who have to refocus themselves after their magical 2007-08 season.
Trail Blazers @ Lakers, 10:30 PM ET
The Lakers are the consensus favorite to win the title this season, while the Trail Blazers are a popular darkhorse playoff pick in the West. Will Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol play well together? Is Greg Oden ready to emerge? This game also features a great matchup between Kobe Bryant and Brandon Roy.
InDemand is running a free preview of NBA League Pass, so you can also see how the new-look Bucks fare against the Bulls at 8:30 ET.
Offseason Movement: The Celtics were unable to re-sign James Posey, who ended up signing with the Hornets. GM Danny Ainge did re-sign Tony Allen, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell, while also signing Darius Miles and Patrick O’Bryant. Out of the draft, the team ended up with shooting guard JR Giddens and small forward Bill Walker.
Keep Your Eye On: The bench
Even more than last season, Boston is going to need a regular lift from its bench. With Posey gone, someone will have to pick up his defensive-mindedness and shooting touch. The bench projects to be very young, but with youth comes energy, and the Celtics will need it this season.
The Big Question: Now that the Big Three won a title, will they be as focused?
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came to Boston with one thing in mind – a NBA championship. Paul Pierce set aside his ego for the same reason. Throughout that season, the Celtics were focused on a singular goal, but now that they have their rings, will they be able to bring that same intensity every night? Hunger can really bolster a team’s success, and Boston will somehow have to manufacture that hunger this season. That’s a tough thing to do.
Outlook: The C’s are still the class of the East, but will face a bigger test within the conference given the improvements that the Sixers and the Heat have made, along with the continued maturity of the Magic and the Cavs. James Posey was so crucial to the team’s playoff success that one wonders if the team will be overcome that loss and stay as focused as they were last season. They are the odds-on favorites to win the East, but it’s shaping up to be a very interesting season in Beantown.
The Celtics have signed oft-injured forward Darius Miles. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Darius … has impressed us with his progress, health, and attitude,” Ainge said. “Darius will have the next couple of months to prove to myself and Coach [Doc] Rivers that he can help us win.”
Miles, who was drafted out of East St. Louis High School, has posted career averages of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.15 blocks in 412 NBA games.
“I’ve watched the Boston Celtics play a lot last year and loved what I saw in their teamwork and chemistry on the court, and it’s the team that I want to try to resume my career with,” Miles said in the team’s statement. “I am excited about having an opportunity to play on a team that I feel my personality fits with and a team that can have great success on the court.”
Miles has a reputation for being poisonous to a team’s chemistry, but I doubt he’ll have an adverse effect on what the Celtics have going. This is a low risk move that could reap solid rewards for the C’s. Miles has always been a talented player, so if he’s turned a corner with his work ethic, he could have a positive impact in Boston.
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