Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

Keys for tonight- prepare for Miami to try to muck the game up. Get out and run, don't allow them to dictate the pace. Just play Celtics basketball, and add to this win streak.    1st Quarter ☘️ Heat start off in a zone, and the Celtics show how you break the zone! Tatum for the epic dunk! Followed up by a JT for THREEEEEEEEE!!! I've seen this zone give the C's fits in the past. Not tonight! Sorry Spo, this Celtics team is a cheat code! We have all the answers to the test! JT is EN FUEGO!!!  My goodness this man is spectacular! Watching him is like tuning into MJ, it's must see TV! I remember a time when all I did was set my watch too Celtics games, and Michael Jordan games. JT is now in that stratosphere.  Where is the Celtics D tonight, not doing a good job right now. Allowing the Heat to score at will. If they could clamp down on D this could become a run away.  C's are taking way too many threes, start getting to the hoop! Malcolm Brogdon is lighting it up f...

DWhite has become a huge chess piece on the board of the Celtics season.  DWhite has proven his worth this season, he has the ability to start and come off the bench. You can clearly tell that this young man worked on his game during the off season. I love his sorta jerky jerky style getting to the rim. He finishes well, but there is room for improvement.  One huge piece of growth is his sniper like accuracy from the three! Especially with those corner threes. When that ball is whipping around that floor, he tends to score nothing but netters! He just seems to flow in the offensive scheme. A seamless pice that will come up big in the post season.  Defensively he's stout, and his quickness causes issues for the other teams. You can match him up against most other players. His defensive IQ is off the charts. Once again thank you Brad Stevens for bringing him to Boston!   

 After following the Russell-era Celtics of the 60's - the Cowens/Hondo/JoJo crew of the 70's - the Bird-era team of the 80's - and the Big-3 Title crew of 2008 , I had to give some thought to what the current Celtics troops could accomplish down the road. Since I rate the 1985-86 Green Team as perhaps the best NBA roster ever assembled, we start there. The two main stars were Larry Bird and Kevin McHale , but some fans may forget that Dennis Johnson already had four All-Star apperarences prior to coming to Boston in addition to a Title and Finals MVP Award. Robert Parish and Danny Ainge rounded out the starting five. And how about the bench. Scott Wedman had two All-Star stints under his belt prior to joining the Celtics, and Bill Walton had a prior Championship, MVP Award and Finals MVP with the Trail Blazers. Jerry Sichting rounded out the bench crew. That is an "Elite Eight" that would be hard to beat. So can the Jay Team and their comrades take over ...

  Marcus Smart is not a "true" anything - except one Hell of a pro basketball player that does what is required to win games.  Boston has had its share of "traditional" point guards - Bob Cousy, K C Jones, JoJo White and Rajon Rondo , to name a few. But The Green fared quite well in the 80's with a non-traditional back court pairing of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge . The Celtics even tried Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker in that role, both of which, for varioous reasons, didn't work out. Now comes Smart at the point - with a lot of fans, analysts and sports writers naysaying the trial as a future failed venture. Why? Because supposedly, the Celtics needed a true point guard to guide them - not some defensive specialist whose offensive game often sputtered. All that has changed. Marcus Smart is orchestrating a team that has the best record (17-4) in the NBA and often produces vibes of being able to waltz into possession of the 2023 Championship trophy. Marc...

1st Quarter ☘️ How about a Blake Griffin three to start things off!!! Great to see the veteran get a shot tonight! Blake Griffin just earned a few Tommy points keeping the ball alive not once but twice! Love the HUSTLE!  DWhite with back to back THREEEEEEEEEs!!! I'm telling ya I love this dude! His work ethic and basketball IQ show he's a huge weapon for us. He can score with ease, and D up anyone.  JT looks good after his ankle injury sidelined him last night. Coming up with a few excellent drives and back to back THREEEEEEEEEs!!! Is JT the BEST PLAYER IN THE GAME?! Gordon Hayward has never been the same since he was hurt here. It's like he's made of glass, his body is so breakable.  This Celtics team moves the ball as effortlessly and elegant as an eagle in flight. It's awe inspiring to watch how beautiful a passing team can be. A team that shares the love and trust each other! Celtics lead 45-19 after the first.  2nd Quarter 🍀🍀 We get an early dose of PP tonigh...

  There was a sequence in last night's game that just showed how damn good this offense is. The ball went from player to player with the grace of a majestic dancer. The defense could not stop it, the shot fell short but the movement was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  For all those naysayers giving JB crap, please hush. He showed that he is capable of doing what is needed to win. He's limiting his turnovers, he's getting his teammates involved, and we'll he's just a bad man! He brought the thunder with a one handed DUNK that shook the arena!  The bench did their job once again, guys like Malcolm, Sam, PP and Luuuuuuuuuke brought the energy. Each guy knows their roll, and executed it! Kudos to Marcus and DWhite because they are just wonderfully players to watch!  I am disappointed to have not seen JT play live, although I have in the past. I love this kid, I get resting the ankle. Yet part of me says after what I scraped together for these tickets, I want to see my guy. If yo...

 My background is quite diverse. I have worked as a Research Engineer, Game Warden, Police Lt./Investigator and Health Coach . I write about things I know and give advice to those that are willing to listen. Emily Sotelo's tragic-but-preventable death from exposure on Mt. Lafayette need not be in vain. I have spent most of my life as an outdoorsman - in all kinds of weather conditions. The following was simply one excursion: Linda Lane (to me): "Are we in trouble?" Tom Lane: "We could be!" My wife and I were hiking in the White Mountains to stay overnight in Madison Springs Hut . The weather started out fairly decent for a late-summer hike, but at the higher elevation, things turned bad. The temperature dropped significantly - the cold rain started - and the high winds were blowing the rain sideways. All four of us opened our-well-stocked packs and put on Gortex parkas over the down vests and fleece jackets. But the weather was now bad enough that, even well e...

 I am now into my seventh (7th) decade of following the NBA and Celtics basketball, and I am in total awe of Jayson Tatum and his game.  From his arrival in Boston, I have tagged as possibly the smoothest Celtic to ever take to the parquet. Tatum seemed to glide down the floor like no Boston player before him. But my argument was that the youngster, unlike his predecessor, Paul Pierce , always seemed to avoid contact. That has not changed to a large extent. Jayson's smoothess remains, but he is stronger and can take the buffeting on the way to the hoop - and still finish. He is a solid defender - skilled rebounder - and willing passer. Tommy Hainsohn once labelled The Truth as possibly the best scorer in Celtics history, but Tatum may take over that label. Originally, I placed Tatum's potential ceiling somewhere between Pierce and Larry Bird, and that may come to fruition. He is that good. MVP is far from being out of the question. In last night's 122-104 win over the Ki...

1st Quarter ☘️ The C's are coming out slow tonight, almost if they are having a turkey hangover. Off the extra pass DWhite is lights out from three! When the Celtics move the ball, good things happen.  Al just sent Murrays shot into the ether! Get that out of my house young pup! Followed up with a three in the offensive end. Al is the swiss army knife of the C's, he does it all!  Great steal by the C's which leads to an easy layup! A reminder to never give up on any play! Basketball boils down to who wants it more, and right now it's the C's! Let's keep that D locked in, that's a key factor if we want to win.  Early on the Cs are leading in assists, a testament to how well they move the ball. Sharing is caring, and we know how much these guys trust each other. I've written this before, when the C's are unselfish, the offense flows like the force. ( Star Wars reference for those who don't know.) Malcolm Brogdon for threeeeeeeee!!! He's Mr Smoo...

  1st Quarter ☘️ Celtics and Mavs are trading blows early on! Celtics are locked in so far tonight. Personally love seeing JT D up Luka. That's what you want your great players to do!  Incredible pass from Marcus to JB for the JAM! The way Marcus sees the floor now, shows how much he's grown.  JB using that man strength to get to the rack and show the Mavs I'm here to play. JB with the left, showing he's got it there too! Love the way JB has come out tonight, showing he's ready for this prime time showdown. Brogdon hitting threes is a spectacular sight! Liked it so much, he did it again! Love the energy from the whole team tonight! Celtics lead after one 34-23.  2nd Quarter 🍀🍀 JT for THREEEEEEEEE!!! The grit this young man shows playing with injuries, shows me he's a throwback! I LoVE everything about his game.  DWhite continues to impress me, love the way his game has improved! You can definitely tell he put the work in during the off season. His three point ...

 The body of Emily Sotelo, the missing 19-year-old hiker, has now been found on Mt. Lafayette in Franconia Notch New Hampshire. There was never a doubt in my mind that the superb team of New Hampshire Fish and Game would succeed in coming to a logical conclusion to this horrific tragedy. Major David Walsh said it best , so I will reitterate his thoughts on what went wrong. When hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire: Be prepared for the unexpected. Be prepared with knowledge. Know the weather conditions. Dress for weather conditions. Have extra clothes, food, water, head lamps, map and compass. Know your limitations. Know when to turn around. This entire event was so bizarre and puzzling, in my article, I asked for feedback. Except for one response from an absolute imbecile and a few comments from premedonnas, most of what was posted was, "What the Hell was she thinking!" This, from "Anonymous", was the best-of-the-best: I have been up this route in the win...

 This morning marks the fourth day in the search for missing hiker, Emily Sotelo, and it is likely that this has now become a search-and-recovery mission. Seemingly unprepared to withstand the rigors presented by frigid temperatrures and high winds in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire the day she went missing (Sunday, November 20, 2022), it is doubtful the 19-year-old lady could have survived. If she was indeed hiking in the area indicated by her mom, there is a high probability that her renains may never be found. Flash back to the summer of 2013 when 66-year-old, Geraldine Largay of Brentwood, Tennessee , was reported missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail south of Rangeley Maine. Geraldine Largay A massive search including roughly 130 prople over a 10-day period, turned up nothing. It wasn't until more than two years later that a forester found her remains approximately 3,000 yards from the trail. No foul play was suspected. Why was Geraldine not found sooner? My wife, Linda, ...

 How the Hell did this happen? Two days after 19-year-old Emily Sotelo was supposedly dropped off in Franconia Notch (NH) at roughly 5:00 AM ET, Sunday, November 20, 2022 by her mother, to hike several mountains alone, the search continues for the young lady. Photo by Linda Lane The information from news agencies indicated that Emily started hiking the trails while it was still dark. She was supposedly wearing only sneakers, a coat and workout pants. I can persona;ly attest that the weather in the area was very cold with high wind speeds, and gaining elevation on the trails would only add to the horrendous conditions. Ms. Sotelo was reportedly a seasoned hiker, but had little or no experience hiking in winter. At the peaks, temperatures on that Sunday dropped to zero degrees with a wind chill of minus-30 degrees. It is beyond my comprehension to imagine a hiker-of-experience tackling that kind of travel - in extreme weather - with only basic clothes and few (or no) supplies. I have...

Some games you have it and on others ya just mail it in. That's how it was last night for the C's. That's not why I'm writing though.  Let's talk Malcolm Brogdon, what a huge addition to this team. When he's healthy, he's a heck of a basketball player. As a point guard he finds guys where they want the ball. He gets the D to commit, which allows him to find open guys. He sees the floor like a chess player moving his pieces towards check mate! As a scorer he can drive against anyone, and when need be is lights out from three.  On the defensive end he's just so solid fundamentally! Knows where he needs to be and what needs to be done. He's fit into this team seamlessly, as if he was destined to be here. He's definitely becoming the best sixth man off the bench. Imagine him when the playoffs start. What if we had him last year?! The key here to make sure he's healthy, we can't afford to see him hurt. If he's healthy along with the rest o...

  Jayson Tatum was right - and honest . He said that there would be lackluster games from the Celtics since it is such a long season. Well, there was "one of those games" last night, when the Chicago Bulls took out the lackadaisical Boston crew, 121-107. It was obvious from the start that the Bulls wanted this one and The Green were not going to fight hard to avoid that outcome. Al Horford had a rare off night, scoring zero points and missing all nine of his shot attempts, but he wasn't alone in taking responsibility for the loss. Al did have five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. As Jayson had previously stated, everybody can have a "bad day at the office" . I agree with that. The NBA season is a marathon with a lot of travel. Performing as a team at a high level - mentally and physically - can be taxing. But I see a bounce-back coming in the next game or two. That win streak was not going to last forever. Lackluster play and repeated losses ca...

We have a Wolverine sighting in Chicago as Marcus Smart returns.    1st Quarter ☘️ C's begin tonights game by chucking up way too many threes. Excellent timeout by Joe Mazzulla, the C's are flat. C's energy isn't there despite trailing 13-10. Dear Scal misses are not good! How about we go to the hoop instead of jacking up terrible threes.  C's are starting to move the rock, looking like the offense we know and love. Yet they still can't hit the front side of a barn. Tonight's game reminds me of the other night vs OKC. C's are just staying afloat yet don't have that spark to light the fire.  Excellent pass from JT to MB for threeeeeeeee!!! Luke the Green Kornet with a hustle contest and draws a foul. Love the C's but they are playing with no pep in their step. Despite that they are down only five, 28-23 Bulls.  2nd Quarter  It starts on the defensive end, if the C's can amp it up there, the offense will follow. Just like that we get some Haus ...

The quote is mine.  "When you stop moving, your body shuts down." --- Tom Lane I gave that advice to my older brother when I mnoticed he had put a stop to most activities. He reiterated my advice on a few occasions but didn't follow it. He died in his sleep at the age of 64. My grand daughter, Courtney, was born with a fatal disease, Cystic Fibrosis. I was told by one of my clients, also afflicted with the dreaded disease, that girls often don't take the medications or do the other procedures to remain alive longer. Courtney followed that path somewhat - fighting back from near-death a couple of times - but not being proactive. In other words, she would go into "deep survival" mode when facing death, but wouldn't always take proactive measures to help herself. I transmitted my quote to Courtney. She remembered it but didn't follow it. Courtney died at the age of 25, nine months after publication of the article. She had been refused a double-lung tran...

 First-year Celtics Head Coach, Joe Mazzulla, has turned his players loose. And it's working. Boston (for the time being) may have eased up a bit on the defensive end (#14 Defensive Rating) , but they are Numero Uno in Offensive Rating - tops in the NBA. And by the way, what really counts are the wins, and The Green possess the best record in the League (13-3) and the top Net Rating (7.7). Who ever thought this would happen? The Celtics have shooters galore - move the ball around - take care of it - and are so damn unselfish   finding the right play. Previously a turnover machine, Boston now ranks second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0) and first in True Shooting Percentage (61.9%). There is nothing better for basketball fans than to have their team with a strong winning record and play entertaining ball at the same time. The Green are a joy to observe and are on a roll. Can it continue? Who knows, but let's live in the present. Boston beat the Pelicans last n...

Celtics welcome back Malcolm Mr Smooth Brogdon. Marcus Smart still remains out due to his ankle.    1st Quarter  ☘️ C's and Pels trading blows to start, should be a fun game. C's ball movement looks good so far. JB is coming out HOT! He's the match that lights the fire in the first.  What an amazing drive by JT, getting to the hoop with the lefty layup. He gets to the hoop with such ease lately. It's becoming unstoppable! He's damn near becoming unstoppable. We are watching this young man become a true MVP candidate!  C's are hitting their threes early, let's hope they keep falling. JTs rocking some pretty sweet kicks tonight. Great start for the C's, especially against this talented Pelicans team.  Haus Money is in, let's see if he can keep that hot shooting going. He definitely knows how to pass, finding Al for threeeeeeeee! Sam has made the most of his opportunity this year. Showing he's deadly from behind the arc. He is also a hard worker on ...

When you are alone nine miles from the pavement in semi-wilderness, you have to make smart decisions. It was early May, and I was driving along the remote logging road to open up my lakefront home. I was halfway to my destination, only to find high water has washed away the road. The river was now back down to a normal flow, and it looked like I had a shot at maneuvering my 4-wheel drive SUV down the embankment - across the brook - and up the other side.  But that seemed like a bad idea. I pictured myself getting stuck with no help in sight. I pulled off the road, stuffed some food and booze into my backpack - crossed the brook with little effort - and walked the remaining five miles to the camp. Upon arrival, a can of Budweiser went into the remaining snowbank - removed the boards from the windows - and settled down to some bourbon and beer - and finally a bite to eat. I stayed the night and headed back to my vehicle the next morning. Everything had changed! Snowmelt had raised th...

 I'm talking about Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet . In Boston's convincing defeat of the Atlanta Hawks (126-101) , these three "Pine Brothers" combined for 44 points and 17 rebounds. The trio hit on 17-of-21 (81%) from the field and 10-of-13 from the "Great Beyond" (77%). My early concerns about the big man, Kornet , and the little guy, Pritchard, fitting in with the "position-less " focus of Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka have been partially erased. Joe Mazzulla has found a way to utilize his bench quite effectively. Luke may never morph into a physical presence underneath the hoop, but like Rob Williams, he showed he can get easy hoops via lobs and other close-to-the-basket opportunities. Here's his shot chart from last night: Notice anything? No misses. That cluster of green under the hoop signifies six made shots - plus Luke hit his sole 3-pointer. And he added four blocks to the mix. Last night showed promise for the big gu...

No Marcus, no Brogdon, next man up! DWhite, PP, and Sam I  Am we need ya tonight!    1st Quarter☘️ Al opens the scoring up, with the tip in off a miss. Rebounding is going to be huge for the C's if they want to win. JB is looking to show off as he is back home in Atlanta. Using his excellent skills by getting to the rim! I love watching JB get to the rim, it's a thing of beauty.  Dejounte Murray is going to be a problem tonight. DWhite seems to embrace being a starter tonight. I absolutely love watching him play on both ends! His defense is always stout, and offensively he's solid. Having him compliments our core guys! Shout out to Blake Griffin fighting for offensive boards! That's the kind of hustle you want from the entire team. Despite the C's not shooting great, but have the lead! Sam I am Hauser is in and lighting it up! PP gets in on the action with a three as well! Celtics lead the Hawks 30-18.  2nd Quarter🍀🍀 Sam I am Hauser for three! Then we get a JT...

  MATURE- the state, fact, or period of being mature. "their experience, maturity, and strong work ethic" This may be a theme, but talking to my dad last night he says I can't believe how much Jayson Tatum has matured!  Say what you want about the in the heat of moments when he questions the refs. If I were him I'd do the same knowing the bias refs have against Celtics players.  For those of us who have been watching JT since he entered league, you can say this- that young man has grown each and every year. His game and his body have shown that each and every year. This season we are truly watching something special!  Offensively the only holes I see are the fixation on the three, that's a team and league wide issue. Yet when he's on from deep NO ONE CAN STOP HIM! His ability to hit mid range shots is strong, when he posts up it's game over. Last night he hit a rainbow fade away that said Michael Jordan to me! His strength has given him the gift of getting...

  SEIZE YOUR MOMENT! Patience is a virtue! Always be ready to be called upon for greatness.  Early on everyone was wondering why isn't PP getting any run?! I know I was, and so was my old man. Was he in the doghouse, or are we a bit cluttered with guards?! I believe it's the latter, we have JB, DWhite, Marcus, Malcolm and PP. That's a HUGE luxury, especially with Malcolm healing his hammy.  Since he's been getting some solid run, he's making the most of his time. Hes MR HUSTLE IMO, last night's game showcased that. In a game where they needed a spark, he was the match that lit that fire. Especially at the end of the third. This young buck has the make up of a winner. I'm not using him as a trade chip, he's going to contribute to Banner 18.  The C's struck golf when they drafted him and each year he gets better and better. He is an example of hard work paying off and always being ready!  Bleed Green! Celtic Pride! 

 The Celtics' battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder last night could have gone either way, but Boston pulled it out for the 126-122 win. Here are a few thoughts: Celtics getting better at Crunch Time. Boston has a recent history of faltering late in close games, but age and experience seems to have quelled much of that - thus the win. Marcus Smart solid at the point . Marcus may never be remembered post-retirement as an NBA marksman, but he has become a legit threat to score in the clutch. He racked up 22 points in the win, with 20 of them coming after half-time. He hit 67% of his field goals and 50% from 3-point land. He added five rebounds and a team-high eight assists. Payton Pritchard is making it difficult for Brad Stevens to trade him . Payton and Derrick White were catalysts in Boston's comeback in the contest. Pritchard had 10 points in only 14 minutes and may have been responsible for turning the tide in Boston's favor. He is a true "opportunist", hitti...

JB is back and so is Amazing Al! No Brogdon which I'm cool with making sure he stays healthy.    1st Quarter ☘️ Marcus Smart has become an assist machine! He's seeing the floor so well lately. Talk about a guy who has improved at his craft. He has the heart of a Wolverine on D!  C's are shooting way too many threes and need to start going to the cup. That is why they are trailing early to the Thunder. Good timeout here by Joe, he needs to blast this team and tell them it's time to wake up. Ramp up the energy fellas come on now!  C's come out of the timeout with fire, the way this team passes is second to none. It's so crisp and efficient they are always looking for the best shot possible. Now if the defense was as locked in, they would never lose! C's are chipping away at the Thunders early lead. Defense has been the key, to getting them back in the game. OKC is playing above their heads right now. Celtics trail after one 35-32.  2nd Quarter 🍀🍀 Time to gra...

 Here's the latest proposal that would send Lakers C/F, Anthony Davis, to the Boston Celtics . Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F/C Al Horford, F Grant Williams, 2025 First-Round Pick (BOS), 2027 First-Round Pick (Swap – BOS)  Boston Celtics Receive: F/C Anthony Davis The writer of this piece must think that cold-hearted Danny Ainge is still in charge of the Celtics. Head Honcho, Brad Stevens would have to think long-and-hard before sending the Dominican Gentleman, Al Horford,   to a west coast team going nowhere this season. Granted, AD is still only 39 years old and is having one terrific season, averaging 24.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.8 BPG. But his team sits at #14 in the West with a 3-10 record. A pairing of Davis with soon-to-return Rob Williams would seem enticing, but I doubt Boston fans would ever see this deal go down. The Boston Celtics under new Head Coach, Joe Mazzulla , are cruising, and Horford is playing a significant role in that success. The...