Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  C's look to bounce back off of a few rocky losses.  1Q ☘️  JB opens up the game with sweet fade away jumper. When he is locked into that shot he's unstoppable. Zion is going to be a problem today. He's just so physically wide and extremely athletic. JT living in the post is a good thing to see early on. I'd love if he learned that he could own the post. He has the size to drive on any one he wants. I see a good amount of Cs fans in the stands which I love. C's fans are everywhere and travel well. I really think this Celtics team isn't giving their all on defense. Have they really checked out given they showed up the East? Is it being bored, I can't figure this out. What about being tired due to such a long season?! C's might get their butts handed to them today. The lack of defense is what is truly concerning right now. The truly haven't won anything as a group. NBA titles are what truly matters to me. KP gets in the post and scores, stop shooting ...

 Quick question! What Celtics team holds the team's record for most wins in the regular season? The answer is - the 1972-73 crew led by John Havlicek, Dave Cowens and JoJo White. The Green won 68 games in that campaign. But that team did not win the Title that year. Why? Primarily because Hondo Havlicek suffered a severe right arm injury in Game-3 of the Eastern Finals versus the New York Knicks . He sat for Game-4 and returned for games five and six - both wins for Boston. John played the role of one-armed man for the final three games of the series, with the Knicks moving on to the Finals and winning the 1973 Championship. Now to the present. The Celtics have a 57-16 record with nine games to play . Their nearest competitor is the Minnesota Timberwolves at 51-22. Home court is likely for the entire playoffs, but what does that mean? "Very little" is the correct answer. Injuries - illness - poor game or series by a key Celtics player - an MVP-type performance by an...

  After a lazy collapse the other night the C's look for redemption. Late on Tuesday night I turned on the Bucks game only to see them lose a big lead. This is today's NBA, guys get lazy and with the three point shot leads disappear. For all those negative C's fans, turn on other games once in a while. Good teams lose all the time... Dame is supposed to be a super clutch finisher, well not on Tuesday. JB and JT were both putting moments together vs the Hawks yet laziness cost the team. Local radio and media of the C's absolutely SUCKS! So much negativity, this Celtics team is special and I will die on that hill. With that said C's look to enact some revenge and return to form.  1Q 🏀 JB drops the first deuce of the game, he's the spark that starts the fire. JB grabs the steal and jams it home, C's with the first four. KP when he shoots the three straight up is pure, when he falls away it's rough. He just needs to set himself and shoot straight up. JT on ...

  Hawks are "birds of prey" , and Atlanta's crew looked like just that when they overtook the Celtics after being down 30 points to The Green. Will the Celtics be predator or prey in tonight's contest? In the previous game, the Hawks decided they were not going to succumb to the dominance of Boston and they were going to fight back. They morphed from prey-to-predator and won the game . Being a nature freak, I have often witnessed a hawk take out a chipmunk or squirrel on the ground . They sink their talons into the unfortunate animal and block any possible escape by forming a barrier with their wings. That is what the Atlanta team did. Their defense was stifling. They allowed Boston nothing. Plus, the Hawks kept hitting shot-after-shot. They sunk their talons in and stifled most efforts the Celtics made to resist. Expect a different scenario tonight. Joe Mazzulla understandably experimented in the loss to Atlanta by putting in some end-of-bench subs with the game ...

C's are in Atlanta, let's hope JB has a special couple of games for his hometown. C's have captured home court in the East I believe. Now it's about securing home court overall. This team is starting to really feel special to me. Even Joe has started to coach like he knows what it takes to win. We know he truly wants to bring a Banner home. He told the Great Cedric Maxwell that with tears in his eyes. I feel this entire team knows how special it will be to bring 18 home.  1Q ☘️ Game time is here, and the C's better come to play. No White or Holiday tonight. Till is also out. KP gets inside early and score easily. Hawks have no size to match up with KP or Al. What a nice step through by JT as he's on the board. That's something he can use come playoffs. Interesting lineup to start. JT and JB as the back court, Sam and Al as the forwards and KP is the center. I'm down with JT running the point today. I love seeing how he sees the court. The C's are cha...

 The 1,200-mile trip back to the Great North Woods after three months on the beach in South Carolina was uneventful except for the smoke-filled skies in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley - caused by raging forest fires. But our main worry involved the t wo feet of snow expected in the north country of New Hampshire the day before our arrival back home . We had no idea what to expect when we approached our house. Here's what we found! Photo by Gayle Lord Two of our friends, Brad Montague and Tammy Crawford , were there and had waded through the deep, heavy snow to shovel out our front entrance, and shortly thereafter, two other friends, Josh and Gayle Lord , had attempted to plow the driveway, but the thick snowpack was too much for the plow truck, and it became mired in the snowbank. Not to worry. Nothing gets in the way of the folks in the North Woods . Butch Lane (no relation) from JML Trucking came to the rescue with his huge front-end loader - pulled out the plow truck and q...

C's enter Chicago with No Brown, Porzingis or Holiday. With that said they still have JT, DW, Al, PP and everyone else who has contributed this season. This team goes the extra mile for one another and it shows when guys are out.  First 🏀 Luke saves the first possession and gets the first basket as his reward. An oop from DWhite! JT gets on the board early with a pure jumper. JT has been very aggressive getting to the cup with his left. C's lack of defensive energy is costing them early on. Bulls have a lead as Joe calls a timeout. I hope this timeout gets the fellas settled and ready to actually play. Sam with the three, a stop on D and here we go! DWhite gets on the board and that's a great sign. Loving the ball movement out of the timeout, C's have tied this game up and set to take the lead. Both teams are trading blows early on. All tied up after one. ☘️ Second 🏀🍀 Sam and PP looking ready to have a big second quarter. Both of them have the ability to score when c...

  C's are on the road again! Cue Willie Nelson! No Tatum or Al tonight, but that's not a problem. C's look to build their win streak vs the lowly Pistons.  1Q 🏀 X Man out here earning Tommy points early in the game. Grabbing the C's an extra possession! Those second chance plays add up in the end. You have to love a guy who can do what he does. The C's are starting to find their offensive footing here. JB has this ability to be into his jumper before the defender can even set their feet. He plays at a different level, which is why he's a stud. C's need to find their flow, and JB gets inside and scores. Good to see Sam back in the game, off of missing the last two. KP rips the cord and nails a pure three, C's trail as we speak. Joe calls the timeout because he's upset with the C's right now. C's better be ready to play and bring that energy! JB with the steal and score! Luke Kornet is out here grabbing one handed rebounds, but misses a rare f...

  Celtics welcome the Bucks to the TD Garden. There will be no Giannis on what is Greek heritage night at the Garden. Dame will need to carry this team if they want a shot at beating the C's. I'm a little late to the party, but JT and PP have come to play tonight! C's have a double digit lead as we enter the half. I absolutely love PPs confidence on the floor this season. Expect him to make huge plays in the playoffs! JT is as smooth as butter tonight. How beautiful is this team, I tell ya I've fallen in love with them. This roster despite being without Holiday and Hauser are firing on all cylinders. Kudos to the C's for exposing Lopez on the pick and rolls tonight.  Both teams in this third have been exchanging blows. Lillard has come out and is starting to get hot. Bucks have cut into this C's lead. C's need to answer back and do it with some force! JB hits a three and he must have heard me. Back to back Brown buckets and our lead is back to ten! JT just b...

Guest article by "The Sports Machine with Slim"  Can We Get a Challenge, Please? Celtics games have been kinda boring for the past couple of months , haven't they? I host a sports talk radio show every weekday and we always talk Celtics . It's the same story after almost every single game. Celtics win again. Big. The Celtics are 11-2 since the all star break. The average winning margin during those wins is 22 points per game. That's not even counting  the last game before the all star break when we beat Brooklyn by 50. Heck, even one of the losses was kinda boring. The Celts were up by 18 in the 4 th  quarter to the Cavaliers. Some of you probably turned the game off and went to bed. Who could have blamed you? The Nuggets game? Not boring. The NBA regular season matchup of the year lived up to the hype. It showed the world that we are beatable . It exposed a flaw in this Celtics team that just might be similar to last year's squad: Are we clutch? Can we win ...

Former-Celtic, Marcus Smart may still be on the Memphis Grizzly's injured list , but he proved that he was not totally inactive when his team lost a close contest to the Sacramento Kings. With a bit more than one minute to go in overtime , Smart was called for two technical fouls and ejected from the game. Never known as a quiet presence , even on the bench, Marcus became a little too boisterous as his comrades were about to lose to the Kings. The refs didn't take kindly to his protests - and he was off to the locker room. If the Wolverine could not help his team out on the court, he was determined to do so from the bench. Marcus Smart ejected. 😳 pic.twitter.com/krERaCkCUD — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 19, 2024

C's are yet again shorthanded, but expect a big game from JB and KP! Sneaky big game coming up from Derrick White!  1Q 🏀 C's haven't hit their stride yet on offense. I want to see JB and KP get involved with some pick and rolls or pick and pops. C's need to get more engaged on D. JB with the tiny pop to Luke Kornet! They can do that all game, if they choose. Early on KP is feeling it with with eight of the C's 12 points. PP pushes it into the paint, and finds JB for a corner three! The way PP attacks the paint for a guy his size is impressive. Good to see the new XMan getting some run here early on. Svi needs to find his rhythm because early on he's off. DWhite for a pure three, the sound of nothing but net is beautiful. I'm expecting a big game from him tonight. Luke Kornet is out here earning Tommy points on the glass. I'm loving the C's D, as they force the shot clock violation. JB out here getting to cup and taking bodies with him. He's so s...

  It seems guys from both teams are taking an injury game?! 1Q  C's open up with a depleted line up but have grabbed the lead. I wonder if we see various different lineups as we wind down this season. I do know I need to find out if KP is hurt or this is just the way to save him for the playoffs. Hes been M I A for a while and I'm trying not to worry. As the NCAA selection show is going on, you see guys on this floor who played in those tournament games. Man does Sam Hausers shot bring rain everytime it goes in?! I've never seen such a rainbow like three in all my days. Watching PP get inside the paint and either score or dish is incredible. I love everything about PPs game. It's so well rounded despite his small stature. Honestly I don't know very many of the Wizards out here playing. Al doesn't seem to age at all! He's primed for a very big postseason. Despite being short handed the C's have played rather well. C's lead after the first. ☘️🏀 2Q C...

The C's welcome the Kevin Durant led Suns to TD Garden.  1Q ☘️ KD opens up the game with his patented jumper. Great ball movement leads to Al for three! Except him to score and grab plenty of boards tonight. Early on it looks like the C's are trying to get the Jays being guarded by Allen. He's no defender that's for sure, take advantage of your matchups. JB hitting the corner three, it's nice to have him back. At this point in the season the importance needs to be on health. Let's go into the post season healthy. These Suns haven't missed a beat on offense, C's must D then up. KD and Tatum are matching three balls! JT is starting to feel himself here in the first. He's out to prove he can hang with KD. Which of course he can! C's are starting to play some damn good D, especially by Jrue Holiday! C's lead after the first. 🏀 2Q 🍀🍀 I would pay top dollar to not endure commercials and listening to Reggie Miller. JB going hard to the paint and ...

 Don't rule this out. NBA.com's Steve Aschburner and Shaun Powell have tabbed the Los Angeles Lakers as having a decent shot to end up coming out of the West in pursuit of Banner 18 . Imagine Lebron James Lakers facing Jayson Tatum's Celtics in the Finals. The Lakers are currently sitting at #9 in the Western Conference, so they may need to get through the Play In Tournament first, but the added drama of both teams vying - not only for the 2024 Title - but also that 18th Banner to hang in their rafters. Los Angeles has "The King" and "The Brow", but there is one big caveat for them ( per Steve Aschburner ): The Lakers are 7-7 with, er, one big caveat: They are 0-3 against Denver this season, 0-8 counting the 2023 Western Conference Finals and the last 2022-23 regular-season clash. Somebody else will need to bump off the Nuggets for this scenario to happen. Count me as a Celtics fan who has some fear of Boston facing Denver in the Finals. They are th...

 I admit to being enamored with the Champion 2003-04 Detroit Pistons , mostly for the fact they were massive underdogs to the Shaq/Kobe Lakers - and they played stifling defense In what has been described as the biggest upset in NBA Finals history , the Pistons not only took the Title - but they did so in five games . Unlike the Lakers, Detroit had no big names . Their starting five consisted of Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. But in the end, defense trumped offense. The 2023-24 version of the Boston Celtics HAS big names , including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis . And Al Horford, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday  are far from unknowns.. But any one NBA team - on any given night - can defeat any other team no matter how powerful . When The Green work their butts off on defense, they drive opponents nuts. That is simply hard work and dedication to the task. Offense, particularly 3-point barrages, can come and...

  C's look to win on the second night of a back to back! No Brown, Horford, Porzingis... Hopefully No Problem! 1Q 🏀 First score of the game goes to Luke Kornet, off some excellent ball movement. Haus money with a pure three, I don't even think it touched the net! JT just posterized some Utah defender! His name doesn't matter, because you will see his face on that poster! DWhite is starting to warm up, making a few threes! He's been due for a big game, and tonight could be that night. Overall his season has been incredible, he's truly an overall complete player. The X-Man is in the game, he's a big dude with a nice wing span. I think he can be a defensive nightmare for the opposition, especially in the playoffs. PP has played extremely well in this first quarter. This Jazz team plays no defense whatsoever. C's lead after the first. ☘️ 2Q 🏀🏀 PP is out here breaking dudes ankles! His change of pace is sneaky impressive! I tell you when PP is given time on th...

  50 is a pretty decent number, usually reaching 50 years of age is impressive. Celebrating 50 years of marriage also impressive. Well your Boston Celtics just reached 50 wins for the season. I wasn't able to watch the game because well I was asleep. Way too late a start for me especially against a team like the Blazers. With that said from the highlights both Jays went out there and balled. As well as Sam has himself a game! C's will travel to Utah tonight and then I believe return home on Thursday.  One thing I will say about this team is they are different. Yes occasionally they lose a game they should win. Yes they tend to get sped up in close fourth quarter games. Yet they have figured it out somewhat and will only get stronger. This team has played damn well this entire year. I expect a great finish over these last few months and then in the playoffs. Nothing short of Banner 18 is acceptable to me personally.  I get these are tough expectations to fill, but if they ...

 Still can not fully comprehend being 80 years old and 32 years-retired from law enforcement. If the following sounds harsh - it was meant to be. I am the love survivor of a family of five - with none of my dad, mom, sister and brother having lived past 64 . My best high school friend died at 62 . My college roommate died a few years ago , and my best adult friend put a.38 special slug through his brain four years ago, leaving behind several million dollars for his "kids" that didn't deserve it. Carson Thomas Lane watching his great grandfather on TV My former boss also took his own life by hanging himself, leaving behind a thriving business that his children had no interest in acquiring. Also, the only business partner I ever had ended his life with an intentional overdose of drugs. Neither ever saw retirement, contented or otherwise. As I write this, the sun is shining into the oceanfront condo where we spend our winters - temperature is in the 60's - I have al...

  Danny Ainge's buddy - and former teammate - Kevin McHale once called the past head honcho for Boston "one cold-blooded character" . Certainly, at least a portion of that tag was earned when Ainge traded Antoine Walker, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Isaiah Thomas in three separate transactions. But bringing Leon Powe back to the team in the front office showed a warmer side of "Trader Danny" - and now we see that he has signed Isaiah Thomas to the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate , Salt Lake City Stars. The now-35-year-old point guard is still desperately trying to latch onto a roster spot with an NBA team, and his stint with the Stars may be the showcase he needs. IT's size (generously listed at 5'9") and age are against him . But he can still score the ball in bunches - and is an able passer. In the past, he has used his lack of size to his advantage , going under-and-around defenders to hit from anywhere on the court. He scored 32 points in h...

  C's are coming off back to back losses, the first time since November. Let's hope that losing streak ends here. C's must limit what KD does tonight. Keep a steady diet of switches on him. Use the Jays to tire him out on both ends. No KP tonight, my call is Al has a big impact on the game.  Once again C's fans are taking over road games.  1Q 🏀 C's win the tap but miss their first shot, now let's play D. Great job by DWhite on the boards, earning the C's an extra possession. Derrick White is a walking Tommy point. Tonight sounds like a legit home game. Think about the history of the C's, there are plenty of C's fans everywhere! Personally I Love it! C's need to attack the Suns in the paint. Jrue Holiday with an incredible pass leads DWhite to a layup on the break. C's are missing way too many easy bunnies tonight. I personally can't endure another loss. C's must find their rhythm on offense, they never really did vs the Nuggets. Ther...

 The Boston Celtics have transformed into a fairly strong Clutch Time performer , but in the f inal five minutes of games with a differential of five points or less , they have a glaring weakness compared to the Denver Nuggets. That weakness for Boston lies in their shooting percentage in Clutch Time. The Denver Nuggets hold first place in that category, hitting at a 53.0% clip from the field - while the Celtics are in a distant 11th spot at 46.2%.  Let's take a look at Boston's 109-115 loss to Denver last night. Clutch time began at the 3:15 mark of the fourth quarter with the score at 102-107 in favor of the Nuggets . From that point, the Celtics hit on only 2-of-8 from the field (25.0%) while the Nuggets were 3-of-6 (50%). Granted, overall Boston does quite well in close games this season sitting in 6th place with a winning percentage of 64.3%. Denver , however, is in 4th place with a WP of 65.6%. Regardless of whether or not these two teams compete in the 2024 Fina...

Mazzulla Madness has brought these C's to the best record in the NBA. Despite all the crap Joe takes from the media, he's done a pretty good job this season. Tonight the C's look for payback vs the Nuggets, who beat them in the Garden.  First Quarter 🏀 This arena is rocking from its foundation! C's late on the switch and Denver opens the scoring. JT nails a three and we are off. DWhite is back home here in Colorado. I'm expecting to see something special from him tonight. What a steal by DWhite and throws the alley oop for JB! In an absolute joke of a technical Tony Brothers calls one on JB. Tommy always disliked him and so do I! Tonight's game feels like a heavy weight fight! I'm not too impressed with the C's D right now. They better start getting back to cleaning up those switches. Generally they are one of the best, not the story right now. Joe needs to get in their ear and let em know. Jokic amazes me given his body type, the man can play! I need t...

 What's going on here? First the Golden State Warriors get destroyed by the Boston Celtics, 140-88 , on Sunday. Than on Tuesday, Boston loses a contest they should have won versus the Cavaliers - described by Jaylen Brown as a "mentality loss" . And on Wednesday, the Warriors decimated the surging Milwaukee Bucks, 125-90. Call it mental fatigue or physical fatigue (or both) , but the 82-game NBA regular-season schedule may just be too long . There is no logical reason for a team to get skunked badly and then a few days down the road dominate a League power. But that is what Golden State did. The NBA has become "Big Business", and that means money - lots of it. It is doubtful if the League will reduce the number of games anytime soon, but it is obvious that by the final-quarter of the regular season many players have had it. And it shows in the three games mentioned above. 

 There is only outer space beyond the exosphere , and that is where the expectations for the Boston Celtics reside this season. No excuses! No alibis! Anything less than Banner 18 for The Green is failure. But is that even fair. I admit to being disgusted by the 0-3 start for Boston - with home court - in last season's Eastern Finals versus Miami. It took a harsh scolding by owner, Wic Grousbeck, to even the series (barely) at 3-3 - with Boston losing Game 7. Boston sports fans are terrific, but they are also very demanding . They see 17 banners in TD Garden rafters and expect the next one very soon - probably this June. The last Title was in 2008 , so with 30 teams in the League, most fans around the League would be content with waiting until 2038. Not so in Beantown. We have been spoiled. Red and Russ got us 11 Titles. Then came another two in the 70's - three in the 80's - and the last one in 2008 . May I introduce the 10 present NBA teams that have ZERO Titles , gran...

 There was no "bad day at work" talk by Jaylen Brown following the Celtics 105-104 loss to Cleveland last night. He called it right: Brown: "Today was a mentality loss. We had the game. Shouldn’t have happened." Boston was due for a mental lapse as their winning streak kept growing - ending last night a eleven (11) games. Jaylen realizes everything begins with the brain, and the Guys in Green lacked sufficient mental focus to close this one out after having a 2 2-point lead in the fourth quarter. Of course, Dean Wade's All-Star impersonation didn't help Boston's cause (23 points in 21 minutes) , nor did the overturned foul call against Cleveland. But it is on to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday , and fans can expect no mental lapses in that one.

  C's look to continue their streak as they enter a five game road trip. Tonight we look to see if the C's can continue their ways of playing excellent basketball. It all starts on defense which leads to good offense.  1Q ☘️ This Cavs floor sucks, and so do their ugly uniforms. Now on to basketball, let's Go C's! C's looking fresh in their traditional home uniforms, despite being on the road. JB and JT both nailing threes early on. Early on we have too many misses, but if those shots fall we are gonna win big. These Cavs don't impress at all. They will be one and done in the post season if they are lucky. Any Donovan Mitchell led teams tend to choke in the playoffs . I love how the C's are attacking the Cavs. Their defense sucks! C's should be able to go on a big run here. C's ball movement looks like a well oiled machine! The lead is only eight but I expect it to grow. KP has been solid after missing Sundays game. Cavs can't guard him, or any Ce...