Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 ☘️       How great is it having Jrue Holiday back?! He makes defensive plays that no one else can make in the NBA. He's as smooth as a nice cognac! The way he sees the defensive floor is master class. He knows where his body should be and always positions himself to give the offensive player issues. On offense he's able to Pop off for forty if need be. What I really love is how he passes the rock. Jrue Holiday is one of my favorite players.       Today's game has been a slog fest. These three o'clock starts are awful. NBA players are generally creatures of habit. This would be the time they are taking naps or getting work done. What we need to see today is the C's own the paint. Last game vs the Pacers they were awful. The defense was off and the Pacers took it right to us. Heck the last time we played the Raptors they took it to us.        Personally I'm not worried about the regular season anymore. With this thought process....

 🏀       C's are short handed again, no KP or Jrue tonight. I hope the C's can match what they did on Friday night to these Pacers. I expect the C's to give their absolute best tonight. Slow start for the C's as both Jays miss their first shots. Sam starts us off with a three, that's a huge start for him. He's been off lately and maybe tonight's the night he goes off.        Great job by JB getting into the paint and scoring. The C's need to live in there tonight. Indiana wants no part of the C's in the paint. Joe with the early timeout as the C's aren't looking good. Way too many missed threes and the defense isn't where it should be. Indiana is getting what they want out there. That's unacceptable! Get on em Joe and let's play Celtics basketball.       Time for a nice Celtics run in this first quarter. DWhite hits the three off his quick release. Going to need plenty of those tonight. A very disappointing start overall. C's...

 It was obvious from the start that the Boston Celtics were not going to lose 3-straight games . The 142-105 victory over Indiana was decisive. Jaylen Brown was the undisputed star of the show - producing a team-high 44 points , along with five boards, three assists, four steals and a team-high plus/minus of +30. Payton Pritchard came off the bench, but played 32 minutes while flirting with a triple double (18 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists) . Pritchard has gone from a little-used sub to a vital part as potential Sixth-Man-of-the-Year. How does he sneak in for those offensive boards? Speaking of "little-used", fans had a lengthy sighting of Jordan Walsh (21 minutes) . The 6'6" G/F came away with nine points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. Joe Mazzulla put Walsh early in the game and Jordan showed a little bit of why Boston signed him to a 4-year deal.   The Celtics take on the Pacers onc4e again at, TD Garden on Sunday.

 ☘️       C's will be without KP and Jrue Holiday. C's must play freaking defense tonight. Move the ball and punch these Pacers in the face. Sam is in the starting line up and Al is ready to steady the ship. C's post up Al early on, he doesn't score but I like the idea. JT gets us in the board and is looking at an And One. We get an excellent offensive possession that ends in a Derrick White three!       C's three point shooting sucks lately... With that said JB for three! Sam's shot is way off tonight. He's put up enough bricks to build me a new house. We have a timeout on the floor. Overall the defense has been decent. I still want to see the elite D we played last season. I will say the effort is there and that's what I wanted to see tonight. I don't about anyone else who played basketball growing up, but defense was always something I put the effort towards. When you could take someone's cookies on D is was a great feeling.       JB ...

 It wasn't simply strong performances by Philly's Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey that resulted in Boston's loss to the rival 76'ers . The duo combined for 60 points, but the Boston bench just did not put enough points on the board to make a difference in the outcome. With Jrue Holiday out for this game, Al Horford started in his place and had a solid game (17 points, 6-of-13 FG, 5-of-10 3s). The subs consisted of Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta. The reserves managed a mere combined 12 points (5-of-16 FG) . Luke supplied half of the total points, but Pritchard finally had an off game - hitting 1-of-9 from the field and missing all eight shots from beyond the arc. Hauser and Walsh went scoreless. This was only one game, but it was Boston's second loss in as many games . Jrue Holiday's defense was sorely missed, and Pritchard and Hauser both had weak games off the bench. Hopefully, Jrue is back soon, and the White Pin...

  ☘️       C's have their line up of studs minus JT tonight. No one is better than this starting five even without JT. Give me them in any seven game series and they are bringing it home. No team in the NBA has enough to beat us. Only we can beat ourselves. I'm fully confident the C's are winning the title this season barring any injuries. I still need more fire power added to the bench but our Super Six are incredible. Then you add PP and Sam I Am and it's watch out!       I'm hoping to see some good ball movement and tight defense. JB needs to take over this game in every aspect and lead by example. JB gets the first basket and first assist of the game. I'm looking at Jrue and Derrick to have very solid games. Their skill sets will compliment what JB will bring tonight. So far everyone is contributing on the offensive end.       C's are breaking down on defense early on. That can't and shouldn't be happening. Joe may need a timeou...

  If you don't like the forthcoming gun analogy, jump to the next paragraph . As a former cop, I realize why many police officers carry a second (backup) gun on duty . It is there in the event the primary weapon misfires, jams or runs out of ammo. That is the Celtics' Al Horford. First of all, I don't consider the "Dominican Gentleman" as a backup - in the sense of a Celtics substitute - despite the media's habit of keeping him out of so many team photos. Al is vital to Boston's quest of Banner 19. Horford is seventh on the team in minutes (27.6 MPG), and Kristaps Porzingis is barely ahead (6th place at 27.7 MPG) . It's apparent that Joe Mazzulla is keeping "The Unicorn" (injury-prone) and "The Dominican" (38 years old) somewhat under wraps during the regular season . But Al's per-36-minute-stats are solid: 11.5 PPG - 7.0 RPG - 2.9 APG - .9 SPG - 1.2 BPG - .459 FG - .396 3s - .875 FT My point is that I love having Horford...

  Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my   family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...

  🍀       Thursdays game left a bad taste in my mouth. I hope the Celtics felt the same. C's must punch these Bulls in the face early on. Bulls are wearing some ugly uniforms. C's are off to a five point lead and must continue to build on it. Congrats to Jrue Holiday on playing in his one thousandth game. Shows you how damn good he's been over his career to last this long.       So far we see a concerted effort of the C's getting in the paint. A place they can clearly dominate in tonight. Bulls have no interior presence. C's aren't getting any benefit of the whistle early on. I can't say I'm surprised. NBA refs are absolutely horrible overall. Just like the NFL refs who gifted the Chiefs multiple calls.      I'm never going to get used to Scal, he stinks and thinks he knows it all. I miss Tommy so very much. I think JB can have himself a night especially in the paint. I'm waiting for the C's to go on a run here. They have about thr...

 A few weeks ago, I wrote that Joe Mazzulla's fondness for the 3-pointer was working - barely - and that any drop in long-ball-accuracy would not work for his team. Well, it happened. For the last five games , the Celtics have gone 3-2 (.600) , far worse than their 21-6 season-long record (.778 ). And guess what! In those five games, their 3-point accuracy has dropped from .370 (as of Dec. 11, 2024) to .331, placing The Green in 26th place in that category in the last five games . Let's look at last night's loss to the Bulls . Boston launched 56 shots from behind the arc and made a mere 14 of them - for a 25% success rate. Pritchard (4-of-10) and Tatum (4-of-11) were fine from behind the arc, but Brown (1-of-8), Porzingis (2-of-7), White (3-of-12) and Holiday (0-of-4) were not.   Horford, Springer and Walsh combined for a grand total of ZERO 3-pointers made in four attempts . The Boston Celtics are certainly not reticent about shooting the long ball. After all, they le...

C's welcome the Chicago Bulls to the TD Garden. It's time for us to run over the Bulls tonight. No Sam Hauser as he's dealing with back spasms.   ☘️      C's need to come out and land some knockout punches. Don't allow the Bulls to have any life in tonight's game. Knock em out early! C's have their entire starting five in tact. It feels like the Celtics haven't played in forever. Hopefully they are fresh and ready to ball out. My prediction, if the C's move the ball and play it's a wrap.           It's nice to see the C's in their white and green home uniforms. JB gets inside and scores our first two points. JT scores the second two as he glides inside. C's should be able to get whatever they want in the paint tonight. C's are cold on offense. Until JB goes to the cup with the lefty layup. I like what I'm seeing from the Jays. I love those two! After a few more rings their numbers will hang in the rafters.       ...

  ☘️       C's have their starting lineup in tact tonight vs the Wizards. Time to see the fellas blow the doors off the Wizards tonight. C's will have to keep their intensity all game. Especially against an inferior team. C's are off to a slow start tonight. They really shouldn't allow this team to have any life. Yet they are...       Derrick White going glass off the dribble is something I could get used to watching. He's just a stud on both ends. Knows how to use his body and do anything necessary to win. Whether he's hitting threes, blocking shots, getting steals or just getting all the loose balls, he's just incredible.        We are all tied up as the C's look to go on a run here. It's nice seeing them attack the paint tonight. They are killers from deep, but getting to the cup is key. Their defense has been suspect so far, I would hope they pick it up here. I get they are playing the Wizards but take it to em.    ...

There will be no Jayson Tatum tonight...  🏀       C's are going double big tonight, let's hope they dominate! C's win the tip, time to get things started. JB to KP for three! JB will be the central force out there tonight. With no Tatum he must lead by example. That pass out to KP shows his growth as a player. The cookies and cream combo is a thing of beauty. JB has become one of the top players in the NBA.        C's are very iffy tonight, especially offensively. They look like a team that's rusty. If they had their offense clicking they would be up by double digits. Joe calls a much needed timeout. I expect them to come back out later focused. They must get Derrick White and Jrue Holiday going. When those two are involved good things happen.       DWhite for a pure three! Hopefully that gets him cooking tonight. He's due for a big game. Derrick is always locked in on D. I just really want to see him get his shot back. When i...

 Payton Pritchard is on the move - and I don't mean moving out of Boston. The Ringer has added the 6'1" combo guard to their Top-100 NBA Players . Pritchard sits at #84 in the rankings - between C J McCollum (#83) and Amen Thompson (#85) . The five other Celtics on the list bare Jayson Tatum (#4), Jaylen Brown (#12), Derrick White (#35), Jrue Holiday (#47) and Kristaps Porzingis (#48) Welcome to the NBA Top 100, Payton Pritchard: https://t.co/BHdHwfHIv7 — Zach Kram (@zachkram) December 11, 2024 With all things being equal, numerically we would have 3.3 players per team on this list, and it is noteworthy that Boston has placed six members of the team in the rankings. Hell, the Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the best record in the League and only placed four on the list . Congrats to Payton Pritchard for proving his worth and for working so hard to accomplish what he has.

 The Celtics Jaylen Brown is not "too smart for the League" as some NBA analysts broached prior to the 2016 draft - but he apparently is f ollowing the brilliant Albert Einstein's credo: Albert Einstein: "A person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of 30 will never do so". Count me as one who finds Brown fascinating. He not only is bright as Hell, but he is his own man . He is himself - which puts a bit of Henry David Thoreau in him: Thoreau: "If I am not I, who will be." The 28-year-old shooting guard/small forward recently launched his new line of apparel, 741 . Jaylen Brown and 741 officially launched their new line of apparel at 7:41 ET Via @741Performance @FCHWPO pic.twitter.com/b1OE4VO8ds — Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) December 12, 2024   So typically, Jaylen is being himself . He is instilling his love of "science fiction, futurism and creativity" into his innovative products.  A while back, I wr...

 What happens if all of the 91.0 shot attempts/game taken by Celtics players this season were all 2-point shots? The numbers I am going to throw at you may not tell the whole story - but they don't lie!  Out of those 91.0 attempts per game, 51.4 were 3-pointers and 39.6 were 2-pointers. The players hit on 37.0% of their treys and 57.1% on their 2-pointers .  Assume that the team members took ZERO long balls this season, so all 91.0 attempts were inside of the arc and were shot with 57.1% accuracy. That means that the 51.4 that were beyond the arc this season yielded 57.0 points per game (at 37.0% accuracy) , but those same 51.4 attempts taken as 2-pointers - and shot with 57.1% accuracy) result in 58.6 points/game. That is only 1.6 points/game more than actually occurred this season for Boston. The question here is - does that make a positive difference in the outcomes for The Green?   Of course, these calculations go down the drain if the shooting percentage...

  Marcus Smart returned to TD Garden on Saturday night - in the company of his wife, Maisa and his 2-month-old son, Zayn - had a bit of an off game (3 points, 1-of-11 field goals, 2 boards, 2 assists) but his Grizzlies won, 127-121. Like most of us, I felt Marcus would retire a Celtic, but a bold (and successful) trade sent him to Memphis. During an interview, the man I call "The Wolverine" referred to his impact on the City of Boston and on his former team, the Celtics . I also want to add that he had an enormous impact on my family.  Carson Thomas Lane- I lost my mom recently to. But it’s people like ur great grandpa who will get u thru the tough times as you grow up. Much love young stud! Twitter- u know what to do. Send mail that uplifts & showers this kid w love. I’ll do my thing 2. https://t.co/JXZUmU3VeK — marcus smart (@smart_MS3) November 14, 2019 In November of 2019, my 25-yuear-old granddaughter, Courtney, was taken off life support following a life-long b...

 C's welcome home old friend Marcus Smart. While I loved Marcus while he was here. Trading him was the best thing to happen to this team. It secured us Kristaps Porzingis. By trading him we ended up with Jrue Holiday and pairing him with Derrick White. The best backcourt in basketball. Plus it gave the Jays the confidence in leading this team.  🏀           I am expecting a comeback performance from both DWhite and PP. C's are throwing up bricks... JB to JT and we get inside and score. C's haven't given me any signs of energy yet. Joe is wearing his cross on his shirt and I love it! KP is blocking everything coming in his direction. When he's in the paint it's protected like no other.      Back to back corner threes by Jrue and Derrick. That corner three is a huge weapon for the C's offense, especially with our shooters. When the Celtics space themselves there's no way of stopping them. The way the ball moves, the D has no opportunity to...

  C's welcome the Bucks to the Garden it should be a good ole knock down fight. Two heavy weights of the NBA going at it. Giannis, JT, JB, Dame and so many others. I truly love Giannis, but I'm a C's fan first. I expect a pretty epic game tonight. We get to see the Best of the Best tonight.  ☘️       The C's are wearing those ugly uniforms that I can't stand. Hopefully the C's play is better than those uniforms. It's finally tipoff and I'm ready for some Celtics basketball. C's need to push this pace and get in front of the Greek defensively. Don't allow him to get down hill.        C's with incredible ball movement to start is off. JT cashes it in nothing but net. Nice to get Jrue back tonight vs his old team. JB with the pure jumper, followed up with a great drive. Expect both Jays to do there thing tonight. I'm feeling both guys are going over twenty points tonight. With that said JT for three, followed up by JB for three! Ballin! ...

  Let me be "blunt"  (correct pronunciation of Blount)! Mark Blount was never a favorite of mine when he played for the Boston Celtics. He was the 54th pick in the 1997 NBA draft by Seattle and played for the American minor Leagues for three seasons before signing with Boston for the 2000-2001 season . The stats for the rookie center were hardly noteworthy (3.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG)) and they dropped significantly in his sophomore season with the Celtics (2.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.4 BPG). Possibly feeling he wasn't being used correctly in Beantown, he signed with the Nuggets in 2002 , but was traded back to Boston in 2003 . For some unknown reason, the Celtics decided to offer Blount a 6 year/$41 million deal starting in the 2004-05 season. Perhaps it is the fact that Mark came to Boston after Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Robert Parish had terminated their NBA careers, but I never favored Blount as an acceptable center for the Celtics. His play always seemed lethargic a...