Bone spurs are probably one of the worst injuries a basketball player could get especially in the ankles. The pain is akin to having a hot knife stab at the area every time there is movement. A guy like Ray is going to be constantly moving and jumping causing the area in the ankle to become active and be afflicted by the is shooting pain. The spurs also cause inflammation and swell. This limits movement in the body in an area a basket ball player needs to move a lot. Bone spurs cost Larry Bird an entire NBA season. This injury has also caused Ray to not only miss regular season time, but the first couple games of round one of the NBA playoffs. Ray will require surgery after the year is over to truly get over this affliction.

The surprise is not only is Ray Allen playing, but he has thus far picked up close to where he left off. He is still fighting the pain to move throughout the maze of screens and picks to get free for his shot. He is still getting the needed lift to bury his deadly jump shot. In game two Ray provided a needed offensive spark by burying two threes on his way to a team high 17 points in 33 minutes of work. When one considers he is doing this with an injury that should have shelved him, 17 points seems like so much more.

Ray Allen has always been considered a freak of nature. Overcoming this kind of injury only adds to the legend. The taste of a possible title fuels a man like nothing else. When one is as motivated as Ray Allen already is, then one can accomplish some amazing feats. Ray averaging double digits off the bench is an amazing feet. I just hope his ankles continue to hold up. Remember Go Green or Go Home!!!!!!

The last few games before game two, KG did just that. He looked for his offense and was aggressive. Inside he would look to either beat his man or fade away in the post. KG would find his sweet spot for his jumper and fire away. The results were what Boston needed. KG would finish off the Hawks with a 28 point out burst and then stick the dagger in the 76ers in game one with 29 points to lead the way. His offense made up for the lack of offense from Pierce and Bass and gave Boston that scorer they need to compliment their lockdown defense.

Game three saw the team get away from KG being the focal point. Granted he struggled early, but that does not mean to stop going to well with the best shot at yielding the needed results. The evidence of this is the team looked away form him in the second and third quarter at times and struggled. The fourth quarter they went back to the big man and he responded. He led the team in fourth quarter scoring and nearly got them a win.

The fact is KG only took twelve shots. He had less touches as well as evidence of his only one free throw attempt. This means he was not attacking the basket either. Brandon Bass struggling took fifteen shots. Pierce shot the ball nine times getting no results. Heck even the pass happy Rondo shot the ball twelve times. Your best option should have the most touches. The touches got to be more for KG and less everyone else. Your best option should get the most looks and that means KG needs more shots.

If Boston goes back to the KG well, they should win this important game three. My money is on Doc Rivers to do just that. KG will get his points, but he will hurt Philly in other ways as well. I then plan on seeing Philly double the big man and that will make it much easier for the other guys to score. Even if Philly begins to double, KG is smart enough to find the open man and make them pay. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!

People really do not understand the effect that Bradley has on the team’s defense and the rotations. Bradley is a unique weapon that can completely shut down and frustrate his man. Bradley can do this without needing a lot of help. He is just so smart and athletic that he can beat his man to the spot or keep his man in front of him. The fact that he can do this allows the Celtics big men like Kevin Garnett and Greg Stiemsma to stay with their man or help out elsewhere. This is huge in shutting down a team’s ability to get in to the paint and get great scoring opportunities. When KG was not in the game,Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins looked terrible without Bradley on the floor to make their jobs easier. Bradley was an amazing plus 18. That number is even better than defensive specialist Kevin Garnett’s plus 16.

When Bradley left, the 76ers were able to penetrate a little easier and that meant the struggling 76ers found a way to get open shots by either getting into the paint and scoring or getting the extra pass for an open jump shot due to the Celtics defense being forced to rotate one too many times. The result was Boston’s lead vanished and then they were forced to play catchup.

The Paul Pierce injury argument does not wash with me for a couple reasons. Pierce could not buy a basket and the team still held the lead and control of the game until eh Bradley injury. The offense the Celtics had even with a struggling Pierce was more than enough due to the fact the 76ers were struggling more. When the defense was not as good, the Celtics weak offense was noticed. This means the defense after Bradley left was the real culprit in the loss.

The bottom line is Avery Bradley may not be the same player on offense that he was pre injury (the three ball in the corner during the fourth was nice, but with a busted shoulder do not expect that kind of shot to fall all the time), but the man can flat out still shut down his man. I just hope Bradley’s shoulder can hold up for the rest of the playoffs to give Boston the stopper that they need. If it does, than Boston will handle Philly in this series. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!!

The warm memories surrounding the 2008 “Human Victory Cigar” that was Brian Scalabrine are still burning bright as his name was serenaded the moment his red haired face hit the screen. Scal played it up and made a gesture like he was going to remove his sport coat and step on the floor. This sent the Garden crowd into a frenzy.

Those that do not understand the cult status of Scal in Boston just need to know that his funny personality endeared him to the fans. The fact that he was the guy that was put in once Boston had the game won also helps. People also appreciate the fact his teammates loved him. His former Celtics teammates felt he was another coach on the sideline and played hard in practice.

A cult hero is a guy that fans love for whatever reason. He makes them smile due to some warm memories they associate with them. Brian Scalabrine is that guy in Boston. He has been seen now in two straight games in Boston. I hope he is somehow looking for a job on Doc Rivers coaching staff. The warm memories then will come more often. However, even if he is just taking in the game, something tells me fans will be seeing more of Scal one way or another. Remember Go Green or Go Home!!!!

The final seconds of this game showed the difference between a very good NBA coach and a great coach. The first mistake Collins made is that he failed to call timeout after Philly secured Paul Pierce’s miss in the final seconds. This bled precious time off the clock in a very tight game. After Rajon Rondo waited for Jrue Holiday to get past half court he wisely fouled him up three points to force only a two shot free throw trip for Holiday. Collins then made a crucial error and elected to have him make the second free throw to cut the lead to one instead of trying to miss and gain a rebound against a terrible rebounding Celtics team for a chance to tie or win the game.

During the timeout Doc Rivers showed just how brilliant a coach he is with a tremendous play drawn on up to secure the win. The 76ers thought inside the box and thought that the Celtics would look to get the ball into Ray Allen or Paul Pierce to try to get one of those two to the line to give Boston a three point advantage again. They guarded them like they were forcing the ball out of their hands. Collins wanted the ball to get to the foul line troubled Rajon Rondo.

The only problem was Doc was thinking outside the box. Doc had the inbounds get thrown to the guy that Philly wanted to get the ball in that situation past the half court line to one Rajon Rondo in stride. Rondo sprinted to the ball as a helpless Philly defender tried to recover from leaving Rondo to double team. He chased Rondo, but could not foul him before time expired. Doc had out maneuvered Collins in the pivotal final moments.

Coaching in the playoffs can win or lose a game. A great coach can steal aright game going d own to the wire by making the right calls. Doc has proven that he makes the right calls and wins games by making those right calls. Game one was just another example of this great play calling. Boston has been given credit for having the advantage in a lot of areas in this series, but perhaps the largest is coaching. If coaching decides this series then Boston will be advancing. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!

The closing moments of a tight game are the moments the players decide the fate of a game. This game two looked like it would end in that way with the players deciding it as the officials stepped out of the way. The refs let both the 76ers and Celtics play physical defense in the paint and on the perimeter. The refs wanted no part of making really any call that might effect the outcome including missing a blatant travel by Evan Turner in the closing minutes of the game that gave Philly a crucial basket. Then Danny Crawford felt the need to get his hands on this game with 10 seconds to go.

The Celtics were down three with the ball with twelve seconds left with the ball and time for one desperation shot to tie the game. Off the inbounds Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett was whistled away from the ball for a ridiculous offensive foul. After letting these guys play for an entire fourth quarter in one of the pivotal moments of the game, Danny Crawford made the most cardinal sin in all of sports officiating. He made himself a part of the game. The Philly defense did not stop Boston on this final possession. The Boston Celtics did not get a shot a clutch three to force over time. Neither team got to win or lose this game. Danny Crawford made the final call that decided this game.

Crawford has had his issues in the past with the Boston Celtics most famously, but with other teams as well. He is an awful official that just does not understand that he is not a part of the game. He is just there to make sure the game does not get out of hand physically and make the calls consistently and down the middle. In plain english I should not notice him or even know his name. I should not be writing about him. I should be writing about players that decided a game, but Crawford just could not help himself as usual.

The sad part is the way Paul Pierce was shooting, he probably would have missed that tying three point shot, but I will never know. Philly won, but they did not have the final say in this game. Danny Crawford did. David Stern should take action, but he will not and that is sadly why the NBA is only two steps above pro wrestling. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!

Last night against Philadelphia, Rajon Rondo’s game was on full display. Rondo struggled with his shot early, but by crunch time in the fourth quarter his elbow jump shot was falling. He hit some big fourth quarter shots on his way to a solid 13 point effort.

His passing was of course his best work as be carved the Philly defense up by making smart passes to the right man most of the night. When he attacked the basket, he found the open man for an easy jumper or finish in the paint. The result was an amazing 17 assists effort.

The one facet of his game that amazes me is the fact Rondo is a solid rebounder at the point guard spot. He is never afraid to get dirty in the paint and fight for a possession. Rondo finished with 12 rebounds and not many point guards grab half that many rebounds.

Rondo just has the extra gear for big games that most guys do not have. Jason Kidd (11 playoff triple doubles) is the only guy with more career triple doubles in the playoffs than Rajon Rondo (8 triple doubles). Bare in mind he only has a three game edge with twice as many games played. He has more triple doubles than the likes of LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose.

A guy that can play that kind of all around game and dominate is priceless. The triple double overshadows his great defense and four steals that he recorded. He does on a consistent basis come playoff time what the world is still waiting for LeBron to do and that is take his game to another level. People can have their Deron Williams or Russell Westbrook. I will keep my Rondo because I know come playoff time when it counts Rondo will be the guy that makes the most impact. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!

The Boston Celtics were clearly effected by these injuries. Paul Pierce was not the same dynamic scorer that he was the last series as he shot more jump shots than drives to the hoop. Pierce would only shoot 3-11 from the floor. Avery Bradley had a hard time finding his shot again with his injured shoulder causing his old fluid motion to look more jerky. Ray Allen had stretches of solid shooting, but he still only shot 2-7 from beyond the arc. Rajon Rondo was a beast recording a triple double, but his shot was not there early in the game. This meant once again the scoring load needed to come from Kevin Garnett and he delivered.

KG knew he had to look to score with all the injuries and was very aggressive on the offensive end. The normally passive KG jacked up twenty shots this game. He looked to get to his spot in the paint to attack the hoop or to his spot for his sweet fifteen foot jump shot. His moves in the paint were aggressive and that led to trips to the line.

It was not just the fact that he was scoring, but when he was scoring. The Celtics were struggling early and fell behind double digits so KG took it upon himself to carry the offense. KG took shot after shot trying to keep his team in the game. Had KG not provided the early and often offense early, Boston’s early deficit might have been too much to overcome. As the Celtics pulled closer KG would continue to pour in points getting Boston over the hump and securing a big game one win.

KG’s 29 points were a playoff high thus far this postseason. This comes on the heals of his 28 point game six performance in round one. This offense comes with him anchoring the defense as well with tremendous play in the middle. I believe that it is safe to say KG has reverted back to being the “Big Ticket”. This means despite the injuries Boston still has a go to scorer and a guy that can carry this team. The 76ers are now in serious trouble. Remember Go Green or Go Home!!!!!!!!

The injury problems for Boston are very serious. Leading scorer Paul Pierce has an MCL sprain. This means the quick cuts that he needs to get to the basket are just not going to be there for him. This makes Pierce less dangerous because he is a jump shooter that has to pick his moments going to the hoop. This means the guy that was superhuman in game two against the Hawks is not showing up for Boston.

Ray Allen is also not feeling that great. Recent days have Allen complaining that his ankles are feeling so bad that they are where they were before he missed seventeen straight games. Bone spurs are serious and this means Boston is going to be perhaps without the games most dangerous shooter at some point this series. The simple fact is even if Ray plays, is he really going to be effective in that much pain? A jump shooter needs his ankles to not only jump and land, but to make quick cuts through screens to get his shot off. Can Ray do that in that much pain? If he cannot Boston will be missing a valuable weapon off the bench.

Avery Bradley is also hurting. His shoulder is still popping out and his rotator cuff is said to be very sore. This is probably why Bradley’s jump shot is not as spot on as it was before he injured his shoulder. He still brings great defense, but without his offense Boston will be missing the kind of explosive and athletic scorer that they need to team with Rondo.

The bottom line is Boston still has a healthy Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. Doc Rivers also has quality bench players to help soften the blow of all these injuries. They are still more than good enough to handle the 76ers. However, the experts predicting a cake walk clearly are forgetting about the injuries Boston has right now. I am predicting that Boston does advance, but not before six hard fought games take place. Remember Go Green or Go Home!!!!!!!!!

The great news was before the game Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. made the mistake of taking some shots at one Kevin Garnett calling him the dirtiest player in the league and claiming that he was old and that meant he fouled rather than play great defense. This was all Boston’s starting center needed to give KG the added juice to have a game for the ages and KG would thank him after the game for the motivation.

From the opening tip KG was dominant at both ends of the floor. He patrolled the paint like a hungry caged tiger looking for someone to dare enter his space. If the Hawks got in the paint and KG was there the shot was either swatted (5 blocks on the night) or altered. KG also controlled the boards as well by fighting for position and never letting his man fail to receive the proper box out. Garnett’s fourteen boards are a clear indication that he made his living in the paint last night and dominated.

However, his largest contribution was on the offensive end. KG was not passive as he looked for his shot all night long. His jump shot was solid, but KG would punish the Hawks in the paint all night long. He would make his move and either get his fade away off, a drive to the basket, or earn a trip to the foul line. He would beat his man down the floor and get positioning time and time again. Of his 28 huge points his biggest basket was the one that gave Boston a three point lead on a sweet fade away from the corner of the foul line that the Hawks could only watch fall to sink their season.

The Boston Celtics needed KG to be the “Big Ticket” and last night he was. Paul Pierce was solid and Rajon Rondo also had a nice game, but the team needed the guy that was going to carry the load. KG once again put Boston on his back and carried them to a big win. A lot of people talk about Rondo and Pierce to the point that they overshadow KG’s importance to this team, but KG brings Boston such a huge weapon at both ends of the floor as well as a fiery leader. If KG plays like this in round two, Philly is in a world of trouble. Remember Go Green Or Go Ho me!!!!!!!!