Celtics catch fire in the second half of the season

The Celtics start off the second half of the season with back to back wins. The C's have struggled with back to back games in the past but the team is now 5-0 when the second game of the back to back is played at home. Tonight, the Celtics pulled out an impressive win at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. In this game Rajon Rondo recorded his third triple double of the season with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Rondo is now the only player in the NBA with more than one triple double. This says a lot for a point guard to achieve this milestone and I feel Rondo is one of the most complete players in the league, besides weakness in his jump shot. Kevin Garnett had a good game as well shooting 50 percent and scoring 25 points with 10 boards. The Boston Celtics are now 17-17 on the season and looking to lock in the 7th seed over the Knicks. I think the Celtics have the fire power to get a high seed for the playoffs but the team needs to stay healthy. Their have been rumors that Danny Ainge is agressively trying to shop Rajon Rondo and this could mean the end of the Celtics hopes for a playoff run. Rondo is the engine that makes the Celtics go and is a player the C's can rebuild around. This is not going to help the Chemistry in Boston and will only be worth while if the C's can grab a Dwight Howard Caliber player.

Two Celtics all-stars in Orlando

Tonight was the NBA's all star game and two members of the Boston Celtics were present in Orlando for the east team. Both Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce were on the team as reserves. Paul Pierce scored 3 points with 2 assists and Rondo had 2 points with 8 assists. The Celtics players did not get much playing time but Rondo helped the east team with his passing ability and he was able to find Pierce for a wide open 3 point shot. The west ended up winning the game with great play from Kevin Durant who scored 36 points and had 7 rebounds. The Celtics will return to action on tuesday when they will take on the Cleveland Cavilers on the road. The Celtics have lost their last five games and this will be a must win game for the team. Many players on the C's have suffered injuries throughout their losing streak including Jermaine O'Neal, Brandon Bass, and Chris Wilcox. The Celtics also have played without Rondo the last two games after he was ejected in a game against Detroit after throwing the basketball at the Ref. Rondo is clearly feeling the frusturation from the Celtics latest losing streak and hopefully the team can start to turn it around with a win on tuesday.

Decisions for Danny

Recently Danny Ainge The vice President of Basketball operations for the Celtics told the Boston Globe he would consider breaking up the Big 3 this year. The fact of the matter is that the Boston Celtics are one of the oldest teams in the NBA with Pierce at the age of 34, Allen at age 36, and Garnett at age 35. However, since Ainge made this announcement the Celtics have been playing much better. It may have been a calculated statement by Ainge to fire up the wiley old veterans. Either way, the big 3 era is coming to an end and the Celtics have maybe one or two more years to win a championship with the three hall of famers. The C's have to play with everything they have night in and out to keep Ainge from making a major trade. Their has been rumors of trading Paul Pierce who is still an all-star caliber player and even rumors about trading Rajon Rondo for Lakers forward Pau Gasol. The trade for Gasol would be great for the Lakers but would not make sense for the Boston Celtics. Rondo is the engine that makes the team go and he is a player you can build a great team around. I personally like the make up of the current Celtics team but I do think that the team is in need for more productive center. Current Celtics center Jermaine O'neal is very inconsistent and lacks some of the energy and lift he once had. Also, all year the Celtics have struggled with giving other teams 2nd chance baskets and offensive rebounds. If Ainge decides to make a move to get a new big man he should keep their four star players and make a trade using bench players. The Celtics still have the pieces to make a run at the finals but they may need some more help rebounding.

Playoff possibilites for the Celtics

The Boston Celtics have a very strong team with a lot of seasoned veterans who know what it takes to win a Championship. The big 3 of Allen, Pierce, and Garnett are getting older but Rajon Rondo is emerging as one of the most dominate point guards in the league and has shown he can put the C's on his back and carry the team to victory. In addition to this, this years Celtics team has one of the deepest benches I can remember. New addition Mickael Pietrus is a knock down 3 point shooter and an excellent defender who can come off the bench and instantly make an impact in the game. Also coming off the bench is Brandon Bass. Bass was traded for Glen Davis this off season and his play on the court has greatly benefitted the C's. He adds another big body for the Celtics who has the ability to rebound and block shots in addition to being able to make mid range jump shots. The Celtics have also seen great progress from back up point Avery Bradley. He is becoming known by other point guards as a lock down defender and is improving on his offense constantly. With great depth from the bench, the Celtics could easily pull an upset in the playoffs over a team like the Heat or Bulls. As long as the Celtics can stay healthy and continue to let Rondo run the offense, they will be a very tough out in the post season. The Celtics bench may be the edge the team needs to add another championship banner to the TD Garden.

The Celtics continue to grow

The Boston Celtics are finally starting to come together and play with the chemistry they have showed over the last few years. The Celtics have now won 10 out of their last 13 games. The C's showed great poise against the Orlando Magic recently when they were down by over twenty points at half time and managed to come back and win decisively. It appears that the team is starting to round itself into shape and the Celtics are looking like much more of a championship title contender. Today, the Celtics played the Chicago Bulls who currently have the best record in the NBA and have won five straight games. The Celtics managed to pull out a close win by the score of 95 to 91. The C's had a 14 point lead with five minutes to go but the Bulls managed to cut the deficient to three. However, through the strong play of Rajon Rondo who was able to make four consecutive free throws down the stretch, the C's pulled out the W. Rondo had an incredible game with 32 points 15 assists and 10 rebounds recording his 2nd triple double of the season. Kevin Garnett also contributed with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Although the Bulls were without their point guard and last year's mvp Derrick Rose, the Celtics showed a will to win and that was lacking from this team earlier in the season. I also saw substantial production off the Bench from Rookie JaJuan Johnson who scored 12 points in place of Brandon Bass currently is out with a sore knee.

Paul Pierces' Legacy Signified

Last night the Boston Celtics took on the Charlotte Bob Cats at the Boston Garden. While the game was a relatively easy win for the C's, the game had a moment of great historic significance for the captain Paul Pierce. With 10: 23 remaining in the 3rd quarter Paul Pierce hit a 3-point shot that put him past Larry Bird as the 2nd all time scorer in Celtics franchise history. Paul Pierce finished the night with 15 points but this moved his career point total to an astounding 21,797. This accomplishment with seal Paul Pierces fate as one of the greatest Celtics of all time. He has already brought the 17th championship banner to the Boston Garden where he was the Finals MVP and been a dominate force in the city of Boston for the last fourteen years. In addition to this, Paul is already the franchise leader in free-throws and three-point shots made. When asked if Pierce could pass John Havlicek’s franchise record of 26,395 points Pierce responded by saying, “I think the fans would really appreciate another championship more than me passing Hondo,”. This is why Paul Pierce is one of the most loved players in the city of Boston and my favorite player of all time. Although he has just won a scoring title, his main concern is bringing a 18th championship to the city of Boston. Its still all about 18.