THAT WAS JUST PLAIN OLD UGLY

The Celtics have been under pressure to go on the road and play the way they've played at home. They did the opposite Thursday night. Sluggish defense down the stretch, absolutely retarded fouls, nobody wanting to step up and take the big shot, confused plays in the paint, and so on.

Rajon Rondo had a great night statistically, and that's about it. He had 10 points, 9 boards, and 8 assists. But he looked confused. He seemed afraid to take a shot when given an open look. Other times, he'd drive to the hoop, only to make a low percentage pass back to the outside. And could someone PLEASE spend a day with him and teach him the proper (and smooth) way to lay the ball up?



With Rondo's confusion, Sam Cassell's shoot first ask questions later mentality, and Eddie House's inability to get the ball past half-court, this team is sorely lacking dependability at the point guard position. And that's a major concern.

Pierce and KG were great, and if it weren't for them, this game would have been a walk for Detroit. Pierce had 26, KG had 24, to go with 13 rebounds. Jesus Shuttlesworth finally resurrected as Ray Allen shot 9 of 16 (2 of 4 for 3), and finished with 25 points.



But scoring points wasn't the problem. As the game unfolded, so did the Celtics' defense. Even when they played well for 20 seconds on defense, all a Detroit shooter had to do was make an up-fake, and he'd get an open shot. And the lack of hustle down the stretch was infuriating.

But this isn't the end of the world. The Celtics won in Auburn Hills earlier in the season, they can do it again. Ray Allen is back. And if the C's can stop committing dumb fouls at half court, and being so gullible for the upfake, they'll win one or two in Detroit.

Game 3 is Saturday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
Elsa/Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

GRAND DAY AT FENWAY

Aided by a pair of Grand Slams, the Red Sox completed their 4 game sweep of the Royals, and 7-0 homestand Thursday afternoon. JD Drew hit the first Grand Slam in the 2nd, putting the Sox ahead 4-1. Mike Lowell capped a 6 run 6th with his, giving his team an 11-3 lead.

But it was an ugly win, as the 11-8 score suggests. Matszuaka only went 5.2 innings, allowing 6 hits and 6 walks. His 118 pitches translates into 21 pitches per inning, which has been a major problem for him this year.

The bullpen made things entirely too interesting. Hansen gave up 2 runs in the 7th, boosting his already obese ERA to 7.56. Aardsma had his first major struggles in awhile, giving up 3 in the 8th. All of this caused the Red Sox to use Papelbon to get the last 3 outs.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, or maybe it's just the Red Sox pessimism that still festers in my heart, but with all the use Papelbon is getting, I can see a repeat of 2006 in September. And no Papelbon means no World Series, folks.

But as I've said a few dozen times already this year, a win is a win. The Sox have the best record in baseball, and are 21-5 in Fenway. But now they have to go on the road. Far on the road. The Sox take on the A's Friday night. Tim Wakefield goes against Rich Harden.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Steven Senne

BIG FAT WIN

Bartolo Colon made his Sox debut last night, going 5 innings and only allowing 2 earned runs. He scattered 6 hits and 2 walks. Now begins the waiting game. How will he recover from his start?

But for now, the news out of The Fens is good. The Red Sox seemed to have grabbed another decent starter in Colon. But 5 innings and 2 runs is not much to write home about. If not for a 4 run 5th for the Sox, we might not be so optimistic about Colon.

Manny's struggles continue with an 0 for 3 night. He's now hitting .287. He was hitting .370 on April 25th, and he hasn't hit a homerun since May 12th. Hopefully this is just a slump, but every day it continues, the more and more it worries me.

Daisuke looks for win #8, and the 4 game sweep Thursday afternoon. He faces Brian Bannister, who sounds like he's some lawyer in a 1940s crime drama.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

CELTICS PULL AWAY DOWN THE STRETCH, BEAT DETROIT 88-79

Why were some national media "experts" so certain that Detroit would win this series? Was it because the Celtics took 2 of 3 from Detroit in the regular season? Was it because the Celtics have Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce? Was it because nobody but the C's can win in the Garden?

Remember when a certain Irish-American curly-haired Boston Globe columnist delivered these words of wisdom?:

"As for Garnett, I have only two words of warning: Alex Rodriguez."

More like David Ortiz, Shaughnessy. KG shot 11 of 17 from the field, ending up with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Pierce continued to play out of his mind, netting 22 points, with 6 rebounds, and 6 steals. He also did a great job of running the offense when Rondo was sitting. Rajon had one of his best defensive performances of the year, racking up 5 steals. He also had 11 points and 7 rebounds.



The Celtics played superbly on the defensive side of the ball. They forced turnovers, and made Detroit take low percentage shots on the outside. Had the Celtics shot better from 3 (2 of 9), this game would have been over much sooner than it was.

Speaking of shooting from 3, the C's tried to get Ray Allen involved in the offense early on, but it was to no avail. Allen's shots were all off. Halfway through the 1st, it was clear that he was psychologically affected by his struggles. He passed up open shots for difficult drives through traffic. Thankfully, his problems were only on one half of the court, defensively he had a great game.

Game 2 is Thursday night, same time, same place, and hopefully same result.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
AFP/Getty Images/Elsa

MATERSON MASTERS ROYALS

During the off-season, Justin Masterson was seen by most Sox fans as a throw-in to get Johan Santana. He was a prospect, just an obscure collection of minor league statistics. But he's looked pretty sharp in his two starts in The Show. And this time, he collected Major League win #1.

Hideki Okajima almost blew it. Coming off a sore wrist, he surrended a leadoff double in the 8th, then walked 2 batters to load the bases with 2 outs. Papelbon came in and got the 4 out save, striking out 3.

I hate it when Papelbon has to come in and get more than 3 outs. In 2006, he was overused and ran out of gas down the stretch. Last year, the Sox protected him. He only went more than 1 inning 4 times in 2007. Tuesday night was the 5th time the Sox used him to get more than 3 outs.

But it all ended well, and the Red Sox have won 5 straight. Bartolo Colon makes his Sox debut Wednesday night, facing Brett Tomko.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

NO H IN HIS NAME, NO HITS IN A GAME: JON LESTER THROWS NO-HITTER!!!

You just never know what's gonna happen in this game.

In the 139 year history of professional baseball, only 255 times had a team ended a full 9 inning game with 0 hits. Last night, the Kansas City Royals became team #256, as Jon Lester threw 9 no-hit innings in a 7-0 Red Sox victory.

Lester threw a career high 130 pitches, 86 of which were strikes. He got ahead in the count, and finished the Kansas City batters with a devastating curve, and a potent fastball. His stuff was electric, and the way he and Varitek changed things up - high to low, inside and outside, fast and off-speed - was like watching two bullies playing Keep Away with a small child.

This was Lester's first career complete game, and obviously his first career shutout. He's the first Red Sox lefty to toss a no-no since Mel Parnell blanked the White Sox in 1956.

An assist goes to the Red Sox defense. Jacoby Ellsbury made a sensational diving grab in the 4th to rob Jose Guillen of a 2 out single. He also stole 2 more bases.



Even Julio Lugo looked good in the field. The only sloppy defensive play came from Lester himself, throwing away a pickoff attempt.

The last no-hitter thrown in the Majors was, of course, Clay Buchholz's in September of '07. The last time a team has had two no-hitters in a row like this was when Nolan Ryan tossed no-hitter #3 in 1974, and #4 in 1975; both for the California Angels.

In the young 21st century, there have been 12 no-hitters thrown. Four of those have been by Red Sox pitchers. The Marlins are the only other team with multiple no-hitters in this century with 2.

And how about Jason Varitek? He becomes the first man in baseball history to catch 4 no-hitters. The fact that he's caught no-hitters from 4 different pitchers speaks volumes about his strategic value as a game caller. He also had a great night at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a 2 run homer.



It's just a nice story. Only 20 months ago, Lester's career and his life were in jeopardy. And now, he's made history.

Justin Masterson faces Gil Meche Tuesday night.

Sources:
ESPN.com
Wikipedia

Photo Credits:
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

CETICS PIERCE CAVALIERS

I was born in 1984, so I pretty much missed the heyday of the Boston Celtics and their countless classic game 7 victories. But now, I've seen it. And it is good.

LeBron James had the game of his life, but so did Paul Pierce. Throw in the unlikely hero in PJ Brown, and a double-double from KG, and you've got a 97-92 victory.

Not enough can be said of Paul Pierce's game 7 performance. He had 41 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. He shot 13 of 23 from the field, 4 of 6 for 3, and 11 of 12 from the line. For the first three quarters, he didn't turn the ball over. He drained the big shots down the stretch, made the work-of-art passes, and even got down and dirty with the hustle plays. He'll go down in Celtics history for what he did Sunday afternoon, which is saying something.

A few months ago, PJ Brown was semi-retired. But after a conversation with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, he decided to join the Celtics. And now he'll go down in history with the likes of Havlicek, Bird, and the aforementioned Paul Pierce. Brown netted a season high 10 points, 4 of which came with less than 3 minutes in the 4th. In his 20 minutes, he hit every shot he took, and hauled in 6 rebounds.



But now, it's on to new business, as the Detroit Pistons come to town. The Celtics don't get much rest, whereas Detroit will have had an entire week off. Here is the schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals. All games are at 8:30 PM Eastern.

Game 1 - Tuesday May 20th - vs. Detroit
Game 2 - Thursday May 22nd - vs. Detroit
Game 3 - Saturday May 24th - @ Detroit
Game 4 - Monday May 26th - @ Detroit
Game 5 - Wednesday May 28th - vs. Detroit
Game 6 - Friday May 30th - @ Detroit
Game 7 - Sunday June 1st - vs. Detroit

The Celtics beat the Pistons 2 times out of 3 in the regular season. BUT, Detroit had their sole victory in Boston. BUT, it was an 87-85 victory, won at the last second by free throws.

It should be a classic series. These two are historic rivals. The names and faces may change from year to year, but the intensity is still there.

I bet Sunday night was the best night in this young lady's life:



And imagine how traumatizing it could have been had she been stuck next to these guys:



Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

BATS EXPLODE IN 11-7 WIN

David Ortiz went 3 for 5 with 2 homeruns, a double, and 4 RBI. Kevin Youkilis also went 3 for 5 with a homerun and 2 RBI. Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with a homer and 2 RBI. The Sox had 15 hits, hit 4 homeruns, and walked 5 times.

That was the good news.

The not so good news was that Jacoby Ellsbury got caught stealing 2nd in the 4th inning. But 25 in a row ain't so bad, is it?

The kind of bad news was that Beckett continued to not look like Josh Beckett. He went 7 innings, struck out 9 and only allowed 6 hits. But 4 of those hits were homeruns. Beckett's ERA is at 4.76, and if he doesn't return to form, this team has NO shot to do anything significant in October.

But it's still May. The Sox are back in first. And New York is in last. HAHAHAHA

Kansas City comes to town for a 4 game series. Jon Lester faces Luke Hochevar Monday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

BULLPEN BARELY SURVIVES DOUBLEHEADER

If game 1 had been played by itself, I probably would have complained about Daisuke giving up too many hits, the Red Sox leaving too many men on, Papelbon giving up a homer, et cetera. But compared to the sloppiness of the night-cap, game 1 was a clinically precise display of quality baseball.

But what matters most is that the Sox won both games. They took game 1 by out-hitting and out-pitching the Brewers. They took game 2 because the Brewers out-errored and out-squandered them.

The lack of bullpen depth on this team was brutally exposed in the night game. Okajima was unavailable with a sore wrist, Papelbon and Delcarmen worked in the early game, and there really wasn't anyone reliable left. Aardsma allowed some inherited runners to score, Hansen gave up 3 unearned runs, Lopez escaped thanks to a nifty double-play, and Mike Timlin was brought in to get a save in a 7-6 game.

A few fun facts:

Mike Timlin recorded his first save since May 2nd of 2007, and his first 1-run save since September 29th, 2006. Despite never being the official closer of the team, Timlin has recorded a save every season he's been with the Red Sox.

In game 1, Kevin Youkilis made an error for the first time in 94 games. BUT, it was made while playing third base. This means his errorless streak at first base is now at 222 games.

In game 2, Kevin Cash didn't get a hit or a walk. It's the first time he hasn't reached base safely since April 15th. Douggie who?

Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 16th base of the season, and 25th of his career. He still hasn't been caught. The record for most stolen bases made without getting caught to start of a player's career is 27, held by Tim Raines.

Beckett goes Sunday afternoon against Carlos Villanueva, which in Spanish means Charlie Villanueva.



Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
Jim Rogash/Getty Images

CAVS 74, CELTICS 69

This post-season, the Celtics have been two different teams. At home, they shoot well, defend well, don't make mistakes, and they win. On the road, they shoot poorly, make big mistakes, and they lose.

Kevin Garnett had a good night with 25 points and 8 rebounds. Pierce added 16 points. But after that, the Celtics had next to no offense in this game. Ray Allen was 3 for 8 from the field 0 for 3 from beyond the arc, and only had 9 points. After a career night in game 5, Rondo only had 2 points to go along with 3 turnovers. The bench could only muster 12 points. Glen Davis (2 for 8 shooting) looked horribly awkward and clumsy in the 4th, missing shots down low, and fumbling rebounds.



The officiating didn't help much. An insanely incorrect charging call on Pierce with 0:49 left zapped any momentum the Celtics might have had. LeBron James slid into Pierce's path, and was knocked down with his feet still moving. Cleveland drained 21 seconds of clock with their ensuing possession. And with 0:14 left, Joe Smith appeared to travel after receiving an inbound pass. Instead, a foul was called on Rondo, and Smith's free throws essentially ended the game.

BUT, the Celtics should have taken care of business on their own. Defensively they had a phenomenal game, holding Cleveland under 75, and to 32.9% from the field; but offensively they just couldn't get right. They went on some big runs to make it close, but could never quite get over the top.

Now it's time for another game 7 in Boston. Hopefully the Celtics we know and love will show up. 3:35 PM, Sunday afternoon.

Apparently the bleach blond, spray-on-tan Tara Reid look is popular in Cleveland.



Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
AP Photo/Tony Dejak

5 REASONS WHY THE CELTICS MUST WIN TONIGHT

5. The obvious reason: the series would be over and the Celtics would advance to the Eastern Conference final.

4. All the "experts" on ESPN would no longer be able to drone on and on about how the Celtics haven't won a road game in the playoffs.

3. Another game 7 means another opportunity for Dan Shaughnessy to write a column about how ashamed the Celtics should be for not winning a series in less than 7 games.

2. The very vocal, and very small number of Doc Rivers bashers won't have any solid material to spew when they're out drinking Friday and Saturday.

And #1...

No more LeBron James ball-washing!!!

Take a look at this clip:



The day after Mother's Day, LeBron berates his mother for trying to protect him, and all the announcers can talk about is how wonderful LeBron is for talking to Paul Pierce after the play. Everything LeBron does is some magical, beautiful experience for the national sports media. Pretty soon, ESPN will break the story that LeBron's shit actually doesn't stink.

Prediction: Celtics 92, Cavaliers 87

RALLYING POINT

The C's may be winless on the road this post-season, but they've turned the Garden into a fortress. And if they do figure out how to win outside of Suffolk County, the rest of the NBA has no chance.

Cleveland busted out to a 14 point lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Celtics went on a tear to make it a 46-43 game and a 3 point deficit at the break. A dominating 3rd quarter, and a solid 4th sealed the deal, and a 96-89 Celtics victory.

Paul Pierce exploded for 29 points and 7 rebounds. Kevin "A-Rod" Garnett had 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rajon Rondo had the game of his life with 20 points and 13 assists. He was finally given an overwhelming majority of playing time at point guard.



My favorite stat of the night: 5, as in the number of minutes Sam Cassell played.

Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland. If there is a game 7, it will be on Sunday, time to be determined. Let's hope that they don't have to determine it. Otherwise, we'll all have to suffer through another evening of hearing about how amazing LeBron is.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AFP/Getty Images/File/Elsa
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images