WE DON'T LIKE KINGS HERE IN BOSTON, LEBRON

How sick did TNT's announcers make everyone with their incessant LeBron ball-washing? When he was 1 for 10 from the field, all they could talk about was how unselfish he was. When he finally made a basket, they ogled the finishing touch on his lay-up.

King James was held to 2 for 18 from the field, and turned the ball over 10 times. The Celtics also had some trouble with hanging onto the ball (23 team turnovers), but were able to dominate on defense, coming away with a 76-72 win over the Cavs.

Ray Allen had 0 points for the first time since 1997. Pierce had 4 points and 6 turnovers. But, Kevin "A-Rod" Garnett had 28 points and 8 rebounds (suck on that, Shaughnessy).



Kendrick Perkins added 7 points and 12 rebounds. Rondo had a big night with 15 points and 6 assists. Cassell came off the bench with 13 points, including two huge 3 pointers down the stretch.

Both teams were sloppy, and I don't think this game is a good indicator as to how the series will go. James, Allen, and Pierce will all improve in the games to come. But if you ask me, the Celtics are capable of more improvement than the Cavs.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Boston.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

WAKE OF DESTRUCTION

Tim Wakefield was brilliant in a 5-0 Red Sox win Tuesday night, going 8 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, walking nobody, and striking out 6. He easily could have pitched the 9th, but for some reason Terry Francona decided to shove Mike Timlin into the game. I guess Timlin needed the work, as he hasn't pitched since May 1st. This was Wakefield's 3rd straight quality start.

And how about Kevin Cash? He went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, raising his average to .361. When does it become time to consider using Cash games started by pitchers besides Wakefield? His bat is hot, and a little more rest might help Varitek at the plate.

Ortiz and Ramirez went back-to-back in the 7th. Manny now has 497 career homeruns.

Terry Francona tied Walpole's Joe Morgan for wins as a Red Sox manager with 301.

Clay Buchholz faces Armando Galarraga Wednesday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Duane Burleson

DEAR SHAUGHNESSY, KG IS NOT A-ROD

I try to avoid the writing of Dan "Shank" Shauhnessy whenever possible, because I like hanging onto my brain cells. But his desperate attempt to plunge Boston back into the murky swamp of negativity from which he spawned with his Sunday column illustrates two things about Shaughnessy: he is an idiot, and his inability to adjust to the Boston Sports Renaissance has made him irrelevant.

In an environment in which sports columns are an endangered species, dying out because of blogs; only the most unfit, unreal, unintelligent, and outlandish columnists will survive. Shank knows this. He tried riding the waves of sports radio, but his personality failed to make an impression on the air. So now he writes columns like Sunday's wad of toilet paper, and bloggers like me write about him. It's like when Woody Paige vomits his opinions on Around the Horn. Woody's loud and he's wrong, so he gets the attention.



Shank even made an allusion to Andy Reid's "blueprint" for beating the Patriots. As if football teams didn't know that pressuring Brady would slow down the Pats' offense. And as if teams like the Cavs, Pistons, Lakers, and everyone else in the NBA didn't know that getting all the calls, making every free throw, and running your ass off up and down the court would be the formula for beating the Celtics. The Cavs were 2-2 against Boston this season, they hardly needed Atlanta to show them that the Celtics are beatable.

I could analyze, deconstruct, and blow apart almost every argument Shaughnessy makes in his column, but his words are hardly worth my words. I may just be some lowly blogger writing for fun, but at least I can be proud of my writing, my arguments, my opinions.

One sentence, however, was so ludicrously awful, that it must be addressed:

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

Unbelievable. Shaughnessy, out of nowhere, compares Kevin Garnett to one of the most reviled athletes in Boston. The Shank tries to point out how A-Rod has no rings, and neither does KG. The Shank tries to portray Kevin Garnett as a choker, just like A-Rod. But it's deeper than that. Shaughnessy chose the comparison to Rodriguez because of things like this:



But all of this is a front for Shaughnessy trying to get under the skin of Boston fans, trying to get fans TO HATE the Celtics for going the full 7 games with Atlanta. TO HATE the Celtics if they lose to Cleveland, or Detroit, or God forbid LA. Shaughnessy wants the 2007-08 Celtics to become the 1986 Red Sox...chokers. That way, he can write more books and columns about how horribly difficult it is to be a Boston fan, and how we should all be proud of ourselves for struggling so valiantly against God's cruel designs.

Back to the quote. A-Rod actually isn't that bad of a post-season performer. He's not "clutch" per se, but he's hardly an automatic out in the playoffs. At the same time, KG has numerous solid post-season performances under his belt. And he looked great in the series with Atlanta. Before coming to Boston, KG averaged 22.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 47 career playoff games with the Timberwolves. That's pretty fucking good, Shaughnessy, yet you dare to compare him to Alex Rodriguez?

As for you, Shaughnessy, I have only two words of advice: stop writing.

Sources:
Shank column
BasketballReference.com