Tuesday, May 19, 2008, 4:23pm ET ----- 33

Sunday's Game 7 loss was tough to swallow. It seemed like we just ran out of gas, and our weary legs and bodies finally caught up to us, as we couldn't withstand the Orlando Magic runs in the fourth quarter, our defense a shadow of its former self.

We pretty much got as far as most people thought we would -- second round, on the verge of the Conference Finals. But considering that we were up 3-2 in this series, and had a 10-point lead in Game 6, losing this series was tough.

Without Kevin, this year's Playoffs wasn't a real title defense. We also lost Leon Powe to that torn ACL (man, gotta fee bad for him). But on the bright side, Rajon Rondo took him game to a whole new level in these Playoffs, and he's fast becoming one of the best PGs in this league (and one of my favorite players). Big Baby stepped up huge in the second round, including the fantastic game winner at the buzzer in Game 5 (we NEED to re-sign him this offseason). Eddie House can be counted on time and time again to light it up from the bench. Perk actually did a decent job on Dwight Howard for most of the series, pushing him as far out from the basket as possible.

The EPIC first round against the Bulls is definitely something to talk about. It was one of the most entertaining, thrilling, and stressful series I've ever seen. A record seven overtime periods spanning across a full seven games, players hitting clutch shot after clutch shot, an insane amound of lead changes and ties. Ray Allen's 51-point game in Game 6 was something to behold (too bad we lost that game in triple-OT).

I'm really bummed out that the Celtics are knocked out. I'm actually gonna miss watching this team play and scrap. It's obviously not the same team without KG, but I really enjoy watching the way we play. This team has really made something of itself. So the next few months without Celtics basketball will pass by really slowly...

Now we look to next year, and hope that KG returns 100%. We'll be another year older, but a healthy core means that we still have a title-contending team, especially with an much-improved Rondo.

Today is Kevin Garnett's 33rd birthday. And it's also the 5-year anniversary of his monumental Game 7 performance against the Kings during Round 2 of the 2004 Playoffs. He lead the Timberwolves to a victory with a monster performance: 32 points, 21 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, and 4 steals in 46 minutes. I can still remember that game as if it was yesterday. But at the same time, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Lastly, I received the notice that GeoCities will be shutting down later this year -- meaning that this website will surely go down with it. But don't worry, I think I'll move to BlogSpot or something. And of course, I'll still be active on YouTube, making mixes and posting KG videos. And I'm now on Twitter, so feel free to follow me. But it saddens me to know that I will lose this site. I definitely need to archive all my entries, posts, and writings from the past eight years. It's been a great run on this space. Thank you all for sharing it with me.

Saturday, April 18, 2008, 12:29pm ET ----- Put Ya Dukes Up

It is what it is.

We're heading into these Playoffs without Kevin Garnett, the heart of this team, the emotional leader, the defensive anchor. Things aren't looking good. Round 1 against the Bulls -- which is about to start as I type this, and Kevin Garnett is making a rare apperance on the sidelines, looking pissed -- should be fine for us. It's the later rounds, likely Orlando in Round 2, and (if we make it that far) Cleveland in the Conference Finals. And if we somehow get past Cleveland, you know who will be the likely Western Conference finalist.

So things don't look good. But we can't hang out heads. We're still the defending champs, so we gotta look at it like, "Everything goes through us, we ain't conceding anything."

I know I haven't updated this site/blog in a while, I guess I've been more active on YouTube. So much has happened since I last wrote an entry... We raced out to the best 29-game start in NBA history (27-2), then we struggled in as December turned into January, Cleveland and LA overtook us in the standings, Tony Allen was out, Scalabrine was out, Leon Powe was out, we signed Stephon Marbury (who still hasn't played a minute together with KG this year), we had to fend off Orlando for the second seed late in the season.

Since February 19th in Utah, KG's injury has definitely gotten me down, and I'd been just waiting for the Playoffs and for him to come back. He made his return in late March, playing very limited minutes in four games, not moving particular well but shot the ball really great. But the Celtics decided to shelve him until the last couple of games after seeing him struggle in Orlando on March 25th. As the season wound down, he never made it back. And when the news broke on Thursday that KG would likely be out for the entire Playoffs, I felt sick to my stomach.

It's absolutely surreal seeing KG injured. He's been so durable for all of his career, it's disturbing to see him on the sidelines. Mortality catches up to even the best of us. The injury itself was kind of freaky as well -- he just went up for an alley-oop in that Utah game, totally untouched, and strained a muscle behind his right knee. It was hard to watch.

But there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to suck it up and find another way to win these Playoff games. One series at a time, one game at a time.

Starting with the Bulls, led by their super-rookie Derrick Rose. The Rondo-Rose match-up is gonna be hot -- both players are putting up buckets right now in the first quarter.

Let's go C's.

Saturday, December 20, 2008, 6:34pm ET ----- And The Beat Goes On

Geocities was acting up a bit, so I couldn't update as consistently as I wanted. A lot has happened since my last entry. For one thing, we haven't lost in 17 games. That's right, we've strung together 17 straight wins -- over a lot of quality teams (Detroit, Orlando, Portland, New Orleans, Utah, Atlanta, etc). It's tough, because each night every team is giving us their best shot, trying to take us down. So our focus has been tremendous.

This is the longest winning streak of Kevin Garnett's professional career. His previous high was 11 straight with the Timberwolves back in the 2000-2001 season. Seventing and counting -- it's a great thing, but we need to continue to take it one game at a time. I know that sounds cliched, but that's how we got to roll. Never look beyond the next game. Just stay focused on the task at hand. And it's been a total team effort.

Ray Allen is shooting the ball incredibly well (49.3% from the field, 38.9% from downtown, and 91.6% from the line) and is currently leading the team with 18.8 points per game.

Paul Pierce isn't shooting particular well from the field, but he's a HUGE shotmaker when it counts. He takes big shots and he makes big shots. He's got so many moves and so many ways to get shots up, it's just a relief knowing that he's out there doing the heavy lifting.

KG's points are down this season (16.5 currently), but who cares. I don't even care how many points he scores these days -- he doesn't need to carry that scoring load like he did in those Timberwolves days. It doesn't mean he's lost a step or anything, or that he can't do it anymore. It's just that he doesn't need to, and that he's playing far less minutes (32.9) and getting less touches as a Celtic. There are games where he doesn't even play the entire fourth quarter because the Celtics have comfortable leads.

And that's ideal, because on any given night, Paul Pierce can go off, Ray Allen can go off, even Rondo and Perk. Off the bench, we've got firepower and solid contributions from Leon Powe, Eddie House, Tony Allen, Scalabrine, Big Baby. KG knows his role now, and it's fluid one. Every night, the C's need his rebounding, shotblocking-altering, intensity, and leadership. Some nights, they might not need him to score all that much. But when they do need it, he's got it.

Case in point, the Hawks game in Atlanta on Wednesday the 17th. The Hawks were pushing hard, and were right there. KG turned it on in the fourth quarter, hitting all five of his shots for 10 points, a couple of them really clutch down the stretch, y'know I mean. That was a great game, by the way. It felt like a Playoff game.

Everyone else is doing their thing too, to help the team win. Rondo's had his first career triple double (a brilliant 16 points, 13 rebounds, 17 assists, 3 steals performance against the Pacers on Dec 3rd), and a new career high (against Utah on Dec 15th). In fact, Rondo is doing everything he's supposed to be doing and more -- he took just three shots yesterday to finish with 4 points, but dished out 15 assists and ripped 4 steals -- people are starting to whisper "All-Star."

Perk is averaging 9.0 points and 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks -- all career highs. Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Eddie House, Glen Davis -- everyone producing and filling a role. Our second unit is often counted on to hold on leads, and those are good tests.

The state of the team looks great right now. But it's still only December, and the season is long. I don't really want to look to 70 wins as a goal -- because it isn't. Our goal is the second consecutive championship. If we win 70 games, or tie the Bulls record 72-wins, or finish with single digit in losses (73-9) -- great. But that ain't what we're playing for. We need to win in April, May and June.

By the way, I was reading SI.com today, and Ian Thomsen had this to say about KG, and it rings true to me:

Before Garnett came to Boston, he was criticized -- by former players-turned-broadcasters especially -- for his failure to carry the Minnesota Timberwolves offensively in the closing minutes of tight playoff games. But it was always unfair and off the mark to assume that Garnett should have done it the way of Jordan (who, by the way, was surrounded by more talented support in Chicago than Garnett ever received in Minnesota). There are all kinds of ways to lead a team. Jordan did so as a scorer, a finisher; Garnett has always been a creator, a team-first defender who would be at his best offensively in the company of top scorers. (Here's another aside: It is easier to find stars to score than it is to find someone like Garnett.)

"What you see in Kevin is the same greatness as you saw in a Russell," [Doc] Rivers said. "He understood early on, even before he had the horses with him, that he couldn't do it by himself. And then when you gave him those horses, his greatness stood out. He was never going to be the greatest scorer in the NBA because he was so driven to play for the team. He made the unselfish plays, the right pass all the time, and because his teams [in Minnesota] weren't good enough, he got criticized for making the right plays. Now he makes the right plays to Paul [Pierce] and Ray [Allen] -- who are wide open and making shots -- and now that makes Kevin great. But it's the same thing he's always done."

The NBA has been interesting this season, especially the past month. Three teams -- Celtics, Cavaliers, Lakers -- are clearly head and shoulders above everone else. A lot of coaches fired -- six so far, I think. The Raptors are really underachieving, I have no idea how they lost to the Thunder last night. Detroit is still trying to figure out how to utlize AI. The Suns traded away Bell and Diaw for J-Rich. Elton Brand is out for a month. Brandon Roy dropped 52 the other day. Melo dropped 33 in a quarter recently, tying the NBA record. Everyone all of sudden loves Dwyane Wade again (funny how fickle the media and some fans are -- if you're injured, people literally forget about you as quickly as they propped you up when you were their darling). Stephon Marbury and the Knicks saga is just a sad sad one. Both Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt attended Celtics games (Bolt's favorite player is Kevin Garnett, that's whassup). Posey was welcomed back at the Garden and received his much deserved ring.

LeBron James and the Cavs are scary scary -- their defense is elite this season, on par with what the Celtics are doing. The Celtics are at a league-leading 25-2, but the Cavs are right there are 22-4. The Lakers are also ight there are 21-4. Chris Paul just broke the NBA record for most consecutive games with at least a steal (106, breaking Alvin Robertson's previous 105). For some perspective, Rajon Rondo is currently second among active players -- I think he's at 26 or something.

Damn it's been crazy, and it's still only December. Well, lots of basketball to be played and enjoyed. I know y'all are anticipating the Christmas Day match-up between the Celtics and the Lakers. I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Holidays y'all. Be safe.

Friday, November 21, 2008, 10:29am ET ----- Homecoming

I will never trash the Minnesota Timberwolves. There are so many beautiful memories there, so many stories, so many ups and downs, and so many character-building and defining moments.

So much history.

But all that can only be seen in the rearview mirror. Things have changed, for everyone. People went in opposite directions -- KG and his new teammates capitalized on their opportunity to go straight to the NBA mountain-top, while the Timberwolves lost their heart and soul and plunged straight into the NBA basement. The Minnesota Timberwolves are virtually unrecognizable from what I knew. New players, new personnel, new uniforms, new logo, new floors, and poor basketball. Well, Kevin McHale is still there, calling the same old shots. Just barely a month into the season, his Mayo-Love trade looks really really horrible. Mayo is currently leading all rookies in scoring at 20.1 points.

Perhaps some things never change.

Tonight, Kevin Garnett will play against the Timberwolves in Minnesota for the first time in his career. Last season, he missed the February 8th game because of an abdominal strain -- suffered during an earlier game against the Timberwolves in Boston, ironically. He did make a pregame appearance that night, to that memorable standing ovation and appreciation from the Target Center crowd. He waved, smiled sheepishly, and retreated back to the locker room to watch the game.

This season, he returns healthy. And he also returns having won an NBA championship this past June, something that eluded him as a Timberwolf, something that seemed impossible and unattainable a year and a half ago.

"Other than being able to sleep in my own bed, it should be cool," KG said after the Celtics beat the Pistons last night to improve to a East-leading 11-2. "It's always good to go back and see my own personal friends in Minneapolis. It's good to see the fans and people that have always been good to me. Other than that, it's just another game, to be honest. I was locked in tonight and I'll be locked in tomorrow, so it should be fun."

He spent 12 seasons locking in at the Target Center, and made Minneapolis his own. From young phenom to all-star, from all-star to NBA elite, from NBA elite to MVP, from MVP to forging an unforgettable Timberwolf career. He is the Timberwolves' all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals. But more than that, his work ethic and effort were off the charts, his intensity and fire never wavered, and his loyalty and dedication never faltered. He was an unselfish team-player on the court, he was active in the community, he carried himself well and never got into trouble or embarrassed the franchise. He was real, genuine, and he represented everything that was good about the organization. He was their rock, their touchstone, their hero.

And in so many ways, he is now their champion too.

Fans in Minnesota care about Kevin Garnett. They're proud of him, not just of his 12-years in Minnesota, but also of what he achieved last season in Boston. In so many ways, his triumph is their triumph.

And tonight, he returns triumphant. Certified. You know it's gonna be all love at the Target Center. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up cheering for the Celtics instead of the Timberwolves.

Because for this one night, Kevin Garnett and the Celtics represent them.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 10:27pm ET ----- Ice Water

PAUL PIERCE!!!!!!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 12:14pm ET ----- KG and Calderon

There's been a lot of fallout since the Kevin Garnett and Jose Calderon incident. I posted the video on YouTube of KG clapping and pointing a finger in Calderon's face, and talking smack to him during the Celtics-Raptors game on Monday.

And that clip became one of the most viewed videos yesterday, in Spain. It seems like all the fans from Spain searched "calderon garnett" on Youtube and were looking to hate on KG. Now, I can understand why they would be upset, and I can understand why they would point out that KG did something similar to Pau Gasol many years ago -- and I can understand why they could then conclude that KG has something against Spanish players.

But it makes me wonder if they're just commenting because they heard about it, blowing it out of proportion when they know nothing about Kevin Garnett. Anyone who's followed the NBA for the past, say 10 years, would know that KG will talk trash to anybody and everybody. Don't matter who you are, how big you are, or where you're from. Hell, he is known to talk to and curse at himself during games. He talks to his teammates, to coaches, and sometimes to no one in particular. He got into with Tim Duncan in 1999 during the first round of the Playoffs. He got into with with Will Bynum on Sunday (Bynum got him GOOD on that play, though).

That's simply his way of hyping himself up, of heightening the stakes and tension. Nothing personal. Some players can't talk and play at the same time. KG has been doing both for years, and if he can throw you off your game by getting inside your head, he will. He's gonna let you know that this is his house, this is his shine, and you're gonna have your work cut out for you.

Believe me, Kevin Garnett knows that Calderon is one of the most potent and dangerous point guards in the league today. Otherwise he wouldn't waste his breath talking to him. It's just gamesmanship.

Now, I DO think that clapping and pointing in Calderon's face was a bit excessive, and definitely warranted a technical. It's good gamesmanship, but not great sportsmanship. That's why I was surprised that the referees didn't blow the whistle. To be fair, none of us knows what was actually said between Calderon and Garnett that lead up to the exchange. And for all intents and purposes, clapping and finger-pointing is no different from Jordan staring someone down after a dunk, or Gary Payton talking about someone's momma, or Mutombo wagging his finger. But definitely, a tech should've been called on KG. And everyone would move on. No biggie.

In other words, the incident was hardly a big deal, and it was just a part of the game which is both mental and physical. It's definitely not the issue that these angry Calderon fans make it out to be (by the way, I am a Calderon fan myself, and a Raptors fan). It's amusing to me how these fans act all surprised and indignant when KG says something now, when five years ago no one gave a damn. It's funny how winning a championship and playing in a big market suddenly make you visible and relevant.

That is the world of YouTube, I suppose, when anybody can hide behind a computer and type anything they want. It's amusing to me how little some of these people actually know about basketball, and how they're reacting to something without the full context. They act all indignant, cry foul, talk about the lack of professionalism in the NBA, and then proceed to type like a twelve-year-old and hurl four-letter words.

There are comments attacking either Garnett or Calderon, most of which are hatin on KG. I have deleted a lot of racist and stupid comments directed at KG. I don't mind if someone wants to criticize him, and wants to have a genuine discussion on the incident -- but I will simply delete any racist comments. It takes me one button and less than a second to delete a message, so you're wasting your time if you type that nonsense out.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 12:33am ET ----- Great Week

GREAT game earlier tonight against the Raptors. Man, that was an awesome game with some real Playoff intensity.

In my view, that was our defining game of this young season so far -- more so than the Pistons game on Sunday (which was a big win as well). It was like we turned it up once the Raptors pushed us. We trailed by as many as 16 points, and for a while it looked like we were being bullied around as we settled for jumpshot after jumpshot. Then it was as if we woke up, realizing who we were and how we were supposed to play. The Big 3 all locked in, and finished in a big way.

Paul Pierce, especially, came up huge in the fourth quarter. He scored 22 of his 36 points in that quarter... bucket after bucket, hitting 7-9, including consecutive three-pointers. 22 points in a quarter! He played about 45 and a half minutes total, barely getting any rest. He also had 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Kevin Garnett finished with his first 20-10 game of the season, registering 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block. He hit some key shots to lead our second-half comeback charge, and got the Garden up when he started trash-talking Calderon. If anyone is wondering if KG is more chill now that he has a ring, they ought to ask Jose Calderon (who, by the way, didn't back down -- I'm a fan of Calderon, so I respect him).

Ray Allen also gave us a much needed lift, despite not shooting well. He had 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal. He hit all eight of his freethrows, and hit a big three-pointer with 3:02 left to tie the game at 84.

It was a terrific, exciting game to watch. The sense of urgency has not been diminished by our championship. Only eight games into the season, the stakes and desire to win are as high as ever. Our bench usually gives us a boost -- and often even bailing us out of our poor starts, like in the Pistons game -- but tonight we needed the Big Three to take charge. It was an excellent win against a division rival.

Speaking of rivals... that Pistons game was a good win too. You knew going in that the Palace was going to be fired up, because it was Iverson's first home game as a Piston, and because the Celtics were in the house. So I was expecting a tough, tough game. But it looked like the Pistons would need some time to get Iverson comfortable with his new teammates and develop chemistry.

Tony Allen played amazing in that game, off the bench: 23 points on 11-16 shooting, in just 28 minutes. Talk about efficiency and making an impact. Great performance.

Leone Powe has had a string of great games too. He's definitely been a strong factor for us off the bench.

So tonight notwithstanding, our bench play has been a big part of our 7-1 start. Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Eddie House, and Glen Davis have more than held their own. Props to them.

We've now won five straight after the hiccup in Indiana. We're back on track, and currently have the most wins in the league at 7-1, but still trail the East-leading Atlanta Hawks. Yes, the Hawks are a perfect 5-0 right now. Maybe that seven-game first round series last season wasn't a fluke -- maybe they are actually good. But realistically, I don't see them staying at the top of the conference standings very long.

The best news of last week was of course off the court. The U.S. has a new President-Elect. Obama!!! What a beautiful, historic night November 4th was -- Celtics beat the Rockets that night, too, haha -- and I'm sure that years down the road, everyone will remember where they were and what they were doing on the night Barack Obama made history.

Saturday, November 1, 2008, 11:12am ET ----- 1,000

Kevin Garnett played in his 1,000th (regular season) game last night, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach that mark, at 32 years and 165 days. The previous record was held by Shawn Kemp at 33 years and 24 days, set on December 20, 2002.

Note that Kobe Bryant is at 868, and assuming he stays healthy for the next 132 games, he will become the youngest to 1,000 at just past the midway mark of next season (but only because he was younger in his rookie season than KG was in his). And it's possible that, currently at 393 games, a healthy LeBron James will break that record again years down the road (he has the benefit of not having the lockout season on his resume).

But for now, it's your boy Kevin Garnett. In other words, KG has played more games than anyone in history at this age. A lot of mileage. A lot of minutes. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

Of course, coming straight out of high school and entering the league at 19 and a half had a lot to do with it (Kobe was 18 when he began his rookie season). But it's also a testament to KG's durability, longevity, conditioning, and committment to taking care of his body and playing through injuries. Knock on wood, of course. Luck has also played a role -- KG has been very fortunate to not have been seriously injured at any point in his career. Every night you suit up in the NBA, there's a chance of you coming down on someone's foot, landing wrong, dislocating something, tearing something, breaking something -- it's a risk each and every game. Luckily, through good fortune and good personal training/diet regimen, Kevin Garnett has stayed relatively healthy throughout his career. Knock on wood again. Let's hope it stays that way.

"It feels crazy, to be honest." Garnett said after the game. "Some players come in here, Paul and I along with other teammates, and sit on the back of the bus and talk about Nike camps, people we grew up with, playing against and playing with, and how unfortunately they're not in the league. So to sit here and have a plateau of over 1,000 games says a lot not only about my conditioning, but, through knocking on wood countless times, taking care of my body and trying to be the best player that I can be. ... I've always taken a lot of pride in playing games and never taking games off. I have exceeded a lot of the personal goals I have set for myself and I'm just enjoying this team, enjoying this year, and enjoying everyday that I can get up and play this game full strength."

His personal stats after 1,000?

20.407 points, 11.213 rebounds (2.708 offensive, 8.505 defensive), 4.395 assists, 1.666 blocks, 1.386 steals, 2.530 turnovers, 2.521 fouls, and 37.926 minutes per game.

His shooting averages are 49.428% (8121-16430) from the field, 28.374% (164-578) from downtown, and 78.068% (4001-5125) from the foul line.

And he's got lots to show for those numbers too. 2002-2003 All-Star MVP. 2003-2004 league MVP. 2007-2008 Defensive Player of the Year. And most importantly, 2007-2008 NBA Champion.

A successful and complete career, yes. And now he's hunting for MORE rings, looking to repeat, looking to carry his Celtics team to a couple more titles and to cement the squad as one of the greatest in Celtics history.

In other words, for Kevin Garnett, it's business as usual. That's what fans love about this guy -- he gives it his all no matter what. Don't matter if it's a practice scrimmage or an exhibition game. Don't matter if it's Game 6 of the NBA Finals or an insignifant second game of the season against the Bulls on Halloween. Kevin Garnett's intensity never drops.

He gave two great interviews recently. Check 'em out:
• NBA.com Interview with John Schuhmann
• SI.com Interview with Arash Markazi

So, did y'all see last night game against the Bulls? It was a blowout win in the fourth quarter, and KG was every bit as intense on the bench, cheering for his teammates, arguing bad calls, and involving himself with the flow of the game and spirit of the crowd. He sat out the entire fourth quarter, and played just 26 minutes for the game. He dropped 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals in a 96-80 Celtic victory.

We played great D as a team, holding the Bulls to 29.8% shooting. We forced 20 turnovers, but had 20 ourselvs... That's too many TOs. I think last season we were 27th in the league in that department, so we need to clean that up.

I love how Rondo plays. He attacks the defense, and gets knocked down like five times per game. He's not shy, though, and that's good. But I do wince every time I see him get hammered and has to be scrapped off the floor. Rondo does need to improve his freethrow shooting and his jumpshot. Something to work on.

2-0.

We're in Indiana tonight for our first road game of the season. Let's run this.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 3:29pm ET ----- Ring Night

Them rings look good. Real good. The emerald shamrock, that's tight.

Other than getting our first win of the new season, the highlight from last night was of course the ring ceremony and the raising of Banner 17. Kevin Garnett finally got his ring, it's been a long time coming. Paul Pierce got really emotional, and it was just a special moment for everyone on the Celtics. They all worked so hard, and they deserve that moment.

It's awesome to see everyone again, more than four months since June 17th, which in some ways still seems just like yesterday. But here we are, end of October, start of the new season, and we're trying to climb that mountain again.

And after watching the game last night, we have plenty of climbing to do. We started off poorly against the Cavs, probably still emotional from the ceremony just moments earlier. But we got our act together, and locked down the Cavaliers in the second half with our trademark defense.

One win down, 97 more to go.

The Darius Miles experiment didn't work out, so we had to waive him to trim down our roster. I don't quite know the reason behind that decision, other than the fact that he didn't produce during the preseason. But everyone had good things to say about his attitude.

And without Posey this year, we need our young guys to step up and play a bigger role. They did just that last night. Leon Powe, if he keeps this up -- 13 points, 5-7 shooting, a couple of nasty dunks -- is gonna be a crucial piece of the puzzle for us this year. Tony Allen, compared to last season, looks much more confident and aggressive in his drives. I expect Tony and Leon to play key parts in our rotation this year.

Paul Pierce, who came into training camp leaner and quicker than last season, looked in mid-season form already, dropping 27 points on 10-19 shooting. KG and Ray struggled with their shots (5-15 and 2-9, respectively), but Paul was on.

I've been following some of the opening week coverage, and I noticed that a lot of commentators are looking past us, or are hesitant to say "repeat." When asked who will come of the East, they point to Cleveland with the Mo Williams addition, they point to Detroit with a new coch and an intact nucleus. Then they look at other possibilities like Philly and Toronto who have new major pieces. They seem to not want to go with the obvious pick -- which is the defending champ.

That's fine. I think that the slight is good for us, because we need to stay hungry and show everyone that we are the champs and this is our throne. We ain't moving. So we have a lot to prove, and that chip on our shoulder should work in our favor.

So here we go. The journey begins anew. New season, same goal. Ubuntu.

And..... Obama '08!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 1:20pm ET ----- The Defending Champs

"I don't think you just wake up and when you win, you're a champion. That starts with the mentality of how you think. It's just not validated by having the Larry O'Brien in my living room. A true champion starts from within with your heart, the way you go at it, the way you see it, the way you compete."

Word. That's some real talk from a champ.

And on that note, welcome back y'all. Doesn't that sound nice -- KG the defending champ. That's where it's at. That's whassup.

Media Day was yesterday, and it's great to see everyone back in uniform, ready for another championship run. It's a new mission, but the same goal. The prospects of repeating is very real, and we're gonna try our best to capitalize on it. Kevin Garnett knows it. Just because he now has a championship doesn't mean he's going to take it any easier now. He and the rest of the Celtics are just as hungry. Once you get that championship taste, you don't ever want to lose it.

"You don't get to a level and then take a step backward," KG said. "One thing about this group that we have, we're very competitive. Obviously this year's no different.

No doubt, we all know how Kevin Garnett operates -- this guy goes at it 100% all the time. Doesn't matter if it's pick-up, practice, preseason, regular season, Playoffs, or Finals -- he's gonna bring it.

"We're about to get everybody's best," said KG. "But everybody has to know that we're coming with our best, too. I'm looking forward to this year. You win it. You set a goal. I'm pretty sure people are looking at us as the pinnacle, on top of the hill. It's only right. I've been in that other position. I've been motivated. You have to anticipate that."

Our approach this year shouldn't be too much different from last year's. All of last season, we had high expectations placed on us and we had a massive bullseye on our back. Same thing going into this season. Ain't nothing's changed, except this time we're gonna run this as champs.

By the way, everyone circle November 21st on your calendars. Yeah. That will be CRAZY. He went to Minnesota as The Kid, left as The Man, and will return as The Champion. It should be all love on that night, everyone in Minnesota should be proud of Kevin Garnett. The hero returns. Certified.

So as we all know, the major personnel change is the loss of Posey. KG knows what's like to lose teammates. "It's hard," he said. "You can understand the business side. Pose has things he still wants to accomplish in this league and you can't ever be upset with that. But the thing I learned when Steph left is that everyone has a different vision for themselves and what they want for themselves. You have to respect that as a man. That's how I feel about Pose. Pose is a big part of us with his knowledge, what he knew and his experience. You have to wish him the best and know that you've made a friend. At the end of the day, I will have him as a friend and we will forever be connected by the '08 championship in Boston."

Still, that's a void we're gonna have to deal with. Darius Miles is an intriguing, low risk pick-up. Should be interesting. Other than that, our championship core is intact. KG, Pierce, and Ray are not getting any younger, but are still in their prime and are still very hungry. Rondo is now entering his third year, and he's gotta have a world of confidence -- he's also gotten bigger and stronger, adding eight pounds upto 181. Eddie House is back. Tony Allen is looking forward to a healthy season. Sam Cassell just signed a one-year guaranteed contract. Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis are getting better and better.

The beautiful thing is that, no matter how this season plays out, no one can take away what Kevin Garnett and his teammates achieved last season. No one can take way what Kevin Garnett has accomplished in his career and in his life. He will be forever remembered as both a great player and and champion.

And it is in that spirit that I made some new KG mixes in the past month. I've really enjoyed making them, trying to improve, and just having fun. At the same time, I put a lot of effort into them, and I hope KG fans enjoy watching them as muich as I enjoy making them. Here are the latest ones I made in the past month or so.

• Celtics 2007-2008 Mix: Ubuntu
• Dunk Mix 1: Weapon X (Video no longer available due to music copyright issues)
• Dunk Mix 2: Eternal Flight
• Block Mix: Enter The Dragon
• Shots Mix: Lethal
• Pictorial Mix: In My Lifetime

I gotta say thanks to all the people who took the time to comment on the mixes, I appreciate all the kind words.

Go Celtics. Here's to another successful championship run. Instead of the word "repeat," Celtics managing partner Stephen Pagliuca has come up with "Two-buntu" as this year's mantra. Hey, we can roll with that.

Monday, August 25, 2008, 3:52pm ET ----- Olympic Thoughts

So the Olympics are over, and I'm already suffering some withdrawals. As a huge track fan, the Beijing Games being over is not really a big deal because there's still another half to go in the 2008 season. But there's nothing quite like the sheer scale and spectacle of the Olympics.

I have great, indelible memories of every Olympics that I watched -- Atlanta 1996 (Donovan Bailey, Michael Johnson), Sydney 2000 (Kevin Garnett that's whassup! Maurice Green, and I'm trying to forget Marion), Athens 2004 (Michael Phelps, Jeremy Wariner, Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix), and now Beijing 2008.

I hope y'all watched this year's Olympics too. This has been an incredible Olympic games. I definitely caught every minute of it. Michael Phelps was the face and megastar of the first week of the games, and Usain Bolt was took over the second week of the Olympics. But throughout the 16 days, there were amazing and memorable performances all around.

My girl Sanya Richards had an unfortunate 400m Final. She had the race won with about 100m to go, but a late hamstring tweak meant she couldn't fully cycle through her right leg, and she couldn't hold off Ohuruogu and Williams. Bronze is still pretty good, though. And she's a champion in my eyes. And hey, her anchor run in the 4x400m Final was absolutely beautiful. I love it.

Lolo Jones was another heavy favorite who came up short. I feel so bad for her, because this was supposed to have been her moment. And to hit the second last hurdle in the Final, to see her lead and dream evaporate in an instant, was horrifying. But it was how she carried herself afterwards that was so inspirational. She had so much class, grace, and respect for her competitors -- and it speaks volumes of who she is.

All the other events had their drama, twists and turns -- basketball, swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, etc. Lots of stories, intrigues, and memories throughout these games. So here are some of my musings of the 2008 Beijing Olympics:

• Basketball is HUGE in China. I get the feeling that if Kobe Bryant and Liu Xiang got off a bus in China, all the fans would flock to Kobe for an autograph.

• The Redeem Team got it done. Now let's see how well these cats hold up on their respective teams... come May during the Playoffs. Actually, guys like Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili might burn out faster, consider all the heavy lifting they've done for their respective national teams. Stars on the USA squad had it easy.

• No question, Michael Phelps was the face of these games. Eight for eight, seven world records. And he did all this under a grueling schedule, media scrutiny, and with every Olympic calibre swimmer gunning for him. This guy is a champion.

• Dara Torres was inpirational. She should do London. If you can do this at the elite level at 41, why can't you do it at 45.

• Poor Alicia Sacramone. Tood bad about what happened in the Team Final. And she got robbed in the Vault Final.

• Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson were terrific.

• China fielded eight-year-olds gymnasts, and hoped no one would notice.

• That was a hurdling clinic put on by Dayron Robles. What a machine.

• Poor Liu Xiang, couldn't stay healthy enough to defend his title in from his home country. And we were deprived of an epic showdown between him and Robles.

• Jamaica performed superbly this year in the sprints. I do feel bad for Asafa, though... having dominated smaller meets yet never winning anything major. The stigma of choker -- fair or unfair -- must be affecting him mentally. He's a good guy, though, and I'm glad he got a gold medal in the 4x100m.

• Michael Johnson's live reaction to Usain Bolt breaking his world record said it all. The first time I started paying attention to Bolt was back in 2005, when he was just a young, tall talent on the circuit. I had no idea he would be this dominant.

•"Who says lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot" -- I'm pretty sure Ato Boldon was the first to say that. It caught on, and now everyone in the media is using it.

• Don't really know what's up with the US Track and Field team this year, it was kind of hit or miss.

• What on earth happened to Bernard Lagat.

• Props to Bryan Clay.

• You gotta love Lauryn Williams. She's got so much heart, determined to track down the baton and finish the race despite the automatic DQ.

• I don't ever want to hear the name Ohuruogu mentioned in my presence.

• Poor Lolo Jones. Keep ya head up, girl.

• Props to Angelo Taylor, Kerron Clement, and Bershawn Jackson.

• I'd still take Allyson Felix over Veronica Campbell in the 200m. Anyday.

• I now got even more respect for Tyson Gay. Despite having an underwhelming first Olympics, he made zero excuses, even when all the reporters/interviewers gave him every opportunity to blame it on the hamstring injury he suffered during the Trials in July.

• I love Sanya Richards.

• Shawn Crawford is mad cool: "I didn't cross the line in second. And if I don't cross the line in second, I don't care if people are disqualified or not. I didn't deserve the medal. ... It feels kind of weird, it feels like a charity case. It's horrible, it is heart-breaking and I feel [Spearmon's] pain right now. I hope Usain stepped out too because... that's a gold medal for me."

• I wonder if Marion Jones got TV in prison.

• Usain Bolt...(please be clean please be clean please be clean son).

• NBC's tape delay sucked. I wish they gave as much respect to track as they gave to swimming and gymnastics.

• Lashawn Merritt beat Jeremy Wariner, and these two will have some exciting battles to come.

• I love DeeDee Trotter.

• Equestrian is the most stupid Olympics sport ever. How about getting rid of that instead of baseball/softball. You know a sport is wack when the horses are doping.

• 2008 is shaping up to be one heck of a year for Candace Parker.

• Yelena Isinbayeva continued her excellence by winning gold and breaking her own world record. Again.

• Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh dominated the sand again in volleyball. Too bad Misty's idol is Jason Kidd, so she must be crazy.

• And finally, now that the Olympics are over in Beijing, I suppose dogs have reasons to be scared again.

Monday, August 25, 2008, 12:50pm ET ----- D-Miles

Say what you want about Darius Miles, but you gotta admit that this acquisition doesn't hurt the Celtics.

I paid a lot of attention to Darius Miles during the 2000 NBA Draft and during his 2000-2001 rookie season. Coming out of high school, he was hailed as the second coming of KG, who was Miles' favourite player and idol. D-Miles was very raw -- his game relying purely on athleticism -- but seemed very promising if he would just continue to work on his game, his shooting, his footwork, his maturity.

But after a couple of seasons, it become clear that his head wasn't in the right place. He didn't seem to care about refining his game or maximizing his potential. He still had some street cred, and got a lot of love from the fans -- you know you're hype when you can star in Jordan Brand commercials despite never accomplishing anything, or when Bobbito Garcia in NBA Street Vol.2 acknowledges you by name (D-Miiiiles!) after you dunk in the video game. He even acted in a movie.

Maybe all that got to his head, and he stopped working hard. Off the court, he got in some trouble, got into it with (then) coach Mo Cheeks, and got himself a bad rep. And then he had the microfracture knee surgery in 2006, the damage to the knee was serious enough that his career was deemed to be over. The Blazers waived him.

And now, here he is, signed by the Celtics after working out for them twice. There really isn't any risk to the Celtics. It's like this: When the Blazers waived him, there were two years and $18 million left on his contract (six-year, $48 million deal). If Miles plays more than 10 games in any one of the next two seasons, his remaining $18 million salary would go back on the Blazer's books.

I think this is a good, low-risk move by the Celtics. Hopefully, Darius Miles is at a point in his life/career where he's mature enough to understand sacrifice and unselfishness, to appreciate hard work, and to grasp what it means to care about winning and the team concept. I don't worry about any potential negative effect on the Celtics because I know this is a veteran team with a very intelligent coach; and I know there's a guy named Kevin Garnett ready to reel Miles in if he don't ackrite. Remember, Darius Miles looked up to Kevin Garnett, and wanted to be a great player like him.

This is a chance at redemption for Darius Miles.

For him to respect the game of basketball. To put back in what he took out of it.

From a basketball standpoint, obviously Miles is no James Posey. If the Celtics believe otherwise (which I'm sure they don't), then they are very much mistaken. Miles is not a good on-the-ball defender like Posey, he can't lock down like Posey, he can't spot up like Posey, he can't shoot the three like posey, and he can't hit a freethrow to save his life.

Seriously, Darius Miles is a horrible shooter. If you're an athletic 6'9" forward who gets a lot dunks, and you still shoot 41.6% from the field for your career, then you need to go put up extra shots in the gym after every practice.

However, assuming he's healthy -- and this is a huge assumption at this point -- Miles does bring some things that the Celtics will find useful. At 6'9", he's slightly bigger than Posey. He certainly is a lot longer than Posey, is more athletic, is a better leaper, and is a much better shotblocker. Miles is also a decent help defender; he probably gets most of his blocks that way. That, and he's still just 26 years old (turning 27 on October 9).

Again, this is all assuming that he's healthy, and that his knee will hold up through the long season. Remember, he hasn't played in the league in two seasons, and he's coming off a serious major microfracture surgery -- the very surgery for which he spent the past two years rehabbing. He might look decent in a few workouts, but he's still a huge question mark.

And No one's gonna expect him to play 25-30 minutes a game. But if he can give a solid 15-20 minutes per game, work hard, play some D, get those long arms in the passing lanes, grab some rebounds, get some dunks, then he will be a valuable contributor on this team. He really needs to work on his shooting, though... especially now that he can't jump out of the gym anymore. And please, improve that freethrow shooting.

It's time for Darius Miles to figure out how to really play basketball.

Thursday, July 31, 2008, 4:09pm ET ----- One Year Later

On this day last year, July 31st, Kevin Garnett became a Celtic.

It's been a pretty dope year, wouldn't you say.

Here's to another one. Cheers y'all.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 11:29pm ET ----- OG Mix

Last year at this time, the Garnett-to-Boston trade talk was all the buzz. It was some craaazy hype. Electric. I was glued to the all the Internet and TV coverage, wondering when the trade was going through. And when it did, I was still caught up in all the coverage, trying to figure out what it meant and what the path was up ahead.

One year later, the hype's totally lived up to its craziness and expectations. Everything's been fulfilled. It was all justified.

So this summer, I'm just chilling. So much so that I made another mix. This one a Kevin Garnett high school mix. Back in the DAY, baby! Kevin Garnett is an OG. Make sure you toggle the quality to "high" when you go to the Youtube page. If you don't care about quality, you can watch the embedded vid here:

This mix only took about half a day. Up till now, most of my mixes that have some kind of narrative, a chronology and a flow from which that tell a story. The Legacy mix told a story. The Unfinished Business mix told a story. And the Rebirth mix told a story. Other than the Fatal mix (which really doesn't count, because that was my first mix, and I was just playing around), I prefer creating mixes to tell stories, rather than just throwing together a bunch of disjoined highlights.

So when I was thinking of doing the high school mix, I figured I didn't need a narrative. I figured this wasn't gonna be that kind of mix. It wasn't going to be long or epic, and I didn't really need to do any of the conceptual planning and tweaking that I did for Rebirth (which took a few days to do, and was exhausting as well as exhilarating). For this high school mix, I was actually aiming for simply a fun highlight reel, something that didn't really have to make sense.

But for some reason, it turned out to have some form of narrative anyway. As I went through the process, ideas came to me. There's till a chronology. And fittingly, I ended the mix the same way I started the Legacy mix -- with the SI cover of "Ready or Not," as a bridge. Overall, I think it turned out alright.

This time, I decided to go all intrumental -- no lyrics. The music I went with is Steve Jablonsky's "Scorponok," off the Transformers score. It's absolute fire.

As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Making this mix, I'm reminded of just how much of a BEAST Kevin Garnett was, dominating and dunking on cats. Obviously, KG is a much better player now than he was as a high school kid -- his game is now much more mature, his footwork refined, his jumpshot developed, his skillset perfected -- but he plays a different game now. He now plays with much more control, finding the true balance between the cerebral and the physical. He certainly doesn't dunk like he used to -- the kind of wild, screaming, fearless, teenage gusto, freakishly athletic and seriously visceral business.

This mix, then, is a showcase of the raw Kevin Garnett -- not yet top of the world in that certfied-what-can-you-say-now sort of way, but certainly king of the jungle, predator atop the high school foodchain.

Before Kobe, before T-Mac, before LeBron. There was KG, who did it first. No doubt, an OG.

Thursday, July 17, 2008, 1:50pm ET ----- One Month Later

I hope everybody's summer is going great. Today is the 17th of July, meaning that it's been exactly a month since the Celtics won title 17. So I figure I'd check in, say whassup, and catch up on some of the things that have happened.

First of all -- and it this is something the team will have to address -- we lost Posey to the Hornets. Just yesterday, he signed a four-year $25 million deal with New Orleans. I think his preference was to stay with the Celtics, and he wanted a longer (four-year) contract, but the Celtics didn't want to commit to more than two years. New Orleans, an up-and-coming contender, came along and offered Posey an ideal contract, so he went with it.

Will the Celtics regret this? I hope not, but obviously right now our team is worse off without Posey, whose tremendous contributions to our championship run cannot be understated. Personally, I believe in the philosophy of holding together a championship nucleus for as long as you can -- because you're in a privileged position. It's a rarity to find a right group of guys with the right chemistry, peaking at the right time and playing at a championship level.

You should do everything you can to keep that group together. Because you may never get it back. Just look at the Bulls after the 1997-1998 season. Reinsdorf and Krause broke that team apart, didn't want Phil Jackson back, wanted to get trade Pippen, and in effect forced MJ to retire. The franchise hasn't accomplished anything since.

The lesson: You shouldn't mess with a proven team and a winning formula. Hold on to it for as long as possible.

Of course, that doesn't mean giving in to any demand by a 31-year old key contributor. But in this case, I think Posey's four-year deal request was totally reasonable. The Celtics should've given it to him. You can't really blame either side, as this is the nature of the business.

The Celtics will need to fill that void, because the rest of the East has just gotten tougher. Philly now has Elton Brand. Toronto has Jermaine O'Neal teaming up with Chris Bosh. Miami will have a healthy Wade coming back teaming with young Beasley and (maybe-maybe not) Marion. Orlando has Dwight Howard continuing his ascension to major league dominance.

Boston is going to have to get better, so we see what happens the rest of the this summer. And no, Darius Miles is not the answer. I give props to D-Miles for having the desire to come back from a likely career-ending knee situation, but his game has never been refined to the point where he could contribute without relying purely on athleticism.

In other news, I'm totally siked about the Olympics. Now, I'm aware of all the politics and negative stuff surrounding the Beijing Games, but I really only care about the athletics. The athletes put their lives into this, and this is their moment. It's all about them. I'm a huge track fan, so I'm really amped. I want to see my girls Sanya Richards and DeeDee Trotter do their thing in the 400m and the relays. I want to see Allyson Felix dominate that 200m the way she does. I wanna see Tyson Gay vs. Usain Bolt vs. Asafa Powell. Jeremy Wariner vs. LaShawn Merritt. Lolo Jones. Yelena Isinbaeva. It's gonna be off the chain.

And yes, there will be basketball too. The USA Team will look to bounce back from their ultra-disappointing bronze finish in the 2004 Athens Games.

Sunday, June 22, 2008, 12:19pm ET ----- Rebirth

It took me about two days to put together a new Kevin Garnett mix -- I titled it "Rebirth" -- as a tribute to KG's 2007-2008 championship season with the Celtics. I've upped it onto YouTbe now, and I've embedded it here too. However, the quality of the embedded video is standard by default, and is poor -- so I suggest you go directly to the video page here, and click on the "watch in high quality" option underneath the clip. Quality is much cleaner that way.

But it's here if you're not concerned about quality:

This mix was very enjoyable to make. It was a lot of fun just going through the clips and trying to be creative in my footage selections and in how I wanted the visuals to sync up with the music. The end result is satisfying, even more so because of the fact that it's been a dream season, and that KG is now an NBA champion -- and this mix is really a celebration of that.

As you can see, the first portion of the mix is comprised of plays from the regular season. The second portion is focused on the Playoffs and Finals run. And the final portion is what it is -- certified at last. The whole thing clocks in at almost 10 minutes, so it's pretty long. Highlights-wise, I made sure to incorporate some signature/memorable plays from throughout season, punctuated by specific sequences in the music. The dunk on Hunter, and the dunk on Gasol -- I really love those parts.

The music tracks themselves were a different beast. I've had ideas floating around in my head for a while now, ever since I finished up the Unfinished Business mix. Ultimately, I went with three RZA produced tracks. The middle track, "Thirsty," was one I definitely wanted to use -- I actually almost used it a few months ago for a Tracy McGrady mix I was playing around with. But once I realized how versatile and how accommodating the flow/beat was -- i.e. good for either an aggressive mix or a mellow mix, or both -- I decided to use it for a KG mix.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. I hope y'all enjoy the mix. I plan to make a Celtics 2007-2008 mix as well, with KG, Paul, Ray, and everybody on this dope Celtics team. So look out for that.

Peace.

Thursday, June 19, 2008, 6:53pm ET ----- Certified

Has it sunk in yet? I think so, man.

Kevin Garnett is certified.

I watched on TV the live coverage of the Celtics championship parade this morning. It was amazing. You could feel the energy and excitment surging through the crowds and the procession of duck boats. KG and all his teammates were in full celebration mode as they soaked up the glory in their duck boats, which rolled from the TD Banknorth Garden to Copley Square, and back to the Garden again. As he got on the duck boat (he was in the red vehicle), KG had a cigar in his mouth, wore his Celtics cap tilted to the left, and cradled the championship trophy. Pierce, in a separate duck boat, lit up a cigar as well, and showed off his well-deserved Finals MVP trophy.

It was awesome.

A few hours after the conclusion of Game 6, I posted a video clip of KG's post-game interview with Michele Tafoya, and that clip got tons of views and comments in a hurry. Most of the comments are positive. But it seems that some people are shocked and even offended by KG's way of celebrating and letting his emotions out.

I've now realized that these people don't understand Kevin Garnett at all. They are hatin' on him when they literally know nothing about him, about who he is, what he stands for, and how much he actually cares.

As far as I'm concerned, there was nothing surprising to me about KG's post-game celebration. In fact, I was expecting him to go all out like that, screaming, cursing, crying, smiling from one second to the next. Anyone who understands Garnett will not find his actions strange or think that he was "on something." KG had waited his entire life for this moment, and he had put his heart and soul into getting here. There were times in years past when he probably thought he might not EVER get here, no matter how hard he tried.

So he has earned every right to celebrate, to cry, to scream, to cuss, to let it all out. And to finally drop the burden that he had been carrying on his shoulders.

Yes, Kevin Garnett curses a lot, and he excitedly spewed profanity all over the place as the clock was winding down and as the Celtics were about the win the Finals. It wasn't his fault ABC snuck cameras and microphones near him and had to cut the audio for several seconds. Hey, that's how KG gets himself going and amped up. He's ALWAYS been like that, and every Kevin Garnett fan knows this. Anyone who finds that surprising, or tries to moronically claim that he has no class, knows nothing about Kevin Garnett.

And yes, Kevin Garnett gave Michele Tafoya a compliment during the interview. So what. Garnett and Tafoya have developed an easy and friendly rapport not just during these Playoffs, but during the last few seasons. Michele Tafoya was the first reporter to interview Garnett when he won his first ever Playoff series in 2004, in Game 5 against the Nuggets. They have a friendly and professional relationship, and thus his compliment to her was not out of place. So for those people who seem to not understand the context, and who feel compelled to post stupid comments on YouTube, give it a rest.

There are also idiots who pontificate that KG embarrassed himself and showed no class during his celebration, and that Michael Jordan or Tim Duncan never did this. First of all, everyone gets to this destination through different paths -- MJ won his first title in his seventh season, and Duncan won his first in just his second season; they did not go through what Garnett went through. And secondly, everyone handles emotion differently. You want to talk about class? During the interview with Tafoya, Kevin Garnett gave shoutouts to Minnesota (which got first billing), Chicago, South Carolina, Basswood Drive, and most of all, his mother. How many players have you seen do that -- thanking their previous organization and city, and remembering where they came from? Which other NBA player do you know would look into the camera and speak directly to his mother, telling her that "We made it, ma."

This is Kevin Garnett. He has always been different. He has always done things his way.

This was the kid who wore a rubber band around his wrist and popped himself when he made mistakes on the court. This was the kid who moved to Chicago in his senior year of high school, and had to take care of his little sister by himself. This was the kid who suddenly decided to start yelling "Aaaahhhh! Aaaaaahhh!" during the now legendary workout at UIC in front of NBA execs and scouts. This was the kid who defied critics and cynics and jumped straight to the NBA out of high school, a trend he would jumpstart. This was the kid who dunked and screamed like he was crazy. This was the kid spewed profanity at himself or no one in particular just to hype himself up. This was the kid who viciously and repeatedly pounded his own head with the basketball for missing freethrows.

This was the man who had his agent negotiate a $126 million deal at the age of 21, maximizing his worth and getting the most out of the system. This was the man who refused to break the team concept despite endless criticisms of him being too unselfish and passive. This was the man who shed tears during a John Thompson interview because he was "losing." This was the man who refused to demand for a trade and bail out of Minnesota when things got tough. This was the man who put up 20-10-5 for an unprecedented six straight seasons, and whose all-around game complemented his unsurpassed intensity and uncompromising spirit. This was the man who continued to work and work, busting his ass regardless if it's a practice session, a preseason match, a January game against the Grizzlies, or an NBA Finals Game 6.

This was the champion who celebrated the only way he knew how.

If any of this is surprising to you, then you know nothing about Kevin Garnett.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 2:25am ET ----- Champion

How sweet it is!!

Kevin Garnett is an NBA champion. Finally!

I don't even know where to begin with this entry. There's so much to digest, and not all of it has sunk in yet. And oh man, what a game. What a moment. What a dream come true. It's 2:30am right now, and I'm still pretty wired. Can't go to sleep just yet -- probably afraid that I might wake up and realize that I had been dreamin'.

But no, this ain't a dream. This is it right here -- the Celtics are the 2007-2008 NBA chamipions. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, and the entire Celtics squad are NBA champs! The culmination of all the years of hard work, all the disappointments, all the ups and downs, everything finally paid off.

The ultimate moment of triumph. And they did it as a team.

It's been a long haul. We needed to play 26 Playoff games this year to win the championship -- the most in NBA history. Seven games in the First Round, seven games in the Second Round, six games in the Conference Finals, and six more in the Championship Round.

At last, we can exhale.

The celebration was something. You've never seen Kevin Garnett like this, this emotional, this pumped up, this crazy -- this is way beyond the proverbial little kid on Christmas morning, or the toddler in a candy store. You've seen a bit of this when he won the gold medal back in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and you've also had a glimpse of this when the Timberwolves beat the Kings in Game 7 of the 2004 Western Semis.

But tonight was a WHOLE new level for Kevin Garnett.

He kept his game-face on and stayed extremely focused after the series wins against Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit. And as the Celtics progressed through the NBA Finals -- one win, two wins, three wins -- KG continued to stay business-like. And tonight, as the Celtics got that final win, it was like KG finally allowed himself to just let everything loose, smiling, screaming, cursing, clowning -- this IS Kevin Garnett. Unleashed. Finally. The only thing he didn't do were cartwheels.

The game itself was as perfect as Celtics fans could've hoped, filled with tremendous performances, superb shooting, terrific energy, tough plays, hardnose defense -- all of which led to a 39-point blowout victory. Kevin Garnett played like he had everything to prove. He was hungry, aggressive, and did not settle for jumpshots, finishing with 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block. He shot 8-12 from the field and made 6-7 freethrows. He led the Celtics charge in the first half, pouring in 17 points by halftime, and getting whatever looks he wanted.

Anyone who doubted Garnett or hated on him should probably go find a hole in the ground to crawl into. Because you were fooled. Because Kevin Garnett had always been a champion -- always played like one, always conducted himself as one.

Now he has a trophy to show for it.

Ray Allen caught fire in the second half. He was poked in the eye on a made layup (no foul call) in the first quarter, and was in the locker room for a long time. But he came back to a roaring crowd, with the Celtics working on a lead. And once the third quarter began, Ray Allen started to rain three's. One after another -- many of them wide open. He finished with a NBA Finals record-tying seven three-pointers made.

It was Rondo who found Ray on several of those treys. Rajon Rondo, oh man. He was unbelievable. Check out what he did tonight: 21 points, 7 rebounds (2 offensive), 8 assists, 6 steals, and just 1 turnover. That's simply amazing. He was all over the court tonight, ripping down rebounds, disrupting Lakers passes, snatching the rock out of the Lakers hands, driving the lane and finding shooters. His prints were all over this game.

Paul Pierce, the Finals MVP who had carried the Celtics in this series, dished out a game-high 10 assists. He didn't shoot great from the field, 3-14, but he got the line eight times (made seven). He was terrific overall tonight once again, and I'm happy he won Finals MVP -- he deserved every bit of it.

Perkins shook off his shoulder strain and started the game. He only played 13 minutes, but he was a real presence for us inside on the defensive end. We missed him in Game 5 when he sat out.

And what more can I say about James Posey and Eddie House. They have, in these Playoffs, hit big shots for us time and time again. And they were on cue again in Game 6 tonight. In fact, for a stretch in the second quarter, it was the Posey & House show. The score was 32-29 Celtics before Posey and House got started, and it was 43-29 when they were done. That's an 11-0 barrage by Posey and House together. Wicked.

This game was, in every sense, a team effort. Everyone stepped up, and everyone came to play on both ends of the floor. Doc Rivers, before the game, asked his team to play lockdown defense for 48 minutes. Throughout the Playoffs, the Celtics have played that kind of defense in spurts and stretches. Doc wanted it for a full 48 minutes. And the team obliged.

Kobe Bryant got hot early, scoring 11 points in the first six minutes of the game, hitting several long range three-pointers that were all well-defended. But the Celtics kept at it and shut him down for the rest of the game. In fact, the Celtics basically shut every Laker down, as Gasol couldn't get anything going; neither could Odom, Fisher, or any of their role players. The Celtics stole the ball from the Lakers 18 times (Rondo was literally everywhere). We forced 19 turnovers and committed only 7. We out-rebounded the Laker 48-29, and had 14 offensive boards to the Lakers 2. Heck, Rondo himself had as many offensive rebounds as the entire Lakers team. Controlling the glass was intrumental to our dominating win, where we led by as many as 43 points.

As the fourth quarter clock reached its final minutes, as we realized that the game was in the bag, Doc took out KG, Ray, and Paul to a standing ovation. The players hugged one another, KG started cussing, and Pierce poured Gatorade all over Doc.

Kevin Garnett is my favorite player of all time. It's hard to describe, for me as a long-time Kevin Garnett fan, what I'm feeling right now. It's been a long time coming, no doubt, and it's definitely a joyous moment. But there's no one single feeling -- it's actually a mix of triumph, validation, proudness, relief, happiness, satisfaction, appreciation, and gratefulness. And I'm not quite able to distill everything just yet.

I'm sure I'll have more to say in the coming days, once I have the chance to decompress a bit and digest everything, and to put everything into perspective. I'm definitely gonna be smilin' a lot, as I sift through all the coverage, photos, videos, and articles. And it's gonna be damn good to watch the Celtics championship parade on Thursday. But in the meantime, I'm just gonna enjoy this, and maybe eat some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I'll say this, though: Ultimately, the journey means more than the destination. This moment would not be as sweet as it is had the journey been easy. The process is what makes you a true fan, not the end reward or the triumph. Similarly for KG, the process is what makes him a champion, not the trophy or the ring.

Everything and anything in life that is worthwhile, needs to be earned.

So I would not trade any of those first round disappointments for anything. All those years of watching KG and the Timberwolves get bounced by stronger teams, of feeling the frustration and disappointment that accompany each defeat and setback, of continuing to roll with KG and root for him -- I think back now, and it was all worth it.

For this moment right here.

And I know that Kevin Garnett would tell you the same thing.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 1:20pm ET ----- Hate Harder

Kevin Garnett critics have come out to play.

Take Peter Vescey, for instance, and his latest venom in the New York Post. Of course, this is Peter Vescey after all, who no one likes. He makes everyone around him uncomfortable, and every time I see him on an NBA TV studio program, I want to change the channel. His caustic and spiteful tone and his natural tendency to hate on people are things we've all come to expect from him. But, looking at his choice of words and insults in yesterday's article, his attack on Garnett seems very personal.

I don't really know why he's so intently on trying to rip KG apart. Back in 1998 -- 10 years ago -- I remember him in the NBC studio with Hannah Storm, speaking fondly of Kevin Garnett. He said that Garnett was a refresing, great kid, that Garnett respectfully called him "Mr. Vescey" in interviews.

So I don't know what happened in these 10 years that made Vescey so bitter towards Garnett. Maybe because the Knicks suck, and he's just sniping at random targets. Maybe there's nothing else for him to write about. Or maybe it was Monday.

Who knows -- all I know is that he mocks Garnett by calling him "cocky" and a "fake franchise player." And that he moronically quotes Ron Artest, who attended Game 4 in Los Angeles: "Where's the fire when KG is down 20?" Artest said. "Watch how he goes back to huddle like a puppy. You're either a soldier all the time or you're not. You can't be a part-time soldier."

Wait a second, isn't this the same Ron Ron who onced quit on his team and asked the Pacers for some time off to work on his rap album?

Here's a pro tip, Mr. Vescey -- when you need to quote Ron Arest to help you make your point, you're shooting blanks. And your article sucks.

Kevin Garnett is a "fake franchise player?" Have you even been following the NBA this season? The Boston Celtics was not even relevant last year, winning merely 24 games, on the path to nowhere. Then they got Garnett, who came in and not only completely changed the attitude and culture of this team, but rerejuvenated basketball in Beantown. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, not known as defenders throughout their careers, are suddenly playing great D. Doc Rivers suddenly looks like a brilliant coach. Perkins and Rondo suddenly look like extremely promising talents. The Celtics suddenly won 66 games to finish the regular season. In other words, Kevin Garnett has totally lived up to the expectations and hype since the blockbuster trade was made last summer; his team is one win away from capturing the championship; and he is, in every sense of the tern, a true franchise player.

Peter Vescey, you are a moron. And your article is asinine.

As far as the general criticisms of KG go, I agree with the assertion that KG doesn't demand the ball enough during crunch time, and that he does not take it upon himself to make something happen late in games. But that is not the same thing as fading away or disappearing. He merely plays the same way in the fourth quarter as he does in the first quarter -- passing to open teammates, getting everyone involved, not deviating from the team concept.

Garnett is naturally a team-player and totally selfless, and I don't think there's anything wrong with playing that way. While I do think he could demand the ball a little more during crunchtime, and be more aggressive and get to the line, he's doing just fine. He knows that he has shooters out there, and he trusts his teammates. So why should he force the issue?

Game 6 is tonight. Perkins is out, still, meaning we're missing a major physical presence in the paint. Gasol and Odom had a field day in there in Game 5. This is a problem, and we need to deal with it.

Ray Allen, who was attending to his child's health issue immediately after Game 5, got back to Boston much later than the team. The mental switch (worried about his son) and physical adjustment (jetlag) will be something he needs to overcome.

Paul Pierce will still need to carry much of the scoring load, and put pressure on the Lakers' perimeter defense. Let's hope his knee holds up.

And Kevin Garnett, in his own words, played "like garbage" in Game 5. He knows he needs to play better, and not commit silly fouls or put himself in positions where the refs could call phantom fouls.

Just one more win. Let's hope tonight's the night where the dream finally comes true.

Go Celtics.

Monday, June 16, 2008, 12:11am ET ----- Not Quite

The good news is that we're going back to Boston.

The bad news is that the Lakers are coming with us.

Game 5 began the same way Game 4 did -- ominously -- with the Lakers jumping all over us. This was very disturbing. We can't be playing from behind, thinking we can always mount a successful comeback. We trailed by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, and yes we did stage another comeback -- except this time we made our comeback much quicker and earlier.

The difference was that in Game 4, we made the comeback and took the lead much later in the game, at a stretch where the game was during crunchtime and we were able to maintain our sense of urgency and adrenaline. But tonight, we quickly sliced the 19-point margin with a 15-0 run. And then it was like we just didn't know how to keep going and ride that momentum. It was almost as if we were satisfied just with erasing the 19-point deficit. I know we weren't thinking that, but it appeared that way from a execution and focus standpoint.

Paul Pierce was superb once again. He played amazing. Simply amazing. He drove to the basket incessantly, drawing fouls and splitting multiple defenders and twisting his way to the hoops time and time again. The Lakers could not stop him. He finished with 38 points, making 16-19 freethrows. He also had 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

Ray Allen was solid, but didn't have a great shooting night (4-13 field goals). He finished with 16 points, and hit three shots from beyond the arc.

James Posey played terrific, once again doing every little thing that doesn't necessarily show up on the boxscore. Sam Cassell came off the bench and hit some shots for us. Tony Allen gave us a lift as well. Overall, our bench did a fine job tonight.

His ankle not at 100%, Rondo started the game but was ineffective tonight. He needs to stop driving to pass, and start driving to score. He made some bad decisions and bad passes tonight, where he drove the lane and was wide open for a layup, but kicked it back out to a shooter. Take the shot, Rajon. Only pass if the defenders collapse on you; they haven't been doing that, so Rondo needs to finish those plays.

Kevin Garnett started off on a strong offensive note, hitting 4-6 shots early for 8 points in the first quarter. But he got in foul trouble early again and played just 11 minutes in the entire first half. He picked up his second foul (a bad call, if you watch the replays) with about a minute to go in the first quarter, went to sit down. Then came back in the second quarter and was immediately whistled for his third foul.

And as a result, KG could not find his offensive rhythm at all. Defensively, he was his excellent usual self -- 14 rebounds (7 offensive boards), 2 steals -- but he could not get a rhythm going on the offensive end. He even missed three freethrows (1-4), two of which were crucial misses late in the game.

So we're going back to the TD Banknorth Garden for Game 6. For various reasons -- big road challenge, putting a desperate team away, Father's Day, injuries situation -- I really wished that we could've won the series tonight. We had a great chance to win it. Even though we played so poorly, and even though we basically played much of the game without three of our starters (injuries, foul trouble), the game was still right there for our taking. But it didn't happen.

Now we really have to be careful. Things can unravel quickly if we don't take this series as soon as possible.

Because of his sprained ankle, Rondo is not playing at 100%. Kendrick Perkins didn't play tonight at all because of the shoulder injury, and is doubtful for Game 6. And Paul Pierce -- who refused an MRI because he does not want to know the result until the Finals are over -- is playing his heart out on a hurt knee. The longer this series goes, the more worn out we become; we've already played 25 Playoff games in the past two months out of a possible 26. So like I said, we really need to win this series as quickly as possible.

One positive is that now we can win in front of our home crowd -- Celtics fans in Boston deserve to be a part of it, and they will get the chance to cheer on their team in Game 6 and Game 7. Obviously, every Celtics fan hopes that Game 7 won't be necessary.

Another positive is that Kevin Garnett will get an opportunity to clinch a championship on a better performance than he had tonight. Foul trouble really hurt his edge in the past two games, and overall he hasn't shot the ball well in past four games.

So expect a big game from KG Tuesday night.

Friday, June 13, 2008, 12:49am ET ----- The Monument

Game 4 will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history, and will be forever talked about and cemented in Celtics lore.

This is the stuff champions are made of.

The only thing more stunning than how atrocious the Celtics played in the first half was how awesome they played in the second half. When the first quarter ended, Kevin Garnett was sitting on the bench with two early fouls, and the Celtics were trailing by 21 points -- the largest first quarter deficit in Finals history. I was in utter shock.

Everything looked grim. Everything suddenly got on my nerve -- from the ugly-assed Vujacic celebration on the Lakers bench to the 9 millionth time Mike Breen said "Puts it in!" -- I was extremely irritated. The Celtics trailed by as many as 24 points in the second quarter (down 45-21 midway through the period), looking out of sync, lost, both offensively and defensively challenged as the Lakers poured it on. This is the NBA Finals -- what on Earth are the Celtics doing.

Then, slowly, signs of pulse.

Like a ice-sculptor patiently and intently chipping away at a block of ice, the Celtics encroached on the Lakers colossal lead. Every blow and every run we mustered was met by a definitive response, as the Lakers held us off. When we managed to slice the lead to 12 four minutes after being down 24, the Lakers responded by scoring five straight points to push it up to 17. When we cut the lead to 15, thinking that would be the decifit going into halftime, the Lakers (Farmar) drained a heartwrenching buzzer-beating trey for an 18-point lead.

The block of ice was not giving way.

But giving up was not an option.

Third quarter. Celtics chipped the lead to 12 points (60-48) again on a Kevin Garnett jumper at the 9:55 mark. The pulse of life was beating, but the Lakers snatched it again. Los Angeles pushed the lead back up to 20 (70-50) at the halfway mark of the quarter. This was Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and we trailed by 20 points midway through the third quarter. Our every advance was denied, every punch counterpunched, every run met by another.

The block of ice was still looking every bit as unmanageble and daunting as it did in the first half.

And then, it happened. A 21-3 run by the Celtics to end the third quarter -- Pierce driving layup, House three-pointer, Ray Allen freethrows, Posey layup, PJ Brown slam dunk, to list a few play-by-play seqeuences -- and the score was suddenly 73-71 Lakers.

Four quarter. Leon Powe jumpshot. Boom. Tie game. The two teams traded baskets for the next few minutes, with the Celtics unable to take the lead despite having several opportunities to convert. Just more than halfway through the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant dunked the ball to give the Lakers a four point lead. But the Celtics kept at it, working intently to fight through the adversity.

Until finally, a breakthrough.

Eddie House jumpshot at 4:07 -- Celtics lead 84-83, their first lead of the entire game. And they maintained it.

Ray Allen's sick reverse layup pushed it to a three point lead. Kevin Garnett's jumper dropped through for a five point lead. Celtics hit big shot after big shot -- Pierce freethrow, Posey three-pointer, Ray Allen clearout driving left-handed layup, House freethrow -- and there it was.

The ice in front of us, no longer the block it used to be, is a lovely sculpture that looks more and more like the Larry O'Brien trophy.

It's not quite ours yet. But almost.

In thinking about not just this game, but also about Kevin Garnett's entire career, I'm reminded of a quote by Jacob Riis, a 19th century social reformer. I came across the quote just recently and it has quickly become an instant favourite. Even though it's a motto that hangs as a banner above the entrance of an enemy locker room (San Antonio Spurs), it's still a valuable lesson that rings true. And they are indeed words to live by:

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

All that had gone before.

Kevin Garnett is here today because he's been hammering away at that rock (or block of ice) for so long. Making the jump from high school to the NBA, proving doubters and haters wrong, putting up extra shots after practice, working on each go-to move, perfecting footwork and that turnaround jumper, studying film and tape, becoming an elite player, battling year after year in the cut-throat Western Conference, getting bounced in the first round seven consecutive years, losing in Game 6 of the West Finals, missing the Playoffs altogether for the next three seasons, getting a new start in a new city with high expectations and intense scrutiny.

Blow after blow. It's the process that got him here.

And finally, that stone is about to split into two. That block of ice is about to turn into a work of art. A monument that Kevin Garnett can call his own.

All that's needed, is to deliver one final blow.

Game 5 is Sunday.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 11:59pm ET ----- Missed Opportunity

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce played terrible.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Gotta keep it real and tell it like it is. KG and Paul stunk it up tonight in Game 3, and we missed a perfect opportunity to go up 3-0. Instead, the series is now 2-1, with the next two games still in Los Angeles.

The Celtics were down by as many as 11 points. But even though KG and Pierce couldn't find the basket at all in the first half -- if I remember right, KG was 1-9 at one point, and Pierce was 1-8 or something like that -- we were still in the game. Ray Allen was on tonight, as he and the role players kept us within striking distance. We clawed back and took the lead in the third quarter. It was a small lead, two points here, four points there, as both teams traded baskets back and forth late in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant played brilliantly and seemingly very aggressively (getting to the line over and over and over again in the first half) throughout the game. And he hit several clutch baskets as the Lakers re-took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and pulled away. Kobe finished with 36 points on 12-20 shooting, and 11-18 from freethrows. Another player that really hurt us tonight was Vujacic. It's one thing to have Kobe Bryant going off like that, but it's unacceptable to have Sasha Vujacic punk us. How the hell can you let this boy drop 20 points on you.

Ray Allen was splendid tonight, scoring 25 points on 8-13 shooting, including 5-7 from downtown. Ray's defense on Kobe was as good as anyone could've played -- but great offense generally beats great defense, and there was nothing more Ray could've done to keep Kobe in front of him and contest every shot. James Posey was terrific as well, hustling and doing the little things that don't always show up on a stats sheet. Rondo played well, despite missing some time due to the mild ankle sprain he suffered during the game.

Kevin Garnett had an ugly shooting night, 6-21 from the field. Defensively, he was superb as usual -- 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal. But too many jumpshots on the offensive end. KG a good jumpshooter, but if it's not falling, he should post-up more and try to get to the line (he was only 1-2 from the foul line tonight). KG found some rhythm in the third quarter -- I think he had like 7 or 9 points in the quarter -- but when the fourth quarter started, he was on the bench for his usual rest. I agree with Jeff Van Gundy: Doc should've kept KG and Pierce in the game to start the fourth quarter. This is the NBA Finals -- everyone should be ready to play heavy minutes and take less rest. We led by two points going into the fourth quarter, and we should have come out swinging big. Instead, KG and Pierce sat on the bench when the quarter began, and Vujacic immediately hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers the lead.

The other big NBA news tonight was the Tim Donaghy situation. Of course, David Stern and the NBA have and will vehemently deny everything Donaghy is saying, and dismiss his claims as nothing more than a desperate man trying to lessen his sentence (which will be on July 14). But if there's an ounce of truth to what Donaghy is alleging -- then the repercussions will really hurt basketball and the integrity of the league. Donaghy implied that the 2002 Kings-Lakers series was heavily influenced by NBA officials and refs, alleging that Game 6 was essentially handed to the Lakers to win so that they could force Game 7 against the Kings.

Everyone knows that the NBA is a business. Networks like TNT and ABC/ESPN are a business. The longer a series goes on for, the more viewers they attract and the more money they all make. That's why they would prefer a series to go six or seven games instead of four or five -- because more games means more ratings and revenues. Why do you think they changed the first round format from best-of-five to best-of-seven in 2002-2003?

And also, had the Lakers not beat the Kings in the Western Conference Finals that year, the 2002 NBA Finals would've been Sacramento vs. New Jersey. Which match-up do you think would've generated higher ratings and more revenue for the NBA, Lakers-Nets or Kings-Nets? The answer is obvious, even if David Stern will never admit it.

But here's the important distinction: Hoping for longer series or wishing for certain dream match-ups (Lakers-Celtics anyone?) is one thing. But influencing and manipulating outcomes is another. I'm not sure I believe everything Donaghy is saying. First of all, this is not a man of integrity to begin with. He is a convincted felon (something David Stern was keen to stress repeatly when speaking with reporters tonight upon arriving at the Staples Center loading dock) and he is facing prison time. He and his lawyers obviously are doing everything they can to get him as light a sentence as possible, by "cooperating" with the investigation and implicating as many people as possible. He'll throw the entire league under the bus if he thinks he can get his sentence reduced. And also, the sudden revelation of these allegations arguably came as a retaliatory response to the NBA's demand of $1 million in restituion.

So take what Donaghy is claiming with a grain of salt.

But whether or not there is any validity and credibility to Donaghy's claims, it does take away some of the enjoyment of these NBA Finals games. As a fan, you start to unconsciously question every call, every whistle. You wonder why Kobe Bryant was all of a sudden getting ten freethrow attempts in the first quarter alone. You wonder if there was a memo sent to the refs, mandating them to offset the freethrow disparity from the first two games and make up the difference, or if it was just the Lakers simply being extra aggressive tonight.

You wonder if somehow the NBA is sweet on Kobe Bryant and want to capitalize on his MVP season and renewed popularity. You wonder why ABC/ESPN keeps gushing about how great Kobe is, fawning over his every move, every basket, and every gesture. You wonder why a Kevin Garnett alley-oop gets no replay, but a Kobe Bryant layup gets replays from multiple angles.

You wonder if this series will somehow and inexplicably go seven games.

But do remember this, it's nobody else's fault when you shoot 6-21 and 2-14.

That's on you.

Monday, June 9, 2008, 11:05am ET ----- Ubuntu

That should be our mindset as the series site moves to Los Angeles. Ubuntu.

Just like all season.

Being up 2-0 is as good as we could've hoped for coming into this series (or any series). But nothing is automatic or guaranteed. We of all people should know that, considering what we went through against Atlanta and Cleveland. All we've done so far in the Finals is hold serve at home. Now we take the show on the road, and we gotta continue to play as a team for that common goal.

Ubuntu.

I almost missed the game last night. About two hours before tipoff, all the power went out in my home. I had to go find myself a TV, so my sis and I went to a nearby hotel bar, ordered orange juice, and watched the game from there. I got a call early in the first quarter, telling me that the power had returned. So we went home at halftime to watch the rest of the game.

Overall, it was a great game. But the fourth quarter was quite a scare. In fact, we stunk so bad in the fourth quarter and got so lackadaisical that it must be discussed. We almost blew a 24-point lead. Yes, that's right -- we led by 24 points (95-71) with just under 8 minutes to go in the game.

Seemed like a more than comfortable enough lead, right?

Wrong.

In fact, it was too comfortable. So comfortable that we relaxed and stopped playing basketball. We took rushed-shots, played no defense, and gave up way too many three-pointers to the Lakers. Check this, we let the Lakers score 41 points in that fourth quarter. And we let them cut the lead all the way down to two with 38 seconds left in the game. How we went managed to go from a 24-point lead to a mere 2-point lead in about half a quarter is beyond me. It was pretty disturbing (and horrifying) to watch.

But we managed to wake up in the final seconds, played some actual defense, draw some fouls, and hit all of our freethrows. So the Celtics held on, and won 108-102. It was quite a relief.

Second-year Leon Powe played the best Playoff game of his life, scoring 21 points on 6-7 shooting in just 15 minutes of play. Think about that for a minute. He played just 15 minutes. He got the line 13 times (made 9). Virtually all of his shots came around the basket -- mainly dunks -- meaning he was active and aggresive, and got his hands ready for passes. He even had one sequence where he dribbled the length of the floor and went in for the wide open dunk all by himself.

And with that -- if the Celtics manage to win these Finals -- Powe has just made himself part of the Celtics folklore.

Rajon Rondo also played a critical role. He had 16 assists and just 2 turnovers (one of which was an offensive foul). His assist-to-turnover ratio has been remarkable in these Playoffs. One play stuck out in my mind, where Rondo drove the lane, faked a behind-the-back-pass, brough the ball back to the front for a shot, and then passed it off last minute to a wide open Powe for the dunk.

Another play that stuck out was where he blocked the 6'10" Radmanovic's three-point attempt -- just met him at the top and snuffed him -- and ran down court. Kevin Garnett, catching the errant ball, fired the long pass to Rondo, who finished the break with the one-handed dunk.

One area Rondo really needs to improve is his freethrow shooting -- especially as a point guard. He hasn't been consistent at the line, and we need him to knock those down. I'm sure he knows this.

Paul Pierce shrugged off his sore knee and continued his hot shooting, scoring 28 points on 9-16 shooting, including nailing all four of his three-pointers. He also had 4 rebounds and 8 assists. Ray Allen seems to have left his much publicized/discussed shooting slump in the dust. He scored 17 points on 6-11 shooting, and hitting 3-6 from downtown. Kevin Garnett chipped in 17 points as well, and ripped down 14 rebounds.

As a team, one thing that really stuck out was that we shot 38 freethrows... compared to 10 by the Lakers. That's a HUGE disparity. Powe had more freethrow attempts himself than the entire Lakers team. I don't know if it was the advantage of being at home, or just the fact that we were more aggressive overall -- but don't expect those calls when we get to LA. Phil Jackson is already complaining and planting the seeds for how the next few games might be officiated. The Celtics just need to continue to attack, and not get discouraged if calls don't go our way.

And with the victory last night, the Celtics are two wins away from winning the championship. The nearly-blown lead notwithstanding, we should be pleased with the 2-0 lead. But not satisfied, obviously.

Only three teams in NBA Finals history had come back from a 0-2 deficit ('69 Celtics, '77 Blazers, '06 Heat). So we have history on our side, as it is rare for a team up 2-0 to blow a series in the Finals. But history doesn't mean a thing if we don't come out and play the right way. Again, nothing is automatic -- just ask Dallas, who two years ago blew a 2-0 Finals lead to the Miami Heat. A 2-0 lead is just a cushion for us going into the next three games, which are ALL in Los Angeles.

Considering what we did in the Pistons series, it seems that we have snapped out of our road woes. Hopefully, the roadkills of the Hawks series and the Cavs series are long gone, and that we've turned from road worriers to road warriors. And we'll need to be tough for the next three games in LA.

If all goes well, the next time we come back to Boston, we'll be carrying some hardware with us. But let's take this one game at a time. First let's focus on Game 3, which is tomorrow night.

Go Celtics.

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 6:33pm ET ----- They Can't Handle The Truth

"They" as in LA. The media. The Lakers fans. Phil Jackson.

They can't handle The Truth.

So they go and come up excuses on why the Celtics won Game 1. Because apparently there's nothing else to write about, and it's too hard to give credit where it's due. Gotta blame the loss on something, right? They claim that Pierce faked the severity of his injury, that he was acting, and that he was over-dramatic trying to incite the home crowd.

Give me a break.

I'm not surprised to hear Phil Jackson suggest this notion after Game 1 -- he is the master of mind games, after all. And he's always been adept at trying to get under the skin of the fans in opposing cities. Just ask Sacramento fans.

But of course, certain columnists of the LA press took this and ran with it, accusing Pierce of acting. That's the media for you -- it's hardly surprising considering it's Lakers-vs-Celtics, a rivalry rekindled. And the media will write about anything to fuel the flame. What are you gonna do.

Just play basketball. That's what.

And focus on Game 2 tomorrow night.

By his own admission, Kevin Garnett thought he himself played "terrible" in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and promises to be better in Game 2. His 1-6 shooting in the fourth quarter was indeed really poor. Obviously, he redeemed himself with that ferocious putback slam over Gasol with about a minute and a half to go, and followed that with two freethrows to keep the lead safe -- but he knows that he needs to play better offensively in the fourth quarter.

"I thought I got my hands on loose balls," KG said. "(I had) a lot of shots I knew I could make, rhythm shots, and I just missed them. I thought I was active. I was talkative, but I could be better, and I will be."

Not all the articles out of the LA press are idiotic. There was a nice one about KG, with mentions of his Farragut Academy days with Ronnie Fields. Worth a read.

So Game 2 is tomorrow night on ABC. I prefer TNT's crew over ABC/ESPN's, but ABC is doing a decent job in these Playoffs. Mike Breen is a great play-by-play man, but somehow I prefer his work back in the NBC days. Jeff Van Gundy is hilarious as an analyst. This guy should get his own reality TV show. There should be a camera crew that follows him around all day. Of all the people in the world who you'd expect to be so tightly wound and NOT funny, he surprises you with his funny but insightful material, comedic timing, and delivery. He is great in his observations and self-deprecating humor. It's almost certain that in each game, he'll say something that will make you laugh.

So set that lasting image of Van Gundy clinging to Zo's leg in the 1998 Playoffs aside for a moment, and enjoy his commentary for the Finals.

Mark Jackson, on the other hand -- who gushes about Kobe each and every game, and who thinks Kobe might be better than MJ -- is grating as an analyst for the most part. This is the same Mark Jackson that was trying to land the Knicks head-coaching job a few weeks back. I'm sure no team owner or exec want to have anything to do with a candidate who actually thinks Kobe is better than Michael.

In the studio, you have Stuart Scott, Michael Wilbon, and Jon Barry. Stuart Scott does a nice job, though sometimes he seems overly exicted about the littlest things, as if trying to pump up everything he's saying. If you want a perfect studio host with the right voice and tone, look at Ernie on TNT.

Michael Wilbon, who always appears to desperately want to be taken seriously when he speaks, probably doesn't know what he's talking about half the time. And he can be so full of it. Remember, this is the same cat who back in 1995 for the Washington Post, criticized Kevin Garnett for jumping from high shcool to the NBA, and said that KG would surely crumble.

(For those of you who don't remember or don't know, Wilbon wrote an article titled "Prep Star Garnett is NBA's Fool Gold" on May 28, 1995 for the Washington Post, before KG was drafted, saying:

"First of all, Kevin Garnett is not ready to play in the NBA. He just isn't close. We're going to assume his coach simply hasn't seen enough NBA games, live, up-close. The kid isn't physically ready to play under the basket in the Big Ten, much less against Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. His skill level isn't high enough; he isn't savvy enough.")

Jon Barry, the third member of the ABC/ESPN studio team, usually makes more sense when he talks, so he's a good presence in the studio. At least I value what he has to say.

I like the Ultra Mo cam, which captures all the the super slow-mo highlights that you see on ABC/ESPN. The cameras capture the action at 250 frames per second, and the footage is awesome. It would've been even sicker if they shot the game at 1000 frames per second -- like in my girl Sanya Richards' Nike ad. ABC/ESPN can afford the equipment, don't lie.

Friday, June 6, 2008, 12:02pm ET ----- We Want The Truth

It's just past midnight here on the East coast. Game 1 was as good as promised, filled with excitment, drama, big plays, highlights, heroics, and an outcome that was sure to please every Celtics fan.

These Finals should draw some high ratings for ABC/ESPN and the NBA. LA is the second largest televion market in the U.S. Boston is the seventh largest. And both cities are rich in basketball history. And of course, you have stars like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

I know every Celtics fan is pumped after Game 1. Heck, I can't even view my own site right now because of all the traffic -- I can update it, but I can't view it. Geocities...

First off, Paul Pierce. Oh my goodness. Talk about being heroic and inspirational for your team and your fans. He was in a lot of pain with that sprained knee -- he said he heard it pop as he went down in the third quarter after colliding with Perk -- and he had to be carried off the floor. It was such a scary and demoralizing sight for all Celtics fans, especially with the Celtics trailing by five points at the time and not playing too well. But Pierce trotted back out soon after -- to a standing ovation from the TD Banknorth Garden crowd -- determined to get out there and test that knee.

He scored 15 points in that third quarter, including hitting back-to-back threes, one of which was a huge four-point play [Edit: Correction, the four-point play came early in the third quarter before his injury; his back-to-back threes came after he made his return].

I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Paul Pierce everyday.

I hope his knee feels alright tomorrow... because he played on pure adrenaline tonight. He'll probably be sore in the morning, but hopefully he'll be fine for Game 2.

The Big Three played like the Big Three in their first Finals appearance. Paul Pierce finished with 22 points on 7-10 shooting (he was 1-4 in the first half, and went 6-6 the rest of the game). Kevin Garnett was on fire in the first half, scoring 16 points, but struggled with his jumpshot in the second half. KG finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal. He came up huge in the final minutes of the game, flushing home a monster putback dunk over Gasol, and tipping and grabbing some key rebounds. Ray played a strong all-around game, with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists.

It's worth noting that Ray played some good D on Kobe tonight, staying down on those pumpfakes and challenging when appropriate. But he's gonna need help with guarding Kobe in this series. That's why we play team defense.

It was not just the Big Three who came to play. Rajon Rondo had a wonderful night -- 15 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds -- and got the line 10 times. PJ Brown's defense and presence must be mentioned as well. And despite getting a little trigger-happy later in the game, Sam Cassell hit some big shots for us in the first half. Look for Sam to continue to post-up Fisher when the opportunity presents itself.

Our defense was solid. There were some iffy sequences in the first half where we guarded the Lakers pick-and-roll very poorly, as Gasol got some really easy buckets. But we got it together as the game went on, cutting off open lanes and doubling at appropriate times. Kobe shot 9-26, so we gotta be pleased with that. Overall, we held the Lakers to just 88 points, which is almost 18 points less than their 105.86 average in the first three rounds. I say we did a pretty nice job -- but there's a lot of room for improvement.

I want to mention Pau Gasol for a second. The Celtics need to be careful with him. Gasol is an excellent catcher, has a very soft touch, and finishes well around the basket. And more importantly, Kobe seems to trust Gasol a lot, and is very willing to pass to him. Contrast this with Kwame Brown, who has bad hands and can't catch the ball well. Kobe and Gasol play really well together, and the Celtics need to watch out on those pick-and-rolls.

So Game 1 is in the books. It was a close game throughout, with many ties and lead changes -- definitely an exciting one, and lived up to the hype. The Celtics have a lot of room for improvement, and need to defend better. If Game 1 was any indication, this series will be another dogfight.

It's just one win. We need three more.

Game 2 is on Sunday.

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 1:24pm ET ----- Chasing a Dream

Tipoff of the 2008 NBA Finals is less than than eight hours away. The euphoria of being Eastern Conference champs has given way to the gravity of the task at hand.

The Celtics need to win four games before the Lakers do. That's what it boils down to.

I've been watching and reading up on a lot of the coverage, including yesterday's media availability. Everyone's really looking forward to the series, but it seems that there are a lot of analysts and "experts" who think the Lakers are the favourites to win.

At first I couldn't understand why. I mean, we won 66-games in the regular season, and we have three all-stars who can put points on the board and defend. So why do these people think the Lakers' offense will overwhelm us? Why do they think that the Lakers will win in six or seven games because they believe that "Kobe won't be denied this time."

On what do they base this on?

Then I saw it. They pointed out our current subpar Playoff record (12-8) compared to the Lakers' sparkling record (12-3). They pointed out our struggles on the road and our inability to win in Atlanta and Cleveland against clearly inferior opponents. They pointed out how the Lakers were able to sweep Denver, clinch two series on the road (in Denver and in Utah), and put away the defending champs in five games. They pointed out the Lakers' high-powered Playoff scoring (105.86 points per game, best among all 16 Playoff teams) and the Celtics' anemic offense (91.55 points per game). They pointed out how the Celtics' Big Three haven't been able to get going offensively consistently at the same time. They pointed out how the Lakers, like a well-oiled machine, were able to have their way offensively even in the face of the vaunted Spurs defense. And they pointed out the notion that the Lakers have the best player and closer on the planet in Kobe Bryant.

So really, it's all just based on the past month. Just like that, the Lakers are the darling of the media, who have found their feel-good story of the day.

That's the media for you. I'm not surprised.

Simply put, the Cetlics can't worry about what the so called "analysts" and "experts" think. Pay them no mind. Just focus on the task at hand. We should feel good about our chances, and just defend, rebound, execute, and play our brand of basketball.

This is what you play for right here. For that golden trophy. Chasing down that dream.

To me, Kevin Garnett will always be a champion -- with or without a ring. A reporter yesterday kept asking each player on the podium if a ring validates a great player, trying to get each player's take on the topic. You think about the Patrick Ewings, Charles Barkleys, Reggie Millers, Karl Malones, John Stocktons -- great player who have been in the Finals but never got over the hump. And you hope that Kevin Garnett, right now in the biggest games of his career, does get over that hump. For a good read, check out Steve Aschburner's latest.

Chasing that ring, in the words and metaphors of Kevin Garnett (while he was still a Timberwolf):

"Getting knocked off, knocking at the door, no one answering -- those things are not only humbling, but they put a different kind of fire in you. Every time you come up short, it's like seeing that girl in school every day that you're sweet on. She ain't ever said two words to you, but all of a sudden she smiles at you. That turns into a 'Hi!' A 'Hi!' turns into a walk down the hall. And then when you get that phone number, 'OK, cool!'

"When you get to the Western Conference finals, you feel like you've got the phone number. And then you lose the phone number. And she moves away to a different school.

"You have no way of getting in contact with her and you feel like you're moving backward now. You don't know any of her friends. But you know what school she's going to, so you can go up there, sit in the parking lot and look really stalk-ish."

I think it's time to be upfront and honest with the girl, tell her how you feel and let her know whassup.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 5:52pm ET ----- Anticipation

Like the rest of y'all, I'm totally psyched about the Finals.

It's been five days since we last played. Everyone's had a chance to catch their breaths for a little bit, and think about the task at hand. Has it sunk it yet -- the fact that KG, Paul, and Ray are in the Finals at long last? Not all of it has sunk in yet. If you told me last year at this time, as a Kevin Garnett fan, that KG would be in the 2008 NBA Finals as a Boston Celtic, I would said you was crazy. Now here we are, after a wonderful regular season, after a tough trip through the Eastern Conference Playoffs where we knocked off Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit -- we're finally here.

It's almost surreal. I think it'll truly hit when the ball goes up tomorrow night at the Garden.

And then it's all business again. Back to the grind.

As a diehard Kevin Garnett fan and this being a Kevin Garnett fansite, I tend to focus on KG in what I write. But this series is not just about KG. Longtime Celtics fans will tell you, that there's a great sense of history and rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers. All eyes will be on this series, and fans from both sides are extremely passionate. By the way, I may be a relatively new Celtics fan -- obviously I became one when KG joined the team -- but don't ever call me a bandwagon fan.

I cheer for this team not because of their sudden re-newed success. In fact, had this team not finished with 66-wins, or had this team missed the Playoffs, I would still be a Celtics fan. Simply because Kevin Garnett wears that jersey.

Luckily, we did win 66 games, and we are in the Finals. And here we are, talking about it.

Let's talk about Kobe Bryant for a second. Over the years in this space, I think I've been pretty clear on what I think of him -- I love him as a basketball player and as a competitor, but I don't like him as a person. I'm going to focus on the basketball part, since this is what it's all about right now. So I'm gonna give Kobe the basketball player all the props he deserves. I love his game obviously, and I will not debate the notion that he's the best player in the league right now. His MVP is well-deserved, and he's had a brilliant season.

It's shocking, for him to go from a type of gloomy ugly off-season where he publicly ripped Andrew Bynum and demanded to be traded, to playing in June for the NBA title once again. And the team didn't even make any huge changes. They were good before they traded for Ga- -- excuse me, before they got Gasol for free. So other than acquiring Gasol, all that was different from last season were the return of Fisher, the internal improvement/development of their young players, and perhaps a boost in team chemistry and bonding.

That's it. What a difference a year makes.

The Celtics, on the other hand, got here through a massive overhaul. First the lottery ping pong balls didn't go their way, then they traded for Ray Allen. And then the seven-for-one-Kevin-Garnett trade. Then Posey, House. Then mid-season, Cassell and Brown joined the team.

And now the two teams are about to collide in the 2008 NBA Finals. For all the marbles.

The Lakers offense is scary. The Celtics defense will be put to the test. In the series against Atlanta (Joe Johnson) and Cleveland (LeBron), the Celtics didn't really have to worry about any other stars going off. Yes, Joe Smith and Wally hit some shots every once in a while, but they weren't really causes for worry. And in the series against Detroit, the Celtics didn't even have to deal with a superstar who could take over games like Johnson and LeBron.

Now, against the Lakers, it's different. Not only do the Lakers have a superstar who could take over the game anytime he wants, they also have other capable stars on the team. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom will be a handful for the Celtics. Kobe definitely has a lot of firepower around him to do some serious damage if the Celtics don't defend properly.

Keep in mind that the Finals format is 2-3-2, with the first two games in Boston, next three games in LA, and the last two back in Boston. This means that it is important for the Celtics to win the first two games at home. It's shaky to be tied 1-1 going to LA for the next three games. But if what we did in the Pistons series is any indication, I believe we can execute and win on the road.

On paper, this will be a dope dope series to watch and be a part of. I can't wait for tomorrow.

Friday, May 30, 2008, 11:32pm ET ----- At Last

Yes. Yes yes yes. Hell yes.

I don't even know what to say right now, I'm just really amped and happy for KG. If you're a Kevin Garnett fan, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you're a Kevin Garnett fan, you've been through the seven consecutive first round exits, you've been through all those years of disappointments and bad/none draft picks, you've been through the magical 2004 ride that was shot down in the Conference Finals (by you-know-who), and you've been through the past three seasons of not even sniffing the Playoffs.

So y'all feel me right now.

Just moments ago, the Boston Celtics closed out the series against Detroit at the Palace. It was done in a dramatic, emphatic way. Imagine being down 10 points in the fourth quarter, after leading by about five points for most of the game. Imagine having that lead slip away. Imagine suddenly having some really suspect whistles called against you. Imagine the Pistons licking their chops, sensing blood and anticipating Game 7. Imagine the Palace crowd taunting and rooting against you.

Well we don't have to imagine -- that was Game 6 right there. That's what we had to overcome. We staged quite a run in the fourth quarter to re-take the lead and to maintain it. It wasn't easy, and there were some heroic plays -- e.g., Posey knocking the ball out of Prince's hands come; Rondo leaping up to intercept a Rasheed pass and wisely aborting a one-on-one fastbreak in favor of using a clock and getting a better shot; KG and Pierce both hitting key jumpers; Perk blocking a Chauncey teardrop, etc.

The Celtics outscored the Pistons 29-13 in the fourth quarter. Think about that -- that's amazing. Paul Pierce was at his best, finishing with 27 on 8-12 shooting. He got the line 13 times, and you could see his aggressiveness manifested in his drives and spin moves into the lane. He had some really great plays. I must say, the more I watch Pierce, the bigger fan I'm becoming of his. I used to respect his game, but didn't really find him exciting or fun to watch. I used to think that he was just a slightly smaller, less athletic, less flashy version of Carmelo Anthony -- a one-dimensional scorer who could get his shot off anytime, but not committed to defense. I am big fan of Pierce now. Love his game.

Ray Allen seemed to have rediscovered part of his shooting groove for good. He picked up where he left off in Game 5, and hit three three-pointers in this game as part of his 17 points. He shot 6-12 overall and 3-8 from threes.

Kevin Garnett struggled in the first half, couldn't hit his shots despite starting 2-2, and couldn't find his offensive game. He was also in foul trouble for much of the game. But He caught fire in the second half, and finished with 16 points on 7-16 shooting.

All in all, it was an excellent team effort. Players made plays, and we finally win a series on a road. This is the first time for KG, by the way, clinching a series on the road.

So at last, the NBA Finals.

Kevin Garnett is in the NBA Finals. Repeat that to yourselves a few times, let it sink in. Basketball's greatest stage, and KG is finally here. We as fans probably feel a sense of vindication. Of validation. And we've earned every right to feel like we're on top of the world for the time being. It's quite an euphoria, especially as the clock ticked down and we were on our way to becoming Eastern Conference champs.

But look at the facial expression of Kevin Garnett in the Michelle Tafoya interview immediately following the game. Just look at that expression.

That cat's still all business. Game-face still on.

This cat is god-damn serious. (See the pic below? -- I did not Photoshop that or do anything to it -- that is Kevin Garnett's actual in-game facial expression.)

Kevin Garnett knows.

He knows that nothing's been accomplished yet. Our goal remains. We're playing for the Championship, not for a Finals appearance. Beating the Pistons -- as great as it is -- is just a part of the process. It only brings us closer to the ultimate goal. The journey continues, as there is still something standing between us and the destination -- the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kevin Garnett fans know the answer to this question -- who were the last two teams to eliminate KG and the Timberwolves from the Playoffs? Answer: The Lakers. And who was on those Lakers teams? Kobe Bryant.

The first time was in 2002-2003, the first year that the NBA went to the seven-game first-round format. Minnesota finally had homecourt advantage for the first time in franchise history, and who did they draw in Round One? The defending champs LA Lakers in a 7-Game format. KG and the T-Wolves managed to go up 2-1, but lost the that series 4-2.

Second time came the following year, the KG-MVP season, with the three-headed monster (KG-Spree-Sam) and with the 58-win Timberwolves team. After beating the Nuggets and the Kings in the first two rounds, KG and Co. saw the Lakers standing in their way again. This time, the Lakers had four future Hall-of-Famers. And with Sam Cassell injured for much of the series, the Timberwolves fell to the Lakers in six games again.

Now in 2008, look who is standing between KG and the NBA championship. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers again.

I don't really want to talk about Kobe Bryant at the moment. Every fan who follows basketball and the NBA already has an opinion about him. So whether you love him or hate him, know that he's arguably the current best player on the planet, and that this series will be made difficult for the Celtics simply because of his presence alone.

And Kobe is not alone. He has Pau Gasol with him now. He has Lamar Odom. He has Derek Fisher again. There's a reason why this Lakers team had the best record in the West this year. There's a reason why this Lakers team took out the defending champion Spurs in five games like it was nothing. They are for real. The Celtics need to continue to play as a team, defend as a team, rebound, take care of the ball, and execute on the offensive end. Remember, this will be the first Finals experience for Paul and Ray as well. Other than Sam Cassell and James Posey who have rings, no one else on the Celtics has played in the Finals either. So this has to be done as a collective effort, and done the right way to captitalize on this terrific opportunity to win it all.

This Celtics-Lakers series will draw some serious ratings. I'm no conspiracy theorist, and I don't think the league was pushing for these two teams to meet in the Finals -- but you gotta admit, David Stern is smiling somewhere. Two flagship teams of historical significance meet in the Finals, with superstar players on each side. It's gonna be ratings bonanza.

Game 1 will be next Thursday June 5th. So we have some time to rest and to prepare for the series. I hope rust doesn't kick in, though. We've grown accustomed to playing every other day in these Playoffs, and it's been a nice rhythm. Now we have 5+ days of not playing. The good thing is that the Lakers are off, too. So both teams should be on equal footing in terms of the rest-rust balance come Thursday.

In the meantime, we as fans can enjoy this for a bit. Kevin Garnett in the NBA Finals. That's whassup.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 11:47pm ET ----- To The Brink

I'm gonna run out of nails to bite on if this keeps up. But as long as we win, I don't care -- I'll keep bitin' on whatever.

Just moments ago, we won Game 5 to take a critical 3-2 lead in this series. It was one of those games that brought so many emotions out of you -- as the fans watching at home, as the crowd attending live, and as the players battling your heart out.

For instance, I was pretty pissed throughout the game, especially when we just gave away points to the Pistons (on stupid things like lane violations), flatout turned the ball over, and when the BS calls started showing up and impacting the game. Flagrant foul on PJ Brown? Travel call on Ray Allen when he clearly got fouled all over his arm?

I was also furious that we didn't protect our 17-point lead in the third quarter and 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. We played sloppily as soon as we got the big lead, took bad shots, passed up good shots, and didn't get back in transition after our misses. And we let the Pistons back into the game.

It was upsetting and disturbing that we almost threw the game away and didn't maintain our focus after getting the lead. On the other hand, I was pumped to see Ray Allen go off like that. His 29 points on 9-15 shooting, 5-6 three-point shooting, and 6-6 freethrow shooting were absolutely vital tonight. He and Rip have been going at it pretty hard all series. UConn vs UConn. I'll take Shuttlesworth over Rip any day. Ray wore an armsleeve tonight -- you wonder if it's because of all that clawing and grabbing by Hamilton.

I must also discuss, of course, the play of Kendrick Perkins tonight. He was a BEAST in the paint. Playoff career highs in points (18) and rebounds (16), including 5 offensive boards. He shot 8-11 and also had two blocks. It was a career night for him, despite the really REALLY bad technical he picked up late in the fourth quarter protesting a foul called on him. Now, I think the ref was a little whistle-happy there and should've just swallowed the whistle, but Perk probably should've just kept his cool to protect the 5-point lead that we were desperately clinging to. Still, I don't think he did anything overly demonstrative to warrant that tech. Poor judgment by the referee.

Rajon Rondo had an awful shooting night, but he dished out 13 assists and stole the ball four times. He needs to remain aggressive. We need him to play well because Sam Cassell is really struggling.

Then of course, there's Kevin Garnett: 33 points on 11-17 shooting to go along with 7 rebounds. KG was so big and terrific tonight, hitting shot after shot -- both wide-open and contested jumpers. He even hit a desperation 3-pointer in the first half to beat a shotclock. And yes, with about six seconds left in the game and Celtics up by two, KG went to the line and drained the final two freethrows of the game to give us a four-point lead -- 106-102, which was the final score of the game. Those were some pressure freethrows. His two big freethrows came after Ray's, who also sank both to gives us a 104-101 lead.

I do like the fouling strategy and the way we executed it, not allowing the Pistons opportunities to put up three-pointer to tie. The strategy is brilliant when it works, but we've all seen games where it backfired horribly... so I was on the edge of my seat tonight, hoping that things would work out in our favor. Good thing KG and Ray made all the clutch freethrows. Mad props. Great win.

But this series is not over. Don't exhale yet.

We're going to Detroit for Game 6, which is on Friday night. REALLY, we don't want to play another Game 7. You know the Pistons now have their backs against the wall; they're on the ropes and they're gonna put up a huge fight. It's time for the Celtics muster up that killer instinct and put a team away.

The brink of the NBA Finals... just one win away... so close, we can smell it.

C'mon Celtics.

Monday, May 26, 2008, 11:46pm ET ----- Let Down

This game was lost in the first quarter.

For us to come out of the opening tip looking like turd -- it's unacceptable. When you go down 10-0 right off the bat, you're playing catch-up the rest of the way. And that's hard to do in the Playoffs against a great defensive team like the Pistons.

We managed to cut the Pistons' lead down to very manageable margins throughout the game -- four points, five points, three points, two points -- but the Pistons returned the runs to push their lead back up to 10, 11, 9. Like I said, we played catch-up, expending so much effort and time just to get back into the game -- so much so that the Pistons could stage their own runs.

I'm very disappointed in our showing in the first quarter. Now the series is knotted at 2-2 going back to Boston. Don't think for a second that home-cooking is automatic.

Monday, May 26, 2008, 7:18pm ET ----- Chance to Take Control

Tip-off is in about an hour and 20 minutes. The Celtics can take command of this series tonight with a win.

That's why this game is so important. Every game is important, yes -- but it's a big differences between up 3-1 going home and tied 2-2 going home. The Pistons are very, very dangerous. We need to put a stranglehold if we have the opportunity.

Every Celtics win inches us closer and closer to the Finals. The stakes are getting higher and higher. And you can feel it. You can bet that Kevin Garnett, who is having another strong series, feels it too. Being up 2-1 in a Conference Finals is new territory for him. "He's never played in the Finals," said Sam Cassell, who has two Finals appearances and two rings with the Rockets. "He understands it. You've got to do it now. You can't wait because who knows what may happen next year. You've got to go after it while it's in sight."

So KG and the Celtics team understand that they need to take full advantage of the situation, because the window to win championships is rarely in front of you. And even when that window is within reach, you never know how quickly it can close shut.

Just look at Dallas, who were up 2-0 over Miami in the 2006 Finals -- everything looked terrific for them, they were SO close -- and ended up squandering the opportunity and losing. They came back strong the following season, winning 67 games in the regular season, but then got bounced by the 8th-seeded Warriors in the 2007 Playoffs. And this season? A bad trade for Jason Kidd followed by another first round exit at the hands of a young Hornets team, followed by Avery Johnson's dismissal.

You see how quickly the window can close on you? This is not just for basketball, but for pretty much everything else worthwhile in life.

When the moment comes, you better be ready. Because it may never come again.

So the Celtics need to put all their heart into this. Being up 2-1 is meaningless if you don't take advantage of the sitaution. I'm gonna be watching KG closely in this game -- because his aggressiveness has gone up lately. He knows that the Pistons haven't found an answer for him, and that he needs to continue to attack. Passing the ball is something KG excels in, but Doc Rivers said something that should make sense to every great poing guard or playmaker:

"There are times that you have to be completely selfish as far as scoring. Your instincts will tell you to pass, but you shouldn't tell yourself to pass until you see it."

Simply put, don't pass until you see it.

KG has done a great job of that in these Playoffs, for the most part. How many times have we seen him aggrressively looking for his shot, rising up, and at the last second pass the ball to a wide-open Perk under the basket, or to a cutting Ray Allen. That's the right way to play. Only pass when you see it. If nothing's there, go ahead and finish the play yourself.

Tony Massarotti had a great article today in the Boston Herald, discussing Kevin Garnett. (That story will be active and free for about a week or two, so read it while you still can.) One of the passages delved into the psychology of Kevin Garnett caught my eye, and I probably couldn't say it better myself:

Dismissive of any attention that puts the individual before the team ... Garnett currently is shrugging off his recent play as nothing more than him being "more aggressive." That humility is one of the great paradoxes of [Garnett's] personality. On the one hand, Garnett is a naturally intense competitor with the build and ferocity of a praying mantis; on the other, he is level-headed, rational, articulate and thoughtful

That's definitely Kevin Garnett.

Of course, there are people who don't like KG, or just don't get him. I was playing a game of one-on-one yesterday, and the cat I was playing against happened to be a Celtics (Pierce) fan. But he told me he didn't like Garnett -- that he thought Garnett was "too cocky... with all that chest pounding." I had to let him know that this was KG's way of pumping himself up, and that KG plays with a lot of passion and intensity.

Let Sam Cassell explain it: "Oh, he has an ego. You have to have an ego to be good in this league. Kev, he's a great teammate first and foremost. He's intense. He enjoys his teammates. But when it's time to play basketball, he becomes another person. His intensity level goes high. His gas goes high. He's just ready to play basketball. Sometimes it may rub other people the wrong way. Me knowing Kevin as long as I have, I think he's a little crazy, myself. But he makes it work."

Ayo, does he make it work.

Saturday, May 24, 2008, 11:24pm ET ----- First Playoff Road Win

I can't say I saw this coming. (And neither can Lindsey Hunter)

For all of our woes (0-6) away from the Garden in these Playoffs, I was pretty confident that we would start winning some of these road games... at some point. But a third quarter 24-point lead at the Palace against the Pistons that had just beaten us in Game 2? I didn't expect that. But it was beautiful. For the most part, anyway.

We came out terrific: 11-0 run to start the contest and to take the crowd out of the game. We led 15-4, but KG and Ray each picked up two fouls quickly -- some BS calls there, if you watch the replays -- and the Pistons went on a 13-0 run to take a 17-15 lead. Yet, the Celtics reserves (including Sam Cassell) more than held down the fort, and got the lead back.

Eight point lead after the first quarter. Eighteen point lead at halftime. Eighteen point lead still after three. But you knew the Pistons would make a run at some point -- the question was whether we would be able to maintain composure and withstand their run. For the most part, we did. The Pistons managed to cut the lead to nine in the fourth quarter, but we were able to push it back up to double-digits. Final score, Celtics 94-80.

Finally, a road game that we can be proud of. Our effort and focus were there, and we executed well -- and now we have a road win to show for that. Not only do we get shake that huge monkey off our backs, but also can you imagine what kind of confidence this gives us? To come into the Palace after a tough home loss, with a 0-6 Playoff road record, and to convincingly beat the Pistons -- that's gotta be invigorating. Hopefully, this will springboard us into full alertness, and let us feel good and confident about playing our brand/standard of basketball. Both home and away.

Kevin Garnett continued his all-around excellence again, this time with 22 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. His passing ability was on full-display. I've said this many times and I'll say it again: It's a joy to watch Kevin Garnet play basketball.

Of course, there was that dunk in the second quarter. You know the one. The tomahawk dunk over the unsuspecting Lindsey Hunter. It looked awesome in realtime, and even sicker in ABC's new super-slow-mo cam (see the video clip below). It was a vintage KG tomahawk dunk. It actually looked kind of reminiscent of Vince Carter's dunk over Frederick Weis in the 2000 Olympics. Obviously nowhere near as extreme and mind-boggling as VC's -- and it's not like KG actually cleared Hunter -- but it was still tight.

Another thing stuck out for me -- I don't think I have ever seen KG's turnaround jumpshot blocked. Once or twice, I've seen his jumpshot blocked by help-defense (i.e. a second defender coming from behind or from his blind side), but I've never seen his shot get blocked straight up. So imagine my surprise to see Jason Maxiell (listed at 6'7") snuff KG's patented turnaround jumper. Watching the replay, you would notice that Maxiell was successful on that play because he was overplaying KG and crowding behind KG's right shoulder as KG went into his move. KG spin-faked a few times -- Maxiell didn't budge -- and decided to spin over his right shoulder... right into Maxiell, unfortunately. If you watch the replay, you'd see that Maxiell actually hit the ball as KG rose up, so the shot was already disrupted. Maxiell's hand remained there as he jumped with KG, and stuffed the ball completely.

But Kevin Garnett is cerebral, and he'll punish you. The very next opportunity he got with Maxiell on him again, KG did the same thing. Except this time KG pump-faked. Maxiell, too eager to try it again, bit on the shot-fake. And of course, KG finished the sucker play by rising and drawing the foul. Veteran move by a smart player.

Outside of KG's brilliance, we saw some very even contribution from the Celtics. Pierce had just 11 points but made the most of his attempts by shooting an efficient 4-6. Ray struggled with his jumpshot again (after his 25-point breakout performance in Game 2's loss), but had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Rondo looked quite good and finished with 12 points. Kendrick Perkins was an unsung hero with 12 points on 6-7 shooting, and had 10 rebounds. Posey chipped in 12 points as well, including going 7-8 from the foul line.

As a team, we did our thing on the defensive end (held the Pistons to 80 points on 38.4% shooting) and had a groove on the offensive end (94 points on 46.4% shooting). I like how we pounded the Pistons on the glass, 44-28 -- I didn't realize we had that big of a rebounding edge until I saw the stat sheet. However, I don't need the stat sheet to tell me that we had some baaaad turnovers. Gotta cut those out.

Overall, it was an excellent (and much-needed) road win. We need to build on this, and try to get Game 4 as well. Better not get complacent.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 11:20pm ET ----- Shook Ones

Alright. We drew first blood in what you know will be a tough, tough series. We're not gonna get too giddy about this, but this is a good first win.

The Celtics -- probably still on an emotional high after Sunday's Game 7 win against the Cavs -- came out tonight with a lot of energy and aggressiveness agaisnt the Pistons. We lead 8-0 right off the bat, with KG scoring the first four points of the game. Pistons came back, though, and the game was close throughout until the end when we out-executed and out-played them.

KG and Paul each had a superb night. Garnett led the way with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal, shooting 11-17 from the field. He looked very focused and was in a nice rhythm despite being guarded by Rasheed. Pierce also had a wonderful all-around game, with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists.

Rondo played very well also, hitting some open jumpers, slashing to the basket and kicking out to shooters. He finished with 11 points and a team-high 7 assists. In total, we had 27 assists tonight on 36 made baskets -- that's whassup. PJ Brown, Eddie House, Leone Powe all did their thing, too. Overall as a team, we shot 52.2%, which is really good considering we were facing the Pistons.

Ray still could not find his jumpshot, but he drove to the bucket and finished nicely on several plays. At least he's trying to get himself going. Can't really fault him, but I hope he finds his jumpshot. It's not like he lost his shooting touch -- he's still almost perfect from the freethrow line. It's just his jumpshot. It's gotta be a mental thing.

Doc Rivers talked a lot about "pace" tonight, trying to set the tempo to our favour. I definitely liked what I saw. Our defense was clicking, too. Everything looked great in Game 1. Now the intensity and sharpness have got to carry over to every subsequent game that we play, especially on the road where we don't have the energy of the Celtics fans to spark us.

So we gotta keep it going, and come out even better in Game 2. Game 1 is just one game. We did what we were supposed to do, at home. We can't let up. We need to hold serve at the Garden, and then take the same approach to the Palace.

Understand that we're not just "happy to be here" in the Conference Finals. I think all the Celtics fans and KG fans feel the same way. Our goal is not to reach the Conference Finals and be satisfied with that. We're looking to go all the way. Finishing up the Cavs only took us halfway there. Two rounds done, two more to go. That's gotta be our mindset -- be hungry and aim high. To borrow this year's WNBA slogan -- expect great.

We're in this to take the whole thing. There ain't no such things as halfway crooks.

This series against the Pistons will be a dogfight, and we can't get complacent. Game 2 is on Thursday. Go Celtics.

Monday, May 19, 2008, 12:52pm ET ----- 32

This is the second time in his career that KG is celebrating his birthday while his team is still in the postseason -- the first time obviously being 2004.

Can you believe KG turns 32 today?

It's not old old. When Michael Jordan turned 32, it was February of 1995, a full month before he even made his first comeback with the Bulls. But it's a little different because KG's been in the league since he was 19 -- and this is his 13th season in the NBA (MJ was 21 when he entered the league in 1984). That's a lot of mileage and games played.

But it's kind of a shock to realize that KG is 32, and it's crazy to think that the player who came straight out of high school in 1995 has come this far. Da Kid had turned into the Da Man long ago, and we've all sort of just accepted that fact without thinking too much about it... All-Star appearances, league MVP, All-Star MVP, 20-10-5 for an unprecedented six straight seasons, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA First Teams, All-Defensive First Teams, Olympic Gold, etc.

And now, he's in the Playoff battle of his life, with everything still to play for.

That 19 year old kid seemed to exist so long ago. But KG hasn't changed. Older, wiser, but this is still the same person. Still plays with the same intensity, passion, joy, and mean streak.

See the two pictures below? They are taken ten years apart. The first one was during the 1998 Playoffs, during Game 3 of the first round series between the Timberwolves-Sonics. KG poured it on then. The second one was during Game 7 of this year's first round series against the Hawks. KG pours it on still.

Same old KG.

He had flown under the radar for so many years in Minnesota's small market. Yes, he had a lot of love from basketball circles and from those in the know; and yes, anyone who's a basketball fan knew who Kevin Garnett was, and he was respected and feared around the league by his peers -- but his name was never a household name like a Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal. I could walk up to a random girl on the street, mention the name Kevin Garnett, and she probably wouldn't know who I was talking about. But if I mentioned Kobe Bryant, she would probably reply, "Ohh the cute one who plays for the Lakers?" Even the random person who recognized the name Kevin Garnett probably didn't know what he was really about.

Much of the basketball world took him for granted. Consistent excellence and excellent consistency were viewed as routine for him, and because his less talented team never made it out of the first round until 2004, people shrugged it off. The name Kevin Garnett didn't spark a passionate reaction from fans in general.

You know how I know this? Because KG has haters now.

Now, in 2008, you mention the name Kevin Garnett to a basketball fan, and you will get a strong reaction. For every nine people who love Kevin Garnett for what he's doing in Boston, you will get one or two person who really hates him. Go on any basketball message board or forum, or even YouTube, and you'll see all the KG haters that didn't exist five years ago.

In the past, the name Kevin Garnett (outside of Minnesota) elicited a generally positive, yet somewhat lukewarm, reaction -- "Yeah he's a good player, I like his game." But now, you will get fanboy (and fangirl) responses from casual basketball fans on one end of the spectrum, and extreme hater responses on the other.

You know you're onto something big when there are people who absoutely hate on you, if for no reason other than the fact that you're a great basketball player on a winning team. (How many Cavaliers fans hate KG and the Celtics right now, do you think)

Of course, the hate is offset by all the mad love KG is receiving. It's almost as if people are seeing for the first time what a talented, versatile, selfless team-player he is. It's an interesting observation for KG fans, because KG's greatness is something we've known for years. This ain't nothing new to us.

This ain't nothing new to Flip Saunders and his Pistons either. The series against the Pistons will be an emotional one for KG, because of who's on the opposing sidelines (Flip) and who's running the opposing point (Chauncey). Flip and KG had been through thick and thin together in Minnesota. When Flip was fired in 2005, I felt like that was the beginning of the end for the Timberwolves. Everything unraveled and went downhill from there rapidly.

KG and Flip have a history, and it's nothing but mutual respect and admiration. They've both moved on from the Timberwolves, and each has found success in their respective new situations. Now they go head-to-head for Eastern Conference supremacy.

No love will be lost, but you know this will be a battle. Flip knows KG's game inside out. KG knows Flip's style and offensive/defensive schemes. Both sides will look for that edge.

KG and Chauncey are also great friends. Chauncey was one of the people who encouraged KG to go to Boston last summer. Obviously, Chauncey had KG's best interest at heart and gave him advice as a friend, but when the ball goes up, you know it's all business. You know Chauncey's a gamer, and you know how potent and experienced this Pistons team is.

Game 1 is tomorrow night. Boston vs Detroit -- it's what most people expected the East Finals to look like ever KG came to Boston last summer. The two teams have been on a collision course all season, and now we're finally here.

In other news, the Western Conference Finals aren't set yet. Who will play the Lakers -- will it be the the young, talented Hornets or the old, experienced Spurs? Game 7 of that series is tonight in New Orleans. Finally, a Game 7 I can just sit back, chill, and enjoy.

Also, the WNBA season tipped off this past Saturday. I watched the Sparks-Mercury game on Saturday, and Candace Parker had an off the chain debut -- 34 poitns, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. That girl is gonna do wonders for the league. Keep an eye on her, y'all.

And on a totally separate and unrelated note, this has got to be the greatest video ever on Earth:

I think I can beat Jessica in a staring contest, but only because it's easy to forget to blink when you're looking at her. kevjumba also had a challenge from Baron Davis, who lasted like 15 seconds.

Sunday, May 18, 2008, 6:42pm ET ----- Moment of Truth

Breathe, baby. Breathe.

We alright. We alright.

We didn't find Jesus (Shuttlesworth), but we found The Truth. Paul Pierce played the game of his life. He came out like a gunslinger, nailing shot after shot, driving to the rim, and pulling up for 3's as the Celtics mounted a 12-point lead in the first half. Despite that cushion, the Cavs were never out of it. Cleveland kept slicing into the lead and stayed within striking distance. LeBron was a one-man team for them in the first half, but Pierce kept the pressure on. He went toe-to-toe with LeBron, in an epic showdown all the way to the nailbiting finish. Pierce went into halftime with 26 points to counter LeBron's 23. LeBron was unstoppable, hitting on all cylinders and finishing with 45 points. Pierce finished with 41 points on 13-23 shooting, and hit two clutch freethrows with seven seconds left to push the lead to five.

Speaking of those clutch freethrows -- that first one was craaazy. It hit rim and went up into the air -- the entire arena silent -- and then fell through the basket. There was some great camera work from the ABC crew that showed Pierce's cringing expression as he saw his free throw attempt going awry, then breaking into a sheepish grin when it went in. Some say that Red Auerbach tipped that one in. Hey, that's fine, I'll go with that.

Pierce also gained a CRUCIAL possession off a Ilgauskas-Posey jumpball in the final minte of the game. He maneuvered into position to beat LeBron to the ball, dove for the rock and called timeout on the floor before the Cavs could tie him up.

It wasn't just Paul Pierce. We had some other players step up, including some unlikely heroes. PJ Brown hit some of the biggest shots for us in the game, and chipped in with 10 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting -- I seem to remember all of his baskets coming off of offensive rebounds or broken/bail out plays. Eddie House came up big for us as well, diving for looseballs, icing two freethrows (that came before Pierce's) to push the lead to six with 16 seconds to go. Rondo had a nice all-around game: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists.

Even though Ray struggled again (1-6 shooting, and missing some wide opens 3-pointers that you expect him to make), he was the one who got our clutch freethrow shooting off to a good start. We had a 91-88 lead with less than 24 seconds to go, so the Cavs had to foul. The Celtics got the ball to Ray, who calmly stepped to the freethrow line and swished both. You could never tell that, up to that point, he was 20-61 (32.8%) from the field through the entire series. In fact, Ray has been near-perfect from the line in this year's Playoffs (30-31 going into today's game).

So Ray's shooting touch is still superb. He's just not in rhythm, and maybe he's thinking too much. All those misses in important games will do that to you. He just needs to have a breakout game to right the ship. Heck, even a breakout quarter might be all he needs. This is Ray Allen, don't forget. I hope he figures it out by the time Tuesday rolls around for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

KG had a quiet offensive game, with just 13 points on 3-13 shooting. But he was a beast on the boards with 13 rebounds, and was that juggernaut defensive anchor for us. Those 13 points and 13 rebounds are a far-cry from his legendary 32-21-2-5-4 birthday performance in Game 7 of the 2004 Wesetern Conference Semis against the Kings, but hey this was Paul's afternoon. And what a relief it was to see Paul go off like that.

What a relief PERIOD. Whew daayamn. We didn't crush the Cavs or whoop them like we did to Atlanta in Game 7... we basically outlasted Cleveland. Even though we never trailed in the game, you could feel the immense tension throughout the game, as if the Cavs could take it anytime. We escaped and dodged a massive bullet.

As we look to Tuesday for the start of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons, we need to address a lot of issues. Obviously, we need to play better offensively, first and foremost, especially on the road. We barely squeaked past Atlanta and Cleveland -- two inferior, much less talented teams on paper -- and if we play this way against the Pistons, we might be in trouble. We need to get Ray going, because, unlike the Cavs, the Pistons have a lot of weapons and pieces. We need to get Sam Cassell going and channel some of that veteran craftiness, because Rondo may some trouble with Chauncey.

You know KG and Rasheed will be a crazy match-up. Timberwolves fans will remember the 2000 first round Minnesota-Portland series, where KG and Rasheed went head-to-head. KG had two triple-doubles in that series, which the Blazers won 3-1. You know the KG-Rasheed match-up will be hype. These two are both long, athletic players with a lot of quickness. Both can hit 18-feet jumpers and post up down low. Rasheed might be more comfortable than KG shooting the 3-pointer, and KG might have a better rounded arsenal of post moves, but consider this a match-up where no one has an advantage at that position.

This will be the second Conference Finals for KG. Same for Pierce, and same for Ray. They've all been there once individually, and now they get to do it together. And We do need to play together (and play well) as a team against the Pistons in order to win. We can't really afford to have nights where it's just KG carrying us, or just Pierce carrying us. This is serious business. Tuesday will come really quick, so we need to be ready.

In the meantime, we can breathte a quick sigh of relief. Because admit it, you've been nervous and sick to your stomach all day.

Sunday, May 18, 2008, 2:24pm ET ----- Finding Jesus

Shuttlesworth, that is.

Ray Allen is a consummate professional; he's a very good guy, and he works really hard on maintaining his excellence and routine, to the point of being almost OCD. Out of the Big 3, it's arguably true that Ray is the one who has had to make the biggest sacrifices and adjustments to his game. Kevin and Paul simply get less touches and shot attempts compared to their solo Timberwolves/Celtics days, but Ray has had to adjust to a totally new role. And he is really struggling in these Playoffs.

He says all the right things, and he has a great attitude and steady demeanor, so it's really tough to call out somebody like that. You hope he can figure this out for hismelf, and that at some point he will break out of his funk. But it's Game 7... Tip-off is in about an hour.

There's no tomorrow if we lose today.

And right now, there's a milkbox somewhere with Walter Ray Allen's face on it. We need to find Ray. We really, really need to find Ray.

Which brings us to today... Do or die. Again.

The entire Boston Celtics have been really enigmatic in these Playoffs. Maybe against the young, upstart, running Hawks, we had some excuse for letting them win all their home games in Atlanta. But against the Cavs? We have no excuse. We can only blame ourselves for having to survive yet another Game 7. Our defense is still solid for the most part (although I question this at times), but our offense is very anemic.

Paul Pierce can't find his rhythm in this series and has been very inconsistent offensively. Understandably, Paul has his hands full with LeBron, and he can't get whistles to go his way (yo, that was not a charge). Through six games, he's averaging 15.8 points in this series, down from his 19.6 season average and his 18.0 first round average. It doesn't help that he's shooting 36% from the field.

Ray Allen, like I mentioned above, has virtually disappeared. He's averaging just 10.2 points in this series, shooting 34.5% from the field and 18.2% from downtown.

Sam Cassell is having an even worse series. When he comes in, we expect him to hit shots. We have him in there for his offense... certainly not for his defense. I have lots of love for Sammy, and I'm confident in his offense -- but from Games 3 to 5, he is 0-13 from the field. And if he's missing shots and not contributing, then he's a liability on both ends of the court. He is struggling so bad that he was a DNP-CD in Game 6.

Rajon Rondo is having a decent series, but he had a horrible Game 6. He's not at fault for our poor showing in these Playoffs. He's a second year player who's doing more than can be ever expected of him.

James Posey and Eddie House are doing fine in their roles. They come in, hit shots and defend. But we certainly don't expect them to take over a game, or hit the big shots for us in crunch time.

Really, the only player on the Celtics who is playing consistently well is Kevin Garnett. He's shooting an excellent 56.7% from the field, and putting up 20.7 points, 10.5 rebounds. I hate to say it, but it's almokst as if KG is playing by himself out there.

We NEED to win Game 7 against the Cavs. This is dead serious. If we lose, it'd be one of the biggest disappointments and saddest Playoff runs ever. If we win, we will still look pretty vulnerable and disappointing, but at least we will be looking at the Pistons in the eyes.

This is for all the marbles. It's Game 7. Moment of truth. Go Celtics.

Friday, May 16, 2008, 7:03pm ET ----- King James Vs KG

Nobody has called Kevin Garnett Da Kid in years. "Da Kid turned into Da Man," he told us back in a 2002 AND1 commercial.

It's just KG now. It resonates. It's who he's always been, and it's who he is.

But you can hype up tonight's game however way you want. Go ahead and bust out some of those hot promos. King vs KG. James vs. Garnett. The Chosen One vs The Big Ticket. L-Train vs G-Money. Young-G vs OG.

Of course, it's not about the individual battle. It's a team thing. But this is still a battle of will, of supremacy, of who advances and who goes home. Kevin Garnett has been in the league for a minute, and has never sniffed the Finals. How badly do you think he wants to get into the Conference finals again for a chance to enter the championship round. How badly do you think he wants to win, for his teammates, for his coaching staff, for his family, for his fans, and for himself.

It's a team game. But this is damn personal.

If the Celtics play their cards right, they can finish off this series tonight in six games. Tip-off is in about an hour, and I'm pretty amped.

This is a huge game for the Celtics. We should play as if Game 7 is not an option. As if this is an elimination game for both squads. We need to come out and just put the Cavs away. We need to defend, rebound, execute, and play as a team -- every little thing that we did on route to a 66-win season.

Of course, in the Playoffs, nobody cares if you're a 66-win team, or a 72-win team, or a 37-win team. Opponents are looking to whoop you and beat you four times before you beat them four times. Everyone's trying to survive and nobody's gonna just lay down. With their backs against the wall, the Cavaliers won't go down without a fight.

The Celtics need to take this, because the Cavs won't just give anything up.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 11:36pm ET ----- Vintage KG

Home is still where the heart is, it seems.

Whereas we still haven't been able to win anything (0-5) on the road in these Playoffs, we are a perfect 7-0 now at home after beating the Cavs tonight to take a 3-2 lead.

Now we really need to finish this. We do not want another Game 7. The Pistons have eliminated the Magic in five games, and are already resting and taking notes. The Celtics need to go to Cleveland, and win this series at the Q. That will boost our confidence, show that we can win big games on the road, and get that ugly monkey off our backs.

A Kevin Garnett team has never eliminated an opponent on the road. Yet. Think back to the Timberwolves-Nuggets series in 2004... T-Wolves clinched that series at home in Game 5. The Timberwolves-Kings series that same year... T-Wolves clinched Game 7 at the Target Center. The Celtics-Hawks series a few weeks ago... Celtics clinched Game 7 at the Garden.

I want to see KG celebrate a series win on enemy territory. He and the Celtics will have a chance to do that on Friday.

One thing I've been pretty frustrated with our recent losses was the fact the Celtics kept going away from the hot-hand. When KG hits a couple of shots in a row, I expect the team to keep going to him. Why shouldn't we? Just so we can stick rigidly to the team-concept and share the ball, and try to get Ray and Paul going?

The way I see it, if KG has the hot hand, GO TO HIM EACH POSSESSION. Same thing for Paul and Ray. If it's working, keep doing it until the opponent finds a way to stop it. Milk it. Besides, there really isn't anyone on the Cavs team who can stop KG. Joe Smith is almost as long, knows KG's moves and plays him well, but he's not gonna stop KG. Varejao is not gonna stop KG. Ilgauskas is not gonna stop KG. Ben Wallace is not gonna stop KG.

And in case anyone hasn't noticed, good things happen for the Celtics when KG touches the ball on offense. Run the halfcourt offense through him. Make sure he gets his touches. He will make the right play. He will find anyone's who's open.

Tonight's game was quite a scare. We got down by as many as 14 points in the first half before rallying making it a 46-43 game at halftime. I like how we came out in the third quarter and what we did tonight in the second half overall. KG finished with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and shot 12-19. It was a vintage Kevin Garnett performance, coming up huge when the team needed him.

Ray is still struggling with his shot, and I feel bad for him. He works so hard, and he just hasn't been able to find his rhythm yet. He made a few key plays tonight, though -- including a huge offensive rebound tip to KG in the final seconds to preserve the lead. Paul had a breakout game with 29 points, several of them coming in the final minutes as he was our designated foul shooter, who the Cavs had the foul.

Rajon Rondo arguably had his best Playoff game ever, was rocksteady, and made great plays in the second and third quarters. He finished with 20 points and 13 assists on 9-15 shooting. His little teardrop was deadly tonight. Gotta love that shot.

LeBron James had a monster first half, with something like 23 or 24 points. We defended him well in the third quarter. He still finished with 35 points, though. This guy is scary. We all saw his monster dunk on KG in Game 4, where he just cranked it on Ticket. KG couldn't do much do stop it because it was too late. If you watch the play, you'll see that LeBron came off a screen that left his defender, Paul Pierce, in the dust. Posey then came to help, but LBJ was already plowing down the lane in full steam, and so he angled his way past Posey, too. KG was the final help defender, sliding in trying to stop LeBron. But by the time he got there, LeBron had started his takeoff. Posey jumped too, so KG was left in a cramped, nowhere-to-go, couldn't-even-jump position. And LeBron just let one rip.

It was a beautiful dunk, but very hard to watch if you a KG/Celtics fan. Game 4 itself was just horrible down the stretch for the Celtics. As this series progressed, you notice that it's getting tougher and tougher to contain LeBron. That's why we really need to end this series on Friday. LeBron is one of those players who can win a game by himself -- remember what he did against the Pistons in Game 5 of last year's Conference Finals? The Celtics really need to be careful.

Sometimes I feel for LeBron, with all those hard fouls and flagrants he has to endure. Because he's so big and strong, fast and explosive, people hit him so hard just to stop him from getting those and1s. If I was Gloria James, and people kept pounding and wrapping up my son like that, I'd be getting out of my seat too. On that play in Game 4, Paul was obviously trying to wrap him up before LeBron could jump. That's why he grabbed him so quickly and so hard. Give LeBron credit, though -- he's shown a lot of poise and composure, despite being hammered so often. It was too funny when he literally screamed at his mom to "Sit your ass down."

Game 6 is Friday at 8pm. It's a must-win for the Celtics.

Sunday, May 11, 2008, 10:31am ET ----- Roadkill

Alright, so there are three types of people in this world.

1. People who make things happen.
2. People who watch things happen.
3. People who wonder what happened.

In Game 1, we watched things happen. Defensively, we were tight, but we couldn't assume overall control of the game, and had to rely heavily on KG to carry us.

In Game 2, we made things happen. We trailed early in the first quarter, but woke up and played Celtics basketball. Everything was like clockwork. Perfect rotations, perfect help defense. We stopped the ball, jammed the ball-handlers and drivers, and we executed on both ends of the court.

In Game 3 last night in Cleveland, we had no idea what happened. A 24-point loss in a Playoff game. Actually, now we know what happened -- after the fact -- now that the game's over, now that we got a nasty taste of being blown out on somebody else's floor, now that Doc will put the players through some grueling film sessions, now that it's a close series again instead of a commanding 3-0 lead.

And we still haven't won a road game in these Playoffs.

Like the ABC crew mentioned last night during the telecast, Doc should just show the guys that one play 500 times, where Ilgauskas plodded his way from the top of the key all the way inside for an uncontested layup. KG bit on the Z's shotfake, and went into the air. So he drove past KG, but there were no help defenders to rotate over.

The game was horrible to watch if you're a Celtics fan. We lost 108-84 -- our worst defeat of the year (previously 18 points against Utah) -- and didn't defend like we normally would. We allowed the Cavs to shoot 53.6% for the game, and let Cleveland's role players hit shot after shot. Joe Smith had a field day, going 7-8 and scoring 17 points. Delonte West hit 7-11 and 4-6 from downtown and burned us for 21 points. Wally dropped 16 points on us. Heck, even Ben Wallace hit 4-6 and had 9 points.

KG had a decent game with 17 points on 8-13 shooting, but Ray and Paul struggled once again. Ray went 4-12 for 10 points, and Paul went 3-8 for 14 points. It's understandable for Paul, because he has to guard LeBron and is guarded by LeBron. But Ray needs to get going.

I must say, one player who has played consistently well for us in these Playoffs is James Posey. He's hit many many 3-pointers -- either to help keep us in the game or help push the lead -- and he has defended very well. So that's one bright spot.

Rondo has struggled in Games 2 and 3. I like his aggressiveness in attacking the rim -- (even though LeBron completely stuffed him a couple of times) -- but we need his jumpshots to fall. And if his jumpshots aren't falling, we need him to make plays for others. The Cavs aren't even guarding him right now. Delonte West sagged off Rondo on defense several times last night, ignoring him completely to go help on the strong side. And when the ball gets swung back to the weakside to Rondo, he hesitates with the open jumper and instead drives into the paint. Aggressiveness is good, but he needs to be confident with taking the open shots, and punish the Cavaliers for leaving him open.

Maybe you are not worried or you don't feel too bad about it since we still have a 2-1 lead. But our home-road split personality does not look good for us. The media continues to bring this up, and the more they do and the more we prove them right by sucking on the road, the more it seeps in to our mindset. Cleveland probably came out with extra confidence last night at home because they saw what the Hawks did to us in Atlanta.

And they'll continue to see us as roadkill until we step up and win some games on the road.

Game 4 is Monday at the Q again. We've been road-warriors during the regular season, so I know we can do this.

And on a separate note, Happy Mother's Day to all the great moms out there.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 11:33pm ET ----- The Big ONE

Strange game. Celtics prevailed 76-72, so we'll happily take the win.

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and LeBron James were essentially non-existent on the offensive end. Paul had 4 points on a horrible 2-14 shooting night. Ray was held scoreless for the first time since his rookie season back in 1997. LeBron had 12 points -- but on a horrendous 2-18 shooting, and had 10 turnovers.

KG was a beast, though. It was nice to see him go up against his good friend Joe Smith, as them two know each other's game real well from those Timberwolves days. KG scored 28 points, including nailing two clutch buckets down the stretch -- one jumper to tie the game, and one drive-spin-layup to take the lead. Garnett came up HUGE in Game 1.

Perk, Rondo, and Sam also played well. Rondo and KG teamed up to score the majority of the Celtics' points in the first quarter and the first half. Cassell hit some big shots during crucial stretch when both teams were fighting for the lead. And Perk was a workhorse down low, making 3 of 4 shots and grabbing 12 rebounds.

Ilgauskas kept the Cavs going with 22 points, while former Timberwolf Wally hit some shots as well.

Other than that, everyone struggled to get in a groove for much of the game. Maybe because the defense was so good for both teams. Or maybe because both teams didn't take care of the ball (Celtics had 21 turnovers, Cavs had 17).

The Celtics were fortunate to take Game 1. It was not a pretty game. We can't afford to have two of our Big Three struggle like this. Good thing KG held it down. And you know LeBron will come back strong in Game 2 and beyond -- he's not going to go 2-18 again. Our defense on him was solid, yes -- but LeBron just missed shots. At some point, those shots will fall, and we just need to continue to make things as tough for him as possible. Posey did a great job tonight containing King James.

This series will be another tough one. Better bring it. Game 2 on Thursday.

In other news, KG finished third in the MVP voting, behind Kobe Bryant (who won) and Chris Paul. No matter. Our eyez are on the much bigger prize.

Sunday, May 4, 2008, 3:31pm ET ----- Bring on King James

Relief. Celtics take Game 7 in convincing fashion.

Well, it's not going to erase the fact that we blew double-digit leads in each of the road games in the ATL and looked tentative and vulnerable down the stretch, but this will at least slap the nasty taste out of our mouths. And we move on, to the next series.

The series didn't have to be this tough. It didn't have to come down to Game 7, with everything we worked for all year long on the line. A top-seed 66-win team should not have to struggle this much with a 37-win, inexperienced squad. And I shouldn't have had to look at the ugliness that is Pachulia for seven games.

But it is what it is. You sleep in the bed that you make. Deal with it.

Doubters and haters will continue to harp on our poor showing on the road in Round 1 -- and they're right, we played terrible in the ATL. But there was only one way to end a unnecessarily difficult and drawn-out first round series -- and that was with a 99-65 blowout Game 7 win.

The Celtics came out today, screamed Thug Life and emptied the clip on the Hawks.

Better reload, re-up, and man-up. Because King James is next.

Friday, May 2, 2008, 11:22pm ET ----- ...

This is really stupid. That's all I got to say.

We better win on Sunday. I'm not kidding.

Friday, May 2, 2008, 6:50pm ET ----- It's Time

Game 6 is on tonight. We lead 3-2. It's time to end the Hawks. Quit playing around with them baby birds.

We have air superiority.

Sunday, April 27, 2008, 2:38am ET ----- Wake-up Call

Familiarity breeds contempt. The Hawks took Game 3, and the series now stands 2-1 Celtics.

Three games in, and I already can't stand look of Mike Bibby, Al Horford, and company.

Bibby for obvious reasons -- his comments about Celtics fans prior to Game 2 instantly made him Public Enemy Number One. Too bad for him, Rondo is killin' him this series.

Horford -- whose dangerous flagrant foul on TJ Ford earlier this season certainly didn't endear him to Raptor fans -- is now acting like a punk. If you saw Game 3 of this Celtics-Hawks series, you saw him taunt Paul Pierce late in the fourth quarter, after Piece had gambled for a steal and fell down. Horford scored, stood over Pierce, pointed at him while talking smack.

Paul Pierce was mad as hell, and had to be pulled back from walking toward the Hawks' bench. Big mistake, rookie.

Game 4 will be payback. Just wait. We gonna gut you like a fish.

And there is definitely something fishy going on in the ATL. This is the arena where things magically go wrong for the opposing team -- e.g. Shaq getting registered for an extra foul, TJ Ford being uncredited for a crucial late basket, clock starting early before TJ Ford caught an alley-oop on an inbounds play. The first situation forced the NBA to arrange a re-play of the end of that game. The latter two situations (happened in two different seasons) literally cost the Raptors both games.

So imagine my surprise when in Game 3 just a few hours ago, coming out of halftime in a tie-game, the shotclock on the Celtics end magically stopped working. The refs had to turn off the clock on the Hawks' end to balance things out.

And of course, come fourth quarter, when the Hawks' held a lead, the shotclock somehow managed to started working again.

Suspect.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 8:35pm ET ----- Shutdown King

First off, congrats to KG for winning the 2007-2008 Defensive Player of the Year. This is one personal award that he hasn't won yet, which is kind of surprising because KG's been one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA for so long. Guards, forwards, centers -- don't matter, KG can guard them all. KG can shutdown all of them. He's long, he's athletic, he's quick, he's strong, he's smart, he's intense, and he's motivated. Essentially, he has all the tools to make him a great defensive player, which he is.

Individually-speaking, KG's not necessarily a "better" defender this year than he has been in previous years. He's been at this level for years. But the difference this season is that he's on a new team, and he's totally changed the culture of the team. You couple KG's defensive intensity and abilities with with Doc's coaching and Tom Thibodeau's system -- along with teammates who are determined to do what's necessary to win and excel -- and you have a winning formula.

Bill Russell must be real proud right now.

Game Two against the Hawks is tomorrow night. Celtics took Game One with no problem. They came out with a lot of focus and took the game really seriously. They probably saw what happened to the Pistons earlier that evening, as the Sixers beat them in Game One at the Palace.

These Playoffs have been pretty good so far. The Suns-Spurs series is totally off the chain -- double OT in Game One, as Phoenix really let it slip away. I can't wait for Game Two of that match-up tonight.

All Celtics fans are keeping an eye on the Cavaliers-Wizards series -- the winner of that series will be the Celtics's Round Two opponent. It looks like Cleveland is hitting its stride, so the Celtics need to eliminate the Hawks as quick as possible and not drag things on.

Things aren't looking good for the Rockets. Without Yao, and without Skip (who may come back for Game Three), they dropped the first two games at home against Utah. Damn, that's not good. Remember how last year, they won the first two games against Utah, but still lost the series in seven games? Utah is probably licking its chops. Poor T-Mac.

Dallas is playing poorly just I had expected. This is a team that is really fragile as of late -- ever since they blew an 2-0 lead over the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, then winning 67 games in the following season but losing to the 8th seeded Warriors, then trading for Kidd and struggling to beat +.500 teams. Game Two is on right now, and the Hornetes are once again playing really well. Chris Paul is terrific. I hope the Hornets sweep the Mavericks and the overrated Jason Kidd, and just put them out of their misery.

I don't quite know what to make of the Nuggets-Lakers series. I predicted the Nuggets to win because I thought the Nuggets would step up their game when it counted -- the duo of AI and Melo should provide all the offensive firepower they could ever want. But the problem, as everyone knows, is that the Nuggets can't defend anything to save their lives. They're just awful defensively. When AI and Melo are on, the Nuggets can hang with any elite team in the West. But when shots aren't falling, or when calls don't go their way, the Nuggets have nothing to turn to. Their defense isn't there. The Lakers crisp passing and ball movement just killed them in Game One. The Lakers seem to be for real. Them being the top seed is not a fluke.

The Sixers-Pistons series could be an interesting one. As long as the Pistons come out strong for Game Two, I still think Detroit will win the series without too much problem. But they basically just wasted Game One, and gave the Sixers a lot of confidence. Hey, I'm not complaining -- if the Pistons want to fall asleep, they can do that. Go ahead.

The Magic-Raptors series is tough to get a handle on. After seeing Game 1, where the Raptors looked horrible in the first half, it's a little disheartening. I'm believe that if both teams play their best, the Raptors' best is stronger than the Magic's best. But the Raptors haven't played consistently well for the past month and a half. Game Two is on right now, and the Raptors fell over once again in the first half, but came back strong and now have a 66-64 lead.

Anyway, enough typing. Imma go back to following tonight's games. Peace y'all. Go Celtics.

Sunday, April 20, 2008, 12:43pm ET ----- Baby in His Eyes

Kevin Garnett is a father.

According to the Boston Herald, sources say that Brandi gave birth to her and KG's first child on Friday -- a daughter. KG declined to go into detail about it with the media yesterday, but instead wanted to concentrate on basketball: "Family issues are never public, so I ask (the media) to respect that. I'm looking forward to playing tomorrow."

Knowing KG, this is an emotional high for him right now, and I get the feeling that he will be even more inspired for these Playoffs. Look for him to come out tonight in Game 1 against the Hawks with even more intensity and passion than we've ever seen him play with.

Due the the birth, KG missed two Celtics practices before rejoining team practice on Saturday. But he was already back on Friday night at Celtics's Waltham practice facility, and jumped right into a film session studying the Hawks.

"We've got lots of edits and film, so that helped me to stay in the loop," KG said. "We only played them three times, so you can always learn something."

KG's focus and drive are evident. It's been a long and arduous journey just to get back to Playoff contention. The Big Ticket is hungry.

"I didn't watch the playoffs last year," he said after Saturday's practice. "I watched some of the Finals, but I wasn't into it. I was totally numb to the playoffs last year. I was totally into my own situation (with the Timberwolves), and making my basketball situation better."

The situation looks much, much better now. Game 1 tonight at TD Banknorth Garden.

Saturday, April 19, 2008, 04:23pm ET ----- Fury in His Eyes

We're here. The 2008 NBA Playoffs are upon us. Kevin Garnett, back in the Playoffs for the first time since 2004. It's been four years -- that's a long time in NBA years. But KG's back, and boy's got fury in his eyes.

This is it right here. This is what it's all about. Ain't about the regular season. To steal and slightly modify the 1995-1996 Bulls' Playoffs slogan: 66-16 don't mean a thing without a ring.

0-0 now.

We need to win 16 games, and lose as little as possible. Starting against the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow night. We're the last team to play that first game of Round 1. No jitters, I hope.

Here are my predictions (made up before I saw any of the Game 1's today) for Round 1.

EAST:
Boston (1) vs. Atlanta (8): Boston in 4
Cleveland (4) vs. Washington (5): Cleveland in 6
Detroit (2) vs. Philadelphia (7): Pistons in 5
Orlando (3) vs. Toronto (6): Toronto in 7

WEST:
L.A. Lakers (1) vs. Denver (8): Nuggets in 7
Utah (4) vs. Houston (5): Utah in 6
New Orleans (2) vs. Dallas (7): New Orleans in 6
San Antonio (3) vs. Phoenix (6): Phoenix in 7

Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 10:32am ET ----- Getting Defensive

If all the media talk and recent trends of picks are any indication, KG likely won't win MVP this season. He'll probably finished third in the voting, behind Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant.

But what he should win this year is the Defensive Player of the Year award. I won't be surprised if he doesn't win MVP, but I will be shocked if he doesn't win Defensive Player of the Year. For someone to come into a new team and completely change the culture of their defensive schemes, and to bring that kind of defensive leadership and anchor, KG deserves this award (something he hasn't won yet). Although it's an individual award, it's arguably a team achievement. He didn't achieve this by scoring, but rather by elevating the defensive focus and dynamics of his entire team.

KG has always been one of the best defenders in this league -- if not the best. He's versatile, capable of effectively guarding all five positions; he can shut down virtually anyone inside or outside; he's an excellent help defender; he's probably the best defensive rebounders in the league; he's superb at defending the pick-and-roll, he communicates well to get his teammates on the same page; and he brings unsurpassed energy, intensity, and focus.

But sometimes people overlook his versatility and take it for granted, or they'll reward primarily defensive-oriented players with the Defensive Player of the Year Award -- such as Ben Wallace, Bruce Bowen, or Marcus Camby. But KG's been doing all of this, as well as carring his load on the offensive end -- especially when he was a Timberwolf. He carried so much burden on both ends of the floor, but he excelled. When you do so many things well, offensively and defensively, the media sometimes looks past you for specific awards. This explains why he was always on those All-Defensive Teams (usually first team, rarely second), yet had never won Defensive Player of the Year.

I expect that to change when the votes are tallied at the end of the season (deadline for media voting on awards is April 17th).

Speaking of the end of the season, we're almost there. Tomorrow is the last day of the 2007-2008 regular season. We currently stand 65-16, with our regular season finale on Wednesday at home against the Nets. The Big Three didn't play last night in New York, as Doc gave them all a rest. Rondo led the team with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists on 11-15 shooting. Sam Cassell made the Garden his personal playground and showing that he can still take over the game, by scoring 22 points.

Sam's 22 point output was following his performance two days earlier in Atlanta, where he scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Celtics backups to a victory.

"Just doing my job," Sam said after beating the Hawks on Saturday. "It ain't easy at my age. But I'm getting a nice little rhythem right now. I'm understanding where I can fit in on this team offensively. Defensively, it's still a challenge for me."

All the rest the Big Three is getting as of late should be advantageous come Playoff time, which tips off this weekend. And yes, the field is set, and we play Atlanta in the first round, a team we're 3-0 against the season. So rest is good right now. But all this rest is really new to KG. Excerpt from Mark Murphy's April 8th article in BostonHerald:

"Man, when Doc told me what the plan was (for resting players) this year, I told him that I've had seven jobs since I was 14, and since I've been at work this is the most rest I've ever had," he said after yesterday's practice, digging deep to come up with examples of his youthful toil.

While still in South Carolina, Garnett flipped burgers for Burger King, worked the cash register at a restaurant called Cheers, and packed bags at a local supermarket.

After moving to Chicago for his last few years of high school, he worked in a Boys & Girls Club and mopped floors at a gym.

Garnett is particularly proud of this last job. He considers himself a meticulously clean person. He keeps a spotless home. Dust bunnies are his enemy as much as any NBA team. "I'm best at cleaning," Garnett said. "My mom raised three very clean people. Oh, and where I come from, everybody knows how to cut grass, too. You get your masters in landscape by the time you�re 16."

And now with the Playoffs almost upon us, with our goal more clear than ever (championship), it's good for KG to be fresh. He's ready.

"I�m good," KG said. "I'm not (fooling) everyone. I feel very good. I'm a lot better than in past years. My legs are a lot better than they have been at this time of year. I'm ready to go."

Can you believe this regular season is just about over? It seems like just yesterday the whole team was in Rome for Training Camp, getting to know one another.

"That's how it is when you win, man. I remember it being like this when I played with Sam and Spree," Garnett said. "It's easy mentally when you win. It's easier, as opposed to having to look at every day as if it's a rainy day. But it's all in what you put into it -- the consistency and the hard work."

Really, when you think about it, our real season is the Playoffs. That's when everything truly matters. That's when champions are crowned. Ultimately, no one's gonna care what you did in the regular season -- just remember the 67-15 Mavericks last season, getting bounced by the Warriors in the first round. The Warriors weren't fazed at all, they were getting theirs. So we can't look past these Hawks in the first round -- we gotta bring it.

Speaking of the Warriors, they won't make the Playoffs this season, despite their 48-33 record. They lost to the Suns last night and was eliminated from the Playoff race. If they beat the Sonics tomorrow, they will be 49-33, which will tie the best record in NBA history to not make the Playoffs (49-33 Suns in 1971-1972). Too bad. I like watching the Warriors play. They got off to a bad start this season, going 0-6 and not having Captain Jack due to suspension. And they also miss J-Rich, who had a great individual season in Charlotte.

Though I like the Warriors, I was rooting for the Nuggets to make the Playoffs. And since there was one spot left (Dallas had already clinched 7th), I had to root for Denver over Golden State. It would be unfortunate if AI and Melo missed the Playoffs. And speaking of Melo -- I'm sure everyone heard about the DUI yesterday. Man, he's still got a lot of growing up to do. He can't be doing stuff like this. He just can't.

Though the Playoff field is set, the seedings aren't. In the east, the seedings are determined (Boston-Atlanta, Detroit-Philadelphia, Orlando-Toronto, Cleveland-Washington), but the West still has to be played out. The 56-25 Lakers control their own destiny -- they can clinch the top seed in the West with a win tonight againt the Kings.

No matter how the seedings end up to look like, every match-up in the West is gonna be off the chain. No one team is that much better than anyone else. So we as fans are gonna get some tight, tight first round games. I'm looking at New Orleans as possibly being the most vulnerable team out of that bunch, since they're young and inexperienced -- but I would never count out Chris Paul. Dallas doesn't look safe either. I'll have my predictions later in the week, when we know who's playing whom.

Until then, peace. Go Celtics.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 9:09pm ET ----- Some Love for the Ladies

Two games ago, after the win against the Bobcats (where the Big 3 didn't even play), the Celtics improved to 61-15 and broke the NBA record for the best turnaround for a single season (improvement of 37 games from the 24-58 record last year). The previous record of 36 was held by the 1997-1998 Spurs (from 20-62 to 56-26), which was Duncan's first season. After last night's win over the Bucks, we're now at +37 and counting.

Last night in Milwaukee, KG went to work early, draining shot after shot in the first quarter, abusing Charlie-V who couldn't handle him. KG finished with 21 points in just 20 minutes of play, hitting 7-8 from the field and 7-8 from the line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds and had 2 assists and 3 steals. Not bad for 20 minutes.

With exactly one more week to go in the regular season, we should approach these remaining games carefully, as tune-up and a prelude to the Playoffs. Our schedule is pretty light, with games we should win. But we're having some trouble tonight with the Wizards right now, down by 11 with about six minutes left in the game.

In other news, the WNBA Draft was held today. I watched it on live webcast. It was a must-see because of Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles, two franchise, game-changing players who will bring a lot of exposure to the league and to the women's game. That's exciting yo.

Candace Parker will mean so much to the WNBA. Beyond her obvious wonderful skills, abilities, and athleticism, she's gonna put so many people in seats, and her presence is gonna generate a lot of excitment and curiosity. Her impact will be huge. Her arrival to the pro game has been highly anticipated. And after winning the second consecutive NCAA title with the Lady Vols last night, she's finally here. Plus, she'll be playing in a major market (Los Angeles), and that'll be good for the league.

Basketball needs her.

Sylvia Fowles of LSU is just a dominant force on the inside. She was taken with the second pick -- a no-brainer choice -- by the Chicago Sky, and I'm looking forward to seeing her team up with my favourite WNBA player Candice Dupree. The Sky will enter the 2008 season (which tips off May 17) with major expectations.

If you're a basketball fan, you gotta be thankful for CP3 and Big Syl.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 2:20pm ET ----- Gunnin' for 60

Kevin Garnett has the chance tonight to win 60 games for the first time in his career. It's a pretty lofty number. I know that the focus is on the Playoffs, but it would be sweet to notch win number 60 tonight against the Pacers. And at 59-15, we're really close to clinching the top seed, meaning homecourt advantage throughout the post season.

What a difference a year makes.

Last season at this time, KG and his fans were feeling the frustrations of yet another wasted year. The team was going nowhere, and everything seemed gloomy.

Now, in 2008, that's all changed. Everything is on the line. The stakes are high, expectations are real, and there is genuine electricity in the air. Not even Glen Taylor's personal "tanking" attack could derail KG from focusing on his goal.

After the win against the Rockets back on March 18 -- the 22-win streak stopper -- KG responded to the media's questions about Timberwolves owner Glan Taylor: "Glen Taylor was good to me while I was a Timberwolf and I'm a Boston Celtic now. I'm not going to be going back and forth saying tasteless things. That's not my character. I'll let him speak if he wants to. ... I have nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's in my past. I'm in a new chapter in my life."

The high road.

And indeed, this is a new chapter in KG's life and career. As Kevin Garnett fans, we are enjoying every single paragraph, passage, sentence, and punctuation. The Boston Celtics have been really consistent all year, and have weathered every little storm and bump that came up. These Celtics are not posers -- this is truly an elite team, very capable of shutting down any other contender in this league. We've beaten all the other 29 teams in the league this season -- East, West, home road, Texas Triangle, what not, don't matter.

Yes, we still have a lot to prove, as we haven't won anything yet, and our real season begins later this month. But we've done pretty much what's been expected of us all year, and more. We've answered every criticism, silenced every doubter, and have simply gone out every night taking care of business like we should.

These are all good signs. Hopefully, we can keep this up, and make a successful run at this year's Championship.

Friday, March 28, 2008, 8:38pm ET ----- Eyez on the Prize

First of all, I want to address something back in the news last week: Glen Taylor yapping and claiming that KG's tanked the final five games last season by sitting out.

It's pointless to even waste breath arguing this, since Taylor is completely idiotic for saying that. KG's always gives it his all, and often plays hurt and injured -- him missing the last five games of an otherwise meaningless close to yet another Timberwolves season was not by choice. He was injured, and just wanted to make sure his knee was checked out. For Glen Taylor to make this stupid claim out of the blue, was just a slap to KG's face. Not only was it a no class thing to do, it was completely ridiculous. Everyone had a good laugh about it. It also proves just how little attention Glen Taylor actually pays to his Timberwolves.

Moving on... Tough pick for MVP this season. Most folks are going for either Chris Paul or Kobe Bryant as the main contenders, with LeBron and KG being the other candidates.

Personally, that doesn't really matter to me. And it doesn't matter to KG, who's eyes are on the championships. I do hope that KG gets recognized, but I don't think he's gonna get enough votes with the media this year, no matter how well the Celtics finish the regular season. First of all, he's already won the award before (2003-2004). Believe or not, that's a factor. It's stupid, but it's true. The media will look at Kobe Bryant, who's never won MVP, and will see this as the prime opportunity to give it to him. They'll also look at Chris Paul and LBJ, who are young cats and have their entire career ahead of them to win MVP.

Secondly, critics will point to KG's diminished personal stats, and use the fact that he's playing with two future hall of famers against him.

Whatever.

Pay them no mind. This season isn't about individual awards. It isn't about personal stats and accolades.

MVP? Been there, done that.

NBA Chamapion? Now that's whassup.

We're doing ok. We swept the Texas Triangle, but then lost in New Orleans. Then we lost at home to the surging Sixers. But we bounced back big time to beat the Suns on Wednesday. KG hit 30 points for the second time this season, as the Celtics blew the game wide open in the second half to improve to 56-15.

Tonight, we're playing the Hornets again as we speak. The Hornets currently stand atop the West at 49-21. This one's in Boston, and it's halftime -- we're trailing 60-56. I want to see a big third quarter by us.

After tonight, there are 10 games left on our schedule. You can start the countdown to the Playoffs. Celtics will likely win 60+ (they'd better...), which will mark the first time in KG's career that he crosses that threshold -- his previous best was 58 wins with the 2003-2004 Timberwolves.

The West Playoff picture is pretty insane. I'm hoping Denver moves up, and Dallas drops. Dallas still hasn't beaten a .500 team since the Kidd trade, and with Dirk out, they're in a horrible state. I got no love for Ason Kidd.

The East Playoff picture isn't as wild. Boston, Detroit, and Orlando have already clinched. The Sixers are making a push, going 8-2 in their last ten games to climb to sixth place. Toronto has Bosh back, so they're in a lot better shape now after the slide to seventh. I hope Atlanta holds off New Jersey.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 8:55pm ET ----- Brotherly Love

Very impressive win yesterday. We emphatically stopped the Rockets historical run of 22 straight wins.

Going into the game, it had a feel of a heavyweight fight. The best of the East versus the best of the West. Even before a second ticked off the clock in the first quarter, Skip To My Lou and Rajon Rondo got into it and had to separated by KG. No punches thrown, but it was a tense moment in an important game.

The game went back and forth in the first half. Boston led by as many as seven points, and Houston led by as many as eight. And the score was tied at 40 at halftime. But coming out of the third quarter, the Celtics blew it wide open and took full control of the game. It was quite beautiful to watch. The game turned out to be a blowout, punctuated by a sickening Kevin Garnett tomahawk late in the four quarter. KG finished with a game-high of 22 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals.

Once again without Ray Allen, the Celtics needed people to step up. Big ups to Leone Powe, who contributed 21 points on 8-12 shooting. And Paul was his usual brilliant self, chipping in 20 points.

While it's nice to be known as the team that halted somebody's 22-game win streak, it's not a big deal. We're just playing Celtics basketball, and doing what we gotta do. We got another tough game tomorrow, in Dallas (who haven't beaten anyone over .500 since they traded for Jason Kidd). The Mavericks are hungry and desperate, as all these Western Conference teams are. So we gotta stay alert.

Of course, today's big news is Iverson's return to Philly. I'm watching the game right now, and it's a tight one with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. AI is my third favorite player of all time (behind KG, and MJ), so I'm hoping he has a nice game in Philly.

It's crazy when you look at the standings. The Nuggets (40-27) are in 9th place in the ultra-competitive West, in danger of not making the Playoffs. The Sixers (33-34), in the East, are doing just fine at the 7th seed. It would be quite ironic if the Sixers make the Playoffs while AI has to sit at home...

[EDIT: Sixers prevailed. Very close game. But a really bad no-call -- the refs missed a blatant goaltend that should've been called against the Sixers. And so Melo didn't get credit for the basket that would've given the Nuggets a two point lead. Very costly. Iverson had a great game, but missed the potential game-tying shot.]

Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 3:01pm ET ----- Texas Triangle

Before I talk about tonight's hugely hyped game against the Rockets, we gotta revisit last night in San Antonio.

And of course, gotta talk about Sam Cassell.

The Celtics marched into Texas with a 52-13 record, having just won 10 or our past 11 games. We've now hit a tough stretch in our schedule. First up is the Texas Triangle -- at San Antonio yesetday, at Houston tonight, at Dallas Thursday. Then we go to New Orleans, who are currently 45-21 and second in the West. Then we come back home to play the surging Sixers. Then we play Phoenix, and New Orleans again. After that, our schedule mellows out.

So for all intents and purposes, this stretch is our last major test before the Playoffs begin. We've already clinched the Atlantic Division. Won 50+ games. Have a decent lead over the 48-18 Pistons. So all that's left is to get through this stretch in a strong and assertive way, then finish our schedule by taking care of those lesser teams.

Last night, we started the game anything but strong and assertive. Yes, we were without Ray Allen for the second straight game (day-to-day with a minor ankle injury), but it's no excuse. The Spurs, having lost three straight games, were hungry and jumped on us in the first half. We trailed by as many as 22 points before rallying.

Ayo, aren't you glad we signed Sam Cassell, who came up HUGE for us off the bench, scoring 17 points. In the second quarter, when we trailed by 22 points, Sammy went to work and scored 12 points in less than six minutes. This allowed us to trim the deficit to just 10 points at halftime.

"I'm gonna make shots," Cassell said. "You know me, I'm gonna make some shots."

The biggest shot of the night came with about 47 seconds to go in the game, Celtics trailing by a point, 86-87. Pierce drove the lane and sucked in the defense, and passed to KG, who then swung the ball to a wide-open Sammy at the 3-point line. Sammy, ice-water in his veins, nailed the trey to give the Celtics a two point lead.

This is why we love Sam Cassell. Certainly brings back memories from the 2003-2004 Timberwolves season, where it was KG and Sammy (and Spree) all day.

Celtics eventually won the game, but not without some tense moments -- most notably KG throwing a bad inbounds pass which was intercepted, allowing Horry to jack up a three-pointer that would've won the game for theh Spurs. Thank goodness it missed.

Game one of the Texas Triangle done. So far so good.

Some interesting stats and tidbits from the NBA.com link:

• Over the last ten seasons (since 1998-99), teams are 29-82 (.261) on the Texas Triangle (three consecutive road games vs. the three Texas teams) trip.

• The last team to go 3-0 is the 2001-02 Kings (Nov. 27-30, 2001).

• Since the Mavericks joined the league before the 1980-81 season, teams are 245-439 (.358) in the Triangle.

• The Celtics are 19-17 (.528) all-time in the Triangle. The last time they did the Triangle was during the 2002-03 season and they went 0-3 (Jan. 10-13, 2003). The last time they went 3-0 was during the 1986-87 season (Feb. 18-21, 1987).

• The only other team doing the Triangle this season is the Sonics. They will do it April 8-11.

Which brings us to tonight game in Houston. We all know what a monster historical run this has been for the Houston Rockets. 22 consecutive wins, which is the second longest win streak in NBA history (33 is the record, by the 1971-1972 Lakers). That's pretty insane. That's more than a quarter of their season that they've just aced. They've beaten some good teams, and they did the last 10 without their leading scorer/rebound Yao. They haven't lost since January 27th against Utah. They're 31-3 in their last 34 games. They went from 10th place in the hyper-competitive West before their streak started, to 1st place in the West right now, leapfrogging nine teams in the process. And they beat the Lakers on Sunday on ABC to take sole control of the top seed in the West. And they're doing this with one star (T-Mac) in the starting line-up -- the rest of the starting five are Skip to my Lou, rookie Luis Scola, Shane Battier, and 67-year-old Dikembe Mutombo.

That's craaaazy.

The Rockets are not relying on T-Mac to do everything. They're actually playing extremely well as a team, cohesive and harmonious. Sunday's game against the Lakers, T-Mac was scoreless in the first half and only had 11 points for the game -- but they took out the Lakers no problem (thanks to Skip's 31 point outburst). During their streak, they won a lot of games by double digits.

So tonight, we've got the Celtics versus the Rockets. On TNT, to boot. This will be quite a showdown. I've got a lot of love for T-Mac, and I'm happy for him -- so it's not personal when I say I hope the Celtics halt the Rockets' win streak tonight. I root for KG always.

So far this season, we've had a bulls-eye on our backs every single game. But tonight, we're the hunters. Houston, you have a problem.

Thursday, March 6, 2008, 8:14pm ET ----- In the Presence of Greatness

Bill Russell, 11-time NBA champion and perhaps the greatest defensive center in NBA history, visited Kevin Garnett earlier this afternoon. Russell was at the Garden last night to see the Celtics beat the Pistons and clinch a Playoff berth. And today, he and KG met up at the Sports Authority Training Center at Healthpoint in Waltham. Here are bits and pieces of what took place.

It's a very good read, with some great quotables, both inspiring and funny. For instance...

Russell/KG on similarities
Russell: "We're both tall, dark but I've got more hair." (laughs)
KG: "By choice, by choice." (smiling)

KG upon hearing Russell talk about going 0-for-13 and grabbing 35 boards with 10 blocks in a game
KG: "Did you ever block a shot in the front row and say, get it out of here?!!"
Russell: "No, because I would want him to think he can score on me again. (laughs)
KG: "word, word."

KG on playing for the Celtics
KG: "When you put the green on, responsibility comes with that. The forefathers come before me, such as you. I'm proud to be part of the tradition, I want you to know that. Some people call it pressure, I call it an honor. There is more incentive to winning, to keep the tradition of winning, every time I suit up I think of that."
Russell: "I think you will win at least two or three championships and if you don't, I'll share one with you." (KG laughs)
Russell: "I'm serious, that's how much I think of you. If you continue to play the way you play and dedicate yourself, they will come, just like the movie Field of Dreams. You are one of the few guys who can do that. You may need to take a few guys with you, not drag them but put you arms around them and take them on a journey. You have no idea how proud I am of you, as proud as I am of my own kids. And you are close to No. 6." (laughs)
KG: "I say thank you. Every time I see you, you are always genuine, even though you are a comedian (laughs). Thank you for making the path for not only myself but for other guys, other young black men. Thank you for creating the path and for setting the bar so high. When I hear your stories, I think about your sacrifice and how deep it is. Thank you."

Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 9:52pm ET ----- Reunion

Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell. Teammates again.

That's whassup.

Y'all know I got mad love and respect for Sam Cassell. Love his game. Love his leadership. Love his nerves. Love his spirit.

Back in 2003-2004, the Timberwolves were a three-headed monster of KG, Sam, and Spree. That was somethin'. Timberwolves fans and KG fans were on quite a ride that year. Best record in the brutal west. Number one seed in the conference. Kevin Garnett MVP. One game away from Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, which the T-Wolves lost because Sam was injured for that series.

Here we are, four seasons later. Sammy is getting up there in age (38), and his health is often an issue. But we don't need Sammy to play heavy minutes. He's here to relieve Rajon when necessary, and to hit big shots if necessary. Not that we need him to hit big shots -- since we have KG-Ray-Paul capable of doing that. But Sam is definitely a legit option. A big guard who can post up, hit clutch shots, and has a deadly midrange game. He's a defensive liability, yes, and can't stay in front of quicker guards. But I think our team defense is good enough to recover and help if Sammy gets beat.

Obviously, I still expect Rajon to be our primary PG. Sammy will simply back him up, instead of us having to go to Eddie House for that. Eddie is more of a shooter than a distributor.

So I think this works for us.

As I type this, the Celtics (46-12 entering tonight) just beat the Pistons (44-16 entering) moments ago to take the season series 2-1. This is shaping up to be quite a match-up, two powerhouse teams on a collision course towards the Eastern Conference Finals. Two heavyweights slugging it out.

Round 1 was back on December 19th, when Chauncey pumpfaked Tony Allen into the air, and sank two freethrows to win by two. Pistons escaped the Garden with a win.

Round 2 was on January 5th. Another nailbiter. Glen Big Baby had a huge night, and was a force inside. Celtics prevailed.

Round 3 was earlier tonight. KG poured in 20 points in the first half, and finished with a season-high 31 points (first time he crossed 30 this season) to lead the Celtics to a 90-78 victory. In addition to winning the season series 2-1 against the Pistons, the Celtics also become the first team this season to clinch a Playoff berth (That's right y'all, let this sink in for a moment: KEVIN GARNETT IS GOIN' BACK TO DA PLAYOFFS!).

This was a big game. Not necessarily a "statement" game, I don't think. But there's a bit of confidence and bragging rights that come with taking this third and final regular season meeting. 2-1 series edge, two straight wins over a very cohesive, well-coached, battle-tested Pistons team.

The Pistons like to think their the underdogs. They like to slip under the radar. Like to be the hunter rather than the hunted. They'll gladly concede the title of the "best" team in the East, and try to sneak up on you. But the Celtics aren't going to fall for this. Every single Celtics player, coaching staff, and fan know that the Pistons are the team to beat in the East.

I'm not saying the Pistons are a better team than us -- they're not. But I'm saying that they're the team we have to beat in order to get to the Finals, in order to establish ourselves as the Eastern Conference top dog. Remember, this Pistons core has won an NBA title, has been to the Conference Finals in five straight seasons, and has done everything from steamrolling through a regular season to losing a series after leading 2-0. Thye've SEEN IT ALL. So the Celtics don't faze them one bit. It ain't no thang for them.

So we have to take it to them. And take it from them.

Tonight's win was huge. But it's essentially meaningless come May, when regular season series matters not. All that matters is winning four out of seven before the other team.

Sunday, February 17, 2008, 1:39pm ET ----- Superman

Kevin Garnett won't play in the All-Star Game tonight, but he participated in the East practice yesterday. It was good to see him out there, enjoying himself. The practice was fun to watch, ending with the now traditional halfcourt heaves. This time with a twist, though: They had a Guinness Book of Records guy, as they tried to set a record for most halfcourt shots made in a minute. LeBron and Jason Kidd ended up sharing the record with three makes. Ray Allen came in second with two makes.

Now to talk about something on everyone's minds:

Dwight Howard!

Mah goodness.

Talk about a Superman-sized performance of epic proportions. He most definitely used last year's robbery as fuel, and he came back stronger than ever. If you thought the sticker-oop last year was dope, he pulled out all the stops this year. It was really incredible what he did.

His first dunk in round 1 was a behind the backback windmill, where he stood out-of-bounds at the baseline tossed the ball off the back of the backboard, and windmilled it from where he was. Very stick opening dunk. Iggy had a similar idea in 2006, but different in execution and finish. Dwight's was creative nonetheless, and really hard to do.

His second dunk will go down as perhaps the most stylish and well-executed dunk in the history of the Dunk Contest. You first see his teammate Jameer Nelson with some red fabric in his hand, and you see the emblem and think it's a Superman flag or something. Then you see Dwight laying down a piece of tape at about a foot inside the freethrow line, then removing his Magic jersey to reveal a blue shirt. But not just any blue shirt -- but a inconic blue Superman shirt with the emblem on the chest.

The crowd exploded. Kenny Smith couldn't contain himself.

Dwight then put on the cape with Nelson's help, then did a little mini flying pose. He actually looked like Superman -- a massive, 6'11" Superman. He looked powerful and like he could actually fly. Which was exactly what he did -- fly. He took off, both feet, and simply soared to the rim. He was up in the air so high that his hand didn't make contact with rim; but it was like he threw the ball into the rim from above. It was absolutely breathtaking. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

Now with two 50's, he's in the final round, squaring off against Gerald Green, whose Birthday Cake dunk in the first round was also off the chain (I think it cost him some points because it was hard for the judges to see the imporant detail of blowing out the candle). Dwight's first dunk of the final round was another creative one. I'd seen footage of him praticing this one in preparation, so I was epecting it. But it still looked incredible nonetheless. He bounced the ball high into the air and ran towards the rim, and jumped. While in mid-air, he tapped the ball into the backboard with his left hand; and as the ball bounced back, he -- still in mid-air, of course -- caught it with his right hand and crammed it. Filthy.

By this point, D12 had all the momentum and love in the arena, and in homes all around the world. Gerald Green had no chance at derailing this runaway freight-train, this Superman. Green's final barefoot dunk was different, and tough to do, but it didn't look inspiring -- it didn't look stylish at all. Dwight had this contest won, all he had to do was simply complete his last dunk with something decent. But again, he pulled out all the creative stops.

Nelson got on a ladder and helped Dwight stick a mini-hoop on the lower right corner of the backboard. They placed the ball on this mini-hoop, resting in. Dwight missed his first attempt, but nailed it beautifully on his second try: He ran in, took the ball off its resting place with both hands, and powered in a side windmill. Looked amazing.

Dwight's performance has got to rank up there amongst the best individual performances in Dunk Contest history, right up there with MJ and Vince. You can tell he really worked hard at this, and prepared hard. He was robbed last year, and I remember him looking really sad and disappointed. But he just came back this year with a great attitude, had a lot of fun, and just took it. I noticed that the panel of judges consisted mostly big-(or close to big)-men (Chocolate Thunder, Dominique, Karl Malone, Dr J, and Magic) -- as if to make up for the injustice last year -- but Dwight didn't need any sympathy points. He owned this contest from start to finish.

And it was very thrilling and inspiring to watch. When I saw the Superman dunk, I couldn't really believe what I was seeing. The replays didn't even look human, but out of this world. I was really shocked sitting on the couch.

The rest of the All-Star Saturday events were pretty good too. I was way off with my predictions, though. Team Chicago came in second in Shooting Stars, so I was disappointed with that. They had the best time in round one, and was in such a great position to win it all in the final round. All they had to do was hit a half-court shot, and they had plenty of time to do it. But they couldn't make one in time. My girl Candice shot well, though. Other than the halfcourt shot, she cooly hit everything else.

Dwyane Wade was horrible in the Skills Challenge -- who the hell loses the ball dribbing around fake defenders? And it even looked like he gave up, not even tying to hit the final layup, which he missed three or four times. Deron Williams had a virtually flawless final round, finishing it with the fastest time in the history of the event.

Jason Kapono was really terrific in the 3-Point Shootout. He was on fire, and tied the best score for a round in the history of the event with 25 points (Craig Hodges). Steve stunk it up with the lowest points (9) in the first round, of course eliminated.

And of course, the night was capped by D12's Man of Steel performance. Jamario Moon didn't do as well I had expected. He should've learned from Josh Smith's mistake in 2006: You DON'T put down tape if you're not going to jump from there. You can't set the bar and fail to deliver. That's a big no-no. Now, the dunk was still impressive -- he took off hitting the freethrow line -- but the tape was like a foot beyind the line. It wasn't even close. Don't do the tape if you can't live up to it. Rudy Gay didn't bring much to the table -- two decent dunks not too different from his in-game exploits. Gerald Green put up a good fight, the Birthday Cake dunk was sweeeet, especially at the right angle in slow-motion.

On Friday night, the Rookie Challenge was fun to watch as well. KG was in attendance supporting Rondo, sitting courtside with LeBron ane Melo. Daniel Gibson lit it up from downtown, taking home MVP honors.

So that's whassup. I just finished watching the Legend's Brunch earlier, and look forward to tonight's game. Holla.

Friday, February 15, 2008, 3:55pm ET ----- MIA

Well, for the first time in Kevin Garnett's career, he will have to miss an All-Star Game due to an injury. It's unfortunate -- he's the leading vote-getter this year, and would have been the player on the Eastern Conference with the most All-Star Games under his belt -- but it's necessary.

KG has not played a game since January 25th. This period of rest might actually work to our advantage. First of all, our important role players (Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Scalabrine, etc) are getting a lot of experience. This will be crucial in the Playoffs. Secondly, even without KG, we're still play well and winning games against elite teams (eg Dallas and San Antonio). Our defense is not as tight, but it's as bad as the critics would think. And finally, KG sure is getting a lot of rest, so he won't be worn out in the Playoffs when he and The Big 3 will surely be playing heavy minutes.

Replacing KG on the All-Star squad will be Rasheed Wallace, as decided by David Stern. It makes senss considering the position, but once again Ray Allen got shafted. But do not fret, because Caron Butler is out too -- and this time David Stern named Ray to be his injury replacement. So we'll at least have Paul and Ray representing the Celtics in the All-Star Game.

Once again, the All-Star Weekend is upon us. It's a great weekend for basketball fans, and this one has extra meaning because it's in New Orleans. A lot of rebuilding going on, and it's great for everyone to be supportive.

Enjoy the weekend y'all. Here are my predictions and picks for all the major events this weekend:

T-Mobile Rookie Challenge: Sophomores (MVP: Rudy Gay)
- I think this is the easiest pick. The Rookies have no shot. The Sophomores -- headlined by Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, Celtics own Rajon Rondo, and Daniel Gibson with his Finals experience -- will probably just pound the Rookies.

Haier Shooting Stars: Chicago
- I roll with my girl Candice Dupree of course. If it weren't for Ben Gordon and his trigger-happy tendency last year, Team Chicago would've won it. This year, Chris Duhon and BJ Armstrong take the place of Gordon and Pippen. And Candice is Candice. Team Chicago all the way.

PlayStation Skills Challenge: Dwyane Wade
- Two-time defending champ Dwyane Wade won't have much problems repeating again. He knows the drill.

Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout: Steve Nash
I just have a feeling. Nash is probably among the top three pure shooters in the NBA today. He has no problems nailing big shots under pressure situations.

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest: Jamario Moon
- This is a tough one to decide, I'm going with either Moonshine or D12, the latter of whom was robbed last year and is coming back with a vengeance. I'm really rooting for Dwight, but I like Jamario's chances (is he gonna jump from beyond the freethrow line?? Daaayam). Jamario jumps effortlessly, and he can fly. Rudy Gay's got some major explosiveness, so he might have something sick up his sleeves. Gerald Green I don't think will repeat.

NBA All-Star Game: East (MVP: Dwyane Wade)
- I think the East will win. The West doesn't have KG anymore, and T-Mac isn't there this year, so that's two versatile do-it-all highlight reels gone. The East looks deeper, with some very serious scorers coming off the bench (Pierce, Joe Johnson, Ray, CB4, etc). The West's bench can't score like that. But the West's starting line-up has some major offensive firepower (Melo, AI, Kobe), which is just crazy. There's only one basketball, though. I'm gonna like the LBJ vs. Melo matchup, that's dope. I'm going with Dwyane Wade as MVP because his teammates will probably be looking for him, considering how much frustration he must be feeling over this terrible Miami season. He's probably gonna enjoy himself and take out some of his frustrations on this otherwise meaningless exhibition game. Now, if the West wins, I'm guess the MVP will be Carmelo, or maybe Chris Paul since he's the hometown kid.

Saturday, February 9, 2008, 1:21pm ET ----- Ain't No Love Lost

Quite an emotional night yesterday for Kevin Garnett and all his fans. Target Center was the scene -- goold ol' Target Center -- where during the pregame, fans gave KG a standing ovation (Video here).

The prodigal son.

A hero's welcome.

KG means more to Minnesota than simply just playing there for 12 seasons. He was the heart and soul of the franchise. He was that light when everything else was dark and gloomy. He was a figure in the community, and he gave back. He was loyal, honest, decent, passionate, and hard-working.

Kevin Garnett was real.

And so on the night that had been marked on the calendar of every single fan in Minnesota, KG walked out of the locker room during the pregame -- something he has not done since he strained his abdomen on January 25th... aginst the Timberwolves -- to a standing ovation. Every person in the Target Center stood and cheered. They had been waiting for this. They never had a chance to say good-bye.

And so they clapped, held up signs, rocked their #21 and #5 jerseys proudly, and drenched their adopted son with love and appreciation.

KG stood -- in his dark pea coat, silver tie, blue jeans, sneakers -- waved and smiled sheepishly. He bowed, and waved some more. He looked up into the stands, and finally broke into that megawatt grin and pounded his chest. As if to say, "I feel you, y'all are with me."

And with that, the game went on as expected. KG retreated back into the locker room to watch the game -- he does not sit on the bench during games where he can't play due to injuries, the competitive fire too fierce to be sitting anywhere near the court and not being able to play.

The game was a competitive one, with a thrilling finish. Celtics trailed by two points with half a minute to go in the game, but Rondo hit a clutch jumper to tie it with 28 seconds to go. T-Wolves had a chance to win the game, but Marko Jaric's three-pointer missed, and the T-Wolves saved the errant ball straight to Ray Allen with about six seconds left. Ray turned around immediately and dribbled the length of the floor -- a five on two fastbreak, every Celtic running like mad in the play. Ray missed the contested layup (he said afterwards that he was fouled), but Leon Powe, trailing the play with all the other Celtics, quickly rebounded the ball underneath the basket and and swiftly put it back up.

Buzzer.

Celtics win.

Wow, you wonder what KG's reaction was in the locker room. He was probably doing cartwheels. Not being able to play in this game undoubtedly was painful for him. It's kind of crazy to think about, because KG's has always been one of the most durable players in the NBA. Other than a small stretch in 1996-1997, when he missed games in the past, it was usually due to precautionary reasons. Like when the Timberwolves had a playoff seed clinched, and they rested KG in the final game or two of the regular season. No big deal. Or when they were eliminated from making the Playoffs, and they rested KG in the final few games to not further aggravate minor injuries.

But to see him injured and miss games during the middle of a crucial season is shocking. I don't think I can ever get used to that idea, but KG is human after all. He's very durable, he takes care of his body, and he plays through pain. It's very strange to not see him in uniform.

One more notable thing from last night -- did y'all see Melo go off? Wow career high 49 points, 20 in the first quarter, 29 in the first half. I think made like 11 of his first 12 shots, lots of jab steps, crossovers, and jumpers. In the final seconds of the game, when he could've gone for 50, the Wizards tripled-teamed him off the ball. Apparently they didn't want him to hit 50.

I'm actually surprised that Melo's never had a 50 point game. It'll come sooner or later, but I'm surprised a profilic scorer like him hasn't done it yet. This guy is an offensive machine. He can do everything offensively, and he's so quick and strong.

Anyway, one more week before the All-Star Weekend. Look forward to that. I'll check in with my picks and everything.

Thursday, February 7, 2008, 12:36pm ET ----- Caution

Kevin Garnett is still out with the abdominal strain. He missed the past five games, during which the Celtics went 3-2. The Celtics currently stand 37-9, still the best record in the NBA, but will need to finish 33-3 just to get to that lofty 70 wins. Now before anyone frowns, let's all remember what we're playing for here.

We're playing for the championship.

Not for 70 wins. Not for stats. Not for streaks.

So we need to get through April, May, and June. And to do that, we can't be rushing Garnett back from this injury. Anyone who's had the abdominal strain will tell you that it needs to be rested. Charles Barkley mentioned it on Thursday last week. Sam Cassell mentioned it yesterday (more on Sammy later).

This injury is different from anything KG's had.

"You don't know how many movements are affected throughout your core, throughout your abdomen area," KG said. "Everything from coughing, to sneezing and laughing and moving around, to tossing and turning in the bed at night. So it's been difficult."

Everyone knows how much of a competitor KG is, and how much he hates to sit out. The coaching staff had to talk him out of playing. He was asked when, in his own mind, he could resume playing.

"My mind is not really the case here," he said. "Doc just wants to make sure I'm smart, and I'm not doing anything heroic, as they put it. They wanna make sure that I'm healthy. Obviously we have another half of basketball to play, and I'm trying to be honest."

Gotta be frustrating not being able to help your teammates?

"I'll be honest, I can't really watch a lot of games, watch them in the back," he said. "That's hard for me within myself. I'm dealing with it. I'm trying to have a good attitude and be a good Samaritan about it."

But he also understands that he can't simply rush back.

"I'm trying to be smart," he said. "In the past, I've overlooked at some of my injuries as, 'I've been hurt.' This is an injury. This is when I make a certain movement, I have to stop in my tracks."

He's recovering quickly, though: "We'll just label it day-to-day. From the day I injured myself, up to this day, I've gotten better each and every day."

Now, everyone's looking at the game scheduled tomorrow night, when the Celtics play the Timberwolves in Minnesota. At the Target Center, where Kevin Garnett gave his blood, sweat, and tears in the past 12 season.

It's not just another game, no matter how you slice it.

KG will travel with the team, but there's a good chance he won't be able to play. Asked if he wished he could play tomorrow, he said: "That's a given. Y'all can come up with an answer yourselves. [But] this picture is just bigger than one or two days, or what's around the corner."

Some fans might be curious as to why KG hasn't been sitting on the bench with his teammates during games, and why he remains in the locker room. There are reasons.

"Well for one, I don't wear a sports jacket," he said. "Second, sitting on the bench and knowing that it's about 10 steps to the scorer's table to check in, wouldn't probably be the best thing for the NBA right now."

Word.

There's also the chance that KG will sit out playing in the All-Star Game -- that has never happened in his career. It really wouldn't be an All-Star Game without KG -- but if he doesn't play, there's a good chance David Stern's injury replacement will be Ray Allen. I still think Ray deserves to be on the team. When the Pistons had their spectacular regular season two years ago, the coaches selected four of their starters to be All-Stars. I think it's only right that the Celtics get their three stars in there, too.

So the next time KG plays again might be February 19th in Denver, as the Celtics begin a five-game roadtrip through the West, playing against some of the West's elites.

I mentioned Sam Cassell earlier. I would love to have Sammy join the Celtics. He's a big time shot-maker, basketball savvy, has a great mid-range and post-up game. He's played with KG and Ray, and he could back-up Rondo while tutoring him and teaching him all his veteran tricks. Sammy's game doesn't rely on athleticism -- but rather, smarts and experience -- so as long as he can stay healthy, I can see him playing at a strong level for a few more years. Though he's a defensive liability, his overall experience would really help the Celtics in the Playoffs -- someone like Chauncey Billups won't have the advantage of experience over him. I think Rondo could hold his own against the likes of Billups, but it would be nice to have someone like Sammy just in case.

Note that the only way the Celtics could get Sam Cassell is if the Clippers buy out his contract. There can't be a trade because the Celtics don't have any pieces to give-up. So we'll see what happens.

Speaking of trades and acquisitions, a couple of big ones. Gasol is now a Laker. I watched his first game as a Laker (against New Jersey), and he is a good fit with that system. I just wonder what's gonna happen when Bynum comes back from his injury. Who's gonna start? Gasol is the better overall player at the moment. But if you have Bynum come off the bench, it's gonna slow his development and confidence.

And of course, the HUGE trade yesterday -- Shaq to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. I'm not quite sure what to think of this. On the one hand, I know that a motivated, hungry, healthy Shaq is still a 20-10 guy, and can still be dominant at crucial points in the game -- and the move to Phoenix will rejuvenate his attitude and work ethic. Playing with Nash would also benefit him tremendously. It will also slide Amare to the power forward position, which probably comes more natural to Amare. And with Shaq getting all the double-team attention, all the dangerous shooters on that team -- Nash, Barbosa, Bell, etc -- are licking their chops. Overall, I would say the Suns' halfcourt offense has improved slightly (but changed a lot) with Shaq.

But on the other hand, Shaq's gonna be 36 years old in March, and Phoenix is a high-octane running team -- so it remains to be seen whether Shaq's health and body will allow him to get up and down the court. In halfcourt sets, Shaq is going go camp in there a lot and clog the lane, and won't be stepping out much. This will probably hurt the Suns' spacing, where as with Marion it was like clockwork. Shaq's lack of ability nowadays also gets him into lots of foul trouble, which in combination with in injuries also explains his decreased playing-time. So despite him being a big body to guard Duncan and Yao, he might be fouling out all the time. And also, Shawn Marion was such a perfect fit in the Suns's system, and was their most versatile and best perimeter defender. So they just lost a big piece of what made the Suns, well, the Suns.

Another big man acqusition who might have some trouble getting up and down the court is Chris Webber. He joined Golden State recently, and that should be an interesting situation. C-Webb and Nellie? They've probably put the past behind them, both are older and wiser. But how does C-Webb fit in with the run and gun Warriors? Will he even make it past halfcourt before Baron Davis or Stephen Jackson jacks up a 3-pointer. (I love watching the Warriors play, by the way -- I love their playground style ball, and it works for them quite well).

And finally, there's Damon Stoudamire to San Antonio, who will be without Parker for a bit. Stoudamire was looking at Boston as a likely destination, but rumor had it that the Celtics were hesitant because they saw the possibility of landing Sam Cassell. I'll take Cassell over Stoudamire anyday.

That's it from me for today. I just finished watching the Shaquille O'Neal press conference in Phoenix. It was a great one, Shaq was funny as always. Lots of great quotes. I recommend y'all watching the whole thing when NBA.com archives it later today.

And keep an eye out for Tomorrow. It's likely the Timberwolves organization will do something to honor KG, who will have to step out from the locker room if they do, haha.

Friday, February 1, 2008, 8:34pm ET ----- Unfinished Business

First of all, I just want to let y'all know that I made a new Kevin Garnett mix. I call it, "Unfinished Business." I've upped it to YouTube (if the embedded video below doesn't show up, you can simply go straight to the page):

Similar to my Legacy mix, this latest one is a two-parter. If the Legacy mix was a look in the rear view, the Unfinished Business mix is a look ahead, with an emphasis on the Celtics green. It's still a career mix, so the first half is comprised of Timberwolves highlights.

This mix took me all day today to make. Ideas had been swimming around in my head for weeks as to what music I wanted use, what theme and tone I wanted to try, and what footage was available. Obviously, all the Celtics footage are from the first half of this season. I figured this is a good time to make the mix, because we're just past the halfway point of the season, and it's a perfect time to use some of the great highlights from the past few months.

I think the mix turned out ok. The Legacy mix was a retrospective one, and quite emotional for me to make. But the Unfinished Business mix is just action-filled, and a lot of fun.

Let me know what y'all think. Comments and suggestions are welcome, of course.

Moving on, as we all know, KG is recovering from a abdominal strain from that Timberwolves game last Friday. It happened during the fourth quarter, and KG said the pain was like being sniped from the rafters. He left for the locker room, but did return in the end to make the game-sealing steal on Telfair.

But he did not play on Sunday against the Magic in Orlando, after Doc Rivers and the coaching staff made a game-time decision to sit KG out. KG wasn't happy about it, and stayed in the locker-room. KG is one of those guys that have to talked out of playing. No surprise there. It's very weird to see KG sit out games due to injuries. I hope it's just a minor thing. But that was a tough loss in Orlando, as we all saw on ABC... Turkoglu's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer -- which was not a good shot, except it went in.

He also didn't play in game against the Heat on Tuesday, but we blew out the Heat anyway. The game on Thursday against Dallas was much tougher without KG, obviously. But we played well, and came out with the win. I understand the decision to sit KG -- Super Bowl weekend, our next game is not until Tuesday. Lots of rest time for KG to recuperate.

In other news, All-Star reserves were named yesterday. Paul Pierce made the team, but not Ray Allen. Ray should've made the team, no question.

Friday, January 25, 2008, 2:25pm ET ----- Those Timberwolves

I haven't checked in with an entry in a month. But don't worry, I'm still breathing all things Celtics. I know we've hit a little rough patch in January -- losses to Charlotte, Washington (twice, home-and-home), Toronto -- but you won't get an no overreaction from me. It is what it is. When you have the best record in the league, every team is gunning for you. Every team wants a piece of you. Every team gets up to play you. Every night, you get the best effort from your opponents.

We are now at 33-7, approaching the mid-way mark of the 82-game season. 70 wins may or may not happen (we're slightly off that pace), but as you all know, our goals are set on what happens after the regular season.

Tonight, we play our 41st game of the season. And look who it is: The Minnesota Timberwolves.

It's not really significant. Yes, it's KG's first official game against his former team (they played in the preseason in London). Yes, it's best-record team versus the worst-record team -- or rather the has-Garnett team versus the had-Garnett team. But it's not really a big deal.

First of all, this game is in Boston. The next meeting between the two teams on February 8th (exactly two weeks from today) will be the big one, as it's played in Minnesota at the Target Center. That one will be emotional.

Second of all, it's not like KG is playing against his former teammates. A lot of the Timberwolves players that KG played with are no longer there. T-Hud? Gone. Trenton Hassell? Gone. Ricky Davis? Gone. Cassell, Sprewell, Ervin Johnson, Wally, Flip? Long gone. The only player left from the glory days is Mark Madsen.

And lastly, we're so locked in on what we have to do as a team, that nostalgia doesn't really matter. We're coming off a tough loss to the Raptors on Wednesday at home, where we gave up a season-worst 114 points. So we have to make sure we go back to playing our brand of basketball. I'm sure KG is concentrating on the task at hand, instead of looking back in his rearview.

If you want to check out KG's interview from after practice yesterday, where reporters inevitably asked him about playing the Timberwolves tonight, I've uploaded it here. KG loves Family Guy, hahaha that's whassup. And if you haven't already, check out my Youtube channel. Hopefully, y'all like the KG videos.

In other news, the All-Star balloting has ended, and the starters were announced last night on TNT. Here are the top 10 vote getters:

Player	Votes
Kevin Garnett	2,399,148
LeBron James	2,108,831
Dwight Howard	2,066,991
Kobe Bryant	2,004,940
Carmelo Anthony	1,723,701
Tim Duncan	1,712,800
Yao Ming	1,709,180
Dwyane Wade	1,608,260
Dirk Nowitzki	1,259,025
Jason Kidd	1,246,386

Now, before we talk about KG, let's look at the overal results and their implications for a moment. The Western Conference guards are loaded with great choices, and that's why it's tough for anyone to get a lot of votes. Right at the top, you have Kobe, AI, and T-Mac taking votes away from one another -- these three are obviously the fan choices in terms of sheer excitment. Then of course, you have other no-brainer choices like Steve Nash and Chris Paul. Then, you have to look at other guards who are playing really well -- Baron Davis, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

So who gets chosen? Well, Kobe and AI are safe, the latter leapfrogging T-Mac in the last minute. This means that T-Mac likely won't make the team. The reserves are selected by coaches in their respective conferences. There is no way that they will pick T-Mac, who has been injured with a bad knee for a period this season, and who isn't playing a great as usual self.

The obvious choices for the coaches will surely be Steve Nash and Chris Paul. They'll make it for sure. But those are the two guaranteed slots for guards. The coaches also have to pick two forwards, one center, and two other non-position-specific players. The log-jam at guards mean T-Mac probably won't get chosen, and will miss the All-Star Game this year.

Looking at the East, I hope the coaches vote in Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. I also hope they vote in Shaq... it just wouldn't be a All-Star Game without Shaq [Edit: I'm suddenly reminded that Shaq is injured, and won't be able to play anyway. Never mind then].

And as you can see, Kevin Garnett led the entire league in votes received, garnering 2,399,148 votes, which is the most he has ever received. You've got to be happy for KG, who deserves all the recognition and praise.

It's amusing to me that many casual fans have woken up, are seeing KG's brilliance for the first time, and are finally recogizing the excellence of Kevin Garnett. People often took him from granted for in Minnesota, where he put up 20-10-5 and led mediocre editions of the Timberwolves into the Playoffs year after year.

And look at it now -- a little change in scenery with two other all-star calibre players has brought about so much love for KG. His Celtic #5 is the top-selling jersey on NBA.com and at the NBA Store. His 2,399,148 votes received this year ranks 6th highest in NBA all-star balloting history. His defense, work ethic, passion, intensity, unselfishness, and all-around excellence have been the talk of all media outlets and blogs.

So much love.

For those of us who have been a Kevin Garnett fan since the beginning, we can only smile.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007, 1:11pm ET ----- Into The West

As y'all know, the Celtics lost to the Pistons last Wednesday. The loss left a bad taste in all our mouths because of the way we lost it. After hitting back-to-back threes to tie the game, we should've held the ball for the last shot, instead of giving the Pistons one more opportunity, which they took full advantage. Chauncey Billups, the wily veteran, pumpfaked; Tony Allen, trying to bother the shot, bit and got into the air. And of course, we know the rest.

I think we've learned a lot from that loss, and this will help us later on, when we run into the Pistons again or into any other experienced powerhouse team.

We bounced right back and creamed Chicago on Friday, followed by beating Orlando to avenge our November 18th loss.

And now we hit the road, into the West. We have not played a single road game against Western Conference teams, so critics like to point out how favorable our schedule has been. They look at our 22-3 record with reservation. This is our chance to show them that we are every bit as good as our record indicates. We are about to play six straight games against Western teams, the first four on the road (Sacramento, Seattle, Utah, LA Lakers). Those four road games are played in five nights.

Ain't no problem there. KG made his living out in the West for 12 seasons. He knows whassup.

On Saturday, Doc Rivers gave each person on the team an early Christmas present: a framed photo of the team taken on October 6th in front of the Coliseum, during the team's stay in Rome for training camp. KG called the picture "powerful."

"Obviously we have a long duration of this journey, but it was the first part of the process," KG said. "Rome was good for us. It brings back those memories when I see that picture.

"In the future, 10 years, six, seven, eight years from now when I got that over my mantelpiece and I'm watching Rondo have an Afro playing in like 2013, 2014, and I look at that picture, it's going to bring back some memories. I guess that's why it's so powerful and I looked at it the way I looked at it."

And speaking of Christmas, this is KG's 13th one. Before 1995, KG and his household didn't celebrate Christmas (Jehovah Witnesses).

"This is my 13th," he said. "I tend to gravitate toward [the holiday more] than others, and I really appreciate the true meaning of it."

And on that note, I wanna wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Peace.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 1:33pm ET ----- Beyond Black and White

Interesting article by J.A. Adande of ESPN: Check it.

Monday, December 17, 2007, 8:34pm ET ----- Snow Demons

Sunday's snowstorm couldn't stop me from getting to the arena.

And the snowstorm couldn't stop the Celtics from dominating the Raptors either. Even without Ray Allen (who stayed in Boston to get treatment on his sore ankle), the Celtics led the entire game, and withstood the Raptors' run. Once we pulled ahead for good, our lead never dipped below 10 points.

Our defense was once again our strength, as we held the Raptors to just 77 points. KG was intense as always. You could see it in his expressions, how badly he wanted to win, even if it was a 1pm afternoon game during the middle of a snowstorm.

The ACC was not filled to capacity, but the turnout was still good despite the snow outside. The start of the second half was delayed by 14 minutes due to some situation I didn't know at the time -- I found out later that it was because of a leaky vent in the ceiling that they had to fix -- so that was even cooler. Hey, anything that prolongs the experience of watching KG is awesome. Anything that keeps me in the same building as Kevin Garnett is mad cool.

During the delay, KG just went to shoot warmup jumpers like it was no big deal. And he worked on his post-moves. That's always a treat to watch.

And with that win, we record now improves to 20-2, which equals the second best start in NBA history, and equals the best start in Celtics franchise history (1963-1964, a championship year).

We play the Pistons on Wednesday at home. That's a must-win game because the Pistons are the other Eastern Conference powerhouse, and they've been together for a while with the experience of winning in the Playoffs. So they're not going to back down to us, no matter how great our 20-2 start is. We need to beat the Pistons.

So I'm about to go to the TV to continue watching a night of games on tap. When I checked the Sportsnet schedule earlier, my eyes lit up when I saw Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat. But then I remembered, "Oh right... never mind."

Speaking of the Timberwolves, they have the worst record in the league. It's no surprise to me: The team that just acquired Kevin Garnett has the best record in the league, and the team that just traded him has the worst record in the league. As talented as Al Jefferson is, he's no Kevin Garnett. Yes, Jefferson put up a 30-20 game against Phoenix last week -- something only Kevin Garnett had done in franchise history (KG did it eight times, Playoffs included) -- but Jefferson doesn't elevate anybody else's play. Jefferson is averaging 1.3 assists... And the team is at an atrocious 3-19.

That's how bad the Timberwolves are, and how good Kevin Garnett is. With Kevin Garnett, they can still be a .500 team. But without him, they're the worst team in the NBA.

I've got love for the Timberwolves, and I don't revel in their current predicament -- I'm just making a point. Kevin Garnett had the entire franchise on his shoulders, and he carried it the best he could.

Saturday, December 15, 2007, 8:02pm ET ----- Taking Care of Business

The last time I wrote an entry, the Celtics were 12-2. This was about two weeks ago, on the last day of November.

And here we are, in the middle of December. Celtics are 19-2. Eight game winning streak. One of the best starts in NBA history. Celtics 12-0 home record equals the best start in franchise history.

That's hot, y'all.

Of course, now the talks of 70 wins are popping up on NBA.com (here and here). While that's all good and exciting talk for the fans, or for people who like to focus on that, I think most KG fans have our eyes on the bigger prize: The Championship. That's what really matters.

Yes, the Celtics are currently on pace to win about 74 games. But really, what good is that without a championship? Everything hinges on the Playoffs and beyond. I remember the Bulls catch-phrase in '95-'96, the year they won 72 games: "72-10 don't mean a thing without a ring."

So that's how we're rollin' too.

Things are pretty good for the Celtics right now, so we're gonna try to keep it going. More good news: Kevin Garnett is the current leading vote-getting in the first returns of the All-Star balloting. KG has 735,664 votes, more than anyone else. I'm pretty psyched about this, because it shows that fans recognize what the greatness of Kevin Garnett, what he brings to the Boston Celtics, and what he means to the league.

While KG's personal stats are down slightly -- 18.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists -- everyone knows the reason for that. First of all -- and the most obvious -- with the Big 3 all capable of dropping 20 or 30 on any given night, KG naturally doesn't have to shoulder the offensive load all by himself like he did in Minnesota. So his points per game and shot attempts logically drop off. Second of all, KG is playing a lot less minutes (currently 35.5 minutes per game) due to the Celtics blowing teams out left and right -- KG and the Big Three have been able to rest their bodies in many four quarters. And lastly, anyone who watches a Celtics game will realize that Kevin Garnett is playing better than ever, shooting a career-best 55.7% from the field. His defensive intensity and savvy have rubbed off on the entire Celtics squad.

So I'm glad to hear KG and MVP in the same sentence again. All the doubters and critics need to recognize. For all those years in Minnesota, when he put up brilliant stats to carry the Timberwolves into the Playoffs year after year, many critics refused to consider him an MVP. Now, they got nothin' to hate on.

Kevin Garnett for MVP. Get the campaign rolling.

And the Celtics are in Toronto to play the Raptors tomorrow afternoon. Y'all know where I'll be, and what jersey I'll have on. KG represent, holla.

Friday, November 30, 2007, 5:27pm ET ----- Steamrollers

If this was a year or two ago, 8 points from Kevin Garnett would've gotten me so furious with the coach for pulling KG out.

But it's different this year.

Personal stats don't mean much now. I just want the W, and I just want our players to stay healthy. I'm sure KG doesn't care that his league-leading streak of 411 consecutive games of scoring in double digits ended. I mean, the Celtics not only got the win, they completely steamrolled the Knicks. At one point in the fourth quarter, the lead was 52 points! Daaayam we whooped them good.

Besies, Isiah Thomas was on the other side of the bench. Had Doc left KG in there just to get KG to 10 points, Isiah Thomas would've accused Doc of running up the score, and maybe even try to get one of his players to foul somebody hard.

Another reason to rest KG (as well as Ray and Paul, who were pulled out a few minutes after KG) was to prepare for tonight's game in Miami, which is the second game of the back-to-back. The more we can rest our Big 3, the better off we'll be. Not only do the Big 3 get a chance to rest their legs, we also get to throw some of the young guys out there and let them gain experience.

So KG left the game during the middle of the third quarter, with the Celtics holding a massive lead that was still increasing. KG's statline for the night: 8 points (2-5 shooting, 4-4 from freethrows), 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks in just 22 minutes of play.

And most importantly, we got the W. 12-2.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 1:07pm ET ----- Far From Perfect

There's something very unsatisfying about the way we lost last night to the Cavaliers. Of course, it's always unsatisfying when you lose, but it felt like we should've won that game.

"We're a beter team than we showed," said KG, who finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal.

Ever notice that the Cavaliers often walk around with a sense of entitlement and swagger, simply because they have LeBron James? Having a young, fawned-over superstar like that tends to elevate the team above and beyond what its given talent might dictate otherwise.

And they are the defending Eastern Conference champs, so obviously they wouldn't back down to the Boston Celtics. The intensity of the game turned up a notch in the fourth quarter and overtime. In the final minutes of overtime as the Cavaliers pulled away, KG and LeBron had some choice words for each other. Kevin Garnett looked absolutely ticked off that the Celtics were about to lose the game.

Afterwards, KG refused to discuss what he and LeBron jawed about.

"I was talking to a lot of people," KG said sarcastically. "I was talking to Doc Rivers. I was talking to Drew Gooden. I had a couple of discussions with a couple of different people."

When asked how LeBron performed, KG replied simply, "He played well."

You can bet KG is looking at Sunday, when the two teams meet again.

Ray Allen, the hero of the previous game, came up big again in the scoring department, but missed two crucial freethrows in the fourth quarter. I was as shocked as he was to see both misses, when just one make would've broken a tie with less than 24 seconds to go.

"I feel like I let the team down," said Ray. "I was so surprised I missed the first one, I didn't let it go. I took it into the second one."

This sort of thing happens. You don't have to worry about Ray Allen. "I'll take Ray Allen at the line anytime," KG said, defending his teammate. "Just one of those nights."

Celtics are now 11-2, which is still the best record in the league.

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 11:31pm ET ----- He Got Game(Winners)

Walter Ray Allen.

Jesus Shuttlesworth.

Killer Ray.

Whatever you want to call him, he's a big-time shotmaker. This guy has ice-water in his veins. He could be shooting 0-99, but you would be stupid if you didn't think that 100th shot would go in. With the game on the line, he's fearless. I saw him do that in person, as he hit the game-winning three-point to sink the Raptors back on November 4th.

Another amazing finish last night, as the Celtics continue their what has so far been a spectacular season. Playing on the road in Charlotte, on the second game of a back-to-back, against a team without the injured Gerald Wallace, the Celtics needed to come up big.

With the score stuck on 95-93 (Celtics trailing) in the final minute, as Pierce missed a three-pointer and then a 15-foot jumper, it looked like the Celtics would lose this one. Bobcats got the rebound, and were fouled with 4.7 seconds left in the game.

But since the Celtics weren't over the limit, and Bobcats had to inbound the ball. And that's when the Celtics came up with a sick finish. Jason Richardson inbounded the ball, but Eddie House left his man Felton to tip the ball, which went up high in the air to Pierce, luckily. Pierce, pretty much surrounded, immediately fired the ball to Ray Allen, who was side-hopping into a prime 3-point shooting position.

Without hesitation and totally unfazed by his 3-14 shooting night, Ray Allen launched a long range bomb -- silky smooth, of course. The shot hit nothing but net.

And the Celtics celebrated.

KG, who was under the basket, whooped and raised his arms in triumph. Glen Big Baby Davis carried Ray off the floor as the entire Celtics squad mobbed their hero.

"He made it when it counted, and that's all that matters," KG said afterwards. "Killer Ray, as we call him. Killer Ray."

Said Pierce: "That's why we believe in one another, man. I could have grabbed the ball and maybe just took the shot, but I just turned and saw him wide open. I believe in Ray no matter what type of night he's having. That's the type of team we have. Ray was struggling all game, but I found him anyway. I believe in him. I don't care if he's 0-99, I'm going to go to him. And he delievered when it counted."

Ray didn't let his poor shooting night affect him when it counted. "I had some toilet-bowl shots. You know, they went in and came back out. They went around the rim. It's somewhat frustrating, but I'm right there. It's not like it's not on. I just wanted to be ready to make that shot if it came my way. The minute [House] touched the ball, it's almost like everything went in slow motion."

Kevin Garnett finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Pierce had 23 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists. Ray put in 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and the biggest shot of the night.

Celtics are now 11-1, a near perfect mark in what has been a near perfect season so far. It's still early, and the Celtics need to win when the games really count (i.e. Playoffs), but everything that's happened so far has been encouraging. You talk about blow out wins, clutch money shots, juggernaut stat lines, unselfish plays, team-oriented attitudes, .917 winning percentage -- it's been all good.

Let's keep this going.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007, 9:35pm ET ----- Balloons

So the Celtics won't go 82-0.

Sunday's loss to the Orlando Magic said that much. That, and the Magic appears to be a force to be reckoned with in the East.

Other than that, it was just a loss. Just one game. I was pretty dejected after watching the game, realizing that our winning streak was over and that it was KG's first loss as a Boston Celtic. But one thing I've learned over the years is to look at the big picture, and not obsess over every little thing. Yes, the details do matter, but it's probably better to focus on the positives than the negatives.

It's true, anytime you have a winning streak, you want to keep it going for as along as possible. Because it's momentum and inertia. If you lose that, you may have a hard time getting it back. It's like a balloon popping, after you put so much air into it, trying to get it as big as you can. It's kind of a letdown when it pops, and kind of shock, too.

But it's still just one loss. One loss in nine games. Big picture says that's really good.

Now that the novelty of a season-starting win streak -- and all the pressure that comes with keeping it going -- is off, we can just focus on playing good basketball. And start another winning streak.

Get out another balloon and start putting air into it.

Sunday's loss in Orlando did have its positives. Notably, we rallied back from a horrendous first quarter -- and a horrendous first half where we trailed by as much as 20 points -- to take a one-point lead in the fourth quarter. It was basically anybody's game at crunch time, and we just missed some 3-pointers in the end that would've put us ahead.

Another positive was the fact that it was a close game. Other than the win in Toronto, we haven't had any close games this year. We need to have experience in executing down the stretch in close games, because oftentimes that's what Playoff games boil down to. You won't be blowing people out in the Playoffs, especially in the deeper rounds, because teams are just too good. So you have to out-execute them, and you can't make stupid mistakes during pressure situations. Battling in close games during the regular season -- even the ones we lose -- gives us that valuable experience as a team, and will hopefully pay off in the Playoffs.

So we look to bounce back from that and get back to our winning ways. We still have the best record in the NBA at 8-1; every other team has lost two games or more. And we still have a sizeable lead in the Atlantic.

And as I type this, we've just finished blowing out the Warriors 105-82.

That's a new balloon right there, yo.

Saturday, November 17, 2007, 12:31pm ET ----- Rear View

Stephon Marbury forcing his way out of Minnesota was the best thing that ever happened to Kevin Garnett's career.

There, I said it.

Stephon Marbury is cancer. Wherever he goes, whatever jersey he puts on, he poisons all around him. Yes, the young Timberwolves with KG and Steph looked like a good thing at the time, but sooner or later something would've inevitably gone wrong.

How can you believe otherwise, knowing what you know now.

Now, it's true that KG and Steph had that special chemistry on the court, from the moment they met as high school kids. Somehow, Steph always knew exactly where KG was going to be, and how to find him. And somehow, KG always knew precisely what Steph was going to do with the ball.

The two were supposed to be the next generation of Stockton and Malone. Payton and Kemp. Penny and Shaq.

So much promise. So young. So good.

But in 1999, Steph basically demanded to be traded out of Minnesota. Despite the reasons he offered -- Minnesota was too cold, he wanted to play closer to his home of Coney Island -- it was no secret that he simply couldn't accept playing as an equal to Kevin Garnett, when Garnett was making $126 million. Garnett inked his deal in 1997. The new collective barganing agreement established before the start of the shortened 1998-1999 season meant that Steph could not get the kind of money Garnett was making.

And so Marbury bolted.

Looking back, I say that was a great thing to have happened to Kevin Garnett's career.

If you look at Garnett's career arc, you would see that his production soared after Marbury's departure. His first full season without Marbury was 20-10-5, and he averaged that for an NBA record six straight seasons immediately following. KG established himself as an elite superstar in this league, as a true force,

The Timberwolves continued to make the Playoffs -- for six straight seasons following -- after Marbury left. Their first full season without Marbury, the Timberwolves won 50 games. Yes, with the exception of the the 2004 Playoff run, the Timberwolves never had any post-season success. But that was not because of the lack of Marbury. It was more because the team simply didn't have enough talent around Garnett.

Kevin Garnett made Steph Marbury better. Not the other way around.

The Timberwolves didn't necessarily need Marbury. They needed a quality point guard, yes. But they had a few after Marbury: Terrell Brandon was rock solid when healthy, Chauncey Billups blossomed under Flip Saunder's system, and Sam Cassell was straight up gangsta.

So no, the problem for the Timberwolves wasn't at the point guard spot. The problem was a lack of talent in other areas. In other words, Stephon Marbury's absence ultmately didn't affect the Timberwolves much.

If you think the Timberwolves would have eventually become a championship contender with Stephon as the point guard -- like I used to think -- then you were fooled. That team would've sooner imploded than sniffing the NBA championship.

Why?

Because Stephon Marbury has never made anybody around him better. It's not because he's a bad point guard. On the contrary, Steph is as talented as they come. A point guard with abilities to score, slash, dish, hit big shots, and with gifts of speed, quickness, and strength -- Steph had it all. Except maturity.

Stephon Marbury just didn't get it. He still doesn't get it. If there ever was a me-first, me-not-we star point guard, he's it.

Just look at all the teams he's been on, and how he dragged them down. Perhaps even more telling is the fact that all these did so much better as soon as they got rid of him.

Minnesota? When Marbury left in March of 1999, KG was a 22-year-old beast about to blow up, and he carried the Timberwolves to the Playoffs year after year.

New Jersey? Jason Kidd got them to the Finals for two straight seasons right after the team got rid of Marbury.

Phoenix? They traded Marbury away to the Knicks during the 2003-2004 season, and waited a few months before landing Steve Nash during the off-season. And look at little Stevie and the Suns now.

And now in New York, playing at Madison Square Garden, in front of his hometown, Stephon Marbury has never been more lost. His latest incident with Isiah Thomas shows just how much of a distraction and negative presence he is. It's been all over the news, about how he left the team in the middle of a road trip because he found out Isiah Thomas was going to have him come off the bench. About how he threatened to expose Isiah if Isiah benches him (According to the New York Daily News, Marbury had this to say: "Isiah has to start me. I've got so much shit on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can fuck me. But I'll fuck him first. You have no idea what I know.")

Personally, I think Steph and Isiah can rot in New York together. They suspect -- both of 'em. They're both the shady type.

I now cringe at the thought of Steph staying in Minnesota with KG, who has since carved out a brilliant career and a place in NBA history for himself. Stephon Marbury needed Kevin Garnett a lot more than Kevin Garnett needed Stephon Marbury.

And in hindsight, I'm glad things worked out the way they did.

Believe that.

And in other news, Celtics are 8-0. Whassup.

Thursday, November 15, 2007, 3:56pm ET ----- Vote for KG

First things first, Celtics are now 7-0 after beating the Nets last night. That's the best record in the NBA. Every other team in the league has lost at least two games, with the exception of San Antonio who is 7-1. We also have a sizeable lead in the Atlantic Division (Toronto is second at 4-4).

The big three each had relatively low scoring games last night (KG had 16, Paul had 15, Ray had 14), but we had even contribution all around as six players scored in double digits. And we still managed to beat the Nets by 22 points (91-69). Our defense is still steering us correct.

And get this: Our average margin of victory over these seven games is 17.14 points. That's insane. With the exception of the three-point overtime win in Toronto (which I attended, of course), we're blowing out opponents left and right. 17.14 points is the best in the NBA. San Antonio is second at 10.25.

We gotta keep this up, and continue to play defense like beasts.

In other news, voting for the 2008 NBA All-Star game begins today. For the first time ever, Kevin Garnett is a forward for the Eastern Conference. The other big time player in that position is obviously LeBron, and maybe Chris Bosh.

But come January -- when balloting ends 66 days from today -- it's almost certain that KG and LeBron will be the top two vote-getters as Eastern Conference forwards. Bosh will be third. Paul Pierce will be fourth.

I'm just about to cast my ballots for today.

If you're wondering who I got...

EASTERN CONFERENCE
G: Ray Allen
G: Anthony Parker (I may alternate between AP, DWade, and Agent Zero)
F: Kevin Garnett
F: LeBron James (I'll alternate between LBJ and Bosh)
C: Dwight Howard

WESTERN CONFERENCE
G: Allen Iverson
G: Tracy McGrady
F: Carmelo Anthony
F: Dirk Nowtzki (I'll be sure to toss some votes to Durant)
C: Yao Ming

Tuesday, November 13, 2007, 10:54pm ET ----- Celtics Stay Perfect

6-0.

That's whassup. Now, I know the season is still young, and undoubtedly opposing teams will make their adjustments, and try to take us out of our game -- but for right now, we are HOT. 6-0 is the best record in the league (and is Boston's best start since their 6-0 in the 1987-1988 season), as we remain the only undefeated team left in the NBA. We're on top of virtually every power ranking, and the media are raving not about our offensive prowess, but about our defense.

I just finished watching the game against the Pacers tonight, and we simply pulled away from them. It's like Indiana was able to stay with us for a little while, even held the lead for a little bit -- but then we locked them down with our defense, found our offensive our stride, and surged ahead like it was no problem. Paul Pierce scored 21 points in the first half (31 for the game). Ray Allen had a strong third quarter. KG anchored the defense and provided his all-around contributions.

We held the Pacers to 34.9% shooting, and forced 22 turnovers.

We need to stay alert, and continue to play the type of defense that is quickly becoming our calling card. Tomorrow we're at home to play the Nets again (whom we beat on Saturday), for our first back-to-back of the season. I look at it as a must-win because 1) the Nets are an Atlantic Division rival, and 2) I don't like the Nets.

If you're wondering, this actually isn't the first time KG has opened a season 6-0. In the 2001-2002 season, KG's Timberwolves also jumped to a 6-0 start, before losing the seventh game. That team actually was on pace to win 60 games -- they were 30-11 midway through the season -- but simply collapsed the second half of the season, and got swept by the Mavericks in the first round of the Playoffs.

The lesson from that is clear: It's not how you start, but how you finish and how you maintain the consistency. And also, you need to pace yourself and peak at the right time. The regular season ultimately means nothing if you can't win in the Playoffs -- you don't have to look further than last year's Dallas Mavericks to understand that.

Speaking of the Timberwolves, so far they're still winless in the post-Kevin Garnett era. I ain't gonna say anything bad about them -- since I do have fond memories of the organization -- but I think it's worth pointing out that their 0-5 record is their worst start since the 1994-1995 season, which is the year before they drafted Kevin Garnett. Hmmmm.

In other news, Kevin Garnett was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for last week (games played Monday Nov. 5 through Sunday Nov. 11). The Celtics went 3-0, as KG put up 22.7 points, 15.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 2.7 steals.

Friday, November 9, 2007, 8:47pm ET ----- Rollin'

The Celtics are playing the Hawks right now, and I figure I would do an update. It's halftime, and we're up by 14 points. KG already has 15 points (on 7-9 shooting), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Paul Pierce has 19 points, and Ray has 9.

The Big 3 doin' their thang.

Wednesday's game against Denver -- daaayam, we just steamrolled them. We totally flattened the Nuggets, who are supposed to be a legit force in the West this year. At one point, we held a 41 point lead. With that win, we went up 3-0. And going into tonight, the Celtics are the only undefeated team left in the East, and one of the two still unbeaten teams in the entire league (Clippers are 4-0, but they're down 46-29 to the Pistons right now as I type this).

We look good right now. So far, everything's been beautiful, and it's what Celtics fans have hoped for. It's what KG fans have long dreamed of -- to see his incomparable game get complemented by capable teammates. To see his unselfishness pay off. To see him win. To see him happy.

Let's hope this continues for the rest of the season and beyond.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 6:57pm ET ----- Green Machine

Heading into tonight's game against the Nuggets, the Celtics are 2-0. So far so good. The Big 3 have been as good as advertised.

Sunday's game was simply awesome. I went to the ACC -- hostile territory for the afternoon -- all amped up, all decked out in my just-arrived KG #5 Celtic green jersey. I got more than my money's worth, as the Raptors and Celtics went into overtime -- where Kevin Garnett took over, where Ray Allen hit the game-winning three-pointer. Where the Celtics prevailed in a thrilling, nailbiting 98-95 victory.

The Big 3 looked good. This time, it was Ray Allen's turn to shine. Shuttlesworth scored 33 points, on 11-16 shooting overall, and 7-11 from downtown. He was absolutely deadly from long range. It seemed like everytime KG kicked it out from the double-team, Ray was there ready to catch and shoot.

In overtime, the Raptors chose to not double KG. So that's when KG went to work, posting up, draining fadeaways, drawing and-ones, and hitting reverse lay-ups. KG scored 10 points in the extra session, and finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.

Whenenver KG goes to the bench, I don't worry about this team as much as I used to worry about the Timberwolves. On Sunday, KG picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, and had to sit down with the Celtics leading by nine. And while it was true that the Celtics let the Raptors slice into the lead, I still felt much at ease with Ray and Paul out there.

Heading into tonight's schedule, the Celtics rank first in the league in opponents' field goal %. They're holding their opponents to 35.9% shooting, which is excellent defense. Granted, it's only been two games, but those two games were against offensively proficient, high-scoring teams (Washington and Toronto). We also rank second in the league in opponents' points per game, by holdng them to 89.00 (Detroit currently leads the league at 87.66).

Tonight's game against the high-octaned Denver Nuggets will once again put our defense to the test.

By the way, Kevin Garnett is on the cover of the latest issue of SLAM, which naturally includes a cover story. I've copped mine today. Get yours.

Friday, November 2, 2007, 11:09pm ET ----- The Beast Feasts on The East

Just how good is Kevin Garnett?

How does 22 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals in a season opener sound?

Or even better -- how does a 20 point win sound? That's whassup, y'all.

Kevin Garnett played in his first official game as a Boston Celtic, wearing that Celtics uniform. But no matter what he's wearing, he's still the Kevin Garnett that we all know. Superb all-around player. Vicious dominator. Consummate professional. Unselfish teammate. A beast.

Yes, Kevin Garnett is a beast.

Apparently, Gilbert Arenas forgot about that one in the Brotherhood teachings. In his blog, Agent Zero boldly guaranteed a Wizards victory tonight over the Celtics. I knew about his guarantee, but didn't make much of it because it was just Gilbert being Gilbert. I got love for Agent Zero, and saw his guarantee as pretty innocuous -- he was just stirring the pot, and making good headlines as usual. So it didn't bother me at all. Besides, to me, tonight's game was was more about the Celtics geting off to a good start than about making Gilbert eat his words.

But KG, Jesus, and The Truth made good on both counts. KG's 20-20 performance in his Celtic debut is very sweet, not to mention his 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. I'm excited at the prospect of his assist average soaring this year, on account of how wide open Ray and Paul will be.

And speaking of Jesus and The Truth, Ray put up 17 points and Paul dropped a team high 28 points. Each of the Big 3 shot at least 50% from the field. Rajon Rondo had a great game, too, finishing with 15 points on 7-10 shooting. The Celtics totally dominated the second quarter -- outscoring Washington 37-18 -- on route to a 103-83 victory.

Next up, The Toronto Raptors on Sunday. I got this one, y'all! I'm gonna witness KG's first road game as a Celtic.

Friday, November 2, 2007, 1:19pm ET ----- Time To Roll

And so it begins.

The season is four days old, and the Celtics sat idle the first three days. But tonight we roll, baby. This is undoubtedly one of the most important seasons of Kevin Garnett's career, with a lot of expectations and hopes. I am very excited and happy for Kevin; to see him so rejuvenated and so enthused definitely makes all KG fans amped.

Tonight is the Celtics home opener -- against Gilbert Arenas's Wizards. Let's start this thing right.

Several good games on the first three nights of opening week. I watched Kevin Durant's first two games, and I gotta say... that boy is somethin'. He's got range, he's got shot, he's got athleticism, he's got length, he's got playmaking abilities and a undeniable feel for the game. Charles Barkley was right, though: Durant isn't physically strong enough right now to take contact -- he's rail thin and gets bumped off easily -- but he will be scary good when he adds some strength.

Nuggets looked tight. Iverson had a spectacular game, with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 14 assists, and 7 steals. The Nuggets have a chance to be really good in the West this year. Last season, they didn't have all their personnel playing together for much of the year. This year, they're starting off together.

T-Mac is starting the season on fire. Last night's 47 point outburst against Utah shows us how he's really gonna excel in Adelman's system this year. Van Gundy's system was very methodical, slow and halfcourt, probably restricted T-Mac's running game. Adelman's gonna have the Rockets running so much more this season, and everyone on that team will have opportunities for easy transition baskets.

The Nuggets and the Rockets are my favorite teams in the West, now that the Timberwolves are off the radar. In the East, I'm obviously rollin' with the Celtics. I do have much love for the Raptors too, but there's no question who I'm rooting for when the Raptors and Celtics go head-to-head (like on Sunday!)

So let's get this thing started. Go Celtics.

Friday, October 26, 2007, 11:37pm ET ----- Just Warming Up

A triple-double in a preseason game?

That's so fly.

Kevin Garnett just posted 21 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 steal in the Celtics final preseason game, beating the Cavaliers 114-89. The regular season hasn't even begun, and KG is already showing his true form. Efficiency and excellence are his calling card: A triple-double in just 33 minutes of play, making 8-13 shots, and getting all of his teammates involved. The entire team shot 59.2% from the field.

Kendrick Perkins was back in the starting line-up, after missing the last three preseason games for precautionary reasons due to a sore left hamstring. And no one was happier about his return than Kevin Garnett.

"Horrible. Horrible," KG said of having to play center due to Perkins' absence. "But I'll do whatever Doc wants me to do. I've never been opposed to anything as long as I'm out there on the court. Hell, Eddy Curry was a battle. If you need me to play center I'll do that."

Now we know KG can play all five positions effectively. But having to bang with opposing centers -- such as the wide load that is of Eddy Curry -- takes a lot out of him, considering how much the team needs him for so many other facets of the game.

"If you catch a team with multiple bigs and you don't have your five, then that's a tough night for us because for our best defensive player and our best offensive player, he has a lot of work," Doc Rivers said. "You could tell at the end of the [Knicks] game that [KG] didn't have a lot left."

Doc is right because KG actually fouled out in that game against the Knicks. That's never a good thing. So KG is glad Perk is back, and is gonna make sure he is ready: "I'm making sure Perk gets up early, and [checking] if he needs extra ice," said KG. "If I have to ice him myself..."

Playing with a solid big man is something that KG relishes. In Minnesota, he really never had that -- someone who could bang, someone who had size, someone who had good hands and could catch well. The best center the Timberwolves managed to complement KG was probably Rasho. Maybe Dean Garrett, or Ervin Johnson.

Perkins still has ways to go, but KG sees a lot of promise in him.

"He has great hands, good IQ for the game and [he's] a great defensive player," Garnett said of Perkins. KG likes Perkins' strong work ethic, a quality that KG himself is known for.

"We bonded really fast. I expected me Paul and Ray to bond but Perk and I we have no choice," KG said. "We're the front line, so we're responsible for making sure that shots are blocked and getting rebounds. We're trying to protect that rim and protect that paint. He and I have to be on the same page."

Well, lookin' good right now.

It was a sweet tune-up game for the regular season, which tips off next week. Celtics play their first game next Friday -- exactly a week from today. Then they come to Toronto on Sunday.

Saturday, October 20, 2007, 12:31pm ET ----- Slip 'N Slide

Now there's something that you don't see everyday. The second half of a game cancelled due to wetness on the floor. 10,600 fans were sent home and promised full refunds or tickets to a future game.

"It was unusual," said Kevin Garnett. "I've never been in a situation like that."

Last night's preseason game between the Celtics and the Nets was called by the officiating crew after halftime, because the floor was dangerously slippery. There was condensation on the DCU Center floor (the game was not played at the Garden), due to the sheet of ice used for hockey directly underneath, and to the unusually warm temperature. Nothing the ball boys could do, no matter how many times they tried to wipe it dry.

Ray Allen slipped twice in the first half, and everyone was sliding all over the place. The players and coaches expressed concern.

"I knew it was bad when I saw Ray fall twice," said Kevin Garnett. "Then I tried to dunk but realized that I couldn't because I couldn't get traction."

When the decision was announced, the fans booed, cursed, and of course, threw stuff. The Celtics management quickly arranged an improptu autograph session for the fans, who then rushed the court. The Celtics players -- KG included -- sat behind tables at the baseline and signed for the fans who were spilling everywhere. KG was literally surrounded by a sea of eager fans while trying to accommodate as many autographer-seekers as he could.

The lack of security became a concern, halting the autograph signing after 20 minutes, as KG, Ray, Pierce, and company squeezed past all the fans and left the court.

"I saw how ou of control it got," KG said. "It wasn't safe for no one. I told people to relax. Some did and some didn't. But it wasn't a total loss. The Celtics got out of here safe. The Nets got out of here safe."

It was the right decision to call the game, of course. The last thing you want is a player getting hurt.

And for the record, the Celtics were leading 36-33 at halftme.

Thursday, October 18, 2007, 3:34pm ET ----- Preseason Home Debut

It was only a preseason game. But you could already feel the excitment and energy coursing through the Boston Garden.

Kevin Garnett and the Celtics played their preseason home debut against the Knicks last night, after spending two weeks in Europe for the 2007 Europe Live Tour. Though it was a homecoming, everything was still quite new for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

KG and Ray even told the media after the game that despite both living close to the Celtics' Waltham training facility, they had difficulty getting to the Garden: "I could see it right there, but how could I get to it?" KG said.

Same thing for getting home after the game. They needed to ask for directions.

Everything is still very new. The Celtics home white jersey is also a new look for KG. The fans gave KG a ruckus ovataion during the player intro last night, and he deserved every bit of it. You sort of got the feeling that, during his last two years as a Timberwolf, some fans in Minnesota took KG for granted night after night, no longer appreciating him. I'm glad Boston is treating him well.

"I felt like a young boy again, just trying to relax," Garnett told the media after the game. "I was excited to be here. I want everybody to know that my effort is going to be there night-in, night-out. I was more than excited tonight."

The 17,506 fans at the Boston Garden had every reason to be excited themselves, as the Celtics beat the Knicks by 40 points. KG was so amped to start the game that he clanged his first shot, and got called for a travel a short while later. But then everything clicked. He scored 13 points, and had 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in 29 minutes of play. The Big 3 combined for 49 points; and KG's all-around game was on full display: He ran the floor, rebounded, hit deep jumpers, dunked, and constantly looked for the open guys.

"I came out and bricked my first shot. Better than an airball, you know?" He said. "I was just feeling my energy in the building. After that I gave Rondo a little pass and I was good."

Everybody in Boston has been raving about KG's passing ability and unselfishness, but long-time fans of KG already knew that.

That ain't new.

Kevin Garnett's passing ability has always been through the roof. And when you surround him with players not named Olowokandi, you're gonna see the high assists and brilliant connections. He just draws so many defenders and so much attention everytime he touches the ball, and his teammates are really going to enjoy receiving his passes.

Someone should keep count of how many wide open dunks Kendrick Perkins is gonna get this season.

Same thing for the Big 3 itself. KG, Ray, and Paul are really going to take a lot of pressure off of one another. Yesterday's game had KG running all the way down floor for a wide open dunk, because Ray Allen had caught the ball at the three-point line with all five Knicks looking at him.

So if this is an indication of things to come for the season, we the fans have A LOT to be hyped about. There is absolutely no bickering amongst the Big 3. They're totally unselfish and don't care about personal stats or agenda.

The only thing that matters is winning together as a team.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 5:15pm ET ----- Dances With (Timber)Wolves

I just finished watching the Celtics take on the Timberwolves in the preseason match-up played in London, inside the beautiful new O2 Arena in North Greenwich. Yeah that's right -- Kevin Garnett vs. the Timberwolves.

Now that was weird.

There were multiple moments during the game where I needed to refresh myself as to which team I was supposed to be cheering for. It's like, on instinct, I naturally gravitate towards the Timberwolves, looking at their post, expecting to see a number 21 in there. But then I snap out of it, realizing that, "Oh right, KG don't play for 'Sota no more."

With that said, it was so strange to root against the Timberwolves. Everytime the broadcasters say "Timberwolves" -- or anytime someone mentions the word "Timberwolves" on the air or in the news -- my ears perk up. And I need to mentally check myself, realizing that I'm a Celtics fan now.

It's understandable when you think about it. I mean, more than a decade of cheering for Minnesota, of being attached to everything Timberwolves, of associating myself with that organization. Rooting against them was not something that came naturally to me.

But it wasn't hard.

Hey man, I'm a Kevin Garnett fan. He wears the Celtic green now, and that's what I roll with. So I was ecstatic that the Celtics beat the Timberwolves today (KG took just 6 shots and scored 9 points, but Ray Allen had a superb shooting game).

I look at the Timberwolves now, and I don't even feel any attachment towards its current personnel (except for Mark Madsen). Other than Mad Dog, everybody that I associate with the KG-Timberwolves glory days is gone: Flip, Cassell, Sprewell, Wally, Hudson, Hassell, Sealy, Sam Mitchell, Chauncey, Peeler, Brandon, Joe Smith, Steph. All gone.

When KG was traded in July, I barely even recognized this Timberwolves team. I didn't have much attachment to their players because I associated them with negativity. With not making the Playoffs. With wasting KG's talent.

Other than Mark Madsen -- who was on the bench and didn't suit up today -- the current Timberwolves players don't mean much to me. Marko Jaric? Get real. Randy Foye? He played with KG for just one year. Ricky Davis? He really didn't have much impact during his time with KG. Corey Brewer? I'll enjoy watching his career, but he never played with KG.

So moving on isn't too hard.

KG feels the same way. "Y'know what's crazy? A lot of the players and the coaches, the people I obviously grew with in Minnesota, are gone now,'' he said before practice on Monday. "Some of the [staff] people that [fans] don't really know are there, but teammates, people I grew with, are gone. It makes it a little more easier."

It certainly does make moving on a bit easier.

"Obviously, they still have some of the young boys I had under my umbrella a little bit, but it makes it easier just knowing that people I did grow with aren't there. Not to say it makes it easy."

It was an interesting moment on Monday. The Celtics were just entering the court for practice, as the Timberwolves were leaving theirs. Sure, there were smiles and pounds exchanged. Sure, Randy Wittman, Rashad McCants, and even Kevin McHale stopped by to chat with Garnett.

But, as Steve Aschburner notes in this terrific piece for SI, there's a respectful distance now. There's no dwelling on the past.

Reporters then surrounded Garnett before practice started, asking him about his thoughts.

"I've just been really focusing on this," he said of his new start with the Celtics. "This has really been a revolving year for me. I'm soaking it up and enjoying the guys, my new crew, man. Haven't really thought about the past a lot, to be honest with y'all. If I did, I would be honest and tell y'all. I'm enjoying this journey now and I'm enjoying this journey for the next five years. That's the focus now.

"Obviously Trenton is gone. Troy is gone. ... It's cool. Those are friends, off the court and all that. It is what it is. It's not bittersweet. I'm still in the league, I'm still playing, I'm still having fun, still enjoying the game."

Now we all know that KG is a sensitive cat who grows attached to things -- this is the guy that cried when the Timberwolves traded away Dean Garrett. So even though he's not talking about it much, we know he's still very fond of his Timberwolves days. It's just wise for him to not dwell on the past, because then he might lose focus on the task at hand.

"I can't dwell on that," he said. "I'm not the one to be bitching and moaning about things. You come in [and think], 'This wasn't in the plan,' you move on. That's how I'm attacking it. I can't sit there and think, 'Wow, this is how it was. This is what I gave them.' It's what it is. It's the nature of the business."

I'm gonna conclude this entry by quoting the end of Steve Aschburner's piece:

Doesn't it harden your heart a little, to work so hard and so long toward something, only to have it snuffed?

"It doesn't harden it," Garnett said, edging a little farther during warm-ups onto the court, where the questions end and the basketball begins. "But you do get ... a little membrane. A coat."

Calloused?

"A little bit. But you also learn from it," he said. "It's not necessarily a bad thing. You know what you're looking for now. You recognize it. It makes you better, probably, in business. It makes you understand this game as a business a little better."

So you can give as much to the Celtics now, after what happened with the Wolves?

"Absolutely. Absolutely. It's a new beginning," Garnett said.

"I understand where you're going with it, but I want you to understand how I'm dealing with it. The only way possible: Live and learn."

Saturday, October 6, 2007, 10:29pm ET ----- The Beast in Green

Earlier today, the NBA preseason tipped-off, with the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors scheduled to go first.

If Kevin Garnett's last game as a Timberwolf was against the Raptors, then it's interesting to note that the first time he suits up for the Celtics in a game is also against the Raptors. It's a preseason game, but still... it's interesting. That's what took place today, as the Celtics and the Raptors played their exhibition game in Rome. Celtics won a close one, 89-85.

I watched the entire game, and I must say: KG looked real good. A couple of sweet passes (including one no-look wrap-around to a wide open Perkins for a dunk), a couple of sick dunks. Baby hooks, turnaround jumpers, rebounds. The works.

KG notched 19 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, looking very comfortable with his new teammates. I've uploaded the highlights here.

He also looked realy into it, amped as always. He was energetic, spirited, and animated. You saw him dive for loose balls, look for the open man, cheer for his teammates, and even argue a phantom tech.

It's Kevin Garnett. Same guy.

Except he's wearing green.

And he seemed to elevate extra high today on his shots and on those rebounds. There's an extra spring in his step. I think it's no secret that as excited as we (the fans) are for Garnett and his Celtics, KG himself is extremely excited too.

Monday, October 1, 2007, 1:45pm ET ----- A Gladiator in Rome

Media Day for the Celtics was last Friday. And then the entire team flew to Rome, Italy to begin training camp as part of the NBA Europe Live 2007 Tour. The Raptors are staying in Treviso, Italy, and the two teams will play each other in an exhibition game in Rome on Saturday.

And yes, the four teams that are participating in the Europe Live Tour this year includes the Timberwolves (the fourth team being the Grizzlies). The Celtics and the Timberwolves will play an exhibition game on Wednesday October 10th in London. And that game is the only one that's already sold out. I wonder why.

The 2007-2008 season itself starts in just under a month. It's really an exciting time for Kevin Garnett fans everywhere -- because for the first time in several seasons, there's an aura of legitimacy and power surrounding the team he's on. The Celtics are expected to be a powerhouse in the East, if not the NBA. A lot of expectations, and a lot of hope, not unlike the start of the 2003-2004 season when the Timberwolves acquired Sammy and Spree.

The Big Three of KG, Jesus, and P2 is a little different in that they have no ego. Sammy and Spree had a lot of ego and baggage. Ray and Paul aren't really like that. KG isn't like that either, and that's why the three will make it work. They've each been the go-to guy on their respective teams, and have enjoyed some success at various points in their career. But the championship eludes all of them.

Now they get to chase that goal together.

Word out of training camp in Italy is not surprising -- Kevin Garnett is pumped and intense. He's pouring everything into every practice, every scrimmage -- and you can see it in his eyes. He's taking training camp and the upcoming preseason games as serious as the real season itself.

But we're used to that from Kevin Garnett.

Actually, we expect that from Kevin Garnett. So nothing's really changed, except the team around him and the positive outlook that comes with it.

"Let's go, baby," KG yelled after nailing a contested jumper yesterday. "Let's go. Get your gas up. Get your gas up." His first team (comprised of KG, Ray, Paul, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins) had just lost a scrimmage to the second team (Tony Allen, Eddie House, Brian Scalabrine, Leon Powe, and Esteban Batista), and he took his intensity up a notch. The practice session went 30 minutes longer because KG's first team refused to walk away losers.

"I enjoy competing," he said. "I enjoy playing the game. I get to come to practice and release some of my energy. Release some of my stress. ... I get knocked a little bit to sit my ass down. I figured, while you're out there, get something done."

Good ol' KG.

I'm really getting used to seeing KG wearing the Celtic green. Initially it was kind of a shock, but now my eyes have adjusted. I'm rooting for KG and the Celtics to have a terrific season, and go far in the Playoffs -- hopefully win the championship. But it's still very early, so one step at a time.

I've purchased a ticket for the November 4th game, when the Celtics come to town. That will be KG's first road game as a Celtic, and I am really hyped to be there in person to cheer for him. That's whassup.

I hope y'all had a great summer. For me, I paid a lot of attention to the Chicago Sky; they didn't make the Playoffs, but had a good season nonetheless. And I had a blast following track and field -- which, right after basketball, is my second sports passion. I gotta show some love to my girl Sanya Richards -- Beijing 2008 will be awesome.

Overall, my summer was pretty tight. I played ball and worked on my own game. I relaxed, watched the Track and Field World Championships, caught up on all the episodes of The Office, finished Ace Combat Zero, beat Resident Evil 4 again the other day. However, there were certain aspects of my summer that I felt came up short -- nothing to do with basketball or relaxation, but more to do with the personal life. But I'm gonna be alright. I know it.

Kevin Garnett has his fresh start and new hope. I know I'm about to get mine.

I can't wait for the season to start. And I hope y'all are as amped for it as I am. Holla at your boy.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007, 7:50pm ET ----- He Means Business

Kevin Garnett is one serious dude... when it comes to working hard.

If you're wondering how Kevin Garnett is getting ready for this crucial season, this new organization, this fresh start, know this: He is primed. Training camp hasn't even started -- and doesn't start until September 30th -- but KG is demonstrating why he's a true superstar.

In the past week or so, 20+ NBA players have been working out at the Tarkanian Basketball Academy, under the Abunassar Impact Basketball system. KG is one of them. Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe reports that Joe Abunassar has been working with KG for seven weeks this summer, mostly in Los Angeles. The workout is a combination of weight training for 90 minutes, basketball drills for 90 minutes, and 5-on-5 scrimmages.

The article then notes:

In one drill yesterday, Garnett showed how strong he is. Wearing a belt with a cable connected to it, Garnett was immovable as one man tried to yank him from the post with the cable and Abunassar tried unsuccessfully to steal the ball several times.

The 6-foot-11-inch, 253-pounder also sprinted while pulling a man with a resistance cable. After the drill, a sweat-drenched Garnett made the majority of his free throws while pumping himself up.

"C'mon Kevin. C'mon Kevin. C'mon Kevin," he said.

And this won't surprise you, but KG has been starting his workouts at 7am every morning since he arrived there on August 27. And he is always the first player to get there.

"I like my footprints to be the first in the sand," he said, on his six days a week workout regimen.

How intense is Kevin Garnett? This guy is for real. And he is really, REALLY serious about this season.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007, 12:25am ET ----- Legacy

I put together a special mix, chronicling Kevin Garnett's career as a Timberwolf and the legacy he has left. The mix is quite long, clocking in at about 9 minutes, and includes footage from throughout his illustrious career as a Minnesota Timberwolf. I'm really proud of this mix, which took me all day to do, and which I put a lot into. I think anytime you get a little emotional working on a project like this, you realize just how much it all means to you. The music and the endless highlights just grip you, and you can't help but feel.

The two tracks I used are both 2Pac joints: "Runnin' (Dying To Live) (feat. Biggie)" and "Starin' Through My Rear View." Both very powerful songs. I find the themes and motifs to be quite fitting...

Life. Death. Struggle. Tragedy. Fame. Fortune. Success. Failure. Dreams. Memories. Hope. Youth. Past. Present. And future.

Sometimes, we're all looking through that rearview. Maybe something is after you. Maybe something you can't shake.

Maybe something you always to remember. Maybe something you never want to forget.

But you keep going, keep cruising. You can look back, but only as long as you keep moving forward. Never stop, never waste a good thing.

And here it is, "Timberwolf ~ Kevin Garnett Legacy Mix":

Monday, August 6, 2007, 9:19pm ET ----- Like No Other

Kevin Garnett's new #5 Celtic jersy is already a top seller at the NBA Store in New York City and at NBAStore.com. I myself will be getting one at some point, and I'm eyeing something better than a replica. But for those of us who will miss seeing KG in that legendary Timberwolves #21 jersey, we can find some solace in the notion that the number #21 will be off limits to any Timberwolves player who wants to wear it.

(And seriously, I think any Timberwolves player who even dares to ask for the number is a moron.)

There are no immediate plans to retire the #21. "But if somebody asks for that number, I don't think I'm going to give it out," Glen Taylor said. "Kevin was a special guy for our franchise and for Minnesota."

Good to know that no one else will ever wear #21 for the Timberwolves.

Saturday, August 4, 2007, 3:22pm ET ----- The Final Wolf Bite

No one knew it at the time, but Kevin Garnett's final, made basket as a Minnesota Timberwolf came late in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors on April 9th, 2007.

Fittingly enough, it was a dunk, packing quite a punch. In somebody's face.

That's wassup.

Saturday, August 4, 2007, 1:19pm ET ----- Mark Your Calendar

The 2007-2008 NBA season schedule has been released.

For me personally, I'm looking at the two Sundays, November 4th and December 16th. Pretty hyped.

And I bet Kevin Garnett already has January 25th and February 8th circled on his calendar. Especially the February 8th game, when he makes his monumental return to the Target Center, playing for the first time as a visitor. You wonder how emotional that would be for Garnett. On the one hand, you just know wants to beat up on Kevin McHale's new product. But at the same time, you know he's very appreciative of and grateful to all the fans in Minnesota, and he might not be able to muster up any sort of edge or play with a chip on his shoulder.

And though he will be playing for different team come February 8th, it will be a homecoming. I still can't picture it, because it's simply mind-boggling. Kevin Garnett vs. the Timberwolves? I'm so used to typing Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves.

Kevin Garnett has always been a very loyal person. He grows attached to things, doesn't like change, and prefers to holds on to what he has. This was the guy who was so distraught when the Timberwolves traded away Dean Garrett. This was the guy who wrote "32 -Still Here-" on his shoe after the Timberwolves and Joe Smith parted ways in 2000. This was the guy who scrawled "Maudin" on his Nikes in his first NBA preseason game back in 1995.

You think about all the influential teammates and people who have come and gone in his career and life -- Ronnie Fields, Stephon Marbury, Terrell Brandon, Chauncey Billups, Sam Mitchell, Flip Saunders, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell.

Eldrick Leamon...

Kirby Puckett...

Malik Sealy...

Moments in life are often fleeting. Nothing gold can stay, as the Robert Frost poem goes. And unlike most professional athletes, Kevin Garnett gives a damn.

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 11:46am ET ----- It Takes 5ive

Throughout my readings, one thing I still haven't seen is exactly why Kevin Garnett decided to roll with Number #5. My first thought was that, it probably fits the whole Adidas "It Takes 5ive" campaign. And of course, he was also picked at number five by the Timberwolves back in the nineteen-ninety-five NBA Draft.

So those are good reasons.

But let's look at all the other numbers KG might have considered, before realizing that every number in existence has already been retired by the Celtics.

#21: The first and obvious choice, of course. KG first wore his now signature, legendary number back in Mauldin, after seeing a certain St. John's guy by the name of Malik Sealy rock that number. However, the Celtics #21 was worn by Bill Sharman, and retired by the Celtics almost 10 years before KG was even born. So that's out.

#2: I bet this would've been his second choice. Worn by Malik Sealy as a Timberwolf when he and KG were teammates and close friends in Minnesota. Ironically, Malik had to settle for #2 because KG had already taken Malik's #21. Sealy's death was devastating for Garnett, and Garnett hangs a framed photo of Sealy in a room at his house as a tribute. And KG definitely would've chosen the Number #2 for his new jersey, had it not already been retired in honor of Red Auerbach (who of course, never actually wore the number.)

#34: Garnett's Farragut Academy number. The #34 Admirals jersey is now also legendary, part of the Kevin Garnett folklore. It's not retired by the Celtics, so why didn't he go with it? Because Paul Pierce wears it.

#32: Magic Johnson's number. KG grew up a Magic fan. Too bad the number was also worn by Kevin McHale (of all people), and retired by Boston. As poetic justic, maybe the Celtics should just rip that number down from the rafters and give it to Garnett: "Kevin McHale, you wasted the best years of Kevin Garnett's career -- so we're un-retiring your number."

#23: Michael Jordan's number. KG was also a Jordan fan. I mean, who wasn't. But the number is retired by the Celtics in honor of Frank Ramsey.

#12: Reverse the digits? That wouldn't be very significant. It would actually be kind of silly.

#22: Add one? Nope, 22 is retired by Boston also (Ed Macauley).

#20: Subtract one? No... Ray Allen took that number.

#42: Double it. Kind of cool, but Tony Allen currently wears that number for the Celtics.

So there you have it. That's all I got, on figuring out why KG ultimately went with the Number #5. If any of you out there have heard something that I haven't, please tell me. By the way, here's the list of all the numbers that the Celtics have retired. So I think the Number #5 works pretty well, and begins a new chapter in the Kevin Garnett saga. It will look very strange at first -- but hey, it's the man that makes the number, not the other way around. And I think everyone should go buy that jersey ASAP. Show your love.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 11:05pm ET ----- Beantown Love

Still a lot happening. Media coverage is pretty much fever pitch. Boston is a bigger sports market than Minneapolis, and the Celtics are a franchise of rich, RICH history. Kevin Garnett's arrival has sparked immense excitment and endless discussions.

As my mood shifts from reflective to enthusiastic, my attention now falls on all the media hoopla. Like I mentioned before, I watched the entire press conference, listening intently to KG, Allen, and Pierce. I'm truly excited to see these three play together. I see this working out because they are all unselfish, veteran stars who are sick of losing. And they each have distinct and unique roles to fill on the court, in that they will complement rather than cramp one another's space.

Ray Allen is great at coming off screens, an excellent catch-and-shoot guy, and an superb long-range shooter. His forte is shooting, but he can also put the ball on the floor and drive effectively.

Paul Pierce is a terrific all-around player, slasher, creator, money in the clutch. A very capable scorer who can give it to you in many ways.

And of course, Kevin Garnett is the ultimate all-around player, anchor in the low/high post, defensive stopper, shotblocker/shotchanger, excellent passer, supreme rebounder, can score over anybody in the league, 20-10-5 ready any given night. (Just watch his assist average go above 5 again this season.)

I think they complement another's game so well, reminiscent of the Three-Headed Monster of KG, Sammy, and Spree (the 2003-2004 edition). I think Spree and Sammy had more egos and baggage, though -- I mean, we all saw what happened in 2004-2005 when they both checked out mentally.

The problem with Boston (right now) is that they don't have anyone beyond KG, Ray, and Pierce. They have three star players doing all the lifting, but don't have any strong, experienced role players. They don't have a Bruce Bowen or a Raja Bell, or even a decent bench. Recall that the 2003-2004 Timberwolves squad had defensive specialists like Trenton Hassell, hustle players like Mark Madsen, big bodies like Ervin Johnson and Michael Olowokandi, and spot-up shooters like Hoiberg and Szczerbiak.

So Boston probably still needs some minor pieces to make this work well. But hey, any team with a line-up of Garnett, Allen, and Pierce is already really imposing.

All the love Boston is giving KG is very cool. On the flip side, the coverage out of Minnesota is a mixed bag. There are some articles that try to be positive on the whole thing, by appreciating Garnett and lamenting the fact that McHale failed to maximize Garnett's time in Minnesota, while acknowledging the idea that the organization is going young to rebuild for the future.

(By the way, Steve Aschburner -- one of the best NBA beat writers around -- was unfortunately let go by Star Tribune in April after some complicated issues with a buy-out. At the time, he was also president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association. I've always enjoyed his pieces, and he seems like a good guy -- in fact, six years ago, he helped me with a question that I emailed him with -- so I'm glad to see him land on his feet with SI. Here are his thoughts on the KG trade.)

Some other articles out of the Minnesota media assert that it was time to move on because the Timberwolves' fanbase was already shrinking as a result of three consecutive unsuccessful seasons, and that unloading Garnett's massive contract improves flexibility for the team. But sadly, there are some really lame articles, particularly one out of Pioneer Press entitled, "K.G.'s Gone: So What?"

So what? Really?

Are you even human.

Those in the Minnesota media can spin the stories however way they want, whatever helps them get through the day and sleep at night. But they'll never be able to take away from what Kevin Garnett accomplished as a Timberwolf.

And they certainly can't take away from what Kevin Garnett is setting out to accomplish in Boston. You can tell that KG is happy to be there, and to be appreciated. He took a walk through Boston Garden with Brandi, taking in the sights, humoring reporters, smiling for cameras, and admiring his new green Celtic #5 jersey.

(And my goodness, Brandi is beautiful as always. She is just... wow. Another reason why it's good to be Kevin Garnett.)

During the actual press conference yesterday, KG seemed to have gotten a little emotional when speaking about leaving Minnesota, but you could sense that he was ecstatic and rejuvenated about his new opportunity at a title run. When Kevin Garnett is cracking jokes and clownin', you know he's at ease.

That's the KG that we know.

At the press conference, KG's opening statements also included some interesting bits. It was very telling when he said "I can't do young." The Timberwolves were going young in semi rebuild-for-the-future mode, and Kevin Garnett needed to win now. And after he found out in June that the Timberwolves were actively shopping him, things began to happen:

"Initially, I had no interest in leaving Minnesota, and I let that be known. But after Glen Taylor shared his views about what he wanted for his team, and the future, they contradicted, and I really didn't think that I was ever gonna have to think of a different alternative when it came to playing in Minnesota or just playing the game of basketball. But again, with the elaborate talks and knowing Glen's views on what he wanted for his team in the future and how they were very different from mine, when draft night went and Boston traded for Ray Allen, the whole situation changed for me. I actually contemplated and thought about it, I really didn't speak publicly, really didn't say too much to my friends, or any of that. Just in myself, really tried to be comfortable with seeing myself in a Celtics jersey. I went out to my summer home, and played ball with Paul, he didn't say anything to me about any of the things above, and I just got to thinking that I guess at the end of the day I'm loyal to a point where I feel like if someone's loyal to me then I have no problem with that, but when that changes, then it's pretty easy for me, so... After that, going through those stages, which was really tough, I thought this is probably my best opportunity to win a ring so I took the big steps to make those adjustments, and here we are, wearing number 5."

It's a very Kevin Garnett-like speak. Very familiar, candid, and genuine. I enjoyed the press conference very much, all the way up to the end, when KG concluded the session by blurting out, totally deadpan delivery, "And another note, um, I've never been on a cruise.... I've never been on a cruise. Let that be known."

And everyone laughs.

KG kept himself busy today, as he was honored earlier this evening at the Red Sox vs Orioles game. He threw out the ceremonial pitch (I uploaded the video to YouTube). David Ortiz -- former Minnesota Twin, haha -- caught the successful pitch, much to the delight of the crowd at Fenway Park.

The excitment is building. I can't wait for the season to start.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 4:31pm ET ----- 21 Forever

I took some time today to gather my thoughts.

It's still a shock to realize that Kevin Garnett is no longer a Timberwolf; I never thought this day would come. His name has been synonymous with the franchise, and he has embodied the passion, loyalty, spirit, and ferocity of a Timberwolf.

Y'all have to understand, I will always have nothing but great things to say about my memories with the Timberwolves. With Kevin Garnett, Number #21 as the leader of the pack.

I will miss being a Timberwolves fan. We've all gone through so much together as a unit, and it is sad to move on. But my loyalty is with the player I grew up watching and emulating. Wherever Kevin Garnett goes, that's where I'm at.

I wrote a special piece to commemorate and remember Timberwolf #21. You can also access the page on the left menu panel, under 2007-2008. Yes, I also made the animated .gif that you see here.

I believe the Minnesota Timberwolves will retire Garnett's 21. Anything less would be unacceptable.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007, 5:54pm ET ----- Green Pastures

Kevin Garnett is officially a Celtic.

As of today, I am no longer a Minnesota Timberwolves fan.

I'm a Celtic Cat.

I'll miss the blue. But this is the way it is now. Y'all feel the green.

But CRAP, the #21 Celtics jersey is retired! KG will wear number 5???

Press Conference is about to start (Edit: Transcript here). I'm watching all the coverage. Haha, KG had to cut short his vacation (he was on a boat cruise), and come straight to Boston. He's in for a BIG WELCOME.