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Magical!!!! X 2

Wow! Just as I was writing my post game story at halftime because I thought it was already over, the Celtics begin to do something Magical. What was magical? A 30 point turnaround and one heckuva of comeback!!!!

Magical 2nd Half Defense!!!!!

Magical Moore! Hitting 4 "Moore" Threes!!!!!

Magical Captain! ...feeding Bass some behind the back key passes and making enough free throws

Magical KG! and the D on Dwight

Magical Bench!!!!

Magical Mental Effort!!!!

Enjoy Celtic Fans!!!!!!!! We have our Magic Back!!!!

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Comments

were back baby!!!!!!!!!!!11
21 point depth no promblem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we owend second half this are the celtics that won banner 17

I was ready to change to change the channel....

when the C’s went down 27.

Glad I did not …lol.

I did.

It was painful, I went and watched the replay of Federer/Nadal for a bit. Luckily I clicked back about 5 minutes into the 4th.

Not really

The 07/08 C’s, beside dominating the second half, would’ve led at half by 21 points. Remember that game against Denver in November 2007?

I think its safe to say..

BOSTON’S BACK!!!

Not safe yet.

Indy tomorrow night will be a good test.

Second night of a back to back, against a team that’s beaten you twice already. If the Celtics want us to think they’ve turned a corner and are bringing a different intensity every night now, there’s your chance.

Good news is they will have a healthy Rondo if he is good to go

And Ray is supposed to be back. Bad news is, probably no JO again, Dooling got hurt again tonight, and who knows how sore Pietrus is going to be after the dirty foul by Dwight. That could have 5-6 guys hurt again tomorrow night, who knows. Going to be tough to beat that Indiana team on a back to back with all of the injuries, but after the last two games, I am not predicting anything.

I thought they were supposed to lose by 20 or 30?

and by the way, they play better without rondo!

That’s his prediction for every game.

+1
I love my fan club

I make a wrong prediction and then I am one of the first ones here praising them on the win and admitting I was horribly wrong. I am glad, however, that you all enjoy my work.

well i know this is wrong to say but i wont be bad if they lost tmm they pored heart and body out today

Freakin’ impressive. Love to see that warrior spirit and never-say-die attitude from these old vets.

Go Green Machine!!

I think it is safe to say Pierce is finally in shape
Took him awhile to get his legs in this one.

He looked dogged in the first half.

But ya, real strong second half from him.

lost his legs again in the 4th quarter

those free throws looked tired

Pierce played well over 44 minutes!

Yikes!

We need some more healthy players!

Truth.
more like THE TRUTH

Pierce was unbelieveable

I've lost count

of how many epic comebacks Pierce has led. Never count out the Truth.

Yeah! Let's trade him tonight... JK...
For Rudy Gay!
Sure! And give a first pick as well!
May 25, 2002 Playoffs

Game 3 against the Nets. Down 21, Pierce led them back from 21 down. Man that was an unbelievable game!! I was in Charlotte for the Coca Cola 600 and everyone was talking smack when they were getting their butts beat, but I destinctly remember saying to a couple guys, that it wasn’t over yet.

Obviously the 24 pt. comeback against the Lakers in the NBA finals was probably the best ever in Celtic history.

So what does Doc do with the young guys? Do they sit?

Lets face it guys, the best basketball has been played on defense. The young guys are raw and mistake prone, but they bring the defensive intensity. So…. what does Doc do?

Yup

Doc has a problem now. The young guys are proving themselves and have some momentum

That's easy

Give ’em some run

Doc should play the kids I think...

They have proven when they get minutes they for the most part do play well and can help the team.

Also even if they are not playing that well, giving them minutes can be beneficial and help the C’s down the road.

For example the Steamer got some solid minutes in the 1st half tonight.
Though he did not play that great, he got some quality minutes playing against Howard which will only help his growth and development which will make him a better ball player down the road for the C’s.

Also playing the kids like Moore, Bradley, Steamer and maybe even JJ will also help keep stress off the veterans which is also important and a plus.

give JJJ

playing time

+1 million

Yes play the kids. They make a bigger impact on the defensive end especially at the end of games. I’ve been calling for a mixture of youth and experience in the lineup and that’s what we had in the fourth. KG and PP along with Bass,Moore and Pietrus is a great balance for this team.

WHEW LETS GO CELTICS!!

thats what im talking about!!!! Its like the garden in my livingroom right now!

Nice win C's!

I really like AB and Moore as players and plus I can tell they are fit to be perfect celtics as you can tell their hard workers and really are team players. I never really liked all of Danny’s draft decisions recently, and thought thought he could have gotten more talented players but he’s really getting good guys like Moore, AB, JJJ and even GS even though we didnt draft him. I like being a team that could potentially have a very deep team with team players who all play good together like a Mavericks team of las year or Denver now then go the route of everyone else whose trying to go the star route like New York, Miami, New Jersey, Both LA teams and even Dallas as now trying to do that by not resigning their key players from a championship shit to get a chance to get DWill and Dwight

WOW!

I’m speechless….I’ve got to get a beer to calm down.

Well that was fun.
GO ETWAUN

I knew he had it in him

E'tu E'taun ? No E'three E'tuan !
Three'tuan lol
yea man if he can keep it up will i say........ maybe a lil ray ray?
perhaps perhaps. Im thrilled right now.
Looked real good.

I think he’s going to be a player, may end up being the steal of the draft.

This was the best and most exciting win for me since the first year of the big three

I am stunned. The defense in the second half — by the way, Moore was almost as good as Bradley hounding the Magic point guard full court — was astounding. The D, combined with putting Pierce in charge of the offense in the second half made all of the difference. Someone asked in an earlier thread why I bother watching the game if I am predicting a huge Celtic loss. There are two answers — I love the Celtics and you never know what is going to happen.

Moore should move ahead of Bradley. He was the star of the game. Bradley is just too awful on offense. Hope Pietrus did not hurt himself too badly on that fall and wonder how long Dooling will be out with his new injury. The Celts need these guys.

Dwight Howard is a quitter. He did not work hard tonight to get his shots, get rebounds or play defense. This Orlando team is incredibly weak mentally. And, Stan Van Gundy needs to be fired. Losing to the undermanned Celtics twice in a week, including an record-shattering blowout and losing a 27-point lead at home is unforgivable. The man is a dope.

The C’s came back from 24 down in their Championship season at the Staples Center in LA to beat the Lakers in Game 4 of the Finals.
That was the best and most exciting that I think you are referring to.

Game 3 of 2002 was pretty awesome too

Pierce scored 19 of his 28 points in the final 12 min. of that game. Just awesome. But yes, anytime you come back from 24 down in the NBA finals, and it’s againt your biggest rival, that’s got to go down as the best ever!

Great win for this team!

Hopefully this is the spark we needed!

Any updates on the injuries?

...and that is why no one should ever doubt the Truth!

…trade eh? ;) Playing 44mins?! Someone’s getting comfy with his conditioning :D

This win is even better and even sweeter than the last game at home, coming back from 27… without 3!!! starters this time… and an Away game?! Geez!!

I thought it was over too at the half but wow… there was Moore to it than the ugly 1st half!

Best game this season so far… hands down!

....this ought to shut up those crazy rumors! :D

Let’s hope so….Comfy is a funny word. :D

Now that

was a hell of a comeback. Thought about calling it a night but kept watching, and was glad I did

Truth. Unreal. Absolutely unreal.

And welcome to the party, E’Twaun Moore (27…27?…+27!), we’re sure glad you’re here.

Credits to Doc and the crew

for not giving up whatsoever. I remember TNT showing a clip of Doc saying “we are still in this!” when we were down 20+.
Love the fire, love the tenacity, love the attitude. KG’s pushing and shoving Doc at the end really tells all.
Overall, great team effort.

BTW we have great back up PGs don’t we.

Actually, Pierce was the only point "guard" that could run the offense tonight

Not complaining, but if not for the Captain running the team in the second half, this win would not have happened.

man vinnie alwasy negative u said we would losee u count us out
Where was I negative in the above post?

I did say they would lose and I admitted it in my post above. I stated they would be blown out. Maybe I should turn myself in to the local authorities right now for making such a prediction.

i didnt see the post my bad (lil more positive post wont hurt)
It's all good! The Celts had an amazing win tonight!
I like Pierce running the point forward.

I think we’re going to see a lot more of that going forward. Doc found something there.

Even when Rondo is back, Doc may have figured out that he really doesn’t need a true back up point guard. Moore and Bradley each bring unique things to the game, and running the offense through Pierce isn’t so bad. This can really help the team going forward.

great for a change of pace during games

But Doc offense is proven unguardable when its ran prpoerly and all three phases is in motion when Rondo has the ball first option is to attack spots when defenders don’t get back then pull up and let the bigs post looking for miss matches then run double screens for Allen while run of a pick and pop with Pierce or KG while Ray still running off screens of the bigs then if need side step and let Pierce go one on one all with in the Offense why change it can’t be ran with out RONDO HE MAKES A MAJOR DIFFERENCE. Remember how he makes a difference last year playoffs with him against Miami and then how easy they was guard with out Rondo. So play the rookies and keep the bigs fresh for 4 quarters and we will make playoffs just on DEFENSE .Beating teams guards up on def.and running them through screens on offense keeping teams out of their running set and giving them less time to run their off.set will keep us in the hunt and making them a deep confident team with draft picks and salary cap space to get even better next years to come .Remeber everything they said about you Green Machine and we will be laughing last

I agree. People are underestimating just how sophisticated and team-oriented our offense normally is

and while having Pierce run it from the elbow is tolerable for stretches, it is not going to work in the long run. It just lacks the options that our normal half-court set has when it’s run properly. Rondo has shown that he has a masterful grasp of quarterbacking this offense which was fantastic at generating high-percentage shots last year even with a variety of big men at the 5 – but it took him a couple of years to get to that level of mastery. I don’t expect Bradley or Moore or Dooling to be able to fully grok this offense for some time.

We need a stretch of having all our starters healthy for a change and for all the new guys to get more experience in this system. We are consistently late with either setting or using picks and our passing is still very sloppy.

There were various factors involved in the comeback

only pointing the captain runing the team in the second half as a cause speaks the volume of your intelligence.

+1

This is the fire I’ve been waiting to see. Maximum effort. KG active on D and on the boards. Love this team. Love this organization.

Speechless!

I was ready to go to bed at halftime! Living in Israel I had to wake up at 3:00am to watch this game. At halftime around 4:30am I was saying to myself “I’m not staying up this late at night to watch this embarrassment of a performance”. But something in me was telling me “Let’s just see how they open the 2’nd half”. When it was down to 15 I began to develop some optimism, when it was back to 21 I was about to give up again, but couldn’t… and than it happened! The year’s greatest comeback win! And now it’s 6:00am after I didn’t sleep all night and I’m to pumped up with adrenalin to go back to sleep! Celtics Pride!

Now this

is a true celtic fan

Kudos to Celtic Pride overseas!

Inspiring to know that you all are up at odd hours to root for the team!

Same here from Italy!!!

Oh Captain, my Captain! :D

props to you israeli celtics fan. way to hang in there
And from Brazil... Its 2 am right now over here. I won't sleep!
big ups to all you foriegn celtics!
Russia is here too)))

It was 5 AM here when the game starts)))I’m so proud that I will go to swim in the lake and it’s about MINUS 18 C here))))

From the Philippines

They rarely show Celtics games here. I followed the game on the internet. Too bad I couldn’t watch it.

Impressive win.

The Celtics team defense was just fabulous tonight in the 2nd half and got them back into the game after being 27 points down and deserves the game ball.

KG’s one on one (against Howard especially) and his help defense was once again great tonight as he has looked very athletic and energetic in the past 2 Orlando games.

Nice to see Wilcox play well tonight and also help the C’s on the defensive end of the court also.

Great game by Moore tonight as he played a big role I think in the win also.
Its been great to see Bradley and Moore play so well with the extra minutes they have received in recent games with Rondo and Ray out injured as they have received very valuable minutes which can only help there growth and development.
I hope Doc will feel more comfortable and have more confidence to play the kids in the future knowing they have the talent and are capable of contributing and helping the team win games.

The C’s might be tired but hopefully they can secure a win tomorrow night and continue this mini winning streak.

"I hope Doc will feel more comfortable and have more confidence to play the kids"

yes to that

I love the karmic balance demonstrated between Bradley and Moore

On Monday, Bradleys smothering defense was a huge factor in the game.

Not surprisingly, the Magic had some counter to that in this game, but then … surprise, Moore drops 4 big fat bombs on them from deep range – OFFENSE, BABY!

Both guys are having a huge impact in their own way. ’Love it.

And man, people need to give up some props to KG – he was quietly immense tonight, with JO out and having to play a lot at the 5. He only scored 12 points, but pulled down 10 boards and blocked FOUR shots and posted a +23 on the floor tonight.

OMG

Our bench is stepping up. And who else but the TRUTH. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The fountain of youth

If the Celtics played the Wizards or Magic every night they would be the undefeated NBA Champions!

Amazing performance in following up the previous demolition of Orlando. As expected the Magic came out fired up and nearly blew the Celtics out of the building. Somehow Boston regrouped and stormed back to pull out another improbable victory.

Tonight is yet another amazing reminder of what this team can do even when shorthanded. If the Celtics can play this way missing Allen, Rondo, JO and others then they could dominate with a reasonably full and healthy roster.

Anytime the excuses for poor play roll in everyone should just watch the tape of these previous two games as a reminder of what the Celtics are capable of.

By accident Doc may have stumbled on the formula for success with this veteran group. Infusing some of the young players who have endless energy combined with the veterans’ experience appears to be a potent combination. Hopefully Doc realizes now that he has to play the bench more instead of relying solely on Rondo and the Big 3…

i like that doc quote
Agree 100%

I also hope Doc realizes now that he has to play the bench more instead of relying solely on Rondo and the Big 3.

The Formulae

“By accident Doc may have stumbled on the formula for success with this veteran group. Infusing some of the young players who have endless energy combined with the veterans’ experience”

Right— he finally caught up with us bloggers. Injuries forced his hand/. Prob back to same old before you know it.

Lets hope not.

At this point, I want more Moore!

The less I see Keyon Dooling on the court, the better.

I sure hope...

Doc will continue to listen to us bloggers who have been urging him to use the youngsters, as it has been a recipe for success so far.

But just like you I also fear Doc may go back to his old ways and continue to milk the big 4 instead of seeking help from the youngsters who have shown they can help the team and deserve to get minutes.

Lets all hope Doc does not revert to his old ways, but only time will tell.

First half = joke. 2nd half = amazing!

First half, it seemed everyone had decided the outcome in advance — Cs playing rookies+newbies, Magic doing their thing, refs doing their best to help Orlando. Then… the 2nd half. Wow! AMAZING defensive intensity by the Cs (making up for some so-so offense by guys not named Pierce or Moore). Great stuff. (Even tho the refs were just terrible all around.)

Did you catch how HAPPY the guys were after the game? Everybody hugging everybody else, even Doc seemed more joyful than I’ve EVER seen him. Guess this one meant a lot…. to send out only 2 core players and a whole bunch of new guys and still come back to win after that horrendous 1st half — that’s gotta feel great… and it did.

Btw… KG may not have had a great offensive game (6/14, 3 TOs), but he was still a defensive beast and did show us that he can still jump as high as ever on that early block on Howard. All good.

It’s clear now that this team is coming together. This season may yet be a great one for our guys. If it happens, it’ll be the most amazing season ever. Do we believe yet?? I do. This team has it in them. Whatever happens between now and May, if they’re healthy for the playoffs, watch out NBA.

I Believe! Ang KG can still get up big time!!
Totally agree that KG quietly had a fantastic game.

Ten rebounds, 4 blocked shots – and by far the most impressive +/- on the floor for the C’s in this game.

On the first half – I think you have to give a little credit there to the Magic for coming out all fired up, determined to not get embarrassed on their home-court after what happened in Boston on Monday. Of course, in the end, they did end up embarrassed on their home court … LOL.

I have started wearing my Celtics warm up pants and shirt for the last two games……that’s right I am the reason the Celtics are winning. I may have to start wearing the same thing for every game! It’s nice to see some positive comments lately…..

Just make sure you wash them.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He can’t WASH them!!!

Have you NO RESPECT for a STREAK?

LOL

keep-em on!!!!

I may never take them off!

I think...

Playing Hedo is an elixer for Pierce. Oh. and dont fear the Dwight.

Oddly, though, up until these two games, Hedo has quietly been having a pretty good season.

But yeah, Pierce has always tended to own him.

He may have eaten more than the usual pre-game pizza.
Championship Level Win

They still have the audacity to go in there and come back from 27 points shorthanded against a quality team. That’s a mindset as much as anything else, that’s what champions do. Great win.

Doc shortened the rotation...

And it worked! I think these injuries are helping us realize that the young mad dogs on this team need to play just because of the energy they bring. Then u have great two man ball with The Truth and either Bass or KG to take us home. So happy for E’Twan tonight, that kid can score and he finally calmed down and had a huge impact. His threes were great but that drive to the hoop with the soft floater might have been the nail in the coffin. Great win for our warriors in Green. GOODNIGHT!!

Where online can I go to hear the post game?

nba.com should the game live
How about that 2nd half Defense ..

Pure championship caliber D …. Great, great wins .

But don’t get carried away too soon. Even Stan VG admitted the Magic is no longer a contender now. So we have just beaten a very good team. And look who was guarding Pierce all night. Paul’s eyes just lit up.

This two wins don’t prove the C’s can win w/o Ray and Rondo in the long run. Hopefully no one will start the trade Ray and Rondo talks again.

No

No trade talks but we have to realize that our offense is at its best with Paul running it and not Rondo like back in 08… With a healthy Ray and Rondo things should only get better if we keep getting the ball to The Truth!!

+1

I have also said before that an elite, slower-pace PG may be a better fit for this roster.

i started them 1 minute later

but seriously what if we had a legit center

GREAT WIN.. i would give pierce the night off tomm..
no we got to keep rigthing his succes
Can't do. The C's will play the Pacers tomorrow. Pierce can't take a night off

May be he can if the opponent is the Nets, Wizards, or ….. well, that’s it. Not even the Clippers is a doormat anymore.

E'twaun Moore

Norris Cole who?!

mooore noris cole only had 1 good game in my words
Probably not the best time for this post but...

if we could get a good center for rondo, allen dooling and oneal i think we make that move right now. we would be legit contenders right now and weve shown our best basketball comes when pierce runs the show. wouldnt it be cool to see
Pierce
Moore
piertrus
KG
(insert good center)

with a bench of
bass
bradley
steamer

that is a high quality championship team

ummmmm no
why not

what if we could get roy hibbert for them

because paul pierce cant play point guard for the rest of the season.. and they need rondo
why cant he play point guard the whole year?

hes already going to be out there. i dont mean “PG” as in the way rondo plays it but the guy the offense goes through

Pierce is still by all means old for NBA standards and they need spread out of the offensive load as much as possible.

Also, conclusions like this are a lot like “Heat are better without Wade” proclamations (they’re not although Lebron does look a lot more comfortable). What we learned is that this team can survive for short stretches without Rondo, but for sustained success throughout this season they still need their best two way player.

i think that the heat would be better

with chris paul than wade or dwight howard than bosh (and not just because he is a better player but the style of play)
just because you have a great player (rondo) doesnt mean he is the right fit for the team and i think a center is a bigger need for us right now if we want to win a title this year

do you not learn lessons? breaking up teams when they start to do well = bad.
injuries already broke them up

and they did better

whatever dude. you gotta be a sadist if your not elated with what just happened. do whatever you want
a sadist?

im saying we could be a championship team this year. last week it looked like we were headed for the lottery

o then i misunderstood. sorry. i agree!
i do agree we need a PERK caliber big man, because o'neal, bass, wilcox, kg & steamer....

…dont do it enough near the rim or even 3-9 ft out…
see cblog

???

I don’t get it? Perk never did that. It’s really tough finding someone who does.

yagotmethere...
What?

A team with no point guard? No thanks. Not even close to a championship caliber team.

Not agreeing

But Moore and Bradley both can play the point

moore can play point guard, but he isnt the slasher that rondo is but i think if him and pierce split the duties of slashing the defense then it would work

I think he's better off the ball.

I like Pierce handling the ball with that unit. He did a great job finding Moore when the defense helped off.

They can play the point, but neither of them is a point guard -- at least right now
U could

Have argued the same point for Rondo back in 08 when we won it all. They are making Avery and Twan play that same role with Rondo out… We are a better team running offense like that

No

Dont get carried over by just a couple games

agreed

also we need to keep in mind that we’re talking about them being against Jameer and Duhon.

Jameer is a very good scoring point guard and a pretty good passer. But he is not a great ball handler. He’s just not. And Duhon is behind him for a reason. Against a PG with Rose’s ball skill and explosiveness it won’t be quite a dramatic a mis match.

If anyone here has NBA Tv I'd put it on

Celtics vs Cavs Game 7 in 2008 is on AKA the Pierce vs LeBron game. Just watching 5 minutes miss that team so much, I know it seems like I’m overexaggerating when I say this team is nowhere near that 08 team even when healthy but seriously, that team was so good. Just watching Perk grab too offensive rebounds after getting two misses from his teammate and immediately make the right play and throw the ball up to Pierce to restart the offense instead of the typical play of a selfish not team player and try and get his and put it back up. That team was amazing.

I’m watching it now

for some reason i am more happy with what just happened currently.
Was at that game.

Oh memories.

amazing heart

This team has an amazing amount of heart. Orlando is an extremely flawed team but to beat them on their court after being down by 27 in the second half missing some of our best players is pretty impressive. I may doubt his tweams ability to win an NBA title but I’ll never doubt their heart.

I love the mixture of younger legs with experienced veterans. Hope Doc continues to go to it once Ray and Rondo come back.

this win demonstrates that DOC'S a great coach

his sub timing and steady strategic moves really got the team rolling 2nd half

Ashtonishing Comeback

w/o 3/5 of starters; does this intrigue Dwight?

Honestly, I am one fan who is not sure he wants Dwight

The guy is a quitter and a dirty player on top of it. I am not sure he will ever win anything in his career.

Not sure I agree on that.

I definitely have some questions on him, no doubt. But I don’t think there’s any arguing that he’s the best Center in the NBA.

Two most important positions on a Basketball court, Point guard and Center. If you have any chance of locking up those two spots with all star talent for the foreseeable future, you do it, end of story.

+1

Id love to see Howard in Green as he is the most dominating big man in Basketball.

He was quoted as saying some real nice things tonight about the Celtics organization and does love Doc so who knows maybe he might want to come here ???

I see him as a quitter and a guy without a killer instinct

Plus, he is a dirty player

agree with vinnie
You're opinion.

I hope Danny doesn’t agree.

what else would it be ...but his opinion?
It was his not so subtle way in saying that he's wrong.
my sudden thought is...

…can howard play celtics basketball/

…oh, and can he embrace KG’s ferocity, which he surely would hold Howards feet to the fire on effort…?

I'm not a big fan of The Grin(tm) - as my post history would show

but if he came to the C’s I would learn to love the big dork. He is an amazing athlete and easily the dominant center in the NBA right now and would be an amazing pairing with Rondo.

worrisome free throw shooters...

i hope we can solve their free throw shooting percentages as well when this pairing happens….

I agree that is a problem - but I believe you win championships with the half-court game

and Rondo and Howard would be a fantastic foundation for a dominant half-court game, both on offense and defense.

There are ways to mitigate the free throw problem – obviously that’s where making sound decisions on the rest of the lineup is important.

Gasol

No, not the ugly one, the one that can actually play center. He’s not the only center I’ve seen that plays mad and hates to lose more than he loves to win. But I think he’s probably the best of them.

When it comes to players in the pivot my preference is always going to be towards guys that play pissed off and hate losing more than they love winning. Perk obviously fit into that category also. would not complain about Dwight. But I’d rather have Marc, or even Perk back.

yea, Howard does solve many of the Celt's problems

and IF DA can still sign Ray & KG to small contracts, keep Bass, Pietrus, and sign Jeff G cheaply, what a roster !

I have to Agree, Howard is still a beast and match up nightmare…that would be a great roster!

Wait

You guys don’t want Dwight Howard in green? Then who do you want in green? Come on… This is silly…

Not wanting Howard in green is crazy talk.
He’s best in the game at his position.
It’s not his fault his team is not that good and could not close out the game.

You're not the only one, Vinnie

I totally agree!

Dwight Howard isn't as good as Brad Dougherty was.

And no disrespect to BD, but he was probably the 8th best center in the league in his prime. But he would OWN DH. More post moves, jumpshot, hardnose defense, and if DH pulled any of his dirty elbows, BD would deck him.

So this “most dominate center” talk around DH is infuriating. He’s an athletic freak in an are lacking post-up big men; but he has no killer instinct.

Nice

Pierce is so clutch….and Etwaun shoot Moore threes…….thats what we need in our back up point.

Amazing

But this was only possible because no Rondo. Had Rondo played, he wouldn’t had been able to hit those open 3s that Moore hit.

not true but we would of have more attacking the rim and better fast breaks
So you're saying we should trade Rondo?

Haha.

no I don't think he was saying that
What about not having Rayray and JO?

I think that helped as well. What about not having Jeff Green?

God, this is why I don’t come here nearly as often.

I empathize with you, I truly do. Just gotta take it in stride.

I can't wait to watch the game again in the replay later hahah!

1 more and we’re back to .500! ;)

Heck it’s a sign… as I’ve said before, instead of crazy trade ideas, it is not a bad idea to have a different starting unit… even with all our starters back ;)

im i shock

i had to watch something else once halftime hit. then from my phone i looked at the score on nba.com and switched back…this was with about 5 left in the fourth. as i said i am shocked. good thing i dont play for the c’s, cuz i thought it was OVER.

I like

Rondo/Moore
Ray/Bradley
Paul/Pietrus
KG/Bass
JO/Wilcox

Not a fan of Dooling (Turnover waiting to happen) his injury helped us win that game. Dooling doesn’t go down Moore never takes his warm ups off… Steamer stopped trying to block shots (Useless) Sasha and Quisy can be used in emergencies only

Bradley can't back up Ray. He can't shoot.

And, if he is not guarding the other team’s point guard he is pretty much useless

He's struggled with his shot, but he can shoot.

His numbers if college and D-league would say he’s a pretty decent shooter. He’s no Ray Allen, but he’s perfectly capable of knocking down open jumpers.

His confidence on the offensive end just hasn’t come around yet. He just have that shooters mentality, like Moore clearly does.

+1

I have also pointed out in the past Bradley has been a pretty good shooter in College and the D league, so hopefully his shooting touch will come along soon, since its like riding a bike, you really can not forget how to do it .

AND

i could care less if howard wants to come to boston or not…that cat DOES NOT impress me.

I am with you on that one. He doesn't have the killer instinct
dwight needs a different offense and maybe some other personnel, or coaching... etc...

but the mans skills and competitiveness are NOT in doubt…

His competitiveness was in doubt tonight. He gave a half-effort almost the entire game
Kg rejecting Dwight was amazing.
KG's defense all night long

was pretty solid as he looked like the KG of old..

The guy found out a time machine.
I hope Doc manages the minutes for the young guns better

I agree with the posts above.. awesome awesome win.

Doc had better learn to trust the young guys on this team after their performance against the Magic.

Maybe it would be good if we keep 2 out of our Big 4 out their everytime. Instead of Doc using the bench as an entire 5-man second unit, I think it’s best to mix up veteran smarts with youthful athleticism. It’s just up to Doc to figure out which combination workds best, chemistry wise.

Again, awesome win! Good day for C’s fans! :)

What. a. comeback!

Without Rondo and Allen…. Pierce was outstanding tonight.

Un. Be. Lievable.

This makes two nights this week that I’ve been at the gym, checked the score on my phone late in the game and was shocked — a huge lead in one game, then overcoming a huge deficit in the next?? AWESOME!

Back in the days...

Boston used to struggle against Orlando. NOPE, NO MORE! This was the Celtics’ first win @ Orlando since Game 2 of the 2010 East Finals! :D

True - thought it is also our fourth straight win against them.
I honestly took a nap, when it was 27 down in the second quarter.
blow this up, seriously?

bandwagoners, any trade ideas? this is the team that will pull it through, i swear!

That was some HEART

and I think we’ve figured out the backup point guard situation: E’twuan and/or Bradley depending on the other team’s lineup

Doc is in love

With Dooling… Hope he buries him on the bench next to JJJ

I think Moore should definitely be the back up point, kid seems to have all around game going, unlike Bradley who is really only a defensive player. Etwaun has Moore upside and talent.

man you guys have a short memory...
Depressing first half, followed by an incredible second half = a fantastic win.

It was well worth staying up until almost 6 a.m. just to watch that remarkable comeback.

The last two games against the Magic have really revitalized the team.

If you don't believe yet, you need to understand

… that at this point in the season, we are looking to find out this team’s CEILING. When you’re looking for a ceiling — i.e., “how good can this team be?” — BAD GAMES DON’T COUNT. Even if they had 10 stinkers in a row, it wouldn’t touch the ceiling… it would only lower the floor. Only great games affect the ceiling. And we’ve had two in a row now, with tonight’s being as good as it gets.

So if you’re still on the fence, if you’re thinking “Well, it’s only 2 games, yada yada yada” — understand that these great games make a HUGE difference to this team. Not only to their confidence, not only in terms of bringing the newbies and rookies up to speed, but in terms of assessing just HOW GOOD THEY ARE. The key point is: If they are CAPABLE of this kind of greatness, then, health permitting, there’s very good reason to believe that come the playoffs, that greatness will be there…. because they have it in them.

So… you see…. ya gotta believe.

Very good post, JR99

" . . . it wouldn’t touch the ceiling . . . it would only lower the floor." What a great line!

great win......

i miss the poem maker……..he can make a very good one out of this win…..go celticsssssssssssssssssssss………..

what happened to him?

in the second half, big baby played a great game for the celtics. the missed jumpers and free throws were great. kg has played very good d on howard for 2 games now, but also still has been jumping out and helping on picks. one minute i’m swearing at pp and the next i am praising him. he has got me flummoxed tho i think orlando played good d on him in half 1. and gave it up in the 2nd. doc- it’s a crazy season— play the whole squad. after the 1st orlando game. i thought sasha deserved more time.

Great game...

I really thought we were going to see a beat down tonight.

We did…the other way!

DO YOU (STILL) BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

No Rajon Rondo, No JO, no Ray,
Tonight at Center KG did play.
Payback for the Magic according to Baby,
Says Avery be careful, he’ll set picks on him—maybe.

Q1 the Cs hardly went to the hoop,
Wilcox, Dooling joined the Cs bench group.
Ryan Anderson Magic’s man, from all over the court.
Cs out of synch, playing some other sport.

Doc got a technical, hated the push call on Bass,
There are fouls called on the Cs every other pass.
At the half the Magic’s points, plus two, not the same,
As they had Monday night against the Cs—the whole game!

Some nice cuts to the hoop were made by Bradley,
Scoring and energy the Cs needed so badly.
At the end of the third the Cs out of their funk,
Pierce for three, Wilcox monster dunk!

Turnover by Baby, Moore another three,
Cs within eight, at the line Dwight we see.
KG was hot, blocks, many a steal,
Crazy foul on Marquis, are the refs for real?

Twenty-seven down, at 76 the Cs tie,
Better be careful, Big Baby might cry.
What can we say?? Holy Moore.
Cs up three, 7:25 in Q4.

Tech on Howard, Pierce playing point,
Cs fans in Orlando were rockin’ that joint.
From 27 down, it was quite a shock,
Cs came all the way back, led by Doc.

There he is great as always!

Very nice as always, another one one to your site, good reads – your poems are like recaps for the games.

Awesome! Great job, mycelts!

Surprised you didn’t incorporate the, “I’m not a real doctor!” quote from Doc!

Should have!! He'll use it again!
...in a young girls heart..How the music can free her, whenever it starts...
thats what i want! i love these sonnets
Wilcox actually played and gave some meaningful minutes tonight

Almost forgot he was on this team but he was solid tonight and can only get better the more he plays with this group. He can really make an impact given JO’s propensity for injury and the Celtics general lack of big men.

I had thought it was Perkins, but it seems like the Celtics team as a whole has Dwight Howard’s number. As an offensive threat, Howard had some put-backs off of missed shots. But going one on one against KG and muscling his way towards the basket, I think he made two field goals tonight on quite a few more attempts.

Never underestimate the heart of a champion

Great game BUT I still don’t trust our offense. Why? Because we’ve become a jmp shooting team. And you don’t live by the jumper, sooner or later, you die by the jumper. We need a guy who’ll get us easy points in the paint. I’m starting a campaign to trade Jermaine for Chris Kaman!

you die by the three not jumpers, some teams can't help being a jumpshooting team especially older teams who have to win with skill

Luckily the big 3 are all good-great shooters, and bass is deadly off the bench. Pietrus is a streaky shooter, moore may be one too. Dooling is better at shooting than I thought, and Rondo is the guy that can set all those guys up. A back to the basket post player would be great, but you have to roll with what you got. Would not complain if they got Kaman, I think he is an expiring contract?

No, you die by the jumpers

When all you do is shoot jumpers. Listen, this offense won’t save us in the playoffs. If you can’t make high percentage shots, sooner or later you’ll die by the jumpers. It’s that simple. We aren’t scoring in the paint the way we should to be successful.

Even the Spurs

Have guys like Parker, Ginobili, Splitter, Blair… Several guys who can score in the paint. The Mavs have Dirk. marion, last year they had Chandler. When you have guys who can score in the paint, it opens things up for your shooters. You attack inside out not outside in,

It's about balance

You need both.

In this game, we were a bit imbalanced – no JO decreased our interior presence significantly. Even when he isn’t scoring, having a big body to set baseline screens and to push people around is a key part of scoring inside. We also were missing our best ‘outside’ threat in Ray – that hurt our ability to space the defense.

And finally, keep in mind that for all their faults in these two games, Howard is still a fearsome interior defender. You are never going to go easily into the paint when Howard is in there.

The offense Doc runs when everyone is healthy – especially Rondo – is designed to focus primarily on creating shots at the rim. This is demonstrable by the high % of shots this team has taken there over the last few years relative to our total number of shots – it is a bigger share than other teams. And that is why this team over recent times has been consistently one of the top teams in FG%.

This year we have been inconsistent at getting to the rim, but a lot of that has to do with our inconsistent roster. In the early games we were missing our best slasher (Pierce). In these recent games we have been missing Rondo and Ray. And in many, many of these early games we have actually been simply missing a ton of bunny layup shots at the rim DESPITE getting inside.

My expectation is that if we can get everyone healthy, and as our early season shooting woes hopefully ‘regress’ back to normal, that our interior scoring should improve.

I agree. It's going to get better.

Obviously not having Ray and Rondo is a huge issue, but we just can’t deny we’ve lost in the playoffs every year since 08 because of scoring droughts. We have no inside presence. JO is not an inside presence anymore. We don’t have a go-to guy in the post (KG is inconsistent at this point of his career).

I just see a lot of potential for this team to get better if we get a guy who can score in the paint consistently. If not, then we’ll see history repeat itself.

'cmon...

enjoy the ride…why fix something if it ain’t broke, the engine is just cranking up, JO still has it,its in his pedigree, kaman,mediocre at his best, JO was premiere on his prime and kaman never even came close..just sayin’..

Kaman might not be the best center out there

But he’s better than any of our centers at this point of his career. And his contract s not a burden because it’s expiring.

Chris Kaman should be our NUMBER ONE TARGET right now.

He is exactly what this team needs to contend for a title THIS YEAR. I’ve been saying this since last summer. One of the most underrated big men in the league.

And Jermaine is just not good enough anymore

I believe our guys play great against Dwight because of Doc’s defense on him. I mean, if you look at it, even KG has been effective against him. Teach those secrets to a guy like kaman and you’ll have the same results.

unfortunately..

i think danny has already made up his mind to blow this thing up.
Hope im wrong…

I'd say for a least a few more games Danny's gun is back in the holster, even if the safety is not yet re-engaged.

Pierce has shown that he and their current roster can cover for Rondo’s absence, which suddenly makes the team a whole lot more resilient.

Begone Big Baby

Thank god we dont have that stinker on our team. That bum wants more money and a starting position?? I wonder what his state of mind is after that loss to his former team

He has a mind?

Greatest game so far!

Whatta comeback! I was so sure Celtics were done after halftime. What happened next was MAGIC indeed!!!

Now I wouldn’t say the Celtics are back. Just as people were saying 12 games wasn’t enough to declare Boston dead…..2 games against the same team isn’t enough to declare they are officially back. But I will savor this victory til the next game.

Now if we can only get that seed where we face the MAGIC in the 1st round…well and good! 2nd round….well anything can happen. Probably the 5th seed. Question is can we get that seed?

Anybody find the post game online anywhere?

I got a better title : MAGIC MELTDOWN!

Now time for some PACERS PAYBACK!

+1 YEAH!

Go Celtics!

Magic: "What had happen was..."
Great week to be a Celtics fan!

The Magic are certainly feeling the Celtic Pride right now. Pacers, here we come!

how much fun was that!!??

Im not going to be able to sleep. Awesome!

watching the replay

Kevin was everywhere on d, EVERYWHERE.

He has resurrected again.

tell ya this lineup has been good: KG, Bass, PP, Pietrus, Bradley. Obviously Moore was awesome today. They know their roles perfectly so it helps.

Bradley plays d like playoff Rondo, not the reg season half speed Rondo

Danny's been defended the center depth on the team and both Doc and Danny have pointed fingers at the guards, not the frontcourt, for the defensive problems.

Bradley and Moore have helped to make the whole frontcourt rotation look perfectly adequate from a defensive perspective.

yes Pietrus, Moore and Bradley have prevented penetration. Ray is a sieve, and Rondo is too frequently
Im just afraid PP might just be flat for the Indiana game...

he has played 44 min tonight so I hope doc manages Pierce well tomorrow.

I want more moore, the guy is young and should be able to provide the same intensity like tonight.

Indiana is a legit contender in the East and better than the Magic , we should see where the C’s are now after that game.

Now that's the E'Twaun Purdue fans are used to seeing

In his years at Purdue, he was always a cold-blooded killer. Day or night, at home or on the road, he would frequently make plays that put victory just out of the reach of the opponents.

JJ turned into that guy for part of their senior season as E’Twaun went through his perplexing shooting slump, but he returned to his ice-cold self for the bulk of the Big Ten season.

Hey, he's already crossed the Daniels line in shooting percentage--

and with the rate he’s willing to put them up Bradley and Sasha aren’t far behind.

i can't sleep

GO CELTICS! beat the Pacers, Cavs and face the Knicks with above .500 record.

What happens when Ray and Rondo come back...

Coincidence our two biggest victories this year were sans RONDO and RAY? Dont get me wrong, Bradley is a 3rd of the player Rondo is. Ray Allen though, should come off the bench…start Pietrus. This mix of young and old is what is fueling this mini run…please DOC, keep playing the younglings. I actually thought JJ was coming in the game but it was just Wilcox.

Great Game!

LIke everyone else, I just decided to watch the 2nd half to see what all the scrubs would do. Amazing!

I was very impressed by KG’s play at Center. He muffled Dwight pretty well. He looked about 3 inchs taller and with arms a lot longer. (KG considers himself 6’13" – not a 7 footer). I don’t think Dwight knows what to do with someone a lot bigger then him.

The Magic

Are seriously lacking in mental toughness. They’re talented but they melt like an ice cream cone in the DC summer heat whenever they face any sort of adversity.

You could tell (and yes, SVG could as well) that when the Cs went on their run the Magic were going to fold. That speaks volumes about the difference between Doc and KG and SVG and Howard.

I’ll say it again—I don’t want Howard in Green. He has the heart of a mouse and his attitude rankles me like few other players.

WTF?!?

I turned the game off, I figure nothing to lose at that point and my wife has been begging me to watch GLEE on Netflix with her.

I missed a great comeback to watch Glee. I might as well turn in my man card.

Your appropriate nicknames for Moore

3’Twaun

Smooge

The Red Button (as in, hit the red button for emergency offense)

These have been tested and approved by the Hammer & Rails community after four years of developing him at Purdue.

Doc saying he's the second best shooter on the team after Ray in practice

—is really saying something.

These early season injuries to Doc’s top three guards—Ray, Rondo and Dooling—may be the best thing that’s happened to the team. Not because you ever want your guys injured, but because it has proven to him that he’s got some gamers who can play and that their young legs may be what’s needed to right the whole defensive ship.

Dwight Howard -25 last night
Bandwagon

Sorry folks but the wagon is full. LOL. Its funny as I scan the posts and see all the “blow it up” people trying to explain themselves. You guys believe me now? Im telling you guys this team just needed time to gel. Oh yeah KG just outplayed the most dominant bigman in the game. Blow it up huh? lol

I know everyone will probably bash me for saying this

but if we had any chance at landing DH, the last two games probably increased it a lot..

I hope so.

I am on the same boat wanting/dreaming DH in green.

Well, with what he said after the first game

and then the heart this team showed last night after getting blown out in the first half, how can he not seriously consider it if he wants to win a championship!! I know everyone thinks of course he’s gonna say he would go to Boston, he’s just trying to up the ante, but I don’t agree with that. if it was his agent saying it, then I would tend to agree, but not the actual player. I really think he wants to win and be remembered as one of the greatest centers ever, and where is the best place to do that besides maybe LA??? Exactly. And I don’t think LA would be as attractive because he knows Shaq already did the LA/Kobe thing. I think he wants to be different. Just my thoughts..which mean nothing

Great Comeback Win

I think it helps that Orlando has lost its heart, and it appears it will be Stan’s last season as coach of the Magic.

At the end of the first half, I started watching the Travel Channel with Bizaare Foods and Anthony Bourdain. Later on, I switched back and it was about the end of the 3rd quarter. That was outstanding resilience. I’m glad Doc left the players playing well out there, i.e. Moore and Pietrus.

Half way thru the second half, I switched to political stuff because it was more entertaining at the time. Somewhere in the third quarter I switched back. I am glad I did.

I apologize for being a non-believer. I am humbled by these gentlemen – true champions. I had bailed. I admit it I was wrong. It is part of being a fan. If you wish to label me a fair weather fan, you have all the right to do that. Just don’t tell Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, KC Jones, Tom Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, John Havlicek, and Wayne Embry, or Bill Russell. They will disown me. Please. I beg you.

This team still has fight in them. I give the game ball to Doc Rivers. He is a bandleader of a jazz ensemble – goes with the feeling, and has them execute the changes. I loved the Pierce to KG inside/outside game. I loved watching the kids just step up and shoot – no hesitation – they are teammates, and they are expected to produce. Glen Davis and Dwight Howard do not belong on this team.

is it just me or did our offense look better without Rondo?

you can look at this one of two ways. the first is that Doc had to simplify the offense without rondo in there and in so doing everything became easier. The second way to look at it is that Rondo dominates the ball and we may be better off with the ball in pierce’s hands and another shooter on the floor. I think it’s more complicated than that though. When Ray is in the game our offense becomes very predictable and very slow because we’re running ray off of multiple picks. Ray is a disaster with the ball in his hands. Pierce on the other hand, while turnover prone, knows how to set guys up. He still forces passes that he shouldn’t but he’s very good at running the pick and pop. Doc needs to give some serious thought as to whether he wants to shake up his starting line up. with JO and ray out there to start the game we;re not a particularly fast team

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