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Nice Acting Guys

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KulWdpT5vsw]

I figured you guys could use a laugh after that road trip.

A Lull... Or A Symptom

Seems like a lot of people have a similar reaction to last night's game.  As Chuck was writing the previous post, I was making the point on the Examiner that the "power play dunk" itself didn't cost the Celtics, but the way they handled it did.

How many times in sports... all sports... have we heard "play until the whistle?" If Garnett had played until the whistle, he could have rotated over challenged, maybe even stopped the dunk. You can still yell that they've got six guys. Everyone else can yell that they have six guys. Somewhere in the next second of play, the refs would have seen it. The Celtics could have saved a second and a half on the clock. That could have gotten them something better than a half court heave at the buzzer. They could have prevented a moment that made the Blazers laugh and stay loose.

I've got the screen grabs on there to show how easy it would have been for KG to stop... or at least contest the dunk.

The question now is whether this is a symptom of a bigger problem, or if this is just a lull in the season.

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Also out there:  I was on Celtics Stuff Live this past weekend. I keep forgetting to put that link, but you can listen to it to hear me make an ass out of myself.  I'm on about 15 minutes into it.

Bloggers have united once again for the MVP/Rookie of the Year rankings.  KG is on the MVP list... but LeBron is still easily #1

And Rajon Rondo is getting more love

Not Mentally Tough Enough?

Turns out that horrible decision by the refs to allow Portland a basket even though they had 6 men on the court cost the Celtics the game. But not because the refs blew it, because the team couldn't move past it:

"That was awful," Rivers said. "It absolutely had an affect on our guys. They complained the rest of the game about it. I told them, 'You got to get over that.' That was a doozy. There is no excuse for that to happen.

It disturbs me that the defending champs, a team with strong veteran leadership, could not look past that moment in the game. How could they not come out after halftime and put it behind them? For what its worth, here's the officials explanation of the call:

Said referee Mike Callahan, "If we would have caught the six men on the court before the made field goal, then there would have been no score. We would have called a technical foul on Portland and stopped play.

"After the technical foul shot, Portland would have inbounded the ball as they were in possession before the stoppage."

Still doesn't make sense to me.

As for Eddie House taking the last shot...I am fine with it. Even when E-House is ice cold, I still have faith he'll nail the next jumper. My only gripe is that he fired up a 3 with 10 seconds left, there was time to get a better shot.

Here's what KG had to say about all the criticism regarding their trash talk:

“Hey, look here, man,” Kevin Garnett said after yesterday morning’s shootaround. “We’re not here to be liked. And when we’re out there, a lot of times we’re talking to ourselves. We’re communicating amongst each other and it has nothing to do with the other team, and the other team likes to jump in or say little (expletive). A lot of that we let go. We don’t even comment on a lot of stuff, because half the guys who are talking we don’t even know their names.

Today's Links: Globe - Blazers Rattle C's | Practice Needed | Herald - Blaze of Gory | Time to Work Out Kinks| Sir Charles Busted for DUI |SI.com - Worst Official Call Ever |

Blazer Beat Down

Portland absolutely manhandled the Celtics in the paint. Check the box score for the horrific rebounding numbers. There's no excuse for losing to the Blazers when Brandon Roy is sitting on the bench all night. And speaking of the bench, the Celtics subs were awful tonight.

Box Score | Recap

I'm not going to complain anymore about that horrendous decision by the refs to award Portland a basket in the 2nd quarter even though they had 6 men on the court. The C's had plenty of chances to make up for it.

Worst Call Ever

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The Blazers came out of a timeout late in the 2nd quarter with 6 players on the court and scored a quick bucket. It wasn't until KG screamed at the officials did they realize the situation. So they huddled and assessed a technical foul to the Blazers. But in a decision that will forever baffle me, they allowed the basket. Now the league says the decision will stand. WTF?

Ray Allen made the technical free throw so the screw up ended up costing us one point. David Stern better pray that point doesn't cost us the game.

Brandon Roy Misses Shootaround

Marc Spears reports

PORTLAND -- Blazers guard Brandon Roy (hamstring) did not participate in the team's shootaround this morning, while center Greg Oden (ankle) did participate.

Both are still listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Celtics.

Mutombo Signs With Houston

Cross him off the list.

HOUSTON—The Houston Rockets have re-signed 42-year-old center Dikembe Mutombo for the rest of the season. The move gives the Rockets an emotional leader and a backup to Yao Ming.

Mutombo appeared in 39 games for Houston last season, logging most of his minutes after Yao broke his left foot in February. Mutombo averaged five rebounds, three points and 1.2 blocks.

Guess Doc was right.

Kiss our Ass, Geoffrey C. Arnold

Here are some excerpts from Geoffrey C. Arnold's column in the Oregonian:

In the Dec. 5 game in Boston, the Celtics punked the Blazers -- pushing and shoving them around like annoying pipsqueaks on the playground. To win tonight, Portland will need to find the mental strength to remain focused in the face of relentless defense -- and trash talk.

The self-assured play of Rondo is indicative of the Celtics' rapidly ballooning ego, which is drawing growing criticism.

Garnett's trash talking -- long a staple of his game -- seems to have increased since the Celtics won the championship. He always has been one of the most pompous players in the league, and apparently he has decided that winning a championship has granted him license to flap those lips relentlessly.

The Celtics know that last season is last season and they have a target on their backs this season. They have recognized the challenge by playing better, but the arrogance? Based on one title? Please.

All the Celtics need to do to curb their arrogance is look within the city limits. The New England Patriots rolled through the 2007 NFL regular season, the haughtiness growing with every win.

Then the Super Bowl came along.

The problem isn't with the Celtics trash-talking, it's with the also-rans and wannabes trying to talk smack back to the defending champs. Just take your beating and enjoy it.

And if you think this Celtics team is a bunch of bullies, then you obviously didn't watch the Pistons in the late 80s or the Heat and Knicks in the early to mid 90s

And finally, there isn't anything more arrogant and self-serving than including your middle initial in your byline.

Should Pruitt Get More Minutes?

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That's the question being asked by Jeff on Celtics Blog

For one thing, the guy has paid his dues.  He spent a good portion of last year working the D-League over, learning the pro game and getting a better feel for playing the point at this level.  Then he had an excellent training camp and preseason.  In the limited time he's had this year (mostly in garbage time, so numbers are largely irrelevant) he's looked solid and composed.  He's not spectacular by any means, but he's at least worth looking at more.

I think Gabe has played well in his limited minutes... and they haven't all been in garbage time.  He filled in well when Eddie House missed a game earlier in the season.

There's a lot of talk about bringing in another point guard.  I think it's possible Gabe Pruitt could be the answer.

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The two losses out west have cost the Celtics.  They've fallen to third in the Real Clear Sports power ranking averages

And here's a good story for fans to remember:  If Chris Paul is ever having a bad game here at the Garden... DON'T taunt him about it.

And here's the most ridiculous technical foul call ever.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5YHNw6zEfI]

8 Minutes of Fury

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Kevin Garnett has been playing a lot more than usual lately.  And it might have caught up to him out West.  So in an effort to keep the Big Ticket fresh, Doc's got a new plan for KG's minutes:  play him in 8 minute stretches.

"Playing less than eight minutes in a row is solid because it gives him a chance to come back in the game [stronger]," Rivers said. "The longer the stretches he has on the floor, the less he has coming back in. If we can keep doing it, it would be great."

KG is currently right at last year's average of 32.8 mpg, which isn't bad.  But he played 38 against Golden St. and 37 against LA.  By the end of the Warriors game, KG was out of gas.

Against the Warriors, I felt like we were a little fatigued. I felt like I wasn't even in the game.

"I told Paul [Pierce] and Ray [Allen] that I could have stayed at the hotel after the performance I gave. I pride myself about playing hard every night and I felt like I have taken a step back."

Hate to say it, but this is the first outward sign of KG's age being a factor.  He's going to be 33 in May... and as of right now, KG has played in exactly 1100 games (regular season and playoffs).  Just for some perspective... That's 39 more than Larry Bird.  And their average minutes per game is very close.  But KG is in year 14 of his career... and who knows when he'll end?  Could he be the first in a new wave of 20 year veterans?

This just highlights the need for our bench to step up its play.  How many times has KG had to go back into a game because a comfortable lead was blown?

Herald:  Portland a key test |  Blazers-Celtics scouting report |  Ricky Davis suspended |  Globe: Blazers thumbnails |  Camerato:  How fatherhood impacted the Celtics in 2008 |  Could the Cavs catch up? |  MWDN: C's try to avoid losing road trip |  The Columbian (WA):  Blazers try to borrow formula from Celtics |  Blazers Edge:  Bromancing Rondo |  Blaze of Love:  15 thoughts vs. Boston