I often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics after playing the Celtics. Here's a dose of 'enemy chatter' from Chicago.
...the Bulls can play up to the Celtics...as long as Kevin Garnett isn't on the court. Garnett is obviously the anchor of the Celtics world-class defense, but it's even more than that: I think when they see the braying jackass (any surprise he won this designation?) the Bulls completely lose any confidence, thus the many times the Garnett-led Celtics have absolutely destroyed the Bulls in the past couple seasons. I normally don't believe such things make that much of a difference, but there has to be some ancillary reason the Bulls go from being 20 points worse than the Celtics to an even matchup. Or a 13-point victory.
I'll be honest, I had to look up the definition of braying (to utter a loud and harsh cry, as a donkey). Having known John for many years, you'd think I'd be an expert in all things jackass. Rimshot!
A popular tradition in Boston during the past few seasons is to punctuate a Celtics victory with video of vintage American Bandstand disco dancers, with special focus on a bearded gentleman wearing a tightfitting Gino Vanelli T-shirt.
Well, the Bulls knocked off the Celtics 96-83 on Thursday at TD Banknorth Garden, so the disco dancers stayed off the videoboard.
But a certain song by K.C. and the Sunshine Band would have been appropriate for the Bulls' locker room celebration. That's the way the Bulls like it against the Celtics - with Kevin Garnett on the bench in street clothes.
On Page 2, what Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose and Vinny Del Negro had to say...
"We came out with good energy early and kept attacking," Del Negro said. "I really liked the tempo of our game and the way we reacted when they did make a run. Even when it got close, we kept the pace up."
"It was a total team effort," Noah said. "We played with a lot of energy throughout. I think it's one of the biggest wins of the year for us. We're playing with a little bit of a swagger and that's good."
Ahh...those Bulls (and their bloggers) are so cute. Now go home and get your f-in shine box!