Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“The combination will be terrific once we get it right,’’ coach Doc Rivers said. “We had such a speed advantage on the floor and we really didn’t take advantage of it. They almost ran into each other twice, trying to get to the basket. So we’ll work that out, it’s just going to take some time.
“We did it in the first half - you can see [the Knicks] stayed big in the second half and you’ve got to think they’re thinking, ‘We don’t want those two guys on the floor at the same time.’ So it will be interesting how it changes other teams’ rotations.’’
ESPN Boston: First things first"He's had one practice with no players," Rivers said before Tuesday's 110-106 win over the Knicks, who put up a bit more fight than Boston probably expected. "He ran our offense [Monday] with [Thibodeau] at the 2 and Armond [Hill] at the 3. It looked crazy, it looked awful. And it should have."
I thought Nate looked nervous out there. And who could blame him? He was debuting for a new team with championship aspirations... he was playing against the team that didn't try to hide their dislike for him... and he was doing it all with almost zero preparation.
But still you saw some flashes of what he can do. Even when he was playing a little out of control, he usually managed to get things together again.
It will take a little time to work out all the kinks, but it looks like this deal is going to work out much better than the Sam Cassell and Stephon Marbury deals.
Coming up, Page 2... where the crowd welcomes Eddie back
Associated Press PhotoThat's how it sounded in the Garden last night. The C's put a little video together for Eddie on the jumbotron. After the standing O died down (I caught it at the tail end of the ovation), the chants of "Eddie! Eddie!" started... and Eddie stepped onto the court to acknowledge the crowd and his former teammates.
“I didn’t want to stare at it,’’ House said. “I saw it happening and I was getting ready to check into the game so I had to focus on what coach was drawing up. I didn’t want to get lost on that and then come out on the floor and don’t execute. I saw a little bit of it. That was a class move by the organization. It was great. It just shows how much they appreciate me and I really appreciate them and all the opportunities they gave me.“
You don’t expect anything like that, but that’s what a class organization does.’’Kevin Garnett, who had a bitter breakup when he was traded from Minnesota, appreciated seeing the Celtics honor House.
“Obviously when you lose a personal friend - not just a teammate, but a personal friend - you always wish him the best, you always want to see him in good health,’’ Garnett said. “It was good to see a classy organization give it up for him. It doesn’t always go like that. It was just good to see.’’
Globe: House support given by Celtics
Don't know if Eddie was nervous too... but he was 2-7 on the night, and 0-5 from 3. He did have 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Regardless... it was a nice welcome back. The fans showed what we are all about: A standing ovation to acknowledge a guy who had a lot of great moments here... and then a standing ovation to welcome the new guy.
The rest of the links:
Herald: Eddie's in House | Celtics rebound in time | Nate Robinson shows what he's got | Marquis Daniels walks softly | Globe: Letter perfect | CSNNE: Rondo/Robinson show promise for the future | Sugar Ray (not Super Nate) to the rescue for C's | The newest Celtics speak | ESPN Boston: Postgame Notes: Eddie's House | First impressions | MWDN: Megliola: Robinson thankfully for new start | WEEI: Camerato: Allen always expected to return to Boston | House: I still love Boston | What the NBA is expecting from the C's in the second half | LOSCY: My plea to the Celtics: winning is what matters