Ballgame’s Points

There’s a reason the Celtics and Heat played on Opening Night, then again nine days later, and finally in Game No. 80. As soon as LeBron James packed up his talents and bounced out of Cleveland, the league knew this day was coming. So it charged up the hype-o-meter early, maxed out the [Read More...]

It was nearly a year to the day that I took to my keyboard and made a case for the middling Celtics as title contenders. Despite their head-scratching inconsistency (put mildly) over the final four months of the 2010 season, I had refused to write them off. Contrary to the product they had put on [Read More...]

By now you’ve read and heard every possible breakdown of the Celtics, the Lakers, the matchups, the coaches, the benches, the trainers … hell there was probably an ESPN the Ocho feature on the water boys, given the hype of this NBA Finals. Among the facts, figures, Xs, Os and historical nuggets … The Celtics return the [Read More...]

Kevin Garnett, dapper and introspective as usual, was fielding questions at the podium approximately thirty minutes after the Celtics had unceremoniously ended the Cavaliers’ season in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Just as a reporter from the New York Times identified himself and proceeded into what would eventually become a long-winded question about how [Read More...]

Seven months on the hardwood, an uninspired 50 wins, fistfuls of maddening losses and countless wait-til-the-playoffs sound bytes - that about sums up the 2010 Celtics, no? The team that began the season by bustin’ ass and takin’ names en route to a 23-5 start only to lose its drive, swagger, passion - who really knows? [Read More...]

One more win and it all becomes house money. One more victory in a seventh and decisive game, and this Celtics squad will have officially logged one of the gutsiest NBA title defenses you’ll ever see from a team unable to go back-to-back. One more series-clinching triumph on the fabled parquet and the ‘09 Celtics will stand [Read More...]

I left my friend’s place after Game 6 of Celtics-Bulls last night, exhausted and in a malaise.  My memory of what had just transpired — usually crystal clear — was so clouded and fragmented, my thoughts so blurred, that I had trouble finding a subway station I’ve used countless times. After making the 30-minute journey back [Read More...]

Heady times in Boston once again. The Red Sox and Yankees are set to tango at Fenway in their inaugural ‘09 series beginning Friday. The Patriots will be on the clock Saturday, as the 2009 NFL Draft fires up. And once the Celtics take care of the Bulls, both the Green and Bruins will [Read More...]

Tom Brady might be sitting courtside at TD Banknorth Garden on Saturday — when the Celtics officially begin their title defense — but unlike last postseason, he will not be the most important guy in street clothes next to the Celtics bench. Unfortunately, that honor will go to the Big Ticket. What many feared last month after [Read More...]

I’m an optimist.   Prefer to glean the positives from what might otherwise be construed as a negative situation. I can’t help it.  Optimism is entrenched in my sports psyche.  It’s the reason I grew up believing every year was THE year for the Red Sox, the reason I stayed sane in New York post-XLII. So while [Read More...]