Welcome to Thursday, and the question everyone wants answered tonight: how many starters will show up against the Lakers in a must-win Game 4 at TD Garden? Be it bad shooting, good Lakers defense, or ridiculously zealous zebras, the C’s are getting big-time play from only one of the Big Three each game, so let’s jump right in and get bloggers’ takes here first.
Celtics
Celtics Green has the constancy of the Big Three running aground against the reef of time. Howard Bryant has KG returning from non-factor status for Game 3 on a night when Ray Allen suffered miserably. Celtics Life can’t remember a bigger drop-off in the history of sports than Allen’s from Sunday to Tuesday. Red’s Army says Ray won’t be this cold again, but wishes everyone could get going at the same time. CelticsBlog is looking for the perfect storm in which the starters are firing on all cylinders and Rajon Rondo is moving the ball.
Banner 18? said the C’s needed more shots to fall on Tuesday night. Without Allen’s oh-fer and the officials’ dominance, Jade McCarthy questions where the Lakers would be right now. Touching All The Bases calls it a frustrating game, as the C’s cut a 17-point deficit to one but couldn’t get over the hump. Courtside View laments that if the C’s could have taken advantage of even one of numerous blown opportunities, the Lakers may have cracked like they did in 2008. Mass Hysteria wishes the C’s had treated the Lakers the way they would have treated any robber breaking into their house. Masshole Sports wants to know why Derek Fisher was crying like a baby in his post-game interview.
Gino’s Jungle dismisses the Lakers’ beef over horrible officiating in Game 2, which they blame for their only loss, while Green Street has Doc Rivers not wanting to hear it either. Jerry Thornton says middle-aged fat guys wearing grey T-shirts are dominating this series with their blatant disregard for the game as it’s meant to be played. North Station Sports brings us ex-ref Tim Donaghy’s catalog of blown calls . . . just from Game 3. Bingo Bar Blog is upset that the officiating is taking away from what should have been a classic series. Evans Clinchy has Rivers frustrated that the refs took Paul Pierce out of Tuesday night’s game.
Boston Blood Sox is miffed at Pierce’s arrogance and thinks he better pray this series does get back to LA.
Red Sox
Stretches like this 14-gamer against bad ball clubs that concludes against the Indians tonight seem to decide the A.L. East every year. While the Yankees dial up sweeps against the dregs of baseball like it was room service, the Sox are continually unable to close the deal. It happened against the A’s last Wednesday, and in Baltimore on Sunday, then again last night in Cleveland.
Full Count says the biggest thing that went wrong for the Sox last night was Justin Masterson on the mound for the Indians, as he turned in the best start of his career. And to think Surviving Grady didn’t see a reversal of Masterson’s cruel fate changing any time soon. If this triggers success for the remainder of his season, Toeing The Rubber may eventually be pleased for Justin, but not right now. Tony Lee has Masterson turning the table on former mound mate Clay Buchholz by out-dueling him last night.
Things were going well enough in Cleveland before Wednesday. Fenway West would settle for Daisuke Matsuzaka pitching half as good as he did Monday night if he could do that in every start for the rest of the season. SoxSpace News says that, after this one, Victor Martinez has put to rest any further discussion of Jason Varitek as Dice-K’s personal catcher. Bosox Injection has Tim Wakefield reaching an innings pitched milestone in Tuesday’s win over the Indians. Fire Brand Of The American League says Wake’s record is testament to his loyalty, selflessness, and love of the game. Better Red Than Dead takes a long look back at all the backstops who have caught Wakefield over 16 seasons.
Joe Haggerty has more rest in Jacoby Ellsbury’s future. Fenway Pastoral has Greater Boston swept away by the Marco Scutaro phenomenon. Boston Dirt Dogs berates the Nation for our lack of a grassroots effort to get more Sox in this year’s All-Star Game.
Odds & Sods
. . . an unstructured wandering through the Boston sports world
Wes Welker is in Foxborough participating in OTAs this week and Boston Sports Then And Now is not shocked by his determination and pure will to compete. Mike Reiss considers whether Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick is the greater coach.
Six States, One Blog admits midfielder Steve Ralston is old, but it’s better for everyone now that the Revs have re-signed him. Boston Sports Blog helps us through the World Cup by analogizing each country to an American team we’ll know a whole lot better.
And finally, College Sports Blog has three BC Eagles taken in Tuesday’s first ten rounds of the MLB Draft.
May your weekend be filled with Green success, and we’ll see you back here next Thursday.