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Celtics Get Good Road Win Against Poser Clipper Team

March 13, 2012 By

The Celtics played their second game in two nights out in Los Angeles, as they fought off a young athletic Lob City Clippers team who seemed more interested in posing after shots and trying to get tough with the older Celtics. The 94-85 win was paced by Paul Pierce’s 25 points.

This is the first west coast road swing I can remember that I think actually makes sense from a scheduling standpoint. The Celtics played two games in Los Angeles, staying in the same spot, now with a day off, they go to Oakland to play the Warriors tomorrow night. They then have Thursday off and play Friday in Sacramento, which is about an hour and a half drive away, meaning, if they wanted to, they could stay in the same hotel again for the three days. At the very least, it is a drive and not a flight. For an aged team, this four game stretch is about as ideal as they come for a tough trip.

Celts ruin Clippers’ fun - Steve Bulpett has the Celtics having to muck things up to win this one.

Celtics bounce back - Gary Washburn has the Celtics bouncing back from a discouraging first half.

Celtics show they’re still tough - Chris Forsberg has the Celtics winning a “bar-style” fight.

Will injuries force Danny Ainge to make another big move? - Paul Flannery has Danny Ainge saying that he doesn’t need to make a trade, just bring in a big body. Steve Bulpett has Ainge getting a lot of inquiries, but rival GM’s think he is asking for too much.

Brass to proceed with caution at deadline - Washburn’s notebook says that Ainge isn’t going to rush into anything. The Herald notebook from Mark Murphy has Keyon Dooling talking about his old team.

NFL Free Agency kicks off today at 4:00pm, and the experts are mixed on whether the Patriots are going to make a splash or not.

Patriots’ signs usually point nowhere - Mike Reiss admits that when it comes to trying to figure out Bill Belichick and free agency, it’s just a guessing game.

Mario Williams may be big free agent target for Patriots - Ian Rapoport thinks that the Patriots will at least inquire about the big free agent defensive end/linebacker.

He also thinks he’s heard of another potential target for the Patriots:

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Amendola would make sense as Welker 2.0 – Tom E Curran thinks that the Rams receiver could be the heir apparent to Wes Welker.

Will the Patriots cash in? – Shalise Manza Young thinks that Tennessee’s Jason Jones could be a target.

In their defense: How ‘The Fielding Bible’ views Red Sox in the field – Alex Speier sizes up the Red Sox defense.

No pain, and some gain for Bailey – Nick Cafardo looks at a mixed-results outing for the new closer.

Filed Under: Morning Links
  • bsmfan

    Clippers = 3 of SportsCenter Top10 plays. The fact they lose by 10 or 30 each night? Not so Top10.

  • classless

    Blake Griffin is Rondo, but with infinitely more respect from the refs. He might be an even weaker shooter than Rondo.

  • latetodinner

    Seeing as we are now in Day whatever of the where will Peyton go world tour I have been thinking about the local and national media’s coverage of the story and I am amazed at the free pass St. Peyton has gotten from everyone but Michael Felger. I know Felger likes to play the contrarian but he seems to be the only media member who sees Manning for the Fraud he is…self centered, scared, non competitive control freak more content on being a big fish in a small pond than doing what it takes to win.

    Since Manning became a free agent I have been waiting for someone…anyone actually…to really look at Mannings legacy. How he has always had to be the “highest paid player in football” regardless of whether that makes his team competitive. How knowing he was not 10% healthy he held out for a ridiculous contract (the neck problem has been degenerative over time). How rather than restructure and take a reduced role with Indy…perhaps competing with Luck, perhaps mentoring luck..at 37 he forced his way onto free agency. How rather than prove he is healthy his people look like they are going to strong arm some owner into signing him without being able to see him throw and only see some of the medicals on his neck. How he had always forced a disproportionate amount of Indy’s cap to be spent on offense because that is where he played when a better defense would have won them more championships. There is no way manning will go to Miami…he does not want to work that hard to get into the playoffs. Manning is not a great QB. He, like Dan Marino and Dan Foutes is a great passer. He never has and never will do everything he can to allow his team to win big games consistently. The one SB they one was a fluke.

    Having said that..if you listen to the media coverage both locally and nationally…this guy walks on water. He will make any team an instant contender. I doubt that. I don’t think the Colts would have been one last year with him 100% healthy. I think new city, new coaches, new teammates, tired arm will make Manning have to think…when he thinks he slows down…when he slows down he throws picks and is a lot less effective. It is why until he finally figured out the Pats defense they owned him for the first 5 years of Brady.

    • Tony

      I agree with a lot of what you say. Not all of it, but a lot. The ironic thing about the Super Bowl the Colts won is that while everyone talks about the big comeback against the Pats in the AFC title game (against a defense that was missing at least three key starters with injuries and also was riddled with the flu), that one-half of football was the ONLY quality football he played during those playoffs. Seriously, checkout his 2006 post-season stats–they were not good (3 TDs and 8 INTs, for starters). And even then, the Colts don’t win that AFC title game without a LOT of help from the officials, who jobbed the Pats on at least three horrid calls (though I don’t join the conspiracy theorists on that–I don’t think it was deliberate, just incompetence); not to mention Reche Caldwell’s huge dropped pass in the 4th quarter (yes, I’m still bitter about that game all these years later).

      His Super Bowl MVP award that year was a “legacy” gift from the sportswriters–at least three other of his teammates were more deserving of the MVP that day. I will, however, acknowledge this his post-season performance during Indy’s other AFC title run in 2009 was exceptional–right up until he threw that pick-six in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl.

      I also never believed that Manning wouldn’t go to the team/situation where he felt most “comfortable”, which is why I knew all of that Jets talk was nonsense, even before they dropped out by re-signing Sanchez. Felger, for once, does deserve credit for what he’s been saying about this Manning situation.

  • bsmfan

    So, 40 minutes into F&M and at least Wiggens has a purpose today. Felger, or his producers, are normally good at not only keeping their ear to the track via Twitter but doing homework and research before the show. The material gathered is usually noteworthy, so including things from Rap and Mike Reiss is not uncommon at all.

    Felger brought up an idea espoused by Mike Reiss:

    Don’t be surprised if the Patriots make an early play for a tight end in free agency. The benefits would be multiple — adding important depth behind Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, while also providing the flexibility to move Hernandez to receiver. Hernandez played 77 percent of the snaps in 2011, and I’d estimate that 65 percent of them came away from the line of scrimmage. So it’s almost like he’s a receiver anyway. Keep an eye on Broncos tight end Daniel Fells, who as noted here, the Patriots had in for a visit in 2010. Furthermore, the tight end class in the draft is not considered deep, so addressing it in free agency makes sense and Fells is the type of moderate cost option that could be appealing to New England.

    http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4719016/quick-hits-entering-free-agency

    Basically, convert Hernandez into a more WR option and bring in a TE from elsewhere.

    In setting up the idea to Wiggens, he mentioned Reiss’ name twice, I’m sure for both the listeners and most fans who know him because of the credibility. As he got about halfway into the paragraph I pasted, Wiggens cuts off Felger and starts off on a rant, “I hate when writers just throw this stuff at the wall and it just sticks…” Felger cuts him right back off and sais, “Jermaine, this is like the 5th Kraft son, Mike Reiss of ESPN.. ” and Mazz reiterated the same exact thing that he’s about as connected as you can get and also usually spot-on or full of good ideas.

    Hilarious.

    I’ve yet to meet a Pats fan who doesn’t know who Mike Reiss is. So, now, if you work in the media, one would think you know at least most of the writers/guys on the beat, especially the big-time folks, right?

    Nope, not Wiggens.

    Are you serious?

    That’s like mistaking the President of your company for the janitor.

    • Tony

      Of course, Felger couldn’t resist throwing in the “Kraft’s son” dig at Reiss as he was making his point. What a crock. Because Reiss deals with facts and analysis and not hyperbole and attention-seeking while discussing the Pats, that makes him a stooge of the organization in Felger’s eyes. Unreal.

      • bsmfan

        That’s the point. Not only does he get good information and know the team, but he knows football. If he’s speculating on an idea, you have to assume it’s either an enlightened thought based on something he heard or a genuine idea that would cross the mind of someone like Hoodie.

        I was blown away at this.

        And continue to wonder why WBZ/SportsHub waste their time with Wiggens. How can there not be other players in town if they want “an hour with a player paid for by blah”.

  • bsmfan

    test

  • Siggy

    I was in the car at 2:00 and had the choice between Big O Show and Fleger and Mazz. I kept switching back and forth. At 2:02 Fleg and Mazz dove right into free agency and didn’t stop for 16 minutes….names, salaries, cap implications etc. Really good hard data and presentation. Wiggie didn’t add much I know.

    I finally figured out why I can’t stand the Big Show. They started the hour, same time 2:02, riffing on Holley’s call that the Celts would win last night, then spent 6 minutes analyzing the popcorn someone brought in. A minute of Celtics talk, then a call to the producer for soda to wash down the popcorn, more lite banter and then talk about Glenn waxing his car.

    Both stations went to break at 2:18. Big O declared ‘we’re going to get into this free agency thing…” Why does the Big O think we need some kind of stale warm-up act before the real show begins? He blew a third of the first hour talking crap. He feels the need to set the table so to speak. I checked back later and there was some legit talk and a promise ‘to get into this free-agency thing…’ That show is one-half filler…neither host can let a single thing go by without some stupid digression or non-sequitur that kills time and takes them off-track.

    Feel better now..

  • Beached Whale

    Not only is it filler, it’s not funny and usually awkward.

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