Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm. And for Paul Pierce, leader of the “old man’s pick-up game,” that adage will define his career as one of the greatest Boston Celtics in its storied history. This is not to begin mourning the death of his Celtics life, but to understand what it all meant if reports today from Greg Dickerson are true. [Read more…]
Hello and welcome to the Evening News. As the playoffs continue, we’ll keep you updated every evening. What’s happening today? Here’s the latest news from around the league: [Read more…]
And just like that, the second round is upon us. If that felt a little abrupt, don’t worry: it was. Somehow the first series to be set is the last to get underway, which I’m sure Gregg Popovich and the Spurs won’t mind. Mark Jackson and the Warriors probably won’t mind too much either, with Andrew Bogut and Steph Curry’s ankle troubles. For more on the Warriors and Spurs, check out Jan Hubbard’s latest column. The other series that starts tomorrow
Suddenly, everything is a whole lot clearer. Four teams were eliminated last night, and we’ve got just one more game in the first round of the playoffs. It’s tonight, between the Bulls and Nets, and the winner gets to face the Heat. So maybe not the best reward, but every team in the East knows they’ll have to go through the Heat if they want to reach the Finals. The rest of the second round is set, and we’ve got previews
NEW YORK — The quiet demeanor of a champion is unmistakable. His persistence is unassuming. He fights to the end, until the battle is won. When it is, he celebrates… But for a moment. Because then, it is on to the next challenge. The Boston Celtics are champions. The New York Knicks are not, and the unmitigated hubris that the Knicks collectively exhibited heading into Wednesday night’s Game 5—and how the Celtics responded to it—proved that. And you know what? In the long run, the Knicks
The Celtics aren’t done yet. Despite blowing a 20-point lead, Boston hung in there to pull out an OT win and send the series back to New York for Game 5. The Bucks and Lakers, on the other hand, are done. The Lakers never had much of a chance without Kobe Bryant, and the Bucks got stuck by the wrecking ball known as the Heat. Speaking of the Bucks, here’s a column from Chris Sheridan that questions whether Brandon Jennings is
If you enjoy the weekly StatBox column that analytically breaks down some of the NBA’s most pressing and important topic, you’re in luck. Every Tuesday through Thursday during the postseason, the StatBox is expanding into playoff game analysis. You’ll not only find out why each team won and lost, but how different statistical trends can play out over the course of the series and the playoffs as a whole. Today: Milwaukee’s future, Boston’s age and Golden State’s shooting touch. Is This Milwaukee’s Best? The uncertainty of
NEW YORK — The Boston Celtics – the most storied franchise in NBA history – has competed in 593 playoff games over an illustrious 67-year history. Just twice has Boston managed to score 25 points or fewer in the second half of a playoff game, both of which have come in just the past three days at the hands of a New York Knicks team that has pressured the Celtics into bad decisions and rushed shots regularly in each of the latter halves