Tag Boston Celtics

NBA Finals: Game 3

Danny Vinik Leave a comment

With my first real post in more than five months, I figured the NBA Finals would be a perfect spot to begin. Last night’s Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers was not won by the team that played better, but by the team that made fewer mistakes. The Lakers managed to squeak by with an 87-81 victory, but they cannot be happy with how they played. They had few good offensive possessions, but it was not because of the Celtics’ defense. The Celtics seemed lethargic, slow to play help defense, and just plain bad last night. Kevin Garnett, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, was weak on the defensive glass, slow to react to Lamar Odom’s reckless spin moves, and never seemed to have the unbelievable energy that he had possessed all season.

Yet, Los Angeles could not take advantage of the sloppy defense. They shot 43.5% from the field (30-69) and a miserable 61.8% from the free throw line (21-34). With the exception of Kobe Bryant, the other four Laker starters scored a combined 22 points on 7 of 28 shooting. Starting point guard Derek Fisher had only one assist while Lamar Odom had five turnovers. Vladamir Radmonovic played only 13 minutes because of foul trouble while the rarely-used Ronny Turiaf played 19 minutes, the most he’s played throughout the entire playoffs. Continue reading “NBA Finals: Game 3” →

Daily Sports Roundup 1/4/08

Danny Vinik Leave a comment

It’s late and it has been a light day in sports so here are the couple short stories that made news today.

Battle in Detroit: The Detroit Pistons won their eleventh game in a row Friday night while the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to eight. The two Eastern Conference powerhouses face off Saturday night. The Pistons beat the Celtics in the teams’ first meeting on two clutch free throws from Chauncey Billups. The Celtics are out for revenge. It should be a great game and I am looking forward to watching it.

Clemens Saga Continue: The House Oversight Committee has asked Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Brian McNamee, Kirk Radomski, and Chuck Knoblauch to testify before Congress. The biggest name in the Mitchell Report, Clemens has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, though he did admit to taking Lidocaine and B-12 vitamins. His interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” will air this week and the fans and media will get to hear Roger speak for the first time. It is going to be extremely difficult for Clemens to restore his reputation as he has already been convicted in the “court of public opinion”. Maybe going to court and testifying under oath will cause Clemens to admit steroid use and not risk perjury (see Barry Bonds). Or maybe Clemens will continue in his denial and McNamee will admit he was lying. Or maybe Clemens just won’t show up. The hearing is scheduled for January 16th and will hopefully shed some light on this hazy situation.

Okay, so I know that is only two articles and neither has much substance, but weekends are the toughest to find time to write and there were really no big stories out today. Tomorrow should be an exciting day in sports with NFL Wild Card games, college basketball games, and the Celtics-Pistons match-up at night. Enjoy!

Daily Sports Roundup 1/1/08

Danny Vinik Leave a comment

It has been a pretty big day in sports so let’s get to the stories:

Penguins Win Winter Classic: The Pittsburgh Penguins won the first ever NHL Winter Classic 2-1 in shootout over the Buffalo Sabres. The game was held outdoors in the Buffalo Bills football stadium. This was the first ever pro hockey game held outdoors in the United States and the weather did not agree. A mix of snow, sleet, and rain covered the ice for almost the entire game and forced Zambonis to redo the ice during the middle of each period. The puck moved slower and players had to battle the wind, yet the event was a huge success. Sidney Crosby scored in the shootout to give the Penguins’ the win and jumped towards his bench in celebration when the puck hit the back of the net. 71,217 people braved the elements to see the NHL’s first ever Ice Bowl. Fans loved the game and created an energetic atmosphere that players loved. Watching it on TV, the ice looked small in the huge stadium, but it was a great game and I could feel the energy in the air.

Non-BCS Bowl Games: New Years has brought plenty of great bowl games today including the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. First, though, was the Capital One Bowl where Michigan defeated Florida 42-35. It is a sweet ending for Michigan who lost to Appalachian State earlier this year, erasing any hopes for a National Championship. The Wolverines came out on top in Lloyd Carr’s final game and will hopefully move back into the Top 25 after beating number 12 Florida. In the Cotton Bowl, number 6 Missouri destroyed Arkansas in what could have been Darren McFadden’s final collegiate game. McFadden ran for 105 yards and a touchdown, but was not happy with the result. “We had a bad game. You don’t want to lose a bowl game. You only have fun when you win a bowl game” McFadden said. He has not stated whether he is going pro or not, but most scouts expect McFadden to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft. Also today, number 16 Tennessee faced off against number 18 Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. Tennessee finished the year at 10-4, the Vollunteer’s first 10 win season since 2004. Led by Quarterback Erik Ainge, Tennessee had 365 yards passing with Josh Briscoe receiving 7 of those passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Continue reading “Daily Sports Roundup 1/1/08” →