Diesel Fuels a Boston Comeback

The reason I stressed the importance of putting the Pistons down early is because they feed off of momentum, especially when they're motivated to beat a superior team like the Celtics. Since the C's played casually and without energy for the first three quarters of the game, Detroit kept the game close and actually had an 8 point lead in the fourth quarter. Luckily the Celtics are resilient, and finally showed signs of life in the fourth, sparked by Shaq's hustle on his way to Boston's only double-double in the game. Paul Pierce had a relatively quiet 22 points, but he and Rondo kept the Celtics in it while a 15-27 Pistons' team played hard and appeared to be the better team on the floor for much of the game. However, Shaq's offensive rebounding and dives for loose balls turned the game around in the fourth, as the Celtics had their best quarter with 28 points and Ray Allen made a very clutch long jump shot after a timeout to put the game away after shooting just 1-7 from the field prior to the shot. Had the Celtics just played harder from the start, they would not have had to rely on a fourth quarter comeback and 38 year old Shaq diving to the floor and putting his health on the line in order to beat this mediocre Pistons' team. Perhaps the only guy playing with any energy last night aside from Shaq was his backup, rookie Semih Erden.

Erden may have dropped a pass or two that would have led to easy buckets, but he did manage to pull in four big rebounds and score 6 points on 3-4 shooting in just 17 minutes played. Also, his one miss was a bounding hook shot in which two Pistons were hanging off of him, but the refs refused to call a foul on the play. There is no denying that even though there may be better athletes in the NBA, very few of them have the energy, basketball IQ, and ability to control the paint that Erden does. He loves to contest every shot he can get his hands near, which results in a lot of opposing misses, and Erden boxes out his man, gets rebounds, and throws quick outlet passes to his guards which lead to fast breaks against defenses that are caught off guard. In his 17 minutes, Erden not only managed to score some points and pull down some boards, but also got a block, an assist, and a team high plus/minus rating of +9. The Turkish rookie does all the little things right, and I still love seeing him get opportunities to get on the court.

Give some credit to the Pistons. Even though the Celtics were lacking the energy that typically gets them wins, Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe were making some big shots for them, and were truly the difference makers for their team. Tracy McGrady also had a consistent presence on the court with 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, but shot just 2-9 from the field. His missed jumpers opened the door for the Celtics' comeback, and had he shot better like he did when they faced off in Detroit three weeks ago, the Pistons probably would have won this game. Detroit played some tight defense in order to hold Boston's high powered offense to just 86 points, and were doing a lot of switching on defense in order to keep Ray Allen from having any open jump shots. Luckily for the Celtics, the Pistons continued to keep their leader and sharp shooter Rip Hamilton benched for this game, even though the Carmelo Anthony trade has allegedly fallen through, which means that Hamilton has missed five consecutive games for no genuine reason. Pistons' coach John Kuester could sure use a lesson from Doc Rivers about the importance of team chemistry.

The Roles of Rookies Semih and Luke

We are almost halfway through the Celtics’ regular season, and despite their 30-9 record which tops the Eastern Conference, it seems like a lot of Celtics fans out there are not happy with the current roster, which currently features a significant amount of minutes played from rookie big men Semih Erden and Luke Harangody. Boston’s first round pick Avery Bradley also still holds a spot on the 15 man active roster, despite being sent down to the D-League this week to play for the Maine Red Claws, not because he’s another hopeless case of first round pick gone bad, but because Doc Rivers wants the kid to get some reps and solid minutes doing what he does best… playing basketball. The Celtics have plenty of veteran guards right now, as well as a sharp-shooting Delonte West returning from his wrist injury in a couple of weeks, so Doc thinks Bradley will benefit more from solid minutes on the Red Claws than riding the bench all season for Boston. Also, Bradley and Harangody, the two “true” rookies, both seemed timid and uncomfortable on the court at first when playing against and alongside NBA stars. However, while Harangody has embraced his amplified role and now looks much more comfortable on the court than he did at the season’s start, Bradley still looked uncomfortable and intimidated on the court for the rare minutes he was given. Don’t completely forget about Avery during his D-League stint. He will be back, as the kid is an incredible athlete, can knock down threes, and throw down dunks like you wouldn’t believe. He may be the quickest guy on the C’s other than Rajon Rondo, and I am still looking forward to seeing the two explosive guards run all over opposing defenses together in the Celtics’ future.

As for Semih Erden, he has looked relatively comfortable from the start, and this can be attributed to his professional play in Turkey and the Euroleague before coming over to play for Boston. After these first 39 games of the season, I have to say that I am not only incredibly happy with the solid play and excellent record of the Celtics, but with their overall roster and development of their rookie players. If this team has managed to stay atop the Eastern Conference even without starting big men Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, how good are they going to be once all the starters are healthy? Right now it appears that this team is already very good with Shaq starting and the two energetic rooks logging big minutes off the bench for the C’s, and when healthy, this team is only going to get better.

The Celtics do not need to add Rasheed Wallace or alter their roster in any significant way because other than Kevin Garnett, nobody brings more energy to the floor than Erden and Harangody. The two of them are always hustling, and Erden controls the paint, makes smart cuts, and contests every shot, while Harangody sets good picks, plays tight defense, boxes out, and can make his open jumpers. While both guys have a lot of room to improve, they show a lot of heart, hustle, and do all the little things that a coach really wants to see from his rookie players. An important thing to realize about these guys is that they are only getting all these minutes right now because of injuries to Boston’s starters, and they’re going to keep getting better and better with all this experience. And while I realize there are better ways to make a playoff run than with a team stocked with rookies (even though Bill Belichick could convince you otherwise) it is important not to forget that Erden and Harangody are only third-string big men for the C’s. Perkins and KG will return soon enough to the starting lineup, which will send Shaq and Big Baby Davis to the second unit, and then the Celtics will have not only a nearly unstoppable starting lineup, but a bench that can contend with opposing starters all around the league. As long as those guys recover successfully from injury and do not get reinjured, Erden and Harangody’s critics can relax because the rookies’ minutes will practically disappear down the stretch. The worst case scenario is foul trouble or injuries resulting in Erden or Harangody getting back on the court, and if given this opportunity, both of them would absolutely play hard and bring valuable energy to the floor that other guys on the team feed off of, such as Nate Robinson and Glen Davis. Right now this team may be scrappy, but with KG possibly coming back Monday night against Orlando, and Perkins still on the mend, the Eastern Conference leading Celtics will only keep getting better. These rookies play harder than just about everybody, and with each of them having the potential for a double-double every night, and the starting big men soon returning, I still am not feeling the need for Sheed, or any significant change to Boston’s solid roster.

The Bobcats Got Shaq-Attacked

When I said the Celtics were going to have to dig deep to pull out a win tonight, I was expecting a lot of hustling, tough play, and clutch performances from guys like Semih Erden, Luke Harangody, and Marquis Daniels. However, with Semih's nagging groin injury and early foul trouble due to some ambiguous fouls called by the referees, Shaquille O'Neal wound up logging a season high 35 minutes on the court and promptly punished the Bobcats' weak interior defense with 23 points. Shaq also grabbed 5 rebounds in the game, as well as a season high 5 blocks. Kwame Brown and the Bobcats had no answer for O'Neal's size, as Rondo penetrated all game long and was always looking to find Shaq down low for an easy bucket or alley-oop. Rondo played extremely well on offense, as he not only worked his usual dribble, drive, and dish moves, but made some key jump shots as well. Rajon finished the game with 18 points and 13 assists.

The Celtics played tough defense and pulled out a 99-94 point victory despite getting outrebounded 42-29. Boston's field goal percentage and eight three point shots made up for the lost rebounds, while Rondo and Shaq led them to an offensive attack that also featured 19 points each from Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Luckily the banged up Celtics have a couple days off before they square off on Monday against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. We'll all be holding our breath for the good news that KG will return for the game, but if not, Shaq is going to have to come up big again and stay out of foul trouble against his Howard, his younger nemesis. Hopefully Semih's groin will be feeling a little better by then so he can get back on the court with the energy he usually brings to the floor, and help the Celtics to continue playing tight constricting defense with frequent offensive onslaughts led by Pierce, Allen, and Rondo. Also, despite their off game tonight, I still believe the Celtics' bench is one of the most dangerous in the NBA, and luckily there is almost always somebody there to pick up the slack for the Celtics spark them to a win. Tonight, Shaq came up big for them, and was playing more like a 28 year old than a 38 year old. With KG, Perk, and Delonte West all on the way back from injury, this Celtics team is only going to keep getting better.

Scrapping for Wins

The Celtics take on the Bobcats tonight in Boston, and are going to need a big contribution from their second unit if they want to overcome their injuries and pull out a win. The Celtics typically play very well against the Bobcats who are just 15-21, but with Perk, KG, and Jermaine O'Neal all sitting out due to injury, the remaining big men need to step up and play hard like they did Wednesday night against the Kings if they want to win. I expect rookie Semih Erden to play very well and to continue bringing tons of energy to the floor as his minutes increase, as long as he's not also sitting out tonight after aggravating a groin injury and missing practice yesterday. He does a great job controlling the paint, and played exceptionally well the last time they faced the Bobcats logging a plus/minus rating of +34. The other three remaining big men are Shaq, Big Baby Davis, and rookie Luke Harangody, and all of them need to dig deep and play hard tonight to help the Celtics contend in the paint and on the scoreboard.

The Bobcats may not currently be the playoff caliber team that they were last season, however they are on a four game winning streak, and are coming off a big win against the Bulls on Wednesday night. Their players are by no means more talented than Boston's, however like the Celtics, they have an uncanny ability to score from all angles when their players are hot. Their starting wingmen Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson love to drive to the hoop, as does their scoring big man off the bench, Tyrus Thomas. However, they are not only capable of scoring from inside the paint, as everyone in their starting lineup can consistently knock down three's except for Kwame Brown. They are solid on the boards, and can exploit any weakness your defense gives them, which in Boston's case could very well be on those boards. Their starting big man, Boris Diaw, is an incredibly good shooter for his size, and could be a huge threat to the Celtics who have a group of big men right now who can get easily worn down, and will not want to contest Diaw's jumpers. For the Celtics to win this game, they need to play solid defense and get rebounds to eliminate Charlotte's second chance points, and then expose the Bobcats' inconsistent defense which can get very complacent at times.

Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo led the C's to victory against the Kings, driving in and exposing Sacramento's weak interior defense. They need to play the same way tonight, as when Charlotte's defense lets up, they become incredibly vulnerable inside the paint. Rondo should have no problem penetrating the middle and finding open teammates, while Pierce, Marquis Daniels, and all of Boston's big men need to use their size to get some easy buckets and make plenty of trips to the free throw line. Inside scoring should not be a problem for the Celtics tonight, and that should open the door for Pierce, Ray Allen, Von Wafer, and Nate Robinson to show off their range when the Bobcats start collapsing on Boston's guys penetrating the middle. These two teams are actually quite similar other than Boston's slight edge in talent and effort, and huge edge in leadership, coaching, and basketball smarts. However, this game could end up being very close, and the Celtics need to make sure they don't let up or get down on themselves since Rondo, Pierce, and Ray Allen have the ability to pick Charlotte's defense apart.

With the driving ability of guys like Wallace, Jackson, and Thomas, as well as the sharp shooting and improved play of point guard D.J. Augustin and Stephen Jackson, the Bobcats can score in bunches and are often not easy to stop. Boston's defense needs to play tough, and make sure that when Charlotte misses their shots, the Celtics wind up with the ball instead of Kwame Brown or Tyrus Thomas coming down with loads of offensive rebounds. Typically Boston does a very good job of stopping the Bobcats' versatile offense, but with so many key big men out due to injury, the rookies really need to step up tonight as big guys Glen Davis and Shaquille O'Neal are undeniably going to need to take some breathers. Until starting big men Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett return from injury, the Celtics will truly be scrapping for wins.

The Big Men in Boston

Jermaine O'Neal is having serious trouble with his knee, and his season and career could potentially be coming to an anticlimactic ending if he needs to get surgery. While I hate to see yet another veteran on the Celtics having injury issues, I have got to say that this seems somewhat convenient with KG and Perkins both close to returning. If all of Boston's big men are healthy other than Jermaine, they have a very solid core with Garnett, Big Baby, and Harangody at the four spot, and Perkins, Shaq, and Semih Erden at the five. And after last night's game, I continue to rave about Erden because he brings a ton of energy to the paint which is exactly what the C's have needed ever since Garnett got hurt, and he makes the Celtics' second unit play better since guys like Davis, Nate Robinson, and Harangody feed off the energy. Erden's 10 points and 9 rebounds last night were big for Boston, and fans may now start to realize that the rookie from Turkey is a very capable backup to Shaq.

The Celtics played extremely well in their rout of the Kings, as Pierce dropped 25 points, Ray Allen was 4/5 from deep, Rondo had a double-double, and Boston's bench manhandled Sacramento's weak defense as Erden, Wafer, Robinson, and Daniels all scored in double digits. With Semih filling in for J.O., the Celtics finally managed to get through a game without Garnett without getting outrebounded. I understand that Erden can absolutely improve on his handles and scoring ability, but his energy and ability to control the paint comes up huge for the Celtics and is unmatched by anyone on the team other than KG. It just seems like good things happen when he's on the floor, like when they last faced the Charolotte Bobcats in December, and Erden was in the starting lineup and led the Celtics with a +34 plus/minus rating. With the trio of centers mentioned before, I think it is clear that the Celtics have a very solid roster, and do not need to make any desperate changes to it that would result in trading away valuable players, or signing an assumedly washed up Rasheed Wallace. The Kings are young and are not a very good overall team, but the Celtics played very well last night nonetheless, and things can only get better for them with starters Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins still on the mend. Look for the Celtics to keep playing with energy tomorrow night when they take on the Bobcats in Boston, especially if KG finally does make his return. If he doesn't, then look for guys like Erden and Nate to energize the team as Semih tries to keep proving that until Perk is back in the starting lineup, he is ready to be the backup center in Boston.

January Poll

There's a new poll out today for the month of January, so vote for which of the newest members of the Celtics has played the best thus far this season. Another way to look at it is which of the newer Celtics has been the most pleasant surprise so far as just about every one of them has had their moments of brilliance, except for maybe Delonte who's been out with a wrist injury. Nevertheless, we've seen big games and offensive production from Shaq and tough defense and big blocks from Jermaine O'Neal. Rookies Luke Harangody and Semih Erden play very tough when given an opportunity, and Harangody recorded his first career double-double the other night against the Raptors while Erden loves to lock down the paint and contest every shot when he's on the court. We've seen Von Wafer show that he is much more than just a potential attitude problem with his occasional explosive scoring nights, and has apparent chemistry with fellow backup guard Marquis Daniels, and thankfully the troublemaking duo now causes much more trouble for opposing teams than their own. There's no denying that Boston had a very big offseason... but who do you think has stepped up the most?

Run 'em Ragged

The Western Conference leading San Antonio Spurs take on the Eastern Conference leading Celtics tonight in Boston in a matchup that heavily favors the Spurs. The Spurs have an incredible 29-5 record going into tonight, and have been playing quality basketball behind the leadership of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and clutch scoring ability of Manu Ginobili. Duncan and DeJuan Blair will be looking to dominate the boards the way the Raptors and Timberwolves did in the Celtics' last couple of games with all-star forward Kevin Garnett out due to a calf injury. Glen Davis needs to play his game and try to be dominant inside the paint the way he did for his entire career, and not hang around the perimeter the way he has so far this season. His jump shot is much improved, but should not be his greatest asset to Boston's offense. His size should be.

When healthy, the Celtics and Spurs play a very similar style of basketball, with a great deal of emphasis on tough physical defense, as well as a commitment to smart conservative play on both sides of the ball. Both teams typically like to slow down the pace of the game, and rely heavily on their stars to win games for them. San Antonio may have a better record, and the edge in this game as Big Baby will absolutely have his hands full dealing with Tim Duncan as Garnett sits out another game... but the Celtics have this guy named Rajon Rondo.

The Celtics like to play a clean and slow paced game, but so do the Spurs, so Rondo needs to quarterback Boston to a faster-than-usual pace to run San Antonio's older star players ragged. San Antonio lost their fifth game of the year last night in a back and forth scoring barrage against the fast-paced New York Knicks, who the Celtics defeated earlier this year. Both the Spurs and Celtics got caught up in the heat of the game and wound up playing New York Knicks style of basketball which features a lot of scoring, and not a lot of defense, however the Celtics were able to keep up and emerged victorious while San Antonio's players became worn out and could not get important baskets down the stretch. If the Celtics can use this to their advantage, meaning that Rondo runs a hurry up offense with quick outlet passes, and drives and dishes to stretch out and exhaust San Antonio's defense, the Spurs' veteran fatigue will absolutely catch up to them. While many of Boston's players are also older veterans, they have truly been energized over the last few games by their younger role players such as Marquis Daniels, Von Wafer, and even Luke Harangody in his ability to help keep Kevin Love's rebounding total below 30 on Monday night. The Celtics are at a disadvantage, but can pull out a win tonight if they can keep the game at a fast pace without turning the ball over excessively, and get some rebounds for a change. Until Garnett returns, or the Celtics can find a way to not get killed on the boards every night, I continue to hope that Doc Rivers lets Semih Erden back on the court for some much needed energy under the hoop.

Making It Look Anything But Easy

The Celtics barely pulled out a win last night against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, and were outhustled and outrebounded once again as Boston's big men continued to struggle in the absence of their leader, Kevin Garnett. For the second consecutive game, Boston nearly lost to an inferior team solely because they could not get things done in the paint, allowing Kevin Love to haul in 24 rebounds which is the highest rebound total for any single player in the history of the TD Garden. Glen Davis once again asserted himself as more of a spot-up shooter than as a power forward, as he hung around the perimeter for majority of the game, putting up jump shot after jump shot, and failing to box out Love as he was outrebounded 24-1 in this game. Minnesota seemed to be giving Davis tons of open jumpers, and rightfully so because if Boston is putting up points, I'm sure that opposing teams would much rather have it come in the form of 20-foot jumpers from Big Baby Davis than from the Celtics' style of intricate ball movement, Rondo's dribble penetration, and scoring threats both in the paint and from beyond the three point arc. If the Celtics want any shot tomorrow night when they take on the Western Conference leading San Antonio Spurs, their big men need to get it together.

And when I say that their big men need to get it together, I mean that Von Wafer should not be leading the team in rebounding with 6 in his 16 minutes played, like he did last night. Wafer also led the team with a +16 plus/minus rating, and kept the Celtics in it despite the Wolves leading for majority of the game. However, starting big men Shaquille O'Neal and Big Baby Davis combined for just 3 rebounds last night, and looked extremely sluggish compared to energized Minnesota players such as Love and Darko Milicic. Boston's backup big men outplayed the starters, as Harangody was the only Celtic last night demonstrating an ability to box out his man, and Jermaine O'Neal played some solid defense with 4 very big blocks. It is clear that without KG, energy in the paint has diminished for Boston, and they will not be able to beat quality teams like the Spurs without playing tougher down low. Doc Rivers obviously realizes that this vital energy is currently lacking without Garnett, but he needs to realize that there are other options.

It may lead to some frustrating fouls and and-1 opportunities, but the tough play and energy of Semih Erden is unmatched by any other player on the Celtics. When Jermaine O'Neal was injured, Erden logged some quality minutes and proved that when he is on the court, he likes to dominate the paint. He contests every shot, boxes out his man, and always hustles. Boston has looked incredibly weak down low ever since Garnett went down with his calf injury, and Doc needs to start playing Erden more unless he wants the Celtics to get outrebounded every game until Garnett returns. Doc seems to have a commitment to keeping players at their "position," which is why Erden could fill in for the O'Neals but not for KG. However, big men are big men and the ones that will play tough defense and help win the rebounding battle are the ones that belong on the court. Harangody plays tough, but just does not have the presence on the court that Erden does, and plays much more like a timid rookie than the energetic and confident Erden. Also, Jermaine O'Neal used to be a power forward! He made all-star appearances as a power forward! So what makes Doc think that he can't put Jermaine and Erden on the court together at the same time? The last few games have made me miss Semih, his tough defense, the double picks they ran with him and Glen Davis, and with Boston getting beat up in the paint night in and night out without Kevin Garnett, I think Semih deserves a chance to get back on the court.

Back on Track

Rajon Rondo is back, and so are the Celtics after bouncing back from two straight losses to beat the Raptors last night 93-79 in Toronto. It was much easier to root for Nate Robinson as he was restored to his role as backup point guard, while Rajon Rondo quarterbacked Boston's offense the way he always does for majority of the game on his way to a team-high plus/minus rating of +24. Nate's often erratic shot selection is difficult to watch when he is logging 30+ minutes per game as a starter, but can be employed effectively to catch defenses off-guard when subbing in for Rondo, as defending point guards must guard the perimeter much tighter against Robinson than on Rajon. As for Boston's big men, the loss of KG has really showed in Boston's weak presence in the paint over the last couple of games, and Big Baby is also proving to be a guy that is much easier to root for when he is coming in for KG off the bench as opposed to logging nearly 40 minutes as a starter and putting up loads of questionable jump shots. Big Baby Davis absolutely has improved his shot over the past couple of seasons, but he needs to learn to incorporate this improved jumper into his play without being primarily a spot-up jump shooter. He is too big to not be using his size to put in points on the block, especially against weaker big men such as the Bargnani-less Toronto Raptors.

Davis is going to have his hands full tonight against Kevin Love and his breakout season, who is currently averaging 21 points and 15 rebounds per game. The Timberwolves may only have nine wins on the season, but Kevin Love is a guy that can completely dominate a game in the paint when given the opportunity, and he will absolutely take advantage if Boston is weak on the boards like they were against Toronto. Michael Beasley is also having a very solid year averaging about 22 points per game, and is out to prove that Miami should not have given up so early on the former #2 overall pick.

Nevertheless, Boston is far superior to this Minnesota team both on offense and on defense, and look for Rondo to pick them apart while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen continue to have big scoring games. Pierce was at his best last night knocking down clutch shots and drawing fouls, while he and Ray went a combined 6-8 from long range, so Minnesota players like point guards Luke Ridnour and Sebastian Telfair, as well as rookie Wesley Johnson, will have a very difficult time sticking with all of Boston's stars. The key to this game will be establishing more of a paint presence which has been lacking since Garnett went down with his calf injury. Big Baby needs to stick to his power forward position and stop hovering around the perimeter like a spot-up shooting guard, and Jermaine O'Neal and Harangody need to play tougher defense and box out their men. If all of Boston's big men would exert the same effort that Semih Erden did when he was filling in for an injured Jermaine O'Neal, they could still be a dominant team down-low even without Kevin Garnett. They just need to play hard, contest every shot, and win the battle of the boards. Against teams like the Timberwolves, Rondo, Allen, and Pierce should be able to handle the rest.

Defense Wins Championships

A big game for the Celtics tonight, but an even bigger one for the Knicks when they face off at Madison Square Garden at 7 pm. The two hottest teams in not just the Atlantic division, but in the Eastern Conference are a combined 19-1 in their last twenty games and the Celtics will be looking to push their win streak to 11 games. Amare Stoudemire has scored 30+ points in eight consecutive games, however the key to this game will be Stoudemire's defense, as well as the pace of the game.

The Knicks and Celtics have opposite mindsets on the court, and sport opposite strategies as the Knicks love to points up as many points as fast as possible in an attempt to outrun and outscore their opponent, while the Celtics are mainly dedicated to defense and a smooth, organized, steady paced offense. The Knicks are young, extremely athletic, and stacked with offensively talented players who can all take on the scoring load when given the opportunity. The Celtics are stacked with all-star veterans who are all playing great right now due to their tough consistent defense, and explosive playmaking ability of Rajon Rondo. All eyes will be on the surging Knicks to see if they can keep their winning streak alive against Boston's Eastern Conference Champs, and prove that they could still be near the top of the conference come playoff time. Carmelo's eyes certainly will be.

The Celtics need to set the pace for this game, and make sure that their focus is to score more points than the Knicks rather than scoring as many points as possible. The Knicks outran and outplayed many mediocre teams with their ability to put up points in bunches, with huge performances from players like Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and rookie Landry Fields. Their most recent victory against Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets proved that they can even beat playoff teams when they get into big scoring battles, and made Carmelo express interest in joining the Knicks after the high scoring game, which featured 254 points. However, unlike the Nuggets, Boston's veterans as well as Rajon Rondo will slow down the pace of this game in order to run their offense effectively, as well as to prevent New York from scoring over 100 points.

The Knicks will be gunning to score, and Amare will be looking to put up 30 for the ninth consecutive game. However, even if he does, the Celtics should come out on top for this one because they will be able attack the dismal defense that is the New York Knicks' from so many different angles. This game is largely a display of great offense vs. great defense, and anyone playing for Doc Rivers will be the first to tell you that defense wins championships. The Celtics really just need to go out and execute the way they do every night, slow down New York's offense, and attack the paint on offense. The Knicks often let their opponents score practically at will in the hopes that they can make it up on the offensive end, and Boston should be able to take advantage behind the playmaking of Rondo, and scoring ability of the Big Three. The Garnett-Stoudemire matchup should be interesting, and I expect both to put up a lot of points as Stoudemire is too explosive for Garnett to single-handedly contain, and Stoudemire does not play enough defense for Garnett to not take advantage of. Keep an eye on Semih Erden in the middle, who will probably be helping out a lot on Stoudemire. Erden plays extremely tough, contests every shot, and is great at making his presence known in the paint. With Erden starting at center last game, the Bobcats only put up 62 points against the Celtics, and Erden played 40 solid minutes with 4 blocks and a game-high plus/minus of +34. If Amare's point streak ends tonight, it will be largely because of Erden's tough play and ability to contest nearly every shot in the paint. In this battle of offense and defense, the Celtics' tough veteran defense should prevail, while their offense will have no problem putting up points against the Knicks.