Playoff Picture

[opi@unesco.org]

Suddenly the Celts are trailing nine teams bunched up ahead of them in
the playoff standings, with the hottest Eastern team (Atlanta with four
straight wins and seven of the last ten) right behind them at 8 wins and
9 losses. Mutombo is averaging an awesome 14.5 boards per game, which is
like having 2.5 Antoine Walker fruit boys all rolled into a single
player.

On the "glass half full" side, the Celtics are just one game in the loss
column behind teams presently tied for the third seed in the playoffs
(Charlotte, Indy, Milwaukee), not to mention just two losses behind
Central division leader Toronto. Also, the Celts have a competitive 6-4
record (5-1 at home) against the teams presently ahead of them in the
Eastern standings, so none of these teams would necessarily scare us to
death in a 5 or 7 game playoff series.

The two Celts games this week (Denver and Houston at home) are nearly
"must wins" IMO, since after that they go on the road for 7 of the next
10 games of this millennium, with the three home games coming against
non-pushovers (the Flakers, the Jazz, the Hawks) without much rest to
prepare for them. It seems unlikely Fortson will suit up before January,
so the other Celts players really need to bear down and play a month of
intense basketball (Toine especially needs to turn around his aimless
season as one of the young leaders of a team that badly needs him).

I'm ready to start a serious write-in campaign for him to be included on
the WNBA "All Star" team. That's how frustrated and bewildered I am with
Antoinette.

Joe

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