Impressive!

[JB <jbmetzea@yahoo.com>]

   I don't know how anyone watching last night's game could fail to be
impressed at the strides the Celtics have taken since the miserable end, to
last year's miserable season.
   The Utah Jazz are still a fine and disciplined team, even if Karl Malone
is no longer capable (or willing?)  of beating a team all by himself. At the
end, it was the Celtics who were composed and efficient, while Utah looked
around, wondering how the game got out of reach.
   I'll tell you friends, it was first and foremost defense. Not only were
we able to bump and grind, we were athletic enough to make some great blocks
and steals, a style, a long way from the thuggery type of defense that the
Knicks or the Heat employed, during their playoff years.
   Dick Harter and Jimmy O'Brien deserve a lot of credit, but as they say,
defense is mostly played with the mind. Motivation and willingness are what
makes a team successful.
   Offensively, this may have been the best game I've ever seen this group
play. Was there even one forced or bad shot? Well, I remember Antoine being
blocked, forcing himsef into to traffic, in the third period, but that's it.
Amazing performance. The will to win has overcome all of the other
motivations.
   Paul Pierce is the man. Utah had no one who could guard him, although, he
was passing out of the traps and double teams, as well as the others.
   Tony Battie was a dominator underneath, as much as we've seen from him in
a long time. 
   Kenny Anderson was the model of control and efficiency.
   Eric Williams is the glue. How many of us made fun of O'Brien for lauding
his early efforts and recognizing early who he wanted to hang his star on?
Did you see him bang with Malone? He even inspired Walker, to  deliver a few
hard ones to the "Mailman."
   Erick Strickland continued to show he can be counted on to play more than
mop up minutes. He's another warrior.
   Could this be my post, if I didn't mention that Anderson played too many
minutes? He got exactly one minute of rest in the fourth quarter and had
nothing left in his legs for the last five minutes.
   I'm sure you all noticed that Palacio got a DNP. Now, the coach's
rotation has been reduced to the elements of usefulness, that I have been
"harping" on. 
   Do we need another "true" point guard and another rebounder/ banger?  The
way things are going now, we are doing just fine thank you, but my blood is
rising, the smell of the hunt is in my nostrils; next year is now. Let's get
after it.
                 

              JB
                   
     
                   

                           Unchain My Heart!