Too many weapons

[Eric Albert]

This was my favorite Celtics game in years. The Bulls played hard, but the C's played harder, winning all four quarters.

Not everything worked (turnovers were a problem; Ray Allen still can't hit the side of a barn; Perk was in foul trouble all game) but they never, ever looked flustered. They played relentless team basketball and inexorably pulled away.

How many ways can the Celts kill you?

1. Defense
2. Defense
3. Defense
4. Passing
5. Defense
6. Any of at least seven players getting hot
7. Defense

A rap on Rondo coming into this year was his shooting -- he hit 42% as a rookie. He's currently at 55% and *rising*, tied with Garnett, and #12 in the league, #2 among guards (if you count Josh Childress as a guard).

I know he takes a lot of shots from close in, but his jump shot looks real to me, and he sure hits it well enough to keep the defense honest. If gets just a bit more accurate (and his progress so far has been phenomenal), he's going to be a serious offensive threat.

And how about Big Baby? A surprise entrance for him tonight at 1 minute, 38 seconds into the game, when Perk picked up two very quick fouls. BB proceeded to play a very un-rookie like game, logging 26 minutes and pulling down 12 rebounds, including 3 man-size offensive rebounds.

Big Baby was perfect from the field and perfect from the line. He was a pick machine -- I got tired just watching him. And he picked up just three fouls, two of them trying to take charges on someone else's man. Oh, did I mention he was playing Ben Wallace? (Wallace got 2 two more rebounds than Big Baby in 14 more minutes).

It always helps to have a player get hot, and Garnett was white-hot tonight. He was getting some serious pressure, and I thought several of his shots were borderline crazy. But who am I to argue with 8 for 11?

I could go on... a wonderful game!

-- Eric