Posted by Paul Flannery

The Celtics have played 23 games against the Eastern Conference and they have lost twice. The first came against Indiana, a way, way back in early November. If there was any game the Celtics played this year that made no sense it was that one. Well, they have a second “what was that?” game for the 2008-09 season now, after getting dumped by the Knicks, 100-88 at Madison Square Garden. (Recap here)

The Knicks, who had lost seven of eight, did just about everything right. They only shot 41 percent, but they made 9-of-22 3-pointers and were 23-for-28 from the free throw line, with only 10 turnovers. Al Harrington (30 points and 7 boards) and Wilson Chandler (31 points and 8 rebounds) both had career nights.

For the C’s, there was Paul Pierce and there was everyone else. Pierce was sensational with 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Captain destroyed Quentin Richardson in this round of their rivalry, but Rajon Rondo did not have a good night (1-for-7, 3 assists, 24 minutes), Ray Allen missed all nine of his 3-point shots and Kevin Garnett was limited to just 28 minutes (6 points and 9 rebounds) thanks to some early foul trouble and what looked like an ankle injury.

The Celtics have now lost four out of their last six, and four of their last five on the road. They have a tough week in front of them with Charlotte on Tuesday, the tough Houston Rockets on Wednesday, the huge matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and then Toronto on Sunday. (The Raptors have been playing better lately).

Speaking of the Cavs, the Celtics caught a break because Cleveland lost to Washington, 80-77 Sunday afternoon in a game that was as ugly as the score. Boston (29-6)  and Cleveland (27-6) are still tied in the loss column for the best record in the East race.

A few more quick observations on a Sunday evening:

1. The Celtics got great looks, but they just didn’t go down. The Knicks made more than a few tough shots. It happens. That’s why it’s so hard to win 70 games, or go on 19-game winning streaks. There’s a reason things like that are historic, and it’s also why the reporters got frustrated when the players wouldn’t acknowledge the accomplishments.

Forget winning 70, the Celtics have to get themselves straightened out. There’s no reason to think they won’t, but let’s hold off on the rest of that for now, considering they were to this point stastically not as good as the team that won 66 games last year.

2. Because it was the Knicks, one can’t help think about Stephon Marbury tonight. This one wasn’t the bench’s fault–the decisive run came early in the third quarter–but the bench has been much maligned over the last few weeks and seems to be in need of a shakeup. Marbury makes sense for a number of reasons, namely:

A. The second unit needs a creator. They need someone who can break down his man and get to the basket. The best person off the bench right now is Tony Allen, and his jumper isn’t good enough to allow him to do that with any kind of consistency. That is Marbury’s biggest strength.

B. Eddie House would feast off Marbury drive-and-kicks (provided that smallish backcourt wouldn’t get eaten alive defensively).

C. Rondo is too good, and too far along, to be bothered by somebody like Marbury playing behind him.

D. Marbury could be what they’ve wanted Sam Cassell to be.

E. All of that assumes that Marbury had his screwed on straight if he got here. And if he didn’t, he’d be gone. That is an assumption, also.

3. OK, speaking of the second unit: Brian Scalabrine has to make wide-open jump shots. Yes, he played good defense and it’s really a treat to watch him play with the starters because he does such a good job of moving without the ball, but when he has that much open space, he has to knock them down.

4. Pierce has been playing his best basketball of the season. Over the last 10 games he is averaging 23 points on 53 percent shooting (56 percent on 3-pointers and 87 percent free throw shooting).

What’s been fascinating about his season is that Pierce has been incredibly restrained this year. Earlier in the season, when his shot wasn’t going down he rarely forced the action. Even when he has played with the second unit, he has been fine blending into the action. He’s going with the flow, as he said the other night. He’s not going to win any MVP awards playing like that, but he is the team’s ballast, more so than even Kevin Garnett this year.

5. The Celtics are fine, but it really wouldn’t hurt their cause if they got a big win in Charlotte, Tuesdaty.

Posted by Jessica Camerato

Yankees fans aren’t the only New Yorkers who speak their minds. The Madison Square Garden crowd is just as vocal when the Boston Celtics come to town. Rather than get annoyed, the Cs appreciate their dedication to the Knicks.

“One thing I’ve always liked about Madison Square Garden, and actually our fans … they actually come to watch the game,” Doc Rivers said. “I mean seriously, they don’t walk around and it’s not a fashion show. Both Garden crowds, Boston and Madison Square, people sit and watch basketball and that’s what they’re there for. They’re not there to be seen and they’re there to cheer for their team. And I’ve always appreciated that.”

Ray Allen attributes their die-hard mentality to the intense media coverage in New York.

“You figure from any New Yorker who comes to a game, you know baseball or you know basketball or you know football, and you know every team basically around the United States,” he said. “You  might not see them but you know them because being in New York, walking through Times Square you see every stat, sport, game, whatever it is, through the media outlets in New York. So the fans are very knowledgeable, they appreciate good sports. They appreciate great athletes, the ones that works hard.”

Whether they are loved or hated, at least the Celtics always know where they stand in the Big Apple.

“When you’re walking down the street and everybody knows who you are,” Allen said. “They’ll tell you if you suck or if they really appreciate you.”

Posted by Joe Haggerty

Sturm will be out indefinitely after undergoing left knee surgery

While most of Bruins Nation is out and about at the Bruins’ Wives Carnival this afternoon posing for pictures in the penalty box and brushing up on their Rock Band 2 skills for a good cause, here’s a few hockey nuggets to chew on: 

–Marco Sturm will need surgery on his injured left knee in the coming weeks, according to a report out of the Boston Herald. The German-born winger had just returned from concussion/whiplash symptoms on Dec. 18 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but immediately went down with the knee injury after scoring a first period goal in the victory. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli wouldn’t rule out a return by Sturm this season following the surgery, but that’s certainly a good possibility given the lengthy delay leading up to his knee procedure.

 “He’s going to have surgery,” Chiarelli said. “It’s just a question of when. It’s a matter of letting it settle down and getting some strength back in before they do it. We’ll let you know more (next week).”

Not really shocking considering it had taken this long for enough swelling to go down in Sturm’s left knee to make a determination, and the B’s haven’t exactly struggled making a go of it without the Sturm Face for long stretches this season. The talk of Bruins training camp this year was the amazing depth that Chiarelli and coach Claude Julien had to choose from when picking the final spots on the big club. Now they’ve been forced to utilize their organizational depth, and guys like Vladimir Sobotka and Martin St. Pierre have stepped up and made an impact.

–The NHL announced the starting lineups for this month’s NHL All-Star game set for Jan. 25 in Montreal, and there isn’t one representative from the class of the East: the Boston Bruins. Forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Kovalev were voted in as the starters for the Eastern Conference, and Habs blueliners Andre Markov, Mike Komisarek and goaltender Carey Price were also voted in to round out the starting lineup. It’s likely that Bruins Marc Savard, Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas and Phil Kessel will get consideration when the reserves are announced in the coming weeks.

All-Star vote totals can be found here with B’s players Marc Savard (260,974), Patrice Bergeron (253,592), Zdeno Chara (464, 414) and Tim Thomas (96,623) falling well short of the 1 million plus votes that each of the Eastern Conference starting players received.

In related news, ESPN hockey columnist Pierre LeBrun says he can hear the whining emanating from Boston about the snubs and says ”Who Cares?” Good attitude for a hockey columnist to have when he makes his living off people caring about the sport, and he makes an even better one when he sees nothing wrong with the Montreal fans ballot-stuffing to make sure four out of the six Eastern Conference starters were Canadiens during the Jan. 25 game at the Bell Centre. 

–Totally unrelated to the Bruins, but a hilarious video of Washington Capitals scorer Alexander Semin daring to go where few skilled players will venture: the fighting arena. After a big hit by fellow Eastern blocker (and much better pugilist) Alexander Ovechkin, Semin and New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal found themselves in a post-whistle fracas. What follows is the first slap-fight/bongo punch throwing extravaganza in NHL history, and most assuredly the last fight of Semin’s hockey career. Enjoy…

Posted by Jessica Camerato

On Sunday the inconsistent Boston Celtics bench will be tested by a newly improved New York Knicks second unit. The trade for Al Harrington gives the Knicks the luxury of having a starter come off the bench. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said the Knicks reserves were already deep with guard Nate Robinson and the addition of Harrington gives the second unit even more weapons.

“[Harrington] can go from the post to the three-point line and the four spot, and it makes it a very difficult cover,” Rivers said after Saturday’s practice. “They also put him at the three at times which makes them a more physical team. So I guess he’s giving them versatility. When you look at with (Zach) Randolph, he was a post guy. There was no doubt about that. He was going to go to the post, so I think that’s where they changed.”

Posted by Jessica Camerato

Come to Boston and win, that’s how the Celtics organization is seen by many around the NBA. It has become a paradise of victory, a hotspot for veterans who want a legitimate shot at a championship. But it is also a place where selfishness and egos are checked at the door. Personal accolades mean nothing unless the team wins.

So what makes the Celtics, who downplay individual achievements, so much more appealing to vets than other teams who celebrate superstardom? Why settle for blending in when you could stand out next to Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? For those who have made the sacrifices, the explanation is very simple.

“Coming here you get to fit in and be a cog in the wheel,” Ray Allen said. “It’s not about any one individual here on this team. We play together and we beat teams together. We lose together. Everything is together.”

Over the past few weeks the Celtics have been named as possible destinations for veterans Stephon Marbury, Robert Horry, and Dikembe Mutombo, among others. Even though they could have a legitimate shot of winning all with the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston has been a primary destination in the rumor mill.

“I think what’s appealing is that we play together. We have three stars and they actually play together and I think that shows more,” said head coach Doc Rivers. “But honestly I think they would play with Kobe as well and I think they would play with LeBron as well. We may be more aggressive in the market, let’s say, than some of those teams. And maybe we’re not. I think they would play for any of them. At least I would if I were the player.”

Eight-year vet Eddie House, who has signed two contracts in two years with the Celtics, can understand why these players would be interested in Boston. The journeyman had already played with plenty of big names before — Elton Brand, Steve Nash, and Jason Kidd, to name a few – and was lured back by selflessness rather than headliners.

“When you’re playing with one guy then the ball’s dominated by one guy,” House explained. “Here, you’ve got a group of guys who like to share the basketball, who can take the load if they’re asked to take the load. They aren’t depended on the take the load, but if they are asked to take the load that night they will do it.

“But for the most part, it’s very unselfish and it’s not a ‘me’ attitude. With those guys (Bryant and James) it’s more so they have to dominate the ball and you have to play off of them. To where these guys will get you the ball and play with you, instead of you playing off of them.”

The Celtics are set apart from the rest of the league by more than just their trophy. The success of Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce sent the message that being the superstar doesn’t guarantee being the best. It was only when these vets took a step back that they won it all.

“The point of us coming together last year, we were at a point in our lives, in our careers where we were somewhat content with what we had done individually,” Allen said. “We could continue at that pace and finish our careers out that way being a great scorer on a team that never won. But if we didn’t [let go] of our egos and come together, we would have been doing that for the rest of our careers. That’s why, at that time, it seemed like it was a great moment for all of our careers. And I think there’s that progression for most athletes.”

Should the Celtics make any mid-season moves, they already know how to adapt to new additions. Last season veterans P.J. Brown emerged from semi-retirement and Sam Cassell accepted a buyout from the Los Angeles Clippers for the prospect of a ring. These acquisitions could have rattled the Celtics, but those already on the team didn’t see less playing time. They saw a better shot at the title.

“The late in the season addition when you’re already the number one team, you could have some grumbles about that and guys might not welcome guys in,” House said. “But everybody knew this is a business and not only is this a business, but we were on a mission to a hang a banner in the rafters. So we had to accept what was going on for the greater good.”

39-year-old Cassell re-signed with the Cs fully aware that he could be inactive the entire season. At this stage in his career, he doesn’t need 20 minutes per game to be happy.

“It’s about winning,” he said. “For me, I don’t know what [other veterans'] agendas are, but for me it was about winning. I just got a nice taste of winning so I just wanted to win. This was the best opportunity for me to win again.”

As long as the Celtics continue to win with their unselfish play, Boston will stay on the map for veterans who want to capture a championship without having to do it all on their own.

“We welcome the help,” Allen said. “Our egos, we’re pretty selfless here on this team when it comes to playing basketball. We just want to win.”

The door is open for eager vets, just as long as they leave their egos behind.

Posted by Joe Haggerty

“All good things must come to an end — There is an end to everything, good things as well.”

It’s pretty certain that Chaucer wasn’t thinking of any Boston Bruins winning streaks when he coined the catchy little phrase back in the 14th century, but it was extremely applicable in Saturday afternoon’s 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at the Garden.

The defeat snapped the team’s 10-game winning streak — the franchise’s best in 35 years — and their 14-game home winning streak, and painted a clear picture for the Bruins’ skaters of a rival hockey club that channeled hard work and desperation into Boston loss. It’s a formula that the Bruins have used countless times this season to pile up points, but they certainly don’t have a patent on it.

Tim Thomas wasn’t great between the pipes, but he certainly wasn’t negligent enough to lead to a defeat. Shawn Thornton and Phil Kessel both tallied goals in an offensively disjointed effort, but the B’s had plenty of Grade A scoring chances they simply didn’t capitalize on. The normally leak-free Bruins defense had a few uncharacteristic breakdowns, but — more of than not — the Sabres simply and aggressively took it away from the Bruins and then forced the scoring.

In a time during the NHL season when the standings are starting to sorts themselves out and teams are looking to put themselves at good standing by this month’s All-Star break, Buffalo gritted their collective teeth, strapped on the hard hats and worked dilligently enough for the blue collar victory. It didn’t take long for the Bruins skaters to recognize the lengths the Sabres were going to go to get a ‘W’, and they simply couldn’t match it. 

“They were skating really good and forechecked really hard. Sometimes they forechecked with three guys or two guys and sometimes we made a good breakout, but again, they were working extremely hard tonight,” said Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara, who along with the rest of his Bruins teammates hadn’t suffered a loss at home since way back on Oct. 23 vs. the Maple Leafs. ”They were really hungry. You could sense their desperation from the beginning of the game. We kind of did not have it right from the beginning, and we have to improve that.”

The Sabres weren’t all brawn and no brains, though. Once they’d built up a 4-2 lead heading into the third period, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff went into lockdown mode and confounded the B’s attackers by going into the ultimate prevent defense. The strategy gave the Sabres virtually no presence in the offensive zone, but also limited the quality of Bruins’ chances among their 11 third period shots at the net. The ploy worked, and left the Bruins with something to think about the next time they’re trailing the Sabres headed into the third period.

“In the third period, I haven’t ever seen five men back or whatever they were playing. It was kind of different,” said B’s center Marc Savard, who made a great fake-shot-and-then-pass move on Kessel’s power play strike. ”It looked a Mighty Ducks movie or something. But it definitely worked. We couldn’t get anything going through the neutral zone, or get it over the line cleanly.”

Ward on the injured list again

Veteran blueliner Aaron Ward was only in his third game back from an ankle injury yesterday afternoon, and had to leave in the second period after suffering a charley horse injury. While it’s good news that Ward didn’t reinjure the ankle that’s given him problems over the last month, the aches and pains are beginning to add up for a battle-hardened veteran that only knows how to play one way: the path of pain and resistance paved with body-rattling body checks and bone-shattering blocked shots. 

“It’s a slight charlie-horse and right now he’s being looked at.  How severe is it?  We don’t know yet; those are all things you find out in the next few days,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “(It happened) from the hit in the corner (before Buffalo’s third goal.”

Posted by Mike Petraglia

For the first time since Dec. 10, the Bruins tasted defeat on Saturday, snapping a remarkable 10-game run of success. And for the first time since Oct. 23, they lost at home, a 14-game string of victory. How long ago was that? The Red Sox had just lost Game 7 of the ALCS to Tampa Bay four days earlier. Afterward, every Bruin to a man talked about facing adversity and how they plan to learn from this loss. Perhaps Milan Lucic said it best when he said that “good teams don’t lose two in a row and we have to be hungry come our next game.”  That will be the focus when they continue their six-game homestand against Minnesota on Tuesday night. But for now, we look back on a game with the help of coach Claude Julien, who introduced a new term into the lexicon of the Boston sports fan. “We needed some JAM and this was one of those games where you need a little bit more JAM.”  JAM is apparently hockey-talk for juice, energy and desire.

Julien said Saturday wasn’t Boston’s best effort.

Julien said Buffalo earned the win.

Milan Lucic said the Bruins will be hungry to start a new streak.

Marc Savard on the winning streaks coming to an end.

Tim Thomas said it was good to be tested with a loss.

Posted by Mike Petraglia

Everyone around the Boston College program realizes the challenge that presents itself on Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m.

The 12-2 Eagles are about to go from playing San Francisco and Sacred Heart to playing No. 1 and unbeaten 13-0 North Carolina on Tobacco Road.

The Eagles have built their confidence level up with wins over the likes of Maine and South Carolina-Upstate before the wins over San Francisco and SHU. And they’ll need every bit of that confidence when they invade the Dean Dome for Sunday’s encounter with the Tar Heels.

North Carolina, of course, is led by Tyler Hansbrough, the leading candidate for the Naismith Award, giving every year to the top player in college hoops.

BC looking for Deja Vu.

Decided underdogs, the Eagles are hoping the Heels are still suffering some jet lag from their New Year’s Eve encounter with Nevada out in Reno.

But every Boston College-North Carolina discussion begins with the recollection of one of the best and biggest moments in Eagles basketball history. It was the second round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament and the Eagles, led by Bill Curley and a powerful forward by the name of Danya Abrams pulled off the stunning upset of the No. 1 seed and defending champion Heels in Birmingham, Ala.

In the famous Sports Illustrated cover that sports Information director for men’s basketball Dick Kelley proudly displays in his office, Bill Curley is triumphantly raising his left arm in the air, while Abrams and his brother Mickey look on.

That was, of course, before BC was a member of the ACC. That was also the game in which Dean Smith said of Abrams, “That No. 24, he’s a dirty player,” words to this day that draw equal parts laughter and resentment on Chestnut Hill.

Sunday, the Eagles look to revisit that moment of glory and hand the Heels another stunning loss.

Posted by Jessica Camerato

Ray Allen has always felt a connection to Stephon Marbury. The two have been linked together since they were teenagers and Allen has kept tabs on Marbury’s career, from the highs of All-Star seasons to the lows of the on-going standoff with the New York Knicks. Even though Marbury is direct competition in the backcourt, Allen can’t help but feel for the embattled guard.

“It’s somewhat disappointing watching what happened with Stephon,” Allen said after Saturday’s practice. “He and I grew up playing together, against each other [in] high school basketball and then being drafted together, we got traded for each other. So I’ve always followed his career. He was in my draft class.

“So this year was somewhat disappointing regardless of whatever was going on in the organization, I thought he still could help that team. So it’s not like he’s a guy who can’t play basketball anymore. With his skill set, his talent, he still can come out and play basketball and carry a team.”

Will Marbury carry the Celtics this season? Allen has not spoken with Marbury about any talks about a move to Boston and wouldn’t offer any insight on the rumors.

“Danny’s the guy who has to make decisions and we feel as though he’s very, very qualified to make those decisions,” Allen said of Celtics President Danny Ainge. “So for us right now, we’ve got to focus on what’s going on here on the floor. If that does happen then will move on with that, with Stephon.”

Even though Allen won’t speculate on Marbury, that doesn’t mean he would oppose an additional asset this season.

“We welcome the help,” he said. “Our egos, we’re pretty selfless here on this team when it comes to playing basketball. We just want to win.”

While Marbury’s future is in question, Allen has little doubt about his game. Even though he hasn’t seen him play since preseason action, he has a feeling Marbury’s not letting up.

“He’s always been a strong guy so I know he hasn’t, basketball-wise, he hasn’t fallen off,” Allen said. “And not to mention with the speculation out there, in his mind I bet you he believes that if he has a chance to come here that he’s probably doing what he needs to do to take care of himself.”

The Celtics will take on the Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Posted by Alex Speier

The Red Sox are preparing to conduct their annual Rookie Development Program in Boston. The program, which will run from Jan. 4-16, has been credited by several of the young players (Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, Justin Masterson, etc.) who have impacted the major-league club in recent years with helping to smooth their transition to the majors by familiarizing them with the big-league environment and expectations.

The team invites players who are viewed as being no more than 12 to 18 months from the majors, though in many instances, the timeframe has been much shorter. Last year, for instance, Masterson was in the program, opened the minor-league season in Double-A, and was promoted to the majors for his first start in April.

A couple of notable elements. Left-hander Dustin Richardson, after a successful winter contributing out of the bullpen in the Hawaiian Winter Baseball League, is back for a second straight year in the Development Program given his likely conversion from the rotation to relief.

The group is also an extremely young crop. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick, the top position-playing prospects in the Sox system, are 21, as are shortstop Argenis Diaz (who spent last spring training in big-league camp with the Sox) and pitcher Felix Doubront. Last year, the only player that young in the Rookie Development Program was pitcher Michael Bowden.

This year’s crop of prospects (with position and the highest level at which he performed in 2008):

Lars Anderson - 1B, Double-A
Daniel Bard - RHP, Double-A
Zach Daeges - OF, Double-A
Dewon Day - RHP, Triple-A (White Sox system)
Argenis Diaz - SS, Double-A
Felix Doubront - LHP, High-A
Kris Johnson - LHP, Double-A
Richie Lentz - RHP, Double-A
Wes Littleton - RHP, Majors (Rangers)
Adam Mills - RHP, Double-A
Josh Reddick - OF, Double-A
Dustin Richardson - LHP, Double-A
Mark Wagner - C, Double-A

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