The Celtics were led by Paul Pierce’s 27 points. Pierce also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals while shooting 10-for-14 from the field and 3-for-5 from downtown. Ray Allen had 17 points and Kevin Garnett had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Hornets got 22 points and eight assists from Paul. Peja Stojakovic, who is coming off the bench so far this season, led the team in scoring with 26. The only other Hornets player in double figures was David West with 10.

So far during the 2009-10 NBA season, the Celtics have been the league’s most dominant team. They beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland to begin the season and then won their next three games by 33, 28 and 10 points, respectively.

Doc Rivers has to be thrilled with the Celtics (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Celtics Dominate Late to Stay Undefeated

Wheaties Fuel—The New Breakfast of Champions

Wheaties Fuel is a lightly sweetened, crunchy bowl of whole wheat flakes and crisp rice. It has whole grains to provide long-lasting energy; complex carbs for fuel; B-vitamins to help your body release energy from food; and it’s an excellent source of fiber (five grams/serving). I had a bowl with some scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, a banana and a cup of apple cider for a complete breakfast. The taste is outstanding (cinnamon honey crunch-flavored). And I felt great afterward—I had plenty of energy, I felt alert and it kept me going for several hours until my next meal (I eat six times/day).

Dr. John Ivy, a world-renowned expert on the role of nutrition and exercise performance, said:

“We’ve learned a lot about the bond between nutrition and performance over the years and as today’s athletes continue to get bigger, faster and stronger, it was important to develop a cereal that evolved along with them. With the help of our elite athletes, we created a cereal whose nutritional profile will fuel the active individual.”

If you can’t wait until January to get your taste of Wheaties Fuel, visit wheaties.com/evolution to order your own Collector’s Edition box and find out a lot more about the evolution of “The Breakfast of Champions.”

Sources: wheaties.com/evolution, Twitter.com/Wheaties_Fuel

Post from: EveryJoe

Wheaties Fuel: A New Breakfast of Champions

The 59 points scored by the Bobcats represented an all-time low for an NBA team in their season opener. Gerald Wallace led the way for Charlotte with ten points, while they managed to shoot just 31.1% from the field and 52% from the foul line.

When Boston wasn’t playing defense, their offense was clicking. Ray Allen led the way with 18 points, while Paul Pierce chipped in with 15 points, four assists and three rebounds. Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Shelden Williams were also in double figures for the Celtics.

The Bobcats were playing their first game of the season and head coach Larry Brown couldn’t be too impressed with what he saw from his team. Offense was going to be a weakness for Charlotte — but it wasn’t supposed to be this big of a weakness.

The Celtics will try to improve their record to 3-0 when they take on the Chicago BUlls on Friday night.

Doc Rivers had to be happy with his team's defensive play (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Celtics Suffocate Bobcats, Improve to 2-0

Although Davis played very well last year in the playoffs, he didn’t get any big offers this offseason due largely to the fact that he was a restricted free agent. With the Celtics saying they planned to keep him, Davis decided to take a two-year deal that will allow him to be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the contract.

In the regular season last year, Davis averaged seven points and four rebounds in 21.5 minutes per contest. In the playoffs, with Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe sidelined with injuries, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 36.4 minutes per game.

This upcoming season, Davis will provide quality depth off the bench. With Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace likely ahead of him in the rotation, Davis will have to play well to carve out a consistent spot in the daily lineup. As he showed in the playoffs, the 23-year-old is definitely capable.

Glen Davis - Boston Celtics (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Glen Davis Re-signs with the Celtics

Rasheed Wallace to the Boston Celtics (Image: Zuma Press)

With the Celtics, Wallace will likely come off the bench behind the frontline of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. He provides Boston with yet another veteran with championship experience who plays well in the playoffs to go along with Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Last year with the Detroit Pistons, Wallace averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32 minutes per game. Wallace joined the Pistons in 2004 and helped the team win the 2004 NBA championship.

On the first day of free agency, the Celtics sent a group to meet with Wallace and his wife. They wooed him to join the Celtics.

On Sunday, that wooing paid off.

Post from: EveryJoe

Rasheed Wallace Picks the Boston Celtics

Kevin McHale is out in Minnesota (Image: Zuma Press)

During his reign in Minnesota, McHale is known mostly for his failures. Despite having Kevin Garnett on the team for more than a decade, McHale the general manager could never put enough talent around him to make it to the NBA Finals.

Last season, McHale was asked to go from general manager to head coach. He was actually doing a really good job until star power forward Al Jefferson was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

The Timberwolves apparently wanted to go in a different direction. Who will be the next coach? One possibility is Bill Laimbeer, who recently resigned from the Detroit Shock of the WNBA. The timing of that resignation and McHale leaving could be a coincidence — but maybe not.

Post from: EveryJoe

Kevin McHale Era Over in Minnesota

1. Will the Pistons play at least one game where they act like they care?

2. Is Tyrus Thomas becoming a player right before our eyes or is he becoming a player right before our eyes?

3. Is New Orleans-Denver that much of a mismatch?

4. Is it just me or did Andre Iguodala make one helluva difficult shot in game 1 with Hedo all up in his grill?

Iggy gettin jiggy wit it (Image:Newscom)

5. Wait, did Orlando just leave 53 year old Donyell Marshall all alone again?

6. Does it bother you to see Kevin Garnett continually say potty mouth type things on the sideline after each big Celtic play…?

7. Or make goofy faces?

8.  Or that the cameraman seems to always focus in on him, like, expecting him to say something more family friendly the next time?

9. Did Tony Parker just decide to take over the Mavs series because I was too busy watching him make layups to tell?

10. Is it just me or does Jeff Van Gundy become more tolerable and dare I say more lovable as time goes on?

Post from: EveryJoe

NBA Playoff Observations Thus Far

Boston Celtics (Image: Flickr)

The news regarding Ainge hit the news wires shortly after it was learned that superstar power forward Kevin Garnett may miss the entire playoffs due to a knee injury. Garnett was the star acquisition by Ainge last summer that propelled the Celtics to the 2007-08 NBA championship.

Even before Ainge brought a championship to Boston as a general manager, he was very popular in the city of Boston. As a player, he won two championship rings in the 1980s playing alongside Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.

The Celtics begin their attempt at back-to-back titles when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Without Garnett, the Celtics will have to rely on Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to care the workload.

Post from: EveryJoe

Celtics GM Danny Ainge Suffers Heart Attack

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics (Image: Newscom)

Out of the last 24 contests, Garnett has been forced to miss 20 of those games. He’s suffering from a right knee strain that has hampered his explosiveness and has caused quite a bit of pain.

Even without Garnett, the Celtics have the second best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-19. Although Boston doesn’t have any hope to catch the Cleveland Cavaliers, they would like to get some sort of cohesion before the beginning of the postseason.

Most league pundits give the defending NBA champions a decent shot to win back-to-back titles, although this Garnett injury is definitely worrisome. If he doesn’t return near 100%, Boston’s chances could be doomed before the playoffs even begin.

Post from: EveryJoe

Kevin Garnett to Return for One Game

I recently updated my b5 profile with the intention of explaining how www.jabandgrapple.com could cover both the scripted fun of pro wrestling entertainment and the unexpected life-threating tension of professional boxing. My answer wasn’t that they both take place in rings and involve some sort of combat.

No, my explanation was that they are bookends of the sporting world with everything else existing in between their emotional bounds. Friday night was evidence of this evocative breadth. WWE’s SmackDown and ESPN’s Friday Night Fights were broadcast simultaneously and my Motorola DVR only allowed me to watch one at a time while taping both. I was forced to delve into both without distraction.

First up was the glorious costumed cabaret fun of SmackDown. The Undertaker was trying to take revenge out on a supposedly wheelchair-bound lady. People were fired, lives were affected, fear, trouble, mayhem, betrayal and loss were the pervasive themes.

We all know, however, that the situations were fake. That in the end the performers’ lives aren’t affected as far as career longevity and/or actual intended danger. Sure, unexpected tragedies can and have occurred but The Undertaker’s choke slam really isn’t endangering opponents; the Great Khali wasn’t really bleeding profusely from the mouth a few weeks ago. Their career paths are decided by scriptwriters and their salary, however modest, isn’t dependent on them winning.

Once SmackDown ended I switched over to the very real career arc of Chris Byrd, a 37-year-old who had just lost 37 pounds in an attempt to compete at the light heavyweight level. Things didn’t work out that well for the former heavyweight champion as he was beaten badly and knocked out in the ninth round. Byrd then deliriously apologized to his wife and handsome young son; he felt he had let them down.

The drama was real, the pain evident, and the tragedy too much to bear. Here was a man who put his life on the line in the ring and couldn’t bear the failure that he wrongly perceived himself to be.

Shortly after the fight doctors diagnosed Byrd with a separated shoulder and administered painkillers. Then the situation nosedived. His wife explained to ESPN, “They gave him Valium and morphine and we couldn’t wake him up,” she continued. “I was so scared. We had to rush him to the hospital.”

Byrd was revived late Friday night and returned home but the psychological pain will not end. Byrd will presumably not fight again at least not on the same championship level he was accustomed. He understands that he should retire.

His opponent Shaun George added after the fight “There’s going to come a point where you have to give it up. That’s the hard part because you love the sport. It’s sad for anybody, but especially someone like Byrd who is a two-time heavyweight champion.”

For me, the pathos was too much to bear, especially after watching its polar opposite at SmackDown.

So I turned the channel to the end of the Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavs playoff game. I love the NBA but after the Byrd fight it seemed so superficial and so far removed from man’s essential struggle. So scripted and so much closer to pro wrestling than what I had just viewed.

Lives aren’t going to be affected by the Celtics loss no matter how angsty Kevin Garnett portrays himself; no matter how aloof and affected Ray Allen appears to be. They’ll pull in their guaranteed million dollar contract accept their loss, continue performing to David Stern’s script, move on and compete until their bodies can’t move. Just like Bruno Sammartino, just like Hulk Hogan and just like Ric Flair.

If Chris Byrd were to go back in the ring he might be killed, the fact that he’s still an elite boxer doesn’t matter. His skills just aren’t elite enough.

Think I’m off base? Comment below and tell me what you think.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

The Real Drama of Boxing vs. the Fake Drama of the WWE and the NBA