Reclaiming The Throne, A Boston Celtics 2K15 Association

["The Veal"]

Boston Defeats Philadelphia 102-95, Win Third Straight

Another night, another victory. This time was at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, the C's first game thus far against a definite lottery-bound team. Unlike the Cavaliers victory, or the Pacers one before it, this defeat against the 76ers was expected, and Boston came in and needed to do what needed to be done, regardless of the two dominate forces down low in Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. The Celtics three-point barrage the other night against the Suns was no more tonight, as they struggled beyond the arc, both teams only making 5 three-pointers. As per usual with this Celtics roster no statistical category stood out, excluding the shooting percentage, sitting above half at 52%.

A large contributor to the C's success was their ability to get to the free throw line, despite some difficulties converting. They ended the game with 25 attempts, only 17 made, which for the 2nd best team in the league Free Throw Percentage-wise is rather poor. Some of these came at crucial points, like towards the end where Boston could have sealed the deal, but two missed from both Jared Sullinger and Rajon Rondo extended the game further than it needed to be. Both of those players can be forgiven however for their astounding play tonight. Sully is back on track, scoring a team-high 20 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Rondo was back to prime Rondo form with 14 points, 12 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. And finally, Jeff Green has pushed his success streak to two, finishing with 19 points and 8 rebounds.



For the most part the game was comfortable for the Celtics, at one point having a 14-point lead. A few lulls in offensive productivity allowed the 76ers to continue to maintain a small stake in the game, ending with the smallest margin in the second half. Unfortunately for Boston, because of Sullinger's increased performance Brandon Bass has taken a backseat, scoring just 6 points tonight to go along with 3 rebounds. Avery Bradley also didn't perform well, finishing with 11, put shooting just 4-10, including 0-3 from deep, a far cry from his 6-6 the game before. For Philadelphia the expected woes continue. The team now sits at 2-9 as another rebuilding year is in their foresights. However there was certainly a lot to like from the team's performance tonight. One of those being the production from Tony Wroten, who finished with a game-high 23 points off 9-21 shooting. It wasn't so much his dominance, but his ability to take control when his team needed someone the most.

Even more so for the 76ers however were their two towers manning the pain down low. Both of them sky past 6'11, while neither starting Celtics big exceeds 6'9. This made for an easy, and dominate game, for both Embiid and Noel, especially the latter. Noel finished with a career-high 19 rebounds, to go along with 11 points. He was everywhere gathering rebounds, many of his points coming from offensive put-backs. #3 overall pick Embiid was not to be outdone however, finishing with 10 points and 12 boards. The two made their presence known, and showed fans what they'll be capable of when they really hone their skills. Michael Carter-Williams ended with another well-rounded night, despite a difficult first half shooting-wise, only putting down 2 points. He finished with 15, along with 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. The 76ers core as of right now is nothing, but down the road, beware.



After the game Jared Sullinger spoke to Doris Burke.

Burke: Three in a row! How does it feel?

Sullinger: Great. Tonight's was obviously easier than the others, but it was just as well-deserved. We needed a break from the league's best.

Burke: Yeah, and thankfully the fatigue setting in from those games didn't affect your performance tonight. 20 points and 11 boards, what's gotten into you?

Sullinger: My team. We're focused on running plays through and around Rajon and myself. It's a great dynamic and has shown it works so far. I really hope we stick with it, because it's also helping the others too.

Burke: It really is, Jeff had another great night. It's nice to see production out of him, even if it is just two games in a row.

Sullinger: Hey we'll take it. When I'm doing good down low that forces some of the wing guys onto me which allows for a more open Jeff, and that's never a bad thing.

Burke: You have that right. Well anyways, I hate to break it to you, but your easy schedule is over. It's back to Memphis, Portland, Chicago, and San Antonio. How do you think you'll fair?

Sullinger: I think we're in a great position right now to beat at least some of these guys. I mean yeah, we only beat Philly by 7 and the others by small amounts too, but today's game felt comfortable the whole night. I'm hoping this was our 'rest' so to speak and we can bring energy the next couple nights.

Burke: We'll be excited to see it. Thanks for the time Jared and congratulations. Goodnight everyone!

Box Scores, Team Comparisons, More Pictures From The Night

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["The Veal"]

Game Preview: Boston Celtics at Memphis Grizzlies

MEM: 6-6, BOS: 4-6
November 21st, 2014

Let's take it over to Ernie and Shaq for the Pre-Game Show...

Ernie: Well the Celtics have now won 3 straight. Never thought I'd say that so early in the season. And as many of you have already heard their streak may continue, or at least their chances of it, with the loss of Marc Gasol. Welcome to another night in the NBA everyone!

Shaq: Yeah, 2 weeks for the big man. That's not good at all for Memphis, they're just 6-6 right now. A loss against the Celtics, something that would have been a definite win before, now would prove devastating. Something redeeming however, they're currently 5-1 at home, 1-5 on the road. We'll see that Memphis crowd tonight.

Ernie: Especially considering the Celtics' biggest weakness thus far has been low-post defense against bigger, more skilled men. Just look at the 76ers. Worst team in the league, and Noel and Embiid put up their best games of the season collectively against them. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol would have been that much more bothersome.

Shaq: Really. Now the Grizzlies are gonna have serious problems scoring, with their best big out. Conley has Rondo to deal with, all the ownership is going to have to fall on Zach Randolph, who has been killing it this year, 12th in the league in points at 21, and 7th in rebounds with 11.

Ernie: He has been a dominate force, lets see how he handles no other All-Star big by his side. Meanwhile we had two games last night in the NBA, the Clippers defeated the 9-2 Heat, and the Bulls took care of the Kings. That win marked the 6th straight for the Bulls, whose record stood at 2-4 prior to the run.

Shaq: They're back on their feet, and we all knew it would only be a matter of time. Switching in Pau for Boozer caused a little awkwardness to start the season.

Ernie: What about the Clippers? Defeating the Heat as D-Wade suffered a Hand Fracture that will keep him out at least 2 weeks.

Shaq: That's what I was afraid of with this team, was Dwanye's health. Thankfully they kicked the season off right so they should be good, but inconsistency in terms of keeping Wade on the court will prove whether or not the Heat can work without him.

Ernie: That game however was long out of reach before his departure. It was a must-win for L.A. who is going through some early-season rough patches, previous to the victory were just sitting at 4-6.

Shaq: I'm not entirely sure why it's happening either Ernie. They got all their pieces, just haven't put them together I suppose. Let's hope they can get back on their feet.

Ernie: Mhm. And earlier today we saw the Pelicans suffer yet another loss, putting them at 3-8. This time in blow-out fashion to the Nuggets, dominated by Kenneth Faried, who had 23 points and 24 rebounds.

Shaq: Against Anthony Davis? Damn. Kid put in work today.

Ernie: Not putting in work was the Hornets however, who, prior to tonight have been surprising many with their 9-3 record. They were dismantled by Orlando however, losing 81-64, never scoring above 20 points in any quarter.

Shaq: Not good to see. Big Al held his own, 16 and 18, but no one else contributed. Kemba struggled, shooting just 4-15, and everyone else was too afraid to shoot shots, no one else attempting more than 8.

Ernie: Not good to see. Well anyways, we certainly have an interesting game on tap tonight, especially with the injury to Gasol. We'll take it over there now, enjoy the Boston Celtics versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

["The Veal"]

Celtics Win 4th Straight, Rondo Has Huge Triple-Double

Tonight was Rajon Rondo's night. His coming out party if you will. Prior to tonight he'd been waddling around with respectable numbers, but the nights where Rondo goes off for huge numbers had been missed. Here he was on from the beginning and never let up. Everything, as it should, was run through him, but even more so here. Coach Brad Stevens saw the potential for a big one and allowed Rondo his chance at excelling. Better yet, his play lead to a comfortable lead for Boston through, at one time up by 19 against the Gasol-less Grizzlies. Boston had the lead from Bradley's first 3 to put them up 3-0 and never let it up. It was a dominating performance on both ends, one that should be commended, regardless of whether Memphis' big was there. The final numbers for Rajon Rondo you ask? 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 18 assists. Now that is why Rondo is considered one of the most unstoppable players in the league when he's hot.

As you can see though his points, while still good, are not excessive. Meaning his facilitating lead to a lot of great ball from others around him, mainly Avery Bradley who finished with 23 points off 9-15 shooting, and Jeff Green who ended with 16 off 7-11. This performance of the wings was further heightened by the fact that they needed to face both Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince, two skilled, defensive-minded swingmen. While they got their points in, the Celtics failed in terms of turnovers, allowing for 13, which lead to 15 Memphis points. This was the only thing keeping Memphis in the game, as with all the turnovers, the Grizzlies time of possession was nearly 4 minutes greater than the Celtics, who aimed at getting the ball up and down the court to out-leverage the Grizzlies stifling defense. Once again, while not as noticeable, the C's shot 58% from the deep, 7-12, to help them finish with a 53% overall field goal percentage. Due to Zach Randolph's presence, Jared Sullinger's run of great games stopped, with just 10 points and 3 rebounds.



On the Grizzlies side was a dismantled team without their core. They ran through Randolph, who finished with 20 and 9, but no one else could fair offensively against the C's. Their next threat, Michael Conley, did dish out 11 assists, but was only able to muster in 6 points on just 8 shots. Rondo's performance was sensational on both ends, picking Conley off three times. Two back-up swingmen, Courtney Lee and Vince Carter, handled a fair share of the workload, turning in 16 points and 12 points respectively. Carter's ferocious dunk, along with a Jeff Green alley-oop (first featured below, second featured in the appendage), was the highlight of the night. Vintage Vinsanity on full display with a poster-made dunk. However, while there was some shine, the Grizzlies just were lifeless without Gasol, never being able to maintain any sort of run. In fact, Memphis never scored more than 6 points straight, as the C's almost always had an answer. In Gasol's absence however, Kosta Koufos, who got the start, played well, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

But the night truly belonged to Rajon Rondo. He wowed the audience multiple times, was always underneath the basket when he knew a Randolph post-up was going up, and moved around with precision to almost single-handedly give the Celtics the 11-point victory, making it their fourth in a row. For a Grizzlies fan one can find positives in their defense, which held up even without Gasol on the court. They had 11 steals and 6 blocks, huge numbers, especially in comparison to the Celtics. Finally however, the most noticeable difference between this game and others for the C's was the rebounding battle, of which they won for the third time this season, by 7. Add this to the assist total being 7 more than the Grizzlies and you can once again thank nimble Rondo for both those victories. The C's are on a roll, the decisive game will be tomorrow to see if they can defeat the 8-3 Trailblazers.



After the game Rajon Rondo spoke to Doris Burke.

Burke: I'm speechless Rajon, how, just how?

Rondo: I knew I had it in me, and I knew the Grizzlies, with Gasol gone, were going to go all defensive on us. I figured I'd turn on the jets and take over today.

Burke: I'd say, those are some of the biggest numbers of your career.

Rondo: To be honest, I wasn't even watching the stats, although I did know they were starting to get huge. Going into the fourth I knew I needed one more rebound for the triple-double, so I was going after that. The 6 more after that however were just extra.

Burke: Unbelievable to hear 7 rebounds in one quarter by a 6'1 point guard. You really got down low there with Gasol's absence.

Rondo: It wasn't hard either. Randolph is a notorious mid-range fading power forward, meaning he always allows space in the paint when his spot goes up. This works for the Grizzlies cause you got Gasol down there pushing back anyone from getting it. He wasn't there, the lane opens up for me all the time.

Burke: It looked effortless out there, especially the assists which just piled up. To think you could have had way more in the fourth if it weren't for some missed open shots.

Rondo: Yeah, I wasn't really bothered by it. My guys were just getting tired. I think all four of them (the starting line-up) missed some shots from my passes. I could have easily been over 20.

Burke: Oh there's no question. Now, with four straight victories on your back and this statistical performance, are you ready to take on Damien Lillard and the Trailblazers? He's killing it so far this year.

Rondo: We're prepared. Gasol's absence helped us a ton, and that won't be there against Portland. We gotta bring our A-game, and I think right now would be the perfect time to do that.

Burke: Well congratulations once again. And good luck against Portland. Ladies and gentleman, Rajon Rondo. 16, 16, & 18 tonight. Have a good night everyone!

Box Scores, Team Comparisons, More Pictures From The Night

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[IllWill89]

I think this is appropiate for a 16, 16, and 18 game

["The Veal"]

Quote: Originally Posted by IllWill89

I think this is appropiate for a 16, 16, and 18 game

Oh hell yeah! That's thee video to post in reaction to this. Rondo just goes off sometimes, and there's nothing anyone can do about it!

["The Veal"]

Jared Sullinger Injured For 4-6 Weeks, Will Still Play

November 22nd, 2014

At some point during last night's thrashing of the Memphis Grizzlies, Jared Sullinger suffered a pinched nerve in his back. It was unknown to fans and personal alike as he continued to play, but a check-up after the game, found the injury. Sully apparently confronted head Trainer Ed Lacerte over pains in his back and it was there that the problem was discovered.

According to the team Sullinger, who has been averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds for the C's thus far, will sustain this injury for 4-6 weeks, quite a prolonged time to be able to play through something. Head Coach Brad Stevens addressed the media:

"Yeah, he got dinged up pretty good apparently. We didn't hear about it until after the game though. There was a hard fall he had that lead to some free throws, might have happened there. We'll monitor him throughout his injury, and as of right now he'll have reduced minutes. He's still starting, just spreading the minutes around to some of the other bigs and bringing Vitor Faverani off reserves to help compensate. Pressey will be going down for the time being."

This will be a tough battle to overcome for the C's, especially with Sully lighting it up over the past couple games. His limited minutes and hampering injury will prove difficult for a team just finding their balance running things through him and Rondo. We'll keep you up to date if anything else needs to be addressed, but the word now is that Sullinger has acquired an injury and will be cared for for the next month.

["The Veal"]

Game Preview: Boston Celtics vs. Portland Trailblazers

POS: 8-4, BOS: 5-6
November 23rd, 2014

Let's take it over to Ernie and Shaq for the Pre-Game Show...

Ernie: Four in a row for the Celtics. But, no matter how impressive that is in their current stretch of games, it wasn't even the main storyline.

Shaq: Yup, because that title belonged to Rajon Rondo. Unbelievable. And to hear some saying he's done and past his prime. 16, 16, & 18 against a staunch defense and Michael Conley will prove you otherwise.

Ernie: It was a sight to see. There was no way Boston was losing with Rondo playing like that.

Shaq: Oh no way in hell. But that's not every night. Rajon shows up when he needs too. He'll certainly need to tonight again.

Ernie: Yup, cause he's going up against Damien Lillard who's making a run for best point guard in the league right now, averaging 26 points and 9 assists.

Shaq: Portland's killing it too, 8-4. The lost the other night, but that was against the Bulls who've gone full crazy and won 8 in a row. And they nearly beat them too.

Ernie: Tough one for the Celtics, who will also see limited minutes from Jared Sullinger, with a pinched nerve in his back.

Shaq: Hey, it's another challenge for this team. To think they'd be at 5-6 11 games in the season is quite shocking, it's not unforeseen that they can take this game. At least, that's what I've told myself after they've consistently proven me wrong lately.

Ernie: No doubt about that, I'm with you. Some interesting games the past couple nights, including losses from both the Spurs and Cavs. LeBron's Cavs now sit at a disappointing 7-5, who have gone 2-4 since Boston's staggering defeat of them.

Shaq: Potentially even more shocking, the Heat sit at 11-3. Their only losses were against the Clippers, Mavericks, and Hornets. This could prove tumultuous for LeBron if this continues. We shall see.

Ernie: You're right Shaq. But it may just be like the beginning of LeBron's reign in Miami, the team's not used to each other yet. They'll come around. Well anyways folks, that's all for us tonight. Enjoy Boston versus Portland!

["The Veal"]

Boston Returns To Earth, Loses By 19 To Portland

After winning four in a row, in shocking fashion, the Boston Celtics have returned to their normalcy of mediocrity, losing to the talented Trailblazers 104-85. What looked like a decently close game at halftime, with the C's trailing by 6, quickly turned sour as Portland outscored Boston by 12 in the third, sealing the victory. In fact, the score would have been worse if it weren't for three quick buckets by Marcus Smart in the final minute, still putting in 100% effort. The game tonight however was dominated by one man, Damien Lillard, and notably absent by another, Rajon Rondo. It seems as if Rondo poured all his eggs into the Grizzlies basket, leaving nothing left for Lillard, shooting an abysmal 3-12 with 5 turnovers and only 6 points. Lillard, sporting his new headband, faired much, much better, scoring a game-high 33 to go along with 10 assists and 4 steals.

Wesley Matthews, per usual, helped out with the scoring with 21, but the team's arguably best players, LaMarcus Aldridge, was conspicuously absent from competing, allowing the wing men to take over the game. He ended with a respectable 12 points and 5 rebounds, but certainly a poor game for an All-Star. Sullinger, along with the vast array of characters to defend Aldridge, faired well at stopping him, as he shot just 6-12. Despite the successes of the low-post defenders against their own competition, the defense atop the key was much worse, and proved the most alarming part of the entire game, as Lillard consistently sped past Rondo for an assortment of easy baskets.



On the Celtics side things weren't really exciting in any fashion, with Avery Bradley leading the team with just 14 points, as the points were spread around evenly. To some, that's an efficient way of scoring, but in reality it would only be for teams like the Spurs. For the Celtics, it implies everyone played poorly, as at least one person needs to step up every night. Jeff Green finished with 11 off 5-8, back to his relaxed self. And Thornton, Bass, & Sullinger all contributed 10, shooting between 8 and 9 shots each. It's showing that when Rondo has a bad game so does the team, he's truly what holds them together. Which makes the knowhow that he's leaving, either by trade of free agency, that much more scary for our future. There were some positives though. As mentioned before, Smart played well behind him, getting 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in limited minutes. And recently called up from reserves, Vitor Faverani played great, scoring 4 points and 3 rebounds in just 8 minutes of work. Impressive to say the least.

The entire night however belonged to the Trailblazers, as they put yet another win into the huge win column. For the Celtics, a return to form may have been a good thing, as cockiness may have been setting in. The team's gonna struggle, a eccentric 4-game span isn't going to change the fact that this team is in trouble. Once again, Boston had difficulties grabbing rebounds, being out-numbered by 9. Also their 11 turnovers is, hopefully, not going to become a trend, along with their 13 against Memphis. Rondo made wild passes all night, was just out of it, and tried to force things that weren't there. Try this on for size, Rondo tied Bradley, the Celtics leading scoring, in shots attempted, despite being the team's seventh leading scorer. He did finish with 14 assists though, it's just that when Rondo's not playing well overall the team starts to fall apart.



After the game Damien Lillard spoke to Doris Burke.

Burke: Great win Damien, must feel good after that tough loss to Chicago.

Lillard: Yeah, that one was a hard defeat. We've been doing great so far this year, and yet the Bulls have been doing better. 8 in a row? Crazy.

Burke: You struggled immensely against D.Rose, scoring just 10 points off 5-18 shooting, including 0-11 from deep. What were you thinking? And what changes did you make to this game?

Lillard: That was pretty stupid, huh? They were forcing us out there, and to be off from game from beyond the arc only made it worse. I just knew I had to come back strong after that performance, kinda the opposite of what Rajon did.

Burke: Speaking of Rajon, how'd you manage to play him to his worst game of the season?

Lillard: I hate to say it, but he kinda did it to himself. He was just worn out, I could see it. Wasn't thinking clearly, was making sloppy passes left and right, couldn't keep up with me ever.

Burke: Was it true that there was lots of confusion amongst Rajon and Avery for who should have been guarding you as well?

Lillard: It seemed that way. There were times when I could see Wes wide open in the corner on the other side of the court because both those guys were trying to guard me. Not double-team me mind you, just deciding on who should guard me.

Burke: Seems like they got some stuff to sort out.

Lillard: That's their business. We got the W, and that's what we came into this building for.

Burke: That's true. Great win Damien. Guys, the Trailblazers take home another win, putting them at 9-4. I'd be weary of this team if I were in the West.

Box Scores, Team Comparisons, More Pictures From The Night

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