ALL JAZZED UP

            

Early foul trouble started the Cs night
As if we were already on our return flight.
Delonte is out, an ankle sprain,
Injuries have become a seriously huge drain.

Rondo blows by Harris, then Harris does it back,
It is not energy that these guys lack.
Ray Allen for three...for three...for three,
That UConn man a beautiful sight to see!

Rondo wonders about Krstic, what he can do
So he sends him an alley-oop, at the hoop right through.
Wafer, Bradley, Baby, Krstic, Green, 
This is a group the world's never seen.

Bradley scores, then he scores again,
He is learning to play with the veteran men.
Q2 Cs played loose, Utah made their move,
They started to play, the Cs lost their groove.

Q2 ends, the Cs are up three,
Three Cs in double figures, one surprise you'll agree, 
Of course there was Pierce, and, you could guess, Ray,
The third was Krstic, that guy can play!

There was a big moment part way through Q3
When his 23,000th point was scored by KG.
Both teams are just running up and down the floor, 
Neither team playing defense to prevent a score.

Millsap runs over Baby, 43rd charge of the year,
After his early questions, Baby's role is now clear.
The Cs are up by four at the end of Q3
The starters in double figures, as it should be.

Q4 is painful, trading hoops, that's all,
This is not really Cs basketball.
Halfway through the Cs are up one,
Watching this game is not that much fun.

What a night for KG, his legacy resounds, 
He is third all-time in defensive rebounds.
Ray Allen for three...and again for three...
Did I mention he is a beautiful sight to see?

The whole second half no score Captain P
Til under two minutes Pierce for three!
On the road trip out west we are 3 and 1
(The Denver game on trade day should not have been done).

How much longer must this be said, 
Ray, with 5 threes, is now 14 ahead.

CLIP JOINT

                  
It's an interesting game, Krstic gets the start,
He scores first and plays with all heart,
First two and a half minutes fouls he has two,
And Doc needs to turn to his bench crew.

Q1 the Clippers keep turning over the ball,
While at the other end the Cs' shots won't fall.
Rondo took a charge, his fourth of the year,
The Cs seem off, but why is not clear.

Griffin's one-handed slam is one of his best,
KG looks winded, this is a tough test.
Jeff Green got his first Cs point at the line,
We want to accept him, we just need a sign.

The Cs in the first half look not quite right, 
34% shooting means a really off night.
47-40 Clips as the half does end, 
In the second half we'll need energy to expend.

The Cs look better to start Q3,
Pierce's offense is carrying them, as it should be.
KG on Griffin, that's keeping him busy,
Not too many dunks making us dizzy.

Rondo to KG for a right handed slam, 
Hope they caught that on the Jumbotron cam.
Q3 Clippers' turnovers are killing their game,
The Cs start playing, living up to their name.

Green gets his first rebound, Krstic has six,
These two are getting into the mix.
Baby is hustling, and Delonte looks fine, 
Cs' biggest comeback of the season-not by design.

We fans feel-at first-can't live without Perk, 
We trust that Danny has some plans that will work.
We'll get to know the new guys, we'll see what Danny's seen,
Doesn't it help that Jeff's last name is GREEN?

How much longer must it be said?
Of Reggie Ray is now 9 ahead.

KNOCK KNOCK--WHO'S THERE?

          

Thought the Melo-(-less)drama would be in Denver tonight
Instead it's the Celtics not invited on the flight.
Gone are Semih, Marquis, Harangody... but wait, 
Also gone are Perkins and number four Nate.

The D League's Chris Johnson did his best, 
His debut he scored on a feed from DWest.
The Nuggets had so many Knicks on the floor,
Tho' we had more Cs who'd been shown the door.

Q1 ended with the Cs up five,
With only 9 on the roster we must survive.
The Cs had foul trouble, especially Pierce with three,
The second quarter--Cs down one--was ugly to see.

Q3 Gallinari as a Nugget his first point,
That really electrified the Mile High joint.
Followed by KMart giving a shove to KG,
That started the chippiness we expected to see.

The Cs couldn't maintain their dent in the score,
The Nuggets up one to start Q4.
Rondo to Johnson for the alley-oop,
Looks like he's a good addition for our new group.

Seemed Q4 belonged to Delonte and Pierce, 
The latter for whom the rhyme's always "fierce."
Then the Nuggets took off, on Chandler's third three,
They started that running game their coach wanted to see.

The Cs looked upset, or was it just shock, 
No one even knew Perk was on the block.
We now have to regroup, get back to Cs ball, 
Hope these new guys can answer the call.

After all these trades there's a lot the Cs need, 
How about Leon Powe, or even Rasheed?
How much longer to end these poems must it be said?
Well, now of Reggie Ray is 8 ahead.

"EACH MAN IS A HERO AND AN ORACLE TO SOMEBODY"~Emerson

                 

Oracle Arena is a place that haunts
The Cs because of losses on their last 6 jaunts.
The only place in the league that since '07-'08'
The Cs record has been way, way less than great
    (0 for 6, put that in the mix).

Q1 started great, it was Celtics Ball,
Rondo, KG, a little from Paul.
Then the bench came in and things got rough
The Warriors showed why they are so tough.

Q2 belonged to the Warriors, well, up to a point, 
Til they left Ray open and he rocked that joint.
But, oh, those Warriors, their push wouldn't subside, 
At the end of the half the game was tied.

Q3 the Cs had stellar play indeed, 
A few days off was what they did need.
Their defense was truly a sight to behold, 
Creating offense -- who says they're old?

Rondo at the buzzer to end the third, 
The Cs fans in the crowd could clearly be heard.
With so many injuries, a full roster we lack, 
Great Erden and especially Delonte are back.

Q4 KG, Paul and Ray had to sit,
The Warriors had to only take advantage of it.
And so they did, Curry led the way,
To the bench Doc must have had plenty to say.

Our heroes came back in and off they went,
This game turned into a memorable event,
Because Oracle Arena will no longer haunt,
The Cs turned tonight into a successful jaunt.

A scary thing I just heard,
Perk bruised his knee early in the third.
He has worked so hard, that is for sure, 
Hope for his sore knee there's an easy cure.

Now to end these poems it must be said
Of Reggie Ray is now 7 ahead.

DO ME NO FAVORS

Pierce started off tough right from the start, 
Shook off the flu and played with all heart.
His hand and foot injuries were held at bay,
It was an up and down game that went the Cs' way.

There were tricky moments when the Nets came to life, 
The Celtics bench couldn't handle the strife.
In Q2 we had no defense and ten Nets scored,
The crowd was quiet, but surely not bored.

Lopez tired out Perk, he got Davis instead,
Though still for a while the Nets were ahead.
Then in Q4 Nate really lit up the Garden,
Back to back twos, his resolve did harden.

Q4 the Cs played defense so inspired,
And got the pre all-star win desired.
Wafer got good minutes, a few for Bradley and Luke,
All three were pretty solid, hard work, no fluke.

After the win against the Heat we could have just rested,
Instead in this game our character was tested.
We didn't want the night the Lakers did have,
They couldn't get a win against any Cav.

Now to end these poems it must be said
Of Reggie Ray is now 5 ahead.

MIAMI VICE

Lebron's talents in South Beach, he left them today,
One of two huge free throws  didn't go his way,
Then Baby got fouled and he was able to show,
How those important free throws ought to go.

Things got a little chippy, that's NBA ball, 
Rondo got banged by Big Z, boy did he fall, 
So KG set a hard pick sending Miller to the floor,
Then Wade's flagrant against KG-6 points the Cs score.

There were whistles, then more whistles, a huddle for the Heat, 
Where Rondo hung with Miami til Ray made him retreat.
When Lebron tried to dribble up the floor with his pace,
There was Rondo--everywhere-- right in his face.

Pierce has a sore foot to go with a hand sprain,
0 for 10 isn't right, that flu is a drain.
Bosh said this game was for the East's crowned best,
Rondo, with his triple double, head and shoulders above the rest.

Now to end these poems it must be said, 
Of Reggie Ray is now 4 ahead.

Oops again

Turns out I was right the first time,
Ray's 2 ahead of Reggie, an easy rhyme.

Oops

So excited for Ray, I should have said
Of Reggie Ray is now just one ahead!

SUGAR RAY

SUGAR RAY
Let's start with the special news of the day,
From Reggie's record Ray's no longer away.
He went over to Reggie, an announcer tonight,
Gave each other hugs- what a beautiful sight.

Just in case the great moment you missed, 
Rajon Rondo got the assist.
A sweet thing after the shot they did show,
"That's my baby," said a very proud Flo.

In Q2 the Celtics showed lots of spunk,
Wafer with a block, Ray with a dunk!
Then the Lakers went on a 10-0 run
Only three attempts in the half, Kobe made one.

Q3 the Lakers came alive indeed, 
And started getting the aggressive offense they need.
Last game Gasol's elbow hit Garnett's head, 
Tonight his jaw hit Odom instead.

Q4 KG tried to encourage the crowd,
After the Lakers run, they stopped being loud.
There were foul troubles for the Cs and injuries galore,
We hardly had a full team to put on the floor.

After all the excitement of the record for Ray, 
The Celtics in this game just could not stay.
A big win for the Lakers, we are tied for the season,
Like Doc, we'll make no excuses or try to give a reason.

Just for a moment I have digressed,
Those "Where Amazing Happens" ads are the best.
A surprise commercial that was really nice, 
We saw the cool guy advertising Old Spice.

Now to end these poems it must be said, 
Of Reggie Ray is now 2 ahead.

WALTER RAY ALLEN

The joy of breaking the record will be the same,
But Thursday against the Lakers Reggie's calling the game.
That would make the moment extra sweet,
Or how about Sunday against the Heat?
Doesn't matter when, we can wait, 
This ride with Ray has been really great.

SOME 'CATS GOT IT....

SOME 'CATS GOT IT....

Delonte after the All-Star break, Shaq, too,
Oh, Semih, your thigh? What did you do?
Marquis, we know, bruised his spine, 
Don't know if he'll play again, tho' they say he's fine.

Wafer, Baby, Harangody, Rondo, Paul,
Those guys from the bench had to answer the call.
With the help of a few starters in quarter one,
The game was tight but they got the job done.

Jackson got a tech, then another, he got tossed
He asked what he did-the fight with the ref he lost.
Wallace, Livingston, Henderson lit up the 'Cats' joint, 
At the end of quarter two, the Cs by a point.

Nice moment for Wafer, he knocked down a three,
That's what he's known for, we've been waiting to see.
The score got close on an offensive move from Kwame,
As who looked on? Michael Jordan, his Swami?

Wallace's three gave the Bobcats a mid Q4 lead,
Organized Cs defense, then offense we did need.
Pierce took out Wallace, a hard foul was the call,
Then the Bobcats really started to play basketball.

Pierce drew the foul, under a minute to go,
The offense of the Bobcats' bench did not slow.
Though there were more Cs fans in the Bobcats' place,
There was a huge grin on Michael Jordan's face.

One statistic that won't be missed
Is when Ray breaks the record who'll have the assist?
You know these poems always end the same way,
From breaking Reggie's record Ray is 2 away!

ABRACADABRA

Super Ball Sunday, a conference game in the east,
Celtics against the Magic with Dwight Howard, the beast, 
First half he played well, led all players with 22,
Celtics up 3 at the half, what more could he do?

Howard got poked in the face, Baby fell hard on his head,
Then Marquis was scary hurt, a neck injury they said.
The game was chippy, for Howard tech one four
Turkoglu shoved KG hard, he went flying to the floor.

Pierce started strong in the second half,
Howard got Rondo in the thigh not the calf.
Howard 0-5 in the third, free throws two,
That's what great Celtics defense can do.

Cs defense was still intense in quarter four,
That made it hard for the Magic to score.
Bodies were flying, aaah, that dunk by Pierce,
A sight to behold, these Cs are fierce.

Rondo had it going, whether assist or drive,
He kept the Celtics' enthusiasm alive.
Howard finally scored with a minute left,
He couldn't help his team despite his heft!

When Ray shoots the ball, he is smooth as silk, 
There have never been many players-ever-of his ilk.
These poems always end the same way,
Ray is now just 4 away!

One more thing at the end of this piece,
Think good thoughts for our Marquis.

BIG D

Big "D" little "a" double "l" "a" "s"
From beginning to end this game was a mess.
I guess our defense hurt us the most, 
Did we ever come back from the other coast.

There were moments of greatness, notably KG and    
                    Perk,
Then Pierce, Allen, Rondo went to work.
Hard for visitors but the Mavs knocked down threes,
Jason Kidd at the end won the game--geez.

Ray played well, 9 for 18 for 24,
You can see how confident he feels on the floor,
But the Cs were just off, Rondo was slow,
In the last two minutes is when that did show.

KG got in trouble, the ref he did touch, 
But only when the ref tried to subdue him too much.
First Frye in Phoenix, then tonight, we'll see,
Hope it's not time for a lesson with suspension for
                      KG.

Now a last word about the O'Neals--JO and Shaq,
Not sure when either guy will be back,
JO had knee surgery, 6 to 8 weeks
And Shaq has yet another of his hip tweaks.

On to the Magic, the Lakers, the Heat,
Three great games, get a front row seat!
These poems always end the same way,
Ray is now just 6 away.

GO GREEN
anvildr@aol.com

THE ROYAL WE...

THE ROYAL WE....

The Cs were in Sacramento for their road trip game four,
Hoping only the Phoenix game would be the one that was 
                              poor.
Sure enough they succeeded, they beat the Kings by 
                              five,
But throughout the game the Kings were alive.

Turnovers for both teams were really tough,
Til the Celtics decided they had had enough.
They beat the Kings at the game off the glass, 
And by the fourth quarter the ball they did pass.

The Kings' Cousins did well, they all played with heart,
They even had a lead after the Cs great start.
They have young guys who play hard, together, too,
That's what a young team has to do.

KG was pumped up, Pierce and Rondo played well,
The bench was off, early on you could tell.
The fourth quarter Cs had Rondo, Pierce, Allen, Perk
(He's the guy with the torn ACL who put in hard work).

Nate's energy was huge in the fourth toward the end,
We started passing the ball and decided to defend.
With this win tonight Doc gets the prize, 
He'll coach the East All-Stars, that's no surprise.

These poems always end the same way,
Ray is now just 9 away.

KING ME....

It's the 36-11 Celtics vs. the 12-33 Kings,

Here are a few important things:

The Kings beat the Lakers, the Hornets the next night,

They are on a roll and ready to fight.

Jan. 12, against the Cs, off the bench, Dalembert, 

Tonight in the starting line-up? He'll be there.

Though the Kings lost that game, good minutes had he,

For both offense and defense, he has shown he is key.

Evans and Thompson both have ankle sprains,

Evans is back tonight, or so he maintains.

DeMarcus Cousins ( love his name) really learned

To be a major contributor in a spot he has earned.

On the other side, all dressed in Green,

There's Kevin Garnett, a defensive machine.

Pair him with Rondo, Shaq, Allen and Pierce,

This is a championship team that is more than fierce.

Tonight at Arco when the buzzer does sound,

Make sure to take a look around,

At the men on this court, before their attack,

Because both teams beat the Lakers-- back to back.

PURE GOLD

Sometimes things just work out right,
The New Jersey Nets beat the Nuggets last night.