It's Here...

        Tonight is the night, game one for our beloved Boston Celtics. We have some core pieces here but there are some who have moved on. I'm going to miss Al, Luke, Jrue, and Kristaps. They were all part of Banner 18 and I'll never forget them. Yet we do welcome some brand new pieces to our chess board and I believe they will have a positive impact this season. Not sure what direction I'm going to take this season in my writing but I plan on being my authentic self. 

      🏀 First quarter 🍀

     Here we go! The Celtics starting lineup consists of JB, DWhite, Sam, Payton, and The Pride of Portugal. We really need this group to come out firing! Defensively we have to see what Queta can do vs the big baby Embid. Queta scores on the Celtics first possession of the season. Excellent pass from DWhite leading Queta to the basket. Cs are making an effort to get to the paint. DWhite seems to be locked in on all fronts. 

     I tell ya this much I definitely didn't miss Scal and his constant going on about other players. What an excellent sequence from the Xman on D vs Embid and running the floor to score the layup. I freaking love it! That's what we need to see from him all season. Playing stellar D and running for easy buckets. Anfernee Simons has entered the game. Cs run an excellent set allowing JB to nail the dagger three ball. Cs are leading points in the paint right now. JB with a sweet assist to X for the deuce. 

     PP has been very active tonight and just needs to find his stroke. Minot with a huge board and slam off the miss. This kid is long and athletic, expect him to do special things this season. Cs have used ten guys already and I'm not mad it. Garza sets a sweet screen allowing DWhite to drill the three. Simons gets his first points as a Celtic with the three off the dribble. Kid can definitely light it up, he had some good moments in Portland. Cs lead after the first 28-26. Solid quarter but we left some points out there. 

     🏀 Second Quarter 🍀

     Cs only had one turnover in that first quarter which is an excellent sign. Cs are as flat as a tire with a nail in it. Joe is pissed and calls the timeout. Let's see if he can motivate this team to get going. Cs answer the bell and reclaim the lead. Joe knows how to motivate this group! Cs are on a 11-2 run over these last few minutes. Those are the responses you want from your team when the Coach gets on em. Nice seeing Sam nail his first shot tonight. Maxey whines a lot and flops like a dead fish. 

     Garza out there throwing his body around and not giving a crap about it. Dudes a brick house! Cs are shooting way too many threes. Right now their D sucks as well. Boucher earning some Tommy points out there off that rebound and score. The wheels are starting to fall off right now and I'm a bit worried. We can't finish this quarter on a low note. I hope they regroup and make a few stops here. What a horrendous second quarter and we trail at the half...

     🏀 Third Quarter 🍀

     If the Celtics could start knocking down shots they may actually win this game. There's nothing Philly is doing that's overwhelming. Cs need to lock in defensively and make their damn shots. We need the real Payton Pritchard to stand up and make his shots. These emirates cup commercials are beyond stupid. No one cares about that damn cup, it's a gimmick. I can't even name who has even won it. 

     Cs with some better D which leads to JB taking it right to Embid. He just couldn't complete the three point play. I loved the aggressiveness and having no fear going after the bigger player. Queta earning himself a Tommy point diving on the floor. The Pride of Portugal is making plays. Great job by Pritch drawing the charge on that big baby Maxey. JB attacks the glass and we only trail by one. DWhite with a big three and big shot for his own confidence! Follows it up with a HUGE BLOCK! LETS GO! DERRICK WHITE FOR THREE! Cs grab a four point lead timeout Philly. Defense and hitting their shots has spurred this run. 

     Cs D is locked in right now and I'm loving it! Cue the guy from the McDonald's commercial. Cs are on a 12-0 run over these last two plus minutes. DWhite is starting to cook right now, he's all over the floor. Honestly one of my favorite Celtics since he was traded here. Simons attacks and goes off glass! This kid has some pop that's for sure! This third has been the Cs best quarter up to this point. Let's see if they can cap it off the right way. Cs D is forcing the Sixers beyond the three point line. Queta doing work on the boards and things are looking up!

     Last year Joe said the way we finish quarters is huge. That's where games are won and lost. It's about that time so let's finish it the right way. Some of these calls are straight garbage tonight. Cs lead by ten but I wouldn't mind seeing it grow to fifteen. Cs let their foot off the gas a bit but still have a lead. Boucher showed me something in that third. Dudes a true pro! Cs stepped up in the third and I'm happy with what I saw. There's room for improvement but definitely things they can build on.

     🏀 Fourth Quarter 🍀

     Is it me or does Joel Embid look like he's a hundred years old? He just doesn't seem like the same player. Those knees are really taking their toll on his career. Someone needs to knock Maxey his rump. I'd love to see a guy get knocked like they did in the 80s or 90s. Physicality is a huge part of basketball and it's been taken away thanks to Sir Flops A Lot. Cs have let the Sixers all the way back into this game. Joe calls a timeout and hopefully we respond the right way. 

     Cs must lock in defensively if they want this win. Offensively they need to attack the paint and force the officials to make calls. Joe uses his challenge and it works. Well done Coach, we'll done... JB nails the two free throws, those were huge. Cs are running off misses tonight and Tommy Heinsohn would love it. DWHITE from Deeeeeep! He brought the rain baby! DWhite knocks the ball off Philly and earns the Cs an extra possession. DERRICK WHITE IS A WINNER. DERRICK WHITE PLAYS BASKETBALL THE WAY YOU SHOULD. I LOVE DERRICK WHITE! 

     Cs are only up four with under three minutes to go. The key here will be defense and offensive execution. Off the loose ball Cs get called for a foul which to me was garbage. JB uses his body, gets into the paint and scores easily. Its crunch time and he's stepping up, as he should. Cs have somehow lost the lead and we are under a minute to go... Man does Scal annoy every fiber in my body. This ending tonight is a sign it's going to be a long season. Are we a playoff team or lottery team? I honestly don't know... 

     Here are a few positives from tonight's loss...

Queta is going to be a solid big for us, I expect him to get better each game. Simons could be that super sub off the bench. DWhite and JB both played like champions.