Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

      No Derrick White and no Jaylen Brown... No problemo! Cs came out punching tonight vs the Hornets. A little payback for that loss in Boston. JT was straight balling in that first half looking like himself. PP was lighting it up and all the stay ready guys did their job. Ron Harper Jr came in and made some big plays. He's such an asset off the bench and going forward. This entire Celtics roster has done an exceptional job this season. I love these guys and want them to win it all. Anyone watch that Uconn finish?! College sports are incredible! What a clutch shot by Mullins!      It's remarkable that Jayson Tatum is playing as well as he is. For a guy who had a major injury and to be looking like this is unreal. Modern medicine is simply amazing. The will of JTs heart and work ethic are second to none coming back this year. Reminds me of another great if not the greatest. Remember when MJ broke his foot and came back and went bananas in the playoffs vs t...

      Despite a tough start these Celtics persevered and came up with the W. PP was stroking it all night long! When he's on he's an assassin. JT played a heck of a game despite no JB. This Celtics team is very deep and all these guys make plays. I love how far Baylor has come and what he brings to the floor. Queta and Garza continue to hold the fort until Vuc comes back. Derrick White continues to make the key plays on a regular basis. I am very pleased with this Celtics team. They are coming together at the right time.       How great is the NCAA tournament?! It's so much fun watching these kids play the game I love. Personally pulling for the Wolverines to cut down the nets. Basketball at its core is a beautiful team sport. The way the ball moves and 5 his become 1. It just shows when you work together good things happen. Back to the Cs we need to keep up playing at a high level and secure the second seed. One slip up by the Pistons and home court w...

 It appears that Celtics Coach, Joe Mazzulla , is mentally constructing the post-season, 8-man rotation that he feels may deliver Banner 19 to Boston. In the last 10 contests , the seven players averaging more than 25 minutes per game are Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Baylor Sheierman and Payton Pritchard . And it is expected that Nikola Vucevic , upon his return from injury, will round out the 8-man playoff crew. Sheierman is the wild card here . In the 10-game span, he is producing 6.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.3 APG in 27 minutes per contest. He only played very-limited minutes in four playoff games last year, so it is uncertain how he will handle the pressure of more floor time in the up-tempo post season. But the second-year man at 25 years of age has handled himself well on the court during the regular season, and Mazzulla is hoping that holds true come playoff time. The same can be said for Queta. In the past two post-seasons, he never ...

      Big game and the big Dawgs came to play! How about the Jay's both coming to play and impacting this win! Jaylen Brown was making Shai look like just an average guy on D. Is it me or does Shai get more calles than prime MJ did?! It makes the game unwatchable when the refs baby him. Kid is very talented and doesn't need the assist from the refs. Last night was a team win given how each and every Celtic impacted the game. Queta stood out to me with how well he played.       What's really something about this year's Celtics team is guys who have stepped up and given everything they have. Baylor was balling yesterday and has no fear at all! He rebounds and defends like his life is on the line. PP and Sam both hit key threes that really frustrated the Thunder. That Thunder team is legit but these Cs can beat them in the Finals. I love watching Derrick White play basketball. It's like watching a painter create a masterpiece. Whether on defense or offens...

 Former Celtics star center, Robert Parish , was recently asked which team would win in a clash between the 2024 Champion "Green" and the 1986 roster . "The Chief" answered that the 1986 crew would prevail because nobody had an answer for Bill Walton . I love the present Celtics team, but the 85-86 group may be the best NBA crew ever assembled . The 80s group were at their peak, and Bill Walton had an injury-free season, walking away with the 6th-Man-of-the-Year award. Bill was a luxury for a team so stacked. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge were generally the starters, and Walton, Scott Wedman and Jerry Sichting came off the bench. Before coming to Boston, Walton had won many awards, including MVP and Finals MVP . Wedman had been a two-time All-Star prior to becoming a Celtic. That was quite a bench. The 80s Celtics had it all - no weaknesses . It started with size. They were long in the front court, and when Coach K C Jones wa...

      How about them Jays! The NBA has a problem and it's Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. These dudes are shaping into form and come playoffs they will be on a mission. They took what was the remains of a Warrior's roster and beat em down. It was good to see old friend Kristaps Porzingis. If he's healthy last season I bet we go back to back. When he's healthy he's incredibly good. Defensively he's a stud and offensively he's elite. Maybe just maybe he will come back here next year on a team friendly contract.       It's so fun watching everyone on this roster excel. Baylor has become a dawg on D and can rebound with any guy his size. His offensive game is tight. Whether he hits threes or gets to the paint. He's going to come up big for us in the playoffs especially on defense. Derrick White seems to be invigorated now that JT is back. His shot if finally looking like it did last season. Our two headed monster in the middle continues to play solid bask...

      Cs have been playing relatively well especially on offense tonight. I've seen some excellent passing from everyone. The way this team finds each other is a beautiful thing to watch.  Defensively we need to buckle down, 61 points in a half is a bit much. I really need to see the Cs get dirty in the second half. Derrick White is having himself quite a great first half. He's been on fire and yet left points out there. JB has made some incredible shots off the dribble. To the point that I'm in awe of what I'm seeing from him. It'd going to take a lot more of those plays to get this W.      JT has been solid out there and his ability to pass is a thing of beauty. The fact that we get to see him ball is a gift. He's rounding into form and if I'm the NBA I'm afraid. The Cs are honoring a very special team tonight. As you can see from the photo above those three were incredibly special. Hondo, JoJo and Big Red exemplified being Celtics. Hondo was a walki...

 I have had many very-strange, even frightening, incidents in my life. Most I can explain, while others remain a mystery. Here are four examples. The phantom piano player I was in my late teens and home alone. Or was I alone? There was t otal quiet until I heard someone, or something, playing the piano in the basement.  I grabbed a handgun - turned on the cellar light - and walked down the stairs. There was no one on the piano stool. The entire cellar was vacant. I went back upstairs and within minutes, the piano playing started again . There was no melody to it, but those piano keys were being struck by some unknown force . This was starting to get scary. Back down the cellar stairs I went once again. I was cautious and frightened.. I wished that there was somebody else with me. Then I saw the intruder. It was a grey squirrel walking across the piano keys.   I quickly evicted the intruder and breathed several sighs of relief.  The voice in the darkness I was on...

 The Boston Celtics currently hold a somewhat shaky hold on the second seed in the Eastern Conference. "The Green" have a record of 44-23 but are trailed by the New York Knicks with a 43-25 record. Should Boston meet the Knicks in the post-season, home court advantage may be critica l, even though the Celtics' road record is almost as good as its home numbers. But the Celtcs are 1-2 against New York this season, and as many as four playoff contests in Madison Square Garden would not be what Joe Mazzulla is looking forward to. Let me be blunt. At very least, the refs do not seem to favor Boston when it comes to calling - or not calling - fouls. But as Jaylen Brown has possibly inferred, the refs - and the League - may just feel that "The Green" have accumulated enough awards over the years to satisfy Boston fans. And New York has more residents than Boston - while the Knicks are a bigger market with a higher monetary value than the Celtics.  The Celtics...

      These Wizards are an absolute joke, they should be banished to the GLeague. Cs are handling their business in this 6 o clock start. Queta is having himself quite a damn good game. His teammates are finding him in the flow and he's making em proud. I have enjoyed watching Queta grow as a player. He's been such a hard worker for the Cs and I guarantee he only gets better. This Wizards team plays absolutely no defense what so ever. It's disgusting and disrespectful to the game of basketball.       Anyone watching the NCAA conference tournaments? I've seen some really good games and teams today. Michigan hit a 3 to win their game today and they are my favorite to win it all. Arkansas looks solid as former UMass Coach John Calipari leads them to an SEC Final. I remember so many epic games from the past. My first true memory of a title game was watching Michigan beat Seton Hall. I remember all the runs UMass had with Calipari. Those UMass teams were ju...

  Seasoned hunters have the ability to locate criminals, dead bodies and evidence - not only in the woods, but anywhere. They consistently find the bodies of persons reported missing months or years prior. When hunting, they don't look for the whole deer. They look for a part of the animal or subtle movement - and listen for the slightest noise. They find things when others fail. In the winter of 1987, an intruder and future murderer known as Daniel Laplante was secreted somewhere in a house after kidnapping the inhabitants , and the local police, state police and a K9 were not able to find him. Several searches were negative.  A few days later, the intruder was back and had to be found. Officer Steve Bezanson , now retired, was the man-of-the-hour. Steve has been an avid hunter for decades and was a veteran cop at the time . Officer Bezanson checked for tracks in the fresh snow around the house and found none. The intruder was still in the house . He did another search an...

      What could have been an incredible game turned out into disgust for me. No other star would ever be thrown out of a game. The only two that are on the NBAs radar are the Jay's. JB gets fouled and there is no call, he voiced his disgust to the ref and got a T. Given his frustration he was very talkative and a different ref trying to make a name for himself throws him out. Apparently the NBA didn't think the Spurs could beat both Jay's so they canned em. I mean realistically if the Cs were healthy and had JB they beat the Spurs easily. We were missing Pritch and Vuc.       Overall the Cs played well but Wemby is clearly unstoppable and an amazing talent. I mean what can't that young man do?! With that said if we see them in the Finals I expect a better job to be done defensively. Overall we saw everyone give their best last night. The Spurs play really tough D but damn near foul guys every time. They are similar to how OKC defends and fouls every t...

 Jayson Tatum has been the Celtics iron man over the years, particularly in the past four seasons. He has particuipated in 72-or-more games in the past four campaigns and his first two seasons in the League.   A few years ago, I wrote that Jayson may be Boston's "iron man" but he is not the "man of steel" . The Achilles injury to this young star may have ended that moniker for now, but his return to the hardwood has Celtics fans, and Tatum, damn joyful. He looks very fluid out there, and his production has been better than expected. There is little rust on him from the long layoff . Early in his career, there were some concerns about Jayson's toughness. That has been dispelled. He has worked hard-and-long to make a comeback, and thus far, his recovery appears to be nearly complete.

 The car crash is in the rear view mirror, but the "impact" remains . This is a tale of staying alive and well when catastrophe strikes - how luck, both good and bad , plays a major role - and how "Earth Angels" can come to your rescue when things head south. My wife, Linda, and I were heading north from a winter getaway in South Carolina when tragedy struck. An ill-constructed, short, abrupt  highway merge on Route 95 in North Carolina sent our car into the path of a large box truck. The enormous impact sent our vehicle spinning into the middle of the busy highway, and I felt we may not survive the crash . The air bag had deployed - the car was demolished - the engine had stalled - and the car was facing south in the north-bound lane, facing oncoming traffic. But at least our strongly-constructed Honda CRV, the seatbelts and air bag had done their jobs. We didn't have a scratch. My mind raced faster than I can write about my thoughts . My 20 years as a ...

      Slow start at first but the Cs have found water, I need to say James Harden is horrific. The way he throws himself into players is disgusting. With that said JT looks good today and this Cs team has something special brewing. It's a bummer we lose Vuc for about a month. Especially when he was finding a flow with us. Another overrated player is Donovan Mitchell. He and Harden are a perfect combo of two guys who can't win. Forever will they be bridesmaids of the NBA. Man PP is such a dawg on D. I love his tenacity and ability to cut guys off at the dribble.       Cs ball movement has been flowing like the mighty Mississippi! Defensively they are forcing non shooters to shoot and I'm all for it. The way this defense gets down to dance is legit. Very rarely do they make it easy on the other team. Cleveland is all outta sorts tonight and that doesn't surprise me. This Cavs team is decent but they don't move the needle. I see them winning a round in th...

      Cs welcome Jayson Tatum back to the Garden. After suffering that horrific injury in the playoffs he's rehabbed and is ready to help chase Banner 19. It's going to be extremely special getting to see him play tonight. This team has now become a dangerous team. No team will want to face us come playoffs. JT looks fresh so far. He's looked to get his teammates involved early on. He is not on a minutes restriction which should allow for him to get back into game shape. In the sense of getting back into the feel of playing in an NBA game. This crowd has been electric and made sure he heard them.       Personally I love this picture up top. Joe and JT with the cross especially knowing both are men of faith. Last nights game was insight into what this team can be for the playoffs. The Cs continued on their path while adding JT back into the mix. JT finished with a nice stat line and this team looks ready for a title run. If you are anyone in the East I'...

 I was not able to watch Jayson Tatum's return to action last nught, in large part due to experiencing one of the worst periods in my 82-years-long life. But watching Jayson performing so soundly in his season debut, and the win itself over the Mavericks has brightened my morning tremendously. Look for my upcoming article, "Survival, Luck and the Angels Among Us". This brings me back to another terrible time for my family when Marcus Smart and "The Green" stepped forward for my family. A plea to Carsen Edwards @Cboogie_3 . My great grandson, Carson Thomas Lane, lost his mom, Courtney, to Cystic Fibrosis on Friday at the age of 25. He loves getting cards & he needs an uplift. 123 Garden Dr., Apt. 2, Manchester, NH 03102. I would be forever grateful. pic.twitter.com/Bb2vj27rHq — Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) November 14, 2019 Let me loudly state how much I love this batch of guys that Brad Stevens has assembled, and six decades of Celtics players that have bri...

      The Greek returns and the Cs minus JB crush the Bucks. Led by PP who made up for his poor performance vs the Sixers. Let's talk about Hugo... this kid has some special attributes and Brad may have gotten the steal of the draft. He was exceptional last night and looks more like a seasoned veteran than rookie out there. He still has his moments as any rookie does buy boy he's got something special. On another note the Bucks should be ashamed of themselves for having such a weak roster around Giannis. It's a damn shame what they are doing.       It was nice seeing Garza out there last night and he made some key plays. Derrick White had his shot going. Baylor just continues to grow into his role and Sam finally hit a few himself. What I really love about this team is how they move the ball and get down and dirty on defense. These guys have no egos and truly believe in one another. We are looking at a team who is poised to make a run in this playoffs....

  I turned 82 a short while ago and I am in a battle . It starts with remaining verticle - meaning not spending most of the day and night in a horizontal position in bed and on the couch - or, at the worst, ending up in a coffin "on the wrong side of the grass". Viability is about surviving or living successfully - being able to accomplish the necessary  functions that were easy in younger days. Vibrancy in the elderly years is a tougher one.It's about energy and enthusiam . Tough goals in your 80s. Luck always plays a role in longevity and my "3V-trilogy". Disease and injury can take you ou t, and genetic makeup plays a major role. I have dealt with all of that. No one in my 5-person, original family lived past 64 years of age - except me . My dad and brother died at that age, and my mom passed away at 48 - while my sister died at 19. I have dealt with cancer and heart disease that took my mother and brother, respectively, and have luckily avoided the n...

      Man oh man Queta is the Pride of Portugal! Heck he's the Pride of Celtics fans! What a game! Anyone who doesnt think Queta can be special has another thing coming. Every year since he became a Celtic he's improved and will only continue to get better. He's an asset as we approach playoff time. You have to truly value an undersized big who can score and rebound at the rate he does. The man just brings pure joy when he's on the floor. He's a huge reason why this season has been one of my favorites to watch as a fan. When I say I love the Celtics I really mean it.       What can you say about a team that is playing this way. Everyone who entered last night's contest provided us with winning plays. You have to love seeing the bench get excited for one another out there. There is a joy for these guys watching each other succeed. There is no I in team and this TEAM is a cohesive unit. For all these media people riding Jayson Tatum leave the young man a...

 Don't rule it out. Neemias Queta , aka :Portuguese Man O' War, is heving a great, and unexpected season. His career game came last night in Boston's win over the rival 76ers. "Neemie" racked up 27 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks. Ten of those boards were on the offensive end. He just gets better and better as the season progresses.  Queta is a classic return to the days of old-style centers . He still can't hit from any distance, but he does so much else - protecting the rim, cleaning the glass, finishing on lobs and put-backs. He is fun to watch. #Celtics brothers and sisters is this a fun season or what? It's one of my favorites and I'm a fan of 50 years. It's full of surprises like Neemy having an all-time great night against the #Sixers . What's next? I can't wait to find out. pic.twitter.com/y2SYxGb9k1 — Ty Ray (@coug88) March 2, 2026 Most fans did not see this coming. In his fifth season in the League...