NBA Games – Will the Boston Celtics repeat?

I enjoyed when the Utah duo from Stockton to Malone perfected the pick and role-play under coach Jerry Sloane and when Larry Bird was “The Man” for the Boston Celtics. And who can forget the hard-court duel between Boston and Los Angeles, of Bird and Magic Johnson, of Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul Jabbar?

As someone who once played the sport, I was amazed by these two teams, the skills of their players, the tactics employed by their coaches, and the way they played the game with such determination and knowledge of basketball. Such qualities have made both teams the most successful teams in the NBA in terms of the number of championships they have won. The Lakers have 14 with the last one during the final year of the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal partnership in the 2001-2002 season while the Celtics won it last year after a 22-year drought. And being a Celtics fan, it was a sweet, sweet win to savor.

The triumvirate of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett has proven that superstars can put aside their huge egos, get along pretty well and work towards the common goal of the team, which is to win the championship. They have proven their critics wrong and the Big Three want more, much more. And the man responsible for bringing them? Coach Doc Rivers must be credited for having the vision to pull off this feat.

During the beginning of this season, expectations have been high. Now that they have tasted what it feels like to win a championship, the next item on their agenda is to successfully defend their title. They started off impressively, going 8-2 through their first 10 games of the season with their last loss coming at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. They then went on a franchise-record 19-game winning streak that ended on Christmas Day when Bryant and the Lakers finally played well for a big basketball result. Boston still owned the best win-loss record in the league at 27-3.

That suddenly changed in the next game, they were beaten by a struggling Golden State Warriors team. It was the first time Boston suffered back-to-back losses this season. However, it did not end there. Suddenly, the team found themselves unable to pick up a win as they suffered losses from low-ranking teams like the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats, in addition to losses against potential title contenders like the Portland Trailblazers, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Now his record is 31-9 in 40 NBA games.

I can’t believe the misery the team is going through lately. Gone is Boston’s stingy defense that limits their opponents’ scoring ability. Gone is the Celtic pride that Garnett used to have when the team was on its 19-game winning streak. They seem to be like an average team playing an average game. And I hope Rivers can solve the mystery and fast. The season is now in its middle part, when the teams win and the ranking of the teams begins to take shape to determine which team will go to the playoffs. And if the Celtics really want to defend their crown and win the title, they better show it on the basketball court day in and day out and not just lip service.

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