Sports Redux: Streak Struck

There are good opponents, great opponents, and opponents in the midst of the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.

Maybe we still have the Super Bowl in the back of our minds, because it felt awfully nice to watch the Celtics put to an end the 22-game winning streak that the Houston Rockets brought into the Toyota Center on Tuesday night. Not only was it a game that matched up two of the hottest teams in the NBA, it was an elbows-flying battle that left Houston's Tracy McGrady shaking his head after Boston's 94-74 victory.

"I've never seen defense like that," he said post-game. "If they play defense like that night in and night out, then the NBA is in trouble because that defense was at its finest."

Kevin Garnett led Boston with a 22-11 double-double, while Leon Powe added 21. McGrady, the star of the Rocket squad, was limited to 8 points.

The Red Sox are preparing for their flight to Japan tonight. You can tell that things are weird when Red Sox fans are beginning to set their plans for 6 a.m. on Tuesday, but what really blew our minds was the fact that we find ourselves tipping our caps to the Yankees today.

The Pinstripes visited Virginia Tech for an exhibition game (during which they creamed the Hokies, 11-0), part of the organization's efforts to honor the victims of the April massacre. We were particularly touched by what the Associated Press captured during a moment with Derek Jeter: Jeter posed for a picture with a woman in front of the stone that memorialized her fiance. His only request to her was that she smile, which she did.

You get a one-day pass, Yanks. You earned it.