Who can blame Doc Rivers for blowing his top? The Celtics blew a 13-point lead, they're 4-6 in their last ten games, a few more guys got injured, and he finally got thrown out at the end of last night's 127-121 loss in Chicago.
Doc and referee Bill Kennedy had their final tete-a-tete with 30 seconds to go. We'll let Doc explain it: "He stood there and stared me down and stared me down and goaded me until I turned around and said, 'What?' That's when I got thrown out of the game," calling it "the most unprofessional tech I've ever had." To further brighten the coach's day, Leon Powe banged his knee, Ray Allen may have hyperextended his elbow, and Rajon Rondo's ankle bothered him again. Which means tonight's game with Miami might see some minutes from Doc himself and Coach Willie Maye. Is Ernie DiGregorio still around?
The Celtics did get 37 points from Paul Pierce, who sort of has to feel like he's playing with his old 2000 squad when he takes the floor and doesn't see his regular teammates. "Some way, somehow, throughout this stretch, we have to get this job done," he said. It will only take one more win to clinch the Atlantic Division and at least one round of home-court advantage, so that's nice, at least.
As mentioned, the Heat are in town tonight, and Dan Shaughnessy actually rises to the occasion, with a pretty good profile of their superduperstar Dwyane Wade. Dan even wheedles a D-Wade shoutout to Holy Cross, who stretched his Marquette team to the limit in the first round a few years ago.
The U.S. got its revenge on Puerto Rico, as David Wright's single in the ninth capped a three-run rally that won the game for the States, 6-5, and put them in the semifinals against Venezuela (local angle: Kevin Youkilis drew an RBI walk in the rally).
The Patriots' quest for Carolina defensive star Julius Peppers seems to have hit a dead end. Adam Schefter of the NFL network pooh-poohed all the rumors, saying the eventual price for the Pats will be higher than they'll want to pay.
Photo of an angry coach and his snazzy tie by Paul Beaty/Associated Press.
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