Sports Redux: NOOOOOOOOOOO

Sorry to go all Darth Vader on you there. But we just learned that Doc Rivers thinks Kevin Garnett is probably out for the rest of the year, i.e., playoffs. It's not shocking, but it's super depressing. Here's hoping they find a way to have him on the bench, as an extra defensive assistant coach, if they can put him in the Hannibal Lecter cage or put an electroshock ankle bracelet on him from taking the court in street clothes.

For what it's worth, the Celtics (well, some of them) played the Wizards (well, some guys dressed in Wizards uniforms) and won, with Leon Powe and Eddie House enjoying big minutes and Bill Walker delighting the crowd a number of times. To call that game ragged would be an insult to rags, but everyone had fun and nobody got hurt. Due to Cleveland's sitting of LeBron James last night, Philly won, and due to - we're not sure - Chicago lost, so the Bulls slipped into the #7 seed and will be the C's' first round opponents.

The Red Sox, who you all left for dead 24 hours ago, you fickle ingrates (that's known in the business as the Full Shaughnessy) got some life yesterday. Some slow-moving, fluttering life. Tim Wakefield knew he needed to go deep into the game to spare the shellshocked bullpen, and he damn near threw a no-hitter. A Lowell error accounted for Oakland's only baserunner until the 8th, then Wake walked a guy, then gave up a hit, and that was that for that. A 6-run 8th inning had given him a nice soft cushion, though, and he got the CG in an eventual 8-2 win.

Personnelwise, Daisuke is on the disabled list, and Sox fans are ready to cross the Pacific and claim a refund for John Henry. Justin Masterson will likely get Dice's spot in the rotation; Hunter Jones has been called up to bolster the aforementioned shellshocked bullpen.

Bruins-Habs tonight. Game One. Mark Recchi is excited. Mike Loftus looks at how the vets are going to be good for the kids if (please, oh please) this turns into a long playoff run. And, for what it's worth, Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette has no high hopes that his Habs can pull off the upset. What's French for "reverse psychology"?