Sports Redux: Celts Mess With Texas

The Celtics are finding ways to get it done. Period. That insane 2-game losing streak and that week of uncertainty look like they're way in the past - for the moment - as the C's went into San Antonio and stifled a very good Spurs team, 90-83.

Even though the Spurs made run after tun - they are good - the C's never lost the lead after the first few minutes. Even though Paul Pierce was held to only 8 points, Rasheed Wallace stepped in with 13 off the bench. Even when Kendrick Perkins didn't get a double-double, Rondo did, with 12 points and 12 assists. And even when Brian Scalabrine took one of his most ill-advised shots in a long line of ill-advised shots, San Antonio DeJuan Blair took the rebound and bounced it right through the hoop for 3. "That sums it up right there," said one glum Spur.

The C's won even though San Antonio handed it to them on the boards, 55-32. Key factors? The clutch shooting of Kevin Garnett (9-for-15, and always seemed to be hitting a 15-footer right after the Spurs started making a run. And the Spurs' free-throw shooting, which concerned us from the getgo as soon as we saw Dick Bavetta was in the house, but turned out clanking its way to 41% from the line. Now out biggest concern is that Scalabrine is taking minutes away from Shelden Williams. The C's wrap up this road trip in Oklahoma tonight.

The Dustin-Pedroia-at-shortstop era is over before it began. The Red Sox signed Marco Scutaro, formerly of Toronto, to a two year deal, according to the Globe's source, a Venezuelan paper. (?) The Sox have to send a first-round draft pick to Toronto as compensation, but that's OK, because the Sox got a first-round pick from Atlanta in exchange for Atlanta's signing of Billy Wagner. Country Time, we hardly knew ye.

Every other country in the world besides the U.S. (and probably Ireland) is on pins and needles today waiting for the World Cup draw. ESPN gives a guide of what to look for, and when the things on that list include "soaring rates of violent crime that bedevil many of the host cities", "cross-border match fixing" and "a spate of recent injuries" (referring to the U.S. team) are sure to make it a lively affair.