Sports Redux: Jersey Score

Doc Rivers had a Kafkaesque afternoon, but his Celtics rewarded him with one of the comfiest victories he'll ever have. Let's start with the game.

The opponent was the New Jersey Nets, who are an NBA basketball team only in the loosest sense. They're 3-35, well on pace for the worst record in league history. They start two 7-footers who, combined, have about .75 of what it takes to start as an NBA big. They can't really shoot, they can't really defend, and now everyone brings their A game against them because they don't want to be a team that lost to the Nets. It's not an easy situation.

And even without KG, and still without Rasheed Wallace, the Celtics weren't that team. To the point where they buried the Nets 71-35 in the first half, and had Mike and Tommy (well, mostly Tommy) apoplectic that Jersey cut it down almost to 20 in the second half. None of the starters were needed for more than 29 minutes, but all five managed to get into double figures. Yes, even Brian Scalabrine. Also in double figures were Big Baby and Tony Allen, who was the recipient of a Pierce alley-oop that will rank as one of the finest plays of the season (it starts at 0:38 of this clip). Final score: 111-87, and as they say, it wasn't that close.

Doc Rivers spent the afternoon consulting with league brass about the atrocious calls that got him ejected from Monday night's game with Atlanta. The league told him, yes, the ref was wrong (it was Bennett Salvatore, so that kinda goes without saying), but not only is there nothing they can do about it (except remove a flagrant foul from Baby's permanent record), they're still going to fine Doc $25K. "Of all the fines I've ever had, this is by far the most disappointing," said the Doctor.

The good news for the Celtics is that they hold three of the top five spots in a players' poll of worst trash talkers in the league. Kevin Garnett received 62% of the vote. Pierce and Sheed also made the top five. Congratulations to all.

If you stayed up late to watch the Bruins' road trip kick off in Anaheim, we're sorry. Once again, the B's were in charge for a short time, but the game is a long one, and though they took a 3-2 lead into the third period, Tuukka Rask surrendered two goals early in the third to send the B's to a 4-3 loss. They go to San Jose tonight, who once again has the best record in the league.