Road Warriors

Get out of town! That should be the watchword of the Boston Celtics, who won their fourth straight road game and fifth straight overall in Charlotte on Saturday night. A maddening pattern continued, however, as the Cs lost a 16-point third quarter lead, and managed to hold on by a 102-97 margin. Charlotte actually led by a healthy margin in the fourth quarter, but this newly mature squad came back and took control of the game. The Celtics are the only team in the NBA with a winning road record (6-5) and a losing home record (4-8).

Once again, the Franchise (Paul Pierce) led the way with 35 points (to go along with 38 on Friday night), while Al Jefferson continued his inspired play with 22 points. On the downside, Wally Szczerbiak was again lost to injury (ankle).

Division Triple Play

Three straight wins against anyone is a major achievement for your 2006-2007 Boston Celtics. Doing it against three division rivals on the road is a spectacular accomplishment for this still flawed bunch of youngsters.

It's this kind of stretch that makes you shout—like a roundball Al Pacino—"I was out and they pulled me back in". This time the heroes were Ryan Gomes (rumored to the the bait in any Iverson deal) who netted 18 points, and Tony Allen, with 16 points, in the C's 101-81 win over the AI-less Sixers.

Al Jefferson added 13 rebounds in his most important stop on the "Don't Trade Me Tour". Wally Szczerbiak got 14 points in his first game back from injury, while Delonte West (still this blog's favorite Celtic) added 13—along with a dazzling feed to Rajon Rondo in the 4th Quarter.

Nicking The Knicerbockers

After overcoming a 20-point deficit in their last win, the Celtics turned the tables and nearly blew a 30-point lead to the Knicks in a 97-90 win at Madison Square Garden.

Paul Pierce blithely knocked down 31, while Al Jefferson continued his "Please Don't Trade me For Iverson" Tour with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

Outscored 23-15 in the fourth quarter was another indication that the inconsistencies on this team argue for a 35-win season and nothing more. It's a shame, since the core of kids—Jefferson, Green, West—are tantalizingly close to being legitimate NBA stars.

We need patience, as Doc and Danny tell us incessantly, but we need a consistent winner in this town to truly believe.

Comeback To The Future?

The Celtics started this game (down 18-0) like they were resigned to be broken up in an eventual Alan Iverson trade. They ended it (winning on a last-second shot by Paul Pierce) making fans think that this group of Parquet Pups might just be jelling into something interesting.

The problem is the maddening inconsistency of this squad—play good in two straight, then lose five straight. Is Al Jefferson the legitimate force he was in this game (with 29 points and 14 rebounds), or is he the Houdini who disappears for games on end?

Can Paul Pierce be asked to baby-sit this team any longer, while, in the prime of his career, another potential "ring" year slips out of his hands? Too many questions, too few answers.

In any event, stealing a 92-90 win over the EXIT 37 Nets is always satisfying.