I’ll Take KG Over Anyone Else Right Now

The scuffle.

Kevin Garnett explains the altercation in super political correctness during his PG press conference:

I know these two have competed against each other in the past, ya know, they have history for bumping heads a little bit… I thought what he did was a bit of disrespectful by standing over a guy that’s hurt… The only thing I saw was Paul hurt and that’s the only thing I cared about at that time.

Translation of KG’s remarks:

Quentin Richardson was traded 4 times in the off-season because no one likes him or can stand him. Q has a history of running his stupid mouth to people that he shouldn’t be running his mouth to. No one respects his game or him. Pierce and Q have had beef in the past, and I wasn’t going to let Q stand over Paul while he’s hurt and run his little mouth off. I threw an elbow to his face to make it look as inadvertent as possible but I wanted to get Q off my teammate. Q is a punk and he deserved to get punk slapped. If I had the foresight to know that I was going to get tossed, I would have connected with his face instead of brushing his chin.

I mean right? Say what you want about Kevin Garnett getting old and losing his spark (or the credible Fox News ripping on KG that he’s a punk; this article will make your blood boil)… But after last night, I was glad to have that kind of loyalty and protection on our team. KG was our freakin’ pit bull last night and it was good to see this team stick up for one another, get in other peoples’ faces, care about each other, show emotion, and mostly… to show that they still had some semblance of a killer instinct. I am thankful for all of those tempers flaring. There’s nothing in the rules about being nice: you protect your teammates, you protect your team, and you show that you aren’t sitting down for anyone. I hope that this is a catalyst for the Celtics to play angry basketball with a huge chip on its shoulder: these are the teams that win playoff games.

KG and the Celts did that last night. If you can excuse the play in the first 2.5 quarters, the Celts played with some energy and grit: two things that have been dramatically loss for some time now. While at the game, none of my 7 friends saw how the incident developed. We knew Pierce was on the ground, and KG was getting pulled away. That’s it. Well, I saw one more thing: Glen Davis getting into the mix, too. After his and-1 hit late in the 4th from the drop-off feed from Rondo, I did note to a buddy that Davis is one of the last people I’d ever want to get into a right with after his enraged celebratory jig. And for that very reason, I was pumped to see him right next to KG learning how to protect your teammate. It’s like baseball: take care of your teammates first and foremost in a fight.

El Heat! Haha, no, but seriously? El Heat.

I’m relieved more than anything. The first 30 minutes of play last night was atrocious. We were sloppy on offense, essentially stagnant for every possession. We rushed shots. Nothing looked settled or comfortable. On defense, we allowed anyone in an El Heat uniform got to the rim at will. Luckily, both the offensive and defensive energies and intensities picked up ten fold once the lead was built up to 14 by El Heat.

Big props go to my-adopted favorite from this year: Tony Allen. I love the way he has been in D-Wade’s face the last few outings, and I love that he just attacked-attacked-attacked the hoop every chance he got. Tony is playing special ball right now, and I am thankful that he has found his way back into Doc’s rotation for heavy minutes. Ray Ray was obviously not getting it done, but TA was. TA is your only chance at being able to stick someone in green/white against #3, Doc…

Screw ubuntu: how about a new slogan this year? BAR FIGHT.

I won’t bother recapping last night’s game: watch the recap here. Instead, let’s all talk about the fact that even if KG has to miss game 2, it doesn’t matter. Even if the series is tied up 1-1 after Tuesday, it doesn’t matter. This team has life. Keep in mind that Miami is no slouch: they’ve been hot in the last month. But they just don’t match up well against the Celtics, but more importantly, maybe the playoff switch has actually been turned on by the Celts. They had life in them last night. They had fight in them last night. They wanted to win just as much as they did not want to lose. Playoff basketball is here, and the Celtics are ready for it– I feel relieved.

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C’s Kicksies: Playoff Style.

Oh yes. People bring the hurtin’ with ketchup and mayo for the playoffs. We saw some classic go-to’s. We saw some new colorways. We saw some new sneaks that haven’t been on display yet. The winners from last night? Rondo sporting the ultra brand new Nike Air Hyperfuse (the latest in the Hyper series) in a eerily radioactive green PE and Dwyane Wade in some nice Air Jordan 2010s.

Flu boy doing his thing in the Nike Air Hyperfuse green PEs. And whoa, Michael Finley... Rondo is like what, 6'1? Relax buddy. But he looks good scared in his Jordan XIs!

Man they were green, but man they were hot! El Hyperfuse! Quentin Richardson in the back wearing his signature Punk shoes, while fellow teammate Jermaine O'Neal sports some Nike Air Max Rise PEs.

More Hyperfuse and more Nike Air Max Rise from JO.

Yet again, even more Hyperfuse from Rondo. Carlos Arroyo wears some Nike Air Zoom Kobe V IDs and Michael Beasley wearing his rehab edition Adidas Supernatural Commanders (and man does he look high in that picture!)

What better way to call a timeout than to call a timeout wearing some brand spanking new Nike Air Hyperfuse in crazy green PEs?

Last chance to see the new Hyperfuse! Mario Chalmers watches in the Adidas Young Guns, Q pushing off in his Punk shoes, and Jermaine O'Neal's punk knee brace sits above his Nike Air Max Rise PEs.

How about this match-up? No no, not D-Wade and Ray Ray, but the Air Jordan 2010 v. the Jordan Icons?? Both are beautiful colorways.

D-Wade shreds the Celtics defense in the Air Jordan 2010 PEs. Onlookers: Pierce in his signature Air Legacy, Perk and KG in their Adidas TS Supernatural Creator PEs, Ray in his Jordan Icons PE.

Man that tie/shirt combo is ugly, but man those Jordan 2010s are hot!

Pierce in the usual Nike Air Legacy: it's a clean cut colorway at home.

Pierce awkwardly shooting in his signature Air Legacys. Beasley defending in his Adidas Supernatural Commanders (rehab PE).

Glen Davis celebrating after a bucket late in the 4th with a chance for a 3-point play at the line in Jordan IXs silver anniversary editions, while Ray Ray calmly sports his Jordan Icons.

Please, please read this great piece by Jackie MacMullan on KG.