Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Isaiah Thomas wraps up one of the highest-scoring months in Celtics history


Topping off one of the best scoring months in franchise history, Isaiah Thomas' 24-point fourth quarter performance against the Pistons was an emphatic exclamation point to an amazing month of January.

The two-time All-Star scored a game-high 41 points in a 113-109 Celtics win over the Pistons at TD Garden, leading his team to their fourth straight victory and ultimately guiding them to a one-game lead ahead of the Raptors (29-19) for second place in the Eastern Conference.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Celtics 113 - Pistons 109: Thomas' 24 fourth quarter points leads C's to fourth straight win


Isaiah Thomas entered Monday night leading the NBA in fourth quarter scoring 10 points per game before pouring in 24 in the final frame of the Celtics 113-109 win over the Pistons.

Causeway Street Podcast - Carmelo Anthony to the Celtics? NBA Top-25 & Paul Pierce


The Celtics are officially in second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Toronto Raptors, who they'll meet this week. Can the C's pull out a win even without Avery Bradley or Al Horford in the lineup? Zach Peloquin; co-host of Off The Wagon Sports Radio, joins us to discuss what lies ahead and we address the 'Carmelo Drama' brewing in New York, that involves Boston. Would you trade for the former All-Star? Plus we continue our NBA Top-25 players countdown lists (10-6) and take a trip around the league with the latest headlines. Click below to listen to Episode 68 of the Causeway Street Podcast. Enjoy.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Celtics 112 - Bucks 108 [OT]: Isaiah Thomas leads C's to third straight win


Jae Crowder was back at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Saturday, a building he knows all too well. He hit his last four free-throws in overtime to secure a 112-108 Celtics win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Celtics looking to possibly deal for Magic's Nikola Vucevic


Call it great timing or simply a coincidence that the Celtics just so happened to be playing against 7-foot Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic on Friday when news broke earlier in the day that Danny Ainge could potentially be looking to deal for the 26-year old center.

Win over Magic reminded us of Jaylen Brown's potential

Not many people had high expectations for the league's No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown this season.

In fact, the Celtics were criticized for their selections by most critics when the So. Cal product's name was announced in last summer's NBA Draft.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Celtics 128 - Magic 98: C's offense dominates Magic in a blowout at TD Garden


For only the second time this season, 'Gino' -- a celebratory video montage at TD Garden that only plays in lopsided game where the Celtics are ahead -- made an appearance on Friday night towards the end of a 128-98 blowout win over the Magic.

Behind a fluid offensive attack, the Celtics dominated their opponent throughout the night. They jumped out to a 39-24 lead at the end of the first quarter and stayed ahead of the Magic every step of the way.

Isaiah Thomas headlines Eastern All-Star Reserve Selections


Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team when the NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday.

For Thomas, it will be his second consecutive selection and certainly a deserving one considering the career-defining season he's having. After his recent 38-point performance against the Rockets, Thomas currently ranks second in the NBA in scoring, averaging 29.1 points per game.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Celtics defense shines in impressive win over Rockets


In their most impressive win of the season, the Celtics outscored one of the best offenses in the league while containing Houston's leading scorer in a 120-109 victory over the Rockets.

The Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday night at TD Garden. Isaiah Thomas scored a game-high 38 points, Al Horford flirted with a double-double (23 points, 9 assists) and Jae Crowder (23 points, 10 rebounds) had a productive night but what stood out the most about the Celtics' much-needed win was their defense.

Celtics 120 - Rockets 109: Isaiah Thomas' 38 points snaps C's three-game losing streak


It was a battle of MVP candidates when the Celtics hosted the Rockets at the TD Garden.

Isaiah Thomas not only outscored James Harden, but carried his team to a 120-109 victory on Wednesday night.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Jaylen Brown declines invitation to Slam Dunk Contest


Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown has decided to not participate in next month's Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.

The 3rd overall pick said last week he was mulling over the idea of competing in the Saturday night contest but has reportedly decided to pass on the offer, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes, who tweeted out the following statement on Brown's behalf:

Marcus Smart snaps at Celtics assistant coaches in fourth quarter against Wizards


Celtics guard Marcus Smart got into a heated exchange with his assistant coaches on during the last timeout in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's 123-108 loss to the Wizards.

Smart, who was seen on television getting into it with assistants Jerome Allen and Jamie Young, was very animated throughout the shouting match between him and his coaches. In one video, Celtics guard Terry Rozier is seen restraining coach Allen while arguing with Smart.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Wizards 123 - Celtics 108: John Wall, Bradley Beal hand the C's their third straight loss


The Washington Wizards arrived to the Verizon Center dressed in black 'funeral' attire as they openly were looking forward to hosting the Celtics in round three of this heated season series.

Bradley Beal led all scorers with 31 points as the Wizards extended their home win streak to 14 with a 123-108 victory over Boston on Tuesday night

John Wall, Wizards enter Tuesday night's game wearing funeral attire as feud with Celtics continues


In response to their scuffle with the Celtics that took place two weeks ago at TD Garden, the Wizards are planning to wear all black to Tuesday's home game against the C's.

Following Washington's 109-99 win over the Hornets on Monday, Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was the first to reveal the team's planned dress code for Tuesday's game against the Celtics.

Causeway Street Podcast: Isaiah Thomas snub, Jaylen Brown & Joel Embiid debate


The Celtics lose two in a row to sub .500 teams and Avery Bradley will be out indefinitely with an Achilles injury. We discuss what lies ahead for Brad Stevens and why Isaiah Thomas was snubbed from being a starter in the All-Star game. We also continue our Top-25 players in the league list (15-11) in a heated debate, plus take a trip around the NBA in our 'in case you missed it' segment. Click below to listen to Episode 67 of the Causeway Street Podcast. Enjoy.

Monday, January 23, 2017

NBA rescinds personal foul on Marcus Smart in Saturday's game against Trail Blazers


With 10 seconds left in regulation in the Celtics' Saturday night overtime loss against the Trail Blazers, Marcus Smart was whistled for what was considered the most critical personal foul of the game.

Blazers guard Damian Lillard lost the ball to Smart on the baseline before Smart converted a layup that would have given the Celtics a one-point lead.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Trail Blazers 127 - Celtics 123 [OT]: C.J. McCollum, Damian Lillard lead Blazers over C's


For a second straight game, the Celtics were without their best back court defender in Avery Bradley and his absence was felt against Portland's dynamic duo that led the Trail Blazers to an overtime win, giving the C's their second consecutive loss.

Portland's C.J. McCollum (35 points) and Damian Lillard (28 points) combined for 63 points on 20-of-42 attempts.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Former Celtic Evan Turner reflects on special friendship with Brad Stevens: 'He put me in a position to be successful'



While reminiscing on his time spent in Boston, former Celtic Evan Turner shared how much he misses the city and how him and Stevens formed a friendship -- one that he doesn't take for granted.

Turner, who played two seasons in Boston before signing four-year, $70 million deal with the Trail Blazers last summer, says while Stevens was a great coach to him and his teammates throughout his tenure in Boston and says he's responsible for re-energizing his career.

Why the Celtics are only a slightly above average team


On Thursday night, the starters for the NBA All-Star game were announced and Isaiah Thomas just missed the cut apparently, losing a tie-breaker to the Raptors guard; DeMar DeRozan in the fan voting. If there was ever an indication that the Celtics are not as good as they were perceived to be, the last 48-plus hours should serve as a reminder.

Celtics Mid-Season Progress Report


Through 42-games the Boston Celtics stand at 26-16 and third in the Eastern Conference. While some will consider the first half to be close to what was expected, some will tell you that it just isn’t good enough (this guy included).

Below we discuss some of the key points from the first half: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly


Friday, January 20, 2017

Jaylen undecided on whether to accept NBA's invitation to Slam Dunk Contest


The NBA has invited Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown to next month's Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend but he hasn't decided if he wants to participate.

After receiving plenty of encouragement from his teammates last month about entering the contest, Brown's only concern is his health -- something he worries may be at risk if he were to enter the high-flying challenge.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Knicks 117 - Celtics 106: Derrick Rose (30 points), Knicks upset C's at TD Garden


For a Celtics team that has been winning games behind excellent shooting, you knew there was going to be a game when Boston's offense was going to struggle.

Wednesday night at TD Garden was that night and due to poor Celtics defense and a vintage MVP-like performance by Knicks guard Derrick Rose, New York was able to cruise to a 117-106 victory over the Celtics.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Celtics 108 - Hornets 98: Isaiah Thomas' 17 fourth-quarter points leads C's over Hornets


Isaiah Thomas isn't showing any signs of slowing down as his fourth-quarter dominance continued against the Hornets in a 108-98 win at TD Garden.

Thomas poured in 17 of his 35 points in the final period and led the Celtics to their third straight win, 11 of their last 13 games.

Causeway Street Podcast - Jae Crowder & NBA MVP


The Celtics keep making noise around the basketball world as they have only lost three-games since the return of Isaiah Thomas. We discuss if the All-Star guard is worthy of being in MVP conversations? Plus we discuss the recent headlines that involve Jae Crowder as he continues to demonstrate that he is the C's emotional leader. We'll also pick up where we left off in our Top-25 series, counting down our individual lists (20-16) and take a trip around the NBA in our 'In case you missed it' segment. Click below to listen to Episode 66 of the Causeway Street Podcast:

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Brad Stevens trusts Isaiah Thomas' judgement at the end of Hawks win



'All right, go win the game,' Celtics coach Brad Stevens recalled telling Isaiah Thomas moments before his All-Star point guard made one of the biggest shots of the season.

After Hawks forward Paul Millsap drained a 3-pointer to tie the game with 25 seconds left, Thomas immediately looked at his coach and told him not to call a timeout before calling an isolation play that left him in a one-on-one battle against Hawks guard Kent Bazemore.

Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas react to Philips Arena booing Horford in his return to Atlanta


Al Horford says he didn't see it coming but when his name was announced during pregame introductions the boos came raining down from Hawks fans in attendance at Philips Arena.

Horford, who played his entire nine-year career with the Hawks, faced his old team for the first time and was greeted with unpleasant jeers moments before tip-off.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Celtics 103 - Hawks 101: Isaiah Thomas' game-winning shot holds off Hawks after 20-point comeback


Isaiah Thomas did it again.

This time, Thomas topped off a dramatic, 13-point fourth quarter performance by knocking in a game-winning jumper with 2.4 seconds left in a 103-101 win over the Hawks.

Kevin Garnett says he got Isaiah Thomas 'in the conversation for MVP'


Fresh off his 38-point performance against the now 'hated' Washington Wizards, Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas made a surprise appearance on Kevin Garnett's Area 21 as part of Thursday night's NBA on TNT.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Wizards' beef with Crowder & Celtics goes beyond Wednesday night's scuffle


It got more than physical on Wednesday night in Boston's 117-108 win over Washington at the TD Garden, as tempers reached their boiling point immediately following the conclusion of the game.

If you haven't heard or watched what happened between Celtics forward Jae Crowder and Wizards guard John Wall, both guys were involved in what was best described by Wall as two players 'trash talking' to one another just moments after the final buzzer.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Celtics 117 - Wizards 108: Isaiah Thomas leads C's to a win on second night of a back-to-back


Isaiah Thomas continues to treat the TD Garden fans with unstoppable fourth quarter performances and on Wednesday night he didn't disappoint as he scored 20 points in a Celtics 117-108 comeback win over the Washington Wizards.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Raptors 114 - Celtics 106: DeMar DeRozan leads Toronto in comeback win


The Raptors once again proved why they're not letting go of that Atlantic Division crown anytime soon. DeMar DeRozan took full advantage of Avery Bradley being out of Boston's lineup as he lead Toronto to a 16-point comeback in a 114-106 victory over the Celtics at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.

Jimmy Butler beat out Isaiah Thomas for Player of the Week


For the second consecutive time Isaiah Thomas has been nominated and has lost out on Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Avery Bradley to miss Tuesday's game against the Toronto Raptors


The Celtics are 23-14 and one game behind the Toronto Raptors for second place in the Eastern Conference. Both teams will face each other for the second time on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre as probably the biggest game of the season for the Atlantic Division rivals.

Celtics finally have their sixth-man in Marcus Smart


On a snowy night in Boston this past Saturday, the Celtics faithful made it out to the TD Garden to watch their home team beat the New Orleans Pelicans, but what they didn't expect to witness was another great performance from third-year guard Marcus Smart.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Celtics 117 - Pelicans 108: Isaiah Thomas (38 points), Celtics 3-point shooting comes up big against Pelicans


The Celtics continue to live and die by the 3.

It's been their m.o. lately and made a difference in their 117-108 win over the Pelicans. The C's have now won four consecutive games, including 10 of their last 12.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Celtics 110 - 76ers 106: Avery Bradley, Al Horford lead second-half comeback over Philly


Once the 76ers built a 14-point, third-quarter lead -- their largest of the night, there was an eerie feeling at TD Garden.

The Celtics -- winners of eight of their last 10 games -- had their hands full against the lowly 76ers. But two of their best offensive weapons -- Avery Bradley and Al Horford -- found their rhythm when the Celtics needed it most, and led their team a 110-106 win.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Good-Bye & Good Riddance to 2016


It's been said that 2016 was the worst year in a very long time, but it depends how you look at it. From a personal standpoint, it most definitely was not my favorite. I felt like many lost family members and friends through a fast-paced year and many changes forced us to remember what was once good long ago.

Jae Crowder: "Obviously, I don't want to leave Boston...I love it here"


After the Celtics reeled off a 115-104 win against the upstart Utah Jazz (their sixth in eight games) on Tuesday night at the TD Garden, headlines in Boston have been swirling around about the Celtics faithful CHEERING for free agent to be and Jazz forward Gordon Hayward.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Brad Stevens shares chat he had with Jae Crowder over recent Twitter Rant


While the majority of the Celtics media were talking to Isaiah Thomas about his double-double (29 points, 15 assists) performance and the team's hot streak of late, Jae Crowder was having a different conversation at the other end of the room.

Crowder, who shot lights out in Tuesday's win over the Jazz, vented his frustration over Celtics fans in attendance cheering for Gordon Hayward when his name was announced during Utah's player introductions.

Causeway Street Podcast - Isaiah Thomas, NBA's Top-25 & George Karl


Isaiah Thomas continues his offensive tear against Celtics' opponents throughout the month December, but is he finally a 'superstar?' Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to the first episode of 2017, as we discuss what else? Potential trade rumors...This time involving Al Horford's former teammate, Atlanta Hawks' forward Paul Millsap. Would he be a great fit in Boston, what would you give up for him? Plus we begin our Top-25 series, as we countdown our lists of the league's best (25-21) and take you around the NBA with the latest headlines. Don't miss this one as we start the year off with a bang. Click below to listen to Episode 65 of the Causeway Street Podcast

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Celtics 115 - Jazz 104: Isaiah Thomas, Celtics set offensive milestones in win over Utah


After scoring 52 points last Friday, Isaiah Thomas set a new career milestone on Tuesday -- dishing a career-high 15 assists while the Celtics tied a franchise 3-point shooting record en route to a 115-104 victory over the Jazz.

Utah pulled to within seven points inside the five-minute mark through the fourth quarter (103-96) before Avery Bradley drained a 3-pointer -- the Celtics' 16th of the night -- giving Boston their first double-digit lead since the end of the third quarter.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Why Danny Ainge's deal for Isaiah Thomas was the biggest steal of his tenure


No one knew it at the time but Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge made the biggest steal of his tenure in Boston when he traded for Isaiah Thomas in the final minutes before the 2015 NBA trade deadline.

On February 19, 2015 -- a day that was marked the busiest NBA trade deadline day in 25 years -- the Celtics acquired Thomas from the Suns in exchange for Marcus Thornton and the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 first-round pick.