History In the Making

The Celtics are bound to make history tomorrow night agains the 67ers. Although they are not in the business of making history, all they want is win another championship, their journey has been followed closely by the press. Here, you will get an overview of press coverage of their winning streak.

• Rampaging Celtics make Knicks history, by Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe

Say hello, 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers and 1969-70 New York Knicks. How are you, 1981-82 Celtics?

“It’s all good and well,” captain Paul Pierce said. “The key is for us to play better and we’re going to continue to say that, regardless of whether we’re winning or losing. We feel like we still have a great upside. We’re looking for the perfect game.”

“Rondo was unbelievable in the third quarter,” Kevin Garnett said. “He totally took the game over. He got people some easy shots and stretched their defense. He had almost a perfect game – he was in the zone. I thought the bigs did a good job of giving him avenues and he did a good job of finishing.”

“To get 124 points with 22 turnovers makes me feel like, if we don’t turn the ball over, we can probably score 140-150 points, with the way we move the ball,” Pierce said.

• Time helps put a streak in perspective, by Julian Benbow, Boston Globe

It’s not that hard, Leon Powe says, to tell the difference between winning 18 straight and losing 18 straight.

Lose 18 straight and you don’t pick up the papers, he says, because you’re the headline and the punchline, too.

• Celtics streak hits 18, by Mark Murphy, Boston Herald

The Celtics [team stats] defeated the Knicks, 124-105, to tie a franchise record originally set by the 1981-82 team with 18 straight wins. Now 26-2, they also pulled even with the 1969-70 Knicks and 1966-67 76ers for the league’s best start through 28 games.

“To get 124 points with 22 turnovers makes me feel that if we don’t turn the ball over then we can score 140 to 150 points with the way we move the ball,” Paul Pierce [stats] said.

• Knicks Unable to Slow Celtics’ Historic Pace, Howard Beck, The New York Times

On a blustery Sunday in New England, with the snow whipping horizontally and the roads slathered in slush, the Boston Celtics treated the Knicks like a wayward snowflake, brushing them aside with a few simple wrist flicks.

When the Knicks occasionally showed resistance, Rajon Rondo plowed them into submission.

On a history-making evening at TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics pounded the Knicks from the opening tip, absorbed a few modest rallies and finally secured a 124-105 victory. Rondo led the way with 26 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds, strengthening his case as the Celtics’ legitimate fourth star, behind Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

• Celtics burn with desire, but will they burn out?, Mark Heisler, LA Times

Aside from such basics like playing hard or defending, the Lakers’ “issues” last week still included Jordan Farmar’s confusion with his role and Andrew Bynum’s concern with his involvement in the offense.

For the Celtics, that’s like stuff they watch with their kids on “Sesame Street.”

If Farmar and Bynum were Celtics, Garnett, who reduced teammate Glen Davis to tears on the bench, would be glad to clear up any misunderstandings, even if Jordan and Andrew needed counseling afterward to get over the trauma.

The Lakers actually have to start passing more, rather than less, and guarding people, assuming they can play this Boston-style, helping defense, another question yet to be answered.

Recess is over, kids.

The grown-ups are coming! The grown-ups are coming!

• Celtics yapping all the way to wins, Art Thompson III, Orange County Register

So, I believe what really gets under the skin of Celtic haters is that not only do more than their fair share of trash talking but they can back it up.

Wins, baby. That’s what it ultimately comes down to, and for all the woofing that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and their mates do, the only way to button their lips is to give them a thorough beat down on the court.

Boo all you want, Laker fans. In fact, Garnett might wave his arms, like an orchestra conductor, beckoning for more.

So, if it is K.G. clapping at Toronto’s Jose Calderon all the way up the court in a game last month or K.G. getting down on all fours – pit bull style – as Portland rookie Jerryd Bayless brought the ball up the floor earlier this month or Pierce talking mess on the court and inactive guard Sam Cassell smack talking from the bench, there is one way to put a cease to this madness… Win!