Odds and ends

The Celtics blew out the Pacers in game 1, a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score (102-82) would indicate. Indiana went out to an early 12-4 lead, not because they were outplaying Boston, but because Boston's shots weren't falling. They were 1-13, and they weren't bad shots - they just weren't falling. When they did, the Celtics went up - big - and never looked back.

It was actually concerning that it might have been a bit too easy. They won't all go the way game 1 did. If they come out expecting to do the same thing tomorrow night, they may be in for a surprise. What they've got to do is come out to play the same way, not come out expecting the game to go the same way.

The Celtics victory brings to 12 the number of consecutive post-season victories for the Boston professional sports teams, going back to the 2004 ALCS. The Red Sox won their last 4 against the Yankees and swept 4 against the Cardinals. The Patriots won 2 play-off games and then the Super Bowl. And now the Celtics have won their first.

I'd bet any amount of money that you want to name that the streak ends within the next 3 weeks...

It was comical to watch the reaction of the ESPN broadcast crew to the Patriots first round pick, Logan Mankins, OT/OG out of Fresno State. They clearly weren't expecting it, and thought it was a reach. But as soon as the started to imply that, you could see them catch themselves. This was the Patriots! and Belichick! and Pioli! You could see that no one wanted to be the one to say that they didn't know what they were doing. So they danced around it and ended up praising the pick. They wouldn't have praised that pick from anyone else in the NFL.

Ponder this - if it weren't for Curt Schilling, the Red Sox rotation would look awesome right now...