The Dexter Tigers will be heading to the state championship game next Saturday, as they knocked off the Central Aroostook Panthers 50-48 with a game winning three pointer. But there is a lot of controversy in regarding, if the shot should’ve counted or not. My opinion is the shot should’ve NOT counted, and here is why.

The game was a really good one to watch, two really talented teams going at each other trying to punch their ticket to the state championship game. Dexter was ahead for most of the game, but Central Aroostook had a great comeback to take the lead. With about 10 seconds left in the game(maybe less than that, can’t remember exactly), Dexter pushed the ball up the floor, the Dexter point guard passed off to #10 who took one dribble after he caught the ball and shot a 3 pointer at the buzzer to win the game by 2.

As we clearly see here, the ball is still in his hands, the clock is at “00.0”, and the lights are red. That means the game is over and the shot should’ve not counted.

Even before looking at the replay, I personally did not believe the shot should’ve counted. I was completely shocked that they counted this shot and was surprised they did not overturn this after going to the scorer’s table after this call.

I am not trying to biased, but whether if this happened to Central Aroostook or Dexter or any other team in basketball, THIS SHOT SHOULD’VE NOT COUNTED!

About an hour after this shot happened, Eastern Maine Sports posted this photo, that a Dexter parent sent to their Facebook page (which is now deleted), trying to prove another angle of the shot saying the shot should’ve counted.

Yes, that scoreboard says “00.1” and the ball is out of his hand, but they are not showing the hoop or the clock that is on top of the scoreboard. Here is some other angles to prove that the ball was still in his hands when the clock went off.

The scoreboard on the side of the Cross Insurance Center, and behind hoops are for the fans pleasure to see the score and to also see the players who are doing the scoring and see the personal fouls. That is not the actual official clock. The official clock is on top of the backboard, and they added the red lights on the backboard to help the refs know when the clock officially stops.

With it saying “00.1” on the side of the arena, after the red lights go on and the top of the hoop clock says “00.0”, does not prove that the shot should’ve counted. It means the Cross Insurance Center needs to sync their scoreboard a little bit faster to their official clock.

If you don’t agree with me on that, then listen to this. This goes back to about 2010 or 2011 when the Boston Celtics faced the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

I remember watching this game as a kid, this was the game that Paul Pierce hit the game winner with “00.4” seconds left in the game. A lot of people seem to forget what happened he hit that shot, and what the Knicks drew up for the game winner after calling a timeout.

On the out of bounds play, Amare Stoudemire received the ball at the very top of the key, turned around, and nailed a three pointer.

After replay this shot obviously did not count, because this shot happened all within four tenths of a second remaining. Look how he still has the ball, the buzzer sounded, red lights are on, and the clock on top of the hoop say “00.0”. If you look at the scoreboard behind the hoop, like what the Cross Insurance Center has, the clock says “00.1” on it. So if you are saying that the Dexter shot should’ve counted because the side of the arena said “00.1”, then this shot that happened in an actual NBA game should’ve counted as well. And I am not just saying this, because I am a Celtics fan.

So just like the Cross Insurance Center and Madison Square Garden in New York, their clock on the scoreboard does not sync with the official clock on top of the scoreboard.

I will admit that this call was very tough to call for the referee from eye point of view. I would’ve not wanted to be in his shoes trying to make this call as well. I’m not sure if they are allowed to review this on a monitor after a game, like they do for an actual NBA game, but this was a big important call that was missed.

I am not trying to start any controversy, I am just speaking my opinion and thoughts on this call. Very tough call to make from an eye view, but this was a big missed call in a big time. I’m sure there was a bit of missed calls in this game, but this was one of the biggest missed calls in the game.

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Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr walked away with as the champion of the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk competition. Even though he walked away with the crown, there is a lot of controversy saying that someone else should’ve won the contest. That guy was Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon.

Aaron Gordon was remembered in the 2016 NBA Dunk Contest, where he had a showdown with former Minnesota Timberwolves player Zach Lavine. Lavine came away winning the contest, but some people believed that it should’ve been awarded to Gordon instead. Gordon decided to try again in 2017, but failed to get to the finals. After two years of watching the dunk contest, Gordon decided to give it another shot and compete in the 2020 dunk contest.

Derrick Jones Jr and Aaron Gordon pulled off two amazing dunks to put themselves in the finals, eliminating the other two contestants Lakers’ Dwight Howard and Bucks’ Pat Connaughton.

Derrick Jones Jr and Aaron Gordon put on a fun show for the fans, which made it tough for the judges to decide who to win. So they decided to have one last dunk off and whoever scored the highest won. Derrick Jones Jr came out and did a windmill dunk with a foot inside the free throw line and got a 48. Aaron Gordon had to get at least a 49 to win the contest. Gordon called over 7’6 Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall, and jumped over Tacko to dunk it. Everyone thought that Aaron Gordon was going to get 50 and he was finally was going to be the winner, but they gave him a 47 instead. Dwayne Wade (former Miami Heat player), Candace Parker (a former WNBA player), and Chadwick Boseman (actor) gave Gordon a 9 and Jones walked away with the title.

Aaron Gordon SHOULD’VE won that dunk contest, Derrick Jones Jr put on a show, but he should have not won the award. Aaron Gordon’s last dunk was way better than Derrick Jones Jr last dunk. I was glad they didn’t decide to give them both of the award, because that would just be a soft move by the judges, but they voted the wrong winner. When someone jumps over a 7’6 player, should regardless get a 50, but the judges did Aaron Gordon dirty.

I personally blame Dwayne Wade for the reason why Aaron Gordon did not win the dunk contest. Dwayne Wade all night was rooting for his former Miami Heat teammates with Bam Adebayo in the Skills Competition, Duncan Robinson in the 3 point contest, and obviously Jones in the dunk contest. Dwayne Wade should’ve never been a judge in the contest, and I feel like he voted 9 to make sure that Derrick Jones could possibly win. It was a very biased move and was an absolute cheat in the contest.

Aaron Gordon announced that he is never doing the dunk contest again, which I don’t blame him at all. He should’ve walked away with two Slam Dunk crowns, but instead he walked away with nothing. A guy that had 5 perfect dunk scores on the night, got robbed of the slam dunk crown.

Aaron Gordon was the winner of the Dunk Contest, not Derrick Jones Jr. It may be my opinion, but to me its a fact.

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The Kansas City Chiefs trailed 20-10 with a little over six minutes left in the game, but The San Fransisco 49ers couldn’t get a stop. The Chiefs went on to score three more touchdowns as they took down the 49ers, 31-20. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, walked away winning the Super Bowl MVP award for his stellar performance. The Chiefs took home their first Super Bowl Championship for the first time in fifty years.

This was a very good game to watch, as myself as a Patriots fan, it was a way better game than last year’s Super Bowl. Andy Reid finally after all these year won his first Super Bowl as a head coach, and Patrick Mahomes caps off his third NFL season in style by winning his first ever Super Bowl. I did not think the Chiefs were going to comeback and win the game. I know that in the playoffs this season, they have come from behind in all their games and won; but when it was a little over six minutes left, I thought that the 49ers had it in the bag. All they had to do was let the time run off the clock, and keep getting some first downs, but the Chiefs defense stepped it up in the crunch time.

49ers quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, I thought had a really good game for his first Super Bowl start. He was completing a lot of passes early on, but had a hard time connecting to receivers in the 4th quarter. I was curious to see if he had Tom Brady genes to make a game winning drive at the end, but he didn’t have it in him. This was a tough loss for the 49ers, but I expect them to possibly be back to this stage next year.

Patrick Mahomes was the first guy on my list that I had winning the Super Bowl MVP, but I personally didn’t feel like he should’ve won the MVP. He stepped it up in the big time, but before then he really wasn’t completing a lot of his passes. I personally felt like it should’ve been running back Damien Williams, he rushed for a lot of yards in that game and scored the two game clinching touchdowns. Mahomes made some amazing throws in the fourth quarter, but I personally think the MVP should’ve gone to Damien Williams.

The Kansas City Chiefs deserved to win this Super Bowl without a doubt. They have stayed solid throughout the whole year, and they have a lot of power weapons on the offensive side. Patrick Mahomes is going to be the next big quarterback in this league, and for the Chiefs, they could be the new kings in the AFC. With Tom Brady and the New England Patriots unknown future, this could be a start of a dynasty for the Kansas City Chiefs.

We are just a few days away from Super Bowl LIV as it will be the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Fransisco 49ers in Miami on Sunday. As we all will be watching the game wondering who will take home the championship, we will also be looking for the MVP of the Super Bowl. For this blog, I am going to be naming the top potential players who could win the Most Valuable Player of the game. This is “The Pot”‘s top five picks.

1. Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback– Chiefs

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This is Patrick Mahomes third season in the NFL, and he has already lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Last year, Mahomes and the Chiefs came up a win short of the Super Bowl. With the Patriots taking an early Wild Card exit, Mahomes used his dominant arm to prevail the Chiefs through the playoffs. Mahomes has thrown for total of 615 passing yards, and has rushed for a little over 100 yards this postseason. I expect Mahomes to have a dominant game in his first Super Bowl. I expect him to make a lot of big plays in the game, and if the Chiefs fall behind in the game, watch out as he could carry this team to victory.

2. Richard Sherman – Cornerback- 49ers

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Richard Sherman has been in this situation before, as he has been to two Super Bowls when he was a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He may not be the same player we saw in Seattle, but don’t be surprised you see him step up in the clutch moment. Richard Sherman has had two interceptions so far this postseason. I could possibly see him making a big play in the game, whether it is an interception or breaking up some big plays down the clutch, Sherman will not be afraid of the big moment and could help his team win the Super Bowl.

3. Sammy Watkins -Wide Receiver – Cheifs

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Sammy Watkins has been having a solid postseason for the Chiefs. Watkins has a total of 190 receiving yards with a touchdown for the Chiefs this postseason. I expect that he will be a big target for Mahomes, as I could possibly see him having a lot yards and possibly a touchdown or two. If the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, I could see him to be in the running for the MVP.

4. Jimmy Garoppolo – Quarterback- 49ers

We all remember this guy as the backup quarterback for Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. He has won rings with the Patriots, but it was when he was watching from sidelines. After having a career year, Garoppolo will be able to start the Super Bowl for the first time in his career. This is what I think will happen with Garoppolo, he is either going to have an amazing game or a terrible game. There will be pressure on him as he is no longer with being. the back up to Tom Brady. If he comes out of the game hot, he is going to be feeling it all night long, but if he struggles from the beginning, I expect the Chiefs will play really well. He is in the conversation for the Super Bowl MVP, because he could have the game of his life or the worst game of his life.

5. Damien Williams- Running Back – Chiefs

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Damien Williams could be a guy that could win the Super Bowl if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. He has been very hot the past few games for the Chiefs as he has had 3 touchdowns this postseason and could keep it going in the Super Bowl. If Mahomes isn’t throwing the ball well, he could be looking to Damien Williams a lot to carry the load for the Chiefs.

This has the potential to be a very good game, as the Chiefs have a good offense, while the 49ers have a great defense. If I had to choose on who will win the game, I will have to go with the Chiefs. I think the Chiefs offense has a lot of weapons that might be too much for the 49ers to handle. The 49ers could have the potential to take the Chiefs down, but it all comes to the defense, because we saw how powerful the Chiefs offense was when they came back from 24-0 against the Texans to score 51 points in the Divisional round.

MY FINAL SCORE PREDICTION

Kansas City Chiefs – 24

San Fransisco 49ers – 14

The game will be played this Sunday @6:30 ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

• 

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among several people dead in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday. Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the several people on board were on their way to a travel basketball game, where the helicopter crashed and everyone on the flight were killed at the scene. Kobe Bryant was 41, and his daughter Gianna was 13.

Wow……….This is crazy……….this doesn’t even seem real.

Just yesterday, LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant on the NBA all-time list, Kobe was posting on Twitter about his accomplishment, and Lebron and ESPN were talking about him all night on how outstanding of a player he was. It’s crazy to think that less than 24 hours this tragedy happened. It is so sad and this has been on my mind all day.

How I first heard the news was my girlfriend called me while I was on my way back to college after going home for the weekend. I picked up the phone, expecting that she had to ask. me a question about something, but it turned out with her telling me the news that Kobe Bryant died.

I kept telling her “Stop playing with me.” or “Is this a prank you are trying to pull on me?”. And she kept saying to me “No I’m serious, this is true, he died in a helicopter crash.” I couldn’t really believe it, I kept thinking that there is no way on earth this true. I pulled over to a gas station to get some gas, and I see my phone just blowing up with notifications about his death and seeing it all over on social media.

After reading that it hit me that it was really true, Kobe Bryant really has died. For me, it wasn’t one of those things that it made me cry or anything like that, but it just leaves you feeling sad and shocked to even think about anything else.

Kobe Bryant was a person I always hated growing up, especially after he lead the Lakers to win the title in 2010 in seven games vs the Celtics. He was so tough to play against as he would knock in these ridiculous fade-away shots and drop about 25-30 points on you without even trying. He was a person that I always hated, because of just how good and cocky he was. After the 2010 finals, I had fun watching him not make the playoffs with all the terrible teams he was a part of. I remember laughing when he couldn’t get the All-Star center Dwight Howard to return back to the Lakers, or him trying to get all these players to come play for him, and no one would come to play with him and the Lakers.

I got to admit him scoring 60 points in his last game ever in the NBA was cool, but I was so glad that he was gone, because I never had to deal with him on the floor ever again. But today with seeing that he died just left me stunned and made me think differently about him.

As much as I hated Kobe (mostly because I am a Celtics fan) Kobe Bryant was always serious and focused when it came too basketball. Kobe was always determined to reach his goal and nothing was ever going to slow him down. He took criticism personally and always worked hard in the gym so he could prove the people wrong. Like when people said that he couldn’t win a title without Shaquille O’Neal, he went out and won two NBA rings, one more than Shaq in his whole career. Or the time when he won the MVP in 2008 and lost in the finals to the Celtics, he responded to winning the NBA title the next year.

Looking back at it, a lot of people, including myself, hated this guy because he was good and he always going to respond and shut the haters up. He was like the Tom Brady of basketball, how people enjoyed to see him lose, or dreaded every time he would win an award or a ring. Kobe was one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.

Kobe played 20 seasons in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA Championships, 18 time All-Star, 15 time All-NBA team member, 12 time defensive team member, and an NBA MVP. When outside people think of NBA Players, the most average top three answers that come to mind to them are LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant. Kobe was an icon to the game.

One last thing to say before I end this blog, today was an eye opener to a lot of people as tomorrow as not always a given. Life can change in a blink of an eye, real fast. Always enjoy every day you have with family, friends, and many other things as any day could be your last day you spend with them.

RIP Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, and many of those who were killed in the helicopter crash.

The Boston Celtics are currently 26-11, sitting third in the NBA Eastern Conference standings as they are on pace to make another playoff appearance. But do the Celtics need to make a move at the trade deadline to make them a title contending team?

The Celtics have been having a great season so far. Kemba Walker has been a great replacement for Kyrie, Gordon Hayward is starting to find his groove again, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could be an All-Star this year. But the Celtics are missing a piece that could take this team far, and that is a center and lack of veteran players. The Sixers has already beaten the Celtics three times this year, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Celtics without forward Pascal Siakam. As fun as it is to watch this team and their team chemistry on and off the floor, you might have to take the risk and make a trade that can make them a title contender.

The possible pieces that could be moved are Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Romeo Langford, Robert Williams, Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and possibly others and picks. So to break it dow, here are some possible scenario trades for the Celtics to go after.

Andre Drummond

Daniel Theis is the current starting center for the Celtics, but this would be a HUGE upgrade for the Celtics. Drummond is currently averaging 17.6 points per game, while grabbing an outstanding 15.9 rebounds per game. As the Pistons are 14-26 on the year, they will be looking to make some moves to turn their team around. If the Celtics want to pursue for Drummond, it will mean they will have to sacrifice either Hayward or Smart. I personally think that the Celtics will make the move and get rid of Hayward as it will possibly create more for Brown and Tatum in the lineup. What would also have to go in the deal is possibly Romeo Langford, and the Memphis pick this upcoming draft. If the Celtics do this trade, it will make the Celtics possibly NBA title contenders, this would be the Plan A trade for the Celtics too make.

Steven Adams

The Oklahoma City Thunder are going to be making moves at the trade deadline to restart their team, which makes Steven Adams possibly available. Adams is a big strong guy, who averages 12.0 PPG and 10.2 RPG. He has a big contract, so you could be seeing the Celtics giving up Gordon Hayward again and Romeo Langford again, there could be a possibility the Thunder could throw in point guard Dennis Schroder in the trade, but the Celtics would possibly have throw another young player or some picks. Adams is not an All-Star, but he is a strong center who could guard the big men like Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis in the post.

Kevin Love

We have been hearing about all the drama that is going on with the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kevin Love, the head coach, the players, and everything. Kevin Love as to reports has requested to be traded, which opens up the door for the Celtics to acquire him. Love, who is not a center, is averaging 16.8 PPG and 10.2 RPG. Even though he might not be a big man , he could be a great acquisition as he is an inside-outside guy, who rebounds the ball very well. This could be a trade target the Celtics could go after, but it will have to cost some players for this.

Tristan Thompson

Another Cavs big man that the Celtics have an eye on is Tristan Thompson. Thompson averages 12.9 PPG and 10.5 RPG. for the Cavaliers, who could either be traded or bought out for the Cavs. If he was to be traded to the Celtics, you probably would not have to move a big key player, but would have to move Romeo Langford, a draft pick, and a center, or possibly Marcus Smart and a draft pick. He has won an NBA Championship before, and this could be something to bring in that mental toughness.

The last time the Celtics made a trade at the trade deadline was in 2015, trading for a 5’9 point guard named Isaiah Thomas.

The Celtics traded away Marcus Thornton and a draft pick for Isaiah Thomas, who turned to be a two time All-Star in his three years in Boston. Thomas turned the Celtics around and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in his third year in Boston. The Celtics have also made mistakes at the trade deadline by trading away Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic, that the Celtics hurt their chances on making the NBA Finals.

The Celtics have some big decisions to make. Last year, Danny Ainge made the mistake by not trading anyone at the trade deadline that turned out to add more team drama, and a second round exit.

So will the Celtics make the move? or will they go. with their gut and stick with the team they have?

Go Celtics!

2019 is coming to an end, which means it is near the end of the 2010’s era. This decade was where I first started watching not only professional sports teams, but where I started watching Boston sports teams. The first memory I remember was watching the Boston Celtics fall short the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals in seven games. I remember staying up late on the school nights watching every single one of the Celtics games in the playoffs. It was heart breaking watching them come up one game short of winning the NBA title. But ever since then, I have found a love in watching Boston sports teams, and it is a big reason why I am studying to be a sports journalist in college. So in no particular order, these are my top Boston sports moments in this decade.

The Bruins defeating the Canucks in seven games to win the Stanley Cup (2011)

I remember after going to my school’s graduation, we went to a graduation party and watched Game 7 in their basement. We weren’t really sure if they were going to win this game since it was on the road in Vancouver, but the Bruins proved the doubters wrong. They defeated the Canucks 4-0 to pick up their sixth Stanley Cup, the first time in 39 years. Tim Thomas, the Bruins goalie, was named the MVP of that Stanley Cup final. The next day at school, I remember everyone talking about and how there was crazy riots in Vancouver after the game. It was one to remember as it was the first Boston title in the 21st century.

The Boston Red Sox defeating the St.Louis Cardinals in the World Series (2013)

I was in seventh grade when this happened. I remember the Red Sox didn’t have very good luck the two years before with losing to the Orioles on the last day of the regular season in 2011 to get knocked out of the playoffs, and the Red Sox having a terrible 2012 season with lots of drama, and a terrible season. I had no idea that the Red Sox would have such a turnaround in one season. They went from 69 wins to 97 wins in one season under their new manager at the time, John Farrell. People were counting the Red Sox out in the ALDS series vs the Detroit Tigers, because the Tigers had too much power. I remember turning off the TV during Game 2 of that series, thinking the game was over, waking up the next day to see the Red Sox comeback win thanks to David Ortiz hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the 8th, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hitting a walkoff single in the 9th. I remember going crazy seeing Shane Victorino hit a grand slam in Game 6 to help the Red Sox prevail to the World Series. Seeing the Red Sox win the World Series was a highlight of my junior high years. It was such an amazing way to do it for the city of Boston after the terrible tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Malcolm Butler’s interception gives the Patriots their 4th Super Bowl title (2015)

This game was crazy, The Seattle Seahawks were the reigning NFL champions, and they made it back to the Super Bowl with hopes of winning back to back titles. The Seahawks were a good all-around team that year, and they were very confident they were going to win the title. Also going into the game was a lot of controversy for the Patriots in their AFC Championship game vs the Indianapolis Colts. There was many footballs from the Patriots that were deflated, making people think the Patriots cheated to get a better grip of the football to throw and catch. The Seahawks were leading for most of the game, but the Patriots came back to take the lead with about 2 minutes to go. The Seahawks fought back and marched all the way up to the 1 yard line with 20 seconds left to go. All they had to do was give the ball to Marshawn Lynch, so he could run it in for a touchdown to win the Super Bowl. I remember thinking it was over, and the Patriots were going to lose another Super Bowl. The Seahawks decided to throw the ball, and all of a sudden, it was intercepted by cornerback Malcolm Butler. It was seriously a miracle, and one of the best football games I have ever watched. This un drafted rookie cornerback, that not many people knew of before the game, made one of the biggest plays in the Super Bowl history. He will forever be remembered as a Boston sports legend, as his interception gave the Patriots a 28-24 victory in Super Bowl XLIX.

Boston Celtics vs Washington Wizards, Eastern Conference Semi Finals (2017)

The Celtics might’ve not had a title in this decade, but they did have some memorable games and series, including this series in 2017. The 4th seeded Washington Wizards, lead by John Wall and Bradley Beal, took on the number one seed Boston Celtics, led by a 5’9 point guard named Isaiah Thomas. Going into the series, it was emotional for Thomas as he came back to the team after attending his sister’s funeral after she was killed in a car crash. This series was full of emotions as there was overtime games, fights, and many others. Who could forget when Isaiah Thomas dropped 52 points on his sister’s birthday in a Game 2 victory at home. Or who could forget when Kelly Olynyk had the game of his life, scoring 26 points in Game 7 to prevail the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. Or how about when Kelly Olynyk got trucked by Kelly Oubre….Oops wasn’t suppose to say that. That series was a crazy series to watch, and it was a good feeling knowing the Celtics were heading back to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2012.

Bruins miracle comeback against the Maple Leafs in Game 7 (2013)

My Dad is a Maple Leafs fan, and my Mom and I are Bruins fans, so this game was a lot of ups and downs. This was a Game 7 of the first round in the NHL playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs scored two goals early in the 4th quarter to give the Maple Leafs a 4-1 lead, as the game looked over for the Bruins. My Dad was rubbing it in our faces, as it looked like the Bruins were going to lose. But then the Bruins stormed back to score 3 goals (2 in the final two minutes) to send the game into overtime, and Patrice Bergeron scored the game winning goal in overtime to send the Bruins to the next round. I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face after that game winning goal, as he immediately put his head down, and walked upstairs to bed. Craziest game of my life until this next game.

The Patriots overcoming a 28-3 lead by the Falcons to win Super Bowl LI (2017)

Ok this is probably my favorite sports memory EVER. This game was going awful for the Patriots, as they were trailing by 25 in the third quarter. We were hosting a Super Bowl party and a lot of people at our house left, as they did not want to see the ending of the game, including me. I went upstairs and I started to work on my homework. After about twenty minutes of working on homework, my dad texted me to comeback downstairs as the Patriots were a touchdown and a two point conversion away from tying the game. Julian Edelman had that crazy catch, in which he was surrounded by three defenders. James White scoring the touchdown to send the game into overtime, and then White again scoring a touchdown in overtime to complete the amazing comeback. No one ever thought that the Patriots would win that game, and seeing that amazing comeback motivated many people and athletes in the world to never give up.

The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics trade (2013)

This trade turned out to be one of the best trades in Celtics history. We can all admit at first that trading away the franchise’s stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett was tough, but it was all worth it in the end. The Celtics traded away Pierce, Garnett, and former sixth man of the year Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for these guys…..

Keith Bogans, Marshon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, and three first round draft picks. This was a terrible trade at the time, but who would’ve thought it would turn out in the long run. The Brooklyn Nets were hoping to be at the top of the Eastern Conference when they got Pierce and Garnett, but they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Heat, while finishing the sixth seed in the East. Pierce left the Nets after one year, Garnett was traded away two years later, and the Nets ending up losing a lot of their good players and turned out to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. But the thing that didn’t help was they didn’t have draft picks to get those young players to be the face of the franchise. The Celtics had their top draft picks that ended up with drafting Jaylen Brown with the 3rd pick in 2016, receiving Jayson Tatum after trading the first pick down to the third pick in the 2017 NBA draft, and trading away the 2018 pick in a deal that brought All-Star Kyrie Irving to the team. Even though things didn’t work out with Kyrie Irving in Boston, we received two rising stars in Brown and Tatum that will be possibly the top players in the NBA down the line in the future. This will forever be the greatest trade in Celtics history.

Red Sox capping off historic season winning the World Series (2018)

The Red Sox came off a disappointing season the year after losing the Astros 3-1 in the ALDS in 2017. The Red Sox fired manager John Farrell, hired Alex Cora as the new manager, and signed power hitter J.D. Martinez in the offseason. The Red Sox had an incredible regular season by winning a total of 108 games, which was a new franchise record. Went as the first seed in the American League, defeated the Yankees 3-1 in the ALDS, got revenge by defeating the Astros in the ALCS 4-1, and capping off a World Series championship against the LA Dodgers 4-1. Seeing Steven Pearce go off in the World Series, David Price resurrection story of rising from the dead and proving the people wrong, and seeing Chris Sale strike out Manny Machado two get secure the championship was absolutely amazing. It honestly felt like a revenge tour in the playoffs and every night watching the Red Sox that year was always so fun to see . A historic season for the books.

Tom Brady and the Patriots wins their sixth Super Bowl (2019)

After losing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl in 2018, lots of people were saying that the Patriots were done. People saying that Tom Brady is “too old” or the Patriots were “washed” fueled this championship for the Patriots. The Patriots finished with a 11-5 record that year, defeating the Chargers in their first round game, going to Kansas City and upsetting the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, and reaching the Super Bowl to play against the Los Angeles Rams. This game honestly turned out to be one of the most boring games I have watched the Patriots play in the Super Bowl, but the Patriots defense got the job done by defeating the Rams 13-3. Winning the Super Bowl shut everyone up who doubted them in that season, and it made Tom Brady to be considered as one of the Greatest NFL players of all time by winning his sixth ring.

The Patriots signing Antonio Brown (2019)

Lol I’m just joking, but can all of us Patriots fans say how much we want this guy back on our team right now heading into the playoffs? LOL

All in all this decade was one of the best in Boston sports, it included three titles for the Boston Red Sox, three titles for the New England Patriots, one ring for the Boston Bruins, a trip to the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics including four trips to the Eastern Conference Finals; eight trips to the AFC Championship for the Patriots including five trips to the Super Bowl; three conference championships for the Bruins; and so many historic records. As we can go into the next decade let’s hope that we will see more championships brought to the city of Boston and so many more memories.

Also, never count the Patriots out after the loss to the Dolphins, NEVER! The Patriots are in still in the playoffs!

Who would’ve thought after the first ten games the season, that the Celtics would be 9-1 on the year? Not me, but I am honestly not surprised they are playing well. When The Celtics made a lot of moves in the offseason, I was iffy, but I knew after watching that first Celtics preseason game, this team could be something special. It was just fun to watch again, no drama, players all contributing well, scoring lots of points, and the whole team getting along. I know it is early in the season, but this team can be threat in the NBA and people should not sleep on them.

Ok, so I’m going to do a hot take on this, because this topic on the Celtics doing so well is shocking a lot of people.

And a tiny debate is between these two players as well in this hot take.

So people are debating on why the Celtics are doing so well in the early season. I saw Max Kellerman and Stephen A Smith debate on First Take on what the differences on from this season compared to last season. Max Kellerman, who normally can say some dumb stuff, actually made great points (facts in my opinion) on why the Celtics are doing well. He explained how the ball is moving now, no drama on and off the court, Kemba being a team player and a better leader than Kyrie was in Boston . Stephen A Smith said that Max was wrong and said this.

He said that the problem was Gordon Hayward, not Kyrie Irving……

Stephen A Smith went on to say that it was Gordon Hayward’s fault that the Celtics didn’t play well last year. He said that he should’ve never started at the beginning of the year (which I kind of agree with him on that), that because of Hayward it messed up the team chemistry, he was the reason why Tatum and Brown didn’t play well last year, that Kyrie didn’t have any help last year, and he messed up the vibe last year.

I think that Stephen A Smith is just a bit off with this last year.

Yes, Gordon Hayward was not the guy from Utah last season, he probably shouldn’t have started at the beginning of the year because of him returning from injury, but last season was NOT his fault. Stephen A Smith needs to realize that Kyrie was about 90% the main reason of the problem. Why?

BECAUSE KYRIE WAS NOT A LEADER

This is how it all started……

REWIND TO THE 2017-18 SEASON

When Kyrie demanded to be traded from Cleveland, because he wanted to THE guy. He was tired of Lebron and wanted to be able to lead his own team without the help of him. Boston was a perfect place to lead a team, we traded away a fan favorite(and injured) Isaiah Thomas, because Danny Ainge believed the Kyrie would make this team a lot better. Things were shaky at the start, Gordon Hayward got hurt, the lost their first two games, but they then went on a 16 game winning streak. (Kinda similar to this current the Celtics streak right now).

He was doing great, leading a team pretty well, wasn’t very dramatic, and the Celtics were at the top of the Eastern Conference. But then Kyrie got injured.

Kyrie had to have season ending knee surgery and was out the rest of the season. People thought the Celtics were for sure done when he was out the rest of the year. But here is the thing, they got better.

The Celtics made the playoffs as the second seed and went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games with Lebron James. Guys like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier showed unreal potential. And they all did this WITHOUT KYRIE! It was insane! People then started saying how the Celtics didn’t need Kyrie, because they made it this far without him. At the time I thought I thought they were nuts to say that. At the time I thought it was non sense, but those people were right.

FAST FOWARD TO THE 2018-19 SEASON

Things were bright for the Celtics as they had a great vibe heading into last season thinking of winning an NBA Title. Kyrie I personally think was very jealous of the Celtics making it far without him, but he believed that he could still lead this team to the NBA Finals. He said he would re-sign with the Celtics in an open practice, and he never should’ve said that. That would come back around and bite this team in the butt. Kyrie came back and expected everything to be his team again, but it really wasn’t.

The Celtics weren’t winning many games at the start, and it started to make Kyrie very frustrated.

This was after a game vs the Magic were Kyrie got mad at Gordon Hayward passed the ball to Jayson Tatum for the last shot. Kyrie was starting to become a. little drama queen, like he needed to be taking the shots, because this was HIS team. That was where the start of the down fall last year. Kyrie was calling out his teammates in the press and locker room, called Lebron James to apologize for the way he behaved, and was starting to spread some possible rumors that he was wanting to leave Boston in the off season to the media.

You could see him convincing Kevin Durant to sign with a New York team in the offseason during the All-Star break and you could just see the writing on the wall. Kyrie did not care anymore and you could see it when he went out on the floor.

Kyrie ball-hogged big time, never ran the offense, and never looked to give the ball to any of his teammates. In the playoffs, he shot terrible from the field, especially the Milwaukee Bucks series. Here is how he shot in the playoff series vs the Bucks

Game 1- 26 points, 12-21 shooting, 57% from the field, Won

Game 2- 9 points, 4-18 shooting, 22% from the field, Lost

Game 3- 29 points, 8-22 shooting, 36% from the field, Lost

Game 4- 23 points, 7-22 shooting, 31% from the field, Lost

Game 5- 15 points, 6-21 shooting, 28% from the field, Lost

Total- 102 points, 37-104 shooting, 35% from the field, 1-4 lost series.

The funny thing is he believed that he should’ve shot the ball more……..LOL. Kyrie did not care at all during the Celtics run in the playoffs, and you could definitely see it. If Kyrie maybe ran the offense, took less shots, and let some of his teammates score the ball. Maybe the Celtics could’ve won the series, but oh well.

So this was about 90% of the reason why the Celtics had a terrible season. And the other 10% was Terry Rozier, because he did not like being “thrown in the back seat” when Hayward and Kyrie came back in the lineup, which was a sign of selfishness by him. Then after the season, he went on TV and spilled all the gossip about the Celtics. Luckily the Celtics were done with him after that.

So if Stephen A Smith wants to say that Hayward was the problem, he is wrong.

Kyrie Irving was a terrible leader for the Celtics., because of his jealousy. It all makes sense to me now on why Tatum, Brown, and Hayward had down years. BECAUSE KYRIE NEVER RAN THE OFFENSE! Tatum, Brown, and Hayward are all averaging near to about 20 points a game so far this year. And that is because their point guard Kemba Walker runs the offense.

Kemba runs the offense, he encourages guys to shoot the ball, makes good plays, and brings a positive attitude. That first game when they played the Sixers, you can seesaw much of an impact Kemba was to the team. He was encouraging Jayson Tatum to shoot the ball, and cheering the guys on. You never saw that from Kyrie. If another player shot the ball, Kyrie would be get mad at the person.

Kemba is NOT a better than Kyrie, but he is a MUCH better fit in Boston that Kyrie was. Kemba’s leadership is one of the many reasons why this team is successful and he isn’t a selfish player at all.

As we see right now, the Nets aren’t off to the hottest start as Kyrie seems to still take a lot of shots and try to lead a team.

But I do think when Kevin Durant. comes back next year, and if Kyrie decides to put his selfishness away, they could be a serious team in the East.

But for right now the Celtics are at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 9-1 record, and I am hoping that we will see more of this going forward.

BTW, did we see this at all last year on the Celtics. bench last season?

Go Celtics!

The Boston Celtics picked up their 5th win in a row after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road, 119-113 on Tuesday night. Gordon Hayward put on a show scoring a game-high 39 points on the night, Kemba Walker also poured in with 25 and Jayson Tatum put in 18. For the Cavaliers, they were led by Collin Sexton who scored 21, while Tristan Thompson finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Cavaliers fall to 2-5, as the Celtics move to 5-1 as they tie for first place in the Eastern Conference.

WOW……..Gordon Hayward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was an awesome game by him! He couldn’t be stopped and there was not one person on the Cavaliers that could guard him! He caught fire early and never looked back, I’m pretty sure he missed like 3 or 4 shots the whole game, it was great!

The Celtics are 5-1 now and this is a really good start for them so far. They have beat tough teams like the Bucks and the Raptors, and they could be an underdog in the East. Tonight it might’ve been close, but I knew from the start of the game that the Celtics were going to win. Brad Stevens seemed to give the bench players a lot more minutes tonight, hoping that they will get a flow going together and knowing that they were probably destined to win the game.

Kemba had another nice game, but I still don’t understand how Giannis won Player of the Week and Kemba didn’t, but oh well whatever. Jayson Tatum played smoothly, he didn’t take a whole lot of shots, but he looked good out there for the Celtics. Carsen Edwards, with his new haircut, poured in 13 points. Edwards played a really good game last time in Cleveland, so I guess he didn’t want. to dominate once again ;).

I honestly still think the Cavaliers are really bad, they need to make some trades or try and go out and sign a free agent in the summer. Ever since Lebron left, they have been a bunch of nobodies. Kevin Love should ask for a trade, because I wouldn’t want to play there. They played hard against Boston, but I honestly thought if the Celtics wanted to, they could’ve ran up the score. The Cavaliers might see a lot of rebuilding in the next few years.

The Celtics next game is in Charlotte vs the Hornets on Thursday. I expect this game to be a good one, because Kemba is returning back to Charlotte for the first time, so I’m sure. he might be emotional and that the crowd will be getting into that game. This game will remind me of Al Horford’s first game back in Atlanta, when Isaiah Thomas hit the game winner.

Maybe we will see the same in Charlotte??

One last thing

Al Horford and the Sixers lost the other night, Kyrie Irving and the Nets are 3-4. Im hoping we will see more of this losing by them 😉

Go Celtics!

Kemba Walker has had many amazing games at Madison Square Garden, going all the way back to his college days at UConn. Tonight looked like the Cardiac Kemba from the college days as he poured in 32 points in the Boston Celtics 118-95 victory over the New York Knicks at MSG. Celtics forward Jaylen Brown chipped in with 19 points, as Jayson Tatum put in 15. For the New York Knicks, who fell to 0-3 on the year, were lead by rookie RJ Barrett who scored 26 points on the night.

My Thoughts

The Boston Celtics picked up their second win of the season, it’s a good thing they won because it would be embarrassing to lose to the New York Knicks….No offense Knicks fans lol…..

Anyway the Knicks did come out firing from the start as they went on a 13-2 run at the beginning of the game. My guess is the Knicks were hungry to get their first win on the year, especially after losing to the Brooklyn Nets last night. But The Celtics fought back in the game and ended up blowing them out in the 4th quarter.

I was a little embarrassed that the Knicks were hanging around with the Celtics for about 3 quarters, but I was glad The Celtics came alive in the 4th quarter and really blew the Knicks out. The New York Knicks have a lot of veteran players on their team, but NO stars. RJ Barrett is impressive and Julius Randle has moment, but they don’t have a star player in New York which will hurt them a lot in the season. But the Knicks are not the worse team in the NBA, they are better than the Hornets, Wizards, and Grizzles, but they still aren’t very good. The Celtics have star players and those star players were too much for the Knicks to handle.

Positives

Kemba shakes off rusty start

Kemba was very rusty these past 2 games, but tonight Kemba looked strong. He finished the game with 32 points and he shot very well from the field. He knocked down a few threes, had some some strong takes, and some nice passes including one no look pass to Gordon Hayward. Hayward missed the dunk, but the pass looked pretty sick. Kemba really shined as it starting to find his groove on this team. He is going to be playing big factor for this team, and the way he plays and the way he fits in on this team shows how much of a true Celtic Kemba Walker will be. I still like this guy way better than Kyrie btw 😉

The Transition offense off of turnovers

The Boston Celtics forced a lot of turnovers tonight as the Knicks had 26 turnovers. The Celtics converted 36 points off of turnovers which was a great thing to see as Celtics fans. The Celtics are a young and quick and can get up and down the floor very fast. The Celtics should continue to this as there is not many teams who like to push the ball after a turnover and it can be a good way to score a lot of points and to extend leads.

Carsen Edwards

Carsen Edwards did a great job tonight for the Celtics for only being a rookie. He had 10 points in 22 minutes. He didn’t shoot fantastically, but it shows a sign of confidence and no nerves. Normally if people are having an off-game, but Edwards kept going and he had a good game off the bench. He is a guy who people should keep an eye on in the season, as we saw him in the preseason pour in 8 3 pointers. He is going to be a good player and a good third string back up.

Negatives

Rebounding

The Boston Celtics didn’t have many negatives tonight, but the rebounding wasn’t very good tonight. The Knicks out rebounded the Celtics 55-45. The Celtics did play without big men Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis tonight, but still the Celtics should’ve done better with rebounding. The Celtics got lucky that the Knicks had a lot of turnovers and The Celtics played a strong 4th quarter. Hopefully when the big men return, it will clean up the rebounding issue.

Final Thoughts

I am just glad the Celtics won the game, completed a good weekend for me. Their next game is Wednesday at TD Garden vs the Milwaukee Bucks. This is a HUGE game for The Celtics as they could give the Bucks their 2nd loss on the year. I will be curious to see who takes on the task against Giannis Antetokounmpo as last year Al Horford guarded him in the playoffs. Now The Celtics don’t have him so it should be interesting. I expect the crowd to be very loud in the Garden.

Quick thing before I go, Marcus Morris said that he was surprised to not get an offer or call from the Celtics

I liked Morris at times, but I was kind of glad that he is not on the team this year. I miss his toughness on the team, but this guy was a selfish player that the Celtics didn’t need anymore. I remember him saying things how it wasn’t fun on being on the team, and how his teammates were very selfish, but he was very selfish himself. There was many times in the game as a Celtic where Morris would not pass the ball and shoot a bad shot and miss it. He just wasn’t a fit for the Celtics anymore and I don’t believe The Celtics could afford him.

I’ll say this right now, the only reason he is on the Knicks is because of the money and he can take. as many shots as he wants because the Knicks will not be very good this year. He will be off to a title contending team next season, mark my words LOL.

Go Celtics!