Welcome to the Garden …
Welcome to the TD Garden, where the Boston Celtics (6-0) will take on the Phoenix Suns (4-1) at 7:30 p.m.
A couple of things jump out about this game. It’s NOT a nationally-televised game (Cavs-Knicks is). Hard to imagine more people want to watch Cleveland beat the Knicks by 20 than watch what could be a closely-contested game here.
Another thing that jumps out is the contrast in styles. Tonight’s game should test the Celtics defense more than any other so far this season. The Celtics and Suns lead the NBA with field goal percentages of .501, and Phoenix is averaging 111.2 points per game. Defense, of course, is where the Celtics excel, so it will be interesting to see which team imposes their will more effectively.
Not many people at the arena so far (the media room was locked when I arrived), but Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, and Tony Allen are all out warming up on the parquet. Glen Davis is here, too, doing some conditioning with Celtics strength coach Brian Doo. Doo is making the big boy run.
It’s the second week of the season, but All-Star ballots have are sitting, packed in boxes, in the bowels of the arena, awaiting distribution in the coming weeks. Rajon Rondo’s name is surely on it. It will be interesting to see if Rondo makes the team this year, with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce all but virtual locks, and Ray Allen perennial All-Star as well. An injury to New Jersey’s Devin Harris should help Rondo’s case.
Back with more from the Garden in a bit.
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