Projo Sports Blog

BOSTON - The Celtics have been able to count on three things so far this season - the solid play of their second unit, their ability to dominate the third quarter, and their tenacious defense.

When the Celtics starters have struggled, Boston's second unit had always been there to pick them up.

Then, after an emotional halftime speech by one of the Celtics, they would come out and dominate the third quarter, using their ferocious defense to spark the offense. That formula had gotten the Celtics off to a 6-0 start.

But last night was different. Playing a Phoenix Suns team that felt like it had something to prove after being embarrassed by the Orlando Magic in their previous outing, the Suns made sure that the Celtics could not rely on any of their constants.

Boston's second unit struggled, the Suns, who owned a six-point halftime lead, played well in the third quarter, and they were not fazed by Boston's defense or the deafening sellout crowd of 18,624 in the Garden.

The result was a 110-103 victory by the Suns, who handed the Celtics (6-1) their first loss of the season.

The Celtics only trailed by two points entering the fourth quarter, but the Suns opened up the final stanza with an 11-2 run which Jared Dudley capped off with a short jumper that gave the Suns a 96-85 lead with 7:56 remaining in the game.

The Celtics did their best to rally. After back-to-back Rasheed Wallace baskets, the Suns turned the ball over and then called a timeout to try to stop Boston's momentum.

It didn't work.

The Celtics got the ball to Ray Allen out of the timeout, and he buried a 3-pointer with 5:24 left to cut the Phoenix lead to 96-92.

The two teams would go back-and-forth exchanges buckets over the next three minutes which were highlighted by an Allen one-handed jam.

But with 2:41 remaining, the Celtics still trailed by six after a Steve Nash free throw.

A Garnett reverse layup made it 104-100 with 2:29 to go and the Celtics forced the Suns into a bad shot on their ensuing possession, but the Celtics never pulled within four after that.

Amare Stoudemire blocked a Rajon Rondo layup, and a Rasheed Wallace 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining rattled around the rim and then bounced out.

Nash ended any hopes of a Boston comeback when he knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 107-100 with 50.9 seconds left.

Jason Richardson led all scorers with 34 points and 10 rebounds.

Garnett (26 points, 8 rebounds) and Kendrick Perkins (12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks) dominated the paint, where the Celtics outscored the Suns, 60-36.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Akeem Richmond scored a team-high 19 points, including 5-for-8 on 3-pointers, as he led the University of Rhode Island to a 93-54 exhibition victory over Concordia University of Montreal at the Ryan Center.

BOSTON -- Both Boston coach Doc Rivers and Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry expect a run-and-gun, high-scoring game.

Rivers said that the Celtics want to play a fast-paced offensive game tonight while slowing down Phoenix's high-paced offense.

Gentry said that he has been very impressed with the way Boston center Kendrick Perkins has been playing defense this year and he won't be surprised if Perkins gets a lot of votes for the NBA All-Defensive team.

Rivers has been equally impressed with Suns center Channing Frye, who, he says, is dangerous both in the post and on the perimiter.

Boston backup forward Brian Scalabrine will not play tonight. He is having back spasms, Rivers said.

Welcome to the TD Garden where the 6-0 Boston Celtics are preparing to take on the 4-1 Phoenix Suns.

Here are some quick notes before the locker room opens:

The Celtics won the season series 2-0 last year with Rajon Rondo leading the Celtics with 27.5 points per game.

Steve Nash averaged 15.5 points per game in the two matchups. It marked the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Celtics had swept the season series.

The Celtics lead the all-time series, 61-47, with the C's holding a 35-17 advantage at home.

It's not Alabama-LSU, and certainly not Patriots-Dolphins, but the Breeder's Cup races to be telecast Friday and Saturday afternoons on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC are well worth watching.

I'm preaching to the converted by saying this to fans of thoroughbred racing, so it's in hopes of finding converts to what, these days, is a vastly underappreciated sport that I encourage people to tune in and watch at least some of the Breeders Cup races, which are being contested, for the second straight year, at Santa Anita.

The Arcadia, California, track -- it's near L.A., not far from Pasadena -- calls itself "the great race place," and anyone who's ever been there knows that label is justified. There has been great racing at Santa Anita since it opened in 1934. WIth the San Gabriel Mountains as a backdrop, the track seems like a Hollywood set for a movie about horse racing.

The marquee event is the Classic, to be run Saturday at 6:45 (ESPN) over 1-1/4 miles on Santa Anita's synthetic "Pro-Ride" surface for a purse of $5 million. The big story line for the race is whether undefeated Zenyatta, a 5-year-old mare who's never raced against males, can become the first female to win the Classic and, by doing so, improve her career record to 14 wins in as many starts.

It's unfortunate that Rachel Alexandra, the 3-year-old, super-filly who not only won the Preakness, but then beat older horses in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga this summer -- becoming the first filly ever to beat older males in a two-turn, Grade I dirt race -- is not competing in the Breeder's Cup.

But she's already clinched Horse of the Year honors, and, while she won eight races this year on seven different tracks, her owner, wine magnate Jess Jackson, wants her to run only on natural dirt, not artificial surfaces.

Despite Rachel's absence, there is an abundance of talent entered this weekend, with six races on tap this afternoon (starting at 3:30), and eight more tomorrow (beginning at 1:45).

There will be no shortage of interesting story angles involving the horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners, and the races are sure to be thrilling.

Try it! You'll like it!

This has been the first week that, in addition to my regular columns in the Journal, I've been posting daily musings online.

It wasn't intended to be a one-way communication and, happily, it most certainly has not been.

Of course, any time the subject matter is the Yankees and Red Sox, a strong and spirited response is expected. But you've weighed in on other topics, as well, and that's terrific.

I want to hear from you!

I'm interested in what you have to say -- what you like and what you don't; whether you agree with me, or disagree; whether you think I'm brilliant and insightful, informative and amusing (hopefully), or whether you think I'm a raving lunatic (also, I must admit, a possibility.)

Thanks to all of you who wrote. Thanks to all of you who have been reading. I'll do my best to keep you doing both.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA will not penalize Chris Paul or Rajon Rondo for an incident between them after a recent game in Boston.

Paul pursued Rondo toward the Celtics' locker room and was blocked by Boston assistant coaches after the Celtics' 97-87 victory over New Orleans on Sunday night.

The point guards had been assessed matching technical fouls in the second quarter after they got tangled up under the basket.

League spokesman Tim Frank also says Thursday the league won't take action against Paul from a game at New York on Monday. Knicks forward Al Harrington came up with a loose ball after a Hornets turnover with about 51/2 minutes left. Paul dove on top of him and made contact with Harrington's head.