The Late Late Show

Two games in and this West Coast swing is already killing me. The Celtics? Not so much. Last night the Green ran their record to 24-3 with an unspectacular-yet-effective 104-96 victory over the Sonics, who really just aren't very good... we have no idea how they've even scraped together eight wins, to tell the truth. If you went to bed at halftime (and who can blame you, as this one didn't end until well after 1am) you missed a vintage Paul Pierce offensive explosion, as the captain dropped 26 in the second act and finished with a season-high 37 for the night. KG looked unstoppable at the beginning but cooled off a bit as the game went on (though he still finished with 23 and 14), and Ray Allen was never really able to get on track, finishing with only 10 points on 4-13 shooting. A big deal was made over Allen's return to Seattle but really, who gives a shit. I'm guessing TNT was looking for any angle to pump this one up since Durant is well behind his expected 35ppg. KD looked pretty good--and make no mistake, he will be great sooner rather than later--although Pierce completely abused him and he missed more shots than he hit, a persistent problem. Still, Seattle's got a good young nucleus and Carlesimo's a good coach: if they get a high lottery pick this June (and I see no reason they won't), watch out. Derek Rose would be amazing for this team.

Anyways, the C's have tonight off and then play Utah on Saturday 'round 9ish. A far more civilized tipoff time than last night's 10:30, though still a far cry from my preferred jump of 7pm sharp. No matter. Utah's a real team, which will be a nice change of pace, and Garnett vs. Boozer should be fun to watch.