Boston Looking Serious

Yesterday, the Boston Celtics were able to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 110-91. The Lakers were wearing throwback uniforms with the "underwear" shorts, and Jerry West was attending the game. With the Lakers having lots of attention, they still weren't able to defeat the Celtics at the Staple Center.

Kobe Bryant finished with 22 points and 6 rebounds; he was 6-25 from field goals, and 0-6 from three point range. Bryant said, the Celtics are an elite team, and believes their on a different level then others.

"They're one of the elite teams. They're at the next level," Bryant said. "They're at the level we're trying to get to, and the challenge is there for us -- do we want to stay in this middle pack, or do we want to get to that next level?

"And that requires for us to kind of double the work load."

Bryant didn't feel comfortable wearing those uniforms, and said he felt violated.

"I don't know what it feels like to wear a thong, but I imagine it feels something like what we had on in the first half," Bryant said. "I felt violated. I felt naked. It's one thing to see films with guys wearing those things. ... I'd rather stay warm, man."

Lamar Odom had 14 points with 10 rebounds; Derek Fisher added with 11 points, and was 4-10 from field goals.

With this victory, the Celtics are 26-3 and are first in the Atlantic division. The Celtics won six consecutive games, and won nine out of their last ten as well. Beating the Lakers wasn't a surprise, because the Celtics are 12-2 on the road.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers believes the Lakers uniforms helped the Celtics get the victory. "I think it played in our favor, the atmosphere, because they had to get it from somewhere, and maybe those shorts helped us," said Rivers.

Before the game, the Lakers organization played an entertaining film on the big screen. Rivers said he enjoyed it, and believes it was classy.

"I don't know if it spurred anyone on, but I hope it gave everyone a history lesson in some ways. I thought it was a really classy move, and really cool to watch," Rivers said.

Bostons victory kept Lakers head coach Phil Jackson from moving ahead of former Celtics head coach Red Auerbach for most regular season victories. "The longer you stay here, the more wins you're going to accumulate," Jackson said. "But I've never really followed that stuff, you know?"

Jackson said, the teams he's coached in his career is the reason for his success. "Fortunately, I've had really good teams and they've accumulated a lot more wins in a short period of time. But still and all, it's really just longevity and it speaks for hanging in there," said Jackson.

Paul Pierce lead all scores with 33 points, and finished with 8 rebounds. Pierce said the Celtics are a target, because everyone wants to defeat them.

"Guys are going to come out and try and talk us out of our games. We know we have a big red target on our back and everybody wants to beat the Celtics. We have the best record in the league and we have to be ready mentally and not get caught up in those little games," said Pierce.

Pierce wasn't happy, and wanted to improve. "I was really mad at myself at the half," said Pierce. "I knew I was going to come out more aggressive at both ends of the court. That's what I tried to do."

Rivers wanted to get Pierce more involved, because it was needed. "We had to get him going," Rivers said. "Once he got it going, you know, you've seen Paul, it's tough to turn him back off."

Lots of technicals were called, but Rivers said everyone was excited. "I thought it was just chippy," Rivers said. "I thought everyone was excited, both the teams and the refs. The refs were just trying to get everybody to calm down."

Odom was called for a flagrant foul, and Ray Allen got a technical on the same play. Allen believes it's Odom's problem. "I don't know what Odom was thinking. I got the rebound and he tackled me. I know this is Sunday, but this is the wrong field," said Allen.

Allen finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds; Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Say Hello Too 16-0

Yesterday, the New England Patriots became the first team to finish the season 16-0, after defeating the New York Giants, 38-35.

Tom Brady said, the Patriots have been dealing with 16-0 all season, and facing the Giants was strange for them.

"We've been dealing with being undefeated all season," Brady said. "It was kind of a strange game. It really doesn't mean much to either team, but it means a lot."

Brady understood their chances of going 16-0, and he believes it's great for the Patriots.

"We know we have an opportunity to get to 16," said Brady. "That would be a great accomplishment for this team."

Brady was 32-42, with 356 yards, and 2 touchdown passes.

Brady broke Indianapolis Colts quarterback Payton Mannings record for most touchdown passes in a single season. Brady said it's great, but winning is more important.

"When you look back at the end of your career, you'll be excited about individual records," Brady said, "but winning's more important and I think that's really what everyone's concerned about."

Brady was happy, because they were able to defeat a playoff team. "What I'm most proud of is playing a playoff team on the road that was playing extremely hard," Brady said. "We found a way to come back and win. We did the same thing at Dallas. We did the same thing at Indy. We've been in some tough games. Everyone is going to enjoy this one. It happens once every 35 years."

Brady understands there will be competition in the post-season, and he's ready for the competitiveness. "We're down 10 or 11 (actually 12) in the third quarter, the crowd was into it, and we found a way to win," Brady said. "That's the way it's going to be down the stretch ... just hope we can continue to play this kind of football."

The Patriots are the second team to finish undefeated in the regular season. 1972 Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula says its a great accomplishment, but it's difficult to achieve.

"Going undefeated during the regular season is a remarkable achievement," coach Don Shula said. "I know firsthand how difficult it is to win every game, and just as we did in 1972, the Patriots have done a great job concentrating on each week's opponent and not letting any other distractions interrupt that focus. If they go on to complete an undefeated season, I will be the first to congratulate Coach Belichick and the Patriot organization."

Randy Moss had 6 receptions, 100 yards, and 2 touchdown catches. Moss said lots of people didn't think they'll be 16-0, and he thanks his team. "Hats off to us," said Moss. "I know a lot of people didn't think we were going to do it. A lot of people didn't want us to do it. In this game of football, it's hard to go 16-and-0. As a football player and a fan of the game, my hat's off to this organization."

Moss said the Giants were standing in their way, and the Patriots needed the victory. "We play the Giants next," Moss said. "They're standing in our way and we'll try to get a victory. We'll put 11 on the field and try to get a victory."

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said it's a great feeling, but he doesn't want to rush anything. "It's a great feeling," Belichick said. "Now is the time to take a day or two and appreciate what this team has done, but at the same time we have our biggest game of the year coming up. Pretty soon we need to turn the page and move on."

Belichick said this has been a distraction for the Patriots, and believes his team has done a great job dealing with the attention. "There have been things every week, different distractions every week that we've dealt with," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "I think the players have done a good job of staying focused in approaching the games, coming to work, working hard and paying attention, putting the team first."

Before the game started, Belichick said he just wanted to win. "I hope we can go on a one game-winning streak," Belichick said. "Just get ready, have a good week and be able to win on Saturday. ... There is maybe a time to reflect on that, but right now is not it."

Eli Manning was 22-32, with 251 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Manning said they didn't win, but everyone felt great. "We didn't win the game, but if you saw everybody in the locker room, everybody was excited," Manning said. "I never saw a locker room so upbeat after a loss because we played so well, did some good things and hung in there in a game where we didn't have to play. We wanted to. We wanted to come out and play well, and we did that."

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said this was a positive game. "There is nothing but positives," Coughlin said. "I told the players in playing this game everything would be positives, there would be no negatives and that is how I feel. I don't know any better way to be prepared for the playoffs than to go against a team that was 15-0."

The Giants want to win every game according to Coughlin, but said they can't improve. "We want to win every game, and we want our players to be as sharp as they can, but that having been said, I am aware of the fact that all the things you talk about are true," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Monday. "We cannot improve our lot, etc. I won't be really painted into the corner on any of those things. I wish I had a more definitive answer."

Coughlin didn't rest his players, because the Giants wanted to win. "Of course you play every game to win, and so all of our thoughts are on that," Coughlin said. "All of our thoughts are on trying to figure out how we can be in a position to defeat a team that is 15-0 and a very, very good team."

Phil Jackson Is Even With Auerbach

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to defeat the Utah Jazz 123-109. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is tied with former Boston Celtics head coach Red Auerbach with regular season victories.

Jackson said he never paid much attention to his accomplishment, but the longer you stay in the NBA, the more wins a coach gets according to Jackson.

"The longer you stay here, the more wins you're going to accumulate," Jackson said. "But I've never really followed that stuff, you know? I think the night that made the most sense to me, in terms of numbers of wins, was when I got my 500th and Bill Fitch was coaching on the other side. He was my college coach, and he came over and shook my hand after the game."

Jackson has won nine NBA Championships, and twelve including as a player. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 7, and only coached two teams in his NBA coaching career.

"Fortunately, I've had really good teams and they've accumulated a lot more wins in a short period of time. But still and all, it's really just longevity and it speaks for hanging in there," Jackson said.

Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan believes it's hard to compare Jackson to Auerbach, because they coached different players. "They didn't have the same people. If they coached all the same guys, maybe you could compare them. But they've both been blessed with great players, and that gives you a chance every night," said Sloan. "Phil's always done a great job coaching his teams. It's one thing to have great players, but it's another to be able to coach them and win with them." Sloan has 1,051 career victories in his NBA coaching career, and that fourth on the list.

Former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, agrees with Sloan, because Jackson and Auerbach are two different coaches and they both coached in different era's."Their eras are so different, it's difficult to make a comparison," Abdul-Jabbar said. "Phil coached in an entirely different era, and I really don't think it translates. It's kind of like comparing somebody like Joe Torre to Connie Mack. "

Abdul-Jabbar said Jackson was lucky to get the great players he had, and believes lots of other coaches wouldn't be able to succeed like Jackson.

"Phil always seems to get good mileage out of good players," Abdul-Jabbbar said. "It involves a lot of patience, and you've got to be lucky enough to find players with the right chemistry. I think a lot of coaches who could have that kind of talent might not have done as well. You'll never know, but I think that has a lot to do with it."

Kobe Bryant had 31 points against the Jazz, with 7 rebounds, and lead with 5 turnovers. Bryant said the Lakers are getting better, and their improving each day. "We're getting better. It's just about getting better each day," said Bryant. "It's good to have games like this. We have a solid foundation, we really do."

Derek Fisher and Andrew Bynum had 10 points each, but Fisher had 8 assist and Bynum had 9 rebounds. Bryant said he's seeing results from Bynum, and the hard work in the summer is helping.

"The best thing about it is he's put in so much work over the summer and now," Bryant said. "The biggest thing for him is he's seeing results. The sky's the limit for him."

Lamar Odom had 17 points with 7 assist; Trevor Ariza had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assist. Jordan Farmar added with 14 points and 3 rebounds.

Sloan said the Lakers destroyed them in the first half, and believes the Lakers are good defensively. "They beat us about every way you can," Sloan said. "They came out and destroyed us that first half. They were so good defensively, we couldn't get anything. We started to think we could beat them one-on-one, and we just didn't have much of a chance to do that, either."

Carlos Boozer lead with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and only played 29 minutes. Boozer said it was a big game, and they needed to finish strong. "It's a big win for us," Boozer said. "It feels good to be on the other side. We beat a very good team and held our composure at the end for a change. We executed our plays and finished strong."

Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles had 18 points each. Deron Williams suffered with 6 points, and lead with 4 turnovers. Williams said the Jazz aren't playing like their the best team in the Western Conference.

"We closed out a ballgame for a change," said Williams. "We have always felt like we are one of the better teams in the Western Conference, but we haven't been playing that way. Tonight is a move in the right direction."

Denver Beats Warriors

The Denver Nuggets record is 18-11, and their in first place in the Northwest division. Beating the Golden State Warriors yesterday, 124-120 helps them stay with the lead.

Allen Iverson said it's never fun playing against the Warriors, because they compete every game.

"No, it's not fun playing them," Iverson said. "I don't know why you all think it would be fun. It's fun for the fans, but it's not fun for the guys trying to defend the way they play. They just keep coming at you all game."

Iverson lead the Nuggets with 39 points, 6 assist, but suffered with 4 turnovers. Iverson said he likes to run, but the Warriors run a little too much. He believes it's fun playing that style, but it's not fun defending it.

"I like to run up and down the court, but they make it outrageous," Iverson said. "They might run even too much for me, especially on the defensive end. It has to be fun to play that style, but to defend it isn't too nice."

Iverson says, Marcus Camby is the most important defense player for the Nuggets, because he has lots of responsibility's. "As he goes, we go," Iverson said. "He takes up so much responsibility, he enables me to be one of the top guys in the league with steals because I can gamble a lot with Marcus back there and not pay for it."

Camby finished with 15 points, and lead with 16 rebounds. Camby believes defense wasn't needed against the Warriors, because both teams were scoring at will.

"I thought this would be a game where you pretty much throw the defense out the door, which was pretty much the case," Camby said. "Both teams were pretty much scoring at will. It came down to whoever made plays down the stretch."

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and suffered with 5 turnovers. Anthony shot 8-8 from free throws, 0-2 from three point range, and 11-22 from field goals. Linas Kleiza finished with 15 points, and 5 rebounds.

Nene said the Nuggets need to play team basketball, because it'll help them succeed this season. "If we play like that, unselfish, getting the ball to the open man, we'll win a lot of games and we'll go far this season," said Nene.

Nuggets head coach George Karl said the Warriors played wild, and believes it's good for the league. "They're wild and crazy," Karl said. "That's how they play. I like it because I think sometimes the basketball world thinks you can only play one way. There's a lot of ways to play in basketball and Nellie is one of the best at innovating a style that fits his team. We're a little wild and crazy, too."

Stephen Jackson lead with 32 points, and finished with 5 rebounds, and 4 assist. Jackson said he didn't play well, and believes he disappointed his team. "My team relied on me to win tonight and I didn't play well," Jackson said. "Point blank I've got to shoot better. We have to work too hard and I've got to play a lot better and the shots I take I've got to shoot better." Jackson missed an important three pointer to finish the game.

Baron Davis had 29 points, and lead with 13 assist. Andris Biedrins had 14 points, and lead with 12 rebounds. Al Harrington added with 13 points, but was 5-15 from field goals, and 0-4 from three point range.

Monta Ellis finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assist. Warriors head coach Don Nelson said, it's really fun to watch Ellis because he's getting better. "He's just getting better all the time, really fun to watch," Nelson said. "It was a perfect game for him to gain some more maturity and be at the line under pressure."

Nelson said the Warriors couldn't stop the Nuggets two best players, and believes that was the problem. "Obviously we couldn't control their two best players," Nelson said. "When they score 124 points and only have 13 assists, that tells you that they are doing a lot of one-on-one stuff and the greatness of those two players made it very difficult for us."

Knicks Couldn't Get Magic

The Orlando Magic are dominating this season, because their leading the Southeast division with a record of 19-11. They were able to defeat the New York Knicks 110-96, yesterday in Orlando.

Hedo Turkoglu lead with 26 points, and was able to get 6 rebounds, and 6 assist. Turkoglu says the Magic aren't trying 100 percent at home this season, but that changed against the Knicks.

"We've been letting teams off easy when they come here, but we didn't do that this time," said Turkoglu. "We had it going the whole second half and didn't have to try and pull something out in the final minutes."

Turkoglu scored 10 points during a 20-6 run in the fourth quarter. That gave the Magic a comfortable lead.

Rashard Lewis scored 25 points with 6 rebounds. Lewis said playing defense in the second half made everything easier.

"We've got to keep bringing it at teams like that when we're at home," Lewis said. "We really picked it up defensively in the second half and that made things easier for us offensively."

Dwight Howard finished with a double-double; he had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Keith Bogans scored 10 points with 7 rebounds, he was 4-14 from field goals, and 1-11 from three point range.

Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said his team played soft, and he feels bad for the fans. "I feel bad for our fans," Van Gundy said. "I would have booed a lot louder than that. ... And I hope they will, if they put out the same effort the next time we're here.

"We had a team-wide effort of guys getting their (butts) kicked, and a lot of guys right now, they're OK with that as long as they get their numbers. It's probably gonna continue until we get some guys who want to win."

The Knicks remain in fifth place with this lost, and their record is 8-20. Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas said he'll make some changes to the starting line-up, because he believes the wrong players are starting.

"We probably have the wrong guys starting and we'll look to change our lineup and try to get some more energy and defensive guys in the lineup," said Thomas.

Zach Randolph agrees with Thomas, because he believes a change is needed. Randolph said the players will need to accept the changes that will be made, because something isn't right.

"That is what we need, a change," Randolph said. "Obviously we are not doing something right. If he is going to make a change, guys have to be willing to accept a role. Guys have to be supportive." Randolph finished with 22 points, and 9 rebounds.

Jamal Crawford lead the Knicks with 29 points and 8 assist. He finished with 9-22 from field goals, and 2-5 from three point range. Crawford said the Knicks played great, but didn't continue their success towards the end.

"We had 36 good minutes, but the last 12 just got away from us," Crawford said. "We defended well, shot the ball well, but it just got away from us at the end."

David Lee had 11 points with 14 rebounds. Eddy Curry wasn't in the starting line-up, and he doesn't want that to contiune. Curry finished with two points, no rebounds, and one turnover.

"It's extremely tough to sit that long," Curry said. "I'm not used to that at all and I hope it doesn't continue. I just think at some point I'm going to have to be out there for us to win the game."