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http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=65670472d7646989df3e1d5c13de3ab0 http://bostonist.com/2009/11/26/rondovsphijpg.php Mary Schwalm / Associated Press Sports-columnist convention requires us to list things we're thankful for on Thanksgiving. So let's go.
1.) We're thankful that the Celtics, even if they're not going to win 70 games, still can turn it on when they need to (most of the time). Despite the fact that Philly isn't as good as the C's, and was playing shorthanded, the Green still needed every one of the 48 minutes to beat the Sixers. We're thankful that the bench, which was a disgrace in the first half, played well enough to rip off a 13-2 run to start the fourth quarter (Bostonist Points to Eddie House and his 13 points, Rasheed Wallace for some key rebounds, and Marquis Daniels for some gritty play).
And we're thankful that the starters came in to seal the deal. Especially KG, who scored 19. And Rondo, who only scored 10, but two of which came on a cold-blooded dagger with nine seconds left. And especially Paul Pierce, who scored 27, hit almost every shot he took, and made Doc Rivers say, "He’s guarding guys, he’s rebounding, he’s making big shots, he’s taking charges. I mean, I don’t know what else. He can cook Thanksgiving dinner for someone and then he’ll be doing it all. He’s been terrific."
2.) We're thankful that the Bruins' road trip might have turned their season around. They took eight of eight possible points, including a shootout win last night in Minnesota. Byron Bitz scored in the first, the Wild tied it in the second. And the B's held on through a wild (no pun intended) flurry late in the game, killing a Dennis Wideman penalty with less than 2:00 in OT to force the shootout. Patrice Bergeron scored on the shootout, but Minnesota's Mikko Koivu answered by beating Tuukka Rask. Rask and Nicklas Backstrom traded some pretty sweet saves, until David Krejci beat Backstrom, and Rask saved a shot from Chuck Kobasew (yes, that Chuck Kobasew). We're not thankful that Milan Lucic got hurt again, but we're happy that Tim Thomas could be back as early as tomorrow.
3.) We're thankful that the Patriots aren't involved in any of the three dreadful Thanksgiving NFL games. Instead, America gets to watch the ho-hum Packers at the miserable Lions, then the meh Cowboys against the wretched Raiders, and then the Giants and Broncos, who are a combined 1-137 in the last four weeks. A lot of football fans will have digestive trouble this year.
4.) We're thankful that, as much digestive trouble as we've gotten watching the Steelers, Lakers and Yankees walk off with trophies in the last year, we've got four legitimately competitive teams in town (OK, OK, Revs, five). And it's not out of the question that any one of them could get those trophies back before too long. Look at the 5-11-7 Maple Leafs. Or the winless Nets or winless-except-against-the-Nets Timberwolves. Or the collection of terrible, terrible teams in the NFL (the Lions aren't even in the Top Five hopeless franchises, which should tell you something.) When you hear that Band-Aid song over the next month, and Bono belts out, "Tonight thank God it's them....instead of YOU!"...well, he's probably talking about the Nets and the Browns.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
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