Celts win net-burning shootout with Bullets … I mean, Wizards

Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald

Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, the Boston Celtics posted their highest scoring total since the night before Thanksgiving – of 1992 (ironically, also at the expense of a Washington team).

The C’s have posted 140 or more points in a single game 70 times (only five requiring Overtime) in their long history. Even more incredulous than the fact they actually lost twice – both in OT, both to the Syracuse Nationals – they produced such prolific scoring while shooting below 40% from the field on three different occasions. (It should be noted that FG% is unavailable for 16 of those contests, a couple as “recently” as the early 1970’s.)

While this is the first time the “Wizards” have suffered this fate, their franchise has yielded such an output to Boston ten times, a level of ineptitude matched only by the Kings and eclipsed only by – who else? – the Knicks (11).

The Wizard franchise is celebrating its 60th anniversary this season, more longevity than all but eight of the 30 NBA organizations. The team played its first two seasons in Chicago, first as the Packers, then as the Zephyrs, before relocating to Baltimore and becoming the Bullets – for three seasons NBA geography identified Baltimore as part of the West.

AP

For the ’73-74 season, they were the Capital Bullets, and ever since have called the nation’s capital home, morphing into the Wiz just before the turn of the century.

No disrespect to Shaq or the late Chocolate Thunder, but the first player to disengage an NBA goal from an NBA backboard was a Baltimore Bullet nicknamed Honeycomb … when the Bullets were in town, game time was 7:30, but the show started about 20 minutes sooner. [see below]




Boston 140

FG: C’s – 49-96, .510
3FG: C’s – 16-36, .444
FT: C’s – 26-29, .897 [13 conversions]
TS%: C’s – .644
OR: C’s –10 + 5 (team) [minus 0 FT rebounds]
DR: C’s – 34 + 5 (team) [minus 0 FT rebounds]
TO: C’s – 11 + 1 (team)
Poss: C’s – 106 {44 “Empty”}
PPP: C’s – 1.321
CV%: C’s – 62 / 106, .585
Stripes: C’s – 13 [6.5 conversions]
Adjusted CV%: C’s – 68.5 / 106, .646 {expected production, 137 points}


Washington 133

FG: Wash – 50-96, .521
3FG: Wash – 11-29, .379
FT: Wash – 22-27, .815 [11 conversions]
TS%: Wash – .616
OR: Wash – 9 + 0 (team) [minus 1 FT rebound]
DR: Wash – 27 + 4 (team) [minus 1 FT rebound]
TO: Wash – 8 + 1 (team)
Poss: Wash – 107 {46 “Empty”}
PPP: Wash – 1.243
CV%: Wash – 61 / 107, .570
Stripes: Wash – 6 [3 conversions]
Adjusted CV%: Wash – 64 / 107, .598 {expected production, 128 points}


Note re Calculation & Notation:

The number of “possessions” is an accurate count, not a formula-based estimated value. For purposes of clarity, the bracketed digit following the FT% is the exact count of “conversions” represented by those FTA’s.

“Possessions” calculation: FGA’s + FT conversions + TO’s – OR’s (including Team OR’s) – FT OR’s

“Conversions” calculation: FG’s + FT conversions

“Stripes” calculation: 3FG’s – missed FTA’s

TS% = True Shooting Percentage

PPP = Points per Possession

CV% = Conversion Percentage


Abacus Revelation for the Road

I beg your indulgence regarding this post’s “titling” error – my Celtic mind has been a bit nostalgically distracted today.

It was on this date exactly 50 years ago – actually it was a Friday – a stroke of good fortune fell upon me and a few buddies, one of the coolest things that can happen to a 12-year-old (to this very day, I daresay).

Here’s that story – you may want to grit your teeth and cover your ears while reading the first paragraph, especially if you ever rode the Green Line to the old Gahden back in the day.