More Mindless Chatter About the Game (aka Where Can I Get a Pair of Gator Boots?)

(Originally posted on LAist on March 30)

So here we are again. Familiar faces all around. 40 minutes. How will you be remembered? Making history or rewriting history?

Henry has already laid out the LAist position for tomorrow's national semifinal matchup between Florida and UCLA. Of course, most of the sports world believes the Gators will outclass the Bruins. Vegas has Florida listed as 3 point favorites. Virtually every writer from every major sports publication (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Sportsline) is picking the Gators to advance. Not since the Persians took on the Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae has a matchup appeared so one-sided on paper.

Yes, Florida has the same lineup which spanked UCLA last year, and they're in pursuit of college basketball immortality. But the Bruins have busted their asses for a whole year for this one opportunity to make things right. Payback is a bitch.

In the LAist tradition of highlighting the shortcomings of our counterparts in the Southeast, here’s a few reasons why UCLA is better than Florida, and why there will be a new ending to the story when the final buzzer goes off tomorrow night:

- Honestly, when your best player dances like a baboon undergoing electroshock therapy, there’s no way your team can possibly be taken seriously - YouTube

- Arron Afflalo, first-team All-American. Most clutch performer on the court. Last time the Bruins had a first-team All-American? Ed O’Bannon, 1995. How did the Bruins do that year? National champs - Long Beach Press Telegram

- The face of Gator Nation: Billy Donovan. Or is that the face of Wildcat Nation? Coach Donovan may have a few other things on his mind besides the Bruins - Florida Today

- The last time the finalists from the previous year met in the Final Four? 1991. Heavy underdog Duke taking on seemingly invincible UNLV who had won the previous year by 30. The result? Slightly different than the first time around - ESPN

- Dissing the greatest college basketball coach of all-time? Just adding more fuel to the fire. Who the hell is Walter Hodge? - LA Times

- Just because Marisa Miller said so. 'Nuff said - Sports Illustrated

AP photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez

Rocketing Towards a First-Round Exit

(Originally posted on LAist on March 29)

Last night’s nationally televised game between the Clippers and the Rockets (a five-point win for Houston) demonstrated the kind of progress that the Clips have made over the last month, and why the team will hold on to the eighth spot with their eleven remaining games. It also illustrated the reasons why the Clips have fallen far short of the lofty expectations set forth for them this year.

Both teams displayed a level of execution typically seen in the postseason, with only 20 combined turnovers, and the teams traded blows like a heavyweight fight. The Clippers team during the middle 40 games of the year could not have held their ground in this kind of game. However, when it truly mattered, it was the Rockets that stepped up and made the plays in crunch time while the Clippers stumbled. Houston was also aided by a TERRIBLE call by Steve Javie, who only awarded Cuttino Mobley two shots when he was clearly hacked in the act of shooting a game-tying three-pointer with two seconds left.

The Clippers can be a very good team, and proved that they can play with an elite-level team like the Rockets, a darkhorse title contender. But they still haven’t found a way to cross the fine line that separates very good from mediocre.

Last night it was two possessions that decided the game. With the Clips nursing a two-point lead in the final minute, T-Mac penetrated and drew a double team, then found Shane Battier for a wide-open three. On the other end? The Clips ran a half-hearted pick-and-roll, dribbling around the perimeter for 15 seconds, then had Tim Thomas shoot a contested three, which he bricked. One defensive stop, Clippers win. One well-executed play, Clippers win. Two bad sequences equal a Clipper loss.

The Clips, even with their depleted roster, have the moxie and talent to stay ahead of the inferior teams chasing them, as seen in the tremendous offensive basketball that they played during the first half; they built a seven-point lead while picking apart the league’s top-rated field goal percentage defense with a combination of crisp ball movement out of double teams, dribble penetration, and transition baskets off of defensive rebounds. But they simply don’t have the consistency to win a seven-game series against any top contender, as seen in last night’s ugly third quarter, in which they reverted to their isolation, jump-shooting bad habits and were outscored by 16.

There was some good news, though: their main rivals continue to look like playoff posers. Denver lost at home to lowly Seattle, while NO/OKC and Minnesota both lost tight road games to San Antonio and Utah. LA stands 1.5 games up in the standings for the last playoff spot, and still 1.5 behind Denver for the seven spot.

AP photo by Kevork Djansezian

The CW (Clipper Weekly): Home Stretch

(Originally posted on LAist on March 26)

Current Record: 34-36, 3rd Pacific, 8th West

Last Week: While the LA hoops world has been focused on the Bruins’ repeat run to the Final Four and Kobe’s insane scoring binge, the Clippers have quietly found their groove at the best possible time. Over the last two weeks since the last CW, the Clips finished their pivotal road-trip 3-3, which may not seem terribly remarkable, but considering the team’s road woes throughout the season, it was a major step forward. After seemingly going through the motions over the course of the last six weeks, it was as if someone finally flipped the switch to get the Clippers to start playing harder and as a team. The high point was a surprising win against the Bulls, who came in with the best home record in the Eastern Conference, but were pushed around by the Clippers in their own gym during the fourth quarter.

Upon arriving back in LA, the Clippers promptly took out two likely playoff teams on back-to-back nights. They routed the Northwest Division leading Jazz, holding them to a season-low 72 points in a 32-point win, then knocked off the Southeast Division leading Wizards to increase the team’s winning streak to four games heading into the final three weeks. The best part? Most of the work was done without the services of Sam Cassell, who only played in three of these last eight games because of his recurring back spasms. Despite not having their venerable leader on the court, the Clippers came out and showed the heart which has been missing most of the year, executing their game plan on both ends of the court for a change.

Quick Take: Interestingly enough, it was a loss to San Antonio, the first game of that road trip, which seemed to give the team confidence. The Spurs had absolutely demolished the Clips in the teams’ first three meetings by an average of 21.7 points and were coming in on a 12-game winning streak, yet the Clippers played them tough for four quarters. The CW has pointed out how often the Clips have gotten punked by elite teams, but this two-week stretch reversed that trend for the first time this year.

So where has this resurgence come from? Not surprisingly, it’s been a function of all of the components of the team elevating their game at the same time. Unlike the Lakers, where Kobe has been able to singlehandedly take over games during their winning streak, the Clips have needed each different people to step up to facilitate their success. Corey Maggette has been extremely efficient, scoring over 19 points a game during March, but shooting 54% from the field and dishing out 4.3 dimes, well above his career totals. Cuttino Mobley has been dialing long distance, averaging over 18 points a game in the last six, but more importantly shooting 56% from the arc to open up the inside game. And the tandem of Jason Hart and Daniel Ewing has done an admirable job of holding down the point guard position, staying within their own limits and not making too many mistakes – the duo averaged 5.8 assists as compared to only 2.3 turnovers.

The Clippers’ latest winning streak has helped them separate themselves from some of the pretenders in the West. They sit two games behind Denver and out of the 7 spot, and a game and a half up on Golden St. and two on the Hornets for the 8 spot. For the rest of the regular season, LAist will be checking in more frequently to keep you up-to-date on the Clippers’ push for the postseason.

This Week:

Wednesday: vs. Houston (PRIME, 7:00 pm) – the Clippers have played the Rockets very tough this season, going 1-2 with two narrow losses, including a four-point defeat on the last road trip. The Clips actually led with a minute to play in that game in Houston after being down by 17, only to watch Luther Head hit a backbreaking three. A heavy dose of Elton Brand and Chris Kaman kept the Rockets on their heels, and seemed to wear out Yao Ming by the end of the game. With Houston battling for homecourt advantage in the first-round of the playoffs with Utah, you can count on the fact that Jeff Van Gundy will have his team focused and ready to play its usual hard-nosed style.

Friday: at Sacramento (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – all is not well in cow country. The Kings are in disarray and are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1998, the year before the Maloof family purchased the team. Resident nutjob superstar Ron Artest is rumored to be contemplating retirement to spend more time with his family. Yes, this is the same guy who was arrested three weeks ago for domestic battery charges. Sacramento is still a dangerous team, as evidenced by yesterday’s win over Phoenix, with Artest, Kevin Martin, and Mike Bibby roaming around on the perimeter. The Clips found success with a big lineup last time the teams played, using Brand, Tim Thomas, and Kaman on the floor at the same time for stretches, and will likely need to pound the ball inside to take advantage of the Kings’ lack of frontcourt depth.

Saturday: at Portland (KTLA-CW, 7:00 pm) – with the Blazers on their way to their fourth consecutive season in the lottery, the team is determined to let its young players get crushed to ensure a better draft position gain experience. First-round draft pick LaMarcus Aldridge is getting a lot of run, showing glimpses of his potential with his scary ability to finish around the hoop, while rookie-of-the-year frontrunner Brandon Roy continues to impress, having scored at least sixteen points in all ten games this month. The Clips must beware of a letdown against a team that would love to help knock them out of the playoffs.

AP photo by Gus Ruelas

Hoop City USA

(Originally posted on LAist on March 21)



Tobacco Road, watch your back. Gainesville, better enjoy that trophy while you’ve got it. LA is back with a vengeance and is ready to reclaim its place atop the college basketball kingdom.

With UCLA and USC both advancing to the Sweet 16 for only the second time ever, the local buzz hasn’t been this great in decades. The Bruins have been a consistently good program since the departure of John Wooden from the sidelines (12 Sweet 16 appearances), but only occasionally great (1995 champion, Final Fours in 1976, 1980, and 2006), certainly a far cry from their magical run of ten national titles in twelve seasons. Meanwhile, the Trojans’ hoops squads have been mostly an afterthought, with momentary flashes of excellence (the Harold “Baby Jordan” Miner and Clancy/Scalabrine/Bluthenthal teams come to mind) amongst continued mediocrity (five NCAA tournament wins total over the last 45 years).

For perhaps the first time in the modern era, it appears that both schools are well-positioned for long-term success. Though both schools face tall tasks to continue to advance in this year’s tournament (UCLA facing off with its coach’s old program Pitt, USC drawing top-seed North Carolina), the pieces are in place for these deep postseason runs to become an annual occurrence. Both teams are led by terrific coaches – the Bruins’ Ben Howland and the Trojans’ Tim Floyd – who are proven program builders, and integrate order and discipline with top-notch strategy; witness USC’s dismantling of trendy pick Texas and likely player-of-the-year Kevin Durant. Both teams have tremendous athletes all over their respective rosters. And both teams are landing the highest-regarded prep recruits (Kevin Love for UCLA, OJ Mayo and his weed for USC) to replenish the talent pool. This is great news for LA hoop fans, bad news for the Pac 10 and the rest of the nation.

While the ardent supporters of both schools aren’t terribly excited to see the other succeed, a legitimate rivalry between the teams is perhaps the best things for both schools and for the city. Pure hatred can be entertaining to a point, and there are hundreds of rivalries across the country with equal amounts of venom as UCLA-USC. But hatred mixed with top-flight competition brings a far greater degree of relevance and recognition beyond the local scene. Michigan-Ohio St. football. North Carolina-Duke basketball. People pay attention not only because the emotions are so high, but also because the stakes are always high as well. The games actually matter on a national level. It brings these schools and these geographies to center stage. And there’s no place that should be more on center stage than LA.

Look at the gridiron. USC has been hogging the spotlight for its insane run of success over the last several years, but UCLA’s upset win this season finally brought the rivalry back into the limelight after seven years of Trojan domination. Are the Bruins back to the Trojans’ level? Of course not. But they’re at least back in the conversation again.

Similarly, the Trojan basketball squad is putting itself back on the map in a time when folks east of the Mississippi and the honks at ESPN typically only think blue and gold when it comes to noteworthy teams out West. Floyd & Co. still have plenty of work to do to catch up to UCLA’s national profile, but sustained success in the tournament can validate the quality of ball being played beyond the walls of Pauley Pavilion. Even schools like Long Beach, which had a terrific season but flew far under the radar even in SoCal, benefit from the spillover effect of exposure that comes when the two big LA teams are riding high.

So if you’re a fan of LA (or even if you’re Joe Bruin or Tommy Trojan), keep hope alive that the Bruins and Trojans will continue their run. Can you imagine the hoopla surrounding a UCLA-USC matchup in the finals? Sure it’s a longshot. But it’s becoming less of a pipe dream by the day.

#2 UCLA vs. #3 Pittsburgh
West Regional Semifinal
HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA
Thursday, 6:40 PM (CBS)

#5 USC vs. #1 North Carolina
East Regional Semifinal
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
Friday, 6:57 PM (CBS)

AP Photos by Marcio Jose Sanchez and Rick Bowmer

The CW (Clipper Weekly): March Madness

(Originally posted on LAist on March 12)

Current Record: 29-33, 3rd Pacific, 8th West

Last Week: Let’s see, the Clippers lost all three games they played by an average of 14 points. But with the madness going on in the NBA this season, the Clippers continue to hold on to the last playoff spot in the West, despite their best efforts to mail it in. They even inched closer to the sixth spot by losing one less game than the Lakers last week. Such is life in this bizarro world where only 12 of the league’s 30 teams are above .500 and the “contenders” seem to be trying harder to lose and stay in the lottery for the 1% chance that they’ll win the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant sweepstakes, rather than trying to get into the playoffs. Teams six through twelve in the Western Conference standings (Lakers, Denver, Clippers, Sacramento, Golden St., New Orleans, Minnesota) went a combined 7-17 last week, with five of the wins coming against each other (in other words, someone had to win).

The newly-signed Jason Hart is getting nearly all of the point guard minutes with Sam Cassell barely able to play because of his injuries, and Daniel Ewing back to his more appropriate role on the pine. While Hart is doing an adequate job, the Clippers’ already pedestrian offense plays at an even slower pace because he’s not as proficient at getting out in transition. The Clips failed to take advantage of the absences of injured Spurs star Tony Parker and suspended Pistons hothead Rasheed Wallace. Whereas those elite teams found ways to compensate for key absences, LA is showing no such ability.

Quick Take: The team looks like it’s checked out at this point, despite being in the playoff race. Their body language exudes no confidence, their play offers no intensity. It’s not even like past Clippers teams where individual players would try to shine on their own in order to attract a lucrative free-agent contract somewhere else. Mike Dunleavy’s outburst and subsequent ejection during yesterday’s game didn’t really seem to make any impact at all, as the Pistons immediately increased their lead without much fight from the Clips.

The Clippers embark on a difficult six-game road trip (and we know how the road has treated the Clippers this season), which is shaping up as the pivotal moment of the season. It is very easy to see the Clippers going 1-5 or 0-6, which could bury them in the standings if a couple of their rivals start playing better. However, an upset win could provide the spark to snap the team out of its post-Livingston funk and help them gain some momentum for the final three-week push.

This Week:

Tuesday: at San Antonio (KTLA-CW, 5:00 pm) – uh oh, it’s those Spurs again, who still haven’t lost in over a month (winning streak at 12 games and counting). They’re flat out playing terrific ball, and it would be a shock if the Clippers even stayed within ten points of them. Unlike the Clips, the Spurs are actually utilizing their entire roster for quality minutes, enabling Gregg Popovich to regulate the minutes of Tim Duncan, et al., yet still run teams off the court. Of course, having Duncan, Parker, and Manu Ginobili enables Pops to do a lot of things most teams can’t.

Wednesday: at Houston (KTLA-CW, 5:30 pm) – one team that knows nothing about packing in after devastating injuries is the Rockets. Yes, they’ve had plenty of experience during the last three seasons dealing with Tracy McGrady’s back problems and Yao Ming’s brittle bones, but the fact that they continue to play well in spite of their one or both of their stars is admirable. Yao returned from his broken leg last week after a 32-game absence, giving Houston the best healthy inside-outside combination in the league. However, the supporting cast, in particular Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes, and the ageless wonder Dikembe Mutombo, has done all of the dirty work necessary to give the Rockets the ability to win games through superior toughness in tight spots: they’re 11-6 in games decided by five points or less.

Friday: at Charlotte (PRIME, 4:00 pm) – the Bobcats have lost eight straight, coinciding with Emeka Okafor being sidelined with a calf injury. Okafor may be back by Friday, which will make it more difficult for Corey Maggette to get to the line 20 times as he did when the two teams met a couple of weeks ago. The Clips were getting owned in that game by Gerald Wallace, who got to the hoop at will against anybody Dunleavy threw at him. Wallace may still get his, but the Clippers must prevent one-dimensional scorers Matt Carroll and the wispy-mustached Adam Morrison from getting open looks to win this game.

Sunday: at New Jersey (KTLA-CW, 3:00 pm) – the Nets are also struggling, losers of five straight to fall out of the postseason picture (and even behind the, gulp, Knicks). The first game between the two teams was perhaps the most memorable game of the season, with the Clippers blowing an 18-point second half lead, but winning on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Cuttino Mobley. Richard Jefferson just returned from ankle surgery last week, giving New Jersey its three-headed perimeter monster, along with Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, but the Nets are so weak inside, Chris Kaman might actually put some points on the board.

AP photo by Gus Ruelas

The CW (Clipper Weekly), 14th Edition

(Originally posted on LAist on March 5)

Current Record: 29-30, 3rd Pacific, T-7th West

Last Week: If LAist didn’t know any better, we would have assumed the latest rash of injuries to hit sports stars across LA was just another insidious terrorist plot hatched up on 24, given the number of attacks our fair city has received over the years on the show. We saw Becks go down before even getting to LA. We saw Lamar Odom getting injured again and joining the Lakers’ ever-increasing infirmary list. In Clipper Nation, all of the talk has been about the horrible knee injuries suffered by Shaun Livingston in Monday’s game against Charlotte, which will keep him sidelined for not only this season but potentially next season as well. While many across the sports world were saddened by the cruel twist of fate handed to Shaun, by all accounts a nice guy and hard worker, the Clippers’ games seemed almost secondary.

But the games did go on. The Clips split their home and home with Seattle (including an absolutely putrid two-point loss on Thursday which was roughly equivalent to watching those Dharma Initiative brainwashing videos), but put together a franchise-record defensive performance in holding Indiana to 64 points in Saturday night’s win. Amazingly, the Clippers made up ground because of the overall mediocrity of the middle teams in the West, rising up to the 7 spot in West with Denver (and amazingly only three back in the loss column of the Lakers), and opening up a 1.5 game lead over the Hornets.

Quick Take: The severity of Livingston’s injury cast a considerable cloud over the team, which hasn’t exactly been full of sunshine most of the year. On the court, however, it left a gaping hole at point guard. Sam Cassell has done his best to stay upright, but his body is clearly not as indestructible as his brass balls. He put in 34 minutes on Wednesday despite nursing a strained abdomen, but his groin gave out on him and he’s indefinitely out of action.

Right now, the team is looking at anyone with a pulse to fill the void. Incumbent choice Daniel Ewing may one day turn into a fine point guard, but he has no business playing 30-35 minutes for a playoff contender. He simply lacks the experience to run the offense effectively, evidenced by the Clips’ 81 point average during the past two games. The Clippers signed rookie Will Conroy out of the D-League, who brings plenty of energy but is still learning the game. They are also looking at picking up Jason Hart, who has played sparingly this year and just bought out his contract from Sacramento. Also rumored are Teen Wolf and Juwanna Mann. Because no one seems to really want these last two playoff spots, the Clips still are positioned well to sneak in, but it will be largely determined by how well the youngsters respond to their trial by fire.

This Week:

Monday: vs. San Antonio (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – while the Mavs and Suns are generating all the buzz (and justifiably so) for their stellar play, the Spurs are quietly playing as well as either of them, winning eight straight (and none closer than seven points) and priming themselves for another deep playoff run. San Antonio has hammered the Clippers in both meetings this season, with Tony Parker wreaking havoc offensively by his ability to get into the paint and either score or kick it out for open jumpers. The Clips might catch a break as Parker is nursing a strained hip and may not play. Unfortunately, in facing the league’s most stingy scoring defense, LA will have to be considerably more efficient than usual on offense to stay in the game.

Friday: at Golden St. (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – a week and a half ago, the Clips and the Warriors were running neck and neck in the standings; after LA handled its Northern California neighbors convincingly, Golden St. went into a tailspin, dropping its next five and falling into last place. The Clippers should be well-rested with four days off leading into the game, and have the opportunity to really bury the Warriors in the playoff chase. Steven Jackson fractured his toe last week and may be unavailable, depending on MRI results. His return shouldn’t make any difference if the Clips exploit their size advantage again, which enabled LA to enjoy a 48-35 rebounding edge and 35-15 difference in free throw attempts last time.

Sunday: vs. Detroit (no TV, 12:00 pm) – the Pistons absolutely spanked the Clippers last month in Auburn Hills and are the only team in the East that looks to be a legitimate title threat this late in the year, winning 12 of 14 and solidifying a potential number one seed. Chris Webber continues to show that he still has some gas in the tank, thriving as a complementary player in the Pistons’ egalitarian system. Surprisingly, it’s been the Pistons’ defense that has improved most in the 21 games since Webber’s arrival: they’ve only allowed 100 or more points three times during that stretch. What it reflects is the renewed focus that Detroit has gained, now that they’re not as focused on bickering with Flip Saunders. The Clips will need to hope that Detroit somehow misplaces this concentration in transit, as it’s the team’s last West Coast swing of the year.

AP Photo by Reed Saxon

Better Than Ever

(Originally posted on LAist on March 2)
(Featured on Bruins Nation on March 7)



Winning never gets old.

The UCLA men’s basketball program has had more than its fair share of winning over the years, holding the majority of the major NCAA team records, including championships, Final Four appearances, consecutive winning seasons, consecutive games won, and weeks ranked #1. Nevertheless, last night’s hard-fought win in hostile Pullman over an excellent Washington St. team, which clinched an outright Pac-10 championship (and likely top overall seed in the Big Dance), felt as good as any win in recent memory.

Granted, with the Bruins’ tradition, and the raised expectation of success after last year’s run to the Finals, some may deem it premature to celebrate, noting that the true measure of success is the team’s performance during the three-week crapshoot that is the NCAA tournament. LAist says this is a load of crap. Regardless of how March (or April) turns out for UCLA, this squad has earned all of the praise it has garnered, simply based on its consistent quality of play throughout the course of the year. In short, the Bruins have simply been a joy to watch as a basketball fan.

Now many may argue that the current brand of basketball that UCLA employs is hard on the eyes. Without question, it is not always as aesthetically pleasing as, say the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, to watch the team grind out lower-scoring games, wearing opponents down on the defensive end and being effective enough offensively to outgun teams when necessary. What is incredible to watch is the level of precision that the team executes its game plan. It’s seeing probable All-American Arron Afflalo run a curl off of two solid back picks to square up for an open three-pointer. It’s observing Luc Richard Mbah a Moute setting a down pick for a strong-side cutter, then flaring off of a back pick on the weak-side for a backdoor layup fed from Josh Shipp in the corner. It’s watching Alfred Aboya come over the top on a post double-team, while Darren Collison sneaks back into the passing lane at the top of the key to make the steal. It is superior preparation, combined with fundamental situational understanding, mixed with top-notch talent. It is brilliance in action.

In college sports, the top programs are able to consistently recruit the top high school talents, giving them a built-in advantage over the other 99% of teams. These programs can overwhelm most teams by their sheer athleticism. And every year, there are also a number of teams that make up for their shortcomings in talent through effort, discipline, and teamwork to achieve great things. Under Ben Howland, UCLA has been returned to being a program that epitomizes both of these characteristics, full of highly talented players that play for collective rather than individual success. Not surprisingly, the wins have followed, even in this supposed transition year with three key players gone from last year’s team.

The funny thing is that there will always be haters that give little credence to the mental and physical toughness that Howland instills in his players, regardless of how many wins they accumulate. In fact, Hall of Fame Arizona coach Lute Olson recently took a jab at both UCLA and USC (another program being rebuilt in this hard-nosed style), saying that the schools couldn’t attract top recruits because they didn’t play an enjoyable style of basketball; this despite the fact that Olson’s Wildcats are woefully underachieving this year, buried in a tie for fourth place with arguably the most talented roster in the conference (and getting smoked twice by both teams, sour grapes anyone?). Last time LAist checked, teams didn’t raise championship banners for accumulating the most style points. Some may abide by the White Men Can’t Jump mantra of looking good and losing rather than looking bad and winning. That’s what Sportscenter Top 10 Plays is for. Meanwhile, the Bruins will keep chugging along and playing their game, knowing that they have nothing to prove to anyone but themselves.

So as the regular season winds down, LAist extends its congratulations to UCLA for its excellence: for taking each opponent’s best punch every game, knowing that any loss will be followed by the indignity of opposing fans rushing the court to celebrate a season-making win; for always bringing a high level of intensity no matter the opponent, and raising that level of intensity when the stakes matter most; for carrying a certain self-assuredness and confidence, which leads to an approach to the game that doesn’t involve bragging to the media, complaining to the officials, or sulking after some bad breaks; for never accepting defeat and always striving for perfection; for playing the game as it was meant to be played.

Keep on winning Bruins. To borrow another line from White Men Can’t Jump, “it’s SO pretty, SO pretty.” No matter how ugly it is.

AP Photos by Gus Ruelas and Kody Whiteaker