Rebounding Paradigms and Statistical Paradoxes

To contact us Click HERE

As the Celtics’22-point lead whittled away Tuesday night in Cleveland, you were probablywondering two things.  One, when did SideshowBob become Moses Malone?  And two, when’sthe last time the Celtics lost a lead like that.
Let’s start withAnderson Varejao, who had one of the best individual games against Boston inthe last decade. Approaching that lethal moment on the career curve when youthand athleticism crosses with experience, Varejao is having the best year of hiscareer.  And the league’s leader inoffensive rebounding had an ideal matchup on Tuesday.
The result, Varejao posted justthe 2^nd 20/20 game against the New Big Three Celtics.  (Dwight Howard had the other in March of 2009in a game notable in that it turned out to be Kevin Garnett’s final appearance of the title defense season.)
 CELTICSOPPONENT REBOUNDS – NEW BIG 3 ERA
24 –LOVE VS. MINNESOTA – JANUARY 3, 201121 –HOWARD @ ORLANDO –MARCH 25, 2009**20 –HOWARD @ ORLANDO – DECEMBER 25, 200920 – VAREJAO @ CLEVELAND – JANUARY 31,2012**19 –NOWITZKI @ DALLAS – MARCH 20, 200819 –JEFFERSON @ UTAH – FEBRUARY 28, 2011
**20/20 Game
  20 REBOUND GAMES VS. BOSTON – SINCE 2001
28 –WALLACE @ DETROIT – MARCH 24, 200224 –LOVE VS. MINNESOTA – JANUARY 3, 201123 –NOWITZKI @ DALLAS – FEBRUARY 21, 200221 –CAMBY @ NEW YORK – DECEMBER 11, 200121 –WALLACE @ DETROIT – MARCH 15, 200321 –HOWARD @ ORLANDO –MARCH 25, 200920 –OLOWOKANDI @ L.A. CLIPPERS – DECEMBER 29, 200120 -O’NEAL @ LA LAKERS – MARCH 21, 200320 –Ke THOMAS VS. PHILADELPHIA – APRIL 10, 200320 –MARION @ PHOENIX – FEBRUARY 27, 200520 –HOWARD @ ORLANDO – DECEMBER 25, 200920 – VAREJAO @ CLEVELAND – JANUARY 31,2012


But lest youthink the Celtics can’t make rebounding history.  They may, tonight.  Kevin Garnett is nine defensive rebounds shyof 10,000 for his career.  He’ll becomejust the third man in league history to reach that milestone. Karl Malone, Robert Parish, KevinGarnett.  That’s it.
MOSTDEFENSIVE REBOUNDS – NBA HISTORY

1.	KARL MALONE	11406
2.	ROBERT PARISH	10117
3.	KEVIN GARNETT	9991
4.	HAKEEM OLAJUWON	9714

And because it’s2:15am, and you’ve read this far, you could call these “nuggets” or “bullet”points, but they don’t pertain to either of those franchises.




*   The Celtics have nowwon 121 straight games when leading by 19+.  If Tuesday night’s scare seemedoddly familiar, it’s because the last time it happened, it was in the samebuilding.  On November 11, 2006, theLebron James’ 25 second-half points led Cavs back from 25 down to beat theCeltics 94-93. The Celtics leading scorer that night? Kendrick Perkins. Or,after Monday night, the artist now known around the NBA as “Kia Optima.”

·      *   TheCeltics have now won nine straight when scoring at least 89 points.  In fact, the Celtics are 9-0 when scoringbetween 89-100 points.  The two timesthey’ve broken 100? Both losses, at New York and Miami to open the season.
·       *  Howbizarre was the historic 27-point comeback in Orlando last week? In the othernine wins, the Celtics largest comeback? Five points.
·       *  RamonSessions had the first double-digit assist game against the Celtics this year.  And the first since Chris Paul had 15 lastMarch 19^th in New Orleans. It ended a 33-game regular season streakof no one getting 10 assists against the Celtics, and oddly enough, he ended thatstreak off the bench.
And I leave youwith the strangest statistical note of the day….The Celtics and the Cavalierswere the last two teams in the NBA this year without a win against a .500team.  The Celtics got three last week,home and home with Orlando anad against the Pacers.  So the Cavs entered the night as the onlyteam without one.  But by losing…wait forit…they got it.  The loss pushed theCeltics up to .500 at 10-10, meaning Sunday win for the Cavs in Boston, is nowconsidered a win against a .500 team.
Deriving joy frombizarre statistical paradoxes like that is likely why I get so little sleep,and almost definitely why I’m no longermarried.