C comes before V, always.

I know the 76ers are not the best team in the NBA, and really haven’t been good since the hay day of A.I., but the Celtics made another big statement tonight in Philly. No one was really watching, as most of the city is rightfully concentrating on other sports. It’s probably for the best.

Last season, the Celtics’ chance to repeat as champs were all but eliminated when Kevin Garnett went down, and addressed their lack of bench depth with the acquisitions of Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, and Sheldon Williams this off season. So far, with a 5-0 start, the bench looks as solid as any other in the league. In tonight’s game, Wallace, Daniels and Williams were +30, +31, and +28 in points, respectively; a combined +89 in the C’s 105-74 victory. The 76ers’s recent bench expenditures, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, and Thaddeus Young, were a combined were a -58 for the evening. Even though Cole Hamels apologized today, it was still an ugly day in Philly.

The Celtics will be tested Friday night in Phoenix, where the Suns are off to a 4-0 start themselves, granted they came against the Clippers, The Warriors, The Timber Wolves, and the Heat. The Celtics have wins against other C’s, Cleveland, Charlotte, and Chicago.
Not a bad start, but Phoenix is always tough, especially in the desert.

I’ll tune in for highlights of Game 6 once it goes final. I’m a Red Sox fan, I know better than to put all my money on Pedro in the Bronx. We’ll see. Go Phillies, go! I hope Utley ends it with a home run to take the record for most home runs in a postseason away from Reggie Jackson. Sorry, Yankee readers, it’s the truth.

There will be more on The C’s tomorrow, for those interested. I’ve finished viewing the premiere of “V,” which I’ll review later as well. The Celtics piece will be on “Without Bias,” which is next on the viewing schedule.