B'S AND C'S CRUISE/ PATS/JAGS PREVIEW

Thanks for coming back for another edition of this sports heavy blog. You'll be rewarded, just as the city has been with the Red Sox winning the World Series. Currently, the Boston Celtics seem to be on that path as well.
The green entered the week with an astonishing mark off 25-3 record. The bashed the Lakers in L.A. during their final game of 2007 110-91. Odom hip checked Ray Allen in the process as every opponent in the Celts' way continue to get flustered. He was suspended the following day.
The first game of 2008 was a home game versus the McGrady-less Rockets. Though they put up a good fight, the C's won by 4 points. The Celt's defeated the Grizzlies by the same margin later in the week. Then came arguably the game of the year- Pistons/Celtics.
The C's came in 28-3 vs. the 26-7 Pistons. The two best teams in the East clashed in Detroit on a playoff atmospheric Saturday night. Tickets were going for thousands online and it was the hottest ticket in Detroit since 1990 vs. the Bulls. The teams met once earlier in the season as the Pistons won by 2 points.
This time the teams went back and forth and the Pistons entered the final frame up by 3 points. But the green outscored the blue 29-19 in the 4th en route to a 92-85 victory. Rookie Glen "Big Baby" Davis scored 16 points in the 4th quarter as he led the C's to the win. Paul Pierce had a great game, as did Garnett, but it was Pierce's assists to Davis that fueled the win. The Celtics sit at 29-3 and a 12 game lead in their division at last check! They welcome in the lowly Bobcats, Wizards and Nets in the near future.
The Bruins had a great week despite entering the week with a nasty 6 game losing streak. They ended it on New Year's Eve versus the Thrashers, the same team that blanked them 5-0 days before. Early on, the team trailed 2-0 and the losing streak appeared to be heading to 7 games. Fortunately, the team erupted for 5 goals and won, likely saving their season and boosting their confidence. The young team blanked the Capitals 2-0 as Tim Thomas continues to trigger MVP whispers. Much like the C's big test on Sat. night, the B's faced one as well.
The Bruins entered a home game vs. the Devils, a team that was 2-0 against the black and gold.
Big news came right before the drop of the puck- Marty Brodeur got the night off and Kevin Weekes replaced him. Needless to say, the Bruins won 4-3. The perfect 3-0 week put the Bruins in the mix of things with a sweet 21-16 record. Meanwhile, the Providence Bruins, the top farm club, was 30-5 at last check. The future looks bright. Speaking of the future, Bergeron should be back soon, same goes for Alberts. Also, young enforcer Milan Lucic lost his first ever fight mid week in 9 attempts. 9-1 ain't bad though. Neither are the Bruins.
Lastly, even though the Pats had a bye week, they were in the news. First, the 16-0 regular season continues to steal the headlines. Second, Coach Belichick won Coach of the Year. Third, Tom Brady won AP NFL MVP. And he certainly deserves the recognition for his stellar season.
In playoffs this week, the 3.Chargers came back to beat the 6.Titans 17-6. The 3.Seahawks beat the 6.Redskins 35-14. The 4. Bucs got upset vs. the 5. Giants. Lastly, the 5.Jaguars defeated the 4.Steelers. Thus, the 1.Pats will take on the 5.Jags on Saturday night at Gillette.
The Jags were favored over the injured Steelers and moved on. They have a good but often limited QB in Garrard and a very good running attack with Taylor and Jones-Drew. Late last season, the Pats beat the Jags in Jacksonville. Brady was speared by a Jags defender and the game got chippy.
In any case, the well rested Patriots should win the game rather easily. They are 12 point favorites for the exciting match-up. The keys to the game is the running game. The running happy Jags will try to run the ball, kill the clock and keep it close. So the Pats must stuff the run and simply play their game. The Pats should win, but it certainly will be a close game. Check back next week for the results. And as always, Go Pats!