Oh man. Ish just got real with Gilbert Arenas and Laura Govan.

Something tells me he's not going to be inviting her to live with him and then kicking her out every weekend anymore. CBS Sports reports:

Orlando guard Gilbert Arenas was served with child support and custody papers as he left the court during halftime of the Magic’s game against Miami.
A process server stopped Arenas as he walked off the court during Thursday night’s loss to the Heat. The court documents, obtained by the Associated Press, were a California petition filed by Laura Mendoza Govan. She identified herself as his ex-girlfriend in the documents.
The petition seeks custody and child support for three children that Govan says Arenas fathered and has since “financially cut off.” She is also seeking support for another unborn child as well monthly support for the other children.
In the petition, she is seeking $109,000 in monthly support payments from Arenas and $1.3 million annually.

Why oh whyyy couldn't this have happened tomorrow, in Boston?! I'm really wondering what motivational speaker extraordinaire, head Coach Stan Van Gundy, had to say about this. The man has a natural grace about him, and a real way with words.

J'Adore, Flo Allen.

(photo source)

Ray Allen is now eight 3 pointers away from breaking Reggie Miller's record. He's gunnin' for ya!

Also, I love this lady. 

A) She loves her son... SO much!!!

B) Where can I get one of those shirts? 

C) When is desert?

It's funny how these things happen

"Jermaine O'Neal is not going to have surgery. He's going to rehab for 4-6 weeks and be ready for the post season."


Flash forward two weeks: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, "Jermaine O'Neal had surgery today."

Oh, Danny. It's always him that gets put in to this position.

Anyway. Get better soon, JO!

Recap: C's lose as the clock winds down on a J. Kidd 3

With the Celtics down 2 with seconds to go, and Rondo as the inbound passer, I thought the game was as good as in overtime... Or that maybe we'd get lucky and KG would get fouled as he went up to catch the lob and lay it in, and the Celtics would steal it at the buzzer. Instead, Rondo threw a bad pass, and KG wasn't able to catch it. It was actually kind of shocking- how many times have we seen him nail that pass, from all over the court? Too many to count. Tommy was just as confused as I was. He couldn't believe Rondo didn't connect with KG. All he could keep talking about was where the pass should have gone, and where Rondo should have aimed on the backboard... Like Rondo didn't know, better than anyone else, and like we haven't seen it happen successfully time and time again. Maybe a Celtics win just wasn't in the stars last night. Chris Forsberg said it best- we're spoiled by this team. They're so well oiled, they're so disciplined and they execute so well in crunch time, that on the rare occasion they come up empty, we're left scratching our heads as to why. Well- here's why, and it's not some deep, complicated theory- the Celtic offense went stagnant over the last 2:43 of the 4th quarter, and they didn't score. There was also some kind of defensive breakdown on the Mavs last play. Dirk Nowitzki was triple teamed and Jason Kidd was left wide open. Ray Allen ran to get back to Kidd, almost jumped out of the building on a Kidd pump fake, and Kidd buried the three.  Wamp! But I'm with Doc on this one, who, like Forsberg, summed it up quite simply, "We just lost the game. We didn't play great, we didn't play poorly. We just lost the basketball game. I don't think I'm going to look too deeply in to this one." KG shared that sentiment, "When it came down to it, we didn't make the shots that we usually make." And it's true, KG missed a wide open 15 footer towards the end of the 4th quarter that's usually money. It just didn't go in that time. It happens.

Speaking of KG- he got in to a skirmish with JJ Barea last night. There was mutual contact between them, and some pushing and shoving- but then a ref came to separate them and KG hit the refs hand off of him. I know it's KG and he's in the zone at all times- but this can't keep happening. The Celtics need him on the floor as much as possible, and if he keeps it up, he could be suspended... And nobody has time for that foolishness.

For the first time since 1975... There are 4 Celtics on the All Star team.

Back then it was John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens and Paul Silas.

Today, obviously, it's Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

I've been a fan of Paul Pierce since he was a rookie on the Celtics, when I was in 7th grade... And it's moments like this that kind of make me pause and put things in perspective. That these guys we're watching now can measure up at all to the legends that are Havlicek, White, Cowens and Silas is a mind boggling thing. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing team to root for. I'm watching history happen, and I try to always keep that in mind when I watch them, because it's not going to last forever.

(picture source)

Yes! Just what we need! Another Real Housewives spin off... This time in Miami, with Scottie Pippen's wife!

Okay, so the whole Real Housewives thing is getting a little bit out of control... But I'll admit that I do on occasion watch... And enjoy myself probably a little too much, because everyone is so over the top and ridiculous. That trend is SURE to continue with the new cast.

Bravo revealed who the new cast will feature (from left to right):

Alexia Echevarria is the executive editor of Venue magazine, where she covers fashion and celebrity culture. She lives on Miami Beach with her husband Herman and has two sons from a previous marriage.

Marysol Patton (who supposedly pitched this show) is a Miami native who runs her own PR firm, the Patton Group. A divorcee, Patton is known for throwing bashes around town and loves to spend time with her mother, Elsa, who considers herself a "seer" and offers spiritual guidance people in town.

Larsa Pippen is married to basketball star Scottie Pippen and was known as the "Hottest NBA wife." A mother of four, Pippen boasts that she's successful at everything she does.

Cristy Rice was recently divorced from NBA star Glen Rice. The show will follow her single life as she juggles business (she owns a clothing store) and being a single mom. 

Lea Black has a 9-year-old son with her lawyer husband. A strong supporter of President Obama, the Texas-born Housewife is invested in her own charitable endeavors.

Adriana DeMoura-Sidi is fiery and flirtatious and ... newly engaged. Her personality lands her in trouble and the subject of much gossip among the ladies. (source)

Yes, yes, and yes! I love how Glen Rice is described as "NBA superstar." They forgot to throw in the part about that being most true in 1997 (not to throw salt on him. My man was quite the prolific scorer). And I can't wait to find out what constitutes the "everything" that Larsa Pippen is successful at.

More on "The Pre-Game Meal" w/Shannon Allen

*This post has been updated with **VIDEO** and you can view it by clicking HERE!*

Rajon Rondo will play co-host with Shannon Allen on her cooking show, "The Pre-Game meal." Shannon dished on what the episode will feature: 

“He helped me prepare the unfried, crispy, baked chicken,” Shannon said in an e-mail. “I also made cornbread, 'go green beans,' and a less-sweet than usual version of a traditional southern specialty, sweet tea. Rondo is from Louisville, Kentucky, and grew up on some serious homespun Southern cuisine. I tried to incorporate a healthy twist on some of his favorites.”

In each episode, Shannon and her guest sit and talk over the meal they’ve made.

“Rajon and I chat… about food, what’s important to him on and off the basketball court and learn about his personal 'pregame meal,' as well as his thoughts about diet and exercise.”

More on the show after the jump

Should Ray Allen be an All Star reserve?

It seems to be between him and Joe Johnson. I love Johnson, but it doesn't seem like it should even be up for debate. Chris Forsberg broke it down quite nicely here:

* In games in which each player scored 20 or more points, Allen and the Celtics are 14-0; Johnson and the Hawks are 14-6.

* The 29-year-old Johnson is shooting 31 percent from 3-point land, which would be his lowest output since his rookie season; The 35-year-old Allen is shooting 45.8 percent, which would be a career high.
* Johnson is averaging 20.6 points per game while taking 17.4 shots per contest; Allen is averaging 17.3 points per game, but hoisting only 12.5 shots per contest.

* Allen is averaging 50.8 percent from the field this season, which would be a career high; Johnson is shooting 45 percent, nothing to sneeze at, but he's had four other seasons better (including 45.8 percent last year).

Two things stick out to me here: First, that Ray Allen averages 17 points and only needs 12 shots to get there, and second, that Ray Allen, one of the best shooters in NBA history, is shooting a career high from the field. No debate here. The only thing that would be good about him not getting the nod is that he'd get the week off and could go lie on a beach somewhere.

Heck yeah!

And now we wait for the word to come down on our Big Three!

What is it about reality stars that NBA players find so irresistible?

I'm a little late with this story... But this is Michelle Money (of course her last name is Money), a contestant on The Bachelor. Which NBA star couldn't let this golden opportunity pass him by?

Find out after the jump!

Let's all pause for a moment and reflect on Kendrick Perkins

He was originally slated to make his return after All Star break... Then he was feeling so good that he said he'd be back February 4th... Then he surprised us all and came back to action on January 25, at home against Cleveland. That was 5 games ago, and his transition back has been remarkable.

The rebounds are good. The defensive stops warm the heart of his coach. The inside points are a nice bonus. But the most positive development for Kendrick Perkins is that somewhere on the Celtics tour of the West, he made such a seamless transition that one could forget he’d just come back last week from offseason ACL surgery. Now playing the most minutes at center, Perkins had eight points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday night’s 95-90 win against the Sacramento Kings that secured a 3-1 trip.

That he was smiling at the end, having passed his own psychological test, certainly was comforting. That Perkins made it through the four games in six nights with no physical trouble is a goal secured. “This definitely helps my confidence,” Perkins said. “I think it’s all mental. I keep saying that. A lot of people out there are not 100 percent, so I think you’ve just got to keep pushing, keep grinding. I feel good. My body feels good. I feel like I’m getting in good shape. It’s only five games. I’m just going to keep on pushing from there.”

Remember, this is a player who averaged 10.1 points on 60.2 percent shooting last season. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I’ll tell you when I think I’m there,” said Perkins, who’s made 11-of-18 attempts from the floor (61.1 percent) so far.

Heading into the Sacramento game, coach Doc Rivers didn’t have a definitive call on when Perkins would go back into the starting lineup, but there doesn’t seem to be any reason to wait. “He will in due time,” Rivers said. “There’s no date for it or anything. He just looks good, and I’m happy. He looks great, so as long as he looks good and doesn’t show us anything (that could bring concern), we’re just going to keep him out there.” (source)

Shaq and Hoopz: A looooove story

Shaq has taken Boston by storm, since signing with the Celtics over the summer... Does this mean that Shaq and Hoopz are going to be the new "it" couple around town? The Globe thinks so. They're set to run a story about the pair. Here are some snippets.

How they met... 

Alexander (Hoopz) had met O’Neal a few times, through the Hollywood scene, but hadn’t thought about him much, at least not in a romantic way. It wasn’t until last summer that she was reintroduced to him through a friend. Alexander was visiting her photographer pal, Christopher “Yella’’ Hawkins, in St. Louis, and saw an autographed picture of Shaq on his wall. She told Yella that she had met Shaq and thought he was cool. Yella texted O’Neal that Alexander had said hello. Almost immediately, O’Neal texted Yella back, asking if Hoopz had a boyfriend. Shaq was divorced at that point and was ready for a new relationship. Within a month, Alexander and O’Neal had lined up a dinner date in Las Vegas. She was in town for her birthday; he was there to tape his show, “Shaq Vs.’’ 

More excerpts after the jump

Derrick Rose in spandex.

Adidas wants everyone to wear these compression style jerseys at the all-star game. HILARIOUS! That would definitely make the game worth watching... And not because I'd be drooling at the site of D. Rose running around in spandex, because I'd somehow be able to contain myself... But because it's sooooo funny. Does he have little matching shorts under there? It looks like he's about to rip the bottom off and get in to some gymnastics. 

Go D. Rose, go! Maybe at half time everyone could come out and do a routine?

Recap: C's head home having won 3 of 4 on the road.

Here's what we learned: Sacramento has plenty of promise for their future, but they're not there yet. They have budding star power, in Tyreke Evans and Demarcus Cousins (he's admittedly really good... but he's also leaning towards pompous. He's one of those guys you hate to play against, but love to have on your team), who will become quite the formidable duo in time. They boast additional young talent, in Donte Green and Omar Casspi, and also have solid talent in Samuel Dalembert and Carl Landry. They're just not there yet. The Celtics came in and played at a higher level of basketball, executed the second half in a machine-like fashion, and out savvied the Kings. 

Ray Allen had a strong game, connecting on four of seven three point attempts. He scored 22 points, and is now three pointers away from breaking Reggie Miller's record. KG seemed to be even more intense then usual, if that's possible. Maybe it's the after affect of that knock to the head he took in LA, and he found additional inspiration in the large band-aid he sported. In any case, he put up a nice line of 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks... And sent Dalembert and Cousins home extremely annoyed. 

Image C/O Chris Forsberg's twitter page.

Paul had a solid effort, and hit some big shots in the 4th frame, on his way to 15 points. Rondo continued on from his strong second half effort in LA. I thought he was really great last night- 17 points, 10 assists, 4 steals. He was aggressive from the opening tip, and attacked the basket more than he has in recent outings. He's almost impossible to stop when he's going to the rim, because his defender is scared he's going to magically find the open person, and because he has the ball handling ability to break anyones ankles. I've almost gotten used to watching him take it to the rim and then try to force it to someone down low, but last night he did a really great job of taking it all the way himself. 

HUGE shout out to Nate Robinson. Early on in the game, he came in and jacked up some ill advised shots, after which, he promptly returned to the bench. When he made his return to the floor, he did so with a huge focus on defense. He closed the game for the Celtics, and it wasn't because they were ahead by a comfortable margin. It was because he was playing well enough that it was okay for Doc Rivers to keep Rondo on the bench. Nate was in the middle of everything defensively, diving for loose balls and coming up with 5 steals. 

It's panic time in LA!

And not just because things aren't going well on the court for the Lakers, as some of my favorite bloggers at Reds Army so eloquently explained here and here. Trouble is now brewing off the court in Laker land as well.

Here's what I gather the scoop is, from my blog browsing: Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Kardashian Odom have scored their own reality show, as I previously talked about here. Apparently this news has not set well with Mrs. Vanessa Bryant (Kobe's wife):

Vanessa has wasted no time throwing around her weight to make life that much harder for Khloe. She's completely banned Kobe from making any cameo appearances on the show and has already managed to get E! cameras completely banned from the Lakers' locker room.

According to an insider:
"Vanessa and Khloe have been longtime rivals. Vanessa has been pitching her own reality series, with no success yet, and she hates that rival Khloe is impinging on what she considers to be her territory." (source)

Maybe that's why Kobe decided to take things in to his own hands on Sunday. He didn't want Lamar getting any of the glory... Teeheehe... But Probably not.

Paul Pierce throws down the ultimate gauntlet.

Paul is shooting a career high from three point land this season (42.3%), and he is the reigning champ of the point contest... But Ray Allen is also shooting the three at a career high rate (45.4%). I might have to put my money on Ray and his lightning quick release in this match up- they showed a slowed down version of his release during Celtics-Lakers, and it took him something like .777 seconds to catch and shoot the ball. Crazy. Anyway, I wish the NBA would make this happen- All Star weekend is slightly unbearable to watch and this would make it worth sitting through the hours of commercials and dragged on events.

Celtics remain in #2 spot in Marc Stein's weekly power rankings.

Here is the top 8 (click image to enlarge, or go here to see the whole thing)

It's pretty hard to disagree with these rankings, especially after the Celtics mailed in that ugly one in Phoenix. Here are last weeks rankings, incase you want to do some comparing and contrasting. 

Girls talk sports: looking ahead to Celtics-Kings.

The last time the Celtics and Kings played, the Celtics ran away with the game in a 119-95 win. Tyreke Evans sat out that game, and the Kings looked pretty lowly. I expect much more of a fight tomorrow night, as the Kings are riding high. They are riding a two game winning streak- just the second time all season they've won consecutive games- but what makes this impressive is that the wins came against the Lakers and the Hornets. What's been working for the Kings as of late?

• Rookie Demarcus Cousins has come up huge for Sacramento, putting up a combined line of 52 points, 22 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks against LA and New Orleans. Cousins was thought by many to be a head case, which is why he was still available at #5 for the Kings to pick him. He seems to have reigned himself in, because as his line shows, he has helped the Kings win games from all over the floor, not just scoring. 
• After being plagued by various injuries for much of the beginning of the season, Tyreke Evans appears to be on the road back to health. Evans had 18 points and 6 assists in the victory against LA. In comparison to the numbers Cousins put up, this line is not staggering, but Evans is the floor general for the Kings, so his presence is needed to set the pace and bring consistency and rhythm. 
• Improved team defense: The Kings held LA to 41 percent shooting, and held the Hornets to 43 percent. In their last nine games, they have held their opponents to 96.9 points per game, as opposed to their previous season average of close to 102 points a game. Part of their recent defensive success comes from tough interior play. Cousins is a key component to this, but so is bench player Samuel Dalembert. Dalembert is an effective rebounder and shot blocker, and he will be starting against the Celtics, due to an ankle injury to Jason Thompson sustained during the Laker game.  

The Celtics cannot come in to Sacramento thinking that it will be an easy win. Much of what propelled them to victory in LA will be crucial tomorrow:

• Win the battle of the boards: Dalembert and Cousins are both strong rebounders. Evans, Carl Landry and Omar Casspi are all other guys that the Celtics need to keep a body on, to keep the Kings from getting easy second chance points.  
• Strong performances from Celtics big men: As was aforementioned, Cousins and Dalembert have come up huge for the Kings as of late. Perk, Shaq and Glen Davis will need to match their effort and win the toughness battle. With Thompson sidelined, the Kings lack depth in their front court, and this is something that the Celtics need to capitalize on by attacking the rim. 
• Patience on offense: The Celtics need to test the Kings newfound dedication to defense. Attacking the basket will apply pressure to the Kings defense, and create space for the Celtics to get easy, open jump shots. 

KG refuses autograph to Lakers ball boy... And this is somehow Andrew Bogut's business.

Wait. Andrew Bogut really talks about KG with Buck's ball boys? 

He must still be mad. 

Recap: Victorrryyyyyy

I'm looking back at the notes I took on the game and realizing that they're bordering on being incoherent... I was a little excited, so you'll have to excuse me. The Celtics looked like a completely different team than the one we saw in Portland and in Phoenix. They maintained focus, played with discipline, and executed this game to a tee. Every time that the Celtics needed a big play, they got one. And they got them from a variety of people: just off the top of my head, Paul Pierce, KG, Ray, Glen Davis and Nate Robinson all came through in the clutch. Part of the reason this win was so great is due to the fact that this was a true team victory. Everyone contributed. For the Lakers, Kobe seemed like he was the only one invested in winning. He had a great game, but nobody else on LA was there with him. He decided to stop passing in the fourth quarter... Sometimes that works out for LA. Not today.

Keys of the game


The Celtics big people wore the Lakers down in the paint: Bynum was kept to 28 minutes and 11 points. Gasol played 39 minutes and had 12 points. They were semi-effective on the boards- Gasol had 4 offensive rebounds and Bynum had 3, but for the most part, the Celtics were able to limit their impact. They did this by playing them physically, and by rotating different people on to them, so that they could never get comfortable.

A VICTORY in the battle of the boards: In a reversal of current trends, the Celtics won the battle of the boards in a BIG way. The Celtics had 43 team rebounds, 9 of them on the offensive glass. The Lakers had 30 team rebounds, 10 of them on the glass. Part of the Celtics success on the boards came from stellar play from the big men. Glen Davis did a great job of playing physical in the paint and never giving up on a potential rebound. Perk also did a good job of that. Another factor was the Celtics effort topped that of the Lakers. The Green fought hard on every possession and moved quicker than the Lakers. There were several instances where the Lakers stood around watching while the Celtics grabbed a rebound- and when the Celtics were running down the court, Lakers big men were walking.

More after the jump

A fluffy post about Shaq doing charity, to help ease your tension before the game today.

Can we just talk about how Shaq dwarfs this Benz?

He also dwarfs Lil' B (God sister of Brandy and Ray-J) and the random cute baby. I didn't know they were friends. I wonder where Hoopz was, she's usually by his side.

The big man found some time to do some good before todays big game. Shaqtus helped raise 2,500 dollars for the LA Boys and Girls Club at their "Millions of Milkshakes" event. Whatta guy!

Pictures C/O Bossip and The YBF. 

Girls talk sports: looking ahead to Celtics-Lakers.

I found this video over at Celtics Life, and it successfully gave me goose bumps, so I decided to share it here as well.

Today is the first rematch between the Celtics and Lakers since Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year. That being said, this is a big game. But oh how things have changed. Since there are story lines galore surrounding this game, I've chosen to focus primarily on the big guys.

Our bigs: Perkins, Shaq, Davis, KG (with some Erden mixed in) VS theirs: Odom, Gasol, Bynum.

What will the reception be of Shaq in LA wearing a Celtics uniform? I'm sure he'll be boo'ed. I'm also sure he doesn't care. Conversely, I think he loves it. Shaq loves drama. What could create more drama than this? He left LA in a storm of controversy 7 years ago and returns today wearing the uniform of their arch enemy. I'm not sure how he's feeling health-wise, but I'm not going to use the Phoenix game as a barometer, because nobody looked good in that game. I think he'll rise to the occasion today and be fired up, zoned in and ready to go. Beyond Shaq still having the fire burning in him to win, today he has the extra motivation to beat Kobe... And I don't think that factor can be discounted.

The return of Perk: It's been said hundreds of times before: Perk didn't play in Game 7, after injuring his knee in Game 6, and many think that the Celtics would have come out victorious in Game 7 had he played. Well, he'll be on the floor today. This will be his 4th game back, and he's looked great so far. Bynum is far more talented and physically imposing than anyone else Perk has seen thus far, so it will be interesting to see how that match up goes. Perk is among the many who believe that the Celtics would have been the champions had he played, and I expect that he's anxious to get out there and prove it on the court today.

KG is better: Last year everyone rooting for the Celtics was happy that KG was healthy enough to be on the floor. We have so much more than that to hold on to this year- not only is he back, but he's really back. He has been phenomenal so far this year. This will not be the same KG who Gasol matched up with last year. Defensively, KG is far more physically equipped to stay with Gasol away from the basket, and to battle with him in the paint. On the offensive end, this year has brought the return of his post-game. Last year the majority of his game was played away from the basket, and he settled for jump shots. It's not that he's turned in to Dwight Howard, banging around down there, but he does attack the paint and is shooting at a high percentage near the rim. Gasol has become a tougher, more physical player since 2008, but I remain that KG can out-tough and mentally shake him. In the same vein, Jerry West recently criticized the Lakers, and accused them of being old and playing lazy basketball. The Celtics as a team are absolutely able to out-tough this Lakers team. To provide an example of how this cold happen, Jerry West said that the Lakers have a tendency to stand around and watch their opponent collect loose balls, as opposed to fighting for them. Outside of that nightmare-ish Phoenix game, the Celtics are generally good for diving on the floor and holding on for dear life.

More after the jump