Celtics return home to face Wizards

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03/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics will face another inferior foe from the Eastern Conference tonight, when they return home to take on the Washington Wizards at TD Garden.

Boston battled back in Friday's 96-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, as Rajon Rondo sparked the squad with 14 of his 16 points in the third quarter and handed out 11 assists. Kevin Garnett had 22 points and Ray Allen finished with 16 for the Celtics, who have won three straight despite getting just seven points out of Paul Pierce.

"It's not about one player," Pierce said. "This is a team that's not centered around one person scoring all the points."

The Atlantic Division-leading Celtics are third in the conference standings and are expected to welcome a new member to the team Sunday. Boston signed veteran swingman Michael Finley this weekend and he has averaged 15.9 points per game in his 14-year career.

The Celtics are 17-11 in Beantown this season.

Washington has lost two straight and four of five games, including Friday's 102-74 setback versus the Milwaukee Bucks at the Verizon Center.

Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee each scored 13 points, and McGee added 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who got 12 points off the bench from Earl Boykins.

"We can't let one (loss) ruin the rest of your season," said Blatche, who is averaging 24.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and shooting .541 percent from the field in nine games since the All-Star break. "These kind of games happens to every team in the league."

Boston has won the first two meetings with Washington this season and five straight overall. Blatche is averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 steals in two games versus the Celtics in 2009-10.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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