Morning (Hard)wood: Forcing 7
Pic via (@mxd)
Hardwood
We have ourselves a Game 7, folks. There was a pivotal moment last night, when the Celtics were down six or so, that the game could have gone one of two ways. Either the experienced Celtics were going to turn on their winning switch or just pack it in and wait for a Game 7 in Boston, in front of their home fans.
They chose the latter, thanks in large part to the Sixers finally stepping on their throats with a chance to close out a game.
These playoffs have been odd. Most of the city has been in a “wait and see” mode. A holding pattern, if you will. Excitement has been tempered by the realization that no matter what happens during the first two rounds, the Sixers are probably going to have to play the Heat, which is a losing battle. But now we have a Game 7, on Saturday night, of Memorial Day weekend– a uniting event. If you recall, on that same evening in 2010, the Flyers played Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and Roy Halladay threw a perfect game.
Perhaps there will be some more heroics this year.
Future Dodgers
Cole Hamels added a year and $17 million to his next contract last night:
8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 8 K, 3 BB
Ryan Howard had muscle removed from his heel area
Seemingly influenced by the Inquirer’s all-out assault on the Phillies’ media relations, Ruben Amaro is coming clean about Ryan Howard’s second surgery. He had some muscle removed:
“When he had that infection, that had to debride quite a bit of it out of that area. And when they did that, they had to take actual meat, and muscle out of that area, which obviously made this rehab much, much longer than it should be. Unfortunately we can’t control the fact that he did get an infection, but you know, it happened. It was a result of his body kind of rejecting the stitches out of his body. But these are things that happen, they are complications that happen, and unfortunately it’s hurting our club.”
They hid that for three months. Three.
Sexy soccer players
Jrue Holiday is dating US Women’s Soccer player Lauren Cheyney. This Tweet from the lovely Alex Morgan would seem to indicate that most of the team was in attendance last night:
I wonder why A-Mo wasn’t there? I also wonder who she was going to bed with??
Vanity
Pic via (@Alex4Hirst)
Is this Jason Babin’s car?
Max Talbot
Pic via (@brendanjryan15)
Earlier this week, reader Brendan ran into MAX TALBOT at the Guinness brewery in Dublin. Meanwhile, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter on Tuesday night:
Paul Pierce Playing Poker at Parx
Fuck yeah, alliteration!
Pic via (@jeremykusnir)
He was there again on Tuesday night. One reader, with connections there, tells us that Cliff Lee and Michael Phelps have also been known to play in the Parx poker room (separately).
SO HAPPY AND HARDWORKING, AN HONOR
Pic via (@KeepUpWithJonze)
The award for creepiest stalker photo ever on CB: Juan Castillo at the Phillies game on Tuesday.