Bad bounces, deities, and dog days, miscommunication and misfiring. Since Christmas Day, those factors have trumped the Big Three, leprechauns, and ubuntu.
At least that's how the Celtics are explaining a slump that grew to 2-6 with an 89-85 loss to the Houston Rockets last night at TD Banknorth Garden.
The Rockets (22-15) crunched the Celtics (29-8) in crunch time, limiting them to two field goals over the final 8:34 and scoring the final 5 points as Boston's best shooters - Ray Allen and Paul Pierce - were off the mark.
"Overall, I thought we got the looks we wanted, but that's when the offense and the defense comes into play," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "You've got to get stops, and what happens if you don't, then you put more pressure on your offense."
The Year of the Celtic seems like a fading memory as the team's trademark strong finishes have turned into late-game collapses, a reversal of form as well as fortune. The Celtics also squandered late chances in a 114-106 overtime defeat in Charlotte Tuesday, continuing a trend that began with a Dec. 25 loss to the Lakers, the start of a road trip that broke not only the Celtics' 19-game winning streak but also their spell on the opposition.
Now the slump has come home to roost - this loss snapped a 13-game home winning streak dating to Nov. 14 - and relegated the Celtics to second place in the Eastern Conference going into tomorrow's matchup at first-place Cleveland.
"I told the guys, a lot of balls were bouncing around, going the other way," Rivers said. "Same thing that went your way during the 19-game stretch - we won some games we had no business winning. We got the right bounce. We made the right shot. Right now, we're getting the same shot, they're going in and out. They're getting second shots off long rebounds and making shots. They're having role players step up and make threes. This is how it is. This is just the NBA's basketball gods sometimes. You've just got to stay with each other and keep playing."
The last-minute "ins" were a 3-pointer by Von Wafer with 43 seconds remaining - less than a minute after his airball led to the Celtics' last lead - and a Yao Ming (26 points) follow. The "outs" included a Pierce charge and missed 17-footer, and an Allen lefthanded banker rolling off the rim.
But the Celtics' fate was set up long before that.
They overturned a 7-point deficit with a spirited rally in the third quarter. And the Celtics had a 5-point advantage in the final quarter, but hit a 5:51 field goal drought.
Gabe Pruitt was the only Celtic to score in the first 7:43 of the final quarter. Pruitt's 3-pointer extended the Celtics' lead to 77-72 with 10:03 to go, and another Pruitt jumper reestablished a 5-point advantage with 8:34 left.
But the Celtics' offense failed, and Aaron Brooks's 3-pointer off the dribble gave Houston an 81-79 edge with 4:32 remaining. A Kevin Garnett miss was the Celtics' 11th in 13 attempts in the quarter, the Rockets then taking an 83-81 lead on Yao's turnaround with 3:17 remaining.
Pierce (26 points) started producing clutch plays - he drew Ron Artest's sixth foul, then tied the score at 83 with 2:43 to play. Rajon Rondo's layup off a Garnett bounce pass put the Celtics up, 85-84, with 1:34 remaining. A Garnett block on Brooks set the stage for the Celtics to take charge - but Pierce was called for a charge and the Rockets clinched the win on a Wafer 3-pointer with 43 seconds to go and a Yao follow after a Pierce miss.
"Right now, our defense is not getting the job done," Pierce said. "That's one of the first things we talk about. That's the type of team we are, and when we don't defend, it doesn't allow us to get out and run the break. We're not causing turnovers like we want to. You can defend us in the half-court and get us into a slowdown game, which we can play. But our goal is go out there and shut things down. We are allowing too much dribble penetration. I told the guys we need to get our defensive swagger back. It's been broke these last 10 or 12 days. We know what we're capable of - it's just about going back to the basics and doing what we do.
"I think the confidence is still there. It's a long season, and that's what we try to tell each other. We bend but we don't break, that's what it's all about. We preach the word 'ubuntu' and what it means - that through difficult times, we stay together."
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Death of Travolta's son raises medical questions
Millions of children and adults have seizures in the United States, but dying from one is rare. That only adds to the confusion and mystery surrounding the life and death of Jett Travolta, the 16-year-old son of actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
The death certificate lists a seizure as the cause of death, according to an undertaker in the Bahamas, where the boy died Friday. Family representatives and lawyers declined requests Tuesday for more information, fueling speculation that has swirled for years about the boy's health.
A Travolta attorney said the teen had a history of seizures, and John Travolta has said his son was successfully treated when he was 2 for a rare disease called Kawasaki syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and related problems.
Medical specialists who did not treat the boy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that while Kawasaki syndrome is poorly understood, it's extremely unlikely the disease had anything to do with the teen's death.
Gossip magazines and blogs long have suggested the boy also had autism — a claim John Travolta denied. Autism is frequently accompanied by seizures that experts believe may stem from the same brain abnormalities that cause the developmental disorder.
Dr. Michael Kohrman, a University of Chicago pediatric neurologist, said up to one-third of children with autism have some sort of seizure disorder.
Still, there are dozens of other causes of seizures. Recurrent seizures are sometimes called epilepsy and are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. These affect more than 3 million Americans.
Mild seizures can be barely noticeable; severe ones can cause convulsing and loss of consciousness.
"Sudden death in epilepsy is not an unheard-of phenomenon," said Dr. Bruce Cohen, a staff neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
It can happen with seizures lasting more than 15 or 20 minutes, typically when medicine stops working or if patients quit taking medicine, Cohen said. One way death occurs in these cases is respiratory muscles weaken from prolonged convulsions and the patient stops breathing, he explained.
More rarely, he said, about one in 1,000 epileptics die each year from a condition doctors call "sudep," or a sudden unexplained death that typically occurs with no sign of a seizure. Whether this happened to Jett Travolta or whether autopsy officials in the Bahamas know that term is uncertain.
"We're dealing with a massive lack of information," Cohen said.
Michael Ossi, an attorney for the Travoltas, and Samantha Mast, a Travolta publicist, told the AP by e-mail that they would not discuss details of the boy's illness.
Jett Travolta's body was cremated, and the autopsy report has not been released.
The Travoltas have said little about their son's condition and his medical treatment over the years. The couple are Scientologists, followers of the controversial religion created by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
The church is not commenting specifically on the Travolta case. But church policy is for members to seek a doctor for medical treatment of a physical condition, including taking any drugs prescribed.
"The bottom line is that Scientologists seek conventional medical treatment for medical conditions," said Tommy Davis, a spokesman for the Church of Scientology International in Los Angeles.
Kawasaki syndrome, the disease the family has said sickened Jett when he was a toddler, can cause inflammation in blood vessels and arteries. It typically features a persistent high fever accompanied by symptoms that can include bloodshot eyes; swelling in hands, feet and neck lymph nodes; a red rash on the arms and legs; and cracked, swollen lips.
Most cases occur in the first five years of life, and if treated promptly with aspirin and intravenous gamma globulin, children are essentially cured, said Dr. Cody Meissner, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
While inflammation can sometimes lead to burst arteries or heart damage, Meissner said most children have no complications. And those who do would develop them soon after diagnosis — not several years later, Meissner said.
"If 10 years or more had gone by, it would be very unlikely that seizure activity could be attributed to Kawasaki disease," Meissner said.
Kelly Preston blamed household cleaners and fertilizers for the disease and said a detoxification program based on Scientology teachings helped improve his health, according to People magazine.
Meissner said there is scientific evidence linking professional-strength carpet cleaners with the disease.
Davis, the Scientology spokesman, acknowledged the detoxification program, but said its benefits are spiritual.wow gold
"Scientology is a religion," he said. "We deal with the spirit, and mental and spiritual factors that affect someone's happiness and well-being." wow gold
The death certificate lists a seizure as the cause of death, according to an undertaker in the Bahamas, where the boy died Friday. Family representatives and lawyers declined requests Tuesday for more information, fueling speculation that has swirled for years about the boy's health.
A Travolta attorney said the teen had a history of seizures, and John Travolta has said his son was successfully treated when he was 2 for a rare disease called Kawasaki syndrome, which can lead to heart disease and related problems.
Medical specialists who did not treat the boy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that while Kawasaki syndrome is poorly understood, it's extremely unlikely the disease had anything to do with the teen's death.
Gossip magazines and blogs long have suggested the boy also had autism — a claim John Travolta denied. Autism is frequently accompanied by seizures that experts believe may stem from the same brain abnormalities that cause the developmental disorder.
Dr. Michael Kohrman, a University of Chicago pediatric neurologist, said up to one-third of children with autism have some sort of seizure disorder.
Still, there are dozens of other causes of seizures. Recurrent seizures are sometimes called epilepsy and are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. These affect more than 3 million Americans.
Mild seizures can be barely noticeable; severe ones can cause convulsing and loss of consciousness.
"Sudden death in epilepsy is not an unheard-of phenomenon," said Dr. Bruce Cohen, a staff neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
It can happen with seizures lasting more than 15 or 20 minutes, typically when medicine stops working or if patients quit taking medicine, Cohen said. One way death occurs in these cases is respiratory muscles weaken from prolonged convulsions and the patient stops breathing, he explained.
More rarely, he said, about one in 1,000 epileptics die each year from a condition doctors call "sudep," or a sudden unexplained death that typically occurs with no sign of a seizure. Whether this happened to Jett Travolta or whether autopsy officials in the Bahamas know that term is uncertain.
"We're dealing with a massive lack of information," Cohen said.
Michael Ossi, an attorney for the Travoltas, and Samantha Mast, a Travolta publicist, told the AP by e-mail that they would not discuss details of the boy's illness.
Jett Travolta's body was cremated, and the autopsy report has not been released.
The Travoltas have said little about their son's condition and his medical treatment over the years. The couple are Scientologists, followers of the controversial religion created by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
The church is not commenting specifically on the Travolta case. But church policy is for members to seek a doctor for medical treatment of a physical condition, including taking any drugs prescribed.
"The bottom line is that Scientologists seek conventional medical treatment for medical conditions," said Tommy Davis, a spokesman for the Church of Scientology International in Los Angeles.
Kawasaki syndrome, the disease the family has said sickened Jett when he was a toddler, can cause inflammation in blood vessels and arteries. It typically features a persistent high fever accompanied by symptoms that can include bloodshot eyes; swelling in hands, feet and neck lymph nodes; a red rash on the arms and legs; and cracked, swollen lips.
Most cases occur in the first five years of life, and if treated promptly with aspirin and intravenous gamma globulin, children are essentially cured, said Dr. Cody Meissner, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
While inflammation can sometimes lead to burst arteries or heart damage, Meissner said most children have no complications. And those who do would develop them soon after diagnosis — not several years later, Meissner said.
"If 10 years or more had gone by, it would be very unlikely that seizure activity could be attributed to Kawasaki disease," Meissner said.
Kelly Preston blamed household cleaners and fertilizers for the disease and said a detoxification program based on Scientology teachings helped improve his health, according to People magazine.
Meissner said there is scientific evidence linking professional-strength carpet cleaners with the disease.
Davis, the Scientology spokesman, acknowledged the detoxification program, but said its benefits are spiritual.wow gold
"Scientology is a religion," he said. "We deal with the spirit, and mental and spiritual factors that affect someone's happiness and well-being." wow gold
Monday, January 5, 2009
Travolta, Preston issue statement about son's death
Speaking for the first time since the Friday death of their teenage son, John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston said over the weekend that son Jett was "wonderful" and "lit up the lives of everyone he encountered.""We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives," the family said in a statement that appeared on both Travolta's and Preston's official Web sites.Friday morning, a caretaker discovered Jett Travolta unconscious in a bathroom at the family's vacation home on Grand Bahama, the Bahamas. Local police have said that Jett, who had suffered frequent seizures for most of his life, was later pronounced dead at a Freeport hospital.In their statement, the family thanked "everyone for their prayers and support." "It has meant so much to us. It is a beautiful reminder of the inherent goodness in the human spirit that gives us hope for a brighter future."The family signed the note, "With love, John, Kelly and Ella." Ella Bleu is the couple's 8-year-old daughter and only other child.On Monday, a second, U.S.-certified pathologist will fly in to assist with the teenager's autopsy, The Bahamas' health minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis, told The Associated Press Sunday. "I have spoken to [Travolta] and informed him that the government is doing everything it can," Minnis said, adding that he could not disclose further specifics about the autopsy.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
John Travolta, EMT struggled to save 16-year-old Jett
John Travolta fought for 10 minutes to save his 16-year-old son's life as the boy lay dying on the bathroom floor, pumping his chest with CPR and later begging an emergency medical technician for help.
"Help me! Help me!" Travolta urged an EMT who arrived Friday at the family's luxury Grand Bahama condo. "I'm losing him!"
Through it all, Travolta appeared calm, according to the volunteer EMT at the scene who identified himself only as Derrick.
Travolta had taken over CPR compressions from one of the boy's two nannies, Jeff Kathrein of Tampa Bay, Fla., family friend Michael McDermott told the Daily News Saturday.
Jett Travolta was rushed 50 minutes to Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, the Bahamas, where he was pronounced dead.
Jett's grandmother - Linda Carlson, the mother of Kelly Preston - said the family is devastated.
"He was the light of our lives," Carlson told Usmagazine.com.
The family will return to Florida Tuesday with Jett's body after tomorrow's scheduled autopsy, hospital officials and family friends told the Daily News.
They will travel aboard the actor's private plane - but Travolta is too grief-stricken to serve as its pilot, a friend said.
As the family made the grim plans, further details of Jett's tragic and mysterious death emerged Saturday.
Officials initially said Jett was last seen Thursday night and was discovered Friday after an apparent seizure caused him to collapse, fatally hitting his head on the bathtub.
McDermott, a lawyer who was vacationing with Travolta among a group of about 60 friends and family they had invited for the New Year's weekend, insisted that Jett - who is said to suffer from a rare childhood ailment that affects the blood vessels - was fine on Thursday night.
The teen was discovered soon after he collapsed Friday morning, McDermott said.
"A nanny slept 8 feet away from him. A baby monitor was always on. Everything possible was done to ensure the child's safety," McDermott said.
It remains unclear whether or not Jett had a seizure, McDermott said.
For years, Travolta and his wife, Preston, have denied reports their son was autistic, attributing his need for 24-hour care to Kawasaki disease.
Critics have said Travolta, a devout Scientologist, refused to admit that his son suffered from autism because it would have required Jett to see a psychiatrist, which Scientology forbids.
It is possible that Kawasaki disease could cause a heart attack, said Dr. Thomas Lehman, an expert on the malady at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. "If you scar an artery, it can tighten up and that can lead, many years later, to a patient having a heart attack at a much earlier age than would be expected," he said.
Lehman said the doctors who perform Jett's autopsy should be able to determine if his death was caused by a heart attack, a seizure - or something else.
Officials in the Bahamas will use two pathologists to ensure a careful and thorough investigation, the health minister said Saturday.
The second pathologist, who is certified in the U.S., will be flown to Grand Bahama from Nassau tomorrow. Cheap warhammer gold
"John is terribly broken up," said McDermott. "This trip was meant to celebrate the accomplishments of last year: John's success at the box office, everyone being healthy and everyone getting together to celebrate. Obviously that's not what happened."
Travolta has always gushed about loving his son. During a 2002 interview promoting his film "Domestic Disturbance," Travolta said he flew home every weekend to see his children when they couldn't join him on the set. buy ffxi gil
"I put the kids to bed every night. Weekends, I'm almost always with them," he said. "Ever since I became a father, I have vowed to spend as much time as possible with my family and especially my children."
"Help me! Help me!" Travolta urged an EMT who arrived Friday at the family's luxury Grand Bahama condo. "I'm losing him!"
Through it all, Travolta appeared calm, according to the volunteer EMT at the scene who identified himself only as Derrick.
Travolta had taken over CPR compressions from one of the boy's two nannies, Jeff Kathrein of Tampa Bay, Fla., family friend Michael McDermott told the Daily News Saturday.
Jett Travolta was rushed 50 minutes to Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, the Bahamas, where he was pronounced dead.
Jett's grandmother - Linda Carlson, the mother of Kelly Preston - said the family is devastated.
"He was the light of our lives," Carlson told Usmagazine.com.
The family will return to Florida Tuesday with Jett's body after tomorrow's scheduled autopsy, hospital officials and family friends told the Daily News.
They will travel aboard the actor's private plane - but Travolta is too grief-stricken to serve as its pilot, a friend said.
As the family made the grim plans, further details of Jett's tragic and mysterious death emerged Saturday.
Officials initially said Jett was last seen Thursday night and was discovered Friday after an apparent seizure caused him to collapse, fatally hitting his head on the bathtub.
McDermott, a lawyer who was vacationing with Travolta among a group of about 60 friends and family they had invited for the New Year's weekend, insisted that Jett - who is said to suffer from a rare childhood ailment that affects the blood vessels - was fine on Thursday night.
The teen was discovered soon after he collapsed Friday morning, McDermott said.
"A nanny slept 8 feet away from him. A baby monitor was always on. Everything possible was done to ensure the child's safety," McDermott said.
It remains unclear whether or not Jett had a seizure, McDermott said.
For years, Travolta and his wife, Preston, have denied reports their son was autistic, attributing his need for 24-hour care to Kawasaki disease.
Critics have said Travolta, a devout Scientologist, refused to admit that his son suffered from autism because it would have required Jett to see a psychiatrist, which Scientology forbids.
It is possible that Kawasaki disease could cause a heart attack, said Dr. Thomas Lehman, an expert on the malady at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. "If you scar an artery, it can tighten up and that can lead, many years later, to a patient having a heart attack at a much earlier age than would be expected," he said.
Lehman said the doctors who perform Jett's autopsy should be able to determine if his death was caused by a heart attack, a seizure - or something else.
Officials in the Bahamas will use two pathologists to ensure a careful and thorough investigation, the health minister said Saturday.
The second pathologist, who is certified in the U.S., will be flown to Grand Bahama from Nassau tomorrow. Cheap warhammer gold
"John is terribly broken up," said McDermott. "This trip was meant to celebrate the accomplishments of last year: John's success at the box office, everyone being healthy and everyone getting together to celebrate. Obviously that's not what happened."
Travolta has always gushed about loving his son. During a 2002 interview promoting his film "Domestic Disturbance," Travolta said he flew home every weekend to see his children when they couldn't join him on the set. buy ffxi gil
"I put the kids to bed every night. Weekends, I'm almost always with them," he said. "Ever since I became a father, I have vowed to spend as much time as possible with my family and especially my children."
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