Our analysis doesn't pull any punches; we celebrate the highs of the Celtics' prowess while dissecting the lows of teams like the Wizards and Pistons.
Take a seat in our time machine—just for a moment—as we honor the voices that once narrated the storied past of the Celtics, Tommy Heinsohn, and Mike Gorman. Their partisanship was a siren call to fans, and we explore how their legacy could serve as an inspiration for today's broadcasters.
Our analysis doesn't pull any punches; we celebrate the highs of the Celtics' prowess while dissecting the lows of teams like the Wizards and Pistons.
Take a seat in our time machine—just for a moment—as we honor the voices that once narrated the storied past of the Celtics, Tommy Heinsohn, and Mike Gorman. Their partisanship was a siren call to fans, and we explore how their legacy could serve as an inspiration for today's broadcasters.
All right, tonight's pick I like Miami getting two and a half at Philadelphia. This is a battle of two teams trying to get out of the playing. Indiana, who's a half game up, is also playing tonight against Cleveland, and Cleveland's gonna have a bunch of guys out. So this is a game that's a game that Indiana could win. So this is a big game for both these teams. I just think Miami has more right now than Philadelphia does. Maxi is obviously playing at a very high level, but his supporting cast it's hit and miss, especially with Tobias Harris and I just, I just think that Miami is more of a big game team and this certainly qualifies as a big game in the regular season, and I I don't think Philadelphia has enough on either end to contain Miami. I just think, without him, be these two teams matched up, miami's the better basketball team. Um. So, big game, big moment Miami getting two and a half. I like them, after Philadelphia, to get them way in an inch closer to getting out of that playing today.
Mike Quigley:You're listening to Offering in-depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics with your hosts Jim and Mike Quigley. Mike, it's hot fire.
Jim Quigley:I.
Mike Quigley:So you're gonna call this a hot foul. I'm so horny.
Jim Quigley:Good god, we're into the doldrums of the season right now, where there isn't a lot to play for for the Celtics. They absolutely destroyed the wizards last night. Um, sam Hauser had 10 threes and 23 minutes before hurting his ankle. Tatum, 30 points and a little over two and a half quarters. And the Celtics rolled against a team that shouldn't even be in the NBA. And they play another team that shouldn't be in the NBA tonight against the Detroit Pistons.
Jim Quigley:And, uh, who knows who the Celtics are gonna roll out there and what their lineups are gonna look like. There will be no Pazenga, so there will be no Hauser. Um, and I, you know I'll be more out. Yeah, there'll be no Horford. Um, you know, uh, it's just really the. These are the worst franchises, mike the wizards. Just a complete disaster. Um, you know, they said on the telecast last night for home wins and she's taking one more games this week at their home court. They take all season. And then the Pistons and who, uh, you know, I think have been to the playoffs once in, like the last 15 years, have the longest playoff losing streak in the NBA 14 games. Just two disasters of franchises. I don't really know what to say. I do have anything you want to add. Maybe talk about phoenix In that game there. I'm not sure.
Mike Quigley:I'm looking forward to wednesday night. No, I think, um, it'll be probably the first time this year that both teams are well rested, resting going into the game, that Hopefully both teams will be at full strength, with Milwaukee and Boston Um, so kind of a marquee regular season game for this time of year, which is exciting. I think the game matters to both of the teams, even though it doesn't impact the standing.
Jim Quigley:So I'm looking forward to that Um, Um.
Mike Quigley:As far as the phoenix game goes I think we saw more of it yesterday the phoenix sons just can't defend the three-point line. That's going to be that kryptonite. They cannot defend the three-point line at all.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, they're the worst good team in the NBA.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, they really are.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, they really are toughness at all, like zero toughness, and yeah, they can't defend, they don't really have a point card right. Not really like on the entire roster. Everything's kind of isolation. Um, yeah, you know I didn't watch the bucks game yesterday, so you know. I'm sure you're right, they can't defend the three, but If they run into teams in the playoffs I'd like the Celtics that don't Help off their best players. They're kind of screwed, and then they don't have really much of a surrounding cast. It just doesn't feel like it all.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, I did watch the game between the Bucks and Phoenix Suns. It was two teams that were disinterested in playing any defense.
Jim Quigley:I saw the score was like 130 something, a 120 something, I think, or something along those lines.
Mike Quigley:The Bucks put up 140, yeah three or four quarters yeah.
Jim Quigley:So it's pretty bad. It looks like Durant was a no-show. You know, I thought the Celtics kind of just methodically I mean they shot lights out, obviously, but, like you said, a lot of those they felt like just practice shots, they were just wide open shots all game long. The only ones I felt like shot contested threes were Tatum and Brown, which is going to happen, I think, every day, every game. But it just it felt easy and you might. And then, If you want me, to break down anything right now.
Mike Quigley:I think Kailin Brown might be playing the best basketball of his career.
Jim Quigley:Yeah.
Mike Quigley:And it's on both ends of the floor and as bad as the Wizards are excuse me Jesus, as bad as the Wizards are. It felt like the Celtics have been really locked in defensively. You know they didn't disrespect their opponent yesterday. They were defending hard against that Wizards team which really made the game like Uber unfair. You know, typically these like shitty teams get a little bit of a shot because the good team just doesn't show up defensively at all. But Celtic team kind of locked in right now on the defensive end, which is good side going into the playoffs. So yeah, brown's been playing out of his mind. He's doing better with his left hand. His three point shot has been very consistent and his defense has been there every night.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, his defense has been great and you're right, he's been the best player since the All-Star break, just been scoring at a high level, I think, almost playing with something to prove, you know, and he's certainly better. It seems like he's improved his game again, better from what it was even a year ago. The question just kind of remains, as it is, with this entire Celtics team yeah, what does it look like when things get tough in the playoffs? Do they revert to bad habits? Or is this really a new, mature, well loyal machine that it looks and feels like? You know, but you can't really get too excited until you see these moments, you know, are they going to go seven again with the team they shouldn't go seven against? Are they going to put themselves in a position where they're going to be an elimination game where they shouldn't be?
Jim Quigley:You know, if they play in Miami? Yeah, they got to get caught in that type of scrappy kind of you know. You know, with defenses and what that bother them. Are they just going to exploit the mismatches and the opportunities that are presented to them, and as they should, you know. So it's what's Browns doing is great. The defense is great. I'm interested to see what happens in Milwaukee with Przingis out. You know I want to see how Tillman does against Yanis. I think that's interesting. I don't expect Przingis will be playing on Wednesday, so I those things are all fun and interesting to watch, but I think we're at the point now where it's what's going to happen in the playoffs right.
Mike Quigley:Oh, and it's about staying healthy. So, yeah, getting poor Zingas back is the most important thing they could do is make it short. He's good to go. And then, obviously, I think the Sanhauser injury is something. I'm really anxious to find out how serious it is, because I think he's a big part of this rotation and I do think they need him to play in the playoffs. He plays an important piece and he played so good with Hauser on the floor, so I'm really anxious to see what happens with that.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, hauser, I mean it happened to such a full play he was. You know it didn't even happen in the action. He was backing up and stepped on a guy's foot on the bench of all things, and you know they were. You know they seem to be resting, guys are doing the appropriate things. And just goes to show that you can take all the precautions that you want to take. You know it's still basketball and injuries can happen. Hopefully it's not serious.
Jim Quigley:You know, I thought I was encouraging that he was at least able to walk off under his own. You know, you know on his own and you, you know they got plenty of time for him to rest. If it's just a sprain and you know that will give other guys an opportunity. Maybe I'm a two-hawk, you know we'll see some minutes and you know, if something happened in the playoffs, maybe that makes him more ready. I guess that's the only way you can look at it. But I wasn't overly concerned with the injury but no one should read anything into that because I'm not a doctor but I thought the fact that he was able to walk off under his own power was a bit encouraging. Anyways, you know, and they said they were giving him an X-ray last night as a precautionary, but I haven't seen anything out today definitive on how that came back. Did you say anything, mike?
Mike Quigley:No, and he didn't talk to the media.
Jim Quigley:Yeah.
Mike Quigley:So, um, absolutely, yeah, and that came out another scary moment too.
Jim Quigley:I didn't know if you caught holiday coming off the screen and I did his shoulder. Yeah, that's the one that scared me initially.
Mike Quigley:I know and I saw that I was like you got to be kidding me.
Jim Quigley:Yeah. Yeah, it was like an instant reaction. It was kind of a dirty screen too.
Mike Quigley:That game got pretty dirty last night.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, it was all one guy. Yeah, I don't remember his name.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, and he was probably playing like the best game of his season too.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, and then he left to the acting like that. And he left injured himself, sparing his ankle. So, um, yeah, that's one thing you worry about in these games down the stretch is you just hope to see everyone healthy and get through this? And they're obviously um Hildl, and I think Przinga is appropriate and not pushing him at all. They said last night that he was just getting into shooting today potentially, so I doubt we see him Wednesday.
Mike Quigley:If that's the case, that means he's not even concerned about that at all, with it being a hamstring.
Jim Quigley:Um, not yet. No, no, we're so far away from the playoffs and there's no reason to play him or rush him. You know the fact. He's out every game. He seems okay. You know I I think if this was these 16 games mattered and he needed to get on the floor, there'd be concern about, you know, rushing him back and re aggravating this thing. But I think there's just so much time between now and the before the games matter.
Mike Quigley:Right, yeah, right.
Jim Quigley:So the.
Mike Quigley:NBA in general. I just looking around the league the the play ins are getting. I mean we talked about the last bond. Um, definitely interesting. Out east you got, you got Philly and Indiana and one more team in there, miami, kind of all playing for that seven seed. I know that. Um, I think both Philly and Miami are either 37 and 30 or something like. No, what is it?
Jim Quigley:Yeah maybe 37 and 30 and 36 and 30. Yeah, they're all right there where it's like 37 and 30 to 36 and 30. It's all right there If you. Yeah, so the sixes of 37 and 30, the heat out 37 and the, the paces of 38 and 30 and even the Knicks are only two games or three games up on the sixes, you know. So it's all kind of jumbled in there. What's crazy.
Mike Quigley:I don't think anybody's touching the next.
Jim Quigley:So, yeah, what's crazy is the the bucks are closer to the sixes than they are to the Celtics, and the standings.
Jim Quigley:So the second seed is closer to the eight than they are to the one. Um, yeah, it's, it's. It's going to be an interesting, you know, and just for my own personal preference, I the playoff match and it doesn't look like it's going to end up this way anymore. But I really wanted to see a Knicks heat first round playoff series and I really want to see a buck spaces first round playoff series. I think those two um, based on just kind of history, would would be very, very into entertaining. And this game on Wednesday is a big game for the bucks, not just to send a message to the Celtics, but they have to be concerned about having home court advantage even in the second round, right, so they're, they're playing the Cavs and they're only up a game and a half on the Cavs, only one in the loss column. So if they go down to the Celtics Wednesday night, they could be in a virtual tie for that second seed with the caps.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, absolutely. And I think the other part of it too is excuse me, I don't think the Bucks have been that great on the road this year, so I think that plays into it too, that these games mean a lot to them down the stretch. And Cleveland plays so well at home as well, so that'll be a really interesting second round series. If they both get off the first round, I think that'll be like kind of a mud swat basketball. I think that has seven game potential right now. All over it For the Celtics. I mean, I'm kind of rooting for Indiana to hold on to that sixth seed. That's a team I'm kind of looking at, as I don't think they beat the Celtics, but we'd be looking at a longer series just because of the way Indiana plays. I think they can give Boston some trouble. I'm kind of hoping that Philly falls into that eight seed. I don't think that. I don't think it beats coming back, I just don't see it.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, it's been interesting about Indiana is they really have not been as good a basketball team since the Siakon trade. They've been a bit defensively. They've really fallen off offensively. They were the number one offensive team in the NBA Before the trade. They're number six now. I think you know at least a couple of days ago, so maybe that changed a little bit. But we've wondered what that would do to their offense, because Siakon plays such a different game and I think it certainly has had an effect and I don't think it's been a positive one. They're better defensively but I think you can make an argument that they may not be a better overall team, since the record at least shows that they have not been a better overall team since that trade.
Mike Quigley:And they lost Benedict Matherin too right.
Jim Quigley:For the season. Yeah, they did.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, that's a big loss. He's a good player.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, he's been playing really well. He's been playing really well. This, you know, our podcast is called Hot Fowl. Obviously, you know it was named after the great Tommy Heidson and his passion for the Celtics. You know that's why we named it. This pod, they're going to call it a hot foul. Question mark, exclamation point. It's just lying straight from a game where he was in full form and just all over the officials. I think we were blessed for a long, long time here to have Tommy Heidson and Mike Gorman call the games. They just made things so much fun. I think about all the great calls, tommy's just you know, unabashed homerism, just so over the top, you know saying things about referees Like I hope your wife loves you because no one here in this building loves you tonight.
Mike Quigley:His obsession with Aaron Baines and the way he looked.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, yeah, you know.
Jim Quigley:And then the Walter and Colin IT little guy and just the affection that he had for the team and, as well as given insight, they made bad games entertaining. And then Mike Gorman was just so good in the big moments and he was so good at being kind of the straight man to Tommy's act and calling the game and you felt like Mike Gorman could have been thrown into any sport at any time and he'd just be a professional play by play guy and absolutely nail it. I think it's you know, it's a lost art. I think that homerism is is actually really missing. We don't get it anywhere in Boston Sports Media anymore at all. It doesn't feel like you certainly don't get it on the cell. It takes telecast anymore. There is no channel you can turn to just hear that type of affection towards the home team. Maybe it doesn't sell anymore, maybe in demos it doesn't work.
Mike Quigley:But I think the closest thing we had was Dennis Eckersley with the Red Sox. He was fantastic and then he left. I mean, I guess Scott Zolak, he does a good job on the radio when he calls the games, but you're right, I mean I've come to like Scals. I think he's good, I do, but we really we were really spoiled. I even think back to like some of the big calls with Mike Gorman, like especially Paul Pierce. Buzzerbeater with Goddard are the shot over Al Harrington.
Jim Quigley:Yeah.
Mike Quigley:You know, there's just so many that come to mind. I remember too, stuart Scott would really get a kick out of Tommy Hinesen, like ESPN would always on Sports Center like the morning after if Tommy had a rant or just was like losing his mind. They would just go like through the top 10 Tommy Hinesen moments from that one game. It would just be like really, really funny, because the stuff he was saying was just like so outrageous. I don't think we'll ever see anything like it, jim, I mean, that was a. That was a Hall of Fame combo. Those are two Hall of Fame announcers, in my opinion. I don't know if Tommy's in the Hall of Fame yet for being an announcer, but he should be. I think Mike Gorman's on his way there, if he's not already so yeah, no, they were great and you nailed the Al Harrington thing.
Jim Quigley:I am glad you. I forgot about Aaron Baines. I think he said that you know his exact quote. I'll tell you I took a look at Baines in the shower and he looks like all of Australia he's really put together. Oh God, that was the thing where it was just.
Mike Quigley:He was funny.
Jim Quigley:You know, like you say, he's scowl's okay. I actually think he's gotten worse as the years have gone by and I don't think this young guy, drew Cotter, is really a great. I don't think he brings out the best in scowl.
Mike Quigley:Drew Cotter is just a retrad of, like every announcer in sports man.
Jim Quigley:And he's not even a Boston guy. There is no institutional knowledge. You know, the other day, the other game, they were talking about Mikhail's 56 point game and they mentioned Bird breaking it like 10 days later, but they didn't bring up. Like he was on with Eddie House and there was no. Eddie House is like, yeah, you knew Bird was going to break that, but there was no conversation about how Bird told Mikhail he better get 60 because he's going to get. You know, you know sooner, whatever, like he actually said it to Mikhail. It's part of the Celtics folklore. It's a conversation you need to have on that telecast and the fact that he doesn't know even the like, the interesting stories of the history of the team. I think the tracks from the telecast, the tracks from young listeners, I feel like he was, he was like tested, you know, and demos or whatever, and you know this is what they thought would attract listeners. I don't know, but it's just so bland.
Mike Quigley:I think the closest thing we get now is probably Grandi and Max.
Jim Quigley:Yeah.
Mike Quigley:Max is awesome. He really is. I don't know if he could do TV, but he is. He's great on the radio. Grandi I don't think I've heard him do live games on TV and I never liked it. But at the same time he was doing it with Scouts, he wasn't doing it with Max. I wonder like if they made a mistake there and it should have been Grandi and Max that went to TV after Gorman retired, because they are one of the best radio basketball combos in the NBA. I like Max. I like Max.
Jim Quigley:Grandi is OK to me. He just he's can be long winded storytelling.
Mike Quigley:Oh, big time.
Jim Quigley:Big time, but I think they work well together.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, but when he which is fine for radio because you got to, you got to make up that airtime. You don't always have to talk on TV, you can let the game speak for itself and he can't help himself to just keep going and going. You know, I'm just looking over some of these great Heinz and calls. I mean he lost his mind in a preseason game when God had got ejected Preseason game. You know his reactions to IT's 52 point game, the three pointer, you know, and just Gorman laughing, you know, when he he's just screaming, the little guy you know. Yeah, yeah, it's just, it's just great. I love Walter stuff.
Jim Quigley:Obviously the Tommy points which they continued and it's completely lost. It's fun now that he's not around anymore where he would just scream out that's a Tommy point over the most random things. I just it's completely missing and at times now it feels like, especially when it's Carter and Scow, they will lose track of the game and they'll like be talking about college basketball. I feel like at times they get more excited about the opposing team making a run and they do the and it's just, if I wanted that I can watch a national broadcast and you know, hopefully with experience, you know, maybe Crowd is only getting the road crowd so that he's not getting the home crowd to kind of get him more involved in it right now. Maybe that will change, but it is just not good. And I know tonight it's going to be the all women telecast, which is, you know, fine, but I think it's all the game.
Jim Quigley:It's. I don't even know who the woman is. Abby Chen's doing the color I've never heard. Yeah, but I think I just can't think of a second woman like a second female, is it?
Mike Quigley:I can't think of somebody from Boston.
Jim Quigley:They showed it on the telecast. Who was gonna be last night? I didn't recognize anyone, but I think my bigger point it just shows the amount of time that's left with Gorman. You have only a few more home games and then who will call the first round, and then that's gonna be it and where this season has been, the suspense is gone. The Celtics are gonna be the one seed. I thought this was a good opportunity to just at least capture what they've meant to the Celtics franchise and to Celtics fans, and I don't think we'll ever get that type of entertainment and professionalism again. I just don't. I think it's, you know, even Gorman's way up, where he was calling college basketball games from under the bleachers, you know, just trying to make it. I'm not sure you get that anymore.
Mike Quigley:And how he got into the career.
Jim Quigley:What's that?
Mike Quigley:How he got into his career too, just showing up.
Jim Quigley:Yeah.
Mike Quigley:He told the story I forget maybe it was on the radio, I was listening to it but basically he got there at the right time and somebody like said why don't you come back? And then they looked in this car and they saw his military hat that he served and they said you know what? Why don't you come in right now? We'll get you set up. You can meet the guy. And that was his foot in the door he's just talking about. Imagine if I did put my hat back into the car that day. It was a really interesting story. I mean, these two, they were great, jim, and it's never gonna be this. We're never gonna get that again. Ever Nothing, nothing's gonna be like that All right Mike, all right Mike.
Jim Quigley:let's just do a quick listen in of this great sound from Tommy giving it to LeBron. Well, LeBron started crying about four possessions ago and he's done it twice without a handkerchief. Lebron has given it the all on the king. You're making a gesture out of me. Well, it's the great LeBron, we're not fouling him out. Well, he did like 12 fouls in a game.
Mike Quigley:After what LeBron has been doing to everybody, they call it he's a crybaby, isn't he?
Jim Quigley:Wow, Matt, and that's exactly what we're missing. We're missing that energy, that fun, that laughter, of all that stuff that Tommy brought. That was great. Calling him the king a crybaby, all that. I just don't even know if anyone can get away with that anymore, but that's exactly what we're missing.
Mike Quigley:There's another guy that hides in love with semi-urden. That's like another guy.
Jim Quigley:Well, that was the thing he would get all horned up for. Yeah, they would suck so bad. And you went through the whole period from like the mid 90s to the early 2000s where they were just a bad basketball team for the majority. Yeah, and they made it fun. They found ways to make it fun, you know. They found ways to keep you engaged and they boosted a path to a life of community on the national level. You know, maybe whenever when we helps Johnson's discussed would just come out at times about how they played and uh, he would take know on the official run.
Jim Quigley:You gotta run, yeah, you gotta run. So you know that part is missed and you know at times it's unfortunate. I just don't feel like, even when the Celtics are on national TV or whatever. So, mike, I don't know, do you have any closing thoughts for this pod?
Mike Quigley:This has, you know, been not a lot talked about basketball wise, but if you have any closing thoughts, yeah, I think it'll be interesting to see what Milwaukee looks like these last 16 games with Chris Middleton back. I thought he looked pretty good against Phoenix and if he's good, that certainly makes a difference for their run. It could make that series more challenging for the Celtics. So we keep an eye on that and looking forward to Wednesday night's game.
Jim Quigley:I'm with you, doc. That is totally an extra two right there. Nass made the free throw. Now watch Pierce. He gets it Black card. And I don't know if he said anything. No, it didn't look like he did. It didn't look like he said anything. And can he stare at the guy Apparently? No, is that against the rules now staring? I don't like that. What do you think of that? Your point is well taken.