May we make Boston about the Knicks?

How can we make Philly about New York?

Today we’ll question the Atlantic, why is it so salty, why does it choose to work the hours it does?

To those with 76ers facepaint on, little Raptors pennants in the pencil mug, many of these may read as tired laments from an outsider. This is agreeable up to a certain concession, as I am awfully caffeinated. Those little off-brand Tylenol pills they sell with caffeine in there? This stuff is great. Nobody owns a mini-Brooklyn Nets pennant.

BOSTON

Are the C’s up to this title defense?

The champs pulled a 3-1 record through as nasty a road stretch as can be compelled (Minnesota and Houston on a back-to-back, 1000-mile flight in-between, then Oklahoma City and Denver). The Thunder loss turned infamous, a 27-point second half after an tit-for-tat opening 24 minutes between the two Finals hopefuls.

Friday was worse, the clichéd first game home after a trip. Felt like a road game to the fellas, ten feet stuck in mud.

“Some plays, it just happens,” Kristaps Porziņģis said. “It’s not like we’re not trying. It’s like, I’m thinking this guy’s going, I’m not going and then we just stay in the same place, and it doesn’t look perfect. But we’re gonna get past it. We’re gonna be fine.”

So the Celtics can’t win every game. So the C’s may not have the sweetest-shooting big man on the floor every night. So they might miss 30 three-pointers pointers in 48 minutes. So Boston won’t have the best backup point guard in the league sometimes. Did you see the Kings on Friday night? Sacramento thought the Kings were on ABC, not the big football game. Doug Christie’s club is on a mission, Devin Carter waited his whole life for whatever day Friday was, Boston was caught in the way.

The defense is off a little and the C’s lost some close ones. So Boston won’t win 64 games this season, no other team in the NBA would win nearly as many with what the NBA throws at the defending champs. The target is green, Boston held up wonderfully. Also, January.