Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump

The Celtics were struggling to get something going offensively early in Monday’s game, missing seven of their first eight attempts beyond the 3-point arc and falling behind Philadelphia by as much as nine early on. Olynyk elected to take matters into his own hands.

And once that first 3-pointer fell, the floodgates were open. Olynyk stole a pass on the ensuing defensive possession and broke out the other way before pulling up for a 3-pointer from the wing. It missed, but teammate Brandon Bass got the rebound and threw it right back to Olynyk, who didn’t miss a second time. The first quarter ended soon after, with Olynyk leaning into a 26-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.

[…] Olynyk became the first Boston reserve to score 30 points in a regular-season game since Ricky Davis on April 1, 2005. Davis actually did that feat five times during his Celtics stint, and you’d have to go back to Todd Day in 1997 to find the last time it happened before Davis.

ESPN Boston:  Olynyk’s Clinic:  Aggressiveness helps second-year big produce career night

That sequence to end the first quarter had me feeling like I was hallucinating.  The pull up 3 early in the shot clock?  The willingness to chuck another one up so quickly?  And then to do it again immediately after a miss?  Olynyk looked like me playing as myself on the easy setting on NBA 2K trying to score 100.

Olynyk last night was the guy we’ve always needed him to be this season.  I’ve said it a million times here and I know I’ve not been alone… Olynyk has to have the mentality of a primary scorer on this team, because right now he is.

Every guy on this team has a role, and for Olynyk, it’s scoring. They sure as hell didn’t draft him for his defense. We didn’t ooh and ahhh in his first summer league over him blocking shots.

No.  We started acting like Tommy Heinsohn and called him Dirk because he is this big who can score inside and out and take guys off the dribble.  Of course we know he’s NOT Dirk Nowitzki, but he had a whole lot of that going on last night.  Olynyk might always be Sizzler to Dirk’s Ruth’s Chris, but that doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally come out of Sizzler saying “you know what, that meal was pretty good tonight.”

This is what we need from Olynyk every night.  No, not the 30 points.. that’s obviously unreasonable to ask for consistently.  But the effort.  Whatever he did before last night’s game to get his mind into that place has to be done again.  This shoot-first Olynyk who uses his threat to score as a way to open up the rest of his game is the Olynyk we need on a regular basis.

The only way this team is going to figure things out for the long-run is if guys like Olynyk start playing up to their potential. That may mean they stay, it could mean they get traded, but the only way this rebuild is going to the way it’s supposed to is if everyone shows what they’re truly made of.  Only then can we, and other teams, see the real value of these guys, and then Danny Ainge can start figuring out who stays, and who can bring in the star players this team really needs.

Related links:  Herald: Olynyk, Celtics beat up on bumbling Sixers  |  CSNNE: Olynyk stays aggressive, scores career high 30 points  |  ESPN Boston:  Career night for Olynyk  |  Globe: Celtics rout Sixers behind 30 from Olynyk  |  WEEI:  Olynyk, Celtics keep Sixers reeling  |  Celtics.com: Olynyk trusts in self  |  MassLive: Olynyk’s night prompts question: how has the big man progressed in 2nd season  |  NESN:  Olynyk’s career night helps C’s take care of business

Page 2: Evan Turner compares himself to Jesus

“Before the game I signed like 100,000 autographs, I’m kissing babies and what not and all that stuff,” quipped Turner. “I’m getting my hand kissed by people; I got little girls come up to me fainting.”

[…]”Once the game started, it was like, ‘what the hell is going on?'” Turner said. “I was like, ‘this is weird. Did they take all the good people out?”

[…] He added, “I don’t worry about it anymore. I don’t want to sound super weird, but Jesus was hated too. At the end of the day, I just worry about the stuff that’s important. If it makes you happy to boo me, go ahead. I’m still happy. I put all that stuff behind me.”

CSNNE:  Turner gets win, boos in return to Philly

Jesus is one of two names you can’t use in this context no matter what the qualifier you use.  In the end, you just compared yourself to Jesus.  No one cares that you don’t want it to be super-weird or “I’m not trying compare myself to him but…”

You did.  It’s super weird. Just shut up.

For the record… and this is a free PR tip just in case Evan Turner really wants to get wild… the other name you can’t use regardless of qualifier is that of a certain World War II bad guy.  No, we can’t just focus on his military strategies. If you find yourself starting a sentence with “say what you want about…”  just freeze, shut up, and go find a hidey hole for a few months.

As for the boos… I don’t see why Philly fans are booing him. It’s not his fault.  But then again, and not to be super weird, Philly fans would boo Jesus if he came back and the resurrection didn’t go how they’d like.  So this makes total sense when you think of it that way.

Related links: Herald:  Turner unfazed by Philly bluster

And Finally…

PHOENIX — Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker left Monday’s 96-94 win over the Phoenix Suns early in the third quarter because of a left knee sprain and did not return.

Coach Jason Kidd said after the game that Parker will be further examined Tuesday.

Parker’s knee appeared to buckle on a drive to the basket before he collided with the Suns’ P.J. Tucker, and Parker was unable to get to his feet immediately afterward.

Parker, the Bucks’ first-round draft pick this year and the second player chosen overall, had to be carried off the court by teammates to the locker room.

Let’s hope the kid’s OK.

The rest of the links:  

Herald:  C’s get well with win over Sixers  |  Boston.com: The only thing you need to know about the win over Philly  |  Globe: Thornton will miss a few weeks with calf injury  |  MassLive: Thornton injury update: guard suffered small tear in calf