No St. Patrick's Day Magic For The Celts As Their Comeback Falls Short In Denver

These days it's hard to figure out the Boston Celtics let alone predict what they'll do from game to game. After starting out 2-1 on their eight-game road trip and playing some of their best basketball in weeks, they got blown out last night in Sacramento and then they lost tonight in Denver.

The Nuggets (25-20, 15-11 home) held on for a 98-91 win at the Pepsi Center over the Celtics (23-21, 7-13 road). Let it be noted that on St. Patrick's Day, the crowd was filled with Green of the Boston variety.

You would think that the pressure would be off the C's since the trade deadline was hanging over their heads for months but Celtics GM Danny Ainge decided not to do anything.

Losing to a terrible Kings team, after they had a day of rest, made little sense but falling to the Nuggets-a fringe playoff contender in the Western Conference-on the second night of a back-to-back in high altitude and after a long plane ride were understandable.

Denver doesn't have a go-to guy per se but they get it done with a deep, mostly young roster that plays with energy and emotion. Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 20 points while rookie Kenneth Faried put up a career-high 18 points and 16 rebounds. Arron Afflalo added 15 points and Ty Lawson had 10 assists. Fat Al Harrington scored 11 points off the bench.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (9 rebounds) both had 22 points for the Celtics but Ray Allen (7 points) was invisible. Rajon Rondo (12 points, 16 assists) won the point guard battle against his fellow Oak Hill Academy alum Lawson. Marquis Daniels played 20 minutes (which has to be a season-high) and he looked good with eight points. Avery Bradley also scored eight off the bench.

I actually give Boston credit since they were down 16 points in the third quarter and trailed by 14 (82-68) heading into the fourth before they rallied. Believe me when I say that Denver tried really hard to gag it away. The Celtics cut it to two (87-85) and Allen had a chance to tie it (94-91 with 55 seconds left) with a three but he missed and that was it.

Looking at the numbers, I can't comprehend how this was that close. Denver hit four more 3-pointers (7-3), made seven more free throws (23-16), they grabbed 19 more rebounds (46-27), had three more steals (10-7), 15 more fast break points (21-6) and eight more points in the paint (48-40).

Boston mercifully has three more games (Hawks, Bucks and Sixers) on this neverending trip. Those are all Eastern Conference playoff teams or contenders so they will be tough for the C's. First up is in Atlanta on Monday. In a weird scheduling quirk (crazy I know in this great season), the Celtics haven't played the Hawks yet but then they see them three times in a month. Sweet.

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New York Knicks, Arkansas Pine-Bluff, same difference

Scheduling the New York Knicks-a perennial NBA doormat-on St. Patrick's Day in Boston was pure genius on the part of the Celtics.

It might have been the Guinness and car bombs talking but the Celts (43-24) looked like contenders once again as they romped for the third straight time at home over the NBA equivalent of a No. 16 seed.

Paul Pierce had his best game in months, leading the Green and White with 29 points while Kevin Garnett added 22 points. Marquis Daniels was the only other Celtics in double figures with 10 points as no starter played more than 28 minutes, a great thing with a tough three-game road trip starting tomorrow night.

David Lee (29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) has taken over the crown of best American white player in the league, sorry Troy Murphy, but right now he doesn't have much help from his loser Knick (24-44) teammates.

Al Harrington was the next highest scorer for New York with 16 points off the bench. Tracy McGrady scored 12 points and Toney Douglas had 11.

This one was over after the first quarter as the C's sprinted to a 35-19 lead in the first quarter. Seeing the Knicks play defense is about as rare as seeing a black person in Southie on St. Patrick's Day. Zing!

Boston was up 68-49 and the crowd could only drink their shamrock shakes and count the time until they could wait in line outside the numerous Garden watering holes after the game.

The C's go to Houston tomorrow night for what should be a tight game against the overachieving Rockets, who are currently outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

The Nate Robinson era starts with a thud, but also a win

It was a strange night at the TD Garden last night as Eddie House, Bill Walker and the New York Knicks came to town for coincidentally enough, Nate Robinson's debut with the Boston Celtics.

The fact that Walker (7 points) had more production than House (4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) and Robinson (4 points, 2 steals) should tell you all you need to now about that trio's impact on the proceedings.

Playing without an injured and sick Paul Pierce, the C's (36-19) slogged their way to a 110-106 win over the Knicks (19-37), who lost their eighth in a row.

Ironically, the turning point in the game was a block by Ray Allen (24 points, fourth straight game with 20+ points) on Wilson Chandler (19 points) with Boston clinging to a 109-106 lead with under a minute left. Allen, who will never be known for his defensive prowess, came out of nowhere to swat Chandler's layup into the seats.

For three quarters, the Celtics and Knicks ran up and down the court, scoring a ton of points but in the fourth quarter, Boston finally put the clamps on New York and took the fourth 16-15.

All-Star David Lee showed off his game with 28 points and 15 rebounds, Sergio Rodriguez added 18 points, six assists and five rebounds while Al Harrington scored 18 points off the bench.

Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 16 assists, Kevin Garnett had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Marquis Daniels scored 14 points starting in place of Pierce and Kendrick Perkins notched 12 points.

Besides Ray Ray's defensive play, the only thing to remember from the game is the montage the Celtics showed on the Jumbotron when Eddie House checked in for the first time. Always a fan favorite in his three seasons with the Celts, House rightfully got a standing ovation.

Boston is currently a game ahead of the Hawks and in third in the Eastern Conference. They have a big showdown with King James and the Cavs tomorrow night at the Garden and on TNT. Should be quality entertainment.

What has happened to the Celtics?

Did I enjoy seeing KC swish a buzzer-beating game-winner yesterday afternoon at MSG vs. the Knicks? Of course. Am I worried about the Celtics since it took overtime to defeat the hapless Knicks, 107-105, and Boston seems to be rapidly aging? Without question.

Boston (10-4) has not looked good since the beginning of the season. They take way too many threes, they are 29th in the NBA in rebounding (explain that one) and they extremely vulnerable to young, athletic teams.

New York (3-10) is a complete joke. All they do is take threes and try to make Sportscenter with their wannabe And-1 moves (I'm talking to you Nate Robinson).

Yesterday's game meant nothing and the NBA treated it as such, putting it at 1pm on an NFL sunday. I'm sure many people in New England didn't even know it was happening. I couldn't completely focus on it with more exciting and important football games on but the C's seemed to be in control up 30-22 after one quarter but it was down to 56-53 at the half.

Paul Pierce scored a season-high 33 points, Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds while Kendrick Perkins added 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. However, Garnett (10 points on 4 of 15 shooting) and Ray Allen (13 points on 3 of 13 shooting) looked more fit for a coffin.

Boston got the lead up to 14 points early in the second half (67-53) but New York responded with a 20-6 run to tie it and then they went ahead by five points.

Al Harrington had 30 points and nine boards off the bench for the Knicks while David Lee (22 points, 15 rebounds) and Robinson (19 points) provided the supporting cast.

I believe Tim Donaghy is out of jail and he could have been working the game yesterday because there were some mighty shady calls. An offensive foul call on Ray Allen was one of the worst I can ever remember but most importantly, the refs' ineptitude didn't cost either team the game.

Can somebody please work with Rondo on his free throw shooting? The guy is 8 for 24 from the line this season. It is beyond painful to watch him up there. It's a glaring hole in his game that will be exploited forever until he can at least become decent.

The Celts will look to get back to playing their style of basketball Wednesday night as they host the Sixers at the Garden.

Would noted moron Stephon Marbury help the C's?

Yesterday was not a good time to be one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic all lost-something which won't happen often on the same day for the rest of this season.

The Celts (29-6) lost for the fourth time in their last six games, this time submitting a flat 100-88 loss at Madison Square Garden to the improved but still mostly shitty New York Knicks (13-19).

Paul Pierce (31 points, 7 rebounds) did his best to keep his team in the game but he wasn't getting much help. Ray Allen (16 points) was the only other Celtic in double-figures. Kevin Garnett (6 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks) was shaken up late in the third when Knicks forward David Lee (14 points, 14 rebounds) inadvertently kicked KG in the calf.

Wilson Chandler led the Knicks with 31 points and eight rebounds while Al Harrington added 30 points and seven boards. Chris Duhon notched 12 points and five assists.

With reports swirling the last few days that the Celtics are interested in acquiring malcontent Stephon Marbury, I have to say that my opinion is quickly changing. At first, I thought it was an awful idea but now that I think about it, maybe it could work. The C's would have nothing to lose and they could ditch Marbury as soon as he started banging interns in his car outside a Boston club. Haha, but seriously he could add some scoring punch to our bench which right now is a real weak point of an otherwise championship-caliber team.

The Charlotte Bobcats host the Celtics tomorrow night as the Green look to get back to playing the outstanding basketball of the season's first 29 games.

King of this Castle

Thank God the Celtics are not in the Western Conference. That much is abundantly clear just two games into this five-game West Coast trip. Golden State topped Boston, 119-117 last night on a buzzer-beater by Baron Davis.

Let this sink in: the Warriors (33-21) came into last night in ninth place in the West. With the same record, they'd be fourth in the East, thus earning home-court advantage for the playoffs. Only 5.5 games separated the top team in the West (the Hornets) from the Warriors. Dang.

Despite the loss, the C's (41-11) had a few great signs: Kevin Garnett played 31 minutes and scored 17 points, hauled in 15 rebounds, plus three steals, three blocks and two assists. After looking totally out of place on Tuesday vs. the Nuggets, KG took a big step forward 24 hours later, dominating on the glass. The other real positive for Boston was that Ray Allen (game-high 32 points, 6 assists) had one of his best games as a Celtic. He was 11 of 17 from the floor, including 6 of 8 from 3-point land. It was as efficient as he's been all season. Paul Pierce had 23 points, 5 boards and five assists.

As a converted Warriors fan (circa playoffs 2007), I watch them any chance I can and love their crazy brand of basketball. Davis (29 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) is rightfully the leader but his sidekick Monta Ellis (26 points, 9 assists) is quickly becoming one of the NBA's most unknown stars. Outside of Kobe and LeBron, Ellis might be the best driver in the league. He's unstoppable when he wants to get to the basket.

For the second night in a row, as predicted, defense was nowhere to be seen. The Warriors led 32-29 after the first quarter but the C's played a great second (28-18) to take a 57-50 halftime advantage.

Playing without Stephen Jackson, who all obvious and played out jokes aside is having a career year, Golden State had fine showings by Al Harrington (22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists), Andris Biedrins (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Mickael Pietrus (12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals).

I think Oracle Arena has the most vocal fans in the league this season so not surprisingly, the Warriors came back in the second half. Golden State outscored Boston, 32-27 in the third and 37-33 in the fourth.

Since the Warriors are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, I had faith that the Celts had a good chance to win if they could just stop a few Warriors possessions, no dice.

It seemed like Golden State made a costly mistake when they were up two with 28 seconds left and had Matt Barnes drive to the hoop with 10 seconds left, throwing up a prayer that didn't even hit the rim. Boston got the rebound and called timeout. On the ensuing possession, Pierce drove to the basket and got the foul called. I almost couldn't watch since he can be a shaky free-throw shooter but he calmly made both (12 of 13 on the night). The game looked destined for overtime but Baron had something to say about that. He dribbled down the court and was isolated on Tony Allen (18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals), who had one of his best games I can ever remember. With shades of the first Pistons game in my head (where Allen fouled Chauncey Billups with under a second left), Davis avoided Allen and drained a 20-foot jumper. Game over.

Boston shot 48.1% to Golden State's 47.2%. The C's made 11 threes (seven more than the Warriors) but the free-throw line is what killed them. Unlike in Denver, both teams got to the line a ton but the Celtics were a little worse (32 of 46) than the Warriors (31 of 43). The other surprising stat was that Golden State owned rebounds (49-37).

At the beginning of this trip, I was guessing the C's would finish 3-2. Now, I'm not even sure about that. They have to go to Phoenix tomorrow night and play a Suns team, who lost to the Lakers last night in Shaq's debut. Then they go to Portland, who is also dangerous although out of the playoffs at the moment before finally finishing with the garbage Clippers.

Boston can't come home soon enough, this year's Western Conference is absurd. It's going to go down as one of the most stacked conferences in NBA history.