So Apparently The Bucks Own The Celtics This Season

A wise man (former NFL head coach Bill Parcells) once said that "you are what your record says you are." At 13-13 after tonight's 99-94 overtime loss to the Bucks (14-11, 7-6 away) at TD Garden, Boston (9-5 home) is the epitome of a .500 basketball team.

Every promising win seems to be followed by a depressing loss and vice versa. We are almost a third into the 2012-13 season and the Celtics thus far have no real identity and they have yet to play with any consistency from game to game. Paul Pierce (35 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) tried his best to carry the team on his shoulders but unlike on Wednesday vs. Cleveland when he had 40 points, it wasn't enough. His 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation tied it and ultimately sent it to overtime.

Would you believe Milwaukee finished the season series with Boston 3-1? I guess the C's don't want to see them in the playoffs-something I don't think has ever been written in the last 20 years. Monta Ellis had 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 20 points and six rebounds, Larry Sanders had 17 points and 20 rebounds while Brandon Jennings put up 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Kevin Garnett (12 points, 7 rebounds) was the only other Celtics starter in double figures. Jason Terry (1 of 15 from the field, 1 for 9 on 3-pointers) finished with four points in what had to be one of if not the worst game of the his excellent career. Rajon Rondo dished out 11 assists with four steals while Jeff Green (14 points, 4 steals, 2 blocks) and Courtney Lee (11 points) played well off the bench.

I guess the good news for Boston is that they don't play again until Christmas afternoon. They travel to Brooklyn (12 p.m., ESPN) to face the Nets (13-12, 2nd in Atlantic Division), who have already beaten them twice this season. It's the start of a grueling four-game road trip that sends them to California to meet the Clippers, Warriors and Kings.

We'll have to monitor Green's condition since he took a nasty elbow to the cheek late in overtime which chipped some of his teeth. He appeared in serious pain going off the floor to the locker room. That's the last thing the Celtics needed at this point when they are struggling so much to begin with and Green has been the most up and down player on the team.

UPDATE 12/23: Chris Wilcox could miss three or four weeks with a thumb injury and Leandro Barbosa is out on Christmas at Brooklyn but he's expected to play in Los Angeles.

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Celtics Lose A Weird One To The Bucks In Milwaukee

I can't say I have ever seen (or at least can recall) an NBA team beginning a game with a 17-0 lead. Likewise, I don't remember said team blowing it and eventually losing that game. I guess contests like tonight are why I choose to watch an NBA game on December 1.

Boston (9-8, 4-4 away) jumped out to a 17-0 advantage in Milwaukee (8-7, 4-4 home) but the Bucks eventually wore them down and came away with a 91-88 victory at the Bradley Center. I'm not mad though since it was the second game of Rajon Rondo's two-game suspension and all things considered (my favorite NPR program, I'm old!) the Celts played pretty well.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 19 points and six assists, Jeff Green had 18 points (his second solid game in a row, a new personal record for the Celtics), Kevin Garnett put up 17 points and seven rebounds while Jason Terry (15 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) and Courtney Lee (13 points) flourished in the starting lineup.

Brandon Jennings' (13 points, 6 rebounds) 3-pointer with 24 seconds gave the Bucks a 90-88 lead. Terry had a chance to hit a go-ahead 3-pointer on the other end but missed. After Larry Sanders (18 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks) made one of two free throws, Pierce then Terry missed 3-pointers. What can you do?

I predict that Milwaukee finally sneaks into the playoffs in the spring, this was their second win in three tries against Boston so far this season. They'll meet once more in the regular season (December 21 at TD Garden). They have a fair amount of talent especially when Sanders plays like that, he had a triple-double in the game before with blocks. Monta Ellis scored 17, Ersan Ilyasova added 15 points off the bench and old friend Marquis Daniels had eight points and five assists.

After three games in four nights, with Rondo absent from the last two, the Celtics get a few days to rest their old bones (I'm looking at you KG and Pierce) before they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-8) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). I'm not going to pretend like the rest of the Greenteamers that Rajon has suddenly grown up since he clearly hasn't. However, all I hope is this latest suspension has fired him up sufficiently and he plays at the highest level possible.

UPDATE 12/2: Kris Joseph was returned to the Red Claws.

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I Guess Nobody Told The Celtics They Had A Game Tonight

Well I was all pumped up for the Celtics' (0-2) 2012-13 home opener tonight but that excitement quickly disappeared as they got trampled 99-88 by the Bucks (1-0) at TD Garden. Milwaukee led from start to finish and they easily should have won by 20+ if not for some garbage-time heroics.

After getting humbled by the Heat on Tuesday in Miami, I think we all assumed that with a couple days between games, the Celts would regroup and beat the Bucks. Unfortunately, Boston saw its five-game win streak in home openers get flushed down the toilet. It's also the first time since 2005-06 and 2006-07 aka before the new Big 3 era that the C's have started 0-2 in consecutive seasons. If it makes you feel any better, they began last season 0-3.

Brandon Jennings burned the Celtics for 21 points, 13 assists (a career-high) and six steals. His new backcourt mate Monta Ellis (14 points) was relatively quiet but Tobias Harris (18 points) and Ersan Ilyasova (7 points, 11 rebounds) not to mention the bench trio of Beno Udrih (10 points), Larry Sanders (10 points, 7 rebounds) and Ekpe Udoh (10 points) were all there to give Milwaukee the victory in its season opener.

Kevin Garnett led the C's with a very quiet 15 points. Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 11 assists (26th straight game with 10+ assists) and three steals and he was the only other Celtic starter that really did anything. Anybody seen Paul Pierce (11 points, 6 rebounds on 3 of 11 shooting) or Brandon Bass (10 points, 6 rebounds)?

The only positives to take out of this no-show for the home team were the glimpses of hope provided by Jeff Green (11 points), Jason Terry (10 points) and rookie Jared Sullinger (6 points, 7 rebounds). Don't ask me why Leandro Barbosa played seven minutes (2 points) after he took over in the 4th quarter against Miami?

It's easy to be sarcastic but however, there is no reason to panic with this team. Hey it could be worse-the Lakers are 0-3 after losing tonight to the Clippers. Still, with their first back-to-back tomorrow night in DC at the Verizon Center against the Wizards (7 p.m., CSN), Boston needs to find a way to beat Washington (0-1) and come home with a win. In a scheduling quirk, the two teams are off until Wednesday when the Wizards are in Boston. All the Celtics need is a win to build up their confidence and chemistry on the court that so far in two games, has been severely lacking.

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Finally, The NBA Playoffs Are Upon Us

The Boston Celtics (39-27, 24-9 home) closed out the regular season with an 87-74 win vs. the Milwaukee Bucks (31-35, 14-19 away) this evening at TD Garden.

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Dallas Mavericks so Boston will travel to Atlanta for Game 1 of their first round series on Sunday night (tip-off at 7:00 p.m.). More on that this weekend when I do a series preview (hint: the Celts should win).

Avery Bradley led the C's with 14 points, Paul Pierce had 12 points and Rajon Rondo had 15 assists (his 24th straight game with double-digit assists). The bench got plenty of minutes with Ryan Hollins (9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks), Mickael Pietrus (9 points) and E'Twaun Moore (8 points, 5 assists) standing out the most.

Tobias Harris paced the Bucks with a game-high 16 points and nine rebounds. Jon Leuer had 15 points and eight rebounds, Brandon Jennings scored 12 points and Mike Dunleavy added 10 points off the bench.

It seems like forever since I paid attention to an NBA game, specifically the Celtics so this weekend will be a welcome change. The playoffs start on Saturday afternoon with games all day and night. As much as I bash the NBA regular season, the playoffs are routinely pretty awesome.

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Bucks' 6-Game Win Streak Is Snapped By The Celtics

I bet nobody outside of Wisconsin knew that entering tonight, the Milwaukee Bucks had the longest current win streak in the NBA.

That is history now as the Boston Celtics (25-21, 9-13 road) went into the Bradley Center and beat the Bucks (21-25, 11-10 home) 100-91. The loss ended Milwaukee's six-game win streak while also improving Boston's road trip to 4-3.

The C's improved to 2-0 against the Bucks this season, they meet one more time-April 26 for the regular season finale-in Boston.

It was a true team win for the Celts as five guys scored in double figures not to mention some key contributions off the bench from Keyon Dooling (8 points) and Greg Stiemsma (6 points, 5 blocks, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists) in front of his hometown fans.

Paul Pierce had a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds. Three Celtics had double-doubles: Kevin Garnett (16 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists), Brandon Bass (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Rajon Rondo (10 points, 14 assists, 3 steals).

Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 19 points. Carlos Delfino had 16 points and eight rebounds. Ersan Ilyasova added 12 points and 14 rebounds. Monta Ellis had 13 points and seven assists while Mike Dunleavy scored 11 off the bench.

I included the picture up above since Ryan Hollins is the newest Celtic. Boston will be his fifth team in only seven seasons. Still, he's 7-feet-tall, he can run the floor and block shots. However, he can't rebound at all which doesn't really address one of Boston's biggest issues. He's expected to be in uniform tomorrow night in Philadelphia as the Celtics wrap up their insane eight-game trip against the 76ers.

Philadelphia is only a half game ahead of Boston while the Celts have a game in hand. If the C's can win tomorrow, not only does it make the trip very successful (5-3) but it vaults them from No. 7 in the Eastern Conference to No. 4 since they would lead the Atlantic Division.

The two teams have only met once so far this season, a 103-71 shellacking handed out by the Sixers on March 7 at the Wells Fargo Center. The C's have to be completely exhausted but with only one more game against the Sixers after tomorrow, this will be one of the most important contests of the regular season.

UPDATE 3/23: The Celtics waived Chris Wilcox to make room for Hollins, who will likely make his debut tonight for the Green in Philadelphia.

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His gross thinning hair could use a trim but Nenad Krstic can play for me any day

Listen, I love Kendrick Perkins but as I made abundantly clear in the aftermath of his trade to Oklahoma City, it was time to let the trade pan out before we make any conclusions.

That is still true, nothing will be settled until at least the playoffs when we see Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green play in games that really count. However, can we at least admit already that Krstic is way better than we all thought? Plus, Green's potential is huge with Rondo in his life and the unselfish ways of the Big Three.

The Celts (46-15) won their fifth straight, 89-83 over the Bucks (23-38) last night at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Krstic had 17 points and Green added 11 points off the bench as Boston continued to survive despite a severe lack of healthy bodies (nine players dressed last night).

The Bucks have injury problems of their own, most notably with Andrew Bogut's large frame parked on the bench. As currently constituted, they're not very good but Brandon Jennings (23 points, six rebounds, five assists) is never an easy matchup when his shot is falling.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, Kevin Garnett posted 14 points, 11 rebounds and three steals while Ray Allen notched 13 points in his return to his first NBA home (which nobody remembers). Rajon Rondo was held in check by Jennings as he only managed six points, eight assists but eight turnovers. No problem, Pitbull, I mean Carlos Arroyo was signed over the weekend.

The game wasn't sealed until there was less than 30 seconds left in the fourth. KG swatted a layup by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (19 points), Paul Pierce converted an And-1 off an inbounds play (haha really) and that was it.

John Salmons (11 points) was the only other Buck in double figures for the offensively-challenged team.

Boston led 27-26 after the first quarter but Milwaukee found itself up 49-43 at halftime. The Celts woke up in the third quarter (26-16) and the defense won them this one with a strong fourth quarter (20-18).

Sasha Pavlovic memorably airballed his first shot as a Celtic but he made up for it with a big 3-pointer in the fourth. Troy Murphy is still looking for his first basket, all he's made is three free throws so far.

The Cs shot 51.5% to 41.3% for the Bucks. Milwaukee made three more 3-pointers (8-5) and grabbed six more rebounds (39-33). Boston dished out three more assists (23-20).

Delonte West could be back on Wednesday and Arroyo is expected in uniform when the Celtics host the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden.

Pierce reaches elite company in Celtics history

In overtime last night, Paul Pierce joined John Havlicek and Larry Bird as the only Celtics players to reach 20,000 points in their career with just Boston.

It's been a remarkable turnaround for Pierce personally and professionally and save for the occasional wheelchair drama, he's a steady leader that truly loves to play here and appreciates being with one storied franchise for his whole career.

The Celtics (4-1) beat the Bucks (1-4) 105-102 at the TD Garden. It marks the first time this season that Boston has won on back to back nights, something that will be talked about often until they prove it is real or not.

Pierce had a game-high 28 points, Ray Allen scored 23, Rajon Rondo nearly had another triple double (17 points, 15 assists, 8 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett had 13 points and eight rebounds. Glen Davis continued to be the guy off the bench, scoring 14 points and coming up with several great hustle plays.

Despite its poor start, the Bucks are a team to watch this season, particularly if Andrew Bogut (21 points, 13 rebounds) stays healthy. They have a bunch of players not really known around the NBA but they can play.

Carlos Delfino had 15 points, Ersan Ilyasova scored 15 off the bench, Brandon Jennings added 13 points while Corey Maggette (11) and Keyon Dooling (10) were in double figures.

Like almost every NBA game, this one was back and forth. The Celts led 25-16 after one quarter but their old legs showed up in the second quarter (31-22 Milwaukee). It was a gross third quarter (16-15) but Boston seemed to take control in crunch time. They were up six with under two minutes left but the Bucks kept hitting shots and making free throws, hence overtime.

Former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau returns to Boston tomorrow night with his new team, the Chicago Bulls. This rivalry developed two seasons ago with the epic first round playoff series and it will continue as long as Rondo and Derrick Rose are on these respective teams. Should be a good one and I'm happy to say, I'll be in the building.