No Matter What They Do, The Celtics Simply Cannot Have Nice Things In This Doomed Season

 

    It wasn't bad enough that that the Celtics (34-31 overall, 21-13 home) were about to lose to the Trail Blazers (36-28 overall, 20-12 away) tonight at TD Garden, nope the C's had to pour some gasoline on that fire and watch their season continue to burn to the ground. In the final minutes, guard Marcus Smart (11 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) got ejected for hitting Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals) in the nuts coming off a screen and even worse, in garbage time shooting guard Jaylen Brown (16 points, 11 rebounds) and swingman Jayson Tatum (33 points, 5 assists, 6 turnovers) stepped on each other's feet trying to steal an inbounds pass. You can't make this stuff up as both guys had to hobble to the back with ankle injuries. Oh and Portland won their fourth straight game, 129-119. 

    Even in defeat, this Celtics club is super dramatic. Haha they can't just lose and go home, instead a key player risks possible suspension in an important part of the calendar while their two All-Stars could miss games down the stretch as well. There are only seven games left (5 on the road, 2 at home) in their regular season and this loss dropped them down to seventh-place in the Eastern Conference aka the top play-in seed. Oy, they followed up their best win of the year and Tatum's game of his life with another dud where their defense never bothered to show up. The Blazers are a very good offensive team but good lord, give me a break. Allowing 129 points in regulation on your home court is beyond pathetic. 

    If you know anything about Portland, you are probably confident that shooting guard CJ McCollum (33 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and point guard Damian Lillard (26 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds) must have had fine performances and surprise, they did! Lillard's shooting was off (8-of-18 from the floor) but his playmaking for McCollum and other teammates was superb. Small forward Norman Powell (23 points) has been a sneaky great pickup from Toronto and power forward Robert Covington added 10 points and two blocks in the win. I've never been a big Carmelo Anthony fan (who is?) but I will give him credit, he still has something left as he scored 13 points off the bench. 

    Among other things that Boston wasted this evening, swingman Evan Fournier (21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) had his best game as a Celtic since he hit 5-of-7 3-pointers. Off the top of my head, I'm going to say that this was the best outing for rookies Aaron Nesmith (16 points) and Payton Pritchard (13 points, 6 rebounds) in the same game. Pritchard was awesome to start this season then predictably tailed off but he's been better lately; Nesmith was MIA for much of the year but randomly, he's been really good the last few games. If Brown and Tatum are injured and miss any time, those three guys are the most likely candidates to pick up the slack for them. 

This was an NBA game straight out of the 1980s meaning that no defense was ever allowed. The Blazers led by a bucket (34-32) after one quarter and it was tied (71-71!) at halftime. Boston had their standard third quarter swoon (getting outscored 32-27) and that carried over in the fourth quarter too (26-21 Trail Blazers). Want some gross stats by the home team? Of course you do! Portland attempted 11 more free throws (26-15) and made nine more of them (22-13); the Blazers had five more steals (8-3), half as many turnovers (18-9) which led to 10 more points off turnovers (25-15). Plain and simple, Boston did not deserve to win this contest. 

    They get two days to rest and recover before a mini two-game road trip goes to Orlando (20-44 overall, 11-23 home) on Wednesday (7, NBC Sports Boston) then at Chicago (26-38 overall, 12-19 home) on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). The Magic have absolutely nothing to play for at this point besides seeding in the draft lottery while the Bulls have a slim shot of sneaking into the play-in tournament but let's be real, that ain't happening. The main objective here for the Celtics is to avoid the play-in tournament and that starts with beating these two garbage teams on the road later this week. Boston doesn't return to the Garden for a week until they have a back-to-back against the Heat (35-30 overall, 16-16 road) on Mother's Day afternoon (1, ABC) and next Tuesday (7, NBC Sports Boston). Atlanta (35-30) and Miami moved into fifth and sixth-place respectively in the East, one game ahead of the C's.

You Are Not Going To Believe This But The Celtics Are Finally Starting To Figure Some Things Out

 

    Perhaps we buried the Celtics (29-26 overall, 12-16 away) a little too soon for this season? Two games into their huge West Coast road trip, they look like a different team altogether as tonight they pulled out a great 116-115 win at the Moda Center vs. the Trail Blazers (31-23 overall, 16-12 home). Make no mistake, there is no way that they would have won this nailbiter at any point earlier during this campaign. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Jayson Tatum (game-high 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) hit a late 3-pointer and Boston held on for the very important victory which put them solely in fifth-place in front of idle Miami (28-26).  

    Boston's starting five was really good which was imperative since Portland's bench outscored theirs 34-10. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown scored 24 points, point guard Kemba Walker (21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) had his best performance in a few weeks, center Robert Williams added 16 points and seven rebounds while guard Marcus Smart (13 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, block) had a classic Marcus Smart outing. He was all over the court making plays on both sides of the ball and he even came up with the heady play to intentionally miss his final free throw (when the Blazers were out of timeouts) so they couldn't draw up a play or at least inbounds the ball for a decent last shot. 

    Point guard Damian Lillard (team-high 28 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds) went 9-for-23 from the field so there would be no Dame Time in the fourth quarter on this occasion. Shooting guard CJ McCollum (16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) was even worse, going 6-of-19 from the field. Former Raptor Norman Powell (20 points) continued his strong start to his Blazers career while power forward Carmelo Anthony turned back the clock with 25 points off the bench fittingly in a losing effort. Center Jusuf Nurkic (8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals) flirted with a triple-double while former Celtic Enes Kanter (9 points, 10 rebounds) just missed a double-double in 21 minutes as a reserve. 

Portland was on fire in the first quarter, building a 38-30 lead after 12 minutes. Boston's defense clamped down in the second quarter and cut it to 60-57 at halftime. Just like in Denver (34-20) on Sunday afternoon, the Celts really took control with a strong third quarter (35-27) which gave them just enough of a cushion to ride out the fourth quarter where the Blazers outscored them 28-24. Boston made five more free throws (17-12) than Portland but their real work was in the paint where they dominated the Blazers (50-28) and they also got 11 more points off turnovers (24-13) than the home team. 

    Against all odds, Boston has a chance to sweep this mini road trip with a win at the Staples Center on Thursday (10, NBC Sports Boston) when they take on the Lakers (34-21 overall, 16-11 home). LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both been out for awhile with various injuries so maybe the C's will luck out and miss them this time. LA squeaked by in their only other meeting with Boston 96-95 way back on January 30 at the Garden-the game where Smart hurt his calf but we all thought it was going to be a far more serious season-ending Achilles issue. Another road triumph on national tv would be the perfect way to cap off this unexpectedly satisfying last few days for the Celtics.

The Knicks are One Sad Basketball Team

Credit to the Knicks, after getting absolutely embarrassed by the Celtics on their home floor Sunday afternoon, they came to Boston tonight and found a new and different painful way to lose to one of their biggest rivals. Sure the C's (11-14 overall, 6-6 home) blew a 17-point lead earlier in the game but that was nothing compared to New York (6-16 overall, 3-8 away) choking away an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter in an eventual 90-86 loss at TD Garden.

Who could blame Knicks head coach Mike Woodson for looking like a defeated man for most of the night. Apparently he'll be able to keep his job until Tyson Chandler comes back but honestly, will his return even matter? Through bad contracts, ineffective, old and/or injured players plus being centered around perhaps the most one-dimensional and overrated player in the NBA-Carmelo Anthony (26 points)-means that New York is likely stuck in this predicament for a long time.

These teams meet twice more, the next time is January 28 at Madison Square Garden. Is there any chance Woodson will be paid to be there too? The Celts are basically the anti-Knicks: no stars (without Rajon Rondo), few egos, unselfish play and they at least attempt to give defense a whirl plus they have a coach that is constantly learning on the job.

Jared Sullinger (19 points, 6 rebounds) led four players in double figures for the Green; Avery Bradley had 13 points and six assists, Brandon Bass notched 10 points and eight rebounds while Courtney Lee was a real spark off the bench with 18 points (3 for 3 on 3-pointers).

New York's big acquisition Andrea Bargnani put up 22 points and seven rebounds but where did that get them? Amar'e Stoudemire (18 points, 5 rebounds off the bench) has actually played pretty well recently but that still doesn't come close to justifying his Looney Tunes contract.

Boston led 29-26 after the first quarter and 54-48 at halftime. New York went ahead with a strong third quarter (25-14) but their fourth was typically pathetic (outscored 22-13). The Celtics shot 8.5% better from the field (48.5-40), they blocked four more shots (5-1) and scored 11 more fast break points (14-3).

This is a sweet spot in the Celtics' schedule as they are in the midst of a five-game homestand with three more on tap beginning with Monday (7:30, CSN) vs. Kevin Love and the Timberwolves (11-12, 4th in Northwest Division). He had an amazing performance (42 points, 14 rebounds, 8 3-pointers) but it wasn't enough as Minnesota fell 117-110 at San Antonio this evening to fall back under .500. At some point, the Timberwolves are going to be good, right?

Tonight snapped a two-game losing streak for Boston and with Minnesota, Detroit and Washington all coming to town next week, this unfortunately could be the start of another win-streak. Other than Brooklyn, who else is going to challenge them in the putrid Atlantic Division this season?

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Celtics Fall 88-80 To Knicks In Game 6, Let The Breakup Begin

Listen, we all knew this day would eventually come. There is a reason no team has ever rallied from a 3-0 hole in the NBA playoffs. Likewise, as much as we want them to be, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett won't be Celtics forever. It seems only right that in possibly their last game together, the Celts fell 88-80 to the Knicks in one of the most bizarre contests tonight at TD Garden in Game 6 of the first round.

The Knicks move on to face the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning on Sunday afternoon. Go Indiana! New York won its first playoff series since 2000 while Boston lost in the first round for the first time since KG (15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) came aboard in 2007-08 (when they won the NBA title). The Knicks should have won this game by about 40 points since the Celts managed 10 points in the first quarter and 27 in the first half. Ugh, seriously. That will be one of the lasting memories of this series, the wretched offensive performances by the C's in almost every game.

The Knicks led by as much as 26 (75-49) early in the fourth quarter before the Celtics hit them with a 20-0 run. Yes, that really happened. Suddenly, Boston cut it to a four-point game (79-75) after Avery Bradley's (10 points, 3 steals) dunk with 3:31 left in regulation. To quote KG from five years ago, "Anything's possible!" Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this evening though as Iman Shumpert (17 points, 6 rebounds) and J.R. Smith (13 points, 7 rebounds) made plays down the stretch while Carmelo Anthony (21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) continued to be the most unclutch superstar in the NBA. Hell Pablo Prigioni (14 points, 5 rebounds) played better than him, Raymond Felton had 11 points, seven assists and two steals while Tyson Chandler added 9 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

Jeff Green (21 points, 5 rebounds) showed plenty of heart (no pun intended), going to the line a whopping 14 times (two less than New York as a team). Whenever Garnett and Pierce leave, this will quickly become Rajon Rondo and Green's team. That is a scary proposition but at least this season, Green proved that when he puts his mind to it, he has the potential to be a star. I'd love to see Pierce return, if for no other reason than to erase the memory of one of his worst games as a Celtic: 14 points on 4-of-18 shooting, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Crap like guys retiring with a certain team usually doesn't mean much to me but in this case, I think he's earned that right. However, Celtics GM Danny Ainge has to do a much better job of surrounding Pierce (1 year left on his deal) and KG (two years left) with more talent.

Jason Terry had 14 points and he sounded like he's not ready to retire quite yet. He was a bust for most of the season but maybe with another season in Green and White, he would become more comfortable. Of course, one could argue that the biggest domino in this whole scenario is head coach Doc Rivers. In the emotional aftermath of this loss, he sounded very unsure of his future in Boston. Obviously, they'll have him here as long as he wants to stay. Still, like Garnett and Pierce, he is too good to have to go through another rebuilding mode. Who could blame him if he wants to leave (assuming KG and Pierce also walk out)?

I feel like I wrote the exact same thing last June after Boston lost to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals, and I'm too tired to look it up, but I can say with certainty that this will truly be a fascinating summer. Does Ainge go for it one more time with this nucleus plus a healthy Rondo, Jared Sullinger and a better supporting cast and bench? Or does he blow it up completely and start to move on? Tough decisions, that's presumably why he gets paid the big bucks and I'm just a lowly blogger.

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If Any Team Can Blow A 3-0 Series Lead In The NBA, It's Gotta Be The Knicks

My how things can change over two games in the NBA playoffs or roughly 12 days. The Knicks had a chance to sweep the Celtics on Sunday but lost 97-90 in OT. No problem, everybody knew they'd come back to Madison Square Garden tonight with J.R. Smith and get rid of the C's once and for all. Well it turns out that didn't happen either as Boston beat New York 92-86 to cut the series lead to 3-2.

This is where I remind you that no team in NBA history has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit. All I said on Sunday is that I wanted to see what would happen in a Game 6 in Boston. I got my wish, the series returns to TD Garden on Friday (7 p.m., CSN). Enough can't be overstated about the heart, competitiveness and desire of Kevin Garnett (16 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) and Paul Pierce (16 points). Jeff Green had 18 points for the Celts, Brandon Bass (17 points, 5 rebounds) kept them in it after they were down 11-0 to start the game while Jason Terry (17 points) was clutch for the second game in a row.

The Knicks are frontrunning clowns who cared more about playing dress up (showing up in all black clothes for a "Celtics funeral") than winning a basketball game. Carmelo Anthony had 22 points on 8-of-24 shooting and seven rebounds. Believe it or not, Raymond Felton (21 points, 6 rebounds) has been New York's steadiest player throughout this up and down series. Iman Shumpert added 12 points, six rebounds and three steals while Tyson Chandler grabbed 11 rebounds. Smith had 14 points but he was a Melo-esque 3-of-14 from the floor.

Other than the very ugly beginning, this was a game that Boston controlled for the final three plus quarters. They pulled to within 22-20 after one and led 45-39 at halftime. The Celtics outscored the Knicks 25-22 in the third and opened up a 15-point lead early in the fourth (75-60) before hanging on for dear life.

This was the team we loved to watch after they pulled together following Rondo's injury, they're tough, smart and don't back down from anyone. Boston shot 6.2% better from the field than New York (45.7%-39.5%) and they beat the Knicks at their own game by hitting six more 3-pointers (11-5). If that wasn't enough, the C's managed to dish out seven more assists (20-13) than the all-iso Knicks.

Now the Celtics have all the momentum in the series and this loss has to put some serious doubt in the Knicks' heads. Suddenly, all the pressure is on New York who FYI hasn't won a playoff series since 2000. So yeah, there is still plenty of work to do but the C's could actually pull this off.

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Celtics Pride Is Alive, Well Sort Of

It was long overdue (say 3 games) but the Celtics finally should some fight with stretches of solid execution mixed in and they were able to avoid getting swept by the Knicks. Boston beat New York 97-90 in overtime this afternoon in Game 4 of their first round playoff series at TD Garden.

Paul Pierce (29 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), Jeff Green (25 points, 6 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (13 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists) carried the Celts while Jason Terry (18 points) picked a good time to show up for one of the first times this season.

Of course the C's had to make things way more difficult on themselves than need be since J.R. Smith was suspended for Game 4 and they led by 20 points in the third quarter (59-39). Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points with seven rebounds as only he can: on 10-of-35 shooting from the floor and 16-for-20 on free throws. HHaha my man was 0-for-7 on 3-pointers. The Knicks rallied and nearly stole this one since Raymond Felton (27 points, 3 steals) had the NBA game of his life. Iman Shumpert added 12 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocks while Tyson Chandler grabbed 11 rebounds.

Boston had nothing to lose and they played like it from the start. The Celtics outscored the Knicks 22-17 in the first quarter and took a 54-35 halftime lead. New York crawled back into it since KG, Green and Brandon Bass all picked up four fouls early in the third quarter thanks to the usual crooked NBA refs. The Knicks outscored the Celtics 30-14 in the third quarter to cut it to 68-65 heading into the fourth quarter. New York took the fourth quarter 19-16 as Pierce missed a last-second game-winner for the millionth time in the last few seasons.

I couldn't believe it with my own eyes but Terry took over in the extra session, hitting a huge 3-pointer, layup, two free throws then the garbage time layup to seal it. I didn't think there was any chance the Celts would get it done once it went to overtime but I'm happy that they proved me (and many others) wrong.

Boston's defense was outstanding as they held New York to 34.4% shooting while the Celts shot 44.7%. The Knicks made it very interesting by owning the boards (54-40 total, 16-3 on offensive rebounds). The Celtics had 12 more assists (22-10) as they remembered how to play team basketball against Melo's one-man team. Boston had seven more fast break points (15-8) while New York scored eight more points off Boston's turnovers (18-10).

History is still squarely on the Knicks' side since no NBA team has ever come back from down 3-0 in a series. Game 3 is Wednesday (time TBA, CSN) at Madison Square Garden and all I'll say is that if the Celts can somehow win that one, then it'll get interesting. However, I'm not counting on that by any means.

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The Night We All Lost Any Remaining Hope In The Celtics This Season

It is going to be a very short stay in the 2013 NBA playoffs for the Celtics. Boston lost 90-76 in Game 3 to New York tonight at TD Garden, giving the Knicks a 3-0 series lead in the first round series with the chance to sweep the Celts on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m., ABC).

Boston has still yet to crack 80 points in a game as their half-court offense without Rajon Rondo is gone. Ironically, their defense has been good enough to win for most teams (holding NY to 90 or less in each game) but when you haven't topped 78 points, you won't win any games in the postseason.

Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 26 points, Raymond Felton added 15 points and 10 assists while J.R. Smith notched 15 points off the bench. The only real intrigue to Game 4, since the outcome feels like a forgone conclusion already, is whether Smith will play since he was ejected in the fourth quarter after catching Jason Terry (14 points) with an elbow in the face.

Jeff Green led the C's with 21 points and nine rebounds, Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 17 rebounds and Paul Pierce put up 17 points and five assists. The problem for Boston (among many other issues) is a lack of depth. I'd say that getting only 12 total points from the rest of the team in Game 3 would be tough to overcome. Green, KG & Pierce have been OK in this series, the problem is that nobody else can consistently help them. Avery Bradley is a puddle, Courtney Lee barely plays and Brandon Bass is also MIA. Yeesh.

I'm certainly not rooting for it but nothing happened tonight to make me change my mind that I feel like the Knicks will end this in four painful games. We knew it at the time that Rondo went down the knee injury that this season was going nowhere fast. However, the Celtics found a way to play decent for a while which gave us some false hope that they could turn it on in the postseason and make this a competitive series at the very least. Not so much, New York has been the better team by a mile and Boston can't get out of their own way without puking on their sneakers.

UPDATE 4/28: Smith was suspended for Game 4.

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The Celtics Are In A World Of Trouble Without Rajon Rondo

Capping off this night of suck for Boston sports teams (3 games, 3 blowout losses), the Celtics clocked in for the most costly setback of all since they are the only ones in the playoffs at the moment. The Knicks beat the Celtics 87-71 in Game 2 tonight at Madison Square Garden, giving New York a commanding 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

If you thought only scoring 25 points in the second half of Sunday's loss was pathetic (and it really was), Boston somehow sunk even lower with 23 points in the second half this evening. This was almost a carbon copy of Game 1: Boston led 48-42 at halftime and seemed in control. That is until New York hit them with a 32-11 third quarter. Game over.

The Knicks might have the most predictable and boring offense in the NBA-give the ball to Melo and J.R. Smith then get out of the way-but it is doing more than enough against the overmatched Celts. Anthony had a game-high 34 points, 6th Man of the Year Smith added 19 points off the bench (including a crazy 3 from nearly midcourt at the end of the 1st half) while Raymond Felton scored 16 points and Kenyon Martin (who Boston could have signed during the season) posted 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Paul Pierce was decent with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists but Kevin Garnett (12 points, 11 rebounds) was in foul trouble all game so he could only play 24 minutes. Where's Eddie F. Rush when you need him or Kenny Mauer? Jeff Green had 10 points, Jordan Crawford added 10 points off the bench and Brandon Bass grabbed 10 rebounds. Call off the search party because Jason Terry reappeared with nine points (after going scoreless in Game 1) but of course he did all his damage in the first half.

Our only hope is that David Stern wants this series to go more than four games since right now, the C's don't appear capable of winning once. That means, he has to send some crooked refs (like the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph) because Boston needs a victory on Friday (8 p.m., CSN) or the dream is over. It should be a great atmosphere at TD Garden for Game 3, the question is if the Celts can beat the Knicks without Rajon Rondo?

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You Win This Round Carmelo

Celtics Games Without Kevin Garnett In The Lineup Are Unwatchable, There I Said It

I suspect that if you're reading this, you have already figured out what my keen eyes have noticed about the Celtics these last few games: they are hopeless without Kevin Garnett so there is basically no reason to watch them lose. Tonight, the Knicks (46-26, 27-10) didn't break a sweat in a 108-89 blowout of the C's (108-89) at Madison Square Garden.

New York has won eight games in a row while Boston had their modest two-game win streak snapped. This closed the season series with the Knicks ahead 3-1 over the Celtics, Boston won the first meeting but lost the last three in progressively worse fashion. They've dropped four of six without KG but apparently he could come back sooner than they thought (I doubt it). The good news is that there are only nine games left in the regular season for Boston. I can't take many more of these preseason-esque scrimmages.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 24 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Something called Chris Copeland had 22 points and five rebounds off the bench, Raymond Felton scored 18 points, J.R. Smith had 15 points, 12 rebounds and two steals while Steve Novak and Iman Shumpert both notched 10 points.

Boston basically had two guys show up: Paul Pierce (24 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jeff Green (27 points) unless you count 10 points apiece from Jordan Crawford and Courtney Lee.

The Celts are in Minnesota tomorrow night (8 p.m., CSN) to face the Timberwolves (26-46, 5th in Northwest Division). Normally I would say this game will suck but Celtics head coach Doc Rivers hinted tonight that Pierce is going to sit out so yeah, avert your eyes kids from this dumpster fire.

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Knicks Have No Problem With The KG-Less Celtics

With Kevin Garnett (left ankle) out for the next two weeks (wink wink), there is a serious cloud developing over the Celtics. Tonight, they got blown out by the Knicks 100-85 at TD Garden. Besides KG, Courtney Lee (sprained ankle) also had the night off so even though Tyson Chandler (neck) was out for New York (43-26, 19-16 away), that meant that Boston (36-34, 24-11) had no chance to win.

The Knicks won their fifth game in a row while the Celtics lost their fifth consecutive game. New York has won the last two games in Boston to take a 2-1 season series lead, they wrap it up on Sunday at Madison Square Garden although there is a very real possibility that they could meet in the first round of the playoffs.

J.R. Smith had 32 points, seven rebounds and three steals off the bench for the Knicks while Carmelo Anthony added 29 points, eight rebounds and three steals. No other player for New York had double figures but who cares?

Boston had five guys in double digits but none of them had 20 points or more. Jeff Green had 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Paul Pierce put up 16 points, six rebounds and six assists, Jordan Crawford added 14 points and six assists in his first start as a Celtic while Brandon Bass notched 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Jason Terry had 10 points off the bench.

It doesn't matter how it happens but the C's desperately need a win tomorrow night (7:00 p.m., CSN) at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland against the shitbum Cavaliers (22-47, 5th in Central Division) who won't have Kyrie Irving in the lineup.

UPDATE 3/27: Lee and Garnett didn't make the trip to Cleveland so they're both out tonight.

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Rondo's Triple-Double Can't Help The Celtics Avoid Another Loss, 89-86 To The Knicks

We keep waiting for the Celtics to dig themselves out of this ever expanding hole but so far, they can't do anything about it. Boston (20-22, 13-9 home) lost 89-86 to New York (26-14, 12-8 away) tonight at TD Garden in a game that they desperately needed to win.

The Knicks had lost 11 straight games at the Garden, their last win was way back in 2006. This was Boston's five straight loss (on the heels of a six-game win streak no less) which ties their roughest patch in the Kevin Garnett era (8 points, 12 rebounds).

The scene was all set for the C's to get a victory: a national audience (TNT) which always pushes Rajon Rondo (23 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals) that extra amount. The problem was that despite his 27th career triple-double (20th on national TV), he still made some careless turnovers. It was a team-wide virus too since Jason Terry and Paul Pierce (22 points, 6 rebounds) both had killer turnovers late in the fourth quarter when the Celtics had to rally.

It's hard to say what is causing all this temporary lack of focus or attention to detail but it's clear that the margin of error for Boston is so thin at the moment that blunders like that always seem to cost them this season.

Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 28 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Jason Kidd put up 12 points and three steals while Iman Shumpert added 10 points and five rebounds. Amar'e Stoudemire checked in with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks off the bench. J.R. Smith (3 for 16 from the field) was mostly awful but even he managed to knock down a clutch 3-pointer. The same can't be said for Terry (1-for-6), who looked completely lost in his worst game as a Celtic.

Everybody knows that New York takes and hits an absurd amount of 3-pointers. On this night, it was the main reason that they ended up winning. The Knicks hit five more 3-pointers (8-3) than the Celtics, the only statistic that was really in their favor.

There is no reason for the Celts to feel sorry for themselves since they are probably already in Atlanta. They play the Hawks (24-18, 2nd Southeast Division) tomorrow night (7:30 p.m., CSN) in what could be termed another must-win. When we last saw Atlanta, Boston rallied for an impressive 89-81 win on January 5. They often find ways to lose but the Hawks usually make it tough on the Celtics with close games.

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Well This NBA All-Star Game Should Be Interesting, For A Few Minutes At Least

The starters for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston (February 17 at Toyota Center) were announced tonight. Boston has two players that will start for the Eastern Conference: guard Rajon Rondo (13.0 ppg, 11.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.85 steals) and forward/center Kevin Garnett (14.6 ppg, 7.0 rebounds).

The hilarious part is that the other three starters for the East are Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. So basically, the Eastern Conference guys all despise each other. KG and Melo just had their Honey Nut Cheerios beef a few weeks ago while KG and Rondo have hated LeBron and Wade for years now.

The Western Conference starters are Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin. Haha four guys from Los Angeles but only two on a winning team.

It's the fourth consecutive All-Star Game for Rondo but the first that he's been voted as a starter by the fans. He had the second most votes for guards in the Eastern Conference, behind Wade.

Believe it or not, this will be the 15th All-Star Game for Garnett. He had played in 12 consecutive All-Star Games before he didn't get invited last season. Maybe that's why he seemed so refreshed in the playoffs, the shortened season definitely helped as well. He got the third most votes behind LeBron and Carmelo at forward.

The seven reserves for both teams will be announced next Thursday-great marketing ploy by the NBA. Two guards, three frontcourt players (centers are basically extinct) and two other utility guys will be chosen by NBA coaches who can't vote for their own players.

Obviously, Paul Pierce (19.4 ppg, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.45 steals) is the only other Celtic with any hope of making it. He had the sixth most votes for forwards, behind Chris Bosh and Tyson Chandler. Keep in mind that somebody will get hurt or skip out on the All-Star weekend so injury replacements are always a possibility as well.

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They Might Have A Worse Record Than Them But The Celtics Still Own The Knicks

You wouldn't think a Celtics-Knicks game on a Monday in early January would get the blood pumping but that's exactly what happened as the events at Madison Square Garden were much more interesting than Alabama's 42-14 pasting of Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game.

Playing without Rajon Rondo, who was suspended for a game after making contact with a referee in Atlanta on Saturday, Boston (17-17, 7-11 away) still found a way to hold off New York (23-11, 13-4 home) 102-96 in their first of four meetings in the regular season.

Paul Pierce led the Celts with 23 points and six assists, Kevin Garnett had 19 points, 10 rebounds and three steals while Avery Bradley (13 points, 5 assists) played like himself from last season. Jeff Green put up 16 points and six rebounds off the bench and Jared Sullinger had 10 points and five rebounds as Boston won its third straight game-all against Eastern Conference playoff teams.

J.R. Smith had 24 points off the bench for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points but he shot a putrid 6 of 26 from the field. Tyson Chandler added 13 points and 17 rebounds while Amar'e Stoudermire notched 13 points as a substitute.

The weird subplot is that KG and Melo got tangled up during the game in the fourth quarter (both earning technicals) and it apparently carried over to afterwards as Anthony tried to confront Garnett by Boston's team bus. Haha really dude? Luckily, there was about 1000 people there to make sure nothing actually happened.

This had the look and feel of a playoff game, right down to the scoreboard. Zing! The Celtics led 22-21 after the first quarter but the Knicks wrestled slight control away with a 56-53 halftime advantage. Boston's defense took over in the third quarter (23-16) and they were able to hang on in the fourth (26-24).

The Celtics won because they shot so well from the field (52.7%) and held the Knicks to 40.8%. The only reason New York made a game of it was because they hit eight more 3-pointers (14-6). No Rondo but Boston still had seven more assists (26-19) and 12 more points in the paint (40-28).

After we all left the C's for dead last week-rightfully so-they have certainly turned things around. They have the potential to go on a nice run here as the schedule really works out in their favor: their next five games are all at home. Only two of them are against playoff caliber teams (Rockets, Bulls) while the other three are cupcakes (Suns, Bobcats, Hornets).

Boston hosts Phoenix (12-23, 5th in Pacific Division) on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m., CSN) in their first of two meetings this season.

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Carmelo Drops A Triple-Double On The Celtics At MSG

If you watched tonight's Celtics-Knicks game, rest assured that you witnessed something that you'll never see again in an NBA game.

New York (32-29, 21-11 home) was on fire NBA Jam style all night as they won 118-110 over Boston (36-26, 15-17 away) at Madison Square Garden, knotting the season series at two in the finale.

Steve Novak (25 points) hit eight 3-pointers, setting a career-high in points. J.R. Smith (25 points) tied a team-record with seven 3-pointers all in the first half. The crazy thing is that both those guys came off the bench and Carmelo Anthony (35 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) was even better since he notched a triple-double.

Not having Mickael Pietrus or Ray Allen certainly hurt Boston's chances of A) stopping those guys and B) getting points from the bench. Boston's bench was outscored 55-2, haha that's not a misprint.

The Knicks hit 19 3-pointers (most ever allowed in Celtics franchise history) out of 34 attempts, tying a season-high in makes and falling one short of the franchise mark set way back in 2010-11. The Celtics played absolutely no defense and trailed 72-53 at halftime yet somehow, they hung around for virtually the entire way.

Paul Pierce scored a season-high 43 points (most for a Boston player in 6 years), including an incredible 17 of 18 from the free throw line. Kevin Garnett had 20 points, Avery Bradley scored 17 points (5 for 6 on 3-pointers!), Brandon Bass had 15 points and Rajon Rondo put up 13 points (2 for 4 on 3-pointers) and 13 assists. His double digit assist streak reached 23 games in a row.

Tyson Chandler also had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks. The Celts could have clinched the Atlantic Division with a win but it's basically a formality with four games remaining and New York trailing by 3.5 games.

Boston flies home for another primetime game tomorrow at TD Garden against the Orlando Magic, minus Dwight Howard. The Celtics beat the Magic in back-to-back games in January, including that absurd comeback on January 26 (91-83) in Orlando. Odds are that the C's will play either the Magic or Hawks (their opponent on Friday) in the first round of the playoffs with the 4 vs. 5 matchup. I think most would agree that Orlando, especially with Howard banged up, would be easier to beat.

Three of the Celtics' last four games are at home. Rondo took a hard fall on his back and he's questionable for tomorrow. If there's any doubt on his status, they will surely be cautious since he's the franchise and their only hope to go far in the playoffs.

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If I'm The Celtics, I Keep Creating Trade Rumors & Doing Anything To Piss Rajon Rondo Off

I rarely say something like this but it's too bad that there was a Bruins-Rangers game at the same exact time not to mention a day full of great college basketball games because today's Celtics-Knicks game was a wildly entertaining experience.

Boston (19-17) won its fourth straight, 115-111 in overtime against New York (18-19) at TD Garden.

It was all thanks to Rajon Rondo's one of a kind ability (18 points, 17 rebounds, 20 assists; his 17th triple-double all-time and second in his last three games) as he turned in an all-time classic performance in his career. He's only the third player (Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain) to have 15+ points, 20+ assists and 15+ rebounds in a single game. He's also the third point guard in the last 25 years (Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson) to have 15+ points, 15+ assists and 15+ rebounds. It was also the fifth game in a row that he's had 10+ assists; the longest stretch since he had six in a row in 2010. In short, maybe the Celtics shouldn't trade this guy. He seems decent.

Paul Pierce notched a season-high 34 points and seven rebounds while Kevin Garnett (18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals), Brandon Bass (18 points, 4 blocks) and Ray Allen (12 points, 4 steals) joined Rondo in double-figures.

Pierce was the goat then the hero late in the fourth as he missed a contested jumper when they were down one (101-100) but sent it to overtime with his tying 3-pointer. Carmelo Anthony (25 points, 7 rebounds) missed a chance to win it at the buzzer than he no-showed overtime which is the typical fraud contributions you can expect from him.

The ghost of Amare Stoudemire had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Jeremy Lin added 14 points, Tyson Chandler grabbed 13 rebounds while Iman Shumpert and Steve Novak scored 14 off the bench for the Knicks.

Turnovers were the difference as New York coughed it up 22 times which led to 23 points for Boston. The Celtics also had nine more points in the paint (21-12).

The Knicks have been a much better team since Lin was inserted into the starting lineup but the Celtics have won six out of the last seven against them dating back to last season's playoffs. Boston is 2-1 against New York this season and all three contests were thrillers. Therefore circle April 17 on your calender since the C's go to Madison Square Garden that night for the final regular season meeting.

Boston concludes this three-game homestand on Tuesday as the sneaky good Houston Rockets (21-17) visit for their only matchup this season. It's hard to explain how the Rockets are doing that well especially since I don't think I've seen one of their games but you know that Kevin Martin is a solid NBA scorer, Kyle Lowry is a good point guard and they have depth. Oh and by the way Kevin McHale is their head coach.

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Boston 1, New York 0 So Far This Weekend

The Boston Celtics held off the New York Knicks 91-89 tonight at TD Garden for three simple reasons: the C's play defense, they have a point guard and they use their bench (they outscored the Knicks 23-9).

It would be piling on to mention that Doc Rivers routinely coaches circles around Mike D'Antoni but I'll stick with the three main ingredients.

Boston (12-10) avenged its two-point loss on Christmas Day by winning for the seventh time in the last eight games.

Conversely, New York (8-15) continues to spiral downward. It seems inevitable that D'Antoni will be fired at some point this season, the Knicks can't go on playing this badly without a major change to shake up this poorly constructed team.

Paul Pierce was the best player on the parquet with a game-high 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Kevin Garnett had 15 points and eight rebounds while Ray Allen scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter aka winning time. Rajon Rondo was rusty in his return after missing eight games, he had seven points, seven assists, five rebounds and five turnovers.

Carmelo Anthony (26 points, 6 assists), Tyson Chandler (20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals) and Amare Stoudemire (16 points, 11 rebounds) had nice numbers but it didn't help them get the most important thing-the win.

Only on a D'Antoni team would the last two shots in a one-possession game go to Landry Fields (11 points) and Steve Novak (0 points, that was his only playing time!), who both launched 3-pointers that didn't have a prayer of going in. It's baffling that somebody could be such a one-dimensional (offense!) coach and still be employed at the highest level.

New York led 72-62 in the third quarter but Boston slowly chipped away. The Celtics' defense won it for them since they held the Knicks to 34 second-half points. The teams play twice more in the regular season.

The C's will try to keep it going on Sunday as they host Memphis in a rare 12 p.m. tip-off since it's Super Bowl Sunday. Did you hear the Patriots are in the Super Bowl?

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Knicks Snap 8-Game Losing Streak To The Celtics With 106-104 Win In 2011-12 Opener

The truncated 2011-12 NBA regular season began this afternoon, on Christmas, with a sloppy but very entertaining game between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks (1-0) held on for a 106-104 win after the Celtics (0-1) missed not only a chance to win it but also a jumper that would have tied it at the end of regulation.

Last season, between the regular season and playoffs, Boston went 8-0 against New York. The Knicks hadn't beaten the Celtics since April 6, 2010. In total, Boston had won 20 of the last 22 meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals.

I'm not enough of a prisoner of the moment to declare that New York is the favorite to win the division or that they're a better team than Boston. That probably has to do with the fact that I never have faith in a team coached by Mike D'Antoni or led by Carmelo Anthony. Two guys that don't give a shit about defense, all that matters to them is scoring points and there's no doubt that they get it done in that regard.

I will give credit to Carmelo though, I think he's the best pure scorer in the NBA these days and his game-high 37 points (8 rebounds) were the difference in the win for the home team. He had 17 points in the fourth quarter, as many as the Celtics entire squad.

It's not me being a homer when I say that Rajon Rondo (team-high 31 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals) was easily the best player on the floor. Ray Allen (20 points) and Kevin Garnett (15 points, 8 rebounds) had quiet games despite numbers that look alright.

The other lasting impression on the Celts was Brandon Bass. In his debut for the Green, he put up his first career 20-point, 10-rebound game. He had 20 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.

I think it's safe to say that Celtics fans will forget about Glen "Big Baby" Davis in about a week now that we have Bass. He's a pro; he knows his strengths, he's consistent and he doesn't try to be something he's not. In other words, he's everything that the up and down Davis was not and likely never will be.

This being the NBA, it only took about two quarters to remember everything I hate about the league: officials having way too much power, no ball movement, tons of commercials and too many fouls.

Paul Pierce was out with a heel injury so his most lasting contribution was sitting on the bench in a suit and sporting a pair of red earrings that I'm pretty sure my mother owns.

Boston was lifeless without its captain in the first half. They trailed by 10 at halftime and that seemed like a gift since they seemingly couldn't play much worse. At one point, the Knicks were up 17 (49-32) less than midway through the second quarter.

Predictably against a team that still doesn't have a clue how to play defense-despite now having Tyson Chandler (7 points, 6 blocks)-the Celtics hit the Knicks with a 25-7 run to take their largest lead of the contest at 77-69 with 3:55 left in the third quarter.

Credit to New York as they stepped up in the fourth quarter; they made shots while Boston's offense sadly dried up without a true go-to scorer.

Amare Stoudemire put up 21 points for New York while Toney Douglas added 19 points. Rookie Iman Shumpert had 11 points off the bench before leaving with a strained MCL.

Sasha Pavlovic started in Pierce's place and I'm not kidding when I say I hope that he's released when Mickael Pietrus is ready to play. In 15 minutes, Pavlovic didn't take a shot with one assist, one rebound and four fouls plus a technical foul (that was completely bogus). To call him completely worthless is being generous. Doc Rivers talked him up in the preseason which is a classic coach's tactic of building up a player that he knows sucks.

New York jumped out to a 34-23 lead after the first quarter thanks to typical run and gun D'Antoni ball. As fast as you could say "what's Spike Lee wearing?" Boston started to find itself in the second quarter (29-28) to close to within 10 (62-52) at halftime.

Rondo abused Douglas, he must have had six or seven layups. The Celtics played outstanding in the third quarter (35-17) to take a commanding 87-79 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately that's when Joey Crawford (the worst NBA ref, which is saying something) and his crew started to take over in crunch time. I'm not going to say that the Celtics lost because of them but it certainly didn't help that they were hit with two shady technicals in the fourth.

The Knicks found more offense in the fourth (27-17). Marquis Daniels had a wide open 3-pointer that rimmed out before the final buzzer, Rondo got the rebound and Boston took its final timeout. Once again, Rivers drew up a nice play as KG had a jumper that he can usually hit. The problem was that it didn't go in.

Almost all the final stats favored the Celtics. They shot 4% better (51.3%-47.3%), grabbed 10 more rebounds (41-31), handed out 11 more assists (28-17), had 18 more points in the paint (48-30) and eight more fast break points (16-8).

More than anything I can point to, the Knicks won simply because they made seven more 3-pointers (9-2). Without Pierce, Allen was the only Celtic looking to take threes. That'll change soon enough. Amare actually hit as many threes by himself as Boston did as a team.

This loss doesn't bother me at all; if the C's had won despite sleeping through the first half and the Knicks making tons of shots, I would have been surprised. Their rally was impressive but ultimately, they paid for their poor start and all the energy they put into the rally. The other three games against the Knicks this season should be like this, very close and fun to watch.

Boston travels to Miami on Tuesday for the Heat's home opener (and a rematch of the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring). I hardly watched any of it, gotta build up my NBA tolerance, but I saw that Miami rolled 105-94 in Dallas today.

The Celts go to New Orleans the next night before finally coming back to TD Garden on Friday for their home opener against Detroit. I won't complain about the schedule-since the Lakers played today then tomorrow and Tuesday-but three games in four days to start it off is tough for this older group (3rd oldest in the NBA).

The key for Boston will be to not get off to a poor start. I expect them to lose to the Heat on Tuesday but then bounce back against the Hornets and Pistons. With any luck, Pierce and Pietrus will be active on Tuesday. That would make for a closer and more interesting contest as far as I'm concerned.

UPDATE 12/26: No official word yet but apparently Pietrus won't play tomorrow in Miami or Wednesday in New Orleans. Expect him to be active on Friday for the home opener against the Pistons.

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Celtics sweep the Knicks

Thanks to injuries (to Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudemire) and their usual lack of defense, the New York Knicks quickly morphed from first-round playoff threat to pushover in the span of a week.

That's what makes yesterday's 101-89 win by the Boston Celtics so meaningful. By sweeping the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the Celts were able to become the only NBA team to sweep a first-round series in 2011.

While the Heat, Bulls, Lakers and Spurs are all still battling, the Cs will have their feet up at home, getting plenty of rest ahead of what should be a war of a series against Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Believe it or not, Boston hadn't swept a first-round series since a crippled Larry Bird was still balling (in 1992 vs. Indiana) so it had been a while.

The Celts were focused yesterday to get the series over with and not have to exert anymore energy. They built a 23-point lead and started to coast before New York made one last desperate run that cut it to four points in the fourth quarter.

From there, Boston settled down by hitting shots and making some stops. Goodnight New York, your fraudulent magical season is over. Have a great summer.

Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Rajon Rondo added 21 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Ray Allen scored 14 points and Paul Pierce notched 13 points.

The key to the Game 4 win though and moving forward will be the bench trio of Glen Davis (14 points, 5 rebounds), Jeff Green (5 points, 7 rebounds) and Delonte West (2 points, 5 rebounds).

Other than Rondo, Boston's main advantage over Miami lies in their bench. Those three guys need to take their games to another level. Yesterday was as a start in the right direction as Davis started hitting shots again while Green and West were out there for important minutes.

Carmelo Anthony led New York with a game-high 32 points and nine rebounds. Stoudemire added 19 points and 12 rebounds (props to him for playing with a hurt back). Anthony Carter was a spark off the bench with 11 points. Thankfully Knicks head coach Mike Dantoni is a clown and playing Carter over the underwhelming and out of position Toney Douglas didn't click in his mind until crunch time of the elimination game. Good job Mike.

Boston led 29-23 after the first quarter and 55-38 at halftime. Like in Game 3, the Celtics really didn't give MSG much to cheer about, effectively taking out the crowd that was desperate for something to cheer about. The Knicks started their comeback with a big third quarter (34-27) before they fell short in the fourth (19-17 Boston).

For the game, the Celtics shot 49.4% to 34.1% for the Knicks. New York made five more 3-pointers (8-3) and three more free throws (21-18). Boston grabbed 11 more rebounds (53-42), five more assists (24-19) and two more steals (6-4).

Now let's all sit back and root for the Philadelphia 76ers to keep winning. The Eastern Conference semifinals won't begin until probably next Sunday at the earliest.

Celtics outlast Knicks B-squad, take 2-0 series lead

With Chauncey Billups ruled out with an ankle injury before Game 2 started, the Boston Celtics already had a distinct advantage.

When Amare Stoudemire left late in the first half with back spasms and didn't return, you had to think what else could go wrong for the New York Knicks.

Still, despite a severely limited roster of healthy bodies, Carmelo Anthony almost single-handily willed New York to victory with a playoff career-high 42 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.

Boston was able to hang on for a 96-93 win at TD Garden, giving them a 2-0 series lead. Just like in Game 1, the Knicks went up late but couldn't stop a later Celtics hoop (this time a KG hook shot) and then bungled their last possession (Jared Jeffries getting stripped by KG on the baseline).

After a terrible Game 1 performance, Carmelo was truly special last night. However, a mental error (letting almost four seconds lapse before fouling Ray Allen at the end) nearly overshadowed his dominant display.

There's not many other ways to say it then the Celtics know how to win and the Knicks are still learning how to do it when it really matters.

Rajon Rondo had a playoff career-high 30 points and seven assists. Paul Pierce had 20 points, Ray Allen scored 18 and KG put up 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Starting for Billups, Toney Douglas had 14 points and Jeffries was the only other Knick in double figures with 10 points (including the go-ahead hoop before KG's shot).

In an ideal world, Boston will sweep New York and the Celtics bench will get some more playing time in the next two games since they clearly need to get the work. Four players (Delonte West, Nenad Krstic, Jeff Green and Glen Davis) combined for 14 points last night and that's simply not good enough to win consistently in the playoffs.

The Cs got out to a 23-21 lead after the first quarter but the Knicks took a 45-44 halftime lead. Boston responded with a strong third quarter (30-22) and as I said, made enough plays to survive a shaky fourth (26-22 New York).

Boston shot 47.0% to New York's 35.6%. The Knicks hit two more 3-pointers (8-6) and nine more free throws (21-12). The most shocking stat was that New York had 16 more rebounds (53-37). The Celtics had seven more assists (21-14) and 12 more fast break points thanks to Rondo (16-4) along with six more points in the paint (40-34).

Billups supposedly will play in Game 3 and Stoudemire is getting an MRI today but you have to bet he'll suit up since New York's season will basically be on the line. It's in Boston's best interest to make this series as short as possible. If they get to the next round, it'll be much harder (yes, I realize these games have been really tight) against likely Miami.