The Celtics Closed Out A Horrible 2021 With Their Best Win Of The Season, 123-108 Vs. The Suns

 

    There are many reasons why I have barely posted anything about the Celtics (17-19 overall, 10-7 home) during this miserable 2021-22 campaign: they are mostly an unlikable group, their games are nearly unwatchable and usually quite predictable in terms of blowing almost any lead possible. Fast forward to their traditional New Year's Eve afternoon home game at TD Garden where they dominated one of the best teams in the NBA-the Suns (27-8 overall, 11-4 road)-123-108. Boston led by as many as 30 points in the second quarter (65-35!) and of course Phoenix made a decent run in the third quarter but for once, the C's were able to hang on for what has to be considered their most meaningful victory of head coach Ime Udoka's rocky first year in charge. 

    For more context, the Celtics had lost eight of their last 11 games including three soul-crushing losses in a row entering today: they were up as much as 19 points on Christmas at Milwaukee (24-13) before losing to the Bucks, they fell on Monday at Minnesota (16-19) which due to Covid and injuries fielded basically a G League team and then they wrapped it up by hitting four-of-42 3-pointers and losing by nine at Wednesday to the mediocre Clippers (18-18) at the Garden. Speaking of the 'Rona, Celts superstar Jayson Tatum is still out as he battles it for the second year in a row. Like every other team, the Suns are also missing guys-most notably center Deandre Ayton-because of this never-ending nightmare that we are facing all around this stubborn country. 

    Seven Celtics scored in double-figures led by point guard Marcus Smart (24 points, 9 rebounds) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 11 rebounds) but center Robert Williams (10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals) was the star of the show as he notched his first career triple-double. When he's healthy and on the court, Williams is one of the most talented big men in the league but unfortunately he is so injury-prone that it makes your head spin. Power forward Grant Williams scored 15 points and despite only having three guys appear off the bench, they combined to score 46 points. Swingman Josh Richardson had 19 points, shooting guard Romeo Langford added 16 points and two steals while guard Payton Pritchard tossed in 11 points (it's nice to see Udoka finally play him a little bit). 

    The Suns have already proven that last season where they went to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 was no fluke whatsoever. It helps of course to have arguably the best backcourt around in point guard Chris Paul (14 points, 8 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Devin Booker (team-high 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals). Small forward Cam Johnson put up 20 points, five rebounds and two steals while center Jalen Smith (who?!) had 19 points and seven rebounds plus power forward Mikal Bridges notched 10 points and two steals. The home team led by 11 points after the first quarter (32-20) and by 26 points at haftime (67-41). Phoenix predictably came alive in the second half but even for them, it was too late to have much of an impact on the C's. The Suns took the third quarter (36-33) and the fourth quarter as well (36-33) but the Celtics held on tight to avoid the season sweep by the Suns.

    For the game, Boston had a big advantage when it came to field goal percentage (54.2%-41.0%), they also took 10 more free throws (26-16) and hit eight more of them (23-15), they grabbed 14 more rebounds (51-37), dished out eight more assists (28-20) and thanks to Williams blocked five more shots (7-2). For what it's worth, on paper this next little stretch for Boston seems very winnable: they host the tanking Magic (7-29) on Sunday night (6, NBC Sports Boston), before the Spurs (14-20) come to town on Wednesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) then they have a home-and-home with the Knicks (17-19) on Thursday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at Madison Square Garden and then the return match here next Saturday night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). Hopefully Tatum can return at some point this upcoming week but then again, he and Brown famously don't really play well together anymore. Oof, it's a tough time to be a C's fan and I obviously have very low expectations for the rest of this season and beyond barring some huge changes in personnel.

Celtics Lock Down The Suns, Picking Up One Of Their Best Wins Of The Season, 99-86

 

    The game itself was far from pretty but the end result was beautiful last night at the TD Garden as the Celtics (32-27 overall, 19-11 home) easily dispatched of the weary Suns (42-17 overall, 19-8 away) 99-86. Phoenix entered having won in overtime at Milwaukee (36-22) on Monday and at Philadelphia (39-20) on Wednesday, so you can understand why they didn't have much energy left by the time they reached the Garden parquet. For what it's worth, Boston was missing three of their best players: shooting guard Jaylen Brown (left shoulder bursitis), center Robert Williams (left knee soreness) and swingman Evan Fournier (health and safety protocol) all missed the rematch between the C's and the Suns. The Celtics were also coming off of one of the worst losses of their season 102-96 to the Bulls (25-34) on Monday so this was a great bounceback victory which gives them wins in seven out of their last eight contests. 

    The Suns are fighting for a top seed in the Western Conference though so they respectfully had all their best players in the lineup: point guard Chris Paul (22 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals), shooting guard Devin Booker (15 points, 5 turnovers before he fouled out), small forward Mikal Bridges (15 points) and center Deandre Ayton (10 points, 9 rebounds) all played their normal minutes. Boston was led by point guard Kemba Walker who tied his season-high with 32 points. Swingman Jayson Tatum (15 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers) had another ugly shooting performance (3-for-17) but at least he's getting to the free throw line way more than earlier this season and converting them (8-of-8). Guard Marcus Smart added 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists while center Tristan Thompson (9 points, 12 rebounds) missed out on a double-double by one measly point. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard (10 points) continued his late season reemergence in 21 valuable minutes off the bench. 

    The C's smartly jumped on the Suns right away as they led 26-21 after the first quarter and they were up by as many as 21 points in the second quarter before settling into a 53-37 halftime advantage. Phoenix pushed back in the third quarter (28-24) but with Booker out, there would be no comeback in the fourth quarter as Boston edged them 22-21. Neither team shot well but the Celtics did hit twice as many 3-pointers (12-6) as the Suns, they also made 13 more free throws (21-8) and grabbed 10 more rebounds (48-38). For a team that has struggled so much defensively all season, it was refreshing to see the Celts hold an elite opponent to 40.9% shooting from the field and 17.1% on 3-pointers (which has to be a season-best). 

    The middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race is a complete mess so this win allowed Boston to keep pace with fifth-place Atlanta (32-27) and remain a half game behind the fourth-place Knicks (33-27) along with one game ahead of seventh-place Miami (31-28). After three blowout losses to the Nets (39-20 overall, 23-7 home) earlier this season, tonight (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the Barclays Center is the last chance for the Celtics to finally beat Brooklyn before they could potentially see them again in the postseason. Kevin Durant (leg) and James Harden (hamstring) are both out, leaving only Kyrie Irving from the Nets' Big Three so even though it's in a back-to-back, this feels like the best time for the C's to come out on top. Brooklyn is 5-5 in their last 10 games due to all the changes in their lineup but they remain in a dead heat with the Sixers for the top spot in the East. This game means so much to both teams therefore it should be a good one.

While You Were Shoveling Snow Or Fixing A Super Bowl Feast, The Suns Beat The Celtics 100-91

 

    With a bunch of late night games on this West Coast road trip, the Celtics (12-10 overall, 7-7 away) have been able to hide from the masses after some rough performances and conversely, their nice wins have barely registered locally since few people were watching them live. Today was a different story though as they had a early tip time of high noon in Phoenix (13-9 overall, 6-4 home) and with a snowstorm in New England, you had few other things to do besides watching this ugly game. The Suns topped the Celts 100-91 as Boston fell to 2-4 in its last six contests. C's star Jaylen Brown missed his second game in a row with left knee soreness. These clubs should be roughly at the same level but at the moment, Phoenix is better as the Celtics search for that elusive consistency. Boston got dominated inside-getting outscored 46-26 in the paint-and their shooting was woeful (48.8% for Phoenix to 35.5% for the visitors). 

    The Suns have been mostly awful (and irrelevant) for years but with point guard Chris Paul (15 points) in his first season with Phoenix, you can sense that he is bringing a culture change to a team that has a bunch of young and talented players. Small forward Mikal Bridges (19 points, 9 rebounds) was the high scorer for the Suns who had five guys score in double figures with at least 15 points apiece. Shooting guard Devin Booker (18 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) wasn't too far off from a triple-double while center Deandre Ayton (16 points, 11 rebounds) also had a double-double and small forward Cameron Johnson (17 points) was great off the bench for Phoenix. 

Boston head coach Brad Stevens was forced to tinker with his shaky starting lineup and guard Carsen Edwards (2 points in 17 minutes) failed to provide any kind of spark. Swingman Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 23 points (on 22 shots) and had seven assists. Point guard Kemba Walker (14 points) followed up his promising outing on Friday in the upset of the Clippers with his worst shooting performance as a Celtic: he went a dreadful 4-of-20 from the field which seems almost impossible for someone with his shot-making ability. Woof. Power forward Grant Williams (10 points) was the only other starter to reach double figures in scoring. Center Daniel Theis (12 points, 6 rebounds) and rookie guard Payton Pritchard (12 points, 5 rebounds) both showed that maybe they shouldn't have come off the bench vs. the Suns. 

    The final score is deceptively close because Boston's biggest lead was one measly point while Phoenix's ballooned up to as much as 17 points. The Suns outscored them 27-19 in the first quarter but Boston's only quality frame was the second as they outscored Phoenix 30-25 to cut it to 52-49 at halftime. The Suns didn't exactly run away with it-taking the third quarter 24-19 and then closing it out with a similar last quarter (24-23). Phoenix grabbed nine more total rebounds (50-41) including 13 more defensive boards (41-28). The home team also hit four more free throws (12-8) and blocked three more shots (5-2). 

    The C's have one last game left on this trip and it's probably the toughest one of them all if they want to finish above .500 (3-2) on it: they are in Salt Lake City on Tuesday (10, NBC Sports Boston) to face the Jazz (19-5) who currently own the best record in the NBA. Utah is always one of the tougher places in the league to play at and the Jazz have been one of the biggest positive surprises this season. Guard Donovan Mitchell (who averages 23.5 points per game) is one of the better players in the NBA even if Shaq stubbornly disagrees with that general consensus. I couldn't tell you what to expect from that matchup since every time you doubt the Celts they play good basketball. A win would put a bow on what has been a weird week for the Celtics traveling far away from home and playing some of the best clubs in the Western Conference.

Not That There Was Any Doubt but Doc Rivers Picked the Right Time To Leave Boston

I'll never understand how anyone could blame Doc Rivers for leaving the Celtics for the Clippers. With Boston rebuilding and LA a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, who wouldn't take off on a new adventure in a warm climate with more money and power? Doc's first game back to TD Garden with his new team was tonight and the Clippers (15-8 overall, 7-6 away) held off the Celtics (10-14 overall, 5-6 home) 96-88.

The C's did a nice job honoring Rivers between the first and second quarter with a highlight video although their taste in music wasn't the best. As most expected, he was widely cheered when he got introduced before the game (as he should have been). Now we can all move on with our lives, PS thanks for the memories Doc. Oh that's right, they'll meet one more time-January 8 in Los Angeles. I'll assume that won't be nearly as emotional.

Chris Paul is what makes the Clippers a contender, for my money he's still the best point guard in the NBA (sorry Russell Westbrook). He flirted with a triple-double (22 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals). Blake Griffin was the only other LA starter in double-figures with 18 points (which I'm assuming all came via dunks) and seven rebounds. Ageless Jamal Crawford scored 21 points off the bench and Darren Collison had 10 points.

Boston was playing the second half of a back-to-back and it showed as they led 23-20 after one quarter and 45-39 at halftime before they faded in the last two quarters. Los Angeles took over in the third (27-19) and put it away in the fourth (30-24).

Jeff Green scored a game-high 29 points but in typical fashion didn't do anything else. Jordan Crawford nearly had a double-double with 20 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Brandon Bass put up a great line if you had him in Fantasy Basketball: 17 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Jared Sullinger added 10 points and nine assists.

LA hit six more free throws (22-16), made four more steals (9-5), scored six more fast break points (15-9) and 18 more points in the paint (42-24). Oh and the Clippers bench outscored the Celtics 34-4 so there's that.

It was a taxing couple nights so I'm sure Boston will be happy to rest tomorrow (assuming they don't have more than a light practice at most) before they host the Knicks (6-15, 4th in Atlantic Division) on Friday (7:30, CSN). You might remember that Boston whipped New York 114-73 on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. I'd say the Knicks can't possibly play any worse but then I look at their record and am not quite sure.

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Doc Rivers Says Goodbye To Boston, Starts New NBA Journey With Clippers

We can't let this bizarre ending that dragged on far too long overshadow the important point: Doc Rivers was wildly successful in his nine years as head coach of the Celtics and was a big part of them being relevant again in the NBA. Now that it appears his time is over in Boston with reports of him going to the Clippers and signing a three-year deal worth $21 million (in return for a first-round draft pick in 2015), we can look back and fully appreciate the excellent run that he had with the Celts.

Doc started out in Boston in 2004-05. The dysfunctional team that he inherited went 45-37 but lost to the Pacers in a seven-game first round series complete with Paul Pierce's meltdown at the postgame press conference with a ridiculous bandage on his head. To get good again, the Celts truly had to bottom out which they successfully did in the next two seasons. Tanking put them in prime position to get the No. 1 or 2 pick (Greg Oden or Kevin Durant) in 2007's draft but as it turned out the ping pong balls didn't bounce their way and they were stuck with the No. 5 pick.

That's when things changed though as Danny Ainge traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen which totally transformed the franchise and returned it to the glory days with a title in their first season, a return to the Finals two years later (2010) and one last memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012 vs. Miami.

Let's not get it twisted, coaching in the NBA is largely akin to a babysitting position and less of a teaching role than in MLB, NHL or NFL. More so than any of those other three professional sports, it's a player's league. That's no disrespect to Rivers, he's a very good coach but most importantly, he could handle the huge egos in the Celtics' locker room. It also didn't hurt that he was great with the media (he used to be a fine NBA broadcaster) and a standup guy to boot with the All-American family of athletes. These are admirable qualities and not something you find in your average NBA lifer who has no personality or coaching acumen.

Doc Rivers came to the Celtics at the perfect time and as a result, he was transformed into one of the most well respected coaches in the NBA. His regular season record in Boston was 416-305 (.577%) and playoff record was 59-47 (.557%). He coached in the NBA All-Star Game twice (2008 and 2011) and his teams made the playoffs in seven of nine seasons.

Who can blame him for wanting out? Everybody knows that the C's are about to embark on another rebuilding project that will center around the mercurial Rajon Rondo. Doc has plenty of other interests and he doesn't want to be a coach for life which means after paying his dues once, he wants to coach a contender. The Clippers certainly fit the bill-assuming they re-sign Chris Paul. Rivers leaves impossibly big shoes to fill and I have no clue who the Celtics will choose to replace him. They can go with a young, energetic no-name guy (think Tom Thibodeau) or perhaps an NBA retread like George Karl or Lionel Hollins who have surprisingly found themselves out of a job this spring after leading their respective squads to the playoffs.

It'll be a busy couple weeks for the Celtics as they look for a new head coach, draft a player on Thursday (No. 16) and decide whether to buy out Pierce by June 30 or have him return next season.

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Apparently The Clippers' 15-Game Win Streak & Best Record In The NBA Is No Fluke

After a beating like the one just handed to the Celtics tonight, there is very little to say. The Clippers (23-6, 14-3 home) extended their win streak to an eye-popping 15 games with a 106-77 win at Staples Center against Boston (14-14, 5-9 away).

Los Angeles has the best record in the NBA and seeing them up close, it is easy to see why they are a legitimate title contender this season. Chris Paul had eight points and 11 assists while Blake Griffin posted 15 points and eight rebounds and Caron Butler added 14 points. The real story was Matt Barnes, who had a game-high 21 points off the bench, and Jamal Crawford (17 points), who should be in the 2013 All-Star game if he continues to play like this.

After their best game of the season on Christmas in Brooklyn, a team that saw their head coach-Avery Johnson-get fired today, the Celtics came back with their worst effort. Kevin Garnett led the C's with 16 points, Paul Pierce had 12 points, Rajon Rondo put up 10 points, six assists and five rebounds while Jason Terry notched 10 points. Courtney Lee had 12 points off the bench, Brandon Bass grabbed nine rebounds and Jeff Green scored eight.

Afterwards on Inside the NBA, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley suggested that Doc Rivers start Green in order to get his confidence going. At this juncture, it's worth a shot since nothing else seems to make much of a difference. They pointed out that there is too much pressure on him playing with the second unit and being with Rondo would get him easy buckets.

I think numbers in blowout games (win or lose) can be meaningless but you have to admit that some of these are horrifying if you consider yourself a Celtics fan: Los Angeles shot 7.9% better from the field (48.2%-40.3%), hit six more 3-pointers (12-6), handed out 11 more assists (31-20), had seven more steals (12-5), four more blocks (7-3) and 10 less turnovers (18-8). The Clippers produced 16 more points in the paint (42-26).

Since Oklahoma City vs. Dallas went into overtime on TNT, we didn't get sent to LA until midway through the first quarter with the Clippers up 18-6. It honestly didn't get any better for the rest of the game. At one point, the Celts cut it to a four point deficit in the second quarter (32-28) but the Clippers responded with an 8-0 run and that was basically it.

Los Angeles outscored Boston in every quarter, including 24-10 in the fourth quarter which is beyond depressing. The Celts are at Golden State (19-10, 2nd in Pacific Division) on Saturday night (10:30 p.m., CSN) and there is a decent chance that it'll end up just like this blowout. The Warriors are one of the hottest teams in the NBA (7-3 in their last 10) and they play great at home (8-4 this season). If Boston doesn't bring a much more respectable effort, they'll find themselves on the wrong end of another embarrassing scoreline.

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Suck It Billy Crystal & Clipper Darrell

I might have forfeited sleep and sanity but that's a small price to pay since in return, tonight I was able to watch the best win of the season for the Boston Celtics.

Playing their second game in two days at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Celts (22-19, 6-11 away) were able to close on a 20-7 run for a truly awesome 94-85 win over the Clippers (23-17, 12-7 home).

This was the first time all season that Boston won the second game of a back-to-back on the road.

Paul Pierce (game-high 25 points, 7 assists) usually plays well when he returns home and this was no exception as he hit a huge 3-pointer near the end. Kevin Garnett (21 points, 8 rebounds) was great too and Ray Allen (15 points) survived a scary turned ankle. It looked bad at first glance, maybe something way more serious but after going to the back he returned a few minutes later and even finished the game on the court.

Brandon Bass had 10 points and nine rebounds before fouling out. The expected point guard showdown between Rajon Rondo (12 points, 10 assists, 3 steals) and Chris Paul (14 points on 3 of 12 shooting), two of the NBA's best, was a bust since Paul was basically invisible.

Freak of nature Blake Griffin led LA with 24 points and nine rebounds, DeAndre Jordan grabbed 13 rebounds and Mo Williams scored 21 off the bench with four steals.

This was the only meeting of the season between these two teams but you wouldn't know that by how chippy they played and how much trash they talked to each other. I complain all the time about regular season NBA games being dull but this one was great because it had an edge.

The Celts led 25-21 after one quarter but the Clippers rallied to take a 48-39 halftime advantage. Boston locked down on defense in the second half, outscoring Los Angeles 23-13 in the third and 32-24 in the fourth.

It was great for once to see the Celtics execute in crunch time and not fold like usual (such as yesterday against the Lakers). It gives us a flickering hope that maybe they can do that more consistently.

The C's shot 12% better from the floor (49.3%-37.3%), they attempted six more free throws (27-21) and made five more (23-18) while dishing out eight more assists (24-16) and blocking three more shots (5-2). The Clippers were beasts on the offensive boards (20-6) and rebounding in general (45-31), that's the only reason it was somewhat close.

Two games down on this eight-game road trip, six more remaining. Up next, the Celtics travel to Golden State on Wednesday for their only meeting against the Warriors. Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee and Co. are always tough at home. Boston will need plenty of rest since Golden State loves to run.

UPDATE 3/14: The Warriors made a blockbuster trade last night as they shipped Ellis, forward Ekpe Udoh and blob Kwame Brown to the Bucks for injured center Andrew Bogut and swingman Stephen Jackson. There's been reports that Golden State would get a draft pick too but I'm not sure. Regardless, it totally changes the complexion of tonight's game. Now, I expect the Celtics to win. Jackson used to be on the Warriors but he's way past his prime.

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Celts ring in New Year's Eve with a no-show matinee at the Garden

I don't work in Las Vegas at a sportsbook but there's a few certain telltale signs for NBA games that almost always come true: teams struggle in back to backs and also after losing their stars to injuries.

With the New Orleans Hornets in Boston yesterday afternoon, the Boston Celtics had to take time away from planning their New Year's Eve appearances and parties to play a game without either Rajon Rondo or Kevin Garnett.

Things went predictably poor for the home team in their first game since KG went down with his latest mysterious calf injury.

The Hornets (19-14) held on for a 83-81 win that was bizarre since the Celtics (24-7) went for the winning 3-pointer by Ray Allen (18 points) and then when he missed it, they didn't foul and let the last few seconds tick off. Uh ok, guess Doc didn't want them going to overtime.

New Orleans didn't play particularly well either but Chris Paul was his usual versatile self: 20 points, 11 assists, six steals, five rebounds and he got some help in the form of David West (19 points) and Emeka Okafor (18 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks).

Marco Belinelli added 10 points for the Hornets.

With Nate Robinson (11 points, 6 rebounds) starting for Rondo, Glen Davis took KG's spot and he was awful. He had only eight points on 4 of 14 shooting and he looked like a player that excels coming off the bench but isn't built to be a starter. The world needs ditch diggers, right?

Paul Pierce had 12 points for Boston, Shaquille O'Neal and Marquis Daniels added 10 points in a forgettable game that will hopefully be swept under all your Happy New Year merchandise and related crap.

New Orleans was up 23-19 after one quarter but Boston led by a hoop at halftime: 39-37. A big third quarter by the Hornets (29-18) and the Cs got back in it with a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter (24-17).

The Celts will try to readjust to life without Rondo (for not much longer) and KG (for two weeks - wink) as they travel North of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors tomorrow night.

Gino says: free lines of Coke for everybody!

This is going to sound ridiculous but the NBA playoffs can't come soon enough.

Sure I will devote much of my life over the next six months watching mostly meaningless regular season games but believe me when I tell you that the Boston Celtics are ready to play the games that matter right now.

None of the players, coaches or people that work for the team will ever speak the truth like that but they're about as flawless a team as you'll find in the Association.

The Celts improved to 4-0 with last night's 97-87 win over the New Orleans Hornets at the TD Garden.

After going to the Bobcats and Bulls games against the C's last week, all I can say is that it's hard to believe how cohesive this group seems to be. Granted, this can all change at any time if KG, Rajon Rondo or Paul Pierce go down with a serious injury. Still, this team is deeper than the one that won a championship two seasons ago. Yup I said it.

Pierce, who is still one of the NBA's most underrated superstars, scored a game-high 27 points as Boston was challenged for the first time in three games.

Ray Allen added 17 points, Garnett had 14 points, seven boards and five assists while Rondo notched 10 assists and three steals. Rasheed Wallace continued to deliver the goods off the bench as he had 12 points.

Chris Paul is one of the NBA's best point guards and most exciting players to watch period. Unfortunately, with the Hornets (1-3) he does not have too much talent around him, forcing him to play out of his mind virtually every night to give them a chance to be decent.

Paul had 22 points and eight assists last night but he was clearly frustrated at his scrub teammates and it boiled over after the game as he had a bizarre confrontation with Rondo. 95-year-old Peja Stojakovic had his stroke going as he scored 26 points but David West (10 points) was the only other Hornet in double figures.

Boston has a day off before an absurd four game in five nights stretch, really David Stern? They'll play in Philly tomorrow night against the Sixers, probably their biggest Atlantic Division competition (try not to laugh, HAHA).

Celtics remember that games last four quarters (not three)

After shitting the bed in the last two fourth quarters against quality Western Conference opponents (the Lakers and Spurs, at the Garden no less), the Boston Celtics adjusted their internal clocks accordingly to 48 minutes, not 36 minutes.

As a result, they beat a good but beat up Hornets team, 89-77 in the Big Easy last night.

The win for the C's (43-11) was tempered with the loss of Ray Allen to a hyperextended thumb. Ray joins Tony Allen (thumb) and Brian Scalabrine (concussion) as Boston players who are out with injuries.

Apparently, Ray Allen is going to try to play tonight vs. Dallas, in the team's last game before the All-Star break, but honestly, what's the point? He's scheduled to play in the All-Star game too, which is another thing I will give him permission to skip.

The contest was actually tied at 64 heading into the fourth at the New Orleans arena. For non-math majors out there, that means Boston outscored New Orleans, 25-13 in final frame.

Paul Pierce had a game-high 30 points, Kevin Garnett notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Kendrick Perkins (9 points, 6 rebounds) and Rajon Rondo (6 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) also provided solid efforts.

Outside of Pierce's routine heroics, the most pleasant surprise was the play of Leon Powe (11 points, 6 rebounds) and Eddie House (12 points; how did he not make the 3-point shootout or game of H.O.R.S.E?).

Playing without Tyson Chandler and Mo Peterson (which I guess doesn't matter), the Hornets were led by David West's 15 points and eight rebounds. Hilton Armstrong added 14 points and eight boards. Boston was lucky to catch Chris Paul (13 points, 5 assists) at less than full speed as it was his first game back after missing four with a sprained foot.

It is ridiculous that the NBA All-Star game is situated so late in the regular season, the Celtics will have played 2/3 of its schedule when it breaks for the weekend.

Ah well, if the Celts can come away with a win in Dallas tonight (the Mavs are bi-polar but they're usually tough at home), they will have completed an excellent "first-half."

Bring on the Washington Generals

With last night's 112-92 win over the New Orleans Hornets at the Garden, the Boston Celtics (57-15) have now beaten every team in the NBA this season. They join the Utah Jazz as so far, the only two teams to have accomplished that impressive feat.

Paul Pierce flirted with a triple-double, 27 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Kevin Garnett had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Rajon Rondo scored 17 points with four assists, once again holding his own against MVP candidate Chris Paul.

The Celts blew out New Orleans (49-22) in the second half, outscoring them 56-32. Paul led the Hornets with 22 points, 10 assists and three steals. Peja Stojakovic had 17 points, David West was held to 14 (after torching Boston for 37 last Saturday), Tyson Chandler had 11 points and eight boards while Bonzi Wells had 13 points and seven rebounds.

New Orleans actually led 60-56 at the half but completely fell apart in the second half and couldn't match the C's superior defense.

Leon Powe was still hot with 12 points and seven boards while Ray Allen added 12 points.

Boston shot 59.5% as a team, holding New Orleans to 43.6%. The C's were great at the line (20 of 22) while the Hornets (15 of 26) left something to be desired. The glass was owned by Boston (40-29) and they had nine more assists (26-17). Amazingly, New Orleans had only seven turnovers for the game and Boston had six.

This was the last marquee game of the regular season for the Celts. The remaining ten games are against mostly weak teams in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat-who can hardly be termed an NBA squad these days-limp to the Garden on Sunday for their expected beating.

The Hornets are for real

In a game where Rajon Rondo (23 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) outplayed MVP candidate Chris Paul (19 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) it was surprising that the Hornets still found a way to win, 113-107 in New Orleans.

Paul got into foul trouble (5 fouls) and had to sit for much of the fourth quarter. Still, when he came back in he hit the two biggest shots of the game, a desperation jumper and a 3-pointer to keep New Orleans (47-21) in front. David West was unstoppable all game, scoring a game-high 37 points on a variety of jumpers and drives.

Boston (55-14) lost because it fell apart in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 37-17. Paul Pierce had a team-high 28 points and six rebounds while Kevin Garnett posted a double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Ray Allen was the other high-scorer with 17 points and six boards.

The Celts jumped out to a 36-23 lead after one, quieting the biggest crowd of the season at a Hornets game. Boston led by 10 (65-55) at the half.

The two players that sparked the Hornets when Paul was out where Bonzi Wells (12 points, 8 steals) and Jannero Pargo (15 points, 6 assists). Peja Stojakovic had 13 points but he shot just 3 of 13 from the floor.

Turnovers were the story of the game as Boston committed 21 turnovers, which led to 32 Hornets points. New Orleans' nine turnovers only led to nine points for Boston. This negated all the great numbers the Celtics had (55.4% shooting, 44-29 rebound advantage). The Hornets made eight more free throws (25-17) and nine more steals (13-4).

It was the last stop on the Celtics five-game road trip and they finished an impressive 4-1. The Hornets come to Boston next Friday for the rematch. Make no mistake, New Orleans was impressive. They won despite their best player having (for him) an off-night. Next time out, I'm sure the Celts will pay more attention to West though who is deadly from anywhere inside the 3-point line.

Philadelphia comes to the Garden tomorrow night.