Jordan Crawford Is Just the Man to Lead the Celtics to the NBA Lottery

Every good movement needs a leader and if the Celtics are going to be everything we think they can be-namely one of the NBA's worst teams this season-they need an uber bozo calling the shots. Someone so delusional and such an egomaniac that they will run this franchise right into the ground. Enter Jordan Crawford. Nobody would deny that he can score (team-high 24 points) but as long as he plays point guard, the Celtics won't win many games which is all we can ask for.

Tonight at TD Garden, Crawford had six turnovers as Boston (4-10 overall, 2-4 home) dropped their sixth straight game-97-82 to Indiana (11-1 overall, 5-1 away). This was an instant classic for the Green and White since they actually led 50-42 at halftime then they were outscored 25-8 in the third quarter en route to another decisive setback.

It was hard to choose the main star for Indiana as Paul George scored a game-high 27 points, Lance Stephenson (10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) notched his second career triple-double, David West put up 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals while Luis Scola had 17 points off the bench.

Crawford almost always had the ball so that left little time for his teammates to do anything. Jeff Green scored 20 empty points while Jared Sullinger worked for 13 points and five rebounds.

I can already smell their seventh straight loss since Boston is in Atlanta (8-5 overall, 2nd in Southeast Division) tomorrow night (7:30, CSNNE) for a back-to-back contest. Josh Smith is gone from the Hawks and Philips Arena is a joke but let's hope that Atlanta takes care of business against the reeling Celts.

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Other Than Miami, There Is Nobody For The Celtics To Fear In The Eastern Conference

In an NBA regular season, you won't see a much more meaningful or thrilling victory than the one turned in by the Celtics tonight in Indiana. Boston (33-27, 12-18 away) scored the game's last 12 points, capped off by Jeff Green's (11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks) perfectly designed layup with 0.5 seconds left to beat the Pacers (38-23, 25-7 home) 83-81 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It was Boston's fourth straight win.

Boston could have packed it in against a truly solid team (No. 2 in the Eastern Conference), playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road but instead they came home with arguably their best win of the season. Let's just agree that the win in New York, OT vs. Miami and 3OT vs. Denver were all spectacular but if you think about it, this probably meant the most since we're getting to the last segment of the regular season. Plus, this was a possible playoff preview and for the second time in as many games the Celts came out on top.

Kevin Garnett had 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Paul Pierce added 13 points and eight rebounds while Avery Bradley scored 13 points. Jason Terry notched 10 points off the bench.

One reason I don't fear Indiana is that without Danny Granger (injured for most of this season), they lack that true go-to scorer which is an absolute must in the postseason. Sure, Paul George (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals), George Hill (14 points), Roy Hibbert (12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks) and David West (11 points, 16 rebounds) are all nice players but they'll never win a playoff game by themselves. Don't even get me started on Lance Stephenson (12 points, 5 steals) either.

Boston's bench outscored Indiana's 29-16. The Celtics hung around the whole time, which is all you can ask against a top opponent. Sure enough, the Pacers had trouble closing it out and that's when Boston took advantage. Indiana led 27-19 after one quarter and 49-42 at halftime. With an ugly 19-16 third quarter in their favor, Indiana looked poised to get the win. Boston used all their experience and winning pedigree to put on a clinic in the fourth quarter (25-13).

The C's shot 4.6% better from the field (41-36.4%) and they had six more assists (18-12). Boston returns to TD Garden on Friday (8 p.m., CSN) for a very important game with the Hawks (34-26, 2nd in Southwest Division). Atlanta is only a game up on Boston, meaning a win by the Celts would bump them up from seventh in the Eastern Conference to fifth.

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Celtics Finally Decide That It's More Fun To Be On The Winning Side Of A Blowout

We can't get too ahead of ourselves after one night, facing a team without its two best players but let's be honest: doesn't it feel good to enjoy a blowout win for once? Something that has been few and far between all season for the Celtics.

Boston (15-17, 10-6 home) snapped a four-game losing streak (all losses had been by double-digits) with a 94-75 win against Indiana (19-14, 8-11 away) tonight at TD Garden. I wouldn't say this was a must-win but given how bad they've played and their caliber of upcoming opponents, they really needed a complete team effort.

The Celtics notched their largest margin of victory of 2012-13 while holding their opponent to the lowest total this season vs. the C's. Danny Granger and George Hill were both inactive for the Pacers, a stroke of good luck for the Celts-something which they've sorely lacked among other things.

Kevin Garnett (18 points, 7 rebounds) was wrongfully ejected for an inadvertent elbow of Tyler Hansbrough (19 points) with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter but it didn't matter since Boston's defense had already turned out the lights on Indiana. At that point, the C's were up 78-55.

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals, Paul Pierce put up 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while Courtney Lee (13 points, 5 rebounds) had arguably his best game as a Celtic. Jared Sullinger added 10 rebounds before he fouled out and Brandon Bass grabbed eight rebounds as he was inserted back into the starting lineup.

David West (10 points) was the only other Pacer in double figures. Indiana couldn't get over 19 points in the first three quarters of action. Boston slogged through a slow start of its own (15 points in the 1st quarter) as they exploded for 32 in the second quarter thanks to some stingy defense and easy transition buckets.

The Celtics meet the Hawks (20-11, 2nd place in Southeast Division) tomorrow night (7 p.m., CSN) in Atlanta, their first of four matchups this season.

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Celtics Pick Up Nice Road Win In Indiana

After close losses to the Spurs and Bulls in consecutive games, it was nice to see the Boston Celtics put together a more complete effort tonight.

Boston (31-24, 12-15 away) picked up a quality road win against Indiana (34-22, 18-8 home) as they beat the Indiana Pacers 86-72 tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

After losing the first two games to the Pacers this season, the Celts rallied to take the last two which has to give them some confidence.

With the victory, the C's simultaneously gained a game on the the team ahead of them-the Pacers who are No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, up 1.5 games-and a game on the Sixers, who lost to Orlando. Philly is now two games back of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead and those teams play tomorrow night at TD Garden.

Paul Pierce led Boston with a game-high 24 points, Kevin Garnett added 15 points and seven rebounds while Rajon Rondo had 12 assists (his 16th straight game with 10+ assists). The Celts have solved their bench scoring woes by starting Avery Bradley and bringing Ray Allen (19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) in as a substitute. Greg Stiemsma also had a nice performance with 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

Danny Granger had 20 points, David West scored 16 and Darren Collison notched 13 but they were the only Pacers in double-figures. Roy Hibbert had 17 rebounds in the loss.

Boston won because they had an insane 16 more assists (27-11), shot 7% better from the floor (42.1-35.1) and made four more steals (8-4).

I'm proud to report that for the first time in my life I have a ticket behind the Celtics' bench tomorrow night so I will do my best to make sure they won't lose to the Sixers. Philadelphia has beaten them both times they've played (each in Philly), including most recently 99-86 on March 23-the game that Mickael Pietrus got seriously hurt in. A win tomorrow would really put some distance between the Celtics and Sixers with only 10 games remaining after it is over.

It will be Boston's fourth game in five days so I am sure they will be completely gassed but at least the Sixers played at the same time tonight and had to fly to Boston as well.

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Reports Of The Celtics Demise (From Myself & Many Others) Were Very Premature

I'm a big boy so I can admit when I'm wrong about something. After the last two nights, the Boston Celtics have proven to me, the Eastern Conference and the NBA that they're not hopeless.

You would think that their 27-point comeback in Orlando on Thursday would leave them dead for tonight's game at TD Garden against the Pacers, a team that had beaten them twice already, yet the Celts (9-9) won their fourth straight 94-87.

It was the second night of a back-to-back, vs. a playoff team but Boston didn't care as they recorded their fifth win in the last six tries.

Did I mention that Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Jermaine O'Neal and Keyon Dooling were all out? It makes no sense that this team would find its legs and defensive identity with such a shortage of bodies but welcome to the NBA in 2011-12.

Indiana (12-6) had no answer for Paul Pierce (28 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks), who is playing some inspired basketball. Building off his nice game against the Magic, Chris Wilcox added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Kevin Garnett and Mickael Pietrus each had 13 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Bass scored 12.

The fantasy stud but real life enigma Danny Granger led the Pacers with 21 points. Paul George had 16 points, David West scored 14 and Roy Hibbert added 11 points.

I honestly can't explain how the Celts have morphed from a joke to a solid, competitive team in the span of a few weeks. Whatever the reason, I love it since I was pretty much dreading their games earlier in the season.

The C's led from start to finish: 23-17 after the first quarter, 42-34 at halftime and 71-61 after three quarters.

Boston shot 45.8% and held Indiana to 35.0%. The Celtics made five more 3s (6-1) which made up for the Pacers advantage at the free throw line (30-12). I don't think I've ever seen a team lose when they shot 30 of 31 from the line but the Pacers screwed themselves by going 1 of 19 from downtown. Boston grabbed three more rebounds (45-42) and dished out 10 more assists (21-11) without Rondo! The Pacers had three more steals (9-6) but the Celtics had four more blocks (7-3).

Indiana's age showed in the fast break points (23-6) but Boston beat them with the old man game down low (48-42) in the paint.

The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Garden on Sunday in the first leg of a home-and-home series. The Cavs are still in full out rebuilding mode Post-LeBron but their No. 1 pick, point guard Kyrie Irving out of Duke, looks like a real good one.

If the C's can continue this defensive intensity and efficiency on the offensive end, they are going to be tough to beat when Rondo and Allen return. Moreover, I'm not going to underestimate them or doubt head coach Doc Rivers for the rest of the regular season.

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Celtics On The Verge Of A Big Move Involving A Hornet Not Named Chris Paul

As expected, it is hard to keep up with all the moves in the NBA now that training camps and free agency are officially underway for the shortened 2011-12 season.

Even the Boston Celtics are overhauling their roster when that appeared almost impossible as the Rajon Rondo for Chris Paul deal fell through. On the heels of the Glen Davis for Brandon Bass swap, the signings of Marquis Daniels and Keyon Dooling (which I wrote about yesterday), the C's also inked free agent forward Chris Wilcox along with forward/center Greg Stiemsma.

They resigned Jeff Green to a one-year deal ($5.9 million is what they offered before the lockout) while rookies JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore also got one-year contracts.

The big news broke late tonight though as Yahoo reported that the Celtics are very close to doing a sign-and-trade that would send Jermaine O'Neal and a second player to New Orleans for David West. Yes he's 31 and coming off ACL surgery but that would be a steal for Boston since the former All-Star would have been one of the top free agents on the market before suffering the injury.

If it happens, West could sign a three-year deal worth between $27-29 million with the Celts. All Boston would need was a half decent center and they will be a contender in the Eastern Conference once again.

Stay tuned, I'm sure much more developments will occur with the possible David West deal tomorrow.

Like Dooling, Wilcox is a former lottery pick (8th pick by the Clippers, 2002) that has been something close to a bust. He's played for five teams (Clippers, Sonics, Knicks, Thunder, Pistons) and strangely enough, the only time he averaged in double-figures was the three in Seattle (14.1 ppg, 13.5 and 13.4). Last season in Detroit, he put up 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game. For his career, he averages 8.8 points, 5.1 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field and 64% from the free throw line.

It should tell you something that I had never heard of this Stiemsma character before today. Haha he doesn't even have a player profile on ESPN.com. Free agent big guys Michael Sweetney and Jamal Sampson were also expected in camp with rookie guard Gilbert Brown but as of tonight, none of them had shown up yet.

UPDATE 12/10: Green's deal is reportedly for one-year, $9 million dollars (twice what he made last season). If he stays with Boston and doesn't get traded, he needs to show much more of the ability that he had in Oklahoma City. For most of his short time in Boston last season, he looked lost.

UPDATE 12/11: Ok well it turns out that getting David West was all a dream (with respect to Biggie). Today, he signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Indiana Pacers. Why? I'm not quite sure, they'll never be better than average in the next few seasons. Are they really an upgrade over New Orleans?

The Celtics will reportedly re-sign swingman Sasha Pavlovic. He basically didn't do anything in 17 games during the regular season last year and then didn't play in the playoffs. He'll be stuck behind Paul Pierce, Green and Daniels.

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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.

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."

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.