Sorry Folks, It's Going To Be A Long Season For Our Beloved Boston Celtics

There is no better way to sum up the Celtics's game with the Mavericks tonight at the TD Garden than to list the last few plays in Dallas's 90-85 win.

With 25 seconds left, Paul Pierce shook off a brutal night (7 points) to hit a 3-pointer that tied it at 85. The problem was that there was way too much time left for the Mavs (6-5).

Everybody in the Garden except for apparently Celtics (4-5) head coach Doc Rivers and his team knew that Dirk Nowitzki (16 points, 7 rebounds) would get the last shot for Dallas. Kevin Garnett (16 points, 10 rebounds) was forced to guard him by himself and since this is 2012 and not say 2006, it didn't work. Dirk hit a crazy floater and got fouled with five seconds left. His free throw put Dallas up three points (88-85) with five seconds left.

No problem, the Celtics would get the last shot after all. Except not so much. Rajon Rondo (24 points, 7 assists) threw a crappy bounce pass at Ray Allen's (9 points) ankles and it bounced harmlessly out of bounds. It was over by then but just for good measure, Boston allowed a layup to Jason Terry (18 points) and Allen threw the inbounds pass away as time expired. Yuck.

In summation, this is who the Celtics are in 2011-12: frauds. They can beat up on the dredge of the NBA but when it comes time to play a decent opponent, they fold. This game was right there for them to snatch but all their minor mistakes added up to a particularly bitter loss. They have yet to beat a team that's over .500 this season or one that made the playoffs last season, something to chew on.

Everything that Boston does right now seems more difficult than it should be. Rondo is playing very well and Allen had been great before tonight but Pierce is lost and KG is a shell of his former self.

It's telling that the Celtics only got back into it this evening thanks to a second unit of Avery Bradley (4 points), Brandon Bass (8 points), Keyon Dooling (9 points) and Mickael Pietrus (5 points in his Celtic debut). Their younger legs allowed Rivers to put more ball pressure on the Mavs.

Shawn Marion had 15 points and seven rebounds for Dallas which has now won five of its last six games after starting 1-4. Without Tyson Chandler or J.J. Barea, I don't think they have a prayer of repeating but they'll be a factor in the Western Conference. Starting in place of Jason Kidd, old friend Delonte West had 12 points while Brendan Haywood had eight points and 11 rebounds.

After getting smoked by the Pacers on Friday and having four days off (probably as long as you can have this season in the NBA), the Celtics truly had no excuse for starting off so poorly once again. They got plenty of open looks but none of them were falling.

Dallas led 23-15 after the first quarter but Boston rallied to cut it to 42-41 at halftime. The Mavs pushed it further and were up 68-59 heading into the fourth before withstanding Boston's last spurt (26-22).

The Celts hit nine more free throws (23-14) but the Mavs grabbed eight more rebounds (43-35) including an embarrassing 12-2 edge in offensive boards. Dallas also played more big boy basketball with a 44-30 margin in points in the paint.

Things don't figure to get much better for the C's since this was the start of a three games in four days stretch. They face the Bulls (10-2) on Friday at the Garden before a rematch with the Pacers in Indiana on Saturday night. Chicago won three games in the past three nights showing that they are both legit and not prone to making excuses even though Derrick Rose (last season's MVP) sat out tonight. At this point, I'll be happy if Boston wins either of those games.

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Delonte West Continues To Be The Most Interesting Man In The NBA

My love for Boston Celtics guard Delonte West has been well-chronicled. There are very few pro athletes these days that I'd want to meet, let alone have a beer with (or in this case probably a 40 of Steel Reserve) but West is such a unique person that I think a chance encounter with him is something you would remember for the rest of your life.

His latest adventure is that he was hired by Regency Furniture Showrooms, a furniture chain in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. West posted pictures on his Twitter account from his first day of work.

On his application, West checked "Yes" when asked if he had ever been convicted of a crime. For the explanation, West simply answered with, "Misunderstanding."

West was arrested on Sept. 17, 2009, after police found guns in a guitar case on his three-wheeled motorcycle. West pleaded guilty to traffic and weapons charges in July, 2010.

Regency, which sells "living room, dining room, kitchen, office and bedroom furniture, along with mattress and accessories," according to its official website, was the latest employment target for West during the lockout.

In August, West tweeted that he was applying for a job at Home Depot. West also told TrueHoop's Adam Reisinger in August he applied to Sam's Club.

"I actually might have work with Sam's (Club), BJ's, selling knives," West said. "That's pretty cool too. I get a microphone and everything."

You have to give him credit; rather than risk injury playing basketball overseas, he's taken a blue-collar job in the states to support his family and continue to earn a paycheck during the uncertain times of the NBA Lockout. Do you think there's one other player in the NBA that would even contemplate doing that for even one day? Answer: probably not.

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Delonte West's First Music Video Is Just As Terrible As You'd Imagine It To Be

Like most rappers these days, Boston Celtics guard Delonte West appears to be better on freestyle rhymes than in actual music videos.

This surfaced on NESN.com today with West aka Charlee Redz rapping with KayeM on a song called "Livin Life Fast."

True to it's crappy cliche-ridden title, most of the video takes place in some sort of arcade (Chuck E Cheese?) while the guys are shown playing some Cruisin' USA knockoff. West's rhyme is actually pretty decent, from what I can comprehend, but it's too short and who cares about KayeM?

I'm dying to know if West owns that car or if he just got to use it for the video and what the deal is with his do rag/hat apparatus?

My advice to D. West is to get aligned with a more popular hip hop artist and then watch the millions stack up even if the NBA is still in a lockout.

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Delonte West Will Freestyle Over Wiz Khalifa And You Will Be Captivated

In this age of reality shows on every station and pseudo celebrities cashing in daily, can we agree that some people are too real for reality tv? Boston Celtics guard Delonte West is a perfect example of such a character from our local pro sports market.

Whether he's banging LeBron's mom, riding on his motorcycle with a gun in a guitar case or occasionally playing basketball, D-West is always entertaining and one of a kind.

It's easy to make fun of West's well-publicized problems but if anything, I can relate to the guy much more than most other pro athletes because his life is unvarnished. Not to get all sappy on you but nobody's life is perfect (despite what ESPN will tell you) and West's battles with bipolar disorder and substance abuse are part of the vulnerability that makes him human.

You can appreciate West because he seems more like you or somebody you know than most of his teammates or other players in the NBA that appear cartoonish (Dwight Howard) or like superheros (Dwyane Wade).



The NBA Lockout has only just begun but already a video of Delonte freestyling over a Wiz Khalifa song has surfaced on worldstarhiphop.com

Keep on keepin' on D-West, you are truly the man.

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It was fun while it lasted

It doesn't get much more painful than last night's 98-90 overtime loss for the Celtics to the Heat. Miami takes a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals and has a chance to close out the Big 3 tomorrow night in South Beach.

With its home crowd at TD Garden going nuts, Boston had a chance to win it at the end of regulation but a screwed up play led to Paul Pierce's (27 points, 8 rebounds) hopeless fadeaway jumper that rimmed out.

That was the Celtics' season right there and on a bigger scale, it means that a crazy offseason (with tons of roster turnover) is now days away.

Miami dominated in overtime (12-4) as the Celts were out of gas and realized that they were done this season and perhaps for a long time moving forward.

The Heat's Big 3 of LeBron James (game-high 35 points, 14 rebounds), Dwyane Wade (28 points, 9 rebounds) and Chris Bosh (20 points, 12 rebounds) owned the game and they've owned the series as a whole.

Ray Allen had a quiet 17 points while Kevin Garnett was held to seven points (1 for 10 shooting) and 10 rebounds. It was hard to believe that KG was the same guy that had 28 points and 18 rebounds in Boston's Game 3 win. With that guy, the C's had hope. If he plays like he did last night, it's over in Game 5.

Rajon Rondo played and showed more heart but he was undoubtedly affected by his left elbow (which was dislocated then popped back into place on Saturday night). He had 10 points and five assists.

Delonte West has been Boston's only bench player that has stepped up in the pressure cooker that is known as the NBA playoffs. West had 10 points and three steals while Jeff Green (7 points) and Glen Davis (4 points) continued to be enigmas. Green has already established himself as completely unpredictable but what has happened to Big Baby in the playoffs? He was great for most of the regular season but now he's a puddle that can't seem to do anything right.

Nobody else on the Heat put up more than four points but who cares? It's the NBA and this team is showing that three stars and a bunch of bums can get it done (so far).

This was truly a game that the Celtics let slip away as they led 31-28 after the first quarter and as much as 11 in the second quarter before settling into a 53-50 halftime advantage. Boston won the third quarter (20-19) barely but Miami tied it up in the fourth (17-13) when it turned into a tractor pull of a defensive struggle.

For the game, the Heat shot 44.3% to 42.9% for the Celtics. Boston hit two more 3-pointers (5-3) but Miami snatched an unforgivable 17 more rebounds (45-28). The Celts had five more assists (15-10) and six more fast break points (15-9) but the younger, hungrier Heat pounded it inside to the tune of 48-32.

I have tomorrow night off from work so I'm ready to devote my full attention to the Celtics' last gasp effort to try and extend this series. In my heart of hearts, I think if Boston can win Game 5, they can definitely win Game 6 at TD Garden but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Game 5 is all that matters and the Celtics have to prove they can win in Miami before the Heat can start sweating.

This series is not over, hell Gumby Rondo came back from the dead

I knew that the Boston Celtics had way too much pride to get swept or go down in flames as badly as they looked in Games 1-2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat.

Last night, in Game 3 at TD Garden, the Celts won 97-81 to cut the Heat's series lead to 2-1.

The crazy part was that Boston seemed to be doomed when Rajon Rondo (11 assists) went down with a dislocated elbow in the third quarter after an awkward fall with Dwyane Wade (23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds). After Rondo was scraped off the parquet, you could feel the crowd and team collectively think "I can't believe this is how it's going to end."

This is the NBA though which loves the drama and Rondo somehow returned to action after the Celtics trainers popped his elbow back in place in the locker room. Paul Pierce's (27 points) wheelchair from the 2008 NBA Finals wasn't even needed.

With Game 4 tomorrow night, it'll be interesting to see how Rondo is feeling after the adrenaline wore off. That elbow is going to be really sore; after he came back last night he was basically playing with one arm (truly bonkers stuff).

Last night will always be remembered for Rondo's truly heroic (I try to never overuse that word either) performance but it also served as Kevin Garenett's resurrection. After playing terrible in Game 1 and o.k. in Game 2, KG (game-high 28 points, 18 rebounds) just eviscerated Chris Bosh (6 points, 5 rebounds) in a matchup that Boston has to win to get by the Heat.

Given the stakes of the contest, it will go down as one of Garnett's best games ever for the Celtics. Similarly, the Celtics defense really stepped up after they looked old and slow in Miami.

LeBron James was basically a non-factor, which is almost impossible to do. He had 15 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists. Mario Chalmers (17 points) and Joel Anthony (12 points, 11 rebounds) actually had the best games for the Heat which is good for those two but not a positive sign for Miami as a whole.

It was the Garnett and Pierce show with a great supporting role by Rondo but Ray Allen also added 15 points. Delonte West played well off the bench with 11 points. Shaquille O'Neal even had a basket in his return after missing over a month of action.

The Celtics got off to a quick start and led 27-21 after the first quarter. The Heat responded with a strong second quarter (25-17) and a 46-44 halftime advantage. Boston played their best quarter of the series (28-15) in the third and kept the lead in double-digits in the fourth (25-20).

For the game, Boston shot 50.0% to 42.5% for Miami. The Celtics hit four more 3-pointers (9-5) and grabbed three more rebounds (39-36). Thanks to Rondo, the Cs had seven more assists (27-20) while the Heat had two more steals (9-7) and five more blocks (9-4). The underrated key to the game was the fact that Boston had a 13-point (18-5) advantage in fast break points. Miami turned into a jump-shooting team and when that happens, they're very beatable.

Game 4 is also a must-win for the Celtics. They need to get the job done again and put all the pressure back on the Heat (who are front-runners as far as we know). Hopefully Rondo can give Boston something since his presence alone makes such a difference for the team.

Is this how the Big 3 will go out?

In my heart of hearts, I knew that the Boston Celtics were on their last legs entering these playoffs but I had hope that they could beat the Miami Heat and then we'll see what happens from there.

Well two games in Miami have gone by and I'm about ready to write the obituaries for Boston's Big 3. The Celtics look old and washed up while the Heat look hungry and way too athletic.

The Heat are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals after a 102-91 win at AmericanAirlines Arena last night.

Please don't cry to me about the referees, because Boston didn't deserve to win either game. Miami now has won three straight games over the Celtics (including their last regular season meeting) with Game 3 taking place Saturday night at TD Garden.

LeBron James was the star in Game 2 for the Heat with a game-high 35 points and seven rebounds while Dwyane Wade had 28 points and eight rebounds. Even Chris Bosh had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Combined, the Big 3 teamed up for one less point that LeBron. Simply put, that's never going to work if Boston wants to climb out of this hole (which they've never faced in the Big 3 era).

Kevin Garnett had 16 points, Paul Pierce scored 13 points and Ray Allen was held to seven points on 2 of 7 shooting. Rajon Rondo led the Celts with 20 points and 12 assists but they'll never win when he's the leading scorer.

At various points, Pierce (Achilles), Allen (chest) and Rondo (back) all left the game with injuries. This is getting tough to watch.

Boston's bench outscored Miami's 27-12 led by Jeff Green (11 points) and Delonte West (10 points) but it didn't matter since the Heat starters were so much better than the Celtics.

The game was actually tied at 80 in the fourth quarter before Miami went on a 14-0 run to close out the contest and possibly the series.

Miami led 27-26 after the first quarter and 47-42 at halftime. Both teams scored 25 points in the third quarter before the Heat made it happen in the fourth quarter (30-24).

The Heat shot 45.3% to 43.0% for the Celtics. Miami made one more 3-pointer (7-6) and ten more free throws (27-17). The Heat also had six more rebounds (44-38) but Boston had three more assists (18-15). Most telling to the gap in athleticism and defensive intensity, Miami had seven more blocks (9-2).

For all intents and purposes, Game 3 could be the swan song for the Big 3. If they lose, it's clearly over and who knows what next season will bring for the team and head coach Doc Rivers. You have to believe that they will turn out a much better performance in front of the home crowd, with their playoff lives on the line. Then again, this hasn't been the prideful group I knew so far in the first two nightmare games in Miami.

Celtics tank game against the Wizards, setting up showdown with Knicks in 1st round of the playoffs

By sitting the Big Four, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers waved the white flag and admitted (without saying it) that his team was resigned to the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

The starting five of Jeff Green, Glen Davis, Jermaine O'Neal, Delonte West and Von Wafer actually played pretty well last night but they still lost 95-94 in overtime to the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.

With the loss and Miami's win, Boston (55-26) clinched the No. 3 seed and also a first round meeting with the No. 6 New York Knicks.

Green led the Celts with 20 points and 15 rebounds, Davis had 20 points, O'Neal had 15 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks while West and Wafer both scored 11 points.

The main reason that the Big Four sat was to save their legs and prevent from injury. Unfortunately, West sprained his ankle in the third quarter and didn't return. If anyone deserves a break health-wise, it's D West. Poor guy has had to deal with a million different injuries this season. Not to mention, that's he's one of the only bench players Rivers can count on in the playoffs.

The Wizards (23-58) were led by John Wall's 24 points and nine rebounds. Jordan Crawford scored 17 points, Andray Blatche added 16 points and JaVale McGee managed 13 points.

Ironically, Boston closes the regular season with a contest tomorrow night at TD Garden vs. the Knicks. Talk about a meaningless game. You honestly couldn't pay me to go to that one.

Taking a cue from Rivers, I'm going to recharge my Celtics batteries and I'll be back for the playoffs. Looks like Game 1 will be Sunday at TD Garden. Should be a very entertaining series and I think the big-name opponent will help the Celts focus.

Shaq is going to be such a monster in the wheelchair basketball league

If you had a ticket to last night's miserable matchup of the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, you might have seen some history at the TD Garden.

Shaquille O'Neal returned to action after missing more than two months, scored six points in five minutes then promptly pulled up lame with another injury-strained calf.

The Celtics (53-23) won 101-90 over the Pistons (26-50) but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the Diesel's final NBA game. How much does he have left in the tank? And what does his worn out body have left to prove?

It's too bad that his injury overshadowed the team's win. If you've been paying attention at all this season, you had to know something like that would happen to Shaq. He simply can't stay healthy anymore.

Kevin Garnett led Boston with 23 points and eight rebounds while Paul Pierce had 22 points. Rajon Rondo handed out 14 assists and Ray Allen added 13 points. Delonte West (10 points, 5 assists) and Glen Davis (11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) were solid off the bench.

Will Bynum paced the Pistons with 20 points. Tayshaun Prince had 16 points, Richard Hamilton scored 14 and Greg Monroe had 11 points. Charlie Villanueva put up 15 points off the bench.

Troy Murphy and Nenad Krstic (who's much more important than Shaq) could both return tomorrow night as Boston hosts Philadelphia in a possible first-round playoff matchup. Krstic got the good news over the weekend that he didn't tear anything in his knee.

The Celtics will play 1.5 quarters, still win and you'll pretend to enjoy it

Each game brings new obstacles and challenges for a Boston Celtics team that is coasting like only they can until the NBA playoffs start in a few weeks.

You would think that a miserable Minnesota Timberwolves squad, without its only star (Kevin Love), would be easy pickings especially when you're up 25 (38-13 in the second quarter) but I guess you haven't seen the Boston Celtics the last few seasons.

Rajon Rondo sat out with a sprained pinkie and Delonte West (8 points, 5 assists) made his first start since his return to Boston as the Celtics (51-21) held on for an 85-82 win at the Target Center over Minnesota (17-57).

After a great first quarter (32-13), the Celts decided to play chicken with the broken down train known as the Timberwolves. Amazingly, even Minnesota can comeback when Boston appears that disinterested and more importantly, great looks stop falling.

The Timberwolves actually tied it in the fourth and led by one in the fourth before their group of stiffs start playing like well stiffs.

Paul Pierce rescued Boston with a team-high 23 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Garnett had 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in his trip back to 'Sota. Nenad Krstic (6 rebounds) and Ray Allen notched 11 points while Jeff Green (9 points) and Glen Davis (8 points, 6 rebounds) were sparks off the bench.

Michael Beasley had a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves which sounds impressive until you see that he was 11-for-28 from the field. Darko Milicic (15 points, 9 rebounds) actually looked good, words I never thought I'd think or say in my life. Your favorite emo point guard Luke Ridnour had 10 points and eight assists while Anthony Tolliver put up 16 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks off the bench.

With ten games left in the regular season, the win put Boston within two games of the Chicago Bulls. Both are in action tonight as the Celtics visit the Pacers while Chicago hosts the Sixers. Needless to say, the Cs need a win in the tough road back-to-back and some help from Philadelphia would be a pleasant surprise.

Bet the NBA wishes it had flex scheduling for TNT Thursdays

It's hard to remember a regular season marquee matchup on TNT that fell apart worse than last night's meeting between the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics from the Pepsi Center.

Denver had just traded franchise player Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks while Boston shipped five players away, most notably Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

So yeah, the fact that the Celts (41-15) dressed only nine players (including D-League callup Chris Johnson) meant this one was over before it began.

Boston actually led 75-73 midway through the fourth quarter but from there, the Nuggets (34-25) went on a 16-0 run to take it 89-75.

To call this game ugly would be an understatement on par with saying Chris Anderson and J.R. Smith enjoy the occasional tattoo.

Denver was led by Kenyon Martin's game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds. Haha K-Mart capped off the weird contest with a 3-pointer. New Nugget Wilson Chandler scored 16 points off the bench while Nene (12 points, 10 rebounds), Smith (12 points), Aaron Afflalo (13 points) and Ty Lawson (10 assists) all had decent showings.

For the Cs, Paul Pierce led the shorthanded squad with 17 points. Kevin Garnett had 14 points and 13 rebounds while Glen Davis (11 points) and Ray Allen (10 points) were also in double figures. The one positive to come out of this throwaway game was Delonte West (10 points) had a nice game off the bench.

The newest Celtics Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic will make their debuts tomorrow night in front of Bill Simmons as Boston visits the Los Angeles Clippers and Blake Griffin.

Welcome home Delonte

Delonte West is that crazy relative we all have, granted with a couple more gun charges and rumors of banging LeBron's mom on his plate.

He's quirky, he's clinically insane, he has a ridiculous voice but deep down he seems like a misunderstood guy that truly loves basketball and being around his teammates (not named Von Wafer). Not to get all misty eyed on you but it's great to see him back with the Boston Celtics, the team he began his checkered NBA career with.

Without West's return last night after a 10-game suspension, last night's game lacked a subplot other than the fact that the Celtics are really good and the Wizards (especially without rookie point guard John Wall) are still hopeless.

The Celtics (9-2) won 114-83 at the TD Garden and it was all about West (12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), who rightfully got a standing ovation when he first entered the game as a substitution.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 23 points, Kevin Garnett scored 18 points with seven rebounds, Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 13 assists, Shaq notched 13 points and six rebounds while Ray Allen added 11 points.

Semih Erden scored nine points off the bench for the Celts as he continues to acclimate himself to the NBA and Glen Davis had eight rebounds.

Washington (3-7) are coached by Flip Saunders and all you can say about that is how does that bozo have a job in the NBA?

Nick Young scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Wizards, Al Thornton added 15 points while Kirk Hinrich and Andray Blatche checked in with 10 points apiece. For Wall (out with a foot injury), there would be no dougieing on this night although he looked on point with a fly suit.

Things will be much more exciting and competitive tomorrow night as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant come to town for a rematch after last week's loss at home that kicked off the Celtics' road trip.

Paul Pierce and LeBron James in a Duel for the Ages

Paul Pierce picked a good time to have the best game in his NBA career yesterday. Without every one of his points, the Celtics would have been done for the season while the Cavs moved on to face the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celts beat the Cavaliers, 97-92, in game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the TD Banknorth Garden. Boston led from start to finish but it never really felt like the Cavs were dead since LeBron James had a sublime performance.

Pierce had 41 points, five assists and four rebounds while James had a game-high 45 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Playing without its best 3-point shooter (Daniel Gibson), King James finally went off in a big way but he simply didn't get enough help from the guys around him. It's no coincidence that James had his highest point total in a game that his team lost. Cleveland is at its best when the role players are hitting their shots and making plays. Nobody for the Cavs besides James and Delonte West (15 points) bothered showing up.

Outside of Pierce, Kevin Garnett (13 points, 13 rebounds) and P.J. Brown (10 points, 6 rebounds) were the other Celtics in double figures. Rajon Rondo had eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Kendrick Perkins added eight points.

The Celtics also wouldn't have prevailed without the unexpected contributions from Brown and Eddie House (4 points, steal, assist, block in 15 minutes).

Brown hit the game's biggest shot, putting the Celts up 91-88 with 1:21 left in the fourth after an 18-foot jumper. He also had a putback off a Rondo airball and he forced James into a desperation shot (airball) that the Celts corralled.

House had the hustle play of the game in the first half when he outran Wally Szczerbiak to a loose ball in the Cleveland backcourt, dove and tipped it to James Posey (5 points, 6 rebounds), who was fouled. Eddie was all kinds of fired up after sitting so much in the playoffs. He fought with West for another loose ball and fed Brown for the clinching shot.

On the other end of the spectrum is Ray Allen, who is currently decaying before our very eyes. In 30 minutes, Ray had four points (1 of 6 shooting). It got so bad that stubborn Doc Rivers was forced to sit him in the fourth and give minutes to the much more effective House and Brown.

Fittingly, Pierce put the game out of reach when he made both free-throws (11 of 12) to give Boston the final margin. A great free-throw shooter percentage-wise but not someone that could be labeled clutch at the line, Pierce saw the first shot bounce high off the back rim before falling through.

James and Pierce came out shooting in the first quarter and neither ever slowed down. The C's led 18-13 after the first quarter and 50-40 at the half.

Cleveland came out with much more energy than Boston to start the second half and cut the lead to five (73-68) going into the fourth. James' steal of Pierce and fast-break dunk cut the Celts lead to one (89-88) late in the fourth but the C's settled down and made the key plays when they had to.

Most of the team statistics were in the same range but Boston (39-29) had the rebounding edge with seven more assists (20-13).

The Pistons await the Celtics and they haven't played a game since closing out Orlando last Tuesday. Detroit comes to Boston tomorrow night for game 1. The experience edge obviously goes to the Pistons, who have been to six straight Eastern Conference Finals. The Celts will need to win a road game since the Pistons are such a good road team and it's likely that they'll take one at the Garden (most likely tomorrow).

It's certainly not the path the Celtics would have chosen (14 games in the first two rounds) but they've made the Eastern Conference Finals. Chauncey Billups missed the last two games of the Magic series with a strained hamstring so we'll have to see how healthy he is. If he's not 100%, the Celts should be favored. Otherwise, it's going six or seven and you'd have to pick the rested, veteran Pistons.

Changing of the Big Three

Well LeBron James finally woke up from his scoring slumber (with pals Jay-Z and Beyonce in the front row) of the past four games last night at the Garden. He had a game-high 35 points and five assists (23 in the first half) but it wasn't enough as the Celtics came through in a must-win, 96-89, in game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Boston now leads 3-2 as the series shifts back to Cleveland tomorrow night for game 6.

Things didn't look good in the first half as LeBron came out on fire and the Cavs built a 14-point lead. The C's answered with a 14-3 run before the end of the half to make it 46-43 Cavs going into the break.

The momentum carried over to the second half as Boston pushed the lead up to 11 before holding on for the rest of the game.

Paul Pierce got to the line (11 of 13) and scored a team-high 29 points with seven boards. Kevin Garnett stepped up in the second half, making seven shots in a row at one point, on his way to a 26 point, 16 rebound, four assist, three block, two steal performance.

The most pleasant surprise for Boston was Rajon Rondo, who had by far his best game of this round. He had 20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He relegated Sam Cassell to five minutes which is how it should be. Too often in the series, Rondo has struggled and/or Doc has thrown Cassell out there for way too long.

Ray Allen (11 points on 4 of 11 shooting) can no longer be included in the Big Three category. Charles Barkley suggested after the Lakers win last night that LA has the Big Three (Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol). That's hard to argue but I think if you substitute Rondo for Allen, the C's still have a formidable trio as well.

Big Baby gave the Celts some good minutes off the bench, including six important points in the second half.

After going off both times at home, LeBron's supporting cast was held in check for the most part last night. Delonte West managed 21 points, four assists and four steals but Wally Szczerbiak was the only other Cleveland player in double figures with 10 points. Boston showed that LeBron can't beat them single-handily.

Cleveland was terrible from the free throw line (28-41) while Boston controlled the glass (38-30) and dished out way more assists (25-11).

A win in game 6 would go a long way for Boston's confidence. The Pistons are currently waiting at home and the C's have to show that they can win a game on the road. If they make it to the next round, odds are they won't be able to keep winning every game at home and losing every game on the road.

Will the Celtics ever win on the road?

I cannot explain it. How can a team be this good at home in the playoffs (6-0) yet this bad on the road (0-4)?

The Celtics magical mystery tour of the 2008 playoffs continued tonight with another steaming dinosaur shit on the road. Cleveland led from start to finish and picked up an easy 108-84 win, cutting the series to 2-1.

It was never much of a game as the Cavs jumped out to a 26-point lead (really) in the first half. This was the same Cleveland team that struggled to get over 70 points in Boston.

LeBron James still didn't have a great game (21 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks), the issue for Boston was all his sidekicks went off.

Delonte West (21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) and Joe Smith (17 points, 6 rebounds) tied career-highs for scoring. Oh and Wally Szczerbiak had 16 points while Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Kevin Garnett had 17 points and nine rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 14 and had five assists while Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and seven boards. Ray Allen reprised his role as Mr. Freeze with 10 points (4 of 12 shooting) while James Posey had 11 off the bench.

Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell combined to go 3 of 16 for eight points and two assists.

My suggestion to Doc (and I'm sure he's reading this blog) is to sit Ray Allen and start Posey. It's not because of scoring; Posey is your best defender so why not play him more? The guy seems to always do something positive, maybe that's glorified since he doesn't get starter minutes, who knows? Bottom line is they have to change something up because they are awful on the road.

Cleveland led 32-13 after the first quarter and 52-35 at the half. The C's could only cut it to 12 points, never single-digits to make it interesting.

The Cavs shot 53.6% from the floor to Boston's 40.5%. Cleveland made twice as many three-pointers (10-5) and registered 11 more assists (29-18).

Do the Celts have Brian Scalabrine send hookers to the Hawks and now Cavaliers rooms when they're in Boston? How can the defense be so outstanding at home then disappear on the road? It's getting to the point where it's in the Celtics' minds. It's like A-Rod in the playoffs, they can't perform in the clutch.

Game 4 is Monday night and if the C's win, the series will be over in five, if not then get ready for seven games.

Wally Still Sucks

After two weeks away (the All-Star break and a five-game road trip), the Boston Celtics returned home last night and convincingly beat the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers, 92-87 (the score is misleading, it wasn't that close).

While it wasn't an offensive masterpiece, the C's (44-12) played some lockdown defense, the key element to their great season thus far. They were also helped out by the Cavs (32-26), who were content with that old NBA standby-the no ball movement, one shot possession.

Ray Allen led Boston with 22 points and four rebounds while Kevin Garnett (18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals) had an outstanding all-around game that was the norm for him in the first half of the season. Paul Pierce (12 points on 4 of 14 shooting, 5 assists, 6 turnovers) was not on his game but super subs Leon Powe (13 points) and Glen Davis (9 points) continued to shine as their playing time steadily increases.

The Celts took the first quarter, 25-16. LeBron had a Allen Iverson/Kobe Bryant-esque 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He was 7 of 24 from the floor but was bailed out big time by the refs, making 11 of 15 free throws. Apparently, you can't play defense on LeBron anymore, as decreed by chief toad David Stern, or you'll get whistled for a foul.

Cleveland picked up four new players last week before the trading deadline and they had mixed results last night. Old Celtics Delonte West (20 points, 5 rebounds) and Wally Szczerbiak (12 points on 3 of 13 shooting, 5 rebounds) returned and Ben Wallace (6 points, 6 rebounds) and Joe Smith (9 points, 4 rebounds) also contributed. West showed all the good parts of his game: the fearless slashing to the hoop and plucky shot-making ability. Wally couldn't do the one thing he's supposed to: shoot. Big Ben looked like the disinterested and overpaid bum he's been the last few years in Chicago while Smith was nice in limited minutes.

The Cavs took the second quarter 24-22 but Boston carried a 47-40 lead into the half. Rajon Rondo (8 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) had some great drives and Kendrick Perkins added eight points.

The NBA held its collective breath when LeBron went down with an ankle injury (he came down on Pierce's foot after making a layup) and hobbled over to the sideline late in the second quarter. No less than six guys followed him into the locker room so you knew he's kinda important. Nothing to fear though as the King came out to start the second half and drained a jumper 14 seconds in. He laughs at us mortals.

Sadly for him, Boston outplayed Cleveland in the third, 28-22 and although the Cavs took the final quarter 25-17 it didn't matter since guys were just padding their stats.

Boston shot 52.3% and held Cleveland to 38.3%. The monstrous Cavs owned the boards(44-37) but the Celtics worked it around much better (27-16 assists). The Celts also survived 20 turnovers.

While this certainly wasn't Cleveland's best effort (without Daniel Gibson, the second most dangerous player on the team), it's not like the Celtics were flawless either. It was a nice win, their third in a row. The Bobcats come to Boston on Friday and the C's will be looking for revenge after Charlotte pulled off the big upset in January.

The Celtics Equal their Win Total from Last Season

The Boston Celtics utterly forgettable past (Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak) and glorious present (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen) were both on display last night in Seattle and after the Celtics beat the Supersonics, 104-96, it was clear that fortune was clearly on the Boston's side last June when they didn't get the No. 1 or No. 2 pick.

Kevin Durant will be a star in the NBA, the same is probably true with Greg Oden once he comes back next year healthy. However, getting one of those guys wouldn't have changed much around here for the next couple seasons. It was a blessing in disguise for the C's to get the No. 5 pick which they promptly traded to Seattle with Wally and D-West for Allen and Glen Davis. That move was trumped by the monster move to get Garnett from the Timberwolves.

Did I think the Celtics would be good? Certainly. But this much, so soon? Who could have dreamed of a 24-3 start. Granted it's been somewhat deceiving given the cake schedule but when you talk about the best teams in the league at this instant, Boston has to be on the short list.

In Allen's big return to Seattle, he struggled. He shot only 4 of 13 for 10 points. He was forcing shots left and right, something that he's never prone to do. It didn't matter since Paul Pierce went off with a game-high (and season-high) 37 points, six rebounds and four assists while KG had 23 points, 14 boards, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Kendrick Perkins had eight points and eight rebounds while Eddie House (13 points) and James Posey (10 points) provided timely hoops and defense off the bench. House hit a couple of long twos including one where he got fouled that was straight out of a video game.

In a TNT contest, Rajon Rondo was invisible (1 point, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) prompting the national commentators who haven't seen him that much this season to rip him. What do you expect? It's his second year and he can't put up 15+ points every night.

Durant led the Sonics (8-21) with 25 points and five boards and Chris Wilcox had 13 points and eight rebounds. Off the bench, D-West (19 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds) and Wally (14 points) played inspired ball. They obviously wanted to beat their old team. Watching Delonte fearlessly drive to the hoop and hit shot-clock beating shots, I was quickly reminded how fun he was to watch the last few seasons. He's a guy that is always giving his team everything he's got-which is sadly why he's usually battling injuries-and he could be valuable on the C's this year. Unfortunately, you gotta give up something (Al Jefferson?) to get something.

Boston shot 39.5% for the game while Seattle was 45.7%. The reason that the Celtics could have such an off-shooting night and bad performance on the glass (Seattle had 50 rebounds to Boston's 42) was solely because they had four turnovers. Four. That's unbelievable in an NBA game. They had one in the first half. Boston also was 27 of 36 at the line while Seattle was 18 of 23. It was an uneven performance from the C's but enough to beat the Sonics, one of the worst teams in the league.

Playing the second night of back to back games, Boston looked tired so they'll need today to rest before their game in Utah tomorrow night. The Jazz have played terribly lately but with Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Andrei Kirolenko among others, Utah is a formidable opponent which should make for an exciting game to flip to during the Pats-Giants game Saturday night.