Tatum Remains Out While Embiid & The 76ers Beat The Celts Again, Boston's Third Straight Loss

 

On Wednesday and tonight at the Wells Fargo Center, the Celtics (8-6 overall, 4-4 away) did their best to ensure that Sixers (11-5 overall-best record in the East, 9-1 home) superstar center Joel Embiid (38 points, 11 rebounds) will be the Eastern Conference Player of the Week when that meaningless honor gets announced on Monday afternoon. In the two games, he combined for 80 points and 21 rebounds, is that good? Philadelphia won both meetings including this evening's 122-110 beatdown. Boston's superstar forward Jayson Tatum is still out as he recovers from a bout with Covid-19 but he's been practicing lately so the hope is that he can return to a game possibly as early as Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston) vs. Cleveland (8-7) at TD Garden. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown tied his career-high with 42 points and he added nine rebounds but he couldn't do it all by himself for the Celts. 

    The losses to one of their biggest rivals were disappointing enough along with their first three-game losing streak of the season but the C's also saw their solid rookie guard Payton Pritchard leave with a scary looking right knee sprain. It happened on an awkward play as Brown fell onto Pritchard's knee while they were both going for a rebound. I am not a medical expert but with the way that Payton reacted to his injury and how slowly he went off the court with the help of Celtics trainers and the team doctor, it didn't look promising. We'll see what the diagnosis is but I'm guessing that he won't be in action anytime soon. Sigh. No matter who Boston tries to throw against Embiid-Tristan Thompson, Grant Williams, Daniel Theis or Robert Williams (who made his first appearance since Jan. 6 after he went down with the coronavirus)-it hardly mattered. Nobody on the C's has a chance to stop a motivated Embiid who only had to play 30 minutes in this one. Say what you want about Dwight Howard (12 rebounds, 3 steals) but he's a pretty decent backup center and also someone that the Celtics could have signed in free agency. 

    It wasn't all the Embiid show (OK, it mostly was) but Philly featured some nice performances from power forward Tobias Harris (23 points, 8 rebounds)-who I still think is one of the most underrated players in the league-point guard Ben Simmons had a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists while shooting guard Seth Curry (15 points) showed no ill effects from Covid-19 as he is the top 3-point shooter in the NBA at the moment. PS how confusing must it have been to have two brothers with such similar names like Seth and Steph (Curry) growing up in the same house? I wouldn't say that the Sixers have a great bench but they outscored Boston's 26-22. 

    Guard Marcus Smart (20 points, 7 assists, 2 steals) usually puts up good numbers when he gets to start but that doesn't mean it's his most effective role since he shot 7-for-17 from the field in a team-high 39 minutes. Point guard Kemba Walker (19 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) posted his same scoring total from Wednesday but he was able to play seven more minutes which means that his worrisome knee is responding well to the stem cell procedure he underwent in the off-season. After a strong first quarter where they outscored the Sixers 33-25, Philadelphia took over in the second quarter (24-19) although Boston still hung on to a slim 52-49 lead at halftime. The 76ers exploded for 42 points in the third quarter when the Celts could only manage 28. Boston got as close as four points (101-97) midway through the fourth quarter but Smart missed a layup and that was it since Boston could never find a way to slow down Philly's offense. 

    The Sixers shot a whopping 10% better than the Celtics from the field (55.6%-45.6%) and they grabbed 13 more rebounds (45-32) including 13 more defensive boards (35-22). The most important thing for the C's is to get the hell out of Philly and away from all of their delicious cheese steaks. You probably don't know it (and why should you?) but the Cavs might actually be decent for the first time in years. They are only a half game behind Boston after this mini-slump so Sunday's first meeting of the season is sneaky important for both clubs. UConn's Andre Drummond is one of the best centers in the NBA and guard Collin Sexton is quickly becoming a star for Cleveland in his third year in the league. What I'm trying to say is that make sure Celts-Cavs is the first channel you changed to when Bills-Chiefs goes to a commercial or at halftime. It certainly doesn't have the same high stakes or sheer entertainment factor of the AFC Championship Game (remember those?) but it is a tasty appetizer on a cold Sunday night in late January.

UPDATE 1/23/21: The Celtics official Twitter account sent an update about Pritchard tonight. An MRI conducted on him earlier today revealed that he has a Grade I sprain of his right MCL. "Pritchard is expected to return to on-court activities in approximately two weeks." Whew. This could have been way worse news about the rookie guard that's been a pleasant surprise early on this season. Granted, he probably won't appear in a game for at least three or four weeks but it's way better than a torn MCL or ACL that could cost him possibly the rest of the year. 

      

    

Without Tatum, The Celts Fade In The 4th Quarter As Embiid Drops 42 Pts In The 117-109 76ers Win

 

    Tonight at the Wells Fargo Center, the Celtics (8-5 overall, 4-3 road) and Sixers (10-5 overall, 8-1 home) met for the first time this season and it turned out to be an entertaining game although Philly came away with a 117-109 victory. It was the first win for new Sixers head coach Doc Rivers against his former team. As a Celtics fan, the easiest thing to do after suffering a loss to one of their closest rivals, all you want to do is chalk it up to Boston missing its superstar Jayson Tatum who is still recovering from Covid-19. That is fair but you have a feeling that at almost any point in this campaign, you could say the same thing about most teams due to the pandemic and such a condensed schedule which is already causing tons of injuries. Sixers center Joel Embiid (42 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) scored the most he's ever recorded against the Celtics but this was still a winnable contest for Boston since it was tied at 105 with 4:08 left in the fourth quarter. The problem is that without their elite closer (remember baseball?), the Celts fell apart in crunch time. 

    Besides Embiid's dominance and Tatum's absence, the other main issue was that Philadelphia lived at the free throw line all night. No really, as a team they attempted 25 more free throws (45-20) and made 23 more of them (36-13). For that reason, it's crazy that Boston was able to keep it that close. Complaining about fouls typically bores me to tears but you simply cannot overlook those absurd numbers. Besides the stats above, all that you need to know in that regard is that Embiid took 21 free throws by himself and made 17 of them. The uber-talented big guy will get most of the headlines for Philly but power forward Tobias Harris (22 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) did his mostly underrated thing, small forward Danny Green hit four 3-pointers and grabbed six rebounds while point guard Ben "I Still Can't Shoot To Save My Life" Simmons had 11 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Guard Shake Milton scored 16 points off the bench for the Sixers and center Dwight Howard posted 10 rebounds in only 15 minutes. PS what other star in his generation besides maybe Derrick Rose (but that was because of a million injuries) has had a more bizarre career path than Howard? 

    Four players did basically everything for the Celtics: shooting guard Jaylen Brown had a team-high 26 points and five rebounds, guard Marcus Smart added 25 points and point guard Kemba Walker made the most of his minutes restriction (in his 2nd game of 2020-21) by registering 19 points and six assists in only 22 minutes of action. With some generous home cooking, Embiid got all of Boston's bigs in foul trouble: center Tristan Thompson (9 rebounds), power forward Grant Williams and backup center Daniel Theis (23 points, 10 rebounds) all picked up five fouls apiece. It was a close game almost the entire time until Boston ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. 

    If we're being honest, Philadelphia was also missing its best shooter-Seth "The Other" Curry (who is also out due to the coronavirus)-but they still managed to speed out to a 32-25 lead after the first quarter. Boston recovered with its best frame of the night (36-26) for a slight 61-58 halftime advantage for the road team. The C's actually extended it a little more with a strong third quarter (31-28) for a six-point lead going into the fourth. With no Tatum to let cook in the final 12 minutes, not to mention the foul trouble and Smart being the second best offensive option, it all added up to a disastrous ending for the Celts who dropped their second game in a row.    

    The free throw discrepancy will get the majority of the focus from this game but let's not overlook the fact that Boston had seven more turnovers (16-9) and the 76ers made four times as many steals (12-3) as them. Between that and Embiid's monster performance, the C's will never beat any quality opponent by being so careless with the ball. These same clubs meet again on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) and with any help from Boston's team doctor Lucky the Leprechaun, Tatum will be back in the lineup for the first time in two weeks. Philly's win put them two full games in front of the Celtics-who have two games in hand-for first-place in the Atlantic Division. Assuming that he's healthy and motivated (both huge ifs), Embiid is way too good to ever be completely neutralized but here's an idea, hold him to under 35+ points and let's see what happens.

Blowout Losses By the Celtics are My New Drug

I have to admit that in a weird way I'm enjoying all these blowout losses by the Celtics, juxtaposed with almost nightly college basketball games featuring Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart. Boston (4-8 overall, 2-5 away) had us worried when they won four games in a row a few weeks back, including a buzzer beater at Miami (explain that), but now they have lost four consecutive games including the last three by 13+ points. Long story short: either they're getting a hang of this tanking business or they are just not that good without Rajon Rondo on the court.

Tonight was their best effort so far in that regard (cough, tanking) as they were down 18-1 to the Rockets (8-4 overall, 5-2 home) at Toyota Center and never recovered in a 109-85 loss. You know the C's truly blow when a stiff like Terrence Jones (24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) has a career-best game against them. Haha keep them coming guys!

It was a night for bums to shine as Patrick Beverley added 16 points for Houston. James Harden (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Dwight Howard (10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) didn't have to do any heavy lifting. Chandler Parsons had 11 points and six assists while Jeremy Lin scored 11 points with five assists off the bench. Houston will never win a championship with this group but they'll get to the playoffs and be entertaining to watch.

For Boston, only three players were in double-figures (which is music to our ears): Courtney Lee led them with 17 points (always a good sign), Avery Bradley had 11 points and Jared Sullinger notched 10 points and nine rebounds.

If you thought tonight was ugly for the Celtics (and it certainly was), tomorrow night (8:30, CSNE) at San Antonio's (9-1, 1st in Southwest Division) At&T Center should be a complete joke. I doubt that the Spurs would overlook them like the Heat did so you can count on a blowout loss for the C's. Playing a back-to-back on the road against two solid teams is a great way to extend this modest losing streak into something substantial.

UPDATE 11/20: Gerald Wallace was fined $10,000 by the NBA for dropping an f-bomb to the media after last night's loss.

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Celtics Lay Absolute Stinkbomb Against Lakers On Eve Of NBA Trade Deadline

As everybody knows by now, the Celtics have a flair for the dramatic (which is not always a good thing) so I guess in some bizarre way they had to go down as hard as they did tonight in Los Angeles. Boston (28-26, 8-17 away) lost their second game in as many nights, 113-99 to the Lakers (26-29, 17-11 home) in a game that truthfully wasn't that competitive. This only adds to the anxious feelings until 3 p.m. (EST) tomorrow when another NBA Trade Deadline mercifully passes.

The C's are 0-7 on the road this season against Western Conference teams and they fell to 1-4 in their last five games against the Lakers. The loss wasn't that surprising, since they are awful on the road, they played last night and LA is decent at home. The shocking part was how easily the Lakers rolled since Boston beat them like a drum 116-95 on February 7 at TD Garden.

Wrapped up like a mummy, the ghost of Dwight Howard stopped by to get 24 points and 12 rebounds. Kobe Bryant had 16 points and seven assists, Earl Clark put up 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds (really), Steve Nash added 14 points and seven assists while Ron Artest notched 12 points. Even Antawn Jamison (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Steve Blake (10 points, 5 assists) had memorable nights off the bench for Los Angeles in the year 2013, not 2003.

If not for Inglewood, CA native Paul Pierce (26 points, 5 assists) this could have been uglier. Courtney Lee was the only other bright spot for the Celts with a season-high 20 points. Kevin Garnett had 12 points while Jeff Green (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Jason Terry (12 points) reached double-figures off the bench.

Just like last night in Denver, the Lakers owned the three most important hustle stats: made free throws (22-12), total rebounds (49-34) and points in the paint (54-30). Hey, at least we got to see Terrence Williams' (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) Celtics debut and Fab Melo (2 points, block) threw down a garbage time alley-oop, woo!

As fans, we're all sick and tired of reading the endless rumors of unlikely trades so I can only imagine what it's like for the players and coaches in the middle of all this crap. I'm sure for most of them, tomorrow is the worst day of the season as they try to get through what could be an insane afternoon. We shall see, at least by tomorrow night we won't have to read anymore false reports.

Boston's next game is Friday (9 p.m., CSN) in Phoenix (18-37, 5th in Pacific Division). The Celts have three games in four days (Phoenix, Portland on Saturday and Utah on Monday) to get something positive out of this West Coast trip (0-2). So far, it's been depressing and forgettable. Still, they play three teams now that they should beat assuming they keep this team intact.

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Just Your Run Of The Mill 27-Point Comeback Win By The Celtics Over The Magic, In Orlando

You have to hand it to the Orlando Magic. Twice in the last four days they've made losing to the Boston Celtics an art form.

After scoring a franchise-low 56 points in a pathetic 87-56 loss at TD Garden on Monday, the Magic (12-6) topped themselves with a 91-83 loss to the Celtics (8-9) at Amway Center tonight that will be talked about for years to come.

Orlando was up 27 points (52-25) with 3:11 left in the first half but somehow, they squandered that insurmountable lead to Boston, who was missing Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal.

It was the Celtics' third straight win and their second against a quality team (both vs. the Magic). Boston undoubtedly has their number, the third and final chapter in the regular season is not until April 18 back at the Garden.

As befitting a game as batshit crazy as this one, the Celts got unexpectedly great contributions from rookie guard E'Twaun Moore (career-high 16 points, 4 of 4 on 3s) and Chris Wilcox (4 points, 3 rebounds, steal), who gave them a spark off the bench when Kevin Garnett (12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals) needed a break.

Let's also not forget the spectacular all-around game by Paul Pierce (24 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds) and Mickael Pietrus' (12 points) fine performance in his former home arena. Brandon Bass added 10 points, two steals and two blocks against his old team as well.

Somehow when he faced only KG, Wilcox and Greg Stiemsma (4 fouls in 7 minutes), Dwight Howard managed only 16 points and 16 rebounds. I guess that's what happens when you shoot 50% from the floor (6 of 12) and 50% from the foul line (4-8).

Jason Richardson had 13 points, Ryan Anderson added 12 points, Jameer Nelson had 11 points and Hedo Turkoglu scored 10 but none of them could help Orlando avoid an eight-point fourth quarter. Really.

Glen Davis (3 for 11, 7 points) was horrible for the second time in a row against his old team; I'm shocked that such a mentally stable guy would psyche himself out like that.

What this victory meant for the Celtics and their fans is that despite many things going against them, this squad has an abundance of heart and resolve. They had every excuse to pack it in tonight, especially when they went down big right away but they kept plugging away and eventually the Magic cracked/the Celtics executed.

Orlando led 32-16 after the first quarter and 58-37 at halftime-they scored more in the first half then they did on Monday! Boston came alive in the third (27-17) and sealed it in the fourth (27-8).

After starting out ice cold, the Celtics finished with a very respectable 46.6% shooting percentage to 38.0% for the Magic. Boston hit five more 3s (10-5) but Orlando hit five more free throws (18-13). The Magic had nine more rebounds (46-37) but the Celts had seven more assists (23-16). Orlando had four more steals (10-6) but Boston had eight more blocks (11-3) which is insane when you think about it. The Magic owned the paint (38-22) and converted way more off turnovers (25-15).

With a game tomorrow night against the Pacers at TD Garden, a team that has already beaten them twice, I will give the C's a pass for what almost certainly will be a loss. Tonight's win showed that with improved health and a few shrewd moves, they could make some noise in the Eastern Conference after all this season.

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Orlando Celebrates Big Baby & Von Wafer's Return to Boston By Scoring A Franchise-Low 56 Points

The Boston Celtics only had 10 players available tonight as they hosted the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. A whopping five (Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling and Chris Wilcox) Celtics missed the game due to various injuries.

The Magic (11-5) came in as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conferences and an early surprise in the NBA. In Glen Davis and more importantly Von Wafer's return to Boston, the Celts (7-9) won 87-56 as the Magic did their best to spit on James Naismith's grave.

It was Boston's first win against a .500 team plus it was in the second night of a back-to-back, truly one of the most surprising results in recent Boston sports history.

Orlando set a new franchise record for fewest points in a game, worst shooting percentage (24.6%), fewest points in a half (20 in the 2nd) and total field goals (16). Dwight Howard (18 points, 14 rebounds) was 4 of 15 from the floor and 10 of 18 from the foul line. As far as I can tell, he still hasn't developed any kind of post game that doesn't involve dunks or awkward spin moves that don't work. Well at least he's cleaned up his free throws, oh wait.

Big Baby got a video montage dedicated to him and he proceeded to have a horrid game: six points (2 of 9 shooting) and 11 rebounds off the bench. Wafer had five points off the bench.

Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic (9 points) will be able to tell their grandkids that not only did they start a game for the Celts but they also helped to beat one of the most overrated teams in not only the NBA but professional sports. Orlando hasn't changed their style at all the last few years: surround Howard with a bunch of one-dimensional 3-point shooters. The issue is that when those 3s aren't falling (4 of 16), they have nobody that can drive and get to the line (or in Howard's case, make free throws).

Paul Pierce had another solid game with 19 points and seven assists. Kevin Garnett added 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals while Jermaine O'Neal had nine rebounds and took three charges. Ex-Magic forward Brandon Bass had 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench while Marquis Daniels finally looked like himself with eight points and five assists.

Boston shot 42.3% from the field and hit all 19 of its free throws. The Celts grabbed two more rebounds (46-44), had nine more assists (21-12), eight more steals (13-5), three more blocks (9-6) and eight less turnovers (23-15). The C's owned fast break points (11-4), points in the paint (34-16) and points off turnovers (24-6).

In a weird scheduling quirk, these same teams meet again on Thursday in Orlando. I'm going to guess that the Magic will score a few more points the second time around. There is absolutely no way that Orlando can play worse so I'll be impressed if Boston can beat them again in the second of three meetings this season.

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There is absolutely no reason to fear the Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and his team have crafted the perfect way to shutdown the Orlando Magic: let Dwight Howard have a big day and try to make the rest of their one-dimensional players beat you.

That was the story yesterday afternoon as the Celts (38-12) won one of their most impressive games of the season, 91-80 over the Magic (32-20) at the TD Garden.

Howard had a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds but the Cs held him to six second-half points. Even more pathetic or funny (depending on your allegiances) was the fact that Orlando went 3-for-24 as a team on 3-pointers.

Obviously, they are a great 3-point shooting team and that number is a season-low and an anomaly but it shows how they only know one way to win: dump it into Howard and if that doesn't work, bomb threes.

The Magic have a bunch of decent role players but nobody that can take over if Howard ever struggles. Ryan Anderson had 12 points and seven rebounds while Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson scored 10 points apiece.

One of the most scary incidents I can remember in all the years I've watched the Celtics occurred early in the second quarter as swingman Marquis Daniels went down with a neck injury. He wasn't moving and was transported to New England Baptist Hospital. He has had neck issues in the past so it was a very serious issue and somber scene.

Credit to Boston for being able to rally from that emotionally taxing moment. Rajon Rondo was the star as he repeatedly drove to the hoop for a team-high 26 points and seven assists.

Paul Pierce added 18 points, Kevin Garnett scored 16 points and Ray Allen had 11 (he needs three more 3-pointers to tie Reggie Miller's all-time NBA record). Kendrick Perkins did his best Ben Wallace impression with 0 points and 13 rebounds while Glen Davis had 11 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Orlando got out to a 22-17 lead in the first quarter as Boston started off very slow in the Super Bowl matinee. The Celts took a 46-43 lead and never looked back from there. They took the defensive second half, 24-18 in the third and 21-19 in the fourth.

For the game, the Cs shot 47.6% to the Magic's 34.4%. The Celtics made 15 more free throws (28-13) while Orlando pulled down five more rebounds (46-41). Boston had eight more assists (21-13) and three more blocks (4-1).

As I always say with this team, back-to-backs are never easy, no matter who they face. Still, the Celtics completely own the Charlotte Bobcats (11 of their last 12) and even though the game is in North Carolina tonight, they should win.

KG is back and all is right in my sports world (minus the Patriots obviously)

For the last week when it looked like Kevin Garnett was returning to the Boston Celtics' lineup when they hosted the Orlando Magic on Martin Luther King day, I was conflicted.

I was excited because I had tickets to the game but I was genuinely worried because KG's health seems so fragile these days and the team that is a bonafide title contender with him, becomes an Eastern Conference also-ran without him.

It's only one night but it looked like the same old KG as he totaled 19 points and eight rebounds in a regular season instant classic, a 109-106 Celtics win.

These two teams have built a nice rivalry over the last few seasons with two straight playoff meetings and back-to-back contests on Christmas.

It's an intriguing matchup, Dwight Howard (33 points, 13 rebounds) and the Magic (26-15) with their array of shooters vs. the teammwork of the Celts (31-9) and balanced scoring.

Like they have so many times over the last four seasons, the Cs made the plays down the stretch. Most notably a three-point play by Paul Pierce (14 points) and a steal by KG as the clock ran out.

Ray Allen notched 26 points, Rajon Rondo added 10 points and 13 assists while Shaquille O'Neal had 12 points. Coming off the bench, Glen Davis like always found his game with 15 points.

Jason Richardson had 14 points, Brandon Bass notched 13 points, Hedo Turkoglu put up 11 points and seven assists while Ryan Anderson put up 16 points off the bench.

When you add this win to the Bruins' earlier rampage, yesterday was exactly what New England sports fans needed to get over the Patriots. In the Celtics and Bruins (yes, I said it before lightning strikes me), we have two teams that can go deep in the postseason this spring. Add in Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon sitting courtside and chugging a beer when he was shown on the jumbotron and it was a good day to be a fan of the other three teams.

Boston was up 27-22 after the first quarter and 55-54 at halftime. Orlando tied it up after three quarters at 81 and the fourth was when the Celts did just enough (28-25) to send Ray Allen's mom home happy.

As a team, Boston shot a lights out 60.0% to Orlando's 45.9%. As expected, the Magic owned 3-pointers (10-3) and also made five more free throws (27-22). Orlando had four more rebounds (34-30) but the Celts had six more assists (25-19), seven more steals (10-3) and four more blocks (6-2). Boston had eight more fast break points (12-4) and most amazingly, double the amount of points in the paint (52-26).

The Celtics host the Detroit Pistons tomorrow night. Detroit has won three in a row and they also beat Boston the last time the teams met (on Dec. 29 in Motown when KG injured his calf).

Oh my, not again

For a team up 3-1, with another chance to close out and get to the NBA Finals (for the second time in three years), it's hard to imagine a more batshit crazy game than last night's Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.

When the dust had settled on a wacky and shady contest, the Magic had won 113-92 at Amway Arena, sending the game back to Boston for basically a must-win Game 6 tomorrow night at the TD Garden.

Things are complicated by the fact that Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels both sustained concussions last night, Rasheed Wallace fouled out but then left the bench with back spasms and Kendrick Perkins was tossed for two technical fouls. Since Perk has seven, he could have been suspended for Game 6 but the NBA wisely rescinded one of the two pathetic calls.

Got all that?

The refs were a joke and did nothing to dissuade anyone from saying that the NBA is rigged. Still, Orlando dominated this game physically and found their game (going 13-for-25 on 3-pointers).

I'm doing my best not to make a Bruins reference but the similarities are eerie. The team down 3-0 wins Game 4 in OT then in a Game 5 blowout. Yikes. And for a playoff schedule that is ridiculously long, it figures that the Celts have no time to rest as their bodies pile up on the sidelines.

For the second game in a row, Jameer Nelson (24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Dwight Howard (21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks) were the two best players on the floor. Rashard Lewis even found a way to brave his stomach virus and was effective with 14 points and seven assists. J.J. Redick continued to outplay Vince Carter, adding 14 points.

Sheed actually led Boston with 21 points in just 18 minutes. Rajon Rondo (19 points, 6 assists) and Paul Pierce (18 points) but they shot a combined 12-for-29 from the field. Kevin Garnett (10 points) and Ray Allen (9 points) were non-factors.

This was a game that the Magic owned from start to finish; they led 31-27 after one quarter and 57-49 at the half. The C's were able to cut it to six a couple times in the second half but with their lack of healthy, in rhythm players, they were cooked.

Orlando owned all the numbers: shooting 52.2% to Boston's 43.1%. The Magic made six more threes and five more free throws with 17 more rebounds.

The fact that Shelden Williams and Brian Scalabrine could see minutes in the most important game of the season is horrifying but here we are. Big Baby said after the game that he'll play but after losing a tooth and stumbling around the court last night after being elbowed by Howard, he clearly was messed up.

Care to change your NBA finals pick?

The Celtics pulled off a first in franchise history (which is really saying something) as they won the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road.

Last night's 95-92 Game 2 win at Amway Arena in Orlando was further validation that the Celtics are back while conversely the Magic are frauds (just like LeBron and the Cavs).

Paul Pierce scored 28 points with five rebounds and five assists while Rajon Rondo notched 25 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Kevin Garnett had 10 points and nine rebounds while Kendrick Perkins scored 10 points in limited time before fouling out. Glen Davis added eight points and six rebounds off the bench and Rasheed Wallace hit two important 3-pointers.

Dwight Howard had a breakout game (30 points, 8 rebounds) but his teammates didn't offer much help aside from Vince Carter (16 points) and J.J. Redick (16 points).

Boston led this one for over 45 minutes and it was Orlando that made the key mistakes down the stretch (Carter bricking two free throws, Redick hesitating to take a timeout and Jameer Nelson taking a stupid pull up three on a fastbreak that he missed).

Orlando led 28-27 after the first quarter but Boston was up 53-51 at the half. The Celts came out stronger in the third quarter (25-19) and for the second straight game, were able to withstand a desperate push by the Magic in the fourth (22-17).

Boston outshot Orlando 45.9% to 39.4%, which let them survive seven more made free throws by the Magic (29-22).

Game 3 is on Saturday night at the TD Garden and since I'll be in Las Vegas for a bachelor party, it'll be tough to avoid putting all the money I have on the C's to win the NBA title.

I thought last night was a must-win for Orlando so needless to say if they lose on Saturday, they'll probably get swept.

Magic lose for the first time since April 2

Remember when nobody gave the Celtics a chance heading into the 2010 playoffs? It seems like a long time ago since they knocked out the Cavs and yesterday beat Orlando 92-88 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Amway Arena.

Boston played great for the first three quarters, leading by as much as 20 and although the Magic cut it to two points with eight seconds left, the Celts hit their free throws to ice it.

It was shockingly easy against a team that had won all eight of its playoff games and 14 overall. They hadn't lost since April 2 and it's clear that they didn't know how to react to getting their ass kicked.

Ray Allen led the Celts with 25 points and seven rebounds while Paul Pierce notched 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Rasheed Wallace scored 13 off the bench, Kevin Garnett had eight points and 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added eight points and eight assists while Tony Allen and Glen Davis had six points off the bench.

Vince Carter (23 points) and Jameer Nelson (20 points, 9 rebounds) were the only Magic players to show up. Dwight Howard (13 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks) still looks like a guy that can't solve the defense of Perk, Sheed and Big Baby.

Boston led 22-14 after the first quarter and 41-32 at the end of the ugly first half. The Celts were able to take the third quarter (33-26) which let them hang on in the fourth (30-18 for Orlando).

Orlando is the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA but they looked nothing like that team yesterday, shooting 5-for-22. They had seven more rebounds (45-38) but the C's did a much better job spreading it around (21-10 assists).

Is it too early to call Game 2 a must-win for the Magic? I don't think so; no doubt they'll play ten times better than yesterday but if the Celtics can pull out another road win, this series could be over quickly.

The Celtics can't beat good teams, simple as that

Remember when the Celtics consistently beat the NBA's best teams? On the road, at home, back-to-back, it didn't matter.

Times have changed as the Celts are still a good team but right now, nobody can say that they're great.

Thanks to a coma in the third quarter (36-11), Boston (32-17) choked away an 11-point halftime lead and lost to the Orlando Magic (34-17) 96-89 yesterday afternoon at the TD Garden.

That wrapped up the season series with the Magic taking it 3-1. Overall, the Celtics are 1-7 against Orlando and Atlanta this season, two teams they are very likely to see in the playoffs.

Vince Carter led Orlando with 20 points and Dwight Howard battled foul trouble but still managed 16 points and 13 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 15 points, Rashard Lewis scored 14 points and Matt Barnes added 11 points.

Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple double with 17 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Ray Allen added 14 points, Kevin Garnett had 13 points and nine rebounds while Paul Pierce scored 13 after missing the last two games.

Key reserve Marquis Daniels after missing just over two months of action and scored eight points off the bench.

Boston led 24-23 after the first quarter and 51-40 at halftime in one of their best halves of the season. Of course, they juxtaposed this with their usual third quarter/second half meltdown.

The C's outscored the Magic 27-20 in the fourth and cut it down to five points but it was too late. A 19-0 Orlando run in the third quarter, thanks to some great outside shooting, put them in control for the rest of the contest.

Boston has one more game before the All-Star break as they travel to New Orleans (good timing) on Wednesday night to play the Hornets minus star point guard Chris Paul.

You can't just walk into Amway Arena expecting to win

The Celtics' three-game cage match started last night in Orlando and things looked great as Boston built a 16-point lead on the Magic.

Sadly this was just a prelude for an epic choke job in the fourth quarter that was capped off by Rashard Lewis' (game-high 23 points) layup with 1.3 seconds remaining.

Boston (29-14) had a great look at the buzzer but Rasheed Wallace (17 points) airballed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Orlando (30-16) held on for the 96-94 win that the C's completely pissed away.

On the night that they were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, Paul Pierce (12 points) and Rajon Rondo (11 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) didn't submit their best games by any means.

Spurred by Rasheed and 10 points from Eddie House, Boston's bench scored a season-high 41 points but it still wasn't enough to make up for subpar games from Kevin Garnett (6 points, 7 rebounds) and Kendrick Perkins (4 points, 3 rebounds).

Ray Allen was the only Celtic with what could be termed a nice stat line of 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting.

Dwight Howard had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Magic while Jameer Nelson scored 12 and J.J. Redick had 11 off the bench (including a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter).

It should not have come to that since Boston led 34-23 after the first quarter and 51-40 at the half. They still held the 11-point lead going into the fourth (62-51).

After it was over, Inside the NBA, which is by far the best NBA coverage, said that the Big Three had been 86-0 in games that they went into the fourth quarter with double-digit leads. So there is that.

The numbers indicated a close game since the C's made six more threes (12-6) but the Magic converted many more free throws (26-12). Orlando was also beastly on the boards (47-32), which is particularly surprising since Howard didn't go crazy and finally Boston was much more unselfish (22-8 assists).

I'd love to see the Celtics put it behind them and play great in Atlanta tonight but as I've said earlier in the season, nobody in the NBA has the Celtics' number or matches up with them as well as the Hawks. In the ATL on the second night of a back-to-back against Eastern Conference contenders makes the challenge that much tougher.

So this is how it ends?

I guess we were all just lying to ourselves when we thought the Boston Celtics (minus KG and Leon Powe) could actually advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where LeBron and the Cavs surely would have wiped the floor with them.

Reality was a bitter pill to swallow last night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Garden as the Orlando Magic stomped the Celtics, 101-82.

The defending NBA champions are out and when you think about it, how did they even make it this far?

Playing an eight-man rotation, the C's outlasted Chicago in seven games then had a 3-2 series lead vs. Orlando before losing the last two.

It's a testament to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Ray Allen, Glen Davis, Eddie House, Doc Rivers, etc. that Boston made that much noise.

Whether it was being a homer or just not believing in the Magic, I really thought the C's would win going into last night but they simply ran out of gas.

The Magic were also 13-of-21 on 3-pointers and Boston could not get enough stops on defense, coupled with hoops.

Hedo Turkoglu led Orlando with a game-high 25 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Rashard Lewis added 19 points and Mickael Pietrus once again dominated off the bench with 17 points. Is he really that good? Boston made him look like an All-Star in the series.

Rafer Alston had 15 points and Dwight Howard notched 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.

After an awful series individually, Ray Allen was the only Celtic to show up last night offensively. Allen had a team-high 23 points. Pierce only managed 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Davis added 13 points, Rondo went for 10 points, 10 assists and six boards while Perk added eight points and 15 boards.

Orlando started off on a roll and led 27-17 after the first quarter. Boston cut it to 45-38 at the half.

The C's had one last gasp as they outscored the Magic 23-21 in the third but Orlando had a 13-1 run in the fourth that sent the Garden crowd to the exits.

Orlando meets the Cavs while the Lakers (who blew out the Rockets in a Game 7) host the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.

More than anything, the finality of last night is the most painful thing. Once we knew KG wasn't coming back this postseason, we were resigned to our fate of not winning another title this June. Still, with triple-headers (Celts, Bruins and Red Sox) filling our weeks for the past month, it's crazy that now we don't have anything except the Red Sox for the next few months until Pats training camp and preseason heats up.

Nobody will cry for Boston fans since we've been spoiled for the past decade but it is still a rough patch for what had been an awesome spring.

With the Big Three returning and healthy (fingers crossed), the C's have another great shot at a title next season. Rondo and Perk made so much progress in one season, it's almost hard to believe. The biggest offseason questions revolve around whether to resign Big Baby (YES!) and Powe (depends on how his knee looks). This team has another run in them, I think that was proven by their heart this postseason.

Why even bother having Game 6's?

What made you think this series would be any different? For the fourth straight time (in the first two rounds), the Boston Celtics will go to a winner-take-all Game 7, this time against the Orlando Magic.

The Celts did their best impression of the Magic last night at Amway Arena in Game 6 as they choked away a 10-point lead in the second half and let Orlando live to play another game.

Dwight Howard put up 23 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks in a dominant performance after calling out his coach Stan Van Gundy after Game 5.

Rashard Lewis added 20 points and six rebounds, Rafer Alston notched 11 points (including a 3-pointer that gave Orlando a lead in the fourth that it was its first of the game) and Mickael Pietrus continued to play well off the bench, with 11 points. Why doesn't he start?

Boston wasted Rajon Rondo's best game in a few weeks. Rondo had a team-high 19 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Paul Pierce had 17 points, nine boards and five assists while Kendrick Perkins posted 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Ray Allen continued to do his best "Night of the Living Dead" impression as he submitted five points (2-of-11 shooting) and seven rebounds. I fully expect him to drop 30+ points in Game 7.

This was not a beautiful game as Boston shot 41.6% and Orlando was 36.6%. The Celts were 3-of-18 on threes and the Magic were 6-of-26. Yuck.

Boston was only 8-for-13 from the free throw line and Orlando shot a pathetic 17-for-31. The C's had six more rebounds (48-42) and five more assists (18-13). Boston lost because it had 10 more turnovers (19-9).

The C's led 25-22 after one quarter and 46-45 at the half. Both teams scored 16 in the third quarter and Orlando outscored Boston 22-13 in the fourth.

So what to expect in Game 7? The Celts will make just enough plays and stops to win it while the Magic unravel amidst too many 3-pointers and missed free throws. Then the Celtics lose to the Cavs in four or five games.

All I want is the C's to make the next round even though their fate seems already sealed either way.

"The ship be sinking!"-Charles Barkley

Much of what makes sports so great is the unexpected. Still, it's also hilarious when a playoff series goes exactly as anyone would have predicted.

The Orlando Magic-Boston Celtics Eastern Conference semifinal series has been the latter.

The Celts played awful for 3.5 quarters last night at the Garden and still won 92-88 to win Game 5 and take a 3-2 lead in the series. Boston can close it out tomorrow night back in Orlando.

Orlando was up 14 points with eight minutes and change left in the game. Ten points with five minutes left. It didn't matter, that team is tissue paper soft. Their style of play is not conducive to success in the playoffs and after last night's game, they were all pointing fingers at each other which prompted Sir Charles' spectacular line (above).

Big Baby continued to play the best basketball of his life. He had a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds. Paul Pierce added 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ray Allen (13 points) continued to struggle but in typical fashion, he made a huge shot: a 3-pointer late in the fourth that gave Boston its first lead since 8-6.

The Celts' young guys did not play well. Kendrick Perkins had six points and 11 rebounds while Rajon Rondo was held to six points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Other than the comeback, the story of the game was Stephon Marbury. He had 12 points (all in the fourth quarter) as he gave his team a huge lift when it needed it most.

Orlando got 19 points from Rashard Lewis and 12 points and 17 boards from Dwight Howard. Hedo Turkoglu added 18 points and seven assists while Rafer Alston notched 16 points and six assists but he missed a late 3-pointer that would have been vital.

The biggest number to point to for the Celtics was their perfect night at the free throw line: 21 for 21. The Magic were just 10 for 12 as they continued to settle for jumpers (6 of 24 on threes).

Like the Bruins, the Celtics have all the momentum in this series and I expect them to win tomorrow night in Orlando. Granted, the margin of error is razor-thin for this group and they never seem to make it easy on themselves but they broke Orlando's will last night. You can't overlook that fact.

The champs are still alive

The Boston Celtics are one of the most resilient teams I can ever remember. No matter how many players get hurt or are ineffective, they stubbornly refuse to lose.

Everyone has already decided that it is LeBron and the Cavs' postseason. They're going to win the title, no questions asked. And while they are likely to sweep the Hawks tonight to write their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals, don't count out the C's just yet.

Glen Davis (21 points, 6 rebounds) hit a long jumper as time expired last night in a pulsating 95-94 Boston win at Amway Arena. The huge shot tied up the series at 2-2 and returned the home-court advantage to Boston. Game 5 is tomorrow night at the Garden.

How the Celts did it is hard to explain. They had an eight point lead but couldn't buy a basket late in the fourth quarter. And its bench had a total of two points. Yet here we are, with all the momentum back on Boston's side.

Despite being in foul trouble all night (5 fouls), Paul Pierce had a game-high 27 points. Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Kendrick Perkins also posted a double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Ray Allen added 12 points.

Dwight Howard led Orlando with 23 points and 17 rebounds. Rashard Lewis notched 22 points.

If Boston can win Game 5, I think it'll be over in six. Otherwise, it's going seven once again.

Orlando is a bunch of frauds

The Orlando Magic are soft. You know it, I know it and Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy knows it.

The Celtics blew out Orlando, 112-94 last night at the Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The series is now tied at one game apiece.

Eddie House had the game of his life as the sharpshooting guard dropped a career-high 31 points (hitting 11-of-14 shots). It was one of the greatest shooting displays I've ever seen at any level. He couldn't miss. And the degree of difficulty seemed to increase with each make.

Rajon Rondo was back to his dominating self, notching his fourth triple-double of the playoffs. He had 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds.

Ray Allen dropped 22 points, Kendrick Perkins (16 points, 9 rebounds) outplayed Dwight Howard (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Big Baby had 13 points.

Probably the craziest part of this satisfying win was that Paul Pierce scored three points. He was limited to 15 minutes since he got in early foul trouble so he could never get into a rhythm. It's a great sign for the C's that they played so well without Pierce doing anything.

Rashard Lewis led Orlando with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Mickael Pietrus had another great night off the bench with 17 points. J.J. Redick scored 15 points before fouling out and Hedo Turkoglu added 14.

Things got so bad for the Magic in the second half that Rafer Alston, aka Skip to My Lou, aka one of the worst players in the league, shoved the back of House's head after Eddie made a 3-pointer.

Howard is a monster defensively and on the glass but his offensive game is still incredibly raw. If he's not dunking, he can't hit shots. And he's terrible at free throws (witness last night's 2-for-8 showing).

Boston shot 51.3% to Orlando's 44.3%. The Celts had seven more boards (41-34) and 15 more assists (34-19).

Orlando also has no depth, they don't really play much defense and they settle for threes all the time.

The Celtics are certainly not without their flaws but I really like their chances against this team. Everyone thinks it's inevitable that Cleveland will roll to the Finals but you never know what can happen.

Game 3 is tomorrow night in Orlando.

I am a homer but the Magic still don't scare me

After barely surviving against the Chicago Bulls in a marathon seven game series, the Boston Celtics predictably laid an egg in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last night at the Garden against the Orlando Magic.

The C's finally closed out Chicago on Saturday night and only had one day of rest before Orlando came to town. They didn't use that as an excuse for last night's sorry showing but I will.

And you know what? Boston couldn't have played much worse (down by 28 points early in the third quarter) but they cut it to four late in the fourth and had a pretty realistic chance to win.

Orlando held on 95-90 and Game 2 is tomorrow night at the Garden.

Dwight Howard was all over the place for the Magic with 16 points, 22 rebounds and three monster blocks. Rashard Lewis added 18 points and seven boards. Hedo Turkoglu scored 15 points. The biggest surprises were J.J. Redick, who scored 12 and Mickael Pietrus, who came off the bench and dropped 17 points. If Boston can shut down those two scrubs a little more, they should be in really good shape over the rest of the series.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 23 points, Rajon Rondo had 14 points (on 2-of-12 shooting and 10 made free throws), 10 rebounds, eight assists, seven turnovers and three steals. Glen Davis scored 12 points before fouling out. Kendrick Perkins notched six points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.

Just like Game 1 vs. Chicago, Ray Allen was M.I.A. with nine points. Another good sign for the series is that the Boston bench had 26 points. Brian Scalabrine scored 10 points and Stephon Marbury added eight points in a quick flurry.

Tomorrow night is pretty much a must-win for the Celts as they have to salvage one game at home before they go to Orlando.

The Magic still don't scare me

So the Orlando Magic held on last night against the Boston Celtics, 84-82 at the Amway Arena.

It was a big win for the Magic (53-18) as they are now tied with the Celtics (54-19) for the second spot in the Eastern Conference with two games (not one like I last said) in hand.

Call it excuses, grasping for straws, whatever but after watching last night, it only further solidified my view that Boston should beat Orlando, if they meet in (most likely) the second round of the playoffs.

I'm not a complete idiot, Dwight Howard (24 points, 21 rebounds, 4 blocks) is a beast but watching him brick shot after shot in the fourth, while his teammates failed to put away a shorthanded Celtics team made me think that we are still better than them (provided KG, Leon Powe and Tony Allen are healthy).

Paul Pierce had a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds but head coach Doc Rivers and Pierce reverted back to the losing days for the Green. Repeatedly down the stretch, Pierce forced tough shots, none more so than the 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it.

Three defenders jumped out at Pierce. He hit some big baskets to help the C's comeback from 16 points down but Eddie House and Ray Allen were also on the floor.

Ray Allen added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists while Kendrick Perkins had 11 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in a decent job against Howard.

Boston survived a big scare in the game when Rajon Rondo (9 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) rolled his ankle. Luckily, he stayed in the game and while he didn't play particularly well, the injury turned out to be much worse than it seemed at first glance.

Orlando loves their 3-pointers, huh? Rashard Lewis (21 points), Hedo Turkoglu (13 points) and Courtney Lee (11 points) all finished with respectable point totals but they were useless in the fourth.

And if you think Rafer Alston at point guard will lead the Magic to a title, you must live in one of the five boroughs. The guy is a scumbag and not a good player when you take him off the And-1 mix tour.

Kevin Garnett scored four points and grabbed eight rebounds in 17 minutes of action. It was painful to watch him helplessly sit on the bench in the fourth but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he uses it as motivation. Doc plans to give KG some more time next week as the playoffs get closer.

In one of the last meaningful games of the regular season, the Celts travel to the ATL tomorrow night to face the Hawks.