The Nate Robinson era starts with a thud, but also a win

It was a strange night at the TD Garden last night as Eddie House, Bill Walker and the New York Knicks came to town for coincidentally enough, Nate Robinson's debut with the Boston Celtics.

The fact that Walker (7 points) had more production than House (4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) and Robinson (4 points, 2 steals) should tell you all you need to now about that trio's impact on the proceedings.

Playing without an injured and sick Paul Pierce, the C's (36-19) slogged their way to a 110-106 win over the Knicks (19-37), who lost their eighth in a row.

Ironically, the turning point in the game was a block by Ray Allen (24 points, fourth straight game with 20+ points) on Wilson Chandler (19 points) with Boston clinging to a 109-106 lead with under a minute left. Allen, who will never be known for his defensive prowess, came out of nowhere to swat Chandler's layup into the seats.

For three quarters, the Celtics and Knicks ran up and down the court, scoring a ton of points but in the fourth quarter, Boston finally put the clamps on New York and took the fourth 16-15.

All-Star David Lee showed off his game with 28 points and 15 rebounds, Sergio Rodriguez added 18 points, six assists and five rebounds while Al Harrington scored 18 points off the bench.

Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 16 assists, Kevin Garnett had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Marquis Daniels scored 14 points starting in place of Pierce and Kendrick Perkins notched 12 points.

Besides Ray Ray's defensive play, the only thing to remember from the game is the montage the Celtics showed on the Jumbotron when Eddie House checked in for the first time. Always a fan favorite in his three seasons with the Celts, House rightfully got a standing ovation.

Boston is currently a game ahead of the Hawks and in third in the Eastern Conference. They have a big showdown with King James and the Cavs tomorrow night at the Garden and on TNT. Should be quality entertainment.

Don't you, forget about me: Ray Allen edition

There might be nothing going on in the sports world besides the Olympics (snooze) but for one day, the NBA was front and center. The trade deadline came and passed yesterday with many teams making minor moves and a few making a big splash.

Antawn Jamison is on the Cavs, Marcus Camby went to the Blazers and T-Mac and his juicy expiring contract went to the Knicks. For the Celtics, the weeks of Ray Allen rumors proved pointless as he stayed with Boston although they did trade Eddie House, J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker to New York for Nate Robinson and Marcus Landry.

I love House and will always have fond memories of his time in Boston (particularly the championship year) but he's having a bad year and he was very expendable. Nate Robinson is younger, more dynamic and can hopefully provide the consistent scoring off the bench that the Celtics so desperately need.

Oh and by the way, the Celts were at the Staples Center last night playing the Lakers albeit without the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant.

Whatever the reason, perhaps because of the burden off his shoulders (of not being traded), but Ray Allen was back to his old self last night, dropping a game-high 24 points as the C's (34-18) held off the Lakers (42-14) 87-86.

The Christmas day win in Orlando and this are interchangeable as the best wins of the season so far. Last night, Boston played great defense and although they only scored 11 measly points in the fourth quarter, they were able to hold LA to 17. The Celts' second half collapse when they were up 11 happened but they weathered it and pulled out a huge road win.

All five starters scored in double-figures in what fittingly was the definition of a team win. Rajon Rondo added 14 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and five steals as he badly outplayed Derek Fisher (3 points, 1 of 9 shooting). Kendrick Perkins finally showed up and had 13 points and 14 rebounds, Kevin Garnett scored 13 and Paul Pierce notched 11 points.

Even without Kobe, the Lakers are one of the deepest, most talented teams in the league. Pau Gasol led LA with 22 points, Ron Artest scored 15 and Andrew Bynum added 14 points and nine rebounds. The Lakers backcourt was their downfall as Shannon Brown (8 points) couldn't quite fit Kobe's shoes.

Boston will look to go 3-0 on its West Coast trip with a tough game in Portland this evening. Nate Robinson might make his Celtics debut and we know that Blazers star Brandon Roy is out indefinitely.

The bench comes alive for the Celtics

There was an endless amount of story lines surrounding the Boston Celtics as they began the last 30 games of the season last night in Sacramento.

Most pertinent, it was the last game before the trade deadline (which is tomorrow afternoon) so was this the last time we'll see Ray Allen, Eddie House, Tony Allen or Glen Davis in a Celtics uniform?

Will the C's improve or continue to struggle against good teams, building up to the inevitable second round loss in the playoffs this spring?

The good news for one night was that they won 95-92 against a very green Kings (18-35) team featuring the favored rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans (17 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists).

Paul Pierce had 17 points for the Celts (33-18) and Ray Allen scored 15 points but Rajon Rondo (4 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), Kevin Garnett (9 points, 9 rebounds) and Kendrick Perkins (6 points, 5 rebounds) were all invisible.

So how did they win you ask? Boston's bench had perhaps its finest performance of the season as they 44 points, led by Rasheed Wallace (17 points), Eddie House (12 points), Marquis Daniels (7 points, 6 rebounds) and Glen Davis (6 points, 8 rebounds).

Games like that will be rare but if the Celtics stand still at the trade deadline, those bench players will need to all bring their games up to gloss over KG, Ray and Perk.

Omri Casspi led the Kings with 19 points, Jason Thompson added 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks off the bench while Kevin Martin (another constant trade rumor) was held to 11 points.

The game was tight throughout, with the teams tied at 30 after one quarter and the Celts holding a slim 57-52 halftime lead.

Boston didn't fall apart in the third (19-17) and made enough free throws down the stretch to offset the 3-pointers Sacramento kept hitting.

The four game West Coast trip gets real for the next three games as Boston goes to the Staples Center tomorrow night for a TNT game with the Lakers, Portland on Friday and Denver on Sunday afternoon. Honestly, two wins out of those three would be a miracle considering LA and Denver are the West's two best teams and the Blazers are fighting for a playoff spot.

Say it with me kids, trap game

With the pathetic Nets in town on a Friday night and the All-Star break just a few games away, you could feel it in the air: the Celtics were going to come out really slow and then eventually pull away at the end in a game that was way too close than it should be.

I'm not a psychic, and I don't play one on TV but sometimes the NBA is just that easy to predict.

The Celts won 96-87 last night for their third straight win but they actually trailed by one point (73-72) entering the fourth quarter before Eddie House (who scored all 10 of his points in the fourth) heated up and sent the Nets (4-45) packing.

Paul Pierce sat out again and Marquis Daniels is back at practice but he didn't play as well, still there is absolutely no excuse for letting a team that had one road win on the season to hang around like that.

The Wizards at least did a favor for Boston (32-16) as they beat Orlando, allowing the C's to slip back into the number two seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ray Allen led the Green with a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds while Rajon Rondo added what now seems like his customary 17 points, 11 assists and three steals. Kevin Garnett had 10 points and seven rebounds and Glen Davis notched 13 points off the bench.

Brook Lopez scored 19 points for New Jersey. Devin Harris added 17 points and eight assists while Courtney Lee (12 points), Yi Jianlian (10 points) and Jarvis Hayes (10 points) all scored in double-figures.

The Celts spread it around offensively with 26 assists on 36 baskets and they posted 17 fastbreak points.

Orlando comes to the Garden tomorrow afternoon for an appealing Super Bowl matinee. The Celtics owe them some payback after they stole that win back in Orlando a few weeks ago.

It's hard to feel bad for a guy with a title and living in Miami but.......

Pity poor Dwyane Wade. Sure he won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, makes more money than I can even imagine and he lives in Miami which last I heard was a decent place to live. He is one of the superstars that will be a free agent this summer, meaning that D-Wade could be out of South Beach and frankly, I don't blame him.

Nobody in the NBA carries his team like Wade. He had a game-high 30 points and season-high 13 assists last night but the Heat (24-25) still lost to the Celtics (31-16), 107-102 at the TD Garden.

Boston was playing without Paul Pierce-it's most dependable, consistent player-and it's been helter skelter this season plus they came in 7-11 since Christmas.

My best friend Joe and I were in the building and we witnessed Rajon Rondo continue his rapid acension to superstar status as he had 22 points, 14 assists, six rebounds and three steals. In his fourth year, Rondo's game has grown by leaps and bounds.

He hit two 3-pointers last night and looked much more confident at the free throw line (8-of-14) even though the final numbers were still weak. It's easy to see that he is the franchise now and when the Big 3 are all gone in a few seasons, everything will be about Rondo.

Ray Allen broke out of his slump with a team-high 23 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists. Kevin Garnett added 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Kendrick Perkins had 13 points and Eddie House notched his finest performance of the season with 16 points off the bench.

Besides Wade, the Heat have no second option. Rafer Alston and Udonis Haslem both scored 15, Michael Beasley (who should be better with his wide range of skills) had 13 points and the washed up duo of Quentin Richardson (12 points) and Jermaine O'Neal (10 points) mostly took up space.

It was tight throughout the contest as Boston led 27-26 after one quarter and 53-51 at the half. Rondo was fouled at the halftime buzzer taking a halfcourt shot by Daequan Cook (Thad Matta is rolling over in his grave). Rondo made two of three for the two-point Celtics lead.

Miami tied it at 74 going into the fourth and the C's pushed it to a 10-point advantage in the fourth before holding on for once and making their free throws down the stretch.

Boston came into the game as the second-worst rebounding team in the league (don't ask me how) but they outrebounded the Heat 41-31, including 15 offensive rebounds. The ball movement for the C's was also top-notch as they recorded 29 assists on 37 baskets.

The dredge of the NBA, the 4-44 New Jersey Nets come to the Garden tomorrow night. Hopefully Boston can take care of them quickly and give the starters some much needed rest.

Life without KG and Sheed is not fun

Pick an excuse: the Celts played the Bulls last night without Kevin Garnett or Rasheed Wallace and it was the sixth game in nine nights for Boston.

Whatever the reason, the Bulls (who had been blown out in their previous two meetings this season) looked like the team that gave the Celtics so much trouble in the first round of the playoffs last spring as they won 96-83 at the TD Garden.

Luol Deng scored a game-high 25 points, Derrick Rose added 17 points and eight rebounds while the world's ugliest man Joakim Noah posted 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Rookie Taj Gibson played well for Chicago (17-20) notching 14 points and six rebounds and Kirk Hinrich scored 11.

Boston (27-11) got a very quiet 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Paul Pierce and 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks by Kendrick Perkins but nobody else (save for 11 points by Eddie House off the bench) bothered to show up for an obviously tired C's team.

The Bulls are certainly not as good as the Hawks but they fit the young, athletic team mold that is so clearly Boston's kryptonite.

Chicago jumped out to a 29-18 lead after the first quarter and 47-39 at the half and the C's could never really make a definitive run in the second half. Boston outscored Chicago 24-23 in the third quarter but the Bulls closed with a 26-20 fourth.

Missing 13 free throws (15 for 28) especially for a veteran team that normally shoots so well is inexcusable for the C's. Predictably the Bulls owned them on the glass (50-39) and had five more blocks (10-5).

Thankfully the Celts have a few days to relax at home as they prepare for the Mavericks, the second best team in the Western Conference (still frauds), who come to the Garden on Monday night.

Ray Allen ain't dead yet

Sure he maybe robotic and any day now he might be getting the senior discount but Ray Allen (at times) can still stroke it with the best of them.

Allen had his best game of the season last night (27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) as the Celtics (14-4) rolled over the Bobcats (7-10), 108-90 for their fifth straight win.

It's amazing that Allen has been able to focus lately and play so well given his son's serious health issues but on a lighter note, damn his wife is fine.

Kendrick Perkins (21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) continues to blossom into one of the best centers-an endangered species in the NBA-that absolutely nobody outside of New England talks about.

Kevin Garnett added 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Rajon Rondo (8 points, 9 assists) and Eddie House (12 points) also contributed to the win.

For probably the first and last time of his life, Nazr Mohammed led his team in scoring with 16 points off the bench. Raymond Felton had 14 points, Boris Diaw scored 13, Stephen Graham added 12 and Stephen Jackson mustered 11 for his new squad.

Things will get harder as the Celts end the road trip with a back-to-back: at the Spurs tomorrow night then at the Thunder on Friday night.

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.

Never leave the House

It took seven excruciating games but the Boston Celtics finally subdued the Chicago Bulls last night at the Garden, 109-99, to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After a classic series, Game 7 probably won't be remembered for much more than the final result. The Celtics' much-maligned bench finally showed up, outscoring Chicago's bench 30-25.

Eddie House had by far his best game of the playoffs so far. House was 5-for-5 on 3-pointers and 4-for-4 from the line for 16 points with three steals, two assists and two rebounds.

Brian Scalabrine helped Boston's key 22-2 run in the second quarter that gave the C's the lead for the rest of the game. Scal had eight points in the game and three boards. Even Mikki Moore made a quick appearance and scored four points.

Ben Gordon led the Bulls with a game-high 33 points but he was 7-for-23 from the floor and 15-for-15 from the line. Derrick Rose added 18 points, Kirk Hinrich had 16 points and John Salmons notched 12 points.

Other than the solid bench play, another reason the Celts prevailed was because they kept the Bulls' big men in check. Joakim Noah had seven points and 15 rebounds and Brad Miller was held to nine points and seven boards.

None of the Celtics' starting five went off but they each did something well. Ray Allen led Boston with 23 points and seven rebounds. Paul Pierce added 20 points and nine rebounds. Glen Davis posted 15 points and Kendrick Perkins added another double-double: 14 points, 13 rebounds. Rajon Rondo's worst game of the series was probably game 7: seven points, 11 assists, five rebounds but it didn't matter.

Chicago got off to a hot start as they led 28-23 after the first quarter. Boston used its best quarter of the series to take command. They outscored the Bulls 29-11 in the second. True to form over the last two weeks, the Bulls fought back in the third (33-26) but Boston (31-27) did enough in the fourth to hang on.

The C's shot 44.9% to 39.0% for the Bulls. Boston was 52.9% on threes and Chicago was 29.2%. Boston had five more rebounds (45-40) and eight more assists (25-17).

There will be no time to rest for Boston as they face Orlando, starting tomorrow night at the Garden. It is not going to be easy but I really don't fear the Magic. Dwight Howard is a beast but they're a finesse team and they haven't done much in the playoffs the last few seasons. Should be another interesting series.

Tommy Points all around: Celts pull out gutty double OT win vs. Charlotte

With the bad news the other day that Kevin Garnett will be out at least until April 12 against the Cavaliers (and most likely until the playoffs), the Boston Celtics circled the wagons and put in some serious work last night, beating the Bobcats 111-109 in double overtime at the Garden.

It was a game the C's (57-19) had to have as they try to get the No. 2 spot in the East while on the other side, it was a crushing loss for the Bobcats (34-41) as they try to slide into the eighth seed and the franchise's first playoff spot.

It was a game that Charlotte choked away as they led by as much as 12 points in the fourth quarter before Boston staged a nice comeback.

Rajon Rondo (21 points, 9 assists, 4 steals, 4 rebounds) even had a chance to win it as Celtics coach Doc Rivers drew up a nice inbounds play at the end of the game: Paul Pierce (32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) passed to Rondo, Rondo gave it back to Pierce and then he handed it off to Rondo who had an open lane to the hoop. His runner was too strong and rimmed out.

Ray Allen (22 points) was the hero of the overtimes as he hit a tying 3-pointer in the second overtime and the game-winner with 2.1 seconds left (putting the Celts up by two points). On the latter shot, Pierce drove and drew multiple defenders before kicking to Ray in the corner.

Eddie House (18 points) also had a great game off the bench in the win.

Charlotte saw seven players score in double figures, led by the always underrated Gerald Wallace (20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals). Boris Diaw (17 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds), Raymond Felton (14 points, 12 assists) and Emeka Okafor (12 points, 10 rebounds) were all good. Raja Bell added 12 points while D.J. Augustin (14 points) and Vladimir Radmonovic (10 points) were solid off the bench.

The Celts host Atlanta tomorrow night.

Celts get it done in the swamps of Jersey

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Celtics picked up a win last night on the road against the New Jersey Nets, 115-111.

Still without KG, Paul Pierce led the C's (48-14) with 31 points and five assists on 12-for-14 shooting. Rajon Rondo added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists while Kendrick Perkins notched a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Ray Allen scored 16 points (including a clutch 3-pointer that tied it late in the fourth) and grabbed five rebounds and Eddie House tallied 10 points off the bench.

Vince Carter had a game-high 34 points for the Nets (27-34). New Jersey's other star Devin Harris notched 25 points and 11 assists but rookie Brook Lopez was held to 10 points. Jarvis Hayes scored 16 points as a substitute.

The victory clinched a playoff spot for Boston but that's not exactly news with this squad and their ultimate goals.

Boston led 27-20 after the first quarter and 58-51 at the half. The Celts outscored the Nets 34-30 in the third and New Jersey started making its move in the fourth (30-23) but it was too late.

Even without Garnett, the Celtics possess two of the most dependable players in close games: Allen and Pierce.

Boston shot a ridiculous 61.2% as a team to New Jersey's 49.2%. The C's also had 13 more rebounds (39-26). The Nets hung around and made it interesting by hitting five more 3-pointers (13-8) and committing five less turnovers (19-14).

For a regular season game, it doesn't get much bigger as LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers invade the TD Banknorth Garden. The Cavs currently are one game ahead of Boston for the top spot and home court in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Celtics remember that games last four quarters (not three)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rivalry that the NBA desperately needs, continues to get better

It pains me to say it but for the second time this season, the Lakers beat the Celtics when Boston came in with a double-digit win streak.

LA (40-9) came to the TD Banknorth Garden last night for its third game in four nights and escaped with a 110-109 overtime win. It snapped Boston's 12 game win streak, earlier in the year they had won 19 straight before choking at the Forum.

It was surely one of the best regular season games in the NBA and unfortunately, it enabled the Lakers to sweep the season series after they also beat the Celts on Christmas day in Los Angeles.

Boston (41-10) had to a chance to win it at the end of regulation but a sloppy possession ended with Eddie House (16 points) firing up a prayer of a 3-pointer.

At the conclusion of overtime, Ray Allen (22 points) attempted a three that was blocked by Pau Gasol (24 points, 14 rebounds). Allen and the Celtics' bench wanted a foul but there wasn't enough contact to make that call.

Two games after dropping 61 on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Kobe Bryant struggled to find his shot but still finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Lamar Odom (one of the NBA's most up and down players) added 20 points and six boards while Derek Fisher scored 13 points.

The Celts got plenty on the offensive side, they just couldn't get any stops when it mattered. Paul Pierce had 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists while Kevin Garnett (in his first game back after missing two with the flu) posted 16 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out on a shaky (at best) call in the fourth.

Rajon Rondo almost had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. A bright spot was Leon Powe, who had his best performance in a while with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Lakers led 23-20 after a defensive first quarter. The Celtics started to run in the second quarter which worked well with Andrew Bynum out. Boston outscored LA, 32-28 in the second as the Green took the slim 52-51 halftime lead.

The Celtics continued the strong play with a 29-26 third quarter but the Lakers made enough plays in the fourth (24-20) to send it to overtime.

Odom's two free throws late in overtime sealed it as it put LA up one.

The best thing for the Celtics is that they can quickly forget about this loss since they go to NYC tonight to face the Knicks. In a perfect world, Boston will jump out to a big lead and get their starters some rest in the fourth ahead of Sunday's big showdown with the Spurs.

Eddie House will tell you when he's had enough

I don't think I've ever seen a shooter in the NBA as hot as Eddie House is right now.

He had a season-high 28 points last night, including a blistering 8-of-9 on 3-pointers as the Boston Celtics put away the Sacramento Kings, 119-100 at the Garden for its ninth straight win.

In three of his last four games, he's combined to shoot 22-of-31 on threes. He's making a late case to be included in the 3-point shootout at the All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

The Celts (38-9) actually started out slowly as the Kings (10-37) hit 10 of its first 11 shots from the field. No problem though as Sacramento led 30-28 after the first and Boston came back with a 40-19 second quarter sparked by House's in the zone shooting.

The third quarter (29-24 Kings) and fourth, 27-22 Celtics were just semantics as the second quarter was enough to put away the NBA's second-worst team (I'm looking at you Wizards).

Besides House, the other revelation during the win streak has been the much-improved play of the Boston bench. Tony Allen returned last night and had 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three assists. Glen Davis also added 14 points.

Rajon Rondo also stated his case for a spot in Phoenix, in the All-Star game, by scoring 24 points and dishing out nine assists. Kevin Garnett had 14 points, eight boards and five assists while Ray Allen notched 12 points. Paul Pierce was held to eight points and eight assists.

John Salmons led the Kings with 22 points while impressive rookie Jason Thompson had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Martin scored 18 points, Bobby Brown (the other one) had 13 points off the bench and Brad Miller posted 11 points in the loss.

For the game, the C's shot 55.0% to Sacramento's 44.0%. They also had seven more rebounds (40-33) and 12 more assists (30-18). Finally, the Celts had nine steals to the Kings' two.

Boston hits the road tomorrow night to face the struggling Detroit Pistons.

Mark Cuban must be loving life

The Dallas Mavericks are frauds. Since losing in the NBA finals in 2006, they've continually gotten worse. Good regular seasons have been followed by quick playoff exits. Avery Johnson was fired and Rick Carlisle is now the head coach but things don't appear to be changing in Big D.

Yesterday, the Boston Celtics took the Mavs behind the woodshed-in this case the Garden-for a 124-100 win that wasn't that close.

The Celts' (37-9) eighth straight win gave them the exact same record that they had last season thru 46 games.

Boston was led by its threesome of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen (7 assists) and Eddie House, who all scored 23 points. Rajon Rondo added 13 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

For Dallas (25-19), Jason Terry had 27 points off the bench while Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki each had 18 quiet, useless points.

The early afternoon (1 p.m.) start for ABC was no problem for the C's as they jumped on Dallas early: 38-23 after the first quarter. Not to be outdone, Boston scored a season-high 74 points in the first half, while the Mavs had 47. Game over.

The starters didn't have to play in the fourth as the bench held its own for the Green.

Boston shot 53.8% in the game, to Dallas' 42.1%. Led by House (7) and Allen (4), the Celts made 16 3-pointers. Dallas had a 30-8 free throws made advantage and they still got smoked.

The assist margin was 34-12 for the C's, who also only committed six turnovers. There were silly numbers all over the place in this laugher.

Expect more of the same as the Sacramento Kings come to the Garden tomorrow night. The Kings haven't beaten an Eastern Conference team this whole season. Really.

So the Celtics are good again

The Boston Celtics' meltdown of a few weeks ago seems like years back as the team continued on its most recent torrid stretch.

The C's went to Miami last night to play the improving Heat and came out with a 98-83 win.

Boston (35-9) won its sixth in a row behind Eddie House's season-high 25 points. House had 20 in the second quarter alone and for the game, he was a ridiculous 7-of-11 on 3-pointers.

Fellow sharpshooter Ray Allen (5 of 6 on 3-pointers) continued his great season with a game-high 27 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kevin Garnett added 16 points, 13 boards and three steals while Paul Pierce had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Rajon Rondo posted seven points and 10 assists and Kendrick Perkins played his first game in two weeks, finishing with two points and seven rebounds.

Dwyane Wade (the NBA's third best player-behind LeBron and Kobe) led the Heat (22-19) with 25 points. Daequan Cook scored 20 off the bench. Rookie big man Michael Beasley had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

This was never much of a contest as the Celts blitzed Miami with a 29-10 first quarter. Boston opened it up to 57-34 at the half. Miami outscored Boston, 30-21 in the third quarter but the C's took the fourth (20-19) going away.

Boston shot 51.4% to Miami's 40.0%. Led by House and Allen, the Green made a season-high 15 3-pointers. Finally, Boston had 18 more rebounds (48-30).

Tonight is a big Eastern Conference Showdown as the Celtics travel to Orlando to face the NBA's current best team (at least record wise). The Magic have won seven straight games but Boston won the first matchup in December at the Garden.

Back to your regularly scheduled domination

After the recent four-game losing streak, the Boston Celtics (32-9) seemed to have gotten their collective shit together as they beat the New Jersey Nets (19-20), 118-86 last night at the TD Banknorth Garden.

It was the Green's third straight win after the sky was falling/apocalypse happened.

The game was reminiscent of an early-season blowout as the starters (still minus Perk) got the job done in three quarters then yucked it up on the bench in the fourth when Loch Ness Monsters like Bill Walker (6 points) strutted their stuff.

Paul Pierce led the C's with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Truth tied the franchise record (also recently reached by Ray Allen last weekend in Toronto) of a perfect 5-for-5 quarter on 3-pointers. This occurred in the third quarter.

Kevin Garnett added 20 points and nine boards, Ray Allen notched 12 points while Rajon Rondo was back to his schizophrenic best with 11 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

Off the bench, Glen Davis had 12 points, Eddie House added 10 and the ever-improving Gabe Pruitt tossed in nine.

Devin Harris led the Nets with 17 points. Ryan Anderson, Brook Lopez (8 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Keyon Dooling all had 13 points.

Boston led 30-23 after one and 51-41 at the half. Pierce's on-fire stretch helped the Celts carry the third (37-19). The C's bench even took the fourth (30-26).

New Jersey shot a woeful 38.8% to Boston's Megan Fox hot 56.4%. The Celts made seven more 3-pointers (12-5), had 13 more rebounds (45-32), twice as many assists (28-14) and six more steals (13-7). The Nets made 11 more free throws (29-18) but who cares?

The teams will do it all again on Saturday as the Celtics go to the Garden State.

Was there any doubt?

After consecutive losses for the first time this season, what NBA fan didn't know the Boston Celtics would make quick work of the Sacramento Kings last night at Arco Arena?

A 108-63 humiliation was just what the doctor (Rivers) ordered as the C's put the bad taste out of their collective mouths.

Boston (28-4) got solid production throughout the lineup and was able to sit the starting five for much of the second half.

KG continued his hot shooting (10 of 11) as he led the Celts with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Ray Allen had 19 points and Eddie House added 15 off the bench. Paul Pierce scored 13 and Kendrick Perkins looked good in his return (7 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) after missing the Warrriors game.

The Kings (7-24) are a complete mess as John Salmons was the only double-digit scorer with 11 points.

Boston figures to have much more of a challenge as they travel to Portland tomorrow night in their West Coast finale to take on Brandon Roy and the improving Blazers.

Who will lose first at the Garden: Celtics or Bruins?

As expected, the Celtics had little trouble last night racking up their franchise-best 19th straight win, while also shattering the NBA record for best mark through 29 games.

The Celts (27-2) rolled over the Philadelphia 76ers (12-16), 110-91 at the Garden.

Boston's starting five once again was outstanding and two subs had great performances as well. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo each scored a game-high 18 points. Ray Allen had 16 points and six rebounds, Paul Pierce added 10 points and seven assists while Kendrick Perkins posted eight points and 11 rebounds.

In just 16 minutes, Leon Powe had 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Eddie House scored 13 points.

For the Sixers, Louis Williams (8 assists) and Marreese Speights both scored 16 points off the bench. Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller (8 assists) each had 14 points and Reggie Evans scored 12.

The C's led 29-25 after the first quarter and 58-44 at the half. Philly took the third (22-20) but the Boston bench wouldn't let the lead slip away as they salted it away in the fourth (32-25).

Philly was 0-for-11 on 3-pointers (haha, really) while Boston made a respectable seven. Led by Powe, the Celts also got to the line more (29-17 made free throw advantage).

NBA officials and ABC personnel must be doing cartwheels since last night's win sets up the monster Christmas matchup: Celtics at Lakers with the added intrigue of the C's going for their 20th straight victory.

Everyone has been looking forward to this game since the schedule came out. The teams haven't met since the Lakers were embarrassed in game six of the Finals last June. Boston and LA have been the top teams in their respective conferences thus far.

The best shooter in the NBA is alive and well

I only caught bits of the first half and some of the second half and overtime since the Patriots game started at 4 p.m. but the Boston Celtics (20-2) took care of business once again with a 122-117 win over the Pacers (7-13) last night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The C's won their 12th straight game, tying last year's best run and also tying the franchise's best start through 22 games.

You might not have noticed since the playoffs last season but Ray Allen has been playing out of his mind.

He had a game-high 35 points yesterday, including 7-of-12 shooting on threes. It's pretty remarkable how well the guy is playing when you consider how much of a funk he was in much of last season and particularly in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Kevin Garnett added 17 points, 20 rebounds, five steals and four assists. Paul Pierce had 17 points and eight assists while Kendrick Perkins scored 11 points and grabbed seven boards.

Rajon Rondo put up seven points, seven assists (six turnovers), six rebounds and four steals while Eddie House (15 points) and Tony Allen (12 points) had the scoring touch off the bench.

Marquis Daniels led the Pacers with 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Danny Granger added 20 points, six assists and three steals while Jarrett Jack (17 points), Troy Murphy (15 points, 6 rebounds) and Rasho Nesterovic (14 points) also put up numbers in the loss.

The C's travel to Washington on Thursday to face a Wizards team that gave them trouble last season but can't get out of its own way so far this season.