Everything Is Coming Up Celtics These Days As Al Horford Signs A Two-Year Extension With Them

 

    While the Patriots (6-6) stumble and try to stay somewhat relevant this winter, the Celtics (an NBA best 18-4) and Bruins (19-3-0, one point behind NJ-who has played two more games-for the top mark in the NHL) are both off to incredible starts to their respective seasons. That is actually one of the main reasons why I haven't written about either so far in these ridiculous campaigns: they have been mostly blowing everyone out so that gets pretty redundant and boring to discuss. Today at least brought some interesting off the court news for the C's as they signed veteran center Al Horford to a two-year contract extension worth $20 million. His numbers so far in 2022-23 are probably better than you realized: in 31 minutes per game, he's averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 blocks. He is also shooting almost 50% on three-pointers (48.8%) which is way above his career average from downtown (36.6%). 

    With news of the Ime Udoka scandal breaking right before training camp started, you wondered how it would affect the team but so far first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla's transition has been seamless thanks to his absolutely loaded roster. By NBA standards, Al is already very old (he turned 36 during the NBA Finals last summer) and this deal will tie him to the C's through his 39th birthday in 2025. While that might seem a little crazy, if you have watched the Celts lately, you noticed that Horford is still a starting caliber player on an NBA title favorite. With fellow big man Robert Williams perpetually hurt and/or coming back from an injury, you need to have a legitimate backup plan for him since I doubt that he will ever play anything close to a full season. Enter Horford who was a Hawk for nine seasons (after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 Draft) then he initially came here in free agency in 2016. After three good years, he briefly went to the Sixers followed by a short but miserable stay with the constantly rebuilding Thunder.

    When Brad Stevens reacquired him for next to nothing two summers ago, we all laughed thinking that Horford was completely washed up but he has proven everybody wrong by putting together a really nice return season with the Celtics culminating in his first ever NBA Finals apperance. He is too old to play in back-to-back games (like earlier this week) but who cares? Al provides stability and leadership to a team that still needs it despite the fact that Jayson Tatum has become one of the best players in the league and Jaylen Brown is an All-Star caliber player as well. With so many big personalities (and egos), every locker room needs a Horford-a calming presence on the floor and no doubt behind the scenes as well. Other than winning that elusive NBA title, he has done and seen almost everything when it comes to the game of basketball.

    Of course, this being the Celtics and Boston in general, this what looks to be absurd regular season for the C's won't really mean anything if they don't go back to the Finals and complete the job that they weren't quite ready to do last summer against Golden State. Few players ever get that storybook ending in pro sports but it seems well within Horford's grasp meaning that the Celtics could finally earn another banner and therefore he would retire on top. Until then, we should appreciate the maturity, classiness and sheer dependability of Horford who seems to be unique in many positive ways when it comes to the normally drama filled NBA. Al appears to genuinely like being a Celtic too and from what we can tell, he enjoys playing here which you also cannot put a price tag on.

Dynasty Continues: Golden State Wins Its Fourth Title In Eight Years, Beating Boston In Six Games

    Well there can be no debate about whether the better team won the 2022 NBA Finals. Tonight in Game 6 at TD Garden, Golden State rolled to their fourth double-digit victory of the series 103-90 to take it 4-2 and capture their fourth NBA title in eight seasons. Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry (game-high 34 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals) further cemented his place in NBA history with his richly deserved first Finals MVP award. Boston started the game on a 14-2 run and it was basically all downhill from there as Golden State punched back with a 21-0 run (the biggest in 50 years in Finals history) and pretty much cruised the rest of the way. 

    Golden State's starters were better than Boston's and once again, their bench was as well. Small forward Andrew Wiggins added 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks while power forward Draymond Green saved his best performance of the series for the last game as he had 12 points (including his first two 3-pointers vs. Boston), 12 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals. Shooting guard Klay Thompson (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) was mostly a non-factor but who cares, since along with Curry and Green, they each won their fourth NBA title together. Backup shooting guard Jordan Poole notched 15 points off the bench as Golden State's substitutes outscored Boston's 21-5. 

    Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum (13 points, 7 assists, 3 steals) made his inaugural All-NBA First-Team this season but he looked anything like that against the Warriors. He closed out a rough series with one more stinker: he was 6-for-18 from the field with five turnovers. Conversely, shooting guard Jaylen Brown (34 points, 7 rebounds) did not shy away from the moment and did everything he could to keep his team in it. Power forward Al Horford (19 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals) was superb and playing on a gimpy knee, center Robert Williams (10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks) put forth an admirable showing given how banged up he seems to be. Celts point guard Marcus Smart registered nine points and nine assists which doesn't sound too bad except that he shot 4-for-12 from the floor. 

    Golden State led 27-22 after the first quarter and by 15 points at halftime (54-39). Boston turned it around a little bit in the third quarter (27-22) but the Warriors had no interest in playing Game 7 on Sunday so they shut it down in the fourth quarter (27-24) and got ready to party at Encore Boston. Despite being so much smaller and less athletic, the Warriors grabbed three more rebounds (44-41) than the Celtics including four more offensive boards (15-11). The real story of the game though (just like it was all postseason for Boston in their losses) was their alarming amount of turnovers: the C's had seven more turnovers (22-15) and the Warriors made five more steals (13-8) than them. Golden State also scored eight more second chance points (21-13). The bottom line was that one team looked comfortable being here and the other was completely over their heads after going up 2-1 in the series and then they dropped the last three games in a row (after they hadn't lost consecutive contests since January). 

    It will take awhile to get over this but once the dust settles, I think realistic Celtics fans should appreciate that this was still an extremely successful season. As long as they have Tatum and Brown, they will be a major contender in the East. However, this was far from a vintage Warriors team like the previous championship versions. Curry was ridiculous but getting outplayed by Wiggins should not happen when you are Brown or especially Tatum. Let's just hope that Boston is not one of those teams that gets close once and then is never heard from again at that level (like Oklahoma City). It is going to be a long summer for the Celtics players, coaches and front office, wondering what could have been if they had just tightened things up a bit and stayed more focused throughout the six games.  

C's Folded In The Fourth Quarter As The Warriors Won Game 5 104-94 To Take A 3-2 Series Lead

 

    With everything to play for and only two wins away from the 18th championship in franchise history, Boston sadly could not get the job done tonight in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals at the Chase Center. Golden State only led by one point (75-74) going into the fourth quarter but they dominated in the final frame (29-20) to take a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is on Thursday (9, ABC) at TD Garden as the Celtics will now have two win two games in a row to take the title, not to mention survive three Game 7s in a row which is absurd. They put themselves in this mess by choking down the stretch in Game 4 at home and this was the first time in the 2022 playoffs (7-1) that they were defeated again directly following a loss.  

    It was an odd night since the Warriors did all this with their superstar guard Stephen Curry (16 points, 8 assists) having one of the worst performances in his storied career. In fact, it was the first time in the last 233 games (regular season and playoffs) that he didn't make a single three-pointer (0-for-9). They not only survived but played well without him thanks to small forward Andrew Wiggins (26 points, game-high 13 rebounds and 2 steals) having his second great outing in a row. Curry had carried his team in the first four games of the series so it was only fitting that his teammates finally paid him back. Shooting guard Klay Thompson added 21 points and two steals while Golden State's bench outscored Boston's 31-10. Backup shooting guard Gary Payton II added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals while backup guard Jordan Poole scored 14 points off the bench including another buzzer beater to end the third quarter (quite similar to what he did in Game 2). 

    After a brutal first quarter where they were outscored 27-16, the C's slowly started to wake up in the second quarter but they still trailed by 12 points (51-39) at halftime. They changed a narrative that's haunted them all postseason long by actually playing outstanding basketball in the third quarter (35-24). They erased a 16-point deficit and even briefly led for a few moments. This should have been Boston's stars' time to shine but small forward Jayson Tatum (27 points, 10 rebounds) was outdueled by Wiggins when it really counted and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (18 points, 9 rebounds) was nowhere to be found for the most part. Point guard Marcus Smart scored 20 points but his constant flopping predictably caught up to him and center Robert Williams (10 points, 8 rebounds) was the only Celtic starter to finish with a positive plus-minus (plus-11). 

    It doesn't matter that Boston might be more talented and deeper than Golden State since they have no answer for the Warriors' championship experience and mental toughness; they don't get rattled in any situation unlike the Celts who seem to have a panic attack in every game that is when they aren't freaking out on the refs or yelling at each other like a bad high school team. The Warriors shot five percent better from the field (46%-41%), dished out five more assists (23-18), had seven more steals (9-2), scored 14 more points in the paint (50-36) and 13 more points off turnovers (22-9) than the C's. Boston hit two more three-pointers (11-9), they made eight more free throws (21-13) and grabbed eight more rebounds (47-39) including twice as many offensive boards (8-4). Turnovers absolutely killed the road team (18-6!) though, otherwise they would have been fine with nine more second chance points (16-7) than the undersized Warriors. 

    So what does this all mean for Game 6? I'd be lying if I said I have the faintest idea what will transpire in Boston's final home game of the season. Time and again, the C's have responded in tough situations like that (already going 3-0 in elimination games this postseason) and this is kind of their thing to make things as difficult as possible. However, this is not the Bucks and it isn't the Heat either for that matter. They might have rallied from down 3-2 in the series against Milwaukee and won Game 7 in Miami but these Warriors are in a different weight class than those previous solid opponents. There is no chance that Curry will be that ice cold once again so the C's have to hope that they don't let the pressure get to them so they can just go out and try to get this series to a Game 7 where (cliche alert!) anything can happen.

Stephen Curry Drops 43 Points As Golden State Beats Boston 107-97 To Even The NBA Finals 2-2

 

    Just when you start to have confidence in the Celtics this postseason, they completely disappoint you and fall flat on their faces. Tonight at TD Garden in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals and with a golden opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, the Warriors closed up shop on a 17-3 run to win 107-97 and even up things up at 2-2. Golden State improved to 6-0 this postseason following a loss. Similar to the second round where they lost Game 5 to Milwaukee or in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami where they choked in Game 6, Boston once again found a way to falter in a major way on their home court. They fell to 6-5 at the Garden this postseason including a puzzling 4-5 record in the last three rounds (forget the sweep vs. the hapless Nets). Golden State's superstar point guard Stephen Curry (43 points, 10 rebounds) had one of the best games of his Hall of Fame career as he singularly willed his team to victory. Game 5 is at the Chase Center in Oakland on Monday (9, ABC). 

    It was all about Curry but Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson added 18 points and two blocks, small forward Andrew Wiggins notched 17 points and 16 rebounds (!) while backup shooting guard Jordan Poole put up 14 points off the bench. Power forward Draymond Green was slightly more useful than his Game 3 no-show as he had nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. For Boston, small forward Jayson Tatum (23 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (21 points, 6 rebounds) were both OK but neither of them could rescue their team as they collectively went ice cold in crunch time yet again. Point guard Marcus Smart (18 points, 5 assists, 4 steals) was fine until he kept taking 3-pointers and missing them late in the fourth quarter (sound familiar?) and power forward Robert Williams grabbed 12 rebounds. Finally, backup point guard Derrick White notched 16 points off the bench for the Celtics. 

    This was the first close game of the series so you had an uneasy feeling the whole night as Boston could never really separate from Golden State. Boston was up 28-27 after the first quarter and they led by five points at halftime (54-49). Their regularly scheduled third quarter collapse wasn't as terrible as usual (30-24 Warriors) but the change was that the fourth quarter-which Boston had owned in the first two games-was utterly dominated by the road team. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 28-19 as Curry could not be stopped and nobody on the C's could do much to stem his barrage (7-for-14 for the game) of three-pointers.

    The numbers as you would expect were not pretty for the home team: Golden State grabbed 13 more rebounds (55-42) including five more offensive boards (16-11) and the Warriors had seven more second chance points (19-12). With Boston's size advantage, that rebound total is unacceptable especially on their home floor. The Warriors also shot four percent better than the Celtics from the field (44%-40%). If I know anything about the Celts, they will probably play great on Monday and grab another road win to take a 3-2 series lead with a chance to win Banner 18 back at the Garden on Thursday (9, ABC). Then again, Curry is clearly the best player in this series (and a lock to capture his first Finals MVP award if they win another title) who the NBA's top-ranked defense has no idea how to stop let alone slow down. Don't get it twisted though, the Celtics are the better team and if they lose to this mostly one-man wrecking crew, it will be a bitter pill to swallow for this summer and many years beyond it. 

In The First NBA Finals Game Here In 12 Years, C's Beat Warriors 116-100 To Take A 2-1 Series Lead

 

    When it comes to the Celtics this postseason, there is one thing that so far we can always count on: they never lose back-to-back games. In fact, the last time that Boston dropped consecutive contests was way back in January during the regular season. Tonight in Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden, Boston methodically worked over Golden State and won 116-100 to take a 2-1 series lead. They improved to 7-0 following losses in these playoffs which ties an NBA record. For the only time in this drawn out series, there will be just one day off (how will all the millionaires survive?) between games with Game 4 coming on Friday (9, ABC) at the Garden. 

    For some historical context: when an NBA Finals series had been tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to capture the NBA championship 82% of the time (32/39). The C's got big performances from shooting guard Jaylen Brown (team-high 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), small forward Jayson Tatum (26 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds) and point guard Marcus Smart (24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists). In fact, they became the first trio of teammates to all put up 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists in the same NBA Finals game since the Lakers did it in 1984 with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper. Ever heard of them? Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (game-high 31 points, 2 steals) continued to tear up Boston's top-ranked defense and shooting guard Klay Thompson (25 points) actually reappeared after looking old and washed up in the first two games of the Finals. 

    Small forward Andrew Wiggins added 18 points, two blocks and two steals but backup shooting guard Jordan Poole (10 points) was the only other Golden State player to score in double figures. One of the main reasons why the C's should win this series is because of their superior depth which was on full display: center Al Horford had 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists, power forward Robert Williams notched eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals while power forward Grant Williams registered 10 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. Boston was in control for most of the evening, that is excluding another awful third quarter. The Celts got off to a fast start and led 33-22 after the first quarter which turned into a 68-56 advantage at halftime. The Warriors took the third quarter (33-25) and even briefly were ahead by two points during it after the C's were up by as many as 18 points. As bad as the Celtics have been in the third quarter in this series and most of the postseason, they have been equally great in the fourth quarter and Game 3 thankfully was no different. They completely locked down Golden State and outscored them 23-11 while Warriors power forward Draymond Green (2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) fouled out and the wheels fell off for his team. 

    Multiple times already during the Finals, ABC's announcer Jeff Van Gundy has talked about how much bigger, faster and more athletic the Celtics are than the Warriors and in Game 3, that was abundantly clear. Boston grabbed a whopping 16 more rebounds (47-31) including nine more offensive boards (15-6), they handed out six more assists (28-22), scored twice as many points in the paint (52-26) and put up twice as many second chance points (22-11). Just like in Game 2, I expect Golden State to play better in Game 4. They have no choice because if they lose and go down 3-1 in the series, I think it would be nearly impossible for them to beat the Celtics three times in a row. To paraphrase former Celtics head coach Rick Pitino, "Kevin Durant isn't walking through that door folks." It is a really exciting time to be a fan of the C's since they are now only two wins away from their first NBA title in 14 long years. 

The Warriors Destroyed The Celtics 107-88 In Game 2 Of The NBA Finals To Even The Series 1-1

 

    If you honestly thought that the Celtics were going to sweep the 2022 NBA Finals against the Warriors, then you are obviously a green teamer honk that lost touch with reality long ago. Back here on Earth, Golden State-you know that team that has won three recent NBA titles-recovered nicely from an unexpected loss in Game 1 by absolutely curb-stomping Boston 107-88 tonight at the Chase Center. The series is even now at 1-1 as it shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday (9, ABC). Future Hall of Famer and Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (game-high 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) played well again and this time he wasn't shut down in the second half plus he got more help from his teammates.  

    If the game didn't include the third quarter, it would have been close but unfortunately for the C's, their troubling trend of god awful third quarters continued. They only trailed by one after one quarter (31-30) and by two at halftime (52-50) but as usual, they went off a cliff in the third quarter to the tune of 35-14. For the home team, +21 is the largest margin in a quarter in their playoff history. Boston had way too many turnovers (18) which led to 33 points off turnovers for Golden State. Warriors shooting guard Jordan Poole scored 17 points off the bench including basically swishing a half-court shot at the buzzer to conclude that wretched third quarter. Warriors center Kevon Looney (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) was the best big man in the contest and that should never happen with Celtics power forward Al Horford (2 points, 8 rebounds) and hobbled center Robert Williams (2 points, 2 blocks) both available. 

    Boston got a misleading performance by star small forward Jayson Tatum: he scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed six rebounds but he also finished minus-36 (the worst mark of his career). Shooting guard Jaylen Brown started out hot with 12 points in the first quarter but early foul trouble affected his rhythm and he settled for 17 points and six rebounds. Just like Horford and Robert Williams, point guard Marcus Smart (2 points, 5 assists) was terrible so three of the Celtics' starters combined for six points in 67 minutes of action between them. Is that bad? Backup point guard Derrick White (12 points, 2 blocks) was decent but his shooting went astray (4-for-13) which I guess should be a given after he's been playing out of his mind lately.

    Warriors power forward and expert loudmouth Draymond Green (9 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) was doing his thing: getting in guys' faces, rolling around with them on the court and constantly yelling at the refs. Needless to say, it was ugly but quite effective. About the only negative for Golden State is that shooting guard Klay Thompson is ice cold. He had 11 points and two steals but went 4-of-19 from the field including 1-of-8 on three-pointers. If they are going to win the series, they will need much more from him because who else can be a number two scoring option behind Curry? Small forward Andrew Wiggins had a pedestrian 11 points and six rebounds.

    The Warriors shot nearly eight percent better from the floor than the Celtics (45.3%-37.5%) and they had 10 more steals (15-5) as you would expect with so many turnovers by the C's. Golden State also muscled their way to 16 more points in the paint (40-24) which is hard to explain. The Warriors led by as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter as Game 2 became a complete joke. The good news for the Celts is that they are unbeaten (6-0) this postseason following a loss but then again they are only 5-4 at TD Garden in the playoffs which is baffling. Still, it has morphed into a best-of-five series and Boston snatched the home court advantage by winning Game 1. In many ways, Game 2 could be seen as a schedule loss since Golden State could not afford to go down 2-0 after dropping both of its first two home games. Horford and Smart cannot possibly be worse but you could say the same thing about Thompson so Game 3 should be interesting. Everyone knows in the NBA that role players typically play better at home so expect Boston's depth guys to be much bigger factors in Games 3 and 4. 

Celts Catch Fire In The Fourth Quarter & Win Game 1 Of The NBA Finals, 120-108 Vs. Warriors

 

    It's hard to imagine a much better fourth quarter than what the Celtics conjured up this evening at the Chase Center in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals vs. the Warriors. Boston trailed by 12 points (92-80) going into the final frame before they went absolutely bananas and outscored shell-shocked Golden State 40-16. The C's took Game 1 by a score of 120-108, proving that their lack of rest after the Eastern Conference Finals compared to the Warriors (who had a few more days off after beating Dallas in the Western Conference Finals) did not matter at all. Boston improved to 8-2 on the road this postseason while they also handed Golden State their first loss (9-1) on their shiny home court in the 2022 playoffs. Game 2 is Sunday night (8, ABC) back in San Francisco. FYI, only two teams in NBA Finals history have ever lost Games 1 & 2 at home and as you would assume, neither went on to win the series.

    There were many standouts for the Celts but none was better than their ageless power forward Al Horford (team-high 26 points, 6 rebounds) who hit a career-high six three-pointers. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown heated up in the second half and finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Point guard Marcus Smart added 18 points, five rebounds and two steals while small forward Jayson Tatum was ice cold in terms of shooting (3-of-17) so he was held to 12 points but he notched a career-high 13 assists and added five rebounds. Backup point guard Derrick White had another brilliant performance off the bench as he was a game-high plus-25 with 21 points (5 3-pointers!) in 32 impressive minutes. 

    In the first quarter, Golden State's future Hall of Famer and the best shooter in NBA history point guard Stephen Curry (game-high 34 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) was unreal with 21 points including an NBA record six three-pointers. Once Boston figured out that maybe they should cover him and not allow so many wide open looks, he went scoreless in the second quarter and was held to 13 points in the second half. Once Curry cooled off, there wasn't really another Warrior capable of stepping up offensively. Small forward Andrew Wiggins (20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks) has definitely improved, shooting guard Klay Thompson (15 points) is understandably working his way back from two ACL tears in consecutive years while power forward Draymond Green (11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) still can't shoot whatsoever (2-of-12 from the floor including 0-for-4 on 3s and 0-for-3 on FTs). The ghost of small forward Otto Porter Jr. put up 12 points off the bench for Golden State. 

    Golden State led 32-28 after the first quarter but Boston picked it up in the second quarter (28-22) to lead at halftime by two points (56-54). Things started to look bleak in the third quarter when the Warriors led by as much as 15 points and they outscored Boston 38-24. Just when you thought that it was beginning to get out of hand, the C's kept chipping away and hitting three-pointers to stay within shouting distance. Still, nobody could have expected that stunning turnaround in the fourth quarter. Boston shot six percent better from the field (50%-44%), they hit two more three-pointers (21-19) and two more free throws (13-11) and dished out nine more assists (33-24) than Golden State. The C's scored eight more points in the paint (34-26) than the Warriors and 11 more points off turnovers (21-10). It'll take more than one loss to rattle Golden State though since Curry, Thompson and Green were all part of three championship squads in recent seasons with the Warriors. Boston will have to play even better to steal Game 2 and come home with a dream 2-0 lead in the series. You can count on the Warriors playing a much better and more complete game than this on Sunday night.

The Celtics Survive 100-96 In Game 7 Against The Heat To Advance To The NBA Finals Vs. Warriors

 

    It probably took a few years off of our lives but the Celtics ultimately got the job done tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Heat. The C's outlasted the No. 1 seed in the East 100-96 at FTX Arena to reach their 22nd NBA Finals (where they are 17-4 all-time) in franchise history. Boston will face Golden State beginning with Game 1 on Thursday (9, ABC) in Oakland. Boston led from start to finish but had to sweat it out as Miami cut it to a two-point lead late and Heat superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (game-high 35 points, 9 rebounds) actually had a chance to put them ahead for the first time but he missed a wide open three-pointer. C's small forward Jayson Tatum (26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) earned the inaugural edition of the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award that truthfully should have gone to Butler who played all 48 minutes this evening. 

    The Celts improved to 6-0 following losses this postseason and they finished 3-1 at Miami in this bizarre series. Boston's shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) was good and point guard Marcus Smart (24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) had nice numbers but he was 8-for-22 from the field including missing five straight shots late in regulation when the Celtics seemed to be trying their hardest to give the game away. Center Al Horford grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and blocked two shots while he also put a painful record to bed: he had played in 141 NBA playoff games without ever reaching an NBA Finals which was the most ever for any player in league history. Boston head coach Ime Udoka pretty much kept it limited to a seven-man rotation while power forward Grant Williams (11 points, 6 rebounds) and backup point guard Derrick White (8 points) were both solid in the memorable victory.

    Besides Butler, Heat center Bam Adebayo (25 points, 11 rebounds) played his second best game of the series and point guard Kyle Lowry (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was about as good as he could be in 2022. Boston's defense held Miami under 100 points in three of the last four games in the Eastern Conference Finals which were all wins for the Celts. Nobody else on the Heat scored in double figures as shooting guard Max Strus (8 points, 8 rebounds) was alright and backup shooting guard Victor Oladipo added nine points and five rebounds off the bench. Props to Miami's guard Tyler Herro who briefly returned for seven scoreless minutes but he never appeared again because he was still severely hobbled by his groin injury.  

    On the road in Game 7 (and coming off of a brutal choke job in Game 6 at TD Garden on Friday), Boston could not have scripted a better start as they were up 32-17 after the first quarter (the biggest lead in Game 7 history following the 1st quarter). The C's led by as much as 17 points but the Heat started to wake up in the second quarter (32-23 Miami) to cut Boston's advantage to only six points (55-49) at halftime. The teams basically played to a standstill in the third quarter (27-26 Celtics) which was fine for the visitors. Fittingly, this ugly series ended with one last gross quarter: Miami outscored Boston 21-18 in the fourth quarter. It should not have been this close as Boston hit five three-pointers (11-6), three more free throws (19-16), grabbed seven more rebounds (51-44) including three more offensive boards (10-7), dished out six more assists (22-16) and they scored seven more fast break points (20-13) than Miami. 

    This has been called the Celtics' revenge tour since they have knocked out three teams in a row that eliminated them in the past three postseasons: Brooklyn (who beat them in last year's first round), Milwaukee (who beat them in the 2019 2nd round) and now Miami (who beat them in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals held in the bubble). Playing in their sixth NBA Finals in the last eight seasons, the Warriors are a whole different animal. They won their last title in 2018 and they missed the playoffs the past two seasons (due to injuries) so that proud group is trying to prove that their dynasty is still alive. It should be a hell of a series; I hate to put too much stock into mostly meaningless regular season meetings but Boston has typically given Golden State plenty of problems in recent years. Then again, nobody on the Celtics has ever appeared in the NBA Finals while the Warriors still have the Splash Brothers-point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson)-along with do-everything power forward Draymond Green. This is Boston's first NBA Finals appearance since 2010 and they are looking for their first title since 2008. Along with home court, Golden State will be well rested too since they have been off since last Thursday when they sent overmatched Dallas home with a gentleman's sweep (5 games) in the Western Conference Finals. Go Celtics! 

Jayson Tatum (44 Pts) & Stephen Curry (47) Have A Classic Duel As C's Outlast Warriors 119-114

 

    ABC and ESPN executives must have been doing cartwheels late last night as the shorthanded Celtics (31-26 overall, 18-10 home) and Warriors (28-29 overall, 11-19 away) staged an improbable instant classic regular season game. Down two starters (Jaylon Brown and Robert Williams) plus a top reserve (Evan Fournier), Boston won 119-114 at the TD Garden thanks to a true superstar performance by swingman Jayson Tatum (44 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) which was just enough to survive another unforgettable outing by Warriors icon Stephen Curry (47 points, 11 3-pointers, 7 rebounds) who is the greatest shooter in NBA history. Most importantly, it was Boston's season-high sixth win in a row which vaulted them ahead of idle Atlanta (30-26) and into fourth-place in the Eastern Conference. 

    This matchup had it all, including a crazy dive into the scorer's table by Warriors small forward Juan Toscano-Anderson (6 rebounds) that resulted in a cut on his head and possible concussion while the newest Celtic Jabari Parker scored 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench. Wait what? Celts point guard Kemba Walker (26 points, 8 rebounds) was really good and guard Marcus Smart (16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) had the impossible task of slowing down a red-hot Curry. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard (11 points) also gave Boston head coach Brad Stevens some valuable minutes off the bench as well. 

    With Klay Thompson sadly out for the entire season, Golden State is left to scrap for the play-in round of the Western Conference playoffs. As you can tell by the box score, Curry does not have much help at the moment. Former No. 1 pick in 2014 (1 spot ahead of Parker!) small forward Andrew Wiggins (22 points) has never developed into the star that many thought he would be. Swingman Kent Bazemore added 16 points for the Warriors while shooting guard Jordan Poole had 12 points off the bench. Uniquely gifted power forward Draymond Green (5 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds) was held in check after he's had some monster numbers lately. 

    Golden State was hot right away as they led 33-24 after the first quarter and 66-60 at halftime. Truthfully, it felt like a gift that Boston was only down two possessions after two quarters since Tatum hit a tough jumper at the halftime buzzer. The C's made another push to tie it at 89 after three quarters before closing it out 30-25 in the fourth quarter. Boston had five more rebounds (45-40) including six more offensive boards (14-8) which led to 10 more points in the paint (48-38) and 11 more points second chance points (26-15). They also had three more steals (9-6) and eight less turnovers (17-9) than the sloppy Warriors which resulted in 15 more points off turnovers (23-8). 

    This was the start of an important three-game homestand for the Celtics as they host the Bulls (23-33 overall, 12-15 away) tomorrow night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). Brown was sick (not with Covid-19) so hopefully he can return for that one. Williams is dealing with left knee soreness so we'll see about that and Stevens already said that Fournier is out of the league's health and safety protocol but he won't be suiting up against Chicago. Milwaukee (35-21) is four and a half games ahead of Boston so realistically, the best that they can finish in the East in 2021 is in fourth. Therefore, they have to do everything they can to hold onto that spot with less than a month left to go in the regular season.

The Celtics Kick Off Their Long (5 Games) West Coast Trip With A 111-107 Win At Golden State

 

    Load up on the coffee and energy drinks (do people still buy those?) because the Celtics (11-8 overall, 6-5 away) are going to have a bunch of late nights in the next week. Boston rewarded its fans that stayed up after a long day of shoveling and snowblowing back in New England with an entertaining 111-107 victory this evening against the Warriors (11-10 overall, 8-5 home) at the Chase Center. Golden State's superstar point guard Stephen Curry (game-high 38 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals) was his usual electric self but the C's were able to limit the others around him. No doubt, they also took advantage of the fact that the Warriors are missing shooting guard Klay Thompson (torn ACL) for the season while talented rookie center James Wiseman is out with a wrist injury. 

    It's not often that you can say that the Celts' size was a main factor in a win against a quality opponent but tonight was one of those rare times. Boston owned the glass against Golden State: they had 15 more rebounds overall (51-36) including twice as many offensive boards (12-6) and nine more defensive boards (39-30). The other main reason that the Celtics prevailed was small forward Grant Williams (15 points, 2 blocks). Haha wait what? No, it's true. After being a truly awful 3-point shooter in his rookie year, he has become a legitimate threat from downtown where he is usually left wide open. He was a perfect 3-for-3 on 3-pointers against Golden State in 27 minutes off the bench. Sure, forward Jayson Tatum (team-high 27 points, 9 rebounds), shooting guard Jaylen Brown (18 points, 10 rebounds) and point guard Kemba Walker (19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) were all good but you expect that from guys of their caliber. 

    Curry couldn't say that he got the same support from his surrounding cast since the next highest scorer for the Warriors was something called Juan Toscano-Anderson (16 points), an undrafted rookie small forward out of Marquette who had a nice performance off of head coach Steve Kerr's shaky bench. Without Thompson who is perhaps the best glue guy in the NBA and a borderline Hall of Famer, Golden State is the island of misfit toys besides Curry. Small forward Andrew Wiggins' (15 points) has not taken the next step in his once promising career since coming to the Bay Area, shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12 points) is a decent role player and small forward Kent Bazemore (10 points, 2 steals) is basically a poor man's Oubre as a substitute. Oh and power forward Draymond Green (2 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, 5 fouls) is still there and I love him but if possible, his shooting has gotten even worse. 

    It was a slow start for the C's as the Warriors were at their best in the first quarter (35-24). That was the only frame that Boston got outscored in though as they recovered to tie it at 52 going into halftime. Both teams were feeling it in the third quarter (34-33 Celts) and the Celtics did just enough to hang on in the fourth quarter (25-22). It was tied at 96 midway through the fourth when Boston went on a 10-0 run that gave them the small cushion to withstand everything that Golden State had left in the tank to throw at them.

    With the high-octane style that the Warriors employ, there will always be some wacky numbers when you play them. Golden State hit two more 3-pointers (15-13), scored 10 more fast break points (17-7), six more points off turnovers (18-12) and four more points in the paint (44-40) while handing out nearly twice as many assists (30-16), they had three times as many steals (9-3) and four less turnovers (15-11) than Boston. The Celtics survived by being more aggressive going to the basket, they attempted four more free throws (27-23) and hit four more of them (20-16) than the home team plus they almost doubled them in second chance points (16-9). They also shot a tiny bit better than the Warriors (46.4%-45.8%) which is notable anytime you face the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA (Curry).

    There is no rest for the Celts in the California sun as they travel to play the Kings (9-11) tomorrow night (10, NBC Sports Boston) at the Golden 1 Center. Lol, that's seriously the name of their stupid building. As usual, Sacramento is not good but their point guard De'Aaron Fox is coming off of a huge game at New Orleans on Monday where he had 38 points and 12 assists in a 118-109 win for the Kings over the lowly Pelicans (7-12). Rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton looks like a nice player for Sacramento too and shooting guard Buddy Hield is liable to go off versus the Celtics like he has before. With that said, there is no excuse; this is by far the easiest opponent on the entire road trip for the C's so they have to find a way to get it done in the second half of a back-to-back on the road despite not having Marcus Smart who sure would be helpful against all these dangerous guards on the Kings.

Farewell to the Captain of the Tanking Committee of the Celtics-Jordan Crawford

The fire sale of the Celtics picked up some steam this morning as guards Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks were dealt to the Golden State Warriors in a three-team trade. Guard Toney Douglas goes to Miami and center Joel Anthony comes to Boston along with two draft picks (a first-round pick of the 76ers that is lottery protected for the next two years and Miami's second-round pick in 2016).

Boston squeezed all the "talent" it could by showcasing Crawford since this season began. Now with Rajon Rondo reportedly returning on Friday vs. Lakers (if you believe his mysterious tweet), the Celts had no use for one of the biggest clowns in the NBA (which is saying something). Crawford is the poster child of everything that people rightfully hate about the NBA: huge ego, takes really dumb shots every game, not a team player, far less talented than he imagines, etc. Still, he was having a career-year averaging 13.7 points per game and 5.7 assists per game.

Will Crawford get minutes in Golden State, one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA? Who cares. He's not our problem now and unfortunately, it sounds like Brooks will be waived by the Warriors. I know that my fellow PC alum has the talent to play in the league, he just needs another opportunity after he played well his rookie season with the Nets.

In case you forgot, Anthony is the stiff that looks 60 years old who has lucked out by being on the Heat the last few seasons. For tanking purposes, I'd love to see him start for the rest of 2014. Boston has lost their last nine games in a row heading into tonight's meeting with Atlantic Division leading Toronto (weird to say, right?).

The big chip left in Danny Ainge's arsenal is Rondo. Many have speculated that he'll be traded since if he's healthy, he could bring plenty back in return as the Celtics attempt to start over and reboot from square one. As we all know, this next draft is supposed to be incredible and Boston has a plethora of picks the next few years. That's the best way to rebuild since marquee free agents don't want to come here-time to face that harsh reality folks.

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Celtics Lose For the 10th Time in Their Last 11 Games, A Heartbreaker to the Warriors

When the highlight video is put together from the lottery-bound 2013-14 season, I hope the Celtics include some clips from tonight's 99-97 loss to the Warriors at ORACLE (all caps?) Arena. This was a game that Boston (13-24 overall, 5-14 away) had no business being in, let alone almost winning. Thankfully, Golden State (25-14 overall, 12-4 home) came to their senses long enough for Stephen Curry (19 points, 7 rebounds) to hit the go-ahead 3-pointer w/2.1 seconds left. Gerald Wallace is no Curry so obviously his 3-pointer at the buzzer had no chance.

Boston was a 12-point underdog and Golden State is seen a darkhorse contender in the Western Conference. This fell into the classic NBA trap game category since the Warriors were coming off a long road trip on the East Coast and who can take the Celtics seriously? Now Boston has lost 10 of their last 11 games to achieve the fifth worst record in the NBA. Don't stop until you get to the bottom fellas!

Jeff Green had a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Jared Sullinger had a double-double off the bench with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kris Humphries (16 points, 14 points, 3 blocks, 2 steals) put together maybe his best game in Green and White (trade him immediately!) while Jordan Crawford added 10 points and seven assists.

Golden State is one of the few teams in the NBA that I always watch if they are on TV. Curry and Klay Thompson (17 points) aka the Splash Brothers are awesome, probably the two best shooters in the league, and they have some other nice pieces like Andre Iguodala (22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), David Lee (16 points, 7 rebounds) and Andrew Bogut (13 rebounds). Celtics killer/journeyman Marreese Speights had 13 points in 13 minutes. Maybe the C's can acquire him like they did with Jerryd Bayless earlier this week.

I kept waiting for the Warriors to pull away/the Celtics to fall apart like they usually do but it never materialized. Golden State led 24-21 after the first quarter but trailed 49-47 at halftime. The Warriors put together a nice third quarter (25-18) but needed Curry's usual heroics to get it done in a shaky fourth (outscored 30-27).

Here's a bizarre stat: Boston had eight blocks while Golden State had none. The C's go for the rare 0-5 road trip tomorrow night (10, CSN) in Portland (27-9, 1st in Northwest Division). After hanging with the Warriors, there is no chance in a back-to-back (and final game of a week-long trip) that the Celts can do that again versus one of the best teams in the NBA.

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Don't Be Ridiculous: You Can't Expect Rajon Rondo To Play Through A Bruised Hip

The Celtics' miserable tour of California continued tonight with another lopsided loss. The Warriors (21-10, 10-4 home) weren't really challenged as they cruised to an easy 101-83 win over Boston (14-15, 5-10 away) at ORACLE Arena.

It's the first time since November 3 (three games into the 2012-13 season) that the Celts have fallen under .500. They played without Rajon Rondo who apparently suffered a bruised right hip against the Clippers on Thursday. Hey, at least looking on the bright side, they only lost by 18 rather than 29 like they did to Los Angeles. That means that they should lose to Sacramento by less than 10!

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 22 points, nine assists and three steals. David Lee had 20 points and five rebounds while rookie Harrison Barnes added 15 points and eight rebounds. Klay Thompson notched 13 points and Jarrett Jack scored 14 off the bench for the Warriors, one of the NBA's biggest surprises.

Courtney Lee (18 points, 5 rebounds) was Boston's leading scorer which is about all you need to know about this utterly forgettable contest. Jason Terry and Paul Pierce scored 13 while Jared Sullinger put up 12 points and eight rebounds, showing why he should get more minutes moving forward. Brandon Bass had 10 points and Jeff Green grabbed nine rebounds but shot 2 for 11 from the field, yeesh.

It's hard to call a December game against Sacramento (10-19, 4th in Pacific Division) a must-win but that is the depressing state that the Celts find themselves currently stuck in. It is a dreaded back-to-back but the C's should never lose to these Kings under any circumstances. We'll get to see DeMarcus Cousins up close and personal, a guy the C's supposedly covet since he has already worn out his welcome in Sacramento.

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The Big 4 Makes Their Case For Danny Ainge To Hold Tight Tomorrow

If this was the last time that the Big 4 (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo) played together for the Boston Celtics, what a way to go out.

The C's (23-19, 7-11 away) won a wildly entertaining game 105-103 against the Warriors (18-22, 10-11 home) at Oracle Arena tonight. KG (24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) hit a jumper from just inside the 3-point line with five seconds left then former Celtic Nate Robinson (20 points, 11 assists, 4 steals) clanked a hero 3-pointer and Boston survived.

It was Boston's eighth win in their last 10 games.

The NBA Trade Deadline is tomorrow and while I don't think Danny Ainge will do anything major at this point, he is the same guy who came out of nowhere last season and traded Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City at the last second.

I've arrived at the conclusion that Ainge might as well let this season ride out with the current cast. Blow it up in the summer when some contracts expire and the Celtics have two first-round draft picks plus they can spend money in free agency. If anything, this group has proven that they deserve one last shot. However, with Chris Wilcox now out for the year with a heart ailment, ala Jeff Green, the C's desperately need a big man (Chris Kaman please).

Brandon Bass had 22 points and nine rebounds, Rondo had eight points, 14 assists and six rebounds while Pierce added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Only nine guys played for Boston but Mickael Pietrus (15 points on 5 3-pointers) and Greg Stiemsma (8 points, 8 rebounds) each had their best performances in months.

It seems like nothing has changed under Golden State's new head coach Mark Jackson and even with Monta Ellis shipped out of town: they are still allergic to defense. The Warriors were playing shorthanded since Stephen Curry and the reacquired Stephen Jackson were out with injuries.

Rookie Klay Thompson, who could be Austin Rivers' twin brother, scored a career-high 26 points, the always underrated David Lee notched 22 points and eight rebounds while Dorell Wright scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Dominic McGuire had 10 points off the bench.

Golden State led 25-21 after one quarter and 60-55 at halftime. Boston responded in the third quarter (26-17) and made enough plays in the fourth (outscored 26-24) to hang on for their second win in a row.

The Celtics recorded 32 assists on 40 baskets which is insane. That made up for the Warriors dominating in the paint to the tune of 60-42.

Boston will try to make it three straight on the road (and 3-1 on this trip) when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday for their only meeting of the season. The Kings are just as awful as you remember so barring anything crazy tomorrow (knock on wood), the Celts should win it.

UPDATE 3/15: What did I tell you? The Celtics didn't make any moves today at all although they hinted that they'll buy out Jermaine O'Neal.

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Jeff Green shows why he was a steal in the Perkins trade, hope the haters were watching

It only took a few games for Jeff Green to prove why he'll be a big part of the Boston Celtics and that dreaded time when the Big Three are old and grey (retired).

Green had 21 points off the bench last night as the Celts (45-15) held off the Golden State Warriors (27-34) 107-103 at TD Garden.

Normally, an offensive explosion against the Warriors isn't newsworthy since I'm pretty sure I could drop like ten on them but even the haters had to be impressed by the variety of ways Green can score. He can get out and run on the fastbreak, he can pull up and hit jump shots and he's a good free throw shooter.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen both scored 27 points while Rajon Rondo handed out 16 assists and had five steals. Nenad Krstic added 11 points.

Monta Ellis showed why he's the NBA's best pure scorer as he put up 41 points while David Lee added 26 points and 12 rebounds. It was pretty much a two-man game though since Dorell Wright (11 points) was the only other Warrior in double figures.

Boston was up 32-27 after the first quarter and 64-53 at halftime. Golden State never went away as they outscored the Cs 28-24 in the third 22-19 in the fourth.

For the game, the Celts shot 53.4% to 47.6% for the Warriors. Boston hit two more 3-pointers (7-5) thanks to Allen (5 3-pointers) and four more free throws (22-18). Golden State grabbed 11 more rebounds (39-28) but Boston had nine more assists (26-17).

The Cs hit the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night. I'm pretty sure those teams haven't played yet this season. The Bucks are not playing well and it looks like they'll miss the playoffs so the Celtics should handle them.

Bill Walton rules

First of all, I have to give props to Bill Walton last night. Taking over on the West Coast trip for Tommy Heinsohn, Walton was absolutely on fire for the entire game. Ripping players left and right, making fun of anything under the sun, it truly was a joy to listen to. I love Tommy and I'm sure Walton never wants to leave California but the Celts should find a way to incorporate him (for the playoffs?) more moving forward.

I've never drank Four Loko (my college experience sadly came a few years too early) but I imagine downing one of those is similar to watching the Golden State Warriors play basketball. One of my buddies from home has season tickets to the Warriors and at first I thought it was a waste of money since the NBA is seriously flawed. However, it would be a trip to see that team play a bunch of games. There's nothing like them: no shot is bad, no player is lacking for overconfidence, defense is non-existent.

It looked like the Celtics (41-14) might get run out of Oracle Arena but they recovered with a fine second half to take a 115-93 win over Golden State (26-30) in their first game after the All-Star break.

In any sport, a sign of a great team is that they can play any style and still beat you. Kevin Garnett (24 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists) and Rajon Rondo (19 points, 15 assists, 6 rebounds) especially seemed to pick it up against the layup line known as the Warriors.

Paul Pierce added 23 points and Ray Allen had 18 points while Glen Davis was nice off the bench with 12 points and 10 assists.

Besides the stud guards Stephen Curry (18 points) and Monta Ellis (15 points), Golden State now has some quality supporting players including David Lee (17 points) and Dorell Wright (19 points) who has become one of the NBA's best shooters out of nowhere.

Boston was up 31-30 after one quarter but it was tied at 60 going into halftime. The Cs won the third quarter (28-15) and the fourth was more of the same (27-15) as the team with the defensive identity showed up when it mattered.

The Celts shot 55.6% to 39.3% for the Warriors. Golden State made 14 more free throws (22-8) but Boston had 17 more rebounds (52-35) and assists (35-18). The Cs had a season-high 30 fastbreak points and 54 points in the paint. What a wacky game. You mentally prepare yourselves for a Warriors game but you can never imagine just how insane they play.

The only bad news for the Celtics was that Kendrick Perkins hurt his left knee although it didn't look too serious. He's questionable for tomorrow night's game in Denver against the Carmelo Anthony-less Nuggets.

This probably won't help Don Nelson's liver

After a few days to digest a surprising two-game losing streak, the Boston Celtics came out last night and took care of a far inferior opponent, the Golden State Warriors, 109-95 at the TD Garden.

Whispers about the Celtics (9-3) being old and relying too much on 3-pointers are most likely true but as any NBA fan knows, there are a lot of terrible teams in the league so you can bounce back quickly.

Due to injuries, swine flu and indifference, the Warriors (3-8) dressed just eight healthy players. Haha and Mikki Moore started, I think that's all you have to know about this forgettable matchup.

As per usual, all five Celtics starters scored in double figures along with Eddie House (11 points). Paul Pierce led Boston with 19 points while Rajon Rondo played his unique game with 18 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Kendrick Perkins and Ray Allen scored 15 points while Kevin Garnett added 12.

Corey Maggette led Golden State with a game-high 23 points while Monta Ellis (who could be traded any day now) scored 18 points. Rookie Stephen Curry looked good with 13 points, seven assists and four steals but sadly his MILF-tastic mom was nowhere to be seen. Recently acquired Raja Bell had 11 points off the bench while rail-thin but talented Anthony Randolph scored 11 points.

Things get much more serious tomorrow night as the Orlando Magic come to the Garden for a rematch of last spring's Eastern Conference second round series. The Magic have improved themselves by picking up Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes, etc. We'll see how much of a different KG, Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels make since none of them played in that memorable seven game series.

a sober Don Nelson didn't see this coming

The Boston Celtics experienced their second indisputable shitty loss (the Pacers being the other one) last night as they fell 99-89 to the Golden State Warriors at the Oracle Arena.

Playing without Corey Maggette, Monta Ellis and Jamal Crawford, the Warriors (9-22) picked up their biggest win of the season thus far.

Stephen Jackson led Golden State with a game-high 28 points (15 in the fourth) and seven rebounds while Marco Belinelli (some Italian bozo) aided 22 points. That eclectic duo was added by Ronny Turiaf, who had 14 points and eight rebounds.

It was a strange game as Boston (27-4) seemed to be firmly in control for most of the game until they completely unraveled in the fourth quarter.

Paul Pierce led the C's with 21 points, Kevin Garnett had 14 points and Leon Powe made the most of his start (Kendrick Perkins sat out with a sore shoulder, gulp) by putting up 12 points and seven rebounds. Rajon Rondo flirted with a triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) but he also registered a troubling seven turnovers.

The Celts led 29-19 after the first quarter and it looked like they'd cruise. Boston took a 51-39 lead into halftime. The Warriors started to make their move in the third (25-21) before the mind-numbing fourth (35-17).

Golden State seemingly couldn't miss in the fourth and they also got to the line and converted at will. Conversely, the Celtics struggled to get the offense started when it counted and to make matters worse, Ray Allen (7 points) fouled out. It was Ray's worst game since the playoffs.

With two more stops on this West Coast trip, the Celts will look to get things back under control tomorrow night in Sacramento against the Kings (another very winnable game).

King of this Castle

Thank God the Celtics are not in the Western Conference. That much is abundantly clear just two games into this five-game West Coast trip. Golden State topped Boston, 119-117 last night on a buzzer-beater by Baron Davis.

Let this sink in: the Warriors (33-21) came into last night in ninth place in the West. With the same record, they'd be fourth in the East, thus earning home-court advantage for the playoffs. Only 5.5 games separated the top team in the West (the Hornets) from the Warriors. Dang.

Despite the loss, the C's (41-11) had a few great signs: Kevin Garnett played 31 minutes and scored 17 points, hauled in 15 rebounds, plus three steals, three blocks and two assists. After looking totally out of place on Tuesday vs. the Nuggets, KG took a big step forward 24 hours later, dominating on the glass. The other real positive for Boston was that Ray Allen (game-high 32 points, 6 assists) had one of his best games as a Celtic. He was 11 of 17 from the floor, including 6 of 8 from 3-point land. It was as efficient as he's been all season. Paul Pierce had 23 points, 5 boards and five assists.

As a converted Warriors fan (circa playoffs 2007), I watch them any chance I can and love their crazy brand of basketball. Davis (29 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) is rightfully the leader but his sidekick Monta Ellis (26 points, 9 assists) is quickly becoming one of the NBA's most unknown stars. Outside of Kobe and LeBron, Ellis might be the best driver in the league. He's unstoppable when he wants to get to the basket.

For the second night in a row, as predicted, defense was nowhere to be seen. The Warriors led 32-29 after the first quarter but the C's played a great second (28-18) to take a 57-50 halftime advantage.

Playing without Stephen Jackson, who all obvious and played out jokes aside is having a career year, Golden State had fine showings by Al Harrington (22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists), Andris Biedrins (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Mickael Pietrus (12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals).

I think Oracle Arena has the most vocal fans in the league this season so not surprisingly, the Warriors came back in the second half. Golden State outscored Boston, 32-27 in the third and 37-33 in the fourth.

Since the Warriors are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, I had faith that the Celts had a good chance to win if they could just stop a few Warriors possessions, no dice.

It seemed like Golden State made a costly mistake when they were up two with 28 seconds left and had Matt Barnes drive to the hoop with 10 seconds left, throwing up a prayer that didn't even hit the rim. Boston got the rebound and called timeout. On the ensuing possession, Pierce drove to the basket and got the foul called. I almost couldn't watch since he can be a shaky free-throw shooter but he calmly made both (12 of 13 on the night). The game looked destined for overtime but Baron had something to say about that. He dribbled down the court and was isolated on Tony Allen (18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals), who had one of his best games I can ever remember. With shades of the first Pistons game in my head (where Allen fouled Chauncey Billups with under a second left), Davis avoided Allen and drained a 20-foot jumper. Game over.

Boston shot 48.1% to Golden State's 47.2%. The C's made 11 threes (seven more than the Warriors) but the free-throw line is what killed them. Unlike in Denver, both teams got to the line a ton but the Celtics were a little worse (32 of 46) than the Warriors (31 of 43). The other surprising stat was that Golden State owned rebounds (49-37).

At the beginning of this trip, I was guessing the C's would finish 3-2. Now, I'm not even sure about that. They have to go to Phoenix tomorrow night and play a Suns team, who lost to the Lakers last night in Shaq's debut. Then they go to Portland, who is also dangerous although out of the playoffs at the moment before finally finishing with the garbage Clippers.

Boston can't come home soon enough, this year's Western Conference is absurd. It's going to go down as one of the most stacked conferences in NBA history.

Jax comes to town; strip clubs report 95% increase in gun fights

The Golden State Warriors play the type of chaotic, up and down style that looks great when it works (see 2007 NBA Playoffs vs. Dallas) but when it's off, like last night, it's downright awful. They have little size and without Matt Barnes and Al Harrington against the Celtics last night in Boston, the Warriors seemed content to take the fastest shot it could find without considering anything else like passing or if teammates were under the basket to corral the plentiful misses.

Boston won 105-82 in a game that didn't even feel that close.The Celtics (9-1) outscored the Warriors (3-7) in each quarter and the Big Three of Paul Pierce (19 points, 10 boards, 4 assists), Ray Allen (21 points, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (20 points, 10 rebounds) dominated the proceedings. Boston also got some great efforts off the bench from Eddie House (15 points, 3 steals, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) and Tony Allen (6 points, 4 assists and 3 boards). Even Kendrick Perkins, who is very limited in pretty much effort facet of the game looked good (7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks). The 82 points was a season-low for the Warriors, who came in as the NBA's highest scoring team. The C's shot 48.1% as a team while the Warriors managed just 33.3%. The Warriors were a brutal 4-22 for three-pointers. Boston outrebounded Golden State, 52-40 and had the assist edge, 26-11.

Baron Davis only had 13 points on 3-for-13 shooting and his coach Don Nelson basically waved the white flag as he sat the injury-prone Davis for much of the second half (he played only 29 minutes). Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 21 points but many of them were accumulated in garbage time when the game had long been decided.

I attended the game and the most memorable part for me was seeing a guy in a Pittsnogle West Virginia jersey get into a fight with some guy next to him. Pittsnogle ended up rolling down a few rows of seats as suburban soccer moms and belligerent dads from Southie pushed their kids out of the way. It is the first time I've ever seen a fight at the Garden and I must say it left me with some bloodlust, wanting more.

The Lakers come to the Garden tomorrow night. So far L.A. (7-4) has actually looked better than most people expected. They have the best player on the planet (Kobe Bryant) but not much else. I'm interested to see how the Celtics choose to guard Kobe. I'm guessing a combination of Pierce, Tony Allen and Posey.