The Celtics Were Very Active At The Trade Deadline But Will Any Of Their Moves Matter?

 

    The NBA Trade Deadline was this afternoon and the Celtics (31-25) were quite busy. In total, new GM Brad Stevens shipped seven guys out of town and only brought back two which means that they have five open roster spots to fill (they technically only need to add two more players for tomorrow's game vs. Denver). Boston acquired point guard Derrick White from San Antonio for guards Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a protected 2022 first-round pick. They also reacquired center Daniel Theis from Houston for centers Enes Kanter and Bruno Fernando plus guard Dennis Schroder. Finally, they dumped center Bol Bol (we hardly knew ya!) and guard P.J. Dozier to Orlando in exchange for a swap of conditional second-round picks while the C's also gave the Magic cash considerations. 

    When I look at who the Celts lost, Richardson (9.7 ppg) and Schroder (14.4 ppg) are the ones worth noting while everyone else is either a bust (Langford) or mostly useless (Kanter and Fernando). Admittedly, I don't know a ton about White since the Spurs (20-35) have become an awful team these last few seasons. However, he was part of Team USA at the 2019 FIBA World Cup along with Jayson Tatum so Boston's All-Star must have liked what he saw there with him. Head coach Ime Udoka also has to be very familiar with White since he was drafted by San Antonio in 2017 (29th overall) and has played there for his entire NBA career which is where Udoka started his coaching journey. Looking at his numbers, he seems like Marcus Smart Lite: 11.6 ppg for his career with 3.9 assists per game and 3.3 rebounds per game. He has decent size (6-foot-4 and 190 pounds) but he is not a good three-point shooter (.344 for his career). Thankfully, he is very solid at free throws (.836 for his career) so that shouldn't be an issue in close games. By most measures, he was having a career year for the lottery-bound Spurs: he's started 48 of 49 games and averaged 14.4 ppg, a career-best 5.6 assists per game, one steal per game and a career-best .869 from the free throw line. 

    If you are a Celtics fan, Theis needs no introduction because he was here for parts of four seasons before being traded to Chicago. Most recently, he was rotting away on the tanking Rockets (15-40) who are the worst team in the Western Conference. The C's have often been accused of falling in love with their own players and this is further proof of that. Still, Theis gives them some more quality depth at center/power forward behind budding star Robert Williams and veteran Al Horford who has been decent in his return to Boston but he can't have much left in his old legs. Based on their deals, we knew that Richardson and definitely Schroder weren't going to be Celtics for too long. Josh had actually come on lately off the bench and helped the C's on their season-high six game win streak that has brought them back from the dead. Predictably, Schroder has been more erratic and since he is going to be a free agent this summer, you could tell that he didn't care about anything but himself this season so good riddence to that clown. 

    Ultimately, all of these trades will be judged by how well White performs in Boston. Out of all the guys that were moved to and away from the Celtics today, he should be the best one of them all or at least very close to it. If he can mesh well with Tatum and Brown, he will be a Celtic for a long time. Likewise, if Udoka enjoys working with him then he can settle in and buy a house in the area rather than rent an apartment or condo. I assume that he'll be available tomorrow night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) as the Celts host the Nuggets (30-24) at TD Garden. Much like the Patriots last season, Boston has taken advantage of a soft portion of their schedule and Denver will represesnt their toughest test since they finally got untracked. 

Oh Neat, Once Again The Celtics Blew Out The G-League Rockets Which Ultimately Means Nothing

 

    Listen, don't be a fool and fall for one meaningless game that involves these frauds beating the second-worst team in the NBA. Tonight at the TD Garden, the Celtics (24-25 overall, 14-9 home) crushed the Rockets (13-35 overall, 7-18 away) 118-102. Obviously, Boston got the win and that's all that matters but keep in mind that was Houston's 25th loss in its last 27 games. Even the Buffalo Sabres think that is pretty pathetic. So yes, it was a hollow form of fun to see center Robert Williams (20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) dish out a career-high eight assists and shooting guard Evan Fournier (23 points) lit it up in the fourth quarter aka garbage time as he connected on a career-high seven 3-pointers. This helped the C's sweep the season series with the Rockets and nothing more. 

    Boston had four guys score 20+ points while Houston had none. Swingman Jayson Tatum had a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds and shooting guard Jaylen Brown notched a double-double (22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals). Point guard Kemba Walker added 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds while guard Marcus Smart recorded 10 assists and three steals. Center Christian Wood (19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) is the only good player left on the Rockets (not counting John Wall who they only let play sporadically while they tank) meaning that he must be completely miserable. Shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr. (12 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) showed some of the potential that will keep him in the league despite his childish behavior off the court. Speaking of hating their lives, old friends Avery Bradley (15 points, 6 rebounds) and Kelly Olynyk (10 points) are two of the newest players on Houston after getting moved at the trade deadline. 

    What better way to celebrate Easter Sunday (6, NBC Sports Boston) than watching the Celts take on the Hornets (25-23 overall, 12-14 road) at the Garden in the middle game of this seven-game homestand? Right now with Lamelo Ball-the favorite for Rookie of the Year-out with a broken wrist, would you believe that Charlotte's two best players are more former Celtics: Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward? Talk about an awkward family reunion after they both left here not on great terms. Rozier was traded for Walker two summers ago while Hayward famously chose the Hornets over the Celtics (which in retrospect was a sneaky brilliant move) last summer. Hayward of course left this evening's 114-97 victory at Indiana (21-26) with a foot injury which is so unlike him. Hopefully he can suit up on Sunday night to really stick the knife in the back of his old college coach Brad Stevens and ex-teammates.

UPDATE 4/3/21: The Hornets just said that Hayward will be out for at least four weeks with a sprained foot. Happy Easter Mr. Glass!

While You Were Watching The Grammys, The Celtics Blew Out The G-League Rockets 134-107

 

    

        After playing arguably the best team in the NBA-the Nets (26-13)-on Thursday in their first game back from the All-Star break, the Celtics (20-18 overall, 8-13 away) traveled to Texas to take on maybe the worst team in the league-the Rockets (11-26 overall, 5-11 home)-tonight at the Toyota Center. Houston definitely played their part to the best of their ability (openly tanking) as they got embarrassed this evening by Boston, 134-107, for their 16th straight loss. I don't think that the C's can draw too much from their scheduled blowout victory against a truly awful opponent but hey, at least they are now 5-1 in their last six games. 

    The Celts obviously were led by shooting guard Jaylen Brown's team-high 24 points and swingman Jayson Tatum added 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. Boston's lead grew to as much as 36 points and all 10 (!) of the Celtics that came off of the bench scored except for shooting guard Javonte Green. Point guard Kemba Walker notched 16 points, six rebounds and five assists while power forward Tristan Thompson pulled down 13 rebounds in only 18 minutes. Center Robert Williams (16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor in 19 minutes which seems notable even if they were all dunks or easy plays around the rim. A loss to this team that is clearly doing everything in its power to lose would have been a complete disaster so I guess we have to be thankful that the C's have at least a glimmer of professionalism left in their bodies. 

    Boston led 38-34 after the first quarter and 66-53 at halftime. They doubled up Houston (outscoring them 38-19) in the third quarter which set the scene for Boston's bench to play almost the entire fourth quarter when the Rockets scored five more points than them (35-30) in the final frame. Rockets shooting guard Victor Oladipo (game-high 26 points, 6 rebounds) must be having the time of his life while he wastes away on this garbage club. He has to be envious of James Harden for leaving when he did and joining a true NBA title contender (if only they can get everyone healthy at the same time).

    Up next for the Green on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), they host the Jazz (28-10 overall, 12-8 road) at the TD Garden-who still own the best record in the NBA. Needless to say, that contest should be way more similar to the Brooklyn game from last week and nothing like today's joke of a "game." If nothing else, at least it should be entertaining unlike tonight's mostly unwatchable product if you enjoy competition and whatnot. In their other meeting this season-Boston's last game of that five-game West Coast road trip in early February ended with a 122-108 loss in Salt Lake City against Utah.

Blowout Losses By the Celtics are My New Drug

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Celtics Show No Signs Of Slowing Down, Win Their Fifth Straight Game

Over the summer and during the preseason when people talked about this being Boston's deepest team in years, this is what they imagined, not the struggles of November and December. For the second game in a row, the Celtics' (19-17, 12-6 home) bench was superb as they helped them beat the Rockets (21-16, 7-10 away) 103-91 at TD Garden.

Boston avenged a 101-89 loss in Houston on December 14 and picked up their fifth straight victory just for fun. The Celts pretty much led wire to wire, however they almost blew a 17-point lead (62-45) from the third quarter as the Rockets cut it to 83-81 in the fourth but the C's hit them with a 12-1 run to end it.

Paul Pierce led the home team with 23 points and six rebounds, Kevin Garnett had 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks and Rajon Rondo put up 12 points and eight assists. Avery Bradley scored seven points but his real contribution was holding James Harden to 24 points and five assists, seriously. That ended Harden's streak of 14 straight games with 25+ points.

Jared Sullinger had another double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Courtney Lee added 14 points while Jeff Green scored nine.

Chandler Parsons had 18 points for the Rockets while Harvard's Jeremy Lin notched 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Omer Asik had seven points and 11 rebounds but a 1 for 8 night at the free throw line took the shine off his work.

Free throw shooting was a teamwide epidemic for Houston, they went 12 for 29 so that was the primary reason why they lost. I can't ever remember an NBA team having that kind of wretched performance. It was stunning, especially since they entered shooting 76% as a team. The Celtics also shot 8.1% better than the Rockets (51.9-43.8%) from the field which was the other main theme of the game.

Boston gets the weekend off then they basically get Monday off as well since the Bobcats (9-26, 4th in Southeast Division) come to TD Garden (7:30 p.m., CSN) in the third game of a five-game homestand for the C's. Charlotte played well at the beginning of the season but it's been all downhill from there, they are still one of the NBA's worst teams.

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Now Is Hardly The Time To Worry About A Silly NBA Game

Normally, after a loss like tonight I would have plenty to complain about regarding the Celtics. However given what happened earlier today in Newtown, CT coupled with the personal tragedy in Rockets head coach Kevin McHale's life recently (his daughter died), everything else seems secondary at the moment and not important in the least bit.

Boston (12-10, 4-6 away) opened its tough three-game road trip (Houston, San Antonio and Chicago) with a 101-89 loss to Houston (11-11, 9-5 home) at the Toyota Center. The Celtics actually led 45-43 at halftime but the Rockets bombarded them in the third quarter (32-25) and fourth quarter (26-19) for the win in front of far from a sellout crowd.

James Harden had a game-high 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals while something named Greg Smith put up 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench for Houston. Chandler Parsons (15 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists) almost notched a triple-double and former Knick Toney Douglas scored 11 off the bench. Omer Asik (10 rebounds) and Carlos Delfino each scored nine points in the victory.

Nothing came easy for Boston which is what happens when you shoot a cool 40.0% as a team. Paul Pierce led the Celts with 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 13 assists, four steals and a season-high seven turnovers, Kevin Garnett added 14 points and five assists while Jason Terry scored 12 off the bench. Jeff Green (9 points, 7 rebounds) and Jared Sullinger (7 points, 6 rebounds) also had their moments as substitutes.

The C's had eight more steals (15-7) but the Rockets shot much better (48.7%) from the floor, with two more 3-pointers (10-8), four more free throws made (17-13), four more rebounds (45-41) and three more blocks (8-5).

Both teams had played on Wednesday but Boston went two overtimes with Dallas then had to travel to the Lonestar State while Houston chilled at home after beating Washington. That doesn't excuse the big discrepancy for fast break points (25-11) and points in the paint (40-32) that favored the Rockets. Their young legs looked fresh while Boston's old bodies didn't seem to have any energy once Houston took control in the second half.

Things only get harder from here as the Celtics go to face the Spurs (18-6, 1st Southwest Division) at the AT&T Center tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., CSN). San Antonio has lost two in a row-which is big news for them-so they'll be fired up or turned up as the kids say these days. This is the second of two meetings between the teams this season, the Spurs won 112-100 at TD Garden the night before Thanksgiving.

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Hope You're Taking Notes Because Danny Ainge Is Crushing It This Summer

I honestly don't think this summer could realistically be going much better for the Celtics.

With little money and few roster spots available, Boston has re-signed Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass, Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green while also adding Jason Terry. The only notable player to leave has been Ray Allen so I think you have to say that the team has improved immeasurably thus far since Wilcox and Green didn't appear in the playoffs (in Green's case all season).

Today, the C's acquired guard Courtney Lee from the Rockets in a sign-and-trade deal; Houston gets guard E'Twaun Moore, forward JaJuan Johnson and forward Sean Williams. In addition, swingman Sasha Pavlovic was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers along with two second-round picks and cash considerations.

Lee gets a four-year deal worth $21.5 million according to Yahoo! Sports.

With Avery Bradley expected out for training camp and the beginning of next season, Lee will likely start at least until Bradley returns. That shouldn't be a problem since Lee has started nearly half (135 of 287) of the games he's played in his four NBA seasons.

A first-round pick in 2008 by Orlando (22nd overall) out of Western Kentucky, Lee went to the NBA Finals in his rookie season yet he was traded to the Nets before the next season. After one year with the Nets, he's spent the last two in Houston. I can't explain why he's been on three teams in four years since as far as I know, he's not a headcase or anything. All I can surmise is that it means he is coveted by other teams so for whatever reason, he keeps getting moved.

In 2011-12 with the Rockets, Lee averaged 11.4 points per game, 1.2 steals, 83% from the free throw line, 40% on 3-pointers and 43% from the field in 58 games (26 starts). His best individual season was 2009-10 with the Nets. In 71 games (66 starts), he put up 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 87% on free throws and 43% from the field.

Lee is 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds so he's able to check the bigger shooting guards in the NBA without many problems. When you combine him with Bradley and Terry, you sense that will be one of the Celtics' biggest strengths next season.

Moore was having a good summer with Boston's summer league squad but he's not a true point guard so he faced an uphill battle to get any playing time behind Rajon Rondo. Johnson was a first-round pick in 2011 so he's the guy that could potentially do something in Houston or elsewhere (I read he'd request a trade from there). He barely played in his rookie season and he didn't do anything really this summer. Johnson is very skinny so he doesn't really have a position despite being 6-foot-10. He seems like a nice kid so hopefully he can find his game at some point, he was a great college player at Purdue.

As for Williams, there was no way he would return to the Celtics. He is awful and won't be in the NBA in a year. Ditto for Sasha, he wouldn't have made the team with this infusion of talent since he barely played last season.

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It Takes Another Overtime But The Celtics Win Their Fifth Straight, Tying A Season-High

I won't complain since if there's a perfect time to be unemployed, it's during Championship Week and the start of March Madness. That said, my brain was completely fried from watching college hoops all day by the time I got to watching the Celtics-Rockets game on DVR.

I was pleasantly surprised since Boston (20-17) rallied from a 10-point deficit (80-70 with 5:22 left) late in the fourth quarter to win it 97-92 in overtime against Houston (21-18) at TD Garden.

It was the Celtics' fifth straight win overall (which ties a season-high) and for the second time in a row, they needed an extra session after beating the Knicks in overtime on Sunday.

The game went to overtime because Ray Allen (21 points) hit a 3-pointer that put the C's up 84-82. However, Goran Dragic (11 points, 3 steals) hit the tying jumper with three seconds left after Rajon Rondo (9 points, 12 assists, 3 steals) inexplicably missed an easy layup that would have clinched it. Allen also had a chance to win it at the buzzer but his mid-ranger jumper (right in his wheelhouse) rimmed out.

Paul Pierce (game-high 30 points, 6 rebounds) was the best player on the parquet while Kevin Martin (11 points) never really showed up. Kevin Garnett had 13 points and 13 rebounds while Greg Stiemsma provided an unexpected jolt off the bench with eight points.

The sneaky good tandem of Luis Scola (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Kyle Lowry (18 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) kept Houston in contention. Chandler Parsons had 12 points while Samuel Dalembert notched 11 points and 17 rebounds.

It was a game of big swings of momentum since the Rockets led 28-21 after one quarter but the Celtics found themselves up 46-40 at halftime. The third and fourth quarters followed a similar pattern as Houston came out strong (28-17) in the third but Boston answered (21-16) in the forth.

The C's shot slightly better (43.2% to 38.6%) and dished out eight more assists (26-18) which made up for a pathetic effort on the glass (57-38 overall, 14-4 offensive boards). Houston scored seven more fast break points (13-6) but Boston had eight more points in the paint (36-28).

I can't tell you why it's taken this long but the Celtics will finally meet the Philadelphia 76ers (22-7) tomorrow night at the Wells Fargo Arena for the first of three times. For a while, it looked like Boston would have no chance to catch the Atlantic Division leading Sixers this season but they've come back to Earth lately losing eight of their last 10 games. Philly is only up a game on Boston which means a win for the Green would make them deadlocked with two games in hand. The Celts will be tired from two overtime games and back-to-backs but they should be able to get energized for this vital contest.

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The one where Oregon (Aaron Brooks) actually beats Auburn (Marquis Daniels)

After the initial solid play after Kevin Garnett got hurt a few weeks ago, the Boston Celtics are clearly missing their leader.

They lost their second straight game last night, 108-102 at the TD Garden to the Houston Rockets (who were missing Yao Ming and Kevin Martin).

Houston (17-21) shot lights out (52.7%) for the entire game, as evidenced by having seven players score in double figures: Aaron Brooks (24 including 5 of 8 on 3-pointers), Kyle Lowry (17), Chase Budinger (13), Luis Scola (12), Jordan Hill (12), Shane Battier (10) and Patrick Patterson (10).

It's easy to make excuses and say the Rockets hit ridiculous shots (which they did) but the Celts (28-9) also didn't play defense at all so therefore they didn't deserve to beat a team they should normally have no trouble smoking.

Marquis Daniels (19 points) and Ray Allen (19 points) seemed to be the only Celtics to really put up much of a fight. Paul Pierce had 16 points, Glen Davis scored 12 points while Rajon Rondo added nine points and 12 assists but none of them were really on.

The Rockets led 27-22 after one quarter and 50-49 at halftime. When they took the third (30-25), you had the feeling the Cs were in trouble since Houston was on fire. The fourth was even (28-28) but that was enough for the visitors since Boston could never get a stop.

The Celts shot 50.7% but the Rockets had twice as many 3-pointers (10-5) and grabbed seven more rebounds (38-31). Boston had eight more steals (13-5) and 26 more points in the paint (48-22) but it wasn't enough against a jump-shooting team that couldn't miss.

Boston had practice today and then they'll try to get it right tomorrow night when they host the Sacramento Kings, one of the NBA's worst teams.

Well this is getting old

Nothing seems to be going right for the Boston Celtics as they lost again, 89-85 to the Houston Rockets at the TD Banknorth Garden last night.

It was the Celtics' (29-8) sixth loss in their last eight games and it was particularly costly as they lost the top spot in the Eastern Conference to the Cavs (who won). The Orlando Magic are also only a game back now from the suddenly vulnerable C's.

Playing without Tracy McGrady (captain of the NBA's all-overrated team), the Rockets (22-15) were just a little bit better than Boston.

Yao Ming led the way with a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Aaron Brooks had 19 points off the bench to spark Houston and Ron Artest managed 17 before fouling out. Journeyman Von Wafer had 12 points, including a huge 3-pointer in the fourth.

Paul Pierce had 26 points, five boards and four assists in the loss. Kevin Garnett added 18 points and eight boards while Ray Allen (13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) and Glen Davis (12 points off the bench) were the other bright spots.

Kendrick Perkins (0 points, 5 fouls) and Rajon Rondo (5 points, 5 assists) were beyond useless and not surprisingly, they're the barometers to the Celtics' success.

Houston shot better from the floor (48.6%-42.9%) which made up for nine more Celtics free throws (19-10).

The next game is going to be as hard as they come in the regular season as Boston travels to Cleveland to take on the Cavs, who are the NBA's only remaining unbeaten team at home.

Obama and Celtics provide great hope for the future

There's a reason I've never written more than a passing joke about politics. Nothing brings down a party like a biased political view. However, last night was a historic moment in American history and it cannot be ignored: Barack Obama, an African-American democrat was elected as the 44th President of the United States. He overwhelmingly defeated republican nominee John McCain (349-163 in the electoral college) to become the first black president in our nation's history.

The Boston Celtics (3-1) also beat the Houston Rockets (3-1), 103-99 at the Toyota Center in a game that will be quickly forgotten.

All five Celtics starters scored in double figures as Boston bounced back from an awful game Saturday night vs. the Pacers and knocked off a team that's getting a lot of undeserved hype.

Ray Allen led the C's with 29 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kendrick Perkins outplayed Yao Ming and posted 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Kevin Garnett had 14 points and 11 rebounds while Paul Pierce added 13 points and nine rebounds. Rajon Rondo notched 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

As it was much of last season, Boston's bench was fantastic last night. Glen Davis scored nine points and Eddie House tossed in eight.

With the addition of possibly the most overrated player in the NBA-Ron Artest-the Rockets have been many experts' pick to make some noise in the West. I guess they've conveniently forgotten that Tracy McGrady has never gotten out of the first round and Yao Ming is injury-prone.

McGrady did his part last night with 26 points and six assists. For one night, Luis Scola was second banana with 21 points and nine rebounds. Artest managed 15 points and seven rebounds while Yao was held to eight points and seven rebounds. Aaron Brooks had 12 off the bench for Houston.

Boston was up 28-22 after the first quarter and 58-53 at the half. The Rockets took the third (25-23) but the Celtics held on in the fourth (22-21) despite Ray Allen fouling out and Tony Allen fouling McGrady taking a three when the Celts were up by four late in the game.

The Green shot 51.9% from the floor and Houston shot 39.1%. Boston also had five more boards (46-41) and four more blocks (5-1).

Boston goes to Oklahoma City tonight to play Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Back-to-back games, especially on the road, are never easy but the Thunder are one of the NBA's worst teams.

How the hell did the Rockets win 22 in a row?

Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster and aliens (not including Sam Cassell), just a few examples of life's great mysteries. To that distinguished list you can add the now completed 22-game winning streak by your Houston Rockets.

The thing is while the first three parts of that list are hard to prove to anyone except rubes, hippies and shit for brains scientists, somehow the Rockets really did win all those games.

I guess I'm missing something because after watching the Celtics (on the second night of a back-to-back) dominate the host Rockets, 94-74, I'm wondering if Houston (46-21) will even make the playoffs.

Before you start suspecting that I'm smoking crack, check out the Western Conference standings. Houston is the top seed but they're only 4.5 games in front of No. 8 Golden State. And how could a team that just had the second longest win-streak in NBA history fall apart? Well, after last night's whipping, they go to New Orleans tonight, then Golden State and Phoenix. Sure, Yao Ming went out during game 13 of the streak but there is no way this team makes any noise for the rest of the season. Let's not forget what fraud is leading them-Tracy McGrady (8 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds)-who has won as many NBA playoff series' as me (none).

Oh yeah, the game. It was pretty entertaining from start to finish as Rafer Alston (12 points, 2 steals, 1 assist, 4 turnovers) had a cat fight with Rajon Rondo (8 points, 2 assists) before the game had even started. Uh OK. I guess Skip thought he was back on the And-1 tour or something. Charles Barkley not surprisingly had a great line about it after the game. "Two guys fighting that don't know how to fight."

It was clear from that auspicious start that the Rockets came out tight, most likely since they knew Boston (54-13) was a far superior team and therefore their win-streak was cooked.

The two halves were completely different. And from the way the Celts have come out after halftime the last two nights, Doc Rivers must be giving some real inspiring speeches.

The C's doubled up the Rockets, 32-16 in the third before taking the fourth, 22-18. Ray Allen missed his third straight game with the ankle injury and his namesake Tony Allen (6 points, 3 rebounds) didn't fare much better as he left in the third after being suplexed by Luis Scola (15 points, 8 rebounds) onto his back.

Kevin Garnett (22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) didn't have his shooting touch (9 of 21) but he was still the best player on the court. The surprise of the game was how much Leon Powe (21 points, 4 rebounds) dominated on the inside. Without Yao, Houston starts Mutombo (2 points, 6 rebounds), who was around when the pyramids were built.

Paul Pierce (20 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) had another nice game while James Posey was scoreless but grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Rockets rely way too much on 3-pointers but in the first half they made a few so they were right in it. Houston was up 22-21 after one and it was tied at 40 at the half.

Some guy named Mike Harris that I'd never heard of had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks while Aaron Brooks had 10 points in garbage time. Smoke and mirrors people, this team is a complete joke, particularly in the West.

The Celts get tonight off before going into Dallas tomorrow night for another TNT primetime game. The Mavs are 0-6 against teams that are above .500 since they traded for Jason Kidd. If Boston can defeat the Mavs, they'd be the first team since the Kings in 2001 to win all three games in the Texas Triangle.

Furthermore, in these two games (and hopefully the next two), Boston has proven without a doubt that they're the best team in the league. The Lakers were right there but Pau Gasol just got hurt and Andrew Bynum isn't coming back until the playoffs. The Spurs look old and not deep, the Suns still can't play defense, the Hornets have no experience and the Mavs choke in the fourth quarter of close games.

Everything can change in the blink of Big Baby's eye but if all goes well, the Celtics should be in the NBA Finals come June.

Garnett for MVP, Celtics open 2008 with a bang

Since the first game this season, that I went to, I have been saying that Kevin Garnett will have a really good shot at getting the MVP. So often, that award comes down to numbers and the biggest fault you can find with the Big Ticket is that he's not selfish enough when he should be down the stretch of a tight game.

A performance like last night will go a long way in swaying voters. KG scored 11 of his game-high 26 points (to go with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals) in the last seven minutes as the Celtics held off the Houston Rockets, 97-93.

With the win, Boston (27-3) joins some elite company. Through 30 games five other teams have finished 27-3 in NBA history and amazingly, four of them including the '95-'96 Bulls (who went 72-10) won the championship that season.

Playing without star Tracy McGrady, Houston (15-17) looked like they were going to be blown out at the Garden as Boston jumped out to a 30-16 lead after one. They hung around though and would outscore the C's in each of the last three quarters.

Bonzi Wells (25 points), Yao Ming (19 points, 13 boards) and Rafer Alston (18 points) all played well for the Rockets.

Paul Pierce (19 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) was solid and Rajon Rondo was impressive (13 points, 9 assists, 5 boards) after missing the last game with a hamstring injury. Ray Allen added 13 points and Scot Pollard (playing his most important minutes of the season) notched 10 points and five boards before fouling out. Eddie House scored nine as well. Pollard and Kendrick Perkins both fouled out covering Yao, forcing KG to guard him late in the fourth quarter.

Boston shot 53.2% for the game to Houston's 42.2%. Boston was just 11 of 19 from the line, part of the reason why the Rockets (18 of 23) made it so close. The Rockets also did something most teams haven't been able to do, beating Boston 41-34 on the glass. The Celtics nullified that by recording 27 assists, nine more than Houston.

All in all it was a great win as the Celtics season keeps rolling along, gaining more and more momentum and bandwagon fans by the day. The Memphis Grizzlies come to Boston on Friday night. Boston shouldn't have too much trouble with one of the NBA's worst teams but these days you can't underestimate any opponent since the Celtics are now getting everybody's best shot because they're the undisputed top dog.