Just In Time For 4/20: Celtics Add Former BC Pothead Sean Williams

The Boston Celtics have added some depth to their frontcourt by signing former Boston College clown Sean Williams. Reports say that he will join the team in Atlanta tomorrow night and make his Celtics debut against the Hawks.

They had a roster spot by waiving the ashes of Jermaine O'Neal. Even better, Williams would be eligible to play for the C's in the playoffs since he was released by the Dallas Mavericks on March 22 (a day before the deadline).

Any fan of Big East basketball or Boston College will recall that Williams was a very talented but troubled guy that had the distinction of getting kicked out of BC. That didn't seem to deter the New Jersey Nets though since he was a first-round draft pick in 2007 (17th overall). The Nets put up with his shit for three seasons (impressive) before finally dumping him after the 2009-10 season.

After bouncing back and forth between the D-League, he was picked up by the Mavs this season. In eight games with the defending champions, he averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 8.1 minutes per game. His most notable accomplishment in Dallas is puking when he was on the bench. Seriously, look it up on Deadspin or YouTube. It was disgusting.

The only season that Williams did anything (relatively speaking) was his rookie year. He played in 73 games (29 starts) and averaged 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

As you can tell by this type of move, especially this late in the season, the Celtics desperately need big men. Chris Wilcox is also out for the season so beyond Kevin Garnett, Greg Stiemsma, Ryan Hollins and Brandon Bass, Boston doesn't have anybody to play power forward or center.

I'm sure the folks over at the Heights are happy to see one of their best and brightest return to town. He probably has a couple restraining orders after his wild couple seasons with the Eagles. If i'm not mistaken, he was arrested multiple times when he was there.

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Rajon Rondo Needs To Grow Up

I don't ask for much from the Boston Celtics this season but if they're crumbling into irrelevance, can they at least do it with some class?

Apparently that's more than Rajon Rondo can handle since he got ejected tonight in Detroit for throwing the ball at a referee as Detroit (11-22) beat Boston (15-15) 96-81 for the second time in a week, in this case at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Celtics have lost three straight and their season is starting to become a joke. Kevin Garnett missed the game (family matter) and Brandon Bass is still out so clearly the C's needed Rondo (5 points, 10 assists) to be a leader for once and play well. Nope, that's too much to ask. Upset over not getting a foul call, he let his emotions get the best of him. They wouldn't have come back anyway but this one stings since he'll probably get suspended too, you simply can't pull a ridiculous move like that and hope to get away with it.

Four of five Pistons starter scored in double-figures led by Greg Monroe (17 points, 10 rebounds). Rodney Stuckey had 16 points, Tayshaun Prince added 13 points and Brandon Knight scored 12. Jason Maxiell grabbed 10 rebounds while Jonas Jerebko posted 13 points off the bench.

Paul Pierce had 18 points, Chris Wilcox added 14 points and Ray Allen scored 13. Jermaine O'Neal (8 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks) actually had one of his best games in a Celtic uniform but who will remember it? I always poke fun at Zombie Jermaine but I will give him credit: he can still play defense. It's a shame that he wasn't on the Celtics before all his assorted injuries.

It was tied at 26 after the first quarter but Detroit started to pull away after that. They led 55-42 and 75-61 heading into the fourth. The Celts could never make it interesting or whittle it down to anything manageable.

This contest had some wacky numbers, mainly because the Celtics had 24 turnovers which led to 40 points for the Pistons. Boston shot better (44.4%-37.8%), they had eight more assists (22-14) and blocked seven more shots (11-4). Here's where it gets really depressing. Detroit took 31 more free throws (46-15), only made 18 more (29-11), they had seven more steals (13-6) and scored 22 more points in the paint (42-20).

I wish I had something positive to say about the Celts but the fact that they play at Dallas tomorrow night and in Oklahoma City on Wednesday basically guarantees they'll lose five straight games regardless if Garnett returns and Rondo does or doesn't get suspended. Good times! Now is about the point when Celtics GM Danny Ainge does something insane that none of us saw coming. Am I right Danny?

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Fourth Quarters Are Not The Celtics Friend But At Least They Won This Time Around

Well it's safe to say that the Boston Celtics are sick of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After choking away an 11-point lead and losing on Sunday at TD Garden by one point thanks to Kyrie Irving's spinning layup, the Celts almost gagged away a 22-point lead tonight at Quicken Loans Arena but thank heavens that they pulled it out 93-90.

The only explanation for why the Celtics (10-10) coughed up a huge advantage Orlando Magic-style is that they started settling for jumpers and not driving to the basket. The Cavs (8-12) are not filled with talent but they're scrappy and as they showed in these last two games, they don't give up as easily as most NBA teams.

Anderson Varejao put up what has to be the first 20-20 game of his career with exactly 20 points and 20 rebounds. Sideshow Bob has added a decent shot to his hustle arsenal and it took Boston more than two quarters to figure that out and adjust accordingly. Irving (21 points, 6 assists) almost stole another one as Cleveland cut it to two points late in the fourth but it wasn't to be.

The ghost of Antawn Jamison had 12 points while Alonzo Gee scored 11 points with four steals off the bench and Ramon Sessions had notched 10 assists off the bench (when do you ever see that?).

Paul Pierce led Boston with 20 points, six assists and three steals. Kevin Garnett had 13 points while Jermaine O'Neal and Ray Allen (8 assists) each added 12 points. Brandon Bass had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench as the Celts improved to 5-2 in games without Rajon Rondo this season.

The C's were up 28-24 after the first quarter and 51-39 at halftime. They played well in the third too (25-19) so this was all a near meltdown in the fourth (32-17 Cavs).

Boston shot better (50.7-45.3%) but Cleveland hit two more 3-pointers (7-5), one more free throw (15-14), grabbed 11 more rebounds (39-28), handed out two more assists (27-25) and made one more block (3-2). The Celts had two more steals (9-7), two less turnovers (16-14), three more fast break points (7-4) and four more points off turnovers (21-17).

It's a quick turnaround, as always this season, with the Toronto Raptors coming to the Garden tomorrow night. No excuse though, the Raptors are awful and the Celtics should never lose to them under any circumstance.

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Without Kendrick Perkins Patrolling The Paint, The Boston Celtics Don't Have A Soul

Tonight was Kendrick Perkins's first return to Boston since his trade last February to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It couldn't have gone much better for the former Celtics center since not only did he get plenty of love from the TD Garden crowd but the Thunder (12-2) held off the Celtics (4-8) for a 97-88 win.

For the record, that makes Boston exactly 24-24 since Perk left. During his time in Boston, they won 70% of their games.

I was saying to my buddy this weekend that the Celts are currently the easiest team to bet on in sports (maybe I should take my own advice). If they're playing a good team, bet against them and if they're playing an awful team, ride with the Green.

The numbers don't lie. Boston lost its fifth consecutive game, the longest streak in the Big Three era. They are now 0-7 against teams .500 or above this season. The Celtics haven't scored more than 90 points in their last six games (1-5). Finally, they've lost their last four games at home-somewhere that they used to own.

In fitting fashion since his game was never about numbers, Perkins put up seven points, five rebounds and a block in 28 minutes. For Boston, he was the most physical defender; an emotional player that was a consummate teammate and pro. With the Thunder now, you can already see the leadership he has brought to one of the NBA's top squads.

I hate the NBA but if I was ever brainwashed into getting the League Pass, since I'm pretty sure I'll never live in Oklahoma, it would be solely for the Thunder. With Kevin Durant (28 points, 7 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (26 points, 7 rebounds), they possess the most exciting duo in the league. Add in fine role players like Thabo Sefolosha (19 points, 4 steals), Serge Ibaka (4 blocks) and James Harden (5 points) and you can see why they are a logical choice to win a title in the next two or three years.

For the Celtics, it was another dysfunctional night for their main guys. Paul Pierce (24 points) shot well but Kevin Garnett (12 points, 12 rebounds) and particularly Ray Allen (6 points) were awful. Rajon Rondo (12 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) was ok but compared to Westbrook, he didn't do much. Jermaine O'Neal (12 points, 11 rebounds) had one of his best games as a Celtic but it was in a loss so you'll forget about it by tomorrow.

The Thunder were always in a comfortable spot and once it came down to the fourth quarter, they couldn't miss. It seemed like they hit every improbable shot. Boston's turnovers killed them as Oklahoma City was able to turn 19 Celtics turnovers into 24 points. On the flip side, the C's only converted the Thunder's 13 turnovers into two points. I don't know how that's possible.

After a brutal stretch of opponents, things ease up considerably for the Celtics as they face the Raptors, Suns and Wizards in their next three games. I expect Boston to win all three of those games but don't buy the hype if it happens. They've already proven they can beat bad teams; last time I checked, all those teams are hopeless. Toronto comes to the Garden on Wednesday night in a matchup that I wouldn't go to if I had free courtside seats.

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Paul Pierce Makes His 2011-12 Debut & Magically The Celtics Are A Different Team

I can't sit here and pretend that beating the Detroit Pistons means anything since they're one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Still, tonight's home opener for the Celtics couldn't have gone much better as Boston (1-3) rolled 96-85 at TD Garden over the Pistons (0-3), for their first win after a miserable three-game road trip to start the season.

Celts captain Paul Pierce made his inaugural appearance of the 2011-12 season and it was an effective one as he put up 12 points, five assists and four rebounds in just 23 minutes of action.

Facing Detroit for its home opener wasn't a sexy matchup by any means; I don't think the NBA could have conjured a much worse one in that regard but in terms of teams that the Celts could beat on most nights, it's hard to top the Pistons who are going nowhere fast.

To illustrate how much of a pushover Lawrence Frank's (it was nice to see that pipsqueak again) squad is, Jermaine O'Neal had a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds for the C's. Ray Allen added 17 points and Brandon Bass had 17 points off the bench.

As a team, Boston shot a perfect 19 of 19 from the free throw line which offset quiet performances from Rajon Rondo (9 points, 5 assists) and Kevin Garnett (8 points).

Greg Monroe led Detroit with a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds. Tayshaun Prince and Jonas Jerebko were the other Pistons starters to score in double figures, both had 10 points. Austin Daye scored 11 points off the bench and rookie Brandon Knight put up 10 points.

Boston was in control from the start although they didn't really open it up until the second half. The Celts outscored the Pistons 24-22 in the first quarter and led 50-43 at halftime. A big third quarter (36-21) allowed Doc Rivers to not play the starters more than 29 minutes (which is big for such an old group). Detroit took the fourth (21-10) but who cares?

Boston shot much better than Detroit (52.2% to 43.0), made four more 3-pointers (7-3), had seven more assists (25-18), six more blocks (6-0) and six more points in the paint (11-5).

Up next for the C's, a home-and-home with the Washington Wizards on Sunday in DC and Monday in Boston. The Wizards (0-3) are still awful but they're young and athletic so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they give the Celtics trouble in at least one of those games.

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Winners (Celtics) win and losers (Bruins) lose

All it took was one playoff game or more specifically one fourth quarter to show why we have all the preconceived notions about the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins.

The Celtics played a terrible first half in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals last night at TD Garden against the New York Knicks. The Cs trailed by 12 (51-39) at the half and appeared old and lifeless.

However, unlike the Bruins who can't get out of their own way in any pressure-packed situation, the Celts calmly cut it to five (64-59) after three quarters and proceeded to reel off a pulsating 87-85 win as Ray Allen drained the game-winning 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining.

Allen was the hero with a team-high 24 points and six rebounds. Paul Pierce had 18 points, Kevin Garnett added 15 points and 13 rebounds and Rajon Rondo notched 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Jermaine O'Neal was the pleasant surprise with 12 points and four blocks. There was a key stretch in the game where he actually energized the crowd and his teammates with a couple great blocks. He also hit some timely shots which made sure the deficit didn't get too big.

Amare Stoudemire put up a game-high 28 points and 11 rebounds, he was great. Carmelo Anthony had 15 points (on 5 for 18 shooting) but he dragged his team down since he was in foul trouble (five fouls) and took all the late shots despite having no rhythm. Chauncey Billups was the only other Knick in double figures with 10 points but he also struggled shooting (3 for 11). He rolled his ankle with less than a minute left in the game and departed to the locker room. His status is uncertain for Game 2.

Ronny Turiaf had nine points and four blocks for New York while Landry Fields was held scoreless.

Boston can't afford to dig themselves a large hole again like they did in Game 1. New York used a zone defense effectively in the first half but when Rondo and the Celtics' offense started to run in the second half, the Knicks showed why they gave up the third most points in the NBA during the regular season.

For the game, Boston shot 43.8% to 42.3% for New York. The Knicks hit three more 3-pointers (8-5) but the Celts made one more free throw (12-11). Boston grabbed 10 more rebounds (44-34) and had four more assists (20-16). New York registered four more blocks (9-5) but Boston had eight more fast break points (10-2) and nine more points off turnovers (26-17).

The Celtics want to keep this series as short as possible so they can converse their energy for the next round. That's why winning all home games is so paramount. Game 2 is tomorrow night at TD Garden.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In case you forgot: the Celtics are still NBA title contenders this season

In their malaise down the stretch this season, it's often easy to gloss over the fact that when they're right, the Boston Celtics could still deliver Banner 18 in June.

The win in San Antonio last week was great and along those lines, last night's 99-82 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers at the TD Garden was especially vital.

Boston (54-23) tied Miami for second place in the Eastern Conference in the win but they could very well see the Sixers (40-38) in the first round of the playoffs.

Therefore, it was promising to see them put away Philly and completely shutdown their offense in the second half (holding them to a Butler-esque 32 points).

Jermaine O'Neal (9 points) and Jeff Green (8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) were the unlikely sparks to what was one of Boston's best team efforts of the season.

Paul Pierce led the Celts with 18 points, Rajon Rondo had 16 points and 13 assists while Kevin Garnett (14 points) and Ray Allen (13 points) also scored in double figures.

It wasn't their best game in terms of production but Delonte West (6 points), Nenad Krstic (8 points), Green and Glen Davis (7 points) all looked solid off the bench for Boston. How they perform together in the playoffs will provide many answers to the riddle that is the NBA postseason.

Elton Brand (12 points) was one of four Sixers starter in double digits scoring but they were all kept in check. Jrue Holiday had 11 points in the first half but he was scoreless in the second half. Andre Iguodala and Jodie Meeks added 10 points apiece.

The shocking part for Philly was that rookie Evan Turner paced them with a team-high 21 points off the bench. He's had a disappointing season thus far but he showed last night why he was the No. 2 pick (behind John Wall) last summer.

Philadelphia led 26-24 after the first quarter but Boston took a 54-50 lead into halftime. The third quarter (21-15 Celtics) and fourth quarter (24-17) weren't pretty by any means, but they featured the type of lockdown defense that Boston needs to advance past the second round of the playoffs this season.

The Celtics shot 52.6% to 39.3% for the Sixers. Boston made three more free throws (15-12) and dished out 12 more assists (29-17). Philadelphia had three more steals (9-6) and four less turnovers (15-11) but Boston made five more blocks (8-3).

Boston travels to Chicago tomorrow night as the Bulls (up 3 games on Boston and Miami) look to seal the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics haven't played the Bulls in a while and Chicago has been playing incredibly well lately-propelled by MVP Derrick Rose.

Kids don't be scared: Zombie Jermaine O'Neal is here to let us know the playoffs are coming

The San Antonio Spurs, the NBA's best team (record wise), came into last night's game on a four-game losing streak. They had never lost five games in the Tim Duncan era. They sat Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Antonio McDyess on Monday to get them set for their meeting against the Boston Celtics.

Short of Las Vegas taking this game off the board, this seemed like a lock for the Spurs since the Celtics were in a tailspin.

That's why they play the games folks. Boston conjured up its best effort in weeks with a 107-97 at the AT&T Center. The Celtics (52-22) finish 2-0 against San Antonio (57-18) in the regular season. The Bulls and Lakers are on fire right now but who knows, maybe we'll see these two teams meet again in June.

For the second straight game, Rajon Rondo was special. He had a team-high 22 points, 14 assists (no turnovers) and five rebounds. Most surprising, he kept knocking down important jump shots. (Rubs eyes) Is that the same Rondo I know?

Paul Pierce nearly had a triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while Kevin Garnett had 20 points and nine assists. Ray Allen (3 for 11) continued to struggle with his shot but he had 13 points.

The only bad news coming out of the game was the possible serious knee injury suffered by Nenad Krstic. His knee bent very awkwardly as he ran the floor and he's scheduled to have an MRI this weekend. If he's done for the season, it would be a big loss. Glen Davis stepped up off the bench as per usual and put up 16 points and eight rebounds.

Jermaine O'Neal played for the first time in two months, scoring five points in 11 minutes. Anything you get from that corpse is a bonus at this point. Von Wafer also returned (for 2 minutes) after missing a few weeks with a calf injury.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with a game-high 23 points and eight assists. Tim Duncan had 20 points and 13 assists with Richard Jefferson adding 14 points. Ginobili was held to nine points.

San Antonio came out flying and led 33-31 after the first quarter but it was knotted at 49 at halftime. Boston looked the NBA title contender it should be with a strong third quarter (28-21) and the fourth (30-27).

The Celts shot 54.8% to 43.3% for the Spurs. San Antonio hit six more 3-pointers (8-2) while Boston knocked down two more free throws (13-11). Propelled by Rondo's perfect night, the Cs had eight more dimes (29-21).

Boston plays in Atlanta tonight. It's a back to back so I'm not going to pretend that the Celtics will play anything like they did last night. However, the Hawks are so up and down that this might be the rare occasion that Boston can steal a back-to-back on the road.

Rajon Rondo is from another planet

Admittedly, it's hard to get pumped out about any NBA regular season game unless you're going or some other special situation.

Still, there's a reason I set the DVR for the Celtics' game at the Detroit Pistons last night and I plan to the do the same for the rest of the season - Rajon Rondo.

Boston's young point guard is the heart and soul of the team and he is playing on another level right now.

In last night's easy 106-89 win for the Celts (3-1) at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Rondo had 17 assists and no turnovers. Think about that. This comes after a triple-double on Friday vs. the Knicks with 24 assists (four short of the franchise record by Bob Cousy).

I've never seen a guy that's able to control the game like he can, especially when he's not much of a scoring threat at all himself.

Kevin Garnett looks more like the 2008 KG than last year's shadow of himself. He had 22 points, Paul Pierce had 21 points and Ray Allen added 16 points.

In his first start for the Green, zombie Jermaine O'Neal even had 12 points and two blocks. He was getting plenty of open looks so if he can knock a few shots down a game, Boston will be in great shape. Him and Shaq are sure to be hurt a ton this season and Kendrick Perkins won't come back until at least January.

The C's bench continues to play well without its leader - Delonte West. Glen Davis had 10 points, Marquis Daniels scored nine while rookies Luke Harangody (4 points) and Semih Erden (2 points, 2 blocks) scored their first NBA buckets in limited action.

Detroit (0-4) is a mess as they're off to their first 0-4 start in 11 seasons. They can't seem to decide if they want to completely rebuild around Rodney Stuckey (15 points) and Austin Daye (16 points) or live off past glory with Ben Wallace (6 points, 8 rebounds) and Tayshaun Prince (10 points), not to mention Richard Hamilton, who didn't play since he's injured.

I don't know where Ben Gordon (14 points) fits into that equation but either way, the Pistons are going nowhere fast despite having a decent collection of talent. Charlie Villanueva should start, even though he doesn't play defense, since he put up a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Boston shot 51.9% to Detroit's 44.9%. The Celtics made five more 3-pointers (7-2) and shot 100% from the free throw line (18 for 18). Oh and they had a whopping 20 more assists (33-13), eight more steals (10-2) and five more blocks (7-2). The Pistons had 17 turnovers while the C's only had eight, which was a great sign since that's been a major issue in their first few games this season.

The other big issue will come tonight as they face the Milwaukee Bucks at the TD Garden. Can the Celts beat a good team in the second night of back to back games? The Bucks have gotten off to a slow start but the Celtics lost in Cleveland last week under similar circumstances to a bad team.

KG ain't dead yet

Much like reports of Tom Brady's demise earlier in this season were laughable, the same could be said for Kevin Garnett. He was coming off the first major surgery of his career and he's 33-years-old. How some people didn't get that there'd be some recovery time in season is beyond me but the good news is that KG has looked great lately.

He shot 11-for-12 last night and had a team-high 24 points and eight rebounds in the Celtics' (13-4) 92-85 win in Miami. It was Boston's fourth straight win and a perfect way to get their four-game road trip started.

The incomparable Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 27 points for the Heat (9-7) with help from Michael Beasley (18 points, 7 rebounds) and the ghost of Jermaine O'Neal (14 points, 10 rebounds).

It seems like a given these days that all five Boston starters score in double figures and last night was no different. Paul Pierce (15 points), Kendrick Perkins (14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks), Rajon Rondo (13 points, 11 assists) and Ray Allen (11 points) all did what they had to do in the win.

Miami led 31-29 after one quarter but Boston came back to grab a 55-48 halftime lead. For whatever reason (old legs?) the C's started particularly slow in the third quarter and let Miami back in it with a gross quarter (17-12). When it came time to make the winning plays as they say, Boston stepped up with Allen drilling a 3-pointer and KG swishing his final jumper in the fourth.

For the game Boston shot 52.2% to Miami's 41.8%. The Celts had way more assists (21-12) while the Heat doubled them up on steals (10-5) and the C's had five more blocks (7-2).

The Celts are a work in progress but at 13-4, it's hard to argue with their success so far. They travel to Charlotte on Wednesday night to play the Bobcats.

Paul Pierce is the most clutch player in the NBA, really

When interviewed in Spain this past summer, Paul Pierce declared that he was the best player in the NBA. Sure we all had a nice laugh but Pierce might have been onto something. I'm not dumb enough to say that he's the top player (LeBron and Kobe say hello) but I will submit that Pierce is the most clutch player in the league at this moment.

Who was the 2008 NBA Finals MVP? Pierce. Who stepped up when his team needed him most (being pushed to seven games in the first two rounds)? Pierce. Who's team crumbled while he did little to sway the momentum of the series? Kobe.

This is a long-winded way of saying that last night, Pierce's aforementioned clutchness was on full display as the Celtics came back from down 16 points, to defeat Toronto, 94-87 at the Garden.

The Celtics (7-1) have now won five games in a row, including a win in Detroit Sunday night against Allen Iverson and the Pistons.

In 45 minutes of action, Pierce scored 22 of his game-high 36 points (9 rebounds, 4 assists) in the fourth quarter as Boston shook off a slow start by finally hitting shots to go with their top notch team defense.

Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 10 rebounds while Ray Allen added 19 points.

Toronto (4-3) dominated the first two quarters as the C's couldn't put the ball in the hoop. The Raptors led 23-18 after the first quarter and 48-36 at the half.

Jermaine O'Neal looked like the early millennium O'Neal that dominated the C's when he was a Pacer. He had 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Mostly since they reside in Canada, the Raptors completely fly under the radar but they're a very solid team.

Anthony Parker had 15 points and Jason Kapono scored 14 off the bench. Jose Calderon dished out 10 assists.

The C's started to wake up in the second half as they outscored Toronto, 23-17 in the third. A sold out crowd at the Garden came alive in the fourth quarter (the game felt like a playoff contest) as Pierce exploded and carried the C's to the win.

Eddie House (7 points) and Ray Allen made key 3-pointers late in the fourth when the Celts finally grabbed the lead.

Getting to the line and converting was one of the differences in the game. Boston shot 24 of 27 from the line while Toronto was 13 of 18. The Raptors had eight more assists (25-17) but also five more turnovers (16-11).

In a great week of games, the unbeaten (5-0) Atlanta Hawks come to the Garden tomorrow night to renew the rivalry which began in the first round of last season's playoffs.

Josh Smith twisted his ankle last week so he won't be playing. It would be great to see the Celts bring the Hawks back to earth.