Celtics Flip Two Expiring Contracts (Barbosa, Collins) To Wizards For Jordan Crawford

The 2013 NBA Trade Deadline came and passed today without any major names being dealt around the league, unless you count J.J. Redick going to Milwaukee as particularly notable. The Celtics mostly stayed the same-Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are still in Green and White-although they made a minor move which could pay off quite soon. They traded injured guard Leandro Barbosa and useless center Jason Collins to the Washington Wizards for guard Jordan Crawford.

First of all, the Celts basically obtained Crawford (who has averaged 13.2 points per game this season, 13.4 points per game in his career) for nothing. Washington wanted Barbosa and Collins because their contracts expire after this season. As always, the Wizards are rebuilding so they are trying to unload as much money as they can. If you don't follow Washington, you are forgiven since they have been hopeless for years. However, if you consider yourself a basketball fan then you should know Crawford for two reasons. 1) He was great in college at Xavier and 2) He dunked on LeBron James (when he was at Xavier) which forced hyper-sensitive Nike to destroy all recordings of that special moment.

It might seem like Boston doesn't have much use for Crawford with Avery Bradley, Courtney Lee and Jason Terry all on the roster. There is a logjam at shooting guard with the C's but with Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger and Barbosa out for the season, they are in desperate need of bench scoring. Enter Crawford who has started less than half (62 of 149) the games in his NBA career yet still managed to play 26.2 minutes per game. Barbosa had provided a real spark after Rondo went down so Crawford should help replace what they lost when Barbosa tore his ACL.

Crawford will be motivated since he is back on a good team. He started out with the Hawks for 16 games in 2010-11 before he was traded to the black hole known as the Wizards. Being part of a contender that will be in the playoffs should do wonders for him as he regains his confidence. He was playing less since John Wall came back from an injury but he was having a decent season: .415 field goal percentage, career-high 34.5% on 3-pointers and 82% on free throws. I would expect him to make his Celtics debut tomorrow night as they continue their West Coast road trip in Phoenix (9 p.m., CSN).

Bigger picture, this lack of action proves that Celtics GM Danny Ainge was more willing to see what the current group could do in a watered down Eastern Conference versus trading KG or Pierce for future assets. I can't say I disagree with him, might as well give them one last chance (haha I know we've said that like the last three years) then re-evaluate the situation during the summer when I'm assuming many more big names will be available via trades and free agency. There was no reason to blow it up now when they've proven in the last few weeks that they can beat anybody.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Huzzah, The Celtics Are Fun To Watch Again

Say this for the Celtics without Rajon Rondo (and Jared Sullinger), they might not be nearly as talented but they sure are enjoyable to watch. Rather than having one guy dribble for most of the 24-second clock then figure out a play, they share the basketball, play defense and everyone seems to pull their weight more equally. Tonight, Boston (25-23, 8-14 away) won 99-95 at Toronto's (17-32, 12-13 home) Air Canada Centre, their fifth straight victory since Rondo went down.

Kevin Garnett had a season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, Courtney Lee added 15 points, Paul Pierce struggled from the field (2 for 11) but still had 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, Avery Bradley scored 11 points and even Brandon Bass found his way into double figures with 10 points. That's right, all five Celtics starters plus Leandro Barbosa (14 points off the bench) all scored 10+ points. Not something you saw much earlier in the season.

Even though they had lost three of their last four in Toronto, beating the Raptors isn't normally worth a damn but this was at least notable because Toronto was up 10 (79-69) heading into the fourth quarter. After getting smoked in the third quarter (34-19), the C's rallied for an excellent fourth quarter (30-16).

Former UConn star Rudy Gay, acquired from Memphis last week, filled the stat sheet with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. Kyle Lowry had 18 points, seven assists and four steals, Amir Johnson had a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) and DeMar Derozan put up 13 points. Andrea Bargnani notched 13 points off the bench for the Raptors.

This game was just an appetizer for the main course tomorrow night back in Boston: Celtics vs. Lakers (23-26). It's the first of two meetings between the bitter rivals and it gets the full primetime experience (8 p.m., TNT) despite the fact that LA has been the NBA's biggest disappointment so far this season. Pau Gasol hurt his foot last night so he'll be out but Kobe Bryant is still on the Lakers so it should be a great atmosphere as Boston goes for their sixth win in a row.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Celtics Complete A 4-0 Week Post-Rondo With 106-104 Win Vs. Clippers

Thoughts of the Celtics just forfeiting (slight exaggeration) the rest of this season after Rajon Rondo went down with a torn ACL last weekend seem a bit silly now that Boston (24-23, 17-9 home) has won four games in a row (during a very favorable 4-game homestand) and gone over .500. This afternoon, they built up a 19-point lead before hanging on by the skin of their teeth 106-104 against the Chris Paul-less Clippers (34-15, 14-10 away) at TD Garden.

Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro made the curious decision not to foul when his team was down only two 103-101 with the shot clock and game clock only two seconds apart. That awful coaching blunder cost LA dearly as Pierce nailed a 3-pointer for good measure. Jamal Crawford hit a 3-pointer as the game ended, haha not sure what the line was either way but I feel like that could have made many people very happy or upset.

Pierce led the C's with a team-high 22 points, five rebounds and two steals, Kevin Garnett was the only other starter in double figures with 12 points and five rebounds. The real story of the win was Boston's bench outscoring Los Angeles' 52-29. Jeff Green (2 blocks) and Leandro Barbosa had 14 points each while Jason Terry added 13 points and six assists.

Eric Bledsoe had a game-high 23 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and two steals while Blake Griffin added 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. UConn's Caron Butler put up 18 points and five rebounds and DeAndre Jordan notched 12 points and five rebounds. Crawford has a broken nose so he started the game with a ghetto mask but ditched it on the way to 23 points and six assists, he might as well clear his trophy case at home for another Sixth Man of the Year award.

The Celts tied a season-high with a 33-point first quarter as they led 33-30 then 59-40 at halftime. Boston slowly lost steam in the third quarter (37-33 LA) before the wheels really came off in the fourth quarter (27-14 LA). Boston hit two more 3-pointers (11-9) and eight more free throws (23-15) than the Clippers.

A trip to Toronto (17-31, 5th in Atlantic Division) on Wednesday (7 p.m., CSN) is the first road test in the post-Rondo portion of the season. Former UConn star Rudy Gay was traded to the Raptors last week from the Grizzlies, a move that makes them believe they can be a playoff contender. Haha keep dreaming Canadians. The teams have only met once so far, a 107-89 Celtics win at the Garden on Saturday, November 17. After Wednesday, they play twice more. Oh joy.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Celtics Win Their Third Straight Game Since Rondo Got Hurt, 97-84 Over Magic

The Celtics couldn't have picked two better teams to adjust to life without Rajon Rondo than bottom feeders Sacramento and Orlando. Tonight, Boston (23-23, 16-9 home) rolled to a 97-84 win over the Magic (14-32, 6-16 away) at TD Garden. Apparently the C's have won three straight games since Rondo went down (he was a last minute scratch against Miami on Sunday) although I'm not sure if beating Orlando at this juncture should count as a full victory.

Jeff Green led the Celts with 17 points and three blocks off the bench. More please! Kevin Garnett (14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Paul Pierce (14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) each had double-doubles while Courtney Lee added 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Isn't it amazing what happens when a team shares the basketball, rather than let one guy do everything offensively? Jason Terry (5 assists) and Leandro Barbosa both tossed in 12 points off the bench.

Everybody in the NBA has injuries but it's hard to imagine a team more rocked by them than the Magic: their top three players (and three of their top four scorers) all missed at least part of tonight's exhibition. Glen Davis is out for the season with a broken foot, Arron Afflalo has a strained calf so he sat out then Jameer Nelson left with an arm injury in the first half and never returned.

Oy vey, it's all up to you J.J. Redick (15 points, 5 assists, 2 steals). To say he doesn't currently have much help around him would be too kind: rookie Andrew Nicholson (14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Nikola Vucevic (14 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks) had double-doubles. Former Celtic E'Twaun Moore filled it up in garbage time, finishing with 14 points while rookie Kyle O'Quinn notched 11 points.

Boston held Orlando to 35 points in the first half and 37.9% shooting from the field for the entire game. The Celtics had 11 more assists than the Magic (30-19) because true point guards are overrated.

Things figure to get much more exciting on Sunday (1 p.m., CSN) as the Clippers (34-14, 1st in Pacific Division) come to the Garden in a tasty pre-Super Bowl appetizer. MVP candidate Chris Paul has missed LA's last six games with a knee injury and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they are not nearly the same team without him, for example: they suffered a season-worst 98-73 loss in Toronto tonight. Yes Toronto. Like the Kings earlier this week, the C's will be looking for more revenge after the Clippers embarrassed them 106-77 on December 27 in LA during the California road trip from hell.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Who Needs Rajon Rondo Anyway (Ducks)?

It happens so rarely these days that you have to enjoy it when the Celtics throw somebody a good old fashioned beating. Tonight's victim was the Trailblazers as Portland (6-10, 2-7 away) came to TD Garden and was humbled 96-78 by Boston (9-7, 5-4 home).

The funny parts about this blowout is that A) Rajon Rondo was serving his first game of the two-game suspension for his melee with Kris Humphries on Wednesday and B) the Blazers had lost to the Wizards (their first win of the season) on Wednesday. With those facts, we can deduce that Rondo is not important to the Celtics anymore and Portland is by far the worst team in the NBA. Haha just kidding.

The two players that have been the biggest disappointments through 15 games stepped up for one night at least. Jeff Green had a season-high 19 points off the bench while Courtney Lee took over point guard duties and turned in 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Jason Terry scored 17 points while Paul Pierce (12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Kevin Garnett (10 points, 5 rebounds) played 27 and 23 minutes respectively-the most important number of the game. Jared Sullinger added nine points and eight rebounds while Leandro Barbosa scored nine as well. Boston's bench took advantage of the extra garbage time, outscoring Portland 41-22.

I have a feeling it's going to be a long season for the Blazers and their superb fans. Portland has LaMarcus Aldridge (23 points, 8 rebounds) and who else? That is no way to survive in the Western Conference. J.J. Hickson and rookie Meyers Leonard were the only other Blazers in double figures, they both scored 11.

For the third time in a month, the C's will face the Bucks (7-7, 3-4 home), tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., CSN) at the Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 99-88 on November 2 in Boston's home opener then the Celts returned the favor on November 10 (96-92) in Milwaukee. Without Rondo, on the road, in the second game of a back-to-back means that the Celtics will have their hands full.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Celtics Survive Overtime In Orlando, 116-110

I'm not saying that it's right but it is at least understandable that the Celtics would have a letdown after their emotional win against the Thunder on Friday-their best victory of the young season. Luckily for them, tonight they played the Magic and not a better team that probably would have beaten them.

Boston (8-6, 4-3 away) needed overtime at the Amway Center but they outlasted Orlando (5-8, 4-3 home) 116-110. Kevin Garnett had a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 23 and Rajon Rondo just missed out on a triple-double with 15 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds.

Brandon Bass (13 points, 12 rebounds) added a double-double while Leandro Barbosa (15 points) and Jared Sullinger (11 points, 6 rebounds) were stellar off the bench for the Celts.

Some of the Magic took a time machine back to their college days as J.J. Redick had a team-high 21 points off the bench, Jameer Nelson scored 20 while Arron Afflalo had 15 points and seven assists and former Celtic Glen Davis added 15 points and seven rebounds. Josh McRoberts had 14 rebounds and former Celtic E'Twaun Moore notched eight points.

For once, Boston dominated inside-something which is very rare these days. They outscored Orlando 60-34 in the paint, grabbed nine more rebounds (51-42) and had eight more points off turnovers (23-15) thanks to Rondo's excellent performance.

The Celtics return home for a few days of practice followed by a rematch with the Nets (8-4, 2nd in Atlantic Division) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). It'll be basically two weeks (Thursday, November 15) since Brooklyn edged Boston 102-97. They are a quality team now and not the pushover they have been in recent years.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Without Rondo, The Celtics Put Up A Good FIght But Ultimately Lose 102-97 To The Nets

When word came over on Twitter tonight that Rajon Rondo would miss Boston's game in Brooklyn (due to his sprained ankle), that coupled with the fact that it was the second night of a back-to-back (a mortal enemy of the Celtics) made me think they would mail it in.

I have to give them credit, they fought way more than I expected but they still fell short as the Nets (5-2, 4-1 home) won their fourth straight game, 102-97 over the Celtics at Barclays Center. Boston saw their three-game win streak snapped.

Everybody has been high on Brooklyn coming into this season and for good reason, it looks like they might finally give the C's some competition in the usually terrible Atlantic Division. Deron Williams had 24 points and eight assists while Brook Lopez also put up 24 points along with six rebounds and four blocks. Former Celtic Joe Johnson had 19 points and eight rebounds while Kris Humphries notched 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Paul Pierce had 22 points and seven assists, Leandro Barbosa started at point guard and continued his strong play from last night with 17 points. This game was also notable since it was Courtney Lee's best one in a Celtics uniform (not that there were many to choose from): 13 points, nine rebounds and three steals off the bench. Jason Terry scored 10 points but Brandon Bass (8 points) and Jeff Green (5 points) were nowhere to be seen. I guess they stayed back in Boston.

The only reason the Celts had a chance to win is because of their excellent third quarter (29-15). Other than that, they were outscored 87-68 including 28-18 in the fourth quarter when predictably, their legs gave out. I can't explain how but Boston had 14 more fast break points (19-5) and 10 more points in the paint (46-36).

Boston is off tomorrow then has two more games this weekend as the Raptors (2-6) come to TD Garden on Saturday afternoon (12:30 p.m., CSN) then the C's head to Detroit (1-8) on Sunday (7:30 p.m, CSN). Playing four games in five days is certainly not preferable but everybody has a stretch like this at some point in the NBA season. Even without Rondo, the Celtics should be able to beat what are probably the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. I'm sure I'll watch both games but could you think of a less appealing weekend?

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Rondo Sprains His Ankle But Celtics Beat Jazz Thanks To Green & Barbosa

Finally, that was the Celtics' depth that we've been hearing so much about. Rajon Rondo (6 points, 10 assists) left the game with a sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter tonight but Boston (5-3, 2-2 home) was able to temporarily withstand his absence in a 98-93 win over Utah (4-5, 1-5 away) at TD Garden.

Their bench outscored Utah's 47-25. The two main reasons that the Celts still had energy and points even without their point guard were Jeff Green (16 points) and Leandro Barbosa (16 points). Green shook the Garden with an insane dunk over Al Jefferson (13 points, 14 rebounds) while also getting to the free throw line (6 of 7) and converting. Barbosa took over point guard duties from Rondo and it seemed like he was attacking the basket at will with a variety of shots.

Paul Pierce had a game-high 23 points and Kevin Garnett had 11 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Bass scored eight in Boston's third straight victory. The Jazz are a solid team but without a true star, they are destined for nothing but first-round exits in the Western Conference playoffs. Paul Millsap had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward had 14 points while Derrick Favors added 14 points off the bench.

An injury to Rondo can never come at a good time but tonight was the beginning of a brutal four games in five nights stretch for the C's. Needless to say, they'll need him back on the court as soon as he can go. Utah led 25-20 after the first quarter and 46-44 at halftime. Boston took control in the third quarter (29-24) thanks to plenty of fast break points (20-8 overall). The C's also got the job done in the fourth, 25-23.

Boston had a 10 percent advantage in shooting (50-40%), six more assists (24-18) and five more steals (8-3). Utah hit three more 3-pointers (7-4), grabbed 15 more rebounds (48-33, including 18-4 offensive) and had two more blocks (6-4). Four more turnovers (13-9) for the Jazz and two less made free throws (22-20) were probably the difference in a tight game.

Tomorrow night (8 p.m., TNT) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is their first look at the Nets (4-2), who many feel could be a contender in the Atlantic Division. Any team with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries among others is no joke, even with puppet Avery Bradley working the sidelines.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Heat Come Out Firing On All Cylinders, Roll Over Celtics 120-107 On Opening Night

After what seemed like months of hype, the 2012 NBA regular season tipped off tonight with a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics at Heat. Just like Game 7, Miami (1-0) came out on top of Boston (0-1), 120-107 at Americanairlines Arena.

Things couldn't have gone any better for fraud Heat fans. LeBron James (26 points, 10 rebounds) still looks like the best basketball player on the planet, Dwayane Wade (game-high 29 points) was healthy, Chris Bosh (19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks) was a capable third option while Ray Allen (19 points off the bench) had a hell of a debut for Miami. Even Mario Chalmers had eight points and 11 assists while the ghost of Rashard Lewis scored 10 off the bench.

Boston is clearly loaded with talent, it is just going to take time to mesh the veterans with the younger guys and other new players. Rajon Rondo (20 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds) picked up where he left off with his 25th straight regular season game of 10+ assists. Paul Pierce had a team-high 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while Brandon Bass notched 15 points and 10 rebounds in the start.

Other positive notes for the C's: Courtney Lee scored 11 in his Celtics debut and Leandro Barbosa exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter also in his first game with the Green. Kevin Garnett (9 points, 12 rebounds), Jason Terry (8 points) and Jeff Green (3 points) were the main no-shows for Boston and the reason why they lost, outside of the non-existent defense.

The Heat led basically from wire to wire. They were up 31-25 after one quarter and 62-54 at halftime. Miami was about to blow Boston out when they took a 93-76 lead into the fourth. Thanks to Barbosa, the Celts made it interesting and even cut it to four with a 14-3 run but they ran out of gas. Bosh scored seven straight points and that was it.

Rondo picked up a flagrant foul late for a cheap shot on Wade which was proceeded by a technical foul for berating an official earlier in the contest. I thought he had changed over the summer? The main thing to take away from tonight is not to get too wrapped up in the result. It's only 1 of 82 and as far as I'm concerned, the Heat are still the best team in the NBA (as much as it pains me to write that).

Getting away from the hoopla of tonight's ring ceremony and banner raising event, the Celtics can get back to basketball and forget the Ray Allen drama for a while. This is a new team that can run (27-12 fast break points) but they'll need to cut down on the turnovers (19-6 points off turnovers in favor of Miami). The C's get a couple days to rest and practice before hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSNE) in their home opener.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

The Brazilian Population In Boston Continues To Explode, Celtics Sign Leandro Barbosa

After waiving guards Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith yesterday, it took the Celtics less than 24 hours to replace them with one guy who is better than both of them put together, by a mile. Guard Leandro Barbosa will come to Boston on a veteran minimum contract, temporarily giving the C's 17 players (pack your bags Micah Downs and Rob Kurz).

He's only 29 but the Brazilian (joining countrymen Fab Melo) has been in the NBA for nine seasons already. He made his name with the Suns where he spent seven years before a year and a half with the Raptors then the final part of last season with the Pacers. He won the Sixth man of the year award in 2006-07 for Phoenix after averaging 18.1 points per game. Between Toronto and Indiana last season, he averaged 11.1 points per game in 64 games.

Like new teammate Jason Terry-who also has a Sixth Man of the Year award on his resume-Barbosa has always been more comfortable coming off the bench. In 588 career games, he's made only 109 starts. He's averaged 12.5 points per game, including 39% on 3-pointers, 46% from the field and 82% from the foul line. He's never been known as much of a passer (his highest average was 4.0 assists per game in 2006-07), he's a pure scorer and instant offense. I'm sure he's slowed down some but at one point, he must have been one of the fastest guys in the NBA. I know that's impossible to really judge but he got from one basket to the other as fast as anybody with the ball on his hand.

At this earlier juncture, his role is yet to be determined. When Avery Bradley returns, the Celtics will have more depth, especially in the backcourt than I can ever remember in recent years: Rajon Rondo, Bradley, Courtney Lee, Jason Terry, Kris Joseph and Barbosa. It's often said in any sport that you can never have too much talent and as long as they get Barbosa on the same page with them, he could be a nice pickup with real upside.

UPDATE 10/30: As expected, today the Celtics picked up the fourth-year option (next year) on guard Avery Bradley. He is due back sometime in December after two shoulder surgeries last spring.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Any Big East fan could have told you, Luke Harangody is a beast

Earlier in the week, I made a mistake when I referred to Celtics guard Von Wafer as the last guy on the bench. I neglected to mention rookie guard Avery Bradley and rookie forward Luke Harangody, two college players that came out too early (Bradley) or seem to be undersized and without a position in the NBA (Harangody).

With Kevin Garnett out the last five games, Harangody has been playing more minutes and last night was his first real solid performance as he put up 17 points and 11 rebounds (in a career-high 27 minutes) that fueled a 122-102 win over the Toronto Raptors at the TD Garden.

Anyone that pays attention to college hoops could tell you that both, particularly Harangody can ball. You don't play four years in the Big East at Notre Dame and dominate like he did when you're a stiff.

Clearly, it'll be hard for him to find minutes on a championship contender like this one but he seems to have the ingredients to be a solid role player in the Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe mode.

Since the Raptors (12-24) don't play any semblance of defense, it should be no surprise that the Celtics (28-7) usually own them, save for one weird choke job in Toronto earlier this season.

Paul Pierce led the Cs with 20 points, Ray Allen scored 17, Glen Davis had 14 points and Shaquille O'Neal added 12 points. Nate Robinson regained his scoring touch, putting up 15 points off the bench.

Rajon Rondo had nine points and seven assists in 26 minutes (with six turnovers) as Doc Rivers tried to limit the starters minutes in the first night of a back to back stretch and three games in four nights.

DeMar Derozan paced Toronto with 20 points, Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza both added 17 points, Jose Calderon had 11 points and nine assists while Amir Johnson scored 10. Off the bench, Leandro Barbosa scored 15.

The Raptors must possess as many foreigners (four played last night) as almost any other team, fitting since they're in Toronto which is a very diverse city, especially for Canada. It also makes sense that they don't have any interest in stopping anybody on the defensive end.

Boston was up 34-22 after one quarter and 67-45 at halftime (their most first half points this season). The Raptors cut into the deficit a bit in the third quarter (32-27) but it didn't matter as the Celts closed it out (28-25) and sent everyone home happy.

It was the second straight outstanding shooting display by Boston (57.5%) and Toronto wasn't shabby either (50.6%). The Celts made five more 3-pointers (11-6), three more free throws (19-16) and had 12 more rebounds (43-31). Boston had six more assists (31-25), three off their season-high while Toronto had four more steals (8-4) and five more blocks (7-2).

Thanks to Rondo's carelessness, the Cs had five more turnovers (16-11) and half the amount of fastbreak points that the Raptors had (14-7). The Cs did pound it down low with 10 more points in the paint (54-44).

Boston is in Chicago to face the Bulls tonight. Derrick Rose seems to always play well against the Celtics and this has developed into one of the Cs bigger rivalries over the past few seasons.

Oh hi Rajon Rondo

With all due respect to Deron Williams and Chris Paul, who are better players and more well-rounded, I would still say that Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is as important to his team as those two superstars or anybody in the NBA outside of maybe Kobe Bryant (ever hear of him?).

Without Rondo, the Celtics are an old bunch of guys whose best years are behind them. With him, they're the best team in the Eastern Conference and the biggest threat to break the Lakers' two year reign at the top.

Thankfully, Rondo's latest absence was only three games to nurse a minor hamstring injury. He was back with a vengeance last night as the Celts (12-4) beat the Toronto Raptors (6-10) 110-101 at the TD Garden.

After the Bruins' no-show in the afternoon, the Cs took care of business against a team that they lost to last Sunday (Rondo's first game out).

Rondo was a tad erratic with eight turnovers but he still put up 14 assists in 36 minutes. Kevin Garnett was the man with 26 points (3 alley-oops) and 11 rebounds. Paul Pierce and Glen Davis scored 18, Ray Allen added 17 and Shaquille O'Neal continues to prove the haters wrong with 16 points and nine rebounds (albeit against a team with no inside presence).

At one point, Toronto used a lineup with five foreign guys so clearly they love to shoot the 3-pointer. Linas Kleiza led the way with 18 points, Leandro Barbosa added 14 points, Peja Stojakovic scored 13, Jose Calderon had 12 points and 15 assists while Andrea Bargnani and Amir Johnson each had 11 points (a far cry from their win vs. Boston in Toronto).

Boston jumped out to a 30-21 lead after the first quarter but Toronto closed it to 58-52 at halftime. The Cs seemingly put it away in the third quarter (28-15) but as usual they got bored with closing it out (34-24 fourth quarter for Raptors) until the bitter end.

As a team, the Celtics shot 53.9% to Toronto's 45.1%. The Raptors made three more 3-pointers (7-4) but the Cs made four more free throws (24-20). Toronto had nine more rebounds (44-35) which is unexplainable but Boston made up for it with seven more assists (33-27), four more steals (6-2), six more blocks (8-2) and six less turnovers (17-11).

Boston needs to clean some things up if they hope to win in Cleveland on Tuesday. The Cavs are not very good but they beat the Celts in the second game of the season.

What did you do on your 23rd birthday?

If you're like me, your 23rd birthday wasn't too unique. From what I remember, I went out to a local chain restaurant with my parents and received a season of Rescue Me on DVD. Pretty thrilling.

If you're Rajon Rondo, your day was a little more special, as you scored a career-high 32 points (10 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) in Boston's 128-108 win over Phoenix yesterday afternoon.

It was the Celtics' first game without KG since his latest injury (strained knee). The Suns (31-24) came in having won three straight games while setting an NBA record by scoring 140+ points in each of them. They were also missing a star as Amar'e Stoudemire is out for the rest of the regular season following retina surgery.

The C's (45-12) actually got off to a slow start, as the Suns led by eight early at home but after that Boston cruised. The Celts outscored Phoenix 38-33 in the first quarter and led 68-54 at the half.

It should come as no surprise that the Suns are still allergic to defense. They fired head coach Terry Porter and replaced him with Alvin Gentry, which means nothing except another eventual first round playoff exit (which would have happened regardless).

Rondo set his record early in the second half as the Suns tried to climb back (29-28). Even without KG and with their few big guys in foul trouble, the Celts closed with a 32-25 fourth quarter.

Ray Allen also had a great game, scoring 31 points while Paul Pierce added 26 points and six rebounds. Brian Scalabrine had one of his best games in a Celtics uniform (which is not saying much) as he dropped 14 points and Glen Davis notched 10 points.

Between court appearances and speeding tickets, Jason Richardson stopped by to score a meaningless 21 points. Steve Nash had 19 points and 11 assists while Shaquille O'Neal notched 17 points and six boards. Leandro Barbosa scored 18 points in the loss.

Boston takes on Denver in the Mile High City tonight. They'll be looking for revenge after the Nuggets knocked them off early in the season at the Garden. It will also be Chauncey Billups' first meeting against the C's as a member of the Nuggets.