Kawhi (Back Spasms) Is A Last-Minute Scratch Allowing The C's To Win Their Third Straight Game

 

    The Celtics (18-17 overall, 11-5 home) aren't in a position right now to quibble over how they get them, they simply need to accumulate as many wins as possible after their rough month of February bumped them down the Eastern Conference standings. Tonight at TD Garden, they played another tight and memorable game against the Clippers (24-13 overall, 12-7 away) which ended with Boston improving to 2-0 against LA this season thanks to a 117-112 victory. Right before the opening tip-off came word that Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard (back spasms) would miss the contest so obviously that was a huge development for both teams. Shooting guard Paul George (game-high 32 points, 5 rebounds) tried his best to keep LA in it but point guard Kemba Walker (team-high 25 points, 6 assists) and the Celts did just enough to hang on for their third win in a row. 

    Boston swingman Jaylen Brown (18 points, 5 rebounds) suited up after missing Sunday's game vs. Washington (13-20) with soreness in his left knee. His fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) was much quieter after carrying the C's against the Wizards. Power forward Tristan Thompson (13 points, 9 rebounds) barely missed another double-double while rookie guard Payton Pritchard (14 points) and center Robert Williams (13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) were each really good off the bench for the Celtics. BC's Reggie Jackson (25 points, 7 assists) had probably his best game of the season in a losing effort while the ghost of Nicolas Batum (10 points, 5 rebounds) briefly stopped by for LA. Shooting guard Lou Williams scored 12 points off the bench for the Clippers, center Ivica Zubac grabbed 10 rebounds and former Celtic Marcus Morris scored 10 points in the first half but had to miss the second half with a concussion after he was elbowed (not intentionally) by Brown in the back of his head. Ouch. 

    I rarely give out gambling advice but I have to note that this evening was a great time to take the over (222 points) as the C's outscored the Clippers 35-32 in a fast paced first quarter. The defenses both woke up as the game went along with LA taking the second quarter 31-27 for a 63-62 halftime lead. That one-point lead would remain for the visitors heading into the fourth quarter since both clubs put up 26 points in the third quarter. Boston won the all-important final frame 29-23 thanks to some timely shot making, they hit their free throws and Los Angeles' offense mostly went cold. 

    The Celtics were rewarded for their aggressiveness offensively as they took 14 more free throws (23-9) than the Clippers and they made nine more of them (17-8). Boston also did a nice job on the glass with eight more total rebounds (43-35) including four more offensive boards (14-10) and four more defensive boards (29-25). It's not a huge number but Boston had twice as many steals (6-3) as LA. The C's scored 10 more points in the paint (42-32), eight more fast break points (10-2) and eight more points off turnovers (15-7) as the Clippers. 

    With his knee issue, Brown rightfully turned down a spot in the Slam Dunk competition this weekend but both he and Tatum will appear in the 3-point contest. More importantly, the Celtics are scheduled to have one more game before they get almost a week off. Toronto (17-17 overall, 9-10 away) had their game tonight vs. Detroit (9-25 overall, 3-15 away) postponed until Wednesday because of a Covid-19 outbreak on the team: five players including Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet along with head coach Nick Nurse and a bunch of assistants are all out. We'll see if the game with the Pistons happens let alone having the Raptors fly to Boston. Let's say it's not trending well in that direction. Selfishly, it would be nice for the Celts to get that game in now especially if Toronto is in such bad shape. Like most other teams in the NBA, the C's have already dealt with a bunch of its players getting sick so I doubt they would feel much sympathy for the Raptors. PS do you think it has anything to do with Toronto playing all their home games in Florida this season? Hmm, I wonder if that's a possible connection to this mess.

With Jaylen Brown Out, The Celts Pull Off Their Best Win Of The Season-119-115 At The Clippers

 

    I am not predicting that tonight's improbable 119-115 win by the Celtics (12-9 overall, 7-6 away) this evening against the Clippers (17-7 overall, 8-3 home) at Staples Center will serve as a turning point in their season but if nothing else, it shows that they are capable of way more than they have produced lately. I didn't like their chances before the game had even started as shooting guard Jaylen Brown (knee soreness) missed his first contest of the season. Sure, LA was also surprisingly missing one of its stars too-swingman Paul George (foot soreness)-but Brown's absence felt more vital since Boston does not have the depth of the Clippers (what a world where that is actually a fact). Even though it was Friday night, I can't blame anyone for bailing at halftime as the C's were down 62-51 and looked destined to be blown out. However, if you stuck with them, you were treated to their best third quarter of the season (where they outscored Los Angeles 38-20) and they hung on for the key victory. 

    This was not NBA Jam but without Brown and George, the key matchup was obviously Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 34 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals) vs. Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard (team-high 28 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists). Judging by not only those numbers but the final outcome, you'd have to say that Tatum won this round against one of the top players in the NBA. Tatum didn't do it alone though as point guard Kemba Walker (24 points) had his best game of the season, guard Carsen Edwards (16 points) was awesome off the bench and kept Boston in contention in the first half when they were wobbly, center Tristan Thompson (7 rebounds) and power forward Grant Williams both started and each scored 11 points apiece while center Robert Williams continued his strong road trip with 10 points off the bench. 

    LA entered with one of the best records in the league and until they choke again in the playoffs (it's so hard to wash that Clippers stink off themselves), they are a formidable opponent. The ghost of Nicolas Batum (16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) made a rare appearance, guard Luke Kennard (13 points) was productive in his spot start and their bench was great: strip club expert Lou Williams (18 points, 6 assists), center Ivica Zubac (14 points, 6 rebounds) and former Celtics great Marcus Morris (13 points) all scored in double-digits. Despite George's absence, this was a game that the Clippers without question should have won. 

    Things looked good for LA in the beginning as they blitzed the Celtics in the first quarter, outscoring them 33-21 as they barely missed any shots. Thanks to Edwards and the return of guard Payton Pritchard (8 points), Boston bounced back in the second quarter (30-29) to at least make it more competitive. I'm assuming that the Clippers thought they would run away with it in the second half because otherwise, I can't explain their no-show in the third quarter. They were much better in the fourth quarter (33-30 Clips) but it wasn't enough as the C's made just enough free throws and got the requisite defensive stops to hang on. 

    The Celtics had three more steals (8-5), 10 less turnovers (16-6) and they scored a whopping 18 more points (26-8) off turnovers than the Clippers. After losing to the mediocre Kings (10-11) on Wednesday, I genuinely thought that a 1-4 West Coast road trip was about to occur. Boston can ensure that it will be a winning trip with a win on Sunday afternoon (2, NBC Sports Boston) at Phoenix (12-9). Center Daniel Theis left tonight's game early with right knee soreness but it doesn't sound too serious long-term. With point guard Chris Paul now in the desert, the Suns have tons of talent and big things are expected from them this season but thus far, they've been pretty up and down (5-5 in their last 10 games) much like the Celtics. It definitely lacks the electricity of a Chiefs-Buccaneers Super Bowl but it should serve as a fine appetizer before the main sporting course on Sunday night. 

Who Woke Up The Celtics?

I don't know where it came from but what transpired in the third quarter tonight might be later viewed as a turning point in the Celtics' season, that is if they go anywhere in the playoffs (all that really matters to this team).

Boston (16-17, 6-11 away) was down 53-38 to Atlanta (20-12, 11-6 home) at halftime but they somehow turned it around with a 33-9 third quarter. The Celtics held on for a 89-81 victory at Philips Arena, for what easily has to be called their best road win of the season.

It's hard to ever take the Hawks seriously, even when they have a good record since all they do in the postseason is choke. They had lost last night so like Boston, they were experiencing a dreaded back-to-back game. Winning both contests, in very different fashion, should do wonders for the Celtics' shattered confidence.

Paul Pierce (26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Rajon Rondo (14 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals) were brilliant while Kevin Garnett (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Brandon Bass (10 points, 3 steals) also did their jobs.

Former Sixer Lou Williams (28 points) always kills the Celtics and he looked well on his way to a career night when he dropped 16 points in the first quarter alone. Jeff Teague had 17 points and three steals while Josh Smith had 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals.

Boston won because of three things which never go out of style: they hit the glass (44-36 rebounding advantage), passed well (27-18 assists) and took care of the ball (eight less turnovers than the Hawks).

After getting tomorrow off, the C's wrap up this very tricky three games in four days stretch with their first meeting of the season against the new and improved Knicks (23-10, 1st place in Atlantic Division) on Monday (7:30 p.m., CSN) at Madison Square Garden. Boston has a chance to go 3-0 against three likely playoff teams. The Knicks hit a million 3-pointers a game and Carmelo Anthony (28.9 ppg, 2nd in the NBA; 6.3 rebounds) is probably playing the best basketball of his NBA career. The good news is that the Celts usually match up well with the Knicks for whatever reason.

UPDATE 1/6: Today, the Celtics waived rookie Kris Joseph and forward Jarvis Varnado. They were both playing on non-guaranteed deals and the deadline to be guaranteed was tomorrow at 5 p.m. This opens up two roster spots as teams around the NBA make similar moves. Perhaps, it's also a precursor to a bigger trade/move down the line. We shall see.

UPDATE 1/7: Rajon Rondo was suspended for tonight's game against the Knicks. I watched the game on Saturday at Atlanta on DVR so I missed it (and nobody talked about it afterwards) but apparently he made contact with a referee after a call. It seems pretty bogus but then you remember that Rondo had been suspended three times in the last year. So yeah, he gets no leeway around the NBA and all the referees are rightfully keeping an extra eye on him.

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Celtics Poop Their Basketball Shorts, Sixers Win Game 6 82-75 Going Away

Pathetic, embarrassing, putrid, depressing, these are just a few choice words to describe the Celtics' performance in tonight's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center against the Sixers.

Philadelphia won 82-75 in one of the ugliest basketball games I've ever seen and this is coming from someone that used to cover Division 4 (the smallest) high school girls basketball in Massachusetts for a living. The Sixers forced a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday (time TBA) at TD Garden against the banged up Celtics, who are suddenly reeling and looking quite vulnerable.

The C's fell to a dismal 2-11 in close out games on the road in the Big 3 era, they are also 2-4 on the road this postseason. Looking for some positive numbers? Boston is 17-4 all-time in Game 7's at home and 20-7 overall in Game 7's. Neither team has won consecutive games so far in this series.

Avery Bradley missed Game 6 and he's reportedly done for the playoffs with his dislocated shoulder. This meant that Ray Allen had to play a big role but he was held to nine points in 26 minutes since he was saddled with four fouls. It's probably a combination of his ankle woes and age but Allen looks over the hill in this series.

It's not like the Sixers played great, they missed 11 free throws and gave up 11 more rebounds (48-37) including seven more offensive boards (14-7) but their youthful athleticism and variety of scoring options is what helped them succeed. Eight more assists (22-14) and Boston's 17 turnovers leading to 19 points helped their cause as well. Finally, who could forget Philly's 42-16 edge in points in the paint?

Philly had five players in double figures led by Jrue Holiday (20 points, 6 assists), who is not scared of the moment. Elton Brand put up 13 points and 10 rebounds while Evan Turner (9 rebounds) and Andre Iguodala (6 rebounds) each scored 12 points. Lou Williams notched 11 points and six assists off the bench and Spencer Hawes tossed in nine points.

The Celtics shot a horrid 33.3% for the game and had a season-low 14 assists. Paul Pierce (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (20 points, 11 rebounds) might as well have been the only Boston players that showed up. Rajon Rondo (9 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) was held to his lowest assist total in 36 games. Brandon Bass (2 for 12) came back down to Earth with a thud after a career-high 27 points in Game 5, he was limited to just eight points.

The most frustrating part (besides Rondo) was KG's unwillingness to attack the paint/basket. All 20 of his shots were from outside the paint, showing that his bully reputation might be warranted. Moreover, this loss is further evidence that the Celtics are front-runners, particularly if they take care of business on Saturday like we think they will.

With the way this one unfolded, it's hard to believe that one of these teams will be in the Eastern Conference Finals and only eight wins away from an NBA title. This game was more suited for November or better yet, the preseason.

Philly led 22-19 after the first quarter but Boston went ahead with a 17-11 second quarter, haha really. Mickael Pietrus made a 3-pointer right before the halftime buzzer for a 36-33 Celtics advantage. As Sixers head coach Doug Collins has stressed, the third quarter has been the key frame in this series. The team that has controlled that has generally won the games. No surprise then that Philadelphia surged in front with a 27-20 third. KG made some shots in the fourth but he couldn't save Boston by himself as the Sixers put it out of reach 22-19.

The best thing for all of us is two days off between Game 6 and 7. This series has been nothing close to well played despite the fact that they have alternated wins from Games 1-6. Eastern Conference basketball is worlds away from what we expect during the Western Conference Finals (Spurs vs. Thunder) in terms of level of play, style and offense.

This being the NBA, you know that the Celtics will get more foul shots (the Sixers had 5 more tonight) in Game 7 which is good news for them. The question is if they can squeeze anything out of Allen, Rondo and anybody else not named Kevin or Paul. The C's looked like a poor imitation of the Heat in Game 6 with two players basically doing everything. Holiday is better than I expected but there's no way that Rondo should lose that battle, especially to that degree.

To tide us over, we will be forced to watch Heat-Pacers Game 6 tomorrow night and hope that Indiana can stave off elimination. The Big 3 is 3-2 all-time in Game 7's although they lost the last two (Game 7 vs. Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals and Game 7 vs. Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals). I'm not saying it can't happen (that would be silly) but I hate to think that the Big 3 go out like this, on the Garden parquet against a No. 8 seed with a chance to go the Eastern Conference Finals against a team they can beat (regardless of who wins that series).

UPDATE 5/25: Bradley had surgery on his shoulder today so he's done for the playoffs. That is a big loss for the C's since he's been their best on ball defender by far and he started 10 games before his shoulder was repeatedly dislocated. Get well soon Avery! He has a bright future for the Green.

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The Celtics Could Write A Manual On How To Not Close Out Series/Opponents In The Playoffs

I'm fairly certain as long as you live (and watch NBA basketball), you'll never see another game like the one between the Celtics and Sixers that we all witnessed this evening.

Boston opened Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on a 14-0 run. They parlayed that into a 46-31 halftime lead and increased it to as much as 18 (49-31) early in the third quarter. From there, the Celtics proceeded to gag it away until it turned into an unforgivable 92-83 loss.

It is not hyperbole to say that it was one of the worst losses (in terms of leads) in franchise history; Boston tied its record for biggest halftime lead blown in a playoff game so there's that.

So how does a team seemingly in complete control of a game and on the verge of taking over the series, fall apart in such epic fashion? The easiest explanation is that Boston's foul trouble caught up to them as Brandon Bass (15 points) and Avery Bradley (8 points) each picked up four fouls by the third quarter so they had to sit for long stretches.

Using the spirit of their superb head coach-Doug Collins-the Sixers are too young to give up even in a game that seems doomed like this one. They kept fighting, going to the basket and taking advantage of Boston's 17 turnovers which they turned into fastbreak points (27-13).

Any Celtics fan will rightfully complain about the free throw disparity: Boston shot 16 of 19 while Philadelphia was 25 of 36 but I can't pin the loss solely on that shady number and simply some homecooking NBA referees. Because to do so would mean that the C's deserved to win Game 4 and they most certainly did not since they peed down their leg Miami Heat style in the second half (37 points).

Big picture, I am still confident that Boston will win this series but this loss is troubling in that it mirrors their failure in the first round (vs. Atlanta) to step on a team's throat when it's down (in that case up 3-1). The Celtics had a great opportunity to really seal this up and get some rest but now it is a three-game series and they're guaranteed to have another game in Philly.

Paul Pierce had his second straight quality performance, he led Boston with 24 points and six rebounds. Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 15 rebounds but Kevin Garnett was held to nine points (3 for 12 from the floor), 11 rebounds and three blocks. KG committed a wretched seven turnovers.

Andre Iguodala led Philly with 16 points and seven rebounds, he hit a monster 3-pointer and a jumper in crunch time. Evan Turner (5 for 22 from the floor) had 16 points and nine rebounds while Jrue Holiday notched 11 points and seven rebounds.

The story of the game was the benches: the Sixers reserves outscored the Celtics 44-12. That's not a misprint. Lou Williams scored 15 points with eight assists, Thaddeus Young had 12 points, nine rebounds, Jodie Meeks tossed in nine points and Lavoy Allen put up eight points and 10 rebounds.

When you look at the box score, it's hard to believe that Philadelphia had to make such a crazy comeback since almost every statistic favors them. Philly had 14 more rebounds overall (52-38) including 12 more offensive boards (17-5), two more steals (9-7) and eight more points in the paint (34-26). Boston shot better (42.3%-37.8%), hit two more 3-pointers (7-5), dished out five more assists (23-18) and blocked four more shots (6-2).

If I know the Celtics, they'll follow their usual script of coming back with a win after a disappointing loss. We should have remembered that they like to fall short in the games following blowout victories. Still, if they get by the Sixers, we need to remember this Game 4 plus Game 5 of the Hawks series as the ones that got away from the C's.

Game 5 is Monday night (7:00 p.m., TNT) back at TD Garden. Boston split their first two games there in this series, winning Game 1 by a point and losing Game 2 by a point.

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Celtics Roll Over The Sixers In Game 3 Of The Eastern Conference Semifinals, Take 2-1 Lead

After Game 1 and Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series were both decided by one point, the Boston Celtics chose to see what would happen if they showed up from the first quarter on; I'd say the result was all they could have hoped for and then some.

Boston took Philadelphia's best shot in the first quarter (33-28) and proceeded to pummel them into submission over the final three frames as the Celts won 107-91 tonight in Game 3 at the Wells Fargo Center.

In taking a 2-1 series lead and grabbing back the home-court advantage that they lost in Game 2, the Celtics led by as many as 27 points (105-78). Kevin Garnett (27 points, 13 rebounds), Paul Pierce (24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals) and Rajon Rondo (23 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) all surpassed 20 points in a game for the first time this season.

Michael Pietrus added 13 points off the bench but I'd be remiss if I didn't cite Boston's defense, which held Philly to 33 combined points in the second and third quarter.

Thaddeus Young (22 points) seems to be healthy now and he made his case for a starting spot in Game 4 over Elton Brand. Jrue Holiday had 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds while Andre Iguodala scored 10 points. Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks both had 13 points off the bench. The trio of Brand, Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes totaled 11 points, all together.

So is Philadelphia more like this than the gritty team they showed in Games 1 & 2? Were those close games enough to force Boston to wake up and realize that they have a very favorable road ahead of them if they can just keep winning? I guess we won't figure that out until Game 4 on Friday (8:00 p.m., ESPN). After all, the Celtics blew out the Hawks in Game 4 of the first round but then they lost by one in Game 5.

Pierce played by far his best game since Game 2 vs. the Hawks, when Rondo was suspended. He didn't even shoot well (6 for 17 from the floor) but he drove to the basket (11 of 14 on free throws) at will and threw down not one but two dunks.

Game 4 means everything because I think if Boston can win it, Philly will pack it in. Otherwise, it will be a series again. If you are a Celtics fan, you had to love their performance tonight because they were ruthlessly efficient: they never gave the Sixers any hope that they could win and they effectively took the crowd out of it.

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Unlike Game 1, Celtics Can't Close Out Sixers, Philly Wins Game 2 82-81

We can all agree that making it a habit of partaking in one-point playoff games is not a recipe for success in the long run.

The Boston Celtics were lucky enough to win Game 1 (92-91) of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday night but the Philadelphia 76ers got what they came for-the split-as they took Game 2 82-81 this evening at TD Garden.

The truth of the matter is that Boston could easily be up 2-0 in this series or also down 0-2 so it is fair that both teams captured one game since they've been virtually even through the first two contests.

Let's be honest as well that this wasn't your garden variety one-point win, it was basically a four or five-point win since Ray Allen (17 points) hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left and Kevin Garnett (15 points, 12 rebounds) hit a 3-pointer as time expired. Give Philly credit as Evan Turner (10 points, 6 rebounds), Lou Williams (8 points, 7 rebounds) and Jodie Meeks all made a pair of free throws with 12 seconds or less remaining in regulation. For that alone, Philly already proved to be superior to the Hawks.

Boston lost Game 2 in the second and third quarters where they combined for 24 points (13 in the second, 11 in the third). Philadelphia had 36 in that time frame (15 in the second, 21 in the third) which by comparison looks like a Harlem Globetrotters type output. It's astonishing that the C's made it that close, particularly when they hit seven free throws for the entire game and turned the ball over 19 times. Did I mention that the Sixers grabbed 11 more rebounds (47-36)? Weirdest and ugliest Celtics playoff game in a long time.

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with a game-high 18 points. Andre Iguodala had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Spencer Hawes notched eight points and 10 rebounds plus Lavoy Allen scored 10 points with eight rebounds off the bench.

Brandon Bass scored 12 points but Rajon Rondo (8 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds) had a quiet night. The only real positive development offensively for the Celts is that Mickael Pietrus (8 points) woke up from his playoffs-long no-show to hit a pair of huge 3-pointers. Avery Bradley also scored eight points in only 20 minutes as his shoulder popped out again so his time on the court was limited.

One thing we can always count on with the C's is that they'll never make it easy on themselves or their fans. This loss ensured that there will be a Game 5 next Monday in Boston. First things first, the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 & 4. Game 3 is Wednesday night (7:00 p.m., TNT) and I have a feeling that the Celtics will have more energy and better offensive execution. At least that is my hope since they really need to win that game and not fall behind 2-1.

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Pietrus' Injury Overshadows Boston's Loss In Philadelphia

A serious injury in any sport always puts a damper on a game, no matter how important it is.

The Boston Celtics (25-22, 9-14 road) concluded their grueling eight-game road trip (4-4) with a 99-86 loss tonight to the Philadelphia 76ers (27-21, 17-10) at the Wells Fargo Center.

If they had won, the Celts would have moved into first-place in the Atlantic Division for the first time this season. However, for the second time, they were no match for the Sixers who now lead by 1.5 games but the Celts have a game in hand.

All of that seems insignificant though since Celtics swingman Mickael Pietrus suffered a serious injury late in the first half when he fell awkwardly on the court and his neck went back quickly. He had to be taken off on a stretcher and Boston released a statement that he had a "closed head injury" after the game.

At the time, the Celtics were leading but it is completely understandable that they ran out of energy and enthusiasm after seeing their teammate go down like that.

Plus, Ray Allen was already sitting out with an ankle injury and Avery Bradley suffered a similar injury (ankle) in the first half and he didn't return. He's hoping to return on Sunday, I'm not sure about Ray's status.

Elton Brand paced the Sixers with 20 points. Spencer Hawes had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds), Andre Iguodala (14 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) filled the stat sheet like always and Jrue Holiday scored 15 points.

Philadelphia is deep too since Lou Williams (19 points) and Thaddeus Young (12 points, 9 rebounds) are arguably their two most skilled offensive players and they both come off the bench.

Paul Pierce (9 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (8 rebounds) both scored 20 points for the C's. Brandon Bass added 18 points and Rajon Rondo handed out a quiet 17 assists, if that's possible.

These teams will meet one more time in the regular season: Sunday, April 8 (Easter) at TD Garden. I just found out yesterday that I will be there with front row seats behind the Celtics' bench, something I've never experienced so I'm hoping for a better result then.

After almost two full weeks on the road, mostly very far away, Boston returns home to face the Washington Wizards on Sunday. The Celtics beat the Wizards three times in January but they were all pretty close (8 points, 8 points, 6 points) so if they're not careful, Washington could possibly steal a win.

Most importantly, let's hope that Pietrus is o.k. and that wasn't as bad as it looked.

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Sixers Hand Celtics Their Worst Loss In The Big 3 Era

As far as I'm concerned, March is all about college basketball. The NBA might as well take the month off. So while I will be keeping tabs on the Boston Celtics, I can't say that I will be living and dying with every possession.

I recorded tonight's Celtics game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center and I'm so glad I saw plenty of Tweets about the game and score. The Sixers (23-17) handed the Celtics (20-18), their worst loss in the Big 3 era, 103-71.

I'm happy to report that I didn't watch a second of it. Normally, I view everything be it a blowout win or loss but I couldn't pull the trigger on this one. I guess I needed to save some brain cells.

In this condensed 66-game season, perhaps no team benefits more than the Sixers. They're young, athletic and deep. That's why they'll overachieve during the regular season then in all probability come back to reality once the playoffs begin. They're more suited to this insane schedule than an older team like the Celts as everybody and their mother knows.

Boston's five-game win streak went out the window as they suffered plenty of embarrassment including not making a single 3-pointer. With the victory, Philadelphia gained a full game on the Celtics in the standings; the Sixers lead by two although the Celts have two games in hand. I guess playing two overtime games in a row and on back-to-back nights, not to mention traveling to the far away city of Philly was too much for the C's to handle.

Evan Turner led Philly with a career-high 26 points and nine rebounds. Showing how much of a blowout it was, the Sixers' next three highest scorers all came off the bench: Elton Brand (18 points, 9 rebounds), Lou Williams (15 points) and Nikola Vucevic (14 points, 12 rebounds) each put up nice numbers. Andre Iguodala had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while Jrue Holiday had 10 points and six assists.

Paul Pierce (15 points) and Brandon Bass (12 points) along with JaJuan Johnson (10 points off the bench) were basically the only Celtics with any semblance of pride.

These teams will meet twice more, maybe Boston will opt to show up for one of those. That would be a treat.

The Portland Trail Blazers (19-20) visit TD Garden on Friday night. It is a pivotal game for Boston and basically a must-win since after that they depart on a season-long eight-game (really) road trip that stretches across the West Coast and takes up most of March.

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