Celtics Lose A Weird One To The Bucks In Milwaukee

I can't say I have ever seen (or at least can recall) an NBA team beginning a game with a 17-0 lead. Likewise, I don't remember said team blowing it and eventually losing that game. I guess contests like tonight are why I choose to watch an NBA game on December 1.

Boston (9-8, 4-4 away) jumped out to a 17-0 advantage in Milwaukee (8-7, 4-4 home) but the Bucks eventually wore them down and came away with a 91-88 victory at the Bradley Center. I'm not mad though since it was the second game of Rajon Rondo's two-game suspension and all things considered (my favorite NPR program, I'm old!) the Celts played pretty well.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 19 points and six assists, Jeff Green had 18 points (his second solid game in a row, a new personal record for the Celtics), Kevin Garnett put up 17 points and seven rebounds while Jason Terry (15 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) and Courtney Lee (13 points) flourished in the starting lineup.

Brandon Jennings' (13 points, 6 rebounds) 3-pointer with 24 seconds gave the Bucks a 90-88 lead. Terry had a chance to hit a go-ahead 3-pointer on the other end but missed. After Larry Sanders (18 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks) made one of two free throws, Pierce then Terry missed 3-pointers. What can you do?

I predict that Milwaukee finally sneaks into the playoffs in the spring, this was their second win in three tries against Boston so far this season. They'll meet once more in the regular season (December 21 at TD Garden). They have a fair amount of talent especially when Sanders plays like that, he had a triple-double in the game before with blocks. Monta Ellis scored 17, Ersan Ilyasova added 15 points off the bench and old friend Marquis Daniels had eight points and five assists.

After three games in four nights, with Rondo absent from the last two, the Celtics get a few days to rest their old bones (I'm looking at you KG and Pierce) before they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-8) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). I'm not going to pretend like the rest of the Greenteamers that Rajon has suddenly grown up since he clearly hasn't. However, all I hope is this latest suspension has fired him up sufficiently and he plays at the highest level possible.

UPDATE 12/2: Kris Joseph was returned to the Red Claws.

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Celtics Exact Some Revenge On The Bucks, Left Over From Last Week

Do the Celtics play any teams from the Western Conference this season? They do? Just wondering because after six games (all against mostly average Eastern Conference teams) including two apiece against the Wizards and Bucks, I'm ready to see something new.

Tonight, Boston (3-3, 2-1 away) won 96-92 over Milwaukee (3-2, 1-2 home) at BMO Harris Bradley Center in the second night of a back-to-back (after losing at home to Philadelphia on Friday). The Bucks had ruined the Celtics' home opener with a 99-88 win on November 2 so tonight was a fitting way to pay them back for being so inconsiderate.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 25 points and nine rebounds, Kevin Garnett had 18 points and six rebounds, Jason Terry scored 15 in a rare start and Rajon Rondo kept his double-digit assist streak going (at 30 games) with 10 points and 10 assists. The most valuable part of the win for me was Jeff Green's 12 points off the bench. For once, he was aggressive and went to the basket (6 of 8 on free throws).

Monta Ellis was unstoppable, he led Milwaukee with a game-high 32 points and eight assists. Samuel Dalembert had 14 points and eight rebounds and Ersan Ilyasova added 10 points and six rebounds. The Bucks probably lost since their best player-Brandon Jennings-was held to four points on 1 of 11 shooting. Former Celtics great Marquis Daniels had 12 points off the bench and Larry Sanders added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Milwaukee outscored Boston in the first three quarters: 22-20 after one, 42-39 at halftime and 68-64 after three. It's not like it was a big deficit but it was nice to see the C's rally with a superb fourth: 32-24.

Shooting better (44.4%-39.8%) from the field, on 3-pointers (5-3) and from the foul line (27-19) allowed the Celtics to overcome another awful performance in the paint: they were outscored 48-32 by the Bucks, who also had four more rebounds (44-40) and three more steals (7-4).

Boston receives a day off tomorrow but they conclude this busy stretch with a game in Chicago (8 p.m., CSN) against the Bulls (4-2), their third game in four days. They are not the same without Derrick Rose-duh!-but former Celts assistant Tom Thibodeau's teams are always tough and play great defense. That's why these games are usually close and similar to playoff contests.

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Some Unexpected Help Pushes Celtics To A 101-91 Game 3 Win Vs. Miami

It turns out that coming home was all the Boston Celtics needed to completely change up their gameplan and therefore find a way to beat the Miami Heat.

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight at TD Garden, Boston was able to play the way that got them here: they were unselfish (4 guys in double figures), they pounded the ball inside (58-46 advantage in points in the paint) and hit free throws (20-10). This all added up to a complete 101-91 win for the Celts that brought some life to this series, cutting the Heat's advantage to 2-1.

It's hard to believe that in a must-win game to save the season, Marquis Daniels (9 points, 5 rebounds) and Keyon Dooling (7 points, 4 rebounds) were two major keys to the victory. That's the gospel truth though, both provided major energy, defense and some timely scoring as Boston's bench (19 points, series high for them) finally showed a flicker of life.

When Boston focuses on getting Kevin Garnett (24 points, 11 rebounds) the ball down low, good things usually happen, especially with no Chris Bosh in the lineup for Miami. Paul Pierce scored 23, Rajon Rondo orchestrated everything with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Ray Allen had 10 points and five rebounds. Off the top of my head, I think it was the best single game for those four players this postseason; meaning that they all showed up at the same time in a big way.

LeBron James (34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) scored 16 in the first quarter but the Celtics' collapsing defense was able to limit him the rest of the way. He only took five foul shots (making one) and after hitting every jumper early on, those same shots weren't falling when it mattered. This loss didn't fall on LeBron's thick shoulders though, Dwyane Wade (18 points) no-showed for most of the first three quarters. Mario Chalmers (14 points, 6 assists) and Mike Miller (11 points, 6 rebounds) continued their strong play for Miami.

The Celtics led from start to finish and while their 24-point advantage shrunk to as little as eight points in the fourth quarter, they had them all the way (haha yeah right, I think we all sweated out those last few minutes).

Boston was up 30-28 after the first quarter and 55-42 at halftime thanks to a late 3-pointer by Allen. It would have been even more if not for some easy fastbreak buckets the Heat converted after made shots by the C's. The third quarter has been Miami's jackpot in the playoffs but the Celts didn't allow that to happen (30-21). The Heat made a run in the fourth (28-16) credit to them for not packing it in but a lack of 3-point shooters (5 for 17) really hurt them.

While Game 3 was the most important of the series, the same can now be said for Game 4 on Sunday night (8:30 p.m, ESPN). All Miami wants is one road win and they'll go back to South Beach with a chance to close it out. Not for nothing but Boston is 7-1 at home this postseason and the Heat have lost six of their last seven playoff games at TD Garden (spanning three postseasons).

Without Chris Bosh, the Celts are a deeper and more unselfish team. Tonight was a perfect example of what happens when Rondo, KG, Pierce and Allen are in harmony. Add in some great minutes from Dooling and Daniels and now we have ourselves a series.

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Celtics Beat The Heat For The Third Time In April

Hey, did you ever wonder how the Celtics (minus Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen & Rajon Rondo) would do against the Heat (without LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh)? Me neither but that dumpster fire happened tonight at TD Garden with Boston (38-27, 23-9 home) prevailing 78-66 over Miami (46-19, 18-14 away).

All you need to know about this mostly meaningless game, the second to last one of the regular season, was that Sasha Pavlovic was the game's leading scorer with 16 points. Marquis Daniels (13 points) was the other Celtic to score in double figures. Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley all had eight points while Keyon Dooling and E'Twaun Moore scored seven apiece.

For the Heat, former blob Dexter Pittman had 12 points and James Jones put up 11 off the bench. Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers both scored eight points as well.

I could quibble with why Pierce played tonight (only 18 minutes) but that would make my head hurt too much. My only rationale is that he'll sit out the regular season finale on Thursday against Milwaukee while maybe KG and Rondo will get some run.

The only reason that the Bucks game deserves any mention is that the Celts are only one game behind Atlanta going into their final contests. The Hawks (39-36) host the Mavericks on Thursday night. If Boston wins and Atlanta loses, the C's will have home-court since they own the tiebreaker. Otherwise, they'll have to start their first round series in the ATL.

Tonight and Thursday will serve as a reminder why nobody pays attention to NBA preseason games, they're brutal. Bring on the playoffs!

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No Reason To Fear The Atlanta Hawks

It's that time of year again, when the Celtics willfully tank games to get rest for the Big 4 heading into the playoffs.

Atlanta was the first stop on the 2011-12 tour and the Hawks (38-25, 21-9 home) almost suffered an embarrassing loss but they held on 97-92 over the Celtics (37-27, 15-18 away) earlier tonight at Philips Arena.

Since this was likely a first round playoff preview, the Celtics' bench proved its worth against mostly starters for the Hawks. That should do something for both squads' confidence especially because Boston will have the home court advantage. Still, it's one game so let's not go overboard. Atlanta will be a challenge if they meet but I think that Boston should get by them.

Former Celtic Joe Johnson (30 points, 6 assists) and Josh Smith (19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks) were the only Hawks in double figures.

Avery Bradley led the Green with 28 points, Keyon Dooling (3 of 4 on 3-pointers) had 17 points, Marquis Daniels had 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Brandon Bass scored 10. Ryan Hollins played his most minutes (30) in a Celtics uniform and he responded with eight points and five rebounds as a substitute.

This was the final road game of the regular season, Boston will face Miami (Tuesday) and Milwaukee (Thursday) next week at the Garden. Feel free to sleep until next Saturday when the playoffs begin and don't be fooled into taking tickets to either of those games since you know everyone will be giving them away. I doubt anything remotely interesting with the Celtics will occur between now and then.

Expect to see plenty of JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams, Sasha Pavlovic, Dooling, Daniels and Hollins against the Heat and Bucks. I wouldn't hesitate to rest the Big 4 as much as possible since they are really going to be counted on starting next weekend.

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Orlando Celebrates Big Baby & Von Wafer's Return to Boston By Scoring A Franchise-Low 56 Points

The Boston Celtics only had 10 players available tonight as they hosted the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. A whopping five (Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling and Chris Wilcox) Celtics missed the game due to various injuries.

The Magic (11-5) came in as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conferences and an early surprise in the NBA. In Glen Davis and more importantly Von Wafer's return to Boston, the Celts (7-9) won 87-56 as the Magic did their best to spit on James Naismith's grave.

It was Boston's first win against a .500 team plus it was in the second night of a back-to-back, truly one of the most surprising results in recent Boston sports history.

Orlando set a new franchise record for fewest points in a game, worst shooting percentage (24.6%), fewest points in a half (20 in the 2nd) and total field goals (16). Dwight Howard (18 points, 14 rebounds) was 4 of 15 from the floor and 10 of 18 from the foul line. As far as I can tell, he still hasn't developed any kind of post game that doesn't involve dunks or awkward spin moves that don't work. Well at least he's cleaned up his free throws, oh wait.

Big Baby got a video montage dedicated to him and he proceeded to have a horrid game: six points (2 of 9 shooting) and 11 rebounds off the bench. Wafer had five points off the bench.

Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic (9 points) will be able to tell their grandkids that not only did they start a game for the Celts but they also helped to beat one of the most overrated teams in not only the NBA but professional sports. Orlando hasn't changed their style at all the last few years: surround Howard with a bunch of one-dimensional 3-point shooters. The issue is that when those 3s aren't falling (4 of 16), they have nobody that can drive and get to the line (or in Howard's case, make free throws).

Paul Pierce had another solid game with 19 points and seven assists. Kevin Garnett added 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals while Jermaine O'Neal had nine rebounds and took three charges. Ex-Magic forward Brandon Bass had 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench while Marquis Daniels finally looked like himself with eight points and five assists.

Boston shot 42.3% from the field and hit all 19 of its free throws. The Celts grabbed two more rebounds (46-44), had nine more assists (21-12), eight more steals (13-5), three more blocks (9-6) and eight less turnovers (23-15). The C's owned fast break points (11-4), points in the paint (34-16) and points off turnovers (24-6).

In a weird scheduling quirk, these same teams meet again on Thursday in Orlando. I'm going to guess that the Magic will score a few more points the second time around. There is absolutely no way that Orlando can play worse so I'll be impressed if Boston can beat them again in the second of three meetings this season.

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Pietrus Says He'll Debut For Celtics On Wednesday Against The Dallas Mavericks

It's only eight games into the 66-game 2011-12 NBA season for the Boston Celtics but they were due for some good news.

Already as a fan of the team, I can feel my excitement level for them declining with each poor effort and signs of aging. Getting Mickael Pietrus on the court isn't going to transform the C's from an Eastern Conference wannabe to a contender but at least it's a positive development.

Speaking to the local media for the first time today after practice, Pietrus declared himself ready to make his debut on Wednesday when the Celtics (4-4) host the defending champion Dallas Mavericks (4-5 with a game tomorrow in Detroit) at TD Garden.

Assuming he's healthy and at least a fair representation of himself, Pietrus should give an immediate lift to Boston's up and down second unit. Right now, Keyon Dooling is their only guy that can hit 3-pointers off the bench. Likewise, Marquis Daniels is the only decent defender with some size. Pietrus has the ability to do both of those things along with providing energy and athleticism.

Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to how he'll perform on his new team but at least it is something to look forward to regarding the Celtics. Otherwise, I can't see many other reasons to get our hopes up about this squad that currently appears destined for another early-round playoff exit.

The Mavs game is the start of four straight against four of the better teams in the NBA (Dallas, Chicago, Indiana and Oklahoma City). How the Celtics fare in those four contests should tell us plenty in terms of whether they will be a threat in the Eastern Conference or just battling for the fourth or fifth spot.

In other Celtics news today, Jeff Green had his heart surgery this morning and all reports say it went well.

"Surgery went well, he had surgery today -- they're saying it went great," Rivers said. "Obviously our thoughts, our prayers and every part of our being is with Jeff right now.

"The second news we want to hear is that he'll be able to play again. That would be terrific. I don't care if it's with us -- I want it to be with us -- [but] I just want him to. Really, at the end of the day, that's what we want."

Best wishes to Jeff, I hope to see him back on a basketball court soon, especially for the Celtics.

UPDATE 1/10: Doc said at practice today that Pietrus will play tomorrow while Daniels is expected to miss the game with flu-like symptoms.

UPDATE 1/11: Pietrus and Daniels will play while E'Twaun Moore will backup Rondo. On the other side, former Celtic Delonte West will start for the injured Jason Kidd.

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Marquis Daniels Appears To Be Returning To The Celtics For The 2011-12 Season

According to the Boston Globe, the Boston Celtics are "very close" to bringing swingman Marquis Daniels (on a one-year deal) back for his third season with the Green.

Last year was a bizarre one for Daniels since he suffered a scary spinal cord injury Feb. 6 against the Orlando Magic. He was traded to Sacramento before the deadline for a 2017 draft pick (haha really) but he never played a game for the Kings.

Daniels' health is always the biggest issue, he missed a bunch of games in 2009-10 due to a thumb injury. However, since he's been here before, he is capable of jumping in and contributing much faster than other veterans that have never played under Doc Rivers and with the Big Three.

Daniels can play three positions (both guard positions and small forward) and he's an outstanding defender. Best of all, he's 30-years-old (going into his ninth NBA season) so he should have something left in his legs. Haha on the Celts, he'd be one of their younger guys and more importantly, he'd anchor the bench which at the moment is basically non-existent.

In other news with Training Camp beginning tomorrow in Waltham, undrafted rookie guard Gilbert Brown (Pitt) is expected to be there. The C's thought about drafting him in June but when he went undrafted, they kept in touch with Brown and his agent. His strengths are defense and his size for a guard. He could definitely make the team as one of the last guys on the bench.

Veteran guard Keyon Dooling (who averaged 7 points, 3 assists last season with the Bucks) and big guy Michael Sweetney have also been mentioned as names that could turn up tomorrow in Celtics practice gear. Dooling has reportedly been obtained for a future second round pick of the Celtics.

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The NBA Trade Deadline is Danny Ainge's favorite day of the year

Just like any other normal day, I went to Planet Fitness this afternoon. Thinking that with very few tradeable assets and a true championship contender roster (when healthy) the Celtics wouldn't make much noise before the trade deadline (3pm today) proved to be one of my worst predictions in a while.

In a series of three separate moves, the Celts shipped away five players and got only two in return. Wait what?

At first blush, seeing Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson go to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, cash and the Clippers 2012 first round pick was shocking and I have to say that I didn't like it. However, upon further review I feel like you have to trust Ainge since he's been able to make other solid (albeit not as big) deals before and after (buyouts) the trade deadline in past seasons.

In addition, Luke Harangody and Semih Erden were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 2013 second round pick. And finally, Marquis Daniels (who probably won't play this season due to his spinal injury) was sent to the Sacramento Kings for cash considerations and a protected second round pick in 2017 (haha really).

Whew and I thought the Bruins were the ones making moves before their trade deadline (next Monday).

Perkins is by far the biggest loss for Boston. He's their defensive stopper who's capable of guarding Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, etc. It makes you scratch your head since now the Cs will have to rely on Shaq or Jermaine O'Neal (don't hold your breath on that) along with Krstic who's not known for his defense.

For the time being, they called up Chris Johnson (2nd year 6-11 center from LSU) from the D-League since they only had eight players in Denver for their game vs. the Nuggets.

You always want to get the best player in a trade, not giving him up and it's obvious that in Jeff Green, the Celtics did so. He was drafted by Boston with the fifth pick in 2007 but then quickly shipped to Seattle for Ray Allen. We all know how that story ended up.

Green is young (24), big (6-9) and versatile. This was a move with the future in mind, a tough balance when you're trying to get Banner 18 this season. As my friend said, having Rondo and Green in a few years is much better than just Rondo and Perk. Plus, Perk's contract was going to be up after this season and I have to assume that the Celtics tried to re-sign him but couldn't so they wanted to get something in return while they could.

Losing Robinson isn't a big deal. Aside from a few playoff games last season, he never really had any consistent play. He's fun to watch but if they made a deal, you knew he would be involved. I'm also bummed to see Erden and Harangody go since they're both young players who could turn out pretty good but again, who else could they trade?

Daniels might still return next season. With two roster spots left, what does Ainge do? Troy Murphy, Leon Powe, James Posey and Richard Hamilton are names that have all been mentioned for buyouts. Murphy seems most likely and he would be a good fit: he averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds last season so he can't be completely washed up. Who knows how much Powe or Posey have left? Rip can still play but I don't see how Boston can afford him.

Got all that? It's going to take some time to digest these moves but one thing's for sure: Danny Ainge has the biggest balls in the world. The anti-Peter Chiarelli if you will. Rather than hemming or hawing for years about minor players, Ainge completely surprises you. Let's hope the Mormon is right again.

We'll miss you Perk.

Without Tyreke Evans, the Sacramento Kings might as well fold

Since I didn't have to work last night (thanks snowpocalypse), it was the first time in ages (outside of attending) that I was able to watch a Boston Celtics game from start to finish. My usual routine of catching the game on DVR later that night or the next morning wasn't necessary.

I can't say that it was a classic or particularly memorable contest since the Sacramento Kings came to the TD Garden without star point guard Tyreke Evans in the lineup. Kevin Garnett is still out but it didn't matter as the Celtics (29-9) rolled to an easy 119-95 victory.

Paul Pierce had 25 points in 27 minutes, Ray Allen had 14 points, Rajon Rondo posted 10 points and 13 assists and Glen Davis scored 12 points but the story was the bench which got ample minutes.

For the first time I can ever remember, four subs scored in double-figures. Nate Robinson finally had a good shooting night with 16 points, Von Wafer and Marquis Daniels had 12 points while Semih Erden dusted off the cobwebs and notched 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Kings (8-28) were led by sub Carl Landry (17 points), no idea why he doesn't start. Beno Udrih had 16 points while Samuel Dalembert scored 12 points and Eugene Jeter notched 10 points.

This one was close in the first half but there was never any doubt that Sacramento would fade at some point. Boston was up 28-22 after one quarter and 57-49 at halftime.

The Celts outscored the Kings 33-18 in the third quarter and 29-28 in the fourth quarter.

Both teams shot well: Boston 52.1% and Sacramento 51.4%. The Cs made a season-high 12 3-pointers (10 more than the Kings) but Sacramento made 14 more free throws (21-7). Boston had one more rebound (38-37) and ten more assists (29-19). Nine more steals (16-7) led to easy buckets for the Celtics while the Kings had twice as many blocks (6-3). It's completely predictable that a young, bad team had more turnovers (23-14) and the Celts had 14 more points in the paint (56-42).

Boston will try to get a win streak started tomorrow night as they host the Charlotte Bobcats. The Celtics typically own the Bobcats but Charlotte has been playing well since head coach Larry Brown left and Paul Silas took over.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is why I was excited when the Boston Celtics signed Marquis Daniels in 2009

Marquis Daniels got off to a good start last season (his first with the Boston Celtics) but then injuries and inconsistent minutes led to him being buried on the bench by the end of the season and especially in the playoffs.

Fast forward to this season and outside of Glen Davis (the de facto center with Shaq/the Ghost of Jermaine O'Neal out constantly), I'd say that Daniels has become the Celtics' most important reserve. He's quiet but he lets his countless tattoos and solid, versatile all-around game speak for themselves.

With Rajon Rondo out for the fifth straight game and my Twitter buddy Nate Robinson playing terribly, it was up to Daniels last night to take over and change the complexion of the game as the Celts (24-5) won 95-83 over the Indiana Pacers (13-16) at Conseco Fieldhouse (isn't it precious that the lemmings of Indiana call their NBA building a Fieldhouse?).

In 31 minutes, Daniels had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal as he took advantage of the six inches he had over Pacers point guard T.J. Ford.

Indiana was ahead by small margins for most of the game but since they're not very good, you had a funny feeling that the Celts would turn it on at some point, particularly coming off their bad performance on Christmas vs. the Magic.

Paul Pierce had a game-high 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Ray Allen scored 17 and Kevin Garnett added 11 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Davis posted 14 points off the bench, Shaq had nine points before fouling out for the second straight game and Robinson had eight points despite receiving six stitches above his eye after butting heads with Mike Dunleavy (9 points).

Brandon Rush led Indiana with 17 points and seven rebounds. Star Danny Granger was held to 15 points on 5 of 21 shooting. Darren Collison (10 points) was the only other Pacer to score in double figures.

The Pacers jumped out to a 26-19 lead after one quarter and were up 47-45 at halftime. Boston cut it to one point after three quarters (67-66) before doing work in the fourth quarter (29-16).

For the game, Boston shot 50.7% to Indiana's 37.2%. Neither team made many 3-pointers (6-5 Boston), the Pacers hit five more free throws (20-15) and grabbed two more rebounds (41-39). Three more assists (18-15) and four more blocks (5-1) were enough for the Celtics to walk away with the win, likely the start of another win streak.

Tonight the Cs are in Detroit to take on the hapless Pistons. Boston pounded them early in the season (Nov. 2) and even though this is a back to back (ie. meaning any wacky shit can happen in the NBA), I expect more of the same.

Nets no match for Celtics on an NFL Sunday

It was nice of the New Jersey Nets to completely lay down yesterday afternoon as they hosted the Boston Celtics at a time and day reserved for NFL football and nothing else.

Rajon Rondo didn't play and Shaquille O'Neal only got some run in the first half but none of that mattered as the Celts (16-4) rolled to a 100-75 victory at the Prudential Center.

Nate Robinson led Boston with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. In extended minutes off the bench, Glen Davis added 16 points and nine rebounds while Marquis Daniels notched 10 points. In total, the bench scored 42 points (which has to be a season high). Von Wafer had eight points and Avery Bradley looked like a serviceable NBA player at least defensively.

Kevin Garnett had another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds while Ray Allen notched 13 points.

Jordan Farmar led the Nets (6-15) with 16 points, off the bench no less. Anthony Morrow was the only New Jersey starter that scored double-digits (10 points) and rookie Derrick Favors had 10 points off the bench.

This barely resembled an NBA game, the Celtics figure to be challenged more on Wednesday night when they host the Denver Nuggets, one of the most Jekyll and Hyde teams around.

Our economy is based on LeBron James

You can't blame the poor, miserable souls of Cleveland and their NBA team from overlooking last night's game against the Boston Celtics.

Naturally, with LeBron James' first return to town scheduled for Thursday night, you can understand why the locals are gathering the pitch forks and flaming torches.

Sure the Celtics (13-4) waxed the Cavaliers (7-10) 106-87 last night at Quicken Loans Arena but nobody cares about that. How will they react to LeBron, that's all anybody is talking about.

So it goes with a franchise that was kicked to the curb by its homegrown superstar. Even in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland will struggle to make the playoffs, they just don't have that much above average (if any) talent.

Rajon Rondo led the Celts with 23 points and 12 assists. Two other Cs had double-doubles: Glen Davis 17 points, 11 rebounds off the bench and Kevin Garnett 11 points, 10 rebounds, who shook off a major scare when he stepped on Paul Pierce's foot and twisted his right ankle.

Marquis Daniels had his best game of the season with 16 points, Ray Allen added 12 points and Pierce had 11 points.

Anderson Varejao, Sideshow Bob's bastard son, led the Cavs with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Daniel Gibson (16 points) and Ramon Sessions (14 points) had big games off the bench for Cleveland which is now strictly a jump shooting team, always a recipe for mediocrity. Mo Williams and Anthony Parker both notched 13 points.

Things started out well for the Cavs as they jumped out to a 12-4 lead but Boston immediately responded and only trailed 23-21 after one quarter. At halftime, the Green were up 56-45 so you knew which way this one was going.

Cleveland is so bad that they couldn't even take advantage of the Celtics in the second half like most other teams. Boston won the third quarter (24-20) and fourth quarter (26-22), drive home safely Cavs fans.

Boston shot 50.6% to Cleveland's 39.0%. The Cavs made five more free throws (18-13) but the Celts had four more rebounds (49-45) and most importantly 10 more assists (29-19). Would you believe me if I told you that Boston outscored Cleveland 60-26 in the paint? True story.

The Celts return to Boston tonight to host the Portland Trailblazers at the TD Garden, who lost last night in Philly so they'll be smarting from losing to such a terrible team.

Only in Boston would Brian Scalabrine get a standing ovation

At a jaded 27 years old, it takes a lot to surprise me these days. However, I was at the Celtics-Bulls game last night at the TD Garden and I have to say that I was shocked at what I heard from the Massholes around me.

Former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau was back in town for the first time as Chicago's head coach. Along with him was former Celtics joker Brian Scalabrine. Naturally, when they were both introduced on the HD scoreboard with tribute videos, Thibodeau didn't get much of a reaction (even though he deserved it, since he was the defensive mastermind of the last couple seasons) while Scal (one of the most useless players in the NBA, albeit a funny, self-aware one) received a standing ovation.

Yikes. I guess all you can say is the the pink hats that have taken over Red Sox games at Fenway Park, have found their way to the Garden when the weather gets cold. I don't think it was about being ironic too, no, no, people genuinely thought Scal deserved the applause. Is this real life?

Anyways, it was a hell of a game as the Celts (5-1) won 110-105 in overtime.

Much like the Hawks, the Bulls (2-3) are one of those teams that for whatever reason, matches up well with the C's. Surprisingly, it wasn't even all about Derrick Rose (18 points, 9 assists) although he had his highlights. Joakim Noah had a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Luol Deng added 20 points and six rebounds while Taj Gibson notched 18 points and seven rebounds.

Ray Allen led Boston with 25 points, including a rare dunk in OT. Kevin Garnett added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 points, Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 11 assists while Paul Pierce was off all night with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The bench was the story though for the C's as Glen Davis (15 points), Marquis Daniels (13 points) and Nate Robinson (7 points) outscored Chicago's bench 37-19.

The Bulls led 23-19 after an ugly first quarter but the Celtics exploded in the second quarter (30-15) for a 49-38 lead. Boston increased their lead up to 16 in the third quarter before the inevitable Bulls run (26-23 Chicago third quarter). It seemed like Chicago couldn't miss in the fourth quarter (32-24) and as a result, it went to overtime. The Bulls actually had the ball on the last possession with a chance to win it but Rondo knocked it away from Rose.

Boston goes to Oklahoma City tomorrow night, the tough start of a four-game road trip.

The most hyped season opener in NBA history was great theater

It's only fitting that a league that is basically built on glitz and glamour (style over substance) would have a season opener last night that was more suited to be an NBA Finals game.

In the debut of the Miami Heat's new big three (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh), the Boston Celtics showed that their older Big 3 still has something left in the tank.

The Celts (1-0) got up by as much 19 points but held off a furious Heat (0-1) rally to win 88-80 at a sold out TD Garden.

Thinking that the Heat would be a finished product immediately was beyond dumb and Boston proved that teamwork, defense and depth are more important than star power and Q ratings.

The best player on the court had four points. His name is Rajon Rondo and while he still doesn't shoot 3s or can't consistently hit jumpers, he is one of the top point guards in a league full of them (Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, etc.).

Rondo had 17 assists (or two more than the Heat as a team) while Ray Allen (20 points), Paul Pierce (19 points) and Kevin Garnett (10 points, 10 rebounds) displayed the chemistry they've forged over three plus seasons together.

LeBron had a game-high 31 points but Wade was the only other Heat in double-figures (with 13 points on a pathetic 4-for-16 shooting).

Mike Miller, their sixth man, being out for the first few months is a huge setback for Miami since bums Joel Anthony and Carlos Arroyo started last night. Udonis Haslem and Eddie House (8 points apiece) were the top options off the bench and this is supposed to be a championship team?

Boston's marquee pickup, Shaq, did pretty much what you'd expect in his Green debut: nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. He had a couple sweet dunks off assists from Rondo (an alley-oop and a two-handed slam when he trailed on a fastbreak).

Glen Davis (13 points, 5 rebounds) was huge off the bench for the Celts and even Marquis Daniels had eight points, showing his fine preseason might not have been a mirage. This was all without Delonte West, serving his 10-game suspension, who will surely be one of their top reserves.

The first quarter must have made Dr. James Naismith roll over in his grave as Boston led 16-9. The Celts was up 45-30 at the half but in the NBA, every team makes a run and double-digit leads in the first half mean nothing.

LeBron heated up and Miami made it a game with a strong third quarter (27-18). Boston squeezed out the fourth quarter (27-25) with Pierce knocking down two clutch 3-pointers and three free throws after he was fouled taking another 3. Allen hit 3-pointer that was the real dagger with 30 seconds left, which put the C's up 86-80.

Boston shot 46.4% to Miami's 36.5%. The Celts had only three more rebounds (42-39) but ten more assists (25-15) thanks to Rondo.

I'd love to see the Heat crash and burn but the NBA revolves around its stars and they'll be fine. If they can stay healthy (a huge if with this bunch of old-timers), the Celts should go deep into the playoffs once again.

Seems like the offseason was over in the blink of an eye since the Celts went seven games with the Lakers in an epic NBA Finals but it's nice to have this fun, well-coached team back.

Boston goes to Cleveland tonight for the Cavs' first regular season game post-LeBron.

Michael Finley and your grandpa had some crazy times back in the day

The Boston Celtics have become the definition of front-runners. They beat up on the scrubs in the NBA (most of whom reside in the Eastern Conference) and then they choke time and again against good teams and playoff contenders.

They rolled over the woeful Detroit Pistons last night 119-93 at the TD Garden and I think it's safe to say that Bill Laimbeer is rolling over in his grave.

This game was never close as Boston (42-24) was up 31-15 after the first quarter and 64-35 at halftime.

It was a nice reminder of why once March Madness comes around, any sane basketball fan forgets about the NBA for a few weeks.

Seven Celtics scored in double figures and two others had eight points. The newest Celtics Michael Finley had 15 points off the bench while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen also scored 15 in limited time. Kevin Garnett added 14 points and eight rebounds, Glen Davis had 13 points off the bench while Kendrick Perkins and Marquis Daniels notched 11. Rasheed Wallace and Glen Robinson both scored eight points.

Poor Richard Hamilton (14 points) and Tayshaun Prince. Detroit (23-44) is a complete mess and those two great veterans are stuck on a rebuilding team going nowhere fast. Prince left the game early after teammate Jason Maxiell (11 points, 10 rebounds) kneed him in the back.

Will Bynum had 16 points and 7 assists for the Pistons, Jonas Jerebko added 10 points while DaJuan Summers (12 points) and Ben Gordon (11 points) showed pulses off the bench.

The C's shot 62.2% as a team with nine more rebounds (36-27) and double the amount of assists as Detroit (34-17).

Tomorrow night will probably be another laugher as the Knicks come to the Garden for a St. Patrick's Day beatdown Southie style.

Hope you guys had fun at the Saints parade

With Chris Paul, the NBA's best point guard, the New Orleans Hornets are still a fringe playoff team in the loaded Western Conference. Without him, they're not very good at all but don't tell that to the Celtics, who made them look like world-beaters last night in still drunk New Orleans.

Whatever the excuse: last game before the All-Star break, the players went to the Saints parade and weren't focused, we're aging faster than low-level porn stars, there's no reason that the C's (32-18) should have choked away a 12-point halftime lead and lost to the Hornets (28-25), 93-85.

How bad was it? Morris Peterson had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie point guard Darren Collison dominated (despite 10 turnovers) with 25 points, nine assists and four steals while Peja Stojakovic added 20 points, David West had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Darius Songaila notched 12 points off the bench.

The only four Celtics that came to play were Marquis Daniels (14 points), Tony Allen (13 points, starting for Ray Allen who sat out with back spasms), Rasheed Wallace (13 points) and Glen Davis (9 points in his return home).

Boston head coach Doc Rivers made the puzzling decision to play Paul Pierce despite the fact that he's banged up and clearly needs some rest. Pierce rewarded that terrible move with 15 points and eight turnovers. And even better news is that he wants to compete in the All-Star game this weekend in Dallas. Obviously, you don't expend much energy in an All-Star game but what's the point? It's not like it's in Boston or he's never made one before.

Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett simultaneously had their worst games of the season as they both only scored seven points. Is Kendrick Perkins still alive? Yeah? Does he still play for the C's? The guy that has been masquerading as him lately has been a joke and last night was exhibit A as Perk had three points and seven rebounds against Emeka Okafor, who is terrible in the NBA.

New Orleans was up 29-27 after the first quarter but Boston doubled them up 28-14 in the second quarter to take a 55-43 halftime lead. I don't know what it is but they could not play any worse in the third quarter these days if they tried. I don't know if they're doing shots in the locker room, having some strippers come in or what but they are lifeless in third quarters.

True to form, the Hornets blew them out 29-12 in the third quarter and 21-18 in the fourth.

Rondo, Garnett and Pierce travelled to Dallas after the game and the rest of the team might as well walk home. They start an exceptionally tough four game West Coast trip next week starting with the Kings on Tuesday night. The Celtics need a break and I also would like a respite from this garbage.

The Celtics can't beat good teams, simple as that

Remember when the Celtics consistently beat the NBA's best teams? On the road, at home, back-to-back, it didn't matter.

Times have changed as the Celts are still a good team but right now, nobody can say that they're great.

Thanks to a coma in the third quarter (36-11), Boston (32-17) choked away an 11-point halftime lead and lost to the Orlando Magic (34-17) 96-89 yesterday afternoon at the TD Garden.

That wrapped up the season series with the Magic taking it 3-1. Overall, the Celtics are 1-7 against Orlando and Atlanta this season, two teams they are very likely to see in the playoffs.

Vince Carter led Orlando with 20 points and Dwight Howard battled foul trouble but still managed 16 points and 13 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 15 points, Rashard Lewis scored 14 points and Matt Barnes added 11 points.

Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple double with 17 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Ray Allen added 14 points, Kevin Garnett had 13 points and nine rebounds while Paul Pierce scored 13 after missing the last two games.

Key reserve Marquis Daniels after missing just over two months of action and scored eight points off the bench.

Boston led 24-23 after the first quarter and 51-40 at halftime in one of their best halves of the season. Of course, they juxtaposed this with their usual third quarter/second half meltdown.

The C's outscored the Magic 27-20 in the fourth and cut it down to five points but it was too late. A 19-0 Orlando run in the third quarter, thanks to some great outside shooting, put them in control for the rest of the contest.

Boston has one more game before the All-Star break as they travel to New Orleans (good timing) on Wednesday night to play the Hornets minus star point guard Chris Paul.

Celtics get back to shitting on the rest of the NBA

With three days off between games after a brutal eight games in twelve days stretch to open the season, the Celts predictably threw a beating on the Utah Jazz 105-86 last night at the TD Garden.

Seven Celtics scored in double-figures as Boston (8-1) continued to look like the team to beat in not only the Eastern Conference but the NBA as a whole.

Kevin Garnett led the C's with 18 points while Ray Allen (15 points), Rajon Rondo (14 points, 11 assists), Paul Pierce (13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), Rasheed Wallace (12 points), Kendrick Perkins (10 points, 8 rebounds) and Marquis Daniels (10 points) all provided great support.

This might be the deepest team in the NBA or at least one of the deepest and it showed as Utah (3-5) could not keep up with all the talent Celtics coach Doc Rivers kept putting on the court.

Deron Williams and Ronnie Brewer paced the Jazz with 13 points apiece while Andrei Kirilenko (12 points) and Carlos Boozer (10 points) were the only other Jazz players to score over 10.

Boston led 28-23 after one quarter and 54-44 at the half. A fine third quarter (30-18) allowed Rivers to sit the starters.

The shooting was on point all night for the Celts as they shot 53.2% and 16-of-18 from the line. They also had 30 assists to go with 15 turnovers. Utah's assist/turnover ratio was under one since they had 18 assists and 21 turnovers.

The Atlanta Hawks come to the Garden tomorrow night to renew the intense rivalry that started in the playoffs two seasons ago.