Everything Is Coming Up Celtics These Days As Al Horford Signs A Two-Year Extension With Them

 

    While the Patriots (6-6) stumble and try to stay somewhat relevant this winter, the Celtics (an NBA best 18-4) and Bruins (19-3-0, one point behind NJ-who has played two more games-for the top mark in the NHL) are both off to incredible starts to their respective seasons. That is actually one of the main reasons why I haven't written about either so far in these ridiculous campaigns: they have been mostly blowing everyone out so that gets pretty redundant and boring to discuss. Today at least brought some interesting off the court news for the C's as they signed veteran center Al Horford to a two-year contract extension worth $20 million. His numbers so far in 2022-23 are probably better than you realized: in 31 minutes per game, he's averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 blocks. He is also shooting almost 50% on three-pointers (48.8%) which is way above his career average from downtown (36.6%). 

    With news of the Ime Udoka scandal breaking right before training camp started, you wondered how it would affect the team but so far first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla's transition has been seamless thanks to his absolutely loaded roster. By NBA standards, Al is already very old (he turned 36 during the NBA Finals last summer) and this deal will tie him to the C's through his 39th birthday in 2025. While that might seem a little crazy, if you have watched the Celts lately, you noticed that Horford is still a starting caliber player on an NBA title favorite. With fellow big man Robert Williams perpetually hurt and/or coming back from an injury, you need to have a legitimate backup plan for him since I doubt that he will ever play anything close to a full season. Enter Horford who was a Hawk for nine seasons (after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 Draft) then he initially came here in free agency in 2016. After three good years, he briefly went to the Sixers followed by a short but miserable stay with the constantly rebuilding Thunder.

    When Brad Stevens reacquired him for next to nothing two summers ago, we all laughed thinking that Horford was completely washed up but he has proven everybody wrong by putting together a really nice return season with the Celtics culminating in his first ever NBA Finals apperance. He is too old to play in back-to-back games (like earlier this week) but who cares? Al provides stability and leadership to a team that still needs it despite the fact that Jayson Tatum has become one of the best players in the league and Jaylen Brown is an All-Star caliber player as well. With so many big personalities (and egos), every locker room needs a Horford-a calming presence on the floor and no doubt behind the scenes as well. Other than winning that elusive NBA title, he has done and seen almost everything when it comes to the game of basketball.

    Of course, this being the Celtics and Boston in general, this what looks to be absurd regular season for the C's won't really mean anything if they don't go back to the Finals and complete the job that they weren't quite ready to do last summer against Golden State. Few players ever get that storybook ending in pro sports but it seems well within Horford's grasp meaning that the Celtics could finally earn another banner and therefore he would retire on top. Until then, we should appreciate the maturity, classiness and sheer dependability of Horford who seems to be unique in many positive ways when it comes to the normally drama filled NBA. Al appears to genuinely like being a Celtic too and from what we can tell, he enjoys playing here which you also cannot put a price tag on.

The Most Interesting Guy In The NBA (Enes Kanter) Returns To The Celtics On A One-Year Deal

 

    On day three of free agency in the NBA, I think that most realistic Celtics fans (granted that's an oxymoron) like myself have come to accept that they have absolutely no intention of making any big moves this summer. Instead, it's all about freeing up money for next offseason where they can hopefully take a run at Jayson Tatum's best friend Bradley Beal among other available stars. Sigh. Until then, last time that I checked they still have a season to play in 2021-2022 so at least the C's threw us a little bit of a bone this afternoon as Brad Stevens & Co. reportedly agreed to a one-year contract for $2.7 million (the veteran's minimum for a guy that's played 10+ seasons in the league) with center Enes Kanter. 

    You might remember him from his brief time in Boston two seasons ago before he spent last season with Portland (for the second time in his NBA career). Kanter is from Turkey and his feud with his homeland's crooked government has resulted in numerous death threats to both him and some of his family members but you have to respect that unlike most people these days, he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. In fact, he got barred from traveling to Canada (so no road games against the Raptors) but that didn't stop him from doing stuff like going to a Black Lives Matter rally in Boston when he was with the C's. Many other famous people should take note of how he rightly uses his platform as a professional athlete to speak out against the numerous injustices in the world. 

    On the court, Kanter fills an obvious void for a team that lacks size and not surprisingly often struggles to rebound as a result. Even though he is 29-years-old and a journeyman (this is the 5th different NBA team that he's played for), Kanter is one of the best rebounders in the league. Last season with the Blazers, he averaged 11.2 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game-tied for the most in his career and the fourth time that he's averaged double-digit boards and double-digit points in the same season. For his career, he's averaged 11.5 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 54.8% from the field and 77.6% on free throws. It is a little surprising that he wanted to come back here since Boston in 2019-20 was one of the worst seasons in his NBA life: 8.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game in just 16.9 minutes per game. The only two worse years were his first two in the league with Utah when he was 19 and 20-years-old so he obviously gets a pass for that. 

    You would figure that Robert Williams will be the starting center for the Celts next season but all he's proven in the NBA is that he gets hurt all the time between his flashes of brilliance. With Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic missing most of last season with injuries, Kanter ended up playing way more in his Portland return than probably he or the team had expected him to. He proved during that time that he can still be a starter in spurts as he used to be with Utah, Oklahoma City and New York. He even set a career-high with a 30-rebound performance (12 offensive and 18 defensive boards!) on April 10 in a win against the Pistons. Follow him on social media and you will soon discover that Kanter is one of the most likable people in all of sports; that might not mean much for Boston's win-loss record next season but at least he will make things a little more fun as the C's try to get back on the right track.

In Brad Stevens' First Move In His New Role With The Celtics, He Flips Kemba Walker For Al Horford

 

    The Celtics offseason began two weeks ago but you could say that it officially got underway this morning as new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens (in Danny Ainge's old job) made a pretty significant trade: Boston swapped point guard Kemba Walker, the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and a 2025 second-round pick to Oklahoma City for center Al Horford (remember him?!), center Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick. Wow, take a breath. More than simply an exchange of aging players and draft picks, this was about saving some money for the Celts and getting out from under Kemba's awful contract (he's owed roughly $73 million over the next two years). Of course, the C's also had to take on Horford's brutal deal (he's due to make $53 million with $41 million guaranteed in the next two years as well) to make it all work.  

    Before I get into Walker and Horford some more, let me be the first to say that Brown might actually be the most valuable player from this trade in only a year or two. He's 21 years old and he just wrapped up his second season in the NBA averaging 8.6 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game. No doubt, Stevens must have remembered when Brown absolutely torched the Celtics for 21 points and 23 rebounds back on March 27 in Oklahoma City. At 7-foot-2 and 245 pounds, Brown figures to get a legitimate shot at center or at least backup center which have both been somewhat of a black hole for years for the Celtics. As it stands right now, he'd be competing with the likes of Horford (a shell of his former shelf), Robert Williams (always hurt), Tristan Thompson (loves the night life), Luke Kornet (goofy white guy) and Tacko Fall (fan favorite side show) for minutes at center. Also, Brown was undrafted out of UCLA and he has only played for the tanking Thunder so being in (what hopefully is) a winning environment should bring out the best in him. 

    Even if you didn't go to UConn or at least root for the Huskies, you had to love Walker dating back to his college days. He used to be an electrifying guard but injuries really derailed his brief two year stay here in Boston. After missing a grand total of 45 games in eight years with the Hornets, Kemba was out for 16 games his first year with the C's and 29 this past season. He's still only 31 but he has a ton of mileage on his gimpy left knee that forced him to fittingly miss the last two games (Games 4 and 5 vs. Brooklyn) with Boston. In 2020-21, he still averaged 19.3 points per game and 4.9 assists per game but he's never been a great 3-point shooter (36% in his NBA career) and his on-court chemistry with Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown was always sort of lacking something. It sounds like he won't be with the rebuilding Thunder for too long though so hopefully he gets to play for a quality team to wrap up his great NBA career on a true contender. He seems like an awesome guy so we wish Kemba nothing but success in the future. 

    You have to laugh at the irony of one Celtics free agent flop (Kemba) essentially being replaced by another free agent who willfully chose to leave the team two years ago but since then he's bounced around from the Sixers to OKC and now he returns to the C's at the ripe old age of 35. Does Al have much left in the tank after 14 seasons in the NBA? Probably not, you'll remember that Oklahoma City paid him to sit out for much of last season (what a life!) since they were you know trying to lose as many games as possible. In the 28 games he did play in 2020-21, he averaged 14.2 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game. More than anything, I think Horford's biggest role moving forward is to be the leader that this group so desperately lacked last season. It also cannot hurt that such a respected veteran around the league at least appears to be genuinely excited to return to Boston where he had played for three seasons from 2016/2017-2018/2019. The Celts need all the recruiting help that they can get when it comes to free agency because unfortunately they will always be fighting an uphill battle against much more attractive markets for NBA stars like Los Angeles, Miami or New York and Brooklyn just to name a few.

The Celtics Hit Rock Bottom With A Sickening 119-115 Loss At The Garden To The Tanking Thunder

 

    You could try but it would be hard to come up with a much more depressing single game result than what happened to the rudderless Celtics (32-30 overall, 19-12 home) this evening at the TD Garden. They somehow found a way to lose to one of the worst teams in the NBA-the Thunder (21-41 overall, 12-20 away)-by a score of 119-115. Yes, three of Boston's best players-Jayson Tatum (ankle), Kemba Walker (oblique) and Robert Williams (knee)-were all out but I don't care, if you consider yourself to be a contender let alone a playoff team, you can't lose to a bottom feeder outfit that entered with a 14-game losing streak and on the second night of a back-to-back. I'm pretty sure that mild-mannered Celts head coach Brad Stevens doesn't drink (of course not) but I wouldn't blame him for getting hammered tonight to forget about this loser squad of his. 

    Oklahoma City has been sitting many of their best players for weeks (to get the best draft position possible) so you have to be a truly hardcore NBA fan to name more than a few of the nobodies currently playing for the Thunder. They were led by swingman Luguentz Dort (team-high 24 points), power forward Darius Bazley had a double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) and seven-footer Aleksej Pokusevski (12 points, 6 rebounds) who somehow weighs under 200 pounds. Off the bench, center Isaiah Roby added 15 points and seven rebounds while shooting guard Ty Jerome also scored 15 points. The Thunder are a G-League team so they obviously gave the C's plenty of chances to come away with the win (27 turnovers!) but Boston could do nothing consistently except brick 3-pointers (11-of-49 for 22.4%) over and over. 

    There were only three Celtics that showed anything that resembled professionalism: shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 39 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals), rookie guard Payton Pritchard who scored a career-high 28 points in 33 minutes off the bench and center Luke Kornet (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) who was another bright spot as a reserve. Guard Marcus Smart (14 points, 6 assists, 5 steals) had one of his patented brutal shooting performances (4-for-17 including 1-of-10 on 3-pointers) which always seem to come at the most opportune times. Swingman Evan Fournier (11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals) was similarly terrible when it came to putting the ball in the basket: 4-for-14 from the field and 2-of-9 on 3-pointers. 

    Boston has dropped its last three games in a row and they are right back at it tomorrow night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at home against Charlotte (30-31 overall, 14-18 away) who not only kicked their ass on Sunday but they are only a game and a half behind the C's with a game in hand. I hate to say it but this season just has to end for the Celtics before they do anything else like tonight's dreadful showing. Something major has to change with this team over the summer because they are not going anywhere with this current toxic mix of players and coaches. 

The C's Won The Second Game Of A Back-To-Back For The First Time in Seven Tries, 111-94 In OKC

 

    Let's just say that when Boston (23-23 overall, 10-16 road) trailed Oklahoma City (19-26 overall, 8-14 home) by four points (80-76) going into the fourth quarter tonight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, I wasn't expecting them to blow out the Thunder. Whatever the cause, the Celtics closed with their best final frame of the season including a 19-0 run-outscoring OKC 35-14-on their way to a 111-94 win that brought them back to the .500 mark. Boston's pair of All-Stars-swingman Jayson Tatum (game-high 27 points, 5 rebounds) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (23 points) were the best players on the court all night which isn't saying much against a club that couldn't care less about winning at this point of a rebuilding season. On the off chance that you watched any of this, I'm certain you'll remember it for one thing only: center Luke Kornet dropping eight points (including a pair of 3-pointers) and five rebounds in 13 electric minutes off of Boston's bench. 

    Plenty of other guys stepped up for the C's as well: center Robert Williams (9 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) just missed a double-double; ditto for point guard Marcus Smart (8 points, 8 assists); even power forward Grant Williams (7 rebounds, 2 steals) did a few positive things. Besides the Green Kornet, some other Celtics bench players were really good too: rookie guard Payton Pritchard had 12 points and eight rebounds while guard Carsen Edwards scored 12 points in 16 minutes. Rookie French point guard Theo Maledon led OKC with a team-high 22 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Something called Moses Brown a center for the Thunder managed to get a 20-20 game (21 points and 23 rebounds) which is insane. Small forward Lugentz Dort scored 10 points in the loss while small forward Kenrich Williams added 12 points and two steals off the bench for the Thunder.

    Kemba Walker being out on the second night of a back-to back due to load management isn't a new phenomenon. You'd think that the sluggish Celts didn't know that as they played quite an uninspired first half. The Thunder outscored them 25-21 in the first quarter and 27-26 in the second quarter for a 52-47 halftime advantage. Boston inched closer in the third quarter (29-28) but as is usually the case in the NBA-it was all about the fourth quarter where the stars make their money. The Celtics shot 4.8% better from the floor than the Thunder (45.8%-41), they dished out six more assists (22-16), made three more steals (10-7) and had four less turnovers (16-12). There's no doubt that the most important numbers from this were the points in the paint (56-40) and points off turnovers (26-9) which both fell in Boston's favor. 

    It finally sets up nicely for the C's as they get to have some fans for the first time in well over a year at their next game-Monday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the TD Garden against superstar Zion Williamson who dropped 38 points tonight in a win for them. Besides the excellent support from the stands, the Celtics have to be thrilled to not only travel home but also to start planning for an epic season-high seven game homestand that begins with New Orleans (20-25 overall, 6-14 road) and ends after Easter, on April 9 vs. Minnesota (11-35 overall, 5-18 road) aka worst team in the league. The C's have already lost that overtime game in New Orleans back on February 21 (which feels like 5 years ago) so the least they can do is pay them back with a beating of their own.

Celtics Start Their Road Trip of Woe with Blowout Loss in OKC; Swap Lee for Bayless

Don't worry if you forgot/didn't watch a second of Celtics-Thunder tonight after an excellent NFL Wild Card weekend. Boston (13-21 overall, 5-11 away) started a killer five-game road trip (Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors and Blazers) with a 119-96 loss at Chesapeake Arena to Oklahoma City (27-7 overall, 15-5 home). The Celts have lost seven of their last eight games.

Former BC standout Reggie Jackson led the Thunder with 27 points while Kevin Durant had 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Serge Ibaka added 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, former Celtic Kendrick Perkins notched 12 points (which has to be a season-high) and six rebounds with former UConn star Jeremy Lamb scoring 13 points and six assists off the bench.

Jeff Green and Avery Bradley both had 19 points to pace the Celtics while Jordan Crawford put up 17 points and seven assists and Kris Humphries scored 14 points off the bench.

Why am I telling you this/who cares? The only reason I mention this pointless midseason NBA exhibition is because the Celtics made a little more news (well not really) off the court this evening as they traded overpaid (2 more years left, $11 million) and overrated swingman Courtney Lee to Memphis for underachieving point guard Jerryd Bayless.

Lee was here for the last two seasons but I honestly can't recall one notable positive contribution to the team. That's not to bash him either, he seems like a decent enough guy but it was just a case of a player that looks better on another team then you see him up close and realize those numbers must have been hollow. He averaged 7.8 points last season in 24.9 minutes per game yet those both went down this season on a rebuilding team (7.4 points in 16.8 minutes per game) with a new coach and system, so there.

Bayless was the No. 11 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft but he never played for the Pacers. Since then, he's been on the Blazers, Pelicans, Raptors, Grizzlies and now Celtics. Boston has always coveted him since he routinely tears them up in recent years for some unknown reason. For his career, he's averaged 8.2 points in 19.3 minutes per game.

Don't get too attached to Bayless though (haha yeah right, like anyone would do that) because he simply could be a trading chip moving forward. Sure, he could serve a role on a contending team that needed bench scoring or a backup point guard.

At the moment, the C's find themselves one game back of Detroit for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference-the sacrificial lamb to Indiana or Miami. Hopefully this trade, their recent awful stretch (plus upcoming games) and talk of Rajon Rondo rehabbing in Portland with the Red Claws (their D-League team) has woken up Boston to the fact that they need to tank or else they'll pay for years to come. The last 48 games promise to be painful but this is the only logical option if they ever want to return to relevance in the city and league.

The road trip of doom continues on Tuesday (9, CSN) with Boston visiting Denver (16-17 overall, 3rd in Northwest Division). At least the Celts can ease their mind with Colorado's finest legal weed (topical!).

UPDATE 1/7: The trade was finalized today with Lee going to Memphis and Bayless coming to Boston. Additionally, the Grizzlies get a 2016 second-round pick from the Celts, Ryan Gomes returned to Boston from Oklahoma City (but he was immediately waived) and the Thunder received a 2017 second-round pick from Memphis.

UPDATE 1/9: MarShon Brooks was recalled from Portland, he'll be back with the Celtics tomorrow night at Golden State.

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We Will All Be Thunder Fans In June So You Might As Well Jump On The Bandwagon Now

If you call yourself a basketball fan, I have to assume that you are a big fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are by far the most fun and exciting team to watch in the NBA led by the transcendent Kevin Durant. More importantly, even though they lost to them in the NBA Finals last season, they represent the most serious threat to a repeat by the Miami Heat. Who doesn't support that?

This afternoon, the Celtics (34-28, 12-19 away) lost to the Thunder (47-16, 28-4 home) 91-78 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Boston's five-game win streak ended but honestly, they played about as well as we could hope for given that they had somehow beaten Oklahoma City 108-100 on November 23 at TD Garden and since the Thunder are basically unbeatable at home. Did I mention that they are the best team in the Western Conference (sorry Spurs)?

The C's were right in it, down only three (68-65) heading into the fourth quarter before Durant (23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and crazy Russell Westbrook (15 points) did their thing in winning time. Kevin Martin (12 points) was the only other Thunder in double-figures, former Celtic Kendrick Perkins had six points, five rebounds and five assists while BC's Reggie Jackson added six points and four rebounds.

Paul Pierce (20 points, 6 assists) played well but he didn't get much help since Boston scored just two points more than its season-low (77 at Clippers, Dec. 27). The Celtics shot 10 of 40 (25% for math majors) in the second half, showing how their defense-especially Avery Bradley (12 points, 5 assists) on Westbrook (season-low 2 assists-kept them in it for probably longer than they deserved. Kevin Garnett (5-for-19 from the field) couldn't find his shooting touch all game and managed a very quiet 10 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon Bass had a season-high 13 rebounds including five offensive boards, haha I have no idea what that means.

In his first game back in Oklahoma City, Jeff Green (8 points) was a non-factor, he shot 2-for-11 from the field in 28 minutes with three turnovers, three fouls and two rebounds. Haha yikes.

There were numbers for the Celts to be happy about: they hit three more 3-pointers (7-4) than the Thunder and grabbed three more rebounds (44-41) with seven more offensive boards (10-3). Other than that, Oklahoma City owned everything else but that is to be expected by any rational Celtics fan.

The key for Boston is that they'll have to maintain their focus while they play a pair of really bad teams this week: the Celtics are at the Bobcats (13-50, 5th in Southeast Division) on Tuesday (7 p.m., CSN) before hosting Toronto (25-39, 4th in Northeast Division) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN) and the Bobcats on Saturday (7:30 p.m., CSN). I don't care that they have a back-to-back, they need to go 3-0 against those pathetic teams. The Bobcats once again are the worst team in the NBA although they did beat the Celtics 94-91 on February 11. Maybe that'll teach the C's not to underestimate them again.

UPDATE 3/11: Shavlik Randolph was signed to a second 10-day contract. No idea why, he's a stiff that hasn't played yet as far as I know.

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It's All About Celtics Rookie Forward Jared Sullinger On Day 1 Of Orlando Summer League

It only took one game in the 2012 Orlando Summer League that lasted 40 minutes to show why rookie forward Jared Sullinger could turn out to be a complete steal for the Celtics in the near future.

He had a game-high 20 points and six rebounds as the Celts (1-0) held off the Thunder (0-1) 73-65 this afternoon at the Magic's practice facility.

Second-year guard E'Twaun Moore (16 points, 4 assists) and guard Dionte Christmas (10 points, 10 rebounds) were the other C's in double-figures.

Oklahoma City rookie forward Perry Jones III, who fell even further than Sullinger in the 2012 NBA Draft, proved that when he puts his mind to it that he can be very effective on a basketball court. He had 16 points and eight rebounds.

Former Boston College guard Reggie Jackson led the Thunder with 19 points while Marquette forward Lazar Heyward added 18 points.

Boston jumped out to a 15-point lead (25-10) at the end of the first quarter but Oklahoma City cut it to 36-34 at halftime. The Thunder trailed 51-50 heading into the fourth.

Sullinger along with fellow rookies Kris Joseph (7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) and Fab Melo (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks) all came off the bench for the Celtics.

Sullinger took over in the second half as he scored 14 of his 20 points. He showed versatility in his game: hitting a key 3-pointer in the fourth, make a nice spin move then layup and even a running hook shot off the glass. He was also 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Guard Jamar Smith posted nine points for Boston while forward JaJuan Johnson grabbed eight rebounds in the victory.

The C's meet the Brooklyn Nets (0-1) and former Providence College star MarShon Brooks (subject of many trade rumors involving the Dwight Howard situation) tomorrow night (5 p.m., NBA TV).

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Mercy: The 2012 All-Star Break Is Finally Here For The Boston Celtics

I sincerely hope that Rajon Rondo enjoyed his 26th birthday today. Without having to play basketball, he was free to do whatever he wanted. The NBA even obliged by naming him to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a replacement for the injured Joe Johnson.

Rondo's teammates on the Boston Celtics could have used him in Oklahoma City though as they lost 119-104 to the Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in a game that wasn't that close or competitive.

May I just say that I'm psyched I don't have to watch the Celts (15-17) for the next five days. Boston lost its fifth straight game while Oklahoma City (26-7) swept the season series 2-0.

The Thunder improved to 11-1 at home this season and they set an NBA season high for points in a half as they led 72-49 after two quarters thanks to an absurd 30-3 run. Really. That was the most the C's had allowed in a half in seven years.

I give Boston a ton of credit for cutting it all the way down to six points (108-102 with 3:31 left) but without Rondo, Brandon Bass, Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox, that was their last gasp.

Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 31 points, six assists and five rebounds while Kevin Durant added 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. Daequan Cook notched 17 points while former Celtic Kendrick Perkins had eight points and 10 rebounds. James Harden scored 17 points off the bench.

I absolutely hate the NBA and almost everything about it but I will admit that the Thunder would make me seriously consider buying League Pass that is if most of their games weren't already on national TV.

After missing two games, Kevin Garnett returned and looked good with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Paul Pierce had 23 points, eight assists and five rebounds while Ray Allen put up 21 points and seven assists. I honestly can't remember the last time those three all scored 20+ points, it figures it would happen when Rondo was out. Avery Bradley had 12 points, five assists and three blocks in his place. Mickael Pietrus had 16 points and seven rebounds.

Pierce and Rondo will be off to Orlando for All-Star weekend but the rest of the C's should get as much rest as possible. They have dug themselves quite a hole (3rd in the Atlantic Division, 8th in the East) by losing the first four games of this road trip and generally looking terrible for much of this season.

Barring a big trade (unlikely), the best we can hope for is that most everybody gets healthy at once and maybe this squad has one last run left in them. They return on Tuesday to close out the trip in Cleveland (1-1 so far this season against the Cavs). That's a must-win before they come back to Boston for a four-game homestand. The first half of 2011-12 was miserable, I feel like taking a cold shower after watching this mess.

UPDATE 2/24: Rondo was also added to the Skills Challenge, taking Stephen Curry's place (he's hurt too).

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Rondo Suspended For Two Games By The NBA

The NBA announced this evening that Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is suspended two games for throwing the ball at an official last night in Detroit.

Rondo was ejected against the Pistons, so he wasn't on the floor or bench to see the loss, but he basically ensures that Boston will lose two more games without him. He has to serve the suspension immediately.

Tonight, the Celts are in Dallas to play the defending champion Mavericks, who have won six out of their last seven (and already beat the C's in Boston). After that, the Celtics play in Oklahoma City on Wednesday against the NBA's best team, the Thunder (who also won in Boston earlier this season).

The only break is that the All-Star Game and festivities are this weekend in Orlando so the Celts (who will most likely be under .500 and riding a 5-game losing streak) get some time off before ending this miserable road trip in fittingly one of the most worthless places in the United States-Cleveland, Ohio next Wednesday.

Rondo leads Boston with seven technicals this season which is also near the top of the league. Avery Bradley is expected to start in his place while it looks like Kevin Garnett (family matter) is out again tonight. In other words, the C's are screwed in Big D and Wednesday, thanks to Rondo's childish behavior.

UPDATE 2/20: KG is officially out tonight but the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn reports that he'll likely be back on Wednesday against the Thunder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

Celtics are deeper than most give them credit for

For good reason, the Oklahoma City Thunder entered this season as one of the NBA's most hyped teams. With Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green, they have the best young nucleus in the NBA and they play a fun, up-tempo style that will provide much excitement in a podunk city.

The Boston Celtics began a four-game road trip last night at the Ford Center and they showed why they are still one of the top teams in the league - with defense and a much deeper bench - in a 92-83 win.

Green was out with an ankle injury but Durant (game-high 34 points, 6 rebounds) and Westbrook (16 points, 10 assists) put up some numbers. The problem for the Thunder (3-3) was that they don't have much beyond those three young studs. Nenad Kristic added 13 points and Serge Ibaka (8 points, 11 rebounds) did his energy thing but that's about it.

Ray Allen led the Celtics (6-1) with 19 points, Paul Pierce had 17 and Rajon Rondo notched 10 points and 10 assists. Kevin Garnett (8 points, 8 rebounds) and Jermaine O'Neal (9 rebounds, 2 blocks) also made some plays.

For the first time this young season, the Celtics' bench completely dominated the opposition to the tune of 33-12 and that was without Delonte West. Nate Robinson and Semih Erden both scored nine points, Glen Davis had eight points and Marquis Daniels added seven points.

Boston led 28-21 after the first quarter and 58-37 at the half thanks to a running, one-handed 3-pointer by Robinson at the halftime buzzer.

Oklahoma City woke up in the third quarter, thanks to Westbrook's nine straight points, and were down 73-64 entering the fourth quarter.

Things got a little scary since the Cs 22-point lead was down to six after James Harden's 3-pointer but defensive stops and big shots by Davis (three foul line jumpers in a row) allowed Boston to hold on (19-19 in the fourth).

They will definitely need a good performance from the bench tonight as they go to Dallas to meet the Mavericks.

On a side note, I decided last week to DVR all Celtics and Bruins games this season since I think they both have a chance to be really good and I don't want to miss anything that you can't find in highlights and game stories. It's the best decision I've made in a long time, both of these teams are very enjoyable to watch and the hometown announcers on Comcast Sportsnet and NESN are some of the best around.

Forget Kobe and LeBron, I'll take Durant

Forget Kobe's drama and LeBron's lame theatrics, I'll take Kevin Durant, a cold-blooded scorer for one of the NBA's real up and coming teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Durant came to the TD Garden last night and dropped 37 points on the Celtics (47-27) in a 109-104 win by the Thunder (46-28).

Imagine if the Thunder were in the Eastern Conference, they'd be a legitimate threat. In the more competitive Western Conference, they probably won't have home court and they'll be fighting an uphill battle.

No worries though, with a Big Three of Durant (15 for 15 from the line, 8 rebounds), Russell Westbrook (21 points, 10 assists) and Jeff Green (17 points), Oklahoma City has the best young nucleus in the association.

With all the ties between Durant and Celtics, who thought they were going to get him in the 2008 draft, there were endless story lines from last night.

Bottom line, Kevin Garnett (18 points, 9 rebounds), Paul Pierce (15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) and Ray Allen (13 points) are probably about to embark on their last playoff season together while Durant, Westbrook and Green are taking their franchise to a new place.

It was a great back and forth game as the Celtics shot lights out (59.5%) but still lost because they couldn't get any stops. Green hit two clutch 3-pointers and Durant got some superstar calls and made the most of them by converting every time at the line.

Rajon Rondo (16 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals) and Rasheed Wallace (18 points in maybe his best game of the season) were awesome and Glen Davis gave the Celts some good minutes off the bench with 10 points.

The free throw line was the difference as Oklahoma City was 28 of 34 and Boston was 13 of 17. The Thunder were up 30-23 after the first quarter but the C's used their best quarter of the season (38 points) to take a 61-57 halftime lead.

Oklahoma City took over in the second half and outscored the home team 53-42.

The C's host the Rockets tomorrow night.

Apparently the Bombers was too politically incorrect

You can have your Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, don't forget the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs while you're at it. I'll take the 2008-2009 Boston Celtics over any of these other overrated teams. I don't smoke crack so believe me when I say that this team is better than last year's championship squad. Whatttttttttt?

It's true, the C's probably won't pile up such a ridiculous regular season record but at the same time, they also will be better suited to cruise through the first couple rounds of the playoffs. ESPN and most other mainstream media doesn't care about teamwork, defense or selfless play but those staples of the Celtics are some of the biggest reasons why they should be favored to repeat.

It was fitting on a night around the NBA like last night (when Tony Parker scored 55, Amare Stoudemire dropped 49 and LeBron hung 41) that the Celtics (4-1) coolly dismantled the host Thunder (1-3), 96-83.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say no Celtics player will reach any of those marks in a single game this season. It's not for lack of talent as Paul Pierce, KG and maybe (once in a blue moon) Ray Allen could put up such totals.

Boston wrapped up its short road trip, 2-1. Aside from Saturday's no-show against the Pacers, the Green beat another supposed contender in Houston and took care of business against the very young and inexperienced Thunder.

Pierce led the way with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Ray Allen had his second strong game in a row: 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. KG had his usual 17 points and eight rebounds.

Another reason why the C's should be even better is the continued improvement of Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, the other two starters. Perk had 10 points, nine boards and four blocks while Rondo dished out 11 assists. Leon Powe continued to solidify himself as the sixth man of the team with 11 points and four rebounds off the bench.

Tony Allen scored eight points and Eddie House added seven.

In its first year in Oklahoma City (from Seattle), the Thunder will continue to take their lumps but they have a very promising threesome: Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. Durant scored a team-high 17 points, Green had 14 points and six rebounds while Westbrook notched 13 points.

However, starting Nick Collison, Johan Petro and Earl Watson-as Oklahoma City did last night-is never a good sign.

The Thunder jumped out to a 29-21 lead after the first quarter but the Celts doubled them up in the second (30-15) to take a 51-44 lead at the half. Boston's defense (and the Thunder's terrible shot selection) meant Oklahoma City only managed 11 points in the third quarter while Boston scored 19.

Oklahoma City outscored Boston, 29-28 in the fourth but Doc Rivers was able to rest the Big Three after two nights in a row of solid effort.

The C's shot 43.4% to the Thunder's 36.9%. The other two stats that jump out in Boston's favor were assists (25-15) and steals (10-5).

Boston next hosts the new-look Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night at the Garden.