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

 

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

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

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

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

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

One-Eyed Olynyk & Turner (Another Triple-Double) Leads Celts to Key 100-87 Win vs. Pacers

Wednesday at TD Garden was one of those rare times when the Celtics felt totally relevant again at least on a local level for a few fleeting hours. Against one of the other shitbag teams that they are battling with for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, Boston (34-41 overall, 19-19 home) picked up a huge 100-87 win over Indiana (32-43 overall, 13-25 away). The C's went up two games on the Pacers and pulled within half a game of Miami (7th) and Brooklyn (8th).

Evan Turner's third triple-double of the month (13 points, 11 rebounds & 12 assists) propelled the Celtics but before, during and after the game, everyone was talking about Kelly Olynyk's (19 points) left eyelid which had been swollen shut after he caught an elbow by Shavlik Randolph in shootaround. The best part is that while discussing his injury with Celtics reporters, he managed to note that his buddy Dougie Hamilton has broken ribs, something that no Bruins writers knew (we had assumed it was a concussion). You've gotta love Canadians, they are such honest people.

Tyler Zeller also scored 19 points, Avery Bradley added 11 while Jae Crowder notched 13 points off the bench. George Hill led the Pacers with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. C.J. Miles scored 12 points and the ghost of David West put up 10 points and eight rebounds. Rodney Stuckey scored 16 points off the bench for Indiana.

Showing how much one superstar can determine an NBA team's fate, Indiana seems to have never adjusted from Paul George's gruesome leg injury over the summer. Other than him, granted he's a budding superstar, this is basically the same squad that was in the Eastern Conference Finals last season vs. Miami. Clearly, they've given up and they couldn't be bothered slumming it in the gutter for the eighth-seed and a quick exit vs. Atlanta a near certainty.

Boston carried over its momentum from Monday's win at Charlotte into this one. They were up 22-16 after the first quarter and 50-39 at halftime. The Pacers outscored the Celtics 23-18 in the third quarter but the home team closed it out just fine with a 32-25 fourth quarter.

A welcome byproduct of the Celts being competitive almost all the time is that for the first time in years, they are actually very enjoyable to watch. Whatever head coach Brad Stevens is doing to get the most out of a limited roster, he has accomplished and then some. Boston plays hard and unselfishly, a style that rarely works in the NBA (Spurs, Hawks this season, anyone else?). They grabbed seven more rebounds (46-39), dished out 12 more assists (29-17), made four more steals (9-5) and scored 10 more fast break points (19-9).

It is another really important matchup on Friday as the struggling Bucks (37-38) visit the Garden. Milwaukee is three games ahead of Boston so a win by the C's would cut that down to two manageable games. At this point, I've completely changed my tune and I want to see Stevens & Co. in the playoffs. After all, what's the difference between mid-first round draft picks? They might as well gets some postseason experience for everybody involved with this young team.

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Jordan Crawford Is Just the Man to Lead the Celtics to the NBA Lottery

Every good movement needs a leader and if the Celtics are going to be everything we think they can be-namely one of the NBA's worst teams this season-they need an uber bozo calling the shots. Someone so delusional and such an egomaniac that they will run this franchise right into the ground. Enter Jordan Crawford. Nobody would deny that he can score (team-high 24 points) but as long as he plays point guard, the Celtics won't win many games which is all we can ask for.

Tonight at TD Garden, Crawford had six turnovers as Boston (4-10 overall, 2-4 home) dropped their sixth straight game-97-82 to Indiana (11-1 overall, 5-1 away). This was an instant classic for the Green and White since they actually led 50-42 at halftime then they were outscored 25-8 in the third quarter en route to another decisive setback.

It was hard to choose the main star for Indiana as Paul George scored a game-high 27 points, Lance Stephenson (10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) notched his second career triple-double, David West put up 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals while Luis Scola had 17 points off the bench.

Crawford almost always had the ball so that left little time for his teammates to do anything. Jeff Green scored 20 empty points while Jared Sullinger worked for 13 points and five rebounds.

I can already smell their seventh straight loss since Boston is in Atlanta (8-5 overall, 2nd in Southeast Division) tomorrow night (7:30, CSNNE) for a back-to-back contest. Josh Smith is gone from the Hawks and Philips Arena is a joke but let's hope that Atlanta takes care of business against the reeling Celts.

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Other Than Miami, There Is Nobody For The Celtics To Fear In The Eastern Conference

In an NBA regular season, you won't see a much more meaningful or thrilling victory than the one turned in by the Celtics tonight in Indiana. Boston (33-27, 12-18 away) scored the game's last 12 points, capped off by Jeff Green's (11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks) perfectly designed layup with 0.5 seconds left to beat the Pacers (38-23, 25-7 home) 83-81 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It was Boston's fourth straight win.

Boston could have packed it in against a truly solid team (No. 2 in the Eastern Conference), playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road but instead they came home with arguably their best win of the season. Let's just agree that the win in New York, OT vs. Miami and 3OT vs. Denver were all spectacular but if you think about it, this probably meant the most since we're getting to the last segment of the regular season. Plus, this was a possible playoff preview and for the second time in as many games the Celts came out on top.

Kevin Garnett had 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Paul Pierce added 13 points and eight rebounds while Avery Bradley scored 13 points. Jason Terry notched 10 points off the bench.

One reason I don't fear Indiana is that without Danny Granger (injured for most of this season), they lack that true go-to scorer which is an absolute must in the postseason. Sure, Paul George (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals), George Hill (14 points), Roy Hibbert (12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks) and David West (11 points, 16 rebounds) are all nice players but they'll never win a playoff game by themselves. Don't even get me started on Lance Stephenson (12 points, 5 steals) either.

Boston's bench outscored Indiana's 29-16. The Celtics hung around the whole time, which is all you can ask against a top opponent. Sure enough, the Pacers had trouble closing it out and that's when Boston took advantage. Indiana led 27-19 after one quarter and 49-42 at halftime. With an ugly 19-16 third quarter in their favor, Indiana looked poised to get the win. Boston used all their experience and winning pedigree to put on a clinic in the fourth quarter (25-13).

The C's shot 4.6% better from the field (41-36.4%) and they had six more assists (18-12). Boston returns to TD Garden on Friday (8 p.m., CSN) for a very important game with the Hawks (34-26, 2nd in Southwest Division). Atlanta is only a game up on Boston, meaning a win by the Celts would bump them up from seventh in the Eastern Conference to fifth.

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Reports Of The Celtics Demise (From Myself & Many Others) Were Very Premature

I'm a big boy so I can admit when I'm wrong about something. After the last two nights, the Boston Celtics have proven to me, the Eastern Conference and the NBA that they're not hopeless.

You would think that their 27-point comeback in Orlando on Thursday would leave them dead for tonight's game at TD Garden against the Pacers, a team that had beaten them twice already, yet the Celts (9-9) won their fourth straight 94-87.

It was the second night of a back-to-back, vs. a playoff team but Boston didn't care as they recorded their fifth win in the last six tries.

Did I mention that Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Jermaine O'Neal and Keyon Dooling were all out? It makes no sense that this team would find its legs and defensive identity with such a shortage of bodies but welcome to the NBA in 2011-12.

Indiana (12-6) had no answer for Paul Pierce (28 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks), who is playing some inspired basketball. Building off his nice game against the Magic, Chris Wilcox added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Kevin Garnett and Mickael Pietrus each had 13 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Bass scored 12.

The fantasy stud but real life enigma Danny Granger led the Pacers with 21 points. Paul George had 16 points, David West scored 14 and Roy Hibbert added 11 points.

I honestly can't explain how the Celts have morphed from a joke to a solid, competitive team in the span of a few weeks. Whatever the reason, I love it since I was pretty much dreading their games earlier in the season.

The C's led from start to finish: 23-17 after the first quarter, 42-34 at halftime and 71-61 after three quarters.

Boston shot 45.8% and held Indiana to 35.0%. The Celtics made five more 3s (6-1) which made up for the Pacers advantage at the free throw line (30-12). I don't think I've ever seen a team lose when they shot 30 of 31 from the line but the Pacers screwed themselves by going 1 of 19 from downtown. Boston grabbed three more rebounds (45-42) and dished out 10 more assists (21-11) without Rondo! The Pacers had three more steals (9-6) but the Celtics had four more blocks (7-3).

Indiana's age showed in the fast break points (23-6) but Boston beat them with the old man game down low (48-42) in the paint.

The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Garden on Sunday in the first leg of a home-and-home series. The Cavs are still in full out rebuilding mode Post-LeBron but their No. 1 pick, point guard Kyrie Irving out of Duke, looks like a real good one.

If the C's can continue this defensive intensity and efficiency on the offensive end, they are going to be tough to beat when Rondo and Allen return. Moreover, I'm not going to underestimate them or doubt head coach Doc Rivers for the rest of the regular season.

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Pacers Beat The Celtics For The Second Time In Eight Days, 97-83 In Indiana

Boy am I glad that I watched about three minutes total of tonight's Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers game.

If I was a smarter man, I would have bet everything I have on the Pacers since there was no way the Celtics were going to beat them, particularly on the road after a back-to-back.

Sure enough, Boston (4-7) continues to be the easiest team to figure out in the NBA since they'll never beat good opponents. The Pacers (9-3) won 97-83 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (sweet name).

The Celtics dropped their fourth straight game, making them 1-4 on the road. It was also their second loss to the Pacers (5-0 at home) in the last eight days. Finally, Boston has failed to score over 100 points in its last nine games.

I'd love to come up with a creative new way to make fun of the C's but since I hardly paid attention to this game that was a foregone conclusion before it started and I've been saying the same stuff for weeks, I'll just leave you with the facts from this one.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce actually both led Boston with 21 points. The problem was that Ray Allen (7 points) and Rajon Rondo (6 points, 9 assists) didn't have it going. It seems like they can't all put it together on the same night anymore. Zombie Jermaine O'Neal grabbed 12 rebounds so that's something to be excited about.

Brandon Bass (10 points, 8 rebounds) was the only other Celtic in double-figures, off the bench. I'm happy to see that rookie E'Twan Moore played 20 minutes and notched seven points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. With Keyon Dooling out last night and tonight, what better time to find out what Moore has? After all, he has much more of a future ahead of him than Dooling.

Not that it matters one bit but Chris Willcox missed tonight's game and he's expected to be out the next two games as well after hurting his calf last night vs. Chicago. The plethora of injuries on every NBA team is predictable specifically because of the lockout. It's clear that many guys, especially veterans, weren't in the best shape coming into training camp and they're paying for it now.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 21 points. Darren Collison and Paul George both put up 17 points while Roy Hibbert had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The outcome was never in doubt as the Pacers led wire to wire. They were up 29-24 after one quarter and 56-48 at halftime. Indiana pushed it to 82-67 after three.

In a common theme of almost every loss so far, the Celtics made less free throws (22-14), pulled down less rebounds (52-45), had less steals (12-4), less blocks (10-6), less fast break points (23-13) and less points in the paint (42-24). But other than that, they played great.

It will only get more depressing for the Green and White in their next game since the Oklahoma City Thunder-one of the top teams in the NBA-visit TD Garden on Monday night. It will be Kendrick Perkins's first game against the Celtics since he was traded last season.

Not only can we wallow in self-pity from that mind-numbingly bad deal but to top it off, the Thunder will kick Boston's ass. Oh joy.

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The Question Of 2011-12: Will The Boston Celtics Ever Beat A Good Team?

I want to have hope for the Boston Celtics in 2011-12, I really do. However, when they've lost to every half-decent team (plus New Orleans) that they've played so far, I can't help but feel that they are front-running frauds.

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers came to TD Garden and they snapped Boston's (4-4) misleading (since it was against Detroit, Washington-twice-and New Jersey) four-game winning streak with an 87-74 beating that truthfully was never really in doubt.

For whatever reason, the Celts had no rhythm offensively other than Ray Allen, who had a game-high 23 points after missing Wednesday against New Jersey with the flu.

They tied a franchise low with 25 points in the first half. Somehow they were only down eight at that point but the Pacers (5-2) were efficient, younger and had more energy.

Paul Pierce had one of the worst shooting performances (3 of 17) in his career as he was held to 10 points. Kevin Garnett put up his now customary quiet 12 points and six rebounds while Rajon Rondo was held in check (11 points, 9 assists, 3 steals).

Four of the five Pacers that started scored in double-figures. Only David West (2 points, 10 rebounds), who spurned the Celtics' offer to come to Boston, had a bad game. Danny Granger led Indiana with a modest 15 points while Darren Collison (14 points), Paul George (12 points) and Roy Hibbert (11 points, 12 rebounds) all played well.

The two main reasons that the Pacers won were because they owned the glass (47-36 including 14-7 offensive rebounds) and their bench absolutely crushed Boston's (33-14).

George Hill (13 points) and Tyler Hansbrough (12 points) were both big sparks off the bench for Indiana that Boston had no answer for. The normally reliable Brandon Bass had his worst game in a Celtics uniform with five points (2 of 7 shooting) and four rebounds in 25 minutes.

I wouldn't normally say that four games is a reasonable sample size in an NBA season but since this particular one is only 66, I'd say the next nine days are vital for the C's. They have two more huge games at home: Wednesday vs. the defending champion Dallas Mavericks then Friday vs. Chicago. After that, they go to Indiana on Saturday and come home to face Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, January 16.

They need to beat either the Mavs or Bulls and then the Pacers the second time around to show that they are still elite in the Eastern Conference and by extension, the NBA. Otherwise, it's going to be a long and mediocre season.

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