The Celtics Pulled Off A Sneaky Good Deal By Flipping Moses Brown For Josh Richardson

 

    While we wait for the three team trade between Boston, Atlanta and Sacramento to hopefully go through sometime soon, the Celtics did make another notable move over the weekend by trading center Moses Brown (we hardly knew ya!) to the Mavericks for guard Josh Richardson. It beats me if Brown is any good since he was here for a little over a month (dealt from Oklahoma City in the Al Horford/Kemba Walker trade) and finished his glorious Celtics career with a grand total of zero games played. Richardson on the other hand is a much more known commodity since he's played in the NBA for six seasons: four with Miami, one with Philadelphia and one with Dallas. In five of those six years including the last five in a row, he's averaged at least 10.2 points per game which doesn't sound like much but it's nothing to sniff at. 

    In many ways, Richardson has already exceeded any outside expectations for what he would do in the NBA since he was a second-round pick (40th overall) by the Heat in 2015 out of the University of Tennessee. His career averages are pretty solid across the board: 12.3 points per game, 1.1 steals per game, 42.7% field goal percentage, 35.8% 3-pointer percentage and 83.2% free throw percentage. He's definitely used to being a starter in the league since he has started in 299 of 373 possible games and averaged 30.6 minutes per game so it'll be interesting to see what role he carves out for the C's. His best season in a pro was in 2018-19-his last in Miami-when he averaged a career-high 16.6 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 1.1 steals per game and shot 86.1% on free throws as he started all 73 games that he appeared in.

    Brad Stevens and the Celts still have plenty of work to do with free agency officially opening in the NBA on Monday night at 6 pm. Free agent swingman Evan Fournier-who is currently tearing it up at the Olympics with France-is the main internal question facing Boston: do they bring him back after they traded for him last season or do they let him walk? The aforementioned three-way trade would reportedly culminate with them acquiring former legendary Providence College point guard Kris Dunn and center Bruno Fernando from the Hawks while center Tristan Thompson will get sent to basketball Siberia aka the Kings. I'll save my thoughts on that move until it actually occurs (or sadly doesn't). Until then, let's hope that by whatever means necessary, Stevens & Co. can pick up some more quality players because the Celtics still need plenty of them to improve on their lackluster seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season.

Jayson Tatum Drops 50+ Points For The Fourth Time In 49 Days As C's Avoid A Sweep By The Nets

 

    Well tonight Kyrie Irving (16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 6 rebounds) returned to the TD Garden with a decent amount of fans in the building and thankfully, there was nothing but a playoff basketball game to talk about after it was all over. In Game 3 of their first round series, Brooklyn jumped out to a 19-4 lead and at that point, I would have bet anything that they would cruise to another easy win. Not so fast my friends as Boston fought back and eventually held on for a pretty thrilling 125-119 victory behind star Jayson Tatum's latest postseason career-high 50-point, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals masterpiece. This being the predictable NBA, the Celts probably will not win another game in the series since the Nets have way more top-end talent than them but hey, at least they showed some life and were not swept away like a bunch of lifeless scrubs.

    If Kyrie had been a shell of his usual self, Brooklyn could have walked away with a 3-0 series lead (reminder: no team in NBA history has ever recovered from an 0-3 hole). Shooting guard James Harden (team-high 41 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds) and power forward Kevin Durant (39 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals) were both fantastic but with Jeff Green (planter fasciitis) out for the rest of the series, no other Net scored more than eight points. Despite what you might think, Tatum was not a one-man show as guard Marcus Smart added 23 points and six assists, center Tristan Thompson had his best game as a Celtic with 19 points and 13 rebounds then shooting guard Evan Fournier notched 17 points and five rebounds. If you're wondering about center Robert Williams, he played six minutes before leaving with a left ankle injury. He never returned to action and he was seen afterwards in a walking boot. Ugh, other than Gordon Hayward, he is the most injury prone guy on the C's that I've ever seen. You can never count on him for any stretch of time because there is always some injury or issue waiting for him around every corner.  

Whenever the Nets advance past the Celtics (I'm thinking in a gentleman's sweep of 5 games now, right?), they are going to have serious trouble when they face better teams like the Sixers or Bucks in the East. Their big three is normally incredible but the lack of depth is an issue, rookie head coach Steve Nash is as green as he can be in that role and most importantly, Brooklyn refuses to play any sort of defense at all. Yes they have some amazing highlights every game on the offensive end but how do you give up 125 points to a team with one great player? Their lack of size inside is scary as well.  

    Boston shot 5.4% better from the field (50.6%-45.2%), they grabbed nine more rebounds (46-37), they dished out five more assists (21-16), they scored six more points in the paint (21-15) and they tallied eight more second chance points (13-5). The Celtics led 33-32 after the first quarter which expanded slightly to 61-57 at halftime. Unlike in Game 1, the Nets did not come storming back in the third quarter as the C's were up by as many as 17 points (96-79) late in the frame before Brooklyn cut it to 96-84 going into the fourth quarter. They outscored the Celts 35-29 in the final stanza but it was not enough to steal the win or even force overtime. 

    Game 4 is on Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston) back at the Garden and the cool footnote to that is that there will be a full capacity crowd for the first time in the 2020-21 season since many of the Massachusetts Covid-19 restrictions go away on Saturday. If 5000 people made that much noise and caused Kyrie to be so shook, imagine what more than three times that amount of loud Massholes on a long weekend bender could produce? Like most realistic Celtics fans-which is an oxymoron-I was shocked that they pulled Game 3 out so I would be completely dumbfounded if they can do it again in Game 4 (let's call that extremely unlikely at best). It had been an all-around nightmare week for the Celtics so it was nice to see them put all the drama and negative attention to the side and show a little heart against the Nets.

This C's-Nets Matchup Is Going To Be One Of The Least Competitive Playoff Series In NBA History

 

Has there ever been an NBA playoff series that was effectively over after only two miserable games? I ask because our Boston Celtics got embarrassed by the Brooklyn Nets 130-108 at the Barclays Center this evening in Game 2 of their opening round playoff series. Brooklyn is now up 2-0 in the best-of-7 with the series coming to the TD Garden on Friday (8:30, NBC Sports Boston) and Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston). The Nets didn't waste any time as they raced out to a double-digit lead (40-26) at the end of the first quarter. That ballooned to 71-47 at halftime so you get the point, there was no need to watch the second half since you already knew the outcome halfway through Game 2. To make matters worse, Celtics star Jayson Tatum (9 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks) got poked in the eye by Brooklyn star Kevin Durant (game-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks) in the third quarter and he never returned to action (granted it was a picture perfect blowout so there was no point anyway).

    Notably, the only two Celtics that seemed to take losing in such depressing fashion personally were guard Marcus Smart (team-high 19 points, 6 assists, 2 steals) and newcomer Evan Fournier (16 points, 2 steals). You can always count on Smart to give an honest effort but it was nice to see Fournier get in Durant's face after the latter got involved in Fournier's conversation with one of the referees. Brooklyn's sharp-shooting swingman Joe Harris (25 points, 2 steals) was unstoppable as he made a franchise playoff record 7-of-10 3-pointers. Shooting guard James Harden added 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds while point guard Kyrie Irving had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. The ghost of Blake Griffin notched 11 points for the home team and nine guys appeared off the bench for Brooklyn with shooting guard Landry Shamet (10 points) the only one to score in double-figures. For the Celts, point guard Kemba Walker put up 17 points and seven assists while center Tristan Thompson had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

    Friday will be the first time that Kyrie returns to the Garden with actual live fans in attendance so he obviously couldn't help himself in his postgame press conference tonight as he alluded to Boston still being a racist city after all of these years. If you are dumb enough to spend however much money it takes to watch another blowout in this inevitable sweep, I suppose one of the only real fun aspects of it will be the chance to boo Kyrie in person as much as you want. Please don't do anything stupid and give more needless fuel to people that aren't from here to cling to the tired old stereotype that Boston is still a tough place to be for minorities. This fake series has already gone off the rails so there is absolutely no need to draw even more negative attention to the Celtics, their fanbase and our beloved home.

In Gm 1 Of Their Playoff Series Vs. Nets, C's Played About As Well As They Could But Still Lost By 11

 

    Under the current impossible circumstances, you could not dream of a better start than what the Celtics got in Game 1 of their first round playoff series with the Nets tonight at Barclays Center. Boston led 21-16 after the first quarter and 53-47 at halftime. As shocking as that was, the second half was basically paint by numbers as Brooklyn decided to try a little bit and they blew the C's out of the water-winning by double-digits (104-93) in a contest where they played kind of terrible. Not that we needed it but it served as a sobering reality check for the Celts that no matter what they do (save for an asteroid hitting the Earth in the next week), they are going to get swept by the Nets in four forgettable games and their really disappointing 2020-2021 season will mercifully be over by next Sunday night.

    One of the only interesting sub-plots of this foregone conclusion of a series is the fact that Brooklyn's big three of power forward Kevin Durant (game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds), point guard Kyrie Irving (29 points, 6 rebounds) and shooting guard James Harden (21 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals) had only played together for a grand total of 202 minutes in the regular season. How would it look when they face the pressure of the postseason against a quality opponent? Haha well obviously that question will have to wait until at least the next round since this series basically serves as Brooklyn's extended warmup to the playoffs. Swingman Jayson Tatum led Boston with 22 points and five assists but he was held to 6-for-20 shooting from the field and he turned the ball over four times as well. Guard Marcus Smart (17 points, 5 assists) actually played pretty well and center Robert Williams was able to suit up and he nearly put up a triple-double (11 points, 9 rebounds and a team playoff record 9 blocks) in 23 minutes off the bench. Point guard Kemba Walker scored 15 points while shooting guard Evan Fournier added 10 points, six rebounds and two steals in his Celtics playoff debut. Center Tristan Thompson grabbed 10 rebounds and had two steals in his first playoff game as a Celtic.

    Nets head coach Steve Nash's first playoff game was far from a masterpiece but honestly, how much does he have to do? Small forward Joe Harris (10 points) was the only other Net to score in double-figures and just nine guys on Brooklyn saw the floor but when you have the best trio in the league, you can cut many corners. Brooklyn came out in the third quarter and finally looked a little like the title contender that they are expected to be as they outscored Boston 31-20. The Celtics kept trying in the fourth quarter but they are extremely limited offensively without Jaylen Brown in there so they were outscored 26-20 in the final frame. Neither team shot well at all but Brooklyn at least was over 40% (41.7%) while Boston was 36.9% which is pathetic considering how terrible the Nets are defensively. Brooklyn made six more free throws (26-20) and grabbed 10 more rebounds (50-40). The Nets had twice as many points off turnovers (18-9) as the Celtics. 

    If the C's were ever going to surprise the Nets, this was the time for it. Now, Brooklyn will be more dialed in from the beginning of the game and as a result, Boston will get destroyed and lose by way bigger margins in Games 2-4. This being the NBA, they already get a needless extra day off between contests so Game 2 is on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) and I expect a much uglier blowout loss for the Celts. The Nets were 8-of-34 (23.5%) on 3-pointers in Game 1 and if you think that number will stay in the same area code for the rest of the series, you are completely delusional.

Tatum Had 50 Pts As C's Beat Wizards In Play-In Tourney, Now They Get To Be Swept By Brooklyn

 

    If you were hoping for a quick exit (2 games) in the playoffs by the Celtics, you will not get your wish. Boston rolled 118-100 over Washington tonight at the TD Garden in the first year of the Play-In Tournament. With the victory, the C's earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference (haha what a prestigious honor!) which means that they will face the No. 2 seed Brooklyn in the first round of the playoffs starting on Saturday night (8, ABC) at Barclays Center. For the third time in 39 days, Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum dropped 50 points (including 17-for-17 on free throws!) plus eight rebounds and two blocks. He was incredible once again while C's point guard Kemba Walker (29 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was surprisingly the second best player on the court. 

    Washington's two stars Bradley Beal (22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) and Russell Westbrook (20 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) were both complete flops. The loss means that the Wizards will host Indiana-who destroyed Charlotte 144-117 in the first game of the Play-In Tournament this evening-on Thursday (8, TNT) with the winner advancing to meet the top-seed Philadelphia while the loser's season is over. Center Tristan Thompson (12 points, 12 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench) was the only other Celtic to really do much as center Robert Williams played 14 minutes before he hyper-extended his toe (seriously). Besides Gordon Hayward, can you ever remember a more fragile Celtic? Backup point guard Ish Smith had 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals off the bench for Washington and backup center Daniel Gafford (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) was effective before foul trouble slowed him down. 

    The home team got off to a nice start as Boston led 27-21 after the first quarter. The second quarter was the only one where the Wizards outscored the Celtics (33-25) which gave them a two-point halftime advantage (54-52). For a change, the third quarter was Boston's best (38-26) as they came out of the break on fire. They started to run away from Washington who as always refused to play any defense and that carried over to the fourth quarter (28-20) where the Celtics' lead reached as high as 22 points (116-94) in garbage time.  

    Boston had 10 more second chance points (21-11) and 14 more points off turnovers (20-6) than Washington. Additionally, the Celtics hit an absurd 12 more 3-pointers (15-3) and thanks to Tatum they made 10 more free throws (27-17). They also dished out three more assists (20-17), recorded three more steals (8-5) and turned the ball over five less times (15-10). In summary, the better team won this game.

    Do I think that the Celts have a prayer against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and the Nets in a best-of-seven playoff series? Of course not, even with Jaylen Brown the C's went 0-3 against Brooklyn in the regular season; those were all blowouts and keep in mind that they never faced the Nets' Big 3 at the same time. Gulp. They will be incredibly lucky to win a game against a team who is way deeper and has a ton more talent than they do even when they are at full strength. It has all the makings of a forgettable sweep in the usually terrible first round of the NBA playoffs. Good times, I can't wait!

Will The Celtics Win Another Game In The Doomed 2020-21 Regular Season/Play-In Tournament?

 

    No matter how much we all want this Celtics (35-35 overall, 14-20 away) team to go away for awhile, it appears like the team itself is even more determined to end this season as soon as possible. The timing was just too perfect since star Jaylen Brown had surgery on his left wrist's damaged ligaments yesterday right before his lifeless team fell 102-94 last night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to the Cavaliers (22-48 overall, 13-23 home). The win snapped an 11-game losing streak for Cleveland while Boston's tailspin continued with their fourth loss in a row. In the grand scheme of things, this game meant very little but technically, Boston still has not secured the No. 7 seed yet and they could drop to as low as No. 9. Granted, no matter where they land and if they somehow survive the Play-In Tournament, do you have any hope that they'll make any noise before getting swept by Philadelphia (47-22) or Brooklyn (46-24) in the first round?

    The C's actually led by two points (69-67) going into the fourth quarter before they crumbled. The ghost of Kevin Love has appeared in less than half the games this season (can you blame him?) but he turned in a vintage performance with a game-high 30 points, 14 rebounds and two steals. If the Cavs are ever going to get good again (assuming that LeBron James does not return home again for a second time), they will need point guard Collin Sexton (28 points, 8 assists) to become the star that he shows glimpses of from time to time. Rookie swingman Isaac Okoro added 15 points and six assists in the rare Cavaliers victory. 

    Boston's active star Jayson Tatum had some nice stats (team-high 29 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) but he shot 11-of-26 from the floor. With little left to play for, the Celts chose to sit down guards Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker while center Robert Williams (will he appear in another game this season?) continues to deal with his apparently deadly case of turf toe. Shooting guard Evan Fournier added 15 points, center Tristan Thompson notched 10 points and rookie guard Payton Pritchard scored 15 points and had seven rebounds off the bench. There are two games left for the C's in the regular season: at Minnesota (22-47 overall, 12-21 home) on Saturday afternoon (2, NBC Sports Boston) and at New York (38-31 overall, 22-11 home) on Sunday afternoon (1, NBC Sports Boston). The first ever Play-In Tournament in NBA history begins on Tuesday.

The Celtics Snap A Three-Game Losing Streak & Take The Season Series (2-1) From The Hornets

 

    I'm done trying to make sense of the Celtics (33-30 overall, 20-12 home) or this goofy NBA season. Just when I had left them for dead yet again, they shut up the doubters for a night as they beat the Hornets (30-32 overall, 14-19 away) 120-111 this evening at the TD Garden. Boston had lost three games in a row including a 125-104 blowout in Charlotte on Sunday followed by last night's humiliating 119-115 loss to the Thunder (21-41) who entered riding a 14-game losing streak. The C's also did this without the services of their top two point guards as Kemba Walker (oblique) remains out and Marcus Smart was suspended for a game since he threatened officials on Tuesday. It's nice to see that he's really grown up after all these years of stupidity. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 38 points, 7 rebounds) and swingman Jayson Tatum (35 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) became the first Celtics teammates since 2006 to each score 35+ points in the same game. 

    This final score is misleading because the C's were up 20 points after a first quarter (39-19) in which Brown (20) single-handedly outscored the Hornets by himself. Charlotte chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 58-47 at halftime and 88-80 going into the fourth quarter but Boston held on for the much-needed victory. The other two standouts for the Celts were a pair of unlikely heroes: center Tristan Thompson (12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks) had a double-double and rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith (career-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks) made the most of his 31 minutes off the bench. Brewster Academy's Devonte' Graham led the Hornets with 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two blocks while center P.J. Washington and small forward Miles Bridges (2 steals) both added 19 points in the loss. Former Celtics great Terry Rozier (15 points, 7 assists) was terrible as he shot 4-of-18 from the field including 1-of-8 on 3-pointers which felt like a fine tribute to his old teammate Smart. Center Cody Zeller scored 16 points off the bench in just 17 minutes. 

    Boston shot 5.3% better from the field than Charlotte (47.8%-42.5%), they hit two more 3-pointers (15-13), grabbed 21 more rebounds (54-33), had two more steals (9-7), blocked three more shots (8-5), scored 10 more points in the paint (54-44) and nine more second chance points (19-10). The win kept the Celtics in sixth-place (out of the play-in round) in the Eastern Conference but they are still tied with Miami (33-30) who is in seventh-place based on tiebreakers. Boston is one game behind Atlanta (34-29) and two games behind New York (35-28) with nine games left in the regular season. This four-game homestand continues on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) as the Celts welcome the Spurs (31-30 overall, 18-11 road) to the Garden. San Antonio is in ninth-place in the Western Conference, tied with the Grizzlies (31-30) and half a game in front of Golden State (31-31). This contest is very important to them as well since while they look destined to compete in the play-in round, they can still improve their seeding for that.

Celtics Lock Down The Suns, Picking Up One Of Their Best Wins Of The Season, 99-86

 

    The game itself was far from pretty but the end result was beautiful last night at the TD Garden as the Celtics (32-27 overall, 19-11 home) easily dispatched of the weary Suns (42-17 overall, 19-8 away) 99-86. Phoenix entered having won in overtime at Milwaukee (36-22) on Monday and at Philadelphia (39-20) on Wednesday, so you can understand why they didn't have much energy left by the time they reached the Garden parquet. For what it's worth, Boston was missing three of their best players: shooting guard Jaylen Brown (left shoulder bursitis), center Robert Williams (left knee soreness) and swingman Evan Fournier (health and safety protocol) all missed the rematch between the C's and the Suns. The Celtics were also coming off of one of the worst losses of their season 102-96 to the Bulls (25-34) on Monday so this was a great bounceback victory which gives them wins in seven out of their last eight contests. 

    The Suns are fighting for a top seed in the Western Conference though so they respectfully had all their best players in the lineup: point guard Chris Paul (22 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals), shooting guard Devin Booker (15 points, 5 turnovers before he fouled out), small forward Mikal Bridges (15 points) and center Deandre Ayton (10 points, 9 rebounds) all played their normal minutes. Boston was led by point guard Kemba Walker who tied his season-high with 32 points. Swingman Jayson Tatum (15 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers) had another ugly shooting performance (3-for-17) but at least he's getting to the free throw line way more than earlier this season and converting them (8-of-8). Guard Marcus Smart added 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists while center Tristan Thompson (9 points, 12 rebounds) missed out on a double-double by one measly point. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard (10 points) continued his late season reemergence in 21 valuable minutes off the bench. 

    The C's smartly jumped on the Suns right away as they led 26-21 after the first quarter and they were up by as many as 21 points in the second quarter before settling into a 53-37 halftime advantage. Phoenix pushed back in the third quarter (28-24) but with Booker out, there would be no comeback in the fourth quarter as Boston edged them 22-21. Neither team shot well but the Celtics did hit twice as many 3-pointers (12-6) as the Suns, they also made 13 more free throws (21-8) and grabbed 10 more rebounds (48-38). For a team that has struggled so much defensively all season, it was refreshing to see the Celts hold an elite opponent to 40.9% shooting from the field and 17.1% on 3-pointers (which has to be a season-best). 

    The middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race is a complete mess so this win allowed Boston to keep pace with fifth-place Atlanta (32-27) and remain a half game behind the fourth-place Knicks (33-27) along with one game ahead of seventh-place Miami (31-28). After three blowout losses to the Nets (39-20 overall, 23-7 home) earlier this season, tonight (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the Barclays Center is the last chance for the Celtics to finally beat Brooklyn before they could potentially see them again in the postseason. Kevin Durant (leg) and James Harden (hamstring) are both out, leaving only Kyrie Irving from the Nets' Big Three so even though it's in a back-to-back, this feels like the best time for the C's to come out on top. Brooklyn is 5-5 in their last 10 games due to all the changes in their lineup but they remain in a dead heat with the Sixers for the top spot in the East. This game means so much to both teams therefore it should be a good one.

The C's Capped Off A 3-0 West Coast Trip With A Win Vs. The JV Lakers (Missing Both LeBron & AD)

 

    My how things have changed in a little over a week for the Celtics (30-26 overall, 13-16 away). They polished off a perfect West Coast road trip with a fun 121-113 victory tonight at the Staples Center against the Lakers (34-22 overall, 16-12 home). Sure this win will have two very large asterisks attached to it since two of the best players in the NBA-LeBron James and Anthony Davis-were sitting in street clothes by LA's bench area but when it comes to this rivalry, who cares who is suiting up? It always matters when these teams meet, regardless of records or rosters. Boston was led by shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 40 points, 9 rebounds) who had one of his best games as a pro, shooting an absurd 17-of-20 from the floor in 32 minutes. The Celtics return home tied with Atlanta (30-26) for fourth-place in the Eastern Conference, a game ahead of sixth-place New York (29-27) and most importantly, 1.5 games ahead of seventh-place Miami (28-27) and out of the play-in round. 

    All of Boston's starters scored at least 12 points; guard Marcus Smart had 15 points and six rebounds, swingman Jayson Tatum (5 rebounds, 5 assists) and center Tristan Thompson (6 rebounds, 5 assists) both notched 14 points while point guard Kemba Walker added 12 points and seven assists. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard also put together his best performance in weeks with 15 points and seven rebounds in 20 impressive minutes off the bench. All you need to know about the scrubs that the Lakers rolled out this evening was that something called Talen Horton-Tucker (19 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) was their best player, followed closely by the ghost of Marc Gasol (18 points). For once, LA head coach Frank Vogel had to work but what could he really do? Scrap heap guard Ben McLeMore added 17 points off the bench, small forward Kyle Kuzma struggled to get 13 points, center Montrezl Harrell (12 points, 8 rebounds) and small forward Alfonzo McKinnie (10 points) were the other Lakers reserves to score in double figures. 

    The Celts reached 30+ points in every quarter: they were up 31-23 after the first quarter and 61-48 at halftime. LA took the third quarter (31-30) by the narrowest of margins and they outscored Boston 34-30 in the fourth quarter but that was all window dressing, it was never really in doubt for the visitors who led by as much as 27 points. Thanks to Brown's NBA Jam like outing, Boston shot almost 12% better than the Lakers from the field (56.5%-44.9%). Boston hit two more 3-pointers (14-12) and grabbed 12 more rebounds overall (48-36) including 16 defensive boards (41-25!) which led to 14 more points in the paint (64-50). The Celtics also had five more assists (33-28) and three times as many blocks (6-2) as the Lakers. 

    Boston returns home for three important games starting with a primetime matchup with the Warriors (28-28 overall, 11-18 away) on Saturday night (8:30, ABC). Then they host Daniel Theis and the Bulls (22-32 overall, 12-15 away) on Monday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), I can't wait for his tribute video! Chicago's star guard Zach LaVine went into the league's health and safety protocol earlier today so don't expect to see him for that matchup. Finally, the Celtics take on the Suns (40-15 overall, 17-7 away)-one of the NBA's biggest surprises this season-on Thursday (7, NBC Sports Boston). Steph Curry is liable to drop 50 points on their head but with the way that the C's are playing now, they should take care of Golden State and Chicago setting up a juicy rematch with Phoenix who beat them 100-91 on Super Bowl Sunday in the desert.

UPDATE 4/16/21: The Celts signed former No. 2 pick Jabari Parker to a two-year deal and to make room on the roster, they waived center Mo Wagner. 

For Once This Season, The Celtics Executed Down The Stretch In The Fourth Quarter & Actually Won

 

    It's quite sad that it's come to this but the Celtics (26-26 overall, 16-10 home) squeaking by the Knicks (25-27 overall, 11-17 away) 101-99 tonight at the TD Garden was nevertheless a very notable result in the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Boston trailed 73-70 going into the fourth quarter but thanks to guard Marcus Smart (17 points, 9 assists) who scored 14 points in the final stanza, they made winning plays for a change rather than falling apart like you read about. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) was the best player on the floor while swingman Jayson Tatum nearly had a triple double (25 points, 10 rebounds, 8 turnovers) but not of the variety that you're looking for. 

    These mediocre clubs were tied in the standings coming into this evening so now the C's are a game up on the Knicks for seventh-place in the East. The crazy part is that with the win, Boston only trails fourth-place Charlotte (26-24) and fifth-place Atlanta (27-25) by a game. Can you feel the excitement? What a time to be alive! New York's lone All-Star power forward Julius Randle (22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) was held to 9-for-23 shooting from the field. Shooting guard RJ Barrett (team-high 29 points, 5 rebounds) was 6-of-6 on 3-pointers. The only other Knick to score in double-figures was the ghost of point guard Derrick Rose who scored 11 points off the bench. 

    The education of center Robert Williams continued as he bounced back from fouling out last night against Philadelphia (35-16) by grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking two shots. I made a snide comment about center Tristan Thompson's extended absence yesterday (due to Covid-19) but the joke is on me because he returned for the first time since March 14 and was a difference-maker off the bench for the C's. In 22 minutes, he had seven points, eight rebounds and three blocks. For a team that is really lacking in decent big guys, Thompson's return was much needed. Please stay home Tristan and stop going out (where the hell has he been frequenting in the pandemic?) so much!

    This game got off to a slow as Boston led 21-19 after the sleepy first quarter. Both offenses perked up in the second quarter as New York outscored them by one point (27-26) so the Celts were up by one point at halftime (47-46). The Knicks took the third quarter by four points (27-23) leaving the Green to be the heroes in the final 12 minutes. Boston had 14 more rebounds than New York (53-39) including 11 more defensive boards (16-5). The C's blocked three more shots (7-4), scored 10 more points in the paint (42-32) and they posted 13 more second chance points (20-7) than the Knicks.

    The Celtics have won three out of their last four games but they are still only 3-3 in the first six games of this season-high seven-game homestand. They have a great opportunity to end it on a winning note as they host the Timberwolves (13-39 overall, 5-22 road) aka the worst team in the NBA on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). As they have proven over and over again this season, no opponent is an automatic victory for the Celts therefore they better take Minnesota seriously-as wretched as they are in 2021. Be aware that center Karl-Anthony Towns and rookie No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards are each liable to go off for the T-Wolves. 

While You Were Watching The Grammys, The Celtics Blew Out The G-League Rockets 134-107

 

    

        After playing arguably the best team in the NBA-the Nets (26-13)-on Thursday in their first game back from the All-Star break, the Celtics (20-18 overall, 8-13 away) traveled to Texas to take on maybe the worst team in the league-the Rockets (11-26 overall, 5-11 home)-tonight at the Toyota Center. Houston definitely played their part to the best of their ability (openly tanking) as they got embarrassed this evening by Boston, 134-107, for their 16th straight loss. I don't think that the C's can draw too much from their scheduled blowout victory against a truly awful opponent but hey, at least they are now 5-1 in their last six games. 

    The Celts obviously were led by shooting guard Jaylen Brown's team-high 24 points and swingman Jayson Tatum added 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. Boston's lead grew to as much as 36 points and all 10 (!) of the Celtics that came off of the bench scored except for shooting guard Javonte Green. Point guard Kemba Walker notched 16 points, six rebounds and five assists while power forward Tristan Thompson pulled down 13 rebounds in only 18 minutes. Center Robert Williams (16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor in 19 minutes which seems notable even if they were all dunks or easy plays around the rim. A loss to this team that is clearly doing everything in its power to lose would have been a complete disaster so I guess we have to be thankful that the C's have at least a glimmer of professionalism left in their bodies. 

    Boston led 38-34 after the first quarter and 66-53 at halftime. They doubled up Houston (outscoring them 38-19) in the third quarter which set the scene for Boston's bench to play almost the entire fourth quarter when the Rockets scored five more points than them (35-30) in the final frame. Rockets shooting guard Victor Oladipo (game-high 26 points, 6 rebounds) must be having the time of his life while he wastes away on this garbage club. He has to be envious of James Harden for leaving when he did and joining a true NBA title contender (if only they can get everyone healthy at the same time).

    Up next for the Green on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), they host the Jazz (28-10 overall, 12-8 road) at the TD Garden-who still own the best record in the NBA. Needless to say, that contest should be way more similar to the Brooklyn game from last week and nothing like today's joke of a "game." If nothing else, at least it should be entertaining unlike tonight's mostly unwatchable product if you enjoy competition and whatnot. In their other meeting this season-Boston's last game of that five-game West Coast road trip in early February ended with a 122-108 loss in Salt Lake City against Utah.

Boston Heads Into The All-Star Break On A Four-Game Win Streak After A Defeat Of Toronto's JV

 

    For their last game before All-Star weekend, the Celtics (19-17 overall, 12-5 home) couldn't have asked for a much better situation. The Raptors (17-19 overall, 9-11 away) limped into Boston without five players-including two of their best in Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet-due to health & safety protocols along with head coach Nick Nurse and some of his assistants. Toronto gave it their best effort and they made it way harder on the Celts than it should have been but thankfully, the C's hung on for a no defense allowed 132-125 victory at the TD Garden. Eight Celtics scored in double figures as they completed a perfect homestand (4-0) at just the right time after last week when they were on the verge of a complete disaster of a season.

    Boston's young All-Star swingmen Jayson Tatum (team-high 27 points, game-high 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and Jaylen Brown (21 points, 7 rebounds) of course led the way and you'd hope that they'd sit out the festivities in Atlanta this weekend but unfortunately, that's not how NBA players roll in the personal brand driven world of 2021. Point guard Kemba Walker (15 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks) can always use a rest with his gimpy knee so the next game being in a week should help him although you could also argue that he was just getting into a bit of a groove. Power forward Tristan Thompson was the other starter to reach double digits in points (13) for Boston. Toronto only had eight guys available so it made sense that the Celtics could eventually wear them down as they played 10 guys and four of their five bench players were really good: power forward Grant Williams (17 points) had one of his best games as a pro, point guard Jeff Teague added 14 points, center Robert Williams (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and rookie guard Payton Pritchard (10 points, 2 steals) both ended the first half on a high note. 

    How were the shorthanded Raptors able to hang in there for that long? Well basically it came down to the 3-point line as they hit an incredible 21-of-50 (42%) 3-pointers. Power forward Chris Boucher had a game-high 30 points and five rebounds off the bench for Toronto while shooting guard Terence Davis scored 22 off the bench before leaving late with a sprained ankle. Point guard Kyle Lowry was really the only star that played for the Raptors and he more than carried that load with 14 points and an absurd 19 assists. Shooting guard Norman Powell scored 25 points for Toronto while old friend Aron Baynes had 13 points and nine rebounds and small forward Stanley Johnson notched 14 points (remember when he was a lottery pick in 2015? Weird times). 

    The first half was basically an AAU summer league game as Toronto outscored Boston 34-31 in the first quarter and found themselves with a surprising 70-66 halftime lead. The Celtics dominated in the third quarter (35-22) and was able to hang on in the fourth (33-31 Raptors) despite a barrage of 3-pointers by Toronto. Boston made 15 more free throws (29-14), they grabbed 11 more rebounds (39-28) including 10 more defensive boards (30-20) on the rare occasions that anybody missed their shots. The C's also blocked six more shots (7-1) and scored 10 more points in the paint (54-44) which makes sense since the Raptors were missing their starting forwards and center-a less than ideal situation against one of their top rivals. 

    After Tatum and Brown have their fun in Atlanta, they'll rejoin the group in Boston next week as they prepare for a brief two-game road trip against one of the best teams in the NBA and then one of the worst. The C's make the short trip to red-hot Brooklyn (24-13 overall, 13-6 home) on Thursday (7:30, TNT) and follow that with a visit to Houston (11-23 overall, 5-10 home) on Saturday night (8, NBC Sports Boston). The Nets are 9-1 in their last 10 games and I feel like it's only a matter of time before they take over first-place in the Eastern Conference from the Sixers (24-12 overall). On the other end of the league landscape, the Rockets are tanking for that No. 1 pick like you read about. They have lost 13 games in a row which is quite depressing. It was such a weird first half for the Celtics (would you expect anything less in a pandemic?), but they somehow still find themselves sitting in fourth-place in the East. This is the same club that was recently out of the top eight in the conference so I guess we should be happy that they've recovered and gotten their season back on the right track. 

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.

For The First Time In Over A Month (January 24 & 25), The Celtics Have Won Two Games In A Row

 

    Without All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown (left knee soreness) in the lineup tonight at TD Garden, the Celtics (17-17 overall, 10-5 home) did just enough to come away with a 111-110 victory over the Wizards (13-19 overall, 7-10 away). Boston withstood a standard 46-point eruption from Washington shooting guard Bradley Beal (7 rebounds, 2 assists) who fell to an incredible 0-11 when he scores 40+ for the Wizards. It was not pretty at times but it got the job done as Boston's other All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum (team-high 31 points, eight rebounds & three steals) scored the last six points for the Celts and he helped play defense on his guy Beal who missed a corner jump shot at the buzzer that would have won it. With no Brown, point guard Kemba Walker (21 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) and center Daniel Theis (20 points, 9 rebounds) ably picked up the slack while the next highest Celtic in scoring was shooting guard Javonte Green (8 points) who took Brown's place in the starting lineup.

You may laugh at Washington but the fact was that they entered this evening as one of the NBA's hottest clubs (they were 8-2 in their last 10 games). With that said, besides Beal-who is an All-Star as well-the Wizards don't have much in terms of quality players. Point guard Russell Westbrook had a double-double (24 points, 11 rebounds) while their other three starters combined for two points which seems impossible unless your dopey head coach is Scott Brooks. Washington's other sharp shooter-small forward Davis Bertans (20 points in 26 minutes off the bench)-is going to be a Celtic at some point in his career, you know that right? Sideshow Robin Lopez added 10 points off the bench for the Wizards. Celts center Tristan Thompson had a brutal shooting performance (1-for-9) but he still managed to grab 13 rebounds which included six offensive boards.

    Boston grabbed 13 more rebounds than Washington (49-36) featuring six more offensive boards (13-7) and seven more defensive boards (36-29). The Celts also handed out nine more assists (25-16) which is always a winning formula at any level of basketball. The C's led by five points (33-28) after the first quarter and both teams scored 27 points in the second quarter so Boston was up by five points (60-55) at halftime. The Wizards outscored the Celtics by two ugly points (21-19) in the third quarter which set up a very intense fourth quarter (won by Washington 34-32). This victory brought the home team back to the .500 mark (I can't believe that is a big deal this far into the season but here we are) while also moving them up to sixth-place in the Eastern Conference-tied with Miami and Toronto. 

    There are two games left in the first half of the regular season for the Celts and they are both big ones as they host the Clippers (24-12 overall, 12-6 road) on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) followed by the Raptors coming to town on Thursday (7, TNT) before everybody goes their separate ways during the All-Star break. Speaking of that, is there a way to make sure that Brown travels to his hometown of Atlanta for his first NBA All-Star Game but he stays safe health wise and sits out the actual game (thus learning from the mistakes that Kemba and Kyrie Irving have made that weekend in past years)?

There Is No Other Way To Say It: Right Now, The Celtics Are A Disgrace In Every Possible Fashion

 

    We are still in a global pandemic so I cannot say with a straight face that the trials and tribulations of the Celtics (15-17 overall, 7-12 away) really seems all that important at this juncture. However, this is a Boston sports blog so I'd much rather complain here about our local teams instead of identifying the scary realities of our messed up world. With that said, what the hell has happened to the C's? Tonight, they lost their third straight game, 127-112 to the Hawks (14-18 overall, 8-9 home) at State Farm Arena. To say that Boston was a no-show for the contest would be far too kind. They gave up 72 points in the first half and trailed by as many as 27 points while Atlanta's veteran power forward Danilo Gallinari came off the bench to drill a career-high ten (!!!) 3-pointers as he scored a game-high 38 points. 

    The Hawks finished the season series 2-1 vs. the Celtics and if the playoffs started today, Boston would have to be in the play-in round (two playoff berths for the teams #7-#10 in each conference) since they've dropped to ninth-place in the Eastern Conference. This is the first time that they have been two games under .500 since the start of the 2017-18 season when they lost their first two contests. Since the Celts opened 8-3 in this campaign, they have gone 7-14 in their last 21 games. Is that bad? The team is completely lifeless and nobody besides the fans seems to really care that things have taken such a terrible turn for the worst. 

    I honestly don't know how this will be fixed anytime soon. Their defense is wretched, point guard Kemba Walker can't play back-to-back games (and he is a shell of himself when he does suit up), nobody besides their pair of All-Star swingmen Jaylen Brown (17 points, 5 assists) and Jayson Tatum (13 points on 4-of-20 shooting, 2 steals) can be counted on to do much of anything, the bench is a joke, head coach Brad Stevens' appears to have been tuned out by much of the team, GM Danny Ainge is petrified to shake this up and most of his draft picks lately except for Brown and Tatum have been useless. What else? There is no real accountability on the team and it is sorely lacking in leadership in terms of the players. I really couldn't tell you how a team that has gone to three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals could be in shambles like this. It is stunning to say the least although maybe not when you read the myriad reasons for their struggles that I just listed. 

    Atlanta also entered after playing last night but they weren't fazed by that. Point guard Trae Young (game-high 33 points, 7 assists) boosted his resume in case the All-Star Game needs a replacement player for the East, power forward John Collins had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) while shooting guard Tony Snell added 12 points. Seven Celtics scored in double-digits which is only an indicator that everyone played since there was extended garbage time like you read about. Power forward Tristan Thompson had a double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) and point guard Jeff Teague (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) made perhaps his final start in the NBA in his old home. Rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith scored 13 points off the bench while point guards Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters each notched 11 points. 

    Boston has a four-game homestand leading into the All-Star break to try to turn this sinking ship around. They are 8-5 at the Garden as they host the Pacers (15-15 overall, 8-5 road) on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), the Wizards (11-18 overall, 6-9 road) on Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston), the Clippers (23-10 overall, 11-4 road) on Tuesday (7:30, TNT) and closing with the Raptors (16-17 overall, 9-10 road) next Thursday (7, NBC Sports Boston). With the way that the C's have gone down in flames lately, I expect them to go 0-4 in that stretch or maybe 1-3 if they are lucky. Ugh, this terrible team is so depressing these days. How has it come to this? 

It Turns Out A 24-Pt Lead Midway Through The 3rd Quarter Isn't Enough Against A 12-17 Team

    The Celtics (15-15 overall, 7-10 away) have officially entered the trainwreck portion of their 2020-21 regular season schedule. What I mean by that is while you know that something bad will probably take place, you still can't find a way to peel yourself away from viewing all the carnage. This afternoon on national TV (thanks ABC!) from the Smoothie King Center, Boston built a 24-point lead (79-55 w/6:29 left) midway through the third quarter only to watch it all crumble in an epic 120-115 overtime loss to the Pelicans (13-17 overall, 8-7 home). It marked the biggest comeback win in New Orleans' franchise history, what a way for the C's to begin a pivotal three-game road trip. Sigh. I'm not suggesting that head coach Brad Stevens should be fired (plus as we know, the Celts have basically anointed him for life) but this is the type of loss that can cost someone their job or that gets a player(s) traded. There is no good time to blow a 24-point lead but against a team that began the day in 12th place in the Western Conference fits the description of a club that you can never let do something like that to you. 

    Ironically, the contest only needed an extra session since Celtics star Jayson Tatum (team-high 32 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals) made a tough floater with 0.2 seconds left in regulation. The Pelicans obviously got strong performances from their Duke duo of small forward Brandon Ingram (game-high 33 points, 6 rebounds) and power forward Zion Williamson (28 points, 10 rebounds). Point guard Lonzo Ball added 16 points, six rebounds and two steals, center Willy Hernangomez grabbed 13 rebounds and the always underrated Josh Hart put together a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) off the bench which is a pretty hard thing to do. Showing their youthful energy, New Orleans scored 14 more fast break points (22-8) than Boston. 

    A bunch of other Celtics had decent numbers headlined by shooting guard Jaylen Brown (25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds) and power forward Tristan Thompson (14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) while point guard Kemba Walker shot 5-of-21 from the floor (14 points, 2 blocks), rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith added 10 points off the bench and center Robert Williams (8 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks) squeezed the most from his 21 minutes. So why did Boston lose this game you ask? Well as a team they shot under 40% from the field (39.8% to be exact) including a putrid 10-of-37 (27%) on 3-pointers. For a team that normally by design takes an absurd amount of 3s, it is endlessly frustrating that they never seem to change their approach when they have games like this (remember Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Cleveland?) where they are ice cold from downtown and yet they just keep shooting from there. 

    Boston led 30-28 after the first quarter which gave no hint for how they would dominate the second quarter (33-19) to take a 63-47 lead at halftime. New Orleans outscored them 27-24 in the third quarter but they still trailed by double-digits (87-74). The Pelicans really heated up in the fourth quarter (34-21) while the Celtics couldn't buy a basket to save their lives. An earlier clutch 3-pointer by Tatum and the floater only delayed the inevitable soul-crushing defeat. The C's will find themselves right back on national TV on Tuesday (7:30, TNT & NBC Sports Boston at Dallas (13-15 overall, 6-8 home) vs. another middling team in the Western Conference. What could possibly go wrong? Better yet, what is Luka Doncic's career-high in points? At this rate, he'll probably set that new record against the C's as part of a silly triple-double. I cannot wait to watch that happen! 

C's Take Rd. 2 vs. Hawks Thanks To Kemba Walker (Season-High 28 Pts) Turning Back The Clock

 

    At this point in his NBA career, it's hard to know what exactly Celtics (15-14 overall, 8-5 home) point guard Kemba Walker (team-high 28 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) is going to have in a given game. That's why nights like tonight are such a tease as Boston beat Atlanta 121-109 at TD Garden, a bit of payback after the Hawks won here on Wednesday and dropped the home team to the .500 mark. This was the fourth time this season that the C's have played a two-game set against the same opponent and they are 1-1 in three of them (losing Game 1 all four times) and 0-2 in one (falling twice in Philly to the best team in the East). All five Celtics starters scored at least 14 points in the victory while they led by as much as 25 points before hanging on as the Hawks cut it to a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter. 

    Last night, Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum (25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (17 points, 6 assists) were not named starters (no surprise there) for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game but they are both expected to be named reserves on the team. This is a big deal since Tatum made his first All-Star team last season and it would be Brown's first of his career-ironically in his hometown of Atlanta. For once, all of Boston's big guys played well in the same contest: power forward Tristian Thompson had 17 points and five rebounds, center Daniel Theis added 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while Robert Williams was great off the bench with 12 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals in only 16 minutes of action. For Atlanta, point guard Trae Young (game-high 31 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) and center Clint Capela (24 points, 15 rebounds) were both very good yet again but the difference this time is that the Celtics managed hold down Atlanta's others. Nobody else on the Hawks scored in double-figures and power forward John Collins (8 points on 3-of-13 shooting) was a non-factor after he had 20 points two nights earlier. 

    The C's were ready to go right from the opening tip (what a concept!) and that showed in a strong first quarter (33-22) and an even better second quarter which gave them an insurmountable 66-41 halftime lead. Each team scored 32 points apiece in the third quarter and then Atlanta finally woke up a bit in the fourth quarter but it was thankfully too late to make a real difference. Boston shot 13.4% better from the field (55.6%-42.2%) than the Hawks, they hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), pulled down seven more defensive rebounds (35-28), blocked twice as many shots (12-6), they scored 14 more points in the paint (66-52) and twice as many fast break points (12-6). 

    The Celtics now depart on a three-game road trip that on paper at least doesn't look that difficult: they are in New Orleans (12-17 overall, 7-7 home) on Sunday afternoon (3:30, ABC) to take on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans in a nationally televised matchup, weather-permitting they go to Dallas (13-15 overall, 6-8 home) on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) for their first look at Luka Doncic and the Mavericks this season and they wrap things up in Atlanta the next night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). Who's drunken idea in the NBA league office was it to have the Celtics and Hawks face each other three times in a week in the regular season (these aren't make-up dates for postponed games)? None of those three clubs are over .500 and zero are currently playoff teams so the Celts need to go at least 2-1 on this trip. A mark of a good team in any sport is that they take care of business against the bad teams. They will see some of the league's brightest young talents but make no mistake, Boston should beat all of their mediocre at best teams.

    

    

    

Another Guy Drops A 40-Piece On The Celts At TD Garden & This Time They Lose To Fall Back To .500

 

    Well so much for last night's win against the Nuggets (15-13) meaning anything as the Celtics (14-14 overall, 7-5 home) followed that up with a frustrating 122-114 loss at TD Garden this evening vs. the Hawks (12-16 overall, 6-7 away). Guards Kemba Walker (left knee injury management) and Marcus Smart (left calf tear) along with center Daniel Theis (right index finger sprain) all missed the game for Boston but even if they had played, Atlanta's big three of point guard Trae Young (game-high 40 points, 8 assists, 2 steals), center Clint Capela (24 points, 13 rebounds) and power forward John Collins (20 points, 6 rebounds) are better than anyone that the C's could pair with swingman Jayson Tatum (team-high 34 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (22 points, 7 assists). This contest served as yet another reminder that the 2020-21 Celtics are full of potential but also wildly inconsistent and unable to sustain anything positive for too long. 

    Atlanta torched Boston's invisible defense, shooting 57.1% from the field and outscoring them by 14 points in the paint (60-46). Like the 7-9 Patriots of last season (sorry to bring them up!), it's hard to pinpoint only a few of the many major issues facing the C's because they have a ton of them already less than halfway through this campaign. For instance, their lack of depth is quite scary since head coach Brad Stevens felt the need to start both Semi Ojeleye (9 points, 2 steals) and Javonte Green (9 points, 2 steals). Curiously, rookie guard Aaron Nesmith (2 points in 21 minutes) was the first Celtic to come off the bench in this mess. Is GM Danny Ainge showcasing his higher first-round pick that thus far has been completely overmatched in his brief stay here? 

    Fittingly, Boston's best quarter was the first as they outscored Atlanta 35-33 but then it was all downhill from there. The Hawks took a six-point lead (62-56) into halftime and they were up by nine points (90-81) heading into the fourth quarter. Power forward Tristan Thompson (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) was alright (trade bait?) and rookie guard Payton Pritchard (11 points) continues to bring a spark off the bench for the Celts. Swingman Cam Reddish added 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in the win for Atlanta. These same two teams are set to meet again on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the Garden. Kemba will be back for the Celtics and possibly Theis as well. Needless to say, Boston really cannot afford to get swept on their home floor by a club that came in three games behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.

For One Night, Winning Cures Everything For The Celts As They Beat Undermanned Denver 112-99

 

    It has been a rough week for the Celtics (14-13 overall, 7-4 home) and it felt like for once, nobody associated with the franchise (head coach, players, GM, etc.) was immune to some legitimate criticism after a pair of soul-crushing defeats to the Pistons (8-19) and Wizards (8-17). It would be silly to overreact and say that things are different now but at least in Boston's first chance at redemption, they responded in a big way by taking down Denver (15-12 overall, 7-6 away) 112-99 tonight at TD Garden. The fact that the Nuggets were playing without four guys from their rotation certainly helped the Celtics but honestly, any club with center/MVP candidate Nikola Jokic (game-high 43 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and point guard Jamal Murray (25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) in the starting lineup still presents a formidable challenge. 

As always, the C's were led by shooting guard Jaylen Brown (team-high 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and swingman Jayson Tatum (21 points, 8 assists) who were both instrumental in the victory. The plot twist for the home team was that they had many other guys pull their weight as well: with Daniel Theis out with a sprained finger, center Tristan Thompson had nine points and 12 rebounds; point guard Kemba Walker added 17 points while Boston's bench outscored Denver's 30-14. Rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith hit three 3-pointers, center Robert Williams notched eight points, eight rebounds and five steals (!) while rookie guard Payton Pritchard (8 points, 7 assists) continues to shine as veteran guard Jeff Teague racks up the DNP-CDs (did not play-coach's decision). 

    Jokic has become a freak of nature and I mean that in the highest form of praise that is possible. He is a matchup nightmare for anybody in the NBA because he has the size and post moves of an old school center yet he also can hit threes and pass like a point guard. The Joker basically single-handedly kept his team in it in the first half as he dropped 29 points while Boston led 30-26 after the first quarter and 59-54 at halftime. Murray's numbers look fine except I didn't mention his key stat: nine turnovers. Woof. The Celts outscored the Nuggets 27-21 in the third quarter and 26-24 in the fourth quarter to pick up their most important win of the season. Argentine point guard Facundo Campazzo (15 points, 8 assists, 2 steals) was the only other Nugget to score in double-figures which shows you just how much they missed their top role players.  

    The Celtics shot almost three percent better than Denver from the field (48.1%-45.2%), they hit six more 3-pointers (15-9), made five more free throws (19-14) and grabbed five more rebounds (43-38) including six more defensive boards (33-27). After such depressing back-to-back losses, this evening showed that when the C's are working together, they are capable of beating pretty much any other team in the NBA. Conversely, when things start to go off the rails, they proved that they can lose to the true dregs of the league just as easily. 

    I'll keep saying this until they start consistently winning again but the good feelings from tonight will be quickly erased unless they carry it over to tomorrow night's (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) contest with the Hawks (11-16 overall, 5-7 road). Boston seems to be catching Atlanta at the right time for a two-game set at the Garden (they also play on Friday at 7:30 as well) since the Hawks are free-falling out of playoff contention by losing four straight games coming in and going 2-8 in their last 10. Also, their head coach Lloyd Pierce will miss both games to be at the birth of his second child. Assistant coach Nate McMillan (former Pacers head coach) will be in charge for these matchups. Regardless, if point guard Trae Young (who is on the cusp of making his second All-Star Game in a row) and power forward John Collins are playing along with center Clint Capela, Atlanta is very dangerous and the Celts simply cannot afford to relax for a second thinking that they'll just roll over.  

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

 

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

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

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

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

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