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

 

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

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

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

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

The Next Day After Bowing Out Of The Playoffs, The Celtics Made Some Major Personnel Moves

 

    Haha wow, that didn't take long did it? Mere hours after the short playoff stint ended for the Celtics, they were right back in the news this morning with the bombshell news that GM/President of Basketball Operations is retiring from the team while head coach Brad Stevens is being shifted over to that position. The C's hate firing people publicly so this lightning fast reaction to such a miserable season is curious. Ainge has had a bunch of heart issues so it makes sense that he needs a less busy schedule and the team is paying Stevens so much money in the near future that they might as well keep him around in some role. 

    NBA head coaches are mostly useless, their day-to-day purpose is basically to get out of the way for the star players and coach up the lesser talents while you pray that the top guys can tolerate you. Sounds fun huh? Nobody could argue that Stevens is one of the top basketball minds in the world but after eight seasons here, I'm sure he is a little tired of all the NBA drama after coming from a relatively low-key college environment at Butler. With that said, who Boston chooses is their next head coach is a very important decision. To connect with their two best players-Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-it would make perfect sense to hire a young African-American that preferably played in the NBA in recent years. Getting a retread like former Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce or Lakers assistant (and former Bucks head coach) Jason Kidd-who have already been rumored to come here-would be a mistake. I feel like a guy such as Chauncey Billups-current Clippers assistant coach-is the ideal candidate. He was a great player, won an NBA championship and is tough-minded so he wouldn't shy away from criticizing Tatum or Brown when they needed some harsh words. 

        As for Ainge, he did not officially retire from the NBA so don't be surprised at all if he pops up somewhere else. Obviously the Utah Jazz are a slam dunk choice for him since he's from Utah, went to BYU and is a Mormon. There was even talk today that he bought a property in Utah in the last few months. Ainge had a great run with the Celtics as a player and then as a GM (the only guy to win titles in both jobs) but it was clear, that he might be too old and out of touch not to mention his drafts have been mostly awful outside of Brown and Tatum. Every job has an expiration date and the Celts need some new voices and ideas. Clearly, they are going nowhere fast right now and while having the best players is what the league is all about, it also helps to have somebody that attracts the best free agents. Stay tuned, if today is any indication, it's going to be a wild summer for the Celtics. 

The Celtics Predictably Crumbled In The Fourth Quarter Against The NBA's Top Team-The Jazz

 

    If you like the NBA in 2021, you should be rooting for the Jazz (29-10 overall, 13-8 away)-who currently own the league's best record-assuming that you're not just a bandwagon Lakers (27-13) or Nets (27-13) fan. Not to sound like your grandfather or a lame high school coach but they play the game the right way: they have a bunch of good players that compete and they share the basketball. This being a superstar driven league, sorry Mormons but we already know how this will sadly end for them-with a postseason exit vs. a loaded team like Los Angeles or Brooklyn. Tonight at the TD Garden, they beat the Celtics (20-19 overall, 12-6 home) 117-109 to sweep the two-game season series. Haha needless to say, I don't think that they'll be meeting in the NBA Finals this summer though that's mostly doubting the C's chances of getting anywhere close to that level.

    Boston actually led by two points (79-77) going into the fourth quarter but like many other times in this disappointing season, they faded when the pressure ratcheted up on them. Utah exploded in the fourth quarter, outscoring the home team 40-30. Honestly, it's amazing that the Celts were that close to begin with since the Jazz ended up draining nine more 3-pointers (19-10), attempting 20 more free throws (24-4!!) and hitting 19 more free throws (22-3!!) than them. Like the C's, the Jazz have an excellent pair of All-Stars in shooting guard Donovan Mitchell (team-high 21 points, 5 assists) and center Rudy Gobert (16 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) but the difference is that the supporting cast around them is far superior. It's also a bonus that they play two completely different positions. Point guard Mike Conley had 17 points and five assists, small forward Bojan Bogdanovic added 12 points and six rebounds while guard Jordan Clarkson (20 points) caught fire off the bench making five 3-pointers in 30 minutes of extended run while everyone's favorite Aussie Joe Ingles notched 14 points and five rebounds as well as a substitute. 

    The Celtics' dynamic duo of swingman Jayson Tatum (game-high 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (28 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) were both great as they usually are but the team missed power forward Tristan Thompson who was out for the game due to the health and safety protocol. This forced head coach Brad Stevens to start Semi Ojeleye who had zero points and two rebounds in 19 minutes which is beyond pathetic. Center Daniel Theis (15 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) did his best and point guard Kemba Walker (16 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) was fine but center Robert Williams (14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) was the only guy on Boston's bench to do anything notable.

    Up until the collapse at the end, it was a very entertaining regular season contest as Boston was up 22-20 after the first quarter then Utah took a slim 54-53 advantage into halftime. The Celtics came out well enough in the third quarter (26-23) but it didn't matter when they couldn't keep up in the fourth when the Jazz played at their best. It being St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday, you knew that the NBA needed the Celtics to have a game so they are in Cleveland (8, NBC Sports Boston) to play the Cavaliers (14-25 overall, 9-10 home). After a decent start to the season, the Cavs have plummeted down the standings which is par for the course without LeBron James. They have lost their last four games and center Andre Drummond is still sitting on their bench in street clothes waiting to be traded or bought out. What a life! It's the second night of a back-to-back for both clubs so they are on an even playing field. Also, they both had to travel since Cleveland was in Miami (22-18) for a 113-98 loss on Tuesday. I'm not predicting it will happen but a Celtics loss to that garbage team on St. Patrick's Day would be too perfect in 2021. 

The C's Limp Home After A Choppy West Coast Road Trip (2-3) That Ended With A Loss In Utah

 

    There is no shame in losing to the team with the best record in the NBA, haha you will notice I didn't say the best team since we all know that the Lakers (19-6) are still the team to beat. You could also say that tonight was a schedule loss for the Celtics (12-11 overall, 7-8 away) since they had been stuck in Salt Lake City-which is always a tough place to win-for a few days and away from home for over a week now. Still, by falling 122-108 this evening against Utah (20-5 overall, 10-2 home) at Vivint Arena, the fact is that Boston finished 2-3 on their difficult West Coast road trip and they return home with plenty of questions surrounding them. They don't have much time to figure things out either as they fly home tomorrow and then have three games in four days and five games in the next seven days. Uh oh.    

    After missing two games with a left knee injury, Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown (team-high 33 points, 8 rebounds) didn't miss a beat as he pushes for his first All-Star Game (which shouldn't physically take place in 2021 but I digress) appearance. Conversely, former All-Star Kemba Walker (7 points, 7 assists, 2-of-12 from the field) is in a major funk save for 24 points in the win over the Clippers (17-8) on Friday-one of the only highlights of the trip. Without much from him, the C's are basically a two-man team of Brown and swingman Jayson Tatum (23 points). Center Daniel Theis hit five 3-pointers but he can't have too many nice things all at once so he promptly fouled out in 28 minutes.  

    There is a reason that the Jazz have won 17 of their last 18 games, they are clearly a cohesive group with defined roles led by superstar guard Donovan Mitchell (game-high 36 points, 9 assists, 2 blocks) who is playing out of his mind even by his lofty standards. Small forward Joe Ingles (24 points, 6 assists) might not look like your typical NBA player but he does so many things well on a basketball court. Center Rudy Gobert (18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) added a double-double and swingman Bojan Bogdanovic (16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists) made some timely baskets as the Celtics cut Utah's lead down to four multiple times in the fourth quarter but that's as close as they would get. Guard Jordan Clarkson notched 13 points and five assists off the bench for the Jazz as well.

    Boston's defense has been predictably MIA since their defensive catalyst Marcus Smart hurt his calf on January 30 vs. the Lakers. He might be wildly overrated-especially by Green Teamers and most Celtics media members-but at times like this when he's out, it's so easy to argue that Smart makes the Celtics much harder to play against. The C's led 27-24 after the first quarter and only trailed by one point (48-47) at halftime. Utah took control with a huge third quarter (outscoring Boston 42-32; tying the most points allowed in a frame by the C's this season) and they always had an answer in the fourth quarter when Boston threatened to make it really tight.

    Utah shot 3.4% better from the field (47.6%-44.2%), made five more 3-pointers (18-13), hit five more free throws (24-19), grabbed six more rebounds (41-35) including seven more defensive boards (31-24), handed out 10 more assists (28-18) and blocked five more shots (7-2) than the Celtics. No matter who they face at the moment, there are (at least temporarily) no automatic wins for Boston. They host Toronto (11-13) on Thursday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) then they have a back-to-back with Detroit (6-18) coming to town the next night (8, NBC Sports Boston). That's followed by a Valentine's Day matinee (1, NBC Sports Boston) in DC with the Wizards (6-15). The Celtics somehow are still in fourth-place in the Eastern Conference but don't be fooled by that since they are only 1.5 games ahead of the eighth-place Raptors. Head coach Brad Stevens has to hope that their fortunes will change at the Garden where the Celts are 5-3 this season. Whatever it takes, they just need to start stacking up some more wins since they are 4-6 in their last 10 games which is not going to get it done, especially in a shortened campaign like this. 

Boston's Tank for Wiggins Campaign Hits Its First Pothole of the Season

You might have noticed that I hadn't written a word about the Celtics since they started their sure to be wretched season a week ago. That wasn't my intention but simply a product of having so many conflicts and not enough hours in the day to watch everything. I had DVR'd a couple of the previous contests but didn't end up watching them, that changed tonight as I saw the Celts (1-4 overall, 1-1 home) pick up their first win of the season, 97-87 over the Jazz (0-5 overall, 0-3 away) at TD Garden.

Head coach Brad Stevens notched his first NBA win, ironically when one of his former star players at Butler-Gordon Heyward-dropped a game-high 28 points with nine rebounds and five assists for Utah. He'll be a free agent this summer, do I smell a reunion? Brandon Bass led Boston with 20 points and Jeff Green added 18.

Enes Kanter had 22 points and eight rebounds, old man Richard Jefferson put up 13 points and five steals while Derrick Favors had 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for the Jazz. Utah's bench only managed 14 total points, the same amount that Boston rookie Kelly Olynyk (8 rebounds) picked up. Jared Sullinger also thrived off the bench for the C's with 12 points and five rebounds.

As everyone knows, for Boston 2013-14 is all about losing as much as they possibly can in hopes of getting a high lottery pick in what should be a loaded draft. When you look at their fatally flawed roster and painfully thin bench, you realize that the Jazz could be one of the Celtics' biggest rivals in terms of racking up the most losses.

By design, the Celts got up by 25 points (70-45) in the third quarter before they tried everything in their power to gag it away. The Jazz cut it to six in the fourth (89-83) but they couldn't come all the way back. Looking beyond the main guys, Avery Bradley (8 points, 6 rebounds) and Gerald Wallace (9 points, 9 rebounds) each played well in the win.

The Jazz actually led 26-23 after the first quarter but Utah scored only eight points (eight points!) in the second quarter to trail 50-34 at halftime. In a few of the four losses, the Celtics held big leads only to fall apart but this margin was too wide and the opposition too terrible to slip on another banana peel tonight.

Boston outscored Utah 34-28 in the third quarter before going to sleep in the fourth and watching the Jazz take it to them 25-13 but it was much too late. Other than the bench scoring (44-14), the two main reasons that the Celts won was that they hit six more 3-pointers (7-1) and dished out eight more assists (22-14).

Up next, the C's travel to Orlando on Friday (7, CSN) to take on the surprising Magic (3-2) who were supposed to be one of the main tanking squads. I guess they didn't get the memo that winning isn't the important thing for a team like them. Boston has a back-to-back as they are in Miami on Saturday.

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Whenever You Are Ready To Count The Celtics Out, They Reel You Back In With Crazy Wins

Playing their fifth game in seven nights on the West Coast, the Celtics had every excuse to pack it in and slink back to Boston as dejected losers. Instead, they chose to fight through their fatigue and pull out a pulsating 110-107 overtime win at Utah's (31-26, 21-7 home) EnergySolutions Arena.

The Celts (30-27, 10-18 away) finished 2-3 on this tough road trip and after the game, no less than head coach Doc Rivers called it their "best win of the season."

Paul Pierce (26 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) missed his patented elbow jumper at the end of regulation but he made up for it by tearing it up in overtime. The other four Celtics starters were all in double-figures as well: Kevin Garnett (13 points, 10 rebounds), Brandon Bass (15 points, 2 blocks), Avery Bradley (season-high 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) and Courtney Lee (14 points, 5 rebounds) all earned the next two days off-Boston doesn't play again until Friday. Jason Terry added 14 points off the bench.

Gordon Heyward led the Jazz with 26 points off the bench. Former Celtic Al Jefferson had a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) while Paul Millsap filled up the stat sheet (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) and Marvin Williams scored 15 points.

Boston led 28-26 after the first quarter but Utah wrestled it away for a 53-48 halftime advantage. The Celtics played an incredible third quarter (32-19) but predictably, they ran out of oxygen in the fourth quarter as the Jazz outscored them 25-17.

The C's shot 3.4% better from the field (47.7%-44.3%), hit two more 3-pointers (10-8), had two more steals (8-6) and scored six more points off turnovers (21-15).

The Celtics' only game in the next week is on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSN) at TD Garden against Golden State (33-23, 2nd in Pacific Division). It's a weird stretch as the Green and White play one home game then two on the road, another home game then back on the road for two more. Until Thursday, they can kick their feet up and enjoy tonight's excellent victory which thankfully overshadowed what had been a rough week.

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Rondo Sprains His Ankle But Celtics Beat Jazz Thanks To Green & Barbosa

Finally, that was the Celtics' depth that we've been hearing so much about. Rajon Rondo (6 points, 10 assists) left the game with a sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter tonight but Boston (5-3, 2-2 home) was able to temporarily withstand his absence in a 98-93 win over Utah (4-5, 1-5 away) at TD Garden.

Their bench outscored Utah's 47-25. The two main reasons that the Celts still had energy and points even without their point guard were Jeff Green (16 points) and Leandro Barbosa (16 points). Green shook the Garden with an insane dunk over Al Jefferson (13 points, 14 rebounds) while also getting to the free throw line (6 of 7) and converting. Barbosa took over point guard duties from Rondo and it seemed like he was attacking the basket at will with a variety of shots.

Paul Pierce had a game-high 23 points and Kevin Garnett had 11 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Bass scored eight in Boston's third straight victory. The Jazz are a solid team but without a true star, they are destined for nothing but first-round exits in the Western Conference playoffs. Paul Millsap had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward had 14 points while Derrick Favors added 14 points off the bench.

An injury to Rondo can never come at a good time but tonight was the beginning of a brutal four games in five nights stretch for the C's. Needless to say, they'll need him back on the court as soon as he can go. Utah led 25-20 after the first quarter and 46-44 at halftime. Boston took control in the third quarter (29-24) thanks to plenty of fast break points (20-8 overall). The C's also got the job done in the fourth, 25-23.

Boston had a 10 percent advantage in shooting (50-40%), six more assists (24-18) and five more steals (8-3). Utah hit three more 3-pointers (7-4), grabbed 15 more rebounds (48-33, including 18-4 offensive) and had two more blocks (6-4). Four more turnovers (13-9) for the Jazz and two less made free throws (22-20) were probably the difference in a tight game.

Tomorrow night (8 p.m., TNT) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is their first look at the Nets (4-2), who many feel could be a contender in the Atlantic Division. Any team with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries among others is no joke, even with puppet Avery Bradley working the sidelines.

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Once Again, Celtics Are Tied With 76ers Atop The Atlantic Division

This season that looked so bleak at the beginning is very slowly getting more enjoyable with each passing game.

The Boston Celtics (28-22, 18-8 home) beat the Utah Jazz (27-24, 8-18 road) 94-82 tonight at TD Garden.

Utah had come in as one of the NBA's hottest teams, having won seven out of their last eight but they were completely smothered by Boston's outstanding defensive effort. The Celts won their fifth game out of their last six and as a reward, they're tied with Philadelphia again for first place in the Atlantic.

Kevin Garnett (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Paul Pierce (20 points) were the best players on the parquet while Brandon Bass added a quiet but effective 19 points. Rajon Rondo had double-digit assists (14) for the 11th consecutive game. Avery Bradley scored nine points as he started with Ray Allen missing his fourth game in a row because of an ankle problem.

Gordon Hayward (19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) had one of his best games as a pro but Al Jefferson (18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) struggled in his return to Boston as he shot 7 for 19 from the floor. Paul Millsap was the only other Jazz player in double figures with 16 points.

This was a true team win for the C's since the four bench guys that played all did something positive. Keyon Dooling had seven points (including a big 3-pointer) and three assists, Sasha Pavlovic had five points (including a 3-pointer), Ryan Hollins threw down two nice alley-oops from Rondo and Greg Stiemsma blocked four shots. You can't ask much more from those four in a relatively close contest.

Boston shot way better than Utah (46.8%-39.0%). That made up for another pitiful night on the glass (49-38 advantage for the Jazz, 16-4 offensive rebounds).

The Celtics close out March on Friday as they travel to KG's old stomping grounds: Minnesota or as he calls it "Sota." Nobody in the NBA is currently playing better than Kevin Love (three 40-point games in March including one 51-point game) so Boston will have their hands full with a young and energized squad that's playing decent even though Ricky Rubio is out for the season.

It's the only meeting of the season between the Celtics and Timberwolves. Minnesota has been awful since Garnett has been in Boston but I feel like they always give the C's a tough game every year.

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Poor Big Al, he'll never be on a good team

You have to feel bad for former Celtics teenager Al Jefferson. He's had a nice NBA career but unfortunately he has bounced around from bad team (Minnesota Timberwolves) to now rebuilding team (Utah Jazz) and it appears like barring a trade or something drastic, he'll never be on a contender which is a shame.

The Boston Celtics finished their emotional West Coast trip 3-1 with a 107-102 win last night at EnergySolutions Arena over the Jazz.

Jefferson had a game-high 28 points and 19 rebounds with two blocks but it wasn't enough as Utah (32-29) missed its closer-Deron Williams-who is now rotting away (like everything else) in Newark, N.J.

New guy Devin Harris (19 points) was good but he's no Deron Williams. Andrei Kirilenko sporting his latest unique brand of a Eurotrash hairstyle added 18 points while Paul Millsap had 17 points.

The Jazz have great fans but you have to wonder if former coach Jerry Sloan is even watching this mess anymore or is he driving around aimlessly on a tractor somewhere in the sticks?

All five Celtics (43-15) starters scored in double figures led by Ray Allen (25 points). With Tommy Heinsohn sitting in the CSNE studios and Bill Walton riding his spaceship back in San Diego, Allen's BFF Donnie Marshall was left to fill in on play by play duties. I can't remember hearing a pro announcer getting more excited over a regular season game than Marshall was after Allen hit a clutch 3-pointer, "sniper!" It was pathetic and hilarious at the same time.

Paul Pierce had 21 points and seven rebounds, Kevin Garnett notched 16 points and 14 rebounds while Rajon Rondo put up 18 points and 11 assists. Oh and Nenad Krstic had 11 points and five rebounds.

Boston was up 30-21 after one quarter but Utah whittled it to 56-53 at halftime. The Celts held off the Jazz in the third quarter (23-22) and in the fourth (28-27) thanks to Allen's big shots.

One thing is clear which I never thought I'd say in a million years: the Celts desperately need Shaq in the lineup. With Perk gone, there is a huge void inside that can be taken advantage of by any decent post player.

Boston shot 47.6% to Utah's 44.9%. The Celtics made six more 3-pointers (7-1) but the Jazz hit nine more free throws (31-22) in the tightly called contest. Boston had one more rebound (42-41) and six more assists (22-16). The Cs made four more steals (9-5) but the Jazz had 12 more points in the paint (54-42) thanks to Jefferson and Millsap.

Some help is on the way as Troy Murphy has reportedly signed with Boston after getting bought out by the Golden State Warriors. He should provide size, rebounding and offense off the bench.

The Celtics return home (seems like they've been gone for months) tomorrow night when they host the Phoenix Suns. A team that they normally abuse but that they lost to in Phoenix a few weeks back in that weird KG punching Channing Frye in the balls game.

John Stockton and his short shorts must be rolling over in his grave

More so than any other professional sport, the NBA is prone to having teams basically no-show on the second end of back-to-back games or at the finish of a long road trip.

This was definitely the case last night as the anticipated battle between Deron Williams (5 points, 6 assists, 4 fouls) and Rajon Rondo (4 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds) never materialized and consequently neither did the game really as Boston rolled over Utah 110-86 at the TD Garden.

The sad part about it is the Jazz (27-16) are a very good team but the Celtics (33-9) will only get one more shot at them in the regular season. Unfortunate.

Boston won its fifth in a row thanks to some balanced scoring. Kevin Garnett had a game-high 21 points and Paul Pierce scored 20. Glen Davis (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Semih Erden (career-high 14 points, 7 rebounds) were great off the bench and Ray Allen scored 11 points.

The only bad news for the Cs was that Shaquille O'Neal got hurt in the first quarter (hip) and didn't return. He's expected to miss the next few games.

Overall, Boston's bench was spectacular, scoring what has to be a season-high with 52 points and giving the starters plenty of rest. Marquis Daniels and Nate Robinson scored eight points apiece and Von Wafer had seven points.

For Utah, Earl Watson (12 points) was their high-scorer so that's pretty much all you need to know about the game. Williams was in foul trouble immediately with three in the first half and as a result, his team basically laid down and died without him.

Andrei Kirilenko (sporting a new Eurotrash 'do, no more flat top) had 11 points and Paul Millsap added 11 points. Babyface Gordon Heyward-who should have stayed at Butler-scored 11 off the bench.

Boston led 30-19 after one quarter and 59-41 at halftime. The Celts won each quarter: closing it out in the third (26-22) and the fourth (25-23).

For the game, the Cs shot 55.2% to 40.0% for the Jazz. Boston had five more 3-pointers (9-4) and made one more free throw (27-26). Rebounds were even at 34 but thanks to Rondo, Boston had 12 more assists (31-19). The Celts also made nine more steals (15-6) while Utah had one more block (6-5). The Jazz had five more turnovers (21-16), fast break points were even (17-17) and Boston had 12 more points in the paint (44-32).

The Celts travel to Washington DC tonight to take on the Wizards. With rookie point guard John Wall, Washington is decent at home. Still even in a back-to-back, this is a game Boston should always win.

Those Mormons are crafty, in life and on the basketball court

Utah has to be near the top of the list of places in the US that I have absolutely no interest in visiting. The squeaky clean Mormons frankly scare me and the fact that they're not big on the nightlife is similarly frightening.

The Celtics went to Salt Lake City last night riding a four-game win streak and the overriding sense that they've gotten their proverbial shit together. Impressive wins in Houston on Friday night and in Dallas on Saturday night was giving C's fans optimism that maybe the Big Three and Co. has one last title run in them.

Or maybe not. Boston (45-25) was in complete control in the first half, up by double digits before the Jazz (46-25) scored the last seven points of the second quarter to slide into the break only down 54-49.

Utah scored the first nine points of the second half and by then, dreams of a win at EnergySolutions Arena (one of the toughest home courts in the NBA, where the Jazz are 29-8) disappeared faster than a Mormon at a strip club. Utah won 110-97 as Boston completely crumbled in the second half, with a rare Doc Rivers ejection serving as the cherry on top for all the pasty-faced Jazz fans.

C.J. Miles scored a game-high 23 points for Utah while the incomparable Deron Williams added 22 points and 11 assists, using his big frame to push around the much smaller Rajon Rondo (6 points, 6 assists).

Nobody ever talks about them but the Jazz are very solid. Carlos Boozer had 19 points and nine rebounds and Mehmet Okur notched 14 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. Wesley Matthews and Paul Millsap both scored 10.

Boston looked the part of an old team playing the last game of a road trip. Their legs were tired and nobody except for Glen Davis (13 points, 5 rebounds) had a good game. Davis was also hit in the face by Millsap's forearm, causing him to have one of those cotton swabs stuffed in his nose.

Ray Allen led the Celts with 15 points, Paul Pierce had 11 and Kevin Garnett scored 10. The Boston bench was one point away (49-48) from tying the output of the starters which is never good. If only Rasheed Wallace wasn't completely done, the second unit would be pretty formidable. Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels and Michael Finley all had eight points.

Things don't get any easier tomorrow night as Boston opens up a six-game home stretch (its longest of the season) with a visit from the Denver Nuggets, the number two team in the Western Conference.

Celtics get back to shitting on the rest of the NBA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never Trust a Mormon

I'll give credit where credit's due: in front of a rabid crowd at EnergySolutions Arena, the Utah Jazz enjoy one of the biggest home court advantages in the NBA.

Using that, along with some terrible calls by the ghost of Dick Bavetta and a possibly huge injury, the Jazz beat the Celtics last night, 90-85 in a game that normally neutral C's announcer Mike Gorman quickly added at the completion, "the Celtics got hosed tonight."

Boston (44-12) lost the heart and soul of its team, Kevin Garnett, in the second quarter when he landed after an attempted alley-oop and starting hopping around, favoring his right leg. He went to the bench immediately and then hobbled to the locker room as Celtics fans around the country held their collective breaths.

The first word was that it's a right knee strain and he'll miss the next three games of the West Coast trip. I don't want to speculate about the severity of the injury but needless to say, if he is out for a significant period of time, it completely changes the complexion of the Eastern Conference and NBA as a whole. Yeah, he's that important.

The Jazz (32-23) got off to a very slow start, as they trailed 22-13 after the first quarter. They closed it to 39-38 C's at the break.

One of the easiest, most cliche, ignorant things to say about any sport is a critical comment of an official. They're human, they make mistakes, etc. However, last night was a complete joke.

With KG out, Boston still racked up 30 fouls to Utah's 18. The Jazz only took two more free throws (24-for-31) than the Celts (19-for-29) but the damage was clear as Boston defenders could never figure out what was a foul and what wasn't. I'm all for giving jobs to the elderly but I think it's time for Dick Bavetta to be put out to pasture. I mean really.

Boston valiantly played well without KG in the third (27-22) but predictably, it all came crashing down in the fourth (30-19) as the Jazz made all the big shots and their white bread crowd went about as crazy as a bunch of boring, white people can get.

This was all done without Carlos Boozer, so it was nonetheless an impressive win for Utah and perennially overlooked coach Jerry Sloan.

Mehmet Okur led the Jazz with 19 points and six rebounds. Deron Williams (18 points, 10 assists) made a clutch jumper to put the Jazz up four late. Ronnie Brewer added 16 points and four steals.

Everybody's favorite Russian baller Andrei Kirilenko had 13 points off the bench while Paul Millsap (or as I like to call him, Ryan Gomes on a good team) notched eight points and 10 boards.

Paul Pierce paced the C's with 20 points and nine rebounds but his shot wasn't falling like usual at the end. Rajon Rondo got in early foul trouble but still managed 15 points and seven assists. Kendrick Perkins had a nice game with 12 points, 11 boards and three blocks. Ray Allen added 12 points and Leon Powe was great off the bench (9 points, 9 rebounds).

With two days off between games, Boston has some time to refocus as they try to figure out how they'll do this without KG at least for the next week.

Not making a move at the trade deadline (other than dumping dead weight Patrick O'Bryant and Sam Cassell) is looking like a bad decision. The C's are running out of healthy bodies. Tony Allen might be out for the rest of the year after thumb surgery so rookies Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens will have to play some minutes.

They go to Phoenix on Sunday, which just found that Amare Stoudemire will be out for up to eight weeks after eye surgery.

Celtics win 15th straight as Rondo sets a career high

Much like the UNC men's team right now in college hoops, Boston Celtic fans wonder not who will beat the Green but who can just give them a challenge.

It is cocky and ridiculous that it has already come to that, but what else can you expect after the Celts beat the Jazz, 100-91 last night at the Garden. Boston (23-2) won its 15th consecutive game.

Rajon Rondo scored a career-high 25 points with nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals. He's making the case for Boston to get four players in the All-Star game (him, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett).

The rest of the starting five for the C's all scored in double figures. KG had 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Kendrick Perkins continue to improve, posting another double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Pierce added 15 points and Ray Allen had 12.

Paul Millsap led the Jazz (15-11) with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Deron Williams had 15 points and seven assists. Mehmet Okur scored 13 and Andrei Kirilenko tossed in 12.

Utah power forward Carlos Boozer missed the game with an injury while Boston guard Eddie House was at an aunt's funeral.

Gabe Pruitt was the backup point guard for the C's and he scored eight points in nine minutes.

Boston jumped out to a 28-16 lead after one but Utah came back in the second to make it 43 all at the half.

The C's took the third (26-22) and fourth (31-26) to notch another win on this amazing streak.

The Jazz got destroyed on the boards (50-30) which was pretty much the story of the game.

The Celts go to Atlanta tomorrow night for another chapter in their blooming rivalry vs. the brash, young Hawks.

Sorry Mormons

Full disclosure: since a certain football team was trying to go 16-0 last night, I didn't see much of the Celtics game at the Jazz. I flipped back and forth a couple times during commercials and it seemed like an exciting contest but I couldn't focus on it for very long. Turns out, Boston (25-3) came away from Salt Lake City with a 104-98 win over the Jazz.

Paul Pierce somehow was scoreless in the first half but woke up in time in the second half, scoring a game-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Ray Allen was another standout, scoring 23 points with four boards and three assists. KG had 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists while Kendrick Perkins (11 points, 9 rebounds) and Tony Allen (10 points) were the other double-figure scorers. Eddie House had nine points off the bench and Rajon Rondo had seven points, seven assists, three steals and three boards.

Utah (16-16) led 56-49 at the half but only by two heading into the fourth. As expected Deron Williams (22 points, 11 assists but 7 turnovers) dominated Rondo. The guy is a beast, easily one of the best point guards in the game. Meanwhile, the Jazz had five other guys in double figures: Carlos Boozer (19 points, 11 rebounds), Mehmet Okur (14 points), C.J. Miles (11), Matt Harpring (11) and Paul Millsap (10). Andrei Kirilenko didn't play, he was out with a strained bicep, possibly caused when he was applying his hair gel, who knows?

Utah shot 54.8% from the field but the Celtics survived a 46.3% shooting night by making more threes (10-5) and more free throws (10-5). They also owned the boards, 41-30.

Tonight is the last game of their four game West trip. Going 3-1 would be perfectly acceptable but at this point, you want 4-0. It won't be easy as the Lakers have been playing great basketball lately. Andrew Bynum is quickly becoming a star and Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player on the planet, no question. It should all make for an awesome atmosphere as this used to be the biggest rivalry in the NBA. Expect the usual celebrity-infested crowd in Los Angeles to be filled with even more A-listers than usual. Maybe they'll be filming a scene for Entourage with a cameo by Brian Scalabrine?