The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 10:40 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Wizards, 108-83, to improve to 29-5 and win their 13th consecutive home game:

S.O.P. A win like this is exactly what the Celtics needed after three stressful losses during their four-game road trip. It was pretty much status quo when it comes to the majority of the Celtics’ victories over the last season and a half — a blowout decided before the final quarter with the starters resting as the bench closes it out. And this thing was decided early on. The starting unit immediately put its stamp on the game with a 10-0 run in the first quarter that gave the C’s a 23-10 lead. And the bench did its work in the second quarter to nearly double that advantage. After the C’s least successful stretch of the season, it was a pretty good indicator they’d want to come out in front of their home crowd and dominate the worst team in the Eastern Conference, and they won their 13th consecutive home game in impressive fashion. The next two shouldn’t be much more difficult, as the Celtics visit the Knicks on Sunday and the Bobcats on Tuesday before returning home Wednesday to take on the Rockets, who some believe to be a Finals-caliber team. This dismantling of the Wizards gave Boston its swagger back, and as a number of opposing teams have said through the early portion of this season, the Celtics are a brutal team to tangle with when they’ve got their swagger. That, I believe, is something they lost for a few days after the defeat in Los Angeles . I wouldn’t read much into the national outlets’ assessment that the C’s lack of depth has caught up to them — that’s a ludicrous, extremely ill-informed opinion, in all honesty. They just lost three games to three dangerous teams. This, for all intents and purposes, was a lay-up, and the Celtics posterized the Wizards.

Ball movement. The Celtics said the biggest key to tonight’s victory was their ability to move the ball on offense, and they finished with 31 assists. In comparison, the Celtics had just 53 assists in their three losses on the road trip, and they’re only averaging 18 assists per game in their five losses this season. Their opponents have had more assists than them in four of those five contests. On the contrary, the Celtics are averaging 21.8 assists in their 29 victories this season. Clearly, Rajon Rondo is a huge factor in that area, and he had 14 assists tonight, but his assist numbers don’t exactly correlate to the Celtics’ success, if you look strictly at the numbers. Rondo averages 7.2 assists per game in wins this season but 7.8 assists in losses.

C-Notes. Paul Pierce made his first five 3-pointers before missing his sixth and final attempt from beyond the arc. Danny Ainge has the single-game team record with six made 3s without a miss. Asked if he would have liked to take Ainge’s record, Pierce said jokingly, “I guess so because he doesn’t hold many records. It would have been nice to erase his name.” … Brian Scalabrine said after the game Doc Rivers printed out the team’s schedule before the season and showed it to the players. There was just one thing that stood out: Each of the 82 games on the calendar had the Celtics as their own opponents. It was a message to his team that the Celtics only have to worry about themselves, and if they don’t beat themselves, they don’t have to worry about who they’re playing on any given night.

It's official

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 9:52 p.m.

The Celtics put this one in the books early and just finished off their 108-83 beatdown of the Wizards at the Garden. I'll have more coming soon.

Bench time

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 9:18 p.m.

Rajon Rondo made up for a late mistake by accounting for five points in the Celtics' last two possessions, a one-handed dunk and a crafty assist on a Ray Allen 3-pointer from the corner. The Celtics have an 86-55 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and there doesn't appear to be much need for the starters to put in any more work, although Allen is on the court with the second unit. (Allen just got taken out 12 seconds into the quarter.)

King of the Cassel (Overused headline alert)

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 8:59 p.m.

Matt Cassel just went walking by with Steve Pagliuca and is sitting with the Celtics' owner on the baseline on the side of the court adjacent to the C's bench. Cassel is wearing a white fitted hat that's hanging just above his eyes, but he still got a small ovation from the fans he walked past. It's on a small sample size, but it appears Cassel is still relatively anonymous compared to other local sports celebrities. For instance, if Tom Brady just walked by, girls would have seen him all the way from the Berkshires.

Paging the Wizards

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 8:40 p.m.

The Celtics have shown up, which is good for those of us who came here expecting to watch a little basketball. That's because the Wizards, who might finish the season with more coaching changes than victories, are nowhere to be found. The C's have a 58-34 lead at halftime, the bench put in a tremendous shift, the starters have been solid all the way around and this thing is just about over. The Celtics' starting unit has about 10 more minutes of action left in it before Doc Rivers lets them take the rest of the night off.

The Butler didn't do it

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 8:02 p.m.

Caron Butler's buzzer beater was disallowed, and the Celtics have a 28-14 lead after the first quarter. Paul Pierce was alive in the first, scoring 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers.

Breaking down the CBA and LeBron

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 7:50 p.m.

As I wrote earlier, I have something for the paper this week about the wild free agency period that is scheduled to rock the NBA in the summer of 2010. It was, of course, centered around LeBron James and his chances of landing in Boston, and it will be on the Web by Monday morning. Anyway, I threw around some projected salary numbers that teams can dish out to LeBron when the time comes, and I wanted to be a little more clear as to how I arrived at those figures.

First of all, based on recent salary caps, I projected the 2010-11 NBA cap to be at $64.6 million, and individual limits roll off from that figure, according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Since LeBron will have seven years of NBA service when he is a free agent, he'll fall into the bracket (of seven- to nine-year veterans) that allows him to command a first-year salary of 30 percent of the team cap. If he chooses to sign with a team other than the Cavs, his salary can escalate by 8 percent every year over a five-year contract, the maximum amount of years a team other than the Cavs can offer him. That will break down as follows:

2010-11: $19.4 million

2011:12: $20.9 million

2012-13: $22.6 million

2013-14: $24.4 million

2014-15: $26.4 million

Five years, $113.7 million

So, any team other than the Cavs can offer LeBron a maximum of five years and $113.7 million, based on my cap estimate. Obviously, those teams can only offer that money if they stay under the cap, but there are 15 teams with less than $30 million on the books for the 2010-11 season, not including team and player options. There will obviously be plenty of suitors for his services.

It will be a little more tricky for the Celtics, who would only have enough free cap space to offer James $16.2 million for the 2010-11 season. By escalating his salary by 8 percent each year over the course of the deal, the Celtics could extend an offer of five years and $95 million.

Now, here's where the Cavs have a huge advantage. Because of the Larry Bird Rule, the Cavs can offer LeBron six years and a max salary without regard for the cap. This was put in place by the league so teams have an advantage when trying to grow their own stars. What's more, the Cavs can increase his salary by 10.5 percent each season. Here's how a contract from Cleveland would break down:

2010-11: $19.4 million

2011:12: $20.4 million

2012-13: $22.5 million

2013-14: $24.9 million

2014-15: $27.5 million

2015-16: $30.4 million

Six years, $145.1 million

Clearly, Cleveland has a distinct advantage in terms of salary leverage, even if the endorsement opportunities might pale in comparison to cities like New York, Los Angeles and Boston. And how about that ridiculous figure of $30.4 million? If LeBron was starting a new deal that season, he'd be looking at about $10 million less in that season alone.

Anyway, you can check out the full story in the Metro holiday edition right now or online Monday. I'll link to it when it's online and will bump up this post for more clarity.

Marbury in focus

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 6:50 p.m.

Marc Stein reported earlier today a deal "will happen" this season that would place disgruntled Knicks guard Stephon Marbury on the Celtics.

That could happen in one of three ways. The Knicks could trade him to the Celtics, which has a 0 percent chance of going down. They could waive him, giving the Celtics and every other team in the league a chance to claim Marbury and the remainder of his $20.8 million salary. (The Knicks have played 30 games, meaning Marbury has been paid about $7.6 million this season.) That's also very unlikely. Or the Knicks could buy him out, and he'd be free to sign with any team for the veteran minimum, the most likely scenario. It's been widely reported, though, that Marbury is unwilling to negotiate a buyout for less than his salary. Unless he decides to step back up to the bargaining table, he'll likely finish out his contract and become a free agent this summer.

I spoke earlier with one highly respected veteran NBA writer who said Stein is typically dead on when he breaks news, which means this report could have a great deal of credibility, although the writer still wasn't confident Marbury would be willing to take less than the money to leave the Knicks.

Doc Rivers declined to comment on the matter due to NBA tampering policies, which would be an instant fine at the very least.

C's crafty

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 5:56 p.m.

The Celtics will try to bust out the magic stick against the Wizards tonight in order to avoid their second two-game losing streak in the last week. By the way, there seems to be more panic around here when the Celtics drop two straight than the time they lost 18 consecutive games just two years ago.

Anyway, the Celtics are 17-1 at home, 7-2 on Fridays, 20-1 against the Eastern Conference, 5-0 against the Southeast Division and 1-0 against the Wizards, a 34-point whipping in Washington on Dec. 11. I'm heading down the hall now and will be back to post before the tip.

Welcome back

Posted by Jeff Howe, Jan. 2, 5:38 p.m.

After a nine-day break from the Garden (for the Celtics and myself), we're back here to open the gates of the 2009 portion of the schedule, as the C's (28-5) are set to host the Wizards (6-24) at 7:30. First, here's a quick snapshot of what's gone down since the Celtics went west.

92-83 loss to the Lakers. Rajon Rondo didn't have his best game, and the Lakers played on Christmas Day like the other 81 contests were nonexistent. And confetti? Seriously?

99-89 loss to the Warriors. You could see this one coming. With the 19-game winning streak out the window, the Celtics looked like they needed a night off.

108-63 win against the Kings. Also predictable. The Celtics woke up, and the Kings are royally horrible.

91-86 loss to the Blazers. Portland played by hockey rules, and the refs stabbed the C's in the neck with a pair of skates.

Also, if you haven't checked out the Metro holiday edition that's been on newsstands this week, I formulated a plan in which the Celtics (and other teams) could use to sign LeBron James in two summers. The story will be online by Monday morning, and I'll write up a Cliffs notes version to post on the blog later tonight.

The Breakdown: Extended Edition

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 11:48 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Sixers, 110-91, to become the first team in NBA history to start a season 27-2:

How long will it last? The Celtics won their 19th consecutive game tonight to set a new franchise record and tie the fourth longest winning streak in NBA history (with the 1999-2000 Lakers). Coincidentally, the Celtics will get a chance to pass an old Lakers streak when they take on the current version of L.A. ’s bandwagoning bunch Thursday afternoon at the Staples Center . The question obviously has to be asked: How long can the Celtics keep this thing going?

Two things must first be understood: First, the Celtics are clearly the best team in the league and can be expected to beat any team on any night, all things being equal. Second, knowing a winning streak like this has only been replicated four other times in the history of the NBA, it’s perfectly clear how difficult such a feat can be to accomplish, and this thing could snap at any moment.

Since those last two points didn’t exactly resolve anything, let’s take a look at what lies ahead. The Celtics embarked for Los Angeles tonight in anticipation for their second longest road trip of the season, which will be trumped by a six-game beast in February. After the Lakers, the Celtics visit Golden State on Friday, a place they lost last season in a wild shootout (do the Warriors win any other types of games?). The C’s close the trip by visiting dormant Sacramento on Sunday before heading to Portland next Tuesday. Obviously, the Blazers will be looking to save some face after being whipped by the Celtics here a few weeks ago, but considering how inept the Blazers can be when they’re thoroughly intimidated by a physical team like Boston , Portland is unlikely to hold serve at home. Sweeping that trip would give the Celtics 23 straight wins, which would be the second longest streak in league history, trumping the Rockets’ 22-game stretch last season (The Celtics ended their streak in Houston , by the way). Speaking of the Rockets, they’ll be in Boston on Jan. 7, a night when the C’s will be going for their 27th in a row. The parallels are strong enough to garner a ton of national attention.

Two nights later will be one of the Celtics’ biggest tests of the season, their first trip to Cleveland . The nationally-televised contest on Jan. 9 might wind up being the Celtics’ 28th straight. The C’s could have an opportunity to tie the 1971-72 Lakers league record with a 33rd consecutive win (a number with a Celtics feel, for sure) when they host the Suns on Jan. 19, and they can set a new record two nights later with a victory in Miami.

So, here I am on Dec. 23 talking about a record-breaking streak that can’t be accomplished until 29 days — and 15 wins — from now. It’s obviously premature, but it’s worth looking ahead after the Celtics just won their third straight game by at least 18 points. You can only dissect so many of the same types of wins before it makes sense to forecast what lies ahead. With 512 words already in the books, I’ll make my best attempt to answer the original five-word question. I think the Celtics will sweep through the trip out west, beginning with a game at the Staples Center that doesn’t fit the hype, win four more after that and then lose in Cleveland on Jan. 9. How long will the streak last? My best guess is 27 games.

Pine production. The Celtics’ bench put forth its best effort in about a month tonight, starting with Tony Allen in the second quarter and continuing through Leon Powe scoring 11 of his season-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. Outside of Ray Allen’s 4:13 of action in the final quarter, the bench did a strong enough job holding the lead to keep the starters on the bench with the game in hand.

This space was originally supposed to deal with the struggles of the bench and what they need to do to turn it around, but they must have read my mind before I could pen the words because they followed their recipe throughout the game. Starting off, Tony Allen needs to be the facilitator of the second unit. He’s no Rajon Rondo, nor does he pretend to be, but Allen can create havoc in the paint when he gets aggressive moving toward the basket. Allen doesn’t have to be a dominant scorer — although his finishing ability needs some work — but he’s a good enough passer at times to free up his teammates, whether it be Powe on the block or Eddie House and Gabe Pruitt on the perimeter. Pruitt is definitely starting to show some things while running the offense, not to the point where he should be the primary point guard behind Rondo, and Doc Rivers is doing a good job of letting the offense start with Pruitt. He should absolutely be capable enough to warrant significant time off the bench during the postseason. Down low, Powe has the interior moves and finishing skills to be another good complimentary scorer with Allen and House. Powe isn’t good enough to the point where he can get the ball 12 feet from the bucket and continuously pound it toward the rim, but he’s got enough moves in his arsenal to do some damage if Allen can get the defense moving in the wrong direction before feeding Powe for an easy dunk.

The second unit is typically pretty strong on defense, starting up top with Allen and continuing in the paint with the physicality of Powe and Glen Davis, but the bench gets in trouble when the ball sticks on offense. The best way for the bench to pick up where the starters leave off is to keep Allen active from the moment he gets on the court.

Non-trash talk trash talk. The Lakers made it very clear early this season they've got the Celtics on their radar. Whether they've announced the ban of green clothes in the locker room, using the Finals as a model for how to improve or just pointing to their Christmas Day showdown at the Staples Center, the Lakers haven't ignored the Celtics one bit, at least not through the media. The Celtics, however, aren't saying anything, using the classic "one game of 82" phrase when asked about the rivals from out west. And believe me, the Celtics have been asked about the Lakers at LEAST 20 times in the last week. I honestly believe the Celtics' mode of turning their backs on the question is their form of public trash talk. They just won't let the Lakers know they're on the minds of those in Boston. If the Celtics acknowledge the Lakers in the same sentence, I think they're looking at it as a form of equality. And clearly, the Celtics don't believe the Lakers are their equals. That's how I see it.

C-Notes. The Celtics had a Christmas party in their locker room after the game. The wives set up decorations during the fourth quarter, including presents and a tree. The players’ kids were also there, and the team put a video together, too. When the party cleared, the team packed up and left for L.A.

Nineteen in a row

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 10:02 p.m.

The Celtics beat the 76ers, 110-91, to improve to 27-2 and win their 19th consecutive game. They're the first team in league history to start a season 27-2 and the first team in Celtics history to win 19 in a row. I'll have more later in The Breakdown, which will take a look at how long this streak can last.

Celtics up a dozen

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 9:25 p.m.

The Celtics have a 78-66 lead heading into the fourth quarter here at the Garden. They're 22-1 this season when ahead or tied after three, with the only loss coming to the Nuggets at the Garden on Nov. 14.

Late Celtics charge creates distance

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 8:43 p.m.

The Celtics used a late run to grab a 58-44 lead at the half against the Sixers. After Philly's 7-0 run knotted the score at 37-37, the Celtics responded with a 9-0 spurt and later closed the quarter on a 12-3 run to open up their double-digit advantage.

As a side note, Patriots linebacker Junior Seau is here, and no one has tried tackling him yet.

Glen Davis has been sitting at the end of the Celtics' bench all night in street clothes, which is a good sign considering Doc Rivers gave him the option of staying away from the gym to get treatment if he needed it.

Celtics out in front

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 8:06 p.m.

The Celtics have a 29-25 lead after the first quarter here at the Garden. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen each have eight points, while Paul Pierce has seven.

In the Paint goes On the Field

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 7:53 p.m.

OK, so I've got something coming out in the paper this week on the Celtics' chances of signing LeBron James in the summer of 2010, which will be the most memorable summer in NBA history. Well, just ignore it because it looks like the Yankees will probably buy him, too. Anyway, based on today's signing of Mark Teixeira, I decided to do a little more math. Between Teixeira ($180M), CC Sabathia ($163.5M), A.J. Burnett ($80M), Alex Rodriguez ($275M), Derek Jeter ($189M), Johnny Damon ($52M), Jorge Posada ($52M) and Mariano Rivera ($45M), the Yankees are shelling out contracts worth approximately $1,036,500,000. Yeah, that's more than a billion dollars for eight guys. Forbes Magazine estimated in April the Yankees were worth $1.3 billion, which is slightly more than they're paying eight people who can't even take the field at the same time. Yankee fans are getting their popcorn ready, all right, but they'll be investing in Smartfood bulk bags considering a tub of popcorn is going to cost about 18 bucks at the new Stadium next year.

Going streaking

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 23, 7:04 p.m.

The Celtics (26-2) and 76ers (12-15) are about 35 minutes from tip-off here at the Garden on what could be a historic night. The Celtics are trying to win their 19th consecutive game, which would break the franchise's all-time record set in 1981-82. A 19th straight win would also be tied for the fourth longest in NBA history. The 1971-72 Lakers have the record with 33 straight, followed by the 2007-08 Rockets (22), 1970-71 Bucks (20) and 1999-2000 Lakers (19). And finally, the Celtics have a chance to become the first team to start a season 27-2 in league history.

Anyway, here's what's been going on tonight around the Garden:

Rajon Rondo said his team at Oak Hill Academy won 44 consecutive games during his senior year, and that's the longest winning streak he's ever been a part of.

Doc Rivers said the team set three main goals prior to the season: Win a world championship, lock up home-court advantage for the playoffs and become a better team than last season. He said right now the starting five is better than last year's version, but the bench is worse.

Next, the traffic around the city tonight has been an extra shade of crazy, and a few Celtics were late getting to the Garden, which isn't as bad as the Sixers' situation. Philly's first bus was a bit late, but the team's second bus got here very late, less than an hour before the game is set to start.

Glen Davis, who suffered a concussion and other mild symptoms during a car accident Sunday afternoon, will not play again tonight and isn't expected to play Thursday against the Lakers, either. Rivers gave no immediate timetable for his return.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 20, 12:19 a.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Bulls, 126-108, to improve to 25-2 and win their 17th consecutive game:

Pierce laying low. Paul Pierce scored 16 points tonight, fourth on the Celtics behind Ray Allen (27), Kendrick Perkins (career-high 25) and Kevin Garnett (17). Pierce entered the night averaging 18.6 points per game this season, a tick above Allen’s 18.5 for the team lead and the lowest average of his career since he was a rookie. This is after he went off early in the season and had me writing in this very space that he deserved to garner some consideration for the MVP. While I’m not reneging how valuable Pierce is to the Celtics, I was definitely too presumptuous to think he would keep killing teams in the fourth quarter (at least at the pace in which he’d warrant the MVP vote). He can obviously still go off when he wants to or when the Celtics need him — just look at his 10-point, four-assist third quarter tonight. But I get the feeling Pierce is completely fine with playing a more reserved role of a facilitator rather than a dominant scorer. Another case from the third quarter tonight: Just a few minutes after knocking down an open 3-pointer from the right arc, Pierce got the ball alone at the top of the 3-point line, began to take the shot, then hit Kevin Garnett with a strike in the paint, and Garnett got an easy dunk and drew a foul. Pierce was obviously feeling it in the third but instead opted to deliver the ball to a teammate. Again, he can score when he wants, and there are sure to be a few more 30-point nights this season, but he’s having too much fun embracing more of an all-around role at the moment.

Perks of the picks. Perkins came through with a career night tonight, and I’m not convinced the Celtics called a single play designed to get the ball to Perkins on the first option. Doc Rivers said after the game he recently told Perkins he’s doing such a good job putting up offensive numbers that he doesn’t want his young center to think he’s morphed into an offensive juggernaut. Rivers told Perkins before the game tonight to concentrate on setting picks to free up other scorers, particularly Allen. If Allen is open on the wing, Perkins’ defender would have to rotate outside and Perkins would find himself open for an easy dunk. That happened a few times tonight, and Perkins put up his career-high 25 points without even setting foot on the court in the fourth quarter. While Perkins is undoubtedly playing excellent basketball, he’s really doing a great job of taking advantage of his situation by playing his role perfectly around three potential Hall of Famers. Of course, it also helps that Perkins is in the best shape of his life and puts in his time in the gym. “You root for guys who really put their hours in,” Garnett said.

Fly away, TA. Tony Allen’s windmill dunk on the fast break in the fourth quarter didn’t have anything to really do with the Celtics’ win tonight, but it’s certainly a small victory for Allen and the coaching staff. He’s had so many opportunities to really punctuate a breakaway since his return from the knee injury, but he hasn’t always busted out his unique brand of creativity, meaning he’s probably spending more time thinking about landing than taking off. Tonight’s windmill (against the team from the Windy City ) was another sign he’s getting closer to believing in his ability rather than failing to trust his own physical skill.

C-Notes. After the Celtics tied a season low with 14 assists against the Hawks two nights ago, they had a season-high 40 assists tonight, led by Rajon Rondo’s 15. Their previous season high was 31, which they had against the Wizards last week … Gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt, the “World’s Fastest Man,” was in the crowd and met with the Celtics after the game. Much of the discussion involved who would win a race between Bolt and Rondo. Rondo was apparently the only one who thought he would come out a winner. … Garnett joked he was afraid the team would trade him after pulling down just one rebound tonight. … A year ago, teams ignored Rondo when he had the ball. Now, his penetration has caused so much chaos you’d think teams are playing defense with bags over their heads.

Celtics blow out the Bulls

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 9:49 p.m.

The Celtics scored a season-high 126 points tonight in their 126-108 victory against the Bulls, giving them 17 consecutive victories. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter. I'll have The Breakdown later on.

Career night for Perk

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 9:25 p.m.

Kendrick Perkins has a career-high 25 points through three quarters. His previous high was 24 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 21.

Celtics C's control

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 9:20 p.m.

The Celtics regained their momentum in the third quarter, storming past a team that didn't feel like playing much defense to take a 98-82 lead into the fourth. The Celtics scored 41 points in the third quarter, the most they've scored in any quarter this season.

Bulls back in it

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 8:33 p.m.

The Celtics' bench had another poor showing in the first half and let the Bulls overcome a 12-point deficit. The C's have a 57-55 lead at the half, with Kendrick Perkins destroying the Bulls' undermanned interior to the tune of 17 points and four rebounds. Rajon Rondo is one-third of the way toward a triple-double with four points, 10 assists and four rebounds.

Not good for Gooden

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 8:17 p.m.

Bulls starting forward Drew Gooden sprained his right ankle midway through the first quarter and will not return to the game, according to the team. The Bulls are already without Tyrus Thomas, who is suffering the aftereffects of a concussion.

Running away from the Bulls

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 8:03 p.m.

It was nice of the Bulls to show up tonight, but then again, maybe it takes them a little longer to thaw out of the frost that has overtaken the Garden. Anyway, the Celtics have a 31-21 lead after the first quarter, with Rajon Rondo pacing the C's with four points, eight assists and three rebounds. The triple-double watch begins early tonight.

Snow day

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 19, 7:40 p.m.

Someone needs to call Jeremy Jacobs and tell him to put the heat on in this building. Anyway, hopefully my problems with the World Wide Internet have subsided, and I can get to giving everyone their regular doses of in-game posts while the Celtics (24-2) entertain the Bulls (12-13) at the Garden. The Celtics are going for their 17th consecutive win, which would tie the franchise mark for the second most all-time.

Due to today's snowstorm, the Celtics had the option of staying at a nearby hotel after shoot-around in case they didn't want to worry about the commute. In the Paint's official attendance tally had Kendrick Perkins at the hotel and Ray Allen passing on the deal. J.R. Giddens and Billy Walker are with the Utah Flash and the other 11 are unaccounted for. OK, so I'd be a lousy teacher.

And finally, Bulls starting forward Tyrus Thomas is not with the team after suffering a concussion.

Pierce says he's fine

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 16, 12:12 p.m.

Paul Pierce limped off the court in the final minute of the game tonight after Jazz center Mehmet Okur fell into Pierce's left knee. Pierce said after the game he was fine, his knee only buckled a little bit and he doesn't think it's necessary to get tests on the knee.

It may have been a coincidence, a knee-jerk reaction (couldn't resist) or a practical joke by one of Pierce's teammates, but there was a wheelchair in the hallway after the game. Several in the locker room said they still give Pierce a hard time for getting wheeled away during Game 1 of the Finals in June, so the possibilities are endless.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 15, 11:44 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Jazz, 100-91, to improve to 23-2 and win their 15th consecutive game (and after Jared from Subway allowed the media to do our work):

Perk pounds the paint. Without All-Star forward Carlos Boozer, who was out with a strained biceps, the Jazz are softer on the interior than a toilet paper factory, and Kendrick Perkins flushed Mehmet Okur and Utah ’s big men down the drain tonight. It’s not uncommon for Perkins to eat up lesser opponents, but most of the centers in the Eastern Conference are willing to put up a fight. The Jazz don’t have that without Boozer, and Perkins put up 15 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. While Paul Millsap (career-high 32 points, 10 rebounds) and Okur (13 points, six boards) had some numbers, they did the brunt of their damage from the outside. As Kevin Garnett put it after the game, “Someone had to score” for Utah , and it sounded like they were fine with Millsap providing the damage as long as Deron Williams remained quiet.

Back on track. Speaking of Williams, Rajon Rondo took Utah ’s point guard out back and had his way with him. After having a difficult game against Chris Paul and the Hornets, Rondo really came back against Williams, who was drafted one pick ahead of Paul in the 2005 draft. There’s no doubt Williams is still limited from his ankle injury, but he’s widely labeled as the second best point guard in the game (behind Paul). Rondo seemed tentative against the Hornets, started slow and never got fully up to speed, and he looked revved up from the jump tonight. He scored seven points in the first quarter and had five points and two assists during a 13-2 run that put the Celtics up by 12 early. When it was all over, Rondo nearly had his second triple-double in as many weeks, finishing with a career-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Not to mention, he was 11-for-15 from the free-throw line, making and attempting more than anyone in the game. When he’s that aggressive in the paint, the Celtics don’t lose.

Response time. After the Celtics’ lost their early lead due to some stagnant play by the bench, things were shaping up for some in-game déjà vu in the fourth quarter, which the Celtics entered leading by four. Rondo stayed on the court at the start of the quarter but made way for Pruitt for a few minutes, and the rest of the bench rotation (minus Eddie House) remained pretty much intact. Anyway, this seemed to have the feel of a game that might slip away from them, especially after the Jazz dominated the fourth quarter in last season’s 18-point win at the Garden. But the Celtics showed their mettle and kept responding in the fourth. The Jazz scored on five straight possessions (11 points) in a two-minute stretch (from five minutes down to three remaining on the game clock), but the Celtics followed all but one of those buckets with a point of their own. Typically, when the C’s defense lets its guard down, the offense stumbles, too. That wasn’t the case tonight, and chalk it up as another way the Celtics found a way to win a game this season.

C-Notes. Pierce and Garnett were later than usual to their postgame press conference because Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and Jared the Subway guy met them in the locker room after the game. Pierce and Garnett couldn’t hold back their laughter when saying Jared told them he never has to pay for food at Subway again. … In related news, Luke Ridnour is somewhere smiling knowing he’s not the most useless guy to set foot in a Garden locker room this year. … The Celtics have benefited from opponents’ injuries in the last two games. Boozer was out tonight, and Hornets center Tyson Chandler didn’t play Friday. … The Celtics took a season-low six 3-pointers, making three. Gabe Pruitt was 2-for-3, and Ray Allen was 1-for-3. … The Celtics’ 23 turnovers led to 28 points for the Jazz.

Celtics win

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 15, 10:30 p.m.

The Celtics got past the Jazz with a 100-91 victory tonight at the Garden. I'll have more later.

Celtics by a nose

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 15, 9:22 p.m.

The Celtics have a 69-65 lead heading into the fourth quarter, meaning the bench will be counted on to protect this thing. The bench hasn't been the brightest spot lately and helped cough up the Celtics' lead in the second quarter, so they're in a big spot down the stretch against a quality opponent.

All tied up

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 15, 8:40 p.m.

The Jazz jumped off the mat in the second quarter and used a 14-2 run to get back in this thing, and it's tied at 43-43 at the half. Kendrick Perkins has dominated the post with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but Paul Millsap went off for 16 points in the quarter to revive the Jazz.

Celtics out strong

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 15, 8:05 p.m.

Rajon Rondo is a different man tonight than he was against Chris Paul and the Hornets on Friday. He came out fast, pushing the ball and staying aggressive on defense, and the Celtics thrived as a result, taking a 28-16 lead after the first quarter. Rondo has seven points, three assists, one rebound and a highlight-reel cross-up of Deron Williams (four points, three assists) on the fast break.

Speaking of Williams, he said before the game Rondo has the fastest hands in the NBA.

Start the music

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 15, 6:52 p.m.

We're about 45 minutes away from tip-off between the Celtics (22-2) and Jazz (15-10), who have been very up and down since their 5-0 start. The Celtics are trying to pick up their 15th consecutive win, which would be the fourth longest in team history. The 1981-82 Celtics have the longest winning streak in team history with 18 straight, followed by the 1959-60 (17) and 1964-65 (16) teams.

The Celtics are 13-1 at home, 6-0 in December, 2-0 on Mondays, 6-1 against the Western Conference and 3-1 against the Northwest Division. The Jazz are 3-8 against the Eastern Conference, including a 1-4 mark on the road.

The biggest news of the night is Jazz forward Carlos Boozer won't play due to a strained tendon in his left quadriceps. Paul Millsap will start in his place. Boozer (team highs of 20.5 points and 11.7 rebounds) is a dominant force on the low block and a more difficult assignment than the Hornets' David West, which obviously serves as a huge advantage for the Celtics.

On the C's side, Eddie House is not with the team because he is attending the funeral services for his aunt. He's expected to rejoin the team in time for Wednesday's game in Atlanta, but Doc Rivers said House is permitted to take all the time he needs. Gabe Pruitt will get some of House's minutes, and it sounds like Sam Cassell will only play in an extenuating circumstance.

And finally, due to a tractor trailer accident on I-93, a few Celtics have been showing up late tonight.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 11:07 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Hornets, 94-82, to win their 14th consecutive game and improve to 22-2:

Taking over. Of late, Paul Pierce hasn’t looked like the dominant offensive force who blitzed through the middle of November, but he showed tonight he’s still one of the best closers there is. This time, it was in the third quarter, when Pierce scored 13 of his 28 points and helped the Celtics turn a small deficit into a lead that changed the pace of the game. With Peja Stojakovic guarding Pierce, the Celtics’ captain went to work on nearly every possession, and he found ways to score even when the Hornets overloaded his side of the court because they knew Pierce was on a mission. Third quarters have been a difference maker for the Celtics all season, and you could tell at halftime it was going to be more of the same story. Pierce catapulted the team to a 14th consecutive win.

Paul Rondo’d Rondo. It’s easy to get excited over Chris Paul’s numbers, and why not? The fourth-year product from Wake Forest has been the best point guard in the NBA since the beginning of last season and entered the night averaging 20.3 points, 11.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. But it’s even more impressive to watch him in person. Don’t slight the fact that he makes guys like Devin Brown, Morris Peterson and Rasual Butler look like pretty good offensive players. Paul creates passing lanes that don’t exist, both on the break and in the half court, and he runs the fast break as well as I’ve seen anyone do it in the league this season (the Hornets outscored the Celtics, 19-6, on the break). More than that, he made Rajon Rondo look human tonight, holding the Celtics’ point guard to one of his rougher performances of the season after a stretch in which Rondo dominated everyone who matched up against him. The lines tonight: Paul had 20 points, 14 assists, six rebounds and three turnovers. Rondo had 10 points, a season-low two assists, four rebounds and one turnover.

Price of admission. With the emergence of Rondo, the early-season dominance of Pierce and the marksmanship of Ray Allen, it’s been easy to look past the contributions of Kevin Garnett, who is burglarizing teams with a steady stream of double-doubles. The Big Ticket’s ability to quietly put up 15-point, 10-rebound nights with such ease is almost unparalleled across the league. Garnett had another 19 points and 10 boards against the Hornets and really streamlined the offense early when the Celtics struggled behind Rondo. Most impressive about his performance tonight was who he did it against. David West (23 points, 14 rebounds) is one of the most physically imposing power forwards in the league and brings it on both ends of the court, and there were times when the two looked like they were downright wearing each other out with their one-on-one battles.

C-Notes. Kendrick Perkins was way too much in the paint for a Hornets team without starting center Tyson Chandler. Perkins had nine points, all of which came in the second half, and 13 rebounds. … James Posey was virtually a non-factor with seven points, seven rebounds and one steal. He was also dropped by Glen Davis on one of the finer full-court picks set by a Celtic this season. … Garnett said after the game one of the reasons this Celtics team is better than last year’s is because they have more of a “killer mentality.” ... For what it's worth, Doc Rivers out-coached Byron Scott all night long.

Fourteen in a row

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 10:37 p.m.

The Celtics spoiled James Posey's return to Boston with a 94-82 victory against the Hornets tonight at the Garden. It was the Celtics' 14th straight win, tied for the fourth longest streak in team history. I'll have The Breakdown coming shortly.

Celtics jump ahead

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 9:57 p.m.

The Celtics had another strong third quarter and took control of the pace of the game, as a result. They lead the Hornets, 69-64, heading into the fourth. Paul Pierce had 13 points to pace the C's in the third.

Hornets up a point

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 9:09 p.m.

The Hornets have a 40-39 lead at the half of a game that hasn't had any flow at all. The highlight of the second quarter came with 4:50 remaining when Kendrick Perkins had the ball on the left block, and the Hornets decided to quadruple-team him. Now, I'll be the first to say Perkins has improved his offensive repertoire this season, but there isn't a person in the history of the league worthy of a quadruple-team, especially when they've been held scoreless through two quarters. Anyway, Perkins took advantage of the defensive puke job and passed out of it to Paul Pierce, who knocked down a 3-pointer from the right arc to give the Celtics a 35-29 lead.

Knotted after one

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 8:35 p.m.

Paul Pierce hit a leaner at the buzzer to tie the game at 21-21 after the first quarter. The Celtics fought back from an 18-10 deficit and scored the final seven points of the quarter to tie the game. The biggest difference early in the quarter was the matchup between two of the games elite point guards: Boston's Rajon Rondo and New Orleans' Chris Paul. Paul outplayed Rondo for the majority of the time the two were on the court, and the Hornets jumped out to their lead while Rondo hit the bench with two fouls.

The importance of Posey

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 8:09 p.m.

The Hornets are starting to find out what the Celtics and Heat already knew: James Posey is an invaluable member to a winning team. Posey's stats (8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists per game this season) obviously help, but his leadership on and off the court is the asset that has filled his bank account. Here is what three key members of the Hornets told me about Posey's impact to the team before the game:

Peja Stojakovic: "From the very beginning, he’s been vocal. He’s been a leader, and he brings what most people don’t see on the stat sheet in the game. He does the little things, and that really helps the team. He’s been a very big lift for us."

David West: "He’s just been a guy who has been in just about every situation possible in the NBA in terms of winning. There’s a certain perspective he brings to the team that we didn’t have. Peja has made some runs in the playoffs, but he’s never won championships. There’s a different level of respect for a guy who has won championships. He comes in the game. We know what he can do. We expect him to come out there and make plays, and he does that.

"We understand that everybody’s got a voice on this basketball team, regardless of your position. But what he says, we understand it probably holds a little more weight because of the experience that he has."

Tyson Chandler: "It’s nonstop for him. He’s constantly aware of where we need to improve. He’s constantly on guys, individually and as a team, pushing us to get to the level that he knows we need to get to. We haven’t necessarily had that voice around. It’s good to have that, especially knowing what he’s accomplished. Winning rings carries more weight.

"In the huddle, I didn’t realize how vocal he is. That’s one thing we were lacking, and that’s one thing that he’s improved for our team.

"[Being the missing piece is] what we’re hoping for. I think it’s the piece that helps bring the squad together. It’s been that way so far in helping us grow. I think having a guy like that makes the other four guys on the court aware of what it takes to win basketball games and what it takes to win the big game."

Ring ceremony: Take 2

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 8:01 p.m.

The Celtics just honored James Posey with his championship ring during a quick ceremony at half court. Each of the current Celtics from last season's team, along with Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge and the ownership, joined Posey around the team logo, and the crowd welcomed him back with a standing ovation. Rivers took the microphone and gave a quick speech, calling Posey a "special person."

Almost game time

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 7:45 p.m.

The Celtics (21-2) will be looking to open up a can of Raid on the Hornets (12-6) tonight at the Garden during James Posey's lone trip to Boston during the regular season. Clearly, much of the pregame focus was on Posey, and I'll have more on him in my next post. As for right now, the Celtics have their 13-game winning streak on the line, which is tied for the sixth longest in team history. A win tonight would tie them for the fourth longest in franchise history along with the 1985-86 and 1957-58 teams. The 1981-82 Celtics have the longest winning streak in team history with 18 straight, followed by the 1959-60 (17) and 1964-65 (16) teams.

The Celtics had a quick scare on the plane trip home from D.C., as the storms through the northeast didn't discriminate against those who were at 35,000 feet. There was a ton of turbulence, and the landing was a little shaky, too. But Rajon Rondo said he did his part to keep the team calm, particularly Kevin Garnett, who he jokingly said was suffering something of a panic attack. The team got in at 2:30 a.m., and Rondo said, "At least we were on the ground."

And finally, Hornets center Tyson Chandler won't play tonight due to a neck injury he said he either suffered Wednesday against the Hornets or later that night when he was sleeping. Former UConn center Hilton Armstrong will start in his place.

Posey's big return

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 12, 6:19 p.m.

James Posey makes his only scheduled return to the Garden this season when the Hornets meet the Celtics tonight. He will receive his championship ring during a pregame ceremony.

"It's going to be emotional, just coming here as far as what we were able to accomplish with this organization," Posey said at the Hornets' shoot-around today. "It's known for winning and bringing titles and championships here. For us to be a part of that tradition, that's history. It's going to mean a lot."

Though the Hornets won't be back in Boston in the regular season, Posey is counting on a few more games in the event both teams reach the Finals.

"I jokingly said, well I wasn't joking, but I said I'll see you all in late June," Posey said.

Posey realized he has the chance to go down in Boston sports history with other champions who had short tenures in the Hub such as Orlando Cabrera.

"I really think it will be a warm, great reception for the most part," Posey said of how he'll be received during the pregame ceremony. "While I was here, it was great. They're just great fans, period."

All-Star returns released

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 11, 2:11 p.m.

The first All-Star ballot returns were released today by the NBA, and Kevin Garnett is the only Celtic currently slotted as a starter. Garnett, who garnered the most votes last season, has 495,514 votes through the first returns. LeBron James is the leader at forward in the Eastern Conference with 643,786 votes. Yi Jianlian, who is expected to challenge Garnett in the balloting due to the presence of voters in China, is third with 356,556 votes. Paul Pierce is fifth among forwards with 153,512 votes.

Ray Allen is fourth among the guards with 174,155 votes, and Rajon Rondo isn't on the list. Dwyane Wade (623,311) and Allen Iverson (492,093) are the top-two vote getters among Eastern Conference guards.

Dwight Howard (775,933) is the leader among Eastern Conference centers, and Kendrick Perkins is way down the pack at ninth with 24,777 votes.

Forwards Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudemire, guards Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul and center Yao Ming are the leaders in the West.

The 2009 All-Star Game takes place in Phoenix on Feb. 15. Starters are voted in by the fans, and they will be announced Jan. 22. Coaches in each conference will then vote for the reserves, which will be announced Jan. 29.

The Breakdown

Forwards. The Eastern Conference forward position is pretty much locked up by James and Garnett, and Pierce is an extreme long shot to be voted in as a starter. The guy with the biggest gripe might be Danny Granger, who is currently 10th and should probably be in the top five or six.

Guards. Wade certainly deserves the top spot here, but Iverson is a complete joke. Not only has he played poorly since being traded to the Pistons, but his presence on the court appears to directly correlate with Detroit's struggles in the first half. He doesn't belong up top at all. As we currently stand, there's more of a case for Allen to be a starter at guard than Pierce at forward. With more than 300,000 votes to make up on Iverson, though, he's in trouble there. The guard position is littered with controversy as it stands through the first returns, not just with Iverson. Luke Ridnour, who might be the worst starting point guard in the NBA, is at sixth. Jameer Nelson, who has been hurt most of the season, is seventh. And then there's Gilbert Arenas, who hasn't played at all this season but is in 11th. The two biggest snubs are Devin Harris and Rondo. Harris is just about the only watchable player on the Nets at this point, but he is sitting just head of Arenas in 10th place with 94,294 votes. That's simply a disgrace. As far as Rondo not being listed in the top 11, well, this is a blog about the Celtics, so I don't really need to plead his case. I was never under the illusion he had a chance to be voted in as a starter because the rest of the country just doesn't know him yet, but it's pretty shocking he's behind a guy like Ridnour, who's been embarrassed by Rondo this season.

Center. This is pretty much status quo. Perkins has been playing extremely well this season and deserves to be in the top six with Howard, Samuel Dalembert, Rasheed Wallace, Al Horford and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. In the East, let's face it: there's Dwight Howard and everybody else. Perkins has outplayed Howard, Dalembert, Horford and Ilgauskas when he's faced each of them this season (he doesn't match up with Wallace), so you could make that argument. But Howard is asked to be a star for the Magic, and he's great at filling that role.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 5, 11:21 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Blazers, 93-78, tonight at the Garden:

Digging in on defense. The Celtics were clearly struggling offensively tonight, but you could see them really turn the switch to defense when the starters re-entered the game in the second quarter. After Rudy Fernandez’s dunk put the Blazers ahead, 36-35, with 3:54 to play in the first half, the Celtics shut them out for the rest of the quarter — and then some. The Celtics closed the second on a 14-0 run that turned a tight affair into a 49-36 contest. A 7-0 spurt after the break (21-0 overall) pushed the margin to 56-37 and cleared the way for an easy finish the rest of the way. The Celtics held the Blazers without a point for 6:59 between the second and third quarters and without a field goal for 8:53 , a remarkable stretch against any team, let alone one that has five players scoring in double figures. (Side note: Even with those five scorers, the Blazers often lose their identity on offense, particularly when things aren’t going so hot. They really need a more demanding point guard out there — there’s been a rumored trade in the works that would send Mike Conley Jr. from Memphis to Portland in exchange for Travis Outlaw — and it’s never a good thing when Brandon Roy has to carry the rock. As a two-guard and the team’s most fluid scorer, it’s a sin to waste him by putting him at the point.) Anyway, the Celtics have been in a tremendous defensive rhythm since the start of the season, and they entered the night ranked first in the NBA in points allowed per game (90.3) and field-goal percentage allowed (41.01). One visiting coach in the last week said the Celtics might be the best defensive team in 25 years, and that’s a pretty scary thought.

Man down. It obviously hasn’t been a difference maker in the last two games, but the Celtics are definitely missing Tony Allen’s scoring off the bench while he’s been out with a sprained right ankle. Of course, it’s pretty much a moot point when the starters scored 105 of 114 points against the Pacers and 74 of 93 tonight against the Blazers, including 63 of 74 through three quarters — before the fourth-quarter stats sort of changed the story of what really happened in the game. Allen has averaged 8.8 points per game this season, good for fourth on the Celtics, and his scoring ability with the second unit really takes the pressure off Paul Pierce and Ray Allen early in the second and fourth quarters. I understand Tony Allen’s significance on this team in the long run is on the defensive end, but he’s definitely been missed on the offensive side over these last two games. Doc Rivers said before the game it’s highly unlikely Allen will play Sunday at Indiana , and they’re hoping to get him back Thursday at Washington .

Oden looks his age. OK, say what you will about the 20-year-old looking like he’s 45, but he’s definitely playing like the rookie he is. He had five points, six rebounds and fouled out after playing 18 minutes tonight and was never a factor in the game. There are definitely signs of life with his defensive ability, but his foul-prone ways are typical of a player that age (remember Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins in their early years?). Offensively, Oden looks like a mess. Sure, he’ll clean up enough rebounds and turn them into points, and that’ll be enough to allow him to average a double-double once his career really starts to progress. Right now, though, his low-post moves are very slow and extremely unintimidating. Perkins (12 points, 12 rebounds) ate him up in the paint. It was also interesting to listen to the Garden crowd get all over Oden and rain him with boos at every opportunity when the majority of these people were praying on a nightly basis he’d be the future of the franchise just a year and a half ago. After the game, the Celtics were glowing over Oden’s future (especially Perkins, who doesn’t hand out compliments to opposing players very often), but it’s definitely going to take a couple years for him to be a real force.

C-Notes. Look, I can’t write about Rajon Rondo every night, but he had another one of his typical 16-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist performances. It’s becoming too easy for this kid, it really is. Oh, and once again, he completely devoured a lesser point guard in Steve Blake.

Celtics cruise again

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 5, 10:37 p.m.

The Celtics rocked the Blazers, 93-78, tonight at the Garden to win their 11th straight and improve to 19-2. I'll have more in a little bit.

This one's over

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 5, 10:00 p.m.

Rajon Rondo's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 74-51 lead after the third quarter. Like O.J. Simpson's freedom, this one is over.

The D's the key

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 5, 9:10 p.m.

The Celtics picked up their defensive intensity to offset their struggles on offense in the second quarter and lead the Blazers, 49-36, at the half. Portland let an opportunity go by earlier in the quarter by holding the Celtics scoreless for a stretch of 2:24, but the Blazers only scored four points over that period. That's when the Celtics answered, closing the quarter on a 14-0 run over the last 3:54. The Blazers only made one field goal in the last 6:18 of the quarter, and they were 0-for-7 from the field with one turnover during the last 3:54.

Celtics up after one

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 5, 8:34 p.m.

The Celtics recovered from a sloppy start to grab a 24-21 lead over the Blazers after the first quarter here at the Garden. Ray Allen is off to yet another one of his hot starts, scoring 10 points in the quarter. Doc Rivers said before the game Allen is playing his best basketball as a Celtic, which is on par with how well he played in the Finals.

Oregon Trail

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 5, 7:43 p.m.

We're about a half hour away from tip-off tonight in a highly anticipated game between the Celtics (18-2) and extremely exciting Blazers (14-6), who have a one-game lead on the Nuggets in the Western Conference's Northwest Division. Portland has won a season-high six consecutive games since Greg Oden returned to the lineup after an ankle injury. The Blazers are also 7-0 against the Eastern Conference, their best start against the East since winning 12 straight 18 years ago.

What's most remarkable about Portland is its age. The Blazers are the second youngest team in the NBA to Golden State with an average age of 24 years, 166 days. This roster is downright stacked with superstars in waiting (though you could argue some already have that status). Oden, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Jerryd Bayless and Rudy Fernandez might all be All-Stars at some point. I'd make a loose comparison to the Blazers and the Tampa Bay Rays, who were down for so long and struck it rich by hitting on every single one of their lottery picks. They're easily in the top three of NBA teams I'd go out of my way to watch on a nightly basis.

Tony Allen will sit out again tonight with a sprained right ankle. He suffered the injury in the second quarter against the Magic but came back to play. As of Wednesday, Allen didn't rule out playing tonight but was shooting for Sunday. Doc Rivers said earlier he doubts Allen will play Sunday in Indiana but could return at Washington next Thursday. The Celtics are off Monday and will likely practice Tuesday and Wednesday.

I've also got to give a shout to whoever baked that amazing chocolate cake that was in the media room before the game. Wow, just wow.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 11:55 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Pacers, 114-96, tonight to win their 10th consecutive game and improve to 18-2:

C’s run through Rondo. It’s obvious Rajon Rondo is in the midst of the best stretch of his career, and he finally cracked through with his first triple-double tonight with 16 points, a career-high 17 assists and a season-high 13 rebounds. Doc Rivers said after the game he told Rondo a couple weeks ago he needed to improve his “mental focus” on a nightly basis in order to reach this point. But the key with Rondo’s performance tonight was what happened with the other four starters. Aside from Ray Allen knocking down a season-high six 3-pointers and scoring 31 points, the other starters had some of the quietest performances of their season — despite all scoring at least 16 points. That can be credited directly to Rondo, who makes it look easy for everyone around him, and their stats pile up as a result. In case you didn’t notice, Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 14 rebounds, Paul Pierce had 16 points despite struggling from the floor and Kendrick Perkins added 16 points and 10 rebounds. So, give Rondo all the credit in the world for recording his first career triple-double, as he certainly deserves it, but don’t forget the other key statistic in the starters combining to score 105 points. That’s what a true point guard does for a team.

“It seemed like there were like three Rondos out there tonight,” Garnett said. “I looked up and he passed the ball to [Pierce], and it came off the rim and he was rebounding. All of a sudden, I got back on defense, and he beat me back. Then [Danny] Granger went to drive, and he got the strip, got loose and threw it out for a lay-up and he got the lay-up. I sort of had to turn around. This boy was everywhere tonight, straight up. Didn’t it feel like that? I just call it like I see it, man.”

Good things come in three. The Celtics outscored the Pacers, 31-22, in the third quarter, when the game essentially broke open. After Indiana got within 62-55, the C’s ripped off a 21-4 run that sealed the deal, sans a brief Pacers run early in the fourth quarter. Over the last season and a half, the Celtics have been a tremendous third-quarter team, and they’ve won a lot of games immediately after the break. Rivers says he doesn’t go all Lou Holtz on his team in the locker room; he just reinforces what their objectives are during that game and emphasizes how they need to be achieved. It’s pretty common to see Garnett and company come out of the break with a fire in their eyes, lock things down on defense, score a few easy points, get the crowd involved — or silence the crowd on the road — and build a large enough margin to coast to a victory.

Perfect 10. I’ll say this: The Celtics look like they could develop into a team that might end up being better this season than last season, and it’s hard to argue they’ve ever looked this dominant over a 10-game stretch than they do right now. But let’s chill out with the talk of the Celtics “playing better than they ever have” under the new regime because that’s an insult to what they did last spring. Maybe I’ve spent too much time around the Patriots, but I believe in the school of thought that you don’t trump the performance of a championship run with a 10-game spurt in the first quarter of your schedule.

C-Notes (milestone edition). Pierce needs 20 points to pass Kevin McHale (17,335) for the fourth most in Celtics history. … Pierce grabbed five rebounds tonight to pass Bob Cousy (4,781) and tie Antoine Walker (4,782) for the ninth most in franchise history. … Garnett needs 19 points to pass George Gervin (20,708) for the 29th most in NBA history. … Garnett needs eight blocked shots to pass McHale (1,690) for 22nd on the all-time list. … Garnett had one steal tonight to pass Clifford Robinson (1,402) and tie Randy Smith (1,403) for 38th all-time.

Celtics avenge loss, Rondo goes nuts

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 9:55 p.m.

Rajon Rondo had 16 points, a career-high 17 assists and 13 rebounds for his first career triple-double, and the Celtics blitzed the Pacers, 114-96, tonight at the Garden. All five starters scored at least 16 points for the Celtics, who improved to 18-2 to win their 10th straight and match last year's start after 20 games. I'll have more coming later.

Pacers got Rondo'd

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 9:25 p.m.

Rajon Rondo has his first career triple-double, and the Celtics lead the Pacers, 88-73, after the third quarter. Rondo has 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and he recorded the triple-double just 88 seconds into the second half.

Celtics taking control

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 8:36 p.m.

Rajon Rondo is leading the way again tonight, and the Celtics lead the Pacers, 57-51, at halftime. Rondo has 10 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals. Ray Allen has been sharp, as well, with 19 points on a 4-for-6 night from 3-point range.

Celtics reclaim the lead, Granger in focus

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 8:06 p.m.

The Celtics fought back from a six-point deficit to grab a 28-27 lead after one. Ray Allen has continued his red-hot shooting streak and led the way with 13 points.

Danny Granger, who scored a game-high 20 points in the Pacers' win against the Celtics last month, had nine points, two assists and one rebound in the first quarter. Granger is actually loosely tied to the Celtics, who heavily coveted him in the 2005 draft. When Indiana was on the clock with the 17th pick, Doc Rivers knew he was about to get one of the two players he was hoping for with the 18th selection: Granger or Gerald Green. Of course, the Pacers went with Granger and the Celtics wound up with Green, who was sent to Minnesota in the package that landed Kevin Garnett. Granger, a 6-foot-9 forward out of New Mexico, is starting to emerge into a star while Green is catching on a bit in Dallas, where defense isn't required to earn playing time.

It's worth wondering how things might have panned out if Indiana passed on Granger and left him for the Celtics. I'm not saying he would have been worth any more wins in 2006-07 than Green, but his presence in a deal for Garnett could have potentially spared someone like Ryan Gomes or maybe a draft pick. Or, maybe Danny Ainge would have rather waited it out and decided the core of Pierce, Ray Allen, Al Jefferson, Granger and Rajon Rondo was worth developing for another couple seasons.

Terrible move in Toronto

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 7:59 p.m.

The boneheaded decision of the season -- which could eventually be replaced by the Pistons' acquisition of Allen Iverson -- happened this afternoon in Toronto, where coach Sam Mitchell was fired after an 8-9 start, including a 39-point road loss to the Nuggets last night. Mitchell was the NBA Coach of the Year two seasons ago and had created a winning culture North of the Border, which is a difficult task to say the least.

He had a tremendous plan of acquiring European talent that didn't mind playing in Canada, and he had a good crop of shooters who could spread the floor and play a deadly brand of basketball that isn't used anywhere else in the league. It's not Mitchell's fault the Raptors traded a really good young point guard in T.J. Ford -- who is here tonight with the Pacers -- for an angry, injury-prone veteran big man in Jermaine O'Neal, whose game does nothing to help Mitchell's system.

I don't know what kind of preconceived notion they've got up in Toronto about what type of basketball tradition they've got and how many games they should be winning, but here's a news flash: Be happy with making it to the playoffs and putting people in the seats when you're season coincides with the Maple Leafs. And while I'm on the Leafs, they're not even any good right now. If it were so easy to put a winning team out there every night of every season, the Leafs would be doing that right now. And if Raptors management thinks they should be competing with the Celtics this season, they're lying to themselves and that's a whole different mess not even worth our time.

Ray Allen's friend had a scare in India

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 7:25 p.m.

Ray Allen told a small group of reporters before the game one of his lifelong friends was in a Mumbai hotel in India during the terrorist attacks last week. After Allen left the Garden following a Celtics victory, his wife asked him if he had heard about the attacks, and Allen had not. That's when she informed him his friend, who works for Northwest Airlines, was in one of the hotels that were seized by terrorists.

"I was like, 'Of all the places in the world, he's in that hotel?'" Allen said.

His friend, Darryl Jones, reached Allen on the phone and asked what was going on because he was stuck in a room on the 21st floor, and the power was out. Jones actually left the room earlier, saw a mass of dead bodies in the lobby and ran back upstairs to bunker down in the room. Allen was giving him a play-by-play of the events while watching them unfold on television, especially advising Jones not to let anyone know he was from America because that's who the terrorists were targeting.

"You don't have a passport," Allen recalled telling Jones. "You're from Jamaica. You've got to use your accent."

Allen said he was trying to tell Jones to find a way to the United States consulate, which was nearby, but Jones didn't want to risk the move.

"He said no way because there were still terrorists in the hotel, and he didn't know who was what, so he was like, 'I don't want to take any chances,'" Allen said.

When everything eventually cleared, Jones was transported to Amsterdam before flying to Germany and found his way home safely.

Tony Allen out

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 7:10 p.m.

Tony Allen is out of the lineup tonight with a sprained right ankle, an injury he suffered in the Celtics' win against the Magic two nights ago. Allen was hurt early in the second quarter, went to the locker room for about five minutes to do some stretching with trainer Ed Lacerte, taped his ankle a little tighter and returned to the court. He actually came back and played pretty well in the fourth quarter when the Celtics' bench extended the lead in what turned out to be an easy victory. In retrospect, Allen said he shouldn't have gone back in the game but, "I didn't want to go down like that."

He said he woke up yesterday morning and could barely walk, and he had a very noticeable limp while moving through the locker room tonight. Doc Rivers hasn't ruled out Allen playing Friday against the Blazers, but said he's more hopeful to see him on the court Sunday in Indiana. Allen said he'll undergo a precautionary MRI, which will most likely take place tomorrow. There are no plans for him to return to the court on any date, as it's a wait-and-see type of injury.

Pace yourselves

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 3, 6:56 p.m.

There's quite a bit going on tonight, so check back often as I trust to keep the posts coming in the next hour or so. The Celtics (17-2) and Pacers (7-10) are about 45 minutes away from tip-off at the Garden, and don't laugh off the Pacers' dreary record thinking this will be a walk in the park for the flying C's. The Pacers hold the mighty distinction of being the only team in the NBA this season to have beaten both the Celtics (Nov. 1) and Lakers (last night). Indiana erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and won on a last-second tip-in to hand L.A. its second loss of the season.

Former Celtics coach and current Pacers coach Jim O'Brien is obviously impressed with his team's marquee victories, but he's also taking them with a grain of salt. First, he noted they've both been at home. He said the Celtics were coming off an emotional week following the raising of the banner and coming off an 8 p.m. start against the Bulls the night before, and he noted the Lakers last night were making their first trip east and may have been a little more tired than usual, hence the fourth-quarter collapse. Either way, the Pacers are shaping up to be one of those teams that annoys a bunch of playoff contenders throughout the season and could find themselves battling for an eighth seed in April.

As for some Celtics news, Tony Allen will not play tonight due to his sprained ankle. I'll have more coming on that in a few minutes.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 11:41 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Magic, 107-88, to improve to 17-2 tonight at the Garden:

Runnin’ Rajon. When I asked Paul Pierce why the offense looks so much better now than it did just a few weeks ago, he made it sound pretty simple. Pierce said Rajon Rondo is just shredding defenses, “causing havoc” and setting everyone up in position to keep things running smoothly. And when he plays like that, Pierce said the offense is “unstoppable.” Rondo had 16 points and 12 assists tonight and tore up an Orlando team that was without its starting point guard in Jameer Nelson. The third-year floor general had some trouble staying consistent last season, particularly in the playoffs, but he’s been on a streak of late that is the best of his career, which Ray Allen noted afterward, too. There have been two occasions in the last week when Rondo has broken his man off the dribble to the point where Pierce and Allen have been laughing while walking back up the court, and it’s only a matter of time before he is mentioned among the league’s elite point guards. I’m not saying Rondo is as good as Deron Williams or Chris Paul, or has the potential of Derrick Rose, but he’s got a place in the discussion similar to the way Pierce belongs in the same status as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Through 19 games, Rondo is a certifiable All-Star, and Doc Rivers added, “If everyone doesn’t see it, it’s a shame.”

Magic matchups. With the imposing presence of Dwight Howard in the paint, this was a game the Celtics had to win on the perimeter, and that’s exactly what they did. Howard, the most physically imposing center in the league — sorry, Yao , but Howard knows how to use his size — was held to 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Great numbers, for sure, but Howard never took over control of the game with a 5-for-12 night from the floor. The Celtics can thank Kendrick Perkins (eight points, 13 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (15 points, nine rebounds) for that. Perkins and Garnett were called on to keep Howard out of the paint because he’s nearly impossible to contain once he’s got an alley to the basket, and the Celtics’ duo expended a ton of energy getting that done.

That left Pierce and Allen to lead the way on offense. Allen came out of the gates with nine points in the first quarter, and Pierce dropped 17 in the third. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are average defenders who spent the night trying to contain Pierce, but Allen was left to toil with the likes of J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee, who won’t ever find themselves on any All-NBA defensive teams. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy pointed to that as the difference, saying, “Their guards (including Pierce) were outstanding.”

Benchmark production. Doc Rivers called out the bench for a bad first-half performance in a win against the Warriors last Wednesday, which was surprising in that it was true. Even though the Celtics’ bench is constantly ridiculed by those around the league (clearly by those who watch 30-second highlights and don’t spend time observing the team for a game or two), I strongly believe it’s the most important second unit in the NBA. They don’t have James Posey anymore, there’s no sixth-man superstar like Manu Ginobili and they don’t have the appeal of the Lakers, but this group does exactly what the Celtics need them to do. They bring an incredible amount of energy, stay on target with their defense, make hustle plays that change games — drawing charges, causing jump balls, diving on the floor for loose balls — and can get timely points from guys like Eddie House, Leon Powe and Tony Allen.

Anyway, they had a mini-slump last week, and it happened again in the first half tonight, as they allowed a 15-point lead dwindle to two points at the half. Rivers said they weren’t making those hustle plays on defense, and they were playing too much like individuals on offense, refusing to make the second, third and fourth reads on plays and trying to get the scoring on their own. As a result, Rivers looked tentative going to his bench in the second half. Glen Davis replaced Kendrick Perkins midway through the third quarter due to Perkins picking up his fourth foul, but the next subs didn’t enter until there were 27 seconds remaining. Clearly, they got the message, as the bench scored 14 of the first 16 Celtics points in the fourth quarter, capped off by Eddie House’s 3-pointer that put them ahead, 92-75, and iced the game.

C-Notes. There were eight technical fouls called tonight, including five on the Celtics. Two of those went to Sam Cassell, who now has two more technicals than minutes played this season. … The Celtics outscored the Magic, 12-0, in fastbreak points.

Easy victory for Celtics

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 9:54 p.m.

The Celtics cruised late and beat the Magic, 107-88, tonight at the Garden. I'll have The Breakdown coming shortly.

Celtics reclaim control

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 9:25 p.m.

Paul Pierce scored 17 points in the third quarter to help the Celtics reestablish their double-digit lead, as they're up, 77-65, after three. The Celtics used an 11-1 run in the first four minutes of the third quarter to grab a 59-47 advantage, and Doc Rivers was slow to go to his bench in the quarter after the reserves lost the C's momentum in the first half. Rivers usually starts his substitutions with about two or three minutes remaining in the third. He took out Kendrick Perkins with 5:24 remaining because he picked up his fourth foul but didn't go back to the bench until there were 27 seconds to play in the quarter.

Magic back in it

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 8:38 p.m.

The Magic jumped all over the Celtics' second unit in the second quarter and turned a 15-point deficit into a two-point hole, as the C's lead Orlando, 48-46, at the half.

Cassell tossed

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 8:28 p.m.

Sam Cassell celebrated being active for the second time this season by getting ejected for yelling at the officials during the second quarter. And to update the Tony Allen injury, the Celtics' written release about his right ankle sprain reads "expected to return," which means I need to get my hearing checked.

Allen back

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 8:26 p.m.

Tony Allen returned to the court, missing about three minutes of game time. Whether or not I misunderstood the message from the Celtics or Allen had a miraculous ankle recovery since my last post is unclear.

Tony Allen to the locker room

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 8:18 p.m.

Tony Allen came out of the game and limped to the locker room with trainer Ed Lacerte with 8:17 remaining in the second quarter. Celtics PR director Jeff Twiss just came around and told the media he has a right ankle sprain and will return.

(Post edited at 8:30 p.m.)

Celtics lead after one

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 8:05 p.m.

The Celtics jumped out to a fast start and have a 28-18 lead against the Magic after one. Rajon Rondo has been the igniter with eight points, four assists and three rebounds, and Ray Allen has a game-high nine points. Dwight Howard is 0-for-4 from the floor and has one point and four rebounds.

I'm curious what the purpose J.J. Redick serves on the floor for the Magic. I joked before the game that the Celtics should re-sign Jackie Manuel to hover around Redick tonight just to mess with him a little bit, but that's not even necessary. He camps out in the corner on the offensive end to the point where you'd think the Celtics have honored him with a statue on the parquet, and he doesn't even attempt to make Allen do the least bit of defensive work. As a result, Allen has been extremely active and full of energy offensively, leading to his nine first-quarter points. Defensively, Redick can't hang with Allen's cuts through screens, and he's constantly looking to find his assignment. I understand the Magic are facing a rash of injuries, but Redick is Garbage with a capital G.

Doc recognized, Celtics and Magic set to tip off

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec 1, 6:59 p.m.

Doc Rivers today was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for November. The Celtics are 16-2 entering tonight and have gone 11-1 against teams with a record of .500 or better. When told of the news, Kendrick Perkins said bluntly, "I figured that."

It's almost fitting Rivers was given the honor on a day when he is coaching against the Magic, his former team. Rivers was named the NBA Coach of the Year with Orlando in 1999-2000, his first season as a coach, and he's the only person in the history of the league to win the award without taking that team to the playoffs. Rivers was later fired by the Magic, and he still makes his home in Orlando, where he was last week for Thanksgiving.

As for tonight's game, the Magic (13-4) will again be without starting point guard Jameer Nelson, who has a strained right hip flexor. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said Nelson looked good during his pregame workout and wanted Nelson to play tonight, but the trainers immediately nixed that idea. The Magic are also without Keith Bogans and Mickael Pietrus.

The Celtics (16-2) have won a season-high eight consecutive games, including four in a row at home. Their lone loss to an Eastern Conference team was at Indiana a month ago tonight. Orlando has the third-best record in the East and is riding a four-game winning streak, and the Magic went 13-2 in November. Fifth-year center Dwight Howard is the biggest force on the team and the best young center in the league, and he's averaging 21.8 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 28, 11:30 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the 76ers, 102-78, tonight at the Garden:

Celtics in a rhythm. The Celtics have won a season-high seven games in a row, and they've won their last six by an average of 15 points (that number would be significantly higher if the starters hadn't sat the entire fourth quarter in wins against Detroit and Philly). After struggling to get past a few teams earlier in the season -- Cleveland, Houston, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Toronto -- the C's are flying past teams and are in a rhythm that looks much like the one they had to start last season. Defensively, they were as sound as they've been on several occasions this season, but they're really starting to click on the offensive end. The scary thing is they haven't had all three superstars shine in the same game, and they've still got a lot of room to improve. You can credit the recent rhythm to their intense willingness to keep getting better. They could have hung their hats on their 8-1 start after a one-point win against the Hawks, knowing they're the champs and had laid claim to a handful of wins over playoff-caliber teams, margin of victory aside. But they were more frustrated with their own play than happy with their record. This team understands better than anyone -- except maybe the Patriots -- that great starts don't equate to anything when the playoffs come around. They worked hard to get better, and they're making things look easier as a result.

Half-court offenses don't hold up. Even if the Sixers aren't the running team they were last year, they still can run the court pretty effectively when they're given the opportunity. Those opportunities, though, are limited when their opponents have smart possessions and take care of the ball. By way of the Celtics doing just that tonight, they instantly took the 76ers out of their running attack, and Philly couldn't get it going in the half court. That's pretty much an automatic loss when you're playing the Celtics, who kill half-court offenses. The best example of that is last season's playoff series against the Hawks and later the Pistons. Atlanta stayed with Boston because it was an athletic group that created its own energy in the open court. Detroit, though, played in half-court sets and didn't stand a chance against Boston. Tonight, the Celtics forced 16 turnovers, blocked six shots and swarmed the Sixers on the perimeter, which ultimately forced a number of bad shots, wild passes that took them out of their sets and caused havoc all over the court. Thaddeus Young, whose 15.1 points per game are second on the team, was 2-for-9 from the floor and scored four points. He said the Celtics' pressure wreaked havoc on their offensive game plan.

Sugar Ray on fire. Ray Allen had been 5-for-7 from 3-point range in each of his last two games and went 3-for-5 from distance tonight. He scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the third quarter, when he also hit all three of his 3-pointers. He hit three 3-pointers and scored all 11 of the Celtics' points during a stretch of 2:15 in the third when the C's extended their lead to 63-44 and effectively put the game to rest. While Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett can take over games in their own way -- Garnett scored eight of the final 10 points for the C's in the third quarter -- Allen is their home-run threat when he's hot from beyond the arc. Pierce said he knew Allen was on fire tonight, and the Celtics kept calling plays for their marksman to keep him going. There are dozens of great scorers around the league, but those who can get hot from 3-point range like Allen are the guys who are the biggest threats for one-man scoring runs.

Sam I Am. Doc Rivers has openly called Sam Cassell his player/coach, and until tonight Cassell was strictly fulfilling the coaching portion of that title. When Gabe Pruitt got sick and Rivers had to dress Cassell tonight, though, it looked like a good opportunity to put Cassell in the game, especially during the blowout when the starters didn't play in the fourth quarter (aside from Allen's 56 seconds). But Cassell remained on the bench -- contently, it appeared -- and that appears to be a sign that he's in Boston to work with the younger guys, and his playing opportunity will be only in the case of an injury. If reports were accurate that the Celtics were trying to lure Antonio McDyess this month (reports have since stated he's going back to Detroit), the Celtics would have had to get rid of someone since their roster is maxed out at 15 player. The two most obvious choices would be to release Patrick O'Bryant or give Cassell strictly a coaching job. (Unless Cassell really wants to play somewhere, in which case they'd release him. But let's be serious, if he really wanted to play significant minutes somewhere, he wouldn't be in Boston right now.) However, Cassell's coaching job looks like it's already in full swing.

C-Notes. Nothing here tonight, but check out my theory below about the scenario that could bring LeBron James to Boston in two years.

C's destroy Philly

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 28, 9:50 p.m.

The Celtics 86'd the 76ers tonight at the Garden, 102-78. Boston improved to 15-2 by winning its season-high seventh consecutive game, including its fourth straight at home. The 76ers dropped to 7-9 and are 7.5 games behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division. None of the Celtics' starters played in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen led the way with a game-high 23 points, while Rajon Rondo had six points, six rebounds and a season-high 12 assists.

Blowout in Boston

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 28, 9:17 p.m.

This is a mismatch on both ends of the court. The Celtics lead the 76ers, 73-47, after three here at the Garden, with the highlight of the quarter coming when Rajon Rondo fed Kevin Garnett with an alley-oop that turned into a three-point play and closed out a 10-2 run. Garnett followed by jumping into Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, who was sitting under the basket. Ray Allen also scored 15 points in the third quarter and has 23 in the game. And Rondo had four points and eight assists in the third. There was also a point when Philly turned the ball over on five straight possessions, two thanks to a pair of charges drawn by Paul Pierce.

Celtics locking down

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 28, 8:36 p.m.

The Celtics suffocated the 76ers in the first half and have a 46-28 lead after two. The Sixers simply don't have a chance with their half-court offense against the Celtics' defense, which is putting forth a superior effort tonight. Philly has 12 field goals, 10 turnovers and five assists. Those aren't good splits no matter how you look at them. The 76ers' 28 points were the lowest for a Celtics opponent in any half this season. It was also the lowest point total for the Sixers in any half this season.

LeBron to Boston?

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 28, 8:20 p.m.

I had a little time to do some math before the game and thought I'd throw the Celtics into the great chase for LeBron James, who will be a free agent July 1, 2010. First off, it's got to be driving LeBron nuts for him to be hearing his future being tied with teams like the Knicks and Nets when he's still got a season and a half remaining in Cleveland. But if that's how it's going to be, I'll play along, too.

There are three numbers that are very important when it comes to these talks. First of all, the NBA tries very hard to keep players with a team for as long as possible, so the Cavs have the upper hand when it comes to contract offers. In that case, they don't have to worry about the salary cap because LeBron will have spent his five years in Cleveland (the luxury tax is another thing, but that's all on the ownership), so the Cavs will be able to offer him six years and about $133 million. The league's other 29 teams are looking at a max of five years and a figure of about $102 million, and they have to keep the salary cap in mind. That's the third number. The cap in 2006-07 was $53.135 million. It was $55.63 million in 2007-08, and it's $58.68 million this season. The new cap number for each season comes out every July, so I'll forecast the 2010-11 cap to be about $64.6 million.

The Celtics have three players under contract for 2010-11 -- Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins -- who have a combined number of about $44.6 million. If the Celtics retain Rajon Rondo, who will be a restricted free agent after the 2009-10 season, for his minimum qualifying offer of about $3.8 million, that'll bring them up to $48.4 million. That, in turn, will give the Celtics $16.2 million in cap space. Since other teams can offer him an average salary of about $20 million, the Celtics are at a bit of a disadvantage in that department, but they can escalate his salary throughout the remainder of the contract and include other perks to bring his number up a bit. Now, you're wondering who will come off the bench if the C's hit the cap. Remember they only had eight players on the roster after trading for Garnett, and Danny Ainge got creative with the mid-level exception, which should be about $6.5-7 million in 2010-11.

With all that said, if it's about guaranteed money in LeBron's NBA contract, there isn't a team in the league that can compete with Cleveland. Therefore, if he's willing to sacrifice money to go elsewhere, a few million dollars won't be the ultimate factor between other teams an the Celtics.

If he's concerned with winning a championship, there likely won't be a better sell than a chance to play with Garnett, Pierce and Rondo. If it's about his legacy, the Celtics obviously offer him a chance to create one with the most storied franchise in the game. Plus, he'd be 30 years old -- it's scary how young he really is -- when that five-year contract expires in 2015. He could re-up with the Celtics for an exorbitant amount of money by then, and it already would have been his team for about two or three years. He saw first-hand what kind of treatment Pierce and Garnett received when the Celtics got their rings and raised the banner before beating the Cavs on opening night last month. Legendary figures never die in Boston.

Finally, there are the other, more highly discussed factors in New York, such as marketing opportunities, a bigger spotlight, a unique celebrity status, "his" Yankees and Jay-Z (a part owner of the Nets). If LeBron is more concerned with his off-the-court lifestyle, the Celtics don't have a chance. If he's serious about being the next Michael Jordan (things didn't turn out so bad in that Chicago market), the Celtics could be serious players.

Black Friday at the Garden

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 28, 6:53 p.m.

We're about 45 minutes from tip-off tonight at the Garden in a post-Thanksgiving matchup between the Celtics (14-2) and 76ers (7-8). Sam Cassell will suit up for the first time this season in place of Gabe Pruitt, who isn't feeling well. Doc Rivers didn't say whether or not his player/coach will get any game action.

The 76ers are really underachieving through the early portion of the schedule, but that can be chalked up to the adjustment period they're facing with newly-signed forward Elton Brand, who inked an $80 million, five-year contract over the summer. That event alone stirred a number of dramatic storylines. It was thought that Brand had convinced Baron Davis to leave the Warriors and sign with the Clippers so the two could play together and perhaps give their Staples Center cohabitants some competition. Well, that obviously didn't happen, Davis is alone in L.A., and the Clippers are back to playing their traditional embarrassing brand of basketball.

On the Philly side, it looked like the 76ers were going to make a hard attempt to sign Josh Smith away from Atlanta. Smith's high-flying style would have been a perfect fit for the 76ers' system, and they likely would have been the most exciting team to watch in the league. Then, the restricted free agent Smith signed an offer sheet with the Grizzlies, the Hawks matched it and he stayed in Atlanta. All of this was going down while Philly's interest heightened with Brand, and that was that.

While I maintain Smith would have been a better fit with Philly, there's still not a bad thing to really say about Brand. He's got a similar offensive arsenal as Kevin Garnett with a great low-post presence and good mid-range jumper, but his defense and tenacity are clearly second rate to KG. Philly also doesn't run the court as well as it did last year, though the 76ers will still fly from end to end of Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala or Thaddeus Young pull down a rebound. With that, it's extremely important the Celtics don't take quick shots or low-percentage shots that could allow the 76ers to get out on the break. Iguodala and Young are superior offensive threats while running the court, and if you make them play a halfcourt game, their talents and athleticism are restricted. Still, the Sixers are very good with their ball movement in both instances, and that's how they'll generate the majority of their offense.

The last matchup to watch is in the paint between Kendrick Perkins and Samuel Dalembert, who isn't an offensive threat but can really clog the middle of the court. Dalembert was a force against the Celtics last season, so the slimmer, more improved Perkins will have another good test on his hands.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 26, 10:34 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Warriors, 119-111, tonight at the Garden:

Rondo's an All-Star. At least in Paul Pierce's mind, Rajon Rondo deserves a spot on the court in Phoenix in February, and it's hard to dispute that. Pierce said Rondo "changed the game" in the third quarter, when he had 16 points and six rebounds. Rondo finished the night with a season-high 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals. He was instrumental defensively and on the fast break in the third quarter, and Pierce said of Rondo, "When he's on like he was tonight, we're unbeatable." Rondo also tied up Ronny Turiaf, who has nine inches and 72 pounds on the Celtics' point guard, to force a jump ball, among a number of hustle plays. Kevin Garnett said, "Rajon's heart is bigger than Africa."

Second chances are key. There was a point late in the fourth quarter when the Celtics had a 20-0 lead in second-chance points in the second half. The Celtics went through stretches when they struggled to knock down good shots, but they swarmed the rim for easy put-backs that really got them back into the game and then put them over the top in the fourth quarter. I thought the biggest play of the game happened with 6:43 remaining in the fourth. Garnett missed a jumper in the paint, but Tony Allen grabbed the rebound and quickly scored with one second remaining on the shot clock. He was fouled, completed the three-point play and put the Celtics ahead, 103-102.

C's go small. The Warriors are an exceptional jump-shooting team that has very little size and loves to run the floor. Doc Rivers shook things up in the fourth quarter, using Tony Allen in place of Kendrick Perkins, and that move offset the Warriors' biggest advantage. Allen was very active on defense, helping limit Corey Maggette and Jamal Crawford in one-on-one matchups -- which the Warriors go to way too often when possessions are most valuable -- and Golden State couldn't spread the floor as well. This might be a package Rivers uses more often against quicker, more athletic teams.

C-Notes. Going along with the theme of second-chance points, the Celtics outscored the Warriors, 66-38, in the paint -- and 40-12 in the second half. ... After Tony Allen, who scored nine points, hit a contested, leaning lay-up to give the Celtics a 117-108 lead, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck stood up out of his seat and began bowing. ... The C's held the Warriors to 44 second-half points after surrendering 67 points in the first. That was the most points any Celtics opponent has scored against them in any half this season.

Easy as that

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 26, 10:01 p.m.

The Celtics blew the doors off an inferior team in the second half and beat the Warriors, 119-111, tonight at the Garden. Rajon Rondo had a season-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. The most impressive stat was second-chance points. The Celtics finished with a 24-6 advantage in that regard and at one points held a 20-0 advantage in the second half alone. I'll have more in a bit.

Celtics back on top

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 26, 9:26 p.m.

When the Celtics smell blood, they're the most dangerous team in the league. And when Rajon Rondo is on his game, it magnifies this team's talent exponentially. Both happened in the third quarter, and the Celtics have erased a 14-point deficit to take an 86-83 lead after three. The Celtics closed the quarter on a 22-7 run, and Rondo had 16 points, six rebounds and one assist in the quarter.

Early holiday for Celtics

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 26, 8:45 p.m.

So much for that great start. The Celtics led by as many as 10 points on several occasions, but they've found themselves in a 67-54 hole at the half. After leading 40-30 early in the second quarter, the Celtics got flat-out sloppy on both ends, turning the ball over, missing lay-ups and surrendering easy dribble drives on the defensive end. The Warriors closed out the quarter on a 37-14 run, which included an 11-0 spurt, and the 39 points Golden State scored in the quarter were the most by a Celtics opponent in any quarter this season. This is very reminiscent of the Nuggets game a couple weeks ago.

Celtics flying after one

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 26, 8:09 p.m.

The Celtics lead the Warriors, 35-28, after the first quarter at the Garden. It was a predictably high-scoring quarter, as the Warriors