Game 19 Preview: Celtics at Bucks

After a very impressive performance last night, the Boston Celtics (7-11) begin a home-and-home with the Milwaukee Bucks (2-13).

The Bucks have lost 11 straight games and sit in the basement of the Central Division. One of their two wins came against the Celtics back on November 1, a game in which the Celtics blew a 22-point lead. The Bucks are next-to-last in the league in scoring and rebounding. Their starting small forward, Caron Butler, missed last night's game with a swollen left knee. He is questionable for tonight's game.

On the other hand, the Celtics have won three of their last four games. Boston is still without Kelly Olynyk (ankle) and Courtney Lee (knee).


Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Jared Sullinger
Brandon Bass

Bucks:
Brandon Knight
O.J. Mayo
Ersan Ilyasova
Khris Middleton
Zaza Pachulia


Keys to the game:

1. Rebounding from the guards: Head coach Brad Stevens stressed after last night's game the importance of his guards rebounding the basketball. Over their last four games, that success has translated into wins. In their three wins over their last four, the guards have averaging 14 rebounds. In their one loss, the guards combined to grab 3 rebounds. In order to keep this going, it has to be all hands on deck on the boards.

2. The three: 25% of Milwaukee's points come off three-pointers. That might be a problem for them tonight. The Celtics own the best three-point defense in the league, holding opponents to a league-best 31.2% from beyond the arc. The C's need to continue that trend tonight.

Final: Grizzlies 100, Celtics 93

The Boston Celtics (6-11) just dug themselves too deep a hole Wednesday, as they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies (8-7), 100-93.

Boston trailed 27-13 after the first quarter, and despite winning each of the final three quarters, it just wasn't enough.

With 4:45 remaining in the game, the Celtics trailed, 85-70. The Celtics went on a 23-11 run and only trailed 96-93 with 14 seconds to go, but they could not get themselves over the hump.

Here's a recap:

The good:

* Jared Sullinger continues to make his case as a piece the Celtics can build around. Sullinger tallied his second double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

* Jeff Green was very good tonight. Green led the Celtics with 26 points. He also had 7 rebounds. Green was a key factor in Boston's fourth-quarter run, as he scored 7 big points in the final four minutes of action.

* The C's unwillingness to throw in the towel has been evident all season long. That was the case again tonight. Boston trailed by as many as 19, but that didn't phase them. This team plays hard every night, and their intensity and relentless style of play will win them their fair share of games going forward.

The bad:

* Boston's bench was lackluster. The bench was a combined minus -44, shot 32%, and scored only 17 points.

* The Celtics defense could not contain Mike Conley early on. Conley torched the C's in the first quarter, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the first frame on 5-of-6 shooting.

* The Celtics scored just 13 points in the first quarter on 5-for-18 shooting. That was their lowest offensive output in a first quarter this season.


The Celtics will have Thanksgiving off before getting back to work Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff is 7:30 pm.

Game 17 Preview: Grizzlies vs. Celtics

Jeff Green and the Celtics will look to win their seventh game tonight.

The Boston Celtics (6-10) are streaking again. They've lost four in a row, won four in a row, lost six in a row, and now have won two in a row. These streaking Celts will face the streaking Memphis Grizzlies (7-7).

These two squared off on November 4 in Memphis in what was a 95-88 win for the Grizzlies.

After winning four straight, the Grizz are losers of their last two games. Center Marc Gasol, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is out indefinitely after spraining his left MCL.

For the Celtics, Kelly Olynyk is not expected to play after spraining his right ankle last Friday against the Pacers. Head coach Brad Stevens told reporters yesterday that Olynyk could be out up to two weeks.

Boston's grueling November is about to come to a close, and they can do so in winning fashion.

Projected lineups:

Grizzlies:
Mike Conley
Tony Allen
Tayshaun Prince
Zach Randolph
Kosta Koufos

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Jared Sullinger
Brandon Bass


Keys to the game:

1. Take away the paint: Memphis is scoring 44.1 points in the paint per game, which is good for seventh in the league. Without Gasol, that production should decrease. However, Memphis still has Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, and Ed Davis, all of whom are more than capable of being factors on the low block. Without Olynyk, the Celtics need to utilize their bulk from other areas (Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries) in order to combat Memphis's bigs.

2. The fives: Without Gasol, Memphis's starting five is averaging 58.6 points per game. The Celtics starting five is averaging 63.5 points per game. Their starting lineup is better than Memphis's. They need to play that way tonight.

Final: Pacers 97, Celtics 82

A new night, but the same story: play well for the first 24 minutes, but then retract in the final 24.

The Celtics (4-10) dropped their sixth straight game tonight and their fifth straight by double-digits by falling to the Indiana Pacers (11-1), 97-82.

Boston held a 50-42 lead going into halftime, but as they did on Wednesday, they let the game slip away in a heartbeat.

Paul George, the early NBA MVP favorite in the eyes of many, had a game-high 27 points.

Indiana turned it on in the second half, outscoring Boston, 55-32.

Here's a recap:


The good:

* Jordan Crawford was phenomenal in the first half. He scored 19 points on 8-of-8 from the floor, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close the first half. The only problem was he only took 4 shots in the second half

* Boston's starting five had another solid night. They scored 65 of the team's 82 points and shot 56%.


The bad:

* The third quarter has been a nightmare for the Celtics in their last two games. Boston averages 22.6 points in the third quarter this season. Tonight, they scored eight. EIGHT. Indiana outscored Boston in the third frame, 25-8. The C's turned the ball over 11 times in the third as well.

* I know he doesn't want to be here, but Gerald Wallace has to actually act like he does. He's a professional. Tonight, he played very unprofessionally. Wallace was a minus -12 tonight in 22 minutes and had a team-high 5 turnovers. He made a number of poor decisions with the basketball and was very careless with his passes. He was in a big-time funk tonight.

* Indiana got so many second chances tonight. They held a decisive edge in offensive rebounds, 15-5. Whenever a shot went up, it seemed that at least two Pacers were in the paint waiting to grab the offensive board.

* Kelly Olynyk suffered a sprained right ankle in the first half and did not return. His status for Saturday's game in Atlanta is uncertain. Also, Jared Sullinger, who played tonight's game with the flu, is uncertain for tomorrow's game.

Boston is on the road tomorrow night as they take on the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm.

Game 14 Preview: Pacers at Celtics

Paul George, the early favorite for the NBA MVP, and the Indiana Pacers
come to town tonight.

Two nights after playing the best team in the West, the Celtics (4-9) return home to the TD Garden to face the best team in the East, the Indiana Pacers (10-1).

The Pacers topped the Knicks in overtime, 103-96, on Wednesday to notch their tenth win of the year.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have dropped five straight. They are in a stretch of six games in eight days in six different cities. The teams the C's play during this stretch have a combined record of 52-20.

No one said it would be easy!

Projected lineups:

Pacers:
George Hill
Lance Stephenson
Paul George
David West
Roy Hibbert

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Jared Sullinger
Kelly Olynyk


Keys to the game:

1. Kelly Olynyk: Brad Stevens said after Wednesday's game against the Spurs that he liked having Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk in the starting lineup. As far as the latter is concerned, he will be the measuring stick for the Celtics' success. In their four wins, Olynyk is averaging 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 assists. In their nine losses, those averages drop to 6.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He has a difficult task tonight as he will have to deal with Roy Hibbert. The way Olynyk plays tonight should dictate how the Celtics play.

2. Keep this low-scoring: In their nine wins, the Pacers have not allowed more than 96 points. In their only loss, the Pacers let the Bulls score 110 points. The Pacers have allowed the fewest points and the lowest opponent field goal percentage in the NBA. During their five-game losing streak, the Celtics have allowed 103.4 points per game. Boston needs to keep this game in the 80s or the 90s in order to put themselves in a position to win.

Final: Spurs 104, Celtics 93

Well that was a little bit better.

It's another one in the "L" column for your Boston Celtics (4-9), but it's certainly a step in the right direction. They just could not hold it together for all four quarters tonight, as they fell to the Spurs, 104-93.

Boston bounced back nicely after being blown out of the gym by the Rockets on Tuesday night. After allowing 40 first-quarter points last night, the Celtics limited the Spurs to 22 points in the first frame and only 48 for the first half.

However, the Spurs were just too much for these Celtics

Here's a recap:

The good:

* The starting lineup played very well tonight. The five scored 77 points, shot 46%, and battled the Spurs' starting five on nearly every possession.

* Jared Sullinger continues to prove the doubters wrong. Sullinger notched his first double-double of this season, scoring 19 points and grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds. Over his last four games, Sullinger is averaging 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and is shooting 47%.

The bad:

* While the Celtics starting five played really well, it was the Spurs' starting five that did more damage. They combined for 70 points and only 2 turnovers. Boston's starting five committed 10 turnovers.

* The Spurs scored 25 points off 17 Celtic turnovers, while Boston scored 4 points off 4 Spurs turnovers.

* The Celtics were not ready for the Spurs at the start of the second half. The Spurs began the third quarter on a 15-4 run, and the Celtics were unable to dig themselves out of that hole.

Game 13 Preview: Celtics at Spurs

Jeff Green and the Celtics need to get
back on track, but Tim Duncan
and the Spurs stand in their way.

"I don't know what the f--- that was."

That was Gerald Wallace's response when asked about his team's lackluster effort in last night's 109-85 loss to the Houston Rockets. Those comments cost Wallace $10,000.

But Wallace could not have worded it any better.

Last night's performance at the Toyota Center is one the Celtics (4-8) will like to shake off quickly. Fortunately, they can do so tonight, but they have to face the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs (9-1). 

The Spurs are off to a hot start once again. They are winners of seven in a row and are tied with the Indiana Pacers for the best record in the league. 

And everyone thought the Spurs were too old. Yeesh.

Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Vitor Faverani

Spurs:
Tony Parker
Danny Green
Kawhi Leonard
Tim Duncan
Tiago Splitter


Keys to the game:

1. Play some good defense: Duh. But when you let a team score 40 points in the first quarter, score 60 points in the paint, shoot 57%, and outscore you 23-7 in the fast-break department, you need to be reminded that defense is kind of a big deal. The Spurs rank fifth in the NBA in field goal percentage. The Celtics must find a way to limit the Spurs' damage on the offensive end.

2. Get the starting five going: Over their last three games, the Celtics have averaged 89.7 points per game. In two of those three, the starting five has averaged a mere 45.7 points per game. That's extremely poor, in case you were wondering. Jeff Green is the main culprit here, who is averaging a putrid 6.7 points while shooting 24% from the field. Right now, Green is this team's best option. When he plays well, the Celtics play well. The same goes for Avery Bradley, whom I've mentioned in these keys to the game before. This entire quintet needs to get going. Quick.

Game 12 Preview: Celtics at Rockets

Here's one thing we know for sure: Celtics GM Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald that Rajon Rondo will not be traded. For all we know, that could be a lie. But there it is, straight from the horse's mouth. So let's all move on, because the Celtics have bigger issues at hand.

Tonight, the Celtics (4-7) will look to crack a three-game losing streak when they take on the Houston Rockets (7-4).

The Rockets are winners of two straight games, with their latest victory coming Saturday over the Denver Nuggets.

Houston has been playing without Omer Asik, who has been unhappy with his demotion to the backup center spot. Asik has been listed as "unavailable" for each of the past two games. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Asik practiced yesterday and will be active for tonight's game.

Tonight's game marks the first of a Texas back-to-back for the C's.


Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Vitor Faverani

Rockets:
Patrick Beverley
James Harden
Chandler Parsons
Terrence Jones
Dwight Howard


Keys to the game:

1. Be smart: The Celtics cannot afford to turn the ball over as much as they did Saturday night. Boston committed 22 turnovers, which the Timberwolves converted into 28 points. It would be foolish for the Celtics to give the ball away and let the Rockets get out on the fast-break. Why? Because Houston ranks fifth in the league in fast-break efficiency, and they rank second in the league in points per game. Boston needs to limit its mistakes, because Houston's offense is lethal and will make them pay.

2. Where's Green?: For a guy who many predicted to be the team's leading scorer, Jeff Green cannot afford to disappear. That's exactly what he did on Saturday night in Minnesota. Out of all the Celtics that played, Green was the only one that did not make a shot from the field. That cannot happen tonight. Green needs to explode tonight. He needs to make up for his lack-luster -- that word doesn't even do it justice -- performance over the weekend. Look for the Celtics to get him the ball early and often.

Report: Knicks pursuing Rondo

The New York Knicks are desperate, and I mean very desperate.

Things are looking very bleak in Gotham, and general manager Steve Mills is exploring all options with this under-achieving basketball team.

This team has reached a point where they are willing to trade within the division and for a player that is still recovering from a torn ACL.

That player would be Rajon Rondo.

The Knicks are dangling Iman Shumpert in trade talks. One recently proposed trade involved Shumpert, Raymond Felton, and Amar'e Stoudemire being shipped up to Boston in exchange for Rondo, according to multiple reports.

The Celtics have not shown much interest in the deal. ESPNNewYork.com is reporting that Boston prefers to trade away Gerald Wallace.

According to the New York Daily News, the Knicks inquired about Rondo during the summer, but the Celtics were not willing to let go of the four-time All-Star.

Sit tight, everyone. This is just the beginning of what is going to be whirlwind of trade rumors from now until the February 20th trade deadline.

Final: Timberwolves 106, Celtics 88

Well that certainly wasn't pretty.

After winning four straight games, the Celtics (4-7) have now lost three in a row after falling to the Timberwolves, 106-88.

Minnesota was led by its three-headed attack of Kevin Love, Kevin Martin, and Nikola Pekovic. The three combined for 63 points and 30 rebounds.

Here's a recap:

The good:

* Avery Bradley scored a career-high 27 points while shooting 12-of-23 from the field. His jump shot has improved drastically. If Bradley continues to improve his ball-handling skills, he can become a phenomenal basketball player.

* Vitor Faverani outrebounded his counterpart, Nikola Pekovic, 14 to 12. Faverani is raw. He may make some bonehead mistakes, but there's something to work with.

The bad:

* The Celtics committed 21 turnovers. They allowed the Timberwolves to score 28 points off those turnovers. During their three game losing streak, the C's have averaged 18 turnovers per game. That's not gonna get it done.

* As a rookie in the NBA, you go through peaks and valleys. Right now, Kelly Olynyk is going through a valley. Olynyk came off the bench tonight and scored 4 points in 11 minutes. Over his last three games, Olynyk is averaging 4.6 points and shooting only 36%. He has looked uncomfortable lately, and it's obvious that he is pressing right now.

* If anyone has seen Jeff Green, please make sure he's at the Toyota Center in Houston on Wednesday. Green was 0-for-6 from the field tonight in 30 minutes.

* Minnesota scored 52 points in the paint while Boston scored 28. Yikes.

The Celtics will travel to Houston for a Tuesday night matchup with the Rockets.

Game 11 Preview: Celtics at Timberwolves

Avery Bradley and the Celtics cannot allow Ricky Rubio and the

Timberwolves to run them over tonight.

Another day, another tough matchup for your Boston Celtics.

Tonight, the Celtics (4-6) are in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves (6-4).

The Timberwolves are coming off a 117-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets last night at the Pepsi Center. This team is second in the NBA in scoring, fourth in assists, and seventh in rebounding. They're also 4-1 at home. Needless to say, tonight won't be easy.

Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Kelly Olynyk

Timberwolves:
Ricky Rubio
Kevin Martin
Corey Brewer
Kevin Love
Nikola Pekovic

Keys to the game:

1. Control the tempo: It may be a difficult thing to do on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Celtics need to prevent the Timberwolves from getting fastbreak opportunities. Minnesota is averaging 19.1 fastbreak points this season, second in the NBA to Phoenix's 23.4. Boston needs to make Minnesota work for its points.

2. Pick your Kevin: Minnesota has two Kevin's in the top ten in scoring. One is Kevin Love, whose second in the league at 27.2 points per game, and the other is Kevin Martin, whose sixth in the league at 24.9 points per game. Love is also second in the league in rebounding, while Martin is ninth in the league at three-point percentage at 52%. The point is both Kevin's are very, very good. They can do a number of different things to influence a game. But the Celtics cannot let both Kevin's be on their A-game tonight.

3. Get the starting five going: In last night's game, Boston's starting five only scored 39 of the team's 96 points. The starting quintet only shot 37% from the floor. Boston cannot expect their bench to put up 57 points and carry the starters again tonight. They need their starters to play better than they did last night.

News and notes

A couple of news items to take care of...


*The NBA released its 2014 All-Star ballot yesterday. The list includes 120 players from both the Western and Eastern Conferences. I know what you're wondering: which Celtics are on the ballot? They would include Jeff Green, Gerald Wallace, and Rajon Rondo.

This year's All-Star game is February 16 in New Orleans. Fans can vote online at http://allstarballot.nba.com/

Fans can also vote by texting a player's last name to 69622. They can use Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by including a player's first and last name in their post and the hashtag #NBABallot.

Voting ends January 20.

* In his weekly appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Celtics GM Danny Ainge gave another update on Rondo. Ainge said Rondo is making "great progress" and hinted that a return in the middle of December is realistic.

"I don't see anything happening this month," Ainge said. "I think that when we get into the middle of December, it could be a week-by-week situation for him. He's getting closer, but he still hasn't gained 100 percent of his strength back in that leg. And we certainly don't want to take any risks."

* This will be the first time since 2007 that the Celtics will not be playing on Christmas Day. However, that doesn't mean they don't have their own Christmas Day jersey. The NBA formally unveiled their "Big Logo" Christmas Day jerseys Thursday and the sleeved jerseys feature oversized team logos on the front with player numbers on the sleeve and back. All 30 teams have jerseys.

Final: Trail Blazers 109, Celtics 96

Hey, Portland is a good team.

The Celtics (4-6) learned that tonight after they fell to the Trail Blazers (7-2), 109-96.

Portland was led by their All Star power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

The Celtics have now dropped two straight and now head into a stretch of five straight games against teams with winning records. This was not the way to start that stretch.

The good:

* After missing Wednesday's game with a right knee bruise, Jared Sullinger came ready to play. The big fella had himself a night. He had a career-high 26 points on 11-of-18 from the field to go along with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.

* Maybe it was just the coaching change, but something has happened to Courtney Lee. He had another solid game tonight, scoring 9 points on 4-of-9 from the floor. On the year, he is shooting 55% from the field and 42% from three-point range.

* The bench scored 57 points tonight. The C's are going to need that depth this upcoming week.

The bad:

* The Celtics committed 12 turnovers in the first half. You can't give away the ball to a team that scores 103 points a game.

* The Trail Blazers killed the Celtics from long distance. After starting 1-of-7 from three-point range, the Blazers finished the night 9-of-26. Nicolas Batum was the main culprit, connecting on 4 of the 10 threes he shot.

There's no rest for the weary. The C's are back to work tomorrow night when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.

Game 10 Preview: Trail Blazers at Celtics

Brandon Bass has to keep Lamarcus Aldridge
in front of him tonight.

The Boston Celtics (4-5) blew a chance to climb over the .500 mark with their 89-83 loss on Wednesday to the Charlotte Bobcats. Tonight, they can get back to that .500 clip, but they have their hands full. They will take on the Portland Trail Blazers (6-2).

Portland has won four straight with their latest win coming Wednesday night over the Phoenix Suns. This team is good. They can score efficiently, pass the ball, rebound, and play defense.

Here's a preview:

Projected lineups:

Trail Blazers:
Damian Lillard
Wesley Matthews
Nicolas Batum
LaMarcus Aldridge
Robin Lopez

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Kelly Olynyk

Keys to the game:

1. How about some effort?: Boston got off to a sluggish start on Wednesday night. It was almost as if they did not take the Bobcats seriously. Two years ago, they could afford to do so, but not this year. This team is not talented enough to take any team lightly. Boston let Charlotte shoot 61% and grab 15 rebounds in the first quarter. They woke up in the second quarter, but they dug themselves an 11-point hole in the first and were unable to get themselves out of it. The Celtics need to be ready to go right from the tip tonight, especially against a talented Trail Blazers team.

2. Control that backcourt: Portland's starting backcourt is dynamic. It includes Damian Lillard, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Wesley Matthews, one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Matthews is having a tremendous season, shooting 55% from the floor and 51% from three-point range to go along with 15.3 points and 5 rebounds per game. It will be all hands on deck for the Celtics guards. They need Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, Phil Pressey, and Courtney Lee to bring their A-game on the defensive end tonight.

Game 9 Preview: Bobcats at Celtics

Jeff Green will try to lift the Celtics over the Bobcats.

The Boston Celtics (4-4) will look to do two things tonight. They will look to extend their winning streak to five games. They will also try and climb over the .500 mark for the first time all season when they take on the Charlotte Bobcats (3-4).

The Bobcats are losers of two straight, with their most recent loss coming Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Al Jefferson, the team's big offseason acquisition, suited up for just the second time in seven games this season due to a lingering right ankle injury.

Both trams are coming off games in which seven of their players scored in double-figures. Both teams also have five players averaging more than 11 points per game. But yet, both teams rank in the bottom third in points scored per game. Go figure.

Here's a preview:

Projected lineups:

Bobcats:
Kemba Walker
Gerald Henderson
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Josh McRoberts
Al Jefferson

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Kelly Olynyk


Keys to the game:

1. Don't be selfish: The C's need to continue to heed Gerald Wallace's advice and not be selfish. Since he "called out his teammates," the Celtics have gone 4-2. Ball movement. Assists. Getting others involved. It worked out pretty well the other night. And against a team that's right down your neck in points allowed -- Charlotte is 8th in the league while Boston is 7th -- the Celtics need to utilize that depth.

2. Don't slip up: While their last two wins have been very impressive, the Celtics need to be careful tonight. This Charlotte team has played very good defense thus far. The Celtics aren't going to score well into the 100s like they have the past two games. The Celtics have also allowed an average of 108 points over the past two games. They can't get away with that again, and they also can't bank on the fact that they can shoot 60% again.

Sullinger day-to-day

Celtics forward Jared Sullinger underwent a precautionary MRI at New England Baptist Hospital this afternoon on his right knee. The results revealed a bruised right knee. Sullinger is considered day-to-day.

Sullinger injured the knee while taking a charge during last night's victory over the Orlando Magic. 

"He’s got a sore knee and they are doing an MRI just to check out and see what’s wrong," coach Brad Stevens said at today's practice. "Nothing conclusive, and certainly day-to-day it sounds like they are looking at, but we just don’t know yet, so we want to make sure." 

Final: Celtics 120, Magic 105

Break up the Celtics!

After losing their first four games to start the season, the Celtics (4-4) have won four straight to climb back to the .500 mark as they defeated the Orlando Magic (3-5) for the second time in three games, 120-105.

Boston was in complete control from the get-go. The C's outscored the Magic in every quarter, and they dominated in nearly every facet of the game. 

The good:

* I mentioned the importance of Avery Bradley in my keys to the game. He didn't disappoint. For the second straight game, Bradley was spectacular. He finished with a team-high 24 points on 10-of-15 from the floor. His jump shot has been nearly automatic over the past two games.

* Five Celtics scored at least 14 points tonight.

* Boston shot 60% from the floor, which is the highest by any team in a game this season.

* The Celtics shot 60% against an Orlando team that was second in the league opponents' field goal percentage (40.3%) coming into tonight's game.

* The C's had 28 assists on 51 buckets. That's an assist rate of 55%. Not bad for a team that was 28th in the league in assists coming into tonight's contest.

The bad:

* Being the positive, glass-half-full guy that I am, I'm not going to nitpick for insignificant mistakes because, frankly, there really weren't any. Don't tell Brad Stevens that, though.

The Celtics continue their homestand on Wednesday night when they take on the Charlotte Bobcats. 

Game 8 Preview: Magic at Celtics

The Celtics are 3-0 with Jordan Crawford as a starter.

Happy Veteran's Day everyone!

The Boston Celtics (3-4) are riding high after they extended their winning streak to three games thanks to an improbable victory on Saturday over the Miami Heat.

Tonight, they open a three-game homestand with their second meeting in four days with the Orlando Magic (3-4).

These two teams met on Friday in Orlando, a game in which the Celtics won, 91-89. Orlando last played on Saturday when they lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 104-94.

No surprises here for either side. Same teams, different court.

Projected lineups:

Magic:
Jameer Nelson
Arron Afflalo
Maurice Harkless
Jason Maxiell
Nikola Vucevic

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Kelly Olynyk


Keys to the game:

1. Keep up the "D": In their last meeting, Boston forced Orlando to commit 20 turnovers, a season-high for the Magic. The Magic also shot a season-low 20% from three-point range, which is way below their season average of 39.1%. Boston has allowed the sixth-fewest points in the league and is the best in the league in opponent three-point percentage (28%). The C's just have to keep on keeping on in order to continue this winning streak.

2. Avery Bradley: When Avery Bradley plays well, the Celtics play well. Bradley has been real hot going back to the second half of the Miami game. He's 6 of his last 7 from the floor and was 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter. Not to mention his customary superb defense on Dwyane Wade. Watch for Bradley tonight. If he's on his A-game, the Celtics will be as well.

Final: Celtics 111, Heat 110

Vitor Faverani embraces the man of the hour, Jeff Green.

Wow.

There really are no other words to describe this one.

In a game in which they were 11 point underdogs, the Celtics (3-4) defeated the Miami Heat (4-3) on an improbable, unbelievable, crazy buzzer beater by Jeff Green.

Trailing 110-108 with 0.6 seconds remaining, the Celtics inbounded the ball to Green, who took a fall-away three-pointer from the corner that was contested by LeBron James, and the ball hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

The C's just refused to go away. Miami's biggest lead was 10, but Boston never gave in. They hung in there until the very end, and they ended up winning their third-consecutive game.

Although Miami's "Big Three" combined for 63 points, the Celtics were able to get stops when they needed to and scratched this one away from the grasps of the defending champs.

Unbelievable.

The good:

* No kidding, but Jeff Green had himself a night. His night began with an emphatic dunk over Shane Battier, and his night ended with a remarkable game-winning three-pointer over LeBron James. Green led the C's with 24 points while pulling down 5 rebounds and handing out 2 assists. One knock on Green this season has been his fourth quarter play. In the fourth quarter this season, Green was 3-for-17 before tonight's game. Tonight, he scored 10 points. Over his last four games, Green is averaging 18.5 points on 45% shooting. Green may just be starting to become the guy that this team needs him to be.

* How about Hump? In a game that saw Vitor Faverani only play 3 minutes after Kelly Olynyk started in his place, Kris Humphries was the only other viable big man. And boy did he produce. In 18 minutes off the bench, Humphries had 9 points and 5 rebounds. In his first 47 minutes as a Celtic, Humphries has 19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and is shooting 58%.

* I never thought I would say this, but Jordan Crawford is slowly becoming a leader on this team. Crawford turned in another solid performance with 15 points and 4 assists. Since he was inserted into the starting lineup, the Celtics are 3-0.

The bad:

* Allowing the Miami Heat to score 110 points at home is usually a recipe for disaster. Miami shot 58% on the night. More often than not, you're not gonna beat a team of that caliber when you turn in a defensive performance like that.

Game 7 Preview: Celtics at Heat

Avery Bradley has always given Dwyane Wade fits on defense.

The Celtics (2-4) won their second-consecutive game last night as they topped the Orlando Magic, 91-89. In a game that saw neither team shoot higher than 40%, the Celtics got 7 fourth-quarter points from Avery Bradley and huge buckets from Jeff Green and Kelly Olynyk in the final two minutes.

Now they will really be tested as they travel to South Beach for the second leg of their back-to-back in the sunshine state. Tonight, they take on the two-time defending world champion Miami Heat (4-2). After starting the year 1-2, the Heat have won three straight. They're coming off a 102-97 victory on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The tough task for the Celtics might not be as tough as expected. Miami's LeBron James has been dealing with back soreness and is questionable for tonight's game. James has been dealing with the issue since the season began and aggravated the injury when he dove for a loose ball in the first half of Thursday's game. He told reporters at yesterday's practice that he plans on playing in tonight's game, but Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that James will be re-evaluated before the game and a decision on his status will be made from there.

Even if James doesn't play, this is no easy task. But it sure would be a hell of a lot easier.

Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Vitor Faverani

Heat:
Mario Chalmers
Dwyane Wade
LeBron James*
Udonis Haslem
Chris Bosh

* Questionable - back soreness

Keys to the game:

1. An answer for the Birdman: Odd, right? But Andersen has been a good measuring stick for the Heat's success. In both their losses, he is shooting 25% and averaging only 2.0 points and 0.5 rebounds. In their wins, he is shooting 73% and averaging 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds. When Birdman is going well, the Heat are a much better team. Limiting his effectiveness is something the Celtics need to make a priority.

2. Bradley vs. Wade: Since he started drawing the assignment of covering Dwyane Wade, Avery Bradley has excelled. In the five games they've squared off against each other, Wade is averaging 15.8 points, 3.4 turnovers, and is shooting 38%. Bradley has done a real good job of limiting Wade's impact on these games. He's going to have to do the same tonight if the Celtics want to sweep this Floridian back-to-back.

Ainge provides update on Rondo

Speaking on 98.5 The Sports Hub yesterday morning, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told The Toucher and Rich Show that Rajon Rondo has been cleared for minor contact.

"Rondo is practicing, he's been cleared to have some contact, like 1-on-1, but not 5-on-5 full-court practice yet," Ainge said. "We’re just taking it week by week right now, but he's not ready to come back this week. I'm not sure when he'll be cleared, but he's working really hard and we're anxious to get him ready to go."

Rondo told reporters after the Celtics' preseason finale that he was getting fitted for a brace and was awaiting clearance for participation in contact drills.

Game 6 Preview: Celtics at Magic

Jeff Green and the Celtics will look to win consecutive games tonight
for the first time this season.

After winning their first game on Wednesday night, the Celtics (1-4) will look to begin their first winning streak of the season tonight when they take on the Orlando Magic (3-2).

Orlando has gotten off to a surprisingly good start. After dropping their first two games of the season, the Magic have won three straight, including two against the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. They are the best rebounding team in the league, and they rank among the top ten in points scored and points allowed per game.

Suffice to say, this Orlando team has worked some magic in the early going. Try the veil, I'm here 'til April 20.

Here's a preview:


Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jordan Crawford
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Vitor Faverani

Magic:
Jameer Nelson
Arron Afflalo
Maurice Harkless
Jason Maxiell
Nikola Vucevic


Keys to the game:

1. Make this a battle: Tonight is a matchup of two very good defensive teams. Orlando is holding opponents to under 40% shooting on the year, while the Celtics are only allowing 93.4 points per contest, which is good for second-best in the entire league. Orlando has six players averaging over 10 points per game. The Celtics cannot allow the entire team to beat them. They need to focus on shutting down two guys -- Jameer Nelson and Andrew Nicholson would be the two to pick -- and managing the rest of Orlando's offensive attack.

2. Beyond the arc: Boston is holding opponents to 3.8 three-pointers per game, good for the top spot in the league. Orlando is shooting 41.8% from long range, seventh-best in the league. Brad Stevens and his crew have stressed defending the three-point line from day one, and that needs to be a point of emphasis tonight.

Final: Celtics 97, Jazz 87

No matter the outcome of tonight's game, one team was going to be 0-5 and the other was going to be 1-4. Fortunately for the Celtics, they ended up being the ladder after a 97-87 victory over the Utah Jazz.

After falling into an early 16-3 hole, the Celtics would go on to outscore, 47-18, for the remainder of the first half. The C's led by as many 25, and they almost let another big lead slip away again. Utah cut the deficit to 89-83 with 4:29 to go in the game, but Boston managed to close it out. 

The win was not only the first for the 2013-2014 Celtics, but it was also the first win in the NBA head coaching career of Brad Stevens. Let's hope it's the first of many.

Here's a recap:

The good:

* Boston's ball movement tonight was better than any night so far this year. The Celtics had a season-high 22 assists on 40 field goals. It was clear from the start that the C's put emphasis on getting everyone involved. Half of the twelve Celtics that played -- that's six for those of you counting -- scored at least 8 points. This was a real collective effort.

* How about the rook? After a tough night in Memphis, Kelly Olynyk showed why many feel he is a dark horse Rookie of the Year candidate. Olynyk finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. He brought tremendous energy to the floor and made an impact as soon as he stepped on the court.

The bad:

* This team is still learning. They need to learn quickly how to close out teams. Like, ASAP. This is becoming a bad trend. I can see blowing 12-15-point leads. But blowing over 20-point leads consistently? Eh, not a good sign.

Game 5 Preview: Jazz at Celtics

Avery Bradley will most likely draw the difficult assignment of guarding
Gordon Hayward.

Just when you think no one else can have it any worse, in come the Utah Jazz!

Yes, tonight is a matchup of two 0-4 teams in the Jazz and Celtics.

Utah is coming off a 104-88 loss last night in Brooklyn to the Nets.

The Celtics are coming off a 95-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Gerald Wallace left that game with a bruised right knee and did not return. His status for tonight's game is questionable.

These teams are in similar positions. They both lost their two best players in the offseason, lost their first four games, and are currently in rebuilding mode.

Buckle up for this one, everyone!

Projected lineups:

Jazz:
Jamaal Tinsley
Gordon Hayward
Richard Jefferson
Derrick Favors
Enes Kanter

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jeff Green
Gerald Wallace*
Brandon Bass
Vitor Faverani

* Questionable

Keys to the game:

1. Put the biscuit in the basket: To put it simply, this team needs to score more points. The C's are averaging 87.5 points per game. That's under 90. That's not very good. They haven't cracked the 100-point mark yet this season. Part of the lack of scoring is due to the fact that this team does not have a legitimate number-one scorer -- my apologies, Jeff Green. While Gerald Wallace feels this team is selfish at times, it certainly isn't reflecting on the scoreboard. More guys need to be involved, and it might be time for Brad Stevens to try some new things to spark this offense (cough cough, Marshon Brooks).

2. REBOUND!: The Jazz are 6th in the league in rebounding, and the Celtics sit at 28th. To be captain obvious, this could be a problem. Once again, maybe Brad Stevens should try something different -- play Kris Humphries, a guy who pulled down 9 rebounds in 21 minutes of the only game he's played so far?!?! Jeff Green has to do his part on the boards, as well as the guards.

Final: Grizzlies 95, Celtics 88

The fourth quarter doomed the Celtics (0-4) once again as they dropped this one tonight to the Memphis Grizzlies, 95-88.

The Celtics had a lead as late as 2:11 left in this one, but they let an opportunity to get Brad Stevens his first win slip away. Jerryd Bayless led the Memphis charge in the final frame with 15 points off the bench to help his team pull away from the Celtics.

Boston's 0-4 start is its worst start to a season since 1969. Welcome to rebuilding, folks.


The good:

* Jeff Green scored a game-high 22 points on 6-of-12 from the floor. Let's see if he can actually string together at least two games in a row.

* Avery Bradley had himself a solid night. He showed off his defensive prowess tonight against Tony Allen and the rest of Memphis' guards. He also had 13 points and 3 assists.

* Boston did a nice job of competing on the boards with a great rebounding team that Memphis is. The Grizzlies had a slight edge in the rebounding category, 36-32.

The bad:

* The fourth quarter doomed the Celtics once again. They were outscored 29-16. They only scored 2 points in the final 4:19 of the game. This team's inability to finish and their lack of a closer is killing them.

* As expected for a rookie, Kelly Olynyk struggled. He went 1-for-8 from the field and had 4 turnovers in 24 minutes. Give him some time. He'll figure it out.

Boston will practice Tuesday and return to action Wednesday night at TD Garden when they host the Utah Jazz.

Game 4 Preview: Celtics at Grizzlies

Brad Stevens and company will look to right the ship tonight in Memphis.

My apologies for being MIA. I was a tad under the weather over the weekend, but the batteries are recharged and good to go.

A lot has happened since last Wednesday night's season opener. The Celtics (0-3) dropped three straight, the Red Sox won the World Series, and the Patriots continue to look like, well, the Patriots.

With that said, the Celtics could easily be 3-0 right now. They've held leads in the fourth quarter in each of their three games and have only lost by an average of 7.5 points. They've shown they can compete, but they're just not there yet.

It doesn't get any easier as the C's encounter the second night of their first back-to-back of the season, and the first of six in the month of November. Yikes. To make matters worse, they travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies (1-2), who last year reached the Western Conference Finals. The Grizz are coming off a 111-99 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

Here's the lowdown:

Projected lineups:

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Jeff Green
Gerald Wallace
Brandon Bass
Vitor Faverani

Grizzlies:
Mike Conley
Tony Allen
Tayshaun Prince
Zach Randolph
Marc Gasol


Keys to the game:

1. Closing it out: In all three of their games, the Celtics have had their struggles in the final frame. In the fourth quarter, they've been outscored 80-50 by their opponents. The C's also rank second to last in the league in fourth quarter points per game at 16.7. If Boston is to get off the schneid and tally their first win, they're gonna have to do a better job of closing out games.

2. No "I" in team: For the second time this season, Gerald Wallace called out his teammates for being too selfish and padding stats. He did so after Boston choked away a 22-point lead on Friday night and eventually fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 105-98. For those that think Wallace is out of line, think again. So far this season, Boston has the worst assist-to-turnover ratio in the league with the lowest amount of assists and the highest number of turnovers. Part of this is the lack of a pure point guard and the absence of Rajon Rondo, but part of it has been Boston's unwillingness to generate consistent ball movement. Everyone needs to get involved. This team is not good enough to rely on one guy (sorry Jeff Green) to go out and run the show.