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6 days ago

Terrence Williams Arrested on Gun Charges, Following Domestic Dispute

Terrence Williams was on the verge of coming back to the Boston Celtics next season after being one of the few bright spots of the Celtics’ postseason. Now, that journey is just an afterthought. According to a report from the Kent Reporter, a newspaper in Williams’ home state of Washington, the point guard was arrested yesterday [...]

16
7 days ago

Kevin Garnett Will Avoid Foot Surgery

As we await Kevin Garnett’s decision about whether or not he will play a 7th season with the Boston Celtics, an important physical limitation has been avoided for the big man. After laboring through the last couple months of the season with a foot/ankle injury, which caused him to miss much of the regular season, [...]

9
9 days ago

Danny Ainge is Waiting on Talking Future with Kevin Garnett

Yesterday was a good day in Boston. We found out Doc Rivers would definitely be coming back as a head coach, the Bruins won in overtime, and the Sox had a big comeback as well. As the first big decision of the Celtics offseason came in though, a brighter light begins to shine down now [...]

15
10 days ago

Jeff Green’s 2012-13 Final Grade

Unless we’re discussing the eight or nine best players in the world, it’s impossible to separate a contract’s price from a player’s expectations, value, and overall performance. Jeff Green is the manifestation of this theory. In August he was guaranteed $36 million over four years, even though he didn’t play a single game during the [...]

20
10 days ago

Painful Reminders (Part I): The Celtics Drafted JaJuan Johnson Instead of Jimmy Butler

On June 23rd, 2011, Brian Robb and I stood around a high top bar table in Tommy Doyle’s in Kendall Square.  Before us lay one of the biggest mounds of buffalo chicken wings I had ever endeavor to make disappear.  These 25 cent flappers- one of the few indulgences afforded to the participants of our [...]

19
11 days ago

Chris Wilcox: 2012-13 Final Grade

There are a number of contextually-appropriate ways to craft this post. One would be to forgo words entirely, and represent Chris Wilcox’s entire season with a series of videos. That would involve one part of this: For every eight parts of this: Note the headline on that second clip. Someone was so amused/enraged by Wilcox’s [...]

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Game 64: Raptors (25-39) @ Celtics (34-29) Open Thread

http://espn.go.com/photo/2006/1013/nba_g_telfair1_268.jpgToronto at Boston
7:30 P.M. ET
TD Garden

CSNNE

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 100.0 points/100 possessions (23rd)
Toronto:
103.3 points/100 possessions (12th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 99.5 points allowed/100 possessions (5th)
Toronto:
104.4 points allowed/100 possessions (21st)

Probable Raptors Starters:
Kyle Lowry (PG), DeMar DeRozan (SG), Rudy Gay (SF), Amir Johnson (PF), and Jonas Valanciunas (C)

View From The Opposing Bench: Raptors Republic

Thumbnail: After suffering arguably their worst loss of 2012-13, the Celtics will have to quickly pick up the pieces. In this situation, it could be fortunate that Boston is flying home to complete a back-to-back. The Celtics are 8-8 this season on no rest, a respectable record for a team that is led by aged veterans. However, the more important record is 16-0. According to Celtics play-by-play radio broadcaster Sean Grande, the men in green have won 16 straight games at home on the second day of a back-to-back.

As evidenced by the Celtics’ loss to the Bobcats on Tuesday, Paul Pierce is the team’s most important player, especially since Rajon Rondo was lost for the season. The Truth has been forced to take on the role of rebounder and facilitator as well as scorer. Coming into Wednesday, Pierce has spent more than twice as much time on the floor as he has on the bench this season. In those 2,109 minutes played by the captain this season, the Celtics are six points better per 100 possessions than they are with him off the court.

Pierce’s one-game absence seemed to specifically hurt Kevin Garnett’s offense. Garnett had a season-low five points on Tuesday, which marked just the second time in Garnett’s career that he scored five or fewer points on at least 10 field goal attempts. With Pierce’s returns to the lineup, Garnett and the Celtics will most likely play much better than they did in Charlotte. There are also some milestones in reach for Pierce and Garnett. Pierce is seven free throws made away from tying Allen Iverson for the 10th-most free throws made in NBA history. In addition, Garnett is four points away from passing Jerry West for the 15th-most points scored, and Pierce is 10 points away from moving into sole possession of 20th on that same list.

Prediction: Pierce and Garnett move up the leaderboards as the Truth’s return ignites the Celtics’ 17th consecutive home victory on the second day of a back-to-back.

Celtics 100, Raptors 92

For more Celtics coverage and pertinent statistics, follow Celtics Hub and Stats Adam Lowenstein on Twitter: @CelticsHub and @StatsAdam

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