BRIAN SNYDER / Reuters

With a tired team, Doc Rivers said he was just hoping to hang on until the fourth quarter and make something happen. In the end, that's how it worked out.

The Celtics pushed and shoved for three quarters with the Nets, putting them down for good in the fourth, when they outscored them 27-15.

“We can play better,” Rivers said. “We know that, but we’ll take the win right now … I didn’t think we had a lot in the tank. I could see that. That’s why we sat our starters long stretches. I was just trying to milk the game as long as I could get it and then I’d pray at the end that we’d have enough to win it.”

Ray Allen scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth. Paul Pierce scored 6 of his 16 points from the free thrown line, using the charity stripe to kill any trace of a Nets run. Rajon Rondo scored 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, battling with Rafer Alston (29 points, seven assists) most of the night.

It was a grind-it-out win, but after playing eight games in 12 days, they'll take it.

"We knew this was going to be a tough stretch," said Pierce. "But we were able to get through it 7-1, so we're happy with that and now we can move forward and get a couple days off before we play again."

HALFTIME: Doc Rivers had to tap his shoulders after seeing the second ugly turnover in about a minute. Ray Allen was trying to drive on Rafer Alston and didn't have anywhere to go, so he chucked it out to Rasheed Wallace, or at least in Wallace's general direction. It skipped out of bounds, not even in reaching distance for Wallace. Rajon Rondo had just made a soccer throw that sailed into the Celtics bench, killing a possession. THe Cs are down 40-39 at the break,

SECOND QUARTER, 2:40: It looked like the Celtics would be able to put together a little run with the starters back on the floor, but every time they scored, the Nets pushed back. Brook Lopez has been on the boards. And, on the whole, the Nets have out-rebounded the Cs 20-15. In other sightings: Melky Cabrera's in the crowd.

SECOND QUARTER, 5:59: Paul Pierce is crafty. He came in drew fouls on rookie Terrence Williams and vet Eduardo Najera, then knocked down four free throws to put the Celtics up 31-29

SECOND QUARTER, 7:34: The Nets are up 26-25. Dan Marino, Shannan Sharpe, Bill Cowher and James Brown are in the building.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: A Sheldon Williams bucket and free throws by Ray Allen pulled the Celtics even at the end of one, and if you're the nets, you're probably taking that as a bad sign. Rasheed Wallace drew a technical, hard to tell what for exactly. Bobby Simmons shot it, to put the Nets up 19-18. J.R. Giddens is on the floor for the Cs along with Eddie House, Scal, Wallace, and Williams.

FIRST QUARTER, 1:44: Rajon Rondo dropped an elbow jumper that made it 18-14, but turned the ball over on the other end. Scal's been effective, causing a couple turnovers (he actually stripped Bobby Simmons, who was trying to cross him up on the perimeter). Brook Lopez (6 points, three boards) looked super angry when Lawrence Frank told his guys to slow it down and set up a play.

FIRST QUARTER, 5:20: No Marquis Daniels tonight because of family issues. Brian Scalabrine is dressed and ready after tweaking his back. He'll be on the floor with Ray Allen Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett. The Nets jumped ahead early. They're up 16-12, thanks mostly to Rafer Alston, who's got 7.

WELCOME TO THE IZOD CENTER
If the Celtics are looking to bounce back, East Rutherford, N.J. seems like the best place to rebound. In six games, the Nets have found six different ways to lose. They've been held to as little as 68 points (by the same Charlotte Bobcats that the Celtics held to a franchise-low 59). They've given up as many as 123 points (to the Wizards (Gilbert Arenas poured 32 on them and said he wasn't even excited about it). They're the only team in the league without a win, and if there's an explanation it's the injury report: Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling, Chris Douglas Roberts, Devin Harris, Jarvis Hayes and Yi Jianlian are all out and and Courtney Lee is questionable.

The Celtics tasted defeat for the first time last night thanks to the rebirth of the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns. They were the last undefeated team standing, until Steve Nash and Jason Richardson blew the whole thing up. Offensive impatience and lust for the three ball have been listed as some of the reasons. A stretch of eight games in 12 days -- more than any other NBA team -- might also have something to do with it.

More updates to come, but one matchup you won't see is the one to the right. Glen Davis is simultaneously rehabbing and preparing for the NFL combine. Coaches will speak to the media in a second. We'll bring you more as it comes along.

After struggling in Minnesota, the Celtics looked to get a days' rest and then stomp Phoenix in the first of back-to-back games, but that was never close to coming to fruition. The Suns played inspired ball from the opening tip and exploited what little weaknesses the Celtics have, earning a 110-103 win.

The C's shot nearly 52 percent, won the rebounding battle, committed just 12 turnovers and got double figure scoring from all five starters, yet they trailed most of the game and never tied or led in the second half.

So what happened?

Phoenix canned 13 3-pointers. To put that into perspective, the Celtics had allowed opponents to hit 24 through the first six games. So basically, the Suns doubled the Celtics' per-game average allowed. Also, the Suns made the Celtics play defense, specifically Ray Allen and Marquis Daniels.

Jason Richardson was J-Rich tonight. He played like the All-Star he was supposed to be when drafted by Golden State in 2001. He entered the game averaging 12.3 points in the team's first three games but dropped 34, including six 3-pointers. Neither Allen nor Daniels could check him.

Steve Nash scored 16 points -- including three 3-pointers -- with 12 assists while Amar'e Stoudemire added 22 points and seven rebounds. The Celtics missed a lot of shots, clutch shots and were 4-for-18 from the 3-point line. Paul Pierce struggled the most. He forced some shots and seemed to get unnerved on a third-quarter charging call when it appeared that Nash wasn't set in front of him.

Here are the player evaluations.

Paul Pierce -- Just wasn't himself because of the defense of former BC standout Jared Dudley, who has created quite a niche in the Phoenix lineup. He missed makeable jumpers. He hesitated on open shots and just was out of sorts.

Kevin Garnett -- Stood up to the challenge of Stoudemire and had the most productive offensive night since his return. He did most of his work in the paint and was the most impressive Celtics of the evening.

Kendrick Perkins -- The pace was too fast for him so he played just 25 minutes. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds but he missed four free throws and got into a shoving match with Channing Frye.

Ray Allen -- Worked hard on defense against the bigger and stronger Richardson and picked up five fouls, including two quick ones to start the second half that cost him key minutes. He was chasing Richardson around screens but wasn't able to contain the former Golden State Warrior.

Rajon Rondo -- Stepped up to the challenge of facing Nash with 14 points and 11 rebounds but two things stood out. He still needs to develop a jumper and he missed three key free throws in the second half, a sin for a point guard.

Marquis Daniels -- For the first time this season, couldn't handle his defensive assignment. Richardson is a tough matchup for many defenders. Still scored nine points with four rebounds but committed three turnovers.

Rasheed Wallace -- Missed all six 3 pointers and of his 65 shots this season, 46 are 3-pointers. He still stretches the defense with his perimeter shooting threat but he has to be more consistent knocking them down.

Shelden Williams -- Four rebounds in nearly 12 minutes but the pace wasn't suitable for him. It was a quick man's game.

Eddie House -- Missed all three shots in 11 minutes with two fouls. If Eddie was on, he would have played more minutes.

The Celtics lost their first game of the season tonight in seven tries, leading Kevin Garnett to fall back on the mantra "it is what it is" after the game.

"There's a long way to go," said Garnett. "But don't take anything away from what we've done, either. We created that 6-0, just like we lost tonight."

As simple as it sounds, Garnett is right. The Celtics were never going to go 82-0. But they're also not going to be defined by this one loss in early November, either. A loss is a loss is a loss.

The Celtics are moving on. Said Ray Allen, "If we were in the NFL we'd have to wait a whole week. So we like the position we're in. We get a chance to correct our mistakes."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers admitted his team was tired but did not blame tonight's loss to the Suns, the Celtics' first loss of the season, on fatigue.

"I mean, we're tired right now, but shoot, they are, too," said Rivers. "They've been on the road for I don't know how long. But we've got one more in this stretch of 8 of 12. You know, eight games to start the season in 12 days is just brutal. But everybody's going to go through this stretch at some point. We just happen to go through it early."

The Celtics play in New Jersey tomorrow night and then have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off.

Rivers also praised the play of former Boston College standout Jared Dudley.

"When [Dudley] came in, I thought the game changed," said Rivers. "And hell, it's rare when I'll say, 'Keep Grant Hill on the bench,' but we wanted him on the floor instead of Dudley, the way Dudley was playing. He was just a thorn in our butt."

Once again, Kendrick Perkins was involved in a scrap with an opposing player, this time Phoenix's Channing Frye at the end of the first half of the Suns' 110-103 win over the Celtics.

Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire was asked about Perkins' maturity in his sixth NBA season. The Suns forward was quite candid.

"He''s a solid player out there, he loves to get physical. He's aggressive," Stoudemire said. "He keeps a lot of confrontation going. We try to play smart basketball from our standpoint. We try to stay out of the confrontation, really and just execute our plays offensively and defensively. But seeing sometimes he wants to keep it up, always mean, always mad. He don't even have fun out there. He needs to learn to have fun on the basketball court and enjoy his life, enjoy the game."

FINAL: Suns 110-103
Kevin Garnett was missing alley-oops. Rasheed Wallace and Eddie House were missing threes. And now that "0" is missing from the loss column next to Boston in the standings.

Jason Richardson had 33 points, making 6 of 7 three-pointers, and Steve Nash hit a crucial three with 50.9 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach as the Phoenix Suns (5-1) handed the Celtics (6-1) their first loss of the season.

The Celtics shot 51.7 percent for the game but failed to lock in defensively, allowing the Suns to hit 54.2 percent of their shots from the field and 13 of 24 three-pointers. The Celtics allowed 100 points to an opponent for the first time this year, a sign that the Suns are a dominant offensive team and that the Celtics have tired legs after playing three games in four days.

Back with more from the Garden in a bit.

50.9 fourth quarter, Suns 107-100
Steve Nash hits a three-pointer that silences the crowd. Timeout, Celtics.

59.9 fourth quarter, Suns 104-100
Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace both missed three-pointers, Wallace throwing his headband in disgust after his misfire. Celtics miss a chance to cut it to one.

2:41 fourth quarter, Suns 103-98
The Suns are the first opponent the Celtics have allowed over 100 points in seven games. Phoenix is averaging 111.3 points per game on the season.

4:37 fourth quarter, Suns 98-94
Rajon Rondo with a big rebound and follow but misses the and-one.

7:54 fourth quarter, Suns 96-85
The Celtics trail by 11 for the second time in the game, but this time they're running out of experimentation time. Paul Pierce and KG are back in for one final push.

10:10 fourth quarter, Suns 93-85
An 8-2 run to start the fourth quarter has the Suns in control and the home crowd quiet.

THIRD QUARTER

END third quarter, Suns 85-83
If the Celtics are going to stay perfect, they're going to have to come back for the first time this season at home. The Suns have made 10 of 17 three-pointer in an attempt to pull the "upset". All five Celtics starters are in double-figures, led by Kevin Garnett with 22 points. Jason Richardson leads all scorers with 25.

3:54 third quarter, Suns 83-75
Charge/block calls are the story of this third quarter. And they have all gone against the Celtics. Steve Nash just drew a charge on Paul Pierce, but the replay showed Nash was sliding his feet and out of position.

The Celtics are shooting 60 percent in this game and trail by eight points.

5:19 third quarter, Suns 78-71
Jason Richardson just hit his fifth three-pointer. In five attempts.

6:42 third quarter, Suns 73-67
Marquis Daniels made the same play as Nash, but Daniels was called for the block. Have to call it consistently. Jason Richardson made 1 of 2 free throws.

8:59 third quarter, Suns 67-61
Ray Allen made a great play on defense to start a fast break, but Steve Nash took a charge on Allen, drawing Ray's fourth foul of the game. Allen was replaced by Marquis Daniels.

SECOND QUARTER

HALFTIME, Suns 57-51
In danger of falling behind by double-digits at the break, the Celtics finished the second quarter on a 14-9 run and trail by six points at the half.

Some scuffling at the end of the half there as Kendrick Perkins got into it with a couple of Suns players. Double-technicals were called on Perkins and Phoenix's Channing Frye.

The Suns, who shot 61 percent in the first quarter, were just 9 of 23 in the second.

3:33 second quarter, Suns 48-41
The Celtics were briefly down by 11, but baskets by Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce led to a quick Suns timeout. The Suns are in control of this game a the moment -- smart to take a timeout there to prevent the Celtics from getting any momentum.

5:20 second quarter, Suns 44-36
The Suns are on a 7-2 run and have opened up their largest lead of the game. Is this the night the Celtics record their first loss of the season?

8:49 second quarter, Suns 37-34
OK so the Suns are down to 54 percent. Former BC star Jared Dudley has five points for Phoenix off he bench.

FIRST QUARTER

END first quarter, Suns 29-27
The Celtics have yet to figure out how to stop the Suns, despite Tom Thibodeau standing and yelling from the bench on several occasions. Phoenix is shooting an absurd 61 percent from the floor, including 4 of 5 from three. Jason Richardson had 14 points in the quarter. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 10 points.

2:58 first quarter, Suns 22-21
Amar'e Stoudemire just picked up his second personal foul setting a pick for Steve Nash. Stoudemire was not pleased.

4:11 first quarter, Suns 19-18
Steve Nash just took advantage of Rajon Rondo going underneath a screen, stepping back and nailing a three-pointer. The Boston big men have to hedge and allow Rondo to get out there, because Nash can bury that shot.

7:24 first quarter, Suns 11-9
Lots of scoring here early. Best matchups to watch are Nash-Rondo and Stoudemire-Garnett. This one's going to be fun.

Pregame
Glad this game is starting at 7:30. Knicks fans have to wait until 8 p.m. to watch LeBron drop 40 on their team.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he is happy center Kendrick Perkins is being recognized as one of the best defensive players in the NBA.

Brian Scalabrine has been scratched from tonight's game with back spasms.

"How I don't know," said Doc Rivers. "We didn't practice yesterday. How the hell do you hurt your back on the off day?"

Injured Celtics forward Glen Davis said today he expects to return to practice Dec. 1, a little more than a month after he underwent surgery to repair is broken right thumb. Davis is expected to miss two months of court time with the injury.

Even if Davis does return to practice Dec. 1, he acknowledged it would be up to the coaching staff to determine when he could return to game action Davis, who currently has a cast on the thumb and right hand, said he is unable to do even the simplest tasks at the moment, which include cutting his food and buttoning his shirts. The biggest problem Davis has faced so far with the cast? It stinks. Literally.

Davis worked out with Celtics strength coach Brian Doo before tonight's game, just doing running and conditioning drills.

On his highly-publicized comments about playing in the NFL, Davis told a group of reporters that they were grossly overplayed. Yes, he likes football. And yes, he could probably have played in the NFL had he chosen football instead of basketball. But he's not about to take Benjamin Watson's job.

As Davis said, "LeBron could have done the same thing. Doesn't mean he will."

Leandro Barbosa (right wrist) is on the court right now shooting for the Suns, but the speedy guard is not in uniform and will not play tonight vs. the Celtics. Barbosa was averaging 15.7 points for the Suns, so his absence is a blow for the Phoenix bench.

Grant Hill, whom the Celtics courted before last season, is having a dynamite start to the season for the Suns. In 31 minutes per game, Hill is averaging 14 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in the early part of the season. He's out on the court right now warming up with some of the Suns' younger players, a steadying veteran presence any team would appreciate.

Dan Majerle, now a part of the Phoenix coaching staff, is helping the Suns warm up. You'd have to figure the sharp-shooting Majerle could still average 8 to 10 points per game somewhere in this league. He looks as fit as ever.

The locker rooms open at 6 p.m. Back with more updates then.

Welcome to the TD Garden, where the Boston Celtics (6-0) will take on the Phoenix Suns (4-1) at 7:30 p.m.

A couple of things jump out about this game. It's NOT a nationally-televised game (Cavs-Knicks is). Hard to imagine more people want to watch Cleveland beat the Knicks by 20 than watch what could be a closely-contested game here.

Another thing that jumps out is the contrast in styles. Tonight's game should test the Celtics defense more than any other so far this season. The Celtics and Suns lead the NBA with field goal percentages of .501, and Phoenix is averaging 111.2 points per game. Defense, of course, is where the Celtics excel, so it will be interesting to see which team imposes their will more effectively.

Not many people at the arena so far (the media room was locked when I arrived), but Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, and Tony Allen are all out warming up on the parquet. Glen Davis is here, too, doing some conditioning with Celtics strength coach Brian Doo. Doo is making the big boy run.

It's the second week of the season, but All-Star ballots have are sitting, packed in boxes, in the bowels of the arena, awaiting distribution in the coming weeks. Rajon Rondo's name is surely on it. It will be interesting to see if Rondo makes the team this year, with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce all but virtual locks, and Ray Allen perennial All-Star as well. An injury to New Jersey's Devin Harris should help Rondo's case.

Back with more from the Garden in a bit.

(AP)

Just last week, the Suns picked up the team option on Jared Dudley (a decision Suns general manager Steve Kerr called "a no-brainer"), and it was a convenient reminder that it’s been a little more than two years since the Dudley was the brash overachieving kid from San Diego who wound up winning ACC Player of the Year honors at Boston College.

A year after being taken by the Bobcats with the 22d pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, he was traded to Phoenix along with Jason Richardson and spent the back half of last season fitting in with the Suns. Much like the way Dudley went from being a late sign with the Eagles to making a name for himself in one of the country’s toughest conferences, he’s now trying to carve out his own niche in the NBA using intangibles as his tools.

“I just feel like someone that has to keep on improving,” Dudley said this morning at shootaround. “Usually, underdogs are like that. You’ve always got to show that you can stay in this league and for me, that’s been throughout my whole career, my whole life, and I don’t mind it. I kind of embrace it.”

Dudley knew immediately that he’d have to change his game to fit the NBA, and along with improving his jump shot he has put a huge emphasis on making defense his specialty.

“I knew going from college to the NBA my role was going to change,” said Dudley, who stopped by the Heights yesterday to watch the Eagles practice. “Everybody knew that. You have to be able to hit the outside jump shot consistently in this league for a wing to be able to play. I think one of my roles in this league is to be a spacer. I think defensively, for me to get more playing time and to stay in this league for 10 to 12 years, you have to be able to not only be a good defender but have that be your specialty.”

During the Suns' 104-96 win Tuesday over Miami, Dudley manned up against Dwyane Wade, which for most third year players would be like being thrown to the wolves. Wade, however, missed 11 of his 18 shots and all of his 3s and Dudley was +10 while he was on the floor. Kerr said his defensive effort was “as good a job on Wade as anybody that I’ve seen in a while.”

Kerr compared Dudley more to Shane Battier. Others have compared him to Bruce Bowen this season. Either way, Kerr said, “I like hearing that he wants to take on that kind of role.”

“He’s a very underrated defender,” Kerr said. “What he does, he’s very smart, he tries to keep offensive guys off balance and he does it by moving his hands and his feet and kind of attacking the offensive guy and putting him on his heels. It’s usually the other way around. Guys kind of wait for the offensive guy to make their move. Jared just was a way of bothering people and making them uncomfortable. He’s got a big wingspan, he’s got big hands and he’s got quick feet. So he just gets position and does a really good job of making people uncomfortable.”

Having the Suns keep him on for another year, Dudley said, was definitely a positive, considering the climate around the league.

“As you see a lot of guys in the league, they’re not picking up the team options,” Dudley said. “With this recession, it’s all about producing. I felt early on in the summertime working hard, staying in shape, improving to be able to get that option. You play hard this year and then next year, you never know when an extension comes. You’re always pushing to get to your goals.”

When he arrived in Phoenix, he was still trying to figure out how to fit in on a team that was sort of in flux. He’s averaging 21.4 minutes a night through five games, and he’s one of the main pieces on the second unit,

“He’s a coach’s dream,” said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. “Everybody likes to coach guys like that. We talk all the time about how you can get a stat sheet and look and he can have no points, no rebounds, and he can still be a factor in the game. He’s really worked on his shot.

“He plays so hard. He really is the inspiration for our second team. He gives them the identity that we’re trying to fight for them to have.”

After consecutive games against point guard neophytes Lou Williams and Jonny Flynn, the Celtics' Rajon Rondo faces an elite guard in Steve Nash. Nash is still putting up dominant numbers at age 35, averaging 19.6 points, 10.8 assists and 3 rebounds in six games for the Phoenix Suns.

His matchup tonight with Rondo should be interesting. The crafty veteran with all the tricks against the budding star with fresh legs and vigorous defensive skills.

"I think he's a tough matchup for anybody," Nash said this morning at TD Garden. "He's a terrific player. He's turning into an elite point guard and his quickness, athleticism and his all-court game are really impactful. He's a terrific player."

In six career games against Phoenix, Rondo has averaged 14 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Should be a fun dual tonight.

Jim Davis / Globe Staff Photo

After taking on a life of its own, the Rajon Rondo-Chris Paul situation is officially squashed as far as the NBA is concerned.

The NBA had said that it was reviewing the incident between the two star guards at the end of the Celtics win over the Hornets Sudnay, but NBA spokesman Tim Frank said today that there would be "nothing further" on the situation.

After egging each other on for much of Sunday's game, Rondo and Paul got into a mixup as the teams were shaking hands and had to be separated by Paul Pierce among others. The details from that point are all over the place, with Chris Paul seen going back and forth with Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau and reports that Ray Allen went into the Hornets locker room to apologize to Paul (which Allen explained as him simply going to Paul for autographs).

Both Rondo and Paul tried to move forward albeit in different ways. Rondo chose not to address the rivalry at all, while Paul spoke about Rondo after the game and then tweeted his version of the events the next day.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, who was visibly annoyed Sunday with the way the things played out after the game, said before Tuesday's game in Philadelphia that he didn't expect anything to come of it. The players were whistled for a double technical in the second quarter, and those will cost the standard $1,000, but beyond that there will be no other form of discipline from the league.

When Rajon Rondo pulled off a little trick-shot magic a couple nights ago against Philadelphia, pulling up from behind the backboard with the shot clock winding down and heaving a rainbow up and around the backboard, there were two instant reactions.

1. “Wow!”

2. “Is that legal?”

Consulting the rulebook doesn’t help a ton since rules are only as good as your interpretation. But here’s the official rule.

Rule No. 8, Section II. b: Any ball that rebounds or passes directly behind the backboard, in either direction, from any point is considered out-of-bounds.

After taking a look at the shot and determining that it was on the up-and-up, NBA vice president of referee operations Joe Borgia took a couple minutes to explain the rule to the Globe yesterday.

“Think of the basketball backboard as a long tunnel that goes straight back,” Borgia said. “If the ball goes through that tunnel, it’s a violation. If you looked at Rondo’s shot, it was an arching shot up and over the backboard. It never passes through the tunnel.”

The comparison’s between Rondo’s shot and the shot Larry Bird hit in a 1986 preseason game against Houston were instant. The difference, of course, is that Rondo’s counted and Larry Legend’s was waived off.

Looking at them both though, you can sort of see what Borgia’s talking about. Rondo took his shot from outside of the lane, faded away and essentially avoided the backboard altogether. Bird is deep in the paint, literally behind the backboard, and treats it like an obstacle – sort of like those McDonald’s commercials. The shot he puts up almost makes it look like he’s shooting into a silo, or as Borgia put it, a tunnel.

Typically, the rule applies to rebounds that bounce off the rim and over the backboard or terribly thrown lob passes that go over the backboard. Borgia said it’s not likely that a player finds himself down low and heaves a shot from one side of the backboard to the other.

“It’s extremely rare on shots,” Borgia said. “Players know it’s illegal. Every once in a while you see a guy drive and get fouled and try to throw up a circus shot. Very rarely are they under the basket and they try to shoot the ball up and over."

It Rondo’s case, speaking more as an observer than an official, Borgia said the circumstances more or less dictated the shot. There were 3.4 seconds left in the first quarter and, with the ball in his hands, shooting was more or less his only option even if he wasn't on the most convenient spot on the floor.

“I guarantee you if he wasn’t at the end of the game clock, he wouldn’t have taken that shot,” Borgia said. “But it worked out for him.”

*MORE FROM BORGIA* The old rule stated it was illegal when the ball went over the backboard (either direction).  So imagine the backboard extending up to the roof - if the ball bounced off the rim and hit any part of the imaginary backboard a violation was assessed.  We had too many game stoppages when the ball bounced over the edge so we changed the rule to say the ball cannot go directly behind the backboard.  That is why I said the backboard is now an imaginary 'tunnel' that goes back, not up to the roof like in the old rule.

Someone finally solved the Celtics' defensive puzzle. The Minnesota Timberwolves shot 52 percent from the field -- the first Celtic opponent to better 42 percent this season -- but it wasn't enough as the Celtics took a 92-90 victory.

In the end, though, Celtic defending paid off as the team improved to 6-0.

Minnesota had a final possession after calling a timeout with 10.2 seconds remaining. But Rajon Rondo pressured Jonny Flynn, then committed a foul with 6.6 seconds on the clock. Corey Brewer then was tied up by Kevin Garnett on a drive, referee Dave Jones ruling a jump ball with 3.6 seconds on the clock. Brewer won the jump, but Rondo flipped the ball out of bounds with 0.9 seconds on the clock. Kendrick Perkins then blocked Al Jefferson's desperation 22-foot turnaround.

The Celtics, who play host to Phoenix tomorrow, did not hold more than a one-point lead in this contest until 5:34 remained.

Jefferson's low-post play got the Timberwolves off to a strong start, then Pecherov took over.

The Wolves were in control for most of the game, but the Celtic starters made a late stand. Rondo got a back door layup as the Celtics took an 89-88 lead with 4:18 left. Paul Pierce's three-point play gave the Celtics an 87-84 lead, their largest margin of the game, with 5:34 remaining. But the Timberwolves retaliated on a Brewer drive and Pecherov low-post move.

Perkins' second-chancer, off a Garnett assist, gave the Celtics a 91-88 lead and would be the clinching score. Perkins hit a foul shot with 91 seconds remaining. Pecherov cut the deficit from the corner with 1:14 left, the final Minnesota score.

Jefferson scored 13 points in the opening quarter as the Timberwolves led by as many as nine points. Thanks to Jefferson's hot start, the Wolves appeared capable of becoming the first opponent to solve the Celtics' defense this season. Minnesota was 13 for 23 after a quarter. But the Celtics' reserves changed the tone of the game in the second quarter, Rasheed Wallace's transition three-pointer tying the score, 31-31, 4:35 into the quarter.

But the Celtics did not rely on the reserves this time, going with the starters down the stretch.

Fourth quarter

4:15: CELTICS 89, WOLVES 88. Rajon Rondo got another back door layup as the Celtics took a one-point advantage 4:18 left. Paul Pierce's three-point play gave the Celtics an 87-84 lead, their largest margin of the game, with 5:34 remaining. But the Timberwolves retaliated on a Corey Brewer drive and Pecherov low-post move.

5:46. WOLVES 84, CELTICS 84. Ray Allen's first three-pointer (in seven attempts) of the game tied the score with 6:02 remaining. The Celtics then forced an Al Jefferson turnover and timeout was called.

8:45. WOLVES 80, CELTICS 80. Only two starters -- the Celtics' Paul Pierce and Minnesota's Oleksiy Pecherov -- were on the court to start the final quarter. Rasheed Wallace's three-pointer gave the Celtics their first lead, 75-74, 34 seconds into the final quarter. Eddie House's three-pointer tied it, 80-80, with 9:03 remaining, then Marquis Daniels made a steal and drew a foul.

Third quarter

0:00: WOLVES 72, CELTICS 72. The Celtic starters started departing soon after Rondo tied the score, 68-68, stealing an offensive rebound with 2:35 remaining. Rondo scored 10 points during a 14-6 Celtic run covering 3:36. The Celtics called a timeout and set up a final shot, Eddie House's three-pointer at the buzzer tying the score. This was only the second three-pointer by a Celtic reserve, a night after the bench had provided 13 for 16 three-point shooting at Philadelphia.

2:59. WOLVES 67, CELTICS 66. The Celtics finally started getting defensive stops late in the third quarter, limiting Minnesota to two field goals over a 3:45 span. The Celtics also started going to Rajon Rondo on back-door plays, Rondo scoring eight points in a 2:21 period, his transition layup cutting the deficit to one with 3:01 remaining.

5:59: WOLVES 62, CELTICS 56. Rajon Rondo stole a defensive rebound and Ray Allen's layup pulled the Celtics within six points 5:49 into the second half. The Celtic starters wanted to make a defensive statement to start the half, but Minnesota countered with the low-post play of Al Jefferson, the perimeter shooting of Pecherov, and Corey Brewer's drives.

Halftime

WOLVES 49, CELTICS 41. Minnesota shot 52.5 percent from the field, Oleksiy Pecherov's back-door score providing an eight-point lead with 15.5 seconds remaining in the half. The Celtics called timeout, but failed to get off a shot before the halftime buzzer.

Second quarter

1:45: WOLVES 46, CELTICS 39. Corey Brewer's drive upped the Minnesota edge to seven points and improved the Timberwolves' shooting percentage to 54.1. Brewer also drew a foul on the play before a timeout was called.

6:42: WOLVES 33, CELTICS 31. Thanks to Al Jefferson's hot start, the Wolves appeared capable of becoming the first opponent to solve the Celtics' defense this season. Minnesota was 13 for 23 after a quarter.

But the Celtics' reserves changed the tone of the game in the second quarter, Rasheed Wallace's transition three-pointer tying the score, 31-31, 4:35 into the quarter.

First Quarter

WOLVES 27, CELTICS 22: An Al Jefferson 20-footer was annulled by a replay review after the end of the first quarter, Jefferson ending the quarter with 13 points. Jefferson made a quick-release shot with 1:58 remaining in the half which would have provided a 25-18 Minnesota lead.

Celtics guard Rajon Rondo's rainbow from behind the backboard that splashed through the net was voted the NBA's top play of the day for Tuesday on NBA.com. Watch the video and see for yourself.

The Celtics expected their defense to be tested by the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. Instead, the game turned into another rout, the Celtics taking a 105-74 victory.

The Sixers, who entered the game with a league-leading .526 shooting percentage, shot 36.1 percent, the fourth Celtic opponent to fail to hit the 40 percent shooting mark. The Celtics, who visit Minnesota today, have a 5-0 record and are outscoring opponents by an average of 22 points per game.

Fourth quarter

7:23: CELTICS, 85-58. The Celtics' second unit stretched the advantage over Philadelphia in the fourth quarter. Marquis Daniels started a 13-4 run over the first 4:04 with a left-hander with :05 on the shot clock. Shelden Williams scored seven points in a 2:23 span. And Rasheed Wallace and Eddie House added three-pointers, House's shot upping the lead to 27 points.

The Celtics went on two impressive runs in taking command against the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. After a slow start, the Celtics converted nine successive field goal attempts in the second quarter, leading, 44-36, at halftime. The Celtics scored on six of their first seven possessions to begin the second half, a Rajon Rondo three-point play upping the lead to 60-40 with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter.

The final minute of the quarter was eventful, thanks to a Rasheed Wallace dispute with official Haywoode Workman.

Wallace was fouled by Jason Kapono with 38 seconds left in the quarter, the Celtics receiving a side out, Wallace contending he was shooting when he was hit about eight feet from the basket on the low post. With 4.5 seconds left, Paul Pierce drew a shooting foul, and Wallace received a technical. After Kapono missed the technical shot, Pierce sank two free throws for a 69-53 lead, Wallace leaving the ball on the foul line while eyeing Workman. Andre Iguodala then attempted an off-balance, left-handed 17-footer, drawing a foul from Shelden Williams just before the buzzer. Iguodala pulled his shirt up to mask his laughter before hitting one of two free throws.

New Orleans guard Chris Paul and the Celtics' Rajon Rondo were expected to be fined by the NBA, but the fines might not exceed the normal amount for technical fouls.
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A double technical was assessed to Paul and Rondo after they tangled in the second quarter of the Celtics' 97-87 win over the Hornets Sunday. After the game, Paul and Rondo argued near the Celtics' bench and were separated by team security.

No further action has been determined by the league.

After the Celtics defeated Philadelphia, 105-74, Rondo said he had not been contacted by the league. "They have to do what they have to do," Rondo said.

Celtics' coach Doc Rivers said he has not been contacted by the league. "I don't expect anything to come of it," Rivers said.

Paul sent the following twitter message: "To clear this up I never came close to approaching the Celts locker room (Sunday night). Not sure where that's coming from. Also me [and Celtic assistant coach Tom] Thibodeau never got in a shouting match. We talked. ... [Too] much respect for him, crazy how it's twisted."

New Orleans coach Byron Scott said he was not contacted by the league.

"I think there comes a point in time in a game or even after a game when somebody says something to you," Scott said. "And the only thing I heard Chris say at the end of the game when we were walking off was that, 'He's going to respect me as a man. So, I don't know what Rondo said, but obviously Chris took exception to it."

After four games of stifling defense, and four successive wins to open the season, the Celtics expected to be tested by Philadelphia when they visited the Sixers Tuesday night.

The Celtics' .391 opponent field goal percentage was second to Miami (.386), only New Orleans surpassing 40 percent shooting among Celtics foes, and a league-leading points-against average of 81.3 per game. Philadelphia had a league-leading .526 shooting percentage, boosted by a 141-127 overtime win at New York Saturday.

"The first three games it was spectacular," coach Doc Rivers said of the Celtics' defending. "The last game (a 97-87 win over the Hornets Sunday) we actually didn't play good defense but, in our opinion, we got away with it. We broke a lot of our rules. That's something we haven't done. It was one of those games where we did it on both ends -- we broke a lot of offensive rules and defensive rules. We shot 54 percent and noone was very happy about our execution and I guess that's a good thing."

In September, Michael Jordan was in Springfield for his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. That may be as close as Jordan comes to the Celtics this year, but the Celtics could come a lot closer to him.

Like Jordan himself, most of his NBA accomplishments will never be matched, but these Celtics have a shot at one -- the NBA-record 72-10 mark his Bulls posted during the 1995-96 season.

Both Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace were rookies that season when Jordan, who had come back the season before for the final 17 games after a dubious stint as a minor-league baseball player, playing for Terry Francona with the Double A Birmingham Barons, launched his revenge tour on the league.

Before the Celtics even played a game this season, Wallace stated last month to the Connecticut Post that he thought the Celtics could get the Bulls record. Bold? Yes. Off-base? No.

Entering tonight's tilt in Philadelphia against the 76ers, the 4-0 Celtics are 1/18th of the way to 72 wins with a long, long, long, long way to go.

But it's obvious even this early that this version of the Green has a chance to be historically good -- even great.

Through four games, the Celtics are averaging 100.5 points per game and allowing only 81.3. Opponents are shooting 39.1 percent from the floor against them. Six players are averaging nine points per game or more -- Paul Pierce (21.8), Ray Allen (17.8), Kevin Garnett (13.3), Rasheed Wallace (10.0), Kendrick Perkins (9.8) and Eddie House (9.0) -- and that doesn't include nouveau riche point guard Rajon Rondo, who has been content to pass up shots and dish out dimes.

Danny Ainge improved upon a team that won 62 games last season, despite Garnett missing 25 games, and won 66 games and an NBA title in 2008.

The 72-win Bulls had a Big Three of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. You had the greatest player of all-time, the most versatile player in the league at the time, and arguably the greatest pound for pound rebounder ever on the same team.

Boston's Big Three can't match that, but the Celtics have three elements that Bulls team didn't have -- a deep bench with Wallace, Marquis Daniels, House and Shelden Williams, a true playmaking point guard in Rondo and a center who is not afraid of his own shadow and can get out of his own way in Kendrick Perkins.

What this Celtics team shares with the 72-win Bulls is swagger. They walk into the gym expecting to win and genuinely enjoy demoralizing their opponents. Teams are intimidated by KG and irritated by Rondo.

You think it didn't bother Hornets point guard Chris Paul that a night later in New York he was still being asked about chasing Rondo after the Celtics' 97-87 win on Sunday night? Why would Rondo back down from Paul when he drew a technical last year for jawing at Kobe Bryant, the league's latter-day MJ?

The biggest X-factor for the Celtics if they're going to make a run at the Bulls is health. Garnett's surgically-repaired right knee is to the Celtics what Tom Brady's surgically-repaired left knee is to the Patriots -- the season hinges on it. It was obvious in the playoffs last year that without a healthy Garnett, the Celtics are not the same team, especially defensively, which is their calling card.

The good news is that Garnett has looked solid so far. Like Brady was out of the gate, Garnett is feeling his way back, but it was a good sign against the Hornets on Sunday night, when he effortlessly slammed home an alley-oop in the lane from Rondo and also resoundingly rejected a Bobby Brown fast-break layup.

Injuries aside, the biggest impediment to running with the 95-96 Bulls is the schedule. Ten losses doesn't leave much margin for error.

The Celtics opened the season by downing the LeBrons in Cleveland, but they still have three more games with King James. They have four games with Orlando, the first of which is Nov. 20 at TD Garden, when the Celtics could be 12-0. The Eastern Conference foes play Christmas Day in Orlando, which will be good for Celtics coach Doc Rivers from a personal standpoint, if not a professional one.

Boston plays the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 31 at home and in LA on Feb. 18. They're at San Antonio on Dec. 3 and host the Spurs on March 28. There are road games on back-to-back nights in the Lone Star State against Houston and Dallas in March.

The feisty Atlanta Hawks always get up for their games with the Celtics and the teams renew their rivalry next Friday. They play an ESPN game on Jan. 8 in Atlanta and then play at the Garden again three days later. In the ultimate look-ahead game, the Celtics play the Hawks on the road two days before they come home to face the Lakers for the first time.

Those are 17 tough games for the 17-time NBA champions, but going 8-9 or 9-8, still leaves room to catch the Bulls.

To win 72 games you have to go streaking. The Bulls had an 18-game and a 13-game win streak on their way to 72-10.

Last season, Boston had a franchise-record 19-game winning streak on their way to a 27-2 start, which was the best in NBA history for a two-loss team.

Of course that fast start was followed by a 10-game stretch in which they went 3-7 and served as a reminder that it's not how you start in the NBA, it's how you finish.

That's ultimately why Jordan's Bulls are remembered as a great team because they won 72 games during the regular-season and then finished with an NBA title, the first of Jordan's second three-peat.

It's also why among all the great teams in Celtic history you rarely hear any mention of the 1972-73 Celtics, who hold the franchise record for wins (68-14), but were denied the NBA title when they lost to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games. (Boston encountered some bad luck in that series when John Havlicek injured his right shoulder in Game 3.)

Ultimately, the only number the Celtics should be concerned with this season is 18, as in bringing home Banner No. 18, but 72 wins is not out of reach.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Globe that he has nothing to report or confirm regarding the Rajon Rondo deal, meaning the deal has not been completely squared away. Rondo's agent, Bill Duffy, said a deal had been reached this morning while Rondo and Celtics coach Doc Rivers commented on the five-year deal this afternoon.

Ainge told the Globe he would release a statement if a contract is official.

Rajon Rondo spoke briefly about his five-year, $55 million after Celtics practice and appeared pleased with his long-term security in Boston.

Here is the transcript:

Are you glad the deal is done?

Rondo: "It’s not over with yet, I just signed the papers.”

How do you feel?

Rondo: "I'm definitely excited. I'm thankful. I'm humble. I'm very excited to be in this situation."

Does anything change?

Rondo: "Nothing changes, still got one goal in mind. It’s great to have security and all but we are still focused on winning a championship.”

Were you concerned about the money?

Rondo: "Not necessarily, happiness is and I couldn’t deal without my teammates. I’ve had great teammates the past four years and you know when it’s all said and done, we’re still going to have relationships on the court regardless of whatever certain guys make. The relationships that you build with one another throughout these years and in the NBA, you can’t compare it to money."

Are you happy about being able to take care of your family?

Rondo: “Definitely, taking care of my family, that’s very exciting. If my daughter doesn’t have to work she doesn’t have to work at all. I’ve got the right people around me; I don’t plan on losing it. It’s a very blessed situation.”

Were you worried about being on a short-term deal?

Rondo: “It comes in the back of my mind, but other than that as far as not playing I wasn’t really concerned with that, I was just concerned about staying healthy throughout the season.''

Are you comfortable with being a cornerstone?

Rondo: "Definitely, Wyc (Grousbeck), Danny and Doc all have the confidence in me; you know that says a lot. They want me here obviously for a long time; I’m excited to be here, too."

Did you and your agent believe the Celtics wanted to do the deal?

Rondo: “Yes. I talked to Danny a couple of times, three or four times throughout the last month. There were long conversations, I don’t want to go into depth what was talked about but we were in the office for about an hour each time and we expressed feelings and thoughts about the situation.”

The Rajon Rondo contract extension was sparked by a Sunday afternoon phone conversation between Rondo's agent, Bill Duffy, and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. And according to Duffy, the deal was completed before the Celtics' 97-87 win over New Orleans at TD Garden and Rondo was told of the deal after his heated altercation with Chris Paul.

The five-year, $55 million deal is completed and all sides appear happy, although Duffy told the Globe that he and Rondo were willing to test restricted free agency had the deal not been done.

"We were pretty adamant about that the whole time," Duffy said Monday afternoon. "All you look for is fairness in a contract. But it's my responsibility to assess the situation with players and obviously this is a perfect situation for Rajon to continue where he started. We don't take that lightly."

The question for Rondo is whether he could have earned more money as a restricted free agent with cap-friendly teams looking for a quality point guard.

"Sure, you go into the free agent market and maybe he could have earned more money," Duffy said. "The grass is always greener on the other side. But I also look at this as his second contract and he'll be in his prime when this contract expires so there's still more ahead. If we were shortsighted, maybe we go to a better situation, perhaps more money. But if it's not the right fit, you'll suffer later."

Rivers said he tried to ease Rondo's tensions over the past few days.

"It wasn't a distraction," he said. "Rondo has been playing terrific and our record indicates that. But I'm a big believer, if you can take care of anybody's stuff, then you eliminate the chance of [distractions] happening. I think he is more mature than his age. He is on the same stage [as Chris Paul]. I don't think he has anything to prove."

According to a source close to Rajon Rondo, the Celtics guard has agreed to a five-year, $55 million contract extension with the Celtics, ending a summer-long saga that appeared to agitate both sides until the end.

Rondo, 23, has led the Celtics to one NBA title in his three seasons and is considered one of the NBA's best young point guards. Rondo was eligible for a three-to-five-year contract extension, with a Nov. 2 deadline. If the two sides were unable to agree, the guard would have been a restricted free agent after this season.

The deal gives the Celtics a talented point guard for the next five years. Rondo will be paid a step below the league's top point guards -- Deron Williams ($17.5) and Chris Paul ($17 million) are the highest paid, but Rondo exceeds veteran Steve Nash ($10 million).

In 239 games, Rondo has averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He is averging 6.5 points and 11.8 assists through four games this season.

The story was first reported by Yahoo! Sports.

Point guard Rajon Rondo has reached an agreement in principle to extend his contract with the Boston Celtics, according to a Yahoo Sports report citing Rondo's agent Bill Duffy and league sources that say the five-year deal is worth at least $55 million.

Had a deal not been reached before the end of today, Rondo would have become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Rondo, in his fourth year, scored 6 points with 10 assists and 3 steals during Sunday's matchup against the New Orleans Hornets, and had words with rival point guard Chris Paul, beginning in the 2d quarter when both were given technical fouls.

Boston was pushed tonight in its toughest game of the season, New Orleans is going to be a factor in the Western Conference if it plays like this every night but the C's still won by 10. This was not an impressive performance. The Celtics committed 16 turnovers -- for the third time this season -- and were shabby in their ball-handling and 3-point defense.

After allowing opponents to hit eight 3-pointers in the first three games, New Orleans responded with 13, six of those by Peja Stojakovic. Chris Paul, meanwhile drove into the paint for layups or dished to Stojakovic. What saved the game for Boston was it shut down New Orleans' other weapons.

David West proved he is still not an elite power forward, finishing with 10 points and two rebounds in nearly 37 minutes. He appeared intimidated by Kevin Garnett. Emeka Okafor finished 2-for-9 and four fouls while Morris Peterson scored three points in 15 minutes.

It was a two-man show for the Hornets. Stojakovic and Paul scored 48 of New Orleans' 87 points. One more productive performance may have helped them upset the Celtics.

Paul Pierce -- Another masterful night with 27 points in 37 minutes and he continues to hit nearly 60 percent of his 3-point shots. Did a decent job defensively against Stojakovic in the final six minutes. The sharpshooter did not score in the final 6:07.

Kevin Garnett -- Fought off foul trouble and created some easier shots for himself than the first three games. He stayed away from the 19-footer and instead took West into the paint and canned some chip shots, a good sign.

Kendrick Perkins -- Another workmanlike effort for the big man -- 12 points, 7 rebounds -- and his defense helped contain Okafor. Would like to see Perk a little more aggressive offensively.

Ray Allen -- Of his 15 shots, just three were 3-pointers, meaning he took advantage of his matchup with Morris Peterson instead of settling for long-range shots. His post up game has improved.

Rajon Rondo -- Needs to control his emotions against Paul but he still produced 10 assists and three steals. But it was apparent that Paul was in his head and that anger needs to simmer.

Eddie House -- Three assists in 12 minutes off the bench and he didn't try to launch a bunch of shots to make an impact. There are going to be nights when House does one good thing to help the C's win.

Rasheed Wallace -- 12 points and 5 rebounds in perhaps his best effort of the season. Actually made some two-point shots instead of settling for threes and then hit a significant 3-pointer toward the end of the third quarter.

Marquis Daniels -- Picked up three fouls and really didn't have much of an impact. Definitely not able to matchup against Chris Paul.

Shelden Williams -- Had a big dunk in the third quarter and grabbed four rebounds but never got into the flow of the game in just 10 minutes. But a solid effort.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo walked through the locker room following tonight's game with his right ankle iced and heavily wrapped, a byproduct of a fall he took in the first quarter of tonight's win over the Hornets.

As for some words he may or may not have had with New Orleans' Chris Paul after the game, the Celtics made that topic off limits before introducing Rondo to the media tonight. As in no questions having anything to do with Paul. Tonight, tomorrow, or ever. Paul and Rondo received double-technicals in the second quarter, and the players could be seen exchanging words as the teams walked off the court after the game.

Someone did sneak in a question about Paul based on Kevin Garnett's postgame quote that the two players were "apples and oranges,", to which Rondo replied something about Paul having to be more of a scorer while he is more of a facilitator.

But nothing on the incident.

Paul, on the other hand, was more forthcoming.

“I don’t know man, they won, that’s all it was a good game,” Paul said. “When you’re winning (you can talk trash).”

When told he looks upset on the court, Paul, hardly drawn in by the questioning said, “I just have that expression on my face sometimes. I’m a funny guy like that. I was talking to (Paul Pierce and Ray Allen), somebody came up to me. I don’t know.

“I’m a big advocate for the Boston Celtics and how they defend and how they play hard and play together, it’s something that we want to get to,” he said. “Boston has established themselves as a team that’s not going to beat themselves. I think Rondo’s a lucky guy to be able to play with a guy like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and KG, Rasheed Wallace. Like I said, man, he’s a great point guard. He has won an NBA championship, something I hope to achieve.”

“Like I said, they are a great team,” he continued. “I watch them play on (NBA) League Pass. The way they communicate. KG? I could go on and on about him and the intensity he brings every night.”

Ray Allen said he didn't see Paul and Rondo talking after the game.

"I have no idea," Allen said when asked what happened between Paul and Rondo. "You turn around and there's a situation, and you just want everybody to clear. You just keep it moving. Everybody out. The game's over and you clear the floor.

"They're both feisty. Both aggressive, in your face...so I'm pretty sure it can get chippy out there."

Paul finished the game with 22 points and 8 assists, while Rondo finished with 6 points and 10 assists.

On his contract status, Rondo said he was going to call his agent Bill Duffy on his way home to see if there were any updates. He had no updates before the game.

Asked if he'd like to remain a Celtic for another year or for life, Rondo paused and answered, "For life."

Gary Washburn of the Globe Staff contributed to this report

Celtics captain Paul Pierce, who led Boston with 27 points in tonight's 97-87 win over New Orleans, praised point guard Rajon Rondo's play after the game.

"I think he's just mature," said Pierce. "He understands that he's the quarterback out there and he understands he has to do it with his defense and distribution. He understands that we have so many weapons out there."

FINAL: Celtics 97-87
Test passed. Another game won.

The Hornets gave the Celtics quite a battle tonight, but the Celtics executed flawlessly down the stretch to preserve the 97-87 win. Back with more from the Garden in a bit.

39.1 fourth quarter, Celtics 97-86
Execution.

The Celtics have run their offense perfectly down the stretch. A couple of big jumpers by Paul Pierce, and a full 24-second possession before Kendrick Perkins threw it in on that last play. That last timeout by Byron Scott is just procedural now. The Celtics have this one wrapped up.

2:52 fourth quarter, Celtics 88-83
Kevin Garnett has been working David West down low, using his patented fall-away jumper a couple of times in this fourth quarter. A long two by Ray Allen has the Celtics back up by five.

"In the Air Tonight" blaring on the loudspeakers now. They're giving this the big game treatment.

4:59 fourth quarter, Celtics 84-80
The Celtics are up to 15 turnovers now after Rajon Rondo lost the ball behind his back and carried it for about four steps.

6:25 fourth quarter, Celtics 82-77
Garnett and Pierce finally back into the game. Doc Rivers showed a lot of trust in his bench during that last stretch.

9:15 fourth quarter, Celtics 80-74
Celtics bench is finally coming alive. Rasheed Wallace hit his second three-pointer of the game out of five attempts, and Eddie House played Rajon Rondo, driving and dishing to a cutting Shelden Williams for the flush.

Timeout, Hornets.

10:13 fourth quarter, Tied at 74
Another three-pointer from Stojakovic. He's got 20 points on 7 of 9 shooting.

Both Peja and Ray Allen have a chance to pass Reggie Miller's all-time record for three-pointers made. Allen sits in second place, Stojakovic third.

THIRD QUARTER

END third quarter, Celtics 72-69
Flurry of activity in the final seconds. Rasheed Wallace answers Stojakovic with a three-pointer of his own just as the shot clock expires, putting the Celtics up at the end of the quarter. Chris Paul then threw one in from half court for good measure, but time had expired.

25.4 third quarter, Tied at 69
Long ball from Peja. Tied up.

2:21 third quarter, Celtics 68-59
The Hornets are getting solid play out of their bench. Peja Stojakovic has 12 points. Former UConn standout Hilton Armstrong has 6 points and 3 rebounds. The Celtics only have 8 points off their bench tonight, 4 apiece from Eddie House and Rasheed Wallace.

6:05 third quarter, Celtics 58-50
This isn't going to be one of those third quarters where the Celtics open up a 30-point lead. But they're not blowing it, either. New Orleans is more talented than any of the teams the Celtics have played at home so far this season, so don't expect them to go away.

I'm continually impressed by the play of Kendrick Perkins. After Rajon Rondo poked the ball away from Chris Paul, Perkins picked it up and dribbled up the floor, finding Rondo and eventually getting it back for the dunk. None of the New Orleans big men even bothered to run with the now svelte Perkins.

9:12 third quarter, Celtics 51-45
Filthy pass by Chris Paul to David West for a layup on that last play. Paul's fourth assist was a good, fundamental, bounce pass.

FULL ENTRY

Entering Sunday's game, Rasheed Wallace had taken 26 shots for the Celtics, 20 of those are 3-pointers. Wallace is a 6-feet-11 but has spent the past several season living near the 3-point line., Doc Rivers was asked whether he was comfortable with Wallace shooting so many 3-pointers. He was 2-for-6 this season on two-point shots, by the way.

"I think he'll be on the block as the year goes on a little bit more," Rivers said. "Him and Kevin *(Garnett) are who they are, they are two bigs that shoot extremely well from the outside. They do go to the post occasionally. But the combination of them both gives us a post player. Not one will be a guy who goes down (in the post) every time. But if you combine the post possessions between those two and (Kendrick Perkins) then we do have a lot of post players. And that the same thing with Paul (Pierce)."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers talked about the early-season schedule and whether Rajon Rondo is among the league's top five point guards.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo said before tonight's game that he is not aware of any progress (or lack thereof) in negotiations for a potential contract extension with the Celtics.

"I'm focused on Chris Paul," said Rondo. "It's not a big deal right now. I'm focused on the season."

In fact, Rondo said he hasn't spoken to his agent, Bill Duffy, in two days.

"It's not the end of the world," he said. "People act like it's the end of the world. It's just one year. If we can't come to an agreement this year hopefully it will be next summer.

"I want to be a Celtic."

Rondo was then asked how confident he was that he would, indeed, remain a Celtic. The deadline for Rondo to come to an agreement on a contract extension with the Celtics is tomorrow. If no agreement can be reached, the Celtics would still have the potential to match any offer to Rondo after the season.

"I don't know," said Rondo. "I don't know. It's a business. I want to be here, but you never know what's going to happen...It's not the end of the world and it's not my last year. It's not like I don't have a team to go to next year."

Rondo said he's talked to several other players who have been through contract negotiations, but he said the only way to know what to do is to experience it for yourself.

On Byron Scott's assessment that Rondo is one of the top five or six point guards in the league, Rondo said, not completely seriously, "Top one. One-ish, 1 1/2ish. 1c....No, I believe I am one of the best at what I do. I work as hard as I can to be the best."

Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine (ankle) told reporters he's going to give it a go tonight against the Hornets.

Hornets coach Byron Scott just validated what Rajon Rondo and his agent are trying to turn into a lucrative contract extension: Rondo is among the NBA's top five point guards.

"Because of the playoff series that he had last year and the way he started off this season, I think most people in this league right now have to consider him one of the top five or six point guards. For [Chris Paul] that's a challenge."

Another challenge the Hornets face? Playing the Celtics tonight in Boston.

"There's a few reasons [the Celtics are good]," said Scott. "Paul Pierce is one of them, Kevin Garnett's another. They've just got a great basketball team. The last couple seasons they've been very successful at home. They're tough to beat here."

The return of James Posey to this building as an opponent for only the second time since the 2008 championship is one of the storylines for today's game. Posey was out working with the Hornets' second unit. It's safe to say that the Celtics never really replaced Posey's production on last year's team. Whether Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace can combine to give the Celtics that slasher/three-point shooter off the bench that Posey was in 2008 could be the key to another championship run.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis was on the court, in uniform, working out before the game. The Celtics meant it when they said they wanted Davis to remain a part of the team despite his thumb injury. He's not playing, but, at least on the outside, he's not a pariah, either.

The Celtics dancers didn't leave either team much room to work out on the parquet -- several long rebounds ended up in the midst of dancers practicing their routine.

And in one final bit of non-news, parking can be found around the Garden rather easily right now. Remember, no meters on Sunday. I saw a car pull into a $30 lot just feet away from where I found a free spot. Patience, people. And read the signs.

We'll talk to some actual players for our next update.

Welcome to the Garden, where the Boston Celtics (3-0) will take on the New Orleans Hornets (1-1) at 6 p.m.

The Celtics are on the court right now going through a team walkthrough, which means no media access at the moment. Rajon Rondo was obviously with the team on the court as they prepared for the Hornets, which means that, should Rondo's agent be in discussions with the team right now about a potential extension, the point guard is not with him. No word from here on the progress of those potential talks, but we'll update you if and when any information becomes available.

Kind of a weird start time for a Celtics game, but with no Patriots today, the crowd should be here and undistracted by the out-of-town scoreboard. Except for those hardy folks at the Revolution's playoff game with the Chicago Fire.

The court should be opening up soon, and the locker rooms will open after that. Back with more substantive updates in a bit.

In San Antonio Saturday, the game between the Spurs and Sacramento Kings was delayed by a bat that celebrated the holiday by swooping down onto the court late in the first quarter.

Some spooked players scattered from the court as the winged visitor entertained fans. The Spurs' Manu Ginobili eventually swatted the bat with his bare hand, knocking it to the floor. He then picked up the flying mammal and carried it off the court to the delight of fans.

No word on the fate of the bat, nor whether PETA might get involved.

The Spurs won the game without batting an eye... 113-94.

Just when you thought the Celtics would be challenged, they obliterate a team that looked so good the night before. Chicago was impressive in beating San Antonio on Thursday. On Friday the Bulls looked overwhelmed and pedestrian. Luol Deng, a force on most nights, was relegated to garbage baskets.

"That's a good team," he said after the Celtics 118-90 win. "They took us out of our rhythm and made us take shots we didn't want to take. It's like they didn't miss a beat."

Deng finished with four points on 2-for-8, his lowest point total since Nov. 24, 2008 when he scored just two. Joakim Noah tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds but he appeared to be the only one interested in playing. John Salmons finished 2-for-14, Derrick had just two assists in 24 minutes and Kirk Hinrich missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled early, created some space because of the second unit in the second period and then Paul Pierce decided it was time for some brilliance with 20 points in the third quarter. He had two in the first half on 1-for-5 shooting, hit all seven shots in the third and didn't play in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen added 20, Kevin Garnett a solid 16 and Eddie House came off the bench for 22 on one of his hot shooting nights.

And if Rajon Rondo had played more than 30 minutes, he would have reached his career high in assists. He finished one short with 16.

ANALYSIS

Paul Pierce -- Hard to punch any holes in Pierce's night. He wasn't much of a presence in the first half and then exploded in the third. He also added eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in a masterful effort.

Kevin Garnett -- Wasn't as active under the boards but is beginning to hit that mid-range jumper and the alley-oops are coming more often. He looks comfortable on his surgically repaired right knee and he stayed out of foul trouble.

Kendrick Perkins -- He got into foul trouble and was limited to 19 minutes but he did hit four of five shots and put a body on Brad Miller and Joakim Noah.

Ray Allen -- His biggest contributions came in the first half, when Pierce was not a factor and Garnett sat almost 12 minutes. He hit two key 3-pointers and also swung the ball around the perimeter to open teammates, a strong performance.

Rajon Rondo -- Of the Celtics' first seven baskets, five were by Rondo assists. His assist-to-turnover ratio was 8-to-1 and he perhaps had his best regular season game in recent memory.

Marquis Daniels -- Scored all of his seven points in the first half but that's precisely when the Celtics needed them. He added four assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes and moved the ball around in the offense. The type of night the C's need from their bench.

Rasheed Wallace -- Of his nine shots, six were 3-pointers. The Celtics want Wallace to stretch the floor but not fall in the love with the 3-pointer and the "Sheeeeed" chant that follows each time he has an open shot. Wallace needs some more post-up opportunities but that will come against tougher opponents.

Shelden Williams -- A double-double, his first as a Celtic and just his fifth since his rookie year. Williams is finding comfort in the Celtics offense but also showing some limitations. He is not all that smooth on the fastbreak, but that will come in time. Remember, he hasn't played extensively in nearly two years.

Eddie House -- When House's jumper is pumping and he gets off that quick release, he is a joy to watch. That was the case Friday when he scored 22 points in 22 minutes with four 3-pointers and just one turnover. With the Celtics having a backup point guard, House doesn't have to handle the ball as much as he once again, allowing him time to shoot and shoot again.

Lester Hudson -- Scored three points in 10 minutes and is becoming a fan favorite.

J.R. Giddens -- Played four minutes with one turnover, just a cameo appearance.

The Celtics cruise to another easy win as five players scor in double figures and they shoot an eye-popping 58 percent from the field for a 3-0 record. Paul Pierce scored 20 of his 22 points in the third quarter while Kevin Garnett pitched in 16 points and four rebounds, Ray Allen added 20 points while Eddie House tallied a season-high 22 off the bench.

ALLEN SURPASSES STOCKTON Ray Allen scored 20 points Friday moving him to 33rd on the all-time scoring list with 19,715 points. Stockton, the Hall of Famer, has 19,711. It could take Allen about 15 games to reach the 20,000-point plateau.

'3:58 left, C's 106, BULLS 81 Order has been restored because of the rebounding of Shelden Williams and some strong shooting from Eddie House. House has 17 off the bench while Williams has eight points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes.

BULLS ON 20-9 RUN

Chicago was attempting to make it respectable with a 20-9 run to cut Boston's lead to 90-71 but Eddie House countered with a 3-pointer and the C's lead by 22. Boston coach Doc Rivers really would prefer not to put the starters back in so it will be up to the second unit to hold the large lead.

END OF THIRD, C's 88, BULLS 61

Paul Pierce put on a perfect performance in the third quarter (say that three times). The Boston guard finished with 20 points in the period on 7-for-7 shooting and has a game-high 22 as the Celtics get a chance to cruise for another fourth quarter. Kevin Garnett has 16 points four rebounds and two assists while Ray Alled has 20 points.

Rajon Rondo has 15 assists, two short of his career high and he is starting the fourth quarter and has added No. 16. Joakim Noah leads Chicago with 14 points while Luol Deng has added four meaningless points.

46.1 left in third, C'S 85, BULLS 59

Rajon Rondo has 14 assists in just 25 minutes and his career high is 17. The question is whether Doc Rivers will leave Rondo in the game long enough to reach his career high. Ray Allen has 20 points, Paul Pierce 19 and Kevin Garnett 16. The question is whether Rivers will allow the Big Three to play in the fourth quarter.

6:50 left in third, C'S 72, BULLS 45

The bench did the work in the first half and the starters have taken care of matters in the third quarter. Paul Pierce, eerily quiet in the first 14 minutes, has 12 points in the first 5:10 of the third while Ray Allen has added eight as the Celtics have turned this one into a yawner -- again. Chicago is shooting just 33 percent and has gotten nothing from Luol Deng. Celtic nemesis Joakim Noah has 12 points and six boards in 20 hard-working minutes, but nothing else for the Bulls.

It's party time at TD Garden, so much so that an 8-year-old boy has stole the show with some smooth dance moves during the time out. OK back to action.

HALFTIME, C's 50, BULLS 35
'The Celtics outscored Chicago 29-18 in the secodn quarter and are in total control through 24 minutes. The second unit overwhelmed the Bulls' second team and have produced 19 of the 50 points. Eddie House, who is allowed the roam around the 3-point line with Marquis Daniels playing point guard, has seven points along with Daniels.

Kevin Garnett has eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes while Kendrick Perkins has been limited because of foul trouble. The Celtics have scored 50 first-half points on a night where Paul Pierce has just one field goal. Chicago has little depth and hardly resemble the team that pushed Boston to seven games in last spring's first round

John Salmons has eight points on 2-for-11 shooting. Derrick Rose looks a step slow because of his sprained ankle while Luol Deng has gone scoreless in nine first-half minutes with three fouls.

C's CRUSING: 48-32 with 2:50 LEFT IN HALF

Ray Allen has 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting and the second unit continues to dominate for a 16-point lead. Kevin Garnett has eight points and two rebounds in 11 minutes while Paul Pierce has six rebounds in 16 minutes. The Boston defense has forced eight turnovers and the TD Garden fans have, of course, jumped on Joakim Noah, who has already drawn a technical.

HOUSE ON FIRE, CELTICS 40-28

During a 16-5 run that allowed the Celtics some breathing room, Eddie House has scored seven points while Ray Allen added four as Boston is holding the Bulls to 30 percent shooting for a 12-point lead. The Bench has scored 19 of the 40 points while Kevin Garnett (two fouls) gets valuable rest.

CELTICS PULLING AWAY, 32-21 Doc Rivers allowed the second unit to play extensive minutes and it's paying off. An 11-2 run has turned this into a eight-point lead. Marquis Daniels leads Boston with seven points. The bench has scored 14 of the 32 points.

END OF FIRST, CELTICS 21, BULLS 17 Rasheed Wallace ended the quarter with a 3-pointer for a four-point lead but this looks to be a very difficult game for Boston. The Celtics are shooting 47 percent and winning the rebounding edge 13-12 but yet lead by just four. The Bulls have missed 15 of 20 shots and eventually they will warm up, so this could be a tough game down the stretch.

FIRST QUARTER, 2:31, Celtics 16, Bulls 13

Boston has begun hitting seven of its first 15 shots while the Bulls have hit 3 of 15 but Chicago is staying close because of 10 free-throw attempts. The C's are 2-for-5. Rajon Rondo could be making a statement to Danny Ainge. He already has five assists in seven made Boston baskets with two rebounds.

Derrick Rose has four points, no assists and one foul in eight minutes.

CELTICS HAVING TROUBLE

It looks as if it won't be an easy night for the C's. They lead just 15-12 with 4:26 left in the first quarter. Kevin Garnett has six points for Boston while Kendrick Perkins has five. Three players for Chicago have four points.

The Celtics have decided not to suspend Glen "Big Baby" Davis on Friday, instead leving a fine against their injured forward and allowing him to be around the team during his rehabiltiation.

"We want him around the team," President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said. "We want him on the road. We want him working out. We want him conditioning with the team and continuing to learn everything that we're doing right now to progress and move forward.

"This was an unfortunate incident. Glen has apologized to owners, teammates and coaches and fans and everybody. It's time to move forward, put it behind us."

Said Davis: "It's been tough watching the guys play and not being there. I just want to move on and stay in shape to make sure I'm ready to play. It was a stupid mistake. Something I most definitely have learned from and looking forward. I wish it would have never happened."

Davis broke his thumb in an altercation early Monday morning with a childhood friend, Shawn Bridgewater, who admitted to Waltham Police that he punched Davis first. Davis, expected on to serve as a backup to Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, will miss six weeks.

Injured forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis will speak with reporters at 7:30 p.m. at the TD Garden to address the circumstances regarding his broken right thumb. Davis participated in the team photo and was wearing a hard cast around the thumb. He is expected to miss six months.

According to an NBA source, Davis, his agent John Hamilton and the Celtics' brass will meet to discuss a possible suspension because the injury was sustained in an off-court incident. If the two sides do not agree on a length of suspension, the NBA Players Association has the right to file a grievance representing Davis if he has an issue with the penalty.

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck has said the Celtics want a part of the $6 million contract Davis signed in the offseason. The team can fine Davis games without pay, such as the Golden State Warriors did with Monta Ellis, who badly sprained his ankle in a scooter mishap but told the team initially he did it working out on the basketball court.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

With negotiations still open between the two sides, the Celtics and Rajon Rondo will have more time to work out a deal than they had originally planned.

The original Oct. 31 deadline to extend players in the fourth year of their rookie contracts was pushed back to Monday, according to league spokesman Tim Frank. Per the collective bargaining agreement, should the date of the deadline fall on a weekend or a holiday, then it would be moved to the next business day.

A memo from the league earlier in the week informed teams of the change.

It's well established that Doc Rivers is a nice guy. But his praise of the Celtics defense tonight was downright effusive.

"I thought it was terrific," Rivers said of his team holding the Bobcats to 59 points on 31 percent shooting. "What did you think? I thought it was great. I thought, obviously, very active early. Tons of deflections. We keep that number and it was extremely -- as high as you can possibly probably get it at halftime. And I thought we carried it over, contested starts. Last two nights, I thought it has been absolutely wonderful.”

Said Paul Pierce, "We always stress hot hands, and when we’re able to get in the passing lanes, force turnovers, get out on a break-- it makes things easier when your doing those things."

Suffocating defense can make for a boring game, especially when only one team is playing it. Luckily for the home crowd, the Celtics didn't turn up the intensity on offense until the second half.

“You know, honestly I wasn’t happy in the first half offensively," said Rivers. "I thought the ball stuck all first half. I thought we lost a golden opportunity to get an early lead. I think we were up 10 at halftime and I honestly thought, because of the way our defense was playing, that our offense didn’t match it. And I thought in the second half our offense moved the ball and we got a lot better."

Celtics forward Shelden Williams (12 points, 9 rebounds) tonight said he's embracing his role in the absence of Glen Davis.

"It's a good situation for me to just come in and be me," said Williams. "So far it's working out well."