It can be easy to forget about Old Reliable. But tonight, Paul Pierce was there when the Celtics needed him most.

Pierce led the Celtics with 27 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds in a 113-110 win against Philadelphia. He was so effective that Celtics coach Doc Rivers felt the need to keep him on the floor for every second of the second half.

"Paul, to me, was the savior of the game," said Rivers. "I played him way too many minutes (42), but you do that every once in a while...the best play he made was the charge."

The charge Rivers was referring to was the one Pierce took on Andre Iguodala with 34.3 seconds left and the Celtics up 107-105. A score on that play would have done more than tie the game: It would have shifted the momentum, possibly irreversibly, to the Sixers.

"That's what we talk about," said Pierce. "If the charge is there...that's pretty much the only thing I could have done was take the charge. Iguodala's coming at you full speed. He's so athletic when he gets in the air. I'm not going to block his shot, so I just tried to stand in there and take the charge."

Rivers said he didn't plan to play Pierce for the entire second half, but he praised the poise of his captain.

"He's been MVP to me," said Rivers. "Not even just with his play. He got on our guys during the second quarter and at halftime about our play, about the defensive urgency. He told them to stop making excuses. He's the one that's not."

Said Kevin Garnett, "Tonight was all about Paul Pierce's will on the game."

Final: Celtics 113-110 In the end, they did it with defense.

With under a minute left in the game, Rajon Rondo stole the ball when Philadelphia had a chance to tie the game. On the next play, Paul Pierce made up for Ray Allen's missed layup by drawing a charge on Andre Iguodala moments later, never allowing the Sixers that game-tying score.

And it was Rondo's improbable fall-away jumper that gave the Celtics enough cushion to hold on. Rondo took the ball all the way through the paint before hoisting up a shot with 9.6 seconds left to put the Celtics up by four. The teams traded free throws down the stretch as the Celtics held on for the win.

The late defensive plays came on a night when the Celtics allowed Philadelphia to shoot 48 percent from the field and and 13 of 20 from beyond the arc. The Sixers also had 18 second chance points and 23 points on the fast break, stats that had to make Doc Rivers squirm.

The Celtics are still waiting on that game when they put a team away early and keep their foot down.

All five Celtics starters scored in double-figures, led by Paul Pierce with 27 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. Iguodala led the Sixers with 25 points, 9 assists, and 9 rebounds. The Celtics return home Friday night against Toronto.

1:20 4th Qtr: Celtics 107-105 This one isn't over yet.

2:34 4th Qtr: Celtics 106-98 Jrue Holiday picks up his fifth foul, an issue considering the Sixers are also without Lou Williams. Look for Rajon Rondo to exploit that here down the stretch.

4:55 4th Qtr: Celtics 102-92 Celtics are milking clock. A missed three by 'Sheed leads to an offensive rebound and another possession. C's don't score, but not all bad.

7:03 4th Qtr: Celtics 98-90 The Celtics are on an 11-3 run, and it couldn't have come at a better time. They're driving for easy scores and making it hard for Philly to get open looks.

9:37 4th Qtr: Tied at 87 It's a 10-minute game now.

End 3rd Qtr: Sixers 85-79 The Celtics may actually lose this game. Philly is shooting almost 50 percent from the field, and the Sixers are 10 of 14 from beyond the arc. If the Celtics want to take this one, they need to play better defense. And stop taking threes (4 of 20).

3:03 3rd Qtr: Celtics 72-70 Samuel Dalembert was called for a technical foul, but the officials missed a blatant forearm swipe by Rasheed Wallace that struck Dalembert moments earlier. Wallace should have been the one called for the foul, and possibly ejected.

3:21 3rd Qtr: Tied at 68 Double-technicals on Kevin Garnett and Thaddeus Young.

6:42 3rd Qtr: Celtics 61-59 Kendrick Perkins (12 points, 8 rebounds) just picked up his fourth personal foul. Not good.

9:25 3rd Qtr: Celtics 57-56 Paul Pierce takes it to the hoop (thank goodness) and gets two freebies. Celtics lead.

Halftime: Sixers 52-51 Before the game Doc Rivers was asked if this was the night his team would get the message and put a team away in the first half. He said he hoped so.

Didn't happen. Philadelphia has much more life than when these teams met on Nov. 3. The Sixers are shooting 46 percent but are an efficient 5 of 8 from three. They also have an unacceptable (from Boston's perspective) 10 offensive rebounds. The Celtics, meanwhile, have Pierce, Garnett, and Perkins in double-figures, but their three-point shooting (4 of 14) has been abysmal.

2:36 2nd Qtr: Sixers 48-45 Paul Pierce just knocked down a three to give him 10 points, matching the 10 points scored by Kendrick Perkins. And if you bet that Jason Kapono and Andre Iguodala would also have 10 points apiece at this juncture, well, you win.

6:43 2nd Qtr: Sixers 36-33 Thank goodness for Kendrick Perkins. He's got 9 points and 8 rebounds and (get this) has made OVER 50 percent of his field goal attempts.

8:34 2nd Qtr: Sixers 34-30 The Celtics are up to 10 three-pointers attempted and down to 42-percent shooting.

END 1st Qtr: Celtics 27-23 Here we go again. This game is eerily similar to recent games in which the Celtics have put up decent numbers early but have failed to gain any type of separation. The C's will take 50 percent shooting, and they'd probably take 45 percent shooting from Philly to go along with six turnovers. So why is it only a four-point game? Boston has already chucked eight three-pointers, for one.

3:49 1st Qtr: Celtics 21-16 Nice turnaround jumper in the lane from Kendrick Perkins. He's got five points.

8:25 1st Qtr: Tied 9-9 Kevin Garnett misses an alley-oop, though there were two defenders in the area. Samuel Dalembert's dunk ties the game.

10:56 1st Qtr: Celtics 7-2 Ray Allen has five early points. He's also got the defensive assignment on Andre Iguodala.

Pregame You know what? This place might fill up. Also Scal just wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving on the mic before the game. And he did a pretty darn good job.

The questions on Kevin Garnett's health are bound to continue until Garnett has a monster game, strings together several dominating performances, or finishes off every alley-oop thrown his way.

Doc Rivers answered the latest batch of questions before tonight's game with Philadelphia, when Rivers was asked how he gauged Garnett's minutes.

"Just by vision," said Rivers. "His minutes are way down, obviously. That's why I get a chuckle sometimes when I hear guys compare his numbers to previous numbers. Well it's tough when you don't play. It's really by vision more than anything else, and anytime we can get him rest we get him rest."

Rivers took exception to an observation that those who have watched Garnett this season seem to almost universally share: That Garnett just hasn't been able to get as high for those alley-oops.

"Well I think it depends on the day," said Rivers. "He had a couple games where he had three or four alley-oops. I think it's just going to take time, and he's going to have good days and bad days."

Rivers was asked if Garnett was simply getting older.

"Well they're all older," he said. "But I don't think that's as much of a factor as it's been made out to be."

The Celtics coach said Garnett was no more frustrated by his recovery from his knee injury than he is when he has a few bad games in a row.

-- There's no relapse for Tony Allen (ankle). "He's just not ready yet," said Rivers. "Soon."

-- On Allen Iverson's announced retirement, Rivers said, "I don't believe anyone retires until they get to the point where they have to. He had a great career if that's true, obviously. I just don't know if I believe it yet."

Elton Brand is the second Sixers started sidelined (say that ten times fast) tonight. Brand joins Lou Williams on the bench.

Jrue Holiday will start for Philadelphia at guard, with Jason Smith at forward.

Sixers guard Lou Williams suffered a fractured jawbone after being elbowed during Tuesday night's game in Washington, the team announced today. Williams is out for tonight's game and will be evaluated when the team returns to Philadelphia Thursday.

That's a big loss for Philly. Williams is second on the team at 17.4 points per game.

OK so it's Thanksgiving, not Christmas, but it's so dead in here I'm not sure anyone would noticed. The injured Celtics, Glen Davis and Tony Allen, along with Brian Scalabrine, are on the court running through conditioning drills with Celtics strength coach Brian Doo.

Davis and Allen are working on flat-out conditioning. Though Davis should have the cast removed from his right hand next week, he's got a long way to go to get into game shape. Same with Allen, who is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Scalabrine, on the other hand, is able to play, but he's doing some exercises with the medicine ball to strengthen that lower back, which has caused issues for him this season.

Welcome to the Garden, where the Boston Celtics (10-4) will take on the Philadelphia 76ers (5-9) at 7:30 p.m.

Tonight may be a futile exercise. Blogging to no one. Writing for a not-so-mass audience. But for those of you stuck in an airport or staying late in the office on this Thanksgiving Eve, you can get your updates.

The Celtics are going through a walkthrough right now, which means the parquet is closed to the media. Not that there are any media types her to be shut out of said walkthrough. It will be interesting to see what the crowd is like tonight, given the announcement of available tickets earlier this week and the mass exodus from Boston on the Pike.

The Sixers are coming off a heartbreaking, emotional one-point loss in Washington on the day Wizards owner Abe Pollin died. The Celtics should be more than rested. If the C's lose this game, they'll have nothing to blame it on.

Back with more substantive updates when we're allowed onto the court.

By Frank Dell'Apa
Globe Staff

The Celtics extended their season-opening winning streak to five games in taking a 105-74 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Nov. 3.

But the Celtics (10-4) have not been winning many blowouts since then. And coach Doc Rivers is being cautious in approaching Wednesday night’s game against the Sixers at the TD Garden.

“Really, the second unit handled them well,” Rivers said of the Nov. 3 result in a post-practice interview Tuesday. “Our first unit really struggled and our second unit bailed us out. We got off to another slow start in that game. With a bunch of athletes you’re paying with fire when you get off to a slow start with athletes and they catch fire then you’re in trouble. We avoided the last time there, so we have to play better.”

Said Celtics captain Paul Pierce: “They’re (the Sixers) playing better, Elton Brand is really picking up his play. They have a number of weapons, they‘ve been a playoff team the last couple years. You’ve got to figure they are going to start playing better basketball.”

The Celtics worked out Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday's home game against the Philadelphia 76ers and everyone participated, except Glen "Big Baby" Davis, so the Celtics are getting closer to full health.

*Tony Allen said he is shooting to return to action during the Celtics' four-game road trip to Miami, Charlotte, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. He is practicing consistently on his surgically repaired right ankle but said he wants more work.

*Coach Doc Rivers said he wants Marquis Daniels to handle the ball more as the backup point guard. Eddie House has been doing the majority of the ball-handling but Rivers wants the two to reverse roles and Daniels to play more

In this episode of Globe 10.0, Bob Ryan and Charlie Pierce debate whether or not the Celtics are as good as people thought at the beginning of the season.

"Their 10-4 record is not one that has me filled with confidence that they're going to be a major factor in the postseason," says Ryan.

"I think they are as good as we thought they were at the beginning of the year," says Pierce. "But they're not as good as we thought they were every game, every minute."

Are the Celtics who you thought they were? Take our survey below.

NEW YORK -- What we saw Sunday was the good and the bad of the Celtics. They showed all of their strengths and weaknesses. They are a team that is difficult to beat because they are relentless. Their star power allows for many options in crunch time because three -- and maybe four -- players can take the potential winning shot and they are a beautiful team to watch when they are playing defense and hitting 3-pointers.

We also saw the Celtics look old and slow. Rasheed Wallace looks as if his best days are far behind him. Rajon Rondo still can't consistently hit jump shots and free throws and the bench is sometimes nonexistent. Boston has a lot to work to do to become an elite team, like a number of so-called contenders in the league.

But Kevin Garnett's thousands of hours of practice on his perimeter jump shot paid off with his smooth, buzzer-beating jumper that sealed a 107-105 overtime win in one of the more exciting games this season.

A look at how the Celtics performed:

Kevin Garnett -- Started out 1 for 10 from the field but hit 3 of his final 5, including the game-winner. His two offensive fouls could be a concern and scouts have noticed he is not playing at near the level before the injury.

Paul Pierce -- He was on Sunday afternoon, scoring a season-high 33 points, but he added 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. He scored a bucket every time the Celtics needed one. And it was his decision to pass to Garnett for the winner after drawing a double team.

Kendrick Perkins -- A solid night -- 16 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks -- dealing with Eddy Curry and David Lee. He should get more love for this effort, but the kudos go to Garnett and Pierce.

Ray Allen -- His 3-point shooting was off and he missed several shots that could have put the Celtics comfortably ahead. He also had four turnovers and just one assist. Needs to do more when he is not scoring.

Rajon Rondo -- His new free-throw motion was interesting because he started off with two makes and then missed six of his next eight. But 10 assists and 9 rebounds make up for that. Maybe he will take being pulled out during critical plays as an insult and work harder on his shooting.

Eddie House -- Started off strong but didn't play much in the second half. Like Allen, needs to do more when he isn't scoring.

Rasheed Wallace -- His slump is definitely in his head and he needs to hit a big 3-pointer to lift his spirits. But we are definitely seeing the Rasheed of his later years in Detroit, when he turned into an ineffective distraction.

Shelden Williams -- Didn't do much in his nine minutes and sat the whole second half. He won't be playing much in fast-paced games.

Marquis Daniels --What happened to Daniels playing point guard? That hasn't happened of late and he is serving as a backup to Pierce.

Brian Scalabrine -- Played hard for his 11 minutes and hit one 3-pointer. But defensively he can be a liability against bigger forwards.

Kevin Garnett, who was a putrid 3 for 15 from the field, swished a 20-footer from the top of the key at the buzzer and the Celtics earned an exhausting 107-105 overtime win at Madison Square Garden. Garnett, saddled with foul trouble, scored just 10 points. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 33, but shuttled the pass to Garnett for the winner when he was double-teamed.

Celtics win 107-105

Kevin Garnett drains a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer and the Celtics get a tough win.

Overtime, 9.3 Tied 105-105

The Knicks score on a simple pick-and-roll between Larry Hughes and David Lee with Lee slamming the bucket home. They left plenty of time for the Celtics to get a quality shot and win this game. Rondo is not in the game.

Overtime, 19.3 Celtics 105-103

If it seems I am repeating myself, I am. Boston missed yet another chance to go up 4 or 5 points. Rajon Rondo missed an open jumper and Paul Pierce missed a leaner, giving the ball to the Knicks with a chance to tie or win.

Overtime, 1:04 Celtics 105-103

Boston keeps blowing chances to make it a two-possession game and the Knicks have 14 seconds on the clock to try to tie it.

Overtime, 2:41, Celtics 105-101

Paul Pierce started the extra period off with a big 3-pointer and just added a layup for a two-possession lead. The Celtics are responding defensively and holding down Al Harrington.

Overtime, Tied, 98-98

OK somebody got the play wrong because Rajon Rondo was left holding the ball in the final seconds and had to launch a 20-footer that missed. The Celtics didn't score in the final 1:07 and didn't even get a quality possession in that span.

Fourth quarter, 4.7, Tied, 98-98

Al Harrington drove to the paint and was fouled and nearly made the basket. He made both free throws, giving Boston the ball at halfcourt with less than five seconds left. Who gets the ball?

Fourth quarter, 17.7, Celtics, 98-96

OK, so the Celtics couldn't convert and Wilson Chandler was headed the other way, only to fall and fumble the ball out of bounds. Replays showed he was tripped but the Celtics were rewarded the ball. They inbounded to Ray Allen, who then was called for hooking Al Harrington after being double-teamed. A pretty obvious make-up call. Knicks have the ball.

Fourth quarter, 39.5, Celtics, 98-96

OK the Celtics just got a big stop, clipping a pass that sailed out of bounds with two seconds left on the 24-shot clock. Al Harrington then missed a 3-pointer as the clock expired and Rajon Rondo grabbed the rebound.

Fourth quarter, 1:19, Tied, 96-96

The Celtics had a chance to go up two possessions but Rajon Rondo missed a 20-footer and David Lee countered with a layup. Doc Rivers called a timeout and Boston has the ball looking to take the lead.

Fourth quarter, 2:44, Celtics, 96-94

The Celtics are on a mini-run and Ray Allen just gave the C's the lead with his first 3-pointer with 2:44 left. Boston has again stepped it up defensively and neutralized Al Harrington, who has 24 points in 32 minutes off the bench.

Fourth quarter, 5:57, Knicks 88-84

The Celtics are getting stops defensively but not scoring on the other end, so we have a stalemate. Kevin Garnett did show encouraging signs by canning an 18-foot jumper, his first points since the first quarter. Kendrick Perkins is having trouble with Eddy Curry in the paint while Ray Allen is 2 for 11 from the field and missed all four 3-point attempts. The Celtics are 8 for 20 from the 3-point line, with five of those by Paul Pierce.

Fourth quarter, 8:53, Knicks 86-81

Rajon Rondo missed two more key free throws that could have drawn the Celtics closer and is now 3 for 6 with his new style. The keys today are Al Harrington and Nate Robinson, who have combined for 40 points off the bench. Rasheed Wallace is having a bad game -- 0 for 6 from the field -- and just picked up his fifth technical of the season, arguing his fourth foul.

End of third quarter, Knicks 82-77

Hard to believe the Celtics actually led this game, 69-55, with 7:30 left in the period but another third-quarter breakdown has allowed a team that shouldn't be in the game to own a lead. This is reminiscent of the Indiana game, where the Celtics allowed the Pacers to stay close and then ended up losing. New York went on a 27-8 run to end the half and are running the Celtics out of MSG.

Kevin Garnett is 1 for 9 for 2 points while Rasheed Wallace is scoreless in 11 minutes.

Third quarter, 4:32, Celtics 73-67

The Knicks are on another run, this one 12-4, as the Celtics are unable to put the Knicks away. David Lee has scored 6 points during the surge while Kendrick Perkins has 8 points in the third quarter. Kevin Garnett is just 1 for 8 from the field and has scored 2 points.

Third quarter, 9:15, Celtics 65-53

The Celtics have come out strong, obviously a byproduct of a tongue-lashing from Doc Rivers. Kendrick Perkins has scored two buckets while Paul Pierce added a 3-pointer for the 12-point lead. The Celtics are shooting 53 percent from the 3-point line.

Halftime, Celtics 56-53

The Knicks showed some fight in the second quarter and the Celtics' interior defense let them down in key stretches, so now we have a game. Paul Pierce leads the Celtics with 17 points while Eddie House has 10. The Celtics have essentially played this game without Kevin Garnett, who has three fouls -- two offensive -- and was limited to just 9:49 of the first half.

Al Harrington and Nate Robinson have combined for 23 points and sparked the Knicks off the bench. Everybody talks about how bad the Knicks are, but this team has talent, legitimate NBA players. Not sure why they are 3-9 but these aren't a bunch of retreads and NBDLers out here.

Second quarter, 2:32, Celtics 52-48

Brian Scalabrine has come off the bench and canned his most important 3-pointer of the season to date, giving the Celtics a 3-point lead. Eddie House has 10 points.

Second quarter, 5:05, Tied at 40

The Knicks are on a 14-4 run, keyed by 5 points from Nate Robinson and two buckets from Al Harrington. Kevin Garnett has picked up his third foul halfway through the period and will be on the bench until the third quarter.

Second quarter, 8:47, Celtics 36-28

The Celtics are playing better and the ball is moving but Rasheed Wallace is still a concern. He is 0 for 3 from the field and just air-balled a 3-pointer before the timeout. He doesn't look confident. Nine Celtics have scored while Rajon Rondo has grabbed four rebounds.

End of first quarter, Celtics 30-22

Paul Pierce has come out firing with 14 points as the Celtics have canned five 3-pointers en route to an 8-point lead. Eddie House, struggling with his shot for weeks, has helped out with two 3-pointers. Defensively, the Celtics are allowing too many easy buckets. Al Harrington has come off the bench to hit two 3-pointers.

First quarter, 2:57, Celtics 17-12

The Celtics would have a bigger lead if not for consecutive offensive fouls on Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett. The Celtics are shooting 47 percent from the field.

First quarter, 4:53, Celtics 13-12

Some interesting developments in the early going. Wilson Chandler, usually a small forward, is guarding Kevin Garnett while Danilo Gallinari is assigned to Paul Pierce. Larry Hughes has two buckets for the Knicks while the Celtics are 5 for 12 from the field.

The Celtics and Knicks play a rare Sunday afternoon game, so we will try to provide all the details as many of you I'm sure will choose the NFL's early games.

Pre-game notes:

*Doc Rivers said the talk about shooting too many 3-pointers is "ridiculous" and it's just a matter of making them. He said he has no problem with the amount of 3-pointers his players are attempting.

*Rivers said he will try to use more pick-and-rolls with Rasheed Wallace. Wallace scored two easy buckets in the fourth quarter against Orlando off pick-and-rolls.

*New York's Jared Jeffries will not play because of an injury

*Rivers said he did see Nate Robinson's shot attempt at the Nets' basket after the buzzer and said. "Interesting, but not my problem."

Starting lineups

Celtics

PG Rajon Rondo
SG Ray Allen
SF Paul Pierce
PG Kevin Garnett
C Kendrick Perkins

Knicks

PG Chris Duhon
SG Larry Hughes
SF Wilson Chandler
PF Danilo Gallinari
C David Lee

The Knicks actually provide matchup problems for the Celtics.

*Chander is athletic and should provide a challenge for Pierce.

*Gallinari didn't play much last season but is averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line.

*Lee, more than likely gone after this season, is averaging 17 and 10 boards and should be trouble for Garnett. This game should be much closer than expected.

The Celtics lost 83-78 to the Orlando Magic on Friday, and Boston finished a putrid 2 for 19 from the three-point stripe, including 0 for 8 from Rasheed Wallace, 0 for 4 from Paul Pierce and 1 for 4 from Eddie House.

The Celtics are living -- and dying -- by the three-point shot, and it has becoming apparent that Boston can't win if it doesn’t shoot the three-pointer effectively. The Celtics should be able to win without always canning three's, but the numbers show they don't, and that could become a major concern as the season progresses.

The Celtics are more successful when they take fewer three's and pound the ball inside. Friday's fourth quarter should serve as a lesson, because when Wallace streaked to the basket off pick-and-rolls, the Magic were helpless. He scored two key buckets on pick-and-rolls as the Celtics rallied to tie the game at 78, only to go scoreless for the final 2:54.

Boston has been inconsistent in trying to emphasize the inside game, but with the outside shot not falling, that emphasis needs to return.

Here are some alarming numbers:

-- The Celtics are 73 for 174 from the 3-point line in their nine victories (42 percent)

-- The Celtics are 10 for 64 from the 3-point line in their four losses (16 percent).

The Celtics are dreadful from the behind the arc in losses, so much so that Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are the lone Celtics to hit more than one 3-pointer in the four defeats.

The numbers are glaring when it comes to three-point percentage in wins and losses from key players.

Wins Losses

Paul Pierce 19 for 35 3 for 15
Ray Allen 11 for 36 5 for 14
Rasheed Wallace 21 for 57 1 for 21
Eddie House 16 for 33 1 for 8

So Wallace and House, depended on to come off the bench and convert three-pointers and stretch the floor, are 2-for-29 from the three-point line in defeats. The Celtics have to figure out another way to beat teams. The Magic players said Friday night that the Celtics essentially run the same offense as before but were erratic from the outside.

The Celtics sent swingman Bill Walker to the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL to get more seasoning and get into playing shape after missing time with a torn meniscus in his right knee. Walker played in one game for the Celtics this season, logging two minutes. Boston now has 12 healthy players on its primary roster, with Tony Allen and Glen Davis recovering from injuries.

After Friday night's loss to the Magic, Globe columnist Bob Ryan says the Celtics must fix what ails them, and fix it fast.

Following his team's loss to Orlando, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers says his team does not deserve to win with how poorly they are playing.

Celtics players Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett lament a tough loss to the Orlando Magic Friday night.

A couple of highlights from the postgame interviews:

-- Vince Carter, on whether he realized he attempted 29 shots on his way to a game-high 26 points:

"No. I didn’t really realize. I think it was just in the course of the game. The plays kept coming back-to-back-to-back. In this kind of basketball game you don’t want to let down. It would have been great to make 29 shots, make some of the layups I missed."

-- Paul Pierce, on getting off to a slow start:

“Yeah, I mean that’s something that we got to do a better job as starters. I think it’s kind of getting repetitive -- the starts we’re getting off to and then it’s sort of like we brake off. You know, against a good team, we got to defend for all four quarters. The slippage that we have in the first quarter is about being mentally and physically ready at the start of games. It definitely hurt us tonight.”

Dwight Howard faced Kevin Garnett for the first time since the regular season and the two basically evened each other out. Howard finished with nine points on 2-for-4 shooting with 15 rebounds and three blocks. Garnett scored 13 points with 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Howard talked about the matchup postgame.

"KG, the first time I backed him down he pulled the chair (backed up, forcing Howard to stumble) and the second time I had to just slow down a little bit, that was he wouldn't do it again," Howard said. "He looked pretty good out there. One thing with him, he has that jump shot, so he can create off his jump shot. And that's what he uses to get to the rim. He did good tonight."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers defended the decision to use Rajon Rondo for just 43 seconds in the fourth quarter of tonight's 83-78 loss to the Magic.

"You go with the unit that has it going, and that unit clearly had it going," Rivers said of the second unit, featuring Eddie House at point guard.

House had three points and was 1 of 4 from behind the three-point line. Rondo finished the game with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, to go along with 3 turnovers.

"The first quarter we started out poorly, the third quarter we started out poorly," said Rivers. "When we subbed, we made runs. Today Eddie was a terrific defender, and just the threat of him spacing the floor...sometimes that's true. Today wasn't one of them."

Rivers said Rondo had a bad game, but said one bad game was not indicative of any larger trends.

"It's not on Rondo," said Rivers. "As a group we have to play better. Rondo didn't play well today. He's been pretty good for the most part."

Said Rasheed Wallace, “If you’re in Doc’s situation, it’s damned if you do, damned it you don’t. If you don’t have Rondo in there, you’re going to have people say, ‘Why didn’t you have Rondo in there sooner?” Then if you do have Rondo in there, ‘Oh, well, why’d you have Rondo in there so long? Or ‘Why’d you have Kevin in there? It is sort of a gift and a curse. But that’s the woes of being a head coach.”

FINAL: Magic 83, Celtics 78
Bad offensive possessions cost the Celtics down the stretch. The Celtics shot 35 percent from the field for the game and made 2 of 18 from three. Despite the closeness of the score, the Celtics never really seemed in it.

More to come from the locker rooms.

58.4 fourth quarter, Magic 82-78
A fall-away by Vince Carter and free throws by Rashard Lewis have the Magic up by four. Lewis drew a tough foul call on that last play, leaning into Paul Pierce with the shot clock winding down.

2:53 fourth quarter, Tied at 78
Rasheed Wallace's floater over Dwight Howard sends both teams to the bench for a timeout. Howard is visibly frustrated. He has no help down low -- the Celtics are sending three guys to rebound compared to just Howard for Orlando.

Tie ballgame.

4:49 fourth quarter, Magic 75-74
Paul Pierce's driving layup has the Celtics within one, but Rasheed Wallace tossed up another errant three (his seventh miss) when the Celtics had a chance to take the lead for the first time since the first quarter.

7:01 fourth quarter, Magic 73-70
Rasheed Wallace has missed all six three-pointers he's taken, but a trey by Eddie House pulls the Celtics closer, once again.

10:05 fourth quarter, Magic 66-63
It felt like a 20-point deficit the way the Celtics were playing, but with a drive and bucket by Ray Allen, the lead is down to three. The Celtics are still in this game despite shooting 34 percent.

THIRD QUARTER

END third quarter, Magic 66-59
Here's a stat that tells you all you need to know: The Celtics are 1 of 11 from three. OK one more stat: They're shooting 33 percent overall.

3:02 third quarter, Magic 64-57
Brian Scalabrine checks in.

5:52 third quarter, Magic 58-52
There's a timeout on the floor (thanks, ESPN), so it's time for a reset. The Celtics are shooting 36 percent, compared to 43 percent for Orlando. The Celtics are led by Paul Pierce with 14 points. Rashard Lewis has 14 points for the Magic. Kendrick Perkins has five fouls, while Mickael Pietrus has four.

7:25 third quarter, Magic 56-48
Kendrick Perkins just picked up his fifth foul, then a technical to go along with it, for bumping Matt Barnes on the sideline. This is not Perk's game.

9:58 third quarter, Magic 49-44
Kevin Garnett comes up limping, his right knee (the one with the brace) the culprit. Garnett got tangled up with several Magic players in the lane and bent down awkwardly. He came up wincing but stayed in the game.

Kendrick Perkins was whistled for his fifth technical of the season in the third quarter Friday,. Perkins disagreed with a shoving call on Matt Barnes as both raced for a ball headed for the sideline. Perkins made finger gestures and yelled at official Tony Brothers perhaps a few moments too long, prompting the tech.

Perkins entered Friday tied with teammate Rasheed Wallace for the NBA league with four. Remember, any technical after 16 results in an automatic one-game suspension.

Kevin Garnett came up limping at the 9:58 mark in the third quarter, his right knee (the one with the brace) the culprit. Garnett got tangled up with several Magic players in the lane and bent down awkwardly. He came up wincing but stayed in the game. He was well enough to block a Dwight Howard shot a short time later.

According to Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy, two weeks ago he suggested his players approach him if there was ever a problem with his grating style or negativity, especially after victories. Van Gundy could see a flaw in a rainbow.

Following Monday's win over the Charlotte Bobcats, an unexpectedly tough victory, Van Gundy tore into his team about its execution. The Magic won 97-91, shot just 42 percent, missed 21 3-pointers and 11 free throws. Another Van Gundy tongue lashing following a victory prompted a discussion between All-Star center Dwight Howard and Van Gundy. Van Gundy said he called the meeting while other players believe Howard approached him.

Howard told Van Gundy that his criticism was overboard and the coach needed to channel his post-game meetings more positively. Van Gundy said this open discussion is healthy for the Magic.

"What I saw on our team was a lack of enthusiasm and energy that we needed," he said before the Magic faced the Celtics. "I asked him what was going on. He thought part of it was sort of the pressure of expectations that we have. Some of it was the injuries that we had been through. And part of it was my negativity. So what he did was give me a very honest answer to a question that I asked and a lot of different factors. And I took a look at that and I said as far as my part of it, I think he's right and some things need to be corrected. But this was not Dwight coming in griping about the way he's being coached.

"That's just something he doesn't do much anyway. I was really happy he took a step up giving me an honest answer. If I didn't want it answered I wouldn't ask. I wanted to know what was going on because that's what I had seen with our team and I thought he game me a well thought out answer."

Forward Rashard Lewis said the team wants Howard to be a leader and its spokesman.

"His is basically our captain and a guy we have to follow," Lewis said of Howard. "He’s going to lead us to the championship and that’s where we are trying to get. We let him carry that load because even though he is young, he has to be an older guy now because he’s the guy we go to. Because he’s the guy we look at every night to win ball games and we put that pressure on him. And throughout the year he can learn to handle that pressure and be ready for it when the playoffs come."

Howard and Van Gundy have clashed before, the most publicized was during last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals after a tough Game 5 loss to the Celtics. Howard complained about the perimeter-heavy offense that left him without scoring chances in the fourth quarter. Van Gundy is known as a difficult and demanding coach but Lewis said the coach has softened while Howard has matured.

"You could tell (Van Gundy) has (lessened) his criticism," Lewis said. "He’s trying to be a little bit more positive. Stan Van Gundy is still the coach he’s going to be, if you are not playing well he’s going to let you know about it. He is trying to take a lot of the negative energy out because he wants his guys to play for him. He’s being a coach that wants to communicate with his players and telling us something he can be a pain in the ass. Letting him know, and he will try to take a step back."

Van Gundy admits he has trouble containing his disappointment when the team doesn't execute, especially on the bench.

"There's times quiet honestly, if I'm being totally honest, there are times where I really don't care what they think," he said. "And at those times I'm not going to ask them. But I came to (Howard). I wanted to know. Because I'm not in the locker room everyday. I don't hear what everyone's saying and I don't know what they're feeling all the time. I saw us with a lack of energy and if I ask I want honesty. I want an honest answer because I don't think you can work out the problems if he's walking on eggshells and not giving you an honest answer. And again, it was one of the factors he gave me. It was very honest. It was just what I wanted.

"On the bench I think is the biggest one, where I just let my frustration get the best of me and I just get real, real negative to where I'm not really making coaching points about what we need to do, I'm more berating -- not individuals, I don't do that a whole -- but I think berating us as a team. That's the stuff, it's not productive stuff. I'm still going to be who I am and I'll continue to correct, and be intense and probably get upset at times. But I just want to make it more constructive to where I'm coaching and not just bitching at them."

A couple of stats that pop off the sheet ...

-- The Magic are 4-2 when allowing 100-plus points this season. They are 8-1 when leading (or tied) after the first quarter.

-- Dwight Howard averaged 16.8 points, 15.5 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game against the Celtics last season.

-- While these teams are obviously very familiar with each other, this will be the first meeting as Magic and Celtics players respectively for Vince Carter and Rasheed Wallace, who were teammates at North Carolina.

-- The Celtics are 51-11 in this building when Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins start.

Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy is as forthcoming as any coach in the NBA. Last year during the playoffs, Van Gundy regaled the Boston media with tales from his days at UMass-Lowell.

Not today.

"I got in trouble for that last year," said Van Gundy. "They said I wasn't serious about the game because I answered your guys' questions.

Van Gundy's team won that playoff series, so he must have been at least a little serious. But the coach also seems to always be in serious trouble with the media. The latest flack comes from a heart-to-heart meeting between Van Gundy and Magic star Dwight Howard earlier this week in which it was reported that Van Gundy's negative approach was being questioned.

The story, said the coach, was blown out of proportion. Van Gundy said that he and Howard did talk about the coach's approach, as well as team injuries and other topics, but that the meeting was called by Van Gundy, not Howard, and it was not a big deal.

"It's not like Dwight walked in and said 'You're being too negative,'" said Van Gundy. "He said a lot of things, and only when asked...The communication was done in the right way and it was very honest."

Van Gundy did admit it wasn't constructive to tell the team "they sucked", and that specific coaching was probably more productive. But this wasn't some big "Aha!" moment.

"I'm not going to change the way I coach very much," he said. "I doubt you'll see me smiling....I'm not Mary Sunshine. But I am working on being less negative."

Welcome to TD Garden. where the Boston Celtics (9-3) will take on the Orlando Magic (9-3) at 8 p.m.

There was a time, during last year's Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando to be exact, where Rajon Rondo's punctuality came into question. Rondo's tardiness for a playoff game against the Magic was never as private as the team would have liked, and was a catalyst for Rondo's critics to question his maturity during the summer months.

A lot has changed

With Orlando in town again tonight for the first time since that playoff series, Rondo sat on the bench watching film of his free throws with Celtics assistant coach Armond Hill more than 3 1/2 hours before gametime. The pair then took to the court to practice Rondo's form.

"That's too much," Rondo said of his grip on the ball, his right hand cocked out awkwardly to his right side.

"Just square it up," said Hill, a patient teacher.

"I'm straight!" Rondo shouted back, taking another free throw. "My elbow is straight."

"You think its straight," said Hill. "I can show you right on film, right now."

How concerning is Rondo's current free-throw percentage (currently at 25 percent)? Celtics GM Danny Ainge came out to check on the lesson, giving Hill and Rondo a putting analogy from golf. Hill, who played eight seasons in the NBA, took the time to put his hands on Rondo's elbow to shift it into the right position.

Remember it's an 8 p.m. start time for national television tonight. That means there's time for an extra basket of fries at your favorite Canal Street establishment. (Click here for a list of some good ones). I'm partial to the Grand Canal, which is named after the famed Venetian waterway in Italy but claims to be an Irish Pub on the sign. Solid use of two proud heritages.

More to come from the Garden.

Something happened after the Celtics' 6-0 start to the season. It was like -- to steal a line from Jay-Z -- somebody slipped the Celtics an Ambien because they've looked lethargic and downright disinterested in splitting the six games since.

You just get the sense that the Celtics started sleepwalking, awaiting the next real challenge and just content to roll out a good quarter here or a good quarter there to put lesser teams -- or perceived lesser teams -- away. Teams as talented as the Celtics can get away with that, until they meet teams equally as talented.

Tonight, is the opportune time for the Celtics to shake off their early-season ennui because the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic are in town for the teams' first meeting of the season. This isn't just Game 13 of 82 for both teams, who enter with identical 9-3 marks, it's an opportunity to make a statement.

Globe 10.0: Which team has improved more, Celtics or Magic?

The Celtics rivalry with the Cavaliers might be considered sexier simply because of the presence of LeBron James, but the NBA knows the value of the Celtics-Magic matchup. The respect for the rivalry is obvious, considering the next time the teams will meet after tonight is in Orlando on Christmas Day, which is always filled with commissioner David Stern's showcase games.

"A lot has been given to us and Cleveland to start off the year, but Atlanta and Orlando are other teams to reckon with," said Celtics guard Ray Allen. "It's not like it's something that is going to be handed to any one of us. ... But they look good, and we know they're a team that we're going to have to reckon with and will most likely see in the postseason."

Let's get something straight right now. If the Celtics play the brand of basketball they displayed in losses to Atlanta and Indiana and in Wednesday's win over the rudderless Golden State Warriors, then they're not going to beat Orlando tonight or in the postseason and they know it.

"Yeah, we can't play the way we played the last few games and expect to be the top-tier team," said forward Paul Pierce. "I mean that's the reason they're a top-tier team because they're a team that is not going to beat themselves. You got to go out there and make them play and go out there and beat them. If you have mental lapses for one or two quarters you can easily get blown out. If you look at it, they've blown some teams out and it hasn't been close some of their games when they've been healthy."

That's what is exciting about tonight's visit from Dwight Howard and the Magic. It's an opportunity to see just how good this Celtics team really is and can be. It's obvious that they think they're good and that's been part of the problem so far this season.

There is no reason the Magic, who come in as winners of three straight and boast a roster as deep as any team in the NBA, shouldn't bring out the best in the Green. Motivation will not be an issue.

The last time Orlando ventured to the Garden, the Magic sent the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics packing with a resounding 101-82 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. That capped a Magic comeback from 3-2 down, the first time in the storied history of the Celtics that they lost a series when leading 3-2. Orlando went on to beat Cleveland in six games before being part of Kobe Bryant's coronation in the NBA Finals.

Garnett, who missed the playoffs with bone spurs in his right knee, was asked how he felt after Game 7 last season and his answer said it all:

"Pissed. Probably like everybody else. Pissed. Very pissed."

The Celtics insisted yesterday -- unconvincingly -- that this isn't Game 8 of last year's playoff series for them. Whether they mean it or not, they're right. It can't be. Both teams have changed too much from last spring.

Boston got KG back to anchor its defense and remade its roster with Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels and the surprising Shelden Williams, in large part to combat Orlando's size, length and athleticism up front with Howard, who is a cross between Shawn Kemp and a young Moses Malone, and sharpshooting Rashard Lewis.

Orlando lost Hedo Turkoglu, who had 25 points and 12 assists in Game 7, but traded for Vince Carter to replace him. Shrewd Magic general manager Otis Smith also went out and signed forward Brandon Bass from Dallas, underrated swing man Matt Barnes (he is James Posey without the 3-point range) and exhumed Randy Moss's old running mate in West Virginia, Jason Williams, to play backup point guard. With Jameer Nelson out 4-6 weeks with torn cartilage in his left knee, J-Will is now the point man for the Magic.

Of course amid all the changes, the biggest difference is that this time the Celtics have Garnett. KG could only sit idly by in a suit and watch as the undersized Celtics struggled to stop the Magic's inside-out attack with the 6-foot-10-inch Lewis shooting over the top of Glen Davis.

Lewis was suspended for the first 10 games of the season for testing positive for an elevated testosterone level. He had a near triple-double in his second game back (17 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists), despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter of Orlando's 108-94 win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

Garnett chuckled to himself when he was asked whether he was looking forward to playing Orlando.

"I'm not a vengeful person. I'm just looking forward to playing them," said Garnett. "They're considered one of the best teams, so we're going to rate ourselves and grade ourselves on that and trying to play better."

Win or lose, Orlando might provide just the wake-up call the slumbering Celtics need.

The Celtics have received a strong dose of humility in recent games. So, they are keeping things in perspective as they prepare to meet the Orlando Magic at 8 p.m. Friday night in a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals.

“They're the team everybody's chasing in the East,” coach Doc Rivers said of the Magic after practice Thursday. “They won the championship of the East last year. As far as we're concerned, they're the favorite and Cleveland's the second favorite and we're the third -- going by the results of last year. So, it will be good to see where we're at.”

Said captain Paul Pierce: “It's definitely a big game for us. Just try and make a statement against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. You're talking about a team that's going to be there in the end, one of the best records in the league. So, we're playing for home court advantage and this is a team that we have to beat.”

Kevin Garnett (knee) missed the playoffs and has returned to average just more than 30 minutes a game this season.

“I’m just looking forward to playing them,” Garnett said. “Their record says they’re one of the best teams. They're deep, they're very deep. People are not really talking about their depth, but the onus is on us. This should be a good test for us.”

It didn't count, but Kevin Garnett's swish from the top of the key all the way to the other end of the court just after the halftime buzzer sounded had NBA fans chattering Thursday, a day after the Celtics whipped the Warriors 109-95.

Here's a YouTube video of the shot:

Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't hesitate to open the press conference showing his respect to the Warriors, after his team just won 109-95. Here's some excerpts from his post-game transcript:

"That team scares the hell out of you. You want to sub your guys out with five minutes left and you're worried about them making a 20-0 run in the two seconds. I mean, they're a hell of an offensive team, I'll tell you that.

(On the second half) "Well, we had to play better in the second half. You know, honestly, we didn't play very well in the first half. So, you know, again, we're just working. We're going to get better. We have to become a 48-minute team, and that's what we're talking about a lot right now. So, we'll get there."

On Rajon Rondo:

"He was terrific in the second half. You know, first half, in his defense, he got the two quick fouls. And you've been around the game long enough and you get that, now all of a sudden you're out of sync, and you're out of your rotation. And then he comes back in the beginning of the second quarter and I never though he had any rhythm in that stretch. But he came out in the third quarter and played with unbelievable speed and energy. And we wanted him. You've just got to make his speed a factor, and when he does that, even against teams — we told them before the game they're going to switch a lot — and if Rondo came off with enough speed, it didn't matter if they switched. They couldn't stay in front of him. And he did that in the second half. He was terrific."

(On how to make the defense better:

"Just step by step. We're not panicked; we're not worried about it. It's a long year. You know, it's early in the year and we're going to be a better team as the year goes on."

On Eddie House:

"He's trying. The whole key for Eddie is defense for us. You know, just keep shooting, that's what he does. And they're going to go in for him, so I'm not concerned about his shot. He's not going to forget how to shoot. But what keeps Eddie on the floor is the better he is on defense, the longer he stays on the floor. That allows us to continue to play him. He has a huge value for us offensively; we all know that. Even when he's not making shots, you have to guard him, and that opens the floor. But when he's not playing defense, or well, then we have to take him off the floor."

On Rasheed Wallace:

"He's been great. I got on him today, and I rarely do, about the threes because even though he was wide open, it's really tough. I got to tell you, I mean, he was wide open and he took two, but we had just taken two quick ones. And we were trying — and that was in the third quarter — to make a concerted effort to go back down and then take it. But he's got an incredibly high basketball IQ. He's been phenomenal in the locker room."

After the Celtics beat the Warriors 109-95, the Globe's national NBA writer Gary Washburn gave his take on the win and what's next for the C's.

After beating the Warriors 109-95, the Celtics chimed in on playing against Nellie-ball and coming off of a two-game skid.

Kendrick Perkins:

"They do a lot of switching. Coach Nelson also likes to play small ball sometimes so you know Doc was saying get it in and you know we just had to be responsible and they start trapping and that changed the game. I thought that Rondo started getting aggressive, he starting taking the basket. That changed the whole game. Every time he attacks it opens up the floor for everybody else. He did the best job tonight."

Ray Allen:

"In the first half we just exchanged buckets the whole time. Obviously they played a pretty good game tonight but on our behalf we didn't do the things — get the stops. We hold ourselves to a higher standard because we feel we're a pretty good defensive team but the communication we just have to pick up and get better at talking on defense and just kind of having that chemistry again.

(Having trouble with younger athletic teams than you thought?) It's really hard to say, I know defense just talking over the last couple games is ... we've got to pick our energy back up on that defensive end. It's obvious that the energy is out there for us but you know just watching film, they were rebounding and it's just simple things, getting people off our backs, just paying attention to the detail."

Here's some quotes from Kevin Garnett on the Warriors. The Celtics beat the W's 109-95. The win pushes the C's to 9-3 on the season after a two-game skid.

And here it is in quotes:

"This team is very unorthodox. You've got, what, four shooters; even the bigs can shoot the ball from 17 to 19 feet out. It's a very unusual style That Nellie-ball is something, something different. It's always been effective when it worked and he's a coach for a reason. He presents so many different match ups, you know like Paul (Pierce) said earlier, our emphasis was to pound the ball, pound the ball inside and take advantage of them being shorter. I thought we did that for the most part. In the second half, we got a little gun shy and shooting and playing into their game a bit. I thought on the floor with Rondo being aggressive in the third, getting fouls, getting to loose balls, nice cushion for as far as going into the fourth and it was pretty. Wasn't perfect. We're still a team in progress and all that but a win is a win."

10 p.m., End of game — The Celtics win, 109-05. Corey Maggette led all scorers with 23 points. Pierce led the Celtics with 19 points and Rondo fell short of a triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.

9:58 p.m., 4th quarter 1:00 — Brian Scalabrine just scored on a deep two. He always gets the crowd excited.

9:54 p.m., 4th quarter 2:41 — Pierce is quietly having a huge day. He's got 19 points after draining this last 3-pointer.

Looks like we might be seeing Gino sometime soon, as the reserves are on the court and the Celtics are up 105-88.

9:49 p.m., 4th quarter 4:48 — Rondo is approaching a triple-double. He's got 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

9:43 p.m., 4th quarter 7:10 — The Celtics are going really small now with Pierce in the game for as basically the power forward. He joins Garnett, Daniels, House and Rondo.

Oh, and Eddie House is starting to come alive. He just drained another 3-pointer. He's now got 11 points on the night, bringing the number of Celtics in double-digits to six.

9:37 p.m., 4th quarter 8:52 — The Celtics have elected to go small with Rondo and Eddie House on the floor at the same time. They're matched up with the W's relatively small guards, Curry and Ellis.

9:32 p.m., 4th quarter 10:30 — Sheed just dropped another 3-pointer, putting the Celtics up 85-70 for the team's biggest lead of the night. The Warriors called a timeout to regroup.

9:27 p.m., End of 3rd quarter — The Celtics extended their lead in the 3rd quarter on the great play of Rondo, who had 12 in the quarter.

9:23 p.m., 3rd quarter 1:05 — Rasheed Wallace hit his first 3-pointer of the night. He's 1-for-3. The fans are still screaming "Sheeeeed" every time he does anything.

9:21 p.m., 3rd quarter 2:40 — The Warriors' Randolph just had his second goaltend of the night to give Ray Allen two more points. Allen's got 10 points, bringing all five Celtics starters into double-digits (Garnett 10, Perkins 13, Pierce 14, Rondo 13).

9:17 p.m., 3rd quarter 2:50 — Maggette continues to lead the game in scoring. He just hit two more free throws to bring his total to 17 points. He leads all scorers. Celtics are up though, building on their lead behind Rondo's third-quarter play, 70-61.

9:13 p.m., 3rd quarter 4:28 — Rondo just converted a three-point play. He now has 13 points in the game.

9:11 p.m., 3rd quarter 5:13 — The Warriors are over the foul limit already.

9:10 p.m., 3rd quarter 5:30 — Rondo is coming alive in the third quarter. He's now got four assists, including a quick dish to KG to put the Celtics up 60-55.

9:03 p.m., 3rd quarter 8:17 — Stephen Curry has five turnovers for the Warriors.

8:58 p.m., 3rd quarter 10:39 — The Warriors are out running. They just took the lead on a fast-break Monta Ellis layup.

8:39 p.m., End of 2nd quarter — KG stunned the crowd with a toss-up 3-pointer to end the half, but it didn't count. The Celtics are up though, 49-48.

Maggette has led the way for the Warriors, who would've walked into the locker room down had it not been for the reversal on Garnett's three. Maggette has 14 points.

8:35 p.m., 2nd quarter 1:29 — Before the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers talked about how the team needed to play a full 48 minutes.

Here's the video:

8:31 p.m., 2nd quarter 1:31 — The Celtics are taking full advantage of the Warriors' foul troubles. Perkins is leading the ball club with 12 points on the night, banging in the interior. Moore has only two fouls, but it looks like he's trying to keep it that way, allowing two dunks unchallenged in his face.

8:30 p.m., 2nd quarter 2:50 — Pierce looks like his normal self, driving and pulling back for the jumper. The C's are leading 45-43.

8:21 p.m., 2nd quarter 7:16 — Looks like Perkins is going to get a free lane to the basket so long as Moore is in for the W's. He's looking real conscious of his foul count.

8:16 p.m., 2nd quarter 8:52 — The Warriors have crept back into the game with solid shooting from all around. C's up 34-33.

8:08 p.m., End of 1st quarter — The Celtics are up 27-23 with Garnett and Ray Allen leading the way with six points apiece. Maggette leads the W's with seven points.

8:07 p.m., 1st quarter 0:33.9 — The Warriors are already over the limit with five team fouls. Again, not good for a team with only seven supposed to play. Although Raja Bell is in the game. He's been tending to a sore wrist, which is supposed to be getting worked on and/or possibly surgically repaired.

7:58 p.m., 1st quarter 4:15 — Warriors and Celtics are now trading the lead after a small run by the Dubs. Maggette and Anthony Randolph appear to be on their game, Randolph has six points off the bench and Maggette has seven.

7:52 pm., 1st quarter 5:54 — KG and Kendrick Perkins are off to a hot start. KG has six points and Perkins has five halfway through the quarter.

7:47 p.m., 1st quarter 9:18 — KG gets his first points on an alley-hoop on Radmanovic. Was he just Christened a Warrior?

Rajon Rondo picked up his second foul down the court.

7:46 p.m., 1st quarter 9:48 — Moore picks up two quick fouls for the Warriors. Being in foul trouble is not good for a team with seven players available to play.

7:44 p.m., 1st quarter 10:56 — Mikki Moore just got a little dunk on KG. Paul Pierce followed with a quick jumper.

7:41 p.m., 1st quarter — The Warriors are starting Mikki Moore, Vladimir Radmanovic, Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette. This is a totally revamped lineup from their season-opening lineup. Radmanovic is the newbie to the group, coming in the trade the other day for Stephen Jackson.

6:53 p.m. — Paul Pierce is expected to play tonight after some injury worries and only seven Golden State Warriors are playing tonight's game as the Celtics try to bounce back from losing two in the last week.

According to Globe beat writer Frank Dell'Appa, Raja Bell is suiting up for the Warriors but not playing in order for the team to make the mandatory eight players needed for the game.

This is probably a good thing for the Celtics, who have one of the deepest benches in the NBA, if not the deepest.

Expect updates and videos throughout the night here.

An ESPN report Tuesday morning stated that the Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings had discussed a trade that would send Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, and disgruntled Sacramento forward Kenny Thomas to Philadelphia, J.R. Giddens and Philadelphia's Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento, and sharpshooter Andres Nocioni to Boston.

According to two sources, there has been no discussion from the Celtics' side on this deal, and one of those two sources said the Celtics have not reached out to Sacramento about inquiring about Nocioni. The issue for Boston is the length of Nocioni's contract. He is signed through 2012 with a team option for 2013. This is no way the Celtics, with decisions regarding Ray Allen and having just committed $55 million to Rajon Rondo, are going to take on that kind of money.

Not to say Boston couldn't use a gusty outside shooter, but not with a lengthy contract and could eventually serve as hindrance to other deals. So in this case, it's not the player, but the contract and money. The Celtics passed on signing James Posey for the same reason.

Celtics captain Paul Pierce practiced at full speed this afternoon and is expected to be in the starting lineup against the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night.

Pierce sat out most of Monday's session with a left knee sprain and the Celtics planned to keep him out of action today. But Pierce said he had recovered from the injury, sustained late in the third quarter of Friday's game against Atlanta (97-86 loss), and he worked out without a brace or tape on his leg. Coach Doc Rivers second-guessed his decision to allow Pierce to perform at Indiana (a 113-104 defeat) Saturday, saying Pierce "talked him into it."

"I got a good response the last couple days of rest," Pierce said. "I felt good about it and it went smooth. I went the whole practice and I felt really good about it. It was a slight sprain of the knee but I'm a fast healer and I feel good.

"I'm a little older so I'm being smarter about things. If I didn't feel I could go out there I wouldn't have done it, but I felt really good today, my body responded well. Maybe I shouldn't have played because the knee was real tender and I had to play with a big wrap on it and it kind of limited me last Saturday. Sometimes rest is good, especially in a long season. But it might be what I did the last couple days, I rested it."

More than once the past couple of season, Andres Nocioni, the sharpshooting former Chicago forward now with Sacramento, has been mentioned as a player who appeals to the Celtics.

Apparently, the appeal is still going strong. According to a report on ESPN.com this morning, there's a chance that a three-way deal sending Nocioni to Boston could be in the making, with the Celtics sending Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to Philadelphia and J.R. Giddens to Sacramento in a swap that would also include Sixers big man Samuel Dalembert and Kings forward Kenny Thomas.

In explaining the big-picture implications as well as premise of the possible deal, which reportedly began with a straight-up swap of Thomas for Dalembert, ESPN's Marc Stein wrote the site's True Hoop blog:

Boston has had interest in Nocioni from the minute Sacramento acquired him in February in the deal that dispatched Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago. That said, Boston has also been hesitant since February about acting upon that interest because Nocioni has three years and more than $20 million left on his contract after this season. That's a lot of long-term cash for the Celts to take on -- even if Nocioni turned out to be a James Posey-style Mr. Versatile for them -- after they just signed Rajon Rondo to a lucrative extension and with decisions about the futures of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen looming. So Boston pulling out because of financial concerns likely ranks as the biggest impediment to this deal.

Nocioni, 30, is averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists for the Kings so far this season. In his six season career, he averages 11.9 rebounds and 5 assists per game while shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

* * *

So tell us what you think, Celtics fans. Is the chance to add a player of Nocioni's talent to their already deep bench worth adding the salary remaining on his contract? Or should the Celtics retain Scalabrine, Allen, and Giddens and pass on any involvement in the Kings-Sixers trade talks?

The NBA reviews all technical fouls and flagrant fouls, so they will examine Kendrick Perkins' bizarre technical foul Saturday against Indiana, called by Joey Crawford. And they will also look at Doc Rivers' technical called 21 seconds later as he waved his hand in disgust and then walked back towards the bench, also called by Crawford.

"Yeah I got a response," Rivers said Saturday when asked if he received an explanation about Perkins technical. "(Crawford) gave me a tech. That was his response."

The Celtics are privately hoping the league rescinds both technicals, which would remove the fouls from their total. Perkins already has four technicals in 11 games, meaning he would reach nearly 30 for the season in he remains on that pace. The league suspends players for one game for each technical past 16 for the season. Call it the Rasheed Wallace Rule.

Wallace, by the way, also has four.

Celtics' captain Paul Pierce (left knee sprain) practiced briefly Monday and will be held out of Tuesday's training session, according to coach Doc Rivers. Pierce's status for the Celtics-Golden State Warriors contest Wednesday has not been determined.

Pierce sustained the injury late in the third quarter of the Celtics' 97-86 loss to Atlanta Friday, then had 15 points in 34 minutes of action in a 113-104 loss at Indiana Saturday night.

"I shouldn't have played him," Rivers said of Pierce's appearance against the Pacers. "But he talked me into it."

Pierce participated in agility drills Monday, then went to the sidelines as the Celtics scrimmaged, working out on a stationary bicycle, then going to the lockerroom to have his knee taped.

The Celtics executed their way to a 61-52 halftime lead. They outclassed the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter, played team basketball, passing crisply, getting good shots and working hard on the defensive end to contain the Pacers' perimeter-heavy game.

But it all broke down in the third quarter when they allowed a whopping 32 points and the fourth wasn't much better (29). The Celtics were outhustled and outexecuted by a team that was hungrier and looking to knock off a giant. This is going to be a normal night on the road for the Celtics. The Pacers, Grizzlies, Thunder, Bobcats, you name the team, are going to give Boston its best.

Dahntay Jones kept looking back at the Celtics bench after every made shot, a message to the Celtics that they'd better not leave him open. Danny Granger was his normal sparkling self, but you can't allow 25 points to Jones, considered a defensive specialist, and a career high 15 free throws.

The Celtics looked a little old and tired Saturday. They are going to have to depend on their bench for strength and energy. And having the next three days off will help. So will two of the next three with the Warriors and Knicks, but in between is the Magic and the Celtics are not ready for that challenge just yet.

Paul Pierce -- Probably should have taken the night off and let Marquis Daniels check Jones. Instead he scored 15 and gave up 25. He also missed three free throws and committed four fouls. Not a good night, but he will be healthier Wednesday.

Kevin Garnett -- Got off to a strong start but was exhausted guarding Granger. He had four points in 16 second-half minutes and his shots were more difficult. He also had just one rebound after halftime.

Kendrick Perkins -- A double-double but he also withered down the stretch against Roy Hibbert. Perkins received some nice passes from Rajon Rondo near the basket and missed two layups, His touch around the basket needs to improve.

Ray Allen -- This was a night the Celtics needed a big night from Allen and he almost delivered but he was 2 for 6 in the fourth quarter and one of his 3-pointers got stuck between the basket and the backboard. One of those nights.

Rajon Rondo -- He missed two more free throws and couldn't handle the tandem of T.J. Ford and Earl Watson. Just four assists in 33 minutes and just two points and one assists after halftime. There is a trend here.

Rasheed Wallace -- It seems his first-half technical took him out of the game and he was consumed with jawing with officials, but the Celtics certainly could have used his scoring points after halftime.

Marquis Daniels -- Played solidly in his return to Indiana but the Celtics needed him on the court more than 20 minutes. His energy could have helped against Watson and Jones.

Shelden Williams -- Nearly a double-double (10 points, nine rebounds) in 18 minutes but the pace of the game may have been too fast for him in the second half. But we continue to see good things from the former Duke star.

Eddie House -- Four points in 15 minutes and shooting 29 percent from the field in his past seven games. The Celtics need more from House, especially on nights when they are tired.

Pacers 20-19, 5:31 left in first quarter

It's a fast-paced game, not exactly the kind of tempo the weary Celtics need. Danny Granger has eight points while Kevin Garnett has nine for the Celtics, Big Celtics crowd here, likely some early arrivers for Sunday's Patriots-Colts game.

Celtics 27-24, 1:26 left in first quarter

The Celtics are beginning to liken to the fast pace, They are shooting 52 percent from the field and Garnett has nine while Rajon Rondo has six.

Celtics 27-26, End of First Quarter

The Celtics are making errors and mistakes but still lead by one after one period. Boston has missed its two 3-pointers attempted and has emphasized pounding the ball in the paint, evidenced by nine points from Garnett.

Celtics 42-39, 7:14 left, second quarter Rasheed Wallace picked up another technical for arguing a call for a minor shove against Danny Granger on a layup., After he sat on the bench, Wallace yelled at official Joey Crawford, "I'll get my money back for that for sure!"

Celtics on a 7-0 run.

Celtics 54-48, 2:36 left in second quarter

The Celtics have the advantage in the rough-and-tumble game despite 14 points from Danny Granger. Ten Celtics have already scored and the Celtics are determined to drive the ball into the paint.

Halftime, Celtics 61-52

The Celtics are back to winning with teamwork. Ten C's have scored in the first two quarters, led by Ray Allen with 14 and Kevin Garnett with 11. Boston has attempted just four 3-pointers -- with one make by Allen -- and have gotten eight boards from Kendrick Perkins and seven in 11 minutes from the useful Shelden Williams.

Boston has a whopping 36 points in the paint, so obviously a message got through about settling for 3-point jump shots. Danny Granger (20 points) is single-handedly keeping the Pacers in the game. Dahntay Jones has seven points but five of those are from the free-throw line. Former North Carolina standout Tyler Hansbrough has four in eight minutes.

Celtics 73-68, 5:29 left in third quarter

Indiana began the second half with a 6-0 run to draw within three and the Celtics have been fighting ever since. Their defense has slipped, allowing Dahntay Jones and Earl Watson open shots. Basically Indiana is a three-man team with Granger, Watson and Jones continues for 47 of the 68 points. Ray Allen leads the Celtics with 18 points and Garnett has 15

Celtics 79-76, 2:07 left in third quarter

The Celtics keep toying with the game Pacers and Indiana keeps responding with big baskets. Indiana can't get any baskets in the paint so it is relying strictly on perimeter shooting and so far is has worked. The Pacers are 7-for-15 from the 3-point line compared to 1-for-4 for the Celtics.

End of Third, Pacers 84-79

The Celtics play on of their worst quarters of the season, getting outscored 32-18, including a 14-3 run to end the period. Boston did not record a field goal in the final four minutes of the quarter while Indiana scored 12 points in the final 3:50, a 3-pointer by Brandon Rush in the final seconds gave the Pacers a five-point lead. Boston was 7-for-20 from the field in the period.

Celtics 88-86, 9:54 left in fourth period

An irritated Boston club has begun the fourth on a 9-2 run to retake the lead. Ray Allen scored five points during the spurt and the defensive intensity has increased.

Pacers 96-92 6:23 left in fourth quarter

The Celtics are learning a painful lesson about irking Joey Crawford, He has called two technicals in the past two minutes. One on Kendrick Perkins for keeping his hands up after being called for a foul to show he was in position and another on Doc Rivers for waving his hand in disgust at an offensive foul on Kevin Garnett. Crawford, as usual, is becoming the story tonight and this is why he is considered one of the league's worst officials by many players.

Pacers 111-102, two minutes left

Indiana is going to win unless the Celtics make an improbable run. They look tired and frustrated after some controversial calls in the fourth quarter.

Pacers win 113-104

Indiana pulls away in a bitter fourth quarter and hands the Celtics their second straight loss.

Paul Pierce is in the starting lineup for the Celtics tonight after leaving Friday's loss to Atlanta briefly with a sore knee. Pierce told coach Doc Rivers he "felt great" this morning and he was in the lineup.