Final: Heat 95-88: LeBron James was great when the Heat needed great, draining a 19-footer with 27.9 left and the Heat prevailed for a thrilling win and a second consecutive title. James scored 37 points along with 12 rebounds and five 3-pointers. Dwyane Wade added 23 points and Mario Chalmers scored 14. Shane Batter scored 18 off the bench on 6-for-8 3-pointers. Tim Duncan led San Antonio with 24 points while Kawhi Leonard scored 19.

Fourth quarter, 39.0, Heat 90-88: Well, well, well, we have a classic. It's Miami's ball after Tim Duncan missed a layup and putback that could have tied the game and Kawhi Leonard earlier missed a 3-pointer that could and put the Spurs ahead. San Antonio needs a defensive stop and Miami can seal the game with a score. Legendary stuff.

Fourth quarter, 3:06, Heat 88-85: This will go down as one of the great Game 7s of all time as neither team will relent. LeBron James hit a jumper, Tim Duncan comes back with two free throws, LeBron James hit another jumper. Manu Ginobili responds with a 3-pointer. Shane Battier hits hit sixth 3-pointer of the game, and Duncan responds with a conventional 3-point play. Miami is 12-for-31 on 3-pointers in the game, which has made the difference.

Fourth quarter, 5:37, Heat 83-77: The Spurs haven't been the same since that Mario Chalmers banked 3-pointer to end the third quarter. Miami is on a 14-6 run since then and it is a couple of possessions away from sealing the game. LeBron James has been stellar with 31 points on 10-for-19 shooting and five 3-pointers. Dwayne Wade has 20 points while Mario Chalmers has 15 and Shane Battier 14. Ray Allen has yet to score.

End of third quarter, Heat 72-71: This is setting up to be a great finish as neither team is playing well but they are playing well enough to go toe-to-toe, basket-for-basket. After Manu Ginobili hit a runner with four seconds left, Mario Chalmers hit a 28-foot banked 3-pointer to end the quarter. LeBron James has 28 points while Tim Duncan has 17.

Third quarter, 2:36, Spurs 65-64: LeBron James is having one of those games, the same type of game he did in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics two years ago when his 3-point shot was clicking. He has 26 points on 5-for-8 3-point shooting with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Dwyane Wade has 18 points on 9-for-16 shooting. The Spurs are being led by Kawhi Leonard, who is a grown man out there with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Third quarter, 8:02, Heat 54-52 The offenses are beginning to warm up and Kawhi Leonard is developing into a star, already with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs are staying close. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are carrying the Heat as they expected to when the Big Three came together. They have 36 points on 14-for-26 shooting.

Halftime, Heat 46-44: It's been a sloppy first game with 15 combined turnovers and 34-for-84 shooting but the combination of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have came to play with a combined 29 points on 12-for-23 shooting. The rest of the Heat are 7 of 21. Tim Duncan has 13 for San Antonio and Tony Parker has added 10 but the Spurs are shooting 35 percent and are 2-for-7 from the 3-point line. Danny Green is 0-for-2.

Second quarter, 8:40, Heat 25-22:: Shane Battier has been the star for far, hitting three 3-pointers as the Heat have responded from a 15-10 deficit. Both teams are still shooting until 40 percent and LeBron James has 4 points on 1-for-4 shooting. The Spurs are 9-for-27 shooting and Tony Parker has 6 points.

First quarter, 2:12, Spurs 15-10: Games 7s are rarely fundamental classics and this is no different. The two teams have combined for seven turnovers and 11 for 33 shooting. The Spurs have attempted seven more shots than the Heat but are mistake silly mistakes with poor passes and ill-advised shots.

Well this is the last NBA game of the season and the NBA world can focus on the Doc Rivers' situation. Will it be the Heat or Spurs tonight? Both teams appear prepared for another all-time great game.

STARTING LINEUPS

San Antonio Spurs

PG Tony Parker
SG Manu Ginobili
SF Danny Green
PF Kawhi Leonard
C Tim Duncan

Miami Heat

PG Mario Chalmers
SG Dwyane Wade
SF Mike Miller
PF LeBron James
C Chris Bosh

Final: Heat 103-100: Ray Allen did it again, hitting the tying 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left as the Heat rallied from a 5-point deficit with 28.2 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Allen then hit the clinching free throws in overtime. He finished with 9 points but perhaps the most important 9 of his career.

On the final shot, Allen took a pass from Chris Bosh, took a step back to the 3-point line and fired.

"Well, LeBron (James) took the shot, and I knew we had time, I had to go," Allen said. "I went into the paint to try to get the ball and make something happen. At that point there's no guarantee who is going to get the ball or what may happen. And when I seen CB get the ball, I just backpedaled right to the three point line, and I was hoping I was where I needed to be. But I wasn't quite sure. But just from years of shooting, I got to my spot."

Halftime, Spurs 50-44:Tim Duncan has gone retro on the Heat, scoring 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting with eight rebounds. He scored 13 straight in the second quarter as the Spurs ended the half on a 17-4 run. Meanwhile, the Miami Big Three have just 21 with LeBron James, who promised a big Game 6, with 9 in the first half.

Second quarter, 4:50, Heat 42-39: Tim Duncan vs, Mario Chalmers, That's been the matchup so far. The two have combined for 32 points as both teams are taking shots at each other. A classic Game 6 so far. LeBron James has 7 points in 16 minutes.

Second quarter, 8:46, Heat 36-30: Miami is playing at a better level than in Game 5, shooting 50 percent from the field and using five 3-pointers to take control after falling behind 24-19 late in the first period. Mario Chalmers, who struggled in Game 5, has 12 points and is playing as if he did when scoring 19 in Game 2. He could be the x-factor tonight.

End of first quarter, Heat 27-25: Miami ends the quarter on an 8-1 run as they shoot 50 percent in the quarter. San Antonio shot 61.1 percent but committed four turnovers, Tim Duncan led all scorers with 12 points. LeBron James scored 5.

First quarter, 7:14, Tied at 14: Both teams are off to hot starts and aren't playing much defense. LeBron James hit canned a perimeter jumper for his first points of the game and we also had a 3-pointer from Mike Miller, his first trey since Game 3. Miami is 6-for-9 shooting while San Antonio is 6 of 8. Kawhi Leonard has 8 points.

It's Game 6 and we'll have updates throughout the evening. Is this it for Miami's Big Three?

Final: Spurs 114-104: The Spurs were good enough in the third quarter and early in the fourth to take control of the series, using 26 points from Tony Parker and 24 apiece from Manu Ginobili and Danny Green to seal the win. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each scored 25 and Ray Allen scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter but Miami was just awful defensively, allowing the Spurs to shoot 60 percent.

Fourth quarter, 2:23, Spurs 109-98: Ray Allen has been carrying the Heat, yeah seriously and he just made a 3-pointer that would have cut the deficit to 8 but LeBron James was called for an illegal screen. It's been a nightmare second half for James, who has 9 points after the break on 2-for-10 shooting. Dwyane Wade has 24 for Miami. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili leads the Spurs with 24.

Fourth quarter, 7:23, Spurs 98-85 The Spurs led 96-76 just a few minutes ago but 7 points from Ray Allen has sparked a Heat run and Gregg Popovich just called one of his angry timeouts. Manu Ginobili leads the Spurs with 22 points while Danny Green has 21.

Fourth quarter, 9:31, Spurs 94-75: Wow, it may be over tonight. The Spurs are on a 17-1 run after the Heat cut the deficit to 1. All five starters are in double figures while Miami can't even hit a layup. LeBron James is 7-for-20 shooting and 22 points. Dwyane Wade has 22 with seven assists. Chris Bosh is stuck on 12 points. The other Heat players are 7-for-23 shooting.

End of third quarter, Spurs 87-75: It;s Manu time as Manu Ginobili scored 7 of the final 9 Spurs' points of the quarter and San Antonio has retaken command after the Heat got to within 1 with a 7-0 run. Ginobili has 20 points and nine assists while Danny Green has 19 on 5-for-7 3-point shooting. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each have 22. Chris Bosh has 12.

Third quarter, 3:53, Spurs 75-71: The best game of the series so far because both teams are playing well and both Big Threes are producing. San Antonio's version -- Duncan, Ginobili and Parker -- have 43 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Miami's version -- Wade, James and Bosh -- have 53, 10 and 13. James leads all scorers with 21 while Wade has 20. Parker has 17 for San Antonio.

Halftime, Spurs 61-52: An eventful first half as the race to a 17-point lead (47-30). The Heat rally to slice the deficit to five and the Spurs come back with a couple of key hoops near the end of the half to regain control. Tony Parker has 11 points and scored the last basket of the half while Danny Green and Tim Duncan lead San Antonio with 13 apiece. LeBron James warmed up near the end of the first half and has a game-high 16 while Dwyane Wade has 14 and Chris Bosh 10. The rest of the Heat have scored 12 points.

Second quarter, 2:14, Spurs 52-46: The Heat went on a 10-0 run as Erik Spoelstra ditched his point guard and went with Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen as his primary ball handlers. The Heat have been saved by Chris Bosh, who has 12 points while LeBron James is heating up with 8 points in the quarter. Danny Green is back to his old tricks with three 3-pointers and 13 poitns while Tim Duncan has 11.

Second quarter, 8:30, Spurs 39-24: San Antonio has been impressive on both sides, stifling the Heat with their defense. Miami is 8 of 28 shooting with a combined 15 points from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and 11 from the other players. Kawhi Leonard has 9 points and four rebounds for the Spurs while Manu Ginobili has 7 and four assists.

End of first quarter, Spurs 32-19: San Antonio ends the quarter on a 15-2 run as their defense was stifling and Tony Parker began to live in the paint. He has 7 points as to three other Spurs. San Antonio was 12-for-19 shooting in the period while Miami was 6 of 20. Dwayne Wade and LeBron James scored 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting, the rest of the Heat scored 4 on 2-for-10 shooting.

First quarter, 6:43, Spurs 15-12: The Spurs are off to another hot start but the question is whether they can sustain it. Manu Ginobili is in the starting lineup and already have 7 points, already his series average. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have combined for 10 points for Miami.

Final: Heat 109-93: When Dwyane Wade and LeBron James combine for 65 points, the Heat are nearly impossible to beat, and they were Thursday in an impressive win, outscoring the Spurs 60-44 in the second half for their Game 4 win. Game 5 is set for Sunday night. Tim Duncan scored 20 for San Antonio.

Fourth quarter, 6:04, Heat 96-85: Dwyane Wade has been magnificent tonight with 30 points in 35 minutes on 13-for-21 shooting, including a vintage dunk as the Heat are pulling away. LeBron James has been respectable with 24 points but it's been Wade's night.

Fourth quarter, 8:46, Heat 86-79: Miami is trying to put the game away and the Spurs are preventing themselves from a rally with silly mistakes. San Antonio is shooting just 9 of 26 from the field in the second half while the Heat are at 15 of 30. Still, the Spurs are hanging around with Tiago Splitter about to attempt two free throws.

End of third quarter, Heat 81-76: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 17 points in the quarter as the Heat are looking in vintage form. The Spurs are staying close with the 3-pointer -- 7 for 12 -- but are losing the rebounding battle (31-27) and have just three offensive rebounds. It should be a thrilling final period.

Third quarter, 3:56, Heat 69-66: Miami is playing well with LeBron James having scored 21 points in 29 minutes. But the Spurs, like in Game 1, keep staying close with big buckets. Kawhi Leonard just completed a 3-point play and has 12 points with seven rebounds. After hitting 16 3-pointers in Game 3, the Spurs have just five in Game 4.

Third quarter, 6:43, Heat 60-58: Reminiscent of Game 1, both teams are taking shots at least other in this physical slugfest. LeBron James just hit a jumper from an out-of-bounds play for the Miami lead and a furious Gregg Popovich called timeout. James and Dwayne Wade each have 19 points but Wade picked up his fourth foul and is on the bench. Tony Parker has 15 points but the Spurs are just 4-for-10 shooting in the second half and have missed six free throws in the game.

Halftime, Tied at 49 Spurs end the half on an 18-8 run as Tony Parker took advantage of the Heat's desire to stop the 3-pointer by living in the paint. And after a masterful 11-point first quarter, LeBron James scored 4 in the second period but leads the Heat with 15. Parker has 15, 6 assists and 3 rebounds as the Spurs shot 51.4 percent in the half. Miami is at 50 percent while Ray Allen has 8 points.

Second quarter, 5:03, Heat 41-36: Miami led by as many as 10 just a minute ago but the Spurs are fighting to rally behind Tony Parker, who has just set up Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard with layups after spinning passes. He already has 11 points and four assists. LeBron James has 13 points but just 2 in the first 6:57 of the second period. Dwayne Wade leads Miami with 14 while Chris Bosh has 6. Duncan has 5 points and two rebounds.

Second quarter, 8:37, Heat 37-29: Miami is on a 32-14 run with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combining for 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting. The Spurs have fallen apart offensively with 1-for-5 shooting in the quarter and a litter of missed layups. Tony Parker has 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting. The rest of the Spurs are 5 of 13.

End of first quarter, Heat 29-26: Miami ends the quarter on a 24-11 run and LeBron James has now arrived, scoring 11 points, 8 in the final 3:36 of the quarter. Tony Parker has 11 points but the Spurs defense is an issue so far. Dwyane Wade added 10 points for the Heat, so two of the Big Three are hot.

First quarter, 5:08, Spurs 17-11: It's Dwayne Wade, not LeBron James, going into beast mode with 8 points already as the Heat try to stat close. The Spurs have hit 7 of their first 10 shots but have scored only 2 points in the past 2:02, prompting a timeout from Gregg Popovich. Tony Parker, who was questionable for the game, already has 8 points. James has 3 points and one assist in seven minutes.

First quarter, 7:30, Spurs 12-5: Danny Green and Gary Neal have already hit 3-pointers and LeBron James has 1 point. Dwyane Wade has 4 for the Heat, who aren't exactly playing desperate right now. Tony Parker just scored his 6th point.

Final: San Antonio 113-77: This was no typo. The Spurs outscored the Heat 63-33 in the second half, using a barrage of 3-pointers and terrible defense by the Heat to pull away. A 13-0 run to begin the fourth quarter made the difference. Danny Green led the Spurs with 27 points and Gary Neal added 24. Both were a combined 13-for-19 shooting on 3-pointers. The basketball public will be on LeBron James for the next two days as he scored 15 points on 7-for-21 shooting and looked tentative all evening.

End of third quarter, San Antonio 78-63: LeBron James scored Miami's final 8 points as the Heat showed some fight but James only has 12 points on 6-for-17 shooting as the has yet to reach 20 points in the series. Gary Neal leads the Spurs with 18 off the bench.

Third quarter, 2:54, San Antonio 73-52: The Spurs are on an 11-0 run as they are looking for some payback from Game 2. LeBron James is back to his Game 5 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals form with 4 points on 2-for-13 shooting. He looks frustrated and is not getting calls he's accustomed.

Third quarter, 8:21, San Antonio 59-46: The Heat have come out for the second half uncharacteristically passive and the Spurs and come up with steals and fastbreak points. Danny Green has scored the last 5 for the Spurs and has 10 for the game. Tim Duncan has 12 points and 10 rebounds while LeBron James has yet to attempt a shot in the quarter and has just 4 points.

Halftime, San Antonio 50-44: Sorry for the delay folks. Technical difficulties with the Internet here at AT&T Center have made things difficult. But let's get to the game:

The Spurs score 6 points in the final 27 seconds after Miami tied the game at 44 following a 12-1 run. The Spurs have controlled most of the first half, shooting 45 percent including 7 of 15 from the 3-point line but the Heat, as usual, have stayed close and made their share of runs. LeBron James has 4 points on 2-for-8 shooting, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 21 minutes. Dwyane Wade leads the Heat with 12 points while Chris Bosh has added 10.

Gary Neal has been key for the Spurs, scoring a game-high 14 points in 14 minutes while Tim Duncan has 10 points and 7 rebounds. Tony Parker has been passive, scoring just 6 points on 2-for-4 shooting.

Final: Miami 103-84: The Heat end the game on a 42-22 run -- it was 30-5 at one point -- to cruise to the victory against a Spurs team that struggled all night to make an open shot. The Heat shot 49 percent, got double figure scoring from five players and received a combined 41 points and two turnovers from Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers.

Fourth quarter, 9:11, Miami 84-65: Celtics fans have seen this act before. The Heat are using defense to pull away in the fourth quarter and are on a 23-3 run since late in the third quarter. LeBron James refuses to get selfish, instead swinging passes to teammates and Mike Miller has hit a pair of big 3-pointers. Mario Chalmers leads Miami with 19 points.

End of third quarter, Miami 75-65: Mario Chalmers has been splendid tonight with a game-high 17 points. capped by a three-point play with 9.8 seconds left in the period for Miami's largest lead of the series. LeBron James has been erratic with 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting while Tim Duncan has just 9 points and Manu Ginobili has 5.

Third quarter, 3:11, Miami 64-62: The two teams are going back and forth but the heavy hitters are Danny Green for San Antonio and Mario Chalmers for Miami. LeBron James has reverted back to his 2011 NBA Finals form, with 6 points on 2-for-12 shooting. Tim Duncan has nearly matched that with 8 points on 3-for-12 shooting.

Third quarter, 7:43, Miami 54-53: The Heat jumped out to an 8-point lead but the Spurs have stormed back, thanks to another 3-pointer by Danny Green, his fifth, and San Antonio is 8-for-12 shooting from the 3-point line and 11-for-36 from 2-pointers. LeBron James is having one of those uh-oh games with 6 points on 2-for-10 shooting.

Halftime, Miami 50-45: The Heat end the half on a 5-0 run and shoot 51.2 percent, including 12-for-22 in the second period. The good news for Miami is LeBron James scored just 4 points with one rebound. Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade each tallied 10 points while Chris Andersen added 7 off the bench while Danny Green led the Spurs with 12 and Tony Parker added 10.

Second quarter, 1:55, Tied at 45: The Spurs are 7-for-10 from the 3-point line and are forcing LeBron James into tentative play. He has just 4 points on 2-for-6 shooting. Dwyane Wade leads the Heat with 8 points while Green has 12. The Spurs are 8-for-15 shooting in the quarter after 8-for-21 in the first period.

Second quarter, 5:00, Spurs 38-36: San Antonio is keeping the lead with 3-point shooting (6 of 8) while LeBron James is off to another slow start with just 4 points although the Heat are shooting 48 percent. Gary Neal has 8 points off the bench for the Spurs.

End of first quarter, tied at 22: It seems as if the Heat should lead by at least 5 points as they shot 47.4 percent and forced five Spurs turnovers, more than they committed all of Game 1. But the Spurs were 4-for-5 shooting from the 3-point stripe and 4-for-16 on 2-pointers. Danny Green hit three of those 3-pointers and has a game-high 9 points while Chris Bosh leads Miami with 6.

First quarter, 3:23, Heat 16-15: Danny Green has already canned three 3-pointers but the Heat are withstanding the long-range barrage by attacking the basket. LeBron James has attempted one shot and is scoreless but Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers have combined for 13 points.

The Spurs have a chance to take a 2-0 lead over the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat are in desperate mode, realizing that heading to San Antonio trailing two games to none could mean the end in the 2-3-2 format, Chris Bosh said this morning that the Heat need to play with a healthy "fear" tonight while the Spurs are intent on stealing another game in the series.

STARTING LINEUPS

San Antonio Spurs

PG Tony Parker
SG Danny Green
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF Tim Duncan
C Tiago Splitter

Miami Heat

PG Mario Chalmers
SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James
PF Udonis Haslen
C Chris Bosh

Final: Spurs 92-88 The Heat couldn't capitalize when the Spurs were struggling from the field and then San Antonio got hot and the Heat were done. Tony Parker scored 10 of his 21 points in the final period, including an improbable bank shot with 5.2 left to seal the win.

Fourth quarter, 5.2, Spurs 92-88 Tony Parker just hit a stirring, spinning jumper to beat the shot clock, potentially sealing the game for the Spurs. Parker has 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Heat are just 5-for-17 shooting in the final period with no points from Dwyane Wade.

Fourth quarter, 58.7, Spurs 90-86 The combination of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have 4 points in the fourth quarter as San Antonio tries to eke out Game 1. James has just 16 points while Wade has 17.

Fourth quarter, 5:59, Spurs 81-78 Well the Spurs hung around long enough for the Heat to begin to miss shots and Tony Parker to warm up. Miami is 3-for-10 shooting in the fourth quarter while Parker just put the Spurs ahead by 3 with a spinning layup. Parker now has 6 of his 17 in the final quarter. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have gone scoreless so far in the fourth period.

End of third quarter, Heat 72-69 Ray Allen hit his third 3-pointer of the game at the 38.3 mark for a 5-point Miami lead as the Spurs continue to stay close but are unable to hit the tying shot. Tony Parker has been quiet with 11 points and five assists while Tim Duncan has 16. Dwyane Wade has 17 for Miami.

Third quarter, 1:00, Heat 69-67: The Spurs keep making runs and the Heat keep fighting them off. Dwyane Wade has 17 points in one of his better games of the postseason while LeBron James is two assists from a triple double. Tim Duncan has 16 points, all after the first quarter with 11 rebounds while Manu Ginobili has 11 off the bench.

Third quarter, 7:10, Heat 58-57: Miami went on a 6-2 run to begin the quarter and looked primed to create some distance but the Spurs have responded with 6 consecutive points, Tim Duncan has 14 points for San Antonio and Tony Parker has 11.

Halftime, Heat 52-49: An entertaining first half with Tim Duncan going for 12 in the second quarter, including a buzzer-beating jumper to end the half. The Spurs shot identical 9-for-21 clips in each other while the Heat shot 50 percent and canned six 3-pointers but missed their last four of the half. Dwyane Wade leads Miami with 13 points and LeBron James has 10 for the Heat.

Second quarter, 2:30, Heat 48-42: Miami is running and attacking the basket while the Spurs are missing layups and look ragged offensively. Still, the Heat lead by just 6. Tim Duncan has rallied from an 0-for-5 first quarter with 8 points in the second period. Dwyane Wade leads Miami with 11 points and looks like Dwyane Wade of old, not old Dwyane Wade. LeBron James has 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Second quarter, 6:48, Heat 38-34: Miami is on fire from the 3-point line, having hit 6 of 11, including two from former Celtic Ray Allen. Miami has balanced scoring with LeBron James already with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Tim Duncan scored his first points of the game at the 7:46 mark and San Antonio is hanging close despite shooting 43.3 percent. Miami is shooting 56 percent.

End of first quarter, Heat 24-23: Both teams took shots at each other but the Spurs end the quarter on a 4-0 run to get back the momentum. Tim Duncan looks rusty, going 0-for-5 shooting so far with two fouls. LeBron James led the Heat with 6 points but the key was 5 points apiece from Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh. Danny Green and Tony Parker each scored 6 for the Spurs, who have missed more than a few layups so far in shooting 42.9 percent in the quarter.

First quarter, 6:00, Heat 13-11: The Spurs went out to a 9-2 run but behind the jump shooting of Chris Bosh, the Heat have rallies. Bosh has 5 points along with Mario Chalmers. LeBron James has just 2 as he is playing facilitator. Tony Parker leads the Spurs with 6 points.

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

MIAMI -- The NBA Finals have begun between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami and we'll have periodic updates from AmericanAirlines Arena. It's a matchup of the defending champions against the four-time championship. Who have you got? Keep checking the Boston.com for updates.

We'll be using a new format for live updates throughout the Celtics' playoff run. We've replaced traditional text-only updates with our new live blog system.

This allows more voices, including yours (click the comment button in the window below), to contribute to in-the-moment coverage of the Celtics' playoff games. Boston.com's Gary Dzen will be your host throughout, and Globe Celtics reporters Gary Washburn and Baxter Holmes will contribute both directly and via Twitter. Other top sources will also be part of the live blog, and we'll be on the lookout for your content as well.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

TORONTO – With nothing to play for, the Celtics didn’t play at all Wednesday.

Well, they technically played, if you consider “playing” as wearing uniforms and sneakers and walking onto a court. But the Celtics didn’t do much beyond that.

Boston closed down their 2012-13 regular season by being thoroughly showed up by the Toronto Raptors, who smoked the Celtics, 114-90, at Air Canada Centre.

The Celtics were playing without Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. Paul Pierce played limited minutes, as did Brandon Bass and Jeff Green. Under those circumstances, the game turned ugly after halftime, when Toronto’s 13-0 run put it up by 21 points.

Doc Rivers waved the white flag by inserting rookie center Fab Melo into the game early in the second half. Melo responded by picking up four fouls in three minutes.

Toronto scored 37 points in the third quarter, which tied for the second-most points that the Celtics have allowed in a quarter this season. (The most? 41 in the second quarter against Miami on April 12.)

By the fourth quarter, the crowd was doing The Wave as their team reached the 100-point mark…with 9:10 left to play. The Celtics had their backups’ backups on the court for most of the fourth quarter, when they trailed by more than 30 points.

Pierce, who was sick most of the week, scored 11 points in 15 minutes. Jordan Crawford scored 16 off the bench. Green had 9 points in 16 minutes, Bass had 6 in 18.

That was about it for Boston.

Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan scored 24, Rudy Gay had 19 and Jonas Valanciunas added 18. The Raptors made 22 of 28 free throws and 12 of 21 from 3-point range.

In all, it wasn’t the sendoff that the Celtics were hoping for as they head into their first-round playoff matchup with the New York Knicks this weekend.

Fourth quarter, 5:50, Toronto, 107-74: Not much needs to be said. The Celtics are getting stomped out there. It's not the way they want to go into the playoffs but they haven't cared about regular season games for a while now.

End of the third quarter, Toronto 96-70: Yeah, not the finest hour for the Celtics. They're getting run out of the building here. The Raptors scored 37 points in the third quarter, which ties for the second-most points that the Celtics have allowed in any quarter this season. (They gave up 41 in the second quarter to Miami on April 12.) Fab Melo checked into the game and picked up four fouls in three minutes. Enough said.

Third quarter, 9:26, Toronto 72-51: The Raptors are on a 13-0 run and have outscored the Celtics 13-2 since the second half began. Toronto is shooting 8 of 12 from deep. Considering the stakes, I don't think the Celtics are going to claw and fight to try to come back from this deficit.

Halftime: Toronto 59-49: Again, with the free throws. The Raptors have made 16 of 18, Boston has made 3 of 5. Rudy Gay has 15 points and Jonas Valanciunas has scored 13. The Celtics have two double-digit scorers: Paul Pierce (11) and Avery Bradley (11). The Raptors used a 13-2 run to take a 46-37 lead with 6:22 in the second quarter. Jordan Crawford has scored

Second quarter, 5:44, Toronto 46-39: Paul Pierce IS back in the game. Doc Rivers said before the game that Pierce wants to play because...well, he just wants to play. The difference in this game is the free throw line: Toronto has made 12/14, Boston has made 3/4. That's all you need to know.

End of the first quarter: Toronto, 31-30: Jordan Crawford sank a deep, buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the quarter, and that's why the margin is what it is. Pierce has made 4 of 5 shots and has 9 points. Rudy Gay has 12. The Celtics are shooting 54.5 percent (12/22), the Raptors are shooting 45.5 percent (10/22). Boston has put several of its back-ups in early -- D.J. White, Shavlik Randolph, Terrence Williams. I don't think we'll see too much more of Pierce, Jeff Green or Brandon Bass.

First quarter, 5:52, Toronto, 17-15: That Valanciunas character has 7 points. See, I told you. Pierce has 5. Both teams trying to get into a rhythm.

First quarter, 8:50, Toronto 11-9: The Celtics are sitting Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to rest, and Paul Pierce, who has been sick all week, is playing limited minutes, as are Jeff Green and Brandon Bass. So, you can't really take much away from this game. But the Celtics have been playing some zone defense, a rare look. Keep an eye on Jonas Valanciunas. He's looking strong early.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

ORLANDO, Fla. -- There's nothing like slapping around an inferior opponent for four quarters to boost the confidence of a team that needed a strong dose. The Celtics pounded the Magic, 120-88, Saturday at Amway Center to snap a two-game losing streak and clinch the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference standings, likely setting up a first-round playoff series with Atlantic Division rival New York.

All five Boston starters scored in double figures and the team led from start to finish and by as much as 37 points. The 120 points Boston scored was a season-high, topping its previous high of 118. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce returned from one-game absences and each played well. Garnett had 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes. He added nine rebounds. Pierce scored 12 points and added eight assists and six rebounds.

The Celtics shot 48 of 81 (59 percent) from the floor. Courtney Lee scored 20 off the bench and Jordan Crawford added 16. Brandon Bass scored 14 and Avery Bradley added 14.

The Magic didn't produce much in the way of resistance. Tobias Harris scored 22 and Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Outside of those two, any nice-looking stats that Orlando had in their box score were earned during garbage time.

The Celtics return to Boston tomorrow and have two regular season games left: Tuesday against Indiana and Wednesday at Toronto.

Fourth quarter, 7:19, Boston 101-70: Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are on the bench and it's highly doubtful that either will play anymore in this one. The Celtics have been on a 16-6 run to open this quarter, where they've hit five of eight shots and three of four from 3-point range. They now have seven players in double figures. This is the kind of bounce-back, all-around win the Celtics needed after two straight losses.

End of the third quarter, Boston 85-64: Barring a huge comeback, we're just about done here -- even with a quarter to go. The Celtics are on fire, hitting 56.5 percent of their shots (35 of 62) and they have six players who have scored in double figures, including three who have 14 points (Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley). Orlando is shooting 38.2 percent (26 of 68) and is led by Tobias Harris' 22 points. Nikola Vucevic has a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. A reminder: A Celtics win will clinch the Eastern Conference's seventh seed in the playoffs with a win.

Third quarter, 4:23, Boston 77-52: More of the same. The Celtics have have hit 8 of 12 shots this quarter, including two of three from 3-point range. All five Boston starters have scored in double figures. The Celtics have 18 assists on 33 made baskets.

Third quarter, 8:34, Boston 65-43: The Celtics are picking up where they left off. They have four players in double figures and have led by as much as 26 points. Kevin Garnett has looked very good, with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting in 15 minutes.

Halftime: Boston 57-37: Brandon Bass earned a put-back dunk to end the half, a nice punctuation mark to cap a strong first half for the Celtics. Granted, the Magic are "terrible," as Jason Terry so eloquently put it. Boston used a 15-0 run to take a 18-point lead. Orlando answered that run with a 5-0 spurt, and then the Celtics re-established control. Three Celtics have 10 points (Bass, Jeff Green and Paul Pierce). Kevin Garnett and Jordan Crawford have each scored 8. The Celtics are shooting 53.3 percent (24 of 45 from the floor) and Orlando is shooting 32.7 percent (16 of 49). Maurice Harkless has a team-high 8 points for the Magic.

Second quarter, 6:42, Boston 39-21: The Celtics are on a 15-0 run, largely behind up-tempo play mixed with a lot of ball movement. We obviously haven't seen a lot of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jeff Green on the court at the same time, but the trio is looking effective tonight.

Second quarter, 8:28, Boston 33-21: Kevin Garnett has looked strong, with 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting with 4 rebounds. He's running the floor well, except on that last play when he got out in front a fast-break and turned the ball over. Chris Wilcox, who is now the second big man off Boston's bench behind Shavlik Randolph, has six early rebounds. Maurice Harkless has 8 points for Orlando.

End of the first quarter, Boston 23-17: After jumping out to a 9-0 lead, the Celtics let up and allowed Orlando to get back into the game, in part because the Celtics were sloppy. Avery Bradley has four turnovers, and the Celtics have six all told. Nikola Vucevic has 6 points and 5 rebounds and could be on his way to a huge night for the Magic. Brandon Bass has hit all four of his shots and has a team-high 8 points.

First quarter: 4:30, Boston 16-8: Orlando started to find a little rhythm when the Celtics took Kevin Garnett out of the game. Brandon Bass' jumper is looking solid, once again. The Celtics are really trying to run and Avery Bradley is pushing the tempo. Nikola Vucevic is a load down low and the Celtics will have trouble stopping him again. He's starting to pile up the rebounds and has four already.

First quarter, 9:00, Boston 9-0: Jeff Green scored the Celtics' first five points, a good sign after plenty of criticism about whether he could perform with Kevin Garnett on the floor at the same time. It's early, but already Orlando looks to be in a lot of trouble.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will return to the Celtics lineup Saturday night as they face an Orlando team that Jason Terry (accurately) described as "terrible" after Boston's loss Friday at Miami.

"I don’t know how many games we’ll play them," Doc Rivers said before the game of Garnett and Pierce. "I’m not looking for anything from them. I just think they need to play. They need to play a game here and there to get ready for the playoffs."

Rivers added that Pierce and Garnett would likely sit out one of the Celtics final two games, which fall on consecutive days.

Oh, and the 35-year-old Terry will miss his first game of the season to rest, though Rivers quipped, "He ran his mouth, so we’ve decided we’re going to bench him."

The Celtics have lost two straight and need a win to clinch the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings, which would likely guarantee a first-round matchup against New York. The Celtics can also clinch that spot with a Milwaukee loss; the Bucks play at Charlotte tonight.

Jeff Green is also expected to play after suffering a bruised left elbow Friday.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS
BOSTON CELTICS (40-39)
PG Avery Bradley
SG Paul Pierce
SF Jeff Green
PF Brandon Bass
C Kevin Garnett

ORLANDO MAGIC (20-59)
PG Beno Udrih
SG E'Twaun Moore
SF Maurice Harkless
PF Tobias Harris
C Nikola Vucevic

Officials: Bennett Salvatore, Kevin Scott, Zach Zarba

TV, radio: 7 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, WEEI (93.7 FM).

Pregame notes:

• The Magic haven’t won consecutive games since taking four straight Dec. 14-19. Since then Orlando is 8-46. The Magic own the second-worst record in both the Eastern Conference and the NBA, two games behind Charlotte.

• Nikola Vucevic had 30 points and 20 rebounds Wednesday in an overtime win against Milwaukee. It was his second consecutive game with at least 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds.

• The Celtics have won both regular-season meetings this season with Orlando and have taken seven in a row against the Magic. Only two of those seven straight wins came in Orlando.

• Boston finishes the season with a home game against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, then a trip to Toronto on Wednesday.

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

MIAMI -- As if the Celtics needed any more injury issues, forward Jeff Green left the Celtics game against the Miami Heat with a bruised left elbow, sustained when he fell awkwardly after one of his tomahawk dunks. The injury did not appear to be serious and he walked to the locker room with four minutes left. He finished with 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting.

Fourth quarter, 2:11, Heat 106-92: The Celtics fought for as long as they could but Miami is just too good when it is allowed to score at will. The Heat are still shooting 55.1 percent and five players have scored in double figures. Jeff Green left the game with a bruised left elbow after falling following a dunk.

Fourth quarter, 7:50, Heat 94-79: The Celtics are trying to stay close but they are getting pounded defensively and Jeff Green is the only offensive scoring threat. He has 25 while Jordan Crawford has 20 and Brandon Bass has 14. Rashard Lewis is going old Sonics on the Celtics with 19 and three 3-pointers.

End of third quarter, Heat 87-75: The Heat are 26-for-36 shooting since the first quarter and keep hitting 3-pointers to keep the Celtics at bay. This time Rashard Lewis hit two near the end of the third quarter after the Celtics cut the Miami lead to 8. Jeff Green has 23 points for the Celtics.

Third quarter. 3:25, Heat 77-67: The Celtics are hanging close, despite Miami shooting 70.9 percent from the field since the first quarter. The Heat have maintained their lead with seven 3-pointers while the Celtics have had trouble scoring since a 27-point first quarter. Jeff Green, Jordan Crawford and Brandon Bass are a combined 19-for-31 shooting. The rest of the Celtics: 7-for-26.

Third quarter. 7:06, Heat 72-60: The Celtics cut the deficit to 5 before a 7-0 Miami run and now the Celtics are back where they started. Jordan Crawford has 20 points in 23 minutes but the Celtics are 4-for-14 from the 3-point while the Heat are 6-for-13. LeBron James has 16 points, all seven of his field goals have been at the rim.

Halftime, Heat 58-50: Well that quarter is over and the Celtics have to be relieved. The Heat had to set some type of record in that quarter for shooting, hitting 16 of 19 shots (84.2 percent) and scoring 41 points after 17 in the first quarter. The good news for the Celtics is there is no way the Heat could repeat that number, right? LeBron James has 14 points, five of those on dunks. Jordan Crawford and Jeff Green lead the Celtics with 12.

Second quarter, 5:37, Tied at 38: Just like that, the Heat put up 21 points on the Celtics in 6:23 after scoring 17 all of the first quarter. The Heat got back into the game with an 11-0 run while the Celtics are having more issues scoring and are missing shots. They are 4 of 10 from the field in the second quarter.

Second quarter, 8:53, Celtics 34-28: Ray Allen is on a personal 5-0 run and Doc Rivers calls timeout after Allen hits an open 3-pointer from the corner. The Celtics have seen that many times before. The Celtics are shooting 52 percent but have to avoid the turnovers and empty possessions to keep this game close. Allen has 6 points as does Rashard Lewis.

End of first quarter, Celtics 27-17: The Celtics shoot 50 percent in the first quarter and play a free-wheeling style that is fitting their shorthanded lineup. Jeff Green has 8 points, including two thunderous hammer dunks while LeBron James has 8 for the Heat. Dwyane Wade did not score, going 0-for-3 shooting.

First quarter, 5:24, Celtics 15-11: LeBron James already has three dunks and is lone Heat player playing with any passion. Doc Rivers called a timeout after Chris Bosh was left wide open in the paint for a dunk. The Heat are 5-for-13 shooting and James already has four field goals. The Celtics are 5-for-11.

First quarter, 7:00, Celtics 13-5: It's crazy that the Celtics are playing with their bench guys but have yet to trail. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to baskets from Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford. LeBron James has 4 of Miami's points. Avery Bradley just extended the lead with a 3-pointer.

Final: Nets 101-93: The Celtics made a run near the end of garbage time but the game wasn't this close. The Nets dominated the Celtics with an impressive performance as Deron Williams finished with 29 points and 12 assists. He is going to be hard to stop in the playoffs. Paul Pierce led Boston with 23 but no other Celtic scored more than 11 points. Pierce was on an island tonight.

Fourth quarter, 2:48, Nets 101-82: This one's over. The Celtics have nothing left to offer the Nets. They can't stop Brooklyn from scoring, especially the blazing Deron Williams, who has 29 points, and besides Paul Pierce, the Celtics are 26-for-66 from the field tonight/

Fourth quarter, 5:17, Nets 93-82: The Celtics are trying valiantly to rally but they can't put together enough scoring possessions and then defensive stops. Deron Williams just hit a jumper in the face of Jordan Crawford for his 25th point on 8-for-17 shooting with 12 assists and 4 rebounds. Paul Pierce has 23 points but no other Celtic has more than 11.

Fourth quarter, 8:49, Nets 85-75: Kevin Garnett is giving the Celtics some spark but they are going to need some buckets and defensive stops to make this interesting. Garnett has 9 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. The Nets are staying ahead at the free throw line, having attempted 20 to the Celtics' 12. Kris Humphries has 6 points off the bench.

End of third quarter, Nets 79-69: The Celtics are putting up a fight but the Nets are so balanced it's difficult to stop all their weapons. Deron Williams and Brook Lopez have 19 and Joe Johnson 18 on a combined 21-for-40 shooting. That's all Brooklyn has needed so far. The Celtics are led by Paul Pierce's 23 points but no other Celtic has more than 10 (Jeff Green). Kevin Garnett has 6 points in 21 minutes.

Third quarter, 4:40, Nets 68-54: The Celtics can't stop the Nets, who are 20 for their past 33 from the field, while Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green continue to struggle. The only good news is that Paul Pierce is starting to get to the free throw line. He has a team-high 17 points while Brandon Bass has 10 but 2 since the first quarter.

Halftime, Nets 53-43: A pretty even first half has turned lopsided as Brooklyn went on a 15-4 run to end the half. The Celtics' defense has been shaky at best as the Nets are 6-for-11 beyond the arc and the combination of Joe Johnson and Deron Williams have 27 points on 10-for-18 shooting. The Celtics are struggling to score in the paint as the combination of Jeff Green and Kevin Garnett are 2-for-13 shooting with 5 points.

Second quarter, 2:34, Nets 44-39: Brooklyn on a 6-0 run as it is beginning to point the ball inside with Brandon Bass playing center for the Celtics. Brook Lopez finish made a hook shot while Deron Williams preceded that with a runner. The Nets are shooting 50 percent while the Celtics are 18-for-39 shooting but Jeff Green is already 1-for-7 with just one rebound in 14 minutes.

Second quarter, 4:58, Celtics 37-35: As expected, the game is beginning to get a little chippy now that Kevin Garnett and Andray Blatche are facing off. The bench has given the Celtics a lift, including 10 combined points from Chris Wilcox and Jordan Crawford. Brandon Bass just returned to the game after 8 first-quarter points.

Second quarter, 9:09, Nets 31-27: The Nets have decided to show up and now are playing well with C.J. Watson draining three 3-pointers off the bench in six minutes. Deron Williams also has 8 points. Brandon Bass continues his streaky play with 8 points. But besides he and Paul Pierce, the Celtics are 6-for-21 shooting so far. Jeff Green is 1 of 6.

End of first quarter, Nets 22-21: The Celtics actually led by 8 and 7 points in this quarter but the Nets responded with a 10-0 run, keyed by two C.J. Watson 3-pointers, and now lead after a rough-shooting first quarter. Jason Terry ended the quarter with a floater but the Celtics are just 9-for-23 shooting after a strong start. Kevin Garnett went scoreless in six minutes.

First quarter, 2:53, Celtics 19-16: The Nets are waking up a little with 7 points from Joe Johnson and a rebound dunk from Gerald Wallace. The Nets are still 5-for-14 shooting but trail by only 3 because they have attempt six free throws. The Celtics have yet to attempt a free throw and have been whistled for four fouls compared to one for Brooklyn.

First quarter, 6:22, Celtics 13-7: The Celtics are 3 of 4 from the 3-point line with two of those converted by Paul Pierce. Jeff Green has the other. Kevin Garnett has missed all four shots, including three layups. The Nets are slow out of the game, going 2-for-8 shooting so far with four turnovers. The Celtics have yet to commit a turnover.

First quarter, 8:16, Celtics 7-5: The Nets are off to a slow start, missing six of their first seven shots. The Celtics have been helped by an early 3-pointer from Paul Pierce, but Kevin Garnett is 0-for-3 shooting, missing two layups on the same possession. Avery Bradley has just picked up his second foul.

Final: Celtics 107-96: A solid win over the Celtics against a team that had been playing well. Kevin Garnett returns after an eight-game absence with 12 points and 6 rebounds in 24 minutes. Brandon Bass continues his surge with 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting while Paul Pierce added 15 and Chris Wilcox tallied 13. John Wall led the Wizards with 16 points but no free throws.

Fourth quarter, 1:35, Celtics 103-91: A Paul Pierce 3-pointer and Brandon Bass jumper appears to have put this one away. Pierce has 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting while Brandon Bass leads all scorers with 20 points on 9-for-12 from the field.

Fourth quarter, 3:58, Celtics 98-88: Once again the Celtics have slipped and the Wizards have kept playing hard, on an 8-2 run to make things more interesting. The Celtics have not been good this season at retaining large leads, especially at home. Kevin Garnett looked to be done for the night but he and Paul Pierce have returned to the game.

Fourth quarter, 8:20, Celtics 94-77: The Wizards began the quarter with a 6-2 run to draw to within 12 but the Celtics have scored the last 5, including a long 2-pointer from Kevin Garnett for his 10th point. Chris Wilcox has scored 11 points with four rebounds off the bench while Paul Pierce has 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting. John Wall leads Washington with 16.

End of third quarter, Celtics 87-71: Celtics go 12 of 16 from the field in the quarter and put 31 on the Wizards to extend the lead in what was a very precarious game. Shavlik Randolph has come off the bench yet again to spark the Celtics with 8 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes. Brandon Bass leads the Celtics with 16. John Wall has 14.

Third quarter, 3:01, Celtics 77-65: The lead was 17 but A.J. Price hit a 3-pointer and then a floater, prompting Doc Rivers to call a timeout. Given the way the Celtics have blown big leads lately, they cannot take anything for granted. John Wall is stuck on 10 points but also has eight assists. Brandon Bass continues to play inspired ball with 14 and six rebounds.

Third quarter, 6:10, Celtics 70-58: A 12-1 run has created some distance as the Celtics are beginning to hit the boards and make shots. The scoring wealth has been spread among 10 players but Shavlik Randolph has 7 points and six rebounds off the bench. Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley each lead the Celtics with 10 points. Trevor Ariza has 12 for Washington.

Halftime, Celtics 56-52: An uneven first half for the Celtics, who led most of the way but couldn't put enough good defensive possessions together to build a nice lead. Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, and Chris Wilcox each have 8 points while Paul Pierce has 7 on 2-for-9 shooting. Kevin Garnett played 11 first-half minutes and scored 4 points with two rebounds. Trevor Ariza scored all 12 of his points in the second quarter while John Wall helped out with 10.

Second quarter, 2:31, Celtics 50-45: Trevor Ariza is keeping the Wizards close with all 10 of his points in the second quarter, including two 3-pointers. The book on Ariza is to let him shoot from long range but he has made the Celtics pay so far. John Wall also has 10 points for Washington. Paul Pierce has 7 points for the Celtics on 2-for-7 shooting. Kevin Garnett has 4.

Second quarter, 5:42, Celtics 42-37: The Celtics are wasting chances to extend their lead with missed shots and poor offensive execution. Kevin Garnett just missed a layup and open jumper while Courtney Lee missed a 3-footer at the rim. Still, the Celtics are shooting 50 percent with just four turnovers. Ten Celtics have scored.

Second quarter, 8:36, Celtics 36-31: Against his old team, Jordan Crawford has come off the bench to score 4 points in three minutes as the Celtics attempt to build a lead. They are shooting 51.6 percent with just three turnovers. The Wizards are at 53.8 percent with seven turnovers.

End of first quarter, Celtics 28-27: The Celtics' defense needs to improve as the Wizards are 12 for 22 from the field with 12 points in the paint. John Wall, who scored 37 Saturday against Indiana, already has 10 on 5-for-7 shooting. The good news for the Celtics is Washington has yet to record an offensive rebound.

First quarter, 2:30, Wizards 23-22: The Celtics are hanging in there without much contribution so far from Kevin Garnett and just 4 points from Paul Pierce. John Wall has 6 points, two of those on open jumpers as the Celtics are not respecting his mid-range game.

First quarter, 6:10, Wizards 13-12: The Celtics are off to a solid offensive start, most notably Avery Bradley, who already has 6 points. But the Celtics are letting the Wizards have their way in the paint and they have points from all five starters. The Celtics are 5-for-11 shooting.

Final: Cavaliers 97-91: Once upon a time the Celtics led this game 62-55 and looked ready to pull away. The Cavaliers responded with a 27-6 run and the Celtics never really recovered. They got to within 4 points but didn't score more 2:39 of the fourth quarter and had nothing left. Jeff Green finished with 23 points but the Celtics shot just 32.5 percent in the second half (14-for-43).

Fourth quarter, 39.7, Cavaliers 95-89: Celtics are clinging to life here, need a basket and a stop to make it interesting. They are shooting just 40.2 percent.

Fourth quarter, 3:18, Cavaliers 91-83: The Celtics haven't scored in more than two minutes while the Cavaliers have tallied 4. It's been a tough night for the Celtics in dealing with officials. They have been whistled for 23 personal fouls.

Fourth quarter, 5:44, Cavaliers 87-83: Just like that, the Celtics motivate and come back with a 15-5 run to make it interesting. They have hit five of their past eight shots and Jason Terry has hit a couple of 3-pointers. Jeff Green has 17 points for Boston and Shavlik Randolph scored a career-high 16 before fouling out.

Fourth quarter, 9:19, Cavaliers 82-68: It's ugly here at the Garden. The Celtics are 6-for-27 shooting in the second half and haven't scored in the quarter, going 0-for-5. Cleveland is playing like it wants desperately to end its 10-game losing streak and Kyrie Irving only has 9 points. The Cavaliers are being the Celtics up with contributions from many sources.

End of third quarter, Cavaliers 74-68: The Cavaliers end the quarter on a 19-6 run as the Celtics missed 16 of 22 shots in the quarter. Jordan Crawford is 1-for-10 shooting with 3 points. Tristan Thompson has 25 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland.

Third quarter, 1:56, Cavaliers 70-65: Cleveland is on a 15-3 run because Kyrie Irving has decided to start scoring and the Celtics can't stop Cleveland in transition. The Celtics are 5-for-16 shooting in the quarter and Jeff Green already has four fouls. Shavlik Randolph just picked up his fifth.

Third quarter, 8:07, Celtics 62-55: The Celtics are on a 5-0 run thanks to a 3-pointer from Avery Bradley, who has struggled from the field tonight. Jeff Green has saved the Celtics with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting with six rebounds. Brandon Bass has 12 points. Tristan Thompson has 21 points but has yet to score in the second half.

Halftime, Tied at 52: The Celtics have twice blown nice leads here, unable to corral Tristan Thompson, who has 21 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes. Most of those scores have been layups as the centerless Celtics struggle once again with a big man. Shavlik Randolph has 13 points in eight minutes but also has three fouls. Jeff Green and Brandon Bass also have 10 points.

Second quarter, 3:01, Celtics 46-44: The Celtics have coughed up a 37-29 lead because they cannot stop Tristan Thompson, who has 19 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes, scoring on everything around the basket. The Celtics are led by Shavlik Randolph's 13 points but the Cleveland run came the moment he checked out of the game.

Second quarter, 8:50, Celtics 37-31: It's the Shavlik Randolph-Jordan Crawford Show so far tonight. Randolph has 13 points, a career best, in eight minutes while Crawford has four assists in seven minutes. The Celtics continue to commit needless fouls but they are playing with better energy than the first quarter.

End of first quarter, Celtics 28-26: The Celtics are 2 of 8 from the free throw line, which typified a strange quarter in which Cleveland led by as many as 8 points. The Celtics made 13 of 21 shots but still found themselves in major foul trouble with Avery Bradley and Jeff Green each with two. Brandon Bass and Shavlik Randolph each have 6 points for the Celtics.

First quarter, 5:44, Cavaliers 17-14: The Cavaliers are playing with more consistency so far, hitting 53.8 percent from the field and getting buckets from all five starters. Kyrie Irving has assisted on four of Cleveland's seven baskets. The Celtics are 6-for-10 shooting so far.

First quarter, 7:17, Celtics 14-11: Jeff Green just picked up his second foul, which could be a big factor. Terrence Williams is checking in to replace him. Tristan Thompson already has 7 points for Cleveland while Kyrie Irving has attempted one shot. No a good sign for the Celtics because Irving will get going soon.

Final: Celtics 98-93: The Pistons depended on Charlie Villanueva to save the day and he missed a potential tying 3-pointer and was 2-for-17 shooting and 0-for-8 from 3-point land. Jason Terry seals game with two free throws and the Celtics pick up a key game on Milwaukee for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.

Fourth quarter, 29.5, Celtics 96-93: Jason Terry misses his fourth 3-pointer of the evening and Detroit grabs rebound. Pistons ball.

Fourth quarter, 45.3, Celtics 96-91: Pistons got to within 2 and Charlie Villanueva, having a horrid offensive night (2-for-15) missed a 3-pointer badly. Jeff Green responds with a 3 of his own for a 34th point. Celtics are getting outrebounded 52-33 and 25-4 on offensive boards.

Fourth quarter, 2:28, Celtics 93-90: After the Jeff Green dunk, the Pistons scored 4 points on the next possession after a Greg Monroe three-point play and a technical free throw. After a Green jumper, Jonas Jerebko, who has been stellar on offense and defense, drains a 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 3:35, Celtics 91-83: Jeff Green is saving the Celtics from embarrassment, just jamming home a Jason Terry miss as the Celtics try to avoid blowing completely an 18-point lead. Green has 29 points on 11-for-17 shooting. Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass have added 17. The Pistons are outrebounding the Celtics 50-30, and 25-4 on the offensive glass.

Fourth quarter, 9:21, Celtics 79-74: The problem tonight is rebounding, the Celtics are getting pounded 46-26 on the glass and the Pistons are playing handball with offensive rebounds, grabbing 23 to Boston's two. Jonas Jerebko has made a big difference in the second half. He has 14 points in 19 minutes.

End of third quarter, Celtics 74-67: Detroit ends the quarter on an 11-0 run and the Celtics were held scoreless for the final 3:50, meaning this game is hardly over and the Celtics will needs to put in more work to seal what should have been an easy win. Rodney Stuckey has 18 points for the Pistons while Greg Monroe has 14. Jeff Green has 21 points for Boston while Brandon Bass has 17.

Third quarter, 6:10, Celtics 66-52: The Celtics are continuing to pound the Pistons with the combination of Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, who have combined for 34 points on 13-for-19 shooting. Avery Bradley has also had a nice game with 11 points in 21 minutes.

Halftime, Celtics 54-44: Boston outscores Detroit 31-14 in the quarter to take some control but the Celtics need to contain Rodney Stuckey, who has 14 points. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 14 points and Brandon Bass has 13. The Celtics are shooting 54.1 percent but Jordan Crawford lowered that clip by missing 4 of 5 shots.

Second quarter, 2:20, Celtics 53-43: The Celtics have made quite a turnaround in the quarter, holding the Pistons to 5-for-14 shooting and are being more competitive on the boards. Brandon Bass has found his shooting stroke with 5-for-6 shooting for 12 points. Jeff Green has 14 for the Celtics. Rodney Stuckey is keeping the Pistons close with 13 points.

Second quarter, 5:39, Celtics 42-35: The Celtics are beginning to gain control behind 14 points from Jeff Green and 62.1 percent shooting. Paul Pierce has been rather quiet with 4 points and four assists in 11 minutes. Avery Bradley has 7 points in 10 minutes. The Pistons are 2-for-10 shooting in the quarter.

Second quarter, 9:04, Celtics 34-32: The Celtics scored the first 7 points of the second quarter and are jumping on the back of Jeff Green, who has 10 points. The Pistons have slowed down offensively but they are constantly going at the Celtics in the paint, scoring 20 of their 32 points inside.

End of first quarter, Pistons 30-25: The Celtics didn't exactly make a positive statement there, allowing the 25-50 Pistons to score 30 points, 18 of those in the paint. They also hit three 3-pointers and attempted eight free throws. Greg Monroe has 8 points for Detroit and Rodney Stuckey has 7.

First quarter, 1:49, Pistons 27-24: The Pistons are about to put up a 30-point quarter on the Celtics and they are only shooting 45.8 percent. They have attempted 24 shots in 10 minutes and are dominating the boards and playing with more energy. Greg Monroe has 8 points for the Pistons while Avery Bradley has 7 for Boston.

First quarter, 6:17, Pistons 13-11: Once again, the Pistons look like a formidable opponent against the Celtics. They have already taken 16 shots and six free throws and if they hadn't missed five free throws, the Celtics would be in real trouble. Rookie Andre Drummond already has 4 points and five rebounds.

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

The Celtics host the Pistons tonight in a critical game if they plan to hold on to the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston has lost seven of nine games and needs a couple of victories to avoid playing the Miami Heat in the first round. Paul Pierce is back after missing Monday's game against the Timberwolves but the Celtics are 0-2 this season against Detroit, both blowout losses to one of the league's worst teams.

STARTING LINEUPS
BOSTON CELTICS (38-36)
PG Avery Bradley
SG Jeff Green
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
C Chris Wilcox

DETROIT PISTONS (25-50)
PG Jose Calderon
SG Brandon Knight
SF Kyle Singler
PF Greg Monroe
C Andre Drummond

Officials: Marc Davis, Brent Barnaky, Kane Fitzgerald

TV, radio: 7:30 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, WEEI (93.7 FM).

Pregame notes:

• A team source said Kevin Garnett is expected to return to action Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics wanted him to rest for two weeks and Friday will two weeks since he last game. He has been suffering from ankle inflammation.

• Paul Pierce will return to action tonight after sitting out the Minnesota game due to "personal reasons." Pierce tweaked his right during Sunday's loss to the Knicks.

• This is the first of a four-game homestand for the Celtics with Cleveland. Washington and Brooklyn following the Pistons. The Celtics enter Wednesday 1 1/2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the seventh spot. The Bucks are hosting the Timberwolves tonight.

• Coach Doc Rivers said he is unsure of his playoff rotation but believes the Celtics will be completely healthy when the postseason begins.

• Will Bynum is questionable after missing the past four games with a right hand sprain. He did participate in the team's shootaround this morning.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

MINNEAPOLIS – No Kevin Garnett, no Paul Pierce, no chance for these Celtics?

It would be hard to argue otherwise. Remove Boston’s two best players and its odds of beating anyone just about bottom out, even against the sub-par Minnesota Timberwolves.

And with Garnett missing his sixth consecutive game with a sore left ankle and Pierce out because of personal reasons, the already short-handed Celtics came up short Monday against those very Timberwolves, losing 110-100, at Target Center.

The Celtics have lost two straight and seven of nine, and Garnett’s absence in the middle proved to be a big factor yet again the Timberwolves scored 62 in the paint as compared to 38 for the Celtics. Minnesota also scored 23 fast-break points while the Celtics had just 9.

It marked the sixth time in the last seven games that Boston has allowed an opponent to top the 100-point mark.

Minnesota center Nikola Pekovic, a hulking 6-foot-11, 281-pounder, had 29 points, making 9-of-15 from the floor and all 11 of his free throws. Andrei Kirilenko added 17 points and Dante Cunningham scored 19 off the bench. Ricky Rubio had 9 points and 10 assists.

The Timberwolves earned their first win against Boston since Feb. 11, 2007, snapping an 11-game skid.

Even with guard Avery Bradley scoring 19 points to bounce out of a long slump, the Celtics’ role players struggled to add much to the scoreboard. After scoring 27 points in two straight games, Jeff Green had 10. The Celtics’ bench helped -- Jason Terry had 14, Terrence Williams 14, Shavlik Randolph 11 – but it wasn’t enough.

The Celtics cut Minnesota’s lead to 7 on a three-point play by Jordan Crawford with 1:38 left in the third quarter. The Timberwolves opened up the fourth with a 12-4 run and never looked back.

The Celtics return to action Wednesday against Detroit at TD Garden.

Fourth quarter, 7:45, Minnesota 96-82: The Timberwolves opened up the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run. They have huge advantages in points in the paint (52 to 34) and fast-break points (23 to 5) and there's not much the Celtics can do about it. The game still is close, but it doesn't feel like it.

End of the third quarter, Minnesota 84-78: The Celtics bench has helped keep them in this, with 11 points from Jason Terry, 10 from Terrence Williams and 8 from Shavlik Randolph. Jeff Green has struggled and was taken out of the game. He has 8 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists but doesn't seem to be into this game. Avery Bradley has 17 points but four fouls. Points in the paint: Minnesota 46, Boston 30. Yep.

Third quarter, 6:25, Minnesota 74-62: Andrei Kirilenko scored 5 straight points to open the second half and give the Timberwolves a 10-point lead. The Celtics answered with a couple buckets, but Minnesota answered back with the player Boston hasn't slowed all night, Nikola Pekovic. Pek', as he is known, has 25 points. He has made 7 of his 11 shots from the floor and all 11 of his shots from the free-throw line. Kirilenko just added a fast-break dunk to give him 15 points. Timeout, Celtics.

Halftime: Minnesota 57-52: Avery Bradley has been excellent for the Celtics, rebounding from several poor outings to score 15 first-half points. But on the other end, the Celtics have been getting crushed inside by Nikola Pekovic, who has 21 points. Minnesota is winning the points-in-the-paint battle, 34 to 18. Bradley and Pekovic are the only players to score in double figures. Each team has 19 bench points and each crew is shooting better than 50 percent (51.2 percent for Minnesota, 52.5 for Boston).

Second quarter 3:55, Minnesota 45-38: Both teams are shooting well -- 51.6 percent from Boston and 47.1 percent for Minnesota. The Timberwolves have scored 24 of their points in the paint and Nikola Pekovic has 17 points. The Celtics have seven turnovers that Minnesota has converted into 10 points.

Second quarter, 7:01, Minnesota 38-36: The Celtics are starting to get a more balanced effort, with 7 points from Terrence Williams, 6 from Jason Terry and 6 from Jeff Green. That has helped them keep the game close. Ricky Rubio has 5 points and 5 assists.

End of the first quarter, Minnesota 27-25: The Celtics have no answer in the middle for Nikola Pekovic, who scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor and 5-of-5 shooting from the free-throw line. The Timberwolves already have 16 points in the paint while the Celtics have 8. Avery Bradley has 8 points to lead Boston.

First quarter, 3:59, Minnesota 19-15: Nikola Pekovic returned after missing a game with a sprained left ankle and the Celtics have had a tough time slowing the mighty 6-foot-11, 281-pound Montenegro native. He has 11 points and has made 4-of-5 shots.

First quarter, 7:30, Tied, 9-9: Avery Bradley has six points, tripling his scoring out-put for the entire night against New York. Bradley will have his hands full with Ricky Rubio, who has 4 points. The Celtics are really trying to push the ball.

Final: Knicks 108-89: The Celtics never led after the first quarter and trailed by double digits the entire second half. A disappointing game for the Celtics considering the had a full day off. Jeff Green led Boston with 27 points and Paul Pierce added 24 and 15 rebounds.

Fourth quarter, 2:22, Knicks 101-85: It's garbage time now as the Celtics are headed to their second loss to the Knicks in five days. The first half was the story. The Celtics yielded 65 points and 11 3-pointers, enough for the knockout punch. Jeff Green has 27 points for the Celtics and Paul Pierce 24. But the Celtics never could regain control after giving up a 21-17 lead.

Fourth quarter, 7:29, Knicks 94-73: This one's about done folks, the Celtics have scored just 25 points in the first 16:31 of the second half, going 6 of 22 from the field. The Knicks have slowed down on their 3-point prowess but now they are living at the free throw line, having attempted 25 for the game.

End of third quarter, Knicks 86-69: The Celtics hold the Knicks to 21 points in the third after 37 in the second but now they decide to go cold from the field. They were 3-for-10 shooting from the 3-point line in the quarter and 5 of 16 overall. Paul Pierce has 24 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists.

Third quarter, 49.9, Knicks 85-69: The Celtics' defense has drastically improved in the quarter but they are just 5-for-15 shooting in the quarter. Jeff Green has 25 points but he's going to need major help if the Celtics hope to make one last run.

Third quarter, 5:00, Knicks 78-64: The Celtics were close to cutting it to single digits but Brandon Bass missed a jump hook and Raymond Felton has just responded with a floater and foul, Avery Bradley's fifth. Jeff Green has 23 points for the Celtics.

Halftime, Knicks 65-48: Yeah it was that bad. Raymond Felton hits a 55-footer at the buzzer to end the first half, New York's 11th 3-pointer. They are either hitting 3's or living at the line and the Celtics have no response. The Knicks were 11-for-21 shooting on 3-pointer and 10-for-25 on 2-pointers. The Celtics shot 49 percent have nearly a triple-double at halftime from Paul Pierce and trail by 17.

Second quarter, 2:38, Knicks 55-42: The Knicks are cold from the field but they keep getting to the free throw line, drawing the ire of coach Doc Rivers. The Knicks have attempted nine free throws in the period and Rivers picked up a technical foul for arguing Avery Bradley's third foul call on J.R. Smith.

Second quarter, 7:06, Knicks 44-34: The Knicks are now at 57 percent shooting and have drained eight 3-pointers. Chris Copeland, taking advantage of a mismatch against Shavlik Randolph, has 8 points in five minutes while J.R. Smith is also heating up. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 10 points.

End of fIrst quarter, Knicks 28-23: New York ends the quarter on an 11-2 run as J.R. Smith hits a stepback jumper in the final second of the quarter. The Knicks shot 52 percent in the period and hit five 3-pointers. The 3-point shooting can't continue to occur if the Celtics plan on coming back. Paul Pierce, Avery Bradley and Jason Terry are a combined 1-for-9 shooting.

FIrst quarter, 2:34, Celtics 21-19: The Celtics are definitely playing with more energy than the last time. They are shooting 44 percent after Paul Pierce just missed everything on a 3-pointer but they are playing decent defense as Doc Rivers mixes zone and man. J.R. Smith has 1 point in four minutes.

FIrst quarter, 6:30, Knicks 16-11: A really bad sign for the Celtics is that the Knicks already have four 3-pointers and J.R. Smith has yet to enter the game. The Knicks are getting anything they want on the perimeter. The Celtics are offensively off to an erratic start with three turnovers already.

Final: Celtics 118-107: A good win for the Celtics. They shot 54.2 percent and got a triple double from Paul Pierce, his third of the season. He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Jeff Green led the Celtics with 27 points. Mike Scott led Atlanta with 19 points. Josh Smith and Jeff Teague did not play in the fourth quarter.

Fourth quarter, 1:10, Celtics 116-105: The Celtics on a 7-2 run to seal this one as they will get a key victory to secure seventh place in the East and gain a game on sixth-place Atlanta. Paul Pierce has 20 points.

Fourth quarter, 5:31, Celtics 105-94: Celtics are on a 5-0 run, as Jason Terry canned a critical 3-pointer after the Celtics recovered a major scramble for the ball. Terry has 22 points, 15 on 3-pointers. The Hawks are going with their bench down the stretch. Jeff Teague and Josh Smith remain on the bench.

Fourth quarter, 8:21, Celtics 98-87: It's not over yet, as the Celtics are a couple of play away from making this comfortable but they need to get some defensive stops. Shelvin Mack, who was once playing for the Celtics' D-League entry in Maine, has 11 points and five assists in 19 minutes. Jeff Green has 22 points for Boston while Paul Pierce has 16 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

End of third quarter, Celtics 92-80: The Celtics score the final 4 points of the quarter to extend the lead but they will need more quality minutes to seal this one. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 22 points while Paul Pierce is three rebounds from a triple double. Josh Smith has 18 for Atlanta.

Third quarter, 2:10, Celtics 85-76: The Celtics have been on the verge of breaking this open but the Hawks have scored the past 8 of the past 11 points and are hanging in. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 18 points as the club is shooting 51.7 percent. Josh Smith has 16 points on 22 shots for Atlanta. Shavlik Randolph has 7 points and nine rebounds in 14 minutes.

Third quarter, 5:36, Celtics 76-65 The Celtics are not playing cohesive but they are mustering just enough to maintain a lead. Jason Terry has 16 points off the bench but has not played in the second half while Paul Pierce has 14. Josh Smith has 16 points but on a whopping 21 shots.

Halftime, Celtics 66-56: The Celtics have seized the lead by way of the 3-point shot They hit a whopping six in the second quarter as they scored 34 points in the period. Jason Terry sparked the run with 14 points in the period while Paul Pierce added 13 in the half. Josh Smith has 16 points on 7-for-17 shooting for Atlanta.

Second quarter, 1:40, Celtics 61-50: The Celtics are on a 27-10 run as Jason Terry has 14 points in the quarter, 12 of those on 3-pointers as the Celtics are shooting 56.1 percent for the game. Shavlik Randolph has been a spark with 4 points and five rebounds off the bench. Josh Smith and Jeff Teague have combined for 26 points but on 24 shots.

Second quarter, 7:28, Celtics 42-40: Celtics on an 8-0 run after falling behind by 6 points. Jason Terry has sparked the surge with two 3-pointers and he has 8 points off the bench. Josh Smith leads all scorers with 11 points on 12 shot attempts. Eight Celtics have already scored.

End of first quarter, Celtics 32-30: It was a defense-optional quarter as both team combined to make 26 field goals while Josh Smith has taken 12 of Atlanta's 27 shots and has 11 points. Paul Pierce scored 8 points in nine minutes. Jeff Teague has 8 points for the Hawks.

First quarter, 2:46, Celtics 25-19: The energy the Celtics are playing with is spreading to Avery Bradley, who has been in a major slump the past month. He has 6 points and two assists while Paul Pierce has 8 points as the Celtics have converted 10 of their first 18 shots. Josh Smith has 7 points but has already taken 10 shots.

First quarter, 8:20, Hawks 9-7: It's a lively crowd tonight considering the Hawks are in town and the Celtics are playing with energy early, which is a good sign. But they are going to have to do something about Josh Smith, who already has 5 points.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

CLEVELAND — Jeff Green did it three weeks ago in Indiana, and he did it again Wednesday night.

The forward made another buzzer-beating basket that helped the Celtics steal a 93-92 win against the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

With 2.1 seconds left and the Celtics trailing by 1, Avery Bradley inbounded the ball to a cutting Green, who drove through the lane, soared, and converted a layup just before the buzzer blared, helping the team end a five-game losing streak.

Green finished with 21 points and seven rebounds, and the Celtics came back with a furious finish late in the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the second half.

The Celtics closed the game on a 21-6 run after trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half. Brandon Bass scored a season-high 22 points and Paul Pierce had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Wayne Ellington had 16 to lead six Cavaliers in double figures. Cleveland lost its sixth straight game.

End of third quarter; Cleveland 73, Boston 67:A terrible quarter for the Celtics, who trailed by as many as 12 in the frame before chipping away at that lead. There have been plenty of poor plays on both sides -- each team has 14 turnovers -- but this seems to be another case where the Celtics are playing down to their competition. Granted, the Celtics are short-handed, but they should be winning this game. Brandon Bass has a game-high 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Paul Pierce has 13 and Jeff Green has 12. Wayne Ellington has 16 points, nine of which he scored in the third quarter.

Third quarter, 5:24, Cleveland 64-54: The Cavs opened the second half on a 17-4 run, a spurt that Doc Rivers tried to stop twice with timeouts, though neither worked at all. His squad is getting run over on the defensive end and they can't hang on to the ball on offense. Tristan Thompson drove baseline and dunked on Jeff Green, who didn't try to stop him. The Celtics turned it over on the ensuing play and that led to a fast-break slam dunk by Alonzo Gee.

Halftime: Boston 46-45The Celtics led by as many as 12 in the first half, but carelessness with the ball and head-scratching defensive lapses. The Celtics had 10 turnovers that Cleveland turned into 10 points. Paul Pierce has had a pretty complete game thus far: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 turnovers, 5 assists, 2 blocks. Tyler Zeller nearly has a double double, with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Second quarter, 3:48, Boston 36-34:Cleveland has used an 11-1 run to charge back, and the Celtics have let them by completely falling asleep on defense. Chris Wilcox barely drew iron on a pair of free throws. CJ Miles has two 3-pointers off the bench for the Cavaliers.

Second quarter, 7:36, Boston 35-23:The Celtics have started to open up some breathing room. Pierce has 11 and has hit 4 of his 7 shots. Shavlik Randolph has also provided a boost by taking a charge and grabbing two rebounds in limited minutes. His defense has been impressive, as has the Celtics defense overall. Cleveland is shooting 29 percent (9 for 31) from the floor.

End of the first quarter, Boston 24-18:Even though the Celtics are without several players, it still feels like they should be beating Cleveland by a lot more. The Cavaliers look awful -- kind of like a 22-47 team. Jeff Green looks like he may have one of those "good" nights. He has a team-high 9 points. The Cavaliers are shooting 7-of-22 from the floor. Tyler Zeller has 7 points to lead them.

First quarter, 4:11, Boston 17-11:The Celtics trailed 6-2 to start the game but have responded behind Paul Pierce, who has 6 points on 2-of-3 shooting. Brandon Bass and Jeff Green each have 4 points. Tyler Zeller has 5 points and 4 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers. The Celtics used a 13-4 run to take a 17-9 lead with 4:50 left.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

J.R. Smith scored 32 points and Carmelo Anthony added 29 as the Knicks rolled over the depleted Celtics 100-85 Tuesday night at TD Garden.

The Celtics clearly missed Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee, but the Knicks were not without their own injury issues. Tyson Chandler was out for New York, as is Amar'e Stoudemire, and resulting Knicks lineups included Kenyon Martin at center or no center at all. The Celtics matched with Brandon Bass or Jeff Green getting cracks in the middle. The Celtics allowed 15 offensive rebounds and forced just 8 Knicks turnovers. On their own end Boston committed 20 turnovers. Celtics starting point guard Avery Bradley did not have an assist.

Jeff Green led the Celtics with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but Green made just 6 of 14 shots. It was an off night for Paul Pierce, who finished with 16 points, 6 assists, and 6 turnovers. The Celtics have now lost five straight and face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road Wednesday night.

5:19 4th quarter, Knicks 93-76: Not sure why Paul Pierce is still in the game here. Avery Bradley having one of the worst games of his career with 4 points, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 1 turnover.

8:48 4th quarter, Knicks 88-73: Fans haven't started leaving yet, but they're not exactly on their feet chanting "de-fense", either. Pierce coming back to try to get it closer.

End 3d quarter, Knicks 81-69: Smith hits what must have been a 30-footer to end the quarter, to oohs and ahhs from the crowd. He's got 28 points.

3:44 3d quarter, Knicks 74-62: Jason Kidd nails a 3-pointer. Remember when he couldn't shoot? Maybe when Rajon Rondo hits his late 30's he'll become a dead-eye shooter.

6:50 3d quarter, Knicks 67-60: Green has 9 points and 2 rebounds in 5 minutes as the Celtics have cut the lead to seven.

9:42 3d quarter, Knicks 63-52: Jeff Green hits a long 3-pointer. Not part of the offensive game plan but the Celtics will take the points.

Halftime, Knicks 58-44: The Knicks committed just two turnovers in the first half en en route to a 14-point lead at the break. Jordan Crawford is the only Celtic in double-figures with 11 points. The Celtics have nine turnovers. The Knicks have figured out how to get the shots they want.

2:55 2d quarter, Knicks 49-39: The Celtics' lack of starting-caliber talent is being exposed right now. They're playing hard but can't finish on offense, and New York is starting to get the shots they want.

5:40 2d quarter, Knicks 44-35: The Knicks have 22 points off the bench. Smith and Anthony have 34 of the 44 New York points on an efficient 13-for-24 shooting.

7:14 2d quarter, Knicks 38-35: Paul Pierce has one field goal attempt so far, which seems low.

8:45 2d quarter, Knicks 33-31: Crawford takes his first awful shot of the night. Rivers said before the game that Smith was a member of the "All-Scare Team" because he scares both coaches. That shot clearly scared Rivers, enough to take Crawford out.

Smith now has 15 points. The Celtics are shooting 52 percent and have 10 assists on 13 field goals but still trail. The Knicks lead in free throws, 9-2.

End 1st quarter, Knicks 28-24: After a slow start by both teams, this game has turned into a shootout. Crawford is leading the way with 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting. J.R. Smith has 10 points for the Knicks, while Carmelo Anthony leads all scorers with 11. When the quarter ended Anthony and Jeff Green were playing center for their teams respectively.

2:47 1st quarter, Celtics 18-17: Crawford stays in the game after the sub, Bradley sits down. Doc Rivers said before the game he likes Crawford's passing ability. Saw it on a nifty assist before the timeout. He's got 5 points and 1 assist.

3:50 1st quarter, Celtics 14-12: The Celtics have yet to make a sub, but Chris Wilcox and Jason Terry are coming in at the next whistle. Lots of guard play in this game.

6:03 1st quarter, Knicks 9-8: Jordan Crawford is on the board, but Jeff Green and Avery Bradley have yet to score. Green's been invisible.

9:49 1st quarter, 0-0: No score. I miss KG.

Pregame: Jordan Crawford will start tonight for the Celtics in place of Courtney Lee, Doc Rivers said before the game. Rivers asked Jason Terry to start but Terry said he preferred to come off the bench.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee are out Tuesday night as the Celtics take on the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Lee just went through warmups but said he wasn't playing as he walked off the court. The shooting guard looked fine putting up jump shots, but he had trouble trailing an assistant off of screens before the game. The Celtics are already playing without Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger, and Leandro Barbosa.

This is the third meeting between the Knicks and Celtics this season and the teams are going in opposite directions. The Celtics have lost four straight while the Knicks have won four in a row. The Knicks are half a game behind Indiana for the second seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics are in seventh place. The chance of these two teams meeting in the first round of the playoffs remains very real.

Here are the details for tonight's game:

Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Records: Celtics (36-33), Knicks (42-26)
Broadcast info:TNT, WEEI/93.7 FM (Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell)

Probable starters:

Celtics: PG: Avery Bradley SG: Jason Terry SF: Paul Pierce PF: Jeff Green C: Brandon Bass

Knicks: PG: Raymond Felton SG: Pablo Prigioni SF: Iman Shumpert PF: Carmelo Anthony C: Kenyon Martin

*Tyson Chandler is questionable tonight with a sore neck

Story lines:
Celtics' attrition: You can make too much of injuries, but in the case of the Celtics they're starting to add up. The Celtics are now playing without a point guard or a center. Sullinger, who was so key in Boston's 102-96 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 7, is another big loss. It's unsurprising that the Celtics have failed to keep up their winning ways after the loss of Rondo.

Fireworks: Without Garnett, the emotional aspect of this game might be muted a bit. Can the Celtics get up for the Knicks tonight?

Home record: Boston is 24-10 at home this season, 12-23 on the road. They're lucky to be playing in the confines of TD Garden tonight. Any playoff series in which the Celtics must play four road games, however, could be trouble.

@GlobeGaryDzen

Fourth quarter, 12.1, Grizzlies 108-104:Jeff Green and Zach Randolph exchange two free throws. Celtics are now out of timeouts. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 18.5, Grizzlies 106-102: Jordan Crawford and Jerryd Bayless exchange free throws. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 23.3, Grizzlies 104-100: The reserves went on a 21-4 run and Rivers has put Paul Pierce back in for perhaps a miracle.

Fourth quarter, 5:14, Grizzlies 100-84: It's garbage time here in Memphis but the Celtics are trying to play out the string with effort after a frustrating night. Paul Pierce's night is done with 26 points. The Celtics really missed Courtney Lee's defense potentially against Jerryd Bayless.

Fourth quarter, 9:18, Grizzlies 90-75: It's just not Boston's night, The Celtics have been sloppy with the ball, missed key shots and Memphis has hit most of its difficult shots. Meanwhile, Jerryd Bayless has 28 points in 31 minutes.

End of third quarter, Grizzlies 85-73: The Celtics were very close to being buried but they still have some life. The Grizzlies cooled off a little from the field but the Celtics need to take care of the ball and score consecutive baskets. Jerryd Bayless and Darrell Arthur have combined for 41 points.

Third quarter, 4:00, Grizzlies 77-64: Memphis on a 9-2 run after the Celtics had cut the deficit to 6. The Grizzlies have cooled off from the field but now they are throwing the ball in the paint to Zach Randolph. Jerryd Bayless leads all scorers with 23 points.

Halftime, Grizzlies 61-51: The Grizzlies scored 33 points in the second quarter on 12-for-19 shooting and that's after they missed their final three shots. Jerryd Bayless has been the key with 20 points in 17 minutes and because of matchups, Lionel Hollins has been able to keep Avery Bradley from defending him. The Celtics are shooting nearly 49 percent but it means little with defensive stops. Memphis has 17 assists on 24 made baskets.

Second quarter, 1:58, Grizzlies 62-47: The Memphis run is 33-16 in the quarter as they are 12-for-16 shooting in the period and Jerryd Bayless has 20 points in 15 minutes. The Celtics are just not playing any defense and are getting pushed around under the boards. Paul Pierce has 13 points but hasn't scored since early in the quarter.

Second quarter, 5:52, Grizzlies 47-40: The Celtics are quickly losing control of this game. After missing four of their first five shots, the Grizzlies are now 18 for their past 29 shooting and Jerryd Barless has a game-high 16 points. The Grizzlies are pushing the pace and the Celtics refuse to get back on defense. They desperately need a run before this gets out of hand.

Second quarter, 8:57, Grizzlies 38-36: Jerryd Bayless is going at Jordan Crawford and he's winning the war so far. He just drained a 3-pointer for his 11th point in eight minutes as the Grizzlies are now shooting 53.6 percent. He and Crawford are talking trash at each other but it's apparent Crawford can't stop him.

End of first quarter, Celtics 31-29: Well at least the Celtics didn't give up a 30-point quarter, but they did allow the Grizzles to hit 11 of their final 18 shots of the quarter, including the final 8 of the period by reserve Jerryd Bayless, who torched the defense of Jordan Crawford. Paul Pierce is having one of those nights already with 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting.

First quarter, 4:47, Celtics 18-14: Memphis has decided to show up and it is on a 12-6 run to get back into the game after trailing by 10. Tony Allen has shown his range a bit with a jumper but he also airballed a previous shot. Paul Pierce already has 6 points on 3-for-3 shooting while Jeff Green has 5 for Boston.

First quarter, 9:20, Celtics 10-2: A 10-0 run from the Celtics who are plauing with more energy despite the absence of Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee. All five starters have scored and let's see if being in the lineup gives Jason Terry a boost. The Grizzlies are 1-for-5 shooting.

Final: Mavericks 104-94: The Celtics get a close as 5 but give up too many offensive rebounds and make too many mistakes on offense. Their third loss in a row. Brandan Wright with a season-high 23 points for Dallas.

Fourth quarter, 1:51, Mavericks 97-92: Celtics have scored last 4 points and need another defensive stop. They haven't been within two possessions in about a month. Mavericks ball.

Fourth quarter, 2:44, Mavericks 94-86: The Celtics are playing hard, they just aren't playing well. Kevin Garnett just committed a key shooting foul on Dirk Nowitzki trying to make a steal and now the Maverick has two free throws. Garnett has 16 points and 11 rebounds. Dirk has 20 and 7.

Fourth quarter, 4:30, Mavericks 93-83: It just isn't the Celtics night. They are making Vince Carter look like an all-star again and making Brandan Wright look like an all-star for the first time. Do the Celtics have anything left?

Fourth quarter, 7:44, Mavericks 87-77: The Celtics once again rallied behind 7 straight points from Jordan Crawford but have allowed consecutive baskets to Darren Collison and the lead's back up to 10. Do the Celtics have one more run left? They definitely have done nothing to show they deserve to win this game. Dirk Nowitzki leads all scorers with 20 points.

End of third quarter, Mavericks 79-68: Amazingly, for as poorly as they have played, the Celtics are within striking distance with a couple of baskets. They have been their own worst enemy tonight, shooting 39 percent with 11 turnovers. Brandon Bass has 16 points and Kevin Garnett has 14. Brandan Wright has hurt the Celtics with 16 points, mostly on layups.

Third quarter, 2:00, Mavericks 75-63: The Celtics just can't seem to get out of their own way tonight. Each time they are close to making this competitive, they miss a layup or commit a turnover and the Mavericks respond with a big basket. The Celtics are shooting 37.9 percent..

Third quarter, 5:54, Mavericks 68-59: It's bizarre here. The Celtics are both close to coming back and being blown out. They have spent the entire evening making mistakes but are still a couple of shots from rallying. The question is whether they are capable of such a feat. Brandon Bass has 12 points for Boston.

Halftime, Mavericks 55-44: The Celtics are just making mistake after mistake, allowing the Mavericks to run on an 8-1 run to end the quarter for their biggest lead of the game. The Celtics have missed at least seven layups, including one by Brandon Bass, who missed two and was called for offensive goaltending on the third attempt. The Celtics are shooting 37 percent and have committed nine turnovers. Vince Carter has come off the bench to score 12 points, most on crazy layups and fouls.

Second quarter, 2:39, Mavericks 45-39: The Celtics defense has increase their intensity but continue to breakdown on pick-and-roll. Brandan Wright just scored again because Chris Wilcox left him all alone to cover Darren Collison. Wright has a game-high 12 points while Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass each have 8 for Boston.

Second quarter, 8:03, Mavericks 35-27: A frustrating night for the Celtics, who have missed at least five layups. They are shooting 38 percent and keep fouling the Mavericks on shot attempts. The Mavericks are beginning to miss shots but the Celtics can't capitalize. Jason Terry has 4 points in his return while Jordan Crawford is scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting.

End of first quarter, Mavericks 30-19: The Celtics didn't score for more than three minutes before Jeff Green streaked to the basket for a layup with two seconds left. The Celtics are playing sloppy ball and consistently slipping on defense. The Mavericks have already hit three 3-pointers and are outrebounding the Celtics 13-6. Paul Pierce leads the Celtics with 5 points.

First quarter, 2:59, Mavericks 24-19: The Celtics have made a plethora of mistakes so far, especially defensively, where they can't defend the pick-and-roll with Brandan Wright, who already has 6 points. Vince Carter has just come off the bench to add 5 and the Celtics are being outrebounded 11-5.

First quarter, 8:16, Mavericks 9-2: The Celtics have already missed two layups and Mike James have scored 5 straight points and Boston already looks flat. Jason Terry has yet to enter the game and there was no video tribute prior to game.

Final: Hornets 87-86:A disastrous loss for the Celtics, who go get outscored 7-0 in the final 1:32 and allow Anthony Davis to tip-in the game winner with 0.3 seconds left off an Eric Gordon miss. A terrible loss for the Celtics, who led by 13 early in the third quarter and 5 with 1:40 left.

Fourth quarter, 15.6, Celtics 86-85: Paul Pierce is short on one of his leaners and the Hornets grab the rebound. New Orleans ball.

Fourth quarter, 35.5, Celtics 86-85: Paul Pierce fouls Ryan Anderson on a 3-point attempt and he hits two of the three free throws. Celtics ball. Pierce has 28 points.

Fourth quarter, 40,6, Celtics 86-83: Celtics had two chances to make it a two-possession game but couldn't and now the Hornets have the ball with 14 seconds on the shot clock. The Celtics are out of fouls.

Fourth quarter, 2:34, Celtics 84-81: Paul Pierce has scored 9 straight points and the Celtics are on a 15-3 run to take the lead again after trailing by 9. Pierce now has 28 points in just over 30 minutes after the Hornets were close to sealing the game. Hornets ball.

Fourth quarter, 5:24, Hornets 78-73: The Celtics have scored consecutive baskets (shocker) and are trying to rally after watching an early 13-points second-half lead waste away to a 9-point deficit just moments ago. The Celtics are 8-for-29 shooting in the second half for 18 points and they have attempted one free throw after the break following 12 in the first.

Fourth quarter, 8:36, Hornets 72-69: The Hornets took their first lead since the first quarter after Ryan Roberts scored the first 5 points of the fourth quarter. The Celtics are 6-for-23 shooting in the second half and are visibly frustrated. Let's see if they can gather themselves.

End of third quarter, Tied at 67: The Celtics scored 55 points in the first half and 12 in the third quarter, and that's a problem. They were 5-for-18 shooting in the quarter and committed eight fouls in the period after seven in the first half.

Third quarter, 2:47, Celtics 65-62: After a 15-5 run and with Eric Gordon about to attempt two free throws, the Celtics are in trouble. They look confused offensively, scoring two field goals in the past six minutes. The Hornets just keep chipping away and are using rebounding to stay close. Gordon has 6 points during the run.

Third quarter, 7:52, Celtics 60-54: The theme tonight is Celtics build nice lead, Hornets rally. New Orleans is on a 7-0 run to cut a 13-point deficit to 6 and the Celtics look disheveled on offense and confused on defense. They need to get back to offensive basics with Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green.

Halftime, Celtics 55-45: A solid 24 minutes of work for the Celtics, who shot 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line. The tandem of Jeff Green and Kevin Garnett are dominating the paint and perimeter, combining for 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting while Paul Pierce added 12 points. Greivis Vasquez leads the Hornets with 10 but he's being harassed defensively by Avery Bradley.

Second quarter, 5:10, Celtics 46-36: Boston responds with a 7-0 run and is shooting 68 percent from the field. But the Celtics have to continue to avoid turnovers and defensive lapses. Kevin Garnett just scored his 12th point in his return after a two-game absence.

Second quarter, 7:19, Celtics 37-35: The Celtics are flirting with 70 percent shooting and are moving the ball well but they have to get more consistent stops and avoid the turnovers. Jeff Green has 13 points while Kevin Garnett has 8 for the Celtics. The Hornets have been sparked by their bench with Ryan Anderson and Ryan Roberts combining for 14 points.

End of first quarter, Celtics 31-22: Jeff Green scores 11 points in the period and the Celtics score at will as the Hornets look like a team playing out the string. Jordan Crawford canned a jumper at the buzzer as the Celtics shot 70 percent.

First quarter, 5:37, Celtics 15-7: Jeff Green has picked up where he left off with his 43-point game on Monday. He has scored 5 quick points as the Celtics appear to be taking the Hornets seriously and want to make an early statement. Kevin Garnett missed his first two shots but then made his next two and exited the game for his first break with 4 points.

First quarter, 10:27, Hornets 3-2: Brandon Bass opened the scoring with a jumper and Anthony Davis countered with one of his own. Kevin Garnett has already missed his first two shots.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Jeff Green poured in a career-high 43 points and the Celtics held a lead as large as 17, but Boston was unable to close the deal in a 105-103 loss to the Miami Heat Monday night. The win is Miami's 23d straight, which puts them alone in 2d place for the NBA's longest win streaks of all-time. Only the 1971-72 Lakers won more consecutive games with 33.

Green was the story for most of the night. He had 26 points by halftime 38 after three quarters. He finished 14 of 21 from the field and 10 of 13 from the line. For most of the night he out-paced James, but the Heat superstar came on in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his 37 points. With the game tied at 103, James ran the clock down and hit a clutch jumper with 10.5 seconds left.

Paul Pierce was Boston's 2d-leading scorer with 17 points. The Celtics played without Kevin Garnett, who sat out with flu-like symptoms.

Final: Heat 105, Celtics 103

1.9 4th quarter, Heat 105-103: Celtics get two cracks at it. Green gets blocked on a runner. After a long review of the call the ball stays with the Celtics. Pierce's 3-pointer was off the mark and the Heat are going to win this game.

10.5 seconds 4th quarter, Heat 105-103: Miami ran the clock down and James sticks a dagger. He's got 37 points. Celtics will have a chance to tie or win the game.

1:26 4th quarter, Celtics 103-101: Avery Bradley with the monster 3-pointer to give the Celtics the lead here. Going to be Miami ball here though after a review of the out-of-bounds call.

2:40 4th quarter, Heat 101-100: What a game. Miami has come all the way back, again, to take the lead. Green is back in the game, but was he held out too long? Pierce has to be a scoring option for the Celtics here as well.

5:14 4th quarter, Celtics 99-92: The Jordan Crawford experiment has obviously run its course. Rivers sensed it and tried to sub in Bradley, but a couple of minutes passed before the sub could be made. Celtics clinging to a seven-point lead.

How long can Rivers keep Green out?

9:06 4th quarter, Celtics 93-83: That's just the start to the 4th quarter the Celtics wanted. Green's up to 43 points now. Hard to imagine him coming out despite playing 35 minutes so far. Jordan Crawford is giving the Celtics valuable minutes here.

End 3d quarter, Celtics 82-78: Green's 38 points not only tie a career-high, he's outscored James and Wade combined through three quarters.

5:00 3d quarter, Celtics 73-65: Celtics seizing momentum back again as Green goes over 30 points on the layup. Celtics fans chanting "Jeff Green", which is most definitely a first.

6:47 3d quarter, Celtics 64-63: Offensive foul called on LeBron, his first of the game.

10:18 3d quarter, Tied at 59: It didn't take the Heat long to come all the way back. Too easy so far, which is why Doc Rivers just called a timeout.

Halftime, Celtics 59-53: Miami closed the gap before halftime thanks to 12 of 19 shooting in the second quarter. The Heat also got to the line 14 times in the second quarter after getting their once in the first. Jeff Green has 26-first half points. His season-high is 31.

2:50 2d quarter, Celtics 55-42: Things getting chippy between these two teams. If only KG were here.

4:30 2d quarter, Celtics 52-38: This game is getting crazy. James with maybe the dunk of the year over Jason Terry but gets called for a technical. Avery Bradley with a chase-down block on Norris Cole that leads to a 3-pointer by Pierce on the other end. Two enormous momentum plays.

6:09 2d quarter, Celtics 45-34: Green is getting a much-needed break. The Celtics need to make sure they keep their defense in check. Miami is 6 for 9 in the quarter.

9:09 2d quarter, Celtics 41-24: Jeff Green has 22 points in just under 15 minutes. Miami can't stop him. To his credit Green is taking the ball to the basket in addition to making 3-pointers. An unbelievable display from Green.

End 1st quarter, Celtics 31-19: The Celtics closed the 1st quarter on a 17-0 run and have taken a 31-19 lead on the Heat after one. Jeff Green has been the story with 14 points. The Celtics are shooting 65 percent and holding Miami to 36 percent.

2:17 1st quarter, Celtics 25-19: Jeff Green already has 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Piece just hit his first 3-pointer. The crowd is certainly going to help tonight. They're booing Ray Allen each time he touches the ball.

3:38 1st quarter, Heat 19-18: The Celtics have yet to make a sub.

5:55 1st quarter, Heat 16-11: The Heat are starting to get their way on offense, with James in particular (7 points) finding his shots. Brandon Bass has done a surprisingly good job switching onto James on a couple of players.

Another development: Dwyane Wade has two fouls.

7:55 1st quarter, Heat 12-9: Miami is pressing Avery Bradley and forcing turnovers. It's amazing more teams don't do this. It's just possible, maybe, that the Celtics miss having a point guard sometimes.

10:28 1st quarter, Celtics 6-0: Great start for the Celtics here. Heat have only attempted two shots and missed both. Celtics a cool 3 for 4.

Pregame: No Kevin Garnett tonight, but a packed house already inside TD Garden. Miami's 22-game win streak is on the line.

Final: Celtics 105-88: A 16-4 third-quarter run seals matters for the Celtics, who have now won two consecutive games after losing two in a row. Jason Terry led all Celtics with 15 points and Paul Pierce added 14 points in just 23 minutes. Jannero Pargo led Charlotte with 18 points in 21 minutes.

Fourth quarter, 2:56, Celtics 101-86: It wasn't that things got suspenseful but the Celtics were playing terribly in holding a 26-point lead so Doc Rivers inserted Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass to restore order. And it has somewhat worked. Jannero Pargo has 16 points in 18 minutes off the bench and 11 in the quarter.

Fourth quarter, 5:45, Celtics 97-79: The Bobcats are on an 8-2 run during what is supposed to be garbage time so Doc Rivers called a timeout. Jannero Pargo, who was on the Celtics' radar, has 11 points in 15 minutes off the bench for Charlotte.

Fourth quarter, 7:32, Celtics 95-71 Shavlik Randolph is having his best game as a Celtic with 6 points and seven rebounds in 10 minutes. The Celtics are winning the rebounding war 38-27 and six players have scored in double figures.

End of third quarter, Celtics 83-66: Celtics outscore Bobcats 33-23 in the quarter with 11-for-17 shooting. All five starters have scored in double figures led by Paul Pierce's 14. Courtney Lee scored 7 of his 12 points in the third quarter.

Third quarter, 2:45, Celtics 75-57: The Celtics have made things comfortable with a 16-4 run, sparked by Courtney Lee, who has 7 points in the quarter and 12 for the game. Paul Pierce just canned his second 3-pointer as the Celtics are now shooting 53.7 percent. The Bobcats are led by Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker with 14.

Third quarter, 6:10, Celtics 65-53: The Celtics are on a 6-0 run as they have used defensive rebounding to start fastbreaks. Courtney Lee just hit a running jump shot and now has 7 points. Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley lead the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics with 11 while Jeff Green has 10. Kemba Walker has 14 for Charlotte.

Third quarter, 8:52, Celtics 57-49: The Celtics are fighting hard to put some space between them and the Bobcats and they have scored the last two baskets, prompting a timeout from Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap. Kemba Walker has been hard to stop so far with 12 points while Gerald Henderson has 10. Ten Celtics have scored, led by Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley with 9 points.

Halftime, Celtics 50-43: It was a grind for the Celtics, who are shooting 48.8 percent but the Bobcats have turned their eight turnovers into 13 points. Paul Pierce warmed up near the end of the half and leads the Celtics with 8 points while Kemba Walker has 10 for the Bobcats.

Second quarter, 1:55, Celtics 46-41: The game has been a struggle as the Bobcats have proven to be formidable opponents, with 10 players having already scored. They are shooting 47.1 percent and have 10 assists on 16 made baskets. The Celtics are shooting an even 50 percent and Paul Pierce is trying to get going after a very slow start.

Second quarter, 5:06, Celtics 40-36: The Celtics have led by as many as 9 points but they can't stop Charlotte runs, and the Bobcats have scored the last 5 points and are going to the line for two free throws. The Celtics have eight turnovers that have led to 13 Bobcats points. Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker each have 8 points for the Bobcats. Avery Bradley has 7 for the Celtics but it's been a while since he scored.

Second quarter, 8:39, Celtics 33-28: Celtics trying to create some distance but it hasn't been easy. The Celtics are killing themselves with missed free throws and turnovers (7), which has resulted in 9 Charlotte points. Avery Bradley has 7 points for the Celtics, who have had eight players who have scored. Gerald Henderson leads the Bobcats with 8 points.

End of first quarter, Tied at 24: The Celtics get outscored 11-2 to end the quarter and are in a dogfight. Some teams just give the Celtics trouble and Charlotte is one of them. The Bobcats shot 52.6 percent in the first quarter and got 6 points in four minutes from Ben Gordon.

First quarter, 2:45, Celtics 22-18: The Bobcats are on a 5-0 run, causing Doc Rivers to call a timeout. The Bobcats are 7-for-13 shooting and have hit two 3-pointers. Gerald Henderson is on his way to another big game, already scoring 8 points.

First quarter, 4:09, Celtics 20-13: Without Kevin Garnett, the Celtics are still playing with energy and are playing well offensively. The Celtics are still having trouble with Gerald Henderson, who has 6 points. Paul Pierce just picked up his second foul and is headed to the bench. Brandon Bass has hit three jumpers, good for 6 points for the Celtics.

Final: Celtics 112-88: An easy victory after things got tense in the second half as Toronto cut the deficit to 60-56. Jeff Green sparked a 21-6 run that decided the game. He finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Jason Terry added 12 points and seven assists while Paul added 15 points

Fourth quarter, 5:28, Celtics 96-72: Celtics easing into a victory as they will snap a two-game losing streak as five players have scored in double figures, including Jeff Green with 16 and Jordan Crawford with 12.

Fourth quarter, 8:54, Celtics 87-64: This game turned from suspenseful to clunker in mere minutes. The Celtics are about to clear the bench and go into a two-day break with a solid victory. Jordan Crawford has 10 points in 14 minutes while Paul Pierce has 15 in 25 minutes in his return. DeMar DeRozan has 17 for Toronto, which has dipped to 39 percent shooting.

End of third quarter, Celtics 81-62: A 20-6 run in the last 6:04 of the quarter may have sealed this one. Boy Doc Rivers certainly would like to give Kevin Garnett the rest of the night off. He's only played 19 minutes. Meanwhile former Celtic Sebastian Telfair was ejected for arguing with officials. He's played just 15 minutes.

Third quarter, 1:10, Celtics 76-62: The Celtics are trying to create some distance with a late run, including Jason Terry's second 3-pointer as the Celtics are shooting 50 percent and have 15 points from Paul Pierce and 7 points and four rebounds from Chris Wilcox.

Third quarter, 5:33, Celtics 62-56: The Celtics scored the first 4 points of the quarter to go up 13 but then allowed a 9-0 Raptors run and now the two teams are trading baskets. The Celtics have managed to induce the Raptors to reaching the foul limit and Paul Pierce just converted two free throws after the timeout. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 12 points while Paul Pierce has 11 and Kevin Garnett 10. DeMar DeRozan has 13 for Toronto while Rudy Gay has 11.

Pierce just passed Charles Barkley for 20th on the all-time scoring list.

Halftime, Celtics 49-40: The Celtics end the quarter on a 8-2 run as Jeff Green is taking over with the dribble drive, leading all scorers with 12 points, including 4 in the final run. The Celtics were 11-for-19 shooting in the quarter while Green scored all of his point. The Raptors were 6-for-17 in the quarter and did not score a field goal for the final 2:54.

Second quarter, 1:45, Celtics 41-38: Celtics are playing flat again as Toronto continues to hang around. The Celtics have eight turnovers while Avery Bradley has yet to score. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 8 points. Rudy Gay has 9 for Toronto.

Second quarter, 6:20, Celtics 37-30: The Celtics seemed to have fed off Kevin Garnett passing Jerry West for 15th on the all-time scoring list. They are on a 16-6 run and Garnett just threw down a one-handed hammer dunk off a pick-and-roll as they are beginning to find offensive cohesion. Garnett and Courtney Lee each have 6 points.

Second quarter, 8:58, Celtics 26-24: The Celtics are playing as if they are still hung over from Tuesday's loss at Charlotte. They are shooting 43.5 percent with seven turnovers, good for 8 Toronto points. The Raptors have committed six turnovers but the Celtics have yet to score off those miscues. Rudy Gay and Amir Johnson have combined for 13 points for Toronto. Brandon Bass has 5 points for the Celtics, Kevin Garnett just passed Jerry West for 15th all time on the scoring list with his second-quarter bucket.

End of first quarter, Raptors 22-21: Celtics get outscored 10-3 to end the quarter as they scored 3 points in the final 3-plus minutes of the quarter. The Celtics also have six turnovers while Avery Bradley is 0-for-3 shooting. Jason Terry is beating beaten consistently on defense and picked up a technical for knocking the ball into the stands after not getting a foul call late in period.

First quarter, 5:23, Celtics 14-9: A strange game so far with both teams turning the ball over so there is no real flow. Brandon Bass scored the first 5 points for the Celtics while Courtney Lee has 4. The Raptors are 4-for-10 shooting.

First quarter, 7:00, Celtics 12-9: The Celtics are getting to the free throw line -- four attempts already -- and are going to the baskets but the Raptors are scoring from the perimeter. Rudy Gay has 4 points for the Raptors.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The first time the Celtics gave one of their veteran leaders the night off this season, they blew out a terrible team on the road.

When they tried that tactic Tuesday against the worst team in the NBA, the Celtics were the ones who looked terrible, and they were the ones who were blown out.

With Paul Pierce sitting out to rest, the remaining Celtics embarrassed themselves against by far the worst team in the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats, who snapped their own 10-game losing streak by crushing Boston, 100-74, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Entering the game, the Bobcats had lost 45 of their last 51 games and had lost their last 10 games by an average of 21.5 points.

Yet, this was the same Charlotte team that snapped a losing streak and ended a Celtics winning streak when the Bobcats beat Boston, 94-91, here on Feb. 11.

The Celtics trailed by three at halftime and then fell on their faces in the second half, when Charlotte used a 12-3 run out of the locker room to take a double-digit lead.

The Bobcats never looked back, leading by as much as 20 in front of a sparse crowd mostly occupied by Celtics fans. Doc Rivers effectively waved the white flag by inserting both D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph into the game in the fourth quarter.

Gerald Henderson punished the Celtics with a career-high 35 points and Ben Gordon added 17 off the bench.

In all, it sure wasn’t the performance that the Celtics received when Garnett sat out against Phoenix on Feb. 22. Jeff Green started in Garnett’s place, scored a season-high 31 points and the Celtics won by 25, their largest margin of victory this season.

Fourth quarter, 5:26, Bobcats 89-68: That is not a typo. Your computer does not have some virus. That is, in fact, the score of this NBA game. The Charlotte Bobcats are steamrolling the Celtics and have led by as much as 24. This one is over. If it shows anything, it's that the Celtics probably shouldn't rest Paul Pierce anymore.

Third quarter, 2:17, Bobcats 73-60: So, the Bobcats have pretty much just been toying with the Celtics. Charlotte has led by as much as 13 and the Celtics haven't shown any signs of coming back. Gerald Henderson has scored 31 points; his career-high is 32.

Third quarter, 7:36, Bobcats 61-49: The Bobcats are on a 12-3 run to open the second half and the Celtics are looking pretty terrible. Gerald Henderson scored 19 points in the first half and he has five more early in the second. The Celtics have missed six of their first seven shots to open the second half.

Third quarter, 9:30, Bobcats 56-46: Charlotte opened the second half on a 7-0 run. Kevin Garnett is really struggling. After shooting 5-of-19 against Oklahoma City, he's 1-of-7 with 3 points against the Bobcats. Maybe Doc Rivers gave the wrong player the night off?

Halftime: Bobcats 49, Celtics 46 Gerald Henderson averages 13.4 points. Gerald Henderson scored 21 points in the first half, including hitting a shot to beat the buzzer. The Celtics are shooting well (52 percent, 19 for 36) and are receiving balanced scoring (10 players have scored), but their defense, especially on Henderson, is garbage. Also key is free throws; Charlotte has made 14 of 17, Boston has made 5 of 8. Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each have 9 points to lead the Celtics.

Second quarter, 2:44, tied at 39: Just a quick note to point out the free-throw disparity. Bobcats have made 12 of 15 from the charity stripe while the Celtics have made 3 of 6. This is looking a lot like the Celtics game in Oklahoma City, when the Thunder, as Doc Rivers said, "crushed" the Celtics at the free-throw line.

Second quarter, 3:51, Bobcats 37-35:Not a banner day for the Celtics, who, even without Paul Pierce, are losing to a team that has lost 10 straight games by an average margin of 21.5 points. Not a lot of effort or energy from them at all. Nine Celtics have scored, so there is balance, but their defense has been subpar to say the least.

Second quarter, 6:26, Bobcats 30-28: Doc Rivers is giving Shavlik Randolph and the other new players some serious run here early. Kevin Garnett had a nice rest before checking back in. The Celtics' leading scorer is Jordan Crawford, who has hit all three of his shots and has 7 points. Charlotte's Gerald Henderson has a game-high 13 points.

End of the first quarter: Celtics 20-19: Yeah, this isn't going to be one for the record books. There's a sparse crowd here, with the majority of the customers wearing green, and they've all been watching a pretty ugly, slow-paced game thus far. Near the end of the quarter, Shavlik Randolph, who played up the road at Duke, made his Celtics debut. On the floor with him was D.J. White, Jeff Green and Jason Terry, a lineup the Celtics could only roll out there against the Bobcats.

First quarter, 3:54, Celtics 14-13:The Celtics are on a 14-5 run and four players have scored. They've hit 6 of their 12 shots, most of which have come against the Bobcats' matchup zone defense.

First quarter, 8:40, Bobcats 8-2: The Celtics missed their first four shots and had three turnovers while the Bobcats jumped out to a 8-0 lead. No, really. The Bobcats, a team that has lost 45 of its last 51 games, led the Celtics 8-0. Jeff Green hit a jumper to help the Celtics avoid being shutout.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Thunder opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run and never looked back, handing the Celtics a 91-79 loss while snapping Boston’s five-game winning streak. Paul Pierce carried the Celtics as best he could, with 20 points. Kevin Garnett had 10 points and 11 rebounds, but struggled from the floor, shooting 5 of 19 Kevin Durant scored 23 points and Russell Westbrook added 15. The Celtics shot 51.8 percent (19 for 37) in the first half, but 25 percent (10 for 40) in the second.

Fourth quarter, 3:13, Thunder 87-73: The Celtics cannot buy a bucket. They made 19 of their 37 shots in the first half but have made 8 of 36 in the second. Barring a barrage of long-distance shots, this one is over.

Fourth quarter, 6:41, Thunder 79-70: The Thunder opened the quarter with an 11-2 run that gave them some breathing room. The Celtics have played well defensively, but Kevin Garnett has come up short on offense, missing 13 of 18 from the floor. He still has 10 points and 11 rebounds.

End of the third quarter: Thunder 68-65 See below note about how it's impressive that the Celtics are in this, and add in the fact that they're rebounding and hustle in the paint has been key. The Celtics are out-rebounding the Thunder, 33-25, and have grabbed 6 offensive rebounds while the Thunder have grabbed one. Paul Pierce has four fouls, but the Celtics will need him down the stretch.

Third quarter, 2:42, Thunder 68-60: That the Celtics are still in this game despite 19 turnovers and being outscored by 16 points at the free-throw line is pretty impressive. Paul Pierce is carrying Boston with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, but he's the only Celtic in double figures. Boston's bench has been terrible, combining to shoot 4 of 15. Kevin Durant has 21 points and has hit all 11 of his free throws.

Third quarter, 8:04, Thunder 57-51: Some nice back-and-forth action here. Serge Ibaka hit a corner 3-pointer to open the second half for the Thunder and Paul Pierce buried one from long distance on the Celtics ensuing possession. Ibaka was later tagged for a technical foul from the bench for verbal taunting, an official said. Kevin Durant had a nice driving dunk on Brandon Bass. The Celtics are playing a bit more physical and with more urgency here early.

Halftime: Thunder 50-45:While Kevin Durant was sinking a pair of free throws, the 18th and 19th attempts so far for the Celtics, Doc Rivers walked to the scorer's table, smiled and said, “I don’t think that foul strategy is working too well.” The Thunder have made 19 of 21 from the free-throw line while the Celtics have made just 4-of-7. Paul Pierce has a team-high 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, Avery Bradley has 9 points and Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee each have 8. Kevin Durant has a game-high 16 points. The Celtics have a better field goal percentage (51 percent to 40 percent) than the Thunder, but, again, the free throws.

Second quarter, 2:42, Thunder 46-37:And in the free throws category, the Thunder have made 15 of 17 while the Celtics have made 3 of 5. In the turnovers category, the Thunder have 4, which have resulted in 3 Celtics points, while the Celtics have 12, which have resulted in 13 Thunder points. I know I'm throwing a lot of numbers at you there, but those are the key stats that tell the difference in this game.

Second quarter, 5:18, Thunder 40-33: Paul Pierce is going into takeover-mode. He's calling for the ball on every possession and has scored three straight buckets for the Celtics. He has 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Still, the Thunder have more firepower and have been converting without too much struggle. Kevin Durant has a game-high 14 points.

Second quarter, 7:13, Thunder 37-29: Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer to stop a 10-0 Thunder run and end a Celtics scoring drought. Kevin Durant crossed up Kevin Garnett something fierce before burying a mid-range jumper, as if we needed any further proof that Durant is elite. When Pierce made his triple, the Celtics had excellent ball movement for the first time in a while. Can they keep it up?

Second quarter, 8:47, Thunder 35-26: A Derek Fisher 3-pointer from the left corner capped an 8-0 Thunder run. The Celtics called timeout to regroup. Oklahoma City is starting to run and gun, especially with Durant back in the game. The Celtics have been struggling on offense, missing three straight shots.

Second quarter, 9:43, Thunder 30-26: Kevin Garnett made a couple of shots down low to keep the Celtics in it. He has 8 points. Derek Fisher hit an impressive bank shot while being fouled. Kevin Durant just checked back into the game.

End of the first quarter, Thunder 23-22: Despite having 9 turnovers, the Celtics have kept it close with key stops. The Thunder are shooting just 7 for 21 and struggled to find offense after Kevin Durant checked out of the game when he picked up his second foul. Jeff Green has four points off the bench for the Celtics and Jordan Crawford hit his first jumper after checking in. The Celtics have made 9 of their 18 shots.

First quarter, 2:49, Thunder 21-18: The Celtics have six turnovers, way too many against a speedy team like the Thunder. Kevin Durant had a game-high 10 points, but he exited the game after picking up his second foul. Paul Pierce has scored four straight. Jason Terry checked into the game and was booed, a sign these fans haven't forgotten that he played with their rival, Dallas. Jeff Green, making his first return to Oklahoma City since he was traded to Boston in 2011, entered the game to cheers.

First quarter, 6:11, Thunder 14-8: Doc Rivers calls a timeout to stop the bleeding after a 10-0 run by the Thunder. Kevin Durant is starting to heat up. He has 6 points and has made his last two shots. The Celtics have as many field goals as turnovers: four. And the Thunder have scored six points off those turnovers.

First quarter, 8:24, Celtics 8-6: The Celtics made their first four shots, two by Garnett, to jump out on top. Kevin Durant, being guarded by Paul Pierce, missed his first two shots. We're in the early going, so the teams are just feeling each other out.

Final: Celtics 107-102: Celtics survive, despite blowing a 12-point fourth-quarter lead. Paul Pierce finishes with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists while Jason Terry adds 17 and Kevin Garnett 17 and eight rebounds. Josh Smith scores 32 for Atlanta and Jeff Teague 26 but they don't score a field goal for the final 2:14.

First overtime, 9.9, Celtics 107-102: After a Hawks turnover, Jason Terry gets fouled on a jumper and hits two free throws. Atlanta ball.

First overtime, 35.0, Celtics 105-102: The Celtics were able to get some key stops after Atlanta scored a 3-pointer at the 2:14 mark and Jason Terry has just put the Celtics ahead 3 points on his third 3-ball of the evening. The Celtics are 10 of 20 beyond the arc.

First overtime, 2:33, Celtics 99-98 The Celtics have scored the last 5 points, including a Jeff Green 3-pointer that hit the rim four times before dropping through. Atlanta ball.

End of regulation, Tied at 94: Josh Smith misses a jumper that hits nothing but backboard. Overtime. The Celtics wasted many chances to seal this in regulation.

Fourth quarter, 2.2, Tied at 94: Kevin Garnett missed an 18-footer and the Hawks grab the rebound. Atlanta ball.

Fourth quarter, 31.7, Tied at 94: The Celtics have managed to blow the lead as Kyle Korver hit a tying 3-pointer. And the Hawks are getting anything they want in the paint, scoring nearly half of their points. Paul Pierce just missed a jumper. Atlanta ball with 17 shot clock.

Fourth quarter, 2:54, Celtics 90-87: The theme here has been established. The Celtics can't put the Hawks away. After leading by 12 just a few minutes ago, the Celtics have allowed the Hawks to chip away. Jeff Teague has been a force for Atlanta with 24 points and eight assists while Josh Smith has stuck to take the ball into the paint and has tallied 26.

Fourth quarter, 5:38, Celtics 86-79: Once again, the Celtics looked primed to blow the game open, leading by 12 after a Kevin Garnett layup but the Hawks have responded with 5 in a row, prompting a timeout from Doc Rivers. Paul Pierce has 18 points and Kevin Garnett 17 for Boston while Jordan Crawford has added 9 points in 15 minutes. Jeff Teague has 21 for Atlanta.

End of third quarter, Celtics 72-68: Celtics have led for the past quarter plus but it just seems as if they can't get a grasp on the game. The Hawks are playing well enough to stay close with Josh Smith leading all scorer with 20 points along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists while Jeff Teague has 18. Paul Pierce has 18 for the Celtics while Kevin Garnett has 15 but the Celtics have to pick up the pace and secure the ball.

Third quarter, 2:04, Celtics 67-62: The Celtics and Hawks are setting the game back 50 years with how badly they are playing right now. Neither team has scored since the 4:22 mark and the Hawks have missed five shots in that span. The Celtics are still shooting 51.1 percent but need more efficiency.

Third quarter, 6:15, Celtics 63-56: The Celtics are trying to take control but it seems each time they are on the verge of breaking it open, here comes the defensive lapses or turnovers. Paul Pierce has 15 points on 3-for-5 from the 3-point line while Kevin Garnett has 13 points and five rebounds. Al Horford has been solid with 15 points and six rebounds for Atlanta.

Halftime, Celtics 52-47: A 7-2 run at the end of the quarter broke a 45-45 tie as Jason Terry cans a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left to add to the lead. Paul Pierce has 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting but just missed two free throws while Terry has 10 off the bench. The Celtics have committed nine turnovers, which has been an issue. Jeff Teague has 12 points and Al Horford has 11 for the Hawks.

Second quarter, 2:28, Celtics 45-44: Boston actually led 41-31 about four minutes ago but they have broken down defensively and are out of fouls, sending the Hawks to the line. Josh Smith has 9 points, 4 during the Hawks 13-4 run while Jeff Teague leads Atlanta with 12 points. Paul Pierce has 11 points and Kevin Garnett has 9 but the Celtics should have a bigger lead give they are shooting 58.1 percent.

Second quarter, 8:06, Celtics 35-31: The Celtics are playing at a frantic pace but they have to start getting consistent defensive stops to create some space. So far the Hawks are hanging close because of 18 combined points from Jeff Teague and Devin Harris. Kevin Garnett has 7 points and three rebounds for the Celtics while the bench has already scored 13 points.

End of first quarter, Celtics 28-26: The Celtics are shooting 57.9 percent and have three 3-pointers but their defense has been putrid so far in allowing interior points and 3-pointers. The Hawks are 4-for-8 from the 3-point line and sharpshooter Kyle Korver has yet to attempt one. Paul Pierce has 11 points while four Celtics have 4 points. Jeff Teague has 8 for Atlanta.

First quarter, 2:43, Celtics 22-19: Defense has been optional so far as the Celtics are shooting 62.5 percent while the Hawks are at 47.1 with three 3-pointers and two layups. Paul Pierce is seems like he is primed for a big game with 7 points in nine minutes while Kevin Garnett has 5. Al Horford has 6 for the Hawks while Josh Smith and Jeff Teague have 5.

First quarter, 7:03, Celtics 12-11: The two teams have already combined for five 3-pointers, including one by Kevin Garnett, who was 0-for-11 from the 3-point line before hitting a trey on Wednesday at Indiana. Meanwhile, the Hawks have already hit three, including one from Josh Smith, who has 5 points.

Final: Celtics 83-81: The Celtics end the game on an 11-0 run, holding the Pacers scoreless for the final 4:36 as Jeff Green scores a layup with 0.5 left for the victory as the Celtics continue to climb up the Eastern standings. More to come.

Fourth quarter, 23.2 Tied at 81: It;s either win or overtime for the Celtics, who have held the Pacers scoreless for more than four minutes and just rebounded a miss by Roy Hibbert and called timeout. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 3:00, Pacers 81-76: George Hill scored 8 points in 61 seconds as the Pacers extended their lead to 9 and the Celtics again are trying to rally.

Fourth quarter, 6:38, Pacers 70-69: Celtics on an 11-2 run as Kevin Garnett continues to defy Father Time and emerge as the Celtics best player. Paul Pierce has 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting and remains on the bench.

Fourth quarter, 8:52, Pacers 70-65: The game has become more intense and the Celtics defense has responded with consecutive stops. But they need to stop fouling, they have 18 personals for the game compared with 12 for Indiana. Kevin Garnett leads Boston with 16 points in just 22 minutes while Paul Pierce has 10 on 3-for-11 shooting. The Pacers have four players in double figures, led by Paul George with 13.

End of third quarter, Pacers 68-58: Ian Mahinmi just hit a fadeaway jumper with 2.9 left off a loose ball to end the quarter, so that should tell you the type of fortunate Indiana has enjoyed tonight. The Pacers are working overtime defensively, with nine steals while the Celtics are shooting just 37.5 percent and 33.3 from the 3-point line. The Celtics need a serious run to begin the final quarter.

Third quarter, 46.9, Pacers 66-58: The Celtics are trying to make a run but they have to be more consistent offensively and stop the Pacers from getting steals. Indiana has nine steals, five of those by Lance Stephenson.

Third quarter, 5:36, Pacers 63-49: It's not that the Pacers are playing all that well, it's that the Celtics are just playing poorly, unable to hit shots consistently and allowing players such as Lance Stephenson, who has been stellar on both sides with 10 points and four steals.

Halftime, Pacers 49-42: The Celtics were trailing by 4 with the ball in the final 40 seconds but committed two turnovers that led to 5 Indiana points. Paul Pierce ended the half with a layup as the Celtics are shooting just 18-for-44 from the field. The Celtics are getting testy with the officiating as they have been whistled for 12 personal fouls compared with Indiana's five. Nine Celtics scored in the first half and DJ White collected two blocks in his Boston debut.

Second quarter, 42.4, Pacers 44-40: Jeff Green has helped the Celtics crawl back into the game with 7 points off the bench but they are still shooting 40 percent. Avery Bradley has begun to knock down the shots and is now 3-for-8 shooting after hitting 10 of his first 12 shots Tuesday. Roy Hibbert already has a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Second quarter, 8:17, Pacers 30-24: The Celtics can't catch the Pacers because they are missing the same shots they made Tuesday night. They are shooting 34.5 percent and 1 of 4 from the 3-point line. The bench is trying to give them a lift but they are struggling offensively too.

End of first quarter, Pacers 27-19: Indiana ends the quarter on a 7-0 run after forcing three Boston turnovers that led to points. The Celtics are also missing shots that they made last night in Philadelphia. They are 8-for-23 shooting in the period and that's 5-for-18 without Kevin Garnett, who should re-enter the game to begin the second period.

First quarter, 3:00, Pacers 20-19: Roy Hibbert has been a major problem with 12 of the Indiana points and seven rebounds but he just picked up his second foul and has been replaced by Ian Mahinmi. The Celtics are shooting 44.4 percent from the field (8-for-18) and Kevin Garnett dropped 7 points in 4:05 before leaving for his customary rest.

First quarter, 7:30, Celtics 11-10: There are going to be some issues guarding Roy Hibbert, who already has 6 points, 4 of those on offensive rebound putbacks. Kevin Garnett is out of the game after a solid five minutes where he scored 7 points, including a rare 3-pointer.

Final: Celtics 109-101: Celtics improve to 12-4 since Rajon Rondo's injury with a gritty win in a difficult place to play. Avery Bradley leads Boston with 22 points and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each score 18. Jordan Crawford helps out with 12 off the bench. The Indiana Pacers await the Celtics tomorrow.

Fourth quarter, 38.3, Celtics 103-96: The 76ers have scored the last 5 points and now the Celtics are just trying to hang on as Philadelphia plays the foul game.

Fourth quarter, 2:25, Celtics 99-89: The Celtics haven't been good offensively at all in the fourth quarter but they have forced enough bad shots and defensive stops to hang on here. The 76ers are 5-for-19 shooting in the final period as Dorell Wright just missed two wide-open jumpers that would have made it interesting.

Fourth quarter, 4:43, Celtics 97-85: The Celtics are surviving here as the 76ers had the ball trailing by 8 points but missed a layup and Paul Pierce came back with a dagger 3-pointer for a 11-point advantage just moments ago. Pierce is 4-for-4 from the 2-point line but 2-for-6 on 2-pointers as he is four assists from a triple double. Jordan Crawford has helped out with 10 points in 15 minutes with 3 rebounds and 3 assists as the Celtics try to close this one out.

Fourth quarter, 10:42, Celtics 86-74: A 3-pointer and quirky 2-point runner by Jordan Crawford has sparked a 7-0 run and moved the lead back to 12. Crawford has 7 points for the Celtics.

End of third quarter, Celtics 79-74: A terrible final 73 seconds of the quarter as the 76ers roll off 8 straight points off four Celtics turnovers and now the game has become interesting again after the Celtics led by 13 just a few moments ago. The Celtics now have 17 turnovers, good for 20 Philadelphia points as the undermanned 76ers continue to play hard. Avery Bradley has 22 points for the Celtics.

Third quarter, 4:04, Celtics 71-60: Avery Bradley has 20 points while Paul Pierce is four assists from a triple double as the Celtics continue to fight off 76ers rallies and try to make it an easier night than usual at this House of Horrors. Pierce has 15 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists while Kevin Garnett has 14 points in 19 minutes. The 76ers are playing sloppy ball but are scraping their way back into the game. Thaddeus Young has 13 points.

Third quarter, 9:50, Celtics 59-48: It's turned into an Avery Bradley shooting clinic as he continues to drain every perimeter jumper he can take. He is 8-for-9 shooting with 18 points as the Celtics are trying to create some distance. Kevin Garnett has 12 for Boston.

Halftime, Celtics 53-46: It seems like the Celtics should be up more because they have outplayed Philadelphia thoroughly through 24 minutes but they had defensive lapses, such as when Chris Wilcox missed an alley-oop dunk and then allow Spencer Hawes to run the floor for the layup. The Celtics are shooting 48 percent and are 5-for-9 from the 3-point line but the 76ers are killing the Celtics with 12 second-half points. Thaddeus Young has 10 for Philadelphia.

Second quarter, 6:01, Celtics 36-34: The Celtics have led by as many as 7 points but the 76ers keep hanging around, thanks to 8 points apiece from Thaddeus Young and Jrue Holiday and some solid play from Royal Ivey. The Celtics are moving the ball well but have missed 18 of 33 shots and are 10-for-27 if you take away a 5-for-6 night from Kevin Garnett.

End of first quarter, Celtics 26-23: Boston actually led by 7 before allowing the 76ers to score the last two baskets of the quarter. It's one of those Jeff Green nights. He already has 7 points while Chris Wilcox has 4 points and four rebounds. Jrue Holiday already has 8 points for Philadelphia, which is 11-for-23 shooting.

First quarter, 3:08, Celtics 20-19: Boston is on a 7-0 run after the 76ers scored 6 straight. The Celtics are pushing the ball for easy baskets with Kevin Garnett on the bench and Avery Bradley running the offense. Both teams are shooting 9-for-18 from the field.

First quarter, 8:07, Tied at 11: Defense is optional so far as both sides are off to 5-for-7 shooting starts, hitting open jumpers. Kevin Garnett already has 6 points from Jrue Holiday has 4 and Evan Turner canned a 3-pointer for Philadelphia. He has averaged 21 points against the Celtics this season.

End of game, Celtics 94-86: That's all from the Garden, where the Celtics knocked off Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Big efforts from Jeff Green and Paul Pierce on the offensive end and Avery Bradley on the defensive end. Good win for the team.

Fourth quarter, 2:54, Celtics 89-76: The C's just took a 13-point lead, their biggest since the first quarter.

Fourth quarter, 6:03, Celtics 83-73: Still just four points for Curry in the second half. Impressive work by the Celtics.

Fourth quarter, 10:29, Celtics 75-66: Jeff Green doesn't seem to be doing too badly, even with the bruised left elbow he suffered in the third quarter. The lead is back up to nine points for the C's.

End of the third quarter, Celtics 69-62: The C's head into the final quarter up by seven points. They're holding the Warriors to 35 percent from the field, so a pretty darn good defensive effort from them to this point.

Third quarter, :49, Celtics 69-60: That's a 9-0 run for the Celtics. And it just got really, really loud in the Garden. (Blame the noise meter.)

Third quarter, 2:22, Celtics 62-60: This has become quite the game. The Celtics once led by 13, but the Warriors have been up by only two points. Still, it's a tight one at this point. Curry has 18 points, meaning the Celtics have kept him to just two so far in the third quarter.

Third quarter, 8:01, Warriors 54-53: Courtney Lee passed to no one, leading to the fourth turnover of the third quarter already. That's the major reason that the Celtics are down to Golden State to start the second half. They've scored only on a three by Paul Pierce that gave him 21 points.

Third quarter, 9:08, Warriors 52-50 : That didn't take long. The Celtics have yet to score in the quarter, while the Warriors have taken the lead. It's 6-0 so far after halftime.

Halftime, Celtics 50-46: Stephen Curry has 16 points. And yet, the Celtics have managed to keep their lead -- barely. What was once a 13-point advantage is now just four points. The Celtics have held the Warriors to just 39 percent from the field, which has helped them keep even that slim margin. Pierce leads all scorers at the half with 18 points.

Second quarter, 3:48, Celtics 39-36: And it's now a three-point lead. Barnes went in alone for the dunk to get the Warriors to 36. The Celtics followed that up with Chris Wilcox missing two-of-two free throws. Not a good stretch for the home team.

Second quarter, 6:08, Celtics 37-32: The Celtics have run into a stretch of trouble shooting the ball. They've been outscored 7-1 in the last three minutes after missing a bunch of shots. The Celtics are down to 42.9 percent shooting for the game. Of course, the Warriors are at 38.7.

Second quarter, 9:14, Celtics 36-25: Kevin Garnett just got his first points of the evening, and it's an and-one. That puts the Celtics back up by 11. Garnett, though he didn't have any points, had five rebounds already in the game.

End of the first quarter, Celtics 31-20: Paul Pierce converted a three-point play with 23.4 seconds to go in the first quarter, putting the Celtics up by 13 points. The Warriors got two back, but still probably not what was expected at the start of this one. Pierce now has 13 points, and got a nice round of applause when he was taken out for the final few seconds of the quarter.

First quarter, 2:09, Celtics 24-15: The Celtics have built up a nine-point lead on the Warriors, shooting 61.1 percent so far to 46.7 for the Warriors. Paul Pierce has eight of those points already. And 16 of the Celtics' points have come in the paint so far.

First quarter, 4:54, Celtics 15-13: The Celtics are doing a pretty good job defensively, especially on Curry, who has just one point so far. The Warriors have three turnovers.

First quarter, 8:32, Celtics 7-6: Courtney Lee just gave the Celtics the lead after the ball was stolen from Stephen Curry. Drew a big reaction from the crowd. Curry, for the record, has yet to score.

Final: Celtics 110-107: Stellar game for the Celtics, who end the road trip 2-3 with gutty win, handing Utah its seventh home loss of season. Paul Pierce finished with 26 points, 7 in overtime while Kevin Garnett finishes with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Overtime, 1.2, Celtics 110-107: Courtney Lee gets fouled and hits both free throws but he should have thrown the ball in the air, which would have ended the game.

Overtime, 4.2, Celtics 108-107: The Celtics don't let the Jazz attempt a 3-pointer, instead using their fouls. Paul Millsap hits both free throws. Celtics ball at halfcourt. Utah has a foul to give.

Overtime, 13.8 Celtics 108-105: The Celtics had a chance to seal the game but committed a shot clock violation that is now being reviewed. It looked like Kevin Garnett released the ball after the clock expired but the ball banked in. The call was upheld. Jazz ball.

Overtime, 1:18, Celtics 104-101: Paul Pierce has come back with 5 straight points after the Jazz took the lead on a Demarre Carroll jumper.

End of regulation, Tied at 97: Paul Pierce dribbles down the last 20 seconds and missed a contested fadeaway. Does that sound familiar? Overtime.

Fourth quarter, 19.9, Tied at 97: On a broken play, Alec Burks streaks to the basket for a contested layup. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 36.6, Celtics 95-93: Paul Pierce just cans one of his stepback jumpers to put the Celtics ahead 2 and now he has 19 points but has missed seven 3-pointers. Jazz ball. Both teams out of fouls.

Fourth quarter, 2:46, Tied at 93: What a game, as the Celtics have been so close to taking a control but can't. They have gone 4:11 without a field goal but have stayed in the game at the free throw line. They just missed three shots on the same possession to extend the lead and then Al Jefferson comes back with a one-handed jumper to tie.

Fourth quarter, 5:45, Tied at 89: This is going down to the wire as the two teams are taking turns making runs. The Celtics responded from a 13-2 run to take an 87-85 lead on Paul Pierce's jumper. Moments later, Gordon Hayward hit two free throws to tie the game. Both teams are out of fouls and Brandon Bass is now at the line for two free throws.

Fourth quarter, 9:52, Celtics 82-81: The Jazz are on a 9-2 run to begin the quarter as the Celtics have become stagnant offensively and are allowing too many second-chance points from the Jazz. Gordon Hayward just hit the Jazz's eighth 3-pointer of the game in 12 tries, and, of course, it was wide open. Hayward, who drew the raves of Doc Rivers before the game, has 20 points off the bench.

End of third quarter, Celtics 80-72: An impressive quarter by the Celtics, who shot 13 of 22 from the field for 32 points, including 9 points from Courtney Lee and two key 3-pointers from Jason Terry. Five Celtics are in double figured, led by Avery Bradley with 18. Marvin Williams and Gordon Hayward have 15 for the Jazz while Paul Millsap has 12 but 4 since the first quarter.

Third quarter, 2:50, Celtics 70-67: The Celtics led by as many as 8 after a 17-2 run (matching Utah's first-half run) but the Jazz have responded with a three-point play from Derrick Favors and now Gordon Hayward just hit two free throws. Avery Bradley has 18 for the Celtics and Paul Pierce has 13.

Third quarter, 6:41, Celtics 63-60: It's been a physical game and the Celtics have taken full advantage by using tough defense to stymie the Jazz while going on a 10-0 run, sparked by two 3-pointers from Avery Bradley and two buckets from Courtney Lee.

Halftime, Jazz 53-48: The Celtics rallied to tie the game at 44 but continue to allow Utah to shoot open 3-pointers. The Jazz are 6-for-9 in the half and hit four in the second quarter. Marvin Williams scored the last 5 points in the half for the Jazz while Kevin Garnett is having one of those "old" nights with 3 points and 1 rebound in 12 minutes. Avery Bradley leads the Celtics with 12 points and Brandon Bass has 10.

Second quarter, 3:59, Jazz 44-41: The Celtics get closer with a 5-0 run, highlighted by a swooping dunk from Jeff Green, who has 6 points in 12 minutes. The key for the Celtics was getting consistent defensive stops. The Jazz have missed their past four shots and the Celtics are pushing the pace to get easier baskets.

Second quarter, 5:46, Jazz 44-36: Just like that the Jazz are up 8 points after an 17-2 run. The Celtics are shooting 3-for-10 in the quarter while the Jazz are led by Gordon Hayward's 13 points, 12 in the quarter.

Second quarter, 8:51, Tied at 34: Jazz are on a 7-0 run after the Celtics went on a 6-1 spurt to begin the quarter. The Celtics are being outrebounded 14-9 but the Jazz have stayed close by shooting uncontested 3-pointers. Gordon Hayward has 5 points off the bench for the Celtics.

End of first quarter, Celtics 28-26: Both teams are 11-for-21 shooting but the Celtics are 4-for-4 from the free throw line compared with 2-for-2 for Utah. The bench has given the Celtics a lift, scoring 7 points in their stint. Avery Bradley has 10 points for Boston while Brandon Bass has 8.

First quarter, 1:50, Jazz 24-22: Both teams got off to scorching offensive starts but the Celtics have cooled a bit as the starters have been replaced by reserves. Avery Bradley leads the Celtics with 10 points while Paull Millsap has 8 for Utah. Brandon Bass has 6 for the Celtics, who are already being outrebounded 9-4.

First quarter, 5:45, Jazz 16-15: Avery Bradley is off to a strong strong with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting while Paul Millsap has scored 8 for Utah. Kevin Garnett is on the bench with one rebound and one foul. The Celtics are shooting 6-for-9 from the field while the Jazz are 7-for-10. Brandon Bass has to do a better job of defending Millsap.

Final: Trail Blazers 92-86: Portland ends the game on a 6-0 run after Wesley Matthews drains his fifth 3-pointer of the game, handing the Celtics a difficult loss. Matthews led the Blazers with 24 while Nicolas Batum added 18 and LaMarcus Aldridge added 16. The Celtics just couldn't execute offensively tonight. Besides Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Celtics were 18-for-50 shooting.

Fourth quarter, 1:32, Trail Blazers 89-86: Damian Lillard may have just made the play of the game with a streaking layup and free throw after Kevin Garnett tied the game with a layup. The Celtics have awoken but it may be too late. They need a basket desperately. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 2:53, Trail Blazers 86-84: The Celtics are on a 10-4 run to make it close after the Blazers extended the lead to 8. Paul Pierce has played a stellar game with 23 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. The problem is the rest of his teammates are grinding, going 26-for-67 from the field. Doc Rivers called Wesley Matthews a "wild card" before the game and he has played as such, scoring 21 points.

Fourth quarter, 7:30, Trail Blazers 77-73: The Celtics just can't seem to get over the hump. They can't score consecutive baskets when they get stops or they make a turnover to blow a possession. They are in a danger zone right now where a Blazers run could seal the game.

End of third quarter, Trail Blazers 71-67: Blazers end the quarter on a 9-4 run and the Celtics have been totally frustrated tonight offensively, shooting 42 percent and getting a combined 6-for-21 shooting from the bench. Paul Pierce has a team-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting but surprisingly Kevin Garnett has struggled from the field despite three days off, going 5-for-12 for 10 points and five rebounds.

Third quarter, 3:04, Trail Blazers 67-63: The Celtics and Blazers were trading baskets but the Blazers have scored the last 5 points and Doc Rivers is angry with the officials yet again. He already has a technical foul and may be asking for another. Paul Pierce has 21 points for the Celtics.

Third quarter, 6:01, Trail Blazers 58-57: Celtics have made a strong push in the second half, led by Paul Pierce, who has 19 points. The Celtics are now shooting 43.6 percent and starting to loosen up offensively after playing tight in the first half.

Halftime, Trail Blazers 49-42: The Trail Blazers seem to get every break in that first half, shooting 51.4 percent and getting every 50-50 ball, including in the final 2.7 seconds when Nicolas Batum scooped up a missed shot and converted a layup to end the half. Wesley Matthews has punished the Celtics with 15 points, including two 3-pointers in the final 58.9 of the half to extend the Portland lead. Paul Pierce has 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting while his teammates are 12-for-39 for 28 points.

Second quarter, 2:35, Trail Blazers 40-32: The Celtics just can't seem to find any cohesion or chemistry offensively and they are shooting below 33 percent because of a series of missed east shots. Jordan Crawford is 0-for-4 shooting and Jeff Green is 2-for-8.

Second quarter, 7:50, Trail Blazers 33-25: It's turning into one of those games for the Celtics after they started off so strongly. They have scored 14 points in the past 12 minutes while Portland has heated up from the field. They are shooting 62 percent from the field and have been to the free throw line nine times. The Celtics are now down to 37 percent shooting.

End of first quarter, Trail Blazers 27-21: The Celtics were actually up 11-4, meaning Portland ended the quarter on a 23-10 run that was more a byproduct of hot shooting and a couple of tough calls that caused Doc Rivers to pick up his fifth technical foul of the season. The Blazers shot 63 percent and reached the free throw line nine times. Rivers was incensed by two separate foul calls on Portland 3-point attempts.

First quarter, 3:16, Trail Blazers 20-19: Portland is now hot from the field, shooting 62 percent as the duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum have combined for 17 points. The Celtics are making mistakes on offense and allowing Aldridge to get settled in the paint on defense.

First quarter, 7:22, Celtics 11-9: Celtics off to another strong start after 5 straight points from Paul Pierce, 4 points from Kevin Garnett and a bucket from Avery Bradley. Pierce just picked up his second foul and has been replaced by Jeff Green. Nicolas Batum has 5 points and JJ Hickson just scored a layup.

Final: Celtics 113-88: A sparkling effort following two tough losses as the Celtics coast and were able to give Kevin Garnett a night of rest. Jeff Green was stellar with 31 points on 11-for-14 shooting with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. And a rejuvenated Chris Wilcox helps out with 14 points and eight rebounds while Avery Bradley and Jason Terry each add 13. Goran Dragic led the Suns with 19 points. Jordan Crawford added 10 points in 17 minutes in his Boston debut.

Fourth quarter, 2:43, Celtics 110-82: The fans are filing out of US Airways Center but there is a vocal crowd of Celtics fans chanting "Let's go Boston" to the chagrin of the Phoenix faithful. Jeff Green has 31 points, his most as a Celtics while Chris Wilcox has 12 points and seven rebounds. Avery Bradley and Jason Terry each have 13 points.

Fourth quarter, 8:12, Celtics 89-74: The Celtics led by as many as 19 but after two uncontested layups by the Suns, Doc Rivers called timeout to settle his players. It's been a solid offensive night for the Celtics, who are shooting 53.7 percent while Phoenix is at 44.9. Goran Dragic leads Phoenix with 15 points while Jeff Green has 24.

End of third quarter, Celtics 81-67: The Celtics end the quarter on a 28-19 run to extend the lead to 14 on a night where Jeff Green can't be stopped. He is scoring on anyone Phoenix coach Lindsey Hunter throws at him. He's got 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting while Avery Bradley is breaking out of a slump with 13 points.

Third quarter, 4:10 Celtics 69-57: Phoenix cut the Celtics' lead to 5 with a 7-0 run to begin the second half but the Celtics are forcing turnovers and scoring off the Suns' questionable defense. The Celtics went on a 12-4 run to extend the lead back to 12 as Jeff Green has been brilliant with 19 points in 25 minutes. No other Celtic is in double figures.

Halftime, Celtics 53-41:It was a strong half for the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics, who shot 47.6 percent and got 15 points from the versatile Jeff Green as they led the entire first 24 minutes. The Celtics jumped out to a 16-3 lead and staved off various Phoenix runs. The Suns are shooting 39.5 percent and are led by 8 points from Goran Dragic.

Second quarter, 5:59, Celtics 43-33: The Celtics are scoring at will against the porous Phoenix defense, making 17 of 31 shots. Chris Wilcox, whom Doc Rivers said has to play better with the departure of Jason Collins, has 8 points and four rebounds. Jeff Green leads the Celtics, wearing white tonight with Phoenix in its throwback black uniforms.

End of first quarter, Celtics 28-20: Celtics led by as many as 13, Suns cut the lead to 5 and the Celtics, behind Jeff Green, made a late-quarter push. Green has 13 points and is playing like the type of player the Celtics need when Kevin Garnett is out. The Celtics shot 57.9 percent in the quarter but committed seven personal fouls. Goran Dragic has 6 for Phoenix.

First quarter, 5:09, Celtics 16-9: The Suns are on a 6-0 run, thanks to 6 points from Markeiff Morris and the Celtics are 1 for their past 4 from the field, although they are still 7 for 11. Courtney Lee has 5 points for the Celtics while Jeff Green is taking advantage of his matchup with the slower Luis Scola with 6 points.

First quarter, 7:50, Celtics 13-2: The Celtics are off to a rousing start despite the absence of Kevin Garnett. The Celtics speed without Garnett is bothering the Suns, who who their first basket at the 8:18 mark. The Celtics are 6-for-7 shooting with one turnover. Phoenix is 1-for-6 with three turnovers.

Final: Lakers 113-99: A tough night for the Celtics, who just couldn't get defensive stops as the Lakers played like a motivated team after the death of owner Jerry Buss. Dwight Howard led Los Angeles with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 23 but just 3 in the second half. Courtney Lee added 20. The Celtics get a day off before facing Phoenix on Friday.

Fourth quarter, 5:51, Lakers 104-88: Well the Celtics have to regroup after another tough night. This one's on the defense, which just couldn't get consistent stops. Avery Bradley had trouble with both Steve Nash and Steve Blake. The Lakers have just 11 turnovers.

Fourth quarter, 8:52, Lakers 99-80: Frustration is mounting for the Celtics, who just can't stop the Lakers offensively. Los Angeles has 48 points in the pain and 14 second-chance points and are outrebounding the Celtics 41-27. Six players have scored in double figures, led by Dwight Howard's 22. Paul Pierce has 26 for Boston but just 3 since halftime.

End of third quarter, Lakers 90-76: The Celtics make a 7-3 mini run to stay within striking distance but the need to play a remarkable fourth quarter to pull this one out. The Lakers were 11-for-19 shooting in the quarter and six players have scored in double figures. The Celtics are led by Paul Pierce with 26 but just 3 in the third quarter, all on free throws.

Third quarter, 2:50, Lakers 85-67: Just one of those nights for the Celtics where they can't stop the Lakers from doing anything. They are actually playing decent offensively but the Lakers are 10-for-15 shooting in the quarter and five players have scored in double figures. Dwight Howard has 22 points and 10 rebounds. Kobe Bryant has 16 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Paul Pierce has 24 for the Celtics but 1 point in the quarter while Courtney Lee has 15 for the Celtics.

Third quarter, 7:53, Lakers 75-57: Los Angeles is playing flawless ball, using crisp ball movement and the resurgence of Dwight Howard to stomp the Celtics to begin the third quarter. The Celtics are 1-for-5 shooting with two turnovers in the quarter. They need instant offense or this could turn into a blowout.

Halftime, Lakers 64-55: The Lakers are hitting some tough shots, such as Kobe Bryant hits a turnaround 15-footer with 4.6 seconds left to cap a stellar offensive half. The Lakers shot 51.1 percent, hit five 3-pointers and committed just four turnovers. The Celtics shot 49 percent and committed just five turnovers. But the Lakers have attempted 18 free throws to Boston's four. Paul Pierce has 23 points, no other Celtic is in double figures.

Second quarter, 2:54, Lakers 55-48: The Celtics are slowly climbing back into the game but they have no answer for Dwight Howard, who has 15 points and seven rebounds. Kobe Bryant has 12 but just 2 in the quarter. Steve Nash has been especially effective offensively with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including a shake move on Avery Bradley for an open jumper. Paul Pierce has brought his "A" game tonight with 18 points. Kevin Garnett has 8.

Second quarter, 5:44, Lakers 47-39: The Celtics are playing better defense, holding the Lakers to 4-for-12 shooting in the quarter but they are 5-for-15 themselves, missing easy layups. Kevin Garnett just missed two free throws while Jeff Green is back to inconsistent self with six misses in eight attempts. Paul Pierce's shot is going down tonight. He leads all scorers with 15 points.

Second quarter, 8:41, Lakers 41-33: Second quarter, 8:41, Lakers 41-33: Celtics are on a 6-0 run against the Lakers bench as the play is getting frantic. The Celtics are taking care of the ball but they are missing layups. Jeff Green is 2-for-7 shooting while Courtney Lee is getting clean looks and needs to knock down his short jumpers. Paul Pierce leads the Celtics with 12 points.

End of first quarter, Lakers 36-27: Doc Rivers despises when opponents score 30 points in a quarter, so what do you think he feels about the Lakers' 36-point barrage. Los Angeles shot 52.2 percent and attempted 12 free throws to the Celtics' two. And one of those Boston free throws was on a defensive 3-second call. So the Celtics have a long road ahead if they plan to rally. Paul Pierce has 10 for the Celtics on 4-for-6 shooting while Kevin Garnett has 6 and Jeff Green 4.

Dwight Howard led Los Angeles with 12 points, exceeding his total from the previous meeting and Kobe Bryant has 10.

First quarter, 3:33, Lakers 25-17: The run is 14-2 for the Lakers, who are feeding off the crowd while the Celtics can't even get into their offense. The Celtics are still shooting 7 of 14 from the field but have four turnovers and have one field goal in the past four minutes.

First quarter, 6:41, Lakers 16-15: The good news for the Celtics is Paul Pierce is off to a hot start with 8 points, including a 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper. Dwight Howard already has 8 for Los Angeles and Kobe Bryant with 5. It's obvious the Lakers are trying to get Howard involved early. Howard already has four rebounds.

LOS ANGELES -- It has already been an emotional night with a pre-game tribute to owner Jerry Buss, who passed away on Monday, Kobe Bryant said some moving words about the owner and the Celtics were soundly booed as they were introduced.

Final: Nuggets 94-90: The Celtics just couldn't execute down the stretch and Kevin Garnett missed a tough bank shot that would have cut the deficit to 2 and the Celtics were forced to foul. Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson were the keys with 26 points a piece. Jeff Green led Boston with 20 points and Avery Bradley had 17 but just 5 after the break.

Fourth quarter, 40.5, Nuggets 94-90: The Celtics have withstood the Nuggets trying to apply that final blow with a 3-pointer and responded with 4 straight points. Kenneth Faried just missed two free throws, giving the Celtics the ball and they need to score quickly. Both teams are out of fouls.

Fourth quarter, 2:35, Nuggets 93-86: The Celtics are just falling short down the stretch, allowing too many second-chance points and not executing on the offensive end. In the last sequence, Kevin Garnett missed two free throws, Courtney Lee rebounded the second miss but the Celtics turned the ball over again. Kenneth Faried then scooped up a rebound on an Andre Miller miss and scored it. The Nuggets have 13 second-chance points. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 4:46, Nuggets 89-84: A tough sequence as Avery Bradley hits a tying 3-pointer and then Danilo Gallinari comes back with a 3-pointer off the dribble and after a Kevin Garnett miss, Ty Lawson, the smallest man on the court, grabs an offensive rebound and scores a putback for a 5-point lead. The Celtics need something from Paul Pierce, who is 2-for-12 shooting and a minus-22.

Fourth quarter, 8:30, Nuggets 80-79: The Celtics are playing with passion to begin the quarter, as the Nuggets are 0-for-5 from the field while the Celtics are 3-for-5 and Jeff Green has the past 5 points, including a 3-pointer to force a Denver timeout. Green has a game high 16 points off the bench while Courtney Lee has 15 for Boston.

End of third quarter, Nuggets 78-70: The Nuggets end the quarter on a 23-10 run as everything seemingly went their way while the Celtics missed shots they hit in the first half. After a 21-point first quarter, the Nuggets have 57 in the past two and the Celtics were 6-for-19 from the field in the quarter. The Celtics need a push from Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who have a combined 18 points.

Third quarter, 2:51, Nuggets 73-67: The game is slowly slipping away because the Celtics have no answer for Ty Lawson or Danilo Gallinari, who have combined for 15 points in the quarter and Gallinari has hit two 3-pointers. The Celtics are 6-for-15 shooting in the quarter and after combining for 24 points in the first half, Courtney Lee and Avery Bradley have 3 in the quarter.

Third quarter, 6:00, Nuggets 62-60: The Celtics are playing well but they are letting the Nuggets stay close at the free throw line. The Nuggets are getting some calls while the Celtics have attempted four free throws all evening. Danilo Gallinari just hit a 3-pointer off a fastbreak for a 2-point Denver lead and the Nuggets are 5-for-12 from the 3-point line.

Halftime, Celtics 50-49: Courtney Lee drains a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer to give the Celtics the lead in a first half they mostly controlled. The Nuggets have played well in spurts but the Celtics are hitting shots consistently and have gotten a combined 24 from Lee and Avery Bradley. Danilo Gallinari leads Denver with 13 points but has received some generous calls on forced shots while Ty Lawson has 12. Denver has also stayed close by hitting four 3-pointers.

Second quarter, 1:30, Celtics 48-45: The Celtics are using strong defense and crisp ball movement to stay ahead. And Paul Pierce only has 3 points but Jeff Green has contributed 6 off the bench as the Celtics are shooting 52.5 percent.

Second quarter, 4:39, Tied at 39: The Celtics have led by as many as 9 points but the Nuggets are on a 12-3 run as they have picked up the pace. Andre Miller has burned the Celtics for 10 points off the bench while Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee have teamed for 22. Brandon Bass has seven rebounds in less than 14 minutes.

First quarter, 2:33, Celtics 20-14: The Celtics are shooting 56.3 percent from the field and appear comfortable in the altitude, especially Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee, who have combined for 10 points. The Nuggets look flat and uninterested, missing 13 of 19 shots. The Celtics have hurt themselves with three turnovers already.

First quarter, 5;00, Celtics 16-11: The Celtics are playing a probably a faster pace than they'd like to but they are 7-for-13 shooting and Avery Bradley is off to a fast start with 6 points. Denver isn't playing much defense so far but Danilo Gallinari is keeping the Nuggets close with 9 points.

Final: West 143-138: The game lacked real suspense at the end. The Eastern Conference made a couple of runs but Chris Paul with 20 points and 15 assists was brilliant while Kevin Durant led all scorers with 30 points. Carmelo Anthony finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds for the East. Kevin Garnett played just six minutes and finished with three rebounds and one assist. East coach Erik Spoelstra gave his rival forward plenty of rest.

End of third quarter, West 108-104: The game is moving along pretty uneventfully. Kevin Garnett has not played since the first quarter and his night appears done. Kevin Durant leads the Western Conference with 24 points as they are shooting 54.7 percent while Dwyane Wade leads the East with 21. Carmelo Anthony has 17 points and LeBron James has 18. Chris Paul has 11 points and 13 assists. Durant is the early favorite for MVP.

Halftime, West 69-65: Kevin Durant leads all scorers with 19 points and Blake Griffin has 12, all on dunks as the West shot 56.4 percent and scored 48 points in the
[paint, a testament to the lack of defense. Dwyane Wade has 12 for the East while LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have 10 apiece. Kevin Garnett played those six first-quarter minutes with three rebounds and an assist. Chris Bosh has shot three airballs and is 2-for-7 shooting. Not a good night so far.

End of first quarter, West 31-26: It's a pretty typical all-star game with high-flying dunks and spectacular plays, save two airballs by Chris Bosh that drew boos from the Toyota Center crowd. Kevin Durant leads the West with 7 points while Chris Paul has 3 points and four assist. For the East, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony each have 7 and no other East player has more than two.

Kevin Garnett played six first-period minutes with three rebounds and one assists and missing both of his shot attempts.

Finally folks were about to tipoff. Don't expect Kevin Garnett to play a lot of minutes. He mentioned prior to the game that he may play six or seven minutes. All the intros and anthems are done and we'll update the game after every quarter.

Second quarter, 2:55, Bulls 32-30: It's an ugly game for the Celtics, who are 2-for-15 shooting in the quarter and have dipped to 30.6 percent after a sparkling first quarter. The Bulls are at 45.2 percent but have committed 10 turnovers. The combination of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Avery Bradley are 5-for-19 shooting. The bench is combined 1 of 6.

Second quarter, 5:43, Celtics 30-27: The Bulls are playing tighter defense and the Celtics are 2-for-10 shooting in the quarter and are shooting 35.5 percent, still they lead. The Bulls are 12-for-27 shooting but have eight turnovers. Carlos Boozer has 7 points for Chicago while Marco Bellinelli has 5. Avery Bradley leads the Celtics with 8.

Second quarter, 9:27, Celtics 27-22: Bulls on a 5-0 run after the Celtics took a 10-point lead. The Celtics are going a little too fast and the Bulls are picking up the pace with their fastbreak. Taj Gibson delivered a two-handed stuff off a break, causing Doc Rivers to call timeout. Kevin Garnett returns to the game after a 10-minute rest.

End of first quarter, Celtics 24-15: The Celtics are leading despite shooting 42.9 percent from the field and getting 2 point from Kevin Garnett. Jeff Green is his aggressive self with 6 points in seven minutes while Brandon Bass has 6 points and seven rebounds, Carlos Boozer has 5 points for Chicago.

First quarter, 3:59, Celtics 18-9: The Celtics are on a 12-2 run, playing hard defense and getting a spark from Brandon Bass, who has 6 points and four rebounds. Jeff Green and Jason Collins were the first Celtics off the bench. The Celtics are shooting 47.1 percent (8 of 17) and are outrebounding the Bulls 9-5.

First quarter, 8:09, Bulls 7-6: Both teams look really rusty or tired, having missed 9 of 14 total shots, including two airballs. Carlos Boozer just completed a three-point play while the Celtics have three players with baskets. The Celtics have to avoid foul trouble with such a short bench.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

Greetings and salutations, faithful Internet traveler, from TD Garden, where the Celtics and Chicago Bulls are scheduled to throw down, basketball style, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

This is the last game for each team before the All-Star break, and each team could use a breather. The Celtics have lost three players to season-ending injuries in 16 days, and Chicago has had every starter except Richard Hamilton miss time over the last 3 1/2 weeks.

Derrick Rose is out. Kirk Hinrich (elbow) has missed the last six games and he's out, too. Joakim Noah said he'll play with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger, and Leandro Barbosa are all out for the season.

Chicago, of course, is coached by former Celtics assistant and defensive wiz Tom Thibodeau. His team is giving up 91.9 points a game, the third fewest in the league.

Projected Starting Lineups.
Boston Celtics (27-24)
PG Avery Bradley
SG Courtney Lee
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
C Kevin Garnett

Chicago Bulls (30-21)
PG Nate Robinson
SG Richard Hamilton
SF Luol Deng
PF Carlos Boozer
C Joakim Noah

TV/Radio: CSN, WEEI (93.7)

Pregame notes:

• The Celtics had won seven straight games before losing to Charlotte Monday.
• Chicago has dropped four of its last six games.
• The Bulls are the only NBA team to boast a better road record (15-9) than home record (15-12).
• Chicago has won eight of its last 10 games against the Celtics.
• The Celtics and Bulls have split their last six games at the Garden.

Final: Bobcats 94-91: Bobcats end game on a 7-0 run as the Celtics missed several open shots. They were 7-for-20 shooting in the fourth quarter and didn't score for the final 2:14. But the more serious news is the status of Leandro Barbosa, who injured his left knee in the third quarter.

Fourth quarter, 14.3, Bobcats 94-91 The Celtics stopped scoring and Kevin Garnett missed the potential go-ahead jumper, Kemba Walker was fouled and hit two free throws. Celtics ball. Ramon Sessions put the Bobcats ahead with a jumper with 25.7 seconds left.

Fourth quarter, 34.2, Celtics 91-90: The Celtics were up 4 points with the ball but Kevin Garnett missed a jumper and Gerald Henderson came back with a 3-pointer. Another empty possession for the Celtics and now the Bobcats have the ball.

Fourth quarter, 2:46, Celtics 89-85: The game's intensity has picked up dramatically as the Celtics keep staving off Bobcats runs. Charlotte took a 1-point lead on a Gerald Henderson layup before a 3-pointer by Jason Terry -- his third -- and Kevin Garnett's spinning turnaround jumper in the face of Bismack Biyombo for the 4-point lead. Garnett has 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 18 points.

Fourth quarter, 7:35, Celtics 82-77: After watching their teammate Leandro Barbosa go down, the Celtics have played with more energy and Jason Terry and Jeff Green have hit consecutive 3-pointer while Kevin Garnett followed with a 19-foot jumper and he now has a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

End of third quarter, Bobcats 75-72: The Celtics give up 33 points in the quarter as Byron Mullen continues his career night with 25 points and 14 rebounds while Kemba Walker has 16 points. But that doesn't compare to the potential serious injury sustained by Leandro Barbosa, who took a hard tumble after a missed shot and was carried off the court without placing pressure on either leg.

Third quarter, 5:43, Bobcats 60-59: Charlotte has come with more energy and the Celtics are having trouble with the length of Byron Mullens, who has 10 points and 13 rebounds while Kemba Walker has added 14. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have a combined 16 points while Jeff Green (11 points) just came back into the game.

Halftime, Celtics 48-42: Doc Rivers played Paul Pierce 13 minutes, Kevin Garnett 11 minutes and Jason Terry 11 minutes, so it's a good sign they are up 6 points. The bench has combined for 22 points, including 11 by leading scorer Jeff Green. Byron Mullens leads Charlotte with 13 and Kemba Walker has 10.

Second quarter, 5:23, Celtics 40-36: The bench has played most of the quarter and Jeff Green has delivered 11 points in 11 minutes while Chris Wilcox contributed a thunderous dunk. Kevin Garnett is about to return to the game after a long rest. Byron Mullens has 13 points and Kemba Walker has added 7.

Second quarter, 8:35, Celtics 35-29: Doc Rivers is going with the benchin the second quarter and they have had success, especially Jeff Green, who has 8 points in seven minutes. The Celtics are shooting 52.2 percent while only committed three turnovers so far.

End of first quarter, Celtics 26-24: A pretty clean first quarter for the Celtics, who shot 52.6 percent and got 6 points in six minutes from Kevin Garnett and 4 points in eight minutes from Paul Pierce. Byron Mullens scored the first 10 points for Charlotte and finished the quarter with 11. Ramon Session has 4 points off the bench.

First quarter, 5:50, Bobcats 16-14: The Celtics are slipping on defense, having allowed Byron Mullens to score 10 points while the Bobcats has scored two layups in a row. They are shooting 58.3 percent (7 of 12) from the field. The Celtics are 5 of 9 and Kevin Garnett has 6 points and has drawn two fouls on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

First quarter, 8:50, Celtics 8-7: The Celtics are off to a solid offensive start but they need to do something about Byron Mullens, who has all 7 of Charlotte's points, including a dunk putback, layup and 3-pointer. He is showing all facets of his game.

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

CHARLOTTE -- Well it's the day after. The day after the Celtics won their seventh consecutive game with a triple-overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, snapping their nine-game winning streak. Tonight's matchup with the 11-39 Bobcats counts just as much and Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he will play all of his players, despite the heavy minutes logged by Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry.

STARTING LINEUPS
BOSTON CELTICS (24-23)
PG Avery Bradley
SG Courtney Lee
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
C Kevin Garnett

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (11-39)
PG Kemba Walker
SG Gerald Henderson
SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF Byron Mullens
C Bismack Biyombo

Officials: Rodney Mott, Marat Kogut, Scott Wall

TV/radio: 7 p.m. Comcast SportsNet / WEEI 93.7 FM

Pregame notes:

• The triple-overtime win over the Nuggets was the fourth time the Celtics played at least two overtimes, tying the franchise record set in the 1950-51 season.

• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Celtics are the first time in NBA history to win six or more consecutive games, losing six in a row and then win at least six in a row.

• Paul Pierce played 54 minutes Sunday against Denver, tying a career high and became the oldest NBA player to ever record at least 20 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Larry Bird was three weeks younger than Pierce when he recorded his triple double in 1992.

• Since returning from a left ankle sprain, Charlotte forward Byron Mullens is averaging 15.7 points per game, including 20 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

• The Celtics are fifth in the league in points allowed per game since Jan. 1 with 93.8 They were 17th through the season's first two months.

Final: Celtics 118-114: Jason Terry is the hero with a steal from Andre Miller and then makes a layup at the buzzer for the final margin. Paul Pierce finishes with 27 points. 14 rebounds and 14 assists while Kevin Garnett added 20 points and 18 rebounds and Terry finishes with a season-high 26. Ty Lawson finishes with 29 points but none in the third overtime. Danilo Gallinari had 18 and 10 rebounds while Andre Miller pitched in with 15 off the bench. Seventh straight win for Celtics. Nuggets win streak stopped at nine.

Third overtime, 2:19, Celtics 113-110: Celtics score first 4 points of OT and Denver counters with next 3. Kevin Garnett comes back with his third basket of the third OT and Denver calls timeout. Nuggets ball.

Second overtime, 5.2, Tied at 107: Paul Pierce works the clock down but hits a stepback 3-pointer for the tie. And as usual tonight, it is being reviewed. It stands. Crazy game.

Second overtime, 18.9, Nuggets 107-104: Kevin Garnett ties the game with a jumper and Paul Pierce draws shooting foul but only hits one of two with 32.5 left, Ty Lawson, who is unstoppable tonight, comes back with 18-footer. Celtics ball.

Second overtime, 1:01, Nuggets 103-101: Jeff Green hits a runner and then makes a steal and tries to go for tying score but loses ball. Celtics awarded ball but officials are reviewing once again. Celtics ball officially.

Second overtime, 2:30, Nuggets 103-99: The iron has been unkind to the Celtics, who are 16-for-53 shooting since halftime. Open shots are going in and out while Denver continues to push the pace. The Nuggets have 22 fastbreak points.

End of first overtime, Tied at 99: Ty Lawson tries a 25-footer at buzzer that clangs off rim. Celtics get stop to force second overtime. Great time so far.

Overtime, 23.8. Tied at 99 Jeff Green hits a corner 3-ball to tie it, Denver ball. Each team has 2 timeouts.

Overtime, 1:30. Nuggets 99-96 The Celtics suddenly can't but a shot, evidenced by missing three on the same possession. Andre Miller just hit a 18-footer to give Denver its biggest lead of the game. Kevin Garnett is 5-for-18 shooting tonight. Celtics ball.

End of regulation, Tied at 92 Jason Terry misses a 30 footer at buzzer and we're headed to overtime.

Fourth quarter, 0.8, Tied at 92 Officials award Denver ball after review and Ty Lawson hits hurried runner with 0.8 left. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 3.6, Celtics 92-90 Wow, well Jeff Green hits a go-ahead jumper with 47.9 left and Kenneth Faried gets fouled by Paul Pierce and misses first of two FTs and intentionally misses second, Celtics awarded ball but it's being reviewed.

Fourth quarter, 1:27, Tied at 90 The Nuggets took their first lead of the game on a Ty Lawson jump shot with 1:43 left but Jason Terry sank a technical free throw to tie it again. The Celtics gained possession but Paul Pierce fumbled the ball out of bounds. After review, Celtics ball off JaVale McGee.

Fourth quarter, 2:34, Celtics 89-87 The Nuggets are on a 7-2 run to get close again, sparked by Andre Miller, whose 11 points and three assists are deceiving. He has been more important than that shows. Jason Terry has 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting while Avery Bradley has 13 but the Celtics need to get some easy shots. Depending too much on the perimeter.

Fourth quarter, 5:58, Celtics 87-80 Boston on a 9-2 run with baskets from four players, including a corner 3-pointer from Avery Bradley. Kevin Garnett just hit a midrange jumper from the baseline to force Denver into a timeout. The Celtics are now 3-for-10 shooting in the quarter.

Fourth quarter, 9:53, Tied at 78 The Celtics fell asleep and can't make a basket while Andre Miller has sparked Denver's 8-0 run to begin the quarter with a gorgeous ball fake and layup. He has 9 points. The Celtics have stopped running and Doc RIvers may be forced to go back to Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley, who are on the bench.

End of third quarter, Celtics 78-70 The Celtics are winning this game from the 3-point line, hitting nine of 17 so far and Paul Pierce and Jason Terry each have four. This is one of Terry's better games of the season as he is hitting the open shot and spreading the floor. The Nuggets are led by Ty Lawson, who has 19 points while Corey Brewer is the only other Nugget in double figures with 11.

Third quarter, 5:10, Celtics 69-58: The Celtics have used 10 points in a row by Paul Pierce to extend the lead to 11. Pierce has 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists while Kevin Garnett has 8 points and nine rebounds. Ty Lawson is leading the Nuggets with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Avery Bradley has helped out with 10 points and four assists while Jason Terry just hit a jumper off the fastbreak for his 12th point.

Halftime, Celtics 50-46: Nuggets end the half on a 10-4 run and are back int he game after the Celtics led by as many as 11. The Celtics committed eight turnovers in the quarter, most of them of the sloppy variety. Jason Terry leads the Celtics with 10 points and Paul Pierce has 9. Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried each have 8 for Denver.

Second quarter, 2:46, Celtics 46-36: The Celtics have caused 10 Denver turnovers and are making good court decisions in building a 10-point lead. Paul Pierce has 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 17 minutes. Denver is shooting 41 percent and is 2-for-10 from 3-point line.

Second quarter, 5:36, Celtics 40-33 : Second quarter, 5:36, Celtics 40-33 : Kevin Garnett just ended a 6-0 Denver run with a layup and was fouled by Danilo Gallinari. Garnett has missed some open jumpers but already has six rebounds. Jason Terry has sparked the Celtics with 10 points, exceeding his season average. Corey Brewer leads Denver with 7 points and two steals

Second quarter, 8:59, Celtics 33-27 : The Nuggets are showing some life after their starters were unproductive. Andre Miller came off the bench for a 3-pointer while Corey Brewer has scored 5 points in the quarter. The Celtics are making some silly mistakes and poor decisions on the fast break. Jason Terry has 7 points in seven minutes.

End of First quarter, Celtics 29-19 : The Celtics shoot 52.4 percent, convert three 3-pointers and get points from eight players as they look to maintain a comfortable lead over the Nuggets. Denver sliced the deficit to 3 after the Celtics scored the first 12 points of the game, but Boston ended the quarter on a 15-8 run. Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley have 6 for the Celtics while Ty Lawson has 6 for Denver.

First quarter, 5:46, Celtics 14-11 : The Celtics actually scored the first 12 points of the game while Denver had five early turnovers. But the Nuggets have warmed up in the cold weather and scored 9 straight points to cut deep into the lead. Ty Lawson has 4 points for the Nuggets. The Celtics are led by Paul Pierce with 6 points and Avery Bradley with four. The Celtics are playing at a fast pace, let's see how it affects their depth.

First quarter, 9:20, Celtics 5-0: Paul Pierce opens the game with a 3-pointer and Kevin Garnett adds a jumper. Denver has missed its first four shots with two turnovers. The Celtics are 2-for-6 shooting.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Two historic rivals looked to turn back the clock Thursday night at TD Garden, but only one team kept pace as the Celtics ran away to a 116-95 win.

Already leading 58-44 at halftime, the Celtics dropped a 37-point third quarter on the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to blow the game wide open. Paul Pierce, Boston's leading scorer in the game, scored 12 of his 24 points in the period as the Celtics extended their lead to 26 points heading into the final frame. Pierce briefly dueled with Kobe Bryant, who scored 27 for the visitors, but the game was too lopsided to bring back memories of the NBA Finals series these teams played in 2008 and 2010.

With a turnaround jump shot with 8:09 remaining in the 2d quarter, Kevin Garnett reached 25,000 points for his career. He's 16th on the NBA's scoring list, behind Jerry West (25,192). Garnett's path to 25,000 was delayed a bit Thursday when he picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter defending Lakers center Dwight Howard. With the milestone Garnett became the only player in NBA history with 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 blocks, and 1,500 steals.

The Lakers made just 17 of 45 shots (38 percent) in the first half as the Celtics built their lead. Inept Lakers offense was countered by an adept Celtics attack. The Celtics made 51 percent of their shots from the field and had 13 assists to just two turnovers. Only foul trouble -- the Celtics committed 16 -- and eight offensive rebounds for the Lakers showed as blemishes for the home team.

Howard was a gametime decision but did start, and early on it looked as if he'd be a handful, drawing fouls on Garnett, Jason Collins, and Chris Wilcox. But Howard didn't look himself, finishing with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 turnovers before fouling out.

Former glory was the story of the evening, but coming into the night both teams had been playing very well. The Lakers had won seven of eight, while the Celtics extended their win streak to six games with the victory.

2:12 4th quarter, Celtics 109-86:Now we get the real Gino.

3:18 4th quarter, Celtics 107-84: Fab Melo has checked into the game. Might as well be Gino checking in.

5:07 4th quarter, Celtics 105-80: Dwight Howard has fouled out of the game with 9 points and 9 rebounds. He made 1 of 6 free throws.

9:46 4th quarter, Celtics 99-71: Almost to 100. Imagine Pierce is done for the night. Garnett can't be far behind.

End 3d quarter, Celtics 95-69: The Celtics haven't played this well in..I can't remember when. Avery Bradley is everywhere with his defense. Pierce is unconscious from the field. What a show.

3:35 3d quarter, Celtics 79-63: Pierce is taking over. He's got 19 points, seven in this quarter.

5:52 3d quarter, Celtics 70-57: Garnett has 15 points and 5 rebounds. Pierce has 12 points and 6 rebounds. It will be interesting to see if Jeff Green can come in and be as effective he was in the first half.

9:06 3d quarter, Celtics 60-48: Bryant is making some impossible shots with Lee draped all over him. Good defense by Courtney.

Halftime, Celtics 58-44: Great half offensively for the Celtics, who finish with 13 assists and two turnovers. They're shooting 51 percent.

On the defensive end there's a lot of good. The Lakers are shooting 38 percent, though they've got seven offensive rebounds and have gotten lots of extra chances. There's also the issue of foul trouble. Collins and Wilcox have three fouls. Pierce, Garnett, and Bass each have two.

2:01 2d quarter, Celtics 55-40: The Celtics have turned the ball over only once. Now if only they could fix their fouling problem.

3:02 2d quarter, Celtics 51-40: Jeff Green is being aggressive taking the ball to the basket, and it's working. He's got 11 points. This is some of his best basketball of the season.

5:41 2d quarter, Celtics 43-34: Garnett's got his 25,000 points. Fitting that he did it with a turnaround jumper, with 8:09 remaining in the quarter, over Earl Clark.

Jared Sullinger is in the building watching the game.

10:26 2d quarter, Celtics 33-25:KG is back in the game and making his presence known. He's got two quick baskets.

Avery Bradley walked back to the locker room with team doctor Brian McKeon between quarters. Bradley just walked back to the bench.

End 1st quarter, Celtics 27-24: Paul Pierce is Boston's clear MVP so far. He's got 10 points and 4 rebounds. Chris Wilcox gave the Celtics some good energy off the bench with two offensive rebounds. He was wide open in the middle on one play and couldn't handle a hot pass, a reminder that his thumb is still not quite right.

Kobe Bryant has 8 points and 6 rebounds for the Lakers.

2:08 1st quarter, Celtics 23-20: So much for fouls not catching up to the Celtics. Jason Collins now has three. Chris Wilcox in the game, he's got two.

5:20 1st quarter, Celtics 14-11: Paul Pierce is being a jack-of-all-trades again this evening. He's got 6 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound. He found Jason Collins on a nifty drive to the hoop that drew Howard and left Collins wide open. The Lakers have not attempted a free throw since putting the Celtics over the limit.

9:25 1st quarter, Celtics 4-2: Dwight Howard draws two quick fouls on Kevin Garnett and another on his sub, Jason Collins. The Celtics have five total fouls and are over the limit already.

10:17 1st quarter, Celtics 4-2: Courtney Lee starts the game on Kobe Bryant, while Avery Bradley covers Steve Nash.

Pregame: It's official: Dwight Howard is starting at center for the Lakers tonight.... The Celtics honored Doc Rivers on the plane home from Toronto Wednesday night by presenting him with the game ball. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett stood up and said a few words. ...There's more media embedded with the Lakers here at TD Garden than covering the Celtics. What a circus. ... It's Steve Nash's 39th birthday today.

Final: Celtics 99-95 The Celtics outscore the Raptors 30-16 in the fourth quarter, hit 9 of 11 free throws and commit only two turnovers to win their fifth straight game without Rajon Rondo. Kevin Garnett scored 11 of his season-high 27 in the final quarter to seal the victory. The Raptors were 7-for-22 shooting in the final period and the combination of Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry were a combined 2 of 13 from the field.

Fourth quarter, 9.8, Celtics 99-93 The Celtics force a Rudy Gay miss and chase down the rebound. Courtney Lee hits both free throws. Raptors ball.

Fourth quarter, 17.6, Celtics 97-93 Rudy Gay makes a tip-in shot and the Celtics nearly gave them the ball back after a terrible Paul Pierce shot, but DeMar DeRozan bobbled a pass out of bounds. Jeff Green hits one free throw when fouled on the inbounds pass. Raptors ball.

Fourth quarter, 46.6, Celtics 96-91 Kevin Garnett just scored his 27th point and the Celtics have a two-possession lead in a stirring comeback after trailing by 10 to begin the quarter. Leandro Barbosa has 14 for the Celtics while Paul Pierce has 12 but has played stellar defense on Rudy Gay in the fourth quarter.

Fourth quarter, 3:12, Celtics 90-87 Paul Pierce is 2-for-10 from the field but he has drawn two offensive foul calls on Rudy Gay in the past three possessions. The Celtics are on a 21-8 run in the quarter and the Raptors are 4-for-13 shooting in the quarter with four turnovers. Kevin Garnett has missed a couple of shots (7 to be exact) but he has been stellar with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Leandro Barbosa with 12 off the bench.

Fourth quarter, 5:50, Celtics 86-85 This is turning into a thriller as the Celtics keep pushing the pace and scoring on Toronto's defense. Leandro Barbosa has 10 of his 12 points in the quarter.

Fourth quarter, 9:50, Raptors 79-76 Celtics show life with a 7-0 run to begin the quarter. They are giving the Raptors only one shot on offense while they are pushing the pace and creating easy baskets. Jason Terry just scored on a pull-up 12-footer to force a Toronto timeout.

End of third quarter, Raptors 79-69 Toronto ends the quarter with a 25-10 run, causing turnovers with pressure defense. The Celtics were 6-for-17 shooting in the quarter with five turnovers. Rudy Gay has 23 points on 7-for-15 shooting while three other Raptors have 13.

Third quarter, 4:02, Raptors 69-65 Toronto is on a 15-6 run and the Raptors are simply out-hustling the Celtics, getting to loose balls, grabbing offensive rebounds while Kyle Lowry has scored 8 points in the quarter, including a 28-footer to even the game at 65.

Third quarter, 6:31, Celtics 61-60 The Celtics are losing control here as the Raptors keep chipping away and Kevin Garnett just picked up his fourth foul. Toronto has scored 11 second-chance points to Boston's 2 while the Celtics have attempted just six shots in 5:29 because of turnovers.

Halftime, Celtics 50-45 The Celtics survived a foul-prone first half and their starters stepped up to outscore Toronto 30-22 in the second quarter. Kevin Garnett has his "A" game going tonight with 14 points and six rebounds, taking advantage of his matchup with Aaron Gray. Paul Pierce has 10 and Courtney Lee added 11. Andrea Bargnani, back after missing two months with a torn elbow ligament, had 11 for the Raptors while Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan have 10. The Raptors shot just 40 percent in the second period.

Second quarter, 2:31, Celtics 42-39: Doc Rivers grew tired of the officiating and picked up a technical foul from Brett Barnaky. Rivers kept arguing until guard Avery Bradley told him to cool it. The Celtics are shooting 53.1 percent and have a combined 23 points from Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee but are allowing the Raptors to attempt far too many free throws. DeMar DeRozan is about to step to the line for the fifth and sixth time tonight.

Second quarter, 8:52, Raptors 32-31: The Celtics are getting into foul trouble, having three players with two fouls. The Raptors have been whistled for just five fouls and have attempted 13 free throws to the Celtics' 5. Courtney Lee has 11 points for Boston. Andrea Bargnani has 7 off the bench for Toronto.

End of first quarter, Raptors 23-20: Courtney Lee has been the story for the Celtics, he is 4-for-5 while Kevin Garnett is 3-for-3 in six minutes. The rest of the Celtics are 3-for-11 shooting. The Raptors are 7-for-15 from the field but have attempted 10 free throws to Boston's zero. Rudy Gay leads Toronto with 8 points.

First quarter, 2:57, Raptors 17-14: The Raptors are on a 9-2 run as they continue to push the ball and get free throws or fastbreak points while the Celtics have grown cold from the field with Kevin Garnett on the bench. Garnett is 3-for-3 from the field while the rest of the Celtics are 4-for-11. Rudy Gay already has 6 points and DeMar DeRozan has 4.

First quarter, 7:20, Celtics 10-6: Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass have teamed for the Celtics' 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting for the team. The Raptors are 2-for-6 from the field and newcomer Rudy Gay has 4 points.

Final: Boston 106, Clippers 104
Well, the Celtics have won four straight, improving their record to above .500 (24-23), but they nearly gave this one away. After a late run by the Clippers, Paul Pierce hit a filthy, cold-blooded step-back 3-pointer with 2.5 left to sick the dagger in this game. The shot gave Pierce a game-high 22 points. Jamal Crawford hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make the final margin what it is. Still, it's worth remembering that the Celtics led this one by 19.

Fourth quarter: 3:44, Boston 100, Clippers 96
The Clippers are on a 13-2 run and have nearly come back from being down by as many as 19 points in this game. The Celtics haven't scored in a long while and could use a bucket to stop the bleeding. This game is also getting much more chippy.

Fourth quarter: 5:27, Boston 100, Clippers 94
The Clippers have used an 11-2 run to cut Boston's lead down. The Garden crowd is definitely getting a little anxious. All the momentum is with the Clippers, who are relying on their starters, namely Eric Bledsoe (20 points) and Blake Griffin (20 points.) Boston has been lacking a go-to guy in these final moments. Kevin Garnett is back into the game with 5 fouls. We'll see how this finishes up.

Fourth quarter: 9:12, Boston 98, Clippers 86
A hectic sequence, but the Clippers are coming on strong, finally. Eric Bledsoe has a season-high 20 points to lead them, followed by 18 from Caron Butler and 16 from Blake Griffin. Kevin Garnett picked up his fifth foul and then was hit with a technical for jawing with Matt Barnes. Can the Celtics hang on? Or will this be another debacle like their loss in Atlanta?

End of the third quarter: Boston 92, Clippers 77
So, Jeff Green buried a corner trey to put Celtics up 17. But then Jamal Crawford banked in a trey from the top of the key. Well, to match that difficult shot, Leandro Barbosa hit a trey from the right wing that bounced around the rim a few times, then bounced out and hit the backboard before falling in. You don't see a shot like that even in a game of H-O-R-S-E. Barbosa added a hanging jumper in the lane as the buzzer sounded. He’s got 14 points. The Celtics have done it from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of their 14 3-pointers. Another important category is bench scoring, where the Celtics are outscoring the Clippers, 50-13.

Third quarter: 1:35, Boston 84, Celtics 70
The game has slowed down as the foul calls have picked up. No real sense of flow for either team. The Celtics have been getting more production from their second unit. Heck, Jason Collins has 7 points, besting his previous high of 4. Paul Pierce has 18 to lead the C's, and the C's other two double-digit scorers are off the bench, as Jason Terry and Jason Green each have 11 points. The Cel

Third quarter: 4:32, Boston 74, Clippers 58
An unusual sequence, as Eric Bledsoe barreled through a Jason Collins pick as Paul Pierce buried a 3-pointer. Collins knocked down the ensuing free throw to cap the rarely-seen four-point play. The Celtics followed that up with a transition layup by Leandro Barbosa, who has 8 points. Barbosa's layup put the Celtics lead back to 19 and brought the Garden to its feet.

Third quarter: 6:17, Boston 68, Clippers 53
Three players already have four fouls: Kevin Garnett, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers are in the bonus, but they're also not a great free-throw shooting team. (We're looking at you, Jordan.) Offense has been stagnant for both teams, but the officials are starting to call this one pretty tight.

Third quarter: 8:48, Boston 64, Clippers 48
The Clippers had a hot start to the third quarter, with a dunk from Blake Griffin and a 3-pointer from Caron Butler. Meanwhile, Avery Bradley missed an easy two-handed slam for the Celtics. An omen? Not quite. Brandon Bass followed that up with a midrange jumper and Paul Pierce just snuck in for an offensive rebound that he turned into a 3-pointer.

Halftime: Boston 59, Clippers 40
The Clippers scored just 10 points that quarter. At halftime, they have 16 made baskets and 15 turnovers. Could they play worse? Sure. They did lose by 25 on Friday. And remember: This Clippers team is without Chris Paul. That said, the Celtics are playing great basketball. They're sharing the ball, as 10 Celtics have scored, and six of them have six points. Bench scoring: Celtics 32, Clippers 5. Plus, the Celtics defense has really locked down. We'll see if they can keep it up in the second half.

Second quarter: 1:25, Boston 53, Clippers 40
Great ball movement by the Celtics led to an easy one-handed slam by Kevin Garnett down low. He has 6 points. The Clippers answered with a dunk on the other end by DeAndre Jordan, who has four dunks. He has 9 points. Clippers have 16 baskets and 14 turnovers.

Second quarter: 3:14, Boston 51, Clippers 36
Jason Terry just canned a 3-pointer in transition to give the Celtics their biggest lead of the day. The Clippers are 3-of-13 from the floor this quarter with 8 turnovers. Not good at all for Lob City's chances. The Celtics are continuing to get a balanced effort, with 28 bench points; the Clippers have just 5 bench points.

Second quarter: 6:28, Boston 45, Clippers 32
The Celtics defense has been fantastic this quarter, holding the Clippers to just 2 points so far. The Clippers also have 12 turnovers, which have resulted in 17 Boston points. A couple rough fouls so far, but they've been called on the Clippers. Ten Celtics have scored, and eight of them have at least 4 points.

Second quarter: 8:41, Boston 37, Clippers 30
The Clippers have yet to score this quarter. You can credit the Celtics defense for that -- and also some sloppy offense by the Clippers, who could clearly use Chris Paul. The Clippers have 10 turnovers, the Celtics have two. Boston has also received 17 points from its bench, while the Clippers have only 3 points from their reserves.

End of the first quarter: Boston 33, Clippers 30
A high-scoring first quarter. Boston is shooting 59 percent and the Clippers are shooting 60 percent. The Celtics have been trying to run and gun again. Whoever rebounds it has kicked it to an outlet man to start the break. Overall, their ball movement has been crisp, and it's why they're leading the Clippers right now. The Celtics bench has also contributed; four reserves have scored, and two have 4 points. Blake Griffin has 8 points, as does DeAndre Jordan, to lead the Clippers.

First quarter: 3:52, Boston 25, Clippers 23
The clearly-more-athletic Clippers have five dunks, three from DeAndre Jordan. But the Celtics have been patient on offense, chipping away methodically for buckets. This has been a pretty physical game, but the officials aren't calling it as tight as they did early.

First quarter: 5:56, Boston 17, Clippers 17
Another alley-oop slam by the Clippers, this time DeAndre Jordan, who has 5 points. Caron Butler has been an issue for the Celtics; he has 8 points and has hit 3 of his 5 shots. All of the Celtics starters have scored. Will be interesting to see what happens when these teams go to their second units.

First quarter: 8:00, Clippers 14, Boston 1
The folks from Lob City posted three early dunks to take a 11-6 lead, but the Celtics answered back with a corner 3-pointer from Courtney Lee and, later, a baseline jumper from Kevin Garnett. The refs are calling this one close so far.

And were moments from tipoff here at the Garden, where the Clippers (34-14) will take on the Celtics (23-23) this Sunday afternoon. We'll have live updates throughout the game, so stay tuned to the blog. And be sure to check out tomorrow's Globe for full coverage.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

The Celtics have won three consecutive games, all without Rajon Rondo, and the latter two without Jared Sullinger; both of those guys are out with season-ending injuries. Boston's bench has come up big lately, with 39, 50 and 43 points, respectively, in those three wins.

But, as I wrote in Sunday's Globe, this is also a big test for the Celtics' new small-ball scheme. We'll see how they fare against the Clippers, who, even without Chris Paul (knee), will offer the Celtics their stiffest test yet since Rondo and Sullinger went down.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS.
BOSTON CELTICS (23-23)
PG Avery Bradley
SG Courtney Lee
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
C Kevin Garnett

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (34-14)
PG Eric Bledsoe
SG Willie Green
SF Caron Butler
PF Blake Griffin
C DeAndre Jordan

TV/Radio: CSN, WEEI (93.7)

Pregame notes:

• This is the second of two meetings; the Clippers won at home, 106-77, on Dec. 27.


• This is the third of an eight-game road trip for the Clippers, who suffered their worst loss of the season, a 98-73 defeat, on Friday in Toronto.


• The Clippers are plenty banged up: Chris Paul is expected to miss his seventh straight game with a bruised right kneecap; Jamal Crawford is questionable after suffering a broken nose against the Raptors; Griffin is suffering a sore left ankle; and Chauncey Billups is out with tendonitis in his left knee.


• The Clippers went into the weekend leading the league in steals and opponents' turnovers.

Final: Boston 97, Magic 84
The short-handed Celtics win their third straight -- all without Rajon Rondo -- to improve to .500 (23-23) after learning earlier in the day that rookie forward Jared Sullinger (back surgery) is lost for the season. The Celtics had five players score in double figures, led by 17 from Jeff Green off the bench. Paul Pierce posted his third straight double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds -- and Pierce also had 7 assists. Orlando (14-32) has lost eight straight games and 19 of 21 since Dec. 19. The Magic had four players score in double figures, and Nikola Vucevic had a double double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Fourth quarter: 2:38, Boston 92, Magic 77
We're almost done here. Just a few more ticks of the clock to go. Quite a few Celtics fans are leaving the Garden early to beat traffic. They're missing the season debut of Fab Melo.

Fourth quarter: 5:05, Boston 86, Magic 67
...And Fab Melo still hasn't checked into the game, which tells you pretty much all you need to know. He's a raw talent and the Celtics aren't in any rush to use him. But the unit they've been using lately -- Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Jeff Green, Courtney Lee and Jason Terry -- has been awfully effective. Celtics have five in double figures, led by 15 off the bench for Green, who has thrown down several nasty dunks tonight.

Fourth quarter: 8:20, Boston 82, Magic 63
The Magic have been jacking up awful shots for much of the night, and it's now starting to catch up to them. They're shooting 33 percent from the floor. Boston, on the other hand, is shooting 52 percent, and the Celtics are running and gunning for easy transition baskets. The Celtics also have three players off the bench in double figures, led by 13 from Jeff Green. This oen appears over.

End of the third quarter: Boston 72, Magic 59
The Celtics closed the quarter on a 15-5 run to make the margin what it is. They're really pushing the tempo -- much like we saw against the Kings -- and Leandro Barbosa has been out in front. He has 8 points. Paul Pierce has a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds...and he also has 7 assists. If he nabs another triple double, it would be his second in three games. J.J. Redick has 15 points to lead the Magic.

Third quarter: 1:54, Boston 66, Magic 56
Leandro Barbosa added a layup in traffic, and Jason Terry followed that up with a transition layup to give the Celtics back their double-digit lead. The Magic have started to fold on offense, with sloppy possessions ending up in turnovers. Plus, Jameer Nelson left the game with a left forearm contusion and he will not return.

Third quarter: 3:47, Boston 62, Magic 54
Brandon Bass grabbed a rebound that he shouldn’t have been able to grab, then pump-faked a few times in traffic beneath the basket before throwing down a two-handed slam. That’s your play of the night so far for the Celtics. Boston followed that up with a short jumper by Paul Pierce, and then a thunderous one-handed driving slam by Jeff Green, who has 9 points off the bench, including two dunks.

Third quarter: 5:54, Boston 55, Magic 49
Avery Bradley has a pair of buckets to help give Boston a bit of breathing room. We're seeing the Celtics expend a tad more energy now that they're lead has shrunken to single digits. They're mostly staying with the ir starting unit, except for Garnett, who's catching a breather on the bench.

Third quarter: 8:07, Boston 51, Magic 43
The Celtics had some ugly possessions to start the third quarter, and as a result the Magic started chipping away at their lead. Courtney Lee was flattened by a screen set by Nikola Vucevic, and Lee went down pretty hard, but he ultimately stayed in the game.

Halftime: Boston 46, Magic 35
The Celtics take a double-digit lead into the locker room, but they've really only played well in spurts. They sleep-walked into this game and still look half asleep, as they could be beating the Magic by 20 if not more. Kevin Garnett has 10 points and 5 rebounds to lead the Celtics. Paule Pierce has 5 points and 8 rebounds. The Celtics are shooting 49 percent (20 for 41) from the floor. Nikola Vucevic has 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Magic, who are shooting 33 percent (15 for 46) from the floor.

Second quarter: 1:29, Boston 45, Magic 33
Jeff Green posted consecutive buckets in transition -- a two-handed slam, a nifty up-and-under layup -- that forced Orlando to take a timeout. The Celtics are just now getting back to that transition style that they had against Sacramento. We'll see if it keeps up.

Second quarter: 3:07, Boston 41, Magic 30
Nikola Vucevic has been impressive for Orlando, posting a double double (11 points, 10 rebounds) in the first 18 minutes of this game. But the Celtics continue to stay out in front by double digits. KG is 5 of 7 from the floor and has 10 points and 5 rebounds. The Celtics have 15 bench points and are shooting an even 50 percent from the floor (18 for 36).

Second quarter: 6:11, Boston 35, Magic 24
The Magic are putting up a lot of bricks: 1 of 11 from 3-point range, 10 of 34 from the floor overall. They're trying to play small ball -- and it isn't working. The Celtics, meanwhile, are starting to pick up some steam. They're shooting 47 percent (15 of 32) and KG has hit 3 of his 5 shots.

Second quarter: 8:15, Boston 29, Magic 22
The Celtics went with some pieces of their second unit -- Jeff Green, Chris Wilcos, Leandro Barbosa, Jason Terry -- and they held down the fort while the starters caught a blow. The Magic look like a pretty terrible team without Glen Davis and Aaron Afflalo. Kevin Garnett just checked back into the game and sank one of his midrange jumpers.

End of first quarter: Boston 25, Magic 18
It took the Celtics until nearly the end fo the first quarter, but they finally started to exert a little energy. J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee exchanged 3-pointers. And then Jason Terry got into the act with a trey of his own. Terry added another bucket to give him a team-high 7 points off the bench. The Celtics ended the quarter on a 10-2 run. Nikola Vucevic has 7 points to lead the Magic.

First quarter: 5:53, Magic 11, Boston 7
The Celtics are playing some U-G-L-Y basketball. They've got a pair of turnovers, are 3 of 12 from the floor and still look like they're asleep/in mourning for Jared Sullinger.

First quarter: 7:19, Boston 7, Magic 6
The Celtics missed their first six shots before Brandon Bass sunk a mid-range jumper. That said, they're still 3 of 11 from the floor. Not the hot start they were hoping for. The Magic are without Gled Davis (broken left foot) and Aaron Afflalo (strained left calf).

And were moments from tipoff here at the Garden, where the Magic (14-31) will take on the Celtics (22-23) this Friday evening. We'll have live updates throughout the game, so stay tuned to the blog. And be sure to check out tomorrow's Globe for full coverage.

Final: Boston 99, Kings 81
That's all she wrote from the Garden. The Celtics had six scorers in double figures, led by 16 from Paul Pierce. Their largest lead was 28. Tyreke Evans led the Kings with 19. The Celtics improve to 22-23, the Kings fall to 17-30.

Fourth quarter: 2:50, Boston 95, Kings 78
It's not quite Gino time yet, but it's close. Some fans are heading toward the exits. The Murphy's "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is playing over the speakers. We're about done here.

Fourth quarter: 5:44, Boston 90, Kings 75
The Celtics are basically milking this lead and the clock. Paul Pierce added a nice job shot to keep it fresh. Chris Wilcox added a put-bad layup after a KG miss. The Kings haven't exactly thrown in the towel. They're still pressing the issue, even down 15 late.

Fourth quarter: 9:30, Boston 84, Kings 67
We're still in blowout territory here, and the Celtics are slowly but surely extending their lead with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett back on the floor. Leandro Barbosa was also hit with a Flagrant 1 for a hard foul on Tyreke Evans. It appeared to be an unintentional clothesline on Barbosa's part while Evans was driving to the basket.

Third quarter: 1:46, Boston 77, Kings 54
The Celtics once-enormous lead has started to slim down a little bit with their true second unit -- Collins, Green, Bass, Barbosa and Terry -- into the game. Their defense has also had some lapses, so much so that Doc has called a timeout to rally the troops. What the Celtics need to do is close this quarter out strong to have some momentum entering the fourth.

Third quarter: 5:17, Boston 74, Kings 46
The Celtics track meet continues, with this squad pushing the ball up the court at a break-neck pace, leaving the younger Kings in the dust. The combination of Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee has, so far, been a pretty potent one. They each have 9 points.

Third quarter: 10:17, Boston 64, Kings 38
The Celtics have been extending their 21-point halftime lead with more of what helped them build that lead in the second quarter: transition play. They're moving the ball up the court very well (and very quickly) with the pass, and that has led to open shots. They're also working the ball around a lot on offense, and that has led to open shots.

Halftime: Boston 59, Kings 38
Boston was hot that quarter, hitting 14 straight shots at one point, and they turned a two-point deficit at the start of the quarter into a 21-point lead at halftime. Impressive. The Celtics are shooting 62 percent from the floor (25/40) and Kevin Garnett has a game-high 11 points. Jason Thompson has 10 points to lead Sacramento.

Second quarter: 3:04, Boston 51, Kings 36
The Celtics are shooting the lights out, hitting all 13 of their shots this quarter thus far. They're also on a 29-12 run, most of which has come from turning defensive stops into easy (or easy-ish) transition baskets.

Second quarter: 6:25, Boston 41, Kings 31
A Jason Terry baseline jumper has given the Celtics a double-digit lead, its largest of the night. The Celtics are really running and pushing the ball in transition. And it has been effective, even against a much younger squad in the Kings. We'll see if it keeps working.

Second quarter: 9:45, Boston 30, Kings 26
Six straight points from Jeff Green, and an alley-oop slam from Kevin Garnett (via Leandro Barbosa) has put the Celtics back on top. A strong push from this squad once its starters checked back into the game. Also, some guy wearing a Yankees cap was shown on the Jumbotron and the Garden fans gave him the business, if you catch my drift.

End of first quarter: Kings 24, Boston 22
So much for that hot Celtics start. When the second units checked into the game for both teams, the Kings took charge. Marcus Thornton has seven points to lead the Kings. Kevin Garnett has a game-high 9 points on 4-of-4 shooting.

First quarter: 2:07, Boston 20, Kings 18
Well, the Kings have made a game of this when the second units checked into the game. Also news: Jared Sullinger is getting treated for back spasms. The Celtics say he's likely to return to this game.

First quarter: 6:58, Boston 13, Kings 4
The Celtics have gotten off to a hot start behind Kevin Garnett, who has 9 points. They've been moving the ball up the floor pretty well so far with Courtney Lee and Avery Bradley. Also, Jared Sullinger appears to have tweaked his right leg. He just asked out of the game and went to the locker room. We'll update you as soon as we have something to report.

And were moments from tipoff here at the Garden, where the Kings (17-29) will take on the Celtics (21-23) this Wednesday evening. We'll have live updates throughout the game, so stay tuned to the blog. And be sure to check out tomorrow's Globe for full coverage.

Final after double overtime: Boston 100, Miami 98
Shane Battier missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Celtics held on for the win, which snaps their six-game losing streak. Paul Pierce records a triple double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. LeBron James had a game-high 34 points.

Second overtime: 5.1 seconds left, Boston 100, Miami 98
Jason Terry made a layup with 54.9 seconds left to pull the Celtics to within 1. Dwyane Wade missed a jumper and Paul Pierce canned a mid-range jumper with 30.4 seconds left to give the Celtics a 1-point lead. Pierce made 1 of 2 free throws after being fouled.

Second overtime: 1:02 left, Miami 98, Boston 95
LeBron James drove down the lane and finished a difficult layup while drawing a foul. He made the additional free throw. Celtics timeout.

Second overtime: 2:05 left, Boston 95, Miami 95
Rajon Rondo came out of the tunnel to watch the second overtime near the Celtics' bench, and the Garden gave him a loud cheers when he was shown on the video screen above the court. The Celtics could use him. Chris Bosh made an easy dunk inside to tie the score.

End of the first overtime: Miami 93, Boston 93
Kevin Garnett pulled the Celtics back into this game with a pair of buckets to tie the score. Boston's defense was strong at the very end, as Miami had two shots to win the game, but both were heavily contested, especially Dwyane Wade's jumper as the clock neared zero. We're headed to another overtime.

Overtime: 1:59 left, Miami 93, Boston 89
LeBron James bulled through Jason Terry for an easy layup down the middle of the lane. On the other end, Boston turned it over, and James, who has taken over this game late for Miami, scored again on a put-back beneath the basket. Timeout Celtics. James has a game-high 31 points.

Fourth quarter: 7 seconds left, Boston 87, Miami 87
LeBron James hits a 3 to tie the score with 7 seconds left. Jason Terry misses a shot at the buzzer. We’re going to overtime.

Fourth quarter: 21.2 seconds left, Boston 87, Miami 84
Jason Terry knocks down two free throws. Miami ball.

Fourth quarter: 25.1 seconds left, Boston 85, Miami 84
Kevin Garnett buried a long two-point jumper with 59.9 seconds left to give the Celtics a 4-point lead. Miami came up empty on its next possession, but then Boston turned it over and Ray Allen just knocked down a corner 3. Timeout Boston.

Fourth quarter: 3:00, Miami 80, Boston 79
LeBron James took Jeff Green one-on-one and settled for a fadeaway jumper that fell through the net to put the Heat up by 1. This is likely going to be Miami’s offense for the rest of the game: LeBron-on-five. Timeout Celtics.

Fourth quarter: 5:00, Boston 77, Miami 75
Paul Pierce ducked under a pair of defenders and sank a layup to put the Celtics back up 2. Boston’s defense, coupled with some wide-open misses by the Heat, has helped keep the Celtics in this game late, and they’re clearly feeding off the crowd.

Fourth quarter: 8:24, Boston 73, Miami 72
Jeff Green buried a corner 3-pointer to bring the Celtics to within on, and then, after LeBron James missed a 3, Leandro Barbosa scored on a put-back layup, giving Boston the lead and bringing the Garden to its feet.

Fourth quarter: 9:58, Miami 70, Boston 68
Ray Allen answered a layup by Jason Terry with a layup of his own, and then each team proceeded to enter a dry spell. As we’re winding down here, the physicality is starting to build. Expect a lot of free throws late.

Fourth quarter: 12:00, Miami 68, Boston 64
LeBron James hit a pair of jumpers near the end of the third quarter to give his team a 4-point cushion heading into the fourth. And it was in that third quarter that the Celtics announced a crushing blow: Rajon Rondo is out for the season with a torn ACL. We'll have much more on this as soon as we can.

Third quarter: 6:00, Boston 60, Miami 57
Avery Bradley gave the Celtics a 3-point lead earlier on a layup, but Miami trimmed that lead and eventually the score was tied again. But Bradley just knocked down a nothing-but-net trey from the right corner to put Boston up by 3 again. He has 9 points. The Garden is starting to show some real life.

Third quarter: 8:43, Boston 52, Miami 51
Paul Pierce left the game with what appears to be a right shoulder injury. He was briefly examined by team trainer Ed Lacerte before going back into the game to knock down a pair of free throws and give the Celtics a lead.

Halftime: Miami 45, Boston 45
The Celtics made a strong push at the end of the first half with defense and its bench, especially Leandro Barbosa, who has 7 points. Jared Sullinger has 5 points and 3 rebounds, but he’s playing with a lot of energy and has been a nuisance in the paint for the Heat. Kevin Garnett has 9 points to lead the Celtics. Chris Bosh has a game-high 12 points and LeBron James has 10. James and Dwyane Wade, who had eight points, have struggled, have combined to hit just 7 of their 18 shots. Each team is shooting 46 percent from the floor. It will be interesting to see if the Celtics can play with the same kind of energy that they displayed near the end of the first half or if Miami will impose its will.

Second quarter: 2:46, Miami 40, Boston 38
Jared Sullinger and Rashard Lewis got tangled up underneath the rim after Sullinger scored, and the officials called a technical foul on each player. It’s the first technical foul for Sullinger, a rookie. After the basket, it appeared that Lewis more or less had Sullinger in a weak headlock. Sullinger did not appreciate this.

Second quarter: 4:06, Miami 38, Boston 36
A loose ball foul on LeBron James brought some cheers out of a fairly quiet Garden crowd. A three ball by Leandro Barbosa, a jumper by Green and some stops on defense have helped keep the Celtics in this.

Second quarter: 5:39, Miami 37, Boston 31
The Celtics had cut to two before the Heat stretch their lead, capped by a pair of free throws for Wade, who has eight points on 3 of 7 shooting.

Second quarter: 8:52, Miami 31, Boston 25
Each team has 18 points in the paint, but the Celtics, who have played rather spirited without Rajon Rondo (out with a hyper-extended right knee), have not been able to retake the lead with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the bench. Still, the Celtics are getting some production from its second unit to keep the score close.

First quarter: 3:06, Miami 20, Boston 15
Chris Bosh has 10 points for Miami and has knocked down 5 of his 6 shots. Ray Allen checked in at the 4:39 mark, shortly after the Celtics played a nice tribute video to the former Boston guard. The Garden crowd gave Allen a standing ovation after the video finished playing, but there were plenty of scattered boos.

Pregame: Coming to you from TD Garden, where the Celtics (20-23) play host to the Miami Heat (28-12) and Ray Allen, who makes his first return to the Garden since leaving the Celtics last year. We'll be filing live updates throughout, so stay tuned to the blog for in-depth coverage.

A quick update: Doc River announced before the game that Jared Sullinger will be starting today in place of Brandon Bass. This is Sullinger's fourth overall start and first since Nov. 9.

By Baxter Holmes, Globe Staff

The free-falling Celtics have dropped six straight and just blew a 27-point lead to Atlanta. They're quickly losing their grip on the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference -- the last available playoff spot, mind you -- and their coach is short on solutions.

So, what perfect timing for a showdown with the reigning champions and a homecoming rematch of last season's epic Eastern Finals showdown, a series that may seem like yesterday for Miami fans but certainly feels like eons ago for Celtics faithful.

Oh, and Ray Allen is back in town.

STARTING LINEUPS

BOSTON CELTICS (20-23)
PG Rajon Rondo
SG Avery Bradley
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
PF Kevin Garnett

MIAMI HEAT (28-12)
PG Mario Chalmers
SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James
PF Udonis Haslem
C Chris Bosh

TV/RADIO: 1 p.m. ABC / WEEI (93.7)

Pregame notes:

• Allen is returning to Boston for the first time since he left the team to sign with the Miami Heat last offseason. The man fondly known as "Jesus Shuttlesworth" joined Boston in 2007, played in two Finals and won one with the team, but he did join a team that has ended the Celtics' season in each of the last two seasons. Expect mixed reactions from the Garden when Allen's name comes over the loudspeaker.
• This is the second of four meetings between these clubs this season. Led by 29 points from Wade and 26 from James, the Heat took the first game in Miami, 120-107, in the season opener Oct. 30. Allen scored 19 off the bench.

Final: Hawks 123-111:Yep. It happened. The Celtics blew a 27-point lead in the first half and then a 10-point lead with four minutes left in regulation and ran out of gas in double overtime. The Celtics seemed doomed right now and Miami comes to town on Sunday.

Second overtime, 3:21, Hawks 112-107: You wondered when the Celtics were going to run out of gas and it looks like they have. Josh Smith scores on a putback and a free throw and Al Horford scores on a short jumper following Kevin Garnett fouling out. Celtics ball.

End of first overtime, Tied at 107: Paul Pierce has been struggling all night but Doc calls his number again against Josh Smith and his jumper is partially blocked. Double overtime. Pierce is 3-for-11 shooting with 10 points. He has 4 points since halftime.

Overtime, 23.6, Tied at 107: The Celtics just stepped up their defense and held the Hawks scoreless for two consecutive possessions. They just forced a Devin Harris jumper to beat the shot clock. Rajon Rondo gets the rebound on the floor and calls timeout before he can be tied up. Celtics ball.

Overtime, 2:11, Hawks 105-103: Avery Bradley gives the Celtics a 3-point lead with a 3-pointer but the Celtics allow two consecutive layups and then a Josh Smith free throw.

End of regulation, Tied at 98: Hawks give ball to Josh Smith, who misses contested layup as buzzer sounds. Celtics lucky foul wasn't called. OT.

Fourth quarter, 3.7, Tied at 98: Rondo misses a runner. A jump ball is called and Hawks gain possession.

Fourth quarter, 29.2, Tied at 98: Kevin Garnett missed a banked hook shot off the glass while Devin Harris has the ball fly out of his hands on a drive. Celtics ball.

Fourth quarter, 1:00, Tied at 98: With a chance to build on a 2-point lead, the Celtics opt for 3-pointers by Paul Pierce and Jeff Green. Both miss badly. Al Horford ties the game with two free throws. Celtics ball. Celtics will be out of fouls on next foul. Hawks have foul to give.

Fourth quarter, 2:24, Celtics 98-96: A 10-point lead is now down to 2 because the Celtics refuse to guard Kyle Korver, who just hit his eight 3-pointer of the half as the Hawks refuse to go quietly. Celtics ball. Korver has 27, 24 in the second half.

Fourth quarter, 8:02, Celtics 81-80: The Celtics are just trying to survive as Kyle Korver has scored 15 second-half points, all on 3-pointers. The Hawks are 14-for-25 (56 percent) shooting in the second half while the Celtics are 10-for-24 but with eight turnovers.

End of third quarter, Celtics 73-69: Only these Celtics could blow a 27-point first half lead. The Hawks began the third quarter with a 21-2 run to tie the game but the Celtics offense, after going more than six minutes stuck on 59, scored 14 points in the final 5:03. Now can they stop Atlanta's momentum? The Hawks shot 11-for-19 from the field with four 3-pointers in a 31-point quarter.

Third quarter, 5:03, Celtics 62-59: It appears the Celtics felt like they had this one won. They have been terrible in the second half while the Hawks have canned three 3-pointers and began the half with a 21-2 run. The Celtics were actually leading 48-21, so the run was 38-11 over two quarters. This is typical Celtics.

Halftime, Celtics 57-38: The Hawks ended the half on a 17-9 run to make it more respectable but the Celtics have been sparkling otherwise. They shot 52.5 percent, received 13 points from Jeff Green and 8 points and five rebounds from Kevin Garnett. Jeff Teague has been a one-man show for Atlanta with 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting.

Second quarter, 4:09, Celtics 48-27: The Hawks are on a 6-0 run and the Celtics have made the comeback easier by putting them in the bonus for the final 7:14 of the period. The Celtics have been sparkling, shooting 52.9 percent from the field with just three turnovers. Jeff Green and Courtney Lee have combined for 20 points.

Second quarter, 8:46, Celtics 39-17: The Celtics took a 25-point lead when Jason Terry pulled up for a 3-pointer off the fastbreak. They are still in command but have to watch out for a lull. Jeff Teague leads the Hawks, who are shooting 24.1 percent, with 5 points. Jeff Green already has 10 off the bench in eight minutes.

End of first quarter, Celtics 29-10: The Celtics end the quarter on a 13-0 run as the Hawks look completely disinterested in competing tonight. They are 4-for-23 shooting while the combination of Devin Harris and Jannero Pargo are 0-for-7 off the bench. Josh Smith has four missed free throws and a technical foul.

First quarter, 2:33, Celtics 18-10: The Celtics have been impressive defensively, holding the Hawks to 4-for-20 shooting. But Atlanta has helped by missing all six 3-point attempts. Rajon Rondo is in takeover mode with 8 points on 4-for-4 shooting and Paul Pierce has added 4 points.

First quarter, 6:14, Celtics 14-5: Boston is on a 10-0 run as it is forcing the Atlanta big men into making plays and they are failing miserably. The Hawks are 2-for-10 shooting and haven't scored in three minutes. Rajon Rondo has hit shooting game ready with three jumpers while Kevin Garnett is 2-for-2 with three rebounds.

First quarter, 9:38, Hawks 5-4: The Celtics are trying to get off to a better start here than they did on Jan. 5 when they fell behind 17 points in the first half. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo each have a bucket for Boston.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Rajon Rondo turned in a triple-double performance but the Celtics shot the ball poorly in an 89-86 loss to the New York Knicks Thursday night at TD Garden.

Rondo's 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists were not enough to overcome his team's 41 percent shooting from the field. To their credit, the Celtics came out with some of the same kind of energy they displayed in a 102-96 win over the Knicks on Jan. 7. Unlike in that game, however, the Celtics did not shoot 53 percent from the floor. On Thursday night the Celtics shot 38 percent from the field in the first quarter. Paul Pierce was 2 of 7. He had two key turnovers down the stretch that cost the Celtics a chance to pull closer in the game's final minutes.

The Celtics were 0-7 in home games when trailing entering the fourth quarter this season, and Thursday night was no different. Pierce had 19 points in the first half but scored just three points the rest of the way. He shot 6 for 15 in the game and was 1 of 5 from 3-point range.

Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 28 points. Kevin Garnett had 8 points and 12 rebounds. Coming into the night the Knicks had lost 13 straight at TD Garden. The Celtics, who have lost five in a row, are right back at it tomorrow night when they take on the Atlanta Hawks on the road.

1:11 4th quarter, Knicks 89-84: Celtics bring help to Jeff Green, who is guarding Anthony. Knicks swing the ball around and get a wide open 3-pointer from J.R. Smith.

2:58 4th quarter, Knicks 86-82: Great bailout drive by Rondo to get to the line. If he going to provide the scoring the Celtics need?

5:37 4th quarter, Knicks 82-76: Rondo gets his triple double all in one motion, grabbing a rebound and starting the fast break that leads to an easy score on the other end. The Celtics need points, stat.

8:23 4th quarter, Knicks 80-70: Doc Rivers trying to stop the bleeding with a timeout, but the Celtics just can't put the ball in the basket. Paul Pierce has one point after halftime.

10:12 4th quarter, Knicks 75-68: Carmelo Anthony hits a 3-pointer, and the Celtics might be in trouble. Anthony leads all scorers with 24 points.

End 3d quarter, Knicks 72-66: The Knicks closed out the quarter strongly to take a six-point lead. Rajon Rondo is flirting with a triple-double (13 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists). Paul Pierce scored just one point in the third quarter.

3:16 3d quarter, Knicks 65-61: Celtics going with a super small lineup of Terry, Rondo, Lee, Green, and Sullinger.

strong>5:52 3d quarter, Tied at 57: Rajon Rondo, who is playing very well, just cost his team four points by passing up a layup in favor of a too-cute pass. Amar'e Stoudemire got a dunk out of it on the other end.

8:31 3d quarter, Celtics 53-52: We're at the same pace we were to start the game, though shots aren't falling as freely. Celtics pushing the ball, though.

Halftime, Knicks 50, Celtics 48: Paul Pierce has a sneaky 19 points in 17 minutes of play. He got off to a poor shooting start, but he's clearly not done yet. He's been to the line seven times.

Anthony leads the Knicks with 13 points.Garnett has 5 points and 9 rebounds.

2:53 2d quarter, Celtics 40-39: This is getting fun. Kevin Garnett has nine rebounds. He also had a sweet block on Anthony, pinning the ball against the backboard.

5:29 2d quarter, Celtics 33-31: The Celtics aren't shooting any better, but they're back in this game thanks to better defense. Avery Bradley closed out to a 3-point shooter in the corner, than ran down to the block to strip Tyson Chandler of the ball. The kid is everywhere.

8:47 2d quarter, Knicks 29-24: The Knicks are making a run without Anthony in the game. Amar'e Stoudemire has 5 points and 5 rebounds. The Celtics are shooting 33 percent from the field.

End 1st quarter, Celtics 24-20: Big lull for the Celtics in the middle of the quarter, but they got back into it with defense to end the period. The Celtics are giving only late help to Jeff Green on Carmelo Anthony. It worked to perfection on the last play as Sullinger stepped up and altered Anthony's layup attempt, then swatted the ball away as time expired.

2:59 1st quarter, Tied at 16: Things have slowed down considerably for the Celtics with Garnett off the floor. Pierce is out, too, which is a good thing. He's already 2 for 7, continuing his recent shooting woes.

4:47 1st quarter, Celtics 16-13: I like the aggressiveness from the Celtics out of the gate. They've got five assists and no turnovers. Rajon Rondo, who has four of those assists, is making it happen.

10:18 1st quarter, Celtics 4-0: Good start for Paul Pierce, who has a jumper and a layup out of the game. Loud jeers for Carmelo Anthony as he and Kevin Garnett went one-on-one early.

Pregame: Don't expect to see many cereal-related products on television tonight. Word is they're being confiscated at the door. Both teams are warming up in blue "NBA Fit" shirts, which makes it look like the Knicks are warming up against the Knicks.

James White is starting for the Knicks tonight because, according to coach Mike Woodson, the Celtics are "small."

Funny anecdote before the game. Former Celtics and current Knicks center Rasheed Wallace popped into the Celtics locker room, yelled "J GREEN!" to Jeff Green, and then left. Oh, Sheed.

Final: Cavaliers 95-90: It's gotten worse as the Celtics allowed Kyrie Irving scored 15 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter and the Celtics made just 11 shots in the second half. Pierce, Rondo and Garnett missed a combined 30 shots.

Fourth quarter, 52.0, Cavaliers 90-87: Kyrie Irving is winning this game for Cleveland, scoring on a streaking layup for a 3-point Cleveland lead. The Celtics have been awful offensively in the second half missing 27 of 37 shots.

Fourth quarter, 2:30, Cavaliers 84-83: The Celtics commit their 10th turnover of the half and Kyrie Irving's backhanded layup puts Cleveland ahead despite being 12-for-35 from the field in the second half. The Celtics are 10-for-35 and have missed some easy shots. Paul Pierce is 3-for-14 from the field.

Fourth quarter, 5:59, Celtics 79-76: This game has turned into a battle of attrition with neither team taking advantages of opportunities to take control. The Celtics have committed nine turnovers in the second half while Paul Pierce has missed eight of 11 shots, although he has six assists and six rebounds. Rajon Rondo is two assists from a triple double but it won't matter if the Celtics don't seal this win.

End of third quarter, Celtics 73-70: The Celtics had a 7-point lead and a chance to build on it but didn't score for more than three minutes and were saved by a Courtney Lee 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left to regain the lead. The Celtics are playing much better defense but are breaking down at key times.

Third quarter, 1:38, Celtics 70-66: The Celtics were on the verge of creating some real distance but have come up empty for a couple of possessions while the Cavaliers slowly climb back into the game. Kyrie Irving has 25 points but just 6 since the first quarter. Tristan Thompson has 19 and seven rebounds. The Cavaliers are 5-for-19 shooting in the quarter. Rajon Rondo has 13 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists for the Celtics while Kevin Garnett has 12 points.

Third quarter, 6:30, Celtics 64-58: Avery Bradley has canned back-to-back 3-pointers from the baseline -- a great sign for Bradley -- as the Celtics are beginning to play strong defense. The Cavaliers are 2-for-13 from the field and Kyrie Irving has scored 6 points since the first quarter. He still has 25.

Halftime, Cavaliers 54-53: It was Kyrie Irving in the first quarter and Tristan Thompson in the second. Thompson scored 12 points in the second quarter as the Celtics refuse to defend the pick-and-roll. They are scoring with relative ease but Thompson and Irving have combined for 39 points while Luke Walton has 7 off the bench as Cleveland shot 50 percent. Rajon Rondo has 13 points for the Celtics and Kevin Garnett has 10. Jared Sullinger has nearly a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Second quarter, 7:04, Celtics 39-37: Well what do you know? The Cavaliers take Kyrie Irving out of the game and the Celtics make a run. Jared Sullinger is comfortable back home in Ohio with 8 points in nine minutes. Kevin Garnett has 8 points and Paul Pierce has 7.

End of first quarter, Cavaliers 31-27: The storyline has been Kyrie Irving, who has 19 points on 8-for-109 shooting while his teammates are 5-for-12. Luke Walton of all people came off the bench to score 5 points. The Celtics only shot 41.7 percent in the quarter And Rajon Rondo has 10 points but it doesn't make much difference if he gives up 19.

First quarter, 2:55, Cavaliers 24-19: Are the Celtics playing as if their jobs are on the line? Not really. Kyrie Irving already has 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting, scoring with ease against the spotty defense of Rajon Rondo. No other Cavalier has more than 4 points, but it doesn't matter if the Celtics can't stop Kyrie. Paul Pierce has his shooting game back with 5 points on 2-for-2 shooting. Rondo has 8 points and two assists.

First quarter, 4:47, Cavaliers 20-17: Kyrie Irving is torching Rajon Rondo so far with 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting in seven minutes. The Cavaliers are 8-for-13 shooting while the Celtics are 7-for-12. Kevin Garnett has 6 points for Boston.

First quarter, 9:06, Tied at 7: Paul Pierce opens the game with a 3-pointer by Kyrie Irving cans two free throws and Tristan Thompson follows with a jump hook. Pierce has 5 points and Kevin Garnett just added a hoop.

Final: Pistons 103-88 Another awful performance by the Celtics here in the Motor City, Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett lead Boston with 16 points. They shoot 40 percent with 18 turnovers.

Fourth quarter, 5:37, Pistons 89-77 The Celtics have received a total of 33 points from their starters, that's the problem. Paul Pierce has 6 points in 31 minutes and looks either uninterested or tired. Rajon Rondo has a season-high eight turnovers.

End of third quarter, Pistons 81-71 The Celtics were within 55-54 with the ball and then lost all control of the game. Andre Drummond has been a big factor with 14 points and 6 free throw makes after the Celtics have intentionally fouled him four times. Paul Pierce has 4 points in 25 minutes while Brandon Bass has not scored.

Third quarter, 1:23, Pistons 75-69 The Celtics have played poorly in the period, the starters more specifically and the bench is now in relief. The Celtics are pressing and forcing turnovers but they have to convert. Rajon Rondo is 3-for-13 shooting with eight turnovers, a season high.

Third quarter, 8:24, Pistons 61-54 Celtics play good defense two consecutive possessions, force forced 3-point attempts by the Pistons and they hit both. Doc Rivers is frustrated right now. Celtics were within 1 point with the ball but Avery Bradley, who is laboring with the sore ribs, missed a 3-point attempt. Celtics have to rally yet again.

Halftime: Pistons 52-48 The Celtics actually trailed 36-18 and looked ready to mail it in, but they responded with a 30-12 run to even the game at 48 before Brandon Knight scored the last 4 points of the half for the Pistons. Detroit is shooting 51 percent and has made 5 3-pointers while the Celtics are at 38 percent after scoring 30 points in the second period. Courtney Lee and Jeff Green have 12 points while Kevin Garnett has 11. Knight leads the Pistons with 12.

Second quarter, 1:43, Pistons 47-44 The Celtics' bench has been instrumental in their comeback but they need more defensive stops to make it closer. Courtney Lee and Jeff Green have combined for 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting and three 3-pointers. Kevin Garnett has 9 points but no other Celtic has more than 4. Andre Drummond has 8 for Detroit while four Pistons have 7 points.

Second quarter, 7:00, Pistons 38-28 Just like that the Celtics decide to show up and play with passion, scoring 10 quick points, 6 of those on Courtney Lee 3-pointers. The Celtics have also stepped up their defensive intensity. The Celtics are still shooting just 33 percent.

Second quarter, 9:38, Pistons 36-18 The deficit was once manageable and now it's out of control as the Pistons are on a 9-0 run to begin the period, two of those on Andre Drummond alley-oops. The Celtics are in a stupor are once again are playing horribly in Detroit. They are 6-for-26 shooting so far.

End of first quarter: Pistons 27-18 Jeff Green scores 9 points in the period to keep the Celtics close but they are playing terribly so far. The starters have produced nothing in the first period. Tayshaun Prince has 7 points for Detroit.

First quarter: 2:31, Pistons 21-10 The Celtics are trying to climb back into the game but are shooting 3-for-19 from the field and have no points from Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. The Pistons are shooting 8 for 17 and have four players with at least 4 points. Coach Doc Rivers commented on Detroit's scoring balance before the game.

First quarter: 8:10, Pistons 9-2 Here we go again. The Celtics are off to another slow start in Detroit but the good news is Avery Bradley is back in the lineup and scored the first basket.

Final, Bulls win, 100-99: Without Rondo, Doc developed a couple plays for KG and Pierce that ended in points. Then down, 98-97, Terry hit a jumper with 12 seconds left. On the Bulls last possession, Marco Belinelli hit a falling jumper with three seconds left to give Chicago the win. Hamilton finished with 20 points, often using post moves to drain fade-away shots. You have to wonder how different this game would have been had Bradley played. The Celtics, losers of two straight, now go to Detroit to face the Pistons Sunday night.

Overtime, 1:16, Bulls lead, 96-93: Rondo fouls out after vying for a rebound. He was knocked to the ground and fell into Noah. Rondo finished with 30 points, a season-high. Courtney Lee time.

End of regulation, 88-88: The Celtics had their chance to wrap up this game late, but Pierce couldn't gain full possession on an inbound pass as Noah put enough of his hands on the ball for the officials to rule a jump-ball. Noah won it and Hinrich hit a mid-range jumper with two seconds left to send it to OT.

Fourth quarter, 0:22, Celtics lead, 86-85: KG showed up late, getting under Noah's skin and earned a trip to the free throw line because of it. This has been Rondo's game though. Boozer made just one of two free throws with 22 seconds left to keep the Celtics in front.

Fourth quarter, 3:15, Bulls lead, 83-81: It's like Rondo flipped a switch from distributor to scorer. And he's on fire. Rondo has gone 11 for 18 with 28 points, a season high. If the Celtics can get some stops down the stretch, they could squeak out a win.

Fourth quarter, 6:53, 74-74: ESPN couldn't have asked for more from this game. The Celtics, who haven't held a lead, have tied it up on an end-to-end rush from Rondo. Deng re-injured his hamstring and his return is questionable, though unlikely judging by the amount of pain he appeared to be in after aggravating it.

Fourth quarter, 10:06, Bulls lead, 70-68: A run 6-0 run from the Celtics and they suddenly look inspired. Terry running the point. KG finally hitting some jumpers. Comeback?

End of third quarter, Bulls lead, 68-62: How much are the Celtics missing Bradley's on-ball defense as Hamilton continues to tear it up? Hamilton with 16 points so far. Garnett, fresh off his All-Star honors, has just 3 points and 3 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Third quarter, 2:42, Bulls lead, 62-58: Rondo is doing everything he can to keep the Celtics in this game. With Boozer leading the Bulls with 17 points and 15 rebounds, Rondo has been countering Chicago's power with speed and finesse, scoring often on transition. Trying to beat Hinrich, Rondo fell to the court, kept dribbling, got up and popped a bank-shot while getting fouled.

Third quarter, 6:54, Bulls lead, 54-52: Barbosa has been giving the Celtics some energy this quarter, but perhaps too much energy. He missed a pair of lay-ups while trying to force shots through solid defense. And Hamilton has been giving him the business on the other end. Barbosa has four fouls.

End of half, Bulls lead, 45-39: Not too much of a surprise, but the Celtics have been getting most of their points from their guards (Rondo with 12, Lee with 7), while the Bulls are bullying them inside (Boozer with 13 points). Rivers has seemed fairly content with just one or two bigs on the floor, though.

Second quarter, 1:50, Bulls lead, 41-37: If it wasn't for Nate Robinson hitting a couple of 3's, the Celtics would be ahead. Robinson has been running the point for Kirk Hinrich for much of the second quarter. Eight of Rondo's 10 points have come in transition.

Second quarter, 6:36, Bulls lead, 34-27: Lee gave the Celtics 7 points and 5 rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench. Barbosa, an energy guy, hasn't seen the floor since the fourth minute. Rivers is opting to give that time to Lee and Jason Terry. Boozer continues to do work inside, this time beating Jared Sullinger, who went the entire first quarter without committing a foul. He already has two in the second.

End of first quarter, Bulls lead, 23-19: Boozer, Noah and Richard Hamilton have 21 of the Bulls' 23 points. Jason Collins came off the bench in the last two minutes to give the Celtics some more size. It'll be interesting to see how long he stays in the game and how big Rivers wants to go here.

First quarter, 4:10, Bulls lead, 17-12: The Bulls seem content with letting the Celtics take those outside jumpers, almost daring them to drive inside against Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer. And the Celtics haven't been making those shots of late. Barbosa played just four minutes before coach Doc Rivers went to Courtney Lee.

First quarter, 9:00, Bulls lead, 9-4: The absence of Bradley is fairly noticeable early on, as the Celtics have little on-ball pressure. Carlos Boozer is 3 for 3 from the field with six points.

The Celtics gave Leandro Barbosa his first start since Nov. 15 as Avery Bradley sits out with an injury to his ribs.

Final, Hornets win, 90-78: Aminu, Vasquez and Lopez all scored at least 15 minutes and the Hornets defense stymied the Celtics on Wednesday night. The Celtics turned the ball over 15 times. Austin Rivers finished with 8 points, his highest total since Dec. 28. The Celtics host the Bulls on Friday night.

Fourth quarter, 2:35, Hornets lead, 82-71: Every time it looked like the Celtics might pull closer, Vasquez did something to shut them down. The Hornets point guard didn't put on his best performance from behind the arc, but his transition buckets were timely.

Fourth quarter, 7:07, Hornets lead, 74-67: The Celtics need a run here. They're alternating buckets right now and it's not going to be good enough. Doc called a timeout and Sullinger appears ready to enter. Perhaps he can slow down Amino and Robin Lopez.

End of third quarter, Hornets lead, 68-63: With time winding down in the quarter, Garnett, Terry and Courtney Lee moved aside to let Pierce go one-on-one with Rivers. Pierce beat Rivers to his right before getting swarmed, but turned around and drained the fade-away regardless. Pierce then committed a silly foul on Rivers with 0.4 seconds left, bumping the rookie off the dribble and sending him to the line for a pair of free throws. Looks like Rivers has given the Celtics a little extra incentive.

Third quarter, 4:17, Hornets lead, 61-54: With Terry and Sullinger joining Rondo, Pierce and Garnett on the floor, the Celtics were able to slow things down and put together an 11-9 run. Terry has provided a spark, scoring on transition and then draining a 3-pointer to keep the Celtics close. They'll need to find an answer for Amino, who has a game-high 14 points.

Third quarter, 8:47, Hornets lead, 52-43: Three straight turnovers result in points for New Orleans. The Hornets are playing some tight on-ball defense, resulting in a pair of steals as Paul Pierce couldn't shake his defender. Timeout by Doc as the Celtics try to shake off the halftime rust.

End of first half, Hornets lead, 44-43: After the Hornets finished a 12-2 run, Rajon Rondo swung the momentum when he stole a pass, raced the other way and made a spinning, reverse lay-up while taking a foul from Mason. The Hornets are playing some tough defense, though. Even Bradley, who is typically wide open behind the 3-point line, has been getting smothered.

Second quarter, 6:20, Hornets lead, 33-32: Jared Sullinger has been getting some suspect fouls called against him lately, with tonight being no different. He was whistled for his third mid-way through the second when he held his left hand straight in the air to defend a drive from Al-Farouq Aminu. Rivers picked up his second basket on a drive into Kevin Garnett territory. Rivers smartly floated a high jumper over Garnett's long arms. Smart kid.

Second quarter, Celtics lead, 29-22: Hornets guard Brian Roberts has left the game with an apparent left ankle injury. He fell awkwardly after getting fouled on a lay-up attempt and was unable to shoot his free throws.

End of the first quarter, Celtics lead, 25-20: Rivers scored his first field goal in five games on a drive to the hoop where he bumped off Terry and floated in a lay-up. Overall, it was a pretty mellow first quarter, but a strong start from the Celtics. Anthony Davis has been fairly invisible. Bradley has kept Greivis Vasquez quiet.

First quarter, 4:19, Celtics lead, 18-8: Austin Rivers has checked in the game. The TD Garden crowd gave the young fellow a pretty decent roar. Coincidentally, Doc Rivers took defensive-specialist Avery Bradley out of the game and replaced him with offensive-specialist Jason Terry.

First quarter, 6:49, Celtics lead, 11-8: Roger Mason Jr. got the start at shooting guard with Eric Gordon giving his achy knee a rest. The Celtics hit their first four jumpers and Avery Bradley stole the ball and took it end-to-end to give them an early lead. Keep a watch on the battle inside the paint tonight. The Hornets rarely get to the free throw line, but the Celtics have struggled with foul trouble recently and could change that.

Austin Rivers was not in the Hornets starting lineup, though he should see some playing time against his dad's team. The Celtics are looking for their seventh straight win.

By Jason Mastrodonato, Globe Correspondent

WALTHAM – There’s a fine line between father and coach. The line gets finer, if not invisible, when it comes to Doc Rivers’s relationship with his son, Austin.

“Very little [coaching],” Doc said about the advice he gives. “I just tell him to stay aggressive, stay on his game, keep listening and learning. But I’m more of his parent. When he’s doing well, I knock him down. When he’s struggling, I try to boost him up.

“I’m just his parent.”

After being selected out of Duke by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, Austin Rivers has yet to play an NBA game in front of his father.

But Wednesday night, when the Celtics host the Hornets, Doc will finally see his son in action.

Asked if he were looking forward to it, Doc said, “I’m actually not. I don’t even know what I’m looking forward to. It’s not like he’s playing a ton anyway. You never know. But as far as him and being on the floor, that’s a different feeling I still don’t know how to feel about it.”

In 36 games this season, Austin, a guard, has averaged 6.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 turnovers in about 25 minutes of playing time. But he has played less than five minutes in each of the last two games. He hasn’t scored a point in four straight.

“He’s just up and down,” Doc said. “You can see, offensively he’s not as aggressive as he should be, as he was. That’s a typical rookie year. You can see he’s playing in thought. It’s almost like our team early in the year. We kept saying we can’t be athletic until we stop thinking so much. That’s where he’s at right now. He started out struggling, then he went on a nice run. Now he’s struggling again. He’s just having a rookie year.”

Austin may have picked a bad time to run into Dad’s team: The Celtics defense is playing as well as it has all year during a six-game winning streak, allowing a little more than 85 points per game.

“That part won’t change,” Doc said. “We still want to defend, there’s no doubt about that. But it is a different dynamic. My wife and some of the kids are coming in and all these people want to come in to the game, I don’t even know how to deal with that. It’s just different.

“We talk every day. He’s still your son. He’s going to be my son during the game, before the game, after the game. None of that is going to change.”

Final, Celtics win, 100-89: The Celtics have won their sixth straight. The Bobcats had some offensive firepower, but couldn't put together a consistent attack against this Celtics defensive unit that has allowed less than 100 points for the seventh straight game. Rondo finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He turned the ball over just twice. The Celtics will host Austin Rivers and the Hornets on Wednesday.

Fourth quarter, 2:46, Celtics lead, 92-83: Rondo has a triple-double, his third of the season and 26th of his career. The past three games might sum up Rondo as a player: Even when he's off, he's productive. Then when he's on...

Fourth quarter, 3:36, Celtics lead, 89-81: Rondo is having one of those nights. This time, he leads the Celtics on a 9-0 run, assisting on three baskets and scoring on the other. With 15 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, he's close to a triple-double. Rivers is leaving Rondo in for this one.

Third quarter, 2:13, Celtics lead, 72-64: In his seventh game of the year, Avery Bradley finally looks comfortable at the 3-point line. He was four for 19 (21 percent) from downtown before Monday. He's four for seven in this game, including a huge trey to give the Celtics a 7-point cushion after the Bobcats had went on a run.

Third quarter, 7:48, 58-58: In each of the last three games there's been a stretch where the Celtics have been caught napping. The Bobcats opened the half with a 9-0 run against the Celtics starting unit.

End of first half, Celtics lead, 56-45: Celtics are spreading the ball around with four players at 9 points or more. Jared Sullinger hasn't played much, with three fouls in just five minutes. The starters have done much of the work as they continue to frustrate the young Bobcats, who have collected a flagrant foul and a technical foul thus far.

Second quarter, 5:48, Celtics lead, 42-32: Kevin Garnett was mugged by Gerald Henderson and lost his cool for a second, needing to be held back by his teammates. Henderson was called for a flagrant and Doc Rivers pulled Garnett to the bench once he shot his free throws.

Second quarter, 6:30, Celtics lead, 42-30: Jeff Green has looked more and more comfortable of late and he came out to play tonight. Green has 9 points in nine minutes. He caught the Bobcats napping when he received the ball in the corner of the court and drove to the basket uncontested for a one-handed dunk.

End of first quarter, Celtics lead, 28-18: Rondo with an electric first quarter, scoring 9 points with five assists and six rebounds in 11 minutes. This is the first time in the last two games where the starters put the Celtics out to a big lead, now it's time for the second unit to do its work.

First quarter, 1:28, Celtics lead, 25-15: The Bobcats are among the younger teams in the NBA and they're playing with plenty of speed, but the Celtics are matching it with grit and elegance. They're 11 for 16 from the floor. Defensively, every starter other than Rondo has already blocked a shot. Jason Collins, who hasn't played much lately with a nagging hamstring, has checked in at center.

First quarter, 5:32, Celtics lead, 19-8: Rajon Rondo is responsible for all of the Celtics buckets right now with 7 points and five assists. Before the game he was asked if he would participate in the All-Star Game skills competition and he said he has to first make the All-Star team. Leading the league in assists, that doesn't look like a problem.

The Bobcats won just a single game in the month of December and have just one win thus far in January, but their offense is equally as potent as that of the Celtics, who are looking for their sixth straight win.

Final, Celtics win, 103-91: Paul Pierce (23 points) and Kevin Garnett (17 points) led the Celtics in scoring, but they again got a strong effort from Green, Lee and Sullinger off the bench. The Celtics showed something new in this game, earning a win against a team that thrives off speed and transition buckets. Doc Rivers called his guys old and slow on the road trip, but there was none of that on Friday night. The Celtics will host the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.

Fourth quarter, 5:51, Celtics lead, 92-82: The Rockets went on a 12-0 run thanks to a pair of transition buckets as the Celtics had to get their routine laziness out of the way. Pierce hit a jumper, then stole a pass from Harden and raced down the floor for a lay up, and one, to give Boston the momentum back.

Fourth quarter, Celtics lead, 83-74: Garnet has all five of Boston's points this half. Sullinger exited the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but it's worth wondering whether or not Doc Rivers goes back to him if the Rockets pull closer. Brandon Bass is struggling, with three fouls, one turnover and no points.

End of third quarter, Celtics lead, 78-66: A pretty steady game all-around so far for the Celtics, who have won every quarter by at least three points. The second unit continues to make contributions with 50 points compared to 38 from the starters.

Third quarter, 3:48, Celtics lead, 72-58: The Celtics are doing a better job containing Harden, who has just two points in the second half. Jeremy Lin is keeping the Rockets in this game with transition buckets and pesky defense, holding Rondo to eight points while turning the ball over three times.

Third quarter, 9:15, Celtics lead, 64-47: The truth comes out. Pierce steps up to the 3-point line and casually knocks one down. Then another. Then hits a 10-foot jumper.

Halftime, Celtics lead, 53-45: Sullinger rebound, Sullinger bucket. Rinse. Repeat. Sullinger finished the first half two rebounds shy of a double-double, scoring 14 points and hauling in eight rebounds, turning the ball over just once. Green and Lee made solid contributions from the bench. Stat of the half: Bradley is scoreless on three shots and has a negative-12 plus/minus while he's on the floor. Harden has 13 points and is on his way to his 15th straight game with at least 25 points.

Second quarter, 5:07, Celtics lead, 43-33: The fast-paced, transition offense was supposed to be the Rockets' thing, but Lee and Green have been racing up and down the court. Green with a couple monster dunks again tonight. The Rockets have been getting points with quick ball movement though, and the Celtics will have to tighten that up defensively.

Second quarter, 8:29, Celtics lead, 32-25: Green hits a jumper. Sullinger takes a bad pass from Jason Terry and knocks down a fade-away. Terry dives to save a loose ball and Lee puts away a lay-up. Sensing a theme here? Celtics bench: 20. Celtics starters: 12.

End of first quarter, Celtics lead, 24-21: The Rockets took a 17-8 lead. And then Sullinger, Lee and Green entered. Lee and Green hit a pair of 3-pointers. Sullinger is not only rebounding, but setting up the offense with his movement and ball screens.

First quarter, 3:22, Rockets lead, 17-12: Bradley and Paul Pierce go to the bench with two fouls a piece already. Courtney Lee and Jeff Green take their spots. Jared Sullinger already gave the Celtics a jolt off the bench. Rondo has looked rattled thus far.

First quarter, 6:17, Rockets lead, 11-8: The James Harden-Avery Bradley matchup is surely one to watch, but don't lose sight of Jeremy Lin. Rajon Rondo was out-hustled by Line twice down the floor on transition, including one that resulted in an easy bucket for Lin.

The Celtics look to extend their season-high four-game winning streak against Jeremy Lin, James Harden and the NBA's best offense.

Final: Celtics win, 87-79: Boston won its fourth straight thanks to another fantastic effort from the bench. Doc Rivers got 47 of the team's 87 points off the bench, with Sullinger, Terry and Green each scoring at least 12 in 25-plus minutes. This game was prone to long runs, but sturdy defense and beastly rebounding proved the difference for the home team. The Celtics play their next four games at the TD Garden.

Fourth quarter, 3:21, Celtics lead, 82-73: Sullinger is playing possessed. The rookie has 15 rebounds, smashing his previous career-high of 11, and has clearly gotten into the head of Luis Scola. Scola picked up his fourth foul when he got a little aggressive after Sullinger came down with a defensive board. Celtics should wrap this one up, barring some unforeseen incident, as Larry David would write.

Fourth quarter, 8:45, Celtics lead, 74-66: The fans here just seem to love Jason Terry. Terry drove down on transition, dished to Courtney Lee, then backed up behind the 3-point line. Lee passed it right back, Terry drained the trey and the Garden erupted. Lee then made a nice steal on the defensive end and turned it into two points.

Third quarter, 2:14, Celtics lead 63-60: Rondo finally broke a 17-0 Suns run with a jumper, but it was Sullinger who helped the Celtics regain the lead with a pair of big rebounds and a defensive stop. Sullinger has made his presence felt in 20 minutes of playing time thus far.

Third quarter, 8:31, Celtics lead, 55-52: Celtics looking lazy again, this time caught ball-watching on defense as the Suns passed the ball around with ease before finding Marcin Gortat inside. The Suns are on an 11-0 run.

Halftime, Celtics lead, 53-41: Story of the first half: turnovers. Six different Celtics have collected at least one steal as the Suns have turned the ball over 10 times. The Celtics have just four turnovers. Green has 10 points and a plus-13 point differential when he's been on the floor. Sullinger has 8 points and six rebounds with a plus-17 point differential.

Second quarter, 1:13, Celtics lead 51-41: Rondo and Dudley got into it on an inbound pass, as Rondo set him self up against Dudley's chest before bouncing off to make himself open. Dudley didn't like it, and as Rondo raced down the court with the ball, Dudley gave him a good shove. The officials originally called it a flagrant foul, but took away the flagrant tag after review. Rondo has six assists in the first half.

Second quarter, 4:14, Celtics lead 47-35: The Celtics are on a 14-2 run thanks to some hustle plays by ... ? Bradley and Green, of course. Green is all over the place this quarter as he hasn't come off the court. Rondo with a couple nice assists.

Second quarter, 8:43, Celtics lead, 31-29: Aside from a pair of alley-oops, the Celtics have played about eight straight minutes of solid defense. Jared Sullinger playing his usual game, full of physicality, as he already picked up a pair of fouls. But he's also three for three from the floor.

First quarter complete, Suns lead, 24-23: Jason Terry gave the Celtics a nice spark off the bench, hitting a pair of deep jumpers and faking another before dishing a no-look pass to Brandon Bass, who drained an 18-footer. Solid finish to the first quarter with a 14-9 run, but they'll need to contain Dudley better going forward.

First quarter, 6:46, Suns lead, 14-9: Suns on an 8-0 run. Jared Dudley has scored back-to-back buckets on transition, simply by out-hustling the Celtics back to their defensive end.

First quarter, 10:11, Celtics lead, 6-4: Avery Bradley is bringing the energy, as usual. Bradley sunk an 18-foot jumper to put the Celtics on the board, then leaped over a pair of Suns defenders for an offensive rebound, which he finished with a lay-up.

After serving a one-game suspension, Rajon Rondo is back in the Celtics' starting lineup as they host the skidding Suns.

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

The Celtics return home for the first of a five-game homestand tonight against the struggling Suns. The Celtics have won three consecutive games, holding opponents to 37.5 percent shooting and 84 points. Rajon Rondo, who was suspended for the 102-96 win over the New York Knicks on Monday, is back in the lineup as the Celtics try to forge above .500.

STARTING LINEUPS
BOSTON CELTICS (17-17)
PG Rajon Rondo
SG Avery Bradley
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
C Kevin Garnett

PHOENIX SUNS (12-24)
PG Goran Dragic
SG Jared Dudley
SF P.J. Tucker
PF Luis Scola
C Marcin Gortat

Officials: David Guthrie, Jason Phillips, Josh Tiven

TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. Comcast SportsNet / WEEI

Pregame notes:

• Rondo maintains that he didn't do anything wrong in bumping official Rodney Mott on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. He acknowledges that he has a reputation with the league that needs to improve.

• Jason Collins has been limited by a sore hamstring and Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he was going to try to limit his minutes. He did not play Monday against the New York Knicks.

• Avery Bradley is 14-for-37 shooting since his return to the lineup after missing seven months. He is averaging 7.3 points and 1.6 assists.

• The Suns have lost nine of 10 games, only beating Philadelphia at home in that span. They lost 108-99 at Milwaukee on Tuesday.

• Former Celtic Jermaine O'Neal has averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in his past 25 games. O'Neal has played in 28 games, more than he did with the Celtics during the lockout season in 2011-12.

• The Suns will wear their bright orange uniforms with "PHX" on the front.

Final: Celtics 102-96: The most impressive victory of the season. They held the Knicks to 13-for-35 shooting in the second half and Carmelo Anthony missed 20 of 26 shots. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting while Kevin Garnett added 19.

Fourth quarter, 24.1, Celtics 102-96: Kevin Garnett just sank two free throws and now has 19 points but he has been trash talking with Carmelo Anthony all night. Paul Pierce has 23 points, including a fadeaway jump and a blown kiss to Spike Lee after the ball went into the net. Knicks ball.

Fourth quarter, 1:09, Celtics 98-93: The Celtics are a possession or two from sealing it but it's not over. J.R, Smith has two free throws and the Knicks have hit 14 3-pointers tonight. Smith was bumped in eye butting heads with Avery Bradley and the training staff is trying to stop the bleeding.

Fourth quarter, 2:25, Celtics 96-93: Two great rivals are going at it and the Celtics are hanging in there with great defense and some timely scoring from the bench. Kevin Garnett has 17 points for the Celtics while J.R. Smith has 23 for New York.

Fourth quarter, 5:30, Celtics 90-86: What else would we expect for a Celtics-Knicks game than a thriller. The Celtics led by as many a. s 8, the Knicks came back to tie and now the Celtics have hit the last two shots, including a baseline jumper from Avery Bradley, who has been stellar tonight in his fourth game back. Paul Pierce leads the Celtics with 19 points despite foul trouble while the Knicks have hit 13 3-pointers but just 16 2-pointers.

End of third quarter, Celtics 76-72: The Celtics withstood New York's 3-point barrage and kept pounding the ball in the paint, with Jared Sullinger hitting a buzzer-beating layup to give the Celtics a precious lead. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett each have 15 points but the bench has been critical with 33 total points, 15 from Jeff Green.

Third quarter, 5:44, Knicks 64-62: The Celtics continue to stay close despite Paul Pierce picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. Since the first quarter, the Knicks have been whistled for two personal fouls and the Celtics have been called for 10. Doc Rivers is close to getting a technical foul but his team is playing well in Rajon Rondo's absence.

Halftime, Knicks 56-53: It was fireworks in the second quarter as both teams combined for 66 points. The Knicks hit eight 3-pointers in the second quarter en route to 35 points but the Celtics countered with four of their own. The Knicks only made three 2-point baskets in period, so they constantly put pressure on the Celtics' perimeter defense, but Boston countered by pounding the paint. The Celtics have scored 22 points in the paint so far.

Second quarter,1:08, Knicks 53-48: The Knicks have hit seven 3-pointers in the quarter and J.R. Smith has 14 points off the bench but the Celtics are still hanging close because of Paul Pierce's 15 points in the second quarter.

Second quarter, 8:29, Celtics 29-28: The Celtics are hanging close despite just 2 points from Paul Pierce and they have held the Knicks to 39 percent shooting and 3-for-9 3-point shooting.

End of first quarter, Celtics 22-21: Both teams combine to shoot 13 of 35 but the Celtics attempted 10 free throws, taking advantage of the Knicks' soft interior defense with Tyson Chander on the bench. The Celtics were 6-for-16 shooting with 8 points from Kevin Garnett and the remaining 13 from the bench.

First quarter, 2:42, Knicks 18-15: The Celtics bench has gotten the team back into the game with a 7-0 run after falling behind 10. Jeff Green has gotten to the free throw line four straight times while Jared Sullinger has been effective on the boards. The Celtics are hanging close despite no points from Paul Pierce, who has two fouls.

First quarter, 6:10, Knicks 14-8: New York is on a 7-0 run and Tyson Chandler already has 7 points while J.R. Smith has come off the bench to hit a 3-pointer. Chandler is getting easy buckets as Kevin Garnett roams to help on defense.

First quarter, 7:41, Celtics 8-7: Avery Bradley has missed his first three shots, Kevin Garnett has all 8 points for the Celtics. Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce each have two fouls.

The Celtics will try to go for their third straight win without Rajon Rondo, who was suspended for bumping into an official Saturday against Atlanta.

Final: Celtics 89-81: Paul Pierce contributed 26 points while Rajon Rondo collected his second triple double of the season as the Celtics held the Hawks to 25 percent shooting in the second half for an impressive win.

Fourth quarter, 2:00, Celtics 85-79: The Hawks are making it interesting with 5 straight points, including a rare 3-pointer by Josh Smith, who just missed another one that would have made things frantic. Celtics get the rebound and call timeout.

Fourth quarter, 3:10, Celtics 85-74: The Celtics are getting cold from the field but still playing strong defense to keep the lead. The Celtics are 7-for-15 shooting in the quarter. Atlanta is 5-for-23 shooting in the half with 13 turnovers.

Fourth quarter, 8:41, Celtics 79-68: The surge continues as the Celtics refuse to allow the Hawks to rally, matching Atlanta field goal for field goal. The Hawks were 21-for-40 in the first half and 3-for-17 in the second half. Kevin Garnett has 14 points for the Celtics.

End of third quarter, Celtics 71-62: The Celtics outscore the Hawks 33-9 in the third quarter as Paul Pierce goes for 17 points and now has 26. The Celtics made 14 of 25 shots in the period while the Hawks were just two of 14 with seven turnovers.

Third quarter, 2:30, Celtics 63-60: The Celtics are on a stunning 25-7 run, shooting 11-for-21 in the third quarter while the Hawks are 2-for-12 with five turnovers. Paul Pierce, playing with four fouls, has 11 points during the run and it has happened mostly with Kevin Garnett on the bench. Avery Bradley has hit a couple of key shots during the run.

Third quarter, 7:03, Hawks 54-52: Well what do you know? This is what the Celtics look like when they really play with passion. They are now defending, making the extra pass and being aggressive around the basket. Celtics on a 14-1 run. Atlanta is 0-for-5 shooting with three turnovers in second half.

Halftime, Hawks 53-38: The Celtics are playing like they don't even want to be here, getting used on defense by the combination of Lou Williams and Jeff Teague, who are 14-for-20 combined for 34 points and five 3-pointers. The Hawks are shooting 52.5 percent from the field but they shot 60 percent in the first quarter. As for the Celtics, Paul Pierce has 9 points on 2-for-9 shooting, Rajon Rondo has 4 points and 4 assists while Kevin Garnett has 8 points and three turnovers.

Second quarter, 5:08, Hawks 46-31 A terrible response to the Indiana win for the Celtics. The Hawks are doing anything they want offensively while the Celtics are beginning to hit shots but it doesn't make a difference when they allow basket after basket.

End of first quarter, Hawks 31-18: A terrible defensive quarter for the Celtics, who allow the Hawks to shoot 60 percent and allow two easy layups by Jeff Teague to end the quarter and that was after Lou Williams dropped 16 points in 11 minutes. The Celtics are 8-for-22 shooting and a combined 0-for-7 from Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo.

First quarter, 2:55, Hawks 23-12: Lou Williams has taken over the game from the start, he has 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting as the Celtics are off to another slow start. They are 5-for-17 shooting, including 0-for-5 from Paul Pierce, The Hawks are 4 of 7 from the 3-point line.

First quarter, 6:00, Hawks 15-10: The Celtics can't stop for 76ers Lou Williams, who already has 11 points and three 3-pointers on 4-for-4 shooting. Kevin Garnett has 4 points for the Celtics and Avery Bradley opened with the game's first basket.

The Celtics take on the Atlanta Hawks in a 7 p.m. start as they try to win consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 8-12.

The Celtics turned up the defensive intensity in a 94-75 win over the Indiana Pacers Friday night at TD Garden, snapping their four-game losing streak in the process. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo led Boston with 18 points apiece, while rookie Jared Sullinger grabbed 10 rebounds in 30 minutes before fouling out.

Garnett was ejected with 8:24 remaining for giving a Flagrant 2 foul to Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough. Partly because of the early exit Garnett played just 24 minutes.

Courtney Lee matched his season-high with 13 points. The Celtics are on the road tomorrow night in Atlanta.

2:35 4th quarter, Celtics 90-70: Sullinger has fouled out, but it doesn't matter. It's Gino Time here at TD Garden. Too bad KG isn't on the bench to see it.

5:56 4th quarter, Celtics 84-62: Sullinger just picked up his fifth foul. The game isn't in doubt, but it's getting chippy out here. In a way it's good Garnett got out early with a game in Atlanta tomorrow night.

8:24 4th quarter, Celtics 78-55: Kevin Garnett has been ejected for giving a Flagrant-2 foul to Tyler Hansbrough. Garnett met Hansborough at the basket and came down on his face with his arm. Officials reviewed the play and ejected Garnett.

8:38 4th quarter, Celtics 78-55: Kevin Garnett (18 points, 7 rebounds) has his stamp all over this game. He's battling hard against Indiana's bigs.

End 3d quarter, Celtics 69-51: The next five minutes will be crucial. If the bench can hold the lead, the Celtics will be able to close this game out.

3:49 3d quarter, Celtics 64-44: The combination of Bradley and Rondo really playing well together. Rondo has 18 points and 7 assists on 9-of-13 shooting.

6:51 3d quarter, Celtics 58-41: The game's getting sloppy, but sloppy on both sides is good enough for the Celtics to build on their halftime lead.

Halftime, Celtics 47-35: Tremendous first half for the Celtics defensively. Indiana shot 32 percent from the field. The Celtics out-scored the Pacers 32-19 in the second quarter. Rajon Rondo has 12 points and Paul Pierce has 10 to lead Boston.

1:06 2d quarter, Celtics 45-30: Kevin Garnett goes over the first row saving a loose ball. He then ran about 15 seats up the court and used the broadcast table to get back out there. Great hustle, funny re-entry.

5:13 2d quarter, Celtics 36-23: Avery Bradley gets a steal and goes coast to coast for the finish. Now that's a pretty sight. It's a 17-4 run for the Celtics.

5:59 2d quarter, Celtics 31-23: Pierce hits a 3-pointer and gets fouled, completing the four-point play. Sullinger is making things happen with six rebounds. The Celtics are plus-11 with him in the game.

7:52 2d quarter, Celtics 25-20: Nice little run here by the Celtics to build a five-point lead, which feels like 25 points in this game. Paul Pierce finally makes a strong move to the hoop for two. Watching Jared Sullinger battle Tyler Hansbrough might be the guilty pleasure of tonight's game.

End 1st quarter, Pacers 16-15: There's a reason why ESPN opted out of this game. Jason Terry is 1 for 6, but his 3-pointer gave the Celtics a little life. They're right in this thing thanks to a defense that is holding the Pacers to 35 percent shooting.

2:13 1st quarter, Pacers 14-10: The Celtics are now 5 of 19 from the field. Avery Bradley is 0 for 5.

5:41 1st quarter, Pacers 9-6: Ugly offensive basketball here so far. The Celtics are 3 of 11 from the field and the Pacers are 4 of 11. Some obvious fouls not being called on both ends. Lance Stephenson hit a 3-pointer but ugly-d it up by getting a technical foul for taunting the Celtics bench.

7:40 1st quarter, Pacers 6-4: Before the game, Pacers coach Frank Vogel called Paul George the best wing defender in the league. He's making it tough on Paul Pierce. Took a steal the other way for a dunk and is challenging every dribble.

Pregame: Brandon Bass is back in the starting lineup for the Celtics. Jason Collins will come off the bench.

Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis

The Memphis Grizzlies spoiled Avery Bradley's season debut, handing the Celtics their fourth straight loss, 93-83, Wednesday night at TD Garden.

Bradley finished with four points and one steal in 19 minutes. He sat out most of the fourth quarter, including a stretch where the Celtics cut a 16-point lead down to five before failing to convert on six straight possessions.

The Celtics dug their own grave in the first half when they allowed Memphis to shoot 61 percent from the field. Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 23 points. Paul Pierce had 17 for the Celtics. He and Kevin Garnett combined to make just 11 of 28 shots from the field.

The Celtics are back on the court Friday night when they host the Indiana Pacers.

1:26 4th quarter, Grizzlies 88-78: Sullinger has fouled out, but had he not he would have closed out the game.

2:56 4th quarter, Grizzlies 85-78: Do the Celtics have enough in the tank to make this interesting? What's the lineup? Jason Terry playing very well. Sullinger has five fouls.

4:46 4th quarter, Grizzlies 83-78: Jason Terry getting hot. His corner 3-pointer has the lead down to five.

8:50 4th quarter, Grizzlies 81-69: Celtics are trying to make a run with a backcourt of Rondo and Lee, then Rondo and Terry. Bradley sitting out for the moment.

End 3d quarter, Grizzlies 75-59: Conley has 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Celtics are down to 44 percent shooting.

6:36 3d quarter, Grizzlies 64-49: It gets worse. Mike Conley and Rudy Gay are now 4 of 8 on 3-pointers. The game is getting away from the Celtics.

8:06 3d quarter, Grizzlies 59-47: Defense still not fixed. Tony Allen just came from the weak side and threw home a rebound slam over Jason Collins, who was standing under the hoop but didn't box anyone out.

Halftime, Grizzlies 50-41: The Celtics wasted their last few offensive possessions before halftime. Whether it was KG throwing the ball to Tony Allen or Pierce going 1-on-4 and getting swallowed up, ball movement became an afterthought in the waning moments of the first half. The Celtics are now shooting 47 percent while the Grizzlies are still up at 61 percent. Boston shot 33 percent in the second quarter.

3:27 2d quarter, Grizzlies 44-36: Kevin Garnett is just 1 of 7 from the floor, so he takes a seat in favor of Jared Sullinger, who has three fouls.

7:11 2d quarter, Grizzlies 39-33: A 10-0 run by Memphis is erasing a lot of good vibes. Jared Sullinger picked up three fouls in three minutes. The Celtics still haven't proven they can stop the Grizzlies, which is a problem.

8:36 2d quarter, Grizzlies 34-33: Rivers can now work his starters back into the game to end the half. Glad Rondo played if only so we can see what the rotations are supposed to look like. Starting Jason Collins at center now also seems to make more sense because Brandon Bass looks like a different player in quick bench lineup. Now if only the Celtics can start getting some stops.

End 1st quarter, Celtics 26-25: Two things to notice right away. Avery Bradley's defense on pick-and-rolls is going to be a revelation, even if he's slow getting his feet wet. And the bench, the one that Doc Rivers wanted all along, doesn't look nearly as bad in a supporting role. In fact, a backup backcourt of Courtney Lee and Jason Terry is a nice advantage in some spots.

Both teams shooting above 60 percent from the floor, which is not what either coach wants on defense.

1:51 1st quarter, Grizzlies 23-22: The Celtics did well to bounce back from an early Grizzlies onslaught as Memphis made four of their first six shots. We're getting the good Paul Pierce tonight (12 points thus far).

Pregame: For the first time all season, your starting backcourt features Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley.

Final: Kings 118-96: Who would have thought the Kings would put the most points up against the Celtics on this three-game west coast swing. They embarrassed the Celtics with seven 3-pointers -- in the fourth quarter -- and three scorers over 20 points. The Celtics lost the final three games of this trip by a total of 71 points and were handed their 12th double-digit loss.

Fourth quarter, 5:57, Kings 97-84: It's demoralizing that the Celtics couldn't even play a close game with the Kings, who are 10-19. Sacramento has led by double digits for the last 10 minutes and are showboating, most notably Isaiah Thomas, who has 23 points.

End of third quarter, Kings 84-73: Well the Celtics give up another 30-point quarter, 8 of those on free throws, and then shoot 33 percent in the period to trail by double figures. The Celtics are shooting 39.4 percent and have missed at least five layups. Jeff Green has 16 for Boston. Jason Thompson with a season-high 20 for Sacramento while John Salmons has added 18 points.

Third quarter, 4:57, Kings 72-63: Sacramento is on a 13-6 run as the Celtics continue to allow the Kings to shoot open perimeter shots or are committing shooting fouls. John Salmons has 16 points for the Kings. Marcus Thornton left the game with a sprained left ankle.

Third quarter, 9:20, Kings 59-57: The Celtics quickly fell behind by 8 points and then responded with 6 in a row behind a motivated Kevin Garnett, who already has 10 shot attempts after six all of Saturday. He has 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Rajon Rondo has 2 points and 7 assists. John Salmons leads Sacramento with 14 points.

Halftime, Kings 54-49: The Celtics actually led 35-31 but allowed the Kings bench to spark a 13-3 run and take the lead the rest of the way. Jason Terry and Jeff Green each have 14 points but the Celtics need Paul Pierce (5 points) to respond. Rajon Rondo has 2 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists after missing Saturday with a bruised right hip.

Second quarter, 3:59, Kings 44-38: Sacramento's bench has dominated the Celtics' starters with a 13-3 run, including three consecutive layups off fastbreaks. The Kings have scored 34 points in the paint while Jason Thompson leads them with 11 points. Jason Terry has 14 for the Celtics and Jeff Green has 9. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have just 9 combined.

Second quarter, 8:14, Tied at 28: The Celtics are playing better defense and going to Jeff Green, who has 9 points in 11 minutes after a miserable game Saturday. The Kings are 2-for-7 shooting in the quarter with three turnovers.

End of first quarter, Kings 24-18: Celtics lucky to be so close after shooting 28.6 percent in the first quarter, including a combined 1-for-9 from Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Jeff Green leads the Celtics with 5 points and it seems like Doc RIvers is going to play him big minutes. Isaiah Thomas has 10 for Sacramento, most on Rondo.

First quarter, 2:48, Kings 18-10: It's the same story here so far as the Celtics can't stop the Kings in the paint, they have scored all 18 of their points in that fashion, and can't hit shot, they are 3-for-14 shooting. They have to hang on here until the shots start falling. Paul Pierce is already 1 of 4.

First quarter, 11:00, Tied at 2: Kevin Garnett and DeMarcus Cousins have each scored to open the game.

Final, Warriors 101-83: Celtics suffer their 11th double-digit loss of the season by falling apart in the fourth quarter and going down quietly. The trio of Jeff Green, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry combine for 12-for-50 shooting and Kevin Garnett shoots a season low six shots in the defeat. Stephen Curry leads Golden State with 22 points and David Lee added 20.

Fourth quarter, 6:20, Warriors 89-74: The Celtics cut the deficit to 8 after a Paul Pierce 3-pointer at the 10:50 mark but can't stop Jarrett Jack, who has 6 points during an 11-4 run. The shorthanded Celtics gave effort but the Warriors have too many weapons.

End of third quarter, Warriors 76-67: Celtics score 8 points in the final 1:15 and 4 in the final 4.2 seconds to make this a game again. Courtney Lee has been the leader with 16 points in Rajon Rondo's absence. Jared Sullinger has 12 off the bench.

Third quarter, 2:27, Warriors 73-59: The Celtics are on a 6-0 mini run, trying to slice the lead before the final quarter. They are shooting 8-for-15 in the quarter and are playing decent defense but have to stop the 3-pointer, which has been an issue all season.

Third quarter, 5:25, Warriors 71-53: The Celtics have so many defensive breakdowns at this point that Doc Rivers looks helpless. Klay Thompson hit yet another uncontested 3-pointer and the Warriors have hit eight for the game. The Celtics' shooting percentage has rose to 35.6.

Halftime, Warriors 57-40: The Celtics can't stop Golden State, which is 6-for-10 from the 3-point line and 11 of 14 from the free throw line. David Lee has torching Kevin Garnett with 16 points, most of them from the perimeter, while Harrison Barnes has 13 points on five shot attempts. Paul Pierce has 5 points on 1-for-11 shooting, Jason Terry is 2-for-8 and Jeff Green is 1-for-7. Other than that, the Celtics are in good shape (sarcasm).

Second quarter, 2:57, Warriors 52-36: Paul Pierce just hit his first field goal and Klay Thompson picked up his third foul. Celtics looking for some type of momentum before the half. The Warriors are shooting 58.1 percent and have hit five 3-pointers.

Second quarter, 5:55, Warriors 44-25: Golden State is on a 15-2 run since the quarter began as the Celtics look inept and uninterested. They are 1-for-12 shooting in the quarter and Paul Pierce is 0-for-7 with zero points in 12 minutes.

Second quarter, 8:38, Warriors 35-25: The Celtics are 1-for-8 shooting in the quarter and desperately need a pickup or they will be blown out early. Paul Pierce has yet to score in 8 minutes.

End of first quarter, Warriors 29-23: The Warriors were poised for a 38-point quarter but the Celtics began challenging shots. The bad part is the Warriors attempted 10 free throws in the quarter to the Celtics' 4. Boston has to stop fouling. Harrison Barnes leads all scorers with 10 points while David Lee has 8. Jared Sullinger leads the Celtics with 6 points.

First quarter, 2:55, Warriors 24-21: Golden State led 21-11 and was hitting everything but Jared Sullinger scored 6 straight points as the Celtics are attacking the paint. Harrison Barnes has played like a highly touted rookie with 10 points in nine minutes while David Lee has 8 points. Courtney Lee has already matched his season average with 6 points while Sullinger has 6.

First quarter, 7:34, Warriors 15-9: Golden State on a 9-0 run as the Warriors are killing the Celtics on the pick-and-roll and Harrison Barnes has 7 points and David Lee with 6. The Celtics already have two turnovers, both on offensive fouls.

Hello folks, sorry about the snow in Boston but it's clear here in the Bay Area. The Celtics will try to knock off the Warriors without Rajon Rondo, who is out with a right hip injury. It is not considered serious

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Final: Clippers 106-77: It got ugly in the fourth quarter as the Celtics scored 10 points on 4-for-17 shooting. The Clippers were just that good and the Celtics aren't ready for such competition. Maybe down the road.

Fourth quarter, 6:30, Clippers 96-71: The Celtics just aren't ready for the Clippers. Los Angeles is too deep and has capitalized on nearly every Celtics mistake. Boston hasn't played terribly but definitely not good enough to beat a team that has won 14 straight games.

End of third quarter, Clippers 82-67: A Rajon Rondo 3-pointer to beat the clock gave Boston a sliver of a chance to make a run in the fourth quarter. They trailed by as many as 21 and the problem is they can consistently hit shots to keep pace with LAC. The Clippers have four players in double figure and no Clipper has taken more than 12 shots. They have real balance.

Third quarter, 5:28, Clippers 71-57: The Clippers are staying close enough to make this interesting but they can't hit consistent shots to make a real run. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett each have 12 points but the Celtics' 12 turnovers have led to 15 Los Angeles points. Blake Griffin still leads the Clippers with 14 points.

Halftime, Clippers 60-47: The Clippers bench has lived up to billing, scoring 28 points, including 11 apiece from Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford, who can't be stopped off the dribble, Blake Griffin leads the Clippers with 10 points. Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry each had 10 for the Celtics. Boston has 9 turnovers.

Second quarter, 4:51, Clippers 50-40: The Clippers are going to be hard to beat if they keep shooting 3-pointers at a 54 percent clip. They have hit 6 of 11 so far, three by reserve Matt Barnes as they maintain a comfortable lead. The Celtics are playing better but need to cut into this deficit by halftime.

Second quarter, 7:54, Clippers 40-32: The Celtics started out the quarter with an 8-2 run but then allowed an 8-0 Clippers run and now have scored the last two baskets. Jason Terry has 7 points for the Celtics, 5 in the quarter. The Clippers are 17-for-31 shooting while the Celtics are 12-for-27.

End of first quarter, Clippers 30-20: The Celtics are lucky to be so close after shooting 36.8 percent and five turnovers. The Clippers were 10 for their first 15 but finished 2 of 8, allowing the Celtics to make a mini-run. Rajon Rondo has 5 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists already while Blake Griffin has 9 points and Willie Green has 6.

First quarter, 3:10, Clippers 24-11: The Celtics are just like that fighter stunned by a flurry. They are hanging on to the opponent, just trying to survive until the round end. The Clippers are shooting 62.5 percent and look like the best team in the league. Blake Griffin has 6 points.

First quarter, 7:19, Clippers 15-4: Well it's a worse-case scenario start for the Celtics. The Clippers have begin hitting 7-of-10 shots, including 6 points in the paint while the Celtics are 2-for-8 with no scoring besides from Paul Pierce. Willie Green, of all Clippers, leads Los Angeles with 5 points.

The Celtics take on the Los Angeles Clippers, who have won 14 consecutive games. The Celtics are on the second of a four-game road trip.

Final, Celtics 93-76: The Celtics provide a nice Christmas gift for their fans, perhaps their best performance of the season. The Celtics led for the final 32 minutes of the game with Rajon Rondo leading the way with 19 points and Jared Sullinger with 16 and seven rebounds. The Celtics didn't need major nights from Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. They scored 8 apiece.

Fourth quarter, 5:17, Celtics 84-70: Things got physical quickly after mixups between Gerald Wallace and Kevin Garnett and then a flagrant foul on Jared Sullinger on Wallace. The Nets have scored the last 5 points to remain slightly hopeful of a rally but the Celtics could seal it with a couple of more hoops. The Celtics are shooting 49 percent and have committed just 10 turnovers.

Fourth quarter, 7:31, Celtics 82-64: The Celtics are trying to seal this game as Jared Sullinger continues to play his best game of the season with 16 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes. He is playing well with the first team and it wouldn't be shocking to see Doc Rivers change up his starting lineup to include Sullinger in coming games.

End of third quarter, Celtics 73-58: We've seen everything today as Rajon Rondo raced down the court on a fastbreak and launched a 3-pointer that swished the net, stopping a big Nets run and giving the Celtics a more comfortable lead to end the period. Rondo has 19 points and four assists while Jared Sullinger has 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Third quarter, 1:13, Celtics 68-58: The Nets are on a 15-4 run to make this game interesting again as the Celtics continue to miss easy shots while Joe Johnson has gotten hot, including a 30-footer off the glass as the 24-second shot clock expired.

Third quarter, 6:30, Celtics 64-47: The Celtics have led by as many as 21 but are still waiting for the flurry from the Nets, who have scored the last 4 points. The Celtics are led by Rajon Rondo, who has 14 points and Jared Sullinger who has 10. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett each have 8 points.

Third quarter, 8:39, Celtics 58-42: Boston missed its first four shots of the half, including a couple of chip shots but Brooklyn has yet to score. The Celtics need to jump on the Nets before they get going.

Halftime, Celtics 56-42: The Celtics mixed a strong defense with an efficient offense and played one of their better quarters in recent memory, shooting 13-for-21 in the quarter and holding the Nets to 18 points in the period on 7-for-19 shooting. Jared Sullinger has been stellar so far with 10 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes while Rajon Rondo has 10 points and three assists. Brook Lopez leads Brooklyn with 10 points while Jerry Stackhouse has 7.

Second quarter, 3:56, Celtics 49-34: Boston is on a 27-8 run, led by stellar defense against the Nets perimeter players and attacking defense against Brook Lopez. Jared Sullinger has helped out big time with 7 points while Jason Terry just hit his second 3-pointer of the game after going 1-for-15 against the Bucks.

Second quarter, 8:26, Celtics 32-29: When they are not allowing Jerry Stackhouse to go North Carolina 1995 on them, the Celtics are playing pretty well. They are on a 10-3 run and are finally defending Brook Lopez with another defender so he won't have his way inside. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger have combined for 11 points.

End of first quarter, Nets 24-22: With no big man to defend Brook Lopez, the Nets are going to their center nearly every time. He has a game-high 9 points while no other Net has more than 3. Rajon Rondo, who drained a 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in the quarter, has 7 points and two assists for the Celtics. Paul Pierce did not score in the quarter.

First quarter, 2:37, Nets 18-16: The Celtics are playing decent defense but need to start producing on the offensive side. And they are letting Brook Lopez have his way in the paint. With Jason Collins already with two fouls, Jared Sullinger is now playing center. The Celtics need a big man who can stay on the floor.

First quarter, 5:53, Nets 12-10: The Celtics are playing solid defense but keep fouling. Brook Lopez is having his way with Jason Collins in the paint and Collins already has two fouls. So we will see newcomer Jarvis Varnado soon.

First quarter, 6:50, Nets 11-6: The Celtics scored the game's first 4 points and looked to make a statement but the Nets have responded with a three-point play from Deron Williams and 3-pointers from Keith Bogans and Joe Johnson. The Celtics are 3-for-12 shooting and are again missing layups.

Final: Bucks 99, Celtics 94

First overtime, 0:02.6, Bucks 99-94 -- Bucks make their free-throws late to take control in overtime. Monta Ellis makes 1 of 2 free throws, and Brandon Jennings hits both of his free throws to put Milwaukee up 97-94 with 18.5 seconds remaining. Paul Pierce takes a three to tie the game, but misses, and the Bucks feed the ball up court for a Larry Sanders uncontested dunk to bring the score to 99-94.

First overtime, 0:36.1, 94-94 -- Down by four coming out of a team timeout, Paul Pierce, the Celtic's hot hand all night, hits a fadeaway jumper to bring his team within two points. On the ensuing Milwaukee possession, Brandon Jennings's turnover leads to a Kevin Garnett jump shot that ties the game. The crowd here at the Garden is deafening. Pierce now has 35 points.

First overtime, 1:16, Bucks 94-90 -- Defense lacking on both ends of the court, but both teams have failed to capitalize on their opportunities. After the Celtics jumped out to a two-point lead behind a Rajon Rondo layup, Milwaukee has scored six in a row to go up by four points. Monta Ellis has four of Milwaukee's six points in the extra frame.

End of fourth quarter, 88-88 -- Following two free-throws by Paul Pierce and a slam dunk by Jeff Green, the Celtics force a turnover in their defensive end with under 10 seconds remaining. Jason Terry brings it down the sideline and puts up a three pointer, but he misses. The rebound finds Pierce at the top of the key, who drains his third three-pointer of the night with 2.5 seconds remaining. Larry Sanders misses a potential game-winning bucket as time runs out, and this game is going to overtime.

Fourth quarter, 0:46.0, Bucks 87-81 -- Poor shooting comes back to bite the Celtics. Jason Terry misses a wide open two-point attempt with under a minute to go to bring the game within one. The Bucks grab the loose ball and get a Larry Sanders dunk over Kevin Garnett out of their offensive possession. The Celtics are now 31 for 80 shooting on the night, a dismal 38.8-percent. Take away Pierce's stellar 11-for-18 shooting night, and the Celtics have shot 20 for 62, or 32-percent, from the field.

Fourth quarter, 1:46, Bucks 83-81 -- Paul Pierce is doing it all tonight for the Celtics. With the Celtics down five, the captain sank a fadeaway jumper following a foul, but missed the ensuing free throw. Following a Brandon Jennings bucket, Pierce sank a three-pointer with two sets of hands in his face, and was able to get a steal on the next Milwaukee possession to give the Celts the ball in a one-possession game.

Fourth quarter, 4:52, Bucks 79-76 -- Luc Mbah a Moute is having himself quite the game for Milwaukee. The forward drained a deep two with Paul Pierce in his face to give him 20 points for the night and to give Milwaukee the three-point lead. The former UCLA Bruin's career-high is 22, which he scored against Golden State on March 16.

7:47, Bucks 74-72 -- Mike Dunleavy takes an off-balance three and misses, but the rebound finds Brandon Jennings in the corner, who nails the three point attempt. Milwaukee takes their first lead since they were up 11-10 with 5:05 remaining in the first quarter.

Fourth quarter, 8:32, Celtics 72-71 -- Celtics defense noticeably absent early in the fourth. Mike Dunleavy scores five points in the span of 30 seconds, and the Bucks go on a 9-2 run to get within one before Doc Rivers is forced to take a timeout.

End of third quarter, Celtics 70-62 -- Rajon Rondo picks the pocket of Luc Mbah a Moute, who is having a fantastic game, and gets the ball up to Courtney Lee for the easy layup before the horn. The assist is Rondo's seventh of the night. He is averaging 11 assists per game in two meetings against Milwaukee this season.

Third quarter, 3:00, Celtics 64-60 -- After Monta Ellis hit four free throws in a span of 40 seconds to tie the game, Jeff Green knocked down a jumper from left of the basket. On the ensuing Buck possession, a Rajon Rondo steal led to an uncontested reverse slam dunk by Brandon Bass. The crowd's back into it, and the swing in momentum forces Milwaukee to take a timeout.

Third quarter, 6:04, Celtics 56-54 -- Paul Pierce has single-handedly kept the Celtics in this game. Pierce has a game-high 19 points on 8 for 12 shooting. The rest of the team is shooting 14 for 37, or 37.8-percent. Kevin Garnett is 4 for 13 from the field.

Start of the third, Celtics 46-43 -- Speaking of Milwaukee, for those keeping track at home, Paul Pierce entered tonight's game 48 points behind Milwaukee / Los Angeles Laker great Elgin Baylor for 24th on the NBA's All-Time scoring list. His 17 first-half points bring him within 31 points of Baylor.

End of the second quarter, Celtics 46-43 -- Milwaukee's Ersan Ilyasova nails a three with a hand in his face to bring the Bucks within three at the break. Paul Pierce leads all scorers with 17 points. Celtics have done a good job of suffocating Milwaukee's strong guard tandem of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, both of whom average 18 points per contest. Ellis has 11 on the night, while Jennings only has two points on 1 for 3 shooting through the first half.

Second quarter, 3:59, Celtics 41-33 -- Boston hasn't been great from beyond the arc, but they get one there. Jason Terry hits only the second of 12 Celtics three-point attempts on the night, but widens Boston's lead to eight. Terry now 1 for 7 shooting on the night.

Second quarter, 8:20, Celtics 32-24 -- Jared Sullinger forced to sit with this third personal foul in just under 10 minutes of game action. Off the bench, Sullinger currently leads the Celtics with five rebounds.

Second quarter, 9:37, Celtics 30-22 -- Jason Terry takes and makes the technical shot following a defensive three-second violation by the Bucks. Makes him the eighth Celtic to score a point in less than 15 minutes of game time.

End of the first quarter, Celtics 25-17 -- Paul Pierce off to another quick start. A game after scoring 40 against Cleveland, Pierce put up 13 points in the first frame. Jeff Green had six points in the frame, equaling his total point output over the last two games.

First quarter, 3:50, Celtics 16-11 -- Jeff Green takes the feed from Rajon Rondo and takes it in for the two-handed dunk. Green immediately gets back on defense and helps force a turnover at mid-court, feeding the ball to Courtney Lee for a layup and a five-point Celtics lead.

First quarter, 5:47, Bucks 10-8 -- Larry Sanders with six points early for Milwaukee. Took a bounce pass down low and was able to beat Brandon Bass under the rim. Bucks have been forcing it inside on the Celtics early and often.

First quarter, 9:49, Celtics 3-2 -- Celtics get on the board with a Paul Pierce three pointer from the top of the key. Before the bucket from their captain, the Celtics were 0 for 6 to start the game.

Pregame -- Welcome to TD Garden, where the Boston Celtics will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Andrew MacDougall here to provide updates throughout the course of the game. Should be a good one.

End of the game, Celtics 103-91 The Celtics certainly needed this one. Back home after a disappointing road trip, in which they dropped all three games, the Celtics managed to build a 20-point lead, watch it disappear, then regain control. They relied on 40 points from Paul Pierce plus 20 from Rajon Rondo to overcome Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers. Pierce got a number of standing ovations tonight, the last one when he was taken out with 1:03 left in the game.

Fourth quarter, 3:13, Celtics 98-85 And that's 40 points for Paul Pierce now. He seems to be able to make any shot he wants tonight. Any shot. They are showing Pierce on the scoreboard, and he just got a standing ovation from the crowd here.

Fourth quarter, 4:30, Celtics 94-84 Pierce gets the lead back to double digits with a pair of free throws. The Celtics are shooting 57.9 percent in this game.

Fourth quarter, 6:17, Celtics 88-82 Pierce just had his first miss from beyond the arc tonight. He's still 6-for-7 from there, with 34 points on a night that the Celtics really need his help as a 20-point lead is down to four.

Fourth quarter, 9:19, Celtics 82-77 The Cavaliers are on a 17-2 run right now, and are down just five points. The Celtics can't afford to blow this game against an inferior opponent.

End of the third quarter, Celtics 82-72 The Cavaliers cut the deficit down to 10 points at the end of the third quarter with Pierce and Rondo on the bench. Kyrie Irving has 21 points, but interestingly has zero assists. Rondo is up to eight assists, to go along with his 14 points.

Third quarter, 3:42, Celtics 78-59 Paul Pierce gets a nice ovation as he exits, being replaced by Jeff Green. Pierce leaves 6-for-6 on threes, with 32 points.

Third quarter, 5:56, Celtics 72-57 Paul Pierce. Well, that was certainly needed for the Celtics. Pierce is leading the team as they break open this game against the woeful Cavaliers. Pierce has been outstanding, shooting 9-for-11 overall, including 6-for-6 from the line and an amazing 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. He has 29 points so far.

Third quarter, 7:53, Celtics 67-55 Paul Pierce is up to 24 points, and the Celtics are doing a much better job on defense than they have been of late. They're holding the Cavs to 43.4 percent shooting while shooting 60.5 percent on their end. The 12-point lead is their biggest of the night.

Halftime, Celtics 54-46 Kevin Garnett looks like he's enjoying being back at the power forward spot. He has 10 points at the half. Pierce leads the team with 15 and Rondo has 10. Alonzo Gee has 11 for the Cavaliers. Sullinger leads the Celtics with five rebounds, and Jason Terry has three assists.

Second quarter, 1;32, Celtics 52-44 Nice alley oop from Rondo to Garnett pushed the lead back to eight points as some fans start chanting "MVP."

Second quarter, 4:38, Celtics 45-36 The Celtics are opening things up a bit here in the second quarter. Paul Pierce just hit a three -- he's 3-for-3 on threes -- to put the Celtics up by nine points, their biggest lead of the game.

Second quarter, 5:31, Celtics 40-36 The Cavs are featuring a balanced scoring attack with no player with double digits in points. The Celtics have Rondo with 12 and Pierce with 10. Rondo still is without an assist tonight.

Second quarter, 8:43, Celtics 32-31 Even with no Anderson Varejao for the Cavs, the Celtics are still being out-rebounded by 14-13.

End of the first quarter, Celtics 27-25 So the Celtics aren't exactly impressing with their defensive effort so far in this game after some lackluster defense on the road in the last three games. Rajon Rondo has 12 points and four rebounds and zero assists so far.

First quarter, 2:28, Celtics 23-19 The Cavs missed a chance to get their first lead of the game, and that turned into a Paul Pierce three pointer at the other end. Pierce added a second three after the Cavs got a basket. He is up to 10 points on the game, followed by Rondo with eight.

First quarter, 5:01, 13-13 Rajon Rondo has gotten out to a quick start for the C's. But he's the only one. Rondo has eight of the Celtics' 13 points in this game, plus three rebounds. Jason Terry has three points, and Brandon Bass has two.

First quarter, 10:02, Celtics 5-0 -- The Celtics have started well against the Cavaliers. But, of course, it's early. Jason Collins did just pick up his first foul in the game.

Pregame -- We're about to tip off here at the Garden. It will be interesting to see how the changes to the starting lineup affect the Celtics. Jason Collins and Jason Terry were inserted into the lineup by Doc Rivers after the Celtics dropped all three games on their road trip.

Final: Bulls 100-89: The game wasn't that close as the Celtics trailed 100-79 before a late run. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer each scored 21. Rajon Rondo led Boston with 26. Nate Robinson scored 18 off the bench.

Fourth quarter, 5:32, Bulls 95-75: When Nate Robinson is putting on a show, you know the game is pretty much decided. He has 15 points, 9 in the fourth quarter as the Bulls are proving they are the better team, which is embarrassing when you consider they don't have Derrick Rose.

Fourth quarter, 8:59, Bulls 87-73: After clawing to within 3 points late in the third period, the Celtics have been outscored 17-6, the past 6 by former Celtic Nate Robinson on 3-pointers. The Bulls have been patient in their breaking down of the Celtics defense, shooting 52.5 percent and sinking 19 of 21 free throws. The Celtics are being carried by Rajon Rondo, who has a season-high 26 points.

End of third quarter, Bulls 79-70: A 9-0 Chicago run near the end of the quarter may have done in the Celtics. Of course, it was done by methodical passing and defensive breakdowns. Luol Deng has 21 points for Chicago and Carlos Boozer with 19. Joakim Noah is two assists away from a trouble double. Rajon Rondo has 26 for the Celtics, the next-highest scorer for Boston is Paul Pierce with 14. The bench has done little with 7 total points on 3-for-13 shooting and nine fouls.

Third quarter, 3:18, Bulls 70-67: Rajon Rondo (10 points in the quarter) is keeping the Celtics close but they can't stop the Bulls, who continue to pound the ball inside and either score or get fouled. The Bulls have 38 points in the paint and 16 at the free throw line.

Third quarter, 9:04, Bulls 57-54: See what happens when you defend? The Bulls are 1-for-3 with a turnover in the quarter while the Celtics are 3-for-5 shooting and they look motivated to make a big run. Solid night for Kevin Garnett so far, 10 points and eight rebounds.

Halftime, Bulls 55-48: It was a difficult first half defensively for the Celtics, who allowed 55 points to the 27th-ranked scoring team in the NBA. The Bulls scored 30 of their points in the paint and 12 came on second chances. Luol Deng, who usually punishes the Celtics, led Chicago with 16 while Carlos Boozer has 12. Rajon Rondo made a scoring surge late in the half and has a team-high 13 for the Celtics.

Second quarter, 2:40, Bulls 49-38: The Celtics are risking falling behind too far to make a run because of their unwillingness to play defense. In one sequence, Rajon Rondo just stopped defending Nate Robinson, who canned an open 3-pointer. The Bulls have scored 28 of their points in the paint and have 12 second-chance points. The Celtics have 12 and 0.

Second quarter, 7:09, Bulls 40-29: It's getting ugly here as the Celtics are the rested ones but playing with no energy while the Bulls are scoring with ease against poor defense.

Second quarter, 8:32, Bulls 32-27: Chicago continues to score easy baskets and make it tough on the Celtics defensively. And it doesn't help from Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger are a combined 0-for-9 shooting with 1 point. Kevin Garnett has 8 for the Celtics.

End of first quarter, Bulls 28-23: It was way too easy in the first quarter for Chicago, 18 of its points were scored in the paint, 8 from the free throw line and 2 on a jumper. That's too easy. Luol Deng, the Celtics nemesis, has 14 points, 8 from the free throw line. Paul Pierce has 7 points for Boston.

First quarter, 2:45, Tied at 18: The Celtics are playing poor defense so far, allowing a score of layups on the extra pass. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer have 6 points for the Bulls while Joakim Noah has 5 rebounds. Kevin Garnett pulled down 5 rebounds in his six minutes but Brandon Bass has already missed four shots.

First quarter, 7:00, Celtics 13-8: Courtney Lee is off to a strong start with 4 points but the Celtics have already given up four layups defensively. Paul Pierce has 5 points for the Celtics. Luol Deng 4 for Chicago.

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

CHICAGO -- The Celtics will try to end their three-game road trip with a victory against the Bulls, who are still missing all-star point guard Derrick Rose. The irony is the Celtics have been in Chicago for two days while the Bulls came back to Chicago early Tuesday morning after Monday's loss at Memphis. The Celtics begin a stretch of three games in four nights before three days off.

STARTING LINEUPS.
BOSTON CELTICS (12-11)
PG Rajon Rondo
SG Courtney Lee
SF Paul Pierce
PF Brandon Bass
C Kevin Garnett

CHICAGO BULLS(13-10)
PG Kirk Hinrich
SG Marco Bellinelli
SF Luol Deng
PF Carlos Boozer
C Joakim Noah

Officials: Jason Phillips, Violet Palmer, Leon Wood

TV/Radio: 8 p.m. Comcast Sportsnet / WEEI

Pregame notes:

• This is the Celtics' final visit of the season to United Center. They won here 101-95 on Nov. 12.

• The Celtics enjoyed a rare two-day break but return to action Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who host Toronto tonight.

• Avery Bradley said he felt fine after practicing for the first time in seven months on Monday, but he has no idea when he will make his game debut. Bradley said he may need "two weeks" of practice to get ready.

• Doc Rivers said Courtney Lee will start at shooting guard for the time being and Jason Terry will return to his normal bench role. Bradley could get the starting spot when he returns.

Final, Spurs 103-88: Celtics allow five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and are handed another disappointing loss. Tony Parker scored 9 points in the final period. He finishes the game with 22 points and Gary Neal added 20. Paul Pierce and Jason Terry each scored 18 for the Celtics.

Fourth quarter, 6:24, Spurs 89-78: The Celtics are running out of gas and San Antonio is making them pay by hitting every open shot. A 3-pointer by Tony Parker and then jumper by Parker caused Doc Rivers' ire.

Fourth quarter, 9:04, Spurs 79-73: The Celtics aren't getting much help tonight from the officials and have committed 17 turnovers but still have a chance. Jason Terry has 17 points but none in the second half. Courtney Lee to the free throw line for one shot.

End of third quarter, Spurs 77-69: The Celtics are killing themselves with turnovers (17 for 24 San Antonio points) and defensive breakdowns. Rajon Rondo fell asleep on Nando De Colo, who sprinted to the basket for a layup and free throw. Celtics have committed 17 personal fouls to San Antonio's 7.

Third quarter, 3:14, Spurs 74-63: San Antonio is getting all the breaks, all the foul calls and the Celtics are letting this one slip away. Tony Parker just potentially flopped twice and both were called fouls on the Celtics.

Third quarter, 7:29, Spurs 61-55: The Celtics had a chance to take the lead but Rajon Rondo missed a layup and Gary Neal responded with a 3-pointer. Paul Pierce then hit a 3-pointer and Danny Green countered with a 3-pointer, so timeout Celtics. The Celtics have attempted two free throws all night.

Halftime, Spurs 52-49: The Celtics are hanging in there as each team is making runs at each other. But the key is the production from the San Antonio compliments. Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal and Matt Bonner have scored a combined 29 points on 11-for-17 shooting. Jason Terry is having his best game as a Celtic with 17 points and Paul Pierce has added 14. The Celtics again are having trouble with turnovers with 12.

Second quarter, 6:24, Spurs 38-31: The Spurs have stormed back with an 8-0 run as Gary Neal and Tiago Splitter continue to be the offensive difference. The two have combined for 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting. The Celtics haven't scored in nearly two minutes and are back to their ways of missing easy shots.

Second quarter, 8:57, Spurs 30-29: Jason Terry is on his game, scoring 6 straight points as the Celtics try to climb back into this one. He followed a long 3-pointer with a fastbreak layup as Rajon Rondo remains on the bench. The Celtics are shooting 52 percent but has committed seven turnovers.

End of first quarter, Spurs 26-21: San Antonio is pretty much getting what they want in the paint with Tiago Splitter already scored 8 points, all on layups. Tony Parker also has 8 for the Spurs. Kevin Garnett has 2 points for the Celtics.

First quarter, 2:54, Spurs 20-19: The Celtics are shooting 56 percent from the field but the Spurs are pounding the ball in the paint, having already attempted seven free throws. Tony Parker has 6 points for the Spurs.

First quarter, 6:56, Spurs 15-12: The Celtics got off to the fast start they wanted but the Spurs have countered with a 12-4 run as their offense continues to create easy shots. Tony Parker has the past two baskets for San Antonio. Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo each have 4 points for the Celtics.

Final: Rockets 101-89: Not the way the Celtics wanted to start this three-game road trip. They looked uninterested in defense in the second half, allowing the Rockets to shoot 57.1 percent and hit seven 3-pointers. James Harden led Houston with 21 points. Paul Pierce had 18 on 5-for-18 shooting for the Celtics.

Fourth quarter, 2:52, Rockets 96-85: The Celtics are just killing themselves with silly mistakes and missed shots, and the Rockets are making them pay with the 3-point shot. Houston just canned its 10th of the game, a Toney Douglas special after a Rajon Rondo lazy pass was picked by Chandler Parsons for a fastbreak. Disappointing effort for the Celtics.

Fourth quarter, 7:42, Rockets 86-78: Greg Smith has been the story tonight with 20 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. The Celtics are letting him roam around the basket and he is taking advantage of the soft defense with easy layups.

End of third quarter, Rockets 75-70: The Celtics appear cinched for one of those clunker defensive quarters and tonight it was the third. Houston was 11-for-18 shooting in the period and 4 of 5 from the 3-point line, leading by as many 9 before the Celtics rallied for the final 4 points. Paul Pierce leads Boston with 14 points but on 4-for-14 shooting. James Harden has a quiet 16 for Houston on 5-for-13 shooting.

Third quarter, 5:30, Rockets 63-56: The Celtics came out lethargic in the second half and the Rockets have hit 7 of 9 shots to create some distance. Chandler Parson and James Harden each have 13 points as the Rockets are closing in on one of those unwanted 30-point quarters. The Celtics have five turnovers in the quarter and committing seven in the first half.

Halftime, Celtics 45-43: The Celtics went cold after taking a 7-point lead at the 3:35 mark, scoring 4 points for the rest of the period, but they trailed by as many as 13 and their defense against Houston's halfcourt offense is stifling. Paul Pierce scored all 12 of his points in the second quarter. But Greg Smith (11 points, 6 rebounds) is causing problems for the Celtics.

Second quarter, 2:26, Celtics 41-37: A stirring 18-2 run got the Celtics the lead as they contested every shot, forcing the Rockets into 4-for-15 shooting in the quarter. Paul Pierce has heated up with 11 points in the quarter. Rajon Rondo has six assists. Chandler Parsons and Greg Smith have 7 points for Houston.

Second quarter, 6:38, Tied at 32: The Rockets have cooled off while the Celtics are closing in but keep missing easy shots. But they are consistently getting defensive stops and Jason Terry just buried his second 3-pointer to tie the game. Amazingly the Celtics are shooting 33 percent. Houston is 2-for-7 shooting in the quarter.

End of first quarter, Rockets 27-19: The Celtics are lucky to be so close but they seemed to have figured something out defensively after giving up some early easy baskets. Kevin Garnett also came back into the game and drained a jumper after missing five of his first six. Courtney Lee leads the Celtics with 5 points while James Harden has 6 for Houston.

First quarter, 2:31, Rockets 23-13: The Rockets already have 6 fastbreak points and are pushing the ball at every opportunity. They are stretching the floor and moving the ball on pick-and-rolls, which is forcing the Celtics into scramble mode. Meanwhile, the offense is 6-for-18 shooting, including 1-for-6 from Garnett, who is on the bench. Courtney Lee has 5 points.

First quarter, 10:06, Rockets 6-2: It's obvious the Rockets plan to run after every Boston miss because they have already had two runouts that have led to a dunk and two-shot foul. Kevin Garnett has had three good looks but converted just one.

Double OT, Celtics 117-115 : That second overtime was really, really ugly. The two teams combined to score five points total in the first 4:20, which were full of missed shots, turnovers, and even Mayo slipping and losing the ball at one point. But Rondo drove for a layup with 40 seconds to go, giving the Celtics a three-point lead. And Pierce, who finished with 34 points, added a free throw to extend the lead to four points with 17.3 seconds left. Vince Carter hit a three with 9.3 to go. Two more foul shots from Pierce. Two foul shots from Collison. Two foul shots from Pierce. Turnover, Mavs. Two foul shots from Lee. And a three from Mayo that didn't change the outcome. Over. FINALLY.

Double OT, 3:20, Celtics 108-107: Pierce got the double OT started with a three. A little late, Paul, no? The Mavs answered with a bucket of their own.

End of first overtime, 105-105: OJ Mayo made the driving layup to tie the score, giving the Celtics the ball with 11.1 seconds to go. But the Celtics couldn't get anything going, with Rondo dishing to Pierce who couldn't get anything close to a real shot. Bad possessions for the C's at the end of regulation and the first OT.

Overtime, 1:07, 101-101: Terry gets the steal, but misses the layup from Rondo at the other end. Derek Fisher fouls Rondo, though, for his sixth of the game.

Overtime, 2:05, Celtics 101-99: Pierce drives to the basket, giving the Celtics a two-point lead and prompting a Dallas time out.

End of regulation, 96-96, : When the Celtics were up by 14 in the third, it didn't look like this game was going to go to overtime. But that's where we're headed. The game was tied at 96-96 with 24.6 seconds to go. Time out, Mavs. With 6.9 seconds to go, Rondo made the steal on Mayo, with Dallas not having attempted a shot. But with the ball in Rondo's hands at the end of regulation, the Celtics didn't get off a real shot either, and we're headed for extra basketball here at the Garden.

Fourth quarter, 1:09, Celtics 96-95: Huge call here. Joey Crawford says the Mavs have it on a ball that went out of bounds as Pierce and Marion fought under the basket. The refs go to the tape, and the call stands. Mavs ball with just over a minute to go.

Fourth quarter, 1:44, Mavs 95-94: The Mavs got their first lead of the game on a three from Derek Fisher.

Fourth quarter, 2:20, Tie 92-92: It's a tie game, at 92-92 with just 2:20 left to play. Time out, Celtics.

Fourth quarter, 3:33, Celtics 90-87: The Mavericks have 21 turnovers. The Celtics have 11.

Fourth quarter, 5:21, Celtics 88-85: Rondo is up to 12 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds. But, more importantly, the Celtics have had a chance to extend their lead and they haven't. Of course, the Mavs have had a chance to tie the game or take the lead and they haven't either.

Fourth quarter, 7:27, Celtics 86-83: There's a lot of basketball left to play, but the Celtics could be doing their best to give away a winnable game.

End of the third quarter, Celtics 76-70: The Celtics still have the lead, but it's a lot more tenuous than it was earlier in the quarter. Rondo did hit a bucket at the buzzer to bring the lead to six points. It also gave him 10 points, and a double-double through three quarters. The Mavericks are getting balanced scoring from Collison (13), Kaman (12), Marion (11), and Jones (10).

Third quarter, 2:53, Celtics 70-63: The Celtics' biggest lead was 14 points, but the Mavs have cut it down to seven as the third quarter winds down. Boston is shooting just 44.1 percent and being outrebounded 30-26 by Dallas.

Third quarter, 7:26, Celtics 63-52: The 11-point lead is the biggest for the Celtics tonight. Pierce is up to 20 points, and Garnett has 10. Rondo has 10 assists.

Halftime, Celtics 48-43: So close. Paul Pierce had his toe clearly on the line on his shot with 49.4 seconds left. But though it wasn't a three, he made the bucket, drawing the foul from Collison to make it a three-point play. The Mavs answered with a three, but the Celtics still go into halftime leading by five points. Pierce leads the C's with 16 points. Chris Kaman has 10 for Dallas. Rondo has seven assists, and Jeff Green leads with four rebounds for Boston.

Second quarter, 2:35, Celtics 45-37: For all the talk about OJ Mayo at Celtics practice yesterday, Mayo has just four points so far in this one. He's 2-for-3 from the floor.

Second quarter, 6:43, Celtics 35-30: And, suddenly, it seems as if no one on the Celtics can shoot. They're 12-for-29 (41.4 percent), though they still have the five-point lead over Dallas. Jeff Green is the biggest offender, at 2-for-8.

Second quarter, 9:38, Celtics 33-25: Big possession right there. Kevin Garnett gets his first rebound since Friday night against the 76ers, and it ends in a three pointer for Courtney Lee. There haven't been many of those in the Garden this season.

End of the first quarter, Celtics 27-25: Despite playing for just five minutes, Garnett is your leading Celtics scorer tonight with six points. He's followed by Paul Pierce with five points. Rondo has five assists. Chris Wilcox has three rebounds. Kaman leads with six points for the Mavericks.

First quarter, 2:05, Celtics 23-21: The Celtics were 7-for-10 from the field. Now they're 9-for-19. And that's only because Brandon Bass made their last shot.

First quarter, 4:08, Celtics 21-15: In his five minutes, Kevin Garnett has zero rebounds. (He's been on the bench for a couple of minutes now.) Combined with his 0-fer on the boards on Saturday night, Garnett can't be happy. You might recall he did his best David Ortiz impression after that game against the 76ers: "That's bull #$@%!"

First quarter, 6:04, Celtics 15-13: Both teams shooting well so far. The C's have made 7-of-10. The Mavs have made 6-of-9.

First quarter, 10:57, Celtics 4-0: Celtics on the board first. Boston could REALLY use a winning streak, even one as small as two games. That's been the theme all week, that the team needs to stop this win one-lose one streak they've got going. Will that streak come against the Mavs?

End of the game, Celtics 92-79: After the Celtics dropped Friday night's game to the 76ers in overtime, they came back strong, beating a tired-looking Philadelphia team at the Garden. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 19 points in 24 minutes, though he had zero rebounds. Jeff Green added 16. The leading rebounders for the Celtics? Jared Sullinger and Rajon Rondo each had nine.

Fourth quarter, 7:24, Celtics 81-65: Rondo, for now: 5 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists.

End of the third quarter, Celtics 70-57: After that 13-0 run, the Celtics got back five straight points, to finish the quarter still leading by double digits. Kevin Garnett leads Boston with 19 points, though he has no rebounds tonight. The 76ers were 14-for-20 in the quarter after shooting 23.1 percent in the first half.

Third quarter, 1:18, Celtics 65-57: The 76ers have turned things around here in the third quarter, narrowing the Celtics lead to eight points. They're on a 13-0 run since that Courtney Lee three-pointer. Time out, Celtics.

Third quarter, 4:21, Celtics 65-44: Courtney Lee for 3! Lee was 1-for-11 from behind the arc at the Garden before he made that basket.

Third quarter, 5:10, Celtics 62-44: The Celtics have two players with double-double possibilities tonight. Paul Pierce has 13 points and seven assists. Rajon Rondo has three points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Rondo is also the Celtics leading rebounder.

Third quarter, 7:26, Celtics 56-36: The Celtics have two guys (Rondo, Pierce) who each have as many assists than the entire 76ers team. Both have six. The 76ers have six.

End of the second quarter, Celtics 48-28: Ugly first half for the 76ers. Not only are they down by 20 points, but they made just nine field goals and had just three assists before halftime. Paul Pierce leads the Celtics with 13 points. Rajon Rondo has four rebounds and five assists.

Second quarter, 2:29, Celtics 43-24: There are less than three minutes to go in the half, and the 76ers have eight field goals. Seriously.

Second quarter, 4:44, Celtics 39-24: Jason Terry just hit a three to put the C's up by 15. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is looking a step slow on the back-to-back, shooting just 25.8 percent from the field.

Second quarter, 10:34, Celtics 28-16: Emphatic dunk from KG brings on a 12-point lead for the Celtics and a time out from Philadelphia.

End of the first quarter, Celtics 24-16: Jason Terry has bounced back with five points so far on 2-of-4 shooting, including a three-pointer, and the C's lead by eight points after the first quarter. Rondo played just seven minutes in the quarter, and Kevin Garnett six.

First quarter, 1:49, Celtics 22-12: The Celtics have managed to come out strong, even after playing in Philly last night. Jared Sullinger just gave them a 10-point lead on a basket with less than two minutes to play in the quarter. Pierce is leading the team with six points so far.

First quarter, 8:14, Celtics 8-2: Rajon Rondo, who got some effusive praise from Doug Collins before the game, already has two rebounds and three assists. Back-to-back triple-double in the cards for him tonight?

First quarter, 10:20, Celtics 2-0: And, despite all those minutes, Pierce becomes the first to score tonight.

Pregame -- Philadelphia coach Doug Collins reminded his team just how many minutes the Celtics' top players have under their belts -- about 51,000 for Kevin Garnett, 48,000 for Paul Pierce, 38,000 for Jason Terry, Collins said, though he was off on a few of the numbers -- to indicate that the 76ers have no excuse for not being the fresher team tonight. Doc Rivers couldn't really argue with that point. He joked that at least the Celtics could be considered the wiser team. Maybe? We'll see how that shakes out. We're about to tip here at the Garden.

By Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff

Doc Rivers arrived back from his travels about an hour ago, around 5:30 p.m., after staying Friday night in Philadelphia and then heading Saturday morning to Milwaukee for the funeral of close friend Rick Majerus.

The Celtics played the 76ers in the first of a back-to-back, home-and-home series on Friday, losing in overtime.

"It was just a long day, tough day," Rivers said. "Now we have a game. That's how I look at it.

"Rick had a lot to do with why I'm here. I've been with Rick since fifth grade for the most part. I felt like I had to be there. It was important to me."

Rivers said he never seriously considered not coaching tonight against Philadelphia. As he put it, "If I really want to piss Rick off, don't coach the game."

He added, "Life is involved in what we do every day. You deal with life and then you deal with your job. I always try to separate it when you can. Sometimes you can't."

Overtime, 3.9, 76ers 95-94/strong> Courtney Lee had a chance for the sealing shot but he airballed a 3-pointer. Meanwhile, Evan Turner drains a 13-footer for the go-ahead score. Celtics ball.