POST GAME LAC

BEING REPORTED - VIA WEEI

REPORT: CLIPPERS INTERESTED IN TRADING FOR KEVIN GARNETT 02.03.13 at 3:08 pm ET
By WEEI

According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Clippers have reached out to the Celtics about potentially acquiring Kevin Garnett.

Garnett does have the right to waive the no-trade clause in his contract.

The two Clippers players mentioned in the report, Bledsoe and Butler, are each average approximately nine points per game. The Clips' point guard signed through the 2014-15 season (maxing out at just more than $3.75 million), while Butler's deal stretches until after the '13-14 campaign (paying him $8 million per season). The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. ET.
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GAME STATS

Rebounds - Celtics 29 /LAC 41........ Offensive - Celtics 6 /LAC 13 ......Defensive - Celtics 23 / LAC 28
Points In The Paint - Celtics 30 /LAC 54
Fast Break Points - Celtics 13 / LAC 16
FG - Celtics - 36/72 (50 %) LAC 40/79 (50.6 %)
3PM - Celtics 11/18 ( 61.1 %) LAC 9/21 ( 42.9 %)
FTM - Celtics 23/27 ( 85.2 %) LAC 15/21 (71.4 %)
TO - Celtics 17 / LAC 20
Assists - Celtics 23 / LAC 27
STL - Celtics 8 / LAC 9
BLK - Celtics 2 / LAC 2
PF - Celtics 22 / LAC 26
Bench Points - Celtics 52 / LAC 29
Total Team Turnovers (Points off turnovers) – Boston 17 (17) /LAC 21 (33

NEXT GAME WEDNESDAY - AT TORANTO - 7PM - CSNE/NBA LEAGUE PASS


POST GAME RECAP

ESPNBOSTON.COM

Rapid reaction: Celtics 106, Clippers 104

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 106-104 on Sunday afternoon at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Paul Pierce scored a team-high 22 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists, but it was Boston's bench that came up big again as Jeff Green (14 points), Leandro Barbosa (14 points), and Jason Terry (13 points) were a combined 14-of-23 shooting (60.9 percent) to spark the Celtics. Eric Bledsoe, starting in place of injured Chris Paul, scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting to pace the Clippers. Blake Griffin added a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds), while Jamal Crawford scored 20 points off the bench (the majority of which fueled LA's feverish fourth-quarter rally).

TURNING POINT
The two teams combined for 25-of-42 shooting (59.5 percent) in a rare high-scoring first quarter and Boston led 33-30. But it was over the final 13 minutes of the first half that Boston took control. The Clippers were 4-of-19 shooting (21.2 percent) for a mere 10 points in that span, turning the ball over 10 times for 12 points. Boston cooled as well, but that sort of defense allowed them to stretch their lead to 59-40 at halftime. Ten different Celtics players scored at least three points apiece for Boston in the first half with the reserves chipping in 32 points on 10-of-15 shooting (66.7 percent).

CLIPPERS MAKE A CHARGE
The Celtics were up 15 with 9:48 to go, but the Clippers scored the game's next seven points and utilized a 15-3 run to get their deficit as low as three with under three minutes to play. The Rajon Rondo-less Celtics looked uneasy as things got tight and endured a painful stretch where they turned the ball over seven times and went 6½ minutes without a field goal before Jason Terry's late-clock pull-up jumper put Boston on top 103-98 with 69 seconds to play. A Bledsoe 3-pointer made it a two-point game, but Avery Bradley absorbed a Crawford charge with 26.6 seconds to play for a huge defensive stop. The Clippers played for a stop and Pierce made a step-back 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to go to essentially seal the game.

NO-PASS BASS? HARDLY
Celtics forward Brandon Bass tied a career-high with four assists in Sunday's game. Bass previously had only two other career games with four assists (one of which came during last year's playoffs against Philadelphia). Heck, he had only registered three or more assists 19 times in an eight-year NBA career.

KG GETS A TECH
Kevin Garnett picked up his team-leading sixth technical foul of the season for an elbow to the chest of Griffin as the two battled for position on the blocks early in the fourth quarter. The two had been jousting much of the night.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics (24-23) swept all four games of this brief homestand, shuffling back above .500, and now get a couple days off before a visit to Toronto on Wednesday night. Boston is right back at TD Garden to host Los Angeles' other hoops squad -- the rival Lakers -- on Thursday evening in a national TV battle, then welcome Denver on Sunday night.
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CSNE

A. SHERROD BLAKLEY

Celtics survive scare from Clippers for fourth straight win, 106-104

February 3, 2013, 3:52 pm SHARE THIS POST0 COMMENTS

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BOSTON — These are the games in which the Celtics and their point guard-less roster are really put to the test.

They had a commanding lead over the Los Angeles Clippers most of the game, but saw that lead cut to just four points with less than four minutes to play. Usually, that's the time when Rajon Rondo (torn right ACL) searches for the right play, the right matchup to exploit.

For the first time since Rondo went down for the season, his absence and its impact was felt. But the Celtics still managed to find a way to win, edging the Los Angeles Clippers 106-104.

Leading 103-101 with time running out, Paul Pierce hit a three-pointer to put the C's ahead 106-101 with 2.5 seconds to play.

Jamal Crawford hit a three-pointer at the buzzer when the game was all but decided.

Before Crawford's last-second shot, the Clippers had multiple chances in the fourth quarter to get closer or tie the game up. But the C's defense, which was among the best in the NBA in January, came up with one defensive stop after another as the offense continued to misfire.

Boston (24-23) has now won four straight -- all coming since they learned that Rondo would be lost for the season. Without Rondo, there's no mistaking how the C's rely even more on the collective efforts of all rather than those of a select few.

Even Brandon Bass (aka "no pass" Bass) was in the giving mood, racking up a season-high four assists. That balanced attack has transformed the Celtics into a team that's giving opponents fits in terms of matchups.

And it seems every game a different player has emerged to play the role of difference-maker. On Sunday it was Jason Collins, who came off the bench to score a season-high seven points. Just as important were the screens he set that gave Celtic shooters like Pierce (22 points) even more space to knock down shots. Collins was just one of the many Boston reserves who once again proved to be high-impact performers.

Jeff Green, coming off a game-high 17 points against Orlando, put together another impressive performance with 14 points off the C's bench.

Jason Terry (13 points), Leandro Barbosa (14 points) and Chris Wilcox (4 points in 4 minutes) also stepped their games up in reserve roles.

Despite the lopsided nature of the score most of the game, Boston didn't exactly come out smoking. The first quarter was filled with poor defense played by both teams, but the C's still managed to take a slim 33-30 lead into the second quarter.

However, the C's defense that has been so strong lately was in full effect to start the second quarter. That defense coupled with some timely baskets allowed Boston to open the quarter with a 12-2 run. And the first half ended in similar fashion, as the Celtics finished the quarter with an 11-4 run to lead 59-40.

The third quarter saw a much-improved Clippers team that's still trying to figure out how to play without Chris Paul (bruised right knee). The Clippers opened the third with an 8-2 run, but a three from Pierce re-established the C's control and put them ahead 64-48. In the third quarter, Boston's lead never dipped below 13 points and ended with the C's ahead 92-77 going into the fourth.
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WEEI 93.7 FM

FAST BREAK: PAUL PIERCE, CELTICS SINK CLIPPERS SHIP
By Ben Rohrbach

The Celtics nearly blew a 19-point halftime lead, as the Clippers closed to within a single possession with three minutes to play, but a long Jason Terry jumper with 1:09 remaining and Paul Pierce's 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds on the clock helped put the game away, 106-104. Matt Barnes and 37 combined turnovers made for an ugly basketball game, but the C's improved to 4-0 since All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo's season-ending ACL injury.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Bench production: Facing what many consider the NBA's best bench — save for Eric Bledsoe's insertion into the Clippers starting lineup in place of the injured Chris Paul (knee) — the C's reserves made a statement in the first half. The Celtics bench outscored their counterparts 32-5 in the opening 24 minutes, reaching that total on just 15 shots. Terry and Jeff Green led the way with nine points apiece by the break.

Jamal ball: Conversely, the Celtics kept Jamal Crawford and his explosive offense under control until he heated up late. C's coach Doc Rivers stuck Avery Bradley on the perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and when Bradley picked up three first-half fouls, Courtney Lee picked up where his backcourt mate left off. Crawford, who broke his nose against the Raptors on Friday, grew so frustrated that he abandoned his protective facemask.

Balancing act: Once again, just about everybody stepped up in Rondo's absence. Green, Terry and Leandro Barbosa all reached double digits off the bench. Pierce owned the third quarter. Brandon Bass tied his career high in assists (4). And Jason Collins set a new season high for scoring (5). Rivers needed to capture his team's attention after a 20-23 start; it's too bad it took Rondo's season-ending injury to do it.

WHAT WENT WRONG

First-quarter defense: The Celtics scored 33 points on 59.1 percent shooting but only took a three-point lead after the first quarter. That's because Blake Griffin & Co. scored 30 points on 60.0 percent shooting in the frame. Griffin, Caron Butler and DeAndre Jordan lived up to their Lob City billing, combining for five dunks and 23 points in the first. The C's remedied that porous defense in the second, when they outscored the Clips 26-10.

No Paul ball: Without Paul in the lineup, not only did Boston fans miss out on seeing one of the game's great players, but the Celtics missed an opportunity to see how this Rondo-less group stacks up against one of the league's best teams. With less than three weeks until the trade deadline, wins over the Heat and a full-strength Clippers squad in the span of a week on national TV might have offered C's president Danny Ainge a better window in his team's potential sans Rondo.

Bradley's shot: Granted, foul trouble disrupted Bradley's flow, but the Celtics guard continues to struggle with his shot since returning from double shoulder surgery. He entered the game shooting 40 percent from the field and 31 percent from 3-point range. This after shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3 last season. Against the Clippers, he made just 2-of-8 shots and missed both his attempts from beyond 12 feet.

112288

This was a good win against an up and coming elite team.

Dboss

We keep on rolling! Barnes is just an Axx Hole...punk who's been on a zillion teams. Not worth spit on a side walk!

Team I think got a little tired at the end but we just kept on coming in the last 2 minutes.

112288

Is there a possibility to get somebody like Elton Brand via waivers?

International,

As far as I know, Elton Brand is still with the Mavs and playing pretty well. I know he played for them on January 29. If he is no longer with them for some reason, he'd be a great pickup.

Sam

Celts at 10-6 since the beginning of the year .625 clip.

And have knocked off some great teams so far.

Dboss

Sam, I know that Elton Brand is playing with the Mavs and that He is playing preety well,but I think they are not going to be in the playoff so maybe they can buy his contract and let him free.

International,

Well, if the Mavs bought him out (which I find it difficult to believe), any team would have a shot at him. Otherwise, the Celtics would have to trade for him, and whom would you give in trade for him?

Sam

Sam,
I would like to figure out a way to get Marion. He would fit right in this group we have. He gets stats without stuff being ran for him. Good rebounder, can make a 3 pt shot, and runs the floor well. Plays defense as well.

Bass and Collins would get him. Could even throw in a second round pick for sweetner. I know talking Dallas into it is another story. Wish we had another young player other than Melo to throw in there. Maybe a 3 team deal to meet everyones needs.

tardust,

As much as I like Marion -- I think he was way underappreciated in the Mavericks title run a couple of years ago -- I think it would be a mistake to add yet another aging veteran. Any deals they make should have significant upside for the future, not be a short-term gain.

Acquisitions like P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Michael Finley, both O'Neals, Rasheed, and Keyon Dooling made strategic sense in years past because Boston was primarily in "win championships now" mode. But they have to look longer term now instead of going all-in on the current season, and going all-in with older players isn't the smart move any more.

Marion is in his 14th season and will be 35 in May. Brandon Bass (28 in April) had an underwhelming first half of the season, but he could be a big beneficiary of the "new look," post-Rondo Celtics and be a solid contributor for years to come, long after Marion has retired. I wouldn't go for that trade.

Started to write this earlier, got a lot done and then the gremlins struck and it all got erased before I could post it and save it. And this is a new laptop. So, I'm going to make this shorter than usual since if it happens again I'm going to have to get another new laptop because this one will have a few broken pieces.

1. Solid game by Pierce, but his 6 TOs almost sank us. Yeah, I know the iso went in, I don't care. We got into trouble by doing that stuff and not doing the stuff that got us the 19 point lead in the first half.

2. Barbosa is made for this uptempo game. Not only can he run, he LOVES to run. I've also been impressed with is defense. He's not a stopper like Bradley or Lee, but the knock on him has always been that he is a nonchalant defender. I have not seen that yet. He usually stays between his man and the hoop. His spacing might need a little fine tuning but that's it. Offensively he really is a blur.

3. Bradley's offense is staggering. Few easy baskets for him and his jumper isn't dropping. I still love him, but Doc needs to come up with some ideas to play back to his forte, which is moving without the ball.

4. DeAndre Jordan can dunk the ball. Other than that I have nothing else to say about him because that's all he did yesterday. That's why they covet KG.

5. If you don't appreciate what Jason Collins can bring to the team after yesterday's game then you probably never will. His picks were so good the Clips were getting frustrated and trying to run STRAIGHT THROUGH HIM to get at the shooter. He was 5-5 from the line.

I'm going to head the gremlins off at the pass and end this here, before they wake up.

Ok, so now we've both good and bad teams. At some point shouldn't we think that this is the "new normal"?


bob


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Bob, I agree, Collins showed what he can do, and he's not a terrible 3rd option. Still think we need that second center who can score a little and slow down or stop the drives (even with a foul).
While I was delighted we won, the last several minutes were disturbing and if PP had missed, it might well have gone the other way. If you look at the last six minutes, how could we have avoided the near melt-down? Was it the lineup in at that juncture?
Not everyone wants to take a big shot in the 4th quarter and PP does. But it seems the rest of the team is so used to this scenario that they react with too much deference and lose their confidence. I don't mean with 20 seconds to go, necessarily, but in the last 5-6 minutes. It's like they're thinking to themselves 'Don't blow it."
As for AB, he thrived off Rondo assists and needs the ball delivered perfectly to be really effective. If he doesn't get a few layups, he becomes tentative from outside because he knows a miss looms large when he has no baskets.
JET? I was hoping he'd be gone, but in the new scheme, he is someone willing to live or die with a big shot and we need that now and then.
And Wilcox? If he recovers completely, he might be good enough to slide in there between KG and Collins. Here's hoping. Hawk

I like Wilcox as a PF playing with KG, with Sully gone he can pick up minutes there and bring a different more athletic look to the frontline.

I just watched the last quarter of the game again, just to get a better understanding of what happened during that time period. Here are some of the things I noticed.

1. contrary to a lot of posts, we ran very few isolations during the last 7 minutes of the game (when PP came back and lead down to 10)

2. We pushed the ball during this time a lot, not after made baskets but rebounding and steals we kept pushing.

3. We had some good shots during that time that just didn't go in.

4. Lee had 3 turnovers during that time, PP had ONE.

5. The Clippers upped their intensity big time, and so did we.

6. The Clippers got the benefit of a few calls which can be expected when a team has momentum. Barbosa took it to the rim and got HAMMERED with no foul call, Clippers immediately turn that into 2 pts.

7. Terry left Bledsoe completely open twice for 3 pt shots and he hit the second one.

8. We let Crawford out of the box the first 8 minutes of the 4th quarter.
One shot was a lucky bank shot from the 3pt line

9. Terry made one other horrible mistake after a made basket, he steps over the end line and I think it was Crawford hits another 3 pt shot withing 2-3 seconds. 5 pt trip early in the 4th I think.

10. It all basically came down in the 4th quarter that we had 4 turnovers (3 by Lee), we missed our shots, and until the last 3 minutes the Clippers were leaking out and getting baskets.

I have no doubt we can learn from this. We have to give our guys a little more time to learn how to function during this time of the game. With all the things that went wrong in the 4th quarter, we prevailed.

A lot of people are ready to throw in the towel, but I am not one of them. Call me crazy, thats alright. I just look back at the last two years and see what we did and how there were a lot of bandwagon fans then as well. I know about reality, we may not do it again, but on the other hand the results so far have been nice. Scoring has been spread out, assists have been spread out, we have got big plays from our big play players.. To me those are recipes for success. I still think adding a functional big man and we could be a team to be reckoned with. I don't think a lot of teams would look forward to playing us in a 7 game series.

Only 1 team wins the title each year so does that mean a lot of teams should just throw in the towel? If the Heat lost James, Bosh or Wade, I would put my money on us. We can compete with NY now. Boozer or Deng, or Noah, the Bulls could be had. My point is a lot of things could happen.

Don't give up the ship yet, our team deserves more.

Pride. The next generation.




Nothing like getting repeatedly head slapped by KG after hitting a game winner.








And here it is...












Why Barnes was out there covering KG, I don't know, but he made a good switch but JET hits it anyway.







The Blur, outrunning everybody down court. One dribble and in. Kudos to Pierce for taking only one dribble, looking up and making the pass ahead and to Bass for trailing...







Great pick and roll by KG.







The Blur, off to the races again. KG with the quick feet.







Love the look on Jordan's face. "Huh? How'd he get there?" Baseline, dummy, the one you're supposed to be defending.










bob


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