The Celtics lost to the Atlanta Hawks last night 97-92.  Boston has a few days off until they face off against the Miami Heat Tuesday, and they finish the regular season against the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday.

Here are your news and notes on this Saturday, with the NBA playoffs just one week away:

• Take a look at a recap from last night’s game.
• Boston’s stars did not play last night and could sit for the two upcoming games.  Avery Bradley continues to shine at the guard spot, while Greg Stiemsma does the same under the hoop.
• Ray Allen is still nursing an ankle injury, but how serious is it?

The Boston Celtics finally have a day off after three games in a row.  They went 2-1 on their back-back-back stretch, only losing to the Toronto Raptors.

They head to the Big Apple tomorrow night to take on the New York Knicks before returning home for a game against the Orlando Magic Wednesday night.

Here are your news and notes on this Monday afternoon:

• The Celtics played without the Big Three last night in Charlotte, but a new big three emerged and led the team to a victory.
• The NBA named Kevin Garnett Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
• Rajon Rondo continues to put up big numbers in the assist column.
• Avery Bradley proved he deserved to be on the court when Ray Allen was out with an ankle injury, and he has not slowed down since.

The Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers today 103-79 and are now just two games back for the third spot in the Eastern Conference.

Boston has a tough test Tuesday night when they head to Miami.  The Celtics won convincingly against the Heat last Sunday, but they should expect Miami to look to avenge that embarrassing loss.

Here are your news and notes on this Easter Sunday:

• Take a look at the game recap from today’s game.
• Mickael Pietrus passed the first of several concussion tests he needs to take before he can return to the court.
• Avery Bradley continues to get better with more playing time, and he is slowly becoming a go-to option for the Celtics.

Location: United Center, Chicago, IL

Projected Starters:

Boston: Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett

Chicago: C.J. Watson, Richard Hamilton, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah

First Quarter:

• Bradley gets the start tonight in place of Allen.
• (9:28) Bulls have two early turnovers. The Celtics need to take advantage of these extra scoring opportunities.
• (7:44) Pierce hits a three-pointer on the break. He looks on tonight, which is a good sign for Boston.
• (5:35) Great basket off the dribble for Rondo. The combination of him and Bradley is one of the keys for the Celtics tonight.
• (3:30) Allen gets his first minutes of the night. Let’s see how that ankle holds up tonight and see if he can get some of that rust out of his system.
• (0:41) Stiemsma picks up his second foul.

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Tip-Off: 7:30 P.M. ET

Projected Starters:

Boston (30-22): Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett

San Antonio (37-14): Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair

Keys to the Game:

• Allen is expected to return to the lineup after missing the past five games with an ankle injury.  The Celtics will need him down the stretch as the head into the playoffs, and tonight’s game could be an indication of his impact for the rest of the season.
• With the return of Allen to his starting role, all eyes will be on Avery Bradley to see how he responds to going back to the bench after his stellar performances in Allen’s absence.  There was speculation that Doc Rivers would keep Bradley in the starting lineup, but Allen will keep his spot if and when he returns.  The Celtics still need Bradley to play well, no matter if he starts or comes off the bench.
• Boston is in a tough stretch right now going against high-quality teams.  They are on a five game winning streak, and a wing against the Spurs would be a great confidence booster.

» Continue reading “Allen Hopes To Spur Celtics In Return Against San Antonio”

The Boston Celtics had their second day off in a row today before taking on the Spurs tomorrow night in Boston.

Here are you news and notes on this Tuesday night:

• With these two days of rest for the Celtics, Ray Allen is set to return to the lineup tomorrow night.
• Reports are swirling about the return of Allen from his ankle injury and the potential of losing his starting spot to Avery Bradley.
• Mickael Pietrus visited the Celtics at practice today, but Doc Rivers said he is nowhere close to returning to the court.

The Boston Celtics moved into a share of first place in the Atlantic Division with their win over the Charlotte Bobcats last night.

Boston and Philadelphia have matching records at 27-22, and with less than a month left in the regular season, the difference between first and second place will make a huge difference.  Right now, the fourth place 76ers would play Indiana, and Boston would play Miami.

The Celtics have a tough road to the end of the season, which includes a final matchup with the 76ers, three games versus the Heat, as well as games against Chicago and New York.

Boston got a great performance from Paul Pierce last night, and Avery Bradley has played two great games in a row in place of the injured Ray Allen.  The Celtics’ biggest concern for the end of the season is injuries.

» Continue reading “Celtics Back On Top, At Least Partially”

Location: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC

Tip-Off: 7:00 P.M. ET

Projected Starters:

Boston (26-22): Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett

Charlotte (7-39): DJ Augustin, Gerald Henderson, Corey Maggette, Tyrus Thomas, Bismack Biyombo

Keys to the Game:

• Bradley had a standout game last night against Washington, and with Ray Allen (ankle) out of the lineup tonight, the Celtics will look to the backup guard to be a spark plug again.  Bradley has played well during his few starts, and he really provides an offensive option for Boston.
• The Celtics are going against a much lesser team in Charlotte, and tonight should be a really good chance to get the entire team involved and for the starters to get some added rest.  With all of the injuries Boston has dealt with this season, the players should take any chance they can get to take it easy and heal any problems they may be dealing with.

Prediction:

Celtics 102, Bobcats 86.  Boston should have their way with Charlotte tonight, and if the entire team can get involved and have good performances, the Celtics should have no problem ending the night with a victory.

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Tip-Off: 6:00 P.M. ET

Projected Starters:

Boston (25-22): Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass

Washington (11-36): John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Nene

Injury Report:

Ray Allen (ankle) is out for tonight’s game.

Keys to the Game:

• The Celtics face a difficult situation in Philadelphia Friday night, watching their teammate Mickael Pietrus get carted off after a hard fall.  Tonight’s game is a good chance to boost the team’s morale after the emotional game the other day.  Boston is back in the Garden after a long road trip, and they’ll need the support from the fans and from each other to overcome Friday’s loss.
• Boston will definitely be without Pietrus tonight, but they could also be without the services of Allen and Bradley.  The reserve guards will play a major role, not only needing to play well, but in general, just providing bodies on the court.
• The Wizards are a different team since the last time they play the Celtics.  They traded away to of their guards and added center Nene.  Garnett has a tough matchup against Washington’s big man, and he and Bass have to control the boards on both ends and not let Washington get second chance opportunities.

» Continue reading “Celtics vs Wizards: Time For A Little Home Cooking In Boston”

Mickael Pietrus was cleared to travel and will return to Boston for further evaluation following a hard fall to the floor in last night’s game against Philadelphia.  Pietrus has a possible concussion, but it appears he did not suffer any serious injuries.  He will undergo more tests to rule out any additional health problems.

Avery Bradley, who injured his ankle last night, said he hopes to be ready to go tomorrow against Washington.  There is no word on Ray Allen’s status for tomorrow.  Allen sat out with is own ankle injury.

This is a tough time for Boston to be missing three key players.  There are only 19 games left in the regular season, and the Celtics are right in the middle of a fight to make the playoffs.  They still sit in seventh place of the East standings, but after last night’s loss, they are one and a half games back of the 76ers for first place in the Atlantic Division.

If the season ended today, Boston would have a date with the Miami Heat.  They need to put up a strong finish and try and get ahead of Philadelphia, or else it could spell any early exit from the playoffs.