Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Indiana, Toronto…Something in that group just doesn’t belong.  Oh yeah, the twelfth place Raptors.

After four straight wins against four current playoff teams, the Celtics fell to Toronto last night 84-79.

Tonight they have a little tougher test in the New Jersey Nets, who sit one place above the Raptors in the Eastern Conference.  Sometimes, teams have a tendency to play down to a team of lesser competition, and the Celtics proved that last night.

Boston got a lot of people talking because of some big wins and their overall play since the All-Star break, but last night they did not look the team some are considering as a title contender.

They failed to score 40 points in the first half and just could not get anything going until it was a little too late.  Boston can redeem this tonight against the Nets, and it would be nice for them to get a win before going into their third game in a row Sunday against Charlotte.

These back-back-back games are good preparation for the Celtics as they head into the playoffs, although the competition will be much tougher then.

Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

Tip-Off: 7:00 P.M. ET

Projected Starters:

Boston (34-24): Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett

Toronto (20-39): Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Alan Anderson, Amir Johnson, Aaron Gray

Keys to the Game:

• The Celtics are without Ray Allen, who continues to have ankle soreness.  He did not make the trip to Toronto.
• Boston has four wins in a row, all against playoff contending teams.  They cannot let up tonight against the Raptors, and they need to keep playing the way they have as of late.
• Rondo’s assist watch continues.  He has 19 consecutive games with double-digit assists, which is the second longest in NBA history.  His ability to dish the ball to his teammates is one of the biggest aspects of the Celtics, so it will be fun to see how long he can keep this going.

» Continue reading “Celtics Head North To Take On Raptors”

The trade deadline is upon us.  Check in all day today with Luck of the Irish for all of the news surrounding the Boston Celtics and the NBA.

The stories to watch today:

• What will happen to Dwight Howard?  He repeatedly told the Orlando Magic he wanted to be traded, but now he says he wants to stay in Orlando for the rest of the season.
• How will the New Jersey Nets make out in the Howard drama?
• A deal to send Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers is also close to being finalized.

» Continue reading “NBA Trade Deadline: Who Stays And Who Goes”

The Boston Celtics lost to the Toronto Raptors 86-74 last night, their second loss in a row.  They take on the Chicago Bulls tomorrow afternoon.

Here are your Saturday news and notes:

• Check out the recap of last night’s loss.
• Doc Rivers called his team’s performance “awful.”
• Are the Celtics still interested in trading Rajon Rondo?

The Celtics are in search of their 18th championship in franchise history.

It’s been a tough day.  The New England Patriots lost in the Super Bowl yesterday, and I’m stuck in the middle of New York, surrounded by Giants fans and other people who just hate the Patriots and all other Boston teams.

I think it’s safe to say it could be a tough couple of days, at least until the Super Bowl coverage blows over.

It’s time to focus completely on the Boston Celtics, who have played well as of late and could continue to improve now that Rajon Rondo has returned to the lineup.  Let’s take a look at the road ahead:

• This week is more like a thorn between two roses.  The Celtics take on the Charlotte Bobcats tomorrow night at the TD Garden.  Charlotte has the worst record in the NBA, so look for Boston to take advantage of this and put together another convincing win. » Continue reading “Can The Celtics Drown My Super Bowl Sorrows?”

The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors last night 100-64, and if there’s any question about how the Celtics are feeling right now, check out Paul Pierce’s tweet below.

Last night’s win was a total team victory, with every active player making a mark on the stat sheet.  They shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded the Raptors 46-39.

» Continue reading “Pierce Leads Celtics To Rout Over Raptors”

The Boston Celtics ended their five-game losing streak last night with a 96-73 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

The bigger news coming out of Celtics camp is the possibility of a trade involving the Big Three.  As reported by The Boston Globe:

Celtics vice president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said today he would consider a major move involving the Big Three if it would help foster the team’s transition to the next era.

Ainge said he would consider trades if they would net younger talent.  He has maintained he does not want the franchise to go through a 10-year span of insignificance as it did following the departures of the previous Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, who remained with the team past their primes.

» Continue reading “Trade Rumors: Could The Celtics Dissolve The Big Three?”

The Boston Celtics finally returned to action Sunday with a 76-75 win over the Toronto Raptors.  Greg Stiemsma scored the game winning basket with 12 seconds left, and the depleted Celtics came out with the victory.

My first reaction should have been excitement that the C’s won, but all I could think was, “Who is this Stiemsma guy?”

Oh yeah, the Celtics signed him last week.  I guess I was too wrapped up in the Patriots game and my disdain for Tebow mania that I lost sight for a moment.

And, I’m still recovering from my sadness over Jeff Green, who will miss the entire season to have heart surgery.

So, all in all, it was a very confusing moment for me.

But look at the bright side, the new guy is stepping into his role and contributing.  And the veterans are leading the team as well, with Ray Allen leading the team in scoring for the afternoon.

The are some concerns with the Celtics, though.  The team was without Paul Pierce, who sat out with a sore heel.  He has been limited in practice, and there is no word whether he will play Wednesday when they face the Raptors again.

The C’s are also limited at the forward position now that Green is out.  Garnett and O’Neal will have to step up big time, and management needs to make some deal sort of deal to bring in back up.

The Celtics are off to a winning start, which is a great sign.  But players to need to get and stay healthy, and the team must add some big guys if they want any shot at a championship this year.

Paul Pierce will sit out the Boston Celtics first preseason game against the Toronto Raptors Sunday.

Pierce’s sore right heel limited his ability to participate in the team’s practices, and coach Doc Rivers said he could be out until Monday.

“Paul will be out until around Monday.  That’s what Eddie said, he said he could possibly play [in the exhibition game in Toronto], but why take the chance going from no practice to playing in an exhibition game.  So, we’re probably going to leave him back.”

Pierce’s injury is a little concerning considering he has not practiced too much since training camp opened, but do not be too worried about him missing Sunday’s game.  With a short training camp and preseason, his health is more important on December 25 than it is on December 18.

There should be few doubts that Pierce will be ready to go come Christmas Day.