Report: Pierce out two weeks

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 23, 6:21 p.m.

It's been a tough Christmas week for the Celtics. Paul Pierce will miss two weeks after having his knee drained, according to CSNNE.com. Pierce began feeling discomfort after Tuesday's victory against the Pacers, and it was determined he had an infection, according to the report.

The Celtics rested Kevin Garnett during the game against Indiana due to a sore hip, which was not related to the knee injury that ended his 2008-09 season and has still bothered him this season. The C's expect Garnett to be back in the lineup Friday against the Magic in a crucial game for Boston, which has already lost once to Orlando this year. The Celtics play the defending conference champions four total times this season, and head-to-head record is the initial tiebreaker for playoff seeding.

Boston is about to embark on a four-game, six-day road trip:

Friday, 2:30 p.m. -- Magic
Sunday, 9:30 p.m. -- Clippers
Monday, 10:30 p.m. -- Warriors
Wednesday, 9 p.m. -- Suns

The Clippers, Warriors and Suns prefer to play at a faster pace that tends to hamper the Celtics' style, so the loss of Pierce will make the trip even more difficult. Already without Marquis Daniels and Glen Davis, the Celtics are increasingly thin at forward, so they recalled Bill Walker from the NBA D-League.

Pushing for perfection

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 15, 5:15 p.m.

Rasheed Wallace was at his locker talking to the media last week when Kevin Garnett strolled by and shouted, “Quit lying.”

Wallace, who was addressing the Celtics’ strong-willed desire to keep improving, fired back across the room, “If we can get Kevin to step up.”

The tight-knit seven-footers go back and forth with each other all day, as if they were Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in “Bad Boys.” But, joking aside, the Celtics are serious about playing better basketball, despite an NBA-best 20-4 record that includes an 11-game winning streak.

“We’re just trying to zone in and focus in more on defense and play Celtic basketball,” Wallace said. “We try to play the way we know how to play, and that’s the winning way.”

The Celtics immediately point to their rebounding woes. They’re second-to-last in the league with 38.3 rebounds per game, and they’re dead last with 8.5 offensive boards per clip.

Then, there’s the hot start, which is anything but impressive to the veterans in Boston’s locker room because they’ve had better records through 24 games in each of the last two seasons. They started 21-3 and won 29 games before their fourth loss in 2007-08. Last season, they were 21-3 and won 29 games prior to their fourth defeat.

“We are not a flawless team. We do make mistakes,” Garnett said. “I think we’re just true to what we talk about.”

Coach Doc Rivers said his team still has to learn how to play 48 full minutes, rather than in spurts, but he was very impressed with the brand of ball they played during a recent four-game road trip that included a victory against the Spurs. As Rivers said, the C’s have more to build off of than to correct, and that’s a good thing.

“My favorite game this year was the San Antonio game because after the game, all of the players were upset with the way they played,” Rivers said. “And we won a game in San Antonio. To me, that’s a team that’s maturing a little bit, and that’s good.”

Daniels has surgery

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 9, 10:51 a.m.

So much for three or four games. The Celtics announced this morning Marquis Daniels underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, and no timetable is set for his return. Doc Rivers said last night he hoped Daniels would only miss a few games and wouldn't share the results of Daniels' tests from yesterday.

Celtics buck Milwaukee

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 9:59 p.m.

The Celtics closed the game on a 13-3 run and held the Bucks without a field goal for the final 4:49 to grab a 98-89 victory at the Garden. Boston won its eighth consecutive game and improved to 17-4.

Tied up through three

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 9:24 p.m.

After an impressive road trip, the Celtics have returned home and can't shake the Bucks. They're all tied at 71-71 with 12 minutes to play, and Milwaukee just erased a nine-point deficit.

Celtics up by one at the break

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 8:41 p.m.

The Celtics have a 49-48 lead at the half. Rajon Rondo has zero points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Kevin Garnett (12 points, four rebounds), Paul Pierce (10 points, but just one point in the second quarter), Ray Allen (eight points) and Kendrick Perkins (eight points) are providing the scoring.

Bucks take early lead

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 8:08 p.m.

The Bucks have a 27-26 lead after the first quarter here at the Garden, and they've been led by Andrew Bogut's 12 points and four rebounds. Paul Pierce looked like a force while scoring nine points for the Celtics.

Tony Allen checked in for the first time this season, missed a couple of free throws and got blown up by a screen on the other end. He only played two minutes but is coming back out for the second quarter.

Two quick hits

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 7:59 p.m.

Doc Rivers was asked about Tim Donaghy during the coach's pregame meeting with the media because the disgraced referee told WEEI today Rivers was one of his least favorite coaches. Rivers has never hidden his disdain for Donaghy, and he didn't shy away again tonight.

"I’m so sick of that guy right now," Rivers said. "I really am [sick of him] for our league. I love our league, and I hate what’s going on, that we’re giving a guy like him credibility."

Also, I walked by Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings earlier and thought he was a ball boy. The budding superstar is one tiny dude.

Daniels will miss a few games

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 7:54 p.m.

Doc Rivers said Marquis Daniels will miss "a couple of games for sure" and Rivers is hoping the wrist injury only keeps him out for three or four games at the most.

Daniels has been bothered by the injury for a few weeks, and he believed it was feeling better until the wrist got whacked during Friday's victory in Oklahoma City. Rivers made the call to sit Daniels when he noticed him go up for a rebound with just one hand during Sunday's practice when Daniels should have been using two hands.

Daniels underwent an MRI and other tests today, but Rivers didn't discuss the results.

Coincidentally, Tony Allen returns from a right ankle injury tonight to play in his first game of the season, and he'll combine with Brian Scalabrine to fill in during Daniels' minutes. Allen, who initially thought he would return against Charlotte on Dec. 1, said he has been pain-free for a week.

Big Baby still a few weeks away

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 7:43 p.m.

Glen Davis has been spending some quality time with his new dog “Deebo” while recovering from a right thumb injury he suffered before the start of the regular season.

Due to the cast on his hand, Davis’s basketball activities have been limited for a couple of months, and the Celtics forward is just trying to bide the time while waiting for the digit to fully heal.

“No skydiving, no fighting, all of that stuff,” said Davis, who hurt his hand while fighting with a childhood friend. “I’ve been playing with my dog a lot lately. I’ve been getting to know my little dog. He’s really a unique type of dog. He’s not regular dog.”

Apparently, it’s match made in heaven for the Miniature Pinscher and the quirky Davis, who isn’t traveling on team road trips and is working on his conditioning in the meantime. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Davis might be able to return in time for the West Coast trip at the end of the month, but that is still a best-case scenario.

Davis ditched the original cast for a shorter model once the broken bone healed, and he’s now waiting for the ligament to get back to full strength. In the meantime, it’s all about running, running and more running.

“I feel like I’ve been training for the Olympics, running around the track and stuff like that,” Davis said about an hour ago. “I’m just trying to stay in shape, keep the weight down, try to avoid these holidays with all this good food. I make sure I hit the elliptical machine every day, get a good sweat. I don’t eat after 9. I make sure I get my meals early, stay away from the soda pop.”

Live from the Garden

Posted by Jeff Howe, Dec. 8, 7:36 p.m.

I'm here at the Garden and will provide live updates during the game between the Celtics (16-4) and Bucks (9-10). Tony Allen returns to the lineup tonight for the C's, and I'll pass along a few more injury-related notes shortly.

Walker to D-League

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 21, 3:12 p.m.

The Celtics announced today they have sent forward Bill Walker to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. Walker has only played in two minutes of action for the Celtics this season after missing time due to knee surgery.

The Celtics have made some good use out of the D-League in recent seasons, sending Walker, J.R. Giddens and Gabe Pruitt to Utah in the past when they've fallen down the depth chart and weren't earning playing time in Boston. By all accounts, younger players truly enjoy the demotion because it gives them some actual time on the court.

The Red Claws, a brand-new D-League franchise, is affiliated with the Celtics and Bobcats. The team is based in Portland, and its season starts with an exhibition game Monday.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 10:27 p.m.

Analysis of the Celtics' 109-95 victory against the Warriors at the Garden. The Celtics improved to 9-3.

No refrigerator paper. The Celtics aren't going to brag about this one very much. They looked sluggish through about two and a half quarters before really turning it on and wiping out the Warriors, who only had nine active players due to various injuries -- and just eight of them played. And one of them, Raja Bell, is heading to Charlotte after the game to have wrist surgery. This one shouldn't have been very close, but the Celtics salvaged the night by running past Golden State in the second half, which is the mark of a fresher team playing against half of a squad.

Paul Pierce gave a captain-like speech at halftime, according to Kevin Garnett, and it fired up the whole team. "We just know we're a better team about being solid and consistent," Pierce said. He later added, in the first half, they were "looking around at each other," but they did a good job collectively making sure they played the right way in the second half.

"It wasn't pretty," Garnett said. "It wasn't perfect, but we're still a team in progress. A win's a win."

Too many 3-pointers. The Celtics attempted nine 3s in the fourth quarter, and their reliance on the deep ball temporarily slowed down their offense and allowed the Warriors to cut into the lead. Sure, they knocked down four of them (44.4 percent), so that's not all bad, but there was a point when they seemed too comfortable with settling for the outside shot. Overall, the Celtics hit 8-of-19 3-pointers (42.1 percent), which is a pretty good ratio. The context of their 3s wasn't always ideal, though.

"We got a little gun shy, started shooting and playing [the Warriors'] game a little bit," Garnett said.

A world of his own. This is how intensely focused Garnett is before, during and even a little bit after a game: Not only did he completely forget he nailed a three-quarter-court shot before halftime, he didn't even know if it counted or not. "I did make a halfcourt shot, didn't I?" Garnett said when asked about it. "Now I remember. Yeah, that felt good. That felt real good. ... Yeah, I meant to make that, though, and if you look at the tape, I did call it."

Celtics top Warriors

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 10:00 p.m.

The Celtics knocked off the Warriors, 109-95, here at the Garden. More coming shortly.

Celtics extend lead

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 9:27 p.m.

The Celtics used a 12-0 run to create some space and built an 80-67 lead against the Warriors through three quarters. At one point, the Celtics held Golden State without a field goal for 6:01. Rajon Rondo knocked down a free throw in the quarter to end a streak of 10 consecutive misses, but he followed that up with two more misses. He has now missed 12 of his last 13 free throws, and he has made 4 of 16 (25 percent) this season.

KG brings down the house

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 8:40 p.m.

The Celtics have a 49-48 lead against the Warriors at halftime, but the biggest buzz came from Kevin Garnett's buzzer beater that got waived off. Corey Maggette missed his second of two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining in the second quarter, and Garnett got the rebound. He was tightly covered and couldn't get rid of the ball, dribbled up the court, spun around and let a one-handed heave fly from the free-throw line in the back court. The ball swished through the net, causing the place to roar with a unique type of excitement. However, the officials said the shot happened after the buzzer.

In other news, Rajon Rondo missed a free throw in the second quarter, extending his streak to 10 consecutive misses.

C's seize first-quarter lead

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 8:08 p.m.

The Celtics have a 27-23 lead after the first quarter. The show stopper of the first quarter was former Celtic Mikki Moore, who is the Warriors' starting center. In true fashion, Moore picked up two fouls in the game's first 2:12 and got sent to the bench. When he came back to the court, he got called for offensive goaltending. Mikki, we know you too well.

Can't buy a free throw

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 7:47 p.m.

Rajon Rondo enters tonight's game having missed nine consecutive free throws, and he's only made 3 of 12 (25 percent) this season. The fourth-year point guard has gone five games without hitting a free throw, as he hasn't knocked one down since Nov. 4 against the Timberwolves.

Ray Allen is always adamant about free-throw shooting and the amount of work players must put in to be good free-throw shooters. Allen, whose .893 free-throw percentage is fifth all-time, insists it's about having a routine at the line. And not only that, it's about practicing that routine with the mind frame that it's a game situation -- with a clear head and not letting your mind wander toward anything else you're going to do later that day.

"You’ve got to really focus on making it a game situation," Allen said. "This is for the win, or we’re down three and I’ve got to make these two free throws to put it down one. That’s the way you’ve got to think when you’re practicing."

Keys for the C's

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 7:28 p.m.

The Celtics (8-3) have to stay disciplined and in control tonight against the Warriors (3-7), who have huge injury issues. Golden State will play without Kelenna Azubuike, Ronny Turiaf, Andris Biedrins, C.J. Watson and Brandon Wright.

Therefore, the Celtics need to do their best to run the Warriors into the ground by crashing the boards, driving hard to the paint and moving the ball on offense. The C's can make the Warriors look bad defensively if they keep the ball in motion.

Here at the Garden

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 18, 5:40 p.m.

I'm checking in live from the Garden, where the Celtics will play the Warriors in two hours. The locker rooms are about to open, so I'll check back after that. By the way, Mikki Moore is currently penciled in to start at center for Golden State. I don't need to spell out the obvious for what that means to the Celtics in this game.

Let's get ready to rumble

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 12, 7:00 p.m.

The Celtics will be looking to make quick work of the Pacers on Saturday night because they're just like the millions of other boxing fans who are interested in the outcome of the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight. A few members of the Celtics have been partial to Pacquiao after they took a trip to Las Vegas to see him score a TKO against David Diaz in the summer of 2008.

Ray Allen had a connection in Vegas who hooked them up with tickets and locker room passes. Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell were all partying with Pacquiao after the victory, which also came about two weeks after the Celtics closed out the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

"My guy in Vegas took care of us," Allen said. "We were able to go into the locker room in the back and got to see his whole camp, which was pretty interesting."

They have all paid close attention to Pacquiao's career since then. After the Celtics beat the Bulls in Game 7 of the first round of their classic playoff series last season, Pierce and Garnett rushed out of their postgame press conference to get to a television to catch Pacquiao's second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton.

Allen appreciates watching athletes perform at a high level, regardless of the sport.

"Greatness is greatness," Allen said. "Seeing somebody win a fight, a championship, I think we all respect that across the sports line. It’s great to see people accomplish such a great goal."

Kendrick Perkins spoke for the locker room with his prediction for Saturday night.

"Pacquiao all the way," Perkins said.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 10:37 p.m.

Analysis after the Celtics beat the Jazz, 105-86, to improve to 8-1:

Days of rest: The Celtics played eight games during the first 12 days of the season, and their performance trailed off a bit during the last three games of that stretch, which included their only loss to date. They just had three days off before tonight's game, which is their longest stretch of the season, and they looked and felt fresh because of it. Doc Rivers said the practices were more beneficial than the actual rest, but that's coach speak.

"You can tell the three days off paid off with this win," said Kevin Garnett, who had 18 points and four rebounds.

Utah has a motion offense that creates the majority of its points, so the rest allowed the Celtics to keep their minds on task and shut down the Jazz, who had 21 turnovers and never got comfortable on the offensive end.

"Any time you have energy defensively, you're going to have an above-average night," said Garnett, who was alluding to their rest.

Movement: The Celtics had 30 assists, which is three shy of their team high this season, and their ball movement was a serious reason for their success, particularly their willingness to play from the inside out. "It makes us pretty much unstoppable when we play that way," Paul Pierce said.

Speed kills: Rajon Rondo pushed the ball down the court for a buzzer-beating lay-up in the last 3.8 seconds of the third quarter. Rivers knew his speedy point guard was capable of that because they've timed his speed from baseline to baseline. Rivers said Rondo can get all the way down the court -- in a straight line -- in 3.1 seconds.

New guys: Garnett glowingly praised the Celtics' new additions after the game. While everyone already knew about Rasheed Wallace, Garnett said Marquis Daniels is a "perfect fit" because of his length, defensive ability and scoring prowess. Daniels hasn't gotten a chance to show off his scoring skills just yet, so Garnett said we haven't seen anything close to his potential with this team. Garnett also said it's a "shocker" how much Shelden Williams has contributed because no one really knew about Williams' motor, high energy and work ethic. Garnett said Williams is "perfect for this team."

Cheerleader: The NBA has a new rule about players standing up in the bench area, but Garnett doesn't really care. He is the team's No. 1 cheerleader, particularly when the second unit closes out blowouts. "They've got this rule now that you can't stand up on the side, but the hell with it," Garnett said. "I'm going to cheer for my team."

Celtics rock Jazz

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 9:51 p.m.

The Celtics blew past the Jazz, 105-86, at the Garden. Boston improves to 8-1, while Utah falls to 3-5. This one was over in the second quarter.

Celtics rocking the Jazz

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 9:23 p.m.

The Celtics have a 84-62 lead against the Jazz here at the Garden, and this is going to be another easy win for the C's. Credit Rajon Rondo for flying down the court against a sleeping Utah defense to lay in a buzzer beater to extend the lead, but the play I loved in the third quarter came from Rasheed Wallace.

The Jazz were pushing the ball up the court, but there was an errand pass thrown over the head of Deron Williams. Wallace was already down the court, and once he realized the ball was heading in his direction, he and Williams raced to get it. Wallace realized he couldn't grab the ball, so he slapped it off of Williams and it bounced out of bounds. You typically only see those plays right on the baseline, but this happened out near the arc of the 3-point line. Just a smart, veteran play from a solid defensive player.

Two keys

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 9:00 p.m.

Doc Rivers said before the game two of the biggest keys against the Jazz were getting back on defense and limiting Utah's bigs from creating second-chance points.

Consider that a rousing success in the first half. The Jazz never even had a fast break, let alone a point out of its transition game, and they were held to just four second-chance points.

Celtics lead at the break

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 8:40 p.m.

The Celtics have a 54-44 lead at the half here at the Garden. The C's have forced 11 turnovers to build the lead. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins each have 10 points, and Rajon Rondo has six points and eight assists.

More on Daniels

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 8:19 p.m.

Just an addition to the previous Marquis Daniels post. I asked Doc Rivers before the game if he expected Daniels to play as well defensively as he has this season, and Rivers said he "hoped" so. Rivers then added the Celtics targeted three players last offseason, and he really wanted to land two of them, if not all three. Rasheed Wallace was the Celtics' No. 1 priority, and Daniels and Grant Hill were each 1A on that list. Even though Hill, who played for Rivers in Orlando, chose to remain in Phoenix, Rivers was happy with the turnout.

"Those were our go-after guys," Rivers said. "We really felt if we can end up with two of those three — obviously, Rasheed being one — then we would have had a great summer. "

Celtics lead through one

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 8:08 p.m.

The Celtics have a 28-23 lead after the first quarter here at the Garden. Rajon Rondo has led the way with six points and five assists. 

Shoebox surprise

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 7:43 p.m.

Glen Davis said he was cleaning out a closet in his house a few days ago and stumbled upon an old brown shoebox, which piqued his curiosity. When he looked inside, he found an old copy of USA Today that was lined with autographs ... from Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Big Baby got the autographs when he was younger and his family was traveling up the East Coast. They stopped in South Carolina, where there was a marquee high school tournament going on. Davis picked up the USA Today, which had a preview section dedicated to the tournament, and had a bunch of the players sign it. Also on there were Vince Carter, Stephon Marbury and Ron Mercer.

"I was cleaning out my closet and had a whole bunch of old stuff, so I look and was like, ‘Oh, my God,’" Davis said.

There was a cover story on Garnett, who signed the main photo, along with another article on Allen and his recent commitment to UConn. Davis said he plans to frame everything and hang it up at home next to his autographed Allen Celtics jersey.

"I totally forgot about [the newspaper]," Davis said. "I was obsessed with these guys when I was younger. It was crazy."

Daniels gets defensive

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 7:37 p.m.

I spent a few minutes with Marquis Daniels and asked him about his defensive game, which has always been a strong suit throughout his seven-year career. Daniels has seven steals in seven games this season, and if he keeps it up, this will be the fifth time he's averaged at least 1.0 steal per game over the course of a season.

"It’s my normal game," Daniels said. "It’s a lot easier when you have guys that are willing to play defense with you as a whole group. From the veteran guys, All-Stars, guys are willing and wanting to play defense. It just makes it a lot easier for you."

Daniels spent his first three seasons with the Mavericks, who stayed away from defense like it was the plague. He then spent three seasons with the Pacers. Neither of those teams, of course, played with the intensity that could come anywhere close to rivaling what the Celtics have.

"All great teams, great winners, always do it on the defensive end," said Daniels, who is averaging 5.7 points per game this season. "When you have a team like this, everyone is willing to play defense, willing to get better. It’s easier.

"It always starts with your key players, with Kevin, Paul, Ray, Rondo and Perk. They’re willing to come out and lay it down every night. You have no choice but to follow that and play defense."

Live from the Garden

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 11, 5:42 p.m.

Apparently, if there is a crosswalk in the road -- even if it's 100 yards away -- that gives everyone who is getting out of work the right to blindly run into the street against oncoming traffic. And, seriously, I'm putting the emphasis on everyone. One lady even ran in front of an ambulance that had its lights and sirens on. I'll save the sarcasm for another time.

So, after surviving the short car ride over here, I'm ready to give you full Celtics-Jazz coverage. The locker rooms open in about 20 minutes, and tip-off will be just after 7:30. Keep it here throughout the night.

Rondo signs extension

Posted by Jeff Howe, Nov. 2, 1:13 p.m.

Rajon Rondo signed a $55 million, five-year contract extension with the Celtics, according to multiple reports. Rondo is in the final year of his rookie deal and would have been a restricted free agent next summer if the two sides did not agree on a contract by today's deadline.

The Breakdown

Even if Rondo didn't sign an extension today, the Celtics would have still been in full control of the situation next summer. While Rondo could have looked elsewhere for a contract, the Celtics would have had seven days to match another team's deal and retain his services. Hypothetically, the Celtics wouldn't even need to enter negotiations with the point guard next summer. They could just ask for a copy of the other team's offer, match signatures and move forward with their star of the future generation. Is that good business, or a smart way to keep your players happy? No, but that point was simply to dictate how much power the Celtics had in this situation.

However, locking him up today was beneficial for both sides. It's a good PR move for the Celtics, who won't face the criticism of potentially losing Rondo -- as unlikely as it would have been -- for the remainder of this season.

The C's also don't have to worry about matching a huge offer from a desperate team in 2010. Next summer's free-agent class is loaded with superstars, and if some team with cap room swings and misses on the biggest stars, it might see fit to throw $100 million to Rondo to build its franchise around him.

Now, they can move forward and put all of their concentration on a season that has started out perfectly and has championship potential. The Celtics signed Rondo for very reasonable money, answering his demands while not overspending and hurting the future business model. The team also quelled any chance of this becoming a distraction.

The Celtics have courted a championship-caliber squad for three consecutive seasons, and they're keeping their strong reputation in the front office, too.

Williams wants his chance

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 30, 6:32 p.m.

Shelden Williams is hoping this season serves as the rebirth of his career. After getting tossed around the league throughout his first three seasons, Williams signed with the Celtics last summer with the intention of getting things right again.

The power forward was selected fifth overall in the 2006 draft, ahead of players such as Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo. Williams had a standout career at Duke, but he has since faded into the NBA shadows.

"Not even getting the chance from the get-go with the other teams is very frustrating," Williams said. "I’m a competitor, and I want to go out there and play hard and compete. When you’re not able to compete, it’s like going out there with both hands tied behind your back."

Williams was drafted by the Hawks and averaged 5.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during his rookie year. He was given sporadic minutes but held his own when given enough playing time.

Midway though his second season, Williams was shipped out to Sacramento in the deal that sent Mike Bibby to Atlanta, which jumpstarted the Hawks' second half and led them to an entertaining first-round playoff series against the Celtics, who emerged after seven games.

Williams was hardly given a chance in Sacramento or his next stop in Minnesota. He was bumped down the depth chart to make way for younger players with more potential, and it was a grueling process he quickly got tired of dealing with.

"The last two teams, it wasn’t a good situation for me," Williams said. "The [Hawks], when I got drafted, obviously it was a learning process, and when I did get a chance to play more minutes the last two months of my rookie year, I was averaging a double-double and at the end of the year got Rookie of the Month honors. So I’m thinking things are going to change. When I got a lot of minutes, I proved that I can be effective on this level, and then different things changed. Other people got drafted. It’s a business. The other two teams, I don’t think I got the shot I actually deserved."

Williams has played at least 20 minutes in 53 of his 192 career games, and he has scored in double-digits on 22 of those occasions and grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 16 of those games. He's got 10 career double-doubles when he received at least 20 minutes of action.

Obviously, he's not a Kevin Garnett in waiting, but when given the chance, Williams has delivered worthy contributions. He has gotten another opportunity to prove himself throughout the first couple of months of this season, as Glen Davis is out with a thumb injury and is expected to miss at least six weeks.

Even before the injury, though, Williams believed Boston was able to offer him what other teams wouldn't. He looked at the Celtics' recent seasons and knew Doc Rivers tended to give his big men more minutes, and Williams was ready to take that role for a title contender this season.

" By far, this is probably the best position I’ve been in," Williams said.

The Breakdown

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 11:25 p.m.

Analysis of the Celtics' 92-59 victory against the Bobcats at the Garden:

What to say: There are going to be a lot of games like this throughout the season, as the Celtics are far and away more talented than all but maybe four teams in the NBA. They made a playoff-contending Charlotte team look like a high school squad. This was a defensive story for the Celtics, who held the Bobcats to 31.1 percent from the floor, including 0-for-10 from 3-point range. Charlotte only had 10 assists against 21 turnovers, and until a spurt midway through the fourth quarter, the Bobcats had more turnovers than made field goals in the game.

You can expect the Celtics to play an elite level of defense as long as the starting corps remains intact, but their defense stays strong even when the second unit is on the court. Obviously, Rasheed Wallace is an excellent defensive player, but Marquis Daniels has adjusted well to the system, too. This was a clinic, top to bottom.

Need for 'Sheed: Outside of his defense, Wallace's contributions on the offensive end are going to pay dividends for the Celtics. They're definitely still trying to figure themselves out on the offensive end, which is to be expected when players like Wallace and Daniels are added to the rotation. Wallace is an above-average shooter who has 3-point range (he knocked down 3-of-8 tonight), and he really extends the floor when he replaces Kendrick Perkins at center. The defense is forced to spread out, and opponents can't keep an extra guy floating down inside the paint. That definitely helped at times tonight, when Rajon Rondo got past two defenders on the perimeter and had easy lay-ups because no one was around to seriously contest him. Wallace had nine points off the bench, but his placement on the floor contributed to much more.

C-Notes: Per usual, the Garden crowd started chanting Brian Scalabrine's name once the game got out of hand, and the Celtics' bench definitely paid notice. Kevin Garnett talked Scalabrine into getting up to acknowledge the crowd, and the fan favorite ran all the way to the locker room. Scalabrine couldn't play because of his sprained ankle, but the crowd either didn't know or didn't care. ... Twenty-nine of the Celtics' 76 shots (38.2 percent) came from 3-point range, which is alarmingly high. Last season, 21.4 percent of their field goal attempts came from long distance, and 24.9 percent of their shots came from 3-point range in 2007-08. That mark was higher because they had James Posey coming off of the bench, and it'll spike a little more this year because of Wallace.

Celtics close it out

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 10:05 p.m.

The Celtics beat the Bobcats, 92-59, at the TD Garden. The Celtics improved to 2-0, while Charlotte fell to 0-1. I'll have more coming later.

Felton gets stitched up

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 9:44 p.m.

Bobcats point guard Raymond Felton received 15 stitches -- 10 on the outside and five on the inside -- for a cut on his lower lip.

Irish curse

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 9:35 p.m.

The Celtics hired a new person to play "Lucky," and the new guy is already under fire. He missed a dunk during the last intermission, and the Garden crowd let him hear it with a chorus of boos.

Celtics are destroying Charlotte

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 9:32 p.m.

The Celtics opened the third quarter on a 15-0 run, and they've got a 67-41 lead after three against the Bobcats here at the Garden. I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of games like this in 2009-10.

In an interesting note, Gerald Henderson's collegiate career ended here at the Garden in March when his Duke Blue Devils got blown out by Villanova in the NCAA tournament. Now, Henderson's NBA career has begun in the same building, and his Charlotte Bobcats are getting smoked by the Celtics.

So, he's got that going for him, which is nice.

Lead shrinks, then C's regain control

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 8:48 p.m.

The Celtics hit a lull early in the second quarter, but they rebounded quickly to take a 42-31 lead into the locker room at halftime. Charlotte got to within three points, but the Celtics closed the quarter on a 10-2 run. Ray Allen has a game-high 13 points, and he has knocked down 4-of-7 3-pointers.

The funniest moment of the second quarter happened during a timeout when the video boards showed a Celtics fan who started waving a Phillies T-shirt once he realized he was being spotlighted. The crowd responded with one of its loudest cheers of the night.

Celtics grab lead after one

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 8:12 p.m.

The Celtics jumped out to a 22-13 lead after the first quarter here at the Garden. Boston's defense was on point in the opening quarter, as it was much of the night in Cleveland. The Celtics jumped out to an 8-0 lead and kept the Bobcats off the board until five minutes into the quarter, prompting some fans to call for the first shutout in NBA history. Charlotte missed its first six shots and had five turnovers before scoring.

Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace each got loud ovations when they first checked into the game, although 'Sheed's was on a whole different level. When Wallace knocked down his first of two 3-pointers, the place erupted, a weird vibe from a crowd that once despised the man. He plays hard and shows a ton of passion, though, so Celtics fans are going to love him in green.

Celtics 'reload' with new intro

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 7:45 p.m.

The Celtics changed up their intro again (I've always been partial to the 2007-08 intro they used), but this one is better than last year's. It also focuses on their new "reloaded" motto they'll be using more of this season. Before introducing the starters, the PA announcer introduced the coaching staff and reserves, and Rasheed Wallace got the loudest ovation outside of Kevin Garnett.

Celtics open up the TD Garden

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 7:29 p.m.

It was a quiet pregame scene in the Celtics' locker room, as Shelden Williams was the only player who was around to speak to the media. Most of the team shuffled through at one point or another, but no one was in a talking mood. Rasheed Wallace and Eddie House took a seat for a little while, but neither speaks to reporters as part of their pregame preparations.

Williams was excited to get it going in Boston after spending his first three seasons with the Hawks, Kings and Timberwolves, three lousy teams who couldn't draw a crowd if they were giving money away. As a cruel twist of fate, Williams was traded to the Kings in 2008 in the deal that sent Mike Bibby to Atlanta and turned that season around.

Doc Rivers said Brian Scalabrine is getting close to returning to the lineup after spraining his ankle in the preseason. Scalabrine is dressing tonight, but that's only because the Celtics are short on healthy bodies and can dress 12 guys. Scalabrine will not play tonight, according to Rivers.

Rivers was also asked if Tony Allen was close to returning, and Rivers simply said, "No."

Rivers didn't spend much time talking about Glen Davis's situation, but the C's coach did say Davis has not addressed the team to apologize or anything of the sort. Rivers said that's not an issue, though.

And finally, Rivers said the team would most likely use Rasheed Wallace over Kendrick Perkins to close out games, which was the case last night in Cleveland. The exception will be when the Celtics need to use Perkins defensively against more powerful centers.

Return of 'The Paint'

Posted by Jeff Howe, Oct. 28, 5:55 p.m.

Here is a public service announcement: "In the Paint" has returned for another Celtics season, so keep it here for all of your Celtics news as they push toward an 18th championship banner. I'm heading down the hall to the locker rooms, and I'll return with some updates before the C's (1-0) tip off with the Bobcats (0-0) in the first game at the TD Garden in the 2009-10 season.

Garnett undergoes successful knee surgery

Posted by Jeff Howe, May 26, 2:10 p.m.

The Celtics just announced Kevin Garnett underwent successful arthroscopy today to remove posterior bone spurs from his right knee. The surgery was performed at New England Baptist Hospital by team physician Dr. Brian McKeon, who was assisted by Dr. Michael Belkin and Dr. John Richmond.

“After this successful surgery, Kevin can now begin to focus on rehabilitating his knee, returning to top physical shape and fully preparing for the 2009-10 season,” Celtics GM Danny Ainge said in a statement.

After the Celtics' Game 7 loss to the Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Doc Rivers said Garnett's rehab wasn't going to be anything that would last all summer. It is believed Garnett will be back at full strength for the start of next season.

“I expect Kevin to return to active duty in full force and be that consummate two-way professional that he has shown all of us throughout his fantastic NBA career,” Rivers said in a statement.