On Wednesday night, Baron Davis and the Golden State Warriors snapped the Celtics’ 5 game winning streak by beating Boston 96-95 in the TD BankNorth Garden. Baron Davis, good friend of Paul Pierce, led the way for Golden State and came up with some big plays. He ended the game with 31 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Warriors are now one game below .500, and they stand at 13-14.

Boston, on the other hand, is now 10-14, and they have taken a drop from 1st place in the division to 3rd, after both New Jersey and Toronto won their games last night.

This was a very fast paced, up and down game. Boston started to slip away, but they made a late run led by Delonte West. On the last possession, Paul Pierce couldn’t get it done this time. He was swarmed by a triple team and he lost the ball to the ground. A jump ball was eventually called, but only 0.6 seconds were put back on the clock, and after the tip, it was over.

My opinion: When the Celtics got the ball with about 23 seconds left, Doc should have called timeout when they crossed halfcourt to get a play set up.

Some Notes:

• Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points on 9-19 shooting.
• Tony Allen continued his strong play, and did absolutely everything tonight. He finished the game with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on 7-14 shooting.
• Al Jefferson had a rough first half, but he really brought it in the 2nd half. He gobbled up another double-double, and he ended the game with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
• Ryan Gomes was very efficient from the floor on the offensive end, and he finished with 14 points on 5-8 shooting.
• Sebastian Telfair struggled with his shot again, but he ran the offense very well and he limited his mistakes. He had a lot of trouble covering Baron Davis, however. Telfair finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.
• Delonte West struggled with his shot again as well, but he really played well down the stretch, and he was the energizer in the late run. Delonte finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 great block.
• Rajon Rondo only played 6 minutes, but he was very effective. In only 6 minutes of play, Rondo ended up with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.
• Brian Scalabrine did not play (flu).
• Michael Olowokandi dressed, and was on the bench, but did not play. He is not quite ready yet, he says he still tightens up when he plays, but it is possible he could get out on the court on Friday when the Celtics play the Sixers.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals

Next Game: Friday (12/22/06) vs. Philadelphia at 8:00 pm ET.

 Wally Szczerbiak (sprained ankle) is doubtful to make the trip with the team for the 5 game west coast road trip.

 Ryan Gomes (strained calf) is expected to play in Wednesday’s home game vs. Golden State.

 Kendrick Perkins (plantar fasciitis) is trying his best to be available for the west coast swing. It is not a definite, but it’s a set goal.

 Michael Olowokandi’s (strained abdomen) is probable for Wednesday’s game vs. Golden State.

 Theo Ratliff (lower back) could likely be done for the rest of the season, and it is also a possiblity his career could be shut down.

I managed to get this up on YouTube as well. But that’s Gerald Green’s beautiful windmill slam from last nights game. Get this man in the 2007 dunk contest!

YouTube link (also upped by me): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MNx3rYtGgU

The Celtics kept their winning streak alive on Saturday night in Charlotte, extending their streak to 5 games with a 106-100 win over the young Bobcats. Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson led the way once again, with a lot of help from role players (like Scalabrine, Allen, and West). Emeka Okafor deserves credit where it’s due though. He was a beast tonight and ended the game with 12 points, 19 rebounds, and 8 blocks. Gerald Wallace also scored 31 for Charlotte, while rookie sensation Adam Morrison chipped in with 16.

Celtics Positives

• Paul Pierce did everything. He had a double-double on a 35 point effort and played very efficiently.
• Al Jefferson ended the game with 22 points and 10 rebounds (17 and 7 at halftime), and he played yet another outstanding game. Big Al is really coming along.
• Brian Scalabrine played outstanding defense and also chipped in with nice all around numbers (7 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists). Stats aside, Scal played a GREAT game tonight.
• Delonte West played big off the bench. He was knocking down shots, playing under control, and he played very scrappy/tough. He finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
• Tony Allen struggled shooting the ball, but he still played a good game. He rebounded well, played very good defense on Adam Morrison, and knocked down his free throws. He finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
• Gerald Green played very well in 11 minutes. He crashed the offensive glass and he had 2 highlights (one was a sensational windmill slam!).

Bad News: Wally Szczerbiak re-sprained his ankle. He could be out for a couple more weeks. An update will come when more information is given.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

35 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists

Next Game: Wednesday (12/20/06) vs. Golden State at 7:30 pm ET.

The Celtics won their fourth straight on Friday night in a surprise victory (119-114) over the Denver Nuggets, despite a 42 point effort from Carmelo Anthony. The Celtics trio of Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, and Al Jefferson was dominant, and they carried the team to an exciting victory.

• Paul Pierce was phenominal, and started off on fire. He hit 6 from beyond the arc and went for 38 points, along with a lot of other intangibles.
• Tony Allen had a career night. He played all 48 minutes of the game, went for 30 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals as well as throwing down a couple highlight dunks.
• Al Jefferson was a monster down low. He abused Nene and Camby, and went for 28 points and 10 rebounds.
• Wally Szczerbiak played a solid game off the bench and went for 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• Ryan Gomes did not play, and probably will not play tonight @ Charlotte, due to a strained right calf. Brian Scalabrine got the call as starting PF last night.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

38 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists

Next Game: Tonight (12/16/06) @ Charlotte at 7:00 pm ET.

On Wednesday, the Celtics wrapped up their 3 game Atlantic Division road trip with a 20 point win against the Iversonless Sixers in Philadelphia (101-81). A lot of good things came about from this game:

• Wally Szczerbiak made his return from his ankle sprain. He came off the bench, played 23 minutes, and shot 5-10 for 14 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
• Tony Allen was phenominal, he did absolutely everything, and this may have been his best game of the year. If not, it’s 2nd best.
• Al Jefferson had a great first half, and abused Chris Webber on both ends. He ended the game with just 6 points, but 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks (all 3 blocks were on Chris Webber, all in a row, in a matter of 3-4 seconds).
• Delonte West played well off the bench, hit two big three’s, and shot the ball well overall. He finished with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5-9 shooting.
• Ryan Gomes was Mr. Consistant, as usual, and he abused Webber when the two were matched up. Gomes finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds.
• Gerald Green had a nice slam.

Player of the Game: Tony Allen

16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

Feel Good Fact: The Celtics have their second 3-game winning streak in 2 years.

Next Game: Friday (12/15/06) vs. Denver @ 7:30 pm ET.

On Monday night, the Celtics picked up their 2nd straight road win (in a 3 game Atlantic Division road trip, in which they finish up on Wednesday in Philadelphia) in New York in a 97-90 victory. The Celtics were up 61-36 at halftime, and had a 30 point lead at one point, but they blew that lead and had to grind out a single digit win in the end. There were a lot of bad things in this game, all in the 2nd half, but there were some bright spots (Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, and Leon Powe playing exceptionally well).

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

31 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists

Also note: Al Jefferson carried the load inside with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Next Game: Wednesday (12/13/06) @ Philadelphia at 7:00 pm ET.

The Celtics picked up their 6th win of the season in New Jersey on Saturday night due to a game winning fall away jump shot from Paul Pierce, at the buzzer. This was a very exciting game, a few different guys stepped up (Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Paul Pierce in the clutch). Delonte West was knocking down shots, and he played a good/efficient game off the bench (16 points, 5 assists). Al Jefferson played like an All-Star tonight as well, he really showed us what he can be. This was an awesome win for the Celtics.

Player of the Game: Al Jefferson

29 points, 14 rebounds, 1 block

Celtics Standings Update: 6-13, 4th in Atlantic Division

Next Game: Monday (12/11/06) @ New York at 7:30 pm ET

Back in June, the Celtics and Sixers had huge trade talks involving Iverson coming to the Celtics. Is it time to re-up those discussions? My opinion: YES! Ainge has been trying very hard all summer to get a star player to pair up with Paul Pierce. This is his best chance. Iverson has demanded a trade, which decreases his value. Iverson will be had for the cheapest right now.

To top it off, we have all the assets Philadelphia wants in return: young talent, draft picks, and expiring contracts. I really do believe that Danny Ainge should do his very best to get Iverson in Boston.

My Proposal

Something along the lines of:

• Wally Szczerbiak OR Theo Ratliff (salary matcher, plus Ratliff’s contract expires in 2 years)
• Ryan Gomes OR Al Jefferson (pick one, don’t make me choose)
• One of our three PG’s (West, Telfair, or Rondo)
• Tony Allen
• First round draft pick

FOR

• Allen Iverson
• Steven Hunter
• Maybe a future 2nd round draft pick

Get this done, Danny!

The Celtics blew a tough one tonight at home vs. the Memphis Grizzles (who have the worst record in the league). It was an up and down game with a lot of runs for both teams, but wow that 4th quarter was entertaining! Gerald Green went for 16 points in the 4th quarter, and had Celtics fans raving about him. The Celtics also had a great 3 minute sequence of GREAT defense, led by Rajon Rondo. The C’s really made a huge run at the end of the game, but they came up short due to a game winning mid-range jumper by rookie Rudy Gay with 2.6 seconds left. The Celtics proceeded to totally mess up the inbounds pass on the last possession, and they got a terrible heave shot from Sebastian Telfair.

Player of the Game: Gerald Green

21 points on 7-10 shooting (26 minutes)

16 points in the 4th quarter.