Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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November 20

Boston Herald

"Doc Rivers didn't want to get into a debate with hypothetical history. After finishing his chat with the media at large, he was asked directly if the Celtics would have won last year's second-round playoff series against Orlando with Kevin Garnett in the lineup. "I don't even go down that road," the coach said. "I don't." Paul Pierce, on the other hand, had no qualms with making the trip. "I believe it," he said. "I believe if we just had Leon (Powe) we would have. That's just my belief." Garnett's knee injury spoke volumes, but the Celtics' transgressions may have been louder. You may recall they blew a Game 6 lead. Or you could note the embarrassment of Game 7, when they entered the ..."

Tough for Celtics not to believe in Magic

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November 20

Boston Globe

"Judging by the changes in personnel, advancing to the NBA Finals was not good enough for Orlando Magic management last season. Nor was getting to the second round of the playoffs nearly satisfactory for the Celtics. So both teams made significant additions. The Magic, who eliminated the Celtics in a seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series, added Ryan Anderson, Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass, Vince Carter, and Jason Williams; the Celtics countered with Marquis Daniels, Rasheed Wallace, and Shelden Williams."

A few more observations from Bird's nest

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November 20

Boston Globe

"Larry Bird was not in the house when Bill Belichick decided to go for it on fourth and 2 from his 28. Even though Bird works just a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium, he has never been to a game there. "But I watch 'em all,'' he said Saturday night before his Pacers beat the Celtics at Conseco Fieldhouse. "My son is a big Patriots fan,'' said Bird. "He's screaming and hollering and all that stuff. I always go with the Colts, but I never want any Boston team to lose, so I'm stuck in between. Even when my beloved Cardinals were playing the Red Sox [2004 World Series], I was like, 'I can't lose here.' I just wanted the best team to win."

Rivers assumes 3-point stance

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November 19

Boston Globe

"The Celtics have become 3-point happy at the wrong times this season. Coach Doc Rivers finally stepped in, telling Rasheed Wallace to limit the threes, during the final quarter of last night's 109-95 win over Golden State. "I got on him, and I rarely do, about the threes,'' Rivers said of Wallace. "Because even though he was wide open, it's really tough. I mean, he was wide open and he took two, but we had just taken two quick ones. But he's got an incredibly high basketball IQ. He's been phenomenal in the locker room. So, I'm just happy to have him.''"

All in all, not a lot for Celtics owner to grouse about

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November 19

Boston Globe

"One of the NBA's most involved owners is closely watching his team's recent struggles, realizing that, though veteran-laden, it is experiencing growing pains. There is a sense of impatience but a higher level of trust, since the Celtics are only two years removed from reaching the pinnacle of NBA success. Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics' managing partner and governor, wears an uncomfortable smile as he talks about his club. The Celtics entered this much-anticipated season with talk of challenging the franchise record of 69 wins."

Celtics man up for win

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November 19

Boston Globe

"This was a blowout that did not seem like a blowout. The score - the Celtics defeated the Golden State Warriors last night, 109-95 - indicates a comfortable margin of victory. But the Celtics never appeared to be completely certain of themselves, only briefly able to assert their dominance over a team that was concluding a five-game road trip with eight available players, including Raja Bell, who is scheduled for surgery on his left wrist. "That team scares the hell out of you,'' said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "You want to sub your guys out with five minutes left and you're worried about them making a 20-0 run in two seconds.''"

Heave escapes Kevin Garnett

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November 19

Boston Herald

"You can't exactly call it the shot heard 'round the world. For starters, the 73-foot swish that Kevin Garnett heaved in last night from just above the Golden State foul line didn't count. After a lengthy video review, referee Scott Foster determined that Garnett, who released the ball in a spinning, shotput motion, didn't beat the clock. For another, the Celtics forward was a blank slate after the game. He had to be reminded of the shot. "I did make a halfcourt shot, didn't I," he said after the Celtics' 109-95 win, getting the distance wrong. He turned to Paul Pierce and, in a mock scolding, said to the Celtics captain, "Why didn't you tell me, dog?" Told the shot was actually made from ..."

Rondo quick to forget

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November 19

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Bulpett

"When it comes to shooting, the last thing an NBA player wants to do is think. Particularly to a man in a slump, a mind is a terrible thing. So it was that Rajon Rondo fiddled with his free throw release after Tuesday's practice. He might have said he wasn't concerned, but he'd missed nine straight coming into last night's game against Golden State. And when he clanged another and failed to complete a three-point play in the second quarter, the streak was at 11 and the NBA record of 13 consecutive misses, held by Chris Dudley, was in sight. The Celtics guard ended the madness by finding the strings with 4:28 left in the third quarter of the eventual 109-95 victory. That he went on to miss ..."

Rondo ignites surge past feisty young Warriors

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November 19

Boston Herald

"Golden State has one asset that could give the Celtics heartburn whenever they face a similar team this season. Young legs haven't done in the C's for the last time this year, and throughout last night's first half the Warriors hung tight like the Pacers, Hawks and Suns before them. But young legs without experience or size aren't going to last long against a team of aging championship timber. The Celtics, after taking control of this game in the third quarter, flexed enough muscle to snap a two-game losing streak with a 109-95 victory. But don't be fooled by the 14-point margin. The Celtics initially labored to match Golden State's energy. "Really hard to say," Ray Allen said of the ..."

Warriors inspired in Boston defeat

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November 19

Oakland Tribune

"Warriors guard Raja Bell said he didn't intend for it to be a moving gesture. His goal wasn't to inspire or plant a subliminal message in the hearts of his new teammates. But that's exactly what he did in the Warriors' 109-95 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Bell, who was acquired Monday in the Stephen Jackson trade, stunned his teammates and coaches by playing Wednesday, one day after he announced he was having potentially season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. He scored 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He made 4 of 6 shots, including three 3-pointers, and had three assists. It turned out to be a one-game trial to see if his wrist would pass the ..."

Time to look for some help?

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November 18

Boston Globe

"With the Celtics having lost three of their past five games, and their lineup struggling with outside shooting, rumors are beginning to surface about potential trades. While the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to rid themselves of the underachieving Samuel Dalembert and the Sacramento Kings are seeking to deal the disgruntled Kenny Thomas, the Celtics have been rumored to be part a three-way deal that would send Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, and J.R. Giddens out of Boston and net them the Kings' Andres Nocioni. An ESPN report said there have been discussions to send Allen, Scalabrine, and Thomas to Philadelphia and Giddens to Sacramento along with Dalembert while the Celtics would get the ..."

Perkins says sloppy practice isn't helping

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November 18

Boston Globe

"Kendrick Perkins freely admits that the Celtics have not cured the ills caused by three losses in five games with just two practices. What's more, the burly center and team conscience believes the Celtics are lacking the focus and concentration necessary for a dominant season. The Celtics enter tonight's game against Golden State needing a win for their psyche more than anything else. Even a victory over a team in upheaval will be devoured and used for confidence. Back-to-back losses to Atlanta and Indiana have dampened the team's momentum and outlook. There was once talk, although faint, of reaching 72 wins. Now the goal is to dominate opponents defensively, something the Celtics used to ..."

Celtics go on the defensive

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November 18

Boston Herald

"The art of denial rarely demanded this much extra help, especially on a team that lives to shut down the other side. After going through a five-game stretch where opponents shot 45 percent or better and scored 97 points or more in four of those games, Celtics coach Doc Rivers threw yesterday's practice into lockdown mode. The Celts are second in the league in scoring defense (88.27 ppg) and 10th in field goal defense (43.8 percent), but you wouldn't know it by Rivers' short-term memory. "Defensively, probably three or four games ago, the Utah game, probably, though I'm just trying to focus in on the last two right now," Rivers said when asked the last time the Celtics truly dominated a ..."

Paul Pierce up for practice

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November 18

Boston Herald

"Here's a partial list of irresistible forces: Nor'easters and the New England coast. Jeff Beck and the guitar. Paul Pierce and the floor. Though Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Monday that Pierce was being held out until tonight's Garden game against the Golden State Warriors as a precautionary measure for the captain's sprained left knee, those good intentions went for naught. Just as Pierce talked his way into Saturday's loss to the Pacers in Indiana, he insisted on a full run in yesterday's practice. "I got a good response from my last couple of days of rest," Pierce said. "I felt good about it. It went smooth. A slight sprain in the knee, but I'm a fast healer. I felt good. . . . My body ..."

It's tough to defend Celtics' play

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November 17

Boston Globe

"For the second consecutive night, the Celtics were soundly beaten by a team with younger, fresher legs, upstarts with something to prove, determined to push their aging foe to fatigue and frustration. While losing to the athletic Hawks could be considered a minor upset and the byproduct of a team emerging as an Eastern Conference threat, the 113-104 defeat by the Pacers Saturday night is cause for concern as the Celtics attempt to rest and rehabilitate before Wednesday night's home game with the Warriors."

Green place limits on Paul Pierce

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November 17

Boston Herald

"Paul Pierce attempted to sneak onto the floor for the start of yesterday's practice. Perhaps the Celtics captain, nursing a left knee bruise, thought he would blend in with the team practicing in front of a group of sponsors. But that sort of thing only works once. Though Pierce, despite the injury, talked his way onto the floor during Saturday night's loss in Indiana, the art of persuasion didn't go far yesterday. Coach Doc Rivers ordered him off the floor. Pierce resorted to riding an exercise bike, and then sat watching practice as trainer Ed Lacerte wrapped his knee in a heavy bandage. "I told him I shouldn't have played him (Saturday night), in my opinion, and he talked me into it," ..."

Weak effort beneath Celtics

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November 16

Boston Herald

"First the disclaimers: It is still painfully early in the season, and, to paraphrase former President Clinton, there is nothing wrong with the Celtics that can't be fixed by what is right with the Celtics. But looking at the personnel on this team, the way they played over the weekend is beneath them. Losses happen in the NBA, but it's hard to chalk up a defeat to the law of averages when you don't put forth the requisite aggression, effort and attention to detail. Atlanta and Indiana played well against the Celts on Friday and Saturday, respectively, but the Celts never really took the opportunity to impose their will or their talent. They took yesterday off, and coach Doc Rivers at first ..."

Daniels settling in as Celtics' reserve

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November 15

Indianapolis Star

"Marquis Daniels saw the writing on the wall when it came to his future with the Indiana Pacers last summer. Daniels would have made $7.5 million this season if the Pacers had picked up his team option, which would have strangled them financially in regards to signing any free agents. The Pacers decided against the move and let Daniels become an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Boston Celtics for the $1.9 million biannual exception. Pacers president Larry Bird said they would have brought Daniels back if they could have gotten him that cheap. "I had a sense of it," Daniels said. "There were some trying times financial-wise for the organization. Things weren't going the way they ..."

The Stubborn, Impatient, Self-Centered, and Absolutely Essential Rajon Rondo

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November 15

Boston Globe

"All great athletes create a permanence within themselves. So much else is out of their control. From the time they show promise, they are judged from afar, their future writ in scribbles on some distant clipboard. What other people think of them can be more important than what they know about themselves. Their professional lives can depend on the whim of a coach or the thin, fragile strands of the ligaments in the human knee. What is often decried as selfishness or stubbornness in an athlete is nothing more than an attempt to assert something solid at the heart of a world they cannot control. They create the permanence in their lives within themselves -- their game, their talent -- as a ..."

Celtics worn down by pace

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November 15

Boston Globe

"The rest of the NBA has no regard for the Celtics' lofty goals or the fact they may be a step slow and ailing in the second game in two nights. The rest of the NBA has no sympathy. They thirst to knock off a championship contender. The Pacers used 29 points from Danny Granger and 25 from Dahntay Jones to run away from the Celtics, 113-104, at Conseco Fieldhouse last night. Boston's 9-point halftime lead over Indiana was gone by the end of the third quarter and the Celtics spent the fourth quarter screaming at official Joey Crawford and watching their status as an NBA elite team shrink further."

Larry Bird likes Green's new Big Three

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November 15

Boston Herald

"Larry Bird thinks the current Celtic Big Three might have more luck with longevity than the famed trio of which he was a part. He reasons that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have avoided major injury, while he (back, Achilles' tendons) and Kevin McHale (broken foot) had trouble late. (Robert Parish weathered the storm well.) The Celtics legend added that the relative lack of team success for Pierce, Garnett and Allen earlier in their careers could actually benefit them now. "Well, they've stayed pretty healthy," Bird, the Pacers president of basketball operations, said before Indiana's 113-104 win over the C's last night. "We got to the Finals five times in a short period of ..."

No defense for club's second straight loss

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November 15

Boston Herald

"If Patriots-Colts is the main event of this Hoosier sporting weekend - and it most certainly is - then it's fair to say the Celtics were bloodied on the undercard. The Pacers delivered a final-round knockout, a 113-104 shot that gave the Celts two straight losses and brought Indiana above .500 for the first time on this young season. Red Auerbach was fond of saying he wanted players who were instigators, but last night the team of his legacy was a collection of counterpunchers. With glass jaws. "I thought we were awful defensively," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Give (the Pacers) credit. I thought they ran a lot of nice stuff, but we were awful. I don't think we respected some of their ..."

Slow burn

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November 14

Boston Globe

"Celtics captain Paul Pierce expressed concern with the team's slow starts. The Celtics also had a sluggish finish last night, falling to the Atlanta Hawks, 97-86. The Celtics were chasing the Hawks for much of the game, but still had the lead late in the third quarter, just before Pierce (bruised left knee) limped to the locker room for treatment. Instead of regrouping for a late rally, the Celtics faltered in the final quarter and were outscored, 25-16."

Rival Al Horford begs to differ

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November 14

Boston Herald

"After Thursday's practice, Kevin Garnett was asked if he considers Atlanta a rival. The Celtics forward responded, "Not at all." That comment didn't surprise Al Horford, though the Hawks forward believes the C's knew they'd have a battle on their hands when the teams faced off last night. "I'm sure they feel that way, but I know that when they go out on the court, they're on edge," Horford said after yesterday morning's shootaround. "And they know what time it is because we're going to bring our game." That they did, beating the Celtics, 97-86, at the Garden. The Hawks had earned some respect when they forced the Celtics to seven games in the first round of the 2008 playoffs. The C's ..."

Pierce's plays through the pain

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November 14

Boston Herald

"Paul Pierce has always been good at hiding his injuries, and playing through the pain. As such, it took a significant ding to send the captain to the locker room last night with 3:15 left in the third quarter of the Celtics' 97-86 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He returned at the start of the fourth and scored six of his 24 points during the last 12 minutes, when Pierce also made his only two turnovers. But even he isn't sure about the condition of his left knee. "It's a little tender," he said of what has been called a bruised knee by the Celtics medical staff. "I'm just going to wait and see how it feels when it cools down. On the play, I was falling and my foot got stepped on. "I sort of ..."

Bad result not tough to explain

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November 14

Boston Herald

"The Celtics could look at their first loss of the season as an aberration of sorts. The Suns were a good team catching the bedraggled Bostonians near the end of a brutal opening stretch of eight games in 12 fun-filled nights. As much as they didn't like that 110-103 defeat, they could understand it. But what happened last night was different. The Celtics were rested and ready. And beaten. The Hawks weren't frightened at all by this new Celtics roster that may - or may not - be better than the championship squad of two seasons past. Atlanta won the game, 97-86, on the scoreboard. It was 47-29 on the boards and a unanimous decision on the judges' cards. Doc Rivers rightfully pointed out that ..."

Board game doesn't go way of stumbling Celtics

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November 14

Boston Herald

"So much remains the same. The Garden crowd still boos Mike Bibby. Zaza Pachulia still gets under the skin of the Celtics big men. And the Hawks still aren't going anywhere. They're like that little brother who refuses to take a beating from big brother quietly. But something is different. Last night, little brother administered the whupping. This time, the Hawks, who started to come of age during their seven-game series loss to the C's in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, connected when it mattered. Atlanta made the big third-quarter run, came back with another over the first seven minutes of the fourth and handed the Celtics their second defeat of the year - both at the Garden - with ..."

With huge rebounding night, Hawks thump Boston

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November 14

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A year and a half later, the Hawks got their win in Boston. An energetic rebounding effort, steely will and a horrid three-point night by the home team gave the Hawks an attention-getting 97-86 win at TD Garden over the Celtics. It was a cathartic victory for the Hawks, who lost all four road games to Boston in the first round of the 2008 playoffs in the seven-game series and then lost both regular-season games last season in Boston. "It feels good, either at home or away, to be able to beat a team like the Boston Celtics," forward Josh Smith said. "But to do it on their court - we had so many questions on 'Are we a good road team?' - and this was a good test for us. We were able to climb ..."

'Soft' Jazz no match for Celts

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November 13

The Deseret News

"Title of the sermon at pregame chapel service here Wednesday night was "From Major Mess to Masterpiece." A sign in the visiting locker room at TD Banknorth Garden said, "All are welcome." If they thought they might not need to hear it before falling 105-86 to the Boston Celtics, perhaps some with the 3-5 Jazz might have had second thoughts afterward. Because Wednesday they looked like a team photo of chaos and confusion. "Right now, we're soft," Jazz point guard Deron Williams said. "There's no way around it. "We're not playing tough at all. "You know, they were quicker to loose balls, they got on the floor, they did the things that you have to have, have to do, to win." Boston, which ..."

Williams: Onward, upward

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November 13

Boston Globe

"Shelden Williams has definitely moved on. After an unsteady start to his professional career with Atlanta, he appears to have found his niche with his fourth NBA team, the Celtics. The Hawks, who play the Celtics tonight at TD Garden, made Williams the fifth pick in the 2007 draft and slotted him into their starting lineup right away. He soon fell out of favor with coach Mike Woodson and has not been a starter in a starting lineup since that season, taking a reserve role with the Hawks, Sacramento, and Minnesota before this season."

Sheldon Williams gets shot at ex-team

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November 13

Boston Herald

"Shelden Williams has been a more than solid contributor for the Celtics this season, raising the eyebrows of some who didn't expect much from a free agent who signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum. But he really shouldn't be a surprise to tonight's opponent. Williams was Atlanta's first-round pick in 2006, a lofty No. 5 overall. He averaged 5.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.7 rookie year minutes, picking up eight double-doubles. But a year later, his minutes had dwindled and he was shipped to Sacramento as part of the Mike Bibby trade. Williams insists he will take no revenge motives to the floor tonight, but when asked if he believed he got a fair shot with the Hawks, he ..."

Boston gets no fight vs. Utah

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November 12

Salt Lake Tribune

"Only 11 months ago, the Jazz came to TD Garden and lost to a Boston Celtics team that was 23-2 at the time, riding a 15-game winning streak and appearing destined to hang an 18th championship banner at season's end. With the return to health of Kevin Garnett and the arrival of Rasheed Wallace, this season's Celtics might be even stronger, but the Jazz nevertheless looked about as stiff as Deron Williams' back in a punchless 105-86 loss Wednesday night. The gap between the teams seemed about as wide as Cape Cod Bay afterward, with Williams describing the Jazz as "soft" and coach Jerry Sloan admitting, "We're trying to find ourselves a little bit right now." "We really didn't give them ..."

Celtics hit all the right notes, blow out Jazz

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November 12

Boston Globe

"If there were two numbers that the Celtics focused on when they looked at the box score after losing at home to Phoenix last Friday, they were opponents' field goal percentage and opponents' scoring. The Suns shot 50 percent and scored 110 points, and every digit was more annoying to the Celtics than the next. "It's noticeable,'' said Paul Pierce. "You look up and a team scores 100 points or a team shoots over 50 percent on the Boston Celtics. That's not the type of team we are. We're a defensive team. We don't give up a lot of points. We don't allow a high field goal percentage. You definitely notice it.''"

Brian Scalabrine's miffed

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November 12

Boston Herald

"The Celtics had played 384 minutes this season entering last night's game against the Utah Jazz, but Brian Scalabrine had been a participant in just 30. A sprained ankle in the team's penultimate preseason game forced him to miss the first four games of the regular slate. The reserve forward believes that injury led to a back issue that cost him last Friday's loss to Phoenix and last night's contest. Scalabrine did get 20 minutes against the Nets Saturday, hitting two key shots and earning Doc Rivers' praise for defensive rotations and other nuances. Then the back flared up again, leading to a cortisone shot Tuesday that he hopes will get him back on the floor for today's practice. As you ..."

Glen Davis digs up treasure

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November 12

Boston Herald

"Glen Davis cleaned out his closet earlier this week, and in the process stumbled upon a precious slice of his childhood. The prize was an old issue of USA Today. It was stored in an old shoebox, and featured a series of high school All-America picks that included four of his current teammates - Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce. "I totally forgot about it," he said before last night's 105-86 won over Utah. "I was obsessed with these guys when I was younger." Davis had all four players sign the section, which included a picture of Allen, then from Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, S.C., wearing the No. 34. "I thought the picture of me was wrong because of the No. ..."

Kevin Garnett fine after scare

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November 12

Boston Herald

"His return from knee surgery considered, Kevin Garnett has to expect that the TD Garden crowd will catch its collective breath when he hits the hardwood. Such was the case last night when, after splitting two Jazz players to finish off a Rajon Rondo third-quarter alley-oop pass, Garnett slipped and ended up on his back. But he didn't remain on the floor for that extra second because of anything health-related. "Alley-oops go so fast, man," he said after scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the Celtics' 105-86 win over Utah. "I thought foul, but it just feels good to be healthy. It feels like running through a cornfield. I know you city people don't know what it's like to run through a ..."

Value of practice time shows for the Celtics

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November 12

Boston Herald

"A few minutes into the third quarter last night, Ray Allen got the ball down low to Kendrick Perkins , who - honest to Ernie DiGregorio - slipped a behind the back pass to Kevin Garnett out by the foul line. Instead of taking his open jumper, Garnett fed a cutting Rajon Rondo for a layup. The slickness gave the Celtics a 19-point lead. And it gave the Utah Jazz defense a severe case of whiplash. In the end, the locals had a thorough 105-86 victory and the Jazz simply didn't know what hit them . . . and ran around and through them. They knew only that the machine was white with green lettering. Which is a long way of saying, yeah, the day of rest and two days of practice helped the Celts. ..."

Celtics tune out Jazz

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November 12

Boston Herald

"Doc Rivers insisted earlier this week that the 3-pointers were OK, that deep jumpers were fine as long as his team didn't break the offense while wandering off downtown. But Rivers was also distressed by fewer trips to the line and an endangered species known as the Celtic layup. His team responded with a powerful hybrid last night. The Celtics came out of their three-day break with a 105-86 win over Utah that included 52 points in the paint, 16-for-18 shooting from the line, and still enough room for the deep stuff. The Jazz, quarterbacked by the dinged Deron Williams, who was also battling back spasms, was simply hit from too many directions. The Celtics limited them to 46.8 percent ..."

Point is to make plays

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November 11

Boston Herald

"Deron Williams makes his annual visit to the Garden tonight, and the Utah Jazz point guard poses the toughest matchup problem for Rajon Rondo. Williams is not only big, physical and capable of hitting the 3-pointer, like New Orleans' Chris Paul he's also at the head of the wave of young point guards who are, in every sense of the word, playmakers. They set teammates up before themselves. The age of the so-called scoring point guard, at least for now, appears to be waning in the NBA. “This year it’s every night,” Rondo said yesterday of how frequently he faces opponents in his own mold. “Last year it was a lot, too, but now it’s even more.” Newcomers like Minnesota’s Jonny Flynn and ..."

Green light on free throw issues

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November 10

Boston Herald

"The Celtics closed yesterday's practice with a short-lived free throw contest. Kendrick Perkins, representing the green team, missed the first attempt. Rookie Lester Hudson, representing the white team, hit his first for the win. No money was passed. "Yeah, I took it all," said coach Doc Rivers, who probably earned that cash after watching his team shoot 18-for-32 from the line during the past two games. "There are two problems here - the obvious one of accuracy, but also an issue of not getting to the line enough." Beyond that, the Celtics are relying more on the 3-point shot and simply are not attacking enough. "We're causing other teams incredible problems," Rivers, who continues to ..."

Celtics team unimpressed by 7-1 start

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November 9

Boston Herald

"And on the 13th day, they rested. The relevant numbers are eight, 12 and seven, but the Celtics don't want to get muddled in the math. They made it through their season opening run of eight games in 12 days with seven wins. Big whoop, sayeth the C's "It's over, and coming out 7-1 . . . before the season when we looked at these eight games we would have said, 'Oh, we'll take that,' " coach Doc Rivers said. "But for us it's not all about the record obviously. "We want to just keep getting better." The Celtics are trying to win these games, but they are after something larger than regular-season glory. And unlike other franchises, they don't hang banners for division and conference ..."

Celts hand Nets seventh straight loss

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November 8

New York Post

"Nets coach Lawrence Frank discussed his battered, ailing hurting Nets and got philosophical: "As Confucius said, 'Sometimes it's better to laugh than to cry.' " But last night, another philosophy came into play: "We have met the enemy and he is us." Along with pains, strains and swine flu. So all the valiant effort, all the sweat-and-guts defense the vastly undermanned Nets threw at the mighty Celtics evaporated in the tangle of 24 turnovers and a 2:57 scoreless endgame that produced bricks on their last eight shots. So instead of an improbable upset, the Nets saw their worst ever NBA start extended to 0-7 through an 86-76 loss at the Meadowlands. "We were right there," said Brook Lopez ..."

Stoudemire stating his case

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November 7

Boston Globe

"Still a pup in the game of life at age 26, Amar'e Stoudemire wears his NBA experience on his face. A bushy beard. A reflective tone. An understanding that these may be his final days in Phoenix. The Suns have tried to trade him in the past. He is toying with the idea of opting out of the final year of his contract (worth more than $17 million) and becoming an unrestricted free agent, joining what is turning into the legendary class of 2010."

Sunburned

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November 7

Boston Globe

"The Phoenix Suns played their style of basketball last night. And, for much of the game, the Celtics did the same thing. The result was a 110-103 Suns' victory, ending the Celtics' six-game winning streak to start the season. Steve Nash (12 assists) directed the show and Jason Richardson (34 points, 10 rebounds) played a starring role as the Suns got into their comfort zone, transitioning and firing up 3-pointers (hitting 13 of 24). Phoenix (5-1), in the midst of a five-game road trip and nearly 3,000 miles from home, acted like they were performing before a friendly, sun-soaked, Maricopa County crowd."

Grant Hill too tough to move

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November 7

Boston Herald

"Depending on who you ask, Grant Hill either nearly became a Celtic last summer or knew all along that he would remain a Sun. Even the Phoenix swingman, who has enjoyed a late-career renaissance as a Sun, seemed a little unsure of the machinations prior to his team's 110-103 win against the Celtics at the Garden last night. "Man, there was a lot going on at the time," he said. "I was trying to gather a lot of information, trying to sort out all of the teams I was looking at. I was certainly very interested, and it was very flattering to have their interest. "I can tell you that I have a lot of respect for (general manager) Danny Ainge, (coach) Doc Rivers and (owner) Steve Pagliuca, who's a ..."

Cracks in armor create imperfection

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November 7

Boston Herald

"In the blink of a game, the undefeated season was lost. A stunned Garden crowd dispersed. Greg Dickerson wept openly. By Monday, kids in the poorer regions of the planet will have "Celtics 82-0" T-shirts to go with their Patriots Super Bowl XLII Champions hoodies. Steve Pagliuca's polling numbers will take a hit. The young and impressionable will turn away in horror when video of last night's 110-103 loss to Phoenix shows up on ESPN. Surely we jest, but evidence of Celtics fallibility was certainly coming. Doc Rivers was a voice in the wilderness as he pointed out shortcomings after each of the first six games/victories. Even when Minnesota shot 52 percent and forced the Celts to sweat out ..."

Jared Dudley an above-par sub

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November 7

Boston Herald

"Even when he was the ACC Player of the Year at Boston College, Jared Dudley never had the type of game typically associated with star players. No one skill made Dudley stand out. Instead, it was the sum of all the little things he did on the court that made him successful. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Dudley has thrived as a role player in the NBA. The Phoenix Suns forward is averaging 8.5 points and 3.7 rebounds off the bench, and he scored 10 points in a 110-103 victory over the Celtics last night. "I come in, bring a lot of energy, get up, switch the tempo and bring a spark," Dudley said yesterday morning. "It's always going to take a couple months for me to show the coaches ..."

Celtics 'D' gets burned from too much Suns

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November 7

Boston Herald

"Every team has a bad matchup out there in the hinterlands. For the Celtics, that hellish opponent just might be the Phoenix Suns - an athletic, transition-driven unit that last night was immune to the deepest team in the NBA. The Suns, with their 110-103 win at the Garden, sullied the record of what had been the last undefeated team in the Eastern Conference and gave the Celts their first true pause for thought. For the second straight game, the C's went up against an opponent grooved enough to shoot better than 50 percent from the field. And this time that foe accomplished two firsts this season - a win and a 100-point game against the Celts. Kevin Garnett's best offensive night of the ..."

It's no harm, no foul for Paul, Rondo

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November 6

New Orleans Times-Picayune

"The NBA will not take disciplinary action against New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul or Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo for their verbal confrontation after Sunday's game at the TD Garden, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Thursday. After the game, Paul sought out Celtics forward Paul Pierce to shake his hand and offer congratulations for his performance. However, before Paul could finish, Rondo came up and bumped him, and that led to the two exchanging words. They had to be separated, and as Rondo was ushered from the court area by a team official, Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau and Paul got into a shouting match in front of the Celtics' bench. Since Monday, the ..."

Suns' Barbosa could return vs. Celtics

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November 6

Arizona Republic

"The Suns missed Leandro Barbosa's speed in Wednesday night's loss to Orlando, but Barbosa's sore right wrist may be healed enough to allow him to play Friday. Other than testing it out briefly Tuesday and Wednesday, Barbosa has given the wrist four days of rest while sitting out two games. The swelling and pain have been reduced. "If I feel good, I'll go," Barbosa said. "Right now, when I dribble, it feels like something pops in my wrist. The pain is not as bad as it used to be. "I hope I get better. I just want to come back." Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson has Barbosa's wrist in a cushioned wrap during the day and in a protective sleeve while he sleeps. Griffin's debut Suns ..."

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