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Celtics 111, Clippers 100 -- Rajon Rondo scored a career-high 24 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds, coming back from a flagrant foul that knocked him to the floor and bloodied his nose to lead host Boston.
Celtics forward Kevin Garnett missed his fifth consecutive game because of an abdominal strain.
While Sam Cassell acknowledges he's unhappy the Los Angeles Clippers are losing, the veteran point guard made it clear he's not lobbying to play elsewhere.
The Boston Globe reported Cassell was trying to buy out his contract so he could play for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics. Cassell, averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 4.5 assists in 34 games, is making $6.1 million this season -- the final year of his contract.
"There's no truth to it," Cassell said by telephone from Toronto, where the Clippers play tonight. "I never said I wanted to buy out my contract. There have been no negotiations, the team hasn't come to me about that, I have not gone to them about that."
Cassell, 38, had 10 points and three assists in a 111-100 loss Wednesday night to the Celtics in Boston.
Cassell said he'd probably like to play one more season before retiring.
Garnett can only watch as Powe's last-second layup lifts Celtics
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Garnett's old town gave him an emotional welcome on his return to Minnesota. Then KG's new team delivered a thrilling victory for its injured superstar.
Leon Powe made a layup as time expired to lift Garnett's Boston Celtics to an 88-86 victory over the Timberwolves on Friday night.
It was a wild ending to a memorable night -- even though the guy everyone came to see was unable to play.
Continued......
Pierce helps Celts improve to 5-2 without Garnett
BOSTON (AP) -- Tim Duncan beat Glen "Big Baby" Davis a couple of times in the first quarter, and the disappointment on the rookie's face showed.
"We had to remind him that Duncan is really good. That's going to happen," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Sunday after Boston beat the San Antonio Spurs 98-90. "You can't get frustrated."
Filling in with Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins injured, Davis had nine points and eight rebounds for Boston. Paul Pierce scored 35 points, Ray Allen had 19, and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists and 11 rebounds Sunday as the Celtics won their third straight game improved to 16-0 against the Western Conference.
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Boston 104, Indiana 97
Boston 104, Indiana 97
Preview - Box Score - Recap - Highlights
February 12, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Boston Celtics weren't in the mood to celebrate their latest accomplishment.
Playing without injured starters Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics became the first team in the NBA to reach 40 wins with a 104-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Boston (40-9), which finished last season with a 24-58 record, plans to save any celebrations for the postseason.
"There's a long way to go," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We're not looking at numbers or anything like that. We're looking at getting better and getting ready for the playoffs."
Paul Pierce, one of the few holdovers from last year's team, said reaching 40 wins shows the Celtics are heading in the right direction. Boston has won four straight and six of seven. "Right now, we're just trying to build good habits," he said. "Each win is great, but we're building good habits."
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Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics was added to the Eastern Conference All-Star roster by commissioner David Stern, replacing injured Washington Wizards forward Caron Butler.
Boston 111, New York 103
Boston 111, New York 103
Preview - Box Score - Recap - Highlights
By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer
February 13, 2008BOSTON (AP) -- There's a foursome in the Bahamas looking for another golfer this weekend: Ray Allen is going to New Orleans instead.
The Celtics guard found out that he'd been added to the Eastern Conference roster for the All-Star game at halftime, then went back onto the floor to finish a 21-point effort and help Boston beat the New York Knicks 111-103 on Wednesday night.
"Obviously, I'm ecstatic to be an eight-time All-Star," said Allen, who didn't react when coach Doc Rivers told him in the locker room that he was replacing injured Washington forward Caron Butler on the East roster. "I knew what he was saying. I wasn't happy because I had a couple turnovers in the first half. So I wasn't jumping for joy, but I was definitely glad to be going."
Fellow All-Star Paul Pierce scored 24 points, and Leon Powe and Rajon Rondo had 18 points apiece to give the Celtics a five-game winning streak heading into the break. Sub James Posey had a season-high 11 rebounds for Boston, which lost forwards Brian Scalabrine to a groin pull and Glen "Big Baby" Davis to what Rivers called a "twisted knee."
The Celtics were already without Kevin Garnett, who missed his ninth consecutive game with an abdominal strain and will sit out Sunday's All-Star game in New Orleans. "It was a dangerous win for us," said Rivers, who will coach the East team because the Celtics have the best record in the conference. "With all the injuries and the guys playing different spots, I don't know if you can ask much more.
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Ainge Happy With His Roster
"I think you're seeing a pattern of teams that have some hard decisions to make," Danny Ainge, the Celtics director of basketball operations, said before his team's game last night. "There are teams that are reshuffling the deck and teams that are trying to win now."
Having done the former, Ainge believes the Celtics are well equipped to do the latter. But with the NBA trade deadline a week from today, he isn't throwing his cell phone into the Charles. "I'm happy with my roster, but I'm still looking for something that might help us," Ainge said. "I don't really have any specific things I'm hunting for. ... I like our team, so in order for me to do anything it has to be something good. I never say never, but I like our team." -- Boston Herald
Garnett hopes nine-game absence will end Tuesday in Denver
ESPN.com news services
Updated: February 17, 2008, 7:36 PM ET
"The Big Ticket" is hoping to finally punch in to the Boston Celtics' lineup after missing their past nine games due to an abdominal strain.
Kevin Garnett told Boston media that based on the optimism he has felt from recent workouts, he has targeted Tuesday's game at the Denver Nuggets as his return.
Continued.....
Nuggets 124, Celtics 118 -- Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points, Allen Iverson had 28 and host Denver spoiled the return of Kevin Garnett.
Denver also halted Boston's dominance over Western Conference teams this season, snapping its string of 16 straight wins. Garnett had four points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field.