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NEW YORK -- Based on the way things had already unfolded, perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising that Brandon Bass hit what head coach Doc Rivers deemed the "biggest shot of the game" in the Boston Celtics' 92-86 Game 5 victory over the New York Knicks in their first-round playoff series Wednesday.

Boston had built a 75-60 lead with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, but it then sank into one of its dreaded offensive droughts, as the Knicks clawed back within eight over the next three minutes. The C's were coming off of back-to-back turnovers when Bass took a Terrence Williams pass in the right corner, dribbled hard toward the lane against Tyson Chandler, spun back to his right, and put in a fading bank shot over Chandler's outstretched arm.

The shot restored order for the Celtics, who closed out the Knicks from there and cut New York's series lead to 3-2.

"I thought Brandon Bass -- I thought the bank shot he made was probably the biggest shot of the game, because we were leaking a little oil in that stretch, and that kind of settled us down," Rivers said.

But that shot wasn't the only instance of Bass bailing Boston out on Wednesday.

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NEW YORK -- Analysis from the Boston Celtics' 92-86 defeat of the New York Knicks in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round series on Wednesday evening at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lead the series 3-2:

The nitty gritty: Jeff Green scored a team-high 18 points to pace five Celtics players in double figures, including Jason Terry with 17 points (five 3-pointers) off the bench and Paul Pierce with 16 points after overcoming early struggles. Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and a team-high 18 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 22 points on 8-of-24 shooting, while Raymond Felton added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. J.R. Smith, back after a one-game suspension for elbowing Terry in Game 3, was a nonfactor for much of the night (and maybe even a liability) as he missed his first 10 shots. Smith finished with 14 points on 3-of-14 shooting after hitting a trio of late-game triples.

Turning point: In a one-possession game midway through the third quarter, the Celtics embarked on a 16-4 run spanning into the fourth frame. Pierce and Terry hit 3-pointers late in the third as Boston stretched its lead to nine, but the Celtics opened the fourth on a 6-0 burst that culminated with a vicious one-handed flush by Green that pushed the Celtics out front 75-60 with 9:05 to go. A feverish late-game rally saw the Knicks pull within five (88-83) with 65 seconds to play, but Garnett hit a tough jumper to help fend them off.

I'm still standing: The Celtics reserves typically stand until Boston's first made basket of the game. Still standing four-plus minutes in as the Knicks built an 11-0 run, the backups settled for when Brandon Bass -- the early hero of the game for Boston -- made a free throw to break up the shutout with 7:32 to play in the first quarter. The Celtics managed to trim their deficit to two at the end of the frame, and a more inspired second quarter had them up six at halftime as the momentum swung in their favor.

Technical difficulties: Smith and Terry -- involved in the Game 3 dust-up that got Smith ejected and later suspended for Game 4 for a flagrant foul 2 elbow -- renewed pleasantries and were assessed double technicals with 6:45 to play in the game. Earlier in the game, referees initially assessed Kenyon Martin with a flagrant foul for hammering Garnett. Upon video review, it was downgraded to a personal foul.

What it means:
Well, we appear to have a series again. With their backs to the wall after losing the first three games, the Celtics responded with back-to-back wins. As Doc Rivers will certainly point out now, this is as close as a series can be after five games. Boston has to like its chances of evening things up when the series returns to Boston for Game 6 on Friday night at TD Garden. But it's still an uphill climb for the Celtics and one that will require winning in New York again on Sunday if they can force a Game 7. But Boston is playing with renewed confidence after these two wins and has put New York on its heels.

Despite lofty compliment from coach Doc Rivers, Celtics forward Brandon Bass said no performance is perfect unless it ends in a victory:

With Kevin Garnett out, there's no security blanket for Brandon Bass and that's brought the best out of him over the last two weeks:


A sample of the featured story:

* BASS GROWS INTO ROLE: Over the past nine games, Bass is allowing a mere 0.684 points per play, according to Synergy data. To put that in perspective, that's an Avery Bradley-caliber number (for the season, Bradley has allowed 0.695 points per play, best in the NBA among those with at least 400 plays defended). Bass already was eighth on that list at 0.761 points per play, but the fact that he's elevated his defensive game without Garnett is unexpected. "Maybe the blessing is, without Kevin, we've removed the security blanket," Rivers said. "And Brandon, he has to be the talker now on defense.

PHOENIX -- Reaction to the Boston Celtics' defeat of the Phoenix Suns 113-88 on Friday night at the US Airways Center:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Starting in place of Kevin Garnett (a rest day), Jeff Green scored a season-high 31 points on super-efficient 11-of-14 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Green was nothing short of spectacular in 39 minutes of play, finishing plus-26 in plus/minus. Avery Bradley was the only other Boston starter in double figures (13 points), while the Celtics got a boost from their newest faces in Jordan Crawford (10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) and Terrence Williams (9 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds). Chris Wilcox added 14 points -- almost all of the dunk variety -- on 7-of-9 shooting over 21:37.

FAST START FOR C'S
The Celtics scored the game's first 13 points to set the tone for the night. Goran Dragic broke up the shutout with a 12-foot floater with 8:18 to play in the quarter. Green scored 13 first-quarter points (on 5-of-6 shooting), and Boston led 28-20 after the frame (the Suns shot a mere 36.4 percent over those first 12 minutes).

TURNING POINT
The Celtics started the first half quickly and finished it strong as well. Up seven with little more than two minutes to play in the second quarter, Boston went on a little 7-0 burst highlighted by Brandon Bass' hustle putback dunk and Bradley's layup, which put Boston up 53-39. The Celtics were up 12 at halftime and absolutely blew the doors off the game in the fourth quarter.

CRAWFORD DEBUTS FOR BOSTON
Crawford made his Boston debut when he checked in with 2:04 to play in the first quarter. Crawford missed his first two attempts but buried a corner 3-pointer early in the second frame, bowing his head as if relieved to get his first points. In the fourth quarter, Crawford added two buckets by attacking the basket, then buried another triple. Crawford finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting over 17:18.

PAIN IN THE NECK
Given all the injury woes Boston has endured recently, Celtics fans held their collective breath when Paul Pierce left the game holding his neck as the second half began. It appeared to simply be a stinger (remember, too, that Pierce battled a pinched nerve earlier in the year). He worked through the pain and quickly returned to the floor.

WHAT IT MEANS
Go ahead and use up your "The Celtics are better without KG!" jokes. Green was otherworldly, with his best all-around game in a Boston uniform (even beyond the scoring, he was spectacular). Even rookie Fab Melo got 3:42 of floor time with the Celtics up big in the final minutes. The Celtics have an off day Saturday before closing out this five-game road trip with a back-to-back on Sunday (Portland) and Monday (Utah). Some much-needed rest (and practice time for the newcomers) looms after the trip with just one game on the schedule over the next seven days.

BOSTON -- When Celtics coach Doc Rivers announced before Wednesday's 71-69 win over the Chicago Bulls that Kevin Garnett would see limited minutes, Brandon Bass realized more would be needed from him to help fend off Chicago's sizable front line.

True to his word, Rivers limited Garnett to just more than 26 minutes, and Bass responded to Boston's need for frontcourt stability by scoring 14 points, bringing down nine rebounds and dishing out two assists -- all in a season-high 40 minutes.

"Tremendous," Celtics guard Jason Terry said of Bass' night. "Before the game, KG didn't know if he was going to be able to go or not, but he toughed it out, and Brandon saw that and he held it down. That's what we call having each other's back. There was no bigger evidence of having everybody's back than what Brandon Bass did tonight with his performance."

Bass didn't wait for the likes of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson to dictate things in the paint, as he ripped down six of his nine rebounds in the opening quarter and matched that output with six points. It was easily Bass' most active stretch in weeks, as he has battled through periods of inconsistency and ineffectiveness. Knowing he would be in for a battle underneath against Chicago's bigs, Bass had a greater sense of urgency.

"I try to take the same approach every night, but those guys are solid bigs, so you've definitely got to bring your A-game," Bass said. "I just kind of put it in my head that I would have to play a lot harder if KG wasn't going to play as many minutes, so I definitely kept that in mind."

Some of Bass' other efforts in Wednesday's win weren't quite so planned out, although they still yielded positive results. Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, Bass intercepted a pass from Marco Belinelli intended for Noah. Even though he had Terry and Avery Bradley running with him in a three-on-one advantage on the break, Bass elected to bring the ball up himself and attack the lane.

It's not uncommon for big men trying to play point guard to have disastrous results, but Bass was able to improvise as he motored up the court, ending things with a slick spin move past Marquis Teague and a two-handed slam.

"You know what, before I do my [pregame] routine, I always do a little ballhandling, just in case I might need to do something," Bass said, trying to downplay his breakaway move. "So, I got it."

When he was reminded that big men who try to bring the ball up don't always fare real well, Bass said: "I was just glad mine went well tonight. I'll tell you that."

But as uncharacteristic as Bass' one-man fast break was, even more eye-opening was his involvement in Boston's second-to-last possession, which resulted in a Garnett jumper and a decisive three-point advantage. After helping Garnett out on the minutes front for much of the game, Bass aided him with -- of all things -- a crisp pass that gave Garnett a wide-open look along the left baseline, which he knocked down with 19 seconds left to beat the shot clock and help seal the win.

Last season, Bass earned himself the nickname "No Pass Bass" for his lack of assists -- something his teammates had a bit of fun with after he fed Garnett.

"That last shot KG got, five guys touched it. Brandon Bass -- who thought he would get the assist of all people to KG for the closing basket?" Terry quipped.

But afterward, Bass was ready for a new calling card.

"I think it's OK for y'all to call me something else other than No Pass Bass," he said, laughing.

A more appropriate nickname might be bestowed upon Bass in the future, but for now he'll have to be satisfied with being the guy who stood out Wednesday when the Celtics needed steadier support behind a limited Garnett.

BOSTON -- With Celtics rookie forward Jared Sullinger set to miss the remainder of the 2012-2013 season after undergoing back surgery on Friday, a greater emphasis will be put on forward Brandon Bass' role.

"As far as me playing and me getting more minutes, I don't want that to be based on nobody going down," Bass said before Friday's game against the Orlando Magic. "So it's a sad thing that Jared's going out and that he had to have back surgery. I don't even know what that's like. So I just wish him the best in that case. And me, personally, I just feel like I've just got to continue to get better and just be more consistent. For me, that's just me, and I feel like that will help the team."

Bass was one of Boston's most consistent big men last season, but an increase in reliable frontcourt players this season -- including Sullinger and Jeff Green -- has limited Bass' minutes and he's seen his role fluctuate between that of a starter and a reserve player. While Bass recently pointed to fewer minutes as a reason for his inconsistent play, he took greater responsibility for his efforts on Friday.

"My role has been my role. It's just that I wasn't playing well," Bass said. "When you're not playing well, you go to the next option. It's business, man. So, I just have to play better."

Bass said he's had discussions with head coach Doc Rivers about what his role with the team is.

"We have (conversations), but they don't even matter, though, because when you're performing -- you have to perform," Bass said. "If you're performance slacks up then everything else slacks up. So, you've just got to be on top of your game every night."

Bass highlighted scoring and rebounding as two areas he wants to see improvement in.

"I just think that me rebounding better and making shots will take care of everything for me, personally," Bass said. "It doesn't have anything to do with anybody else."

Asked if he's ready to take on a role similar to the one he held last season as the Celtics' primary option at power forward, Bass said: "The work is put in, it just has to happen."

BOSTON -- Amid diminished playing time and underwhelming production, Celtics forward Brandon Bass expressed frustration over his role with the team after Thursday's loss to the New York Knicks.

Bass finished with four points and two rebounds over 19 minutes, 41 seconds of playing time against the Knicks, then went scoreless with two rebounds in 18:49 during Friday's double-overtime loss to the Hawks in Atlanta.

A quiet but steady source of consistency for the Celtics last season, Bass played in 59 of 66 games and averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds over 31.7 minutes, which paved the way for a new three-year, $19.3 million contract last summer. But through 43 games this season, Bass hasn't had nearly the same impact he did last year. His numbers have dipped to just 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and, perhaps most importantly, 26 minutes per game.

"I mean, at the end of the day, you want to do better than you did last year or the same," Bass said after Thursday's loss. "So, it's a little bit frustrating. But, it's a team game. You've just got to keep working and hope everything works itself out."

When asked about his production, Bass suggested fewer minutes have played the biggest role.

"I mean, if you consider my numbers down, you've got to look all around," Bass said. "So if you see my numbers down then you see my minutes. If my minutes are down, OK, that plays a role. Then you look at how many opportunities I get -- that plays a role. And you get what you get."

Asked if he's satisfied with the season he's having, Bass was very direct: "No, I'm not satisfied."

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Having lost the opening two games of their current three-game road trip, the Celtics have admittedly taken a step back, after a week of promise and suggestions of better habits had everyone thinking the ship was starting to right itself.

Part of the reason why Boston has stumbled so often this season is because it hasn't been able to get consistent performances out of its key role players on a nightly basis. Though the likes of Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kevin Garnett have been doing their part more often than not, the support hasn't consistently been behind them.

While Jeff Green, Jason Terry, and Courtney Lee have all drawn criticism at times this season for inconsistent play, Brandon Bass is another player the Celtics simply haven't been getting enough from lately.

In Boston's last two games, especially, Bass failed to make any sort of legitimate impact. In Friday's loss to Houston, he scored just two points on 1-of-3 shooting to go along with four rebounds, and followed that up on Saturday with another two-point effort on 1-of-5 shooting. He hauled in just three rebounds in the loss to San Antonio.

Those very low numbers have cast a more potent glow on the regression of Bass' impact, but, particularly from a scoring standpoint, he's been having difficulty throughout the month of December. After averaging 9.5 points for the month of November, Bass has seen that figure drop to 5.9 points this month. Though he's actually seen an uptake in his overall field goal percentage, a more glaring stat has been his free throw percentage, which stood at an outstanding 90 percent for November, but has since plummeted to 62.5 percent throughout December. In seven games this month, Bass has taken a total of just eight free throws.

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Prior to the season, Celtics forward Brandon Bass vowed, perhaps more than anything, to be a better rebounder. While acknowledging the various improvements he wanted to make to his game, as well as the offseason work he utilized to make those changes, hauling in missed shots -- both by opponents and his own team -- was at the top of Bass' priority list.

Though Bass' role and minutes have fluctuated at times this season, he proved in Boston's 116-110 overtime win over the Magic Sunday night that he can follow through on his promise of being better on the boards, even in clutch situations with the game on the line.

Bass posted 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting Sunday night, but more importantly, he ripped down a season-high 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

More impressive was the timing of Bass' offensive rebounds. All five came in the fourth quarter and overtime, as the Celtics were trying to bounce back after surrendering a 12-point lead. Unable to shake the Magic, Bass helped to secure extra possessions as Boston fought to regain control and sneak out with a win.

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Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass isn't on the All-Star ballot, but coach Doc Rivers will never overlook his contributions:

WALTHAM, Mass. -- True to his training-camp word, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers experimented with a different starting lineup in Saturday's victory over the Washington Wizards, inserting rookie Jared Sullinger in place of Brandon Bass.

Though the Celtics captured their first win of the season with Sullinger joining Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce along the front line, there's no guarantee it'll remain that way. Opponent matchups should dictate Rivers' choice, as he elected for the more athletic Bass in Boston's first two games against the Heat and Bucks, before Washington's size helped push Sullinger into the first five.

But the thinking is that a bench role might help unleash Bass a bit more, particularly on the offensive end. Whereas he'd frequently defer to the likes of Pierce, Garnett, and Rajon Rondo in the starting lineup, he could serve as more of a focal point for the second unit.

"That was one of the other reasons we wanted Jared in the lineup, because Brandon's another scorer in a lot of ways, and now you have too many in your starting lineup," Rivers said after Saturday's win. "And we felt Brandon can now come in and score with the second unit. He got a ton of wide-open shots tonight, he just didn't make them. But I think that helped him too, knowing that when you come in with that group, you're going to get shots."

The shots Rivers is talking about aren't just the typical elbow jumpers that have become a trademark of Bass' game. Bass has shown, both in the preseason and the regular season, a renewed commitment to attacking the basket at times and getting ahead of the defense on the break for easier looks at the rim. If his role is revamped for the long-term, utilizing his strength and athleticism will help him score without plays being run for him.

"I think for me to grow here, I've got to be more active," Bass said after Monday's practice. "Like I said, we've got a lot of options. Doc said it's Rondo, Paul, and Kevin, and Jeff [Green] they're going to go through, so I have to be more active in everything, on both ends of the ball."

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MIAMI -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers revealed his big secret: Brandon Bass, not Jeff Green nor Jared Sullinger, will open the 2012-13 season on the floor against the defending NBA champion Miami Heat.

Once Miami's ring ceremony is over, Rivers hopes Bass will provide good defense at power forward against the Heat's 3-4 pick-and-rolls.

Two-guard Courtney Lee will start alongside Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Injured guard Avery Bradley (shoulder) and rookie Fab Melo are inactive.

No matter who starts, the matchup games will soon begin. Rivers said there may be surprises the first week of the season, but not after that.

"You can run new sets for a week; after that, that’s over," he said. "I’m sure Miami has worked on something all summer and they're going to unveil it tonight. And they will fool us probably -- for a little while, and hopefully we figure it out and we’ll probably do the same. But after about 10 games of the season, there’s no more secrets in our league. And usually -- hopefully -- it’s quicker than that."

Choice quote: Ray Allen told reporters in the Heat locker room about what he learned this offseason. "I learned you're either in a storm, coming out of a storm or about to go into a storm," he said.

Wilcox excited: Center Chris Wilcox was emotional about playing in his first game since February, when a heart ailment ended his season.

"This is all my blessing, you know what I’m saying?" he said. "My first game back, man. I’m just right now at a loss for words. This is a tough one today."

Wilcox, who said he could lift just five pounds with a bicep curl after surgery for an enlarged aorta, is regaining his strength "slowly," he said. He feels his speed is there, but only in short bursts.

Doesn't matter. Just putting on a uniform and playing is good enough for now.

"I'm back to me now," he said. "Back enjoying my life and moving forward. It’s tough for me right now. This is a great feeling, a great opportunity for me to be back."

Boston Celtics players profiles by John Hollinger were unveiled Tuesday. Each day leading up to training camp, we'll give you a snapshot of a player's projections (per 40 minutes) and scouting report (you'll have to sign up for Insider for the analysis) and you can sound off with your thoughts in the comments.


Bass posted some phenomenal defensive numbers last season. It will be interesting to see if he can build upon those with another year in Boston's system.

Hop HERE to read the full profiles.