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BOSTON -- A collection of postgame news and notes after the Boston Celtics posted a 95-89 triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night at TD Garden:

Rondo logs overtime



Celtics guard Rajon Rondo made a rare appearance at the postgame podium, taking over a spot typically reserved for captain Paul Pierce.

After logging a team-high 42 minutes, Rondo, who registered a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists, got a chance to break down his effort. Flanked by Kevin Garnett, he focused on the defensive end, particularly after being burnt by Baron Davis for a winning jumper when the teams met last month.

“[Kendrick] Perkins and I were laughing before [the game] because, for some reason, our two guys got off last game, and we knew that we had to step up and take the challenge," said Rondo. "At the end of the day, we had to man-up and try and get stops. Perk and I were talking and we pride ourselves on defense.”

Davis finished with 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting for the Clippers.

“I just tried to keep [opposing guards] in front of me as much as possible," said Rondo. "We mixed it up as much as possible. We threw a trap at them. I think that kept them off guard all night. For me, it was my job to maintain the ball and try not to reach as much tonight and keep the ball in front of me.”

For those worried, Pierce was spotted in the locker room after the game and Celtics coach Doc Rivers confirmed he was fine. Sending Rondo to the podium might have simply been a tip of the cap for his efforts (and saved Pierce from doing a little talking for a change).

Opposing view: Shots didn't fall

After shooting a dismal 38.8 percent from the floor (31 of 80), the Clippers contended they simply didn't make their shots, as opposed to anything Boston did to frustrate them.

"I thought I had about five or six good looks at the basket," said Clippers center Chris Kaman, who clanged 14 shots as part of a 5-of-19 performance for 10 points.

"On the season we shoot right around the high 40's, low 50's, somewhere in there on a typical night. We did a good job defensively though for the most part. Late in the game, they got some free throws and shots, but for three quarters, and probably three and three-quarters, we did a great job defensively on them. This is one of the best teams in the East, in the NBA period, and for us to beat them one time and play them this well is a positive note. We would have liked to get out of here with another win."

Added coach Mike Dunleavy: "[Kaman] had wide-open looks, and he didn’t make shots, and that’s what I’m saying. The same looks that he’s made in the past that have gotten us a win are the same looks he had tonight. Unfortunately, everybody’s going to have certain nights like that, but they were still wide open and they were good finds, and, hey, maybe next time they’ll go down.”

The Clippers seemed to take home a moral victory.

"Coach just applauded our effort, especially on a back-to-back," said forward Marcus Camby. "We just came up in the loss column, but this is a long trip for us and we can’t hang our heads. We have to find a way to get some energy and go into Jersey and get a win on Wednesday."

Doc's Opinion: No gambling, more passes

Trailing at the half, Rivers said he got on his team about two things at intermission: gambling on defense and making extra passes on offense.

"I counted 12 points on gambles in the first half, and then offensively, [assistant coach] Armond [Hill], who keeps all the offensive stats, I think he had 11 times where we didn’t make the next pass," said Rivers. "So our thought in the second half was ‘Make the next pass.’ The game’s simple -- it really is -- when you do that. And I thought our guys did it, and then they almost started doing it to a fault. But I would rather fix that problem, than the other way."

Boston thrived making the extra pass in the third quarter, shooting 56.3 percent (9 of 16) and opening a five-point lead before the end of the period.

Giddens feeling fine

Celtics guard J.R. Giddens, on assignment with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League, returned to the lineup one night after suffering a minor left knee injury. Giddens, playing against the same Utah Flash team he played for last season while on assignment from Boston, hit 8 of 9 shots for a team-high 22 points in Maine's 107-84 rout.

A collection of postgame notes after the Detroit Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics 92-86 Wednesday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills:

Fan gets under Big Baby's skin

Celtics forward Glen Davis let a jeering fan get under his skin as the heckler shouted, "Fat Boy!" and told Davis to lose some weight. Big Baby responded by shouting an obscenity at the fan.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers noted that Davis needed to have a level head in that type of situation.

"I tell the guys all the time ... [the fans] have every right to scream and yell," said Rivers. "You have to be strong enough to walk away, no matter what is said."

Asked if Davis would be punished -- he's already been fined this season by the Celtics for the offcourt incident that ended with Davis fracturing his right thumb in October, and he offered to pay part of the fine incurred by Rivers for a flagrant foul call on Davis earlier this month that resulted in the coach's ejection -- Rivers called Big Baby's actions "unacceptable," but indicated the Celtics were unlikely to take action.

"Not from me, but he might from the league," said Rivers. "I'm upset that we lost, people call me names, but that's part of the game. If you win the game, it keeps a lot of people quiet."

The Palace was the sight of the infamous 2004 brawl between the Pacers and Pistons.

Doc's Opinion: We think we're better than we are

Rivers came down hard on his team, suggesting Boston might think higher of itself than what it has shown on the court in recent games.

"I think we think we're better than what we are," said Rivers. "We get a lead and then we think we can put it on cruise. In the NBA, you can't do that. And we've never done that. But it's clear, we get a lead, and we go to individual ball, with guys trying to get numbers. And then we lose focus.

"Like I told our guys -- they're frustrated in there -- I said, 'Hey guys, it's great to be frustrated, but we've got to do something about it.'"

Added Rasheed Wallace: "Sometimes we think just because we're the Celtics and we go into a team's building that they're going to back down. We're a good team on paper, but other teams get up for us as a measuring stick."

Losers of eight of their last 12 games, including three in a row, Boston is hopeful the return of Kevin Garnett on Friday against the Trail Blazers will light a spark. But, with or without the Big Ticket, the Celtics need to find an answer to their third-quarter woes.

The Pistons outscored Boston 21-13 in the third Wednesday.

"We have great feel when we leave the locker room," said guard Eddie House. "We come in off the first half feeling good about what we did and know that we can play better. But, for whatever reason, we are just flat. It seems like we are trying to get loose and warmed-up and the other team is bringing it to us and playing with a lot more effort. It just seemed like [the Pistons] were outplaying us as far as hustle.”

After the jump: Celtics can't flip the switch; Opposing view: Detroit locker room; Wallace's return spoiled.

(Read full post)

BOSTON -- A collection of postgame notes after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Boston Celtics 99-90 Monday night at TD Garden:

Pierce: Knee 'didn't bother me'



Celtics captain Paul Pierce, who endured a scary collision with Shelden Williams at Sunday's practice, said his right knee felt fine following Monday's loss to the Mavericks.

Pierce erupted for 11 first-quarter points and finished with a team-high 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting over 35 minutes.

"It felt good, just banged it," said Pierce. "It was just a normal bang in practice. It really didn't bother me tonight."

Added Celtics coach Doc Rivers before Monday's game: "It's just a ding. We've still got to get [the knee] stronger, obviously, but that'll just take some time."

Pierce missed five games spanning into January after a pair of procedures to drain his right knee while battling an infection. He returned Jan. 6 in Miami and has logged hefty minutes recently, but got a scare when he crumpled to the floor Sunday after banging his knee into Williams' shin at the end of the practice session.

Pierce appeared no worse for the wear during Monday's loss and, after the game, he expressed more concern about the team's recent struggles on its home turf than his knee.

"We've got to understand, we are a defensive team first," said Pierce. "Regardless of who we put on the floor, at the end of the night, regardless of if we shoot the ball well or not, we are a defensive team. And that's what we have to continue to understand with the guys that are out there. That's something that is never going to change about this team. Right now we are playing in spurts defensively; it's going to be tough if we don't start to develop some consistency on that end of the court.

"It's just not a consistent night for a team to come into your building and shoot 50 or 60 percent."

Doc's Opinion: 'Mental toughness not good'



Everything that Rivers liked about his team in opening a nine-point halftime advantage disappeared in the second half of Monday's loss to the Mavericks.

"I told our guys, I thought our mental focus and our mental toughness right now is not very good," said Rivers. "I thought the game plan in the first half was perfect. Get back in transition, contest shots, and start inside-to-outside. Second half, I thought our defense was horrendous. I didn't think we got back at all on defense.

"They had numbers every single time. We had our guards crashing the glass, trying to get offensive glass, our bigs complaining to refs. They beat us down the floor. And they scored. And then all of a sudden it became a walk-the-ball-up-the-floor, slow-down basketball game -- but one way. Then on the other side they were running it back down our throats. So I thought we had 24 minutes of focus, and it's tough to win a game that way against a quality team."

Rivers stressed that the impending return of Kevin Garnett will help, but that alone won't turn around the Celtics' troubles.

"Even if it does [fix the problem], everybody has to have better mental focus," said Rivers. "It can't be one guy. His voice will be back, but his actions have to return as well."

Opposing View: Big 'D' for Dallas

While the Celtics lamented their defensive collapse, the Mavericks celebrated a second-half effort that saw them limit Boston to 40 points while rallying from a nine-point halftime deficit.

"The defense really keyed everything," said coach Rick Carlisle. "We had good transitions and good looks. Dirk [Nowitzki] got loose, [Shawn] Marion got to the rim, [Jason] Kidd was spectacular. I thought a real key to the game was Jason Terry. He really struggled when he first got in there, he didn’t get any good shots, but he stayed patient and he hit three huge shots for us in the fourth quarter at really key times. I just thought that the balance that we were able to keep was key."

Said Nowitzki, whose offense helped propel the Mavericks late in the third quarter, "We talked about our defense, or our lack of defensive effort over the past two weeks. I think we really started the season off well, defensively, and I think we had a couple of setbacks over the past couple of weeks. Teams shoot high percentages and scored a lot of points against us, and I think, with this team, it starts defensively. We did a great job in the second half, we just gave up 40 points, forced some shots, stuck with their shooters, and our offense finally came to us. But it always starts on the defensive end for us, and that's what won us the game."

Nowitzki scored nine consecutive points for Dallas during a 15-3 run to end the third quarter. Appropriately, Kidd, who piled up a game-high 17 assists, dished the credit to the hot shooter for cranking up that stat total.

"Dirk putting the ball in the basket helps," said Kidd. "But just running the pick and roll, running the offense, knowing who is going to be there and guys putting the ball in the basket are big things. I had the ball a lot today and I felt comfortable in making the right decision."

Wallace not happy with calls

Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace, who missed the past three games with a sore left forefoot, returned Monday night, but was limited to 35 minutes more because of foul trouble than the injury.

Wallace played stellar defense against Nowitzki in the first half, and Rivers said it was Wallace's ability to both get physical under the basket and pull Nowtizki to the wing that slowed down Dallas' sharpshooter in the first half.

But when Wallace picked up his fourth personal on an offensive foul call with 5:16 to play in the third quarter, that's when Nowitzki and the Mavericks went to work.

After the game, Wallace dubbed the calls "bogus" and used some other terms unfit for this space. But he also admitted that the Celtics have to be mentally tough enough to overcome those calls -- and they weren't Monday.

Wallace finished with 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting with three rebounds.

Loose balls

A couple postgame thoughts from the Celtics' locker room:

Glen Davis: "Dirk’s a great player. He did some great things today, hit some big shots. He got going in the third, hit four or five straight. The fourth foul with Rasheed really hurt us because Rasheed was doing a great job playing defense on him. So the calls didn’t go our way, and also we’re not playing to our full potential and it hurts us.”

Ray Allen: "I think offensively we put them in transition. The one thing, we turned the ball over in a stretch where we're playing strong-side basketball and we're not getting in the paint. They're forcing us out on the perimeter and then they got a [3-pointer] in transition, or they got a couple of layups and dunks. There was a stretch where we didn't get back at all and they had us playing on our heels. One side of the ball affects the other."

Celtics center Kendrick Perkins needed two stitches to close a gash under his right eye sustained after an inadvertant elbow from Nowitzki. Perkins returned to the game in the third quarter sporting a bandage under his right eye, but still logged a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn was honored with the inaugural Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the NBA Coaches Association. Check out this photo from the JumboTron with Rivers joining Heinsohn on the court to receive the award.

BOSTON -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't try to sugarcoat his team's 96-83 loss to the Chicago Bulls Thursday night at TD Garden.

"Well, we got our butts kicked tonight in every fashion," said Rivers. "I hate when it happens at home, it's happened too much as far as I'm concerned, but we've got to fix the problem."

Rivers spent much of the rest of his postgame Q&A with the media explaining that, while injuries and busy stretches are not excuses for losing, his team has certainly been tested playing four games in five nights while ravaged by injuries.

But Rivers tried to give all the credit to the Bulls.

"I don't know [if fatigue was a factor]," said Rivers. "The Bulls were fresh. They looked it. They looked athletic. They looked quicker. I thought they came with a sense of purpose tonight. I think they knew, obviously, this is our fourth in [five nights] and sixth in [nine days]. But that's not an excuse. It happens to every team. And I didn't think mentally we handled it very well."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers won't be thrilled with his team's overall performance when he watches tape from Wednesday's overtime thriller against the Heat, but you couldn't wipe the smile off his face following the 112-106 triumph in Miami.

"What a great win for us," Rivers beamed after recapping the final play of regulation, in which Paul Pierce lofted a perfect alley-oop to Rajon Rondo for an overtime-forcing lay-in at the buzzer. "We had it in our hands and literally gave it back. Then for us to keep believing."

Here are some more highlights from Rivers' postgame chat:

Overcoming struggles, shaking rust: The Celtics committed a season-high 26 turnovers and the Heat cleaned up on the offensive glass, but Rivers was simply proud of his team for finding a way to escape with the win. "We turned the ball over and it felt like they shot until they made it sometimes," said Rivers. "But we still won the game. A lot of guys did a lot of little things out there."

Original final shot was for Pierce: Rivers noted that the Celtics originally intended to get the ball into the hands of captain Paul Pierce for a final shot in a tie game with less than six seconds to play in regulation. "The play was for Ray [Allen] to catch it, then throw it to Paul, so Paul could go [isolation]," said Rivers. "Ray put the ball on the floor, but [Dwyane] Wade's a great defender." Wade, who poured in a game-high 44 points, picked Allen's pocket near midcourt and streaked the other way for what seemed like a demoralizing winning basket. But there was just enough time, after another timeout, for Pierce's lob to Rondo.

Eastman: It's not over: Rivers pointed to assistant coach Kevin Eastman as the team's biggest cheerleader before Pierce and Rondo's end-of-regulation heroics. "In the timeout, guys were dejected," said Rivers. "Hell, I had to grab them just to get them into the timeout -- they thought the game was over. Kevin Eastman kept saying, 'Guys, it's not over, it's not over. We've got a play.' So it's great that we believed that."

Bench gets MVP: Second-year players J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker didn't get into Wednesday's game, but Rivers jokingly dubbed them the MVPs of the night as part of a bench that prevented Rasheed Wallace from picking up his 11th technical foul of the season after he got his sixth personal foul of the game late in the fourth quarter. "I gave the MVP to the bench," said Rivers. "When Rasheed fouled out, they all grabbed him and dragged him off the floor. That might have been the most important play of the game because a tech was coming soon."

Tired players: Rivers noted that Pierce was running on fumes in the fourth quarter, which led to a decision to go away from the captain late in the game (though Rivers did draw up a potential final play for Pierce near the end of regulation). What's more, Kendrick Perkins was coming off a bout with food poisoning, which kept him out of practice Tuesday. Rivers said he probably pushed his big man to the limit Wednesday. Perkins came up big with 20 points and 10 rebounds over 40 minutes. "We were going to leave [Perkins] out there until he passed out," joked Rivers. "With the minutes he played, he'll be useless [Thursday]."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers wasn't happy that his team dropped its third game in four nights, wrapping up a four-game road trip 1-3 after a Christmas Day win in Orlando. But he admitted the odds were stacked against his shorthanded team Wednesday night at Phoenix as it battles mounting injuries, and he said he hoped his troops learned how important it is to capture winnable games.

"The lesson we should learn on this trip is that when you give away games with the Clippers when you're healthy, then do it again [against the Warriors], and then when you're injured, you need those games back -- but you can't get them back," said Rivers. "This game would have been very difficult to win. They're a very good team. When you take your two best scorers away against a scoring team ... you might not win that game. This game doesn't affect me at all.

"I expected to win. I think we pay everybody. As long as you do, you have to come in with the expectation to win. I didn't like the way we started the first six minutes of the game. I thought we didn't have that thought in our mind and then I thought we actually competed from there. We just couldn't get shots to fall. When you're down on your luck with injuries and your other guys can't make shots they normally make, you're probably going to lose the game."

A few more postgame thoughts from Doc:

* Rivers heaped praise on point guard Rajon Rondo for gutting out 32 minutes despite a sore left hamstring. Rondo finished with 13 points and eight assists, but also had a team-worst minus-21 in the plus/minus category. Even still, Rivers lauded his efforts: "Even when he plays on one leg he can dominate a game."

* Rivers chastised Kendrick Perkins for picking up his league-leading 10th technical foul. While noting it was disappointing because Perkins is a good kid who simply seems to let his emotions get the best of him, Rivers said Perkins has to rebuild his reputation with referees. "You know the thing about a reputation: You earn it. It's not like they give you one. He made his reputation. Now, he has to learn to control [his emotions]."

* Rivers praised his bench, including J.R. Giddens (4 points, 3 rebounds, 8 minutes) and Shelden Williams (14 points, 5 rebounds, 19 minutes). "When [Glen Davis] came back, Shelden doesn't play, but he comes back [Wednesday] and plays well, plays hard. That was good."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers pointed to a season-high 25 turnovers as the key in allowing the Golden State Warriors to rally from an 18-point deficit for a 103-99 triumph at Oracle Arena.

"I told the guys [at halftime] that we had 58 points with 15 turnovers -- that's a miracle," said Rivers. "Typically, if you have 15 turnovers, you have maybe 35 points. The fact that we had 58 points with that many turnovers was amazing. But you can't have turnovers against them. They score too quick and too easy. Honestly, that was the difference in the game.

"We were up 18 in the first quarter -- that happens. Eighteen points doesn't mean much, they're an offensive team and we knew they'd get back in it. It was more the 25 turnovers that turned the game around."

Two games after having a season-high eight turnovers against Orlando, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo had his second-highest total of the season with six giveaways. It slightly tempered a night in which he poured in a season-high 30 points and dished out 15 assists.

Boston's starters combined for all but four of the 25 turnovers (the rest going to Glen Davis).

The Celtics hadn't turned the ball over more than 18 times in a game before Christmas, but have 56 turnovers in the first three games of this road trip, including 20 against the Magic.