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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.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 97-90 in overtime during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference first-round series at TD Garden. The Knicks lead the series, 3-1:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Jason Terry, shuffled back to a reserve role, came up with a couple of big shots in overtime while scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go along with four assists. Paul Pierce scored a team-high 29 points on 9-of-20 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists, while Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 17 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 36 points on 10-of-35 shooting, while Raymond Felton willed the Knicks back from a 20-point hole with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting.

A DOMINANT FIRST HALF ...
The Celtics held a 12-point lead when Jeff Green picked up his third foul with three minutes to play in the first half (joining Garnett on the bench with his third foul). Boston has had a propensity to stumble at the end of quarters, but actually closed out the first half on a 9-0 run that included a deep 3-pointer by Pierce after Avery Bradley swiped an inbounds pass following a Brandon Bass make. The Celtics owned a seemingly safe 54-35 lead at the intermission.

... BUT ANOTHER DREADFUL SECOND HALF
The Celtics were up 14 with 3 1/2 minutes to play in the third quarter when Felton took over. He scored 12 of New York's final 15 points (all but an Iman Shumpert 3-pointer) and his 26-foot heave in the final second of the frame pulled the Knicks within three. Felton finished 5-of-8 shooting with 16 points in the quarter, outscoring Boston (4-of-16 shooting, 14 points).

OOOOOOVERTIME
The Knicks were down five with little more than four minutes to play, but a Shumpert 3-pointer and an Anthony layup tied things up with 3:34 to go. The Knicks squandered multiple opportunities -- including two missed freebies by Anthony -- but Felton hit an 18-foot pull-up with 78 ticks to go. Garnett responded with a 17-footer off a pass from Pierce to even things again with 67 seconds to play. Pierce missed his elbow jumper on Boston's final gasp.

TURNING POINT
Terry broke the game's final tie with a 3-pointer from the left wing in transition to put Boston out front 91-88 with 92 seconds to play. Anthony responded with a fadeaway baseline jumper, but Terry came back with a little fadeaway of his own for a 93-90 lead with 50 seconds to play. Terry then drew a loose-ball foul with 20.4 seconds to go and made his free throws to seal the victory.

OUT OF BASS
Back in the starting lineup and tasked often with defending Anthony, Bass did an excellent job until foul trouble derailed him in the second half. Picking up his fourth foul early on, he was tentative, especially in the fourth quarter when Anthony blew past him for a loud dunk. Bass fouled out with 4:27 to go. He finished with four points and four rebounds over 30:38.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics -- and their veteran core of Pierce and Garnett -- live for at least one more game. Terry, after a disappointing regular season, stepped up with his team's season on the line. This series takes a two-day break before resuming with Game 5 on Wednesday in New York. The Celtics still have an uphill battle, but they showed some mental toughness by fighting back after the Knicks rallied and refused to go out with a sweep on their home turf.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 90-76 during Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series at TD Garden. Knicks lead the series, 3-0.

THE NITTY GRITTY
Go ahead and pick your favorite adjective: Pathetic, unsightly, embarrassing? They all work to describe Boston's effort in this one. A so-called "desperate" Celtics team, its season hanging in the balance, shot 35 percent (14 of 40 overall) while mustering a measly 31 first-half points, barely an upgrade over its 49 points worth of total second-half output in the first two games of the series. Jeff Green scored a team-high 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting with nine rebounds, while Kevin Garnett added 12 points and 17 rebounds. Paul Pierce labored through 6-of-15 shooting with five turnovers (Green had the same number of giveaways) for 17 points over 41 minutes. Not even a new-look starting unit with Jason Terry (14 points) was able to wake Boston from its postseason slumber. Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 26 points on 12-of-25 shooting while Raymond Felton continued to toy with Boston, putting up 15 points and 10 assists. JR Smith added 15 points before getting ejected in the fourth quarter (more on that below).

TURNING POINT
It was a one-possession game early in the second quarter before the Knicks embarked on an 8-0 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Pablo Prigioni and Smith (with a Kenyon Martin layup in between). Later in the frame, with Boston's offense sputtering, the Knicks put together an 11-0 burst that featured three straight buckets from Anthony before a Felton 3-pointer pushed the lead to 18 (47-29) with under a minute to play in the half. Boston was booed as it left the court at the intermission.

SMITH EJECTED FOR FLAGRANT-2
Smith floored Terry with an elbow with 7:06 to play in the fourth quarter and was ejected after the foul was classified a flagrant-2. Celtics coach Doc Rivers prevented a potential confrontation, stepping in front of an enraged Terry and bearhugging him as Smith walked away. With the game out of reach, the refs made the easy decision to maintain the flagrant-2 classification (which comes with automatic ejection). At least Game 4 will have one intriguing storyline.

LITTLE VICTORIES
Some of the only cheers from Celtics fans in the second half came when a trio of Knicks fans were booted from the arena early in the fourth quarter. One New York fan in an Anthony jersey blew kisses to the Boston fans applauding his departure. You can do that when your team is up 20 points and about to put a stranglehold on the series.

WHAT IT MEANS
Unless the Celtics plan on making some history (someone get Kevin Millar on the phone!), this series is over as early as Sunday's Game 4 at the Garden (and probably no later than Tuesday's Game 5 in New York if Boston somehow musters the pride to keep its season going). Friday was just an embarrassing effort for a team that pledged to show signs of desperation after two uninspired second-half efforts in New York. Playing their first game at TD Garden in 16 days and in the aftermath of the marathon bombings, the Celtics rarely showed any fight -- something that's dogged them this entire series when adversity bubbles up. There's at least 48 minutes of basketball left in the season, but it's likely the offseason chatter will start to dominate the conversation after a disappointing, injury-plagued 2012-13 season sits on the brink.

NEW YORK -- Rapid reaction after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 87-71 during Game 2 of an Eastern Conference first-round series at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series 2-0:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 34 points on 11-of-24 shooting, spearheading a key third-quarter outburst as New York raced away and tightened its grip on the series. Freshly minted Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith added 19 points, while Raymond Felton continued his role as Boston pest, chipping in 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. Paul Pierce scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting with six rebounds and six assists but was again plagued by turnovers, committing a team-high five (with more of what he had labeled the "bonehead" variety) and was a game-worst minus-28 in plus/minus. Kevin Garnett finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds but played a mere 24 minutes due to foul trouble that limited his effectiveness for much of the first three quarters on a night the Celtics desperately needed to lean on him.

TURNING POINT
After a streaky first half that saw the Celtics build their lead as high as nine late in the first half (they led by six at halftime), Boston's offense crumbled in the second half for the second time this series. The Knicks opened the third quarter on a 24-4 run while building a 14-point cushion. Anthony scored nine points as the Knicks were 8-of-10 shooting during a 7:30 spurt to start the half, but it was Boston's offensive futility that sealed its fate. The Celtics were 1-of-11 shooting (9.1 percent) with Pierce contributing the only field goal as the Knicks raced away.

EARLY FOUL TROUBLE FOR KG
After three days of hearing about the importance of getting Garnett involved early, KG splashed a jumper 27 seconds in. But that was about as good as it got. A turnover and two fouls in an 18-second span forced Garnett to the bench with 8:39 to play in the first frame. Garnett got his fourth foul 3:30 into the third quarter and was a helpless spectator for the Knicks' game-changing run.

WILCOX MAKES PLAYOFF DEBUT
Celtics coach Doc Rivers went with Chris Wilcox as the much-anticipated first big off the bench (after not using one in Game 1) in what was Wilcox's first postseason appearance in an 11-year career. Wilcox played three scoreless first-half minutes, grabbed one rebound and was minus-6 in that span. If not for the lopsided nature of the game, he might not have returned. Rivers emptied the bench down the stretch, getting playoff minutes for Shavlik Randolph and Terrence Williams. Courtney Lee saw himself demoted to late-game minutes, playing the final 4:14.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics will cling to the notion that a series doesn't start until a home team loses and say the Knicks simply held serve by winning the first two games of the series. But while Boston had its opportunities in each of the first two games, it also had head-shaking offensive lulls and critical errors in each that doesn't emphatically suggest a team capable of winning a best-of-seven series against a quality opponent. The Celtics hope coming home will provide a spark, but that alone will not be enough to get back in this series. Boston desperately needs to figure out how to mask its offensive deficiencies. Two days off await as the series shifts to Boston for Games 3 (Friday) and 4 (Sunday).

NEW YORK -- Rapid reaction after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 85-78 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series 1-0.

THE NITTY GRITTY
Carmelo Anthony ended on the upswing during a roller-coaster night, scoring 36 points on 13-of-29 shooting to go along with six rebounds and four steals over 41 minutes. J.R. Smith added 15 points on 7-of-19 shooting, while Kenyon Martin had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks. Jeff Green scored a team-high 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting for the Celtics but disappeared a bit in the second half (1-of-5 shooting, 6 points). Paul Pierce added 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds over 39:11 but couldn't shoulder the scoring burden by himself in a second half in which the Celtics scored just 25 points (eight in the fourth quarter) on 7-of-27 shooting (25.9 percent).

TURNING POINT
In a two-point game midway through the fourth quarter, Kevin Garnett (8 points, 9 rebounds over 36:36) picked up his fifth foul trying to prevent a Smith layup. Despite playing the next three minutes without him, Boston had multiple chances to tie the game. Instead, a bad pass by Pierce led to an Anthony layup that had New York out front 81-76 with 2:31 to go. After a turnover and a Jason Terry missed 3-pointer, Anthony made a 21-foot jumper to push the lead to seven with 81 ticks to go and essentially seal the victory.

AN UGLY THIRD
The Celtics and Knicks combined for 10-of-35 shooting (28.6 percent) in the third quarter. Boston missed its first four shots and turned the ball over twice. Its bench, which doesn't sit until the first field goal by the team, couldn't hit the chairs until Bradley's layup with 8:24 to play in the frame (and there was a timeout before that). The Celtics had a little burst later in the frame, opening as much as a seven-point lead, but the Knicks got it down to a one-possession game heading to the final quarter and pulled away when Boston's offense went from cold to icy.

MORE REGULAR-SEASON JET
Terry pledged to ramp up his game in the postseason, suggesting he would wipe away six months of struggles by being the big-game player that was his calling card in Dallas. Terry missed all five shots he put up Saturday -- including four beyond the arc -- and was scoreless in 20 minutes. With Boston leaning on guard-heavy lineups (neither Chris Wilcox nor Shavlik Randolph played), the contributions from reserve guards was a major disappointment. Boston's bench -- Terry, Courtney Lee and Jordan Crawford -- combined for four points (all free throws by Lee) and missed all seven shots it took.

WHAT IT MEANS
This will be a tough one for the Celtics to swallow. At times they played some excellent basketball, getting a monster first half from Green and leaning on their defense when their offense went stagnant. But the Celtics got sloppy with the ball (21 turnovers for 20 points), and no one beyond Pierce could make shots at key times in the second half. The offense was a major concern coming into the playoffs, and Boston absolutely cannot endure the sort of lulls it did in the second half Sunday. There are two days off before Game 2 on Tuesday night at MSG. The series shifts to Boston for Games 3 (Friday) and 4 (Sunday).

Rapid reaction after the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics 114-90 in the regular-season finale on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre:

THE NITTY GRITTY
The Celtics got their starters some limited action (Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley each had 11 points in limited minutes) then leaned heavy on the end of their bench (even rookie Fab Melo played 17:26 and finished with two points, two rebounds, and four fouls). Jordan Crawford scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting with six rebounds and five assists over a team-high 36:14. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while Rudy Gay (19 points), Jonas Valanciunas (18), and Alan Anderson (16) all joined him in double figures for scoring.

GREEN FINISHES WITH PERFECT ATTENDANCE
Jeff Green said earlier this week that, after missing all of last season due to heart surgery, it was important for him to play in every games this year. Green and Brandon Bass were the only two Celtics players to appear in all 81 games this season. Both players had breezy nights as Green finished with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting with six rebounds over 17:10, while Bass added six points on 3-of-8 shooting with three boards over 17:41.

TURNING POINT
A tied game early in the second quarter, Toronto started breaking this one open before Boston even rolled in its junior varsity lineup. A 9-0 run by the Raptors helped the hosts take a double-digit lead (59-49) into the intermission. That lead was at 21 just three minutes into the third quarter after a Jonas Valanciunas dunk. The Raptors led by as much as 33 while finishing up their season.

WHAT IT MEANS
Bring on playoff basketball (good riddance, end-of-the-regular-season hoops). The Celtics rested veterans Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, while avoiding any injury scares for those that dressed (Shavlik Randolph did not play in the second half due to a bruised back, but logged 12 encouraging first-half minutes). As most final games of the season tends to play out, this one turned into a shot-heavy pick-up game. The Celtics finish the season at 41-40 overall. They'll get two days of practice before visiting the New York Knicks to open an Eastern Conference first-round series at Madison Square Garden this weekend.

MIAMI -- Rapid reaction after the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 109-101 on Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena:

THE NITTY GRITTY
LeBron James scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting (mostly of the emphatic dunk variety) with 9 assists and 6 rebounds over 29 minutes, while Rashard Lewis scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting to spark Miami's bench effort (which also saw old friend Ray Allen score 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting). The Heat scorched Boston by connecting on 12-of-23 shooting beyond the 3-point arc. Jeff Green scored a team-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds before departing the game with a bruised elbow. Courtney Lee got hot late to finish with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while Jordan Crawford got off to a fast start, but went cold late while scoring 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

TURNING POINT
Despite allowing the Heat to shoot a ridiculous 84.2 percent in the second quarter (Miami made 16 of 19 shots), the Celtics were still hanging around in the third frame. Eight consecutive points by Crawford, including back-to-back 3-pointers, whittled Miami's lead to five, but the Heat responded with a 7-0 run, including a layup from Chris Bosh for a 72-60 lead with seven minutes to play in the frame. Boston never got closer than seven the rest of the way, with Lewis unleashing a 3-point barrage spanning the fourth quarter as the lead ballooned as high as 16 early in the final quarter.

SCOREBOARD WATCHING
The Hawks rallied to top the visiting Bucks on Friday night, which means Milwaukee will remain three games back of Boston with three games to go. The Celtics' magic number to secure the seventh seed dips to one; any win (or Milwaukee loss) over the final three games of the regular season ensures Boston won't be back here in Miami to open the playoffs next weekend.

GREEN BRUISES ELBOW
Celtics forward Jeff Green suffered a bruised left elbow in the fourth quarter and did not return. Green was in a world of hurt after landing hard on his left arm after an emphatic dunk. He tried to tough it out on the bench, putting a shooting sleeve over the elbow, but soon retreated to the locker room with trainer Ed Lacerte.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics got a chance to give some role players extended run and, so long as Green's elbow injury isn't anything major, there were some positives to pluck from this one (Lee and Crawford had solid nights in spurts). Then again there were plenty of negatives, too (Jason Terry had another very quiet night; the 3-point defense was terrible; and defensive lapses were prevalent all over the floor -- though that could be expected at times without two starters). Boston expects to have Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett back on Saturday night when the Celtics wrap up a Floridian back-to-back against the Orlando Magic. Two days off loom after that before Boston completes its regular-season schedule with another back-to-back (the Pacers visit Tuesday before a trip to Toronto on Wednesday).

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 101-93 on Wednesday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Deron Williams scored a game-high 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting to go along with 12 assists, while Brook Lopez added 21 points (and was a team-best plus-27 in plus/minus). Old friend Joe Johnson finished with 20 points, while Reggie Evans was his usual rebounding presence, grabbing a game-high 14 boards. For Boston, Paul Pierce scored a team-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and three turnovers over 32:44. He didn't get much help as Brandon Bass (10 points) started fast and quickly cooled, while Jeff Green was 4-of-17 shooting for 11 points.

TURNING POINT
The game got away from Boston over the final four minutes of the first half. The Celtics were up a point until the Nets embarked on a 15-3 run, connecting on six of seven attempts (with Lopez accounting for seven points). Boston missed four of its five shots during the run and turned the ball over twice. A Jerry Stackhouse free throw with 15 seconds to go in the second quarter had the Nets on top 53-41. Boston never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

BASS POSTERIZES LOPEZ
One of the few highlights for Boston: Bass put Lopez on poster in the first half. Coming off a little pick-and-roll on the right wing, Bass drove free to the hoop before Lopez shuffled over with help. It did little to detour Bass, who threw down a ferocious two-handed slam that left Lopez recoiling.

NOT-SO FREE THROWS
The Celtics went the entire first half without attempting a free throw and didn't get to the line until Paul Pierce drew a shooting foul with 8:22 to play in the third quarter. Pierce got to the line seven times in the frame, but Boston finished with just 17 attempts. The Nets were 25-of-28 overall at the stripe.

FOUL TROUBLE FOR BRADLEY
Avery Bradley spent much of the night in foul trouble. He picked up his first foul 52 seconds in and was on the bench less than three minutes later for his second whistle. Bradley played five second-quarter minutes before picking up his third foul. It took a mere 39 seconds for Bradley to get his fourth at the start of the third quarter (and he was quickly pulled from the game again). Bradley finished with two points and five fouls over 12:11 and wasn't able to help slow Williams.

SCOREBOARD WATCHING
It wasn't all bad news for Boston as Milwaukee fell in overtime in Orlando, keeping the Bucks three games back of the Celtics (and trimming Boston's magic number to two to ensure no worse than the seventh seed). Meanwhile, the sixth-seeded Hawks throttled the 76ers, moving 2.5 games ahead of Boston.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Garnett picked up his team-leading eighth technical foul of the season late in the first half. That's two in two games since Garnett returned from left ankle inflammation. The next closest player for Boston? Rehabbing Rajon Rondo at four. Doc Rivers does have seven techs on the season (trailing only Indiana's Frank Vogel among the league's coaches).

WHAT IT MEANS
The Nets continue to frustrate the Celtics, winning the season series by taking three of the four meetings. Rivers joked before the game that he hoped Williams would have another off night; it didn't happen. The Celtics play three of their final four regular-season games away from TD Garden and head out on a two-game road trip now with a Floridian back-to-back, in Miami (Friday) and Orlando (Saturday). Boston wraps its home slate on Tuesday with a visit from potential playoff foe Indiana Pacers in a national TV battle.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards 107-96 on Sunday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Brandon Bass scored a team-high 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds to pace a balanced Boston output that put five players in double figures for scoring. Kevin Garnett, back on the floor after missing eight games due to left ankle inflammation, finished with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block over a manageable 24 minutes of floor time (his night would have been 3½ minutes shorter, but Washington rallied a bit late). Paul Pierce, back after a one-game absence due to a sore right ankle, added 15 points and five assists over 30 minutes and was a team-best plus-15 overall. John Wall scored a team-high 16 points on 8-of-20 shooting to pace the Wizards.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics were clinging to a one-point lead after a Garrett Temple 3-pointer on the first possession of the second half. Soon after, however, Boston embarked on a 19-3 run to blow open the doors a bit and build a 17-point cushion. The Celtics made all seven shots they took over a six-minute span and got six points from Bass. A Pierce 3-pointer put Boston out front 77-60 with 3:51 to play in the third quarter. The Wizards were 1-of-10 shooting and turned the ball over twice during the Celtics' run.

HELP FROM THE BACKUP BIGS
The Celtics got a nice little boost from their backup big men as Chris Wilcox connected on 6-of-7 shots for 13 points (with five rebounds) and Shavlik Randolph made both shots he put up for eight points (with a team-high seven rebounds). Having Garnett to anchor the front line kept their playing time in manageable bursts and got the most out of their 35 minutes of combined floor time.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Garnett picked up his team-leading eighth technical foul of the season for arguing about a foul called against Pierce early in the third quarter. Pierce looked to get all ball trying to prevent Okafor from going up with a second-chance shot, but was whistled for the foul and Garnett, miffed from what he thought was a missed call earlier, voiced his displeasure.

WHAT IT MEANS
Nothing like KG to cure what ails you. The Celtics led by as much as 18 in the second half before the Wizards rallied a bit (forcing Rivers to sub in both Garnett and Pierce with four minutes to play). The Celtics shot 55.8 percent (43-of-77) and generated 50 points in the paint. Boston gets two days off before closing out a four-game homestand on Wednesday with a visit from the Brooklyn Nets.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 97-91 on Friday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Tristan Thompson posted a game-high 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Alonzo Gee added 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Cavaliers feasted on Boston's injury-depleted frontcourt while grabbing 58 rebounds overall (15 on the offensive glass for 19 second-chance points). Jeff Green scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds and four assists, while Shavlik Randolph scored a career-high 16 points in a mere 13 minutes for Boston, which played without both Paul Pierce (sore right ankle) and Kevin Garnett (left ankle inflammation).

TURNING POINT
Nine days after the Celtics rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Cavaliers in Cleveland, it looked like we might see a repeat in Boston. The Celtics were down 14 with 9:19 to play when the hosts embarked on a 15-5 burst that trimmed their deficit to 4 after a Jason Terry 3-pointer with 5:46 to go. Thompson stopped the bleeding, however, with a third-chance dunk and Wayne Ellington added a jumper after a Boston turnover to push the lead back to 8. The Celtics never got closer than 4 the rest of the way.

FRIDAY NIGHT SHAV
A week removed from his breakthrough effort against the Hawks, Randolph made the most of foul-limited minutes. Randolph scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, but fouled out after only 13 minutes of floor time (it was the first time he picked up six fouls in his career). The Celtics really missed his size.

TERRY TAGGED WITH FLAGRANT
Terry earned a flagrant-1 foul for ramming into C.J. Miles in the backcourt during the fourth quarter. Terry didn't appear to make a play for the ball and collided hard with Miles, sending both players sprawling. The timing wasn't ideal, as it aided the Cavs on a 14-3 run that stretched their lead to 82-68 early in the final frame.

BRADLEY INJURY SCARE
Celtics guard Avery Bradley retreated to the locker room, escorted by trainer Ed Lacerte, with 3:18 remaining in the game. The obvious worry was his surgically repaired shoulders, but the team announced he simply had a bruised left collarbone. He returned to the bench before the end of the game.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics were unable to build some momentum after Wednesday's win over the Pistons, while the Cavs snapped a 10-game losing streak. The good news for Boston: The Knicks beat Milwaukee, keeping the Celtics 2½ games ahead of the Bucks. Boston has two more games on this four-game homestand with visits from Washington (Sunday) and Brooklyn (Wednesday).

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons 98-93 on Wednesday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Celtics forward Jeff Green scored a game-high 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, an assist and a steal, while Brandon Bass added 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting with a team-high seven rebounds and three blocks. Paul Pierce, back after a one-game absence due to personal reasons, chipped in 17 points despite 5-of-14 shooting (missing five of six attempts beyond the 3-point arc). For Detroit, Greg Monroe hauled in 17 rebounds and utilized an endless stream of second-chance opportunities to post a team-high 24 points, while Rodney Stuckey lived at the free throw line (11-of-15 at the stripe) and added 22 points after Jose Calderon was a late scratch. Charlie Villanueva might have been Boston's best weapon: He missed 15 of the 17 shots he put up, including some key late-game 3-pointers to help the Celtics escape.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics led by as many as 18 with 5:37 to play in the third quarter, but the Pistons embarked on an 18-4 run to knock Boston's lead to 74-70 with 11:16 to play in the fourth frame. Boston simply couldn't put Detroit away and the Pistons surged within two with 1:43 to play. Villanueva missed a triple that would have put Detroit out front with 64 seconds to go and Green answered with a 3-pointer of his own for a 96-91 lead with 45 seconds to play, helping Boston escape with the victory.

DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE
The Pistons hauled in a staggering 25 offensive rebounds -- nearly matching their total of defensive rebounds (27) -- and turned them into 26 second-chance points. Monroe had nine offensive rebounds himself, while Andre Drummond grabbed seven more. The Celtics had four offensive rebounds as a team (for seven second-chance points).

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics (39-36) snapped a two-game losing streak and, coupled with Philadelphia's loss to Charlotte, clinched a postseason berth. Their next goal should be locking up the seventh seed and Boston has three more games on this homestand, including a pair of sub-.500 opponents on deck in Cleveland (Friday) and Washington (Sunday). This extended homestand also affords Boston the opportunity to get back on the practice court, which it is expected to do on Thursday.

Rapid reaction after the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Boston Celtics 110-100 on Monday night at the Target Center:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Minnesota center Nikola Pekovic feasted on Boston's depleted frontcourt depth, posting a game-high 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting (21 of those points came in the first half before Boston started trapping after the intermission). Dante Cunningham added 19 off the bench, while Andrei Kirilenko had 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Wolves. Avery Bradley came out aggressive and scored a team-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting (an encouraging sign given his recent offensive funk), while Jason Terry and Terrence Williams had 14 points apiece off the pine for a Boston team playing without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

TURNING POINT
After trailing by as much as 14 in the third quarter, the Celtics trimmed their deficit down to six before the end of the frame. But a little 5-0 burst to start the fourth quarter pushed Minnesota's lead right back to double-digits and it was rarely a game again. Derrick Williams buried a 3-pointer on Minnesota's first possession of the final quarter and Cunningham added a layup as the Wolves opened an 89-78 lead. Boston rarely got it back to single figures the rest of the way.

THE LAST TIME?
The Celtics had won 11 straight over the Timberwolves entering Monday's game, including all 10 meetings between the teams since Garnett was dealt from Minnesota. The Wolves' last win? You'd have to go back to Feb. 11, 2007. Old friend Ricky Davis scored a team-high 28 points and Garnett added 26 points and 10 rebounds to pace Minnesota that night, while Boston got a game-high 29 points from Pierce. Most notably, it was the Celtics' 18th consecutive loss that season, setting a franchise record.

GREEN PLAYS THROUGH PAIN
Celtics forward Jeff Green appeared to get kneed in the thigh on a second-half drive to the basket. He stayed in the game and tried to play through the pain. He had a quiet night overall with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers in 38 minutes. [Update: After the game, coach Doc Rivers said Green was "fine" and noted that Green, to his knowledge, did just get kneed in the thigh; also updated Green's stat line, which inadvertently had just first half stats originally.]

WHAT IT MEANS
End-of-the-regular-season basketball, it's faaaaaantastic! The Celtics have now lost seven of their last nine and, coupled with Milwaukee's 130+ point outburst against Charlotte, will see the Bucks climb 1½ games back of the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston has been woeful defensively without Kevin Garnett (left ankle inflammation); take out Paul Pierce (Not With Team -- Personal Reasons) and all hell broke loose at that end of the floor (Boston did put up triple figures without two top offensive weapons, shooting 51.9 percent overall). There's work to be done to protect that seventh spot, but the schedule remains forgiving moving forward. The Celtics return to Boston for a four-game homestand that opens on Wednesday night with a visit from the Detroit Pistons. The focus for Boston without its stars is clearly on individual work, but the inability to steal games against lesser competition -- even without stars -- has to be discouraging while waiting for the postseason to arrive.

NEW YORK -- Rapid reaction after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 108-89 on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Chris Copeland (22 points) and Raymond Felton (18 points) keyed New York's 3-point barrage, each canning a trio of triples, while Carmelo Anthony added 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The Knicks shot 48.6 percent overall and 51.9 percent beyond the 3-point arc, putting six players in double figures. Jeff Green scored a team-high 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while Paul Pierce filled up his stat line with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists, but were the only two Celtics to really show up on this night. With less than five minutes to go in the game, Boston's other three starters -- Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass and Chris Wilcox -- were a combined 3-for-11 for six points.

TURNING POINT
The Knicks shot a staggering 68.8 percent beyond the 3-point arc in the first half, connecting on 11 of 16 triples. The long-distance barrage culminated with Felton banking home a buzzer-beating, halfcourt heave to send New York into the intermission up 65-48, the Knicks' biggest lead of the night to that point. New York finished 14-of-27 shooting beyond the arc.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Celtics coach Doc Rivers got tagged with a technical foul after rushing to midcourt to argue against a blocking foul on Avery Bradley midway through the second quarter. For Rivers, it was his seventh tech of the season, tying him for the team lead with Kevin Garnett.

PIERCE ICES 'SORE' ANKLE
Pierce subbed out with 65 seconds to play in the third quarter and spent the entire fourth quarter icing what the team termed a "sore" right ankle on the bench. Pierce did not look hobbled while greeting Knicks players while walking off the floor after the game.

BRADLEY STILL SLUMPING
Bradley's slump continued in New York, where foul trouble limited his floor time. He picked up two fouls in the span of 65 seconds in the second quarter (the second of which elicited Rivers' ire) and two shooting fouls in the third quarter left him with five with more than 17 minutes to play in the game. With the Knicks running away, Bradley came back looking to get himself going, but finished with two points on 1-of-5 shooting before fouling out late.

WHAT IT MEANS
Boston cleaned up some areas of concern from Tuesday's loss to New York at TD Garden, but the Knicks were locked in beyond the arc and burnt Boston from distance. New York took three of four from Boston this season and won the season series (and will soon lock up the Atlantic Division title). The Celtics have little time to lick their wounds and fly to Minnesota for the second night of a back-to-back on Monday against the Timberwolves. A four-game homestand awaits after that with visits from Detroit, Cleveland, Washington and Brooklyn.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 118-107, on Friday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Jeff Green followed up his buzzer-beater heroics in Cleveland by scoring a team-high 27 points, Jason Terry erupted for 24 points while connecting on five 3-pointers, and Paul Pierce posted his third triple-double of the season (and 10th of his career) with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead one of Boston's best offensive outings of the season. Oh, and Shavlik Randolph came off the bench to post nine points and a career-high 13 rebounds over 22 minutes. The Al Horford-less Hawks got a team-high 19 points from reserve Mike Scott, while Josh Smith added 18 points but labored through 7-of-23 shooting.

TURNING POINT
Despite the sustained offensive attack, the Celtics were only up six after a Kyle Korver layup with 7:33 to play. A little 7-0 run gave Boston, which had led by as much as 15, some much-needed breathing room. Brandon Bass hit a jumper, Avery Bradley's steal led to a Terry triple, and a Green jumper had the Celtics out front, 107-94, with 5:08 to play.

SHAV FREED
Randolph's recent play screamed for more floor time and, rewarded with extended action, he shined around the basket. Seven of Randolph's game-high 13 boards were on the offensive end, and he was plus-12 on the night. He finished with 4-of-6 shooting, but a missed freebie cost him his first career double-double.

FIRST-HALF OUTBURST
The Celtics erupted for 66 points in the first half, shooting 56.8 percent from the floor and knocking down eight triples (half of those coming from Terry, who had a team-high 16 points before the intermission). It was the Celtics' biggest first-half output of the season (they had scored 59 points in the first half twice this season) and the largest output of any half (topping the 63 points posted in the second half against Toronto on March 13).

LEE RETURNS TO ACTION
After missing three games due to a sprained left ankle, Courtney Lee returned in a reserve role against the Hawks. He subbed in for Pierce with 2:46 to play in the first quarter and quickly registered a block. Lee played just six minutes, chipping in two points, a rebound and a block.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics have won two in a row to pull within a game-and-a-half of the Hawks in the race for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. A ton of positives to pluck from this game for Boston, though second-chance opportunities allowed the Hawks to hang around. The Celtics now head out on a brief two-game road trip, a back-to-back with visits to the Knicks (Sunday) and Timberwolves (Monday).

Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-92 on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Jeff Green scored 21 points and converted a layup at the buzzer as the Celtics rallied from 14 down in the second half to steal a win in Cleveland and snap their five-game losing streak. Brandon Bass scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Paul Pierce finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists (helping to negate seven careless turnovers). Jordan Crawford added 12 points off the bench, providing a second-half spark to aid the comeback effort. Wayne Ellington scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting for the Cavaliers, who put six players in double figures, including CJ Miles and Marreese Speights with 13 points apiece off the bench.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics were down 10 with less than six minutes to go, but an 11-2 run that culminated with an old-fashioned three-point play by Green had the Celtics within a point at 90-89. Boston missed two chances to pull ahead -- Green getting mugged near the basket with 55 ticks to go, which infuriated the Celtics' sideline -- and Miles made a pair of free throws at the other end to push the lead to three. Unfazed, Pierce hit a jumper in the lane and Boston got a defensive stop giving them a chance to pull ahead with 9.2 seconds to play. The first opportunity got knocked out of bounds, but a review of the clock gave timeout-less Boston a chance to draw up another play with 2.1 seconds to go and Green attacked through traffic for the win.

12 UP, 12 DOWN
Despite leading by as much as 12 in the first half, Boston soon found itself down 12 shortly after the intermission. Jordan Crawford provided a late third-quarter spark as Boston made it a one-possession game, but Cleveland's first three makes of the fourth quarter were all from beyond the 3-point stripe and back-to-back buckets by Speights had the Cavaliers up 86-72 with 8:08 to play. The Celtics wouldn't roll over, however.

WHAT IT MEANS
While a team with championship aspirations shouldn't get too hyped about winning against a Cleveland team playing without its three best players, this was a much-needed victory for Boston -- and the way it played out should do wonders for a Celtics team in need of a confidence jolt. How appropriate that the winner was delivered by Green, who had heart surgery in Cleveland 14 months ago and had his surgeon sitting courtside (stopping on his way back to the locker room to chat him up). The Celtics get a bonus as the Milwaukee Bucks, losers of four straight after falling in Philadelphia on Wednesday, are now 2½ games back in the race to avoid the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston is off Thursday before hosting the Hawks on Friday, then it's a visit to the Knicks on Easter Sunday.