Celtics put it together
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NEW YORK -- In the wake of a second straight fourth-quarter collapse Friday night, coach Doc Rivers said, &quot;It just doesn't take a lot to distract us right now.&quot;
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The crowd of 18,624 at TD Banknorth Garden last night witnessed a late-game clinic as Phoenix defeated the Celtics, 116-111. But part of the Celtics' problem was that they, too, were virtually helpless spectators at times as Steve Nash set up teammates for layups and open shots from the perimeter.
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Before last night's 106-102 loss to the Raptors, Celtics coach Doc Rivers happily remarked how his team finally seemed fairly healthy again. Rivers should have known better than to make such a pronouncement, or at least knock on wood after he did.
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Led by Paul Pierce and his 34 points, the Celtics turned what could have been a monumental embarrassment into a respectable defeat last night when the Pacific Division-leading Suns took a 128-119 decision at the FleetCenter.
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Paul Pierce scored 28 points, Ricky Davis added 20, and the Celtics shot 56 percent to win for the first time this season, crushing the New York Knicks 107-73 in the Saturdayâs home opener at Madison Square Garden.
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By Bill Reynolds  FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH   Okay, here's the problem.   Yes, the Celtics are the Titanic, having sunk in the NBA standings. Yes, they are positioning themselves for the Greg Oden- Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
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What a difference a half makes. The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 32-6 with a 116-89 victory over the 76ers last night at TD Banknorth Garden. Boston, which is 18-3 at home, was outscored, 57-54, in the first half before outscoring Philadelphia, 62-32, in the second.
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Paul Pierce nailed the shot that mattered most in a game in which the teams combined to shoot 33 percent (52 for 157). With less than a minute remaining, the Celtics worked the ball around the perimeter, desperately trying to find Pierce.
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Memo to all you fallen-away Celtics fans: It's better. They lost a 100-99 game to the Denver Nuggets at the Fleet last night, but I'm still telling you that things are better.
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It has been quite a roller coaster ride these last two months for Danny Ainge. The beleaguered Boston Celtics director of basketball operations oversaw one of the worst seasons in the Celtics' storied history and saw his only chance at redemption -- landing the top overall pick in the NBA draft -- lost with a fateful bounce of a Ping-Pong ball. His frantic attempts to acquire the type of veteran talent that would appease franchise player Paul Pierce while not gutting the franchise of its youth fell short. Kevin Garnett wouldn't play for them. Shawn Marion would, but only if Boston agreed to pay him like Garnett. It seemed hopeless.
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Forget those two new guys who gave Boston its Big Three. Paul Pierce can still carry the Celtics just like the past.
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There was good news and bad news for the Celtics last night at the FleetCenter.
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The Boston Celtics added seven-time all-star Ray Allen and subtracted any reason for not being a contender. They also made Paul Pierce one very happy aging star.
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Listening to Theo Ratliff talk about his new, unfamiliar teammates and his old, familiar role makes you think that he could be a significant addition to the 2006-07 Celtics. Maybe the most significant addition.
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Once again down the stretch, there was the sound of 15,000 people squirming in their seats. The Celtics had led the hottest team in basketball from the first quarter last night. They'd been up by 22 points with 11:08 to play. And now, with the spread down to 10, everybody was thinking the same thing: Can these guys blow it ...
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While there are 10 new players on the Celtics' roster and it's only the exhibition season, it's safe to say they've already got each other's back.
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When the turnover count hit 20, the Boston Celtics were in trouble. Now, the team that had been routing the NBA has lost two out of three.