NBA poll: Celtics surrender top spot
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The Sporting News - Unless the Celtics can win 28 in a row at Fleet Center, they're not going to match the franchise mark for best record at home. After losing to the Pistons on Wednesday night, they're not going to stay on top of the Power Poll for the rest of the season, either.
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The Boston Celtics finally ended the longest losing streak in franchise history, beating a Milwaukee Bucks team that was struggling almost as badly as they were. The San Antonio Spurs finished an eight-game road trip with a win against Detroit that snapped the Pistons' seven-game winning streak.
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"I think we can win the East next year." -- Danny Ainge Did I miss the trade for Kevin Garnett or Amare Stoudemire? Did I miss the hiring of the new coach? Did I miss the change in ownership? The Celtics, who've won 57 games the last two years -- or four more than the Pistons won last season -- ...
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The in box was loaded Thursday morning, less than 12 hours after the Celtics' first defeat at home. Where is the backup point guard? Why did Doc Rivers have an ice-cold Paul Pierce take the final shot? Why didn't Pierce wait? What was Tony Allen thinking at the end of the game? Why was he even in the game? Why ...
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Two games under .500 -- and first place in the brutal Atlantic Division. That's what's at stake tomorrow night for the Celtics. With the Knicks conveniently losing yesterday to Boston's next opponent, the rampaging Chicago Bulls, the door is open for Doc Rivers's gang.
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Two down, two to go. The Celtics hit the midway point of their pre-All-Star break homestretch last night, beating the Knicks, 111-94, at the FleetCenter. The next two teams to visit hail from the Western Conference (Sacramento tomorrow, Memphis Wednesday), but coach Doc Rivers believes Boston can still enter the break with positive momentum.
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Even Boston's other 'Big 3' was way too much for the Miami Heat to handle. Leon Powe scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo tied a career-high with 23 points, and Tony Allen scored 20 points with six assists as the NBA-best Celtics to an overwhelming 117-87 victory Tuesday night over the Heat Â who followed the win that snapped their 15-game losing streak with an absolute clunker.
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The Sporting News - The race for the top of the Power Poll isn't the only one exciting the masses these days. There's quite a battle going on to see who will coach the Western Conference All-Stars. The honor -- or obligation, depending upon your perspective -- goes to the coach of the team with the best record through the games of February 3 (though the Suns' Mike D'Antoni is ineligible because he coached the West last year). Because of the Celtics' runaway lead in the East, Doc Rivers already has wrapped up that gig.
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Larry Bird led the Celtics to three NBA titles in the 1980s, and Boston worshipped him. Bird had a favorite of his own, though, and it wasn't either of the future Hall of Famers who joined him in the league's greatest frontcourt.
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The Boston Celtics lost their franchise-record 14th consecutive game Friday night, falling 100-89 to Elton Brand and the Los Angeles Clippers. Brand had 26 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks, and Cuttino Mobley added 20 points for the Clippers, who have won seven of their last eight.
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The close Eastern Conference race got even tighter yesterday, with the top five teams now separated by three points.
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BOSTON (Ticker) -- Before delivering the game-winning shot, Pierce took a shot of his own. Pierce sank a fadeaway jumper as time expired to give the Boston Celtics a 90-88 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers , who were dealt another tough road loss.
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Picked to finish fifth in the Big East coaches' preseason poll, the Boston College men's basketball team yesterday earned a ranking as the fifth-best team in the nation.
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With the asking price for Allen Iverson too high, the Celtics' interest in the former NBA MVP may have cooled, according to league sources. Boston knows what Philadelphia wants, but is reluctant to put certain players, and possibly draft picks, on the table. Gerald Green and Paul Pierce are off limits. And Al Jefferson may have joined Green ...
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The Boston Celtics registered a 12th  straight home victory with a 104-82 thrashing of the Milwaukee  Bucks on Friday, Paul Pierce leading the way with a game-high  32 points.
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The post-All-Star-break Celtics look a lot like the pre-All-Star-break Celtics. Injury-plagued. Turnover-prone. Inconsistent.
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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.