12/30/12: Celtics @ Kings Stat Pack

*In each of his last 3 games, Paul Pierce has shot worse than 40% overall, shot worse than 40% from three-point and scored less than 15 points. This is the first time in his career that he has a streak like this of at least 3 consecutive games.
–Over his last 3 games, Pierce has shot just 27.9% (12 for 43) from the field and 16.7% (2 for 12) from three-point.
–In his previous 6 games, he had shot 52.4% (55 for 105) overall and 50.0% (18 for 36) from three-point.

*On Saturday against the Warriors, Kevin Garnett had a plus/minus of -25, which was his worst plus/minus in a single game in his Boston Celtics career.
–His 2^nd worst plus/minus as a Celtic: -22 on Jan 4, 2009 at the New York Knicks.
–The last time Garnett had a plus/minus of -25 or worse: Feb 5, 2007 at the Houston Rockets.
–His worst career plus/minus: -42 on Jan 29, 2002 at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

*Oddly, the 2012-13 Celtics have the same winning percentage on the 2^nd night of back-to-back as they do when playing on 1 day of rest.
–Celtics record on zero days of rest: 4-4 (.500).
–On 1 day of rest: 6-6 (.500).
–On 2 days of rest: 0-4 (.000).
–On at least 3 days of rest (excluding opening night vs. Miami): 4-0 (1.000).

*The Sacramento Kings have won their last 3 home games, tied for their longest home winning streak over the last 3 seasons.
–The last time the Kings won more than 3 home games in a row: November-December 2009.

*The Celtics are 8-1 against the Kings since the 2007-08 season.
–Boston’s only loss: their last meeting (March 16, 2012 at Sacramento).

*In the New Big Three Era, the Celtics have a 23-16 record without Rajon Rondo playing.
–2012-13 … 1-3
–2011-12 … 8-5
–2010-11 … 9-5
–2009-10 … 1-0
–2008-09 … 0-2
–2007-08 … 4-1

*The Celtics are 10-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 95 points this season.

*The Celtics are nearly unbeatable at home when Avery Bradley plays at least 10 minutes. The Celtics are extremely awful without Bradley on the road.
–Since the beginning of the 2011-12 season, the Celtics’ home regular season record when Bradley plays at least 10 minutes: 20-4 (.833).
–Their road regular season record when Bradley plays less than 10 minutes or not at all: 6-17 (.261).

*The Celtics regular season records with and without Bradley are also staggering.
–Regular season with Bradley playing at least 10 minutes: 34-15 (.694).
–Regular season without Bradley playing 10 minutes: 19-27 (.413).


*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Points Scored–
22. Ray Allen 23,244
23. Adrian Dantley 23,177
24. Paul Pierce 23,169            (Pierce needs 9 to move into 23^rd place)

12/29/12: Celtics @ Warriors Stat Pack

*The last time the Golden State Warriors had won 20 of their first 30 games to start a season was 1991-92 when they went 21-9.
--They finished that season 55-27. The 1991-92 season was the last time in franchise history that they won more than 50 games in a season.
--Unfortunately, after finishing 3^rd in Western Conference, that 1991-92 Warriors team lost in the first round of the playoffs.

*The Celtics are 2-8 in their last 10 road games, the worst record among current playoff teams.
--In addition, their 4-6 record in their last 10 games overall is tied for the worst record among current playoff teams.

*In the New Big Three Era, the Celtics have a 23-15 record without Rajon Rondo playing.
--2012-13 … 1-2
--2011-12 … 8-5
--2010-11 … 9-5
--2009-10 … 1-0
--2008-09 … 0-2
--2007-08 … 4-1

*The Warriors are 18-2 (.900) when they outrebound opponents this season (2-8 otherwise).
--The Celtics are 4-2 (.667) when they outrebound opponents this season (10-12 otherwise).

*The Warriors are 12-2 against the Eastern Conference this season (8-8 vs. WC).
--The Warriors are tied for having the 8^th-easiest schedule in 2012-13.

*The Celtics are 5-4 against the Western Conference this season (9-10 vs. EC).
--The Celtics are tied for having the 15^th-easiest schedule in 2012-13.

*Via @LucidSportsFan: “In 4 games starting at center Jason Collins has more turnovers and fouls (22) than PTS, REB, AST, BLK, and STL combined (19).”

*The Warriors are 5-3 on the 2^nd night of back-to-backs this season.

*The Celtics have committed more fouls than their opponent in 6 consecutive games, the second-longest streak by the team since 2007-08.
--Longest streak: 7 games (March to April 2008).

*Boston has given up at least 90 points to Golden State each of the last 18 times that they faced each other with the Warriors being the home team (the last time the Warriors had fewer than 90 points in a meeting: 1993).
--That is the longest current such home streak for any NBA team against the Celtics.
--It is also tied for the 2^nd-longest such streak overall in that span against the Celtics (it is the longest such streak by a Western Conference team).

*The Celtics are 10-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 95 points this season.

*Jared Sullinger only attempted 2 shots in 18 minutes played against the Clippers.
--The Celtics remain 5-0 when he shoots at least 60% from the field (minimum 3 field goal attempts).
--They remain 6-1 when he plays more than 20 minutes.

*The Celtics are nearly unbeatable at home when Avery Bradley plays at least 10 minutes. The Celtics are extremely awful without Bradley on the road.
--Since the beginning of the 2011-12 season, the Celtics’ home regular season record when Bradley plays at least 10 minutes: 20-4 (.833).
--Their road regular season record when Bradley plays less than 10 minutes or not at all: 6-16 (.273).

*The Celtics regular season records with and without Bradley are also staggering.
--Regular season with Bradley playing at least 10 minutes: 34-15 (.694).
--Regular season without Bradley playing 10 minutes: 19-26 (.422).


*Milestone Watch:

--All-Time NBA Points Scored--
22. Ray Allen 23,242
23. Adrian Dantley 23,177
24. Paul Pierce 23,156            (Pierce needs 22 to move into 23^rd place)

12/27/12: Celtics @ Clippers Stat Pack

*The Los Angeles Clippers have had more steals than their opponent in their last 18 games, the 3^rd-longest streak in the NBA in the last 25 years.
–1^st: 1993-94 Atlanta Hawks (24 games)
–2^nd: 1993-94 Seattle SuperSonics (21)
–3^rd: 2012-13 Los Angeles Clippers (18)

*The Celtics and Clippers are 2 of the best in shooting percentage and ball handling this season. They both rank in the Top 5 in FG% and in the Top 10 in Assist to Turnover Ratio. This game could be determined by which team is better at shooting and ball handling.
–This season, the Celtics are 12-4 when having more assists than their opponent and 11-3 when having a better FG%.
–The Clippers are an impressive 17-1 when they have more assists and 19-1 when having a better FG%.

*The Celtics go as Jared Sullinger goes.
–The Celtics are now 5-0 when he shoots at least 60% from the field (minimum 3 field goal attempts)
–The Celtics are now 6-1 when he plays more than 20 minutes.
–Another note about Sullinger: his plus/minus of +21 on Christmas Day is a career-high for him.

*The Celtics have faced the Clippers on December 27^th five different times in NBA history, all have which been home games for the Clippers.
–The Clippers won the last 2 meetings on December 27^th.
–Before those 2 games, the Celtics had won the previous 3 meetings on December 27^th.

*After the Celtics victory on Tuesday, they are now 4-0 on at least 3 days of rest this season (excluding opening night against the Heat).
–Unfortunately for Boston, the next time the team officially has at least 3 days of rest going into a game will be after the All-Star break in late February.

*Jamal Crawford, who is on his 5^th team in the last 5 seasons, leads the NBA in single-player plus/minus at +245.
–For a bench player, that is an unbelievable accomplishment about one-third the way through a season.
–4 other Clippers players are in the Top 15 in single-player plus/minus this season.
–Kevin Garnett is the Celtics’ best plus/minus player at +84 (48^th overall).

*2012-13 PER Rankings (3 each for Celtics and Clippers in Top 50)
–1^st: LeBron James (29.7)
–3^rd: Chris Paul (26.4)
–9^th: Blake Griffin (23.5)
–26^th: Paul Pierce (20.9)
–27^th: Eric Bledsoe (20.8)
–36^th: Rajon Rondo (20.1)
–44^th: Kevin Garnett (19.2)

*The Celtics are 10-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 95 points this season.
–They held the Nets to 76 points on Christmas Day, the fewest for a team against the C’s this season.

*The Celtics are nearly unbeatable at home when Avery Bradley plays at least 10 minutes. The Celtics are extremely awful without Bradley on the road.
–Since beginning of 2011-12 season, the Celtics’ home regular season record when Bradley plays at least 10 minutes: 20-4 (.833).
–Their road regular season record when Bradley plays less than 10 minutes or not at all: 6-15 (.286).

*The Celtics regular season records with and without Bradley are also staggering.
–Regular season with Bradley playing at least 10 minutes: 34-15 (.694).
–Regular season without Bradley playing 10 minutes: 19-25 (.432).


*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Points Scored–
23. Adrian Dantley 23,177
24. Elgin Baylor 23,149
25. Paul Pierce 23,144            (Pierce needs 6 to move into 24^th place)

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
14. Sam Perkins 1,286
T-15. Charles Oakley 1,282
T-15. Kevin Garnett 1,282            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 15^th place)

12/25/12: Celtics @ Nets Stat Pack

*Since 2011-12 (including the postseason), the Celtics are 40-19 when Avery Bradley plays at least 10 minutes. When he does not, they are 23-30.
–I guess Rajon Rondo has as much confidence in this statistic as most Celtics fans because he said, “We’re going to be a completely different team, just with one player coming back. [Bradley is] the X Factor. He’s going to be the key to why we win the championship. He brings a lot to the team in terms of intangibles, the way he cuts offensively. His pressure defensively is going to raise everyone else’s pressure. His defense is going to make us a lot better.”

*Coming into Christmas Day, the Celtics have lost 5 straight road games, which is the team’s 2nd longest regular season streak of this type since 2007-08.
–Longest: 7 games (April to December 2011).

*Since the Nets’ last victory over the Celtics (November 28), the Nets have gone 4-8.
–In that span, the Celtics are 5-6.

*The Nets play at the lowest pace in the league this season (90.1 possessions per game).
–The Celtics play at the 17^th highest pace (94.1).

*On Friday, Jason Terry had his worst career FG% (6.7%) when attempting more than 10 shots.
–The Celtics are 6-2 this season when Terry has a FG% of at least 60% (7-11 otherwise).

*Via Zach Lowe: “Jason Terry needs to be more involved in Boston’s offense. Usage rate [is] a career low [and] that of a role player.”
–Although Terry’s usage rate is now only 17.2%, it’s changing for the better. He had a usage rate of over 21% in 3 of the last 5 games. In addition, he’s been deservedly getting more shots.
–Over Terry’s first 15 games with the Celtics, he averaged only 7.7 field goal attempts per game. He had at least 10 shots in only 3 of those games.
–In his last 11 games, he has averaged 10.7 field goal attempts per game. He has had at least 10 shots in 8 of those games.

*Chris Wilcox being out 3-4 weeks is a tough loss for the Celtics.
–Boston is 7-1 this season when Chris Wilcox plays more than 15 minutes (5-10 otherwise).

*The Celtics have been very good on at least 3 days rest this season.
–Excluding opening night against the Heat, the Celtics are 3-0 on at least 3 days of rest this season.
–The Celtics’ small sample statistics are a little skewed by the double overtime game with Dallas, but Boston still averages the team’s best free throw attempts (30.0 free throw attempts per game) and best rebounding (43.7 rebounds per game) on at least 3 days rest.

*Via ESPN: Coming into Tuesday, the Celtics have played 28 Christmas games all-time. Their 29^th in 2012 ties them for the fourth most Christmas games in NBA history.
–1^st: Knicks (48 coming into Tuesday)
–2^nd: Lakers (39)
–3^rd: Pistons (32)

*If the Celtics end up acquiring DeMarcus Cousins (21^st in Hollinger’s Rebound Rate), they would then have 3 of the Top 100 in Hollinger’s Rebound Rate. The Nets currently have 3 players in the Top 26.
–1^st: Anderson Varejao (23.4)
–2^nd: Reggie Evans (23.2)
–10^th: Kris Humphries (19.0)
–23^rd: Jared Sullinger (17.7)
–26^th: Andray Blatche (17.0)
–T-67^th: Kevin Garnett (14.3)

*For the first time in Paul Pierce’s career, he has scored at least 32 points in 3 straight home games.

*Via Elias: Pierce is the 2^nd oldest player in history with at least 35 points in consecutive games. The only older player to do this was Michael Jordan.

*The Celtics are 6-1 this season when Kevin Garnett scores at least 18 points.


*Around the NBA:

–Including the 2012-13 season, the Atlanta Hawks have started 16-9 in each of the last 3 seasons.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Points Scored–
23. Adrian Dantley 23,177
24. Elgin Baylor 23,149
25. Paul Pierce 23,136            (Pierce needs 14 to move into 24^th place)

In Nash’s Return, Lakers Rally From Down 14 To Win Fourth Straight

While it may not have been the prettiest win for the Los Angeles Lakers, it was one of their most impressive ones of the young 2012-13 NBA season. If it not had been for Steve Nash, who played for the first time since October 31, the Lakers would not have been able to win their fourth straight game, a new season-high for the team.

The Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by 13 points at Oracle Arena on Saturday night, but made a tremendous comeback against the Warriors. After shooting only 30 for 73 (.411) from the field and 5 for 18 (.278) on three-pointers in the first three quarters, the Lakers bounced back with fantastic shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime. In the final 17 minutes of the game, they shot 19 for 34 (.559) overall and 4 for 9 (.444) from deep.

Kobe Bryant, who spurred the comeback with his 13 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, credited Nash’s return to lineup as a huge part of the team’s success: “It's easy. It's very easy. It's beyond easy [to play with Nash].”

Mike D'Antoni also complimented the point guard, “The guy is a winner. There was a difference before the game. He changes everything. He changes the whole perspective.”

After missing 24 consecutive games due to a fractured leg, Nash ran the offense exceptionally well and played a remarkably high number of minutes in his return as he set new season-highs with 12 points and 9 assists. “To play 40 minutes after seven weeks was more than I could ask for,” Nash commented. “I know it will be sore and painful, but I'm used to that.”

Nash’s defense remains suspect though as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jarrett Jack combined for 67 of the Warriors’ 115 points. As always, Nash was occasionally beaten off the dribble, but the Lakers understand that Nash’s positive attributes far outweigh his failures on the defensive end.

Nash’s last two buckets highlighted his night in Golden State. His first was a three-pointer with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a 103-102 lead. Then in overtime, after Curry hit a three-pointer to bring the Warriors within one point of the Lakers, Nash scored on a fadeaway jumper to bring the Lakers’ lead back to three. That important jump shot forced the Warriors into attempting a three-pointer on their final possession of the night. Curry missed it and Los Angeles took the victory.

Nash and the Lakers now have two well-earned days off before their Christmas Day clash with the New York Knicks at the Staples Center. Los Angeles will be looking to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 about a month ago.

Avery Bradley May Return For Christmas Day

According to Mark Murphy, Doc Rivers said that Boston Celtics injured shooting guard Avery Bradley may return for the first game of the team’s upcoming road trip, Christmas Day at Barclays Center against the Brooklyn Nets. After having multiple shoulder surgeries during the offseason, the Celtics best on ball defender could make a huge impact for the team that struggled out of the gate this year.

It should not be overstated how well the Celtics have performed when Bradley has played. Since the beginning of the 2011-12 NBA season, including the playoffs, the Celtics have a 40-19 record when Bradley plays at least 10 minutes. When he does not, they are 23-30.

Bradley is one of the main reasons that the Celtics had the second-best defensive efficiency in the league last season. The 2012-13 Celtics have struggled to be consistent on defense, so it will be very important to see him return to the team after missing the Celtics’ first 26 games of the season.

Also on Sunday, Jessica Camerato reported that Celtics backup big man Chris Wilcox will miss three to four weeks with a sore right thumb injury. The Celtics need to find frontcourt depth soon via trade, but for the time being, Fab Melo should be called up from the D-League to help.

Steve Nash Will Return After A 24-Game Absence

The 2012-13 season can now begin for the 12-14 Los Angeles Lakers. There are multiple reports that Steve Nash will start Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.

Nash will be returning from his fractured leg injury after missing 24 consecutive games. He has played in only two regular season games as a Laker and put up just 6.5 points and 5.8 assists per 36 minutes. Since it is such a small sample size of about 50 minutes, I am confident that Nash will be a huge help for this Lakers team.

Entering Saturday’s games, the Lakers are the only current non-playoff team to have a positive scoring differential. While the Lakers may struggle a little to bring Nash back into the fold, this team is on the rise. The Lakers look to extend their longest winning streak of the season to four straight games on Saturday. While it may not show tonight, Nash’s strong ball handling, passing, scoring and leadership will greatly benefit the Lakers in the long run.

12/21/12: Celtics vs. Bucks Stat Pack

*The Celtics are now 7-0 this season when Paul Pierce makes at least 3 three-pointers.

*The Celtics are 6-1 this season when Kevin Garnett scores at least 18 points.

*Rajon Rondo now has gone 3 consecutive games with fewer than 10 assists.
–This is only his 2^nd such streak of 3 or more games since the beginning of the 2011-12 season.
–The other streak: 4 games (January 14 to February 3, 2012).

*The Bucks like Fridays much more than the Celtics do this season.
–The Celtics are 2-4 on Fridays this season. This is their worst winning percentage on a day in 2012-13 (minimum 3 games).
–The Bucks are 4-1 on Fridays this season. This is their best winning percentage on a day in 2012-13 (minimum 2 games).

*Wednesday’s game was the first one in Pierce’s career that he shot better than 75% from the field on at least 15 field goal attempts.

*In addition, on Wednesday, Pierce became only the 2^nd non-big man this decade to score at least 40 points on 16 or fewer field goal attempts.
–The last 3 players to score at least 40 points on 16 or fewer FG attempts:
1. Paul Pierce (December 19, 2012): 40 points on 13 of 16 FG shooting.
2. Gilbert Arenas (February 25, 2006): 46 points on 13 of 16 FG shooting.
3. Reggie Miller (January 23, 1996): 40 points on 12 of 16 FG shooting.

*When Jason Terry is in the starting lineup this season, the Celtics are 11-6.
–When he does not start, they are 2-6.

*The Celtics have a 9-4 home record this season, the 4^th best one in the Eastern Conference.
–They have the 6^th worst road record (4-8) in their conference.

*The Celtics have a 5-7 (.417) record this season after a victory, which ranks as the 8^th worst winning percentage after a win in the NBA.
–They have a 8-4 (.667) record after a loss, which ranks as the 8^th best winning percentage after a loss.

*Before Wednesday, the last time Jason Collins fouled out was against the Celtics.
–In 23 minutes, Collins fouled out on Wednesday. He scored 1 point.
–In 22 minutes, as a member of the Hawks, Collins fouled out on May 1, 2012 (Game 2 of the first round series: Celtics won 87-80). He scored 2 points.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Paul Pierce 6,236                        (Pierce needs 2 to move into 12^th place)

–All-Time NBA Points Scored–
23. Adrian Dantley 23,177
24. Elgin Baylor 23,149
25. Paul Pierce 23,101            (Pierce needs 49 to move into 24^th place)

12/18/12: Celtics @ Bulls Stat Pack

*Before the Celtics victory over the Bulls on November 12, 2012, the Celtics had only won once in the previous 6 meetings.
–The Celtics’ 101 points on November 12 were the most by either team in the last 7 meetings.

*The Chicago Bulls are 10-3 this season in games in which they’ve attempted more free throws than their opponent (3-7 otherwise).
–Opponents have attempted more free throws than the Celtics in 15 games this season. The Celtics record in those games is 6-9 (6-2 otherwise).
–The Bulls attempted 31 free throws (24 made) and the Celtics attempted 16 free throws (16 made) in their first matchup this season. Those 7 missed free throws by the Bulls were the difference.

*Tonight is the Celtics’ first game on a Tuesday since opening night against the Miami Heat.
–The Celtics have played on each of the other 6 days since then.

*The Spurs came into Saturday’s game as the 5^th best three-point shooting team in the NBA, and they did not disappoint.
–The Celtics surrendered 12 threes to the Spurs, which was a season-worst for the Celtics.
–The Celtics are now 1-7 when giving up at least 8 three-pointers to an opponent this season in regulation.

*On Saturday, Tim Duncan tied his worst career field goal percentage when attempting more than 10 shots – 15.4% (2 for 13) on November 13, 2007 vs. the Lakers.
–The last time that Tim Duncan scored 5 or fewer points in a game was about a year ago (December 29, 2011).

*The Celtics have now lost 4 consecutive road games, their 2^nd-longest road losing streak since 2011-12. Their longest streak over the last 2 seasons: 5 games (February 10 to 22, 2012).
–The Celtics are also currently on a 4-game home winning streak.

*For the second consecutive game, the Celtics will be playing in a game where both teams are in the Top 3 in the league in Team Assists per Field Goals Made.
–1^st: San Antonio (.639)
–2^nd: Chicago (.636)
–3^rd: Boston (.631)

*The Celtics are now 0-4 this season in games that they used the starting lineup of Rondo, Lee, Pierce, Bass and Garnett.
–The starting lineup of Rondo, Terry, Pierce, Bass and Garnett is 9-4.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
15. Charles Oakley 1,282
16. A.C. Green 1,278
T-16. Kevin Garnett 1,278            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 16^th place)

–All-Time NBA Minutes–
8. Gary Peyton 47,117
9. John Havlicek 46,471
10. Kevin Garnett 46,452            (Garnett needs 20 to move into 9^th place)
—            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —
30. Walt Bellamy 38,940
31. Horace Grant 38,621
32. Paul Pierce 38,575            (Pierce needs 47 to move into 31^st place)

–All-Time NBA Three-Pointers Made–
6. Peja Stojakovic 1,760
7. Dale Ellis 1,719
8. Paul Pierce 1,717                        (Pierce needs 3 to move into 7^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
3. Larry Bird 755
4. Kendrick Perkins 646
T-4. Paul Pierce 646                        (Pierce needs 1 to move into sole possession of 4^th place)

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Paul Pierce 6,226                        (Pierce needs 12 to move into 12^th place)


For more Celtics coverage, follow Celtic-Nation and Adam Lowenstein on Twitter: @mycelticnation and @StatsAdam

12/15/12: Celtics @ Spurs Stat Pack

*Since 2011-12 (including the playoffs), when Avery Bradley plays at least 10 minutes, the Celtics record is 40-19.
–When Bradley has been out or plays less than 10 minutes, they are 22-27.

*The Celtics have lost 3 consecutive road games, tied for their 2^nd-longest road losing streak since 2011-12.
–Longest: 5 games (February 10 to 22, 2012)

*The Celtics really like Saturdays. They are 4-1 (.800) on Saturdays this season, their best winning percentage on any day in 2012-13 (minimum 2 games).
–The Spurs like Saturdays, too. They are 5-0 on Saturdays this season.

*The Spurs have 3 players in the Top 25 of single-player plus/minus this season.
–T-7^th: Manu Ginobili (+144)
–11^th: Tony Parker (+139)
–14^th: Tim Duncan (+129)

*The Spurs and Celtics are 2 of the Top 3 NBA teams in Team Assists per Field Goals Made.
–1^st: Chicago (.642)
–2^nd: San Antonio (.635)
–3^rd: Boston (.633)

*The Celtics are now 0-3 this season in games that they used last night’s starting lineup (Rondo, Lee, Pierce, Bass and Garnett).
–The starting lineup of Rondo, Terry, Pierce, Bass and Garnett is 9-4.

*Milestone Watch:

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
3. Larry Bird 755
4. Kendrick Perkins 646
5. Paul Pierce 645                        (Pierce needs 1 to tie Perkins for 4^th place)

–All-Time NBA Three-Pointers Made–
6. Peja Stojakovic 1,760
7. Dale Ellis 1,719
8. Paul Pierce 1,715                        (Pierce needs 5 to move into 7^th place)

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Paul Pierce 6,224                        (Pierce needs 14 to move into 12^th place)

12/14/12: Celtics @ Rockets Stat Pack

*Jeff Green, who is now averaging 10 points per game on the season, has scored at least 15 points in his last 3 games, his first such 3-game streak with the Boston Celtics.

*Courtney Lee returns the Toyota Center for the first time since leaving the Houston Rockets.
–In his career, Lee has never beaten the Rockets. He was 0-2 with the Nets in 2009-10 and 0-2 with the Magic in 2008-09.

*The Mavericks’ 27 turnovers on Wednesday were the most by their franchise since 1994.
–It was the 2^nd most turnovers forced by a Celtics team since the 2004-05 season (the most: 28 turnovers by the Portland Trail Blazers on March 9, 2012).
–The 2012-13 Celtics are 9-2 when forcing more turnovers than they commit (3-7 otherwise).

*The Celtics current starting lineup of Rondo, Terry, Pierce, Bass and Garnett own the 10^th best plus/minus (+35) for a 5-man combination this season.
–1^st in the league: Grizzlies starting lineup (Conley, Allen, Gay, Randolph and Gasol): +81.
–The Celtics are 9-4 with their starting lineup of Rondo, Terry, Pierce, Bass and Garnett this season (3-5 otherwise).

*Around the NBA:
–The New York Knicks are on pace to become the first team in NBA history to finish with more three-pointers made than turnovers in a season. They current have 264 threes and only 234 turnovers. (Via Inside the NBA)

*Milestone Watch:

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
3. Larry Bird 755
4. Kendrick Perkins 646
5. Paul Pierce 645                        (Pierce needs 1 to tie Perkins for 4^th place)

–All-Time NBA Three-Pointers Made–
6. Peja Stojakovic 1,760
7. Dale Ellis 1,719
8. Paul Pierce 1,713                        (Pierce needs 7 to move into 7^th place)

12/12/12: Celtics vs. Mavs Stat Pack

*Derek Fisher has started all 5 of his games in a Mavericks uniform. The Mavericks are 4-1 in those 5 games and have won the last 3.
–The Mavericks were 7-9 without Fisher.

*Via @BeckleyMason: “Rajon Rondo is shooting like Chris Paul from midrange this year. pic.twitter.com/48PWQSad”
–All I have to say is wow!

*Via @ESPNStatsInfo: “Kevin Garnett is averaging 16 PPG and 7 RPG this season. No player in #Celtics history has done that for a season at the age of 36+.”

*When the Celtics are out-assisted this season, they are 0-6.
–When the Celtics are not out-assisted, they are 11-3 this season.

*When the 2012-13 Celtics have a higher field-goals percentage than their opponent, they have a 9-3 record.
–When the Mavericks have a higher field goal percentage, they are 8-1.

*When the Mavericks outrebound their opponent this season, they are 7-1.
–The Celtics have outrebounded their opponent in only 5 games this season (3-2 record).

*Around the NBA:
–How about Carmelo Anthony’s Tuesday night performance against the Nets! His 45 points are a career-best in a road win. In addition, it is his most points in a Knicks uniform.

–Via @ESPNStatsInfo on Tony Parker’s Monday night triple-double: Elias Says Tony Parker is 4th player to go 800+ games before 1st triple-double; Malone (860), Ewing (834) & Cedric Maxwell (824)
—-I did not expect to see Cedric Maxwell in a tweet like this!

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Three-Pointers Made–
13. Kobe Bryant 1,551
14. Eddie Jones 1,546
T-14. Vince Carter 1,546            (Carter needs 1 to move into sole possession of 14^th place)

–All-Time NBA Offensive Rebounds–
20. Terry Cummings 3,183
21. David Robinson 3,083
22. Elton Brand 3,081                        (Brand needs 3 to move into 21^st place)
23. Kevin Garnett 3,030            (Garnett needs 52 to move into 22^nd place)

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
T-30. Patrick Ewing / Kobe Bryant / Terry Cummings 1,183
T-33. Scottie Pippen 1,178
T-33. Derek Fisher 1,178            (Fisher moves into sole possession of 37^th by playing)

For more Celtics coverage, follow Adam Lowenstein on Twitter: @StatsAdam

12/8/12: Celtics vs. 76ers Stat Pack

*The Celtics lost their first overtime game of the 2012-13 season on Friday.
–Before Friday’s overtime loss to the 76ers, the Celtics had won 7 of their last 8 OT games (including the playoffs).
–Including Friday, the Celtics’ last 20 OT games (including the playoffs) have been 1-OT games.
–The Celtics’ last game that lasted at least 2 overtimes was their 128-127 three-OT loss to the Bulls in Game 6 of the first round series in 2009 playoffs.
–The Celtics are 1 of 6 NBA teams to not have a game of at least 2 overtimes since the 2010-11 season.

*Last night, Jason Terry had at most 1 field goal made and at least 12 field goals attempted for only the 2^nd time of his career (a combined 1128 regular season and postseason games).
–His other time: March 2, 2002 with the Hawks (1 for 14).

*Terry might not be able to right the ship tonight because he has not performed well this season on the second night of back-to-backs.
–In games with zero days of rest in 2012-13, he is averaging 10.6 points per game with a 35.6 field goal % and 27.3 three-point %.
–Overall, this season, Terry is averaging 11.6 points per game with a 46.7 field goal % and 37.5 three-point %.


*Milestone Watch:

–Paul Pierce is 3 assists away from 4,000 for his career–

–All-Time Regular Season Games Played–
16. A.C. Green 1,278
T-17. Terry Porter 1,274
T-17. Kevin Garnett 1,274            (Garnett passes Porter for 17^th place on Saturday)

–All-Time Free Throws Made–
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Paul Pierce 6,206                        (Pierce needs 32 to move into 12^th place)

–All-Time Three-Pointers Made–
6. Peja Stojakovic 1,760
7. Dale Ellis 1,719
8. Paul Pierce 1,710                        (Pierce needs 10 to move into 7^th place)
9. Rashard Lewis 1,706

12/7/12: Celtics @ 76ers Stat Pack

*The Celtics have had recent success on the 1^st day of back-to-backs, but not on the 2^nd.
–They began the season 0-2 on the 1^st day and 2-0 on the 2^nd day. Since, they have been 3-0 on the 1^st day and 0-3 on the 2^nd day.
–Celtics overall on 1^st day of back-to-backs in 2012-13 — 3-2
–Celtics overall on 2^nd day of back-to-backs in 2012-13 — 2-3

*The Philadelphia 76ers are the only team in the NBA this season to not lose a game with a halftime lead (record of 7-0).
–The Celtics were the 2^nd-to-last team this season to lose a game with a halftime lead (began season 6-0). They are now 6-1.
–Last season, the Celtics were the last team to lose a game with a halftime lead. They started the 2011-12 season 10-0 when leading at halftime. It took the Celtics until their 25^th game last season (88-87 loss to Lakers) to end the streak.

*Happy 56^th birthday to Boston Celtics Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird.
–The only person in NBA history to be named the Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.
–He was a three-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, three-time regular season MVP and 12-time All-Star.
–His 24.3 points per game average ranks as the 17^th highest in NBA history.

*Kevin Garnett has cracked the Top 25 of single-player plus/minus.
–Entering Friday, Garnett is 25^th at +88.

*The Celtics are 7-3 this season with their current starting lineup of Rondo, Terry, Pierce, Bass and Garnett.
–They are 3-5 with other starting lineups.


*Milestone Watch:

–Paul Pierce is 8 assists away from 4,000 for his career–

–All-Time Three-Pointers Made–
10. Steve Nash 1,621
11. Glen Rice 1,559
12. Jason Richardson 1,553            (Richardson needs 7 to move into 11^th place)

–All-Time Regular Season Games Played–
16. A.C. Green 1,278
17. Terry Porter 1,274
18. Kevin Garnett 1,273            (Garnett ties Porter for 17^th place on Friday)

–Celtics History: All-Time Steals–
1. Larry Bird 1,556
2. Paul Pierce 1,525                        (Pierce needs 32 to move into 1^st place)
3. Robert Parish 873
4. Rajon Rondo 871                        (Rondo needs 3 to move into 3^rd place)



For more Celtics coverage, follow Adam Lowenstein on Twitter: @StatsAdam

12/5/12: Celtics vs. Timberwolves Stat Pack

*Since trading Kevin Garnett, the Minnesota Timberwolves are the only team that does not have a victory against the Boston Celtics.
–The Celtics are 9-0 against the Timberwolves since 2007-08.
–The next fewest wins against the Celtics since 2007-08: 1 each by the Trail Blazers and Kings.

*Coincidentally, the last time the Timberwolves beat the Celtics – Garnett had a triple-double.
–Garnett’s last two career triple-doubles have come against the Celtics:
(1) March 4, 2007 – 124-117, Celtics victory in 2OT in Boston (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200703040BOS.html): 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists
(2) February 11, 2007 – 109-107, Timberwolves victory in Minnesota (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200702110MIN.html): 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists
–The last time Timberwolves beat the Celtics at TD Garden: March 6, 2005
–Garnett’s record against the Celtics while playing for the Timberwolves: 12-11

*The Celtics have 3 days of rest coming into Wednesday’s game while the Timberwolves are playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
–Celtics on 3 days of rest this season: 1-0
–Timberwolves on zero days of rest this season: 1-3

*Entering Wednesday, the Celtics regular starting lineup of Rondo, Terry, Pierce, Bass and Garnett is the 7^th best 5-player plus/minus combination (+39) during the 2012-13 season (minimum: 10 games together).
–The best 5-player plus/minus combination: Grizzlies +70 (Conley/Allen/Gay/Randolph/Gasol)


*Milestone Watch:

–Paul Pierce is 10 assists away from 4,000 for his career–

–Celtics History: All-Time Steals–
1. Larry Bird 1,556
2. Paul Pierce 1,524                        (Pierce needs 33 to move into 1^st place)
3. Robert Parish 873
4. Rajon Rondo 870                        (Rondo needs 4 to move into 3^rd place)


For more Celtics coverage, follow Adam Lowenstein on Twitter: @StatsAdam

12/1/12: Celtics @ Bucks Stat Pack

*Entering Saturday’s game, the Celtics are 3-0 on Saturdays this season.

–This 3-0 record on Saturdays includes a win at Milwaukee on November 10.

–Oddly, the Celtics have played on all 7 days of the week this season while the Bucks have played on only 4 days.



*The Celtics have been victorious in their last 4 games at the Bradley Center.

–Since 2007-08, they are 7-2 on the road against the Bucks.



*Kevin Garnett’s +70 is currently tied for the 30th best single-player plus/minus in the NBA this season.

–The best Bucks player in plus/minus: Mike Dunleavy Jr. (48th overall: +47)

–The next best Celtics player in plus/minus: Jason Terry (+35)



*Since 2007-08, the Celtics have a 23-14 (.622) record without Rajon Rondo playing.

–2012-13 … 1-1 (.500) —– With Rondo: 8-6 (.571)

–2011-12 … 8-5 (.615) —– With Rondo: 31-22 (.585)

–2010-11 … 9-5 (.643) —– With Rondo: 47-21 (.691)

–2009-10 … 1-0 (1.000) —– With Rondo: 49-32 (.605)

–2008-09 … 0-2 (.000) —– With Rondo: 62-18 (.775)

–2007-08 … 4-1 (.800) —– With Rondo: 62-15 (.805)



*The Celtics remain 1 of 2 NBA teams yet to lose a game this season in which they have had a halftime lead.

–Celtics are 6-0 after leading at the half.

–The 76ers are the other team at 7-0.

11/30/12: Celtics vs. Trail Blazers Stat Pack

*Entering Friday’s game, the Celtics are 5-1 on 1-day rest this season.
–The Trail Blazers are 2-6 on 1-day rest this season.

*Since 2007-08, the Celtics have a 22-14 (.611) record without Rajon Rondo playing.
–2012-13 … 0-1 (.000) —– With Rondo: 8-6 (.571)
–2011-12 … 8-5 (.615) —– With Rondo: 31-22 (.585)
–2010-11 … 9-5 (.643) —– With Rondo: 47-21 (.691)
–2009-10 … 1-0 (1.000) —– With Rondo: 49-32 (.605)
–2008-09 … 0-2 (.000) —– With Rondo: 62-18 (.775)
–2007-08 … 4-1 (.800) —– With Rondo: 62-15 (.805)

*Oddly, Paul Pierce has his lowest career rebound average against the Blazers.
–Worst: Portland – 4.7 rebounds per game (25 GP)
–2^nd Worst: Utah – 5.0 rebounds per game (25 GP)
–3^rd Worst: Memphis – 5.2 rebounds per game (25 GP)

*The Celtics remain 1 of 2 NBA teams yet to lose a game this season in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 5-0 after leading at the half.
–The 76ers are the other team at 6-0.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time Regular Season Games Played–
17. Terry Porter 1,274
T-18. John Havlicek 1,270
T-18. Kevin Garnett 1,270      (On Friday, Garnett will move into sole possession of 18th place)

11/28/12: Celtics vs. Nets Stat Pack

*Rajon Rondo’s final four assists of Sunday’s game were on baskets by Kevin Garnett, who now is tied as the leader of field goals made on Rondo assists during Rondo’s current assist streak.
–T-1^st: Garnett 116
–T-1^st: Pierce 116
–3^rd: Bass 81

*Happy 30^th birthday to Leandro Barbosa. What a fantastic Twitter handle he has: @TheBlur_Barbosa. He won the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2006-07 season as a member of the Phoenix Suns. Barbosa is now providing some much-needed bench scoring for the Celtics in 2012-13.
–On Sunday, Barbosa scored in double-digits for the 4^th time this season.
–Before the Orlando game, the last time Barbosa had scored at least 10 points was the Brooklyn game on November 15.
–The Celtics have won the last 2 games in which Barbosa has come off the bench to score double-digit points.

*The Celtics remain 1 of 3 NBA teams yet to lose a game this season in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 5-0 after leading at the half.
–The 76ers have the most halftime leads this season without a loss (6). The Bobcats are the other team (3-0 with a halftime lead).

*Milestone Watch:

–Chris Wilcox is 1 defensive rebound away from 2,000 for his career–

–All-Time Offensive Rebounds–
22. Elton Brand 3,067
23. Shawn Kemp 3,026
24. Kevin Garnett 3,025            (Garnett needs 2 to move into 23^rd place)

–All-Time Free Throws Made–
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Bob Pettit 6,182
14. Paul Pierce 6,176                        (Pierce needs 7 to move into 13^th place)

11/25/12: Celtics @ Magic Stat Pack

*In 3 career games against the Boston Celtics, Glen Davis is averaging 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, both of which are his best against any NBA team.
–It is a product of him receiving more minutes with the Magic than he did with the Celtics, but he has started only 1 of his 3 career games against Boston.
–Although he is accumulating good statistics against the Celtics, Big Baby has yet to beat his former team. He is 0-3 against the Celtics in his career.

*The Celtics have won their last 5 meetings overall with the Magic.
–The last Celtics loss to the Magic: Exactly 23 Months Ago – Christmas 2010 (86-78, Magic victory)
–Celtics starting lineup for Christmas 2010: Nate Robinson, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O’Neal
–Magic starting lineup for Christmas 2010: Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Brandon Bass and Dwight Howard

*Sunday night marks Jameer Nelson’s 534^th career NBA game.
–He has played all of his NBA games with Orlando. In Magic franchise history, that is the 3^rd most games for one player. Only Nick Anderson (692) and Dwight Howard (621) have played more in an Orlando uniform.
–With 10 made field goals on Sunday, Nelson would move into 5^th on the Magic all-time list of field goals made. He currently has 2,533 and is chasing Anfernee Hardaway (2,542).
–With 5 defensive rebounds on Sunday, Nelson would move into 7^th on the Magic all-time list of defensive rebounds. He currently has 1,341 and is chasing Bo Outlaw (1,345).
–With 6 turnovers on Sunday, Nelson would move into 3^rd on the Magic all-time list of turnovers. He currently has 1,154 and is Darrell Armstrong at 1,159.

*After their victory on Friday night, the Celtics have now won their last 4 games that have been played on 1-day rest.
–On 1-day rest this season, they are 4-1 overall and are averaging 102.8 points per game.
–The Celtics’ lone loss on 1-day rest was more than 2 weeks ago to the Philadelphia 76ers on November 9.

*The Celtics remain one of 3 NBA teams yet to lose a game in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 4-0 after leading at the half.
–The 76ers have the most halftime leads without a loss (5). The Bobcats are the other team (3-0 with a halftime lead).

*Milestone Watch:

–Chris Wilcox remains 2 defensive rebounds away from 2,000 for his career–

–Celtics History: All-Time Assists–
5. Paul Pierce 3,971
6. Jo Jo White 3,686
7. Rajon Rondo 3,685                        (Rondo needs 2 to move into 6^th place)

–All-Time Three-Pointers Made–
7. Dale Ellis 1,719
8. Rashard Lewis 1,705
9. Paul Pierce 1,703                        (Pierce needs 3 to move into 8^th place)

–All-Time Free Throws Made–
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Bob Pettit 6,182
14. Paul Pierce 6,172                        (Pierce needs 11 to move into 13^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Steals–
1. Larry Bird 1,556
2. Paul Pierce 1,519                        (Pierce needs 38 to move into 1^st place)
3. Robert Parish 873
4. Rajon Rondo 866                        (Rondo needs 8 to move into 3^rd place)

11/23/12: Celtics vs. Thunder Stat Pack

*Oklahoma City has 4 players in the Top 25 of plus/minus during the 2012-13 season. Kobe Bryant leads the league at +131. Pau Gasol and Carmelo Anthony are tied for 2^nd at +111.
–4^th: Kevin Durant (+108)
–10^th: Kevin Martin (+86)
–13^th: Russell Westbrook (+75)
–Tied-22^nd: Serge Ibaka (+57)

*Oklahoma City has the 2^nd best effective field goal percentage (53.3%) this season in the NBA.
–Boston ranks 7^th (51.3%).

*While the teams are somewhat similar with regard to offensive shooting percentage, their defenses are nowhere close. The opponent effective field goal percentage (opp. EFG%) for 2012-13 is a perfect illustration.
–Thunder: 5^th lowest opp. EFG% in NBA (46.7%)
–Celtics: 4^th highest opp. EFG% in NBA (50.4%)

*Oklahoma City averages 17.0 fastbreak points per game this season, which ranks 3^rd in the NBA.
–The Thunder’s fastbreak efficiency (2.32 fastbreak points per possession) is the 2^nd best in the league.

*The Celtics are 3-1 on 1-day rest this season.
–Their lone loss on 1-day rest was 2 weeks ago to the Philadelphia 76ers on November 9.

*The Celtics are 0-2 thus far this season on Friday nights this season. Both games have been played at home.
–November 2 vs. Bucks
–November 9 vs. 76ers

*The Celtics remain one of 6 NBA teams yet to lose a game in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 3-0 after leading at the half. The Celtics’ 3 halftime leads are tied for the 2^nd-fewest in the league.
–The Warriors and Clippers have the most halftime leads without a loss (6).

*Milestone Watch:

–Chris Wilcox is 2 defensive rebounds away from 2,000 for his career–

–Celtics History: All-Time Field Goals Made–
2. Larry Bird 8,591
3. Robert Parish 7,483
4. Paul Pierce 7,479                        (Pierce needs 5 to move into 3^rd place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Assists–
5. Paul Pierce 3,970
6. Jo Jo White 3,686
7. Rajon Rondo 3,669                        (Rondo needs 18 to move into 6^th place)

–All-Time Free Throws Made–
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Bob Pettit 6,182
14. Paul Pierce 6,165                        (Pierce needs 18 to move into 13^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
3. Larry Bird 755
4. Kendrick Perkins 646
5. Paul Pierce 642                        (Pierce needs 5 to move into 4^th place)
—            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —
8. Cedric Maxwell 378
9. Tony Battie 369
10. Kevin Garnett 343                        (Garnett needs 27 to move into 9^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Steals–
1. Larry Bird 1,556
2. Paul Pierce 1,516                        (Pierce needs 41 to move into 1^st place)
3. Robert Parish 873
4. Rajon Rondo 864                        (Rondo needs 10 to move into 3^rd place)

11/21/12: Celtics vs. Spurs Stat Pack

*A happy 57^th birthday to the one and only, Boston Celtics radio broadcaster Cedric Maxwell!
–He shares a birthday with Stan Musial (92 today), Earl “The Pearl” Monroe (68), Harold Ramis (68), Goldie Hawn (67), Troy Aikman (46), Ken Griffey Jr. (43) and Michael Strahan (41).

*Both the Celtics and Spurs are in the top 6 in the NBA in team assist/turnover ratio.
–1^st: Knicks (1.87)
–2^nd: Celtics (1.74)
–3^rd: Heat (1.69)
–4^th: Bucks (1.68)
–5^th: Raptors (1.622)
–6^th: Spurs (1.618)

*Coming into Wednesday’s game, the Celtics are 2-0 this season on Wednesday nights (both at home).

*Coming into Wednesday’s game, the Celtics have only played one out-of-conference game, the fewest out-of-conference games in the NBA.

*Before Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics were 4-0 with the starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett.
–They are now 4-1 with that lineup.
–Rondo/Lee/Pierce/Sullinger/Garnett: 2-1
–Rondo/Lee/Pierce/Bass/Garnett: 0-2
–Barbosa/Terry/Pierce/Bass/Garnett: 0-1

Wednesday’s game between the Celtics and Spurs features the 2 active leaders in all-time double-doubles.
–1^st: Tim Duncan 737
–2^nd: Kevin Garnett 719

*Rondo is now 5 of 15 (.333) from 3-point this season. His career-high for 3PM in a season is 17 in 2009-10. His career-high for 3P% in a season is .313 in 2008-09.

*The Celtics have won 2 in a row at home after losing 2 of their first 3 home games to start the season.

*The Celtics remain one of 8 NBA teams yet to lose a game in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 3-0 after leading at the half.
–The Warriors and Clippers have the most halftime leads without a loss (6).

*Milestone Watch:

–Chris Wilcox is 5 defensive rebounds away from 2,000 for his career–

–Celtics History: All-Time Defensive Rebounds–
6. Antoine Walker 3,463
7. Cedric Maxwell 2,405
8. Kevin Garnett 2,403            (Garnett needs 3 to move into 7^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Field Goals Made–
2. Larry Bird 8,591
3. Robert Parish 7,483
4. Paul Pierce 7,473                        (Pierce needs 11 to move into 3^rd place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Assists–
5. Paul Pierce 3,968
6. Jo Jo White 3,686
7. Rajon Rondo 3,654                        (Rondo needs 33 to move into 6^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
3. Larry Bird 755
4. Kendrick Perkins 646
5. Paul Pierce 641                        (Pierce needs 6 to move into 4^th place)
—            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —
8. Cedric Maxwell 378
9. Tony Battie 369
10. Kevin Garnett 341                        (Garnett needs 29 to move into 9^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Steals–
1. Larry Bird 1,556
2. Paul Pierce 1,515                        (Pierce needs 42 to move into 1^st place)
3. Robert Parish 873
4. Rajon Rondo 862                        (Rondo needs 12 to move into 3^rd place)

–All-Time Free Throws Made–
12. Reggie Miller 6,237
13. Bob Pettit 6,182
14. Paul Pierce 6,159                        (Pierce needs 24 to move into 13^th place)

11/18/12: Celtics @ Pistons Stat Pack

*In the 2012-13 seasons, the Celtics are 4-0 with the starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett.

*Via Elias: Rajon Rondo is the 1st player in NBA history to have at least 121 assists and 30 or fewer turnovers in his first 9 games of a season.
*Rondo’s 20 assists on Saturday against the Raptors are a big reason why the Celtics have the most assists per possession in the NBA this season.
–1^st: Celtics (.264)
–2^nd: Spurs (.263)
–3^rd: Bucks (.250)

*The Detroit Pistons have lost all 3 of their home games this season coming into the game with the Celtics.

*Shockingly, Chris Wilcox (117 minutes played) leads the Celtics in plus/minus this season at +33.
–2^nd: Rondo (+31) – 343 MP
–3^rd: Garnett (+28) – 289 MP
–4^th: Terry (+18) – 257 MP

*Only 4 Pistons players have a positive plus/minus this season and 3 of them have played less than 10 minutes each.
–The only Pistons rotation player that has a positive plus/minus is Corey Maggette (+3 in 2 GP and 36 MP in 2012-13).
–Kyle Singler is the next best Piston at -2 in 234 MP.

*The Celtics remain one of 8 NBA teams yet to lose a game in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 3-0 after leading at the half.
–The Warriors and Clippers have the most halftime leads without a loss (5).

11/17/12: Celtics vs. Raptors Stat Pack

*After winning the first 16 of 18 games against the Raptors in the New Big Three Era, the Celtics surprisingly have lost their last 2 meetings with Toronto.
–Both of those 2 recent losses were road games for the Celtics.

*I’m not saying today’s game against the Raptors should be an easy victory for the Celtics, but it is helpful that the Raptors’ raw rebounding rate (.472, 28^th in NBA) is worse than that of the Celtics (.478, 23^rd).

*Rajon Rondo is the Celtics’ 3^rd-most important plus/minus player at +12 this season.
–As always, Kevin Garnett is the team’s leader in plus/minus at +23.
–In 2011-12, Garnett’s +266 led the Celtics.
–While Garnett did not lead the Celtics in overall plus/minus in the seasons before 2011-12, he did however lead the team in plus/minus per minute.

*The 3-man combination of Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett is the 5^th best plus/minus one in the league at +61.
–Best in the NBA: Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol at +91.

*In the New Big Three Era, the Celtics have a 22-14 record without Rajon Rondo playing.
–2012-13 … 0-1
–2011-12 … 8-5
–2010-11 … 9-5
–2009-10 … 1-0
–2008-09 … 0-2
–2007-08 … 4-1

*The Celtics are one of 8 NBA teams yet to lose a game in which they have had a halftime lead.
–Celtics are 2-0 after leading at the half, but the Celtics are tied for the 2^nd-fewest halftime leads (2) in the NBA. Only the Wizards have fewer (1).
–The Golden State Warriors have the most halftime leads without a loss (5).

*Around the NBA: The standings have an interesting look today. 10 of the Eastern Conference teams have a streak of at least one win. However, only 6 of the Western Conference teams have won their last game.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time Games Played–
17. Terry Porter 1,274
18. John Havlicek 1,270
19. Kevin Garnett 1,264            (Garnett needs 7 to move into 18^th place)

11/15/12: Celtics @ Nets Stat Pack

*The Celtics have a 17-2 record against the Nets in the New Big Three Era. Since 2007-08, the .895 winning percentage is the best one for the Celtics against any of the NBA teams that they faced at least 10 times in that span.

*Can Jeff Green have another great performance on Thursday night? If he scores at least 15 points against the Nets, he will have his first back-to-back 15-point nights since March 16-18, 2011.
–In Green’s 34 career games in a Celtics uniform, that is the only instance in which he has scored at least 15 points in consecutive games.

*Since being traded by the Celtics in 2002, Joe Johnson has a 14-13 career regular season record against his former team.
–The Joe Johnson Trade (February 20, 2002): Celtics traded Joe Johnson, Randy Brown, Milt Palacio and a 2002 1st round draft pick (Casey Jacobsen) to the Phoenix Suns for Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers.

*The Celtics entered Wednesday’s game with the 3^rd best Defensive Rebounding % (.769) in the NBA. They are now 8^th with a .747 Defensive Rebounding % after giving up 18 offensive rebounds to the Jazz and grabbing only 29 defensive rebounds of their own.

*The Celtics record on the second night of back-to-backs this season: 2-0 (both on road)
–First night of back-to-backs: 1-2 (all 3 games at home)

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time Games Played–
17. Terry Porter 1,274
18. John Havlicek 1,270
19. Kevin Garnett 1,263            (Garnett needs 8 to move into 18^th place)

11/14/12: Celtics vs. Jazz Stat Pack

*On Monday night against the Chicago Bulls, @LucidSportsFan pointed out to me that Rajon Rondo led the Celtics in points (20), rebounds (9), assists (10) and steals (5) without any ties, so I took a look at how often Rondo has achieved this feat in his NBA career.
–In Rondo’s 536 combined regular season and postseason games, only twice (including Monday) has he led the Celtics in those 4 statistical categories without any ties in the same game.
–The other game: Game 6 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals (83-75 Magic victory over the Celtics) – Rondo had 19 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals
–What this means to me: We all knew that this was Rondo’s team, but now he is showing it statistically. I would guess that we will see more of these such games from him in the 2012-13 season.

*Rajon Rondo was very close to his 24^th career (regular season and playoffs) triple-double. He still has 23 career triple-doubles, 18 of which have happened on national television.

*The Celtics now have a 3-1 road record and 1-2 home road. While it is early in the season, I thought it would be fun to find the times when the Celtics finished a season with a better winning percentage on the road than at home.
–There are only 2 instances in the Celtics’ first 66 seasons that they finished the season with a better road winning percentage than home winning percentage:
1. 1974-75: 28-13 at home … 32-9 on road … Celtics lost in Eastern Conference Finals
2. 2009-10: 24-17 at home … 26-15 on road … Celtics lost in NBA Finals

*The Celtics are attempting for their first 3-game winning streak of the season. The team’s last such streak was their 3 straight wins over the Miami Heat in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

*Both the Celtics (4-3) and Jazz (4-4) are 3-0 this season when leading at the end of the 3^rd Quarter and 1-3 when behind at the end of the 3^rd Quarter (Utah’s other loss: tied at end of the 3^rd Quarter).
–The Celtics are 2-0 this season when ahead at halftime.
–Last season, the Celtics were the last NBA team to lose a game with a halftime lead. They started the 2011-12 season 10-0 when leading at halftime. It took the Celtics until their 25^th game last season (88-87 loss to Lakers) to end the streak.

*Oddly, the Celtics have fared worse on the first night of back-to-backs this season than they have on the second night. Tonight, they begin their third back-to-back of the season and all three will have begun at home and ended on the road.
–First night of back-to-backs: 0-2 (both at home)
–Second night of back-to-backs: 2-0 (both on road)

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time Offensive Rebounds–
22. Elton Brand 3,050
23. Shawn Kemp 3,026
24. Kevin Garnett 3,017            (Garnett needs 10 to move into 23^rd place)

11/12/12: Celtics @ Bulls Stat Pack

*After playing 6 games, the Celtics have the 5^th-best 4^th Quarter margin (+2.2 points per game) in the NBA while having the 11^th-worst scoring margin (-2.83) in the league overall.
–In the New Big Three Era, the Celtics have never finished in the top 5 in 4^th Quarter margin.

*The Celtics are now 2-0 on the 2^nd night of back-to-backs this season.
–Those 2 victories have impressively been on the road.

*Last season, the Celtics were 12-9 on no rest.
–Last season, when the Celtics were at home on no rest, their record was 8-0.
–Last season, when the Celtics were on the road on no rest, their record was 4-9.

*The Celtics average the 3^rd most points per fastbreak possession (2.2) in the NBA this season after finishing in the bottom 10 in the league the last 2 seasons.
1^st in 2012-13: Thunder (2.5)
2^nd in 2012-13: Mavericks (2.4)

*Around the NBA: Before Sunday night’s game against the Miami Heat, the most three-pointers made by the Memphis Grizzlies in a game this season was just 6.
–In 27 minutes off the bench, Wayne Ellington made 7 three-pointers by himself on Sunday.
–The Grizzlies made 14 three-pointers as a team, the most by the franchise in a game since April 2, 2008 when Memphis hit 15 three-pointers against the Knicks.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-time Points Scored–
16. Patrick Ewing 24,815
17. Allen Iverson 24,368
18. Kevin Garnett 24,366            (Garnett needs 3 to move into 17^th place)

–All-Time Three-Pointers Made–
7. Dale Ellis 1,719
8. Rashard Lewis 1,700            (Lewis needs 20 to move into 7^th place)
9. Paul Pierce 1,691                        (Pierce needs 10 to move into 8^thplace)


–All-Time Offensive Rebounds–
22. Elton Brand 3,050
23. Shawn Kemp 3,026
24. Kevin Garnett 3,017            (Garnett needs 10 to move into 23^rd place)

11/10/12: Celtics @ Bucks Stat Pack

*For the 22^nd time in a Celtics uniform, Kevin Garnett has a double-double in consecutive games. His longest streak with the Celtics is 6, which he has done 3 times overall (most recently in February and March 2011).

*Before the Celtics lost to the Bucks on November 2, the Celtics had won the last 6 meetings against Milwaukee.

*Celtics have been victorious in their last 3 games at the Bradley Center. In the New Big Three Era, the Celtics are 6-2 on the road against the Bucks.

*The Celtics had the 5^th-highest Team Assists per FGM going into the NBA’s games on Friday, November 9. With 31 assists on 37 FGM, the Celtics pushed to the top of the league in the category at .709 Team AST/FGM (2^nd place: Spurs at .701).

*Milestone Watch:

–All-time Points Scored–
16. Patrick Ewing 24,815
17. Allen Iverson 24,368
18. Kevin Garnett 24,348            (Garnett needs 21 to move into 17^th place)

–All-Time Offensive Rebounds–
22. Elton Brand 3,048
23. Shawn Kemp 3,026
24. Kevin Garnett 3,016            (Garnett needs 11 to move into 23^rd place)

–All-Time Games Played–
17. Terry Porter 1,274
18. John Havlicek 1,270
19. Kevin Garnett 1,260            (Garnett needs 11 to move into 18^th place)

–Active Double-Doubles–
1. Tim Duncan 735
2. Kevin Garnett 719                        (Garnett needs 17 to move into 1^st place)

–All-Time Steals–
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
17. Ron Harper 1,716
18. Kevin Garnett 1,668            (Garnett needs 49 to move into 17^th place)