2/25/12: Celtics @ Jazz Stat Pack

*Former Celtic Al Jefferson is 0-10 in his career against the Celtics.
–0-6 with Timberwolves.
–0-4 with Jazz.

*On Sunday, the Celtics shot 42.4% from the field.
–When the Celtics have a field goal percentage as low as they did against Portland, they are 4-12 this season.
–However, when they shoot at least 50% in a game, they are 13-2 in 2012-13.

*The Celtics are 3-1 on Mondays this season, their best record for any day.
–The Jazz are 6-3 on Mondays in 2012-13.

*The Celtics’ 2 three-pointers made Sunday were the 2^nd-fewest by the Celtics in a game this season.
–In addition, their 15.4% shooting from downtown tonight was their worst for a game this season in which they attempted at least 10.

*On Sunday, Jeff Green extended his streak of scoring at least 8 points to 15 straight games.
–That is tied for the 4^th-longest streak of his career.

*Jason Terry is 13 three-pointers away from his 13^th straight season (2000-01 to 2011-13) of making at least 100 three-pointers.
–Paul Pierce became the first player to do so from 2000-01 to 2012-13.
–Ray Allen: 11 three-pointers away from his 14^th straight such season (1999-2000 to 2012-13).
–No other NBA players will be able to make it at least a 13^th straight such season in 2012-13.
–The record for the most consecutive seasons of at least 100 three pointers made is held by Reggie Miller: 15 seasons (1989-90 to 2003-04).

*The Celtics are still in search of their 10^th road victory this season. The C’s are still the only current playoff team to still have fewer than 10 road wins in 2012-13.

*The Celtics have had fewer offensive rebounds than their opponent in 15 consecutive games, the longest streak of any team this season and tied for the 2^nd-longest streak in the NBA since 2004-05 (15 games in 2007 by Phoenix Suns).
–The only longer such streak since 2004-05: Golden State Warriors (17 games in 2012).

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Jazz
–The Celtics have won their last 4 meetings with the Jazz.
–Boston is 7-3 overall against Utah since 2007-08.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
10. Allen Iverson 6,375
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Paul Pierce 6,343                        (Pierce needs 7 to move into 11^th place)

2/24/12: Celtics @ Trail Blazers Stat Pack

*Paul Pierce currently has exactly 100 three-pointers made this season. It is now the 13^th consecutive season that he has made at least 100 three-pointers. As of right now, he is the only player to do so from 2000-01 to 2012-13.
–Jason Terry: 13 three-pointers away from his 13^th straight such season (2000-01 to 2011-12).
–Ray Allen: 14 three-pointers away from his 14^th straight such season (1999-2000 to 2011-12).
–No other NBA players will be able to make it at least a 13^th straight such season in 2012-13.
–The record for the most consecutive seasons of at least 100 three pointers made is held by Reggie Miller: 15 seasons (1989-90 to 2003-04).

*Coming into Sunday, Pierce is on pace for 149 three-pointers made this season, which would rank as the 9^th-most three-pointers made in a season by a Celtics player in franchise history.
–Pierce is also on pace 411 three-point attempts, which would be the 7^th-most by a Celtics player.

*The Trail Blazers are currently on a 7-game losing streak, the longest current one in the NBA.
–It is tied for their longest losing streak since the 2006-07 season.

*The Trail Blazers’ 16.6 bench points per game are by far the worst in the league this season.
–2^nd-worst: Pacers (26.4).
–16^th-most: Celtics (33.5).

*Jeff Green finished with 31 points on 11-for-14 shooting as well as 5 blocks. The 5 blocks were a new career-best for him. The 31 points were the 4^th-most points that he has ever scored in a game (career-high: 37) and obviously his most as a Celtic (previous high: 21). It is also by far his most efficient game in his career.
–His single-player plus/minus of +26 was a career-best for Green.

*The last time that the Celtics won a game by at least 25 points was over a year ago.
–Feb 1, 2012: 100-64 victory over the Raptors.

*It was their first road victory of 25+ points since December 11, 2010.
–93-62 win at Charlotte.

*On Sunday night at Portland, the Celtics will be looking for their 10^th road victory this season. The C’s are still the only current playoff team to still have fewer than 10 road wins in 2012-13.

*The Trail Blazers have not made it past the first round of the playoffs since the 1999-2000 when Mike Dunleavy Sr. was coaching.
–6 first-round exits since then.

*How impressive was Jared Sullinger’s rebounding this season? He still leads the 2012-13 Celtics in total offensive rebounds with 92.
–2^nd is Bass with 89.

*The Celtics have had fewer offensive rebounds than their opponent in 14 consecutive games, the longest streak of any team this season.
–The only longer such streaks since 2004-05: Golden State Warriors (17 games in 2012) and Phoenix Suns (15 games in 2007).

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Trail Blazers
–Boston’s .900 winning percentage against Portland is the Celtics’ 2^nd-best winning percentage against any team since 2007-08.
–Only team that the Celtics have been better against in that span: Timberwolves (10-0 record against them).

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
10. Allen Iverson 6,375
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Paul Pierce 6,339                        (Pierce needs 11 to move into 11^th place)

2/22/12: Celtics @ Suns Stat Pack

*The last time Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris played on the same team in the same game: Elite 8 loss to VCU (71-61) on March 27, 2011.
–They combined for 23 points and 28 rebounds in that contest.

*The Celtics’ 0-7 road record this season is the 2^nd-worst one for any NBA team against the opposing conference.
–Worst: Detroit Pistons (0-8).
–3^rd-worst: Charlotte Bobcats (1-9).

*The Celtics are the only current playoff team with fewer than 10 road victories this season.

*The Suns’ 12-13 home record is the 6^th-worst in the NBA this season.
–The last time Phoenix finished a season with a below .500 home record was 2003-04 (Mike D’Antoni’s first season with the team).

*The Suns are 9-4 this season when scoring at least 100 points (9-33 otherwise).
–They are 1-14 when scoring 90 or fewer points.

*Via ESPN Stats & Info: Jordan Crawford is 1 of 7 players to average 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per 36 minutes this season (LeBron, Wade, Kobe, Westbrook, Manu & Harden).

*Crawford is also 1 of 21 players to have done the following over the last 2 seasons: scored 13 points per game, made at least 1 three-pointer per game, shot at least 40% from the field and shot at least 79% from the free throw line.
–Only other Celtic on that list: Paul Pierce

*Although Crawford’s basic numbers are strong, his advanced metrics are poor. He is a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer.
–Via David Locke, Crawford this season scores 0.87 points per possession while on the floor (league average is 0.92) and only goes to the free throw line on 7% of his possessions.

*The Celtics have had fewer offensive rebounds than their opponent in 13 consecutive games, the longest streak of any team this season.
–The only longer such streaks since 2004-05: Golden State Warriors (17 games in 2012) and Phoenix Suns (15 games in 2007).

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Suns
–Next to the Lakers and Nuggets, the Suns and Hornets have been the most successful teams (5-5 record each) against the Celtics since 2007-08.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
10. Allen Iverson 6,375
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Paul Pierce 6,338                        (Pierce needs 12 to move into 11^th place)

2/20/12: Celtics @ Lakers Stat Pack

*The Lakers are the only non-playoff team in the NBA that currently has a positive point differential this season (+0.7).
–The Celtics are back to a negative point differential in 2012-13 (-0.1).

*Via Elias: The Celtics have not beaten the Lakers twice in one calendar month since January 1975.

*The Celtics are now 0-6 in road games against Western Conference opponents this season.
–The Celtics are 8-16 (.333) overall this season on the road.
–2011-12 C’s road record: 15-18 (.455).
–2010-11 C’s road record: 23-18 (.561).
–2009-10 C’s road record: 26-15 (.634).
–2008-09 C’s road record: 27-14 (.659).
–2007-08 C’s road record: 31-10 (.756).
–2006-07 C’s road record: 12-29 (.293).

*Wednesday was a first for Paul Pierce’s career. It was the first time he made 2 or fewer shots, attempted 14 or more shots and fouled out in the same game.
–And it was only the 4^th time in his 1,208-game career (including the playoffs) that he made 2 or fewer field goals and attempted 14 or more field goals in the same game.

*The Celtics have now prevented their opponent from scoring 100 points in regulation in 12 of their last 13 games (Boston has an 8-5 record in that span).
–The Lakers have given up at least 100 points in 3 of their last 5 games. They have lost all 3, including the 116-95 loss to the Celtics. The Lakers won the other 2 games.
–Overall, the Lakers are 7-22 this season when giving up at least 100 points (18-7 otherwise).

*Pierce has recorded at least 5 rebounds in 16 consecutive games, the 5^th-longest streak of his career (including the playoffs). It is also tied for his 3^rd-longest regular season streak.
–Longest regular season streak: 18 straight games in 2004-05 and 2002.
–Longest overall streak (including playoffs): 23 straight games in 2005 and 2003.

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Lakers
–The Lakers and Nuggets both have a .545 winning percentage (6-5 record each) against the Celtics since 2007-08, tied for the best regular season winning percentage vs. Boston in that span.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Steals–
15. Kobe Bryant 1,796
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
16. Kevin Garnett 1,724            (Garnett needs 1 to pass Magic for 16^th place)

–All-Time NBA Free Throws Made–
10. Allen Iverson 6,375
11. Charles Barkley 6,349
12. Paul Pierce 6,334                        (Pierce needs 16 to move into 11^th place)

2/19/12: Celtics @ Nuggets Stat Pack

*The Celtics have won their last four games when playing on at least 3 days rest.

*In their first 6 games since Rajon Rondo’s ACL injury, the Celtics shot nearly 50% from the field.
–However, the team’s field goal percentage has plummeted to worse than 40% over their last three games.

*Coming into Tuesday, the Nuggets have lost 3 consecutive games.
–The triple-overtime loss to the Celtics was the beginning of that losing streak.

*Both the Nuggets and Celtics have won their last 7 games at home.
–Unfortunately for Boston, this game is in Denver.
–The Nuggets have the 3^rd-best home winning percentage among NBA teams this season.
–The Celtics are embarking on their season-long 5-game road trip.

*The Celtics’ 3 oldest players (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry) have played every game this season.
–The list of Celtics who have appeared in every game in 2012-13 (in order of oldest to youngest): Garnett, Pierce, Terry, Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and Jeff Green.

*Terry’s plus/minus of +94 in his last 10 games is tied for the 13^th-best among all players in that span.
–The 3-man combination of Garnett, Green and Terry has the 16^th-best plus/minus (+79) over the last 10 games.

*Kevin Garnett is currently averaging 15.1 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game
–Via ESPN Stats & Info: No player in Celtics history has averaged 16 PPG and 7 RPG for a season at the age of 36 or older.
–Garnett has averaged 17.7 PPG over his last 10 games. If he averages 17.7 PPG for the rest of the season, then he will hit the 16 PPG mark.

*Going into Sunday, Garnett had never been held scoreless and never played fewer than 7 minutes in an All-Star Game. Well, both of those things happened on Sunday: 0 points in 6:26 minutes played.
–His lowest All-Star scoring total going into Sunday: 2 points (2005-06).
–His lowest All-Star minute total: 7 minutes and 32 seconds (2 years ago).

*That was Garnett’s 12^th time being voted to start the All-Star game in his career.
–He has 15 All-Star selections overall, which is just under 25% of the 62 NBA All-Star Games all-time.
–In addition, those 15 selections are tied with Kobe Bryant for the most among active players.

*Brandon Bass scored a game-high 14 points last Wednesday against the Bulls.
–That was the 1^st time in the Kevin Garnett era (539 regular season & playoffs games) that the Celtics’ game-high scorer had 14 or fewer points.

*The Celtics have prevented their opponent from scoring 100 points in regulation in 11 of their last 12 games.
–They are 23-10 when holding teams below 100 points this season (5-14 otherwise).

*Ty Lawson joined some impressive company the last time he saw the Celtics.
–On February 10, he went for 29 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds in the triple-overtime contest at TD Garden.
–Before Lawson, the last four players to reach those plateaus in a game against the Celtics were Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Garnett.

*Pierce has recorded at least 5 rebounds in 15 consecutive games, the 5^th-longest streak of his career (including the playoffs). It is his 4^th-longest regular season streak.
–Longest regular season streak: 18 straight games in 2004-05 and 2002.
–Longest overall streak (including playoffs): 23 straight games in 2005 and 2003.

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Nuggets
–The Nuggets have a .500 winning percentage (5-5) against the Celtics since 2007-08, tied for the best overall winning percentage (including regular season and playoffs) vs. Boston in that span.
–On Tuesday, the Celtics hope to sweep the season series from the Nuggets for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
–The last time the Celtics faced the Nuggets, Denver outscored Boston by 32 in points in the paint (62 to 30).

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
10. Moses Malone 1,329
11. Buck Williams 1,307
11. Kevin Garnett 1,307            (Garnett moves into sole possession of 11^th place by playing Tuesday)

–All-Time NBA Steals–
15. Kobe Bryant 1,796
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
17. Kevin Garnett 1,722            (Garnett needs 2 to tie Magic for 16^th place)

NBA All-Star 2013: Kevin Durant Extends NBA-Record ASG Streak

Although Chris Paul was the 2013 All-Star Game MVP, Kevin Durant showcased his talent once again on the big stage. Durant came into the 62^nd NBA All-Star Game as the only player ever to score at least 30 points in consecutive All-Star Games. Then, he extended his NBA-record streak to three contests with a game-high 30 points in the Western Conference’s 143-138 victory.

Three days after the Miami Heat took down the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Durant exacted as much revenge as he could by getting the win over the Heat’s ‘Big Three,’ Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Durant will not be able to face the defending NBA champions again during this regular season, so it was good for him to finally get some sort of a victory over the Heat for the first time since Game 1 of the 2012 Finals.

With the second-best record in the NBA, Oklahoma City has performed well without James Harden. While Kevin Martin has shouldered some of the load, Durant and Russell Westbrook have had to take on more responsibilities on the offensive end of the floor.

Durant especially has provided his team with more offense in two glaring ways. First, through 53 games in 2012-13, he is averaging an NBA-best 29.2 points per game, 1.2 better than his average in 66 games last season. Second is his impressive propensity to get to the free throw line. Durant is taking 9.3 free throws per game, the second-most of any player this season. In addition, his 90.7% from the line leads the league and would be the best of his career.

Moving forward, the Thunder will need to have Durant saved up for a long playoff run. He is Oklahoma City’s best plus/minus player, and the team’s offense is 11 points better per 100 possessions this season with Durant on the floor compared to him off it. The Thunder’s offensive efficiency is tremendous with him and needs to continue to be if Oklahoma City wants to make it back to the 2013 Finals.

Podcast: Bobby and Adam on the Injuries in the Eastern Conference

Bobby and Adam discuss the most important injuries in the Eastern Conference. In addition, they debate how to deal with the future of the NBA Draft and they answer Nicola Bogani’s question about the possibility of the Celtics trading Rajon Rondo.

2013 Feb 17: Injuries in the East

(Podcast Recorded on Sunday, February 17th, 2013)

2/13/12: Celtics vs. Bulls Stat Pack

*Congratulations to the Celtics, who have scored 4,912 points and given up 4,912 points this season.
–Boston is the only team that has a differential of exactly zero in the NBA right now.

*The Bulls are 25-1 when they have a better field goal percentage than their opponent this season.
–The Celtics are 22-6 when they have a better field goal percentage in 2012-13.

*Via Chris Forsberg: In the last 8 games, the Celtics lineup of Leandro Barbosa, Jason Terry, Jeff Green, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett had played the 2^nd-most minutes together outside of the starting 5.
–It had a plus/minus of +29.8 per 48 minutes over those 8 games.
–The 3-man combo of Barbosa, Terry and Green had a plus/minus of +28 in 147 minutes with them together, the best three-man combo of the team’s top 10 most utilized (no other 3-man combo in that group has better than +4).

*Barbosa’s injury will hurt the Celtics.
–They are 8-1 this season when he plays more than 16 minutes (19-23 otherwise).
–They are 9-2 this season when he scores at least 8 points (18-22 otherwise).
–They are 8-2 this season when he dishes out at least 3 assists (19-22 otherwise).
–They are 10-5 this season when he hits at least 1 three-pointer (17-19 otherwise).

*Via ESPN Stats & Info: The Bulls are the only 2012-13 NBA team to currently have a better road record (15-9) than home record (15-12).
–The only team with a better away winning percentage this season is the Spurs (65.5%: 19-10).

*The Celtics have won their last 6 contests at home.

*Both Jason Terry and Jeff Green have scored double-digit points in 8 of their last 9 games.
–Terry’s plus/minus of +80 over his last 10 games is tied for the 19^th best in the NBA.
–He also leads the Celtics in plus/minus this season at +88 (2^nd best: Kevin Garnett +72).

-Via ESPN Stats & Info: “The Celtics are 5-for-28 this season (0-3 on Monday) on FGA in final 24 seconds of game/OT with chance to tie or take the lead.”

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Bulls
–Since leaving the Celtics to coach the Bulls, Tom Thibodeau is 7-4 against Boston.
–Since 2010-11, the Celtics are 3-0 against the Bulls when the Celtics score at least 100 points.
–Since 2010-11, the Celtics are 4-0 in meetings in which they shot at least 45% from the field (0-7 when worse than 45%).
–Celtics FG% against the Bulls since 2010-11 (from best to worst): 53% (Celtics W), 51% (W), 51% (W), 49% (W), 43% (L), 43% (L), 42% (L), 41% (L), 40% (L), 38% (L) and 38% (L).

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
10. Moses Malone 1,329
11. Buck Williams 1,307
12. Kevin Garnett 1,306            (Garnett ties Williams for 11^th place by playing Wednesday)

–All-Time NBA Steals–
15. Kobe Bryant 1,796
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
17. Kevin Garnett 1,721            (Garnett needs 3 to tie Magic for 16^th place)

2/11/12: Celtics @ Bobcats Stat Pack

*Via ESPN Stats & Info: Entering Sunday, the Celtics had 1 game-tying/go-ahead 3-pointer in the final 24 seconds of the 4th quarter/OT this season (1-10). They had 2 against the Nuggets.

*After beginning the season 7-5, the Charlotte Bobcats have been 4-34 since.
–They are also losers of 7 straight and 15 of their last 17 games.

*Kevin Garnett had his new season-high in rebounding with 18 last game.
–Sunday was the first game that Garnett has had at least 20 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks since 2005.

*Kevin Garnett’s 47 minutes Sunday were his most in a Celtics uniform.

*Paul Pierce’s 54 minutes played Sunday tied his career-high.

*The Celtics are now 8-0 all-time in the regular season when Pierce records a triple-double.

*The Celtics moved to 5-0 this season when they hit at least 9 three-pointers.

*Jason Terry had season-highs with 26 points and 5 three-pointers made on Sunday.
–Terry’s plus/minus of +80 over his last 10 games is the 19^th best in the NBA.

*Jeff Green has scored double-digit points 7 times in his last 8 games.
–During that span, he is averaging 14.4 points per game.

*Via Elias: The Celtics already have tied a team record with 14 OT periods this season.

*Via Elias: Doc Rivers has won his last 6 home games that have gone at least 2 overtimes, breaking the NBA record of 5.

*The last 5 players to record at least 29 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists against the Celtics: Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett …and Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson.

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Bobcats
–Boston is 14-4 vs. Charlotte since 2007-08.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Steals–
15. Kobe Bryant 1,795
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
17. Kevin Garnett 1,721            (Garnett needs 3 to tie Magic for 16^th place)

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
10. Moses Malone 1,329
11. Buck Williams 1,307
12. Kevin Garnett 1,305            (Garnett needs 2 to tie Williams for 11^th place)

2/10/12: Celtics vs. Nuggets Stat Pack

*On Thursday, the Celtics beat the Lakers by at least 20 points in a regular season game for the first time since 1995.

*On Thursday, the Celtics snapped a 3-game losing streak to the Lakers.
–They also snapped 4-game losing streak to the Lakers at home in the regular season.

*The Celtics and Nuggets are the 2 hottest teams in the league with the 2 longest current winning streaks.

*At the final buzzer, the Celtics will have played every team in the league this season.

*Boston and Denver are both very good home teams, but subpar on the road.

*After defeating the Cavaliers in Cleveland in a contest that began at 7:30 P.M. ET on Saturday, the Nuggets traveled to Boston for the 6:00 P.M. tipoff.
–Nuggets: 4-6 on 2^nd night of a back-to-back rest this season.

*Although Denver began the season 12-12, they have gone 20-6 since.

*One of the reasons for the Nuggets’ resurgence is that they are 1 of only 4 teams to have fewer than 5 different starting lineups this season. Their main starting lineup (Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Kosta Koufos) has been used in 47 of their 51 games this season.
–The Nuggets are 32-15 (.681) with that starting lineup.
–In comparison, the Celtics have used 13 starting lineups in 2012-13.

*The Celtics are 4-0 this season when using the starting lineup of Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett.
–They have used it their last 4 games.

*Pierce has recorded at least 5 rebounds in 12 consecutive games, his longest such streak since November/December 2005 (16 straight games).
–The only Celtic with a longer streak this season of at least 5 rebounds: Jared Sullinger (13 games).

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Nuggets
–With the Celtics victory over the Lakers on Thursday, the Nuggets now have the best winning percentage (.556: 5-4 record) of any team against the Celtics since 2007-08.

*Milestone Watch:

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
7. Reggie Lewis 417
T-8. Cedric Maxwell 378
T-8. Kevin Garnett 378            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 8^th place)

By The Numbers: The Current Six-Game Winning Streak

The 2012-13 Boston Celtics have been as unpredictable as any team in the league this season. Since they defeated the Nets in Brooklyn on Christmas Day, the Celtics have gone on a four-game losing streak, six-game winning streak, six-game losing streak and another six-game winning streak. However, the reason that the most recent win streak is more impressive than the previous one is that each of those victories have come without Rajon Rondo.

As evidenced by their fantastic play over the last couple weeks, the Celtics have performed very well without their floor general. In fact, they are approximately 6.0 points better without Rondo per 100 possessions. On Sunday against the Nuggets, the Celtics will surpass 1,000 minutes played with their starting point guard off the floor this season, so this is no small sample size.

One of the reasons the Celtics have been succeeding without Rondo is their improvement in winning the turnover game with opponents. Since their ball dominator has been out of the lineup, the Celtics have yet to lose the turnover battle in any of the six contests. The Celtics with Rondo at the helm were unable to achieve such a six-game streak this season. His frequent ball control on offense led to more turnovers and his poor on-ball defense led to less forced turnovers. Replacing Rondo’s point duties with the mix of mostly Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley and Paul Pierce benefitted the Celtics. Doc Rivers has even admitted that he has no idea who is bringing the ball down the floor on a random possession.

The bench has also come alive with their scoring in this recent stretch. Over the last few weeks, Jason Terry, Leandro Barbosa and Jeff Green have all set new season-long streaks in double-digit scoring. They are more comfortable now than they had been at any point this season. In addition, the bench as a whole has contributed at its highest level in a long time. Since New Year’s Day 2013, the Celtics have had at least three reserves score 12 or more points in five different contests. According to Elias Sports Bureau, in the previous four calendar years (2009-12), that happened only once (January 12, 2011 vs. Sacramento).

Let us not forget all of the captain’s statistical contributions. Not only has Pierce averaged 17.5 points per game during the winning streak, but he also has 9.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in that span. He is truly the team’s point forward and has succeeded thus far in that role. His career-bests for a season are 7.3 rebounds in 2002-03 and 5.1 assists in 2003-04. Moreover, Pierce has recorded at least five rebounds in 12 consecutive games for the first time since 2005.

All of these factors as well as Kevin Garnett scoring in double digits in each of the last six games have contributed to the Celtics’ great play. They now have three victories by more than 12 points in their last six games. In the first 43 games of 2012-13, the Celtics had just five such wins. While the Celtics might not be title contenders for this season, they sure believe they have a chance. Boston’s depth is much more useful than most thought after the first half of the season and many of those main players feeling reborn since the Rondo ACL injury.

Podcast: Bobby and Adam on Pierce and KG Staying in Boston

Bobby and Adam answer Nicola Bogani’s question about why it is important for the Celtics to keep Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in Boston for the rest of their careers. Click on the following link or the one below to listen to their podcast.

2013 Feb 9: Bobby and Adam on Pierce and KG Staying in Boston

(Podcast Recorded on Saturday, February 9th, 2013)

2/7/12: Celtics vs. Lakers Stat Pack

*On Thursday, February 10^th, 2011, Ray Allen set the 3-point record against the Lakers at TD Garden.
–The Lakers won that game, 92-86.
–On Thursday, February 7^th, 2013, Kevin Garnett hopes to become the NBA’s 16^th player all-time with 25,000 points.

*Neither the Celtics (0-3) nor the Lakers (0-2) have won a Thursday TNT game this season.

*The Lakers have had fewer steals than their opponent in their last 11 games, the longest streak for any team since the Suns went 11 straight games in January/February 2011.
–Last time a team went for 12 consecutive games with fewer steals: February/March 2010.

*The Celtics’ 5-game winning streak is tied for the longest current one in the Eastern Conference (Pacers).
–The Lakers’ 3-game winning streak coming into Thursday is the 3^rd-longest current one in the Western Conference.

*Leandro Barbosa has scored at least 12 points in 3 consecutive games.
–This is his longest streak of scoring double-digit points this season.

*Kevin Garnett scored a season-high 27 points on Wednesday.
–Garnett scored at least 27 points 4 times in the 2012 playoffs (all Celtics victories).
–The Celtics are now 10-2 in games in which he has scored at least 18 points.

*The Celtics are now 29-6 in regular season games since 2007-08 when Paul Pierce has had a double-double.

*Pierce has recorded at least 5 rebounds in 11 consecutive games, his longest such streak since November/December 2005 (16 straight games).
–The only Celtic with a longer streak this season of at least 5 rebounds: Jared Sullinger (13 games).

*The Celtics are 3-0 this season when using the starting lineup of Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett.
–They have used it their last three games.

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Lakers
–The Lakers have won 4 straight and are 4-1 overall in regular season meetings at TD Garden against the Celtics since 2007-08.
–Their 80% regular season winning percentage at TD Garden is the best for any team against the Celtics in that span.
–The Lakers are 6-4 in regular season meetings against the Celtics since 2007-08.
–Their 60% regular season winning percentage is the best for any team against the Celtics in that span.

*Milestone Watch:

–Kevin Garnett is 6 points away from 25,000 for his career–

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
7. Reggie Lewis 417
T-8. Cedric Maxwell 378
T-8. Kevin Garnett 378            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 8^th place)

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
11. Buck Williams 1,307
T-12. Elvin Hayes 1,303
T-12. Kevin Garnett 1,303            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 12^th place)

–All-Time NBA Steals–
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
T-17. Ron Harper 1,716
T-17. Kevin Garnett 1,716            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 17^th place)

2/6/12: Celtics @ Raptors Stat Pack

*Early this season (November 17, 2012), the Celtics beat the Raptors, 107-89.
–The Raptors are 1-23 this season when allowing at least 100 points (16-8 otherwise).
–Andrea Bargnani had a game-worst -22 in that game.

*Surprisingly, the Raptors are 4-17 when Andrea Bargnani has played this season.
–They are 13-14 without him in 2012-13.

*Paul Pierce is 7-3 in career meetings vs. Rudy Gay.
–In 35 minutes per game, Pierce has scored 18.9 points, 48% from the field, 44% from three-point and 2.7 turnovers per game.
–In 38 minutes per game, Gay has scored 19.6 points, 44% from the field, 28% from three-point and 1.7 turnovers per game.

*In just two games in Toronto, Gay already has attempted 39 field goals and scored 49 points, both team-highs.

*DeMar DeRozan has been 15-for-15 from the free throw line since Gay has started playing for the Raptors.

*Coming into Wednesday, Pierce has recorded at least 5 rebounds in 10 consecutive games for only the 2^nd time since 2007-08.
–The only Celtic with a longer streak this season of at least 5 rebounds: Jared Sullinger (13 games).
–The last time Pierce has had more than 10 games in a row with at least 5 rebounds: November/December 2005 (16 straight games).

*On Sunday, 3 Celtics came off the bench to score at least 12 points for the 5^th time since New Year’s Day.
–Via Elias: In the previous 4 calendar years (2009-12), that happened only once (January 12, 2011 vs. Sacramento).

*Jason Terry has scored at least 12 points in each of his last 5 games.
–This is his longest streak of scoring double-digit points this season.

*The Celtics have attempted fewer 3-pointers than their opponents in 6 consecutive games, their longest streak since March 2011.
–The Celtics are 19-13 when attempting fewer 3’s this season.
–They are 5-10 when attempting more 3’s.

*The Celtics are 2-0 this season when using the starting lineup of Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett.
–They have used it their last two games.

*The Celtics 2-5 this season on 2 days rest.
–5-6 on 0 days.
–13-11 on 1 day.
–4-0 on 3+ days (not including opening night against Miami).

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Raptors
–Boston is 17-4 since 2007-08 against Toronto.
–The Celtics’ 81% winning percentage against the Raptors coming into tonight is their 2^nd best among teams that they have faced at least 12 times since 2007-08 (1^st: Nets 18-4 [82%]).

*Milestone Watch:

–Kevin Garnett is 33 points away from 25,000 for his career–

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
7. Reggie Lewis 417
T-8. Cedric Maxwell 378
T-8. Kevin Garnett 378            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 8^th place)

–All-Time NBA Regular Season Games Played–
11. Buck Williams 1,307
12. Elvin Hayes 1,303
13. Kevin Garnett 1,302            (Garnett need 1 to tie Hayes for 12^th place)

–All-Time NBA Steals–
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
T-17. Ron Harper 1,716
T-17. Kevin Garnett 1,716            (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 17^th place)

2/3/12: Celtics vs. Clippers Stat Pack

*The Celtics have a margin of victory of 4.12 points per game this season at home.
–However, on the road, opponents are outscoring them by 6.24 points per game.

*Coming into Sunday, Paul Pierce has recorded double-digit rebounds in 3 consecutive games for only the 5^th time in his regular season career.
–Pierce has tied Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo for the longest streak of at least 10 rebounds by a Celtic this season.
–Pierce hopes to make it 4 consecutive games, which would tie his longest career run of double-digit rebounds when he did it in 2002.
–Via Elias: In each of Pierce’s 3 games with at least 10 rebounds, not one came on the offensive end. Since the NBA began recording offensive rebounds in 1973, the only other player to do this in 3 consecutive games was Troy Murphy of the Pacers in March 2009.

*Via Elias: 3 Celtics came off the bench to score at least 12 points in Boston’s 97-84 victory over Orlando (Jeff Green 17, Jason Terry 12 and Leandro Barbosa 12).
–It was the 4^th time since New Year’s Day that 3 Celtics substitutes scored at least 12 in a game.
–In the previous 4 calendar years (2009-12), that happened only once (January 12, 2011 vs. Sacramento).

*The Los Angeles Clippers are 2-5 in their last 7 games, 6 of which were without Chris Paul, and are 5-4 overall this season without him.
–Chris Paul will miss his 7^th straight game Sunday.

*During the 2012-13 season, the Clippers are an astounding 11.8 points worse per 100 offensive possessions without Chris Paul on the court. The Clippers’ defense is 3.9 points per 100 possessions better without Paul.
–Chris Paul: 1306 minutes played this season.
–The Clippers have played 1003 minutes without him in 2012-13.

*The Spurs and Clippers are the only 2 teams in the NBA to be in the Top 5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season.

*In the absence of Chris Paul on Friday against the Raptors, Eric Bledsoe shot 4-for-14 overall (0-for-3 from 3-point), Willie Green shot 1-for-5 overall (0-for-4 from 3-point) and Jamal Crawford, who broke his nose, shot 5-for-17 overall (1-for-7 from 3-point).
–Crawford’s 29% field goal shooting on Friday was his worst for any game this season when attempting at least 15 shots.
–Via @ESPNStatsInfo: Clippers guards Bledsoe and Green were a combined 0-for-8 from the field and scored 0 points in the 1^st half on Friday vs. Raptors.

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Clippers
–Even without Chris Paul, the Clippers have been a tough foe for the Celtics in the Kevin Garnett era.
–The Celtics are only 6-4 against the Clippers since 2007-08. Chris Paul has played in only 2 of those games (1-1 record).

*Milestone Watch:

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
7. Reggie Lewis 417
T-8. Cedric Maxwell 378
T-8. Kevin Garnett 378                        (Garnett needs 1 to move into sole possession of 8^th place)

–All-Time NBA Three-Pointers Made–
5. Chauncey Billups 1,787
6. Peja Stojakovic 1,760
7. Paul Pierce 1,757                        (Pierce needs 4 to move into 6^th place)

–All-Time NBA Steals–
16. Magic Johnson 1,724
17. Ron Harper 1,716
18. Kevin Garnett 1,715            (Garnett needs 1 to tie Harper for 17^th place)

Podcast: Bobby and Adam on Jared Sullinger and Rudy Gay

Bobby Krivitsky and Adam Lowenstein react to the announcement of the Jared Sullinger season-ending back surgery. In addition, they discussed the winners and losers of the Rudy Gay trade. Click on the following link or the one below to listen to their podcast.

2013 Feb 1: Sullinger’s Back and the Rudy Gay Trade

(Podcast Recorded on February 1st, 2013)

2/1/12: Celtics vs. Magic Stat Pack

*The Orlando Magic: on a 7-game losing streak, the longest current one in the league.

*The absence of Glen Davis, who is undergoing foot surgery on Friday, will make a major impact on the Magic.
–In 2012-13, they are 1-16 when he plays fewer than 25 minutes or does not play at all.
–When Davis has played at least 25 minutes this season, the Magic are 13-15.
(On January 16^th, he played 24 minutes, 42 seconds – along with Basketball-Reference and ESPN, I round this to 25 minutes. Therefore, I included it in the 25 minutes or more category.)

*Coming into Friday’s contest, the Celtics have played 892 minutes with Jared Sullinger on the floor and 1,323 minutes with him off the court.

*Here are some statistics on how the Celtics will suffer without Sullinger.
–Overall, the Celtics’ “point differential” (offensive efficiency – defensive efficiency) is 6.7 points worse with Sullinger off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ offensive efficiency is 4.2 points worse with Sullinger off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ defensive efficiency is 2.4 points worse with Sullinger off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ total rebounding percentage is 5.2% worse with Sullinger off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ offensive rebounding percentage is 8.9% worse with Sullinger off the floor this season.

*Coming into Friday’s contest, the Celtics have played 1,422 minutes with Rajon Rondo on the floor and 793 minutes with him off the court.

*Here are some statistics on how the Celtics have succeeded without Rondo on the court as opposed to having him on the court.
–Overall, the Celtics’ “point differential” (offensive efficiency – defensive efficiency) is 4.0 points better with Rondo off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ offensive efficiency is 2.7 points better with Rondo off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ defensive efficiency is 1.3 points better with Rondo off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ turnover percentage is 1.4% better with Rondo off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ total rebounding percentage is 2.2% better with Rondo off the floor this season.
–The Celtics’ offensive rebounding percentage is 4.2% better with Rondo off the floor this season.

*Recent Meetings: Celtics vs. Magic
–The Celtics have won the last 6 meetings with the Magic.

*Milestone Watch:

–All-Time NBA Minutes–
27. Hal Greer 39,788
28. Charles Barkley 39,330
29. Paul Pierce 39,306            (Pierce needs 25 to move into 28^th place)

–Celtics History: All-Time Blocked Shots–
7. Reggie Lewis 417
8. Cedric Maxwell 378
9. Kevin Garnett 377                        (Garnett needs 2 to move into 8^th place)

–Most NBA Double-Doubles Since 1990–
1. Tim Duncan 751
T-2. Shaquille O’Neal 727
T-2. Kevin Garnett 727            (Garnett needs 1 to pass O’Neal for 2^nd place)

–All-Time NBA Three-Pointers Made–
5. Chauncey Billups 1,787
6. Peja Stojakovic 1,760
7. Paul Pierce 1,756                        (Pierce needs 5 to move into 6^th place)