Kevin Garnett buys small stake in Italian soccer club Roma

ROME (AP) -- Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett is about to become a limited shareholder in the American-owned Roma soccer club.

 

Roma confirmed to The Associated Press that Garnett accepted an offer from James Pallotta, one of the four Boston executives who closed a deal in August to become the first foreign majority owners of a Serie A club.

Pallotta also is a minority owner of the Celtics.

Earlier this year, fellow NBA star LeBron James obtained a small stake in Liverpool from the Fenway Sports Group. The Garnett and James deals are linked because new Roma President Thomas DiBenedetto also is a limited partner in the Fenway group, which owns the Boston Red Sox baseball team.

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Miami put heat on Celtics, Thunder level series

(Reuters) - The Miami Heat piled the pressure on bruised and battered Boston by taking a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series with a 102-91 victory on Tuesday.

Quicker and more athletic than the veteran Celtics, who were hampered by a series of nagging injuries, the Heat again met the challenge of the defending Eastern Conference champions and have a commanding lead in the best-of-seven second-round series with Game Three set for Saturday in Boston.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder slowed the inside force of the Memphis Grizzlies in a 111-102 victory that leveled their series 1-1.

Kevin Durant scored 26 points and the Thunder held red-hot Zach Randolph to 2-for-13 shooting as Oklahoma City bounced back from their series-opening loss to the giant-killing Grizzlies.

In Miami, LeBron James took his turn to carry the load with 24 of his game-high 35 points coming in the second half, while Game One standout Dwyane Wade added 28.

"This is a great team we're going against right now," James told reporters. "We're playing as hard as we can defensively and just trying to wear them down throughout the course of the game."

"They made a run but we stuck to our principles and finally wore them down."

With the game tied 80-80 midway through the fourth, the Heat exploded with a 14-0 burst to put the contest out of reach.

Boston's Paul Pierce, who was ejected from the contentious series-opener with two technical fouls in the fourth quarter, returned from a strained left foot but the injury forced him off the court briefly in the first quarter.

Ray Allen also played with a bruised chest following a collision with James in the third.

Rajon Rondo led the way with 20 points and 12 assists for Boston who trailed by five points after both the second and third quarters.

The Celtics will have to regroup at home if they are to take down Miami's "Big Three," who were brought together in the off-season to challenge Boston's supremacy.

Chris Bosh, the Heat's final member of the triumvirate, finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Having allowed 34 points from Memphis's Zach Randolph in Game One, the Thunder restricted him to just 15 points, as they charged to a 28-17 lead after the first quarter and stretched it to 97-76 in the fourth.

Russell Westbrook had 24 points and James Harden put in 21 for the Thunder.

Mike Conley led the way with 24 points for Memphis who will host Game Three on Saturday.

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Heat sizzle against Celtics as Grizzlies maul Thunder

(Reuters) - Dwyane Wade and Miami sent a strong message to their Eastern Conference tormenters the Boston Celtics with a 99-90 victory Sunday that gave the Heat an early edge in the heavyweight second round playoff matchup.

Wade came out firing with 23 of his game-high 38 points in the first half, and LeBron James added 22 to help the Heat grab a 1-0 best-of seven series lead over the Celtics team that knocked each player from last year's post-season.

"Today our shot-makers made shots and that was the story," Wade told reporters after turning around his regular-season struggles against the Celtics this season when he averaged just 12.8 points per game.

"These guys expect this from me. I wasn't giving it to them in the regular season versus them and I wanted to come out and be a leader. (Boston) is never going to quit and we look forward to the challenge."

In the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies continued their magical playoff run by mauling the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-101 to draw first blood in their best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series.

Fresh off a shock first round upset of the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, the eighth-seeded Grizzlies showed no signs of a letdown against the Thunder, grabbing the lead midway through the first quarter and never letting go.

A showdown between the Celtics and Heat has been anticipated ever since James and fellow All Star Chris Bosh joined forces with Wade in the off-season in an attempt to shift Eastern Conference power.

The series opener proved feisty as Boston's Paul Pierce was ejected with two technical fouls in the fourth quarter following a confrontation with Wade.

LATE PUSH

The wily Celtics still managed to make a late push and pulled within eight points with four minutes left after having trailed by as much as 19 in the second half.

But the Heat held off the run with six straight points to move ahead 96-82 with 2:54 left

Ray Allen kept Boston in the game with 25 points, including five three-pointers, and Pierce finished with 19.

James Jones sparked the Heat with five three-pointers and a career playoff-high 25 points but it was Miami's suffocating defense that held Boston to 36 first-half points as the home team took a 15-point lead into the locker room.

Game Two is in Miami on Tuesday.

In Oklahoma City, Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies best player against the Spurs, was again in the spotlight as he hit for a game-high 34 points and 10 rebounds. Spaniard Marc Gasol also contributed a double-double with 20 points and 13 boards.

Kevin Durant, the NBA's scoring champion, had 33 points and 11 rebounds in a losing cause for the Thunder while Russell Westbrook had 29 points.

Memphis led by as much as 16 in the first half and powered ahead 91-74 in the fourth as they eased to another shock victory.

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Boston roll on, Sixers cool off Heat

(Reuters) - The Boston Celtics swept aside the New York Knicks to move ominously into the second round of the playoffs after a 101-89 victory on Sunday.

Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds, Rajon Rondo recorded 21 points and 12 assists and the veteran Celtics completed their 4-0 best-of-seven rout over the Knicks.

Meanwhile, the second seed Miami Heat had their series advantage cut to 3-1, while the Atlanta Hawks took a 3-1 series lead over Orlando and the New Orleans Hornets leveled their match-up at 2-2 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Having reached the NBA Finals in two of the last three seasons, Boston produced a business-like win as they nearly led from start to finish.

The revamped Knicks, who signed All Star Amar'e Stoudemire in the off-season and traded for All Star Carmelo Anthony at mid-season, suffered a disappointing exit from the playoffs.

"They're going to be good," Boston coach Doc Rivers said of the Knicks. "They're just going to be able to keep building. As long as everyone stays patient with them, it will work out."

Anthony finished with 32 points and nine rebounds and New York got 19 and 12 rebounds from Stoudemire who was limited in the series by back spasms that nagged him since Game Two.

Knicks starting point guard Chauncey Billups also injured his knee in Game Two and was sidelined for the rest of the series.

Miami attempted to punch its ticket to the second round but was stalled by Philadelphia 76ers who pulled off a gritty 86-82 win to avoid a first round sweep.

Philadelphia's Lou Williams had 17 and made the go-ahead three-pointer with eight seconds for the winning margin while LeBron James scored 31 and Dwyane Wade had 22 for the Heat.

Game Five is Wednesday in Miami.

In New Orleans, Jarrett Jack made a clutch jumper to put the home team up four with nine seconds left, and Chris Paul had a triple-double of 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds as the Hornets outlasted the Lakers in a 93-88 win.

Kobe Bryant, who exchanged words with Paul throughout the testy affair, shook off a slow start and a sore ankle to finish with 17 points and eight assists.

Los Angeles stayed close but never led in the second half and will try to regain control of the series in Game Five on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Atlanta led Orlando by as much as 16 in the second quarter, but still had to hold on late to fend off the Magic in an 88-85 win.

Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu missed a three-pointer attempt at the buzzer to seal his team's fate as the Magic wasted Dwight Howard's dominance of 29 points and 17 rebounds.

Jamal Crawford had 25 points off the bench to lead the Hawks who will try to close the series in Game Five on Tuesday.

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Hawks swoop for late win as big guns boom

(Reuters) - Jamal Crawford banked in a three-pointer with 5.7 seconds left to seal a 88-84 win for the Atlanta Hawks over the visiting Orlando Magic Friday.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers ambushed the New Orleans Hornets 100-86 on the road to join in the Hawks in taking a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series.

The Boston Celtics mercilessly overpowered the New York Knicks 113-96 to ruin the excitement of the first playoff game at Madison Square Gardens in seven years.

In Atlanta, Crawford scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half including the game-clinching three in the dying seconds of a nip-and-tuck contest.

"I just tried to get to my comfort zone, my sweet spot," Crawford told reporters. "I felt pretty good getting there. "I thought I got a good look, and it just happened to go down for me."

Al Horford gave the Hawks the lead at 85-84 with 46.6 seconds left.

Atlanta led for much of the game, but the lead changed four times over the final two minutes following an altercation which led to the ejection of Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia and Orlando's Jason Richardson.

"I thought we played with much more energy in the second half, and that got us back into it," said Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy. "But this is the playoffs and you can't play 24 minutes of defense."

Joe Johnson scored 21 points for Atlanta and Dwight Howard led the Magic with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

In New Orleans, the Lakers pounced on the Hornets in the opening quarter and pulled away in the final period to regain home-court advantage.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 30 points and Pau Gasol recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Carl Landry led the Hornets with 23 points and Chris Paul 22.

In New York, the Celtics sprinted to a 22-5 lead eight minutes into the game and led comfortably from start to finish to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

Boston will attempt to complete the sweep Sunday.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 38 points, Ray Allen hit eight three-pointers among his 32 points and Rajon Rondo had a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a Celtics franchise playoff record 20 assists.

The Knicks bench outscored the starters led by Shawne Williams 17 points. Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points on just 4-for-16 shooting from the field.

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Celtics beat Knicks; Mavs and Magic also win

(Reuters) - The Boston Celtics overcame an inspired performance from Carmelo Anthony to beat the New York Knicks and take a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series on Tuesday, while Orlando and Dallas also grabbed victories.

Orlando's Dwight Howard, who scored 46 points in a Game One loss to the Hawks, poured in 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Magic beat Atlanta 88-82 to even their series at 1-1.

In Dallas, the Mavericks got 21 points off the bench from Peja Stojakovic to compliment 33 from Dirk Nowitzki as the home team held off the Portland Trail Blazers 101-89 to take a 2-0 series lead with Game Three set for Thursday in Portland.

With New York's Chauncey Billups out due to a sore knee and Amare Stoudemire sitting out the second half because of back spasms, Anthony stepped up and matched a career playoff high with 42 points and pulled down 17 rebounds.

However, Anthony's outstanding individual effort was not enough as the Celtics hung on for a 96-93 win.

After back-to-back heart-breaking losses, the Knicks head home to the 'Big Apple' for Games Three and Four on Friday and Sunday, needing at least one win to avoid being swept from the first round.

The Knicks clawed their way back to a 93-92 lead with 19 seconds to play before Kevin Garnett dropped the go-ahead basket with 13 seconds left on the clock. He followed that up with a big defensive play at the other end of the court, diving on a loose ball with just four seconds left.

Rajon Rondo paced the Celtics with 30 points.

"We have so many weapons," Rondo told reporters. "Kevin wanted the ball and I told him to be ready and he came through for us on both ends of the floor."

Orlando avoided falling behind 2-0 in their series with the help of a 10-1 run to close the third quarter that gave the Magic a 65-54 cushion.

Jameer Nelson had 13 points for the Magic while Hedo Turkoglu had 10.

Jamal Crawford had 25 points coming off the bench to lead the Hawks and Josh Smith had 17.

Portland were looking to return home with the series tied 1-1, but Nowitzki led the Mavs to a 28-17 fourth-quarter advantage to fend off the visitors.

Stojakovic, who was released by the Toronto Raptors before the Mavericks signed him in January, drained five three-pointers and was a point short of his season-high.

LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Blazers with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

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Rondo gets aggressive as Celtics take 2-0 lead over Knicks

(Reuters) - Rajon Rondo is the smallest of the Boston Celtics starting lineup but the guard proved his mettle Tuesday as Boston inched past the New York Knicks.

The fifth-year pro scored 30 points, a career post-season high, in Boston's 96-93 win, and backed it up with four rebounds and seven assists against a Knicks team depleted by injuries.

Boston's win gave them a 2-0 lead in the Eastern conference best of seven series. The action switches to New York's Madison Square Garden Friday.

Rondo, prince of the assist, rarely stars on the Celtics' well-rounded roster, where forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett often steal the scoring show and Ray Allen regularly hits laser-like three-pointers.

"That's a hard job, that point guard job," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers of Rondo. "When they're playing you to drive, they're trying to force you to shoot, and your most effective way is penetration through trees. It's hard."

At age 25, versus an average age of 33 for the rest of Boston's starters Tuesday, Rondo brings fresh legs to the team. Even so, going up against "trees" takes its toll.

"I got tired in the first quarter," said Rondo. "I was trying to push the pace and I got a little winded. After that, my wind was fine."

Fourteen of Rondo's points came in the first period. "I thought Rondo was aggressive," said Boston's Garnett. "He and Paul (Pierce) had it going very early. I thought he got into a nice rhythm."

Rivers said the coaches had talked about Rondo attacking the basket for lay-ups. "It was good to see he can do that, that he's going to do that. That was great."

Still, Boston got a break Tuesday, Rivers said.

"We won the game. That's all we get out of this ... my guys played hard, but I thought they were lucky to win. (New York) had no Stoudemire, no Billups."

Knicks starting guard Chauncey Billups was out with a strained left knee. Amar'e Stoudemire suffered back spasms after a mistimed dunk during warmups. The forward played just 17 minutes for four points.

"I could hardly move," said Stoudemire, still in too much pain to sit during the post-game press conference.

With his teammates down, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, a four-time NBA All Star, stepped up to score a season high 42 points and 17 rebounds.

The Celtics briefly held a 10-point lead in the first quarter, but Anthony reeled Boston in time and again in a game featuring 22 lead changes.

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Heat scorch Celtics to earn control of second seed

(Reuters) - LeBron James and the Miami Heat took firm control of the Eastern Conference's second seed with a crushing 100-77 triumph over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Using a smothering defensive effort that held Boston to 37 second-half points, the Heat (56-24) moved one game in front of Boston with two games remaining to give them inside position on home-court advantage in a potential second-round playoff series between the two teams.

James had a game-high 27 points and seven assists while Dwyane Wade added 14 points as the two All-Star players earned their first victory of the season against a team that has haunted them over the past few postseasons.

The Celtics (55-25) have knocked James out of the playoffs in two of the last three years while vanquishing Wade's Heat team in the first round last year.

"They are a really good team, we came out with a lot of energy and effort and it was really good to get a win," James told reporters. "We know it starts defensively. Anytime someone was beaten we stepped over and continued to fly around.

"When we defend at a high level we're tough to beat."

Paul Pierce scored a team-high 24 points and Kevin Garnett recorded 21 but Boston continued their step backward since parting ways with starting center Kendrick Perkins at the February trading deadline.

The Celtics, who have lost 10 of their last 19 games, will enter the playoffs looking decidedly different than the team that reached the NBA Finals in two of the past three seasons.

Boston jumped out to an early advantage over Miami in the first quarter but the Heat rallied to take a seven-point lead at halftime and expanded their edge from there.

Chris Bosh chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds for Miami who out-rebounded the Celtics 42-26 on the day.

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Bulls trample Celtics in home race

(Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday to open a four-game lead at the top of the Eastern Conference and move to within one victory of clinching home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.

Chicago (58-20), winners of 17 of their last 19 games, closed out the third quarter with an 11-4 run to pull away from the Celtics (54-24).

"This meant a lot because you're going against a team you could see in the playoffs," Bulls guard Derrick Rose told reporters after scoring a game-high 30 points.

"You don't want those teams to have confidence. We were aggressive. That's the way it's going to be. We're a tough team. We grind wins out."

The Bulls allowed the Celtics just four field goals in the fourth quarter and, with just four games remaining, Chicago look like genuine title contenders.

"I just thought they were far more physical, tougher, more prepared, which is on me," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I thought Thibs (Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau) did a better job.

"I thought (Carlos) Boozer did a better job, I thought Derrick Rose did a better job. I just thought overall they just competed far better than us tonight."

MVP candidate Rose added eight assists for the Bulls and Luol Deng scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half.

The Celtics were led by Paul Pierce with 15 points while Kevin Garnett scored 10 and Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen were limited to seven each.

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Celtics rally for spirited victory over Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) – Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics scored the final 10 points for a spirited 96-86 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night.

With blood flowing and bodies flying, the Celtics showed the Knicks they will be tough to beat next month if this was in fact a preview of a first-round playoff series.

Paul Pierce scored 21 points and Ray Allen had 15 for Boston despite a poor shooting night and a nasty cut on his head that briefly forced him from the game.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points for the Knicks, but neither he nor Amare Stoudemire had a field goal in the fourth quarter. Chauncey Billups had 21 and Stoudemire finished with 16.

Boston (50-19) matched its victory total from last season after coming into play tied with Chicago for the best record in the Eastern Conference, seizing control in the final minutes with its trademark tough defense the sensational all-court play of Rondo, who made the tiebreaking basket with 3:10 left.

The Knicks lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 7-9 since acquiring Anthony last month, and as with Miami's occasional struggles this season, has created concerns about how long it takes a team to figure things out when it has put superstars together.

"Hopefully two, three years," joked Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who has his reasons for that wish.

The longtime Atlantic Division rivals could be headed toward a meeting in the first round of the playoffs. New York entered in seventh place in the East, a half-game behind Philadelphia.

This one started to resemble a playoff scrap in the second quarter. Boston's Troy Murphy had to come out of the game with a bloody nose, and Glen Davis crashed to the court after Anthony caught him in the head with an elbow after grabbing a rebound.

Then Allen had to leave briefly in the third quarter after his head was bloodied by Jared Jeffries' elbow while going for a rebound. Allen wiped blood from his head on the court with a towel, not far from where his mother was seated next to Spike Lee in the front row of courtside seats.

The Celtics took the hits and kept coming, trimming New York's lead to 69-63 on Glen Davis' layup at the third-quarter buzzer. They were down nine after Billups' four-point play with 7:26 remaining but stormed back with 13 straight points, going ahead 86-82 on Garnett's jumper with 4:20 to go.

The Knicks tied it, and after Rondo's layup with 3:10 put Boston back ahead, Anthony was cut above the eye after colliding with Rondo trying to steal and inbounds pass. Rondo came up with it as Anthony fell to the court, then found Davis for a layup and a 90-86 edge with 2 1/2 minutes left.

Pierce knocked down a jumper for a six-point lead, and Allen put it away with a dunk to make it 94-86 with 40 seconds to go. He closed it out with two free throws.

A day after the Knicks managed nine points in the first quarter at Milwaukee, their worst opening period since scoring a franchise-low five on Nov. 21, 1956, against Fort Wayne, Stoudemire had nine by himself after 12 minutes Monday as New York built a 25-22 lead.

The Knicks scored the first seven of the second, capped by consecutive baskets by Ronny Turiaf, to open a double-digit cushion. It grew to 45-30 on Billups' 3-pointer with 3:41 remaining in the half, and the Knicks took a 51-37 advantage to the locker room.

Notes: The teams meet again in Boston on April 13 in the regular-season finale. ... Shaquille O'Neal worked out on a stationary bike before the game, though it's still unknown when he will return from a sore right leg that's sidelined him since Feb. 1. ... The Knicks started Turiaf at center, the third straight game they had a different starter at that position

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Martin, Hayes, Lopez and Williams shines on their respected teams

WEST - At Houston, Kevin Martin scored 23 points, Chuck Hayes had a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds as Houston snapped a seven-game losing streak to Phoenix with a 95-93 win.

Kyle Lowry added 18 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Rockets, who stayed three games behind Memphis in the race for the final playoff spot.

Vince Carter scored 21 to lead the Suns, who played without point guard Steve Nash for the second straight game.

The Suns slipped 2 1/2 games behind the Grizzlies in the race for the No. 8 playoff spot in the West.

EAST - At Newark, New Jersey, Brook Lopez scored 20 points, and Deron Williams added 16 and made the clinching three-pointer, as New Jersey extended its longest winning streak in three years to five games with an 88-79 victory overt the Boston Celtics.

Kris Humphries had 16 points and 15 rebounds, following his strong performance against Blake Griffin by turning in one against Kevin Garnett to help the Nets snap a nine-game home losing streak against the Celtics. (AP)

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Cavaliers Acquire Erden and Harangody from Boston for Future Second Round Pick

(NBA) The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired center Semih Erden and forward Luke Harangody from the Boston Celtics in exchange for a second round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. The Cavaliers also waived forward Leon Powe.

“Semih and Luke are two young players that we’ve liked dating back to their respective drafts. Each has worked hard, continued to grow and proven themselves on the court this season,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. “Luke and Semih also understand what winning culture is about and we’re happy to have them as part of our team. We look forward to their continued growth with us.”

Erden, 24, has played in 37 games (seven starts) this season, averaging 4.1 points on .598 shooting and 2.9 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. The 7-foot, 240-pound rookie from Turkey was selected with the 60th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft. He has seven seasons of international experience, playing the last five seasons (2005-2010) with Fenerbache Ulker Istanbul of the Turkish League.

With the Celtics during the 2010-11 season, he scored in double figures on four occasions and grabbed seven or more rebounds in five games this season. Semih Erden (pronounced SEM-ee Err-DEN) posted a season-high 14 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting and added seven rebounds in 30 minutes versus Utah on Jan. 21st.

Harangody, 23, is averaging 2.3 points on .394 shooting and 2.0 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game in 28 games (zero starts). He was selected with the 52nd overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft after receiving All-American honors and being an All-BIG EAST First Team Selection in three consecutive seasons (2008-2010), including being named BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2008, in four seasons at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-8, 246-pound power forward recorded his first NBA career double-double with 17 points on 8-11 shooting (.727) and 11 rebounds versus Toronto on Jan. 7th.

The 2013 second round pick headed to Boston was acquired by the Cavaliers from Minnesota on July 26, 2010 along with Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins in exchange for Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West.

Powe has played in 34 games (five starts) for the Cavaliers since being signed as a free agent before the 2009-10 season and averaged 4.4 points on .463 shooting and 2.9 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. “We thank Leon for his contributions on and off the court and our entire organization wishes him and his family the best in the future,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. 

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Thunder Acquires Perkins and Robinson

(NBA) The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson from the Boston Celtics in exchange for forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic and the Los Angeles Clippers' 2012 first-round pick, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

(Thunder) “It is never easy to make decisions such as these and I thank Jeff and Nenad for their contributions to the Thunder organization and to this community. They define professionalism and I wish them the very best in the future,” Presti said. “We had a unique opportunity to add a proven presence in our front court in acquiring Kendrick. He will help anchor our defense while Nate will add depth and athleticism to our backcourt. We are excited to welcome them both to the Thunder organization.” 


(Boston) “We are pleased to welcome Jeff and Nenad to the Celtics,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge. “Jeff is a versatile talent on the offensive end and someone who can play multiple positions while Nenad, who is one of the better shooting big men in the league, gives us good size and length on both ends of the court.”
“We would like to thank both Kendrick and Nate for all of their contributions to the franchise both on and off the court,” said Ainge. “Perk was an integral part of our 2008 championship and we could not have asked for a better person to represent our franchise throughout his tenure with the ballclub. We wish both Nate and Kendrick nothing but the best in their future.”
Perkins (6-10, 280), an NBA champion currently in his 8th NBA season, owns career averages of 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 assist and 22.3 minutes in 454 NBA games. He has appeared in 12 games (7 starts) this season with the Celtics, averaging 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 26.1 minutes. The center has appeared in 68 postseason games, averaging 6.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 25.7 minutes. 

Robinson (5-9, 180), the only three-time Slam Dunk winner in NBA history currently in his 6th NBA season, owns career averages of 11.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 393 games. He has seen action in 55 games (11 starts) this season with the Celtics, averaging 7.1 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. The guard has played in 17 postseason contests, averaging 4.2 points, 1.1 assists and 7.5 minutes.

Green, a 6-9 forward, is currently averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 49 games this season while starting for Oklahoma City. The former Georgetown Hoya was originally drafted by the Celtics with the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and was traded to the Seattle Supersonics along with Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak in exchange for Ray Allen and Glen Davis. Green recorded a career-high 37 points against New Jersey this season on December 1, 2010. He has recorded 20 or more points on nine occasions this season and has recorded three double-doubles. In his fourth year in the NBA, Green has posted career averages of 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 289 games.

Krstic, a 7-foot center, is currently averaging 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game while starting for the Thunder. The native of Kraljevo, Serbia has recorded a season-high of 18 points against the Chicago Bulls on 12/6/10. Krstic has recorded 10 or more points on 13 occasions this season and has posted one double-double. He recorded a high of 11 rebounds against Orlando on 1/13/11. In his seventh year in the NBA, he has posted career averages of 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 395 games.

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Kings acquire Marquis Daniels from Celtics

(NBA) The Sacramento Kings today acquired forward-guard Marquis Daniels and cash considerations from the Boston Celtics in exchange for a protected second-round pick in the 2017 draft, according to Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Daniels, in his eighth NBA season out of Auburn, appeared in 49 games for the Celtics this season, averaging 5.5 ppg (.491 FG%, .684 FT%), 2.3 rpg, and 1.3 apg, before suffering a bruised spinal cord on February 6 versus Orlando and has not seen action since then.

With Daniels likely out for the rest of the season , this may seem like a pointless trade. But it allows the Celtics to free up a roster spot and reduce their luxury tax payment by $2.4 million. They send enough cash in the deal to make it worth the Kings' trouble.

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Celtics' Pierce reaches 20,000 career points

BOSTON (Reuters) - All Star forward Paul Pierce became the third life-long Boston Celtics player to reach 20,000 NBA career points on Wednesday.
Pierce, who scored 28 points in his team's 105-102 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, has spent all of his 13 seasons in the NBA with the Celtics. Hall of Fame players Larry Bird and John Havlicek, who both also achieved the mark, spent their entire careers with Boston.
"It was really emotional," Pierce told television reporters after he passed the mark from the free throw line and received an ovation from his home crowd.
"I've been through so many hard years here. To come so far at this point in my career I'm just blessed and happy to still be a Celtic."
Pierce now has 20,005 points and joins three of his current team mates, center Shaquille O'Neal, power forward Kevin Garnett and guard Ray Allen in achieving the milestone.

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Cavaliers stun Celtics in first game without LeBron

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The Cleveland Cavaliers began the post-LeBron James era with a stunning 95-87 victory over the heavily favored Boston Celtics Wednesday.
Making the victory all the sweeter for jilted Cavaliers fans was the fact that their season-opening win came over the Celtics, something James and his new team the Miami Heat were unable to do in the NBA curtain-raiser Tuesday.
When James announced in July that he was "taking his talents to South Beach" to form a super team in Miami with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, it left Cavaliers fans crushed fearing a return to the bottom of the standings without the twice league MVP.
But for one night at least, the Cavaliers looked every bit a championship contender and the sellout crowd agreed erupting in wild celebration as the final buzzer sounded and confetti rained down from the rafters.

J.J. Hickson

"I'm very proud of my guys tonight, there were times in this game when we got down double-digits and they could have just mailed it in but they didn't," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott told reporters.
"This is how we've got to play basketball. We played really hard all night long.
"We're going to enjoy this victory because it was big time for us, for us to win this game at home, to start the season off this way."
"TRUE STRENGTH"
The Cavaliers had trailed by as much as 11 points but showed their mettle in the final minutes, taking an 86-84 lead on a J.J. Hickson layup.
Hickson led the Cavaliers with a game high 21 points while Daniel Gibson provided 16 points and eight assists coming off the bench.
Ramon Sessions chipped in with 14 points while Jamario Moon, who took over James locker and his starting place in the lineup added 10.
The Celtics, arriving in Cleveland off an emotional win 24 hours earlier, appeared to run out of steam down the stretch.

newly acquired cavs ramon sessions and reserved forward jamario moon who took over lebron james starting place

"I think their true strength is playing together," said Celtics Kevin Garnett. "They don't have the one go to guy but they do play well together.
"They play hard and when you don't match that you find yourself in trouble."
Rajon Rondo had 18 points and nine assists to pace the Celtics while Paul Pierce added 13 and Garnett contributed nine points and 15 rebounds.

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Boston Celtics beat the Heat to spoil LeBron's Miami debut

BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Celtics spoiled the opening act of LeBron James's latest quest for an elusive NBA title by defeating the Miami Heat 88-80 on Tuesday in a highly anticipated showdown of Eastern Conference powerhouses.
James, the two-time MVP who signed with the Heat as a free agent in the off-season after seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, scored 31 points but had eight turnovers in the season-opener for both teams.
"We all know Rome wasn't built in one day, so it's going to take time, and we understand that," said James, who hit 10 of 21 shots but had trouble finding his rhythm from the outside.
"We have to keep on making progress every day and just continue to get better."
Boston held a comfortable 60-45 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter but James scored nine points during a 12-3 Miami run that cut the Celtics' lead to 63-57.
Miami trimmed their deficit to 68-64 but a lay-in by Glen Davis and a three-pointer by Paul Pierce hiked the lead to 73-64.
James made a driving lay-up with 1:10 left to cut the Heat's deficit to 83-80 but Ray Allen responded with a three-pointer from the corner to hike the lead to 86-80 with 49 seconds remaining and send the crowd into a frenzy.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who missed most of the preseason with a hamstring injury, had an awful game, scoring 13 points on four of 16 shots with six turnovers.
Wade admitted he was "a little bit out of rhythm, of course" and appeared undaunted the Heat's season opened with a loss.
"This is one of 82," said Wade. "Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82-0. It just ain't happening."

The Celtics, who shot better and played with greater energy, were led by Allen, who finished with 20 points, and Pierce, who had 19.
"It was a fun game," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "They're going to be a lot better when we see them again, and hopefully we are, as well."
James and Chris Bosh, a free agent who also signed in the off-season with Miami, joined Wade with the hope of leading the franchise to its first title since 2006.
While James played well in spots, Wade and Bosh were nothing short of awful at a raucous, sold-out Boston Garden, shooting a combined seven of 27 from the floor.

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